Thankful

As we gear up for Thanksgiving this week (you know, the holiday between Halloween and Christmas), I wanted to take a moment to share some of the things I am thankful for in my life!  No matter how silly or how serious they may be, it's so important to remember what we have to be grateful for before going into a turkey coma.  And no, I'm not talking about shopping deals either.  It can't really be Black Friday anymore if everything starts on Thursday, now can it?  That's a rant for another day but for now, here are some things I am thankful for! 

- My family who would do anything for me.

- Knowing that a night of hanging with my friends will always result in good laughs and new jokes.

- This space, where I get a chance to express my creativity and share it with all of you!

- Mornings with no alarm set and nowhere to be.

- My beautiful new apartment.

- Being independent and financially able to support myself.

- My growing career at a rapidly growing company.

- Having my best friend live five doors down from me.

- The fact that Starbucks doesn't stop serving breakfast sandwiches until they run out of them (cough, Panera, cough)

- Living within a mile of Target.

- A best friend who understands my addiction to Mexican food.

- My front porch so I don't get wet when I walk outside and it's raining.

- Frozen sing-a-long sessions with Kelly and Amanda.

- The confidence I have to try new things.

- Living in the best city in the country (IMO).

- An awesome team to cheer for (Go Cards!)

- Amazing finds at the thrift store.

- A photographer best friend who takes my photos for me :)

- Being able to go a week in between hair washes (the struggle is real).

- The Pop2K station on satellite radio.

- The fact that no one was hurt when I was in a wreck.

- Father-daughter trips to see the Boss whenever he's playing close by.

- Sleepovers with my sister.

- Sophie, the cutest little dog in the world, who is always happy to see me when I come to visit my parents.

This list is by no means inclusive, but just a little thank you I wanted to put out there on this dreary Monday morning (at least it's a short work week ... I am thankful for that!).  I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving spent with loved ones!  What are you are thankful for?

xoxo,

Amanda

Holiday Gift Guide For Her 2014

It's pretty mind boggling to me that it's that time of year again, but that doesn't mean I'm not as excited as ever!  Here are a few things from my wishlist that I think would make wonderful gifts for that special woman in your life, from your mom to your sister to your best friend.  With Black Friday next week, you can definitely score some of these goodies on sale, too.

1.

Sephora Favorites Superstars

The ultimate compilation of products for the beauty lover in your life.

2.

Rifle Paper Co In Bloom Book Collection 

You can never have enough copies of the classics in different pretty covers.

3.

Joules Rain Boots

This is a UK based brand that I recently discovered and I just love the polka dots (obviously).

4.

C Wonder Store Pop Fizz DOF Glasses

Cute yet practical and perfect to add to your bar cart.

5.

Lush Hello Gorgeous

One of my favorite bath and body brands!  Too bad my new apartment doesn't have a tub.

6.

Capri Blue Volcano Candle

Because what girl doesn't want her apartment to smell like Anthropologie?

7.

Express Plaid Blanket Scarf

Warm and cozy and all wrapped up in a scarf is the best way to be this winter.

8.

Anthropologie A Real Hoot Canister

Cooking dinner every night with the company of this cute thing - you really can't beat it.

9.

Bauble Bar Opal Wreath Collar Necklace

Make a statement with these pretty jewels that pretty much go with anything.

10.

Hand Lettered Print

Start with one, and you'll soon want to create a whole gallery wall.

 What's on your wishlist this year?

xoxo,

Amanda     

The Good, The Bad, & What's Coming

The Good

This week was one of those busy but not too stressful weeks, which can be kind of annoying because you still feel like you have no time to slow down and relax.  I did manage to get in some much needed shopping - holla VIB sale - which made things a little bit better.  I also may or may not have also taken full advantage of a sale at Loft and picked up a few new sweaters.  I have a weakness for pretty knit patterns.  I know I've been saying that you shouldn't use retail therapy as a crutch, but this week it was just a little necessary.  I'm pretty much swearing off shopping for myself through the end of the year though, with the holidays coming.

I also got some major sister time in this week.  She was so kind enough to help me get some things ready for a craft fair I'm doing this weekend.  And by that I mean she helped me cut out burlap flags for my banners, which will forever be the death of me.  We had Mexican food for dinner for three of these days which is a total win-win-win.  This delicious drink was consumed as well.  If you didn't know, Thursday was National Nacho Day.  I hope you celebrated!

The Bad

The rain.  And wind.  And cold.  And darkness.  I'm all for the extra hour we get when the time changes, but I soon regret it the next day when it's dark at 5:30.  Thank goodness I have an office with windows or I'd basically never see the sun during the day.  The forecast is looking up for the next few days though, so hopefully that will help turn things around for me.  I did manage to fight off the beginnings of a cold I felt coming on, so that's a small victory at least.

What's Coming

As I mentioned earlier, I'm doing a craft fair on Saturday!  I'm pretty excited for it, as it will be a first for me.  I've almost been selling on Etsy for a year now, which I can't even believe, so it will be fun to sell some of my little crafts at a fair like this.  My aunt who makes floral arrangements and other decorations is participating also so it should make for a very fun day!

Saturday also just so happens to be my birthday!  I've been told to be at a particular restaurant at 6:30 for dinner with some friends, so I am really looking forward to that.  You can't beat good food with great friends, birthday or not.  On Sunday, Chelcey and I have a special photo shoot idea we want to execute that I cannot wait to share.  And I'll be wrapping up the weekend with family time - our tradition of going to dinner and then having cake and presents at home.  I asked my mom to make a pound cake with cinnamon icing just like my grandmother used to make for my birthday when I was little.  My mouth is watering now just thinking about it.

