Courtney's Night Out

In honor of Courtney and Matt's wedding this weekend, I thought I would post some pictures of her fun bachelorette party! You might remember them from a previous post when they got engaged in January, here.

First of all, I was beyond impressed with the hostesses (definitely with the mostest) and her amazing decor and attention to detail. I used to think I was good at decorating and throwing parties (I mean I am a ESFJ); however, I am nothing compared to Britney. I mean...

homemade paper balls/flowers above the table

everything on that table was homemade...

A champagne fountain?!

Yes, even homemade jello penises, flesh colored and all.

Go ahead and pin away (pinterest, duh) on those awesome decorations. OK, don't pin the penises, but everything else! Is that inappropriate for my blog btw?! Oh well...

We arrived Saturday afternoon and had delicious food (it tasted even better than it looked) and then headed out to get manicures and pedicures.

After getting pampered, we came back and snacked some more (of course), had a fabulous lingerie shower (I'll spare the pics) and then put on our black bacheorette wear and hit the town!

Sigma kappas together to celebrate!

Me and the BRIDE!

Then surprise Court...the limo arrives!! Can you believe this is the second time in 6 months most of us have been in a limo together?! We are lucky gals!

We started out at an awesome Tapas restaurant in downtown Raleigh that had amazing sangira! All kinds of awesome flavors... and then went to a few bars. I labeled myself "water fairy" for the bride and she had a wonderful evening!

I miss these Sigma Kappa ladies!

I think every bride needs a water fairy!

There was a band at one bar and of course the bride and friends got some t-shirts!

Anna and Court were breaking it own on the way home...sign of a good night and an even better wedding to come!

This is going to be a great weekend :)

DIY FRIDAY: Jewlery Display

I know I missed last week, but that will make this week's so much better! When you are a doer like my self (do it yourself) you have lots of things going on all at once...and sometimes blogging takes the back seat.

Now, this project is as easy as 1-2-3. I have had several friends do different versions of this, but as you will see, I took the easy way out. All you need are some cute necklaces, picture frames, and nails.

I have lots of jewelry and every time I move it is hard to know exactly what to do with it. This time around I thought I would display and have the pieces that I wear the most on my dresser, and then put the pieces I wear occasionally in my closet (which I must admit, I forget about most of the time). So to do this, I took some frames that Luke had and just nailed them on the wall, then picked out my jewels, and hung them on some nails in the frames. See, it is easy, useful and a great piece of art!


Also, I got the earring holder at TJ Maxx which was a great find. Then I used some cute bowls to hold more earrings and bangles. I love them!

I also did a little DIYing to the dresser in our room. We found this beauty at good will in Harrisonburg (along with the majority of our furniture BTW) and just cleaned it up a bit with some new hardware (my fave is stuff from anthro of course). The handles on their before were nasty brass so we just went to Lowes and put those on there and it makes it look great. I think that new hardware can change any piece of furniture!


Sure, its not pottery barn or anything...but who can afford that anyway? Also, as I mentioned in my last DIY FRIDAY, please ignore the carpet. It is the thorn in side as good ol' apostle Paul once stated.

I guess now would be a good time to admit that I am a cup hoarder. People hoard a lot of things: animals (yikes), dolls, books, trash, clothes, etc...and I hoard cups. I have to have a sip of water every night before I go to bed and then I like to drink the rest of it when I wake up in the morning (maybe I am OCD too?). I typically forget to bring them back downstairs, so I end up with lots of cups on my dresser. I think my record is 8, but this morning before I took the pictures I had to move 4 cups away:

Luke hates my hoarding cup habit.

Anyway, I wanted to thank one faithful follower, Evan Logan, for pinning my last DIY on her pintrest boards! Thanks for making me feel famous.

Up next time...what to do with an old pantry found on the side of the road....

ESFJ.

Yes, i have fallen into the temptation of becoming a "Myers-Briggs Person." I took the test for the second time today and am officially a ESFJ. Surprise? No. In fact one of the prominent characteristics is that they socialize excessively. Helloo...

I have an example of this that I would like to share.

The Logans were in town to visit a couple months ago. We went out to dinner at The Local Chop House in the bar area. I saw a cute couple sitting in the couches beside us with JMU shirts on, and of course I had to strike up some conversation.

