Just in Time for Valentine's Day...

For as much as a non-girly girl as I claim to be, I have a soft spot for a good chick flick. I love romance, I love when two people that for an hour and a half I've been convinced SHOULD end up together do...I love it all.

So, in honor of Valentine's Day coming up next weekend, I've compiled a huge list of some of my all-time FAVORITE romantic movies. You may not agree with me, but I think these are the most perfect love movies. (P.S. I know Twilight is NOT on the list, and it is for the very simple reason that I have not seen it/read the books and don't really intend to :) But I do love all of you Twilight lovers anyway!).

P.S. I Love You.
I loved this movie. I know a lot of my friends said it was the most depressing movie they had ever seen, but I thought it was so sweet, so romantic, and so fabulous. Plus, hello, Denny from Grey's AND Gerard Butler - how can you go wrong?! (Besides crying throughout the whole movie maybe).





Cruel Intentions.
The plot is simple. Hottie (who turns into a d-bag in real life later on) needs to steal a virgin's V-card in order to win a bet with his stepsister. The bet? If he wins, he gets to sleep with her. Lesbian kisses, manipulation and cocaine all work together into an unlikely perfect film. The sincerity of Sebastian's feelings for his love, the twist ending... it is so perfect. Vulgar, but perfect.



This part of the movie makes me so, so happy. And he looks delicious.




Sex and the City: The Movie.
This movie breaks my heart, makes me happy, makes me cry every single time...but ultimately makes me smile after I watch it. That Vivienne Westwood wedding gown? I die every time. And what happens after makes my heart break absolutely every time. And while obviously Carrie's relationship with Big is the forefront of the show and movie, it always makes me want to curl up with my girlfriends and drink a massive Cosmo. (And I usually do).





Across the Universe.
The ultimate movie that proves all you need is love (too cheesy?). When I watched this movie for the first time with my parents, I believe their response was that it brought them back to their college days in the '70's, which I took as a reference to them doing drugs. It is trippy, but it's beautiful. Plus, TV Carpio singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is beautiful. (In case you don't know, it's a musical where all the songs are Beatles songs). Plus, it has yummy Jim Sturgess.







Titanic.
Obviously. This movie came out when I was in fourth grade I think... and after convincing my mom to take me to see it, we both looked like we lost a relative when we left the theater. It is such a perfect love story... though with my own love story I hope it doesn't involve freezing to death. I think any movie with Kate Winslet and Leo in it is a guaranteed winner.





Dirty Dancing.
I just saw this movie for the first time over the summer, and I LOVED it. Patrick Swayze is so sexy, and while movie does scream "80's!" it always screams "Perfect love story!". I've always been a sucker for the "rich girl falls in love with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks." Especially when there's a little family drama involved. And dancing.





When Harry Met Sally.
The sweetest movie that made all single females hold out hope that they and their best (straight) male friend would end up together. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal are perfect.
And of course the quote, "I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."





Bridget Jones' Diary.
I might love this movie so much because it is my fantasy - I could eat whatever I wanted, drink as much as I pleased, and still have two British hotties fighting over me. And one of them has the last name "Darcy."





Pretty Woman.
Yet another movie that gave us all hope that we'd wind up like Julia Roberts. (Except minus the venereal diseases she likely contracted as a hooker...or being a hooker to begin with). I adore this movie, I adore all the old Julia Roberts movies where she played the same type of character... another feel good movie that I can't help but smile at when I watch it.





The Notebook.
I don't even think I need a reason to put this on here.





Love Actually.
My most favorite movie of all time. I can watch this at Christmastime, and it works. It works at Valentine's Day. It works when I'm happy, sad, lonely, upset, ecstatic...it just works. If you haven't seen it, you have to. It is the best movie of all time.





Runners Up...

You've Got Mail.

The Wedding Planner.

He's Just Not That Into You.

Slumdog Millionaire.

Ghost.

Breakfast at Tiffany's. (obviously).

Beauty and the Beast.

Romeo and Juliet (with Leo and Claire Danes, obviously).

