favorites

The Calm Before the Weekend Storm (FAVORITES!)

Audrey24 Comments

I have 11 drafts sitting in a folder but none of them feel *right* for today. I’m in a reflective mood; calm and mellow and ready for the weekend. I typically get this way before a busy weekend. My introvert brain needs chill-time and since I won’t be getting any this weekend, I need to soak it in pre-weekend.

Tomorrow night I’m headed to an Indian’s baseball game with my cousin and some friends. Saturday I’m boating with friends. Sunday I have a softball game and then K and I are headed to a Jimmy Eat World concert in Cleveland in the evening. Someone reserve me a nap pod on Monday morning, please and thanks. Not to mention soon we’re headed to Texas for business. Lord, help me…

So today I’m going to share some blog posts that inspired me or amused me or made me think.

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  • Lindsay is starting a new series called Whiskey in a Teacup and I am here for it. In her first post she shared a very real and raw struggle that she’s dealt with for years. I love her bravery and honesty.
  • As the mom to a very anxious dog, I love it when other dog-moms share tips and tricks that work for them. Taylor wrote about dogs & fireworks in honor of the 4th and I really appreciated the advice.
  • Chelsea is one of my closest blog friends. I discovered her site when I first started LaL and I love keeping up with her. Chelsea is a writer, entrepreneur, wife, mother, badass, traveler, and NOW she’s a TEDxTalk speaker!
  • In the same breath, Aubrey is one of my very best friends IRL. She’s slightly insta-famous and extremely talented. She shared it a while ago, but I love her post about starting over and healing and reclaiming her life after a devastating break-up.
  • I will never have the need or opportunity to do it (never say never?), but Carolann’s post about flying Space A is fascinating! The process and the plane and everything about it is so new and unique to me!
  • Emma does a monthly travel link-up and this past one was on kindness while traveling. Her stories are so so sweet! I love it when a stranger makes my day (or trip)!
  • I think most of Blogworld knows about Chelsea and her uplifting blog. Hopefully you didn’t miss her recent post on falling in love with your own life. She’s wise and optimistic beyond her years 🙂

I know this is a fairly lazy post on my behalf, but I genuinely love all the things these ladies created and put out on their blogs. I encourage you to spend your time there today ❤

Have a great weekend!

Blogger Favorites (and more!)

Audrey31 Comments

Happy Tuesday ❤︎ It’s been a really long time since I’ve written a “favorites” post and I’ve been collecting some awesome blog posts over the last month or so.

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Before I get into blog posts, here are some recent tangible favorites!

circle towel | Old Navy Fit&Flare cami dress | 48oz. Bubba mug

Can you tell I’m 100% in vacation-mode? Ha.

Ok… on to the posts:

What are some recent favorites- online and off- that you’ve discovered lately??

*Totally forgot about the link-up with Lauren & Bre! Counting this as an ‘Add It To My List’ post!!

Eat, Drink, and Be Lauren

Movie Yays and Nays

Audrey35 Comments

I saw Tanya and Erin do this fun little questionnaire. So now I’m doing it, too!

Most Hated Movie of All-Time: Django Unchained, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Last Airbender
Movie I Think is Overrated: Shawshank Redemption (it actually ties for “most hated”)
Movie I Think is Underrated: Field of Dreams
Movie I Love: Clue
Movie I Secretly Love: Inglorious Basterds (even though I hate violent movies)
Favorite Action Movie: The Mummy
Favorite Drama: Ocean’s 11
Favorite Horror: The Grudge or Gothika (is that horror?)
Favorite Comedy: Talladega Nights
Favorite Disney Movie: The Lion King or Aladdin or Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Favorite Sci-Fi Movie: Star Trek (2009)
Favorite Animated Movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Favorite Superhero Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy or X-Men: First Class
Favorite Musical: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Favorite Western: Rio Bravo (1959)
Favorite Martial Arts: Ummm… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a martial arts movie
Favorite Indie: I guess Juno… independent films are always so dang depressing
Favorite Bad Movie: Alice in Wonderland (1999)… it was made-for-TV, but I don’t think it’s bad
Childhood Favorite: Billboard Dad
Favorite Franchise: Harry Potter & X-Men
Best Trilogy: LOTR (or the original X-Men)
Guilty Pleasure: Napoleon Dynamite… so bad, yet so good
Favorite Director: Wes Anderson and David Yates
Favorite Actor: Chris Pratt or Jon Hamm
Favorite Actress: Jennifer Lawrence or Olivia Munn
Favorite Foreign Film: Water (2005)
Favorite Movie this Year so Far: I’ve only seen Beauty & the Beast this year…
Worst Movie so Far this Year: -nothing-
Movie I Have Seen Recently: We’re the Millers
What I Thought of It: I’ve seen it before but it was on TV recently. I actually think this is a hilarious movie. Stupid and cheesy, but comical.
Most Anticipated Film of this Year: Guardians of the Galaxy 2!!
Favorite Movie of All-Time: It’s a tie between HP, Alice in Wonderland, & X-Men

What movie do you hate? What’s your favorite Disney one?

