Daily Nonsense and Things I Heart

Rise and shine dear friends!! It's Thursday {technically my Friday since we're leaving bright and early to head to Georgia} and I woke up extra chipper for some reason... although I do believe it may have something to do with the coffee I consumed when I arrived at work.

Are you as shocked as I am that today is the last day of September? This year has flown by at warp speed and I can't believe we're approaching the true fall months of fall followed by the holidays--be still my heart as I am so excited to decorate and cook and shop for presents for friends and family.
What I'm currently loving:

1. How I am totally going to meet my running goal for 2010-- gotta run 56 miles each month for the next 3 months, but I will reach my goal of running 600 miles... so close, yet so far away!!!

2. These adorable envelopes to carry your cash for certain items--groceries, gas, entertainment, etc.--thanks Design A-Peele

3. Browsing home decor and design inspiration at some of my favorite blogs/sites: Coco + Kelley, Pepper Design Blog, High-Heeled Foot in the Door, The Decorista, Belle Maison, and Design*Sponge

4. This Mary Poppins Jolly Holiday party theme over at Divine Party Concepts

5. This recipe for oven baked Peanut Butter Smores via Eat at Home

6. The fact that even though my work has blocked Pandora, I can still listen to music courtesy of Yahoo Radio... and the oldies station is so much fun!

7. A night full of brand new TV shows: bring on My Generation, Grey's, and Jersey Shore

Have a GREAT weekend friends... I promise to take loads of pictures on our fun adventure and tell you all about it come Monday morning! And crossing my fingers for a miraculous win over those LSU Tigers on Saturday too!!

Wild for Wednesday

As I have nothing too substantial to report this week for the wedding, I thought I would take a bit of time to focus on a few other things... random things I feel like mentioning and answering some questions from some fantastic readers!
1. Skinny Girl margaritas are the greatest concoction ever invented... this allows me to have my girly cocktails without jeopardizing my hours of dedicated time at the gym
2. Reader Question: What is your favorite nail color for fall?? Right now, I am donning Essie's Chinchilly gray-ish color and I love it--perfect shade for the fall transition, although I equally love OPI's Ski til We Drop and Chocolate Moose

3. A bunch of us are gathering together next Friday night to explore the Bell Witch Tour here in Nashville and I couldn't be happier... I LOVE everything about Halloween!!!

4. This weekend, Jeff and I are getting a couple's massage at the Georgia resort we're visiting and I couldn't be more thrilled--my muscles have been aching and a deep tissue massage is JUST what the doctor ordered

5. With discussions all over town about what stores could potentially be entering Music City, I can't help but wish Ikea and H&M would answer our prayers and open stores in my beloved hometown

6. Reader Question: What are some of your favorite sites/blogs for recipes? On my blog, I feature a number of YUMMY blogs, but I frequently rely on the likes of Our Best Bites, Recipe Girl, Paula Deen, and Kraft Foods.... which reminds me, next week I have some pretty fantabulous meals planned: Classic Italian Lasagna, Chicken Enchiladas, Homemade Pizzas, and Texas Style Chili are all on the menu... so lots of recipes sure to come your way ASAP!

7. Oh OK, a tad bit of wedding news: Yesterday, I received the envelopes for our STD's and am starting to address!!! I CANNOT WAIT to send them out next month... and I promise to post them here {I know, teaser, right??}--only 264 days to go!!

8. Reader Question: How did you begin blogging? How did you get people to read? Do you have any tips? First of all, when I began blogging back in April 2008, I never dreamed anyone would actually care to read what I had to say {without the exception of a few of my friends}. With that being said, I started blogging for ME... as a way to document my life and everything in it. The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between--I think we all get so caught up in our hectic lives that we take for granted just what all we get to experience and this was intended to be sort of a "digital scrapbook" with events, happenings, thoughts, etc. Fast forward 2.5 years, and my blog has changed direction a bit, as I now focus more on wedding planning, entertaining, decorating my home, keeping myself in shape, cooking, and all the fun happenings taking place {still I'm not quite sure why people read--haha!} but I want to make sure I always aim to please myself and hope to help others along the way, too. To make a long story short, write about what YOU love and if people want to read, they will... plus, I think it's fun to read blogs you find amusing/entertaining/uplifting/educational/etc. so you can step outside your life a bit, and see other people's journeys, too!

9. And just because, I think we all need a little mid-week quote inspiration:

Tuesday: Top 2 {Songs} and Fitness Time

Tuesday, my my my--you always seem to make me happier than Mondays... another installment of Taylor's Top 2 has me singing at my desk--sorry fellow hall work dwellers--although I think they have adjusted to my musical tendencies quite awhile ago...