What am I missing? Any that I should check out? Agrees/disagrees?

I miss you guys so much...since getting back from the hospital, I have been unbelievably overwhelmed. Everything in my life just feels really hard and complicated right now - student teaching is draining me of ALL my energy, there are problems in just about every aspect of my life... it's emotionally and physically exhausting, and blogging has been the last thing I've thought about. While I haven't thought about blogging, I've thought about all of you constantly, and I do miss you! I'll catch up so soon. Miss and love you all, even when I'm delayed with the blogging.

Currently: Catching up on Gossip Girl. I miss it too much - and even got my roomie R into it!

The Longest Three Days Ev-er.

Oh, my goodness, it has been for-ever since my last post, and I am unbelievably sorry! Obviously I suck at my continuous promises to keep up with commenting and regular blog posts. I feel like my life is just in a complete and total whirlwind though this semester, and I'm just thrown into it all, barely treading water as more and more is piled on.

Student teaching is brutal. Fun and rewarding, but all of a sudden I feel like I'm 100% a grown up. My closet, which once hung a mix of preppy and boho inspired clothing is now filled with black blazers and pencil skirts (most with the tags still on, I am new to this after all!). My collection of boots and Blahniks? Replaced by comfy flats that I'm able to wear all day without complaining about aching feet. My days of waking up at 11 a.m., taking a long, hot shower, and then spending 45 minutes perfecting my hair? Replaced by stumbling out of bed at 6 a.m., careful to be silent so I don't disturb my roommate, and then taking a fast shower, blow- drying haphazardly, then rushing to put on the clothes I have already laid out the night before.

I love my class - they're absolutely adorable. But, these 22 fourth graders are talkers! They could probably talk from the time the day starts all the way up til their buses come, and not have any problem with it. It takes my co-op (cooperating teacher) all the classroom management in the world to get these chatty Cathies to settle down and focus on their work. But they're sweet kids - one actually wrote the teacher a paper about moi, and emailed it to the teacher (this was not an assignment), in which she explained how "nice" I am and how she can tell I am "a really nice and fun person." It's seriously a page long, and is currently hanging on my fridge. So sweet!

As sweet as these kiddos are, I am exhausted by the end of the day! Chris Christie (Jersey's new governor, who is not only 100% opposed to gay rights/marriage, but also thinks that teachers are overpaid and overcompensated with benefits....yes, really), should spend one week in a classroom as a student teacher (or substitute if he's really brave!), and then be allowed to form an opinion on education.

I literally get home at 4:30, and am absolutely wiped - and by the time I get back from dinner, it's around 6ish, which means that in four hours (at most), I'm ready to call it a night. I cannot tell you where those hours disappear to, but something always comes up and just eats them away, prolonging me from visiting all your fabulous blogs. Redundant as I'll sound, I DO miss you guys terribly, and wonder what you're all up to!

Then, on MLK Jr. Day this past Monday, when my plan was to stay in bed for as long as possible, watch hours of Friends with my roommate, and blog and catch up with you all, things took an unexpected turn.

I guess working with all the kids caught up with me, since I woke up throughout the night feeling 100% nauseous (which at the time, I attributed to playing "catch up" with my birth control, and taking two pills the night before). Upon waking up and still feeling unbelievably sick, I knew it had to be something more. So for the entire miserable day, I spent a good amount of time running back and forth to the bathroom (I'll spare you the lovely details).

J was really sweet - texting throughout the day to see how I was feeling, though I don't think he really knew just how sick I felt, even though I pleaded with him to come over and kill me.

Now, the rest of the details are completely unknown to me - the last thing I remember (from looking through my phone), was that J texted me at 5:22 p.m. asking if I wanted to head to dinner with him, or if I wouldn't be able to make it. I replied back saying that there was just no way that was happening.

After that, I have absolutely no memory of what happened.

Through roommates, J, and my phone, I found out that at around 6:25 (an hour later), J called me, and we had a conversation that lasted 45 seconds. Apparently after that, I also called home, but no one picked up there. J was worried after our conversation, so he came over to the apartment, and found me in my bed, shivering from being cold, barely coherent, and telling him that my head hurt really bad.

