Fancy Fridays: Holiday Edition

Fancy Fridays is back! It's been a LONG time since I have done one of these posts, but I'm excited for another post! In this edition of Fancy Fridays, I'm going to show you some of my favorite finds for the holidays! Whether you have a work or family party, or you simply just feel like dressing up, I hope these simple and adorable outfits inspire you! Be prepared for a lot of red! 

The first of my adorable finds! I've actually sort of copied this outfit in my own wardrobe. Simple red dress with black tights and little booties! It's so adorable, simple, and fun! 

Source: Indulgy

This is probably my favorite out of the dresses in this post! I love the champagne and burgundy colors together and you could absolutely pair some excellent accessories with it! Also, take along a cardigan if you get chilly! 

Source: Lyst

(I tried to find a direct link to this exact dress, but Lyst apparently has a never-ending dress supply... so after scrolling for about 20 minutes, I gave up.)

This sparkly gold dress is a perfect alternative to the typical red dresses that you usually see around this time of year. I still love the pop of red in the shoe though! 

Source: Pinterest

More Red! Again, an adorable short sleeve that you could pair with black leggings or tights and a cute black cardigan. Throw on some gold accessories and you're set for a wonderful evening! 

Source: The Polyvore Collection

One more red! I love when I find dresses that are actually on models! She looks great in this dress with a deep V and simple earrings and clutch. Soft curls go perfectly with this mini-cocktail dress! 

Source: Inspiration Fashion 

(The link goes to a blog... the author of that blog gives no credit to where the original outfit was found) 

Last but not least... black and gold! A simple combination and another great alternative to red! I love this outfit! Throw on a chunky necklace and simple cardigan and you're set! 

Source: Nordstrom

(Unfortunately, this dress is currently not available)

Well that's all from me today! I hope you've enjoyed this edition of Fancy Fridays! 

What do you think? What do you like to wear around the holidays?

Lately

It's been an extremely busy couple of weeks! I finished up school for the semester (with good grades, by the way) and then I headed to Maryland for a week with my sweet guy. We'd been directing his church's Christmas play together for the last couple months and this last weekend was showtime! Here's a catch up on everything that's gone down. Also, after this post, my posts will be a lot more consistent now that I'm home and done with school and living on campus. 

This is Shelton 130. The dorm room I lived in all semester. This room now holds dozens of memories and was a little home away from home for me. I studied, I cried, and I slept. It was truly a cozy little place (and I mean little). I had the most wonderful and beautiful suite mate who encouraged me and became a close and dear friend over the course of the semester. If you haven't already heard... I will be taking classes online in the spring semester so this was my last college dorm room ever. My dear friend Heather came over the night before I moved out to help me pack and Kat (the gorgeous suite mate I mentioned) helped me squish everything in my car. I'm thankful for this semester. It stretched me and helped me grow in various ways and I got closer to people I would have never expected to. It's been a great run, Valley Forge. See you in May for Graduation! 

This is Chipper. He belongs to Roy and Terri (the couple that my boyfriend lives with in Maryland). Chipper and I like to snuggle until he starts to claw at my clothes. I love this kitty and when I'm with him it makes me miss my kitty. I'm a cat person... and Asa is just going to have to accept that. :) 

Friday was our day off from all things to do with the play or work. We told our cast to take the day away from it and we didn't have rehearsal so we did the same thing. He took me on a date night and we went to ikea to look at things and dream about the future. Then we went back to the house and cooked a spaghetti dinner together. I love cooking with him. I made the meat sauce and he cooked the spaghetti and meatballs. I set the table with two place settings and the roses he had got me the previous weekend. We lit a candle and opened a bottle of sparkling cider. It was an absolutely amazing and memorable evening with the most amazing man around. He's stolen my heart, and I don't want it back. 

