I am so excited to share some of my favorite photos and memories from last weekend with you! It was such a whirlwind of a trip but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Well, maybe I'd trade the traffic, but that's it. ;)
xoxo,
Amanda
Awesome & Awkward: Road Trip Edition - Atlanta
Excuse me while I reluctantly get back into my regular routine over here. Monday morning came way too soon after a fantastic weekend away with
and our dear friends' wedding yesterday evening. I have a feeling that today will call for more than just my usual morning cup of coffee! I've got plenty of pictures that I can't wait to share from the trip, but for now let's relive some of our awesome and awkward moments from the last few days.
Awesome:
Chelcey and I both work in the hospitality industry, so we had to take advantage of that employee discount on our hotel obviously! We had a hotel booked and ready to go, but on the way down we were able to upgrade to a room at the gorgeous Renaissance Hotel in Atlanta! Even better, we were within a mile radius of Target, a mall, Chipotle, and Pink Berry (which we sadly don't have in Louisville). That right there is winning at it's finest! Side note - we got to talking with
who provided the beautiful floral arrangements for the
and found out she works in hospitality as well. Such a small world!
Awkward:
We really didn't know that we would be able to switch hotels until literally the last minute. I was counting down the time I had left to cancel the original reservation without paying a fee, because I don't do fees. We were getting closer and closer to Atlanta and actually pulled off at the exit where the first hotel was because we didn't want to drive out of the way if we didn't have to, but then the deal came through! Not that we couldn't have survived at that hotel, but we were so happy to be closer to the city and a part of all the action!
Awesome:
On our first full day, we ventured over to Lenox Mall for a
little
lot of shopping. We unintentionally spent the majority of the day there, but it was amazing! We both wondered why we don't have a mall like this in Louisville because it was so enormous and seemed to go on and on forever, a shopaholic's dream. Sure the traffic getting there was 1000 times crazier than I'm used to here, but with so much to look at on the drive over it didn't even matter. The best part? As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, another person was about to leave and they gave me their spot. Finding a place to park there was like finding a needle in a haystack as I learned the next day so that was an awesome moment for sure. Another best part, the cupcake ATM at Sprinkles. Enough said.
Awkward:
Speaking of the next day, when we went back (don't judge us) I wasn't so lucky right off the bat with finding someone who was leaving. I went up and down each and every last row until I finally found an open spot! Victory! Only, I had to turn down the aisle the wrong way and awkwardly back into the spot, and someone was coming from the other (correct) direction. They definitely weren't signaling to park though, so I went for it and hoped I wasn't about to start a fight like you see on random YouTube videos. Thankfully, that didn't happen and we went about our merry way.
Awesome:
As I've shared in earlier posts, I had to pay an astronomical amount of money to have a dress sent to me overnight so that I would have it in time for our event. Despite my procrastination, I have to say that I absolutely love how my outfit turned out. Plus, I will take a dress with an elastic waistband over a zip-up dress any day. Hello comfort! And Chelcey and I both agreed that we totally love gold now and will probably incorporate it more into our everyday wardrobe. The Maiedae Mixer was absolutely beautiful and we met so many amazing creatives. I seriously can't wait until next year. Oh, and we made it to the mixer right on time, even in Atlanta traffic and stopping to take some pictures at the hotel beforehand when we probably shouldn't have.
Awkward:
For those pictures, we found a great brick wall for a backdrop and were minding our own business when a group of people came out of the hotel. One of those boys decided it would be funny to photo-bomb me, and this is the result. Definitely not a flattering picture of myself, but hilarious nonetheless!
I'll be sharing photos soon from other fun things we did on the trip, so be sure to check back for that!
xoxo,
Amanda
The Good, the Bad, and What's Coming
The Good
:
1. I made it into work early, well earlier than usual, every day this week. It's amazing what setting your alarm back 15 minutes and
actually
getting out of bed when it goes off can do. Plus, by coming in 30 minutes earlier, I get to leave early too! Total win-win.
2. Business is booming at Time and Turquoise! I've been working on custom orders this week and I am so excited about them. It's amazing how much fun this little hobby of mine has become. I've got some fun ideas in the works for the upcoming holidays that I cannot wait to create.
3. I was with
when she got some AMAZING news this past weekend about her own Etsy shop. Head over to her blog to read all about it. Here's a hint...her prints are now featured in a local boutique here in Louisville. I am so ecstatic for her! PS - look at this amazing selection of burlap I found at Hobby Lobby. I have hearts in my eyes over this for sure.
The Bad:
1. Apparently the entire city of Atlanta is booked solid when it comes to hotels next week. Well, not technically, but we couldn't find any where we wanted for our trip at the employee rate. What good is working for a hospitality company if you can't use the discount, right? We found a great place in Marietta which will be fine, just not what we were hoping for. We are both still really excited about the trip though!
2. I paid $21 to have a dress sent to me overnight, because as usual, I procrastinated on finding something to wear for the Maidae Mixer. I did this not once, but twice, and I cringe thinking about it. The first dress just wasn't the perfect fit, but the second one fit like a glove and I am so looking forward to wearing it. Details will be shared next week!
