Serenity & Style

Friday Fun

2012-02-10T09:55:00.001-05:00

So I know everyone by now has heard of the hilarious Sophia Grace, each time she and her silent cousin Rosie are on Ellen I'm super psyched. They were on this past week and not only did Sophia grace rap(check it out at the 1:40 mark) but Ellen is sending them to the Grammy's to be special correspondents. Just in case I wasn't excited enough to watch the Grammys. Anyways, here's a little pick me up for your Friday!

Happy Weekend!
Love & Light

Wedding Wednesday: Budget Business

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Anyone ever seen this chart? It's terrifying. I can definitely say that I thought even with 2 weddings, I'd be no where near this average. Reality check folks, It adds up quick. I'm still hoping we can be under this obscene number, so get ready to see a slew of creative, DIY, and hopefully money saving tricks when it comes to walking down the aisle. I've tried to be very conscious so far, and here are a few of my money saving tips.

Try to Book on a Friday or Sunday if Possible(prices tend to go down by half to a third)
Decide on 2-3 items that you want to pay full price for(Dress, Band, Catering, Photography, ect) Be Budget conscious with the rest, for better or worse.
Make a budget spreadsheet and update it regularly, book far enough in advance so that you can make regular payments and stagger them so everything doesn't hit at once
Remember it's just a party albeit a big one. Each time you get frustrated(oh and you will) think of your fiancee and why you want a life with this person, not just a big party

Some of my Favorite Budget Savvy Resources

How about those of you who are married and\or budget badasses? Any advice?

Happy Wednesday!!

Love & Light

News I Love This Week

2012-02-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be trying out some new posts this month, starting with this. I always read and hear all of these articles that make me laugh and occasionally use my critical thinking skills and instead of letting them fade away and\or occasionally posting about them on twitter I thought I'd start putting them into a blog post

Now as a disclaimer, News is going to be a loosely used term. I do occasionally post about important social issues and while legit news will hopefully pop up on these lists, I intend for the post to be more lighthearted.

That being said....

News I Loved This Week

--A Back to the Future Musical is in the works , ok before I get blasted real musicals do not deem their inspiration from film, I do not dispute this fact. However, the idea of Marty McFly not only coming back into pop culture world but coming back with song and dance is causing my heart to swell with joy. Make fun all you want, I'm going to own it.

--I GOT A NEW INTERNSHIP!! I'm going to be working with marketing and development for 2 amazing farmers markets here in Atlanta. This is really exciting to me because as much as I've been loving Grad School and the Marketing world, I also feel like a big old sellout and miss my social causes days. This=Best of Both Worlds. That and I took the more challenging less artistic\fun job because I knew it force me to evolve and grow..for better or worse.

--Ira Glass Talked about Sex with Dan Savage. If you aren't a Savage Love or This American Life Fan then you can skip this one, if you are, I would suggest listening to this. While it's super strange to have Ira talk about subjects that NEVER have made it to TAL, I enjoyed it.

--Want an Non-Political but super interesting look at the whole Planned Parenthood vs Komen Throwdown, this article is short, funny, and interesting for anyone who likes PR

--8 apps designed specifically modern douchebags this is an old article from cracked.com but it made me laugh. It's kinda depressing but I suppose if you know someone with one of these on their apple device, it's a nice way to cut them out of your circle then and there.

Happy Friday Everyone!!
Hope the Weekend is Beautiful!
Love & Light

Google Friend Connect is Leaving, What Does it All Mean??

2012-02-02T14:41:00.000-05:00

Happy February Everyone!!
I had Midterms this week, so the normal posts took a hit, but thankfully I maintained my blog goal of at least 2 entires a week, going to try to keep that up and possibly add to it. We shall see.

I wanted to start this month's blog entries off with my attempt to figure out\address an issue that has caused a little bit of a firestorm here in blogger land.

As of March 1st, there will be no more Google Friend Connect.
Since this is the main way I follow blogs and have people follow me, this was not my favorite piece of news to hear. From what I can tell, Blogger will install their own version of the follow button and people can either follow your blog through Email, Blogger, Google Plus, RSS, Email or FB if your blog has a page.
The Real Blogger Status Blog describes it like this:
With Google retiring Friend Connect, this allows Blogger to take over its functionality. Blogger blog owners, who like the idea of letting their Followers display their icons on the faces of our blogs, and view our blog updates in the Blogger Reading List / Google Reader displays, can continue to use the Followers accessory.

By removing Google Friend Connect from the Followers accessory, Blogger is hoping that the code supporting the Followers gadget can be simplified, and will become more stable. This will hopefully resolve many of the recently reported outages, both in the blog face display, and in our dashboard and Reading Lists.

Since Blogger uses Open ID, I'm hoping for some reformatting in the near future, but in the meantime I've added a subscribe by email button. What are you guys doing to prepare for the google friend connect change? Do you use GFC?

Hope everyone's had a good week thus far! I'll be back after the weekend with fun, non technical blog entries!! Love & Light

Wedding Wednesday: Gifts for the Groom

2012-01-25T10:29:00.000-05:00

I figured with Valentine's Day around the corner, this post could serve multi-faceted purposes. I usually am thinking about at least 2-3 things at once, so those million small things that make up wedding planning has been a bit of a challenge for me. I can take care of the big things, food, dress, pictures, and so on, but something like a gift I'm supposed to have someone deliver to the frenchman on the day of each wedding? Let'se just say if I don't take care of that early, as much as I heart him, I will forget it.

So that being said, I've let a few ideas mull around in my head about what may be a good idea for a meaningful yet small gift for the frenchman on wedding day and I bought the one for the wedding in France today.

Cufflinks are one of the most popular gifts, and for good reason. The frenchman's favorite hobby is flying and he's a pilot so I knew these cufflinks were perfect

Here are a few other gifts for a fellow that I like. We'll see what I end up going with for the US wedding.

I love keychains, this one has the longitude and latitude of where you got married

I love the calendar hand stamped one as well

fancy shoeshine kit

Salut Flask

First Dance Typography Art

What about you guys? Think this tradition is legit or silly? What did you get\want on wedding day? Any suggestions on what else to give my fellow? I'm all ears!!

Happy Wednesday
Love & Light

MN Bakes: Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2012-01-20T14:43:00.000-05:00

So I broke my healthy eating streak because Monday was an immensely stressful day. Also, I've joined Yelp's Biggest Loser contest here in atlanta and it starts in a few days and I'm trying to get as fat as possible before the contest starts...or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

So for all of these reasons and more, Naomi and I had ourselves a real nanny adventure and made some amazing oatmeal chocolate cookies that made me (once again) consider that one day I could have a bakery, or really happy kids. Here's the recipe I made up and it turned out perfectly, crunch on the outside and chewy in the middle, definitely improved my day.

MN's Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
I made 24 and put the rest of the dough in the fridge, so this could easily be cut in half

10 tsp of butter, softened
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
1 tsp of milk
2 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 a cup of cocoa powder
3 cups of oats

Pre-heat the oven to 350. Combine the dry ingredients in a sifter and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs + milk. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the oats. Spoon onto a greased\lined cookie sheet in tablespoon sized scoops and bake for 15 min. Let cool and remove from sheet and eat up all the deliciousness.

Naomi approves. Happy Weekend Everyone!

Love & Light

Wedding Wednesday: Location, Location, Location

2012-01-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

So for today's Wedding Wednesday post, I'm going to write about one of the biggest aspects of the wedding, The Location. Since the frenchman and I are having weddings both in France and the US, we wanted to be extra budget savvy and\or creative with these options.

Beyond budget, the most important thing for us was that our event was the only one in the building, because knowing my luck it would be some Frat Formal next door :) We also wanted unique locations and I definitely think we've found them.

Thankfully, the frenchman's town in France looks like this, so pretty much anywhere was a win. The wedding here will be in the small Catholic church and our reception will be outside at the frenchman's home. Not a bad view :)

Old Courthouse on the Square is our wedding location here in Atlanta. Some version of the courthouse has been around since 1829, so it's a pretty badass historic site if I do say so myself. With the wedding in France being traditional with the whole church+reception at the frenchman's home we both thought it would be fun to shake things up a big over here. As you can see it's a gorgeous venue, marble throughout, high ceilings, and thankfully they let you rent out the entire facility. Can't wait to share more pictures when the time comes!

What do you guys think? What are the most important aspects of location for you guys? Happy Wednesday!! Love & Light

Tuesday Cover Tune

2012-01-17T14:02:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I've busted out one of these, but I believe the cover I found for today from the always entertaining group Karmin makes up for lost time. Hope you enjoy! Happy Tuesday

Love & Light

Award Show Wrap Up: Golden Globes Edition

2012-01-15T07:21:00.001-05:00

This year's Golden Globes were entertaining as always. I'm super psyched that The Artist, Meryl Streep, Octavia Spencer, Modern Family, Midnight in Paris, and Peter Dinklage won awards. Still waiting on some love for Amy Poehler

Now as much as I love award shows, it's the fashion that's my favorite. I could add at least 20 more outfits, but I tried to go with personal opinions here, not a general commentary on fashion in general. Here are a few of the looks that I loved, and the ones I did not.

Emma Stone. This dress was my favorite. Emma has been stepping up her style game big time lately. It doesn't hurt that I'm a general fan of her awesomeness

Claire Danes. I was quite happy she won, I haven't seen Homeland but I hear good things.

Viola Davis. Knockout, She is amazing and looks perfect. Oscar for Viola!!!

Sarah Michelle Geller. I know I'll get crap for liking this one, but I thought this dress was fun and was something really different. Also, it was nice to see Buffy the Vampire Slayer out and about

Madeline Stowe. I'm not crazy about the layered dress look a lot of ladies had going on but this color was absolutely stunning on Madeline. Just flawless

Now for the not so wonderful outfits. Sadly this category should be called ladies i adore wearing dresses that I do not. Usually I do an endless best dressed list but something was up last night..let's hope the Oscars provide me with some hope

Kelly Osbourne. Usually I love Kelly's style, and I'm a Zac Posen fan but this did not work in my opinion, also I'm not understanding the grey hair, Kelly is oh so cute..no need to be this edgy

Jessica Chastain. I almost didn't recognize her. Between the red hair and the dress with these cotton ball type things stuck to them, I have no idea what to think about this ensemble

Rooney Mara, a lot of people loved this dress and if it was the fifth time Rooney has worn black to an awards show I'd be a little easier on her. I think she may really believe she's Lisbeth Salander. Color won't kill you Rooney. This look works but so will another color..just a suggestion

Zooey...why??? You are so adorable\beautiful....

Michelle Williams, I hated to add her to the list especially since I was psyched she won\loved her headband. But seriously, this is not her best

What did you guys think of the awards? Were you happy with the winners? Favorite Looks?
Hope Everyone had a great weekend!!
Love & Light

Skincare Routine & Channeling Rapunzel

2012-01-12T14:56:00.003-05:00

So the wedding has been a great excuse to take better care of my skin and my hair. I spent the past few months trying out a range of products and am psyched to share my results with you all.

Now onto hair. Beyond the basic sure fire tips like haircuts every 4-6 weeks, there seems to be many myths out there about what exactly will make your hair grow faster. Here is what worked for me. Apple Cider Vinegar is said to clean your scalp and stimulate hair growth. You mix equal parts cider vinegar and water, pour it on your scalp and rinse after 2 min. This definitely worked but hurt like a mother and made my hair stink for a week. Biotin supplements have been the most successful for me, my hair grew 1.5 inches in 2 weeks and is steadily growing. Other methods that helped were massaging my scalp with my fingers for 30 sec. multiple times a day, holding my head upside down to stimulate blood flow, and using natural bristle brushes, using shampoo and conditioner that is sulfate free Two hair products I won't do without are Moroccan Oil and Enjoy Shampoo and Conditioner

When I hit 25, I decided that perhaps it was a good idea to start paying attention to my skin. I'm one of those very lucky people that was genetically blessed and never really had any big issues with my skin, and as a result, have never consistently used any facial products or had a concrete routine.
I have found a winner in Kiehls. I have noticed a HUGE difference in my skin since using these products. My skin is softer, clearer and i've seen the biggest difference with the under eye cream.

My routine consists of:
Olay Pro-X Facial Cleansing Brush
Kiehls Ultra Facial Oil Free Cleanser
Kiehls Ultra Facial Moisturizer-SPF 15
Kiehls Midnight Recovery Eye

After more time has passed, I'd like to write proper reviews if each product as well as post before and after pictures of my skin and hair. What about you guys? Any hard to grow hair tips? Favorite brands you swear by? Other Kiehls fans? General awesome commentary or any kind?

