Adios, amigos!

And we're off!  By the time you read this I'll be on a plane heading south (hopefully! a snowstorm is threatening to delay us).  These are actual photos from our condo we've rented and I ABSOLUTELY cannot wait to be on that balcony looking at that view!

Have a wonderful week, friends!  I'll do my best to take lots of pictures, but I may just end up taking it easy.  Yeah, probably that. 

Outfit Tuesdays...on Wednesday: To the Beach.

To the Beach I Go. by justagirlandherstuff featuring ankle wrap sandals

This is what I shall be wearing in three days, folks.  Three days!  

[I couldn't help but add the blended drink.]

Shady Lady.

Hey, shady lady, you so pretty.  I already have two pairs of sunglasses all ready to go for Puerto Rico (I apologize, I will be talking about it endlessly), but if I didn't -- these pretties would be mine!  Aren't they killer?

What do you think about the shades I actually purchased?

I'm currently sitting here with kleenex shoved up my nostrils because I have to stop wiping my noise before I rub the skin raw.  [Nice visual, huh?]  But I keep sneezing and ruining the whole set-up.  I so rarely get sick and I managed to come down with a wicked cold six days before I leave for vacation.  Awesome!

You know what?  Ain't nothin gonna hold me down. 

________________________________

In other news, it's my oldest friend's 30th birthday today!!  Everyone, all together now, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDREA!"

I met Andrea when I was a wee little fifteen year old while we were both in our high school's drama class.  We became fast friends and fourteen years later I can't imagine my life without her.  She's such a constant source of strength in my life and one of those friends that I know I will have forever. 

Remember that time you rolled out of the car YOU WERE DRIVING because a spider fell in front of your face??  Remember when we broke back into Best Buy to give that cute guy both of our phone numbers?  Remember when we basically watched some dude rob your neighbors and didn't do anything about it because we thought it'd be racist?  Or that night we painted that apartment?  Or that guy that kept talking about DaNILE not just being a river in Egypt?  New Year's Eve in New York City?  Driving down 141 to go to Fellini's and thinking that was a major get-away?  I.C.E?  The Hardee's parking lot in Charleston?  A cold library of ice?   T.G.I.Fridays and that very first night at the movie theatre?  Rewinding that She's So High cassette tape countless times and dancing?  Seeing Ms. Reeves on the side of the rode... and simply waving?  Smith, Smith, Smith, Smith?  Drew Barrymore?  Too many road trips they all blend together?  Boomboxes and hanging speakers around your neck?  That pretty blue Volvo?  And, best of all, all the tears and stories and laughter?

Thank you so much for being such a great friend; I'm very lucky and blessed to have you in my life.  You're more than a friend, you're family.   

Puerto Rico!!

Soooo, I told you I'm going to Puerto Rico, yes?  My girlfriends and I are taking a winter get-away to warm and sandy Isla Verde and I COULD NOT be more excited.  I'm ridiculously giddy.  Ridiculously.  Giddy.

We have a lot of fun things planned: laying on the beach, going to Old San Juan, laying on the beach, blending some drinks, laying on the beach, dancing the night away, laying on the beach, a trip to the rainforest and quite possibly the bioluminescent bays.  Eeeeeeeee!!

I've purchased sandals and sunglasses and hats, oh my.  A beach towel, cover-ups, a bathing suit, and tote.  I seriously might need a Puerto Rico intervention.

I've even started tanning (yikes!).  Now, hear me out, I'm the fairest lady of them all and I burn at the drop of a hat.  Five full days in a sunny locale could be my worst nightmare, so I'm trying to be proactive by getting some sort of base started to prevent scorching my skin on the first day and being miserable the rest of the trip.  Yes, I wear sunscreen.  And yes, I feel super ridiculous walking into a tanning salon.

Have any of you ever been to Puerto Rico??  Do you have fun suggestions/recommendations?  I'd love some first-hand accounts!

ps I purchased the new(!) Sweet Valley High book (Sweet Valley Confidential) to read on the beach.  They're now 27 and no longer speaking... of course.  I think Jessica slept with Todd or something.  Of course!  Do you have other beach read recommendations?

Frugal Outfit Tuesdays: Regularly Scheduled Programming.

