One Last Summer Hurrah

 
All summer long, I have been hoping to get myself to Kennywood. Lucky for me, I have friends like Kelly who also have the same fabulous ideas. For those of you unfamiliar with what I'm talking about Kennywood is an amusement park located in Pittsburgh. Of course we wait until the very last weekend it's open to go. Well, at least until it reopens for Phantom Fright Nights. We may be in our twenties, but we'll always be kids at heart. Needless to say the park was extremely packed and every ride line was nearly an hour long. That didn't stop us.

We started our day off with a little shopping at the SouthSide Works. For most, it's impossible to leave that place without indulging at the Cheesecake Factory. Do you know a better way to kick off an evening at Kennywood? I sure don't.

 
I do have a minor confession to make. I'm a hidden scaredy-cat. I put on a believable front until I hear a gut wrenching scream from someone on the ride. Then the fear turns me into a different person. Don't get me wrong I love going on rides, but I am a chicken to the extreme while riding. For the most part, I close my eyes and hold on for dear life. Every once in a while you might hear a squeal, an obstinacy or an "I hate you". After the ride is over and the initial fear cools off, I really enjoy myself. Kelly may have enjoyed my reactions more than the rides. I already got a call from her this week reminding me of what I was like. Amusement parks truly are one of my favorite places to go. All the silly things that I do on the rides are simply uncontrollable coping mechanisms for my fear of heights and reenacting the roller coaster scene from Final Destination. No big!

Kennywood 2012

Please ignore the green on our faces. It is not some new makeup trend that we're trying out. Apparently they have already begun to decorate for Fright Nights. This means transforming all the lights to spooky colors.

This venture to Kennywood brought back some wonderful memories of a vacation I went on at the beginning of summer. My mother and I went to Disney World in Orlando. A tradition we recently brought back to life. When I was a munchkin, Disney World was a place I visited yearly mostly because my grandparents had condos in Florida. This was a convenient bonus to my childhood. After they sold them, our usual summer vacations turned into the Outer Banks and Vegas. (In no way am I complaining about that!) Last year, to help satisfy my Harry Potter obsession, my mom and I took a mini vacation to Orlando to visit Universal Studios and an impromptu visit to Disney World. We enjoyed the trip so much we had to go back this year for more. It was honestly one of the best trips of my life. There's nothing I love more than spending quality time with my mommy.

Animal Kingdom 2012

Epcot 2012

Magic Kingdom 2012

Universal Studios 2012

Magic Kingdom 2011

Good news to all Disney dorks. Walt Disney World is currently expanding the Magic Kingdom. The special addition is known as the New Fantasyland. Some may say this is a place where mermaids sing, beauties tell tales, beasts roar and elephants fly. Storybook Circus is already open to guests and the Enchanted Forest will be opening in December 2012. Ladies, if you're a fan of Belle or Ariel get excited! The little girl inside me is already packing her seashell purse. 

Back to reality... The weekend ended in the best way possible, with a Pittsburgh Steelers win! A much better outcome than last week's game. The New York Jets may have two hunky quarterbacks, but looks won't win you football games. Mondays are always a little bit better in Steeler Nation after a Pittsburgh Steelers win!

I Am Divergent

It isn't a shocker that one of my favorite things to do is read. There's nothing more wonderful than snuggling up with some coffee/tea and getting sucked into a good book. I recently finished a tremendous book after several months of just staring, with starry eyes, at it on my book shelf. The wait was well worth it. While student teaching, my cooperating teacher suggested it to me, but at the time I had not a single spare moment to start it. The suggestion came after she found out we share many of the same obsessions. For example: The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and many more nerdy similarities. She just gets me.

Ladies & Gentleman, I'd like to introduce you to a little book called Divergent.

