Obligatory 'What I'm Thankful For' Post

I'm sure I would seem like an ungrateful brat if I didn't post about the things I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving. So, here goes:

• I'm thankful that Josh and I are having problems trying to figure out when and where we're going to be tomorrow. I realize that sounds a little backwards, but if we didn't have one another, and if we each didn't have huge families that we love to spend time with, we would be much less fortunate.
• I'm thankful that I'm torn between which stores to hit up for doorbuster deals tomorrow. Again, I know that's a little backwards, but it means that I have a long list of people I love to buy gifts for, and a pocketbook that can handle the purchases.
• Along the same lines, I'm thankful that although the company I work for is a huge pain in my ass most of the time, they take the time to adopt 10 families for Christmas. I'm thankful I have the resources to make a child's Christmas season a little brighter (I realize that's a little Hallmark-ish, but it's that time of year and I loooooove buying gifts for people! So up yours Scrooge!)
• And, as much as I dread going to work everyday, I'm VERY thankful that my company has allowed me to continue working for them as I pursue my teaching degree, especially because this degree does not benefit my company in any way.
• Last but not least, I'm so very thankful that I do not work in retail! (I've NEVER worked on Black Friday, ever, and I'm not about to change that now!)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! In the words of one of my favorite customers from my days as a bank teller, "Go EAT that big turk-ay!"

source

Amanda: Remember the slew of Mrs. Ranger songs for Thanksgiving? The Three Turkey Gobblers, anyone?

An Open Letter to GVSU Food Service

Dear GVSU Food Service (Or Whoever is in Charge of Hours of Operation),

Hi. I'm sure you don't know me because I'm a commuter who does not have in her possession one of your ridiculously overpriced meal plans, but that doesn't change the fact that I occasionally partake in some on-campus food. Let's have a little chat, shall we?

I understand that the Thanksgiving season is upon us, and that campus is closed Wednesday through Sunday (thanks for that, by the way). However, that means that campus is still OPEN on Tuesday, regardless of the number of professors who choose to cancel class, or the number of students who choose to skip class. Therefore, all dining operations should remain open under normal operating hours. This only makes sense, right? Right. Glad we're on the same page here.

Imagine my surprise when I gather up my belongings, wish Emerson and Thoreau a Happy Turkey Day, and head over to Einstein's for a pre-Thanksgiving bagel treat (pumpkin schmear has cocaine-like qualities. all except for making you skinny...) and see no signs of life within the building. (Side note: Kudos to you for putting an Einstein's on campus. Pure genius.)  Yes. Einstein's had closed for the holiday break.

At this point I would like you to be aware that I was only two-thirds of the way through my day of classes. Yes, I was part of the unfortunate souls whose professor did not cancel class. I also was part of the unfortunate souls who've used up their allotted absences in said class (due to swine flu,  flu like symptoms,  going out on Tuesday nights with friends) and had to sit through a 3 hour lecture on Hamlet and King Lear. But I digress...

I walked all over campus trying to find a beacon of light from a dining establishment. Convenience Cubed is a misnomer; these stores' hours were nothing but inconvenient to my class schedule. Finally, upon walking into the building furthest away from my class, I saw a smoothie station. I had to resort to drinking a smoothie for my dinner. Regardless of how fricken delicious this smoothie was (nice work with the #6 pineapple strawberry combo, by the way) it in no way substituted for that which my tummy grumbled: an Einstein's bagel. And, curses on you for showing me something new and delicious and equally, if not more fattening than my original dinner choice.

Next year, would it be too much to ask to have Einstein's or one of your 'convenience' stores open until 6pm? I didn't think so. KThanks!