And I did. This little "hello" to the cute couple in JMU tees turned into a 30 minute conversation of pure bliss. Here are some details about them:

• The girl is in grad school at JMU for OT and the husband works in town (aka me and Luke)


• They decided the LOVE Harrisonburg and want to buy a house here. They never thought they would live in the burg...(sameee)

• The girl lovesss wine and works at cross keys (chardonnay= 2nd love)


• They are getting married in December (newly married friends, yay!)

After having such a fun convo with this cute couple that shall remain nameless because I can't remember their names, I turned to Luke and told him we should get their numbers and have them over for dinner. He politely looked at me and said "no, you shouldn't." At first I thought he was kidding and then he looked at me straight in the eyes (mean teacher look) and said, "you don't need anymore friends."

What? My husband is putting limits on my friendships?! Apparently, yes. At first I was appalled, but as i began to think about it I realized he was right. I can hardly keep up with the sweet, loving friends I have now. I must slow down and enjoy the friendships I do have. But the ESFJ in me secretly hopes that the mysterious couple finds this blog and then we can do dinner. Or, maybe I should look on missed connections on craigslist and make sure they have not written about me. Remind me to blog about my missed connections obsession/past at some point. Also, having them over for dinner could mean cross keys hookups--heck yes!

During class today when we were learning about our personality types, Kelly pointed that extroverts are EXPANSIVE...hello 11 bridemaids and 3 honorary bridesmaids (just like pringles, once you start you can't stop). I just love them. I like to expand (not literally)...where's the fun in maintaining?

Also, I thought it might be fun to share some potential jobs for ESFJs, can you picture me as one of the following:

• A massage therapist: funny one time Luke told me to just stop when I was rubbing his back. I'm just that bad.
• Elementary school teacher: haha is that a joke? i would DIE.
• Athletic coach: I always did have aspirations to be a HS cheer-leading coach. And then I was one and had to call the cops for a girl fight on the bus on the way home from an away game...sometimes dreams do die.
• Home Economics Teacher: Anyone remember the keylime pie night?
• Flight Attendant: shoot me now to have to wear those terrible outfits
  
• Funeral Home Director: yikes.
• Cosmetologist: I'm still scared to pluck my own eyebrows. I have been relying on good friends to pluck my brows for me since college. To this day I only get them plucked when I see one of them. Too bad they all live in NC.

OK so those were the ones that were a big surprise, but there were also some ones that I think would fit me well...counselor, minister, sales, public relations, etc.

I must add that I married a ENFP. His description fits him perfectly..."They Give Life an extra squeeze!" It is so true! I love that about him, even though he hates that I am constantly analyzing him via the myers-briggs out there.

So, my question for you tonight is: What is your personality type?!

CSPA Introductions

My CSPA family and Dr. Juhan (our awesome professor from APP STATE!)

According to some in my program, CSPA stands for "CAN you PLEASE SIT my PUPPY ANDY?" but what it really stands for is College Student Personnel Administration...which is the graduate program I just entered.

I realized I have not had the chance to formally introduce everyone in my cohort on my blog yet, so here goes nothing:

Taylor: Also known as Boy Taylor and is the creator of the acronym above. He is from Kansas and has implemented K-State Wednesdays where he wears K-State apparel to our class. He is hilarious and you will typically find him making fun of the way I say "really?" and southern accents. He also has a super cute dog (Andy).

"T" stands for Taylor

Candace: The former SGA president of JMU and knows everything JMU, including the bus route which she has to explain to one of us on a daily basis. Also, she almost got caught on fire from the birthday candles on her cake this weekend...


Cody: Cody's desk is next to mine in FYI. We have a game that anytime we are together and see someone we know we get one point, first to three wins.Earlier today he was winning 1-0; however, I just swept up 4 points and won! He also special ordered JMU chuck taylors that are purple and gold for homecoming. They didn't come in on time. Make delicious homemade mac and cheese...yum!

Kristin (our supervisor) and Cody at the chili cook off!

Ryan: Most likely to be found wearing boat shoes and he considers the coast of NC to be Heaven on Earth, but can you blame him? I once saw him in the dining hall and just stole a fry from him without asking, but he forgave me. I love his southern hospitality and the way that he is funny without meaning to be.

Maggie: Gives the saying "Southern Twang" a whole new name. Her and her boyfriend, Craig, are too cute. They both came to Harrisonburg for graduate school (he is getting his masters is pyschology) from a small school in Georgia, Mercer. She also worked at camp on the Okie Fanokie swamp (how do you even spell that?!)

