currently: the summer fall edition

This past weekend Houston gave us a taste of fall. It was glorious. The air felt nippy, the sun was shining, and my cardigan felt so nice against my non-sweaty arms. I couldn't believe it. Cooler weather, what! As I smiled with the kind of joy that only fall can bring, I happened to look down at my car thermometer. It read 83 degrees. 

83 degrees. That was our fall preview. That's what felt cool. 

And this is the story of how Texas and it's 106+ temperatures ruined me. 

Other than thinned out Texas blood, let's talk about what else is currently going on...

cheer-sing //
This time next week we'll be in my favorite place in the world getting ready for the wedding of some of my favorite people in the world. If you guessed Charleston as the place, you win ten gold stars. If you guessed that I'll be drinking champagne cocktails from Rarebit, you win twenty gold stars. If you guessed Andy and Katie as the people getting married, you win all the gold stars.

organizing //
My life. And by that I mean the guest bedroom closet, but don't you feel like your life is being organized when you clean out a cluttered drawer or closet or space? Yes? Good.

dreaming //
...of a white Christmas. That isn't gonna happen, but since I typed that, all I can think about is Christmas. So I'm dreaming of where I can put the Christmas tree in our apartment, and when I can walk up and down the Christmas aisles at Hobs Lobs without feeling like a lunatic (full disclosure: I walked down one Christmas aisle last week at the HL).

buying //
You now all know my deep, dark secret of having a pizza face. The beauty of blogging is that you don't have to see my face in real time so you didn't know I was suffering from the acne of a pubescent, sweaty 13-year old girl. At post-puberty, slightly sweaty 27-years old. No, I am not buying a new face. Yes, I am buying new concealer. No, I have no idea which concealer to get. Yes, I need all your recommendations. Thanks, Google friends.

listening //
I've only mentioned this two times on the blog, but if you've seen me in real life recently, then I've probably mentioned it two times two hundred times. Go listen to My Favorite Murder podcast right now. There's a fair amount of cursing, but if you like true crime and humor, then stop reading my blog and start listening to their podcast. Cover your ears if the bad words offend you, but uncover your ears for some of the craziest crime stories ever.

What have you been up to currently?

Linking up with Anne and Jacqui.

best of fall

I love this time of year. And not because of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes or the pumpkin scarves or the pumpkin tall boots or the pumpkin vests or the...oh sorry, am I adding the word pumpkin to too many things? No, I love this time of year because it reminds me of so many big moments in my life.

This time of year reminds me of the fall of my first year of college. It reminds me of listening to the Dan In Real Life soundtrack one million and fifty too many times while driving up and down the crunchy leaf crusted roads of Decatur, Georgia. Just living life for the first time as a "grown-up" with the best of friends. Read I wasn't grown-up at all, but at eighteen I felt like such a bada** gown-up (who didn't have to pay bills...so the best kind of grown-up). 

This time of year reminds me of falling head over heels in lurve with Ricky. The kind of head over heels where you literally feel like your head is going to smash on the sidewalk by your feet. Such romance. It reminds me of moving up to Atlanta and finally living in the same city as he did which meant froyo dates and Antico pizza non-stop. It reminds me of when I knew he was going to tell me he loved me, but decided to play dumb. And then not say it back...but that's a story for another time. My life soundtrack of choice at the time was The Avett Brothers I and Love and You on repeat. 

This time of year and my Timehop app remind me of our first few months as newlyweds, living and exploring our first new city of Charleston together. The Saturday mornings spent downtown eating bagels and taking pictures of Broad St. buildings and Ravenel Bridge sunsets. The Tuesday nights spent sitting on the beach and singing musical theater songs that were stuck in my head from teaching (it was that or the Biebs. So hard to remember which one was more important at the time...)

The crips cool mornings remind me of visiting home and crafting on the patio with my sister. 

The grocery store aisles remind me that it's time to stock up on ten pound bags of Halloween candy off of which we can live for the next ten to twelve months. 

The calendar reminds me that I should pick out a Halloween costume that I'll never actually follow through and wear. It's the thought that counts. #onedayillgoasmugatu

The Instagram posts remind me that I should start wearing scarves and pretending that I'm not sweating profusely underneath them. We can will fall weather to come by wearing scarves, right? Insert eye roll.

