Five on Friday

Another week has flown by, and no wonder- with school creeping up (T minus three weeks!), summer seems to be moving faster and faster! Last week, I was all about working out, eating healthy, and lovin' life... This week has been a little more about eating... Just eating. Crappy foods, like movie theater popcorn (you know we added that drizzly butter), cake (in my defense, it was the girls' dad's birthday...), and one too many Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches. I attribute these greasy, heavy culprits to how bad I've ended up feeling by the end of this week! I've felt super lethargic, and on top of that, early Thursday morning, I woke up feeling like I had swallowed rocks. I thought it might go away after some water, but nope. Thankfully, after some medicine and rest, I seemed to have kicked that tonsillitis to the curb. Now, it's just some congestion, but you didn't come here to hear me complain! Here are my five positives this week:

 

Cue the cute blogging linkup courtesy of Christina of Carolina Charm, Darci of The Good Life, April of A. Liz Adventures, and Natasha of Hello! Happiness

1. Birfday fun! One of my ultimate best friends is finally 21! Tonight, I'm going to Clemson to celebrate Kara's big birthday! Sadly, I won't be joining the girls in Asheville, because I have to move out of my apartment (yay, moving... not.), but I'm glad I'll get to spend some time with her!

 

Happy birthday to someone I've shared many a laugh and cry with over the last 14 (!!!) years. From our awkward beginnings in Brownies, to our first concert together in middle school (FOB and the All American Rejects, naturally), to our cheerleading terrors (and other, actually fun, times) in high school, to our changes in college, we've grown up together. Now I know you're rolling your eyes at my cheese-ball-ness, but I've been really blessed to spend those times and share those memories with you. LOVE YOU LOTS, KARA! WOOOO 21!!!!!

2. Zumba! Although I haven't been hitting the gym half as hard as I did last week (I think I didn't take a Zumba class one day last week), I still am lovin' this cardio par-tay! Salsa and hip-hop music pulsing through a studio filled with women ready to dance and sweat for an hour! 

When I was in high school, I got the nickname "Smiley" from one of the sweet women working upstairs at the YMCA- she loved the way my pony-tail bobbed as I elliptical-ed perkily. Sadly, that perkiness didn't ever last longer than 20 or 30 minutes on said elliptical. This time around, when I renewed my Y membership for the summer, I took advantage of the free classes offered, and since then, I've had several more instructors and workers comment on my always-present smile. My response? Always something along the lines of "Hey, if I'm gonna be working out, I might as well be having fun, right?!" And I mean it! I feel silly grinning in class, especially when I catch myself doing it, but there is not much I love more than feeling like my butt is being kicked into shape!

3. Movie magic! In the past week or so, I've seen two movies I'd recommend to almost everyone! The first? "The Way Way Back". John and I went to the obscure Manor Twin movie theater in Charlotte to see this indie flick. This movie was funny, sad, and above all else, authentic, which made it incredibly powerful. Definitely something I'd see again, encourage everyone else (13+) to see, and probably something we'll see winning awards. Only downside? Steve Carrel is a huge jerk, which is weird to watch!
Thankfully, Steve's voice is much less jerky (and much goofier, especially when he says "go-urls" instead of "girls") in Despicable Me 2, which I saw yesterday with the twins (and the big, buttery bag of popcorn...). This movie was probably as cute as the first, which is a pretty high standard of cuteness!

4. Work! I adore the girls I'm nannying, and I'm really lucky they are so sweet, polite, and fun! When they were gone the week after the Fourth, I missed them- not to mention that pay check ;) I think I've earned more respect with my vast knowledge of Neopets (please tell me someone else remembers these...) and a couple fun activities, like a mall scavenger hunt!

 

Sadly, my drawings aren't so impressive...

It was a little challenging to find a scavenger hunt online that wasn't too competitive (no fighting!), didn't require the girls to split up (there's only one of me), and wouldn't make the girls point out any specific people in the mall ("Oooh look at them!" Cringe.) I just made a couple silly things for fun, like find a new favorite Bath and Body Works scent and "style your sister" in an outfit of your choice!

5. LuLuLemon running shorts. I wasn't a fan of some of the company's kooky business practices I'd heard about, but as soon as I tried on a pair of the company's shorts, I understood what the positive fuss was about. They are hands down the comfiest shorts I've ever worn, and they make running easier, allowing full strides. I got lucky finding a black pair (AKA matches every tank and tee) in my size on clearance, which is essential, with the store's semi-ridiculous prices. The only problem (other than the necessity to find them on sale) is that I can't remember the actual name of the shorts.... Wish I hadn't gotten rid of that tag so quickly! Oh well, that just ensures I won't be spending any more money on them :)

Deets on Savannah

Have ya missed me?! I sure have missed writing, but I've been spending all my time this week working and working out- both things that I truly enjoy doing (and those are two things I NEVER thought I'd genuinely, 100% love!). If you couldn't tell from the "Hey Y'all!" on the little fan I'm holding in the picture, I took a visit to Paula Deen's store a while back. For those of you who don't remember, a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going to Savannah, Georgia with this guy:

 

Hey John!

