happy halloweenie!

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Happy Halloween friends! Candy corn is by far my favorite Halloween candy (aside from Reese's of course!) and I've definitely had my fair share of candy corn over this past month. Moreso than I'd like to admit haha. I celebrated Halloween on Friday night with good friends and great times - I was not very imaginative with my costume this year as we didn't have plans for the weekend until very late in the week. Therefore, I put together a cowgirl costume. Hey, I live in Texas so I already had all of the essentials...jean shorts, boots, suede vest (from my costume last year), and all I needed was a cowboy hat so pretty easy peasy for me. We lounged with Bailey Boy on Saturday and stayed in that night because I had to run 10 miles yesterday (woof). I am very proud of myself, although my leggies are tiiiiiired, and I definitely have been walking funny today. Luckily, I'm officially ready for my half-marathon next weekend! After you run 10 miles, what's 3 more, eh?

I don't live in a "trick-or-treating" community, so I won't have to worry about that tonight, but is it sad that I kind of wish I did? It's going to be so fun to hand out candy to little kiddos one day! For now, I'll stick to my apartment living and watch The Sing-Off..candy corn in hand.

How are you celebrating/did you celebrate Halloween this year?

friday...FINALLY

Hi friends! What a week! I was thinking my workload was going to diminish a bit...but quite the contrary. We got a new client this week who is opening up a restaurant in a month, so we are now full speed ahead (again) on a grand opening party and getting them in the news! So I guess I'm looking forward to December now? Goodness gracious. Anyway, I'm excited it's Friday! Nothing too exciting planned for the weekend...my circle of friends has been so busy the past couple of months that no one really planned anything for Halloween (first year EVER that I don't have really exciting plans! Last year, I was in New Orleans...insane). But I have to say I'm excited to stay in town and just hang with friends instead of going all out. Don't worry...I'm still dressing up of course!

1.   When I was a kid I wanted to be   a veterinarian when I grew up. What can I say? I loved animals (still do)!

2.   As an adult, my dream job would be   handling the marketing and public relations for bands and singers signed by Sony Music Entertainment (or any other music company).

3.  W hen I was younger I wanted to be just like my momma!

4. The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was when I was  Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. My mom made my entire costume AND I had sparkly red shoes that I was obsessed with! I wore those shoes everywhere.

5.  My favorite childhood toy was  Littlest Pet Shop. Was anyone else into those!? I LOVED them. Again...anything animal-related made me happy.

6.  The time I got into the biggest amount of trouble when I was a kid was when I   Hmm...I can't really remember. I wasn't a really bad kid. I was pretty quiet (hard to believe, I know) and didn't cry too much. So I really don't remember. I'll have to ask my momma on that one. I DO remember my brother getting spanked by my grandfather when he was acting up at a restaurant when we were little. Yeesh!

7.  I get daily inspiration from  Pinterest. It's my newest addiction, and I think it's here to stay!


Hope everyone has a fun Halloween weekend planned!!

wish i were here wednesday

Can you imagine curling up on this swing and reading a great book in the cool breeze? Heavenly.

blah

I'm having kind of a "blah" day where I sort of wish I never got out of bed. I was feeling under the weather last night, so I took some Nyquil so I could get a good rest in, and I had some wild dreams and woke up completely disoriented. Not the best start to my Tuesday. Luckily, I didn't have any meetings today. 

Anyway, I ran before work, and for some reason, it just didn't feel right today. When I have a bad running day, I have mini-freak outs. I get scared and nervous and think "If I can't run 4 miles easily, how on EARTH am I going to finish a half marathon in 2 weeks!?" I will say, I've gotten much better. When I first started running a couple years ago, I stopped once and started crying because I just couldn't finish (in my defense - because, let's be honest, that sounds insane - I am pretty positive I was also on my "time of the month" that day!). What I've learned is that it's OKAY to have a bad running day. It's OKAY to not be able to run 4 miles easily. If it doesn't happen one day, just look forward to the next. There have been times that I've run 8 miles without stopping for water or to take a break and felt amazing after. There have been other times where it's extremely difficult for me to even run 2 without stopping. You just have to look toward the next day and remember that one bad performance doesn't mean you're a bad performer.