The bright blue skies remind me that even though Houston is still hot as mother fluffing hellfire that one day soon the whole day will be cool, not just the mornings. That one day soon we'll be complaining that it's cold drinking hot chocolate. That one day soon we'll be seeing family and celebrating holidays. That one day soon I won't feel weird painting my nails deep reds and dark greys. That one day soon my hair will have endless static in it. 

I love cooler days.

I love bright, blue skies.

I love family time.

I love Christmas (seriously though, let's fast forward there).

I love my OPI Manicurist of Seville color. 

I love pretending like I'm not gaining a pound a day from bite size peanut butter Snickers. 

I love this time of year, and all the hope it brings of what's to come. 

What do you love about the now?! Other than PSLs and stuff. Give me the real, good stuff you love. 

Happy Friday!

SaveSave

when fall is non-existent

I haven't been able to make myself make a fall bucket list because a) it's still been 90 degrees in Texas and b)...well, there is no b) because did you read a)? I wore shorts the other day and in my mind I knew that technically it was seasonally inappropriate to wear shorts in October, but it was shorts weather! I couldn't not wear shorts! 

^^firstworldiliveintexasproblems <<itsthegenerationofhashtagsandidontusethespacebaranymore

When I landed in Georgia a few days ago the weather was 78 degrees. 78! It felt like winter! And right now it's 49 degrees in Georgia which feels like winter in Antarctica! Duh. I have been wearing the crap out of my new, necessary houndstooth vest, and I don't even care who knows it. Am I a basic betch yet? Please?

Since I've been feeling very wintery in this oh-so-cold (sarcasm) Georgia weather, I thought it was about time for me to start doing some fall stuff. 

Enter the corn maze. 

The Muppet themed corn maze!

Let me start by saying corn mazes confuse the bleep out of me. I don't understand why they hand you a map because...well, because how is that helpful? Is the dirt path between the corn really a yellow brick road? No? Then I definitely will not be able to make any sort of sense of it. Will the map turn into a drone and take me over the corn so I can see where the punch stops are? No? Thanks, but no thanks. I'll just be in this maze here for the next six to seven Octobers. Don't mind me between the months of November-September 2015-2021. 

The good news is my mother and father were there and apparently reading fake maps of corn mazes are one of the additional skills they should both add on their resumes.

Oh, we're definitely in Fozzie's smile right now!

This dead end is Kermit's crotch!

We're somewhere inside Miss Piggy.

^^I can't make this stuff up. 

Somewhere between the curve of Kermit's butt and zig zag of Gonzo's eyebrows we managed to find 10 of the 12 number stops AND find the exit. Actually technically we found the exit a lot. In fact, I think we passed the exit more than we passed anything else in that field. Except for stops #2 and #10---those number stops just downright did not exist. I'm convinced. I'm also convinced that if you had seen a bird's eye view of us you would have just seen us walking in circles and pretending like this stalk of corn was a brand new one that we had never seen. Wow! This stalk looks way different than the other thousands of stalks!  I'm also also convinced that corn mazes just tell you that the shape of the maze looks like such and such, but really it's just random paths with no rhyme or reason. 

I even managed to snap this blurry picture of my dad totally winning at the corn maze by finding a number in Rowlf's ear. 

Other important fall things for you slash me to do:

-Get a hot chocolate from Starbucks just so you can carry around a Starbucks cup. Gross, coffee.

-Take a picture with pumpkins, but definitely don't buy those pumpkins because you should already have some BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY OCTOBER 19, PEOPLE. Bonus points if the pumpkins are around hay.

-Wear a sweater with a chambray shirt under it and a vest over it, and document it. #fall #ootd #yas

-Put glitter on the tops of your previously purchased pumpkins. Just trust me on this one.

It's back to the Land of Summer Fall for me tonight sooo...BRB, gotta go soak up every last second of wearing long pants. 

Are you able to play real life Signs and successfully navigate through millions stalks of corn?

help me: a fall fashion wish list plea

Happy Monday!

We all know why you're here today...to get some good ol' fashion tips.

Oh wait, I'm sorry. Brain fart. I must have confused myself with someone who actually knows a thing or fifty about fashion. 