We had a blast, as one might expect. Savannah is such a neat city, with lots to do. We left on the third, stopping in Beaufort that night, which is a cute little town on the coast of SC. Stopping in Beaufort meant we would have more time in Savannah, without spending much more money on a hotel! Score! On the morning of Independence Day, I woke up early to use the (possessed) hotel treadmill and get some breakfast. We checked out of the hotel and checked out the quaint downtown Beaufort area. Beaufort was a cute place to explore, but it's certainly not somewhere I would pick to spend much longer than one night. Lots of shops were closed for the fourth, but we didn't mind. We traipsed along by the water before getting back in the car, Savannah bound!

 

Yes, I'm obnoxiously festive, and no, I do not care.

Upon our arrival in Savannah, John and I found parking. As awesome as our hotel was, it did not include free parking, which was a bummer in a crowded city! However, the killer location made it worth it, and the hotel kind of made up for it with its fancy wine and cheese soirées before dinner each night ;)

 

Our last night- you can kind of see some of the wine in the background of this picture. PS: a pianist was almost always tickling the ivories while we sipped our wine. We felt way out of place, but I got a kick out of pretending to be fancy! It was like a grown-up tea party!

During our trip, we ate some delicious food, thanks to UrbanSpoon and TripAdvisor- those apps/sites are crucial if you want to know the best places to go!  Here were my favorites:

Spanky's- super casual, super cheap, and John and I split the chicken tenders and these things called "Spanky's Spuds" and when dipped in ranch dressing, they are smack-yo-momma good, and I'm not sure I've ever used that phrase before.

Huey's On the River- John and I had a nice little romantic (okay, you caught us, we were totally being goofy), candle-lit (that part is true!) dinner on the river here. There is a little bit of a wait, but I thought the yummy pesto ravioli was worth it!

Crystal Beer Parlor- after stopping at Savannah's History Museum, we had lunch here and all I can say is please try the Gawgia Cracka Nachos, aka BBQ pulled pork on tortilla chips with cheese and diced onions. Although it's an appetizer, a half order was more than enough to work as my full meal!

 

John was totally into the quilting exhibit in the museum... Not!

Excited to see Forrest's bench!

John and I raided plenty of sweets and candy shops for praline samples, which are to die for, because, duh, they are melt-in-your-mouth sugar and butter. We also satisfied our sweet teeth (okay, maybe only one of us really has a sweet tooth...) with Leopold's Savannah's famous ice cream shop. It serves up classics, like this Coke Float John ordered.

Although Vinnie Van Go-Go's pizza was the number one spot recommended for food in Savannah (hundreds of people have written rave reviews on this casual place), neither of us were too impressed with the pizza, I had a slice, or calzones, which John sampled. However, it was a good, quick dinner before Fourth of July festivities on River Street, which I prepped for with a slushie from Wet Willie's, which isn't special to Savannah, but it was exciting to this newly 21 year old!

 

Slurp!

John and I had a great time eating delicious food, exploring the city, and even going to Tybee Island for a day, but our two favorite parts of the trip, hands-down, were our visits to Savannah Smiles and the Boos and Brews tour. Savannah Smiles is a dueling piano bar, and if you've never been to one, I highly recommend you find your closest one. The musicians will have you clapping, laughing, dancing, and singing along, whether you're a hipster or a prepster, and that's the kind of place I like! There's a five dollar cover, but it's well worth it; I promise!

 

Beachin' it up- our accidental matchy-matchy-ness made me happy!

The Boos and Brews tour was so cool. I'm a total scared-y cat, so I was a bit apprehensive going into this tour, but again, it had great reviews, so we went for it. Our guide Chad was a sweet elementary schoolteacher, and he was knowledgable about Savannah's history. The tour definitely made you think, and we got to know some neat people as we walked around at night. John and I also tried a few signature drinks at notable bars in Savannah, like O'Connel's (the pickleback is unique, to say the least) and 17Hundred90 Inn (their key lime pie concoction was good, even to someone who doesn't care much for key lime pie!).

 

We were told to take lots of pictures to see if we could catch a glimpse of the paranormal- I didn't get anything, but it was still interesting! There's our guide Chad towards the end of the tour at our last stop, the Moon River Brewing Company- a notoriously haunted Savannah hotspot!

We had a ball in Savannah, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a fun getaway, especially if you like places like Charleston, SC. Now I'm just counting down the days until I see my family up north... Less than two weeks! Yay!

The Myspace Generation

If you still remember Paris Hilton's catchphrase ("that's hot"), talked to your buddies on AIM, and were convinced that the Jonas Brothers were going to be cool forever (ugh, "Burning Up" is still on my running playlist) you probably had a MySpace page before Facebook became popular. Now you easily could have a MySpace page without any of those things, but those are just a few of my memories from middle school... Yikes. They were the best of times, they were the worst of times... Anywho, MySpace. So if you had a MySpace page, you'll remember those cheesy surveys that you'd post. People still do 'em on Facebook, and I came across this ABC survey on a cute blog. I knew I had to do it, just for old times sake, so without further ado, here's my survey that I totally get if you don't read!

