UT Football!

I'm back and feeling stress-free after my test. I'm not sure that I did awesome, but I feel SO relieved that it's over. 

Tonight, my dad and I are headed to Atlanta to watch the Tennessee Volunteers kick off their season! I am so excited to watch some UT football!

 

Its a shame they won't be running through the T tonight--my favorite tradition, but I know that my dad and I will still have a great time. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! the next time you'll hear from me, I'll most likely be at my new apartment in NYC!  Wish me luck packing. I've already packed 2 huge suitcases--and those are just the clothes that were in my closet...

I'm back, but...

I am REALLY stressed out.

I know you all probably want to hear how awesome my trip to Vegas was, but I am drowning with stuff to do. Here is a small list:

1. Get electricity turned on at the apt in NYC

2. Contact Time Warner Cable about internet/tv at the new apt.

3. STUDY--my next portion of the CPA exam is on Thursday and I am NOT ready.  I'll probably do NOTHING but study all day tomorrow.  

4. Pack. I've sorted through my clothes and have a big pile to give away, but not a single thing is in a suit case yet, and I still have even more to sort through.  Did I mention I leave Sunday...

5. Address moving announcements.

6. Find my UT jersey for the big game against NC State on Friday in Atlanta.

7. Take Gizmo to the vet.

8. Set up an appointment for my bridesmaid dress fitting--for sometime before I leave...

That's just the tip of the iceberg.  And did I mention tomorrow is my birthday? I mean my family was never huge on birthdays anyway, but who wants to spend their entire birthday studying accounting??

Not. I.

I hope all of you lovely ladies are less stressed than I am right now! I'll be back Saturday with an update about my wonderful trip!!  Until then, I'll be in panic mode.

Kate Spade Goodies

Last week, Kate Spade had a surprise sale for her Facebook friends and I was lucky enough to snag a few goodies while they were still in stock!

Here's what I picked up:

 

Cobble Hill Kori

 

Daycation Lacey in Flame Pebbles

Both of these pieces were AT LEAST half off!! I'm so excited for them to arrive! I have been looking for a nice black bag for fall, and I obviously couldn't carry my navy MK wallet with a black KS, so I jumped on the wallet too.  

Thanks to Austin for the wallet, and the bag from my parents--both early birthday gifts!!

I couldn't be happier with my picks! Did you score anything at the surprise sale?

Vegas!

I'm headed to Vegas today for my sister's bachelorette party!!

 

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I'll be arriving back in the south on Monday at 6:21 am...ouch. Look for an update upon my return!!

Delicious

I know I don't post much about food, but after trying this recipe, I thought you guys might love it just as much as I did.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

 

 

3/4 cup fat free chocolate milk--I used Silk Light Chocolate

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 reduced fat peanut butter

1 1/4 cup ice cubes

Add ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. 

I got this recipe from Weight Watchers and tried it a few days ago. It was a big hit with both my dad and I! And according to WW, it is only 4 points!!  I love dessert, but I'm trying to eat healthier, so I plan on making this little treat more often!

Try it and let me know what you think!!

 

Life Changer

I know lots of you ladies probably use the Clarisonic Mia, and I have wanted on for SO long, but I am moving in 2 weeks and I just don't have $125 to shell out for a little brush to wash my face. 

So this past Saturday, I went to Target looking for an alternative.  I figured if worse came to worse, I could grab the Neutrogena Wave and be somewhat satisfied.  

Then I came across this little guy:

 

The Olay Pro X Brush Cleansing System

 

This is JUST like the Clarisonic Mia, but only $30.  I've been using it twice daily with Philosophy's Purity cleanser, and I am OBSESSED.  Before I picked this up, I was noticing that my face just felt gross--like my pores were clogged and my skin wasn't absorbing my moisturizer.  This changed everything.  After one use, my skin felt smooth again, and looked SO clean and fresh.  I can't tell you how much I love this product--and the brush replacements are $10 for 2 brush heads! Affordable and effective.

I am so happy I added this brush to my skin care regiment.  

Do you have a skin care item you can't live without? I know I'll never turn back after discovering this gem!

