Update...

     Flashback to the weekend: Oxford never fails me. It was so awesome to see my Ole Miss friends and hang out in the grove. It went by wayyyy too fast...always does. On a different note, State won and we're now ranked #23! Better than nothing, right? 

     

     Okay, sooo...it's almost here-1st day of school tomorrow. 1st day of school as in with my 4th graders in the elementary school. Nervous is an understatement...so is excitement. I feel like just yesterday I was playing "school" with my teacher edition books that one of my old teachers gave me. It is so insane to think that this time next year, I could potentially have a class of my own. Butttt, hopefully that will be postponed thanks to grad school :) Anyways, I can't wait to see what this semester with these sweet 4th graders holds, and I'll be keeping y'all updated on any awkward or wonderful moments. But for now, here goes nothing!

Hope everyone has a fantastic week! :)

     

That's A Wrap

     

A paper, presentation, and a test later...week #4 of senior year is complete. All I have to say is thank goodness. Student teaching will be here before I know it and that is quite frightening. Since we have an away game this weekend, I'll be heading over to Oxford and I couldn't be more excited. I must admit, Oxford and the grove aren't too shabby on game-days. It's always good to get away for the weekend, right? Plus I might spot Matthew McConaughey in the grove, and that would be incredible.
     Tonight I plan on being quite lame and staying in to bake goodies for Oxford, watch a movie, and be in bed by 10:00. Yep, 10:00 on a Thursday night and I have no shame in that at all. Sometimes you just need those nights to get organized and catch up on sleep...plus I'll be rewarded with a big cup of coffee in the morning, and that's something to be excited about!

     I hope y'all have a fantastic weekend! Go dawgs :)

I'm Back!

      I have totally kicked blogging to the curb lately, and gotten a little too caught up in the beginnings of school and football season. I'm going to try to do better...promise. Things have been going exceptionally wonderful over here. State has been winning and the weather has been changing (at least for a couple of days). Also, as many of you know, I'm in the education field and we just got our field placements for this semester. My partner and I got placed in 4th grade here in Starkville, and I could not be more excited. I've always thought maybe I would like to teach this age, so we'll see if  that holds true. We get to meet our students next Monday so wish us luck! I've already been a total goob and bought the class bookmarks and stickers. I can't wait to see what is in store for us :) I'm going to cut this one short and finish up a project really quick, but I'm going to do better about keeping up with the blog from now on this semester!

Happy Tuesday :)

MIA

     Yeah, I guess it's safe to say I have been MIA the past 3 weeks or so. I've just been a little busy (really busy) with recruitment and getting ready for school. I left y'all with my thoughts about football, which is now less than 2 weeks away..WHATT? Cannot wait. Since my last post: I went to the American Idol concert and saw Phillip Phillips(my life is complete), recruitment has come and gone (my last one everrr), and I have officially started my senior year. I can already tell this year is going to be filled with so much excitement! This is my last semester to ever have classes because in the spring I will be STUDENT TEACHING. Yeah, I know, I'm not old enough to have my own classroom, and to say I'm nervous is the biggest understatement in the universe. However, I know I will get through it thanks to the big man upstairs, and I'm ecstatic to see where this year is going to take me. I'm just a little exhausted so I'll leave y'all with a few pictures to recap:

Best roommates ever!

Mom brought Ritz to bid day

Some seniors on our last bid day..go DG!

1st night out to kick off the school year!

Happy schooling! 

Are You Ready For Some Football?

    

      It's getting closer and closer. People are counting down on twitter, stores racking up on fall fashion inventory, new uniforms being unveiled, and anticipation is growing everyday. Football season kicks off in about a month, and you can almost taste the excitement here in Starkville, Mississippi. I don't know about y'all, but this is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year(besides Christmas). I cannot wait to set foot in the junction on September 1st for some tailgating, and best of all, enter Davis Wade Stadium for kick-off at 6:00. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have a dad that instilled a love and understanding of football in me at a very young age. The only problem is that it was a love for Ole Miss football..but don't worry friends, that has changed. I'll be whipping out my cowbell and cheering on the dawgs to what is hopefully a winning season. Fingers crossed. This one is sure to be an exciting one!Also, I can't wait to hear the famous maroon band play the "naaa naaa heyyyy go state!" song, and see our school come together as one. I really don't think there's anything that's much better than that. Oh, and can't leave out watching our team do their little "who let the dawgs out" jig before the game. Okay, so you get the picture, I'm ecstatic.
     Not only am I excited for football season, but also excited for the fashion that will be going along with it!