Regularly Scheduled Programming. by justagirlandherstuff featuring a thigh high hosiery

Wow.  I really disappeared on you guys last week, didn't I?  Sorry 'bout that!  Frankly, I needed the break because I've been feeling quite uninspired lately and was hoping the time off would regenerate me.  We'll see if it did the trick.

In the meantime, I threw this little diddy together for y'all.  


I hope you all had very merry holidays!  I spent some lovely time with family and friends, and managed to never put on a coat once in Georgia.  It was incredible.  Pluuuuuuss, Santa brought me an iPad which means I was apparently a good girl this year.  I haven't managed to put it down since.  Let me tell you, flights go a lot faster when you have Downton Abbey to keep you company.

How did the holidays treat all of you?  

Paradise City.

Y'all!  My trip was relaxing and beautiful, and everything I hoped it would be.  Seriously, look at it!

The water was such a beautiful green-blue (not properly captured by my iPhone, of course).  The weather was perfect in the 70s, but the water remained too cold except for the crazies -- aka the kids and their devoted father.  I don't know how they did it!  Especially after the jellyfish we saw.

The sunsets were a sight to see.  That, and the bike ride with all eight of us.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture of that.  We played cards, tossed the football around (who knew my sister threw such a hard spiral?!), drank wine, and watched Charlie Brown.  It was magical.  Also: We are not the Cleavers, I promise.

  The sand was so white!  The whitest I've ever seen in person.  It was amazing how fast the temperature would drop once the sun went down and the sand would become shockingly cold.  Non sequitur: we saw two dolphins!

On the last night we celebrated my birthday (it's this Thursday) and Bronson was very excited about the birthday cake.  He made sure to tell me to make a wish, but NOT say it out loud =)

 I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

I had planned on popping in last Thursday with an "I'm Grateful" post, but the house didn't have wifi, so my laptop became a stowaway.  Thanks for enduring the silence.

I do want you to know that I am very grateful for all of you.  Very grateful!

Leaving on a Jet Plane.

If the pinner was correct, this is where I will be this week.  I CANNOT WAIT!  By the time you read this, I'll be on a plane impatiently counting the hours until I arrive.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving, friends!  I hope you're able to spend it with family and friends and eat as much mashed potatoes as possible.  (They've always been my favorite.  I told the kids that I get half of them and everyone else gets to split the other half.  They think I'm kidding.) 

Catch you on the flipside, yo. 

Holiday! Celebrate!

I think Buster needs a Christmas present.  It's a Buddy the Elf hat!

Happy Friday, friends!  I'm very excited this week is over becausszzzzzzzz I am TAKING THE ENTIRE WEEK OFF next week!!  EEEEeeeee.  Think of me fondly while I'm basking in the warmth of Florida next week.  I'm so supah excited. 

What are your Thanksgiving plans?  We'll be making Thanksgiving dinner in a rental house, so send us good vibes for decent utensils and pots/pans.  Thankfully my parents will be able to drive there, so most important goods can come with them.  Like nine bottles of wine. 

Please excuse my absence next week while I take it easy.  Oh so easy. 

In the meantime, Friday Links:

• The weather forecast for my trip next week (simply because I want to brag).
• This creamy avocado pasta is quite possibly the easiest/fastest dinner I've ever made. 
• These boots are so casually rocker awesome and I want, want, want them. 
• Want some Christmas inspiration?  Next week IS the official start of the season.
• A hilarious yet spot-on description of the constant prejudices that still show up ALL THE TIME in our movies. 
• Oh my god!  This is my life, but only in better words. 
• A jaw-dropping article regarding animals and suicide.  (Also: Have I told you I'm terrified of whales?)
• A classy leather alternative to the ubiquitous Longchamp bag. 

I'm on Vacation!

Happy Friday, friends!  I'm off to the North Shore tomorrow, not to be confused with the Jersey Shore.  VERRRRRY different things.  I'm soo excited! 

If you didn't get all the way through yesterday's post: I managed to pre-post for next week, so there is no need to worry your pretty heads... because I'm sure that's something that you'd REALLY worry about.  Right. 

I'm three quarters packed already!  I just need to add the toiletries/make-up/chargers and other last minute details and then I'm all good to go.  I. Can't. Believe. It.  I'm actually not only prepared for this one, but prepared early.  That's it, the world is going to end. 

What are you guys up to this weekend??  I hope it's fun and full of frolic.  I'll miss your little non-faces next week!

Catch ya on the flip side, yo.   

image via pinterest

All My Bags are Packed.