E.l.f. Review

I know I'm late on the E.l.f. review, but I hadn't had a chance to use all of my new products until this weekend.  I'm going to post about my favorites now, and possibly the others after I get a chance to use them a little more. 

 

E.l.f. HD Powder

You guys.  This stuff is awesome.  Luckily I have pretty good skin, and I've never been a big foundation user.  From time to time I'll try a different powder here and there just to see if I like it, and I really LOVE this stuff.  It doesn't add color, but it really gives your face a soft, matte finished look.  I use it almost everyday. 

 

 E.l.f. Tinted Moisturizer, Nude

I started using this a couple weeks ago, and I really like how it evens out my skintone.  It has a funny smell, but it looks great under the HD powder, and it blends easily. It's a steal at only $3!

 

E.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow

I have these in "natural" and "confident" and I love the way they have sparkle but not too much.  They also stay on ALL day and looked fresh after a full day of shopping. 

 

E.l.f. Studio Brush Set

I got this brush set for only $0.88!!! Can you believe that?? E.l.f. was having a promotion where if you bought $30 worth of product, you could get these brushes for $0.88.  I couldn't pass it up. I was already using an e.l.f. eyeshadow brush, so I figured I would love the whole set just as much.  These brushes are SO soft and apply really well.  

 

E.l.f. Eyebrow Kit

I have very thin eyebrows, so I like to add some color to them so they're more noticeable.  This kit adds color, but doesn't make your eyebrows look painted on.  The brush was hard to use at first because it was so small, but I eventually got used to it.  

Have you tried e.l.f. products?? What should I try next? I'm always checking Target for new arrivals!!

 

Weekly Gratitude

I'm thankful for my wonderful parents! I would have never been able to afford all the trips to NYC, the deposit, or the realtor's fee for my new apartment without them.

I'm thankful that I will be hanging out with my sister in Las Vegas later this week!

I'm thankful that I was able to find lots of new things to wear to my new job.  I bought lots of basics, and I think I'll be able to make it through fall without needing anything new for work.

I'm thankful for Austin's generous early birthday gift--a Philip's Ultrasonic toothbrush! I can't tell you how LONG I have been wanting one of these. My teeth have seriously never felt so clean from just a toothbrush.

I'm thankful that I was able to find a rehearsal dinner dress in NYC this past week.

I'm thankful that I have lots of time to study for the CPA exam--my next exam is on the 30th, and I should receive my score for BEC sometime next week. I'm SO close to being finished!!

What are you thankful for today?

My New Home

I'm back from apartment hunting!! While I was gone I kept up with many of your blogs--but it was too difficult to comment from my iphone, so I'll be back in full swing soon!

First off, let me just say that apartment hunting in NYC is CRAZY. You really need to be in the right place at the right time to get the apartment you want.  During our first meeting with our realtor, Rachel and I tried to put an application in on the first place we saw--and only after getting all of our documents to the leasing agent we were told it was taken.  This was such a bummer! We went looking again (and saw 4 or 5 more apartments), and decided to put in an application on a second place, and luckily the other applicants decided they didn't want it and it became ours!!

It is a railroad style apartment, meaning you have to walk through one bedroom to get to the second. Kind of like this: 

 

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You can see there are two entrances to the apartment, and we plan to use the "back" door as an entrance to the back bedroom as well.  Our apartment also has doors in between the bedrooms and a hallway that is fully lined with closets.  It was occupied when we saw it, but I'll definitely post pictures when we're all finished moving in!

I've already ordered my moving announcements from Tiny Prints, and I can't wait for them to arrive!

And finally, if anyone ever needs a realtor in NYC, please contact me and I can get you my realtor's information.  She worked SO hard to help us find a home, including staying with us until about 8 pm one night putting applications in. She was so great, and I know the search would have been much more difficult without her!

The Search Continues

I'll be on my way back to NYC tonight to house hunt for the second time!

Hopefully we find something! I'll be back Thursday with updates!

Business Environment & Conecpts

That is the name of the portion of the CPA Exam I'm taking this morning. Doesn't it sound like SO much fun??

 

Topic Breakdown

My sit time is 10 am, and I'm pretty nervous typing this.  I still have lot of study time--and I plan to stay up until about 4 or 5 this morning.  

