August Favorites!

How appropriate is it to do my favorites during one of my favorite months?

Kidding, because August isn't necessarily one of my favorite months, but it is one that LEADS into my favorites. I love this transitional weather. It will probably be as hot as the devil's den by the end of the week, but for now I have been loving the last two weeks of weather. It's been perfect, and it's been a real teaser for fall. 

Anyway, onto why you clicked over to my link! 

:) 

Revlon - Blue Lagoon 

I just really hate that it was so late in the summer when I finally got this color. It is the PERFECT baby blue. I love the formula because it isn't too shimmery, just enough for you to notice it. 

Maybelline - One by One Volume Express

I got this with my Ulta Rewards points this past month, and I have been TRYING to fall in love with a mascara, but it hadn't happened until this came along. I love it! It lengthens so well!

Elf Shimmer Facial Whip

Perfect Highlighter for your cheeks & browbone! It doesn't feel oily, and it lasts throughout the day. A little goes a long way, and it's easy to apply.

Paul Mitchell - Super Skinny Serum

Have a frizz problem? This solves it in 5 seconds. And it smells AWESOME!

Wheat Thins - Stix (Honey Wheat)

These will CHANGE your life! Such a wonderful "on the go" snack! 

Jason Reeves - The Lovesick Album

Favorites:

"No Lies"

"Always Want More"

"Truth"

"Save My Heart"

"Alone"

Eric Church - Chief

Favorites:

"Over When it's Over"

"Like Jesus Does"

"Springsteen"

Luke Bryan - Tailgates & Tanlines

Favorites:

"Been There, Done That"

"Faded Away"

"I Knew You That Way"

Cowboys & Aliens - The Movie

Thanks to Ferris & Will for sitting through this with me, since I was dying to go. I loved it, and looking at Daniel Craig for two hours wasn't hard either.

The Help - Movie & Book

Just go see it. I won't spoil it here.

two decades! WOAH.

I guess now I have to start going to bed earlier, 

get up earlier, 

make some rules, 

and change my ways.

Since I'm "twenty", I should act like an adult now, right? 

I simply can't blame my "staying up late watching movies all night" on being a teenager anymore. 

*sigh* I didn't even realize how much I abused that negotiation. 

I'm still young.

but I do go to bed early, for the most part. 

So! Monday night we went out to eat at my FAVORITE restaurant! 

Umi's Japanese steak house! 

Daddy & I ordered the sushi, and as always I wanted a Volcano roll, and I let him pick one that I had never tried before, so we got the Tiger roll. 

 

It was DELISH!

(although I'm not sure if Mamma & Mimi would think so now that I'm mentioning that the Tiger roll was raw, but they loved it at the time. Sorry!) 

My sweet parents have made this such a wonderful weekend, and I am so incredibly blessed to call them mine. I am thankful for the relationship that we've grown into over the last few years, and I could not have hand picked better parents for me. 

They always make every moment that they can SO special for me, and I owe them a lifetime of thankfulness.

And you'll see me in the next few photos with my best friends, but Mimi isn't to be left out of that. She's always there for me, from my being at my lowest points to being the happiest red head alive. 

I cannot imagine life without her one call away. I have grown to love (even more) our visits when she comes over in the mornings and we lay in my bed talking about the way life is playing out. 

She is so full of wisdom & knowledge, and if I don't take her advice I usually look back and wish I had. When she hurts, I hurt, and vice versa. 

I just couldn't be more grateful for the family I have. 

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Saturday, my ACTUAL birthday, we left town around 8:00 and headed to Jackson to shop for the day. I have been loving getting new clothes, but I get REALLY excited about Fall clothing. I LOVE the Fall and Winter. I can't wait for it to turn cool where I can get scarves and sweatshirts back out. 

We ate lunch at Mellow Mushroom, and despite what any of you may think, it was incredible! 

Exactly what I was craving. 

Later, we got fro-yo from "Sweet CeCe's", and it's basically like a Smackers, Local Culture, or Yogurt Mountain. It was also quite tasty! :) 

We shopped until around 5:45 (I think?) I slept the entire way up there, as well as the entire way back. So, it seemed like it took us all of five minutes to return. 

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Sunday, Megan & Hollie carried on our new tradition by having a little birthday party for me. Last year we each decided we wanted cheesecake as our "birthday cake", but this year we all decided to do ACTUAL birthday cake, and I have been looking forward to it all week! 

We rode out to Megan's around 1:00, and we caught up on all we had been missing with each other. 

Another perk to it being YOUR birthday is that you get to pick four appetizers/finger foods that you want to eat at your party, so we had:

- rotel

- turkey "pin wheels" (?)

- pigs in a blanket

- roast beef sandwiches

and of course, CAKE! 

Enjoy these next few photos. . . 

Thank you, Megan & Hollie, for making yesterday so, so special for me. For 20 years, we have made it through thick and thin with each other, but we've always made it out alright, and I couldn't be happier to have you both by my side. We share our craziest secrets, and we laugh about nonsense things,

and that is so perfect to me. 

I love you all.

& to all of you who thought enough of me to wish me a "Happy Birthday", thank YOU, too! 

