dear friday, i love you.

dear God:
i haven't been reading my bible as much as i would like to, so i promise to start working harder at this. i have been enjoying pinterest's inspirational verses though! 

dear eye doc:
thanks for dilating my eyes on wednesday and making it impossible for me to use my phone, or drive, or do anything. and why does your breath, and every other optometrist's breath just staaaaank?? ever heard of mints? or gum?

dear weekend: 
thank you in advance for your gloriousness. let's keep this heat down just a touch though, shall we? 

dear nieces:
you're FINALLY back from the beach and this aunt could NOTTTT be more EXCIIIIIITED to see you tonight!!! ahhhhhh!

dear week of goals:
i could have done better, but at least i accomplished 3 of the 5. 
1. get rid of all my old clothes that i don't even touch anymore (and attempt to make some money off of them)
ok so i got them all together, but haven't done anything with them yet. i did give some old bedding and other randoms to goodwill though!!
2. work out at least 4 of the 7 days.
beasted it. i know... i'm a champ.
3. only eat one wheat/bread/gluten product a day. (if not anyyyy) i'm really trying this whole "gluten free" lifestyle every one else and their baby's daddy is trying. i'm diggin' it so far, and so is my bathing suit!
woop woop! i'm feelin' goooood!
4. lay out after work at least once. this could prove to be quite the task considering my creep-tastic neighbor likes to peer out over his deck at me and if i move to the front yard i have a 2 lane highway to wave at. hmmm...
sorry, didn't happen thanks to creeper neighbor and my busy life in general, but i thorougly plan to make up for it this weekend.
5. make it to my eye appointment. i hate appointments of any kind- especially ones where i know i will be leaving with dilated pupils and a headache. but i neeeeed to go!
seriously so proud of myself for this... and really looking forward to new specs!

everyone enjoy their weekend and link upppp with Ashley!

7 questions, coast to coast.

tomorrow's friday.
let's just bask in the awesomeness of this for .5

ok. we're done.

today we're linking up with the lovely Gentri to give you guys a little more info on yours truly. i've never done a post where i simply answer questions about myself... so here ya go. but you only get 7 for today ;)

1. If you could be any princess- which would you be and why?

i don't know if this is supposed to be a disney princess, but it does say any princess. so naturally i just HAVE to go with the real life PRINCESS KATE!!! i'm obsessed with her life, her wardrobe, and her stud of a prince.

2. Do you have any odd habits? (do things in order, words that you say too often, etc)

uh, yeah. i have quite a few... but who doesn't, right? for one- i pick my nail polish off every chance i get. it's a running joke with my friends to see how long i can leave one color on.

i am also completely and utterly obsessed with lotion and chapstick. i HAVE to have it on me at all times or i get slightly irritated. no lotion? you better have some germ-x on hand because this girl will refuse to wash her hands without lotion to put on afterwards.

and lastly (well lastly for this post, because i could go on)- i check underneath my bed every night before i fall asleep, at LEAST 3 times. there's a scary story that goes along with why i do this, but that's for another time.     

3. What is your "go to" outfit?

definitely depends on the season. but since it's currently hot as balls outside right now... dresses, any and all dresses. i'm especially diggin all my maxi skirts and dresses at the moment.

4. Do you have any siblings? What are their genders, ages, order of age, names, etc?

an older sister, she's 29, almost 30. her name's ashley. we call her ashley.

and a younger brother, he's 15, almost 16. his name's charles. but he is, and always will be Bud.

i'm the middle child. and my parents would definitely say i live up to that "middle child" name. 

i'll also throw in my sister's hus-bun teddy, because he's a brother-in-love. he's 32. his real name's luther william... so obviously we call him teddy. poor guy. 

5. What's your favorite precious stone?

obviously diamonds are a girl's best friend. but i also reallyyyy love rubys! 

6. If you had a check in your hand for 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?

so. many. things.... but i would definitely pay off my student loans. give some to my family. obviously put some in the bank. and then travel to africa and start my own christian international adoption agency- ultimate dream right there.

