Kentucky Blue Belle

2012-04-24T10:14:00.000-04:00

Oh hi there!! Remember me?

Spring break was UH-MAZE-ING, and I thotoughly enjoyed every minute of it...

On the down-side, we had state testing our first week back to school, so I have been going 90 MPH all week.

You can expect a full update/photo dump tomorrow!

Two More Days...

2012-04-03T23:29:00.002-04:00

... until I am officially on Spring Break!! *woot woot*

... until I am back home in beautiful Kentucky.

... until I am reunited with this one-of-a-kind, bff, sister from another mister.

.... until I get to watch the ponies run here.

... until I am home to celebrate Easter with my family.

... until I can begin all of the terrific traveling I have planned over my 10 days off from school.

Can you tell I'm a *tad* excited?

Well, I am. I'm heading up to KY as soon as I get finished teaching on Thursday -- it is usually about a 7.5 hour drive. Then, I'll get up on Friday, and Miss Priss and I will head to Lex-Vegas to shop til we drop, have some yummy food, ~~a few~~ one too many adult beverages, and enjoy a "stay-cation." Saturday, we'll go to Keeneland, and then head back to the homestead to spend Easter Sunday with the fam. I'm thinking I'll stay until Monday or Tuesday, and then head back down to the beach for a night.

Theeeeeen, I'll head west to Alabama to get to see my ACTUAL seeeester (no offense, Jess!)!!

As you can see, ACH, or Afraid-of-Committing-to-a-Hairstyle/color, also runs in the family...

I am SOOOO excited and cannot wait to get this par-tay started!

Until Next Time,

C-A-T-S, CATS, CATS, CATS!

2012-04-03T00:33:00.003-04:00

Oh the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home,

'Tis summer, the people are gay,

The corn top's ripe and the meadows in the bloom,

While the birds make music all the day.

The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,

All merry, all happy and bright:

By'n by Hard Times come a knocking at the door,

Then my old Kentucky Home, good night!

Weep no more, my lady,

Oh! weep no more to-day!

We will sing one song for my old Kentucky Home,

For my old Kentucky Home far away.

(P.S. This marks the official end of March Madness, so I will return to a normal stress level and blogging topics. Thanks for tolerating the Kentucky craziness!)

Until Next Time,

True Blue

2012-04-02T09:52:00.002-04:00

And so it is -- a battle of the Blues...

Kentucky vs. Kansas.

I know I'll be a nervous wreck all day, and probably arrive to work with little to no voice tomorrow.

Let's go #BBN, let's show them true #domin8tion...

Ohhhhhhh, C-A-T-S. CATS, CATS, CATS!!

OOTD & TGIF!

2012-03-30T09:28:00.001-04:00

*woot woot*

The weekend is oh-so-close! Here's what I threw on this morning...

And then tonight, I have an 80's-themed birthday party to go to -- I can't WAIT to show y'all the pictures from that fete!

Also, can we just pause for a second and think about Saturday? Oh-muh-word, the Bluegrass state just might implode! But everybody knows that cats EAT birds, right? :)

Happy Friday lovies!

Thankful Thursday

2012-03-29T09:15:00.000-04:00

So often, I get so caught up in one of the million things going on in my life, that I forget that sometimes, I just need to take a step-back and think about all of the things that I have to be thankful for...

Here's a quick little list.

--My Family.
I am extremely close with my family, and I feel blessed to say that I am. Working in education, I see first-hand what an impact family life has on a child, and I am so thankful that I was raised in a household with two parents, a brother, and a sister. I was lucky enough to know my grandparents on both sides, and even great-grandparents. Sure, there are times that we fight, but what family doesn't? The older I get, the more I realize what a wonderful gift my parents gave to me.

--My Friends.
My friends are basically family, so this should come as no surprise. I can honestly say that I have a handful of friends that would be there for me -- no matter what -- and that's a pretty great feeling. No idea why they put up with my craziness, but they do, and I love them for it.