Saturday evening was showtime! The cast got ready and we all prayed! There wasn't a huge crowd but the team still killed it and the show was a huge success! Sunday morning's show was even more intense! The church was packed and adrenaline was high. The cast put on the best show they've ever done and they did it all for the glory of God! I was so blessed to be a part of this incredible show and incredible team. After the show on Sunday, Asa was speaking and he mentioned something about me and all of a sudden I was being brought forward and the cast was handing us each a bouquet of roses. One of our main actors then took the microphone and thanked us for everything we did and handed us a bag with some gifts and a signed program for us. It was one of the sweetest moments. I was in tears. Again, shout out to the cast of Baby Boy... thank you all for letting me be a part of this amazing show. I love you all, in case I hadn't told you that enough. :)

Monday Asa and I didn't do a thing. We slept in and relaxed for the day and then went out for a nice dinner together. Tuesday morning was a sad one. It was the day I had to leave. Asa treated me to a nice breakfast at Denny's and then we grabbed me a coffee for the road at Starbucks. Like I said earlier, this boy has stolen my heart. I love him a lot. I didn't want to leave, but I knew that it would only be a couple weeks until I see him again since he's coming to Massachusetts for New Years. :) After this, I started my trek home. 

This is a very blurry picture... but it says "Massachusetts Welcomes You" and let me tell you, after an eight hour drive from 10am-6pm... it was a very welcome sight. I truly do love this state and I'm glad to be home. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm home for good... or at least for a while. I'm taking my classes online in the spring. It was also my last time seeing this particular sign that I've seen very often over the last 4 1/2 years... I won't be making that eight hour drive to Maryland again (because believe it or not flying is cheaper and way easier) and I won't be driving to school most likely until May when I graduate. Leave it to me to have that be an emotional experience... but it kind of was. 







That's what I've been up to the last couple of weeks! I hope you've enjoyed this small update. What have you been up to? 

Simple Stir Fry

Hello Everyone and Happy December!

Today I'm going to be sharing with you one of my favorite recipes to cook and eat! When I interned in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the summer of 2013, my aunt taught me how to make this absolutely delicious stir fry. I introduced it to my family back in Massachusetts and I've been making it ever since. I made it this past Saturday while I was home for Thanksgiving and decided to share it with you!

Here's what you need:

6-8 Chicken Breasts
1 Bag Frozen Chopped Onions
1 Bag of Frozen Peppers 
Frank's Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce
Soy Sauce
Honey

Here's what you do: 

1. Boil the Chicken 
       • I usually boil mine in a mix of water and chicken broth.

2. Cook the Peppers and Onions
       • Fry them up in a skillet with tall sides. Option: you can use butter to add a little more flavor.

3. Add the Chicken
       • Once it's boiled, cut the chicken into strips and add it to the peppers and onions.

4. Add the Sauces
       • Pour in the Honey, Soy Sauce, and Sweet Chili. I usually use all of the sweet chili... the honey and soy sauce I usually just eyeball to see how much I need. 

Mix it all together and let it heat all together. Once it's heated all the way through, serve over rice and enjoy! 

If you decide to try this recipe, please let me know what you think!

Black Friday & Answered Prayers

The last few years, I've caved on the Black Friday Shopping. I know the concept of this day being right after Thanksgiving is pretty horrible... but sometimes you really just can't beat the deals. This evening (because there are way less people in the evening), my sister and I ventured out to the mall to do a little bit of shopping. Didn't get very much... but got some great deals on things I did get! Check it out!

Old Navy

Aztec PJ Pants: Orig: $17
                        Paid: $8

"Saturdaze" Sweater: Orig: $20
                                Paid: $10

Blue Soft Tee: Orig. $18
                      Paid. $8.50

Fuzzy Socks: Orig. $5
                    Paid: $2

Target

3 Packs of Notecards: $3






Overall, some pretty awesome deals! 

