Halloween Dilemma

Happy Mischief Night!!

Happy Almost Halloween Night!!

So you know I'm a sub and sometimes I get a call to work the night before.  Thank God I got the call tonight and not tomorrow at 6 am.  Being a sub sometimes puts you in a strange position.  You aren't really a member of the school but you are there a lot and should participate in the school culture.  Since Halloween falls into the category of school culture, I think I should dress up.  So my dilemma comes now.  I've never been a fan of slutty clothes to begin with and I am never one to wear them on Halloween.  (Last year I was Miss Dolly Parton)  So now I have a dilemma.  What do I wear?  I can't run out and get a costume because all the good ones will be picked over and no one wants to go as this was the last thing Target had so I had to buy it.  Secondly, the World Series is on and I don't wanna run to Target to get a Halloween themed shirt.  Plus, on Mischief Night they only have the sizes XXL and XXS...and I am neither of those sizes.  Also, I don't wanna be that boring teacher who wears teh black sweater with the orange scarf.  She's no bueno and people probably think she's "ugly and boring.  And you button are none of those things," (Legally Blonde quotes...always applicable)  Unfortunately, I quickly eliminated my spirit animal Dolly Parton but, you can't walk around with Dolly's eh hem twins at school...you could poke an eye out!  So I went to choice number 2:  Real Housewife of NJ.  Sparkly dress?  Check!  Loubs?  Check!  Teased Big Hair?  Um...duh check!  But alas, table flipping is inappropriate for children.  Option 3:  Carrie Bradshaw.  The title of her iconic feminist show eliminates that one.  Teen Mom:  Probably shouldn't bring up the inappropriate, yet topical and PSA worthy, topic of teen pregnancy.  Choice 4:  Honey Boo Boo.  I think I'd need a little more than 12 hours to create the masterpiece that would be Honey Boo Boo in all her costume glory.  So now I move to my spirit animals:  Jackie O and Kate Middleton.  Do I own enough preppy clothes to pull them off?  Absofreakinglutely!  But, alas, I'm a blonde.  Halloween is the only time I wish I was a brunette.  My costume choices would be so easy!! I'd be Jackie every year!  Katniss?  Nope, no weapons in school.  (And really, is Katniss half as cool if you can't bring the quiver?)  Daisy Buchanan?  No, can't be a flapper in 5th grade.  Elin Woods?  Nope, even though I have the costume I don't think marital infidelity is a school appropriate topic.  Now I'm left with my favorite movie of all time:  Legally Blonde.  If anyone is my spirit animal it's Elle Woods.  I don't have enough time to tell you why she is my life idol.  Elle is the easiest costume to create at 8:00 the night before.  I'm going to wear my pink tweed Lilly skirt, a pink overcoat, my pink Kate Spade bag, nude pumps, and I'm debating between my Harvard tee and my pink sweater...decisions decisions.

I'm going to wear this to my class tomorrow night, too!!  Get ready assistive tech!  Elle Woods is here!! P.S. I'm bringing candy!  I'm not as much a Halloween fan as I am a December/Christmas is soon fan!  Also, I hope I get to eat some treats tomorrow!!


Well, wish me luck everyone!!


Happy Halloween,

Elle<3

Halloween 2012!

Where My Girls At?!

Do you remember that song?  It was a late 90's-early 2000's jam that I came to love during my awkward pre-tween years at dance.  This was one of the songs the "big girls" danced to.  By "big girls" I mean they were 13 and I was 11.  I wasn't in the much adored "big girls" class...yet.  (For any of you interested I became a "big girl" at age 12)   Anyway, I just enjoyed a mucho needed Zumba class with Stef.  The class kicked our booties and I just felt totally off.  It took me a few dances to get into my Zumba groove, eventually I got there though.  Anyway, as I looked around my Zumba class I couldn't help but notice:  Where The Boys At??  Zumba, like most of my favorite lifeventures, is a very Girl Power typa thang.  Hmmmm...

In keeping with the Girl Power life weltenschauung I have working for me I realized something.  People are always telling ladies where to meet gentlemen and this got me thinking...maybe women need to back off the Sacagawea explorer band wagon and let the gentlemen find us.  I know, I know, men are terrible with directions and they'd never find us ;) So this can just be a fun little list about the places gentlemen could go to find ladies if they so chose.  These happen to be my favorite places...just saying...