After he turned on the light to examine my head, he saw I had a huge gash under my left eye, a cut above the same eye, my lip was cut and fat (again, on the left side), my nose bruised, and bruising all along the left side of my face. When he asked me how that happened, I had absolutely no idea. It was at that point, when he ran into the living room, told my roommates what happened and that he needed to take me to the hospital.

When they came in to get me dressed while J was warming up the car, I was completelyyy incoherent. Apparently I asked numerous times what day it was, and if I was dreaming. I also didn't even remember how to walk, so I had to be carried by my two roommates, and my roommate's fiance up to J's car.

When we got to the hospital (the only part I remember is laying my head down in R's lap during the ride), I got sick again outside of the hospital (poor R had to hold a bag =/ ), and the next thing I can remember is laying down in a "pod" in the emergency room, waiting for nurses to come in.

Once they hooked me up to the IV, I have full memory of everything after, including them standing me up to take my blood pressure, and having it drop 25 levels after 1 second of standing. It was prettyyy scary, and I could see it in the faces of all my friends just how concerned they were.

We were in the ER for hours - nurses kept popping in and out, including one really bitchy one who after she went through a questionnaire and found out I had a history of eating disorders, decided right then and there that I was obviously in the hospital due to something relating to that. So she became a real sweetheart after that to me, and stopped listening to the pleas of my friends insisting I was fine, and was so kind to all of us, up until the doctor came in to whisk me away for a CAT scan.

So, long story short... the hospital stay that was supposed to only last one night until I was hydrated, turned into my doctor asking me six times if I had taken illegal drugs or drank excessive amounts of alcohol; then scheduling me for an MRI and EEG, which wasn't going to be able to happen until the NEXT day, which meant another night in the uncomfortable bed with people constantly walking in to draw more and more blood (if the doctor didn't think I did heroin before, the millions of needle marks in my arms should convince him). Everything turned up fine, my doctor came back in today and lectured me about eating disorders and how I have a "low BMI that contributed to my dehydration," and informed me I need to now consume 2,800 calories a day to make up for my weight and have a "normal BMI."

So now, I type this laying on the couch in my apartment, watching Friends (the one when Ross has sex with the girl from the copy place when he and Rachel are on a break...it still kills me!), and missing you all so much. My eye has a massive gash underneath it, reminiscent of a very large mole, my mouth is still sore, and I'm unbelievably weak, but I'm home and so grateful for it.

It's strange that being in a hospital was comparable to torture for me - I think I really need to reexamine, especially because of the earthquake in Haiti, and all those who are really suffering. In the midst of me growing up and having more adult responsibilities, maybe prioritizing about what I'm thankful for, and the fact that even with a heinous gash on my face, at least I have my home and my family. All those in Haiti are in my thoughts and prayers. If you haven't donated yet, you can do so through the Red Cross (where my bff R is interning in public relations!).

Hopefully this disaster will have a silver lining and the world can band together in love. Hello, I was raised by hippies... there's always a little hope (and cheesiness).

Love you all! What have you been up to?!

P.S., If you're not already, follow me on Twitter! I'm slowly getting more sucked in =)

Currently: Obeying doctor's orders and eating 2,600 calories in a day. Crab wontons and steamed dumplings? Oh, yes.

I Believe...

One of my blogger BFF's, the lovely New England Girl, wrote a post where she mentioned all things that she really believes in - things that mean something to her. I absolutely loved and felt so inspired by her post, so, as I told her I was going to, I'm going to make my own list of things that I believe in - I hope you will all make YOUR own list too! =)


-I believe that everyone is beautiful in their own way, and that everyone has something to offer.



-I believe in yoga, and that it is good for the body and the soul.

-I believe in finding inspiration from everything and everyone, and by looking back on things that inspire you on days that suck, to put things in perspective.

-I believe in wearing cardigans...especially with belts.

-I believe in Macs. (my favorite setup while I'm blogging - my computer, obviously, and sparkling water!).



