Ahhhh, the teenage years...

Paige went to her first ball this weekend. I suppose this is where I'm supposed to insert the "OMG I feel old" line. But I don't. (And I try to never use that line anyway - it's so annoying!) Instead I just felt slightly sad that my girl is growing up, and so proud of the beautiful girl she's becoming. I see my niece every week & talk to her every day - and each day I'm reminded of why I'm so proud of her.

When I got there and started helping her with her hair, I had all these flashbacks to when she was little. All the times I'd put her in my lap and start putting pigtails in her hair. And now we're planning her Sweet 16 Party while sending her off to the Military Ball. Sigh. Time flies.

I've said it before - I treasure these what seem like small moments, but are really big moments. Quite often when I crash at my sisters, I'll be in the shower & hear the door open and hear "It's just me Aunt Nicole!" and then Paige plops down on the floor and talks boys, drama, school, worries, etc. I wouldn't give these moments up for the world. I remember the teenage days, and I didn't have an Aunt I was crazy close to & lived close to that I could run to if I ever needed her. I've always strived to be that for Paige.

So grown up & so beautiful! The dress was such a bargain, my sister found it at Ross of all places! And her bow necklace & earrings couldn't be more "Paige" - it was the perfect ensemble for her!

The girls heading out! 

And a few quick shots from my phone:

My Paige & Kadin necklace is courtesy of Creations By KJ - go check her out if you need custom jewelry! She made all my stuff -- and they couldn't be any more amazing!

And with that....Happy Wednesday y'all! I have too many Christmas presents to wrap....annnnd this girl has to go pack so I can fly out to Ohio to see my family!

Happy Mid-Week!

It's Wednesday, It's Wednesday! At this point in the week, it's really all about counting down to the weekend. (Okay, so I actually start doing that on Sunday nights) I had this huge elaborate plan of doing absolutely nothing this weekend at home, sitting on the couch watching TV, but I'm pretty sure I'm changing that to  absolutely nothing at my sisters house. (Which translates into the sis & I will lay out by the pool, then get in the pool to play with the kids, while my brother in law mixes drinks for us. Win win!) Of course, I'm still squeezing in the new Anna Nicole movie that premieres on Lifetime this weekend. Don't be jealous of my exciting life.

Speaking of the kids - Mom, Sam, the kids & I went to see Monsters University over the weekend. Seriously adorable. Should I admit that my sister & I can quote Monsters Inc better than the kids can? We took Paige to see it twice when it came out, so I love that even Paige wanted to see the new one! Kadin is totally the cutest thing in the world in the movies, at the end, it of course had the outcome he wanted and he burst into a loud round of applause and was going "YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!".

Little man....sigh, he's not so  little anymore :(

He is so flipping cute, I could just smooch this little face forever! 

It's time for What I'm Loving Wednesday!

And first up, I am loving my new car! I bought her Wednesday..almost out of the blue. I've been wanting a second vehicle, but just never really got around to it.  I started looking at the cars where I bought my old car from and spotted this and kind of fell in love - it's the new version of my old car. By the time I test drove it, I was convinced it was absolutely coming home with me.  I wasn't convinced online that I loved the color --- but when I saw it in person, I totally loved the color!

And, as most of you know, I name all my cars after something pertaining to the Golden Girls, sooooo her name is Betty!

It's summer, which means I am loving Bobbie's Dairy Dip! A little Nashville tradition, it's got the best ice cream in the city! With my love for Loretta Lynn, I always wanted to have the Loretta Lynn shake but I hate Butterscotch (my friends swear by it!). Oh well - the cherry ice cream soda is a winner!

I am LOVING this blue number Calista Flockhart wore to the "42" Premiere! I've been trying to hunt it down, because it's totally getting added to my closet. I've already GOT my Derby dress for next year, but this is so cute AND it's Kentucky Blue! (I should really be focusing on finding our hats instead of looking for yet another dress)

I am so loving my record player & my Vinyl collection --- the local record shop now grabs my attention the second I walk in to say something like "Hey! I put out new Tammy Wynette ones, go see if you have them yet or not!" This week I started digging out a little more of my Granny's vinyl --- she'd be so pleased how well loved & taken care of they are. 

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Today I discovered Color Me Monthly. Do I really NEED a new monthly subscription? No. Do I really NEED even more nail polish? Not really. But that didn't stop me from signing up.  $7 for a new nail polish delivered to my mail box? Yes please. Does it matter that I already get new nail polishes through Square Hue?

I justified it by saying "Well, I DID cancel my Goodies subscription this month!" - totally loved the concept of trying the new food, but they have such a long period between billing & shipping that I cancelled. Charge me on the 1st - but here it is April 17th and I'm told my box won't ship until the end of next week. So - you'll ship it at the end of the month & I may not even have it before you charge my credit card again? No thanks. Supposedly, this isn't really a long time to wait, but none of my other subscriptions have this long of a period.

Now if Graze would just launch already, I would be a happy girl!

Now it's time for a little "What I'm Loving Wednesday!"

(Also, I can't believe it's Wednesday already?! I love when the week flies by...)

First of all, I am loving these new summer UK tumblers. Are they not the cutest ever? I ordered blue ones for the bestie & I, and I've been using it for my water. Come beach time though, these are going to be filled with wine slushies or vodka!

I am loving this weather. I cannot get enough of the sunshine & warmth - I love love love living in the south.

This Maxi dress I bought at Macy's last week! (Downfall: they are slow to ship if you order online!) They didn't have it in stock at my store. 

This. So. freaking.true.

Spring is HERE!