A. Age: 21

My 21st with my birthday friend Ben!

B. Bed size: Full- the only time I slept in a twin bed after the age of 2 was when I went to college.

C. Chore you dislike: Hmm doesn’t the word “chore” just imply dislike? If I had to pick one, probably hand washing dishes- I cannot even express how happy I am that my apartment in Clemson this year will have a dishwasher! Last year was a long one washing my roomies’ and my dishes…

 

Wanna see my roomie for next year?? He's on the far right- not sure if my cousin Adam can handle my silliness :)

D. Dogs: Bess, Bessie, or as I fondly call her Bessie Lou Lou, or my dad’s favorite, Bess the Wonderdog

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Bess with her favorite human and Dad with his favorite child.

E. Essential start to your day:  A few of the obvious are contacts so I’m not blind as a bat, and brushed teeth, but my quirky (or maybe not, you tell me) essential is a made bed. That is a must.

F. Favorite color:  Pink.

 

Nothing could be better than pink in Paris!

G. Gold or silver: Usually silver. As I’m getting older, I’m diggin’ gold more (heh, no pun intended…), especially now that I have one of my mom’s old wedding rings! My dad got her beautiful new bands for her special birthday!

 

Ignore my pale face (victimized by the flash, while John looks amazing), ignore the martinis (yes, that is John's key lime pie beverage... oh boy), and focus on the simple beauty of one of my mom's old wedding bands!

H. Height:  5’ 4”

I. Instruments you play(ed):  My parents forced me into taking piano lessons, because “someday I’d wish that I could play piano”.  Sometimes, when I hear a song that sounds beautiful with the accompaniment, I think they may be right, but then I remember that would have involved practicing… No thanks!

J. Job title:  Summer nanny and student- I’m almost done with my two online classes! Woohoo!

K. Kids: Since my own kids are not even close to being on my radar, I’ll assume this means the girls I’m nannying. I love them dearly, and they’ve made my summer much more exciting! Since their family has been at the beach all week, I’ve been kind of lonely… but also kind of happy because I’ve been able to work out when I please, get a few doctors appointments in, and visit my wonderful grandparents and Aunt Judy! I saw some beautiful pictures of their recent trip to Germany with Adam (future roomie mentioned above), and I played with my precious three little cousins while they were at my grandpa and grandma's house too.

 

I love my grandparents- one of the things I miss the most about Wofford is hanging out with them on a regular basis!

L. Live:  In Fort Mill, South Carolina. Soon to be Clemson again!

M. Mom’s name:  Kathy, and it’s not short for anything!

 

My beautiful Mom/Kathy and me before one of my favorite nights of my life- the Taylor Swift Speak Now concert.

N. Nicknames:  Chels. I adore when people call me that, because I’ve never told anyone to call me that so I know they feel really comfortable with me. There’s also Llama Mama, given fondly by my silly middle school guy friend, coincidentally enough, whose birthday I’m celebrating tonight! Woohoo Sam! (side note: braces plus lisp = hard time)

O. Overnight hospital stays:  Thankfully none!

P. Pet peeves:  Slow walkers blocking entire walkways, J-walkers in dangerous places (aka almost every place to J-walk, especially with kids), general ignorance

Q. Quote from a movie: “And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding.” My family and I just had movie night, and Corey introduced us to “A River Runs Through It”, an Academy Award winning film centered on a fly-fishing family. Towards the end, a whole bunch of deep, beautiful, and true quotations were dropped, and I may or may not have shed a few tears…

 

No wonder Corey likes A River Runs Through It- he's quite the fly-fisher himself!

R. Righty or lefty:  Righty.

S. Siblings:  Corey, Cowey, Co… I am so excited to have my little brother with me at Clemson next year! Eeek!

T. Time you wake up:  Around 7… I have my later days, but since I have to be up early during the week, it comes a little easier during the weekends too.

U. Underwear:  Yes, those are important.

 

This funny e-card made me feel better about my sometimes OCD-y need to match my undies to my outfit.... Please don't judge me.

V. Vegetables you dont’ like:  Broccoli, cauliflower, okra, peppers (as much as I convince my self that “this time is the time I’ll like them”)

W. What makes you run late:  If I get cocky and think I’m running early… “Yeah, I have time to check Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram/ online shop” and bam, all of a sudden it’s past time-to-go.

X. X-rays you’ve had:  Hands (from my ice skating fall), butt (from my lofted bed fall), hips (from cheerleading)

Y. Yummy food you make:  Chocolate chip cookies- which I’m about to make right now!

 

Ugh, they're so good they don't even need an Instagram filter...

Z. Zoo animal favorites:  Giraffes and gorillas never cease to amaze me, what with their height and intelligence.

Next time, I've gotta fill you guys in on the details of my 4th of July Savannah trip! 'Til then, enjoy the weekend!