5 on Friday!

Linking up with April & Friends for my favorite day of the week!

|| one ||

We have gotten almost 16 inches of snow this week. These things don't happen back to back in New York like they do in other places (honestly, I don't know how all of you mid-westerners survive!!!). I have literally been snowed in for half of the week. My poor little Jetta can't handle this snow & ice.

|| two ||

I had a great few days back from work after my vacation. Birthday Month continued into February with a delicious cake (vanilla cake & chocolate frosting -- my favorite), and the girls at work bought me a pair of sparkly Jack Rogers! I cannot wait for this snow to melt so I can sport those everywhere!

|| three ||

My Mama finally underwent surgery for her arthritic hip. For the last 4ish years, she has been struggling to walk, and was in serious pain. After being mis-diagnosed as a back problem, we finally got the answer we were looking for when a family friend recommended seeing her husband. Right away he saw what the real problem was, and x-rays confirmed that there was no bone left in the joint of her hip. Last night she received a total hip replacement, and we have finally begun the recovery process. I am so thankful that after only a few months we were able to get the correct diagnosis, and treat the problem. With her new hip, she will finally be able to enjoy the simple things in life (like a walk on the beach, not having to find the closest parking spot at concerts, walking the dog), and the new procedure that the surgeon did promises a quick recovery time with no restrictions! She will be able to walk on it right away and won't have to go to a live-in rehabilitation facility!!

|| four ||

THE OLYMPICS OFFICIALLY START TODAY!

When Mom's surgery was rescheduled to this week, she was beyond thrilled that during her time in the hospital she would be able to non-stop watch the olympics. I can't say that I blame her!!! I love watching everything, especially figure skating, skiing, curling, and hockey! Oh, and the bobsled, skeleton, and speed skating. Really all of it. What are your favorite sports to watch?

|| five ||

I am so excited to announce that this will be my last post here at Monograms and Margaritas! I have officially ended my relationship with Blogger and will be headed over to Wordpress on Monday morning. Once all of the design process is finished (only a few more finishing touches!!!), I will be sure to update y'all on the new url! I have already found Wordpress much easier to navigate, and I'll be able to do so many more fun things on there!

What are your favorite things on this sunny (FREEZING) Friday!?

5 on Friday!

Linking up with April & friends for my favorite post of the week!

|| one ||
I think I pulled/strained/messed up some combination of muscles in my back yesterday at work. Radiating/shooting pains in my lower back have made for a very uncomfortable 12 hours. A long jacuzzi and ibuprofen have helped to dull the pain, but now the question is how long do I wait to go to the doctor? I can walk (not completely straight), and only get the shooting pains when I twist or bend. My next day off is Monday -- can it wait?

|| two ||
Long distance friendships suck.
Ever have one of those days/nights when you just want to lie in bed with tequila and yell about life? I had one of those days yesterday (the back issue didn't seem to help much...), and my best friend is in Puerto Rico! COME BACK. We need snuggles and college football replays on our iPhones repeatedly!

|| three ||
I have the best co-workers ever. I came back from my trip to an amazing cake from Buttercup Bakery in NYC! Needless to say, the girls and I have now eaten cake for lunch and dinner for the last few days. Birthday month doesn't end until 11:59 tonight, so I am owning all of those calories...

|| four ||
This cold weather is actually driving me crazy.
Groupon has me almost convinced to drop everything I'm doing and head somewhere warm and sunny!

{dominican republic} {cabo san lucas}

I mean, for under $600? Take.Me.There.

|| five ||
I need a new mattress. More importantly, my brother needs a new mattress, which means that I get a new one by default. The one I've been sleeping on since I got my "big girl bed" is almost 30 years old. Let's also say that there is a little bit of bad karma that goes along with it (it's got quite the baggage from over the years). I'm officially convinced that my mattress is giving me bad karma (yes, I know I'm crazy).

#mostrandompostever

Be sure to head over to April's blog and share whats happening on your Friday!

The Bachelor Bracket {linkup}

I'm going to start off by letting y'all know that we are nearing the end of my relationship with Blogger. 3rd post in a row that has not been published when scheduled. And I still can't reply to comments.

Anyway. Down to real business.

Today is Monday. While it has already kicked me in the ass, the one thing I have to look forward to is at 8pm tonight when Juan-uary commences for my favorite 2 hour block of the week! I can't wait for the most dramatic rose ceremony yet, naturally.

As of last week, we were left with 13 women vying for Juan Pablo's heart. I predict a whole lot of drama (obviously) the following lucky ladies receiving a rose;

Since Momma bear doesn't have a blog, here are her choices for the 13 lucky ladies continuing on the journey for love...