First day of Spring --- sure doesn't feel like it :( It's chilly this week, and I am not digging it. I have the "guess I'll just suffer" attitude because I am tired of wearing winter clothes on the weekends out!

T-Minus 2 days and we are ready for girls weekend in Kentucky! My texts this week with my bestie have been a mesh of clothes for the weekend, songs to sing, and drinks. I'm off on Friday, which means Friday afternoon will probably consist of me going through every single outfit in my closet, insisting I have absolutely nothing to wear, and then going out and buying something new. One day, I'm going to open my closet and be like, "What?! I love this outfit, I'm going to wear it now."

So, how about a little "What I'm Loving Wednesday"..

First up-

I'm totally loving Dance Moms. Seriously, from the moment I saw the first preview, I knew it looked fabulous and it's never let me down. This week and last the show was 2 hours long..love!!!

Today, Julius Randle picked Kentucky! I am SOOO EXCITED, and  cannot wait for next season. This year wasn't so great for my Cats.but next year, it's on. Love my Cats!

This week I'm loosely trying to throw together some of our summer plans, we've got some pretty awesome road trips ahead.and as I plan, I fall in love with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. So ready for this one!

I spotted this on pinterest and love it! I totally want to make sure we throw a fabulous Sweet Sixteen for my niece next year, and being ahead of the game - I'm already starting to plan. I LOVE this idea.

Just another idea for parties...I love this! Cotton Candy on a GLOW STICK!? Okay, Okay - I actually started out looking for ideas for my brother in laws surprise birthday party this year - he turns the big 40!! We want to throw something huge, so thank goodness for pinterest. But now I keep finding more great ideas for the kids birthdays instead of John!

So I totally keep seeing these great "recreate family pictures" on Pinterest. You know, like this:

And I totally love it - the whole concept is fabulous. Then it dawned on me my sister & I totally did this already!

We used to go to Gatorland all the time as kids -- we LOVED that place! So a few years ago when we took the kids to FL a few years back, we decided to take the kids to Gatorland - and we discovered they still had the ceramic gator our parents posed us on, and we just had to take another. Man, if we had through this through, I totally would have made my sister rock the side ponytail again....

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Yay for Wednesdays! A step closer to the weekend being here..although I did wake up and thought it was Thursday. I was horribly disappointed when I realized it wasn't!

And it's time for What I'm Loving Wednesday. But first, let me give a little what I'm NOT loving: Last night, my Comcast decided to go out. When, you ask? Right at the freaking beginning of Dance Moms! Whaaaaat?! While it would be faaaabulous if Comcast would just freaking work like it's supposed to (I'm totally confused: Why is my bill $200 a month when my cable & internet go down at least once a week now?),  apparently this won't ever happen and they need a copy of my television schedule.  Sunday-Wednesday nights are unacceptable time frames for my cable to go out.  Hooray for networks putting shows online now for impatient people like me who can't wait for it to re-air eventually!

Moving on..

This week I'm loving...

Victoria's Secret just put out this new shirt & I am in looooove! I've already ordered it :) 

                              

EVERYTHING else is all repeats tonight --- except the beloved Duck Dynasty -- so, clearly, we know what my priority is tonight! 

I am loving this crackle overcoat -- if you haven't tried it, go buy it! Pair blue & white and boom, got my Kentucky game day nails ready to roll! 

I found this on pinterest and tried it tonight! Apple pie bites, sliced apples with crescent rolls and cinnamon! Such a great idea, and they'll be a hit at the office. And, for the domestically challenged like me: they were ridiculous easy. 

I spotted this on pinterest and fell in love with this quote.  Think this needs to be hanging in the house....

What I'm Loving Wednesday

But first, you know what I don't love? Waking up at 2:40 in the morning to tornado sirens. Curling up in the closet trying to keep up with what was going on without falling back asleep.....I have never been so glad to hear "All Clear" a little after 4. But boy when that alarm went off at 5, I was positive I was going to die. Look, I'm accustomed to tornadoes. Nashville goes through this all the freaking time it seems like. But seriously? 2am? Come on...I'm already insanely paranoid of them, must we make it worse and wake me up to it in the dark?

So my morning looked like this:

Curled up in a blanket that I kept peering out of -- with tons of other blankets, my purse, laptop,  my Granny's urn, water, shoes, and a jacket. Clearly, I mean business when tornados come to town. 

Moving on....

What am I loving today?

This boy right here, who beat the University of Kentucky record for number of blocks in a game last night and led us to victory over Ole Miss! Go Nerlens! I love these boys! 

That stuff right there! The IRS is insane quick this year, and I get my tax refund on Friday. Clearly, I'll be loading up on way more bottles of wine from my Georgia Winery on the trip this weekend hahaha.

This dressing is like a drug. I am addicted to it. Like I want to go to Zaxby's and just order an entire box of these so I can use it on everything. I have got to find a way to make something that tastes exactly like it.

Um, this Waffle & Omelet Maker is the most awesome thing I've ever seen and I want it. LOVE IT. I'm not really sure why someone that doesn't really cook loves this so much, but....hey, maybe I'll get off my ass and make something a little more often if I have this. 

The fact that my brand spankin' new Mac will be here next week! The Mac nerd in me literally squealed when I placed my order. Yes, I know I need a life. 

And lastly....I'm leaving for Georgia Friday night for girls weekend with my bestie, and so we can head to the winery. I love love love my Georgia wine.  Can the weekend hurry up??

It is 6:00 and I'm laying in bed already watching tv. I might have had dinner in bed too. Don't judge me. I'm tired.