Ten on Tuesday

I'm linking up with Roots & Rings for her Ten on Tuesday post!

1. What is your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be to travel around Europe for a month or two with no worries or schedule

2. What has been your favorite trip so far in your life?

My favorite trip so far was this past spring break, B and his parents took me with them to Tortola, B.V.I. and it was amazing. Tortola was a beautiful island and we ate a lot of good food and spent time on the beach and had a great week together

3. If you and one of your best friends could go anywhere in the world for one week, where would it be and why?

Hm.. I would choose to go to California to see my best friend who moved out there a few months ago!

4. Have you ever booked a trip using an online deal? How did it go?

I have never actually booked a trip using an online deal but I look at them all of the time

5. What's your favorite thing to do while on vacation?

I love to eat good food, see the sights, and if there is a beach nearby I love to spend time there in the sun with a good book

6. Have you ever missed an opportunity to take a trip that you regret?

I don't think so.

7. You travel far away from home and get stranded with no way to buy anything, what's the one thing you can't live without?

Probably my iPhone. Because I would have a phone to keep in touch with friends, internet to browse, camera to take pictures and apps to download books/games

8. What's one of your favorite traveling memories?

My best friend studied abroad in London two years ago and I spontaneously decided I would go spend Easter break with her. I bought my ticket and a month later I was on a plane! It was the best five days ever and a trip that I will never forget!

9. All included resort or backpacking? Why?

Both! Backpacking through Europe would be fun and exciting but staying at an all inclusive resort on an island would be nice as well. Just depends on where you are going!

10. Are you more of a lie on the beach kind of person on vacation, or do you prefer to see the sights?

I like to do both. I love exploring and seeing the sights but I also love to lay on the beach and read a book and drink a frozen drink

Tuesday Tunes

This week's compilation of songs is mostly country, because that is what kind of mood I am in this week! Enjoy!

1. Remind Me - Brad Paisley ft. Carrie Underwood

2. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton

3. What Do You Want - Jerrod Niemann

4. Crazy Girl - Eli Young Band

5. Take a Back Road - Rodney Atkins

6. Love Don't Run - Steve Holy

7. You Lie - The Band Perry

8. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift

9. Just a Kiss - Lady Antebellum

10. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker

Weekend Recap!

This weekend with my sisters turned out to be fabulous and so much fun! I only hope they had as much fun as I did! Here are a few pictures to recap:

In our first attempt at a group pic, Rivers almost fell two seconds before this was taken so we of course couldn't keep our composure!

Taking a break and resting their ankles from ice-skating!

Sunday, we went to the Brad Paisley/Blake Shelton/Jerrod Niemann concert! My step-mom drove up and brought Garrett with her. Rivers had NO clue what we were doing until we got out of the car and were walking to the pavilion. Let's just say, once she figured it out she loved the surprise!

Blake Shelton was awesome! He really entertains the crowd and his voice is great. I didn't realize he sung half the songs he sang!

Brad Paisley was of course amazing! And when he started singing Remind Me, Carrie Underwood came out of nowhere to sing with him! That completed my night, her voice is flawless!

Hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend as well!

Weekend

I am SO beyond excited for this weekend! I feel like a kid on Christmas haha I am going to Wilmington to pick up my sisters so they can spend the weekend in Raleigh and while I'm in Wilmington I'll be having lunch with one of my favorite girls! Jessica and I met this Summer during our CNA class and I can't wait to reunite and catch up on life!

This weekend my sisters and I will be volunteering Saturday morning at Edenton Street United Methodist Church's Great Day of Service. It is one day and they have multiple areas to volunteer in and help around the community. We will be spending our morning at the Raleigh Rescue Mission. I am excited for this opportunity to give back to our community and I hope my sisters gain something from this experience. The rest of our weekend will be spent doing fun things and showing them around Raleigh. Sunday night my step-mom is driving up and we are all going to the Brad Paisley concert! My sisters have never been to a concert before and we are surprising them. I can't wait!

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

WILW

This week has been busy and there are many things I am loving today:

First, I am loving that today is my Friday. Having class two days a week is so nice, I don't know how I'll handle going back to a full-time schedule!

Second, I am loving that my sisters are coming to stay with me for the weekend! The last time they came to Raleigh was my freshman year and I ended up getting horribly sick so their stay was cut short. I am excited for them to see the city and also kind of see how college life is, even though they still have quite a few years before they make it to college.