-I believe that people should do good not for the recognition of their actions, but because they are really, truly passionate about what they're doing and are in it for something much deeper than acknowledgment.

-I believe in learning about new cultures and religions that are different from my own. I believe that having information outside of my own small world makes me more understanding to others.

-I believe in reading fashion magazines while eating fattening food (especially ice cream!).




-I believe in peace instead of war; in doing good to those who wrong you. I believe this makes more of a difference than fighting.

-I believe in God, but I do not believe in forcing my beliefs upon others who feel differently.

-I believe that every woman should read Pride and Prejudice at least once in their lives, and strive to find their own Mr. Darcy.



-I believe in champagne truffles. At any occasion.

-I believe in not going to bed angry, and trying to resolve all issues so that you can wake up each day optimistic about how it will go, instead of being upset about something that happened the day before.

-I believe in wearing beautiful lingerie, even if you're sleeping alone, just to feel sexy, even if it's just for yourself.



-I believe in acknowledging the little things you love about someone.

-I believe that everyone should befriend someone that is different from them - different views on politics, different religions, different races, different sexual orientation... I feel that if everyone in the world did this, there would be so much more love and understanding.

-I believe in eating breakfast foods at any other time of the day besides breakfast time. And, I believe that chocolate chip pancakes can cure any bad mood.



-I believe in saying "I love you" to the people you care about, every single day.

-I believe in taking pictures - lots of them, so that when you're older, you can show your kids or grandkids how fabulous you looked in those sparkly Louboutin heels with your skinny legs.

-I believe in annual family vacations.

-I believe in shoes - lots of them, in every color.

-I believe that Boy Meets World was possibly one of the best TV shows created, ever.

-I believe in hard work, and doing things honestly. I don't believe in cutting corners, or taking the easy way out, no matter how appealing it may seem. I also don't believe in hurting others in order to get ahead.

-I believe that Magnolia Bakery cupcakes are the best in the world, and cannot be beat.

-I believe in the power of positive female role models for women - like Audrey Hepburn, Oprah, or Jackie O.



-I believe in good manners. "Please" and "thank you" go a longgg way.

-I believe in being kind to everyone, no matter what their position is. I believe that everyone is equal, so there is no reason to be nasty or rude to someone who lives differently than you.

-I believe at smiling at strangers - you never know how something as simple as that can really make someone's day.




-I believe in the healing power of sangria.

-I believe that words are extremely powerful. I believe in using words for good, and not to tear someone else down.

-I believe in photography, and that a photograph can touch a lot of people in many different ways.



-I believe in doing our part to help the earth, even in small ways like carrying a reusable water bottle, or turning off lights when you leave a room.

-I believe in the power of The Hangover to cure a bad mood.

-I believe that women should respect themselves - not that they shouldn't be sexy and fabulous, but that they shouldn't sleep around just to feel like they're worth something!



-I believe in standing up for others, when you know something isn't right and no one else is doing anything to stop it.

-I believe that a simple act of kindness carries so much weight. And I also believe that you may never know that the simplest of your actions meant the world to someone - even something teeny tiny.

-I believe in love, and that love has no age, shape, color.





What do you believe in?

Currently listening to: It Just Is - Rilo Kiley

A Very Overdue Christmas Update...And I Miss You All!

Hellooo, from the worst blogger in the history of the world.
I have absolutely no excuse - I miss you all, and I promise, promise, my New Years resolution is to be more on top of blogging...I promise you though, I think of you all often (and mention you to J often - even though I still haven't showed him my blog!).

So, in case anyone was just on pins and needles waiting for this...my surprise for J was a very long and complicated story, that resulted in us breaking up. Just kidding! (We celebrated 8 months yesterday, yayy!).

