5 on Friday

I'm participating in a link-up today, but first how can it be the last day of January already!?  I feel as if this month has flown right by, especially now that we're down to seven months until our big day.  It is absolutely crazy!

Also, it's snowing here in Kansas and I do not like it.  I guess I had it in my head that winter was over and I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring.  Well, I got my hopes up only to have them dashed.  What's a girl to do?

Anyways, I am linking up with The Good Life Blog today for 5 on Friday, so here it goes!

1. On Wednesday, Aaron and I ventured to Topeka to run a few errands and decided to have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Cracker Barrel.  As we were walking in, I told Aaron we would probably be the youngest people there (it's a running joke between us-we are two old souls).  Anyways, we both had to use the facilities (I apologize if this is too much info but it's part of my story so go with it) and as I came out of the bathroom I saw this blonde kid at the hostess station and he looked just like my sister's boyfriend.  Then I saw my sister!  So, I went up behind her and tickled her side and she turned around with a face like "what is going on?!".  Turns out Aaron and I weren't the youngest people there after all!  Also, it turns out Rachel and I are more alike than we like to let on.

2. I tried this White Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe on Monday and it was delicious.  In fact, it was gone by Tuesday evening.  I substituted cream of mushroom soup for the cream of chicken soup and it was pretty tasty!

3. We have a honeymoon itinerary!  Our travel agent, the lovely Shay Shull from Mix and Match Travel, sent us our itinerary on Wednesday and we put our deposit down yesterday.  I am so excited for this first adventure we will embark on as a married couple!  Germany and Austria here we come!

4. Have y'all heard of Passenger?  He's a British folk singer and I have fallen in love with this man's voice. His single Let Her Go is ranked #4 on iTunes right now and it is excellent, but the rest of his album, All the Little Lights, is great too.

5. The trailer for The Fault in Our Stars was released yesterday and man oh man I cannot wait to see this movie.  The book had me choking up multiple times and I'm sure I will be doing my best to hold back tears in the theater (I refuse to cry in front of anyone).  If you haven't read the book, you should.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Ad Astra Per Aspera

"'I cannot understand why you should wish to leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry, gray place you call Kansas.'  'That is because you have no brains,' answered the girl.  'No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful.  There is no place like home.'"

-L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Today, the state I have lived in for my entire life celebrates its' 153rd birthday.  On this day 153 years ago, Kansas became the 34th state to join the union.  My state is the home of Amelia Earhart, Dwight Eisenhower, Karl Menninger, Kansas basketball, the Flint Hills, and so much more.  In my state, there are fields of sunflowers, flowing rivers, corn fields, green pastures, rolling hills, gorgeous lakes, and plenty of limestone.  It is a beautiful place.  Happy birthday, Kansas.

Photo from Washburn Review

Photo from Adventure Monkey

Bridal Fair & Pinterest Outfit #1

This past Saturday, my mom, future mother-in-law, and I made our way to Topeka for the Bridal Fair.  There were SOOOO many people there and here's a fun fact about me: I do not like crowds in any way, shape, or form.  In fact, when I went to KU football games in college, I would opt to sit with my parents because the fans were more spread out and sitting down versus packed like sardines and standing up in the stands. Concerts still make me somewhat uncomfortable, but I always feel better when I am sitting.  Well, I felt like a sardine packed in a very tiny can at the bridal fair.  On the bright side, I did get a lot of information from various vendors and during the fashion show there was the most adorable little boy modeling ring bearer outfits and he was a ham!  However, I can honestly say I am not sad that I will never have to attend a bridal fair ever again.

Our little outing did give me a chance to try out my first Pinterest inspired outfit (#39 on my 101 things in 1001 days list) though and I loved it!  I always struggled with what to wear under my blue blazer and when I came across this photo of Duchess Kate, I loved the idea of a grey sweater underneath for both the look and the warmth.