Third, I am excited that the weather is finally cooling down. During the days, it's usually in the 70's but at night it cools down to the 50's. I am so looking forward to bonfires at our farm and other things that cool weather brings!

What are you all loving this Wednesday?

Tuesday Tunes

I just went on a music spree and downloaded a bunch of new songs.

Here is what I am loving lately:

1. Ashes - Andy Brown

2. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw

3. Turn Me Over - Andrew Austin

4. The Beacon - A Fine Frenzy

5. I'm In Here - Sia

6. Forever - Ben Harper

7. Someone Like You - Adele

8. Nothing - The Script

9. Turn To Stone - Ingrid Michaelson

10. The Cave - Mumford & Sons

Fall Shows

This week continues fall television premieres and I am so excited! A few shows that I am most looking forward to are:

1. Glee, FOX network, September 20 @ 8pm

I started watching this show at the start of last season and really love it. I love all of the music and although the plot can be kinda eh it is definitely a show I keep up with every week!

2. Grey's Anatomy, ABC network, September 22 @ 9 pm

I found this show right after the first season and I have loyally watched it ever since. There have been a few seasons where it got a little strange but I feel like they are getting back to how the show was in the beginning and I will always and forever love Meredith & Derek.

3. Gossip Girl, CW network, September 26 @ 8pm

I read the whole Gossip Girls series of books and loved all of them so I was excited when this show first premiered. Let's just say, if you have read the books, they are nothing like the show. At first it bothered me that they were so different but now I really enjoy the show and the characters and of course the fashion.

Those three are my top shows that I don't miss every week but I also love to watch Criminal Minds, NCIS, Hawaii 5-O, Two & A Half Men, The Big Bang Theory. And I think I may have to tune in to Dancing with the Stars this season because they have an awesome group of celebrities signed up. What shows are you looking forward to this Fall?

Weekend

Today finally feels like Fall outside and I am so excited! I am definitely looking forward to wearing jeans and boots and chunky sweaters! My weekend plans consist of going to see the Lion King in 3D today, working and hopefully hanging out with friends. And I should probably squeeze in some study time too at some point. What are your weekend plans? Going anywhere exciting or doing anything specific?

OOTD:

Open Cardigan: JCrew

Tank: JCrew

Jeans: JCrew

Flats: Steve Madden

Photo Dump

Here is what I've been doing according to my iPhone :

I had a crazy roommate, who poured salt/flour on the floor to keep the "albinos" away (she thought I was albino because I had blue eyes) (it's a long but hilarious story I can elaborate on if you want)

Lunch with my sweet baby cousin Courtney who looks precious in her Lilly dress

Crazy McKenna trying to wear a 3 year old's shoes

Rivers dressed up for vacation bible school

First day of class OOTD

I moved to a new apartment with sane and amazing roommates!

Sharing oreo pie at our restaurant

Midnight bowling OOTD

This sweet boy turned 3 a few weeks ago, he's growing up too fast!

Life Update

I have severely neglected my poor blog over the past few months and I need to get it together again! I hope everyone has been doing well! Even though I am a super slacker with my own blog, I have continued to read all of yours and love them! School has been going well so far. Microbiology is actually super interesting and the lab is pretty fun. It's nice to have a class that holds your attention. Anatomy 2 is going well, my professor is okay, but I have a feeling I am going to be teaching myself a lot this semester! I promise I'm brainstorming some blog material and I will be back ASAP!

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

My mom first made this recipe a few months ago and said it was amazing so I decided to recreate it! I love French's crunchy onions, especially on top of green bean casserole so I knew I would love this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups French's fried onions

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

(I actually used chicken tenders because they are smaller and cook quicker/better. Just my opinion)

Directions:

Place fried onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush onions then transfer to a plate.

Dip chicken into beaten egg and then coat with crushed onion crumbs

Place chicken on baking sheet

(I always add extra crushed onions once the chicken is on the baking sheet and I coat both sides with salt and pepper)

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until no longer pink

I paired the chicken with steamed broccoli and Zatarain's New Orleans Style yellow rice for a complete and delicious meal!

Just Some Thoughts..