Lately I've been extremely fascinated with futuristic, dystopian worlds. It's a possibility it may come from some of my negative ideals of this technological world we live in today. Don't get me wrong, I take almost full advantage of all the advances we are blessed with. The part that I'm not so thrilled with is what it has done to the majority of men today. I should probably refer to them as boys. I'm sure it has ruined some woman as well, but remember this is my point of view. I'd rather have a man ask me to cook his dinner than to get ridiculously stupid or obscene late night text messages. Come on ladies, you all know one guy out there who is guilty of it, but thinks he's borderline amazing. (For all the boys reading this who are guilty as charged... Stop. It's repulsive and we do NOT enjoy it. Although, we do enjoy sharing & showing all our friends.) Here is a perfect SNL clip that this rant reminds me of. You're welcome. (It's not on YouTube so I can't put it on the post. Just click the link below & it will take you to SNL's website to watch it.)
Text Message Evidence

Anyway let's get to what's really important... Divergent. It's really such a powerful book that I fell in love with from the start.  If you are like me and love to read what other people imagine what the future holds for us this is the book for you. It mainly revolves around a dystopian world with a focus on Chicago. Society is divided into five factions that are each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue. The author does a much better job of sharing a brief summary of the book.

It's always a bonus to find a book with a strong, woman protagonist. The beginning was a bit slow, but quickly fell into place. Beatrice Prior otherwise known as Tris left me feeling like I could take on the world. One of the many wonders of reading.

The author, Veronica Roth, is from Chicago and only 23! I recently starting following her blog. She has a great, quirky personalty and reminds me of someone I'd totally want to be besties with. One of her most recent posts is about how the book is coming to the big screen. WOOHOO! The release date is set to be March 21, 2014. This is only the beginning... Divergent is the first of three books in the series. Insurgent is already out and the third will come to a book store near you next fall. Hopefully this will help me make a full recovery from deep depression I'm going to be put into when the last Twilight movie is released.

Fall Fever

Fall is right around the corner, but I've already caught a strong case of fall fever. It all started with the long awaited release of the pumpkin flavored everything at Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. Then came the sudden temperature change over the weekend. Today, not so much. This opened my eyes to some leaves that have already begun to fall. The colors aren't quite there yet. Fall or Autumn, which ever you prefer. This is the season I live for!

Pumpkin Iced Coffee

Listing all the reasons why I adore this spectacular season is close to impossible, but here it goes. First off I would like to begin with one of the most important. For all those out there with naturally curly/wavy/frizzy hair, you don't need me to tell you that fall brings with it the perfect hair weather! Might sound ridiculous, but I only speak the truth. Not too dry, not too humid... just fresh crisp air. I also like to think of this weather as "football weather". Another one of my favorite things. The past few Steeler games have been hot ones. Let's hope this Sunday's games brings some of that crisp air to Heinz Field. And of course a win.

Heinz Field

This leads me to the clothing situation that goes hand in hand with the weather. Autumn means sweater weather! Time to break out all the adorable sweaters, cardigans, blazers, hoodies, jackets, jeans, BOOTS and scarves. All my favorite pieces. Layering is simply the best fashion advise I've ever learned as a girl. Fall is the perfect season to do just that.

A wise woman by the name of Tina Fey once wrote... "In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." -Mean Girls

Um, Hello Halloween! The excitement that overcomes me when thinking about what I want to dress up as is something like a child writing their Christmas list. Who cares how old you are. I say Halloween is for everyone. Of course not everyone enjoys this holiday. Can someone please tell me what's wrong with those people... do they hate puppies and rainbows too? Speaking of those people, an ex-boyfriend of mine hated Halloween. Silly me should have seen that as a big, fat warning sign, but I suppose it's a lesson learned.
My superhuman of a mother used to make all my Halloween costumes and even some of my friends. Yeah, she can do anything and everything. One of my best was the year I dressed as Ginger Spice from the Spice Girls. I'm going out on a limb here and saying it was 4th grade. Supermom crafted together a replica of Geri Halliwell's infamous British flag dress. (I'm sure if I put that thing on today it would fit just like Geri's did, but at the time it was an appropriate length for a 4th grader!) The outfit was completed with chunky, red platform shoes, a red wig and an excessive amount of body glitter. Girl Power! Lately I've been into reliving my childhood by dressing up as all the Disney Princesses. Last year it was Snow White. The year before, Jasmine without an Aladdin unfortunately. This year: to be continued...

