i'm alive.

and i chose to make my first post in months a survey. sue me.

 

1. Do you like blue cheese? 

bleu cheese? nope. gross.

2. Have you ever smoked a cigarette?
i had a bad habit of doing this in college when i was drinking

3.Do you own a gun?
no, but i'm getting one soon hopefully

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
i usually just get a diet cherry limeade so nothing special

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
depends on what kind of appointment

6. Do you like hot-dogs?
love them. with cheese. and bacon. and chili. yum.

7. Favorite iPhone app?
i have several. facebook, instagram, candy crush.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? 

water. all day errday.

9. Can you do push-ups?
hahahaha what is that? a sick joke?

10. What’s your favorite meal?
 mexican. anything mexican.

11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? 
my wedding ring :]

12. Favorite hobby? 
watching Netflix or laying out

13. Do you work with people who idolize you?
i sure hope not. awkward.

14. Name a trait that you hate about yourself? 
i wouldn't say i hate it but i really don't like that i never tell anyone no.

15. Middle name? 
Nicole

16. Name 3 thoughts at this moment: 
1. it's almost 5:00

2. i'm super hungry

3. i can't wait to get home & relax

17. Name 3 things you bought yesterday:
grape powerade zero, m&m cookie, water

18. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink. 
water. gave up diet coke over a month ago.

19. Current worry right now?
movingggggg

20. Current hate right now?
immature adults

21. Favorite place to be?
knoxville. hands down.

22. How did you bring in New Year?
went down to the Va Beach Oceanfront with my best friend & john

23. Favorite place to go?
target

24. What is your most recurring dream?
i always have that falling dream where i wake up thinking i was falling off the bed

25. Introvert or extrovert?
extrovert unless i'm super mad

26. What color shirt are you wearing?
navy blue

27. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? 
no, i like super soft cotton sheets

28. Can you whistle?
i'm not that talented

29. Favorite color?
i would have to say yellow is my favorite but i love to wear black. more than half my closet is black clothes.

30. Would you be a pirate?
never

31. What songs do you sing in the shower? 
whatever is playing on my phone

32. Favorite girl’s name?
Molly

33. Favorite boy’s name?
William

34. Who is your loudest friend?
liz. definitely liz.

35. What’s in your pocket right now?
nothing

36. Last thing that made you laugh?
talking with my co-worker, Meagan

37. Bed sheets as a child?
my favorites went with my Snow White comforter. it was beautiful.

38. Worst injury you’ve ever had?
i've been pretty fortunate with injuries. my worst would have to be breaking my wrist.

39. Do you love where you live?
i like certain things about it but i can't wait to move back down south.

40. How many TVs are in your house?
3

41. What is your worst habit?
i don't think i have one. i used to bite my nails a long time ago. maybe cussing too much?

42. How many dogs do you have?
1 sweet baby Bristol

43. Does someone have a crush on you?
i hope john still does haha

44. Do you own slippers?
nope. i had these really soft white boot looking ones that Bristol chewed up when she was a puppy.

45. What is your favorite book?
The Great Gatsby. it makes me cry every time i finish it.

46. What is your favorite candy?
M&M's have always been my favorite

47. What is your favorite sports team?
VOLS Bears Cubs

48. What song do you want played at your funeral?
i'm not sure

49. What were you doing at 12 AM last night?
watching a movie on Netflix

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning?
ughhhhh


dress designer on a budget

I am no fashion blogger but I felt like I needed to share my ways to dress in similar-to-designer duds for MUCH less than the designer price tag. 

I'm going to start with this gorgeous Kate Spade dress. It carries a hefty price of $398.

(found here)

I found a similar dress at Forever 21 for $27.80. It does not have the great print of the KS dress but the shape and the great collar accent are present.

(found here)

Military style jackets are EVERYWHERE this season. You can dress them up with bright accessories, skinnies and heels or you can throw on an old pair of jeans with some combat boots.

This jacket by Michael Kors is beautiful but stabs you with it's $275 price tag.

(found here)

Forever 21 always has stylish outerwear at great prices so it was no surprise that they had something similar with a budget friendly price of $39.80.

(found here)

White is the new black as far as I'm concerned. It goes with anything and everything and gives an outfit a nice crisp feel. This crossbody by Jason Wu is the perfect accessory to top off a plain outfit except for the $1,495 price.

(found here)

Charlotte Russe carries a bag with the same bright white hue for a reasonable $15.99. 

(found here)

Denim is back! I still don't know how I feel about denim jackets but vests are just enough denim to add an edgier look to a sundress or bright tank.

This J Brand vest from Anthropologie is a whopping $218.

(found here)

Lulu's carries a distressed denim vest for a much better price of $52.

(found here)

Happy shopping y'all!

currently learning the cup song from Pitch Perfect.

