weekend blues

Monday. Back so soon. 

The beginning of the week seems so much more difficult when you have a really good weekend. 

This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous and a much needed re-charge. Izzy and I somewhat spur of the moment packed up and headed to her house in Virginia Beach after work. I get off on Friday's typically at 2 o'clock so we got to head out of Richmond fairly early. 

I love summer and I haven't really been able to enjoy it the way I have become accustomed to, thank you being an adult. This was my first trip to the beach this year and it was amazing to be able to spend the entire weekend by the water soaking up a little sunshine. 

I came home a little too burnt and with sand in my bags. Saltwater really does your soul good.

We got up Saturday and spent the morning pretty leisurely, heading to the beach around noon. 

Lets just say that SPF 15 does not cut it when you haven't been in the sun more than 5 times. Lesson learned.

I love going home with Iz, her family is amazing. They truly make you feel like you are one of theirs and I adore each and everyone of them.  

 

We got up a lot earlier than I usually do on a Sunday morning but the breakfast we ate in exchange was oh so worth it. 

After breakfast we headed home for some couch naps and a morning Bravo marathon. Packing up a little later and heading over to The Narrows for a little sun and floating. Exactly how Sunday should be spent in my opinion.  

Thank you for having me Folmers, it was a blast as always! 

Thursday: The day you celebrate Friday. 

We have to stop celebrating Friday, it is making my jeans a little tighter. 2 for 3 cake gets us way too frequently. Fabulous as it typically is. 

Monday. When the entire office floods.

I spent some time with my family tonight, much needed and extremely refreshing. On my way back after a pit stop for an oil change that was a little more overdue than I care to admit (sorry Dad) I stopped at Wegmans, for the first time. 

Talk about overwhelming.  I'm slightly obsessed and I have a slight hatred for this place. You literally need around 3 hours to look at everything. Crazy town to say the least but I'll be going back.

Happy Monday y'all!!

Life: August Edition.

It has been hot around here, super hot recently. 

I'm a summer girl, it runs through my blood and I long for this heat through our nasty winters. But come the end of August I'm ready for cooler days, different outfit rotations, and a little relief. Well, I've gotten to that point and I might have gotten pumpkin candles/soap this week. 

I'm sure I'll be regretting my words come December but for now I'm ready for a little October around here. 

___________

I took the long way home last week and I drove by my high school.  Boy how I miss that place, I honestly think it is really hard to describe the experience of going to an all girls school unless you live it. Trust me, I've heard all the jokes but I made some amazing friends and had a great 4 years there. Plus it is a pretty beautiful place, love to all of my lilac & black girls always.

Even though I moved in the beginning of August I have tried to be conscious about stopping by my house and seeing my Grandpa. I honestly really love seeing Gertrude too and it only around 10 minutes from my work, all good reasons in my opinion

Things have obviously changed since I moved out, this girl was never allowed on the furniture. 

Last week my work team went out to a baseball game downtown and we had a really good time. I'm fortunate enough to have found a place where I adore the people that I get to work with, it makes the days go by faster and adulting a little more fun.

Shyndigz. 

If you haven't been get in your car and go. I have a sweet tooth, always have, and it is bad. The third Thursday of each month it is buy two get one free. Natalie and I ate cake for days after this. 

My pants were a little tighter on Thursday. Worth it. 

I've been to more Richmond baseball games in the past two weeks than I have in my entire time living here. 

We headed back for another game this Friday for the Sigma Kappa Richmond Alumnae chapter and it was also a blast. It was so good to see some of my very favorite people as I don't get to see them nearly enough. I knew that Sigma Kappa was going to be something that I missed the most about college so it is nice to have a little piece of it at home. 

This girl heads back to class tomorrow!! 

Happy early last first day of classes Ash! I'll be thinking about you in the morning when I head to work, soak it up and love it all you'll be heading to work before you know it!

I might have lost my mind. 

I was running a lot towards the end of the Spring semester, around 25-30 miles a week. I had gotten in a groove and was on a schedule, I felt better, I had more energy, and I started to actually enjoy it. 

I got off track after Ireland/graduation/work but I've started up and gotten on a schedule again. I bit the bullet and signed up for Richmond's half marathon which is on November 12th this year. I'm sure I'll be regretting this come soon but I suppose all I can do is embrace it now!

82 days y'all.

Go sign up J.Derr, I know you read this on occasion!

xo

Dear Senior Year

I would be a liar if I said that the nostalgia isn't pretty strong right now. 

My newsfeed is filled with people packing up and heading back to college, Farmville in particular. 

