5 on Friday

It's time to link up with The Good Life Blog again for 5 on Friday!

1. I have two new television obsessions which is the last thing I need seeing as I already have WAY too many shows that I watch (see here).  I knocked the first season of Call the Midwife out within a week by watching it on Netflix.  Next thing I knew I was placing a hold on season 2 at the local library and had it finished within another week.  Now I am anxiously awaiting season 3 to come out on DVD.  I usually would only watch Chopped when I couldn't find anything else on and now I can't stop!  I'm justifying my new obsessions by saying Call the Midwife is historical and related to my career while Chopped will help me out in the kitchen.  

Photo courtesy of IMDB

Photo courtesy of The Food Network

2. On my way home from work last night, my phone took the liberty of reminding me that in 3 months I will be a married woman and Aaron will be a married man.  I cannot believe how quickly our engagement has gone and how much I still have left to do.  It seems like I add something to my to-do-list on a daily basis. Eeeek...it's all so exciting!

3. I made this meatball recipe from Mix and Match Mama a few weeks ago and oh my goodness they were delicious!  They even got a stamp of approval from Aaron!  Although, he did inform me it was a good thing I told him there was spinach and pesto in them otherwise he would have thought they were moldy (hehehe!). So easy and so yummy.  You should totally make them!

Photo from Mix and Match Mama

4. I submitted this photo of my mom and sister to the local paper's mother/daughter look alike contest and they didn't win!  I was shocked seeing as I think they look identical and the mother/daughter duo that won looked nothing alike other than they both had purple shirts on.  I'm slightly biased but seriously they should have won.

5. I spent my afternoon yesterday reading, soaking up some sun (this girl is white!), and splashing around in my parent's pool.  You can bet there will be more days like that this summer!

Happy Friday!

What I Wore Wednesday

Today, I'm linking up again with The Pleated Poppy for WIWW!  Last Friday evening, Aaron and I ventured up to his brother and sister-in-law's restaurant with my parents and youngest brother.  My parents have been talking about making the drive to eat there since we started dating and it finally happened!  Anyways, it gave me another occasion to get out of my scrubs and sweats and into something only slightly fancier.

Please excuse my basket full of laundry in the background.  Shirt from TJ Maxx similar option found here, tank from J. Crew here, shorts from J. Crew Factory here, earrings here. 

I absolutely love J. Crew's chino shorts and would probably buy a pair in every single color if I had an unlimited bank account but I don't so you will continue to see me rotating out the three pairs I do own :).

On a completely different note, the month of May seems as if it has flown by!  I can't believe it!  I know they say the older you get the faster time goes, but this idea really didn't resonate with me until I graduated from nursing school and stepped into the real world last May.  It is so hard to believe I have been a registered nurse for one whole year and that our wedding is just three months away.  Absolute craziness y'all!

Anyways, I hope you have an excellent Wednesday!

What I Wore Wednesday

My exciting news for the week...drum roll please...I am going back to school!  Those of you who know me pretty well already knew this was a possibility, but now it's real!  I won't actually begin any sort of program until the fall of 2015, but I am taking a graduate statistics class online this summer (ugh!).  I have yet to decide if I am absolutely crazy taking on this class with our wedding coming up; I'm sure Aaron will let you know come August.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Kansas and I spent most of it inside working on assignments for my online class.  I was off and when Aaron got home, I convinced him to head to Topeka for a Sam's run and simply to get out of the house.  It's not often that we go into town so I took it as an opportunity to wear something other than my usual scrubs or sweats.

Shirt from Loft found here, shorts from J. Crew Factory found here, earrings from Kate Spade found here, shoes not shown but found here

It was so nice to actually wear normal clothes!  

I linked up with The Pleated Poppy today for What I Wore Wednesday.  Happy hump day everyone!

Weekend Recap

This weekend felt like a whirlwind for some reason!  On Saturday, we left for Kansas City bright and early for two dress appointments.  My first appointment was to try on a bridesmaid dress for my maid of honor's upcoming wedding.  After that, we headed to another part of Kansas City for my dress fitting.  The alterations are coming along wonderfully and the seamstress does wonders for my self-esteem!  Each appointment I have had with her she is full of compliments!

After my dress appointments, we visited Aaron's sister at her house and then headed over to the AMC theater in Olathe to see a movie.  If you haven't been to the Fork & Screen theater you really need to go!  The food is nothing spectacular but it's not bad either and the experience of eating a meal while watching your movie is so fun!  We saw Neighbors and it gave each of us a good laugh.