Pinterest photo on the left and me on the right.  Blazer-Gap (similar here), Grey sweater-Gap (last season), White tank-J.Crew, Jeans-Gap (similar here), Boots-Lucky Brand, Watch-Fossil (very old), Bracelet-Kate Spade

After the bridal fair, my mom and I made a quick trip to visit my new puppy cousin, Stella.  My aunt and uncle recently adopted two Boston puppies and oh my goodness I wanted to put her in my purse and take her home with me!  Her brother Benny was at a play date when we stopped by, so I haven't met him yet, but Stella was precious.

Sweet Stella

She fell asleep on my lap and isn't she precious!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

101 things in 1001 days

I first came across this idea while reading my friend Katie's blog lovehealcook.  I googled the idea and it led me to the Day Zero Project.  After exploring a bit, I decided to make my own list and here it is!

Image from www.mackenziehoran.com

Start date: January 24, 2014

End date: October 21, 2016

1. Get married
2. Put a stamp on my passport
3. Run a 5K
4. Buy my first car
5. Get my master's degree
6. Have a baby
7. Add at least three more states to the places I've been
8. Take one picture a day for one year
9. See Celine Dion in concert
10. Go to another show on Broadway
11. Make 3 DIY projects I have pinned on Pinterest
12. Have a Harry Potter move marathon in one day
13. Go to a drive-in movie
14. Learn sign language
15. Spend an entire day with Aaron planting or combining
16. Visit Monument Rocks in Kansas
17. Go to a Chiefs football game
18. Teach either a CNA course or be an adjunct for a nursing school
19. Read 100 books
20. Spend a weekend camping with Aaron
21. Take a trip somewhere with my mom
22. Take a trip somewhere with my dad
23. Sleep under the stars
24. Buy or build a house
25. Write down something I am thankful for every day for one year
26. Go on a picnic
27. See 10 classic movies I have never seen
28. Host a dinner party
29. Learn to crochet or knit
30. Take an exercise class
31. Learn how to curl my own hair
32. Spend a day with my sisters
33. Adopt a puppy
34. Go to a KU basketball game
35. Buy a DSLR camera
36. Find a way to like peppers
37. Hold a plank for 1.5 minutes
38. Write a letter to myself to open in 5 years
39. Recreate 5 outfits I have pinned on Pinterest
40. Pick apples in an orchard
41. Have a girls weekend with my roommates from college
42. Visit five museums
43. Watch every movie that has won Best Picture at the Academy Awards
44. Cook my way through at least one of my Pioneer Woman cookbooks
45. Grow my blog
46. Volunteer
47. Eat Stroud's fried chicken
48. Revisit every house I have lived in
49. Attend the Kansas State Fair
50. Make a gingerbread house
51. Tour the Kansas capitol
52. Take a spontaneous road trip
53. Go to the Louisburg Cider Mill
54. Put together a puzzle
55. Visit Mushroom Rock State Park
56. Get a manicure and pedicure
57. Find a hot tea that I like
58. Visit Wilson Lake
59. Make sangria
60. Grow my own herbs
61. Find a TV series for Aaron and I to watch together
62. Read Pride and Prejudice
63. Bake donuts
64. Go to Schlitterbahn in KC
65. Watch every season of Dawson's Creek again
66. Have a summer BBQ
67. Write three love letters
68. Participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer's
69. Throw a surprise party
70. Try spaghetti squash
71. Put together a scrapbook of my dancing days
72. Write our love story
73. Create my own recipe
74. Donate stuff to Goodwill
75. Watch 3 documentaries
76. Visit a baseball stadium I haven't been to
77. Find my signature scent
78. Make a scarf
79. Spend an afternoon reading at the park
80. Go one month without chocolate
81. See a ballet
82. Make an apple pie completely from scratch
83. Go to one of those paint and wine places
84. Make something at a pottery place
85. Try 10 new restaurants
86. Send out Christmas cards
87. Blog every day (excluding weekends) for one month
88. Buy an old fashioned bike
89. Be asked to guest blog
90. Have a date night at least once a month for an entire year
91. Professionally redesign my blog
92. Buy something from a flea market
93. Have all of my Christmas shopping done before December at least once
94. Take a photography class
95. Go ice skating
96. Read the Bible at least once a week for one year
97. Go to a First Friday in Topeka
98. Take a picture in a Sunflower field
99. Have a guest blogger
100. Adopt a family at Christmas
101. Put $10 in savings for every task completed

I'll be sure to document my progress.  Hope you all have a great weekend!