Happy (almost) weekend!!
Love & Light

Wedding Wednesday: Bridesmaid and Flower Girl Dresses

2012-01-11T10:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Hope your weeks have been less busy than mine thus far, I have quickly learned that a fast track masters program + 4 years with out academic reading=learning curve. The good news is that I really like school and my classmates. Can't wait to write more about it!

In the meantime, over the weekend we got my sister's bridesmaid dress at Bella Bridesmaid. First I'll post the one we picked and just because I love dresses, I'm going to go with some of the runner ups.

I chose this dress from Monique Lhuillier

Saja makes some of the most amazing dresses

Finally a dress from BHLDN

A lot of people have asked why the frenchman and I are having such a small bridal party(my sister and his brother). In France, it's common to only have 2 witnesses in the bridal party and since that was the way it was going to be in France, I figured we should keep it consistent. Also, I asked my friends if they would rather spend 250 on a dress or use that money to have a fun girls weekend before the wedding. They happily voted for option 2

Now for more cuteness, here's the dress I got for Naomi, who is going to be the best flower girl in the world. It's a little darker than my dress, but she loves it and it was 60% off

Love & Light

Scenes from My Weekend

2012-01-09T14:11:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend!! I certainly did, my cousin Emily got married and most of the weekend was full of events surrounding said wedding. So not really a diverse group of images today, but hopefully some pretty ones!

What did everyone do this weekend? Anything fun or Adventurous?

The Frenchman and Me.

My Dad, The Bride, and The Groom

The Ring Bearer passed out. It was hysterical

I may post some more later, it was a really fun wedding. Got some fun things on the blog, more beauty tips and DIY projects and some general shenanigans. Happy Monday!!

Love & Light

DIY it Up, Lip Scrub Edition

2012-01-05T09:35:00.000-05:00

So I, like many of you am on a budget, and while I wish I could waltz into sephora and buy every little product my heart desires, that day has not come..yet. So I decided to try my first beauty DIY Project. I really loved doing this, so if there are any DIY's you guys would like to see, let me know!!

With winter finally kicking into high gear here in Atlanta, my lips are chapped to a level that carmex is having trouble keeping up with. I'd heard that exfoliating your lips can be very helpful so I did some research about what worked and what didn't and have posted the results here for all of you!!

This version is super easy, comes from stuff 90% of you will already have at home, makes enough for a few weeks, isn't painful, tastes good and works well. I've used it once a week for the past 2 and am very happy with the results so far!

MN's Version of DIY Lip Balm
-1 Teaspoon of Honey
-1 Tablespoon of Sugar (normal table sugar, not the super thick raw kind)
-A tiny bit of Olive Oil for consistency

--Pour sugar into a small dish\container, add honey, drizzle olive oil in and mix(add more olive oil if the mixture is too thick)
--Apply to lips and scrub with your finger or between your lips for about 1 min. If you want to get really hardcore, some sources recommend using a toothbrush but I didn't find that necessary
--Rinse your lips with warm water and apply Vaseline or Chapstick to solidify your results!
--Bottle up the rest if you want and use it throughout the week or just make again next time your lips are feeling dry
--Kiss someone ASAP

Now for comedic relief or whatever reason you see fit, here's a photo story of my process. The whole thing took less than 10 minutes. I cannot stress how EASY\AWESOME this is!!!!

here are my scary wintery lips before. I post this picture purely for scientific comparison, I thought I was having a good hair day but my wispy bald spot decided to make an appearance, good times.

3 ingredients, Sugar, Honey, Olive Oil

I know you all know what a teaspoon and tablespoon look like, I just really like my colorful spoons

mix it all up, i found this consistency was perfect for me

Voila!! Kissable amazing lips. Don't less this picture scare you, I don't think I kiss like this in real life. At least I hope not. Also, my I-Pad doesn't deliver the best photos, but I can tell you that my lips feel much better and I'm definitely a convert of this method!!

Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Planner

2012-01-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

So this week, my awesome mommers and I made an investment that MULTIPLE sources told me was the single best decision they made in the entire process. We hired a wedding planner and honestly, it's weird how much better I feel already.

So my angel of stress free light comes in the form of Ashley Baber. I cannot tell you how excited I am to work with someone of her caliber. While we're not putting on an event type wedding, Atlanta is a big city full of so many different vendors and with the fact that so many people from out of town(and country) will be here, I just thought it'd be best to relying on someone who knew what they were doing. I'm a really creative person but a seriously poorly structured one and already, I felt like there were just so many little things I kept forgetting to think of and that I was correctly articulating what type of design I wanted the wedding to have, and so on. Needless to say, I can't wait to work with her and now I'll show you some beautiful pictures of her past work and you can definitely see why I'm psyched.

She also designed this incredible 1920s themed wedding, you have to see to believe

Resolutions 2012

2012-01-03T09:59:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!! Hope there were superb, sparkling and safe celebrations for you all!!

Ahh yes, this is a dangerous process, especially in a public forum. However, this past year was beautiful and interwoven with growth and I have continued hopes for this year. So for better or for worse fellow bloggers, here are my resolutions this year

1)Write at least two blog entries a week! (I’m obviously hoping for more than that, but with the addition of grad school and a wedding I’m setting that bar nice and low)

2) Keeping on that theme, I’m hoping to get 2-4 workouts in a week. I have a grand history of signing up for a gym, being super enthused for awhile and then not making it a priority. I ALWAYS love it when I go, it’s that whole going part that is proving challenging. I have a membership at one of the best gyms in Atlanta and I really don’t want it to be squandered. Also, I really want to be in the best shape of my life for my wedding and am planning on defining what exactly that means during this fitness journey

3) Be able to speak at least 100 phrases with guests at my French wedding. Fear has paralyzed me off and on since I realized that part of dating\marrying the Frenchman consisted of me looking like a fool and speaking another language. I have kickass software and no excuse. I need get over my pride and realize that I will a lot dumber as a mute than saying a few words wrong in French. Also, pretty sure they’re not going to let me take a citizenship test if I’m not fluent. Enough incentives MN?? God let’s hope so..

4) Stay mindful about money, maintain my short term financial goals, and continue to educate myself about my finances. I've been reading this book *ignore the horrible title* and am seeing just how vital it is for me to learn as much as I can about how to manage my own money(or lack thereof)

5) Embrace grad school fully and have at least a 3.7 GPA. I start Grad School tomorrow and am super excited to work hard and becoming a marketing pro!!

In conclusion, I now intend to indulge in one of my favorite activities, INSPIRATIONAL PINTEREST TIME...then I'll get to work on these goals :)

sidenote, this is the cutest baby ever

Source: igossip.com via Mary-Nevin on Pinterest

2011 Favorites: TV & Movies

2011-12-31T10:00:00.001-05:00

I am a Pop Culture Junkie and a pretty serious procrastinator, hence the back to back posts highlighting my favorite entertainment moments of the past year. Today's post focuses on my favorite new shows and movies of 2011. As always, I'd love to hear what some of your favorites were as well!! Happy New Years Eve Everyone!! Hope it's a safe and fun filled night for everyone!!

Now without further ado, MN's Favorite TV & Films of 2011

Parks and Recreation: Ok, technically I know this is cheating since this show is on its fourth season, but I can't leave it off. This show is hands down the funniest show on television and Amy Poehler just keeps getting better. Thank god the frenchman likes this show too, because the frequency in which we quote it is embarrassing. It's one of those shows, like The Office, that gets funnier once you understand the characters quirks. Although whether you're a seasoned watcher of the show, or a total newcomer, I dare you to watch the Lil' Sebastian episode and not crack up multiple times. I'm so glad this show is gaining more attention because I want it to stick around for awhile(especially with NBC cutting Community) Knope 2012!!

New Girl: This show and I got off to a ROUGH start. Zooey Deschanel is one of my absolute favorites and I just felt this show was kinda insulting to her talents. I felt the 3 guys and a girl theme had been overdone and quite frankly, I had a really hard time believing that those guys wouldn't be falling all over themselves for Zooey, no matter how many pairs of glasses or overalls she wore. Thankfully, the show has focused more on the relationships between all the characters and added some actual humor as its gone along. I hope they continue to make the show more about adjusting to life in your 20s-30s, its relatable and with moderation, can handle some quirk

Game of Thrones: I'll admit it, I posted this annoying hipster channeled picture of the cast to feel less lame about liking a show that is steep in the sci-fi\fantasy genre (it even has dragons). However, don't scoff like I did, you may find yourself a tad embarrassed after finding out like other shows you may have pre-maturely dismissed that were actually awesome(Battlestar) Game of Thrones is HBO at its finest. Epic fights between intense characters, and without giving anything away, a plot twist that was one of the most shocking turns I experienced(tv wise) in years. Peter Dinklage is worth watching alone, but the first season had mystery, romance, and everything in between. I'm psyched for season 2

An Idiot Abroad 2: Ricky Gervais and his shenanigans is definitely an acquired taste, but I personally am a fan. The Idiot Abroad series is much funnier to me than the show, less bullying, more fish out of water. This time, the duo sends the loveable idiot Karl, on 7 adventures that most people put on their bucket list...however Karl's assignments always have a hysterical twist. For example, Whale Watching..except its on a working fishing boat in Alaska. Not sure what they'll cook up next, but I can't wait!!

Revenge: I'm a serious latecomer to this show. I kept hearing everyone go on and on about it and I've tried to be better about not watching glam dramas(i gave up gossip girl after season 3) but I decided to innocently watch the pilot when the frenchman went home for 2 weeks and while I wish I could say it took me that long to finish the first 10 episodes, had them all done in 48 hours. If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.

American Horror Story: Overall I liked this show, enough to watch all 12 episodes, but 75% of that was for Jessica Lange, she was hysterical\badass. Horror is always a hard genre to pull off on TV and when AHS was good, it was really good but when it was bad, it was really bad. I'm curious to see what they do next season, especially since Ryan Murphy said he was going to try and do the series like The Twilight Zone, which is one of my all time favorites.

Sadly I didn't get to see as many movies as I wanted to this year, so i've included a to do list for other movies from this year that I'd like to see. That being said, here were my favorites that I did see.

Jane Eyre: This is one of my favorite books in the entire world and this version was absolute perfection. Michael Fassbender was the real standout in the film for me and I'm glad he's getting a lot of buzz for Shame and a Dangerous Method. It's always tricky seeing a book you're fond of translated into film, but this movie took the right risks, and did a great job of keeping the mystery a central part of the plot without skimping on the romance. Win\Win in my book

Harry Potter 7: I could write pages on my love for Harry Potter, however that's borderline fangirl behavior so this little recap will have to do. I adore all things Harry Potter and was extremely happy with the last 2 films, it's a fierce debate, but all things said book 7 is my favorite and while splitting the book into 2 films was a total moneymaking plot, it gave me more HP time so I was happy to buy into it. Part 2 was especially wonderful, it was nice to see each of the actors come more into their character with each film and the story is so near and dear to me, I can't not absolutely love it.

Bridesmaids, while I wasn't as crazy about this movie as everyone else(or maybe it had just been overhyped by the time I saw it?) Overall this movie was funny. I thought Melissa McCarthy was the true standout, especially with the speech about the dolphin that looked into her soul. Although I have to say that this scene alone wins it a spot on my list

The Help: I was completely prepared for this film to be yet another overly romanticized story of southern race relations in the 1960s, I was especially afraid to see this because I had the best nanny in the world growing up, and she happened to be african american and I have had less than open minded friends scoff at her role in my life growing up(even though I'm pretty sure 1985 is not 1960..even in the south) Thankfully, instead of upsetting me, I really connected with the movie, especially since I am a nanny now. The true force of this film is Viola Davis, I really loved the multifaceted way the movie was done and was glad that the movie was about the immense bonds between women as opposed to the things that happen to them.

The Muppets: There was no way I wasn't going to love this movie. Jason Segal, check. Amy Adams, check. My favorite childhood characters..you get the idea. Add musical numbers and the fact that I got to take Naomi to this as her first movie ever and you have pretty much the best Nanny Adventure of all time. Thank you Jason Segal for bringing the best of jim henson back to the forefront. There's hope for my future kids.

Other Movies I intend on seeing: The Artist, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Midnight in Paris, Drive, The Descendents, 50/50, Young Adult, Like Crazy

Whatcha got for me fellow bloggers?
Agree\Disagree with my choices?
What were some of your favorite TV Shows and Movies this year??

2011 Favorites: Music

2011-12-30T08:10:00.004-05:00

First awesome announcement of the day. A year from now the Frenchman and I will be getting married here in Atlanta! Countdown Commence!!!

