Christmas Traditions

Don't worry - we'll be setting up our REAL tree this weekend. This was just our place holder :)

I love-love-love Christmas time! I just cannot get enough of any of it - it is seriously the high light of my whole year. My family is big on traditions and I wanted to share some of those with you today.

The season starts off with photos with Santa! My birthday is the 16th, and since my first birthday, I've gone to see Santa on my birthday - at least then we know what day it was and can usually figure out our ages. Here are a few samples:

Back in the golden days when I was an only child ;)

My 21st Birthday

Last year's photo before dinner in town 

Next, my sister and I always open each other presents on Christmas Eve. I think we started that forever ago just because we were too anxious to wait until Christmas morning :) Then she and I slumber party somewhere. We usually to stay in the TV room in the basement because Mom and Dad needed to unload presents in peace, but now we can crash down there and watch 24 Hours of "A Christmas Story" until we fall asleep.

We always go to the 11 o'clock service at church, we call it the Midnight service, and we always sit with our friends we grew up in the church with. (We are usually punchy and get in trouble with our parents for goofing off.

And on Christmas morning, Bonnie usually wakes us all up before 7:30 and the kids open their presents from Santa before rotating around the room and giving the parents a turn. While we're unwrapping, Mom is usually popping the  monkey bread and breakfast casserole in the oven before we head to church for a late lunch/early dinner with the community.

What sorts of traditions do you have?

XX - C

Bedroom Organization

I love our new apartment - I do. It's an old house, with two upstairs apartments and two downstairs. It's a long apartment, but 14 foot ceilings, 10 foot windows, granite countertops, all new appliances -- the owner did a great job with the renovation.

There are "3" bedrooms and one bath - and when we divided up rooms, I got the smallest "room" by default. (Emily had only lived in furnished apartments, and to keep her from having to buy too much furniture  we have her the room with the most built in shelving. Bonnie has a queen size bed and a huge dresser, which would never fit into my room.) So, into the 8x14" room I went. (It would make the most perfect office, really, but for now, it's my room.)

It's not a huge deal really - we spend all of our time in the living room anyways, and plus, my room stays the warmest because it's so darn small. Assuming that was how the rooms would play out, I had mentally downsized my furniture before leaving our last apartment, and it played out fairly well. Lots of my furniture ended up in the living room and hall way - but we're still working on all of that. But here is a look at what I'm working with:

Here is my room (and Avery keeping me company.) I'm hoping for new curtains for Christmas, but you can see I wasn't exaggerating on the dimensions of the room. It is small, but feels cozy when I'm there.

Since my room doesn't have a closet, I invested in a garment rack to use instead. I've always kept my closet organized, I wasn't worried about it getting messy, and I kinda like the way it looks. I found one at Wal-Mart for super cheap and it does exactly what I need it to. I did purge a bunch of clothes before the move though and took them to a local consignment shop.

I'm lucky that I inherited my grandmother's dresser, so I have lots of storage. It's high, but I'm able to keep my jewelry box there and it holds lots of clothes. (I do need to find a new home for those knick-knacks though. The clutter drives me nuts.) (You can also see where I re-purposed a drawer as a shelf for the wall - currently it holds my Logan memorabilia - ticket stubs and what not.)

I have a small night stand I stole from Granny's house as well and painted navy to match my bed. That area is a little crazy, but it's just enough room for what I need it to hold. You can see I have a frame with a photo of me and Logan in Chicago last summer:

and my Army Scentsy warmer:

This is my shoe storage (sorry for the sneak peak at my foot!). First of all, I'm not a big shoe girl to begin with - I like to stick to the basic, classic choices. My Dad built me this under the bed storage a long time ago, and we've always nick named it the "shoe coffin." But, as you can see, it works perfectly for what I need. And they slide neatly under my bed.

So that's a sneak peek! I like to keep my room VERY clean, and with a smaller space, I'm keeping it even neater. I feel like I'm back in college, but then again, in 261 days I'll be getting ready to move into a house with my husband, so it's not so bad :)

Enjoy! XX - C

Recap!

Sorry for the hiatus -- I was out moving Logan down to Fort Benning for him to begin his Basic Officers Leadership Course. I'm definitely sad about having to transition to a long distance relationship, but it's all a part of the military lifestyle and relatively not that long.

Logan will be back in Virginia for the holidays, he'll go home to Indiana for a few days, and we'll do New Years Eve in Atlanta. He'll head back into training, but I have a copy of his schedule. There are some days he'll leave for the field on Monday and I won't get to talk to him again until Friday night, and those weeks will be hard, but I know we'll be OK.