Who do y'all think will be getting a rose at tonight's ceremony!?

Be sure to link up with me and Jacky to share your bracket!

5 on Friday!

Linking up with April & friends for 5 on Friday!!

|| one ||

I'm in a massive fight with Blogger right now. Somehow, without me realizing it, Google+ comments were enabled leaving anyone without a Google+ account unable to comment on my posts. In a frantic moment the other night, I deleted my Google+ account in hopes that it would fix it (that is what the forums recommended!!!!), and now, not only did it not fix the problem, but now I cannot reply to comments left on my blog.

Thanks, Blogger. I'll be switching to WordPress as soon as I figure it out.

|| two ||

I've always been a sucker for a good iPhone/desktop background. Sugar Paper, LA just released some new images for January, and I'm totally in love with this simple January calendar.

|| three ||

Leave it to Etsy to solve all of the worlds problems... I have officially found the cutest tutus for the Disney Princess Half in February! Race Junkie has the best selection ever! 

How am I ever supposed to decide on one!?

Sweetheart Tutu

Ballerina Tutu

Sleeping Beauty Tutu

|| four ||

I finally received the correct duvet cover from PB Teen this week. After almost a month of working with their customer service and receiving the wrong product time and time again, the correct one showed up at my door earlier this week.

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I am hesitant to put it on my bed right now (since I've got a 50lb dog with long light hair that sleeps on my bed), but once this little pup gets adopted, it'll be on there in no time!

|| five ||

I am so excited that in 6 short days I'll peace out of this freezing weather and land in sunny (warm!!!!!) Florida! I can't wait for a girls weekend with my Momma to celebrate my birthday. Let's just hope that the temps land above the 60 degrees that are predicted right now. This girl needs some Vitamin D real bad.

NEW -- The Bachelor Bracket

Confession: I still watch The Bachelor.  Like a train-wreck, I just can't look away... and I wouldn't dare risk missing the most exciting rose ceremony yet! Plus, he's not so bad to look at...

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 Starting next Monday (1/20)  we will begin our weekly link up! For now, we wanted to go over the rules so that everyone is ready to play along next week...

1.  Bracket - Print or save the bracket (so hardcore, we used a spreadsheet). Fill out your bracket before the show each week. You should be guessing who you think will stay for the next week. We realize we missed weeks 1 and 2, but just join in the fun! In fact, feel free to join us anytime before the finale!

2. Follow your lovely hosts Ashley and Jacky:

 

Monograms and Margaritas                Keep Calm and Blog On

Bloglovin'                                                    Bloglovin'

Twitter                                                          Twitter

3. Link up with us on Mondays BEFORE 8pm EST to share your bracket choices before the show begins. A screenshot or iPhone photo works just fine!  Please link back to Ashley or Jacky using this fabulous button, or a creation of your own:

4. Spread the word - we only have so many episodes left my friends. We need your help to spread the word about the link-up! Please tell your friends, your neighbors, your dog, whoever! Social media love never hurt anyone either :)

5. The Winner - What fun would a bracket be without a winner? As you can see on the bracket, there is a scoring system to this game. The person with the most points at the end of the link-up will win... Juan Pablo's heart a $20 Starbucks gift card! 

Don't have a blog but want to play? Leave us a comment with your bracket choices before the show!

If you haven't been watching Juan~uary, be sure to catch up now! You can also check out the bios of the remaining contestants on ABC.com by clicking here!

We hope to see you Monday!

5 on Friday!

Linking up with April and friends to share all of my favorite things from this week!

|| one ||

I finally got my hair cut! I haven't been in for a cut since AUGUST, so it was definitely time. I also squeezed in an appointment with my colorist, so today, I'm feeling fresh! It is truly amazing what a fresh cut and color can do for your day!

|| two ||

Happy JUAN-UARY. Guys, this season of The Bachelor might be the most dramatic because I am just so in love with Juan Pablo. How adorable was he when he didn't get Lauren's name and he went back into the house to be sure he got it!? I die. He is just so lovable!