He had originally told me to get to his house as early as possible...which then changed to "by 4:30,"...which was pushed back to "don't come over until I text you and say it's okay." My mind was blank. 100% blank. I had no idea what this nut was planning to do - all I could think was that he had waited until the last possible minute, and couldn't get a reservation at the restaurant he wanted. Or that he forgot to buy a gift, and was rushing out to the mall to pick something out. I was wrong on all counts.
I arrived at his house at 6:30 (after being harassed by my parents the entire time with the fun questions, "When are you leaving?"..."What is he doing for you?"..."What are your guesses?" ..."I don't know" was the appropriate response for each question).
As I stepped out of my car (which is fixed, PTL!), he popped out of the front door, informing me that was the way I should walk into his house (usually I walk around to the side, which is how everyone goes in...the front door usually goes unused), and I walked into J's version of an Italian restaurant. He had spent the whole day cooking my favorites - really yummy bruschetta; tomato, basil and mozzarella; garlic bread; salad with goat cheese; and penne with vodka sauce! He had red wine already poured, pulled my seat out for me...it was per-fecttt!



And if that wasn't enough, he also bought me one of those journey diamond necklaces...except this one looks like a little heart with the diamonds going around one of the edges. Seriously, the prettiest thing I have ever seen, and so thoughtful and sweet. A+ job, J! I don't know if anything could top it!

Not the besttt picture of me obviously, but you can kinddd of make out the necklace at least! =)


Such a cutie.


And then, right when I thought it was all over, he surprised me with homemade red velvet cupcakes and delicious Mochi, which is one of my favorite desserts EVER! If you've never had it, you can buy it in Trader Joe's in a million flavors (I like mango best), and they're ice cream balls covered in dough...it is DELICIOUS!



Then Christmas came and went so quickly! We had Christmas with my dad's side of the family a week before Christmas, which made it seem like the celebration was going on for the entire week.

Cute bow, dad.


Obviously if you were to see my brother and I, and our two cousins together you would think we were related ;) And yes, my brother wore that sweatshirt the entire day. (Plus, I think his hair makes my point that Jersey Shore can just appeal to all!...Gross).


I had absolutely no idea what to ask anyone to get me for Christmas - I really have everything that I want, and even though I need things like pots and pans and bedding, I didn't really want to open up a nice big box of pans for my apartment (which inevitably will be burned by my roommate who has scorched every pot we have...and she's the one getting married in June!).

I ended up with some fun stuff though... my mom bought me some nice Le Creuset pans, which I haven't used yet, but I'm loving the fun, bright colors! My mom absolutely SWEARS by these, and said I should start my collection soon. Like I said, I really didn't get too much else... a really pretty yoga mat (it's gray with pink flowers on it), a medicine ball (I actually asked for this haha), these really cute Badgley Mischka blue sequined flats, clothes for student teaching (which really makes me feel like an adult), TONS of OPI nail polish in really fun colors, jewelry, and a pair of those new Reebok sneakers that are supposed to tone your legs...we'll see how that works out, haha.

One really fun thing I got for Christmas (and a great reason for having a blog!) is that I was contacted by a company selling different furniture and home accessories, asking if I wanted to try out one of their products and write a review! So, in the spirit of the holidays, and my borderline alcoholic family (just kidding, sorry mom and dad!), I selected this cocktail shaker.
Let me tell you - this little stainless steel shaker is absolutely brilliant. It blends drinks perfectly - even my grandfather, who always takes his martinis stirred, not shaken, complimented me on my fabulous skills. I hope my parents realize that now that I have this, they have thrown $38,000 a year down the drain on my college tuition, because now all I want to do is make fun drinks for everyone!

As for now, the tree is down, the decorations are in boxes waiting to be brought back up to the attic, though there is the soft light of the Christmas lights flickering into my window from the lights outside, so I feel like the holidays aren't completely over yet =)

I hope all of you had lovely holidays...I'm looking forward to catching up on blogs, and getting better at posting/commenting!

How did you all spend the holiday - and New Years Eve?! I can't WAIT to hear all about it! xox

P.S. I finally got a Twitter...I'm still getting used to it, but if you want to follow me, you can here.

Currently listening to: The Bravery - Slow Poison

NYC, Jersey Shore, Snowed In: The Start to a Perfect Break!