Hopefully I'll pass and be half way to CPA!!!

Apartment Inspiration

I'm starting to get excited about decorating my new bedroom next month, and usually the first piece I look for is bedding.  I like to center my room around bedding and usually go for a solid color duvet with fun pillows.  This year, however, I'm loving printed bedding.  Here are a few of my favorites:

 

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I feel like I'm at such a transitional point in life, and I need to decorate my room like an adult.  If only I could afford an interior designer....

What are you favorite bedding looks and what do you use as inspiration for your room?

WILW

 

4 days until I'm house hunting in NYC!

Sweet little Gizmo

Gabby Douglas

And lastly, tomorrow is my last day at my summer job!!! I'm off for a little more than a month before starting here:

What are you loving this Wednesday?

Boring

I have to admit...I really haven't had any blog inspiration the past few days. 

I've been doing nothing but studying for the CPA exam, and have yet to eat any real solid foods yet. 

I did, however, just order a nice big haul from e.l.f. makeup--I had used this brand before, but heard great reviews from The Bargain Blonde.  Be on a lookout for a review!

Happy Tuesday!

Weekly Gratitude

 

  

I'm thankful that I PASSED my REG portion of the CPA Exam!!! 1 down, 3 to go. I take my next section this Friday. 

I'm thankful I got to spend the weekend with Austin.  Even though he was bored because I was so sleepy, he was a good sport and sat around the house all day with me when I was feeling sick from my pain medicine.

I'm thankful that the swelling near my wisdom teeth is going down. I haven't been in a terrible amount of pain, but I have been pretty tired from my medicine. 

I'm thankful that this is the last week of my summer job!! Is summer really almost over??

I'm thankful that I get to use all of today to study, I need to start getting prepared for my test later this week! 

What are you thankful for today? 

RIP Shadow

This past Thursday, Austin's sweet, sweet family puppy passed away.  She was 13 years old and one of the most loving, smart, and beautiful dogs I had ever met.  I only knew her for about a year, but I truly loved her like one of my own animals. 

Isn't she precious?

Please say a few prayers for Austin's family, as Shadow was a huge part of their lives and Austin and his brother had grown up with her.  

Rest in peace, Shad.

Did I tell the doctor he was hot?

I'm back from my little wisdom tooth removal adventure! I was SO nervous terrified before my surgery. I was asking the nurse so many questions like:

 

1. Are you going to be using the same type of anesthetic that killed Michael Jackson?

2. Why is this heart monitor making my finger numb? 

3. Is my blood pressure ok? 

4. Do I get laughing gas before you put my iv in? 

Fortunately the answer to number 1 was no, but I wasn't so lucky for number 4. My nurse was super chatty with me and helped me to not feel so nervous before the surgery.  As soon as they gave me the anesthetic, I was out and the next thing I remember was asking my nurse whether or not I told my doctor I thought he was hot---which by the way he is the best looking 40 something male I have EVER seen next to George Clooney. 

During my surgery, the nurses told my dad that I would either be crying or silly after my surgery, and I was a crier. Not sobbing, just tears--but I don't really remember. 

Here is a picture of me right after my surgery. We tried to tie ice packs to my face by tying a scarf around my head---this didn't work out as well as we had hoped and soon enough I was holding them to my face. 

Cute right?

My recovery went great yesterday, and hopefully goes just as smoothly today.  I ate yummy chocolate frozen yogurt and soup yesterday, and thankfully I have my juicer to get some real nutrients into my body.  I didn't want to shovel mashed potatoes in my mouth and not be able to burn off all those carbs....

I was hoping I would feel too hazy to study for the CPA exam, but it looks like I'm not getting out of that one anytime soon since I feel so well.

I'm so thankful that my recovery has gone well so far.  My sister had a really bad experience with hers (she was allergic to the pain medicine), and I was really nervous I would be the same.  

They even let me keep my teeth!!

 

Gross huh?

Have you had your wisdom teeth pulled? How was your experience??

Tomorrow

I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out.  Let's see if I act like this when I'm finished...

Wish me luck!!