Happy Friday, all!

I am typically a Friday fanatic, but this Friday is less exciting because it signifies the ending of my winter break. Tear... It's ok, though...because I still have spring break coming up! So yay!

I know that a core component of this blog is happiness, but I must admit, I have been in better moods.  Ya know those kinda moods where you just aren't yourself? Where you have a hundred thoughts flying around in your head but answers to none of them? Yea...that's what today was like for me.  Nothing is really wrong, but my mind just roams...and that's never good. So, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself (over literally nothing) and go enjoy the day!

Anyone who knows me knows I obsess over my nails.  Typical girl, right? That is the premise of this blog, after all. :)  So... In honor of my baby niece (who is going to arrive literally any day now) I got a nice, new manicure.  I have no idea how I got along before shellac was oh so heavenly introduced in to my life.  It is definitely one of the best things I have ever had in life.  (Hmm...potential post for next week's Thankful Thursday?)  Anywayyy... I got some pretty pink shellac!  My favorite nail salon just so happens to be next to a Starbucks (dun dun dunnnn).

After my pretty pink mani and iced vanilla coffee, my mood was instantly lifted.  I don't want to be seen as materialistic by any means, but let's face it...every girl loves getting her nails did and her name written on a specialized coffee cup.  I don't think that's too much to ask for, do you?

From here, I drove to Michael's house!  It's kinda sucky, because we live an hour apart.  He stays at my house more often because I live 10 minutes away from school, and his commute to work is the same distance from either his house or mine.  And I dance on Saturdays and Sundays.  So, unfortunately, I don't get to be at his house all too often.  I can't wait till we can be under the same roof all the time.  One day...

Michael and I and his parents went to dinner at this cute little restaurant called the Firehouse Grill.  It is Lent, so we cannot eat meat.  I had the best non-Maryland crab soup I have ever had.  (Being a Baltimore native, I am very critical of my crab soups.) If any of you are ever in the Gettysburg area, I recommend this restaurant.  It has the homey, small-town feeling, which makes it perfectly quaint and cute.  

 

We are now back at the house and in for the night.  I have been working on homework, and Michael has been working on an alumni event he is planning at his  high school.  This is our Friday night.  No bars, no parties, no elaborate date night... just a quite night in wearing pajamas and drinking chocolate wine.  And guess what, I wouldn't want it any other way. <3

Enjoy your Friday, everyone.
Keep smiling...

Thankful Thursday

Hi friends.

So...I am officially declaring Thursdays as "Thankful Thursday".  Every Thursday, I am going to post something/someone I am thankful for.  All too often, we focus on the things we don't have and/or are unhappy about.  I admit, I myself fall victim to this negative down-spell, as well.  (Michael gets mad at me for it all the time...I sometimes look at things in a more pessimistic way.  But it is only because I hate when my high hopes get let down, so I try to prepare myself by hoping for the best while expecting the worst.)  But here I go rambling again, so why don't I just shut up and get on with the thanks!

I dedicate the first Thankful Thursday post to my mom. I thank God every day of my life for blessing me with the most loving mother a girl could ever ask for.

Unfortunately, not everyone is close with their mothers.  Some of us don't even have a mother-figure in our lives.  My heart breaks for anyone that does not get the experience of living life the way I do with my mother.  It sounds so cliché, but she truly is my best friend.  There is nothing I cannot tell her...nothing that makes me feel uncomfortable or afraid.  She is the one person who I know I can always turn to no matter what. My mom (I call her Mama, or sometimes Tina...I don't know why, though; her name is Lynda) and I have a very special relationship. Yes, I love her with everything I have and she is my all time favorite person ever, but we are SUCH goofballs.  We get along so well by making fun of each other, calling each other names, I kick her and she slaps me--it's great.  She is the perfect mother because not only does she know how to raise her children as respectful, smart, well-mannered people, but she knows how to be relatable, fun, and genuinely enjoyable to be around.  She is not just a mother--she is a true friend.  Anyone who knows us knows we are ALWAYS playing jokes on one another or wrestling around.  But that is why I love her so much--because she isn't a stuck-up, snooty, sla-your-wrist kinda lady. She's just perfect. Yea, I have the best mom ever.
But that's enough mushy gush. Gosh, I'll have to make extra fun of her tomorrow to make up for all this lovey-dovey stuff.

What are you thankful for this Thursday (and every day)? Share your happiness!

Keep smiling...

Snow Day!

SNOW DAY!
No work. No school. No practice. Just coffee and relaxation!

Snow Days = TLC alllll day

I am sitting here, coffee-in-hand(duh), watching Four Weddings (of course), thinking about everything I want to accomplish today.  Snow days can be the perfect excuse to kick back and just relax.  But they can also lead to boredom at times.  If you are anything like me, you get restless pretty quickly.  So here are a few fun ideas for a snow day...

