Fall Wreath Fail

So much going on in my life and in my head. I wish I could share it all with you! 

And no, I'm not pregnant! ...That I know of. Ask me in a couple days.

But I just wanted to say this...

My sweet baby fall wreath I made last year has made her appearance for this year! 

...And as I find myself finding that link for you I noticed something VERY important. 

Here's my girl last year, in all her glory...

And here she is this year...

Um. I know it's been a long year, but GIRL! I'm convinced she fell apart in the closet, or I had her on backwards, or something because she's all kinds of twisted & naked!

I am off to solve this mystery. 

You know, instead of doing my three service notes due in the morning.

Or finish my wedding video that I was really really really excited about.

Or go to bed because that's what I really should be doing.

This is my life and that's what I blog about. 

♥,

Nicole

Edit: Problem solved! I can sleep soundly tonight, as I won't have to dig in the closet for a flower that's not there. She was just put on backwards! She is still as beautiful as ever! And yes, my wreath's a she. I should really do those service notes. Also, I can't remember what I was going to blog about to begin with. {ADHD much?} It was obviously super important. Guess we'll never know.

3rd annual trip to the Southern Home Christmas Show

This past week I took a day off work and it wasn't a holiday! When your Mawmaw asks you to accompany her to the Southern Home Christmas Show, you go! It was just a plus that she wanted to go on opening day, which was a Thursday, and I got to have a mini breather in a crazy, crazy work week. {Of course when you take a day off work though, work piles up while you're gone! But it was so worth it to me to get to hang out with my Mawmaw, friend Tashah, and aunt Georgia!} Now, it was the first day, on a Thursday, and we got there about 11:00... and let me tell you, it was PACKED! We were trying to avoid the crowds. So much for that! But all in all, we had a great time! About 4 hours of walking around like cattle, looking at all the Christmas everything!! It was great!! Here's a couple pics from our day...

Entrance ... Preparing you for all the Christmas crazy!! :) 

Just a sign I liked :)

Here's a pic of the best jewelry cleaner ever! It's by Sunshine Products and I have seriously been thinking about this stuff for over a year! I got my jewelry cleaned there last year using the stuff, and for whatever reason didn't buy it. This year I was on a mission to find the stuff & get me some! There's actually two vendors there selling the stuff {same price, I checked} so you can't miss it! This stuff can even clean "costume jewelry" but O-M-G the polishing cream is a tarnish remover and makes a silver {or gold, or brass, or whatever metal} piece look brand spankin' new!

***Side note: There's a sweet wedding-related post coming about this stuff...Stay tuned!!!***

 And this was as low-carb as I could get at the Christmas show! I ate most of this chicken caesar spinach wrap and was STUFFED. It was alright, but hands down the healthiest thing there to eat! It was either that or a "puff," pizza, barbecue, cheeseburgers, etc. You get the idea. I don't know how many carbs this thing had, but if this was the worst thing I ate all day, I'm doing good!! :) Definitely not worth $7 though. They get ya on the food for sure!

I am so glad my dear friend Tashah got to get off work & come with us for the 2nd year in a row!! We probably said "this is cute!" a million times! Me & Mawmaw don't always have the same taste, so it's good to have another young'n there to oodle at sparkly Christmas things :)

And the award for the most awkward Christmas ornament goes to....the blingy merman soccer player with this shirt unbuttoned!!

This crazy unique ornament actually came from the December Diamonds [@DecDiamonds on Twitter] vendor, who I got a fab little blingy lanyard for my school badge for only FIVE DOLLARS!! Best deal I've ever seen on those things so now I finally have me one....go gets yours when you visit the show this year!

sorry for the bad pic..
and for the fact I threw  a blanket on top of me
instead of showing the lanyard on top of my pajama t-shirt :)

Ahhhh!! And here's the best hot chocolate ever!! It's from a little vendor out in Tennessee. They let you sample their double dutch hot chocolate, their white hot chocolate, and their other one that didn't sound nearly as good as double dutch or white chocolate hot chocolate... but nevertheless, I bought the double dutch last year & the white chocolate this year!! O-M-G.. for a coffee hater, this stuff hits the spot! You've gotta try it!