1) Zumba.  This is a room full of senoritas dancing and shaking to Latin beats.  Who wouldn't want to scour this place for chicas?  Guys you're already at the gym working on your fitness, why not try a little Zumba.  Senoritas love senors who can boogie...just saying...

2) The Ballet.  Okay, this place is chocked full of single ex-ballerinas.  The ballet is naturally romantic, boys all you have to do is just show up and throw in these 3 little words:  tondu, passe, and tour jete.  You don't really even have to know what these mean.  Just say them and the patrons will think you know what's going on.  (Think about when girls memorize words like catalytic converter, axel, and Xbox...we don't care what they mean, we just wan to impress you)

3) Pilates.  Most of the ladies who go to Pilates are again, ex dancers.  Plus, Pilates is surprisingly a very sexy form of exercise.  *Note I did not put striprobics on this list....no bueno senoritas*

4) Barnes & Noble.  Ahhhh my own personal Heaven.  Ladies venture to B&N because, as Carrie Bradshaw, Queen of all things dating, says about Book Heavens, Book Heavens, "house all the best love stories."  Ladies are suckers for love stories.  Even feisty feminists like yours truly quiver in the knees when they read a well written love story.  B&N also houses the Children's Literature section and the Biography/History section. Of these two, I am a frequent patron.  These are easy places to strike up a conversation with a lady.  It also lets you bypass all of the awkward small talk and creepy pick up lines and go right for the meat.  Try "Hey, are you a big fan of (fill in author/subject/character...do not say movie)?"  And you're in...it's like a secret code girls have (Elf reference!!  3 days until I can watch that movie)

5) The Mall.  Gentlemen, I can't stress this enough:  Ladies love the mall.  Why?  Oh I don't know, they sell shoes there?!  All you have to do is wander the mall on a Saturday or Sunday and you will see swarms of ladies there.  All you have to do is ask our opinion on something for your MOM (Side note-ladies lerve giving their opinion on anything...especially clothes.  This is seen as a compliment because secretly you have told us that you like our outfit without creeping us out!  Mazel Tov!  NEVER just ask our opinion on a sweater or necklace because we will assume it's for your girlfriend.  Always lead with "I'm picking a birthday present out for my mom_______________".  P.S. we won't care if you are fictitiously celebrating your mom's birthday, we'll forgive you because we'll think it was sweet.

6)  Cupcake or Specialty Dessert Stores.  Here is some Erin Kitley math at it's finest.  This is like the commutative property.  Girls are A.  Cake is B.  Boys are C.  Girls Love Cake.  If boy buy girl cupcake, girl loves boy.  A+B=C.  B=B+C.  Tada!!  MATH.  BOOM.

7)  Baseball Games.  (Any sporting even will do, but this girl likes baseball best)  If any girl is at a baseball game with her girlfriends you need to wife her up.  Girls who like sports are winners.  Girls who like sports also eat boneless buffalo wings and cake.  You want a girl who will hold her own in an eating contest.


Alrighty fraaaands, this is just a small list of places where gentlemen can meet quality ladies.  Ladies, I hope you echo my feelings about these places and feel free to add your own.  I think we need to redirect the idea that women should go to certain places to find gentlemen.  Gentlemen need to pick up the slack!!  :)


Have a Marvelous Monday,

Er

Rocking My New Zumba Swag!
*I know I dislike ladies who dress up for the gym but I got this on sale at a little French boutique you may have heard of called, Tarje?  Aka Target for all you Americans who butcher the French language.  Phoebe Buffay, ladies and gentlemen.  

Sunday Funday

Heyyyyy!!

      Happy Sunday!  Raise your hand if you don't want it to be Monday tomorrow!  *This girl is raising her hand*  I'm actually on Fall Break now from TCNJ.  However, Fall Break in grad school means you still have to edit a paper, read three articles and six chapters, and collect your thoughts for your jigsaw.  Plus, it means I still have to go to work.  I do love working though so that doesn't really count.  Anyway, enough complaining, my life's pretty fab.

    Today our family continued the long lasting Kitley Sunday Tradition of attending 10 am Mass, brunch, shopping, and concluding our day with some shopping.  Last week we discovered The Robin's Nest in Mt. Holly and we are hooked!  Last Sunday I had oatmeal raisin pancakes with strawberries and a mimosa.  The place is adorable!!  Think Victorian mixed with country.  Today Deb and I had Nutella Waffles.  O.M.G. Foodgasm!  I loved every minute of them.  They tasted like what I envision happiness to taste like.  Fantabulous, y'all!!