Craig and Maggie on our the right, Kelly on the far left and Emily in the middle

Marcus: Loves all things Miami and will always throw out a "whooo whooo" when anything Florida related is mentioned in class. He is engaged to be married in May, so although I am the only one married, he is almost there, so we can relate! During our first meeting he mentioned his fear of fish even though he is huge, strong guy! He graduated from Bridgewater College.

Kristin: Picture Snookie or any other girl on Jersey Shore and Kristin is the exact opposite. She is the sweetest Jersey girl, and maybe be my first and only friend from NJ to be honest. Her and Luke bond over corny english teacher jokes like, "Whats the difference between a common and a cat? A cat has claws between its pause, and a comma puts a pause after a clause." I don't get either...but they love it.

Kristin on the left, Candance on the right

Greg: I think he is the youngest in our cohort and he joins us straight from Frostburg University in MD. He hates dealing with students' parents and makes AMAZING chili which he entered into ORL's Chili's cook-off (I think it was the Heineken that did the trick). He also is responsible for almost catching Candace on fire.

Kelly: Kelly is the first person I met in our cohort. We fell in love last semester while meeting at Cinnamon Bear for lunch. I am currently teaching her how to drink socially (haha) after she forgot she met my husband (who she called my boyfriend) one night out. She is a philly lady and so much fun to be around. Also, I love her posh business attire.

Twins!

Adam: Adam is one of the quieter ones in class, but when he says something it is brilliant. He was born and raised in the Burg and so easy to be around. The first time we met I was working FYI and helped him make M&M door decs, they were amazing.

Emily: A fellow blogger from Kentucky. I am hoping to go see the Kentucky Derby with her some day. She is super sweet, despite what her students in the counseling center say. She also picked me up and took me to grad school orientation when I locked myself out of the house one morning...so nice!

CSPA ladies plus Ayssa and Aliana (CSPA second years)

From left to right, back: Maggie, Cody, Kristin, Candace, Emily, me, Taylor, Andy, front left: Greg, and Kelly.

A few weeks ago, I had everyone over for a wine and cheese party. We had a blast. It is such blessing to spend 12 plus hours a week with people you really enjoy and learn a lot from. I am glad they like me even though I am an old (nickname, Old Taylor) married woman. Funny, in college I always played the role of the young single friends...my how the times are changing!

And even if they aren't in the cohort, I had to add the sweet Abby and Luke who joined in on the fun at the wine and cheese:

DIYDAY FRIDAY...

That's right it is Do It Yourself Friday! I have been wanting to show some of my recent DIY projects on my blog, but I just seem to keep on forgetting. Thus, for the next few weeks I will post my DIY projects for DIYDAY FRIDAY! Enjoy!

Sidenote: Most of these projects were done during the 2 weeks I was transitioning jobs this summer. For those of you that know me well, you know I cannot sit still. Thus, I was Micheal's twice a day every day, watching TV and crafting.

Ladies, have you ever wondered what to do with that PILE of wedding cards that you don't want to throw away because one day you might want to look at them again? I had an entire basket full that was just sitting in our storage closet waiting to be used. So, my mother had a brilliant idea of how to display them. We used modge podge to create this beautiful side table for our bedroom:

another side note: Please ignore the dookie brown colored carpets that are in the bedrooms. I know it's not cute, but my landlord thinks it is great, so I deal with it. Also, ignore the white walls that we can't paint and the empty picture frame (have not gotten around to that yet). Oh the joys of renting...

please do note: The two books on the table. After my post on Wicked I decided to put the Hunger Games (book 3) on top to mark it more of a priority. Still can't take it off my table yet, but I will get there.

Sorry, I digressed, back to the table. I guess in DIY blogs you are supposed to tell people how your created it...so here we go:

step 1: Find a side table. This one was in my room growing up and I think my mom got it at a garage sale, consignment shop or something like that. It was pink when we first got it, then it was yellow, and then my mom spray painted it white...she uses spray paint for everything by the way.

step 2: Look through your wedding cards and pick ones out that have a similar theme or color scheme. I happened to find a lot with teal, gold, lace, white, yellow, silver, etc. so we went with that...kind of a antique feel.

step 3: Make copies of the cards (several copies of each). If you use the card itself, it will be really hard to modge podge because they are so stiff. So, we just made color copies of all of them and they turned out great.

step 4: BURN BABY BURN. Grab some lighters and burn the edges of the cards. You don't have to do this, but we liked it because again, we like the old antique look. I wish I had pictures of my mom and I doing this , at the time I didn't know I would blog about it as we were going (if you can believe that). We stood outside for a good hour and I had some blisters on my hand for burning so much.

step 5: Grab some modge podge (you can use spongie paint brushes to put it on) and basically go to town. Choose a few that you really want to stand out and then work around there. The problem with my mom and I is, we don't really have an art for doing this, we just slap it on there and see what happens.