7. What do you love most about yourself- physically (eyes, smile, hair, etc. I don't know a good way to word that question...)  

uhhh, everything. no just kidding, haha. but i really do love my blue eyes and my big ol' booty! 
 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



now let's talk about this incredible gal- Shane over at Whispering Sweet Nothings. she came up with this interactive map that shows the location of bloggers all across the country (visit the exact post of hers here).

over at her blog you can check out the map, add yourself to it, and find bloggie friends in your area! how cool is that??

i know i'm excited too. 

run, don't walk, over to shane's blog and add yourself!

j.

what i'm loving.

i'm loving... 

michelob ultra's new light cider. heaven in mahhhh mouth. it's gluten free, so no bloating belly for muah, and it has a super light taste for these scorching summer months!

that the 2012 olympics are just around the corner.
and THIS guy is making big moves.

meet Manteo Mitchell. originally from NC, he's pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. AND i went to college with this cutey pa tootey at western carolina university. he is without a doubt one of the sweetest, most genuine, and faith driven people you will ever meet. AND he is the shizz when it comes to running. he just won his preliminary 400 meter heat last Friday at the US Olympic Trials & went on to place 5th overall in the event. next comes the 200 meter which begins this Friday in Eugene, OR. many prayers going up for this man to achieve his dreams! keep your eye out for him!

this quote. it has so much truth behind it. get out and enjoy life while you can!!

via.

this little lady's outfit. the whole thing. i die.

via.

the fact that Magic Mike comes out THIS. FRIDAY. holy molyyy i'm beyond excited.

via.

a whole bunch of randos.

this post doesn't even know where to go... because my brain can't focus on one specific thing today. so we're gonna just run around all parts of the blog land for a minute. let's begin...

my glasses broke last week. in half.
because i stepped on them.
they were old though- i got them in college after i stepped on my previous pair.
you can tell i'm blind because i obviously can't see them when i drop them off my face... so i proceed to frantically search and end up crushing them.
we're gonna work on this, promise.
i have an eye appointment for brand new specs on wednesday... but until the new ones actually come in i'm suffering from dry contact eyes by day
and taped up glasses by night.
last night i actually tried super glueing them back together... which only resulted in me constantly checking to make sure the glue was dry
and they weren't glued to my face.
they weren't. just so you know. would have been funny though.

my upstairs neighbor, that i wrote this letter to, reminds me of the guy who made the news by eating off a homeless man's face.
he looks just like him i swear. i also caught him outside talking to a friend last night swaying back and forth for, oh, about an hour.
i thought about buying a gun at that exact moment.

moving on.
the bachelorette... let's recap for a minute, shall we?
jef (one f)... did you really tell emily "i want to date you so hard and marry the shit out of you"... umm ok? i don't really know where to go with this one.
i feel like this is sexual. but i kinda like it.
and this picture... hahahahahaha. oh mylanta. jef(f) are you sure you're into girls?

anywho...i love how emily is just taking over the whole show. she has this whole i do what i want attitude about her.
move the show to charlotte? sure. tag ugly ricki along? sure. send guys home on your own time? sure. don't send anyone home when you're supposed to? sure. ignore the fact that reality tv is for the drama and let chris harrison do a PSA on your arie brawl instead of showing us what went down? sure. no cocktail party before a rose ceremony? sure.
there she is- takin over reality tv. love her for it.
sean's numero uno. arie coming in at numero dos.
jef(f) trailing behind as the tres.

and because i love music. it helps me through life.
i'm leaving you with some imagine dragons.

weekend recap and week goals.

ello' lovelies!
here we are again... lovin' on the weekend, hatin' on today. per my usual.

instead of giving you all the cray details of my frisatsun combo, i'm givin it to ya straight from the instagram

my friday was nothing special. it was a jam packed with a glass of wine and passing out on my couch with 50 shades darker. no fun equals no pictures.

saturday strawberry margs while me and my lovely friend jennifer submerged our lawn chairs in kiddie pools. best idea we've ever had.

saturday night out- the yacht club at lake chatuge, which never disappoints. 

live band, on the lake, good drinks, and awesome friends.

a walk around lake junaluska was the highlight of my sunday. these babies are part of the infamous rose walk that lines part of the lake. so pretty this time of year!

i'm tryin to be positive polly here today and plan some goals for my week. just the mon-fri week of course, because we all know that anything goes on the weekends! i also love making lists, so that's why you get this in list form. we'll recap on friday and see what all i was able to manage!!