Also, while I was out... a huge prayer of mine was answered! I'm moving back to Massachusetts from Pennsylvania in a few weeks and I've been praying for something to come through regarding a job. Well, while Sarah and I were in Old Navy tonight... we ran into the wonderful woman named Missy Manferdini. Missy was the retail manager while I worked at Cracker Barrel a couple summers ago. She's worked at Old Navy since leaving Cracker Barrel and we've kept in contact. When I was home a few weeks ago, my mom (who works at the DSW next door to Old Navy) told me that Missy had transferred to another store, so I was surprised to see her there tonight. Well, as it turns out... she was just at that other store for a couple months to help them open, but now she's back at the Holyoke store. I jokingly said... "wanna hire me in a couple weeks?" and she very seriously replied "yes, absolutely! I've actually been wondering if you were coming back so I could offer you a job! put your application in, text me when it's done, and Ben (other manager) and I will push it right through and get you started as soon as possible!"

WHAT?!

It was like God just laid a job in my lap and said "here ya go, girl. I've got this." 

I'm completely blown away by His faithfulness! I walked in the mall to go black friday shopping and I left with a job! At my favorite store, nonetheless. How crazy is that? 

God is so good! 

I hope you have all had a wonderful day! 

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope you are all having a tremendous day with your loved ones! Today has been an excellent one for me. I woke up last in the house (as usual) and joined the rest of my family members on the couch to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The smells of the meal cooking filled the house and a feeling of warmth overwhelmed my soul. The rest of my family arrived and we all quickly set to work preparing our Thanksgiving lunch and setting the table together. Finally, everything was ready and the selfies began. Everyone was dressed up and wanted to take pictures... which frustrated my very hungry Dad. ha. We all sat down to eat and enjoyed a delicious meal. I think my family cooks the best Thanksgiving meal. After we all finished eating, we went around the table to say what we are thankful for. Then we pulled names for Christmas presents. After lunch we all gathered outside for our annual family picture and then some of us headed over to the pool. We're ending our day with football and pie! I seriously love my family so much and I am so blessed to be able to spend time like this with them. They're my favorite people and my heart is so incredibly full. Here are some pictures from our day!

What do you do for Thanksgiving? What are some of your family traditions? 

My Daddy, upset about all the pictures and the not eating. 

A good picture with Daddy

This is my Uncle Joey

My little munchkin, my cousin Nicholas.

My cousins, Matthew and Amber (L & R) and my sister Sarah (center)

One of our tables! 

My plate. Yummy.

The mountain outside our little house.

Panoramics are cool.

My own Thanksgiving Selfie.

My goofball cousin, Matthew.

Mama :) 

My attempt at hand lettering.

Pumpkin Pie. :) 

This isn't from today... but the one thing that would have made today better is if he was
here with me and my family. Missing my boy on this holiday... so thankful for him though. 

A Wintery Day

Greetings from the Berkshires! Winter Storm Cato is in full swing here. I'm thankful I was able to drive home yesterday before the storm. After my class yesterday, I left from Pennsylvania and made it up to Hancock, MA later in the evening. This is where my family is spending Thanksgiving this year. Normally, we go up to Stowe, Vermont for a stay at The Village Green... but this year we're switching it up and staying at Vacation Village in Hancock in the Berkshire Mountains, Western Massachusetts. It's super cozy here and it's even better being with my family. Last night and today so far, it's been just my sister Sarah, our Nana and her boyfriend Bill and I. It's been lovely, but I am so excited for the rest of my family to arrive in the next twenty-four hours. My parents are on their way up here now, my cousins are coming tonight, and my uncles, aunt, and other cousins are coming tomorrow morning! This time that I have with my family is one of my most cherished times and always creates some of the most fond memories. 

For now, we are sitting out the storm. I'm cuddled up under a blanket and when I'm done with this post I'm going to crochet more of the blanket I've been working on. I love warm drinks on cold days. We're watching a Christmas movie by the fireplace. My family means so much to me... I love spending this time of year with them. My heart is so full. Pray that the rest of my family makes it here safely in the storm! 

What about you? What do you like to do on cold and snowy days? 