And last but not least, I got another ring this year! Every year I go and get a nice ring to wear all the time. The first year I got the white one. The vendor had free engraving on site which was amazing, and you can't tell from the pic, but there's an N engraved on the white ring. Last year I went back, looking for that vendor, and they were nowhere to be found. :( So I found myself another fab vendor, got me the turquoise ring and fell in love! You will 95% of the time see me wearing one or the other. I just had to get me another one this year! I looked at all the jewelry vendors, wasn't super thrilled, until I came across this vendor! Low & behold it was the same vendor from last year. I probably would have never guessed {just because my memory's so bad} but thanks to Tashah and her great memory for faces, she realized it was the same vendor! Also, while looking for a ring in my size, Tashah found a black ring {I had told her that's what I was looking for}in my size!! And guess what!! It's the same exact ring as my turquoise one!! I LOVE it!! :) Thanks Tashah!! I'm so glad you went!! 

We returned home with the simple reminder that it's not quite Christmas time yet. There were fall leaves all OVER Mawmaw & Pawpaw's yard!! I love it. Fall, stay forever!! But since I know you won't, Christmas coming right after makes it okay...I guess. :)

and I mean everywhere!

Sisters ~ Aunt Georgie & Mawmaw

My favorite lady!! ♥ MY MAWMAW ♥

I just love special trips and memories like that day. :) 

My DIY Fall Wreath

I've been meaning to do this since the beginning of September, but Fall starting speeding right past me & I felt like I almost missed it! I wanted to make a Fall wreath for Alex's front door. I say Alex's front door instead of mine because no one sees our front door & {almost} everyone in Lincolnton sees his. I loved my friend Danae's fall wreath and she said it was really easy to make. So off to A.C. Moore and Michaels we went to get the stuff to make it...

Everything here was about $21 and I didn't even end up using the bow, scarecrow people, or the two boutonniere looking thingys at the bottom-left of the pic. So I could have saved about $7 if I would have known. So about $14 total I spent on my final product!! Not bad for a personalized wreath you can use from September to Thanksgiving every year for a long time!! 

I am so glad I can start putting "M"s on things without judgment! I never did before, but sometimes you want to buy that really really cute thing on sale, but it has an initial on it, and you hope your initial changes in the near future, but don't want to be presumptuous and get your married initial before you're even engaged!  You know what I mean? 

Here is the final product hanging on Alex's front door! The white M shows up nicely from the road. I am impressed with myself. I'm the least crafty person I know! 

Unproductive Blogging Evening

Basically I just spent over an hour looking at blog layout sites, searching for the perfect Fall blog background.. just to realize that I was so anal about my blog in the past that NO blog layout will look right with the way I've set up my margins, etc. Everything's all jacked up if I change the background so, I guess I'm just going to leave my muted zebra background from Cutest Blog on the Block.  I still love it, but wanted something different for Fall!! I will have to do what I can with what I was given... Alex would be so proud!! ;) Haha

Speaking of ol' Al.. I saw this blog entry on Shabby Blogs' blog {during my major search}  and it explained EXACTLY how I feel about him/us right now in this very moment, so I'll quote her for you:

I believe in never giving up and always giving more.  I believe in always.  I believe in us...him and me...me and him.

EXactly. ♥

Happy September!!

Well, it's here! The beginning of my two favorite months of the year, September & October! They both tie for first place in my eyes. :) They begin the month of FALL, which is my absolute FAVORITE, and I look forward to September & October all. year. long! Unfortunately, football season has started...but I won't let that get me down!! ;) September brings back sooo many fond memories for me. September is a romantic month, didn't you know?! It's also a fun month AND it includes *M*Y*  *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!* Yep, that's right! This girl will be the BIG 2-4 this year & I am looking forward to it!

I'm gonna take a stroll down memory lane for a second if you don't mind. ;) September 2010 was good to me.

My best friend got MARRIED! Wasn't she GORGEOUS?!