So I would like to bid farewell to 2011 by highlighting some of my favorites in movies, music, tv, and whatever else may inspire me. I'm starting off with my music favorites, highlighting my 3 favorite albums of the year and making sure to leave links to some other highlights! Who were some of your favorite artists of this year?? I'm always looking for new jams :)

The Civil Wars have certainly been written about often on this blog. I've been lucky enough to see them 4 times in the past few years and was anxiously awaiting their debut album, Barton Hollow. This album is absolute perfection, with perfect harmonies, beautiful lyrics, and that deep southern folk music that gives me goosebumps each time I hear a particular chord. Joy and John Paul are two of the nicest people I have ever been lucky enough to watch perform and I can't wait to see what future years bring my favorite duo. Even if you're not a folk loving lady like me, I suggest you give this duo a listen. This is music at its finest

Adele's 21 is easily the most talked about album of the year, and for good reason. I really loved Adele's album 19, but this one just blew that out of the water. I have a new favorite song, pretty much each week, and I love how Adele took a break up and made it into something beautiful. Also, I love how the d-bag of an ex who she wrote the songs about tried to get a cut of the royalties from her albums. Don't think she's loosing any sleep over the decision to cut that one loose. Love her, love this album. If you're one of the 5 people in the world who hasn't rocked out to this album, I'd give it a listen asap. Also, if you want to entertain other drivers on the road, it's a great album for a one woman show while on your commute.

I wore Florence + The Machine's mighty album Howl out and then some over the past few years. I was wary that my dear Florence might go the way of some other artists whose debut albums I have been consumed with (Feist, Kate Nash, ect) but I can definitely say that Ceremonials has shown me that Florence will continue to hold the top spot on my itunes playlist. Florence has arguably the most dynamic voice in modern music and I don't just say that because she can sing over an orchestra. My favorite song on the album is No Light, No Light but I challenge you to find your own weird rock girl anthem. We all need one.

As far as other favorites go, thought I'd shake it up a bit and list a random assortment of songs

Random Roundup

2011-12-29T16:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Belated Holidays Everyone!! I'm loving catching up on everyones adventures! Christmas at our casa was very mellow which was perfect. I got some great gifts and many well wishes, and of course, I ate like a queen. God Bless my mom's amazing cooking.

I'm back hanging out with my favorite little one and relaxing before I start school on January 4th. I have to share this picture because I am so proud that I've turned Naomi into a Muppet convert :)

So this is going to be a random but information backed entry dear readers. I'm finally making good on my wish to write more and am going to start with health and beauty. For a long time, I wanted to make self care a component of this blog. I have a few nutrition\return to running posts in the vault that are set to debut over the next few days, but with the wedding coming up I'm trying to pay more attention to my daily skincare routine and take better care of my hair. So you guys are going to get to experience the trial and error of my experiments :)

Beyond that, I took some time away from the blog world and have really been experiencing some incredible personal and spiritual growth. So with that out of the way, I'm hoping 2012 will be the year of a better blog for this lady and I can't wait to share all my goals, mishaps and eventual joy with all of you! Hope everyone enjoys the last +/- 50 hours of 2011!!

Tuesday Cover Tune: Unexpected Edition

2011-12-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

Well I know I haven't done this feature for a few weeks, so to atone, I embraced a side of musical that I am not a fan of, and by confessing and pretty much opening myself up to shock and awe. Despite loving this holiday season, I have never been a big fan of Christmas songs, especially the non traditional ones. I don't know if it comes from the years of caroling as a kid, or my sisters OBSESSION with watching Frosty the Snowman year round growing up, but I am missing that Christmas Chip.

So for at least the next 2 weeks. I am posting Christmas Songs that I approve of. I was lucky enough to see The Civil Wars again on Sunday(i'll be posting about that ASAP) so it seemed fitting to use their cover of a Christmas song I truly love. even though i'm pretty sure I posted it last year...

Happy Tuesday!! Everyone got their Holiday Shopping done? Anyone else weird like me and isn't a fan of the Christmas songs? Love & Light

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Edition

2011-12-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

So I've been engaged for a 2 months or so, and have severely limited my wedding themed posting. I like reading other girls posts about their wedding and all it entailed, but for some reason wasn't really into the idea of posting much about the process beyond the big things and the inevitable comedic stories that will ensue as the process continues.

However, I thought in the future, more detailed posts about this time in my life will be quite nice to have. So amidst the other changes that are slowly but surely taking place on the blog. I want to do Wedding Wednesdays to garner some much needed advice as well as just document this whole process.

So we'll start at the beginning, with the engagement and why my ring is so very important to me.

While the stories of having a flash mob propose to you are certainly entertaining, the frenchman is an introvert and I have made it clear that any public proposal in any form(ESPECIALLY SPORTS GAMES) are not up my alley. So the story of our proposal isn't super exciting, but is certainly very personal and special to me. We had talked about marriage as a place we wanted to arrive at almost a year ago, on our trip to Utah. Also, when we decided to live in sin a few months before that we both entered into that with the clear understanding that it was a step towards a more serious commitment. So while I wasn't blindsided with the idea of marrying the frenchman, the timing did catch me a bit off guard. One night when we were just having a normal night in, he just asked me in a quiet moment. I think it surprised him as much as me, and we knew the moment we had both been traveling towards had arrived. The frenchman is a big planner, so for it to slip out in that nature made it all the more adorable and sincere to me. So I of course said yes...well once I realized he wasn't joking..and we kept the engagement a secret for a month so that we could enjoy it and finish saving up for the ring and on my birthday, we went to my parents house, he did the southern thing and asked my dad and we all ate cake. All in all, a good day and a story that perfectly fits us.

i was hoping my mom would hurry so i could eat the cake..seriously

The story behind my ring is one very near and dear to my heart. We got my ring from Brilliant Earth which is this amazing fair trade store in San Francisco that specializes in Conflict Free Jewelry. Now a lot of retailers say their products are conflict free, and a lot of the time they are. However, the mining process takes place in many war torn countries and after a certain point, become very hard to track. This is where Brilliant Earth is truly amazing, they own and operate their own mines in Canada, Sri Lanka, and various other places and personally make sure that each stone is fair trade, recycled, and most importantly conflict free. So while it made me uber nervous to order a ring over the internet, the staff at Brilliant Earth were amazing, they have a 30 day return window, and most importantly, the ring is *amazing* If you're interesting in learning more about the ethical policies of Brilliant Earth, check them out here! In the meantime, here's a look at my ring!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Love & Light

Health Overhaul Time

2011-12-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

Well now that I'm semi-caught on on pre-grad school assignments(and learning that don't work as speedy as I used to under a deadline) It's time to hold myself accountable and start my diet\workout overhaul for the weddings.

With the wedding in France being June 30, I've got to get my behind in gear. That's the problem with having a wedding in two countries 6 months apart, since the Frenchman's mama is taking care of most of the stuff over there, I tend to live in my little imagination land and think that I need to start my routine for December 30 not June. Awesome. Denial is not my friend

So with the rambling behind me for now, I want to begin writing about my evolving diet and exercise routine. This is something I've wanted to make more of a priority and thankfully this beautiful dress gives me a dose of inspiration. Well that and Pinterest.

Alot of folks think I'm borderline insane for attempting this in the month of december, but honestly being a former heavy girl, I can tell you that I will always find an excuse to put off healthy living. So it needs to start now. I've joined a gym with spin classes(blessing and a curse) and am ready to chronicle my journey, with weight numbers, curse words, pictures and all. So wish me luck, get ready for some amusing content and as always, any advice is welcome!!

Happy Weekend!! Love & Light!!

Giveaway Hint + Late but Great Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-11-15T20:51:00.001-05:00

A lot of excitement on the blog today, despite the after dinner posting time :)

I have a book+giftcard giveaway coming in the next few weeks, a clue perhaps is its an amazing company that also happens to have a social mission
The blog got a makeover!! What do you guys think?
Wedding posting will begin soon, there is way too much info to choose on my own

Finally today's tuesday cover tune s perhaps the most badass cover ever. Empty margarine tins are involved..seriously. These ladies have taken one of my greatest guilty pleasure jams and made it 100 times better. Watch it, you will thank me. Also, these ladies make me super proud to be a Swedish bloodline

Pay No Attention...

2011-11-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

The Blog Will Be Undergoing Some Style Changes!! I'm going to add and rework the content and during that time, the blog will just be in a basic format. I'll still be reading and keeping up with everyone and I hope you guys will like the finished product!!

Keep your eyes open for a pretty awesome giveaway once the new style is revealed!! Happy Friday and 11/11/11!! Hope it's a lucky day for everyone!!

Ode to Adele & Other Changes

2011-11-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

First and foremost, I'm psyched to share one of the best tuesday cover tunes I have found thus far. Adele doing a cover of Last Night by The Strokes. It's amazing

Now that everyone has hopefully had a mini dance party, I'll move on :)

I'm about to write a lot more about fitness and health on the blog. I've joined an awesome new gym here in Atlanta and the frenchman and I are about to go back on the dukan diet, which is seriously the best eating plan i've found. We're not doing this to loose weight, we're both at our lowest weights ever, but it's just nice to practice conscious eating and a general respect for your body. 2 things that have gone by the wayside big time at our house.

It's also important to continue my work with acceptance of my weight problems and body image issues. I've considered going to OA despite not having a typical eating disorder or anything like that. We'll see. I think I also have the tendency to think that since AA got me sober that the 12 steps can heal every struggle I have ever. While it's a mighty good system, I don't think one way of fixing a problem works for all of them, so I'll continue on that journey and see where it takes me with an open mind and open heart

On a funnier note, since the Frenchman and I are getting married in a Catholic Church and we have enough hoops to jump through with immigration(even though he doesn't want citizenship) I decided since God is bigger to me than the methods used to seek him that I'd convert to Catholicism. Yes you read that right, there are such things as pro-choice, gay marriage supporting, loving catholics and if not, I'll be the first..haha. So yeah, between our pre-marital catholic sessions, Liberal rebel rousing MN becoming a Catholic, Attempting to plan 2 weddings & Navigating immigration law, this blog should be full of hysterical gems for the next year. I hope everyone is looking forward to it as much as I am! Happy Tuesday!!

Life Lately and a Lil' Bit of a Wedding Wednesday

2011-11-01T21:32:00.000-04:00

Happy November!!! I personally am quite happy to embrace the month of Thanksgiving and continued fall festivities. What about you guys? Anything exciting planned?

Life is good, I've pretty much been a borderline sloth since finishing Taste of Atlanta 2 weeks ago. Speaking of the amazing food festival, here's an awesome picture of my dad and i at the event. I look oh so official

My Dad gets quote of the event, after choosing a lamb burger as one of his tastes, he looked at it, said "poor little lamb" and proceeded to chow down. My Dad Rules

So I realized yesterday that I have roughly 8 months until the frenchman and I get married in France. Seems like a lot of time but then I remember that I have to speak functional french I'm just glad we set dates in each country that are further apart because I had no idea how much goes into a wedding. It's exciting but also super overwhelming. So get ready to hear a lot about that in the upcoming months. I promise not to turn into a wedding blog. Style Me Pretty does a good job and I kinda like the random shenanigans I write about.

We did pick some amazing photographers and I have a dress so 2 big beasts have been conquered.

Moving on, Graduate School is fast approaching and I'm excited. I'm going to Georgia State here in Atlanta and am doing a one year fast track Masters in Marketing. I'm still hanging on to the pipe dream that I can do good in the world while making money, but I'll settle for having a job that pays above the poverty line and volunteering as much as I can? The Wall St. Protesters aren't making it easy to hang on to the idealistic bohemian MN of College. It hurts so much more to see people you overall kinda agree with acting a fool. At least they're doing something I guess, this I think sums up how the 99% truly feel

As always, Love & Light! Can't wait to catch up on all your posts!!

GMAT Bliss & Friday Etsy Favorties: Taste of Atlanta Edition

2011-10-21T10:00:00.001-04:00

So good news, I rocked my GMAT this time and was well within range of what the school I want to go with accepts! YAY! I'm planning on full updates after Taste of Atlanta this weekend. In honor of the end of my internship and the awesomeness that is the festival, today's Friday Etsy Favorites is in honor of Taste of Atlanta!!

Atlanta Wood Block Print

I absolutely love display trays like this makes me want to have a dinner party

this i heart cooking print would be perfect in my kitchen

I'm still on the fence about whether I want a meal planner

Anyone a fan of these?

Happy Weekend Everyone!! Can't wait to see what adventures everyone gets into!!

Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-10-18T20:44:00.000-04:00

Forgive me for the lateness and lack exciting news. Taste of Atlanta is this week and i'm desperately trying not to freak out about my GMAT tomorrow, that whole rescheduling process was a nightmare and i have to drive an hour and a half just to take it, however I should be grateful I got a date at all. Now if I can just get through the test and get a slightly better than average score. PLEASE UNIVERSE let my brain work tomorrow

Gotta trust in my higher power and that whatever is supposed to work out will...why is that so hard?! anyone? :)

In other news, I have some exciting wedding updates and am looking forward to being able to actually plan after tomorrow. In the meantime, hope everyone is doing well and I leave you with a rocking cover tune. I adore Diane Birch and having her do this cover of this 90s awfulness is awesome

Giveaway Winner!!

2011-10-15T22:12:00.000-04:00

The winner of the giveaway is Heather from A Daisy in the Life Heather's blog is wonderful, you should definitely check it out!! Congrats!! Send me your email address and I'll send you the giftcard asap!
Result:13
I'll definitely host another giveaway around Christmas time and let you guys vote again on what you want it to be! As always, I am so grateful for every wonderful reader I have, you inspire me and enhance my life so very much! Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!!

Cherry Picking, Wedding Dates and LAST CHANCE TO WIN

2011-10-13T08:33:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!! Hope the week is going well thus far..mine has been crazy. Long story short, I didn't get to take the GMAT yesterday because my ID is expired and I'm waiting on a new one. So i'm out $250 and praying that they let me take it again before the deadline. The whole experience reminds me of a saying that really helped me in early sobriety, Acceptance is the answer to all of my problems today. Don't have to like it, just have to accept it.

Onto happier things, Want another chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card? Well it's down to the last 24 hours, so make sure to Enter the Giveaway Here!!

Finally, the frenchman and I have set our wedding dates, yes i said dates. We're having a wedding in both France and the United States, exciting\overwhelming. Anyways, we'll be getting married on June 30th in France & December 30 in Atlanta. So stay tuned...in the meantime if you want a sneak peak of the amazingly beautiful landscape that will be surrounding me in France, here you go :)

Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-10-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

So I take the GMAT for the last time tomorrow and have broken the score I needed in the prep tests, so everyone pray that I don't freak out on test day and now for something completely different..if you haven't entered the amazon giftcard giveaway yet or just want to enter again, you got 2 more days.

So with being a ball of nerves, I took it as a good sign from the universe that I found this cover. It's Kelly Clarkson and Chris Daughtry singing my favorite song in the entire world

Scenes from My Weekend

2011-10-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

Baby N's 3rd Birthday was this weekend!! It was organized chaos as her mom called it. I'm the luckiest nanny in the world, just look at that perfect little one :)

In other exciting news, I found my wedding dress!! Priscilla of Boston sadly is closing, but it worked out pretty great for me, because I scored my dream dress(that I could never afford regularly) for 65% off! Thi s was almost too easy..but as my mom says, I'm due for some good. Here's the dress!!

What did you guys do with the weekend? Stayed in\Went Out\Slept? Happy Monday!!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2011-10-08T10:00:00.004-04:00

When it comes to books I love being turned into movies, I am at best skeptical and at worst one of those terrible elitist moviegoers that goes to the movie but likes to point out everything that strayed from the book. Thankfully Harry Potter's 8 movies softened me a little bit to taking a book and giving it a bit of cinematic perspective.

That being said, one of my top 5 favorite books in the world, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is being turned into a movie. I had mixed feelings about this, the book is written in a very unique style and I wasn't sure how I felt about a story that was so intimate being translated into a movie. Then I heard Tom Hanks & Sandra Bullock were in it and I softened a little. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you love a story, then you should be glad it's out there in any form. I'm sure the movie will differ a little, but maybe I'll actually like that better, it will fill in the gaps that were hard to imagine or show you something in a different light. So this December, instead of being snarky I will be first in line to see what looks like a beautiful film.

Anyone else read the book or looking forward to the movie? What other fall movies are you excited about?

I'll end with one of my favorite quotes from the book

“We laughed and laughed, together and separately, out loud and silently, we were determined to ignore whatever needed to be ignored, to build a new world from nothing if nothing in our world could be salvaged, it was one of the best days of my life, a day during which I lived my life and didn’t think about my life at all"

Friday Etsy Favorites: Pride Edition

2011-10-07T11:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday Everyone!! This weekend is a special one for Atlanta, it's Gay Pride weekend!! Atlanta has such a beautiful and diverse community and people from all perspectives and backgrounds come out for the pride festival! So in honor of a cause very near and dear to my heart, today's friday etsy favorites are in the spirit of the celebration! Happy Pride & Happy Weekend!!

a print with some wise words

long live love shirt

random i know, but i kinda adore this pride whale

finally, a print of the empire state building after gay marriage was passed in NY

What to think about turning 26?

2011-10-06T15:27:00.001-04:00

Today is my 26th Birthday. Life certainly isn't what I expected but I can honestly say this is the happiest I have ever been, which I guess shows how little I know :)

Birthdays are much more low key these days, at first I blamed that on sobriety but now that I'm actually closer to 30 than 20, I can say that birthdays filled of quiet moments with those I love the most beats any blow out bash I ever had..although I did get a unicorn cake for my 21st birthday and it was pretty sweet.

Anyways. I've got a way to go in terms of meeting life goals and all that, but I am ready to embrace 26 with open arms. Now, as a bonus birthday gift, Kelly Clarkson(one of my favorites just in life) has released a new song and it's pretty much become my new anthem already, mainly because I love Kelly but also its a pretty kickass song..check it out

Happy Thursday Everyone!! Keep the entries up for the giveaway I actually fixed the link for twitter so make sure to tag me if you enter that way!! Love & Light

Wise Words Wednesday

2011-10-05T17:56:00.000-04:00

Today has been a really good day, I wanted to mark it with one of the best quotes ever. I'm so thankful today, for all the good I have and the good to come.

Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-10-04T19:05:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Hope the week is off to a good start! Life is quite good on my end, still enjoying the engagement bliss while simultaneously attempting to not panic about the gmat. For those of you that missed the scoop, make sure to enter the giveaway in the last entry! $25 giftcard to Amazon is up for grabs!!

Now tuesday cover tune time, I present Yellowcard's very interesting version of Katy Perry's ET

A Giveaway...and oh yeah I'm ENGAGED :)

2011-10-03T17:29:00.001-04:00

So as promised, here is the giveaway! In honor of having 150 followers(well technically 149 but I'm an optimist) I wanted to do this as a thank you to all of my amazing followers, each blog I follow inspires me and I'm so humbled by how much the blogosphere has enhanced my life :)

Up for grabs is $25 Gift Certificate to Amazon

Use it to buy a book or movie you've had your eye on or to cut down on the cost of something special on your wish list! Amazon has no lack of options :)

To Enter

Be a follower of this blog and leave a comment

To gain additional entries, blog and\or tweet about it and leave a comment

Giveaway Ends FRIDAY OCTOBER 14!!

Good Luck Everyone!!!

Now onto the second exciting piece of news, the frenchman and i are officially engaged!! He asked me a few weeks ago and it was without a doubt the most beautiful moment of my life. However, with me being southern and all we had to go up and announce it to my parents, get their approval before it was official. So the ring is now here, my parents are thrilled and Sunday we all had an engagement/early birthday celebration(mine is the 6th) . So all in all, it was quite a perfect weekend. I'm SO excited, it looks like we're going to be having a wedding in France and the US so expect lots of posts where I will need inspiration and a dose of sanity. Here are a few snapshots from the big day

my perfect ring, from the amazing fair trade company Brilliant Earth

the frenchman and me in what looks like a strange coca cola ad

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend as well!! Happy Monday!!

Banned Book Week Friday Etsy Favorites

2011-09-30T17:42:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the ALA's Banned Book Week todays Friday Etsy Favorites will feature a few of the favorite controversial literary classics that continually end up on the contested book list. I love reading each years list and definitely admire all the fun events the ALA puts on! Happy Banned Book Week!

Banned Book Dominos this is a badass creation despite the fact that no one plays dominos, sidenote, The Lorax is on the list? REALLY?

Next, a coaster tribute to the most contested book The Catcher in the Rye

Slaughterhouse Five Print

1984 Wall ARt

Check out the full list here. Happy Weekend Everyone!!

VOTE FOR THE GIVEAWAY & Life Lately

2011-09-28T23:38:00.000-04:00

First and Foremost, I'm hosting a giveaway next week and I need you guys to vote on where you want the giveaway to be from so far Amazon is winning :)

So I've been away awhile and need to do a little catch up of what's been going on while I've been away, sadly the real reason lies mostly in the last picture(GMAT..which I am taking for the last time Oct 12) Beyond the boring world of test prep, here is a photo montage of what I've been up to this last month

the frenchman and i took a long weekend and went to Jekyll Island, we had something exciting to celebrate and I pinky swear to update everyone on that soon, but for now..it's a guessing game

my handsome fellow..studying like always

My life is still full of nannying adventures, Baby Naomi has started *preschool* We're still having days filled with coloring, park adventures, and singing as much as possible. She is such a source of light in my life, just look at that face!

I'm sharing this picture because it was accidently taken during a really sweet moment the other day and it's good to remember, despite how bananas everything has been lately, that at my core life is so good and i'm blissfully happy

Now that all that's been said, back to the freaking test prep. 2 weeks and I'm free. Hope everyone had a wonderful wednesday

Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-09-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

How stunning is this picture? I'm pretty sure an Adele + The Civil Wars concert ticket is sent from heaven. So in honor of this beautiful photo and my undying love for both these artists one cover from The Civil Wars & one from Adele. Happy Tuesday

First off, Adele singing a song by Sam Cooke who is my absolute favorite.

Finally, The Civil Wars singing one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful covers ever

Friday Etsy Favorites: Fall Edition

2011-09-23T16:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday Everyone!! This week has been crazy busy but I'm trying to relax into the speed of this crazy pace, I'm hoping to get to a proper job\internship update soon, but for today I'm sticking to tradition with a Fall Friday Etsy Favorites!

Make sure to vote on where you guys want my next giveaway to be from!! So glad for all the sweet messages, I've missed you blog world :)

This beautiful fall print makes me want to bust out my pumpkin bread and boots

Cute fall wreath, could be a DIY if you're crafty

Finally, a gorgeous cotton scarf by Dear June they have so many colors, these are gorgeous

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Resetting & Weddings

2011-09-20T15:16:00.000-04:00

Things have been moving at a much faster pace and I'm writing today to hopefully reset my perspective and continue to take each challenge and beautiful moment in stride and with a bit of grace

Life has been very full lately and for most of August and September(thus far) I have been totally absent from all of your beautiful stories & perspectives that inspire me. I will be back for real this time and starting Friday September 30th will have my next giveaway. I'm going to do the same deal as last time, let you guys vote on where you want the giftcard to be from. So here you go!!

In terms of the life of MN, a lot has been going on. My internship at Taste of Atlanta is picking up big time, I have to take the GMAT yet again because I totally panicked and bombed the first round in a comedy of errors fit for the stage. So my days are full of studying from 8-2 then nannying. Because of my schedule of non-stop studying and nannying the half marathon sadly had to take a backseat till the spring but I'm hoping to do a badass 10K this december.

In other news, one of my dearest friends got married this past weekend, I've known her since I was 3 and she's a magical letterpressing veggie growing renaissance woman. Check out her amazing talents and blog here

And of course I have to show you guys a few sneak peeks from her romantic farm wedding

the beautiful bride

the barn

The Sweetest Picture Ever

the veggie inspired wedding cake :)

Can't wait to catch up with everyone! Love & Light

Wise Words Wednesday

2011-08-31T20:11:00.000-04:00

So I take the GMAT in 1 week + 1 day. So that whole trusting my higher power and feeling ready to embrace this challenge is getting tougher each day. So to keep the stress at bay, a few pinterest sayings have been quite helpful.

Source: stephaniehowell.typepad.com via Corinne on Pinterest

Source: None via Mary-Nevin on Pinterest

Happy end of August! September will be the month of no more neglect for my blog. I've got a $25 amazon giftcard giveaway, plus many September adventures in the works! Here's to it being (almost) fall! I am SO ready!!

Things I Love About This Thursday

2011-08-25T14:52:00.000-04:00

Hello!! Hope everyone is having a lovely Thursday! Mine is particularly awesome and here's why!

I'm definitely more motivated and less terrified about taking the GMAT in a mere two-ish weeks.

On the 17th, my childhood best friend is getting married and I get to go to her wedding. Not only will it be the first wedding the frenchman and I attend, she and her fellow run a farm and it'll pretty much be the coolest wedding ever. Color me psyched

September overall is shaping up to be exciting, I'm chairperson at my home group for the month, I'm going to the beach for a quick 48 hr getaway with the frenchman and I have my grad school interview next week. A lot of awesomeness going on.

