holiday gift ideas for her {2013}

01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09.

now, i know everybody's got a holiday gift guide up, but i couldn't help myself. has anyone finished their christmas shopping? i know i haven't. i'll probably still be shopping on christmas eve. so, for those who don't plan ahead like me, here are a few last minute ideas to pop into someone's stocking!

winter break at last!

on friday afternoon i drove to my parent's house for christmas break. finals week wasn't that bad! & i got to spend a few days with a special someone before driving to fairhope on friday night i went to my grandmother's birthday, & i spent all day saturday baking with my mother, grandmother & aunts. we made tons of cookies, including pecan sandies, sugar cookies, cranberry pistachio, peanut butter blossoms, peanut butter truffles, martha washington balls & lemon bars. i personally made chewy lemon snowdrop cookies & peppermint meringue! the meringue turned out way different than i expected but it's yummy!


it feels SO good to get a break after this semester. it was a difficult one as far as academics go, but i'm feeling totally refreshed already & ready for next semester's classes. i've got so many things i'm looking forward to, including cooking my heart out, shopping & spending time with family. oh, & netflix. & naps.

holiday wishlist 2011

starbucks giftcards, grey tall uggs, cath kidston iphone case, marc by marc jacobs turnlock necklace, coach poppy perfume, northface e tip gloves & tickets to the national championship

on monday, "dead week" begins. i've got a huge project to do, a portfolio to organize & an exam to study for, so i haven't had time to take photos. i am SO looking forward to exam week being over, spending a few wonderful days with a great guy, & then finally heading to my parent's house for 1 month. baking, family time & catching up with friends at mcsherry's will ensue!

also announced today: alabama is going to the national championship game in new orleans! am i going to be there? OF COURSE! i'm entering the drawing for student tickets tomorrow at 8am, & hotel reservations are in the works. whether or not i get a ticket is purely luck, so my fingers are crossed. even if i don't, i'm heading to new orleans anyway just to be present.

for the next 2 weeks it's coffee, instagram, studying, writing & no sleep. i'll be updating again on the other side of finals. happy december!

the biggest october recap ever

my little toshiba pc finally bit the dust. i had an affection for it, i'll admit. it was the first computer that was mine. it got me through 2 years of college & there were plenty of memories attached, but it was time for him to go. he had been running poorly, & quite literally falling apart. the screen was totally detached from the base & i had to prop it up against a wall or other objects in order to use it. it was a sad, sad sight. one night i was watching katt williams videos with my roommate, & just like that, he was gone. screen black. dangling wires protruding from cracking strips of plastic. no lulling hum of the hard drive, no flashing battery light. rest in peace, dear friend.

but not really, because you were not a very nice computer to begin with. i made the mistake of doing no research prior to your purchase. i waltzed into best buy & picked out what was shiny. it's my fault. but, i digress.

so you can imagine my utter joy when this baby showed up on my doorstep. the transition is complete, i'm officially a mac person. bye bye pc.


a recap of the second half of october: i turned 21 at last on october 13th, & i had a great birthday weekend with my family & friends. my first legal drink was a tropical cosmo. typical, right? i asked the bartender for the girliest concoction he knew to make, & that what i got, complete with an orange slice. of course, it wasn't my last drink of the night. i found myself with way more wristbands than i had intended to collect. i got some great gifts, including gorgeous pearl earrings from my grandparents, betsey johnson perfume, MAC goodies, vs pink sweatpants (those were a need, ok?) & the fun of baking my own cake with my mother. my best friends also surprised me at midnight & brought cupcakes to my apartment! my incredible roommates got me the philosophy microdelivery peel kit (review soon!), a vanilla candle & some bath salts. they know me all too well.



the next week, i drove to birmingham to have dinner with someone special & fell in love with pf changs. why hadn't i eaten there before?! i've been dreaming about it (& the person i ate with) ever since. i don't like to get too personal on the relationship front, but let's just say i'm crushing hard.

the weekend of the 22nd my parents drove up to stay with me & go to the tennessee game. the next week was fall break! i had wednesday & thursday off from class, so two friends & i went camping at cheaha state park down in talladega national forest. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. we did tons of hiking all day & it was so exquisitely beautiful, oh my gosh. we picked the perfect time of year to go, just when the leaves are changing & the air is cooling down. i'll be posting the film photos from that trip in a later post!

i'm honestly surprised i was able to put this entry together, because the past month has been so busy. i'm only taking 12 hours this semester, how is this possible? my agenda is packed! i'm excited for the holiday season & i've got lots to look forward to. also, how did i forget that having butterflies in my tummy 24/7 was so fun? it's the best feeling. the things that have changed in my life in the past 3 months have been for the better, & i'm so happy that my life is headed down a different road.