1 week to go....

Its been a month since I wrote my last blog post. And what a crazy month its been! Life has been full of so many up's and downs, smiles and tears- all to get to this place. My last week of student teaching and graduate school! Thursday is my last day at the high school and my graduation is on the 11th. Boy does it feel good to be able to say that!! I finally did it!!! I'm getting my masters degree! Woohoo! And you better believe I have an awesome dress for graduation :)

So, I am sure you all have been wondering what I've been up to in the last month.....

-Enjoyed my third Carolina Cup! It was an adventure to say the least road trip wise. And it was so much fun! I got to spend time with some of my favorite people at one of my favorite events!

-Got to spend time in ChatTown for my spring break! I got to enjoy a whole week of being lazy and spending time with Ben and Annie. It was pure heaven.

-Spent a fun weekend in Knoxville with Ben's family for Easter. Its always a good time seeing everyone!

-Completed my portfolio and did my Master's presentation.

-Wrapped up my final unit for student teaching and gave back my kiddos to my Cooperating Teacher.

-Saw one of my best friends get married!

After this next week I hope to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

Top Ten Part Two!!!

Ok so finally here is part two!!

6. My Blackberry. Yes I know its possible to survive without it, but I can't imagine doing so. I fall under the category of its my "crackberry." I love it, it keeps me connected to family and friends. Its how I stay in constant contact with my little and Ben. Being away from both of them is hard and no fun at all but thanks to my BB I can text/call/email whenever I need to! Since I decided to go to grad school at Clemson and Ben got his job in TN I have used my unlimited minutes and texts as much as possible to stay close to Ben being four hours away. I miss him terribly but knowing I can always talk to him makes it much easier!

7. Satellite Radio. I LOVE IT! Due to being in a long distance relationship I spend a lot of time in the car. Hours and hours in the car. And lets be honest ordinary radio sucks. Ben has had satellite in his Jeep for awhile and we had the docking station in the house so I got spoiled by it, and luckily my wonderful boyfriend got me one for my car this past Christmas! Boy oh boy do I love it!!!!! I hardly ever listen to regular radio anymore. My favorite stations are: Alt Nation, Hits 1, The Highway, Prime Country, and 90's on 9!

8. My little sister Danielle. She is my best friend and my Phi Mu sister! I love her dearly and am so happy she is my little. We are super duper close and her being so far away stinks but I am proud of her and what she is doing in the Navy. Luckily for us we have skype, facebook, and phones to keep us connected. Its quite strange being so far away from someone I saw every day. We were always a close big-little pair, but living together made it even better! Our little apt was the best place ever! She is such an important part of my life and it wouldn't be the same without her!

9. Annie. I love that little dog so much! Ben and I adore her. She is the sweetest, prettiest, happiest dog in the whole world. I can't imagine not having her around. She brings such joy to my heart when I come home and she is all excited to see me! Adopting her was a great decision and I don't regret it one bit! I am so happy we were able to give her a home! (I can't imagine why someone would be mean and cruel to that precious dog! It makes me angry to think about Annie being mistreated!)

10. While its #10 on my list (I guess I should have counted down..) its really the one thing I cant live without. My wonderful, darling boyfriend Ben. He is my everything. The best part of my life. The past three years with him have been amazing and I am lucky to say I get to spend the rest of my life with him. I don't think he realizes how amazing he is, but believe me I know! Every day with him is a blessing and I'm looking forward to May when I can go home and be with him every day!

 

10 Things I Can't Live Without- Part 1

1. My Michael Kors Watch

I wear this watch every single day! I bought it last year as a birthday present to myself. It has proven to be a timeless, classy investment. Yes it was a little pricey but purchasing it during Belk's charity day + birthday money made it not break the bank. I wear it so much that I feel weird when I forget to put it on in the morning. I am lost during the school day without since it helps me pace my lessons to make sure I stay on track throughout the day.

2. My Louis Vuitton Speedy 35 and Alma Bag

Yes I am a bag snob. I admit it and I'm ok with that. I love Louis Vuitton and Dooney & Bourke. They are my two favorite handbag brands. Not because of the labels, because of the quality and timelessness of the bags. My louis's are my favorite bags of all time and probably my best consignment finds ever! Thats right they are from consignment stores!!! Authentic, vintage LV for a fraction of the cost. However, if you are going to buy LV in a consignment store make sure you are aware of what makes a bag authentic to ensure that you are not buying a fake. There are great resources online to help you find what you should look for. Also, make sure you have a lot of patience. It requires a lot of it to find the right bag, quality and price when your looking in consignment stores.

