What I Love About Halloween + Giveaway!

Hello little blog readers :) Halloween is right around the corner and I am so sad it's almost over so excited it's almost here! (I get really glass-half-empty about holidays). I've never been one for costumes though; I haven't truly dressed up in probably 13 years. I usually just throw on some cat ears and call it a day.

Circa 2009

There are lots of things I do love about Halloween though...

Carving pumpkins. I live for pumpkin carving time, although Sam and I decided to forgo it this year. Wahhh :(

Circa 2011; no, I don't get too fancy.

Fall Festivals. I drag Sam to some sort of festival/corn maze/ pumpkin patch every year. He hates it, but I have a blast. This year I pretended like I was getting a pumpkin, it eased the pain a little.

Candy! I mean, duh. Who doesn't love candy? And Holiday candy is my weakness.

Nail Art. I might not do costumes, but my nails are always dressed for the occasion. Last year I did the most awesome spiderwebs, and if you follow me on Instagram you probably saw my Frankensteins yesterday.

The fact that everything is orange! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find this color the rest of the year? Well, I do, since it's my favorite color. I always stock up on all the orange home decorations and craft supplies that don't look too halloweeny!

And now for the good stuff- giveaway time! This month I took part in Baily Dailies' October Sponsor Giveaway! You can win some awesome gift cards to Starbucks, J. Crew, and Posh Lane, as well as some ad space! What are you waiting for? Enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's My Blog and I'll Do What I Want To

...and what I want to do is post a weekend recap on Tuesday.

See, I had my Monday post planned out, but I just never made it over here to Cats, Cuddling, & Carrot Cake yesterday. Or Friday, but I actually have an excuse for that one. My boyfriend was sworn in Friday morning and is officially a police officer!

He's been in police academy for the last six months, but now he's a REAL cop with a gun and everything. I pretty much just spend all day peeing my pants and biting my nails, obviously. But I am extremely proud and excited for him, not to mention how good he looks in that uniform ;) His parents took lots of pictures, but I took none. Sorry :/

He looks good in civilian clothes, too

After the ceremony I had one teeny responsibility, and then we went to The Wine Loft to celebrate. I've mentioned this place before, and as usual it did not disappoint. If you live in Charlotte and haven't been yet, then why?! I had the italian moscato this time and omgsogood. Seriously the best wine I have ever had. Sam and I also shared a steak sandwich meal that was delicious, and it's not often that we like the same foods. I'm also dying to go back and try their pumpkin ravioli.

Saturday I spent all day hunting for a perfect pair of brown boots. Spoiler alert: I didn't find them. I want a cute, simple, kind of slouchy pair of brown (not cognac) boots that won't break the bank. I found a pair that I loved, but they didn't fit. For some dumb reason they came in SML sizes instead of numbers, and that just wasn't working for my seven and a halfs.

Isn't it beautiful?

And on Sunday, I fell in love. But not with boots. Let's back track to Jeff & Paige's wedding. All night I just kept thinking about how great their photographers were. They were so friendly and easy to work with, they remembered my name all night and I wasn't even in the wedding, and most importantly they were snapping lots and lots of pictures. My favorite thing about them, though, was that they were dancing and chatting- it felt like they were guests at the wedding, not people at work. Their presence was just phenomenal. I thought to myself at the wedding "if their photos are as good as their presence then they must be the best photographers on the planet." Well, Jeff & Paige got their pictures back this weekend and guess what? They're even better. I spent way too long on their website Sunday, and they do some of the best work I have ever seen. Don't believe me? Look for yourself. And, if you live near Charlotte and need a photographer, I would absolutely reccomend Love Shutter.

Via

Why Blogging Makes Me Hate My Life

Yesterday I decided to be Suzy Homemaker and cook a delicious dinner for my roommate and myself.  Broccoli Cheddar Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls. Why Sam hasn't showed up on my doorstep with an engagement ring is beyond me.

 But anyways, as I was putting this picture on every form of social media I have to show the world how domestic I am, I thought to myself about the bloggers who are always cooking stuff like this. And then I started thinking about the bloggers who are always doing other things I just don't have the motivation to do. And then I started feeling inadequate, obvs. And this post was born.

