Magnolia Lane.

With the start of college football this week, I have been realigning the priorities in my life. Maroon and Orange clothing has taken over the bright Lilly colors of my wardrobe, and there wont be a Saturday morning for the rest of the fall that my coffee will not be consumed out of a Virginia Tech mug. With hopes of moving out of my parent's house in the next few months, I've been looking into stocking my own home with fabulous spirited goodies.

I read about Magnolia Lane on a few blogs, and finally decided to check it out. They have some adorable pieces that I must have in my life ASAP.

Picture Frame

Serving Tray

Coaster Set

Enormous Coffee Mug

I know where my Hokie butt will be tomorrow at 5:30pm, cheering on my team as they take on Alabama! Who will you be rooting for this weekend!?

The Return of College Football. #beatbama

#beatbama

It's been my motto since 2009, the last time my beloved Hokies took on The University of Alabama in the Chik Fil A College Football Kickoff. While I will be tuning in to watch UNC take on USC tonight, I am no doubt ecstatic to don my maroon and orange, and watch my team on Saturday night.

I traveled to Atlanta 4 years ago to watch this matchup (granted, Tyrod Taylor was playing QB and our offense was much stronger... I'm not bitter about Logan Thomas or anything...). I truly wish that I could have made the journey again, seeing that it was hands down one of the best weekends of my life.

My entire sorority family made the 5 hour road trip to Atlanta. The car was packed with food, alcohol, and everything we could possibly need for a successful weekend. We stayed in Athens and were lucky enough to be able to explore both cities that weekend. Obviously the highlight of the weekend was the tailgate and the game in the Georgia Dome!

I would love nothing more than to be back in that dome on Saturday night! All I can ask for is that my Hokies play a respectable game and play with all they've got!

Hokie Hokie Hokie Hi! Tech Tech VPI! Solah-Rex Solah-Rah Polytech Virginia! Ray Rah VPI TEAM TEAM TEAM!

#beatbama

Wordless Wednesday.

In honor of "back to school" season, this wordless Wednesday is dedicated to the best 2 years spent living in this little brick building!

Tropical Tuesday: Zip Lining the Dominican Mountains

I wish that I had recapped my Punta Cana trip a little sooner than now, because some of the details are getting a little fuzzy.

While we were away, we knew that we wanted to do a few excursions. I have always wanted to zipline, and luckily, my brother also wanted in on the experience. We chose a destination that was based on safety, but unfortunately, it was over an hour away in the mountains of the DR. We woke up early (no one should ever have to set an alarm on vacation), and quickly ate a tiny breakfast and were in our hotel lobby by 8am.

Our open air (scary) van picked us up right on time, and along with a few other groups, we were off to the mountains! I wish that I had taken a picture of this van, because I thought I would fall out the side at any minute. After a brief (10 minute) ride through the city, we took off on bumpy, uneven roads up the mountain. It was a crazy ride, but I think I can speak for both my brother and I when I say that I learned a TON. Our tour guide in the van taught us all about the history of the small towns we drove through, what kinds of crops they grew, and bragging about how proud these people are of what they have.

The mountain that we zip lined. It is the 3rd highest peak in the country!

Small towns throughout our mountain climb.

Typical homes and restaurants.

When we finally arrived at the (for lack of better word) shack where all of the zip lines started. 

Before getting strapped into our gear, we hit the bathroom where I was greeted by the biggest spider I had ever seen in my life. There was major hair, and theres a good chance that it had more than 8 legs. I have never peed so fast in my entire life.

We got a mini tutorial of the line map, and were strapped in. The whole staff was upbeat, fun, energetic, and entertaining as we all snapped our harnesses and tightened our helmets. They were generous enough to offer a fairly cheap photography service ($8 p/p) which guaranteed 20+ pictures throughout the whole experience. Since I didn't want to risk taking my camera with me, I thought this was a great deal!

It. Was. Hot.

Literally I was sweating just getting into all the gear! We got a short demonstration on how to safely travel from platform to platform, as well as the braking system.

Then, we were off. We didn't waste a single second before getting strapped in and gliding off that platform. The scenery was incredible, and zipping through the mountains was definitely an experience I will never forget. I mentioned to my brother that I wish we had those sketchy cameras that they had on the show Fear Factor (except facing out) so that we could record what we were seeing. The forest was so green and rich. Looking out over the various plantations was just so cool. I seriously can't get over it.

After a few miles of zip lines, and hiking (and sweating...), we were back at the shack ready to shed this equipment and head back to the resort. I was exhausted, thirsty (and looking back shouldn't have even drank the little bit of water that I did that day...), and starving. We hopped back on the bus for the crazy ride down the mountain with our amazing tour guide. The whole ride back he regaled us with stories about his family. We learned all about how each village makes a specific kind of (amazing) chocolate, which we got to taste (and I regret not buying an entire suitcase full), as well as the Mamajuana that the Dominicans use as a remedy for everything.