3. Black Flats

I love these shoes. I have actually had 2 pairs of these exact shoes. I essentially wear them to death and replace them. They are inexpensive, comfortable and lest forever! I also have a pair of black flats with a quilted pattern and patent cap toe that I wear all the time to school, however, those are about to bite the dust :( i'll be super sad when I finally have to say they are completely worn out (which will probably be in about a week). I have found that it is simply impossible to live without a pair of simple black flats. They go with just about everything, are easy to shop for, and easy to wear. Throw on jeans, a cute top, and black flats and BAM! Easy, quick outfit when you don't have time to figure out what to wear (or your feeling lazy. 

4. Mascara

I have not always been an avid mascara wearer, but recently I realized how much of a difference it can make in how I look and feel. I have been going through a period of trial and error to find the right one for me. I have sensitive eyes when it comes to eye shadow and mascara and a lot of mascara's don't work for me. I think this is one of the reasons why I haven't been a big fan of wearing it. However, I read A LOT of fashion/beauty magazines/blogs and I noticed that one mascara kept being mentioned over and over again- Christian Dior's Diorshow. So one day in Sephora I finally bit the bullet and tried it (it helps that Sephora's return policy ensured that I could bring it back if it bothered me.) What a difference a good mascara can make! I wear glasses daily and I noticed how much it made my eyes pop even if I wasn't wearing any eye make up at all. 

5. Urban Decay's "Naked 1" Eye Palette

There is a lot of hype about this eye shadow palette. And by a lot, I mean A TON of hype. There are countless reviews and mentions about this palette. It is so popular that a lot of time it is sold out at Sephora and Ulta. Urban Decay even came out with a Naked 2 palette in addition to the first one. I recently bought it (along with my Diorshow mascara) and I have to say I really like it. Its a lot of nuetral shades, which are great for school and the colors go great with each other so I can easily experiment with different combinations. I haven't always been big into neutrals and brownish shades but I'm falling in love with them through using this palette.

OOTD- Equestrian Chic

Hello hello!

Here is an OOTD from when I went shopping last week.

Jacket- JCP, Pants- J. Crew Minnie, Boots- Belk,
Striped Top- Gap (old), Watch- Michael Kors

Hello Old Friends!

To my dear readers I have missed you! And missed blogging!

These last two months have been CRAZY! So much has happened! Where do I begin?

Things that have happened since the last blog post...

1. Ben got a new job! And we moved!!
So Ben was  offered a position working with his former project manager who moved companies and he accepted the position and we moved two weeks later! To Tennessee!!! So we are now happily living in a house on a hill in Chattanooga :) Its lovely and my precious Annie is so happy because we have 1.2 acres to roam around in! Ben is happy because he got the mountains and I still got my city-life :) a girl simply HAS to have her Target and Starbucks! Its been a great experience so far I just cant wait till May when I am done with school and back here full time!

2. Speaking of school... I AM ALMOST DONE! WOOHOO!!
In January I will be starting my last semester at Clemson. Its bittersweet but I am excited. I transitioned to my new classroom a few weeks before the end of the semester and I am quite excited I will be teaching 4 sections of Honors Chemistry and one section of Astronomy! I know students teaching will be a lot of work and very stressful but I have wonderful students and what looks to be another great mentor teacher! However, it was sad to leave my biology students and first mentor teacher! She was AWESOME!!! I'm going to miss them when I go back in January!

Also, I officially have kept my 4.0!!! Woohoo!!! And I filed my first part of graduation paperwork at the end of the semester! I am officially graduating on May 11th at 2:30 pm :) Yes I know the exact time already! I have been looking forward to this day for a long time!

3. OOTD So I have been trying to take some photos of my outfits lately so I have a few to share with you. I want to document what I wear to school more so that I can share them to prove you can be a teacher AND be stylish! No frumpy clothes!!! So without further adieu...... ( I apologize for the crappy BB photos, I found my camera today so I will start taking better photos!)