Deb & Me & Mimosas!

Nutella Waffles...OMG

Daddy In The Big Chair.
We may have done a little 3 Little Bears here...


Next, we went to Target for a little Halloween candy shopping and came across THESE GEMS!

Geishas Anyone?

I talked myself out of buying all of these Christmas Albums...
Self Control is Only Buying Michael Buble's Christmas Album

I have a confession to make.  For the past two days I have been listening to Christmas Jams and watching ABCFamily Christmas Movies on Netflix.  I also may or may not have added the ABCFamily 25 Days of Christmas lineup to my Lilly Pulitzer Agenda...

Then I saw the 2013 version of Skipper.  Skipper was blonde in my day kiddos.  Chelsea's name was also Kelly....hmmmmmm Mattel.....Is the 2013 Skipper gothic?  Idunno but in my day Whitney had brown hair...Skipper was blonde...P.S. Midge was also randomly at Target.  Midge, whereyabeen the past 40 years?

After Target Funday I had to return to reality because App Reviews won't write themselves honey.  I also may or may not have rewarded myself with ABCFamily's Holiday in Handcuffs.  :)  Pretty fab day!

Alrighty, I'm getting ready for bed so I can watch Hocus Pocus and The World Series.  Go Cards!  Have a Happy Last Day of The Weekend!!

xoxo,

e

Who You Gonna Call???

Ghostbusters!!!!

Boo!  So this past weekend was super fun!  On Saturday night my roomie, Cara (Even though we *sadly* no longer are roomies, I will always refer to her as my roomie because for 3 years she was not just my friend...we were roommates!  *Inside joke*)  Anyway, Cara's become part of our crazy family and so she, my dad, and I ventured in Philly for a ghost tour!  *Deb didn't want to come because she was afraid of ghosts attaching themselves to her) If you've read my blog, you know that I've gone on a few ghost tours in New Orleans and I loved them!  NOLA ghost tours are cool because everyone down there believes the ghostly tales!  Here in Philly, and the Northeast in general, we are more skeptical of the paranormal and life in general.  We like our world concrete.  We like to see everything and if we can't touch it we don't believe it.  NO. GHOSTS. ALLOWED.  Annnnnnyyyywayyyy, I love ghosts!  I have even seen a few.  I've always believed in ghosts.  I think it stems from my Catholic upbringing.  I know, I know, Catholics and ghosts are a total dichotomy but let me explain.  When I was little I always believed in Guardian Angels and their ability to help you out in life.  I always believed that Guardian Angels can look down and see you.  I know that my grandparents are my Guardian Angels and I can talk to them whenever I want.  I always believed in that very thin line between the real world and Heaven.  Also, you can't ever destroy
an energy.  People are energy+you can't destroy energy=ghosts are real.  Erin Kitley logic and science there for ya kids.

After extensive research (eh hem dorky Type-A personality for ya) I decided to book us spots on the Spirit of '76 Ghost Tour.  The other tours had guides in kitschy costumes, capes, and lanterns.  Our guide wore a Temple kamikaze looking hat.  That's legit folks.  So we started out on our 90 minute tour through Old City and stopped at several haunted places.  For the full info see:  http://www.spiritsof76.com  We learned all about the hauntings of several famous Philadelphia sites including Carpenter's Hall, Independence Hall, City Tavern, and Old Pine Street Cemetery to name a few.  It was really creepy and I had so much fun throughout the whole thing!  The weather was perfect ghost touring weather.  It was crisp and cool and perfect for ghost touring!!  It wasn't very scary, I prefer my ghost tours a little bit scarier.  However, I did learn a lot of cool Philadelphia history.  History Dorks For The Win!!!  (P.S. we scored sweet glow stix!)



Happy Hauntings,

Erin


Here are a few of my favorite pics from the night:

Roomie Love!!
Peacoat:  Old Navy
Scarf: Gap
Purse: Kate Spade
Glove: Target
Jeans: Jessica Simpson
Boots: Target
Watch: Michael Kors
Earrings: Tiffany & Co.

