skillet cookie

Is it dark and grey where you are? I woke up feeling a little overwhelmed this Monday morning (just as you should after a luxuriously relaxing weekend) and I can't decide if it really is particularly dull outside or if I had just grown accustomed to the constant companionship of the sun these past few days.


Anyways, I'm busting my little buns to get some coursework completed in hopes of arranging a last minute trip to Wintergreen to play in the snow this weekend. Should I succeed, I will most definitely be recreating this little beauty, it will be the perfect treat after a day on the slopes. 

Last night my mom made this giant chocolate chip cookie in an iron skillet and it was per-fec-tion. She followed this recipe, but took it out 10 minutes early (good call... moms know everything) I will most definitely do the same and I'm toying with the idea of adding pecans.  

side note: remember when my mom made these yummy cinnamon rolls in this same iron skillet? I'm noticing a trend. A very tasty trend, indeed. 

Guilt-free Friday!

Happy Friday, kittens! What are you doing this weekend? I am home in lovely Emerald Isle spending some time with (part) of my family. Dad and Brother are tearing up the slopes in Virginia for their annual "boys weekend"and I am beyond jealous. But I'm happy to be home and am looking forward to a relaxing few days. In the mean time...


Hey it's ok...


if you occasionally add a completed task to your "to-do"list, just for the simple joy of crossing it off.


to be a little annoyed when all of the treadmills at the gym are taken. And to be a lot annoyed when you notice that homegirl is texting and the guy beside her is reading a Kindle book. (Permission granted to shoot them angry glares from the elliptical that you have been relegated to... they probably won't notice anyway...)


if your headache remedy of choice is red wine. Forget Tylenol, Advil, Excedrin... I'll have a glass of Cabernet. Please and thank you. 

side note: Franciscan Cab is heaven. 

messy hair

All the cool girls have messy hair. Seriously. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not talking "crazy-trashtastic-dirty hippie-Taylor Momsen" style locks. I'm thinking more along the lines of "flirty-fun-just got back from the beach in Rio-clean hippie-J. Crew model" style hair. But here I am with tangled tresses that won't hold a curl for 2 hours. It can be pretty frustrating.* Honestly, the only time I ever need to use a hair straightener is to iron an unruly shirt collar. 


When I saw this print on A Cup of Jo a few weeks ago I fell in love...

And I have spent the past few days fully committed to making messy hair happen. This is what I'm going for...

[1,2,3,4,5]

But this is what I ended up with...

1. Why hello nappy little dreads, I didn't see you back there! Fail. But it did inspire me to call and schedule a trim. 

2. The fishbone braid was significantly more successful, but by 5:30pm all of my shorter layers had worked their way out of the braid, so I ended up looking like Posh Spice with a braided rat tail peeking out. Barf. 

If only I were as committed to my studies as I am to this holy grail of hairstyles I would be set. (Ha... set!)

*isn't there a country song about this? "The straight haired girls they all want curl and the brunettes wanna be blondes..." oh gosh I'm probably showing my southern roots (ha... roots) a bit much...

tea time

My darling roommates and I have a particular fondness of taking tea in the afternoons. We got into the habit of it just as the cold set in this past autumn. It is the perfect way to warm up on a cold day and it wards off the drowsiness that seems to set in as the sun slouches to that certain spot in the afternoon sky. Added bonus: taking tea in the afternoons has a certain way of making us feel quite British... which is always jolly good indeed.


Jordan and I have always talked about hosting a girly Valentine's party in February but have never made it happen (Mainly because Jordan hates Valentine's Day... minor detail.) I We are hoping to actually get it together this year though, and what would be better than a tea party inspired brunch? 


Here are a few images of inspiration:

[above via]

[above via]

Drivers Ed.

Last night after dinner we started trying to plan a ski trip. I am just dying to get up to Wintergreen. As we discussed dates, my mind wandered off to one thing: the drive up there. Ok, I have never claimed to be an exceptional driver. And in all honesty, my sense of direction is lacking. I get lost in Wilmington all too frequently, and I don't think I have ever made it up to VA without at least one wrong turn. And that's with a GPS. My friends are particularly fond of reminding me of my lack of abilities, and this weekend was filled with numerous instances of, "Remember that time in Charlottesville when Caitlin whipped out a u-turn..." and "Remember that road that we almost died on..." But after thinking a little more about it I think they all secretly love when I drive. Proof?
Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Exhibit D:

Exhibit E:

Thrill seekers, adrenaline junkies, trusting friends... call it what you want. 

Guilt-free Friday!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Until next time...


Hey it's ok...


... to spend more time shopping for "interview-appropriate" attire than looking for jobs, filling out applications, writing cover letters and revising your resume. Combined. (Even if you don't technically have any interviews lined up. Yet.)


