Friday Favorites

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These boots that I picked up last week at Target! They have a stacked heel so they give me a little boost and they are so comfy! There is also a camel version too and it is on sale for $19.99 right now at our local Target.

The Mint Cabana Bangle from Bauble Bar. I have never purchased anything from Bauble Bar, but I love getting their emails everyday. 

Taco Friday with the ladies at work! 

This beautiful cat! 

College Football! OHIO vs. Penn State tomorrow afternoon! Aaron and I are going to watch the game and represent with our fellow Raleigh area Bobcats at Tobacco Road Sports Bar on Glenwood South. OU Oh Yeah! Suck it Penn State!

Hope you have a good weekend!

Wedding Wednesday: The Beginning

The photo above is a beautiful (but rainy and overcast) picture of my uncle and aunts house in Annapolis, aka, the site where Aaron asked me to marry him! I touched on this for a quick bit in my weekend recap post, but I wanted to devote a full post to this milestone in our lives. I know that these are all repeat photos from the album that I posted on Facebook, and I don't have anyone else really different reading my blog, but I wanted to write up a dedicated post. If anything, it is for my happiness when I look back at these blog posts, and that's really what it's all about, right?

We were standing out on the dock after dinner being silly and taking photos and I called Dana down to join us. Aaron took a few sister shots and then I asked Dana to take a few of me and Aaron. Once they switched and I started posing, Aaron pulled out the ring from his pocket and got down on one knee. 

I was 100% surprised! After he placed the ring on my finger we ran back up to the house to tell everyone the good news. I will always remember getting the best surprise of my life on my birthday!

My ring is a custom designed piece (by Aaron, way to go baby!). It's a green amethyst with a halo of diamonds set in an "antique style" split shank white gold setting. It is exactly what I wanted! I knew that I definitely didn't want a solitaire setting and earlier this year I discovered how beautiful the green amethyst is. I was never hooked on wearing a "traditional" diamond anyway. The stone is light green/blueish and changes shades in the light. I love it!

I am going to try to post every Wednesday with a different category relating to our wedding. I will post inspiration photos and keep everyone up-to-date from now until our October 2013 wedding!

Alma Mater, Forever

My younger sister, Dana, started her senior year of college yesterday. As I thought about her setting up her apartment and about what she will experience in the upcoming year, I thought about my senior year and what it meant to me. 

My senior year was the first time that I really felt like an adult. I was outside of the underclassman bubble and for the first time I really had to think about what I wanted to do with my life. I had to make some big decisions about my relationships and my future career. I took on bigger responsibilities in my classes as I went through student teaching and I also took on a leadership role as the President of the Jewish Women of Ohio. I soaked in the wonderful culture of Athens, OH and I went a little (okay, a lot, see the Domo face below) crazy in the winter.

Inspired by Elizabeth's post about her little brother setting off for his freshman year of college, Dana, I have decided to write a few tips and things for you to keep in mind for your senior year.

Take as many pictures as you can! Take pictures of your friends, your favorite restaurant, your room, your favorite lecture hall, the street you walk down every day, parties you attend, and adventures you go on. Don't worry so much about sharing them on social media streams, just keep them organized and backed up in a safe place. After you graduate you will be happy to have these memories captured as photos. I often look through my folders of photos from my senior year and it always puts a smile on my face. Keeping a daily journal will also be nice when June rolls around.

Experience everything you have been putting off for the past 3 years. I'm not sure what those things are or what that means to you, but you do. Spend the extra dollar to dine at a restaurant that has always been a little out of your price range, walk into a school building that you have never been in or go to a club meeting just for fun. I'm sure I will hear about these experiences on your blog (and I can't wait!)

Speak up in class! I was not good at this when I was in college, especially in big lecture hall classes. I didn't gain my confidence until I was in my senior level education classes and in front of a class of 30 or so 6th graders every day. Ask questions and answer questions. You have spent the past three years studying and you are so smart! Drop some knowledge and show that you are on your way to becoming an expert in your field. Impress your classmates and professors and fluff your ego!

Make the best use of the resources you have available on campus. Talk to career advisers, academic advisers, collect recommendation letters and advice from your professors and stock up on PDF articles from the library. Once you graduate it all disappears! All of the resources available to you at Penn State are like a cushy safety blanket that does not exist in post-grad life. Seriously, this was one of the things I struggled with the most.

Show your school spirit! Make the most of being around your fellow lions while. After you graduate you will meet many other people who went to Penn State and it will be an instant bond. You will have friends wherever you go.

 

Oh yea, and keep in touch with your sister! 

I know you will have an amazing senior year. I love you!!!

My Weekend, in Snapshots

To see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) Catching up with friends over a free birthday Boh at the Second Chance Saloon in Columbia, MD on Friday night.

2) Visit with my grandparents on Saturday afternoon in Bowie, MD. What a good picture!

3) Crab feast!!! My aunt and uncle hosted a crab feast at their beautiful home in Annapolis, MD for my 25th birthday. We picked and ate our way through 2 bushels of steaming hot, fresh Maryland blue crabs. Yum!

4) While we were being goofy and taking photos out on the dock, Aaron popped the question! I will write a longer post about this, but it was a HUGE part of our weekend. I was so surprised and overjoyed!

5) Birthday cake! I am so lucky that I had so many things to celebrate this weekend with my family and friends.

6) After the crab feast and celebration, Aaron, Dana, and I went on a ghost tour pub crawl in downtown Annapolis. It was the perfect night for it, cool and warm. We loved it! It was a guided walking tour to a few of the most haunted pubs in Annapolis. At each pub the group would order a drink and gather to listen to ghost stories and learn about the rich history of Annapolis.

7) Our first stop was the Maryland Inn, which houses a ghost in almost every room!

8) Our last stop was at an Irish Pub called Galloway Bay, where we ordered a pint of Guinness to share. It was magical.


So, this weekend was so amazing and I had a really hard time picking only 8 photos, but it just had to be done. I will write another post this week with the story of our engagement and more photos.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!