1. get rid of all my old clothes that i don't even touch anymore (and attempt to make some money off of them)
2. work out at least 4 of the 7 days.
3. only eat one wheat/bread/gluten product a day. (if not anyyyy) i'm really trying this whole "gluten free" lifestyle every one else and their baby's daddy is trying. i'm diggin' it so far, and so is my bathing suit!
4. lay out after work at least once. this could prove to be quite the task considering my creep-tastic neighbor likes to peer out over his deck at me and if i move to the front yard i have a 2 lane highway to wave at. hmmm...
5. make it to my eye appointment. i hate appointments of any kind- especially ones where i know i will be leaving with dilated pupils and a headache. but i neeeeed to go!

short list i know. give me a break- it's only monday.

contra and letters.

so last night i traveled over to asheville to go CONTRA DANCING with my friends mary and gibby. can i just tell you that i have never had this much fun!! just imagine jumping into your most comfortable, flowy, summer dress and dancing barefoot with about 100 hippies in an old barn/house turned gym. it was one of the most fun and freeing experiences i've ever had. contra dancing is somewhat like line dancing with everyone doing the same thing but with lots more twirls. i had no earthly idea what i was doing but the guys simply pull you in and twirl you to the next partner- it's super easy to catch on to.
and the best part- when everyone gets done... you run down to the pond that's near by and jump in. it's extremely refreshing and trust me, much needed after dancing in a room with no air conditioning and lots of hippies! 

sadly no pictures were taken while we were dancing. besides the fact that i was a sweaty hot mess and wouldn't want to share a picture of that... we left everything in the car.
we did, however, stop for some photo ops on our way there!
gibby is ridiculously good at iphone self timers, by the way.

climbing the fence- no parking? oh... we're sorry. or not.

this was actually pretty scary. there were no stairs to get into this old ass silo so gibby had to lift us up and set us on the first window. he of course gracefully shimmied himself up to the second, and then the third. we're lucky he's fearless.

now moving on to our weekly letters!

dear God- help me get through the next few months at work until things calm down. you really know how to test my patience. i'm grateful you do though... i'm learning a lot right now. and please get my sister and her babies back home to NC safely next week.


dear florida- you cray cray. i just read that there was a 3rd flesh eating incident in your state... get it together. and to the people that keep saying it's zombies- you're idiots. people just need to lay off the drugs and bath salts.

dear work- calm yourself down, please and thank you. and you can hire a replacement for the coworker that quit (almost two months ago) at any time. we would greatly appreciate it.

dear sugar free vanilla latte from mcd's- you are incredible. can i get you delivered to my desk on a daily basis?

dear upstairs neighbor- please tell me i was dreaming when i heard a saxophone playing at 3am this morning. who does that?? i already wrote you your own full letter. don't make me write you another one.

happy friday, happy weekend, go dance your socks off!!

linked.

woop woop. it's furs-dayyyyy!!!
so naturally we're participating in quite possibly my favorite linkup.
other than friday's letters of course.

it's okayyayayayyy....

that i'm going contra dancing with fun friends in asheville tonight. i've never been, but i've heard it's a giant mess of dancing hippies to live music... so obviously, you can count me IN.

that i miss my sister and nieces more than ANYTHING right now. they've been vacationing in naples, fl the past two weeks and i'm beyond ready for them to come home. and a little jealous that the sis is getting a ballin' tan and i'm not.

1. thank God for picture updates. they're having too much fun without me!
2. yes, my sister is that skinny after 4 children. if i dont have those genes- i'm dying.

that i broke my glasses in half on monday and can't get in to da eye doctah until next tuesday. home girl is rockinnnn the taped glasses at night. contacts durin the day, errr-day.

that i really want to pay someone to customize my bloggie design. but i have commitment issues. and i get bored with things wayyyy to easily.

that this heat has me already looking forward to the fall. i'm in looooove with everything fall!! and i get cranky when it's too hot outside. 
personal fanner, shade, and grapes please?

that this is all i have for you today.

sleeping with me- part dos.

