Halloween fun

Halloween doesn't just have to be about dressing up and parties, does it?

In order to try something new this year, my boyfriend, Cory, and I decided to have a nice date night and carve some pumpkins. Much smack talk later, we decided to make a contest out of it...you can decide the winners.

Of course, I think MY pumpkin carved to resemble a ghostly castle looks the best. That being said, I did have the unfortunate mishap of a steeple breaking off and having to work around the disaster.

Errie I know...

Cory chose to do a weird face peering out from behind blinds. Eh, his is ok....

Eh, I've seen better...

Also, I heard from my sister that the Halloween costumes she made for my nieces were a huge hit. My sister is pretty dang creative as you can see.

Ava Grace, the little ladybug

And what could Ava Grace be paired with other than her little sister, Autumn Marie, as a potted plant??

The cutest sunflowers I've ever seen.

My (not so) New Obsession

Do you ever find a show that drags you into their much dramatic lives and you can't miss a single episode? Well, my show has been finished for years, but luckily by the grace of a wonderful roommate having all the seasons, I can now enjoy all 7 seasons of uninterrupted...Gilmore Girls.

Yes, I said it. Gilmore Girls. (And I'm saying it like this because I can't tell whether or not you are shocked that I didn't even watch the show when it was on television or just watching it period.)

I think what attracts me so much to this show is the relationship between the two main characters, Lorelei and her daughter, Rory, mirroring the relationship of my mother and myself. I'm already on season 5 and the similarities rack up!

Here are some examples:
1. the love for coffee/caffeine at ALL times
2. the lack of food in the fridge and/or household

3. the love of takeout food (pizza and Chinese are our favs)

4. the sarcastic nature to referring everything to a pop culture reference

5. the ability to call my mom at any time to just vent/talk/seek advice

Plus, old school Jared Padalecki and Milo Ventimiglia are not bad to look at...

Fall is Finally Here

This past weekend, I went to go visit my much sleep deprived sister, along with my two nieces. I don't know who was more excited to see me - Ava Grace and Autumn Marie or my very own sister...But as planned, I took Ava out to her annual Pumpkin Patch trip to gather pumpkins and taking a very interesting hayride (lets just say the driver was wearing a very embellished autumn hat). Here are some of the adorable pictures that we took. Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Halloween!

Picking out our pumpkins

I teach her so well...

She loves me, I swear.

She listens to me when I say "Now, smile reallyyy big!"

The two sisters :)

Finding my big girl underwear

I distinctly remember my senior year of high school as one of the easiest things I accomplished in my life. I had four classes a day plus yearbook staff, and everything was coasting down to the final end for graduation.

Now imagine my astonishment (and utter stupidity) when I learned of something college advisers affectionately call an "intent to graduate." Sure, I knew how to apply for housing, get a meal plan on my student ID, and even balance a full load of painstaking public relations classes along with various organizations' events, but's my senior year, and with a simple 12 hour course load my last semester, I was planning to let it ride out similar to how I spent my senior year of high school.

Wow, was I wrong.

You see, an "intent to graduate" is something all graduates need to complete...on a DEADLINE. That I conveniently MISSED.

As a stickler for deadlines, I, myself was shocked. Sure, I've had a little (ok, much more than most students) help from my wonderful family with filling out the required coursework for all things university related. So it was not easy to tell them that:
1. I slipped up and forgot a deadline.
2. I might not be graduating in December.
3. I would still have to go to school next semester.

But by the grace of God and a wonderful woman in the communications department, I am on the December graduation list! And on a lighter note, this fiasco was later found to not even my fault. Supposedly, an email sent to all seniors was never delivered to me.

If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would say the university is just trying to get more of my money.

Niece number two is right around the corner

My sister, Michelle, is due September 12 with my second niece, Autumn. Phi Mu's formal rush unfortunately collides with her due date, so I went down to Jackson, MS to visit my oldest niece, Ava, and spend some one on one time with her before the new one arrived. The weather was perfect, and Saturday we spent wondering around the Natural Life Museum downtown and enjoying lunch at a new (very cute) Mexican restuarant. Here are some pictures from this weekend. Sorry for the late post, my computer was in the shop! Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday :)

discovering binoculers for the first time

huge frog to climb all over

cheese dip filled lunch

I love my sorority sisters

"When a Phi Mu smiles, she sparks courage and hope in your heart. Laughter precedes her, happiness walks with her, and peace follows her. She means everything to me. She is my Phi Mu sister."