Ashley

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

Everyone has that one Christmas gift that, as a child, they asked for year after year after year but Santa never delivered. I have a TON of these gifts. Looking back, I'm half-annoyed, half-relieved that I never got them. Let's take a look:

Sue and Her Beauty Salon Too: I cannot, for the life of me, find a picture, but rest assured it is not this Sue, as Google seems to keep suggesting:

Not this Sue

The Beauty Salon Sue had her own salon chair and hair dryer and about 100+ little pieces that you could put in her hair. Ever year, my grandma and I would go through the JCPenney Christmas catalog and I would diligently write down each item I wanted, with a price, page number, item description, and item number. (The only time in my childhood that I was organized was if it resulted in me getting cool shit.)

Another item that showed up year after year on my list was the Bob Ross Painting Kit. I used to watch Bob on PBS anytime I could. I fricken loved his happy little trees made of a mixture of burnt sienna and raw umber and applied with a putty knife. Plus, he made friends with squirrels and had an afro. I was in love. I figured that if I had his painting kit I, too, could paint happy trees and fluffy clouds. Maybe I would even have a squirrel friend! (I did not covet his hair, but surprisingly enough, my hair does sometimes resemble his 'fro.)

Happy little trees

Then, there's the worst possible thing ever: When the cousin you despise gets the gift you want. The horror!!! This happened to me when I was 7. One of my cousins is 2 months younger than me, which has always led to some sibling-like rivalry (and then whenever I beat her at anything, she always gave lame excuses like, "I wasn't even trying..." ugh. And yes, I realize this should not still make me mad but it does.) That year I was begging for a My Size Barbie (You could wear her clothes!!) and stupid-face cousin got one instead.

Hmm... kinda creepy now

This sucked because whenever I had to go to her house to play, stupid-face cousin got to make the rules about how we played with her. And she always got to wear the clothes. (But she looked hideous in a pink tutu so, HA! I got the last laugh on that one, bitches!)

So, what was the gift you wanted as a child and never got?

Don't hate me...

...for what I'm about to say:

I'm not going to see New Moon today, or probably at all (definitely not in the theaters). Why, you ask? Because I'm over it. I caught the Twilight bug earlier this year and read the books (I'm going to teach high school English so I probably should know what's popular reading material, no?) and I even endorsed them on this here blog, but I'm so freaking over it now. I'd even go so far as to say that I wish I never mentioned how 'well written' the books are and how the 'characters are amazing' because I definitely have different feelings about the books now. I've read a lot of books since I read the Twilight series and my tastes have changed. I had a whole class on adolescent literature and my humble opinion is that there are so many more books out there that are written SO much better and have strong, well developed female characters (or just well developed characters in general). I still think the story itself is interesting, or I guess I should say I can see why it's appealing to so many people. But I have to admit that the Harry Potter series and J. K. Rowling get my vote for most compelling, fully tied together series. Plus, even when I was reading the books, I never developed a crush on Edward or Jacob. Neither one really did it for me; I guess that's why I have a hard time understanding why they're so appealing to everyone else. To each his/her own.

However, I am thankful that Stephenie Meyer's books have inspired so many non-readers to read. When it comes down to it, being a future English teacher, I think any type of reading is important. So, even though I've fallen off (more like jumped the hell off) the proverbial Twilight bandwagon, I'm glad it was written because SO many people read it. Does that make sense?

I'm also disappointed that New Moon is going to take away from this movie:

It looks SO good, plus I love Sandra Bullock and Kathy Bates. I think it will be interesting to see Sandra in a more serious role. I'm a sucker for true stories. There's also a book (!!!) which I'm adding to my list to read on Christmas Break! Oh- and how cool is this: Anna from Southern Champagne Wishes actually attended the high school where the story takes place! Check out her blog for some insider info on the school and the area. (You should check out her blog even if you're not interested in this movie because she posts pics of her shoes at the end of every entry. Talk about major footwear coveting!!)

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Do You Speak American?