 This is a typical outfit I wear to school. I have the Minnie pants in every color but the Khaki. I dont do khaki- it looks terrible on me! Also this cardigan is amazing- soft, comfortable, t-shirt like and long! I have an issue with cardigans being too short and riding up! Major NO! in the classroom.

(J. Crew Minnie Pants, J. Crew Mixed Tape Cardi, J. Crew Scarf, Black flats from Belk)
(Typical teaching outfit for me)

This is what I am wearing today!

(Vineyard Vines Cords- found in consignment store!, Gap striped top, Target Scarf,
Michael Kors watch, and Sperry Patent Loafers- because its raining AGAIN!)

Well I am off to finish my Christmas shopping! I hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Babies having babies...

First, let me start off my saying this is my personal blog, therefore it is my personal opinion. You do not have to like or agreed with what I have to say but it is my right to say it. Most of the time this blog is random and primarily fashion-oriented, however, occasionally I feel like sharing other things. Today is one of those days.

Ben and I have been "officially" dating for almost three years now and have lived together for for quite some time now. We are not engaged, and we aren't planning to get married for some time. A lot of people do not agree with us living together and not being married (my parents included.) However, we are adults. We are responsible and we know we are going to get married and we have a wonderful relationship and look  forward to our future. (I'm sure your trying to figure out where this going, I promise its not about relationship stuff I'm just giving background info.) Even though we know the direction our lives are headed many people constantly ask about us getting married and having children. Yes, we want both but just not right now. Ben is starting a new job, I am finishing grad school and preparing for my first teaching job. There is a lot going on right now and we don't need to add to our lives at the moment. Both getting married and having children is expensive and we are not in the position for either right now.
I come from a large family (I'm one of five) and I have seen first hand the expense children can be and the strain it can put on a family. As far as I am concerned my fur-baby Annie is enough of a child for me right now and to be honest I never really wanted children until I was close to thirty (GASP! that sounds so old lol) I just want to have time to enjoy my life with Ben and feel settled and financially stable.

Recently, I feel like I have encountered numerous girls that have gotten unexpectedly pregnant. And it angers me. I do not care if you have sex before marriage, I don't care about that crap (I've been living with my boyfriend for a long time now, remember) I do care when you don't use proper birth-control and get pregnant and are not prepared for a baby. A baby is a serious thing not be taken lightly. And shows like Teen Mom and The Secret Life of the American Teenager glamorize a situation that shouldn't be. Having a child is not glamorous, its hard. Having a child when your still a child is even harder. A few nights ago Ben's little sister came home with her childhood best friend, who brought along her daughter. She is 19, married, and has a daughter. Let me say that again, she is 19, married, and has a daughter. She lives with her in-laws and works at McDonald's. What a life. This is exactly where there are birth-control options. So that you do not have to have a life like this. You deserve better, a child deserves better. Your child should not have to experience the struggle in life because you weren't prepared for becoming a parent, that you weren't even a grown-up yet. And you shouldn't put yourself in a situation where you are getting married at 19 because you are pregnant. Marriage is not the answer to pregnancy. Marriage is not the answer to a lot of things, but many people seem to think this is the case.  I know that sex and birth-control are a taboo topic but I think its an important topic these days. Kids are exposed to too much at an earlier age now and they need to realize there are consequences to actions and there are precautions that should be taken. There are so many girls that are getting pregnant and aren't ready to be mothers. If you are going to have sex then you need to be responsible about it.  And if you do get pregnant don't expect me to be sympathetic towards you, the only person who will receive my sympathy is your child. They didn't put you in the situation, you did. And be grateful that your parents still support you. Mine would have disowned me if I came home and said I was pregnant. I'm lucky they didn't disown me when I moved in with Ben.

Its Ok...

Its ok...

that I really didn't care about Halloween this year (or last year)...

that I took my time figuring out what I wanted to do with my life...

that I am not married, pregnant, or engaged...

that I like my relationship just the way it is....

that I don't fight with my boyfriend, nor do I "work" at my relationship...

that I think my dog is the most precious thing ever and refer to her as my child.....

that the only questions I can answer from jeopardy are the science and fashion ones.....

that I would rather spend money on clothes than to eat out....