Jodi & I spent long nights in class, surviving off Cheetos & Mountain Dew

The boyfriend took me to Gaffney for some $hopping & Outback for my birthday

My sweet residents decorated my door for my birthday

Maria, Tori, Me & Jonathan {The LR Resident Directors} celebrating!

"Panther's Game" in the rain with Alex...we never even made it in but we got this cute pic! :)

Now I look forward to this September SO much!! I start my new job & will get my first real paycheck!! I will celebrate my 24th birthday. I will feel the weather cool down and I will break out my cardigans! I will spend my Friday nights at hometown football games cheering on my baby cousin! I will keep exercising, drinking my Vi Shakes & losing weight! And I will see friends get married & others prepare for their upcoming big day! I am excited already! {Can't you tell?!}

OH! And I will definitely be thanking God for the day He made whoever invented the DVR. ALL MY SHOWS RETURN this month!!! The week of my birthday {September 21st by the way} is a big TV week. All the good shows return that week!!
Modern Family
Grey's Anatomy
The Office
Two & a Half Men - gonna check my man Ashton out on there...
How I Met Your Mother
The Big Bang Theory
...and others I am sure!! Makes it look like I watch a lot of TV, doesn't it? :/ Unfortunately most of my shows come on on Thursday nights, so I am again thanking God for creating whoever invented the DVR!

I am about to break out my FALL decorations! I have more Fall decorations than I have Christmas decorations...maybe, well, I don't know after last year's Christmas clearance sales. :)

Let the fabulous September begin!!!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I, like so many of you, am LOVING this weather!! My all-time favorite season is Fall and it is fast approaching, and you can tell!! I am loving these cooler days, cooler nights, the breeze blowing and not having to worry about so much dang humidity!! It's only a matter of time before all of the trees look {something} like this:

I. can. not. WAIT!!!!

I am loving {the idea of} Mello Yello Zero. Soft drinks account for so much of us Southerners' caloric intake, but we can't seem to shake it. I personally hate the taste of diet soft drinks. The taste of Mello Yello Zero isn't my favorite {nothing can compare to the real thing} but the idea of it makes me smile. I bought a 12-pack and am hoping to finish them before Christmas. ;)

I am loving all this TIME that I have. Oh wait...before I go there... I am loving the fact that I got a JOB! I don't think I've told you {blog followers} that yet! Yes, I got a job for the agency that I interned at this summer, Support Incorporated. I LOVE the company and everyone there so I can't wait to start working for them! I consider it all such a blessing. :)

I am loving Mary Kay's new Lash Love Mascara!! I thought our Ultimate Mascara was amazing... yeah, I don't think I've opened mine since I got the new Lash Love Mascara! That tells you something! You have GOT to try it! If you want to try it, let me know. It's $15 & comes in black & brown!  Email me at nicolesykes@marykay.com or order at www.marykay.com/nicolesykes.  Check out this before & after picture... {or, well the after & before picture}:

mypinkchic

The proof is in the photos! Try it for yourself! AND, Mary Kay is offering a Limited Edition Lash Love Bundle. The Lash Love mascara {in black} with an Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover {best stuff ever} with an eyelash curler for $30! I'm not gonna lie...the mascara's $15 and the eye makeup remover's $15- so if you buy both you get a free eyelash curler!! Not bad though considering these are two amazing products!!

What are you loving this Wednesday?

Side note: I'm such a geek but I wish more of my friends blogged. :)

Happy Halloween!

As you know, I'm not a big Halloween fan. I don't think I'd ever spend personal money on buying Halloween decorations. Now Fall is a completely different story and if you know me or you've seen my apartment, you know money is well spent on Fall decor. ;) But Halloween...nope! Not so much! I can see you decorating the weeks up until Halloween, but that would overshadow my beloved Fall, leaving Fall only to be decorated from Halloween to Thanksgiving- which is just not acceptable. {OMG I'm starting to sound like Sheldon on Big Bang Theory. Side note: Alex and I watched a whole disc of that tonight! I am LOVING that show! Thanks Maria!}

Anyways, this makes year #2 I've been living in the dorms during Halloween, so, celebrate it a little bit I must! This is the 2nd year we have had a Halloween party in the building, so I had to dress up as SOMEthing! I didn't want to spend any money on it, or at least didn't want to spend upwards to $20 on something. Last year I bought a "mummy" t-shirt on clearance at Wal-Mart to wear to the party...