I rarely cook, and I don't meal plan.
Bloggers are always cooking delicious gourmet meals, and I'm over here like "Which Lean Cuisine so I want for dinner?" And then, not only are they cooking five course dinners every damn day, they're planning them out ahead of time. Like, how do people meal plan? I don't know what I want to eat until I'm hungry. Plus, what if I planned to make tacos, but I really just don't feel like chopping lettuce today? If I meal planned for the week it would look something like this:

Monday: Lean Cuisine
Tuesday: Go to Sam's and ask him to feed me
Wednesday: Lean Cuisine
Thursday: Lemon Pepper Chicken with Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes Lean Cuisine
Friday: Beer

I don't look cute 95% of the time.

How is it that all of these bloggers always have perfect hair, perfect nails, perfect makeup, and then a Pinterest-worthy outfit to go with it? Most of the time you'll find me in yoga pants with a pretty tragic bun on top of my head. And if it's any shirt other than a tshirt from my sorority days then it probably doesn't see the outside of my closet very often. And let's talk about my nail polish. Right now I have three nails painted three different colors because I was testing colors at Walmart... three days ago. And I think their might be a piece of grass dried in my toenail polish. #IwishIwasjoking

I have no disgustingly cute love story.

Have you ever noticed how precious everyone's love stories are in blogland? Well, if you read me & Sam's love story, you know that calling it unromantic would be an understatement. I mean, unless your idea of romance is him making out with another girl to make me jealous, and me finally agreeing to be his girlfriend so that no one else could have him. If that's the case, then we're freaking adorable. On top of our not-so-cute love story, we're pretty much never cute in our every day life. I think the sweetest thing he's said to me lately is "It took awhile before I was okay farting in front of you." 

My life is pretty damn boring.

Since it's basically blogisphere law to post a weekend recap on Mondays, we always get to see what an awesome weekend our bloggy friends had. But you know something about my weekends? They're usually pretty lame. A typical weekend for me is not realizing it's Friday, spending all day Saturday laying on Sam's couch while he plays Grand Theft Auto, and then watching football and playing Candy Crush on Sunday. Not really a whole lot of blog material in there, right? I always wish my life was full of Fireball shots like Whitney, or hiking around breathtaking waterfalls like Erin, but it's just not.

I cannot post every day, at the same exact time.
Seriously though, how do bloggers manage this one? I can't even manage to get a post up five days a week, but at the same time each day? You must be joking. Where do bloggers get the inspiration for so many damn posts so early in the day? Can somebody send some of that inspiration my way? I'm working on this one, though. It's in my long-term goals.

When I think about all these things that other bloggers do that I can't, I start to feel pretty bad. But then I remember that I, too, have some winning characteristics. I can eat an entire package of saltines in one sitting, I can seriously rock a pair of pajama pants, and I can watch netflix like it's my day job. Maybe life isn't so bad after all!

Falling into Fall

Hi love buggies, this month I totally missed the Cara Box bus, and I was super sad so I set out in search of another fall swap because fall is my favorite thing ever. Well, I happened upon the Falling into Fall swap and I am so glad that I did!

My partner for the month was Kayla from It's Kayla Layla! I had so much fun getting to know her this month, and I absolutely adore her blog! She's so much fun and her blog definitely keeps me laughing. She sent me a really fun box of goodies that I can't wait to use!

-A fluffy pink heart pillow
-two pairs of super cute Halloween socks, which will be perfect with boots!

-really awesome orange and pink pens (my favorite colors)

-an adorable little pink picture frame

-a notebook that's already gotten a ton of use; my roommate and I decided to spend Sunday night drinking wine and playing mash. I can't wait to marry Ryan Gosling ;)

-An Apple Spice air freshener that I'm sure smells amazing! Unfortunately I haven't been able to open it yet because my roommate is allergic to cinnamon and I don't want to kill her (most of the time). I think I'll make Sam put it in his bathroom!

-Some pencil pouches that I had actually been eyeing last time I was at Target.

-And my favorite- an infinity scarf! I absolutely love it and I have the perfect outfit for it if it ever gets cold enough for boots around here.

To see what awesome presents I sent to Kayla head over to her blog. Happy Fall!

***Oh, and since we're talking about swapping, have you swapped buttons with me yet? I would love to have you on my sidebar :)

Currently...

