Coral and Grey.

[Ruffle blouse and jeans: J. Crew // Cardigan: The Limited // Earrings: Target // Shoes: Sperry Top Sider]

Yesterday was sunny and warm with a nice breeze, and I was inspired to put together a casual and cute Springy outfit to run errands in. I love the ruffles on this sleeveless blouse, and it looks great paired with a neutral cardi like this gray one. I added turquoise earrings for an extra pop of color and for a little daytime glam. I love the Sperrys because they're a little preppy and soooo comfy! I wear them allll the time in the Spring and Summer.

It was nice to have some extra time during the day yesterday after being called off of my 11-2 hostess shift at the restaurant. That meant I had time to go to the DISC with Nick before he went to work, put together said cute outfit, pick up some things at the grocery store, and make one of my favorite pasta salads for the weekend (the recipe of which I will be posting soon) all before I had to go serve at 5:30 for a crazy-busy night at the restaurant! Sometimes it's a little hectic, but it means more money for me which means more money I can put away for my wedding! Woohoo! Let's hope tonight is just as crazy-busy as last night!

I hope your weekend is going well!

Unfortunate and Fortunate

[Jeans and Shirt: GAP // Shoes: Puma // Leather jacket: Guess]

So, you can't tell by this photo, but fiancé was NOT happy about taking this photo. He just looked so cute and handsome and I wanted to take a picture before we both had to go to work! I understand why he was a little impatient with me, though... he was asked to be a producer for the Tudor Voices CD this year, an early music group at Millikin University that he used to be in. Originally he was supposed to be here and would still be singing on it, but because he moved he obviously couldn't do that. The directors, Dr. Carberg and Professor Leese, who have been mentors to him of some sort, gave him the wonderful opportunity of being a producer and helping make sure they get great takes! He knew he could do a good job, but he was a little nervous! I'm so proud of him - he is so talented and there is no one better they could have asked to get some extra feedback from :) Nick has such a wonderful voice, a great ear, and is a great musician in general, and it only makes me excited to see what he can do with music in the future! That's him, my talented man! (And sexy, to boot!) ;)

Now on to my actual post..... I am taking a cue from fellow Oregonian (and Salemite!) Molly Kidd, from Urban Nester. Almost every week, she recaps by posting her unfortunates and fortunates from the week. It's a great idea! She has no clue, but I've been following her blog for a few months now, and I absolutely love her style and her posts about life and marriage (something I'll be know about soon!) and all things good. So go check her out! Without further ado, my unfortunates and fortunates of this past week....

Unfortunate

1. Being duped as a tourist by paying $40 for a stupid bike cabby in NYC. He just came up to me and I panicked - I can't say no to people! Well, my NY skin will be tougher next time, I'll show them!

2. In the span of exactly one week, I lost one of the pearl earrings Nick bought for me a few years ago in Hawaii AND one of the diamond stud earrings he bought me for Christmas two years ago. Seriously? SERIOUSLY? I think there is a gnome following me around and stealing my things. And of course it had to be the two pairs of earrings I wear the most and love the most, not a pair of my cheap Forever 21 earrings.... such is life.

3. Sitting on a bus from 7 am to 11:30 pm on Monday. What's funny is that it was exhausting, even when I didn't move for hours at a time. My bum was numb, for cryin' out loud!

4. There is STILL not a new episode of Grey's Anatomy yet! Why do they tease me so?????

5. A new line debuted at The Limited on Monday - this means all my money will be gone. Woops!

6. Being super groggy when I wake up in the morning even after 8 hours of sleep. Not ok.

7. Annoying and rude high schoolers taking over the midnight boat cruise on the Hudson. The boys were shoving girls on the dance floor! Didn't your mother treat you how to be a gentleman??? Apparently not.

8. Realizing I haven't talked to my parents on the phone in a looong time :/

9. Gas prices are back up to $4.08. This should be illegal. It's even more unfortunate because the day before, it was $3.86. I should have taken advantage, because of course my tank is getting low. Ughhhhhh.

Fortunate

1. NYC. The whole thing. It was AMAZING.

2. Hitting all green lights on my way to work yesterday. Baller.

3. Cooking with my honey, especially when we make tacos. De-lish.

4. Singing in Carnegie Hall. It was completely surreal and something I will never ever forget!

5. Waking up to morning kisses from my man :)

6. Being told I'm doing really well at my job and also that I've been recommended for a position where I get to manage a little more ;)

7. The new clothes at The Limited - all my money will be gone, but they are SO SO CUTE. Lots of taupe with bright green and mint - perfect for spring!

8. Buying the Steve Madden sparkly flats I've been wanting for over a year! They were on sale at Von Maur and my size was one of the only pairs left for weeks! If that's not a sign, I don't know what is!

9. Getting to catch up with old friends and some family while I was in NYC. It really is a small world!

10. The fiancé doing a ton of laundry for me on Tuesday while I had to work all day - I had absolutely no time (or energy) to start any of it since I got back so late on Monday night. He's a keeper, that one!