--My Job.
Talk about being blessed... I scored the job that I wanted, at the school that I wanted, and I have loved every minute of this first year. Every time I hear about unemployment rates and people losing their homes due to foreclosure, I close my eyes and say a little, "Thank You." If you asked me two years ago if I thought it was possible for someone to really love their job, I would have told you, without a doubt, NO. But now, I totally get that old adage of "If you find work doing something that you love, you'll never work a day in your life." (or however it's supposed to go!)

--My Abilities.
I am capable of doing so many things in my life -- I can travel when I want to go somewhere, I can pay my own bills, I live by myself, I was able to balance working and going to school to get my Master's, I can stand-up for myself, speak for myself, and think for myself -- and while some of those things may seem like common-sense, they're not for everyone. At least once a day, it seems that I'll notice someone who cannot do for themselves, and it makes me acutely aware of all that I have going for me. How thankful I should be.

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Be thankful today girls. Be sure to say "Please," and "Thank You," even for small efforts. Smile instead of frown. We all have so much to be thankful for.

Link-Up: Tail-Waggin' Tuesday

2012-03-27T14:09:00.000-04:00

Linking up with Miss C-Mae today for

So let me introduce, Miss Maddie... Instagram edition!

Yeah... She's pretty awesome.

And she's a Great Dane, not a Greyhound -- she's just "Dainty!"

Annnnnd, she hated being dressed up as a unicorn, incase you were wondering!

So Many Dresses, So Little Time...

2012-03-26T09:36:00.001-04:00

Hello, my lovelies!

Spring has finally sprung, and you know what the means for us KENTUCKY gals -- Keeneland!

Now, for those of you who are ~~unlucky and~~ not from Kentucky, Keeneland is one of the prettiest horse racing tracks in all of the country. Not only do you get to place your money down on your fav-o-rite pony and cheer them onto the finish, but you get decked out in your best dress, and break out the bourbon (and mixers, for me -- straight bourbon is just a tad too bold, ha!).

Here's where my problem lies -- I'm not sure what to wear, and it's getting to be crunch time! I have a couple of dresses that would be an option, and I will try to take pictures of them tonight, and post tomorrow. Buuuuuut, what girl doesn't like an excuse to buy a NEW dress?! And, opening weekend is also the week of my birthday, so I'm in the market to add a beauty to my wardrobe. :)

If you girls have any go-to boutiques that are under the radar, AND have a website -- LET A SISTA KNOW!!

I've Missed Y'all!

2012-03-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

Can you believe it?! The Belle is back!!

I know, I know... I'm so sorry for the crazy-long, unannounced hiatus -- But believe me, this past year has been insane!! Let's see... Where to begin...

Well, internship was successfully completed and I got a job here in the same area! I feel SUPER lucky to have scored the job that I wanted! I am LOVING teaching (although, you would be completely ~~disappointed~~ blown away by what kids are willing to tell their teachers today). I have mostly sophomores in my world history class, and there is never a dull moment!

I've also gotten back into running, and since January, I have run three 5K's, and I'm running my next race on Saturday, which is an 8K. I've always liked running (and especially what it does for my booty! HA!), but only since about October can I honestly say that I LOVE it! It's my "me-time" to clear my head after a stressful day -- and not to mention it's helped me lose 25 lbs. SO FAR! *Woot Woot* GO ME! Here are some pics from some of the races I've done this year...

Treating myself to some TJ Maxx after my first 5K of the year -- HA!

Jan. 2012 -- Charlie Post 5K in Sullivan's Island, SC

Feb. 2012 -- Oyster Race & Roast Trail Run in Mt. Pleasant, SC

Mar. 2012 -- Gasparilla Distance 5K Race Weekend in Tampa, FL.

Let's see... I've also been doing a bit more traveling and just enjoying life. Being single def. has it's perks! :)

Annual Oyster Roast @ Boone Hall Plantation, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Random Weekend Getaway to Beaufort, SC

And best of all, I've got several other trips coming up!! I'm headed back home to God's Country -- a.k.a. KENTUCKY-- for opening weekend of Keeneland's Spring Meet and to spend Easter weekend with my family. It worked out PURRR-FECTLY to where I am on Spring Break that week... Now to decide what to wear!! I'm planning a post next week on outfit options, so you lovely ladies are gonna have to help me decide!!