I cannot even believe that I've been home for a whole week and a half! Grades finally came in, so now I can breathe a little bit more. AND, I finally got my student teaching placement...which is not even close to the district where I wanted to be, but the teacher I'm going to be with seems really sweet so far, so I'm still a mix of nerves/excitement.

Another thing I absolutely cannot believe is that Christmas is right around the corner... less than a week away! This is ridiculously stressful, considering I have like 0 shopping done. And, I'm a little without a car right now because last Sunday there was a ridiculous ice storm here... which I guess I didn't get the memo about because my smart self thought it was just rain... so anyway, there was a bittt of a slip and my car completely spun out, I hit into a huge rock on someone's property...so my cute little car is now at the shop so I've been attempting to drive my mom's huge SUV, which is NOT easy, and somehow I don't think I'm mall-ready yet! (And it's so high off the ground - I don't know how she does it!).

And of course, last night there was a HUGE snowstorm here, with like, 10 inches of snow, maybe more! So there went a totally different shopping day. It ended up being super fun though - J came and slept over, and then we went to my aunt's house today for Christmas on my side of the family. I swear, I'm becoming the laziest person alive, because seriously, all we did was watch movies and TV, and play Wii (which I guess counts as exercise, right?...Is it really saying terrible things about my fitness level when my arm is really sore from Wii baseball and tennis?).

When my brother got up this morning to head out to his car, he found that it was completely iced shut. Crazyyy! I think he was so frustrated he was about to cut a hole in the roof and hop in through that, but luckily he got it all straightened out =)

I think the worst part was that Pat goes to school in South Carolina, so he's just not used to this weather anymore!


It took a good 35 minutes of battling with the doors before he got in. J and I were standing by one of the front windows just watching. I know, what a life.


So since I haven't been able to really go to the mall, would it be completely disgusting to admit that I've been watching Jersey Shore like a fiend? Because really, what says Christmas more than a bunch of guidos* living down in Seaside. (Hopefully I am living proof that not all Jersey girls are trashy hoes with fake Chanel earrings the size of my fist.) But still, the self proclaimed "The Situation", the Jersey shore drinking game (my brother says he almost died playing it with his friends down at school), and all the fake tans.... It's perfect, perfect. Okay, not perfect, more like the trashiest thing I have ever seen in my life, but I love it, and I promise you, the shore is actually like that, especially Seaside, which is where they all stay.
My dad came home from work the other day and actually got pissed with me, because he did not understand how I could watch a show that is just beyond trashy and then asked "What is a Snooki anyway and why did it get punched in the face? I got an update on it today on my homepage."
[* I do not mean guido in a derogatory sense, which I'm sure you all know. My Papa Tony (grandfather) FREAKED out when my brother said that in front of him today.]



Dear dad,
This is a Snooki.
Love, Ally:


My big and super fun news was that on Thursday, J and I headed to the city for his Christmas present, which was dinner out at a really fun restaurant, cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery (because really, is it possible for me to go to the city and not gorge on cupcakes?), and I bought tickets to see Mary Poppins on Broadway! The fabulous Tracy told me how absolutely perfect Mary Poppins was, and she was completely right (she went to see it with her hubby and said it was just fabulous!). It was amazing, and the perfect first Broadway show for J to ever see!

Of course, Thursday was probably the coldest day I could have picked to go into the city (seriously, it was 10 degrees during the day, and it had to be 0 degrees at night! Freezingg!), but still, it was so much fun (and gave me such an excuse to pop into Starbucks three times for coffee - I told you guys, those red cups make me so happy! And the Caramel Brulee latte is beyond delicious).

When the show got out at 10:30 it was so unbearable to walk (even though we only needed to go four blocks away), so we hopped in a cab, and I crossed my fingers the entire time hoping we'd get the Cash Cab, but no such luck. I hold out hope every time I go into the city that I'll get picked up by the Cash Cab. Wishful thinking, much?

Dinner at Cinema, this super fun restaurant on E. 45th, where they show silent movies on the wall!



Yummy pomme frites...I could have eaten pounds of these.




