april?

 some pink&green for your thursday!

Tomorrow is April Fool's Day! Where in the world did March go? I have always wanted to pull off a great April Fool's prank but never have. No time to plan one now, maybe next year? Funky Cold Medina just came on my iPod. This day might actually be better than the crap weather we are experiencing outside, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. THERE IS SNOW PREDICTED FOR TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. Really? What is thisss? I'm dying. My toes need to breathe people, I need to wear some cute sundresses and work on my tan. This is outrageous. 

In other news, date was postponed due to a wrecked car, on his part not mine. So that will be taking place on Friday instead. I am nervous because there goes my "I have to go home and get up early for work tomorrow" line, but I am trying to go into it positively. If it weren't already obvious by the over thinking going on about this, dating is not something that I do. I also realize after yesterday's post that no girl actually wants to be neglected. That's just my always-been-single-uber-independent voice coming out. Must work on taming that a little bit.

Anybody catch American Idol last night? Elton John night, what could be better? Casey Abrams for the win! I am curious as to what is wrong with the collective American audience that he almost got voted off last week. He is absolutely amazing and I will buy his CD the instant it comes out. I was BBM-ing my friend M about how much we love him and how much we hope someone sings Your Song and then the powers that be delivered. He will be on repeat all day today.

images: 1.2

what's the update?

According to Urban Dictionary, the term What's Up was "possibly derived from 'what's the update'. It is extremely overused, almost exclusively by America's youth." Interesante, I think. And definitely overused. We already know the answer to the question since more often than not, nothing is up. But I am going to ask anyways, so what are you all up to on this Wednesday? Here's what is up in my world!

• Dinner date tonight with one of the guys I met a couple weeks ago. I will give you all a recap tomorrow, good or bad. He is texting me way too much. Doesn't he realize I am one of those weird girls that wants to be borderline neglected and have to wonder if he's even into me at all? Leave a little bit to the imagination dudeeee.

 

via 

• So looking forward to the musical episode of Grey's Anatomy tomorrow night. At first I thought it might be a bit of a disaster but after the previews it is looking like they might pull it off. Does anyone else still watch this show?

• Saw a preview for the Lifetime movie about Prince William and Kate. I'm intrigued, and who doesn't love a good Lifetime flick?

 

• Love love loving country music. Not that I don't love it year round but there is just something so exciting about the weather starting to warm up and listening to some twangy tunes. Looking forward to some fun concerts this summer as well!

 

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• Dreams are such a strange thing. Ever have one of those dreams that you wake up and you can't tell if it is a dream or a memory? And then you talk to the person in the dream and they haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about? Bizarre.

• I have really fun brunch plans this weekend! Can't wait to be back in the city after my long, long absence and to finally put a face to this blog friend. Can you guess who? Hmmm??

• There is a poisonous Egyptian cobra missing from the Bronx Zoo. Um, terrifying? I think so. Someone did make a Twitter for the snake and it's pretty humorous.

• I am going to be hosting my second giveaway either later this week or early next week! Yay yay!

• Blogger is being a real pain. Formatting this post has been a nightmare. Boooo.

Happy Wednesday girlfriends!

busy bees.

Wow, you have all been quite the busy little bloggers. 3 days and I have over 200 posts in my Reader! I am all caught up and it looks like everyone has been enjoying yourselves. I think I can speak for all of us in the northeast when I say we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Spring. It is almost April {how did that happen?} but I think Mother Nature might be a tad confused because the temps are are still pretty low. What a great weekend I had reliving the college life. I of course have no photos of my own to share, why do I even own a camera I never remember to use it. It was so good to see all of the girls in my sorority and meet the new pledge class. I love that even though they joined after I graduated, you immediately know you have something in common. Lots of fun.

Thank you to those of you who left encouraging comments on Friday's post. I don't know why I always feel like I have to have the answers to the tough questions right this instant. I think I have a hard time accepting the unknown or the uncertain. I know that I have so much time ahead of me for risks, chances, and missteps and that is life. That is the way things go.

A big thank you to Ashton and sSe for awarding me the Stylish Blogger Award! Much appreciated girls.

 Seven fun facts about me...