Step 6: After mom and I were done modge podging, we needed something to cover some of the empty spots, and the side edge and bottom part of the table. We also wanted to add some cohesiveness to the whole thing so everything looked like it went together. So, we went to Michaels and found some scrapbook paper that had a similar look to the rest of our cards and used that for that bottom and side edge, and then in various places on the table as well. We also cut some of our remaining pieces and added lace and gold in random places...you can cut some of the cards up you don't have to use a whole thing if you don't want to. If you look above you will see we cut the "love" part from the yellow card out and used the rest elsewhere.


Step 7: To finish things off, we sprayed some matte finish on there and waited for it to dry. I prefer matte because I did not want it to have the shiny look.

Here are some more pictures, and sorry again for not having more of the process:





So, that is your first DIYDAY FRIDAY! I hope you enjoyed it and can find a way to use those wedding cards of yours as well.

One more thing, ever since I have wanted to start DIYDAY FRIDAY I have wanted to end the blog like this...

pin this, b*tch.

For those of you that don't know what I am talking about...pintrest is the website for people to "pin" things that they like to a board for other people to see. A lot of people use it for design and what not....and the b*tch part is because sometimes I like to pretend to be a bad ass. But lets be honest, it just does not work for me.

So, pin this, please!

Big (mini) Love Reunion

Anyone sick of hearing what I do on the weekends? Sorry 'bout it.

Three weeks ago (yes, I am behind) we planned a last-minute Big (mini) Love Reunion. Mini because not everyone was there, but much there was plenty of love to go around. It was fun to embrace all our old Harrisonburg favorites and traditions since everyone left me behind for bigger and better things (OK maybe bigger because lets be honest the burg is small, but probably not better).

Jess came in on Friday night and of course we found ourselves at Clementines. Yes, I am aware that there are other restaurants in life but I just can't get enough. Per usual, I got the avocado burger, Luke got the mushroom burger and Jess got the turkey bacon avocado. The night could not have been more perfect for the following reasons:

1. Juan was our waiter
2. Fall seasonal beers were on tap
3. A Beetles cover band, Abby Road, was there and they were AMAZING


4. Jess got hit on by our next door neighbor who she happens to know and hate. After calling her "adorable" 20 times and asking her to dance, she declined the offer and then told him she would be staying with us (beside him) for the weekend. She woke up to a FB friend request (duh).

5. I got to wear my amazing beetles inspired shirt (consignment marc jacobs!) and brightened up the scene...i mean that shirt is bright!


Saturday morning Jess and I woke up and went to Starbucks to get our first pumpkin spice latte of the season and it was delish. Then we headed downtown to the farmers market and the new consignment store downtown, Duo. I got the cutest leather jacket for $30 bucks! Remind me, I need to do a whole post on my recent consignment and thrift store finds...I have a new hobby ladies and gents!

After downtown, the rest of the gang showed up (Amy, Sarah, and Meghan) and we went to Pennybacker's for lunch. Which was kind of a surprise given our last experience there on the 4th of July. We had soups and diet cokes and fun conversations.



After lunch we went to Dayton Farmer's Market for some Mennonite loving. We each had to get some of our fave items including: cinnamon chocolate chips, whole wheat shells, sunflower seeds, popcorn, etc. Somehow we were also able to adopt a fake baby...how you can do that in a Mennonite store I have no idea?!


I also told Jess I would do this to a certain person who will remain nameless if I ever see him again...


AKA don't mess around with my girls!

Then it was time for the one and only Mexican Train and we played all 12 rounds. Somehow we managed to not let Meg win (she wins every game) and then we had a delicious meal of stuffed shells with plenty of good wine to follow. We talked about things like: a foreign man who sleep talks, scary stories of frozen clowns, and tattoos. We asked questions like: What type of person cleans up amniotic fluid? And, if anyone ever been electrocuted? I then shared my story of being electrocuted while mounting a Christmas deer while wearing a bathing suit in the snow...


Then it was bed time, shortly followed by morning time when we all went to Mr. Jays for a wonderful bagel and coffee. We ended our weekend by worshiping at Grace Covenant.

What pure joy it was to have these people back in the Burg and I cannot wait for it to happen again!