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My sweet friend Jacky and I were thinking of starting a Bachelor Bracket for the season and including a weekly link-up on Mondays.. would anyone else be interested!?

|| three ||

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Let's just take a moment and reflect on the fact that in the final year of the BCS, the SEC did not win the National Championship game. I am by no means a Florida State fan, but I'll do anything and everything in my power to cheer for an ACC team to bring back that crystal football to the conference! The game was certainly suspenseful, and I honestly don't know what I'm going to do now that the college season is over.

|| four ||

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Momma and I had a date last night to finally see Catching Fire. Let me preface this by saying that this was my favorite book of the trilogy, and I probably had pretty high expectations. But, I was very disappointed with the movie. I thought that the first movie stayed fairly true to the book, only eliminating a few details that could be covered up (my biggest beef with the first movie was the elimination of Madge and her friendship with Katniss). However, Catching Fire left out so many important things. Heavensbee showing Katniss his Mockingjay watch, Katniss finding the two District 13 girls out in the meadows, Cinna designing all of the wedding dresses for her to showcase as her hobby? Those were some of my favorite parts! I don't even know if I want to see the third movie now.

|| five ||

After being in this crazy polar vortex for the last few days (which, I have to admit, has turned me into a wimp -- this is what winter is supposed to feel like...), I am really excited for temperatures being in the 50's this weekend! Breaking out the dresses and boots for work, and just praying that for even a few minutes the sun will be shining!

What are y'all doing this weekend!?

5 on Friday!

What a week! Thank God it's Friday!

Here are the 5 things that made the top of my list this week...

|| one ||

My Hokies played their bowl game on New Year's Eve against UCLA. It was a sad, sad, sad game. Once Logan Thomas was out in the 2nd quarter, I became terrified of what next season holds for us as far as a QB is concerned. I hope Scott Loeffler has some magic trick up his sleeve for Mark Leal or whomever may be taking over for LT. If not, it is going to be a LONG season...

|| two ||

I have so many things to look forward to this month, the most important one being my trip to FLORIDA for my birthday! I cannot wait to trade my snowy view for this;

|| three ||

I am not a huge fan of NYE traditions. I just don't understand the hype. I rang in the new year just the way I like -- Chinese take out, binge watching 2013 recaps, and getting into bed by 11pm. Not only do I not love NYE, I'm also kind of a Grandma and can't stay up that late. Maybe there will come a time when I'll be excited for a new year, but that certainly wasn't this one!

|| four ||

I'm a little disappointed with the snow that is outside right now. All of the weathermen had predicted that #hercules would drop 12-18 inches of the white powder last night, and when I woke up, there were barely 6 inches. I was really looking forward to a snowday where I could sit in bed, drink coffee, and read all day instead of going to work. Did y'all get any snow?

|| five ||

I am still so in love with my hair from my blowout at the drybar last weekend. Yesterday I made my way into Sephora and purchased some of the products that they used on my hair in hopes that I can recreate the look (and the smell -- oh my goodness they smelled SO good) on my own!

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The true test will come this afternoon when I use them all before I go to work! I have to admit that I'm also shocked that the prices on these things were cheaper at Sephora than they were on Amazon, or at the salon. Here's to hoping that I can recreate the Mai Tai like they did in NYC!

|| six ||

I'm adding a 6th favorite part about this week because I can.

Alabama lost their bowl game.

#yourenotperfect

#yourejustliketherestofus

#nowyouknowhowitfeelstogetyourasskickedatabowlgame

I even stayed up late to finish watching the game. I never do that unless the Hokies are playing. Oh, also, Trevor Knight is a beast. That is all.

What were your favorite parts about this week!?

Link up with April and friends to share!

5 on Friday!

Linking up with Christina and friends for 5 on Friday!

|| one ||

Y'all, I had the best weekend ever last week. It involved nearly all of my favorite things; besties, college football, and bar hopping in NYC. When I left the city on Sunday morning, I just kept wishing that the weekend would never end. My Hokies took home the Commonwealth Cup for the 10th year in a row, Auburn had the most beautiful victory in the history of college football, and I had entirely too many Cranberry Vodkas. We went "sightseeing" at 1am, and ordered the most perfectly timed pizza in the world.

|| two ||

Momma and I picked out our Christmas trees last night! It is one of my favorite traditions to go to Stew Leonard's and drive the workers crazy trying to find the perfect ones. We got lucky this year, seeing as the rain was coming down and the tree area was pretty empty, and found our trees very quickly. Now, we can spend the weekend decorating the house and the trees!

|| three ||

The Sound of Music last night?

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So, I haven't watched it in it's entirety, but what I did see, I loved. While Carrie's acting skills may be sub-par, I thought that the singing was on-point, and I loved it. I can't wait to sit down and watch it from start to finish. Did any of you watch!?

|| four ||

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This little baby is finally mine. I took serious advantage of Cyber Monday and got 30% off. Now, I am impatiently waiting for it to ship, hopefully within the next week. I have been eyeing this bag for a LONG time, and I just couldn't resist the deal.

|| five ||

I joined a gym on Monday. I know that I really need to get my life together, especially during the holidays, so I found the perfect gym that I can literally walk to from work. My membership included a free 30 minute personal training session. On Wednesday I took advantage of that. It is Friday, and I literally cannot walk up and down the stairs. What a rude awakening that was. I have found an adorable little calendar that I've finally put a training plan into, starting on Sunday. While I am dreading getting back into a routine, I know that it will be the best thing for me come spring/summer!