1. I love cheese way too much and whenever I go to the grocery store I have to buy different styles of cheese. String cheese, cheese cubes, slices of cheese, blocks of cheese, they all serve different purposes.

2. I love accessories! Scarves, sunglasses, purses, love it all. You can never have too many and a lot of times the accessories really make the outfit.

3. I thought I was pretty well traveled until I created my map of states I have been to.

clearly I've got some more ground to cover! I didn't count states that I have only been to their airport or driven through and I have been to Europe and I lived in Asia so I am not a complete east coast homebody. 

4. I have a serious love of the Mighty Ducks movies. Hands down, greatest sports trilogy ever created. It is almost comical how much these movies come up in casual conversation for me. 

 

5. I am such a pushover for the sales people. I swear they see me walk past their kiosks and they know they can get to buy whatever silly unnecessary thing they are selling.

6. I have never had an actual pet. Hermit crabs and hamsters are as far as we got in my family. I am the oldest of three so for a few years I had my brother and sister convinced that we had a dog and a cat before they were born, but that was definitely not true.

7. As much as I am enjoying New York, I really think my heart belongs to the south. My parents are going to retire in North Carolina and I don't want to be too far away from them so I could really see myself settling somewhere in the Carolinas or Atlanta the end of my twenties, but that is still pretty far off. And if there is one thing I have learned while up here, nothing beats a nice southern gentleman!

I tag anyone who hasn't gotten this award already!

hmm...

Hello everyone, currently trying to work through some big things. I am feeling pretty overwhelmed I think just with life in general and the concept of being an adult. It is really a lot to take in and process! I thought I had figured the brunt of this stuff out during the summer and fall but I think some of my insecurities are rearing their ugly heads again. I have a bad habit of getting an idea and running with it before thinking things through, weighing pros and cons, and I feel like that might have been what I did when I decided that this specific career path was the right one for me. I don't want to feel trapped, and in sitting here preparing for this test I started to feel pressured and stuck. I don't have all the answers, I couldn't possibly know all that I need to know at this stage in my life. I just know that at the end of the day, I want a job or a career {that word is so frightening to me, it sounds so permanent and limiting} in something that I love, something that makes a difference in my life and hopefully in the life of others, and I don't think I have quite found that yet. I realize that I am lucky to even have a job right now, but if I am being true and honest with myself I'm not sold on this being the right road for me to walk down. "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” I really need to remember this one.

My apologies for the sour note.
Enjoy your weekends everyone, do something fun! What are your plans?

checkin in, checkin in.

Chugging along, Friday is fast approaching. I apologize for my test stress taking over around here. I have decided that I am going to do my very best and if I have to take it again so be it. I can't perform beyond myself, as I was reminded by a good friend. I need my life back as well so IF I have to take another stab at this I am going to need a little bit of a breather first. 

I feel like I have lost my face on this blog a bit. Granted I haven't been seeing much beyond my confines of my apartment and my office, but I just wanted to re-check in with everyone, especially new followers. What better way to do this than with a little alphabetical questionnaire?

{an old photo but I am desperately missing warm weather and tan skin!}

A-Age: 22 {and a half, I am a full supporter of half birthdays!}

B-Bed size: Full, however I am desperately feeling the need to upgrade to a queen.

C-Chore you hate: Doing the dishes. I have discussed this before. I still hate it. I will continue to hate it. How did anyone live before dishwashers?
How am I even alive since I don't have one?

D-Dogs: I have never had a dog. Does that make strange? I think it might.

E-Essential start to your day: The snooze button is immediately hit.

F-Favorite Color{s}: Pink and navy blue.

G-Gold or Silver: Silver although I want to incorporate some gold into the mix this season!

H-Height: 5'5

I-Instruments you play: I played piano in elementary and middle school.
I always wanted to play the violin though.

J-Job title: Pension Plan Administrator

K-Kids: I have none. Sometimes I worry about my lack of a maternal bone. 

When does that usually start growing?

L-Live: A little bit north of NYC

M-My mom's name: B

N-Nickname: Chelle, Chelley, and others that only make sense to a certain group of people.

O-Overnight hospital stay: Meningitis when I was nine years old. Scary stuff.