Finally, I scored this dress that retails for $495 for 69 Dollars!!! Thank you Ebay! I think there may be quite the occasion to wear this for in the very near future. Life has been quite exciting :)

Source: cupcakesandcashmere.com via Mary-Nevin on Pinterest

Happy Thursday Everyone!!

Tuesday Cover Album: The Muppets!!

2011-08-23T16:24:00.000-04:00

So I'm one of the many that grew up with and loves the muppets. The soundtrack for the new muppet movie came out today and it is magical. Seriously magical. Here's the first video by Ok Go from the soundtrack, check out the rest of the listing below. I've included the NPR link where you can hear all the songs for free.

Muppet Movie Soundtrack

1) Muppet Show Theme by Ok Go

2) Rainbow Connection by Weezer feat Hayley Williams

3) Mahna Mahna by The Fray

4) Movin Right Along by Alkaline Trio

5) Our World by My Morning Jacket

6) Halfway Down the Stairs by Amy Lee

7) Mr Bassman by Sondra Lerche

8) Wishing Song by The Airborne Toxic Event

9) Night Life by Brandon Saller

10) Bein Green by Andrew Bird

11) I Hope Something Better Comes Along by Matt Nathanson

12) I'm Going Back There Someday by Rachel Yamagata

I'm still catching up on everyone's blog but am slowly returning to blog life. I hope to be returning full time asap with some very exciting developments!! Cross your fingers! Happy Tuesday!!

Letterpress is amazing + Update + Friday Etsy Favorites

2011-08-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

I'm so happy to be writing in my poor neglected blog!! August has been a whirlwind of hardcore studying, attempting to run enough so I will not come in dead last when my half marathon training starts next week, and trying not to have a nervous breakdown. There have definitely been many moments of joy within these stricter parameters and I plan to write much more about that as well as our trip to NYC and finally host my 150 followers giveaway within the next few weeks. If there's one thing I've learned about blogging its that you have to let it be part of the ebb and flow of things and at times that means the luxury to update often or writing little mementos as often as you can. Either way, I intend for this blog to continue to be a part of my journey and will hopefully make more time to write soon.

In the meantime, I need some advice. My childhood best friend is getting married and while they have put a few items on a traditional registry, I have the option to bring my own gift. First off, this girl is an amazing badass, she and her fiancee run a letterpress company called Brown Parcel Press. They are incredible, they've been featured on design sponge and all other kinda cool shout outs. They used to have the press in Brooklyn and recently moved the company here to georgia and have started a farm and opened a general store in addition to their letterpress company. Here's a taste of their talents

So they are obviously creative amazing folks and I want the gift I get them to reflect that. So today's Friday Etsy Favorites will be more of a vote. I need you guys to tell me if I should stick with the Williams Sonoma registry or if you would like one of these fine gifts.

You Are My Sunshine Print via Two for Joy Paper

dash of pepper, spoonful of sugar & pinch of salt bowls

Georgia Cutting Board

And my personal favorite

Ring Bearer Bowls via Palomas Nest

So whatcha think?? I'm loving all of these to be honest!! Happy Friday to you all!! Much Love!!

Quick Update from The Big Apple

2011-08-11T08:34:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!! Just wanted to pop in really quickly and say hello from NYC!! It's been quite a week full of a lot of walking, delicious food, language gaps with my lack of french and of course lots of love. The Frenchman and I are headed to Boston for a quick less than 24 hour trip today and then we head home Saturday morning, I will post a proper NYC post and catch up with everyone upon our return. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak! Hope everyone has had a beautiful week!!

Scenes from My Weekend+ Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-08-02T16:11:00.000-04:00

Countdown to the arrival of the frenchman's parents + our trip to NYC!! I'm excited, wishing I knew a little more french, and feel like I have a million things to do. Sidenote..if anyone wants to do a guest post for me next week let me know :)

I definitely plan to write a real life post this week, but in the meantime it's a 2 for 1 day on the blog with both scenes from my celebratory weekend and an awesome tuesday cover tune. Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend!!

the frenchman and i went out to dinner with my family to celebrate his masters graduation and my 2 years

2 years!!

my amazing family

Finally, the awesome tuesday cover tune :)

Happy Tuesday!!

Friday Etsy Favorites: Geek Edition

2011-07-29T08:54:00.002-04:00

First off, THANK YOU for all the well wishes on my 2 years of sobriety. I'm very excited to pick up my chip and celebrate with loved ones this weekend!

So I've been blogging way less than I would like, thankfully it's just a case of life getting in the way which I think happens to everyone with a blog at some point. I'm studying to take one last graduate test, the dreaded GMAT and as a result, am deep in the world of studying aka geekdom.

So while thinking of the perks of being a nerd\ trying to decide what to feature this week. I remembered something I saw on Pinterest awhile back, which would be this incredible picture

Source: vpennyw.blogspot.com via Birute on Pinterest

Not only are these amazing cupcakes, they just happen to feature the characters of my favorite TV show ever, Firefly. If you haven't heard of\seen this gem, it's amazing, hilarious, heartwarming and all that jazz!! Sadly fox cancelled it after one season, but any TV watcher will know Fox cancels amazing shows (Arrested Development anyone??) If you need additional reasons to why this show rules, this list does a bang up job This amazing show is on Instant Netflix and any video store, It is sooo worth it!

So, for current and hopefully future Firefly\Serenity fans, this week's Etsy favorites feature my favorite crew that aims to misbehave..

jayne's infamous hat

quote tote

Calvin and Hobbs take on Firefly

these will be mandatory toys whenever i have kids

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!

Exciting Week + Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-07-26T14:28:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I will have 2 years clean and sober. I am so blessed and grateful to be here. I saw a quote on pinterest that perfectly describes how I feel, it said "I will hold myself to a standard of grace and not perfection" Thanks to everyone here who gives me so much inspiration and support on this journey.

The frenchman and I are going out to dinner with my parents to celebrate his graduation and my sober birthday, should be a nice low key way to celebrate. This year has been beautiful beyond anything I could think of and I can't wait to see what the next year brings!!

In addition, the frenchman and I are going to NYC with his parents August 7th and I GOT US DAILY SHOW TICKETS! Pretty sure I did a spin jump of happiness with that stroke of good luck.

To cap all this awesomeness off, I give you perhaps the best cover I have ever found, John Legend + The Roots singing The Arcade Fire's Wake Up. This is magic for your ears!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

For Amy

2011-07-24T09:38:00.000-04:00

Please read this beautiful letter by Russell Brand it perfectly describes so many aspects of addiction and honors Amy and the countless others that loose the battle with their monsters. May I never forget how lucky I am to be free of mine today.

You're Welcome

2011-07-20T23:36:00.001-04:00

make sure to revisit part one while you're at it
oh how i love these two

Tuesday Cover Tune aka I Love Questlove

2011-07-19T16:02:00.002-04:00

Todays cover is from the amazing Karmin you may recognize this adorable husband and wife duo from their Look at Me Now cover, however I found an even better one. Improving this awfulness that is always stuck in my head thanks to Nikki + The Roots= A Win

Thank you so much for all you sweet comments on my last entry! The support is helping me continue o my running journey!! Happy Tuesday!!

Scene from My Weekend

2011-07-18T17:11:00.000-04:00

Just one scene from this weekend today. This is mainly because I did a lot of non picturesque things this weekend such as take a practice gmat(i've got some work to do) and pack a ton of stuff I sold on ebay (which while I'm waiting to get paid seems not worth the trouble of shipping) I did some fun stuff too, see some friends watch a movie, but all in all it was low key.

Now onto the big news, I ran my second race and after running the first two was in such a bad headspace of negative self talk that I decided to stop that behavior in its tracks and get back to the whole reason I chose to run in the first place. So I slowed down, took a deep breath and decided to walk and actually LOOK at the beautiful trail I was running, took my headphones out, not care about who was going faster or slower than me and walked the last part with the intention of giving myself some quiet spiritual time which ended up being awesome. My head has been busy with so many things both good and bad that I really think I needed to just be for awhile.

The Frenchman(despite me telling him not to) came back after he was done and we walked the last half a mile or so together, holding hands and just enjoying the fact that it wasn't oppressively hot and that we were outside and together...aaand just because I'm a total nerd, here's a photo.

lame but awesome :)

Hope Everyone had a beautiful weekend!!!

Friday Etsy Favorites: Harry Potter Edition

2011-07-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

So real life has taken over blog life lately and I truly hope to update more for the rest of July!! The distractions have all been good ones, I've been planning the trip to NYC that we're taking next month with the frenchman's family, I've been attempting to embrace minimalism by selling at least half of my books and clothes on ebay and have officially set a date to take the GMAT and in doing so, promised the frenchman to commit more time to studying..

Now that I'm adjusting to the speed of my new schedule, I hope to get back to blog land. I miss the inspiration and love from all of your perspectives. That and since I now have +150 followers, a giveaway will be hosted quite soon!!

So good stuff to look forward too, and todays Friday Etsy Favorites are in honor of my beloved Harry Potter concluding last night. Loved the movie, books will always be #1 but I must say, last night curled up next the the frenchman watching the last HP movie and being oh so happy was one of my favorite moments of my life. Happy Weekend Everyone!!

dorky but amazing onesie

platform 9 3/4 Photo at Kings Cross Station

I've been here in real life and its awesome

Mainly because my Dad took this photo

Back to Etsy, here are adorable Hogwarts Acceptance Letters

This would be amazing for a birthday party :)

Finally, my absolute favorite Harry Potter Finger Puppets!!!

The Gang's all Here!!!

Friday Etsy Favorites: I Need More Time Edition :)

2011-07-08T08:14:00.000-04:00

So I've been slacking on the posts big time lately. The Frenchman and I went to my hometown for the 4th and I've been catching up ever since..well that and Tuesday I got all caught up in the legal drama of Casey Anthony. I'll leave it at that, pretty sure I had enough of a twitter rant about the whole ordeal.

I've been figuring out more creative ways to be thrifty, watching some awesome documentaries and getting more focused about running, so I'll definitely write more about that soon. In the meantime, in honor of my delayed writing skills, I've found some of my favorite clocks and time related items on Etsy. Happy Weekend!!

beautiful clock necklace

melting clock for the artist in your life

scrabble time

and if you like to kick it oldschool a hourglass

Todays agenda, GMAT like whoa and catch up on blogs! Happy Friday Everyone!!!

MN Makes Yogurt

2011-07-02T12:44:00.000-04:00

Source: baconinmypocket.blogspot.com via Mary-Nevin on Pinterest

So I found this amazing yogurt tutorial on Pinterest a few weeks ago. Over the past few days I have come to the realization that I have to cut down on all budgets big time, I figured I'd start with groceries. So after getting my coupon on, I thought I'd try to make my own yogurt. It actually worked out pretty well and I'm psyched to save money and to make delicious yogurt.

Wanna make your own??
Here's the super easy way to get your cooking goddess on :)

What You Need
-A Gallon of Milk
-Glass Jars
-6oz of good quality yogurt
-Thermometer
-Cooler

Pour your milk in a large stockpot (I used a gallon of 2% and it made ALOT)

Warm up your milk, I put it on 7 and let it slowly heat up to 190

Wisk it but don't let it boil since 190 is scalding the milk

When its at 190 turn it down and maintain this temp for 10 minutes

Afterwards let the milk cool to 120

Let it sit on the stove or put it in a sink of cold water(much quicker)

Add your starter yogurt and whatever flavors you want

I added 2tsp of vanilla and 3/4 cup of sugar

In the future you can use your own yogurt to start

but first batch needs 6oz of quality stuff

Pour the mix into glass jars and scoop off the frothy layer

Despite this looking like bootlegging, it works :)

Pour 120 degrees water (enough to cover jars to below the lids) in the cooler

Let the jars sit for 4 hours and move to the fridge

DO NOT OPEN THE JARS, it lasts a lot longer if you resist temptation

Keep the yogurt in the fridge overnight then bust them out and enjoy!

Add maple syrup, fruit, granola, jam, honey, ect

I'm a convert :)

Friday Etsy Favorites: USA edition

2011-07-01T09:43:00.000-04:00

Happy July!! June seemed to go quickly didn't it?? I'm so glad that it's a holiday weekend!! What are everyone's plans for the 4th?? The Frenchman and I are going up to my hometown to spend some time with my family and then Monday we'll be back in Atlanta for the biggest fireworks show in the South! In honor of the weekend, today's Friday Etsy Favorties are 4th of July(ish) themed. Happy Friday!