Then, I get to head back to the beach, and celebrate my birthday (we don't have to say what number birthday -- let's just look at it as a reason to celebrate!) with my college buddies!! How funny is this invite we worked up?! His birthday is the day after mine, so we always had birthday co-parties in college.

Annnnnnd, speaking of KENTUCKY, I am SOOOOOO excited for tonight's big game!! Time for some redemption for our one-loss, by one-point, with one-second remaining!! Wish I could be in Atlanta to watch the game in person, but alas... I will be cheering on the C-A-T-S from my living room -- perhaps a bit too loud at times, but OH WELL neighbors -- deal with it! ;) Seriously, check out my St. Paddy's Day attire:

WOOO-HOOO!! GO BIG BLUE!!

Long Overdue...

2012-03-21T21:46:00.000-04:00

Ladies,

I'm Baaaaaaaaack!!

Full-post to come before this weekend...

I'm Alive...

2011-04-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

I promise, I am... Really!!

Its just that my internship has totally and completely consumed my life!!! But it will be over in two more short weeks...

Then I will return, full-throttle, my lovelies.

With a give-away, mind you!! So don't write me off just yet?? K, thanks! :)

100+ Followers...

2011-02-08T10:55:00.000-05:00

WOOO-HOOO!!

I have reached over 100+ followers!!

I will be doing a give-away post soon, so stay tuned!!

Annnnnd... I promise I will do a good-ole, regular update post soon, too... But we all know that give-aways are more fun! :)

Thank you so much to ALL of my followers, new and the first-comers -- I never thought that I would come into contact with so many wonderful women by joining Blogger... But here I am!

Hope you all have a FABULOUS day!

Oh, How I Love Tar-Jhay!

2011-01-30T22:50:00.000-05:00

I did a little shopping this weekend with my momma, and look at these fab pieces I picked up at Target!! They have really stepped it up!!

This looks like it could be Kate Spade.

The picture doesn't really do this cardi justice -- the ruffles are soooo cute!

This little beauty was on clearance -- a whopping $13.97!! Can't beat that!

Need I say more about this little shift?! GORG!

The white are actually beads instead of embroidery!

This dress is so versatile!

They actually have this adorable little shirt in coral, aqua, and yellow!! I wanted all three, but I went with the coral.

Don't these rainboots look like Kate Spade, too!? I really wanted them...

But I ended up going with this beauties instead... I thought they would be a little more flexible with wardrobe choices, and they were a bit taller. Being a taller girl, I always go for the taller boots.

I also picked up 2 dresses, a pair of pants, a blouse, a sweater, and another shirt at Ann Taylor Loft for an astounding $90.00!! Needless to say, it was a pretty good weekend...

In other news, this "little" girl earned her last supervised hour to become completely registered as a "Love on a Leash" therapy dog. Go Maddie!

Just an Update...

2011-01-28T11:15:00.001-05:00

WOW... So this is what it feels like to be so busy you don't even have time to think, huh? I feel almost as if I've been set on autopilot, and I'm not even through the worst of it all yet. Don't get me wrong -- I am LOVING every minute of my internship -- but I also feel like I am just dealing with so MUCH right now, that I'm ~~barley keeping my head above water~~ just kind of coasting through.

I will start teaching my lovely sophomores (Yes, that's right... There IS a middle "O" in "sophOmores") full-time on the 7th of February. I'm excited, but I know it will be that much MORE that I have to accomplish at the end of every night. I feel like this guy right now --

As long as I keep telling myself "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!"

Let's see.... What else has been going on....