**Warning! Academic-ish discussions ahead**

Since I'm taking classes, from time to time I'll blog about what I'm learning (if it interests me and I feel like sharing, which doesn't happen a lot, so when it happens PAY ATTENTION!). Today is one of those days. Yesterday, my linguistics prof showed us a website where you can rank on a scale of 1-10 the proper-ness (is that a word?) of the English spoken in different parts of the United States. Go there and do it, it takes like 3 seconds. The results are really interesting, especially to English nerds like me. What generally happens with Michiganders is that they rank Michigan the highest, meaning they think people from Michigan speak the most proper, or best English. Surrounding states speak almost, but not quite as well, followed by the West, the Northeast, and finally the South. What was interesting to me was that Michigan ranked Indiana lower than Ohio and Illinois, even though it's right between those two states. Also, Michiganders ranked California, Colorado, and Washington higher than other states out West (I can't help but think that Grey's Anatomy has something to do with the higher ranking of Washington... haha). Poor Alabama got ranked the lowest, proving that we think people in the South speak poor English. See for yourself:

Click on the Michigan map

What I've realized in my linguistics class is that there is no 'Proper' English, just a dialect called Standard American English, which is used most often in the media. That dialect tends to reflect speech patterns in the Midland section of the country, including parts of Missouri and Southern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Turns out Michigan doesn't even speak SAE! Michiganders tend to nasalize vowels, just ask anyone from the Midland states! Go Here and try and match the speakers with where they live. It's harder than it sounds!

So there's a quick rundown of what we've talked about in my linguistics class. I find linguistics extremely interesting for some reason. If I hadn't already made the decision to be a teacher, I think I would have traveled down the linguistics path!

Good News/Bad News

Yesterday I had an appointment with a counselor at GVSU to make sure that I'll have my major and minor complete in time to start the Graduate Teacher Certification program next summer (June 28th!!). During this meeting I had a few surprises. First of all, I was happy to learn that I don't need to take a class that I've scheduled for next semester. It's Psychology of Learning and it's a prereq for entering the College of Ed. if you're doing the undergrad program. That was the good news, and I was ecstatic for approximately 3 seconds. Then I realized that I didn't need to take the other 5 CLASSES I've already TAKEN that are prereqs for the College of Ed. Basically, the whole first summer of classes I took mean nothing now. Oh well... I was looking for a way to get rid of that pesky $4,000+ in my savings account (sarcasm, anyone?).

So I'm trying to look on the bright side and not think about the $4K that went right down the drain. At least I'm one class closer to being done, right? Right?? *sigh*

On the plus side, only 7 months and 10 days until I leave this:

Cubicle Hell

For this:

Classroom Heaven

Check out that diversity! Except, my students will have big smiles on their brown, orange, blue, green, and yellow faces, obvs.

In an unrelated note, I got a comment from a co-worker today and I was unsure how to take it. Today I'm wearing a sheath dress with a cardigan and my knee-high boots (it looks classy, I promise). Coworker came over to my cube and chatted with me for a few minute earlier this morning. Then, I walked over to where Coworker sits to ask him a question. He says, "Woah. You're in a dress." like I've never worn a dress in my life (which I have, about every other week at least), or like it was against all things holy for me to not wear pants. I replied with some snarky remark and a dirty look (I'm just guessing I gave him a dirty look... I tend to do that when people say stupid things. Character flaw?). Coworker then responded, "It just threw me off that you're in a dress." WTF? I don't get it...

Not too Shabby

My sister and I decided it would be nice to give my dad and stepmom pictures of myself, my sister, and my little brother for Christmas (now that I've typed that out it sounds very narcissistic). However, we are very short on cash (need I remind anyone of my endeavors to completely quit my job in an all-too-fast-approaching 7 months?) so we thought we could have my cousin Karlee take a few shots and see how they turn out before we approach a professional photographer. Between my aunt's DSLR and my Photoshop skills (which are minimal at best; I had a Photoshop class during my graphic designer phase in college but that was a looooong time ago) I think we've got a few keepers. They're all very posed and nothing like I look at everyday in my favorite photography blogs, but I think they'll work. See for yourself!

All of the pictures were taken at Bertha Brock Park in Ionia. In this one, I was scared shitless that I was going to fall off the bridge and into the murky brown water below.