Hearts on the cities of loved ones? I'm officially smitten kitten with this map

4th of July themed or not, these are the cutest gift tags ever

Not exactly 4th of July but I had to include this lovely photograph

Not sure about where it would go, but nonetheless, this is quite an amazing photograph of a Firework

Have a great weekend and a great 4th!! I'll make sure to take lots of photos and everyone out there in blog land make sure to do the same!! :)

Tuesday Cover Tune + What I'm Loving Lately

2011-06-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Hope the weekend was full of awesome adventures! Today's tuesday cover tune is Pursuit of Happyness covered by the wonderful Lisa Jaeggi. Lisa went to my college and was pretty much the most kickass skateboarding stylish guitar slinging lady around. She has an album coming out July 5th. Hope you enjoy her lovely voice as much as I do.

Few other highlights in life lately:

Smores Pop Tarts
Longer Runs without collapsing
TRUE BLOOD IS BACK
Higher GMAT prep score(100 points to go)
700 days of sobriety yesterday! :)

Friday Etsy Favorites: Guest Post!!

2011-06-24T09:38:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday Everyone!! Today I'm so excited to do my very first guest post over at O is ME. If you're not following the lovely Meg O, you are missing out, she's definitely one of my favorites in blog world. So for today's Friday Etsy Favorites, jump on over to her blog!

The Greatest Phone Message of All Time

2011-06-23T14:43:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of storytelling. Ever since I was a little girl I've loved hearing stories in many different forms. One of my all time favorites is NPR's Program This American Life.

If you haven't heard of this gem, it's a weekly mostly nonfiction radio show that is hosted by Ira Glass and features essays, field reports, memoirs, short fiction and found recordings and footage. Each week the show focuses on a certain theme and the show at its core shows the grace and beauty of the human spirit. Hysterical, Heartwarming and Everything in Between.

It's hard for me to truly express my words for how much I love this show, so I will just ask that you listen to Act One from Recordings for Someone. I'll just tell you the story involves what the listeners claim is the greatest thing ever, a voicemail message that says, and I quote "You and the Little Mermaid can go f*ck yourselves" If that doesn't sell you on the show, I don't know what will :)

Happy Thursday!!

Real Life Advice: Graduate School or Job?

2011-06-22T16:48:00.000-04:00

Today blog readers, I'm reaching out for any words of wisdom or opinions you have on a somewhat debated subject. Is it better to get a graduate degree to help pave the way for the right job, or just get a job and assume that will open the doors to if\when you need a higher degree?

Older readers may recall that I spent a good portion of the last year doing all the prep-work to go to law school and decided ultimately not to go. Money was an issue, also I had read this article which led me to truly ask myself if I wanted not just to be a lawyer, but to take on 100,000 of debt and be willing to stay and work here in Georgia as long as it took to pay that money off. At the end of the day, I think I would have really liked law school, but the cons outweighed the pros.

Soon after this, I got my internship and decided that when that ended at the end of October, life would go one of two ways.

Plan A: Find a degree program that was both affordable and set me on a distinct path for a good job(MBA is the front runner currently) and continue to get internships while nannying
Plan B: Just get out there get whatever job I can and get started on building my resume with what critics of Plan A call a "real job"

So now to start the decision process. My undergrad is in Peace and Conflict Studies. I loved what I learned and wouldn't trade the experience for anything, however the problem with that degree is best summed up in the Career Opportunities aspect of it, explained below

A graduate level degree is almost essential to progress in the field because of the functional expertise it demonstrates.Entry level positions in the peace and conflict field are diversified and often highly competitive. Salary levels range from low 20’s to mid 30’s at entry level depending on the size of the organizational budget, number of staff,and qualifications. The functional titles will include analyst, program associate/assistant, education coordinator,research assistant, public relations liaison and regional monitor. Career-related activities within this field include policy research, legislative lobbying, public education, petitioning and protest action, community service, and intercultural diplomatic assistant

This field has no direct or specified career path
--both the best and worst news in one :)

So wise and experienced readers, I'm leaning towards plan a, but I am curious based on your life experience and such, where you land on this question and why. Hope everyone is having a wonderful wednesday.

Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-06-21T14:49:00.000-04:00

Happy First Day of Summer Everyone!! Got some new ideas marinating for blog posts this week. In the meantime, here's Sara Bareilles with a jazzed up version of Single Ladies. It's awesome

Scenes from My Weekend

2011-06-20T16:22:00.000-04:00

Hope Everyone had a nice Father's Day weekend!! I went home to visit my family yesterday and the frenchman came along. So here is a glimpse into my Sunday. Hope everyone had a good start to the week! :)

i love him oh so much

my family

Friday Etsy Favorites: Fathers Day

2011-06-17T09:04:00.001-04:00

This weekend marks father's day, so in honor of the holiday I put together some of my favorite Father's Day items via Etsy. I still need to bust a move and get my dad a gift before we all celebrate this weekend, in the meantime, enjoy this weeks Friday Etsy Favorites :)

Mustache Mug Set

Handprint Tree, this would be a great DIY as well

Vintage Map Cufflinks, bonus you get to pick the cities

Create your family figures these are the cutest

Loving Lentils

2011-06-15T17:01:00.000-04:00

Well it's been months since I've done a food post, so I figured I would post a few of my favorite recipes that involve my current favorite food, Lentils.

Lentils are great because they're basically a super food and are super affordable. They have protein, fiber, and a boatload of iron. They're also super easy to make, no soaking necessary. Just rinse them, cover with water, let simmer and add whatever spices you see fit. Here are a few of my fancier favorite Lentil recipes.

My personal favorite, Italian Sausages with Lentils

Herbed Bulgur Lentil Pilaf

Mustard Crusted Pork with Carrots and Lentils

Finally, French Lentil Soup

What are some of your favorite things to cook these days??

Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-06-14T17:47:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a great start to the week, I'll get back into blog world sync this week, but in the meantime I leave you with one of my favorite covers by the beautiful Mumford and Sons. This one shows my southerness for sure :)

Scenes from My Weekend

2011-06-13T09:45:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday!! Hope everyone had a good weekend! Mine was very busy yet quite lovely. Here are a few snapshots...

best part of being in the race

my cupcakes via Atlanta Cupcake Factory

Thinking of making a post race cupcake a tradition

Don't worry I shared with the Frenchman

i just happened to eat 2

My Workspace aka

GMAT study central

Our Race Numbers!!! :)

Finally, we finished the weekend with a Crawfish Boil

I love our walkable neighborhood with amazing places like this

Race Recap: Atlanta Children's Shelter 5K

2011-06-12T09:54:00.000-04:00

I finished the race!! YAY!
Since I hadn't run more than 2 miles yet, I was worried. Good news is, almost everything I worried about happened and I had a great time!

*Best Part: when you wear this beautiful shirt, people cheering call you Cupcake

I got to wear my amazing shirt via Dressing on the Side

That shirt is going to work its way into my running creed

This picture is in my house, I didn't want a sweaty finish line picture because I'm vain

Maybe next race

RECAP:
Well the day didn't go as amazing as I had hoped, but that isn't necessarily bad. At the end of the day, the race was for a good cause, I got a really awesome shirt, and a good benchmark of where I'm at as a runner, that and I saw a real housewife of atlanta and managed to not yell out, Thanks for making us look so classy. Somehow I think the sarcasm would've been lost on her whoever she was.

Most important lesson I learned:
RUN THE COURSE BEFORE RACE DAY!!
If you don't, you will probably do what I did. It's a funny story so i'll tell it.

After insisting that the Frenchman to go ahead without me around the half mile mark(it was mainly so I could run without having to talk to him..he's so lucky to have me..haha) I saw the one mile mark, ran some more then had to walk a little here and there because of nerves, the oppressive heat of atlanta and cramps but I was determined to keep going.....

I ran through a few songs...and still didn't see Mile 2. Someone decided for some reason to put mile marker 1 and 3...but no 2. Perhaps this is normal, perhaps not. For me it resulted in some serious confusion and hilarity. In my defense the course was not a loop, it was go 1000 yards this way, loop around, go 500 yards back the way you came, loop around, and so on. I think it was natural to be a bit confused.

Thankfully I didn't go the wrong way(which I had numerous nightmares about) but I did walk more than I would have if I had know I was walking around mile 2.4 not 1.7 like I feared. I really thought I was having some kinda race nerves crazy time, my thoughts can be summed up as: geez mile 2 seems waaay longer than mile 1, have I even made it to mile 2 yet?? Is there a mile 2?? why does that lady have a dog in a stroller and so on.

In the end, when I was starting to loose hope that I would ever see mile marker 2... my perfect boyfriend who ran the race in 27min, found me, informed me that I only had .2 miles left and after I let loose a slew of sassy curse words we finished the race together. It was so sweet, it made me both warm & fuzzy\terrified & nauseous, ahh love

I finished in 40 minutes and some odd seconds. Overall I feel proud, and there's a great level of comfort that I made it through my first race. Needless to say, it's going to be quite the journey to the half marathon on Thanksgiving. Let's hope it's uphill from here, either way I'm ready for the challenge!

Friday Etsy Favorties: Dressing on the Side

2011-06-10T08:46:00.000-04:00

Today's list of amazing Etsy finds are a tribute to my first sponsor Dressing on the Side. I've been a fan of the shop for awhile and couldn't be more thrilled to feature these beautiful shirts on my blog. One is even going to work its way into my running gear and it'll be epic :)

So without further ado, here are some of my favorite DOTS shirts!

my life mantra

cuteness overload i'm thinking i need to get this for baby n

can't decide if i want the shirt or the dog more :)

Hope Everyone has some wonderful weekend plans! I've pretty much got the race, some gmat studying, work, and a little bit of time with the frenchman penciled in. What are you guys hoping to do this weekend? Happy Friday!!

Tuesday Cover Tune

2011-06-07T17:08:00.000-04:00

Today, a cover of one of the sweetest songs ever by the precious Petra Haden. As much as I pretend I don't like to be romantic, this song gets me every time, whatever version..especially if it is at the end of Love Actually. That would be on my desert island movie list. Enjoy :)

Short List of News:

The Frenchman rocked his GMAT, i mean he got nearly a perfect score. That definitely is a game changer...so we've added visits to the top schools in the NYC area to our summer trip. Super proud and excited for him, we'll see where this takes him (and possibly me??)

One more sex scandal and I'm going to just quit listening. Not the best summer for the menfolk. Also, John Edwards is lucky that I was not picked for that jury, I still have my voter registration in NC..it could've happened

It's Race Week!! I still have yet to run 3 miles straight but have told myself it's ok and it'll still be an amazing experience even if I have to walk some. Now to actually believe what I'm telling myself :)

Hope everyone had a good start to the week!! I'm playing catch up with the blogs but I'll get to it right now!! Happy Tuesday!!

Scenes from My Weekend

2011-06-05T15:05:00.001-04:00

It's been awhile since I've done this post, it's one of my favorites so it definitely is nice to do one again! How's everyone's weekend been? I hope blissful :)

The Frenchman and I went on a Friday day date and I took a short video. I was really excited about the food so please excuse my loudness, hopefully it sounds more Emma Stone awesome than husky man voice annoying. We shall see..

baby n shenanigans

king of pops is probably my favorite thig about our neighborhood, which one would you try?

and because i miss france, this picture full of sass

if you want to see all the french photo fun, add me on Facebook

Friday Etsy Favorites: Just Working on My Fitness Edition

2011-06-03T09:30:00.000-04:00

First off, Mary Nevin & the Frenchman have a big running announcement. We have *officially* signed up for the Atlanta Half Marathon! It's one of the biggest half marathons with about 12,000 people and it's on Thanksgiving Day. So it'll hopefully give my crazy self enough time to train. I can't wait to share the whole process with all of you!! :)

In honor of this insane yet awesome choice. Today's Friday Etsy Favorites are going to be all about exercise. I know not everyone is a runner, so I tried to mix it up. Happy Weekend Everyone!

Love this race display board

Sky Blue yoga mat bag

bike for art

Epic 80s song, Epic 80s shirt=WIN

THANKFUL THURSDAY & then some :)

2011-06-02T19:09:00.000-04:00

I'm SO excited!! I just found out I was featured on For the Love of Blogs today!! I've really wanted to connect better with the blog world this month and what a perfect way to start!!

So welcome new readers, make sure to leave me a link so I can check out your lovely blogs. Also, when I hit 150 followers, i'll do another giveaway(for $50 this time..what?!) and let you guys vote on the giftcard again. Seemed to work out well last time :)

Thankfulness all around, love to my beautiful readers who inspire me daily and here's to hoping that through this awesome gift that I meet and connect with some amazing new bloggers! Happy Thursday!!

What are you guys thankful for today??

Summer Shenanigans

2011-06-01T20:46:00.001-04:00

Rabbit Rabbit! So with it being June I thought it was time to write about changes\summer goals in the life of MN.