As soon as the movie ended, we drove to the opposite side of Kansas City to go to our first Royals game of the season with my maid of honor and her fiance.  Here's your fun fact for the day: the day Aaron and I met, we were going to a Royals game together.  It was a wonderful night for a game and we had an excellent time!

On Sunday morning, we loaded up the bicycles and headed to the lake for a ride.  I came to the conclusion that I am slightly out of shape as I pedaled up a few hills, but otherwise it was a relaxing morning.  The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful.

Tomorrow I embark on a new adventure (details soon)!

What did you do this weekend?

Happy Mother's Day

"As mothers and daughters, we are connected with one another.  My mother is the bones of my spine, keeping me straight and true.  She is my blood, making sure it runs rich and strong.  She is is the beating of my heart.  I cannot now imagine a life without her."

-Kristin Hannah

Happy mother's day to all of the mom's in this world, but especially to the woman I call mom.  She is the strongest, funniest, most caring, loving, and beautiful woman I know and I am so lucky to call her mine.

She was there for every dance recital, dance team performance, promotion, and graduation.

She was a single mother of two daughters and made more sacrifices than I'll ever know.

She is my shopping buddy and never fails to let me know if I'm wearing something she does not approve of by saying "you're wearing that?"

She is my life coach in every way, shape, and form.

She has endured countless phone calls from me and still does.

She has listened to numerous breakdowns regarding boys, friends, sisters, brothers, work, and mainly school.

She is my biggest fan.

She is one of the people in my life I can always count on.

She is my best friend.

Happy mother's day momma.  You're the best.

5 on Friday

TGIF and it's my day off!  It's time to link up again for 5 on Friday so here we go!

1.  I'm sure you've seen the buzz surrounding this little girl and her paper dresses and if you haven't, you need to read this article and check out this blog.  Mayhem and her mother make paper dresses nearly every day and they are fantastic!  I follow them on Instagram and it is so much fun to see what they come up with next!  I can only hope that my future child and I are as awesome as this mother/daughter duo.

2. I am obsessed with Miranda Lambert's newest single Automatic.  I have listened to it incessantly since it came out.  I think it has an excellent message about how much we rely on everything getting done quickly nowadays. 

3. Bridal shower gifts are piling up at my house and it's such a lovely reminder of how lucky I am.  Read about my bridal shower here.

4. Last Saturday, I spent the day in the tractor with Aaron planting which fulfills #15 on my 101 things in 1001 days list.

5.  As I said in this post, I received quite a few Barnes and Noble gift cards for my birthday and I am in need of some recommendations.  What are some favorite books that you've read recently?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

101 things that make me happy

1. Aaron
2. My family
3. God
4. Autumn and the month of October
5. Football games
6. Camping
7. Sitting around a fire
8. Vacations
9. Pepsi (caffeine free now)
10. KU Basketball
11. My friends
12. Reading
13. Disney movies
14. Teaching
15. Being a nurse
16. Nordstrom's free shipping and free returns
17. Giving presents
18. Kansas dirt cake served in a flower pot
19. Jell-O water for my sore throat
20. Spending a rainy day in bed
21. Flossing my teeth
22. Making lists
23. Going to the library
24. Dolphins
25. Chinese food
26. Puppies
27. Bike rides
28. Taking care of veterans
29. Walks
30. Blogging
31. Being organized
32. Christmas
33. Pumpkin flavors
34. Hotdogs at a baseball game
35. Bath and Body Works candles
36. Babies
37. Going to a book store
38. Movie theater popcorn
39. Pull and peel Twizzlers
40. Harry Potter
41. The color yellow
42. Goo Goo Dolls
43. Road trips
44. CBS Sunday Morning Show
45. Oreos
46. The sound of rain
47. Dressing up
48. Theme parties
49. 4th of July
50. Boating
51. Singing in my car
52. Essie nail polish
53. Being a sister
54. Apple cider
55. Fall festivals
56. Musicals
57. Surprises (good ones)
58. Scented hand sanitizer
59. Target
60. Kraft mac n' cheese shapes
61. Receiving letters/cards in the mail
62. Real Simple magazine
63. SunnyD
64. Holiday decorations
65. Fun scrubs
66. Picnics
67. DVR
68. Christmas music
69. Coupons
70. Law and Order SVU marathons
71. DIY projects
72. Lunch dates
73. Treehouses
74. Christmas lights
75. Hot chocolate by the fire on a snowy day
76. Coloring books
77. Watching old home videos
78. The smell of lavendar
79. Making s'mores
80. School and learning
81. Windows
82. Roasted corn
83. Farmer's markets
84. Art museums
85. Spontaneity
86. Climbing trees
87. Putting together puzzles
88. Baking
89. Playing Scrabble
90. The smell of Aveda hair products
91. Watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune
92. Phone calls to my mom
93. Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
94. Alphabetizing and color coding
95. Book clubs
96. Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream
97. Sunflowers
98. Reading blogs
99. Date nights
100. Sunshine
101. Sorority memories
     