I always eat the bottom of these babies first so I can completely enjoy the PERFECT frosting =)


Apparently J likes Mary Poppins more than he likes me =)


Now tomorrow, J has his big Christmas surprise for me! So fun. I'm like itching with anticipation though because I have absolutely NO ideas what is going on, which drives me crazyyy!

How is everyone else doing with the snow? And holiday shopping? And fun holiday parties? I want to hear it ALL! I miss and love you all =)

And please, do any of you watch Jersey Shore? I swear, I will feel 1 million times less trashy if one of you who I love so dearly watches trashy tv like moi ;)

Currently: Watching Clueless. I guess in memory of Brittany Murphy. So, so sad.

Home for the Holidays.

So, I'm officially done - I am done with finals and classes FOREVER (or, until I go to grad school, but I'm not even thinking of that!). Next semester all I'll have is student teaching (I say that like it's super easy), so I'm doneee with college classes! Seriously, I'm still in a weird place - I guess because I can't believe that it's all over, and all my stress definitely (hopefully) paid off, but for now I can shelve the stress until January 12th!

I drove home today and entered into a winter wonderland - my mom's decorating is always perfect, and it makes me so happy =) She does everything really simple, but I think it's still super pretty.

Holiday decorations make me like, beyond happy (though I'm not too excited about the 12 - seriously 12 - of those blow up things that look like Spongebob or Bart Simpson that are in my neighbors yard....tack-yyyy! And seriously, if I had $3,000 to blow, it would not be on blow up crap for my front yard).

I'm excited to bake cookies (my mom made the cutest little ones that look like mittens last night!), to relax, to go to the city with J on Thursday to see Mary Poppins =) , and of COURSE, catching up on all of your wonderful blogs! I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say I've missed you all during my blogging absences.

So, welcome to my home for the holidays...and I can't wait to see all your pretty decorations from your homes!

My mom seriously decorates almost every room of the house - even the foyer!



I am 21 years old, and my mom still keeps the little piano I played on when I was little in our basement. And she decorates it. Every year.



I know it's not the best detail, but the plants to the right of me that are by the kitchen windows (one in front of each window) are changed every season - like, with fun colored flowers for summer, or neutral colors for fall. It's pretty cute. Right now they're white, with these big (fake) red berries inside the planters. It's just a cute touch, since a kitchen is pretty difficult to decorate!







These branches make the whole living room smell SO good! =) I would highlyyy recommend it!


Do you/your families go all out for the holidays, or do they keep it on the simpler side? Is everyone getting into the holiday spirit, or are finals and work making it difficult to be super excited about it all?

I've missed you all so much - let me know how you've been!

P.S. I have an upcoming product review coming up sponsored by the lovely Living Room Furniture! I'm really excited about it! Definitely check out their website for some fabulous (and way discounted) products for your home =)

Currently listening to: Rachael Yamagata - Faster.
Currently anticipating: An unbelievably relaxing day/night spent with J, catching up on all our favorite shows...and of course, reading all your blogs and finding out what you've been up to!

Not Letting the Stress Get to Me.

Holy moly...I cannot even tell you how stressed I am right now! This week has absolutely been hell week, and then I can promise that after finals week is over next week, I will be back to my normal, regular commenting self - promise!
Being an education major, rather than have finals, we just have these massive final projects, usually that are worth up to 60% of our grade...and I had three huge projects due this week, and two tests on other days. It was super exhausting, and right now, all I want to do is curl up and sleep for days and days.
Rather than just be stressed, rip my hair out and cry for days, and eat until I gain 50 pounds and then have something else to cry about, I've decided to do another inspiration/favorite things post. That always cheers me up, and de-stresses me for a bit!

Starbucks Holiday cups.
I can't explain it...when I see those red cups, I am just beyond happy. And their holidays drinks are pretty freaking perfect too...I had my first gingerbread latte the other day and I'm hooked!



Christmas shopping.
So far, I've got J's present DONE...well, for the most part! I bought us two tickets to see Mary Poppins on Broadway, since he's never been to a show, and my parents (who go see shows a bagillion times a year) gave it rave reviews. We'll also most definitely be hitting up Magnolia Bakery, and then going out to eat at this really fun restaurant in Midtown!

