University of Texas Gameday Essentials

With kickoff vastly approaching (2 days!!!!!), I thought I'd do a Gameday Essentials post to get you ready for this season. 

Here at UT, we get alllll dolled up for football games. 

I'm talkin' dresses, jewelry, and curls. And boots.. how could I forget boots? They're a staple for Texas football season. Apparently, this is just a southern tradition; people up North don't do this kinda stuff. Before the first game of my freshman year, my date to a tailgate told me I'd need to wear a dress and boots to the game; all of his fraternity brothers were dressing up and they wanted their dates to look dressy too. I thought this was the stupidest thing ever. It was going to be 140 degrees out and I DID NOT want to get all dressed up. I did anyways and quickly understood why... EVERY SINGLE GIRL on the 40 Acres was dressed up for gameday. 

Now that I've lived and learned, I understand that gameday = fashion show. I can't speak for every girl that goes here, but most of us UT girls are typically more concerned with what we're wearing (and what tailgate we're going to) than the actual game itself. I'm probably going to get made fun of by alllll of my guy readers (Adam and my stepdad). Oh well. I'll be the first to admit that if I were in a life or death situation based on how much I knew about football, I'd probably die. 

Anywho, my knowledge of football isn't what this post is about. It's about looking cute. So below, I've compiled a board of some of my faves for football season. Hope you won't make the rookie mistake of showing up to a game in less than your best!

1. Pleated Strapless Dress - Forever 21 (on sale for $8.00!!)

2. Burnt Orange Jeans - TopShop

3. Orange Shimmer Ring - Piperlime (on sale for $12!)

4. Cord Skirt - Chinti and Parker

5. Lucchesse Student Government Boots (I have these--best boots IN THE WORLD) 

6. T-Shirt Dress (usually girls have these made, but you can purchase a premade here!)

7. White Crochet Overlay Dress - Forever 21

8. Pleated Shift Dress - Forever 21

9. Amanda Crossbody - Tory Burch (trust me.. you will NOT want to carry a big purse)

10. Danielle Earrings in Goldstone - Kendra Scott (helps that she's an Austin girl ;) )

HOOK EM HORNS!!!

Stop This Train

"I'm so scared of getting older, I'm only good at being young"

...uh yeah. Agreed, John.

Wordless Wednesday

There are big ships, and there are small ships

but the best ships... are friendships.

Readers (all 5 of you), I want you to meet my best friend, Anna.

7th grade Anna is my favorite.

Before I let her bask in all of her gloriousness, I want to take you through a little timeline of our friendship.

Starting with this night:

We had never really hung out prior to this night. It was fun, but things went downhill very quickly. Our friend got entirely too drunk + angry (drangry?) while we were at some stupid party. It got so bad, we locked ourselves in a bathroom for a few hours to avoid her and became instant BFF's. I'd probably consider that a defining moment in our friendship. A building block, if you will. The next day we spotted Jesse McCartney in a limo--another defining moment.

A month or so later, we moved in together.

Actually, reading that, you'd think she became my girlfriend. LOL oops, no. The previously mentioned drangry girl was a mutual friend and she needed roommates for that year, so Anna and I (and Em and Kait) agreed to live with together, though we didn't all know each other. At the time, Anna was dating a guy named Blake, so they set me and Thomas up. We double-dated all the time and it was sUpEr FuN! But then they dumped us. That's ok, we kept having fun anyways!

That year of living together was so awesome. I wish I could re-live it. We had so many great memories:

We may or may not own two pairs of matching pajamas.

And those pictures barely skim the surface of all the great times we had. I never expected that year living together would create such a beautiful friendship. Somewhere between building forts, going to frat parties, listening to each other cry, making each other laugh so hard we cry, dealing with family problems, and lounging around watching Weeds, we built a bond that will never be broken. 

Now that you've seen a cute selection of pics of Anna and me, here are some of my favorite solo shots of her:

Turns out Anna doesn't think a surprise chloraseptic spray is funny.

 (see above)

Sadly, we don't live together anymore. I miss her so much :( Sometimes I just need to go lay in her bed and talk about life. The good news is that the both of us are glued to our iPhones and still talk daily. 

We have conversations like this on the reg:

We wanna be reality TV stars.