Some wise guys aka the frenchman like to remind me that summer *officially* starts sometime that isn't now but since it is currently hotter than summer should EVER be (today it was 103 in Atlanta) I think I can officially call it summer. While I'm on the subject of griping, for some reason everyone in this city thinks it's even funnier to call Atlanta Hotlanta when it's flipping tropical outside. If that city nickname went away forever, I'd be psyched

Onto actual subjects, my trip to France did give me a lot of time to meditate on where my life should go from here. Am I the only one that finds a lot more clarity in a new environment? Anyways, I still feel like the decision not to go to law school was right, however I've been really hesitant to hitch my wagon to any further graduate school out of fear. Thankfully I've had long enough to consult with a lot of people I trust and think about what I really want and I've decided to stay nannying with Baby N because it's a great job that makes me happy and to take the GMAT and see if a MBA has anything to offer. My biggest gripe with the Law School Degree(beyond the cost) was the fact that the degree wasn't as adaptable as I had hoped. While I think I would have liked law, I want a degree that is functional in a lot of facets and careers. I've changed so much just since college graduation so I figured I owe it to myself to pursue this avenue and see where I end up. My internship will be over in November and based on how this whole MBA thing turns out, I'll know at that point whether its best for me to continue to be a student by day, nanny by night...or actually get a grown up job.

Now, onto more Travel news. The Frenchman's parents are officially coming to the USA the first week of August. They wanted to go to New York City, so we will all spend a week up there come August 6th. I'm really excited, but the pressure is on. I'm the only one that has been there before, so the agenda is up to MN. Hopefully with the help of my saavy blog friends, I can plan a good trip. Oh that and we're going to see The Book of Mormon.

In terms of everything else:

-- I'm less than 2 months away from having 2 years of sobriety. I feel good, but I need more structure when it comes to attending AA meetings, thankfully my recovery is stronger than ever thanks to my spiritual connection and some grueling yet rewarding therapy work. Meetings can only help though, so I gotta get my self in gear with making at least one a week.

--I wrote about making a budget and sticking to it...perhaps one day I'll get on it :)

--I want to see the Hangover 2 & Bridesmaids stat, also I am excited for True Blood season 4

--Assuming the confirmation wasn't a complete lapse of judgement, I may have some super exciting running news to share soon. Also, my first race is 9 days away. I'm not at 3 miles yet but have been training harder than ever, so here's to hoping that my rockin' playlist and lil sebastian shirt will get me through

--Finally I want to mix up the blog a little, we shall see exactly what that entails. May was a bit of a drought over here, so I plan on summer making up for that :)

There's plenty of other things to write about, but thankfully summer will be going on here for awhile. What are some summer goals or shenanigans you guys have in the works??

tuesday cover tune +pinterest love

2011-05-31T15:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday!! Hope Everyone had a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend full of food and love. I certainly did! I'm keeping with the Florence + The Machine Cover theme, this week, her take on the Beatles.

Updates are a comin', there's exciting running news, potential graduate school ideas, a new trip planned for august, so I'm going to get on it with the blogging. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite pinterest pieces lately :)

Perfect summer dress!!

Source: ilookawkwardinoveralls.tumblr.com via Gracie on Pinterest

Motivation

Source: eat-sleep-run-repeat.tumblr.com via Mary-Nevin on Pinterest

Love this idea!!

What are some of your pinterest favorites?? Love the site\Don't get it\Don't care? What do you think??

Hope everyone is having a good start to their 4 day week! I look forward to reading about the weekend

Friday Etsy Favorites: Vintage Swimsuit Edition

2011-05-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

So the Frenchman and I are beach bound this weekend and it got me thinking about swimsuits. I never wore a bikini until I was 21. It was a big deal and a long time coming and I've pretty much been riding the wave of the two piece ever since. However a few key events have inspired me to break the mold of the black bikini

1. I saw a girl in Hawaii in this beautiful one piece and was reminded that sometimes less is more in terms of looking classy\sexySadly it costs a third of my rent

2. Let's face it there are certain situations(ie France with a ton of the Frenchman's family) where a one piece may be better suited to the situation. I'm getting better with the whole self esteem thing, but I've got some larger than life assets that at times call for me to tone it down. Not a bad thing, just a thing where you may need different suits depending on the social group. What a concept

3) I'm OBSESSED with the Shabby Apple Swimsuits again though, there's rent. Boo adulthood

So these factors inspired me to make today's Friday Etsy Favorites all about chic vintage affordable suits

Love this chic backless one piece

Retro One Piece and quite an ~~insane~~ interesting kitten tattoo in the model

Love the stripes in this one

Because Old Habits Die Hard, this beautiful bandeau bikini

Happy Weekend Everyone!! Hope everyone has some beautiful holiday plans!! Mine include brief beach time, running, family time, and lots of work and onto the next adventure :)

Tuesday Wednesday Cover Tune

2011-05-25T15:06:00.004-04:00

Well Blogger was having some major issues tuesday, so I decided to make today ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday Cover Tune to try to go with the flow.

That and I have a really awesome song and couldn't wait until Tuesday to share Florence + The Machine Singing my favorite song ever by Fleetwood Mac aka The Chain

You're Welcome

So I'm really having a bit of an adjustment getting back into the swing of things since getting back from France (almost) a week ago. Some things I solemnly swear to write about\provide an update on soon:

My fear\excitement about my first race on June 11th and the fact that I don't feel totally ready. Should've worked out more in those few weeks I had to take off. Yikes...
I've run a few times since being back from France and I still love it just as much as I did before I got hurt :)
How I'm feeling about coming up on my 2 years of sobriety
My Summer Goals and how I'm actually going to work to achieve them
Lonely Island Videos, My Favorite New Bands, Summer Movies I'm Psyched to See
New Recipes
Atlanta Adventures
Possibly Pursuing a MBA?!?
Fitness Inspiration
Family, Friends, Frenchman and Love

I'm still catching up, but am reading as much as I can and plan to return back to the blogosphere life with an all out Friday Etsy Favorites! Hope Everyone has had a great week (so far)

Homeward Bound

2011-05-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

Well all good things must come to an end, as if this post is scheduled as it should be, the Frenchman and I are somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean right about now. This trip has been both beautiful and a real growing point in my relationship. Traveling tends to bring out the best and worst in all of us and I'm glad that today I choose to embrace life with someone for all that it is, good bad and all the beautiful moments of love in between.

I'm sad to leave, but happy to go home and resume my everyday life. Big things await me this summer, such as running my first 5K in 3 weeks, attempting to take the GMAT and continuing life with baby n, the internship and mon compain. Hope Everyone has had a great week so far and I leave you all with my very first vimeo project!! 10 points if you can guess what the song is a classical cover of! Happy Thursday!!

Love & Light in Paris from Mary Nevin Hobgood on Vimeo.

Paris is Perfect

2011-05-14T11:51:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!! I'm SO sorry I have lagged on reading everyone's blogs and posting! I promise I'm working to catch up slowly but surely!

It's been a whirlwind being her in Paris. So much to write about!! We're leaving Tuesday, so I want to do an official Paris post later, but for now, here are some snapshots of the first 2 days!

Notre Dame

Saint Chapelle

The French National Bread Baking Championship is going on this week.. or as my mom says, proof that God loves me :)

The Louvre

Venus De Milo

Finally, The Frenchman and I on the Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background

This picture makes my heart oh so happy

Hope Everyone is having a beautiful weekend!! I'm taking lots of video and pictures and will make sure to catch up asap. Love & Light!!!

look into lyon + tuesday cover tune en francais

2011-05-10T10:33:00.000-04:00

Hello Lovelies!! Hope Everyone had a good mother's day and\or weekend! It's been very busy over here in France, I've met a lot of different family members while attempting to study a bit for the gmat. I have yet to take a run, but I have been doing a lot of walking.

It's stunningly beautiful here, yesterday we spent the day in Lyon. Here are some snapshots!!

Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere

Lyon from above

rooftops

the frenchman is a great guide :)

Outside a castle where we had dinner with the frenchman's grandparents

Finally, keeping with the french theme, here's the tuesday cover tune. Happy Tuesday :)

Today the frenchman is having his wisdom teeth taken out, so we'll be laying low until we go to paris later in the week. I definitely which I had practiced my french a bit more, but beyond that, everyone is very nice, the food is *amazing* and life is good :) Happy Tuesday!!

Hello from France!

2011-05-06T05:22:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!!
almost wrote bonjour but then realized i will be here for 14 more days and that could get old :)

We are here in the village of Saint Desirat outside of Lyon. The Frenchman's family is very nice, I definitely should have learned more french(at best I'm getting one out of eight words) but thankfully they speak English and I found that humility is apparently a good motivational tool for me. At least auifie the dog loves me, one down 4 to go.

Here's a few pictures of the view from our room. France is magical and so is this house

Sorry for such a quick entry, hopefully we'll explore more of the village and I can gather some fun facts for everyone! Happy Weekend!!

tuesday cover tune + packing shenanigans

2011-05-03T18:34:00.000-04:00

Hope Everyone had a Great Weekend!! I had dinner with old friends and have been frantically trying to get everything together before the frenchman and I depart for France tomorrow night!! So I thought today I would share an appropriate cover, Florence doing the Girl's Aloud hit, Can't Speak French

Also, here are a few glimpses of my attempts to pack\stay calm. Thank goodness I have my sidekick

baby n wants to come along to paris :)

My Plane Reading. I am way too excited about all of these books

It has been an exercise in willpower not to crack open Bossypants

Tomorrow we take a night flight to Lyon! I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and blog as much as I can!! Wish me luck everyone!! I'm uber excited to go to France but kinda terrified to meet the frenchman's family. I'll need some love thrown my way :)

Bless you Little Grace

2011-04-30T10:51:00.000-04:00

So yesterday was terrible, I went to get my hair done and while I was inside my car got broken into. Window busted, and my (apparently not so cleverly) hidden GPS stolen. To make matters worse, I suppose MN in distress is an invitation for losers to hit on me. So not only did I have to make a police report before noon, I had to ward off d-bags. Great start to the day.

After feeling sorry for myself and eating frosting straight out of the can. I realized that I was lucky that only my GPS was stolen and that the frenchman was willing to drop everything in the middle of finals to hug me and listen to me rant on about the evils of the world. Attitude of Gratitude fixes it everytime.....eventually :)

The true bright spot in my day yesterday was this little bug. I was determined to let nothing foil me on Royal Wedding Day and little Grace was just the pick me up I needed. Thank you Grace, for showing me that no matter who you are, kids make weddings hilarious.

Friday Etsy Favorites: Royal Wedding Edition

2011-04-29T08:23:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday Everyone!! Additionally, Happy Royal Wedding Day! I played a mean joke on the frenchman yesterday, I asked him if he was super excited about friday, he got a panicked look on his face clearly thinking he'd forgotten an important event...he was less than amused when I told him I was talking about the royal wedding. Now I'm not dedicated enough to get up at 3AM but I fully intend on watching the ceremony this afternoon. Consider me psyched

In the meantime. I must say this Sarah Burton For Alexander McQueen dress is one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. She looked perfect. Bravo Kate

Flawless, I love it all.

Today's Friday Etsy Favorites are some of my favorite royal wedding themed items. Happy Weekend!!

handmade royal wedding tea towel

i really do love this dessert stand

i left my heart in london print

Wedding Fever or Not, Hope Everyone has a Beautiful Weekend!!

Scenes from my Thursday

2011-04-28T15:14:00.001-04:00

With the whole packing for France & general madness of the weekend ahead, and because I'm feeling the need for some Atlanta love on the blog. Today I'm going to provide a little recap of my Thursday...so far. I know all of you are waiting with bated breath :)

So for a long time, I've wanted to get my lazy self down to support the recent street food movement in Atlanta. They have some of the yummiest caterers and restaurants food truck style all over the city. In my neighborhood they have Street Food Thursdays. It was definitely worth the trip!

The Yumbii Truck provided me with a delicious lunch. See below

spicy pulled pork burrito. enough said

more street food goodness

So after I stuffed my face, I checked out the hot guy who sells popsicles and headed back to my car. Sadly in my food excitement, I did not notice that I was parked in a private lot...which=booting of my car. Thanks to all of these shenanigans I didn't make my favorite women's meeting. Thankfully I was in burrito bliss and just got paid, so I tried to have an attitude of acceptance about the madness

This=Trouble

So a mere hour later, I was off to finish getting my gifts for the frenchman's family(more on that later) How did I soothe my saddened soul after my car was unjustly(remember the rules don't apply to me) booted?? I believe I found the perfect combo

it's all about balance

So that my friends, is my Thursday thus far. Hope you all are having a beautiful day. Now I get to spend the afternoon hanging out with this perfect baby. Life is good :)

yoda shirt+tutu..i'm doing my job as a nanny :)

New Harry Potter Trailer and Mid Week Goings On!!!