     

Wednesday Wedding Update

This past Sunday, my future in-laws threw me my first bridal shower and it was a blast!  I am so lucky to be marrying into a wonderful family.  I received very thoughtful gifts and I cannot wait to get to use them all!

The shower included a registry with Pampered Chef and demonstration of their products by a consultant which led to some very yummy salsa.  I love Pampered Chef products and was so excited to register with them.  I also received some glasses and a glass pitcher with my future last initial etched into them, a picnic basket, silverware, Pyrex storage dishes, place-mats, a sunflower flea market find for my future yard, glass canisters, a silicone lid, and so much more.  

One of the best gifts was from my future niece.  For those of you who don't know, I love Beauty and the Beast.   As it turns out, my niece got me a Beauty and the Beast tea set complete with a tiara and wand!

Each guest also brought a recipe card that was then placed in a recipe book for me to have in my future kitchen.  It was a wonderful shower complete with great food, family, and fun games!  Here are a few more pictures of the day.

My future niece wanted to write a message to me and she opted for "happy birthday!"

Loved these delicious cupcakes!

The decor on the doors leading into the party room.

My future in-laws.

My mama, sister, and I.

Blessed, Grateful, and #88

Two weeks ago, I celebrated my 25th birthday and my family spoiled me rotten!  As I wrote in this post, we celebrated my birthday, along with my brother's and stepmom's, Easter weekend at my dad's house.  At that particular party, I received a humidifier, electric toothbrush, a kit to test my DNA, a Frozen coloring book (my sister knows how much I LOVE this movie), and Barnes and Noble gift cards.  The humidifier was seriously one of the best gifts ever!  I was suffering from a serious sinus infection and couldn't take Sudafed and the humidifier worked wonders!

On my actual birthday, Aaron and I went to my mom's house for my birthday dinner consisting of grilled chicken, fried potatoes, corn on the cob, homemade rolls and cheescake.  It was delicious!  Afterwards, I opened up my gifts and got a pair of white Converse , this cute journal with fun quotes by authors, and a book on the history of the Windsor family.

Earlier in the evening, Aaron had given me a picture of my gift and I was so excited!  I have wanted a bike for quite some time and this one is perfect!  It's my favorite color and old-fashioned!  I love it!  Plus, it means I can check off #88 on my 101 things in 1001 days list!

It was a wonderful birthday!  Now, I have a question for you all!  I received quite a few Barnes and Noble gift cards and need book suggestions so comment below.

What books should I buy?

What's on...your nightstand

I'm linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals today to show you what's on my nightstand!  My nightstand is not very exciting.  In fact, what's inside my nightstand is probably more of an insight into my life as it currently houses recipes I want to try, my wedding notebook, cards I've received, and so much more.  Here's a peek at the top of my nightstand currently.

My clock plays soothing sounds and I love it.  I don't use it much anymore, but I should start again!  I always have to have a book within reach and I'm currently reading The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  The coaster was a gift from my mom after Aaron and I got engaged; he has a matching one on his nightstand.  I'm in the process of looking for more exciting lampshades and we shall see what we end up with!  The little bowl was given to me as a gift from my mom.  She bought it while on vacation in Mexico and I use it to hold my watches, chapstick, and stray bobbi pins.  My phone is usually sitting right next to the remote and a glass of water or some other beverage is usually on the coaster.

Coming up this week is a peek at what I received for my birthday and a Wednesday Wedding Update all about my bridal shower yesterday.  Stay tuned!

Time for some Pin-spiration!

I cannot believe it is May already!  Bring on the sunshine and summertime!  Today, I am linking up with Mix and Match Mama, Pinterest Told Me To, and The Larson Lingo and putting together a Pinterest inspired outfit.  Check out my Pinterest boards here.

I was looking for a fresh spring look and ran across the color combination below and decided to put together a similar look that was more my style.

Exact scarf here, similar sweater here, similar pants here, Fossil watch past season, similar flats here.

I paired the outfit with these earrings from Loft.

Happy spring everyone and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  My first bridal shower is on Sunday so be prepared for a fun post on that next week!