This one is quite the conundrum: I like the composition of it as is, but I hate the chain-link tennis court fence behind it. I'm going to try and blur it a bit in Photoshop and see what happens.

This one and the next one have reminded me to lay off the carbs (oooh I love me a bagel in the morning! But it's going right to my thighs!)

 

We shot over 30 pictures that day, but between my brother and sister acting like dorks we only had a few that were good. Case in point:

 

As you can kind of see, I'm not impressed with their Vogue-ing (and I just realized that if I wasn't wearing 3 inch heels, my 'little' brother would be taller than me. Holy shit)

So we're going to try and spend the money on getting quality prints and frames. I'm hoping these look decent when they're actually printed out!

 

Dear Santa

Dear Santa*,
I realize I may not have made it onto the nice list this year, but please, under no circumstance, do not fill my stocking with this atrocity that I saw at Meijer yesterday:

You see, I have a fear of designer imposter perfume. Ever since I begged for my stepsister's hand-me-down "If you like Calvin Klein's Eternity, you'll love our [synonym for eternity]" and upon receipt, realized that although I did love Eternity, I did not love the imposter version. I realized my faux pas of coveting fake perfume when Cher in Clueless accused Amber of wearing Designer Imposter perfume. If Cher did not endorse it, it wasn't for me! (Also, if a product has the name 'Sexy Thang' it's a pretty safe bet that it does not belong in my stocking.) 

Instead, please bring me lots and lots of this and I'll promise to make it onto the nice list next year:

Josh and I bought a couple of bottles of Fruli beer from the Bavarian Inn when we were in Frankenmuth. We finally drank it this weekend and I was in love! I like beer, but tend to shy away from fruity beers. However, this is a true exception. It's made with 30% real strawberry juice and is like 9% alcohol or something wonderful like that. It's sweet, but not too sweet that I couldn't drink my way through the better part of a 6-pack...not that I'm an alcoholic, just sayin'.(This goes without saying Santa, since you see me when I'm sleeping and awake and all that creepy stuff... but if a product contains alcohol and fruit, there's a good chance it definitely belongs in my stocking.) 

I realize I'm just a tad bit too old to be mailing Christmas lists to the North Pole, so Santa, if you could just subscribe to this here little blog, we could save some time and paper (think green!). I'll continue to update you on what does and does not belong in my Christmas stocking (mine is the one with the snowman, not the glittery reindeer. Kthanks!).

Yours truly,

Ashley

*I lied. Apparently I am going to talk about Christmas before Thanksgiving. So sorry

Just a few things...

...on my mind this morning:

• Josh has a paid holiday today. Why, you ask? Because his employer counts Opening Day of firearm deer season as a holiday. Since it fell on Sunday this year, he is getting paid to sit at home today. I just don't get it. On a side note, he is taking me out to lunch today, and he did work on renovations to the spare bedroom, so I guess I'll keep my complaining to a minimum :)
• I failed a test Thursday. Haha... yeah I was pretty pissed when I walked out of that stupid geography classroom. However, I'm still getting an A- in the class. Gotta love stupid freshman level electives.
• I am getting SO freakin excited about Christmas, however, this is the last time I'll talk about it until after Thanksgiving (you're welcome).
• I'm a little pissy with my procrastinating self because, as predicted, I did not complete my King Lear paper. This means that I'm going to cuddle up to my laptop and write all 4 pages tonight. Which means that I don't get to see Josh. Practical-self hates procrastinator-self right now (and pretty much all the time).
• Regardless of the aforementioned procrastination, I still have a slew of blog posts planned. Josh thinks I'm insane because of the number of random things I've been snapping pics of, but oh well. They make for good blog fodder. He just doesn't get it...

Anyways, stay tuned tonight for further posts and pictures of what I did this weekend. In the meantime, if you could let me know how inverted social hierarchies in Shakespeare's tragedies contrast with the comedies, it would be much appreciated. Kthanks!