2011-04-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

Nerd Flag is officially out and flying, I warned you :)
Apparently God did not want me to stress about the tornados\ storms and sent me this JUST RELEASED TRAILER FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 Yes all caps was necessary... I've got chills like whoa!

In other good news:

--Took a 2.5 mile walk with baby n today and no knee pain thus far. Yay foam roller.

--After trying to do the right thing and get Bossypants through my library to save money, after finding out I was number 83 on the list, I swiftly went into more debt and bought it a mere few hours after telling myself I could wait my turn. Self Control is obviously not my strong suit. Makes Sense

--Finally, I will officially be on a plane headed for France this time next week. Yikes\Yay!

tuesday cover tune + i hate my it band

2011-04-26T13:30:00.019-04:00

Hello Everyone!!

First off, thank you times a billion for all the support on my last post. It is so terrifying to write about my trauma but I felt so strongly about sharing the beautiful miracle of that story and you all reminded me that it was the right thing to do. So much love here in the blogosphere, it's a beautiful thing :)

In other less important news, what I thought was a case of runners knee is in fact a pretty serious IT Band Injury. Why does a healthy looking 25 year old get a massively painful injury before she's even running 2 miles you ask??
-- Turns out when my weight loss surgeon was on the money when he warned me that if i didn't build muscle mass+eat a bunch of protein after loosing 100 pounds that my body would eat my muscle for protein instead. Gross and a pain in my behind. So after eating some humble pie(maybe one day I will learn that the rules do indeed apply to me) I'm getting myself in gear. I through some joke of the universe got the running bug and i'm damn well going to run. So i'm now ingesting protein shakes that will rebuild my muscle once a day, i've also added a runners's world video of yoga for the it band and have become best friends with the foam roller. The frenchman and I laughed for about 20 minutes when we realized our big friday night in was foam rolling and watching netflix. Thank god we have eachother :)

Have you guys ever had annoying injuries with exercise of any kind? Any tips and\or ways to keep up my sunny disposition?? So far, this week's tuesday cover tune is doing the trick!! Hope you guys enjoy!

My Easter Miracle

2011-04-25T11:12:00.000-04:00

Hope Everyone had a beautiful weekend!! I have a uber personal story to tell today, but it's one the most amazing things that's happened to me and I'm just so full of joy and god's grace that I wanted to share it with all of you.

I mention very infrequently in the blog that I'm a survivor of sexual abuse. For obvious reasons, I have to be very careful how this topic is brought up, but it is a very crucial aspect of this story. So about 6 months ago, I was really struggling with my trauma work and the healing process, especially because my abuser was welcoming a child. I really asked my higher power to help me not loose faith in my belief that love always prevails.

About a day later, I got a text message from my dear friend Jami. She truly is the embodiment of love and kindness. She was so supportive through everything I've been through and more importantly, everything she's been through. Jami & her husband lost a baby a few years ago, he died shortly a week after he was born. Not only that, but her sister and niece died in childbirth a few years before that. Jami was told she would never be able to have children and despite those tragic circumstances, they were trying to keep faith in god's will and looking to adopt.

Back to the text message, it read "Hi! I really hope you're doing well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm about 3 months pregnant" After crying for a good 10 minutes, thanked my god for such a clear sign that he was there. I drove up to see her a few months later and told her this story and how I was so full of joy for her miracle. We cried and it was a beautiful day.

Friday, the sweet little girl was finally born. So I wanted to do a special, out of the ordinary kind of post, to truly thank all that is good in this world and the next and give a very warm welcome to baby ryen.

I can't wait to meet this miracle baby!!

Happy Monday!!!

Getting to Know You + ABC's of Me

2011-04-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

Awhile ago, Christine over at bun&borough posted this Meet and Greet Idea. I've been lucky enough to develop friendships with some you and I try my best to read and comment on everyone's blog, however I thought this idea would be something fun outside the norm, and a cool way for me to get to know everyone a little bit better :)

So please, share whatever you want about yourself here on the blog. Your name, where you live, your blog, favorite thing about the blogosphere, favorite cupcake, favorite hobby, ect. Basically just anything and everything you want to share. As much as I ramble on, I do like to listen too

Since you guys are being awesome and sharing, and since I like to talk about myself, I'm going to do the little ABC's of Mary Nevin exercise:

Age: 25

Bed Size: Queen

Chore You Dislike: unloading the silverware from the dishwasher and yes it's just the silverware that annoys me, weird i know

Dogs: my family has gracey, my tempremental and infamous mini dauschhund. I hope to one day get a puppy, but today is not that day

Essential Start to the Day: French Press Coffee and breakfast with the frenchman

Favorite Color: Purple

Gold or Silver: Silver, my grandmother is always bedazzled out in gold and it's a bit much

Height: 5'9 used to hate it, now i'm a fan

Instruments: I played piano back in the day and have a guitar in the storage unit that I do not play

Job Title: Nanny and aspiring grad student of somekind :)

Kids: nope, baby n is the closest i'd prefer to get to having kids for awhile. i know i'll love being a mom when the time is right, but for now, i'm a much better nanny than mom

Live: Atlanta, Georgia

Mom's Name: Lou Ella, epically southern right?

Nicknames: Getting people to understand that Mary Nevin counts as full name is usually a challenge enough. My dad has a childhood nickname for me and the frenchman has a sweet one as well, but overall nicknames haven't really stuck with me

Overnight Hospital Stays: May of 2004 for 3 days after my weight loss surgery

Pet Peeves: Commercials with the babies that talk in grownup voices or animals that talk in people voices, Homeward Bound is the only exception. I also can't stand it when anyone spits, on a bad day I will tell a complete stranger not to spit on the sidewalk. Tis true

Quote from a Movie: There are a ton of funny ones, but the most moving romantic moment has got to be the end of A Very Long Engagement: "In the sweetness of the air, in the light of the garden, Mathilde looks at him, She Looks at Him... it's an amazing movie, see it asap if you haven't

Righty or Lefty: Righty, I was ambidextrous until my second grade teacher made me choose, I was so nervous that I asked what hand most people wrote with and went with that...still a little miffed I went with the crowd

Siblings: I have a 21 year old sister, she has a double name too

Time you wake up: The Frenchman wakes up at 7:15 and now so do I, if it was my choice? 10

University: Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. It was a small sweet Quaker school. It's really different now but I really met amazing people in my time there and wouldn't change a thing :)

Vegetables you don't like: Cucumbers and non mushed up tomatoes

What makes you run late: genetics..it has to be, my grandmother is always late, my mom is always late and so am i. it could never be that i forget everything or think since i speed i'll have more time or that i forget that i live in the worst driving city in the US?!? yep, must be genetics :)

X-Rays You've Had: I lost count around age 12. Seriously my medical chart looks like War and Peace

Yummy Food You Make: I could do a whole entry on this, my favorites are my fajitas, minestrone, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, scones, pad thai. I definitely want to add to the list

Zoo Animal Favorite: Sea Turtle and Dolphin. They are magical creatures

With that, I'm off to the gym to bike and not run. After having a dramatic day about my freaking IT band ALREADY being messed the hell on up, I have decided to turn my frown around, bust a move and get a foam roller, and pedal my way through my running playlist. Take that forces trying to bring me down!

Hope Everyone is having a beautiful weekend and has a lovely Easter Sunday!!

Friday Etsy Favorites

2011-04-22T09:36:00.000-04:00

Today's Friday Etsy Favorites is the So Fresh & So Clean Edition. There are so many amazing handmade beauty products on the site, I thought it was high time to feature some of my favorites.

All in One Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softner

Lasts for 80 washes and comes in Lavender, Coconut & Citrus Oils and more

These amazing soaps from KcSoapsNmore

All of her soaps are this adorable

This print be so cute in a kids bathroom. Love it

Hope Everyone has a Happy Easter Weekend! I get 2 days off this weekend so mine will definitely be a blissful weekend!! :)

Reasons to Love Running: Boston Marathon Edition

2011-04-21T16:54:00.001-04:00

To my great joy, I am still loving running. Week 3ish and my affection is growing at a rapid pace. I want to start a new feature on the blog, that covers all different types of fitness inspiration. I certainly have never really valued the gift that is my (mostly) healthy body and that's something I want to work to not take for granted. So with the Boston Marathon being last Monday, I thought I would write a few of the reasons that this event is oh so inspirational, no matter what your activity of choice may be.

Scream Tunnel The girls of Wellesley line the road halfway and can be heard from a mile away. They give kisses to the runners and make hilarious signs that include slogans such as Kiss Me, Run Faster, Kiss me I'm Jewish, and I Majored in Kissing. It's pretty amazing

Inspirational Runners
One of the things that I really love about running is what a big community of love and support it offers. In this years Boston Marathon the oh so awesome olympian Kara Goucher came in 5th seven months after giving birth, an 84 year old two time veteran from Atlanta ran, there are hundreds of different charities that people run for, countless obstacles they've overcome. I heard it described as the everyman's everest and there's something really beautiful about it to me. Running is definitely a sport that my non-competitive we are the world self can get behind :)

Speaking of inspiration, I read the most amazing article in Women's Health this month about the importance of Grit. It really inspired me and is definitely worth the read.

Happy Thursday Everyone!!

tuesday cover tune + thank you

2011-04-19T08:12:00.000-04:00

In honor of the awesomeness that was the Boston Marathon, today's Tuesday cover tune is from the amazing duo of Karmin that hail from Boston. Beyond the rapping, they're actually a pretty good band. Now I just have to get over the fact that I've finally encountered someone that could shut my white girl rap skills down. Oh well, onto the next dream :)

This video has become the talk of the town apparently

Thanks so much to everyone for the sweet comments on yesterdays post. We had a low key anniversary, little gifts, new running shoes, and a restful sunday made for a pretty good celebration.

Now onto the gym to test out my amazing new brooks running shoes thanks to the oh so wonderful Cate over at My Running Ambition. Happy Tuesday\Harry Potter Release Day!!!

Time for MN & The Frenchman to Celebrate

2011-04-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today marks the first anniversary of our first date. A story I will have to tell sometime, especially since I cancelled on him twice, forgot my wallet & was 5 min late. The rest is history..thankfully it picked up from there. I love him a lot and hope we get to celebrate many years from here :)

this one was taken saturday and i love it because it shows what dorks we are. happy dorks, but dorks nonetheless :)

skiing in utah

in NOLA

i love us

Hope Everyone is having a beautiful monday!!!

scenes from my weekend

2011-04-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

Baby N at Steeplechase enjoying the Varsity's Frosted Orange, her spoon was forsaken for the deliciousness

We finally put up our ikea chalkboard, also i have a sweet boyfriend who does little things like put up an annoying chalkboard and draw hearts

so in a strange attempt to have some type of job someday, well and just to compare with the lsat. i'm going to take the gmat sometime this fall. so let the studying begin, hopefully i'll look nicer than yesterday's picture

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Weekend Event+ Running Playlist

2011-04-16T08:00:00.012-04:00

What's everyone up to this weekend? So sorry I skipped out on friday etsy favorites this week, the lack of internet, nannying, internship and newfound love of running(which is baffling me as much as you) my time has been limited. Good news though, the internet is restored, so blog life is back on. Hells to the yes.

On this glorious Saturday, The Frenchman, Baby N & I are headed to the Atlanta Steeplechase with my parents+sister. Despite this all day booze fest being an odd place for a sober nanny and her boyfriend to spend the day, I get an excuse to wear a sundress. In addition, I'm hoping baby n will get a kick out of the horses, and it's kind of part of my road to redemption with the parentals. Turns out when I don't ingest a crazy amount of vodka, there are all kinds of events they want me to show up at. One of the few downsides to sobriety. I kid...mostly :)

However, before we take on that epic venture..it's time to go for yet another run. With the increase in running time and decrease in the walking, I needed some inspiration on the playlist. Pretty sure all this itunes mania isn't on the budget for this month, but it's for the greater good?? Despite some of these songs being lame(or awesome), they keep me going. What are some of your favorite workout tunes?

1) The Strokes-Under Cover of Darkness
2) One Republic-Good Life
3) Mike Posner-Please Don't Go
4) Taio Cruz-Higher
5) Glee Cast-Thriller\Heads Will Roll
6) Usher feat Gucci Mane-Spotlight
7) All of the Lights-Kanye West
8) Kesha-Blow ..Kesha and I have a love hate relationship but her "music" does kill all other thoughts in my brain..so when it comes to running..she's a win

Happy Weekend!!
Monday is a special day..can't wait to blog about it

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	Anthropologie

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