if you missed my post about sleeping with me, you may want to start HERE! before going any further. i promise you don't wanna miss out on those haaa-larious sleep walking/talking stories from over the years.
i figured i would go ahead and share a little more since after i mentioned my sleep walking adventure from the other night in a post.... i got a few responses from readers saying that they, too, sleep walk/talk.

it's something i have always done, and probably always will.
at one point i thought i had scared myself into stopping after i ran into my door and woke up with a bloody nose. but obviously not.
can't keep a real sleep walker down these days.

it's really starting to get to me though... especially since i live alone and there's nobody there to direct me back to bed... keep me from wandering down the road... hopping in the car and driving somewhere... or calling a friend in the middle of the night and leaving a 20 minute conversation (with myself) on their voicemail because i was dreaming... yes, that has happened.

talking in my sleep i am aware happens on a nightly basis, and i will probably never stop that. i wake myself up laughing, crying, and talking all of the time. friends constantly fill me in the next morning on crazy things i say to them.  
crazy things such as pancakes and dog hair and christmas in june and running and dates and who really knows what else.

i thought i was completely over the sleep walking there for a while, until my subconscious changed the toilet paper roll for me a few months ago.
that subconscious, she's such a special girl.
always lookin' out.
i've definitely woken up quite a few times here recently with a water bottle in the bed with me... because i was so thirsty??
and more times than not i will wake up in something completelyyyy different than what i fall asleep in.... or in nothing at all. those are always special times. and yes- i'm alone when this happens. i know what you were thinking.
and apparently i felt like writing a legit letter one night because i woke up with a pen and pad of paper in the bed with scribbles everywhere.
seriously though, what in the hell?

these little mis-haps aren't exactly something to alert the police about... but they could mean i'm getting back into the sleep walking routine and it's going to happen more frequently, and more openly.

if i consciously put locks up high, or put a chair under the door to keep me in... i'm obviously, subconsciously, just going to undo whatever it is i've done.
webmd just tells me it's either caused by genetics, in which i'm an identical twin and didn't know it... i have sleep apnea and i stop breathing in my sleep, a fever, i'm drunk, nighttime seizures or asthma, or i have an irregular heart beat.
so yeah, i feel really good about this.

oh and i need this dog... i feel like we have a lot in common.

monday misc.

i hate mondays.
especially mondays where all i wanna do is sleeeeep,
which is obviously every. single. one.
work is overloaded and i'm surrriously stressin so all ya'll are gettin today is some randomness and my weekend via instagram. enjoy...

 birthday celebrations friday night for my friend sarah. 

sidenote: the dress i'm wearing is my new favorite maxi that i scored for $12 at belks. most comfortable thing i now own. go ahead, be jealous.

 saturday night was spent out in downtown asheville...

 

dinner at nick & nates for father's day.

of course a lot more went on, but that's all my phone caught. 
good luck with your monday!

sunday social.

first and foremost- happy father's day to all the daddies out there, especially my incredible ol' man. i honestly don't know where i would be today without him. you see, the man i call "dad" is actually my step dad. he married my mom when i was 8 years old and legally adopted me by the time i was 9. i have never known my biological father (his loss i know), but i have never felt like i didn't have a dad. it doesn't matter what their technical role is, what you call them, or whether they're your blood relative. a dad is a dad. and i have a great one. he is more of a father to me than any biological father could be.

i love you papa bear!!!

ok, now let's linkup for my first ever sunday social with Neely at A Complete Waste of Makeup and Ashley at Ashley's Carnival Ride. And what is a Sunday Social you ask? It's a set time during the week to answer 5-6 fun questions and get to know other bloggers!!

favorite movie of all time?
hardest. question. ever.

but because i'm a closet beatles lover- i'm going with across the universe.

favorite movie quote?

oh i have a million, but these are some top picks...

"sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. how to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don't, the ones who will stay from the ones who will leave. and maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. maybe the happy ending is just moving on. or maybe the happy ending is this: knowing after all the unreturned phone calls and broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment... you never gave up hope." -he's just not that into you

and of course i have to include some bridesmaids faves:

"i'm glad he's single because i'm going to climb that like a tree"

"at first i did not know it was your diary. i thought it was a very sad handwritten book."

best movie to watch for a girl's night in?

something borrowed, for sure. 

i can't help but get up and do the salt & pepper dance along with them.

best breakup movie?

this is my go-to. everytime. and such a great cast!!

favorite celeb eye candy?

i think this just about sums it up... yep- that will do.

which movie star's closet would you want to raid?

movie star? how about reality tv star? 

because i'm gonna have to go with miss LC herself on this one.

anddd you can find her line at kohls!!

over & out,

j.

lettaahhhhs.

dear God, 

thank you for never giving up on me, and for never leaving me alone. even though i get lonely and down on myself you are always there to pick me back up. thank you for your unfailing love and grace.

dear sleep walking subconscious me,  

thanks for the water last night. apparently i was thirsty?
and my shirt i fell asleep in? where did you put it??

dear papa bear,  

happy father's day ol' man!! 
i sure do adore you, and i'm going to try my darndest to make it into town to see you sunday!

dear best friend,  

i love our weekly dinner dates. thanks for listening to all my crazy stories!! have fun in orlando! and if you feel like stealing prince charming for me from disney- i'd be totally okay with that.

dear charleston,  

finally making plans for our upcoming reunion. 

you are my... favorite. place. on. earth!!!

dear upstairs neighbor,

why is it that you insist on blaring adele and taylor swift while you work out on your porch when your girlfriend isn't home?
and when in the hell did it become appropriate to vacuum at 1 in the morning??!!
and who let's their girlfriend's grandson ride his tricycle through the house all hours of the night? don't you know kids have this thing called a bedtime?

i can hear everything, just so you know.
i hear your fights with lisa and i always picture myself starring in some horror film where you kill her in the middle of the night and i'm a witness because you just know that i heard the gunshot... and then you come after me.
i also hear your make up sessions, which are gross.
i shouldn't know your bedroom name.

and what is it you do exactly with all the junk in the back of your truck? one day i come home and you have a moped strapped in... and then there's a note from the trailer park crowd on my door (because they think my apartment is yours) asking how much they can buy it for and leaving a phone number.
sorry you never got that memo btw.
where do you get all that shit anyways? 3-4 mattresses, car parts, kid toys, trash bags filled with who knows what... where does it all go? i feel like one day i'm gonna turn on the tv and BAM there you'll be on your own little episode of hoarders.

the only reason i like your bright yellow truck is because it proves to be my easiest way to tell people where to turn for our apartments. i highly suggest you getting that thing legal though. swapping license plates off your girlfriend's car when you want to drive your truck is kind of not okay.
just sayin'.

oh and one last thing,
and the next time you decide to "flush a wash cloth down the toilet", because that's the excuse you gave our landlord when my ceiling became a waterfall from your said overflow... i'm going to kick your ass. i don't care that you're a large black man in your 40s- i'm gonna do it.
the last thing i need is to wake up to you, naked, in your bathtub, falling through my ceiling because you've ruined the plumbing and structural support holding you up there.
stop it.

sincerely,
fed up.

*sorry for the rant. i'm really not a picky person to live near or with, but this man has pushed me to my limits. he's just ridic.
ever have any of those neighbors?

instaweekend.

my weekend was filled with lots of little kids and lots of running around.
i swear i traveled all of western NC on saturday, but it was worth it.

from a birthday party to a ballet recital to dinner in asheville and a bonfire back home... i was ready for a relaxing sunday.
here's a peek into the last couple of days courtesy of instagram...

of course the ballet recital was the focus of the weekend:

1. lexi and layla with their roses and trophys. highlight of their day.

2. layla showing off her precious costume.

3. lexi's first costume for her ballet performance.

4. lexi's costume change for her tap number.

 1. finallyyyy jumped on the fifty shades of grey bandwagon. 

2. my friend heather's little boy turned 1.

3. discovered a new favorite treat. it's heavenly i promise.

sunday was great. i attended church with some coworkers, made myself a healthy lunch, went running, cleaned up the apartment, and then had a movie night. i was happy.

i'll leave you with a little something we touched on at church yesterday that really hit home with me. there are so many judgmental "Christians" in the world today that think they do no wrong and are honestly the main ones that turn people away from having a relationship with God. nobody is perfect.