The Blog Baton!

I am thrilled to be holding the Blog Baton today!

Join me on instagram as I share my day with everyone in the blogosphere!

Sound like fun? Head over to Mason's blog to sign yourself up!

Miscellany Monday.

Guys, I had the weirdest weekend ever.

Like, I am still laughing at what an epic disaster it was.

Okay, maybe Friday was really what killed me, but I went from having a jam-packed two days, to literally zero plans whatsoever.

It all started Friday morning when I put my pants on backwards. At 6:30 in the morning. I knew that my day was headed nowhere fast, but I finished getting ready and headed on my merry way. I was working in our Greenwich store (again) and had to meet one of the managers to pick up a key to the store at a nearby hotel. It took me an hour and a half to get to the hotel, which already put me a half hour late for work. The pouring rain and freezing temps didn't help much either.

By the time I finally reached the Avenue, parked, and walked up to the store, I already felt defeated. Little did I know that one of the other managers had given me the wrong alarm code for the store. Basically by 10am I had set off the alarm and the cops were trotting through the front door trying to figure out why I was breaking in.

Fantastic.

I also decided that it was a great idea to wear my Tory Burch Revas for a 2nd day that week, which I never do. By 6pm, my feet were bleeding, swollen, and I was just so cranky that I needed to get home ASAP. Thank goodness I had the weekend off.

Half of my plans ended up falling through for Saturday and Sunday (which ended up being a blessing in disguise). I had a leisurely lunch with Kristen to celebrate her birthday, and passing the NY BAR exam, and then treated myself to a mani/pedi with my Momma (and finally getting After School Boy Blazer). We made dinner, and I snuggled on the couch by the fire to read Catching Fire for the second time.

Yesterday I slept in until after 10:30 (I never do that anymore), and was utterly worthless for the remainder of the day. I don't think I got off of the couch for any extended period of time except to make meals, poke the fire, or walk the dog. I finished Catching Fire, got a little early Christmas shopping done, and finally relaxed. I certainly needed a low-key weekend like this, and I'm thankful that I could get some rest heading into a very busy week at work!

Please tell me that y'all had a more exciting (in a good way!) weekend than me!

5 on Friday!

Linking up with April and friends for Five on Friday!

|| one ||

Guys, it snowed this week. Snowed enough to make it stick to my back deck, and my car. And it was cold. It is always this time of year, before the holidays, but nearing the end of college football season that things just start to get yucky. These days are so short and chilly, and the snow at the beginning of the week certainly did not make matters any better! I'm thinking the remedy for this icky weather is a permanent large cup of Pumpkin coffee attached to my hand. I hope this heat wave comes soon!

|| two ||
I have caught up with so many of my college friends this week. These girls mean the world to me and I hate that I don't reach out to them as often as I should. The amazing part? We pick up right where we left off as if no time had passed. Weeks like these make me wish that I lived closer to all of them, or that we weren't spread all over the country! I definitely see some spring trips in the making! Memphis, DC, or Richmond, anyone!?

|| three ||
I am in desperate need of new pajamas. I've picked up a few here and there, but so many have gotten so old and ripped. Why oh why do the cute ones cost SO much money!? I'm lusting over these ah-dorable sets;

These J. Crew Jammies would be so perfect with a bright red monogram, right!? Maybe I'll add them to my Christmas list... (Hi, Mom!)

I just love these polka dot ones from Gap!

Okay, and these are just outrageous with a $1,200 price tag... I literally just laughed. I'm sorry, in what world is this acceptable!?


|| four ||
Peppermint Mocha Lattes have saved my butt this week. Maybe I have even added an extra shot every day. Maybe I have gotten two on occasion. Maybe I am just sleep deprived and need to get to bed earlier. I'm sure my bank account will thank me for that.

|| five ||

The Empire State Building was lit up the other night in Christmas colors. I'm not sure why so early, but it was so nice to stop and be reminded that the holidays really are right around the corner. I even walked by Lord & Taylor on 5th Avenue and noticed that they already have their windows decorated for the holidays. I LOVE Christmas in NYC!

Weekend Shenanigans: Besties Edition

Whenever I sit down to write these posts on Monday mornings, I always wish that I had taken more pictures throughout the weekend. Oops.

After a crazy week last week, I couldn't have been more thankful to have the weekend off. The timing was perfect, and I was so excited to be able to coordinate a bestie weekend revolving around Hokie Football, serious girl time, and entirely too much vodka.