I was over on Lindsey's blog, with absolutely no intention of posting on my own today, and I thought her post was cute and easy and that I should just post the same thing! So you can thank her that you're actually hearing from me today :)

I am currently...

Drinking... water. My fave :)

Watching... United States of Tara. I know I've mentioned already that I've been watching this on Netflix, and I still am. I just started the final season and I am so sad already. I'm really mad at myself, though, because I looked up spoilers last night and now I know how the whole thing ends. I need some self control for real!

Eating... Nothing at the moment, but I'm still thinking about the delicious breakfast I had earlier. As I was eating it I thought to myself "you know, I'm getting pretty good at cooking! Maybe there's still hope for me..." And then I crunched on an egg shell. Womp womp. I hope my future husband can cook.

Wanting... A bajillion dollars, a new pair of jeans, a chai tea latte. Oh, and a big girl job offer that wouldn't require me to move.

Hoping... that I feel a little braver today than I did yesterday.

Excited for... my cat Nellie to be home! She lives with my mom and she's been missing for a month, but she finally came home two nights ago! I really wasn't expecting her to come back.

Frustrated with... these annoying dogs, and the fact that my roommate does not take care of them. I do not want to be woken up to the sound of them crying because they have to go potty, and then feel obligated to take them out because I know you won't get up until 1 pm. Take care of your damn dogs before I flip my shit.

Um, I did not mean to get so ranty. Whoops.

Annoyed with... The dogs. Hah. 

Why can't they be cute like these dogs?

Thinking... Way too many thoughts in my pretty little head. Can we go back to a week ago when all I needed to think about was how to attach glitter to a bulletin board and whether I could afford a new pair of jeans?

Two Weddings, One Weekend

This past weekend was a pretty exciting one, since I did spend it in two different states and all. Last week I was in Pennsylvania visiting my mommy because one of my very favorite friends was finally marrying the love of her life, and then I flew to North Carolina early Sunday morning so that I could see two more dear friends from college tie the knot!

I'm definitely gonna talk more about those two beautiful weddings, but first let me tell you about Friday., which means I have to tell you about Tuesday. On Tuesday I got a call from an agency in PA asking me if I could interview the next week. So I said "Is there anyway you could do it this week?" and on Friday I had an interview! I had to go out and buy a whole new outfit because I didn't pack any professional clothes, but I figured as long as I spent less than the cost of a plane ticket I was saving money! The job is exactly what I want to do with my life, but it's also in the place I just moved away from, and it's very low-paying. I haven't heard back yet, and I'm still a little up in the air about what I want to do anyways. So there's a chance you'll never hear about this job again. But it was still a big thing!

OKAY, and then Saturday came! I was so excited to see Amber get married. A & J started dating in 2007,  and they were supposed to get married a year ago, but then she went and got pregnant with an adorable little baby so they had to postpone until this year. To say they were ready to get married would definitely be an understatement!

They had a really cute outdoor wedding and it was perfect. It was exactly what Amber has always said she's wanted, and I am so glad she got her dream wedding. 

And then Sunday! Sam and my friends, Jeff and Paige, got married. Sam was a groomsman, and everything about their day was just breathtaking.

They are one of those couple that are just made for each other. They are absolutely perfect for one another, and their wedding was absolutely perfect for them. After the beautiful outdoor ceremony, we headed to a cute little barn for the most beautiful reception I have ever been to. The food was delicious, the dancing was a ton of fun, and then we sent them off with a sparkler exit that nearly made me pee my pants. Have I ever mentioned I'm terrified of fire? 

Anywhoodles, it was a beautiful day and I couldn't be happier for any of the newlyweds this weekend!

You're the One With the Accent!

Last week I read about this link-up with Munchkins and the Military and Not In Jersey. I immediately fell in love! The biggest thing that surprises me when I meet people for the first time is their voice, so I'm always interested in knowing what people sound like! On top of that, living in NC/SC but being from PA has made me really interested in accents. I mean, I obviously don't have one, but these southerners sure do talk weird ;)

For this link-up, what I did was I took this quiz and then I recorded myself reading the questions aloud so that you can hear what I sound like. Feel free to click the link and follow along so that you know what words I'm saying.