Eric Church & The King of Country

Saturday afternoon, we made our way to Kansas city with my mom and stepdad for the George Strait concert.  Early in October, I got online and waited in a virtual waiting room for I don't even know how long to purchase four tickets to this concert and it was beyond worth it!  Aaron had told me one time that the one person he wanted to see in concert was George Strait and I was so happy that I was able to give him tickets to this concert for Christmas.  Ryan, my stepdad, is also a huge George Strait fan, so my mom got tickets for the two of them as well and we all had a blast.

This was Aaron opening up his Christmas present with the concert tickets.  He was pretty surprised :)

I made reservations at Gordon Biersch for an early dinner and boy was it yummy!  I had the shrimp and lobster tacos and they were to die for.  I only wish I would have been able to take what I couldn't finish eating home with me.

Yum yum yum!

It was a little chilly Saturday evening so, after stopping by McFadden's to say hello to some friends, we made our way over to the Sprint Center to head inside and people watch.

Eric Church kicked off the concert and he was amazing.  This was my third time seeing him in concert and this time he opted to forgo his band and it was just him and his guitar.  It was incredible!  I cannot wait for his new album to come out.

Eric Church performing.  Just a man and his guitar.

Then at 9:00, the king of country himself graced the stage and he ended up playing for over two hours.  I didn't recognize all of the songs, but Aaron and Ryan were singing along almost the entire time.  It was an amazing night!

A Day for Celebration

"I have a dream today...I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low.  The rough places will be made plain and the crooked places will be made straight.  And the glory of the Lord shall be, and all the flesh shall see it together.  This is our hope."

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is the day we remember the man who was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement.  The man who declared to many that he had a dream; a dream that one day we would all "be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together."  I believe we continue to work towards that dream every day.

Today is also the day my youngest sister leaves behind her teenage years and enters her twenties.  Happy birthday, Britni.  May your twenties be full of life, love, happiness, adventure, growth, and so much more. My hope for you is that you continue to be as caring as you are today and that you continue to share you caring heart with those around you.  Continue to follow your dreams and know that you have so many people on your team cheering you on.  Dream big little sister.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone!  We are gearing up for the weekend here in Kansas and ready for temperatures in the 50s and 60s.  Tomorrow we will venture to Topeka to celebrate my dad and my youngest sister's birthdays.  We will then make our way to KC for the George Strait concert and I am so excited.  Be ready for a post on that next week sometime.  Today, I have decided to share five things that I am loving right now with you, but first I have to do a blurb about the upcoming Academy Awards.

There are few things I love more than the Oscars.  Okay, so there might be more than a few, but I love awards season and the Oscars are the creme de la creme of awards shows.  Plus, Ellen DeGeneres is hosting this year so it should be epic!  Here are the nominations for this year and there are some great films and actors nominated.  I cannot wait!

Alright, here are five things that are favorites right now.

1. Hue Leggings- I didn't get any for Christmas, but I bit the bullet and did what Pinterest Told Me To and gave myself a Christmas present and I don't regret my decision one bit.  They are so comfortable and the ultra-wide waist band is fabulous.  I think I have been lounging around in these for the past four days (I should probably wash them).  Also, they are totally opaque.  I even did the bend over and check test.  They go on sale sometimes so keep your eyes on them to get the best bargain!

2. Orange is the New Black- I watched the first episode on Netflix after seeing Taylor Schilling was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress and I am hooked.  I think the portrayal of prison life is very interesting.  Also, it's based on a memoir written by Piper Kerman.  Another book to add to my list!