I hope you had a great weekend, and a great weekend to come!

xoxo,

Amanda

According to Amanda: Five Reasons Why I Love Louisville

 Every time I travel to a new place, no matter how exciting it may be, I'm always reminded of how much I love my hometown.  With my recent trip to Atlanta (more like a month ago at this point, when did that happen?) I realized I may not be such a big city person after all.  Now I'm sure somewhere like NYC or Chicago would be a little different because you literally can walk everywhere, but Atlanta is more of a sprawled out city.  Dealing with the traffic and figuring out where the heck we were going was interesting to say the least, all the more reason why Louisville has my heart.

Before I jump into my list, let's address a very important topic - the proper way to say the darn name.  For some reason (I can't imagine why) this is always an issue whenever I tell someone where I'm from.  I'm typically asked to repeat myself several times, and then I just say it's where they have the Derby, and the light bulb moment happens.  It's

Luh-vuhl

, spoken as one swift, fluid word.  Say it with me now ... Luhhh-vuhlll.  Don't dare say "Louis-ville" or "Lewis-ville" or you'll be marked as an outsider for life.

Now that we've covered that, let's get to it!  Here are five reasons why I love my hometown.    

1. It's the northern-most southern city, or southern-most northern city, depending on how you look at it.  What does this really mean?  Louisville is kind of in the midst of an identity crisis, but that's totally ok.  It's got southern hospitality and charm, with the fast pace of the north.  There's a small town feel, yet there's always something to do (that does not involve a Wal-Mart parking lot).  You can also pretty much get anywhere in about 20 minutes or less.  What I'm really trying to say is that here, you pretty much get the best of both worlds.

2. There's a plethora of local shops, restaurants, and businesses that Louisvillians love to support.  Some of my favorite neighborhoods are the Highlands, Crescent Hill, and NuLu, so if you ever have a chance to visit, I highly recommend you check them out!  You can easily walk the streets and discover something new with every visit.  As much as I love the mall, I love shopping and eating local even more!

3.  Two words - Kentucky Derby.  What most people know as the most exciting two minutes in sports, Louisville knows as a three week festival.  It kicks off with the biggest fireworks display in North America and ends with the big race, with endless activities to do in between.  Basically, the whole city is in party mode for three weeks and it's kind of amazing.  Next to Christmas, Derby is my favorite time of the year.

4. Two more words - Hot Brown.  This is the most delicious thing you can ever eat.  It's an open-faced sandwich smothered in cheesy goodness with turkey, bacon and tomato.  Many restaurants around town offer up their version, but the original was created at the Brown Hotel downtown.  This is a must-try if you're ever in the area.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

5. College sports are life.  We have one of the greatest rivalries in the country, and pretty much from birth you either bleed red for the Cards or blue for those yucky Cats.  When the two teams meet in football and basketball, the whole state shuts down to watch.  It's quite the spectacle, but an amazing one at that.  Some of the crazies can get out of control with personal blows, but most people understand that it's all in good fun.  Just don't tell me you're one of those fans that will cheer for the other team if they're not playing each other.  Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. 

What are some things you love about your hometown?

xoxo,

Amanda

The Good, The Bad, and What's Coming

This week I'm saying TGIF, with major emphasis on the G.  Ever have one of those weeks that flies by because you're so busy but feels like it's dragging on at the same time?  Yeah, that was my life.  Here's a little recap of what's been happening in the world of Amanda.

The Good:

Last weekend, I did every fall thing you can think of, from apple picking, to a corn maze, to visiting a pumpkin patch.  The weather was absolutely perfect, and it was a great day spent with people I love.  This is why fall is my favorite season of all.  And I'm thrilled to see that we are actually having a good amount of fall weather.  Living in the Ohio River Valley, the weather is about as predictable as who will win the Derby, so I've been taking full advantage of sweater weather.

This week was also my sister's birthday!  I can't believe she's 23.  It certainly makes me feel ancient, but it's also been nice because I think we've gotten a lot closer now that we are both out of college and in the real world.  We get to be only two years apart for a couple of weeks, and then it'll be time for my birthday.  I'm not sure how I feel about that, since I'll be over the mid-20s hump at this point.  Let's be honest, 26 means you're practically 30.

The Bad:

The crowds at said farm where we did all the fall things were 

insane

.  Like, I knew it would be busy because it was a gorgeous day, but I think all of Louisville decided to make the trek to Indiana along with us because you could hardly move once you got over there.  We wanted to eat at the restaurant but the wait time was over two hours.  We put our name down anyway and tried to do more fall things, but I was beyond hangry at that point.  So what did we do?  Forgo the farm restaurant for Bdubs.  I'm not even mad, though.

What's Coming:

After a couple of less-than-social weekends, I've actually got quite a full schedule for this weekend and into next week.  Saturday, Chelcey and I are going out to take photos and indulge in our very last cup of Ce Fiore froyo.  Ever.  We just found out that our favorite spot is closing.  Queue the crying emojis.  That night, I plan on hanging out with some other friends and checking out a new restaurant for dinner.  On Sunday, I've got a family get-together for chili and brats, which should be a lot of fun since I haven't seen some of them in a while.

And then there's next week.  I'm going to three different concerts in the span of less than two weeks.  I'm a huge fan of live music and I haven't seen this many shows back-to-back in a while, so I'm really looking forward to it!  One of those just happens to be Paul McCartney, and I am really, really excited to see such a legend.  Plus, you can't really beat the classics like that (if you've been following my blog for a while, you know I'm a huge Bruce Springsteen fan too!).  I'm sure I'll have pictures to share so be sure to follow me on Instagram!

How's your week been?  Do you have a busy weekend or do you plan on getting in a little rest and relaxation?  I'd love to hear all about it in the comments!

xoxo,

Amanda