We met in Greenwich on Friday night, picked up some dinner, and were in bed so early (#grandmastatus) knowing that we had a long day (aka HUGE FOOTBALL GAME) ahead of us. Early Saturday morning we had bottomless coffee, and ran errands until my bank account was seriously hurting (and I finally snagged this sweater at 10% off)! I even made it home with a brand new TV for my bedroom, and have finally been able to organize the disaster that was my room.

Saturday afternoon we baked these Cookies & Cream Rice Krispie Treats for the game. They are amazeballs, and actually turned out just like the picture on Pinterest;

Yum.

By the 7pm kickoff, we were more than anxious and ready for the game to begin. The weather in Miami looked like a typical Blacksburg day, and we knew that it would work to our advantage. There was so much screaming and yelling at the TV, but my Hokies played the best game of the season. The defense was practically flawless, and for the first time in a long, long, long time, so was our offense. No turnovers. No huge mistakes. I haven't been this happy with our performance in a while! We ate way too much pizza, drank way too many fruity drinks, and were utterly high on life by the time the game clock hit zero.

I love college football.

We topped off our night by snuggling in my bed watching replays from the game.
Does anyone else do that? Please, someone reassure me that this is normal behavior...

What did you do this weekend!?
Head over to Sami and Carissa's blog and link up!

5 on Friday!

Linking up with April and friends for 5 on Friday!!

|| one ||

This is my absolute favorite time of the year. The days are crisp, nights are chilly, and I just get to excited to gear up for the holiday season. There are so many things to look forward to, and all of that just makes me so darn happy!

|| two ||

I haven't been to the movies in almost 6 months. Literally. On Tuesday I saw Enough Said. It was adorable! I always forget just how much I love going to the movies until I get there. Usually when I watch movies at home, I'm passed out halfway through! This one was definitely a winner, and I highly recommend it!

|| three ||

I have been working at our Greenwich location a few days this week and it has been so much fun to see how other stores run their business, and what things I can bring back to my store to make us more successful. Also, Greenwich Ave has a Chipotle, so I am beyond excited to be eating it for lunch. Good thing I don't work here full time, I'd turn into a giant burrito!

|| four ||

The Hokies have quite possibly the biggest game of the year this weekend, and I am kind of terrified. This season hasn't quite turned out like I had expected (to be honest, we were a lot better than I predicted, until we played Duke and Boston College), but I have not been this nervous for a game all season! Josie is even coming up for the weekend so we can watch the game together and possibly indulge in too many Margaritas depending on which way the score goes...

|| five ||

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I just love this quote. Doesn't it just make you smile?

WILW: Fall TV

Fall seems to finally bring back my favorite trashy television. While Pretty Little Liars is on hiatus until January, there are tons of shows that I am most certainly loving this season!

Sundays:

The Amazing Race

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Mondays:

The Voice

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The Blacklist

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Anyone who hasn't watched this needs to stop what they're doing, turn on the television (or log onto NBC.com), and watch every episode so far this season. James Spader is brilliant, and the writers of this show have done amazing things. I'm obsessed!

Tuesdays:

The Voice

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Ravenswood

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Has anyone else watched this? I really love PLL (although I feel like it is becoming more and more ridiculous with each season), but I'm not 100% sure that I'm hooked on Ravenswood yet. Do I really need another TV show to be hooked on? I'm slightly terrified though (because this is what I do...), that they're going to have too many links between PLL and Ravenswood and I don't want to miss out!

The Biggest Loser

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True or false: Usually as I am watching this show, I down a large bowl of ice cream.
I can't help it. I know, I'm a terrible person.

Wednesdays:

Survivor

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Thursdays:

The Big Bang Theory

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Is this season funnier than all the others, or is it just me? I still watch clips from the episode of the amazing scavenger hunt all.the.time because it was just so funny!

The Millers

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Guys, this show is my life. Literally, I sit there in awe every single week because if my parents were to get divorced, this would actually be what would happen. My Dad could never use a SmartPhone (he still has a flip phone. It plays MP3s from the front. I wish I was kidding), and I can totally see my Mom crashing my brother's parties so she can have her nightly ice cream (sorry, ma).

Saturdays:

College Football.

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While I'm a little bitter about how the last few weeks have turned out for my Hokies, there is nothing better than waking up on a Saturday knowing that the day is full of college football. Whether it is VT, Ohio State, Penn State, that we're cheering for, or all the teams we are cheering against, there is something much more special about college ball than pro.

I can barely keep up with half of these, and most of the time find myself emptying my DVR on my days off. What are your favorite Fall TV shows!?