Windows Down, Radio Up (a playlist)

Audrey38 Comments

I’m a music lover, but for some reason I never share playlists here. I was driving around a few weeks ago and a song came on the radio that prompted me to roll the windows down and smile up at the sunshine. I’m not the only one who gets the sudden urge to really take in the moment and enjoy the ride, right?

I’m a country music lover so I created a playlist of songs that make me smile and dream about a convertible ride along California’s coastal highway. Even if you hate country, give ’em a chance 😉 They’re pretty upbeat and pop-y.

We have a business road trip coming up so we’re crossing our fingers for warm, sunny weather. I have this happy little vision of cruising down the road with sunglasses on, windows down, and this playlist pumping through the car!

Are you a fan of country music? What songs would you add to my playlist?

Things I Really Love Right Now

Audrey55 Comments

I was going to write a serious post today. I started one about the controversy surrounding the Beauty and the Beast outrage. I thought about screaming ranting about the idiotic administration running our country. But I just can’t. If you’ve been around these parts long enough then you know that I have 0% issue with people’s sexual orientation or gender identity. You also know I loathe the people inhabiting the White House. So let’s talk about something that isn’t going to make me pull my hair out.

I’m going to link up with Kristen & Gretch for some “currently” updates and some favorite things that I want you to know about 🙂

Reading… The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier. Atonement (Ian McEwan) is also on the docket. Last two books for Erin’s Challenge!

Watching… the series finale for Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. I tried to drag the series out as long as I could. I’m sad it’s over but pleased with how it ended. Now I’m trying to convince K to watch Firefly with me. (I’ve seen it, he hasn’t.)

Looking Forward To… my mom’s birthday celebration. Her b-day was Tuesday but I’m surprising her with an outing on Saturday. I can’t say much here because she reads this blog 😉

Planning… a fall vacation. We were going to go to Disney, but I couldn’t get K excited about it. He’s never been and wants to see it for the first time with a big family group or with a kid in the picture. Fine. Whatever. I was bitter about it at first, but now I’m looking forward to spending some time at Universal Studios (#DisneyForever) and on a cruise. We compromised.

Loving… my new job with K’s company. I feel so relaxed and fulfilled working for a company that I love and working alongside people that I really enjoy and working in an industry that’s had my heart for +8 years.

(Here’s what I was up to at this exact time last year!)

Now let’s talk about my recent favorites.
(I’m going to style this like Rebecca Jo’s Friday Favorites post.)

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Favorite Reads

I’m going to recommend two authors instead of books.

I’ve gone on and on about The Lunar Chronicles, so it makes sense that I recommend Marissa Meyer to those who love a little fantasy and adventure and retelling. Her newest standalone novel, Heartless, quickly became a favorite for me, too. (I’ll talk about it on Tuesday!)

The_Lunar_Chronicles

The second author that I’ve really enjoyed so far is Ashley Weaver. She writes a 1930s mystery series that centers around Amory Ames and her playboy husband Milo. They’re not thrillers, but they have an air of suspense and romance and betrayal. Plus they’re set in historical England- which is my fav.

Favorite Recent Purchases

Everyone has their favorite place to buy jeans. Mine is Old Navy. If you’re an ON gal check out these jeans! I have three of the same pair, all in different shades (medium wash, light wash and light pachuca). They are so comfy and flattering to my curvy hips!

Also on the recently purchased list: These pajamas from Marshalls (or TJ Maxx, I guess.) The same cross-cross shear pattern around the neck is also down the outside of each leg on the shorts. Perfect as the weather warms up!

…obviously this isn’t my body. Ha.

Favorite Lip Stuff

I’m not a beauty blogger, but I have three lipsticks/stains/things that I’ve been loving lately. Two are Burt’s Bees products (Pink Lagoon gloss lip crayon & Ruby Ripple moisturizing lipstick) and one’s from Wet N Wild (Lady and the Vamp balm stain). Last weekend I got three compliments on the balm stain!

