Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Halloween Costumes

Happy Halloween everyone! I love this holiday and seeing what everyone dresses up as. I saw several professors dressed up on campus today and I was happy to get candy in some classes. Tonight my dad is the star of the show. He dressed up as Larry Culpepper from the Dr. Pepper commercials:

Here is Larry Culpepper:
He is so in character to it is honestly hilarious. He is going to be walking around the neighborhood yelling "Ice Cold Dr. Pepper here, ICE COLD!" and explaining to anyone who will listen how "He invented the College Football Playoffs". :) He is too crazy! Watch it all happen on my Instagram story y'all.

Now I thought it would be fun to include some throwback pictures from past Halloweens so we can all laugh at my costumes together. I have also included some of my sister too because they are hilarious!

My first Halloween as a leopard.. I was more interested in sucking my thumb.

Here is my sister as the leopard and I was a duck!

At our house in Tennessee this particular year, we had a problem with skunks under our house (yeah.. not fun!) so my parents decided it would be funny to dress me as a skunk for Halloween :)

PLEASE tell me some of y'all remember Blues Clues? LOVED that show!

I was a cowgirl!

And of course at some point I was Snow White!

This year I was a cheerleader.. but my sister had the best costume:
My family still gets a hoot out of seeing Meredith as a clown :D

Cat in the Hat

Who remembers Raggedy Ann?

Clearly my sister was pumped to be a fairy .. hahah!

A gymnast and a chef.. I am pretty sure this is exactly what we wanted to be when we grew up at this age.

This has been my costume for several years because it is cute and easy and comes quite natural to me ;) I'm a nerd at heart!

My dad was a hippie one year and we couldn't get over the flip flops and jeans combo (which is so not my dad haha) as well as the glasses :)

My favorite kid costume I have seen so far this season:

CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES! I am DEAD!

Well that was fun! What was your favorite costume you ever dressed up in? Let me know! I will talk to y'all tomorrow!

xoxo
Friday, October 27, 2017

Spontaneous Miscellaneous

Happy Friday everyone! I have had just the BEST week ever and I think it has everything to do with this fabulous weather! A cold front came through Florida late this week and we have had weather in the low 70s during the day y'all. It is absolutely wonderful! I have spent all day studying outside, wearing boots and long sleeves, and rocking some plum lipstick. 

This weekend I am volunteering at my church's Fall Festival and I can't wait to see all the cuties from our church preschool dressed up. Sunday my sister and I are heading to HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS! It has been over a month since we went to Disney so we are very excited to go and not sweat our butts off like usual. It is going to be a perfect ending to a perfect week. 

It's Friday so that means it is time to share my favorites from the week with y'all! Here we go!

One // Joe and Kendras Wedding
 
HOLY COW! The other night another Duggar wedding aired and it was the MOST beautiful wedding I have ever seen. Joseph Duggar married Kendra and she looked stunning. They were also just ADORBS. They are starting the new season soon where they will rewind and see all the planning leading up to their wedding before airing the wedding episode again as the finale. I am DYING over her dress and vail.. STUNNING!

Two // Down Syndrome Awareness Month
This month is so dear to my heart because I just love humans with an extra chromosome! This video from This Gathered Nest (a family of 9 who have children both biologically and adopted) is SO great. They show a day in the life of their daughter Rosie who has down syndrome. Is she not the sweetest? I could squeeze her for real y'all!

Three // Seeing the Gloria Estefan Musical with my Momma!
My mom and I went to see the Gloria Estefan musical at the beautiful Dr. Phillips and it was amazing!! We both loved it and I love having one on one time with my bestie!

Four // Seeing Happy Death Day AGAIN with my Sister
This was my second time seeing Happy Death Day but my sisters first and it was just as good the second time! I already mentioned it in my last Spontaneous Miscellaneous post but I so recommend it. I am usually not a fan of scary movies, but this is more of a mystery and is SO good. 

Five // It's Gameday Y'all Shirt
I love this shirt I found at my local boutique! I paired it with some black and white checkered shorts for UCF colors but there are other great colors to choose for your team as well. SO southern and CUTE!
Wednesday, October 25, 2017

SEC East Outfit Ideas

Happy Wednesday! Today I am working a long(ish) day before coming home to do a TON of math. Thankfully, yesterday was registration day for the next semester and I chose a WAY easier math so I am very happy. 

Today's post is the second half of my SEC outfit series. You can see my SEC West outfit ideas post here. I love these outfits I pulled together and hope you get some inspiration!

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I will be honest, I am kind of scared to face Georgia.. they are getting GOOD. Roll Tide though y'all! #sorrynotsorry

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In Florida, it is always flip flop season :)

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I love Vanderbilt colors because they are so similar to UCF colors, which I obviously love :)

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I love the garnet and black combo and that purse is beautiful right??

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I love classic blue and white! There are so many different pieces out there but I LOVE that bracelet!

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The mother land :) I don't know if y'all know this, but I was born in Knoxville close to the UT campus!