Lately

OH MY GOODNESS. Has it actually been over a month since I have blogged? The time has so easily slipped away from me. I am not very good at keeping up with this blog when school picks up and I have a lot of assignments due. Today however, I am making time and updating everyone on my life over the last month and the crazy things that have been happening! Like I already said, my schoolwork has been CRAZY, but I'm sure you would rather hear about more exciting things in my life. However, I will say this about my school work... I would not be making through all the book reviews, presentations, and research papers if it weren't for Jesus Christ. He has literally been my strength and motivation the last month. I've been able to feel Him guiding me and strengthening me... and it's pretty amazing. Anyway...

The last time I blogged was October 20th... so my update will start from the weekend right after that. 

October 24th was homecoming chapel here at my school and on that day, they give the seniors alumni blankets! Now, since it's my fifth year, I've been waiting a very long time to get this blanket. It was a very joyous day for me. Also on that marvelous day, my amazingly talented boyfriend, Asa, was at school to play on the alumni worship team for chapel. It was so great to see him on the stage again and have him back to sit next to in chapel. After chapel, him and I enjoyed some Chipotle for lunch and headed back down to Maryland (where he lives) for the weekend! It was really nice to have him along for the drive down there. He took a bus up the night before and some friends and I picked him up in Philadelphia. So having him in the car with me for the two and a half hour drive down to his house was really nice. I love that boy. We enjoyed dinner that night at the home of our friends Marvin and Dina! All in all, it was a fantastic day. 

That whole weekend in Maryland was spent celebrating the boy you see to the left. It was the weekend of his 22nd birthday! Also should point out, that he's exactly two weeks younger than me. Probably doesn't mean much to any of you, but I've always thought it was super cool. Anyway, he's feeling 22 now and I think that we both actually feel a little more grown up now. That weekend we relaxed and shopped a little bit. We also went to a harvest party for the young adults group from his church and we carved pumpkins and ate chili and has some fellowship. We also went bowling and had some tasty Starbucks together... which has become one of our favorite things to do. We spent some time together on his birthday and then I drove back to school. This boy means the absolute world to me. He's my best friend and I'm so blessed by his love, patience, and grace. I can't believe he's mine, and I'm so incredibly thankful. 

Fast forward to the weekend of November 7th and 8th... these two days were so much fun! Asa drove up Friday morning and after chapel that day, we left to drive home to Massachusetts to surprise my Dad, Mom, and Sister for my Dad's birthday that weekend! They had NO IDEA we were coming and it was absolutely AMAZING. We walked into Bertucci's right as they were telling the hostess a table for 3 and I said "you may want to make that a table for 5!" and their jaws dropped! Perfect surprise! We enjoyed a delicious meal with them that evening and then the next day we went to a breakfast at my Nana's place and went to see Interstellar with my Dad and Sister! We drove back to PA Saturday night because Asa had to be back to MD by Sunday to lead worship. However, this was a completely amazing weekend. 

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite new places to visit. This is Havre de Grace, Maryland... otherwise known as "halfway" between me and Asa. We met in this gorgeous little town for a day last weekend and explored. We walked along the "promenade" which is kind of like a little boardwalk along the chesapeake bay (pictured) and we also walked around the area surrounding the Concord Point Lighthouse. Then we went into the little town and explored the little shops! We spent a good amount of time in a HUGE antique store and then we grabbed some goodies from the local bakery. We looked around a print ship and some other little artsy stores. We ended our time enjoying some hot drinks (me, coffee. him, hot cider) at the local coffee shop "Concord Point Coffee" and it was absolutely delicious! Havre de Grace quickly became one of my favorite places to visit and I can't wait to go again sometime and explore some more!

Finally, this past weekend, I headed to Maryland (yes again) to see my boy and spend a much needed full weekend away from school. Friday night we went to see the new Hunger Games movie and if you haven't seen it... I won't spoil it for you... but I will tell you to get to a movie theater as soon as possible to see it! It was SO good!!! Also, we saw it in XD (extreme digital) at the Egyptian 24 theater in Hanover, MD. This is by FAR the coolest movie theater I've ever been to! If you're in the southern Baltimore area, you must check this place out.