Friday Finds

I've been scouring Etsy again...(big surprise, I know) and I found a few little things that I'm adding to my Christmas list. So, if you're planning on buying me a gift (and you should be) take notes:

Sarcastic cards- love them. Go to the Neat Things shop and check out the rest of the snarky collection

An initial wax stamp necklace from Happy Go Licky. Perfect for those days when I don't feel like wearing obnoxiously clunky jewelry (doesn't happen all that often, but maybe if I had something cute like this it would!)

I'm quickly becoming obsessed with Kristine Mays wire letters. These are approximately 4"x6", but she takes custom orders up to 12" - I'm already picturing them on my bookshelf.

O.M.G. I want this. Right now. Soooo bad. Yeah, I realize its $89, but what's $89 between friends, right? First of all, I love the 3 x 3 block style. Secondly, Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies. Thirdly, this color palette is lovely. I suppose I'd settle for the smaller print, too:

Both are done by SuzannaAnna and she takes custom orders, too!

Go over to Etsy and start making a Christmas list of your own! (and yes, I realize it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but it's never too early to make a Christmas list!)

Priorities

Things I should be doing this weekend:

1. Taking my Basic Skills test
2. Writing my paper on Inverted Social Hierarchies in King Lear
3. Laundry
4. Nothing that will cost money
5. Watching what I eat

Things I'll probably be doing this weekend instead:

1. Taking my Basic Skills test
2. Reading Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella (I already had to renew it at the library because I haven't had a chance to open it yet!)
3. Eating a lot of crap (this Mexican lasagna and some sort of cupcakes or cookies that I suddenly have an itch to bake)
4. Spending too much money - (A girl I work with sells Scentsy and she's having an open house with her stuff, Miche purses, Tastefully Simple, and Silpada. Yeah.... and I don't get paid til next Friday. But if I get Christmas presents then it's ok, right?)
5. Watching/getting mad at college football
6. Sleeping in (YAYYYY)
7. Playing games/scouring blogs instead of writing my paper on Inverted Social Hierarchies in King Lear
8. Getting mad at myself for doing #6 and realizing I have no time to finish the paper
9. Sitting around doing nothing (or #6) while Josh writes a paper and finishes his truck
10. Lamenting the fact that I have no clean clothes

Does anyone have big plans for the weekend?

....Saving money sucks

...so I justify it as Christmas shopping. It's ridiculous how happy I get after I shop, even if I don't buy something for myself (but who am I kidding? I always buy a little something for myself!) I've decided to consciously start saving more money. This means cutting out the 'little things' that eat up my disposable income. I spend a lot of money on food, which is pretty stupid. So I've started clipping coupons and buying things in larger packages to leave at work for breakfast and lunch. This also means that I actually need to eat the food I buy and bring to work. When I leave for class on Tuesday and Thursday it's SO easy to just plan a quick trip to Subway instead of eating what I've got in the freezer. I'm putting a stop to that!! I'm also trying to save money on entertainment. Josh and I are using free movie coupons this weekend and we're going to try to eat at his place more instead of eating out.

So where am I going with this? I'm having a teeny, tiny, itty bitty twinge of guilt after last night. Josh's cousin Amy had a Lia Sophia party (and I have an uncontrollable weakness for that jewelry) and I spent more than I should have. But (and there's always a but!) I got 2 Christmas presents, one for my Aunt Lisa and one for Josh's sister, Ashley. And of course I got something for myself!

Beaujolais - for me :)

Out to Sea (the necklace only) for my Aunt Lisa

Wired - earrings and necklace for Josh's sister Ashley

(all images courtesy of Lia Sophia)

I also got myself a plain pair of gold hoops to go with my new necklace because it's got some gold in it and I'm a silver girl! I just love Lia Sophia jewelry. I'm actually contemplating selling it while I'm in school next year. I'm a little apprehensive because it seems like there are a TON of people selling it already. Just one more thing for me to think about!!