3. I had a guy ask for my last name so he could put it in his phone with my number. Apparently, he had too many Amanda's in his contacts list. Next.
What's Coming:
1. I've got a whole lot of cleaning and putting away to do around my apartment. With so many Etsy orders lately, I have supplies strewn about everywhere and it's starting to drive me a little crazy! I'll probably do an overhaul of my little craft closet nook and re-organize everything.
2. It's going to be a football and brunch kind of Saturday, but not necessarily in that order. I'll probably get my usual omelet, which is so delicious!
3. My cousin is getting married on Sunday, so that will be a day spent with family and I am so excited to see everyone and celebrate! Having a reason to put on a pretty dress doesn't hurt either.
I hope you had a fabulous week! What exciting plans do you have coming up?
xoxo,
Amanda
Five Reasons Why Fall is My Favorite
Are you sick of me talking about fall yet? Good answer, because I probably won't shut up about it until Christmas time is here. Since I'm jumping for joy at the thought of cooler temperatures, falling leaves and cozy sweaters, I figured why not share what I love most about this wonderful season.
1.
The humidity is gone and the air is crisp.
It's a glorious thing to be able to step outside and not instantly start dripping with sweat, which by the way is just one of the perks of living in the Ohio River Valley in the summer. Even more so, your bangs don't stick to your forehead and your hair might actually hold a curl. Throwing open the windows and curling up with a blanket is pretty much the best feeling ever.
2.
The clothes are more flattering.
I'm not a huge fan of shorts because let's be honest, when you sit down and your thighs look ten times bigger than when you're standing up, that's just not okay. And I'm all for a cute dress, but spaghetti straps aren't really my thing either. But give me leggings, an oversize sweater and some boots and you'll be my favorite person ever. It's effortless but looks put together and you can't get much better than that.
3.
It's the season of Crock Pot cooking.
This is your chance to try out all of the recipes you've pinned on Pinterest and get your whole place smelling delicious. Plus, slow cookers are by far the easiest way to cook. I'm talking chili, soups, roast, you name it. A can of this, a packet of that, yada yada yada. Set it on low and you're good to go. I'm practically the next Dr. Seuss right now.
4.
And the season of pumpkin
everything.
Pumpkin candles, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin decor, pumpkin picking, pumpkin pie. You can't have enough pumpkin this time of year, and it pretty much speaks for itself.
5.
So many holidays!
There's Halloween, Thanksgiving, and most important of all, my birthday. A lot of my family and friends have fall birthdays as well so there's always something to celebrate. On top of that, it's football season which is reason enough to celebrate week after week.
I hope your fall is off to a lovely start! What are some of your favorite things about the season?
xoxo,
Amanda
August Favorites
In case you couldn't tell from other posts lately, I am so ready for fall! That being said, I can't believe how fast the month of August flew by. Even though I'm beyond giddy that cooler weather is around the corner, I wanted to close out summer by sharing some of my favorites from the month.
Givenchy Le Rouge Lipstick in Rose Dressing
This perfect coral shade for summer accentuates blue eyes beautifully and doesn't look too harsh with my fair skin. I'd call that a win-win. Plus, you gotta love any lippie that can survive morning coffee, lunch, and an afternoon snack with little need for touch-up.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation in Fair-Light Neutral
I have to say, I have been very impressed with this product. I can't remember a single weekend this month where I even bothered with liquid foundation because this stuff is just so darn easy. I even wore it to work a few times and I didn't feel like there was an oil spill all over my face when I got home! This will be accompanying me on my upcoming trip to Atlanta for sure!
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Y'all. I know I've said before that I'm usually not much of an eyeliner kinda girl. But this is by far the easiest liquid eyeliner I have ever used! You can draw the thinnest line ever with the felt tip
or go as bold as you dare. And don't even get me started on how effortless it is to wing it out. It doesn't feather or separate but removal is a breeze. I just wonder why I never tried this sooner.
Korres Greek Yogurt Sleeping Facial
My skin has actually been leaning a little bit toward the dry side lately for who knows what reason lately. But thanks to this moisturizer, I wake up with the softest, smoothest, most supple skin ever. If it's good for your belly, it's good for your face, right?
Fresh flowers from Trader Joes
There is just something about coming home to fresh flowers on your kitchen counter that makes life so much happier. At $3.99 a bunch, you really don't have an excuse to not get them!
Parenthood
Since PLL is on hiatus and I binged my heart out on it to catch up to the current season, I needed something new to watch until my shows return in the fall. Enter Parenthood. I honestly can't think of any other show that has gotten me hooked so quickly. I'm usually the type of person who needs to watch several episodes before I decide to jump in with a marathon or abandon ship, but I knew right away that this would have a place on my most recently watched category on Netflix. And what do you know, it's returning this fall so I have a little bit of time to get caught up. Don't mind me while I become a hermit for a couple weeks.
What are some of your August favorites?
xoxo,
Amanda