Charlie's Angels Ghost Busters

Daddy (or the Green Monster) and Me Before The Tour

Ghost Busters!

Orb In The Tree By Carpenter's Hall

Ghost In the Upper Right Window!

At The Pine Street Cemetery...Look at the creepy apparition on the right...

Oh Hey Ghost That's Just Casually Walking Across The Camera's Lens

Physick House

That Lamp Post Blew Out As Soon As The Guide Started Talking About The Ghosts In Washington Square

Liberty Bell!

Phlying Ghostly Orbs

Friday Favorites!

Hola!  Happy Friday!  Woot Woot!  Okay I have seen this on a couple blogs and I love the idea of Friday Favorites!  One thing I love to read about on other blogs are what other bloggers love.  So here is a short list of my new favs for the week!

1)  Panera's Pumpkin Bagel with Cheesecake Cream Cheese. OMG!  Died and went to Heaven!  I only allow myself to eat one a week because it really is THAT GOOD!  I'd eat it everyday all day.

2) C9 workout gear from Target.  I can't get enough of the cute colors and styles!  If you're like me at all you love Lulu Lemon but at $100 a sweatshirt it's too pricey for this grad student.  Target's C9 does a pretty good job of creating similar styles in bright bright colors at 1/10 the cost.  Today I got two C9 workout tops (for Zumba) at they were about $6.00 a piece.  *Bought them on clearance but still....*

3) Gap Wine colored khakis.  As I'm standing outside for a fire drill today while subbing, I realized my ankles were faaareeeezing!  I looked down and realized that it is the end of October and I'm still trying to pass off my crops as pants.  Not okay at all.    It's too cold for that nonsense.  So after work I went to Gap to buy some pants.  To my delight Gap was having a 30% off everything including sale/clearance Sale and you'll be happy to know that I now am the proud owner of pants.  I'm a huge clothes lover, yet I seem to have always forgotten that I need nice work pants...Thank you once a week practicums.  I need pants for subbing and my upcoming student teaching.  I have so many ideas as to what I want to pair them with.  I'm thinking my embellished Old Navy sweatshirt and a collared top.  I think that will be super cute and preppy!

4)  Jason Aldean's Night Train

5) The World Series...obvi...I'm a baseball girl!  I'm cheering for the Cards!

6) The upcoming Christmas Season!

7) Colorful skirts, nude tights, brown riding boots, and black sweaters.  Loving this look!  I'm gonna post pics of my favorite combinations of this.  New Fall FAV!

8) Thrice weekly Girls' Nites!  Y'all know this girl will never turn down a Girls' Nite so when the opportunity came for not one, not two, but three Girls' Nites...you know I jumped on it!  I went to dinner with a few friends on Tuesday, Captain Phillips with Amanda on Wednesday for a late nite movie fix (this was fab!  Not our usual chick flick, tear tear, but a really good drama...Go see it!  I recommend it!) and tomorrow Cara, Daddy, & I are going on the Spirit of '76 Ghost Tour!

9) Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Almond Milk.  SO. GOOD. TASTES. LIKE. ICE. CREAM.

10) My Collaboration & Communication Class.  Great professor.  Great friends.  Great topic.  Great information.  Can a girl ask for more?

11) Rowing Machine.  I love my new gym!  I will write why shortly but I just love it so much!  I love the rowing machine!  I've never used one before but it is tres facille!  It is a crazyfab workout y'all!  I recommend it!  It's great for cardio, legs, and arms!

12) Subbing!  I lerve my job!

13) Almost finished America's Queen.  I'm a HUGE/GIGANTIC/CRAZED/OBSESSED Jacqueline Kennedy superfangirl!  I wrote my Senior Thesis on the topic, Jacqueline Kennedy:  A Weapon of Soft Power and this tome is just the icing on the cake!  I love Jackie and her ability to turn around the American beauty empire and how she jump started America's fashion capital.  I've read the beginning of this book about 5 times in my research career, but I never got to read the part about what happens after Jack.  (ie comes after Jack right?  Such a huge dork!  If you got that goofy joke I heart you.  I do know, but I've never read it from this author before)

14) Apple Cider Wine.  Just. Da. Lish.

15) Selena Gomez & Rashida Jones standing up for the good girl!  Good girls are where it's at!