As we've gotten older, our friendship looks a little like this:

Obviously, a lot's changed.

I am so blessed to have her in my life. Anna, thank you for being you. You are such a great friend and deserve everything in the world and more. I looooove you!

Happy Post

No one likes to listen to someone complain, so I'm gonna tell you why I'm happy today:

1. I LOVE my new internship. I am beyond blessed to work in such a great environment, doing something I love (even if some of the things are little mundane), with such cool people. I can already tell it's going to be a great semester.

2. I'm having a great hair day. My sock bun did exactly what I told it to do.

3. This is day 2 of no medicine and so far, I'm feeling great!

4. I just ate Jimmy John's. It's my fave.

5. School starts back up tomorrow. I guess I could complain a little bit about that, but I'm actually a little excited. It's my SENIOR YEAR! Where did the past 3 years go? Wonder what's gonna happen in the next 3?

6. We really like our new roommate. We were a little apprehensive at first, but that's just because we didn't know her and it was going to be weird having a stranger living in our home. That'll teach me to judge someone before I know them.

7. I've been really lovey dovey and cheesy lately around people I care about. They're loving it. 

8. I have everything perfectly organized and planned for school and work. I love being organized. I'm probably OCD, but it makes me happy.

9. I'm just really content with the direction my life is going. Everything is meeting and exceeding the expectations I had for myself. 

I couldn't think of a #10, but 9 reasons is good enough of a number right?

Insta..Saturday?

Oops. I completely forgot all about doing an InstaFriday post. I suck.

This week was fairly uneventful. Last weekend, I went to Houston for one last hoorah before school starts. In the fall, it'll be hard to go home cause we'll have a football game just about every weekend.

My sweet little baby. How can you say no to that face? Or that sassy paw?

Also, I got to go to Trader Joe's when I went home this weekend. I think that's a surefire sign I'm getting old when I get legitimately excited about a grocery store. Nonetheless, I picked up Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter. This stuff is HEAVEN. I may or may not eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon. 

Monday, I started my new internship. So far, so good! It's definitely a change of pace from How Do You Roll?. Everyone in the new office is super quiet! At HDYR, we were always chatting and listening to music; that could be attributed to everyone in "the pit" being around my age, but whatevs. Monday night, a few friends and I went to watch the bats from the South Congress bridge. You can read more about that here: Tourists Guide To Austin

We decided to go under the bridge for a better view. 

I forgot what I did Tuesday. I'm sure it wasn't anything fun, otherwise I'd remember it.

Wednesday, I worked again then went and got mah hurrr did. I always love going to Keith Kristofer Salon. My hairdresser is seriously the bomb dot com. She's hilarious and always does a great job.  While I was under the dryer, I decided to browse Instagram. When I did, I nearly had an aneurism. This is why:

THE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE WILL BE BACK IN 2 WEEKS. 

Wednesday night, Thomas, Monica, and I went to Halcyon for some drinks and s'mores. That coffee shop/bar is so cool--I bet it would be a good place to study during the day.

Thursday, some of my childhood friends came into town. All 3 live in College Station, so it's nice to have them every once in a while! We went to a place called Pitch and Putt in the afternoon, and it's a 9 hole, par 3 golf course. It's hard to suck, but I managed to do so. Oh well, we had fun nonetheless!

Yesterday, I did a whole lotta nothin'. Laid around, got lunch with Kait, laid out by the pool, then went to Kona grill with the roomies. Oh and I fell asleep literally at 9pm. I was beyonddddd exhausted. The good news is that going to sleep at 9 makes you wake up at 5:30, fully rested. I'm such a grandma.

The new roomie moves in today. Should be interesting. We're gonna venture off to Jacob's Well to see what that's all about. Should be fun!

Have a fabuuuuulous weekend, yall! XO

Relationships

I've always loved this quote.

Ten For Tuesday

I'm linking up with Will Cook For Food for 10 Things Tuesday. They can be any 10 things, but I'm gonna be a copy cat and go with her idea... ya know, so you can get to know me even more. Lucky you!

10 Weird Things That Changed My Life:

1. Ramen Noodles. I honestly lived off of these my freshman year when I ran out of Bevo Bucks (the $ that made for my meals). They're delicious and you can make them in 3 minutes AND they fill you up. Now that I'm (2 years) older and wiser, I use Ramen as a go to hungover sick food. Sooo healthy...not.