Cupcakes.
I love them and think they are so beautiful. I crave them 24/7. Over Thanksgiving Break, my dad went to one of my favorite places and bought EIGHT cupcakes in all different flavors (but, the smart man that he is, he got 4 red velvet). Best part - they were all for me =)
I want to be one of those mom's that can make cupcakes that look like characters from books or TV shows. Of course, it's a win win for me!



Yummo...I can spot a Magnolia Bakery cupcake from a mileee away:


Up.
I watched that movie with my family over Thanksgiving break, and I am so in love with it. This summer, J and I saw it twice in the theater, and I took the kids I babysat to see it too. If you haven't seen it yet, I promiseeee you will not be disappointed. It is just perfect (and I think it's more for adults than for children....and P.S. I cried like, three times).



Paris.
Seeing my girl Carol's pictures from her trip to Europe makes me so unbelievably jealous, and makes me absolutely want to be over in Paris right now! I'm hopingggg maybe my parents will be surprising me with a trip there after graduation, but we'll see =)





Braids.
I love braids. I wish I was more creative, and could do super fun and creative braids - I just learned how to do a side French braid and I have been rocking that constantly...who knows what's next for me now ;) But really, I think they're super chic and very trendy, without looking like you put a ton of effort into it.



Petit Macarons.
This is like my favorite dessert ever. Ever, ever. They serve them for dessert at some of my favorite French restaurants...I swear, they are perfection. Apparently they're a pain to make, so I will be trying to spend some of my winter break perfecting them! Yummo. Plus, they're just so freaking cute!



This theater that they converted into a massive library....
I swoon.



Where the Wild Things Are.
I just finished up a Juvenile Lit class, where over the course of the semester we had to read 110 children's books, and write reviews on them. The illustrations just blew me away - I forgot how much I absolutely adored this story as a child, and the lines like,
"Please don't go. We'll eat you up. We love you so."


Watching perfect movies from the 80's/90's/early 2000's that I haven't seen in years.
Like a little You've Got Mail....or When Harry Met Sally, or maybe a little Overboard with Goldie Hawn (to switch up the Meg Ryan thing)... aka the perfectttt way to unwind.



Red Wine Sangria.
'Nuff said. Perfect.



The Hangover.
I have not laughed this hard in so long. I saw it for the first time a few months ago, and just watched it with J and my brother over Thanksgiving break. Favorite part? "Tigers love pepper... they hate cinnamon." Per-fect.



Skins.
This show is per-fect. (I prefer seasons 1&2 - after the second season, the entire cast with the exception of one character was scrapped...I miss the first generation cast!). It is just the greatest show and makes me so happy to watch it... I plan on rewatching seasons 1&2 over winter break (which does not make me a huge loser...each season only has 9 episodes).



Kate Moss.
I love her, I really do. I know she's had her issues, but I think she's beautiful, and fabulous, and so unbelievably stylish - always. And, I love that she's short, and still so amazing!



Fun and pretty headbands.
I wish I had more headbands. Or, that I could somehow be more creative in how I wear headbands...kind of like these girls. I'm loving the woven flowers....so hippie chic!





Ed Westwick.
De-lic-ious. I can't get enough of this hottie.



Street vendors selling flowers.
I can't explain it...it's just one of those things. Probably since once, a woman handed me a rose and said, "Pretty girls deserve flowers."





So, these are just a few of my little pick-me-ups...and guys, great news! I am officially done with ALL college classes - ever. Ever. I have two finals next week, and then I start student teaching in the spring! Sooo crazy that I'm so close to being done! =)

And this Sunday, J and I are headed to one of my favorite restaurants in Philly called Pod to celebrate 7 months! Yayyy for relaxing =) What are you all up to this weekend? I can't wait to get into a regular routine and keep reading/commenting!

Currently: Watching Friends, Season 7. I love relaxing. Love, love, love. And I just adore Ross.