He'll graduate from his BOLC course on Apr. 9 and I already have the 8-10 off from work to go down and see him. That also gives me plenty of time to save up for a plane ticket and rental car - that 10 hour drive yesterday was NOT very fun.

Hopefully that gives him April to get into Airborne and start Ranger School in May. Since he's AG, he'll probably only recycle once or twice, which means he should be good to go and moved onto his base with plenty of time to spare for the August wedding :)

I hope everyones week is going well!

Engagement Photos!

We just got our engagement photos - I wanted to share them!
Logan wore: a hunter green thirst from Ralph Lauren, Levi's, and a blue button up and a navy pull over from Old Navy
I wore: an orange and a blue dress from Gladiola Girls, and leather boots from J Crew
All photos by: Mahalo Photography

Weekend Recap

Last week was incredibly stressful and I made myself sick over things going wrong. I was overwhelmed with school work that I hadn't gotten to because of the move, was behind on work in Admissions, tons of personal errands that kept piling up, and with Logan out of town, the reality of him leaving for Ft. Benning so soon began to sink in.

When I get stressed, I tend to get migraines. I keep Excedrin on me at all times, but it became unbearable by Thursday. I took the afternoon off and all day Friday to give myself some time to breathe. I spent Thursday afternoon unpacking and finishing up a big paper for school. Friday was full of errands - new tires for my car, a hair appointment, wrapping up big registry items, and getting cable set up at the apartment - and to relax, I cooked Logan, my roommates, and I dinner. Just a simple filet mignon and some garlic parmesan green beans. As a surprise, I ordered some cake pops from the girl we're hoping will do our wedding. Logan wanted to try them before he left town, so I got them for dessert to try. They were perfection and we're excited to talk to her about a wedding order!

We ordered them from Sweet Delight Cake Pops. You can like her on Facebook here!

Saturday, Logan and I had engagement photos on campus -- I cannot wait to see how they turn out! The photographer is a family friend and I was excited to show off my outfits. I found two precious dresses on sale at a local boutique, Gladiola Girls, and was so excited to wear them! Saturday night Logan and I walked downtown for dinner at Robin Alexander - one of the last things on his bucket list to do before leaving Lynchburg.

Sunday we went to church to hear Dad play in the bell choir, cleaned up the apartment, and I had a study group for school. To save some time this morning, I packed my lunch last night and prepped dinner for tonight! (I cooked the chicken and mixed it together with the cheese. All I'll have to do post yoga tonight is place in the croissants and pop in the oven. They'll be done by the time I'm done showering.)

Overall, it was a great weekend. But I AM ready for a long weekend! 

XX - C

275 days 'til my wedding!

Logan leaves for Ft. Benning in less than two weeks, and even with my travel schedule being so hectic for October, I think we have the biggest bases covered. I wanted to do as much planning with him as possible before he left so if he is unable to communicate with me a whole bunch while he's at training he'll have input on the important things.

Here is a quick recap of what we're thinking so far. They won't all be official photos - I want to keep SOME of it a surprise - but the photos are our inspiration.

Wedding Style: Southern Chic.
Venue: Sweet Briar College Memorial Chapel

The interior of the Chapel - the photo is from my co-worker's wedding.

The exterior - just ignore the cars.

Reception: We will have the reception at the Elston Inn and Conference Center at Sweet Briar. 

The courtyard - where the cocktail hour will be. Then we'll move inside for dinner and dancing.

Entertainment: We'd love a live band, and after hearing a blue-grass string band play at a friend's wedding are looking at local musicians to play for the cocktail hour and dinner. From there, we're looking at less expensive alternatives to keep the party going.

Invitations/Save the Dates: We wanted these to all be cohesive. We wanted something classic but not too stuffy. We found a local graphic designer who will design custom invitations for us and address them in calligraphy.

A sample invite from Leen Jean.

Flowers: I always wanted tulips, but of course they couldn't be more out of season for an August wedding. So since then, I have fallen in love with hydrangeas. I want very simple bouquets - which will be easy since hydrangeas won't require much additional "fluff". They're also super in season and will make the most perfect centerpieces.

Dress: I found my dress at a local shop, Celebration, and got a great deal on it. Right under budget :) It was exactly what I was looking for, but you'll understand why I won't include any photos. I'm banking on the element of surprise on the 17th!

