Organization

For those of you who don't know me too well, I am a bit of an organization freak.  I like everything to be in it's correct location at all times.  I have my closet organized by colors so it's easy for me to pick out outfits.  I love looking at organization ideas on Pinterest so I can become even MORE organized.  Here are some of the ideas I love...

 This needs to be done to Tyler's closet.  I love how the shoes and books are together on the shelf.  Very masculine.  

I have a new love for bookshelves.  It's a great way to organize books and throw in special touches like pictures, as well.  

If I only had the space for a closet this size...

Sunday Fun Day

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weekend!  We spent yesterday at the dog park with Lilly and my friend Elizabeth's dog, Bailey Rae.  They had a great time.  Afterwards, Tyler and I walked Lilly down the beach.  There were so many people out that you would have thought it was summer!  I'm certainly not complaining.  I got a great picture of Lilly walking Tyler.  I wish I had some of her trying to pull me down the beach.  She is so strong!

I'm spending the day lesson planning, going to the gym, and sorority meetings tonight.  If I get done with time to spare, I might try to walk on the beach.  I feel like Sundays always fly by!

Showtime

Happy Wednesday Y'all!  I don't know about you, but I am exhausted already from this week!  I took a 3 hour nap when I got home from school and I honestly believe I could've slept until tomorrow morning.  I'm taking the Praxis II tomorrow morning at school.  This will help me get licensed to teach in North Carolina.  I hate tests so I'm not looking forward to this tomorrow at all.  Wish me luck!

I haven't told y'all yet, but I am obsessed with the Bachelor.  Every Monday night, girls come over to my house and we watch it.  My favorite this season is Kasey B.  I always root for the southern belles and since she is from Tennessee and has an awesome personality, I quickly fell in love with her.  I think she is adorable and perfect for Ben.  I can't wait until next Monday to see what unfolds.  This past Monday night we all made an appetizer for the show.  I found this quick and easy recipe for cheese and cranberry wraps on Pinterest and decided to try it out.  It was very yummy!

Cheese and Cranberry Wrap


1 pack of cream cheese
1 cup of feta cheese
1 pack of dried cranberries
1/4 cup of green onions
Wraps

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Scoop mixture onto wraps and roll up.  Roll wraps in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.  Slice wraps into bite size pieces and enjoy!

Recently, Kayla and Elizabeth have helped me get hooked on Revenge.  I watched all of the episodes on Hulu in 1 day!  It is unbelievably addicting.  As if I didn't love it enough already, I found out the other day that the pilot was filmed in Wilmington!  It was so ironic because the magazine that Tyler works for, Wrightsville Beach Magazine, did a story on the house that it was filmed in.  Tyler pointed it out to me how similar the house looked to the one in Revenge and you can only imagine my excitement when I found out it was actually filmed there.  Anyways...I'm counting down the minutes until the new episode comes on tonight.

What shows are you enjoying this year?

A Sweet Correspondance

With job interviews and graduation coming up, I've been wanting to order more stationary.  I always feel like I should send a card whenever anything happens.  I love to congratulate people with them and say thank you.  I feel that anytime I interview for a job I should send a thank you card.  I think it's a simple way to say thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and talk about this particular job.  A card can really brighten someones day, too.  I love receiving cards in the mail and I try my best to send them often.  I would like to send them more regularly though.  I have so many wonderful family members and friends who constantly send me cards and I want to make people feel as special as they have made me feel.  

I've been looking at many places to order stationary.  There are so many choices and it is really hard to narrow it down to the perfect stationary to order.  I feel that your stationary should express your style and personality.  I found an amazing website with tons of monogrammed stationary that really expresses mine.  Polka Dot Stationary has an assortment of stationary for every style.  I found "fun" cards that I can send to friends and classy cards that I can send as graduation and interview thank you cards.  You can choose to put your full name, first name, or monogram on it.  Since I am obsessed with everything monogrammed, I will probably get mine monogrammed.

Polka Dot Stationary 

Polka Dot Stationary 

Polka Dot Stationary 

Polka Dot Stationary 

Polka Dot Stationary 

Polka Dot Stationary 

Polka Dot Stationary 

Polka Dot Stationary 

XOXO, April

A Healthy Year

Well..I'm still sick.  The good news is I am finally starting to feel a little better.  I have more medicine now which is helping.  I've enjoyed laying around but I must admit, I am ready to get back in the gym.  Tomorrow will make a week since I've been and I am getting restless.  I hope that I can make it to O2 Fitness to do Body Pump tomorrow.  This has become my favorite class to take.  I love the way I feel after I work out.  One of my new years resolution was to live a healthier life.  Not necessarily lose a certain number of pounds or go to the gym 3 times a week, but simply be healthy.  For the past 3 years I have been extremely busy being involved in Phi Mu and on campus.  It's nice now that I am able to focus on myself a little more than I have in the past.  Going to the gym has really helped me feel better every day.  I actually look forward to going too!  A lot of my friends would probably laugh at me going to the gym to actually work out.  I used to joke freshmen year that I only went to the gym for the social aspect since all of my friends would spend hours there getting fit for spring break and summer.  I would do a few crunches and walk around and chat with everyone while they got in shape.  I must admit, I am starting to look a little toned too.  Nothing that anyone could possibly notice but me but it certainly makes me feel more motivated to go when I see results like I have been seeing.