I'm baaaaack :]

I haven't written a post since October 8 and a TON has happened since then. This post will be strictly for catching up. I have lots planned for future posts so make sure to stop by again!

1. I got laid off from my job on November 13.

2. I GOT MARRIED ON NOVEMBER 16!!!!

3. I moved to Chesapeake, VA on December 9. It was a terrible drive. I don't wish it on my worst enemy. Let's just say that we will NEVER move ourselves by pulling a U-Haul behind one of our vehicles. What was supposed to be a 13 hour trip turned into 24. We couldn't go above 55 mph & if we hit a bump in the road, the trailer started swaying back and forth, causing my Jeep to sway back and forth, causing me to pee my pants several times. We were so tired by the time we made it into VA that we had to stop & sleep for 2 hours. The hotel room had obviously not been cleaned because there was black hair in the bed & in the bathroom and I thought I was going to contract some kind of disease. It was absolutely disgusting.

4. I got to ring in the new year with my best friend, Liz :] Her dad and sister live in Virginia Beach so she came and visited with them for the holiday and we conveniently got to slip in some best friend time.

5. Bristol is loving the new apartment. We live on the first floor so she can run around and play and not disturb the neighbors like in our apartment in MS. She enjoys long walks/sprints around the courtyard chasing the resident rabbit and sleeping on the back of the couch like a cat. There is a dog park less than 5 minutes away which is awesome. I would be so bored on duty days without her.

I guess that's all for now! I gotta get my tush in bed. See y'all later!

What If...

1. If you could relive any memory in your life, tell us what it would be, and what/if anything you would change about it? I would definitely go back and relive my college years. I spent a lot of time wishing I was done with school and dealing with drama and I wish that I could have just appreciated being away at an amazing school with all of my friends. (And I would bribe convince them to come back to Memphis with me.)

2. If you could be any celebrity or well-known person, show us who you would be.
Taylor Swift, hands down.

3. If you won the lottery, tell us would you take the lump sum or take the money over time, would you continue working or quit right away, would you reveal who you are, and what are some of the first things you would spend with your money?

I would probably take the money over time and treat it like a salary. I would like to say I'd keep working but I would probably quit and start doing something I love that just didn't pay enough to make it a career. The first thing I would buy is a new vehicle because I'm about to have to buy one anyway.

4. If you could live anywhere, show us where it would be and tell us why.
I've answered this question before with Savannah, Georgia but now I'm thinking bigger. I would LOVE to go to Rome. The culture and architecture are just beautiful. I've never left the US before so I think it would just be amazing and overwhelming.

 

5. If you could have one magic power, what would be and what would you do with it?

I think it would be the ability to teleport. I spend SO much money going back and forth to Connecticut and it would be a lot more convenient to be able to snap my fingers and be there whenever I wanted to! 18 more days until I'll be there!

 

Have a great Monday (if that's possible)!

things that make you go ugh..

Okay, I really need to be more consistent with my blogging. It's kind of a problem.

Today Jeff Foxworthy has inspired me. Yes, the "you might be a redneck" king.

He does a segment during several of his shows called "things that make you go ew". I'm changing it to ugh for the purpose of this not being a gross post.

1. Amateur "Photographers". Just because you have an iPhone and Instagram does not mean you are a photographer. Just because you can push a button on a camera does not mean you are a photographer. Photography is an artform. I am not a photographer and I never claimed to be, just like I never claimed to be an artist. I guess with the ease of creating a Facebook page for a business comes a bunch of quacks.

2. Getting called the wrong name after introducing myself. This happens at work ALL the time. I have to say "(name of company), this is Samantha" when I answer the phone. Getting "Hi, Lisa" or "Hi, Amanda" in return really ticks me off.

3. Driving in Memphis. We were named the worst drivers in TN. I believe it. What should be a 15 minute drive to work takes 45 minutes because people have NO IDEA how to drive. There are always cars broken down in the middle of the road or crashes or people on their phones not paying a bit of attention.

4. Political posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Newsflash: Nobody cares who you're voting for. My opinion is not going to sway anyone else's vote so why post about it? I was taught when I was young to never talk about politics, religion, or abortion with others. These are too sensitive of topics to bring up with people you barely know or don't know at all.

5. Inconsiderate neighbors. I live in an apartment. I hope I never have to live in one again. Thank God I live on the top floor or else things would be a lot worse. My downstairs neighbors think it's cool to have parties at midnight on a Tuesday. Hey old farts, it's time for bed. Some of us actually work. And another thing, don't mess with my dog. Little Bristol mostly keeps to herself when she's outside. She does her business and then wants to come back in. When I'm walking back up the stairs with her, what makes you think it's a good idea to bark at her? How old are we? 2? Even my 3 year old cousin knows not to mess with strange animals.