ETA: Ohhh I almost forgot!! I also won a pair of earrings last night! They're retired, so I can't find a picture of them, but here's my try at a description: They're dangly, with 5 circular stones stacked on top of one another (similar to a Journey necklace) and the stones are white, light blue, and dark blue. They're SO pretty and I'm wearing them today. I was super excited!

Dream Job... (aka - Wedding Spotlight Wednesday)

Ok, so my dream job just opened up*....

Abby Larson, of Style Me Pretty fame, is hiring! Seriously, how can looking at goregous weddings all day long be considered work? I pretty much look at weddings all day when I'm supposed to be doing my real job. Oops! Anyways, here are a few things I'm currently in love with in the wedding realm:

This palette:

It's cool and breezy and just feels relaxing. I love it.  From A Creative Mint via Darcy at With this Ring.

Boys in khaki - it echos the laid back, refreshing feel and doesn't look too stuffy (not that tuxes are stuffy) for an outdoor wedding. From Snippet & Ink

Lighted paper pennant garland. Pure whimsy and a total DIY project! From Anna at oncewed.

Long wooden tables with handmade runners... and lots of candles and flowers. Yeah, I'm definitely in a whimsy mood! I just love the look of this table! Sophisticated without being pretentious. From The Budget Savvy Bride.

*Ok, I know I just spent the previous post blabbering on and on about how scared I am of grad school. For my teaching degree. I fully intend on becoming a teacher and have no plans of running off and planning weddings all day long. I could never do it; I'm much too unorganized and opinionated. But I still love to look at weddings. Maybe a wedding related job could put me through grad school.... ;)

Some Scary Shit

Ok, not so much "scary" as in axe-murderer-scary, but more like holy-F-am-I-doing-the-right-thing scary. Let me explain: As most of you know (if you know me, or have at least read my blog header) I'm leaving my banking job and becoming a high school English/econ teacher (yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. There are no jobs in Michigan. Teaching is hard. Yeah, so I've heard. Thanks for the support..) Anyways, I'm about two-thirds through my current semester, which means I've only got one more semester before I have my English major complete. So what does that mean, you ask? It means that shit is about to get Crazy (with a capital C).

I've decided to enroll in the Graduate Teaching Certification program at GVSU. This is a year-long program specifically designed for the individual who already has obtained a degree from an accredited university and holds a teachable major... blah blah blah. Basically I didn't think I qualified for the program because my Finance degree isn't 'teachable' (which, let me tell you, I think it should be! Do you have any idea of the number of people who can't balance their own checkbooks!!! [not that I actually do it, but I know how if I ever find myself carrying a checkbook around] It's ridiculous how stupid people are with their money! Maybe a finance class or two in high school will teach those kids a thing or two about good money management! ....yeah probably not.). Well, since I've almost completed my English major and econ minor, and both of those subjects are teachable, turns out I qualify for the GTC. Luckily I found out approximately 9 days before the application, complete with 3 letters of recommendation, was due. So yeah, I've been scrambling around campus trying to get my application finished so I can be admitted to the program. Which of course, only admits a limited nubmer of students once a year.

So last night I went to the GTC informational seminar. Apparently I'm 'ahead of the game' because I had already figured out what they spent an hour telling me last night. (yes, that's right folks, that internet thing came in handy as I was researching my grad program. who would've thought!) As it turns out, I'll start full time grad-school in June, if I'm accepted. And I freakin' better be accepted!!

This leap into grad school scares the shit out of me for two reasons: 1.) I have to quit my job. That means no insurance, no income, no benefits, nothin'. I've got to figure out a way where I can make some money either from home (which I'm doubting will happen) or at night/on the weekends (which will burn me out, I'm sure). So, short of selling myself on the corner, I haven't come up with any ways to make money next year. 2.) This is where they separate the men from the boys (or, excuse me, the women from the girls). The program is really intense. It's 6 weeks of full time grad classes, and I'll still have one econ class to complete. So 3 summer classes at once. Yikes!!! Then, I'll be working in a school 3 days a week for a semester, with 3 additional classes that are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After that semester is finished, I'll have my final semester of student teaching, 5 days a week, like a real, live teacher. I hope I can handle this! I think I can...