If you ever happen to lose motivation, here is a little something to help.  It helps motivate me to work out harder and makes me giggle a little :)

Under the Weather

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged the past few days but I have been a little under the weather.  I knew it wouldn't be too long before the kindergartner's got me sick.  I have the WORST immune system.  I have now lost my voice completely... great.  The doctor said that it is just a "winter cold" that lasts 5 weeks.  I'm sure hoping it isn't going to last that long though.  I have a seminar at UNCW during the day tomorrow then it's the weekend.  I am hoping to rest up and relax.

Since I've been sick, it has made me realize all of the things that are necessities for me when I'm feeling under the weather:

1.  Bubble Baths
I love taking baths, and when I'm sick nothing makes me feel better than taking a nice hot bath.  On Tuesday I took 4 baths :)


2.  Movies
I love movies and being sick gives me an excuse to watch them all day long.  Chick-flicks are the best.


3.  Comfy Clothes
I have been living in comfy clothes.  This usually consists of leggings, a tee shirt, and Uggs.  If I have to go anywhere, I usually throw on a hat.  (This is so people won't recognize me when I'm feeling my worst.)


4.  Soup
I've had so much soup recently that I can't even think about having another bowl, but it is the perfect thing to have when you're sick.  My favorite soup is my Mom and Granny's chicken and rice soup.  I have the recipe but didn't feel like making it.  I just stuck with the Campbell's chunky baked potato soup (which is amazing by the way) and tomato soup.

What are some of your necessities when you're sick?

I Adore Long Weekends

Happy MLK Day!  I have spent the day resting in bed since I am starting to get a cold (yuck!), watching Dawson's Creek, lesson planning, and my all time favorite activity- pinning on Pinterest.  I have had a wonderful weekend, minus the whole getting a cold thing.  I tend to appreciate the weekends more now that I am interning during the week. Tyler's band played on Friday night and I went to watch him.  It has been so long since I've seen him play live.  He usually plays his guitar while I'm at his house, which I love.  It's so different when he is with the band though.  He is unbelievably talented and I am by far his biggest fan.

On Saturday Tyler, Lilly, and I took a walk on the beach before it got dark.  I really want to start doing this more often when I get home from school since it is staying lighter for longer.  It gives me time to think and relax.  With all of the huge events I have coming up like job interviews and graduation I am going to need time to relax and get my thoughts in order.

Kevin and Kayla came over to dinner last night and we grilled chicken kabobs.  They were so yummy.  I've been using the grill more than I have in the past.  And by "I", I mean Tyler.  My goal is to grill out at least once a week.  We'll see how that goes.  

This is going to be a short week for me since we didn't have school today.  It also gives me time to devote to Phi Mu since we are about to begin spring recruitment.  Since I have been at UNCW, we have never been able to do spring recruitment.  We increased quota at the end of last year and we have 5 spots available from seniors who graduated early.  I am so excited to welcome these new Phis into our amazing sisterhood.  I have the t shirts designed for bid day and I can't wait to pick them up on Wednesday!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Spring Entertaining

I don't know about y'all, but I am ready for spring to get here.  It's always about this time of the year when I get in the winter funk.  I constantly have a cold or sore throat from the weather changing.  All I can think about is spring coming.  I love spring and all the pastels and flowers.  I've been looking at Pinterest for some fun spring entertaining ideas.  Doesn't all the bright colors just make you happy? :)

Freaky Friday

Happy Friday Y'all!

I realize that today is Friday the 13th and it's supposed to be crazy, but SO FAR I have had a good day.  No surprises just yet.  I have had a wonderful week in my internship.  It was so good to see the kids again.  I'm not going to lie, it was very hard to get up on Wednesday morning at 6AM, but I managed.  Tyler was so sweet that he bought me (and him, of course) a Mr. Coffee Keurig maker.  I'm going to need a cup of coffee in the mornings to get me to wake up.  When I got to school, I went into my classroom to find the cutest desk waiting for me.  My teacher and my assistant teacher had gotten me an adorable little stationary gift set and a supply organizer.  The stationary was animal print and she explained that I was entering the jungle so it was fitting :)  I am beyond excited to have this!  (I feel so official!)

On Fridays we have a fun Friday snack.  The snack usually ties in with the theme of the week.  This past week our theme was snowmen so it was only fitting that we would make a snowman for our fun snack.  I had seen this on Pinterest so I was so excited when I found out the students were doing this today.