P-Pet Peeve: Do not get me started. People with a lack of public bathroom etiquette.

Q-Quote from a movie: "You think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don't have enough talent to win on talent alone." - Miracle, such a great movie and I love me some hockey!

R-Right/Lefty: Righty

S-Sibling:Younger sister A and younger brother G

{we were the cutest!}

T-Time you wake up: 7:30 - 7:45 am

U-Underwear: Hanky Pankys! It is a serious obsession.

V-Veggies you dislike: Asparagus.

W-What makes you run late: My bed is just too cozy and warm I don't want to wake up. And setting my alarm for PM instead of AM. Whoops.

X-Xrays you've had: Teeth, stomach

Y-Yummy food you make: Chicken stir fry, it is ALWAYS what's for dinner because it is so easy and one of the few things I can make.

Z-Zoo animal: Polar bears! I am so sad about Knut!

spring? oh wait.

Woke up to snow this morning. This must be a joke. It was really ugly, heavy, rain snow too. No bueno, no bueno at all.

How was everyone's weekend? You know my routine by now. My test is so close, I am starting to freak out a little bit. But freaking out won't help anything. And it is just a test. A very important, expensive test to keep paying for, but just a test after all. I have more practice problems and exams to do this week and then hopefully I will be all set Friday morning.

 

via

Maybe chanting this will help?

So my school ended up getting stomped in the tournament. It wasn't for lack of fan support though, I will tell you that. My parents and so many of my friends were at the game and it just goes to show you how much everyone stands behind our school. I can't even imagine having gone to a different university.

After the game, my friend M and I headed over one of the bars near my apartment for some St. Patrick's Day celebrating. I felt like such a goober because I changed out of my green clothes after work. Whoops. Ended up exchanging numbers with two different guys {I never do this}, and am now engaged in the classic 'getting to know you' texting match. It is really exhausting. And I still stand behind my earlier claim that texting has really ruined dating for all of us. It is so easy to hide behind that little phone screen. You can go back and edit what you are saying as opposed to an actual breathing conversation. One seems more interested than the other, although they both initiated the texting so we shall see if anything comes of these two prospectives. Can't worry about any of this until AFTER test day.

Please send me lots of good test taking vibes! I can sure use them!

madness!

Happy hump day ladies! Goodness am I feeling out of whack. Getting up for work has been the biggest struggle. It's like I have never waken up before in my life. I fully move to abolish daylight savings time. Weren't they consider doing that anyways?

 

So what's up with me? Studying. No surprise there. I cannot tell you how glad I will be when this is all over. 8 days of review and practice exams and hopefully it will all pay off. I promise a sweet giveaway coming down the pipe as a thank you for listening to my whining about all of this.

*Where is the sun? I talked that groundhog up so much but I have been severely let down by him. The temperatures aren't too bad but I am really craving some sunlight. And a tan, I could pass for Casper's sister right now.

 

*I finally watched Love and Other Drugs this weekend. I am absolutely in love with Jake and Anne together. I didn't realize how nude she was going to be in this film and all I could think was how far she has come from Princess Diaries. Love those movies. Loved the wardrobe of Jake's character as well. Pretty much the ideal style of a man in my eyes.

 

*MARCH MADNESS!!! My alma mater is back in the NCAA tournament this year after a four year absense {of course the four years I attended the school}. My parents are going to the game tomorrow and I am completely jealous. We have a reputation of being a bracket buster and they are predicting the same for us again this year! Woohoo! Rocking orange on St. Paddy's day? Of course!

*This skirt is the reason why the denim jacket saga came to be. I want to wear this outfit next weekend when I go back to PA. I am thinking it's pretty day drinking appropriate. Thoughts?

 

*I was talking to a friend last night who told me he hadn't seen his parents or sister in 3 years. My jaw hit the floor. I realize that there is no normal when it comes to family dynamics but I was really sad for him. I know how my family is and I could never imagine not seeing them for that long!

*Considering buying a Groupon type deal to get my teeth cleaned? Is that weird? My office doesn't provide dental insurance and it is a pretty good deal for an exam, cleaning, and X-rays.