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This stuff looked awful, and I was terrified to try it, but everyone else on the bus just loved it. I'm not sure what the spices/tea is on the inside, but the liquid is 1 "finger" honey, 2 "fingers" red wine sangria, and the rest rum. Sounds like a hangover waiting to happen, but apparently they drink this stuff like water. Our tour guide even took orders and picked up some sketchy packages on the side of the road on the way back to the resort. The driver didn't even come to a complete stop when we got there, so I know that there was definitely some weird stuff going on. Nonetheless, I survived and made it back to the resort safely.

Once we returned, we promptly stuffed our faces with food, and headed to the pool for a long nap.
It was quite the day, and I would do it again in a heart beat!

Shenanigans.

I can't even simply call this "weekend" shenanigans because it has been so long since I last posted. Poor Monograms and Margaritas has been neglected for almost 2 weeks. Not cool.

Things have gotten crazy lately. Since August 14th...

I booked my flights to go to my family reunion in Florida! Only a few weeks left until my butt is back at the beach!

I shopped the Lilly Online ESS and didn't get a thing. My (future) roomie did snag a tablecloth and some napkins for our (future) apartment!

I've been working at our store on Madison Avenue (commuting into NYC on a daily basis is something that I never, ever care to do) for a few days to help out, and am headed out to the Hamptons for a few weeks (!!!) in September. I'm starting to think that I'll be a nomad before fall gets here.

I came down with some sort of hell-like flu. I'm not sure what caused it, but all I know is that I laid on the couch for two solid days unable to move. It HAS to be what death feels like (or close to it).

I went to the Duchess County Fair and saw the Eli Young Band! The venue was tiny, and we couldn't have been more than 20 rows from the stage. Certainly a better view than we had when we saw them at MetLife stadium! I also got to have a corn dog and some fried oreos. Country fair food at it's finest!

I can't remember the last time I was this sleep deprived. Now taking donations for a spa day to relax as well as to hire someone to clean my room. That is s.c.a.r.y!

What have you been up to since I've been gone!?

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

This week, I am loving...

...this crisp weather. Temperatures have barely hit 70 degrees today, and I am thoroughly enjoying wearing my long sleeved shirt and being able to cozy up in bed. Just give me a Pumpkin Spice Latte and I'll be ready for the fall!

...that this little nugget follows me around E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E! Snuggles in my bed, cuddles on the couch, it's wonderful (most of the time).

...that we'll be seeing Eli Young Band again next week at the county fair. But really, I'm equally excited for fried food (hello, corn dogs and oreos), and some time with the family.

...the new Luke Bryan album. I cannot stop playing "Play it Again." I am 100% addicted. If you haven't already downloaded it, you're seriously missing out!

...that Daddy and I are headed to see my favorite Hokies at Giants training camp next week! Now I just have to hope that the weather holds out and that we can get some autographs!

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...that I finally found a pair of aviators that I am in love with. Now, if I could only find them on sale somewhere!

What are you loving today?
Head over to Jaime's blog to share!

Tropical Tuesday.

I've officially been back in the US of A for a week, and I have been wishing that I could be back in the tropics since we landed at JFK. Our experience in the Dominican Republic was excellent. We had an early morning flight out of NY and had to be up entirely too early (although I really couldn't sleep the night before because I was SO excited).

After a relatively painless flight, we landed at the cutest airport ever.

I mean, a line of huts along the runway was just too perfect for this tropical vacation. We got through customs very quickly, and had a private cab take us to our resort. My dad and the driver talked baseball for the entire 45 minute ride, and Mom and I got an inside look at what life in a third world country looks like. I can certainly say that it was an eye opening experience. More on that in another post.

We finally arrived at our hotel, the Majestic Colonial. Early on, we had made the decision to stay on the "adults only" side aka the Colonial Club side. It was hands down the best thing we could have done. No kids, nicer inclusive bracelets, extra access to restaurants & bars, internet access, a private club, and our own butler. While we were checking in, we were immediately served champagne and snacks. It was amazing.

Hotel Lobby. I loved that everything was open!

Our "special" section!

"Welcome" Champagne.

Our exclusive bracelets that I still wont take off..

Once we were checked in and ready to go, our butler, Joan, took us on a tour of the resort. We saw all of the bars, restaurants, and even made a pit stop for some drinks at the poolside bar. Rum Punch for the girls, and El Presidente for the boys.

"Free Drinks"? Yes, please!

The next stop were our beach front rooms. We had reserved an "ocean view" room, which we thought would mean if we stuck our necks off of the balcony at a certain angle we might be able to see something blue. We were in for a surprise!

