bubbly.

it comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me that i love champagne.

i had a reputation in college to drink my Andre straight from the bottle,

(classy, i know.)

i find that brunch isn't brunch without a mimosa,

a birthday isn't as sweet without a champagne toast

and well, a fridge isn't full unless it contains a bottle of bubbly.

It's also no surprise how much I love Kate Spade jewelry

(point blank)

maybe thats why I found this purchase absolutely necessary.

That's right, a cork and gold Kate Spade bracelet.  oh, Kate.  You had me at the product description:

we've been known to pop a cork (or two!) of our favorite bubbly

when there's a reason to celebrate around the office---birthdays, wedding engagements, fridays...

a nod to all-things festive, we've crafted this chic bangle of lightweight cork and gold-plated metal,

sure to add the perfect dose of dazzle to your summer ensembles. 

I just know that it's going to look great on my arm.

And, it's on sale. which means it looks even better to my bank account

quarter of a life

Today is the day. 

I am officially a "mid-twenty".

25 years old. 

A quarter of a century. 

Half way to 50.

Closer to 30 than I am 20.

I imagined waking up this morning feeling every bit of my age.  I thought that I'd wake up a little more tired, a little darker under the eyes, and a little more achey.  Much to my surprise, I woke up feeling great.  In fact, I feel much better than I did yesterday.  There is something about a birthday that gives you that extra jolt to wake you up.  It puts a little pep in your step. Makes your day a whole lot brighter. 

Maybe its the 10pm phone call i got from a friend.  "id wait until midnight, but i have a bedtime" (yes, we're old now.) or the midnight phone call from another.  It can't hurt that at 6 am my mom called singing to me like she has every single year for 25 years. And then, shortly after, my best friend in the entire world (whose 25th birthday was yesterday!!) called to do the same.  It could be the many,many texts i've gotten or the abundance of facebook posts.  I'd imagine that the tweets & instagram comments have something to do with it; or the anticipation of dinner and drinks with girlfriends tonight to celebrate.  But whatever it is, it's fabulous. 

I've been building 25 up to be huge.  Couldn't believe that it was quickly creeping up.  Still can't believe that I've finally reached it. I've been dreading this day for a long time.  Doesn't 25 sound so much older than 24?! But recently, after an extremely unfortunate and untimely passing of a great friend, I've come to realize that the old saying "Do not regret growing older.  It's a privilege denied to many" is oh so true. So this year I promise to love being 25. I am going to do everything that I have dreamt of doing (or at least try to!). I am going to laugh harder, smile more, cry less and enjoy every minute that I get to spend being 25.

Besides-  I have 1825 days until I am officially old. (that's thirty, for those of you not near a calculator).

Thanks to everyone who has already or will wish me Happy Birthday. 

 I appreciate it so much, and it has truly made my day.

Ps- you absolutely need to check out allgroanup.com. it is my newest obsession.  And I don't think that it was coincidence that I found it 2 hours before midnight last night.  Its already helping me with my quarter-life-crisis.

baggage

well, the time has finally come. 

to start packing, that is.

i leave for hawaii in just 2 and a half short days

and i haven't the first thing in a suitcase.

in fact, i dont even know where my suitcase is.

i dont even know if i still have a suitcase.

packing may be one of the more stressful things in life.

vacation is supposed to be relaxing.

do you know why you need to relax while on vacation?

because you are so stressed from packing for said vacation!

making sure not to forget anything.

i rack my brain over and over again. and then over again.

toothbrush, check. straightener, check. hair dryer, check.

phone charger, check. ipad, check. makeup, check.

enough clothes to last you 3 years in the off chance that your plane crashes

and you are stuck on a deserted island, check.

shoes that you won't even think about wearing, check.

now, i know there are stores in hawaii.

if i forget something i can just go pick it up at the local target.

ill probably end up shopping for a new wardrobe while there, anyway.

and only wearing the new clothes that ive bought.

but it is still the root of all of my anxiety leading up to the trip.

that, and losing my boarding pass.

aloha, lovers. xx

Whoosaaa

Anyone have any good stress relieving techniques?

I've found myself more anxious the past couple of days

 than I have in quite some time.

I am literally one big ball of nerves.

My roommate makes this "wwhhoooooossaaaa" sound.

Sounds a little ridiculous, and I'm not sure it works.

Some go for runs.

The idea of that gives me more anxiety than the anxiety itself.

Some drink. I can get down with that technique,

but I have to be a functional human being for most parts of the day;

the amount of stress I'm under would require not one but two bottles of Jose

Others shop. But I'm constantly in a state of "broke" so...next!