Oh, the reconstruction on Mom and Dad's beach house has begun as of today! They have all the walls knocked out the need to go, and they will start putting it allllll back together now. The real kicker is that the pipe that broke and caused all of this mess WASN'T even supposed to be in the place that it was in the attic!! The contractor said that there's no reason for that specific piece of pipe to be used where it broke. Nice, huh?? That just reassures me how much I dislike planned neighborhoods and subdivisions -- they just want to build them quick and build them cheap!

If I ever have the opportunity to move into a brand-spankin-new house, I would like to build it myself and for it to be on my own land -- like my momma and daddy did. But at least, with the house being put back together, I won't have to move back in on a boat!! :)

And it other SUPER-EXCITING news...

I will be hosting another giveaway when I reach 100 Followers!!!

*Whoop Whoop*

New Outlook, New Layout...

2011-01-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

And so my lovlies, I am back.

If you are reading this in a feed reader, you really must click and check out my new layout -- I just love it! And I thought it was fitting to kinda change-it-up, since my life is kinda undergoing an overhaul, as well.

I haven't spoken to AB since Tuesday. I have no idea what's going to happen, so I'm just going to focus on all the things I've got to accomplish. My main time consumer right now is my internship. I'm 4 days in, and I've already taught 2 days. So far, I'm loving every minute of it! Of course it has its challenges, but that's one of the parts that makes teaching so fun!

In other news, my former place of residence had a water pipe bust, and there were about 3 inches of water all through the house!

Mom and Dad have been down to help with all the cleaning/restoration process. As of now, there are a few walls knocked out, and all of the flooring and cabinets have to come out. If I end up moving back in here, it will be a couple of weeks at least. However, the insurance is covering everything, so that is a blessing!

I have also decided I wanna get back into crafting more. I know my free time will be limited, due to my internship, but the first thing I want to make is a Valentine's Day wreath. I'm loving these ideas:

And before I go, I just want to say "thank you" again to all who left such sweet comments on my last post. You will never know how much I appreciated those words of encouragement. I could never say enough to let each of you know just how much that touched me. When I began this little blog, I would never have imagined what great friends it would bring into my life... And that's what I consider you ladies -- my friends -- because friends are there for you in your time of need. By leaving those comments, even if they were just a few short words, you were all there for me when I was hurting, so just a final "Thank You."

My Accent Sounds Like...

2011-01-13T14:28:00.000-05:00

I have seen this fun dialect vlog on several of y'alls blog and thought it would be fun to try!

Please excuse the bad lighting and the *Fab* quality of the webcam...

WORDS:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

QUESTIONS:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped

body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry

groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Until Next Time,

Award!!

2011-01-10T23:42:00.001-05:00

The lovely Ashley Lauren over at Texas Prep has been so sweet and given me an award! It's the Stylish Blogger Award!! Thank you, thank you, thank you Miss Ashley Lauren! And if you ladies haven't heard of her blog yet, you must go check it out and leave some love... So cute!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

Now we'll move on to the 7 things about myself...

1. I have a younger sister and a younger brother -- I fit most descriptions of the oldest birth order personality to a tee.

This was taken Christmas 2008.

2. I am getting ready to start my internship this semester. I am stressed, and excited, and nervous, and confident all at the same time. Mostly, I am ready for it to be finished so that I can get to Dallas.

3. My family drove across country one summer for a vaction, Griswald-National Lampon's-style... Oh the memories!

4. I am finding grey hairs, and this completly freaks me out... My mom went grey at the ripe-old-age of 27, right after she had me, so it looks like my time is ticking!!

5. I have OCD when it comes to colors -- everything that can be, must be organized in color-order (you know, ROY G. BIV... C'mon, work with me here). In school, it was crayons, markers, colored pencils, you name it. Now, it is my closet that I most obsessive about.

This is NOT my bookshelf, but just to illustrate the point... BTW, my name is in giant letters in this pic, even though I have no idea who took it, so I feel like my color-OCD is justified.

6. I should be completing school paper work right now, but I don't feel like it -- so there!

7. My birthday is on the 10th, a best friend on the 11th, and my momma's is on the 12th, so I've always had jam-packed birthdays. Yay for April babies!!