*I am still so sad for Japan. They are saying in the news that this recovery effort is going to be even more expensive and daunting than Hurricane Katrina. I know you can't really quantify loss and devastation, but it just goes to show how huge this disaster is.

What's up with you all on this Wednesday? Please share!

a love intervention.

A less then cerebral post today. 
We all need a bit of reality TV in our lives, now don't we?

I know there are some Bachelor fans out there..come out, come out wherever you are! Wow.. what a reality television whirlwind we endured last night. I wish I could explain to you why I watch this show. There really is no logical reason behind it. It is truly a mystery of great proportions. Here are my thoughts on the outcome...

I think they are pretty much doomed. Never before have we seen an ATFR special quite like that. It's like they were dragging their poor little fledgling relationship through the mud ALREADY and saying LOOK, it worked for them {3 out of 25 or so? not the best odds}. I feel like Brad chose Emi*ly to really drive home what he has been selling all season, that he is a changed man and that he is done being alone. I think he knew that Chan*tel would be fun and would love him, but that he could walk away if need be. No child involved, no heartbreaking past. I think he just wanted the challenge. But then again what do I know? It honestly doesn't even seem like Em*ily even likes him really, much less love him. Or perhaps, this was their most genius move ever, to bring these two on after their proposal as rocky as can be so that no one has any sort of hope that they will last and then shock everyone. But I think that is highly unlikely. 

Bring on season 2 of the Bachelor Pad. Gotta love roses AND money!

saving?

I do not like Daylight Savings Time one bit. Whether the clocks are going forward or backward I always get messed up. This morning was no exception. I set my alarm, woke up, turned it off and went back to sleep because my body refused to accept the time change. Whoops. 

How did you all spend your weekend? Mine was pretty quiet. Studying as per usual. Only two more weeks and I can have my life back. I am just about done with the actual lessons and then it is just review and practice problems and sample exams until I can do this stuff in my sleep. I am starting to worry if I am going to be able to remember all of the material. I used to be a great test taker and then college happened and I developed awful test anxiety. My mind just goes blank. Any suggestions on how to cope with this are more than welcomed!

I managed to do a little shopping this weekend as well and scored some pretty great things. 

 Dolce Vita for Target wedges.. obsessed is an understatement. 

I have a hunch that I am going to be living in these for the spring and summer.

 

Love this cardigan, I actually am wearing it today over a black tank.

Can never have too many cardigans!

I also picked up some household items, some new workout pants, and a really cute dress from H&M that I will never be able to find a picture of. When are we going to be able to shop their store online? I have a few internet purchases arriving this week as well, including a new denim jacket. Of course after I am sure the old one will show up as soon as the new one arrives. That is just how the universe works.

Hope your loss of an hour didn't affect you too much, Happy Monday!

friday.

It is Friday, cue the smiles! I so wish that I was headed somewhere warm for the week, but alas those days are behind me. I am especially bleeding blue and orange today as my alma mater is in our league championships. I may or may not be leaving work a pinch early to make it home for the tip off.

My heart is sad today for those affected by the devastation in Japan. My dad was stationed there when I was younger and we lived there for 3 years, both out in town and on the military base. I don't remember too much in detail but my mom and I have often talked about visiting again now my siblings and I are older. It is hard to believe how many natural disasters there have been in what feels like such a short period of time. I also realize how ridiculous that sentence sounds because I have NO idea what these people are going through nor can I even begin to imagine their hardships. If you feel so inclined to help with the relief you can do so here.

Have a great weekend everyone, and keep all those struggling in your thoughts.

gray day.