3. This post- It's been circulating on Facebook and it is very well written.  I did my Capstone (essentially an internship before I graduated from nursing school) on a medical intensive care unit and there were many heart breaking moments.  In my short five years working in the nursing field both as a tech and as a registered nurse, I cannot count on two hands the number of patients that have died.  As nurses, we have to find ways to process our feelings.  There have been numerous times that I have almost broke down in tears at work because a situation reminds me of a family member or because a family member of a patient says something that truly makes my heart hurt for them.  Nursing can be hard both physically and emotionally, but the joy overrides the pain every single day.

4. This song- Seriously, the lyrics, the music, everything about this song is a masterpiece.  I first heard of A Great Big World when Glee did a cover of their song This is the New Year.  If you haven't listened to it, you need to.

5. Sisters-Gosh we drive each other crazy!  But I seriously could not ask for two funnier younger sisters.  Although we disagree about almost everything they never fail to make me laugh.  My youngest sister celebrates her 20th birthday on Monday and it makes me feel old.

My two younger sisters at prom almost three years ago.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday Wedding Update

To begin, let me share a quick story with you.  Aaron proposed on August 2nd, 2013, the night we were leaving for Omaha, Nebraska for a quick weekend getaway.  I had just started my job as a full-time nurse in mid-July and it was one of my last weekends off for a while.  Obviously I said yes and the planning began.

Well, as I said, my weekends off were coming to an end so the weekend after we got engaged my mom and I decided to head to Kansas City to look at dresses.  I had made appointments at a few boutiques earlier in the week and we set off Saturday morning.  When we arrived at the first boutique, the consultant asked a few questions and I described my dream dress.  I think in total I ended up trying on five or six dresses, but the very first one was it!  I loved it and knew I wouldn't find anything more perfect.  The only thing was, I had originally intended to have my future mother-in-law, my sisters, and my maid of honor with me when I said "yes to the dress."  Since it was just my mom and I we decided it would be fun to keep it a surprise for everyone!

I got the call some time last week that my dress came in and I quickly made an appointment to try it on and that appointment took place last night.  I had my shoes, my veil, and my dress and it was perfect.  I can't believe how quickly the time is going by and that we will be married in just under eight months!  Trying on my dress again really made the whole wedding thing seem real and it is just crazy!  Of course I always dreamed of my wedding as a little girl and I always thought I would get married around this age, but it's still so surreal that I actually found my perfect man and we are taking the first step towards beginning our life together.  It really is my own little fairy tale!

Anyways, the dress is still going to be a surprise and I haven't taken any pictures of it so I'm not tempted to show it off.  The fun part about it is that I get to have a first look with my bridesmaids now too!  227 days to go until this fairy tale life truly begins!

The Husband's Secret

"None of us ever know all the possible courses our lives could have and maybe should have taken.  It's probably just as well.  Some secrets are meant to stay secret forever.  Just ask Pandora."

-Liane Moriarty, The Husband's Secret

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty was chosen as the January book for Bon's Book Club and I was so excited to read it.  To be honest, I had not heard of it until the voting for this year's book choices commenced, but as soon as I read the description I knew it would be a good one!

First off, it's awards season!  One of my favorite times of the year (second to Christmas, July 4th, and fall) and before I share my thoughts on the book, I want to say a few words about the Golden Globe Awards.  I had to work Sunday evening, so I recorded them and watched them yesterday afternoon.  I haven't seen ANY of the movies nominated for best picture yet which is pretty unusual.  Hopefully Aaron and I will get a chance to do some serious movie watching here in the weeks leading up to the Oscars because I really want to see American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyer's Club, Philomena, Gravity, August: Osage County and Her.  Also, you can only imagine my excitement when Frozen won Best Animated Feature Film.  Oh, and Jennifer Lawrence is amazing!  I want to know that girl's secret about picking the movies she stars in because I don't think there has been a bad one.

These two were hilarious and I cannot, I repeat cannot wait for Ellen DeGeneres to host the Oscar's!