You came by here today to help me with whatever my current life fashion crisis is. Thank goodness you're here because this fashion crisis is a doozy! A dizzalicious doozy. Dizzamn! I've got a doozy! 

Okay, I'm done. Moving on. 

There are three super important items on my Fall Fashion Wish List. (and then there are about six more slightly super important items on the list, too). Problem is, I don't know/can't decide which exact item of each to get. 

Life is hard.

Help me, I'm poor helpless.

Floppy hat

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Last week when I jokingly seriously asked if I should get a floppy hat, everybody and their mom/dad/aunt said, Yes! Actually, most people said YES! and I can't not get one when caps lock is involved. But do I want a fun, fall color? Or a basic, neutral color? Or both? Or neither? See, this is complicated. 

Backpack purse

1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Sole Society is winning it. 

Two big reasons this style purse appeals to me:

1) It's cute.

2) Pilates training has made me a tad crazy/over aware, and now I feel all uneven and lopsided when I wear my crossbody bag. The horror, I know. Let's fix it!

Faux leather leggings

1 | 2

I go back and forth about these babies, and yes, these are important enough that I spend a significant amount of my brain space thinking about them. I've seen them on some people and the crotch is baggy and the knees are baggy and they look weird. But Moooooooom, I don't want baggy crotch fake leather leggings. Whine whine. After much research, Spanx and Hue win for best brands. Which ones do we (yes, we collectively) get?

What's on your fall fashion wish list?
Should we just only wear pumpkin colored fashion items this year? #basic

heart full of hope, belly full of candy

I haven't written my obligatory OMGFALL post yet and thought today would be an excellent time to do so.

Because oh my goodness gracious heavens alive, fall! Am I right? There's something so magical and mystical and beautiful and wonderful about fall. I tried for a long time yesterday to find the right words to describe what fall does to me and my emotions. After hours of word searching all I could come up with was that it makes me feel hopeful. 

Gag me. 

But don't gag me because that would mess up this full of hope thing I've got going on over here. 

Fall is when I want to give Freds all the squeezelicious hugs.

Fall is when I want to constantly tell my family and friends how I mega love the crap ton outta them.

Fall is when it's okay if things don't go as planned because it's fall, for crying out loud, and things not going as planned just isn't as big of a deal as last week when it didn't feel like fall.

Fall is when I can write a blog post and use the word fall 11 times and no one cares. 

Since I can't find the words to describe my euphoria (eufallria? eh? eh?), I'll just leave you with pretty fall pictures and we'll call it a day. 

The scenery.

The trees.

The colors of the...leaves.

Betcha thought I was going to quote Pocahontas and say wind, huh?

As a kid, jumping into a pile of leaves was almost as fun as getting to jump on hotel beds. Although, the leaves thing was a lot prettier and more colorful. 

The bottomless amount of Halloween candy.

I realize Halloween candy does hit a bottom and it's called two days after Halloween (because one day after it all the half off candy, holla!), however my stomach feels like a bottomless pit made for candy around this time of year. 

Spoiler alert (laced with sarcasm): I look sooo good in a leotard during these fall candy months. 

The reminder that Christmas and all good things are just around the corner.

Yes, I do realize Hobby Lobby has been reminding us of this point since June, but shhh. That kind of just makes me love Hobs Lobs even more...

The crafts

Apparently something in the fall air makes Ricky craft with me because TimeHop is throwing up all sorts of Ricky craft time pictures from fall's past. Can't say I hate having a handy and handsome husband. I also could never say that I abhor alliteration. 

My jams.

These two albums are kinda all that my ears and sweet lil' fall soul need right now. They go on repeat and I go in jammin' mode. 

Don't hate. Just jam.

I also love the carmel-y apple way my living room smells right now (thanks, FeBreeze), and the snuggly family goodness time I know is coming up, and food that Freds makes (but I love that during 'erry season), and I even love the cooler temps (even though I complain about being cold for 23 hours out of the day).

Hey, fall. I sure do hope you plan on sticking around. 

Why do you love fall?

And don't tell me you don't or your blogging privileges get taken away. 