Favorite Funnies

Have you tried any of this stuff? What’s something you’re loving lately?

What's New With You

Add It To My (Media) List

Audrey48 Comments

I had no idea what to list off this month. Usually I have a draft with a running list of favorites that I add to throughout the month, but I didn’t do that this time. As time was running out I happened to stumble across three short (very different) online clips that captured my attention.

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I assume that everyone needs a mental break throughout the workday, so hopefully one or two of these videos can provide that today.

James Corden’s Crosswalk the Musical: Beauty & the Beast

I don’t know why this made me laugh as hard as it did. I blame Dan Stevens (and the fact that I still have trouble see him as anyone but Matthew Crawley.)

Emma Watson’s kitten interview

If I ever have kids I hope they see Emma Watson as a role model. I certainly do. Everything about this video is great, especially her shout out to Best Friends Animal Society in Utah!

Elmo Gets Laid Off

To be 100% honest, Sesame Street moved to HBO so it’s probably safe if/when PBS gets the ax. That said, when I was a kid we didn’t have HBO- I still don’t have HBO. I watched Sesame Street on PBS like most kids in America do. So for those 2 to 7-years-olds with moms and dads who aren’t millionaires with a +40,000 channel cable package, they’re just S.O.L.

I’m going to stop because the budget cuts to the arts and education have me livid and terrified. If I keep typing this post will quadruple in length. So suffice it to say, we are so against budget cuts.

Maybe as a consolation prize Tr*mp can take us on one of his million dollar golf trips to Florida 😐

Also… Sesame Street: spoofing on Donald Tr*mp Grump before SNL made it cool.

In other news of things I want to list or bring to your attention, I joined a FB group for bloggers that has been very active and supportive. If you’re in the market for something like that you should check out The Peaceful Posse on FB 🙂

So tell me about something you’ve recently discovered or started that you love! Linking up with Lauren and Bre today!

Eat, Drink, and Be Lauren

Add It To My (Super Random) List

Audrey50 Comments

By skipping Mondays I lose my opportunity to recap my weekend. If you were curious, I had a good one 🙂 Fun fact: I spent every weekend in February out of town. First Cleveland, then San Antonio, then Columbus, and then Cleveland again last weekend. Some trips for business, some for pleasure. This weekend Kayla and I visited Aubrey and her fiance Alyssa because Aubs is recovering from surgery and we went up to celebrate her transformation and keep her company. (You can follow her story/creep on her here. She’s #InstaFamous)

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In an attempt to stay hip and trendy I’m trying to keep track of the fun link-ups that go on in the blog world. I managed to jot down the schedule for the Add It To My List link-up with Lauren and Bre, so here we are.

Firstly, these three products were recommended by other bloggers:

I’m easily influence by others… I went out and bought this stuff immediately because I was in the market for some quality polish and comfy shoes for work. (The polish remover is cruelty-free & I needed that toiletry in c.f. form.) All three have my seal of approval!

Bamboo bedding…
Two years ago my grandparents gifted K and I some bamboo bedding. GUYS- we fell in love with it immediately. They’d bought it from Marshalls, so obviously I’ve never come across it again. Then last week this idiot (me) remembered Amazon exists and I have a Prime account. So I ordered some sheets. (How many pairs of sheets do you have for your bed? We have two. I always have to be on my laundry A-game, especially when I peel the sheets right before vacation and make the bed for the dogsitter, then come home and remember that now both sheets are dirty and I’m too exhausted to do laundry.)
I digress. Bamboo sheets are the softest and most comfy sheets ever. Go get some.

On to another random thing…

Go make this recipe:

One-Pan Veggies & Sausage

sausage-bake

I made this last week and it was a hit (with all two of us). It’s crazy simple- the “hardest” part was chopping all the veggies. We had rice with it. (I also made Brussels sprouts separately because they looked so good at the store and K doesn’t like them so I couldn’t mix them in. But then he ate some so…. that was a minor victory in my kitchen.)

(I’m pretty sure I took this recipe and another one (this!) from Nadine’s Pinterest!)

. . .

This fall K and I are planning to visit Disney. I’ve been there a handful of time, but I’ve never planned the trip. (I was a child and/or a band student on prior trips.) Kyle has never been to the happiest place on Earth, so I’m hoping to show him a good time. I’m looking for tips, tricks, and advice right now. I know how to “do” Disney, but any reminders or travel tidbits would be helpful. 🙂

Enjoy these last two days of February!

signatureEat, Drink, and Be Lauren