Happy Thursday, Hail State, and Go Dawgs! :)

Recap

     I'm failing again at Tasty Tuesday, but I promise my excuse is legit. I just returned from a wonderful couple of days on the coast with my friends and am just now getting settled back in Starkville. Oh, and before that, I spent the weekend at home in Jackson. Forgive me? Thankss! These past  4 days have been nothing less of perfect. When I got home on Friday I was greeted by my sweet pups with a very warm welcome! Immediately, I put a leash on Ritz (she's the only one who can walk for long distances in this heat) and headed to the lake to walk with my friend, Lindsey. We went for a about an hour with a few pit stops for Ritz.

     My mom cooked a delicious meal consisting of salmon patties, mango salad, and black eyed pees. I'm so blessed to have a mom who has raised me on amazing home-cooked meals. 

     Saturday morning, I woke up to coffee in bed and ran up to Aqua to enjoy a pedicure I received for my birthday. My mom, grandmother, and I went to lunch at Brents Drugstore (a precious old 50's drugstore made into a restaurant in Fondren). Naturally, my mom and I spent the rest of the day shopping at the Renaissance. I scored some fabulous pieces for fall that make me THAT much more excited for football season. Thanks mom! 

     Sunday, I rounded up Lindsey and Mere, and we headed down to the coast. We stayed at the Imperial Palace in Biloxi for 2 nights and enjoyed each other's company. It was an amazing time filled with laughter, cocktails, sun, yummy eats, and good conversation! If you ever need a quick relaxing get away, this is the way to go! 

I even got to stop and see my pwwwecious baby cousin on the way down!

     This morning we woke up and headed back to reality..only after making a quick stop at the most adorable doughnut shop in downtown Ocean Springs! If you are ever on the coast, you must go to Tato Nut! 

     I'm sad the festivities have come to an end, but so happy and thankful that I got to spend time with some of my favorite people! I'm back in Starkville now, and I brought along this girl because she is ALWAYS up for a trip to college. 

Happy Tuesday! :)

Festivities

     If you know me, you know I tend to be pretty spontaneous/love spur of the moment decisions. Yeah, I had one of those moments last night. My best friend, Meredith, just returned from her 6 month escapade in Italy, and was on her way to see her boyfriend in Little Rock and made a pit stop in Oxford on the way. (You also should know that I almost never pass up an excuse to go to O-town.) Anyways, I packed my bag in about 5 minutes and hit the road. It was so fabulous to be reunited with  good friends who I haven't seen in a while in a town that always promises a good night. My stomach muscles are still sore from the abundance of laughter that took place.

Never a dull moment with these 2, and I mean NEVER!

     Tomorrow I'm headed home for the weekend, and couldn't be more excited. I really don't think there is anything that beats a relaxing weekend at home. The older I get, the more I appreciate the loving place I have to go to called home. On Sunday I'm heading down to Biloxi with my highschool friends for a collaborative celebration of our 21st birthdays. We're going to spend 2 nights at the Imperial Palace on the bay. It is pretty much a guaranteed blast, and I'm sure I'll have plentyyyy of good stories when we return. 

    On the other hand, tomorrow is this girl's 22nd birthdayyyyyy:

    Soooo Happy 22nd birthday to my best friend and roomie! Don't know what I'd do with out ya..love you Hanny! 

Happy Thursday everyone! 

     

Tasty Tuesday: PB Banana Sushi

     I'm always looking for ways to get creative, and what better way to get creative with the foods you eat while keeping it healthy. I came across this little idea on Pinterest one day and sat there wondering, now why didn't I think of that? That brings us to this week's Tasty Tuesday: PB Banana Sushi. Who loves peanut butter banana sandwiches and sushi? Mix it together and you've got a precious little breakfast combo.

Now how adorable is that? And yes, I know, it doesn't look perfect but you get the picture!

What do you need?

*peanut butter, 1 banana, 2 slices of whole wheat bread

How do you make it?

Simple. Tear the crust off of the bread and overlap them so that they will stick together. Flatten the bread out as much as possible. Spread peanut butter on the bread. Place the peeled banana, and roll it up in the bread. Slice into 6 little sushi pieces, and walah, you've got a precious little healthy breakfast! 

Happy Tuesday :)

Weekend Highlights

    Well, it's time to wrap up another spectacular weekend in Starkville, MS. Unfortunately, I'll be spending this Sunday funday writing a paper for my online class. Of course I have waited 'til the absolute last minute to even begin...and what am I doing now? Blogging. It is safe to say that I am the ultimate procrastinator.