2. The Target dollar section. I'll be the first to admit it: I have a unhealthy shopping addiction, but only at Target. I'll go into Target to buy toilet paper and will come out $150 poorer. It's a hard life, but this dollar section has become a sort of safe haven for me. It has the coolest stuff and it's hard to spend more than $10. 

3. Arrested Development. Hands down, the funniest show ever created. I secretly judge people when they say they've never seen it. 

4. This mean, ghetto bitch in high school that threatened to beat me up. She taught me that there's a time and place to bite my tongue, and that I should never try to sass someone in the lunch line.

5. The TV show, Jeopardy. Growing up, my mom and I watched this show every. single. afternoon. Because of this, I gained a plethora of useless information that I'll forever carry with me for the rest of my life. That means don't try me in Trivial Pursuit, I'll whoop your butt.

6. Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me By Handler, Chelsea (INT) (Google Affiliate Ad). Honestly, one of the funniest books I've ever read. Sometimes I laugh thinking about it. 

7. Not going out of state for college. I actually wanted to go to The University of Tennessee, but by some miracle I got into the other UT (Texas), so I came here instead. And you know what? I'm happier than a bird with a french fry. It's funny how things work out. 

8. Super Marioworld.

9. My photography teacher, Mrs. Laughlin teaching me how to work Photoshop. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am today. Much love Mrs. Laughlin! XO

10. IKEA furniture. While I do love their modern and stylish furniture, I can't help but want to pull my freaking hair out while putting together their products. Thanks to them, I've learned my way around a toolbox and have become quite the little handyman. Or handywoman? I don't know.

Always Give Thanks

In our twenties, we are often overwhelmed with craziness. Everything seems to be changing and moving at lightening speed. Between school, work, finding ourselves, upholding friendships and relationships, etc., we can sometimes feel like we’re in over our heads. It may be hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I know I’m not the only one when I say it’s sometimes hard to see the positive in a negative.

As my senior year nears, here’s what I’ve learned to be thankful for when it comes to the whirlwind of college and life thus far:

1. I am thankful for the sometimes heavy workload my professors give me. Believe it or not, your professors want to see you succeed and actually take something away from their course. They’re not trying to make your life miserable. Philosophy or Chemistry may seem totally irrelevant to your major, but by becoming knowledgeable in these courses, you are turning into a well-rounded, diverse individual that knows a little somethin’ outside your field.

2. I am thankful for the tiny dorm room I had to share with a stranger. Growing up, I never had to share anything. I was the baby and the only girl, so I felt entitled to all of my possessions. It came as a huge shock when I realized I had to share a 20×20 dorm room for an entire year. It taught me how to be more respectful of other people’s time and space (which I wasn’t always good at prior to college). It also made me more thoughtful of my actions and how they affected other people. And when I moved out and got my own room in my own apartment, it made me appreciate alone time even more.

3. I am thankful I went to a college where I knew almost no one. When I graduated high school, the majority of my friends (seriously, like 80% of them) went to a different state college than me. I knew about 5 people at my university. This encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and get to know people I normally wouldn’t. Guess what? I’ve made some of the best friends in the world and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

4. I am thankful for heartbreak. My first year of college, I tried to do the whole “long distance” thing. I wasted a lot of time and energy that year trying to make something work that was really doomed to fail. Not only did that failed relationship lead me to an even better guy, it taught me independence. I learned to be happy on my own. College is a transformation period—you are constantly changing and finding yourself, and if your happiness is dependent on another person, it’s hard to find who you truly are.

5. I am thankful for that professor who called me out in front of the entire class. As embarrassing as it was that first time, the professor who asked me to voice my opinion on a touchy subject in front of the whole class made me realize that I shouldn’t be afraid to speak up on how I feel. As you get older you learn that it’s not a bad thing to have a different opinion than someone else. It means you are courageous enough to stand up for what you believe in. Controversy is inevitable, so you might as well speak your mind. Plus you feel reallllllly ballsy afterwards. Not a bad thing.