"no sin is too big for the Grace of God." a sin, is a sin, is a sin.
we are all guilty of our own... but the difference is whether or not we realize it, ask forgiveness for our sins, and don't judge others for theirs. 

happy monday!
j.

a conversation with my mom

I have a great mom... maybe the best one ever actually. her and I have always had an incredibly close relationship. she's been more like a sister and a friend than anything else. she raised my older sister and I by herself until I was 9 years old and I can't even begin to explain how great those days were. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

now, the only thing you really need to know at this point though is that my mom loooooves to think she has a say in my love life (or lack thereof at this point). she's constantly trying to set me up with her dental assistant, the random guy in the grocery store, her friend's lawyer's son's cousin, etc. you get the point.
she actually called me yesterday morning from the farmer's market to tell me about her new friend's grandson that i just HAVE to meet. it's never ending.
if you have ever seen the movie because i said so with mandy moore and diane keaton- well that's my mom to a big fat T!!
i'm honestly surprised she hasn't made me an eharmony or match.com account. which, who knows- maybe she has and i just don't know it yet.
such is life.
this is a conversation we had last night...

Mom: I'm gonna find you some hot, christian, single guys from Ireland... mmmk?
Me: umm, why?
Mom: because you're part Irish and I really love their accents. 
Me: I mean I do too, but where in the world do you expect to find these guys?
Mom: oh, I'm gonna Google them. Ill email you my favorites.
Me: (cracking up) mom you can't just Google people you want your daughter to date. That's how you end up with stalkers.
Mom: no, i think we can find you a good one. didn't you see that movie ps i love you?!?! it could so happen. let's make it happen.

and that's a normal, day to day, thing with us.
hopeless romantic that girl.
but i couldn't love her any more.

thank heaven for little girls.

can i just tell you that i have the biggest obsession in the entire WORLD with my nieces. i mean it's serious. i love them as if they were my own children. and they know that.
my sister and her hus-bun kept trying for a boy... but that just wasn't part of God's plan for their lives, obviously. they recently snipped snipped a little man part to insure that a 5th girl doesn't come along- if you catch my drift.
but nonetheless, they are adorable. totes adorable to be exact.
i mean see for yourself....

told ya, they are precious.
that would be...
lexi, age 8.
layla, age 5.
mya, age 2.
sophia, age 6 months.

they are the most caring, affectionate, and passionate children for their ages. they always have to make sure that the others have exactly what they do and always include them in playing with any new toys. they also know exactly who God is and even remind us adults to say our prayers on a daily basis. my sister and her hubby have done such an incredible job with them!

and that my friends, would be from, yes, a little princess.
and it could easily still be my favorite of all time.
now i'm off to go watch the two oldest girl's ballet performances!!

thursday okays.

it's okay...

that in the summer i prefer camping in a tent, swimming in lake water to shower, using bonfires for lighting, and grilling all of my meals; over staying in a 5 star hotel for vacation.

that i was utterly devastated when i saw that liam hemsworth and miley cyrus were engaged. i mean, i really thought i had a chance with the ol' hunger games hunk...

that i am beyond excited for this saturday because i get to go see my 2 oldest niece's ballet performances. i look forward to this every year! it's also okay that i'm slightly obsessed with these girls.

2011

that an elderly man gave me this four leaf clover while i was walking the lake the other day, but my friend brian told me that it's only good luck if you find it yourself and to keep one that someone else gave you is bad luck...
and i believed him...
after i threw it out the window he decided to tell me he made it up.

get excited- tomorrow's friday!!

oh how pinteresting with a share.

i stumbled across this wonderful blog in the bloggie world not long ago and i wanted to share this little lady's post from today. it really hits the nail on the head concerning my single life and she truly opened my eyes to how great it is to be 24 and single. i can't tell you how much i relate to this post. i have so much to look forward to, so much left to do before i settle down, and so many things to be happy about.
i have really been focusing all of my attention on God recently and i seriously have never been happier. i feel as though God has led me to this point in my life only to lead me closer to Him. and that's what i'm doing. my life is changing, my outlook on the world is changing, and right now the only thing that matters is how i can find ways to serve Him. i'm ecstatic to say the least!!
so here ya go... read and enjoy... and if you're single, be empowered and embrace it!!

Stephanie at the Sweet Life Says...

now for an oh how pinteresting link up of my own!!


here are just a few of my random faves for the week:

via

via

via

via

via