I take my Basic Skills test Saturday (at 7am in Grand Rapids! Which means I have to get up at like 5:30 so I can be out the door by 6:00 so I can be in GR by 7! How am I supposed to take a test that early...) and I'm kind of nervous, but I've heard it's really easy. Then I have to take my English and economics content area tests on January 9th. I'm freakin' out about the econ test. But I just have to pass and they don't report the actual scores.... so wish me luck!!

Wedding Recap!

This weekend I was away for my last wedding of the year (that makes 10 weddings attended in the last 13 months, 2 of which I was a bridesmaid). So far, I don't have any weddings planned until Erin's in September 2010! Here's a quick recap of the beautiful day:

Quick photo MINUTES before the wedding began

Cassie and Pat saying their vows

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Fergerson

My date and I : ) 

[note the beautiful flowers! All were done by Cassie's aunt, who used to own a floral shop]

My bouquet - complete with feathers!

The only pic I have of the wedding dress. It was stunning!

3 of 7 bridesmaids!

Kyle Klein, a friend I met through Cassie when she first moved to Clio. I haven't seen him in about 4 years and he's grown about 3 feet since the last time I saw him!

2 of Cassie's brothers, both of whom I've known since they were about 3 and 5. I got to walk with Joel and we had a great time cracking jokes and trying not to cry : )

Cassie's youngest brother who was tearin' it up on the dance floor

Dance, Dance!

Josh and I finally sitting down for a few minutes.

As you can see, it was a beautiful wedding and I was glad to be part of it. I wish many lifetimes of happiness to the new Mr. and Mrs!!

This isn't going to be a super long, ridiculously wordy post (hey, I heard that sigh of relief!) As you read this, I'm getting all dolled up for my friend Cassie's wedding. Hair appt - check! Make-up appt - check! Gorgeous blue dress - check! I've taken advantage of Blogger's publish-this-post-at-a-time-in-the-near-future function so I can write up multiple posts at a time and then have them appear (like magic!) at a later date! So yeah- a few (and I mean like 2) Halloween pictures!

Our pumpkins! We carved them at the farm. Mine is on the right, obviously. Josh's has a big mouth : )

Us with our pumpkins! Josh wanted to be next to mine because it was so good he wanted people to think he did it (haha... yeah). Please disregard the farm clothes/frizzball hair

Not Halloween related, but a beautiful sunrise at Josh's house. The picture just doesn't do it justice!

Hope you all had a fun Halloween!!

MSU Tailgate!

I don't know what it is about tailgating, but I love it. Now, when I go to MSU with Jenna, we rarely stay in one place. In fact, we usually don't make it to all of the tailgates we want to visit! This year I accompanied Jenna to the MSU v. Iowa game on October 24th. It was COLD and RAINY but we had SO much fun! (ok, no more caps lock for me) 

We started the day meeting for sushi at Sushi Ya - our favorite place to eat in East Lansing! Garrett ended up joining us, but as you can see below, he was grumpy the whole time.

 My head looks enormous for some reason...

Pure delicious - so much sushi they brought it out on a boat!

Kasey's tailgate! This was before the rain started

The St. Julian's Riesling - straight from a styro cup. Classy!

A little rain-soaked, celebrating Jessie's 25th!

Jessie taught us a new game called Slap the Bag... where you drink straight from a bag of wine (taken from a Franzia box, and the classiness continues) and then slap it when you're done. Lots of fun! Oh - and Jessie had the STRONGEST jello shots I've ever had! They helped take the edge off the cold : ) Please note our adorable face tattoos, by the way.

Even though State had a pretty shocking and disappointing loss, we had a great time tailgating!