There's my two cents on this lovely tuesday afternoon :) And here are some happy thoughts to keep in mind if you too are having a "blah day."

 

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i'm back!

Well, I was going to try and make it back here before the weekend, but my Friday was absolutely insane! One of my clients was on a morning TV show in Dallas promoting our event, and then I had only a couple hours to finalize any last minute details for our event before two afternoon meetings. Needless to say, I didn't spend much time on the computer. So since I missed fill-in-the-blank friday, I'm posting my answers below :)

1.   Nothing says fall like  crockpots, pumpkins, boots and light sweaters!

2.   My favorite autumnal tradition is carving pumpkins.

3.  My favorite fall treat is anything pumpkin...this year, it's been pumpkin muffins, pumpkin seed brittle and pumpkin pecan butter. Yes, I know your mouth is watering right now.

4. Fall makes me think of  college football because  I went to an SEC college, so naturally I spend my Saturdays tailgating and watching college football!

5.  Autumn free form word association, go!  cool crisp air, changing colors, early nights, hot toddies

6.  My go-to outfit in the fall is   a dress, cardigan, tights & boots or skinnies, a light sweater & boots.

7.  My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving):  Thanksgiving. I love dressing up, so I do love Halloween, but Thanksgiving is all about food, family, friends and togetherness, and who doesn't love that combo?

I hope you guys had a really great weekend! My event was a HUGE success, so I slept like a baby on Saturday and Sunday night. Went to a new church yesterday (T and I are trying to find one together in Dallas), which was interesting - I think we'll go back again...they had a tithing sermon yesterday, so it was a bit awkward for us first timers. Then I ran some errands, made some Crockpot Cajun Chicken (delish) and watched the Rangers win! Happy and looking forward to a stress-less week ahead. 

Cheers!

J

movie reviews

Happy Tuesday! I had a really amazing weekend and was sad when Monday crept back around. But I have to say this is my most slammed week of work this fall, so I'm thrilled to go ahead and get it over with. Come Saturday night at 8 p.m., I will be a different person. Background: we have been planning a street festival for one of my clients, a shopping/restaurant district called Knox. The event "Art of Knox" is on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. I can't even begin to tell you the number of hours I've spent planning this event, so I'm thrilled we're almost there. If you live in or near Dallas, come on by the event - it's going to be fun!

Anywhoo! On Friday, I stayed in to catch up on some zzzzz's and watched Horrible Bosses, which I LOVED!

 

And it wasn't just-a-couple-chuckles funny...it was laugh-out-loud funny. Jennifer Aniston's character was hysterical - she was a sex-crazed psychopath who sexually harassed her dental assistant. And Kevin Spacey was just a huge tool. All-in-all, I definitely recommend it. Funny concept, and let's be honest, we all despise our boss at times!

My next flick was on my lazy Sunday afternoon, and I chose Last Night.

Hated it. Flat out hated it. Would never watch it again. With that said, you have to understand my movie taste. I don't mind a sad or serious movie, but for the most part, I prefer happy, funny, dramatic or action movies. And for me, this was just too much. Not a whole lot happened in this particular movie, but it just made you feel...weird after. I'd compare it to how I felt after I saw Revolutionary Road, which I also hated. Also, can I just say that Eva Mendes plays "the other woman" really well. Watch out for that chick! Dang.

Anywhoo, next on my list is Ides of March - I am DYING to see that - oh, and Margin Call. I still find the financial crisis pretty intruiging...and I love Kevin Spacey.

Hope everyone has a good week! I'll try to get on here again before the weekend. 

XO

J

friday the 14th (not the 13th)

Friday the 14th...I think this means today is going to be a lucky day! Hey, why not? Let's start a tradition...

1.   The most selfless thing I've ever done was   I don't know if I'd call it selfless, but for me, staying in Dallas. Don't get me wrong, I love the city, I love my job and I love my friends here, but I love my family and being close to them more. I'm here because the love of my life lives here!

2.   When it comes to working out  I'm a runner...it's a part of my lifestyle. I started running because I like to eat, but over the past 2 years, I've been training for half-marathons twice a year. There is something about crossing that finish line that really makes me feel proud of myself, and I don't typically feel that way in a lot of other areas of my life.