Something Old: I will be wearing the tiara my grandmother wore in her wedding in my hair as my Something Old. We're having the pearls and jewels repaired on it this spring.

Something Blue: When my parents got married, they eloped on the beach. My Mom wore a blue dress, so we'll cut a heart out of her dress and sew it on the inside of my dress. That will be my Something Blue.

My parents on their wedding day. 

Overall, things are going well! Of course there is much more ironed out at this point, but I'll update more later!

XX - C

Gift Guides Galore! Sister and Fiance Edition

It seems we've reached that point in the year where gift guides are everywhere! Just today via email I've received Kate Spade's and Lilly Pulitzer's. My birthday is the 16th of December, so I've always been sensitive to "gift lumping" - where people buy you one present that is meant for your birthday AND Christmas. (I always felt it was a little bit of a cop out, but those closest to me do a good job of make sure my gifts are separate... and that my birthday gift isn't wrapped in Christmas paper!) This year, with my engagement still fairly new and the wedding next summer, I charged Bonnie, my maid of honor, to ensure my Christmas and birthday gifts weren't all wedding gifts. (I'm pinching all my pennies, and if I can't indulge in the clothes and tid-bits I'd usually buy, I want them for the holidays!)

Since Bonnie and I are obsessed with Google Docs, we started a running list a while ago with gift ideas, and I thought I'd share a little more about what I'm thinking for various family members.

My sister's style is a little more adventurous than mine, but still relatively preppy and classic. She's an avid reader but not a huge techie. Here is what made her list:

The Perfect Chambray Ex-Boyfriend shirt from Madewell

The Good as Gold necklace from Kate Spade

A Long-Sleeved Monogrammed Pocket Tee from Etsy

I have a couple ideas going on for Logan so far. He has great style already, and I hate feeling like one of those girls buying clothes for their significant other to change them into the person they want. Plus, he's a big fan of practical presents. So here's what's at the top of my list:

I bought him a shirt from Ralph Lauren this summer and he loves it. It's already so soft and it's a great dressier alternative to an old college tshirt. 

He's a big fan of a good whiskey, so I thought a decanter would be a great grown-up addition to an apartment, etched with an "S" of course for Springer.

Of course a long-distance relationship won't be easy, and there will be lots of traveling in our future, so who wouldn't need a good toiletry bag to keep the essentials in order?

Stay tuned for my ideal gifts and what I'm thinking for Mom and Dad!

Weekend Re-Cap

This weekend was so busy - I feel like I didn't stop for 72 straight hours.

Friday I took the day off from work to move into our new apartment. Although Bonnie and I thought we were ready to go and the move wouldn't be too intensive, we were very wrong. All the packing we thought would give us a head start moved quickly and we were left looking at ALL the stuff that was left. However, the new apartment is amazing and we'll be all settled soon.

Friday night we had a home swim meet versus Washington & Lee University. Both teams did an incredible job - I was so proud of all of our girls - and W&L was amazing as usual.

I had intended on sleeping in on Saturday, but of course Logan and I were wide awake by 7:30, so we ate brunch at Market on Main. Nothing helps you feel better on a Saturday where you have to go into work than some sweet potato pancakes and a big mug of coffee :) Logan came to the meet with me and we headed back to the apartment right after for our engagement party!

My sister, the Maid of Honor, my oldest cousin (another bridesmaid), and my Mom did an amazing job on the food and it was wonderful to celebrate with everyone!

Saturday night low key, just enjoying a movie with Logan and doing a little more unpacking.

Sunday was Open House at work, so Logan and I slept in, grabbed another load from the old apartment to bring to the new one, and I was off to campus. I was there until early evening, and headed home to help settle the new apartment some more.

It was a busy weekend - and I woke up this morning in the same position I fell asleep in - but it was one where I realized how lucky I was and how many people I have in my life that love me. I went to sleep feeling so very blessed!

282 Days 'til the Wedding!

My fiance and I met in the beginning of the year. He lived with several over guys who would host people weekly for "Steak Saturdays" - folks could bring their own food and drink and grill out at their house for the evening. It was always a good time! My sister had a friend who had gone to college with several of the roommates, and invited us over one evening to hang out. My sister had been over several times that fall while I was traveling for work and I was anxious to meet the famous "Weezy" guys.

We had gotten dinner with some other friends earlier that night, ran into a guy I had been dating briefly,  the waiter had spilled beers all over me... the night wasn't going so well. But, when we got to the "Weezy" the night turned around. The guys had made a fire in the backyard and we had a great time getting to know each other.

