Friday, August 30, 2013

Five on Friday

Made it to another Friday! I don't know about you but I am so thankful that this weekend is a long holiday weekend. My first full week of senior year is complete and I am SWAMPED with work... I already feel like I am playing catch-up! Here are my 5...
{one} It's college football time y'all! I have loved college football since I was a little girl but I didn't always cheer for the NC State Wolfpack. I also cheer for the Georgia Bulldogs. I looked up to an older girl, Brooke, who was an assistant coach for a team I swam on. She is a UGA legacy so naturally she loves the bulldawgs. I wanted to be just like Brooke so I began learning everything about Georgia and started attending games in Athens. As I got older, I learned more about the university and it's programs and I decided that was where I wanted to go to college. Unfortunately out-of-state tuition is super pricey and I was not able to attend but I will forever be a bulldawg at heart... Luckily NC State and UGA are the same colors!!

{two} My sister lives five minutes away from me! For the first time in three years Taylor and I are living in the same city. We see each other after work, after class or whenever... it's something we weren't able to do when she was swimming for GWU and I was here at State. She is my big sister, best friend and someone I have always looked up to... I am excited for this year together! :)
{three} This is one of my favorite quotes by the lovely Emily Ley. She creates the beautiful Simplified Planners and also works with Lara Casey. This is a phrase I try to write in my planner daily. I am notorious for trying to make things perfect but it's not always obtainable. However, grace is.
{four}Very Jane daily deals... this site is amazing! Everyday the deals change and new products are posted, all at great prices. They use different boutiques so the products vary day by day... If you are looking for boutique style but prefer outlet prices this is the place to go!
{five}I interned this summer with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration in Beaufort, NC. It was such an amazing experience living in a beach community! These are a few of my favorite pictures of North Carolina's charming coast.
Pivers Island

Beaufort, North Carolina
 Safe Haven House Southport, North Carolina

Yacht Basin Southport, North Carolina

Rachel Carson Reserve

Beaufort, North Carolina

Fort Macon Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
Happy Friday!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tuesdays... so close to the middle of the week but just not quiteeee there yet. Tuesdays and Thursdays are a full day of classes and today I found myself wanting to enjoy one (a few) of these delicious cookies as soon as I arrived home. I found a recipe on Pinterest {here} that looked delicious a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try. I ended up altering it a little bit to achieve the perfect "after a long day" indulgence and my sister definitely approves!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream together butter, sugars, egg, milk and vanilla with a mixer.
3. Add dry mixture of flour, cornstarch and baking soda.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Roll dough into one inch balls and place about two inches apart on a cooking sheet.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes (depending on your oven's temperature) the cookies will stay golden in color and harden as they cool! 
Enjoy!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Five on Friday

My first blog post! I have been hoping and dreaming of starting a blog for a few months now and with the encouragement of my cousin-in-law, Christina of Carolina Charm, I finally went for it. What better way to start than with her favorite Five on Friday posts!
{one} Target has been an organizers heaven lately! I splurged on quite a few beautiful planners, calendars and bright washi tape rolls to keep my busy senior year organized. The yellow and grey (gray) combinations are swoon worthy... it is definitely my current favorite color combination.
{two} If you didn't pick up the August issue of Our State magazine hurry and run to the nearest store! (if you live in North Carolina that is) This issue has some breathtaking photography and timeless highlights of our lovely state. Stretching from the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains to the vigilant Currituck Beach Lighthouse, this issue has it all including 12-layer cake and wild horses (what more could you need?). 
{three} L.L. Bean boots...I am currently obsessed with these but haven't purchased them yet. I am possibly waiting for fall to set in and then I will be on a boot kick for sure. They seem more realistic to me than Hunter boots but maybe that's because I have zero calf muscles!
{1}                                                     {2}                                                       {3}
{four} Stationery...cue heart eye emoji... Stationery has been a huge weakness of mine for quite some time now. I found these beauts at HomeGoods! But the problem is... I have become a major slacker about actually writing and sending letters. My goal is to send at least one letter a week... Hear that friends and family who are reading this? Be sure to check y'all's mailboxes for some snail mail from Raleigh.
{five} Senior year at North Carolina State University... to say I'm excited, nervous, happy, proud and scared are all understatements. I never dreamed three years would fly by so fast or that I would graduate on time! I love my school and the Wolfpack who represent it. We may not have the prettiest campus in North Carolina but we do have incredible people who will become the closest friends you ever have.
Happy Friday!