I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to make mine even more special!

cheesy summer sweetness :)

I have to share with you my most recent find on "Pinterest". By the way, Pinterest is THE coolest website...ever! It's like a tack-board for online photos that you find and don't want to forget about. You can create different boards (Ex: food boards, clothing boards, decorating idea boards, etc) and then you can go to the photo and it has a direct link to the website that you "pinned" it from. 

Anyway, this post isn't about Pinterest. BUT if you aren't a part of it, and you'd like to be - I will be glad to invite you in! Let me know! 

Okay, so.. It is SO SO hot here in Mississippi, and strawberries are always in the back of my mind when it's hot outside. Granted, I love chocolate covered ones, but we're trying to stick with a diet around here. SO! I was searching through a Weight Watchers website, and I stumbled across these beautiful things that added up to a grand total of 0 points. That may be a slight lie if you eat more than one, but either way...

And yes, they were a lot prettier in the photo done by the website, but hey - they still look edible, right? 

I have to share this with you! 

Here's what you'll need:

1lb of fresh strawberries (our grocery store has the most beautiful ones right now 2 for $4.00)

4oz (fat free) cream cheese

2 1/2 teaspoons of Splenda 

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

*again, this is the WW recipe, if you want the "full affect", you can use regular sugar & cream cheese!

First, wash your strawberries and cut the tops off of them. 

Next, cut out the middle of the strawberries, so your cream cheese filling will have somewhere to sit!

After that, mix together your ingredients listed up top (aside from the strawberries, of course), and spoon it into the "strawberry cup". 

Place it in the fridge to cool for at least thirty minutes!

Viola! 

random survey! (15 "Weird" Questions)

This survey is floating around YouTube, but since I am obsessed & without my own "active channel" I decided to do it on my blog because it's my blog, and I make the rules here, right? It's just a "15 Weird Questions" tag, so I thought it would be fun! Enjoy, and let me know if you plan on posting it in the comments! I'll leave a version of the questions at the bottom that will make it easier for you to copy. 




#1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?


- jana
- ju
- jan
- red
- baby girl (only my Mimi can get away with that one!)

#2. What's a weird habit of yours?


- I drive with my foot on the side of the dash.
- I always delete "old" conversations in my inbox. I only keep current ones.
- 
#3. Do you have any weird phobias?


- CLOWNS. (coulrophobia) 
- coyotes. (Latraniphobia)


#4. What's a song you secretly LOVE to blast && belt out when you're alone?


- "Stay" Miley Cyrus ...uh, yeah. Shut up! :)



#5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?


- not using a blinker.
- not having my nails painted. (DIVA!)
- not punctuating correctly (which I am guilty of, time to time.)
- odd numbers SHOULD NOT EXIST.


#6. What's one of your nervous habits?


- I rub the side of my left thumb with my index fingernail. 
- or I just bite my nails, whatever. 



#7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?


- left, always!

#8. What was your first stuffed animal && it's name?


- the first one I was "attached" to was Lambchop (yes, the puppet, but she was a pillow) and her name? Lambchop. Creative, right?



#9. What's the drink you ALWAYS order at starbucks?


- caramel frappe!



#10. What's the beauty rule you preach.. but never ACTUALLY practice?


- allowing your cleanser to soak into your face for longer than 10 seconds. :) oops.
- using a conditioner regularly.



#11. Which way do you face in the shower?


- away from the water! 



#12. Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'?


- uhh.. no? I can fold my tongue? 



#13. What's your favorite 'comfort food'/food thats 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways?


- pizza! 
- cupcakes.
- McDonalds CinnaMelts.



#14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?


- "well good, mimi" - LONG story. ps - no relation to my ACTUAL Mimi, by the way.

#15. Time to sleep- what are you ACTUALLY wearing?


- i'm guilty of being an "old tshirt" junkie. 


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Take this to copy to your blog:


#1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?
#2. What's a weird habit of yours?
#3. Do you have any weird phobias?
#4. What's a song you secretly LOVE to blast && belt out when you're alone?
#5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?
#6. What's one of your nervous habits?
#7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
#8. What was your first stuffed animal && it's name?
#9. What's the drink you ALWAYS order at starbucks?
#10. What's the beauty rule you preach.. but never ACTUALLY practice?
#11. Which way do you face in the shower?
#12. Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'?
#13. What's your favorite 'comfort food'/food thats 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways?
#14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?
#15. Time to sleep- what are you ACTUALLY wearing?

the wheels on the bus...

I spent my morning back on campus moving students in for Ambassador this morning, and I have to say - I'm not DREADING school like I thought I would be. Granted, I'm not excited about Chemistry, but I will pull through - hopefully.

I've spent the last week figuring out how to spend my day without my two favorite girls. I have enjoyed keeping them SO much, and I miss them to pieces everyday since they've started school.

Last week, Mamma & I went to Tuscaloosa shopping, and we had a great day! The town is so much different because of the tornado, and it was really surreal to see in person. I shopped a little too much, though, but I did need some "back to school" clothes. AND I withheld from buying out the entire Ulta store!

I just wanted to check in & let you all know I'm alive! :) I am just enjoying the last few hours of summer, and I'm looking forward to next weekend as well.

By the way, God is good AND life is good. What else could I ask for?