On Saturday, we got an early start and headed into Washington D.C. for the day... personally, I love D.C! I've been twice in the summer and twice in the fall and I like it SO MUCH BETTER in the fall. Summer is just hot and sticky and there are so many more people. This was us in the morning on the train into the city! We had planned to do a lot more that day than we actually got around to doing. We decided to skip the museums and just see the outdoor monuments (except for the National Archives) because it was an absolutely beautiful day! We went to the White House sporting our Starbucks lattes, of course. Then we wandered around and found some lunch. We hopped back on the metro and then walked on down to the Jefferson Memorial, from there we headed over to the FDR and MLK memorials and finally to the Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, and the Washington Monument. I love the city of DC, and I love adventuring with my handsome boy. 

Here is a picture of me that Asa snapped in front of a super cool water wall. He's a pretty good photographer, I'd say. 

The two of us at the base of the Jefferson Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background. 

Finally, a panoramic of the Tidal Basin with the Jefferson Memorial on the left and the Washington Monument on the right. 

Whew! That's a very quick update on my life! I hope you've enjoyed reading it and looking at the pictures! I need to try and update this blog more often! 

What have you been up to lately?

Grateful Heart Monday

This is going to be my first time joining in on Ember Grey's Link Up for Grateful Heart Monday! :) I'm really excited about finally joining in on this! This Monday, I have a lot of things to be grateful for, but two things are especially sticking out to me on this chilly day.

The first of these two things is my boyfriend, Asa. Words pretty much can't describe how grateful I am for him. This last week has been pretty stressful for me with classes and work and a bunch of other little things that really probably shouldn't bother me, but sometimes, they just do. When all these things kind of pile up on me, I sometimes can get a little crazy and accidentally take out my frustration on him (working on it). Something I am so thankful for today is his amazing and unending patience and love towards me even when I am stressed and freaking out. Seriously, this guy has all kinds of grace towards me. God has blessed me in incredible ways with allowing me the privilege of dating him, and I am so very grateful for this man. Plus, I think he's pretty handsome. :)

The second thing that my little heart is grateful for is laughter and friendship. Last night and today, I joined in a little study partnership with my friends Josh and Molly for our Theology Exam that we had today... which all three of passed with a 30 or more (out of 40), by the way. Having some company around and helping each other study was so much fun. Today, Josh and I studied in the library before the exam and our studying was well accompanied with laughter and silly ways to remember our test material. Once our test was finally over, we joined our friend Sarah in the Anvil for some lunch and the next half hour was filled with laughter between the three of us and others who passed through like Sam and Kelsey. It filled my heart with joy to be around people who are happy about life and who enjoy laughing and fellowship as much as I do. 

These are the things that I am grateful most for today. Now, back to homework. 

What about you? What are you grateful for? 

22 Things I've Learned Since Turning 21

Hello Everyone! I know I've been pretty absent from posting lately, I've been working on a lot of things... but I'm back and I'm actually very excited about this post! On Monday, I turned twenty-two years old! What?! On the days that I feel like my life is moving so slow I just think about the fact that I'm already twenty-two and I realize how quickly it's actually going. I've been drafting this list over the last couple weeks of twenty-two things I've learned over the last year. Here we go!

{things aren't always going to go the way you've planned}

...but God is in control. there have been a number of things this last year that didn't exactly go how I thought they were going to go. however, with a number of those things, I now see exactly why they didn't. I also see how much God was in complete control of those situations, and He truly worked everything out for my good.

{trust the spirit}

I don't know what your views are on the Holy Spirit... but something I've learned this last year is that the Spirit is active in our lives. this isn't going to be theological or whatever... but I've learned that sometimes when I feel that nudge in my spirit from the Holy Spirit to do or not do something, it's extremely important to listen to it and live by it. 