6. Bad customer service. I am an avid online shopper. It's just way too convenient not to partake in but occassionally you get a lemon of a store. I ordered a necklace from veryjane.com on July 31. After contacting the shop about not receiving it on August 28, I was told it was on it's way. It finally arrived to me the first week of September, complete with a broken chain and 13 beads broken off. Needless to say, I had a few choice words with the seller and was told I would receive a prepaid envelope to return the necklace and she would send me a new one. I have still not received the envelope and have given up hope with this one. $20 down the drain. On the flipside of bad customer service, you sometimes get excellent customer service out of it. I ordered a Tennessee Vols sweatshirt from a store online and they sent me the wrong one. I contacted them that day saying I received the wrong item and they got back to me within 12 hours. I simply filled out the return form on the packing slip, sent it back with the prepaid sticker provided, and received the correct sweatshirt 3 days later. I wish that would magically happen with my necklace.

Does anyone else have any pet peeves?

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

if I could write a letter to me..

I've seen a TON of these posts lately and I think it's a really cool idea. I'm going to write a letter to my 17-year old self. stay tuned.

Dear 17-year old, senior in high school, freshman in college Samantha,

I wish this was real and my 23-year old self could actually tell you all these things. It would save you from a lot of heartache and stress. Let's start with your love life.

That boyfriend you had in high school that you thought you would marry..yeah, you won't. You'll actually break up with him on Valentine's Day during your freshman year at UT. It actually won't hurt as bad as you think it will. It's for the best. I promise. He's a loser with a capital L and has done absolutely nothing with his life.

You remember that guy, your best guy friend who has wanted to date you for 3 years? You date him for a year. It was really hard being 5 1/2 hours away from him and you both were not mature enough to handle the distance. This one absolutely breaks you. He tries to get back together with you the entire summer after and you just don't have it.

You go back to school for your junior year and meet a guy who will end up proposing to you after a year and a half. You think it's exactly what you want but it's not. You break off the engagement after 3 months and have the time of your life for a month before you move back home.

You move back home and the first thing you want to do is see the one that broke you. This time it has a happy ending. He is 22 hours away but you are both mature and ready to handle the adjustment. You two are engaged and getting married very soon.

Let's bounce back to school. You start your freshman year at UT not knowing anyone. You decide not to join a sorority or an athletic team and just focus on your studies. You never had to study in high school but by God, you need to study now. Those late night movies and classes you slept through lead you to lose your HOPE scholarship after just one year. You decide to rush the next fall and that is one of the best decisions you ever make. These girls quickly become your best friends and motivate you to be a better person. Your grades are AWESOME this year but that one bad grade from before keeps you from getting your scholarship back. Moving into your sorority apartments is great for your social life, not so much for your academics. It's way too easy to sit and watch Real Housewives with your sisters instead of walking 25 minutes to class. Your senior year is stress on stress on stress but you get through it and you come out with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. Didn't see that one coming, did you? You were set on being a teacher but it just isn't the right thing for you.

You'll struggle to find a job & actually work retail again for a little over a month. You'll go back to the credit union until you land a full time job your good ole neighbor told you about. It's absolutely not what you want to do but it allows you to move out of Bartlett and into your own apartment with your puppy. (Yes, you have a puppy named Bristol.)

All things considered, you're happy and that's really all that matters. I don't have all the answers of course. I mean, I'm only 23. Check back with me in another 23 years and maybe I'll be able to tell you a lot more about life. It's been real. Love you! (P.S. Never drink hunch punch. It's NEVER a good idea. You'll thank me, I promise.)

hello, fall. i've been waiting on you.

Today is full of random thoughts. My head is completely spinning so I thought I'd share :]

1. I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went to visit John in CT on August 31 for Labor Day weekend and he asked me to marry him..at 4 in the morning on Saturday..no makeup..pajamas..watching tv. It was the most perfect proposal ever. No frills or fancy food. Just us. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

2. Building on #1, we're getting married the end of November/early December. We're not sure when he'll be graduating from A School yet. We're just going to go to the courthouse and have a party/reception after :]

3. Work is stressing me out. It's always something at this place. In the 10 months I've been here, I've been handed responsibility after responsibility and it can be a bit overwhelming.

4. My little Bristol is perfect as usual. She has really become clingy to me and she's starting to get separation anxiety. I bought her a Thundershirt originally for her fear of thunder but it also helps with anxiety. I don't know how it works but it sure calms her down. I would highly recommend it.

5. Can we take a sec to talk about this gorgeous weather?? Fall is my favorite season by far. My Vols are playing some great football, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, my apartment is full of almond biscotti and pumpkin patch candles, and I can turn off the air and open the windows. It's amazing. I can't wait for the leaves to start changing.

6. My air compressor in my car went out for the second time in 3 years. My daddy was definitely not happy but thankfully it was not my fault. $860 later, my air conditioning works again :] Thanks, Daddy!

Have a great week everyone!