I would like to pass this award to the last 15 followers of my blog...

Mrs. Beer @ It's the Journey & the Destination
Tammy @ Pink is Not My Favorite Color
Suze @ Just Sayin'
Marian @ Escaping the Single Life
cCm @ Preppy Twin
Jess @ Becoming Mrs. Beer
Juicy Girl @ Young & Fabulous
Tracy @ Then I Got to Thinking
Christy @ Visualized by Christy
BLC @ The Company She Keeps
Kerri @ A Sweet Georgia Peach
SGE @ Snowy Mountains & Starry Skies
Danielle @ A Day in the Life
Emily @ A Savannah Redtop
Angela @ Chasing Fairy Dust

You ladies are my most recent followers, and I thank you for taking the time to read my rants, raves, and craziness... Your words of encouragement, thought, and sometimes just to let me know you're out there in the big ol' world mean so much!

Now, I guess I should start on the paperwork for orientation/internship... Hmmmm.

Until Next Time,

Back Home, New Year...

2011-01-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

So, after an amazing Christmas vacation and trips to Virginia, Kentucky, Memphis, TN and Dallas, TX -- I am back home to the beach...

In Memphis, AB and I toured Graceland -- which was amazing!!

And then we headed to Dallas -- which was even more amazing!!

I love the city, and cannot wait to get back. AB loves his new job so far, and he is doing so well at everything. I am so proud of him!!

While in the city however, I was a little disappointed that I did not see more people that looked like this:

Oh well.

But my heart is heavy tonight, and this house feels so empty without AB... I know it will get better, but the first night is bound to be hard, right?

More to cheer myself up than anything, I'll leave y'all with a picture of AB after he completed the "Homewrecker Challenge" at Hillbilly Hotdogs over Christmas vacay... He said it was his biggest accomplishment the entire break. Oh AB, how you make me smile. :)

Until Next Time,

Christmas is Almost Here!

2010-12-21T19:27:00.010-05:00

3 more days!!

Actually, AB and I will be heading up to VA Thursday morning to visit with him mom and grandparents... Then, leaving from VA to head to good ol' Kentucky as the crack-o-dawn on Christmas day, so that we can visit my family. And get this -- its supposed to snow! Yay for a white Christmas, but not so good to have to travel in. Hopefully, it won't be too bad for my little black car!

I've been finished with my shopping for quite some time now... I've never really been one of those people who wait til the last minute -- I'm far too OCD to do that! My dad on the other hand -- well, he ALWAYS waits til literally the day before Christmas to buy my mom's gifts. And then, he'll come home, come upstairs, and ask me to wrap whatever he got for her. Oh, to be a man!! :)

Yesterday was this lovely lady's birthday!!

I hope that you all stopped by Polka Dots, Pearls, and Pink... OH MY! to wish her a happy 21st... (Hehehe, see what I did there Jess?!) ;)

Today is also my LAST DAY EVER at my office!!

I won't be able to work a 9-5 while doing my internship (which starts in January), so today is my last day so that I can really enjoy my Christmas/New Year's vacays. I can't even tell you how long its been since I've been able to take more that 3 days for a Christmas break!! And believe me, I am thankful that I've been able to do that... I know plenty of people don't get to take off at all...

Anyway, I have been unhappy at this job for a while, so I am extremely excited!!! There will be plenty of people that I will miss, sure, but there will plenty of things that I won't miss a bit!!!

And since I probably won't get the chance to blog again before Christmas, I hope that you all have a wonderful, fabulous, enjoyable, amazing

Merry Christmas!!

Until Next Time,

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2010-12-16T12:28:00.013-05:00

Hello my lovely blog-ettes! I cannot believe that I have been on hiatus for a WHOLE month (thanks for baring with my crazy blogging schedule ladies)!! But, some big things have been happening during my month away from KBB...