{coffee is my friend}

I'm not entirely sure when coffee became such a vital part of my life... but I know I've definitely noticed it more so this last year. haha

{life is not meant to be lived alone}

we need each other, plain and simple. it doesn't matter if you're an introvert or an extravert, everybody needs people in their lives. I don't know how monks do it. 

{focus on the positive}

having a negative attitude does absolutely nothing good for life. I'm almost done with my instagram project of 100 Happy Days and it's something that I absolutely love and really don't want to end. I've absolutely learned to find something positive in every day of life. 

{appreciate the rain}

the rain can be beautiful. even though a lot of days it makes me sad and tired... I've learned this year to look at it as a thing of beauty and refreshment. 

{organized life is better life}

if you saw my room and personal belongings when I was in high school and then saw them now, you wouldn't think I'm the same person. I've learned that being organized leaves you with much less stress and a much more productive environment. Thank goodness for Target. (I'll get to that later)

{take time to relax}

rest is so important. I'll say that again, rest is SO important. I've learned that constantly going, going, and going without any time to relax and do things that you enjoy rather than things you're obligated to do will wear you out so quickly. time is needed to relax and refocus. 

{cherish those who have stuck by you}

I lost a lot of friends this year, over some really ridiculous things and even some things that I still don't know what happened. something I've learned is to cherish the friends who have been with you the longest and seen you at your worst. don't take them for granted. example: my best friend Julie has been by my side since 7th grade and has seen just about every side of me. this year, I've truly learned to cherish her friendship. 

{you won't be friends with everyone forever}

in addition to number nine, this is also something important to realize. some of the friends I lost this year are people I thought would be my forever friends. sometimes, seasons change and so do your friends... and that's okay.

{find joy in the little things}

similar to focusing on the positive. it doesn't take big things to bring you joy. joy can be found in so many places and so many little things. 

{washing your face is important}

I should have known this for a very long time... but unfortunately, I haven't always been the best at taking care of my face. I've struggled pretty bad with acne since I got to college, and I'm finally getting it under control. thank you, proactiv +.

{spending money actually stinks}

I'm at the place where I spend my own money now, and it's awful. that is all. haha

{i like winter more than summer}

weird, I know... but I'd rather be cold and able to put on more layers and bundle up in a blanket then horribly hot and not be able to take more off. yep. also, humidity is horrible. 

{live each day as if it's your last}

tell those you love that you love them, tell someone about Jesus, be kind to people, do things that you enjoy, go for a walk, be alive, have no regrets.

{grow up, get up, get dressed}

I've learned to get up and dressed in the morning instead of leaving my room in sweat pants, a messy bun, and no make up. not saying that everyone should do this, cause some people can rock that look, but for me... I just feel better about myself if I'm showered and look nice. 

{look forward, not backward}

the past is exactly that, the past. leave it there. don't look backwards, you're not going that way.

{white noise helps me sleep}

I think I've known this for a while, but I've really realized this year that I can't sleep without a fan on. it's terrible to even attempt it. 

{don't apologize for being yourself}

just don't. you are who you are. be you, and if people don't like that... it's on them.

{your familial relationships are so important}

I learned this so truly this summer when my plans changed and I ended up being home for the whole summer. your parents birthed you, raised you, and sent you out. they love you unconditionally (I hope).take time to spend with them and your siblings if you have them. the absolute most important people to me is my family, I love them more than words can say.

{target is heaven on earth}

okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little... but seriously, the place is amazing. you can find nearly anything you need. I spend too much time there. it's wonderful.

{i'm a big kid now}

life is moving. I'm growing and changing and real life is starting soon. I'm so excited for everything that God has for me in the future, and I can't wait to get started. 

// Thank you, beautiful and handsome people for reading this! Here's to my twenty second year being wonderful! What have you learned this year? //

A Tiny Traveler Guest Post!

Hey Everyone! I had the awesome opportunity to guest post on my friend Natalie's blog, A Tiny Traveler! I just wanted to post quick and provide you guys with the link to check out my post for her and also take a look at the rest of her blog! Here you go! 

A Tiny Traveler Guest Post