Top 2 Favorite Songs

1. Wish You Were Here by Incubus--this is my go-to need energy song...nothing makes me happier than listening to some Brandon Boyd!

2. Lovestoned by Justin Timberlake--and how could you not love this man??? He's a TN native, extremely easy on the eyes, and he can serenade me anyday--this song has a fast beat and then switches to slow... perfect for my running workouts!!

And in other news, I am going to make a conscience effort to get back into my regular Tuesday workout/running/exercise/health posts... someone {and I do mean me} has been indulging in some goodies on the weekends here lately and I want to make sure my Monday through Friday eating and exercise habits are carrying me through to keep me balanced... plus, I hope these tips and tricks can help some of you!

First things first, for a girl has to snack: via Women's Health magazine, here is a list of filling low calorie goodies when you need something to carry you through to your next meal:

{P.S. these are right at 100 calories each, too so you dont need to feel guilty!}

2 pieces light string cheese, like Sargento OR 3 wedges Light Laughing Cow cheese

14 walnut halves OR 50 raisins

4 oz. non-fat cottage cheese

6 oz. non-fat yogurt, like Dannon Light n Fit OR Jello fat free pudding cup

15 almonds OR 10 cashews

1 junior Caribou Coffee Iced Latte

1 Tbsp reduced fat peanut butter and 5 small celery sticks

3 Tbsp hummus and 8 baby carrots

15 grapes and 1 packet Swiss Miss Fat Free Hot Chocolate

1 large apple OR 1 small banana OR 1 medium orange OR 1 medium pear

2 cups strawberries OR 1 cup blueberries

Half an apple spread with 2 tsp peanut butter

26 grapes OR 1 cup of mango slices
1 hard-boiled egg OR 1 cup low cal soup

Small baked apple

½ cup lemon sorbet and ¼ cup blueberries

15 strawberries dipped in ¼ cup cool whip lite

45 steamed edamame OR 20 medium sized cherry tomatoes, dip in zero cal dressing

½ cup non-fat frozen yogurt OR 1 fudgsicle

Fall Fashion 2010

Yes, since I raided out my closet a few weeks ago and did a blog sale, I made room for some new pieces to add to my closet... being the savvy fashionista I am--yes, I am ALWAYS looking for a great sale--I stumbled across a few lovelies these past few weeks AND managed to impress the fiance with just how much I can get with only a minor {well, what I think is minor} amount spent.

Long Sleeve Orange Top via Loft

Shimmery Slub Jacquard Skirt via Loft

Striped Boat Neck Tee via Old Navy

Corduroy Bell Skirt via Old Navy

White Long Sleeve Basic Tee via Old Navy

Heather Gray Pullover Sweater via Forever21

Double Breasted Navy Coat via Forever21

{this isn't mine exactly, but its very similar}

Black Bell Skirt via Old Navy

Toggle  Crop Sweater via Old Navy

Brown Mini Cord Skirt via Old Navy

Breton Stripes Dress via Francesca's

And 2 other adorable dresses from Francesca's, though I can't show because they're not online--boo!! Why do they do that to me??? Not to mention I found the most divine tall cognac colored boots...

In addition, I'm busy cleaning our my scarf trunk to make way for some new wrap-arounds {thank you Candice!}, and am officially on the prowl for leggings, sweaters, and tunics--all the essentials for a warm and comfy fall... and finally, the weather has started to cooperate and drop down a bit so I can break out these new finds!!

Relax. Rinse. Repeat

It happened peeps... I officially feel old.

Let me fill you in on how I stumbled to this realization: so 8 of us travel to Bloomington, Indiana, this weekend to attend our friend Jamie's wedding--we arrive late Friday night, head out to IU bars to get our "local fix", indulge in late night pizza, rise and shine bright and early Saturday to get out on the lake and have some adult beverages, go to the wedding, dance and drink like crazy at the reception, and then manage to get home yesterday after some horrid traffic... and now, my body feels like it's going to crumble into 1,000 pieces.

Yes, that's about it--my word we just can't keep up the pace like we used to, though we sure like ot try! I know, I know enough complaining--I can't help but be so thankful for the opportunity to continuously get to share in so many friends' weddings and them embarking on new married life... I just love every second of it!