Alright, back to the book.  The Husband's Secret details the lives of three women, Cecelia, Tess, and Rachel and how they become intertwined all because of a letter that Cecelia finds while looking for her piece of the Berlin Wall.  The letter is written by Cecelia's husband John-Paul and addressed to her to open up on his death.  Cecelia, however, decides to open it while he is still very much alive and its' contents are about to change everything.

While I was reading this book, I kept asking myself "what would I do with the letter."  Cecelia told John-Paul she had found the letter and he explicitly asked her not to open it but she did anyway.  In all honesty, I think I would have done the same thing.  I too would have become suspicious if I came across this letter meant for me and Aaron said "oh no please don't open that" even though its' contents supposedly contain his profession of his love for me.

Now, I won't spoil the secret for you (because you should all read this book!), but I will tell you that the book really makes you question how well you know your loved ones and whether finding out something you could never have imagined would change everything.  As much as we like to think we know everything about each other, the truth is that's not possible.  Each and every one of us has our own secrets.  They could just be that we played with Barbies until we were in junior high (guilty) or they could be something more serious.  The fact of the matter is there are some things people are not willing to share, even with their spouse and is that a bad thing?  Do we truly need to know every detail of our loved one's past?  Would it change how you feel now?  I don't know the answer.

Anyways, The Husband's Secret was an excellent book and a very quick read and it comes highly recommended from yours truly so you should read it!  Next up from my 2014 Reading List is The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.  Happy Tuesday y'all!

Schlotzsky's, Shopping, and the Sunflower Showdown

"Be melting snow.  Wash yourself of yourself."

-Rumi

After some miserably cold days, it finally decided to warm up a little here in Kansas and it made for a beautiful weekend.  I was off on Friday, but picked up some overtime in the morning and man did it feel good to wake up early and start my day.  I felt like a normal functioning member of society!  I look forward to the time when I will be able to work a normal day shift schedule.  When I got off work at noon, I ran to Schlotzsky's to pick up some sandwiches and then to my dad's office to have lunch.  We visited for a while and had some quality father-daughter time which is hard to come by these days.  Friday evening, Aaron and I spent the night in watching movies and eating Lifesaver gummies.

Saturday morning we both woke up early and headed our separate ways.  He headed north to work on the farm while I headed south to spend some time with my mom.  Our goal was to find her "mother of the bride" dress, but we were not successful.  However, we did snag a few deals while at the mall.  I got this flannel button-up at Eddie Bauer half off the original price and I love it!  We made it back home just in time to catch the second half of the Sunflower Showdown and, let me just say, Rock Chalk Jayhawk!  I'm still not entirely sure I agree with Embiid being ejected from the game but we still won, so I am happy.  Oh, and I really liked the throwback uniforms!

Wiggins stepped up his game a bit this weekend.  Photo from KU Sports.

Yesterday was a beautiful day and we took advantage of the weather and spent some time outside taking down the Christmas lights.  All of our Christmas decor is officially packed away which means we truly have to wait 345 more days until the next holiday season.

Coming up this week I will talk about The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, which I finished on Friday, (two books marked off my 2014 Reading List) there will be a Wednesday Wedding Update, and a Friday Favorites post so stay tuned!

What did you do this weekend?

The Divergent Trilogy

I had heard about this series from numerous sources beginning when the first book was published in 2011. However, it wasn't until I saw it on this list and my friend Johanna told me how good it was that I actually decided I needed to read it.

So, I added it to my Christmas list and I opened it up while partaking in one of our many Christmas celebrations.  I read the first two books of the series in a matter of days and the whole series was complete in a week.  Believe me, it could have been finished much sooner but with the holidays and work  my reading time was limited.

This series was the next best thing following The Hunger Games trilogy and the Harry Potter series.  It drags you in and you are rooting for Tris and Four (the two main characters) all the way.  I cannot wait until the movie comes out in March!