The past four days for me have been really rough. I've been dealing with some personal things and have really struggled to get through lately. If you follow me on twitter, I may have tweeted an overload of sad thoughts this weekend which I apologize for. After a good evening spent with some close friends, I could feel my outlook changing. They shared some encouraging thoughts and positive words which I needed to hear. They also confirmed that I am not alone although I feel that I am. This is definitely what God has in plan for my life at this moment and although I may struggle to see where he is taking me, I know it will only lead to good things. Maybe this isn't the end of my world like I thought it was. I am trying to use this time to reflect on me and find happiness in other things. I'm also trying to stay super busy so I don't dwell on negative or sad thoughts. I happened upon a blog the other night and found this verse and wanted to share it with you. It really spoke to me as I read it and at the moment, it is helping me get through this hard time.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Fall Polish

While browsing through Target today I wandered over to the nail polish section to see if they had any new colors. What I found was Essie's awesome Fall line! All of the colors look amazing and I wanted to get them all but I decided to just buy two today

Essie Sew Psyched. After looking on their website it seems that this isn't part of their Fall collection but it is still the perfect color. It's a mix between green and grey and I'm actually painting my nails this color now.

Essie Very Structured. This color looks a lot more orange in this picture than it actually is. On your nail it is a deep burn sienna color that is perfect! I can't wait to use this when it cools down a little outside

Motivation

This is going to be my motto for the weekend, because at the moment I'm needing some inspiration. I hope you all are awesome today and every day!

Fall

Reasons why I am beyond ready for Fall:

1. Cooler weather

2. Sweaters and boots and jeans, my favorites

3. Football games

4. Drinking coffee to warm up

5. Hearty foods like chili & soups

WILW

Another Wednesday! Today is technically my Friday because I only have class Mondays and Wednesday, yay! A few things I am loving today:

- First, I am loving that my room in my new apartment is starting to come together. I've changed some things around and hung things on the walls and I can't wait until everything finally has a place.

- Second, I worked last night and we had a special guest come in and eat dinner... Britney Spears. She is in town for her concert which is tonight and I guess decided she was in the mood for some Outback! We weren't allowed to go near her or talk to her so she could enjoy a peaceful dinner but it was neat to see her in person in NC of all places!

- Third, I am loving that I am finally organized for my classes. I've had so much to print out this semester already and I've got all of my binders organized, color-coded and labeled. And that makes me a very happy girl.

- Fourth, I am loving that football season kicks off in 10 days! I can't wait to attend the first game of the year and wear a super cute outfit and cheer on my Wolfpack!

What are y'all loving on these wonderful Wednesday?

School Necessities

Over the years through trial and error I have learned exactly what I need for a successful start to a school year. There are certain items that I have to have to stay organized while in school. Here is my list of school essentials:

Sharpie Pens. I'm kind of a pen snob and there are only a few pens that I will use. I love these pens because they write thick and don't bleed through paper. They also look really neat when you are rereading notes.

I love these Five Star notebooks because they are technically spiral notebooks but they have this amazing canvas cover over the spiral wiring so it doesn't get snagged on anything while in your bag and unravel. Amazing.

I love planners and calendars and agenda books. Forreal, it's kind of weird. I usually have two agendas that I use at all times. I really like this Lilly Pulitzer agenda book because its pretty, and it also provides sufficient space to write down everything you need to do. It also comes with pretty stickers and a place to write down important dates and addresses.

I love carrying a tote bag to class but there are some days when I can't because I have to carry so many books. I bought this backpack two years ago and can't complain! It's comfy and it usually has enough room to hold everything I need although there has been an occasion where I ran out of space. Overall it's a good backpack though.

You know those teachers that pass out a million handouts and expect you to keep up with them and be able to find them at any given moment. Yeah, those teachers are awesome. I found these divider tabs last year and love them. They are sturdy and allow for maximum organization of the millions of papers handed out.

I love index cards and I use them for everything, bookmarks, to-do lists, grocery lists, study notes etc. I keep these on me at all times and I love color coordinating my notes on my index cards

What are some of your need to have items for school?

Today!

Today is the first day of my fall semester!

I hope that this is my last fall semester not being in Nursing school because I will be applying in a few short months. I am so excited to keep this process moving and going forward towards my goal. I am taking Anatomy & Physiology II and Microbiology and I know they are going to be hard and require a lot of work and time but I am ready!