Is it gray or grey? I have honestly never known. I always spell weird wrong on the first try too. But, I digress. The weather is less than desirably today. All is okay though because it sort of matches my current disposition,
and my sweater.

 via

7 seconds. A 7 second voice mail this morning is all that it took for me to second guess everything that I have been doing these past few months. Every breakthrough I have made, every time I decided that I was done letting myself care about people who didn't care about me. 7 seconds of a drunk dial, might I add. Just further proving that I haven't been considered once in a sober thought since October. Now you want to know how I am? I tried to go back to the blog archives and see if I had talked about this particular situation before because I know in real life it has been discussed, picked apart, and over analyzed ad nauseam. I don't really have the emotional strength to give you a full run down {then why did I bring it up? I don't know}. I just know that back in August I was deeply hurt by him, and it wasn't the first time. How can you consider someone a friend and move hours and hours away without so much as a minute of your time? I think what I had to realize is that I know I would never disregard my friends in such a way, but maybe for HIM he doesn't feel like he did anything wrong. I spoke my piece, and my feelings went unacknowledged. I don't think I have anything to say at this point, and a message of "Just called to see how you were doing" is not going to patch things up.  

wednesday.

Happiest Wednesday friends! A brain dump courtesy of yours truly coming at you...

*My boss is in a much warmer locale than NY until the end of March. Jealousy is an understatement. Frustration is starting to creep in however because communicating solely through e-mail is not the easiest thing.

*I don't think I have ever loved a playlist more than the March playlist on Unabashedly Prep. I have been listening to it on repeat for about a week and am in LOOVVEE with every song. Download it and see for yourself!

*This cough will not go away. Thanks in large part to not being able to breathe, I haven't gone to the gym but once in the last two weeks. My trainer is going to kick my butt tonight.

*I am such a Glee lover, but I wasn't terribly crazy about last night's episode. I am sure there are going to parents all sorts of angry about it as well. It wasn't the subject matter that bothered me, the whole thing just seemed overemphasized and put on. Gwy*neth was great though!

*Watched the Bachelor special last night and... Michelle is still crazy. Now that she sees what a maniac she was, she wants to sob. And did she give herself the black eye or not? How do you even do that?

*I think I somehow decided I didn't need my denim jacket that I have had for years during unpacking after my move, or else it grew legs and walked away because I can't find it and I am quite upset about it.

*So excited to see my alma mater doing well in basketball this year. We are in the championship game on Friday and if we win we are headed to the NCAA! I was a cheerleader my freshman year and actually teared up a little when we lost. Or maybe that was because the fans of the opposing school were so mean.

*Charlie*Sheen. I have no words. I think he is absolutely delusional and I am glad someone took a stand against his tirades and fired him from his show. I think there are a lot of out of hand celebrities that could use that sort of reality check. But thank you to him for so many good one liners. We haven't had this much comic relief since Kanye. Bi-winning? Who even knows.

creepy? i think so.

adjusted.

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope you all had lovely weekends! We got some killer rain here Sunday day and night so the roads were totally flooded yesterday morning. I never hit traffic on my way to work and then all of a sudden there were huge backups getting off the highway. Apparently everyone was being re-routed and it just made for a huge mess. Luckily I don't have too far to go to get from my apartment to work and I was going away from the majority of the traffic. Fun start to a Monday, no?

This weekend I saw The Adjustment Bureau with Matt*Damon and Emily*Blunt. I thought it was great! I also love John*Slattery {can't wait for Mad Men to come back on!} I know it was drawing some comparison to Inception {which I still haven't seen, for shame} but I didn't think it was too much of a psychological twister. Just the right amount, if there is such a thing. I definitely recommend it!

I feel like I have fallen into a bit of a blog slump. Everything is starting to sound so repetitive, but I guess thus is life lately with this exam on the horizon. Hopefully life starts to take a more happening turn once the test is over.

it is written.

I saw this on a few other blogs and I wanted to get in on the fun. I think handwriting is often pretty telling as far as the personality of the person behind the writing. Wonder what mine says about me? 

Here are the questions:

1. What's your name / blogger name?
2. What's your blog's URL?
3. Write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
4. Favorite quote?
5. Your favorite song?
6. Your favorite band / singers?
7. Anything else you want to say?
8. Tag 3 - 5 other people.

 Of course I have monogrammed paper, did you expect any different?

I think I am the last person on the planet to realize the significance of the sentence about the fox and the dog... it contains all the letters of the alphabet. I never noticed that before. And I mean it when I say I cannot write in cursive {other than my signature}. I think I blocked it out after so much emphasis put on it in my formative years. Tragic, really. 

and, relax.