So, what was so "spectacular" about this weekend?

1. One of my best friends has finally moved back to Starkville for the summer, we've been inseparable, and I love it.

2. Oh just being 21. (You'd understand if you were one of the babies in your grade.)

3. My best friend in the whole entire world is FINALLY back from Italy! This also means we no longer have to talk via messaging apps/skype. Can't wait to see ya, Mere! 6 weeks is just not okay. 

4. I bid on a nike running skirt on ebay, and won. $50 skirt for $20...not too shabby. 

5. Only 1 more week until my friends and I head down to the casino in Biloxi for a collaborative celebration of all of our birthdays! Need I say more?

I hope everyone had a fabulous and happy weekend! 

Tasty Tuesday: Berry Goodness

   It's that time of the week again...Tasty Tuesday. So lets just go ahead and admit that we all get those summer time ice cream cravings. If you say you don't then you're flat out lying. I mean come on, what is better than a bowl of cold cream of your favorite flavor in the summer heat? Not much. Wellll, we all know that ice cream packs on those calories, which is not helpful for those trying to live a healthy life style or even shed a few pounds. Okay, please don't get me wrong...yes, I have had my share of going to the ice cream venues in Starkville. However, I have a little treat for you to whip up that is only about 50-60 calories, and it's just as good as any bowl of ice cream I've ever had. It also consists of tons of nutritional value with the berries. I've loved this little treat for a long time now, and it's perfect for quenching a sweet tooth when trying to cut back on the calories!

Berry Goodness:

*LIGHT cool whip

* fresh berries(any kind...blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)

   In the above picture I obviously just have blueberries in mine. You can use a combination of berries, or just one type of berry...just depends on what you like! Anyways, keep your light cool whip in the FREEZER. Simply scoop out the amount you want, add the fresh berries, and enjoy! It is heavenly y'all, I promise! 

     On another topic, I have been searching for planners for a while now, just trying to find the perfect one for the school year (I'm reallllyyy picky when it comes to my planners). Especially since I will be student teaching in the Spring, it was mandatory to find an extremely organized, spacious planner. After many youtube reviews I finally picked mine out, and couldn't be more excited. I know I sound like such a nerd.  I was choosing between the Erin Condren planners and the Lilly planners, and decided to go with the Lilly one. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't bring myself to pay $50 for a planner when the Lilly one had almost all of the same features for half the price. So, if you're looking for an awesome planner, you should definitely look into the Lilly ones...or the Erin Condren if you're willing to spend more $$$. 

Happy Tuesday!! :)

Twenty One

     Let me just tell you, I just had the best weekend of my life. Can I please just re-live my 21st birthday festivities over and over again? Pleaseeee! The celebrating began down in Destin with my mom. The beach was wonderful...so relaxing and MUCH needed. We spent the 4th on my uncle's sailboat, and watched the fireworks from the water. It was picture perfect.

Dinner on the bay with the BEST mom in the world!

   On my birthday, which was Friday, I woke up to my pwweciousss baby cousin along with more birthday goodies than I could even begin to imagine. My mom had my great grandmother's diamond made into a beautiful necklace for me, and it will not be leaving my neck. I spent the morning at home with my mom and Avery. 

     Around 2 I loaded up the car, picked up my friend Madi, and headed to Starkville. The ride went by super fast, and we made a pit stop at a gas station so that I could make my first legal purchase. When we walked into my apartment, my roomie had decorated and had me a birthday cake. It is safe to say that I have the best friends in the world, hands down. They made my birthday more special than I could have ever imagined. 

    After all of the jumping around and acting like children at the apartment, we headed over to happy hour at the Bin. We sat outside and enjoyed each other's company for a good while. It was the perfect start to the perfect night. We went to dinner at Cappe's Steakhouse, and then hit the town. All I'm going to say is that I have never had such a fun night in my life... 

Just a little JA '09 reunion (Yes, I changed outfits after dinner.)

My birthday sign, in the shape of a bird, because I am TERRIFIED of birds. 

     I'm sad it's over, but I'm thankful that I am so fortunate to be blessed with such amazing people in my life who made my birthday unforgettable. I'm going to go enjoy this rain, and pop in a movie. Hope y'all have a wonderful happy week! 

    

Tasty Tuesday: 4th of July Edition!

    I know I know, I've waited to do this week's Tasty Tuesday at the last minute when I'm sure y'all already have all of your 4th of July goodies ready. You'll have to forgive me because I've been on the beach all day, which is an exceptional excuse..right? Anyways, this week's Tasty Tuesday, edible sparklers, makes up for it because they take 10 minutes to make. I literally JUST made ours for tomorrow. Soo.....