... to occasionally try on clothes one size too big for that added confidence booster when you're having one of those days. And certainly explaining why you won't be purchasing when the pushy saleswoman asks... "Oh sorry dahhhling, they're much too big, I was practically swimming in them" 


... if the right shade of grey nail polish makes you feel infinitely cooler than you actually are.

"You Don't Know Jacques" by OPI... works every time. 

hang in there!

To say that our apartment loves Real Simple magazine would be a bit of an understatement. From the easy recipes to the great organizational tips... we love it all. One of my favorite tips so far is the idea of utilizing the space behind your door for storage. Hooks are the perfect storage solution for necklaces, not only saving time (nobody likes to spend 15 minutes untangling) but also making options more visible. I tend to wear what I can see, so things that are buried deep within my closet or jewelery box make rare appearances. Not only is it functional, but it can be pretty too.

 I also use hooks to hold items that I frequently use. On there right now? Rain gear (gotta love Wilmington weather) My school bag (remember this post about how much I wanted it?) My go-to sweatshirt for trips to the gym (as infrequent as they may be) and a scarf (I try to rotate the scarf weekly because I end up grabbing it on my way out the door almost everyday, but I haven't been able to relegate this neutral, leopard print one to the scarf drawer for a few weeks now.

This cute mirror (c/o Bee Cottage) gives it the perfect girly touch.

masterpiece

"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:16-19


If only we could grasp, with our finite minds, the infinite love of our Father. I can only compare it to walking into a gallery for an art exhibit. You stand in awe of the pictures that surround you. Everyone there is amazed at the work of the creator. But suddenly, the artist appears and says, "Wait... you've got it all wrong. That is my masterpiece." And with that, he points to you. 


And in reality, that is what God did through Jesus Christ. To know that the Creator of the universe cherishes us above all else... it's incredible. 


If only we could live our lives like masterpieces. We would be secure in our relationships with our Creator, never questioning His love or wavering in our faith. We would value ourselves and the people around us, lavishing love upon each other and extending the very grace we have received.  And above all, we would bring glory to the Artist who brought us to life.

Guilt-free Friday!

Happy Friday! Looking forward to a relaxing weekend after my first week back to the grind. Hope your weekend is peaceful, too! Until next time...

Hey, it's ok...

if your reaction to snowfall is still the same as it was when you were 7 years old... the jumping up and down, doing a little dance... completely appropriate

if 95% of the appeal of Verizon getting the iPhone is the prospect of these adorable Kate Spade cases

if 95% of all future goals are based on winning the HGTV Dream Home

time's a wastin

Some of the best presents to receive are the unexpected: the things you don't ask for, and never even knew you wanted. But then, you get it and you wonder how you ever lived without it. Case and point: this adorable wooden owl clock. 

I was surprised when I unwrapped him because, let's face it, I come from the generation who uses cell phones to determine what time it is. A little sad, huh? Honestly, watches for people my age were nearly obsolete until the Michael Kors craze, now most of my colleagues wear one on each wrist... ok, that was a bit of an exaggeration.

However, I digress. This clock has made the perfect addition to my bedroom. I have fallen in love with the melodious ticking. I have even found myself playing music less often (disclaimer: with the exception of blasting T-Swift while in the shower, which will continue until the end of time) opting instead to sit and listen to the clock. It is just so peaceful and kind of reminds me to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the moment. Because ready or not, it is passing. 

I found a few other wooden clocks on Etsy... if you're interested. 

Linkage: 1 and 2 or check out Cambium Clocks for more one-of-a-kind creations. I just love the natural, rustic wood and the fact that each clock is different. 

p.s. sorry if I got Johnny Cash stuck in your head with the title of this post... I simply couldn't resist! 

BFF Status... Part 2

You didn't hear it from me, but a certain someone (Jordan) has a girl crush of her own. Can you guess who it is?


Leighton Meester. Now if something were to happen to me, and Jordan needed to find a new BFF, Leighton would be the perfect fit. Proof?


Exhibit A: They both adore headbands

 via

Exhibit B: They snuggle up with their friends...

 via

Exhibit C: ...and steal kisses from their boys

 via

Exhibit D: Don't even try to rain on their parades

 via

Exhibit D: They both need their beauty sleep

 via

Exhibit E: They look lovely in red

via

Exhibit F: But most importantly, they love their bffs...

 via

Sorry, Leighton- she's mine :)

BFF Status

Time for another girl crush! Let's talk about Blake Lively. [But let's not talk about the fact the she always plays the whiny annoying pretty girl who always gets everything she wants] I mean of course we could just rant about how ridiculously beautiful she is... 

via

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But that's obvious. What matters is that we could totally be bff status. Proof? Ok...

Exhibit A. We both love puppies and coffee.

 Exhibit B. We both enjoy shopping

 via

 Exhibit C. We could bbm on the reg

 via

 Exhibit D: No seriously, they don't call it a crackberry for nothin...

 via

Exhibit E: We both know how to work a black dress

Exhibit F: We would hit the beach with our friends

via

Need I say more?