New York, part 1

Here are a few highlights from my trip!

Sarah, Alyssa, and Alison at Mickey's Pub - the pub that HIMYM was based off of!

Tom, Alayna, and myself.

View from the top of the Rockefeller Center [Top of the Rock!]

Times Square at night! Note to self and to anyone who has never been to NYC. Don't take a bike cabby!

Delicious donut dessert with yummy sauces to drizzle on top!

High school reunion with David!

Drooling.

Rehearsal room.

Dr. Holmes

Times Square during the day.

Rickyyyyy!

Darian and I at Evita.

AMAZING cake made of brownies. YUM.

Central Park.

Where's Chuck Bass??

The Metropolitan Opera House!

Me in front of the Met!!!!

This trip was definitely a whirlwind. It started out when we departed on Thursday at 2 pm. We stopped overnight in Pennsylvania and arrived Friday around 4:30. The weather was wonderful and we were able to explore the city by night without any heavy jackets! Amazing. That night I met up with my friend, David, from high school. We were in choir and jazz choir together, but now he models in NYC! He showed me a great time at a club called SL in the Meat Packing District. We got the VIP treatment and didn't pay for a single thing all night, including our dinner before the club! He does this sort of thing regularly.... NYC is like it's own little world!

The next day was a looong day of rehearsal with the high school festival choirs and then our own rehearsal. After that I explored 5th Avenue and did a little shopping (in the stores I could afford!). I was proud of myself - I only bought 3 nail polishes from F21!!! Partly because I knew I didn't need anythign but also because the F21 in Times Square is 4 stories!! So overwhelming. That night we all went to the show Evita. The music was wonderful and it was my first Broadway show! The singers were great and it was fun to see Ricky Martin :)

Sunday meant more rehearsal in the morning, and then I met up with my cousin, Annie, and her husband, Danny. They've been living in Staten Island while she does her residency, and it was soooo nice to see some family! I hadn't seen them in awhile because I didn't go home for another cousin's wedding last summer and they couldn't come for Christmas! We went to this place called the Tod English Food Hall in the Plaza. I had a delicious fig and prosciutto pizza and then we went for a stroll in Central Park. I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture with them!

After that I decided to walk to to Lincoln Square Plaza to see the Met Opera House and met ANOTHER friend from high school, Kelsey. She's been living in NY since she graduated from AMDA 4 years ago, and we also were in choir together. It was so great to see another familiar face! We had a quick catch-up session before I had to head back to my hotel to get ready for a 6:15 call time to sing in Carnegie Hall! Let me tell you, it was so surreal and so amazing! I will never EVER forget it, and I feel so blessed to have been apart of that performance, but also to have been apart of University Choir for 1 1/2 years! It definitely flew by way too fast!!!

After the concert we all got to let loose on a midnight boat cruise on the Hudson! More pictures from that later :)

I'm back!

Ok, so I actually have been back since late Monday night but went to bed almost immediately since I was exhausted from the entire trip and from sitting on a bus for 16 hours (you don't move, yet it's really tiring). Yesterday I had to work at The Limited in the morning and serve at the restaurant at night so I had zero time. Today I am finally getting back to the social networking world and uploading all of my pictures from the weekend.

In a word, the trip was incredible. I am now officially in love with New York (as I knew would happen) and am still on cloud 9 from the whole weekend but especially after singing in Carnegie Hall! I cannot believe I can already cross that one off of the bucket list! Insane. I am one lucky lady and extremely blessed in my life! Sometimes I can't even believe it! I am sad that my time in U-Choir is now officially over, but I couldn't imagine a better last performance.

I'm back to reality and back to the grind of working all the time, but the break really refreshed me, and I made memories I will never forget. In the meantime, I'll be dreaming of another trip to New York someday, when I'll have more time to see and do everything I didn't have time to do this past weekend! 

I'll post photos tomorrow, but head on over to Millikin University Choir's facebook page for a few videos from our concert in Carnegie Hall!

Where people go to find labels and love....

[Dress and cardigan: The Limited // Belt: B.P. Nordstrom // Shoes: Target // Earrings: F21]

Today is the day I go to New York City for the first time! This also marks the first time I will ever be on the East Coast... exciting!!

We depart at 2 pm today, stop overnight in Pennsylvania, and will arrive in the Big Apple tomorrow evening!!! We get tomorrow night off with no rehearsal, so I plan on finding a somewhere for some good eats and a Cosmopolitan in honor of my friends Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte ;)

The rest of the weekend will be filled with rehearsal, a little shopping, the broadway show "Evita" (with Ricky Martin!), gallavanting around the city, and singing in Carnegie Hall.

It's just a small little place.... no big deal :)

CAN'T WAIT!

I won't be back here til I get back probably, so enjoy your weekend and be on the lookout for pictures from my trip!!!

One of those days.