3.  A woman should always dress in a way that makes her feel good. Dress for yourself...not for men or for other women. Put on what makes you feel great.

4. I wish I could  grow a money tree and then I'd  quit my job...volunteer for a non-profit every morning...go on pinterest to find some DIY projects and recipes in the afternoons...head to the store to get my supplies and groceries...and whip up some awesome crafts and meals every night. Sounds pretty legit, huh?

5.  A best friend is   someone who is there for you at any hour...someone who knows you, listens to you and will give you honest advice...and someone who loves despite your crazy.

6.  I can't get enough of   all things pumpkin! Tis the season :)

7.  This weekend I am  working, running, tailgating and watching football with friends.

Fall Fashion Faves

Fall Fashion Faves by jtuttle42 featuring fake fur vests

wish i were here wednesday

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tasty tuesday

For some reason, Fall always makes me want to cook and bake my heart out. Well, it is officially Fall here in Dallas, Texas, and I have to say I've been loving the weather lately. The nip in the air makes me want to get in my kitchen and bake bake bake, and I've been on a kick since last week. On Thursday, I made some delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies with Reese's Pumpkins for Trey for our anniversary (sadly, they were gone before I could even take a photo!). And last night, I made some delicious (and healthy) pumpkin muffins via Cooking Light, and I wanted to share the recipe with you!

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.
• Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (pumpkin through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
• Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle over muffins.
• Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

These babies are only 150 calories each, which is pretty good compared to a lot of other pumpkin muffin recipes out there. I had one for breakfast this morning, and I say a day starting with pumpkin is guaranteed to be a good day!

I know this is a belated Steve Jobs post, but I added this quote to my Facebook last week and absolutely LOVE it and wanted to share it on here as well. I really think it speaks to our generation since I believe we are all so much more passionate about work and life than our parent's and grandparent's generations. I want to read this every day to make sure I am on track with my career and am doing what I am truly passionate about.

friday friday friday

1.   Something popular that I can't stand/just don't "get" is   the tendency to buy ridiculously expensive designer clothing. I can understand occasionally spending money on a great dress or an amazing bag that you'll get a lot of use out of, but the "Dallasites" that only wear expensive designer clothing are so ridiculous to me. There are so many other [beneficial] uses that money could go towards.

2.   Something unpopular that I secretly love is  writing letters/cards [by hand] and sending them to friends. There's something about getting something from a friend in the mail that is so wonderful!

3.  When I've had a bad day I go to yoga or go on a run. At times, it's difficult to make myself exercise after a shitty day, but it always makes me feel better. Listening to music helps too.

4. I'd prefer  flats to  heels any day.

5.  Something that makes me nervous is  the future. I know it's best to just let life happen and trust in God's plan, but I can't help but worry about the future/what's going to happen in my life.

6.  Something worth fighting for is   friends and family. Always.

7.  When people think of me, I hope they think  happy and positive things :)

Hope you all have a really great weekend! This week's flown by for me, and I ain't complainin'!

birthdays!

I've decided I am bringing back my birthday posts! To start, I want to give a BIG happy birthday to one of my besties from college, Laura! You can visit her very own blog here where she not only blogs about her adorable nephews and life in Arkansas, but also gives really great nutritional tips that all of us could use :)

Happy birthday lovie!

Go Gators!

 KA's Old South in Charleston

Friend's wedding in Lakeland

Miss you and hope you have an amazeballs birthday!

belated fill-in-the-blanks

Better late than never, right?

1.   My current obsession is   anything pumpkin.

2.  Trips with girlfriends   make me happy.

3.  My greatest strength is  my tenacity and ability to multi-task.

4.  Avoiding confrontation at all costs  is my greatest weakness.

5.  My life is  great. Every day, I feel so blessed to have such an amazing family and great friends. 

6.  In high school I was   a party girl who surrounded herself with fun people.

 

7.  When I'm super tired  I either get cranky or start rambling about things that do NOT make sense.

 

Hope everybody had a great weekend! I know I'm still recovering...hopefully pilates will whip me back to myself tonight :)