Melting Snowman


Half of a gram cracker
1 tub of white icing
2 packs of marshmallows
Pack of Rolls
M&Ms
Mini Chocolate Chips
Gel Icing (Any color)

1. Start with half of a gram cracker.  Melt the tub of icing in the microwave and spread on the gram cracker.

2. Place marshmallows in the microwave until they start to expand.  Place 1 marshmallow at the top of the gram cracker and push down on it to give it the melting effect.

3.  Place the Rolo candy on the marshmallow for the hat.

4.  Make eyes, a nose, and a mouth out of the mini chocolate chips.  Use the M&Ms for the buttons.

5.  For the scarf, put a line of gel icing where the marshmallow meets the gram cracker.

6. ENJOY!

By the way, Tyler found out tonight he has been accepted into his first law school!  I couldn't be more proud of him.  He has been accepted to Belmont in Nashville, Tennessee.  I can't wait to hear all of the other schools he gets accepted to.

Enjoy your Friday night!

Teaching Fashion

Tomorrow is my first day of my student internship and I am trilled to see my kindergartners.  I haven't seen them since before Thanksgiving and I have missed their smiling faces very much.  As I was packing my lunch and picking out my clothes for tomorrow, I couldn't help but think about how fashionable teachers dress now.  I love the fact that the teachers at my school dress to impress all the time.  It makes picking out my outfits every day exciting.  Here are some of the cute "teacher" outfits that I love.

   

J Crew cardigans are a must for teachers

When teaching, I try to always stick to wearing flats.  A lot of teachers wear heals everyday but this girl can't handle walking around in them all day long so I stick to flats. 

Now lets talk food.  We eat lunch at 10:40.  I know that this sounds a little early to most, but by 10:00 I am starving.  I have been reading lots of blogs about how to make cute lunches for your kids.  I am going to try to blog about the lunch ideas I do each week.  For tomorrow I have half of a chicken salad sandwich from Sweet and Savory today, chips, carrots, and a peanut butter chewy bar (my favorite!). Did you notice my lunch bag?  I have used this lunch bag so much.  It comes in handy when packing breakfast, lunch, and a snack for school.  

Well I'm off to bed.  Wish me luck tomorrow! 

Beautiful Weekend in Wrightsville Beach

I hope everyone has enjoyed this wonderful weekend full of warm weather.  It has been beautiful in Wrightsville Beach.  Sara came to visit Friday night and we had so much fun.  On Saturday, we slept in and Sara, Elizabeth, and I went to eat at Sweet and Savory for lunch.  It was delicious, as always.  We spent the afternoon sitting on our porch, enjoying the view and the warm weather.

Driving across the bridge to my house made me think about how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful beach town.  This view could never get old to me.  If you haven't visited Wrightsville Beach, I suggest doing so.  It is such a beautiful town to relax in.  

Last night, we had friends over and grilled steaks.  It was such a relaxing and fun night spent with friends.  The steak was delicious.  We marinated it in equal parts of Italian dressing and Dale's Steak seasoning.  I made oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies after dinner for everyone to eat while we watched football.  

Did y'all notice the cute chevron plates that I have?  I found them at Target on Friday when I went into the store to just "grab a few things".  This is so typical of me to buy.  I love buying plates, bowls, and cups.  I have been trying to do better about buying these things but I couldn't pass up these though.  It was such a great deal and I am in love with them.  I also got a matching chevron dish towel to go with them.  

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their Sunday! 

Such a Great Day

Hey Y'all!
I hope everyone had a great day today. I had a wonderful day despite having to pay my rent, get my car inspected, and buy new tires (with the help of my dad-thank goodness). Tyler and I had a yummy dinner tonight at The Bento Box an got 3 sushi rolls. The Bento Box has some of the best sushi in Wilmington. If you haven't been there yet, I really suggest going. After we ate we walked through Barnes and Nobles. We love walking through there after dinner to look at all the books. We just finished watching the movie Midnight in Paris. I must say that I enjoyed it a lot more than what I had expected. Tyler loved it, of course. He loves Hemingway and Fitzgerald so the movie was like a dream for him.

I'm looking forward to my last weekend before I have to start student teaching. I'm going to try to start waking up earlier tomorrow to try to get back in the swing of things so 6AM won't kill me on Wednesday. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Redecorating Obsession

It isn't a secret that I love to decorate.  If I was able to, I would constantly be redecorating my house.  Since I don't have the time or the money to do that right now as a college student in her last semester of school, I have decided to start brainstorming ideas of ways to decorate once I have to move out of my beach house in May.  I'm not quite sure where I am going to be living yet, but at least I will have the decorating plans together.  I'm a bit of a planner, so I like to have things together as much as possible.

One of my new obsessions is chevron.  I would love to incorporate this into my house once I redecorate.

I am absolutely obsessed with this dinning room.  I plan on recreating my dinning room based on this.  I think the chevron rug as a fun touch!