I'm ready to... wait.  My bags aren't packed AT ALL!

If you've been following this blog long enough you know that I am a terrible procrastinator when it comes to packing and things of the sort.

Well, to be honest, I don't actually leave until bright and early Saturday morning (an 8 am flight might just be the death of me!), but I've already pushed off my tentatively planned (read: falsely concocted in my head) schedule for the week.  There is laundry and cleaning and packing, OH MY.  Fast forward to me frantically doing it all at 2:00 am Friday night/Saturday morning.

NO!  It will not happen that way (I accidentally forgot to type "not" the first time I wrote it -- foreshadowing much?), I tell you.  It will not.  Wish me luck, friends!

All of this is to say that I am GOING ON VACATION!  Halleluiah.  You see, my momma retired this year and as a celebration a cabin has been rented on the North Shore of Minnesota.  Last time I was there I was eight years old!  I'm looking forward to kicking back, relaxing, and even making friends with a canoe.

But, you see, that's where it gets difficult... for me and you.  I've made the gulp-inducing decision to leave my laptop behind.  I figured the fresh air would be immediately negated by my crippling need to plug in.  Soooooooo, I am leaving you without posts next week for I am neither prepared enough to pre-blog**, nor savvy enough to procure guest bloggers for you.  Ack!  I hope you can forgive me.

I promise to regale you with stories of chipmunks and deer and skipping rocks upon my return! 

What?  No takers?

**UPDATE: It appears I AM prepared enough to pre-blog!  If by prepared enough I mean procratinating more on the packing front.  However, for YOU that means you can check in next week, the Ghost of the Blogging Future will be sending posts your way. 

image credit: Garance Dore via pinterest

Merry Christmas!

Merry post-Christmas, friends!!  Sorry I've been so MIA.  I have no excuse other than I've been hanging out with family and eating and drinking and watching a ton of Glee.  This makes it all quite difficult to blog.

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday!  And all of your Christmas wishes, or non-Christmas wishes, came true!!

I thought I'd take you through my holiday so far.  Above you'll see my mom decorating the Christmas tree.  To be totally honest, this was actually taken during Thanksgiving, but I thought it was an appropriate start.  It's not finished at the point the picture was taken, but it sure does look purty.  If I say so myself. 

The Wednesday before Christmas I packed everything up, including Buster, and made my way through security at the airport.  He was such a trouper and made it through the flight without even a peep!  Now he is the king of the castle at my parents' house, which is much larger than my apartment; he's going to be a sad cat when I bring him home to my tiny abode.  I was so worried he was going to be terrified and, my god, he's more comfortable than I am!  

I found a new talent in decorating Christmas cookies.  I had no idea I would be so good!  Ha.  But really, the picture doesn't do them justice and that's only half of my masterpiece.  I'm a regular Martha Stewart.  

On Christmas Day it decided to snow.  In Georgia!  Not only did it snow, but it stuck and it was the first measurable White Christmas in Georgia since 1882.  For reals.  It's two days later and there is still snow on the ground.  (This picture was taken during the process, more snow was to be had.) 

THEN... Santa brought me a vintage fur coat*!!  I've obviously been a good girl this year.  Please forgive the lame picture, and my brother's cameo in the background, but do know that it is AWESOME and it is mine.

How were all of your holidays?  Or if you don't celebrate Christmas, how was your vacation?

*I'm sorry for those of you who find wearing fur abhorrent.  It's vintage, and I make my peace with that.    

Vacation!

I am officially on vacation!  Until January 4th!  That's what happens when you hoard your PTO for Christmas.  Today I will be flying to Atlanta with my cat in tow.  Buster's still not back to healthy and not really eating, so I didn't think I'd be able to make it ten days all while worrying about him.  SO the cat is coming on the plane.  Wish us luck!  It'll be an experience, to say the least.

I should warn you that posting will be light and unstructured.  I don't really have a plan, but I will be bringing my laptop with me.  I'm sure I'll have a lot of family and friends time that'll keep me away from the internets, but I'll try to be around as much as I can. 

You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook to be in the know when a post goes down.  We all like to be in the know, right?

Until then have a good week and a very Merry Christmas!!

photo via Lisa Golightly    

I want be here right now.

Lovely, yes?

ps I'm going to see Black Swan tonight! 

photo source:  Mi Confesion