{Miss you Keenan!}

But this year, I wasn't too sure of what to do. I got some great ideas from friends on Facebook- but the best {cheap} idea of all came from an employee at Maiden High School {where I'm doing my school counseling practicum}.

For a total of $4 I bought a black t-shirt on clearance at AC Moore and a scrap of fabric at Wal-Mart and made my Halloween costume.

Add a little black shimmer eyeshadow I had in my collection & voilà! I was a "black eyed pea" this Halloween!!

The Halloween party was a definite success. ... It wasn't all what RAC {who planned the party} had planned but I tried to warn them it wouldn't. We did get smart though & have a $50 raffle at the end to entice residents to stay until the end! We had a good number of residents come in costumes too...so that was awesome! Here's some pics from the night's event.

My fabulous RAs that dressed up!

My OTHER RAs who said their costumes were abstract! LOL

Isenhour Staff :)

Andres the pirate!

Shelby, the cutest little flapper!

Best costume = Ricky Bobby

{Yep, I Picniked a picture on Facebook! Don't know what Picnik is? Definitely search for it on Facebook!} PS- Do you see Baby's jester "outfit"??? That's all she'd allow...so that was good enough for me!

Extreme Air

Lenoir-Rhyne often times hosts cool events on campus, and this was one of them! Extreme Air Tour came to campus and I really really wanted to try it! It's actually a wind tunnel that simulates sky diving under winds of about 125 mph! Tori and I made our way to the stadium parking lot, signed our lives away, and tried it out. It was so much fun! So glad I tried it!

I love how they are holding onto me by the side of my outfit. So secure... haha

how awesome!

If you click the pic to zoom in, you can see that my face is about to fly off!

It's Fall Y'all!

If you have been around me long enough lately, you have heard me say that Fall is my FAVORITE time of the year! There's something so peaceful and romantic even about beautiful colorful leaves, cooler air, and cute boots & scarves! Not to mention what mine & Alex's Friday nights have consisted of....high school football! His cousin, Matthew, plays for North Lincoln, and my cousin, Nick, plays for Lincolnton {where Alex & I went to high school}. Poor North Lincoln is having a bad year, but our Lincolnton Wolves are undefeated right now! Hoping to watch Nick and the Wolves go all the way to State! :) My grandmother bought this cute Lincolnton Wolves garden flag from a lady in town...I LOVE it! Makes me feel home sweet home!

There aren't any big Lincolnton Wolves flags, so Mawmaw is taking it upon her self {with the help of the fabulous Hilda} to make her own! She had Pawpaw DRAW the wolf, then bought the fabric, and then Hilda is making the rest happen with her mad sewing skills! I can't wait to see the end result!

Now, I hit Rite-Aid up last year at the end of Autumn for all their SUPER cheap leftover Fall decorations! Seriously like $1 here, 50 cents there! Needless to say, I racked up! And because I did...my apartment looks like this:

That last one really isn't Fall-y, but, I LOVE it. It obviously stays up all year. :)

And just for fun I'll throw in a couple random recent pics since Facebook's being sketchy...

Look who I found at North Lincoln's homecoming game! My newly married bestie, Caroline! :)

And Lenoir-Rhyne's homecoming was the next day & LR does fireworks on Homecoming night, so Alex & I made sure to catch them again this year! {We always fail at taking pics of us in front of the fireworks as they are big & pretty...maybe one day we'll master that trick!}



Can we just do a recap from last year's homecoming fireworks??

Yeah I THOUGHT Alex was wearing the same shirt again. Now this just proves it! ;) Haha!! Look how different my hair looks!! I am forever changing my hair! Speaking of, I have an appointment this Thursday. Can't decide if I wanna keep it blonde or go back dark for the ♥Fall♥...