(For some reason it uploaded in two parts. We're just gonna roll with it)

I am the queen of awkward

And these were my results! They say Pennsylvania, so this is absolutely correct for me. I lived in Erie, PA for almost my entire life.

Oh, and I told you I don't have an accent. I can't wait to rub this in Sam's face show this to my boyfriend :)

And Then The Cops Showed Up

Monday morning was the first day of my vacation home, and I woke up early to go to work with my mom. The rest of the house was awake, too, and my little brothers were upstairs with their friends, Ethan and Gage, getting ready to walk to school. From my room I hear 12-yr-old Elijah yell "Missy, will you come help me?" My mom: "What do you need?" Eli: "Just come help me!" Since I'm not the kind of sister who cares, I didn't think anything of it, and then I walked upstairs to take a shower and there's Elijah chained to the banister with a bike lock.

For some reason the boys thought it would be funny to wrap Ethan's bike lock around Elijah's waist and chain him to the banister in our entry way. And then, when they went to take it off, the combination wouldn't work! My mom came down and tried the combination, too, but it still wouldn't work. She grabbed wire cutters and tried cutting it off, but again to no avail. Finally she had to call the police station. She hung up the phone and the town's alarm sounded (yes, my town is that small) and we waited. Finally a police car, ambulance, fire truck, and two fire cars pulled up in front of our house (again, it is that small) and cut the lock to free Elijah. As the cop was writing down Eli's account of what happened, even he couldn't help but laugh. Elijah said "Now everyone at school is gonna know; this is so embarrassing!" Yes, yes it is.

Me and my brothers; Elijah is on the right

_______________________________________________________________________

Now that I told you about the new best (and most hilarious) day of my life, let's talk about the Sunshine Award. The super sweet Alex nominated me, so I'm gonna answer the questions she gave me! I'm not gonna tag anyone, though, because I just did this the other day :)

1. What person in your life do you most look up to?
My grandmother. She's the most amazing woman I've ever met. First of all, she has 18 children. 15 of them are adopted. I could did go on about that forever but I deleted it for your sake. She also was a foster care case worker and played a huge role in my decision to pursue social work. She and my grandfather are still in love, and I can only assume she was a terrific mother, since my mother is!
2. Did you have a favorite subject in school and why was it your favorite?
Probably English, because I was good at it.
3. Who is one person you'd like to switch places with for a day.
My cat. That counts, right?
4. How did you parents choose your name?
My mom wanted to name me Alexia but my Dad said it sounded like a disease. I like it, but whatever. So they agreed on Amanda
5. Do you have a favorite holiday? Why?
I love all holidays. Sam has recently figured this out, because I always make him feel guilty when he can't spend holidays with me. "You seriously made plans with someone else? But Columbus Day is my favorite holiday!"
6. What do you never leave home without?
A hair tie! I have a very hard time keeping my hair down for a whole day.
7. Are you team iPhone or Android?
I've mentioned a few times that I don't have a smartphone, but if ever decide to join this decade it will be iPhone or nothin'.
8. What is one place in the world that you'd like to visit?
France or Fiji. That's two places but it's a tie :)
9. If you significant other was on trial for something serious, would you lie to protect them?
No.
10. Do you have a favorite YouTube video? Share the link!
This video will never get old. So funny.

Never Ever

I've also thought this link up was so cute, so I figured it was about time I joined in! :)

Never ever ever will I...

-Have an air freshener in my car that isn't Leaves by Bath and Body Works, unless it's Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

-Try Liver Mush. Ew. My roommate can keep that to herself.

-Stop rooting for my Steelers, no matter how much they're letting me down this season.

-Not be obsessed with this sweet face.

Elsa!

-Love dogs. They're so smelly and licky and barky and I just can't.

-believe Autumn is long enough

-Have enough clothes

-Like getting up early. No matter how often I do it my body won't get used to it.

-Listen to the radio without singing along. Whether or not I know the song doesn't matter.

-Cut my hair short again. It never felt right on me.

-Understand the appeal of SnapChat

-Stop being won over by the words "gift with purchase." Gets me every time.

-Believe that anyone's cat is cuter than mine; so glad to be home with him this week!

-Miss a post from my favorite bloggers- McKenzie Wild, Pleas(e) and Carrots, She Crab Soup, Munchkins and the Military, and all of the pretty ladies on my sidebar :)