If this is your first day of a new semester, I hope it goes smoothly!

PS: the start of school also hopefully means a more routine schedule and more routine blog posts, woohoo!

Fall Essentials

I have been browsing so many websites this weekend looking at all of the new and exciting fall clothes! I really love Summer but with the 100+ degree heat we've been having, I'm ashamed to say that I am beyond ready for Fall! Here are some things I am loving this year:

J Brand Ankle Skinny jeans in Red

I am loving this trend of colored jeans and I can't wait to actually order a pair and wear them this Fall

Cole Haan 'Air Tali Lock Moc' Loafers

Although loafers sometimes remind me of old men, they look super comfy and would be perfect with skinny jeans and an over-sized sweater

JCrew Cashmere Shawl Cardigan

I love open cardigans and this one makes me want to wear it right now because it looks so comfy and warm

Longchamp 'Le Pliage Small' tote

Okay, I decided to not buy a new Longchamp this Spring and I opted for the JPK Paris bucket bag instead. Although I really love my JPK bag, I can't wait to get a new Longchamp and use it this Fall. I lose everything in my JPK and whenever I am looking for something I always have to empty it to find whatever it is I am searching for, not fun! So if you are debating between these two bags, I would say go for the Longchamp. You won't regret it!

What are some things on your Fall essentials list this year?

TCA Awards

Tonight the Teen Choice Awards were on FOX and I decided to watch them for a bit. Usually I really look forward to awards shows because of the fashion on the red carpet, but truthfully, I was kind of disappointed by the fashion choices here. I know it is the middle of summer and it's extremely hot outside. Here are some of my favorites:

Blake Lively

This was hands down my favorite look of the night

Selena Gomez

Demi Lovato

Taylor Swift

Ashley Greene

Kim Kardashian

What do you all think of these fashion choices?

WILW

Oh hey Wednesday! I'm so glad you arrived so quickly! Here are a few things I am loving today:

- First, I only have 3 more days left of my CNA class! WOOHOO ha I can't wait to have more free time on my hands. Not to mention that I'm not really liking the 4 am wake up call that clinicals requires.

- Second, I am loving that I get to go home in eight days! I can't wait to see my parents, sisters and family pets!

- Third, I am loving that this week is SHARK WEEK on Discovery Channel. It is amazing and I always forget how much I like it until it's on

- Fourth, I am loving that I am moving to a new apartment this weekend. Although I am sad to part with one of my roommates, the other crazy girl will not be missed. (If you follow me on Twitter you understand)

What are you all loving on this wonderful Wednesday?

Busy!

Whew! When I signed up for this CNA certification course I did not realize how time consuming it would be or how exhausted I would be with class and work! We started our first day of clinicals today and it was rough to start off with but as the day moved forward it got better. I was a little anxious when I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 this morning and it was nerve wracking to walk into a patients room at 6:00 am to wake them up. Starting off was rough because I just wasn't sure what to do and all of us students were terrified. I was lucky to be assigned to an amazing CNA who not only offered advice for passing our CNA class but she also made sure to take lots of time to talk to us about what we were doing and what to expect and how to interact with patients. I was assigned to two of her six patients and they were both wonderful! The three of us assigned to our CNA stuck together for most of the day to get our bearings and it was much better to complete tasks with someone else. Overall, today was a great experience and I am so glad that I get to be back in the hospital environment and around patients. We have clinicals tomorrow and everyday next week and then I'll be DONE with this class! I am so excited to have a week off between this class and the fall semester so I can catch up on sleep and hopefully go home for a few days! And I'm excited for this class to end because then I will have much more time to blog! Hope you all have had a wonderful week!

WILW

Good morning friends! It is Wednesday which means only two more days left in the week! Here are a few things I am loving today!

- First, I am loving that this is our last week in lecture & labs for my CNA class. We start clinicals next week in the hospital which is really exciting!

- Second, I am loving Elin Hilderbrand and her books. I read The Island and it was amazing and I am starting Nantucket Nights today!

- Third, I am off work tonight and tomorrow so I get to catch up on studying and hopefully hang out with B

- Fourth, my mom is potentially coming into town this weekend and I am SO excited and really hope she is able to make it. I miss her!

What is everyone loving this Wednesday?