Linking up with Amanda and Karli!

five ways to tell that it is "fall" in the south

I'm so glad it's almost fall for most of you and yadda yadda yadda. Really, I'm so glad. But here in the low country it is still 90 degrees (give or take a few extra 10 degrees) and while I'd love to pull on my jacket for a nippy evening walk, that just ain't happenin' until...December? January? 

Since we poor beach folk don't have the weather to knock on our doors and tell us when fall is coming, we have to get creative and figure out other ways to tell the changing of the seasons...

one

Everyone else is Instagramming pictures like this:

via

...while I'm still going outside wondering if I have to wear a shirt. Or even pants. Do sundresses work year round? No? Wait, it's not June?

two

Hobby Lobby has Christmas stuff on display.

Oh, der, that just means it's the end of July. Not fall. My bad.

three

Everyone in the whole wide world is going gaga over Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks and/or all pumpkin flavored food items from Trader Joe's.

I'm going gaga over ice cold water and AC. No food needed. Buuuut, I will take some chocolate. 

four

Jackets are coming out as accessories used for layering. 

Jackets are out and have been out because it's so dang cold indoors with the AC blasting. 65 degrees inside and 105 outside. 

five
Meanwhile the leaves are turning beautiful warm colors and falling to the ground with a crispy landing.
...and over here the palm fronds stay the same. Nobody is running around stepping on the crunchy fallen palm fronds, that's for sure.

Palm fronds in the winter. Ice, ice, baby. 

Happy weekend!
Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and Lauren.

the story of a tumble monkey

I took a little tumble, so to speak, last Friday and spent lots of fun hours in the Emergency Room. I honestly was not going to post about this, but after all the lolz that happened during my very short ER stay I decided that a pretty sweet story could be told out of that night and those happenings. 

Side note: one of the first things Russ Moore said to me when he got to the hospital? So, are you going to post something on Facebook or should I? ...Nah, just blog about it. 

Here ya are, Russell. A blog post. 

I won't say much about the fall. This isn't a woe is me post, this is a LOL post and the fall would just really bring it down (badda bing!). Just know that I did a headstand-y backflip off of Bhumi's back (by accident) and did the whole flip on the side of my neck. My back cracked from top of the neck to bottom of my butt. Thank ya very much. 

I realized a very important piece of life information this weekend. I live in a dance bubble. I do. People in my bubble speak my language and understand my life. People outside of my bubble like the fire department, ambulance drivers, nurses, and doctors do not speak my language. I spent Friday night feeling like I was speaking Greek. Here are words from my language you will need to know for this post:

Downward Dog (a well known yoga pose)

Marley floor (special sprung floor for dancing)

The first feeling after the fall was pure shock. Like, what just happened? Was that crack my back?  Why can't my back pop when I want it to pop?  OW. OW. OW. Once the tears and snot had stopped and graciously flowed down my face onto the floor, I was told not. to. move. under. any. circumstances. Long story short, I was taped down and rolled out of the dance studio on a gurney. Any feelings of Oh, I'm totally fine went out the window as soon as I was taped down and rushed to an ambulance. 

Scene 1: Inside the ambulance

EMS 1: So, what happened again? 

Bhumi: I was in a push-up position and Emily was sitting on me. I popped into downward dog and she was supposed to slide down my back--her stomach on my back. Instead, her legs flew over and she flipped on her neck. 

EMS 1: Hmm, I do know what a downward dog is. Are you impressed? 

EMS 2: I don't know what kind of music y'all like so I just put some on. 

::Enrique Iglesias heard in background::

EMS 1: I'll just say 'Dancer fell in practice and hurt back.' I need some information. Phone #? And when is the best time for me to call you...?

The rest of the ride included questions about injuries while dancing, questions about how long we have danced and what kind we prefer, questions about tattoos, and show and tell time for EMS man's tattoo. (p.s.--it was on his lip. Being taped down I saw nothing--only heard Bhumi's, "Oh...")

Scene 2: Inside the ER

High-pitched Voice Nurse: Here is our dancer. Hurt her back. How did you do it again? You know if you were a pole dancer you wouldn't get hurt like this.

Bhumi gives explanation again.

Blank looks seen from all nurses.

Bhumi throws down bags and purses, gets on the floor, and demonstrates. 