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!  I can't wait to tell you all about my upcoming ghost tour!

xoxo,

Erin

Zumba: My Kinda Tough Love

     Today I'm blogging because it involves my favorite activity at this moment:  sitting.  My legs are on Fiyah!! Today was one of those days where you just go, "Erin, you're a smart girl.  You're an active girl.  Why, dear God why, would you select today to be Leg Day when it's already Zumba Day?  Oh that's right, you needed a good booty kicking."  Exercise is that swift kick in the booty that I need every day.  Ever since I was turned on to Zumba almost 2 months ago, (by my dear friend Stef) I was hooked.  I was not talented at Zumba when I first started.  I am getting better now, (thanks to hours of watching merengue on Youtube :)) but it still kicks my booty!  I have never worked harder, sweated more, or loved working out more in my life!

     Exercise is something I need in my everyday life.  Even if I'm super duper buzzzy I still make time to at least put a song on and dance for 3-3:30 minutes.  I just need it!  I don't feel good if I haven't exercised every day.  Some days I don't feel like it at all (those are the days I whip out the Big Guns...Destiny's Child's Bootylicious I'm talking to you) but I just try it and usually I get into my groove.  Today's Zumba was no different.  Stef asked if I wanted to go early and stretch out before class.  I love a good stretch sesh so I agreed.  Well, when we got to the gym we decided we would do some leg work before class.  Well I whipped out a full set of lunges with a medicine ball, squats on an half balance ball, and sumo squats.  Not smart.  Then, we went to Zumba.  Zumba kicks my booty!  I love the group fitness atmosphere because I like the competition.  I'm a very competitive person and I like to compete against myself.  (Probably why I love dance so much) I just dance my little heart out and then die.  After the second song (including the warm up...womp womp womp) I looked over to Stef and mouthed, "We're idiots!"  Doing legs before Zumba is not smart kids.  Buuuuuuut, it was the kick in the booty I needed to get myself out of my Monday Drearies.  I read on one of my favorite blogger's sites that the first 2 miles are always the hardest and after you run them you know that you can run forever.  That was exactly what I needed.  When I go to Zumba (or any workout really) I just let everything go.  This is hard for me because I am a person who is always in her head.  It's not easy to stop thinking, but Zumba just lets me breathe.  Ironic because I never get a chance to catch my breath while I'm Zumbaing.  Sometimes we all just need that swift kick in the booty to center you.  I'm thankful for Zumba and I know I will NOT be thankful for the inevitable leg throbbing I will experience tomorrow.

I will leave you with this quote by Voltaire because I think it encompasses all that is good in my two favorite hobbies.

“Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”

Until next time (which may be soon because I may not be able to walk...),

Erin

A Night At The Ballet

Bonjour mon amis,

This weekend has be caraayzzzy!  Crazy but fabulous!  Dylan came home from JMU for our high school's homecoming and I had a bunch of fun friend things to do.

My first love has always been dance, ballet in particular.  I was always in love with dancing and ballet, you know how some parents force their kids to do an activity they despise?  That for me was soccer and swimming.  Dance was always number one in my heart.  I danced for 18 years, worked the front desk at my studio for 5 years, and taught for 2 years.  It was the best college job ever!  I really miss my job since my studio closed.  But this year one of my old ballet friends (we've been friends for 19 years!) introduced me to Zumba and I fell in love with dance again.  I  have never done Latin dance before August 29 and let me tell you, it's not ballet!  It's really different, but I'll talk about that later.  So we decided to go see a ballet in Philly at the Academy of Music this fall.    I always like going to the Academy of Music because not only is it beautiful and have a storied history, but I feel like my Woman Crush, Jacqueline Kennedy.  There is a funny quote JFK told one of his advisors in regards to asking Jackie to go to a political function that she didn't want to attend and she begrudingly agreed.  JFK's advisor asked him how much it cost him to get her to go to the function and he said, "Worse, I had to buy two tickets to the ballet."  I always thought this was funny because boys hate the ballet!  *I don't know why because there were tons of hot girls here.  Guys, the ballet is Mecca.  Ex-dancers by the dozen, hello!  Does it get better?)  We saw Jewels.  Jewels is a plotless full length, 3 act ballet.  The first act is Emeralds, the second act is Rubies, and the final act is Diamonds.  Each act features different principals, corps, and composers.  The costumes were tres belle!  Each act is focusing on a different strength of the dancers.  We loved all parts of the ballet! Rubies was our favorite because it was fun and light hearted.  Diamonds had the best costumes though!  (Unfortunately, no photos can be taken of the performance so I can't share with you)