Now here's the proof:

 Horrid Picture of Me and the Boy

Me and My Jules

Inappropriateness Early On in the Night

 Meg, Jules, and Me during Cocktail Hour--I was SO burnt from the lake =(

Once we got back into Nashville yesterday, Jeff and I headed to meet the parents at PF Changs, fresh from their trip to Greece--they had an incredible time, spoiled us with some WONDERFUL presents {especially my new coffee table book, olive wood salad tongs, and handmade lace linens} and I am so thankful they had a fun time, but managed to make it home safely!
And what about this morning when I woke up to 56 degrees and cloudy?? WOW, I do believe fall is officially here!! Bring on the sweaters and boots--haha, and that post is next to come =)

Fall is Here and it's Friday

Cheers friends! We made it to another Friday!! This week has been hectic to say the least, with work, getting ready for this weekend, more registering {wow that is exhausting!}, and the arrival of my friend Jennifer’s brand new baby boy Bryce. Her sweetheart of a daughter, Madeline, is our flower girl and they just welcomed a new bundle of joy to their family. We went and saw him at the hospital yesterday and he is too cute for words—see pics below:

In other news, are you all enjoying this new premiere week with the fall lineup??? All of these new shows popping up on the screens each night is really bad for my “trying to not watch so much TV” goal! Let’s see what our household’s weekly must-see TV is shaping up to look like:

Sunday: Boardwalk Empire—HBO… this is the next Sopranos and we’re already hooked, then at 9 we’ll be tuning in to Brothers and Sisters on ABC
Monday: Nada—impressive, right??? this is when I can focus on other chores and whatnot
Tuesday: I LOVE me some Flipping Out on Bravo and then I switch to MTV for Teen Mom—pathetic I know
Wednesday: Modern Family—hands down, BEST comedy on TV
Thursday: My Generation—new on ABC and I loved it; Grey’s Anatomy—oh how I missed you during the summer; Jersey Shore—yes, our junk TV that we can’t seem to get enough of {obviously this is the night we dedicate 3 full hours to TV}
Friday: that’s a joke, we’re never home
Saturday: foottball and more football

This afternoon, we’re packing up the car and heading to Bloomington, Indiana, for the weekend to watch Ms. Jamie marry her wonderful fiancé Eric. Hands down, they are the cutest couple I have ever seen and you can see how much they love each other whenever they’re in the same room. A lot of us are excited because we’ve never ventured to IU’s campus before so we’re in for some fun, as they are getting married on campus during the IU/Purdue game—yay!! Congrats Jamie and Eric—we love you both and can’t wait to celebrate with you!

The Happy Couple --Eric in full dance pose and Jamie looking gorgeous as always

Me and Jamie at Meg's Wedding!

After the wedding festivities wrap up on Sunday, we head back to Nashville just in time to welcome back some of my favorite worldly travelers… my parents!! They get home from their 2 week vacation from Greece tomorrow and I can’t wait to see and hear all about it. I was able to talk to them every few days and they had perfect weather, incredible food and drink, and met some new found friends—Jeff and I are VERY anxious to see them!

Happy 1st weekend of fall friends...enjoy some wonderful weather and have fun!!! P.S. for friends running in the women's 1/2 tomorrow--Jacqueline and Jenn--good luck!! I know you'll rock it!!

Halloween.. Etsy Style

On the lookout for some fabulous {yet inexpensive} Halloween decor for the house?? Check out some of these adorable accent pieces for the ghouls and goblins in your home... perfect for entertaining and Halloween get-togethers to celebrate fall!

Trick or Treat Blocks

Boo Blocks

Jack O'Lantern Berry Wreath

Decorative Fall Pumpkin

And, just in case you decide to host a little haunted soiree of your very own, here are some adorable party accessories to cast a spell on all your guests:

Vintage Halloween Party Invitations

Happy Halloween Party Banner

I Dare You Cupcake Toppers

Trick of Treat Metal Tub

Printable Halloween Spirit Labels

Just the other night I brought out our fall/Halloween decor--I haven't had the chance to purchase much this year since we're focusing on other big ticket items {haha--story of my life!}, but I found some great little knick-knacks at Homegoods, Hobby Lobby, and other crafty places around town.. take a peek!

Close-up of the Mantle

I Love This Pumpkin for our Front Door!

Wedding Wednesday... Engagement Pictures!

Without further adieu, I am ecstatic to share some of our beloved engagement shots with all of you... Chris and Adrienne Scott, our uber fabulous photography team, met us out at the local winery, Arrington Vineyards, for an early evening/sunset shoot and I loved the end result--and sorry to disappoint, but you'll have to wait to see the image we used for our wonderful save-the-dates which will be going out next month!!

All of this is now suddenly starting to feel VERY real and I am so excited!!!