1. BAKE!  These are the best days to experiment and try new things. You have no where to be and no time limit on getting there...so take advantage of that and play! If it doesn't work out, try something new.  This is what I plan on doing tonight... Homemade Caramel Corn. It is easy, realllly tasty, and chances are you have all these ingredients already in your kitchen. (If you do not have candy caramels, melt brown sugar with butter...it works just as well.) Here is a link to the recipe.


I found this on Pinterest, of course. YUM!

2. MOVIES!  I plan on catching up with some My Fair Wedding episodes on Netflix today.  I need my David Tutera fix.  If you don't have Netflix, hunker down with your laptop and start a series you've never seen on Hulu.  If you don't like watching shows on your computer (I do not), then just have an old-fashioned movie marathon.  Chick flicks, scary movies, Sex in the City series...whatever you want! 

3.PAMPER YOURSELF! We can't drive out in this weather to our favorite salon, but that doesn't we can't still get treated.  Play with your hair, try a new make-up look,  paint your nails, make a body scrub...anything! I have some of the best beauty ideas on my Pinterest Beauty Tip board here. 

4. EXERCISE! Yea yea yea...I know, it's a snow day. I said to relax. But doing a quick little workout will only make you feel even better.  You can't drive to the gym, but that is not an excuse.  There are tons of workouts you can do just using a chair, railing, or even a bare floor.  Here is a full body workout plan that is super quick.  Remember, no one ever regretted a workout...

There are plenty of things to do on your snow day (or any day off) that will relax you, but also keep you interested and not sleep the day away.  What do YOU do on your day off? I'd love to get some different ideas.

Keep smiling...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earring Organization

Hello all.

I hope you all had a good day.  If you live anywhere near me, you probably have made frequent trips to the grocery store to stock up for this huge snow storm we are supposed to have.  I, however, am calling a meteorology bluff.  I made no grocery trips.  I used this day for Pinterest, exercising, and writing.  And I'm not gonna lie...I did not hate it.



 

 

As I promised yesterday, I am going to share a project with you tonight!  How many of you have a million-ba-jillion earrings and no place to put them all? I have tried so many different tricks from the display holders to the hanging pouches, but I haven't cared for any of them. I like to see all of my earrings at once, not putting them in pouches together. So here is an idea for you...

 

Get a bulletin board...I got this one from Ollie's for $5.99.  If you don't have an Ollie's near you, I found the exact same board at Target for $6.99. You can really buy a bulletin board just about anywhere, but, let's be real, who doesn't like a good bargain?

 

From here, stick thumb pins in.  There is no specific amount of space to leave in between the earrings.  It depends on how many you have, how many you want hung, how close you want them, etc.  This board does not work for straight-post earrings.  It will only work for hoops and fish hook earrings.

 

 

You can do the same thing with bracelets and necklaces, too!
I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!

Keep smiling!

Xo Victoria

Positive Patty Monday

Happy Monday, everyone!
I know, those are typically not synonymous with one another, but nothing good comes from being down in the dumps. Besides, you strain more muscles when you frown than you do when you smile--frowning clearly sucks.  I am a happy girl--so happy Monday! :)

It was a wonderful weekend.  Busy and stressful, but a lot of fun! The big baby shower/party was Saturday night, and boy was it a hit (or should I say "girl")! The turnout was great and everyone had such a good time.  You know you can throw a party when guests are still sippin drinks at 2:30 am. 


Michael makes a really cute bartender :)

Our 2-tier baby cake got tons of compliments! I love the little baby girl hiding under the blanket. Adds such a personal touch.  Compliments to My Sweet Sins Bakery in York, Pa.

Props go out to Peggy from My Sweet Sins.

I have no class this week--waddup waddup winter recess.  Originally, I had planned to spend this week with my hot glue gun, rhinestones, and my coffee pot. Buuuuut, change of plans.  Mom and I will be making frequent trips down to Baltimore this week to help Nick and Jen move out of their apartment and into their newly refurbished house!  So the crafts will have to wait till spring break, but it is totally worth it to help my wonderful brother and soon-to-be-sister-in-law (das alotta hyphens).

Peanut Countdown is now at just 17 days!!! However, poor Jenny has serious gallbladder issues.  She is constantly having horrendous attacks which could potentially cause her to go into labor early.  So I don't think it will even be 17 days--I have a hunch she will be born early, which I would love because I am dyingggg to meet her, but, of course, I am PRAYING that everything goes well.  It is a scary issue. 

Nick and Jen are moving into what used to be my grandparents' house.  It is a big, old house with a lot of loving memories, but needed some serious remodeling.  For months, Nick, my dad, and other workers have been fixing this house up to restore its beauty and safety.  I have seen pictures of the transformation for several weeks now, but today I finally get to see it in person--I can't wait!!

I do have some organization/craft/recipe findings I want to share with you all, but everything is focused on Nick and Jen and the baby lately.  NOT THAT I'M COMPLAINGING, because I am so unbelievably excited.  But I do love sharing such fabulous ideas with others.  So tomorrow I will post some fun stuff. 