Whenever dancer friends go out, we always run into other former dancers.  Dancers are easy to spot when you're out.  If you were a dancer you can tell another dancer by the way they stand.  Dancers usually stand in first position when they are resting.  You can also tell a dancer from a non-dancer when they drop something on the ground.  If dancers are wearing pants they will bend over and pick up the item while keeping a perfect ponche.  Dancers also always make up 80% of any given ballet's audience.  *The other 15% of the population is dancer's husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, siblings, others held against their will*  So we sit down and the woman next to us starts talking to us about dancing and one thing leads to another and we find out that she is also a teacher (score for both Stef and me because we're both teachers and teachers-to-be) and now she teaches dance on the weekend.  After a few minutes of talking about past dance classes, shows, exhibitions, she sealed her fate as a dance friend forever by saying she despises Govna Christie.  Win!  Can you say new BFF??  She was there on date night with her hubby and he told us they had been together for 14 years and this is the first ballet he took her to.  How precious?  I want my husband to take me be forced to go for my birthday when I grow up!

At every ballet you are going to inevitably run into people who "got tickets for my birthday/anniversary/from a neighbor" and have no interest in seeing a ballet.  These are people that inevitably end up sitting near me ALL THE TIME!  These people crack the jokes when do they start talking?  and You can see the strings that are holding them up.  Not funny.  These are overused jokes.  If they weren't funny 600 years ago when they originated, they aren't going to be funny now.  Spare yourself the awkward silence and keep those jokes to yourself.  The people behind us were these people.  They were a young couple, probably 23, and they didn't get it at all.  The boyfriend kept asking, "What's going on?  What's the plot?  I don't get it."  Ummmm, yea, hi, there is no plot to this ballet.  It tells you that on page 2 of your Playbill.  Sigh.  Then his girlfriend one upped him and decided to take her shoes off.  Yup, took her shoes right off and was barefoot.  Then she outdid herself and asked her boyfriend for a foot message.  I. CAN'T. EVEN.

Anyway, after the ballet, we bid adieu to our new dancer friend and thankfully will never see uncultured swine that were our neighbors, we headed over the 6 blocks to The Melting Pot for some treats!  Earlier that week I made reservations for 2 for the Melting Pot.  Well, I think they thought this was a date.  When we sat down at our table (and by table I mean cozy corner booth  designed for snuggling/canoodling) we noticed there was a pink pair of tongs and a blue pair of tongs.  We were like yup, yup, we're at the date booth!  We both decided that we'd be lucky to have each other and have done worse :)  We ordered the Original Chocolate Fondue.  Hooooo man was it dalish!  I mean total foodgasm.  We devoured that dish.  It tasted like what yoga pants feel like--amazing, cozy, and perfect.

We also got a really good price on parking...always a double win!  While I'm always a die hard Phils girl, and I love me a good trip to Geno's, I think people always forget the cultural side of Philadelphia.  The city really does have so much to offer in terms of culture and history and more people should take advantage of it.  I think we're going to try and go see The Nutcracker again in December!



Au revoir,

Erin

The Academy of Music Philadelphia

The Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra

Stef & me

Playbill

Dance Friends!
OOTD
White tank: Old Navy
Black Cami: Express
Necklace/Bracelet:  LOFT
Skirt:  Zara
Shoes: Christian Louboutin 

The Most Beautiful Ceiling EVER

Wings!

Yummy Chocolate

Ballet May Be My First Love, But Chocolate is My Second

Note Stef's pink tongs

We Cleaned House

Fondue Met Its Match

My Camera Thinks I'm A Ghost

Happy After Chocolate

We're So On A Date

Virginia is For Leapers?

So last weekend was a blasty blast!  We spent it in Virginia visiting my little brother at college.  It's weird to visit your baby brother at college (especially when you yourself on have a few short months before you will no longer be a college kid/grown up/in between).  I was no on my Super Type A game and forgot a toothbrush, toothpaste, and my flip flops.  The hotel was nice enough to give me a prison grade toothbrush until we could make it to Target in the am.