Logan and I hung out in the group a few times when I extended a blanket invitation to  a Super Bowl party Bonnie and I were hosting. I knew a few of the roommates already had plans to go to another party, but Logan was able to make it. We had a great time hanging out that night and we decided to go on our first official date later that week before I had to leave for a swim meet. We went to the White Hart Cafe for tea and stayed until closing. I even missed the Duke/Carolina game that night to go out with him :) After that, we were inseparable. 

Our first photo together - after the short hike to the top of Liberty Mtn. overlooking Lynchburg.

My favorite photo of us - on Easter 2012

Logan proposed on Sept. 26 on the top of a mountain. It was just the two of us, and I felt like I was on top of the world. We had been discussing taking the next step for a little while - although it sounded like we moved pretty quickly - but we are both so excited to start our life together, officially!

Wedding planning is coming along smoothly so far - I had so much planned out in my head it was pretty easy :) I'll update more on that later! 

The To-Do List

With a job like Admissions, I wear several different hats. I am the supervisor of the Hostessing Program and work with student workers. I am a recruiter, not only traveling to visit students, but also assisting them through the application process. I am an Admissions Officer, reading applications and making decisions about whether or not to admit a student. I am a Financial Aid Officer, working with a student to navigate her financial aid package and find supplemental scholarships.

My supervisors don't believe in micro-managing (lucky me!) so that leaves me entirely responsible for getting tasks done and staying on top of deadlines. Many people struggle with this, but after balancing academics, athletics, and social activities in college, I have found methods that work best for me.

I'm a list maker.

I like being able to visualize what I need to get done. Although sometimes I can find the list daunting and overwhelming, I almost always find that once I sit down and begin to accomplish tasks, they get done faster than what I think. I am always making lists -- what to do at work, what to do at home, what needs to be done before the weekend, what needs to get packed, what needs to get purchased, what bills need to get paid... I try to keep these lists consolidated to one location, but sometimes they end up all over the place. But, nothing feels better than looking at a page of chores crossed off your list.

In the past, I've kept small notebooks in my purse so I could take notes whenever I needed. For example:

The Pixel Journal from Kate Spade - $28 

I would jot down recipes I saw in magazines, made reminders for myself, wrote down phone numbers and email addresses, and always had paper available to toss out old gum or give my information to others. I've accumulated many over the past couple of years and keep them on my bookshelf. They are decorative and cute much longer after I'm writing in them.

I've never been very good about using my phone - although the Reminders app on my iPhone is helpful. It's too easy for my phone not to be around, or charged, or without service and honestly, I still have a phobia that it'll shut down "Revolution" style and I'll be stranded without my schedule for the day.

Most recently, I've been using my Lilly Pulitzer planner. I can jot down appointments, goals, and countdowns on appropriate days, keep running lists, and of course, it's so cute!

Large Agenda from Lilly Pulitzer - $26

My personal strategy is to alternate between daunting tasks and easy tasks. I'll knock out a bigger project I've been avoiding, then do a mindless simple task. It helps keep my motivation up and gives lots of breaks during the day. Best of luck to you!

The Beginning!

This is an experiment - and we'll see how long it lasts! I think Blogging might be a good way for me to work somethings out rather than letting it all roll around inside of my head.

To say I have a lot going on might be an understatement. I'm in college admissions, which means the rules of a regular 40 hour work-week don't apply to me. In the fall, I'm on the road for 6-8 weeks straight. In the winter, I'm working more than 40 hours per week and often coming in for programming on Saturdays and Sundays. In the spring, I'm back on the road for 4-6 more weeks and still spending free time on campus. And in the summer, I finally get to relax.

I took a year off from education after I finished my undergraduate, but wanted to earn my MBA before things got away from me. I am doing a program part-time in the evenings and am on track to finish in August of 2013.

I am recently engaged and planning a wedding for August of 2013, after I finish my schooling. My fiance is in the Army and is stationed about 10 hours away from me, and we're working through the long-distance until our wedding finally gets here.

I live in my hometown with my sister and a friend from college. My friend and I help to coach the college swim team we both swam for during our time at Sweet Briar, and my sister and I are active in our home church.

This blog will serve as an account of how I personally manage my time, projects I work on for work, church, swimming, wedding, and school, how we decorate and organize our apartment, and much more!

I hope you enjoy!