The week's end is here folks. We made it. I hope you all have fun things planned. Maybe some spring activities if it is warm where you are? It isn't supposed to be too pleasant out around these parts for the next couple days which is good because I won't be swayed to step away from my studies. My exam is 3 weeks from today, CAN I DO IT?! I really really hope so. I can't decide if I like or loathe the fact that right after I hit submit, the computer screen gives me a pass/fail message. I think I would rather be able to forget about it for a few weeks and then be disappointed. But only happy thoughts for the next three weeks. Regardless of what happens, I will be headed to College Town, PA right after for my exam is over for my alma mater's big Greek Spring weekend bash. At least if I fail I can drown my sorrows in the fratty atmosphere.

bff J and I at said weekend last year. 

we are drinking champagne out of plastic mugs with straws somewhere around 11am. 
i miss college.

I figured I would cap off this week with a third and final link up. Hopefully I will be back to my regular self on Monday find some inspiration over the weekend.

It is Fill in the Blank Friday over at the little things we do!

1.   The phrase or punctuation I overuse most is     my mother has been telling me for years to stop saying 'like'. I never realized how bad it was until recently. And I was like and he was like, it has got to stop. I also say perfect a lot when talking to clients at work? odd.

2.  Today I am thankful for     family, friends, health. 

3.  My best friend is    my mom. I don't think there is anything that I havent told her  or wouldnt be able to tell her. 

4.  A quirky thing about me is     I have this ridiculous fear of drive by shootings. I think about how fast it could happen and how unsuspecting I would be. So absurd. 

5.  This weekend I am    studying until my eyeballs fall out and hopefully taking a break to see The Adjustment Bureau.

6.  Something that worries me is     my future, or rather the uncertainty of it all. I have been struggling with this since I graduated college. I saw college as my last certain thing that I knew was going to take place in life, but I am trying to not worry too much about years and years down the road just yet.

7.  On my night stand you would find    cell phone, lamp, a glass of water, the book The Help, which has been put on a little bit of a hiatus due to probability taking over my life.   

Bon weekend friends!

{There may be a giveaway coming soon, so stay tuned!}

linkity link.

A little bit of Pink and Green for your Thursday!

For years, I have been telling myself that when I am at a happy weight/size I would invest in a Lilly dress or two, or many. I am still a ways off from my ultimate goal, but I have made progress. I cannot tell you how much I am loving the new spring dresses and how much it makes me long for warmer weather.

 

I looove this dress {don't think it is from the new batch of dresses, but I love it still}. The print makes me so happy and I adore the neckline. Madre did tell me that she would buy me anything I wanted if I pass this exam {22 days uuggghhh} so this just might be the motivation I need {aside from the fact that I need to pass this test to eventually move up in my job? Yea that little chestnut}.

wee bit.

Taking a time out from What's Up Wednesday, to bring you a wee bit about me courtesy of LeighAshley. I have a killer cold so my brain is just too congested to come up with my own material today.

{one} do you wear holey jeans? if so, do you buy them that way?

i have one pair of jeans with a hole in the knee that i bought from abercrombie in high school. i always laugh when i see them in my closet but now they are strictly used as a measuring device because i remember the weight that i was at when they were swimming on me. trying to get back there!

{two} do you get a full 8 hours of sleep per night?

definitely not on the week days. on the weekends, usually.
i am trying to go to sleep earlier but i am such a night owl!

{three} what’s your favorite way to eat an oreo?
dunk the whole thing, let it get a little bit soft and soggy, then enjoy!

{four} do you wear shoes in your house?
the first thing i do when i get home from work is lose the shoes and socks.
i love to be barefoot.

{five} who would you call first if you won the lottery?

my parents.

{six} have you ever been in a food fight?
my sister and i got into a yogurt fight once when we were being babysat.
it was all over the place!

{seven} do you snore?
not usually, but i do if i am sick.

{eight} do you know how fast you type?
somewhere between 60 and 70 words a minute.
if you want to test yourself you can do so here!

{nine} can you do a headstand (without using a wall)?
i haven't in quite sometime but i might still be able to if i tried.

{ten} how do you like your popcorn?

not too salty, i usually eat the individual 100 calorie bags, and they are just right!

Happy Wednesday!