I'm jealous. Like really really jealous. You have no idea. 

I love this new chapter of my life, I love it a lot but it is so very different, I'm embracing it as I know I cannot rewind time but I'm still longing for 9 more months of freedom that so many of my friends have. 

So. 

_______

To those who are returning to their senior year, 

These are about to be the best 9 months of your life, you just don't know it yet. Get ready for some of the best times, the best memories, and the very best days. 

The months go by fast like in the blink of an eye, before you can even think about it all closing it will be May. So soak it up, take in those little moments. The drives to Sheetz on Sunday mornings, lounging on the couch in your sweatpants, the snow days, those Farmville sunsets, Walmart adventures, the Cookout drive thru, and of course the former 202. Love them all and hold them close to your heart, they are what you are going to miss the most. 

Remember to not sweat the little things, enjoy the little things instead. You have no idea how amazing it is to have all of your favorite people in one place at the same time. Go out on Thursdays even if you don't want to, you will survive. Go out on Friday and Saturday too. 

Love it all and and do as many things as you can, as before you know it you will be walking across that stage. 

I wish all of my very favorite people an amazing year as everyone heads backs. 

And in honor, a little walk down memory lane. 

 

birthdays & making moves

The first week of August is already over, where has the summer gone? 

This is about the time when I was usually ready to get back to Farmville for the year. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't sad that I am not going back. I'm actually really jealous of everyone that is currently packing up and heading west. All good things have to come to an end I suppose and I had the most amazing 4 years there. 

Things have settled in around here and I've found my groove. I'm looking forward to Fall and some cooler temperatures. 

My Dad actually headed back to Houston on Friday morning, as we are always so happy to have him I'm always pretty sad to see him go. It was a great visit and I'm looking forward to having him back soon, I wouldn't argue with taking a little trip home either.

___________

This man had a birthday last week, a big birthday at that. Poppy turned 85 last Wednesday and even though he 100% tried to downplay the day I know he was a little excited. I've never met anyone that likes to give me a hard time as much as he does but he is still one of my very favorite people. I hope one day to be half of the wealth of knowledge he is and be that cool at 85. 

I moved. 

Yes, you read that correctly. Last weekend to be exact. 

It was somewhat spur of the moment. I was going a little crazy at home and it was time. I ended up moving in with Izzy and her sister, Hannah down near Willow Lawn. 

We've officially shared an address for a week now and it has been everything that I hoped for. I guess going from having an 85 year old roomie to living with people my own age was more shocking that I anticipated. I couldn't be happier and wish that I would have made the decision sooner but living rent free for 9 weeks was also pretty nice. 

I'm looking forward to always having someone to drag along with Target.

I have a lot of stuff. A lot of stuff I don't need. 

When my move became official I started going through everything and made daily trips to Goodwill to drop off things that I had been holding on to.  I kept a lot of the stuff from my Mom's house and it was a lot of stuff that I was never going to use. 

Throughout the de-cluttering process I came across a box of pictures. 

Side note: My Mom took pictures of EVERYTHING. I may or may not have 3 inch binders of each year of my life until the age of 10. 

It was fun to walk down memory lane and it reminded me how much I miss her. It is so easy to get caught up in life and just try and get through the week for the weekend. I enjoyed taking a moment to stop and look through these, remembering how much I do miss her each day. I also know no one can rock a neon pink one piece bathing suit with high wasted shorts like Nancy did.

 

You might remember that Lauren got married back in October. 

Well the Washington's are expecting an addition come January!! And it is a little girl! I was convinced it was a boy but I couldn't be more excited to buy everything that is pink for their adorable little girl. 

Sadly I  didn't make it to Charlottesville for the reveal but I FaceTimed in and to see the pure happiness on their faces makes me so excited for January!

Hurry up and pick a name y'all!

Moving comes along with furniture. 

I've made some big purchases recently including a mattress. By the way, no one tells you how expensive mattresses are! After finally finding a bed I knew that I was going to need furniture as I got rid of my bedroom set from my Mom's. I couldn't really find anything that I liked, I started my search not really knowing what I wanted. I quickly found that everything I liked either wasn't good quality or was ridiculously expensive. 

I wish that I would have taken before and after pictures of this project but I suppose it is a little late in the game. I ended up taking my Mom's old bedroom furniture that I had saved and got it painted. I honestly wasn't too sure how I was going to like it but I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Still making some decisions on drawer pulls but it is nice to no longer be living out of boxed. 

More pictures to come of the rest!

As always the weekend went by a little too fast for my liking. 

Cheers to Monday I suppose!