Now, every series has it's pros and cons and for me, I always think one of the books is better than the others.  With The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire was my favorite.  With the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was my favorite.  In the Divergent trilogy, I would have to say my favorite book was the first one, Divergent.  The story was just so exciting and the characters were intriguing.  The second and third books were great too, but I found Divergent to be more of a page turner than the other two.  I also did not like how in Allegiant, the author decided to tell the story from both Tris's and Four's point of views.  Since I was not used to this (both Divergent and Insurgent were told from Tris's point of view) I found myself getting forgetting who's point of view I was reading.  Having finished the series, I understand there was probably a reason for doing this, but I still found it to be slightly confusing.

Overall, I would highly recommend this series to anyone and I still haven't gotten over the fact that the author is my age!  Absolutely crazy!  I've moved on to The Husband's Secret, another book on my 2014 Reading List, and I love it so far.  It seems as if 2014 is going to be a good year for reading!

Have you read the Divergent trilogy?  What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday

You guessed it!  It's time for another alliteration!  I just can't help myself and "Top Ten Tuesday" has quite the ring to it.  I thought about "Top Ten Thursday" and it just didn't sound right.  This won't be something I do every Tuesday because, frankly, I'm not certain I could come up with that many topics.  It will however pop up every once in a while on this ole blog.

Today's top ten is my top ten favorite (drum roll please) Disney movies!  If you know me well enough you should have seen this one coming.  I own 40 Disney DVDs (I just counted).  In all honesty, it is slightly ridiculous but I don't mind and you can bet your bottom dollar I will own Frozen as soon as it comes out!  So, without further ado, here are my top ten Disney movies.

Top Ten Disney Movies:

10. Babes in Toyland-I can remember watching this gem starring Annette Funicello over and over as a child.  My dad had taped it on a VHS tape and it was accidentally taped over one time and I was heartbroken.  Thankfully, years later, I came across it on DVD and I am now the proud owner!  

9. The Great Mouse Detective-This is another film I remember watching all the time when I was a youngster.  Watching it now, it's kind of creepy, but I still love it.  Also, just FYI, every single time I watched a K-State basketball game when Frank Martin was the coach he reminded me of Ratigan!

8. Enchanted- I truly adore this film.  It came out when I was in college and I fell in love with it the first time I saw it.  First of all, Patrick Dempsey (swoon!) and Amy Adams are spectacular and second of all, I loved how they made a movie about characters falling out of an animated world.

7. Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)- This was another VHS tape that I wore the heck out of as a kid.  I even used to pretend I could move things with my mind like Tia.  Excellent movie!

6. Peter Pan- A Disney classic.  I can't put my finger on it, but there is just something about this movie that makes me want to watch it every second I get.  It's superb!

5. Finding Nemo- Pixar and Disney came together to make a masterpiece here folks.  It's hilarious, it stars the voice of Ellen DeGeneres, and the story is so heart-warming.  I am beyond excited for the sequel to come out!

4. The Little Mermaid- This actually happens to be one of my little sister's favorite Disney movies, but it makes my top ten too.  I love the songs and, despite the fact that he is an animated character, Prince Eric is not half bad.

3. Tangled- When this movie first came out, I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it.  Then, my little brother of all people convinced me and I couldn't stop watching it.  Again, the songs are excellent and I just think Paschal is the greatest little chameleon ever.  I couldn't stop laughing!

2. Frozen- I talked about how much I loved this movie before here and I told you it would surpass Tangled. If you haven't seen it yet, you really need to.  I still have all of the songs stuck in my head and I don't think they will ever get old.  Plus, Sven and Olaf are the best little elk and snowman ever!

1. Beauty and the Beast- Has always been and will always be my all-time favorite Disney movie.  I want to be Belle and if I could give up nursing, move to Florida, and be Belle at Disney World I totally would. Everything about this movie is spectacular!

Runner-ups: Tuck Everlasting, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, The Rescuers, The Little Mermaid II, Toy Story, Up

Now I want to watch all of these but, alas, I am a grown-up now and I have to go to work.  If you haven't seen any of them I encourage you all to watch, regardless of your age!

What is your favorite Disney movie?