Edible Sparklers:

 Tell me these aren't adorable...Ok, here's how it goes...

*1 7oz can marsh-mellow cream

*1/4 cup butter

*1 box of rice krispies

*strawberries

*blueberries

*shish kabob sticks

*star shaped cookie cutter

     First, you make homeade rice krispy treats. Heat butter in a sauce pan on low heat until melted, and then add in marsh-mellow cream. Stir constantly until it has a syrupy consistency. Add 5 cups of rice krispies and keep on stirring. When everything is mixed together completely, spread out on a cookie sheet. Next, cut the rice krispy treats using the star-shaped cookie cutter. Stick them on the shish kabob sticks, and add blueberries and strawberries. That's all! P.s. I added in some shish kabob sticks with just fruit on them for fillers. (I'm all about presentation thanks to my Mom.)

     I'll be spending my 4th on my uncle's boat in Destin, and I couldn't be more excited. I hope all of y'all have a safe and happy 4th of July! (2 days until 21!!!!)

(I saw a picture of these on pinterest and used my mom's recipe for homeade rice krispy treats)  

Excitement

     

     Well, if I can just get through this final tomorrow morning at 8:00a.m., I will be Destin bound with my mom to spend the week. I have never looked forward to a beach trip so much. It is going to be splendid to just relax and not be on any type of schedule. Seriously, my mom and I will stay on the beach until sunset..no joke. For the 4th, we will be going out on my uncle's boat for the day in the Gulf of Mexico. What a perfect way to celebrate America's birthday! Oh, and y'all know what Friday is..right?? This girl is turning 21 and I will be spending it with my amazing friends in good ole Starkville. As far as I know, Starkville has never let anyone down on their 21st birthday. I must admit, this week will probably rank on up there as one of the best weeks of my life. Therefore, I'm cutting this one short to hit the books and ace this final so I can get mine and America's birthday week festivities started!
     P.S. I have an exciting Tasty Tuesday coming up---4th of July edition..hint: edible sparklers!

Happy Sunday!

Tasty Tuesday: Tuna Patties With Summer Salad

     Well, I have fully recovered from the stomach bug which means Tasty Tuesday is back in full swing, just like I promised. This week's recipe is tuna patties with summer salad. This is probably my favorite recipe I have ever made, hands down. It is easy, healthy, and takes no more than a total of 50 minutes to prepare. Y'all are in for a treat. Here ya go:

Tuna Patties:

12 oz can of chunk white tuna in water

1 slice of torn up wheat bread

3 tbsp honey mustard

1tbsp lemon juice

2tbsp chopped parsley

1tbsp water

Sprinkles of salt, pepper, and Cavender's all purpose Greek seasoning to your liking

1 egg

2tbsp olive oil

• In a bowl, mix together tuna, torn bread, honey mustard, lemon juice, parsley, water, and seasonings. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

• Take a portion of the mix and form a patty, just like you would a hamburger patty. It should make 3-4 patties. Place on a cookie sheet and place in the fridge for 20-30 min to chill. This will help the patties stay together in the skillet.
• Heat up the olive oil in a non stick skillet, and place the tuna patties in. 

• Cook on each side for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown.

Salad Mix:

Spring Mix Lettuce (the darker the lettuce, the more nutritional value)

Feta 

Walnuts

Newman's Own Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

This is the absolute best dressing you will put on a salad. It is lite and healthy! I promise after you try this combination of a salad, you'll never want anything else ever again. It is lite, healthy, packed with nutritional value, and goes with EVERYTHING.

          Okay, there ya have it. Oh, and yesterday I plopped one of the leftover patties on top of this salad mix for dinner, cold, and it was just as good!

Hope y'all enjoy! Happy Tuesday!

Update

     It's Saturday night at 8:00, and what am I doing? Ohhh, just sitting in my bed watching E!, catching up on blogs, pinning, and online shopping. That's fine...right? I've been totally worthless today and I'm completely okay with it. One of my good friends, Sarah, came in town yesterday, so we went to happy hour and hit the town last night. We're kind of a dangerous combination. It's safe to say we had a fun, successful night...fun being an understatement.

     Today we grabbed lunch at Newks, and then proceeded to get our nails done. It really is amazing how getting your nails done makes you feel like a new person. Tomorrow it's back to exercising and eating healthy!  My thoughts are kind of all over the place, but I really can't wait to be home in a week. I'm really missing these 4:

     Hope y'all have a great rest of the weekend...