Sisterly love

sweet sister love

So this weekend, I had a fun-filled and very informative Rush Retreat with my Phi Mu sisters. We have 3 new affiliates from 3 different schools, and I was so excited to meet them. We also had another visitor, Kerri, that came to visit Kappa Lambda as a chapter consultant for Phi Mu. She was so sweet, and I probably bugged her to death about what it is like to be a chapter consultant (I want to apply as soon as I get my diploma!).

Basically, what she and eleven other Phi Mu graduates do is travel the country helping all chapters with various intentions, whether it's just a quick visit, helping with recruitment, or giving tips for making Phi Mu even better for their campus. I could only imagine how much fun these girls could have with all their travels, and I could easily see why many girls apply each year. December will be here before I know it, so wish me luck!

My hair is now great (again)

Most everyone who knows me, can easily tell you that I am obsessed with my hair straightener. I would even be the first to admit I use on a daily basis. (I know. I know.)

So when I went to go see my hairstylist, Mena, this week, I cringed when she told me my medium length hair (which I'm trying to grow out) will have to loose more inches than I originally planned....all due to (surprise) my hair straightening obsession. Then she said those 5 words that made me sink lower in my seat than the though of lost inches..."give up your hair straightener."

I gave her every excuse in the book for my heating hair addiction:
1. My hair is curly...seriously, I look like a wet poodle after every shower.

2. My hair is frizzy...thank you dad's side of the family.

3. I don't know how else to style it.

That's when Mena's eyes widened with knowledge and told me that's what she was there for. Now with my hair straightener safely tucked away somewhere where I will not find it, I start my journey on the infamous blow out except this time I have to do them myself (oh how I wish I was ambidextrous right now) along with an assortment of new hair products (the only upside of this experience).

And let me tell you, as much as I did not like the wrist cracking, elbow poking way of blow drying my hair, the end was fantastic (if I do say so myself), and I cannot begin to thank the help of this miracle product enough...Moroccan Oil.

Not only did it defriz my hair while blow drying, it didn't grease it back up to make me want to take another shower. I use this DAILY now (wet or dry hair), and my hair is surely reaping its benefits. Only a little dab is needed for shiny locks.

I follow the oil with a mixture of Bumble & Bumble Straightening Cream and Bumble & Bumble Grooming Cream (for extra protection against flyaways). Blowdry and then I am done. Silky hair ready to go against this Memphis heat.

And to answer the question, do I miss my straightener??

YES. Yes, I do.

But will I be ok without it?

We will see...

Coach isn't traveling coach.

As an avid lover of Coach handbags, I was curiously surprised at the uprooting of many anti-Coach blogs and articles I have found recently. In a time of recession, we should all find ways to cut back our spending habits, and I find Coach to be one indulgence that does not hit my wallet as hard as my other favorite lines. But as I read them, I understand the new dislike of not the genuine Coach that we all know and love, but rather the marketer's new demographic reach for the Coach line called "Poppy."

"Poppy handbags, like most Coach bags, come in bubble gum palettes, metallic,
black and white, and signature and carry the ubiquitous logo. A mishmash, too,
of swing packs, rainbow and peace-sign charms and wristlets, "graffiti" scarves,
flower-shaped rings, headbands, and sequined ballet flats, the line in part
recalls '80s-counterculture-nostalgia crossed with Juicy Couture and Hello
Kitty."

Now being 22 years old, I realize not to purchase handbags in the ranges of a 15 year old demographic. As I have gotten older, I seem to like the nice clean patterns of bags I hope to use for years to come (which Coach still designs) instead of the "trend alerts" of the changing seasons. (Although, that's not to say I do not like some trends.)

Not all Poppy handbags are distasteful. Actually, there are only a hand full I can actually say I dislike. The solid bright patent colors of some of the bags could be well worth a teenager having and getting away with. Just please ladies...don't let me spot you carrying a hot pink patent leather Poppy bag over the age of 18. Pretty please.

Special thanks for the Preppy Princess blog in allowing me to find the followup for Reuters blog on Coach handbags.

saving face

As much as women do not like to admit their flaws, I figure for the sake of sharing an amazing product will be worth the expense of personal horror stories.

Like many women, I have oily skin, and I definitely have no control over it in the triple digit weather we currently have in Memphis. It's like my makeup slides right off from even thinking of going outdoors.

That has all changed since I have been introduced to Cosmedicine's Medi-Matte. I found it from a very informed sales associate at Sephora when I explained my problem, and I am dumbfounded from the results. Just make sure you don't use this product with other moisturisers. I was told it counteracts with the product and is already a lotion.

Happy shine free days!