Friday was crazy because we drove through The Monsoon To End All Monsoons...seriously I was waiting for an ark.  After a 7 hour car ride we picked up Dylan and went to sleep.  Saturday was a super fun day!  I wore my southfit (Southfit:  noun, an outfit worn in theme with the south.  Think cowboy boots, plaid button down shirt, and skinny jeans.  Sentence:  Fern, take off that southfit you look ridiculous and this isn't the time for a costume!)  If you were wondering, that was an actual sentence Dylan spoke.  But I love a theme and the southfit was worn much to Dylan's chagrin.  It was raining so I had to swap my cowboy boots for my hawt pink Huntah Wellies (that's to be spoken in a British accent because Hunter's are from England...naturally they're classier).  But did I get upset?  Goodness No!  (Pete the CATTTT FTW...sorry I was subbing yesterday and read that book a few times.  Love him)  I love my Wellies and take any/every/all excuse to wear them.

Dylan goes to a much bigger school than my beloved TCNJ.  His school has about 20,000 undergrads.  They even have a football team with actual human fans...I'll let you pick up your chins after this one.  I've never actually seen any non-family member football fans at TCNJ.  I went to one game when I was a frosh and I felt like I didn't belong there because I wasn't related to anyone on the team.  After the shock and awe that comes with actual football fans and seeing people and students who are sporting their JMU sweatshirts/tees/shorts/etc (this is beyond unheard of at TCNJ, we only wear our "Bookstore Outfits" as unknowing freshman.  So we realize the Er of our ways and hide them deep in the recesses of our closet, only to be worn again when we are visiting our home towns.  We only wear them in our hometowns as not to be confused with townies...i.e. people that never left) we went to the mall.  Yup, you can take the family out of Jersey but you can't Jersey out of the family.  We walked around, sat on a tractor, bought Dylan things, then, the best thing ever happened!  I noticed a bungee cord meets trampoline contraption!!  $5 for 3 minutes?!  Can you say best deal ever?!  I paid my money and jumped til my little heart was content!  I flipped, I toe-touched, I was 10 years older than the other patrons, I didn't care!  That was a freaking blast!!  The best night ever!  I did get a little woozy bouncing around like that for a few minutes though.


After this we went to my fav place for dinner.  I'm obvi a super classy, super formal person and insisted we go to Texas Roadhouse.  This place has the best margaritas, barbecue chicken (except for Squeal's in NOLA) and mashed potatoes.  But the real reason anyone goes here is the bread and cinnamon sugar butter!  Toooo DIE FOR!! (Plus I IG'd a pic of my drink and Texas Road House commented on it!  Some people dream of their fav celeb tweeting them back or IGing them back...not this girl.  Texas Road House made my life!)

Next was a dance party in the hotel room while watching the Cardinals game.  Pretty fun night.  Sunday was a long day.  I will claim to be a traveling princess.  I don't like long car rides.  They're not for me.  I probably wouldn't mind driving alone for the 6 hours from JMU to NJ but alas I ride all squished up passenger style.  I think I'm 12 sometimes (if you couldn't deduce that from my trapeze work mentioned above, and I bring a ton of things to entertain myself.  I'm talking movies, iphone, ipod, computer, magazines, books...the list goes on.)

I also got a new JMU sweatshirt!  Hot pink, thankyouverymuch!

Well, I'm going to leave you with some pix of the weekend because I am off to the ballet.  Yes yes I'm quite the dichotomy, the Texas Road House loving, southfit wearing, 12 year old also loves the ballet!

xoxo,

E

awkward car selfie

tying a tie...this is press

Oh you know, just casually riding a tractor...in a mall

Love seeing my Birds repped in VA...P.S. this wouldn't happen in NJ

The picture of all that is evil in the world.  Grown up Camo Crocs

Oh you know just jumping in a mall

Because I'm 22 and that's how we do

Miss Patti would be proud of my pointed toes

Working Up The Courage To Flip 

Flipping Out

Pro Status

Medalled in Mall Flipping

Dance Partayyyy!

Every time I leave a hotel room and
see an open hallway I expect the Grady Twins to
be there...

Southfit!
Jeans:  Jessica Simpson
Boots: Hunter
Tank: Target
Top: Target
Bag:  Kate Spade
Earrings and Ring:  Tiffanys
Necklace:  Robin & Leigh

Chillaxing in the Hotel

UNMANNED MAID'S CART!
ROSS GELLAR:  1 HAMPTON INN MAIDS: 0