1) I completed my 2-week teaching practicum in one of the local high schools. It was great for the learning experience -- I really got to dive right in and take over the classroom, as I was blessed to have a wonderful cooperating teacher. But, I also had a TON of meetings/conferences/assemblies during my 2 weeks there. Honestly, I felt like I attended more meetings during my practium than were ever even held in my high school!! It really was a wake-up call as to how much high school has changed, even in the just the *cough* 8-and-a-half years *cough* since I graduated!! Did I really just say that?!

2) Thanksgiving came and went, and it was delicious! AB and I stayed here because we were unable to go home -- me with finals and AB with work. So we decided to have a dinner with some of our friends here too! AB fixed the turkey and the gravy, and some strata, while I fixed the deviled eggs -- YUMMY!

3) FINALS, UGH! I had so many papers to write, I as I have said before, I am the world's worst when it comes to procrastination. So needless to say, I had a LOT to do in a short amount of time! But, I got it all done, was invited to a presentation for the chair of the department, and pulled off another 4.0 semester of grad school! GO ME!

ANNNNND...

4) AB had an intervivew for an amazing job... The company even flew him out for the day to talk to him and see what all he could do! And a few days after Thanksgiving, the company called him back to let him know he indeed got the job, and he'll start on January 3rd!! Only one small, teensy-weensy problem... The company and the job are in Dallas, TX!! So, we will be going to VA to see AB's mom and grandparents on the 22nd-24th, driving to good ol' KY on Christmas Day to be with my family until the 28th, drive back to SC on the 29th, and the we are renting a car to drive to Memphis, TN on the 30th, continuing onto Dallas on the 31st, and me flying back to SC on the 4th on January.

I am sad that AB and I will have to do the long-distance relationship thing for 4 months (until I graduate with my masters), but I am so excited for him and what an opportunity this is! I think that spending NYE together in Dallas will be a great way to start off living apart, creating lots of good memories in a new city together.

So, as you can see, I've been plenty busy!! Now, to my Dallas blog-ettes, I ask, "What are some things that we must do while we're there?" And to all you other lovelies, I ask for tips on doing the long-distance thing for a few months... Have you and your SO ever had to be long-distance? If so, what were some tips/tricks that made it more bearable?

And the Winner Is...

2010-11-01T18:20:00.006-04:00

The winner of my very 1st giveaway is....

Katherine @ Just Lovely!!

Congrats Katherine!! Please email me at KatieBlueBelle@gmail.com so that I can get your info and give you the contact information for Miss Emily so that she can get started on designing your stationary!!!

Thanks to all who entered, and welcome to my new followers!!!

Now...

Time's Up!!

2010-11-01T15:04:00.002-04:00

First Giveaway is Officially Over!!

Good luck to all who entered, and I will be posting the winner tomorrow... Stay tuned!!!

Another big thanks to Emily at A Savannah Redtop for the gorgeous prints and gracious offer...

Don't Forget - Giveaway Ends TODAY!!!

2010-11-01T08:45:00.002-04:00

THE GIVEAWAY WILL END TODAY @ 3:00 PM/EST!!!

Be sure to enter today if you have not done so already!!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

The winner of the giveaway will get a set of 25 custom designed folded notecards, and they will get to choose their color scheme, monogram style, etc.!! Here are some of the designs that you will be able to choose from:

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Until Next Time,

Happy Halloweenie!

2010-10-28T20:24:00.004-04:00

Since people say that Maddie looks like a horse anyway, she decided that she wanted to be a unicorn for Halloween this year...

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!!

Until Next Time,

GIVEAWAY!!

2010-10-27T14:28:00.012-04:00

THE DEAL JUST GOT A LOT SWEETER!!

Miss Emily, the designer behind the beautiful layouts of Twist Paper, has uped-the-ante!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

The winner of the giveaway will now get a set of 25 custom designed folded notecards, and they will get to choose their color scheme, monogram style, etc.!! Here are some of the designs that you will be able to choose from:

For this reason, I have decided to extend the deadline until MONDAY, NOV 1 @ 3:00 EST.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Until Next Time,