...Or just one of those weeks. It's not a bad week by any means, it's just a "Hanna-will-be-tired-no-matter-how-much-sleep-she-gets-or-how-much-coffee-she-drinks" kind of week. Probably because it's my third morning in a row opening at the store, which means getting up at 7 or 7:30.

I know, I know, most of y'all have to wake up that early for class and normal jobs, but most of the time I'm working at the restaurant which doesn't open til 11. Getting to sleep in til 9:45 is bliss!

But this week I got some extra hours at The Limited (Yay!) so my body clock has been in for a shock. I went to bed by 10 and 11:30 the past 2 nights and I still wake up feeling like my eyes have a weight on their lids! What is this?

I guess it also probably has to do with the fact that yesterday and today I work doubles, but not at the restaurant... I work 4.5 hours at the store in heels and then another few hours standing all night at the restaurant. My black flats have pretty much no support so my feet were achey last night! Good thing I have a fiancé to give me a foot rub. And boy, did I love that foot rub! I'm a lucky gal....

So, I'm going to work all day and I'll probably be tired, but at least I'm working, right? And at least I get to play with clothes the first half of my day :)

I also get to look forward to the fact that I get to pack for NEW YORK tonight!!! EEEEE!!! I'm leaving tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited!! Even if my tired face doesn't show it...

Spring Smoky Eye

(via eyeslipsface.com]

I bought this super pretty e.l.f. eyeshadow palette from Target this past Saturday for $3! I absolutely love e.l.f. makeup because it is so cheap but also because it works really well! This is probably the 5th or 6th eyeshadow palette I've bought and I've been happy with them all. This one, full of soft, spring colors, is perfect for a more subdued (but just as sultry) smokey eye.

For my smokey eye, I used the lightest lavendar as a base on my lid. I then blended the medium shade of green into my crease and finished with the plum in the outer corners.

All of the colors in this palette complement each other, so don't be afraid to mix-and-match. It would also be really pretty to do a smokey eye with all of the green colors, and if you're not feeling like you want a smokey eye, a wash of just any one of these shades would be gorgeous!

Have fun playing with makeup!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of the holiday, here are some pictures of Ireland from the trip I took with U-Choir last summer!

[First glimpses of Ireland]

[Clonmel]

[Kilkenny Castle]

[Traditional Irish band at a pub in Clonmel]

[Kylemore Abbey]

[St. Patrick's Cathedral]

[Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland]

 

[Sláinte!]

[Delicious]

["Cheers!"]

 

 

 

 

 

Now go put on something green and drink some Guinness!

Five Things.

[Starbucks for two]

What can I say, this week has been wonderful, solely based on the fact that Nick came back home! I am so happy, and we've had a great first week together reconnecting with each other and hanging out with friends. Here's to many more weeks just like this one!

[Easter candy! These are addicting. I ate a whole bag in about 2 days]

[Received my second Save the Date this week and all in the span of two weeks. Yay weddings!]

[Spring has arrived at The Limited]

[New Martha Stewart Weddings mag. Need I say more?]

Happy Friday!

Happy Camper.

[Pink pants, knit top, blazer: The Limited // Sunglasses: Target // Earrings: Betsey Johnson // Heels: Forever 21 // Bag: Coach]

Here it is, folks, as promised, my work outfit with the pink pants. Can I just say that I am so glad to have a job where I can actually wear something as ridiculous as hot pink pants? Because I am. I was telling Nick how much I love the fact that I have to look cute to go to work at The Limited. And then I play with clothes and help people shop and put outfits together all day. Can you say awesome?

I'm pretty happy in general lately. I'm a pretty happy person anyway, but I am especially happy since Nick got back on Saturday. Last night he picked me up from work with a dinner to go of parmesan garlic wings from Buffalo Wild Wings (it's next to the mall). It was exactly what I needed because I was starving. It's the little things like that that I really missed when he was gone and that I'm glad we get to do again. Even something as simple as the other night when we both got off work at 9:30 and I got to pick him up on my way home and then we both went home together. Perfection.

I'm just so happy he's here and was able to get transferred so he can continue working and doesn't have to worry about finding a new job. I'm so happy that I enjoy both of my jobs a lot and am still a little amazed at how quickly I found a job and then yet another job a week later. I'm happy that Nick and I are reunited and can continue to make our relationship stronger and deeper. I'm happy that we get to have a break from school and relax and just work and save money for our wedding next year. I'm happy that we are getting married! I'm happy that we get to talk about things like where we want to live together in our own place starting this summer.

I'm also really happy to still be in Decatur (I know, right? Weird) because I'm still around great friends. Not only that, but because I'm still in Decatur, I get to go to New York in exactly one week with University Choir!! Can't. Wait. I'm happy that I get that one last chance to sing with U-Choir, and in Carnegie Hall of all places....

Basically, I'm happy. Overjoyed. Content. Things are great and even though I'm not exactly where I want to be in life yet, I know that I'm right where I'm supposed to be at this moment in time. And that's what matters.