Everyone: Ohhhhhh, okay. (more confused looks)

From that moment on, I was known as backflip girl.

Next four hours:

Nurse: This happened on soft floor? Oh, dance floor? So floor like this linoleum?

Nurse: You flipped from four feet up in the air? No? Two feet?

Nurse to other nurse before shift change: She was on this other girl's back and the girl jumped and she flew off of her back and did a flip and then I think she landed on her neck? But there was definitely a flip.

Russ: I'm not sure what happened. Downward dog is a yoga position, right? 

Doctor: I was talking to my assistant about the logistics of this and we're still not really sure what happened, but the point is nothing is broken or fractured.

Second shift nurse: That's so great you stuck with gymnastics. My daughter started too early and lost interest. 

The moral of the story? 

Always have a candid video camera in dance studios for all those people who aren't native dance speakers.

Second moral of the story?

Always have clothes and shoes and jackets and blankets ready just in case you go to the hospital in the middle of rehearsal. I was the hooligan in the ER with no shoes and only sweaty dance clothes. In the 40 degree weather. 

Third moral of the story?

Have really great friends like Bhumi/SDT members who do things like grab my purse, contact my family, ride in ambulances, and sit in the ER for 5 hours on a Friday night. A great boyfriend who comes and sits with you and brings you gummy bears. And a great dad who comes and fills your prescription so you can hit up those pain meds.

Obviously, I am fine. Sore muscles and bones, but thankful that is all. (Okay, maybe I should say I will be more thankful after this current pain has subsided). By the time I was called a gymnast I just agreed. Agreeing and smiling and nodding was a lot easier than trying to explain the story for the fifty seventh time. It might turn into sixty seven times after this blog causes mass confusion of what happened to all of my loyal readers...

Y'all stay safe out there! It's a crazy world full of unexpected backflips and weekend adventures!

happy hallo-ongweek

Halloween is fixin' to be here. This is exciting for 2 reasons. Reason #1- It means we are THAT much closer to Christmas. Reason #2- It means we are THAT much closer to Christmas. Reason #3- There is candy everywhere.

Reason #1 is so important I felt that it needed to be reiterated. 

I've never been one to get super excited for Halloween. It is exciting that my grocery shopping is a whole lot easier this time of year because all that it involves is CANDY. Done and done. But I spend most of my year counting down for my birthday (DUH) and for Christmas, so Halloween is more of a marking point in my journey to get to Christmas! and Christmas movies! and Christmas cookies! and Christmas trees! and Santa Claus!

There are only 57 more days until Christmas, y'all. Get excited with me. 

I bet you thought this post was going to be about Halloween, didn't you? 

This pre-Halloween week has been a long one. Literally, I think several hours or days or Energizer batteries were added to this week because it is just going on and on and on. BUT have no fear, Friday is here! Also, last night some of the ATL food trucks were in Decatur and honeybuns, my tummy has never been so happy. (other than all those other times it was happy with good food). Seriously though, that food was delicious. Tacos, risotto balls, and GELATO. Blueberry cheesecake and hazelnut nutella gelato to be exact. 

This week also featured Mr. Diddy's heart surgery. In the midst of being extremely worried and nervous about this, Mr. Diddy did what he always does best: comforted people with his wonderful humor. Here he was, lying in pre-op hooked up to just about every machine and drug you could imagine, and he was quizzing Ann on the molecular structure of sugar and table salt. He was telling us how glad he was that the Varsity was on the way home so he could get some after this was all done (heart surgery has obviously made a huge impact on this man). I couldn't help but smile and laugh and want to give him a big 'ole kiss on that one spot of his forehead that wasn't covered with some kind of tube and tell him I loved him (which I totally did do, btdubs). Anyways, surgery went very well and he is plugging along at Piedmont trying to get well enough to come home. 

What a little pre-op cutie!

Some more pictures from hospital day...

Russell carried his baby, Mac, around around with him everywhere. Aw, such a protective father. 

And this guy who is saving our planet by choosing to ride a horse down Peachtree St. 

Thank you all for your prayers and happy thoughts going into this week. I know the Dids appreciates it tremendously. Now, let's go celebrate Halloween and the imminent return of CHRISTMAS.