Thanks for bearing with me through the inconsistent postings--it's been hectic.
But just think, you'll all get to meet baby Layla Nicole very soon!

Keep smiling, beauties!
Xo Victoria

Hey Strangers

2 weeks. <sigh>  I suck. :(
Basically, the past 2 weeks consisted of my parents being away in Mexico, so Michael and I played house, homework, cleaning, meetings, pinterest (between 2-4am), more homework, cleaning, case studies, planning a babyshower, taking care of sick Michael, dancing like crazy, getting sick, and freaking out over a dance team tryout.  Let's just skip all the other garb and go straight to the dance team tryout.

York, PA has joined the AIF (American Indoor Football) League with the York Capitals!  It is a professional league that is continuously growing.  York's team even has some former NFL players! It's pretty exciting :) So...This past Saturday, I auditioned for the Lady Capitals Dance Team. Anddd....I MADE IT!

The best part about the whole experience is that Jen made it, too!!! I am finally going to get to dance with my best friend again.  It's crazy how far the two of us have come together...through dance, boys, friendships, family, and life in general. We are unbreakable. :)

 

I love this picture of her.  She so coot.

  

 There is another tryout for the team on Friday.  Then the first practice is Saturday.  I am so excited for the season to start. I feel privileged to be a part of the original Lady Capitals team. :)  If you want to read more about the league or the dance team, check us out at http://yorkcapitals.com/

Since then, I have been super sore and, even worse, EXTRA hungry!! Seriously, I don't know what happened. It sounds like a joke, but truthfully, since this tummy-exposed dance team, my appetite has sky rocketed. -__-  Like what the heck?! Not cool. The treadmill and I are rekindling our bestfriendshipness.

Now that the stress of trying out is relieved, I have been back to focusing mainly on school.  I don't know if I have ever mentioned, but I LOOOOVE school.  I love taking notes, and highlighters, and outlining, and captioning, and diagraming, and binders, and post-its..AH..just love it. But lately, I've been feeling a little out-of sorts.  I honestly thought I would love my classes this semester.  So far, only one has really got me hooked.  The others I am just not passionate about.  My favorite, as predicted, is my events and promotions class.  It is by no means an "easy A" course or a breeze-through.  It is a ton of work, but it is what I love to do.  Organize. Plan. Design. Create. Ya know, fun stuff! But I don't know...I just haven't been as motivated in school as I typically am.  I have got a baddd case of spring fever...and it is not even spring...so that is not good.  I think it's because I am wanting more out of my classes.  Several of them are being handled in a completely different manner than what the department has done in the past, so the students (as well as the professors) have to readjust.  It just feels off to me.  Grades are not an issue--I've barely had any grades so far this semester, however.  Which I am not a fan of.  But... it is still early, so hopefully I can get out of this slump and start getting excited for class again.

I guess my first step would be to close out this entry, and get to work on my next case study. -__- 
I need to not let 2 weeks pass before posting, though.  Sometimes just a few minutes of typing can help release a little steam.  Thanks for being there for my vent.  <3

Xo Victoria

Ramble Ramble Ramble

Hiiilo!

It's Thursday! That means it is almost FRIDAY!!! Yayyy! Has anyone else had a super stressful and busy weekend? I sure have...and next week will be even busier.  I can taste the coffee now...

My parents are going to Mexico for a week! Without me...can you believe that?! How rude, ugh. ....I'm just joking (kinda`).  But really, they totally deserve this trip.  They are honestly the 2 most giving people I know. And this past year has been very, very rough on my whole family, but especially my parents. They 120% more than deserve this trip. 


June 8, 1985

Riviera Maya, Mexico -- Summer 2011

Married for 27 years...and still totally in love. 

Tell me that isn't special.

Anyway...they are leaving me. And it kinda came up out of the blue. So this week has been chaotic with packing and researching where they are going and making sure I have everything I will need while they are away and yada yada ya.  My grandmother (who also lives with us) is going to be staying at her friend's house in Baltimore for the week. This means I am going to be home all by myself for a whole week. Can you say PARTAYYY!?!? Yea...except not.  Isn't it funny how most 20-ish year old college kids would be SO excited for a week away from their parents? A week where their parents literally leave the COUNTRY and have the house all to themselves? I'm so the opposite, haha. I don't want me mama to leave...I'll miss her way too much.  My mom is seriously my absolute best friend in the world.  I hate that she's leaving me here alone, but I'm happy that she will finally get some time to relax. Meanwhile, I will be working on event planning and studying makeup tutorials and above all else...planning another baby shower for Nick (my brother) and Jen (his girlfriend)! I am so excited!!:)

I have so much on my mind right now.

I feel like I am jumping all over the place.
I apologize for that.
For such an organized person, I sure do ramble a lot, huh?
I'm doing it again.
Dang.


I have an early morning of college fantasticness tomorrow, so I better get to bed.  This girl's got some serious bags under the eyes right now... I need me some beauty sleep.

Stay smiling, girls!
Xo Victoria