The view from our patio.

Our entryway

Our super romantic kissy swans and bathroom

The bedroom/living room.

After quickly changing, grabbing some lunch, and putting on serious amounts of sunscreen, we headed to the beach.

I have never seen water so clear, or sand so white. I could have stayed there forever. Our daily routine for the majority of the vacation included an early breakfast, some beach time, pool time, plenty of fruity cocktails, and a few excursions off the resort.

My first delve into a tropical vacation was certainly a great one! I can't wait to cross more places off of my travel bucket list!

Weekend Shenanigans.

After a full blown week of travel, re-adjusting, and getting back to work, the fam and I didn't stop with our weekend plans. For Christmas, Mom had gotten us tickets to see Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, and The Eli Young Band at MetLife stadium in New Jersey. We knew that we would be cramming a lot of things into a week after getting back from vacation, but with this killer lineup, who could miss it!?

We set out early to tailgate, and after our horrific experience seeing Rascal Flatts in June, we were just hoping that this would be better. Other than some minor traffic getting down to Jersey, the trip started out on a much more positive note. Parking was quick and easy, and we even scored a spot near some port-a-potties (definitely an upgrade from a bush behind some electrical boxes...)

 

The last time we saw a "stadium" concert (I guess more of a coliseum concert), it was horrendous. We had to wait over an hour for the bathroom, girls were throwing up everywhere, and the security team were total jerks (if you can avoid Nassau Coliseum, do it). We didn't have high expectations, but were pleasantly surprised. Lines for food/drink/bathroom were practically nonexistent, and they even let my Momma take an elevator up to our seats because of her bad back. The service was exceptional, the security team was on point, and I have named it my favorite concert venue from here on out!

We arrived at our seats a few minutes before the Eli Young Band came on. It was just the right amount of time to grab a drink and a snack before the concert began. We really didn't know too much about Eli Young, but they put on a fantastic show. They'll be playing at the county fair in a few weeks and you can bet that we will be there!

 Eric Church surprised me -- he was excellent! I only wish that I could have heart his voice a little more. I'm not sure if it was because our seats were so high or they just didn't turn the big speakers on until Kenny, but Eric was great!

 

The night was beautiful, and none of the acts disappointed. Kenny Chesney certainly deserves this stadium tour -- he was unreal. He played all of my favorites, and did not lose a drop of energy for the entire two hour performance. I would see him again in a heartbeat!

Now, I just need to get back to MetLife to see BIG BLUE play this fall!

Sunday morning we were excited to pick up our new foster dog, Miranda (now re-named Mandy). She is the sweetest little thing who was rescued from a shelter in Virginia only two days before she was set to be euthanized. I can't imagine why anyone would give this sweet face up, but I am certainly grateful that we get to keep her for a little while!

What fun things did you do this weekend!?

Reality Bites.

Waking up for work this morning after a wonderful week in paradise was not easy. I spent a week in paradise, and I feel refreshed and ready to face the world again.

I would certainly rather be having cafe con leche with this view at hand, trying to figure out if I should spend the day at the beach, or lounging on the bali bed at the pool. I'll fill you in on all the fabulous details next week, but I wanted to thank my amazing guest bloggers for the wonderful posts and keeping M&M going while I was away!

{guest post} Let's Just Relax.

Hi Monograms and Margaritas readers! My name is Lindsey and you can usually find me over at Turtles and Pearls. I was excited when Ashley asked me to guest post for her while she's away on vacation because I've been following her blog for quite some time now. (Ashley, thanks for having me post! I hope you're having a wonderful time.)

Although I would love to be on vacation right now, I'm stuck working my first rotation of pharmacy school. Even though I'm in Kentucky (and not by the water), I thought I would share my favorite ways to relax...right here at home!

(one) Enjoy your favorite beverage.

Whether it be a Diet Coke, or a slushie from Sonic, or something a little stronger take a few minutes to stop what you're doing and enjoy your favorite drink. 

(two) Read a book in a quiet place.

I love having "me" time to read. I usually gravitate toward Nicholas Sparks, Emily Griffin, and other similar authors. What about you? (Bonus points if you combine numbers one and two!)

(three) Take time to exercise.

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Whether you are a runner, prefer yoga, or enjoy taking out stress on a punching bag during a boxing class, working out always helps me relax right away, but it also helps me sleep better at night. 

(four) Go shopping.

Two words: retail therapy. Even when I don't have extra money to spend, I love walking around the mall or going to Target and buying a new bottle of nail polish or a cute notebook. 

(five) Spend time with a close friend.

The last time my best friend was in town, we spent our afternoon eating ice cream (if you live in Louisville, you have to try The Comfy Cow) and just catching up. There's nothing better!

How do you relax? Feel free to share!