As these "bad" things happen (and they probably will) try to keep an open mind on how they might affect you down the road. It’s always easier to see the negative side of things than the positive, but by remaining optimistic, you can’t help by sigh in relief knowing that this is how your life is beautifully unfolding. And this doesn't go for my readers in college; this applies to everyone. Life is all about how you perceive it. An attitude change is sometimes key to living a happy life.

Mexican Martini

I won't lie to yall, I'm not really a pro at making drinks. They're always too strong and/or made with cheap liquor. People tend to not trust me as their bartender... UNTIL TONIGHT!

A big thing in Austin is ordering Mexican Martinis when you go out for Tex-Mex. They usually come with olives, and I'm not a fan of olives (or really te-kill-ya for that matter). But it never really occurred to me that you could ask for the martini sans olives. Durrr. So last night, when I went to dinner with my parents (that's for a later post), I finally got the balls to order one of these infamous martinis.

I died. I can't believe I went my whole life not knowing about this delish drank.

Tonight, I just had to have another. And I came up with this gem of a recipe. Trust me, it's the best thing since sliced bread. My mom LOVES it. And that really means its good, right?

Here's whatcha need:

2 shots of silver tequila

1 1/2 shots of Triple Sec

2 shots of sweet and sour mix

1 shot of lime juice 

2 shots of blood orange juice

Put it in a Oggi Marilyn Tall And Slim Cocktail Shaker (Google Affiliate Ad)martini shaker with some crushed ice and get to shakin'. This makes roughly 3 Mexican Martinis, so feel free to downsize if you're not looking to share and/or get hammered.

Enjoy!

InstaFriday + Weird Dreams

Um yeah. So here lately, I've been having the scariest freaking dreams ever. It doesn't help that I've been staying at my Mom's for the past few days. My room at home is isolated upstairs and I always hear demon/ghost noises while I'm sleeping. Almost every night, I've woken up panicked and sweaty, but I never know why.. Scurrrry. I think it's because I'm coming off of a medication and it's sort of messing with my sleep habits (orrrrr maybe there's a ghost living up there with me). Idk. Anywho, when I saw that on Pinterest, I lol-ed.

Sorry bout that lil tangent. Without further ado, my week via Instagram:

Thank god I'm going to see my girl Adrienne over at Keith Kristofer Salon this week (go see her if you want a great cut/color + a new BFF). I'm starting to look like I live in a trailer park. Have I mentioned I don't have a lot of shame, especially when it comes to posting pictures like this?

#throwbackthursday on Instagram is my fave. I've been at my Mom's for the past few days, so I'm really getting to scrounge up some goodies. My brother Ben is totally rocking a mullet in this picture, my other brother Patrick looks like an angel (which is extremely deceiving), and I'm adorable, duh.

Another gem from #throwbackthursday. It was my brother, Ben's, birthday party and I just wanted to ride bikes with the boys! 

Tuesday night is Dollar Beer Night at a restaurant/bar near campus called Cain and Abel's. And this is what those dollar beers'll do to ya. On our walk home, I convinced my roommate to climb this tree. We're weird like that. Unfortunately, I didn't capture her falling out of the tree.. I almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard.

Thought my mileage was neat-o.

Hot chocolate in my favorite Halloween mug. Can it just be fall yet?!?! I'm tired of sweating every time I go outside!

Anddddd, this is me hula hooping in a bar. Don't question my skilllz. Ps. I'm sober in this picture. Remember when I told you I have no shame?

Hope you all have a fab weekend!

Mi Amigo, Bink

As my number one follower, I believe my dear friend Adam needs a post solely dedicated to him.

Lemme give you a little snapshot of what Adam looks like. Tall, dark, and handsome:

Just kidding. He looks horrifying here. This was him on Halloween, dressed as his alter ego, a plumber/electrician named Bink Livingstein. Bink is super creepy, greases his hair, and loves showing off his buttcrack. He's single ladies ;)

But in all honesty, Adam is one of the funniest people I've ever met in my life. Here's a few texting conversations to prove that:

And here's a series of photos that describe our friendship perfectly:

Adam's also a really good listener; in fact, he lovessss listening to me complain! He's always got a funny story to tell. He'll eat potted meat for beer. And one time he picked my nose. I guess I'll keep him around.

Ps. Hope you liked this post Adam!