Until I find a more appropriate form of healing,

I will continue to medicate with my anti-anxiety drugs.

unsend.

my iphone is my life.

even on its slowest of days,

even though its a petty 3g,

even though i have it jailbroken to work with t-mobile

it is my right hand man, always attached to my right hand.



it keeps me in contact with the outside world

it allows me to stay up to date on the latest celebrity gossip

it is the primary source of all of my social networking.

what can't it do? (besides give me the winning lotto numbers)

it cant unsend texts.

damn you apple geniuses.

i'm not asking for a miracle here, just an option to unsend a text that has yet to be read.

we've all done it:

you go out with the girls,

 have a little too much to drink and spill your guts.

youre having an "i hate being single" day.

you start to indulge in a sappy movie and a bowl (or gallon) of ice cream and you text your ex.

all of your girlfriends are spending friday night with their boyfriends

you have a bottle of wine and

BAM.

out of nowhere you catch yourself hitting send.

your cat just isnt cutting it anymore.

you miss the feeling of a human snuggling next to you in bed.

you reach over, grab your phone off of the nightstand and

make a mistake that will haunt your dreams that night

in a perfect world

you would have about 30 seconds to hit UNSEND,

erasing every evidence of the text, and

in my experience, the first 30 seconds are the most regretful.

you know instantly that it was a bad decision.

so, steve- apple's angel,

thats all im asking for. 30 seconds.

or maybe this app:

Moral of the Story

think before you type.

road trip thoughts

i spent the past weekend in Myrtle Beach for a sorority sister's wedding.  While traveling the 6 hour drive back to Atlanta, I had a conversation that went something like this:

me: how in the world do these 2 people know they want to spend FOREVER with each other?

jess: i dont know, i guess you just know

me: but what if you think you know and you dont actually know, and then 20 years down the road (or worse 20 months!) you find out you didnt know at all, like not even close to knowing! i mean i think i know that my favorite food is mexican, but then i go through stages where all i want to eat is sushi.

i am so envious of people who can make decisions.. like those that have known since they were 3 that they wanted to be a heart surgeon; or those who can't imagine life without being at the front of a classroom.  y'all, there are some people who actually go to school to become something specific! who are those people and how do they get there?! I chose my major because it was the easiest degree at the time. Sociology interested me, but most importantly it only required one math and one science. and lets get real, i went in as undeclared, switched to education and then settled on sociology.

The only conclusion i can come to is that i can't decide on anything.

whats my favorite color?

 *crickets* at the moment i like coral and mint and turquoise. 

 but a year ago i loved purple and yellow and tangerine.  

City life or country girl?  

Can't i have both?!  

i love living in the city but miss the smell of burning leaves and fresh cut grass.

type of music? 

im a big fan of country, but 90s also has a special place in my heart. 

and then there's pop- who doesnt love Britney, Gaga and Katy?

what's my style?

depends on the day. sometimes i am preppy (see also: Lilly, J Crew, Polo, Vineyard Vines, monogrammed everything)

but i love everything on-the-verge/trendy

i can also be a bit of a hipster at times

and what girl doesnt love a sequenced glam mini dress?

type of guy?

i always thought i was attracted to "fratty" guys.

then came along the good ol' boy (aka country man)

and most recently i fell for a metro. thats right, someone who puts product in his hair, gets pedicures and drinks out of straws.

dream job?

anything to do with fashion. 

but id also love to do philanthropy work. 

of course, i always wanted to be a hair dresser. 

and then theres social work (what i got my degree for)

so who am i and what in the world do i want to do/be when i grow up? 

that is the question of the hour.  

and with an upcoming 25th birthday; i feel as if i better answer it sooner than later. 

can't i like rainbows? have a country home and a high-rise penthouse? sing along with Luke Bryan but dance to Poker Face?

xoxo.

lease-end

what a difference a year makes. 
most people recap their year around January 1st. however, still stuck in college mode (will i ever grow up?)
 i recap mine at lease-end and on this very day last year i was cleaning out my old apartment,
 saying goodbye to Natalie for good and hello to Buckhead, my new stomping grounds.

I was getting ready to leave for hawaii

and little did I know, but i was about to endure one of the roughest times in my life.

but the good news is that, in the last year, i made some of the best friends i couldve asked for

i spent a lot of time with my family. even though its never enough.

i had some pretty insignificant relationships, and the most significant one thus far.

i learned a lot in a year's time.

ive learned that i can get through anything

i learned that there is no better person in this world than my mom

and I learned that with my faith in God, and my mom's faith in me.. anything is possible

in the next year
i will try my hardest to spend even more time with family.
i with strengthen not only my relationship with friends and with God, but with myself.
i will put more energy in to being a positive influence on the world.

who knows what the next year will bring, but i do know that im excited for it- whatever it is.

xoxo.