There you have it! Have a great Wednesday!

xoxo
Monday, October 23, 2017

Apple Cider Donut Recipe

Happy Monday y'all.. at least it is when you have donuts!! I hope you had a great weekend. My weekend was PACKED but I loved every minute of it and still managed to get all my homework turned in in time. Phew. 
I LOVE seeing bloggers who live in places like Vermont posting pictures in apple orchards eating apple cider donuts in boots and flannels. I live vicariously through them, because I spent my weekend in shorts and flip flops. ha! Although I wouldn't trade them, I do love Fall because of all the warm colors and flavors this season has to offer us. Apple cider is such an Autumnal food and I thought making some apple cider donuts would spice things up a bit!
This recipe is fairly easy, but you will need a donut pan. I used this one and it worked PERFECTLY. I am not even a huge apple cider lover and LOVED these sweet treats. Enjoy y'all!


Apple Cider Donut Recipe

Ingredients:

Donuts:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar
/2 granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups apple cider (reduced to 3/4 cup)
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
pinch salt

Topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Before you begin, you will need to reduce the apple cider. Pour the cider in a small saucepan a simmer on low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the cider reduced down to 3/4 cup. Once it is reduced, set it aside to cool.

in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pinch of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla and stir until completely combined. Pour in the buttermilk and apple cider and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix or donuts will be tough.

Pour the batter into prepared pan about 3/4 to the top of each donut well. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until the tops are firm and spring back slightly when you touch them. Do not over bake or they will be too dry.

When done, remove donuts from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes. Once they are warm to the touch get your butter and cinnamon sugar topping ready.

In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

Take a donut and dip the tops into the melted butter and then quickly into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat for the entire batch of donuts.

These donuts taste WAY better fresh and warm the day of but technically can be served the following day.


Well I hope you find time to make this recipe this week and tell me how it goes! Talk to you soon!

xoxo
Friday, October 20, 2017

Spontaneous Miscellaneous

Happy Friday y'all! I am so excited to share all my favorite things with you this week. I am sorry this post is coming to you later than usual, but I spent my day doing observation hours in a school and then came home and passed out. Y'all I must have needed the sleep (doubt it) because I don't even remember getting into bed. I was very confused 3 hours later.. HAHA! Oh well, it happens!

Don't forget to tell me your favorites from the week also y'all!

One // Sunrise on the BEACH!
 Omg y'all I have so many pictures from this day and it was AMAZING! I have lived 45 minutes from the beach for years and have never gotten up to go watch the sunrise over the ocean and I do NOT know why. It was stunning. I love living so close to the ocean. Saltwater, a camera, and a good friend really is the best medication sometimes!

Two // Happy Death Day
Don't ask me how, but I was talked into going with a few co workers to see a scary movie on Friday the 13th. If you know me, you know I don't do scary.. like I just don't. However, I did hear that this movie was more of a mystery and it really wasn't too scary and wasn't gory at all which I appreciate. I am seeing it again with my sister on Saturday because I actually enjoyed it! Such a good movie to see right around Halloween time that isn't going to keep you from sleeping at night. :) Watch the Trailer here .. but then GO SEE IT!

Three // Clinique 3 Step Skincare System
I am so happy to be back with Clinique skincare. I took a break for a while and noticed my skin was getting worse and I was breaking out more often so I switched back to using it and I can already tell a huge difference in my skin. WAHOO! Shop the 3-step system here.

Four // Candy Corn Jello Dessert
Y'all I just made this a few hours ago and it took like 5 minutes! It does have to sit in the fridge for a while but it was so stinkin' cute and EASY! Here is a link to the recipe.


Well there you have my favorites from the week! I hope to hear y'alls favs too! Talk to you soon.

xoxo
Wednesday, October 18, 2017

SEC West Outfit Ideas

Happy Wednesday y’all! I hope you’re week has been great so far!

Today I am talking about my two favorite things; football and fashion! I love the SEC and being from the south I felt that it was only fitting to throw together some outfits for game day. I will be putting together some cute outfits for each South Eastern Conference team starting with the West. Next week I will be sharing outfit ideas for the East. I am so excited, let's do this!

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I had to start with the best.. obvi! Roll Tide Y'all!


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.. And now the worst team. HAHA! As much as I hate to admit it, I really love the navy and orange combo (don't tell my daddy)! Look at those darling shoes!

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I love Texas A&M's colors. I also threw in that watch because the black and gold together is STUNNING!

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This one was hard because a lot of the same things you saw in Texas A&M's outfit ideas you could really use for Mississippi State also. Again, such a great color and one that is very popular during the Fall and football season!

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LSU doesn't have my favorite colors but these pieces I found I LOVE. Especially the mustard colored cardigan which is perfect for Fall regardless of what team you cheer for!


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How cute is all of these pieces? I again, can't help but love these flats for the team with the razorback on the bow.


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I love Ole Miss colors because it is so patriotic! How cute is that plaid dress??

Well there you have it! I hope you loved all these outfit ideas! Talk to you on Friday!

xoxo