The Spice Girls

Geri Halliwell

Halloween 2011

The only thing bad about this season is it flashes before your eyes. Some may say that about summer. For me, fall is the season that comes and goes way too quickly. Maybe it's because the colors of the trees are so breathtaking... They are only meant to last so long so we never forget to appreciate their beauty. No need to fear, it just means those snowflakes and Santa are own their way!

 
In honor of the Season Premiere of The X Factor and the legendary Miss Britney Spears I'll leave you with a song you may have never heard of. Autumn Goodbye<3

Rain Rain Go Away

Come again some other day. This was the sad song we all were singing Saturday morning. Saturday was my cousin Emily and her now hubby Mike's wedding day! The rain eventually stopped and the weather continually got better as the day went on. They say rain is good luck on your wedding day. Personally, I just think that saying was made up by someone trying to calm down a bridezilla. It worked so well that it turned into some sort of urban legend. Emily & Mike don't need luck. Anyone who knows them can instantly see the love they have for one another. Love is what matters, not luck. Luck doesn't hurt though. Below is a picture of Em, at the church, waiting to marry the man of her dreams. :)

The Blushing Bride

The best cousins in the world.

Kelly, Me & Mandy

The Dress

Emily & Myself

The whole weekend was basically a big celebration, an unforgettable one at that! I feel so lucky to have such an amazing family. Friday was the rehearsal at the church and the rehearsal dinner followed. I think I had a little too much fun at the dinner because the next day I had a rough time getting myself up. Once again, coffee saves the day!

Mandy, Me & Kelly

Family

Grandparents

By the time we arrived at the church, the rain had stopped. The sun even made an appearance. My fear of tripping down the aisle did not happen. I successfully made it down with ease leaving all the attention for the bride. Phew! Emily was a sight to see. She looked like absolute perfection! During the mass, I sat by Colin (the ring bearer & my cousin Mandy's son). I didn't have any tissues handy so I think being by Colin was a blessing in disguise because all his fidgeting took my mind off crying like a baby.

Mandy & Colin

Me & Colin

Like a Pimp

My Bouquet

The reception was at Mike's parents' beautiful house. There was a humungous tent setup in the backyard. What about the rain you ask? Not all of the ground was covered under the tent. So yes... as you can imagine, it turned into something you might see on a farm. Luckily by that time, I was the least bit concerned with what was going on down there. The FineLine Weddings photo booth was probably my favorite part of the night, although Rizzo's catering was a close second behind. I can't even tell you how many times I went in that booth and with who. I couldn't get enough of it.

My dad became one of the main events that evening. He had an excessive amount of "chocolate milk". In his mind, he was killing it on the dance floor. If I was still in high school I'm sure I would have just died because of his shenanigans throughout the night. At this point in my life, I adore it. He is one silly man that I love more than anything.

Bob getting his Elvis on

Candid Father-Daughter Moment

The night ended with fireworks! Literally and figuratively, I'm sure. Emily & Mike's wedding day could not have gone any better. I can't get over how much of a good time everyone had. The fun isn't over for the happy couple. Tomorrow they will be on their way to Italy. A dream honeymoon that I'm sure they won't forget. I'm beyond grateful that I was able to share this special day with the both of them. They really are meant for each other and their life has only just begun. It really makes me want to believe in true love, soul mates and all that "mushy stuff".

The aftermath of my gorgeous green shoes looks something like my dad's camo gear. Such a tragedy! Thank goodness for this picture of all the bridesmaids' shoes. I'm the ruffle peep-toe at the bottom. Could you die? (Rachel Zoe voice)

Furniture & Silverware & Lamps… OH MY!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day! I certainly did. One reason for this glorious weekend was due to my mom asking to join her on her trip to IKEA. My reaction was a little something like this...

Or this...

My obsession for IKEA is unhealthy. It makes me feel better to know that I am not the only one who feels this way. I like to think of IKEA as an adult's Toys R Us, mostly adult women. Our mission for this visit was to simply find photo boxes and magazine files. My "office" is turning into something you see on Hoarders. Instead of throwing things out, organizing the mess seems to be the right remedy at the moment.

It's evident that anyone who enters IKEA with a "mission" or a list of items will leave with triple that amount. The majority of the extra items will be the most random gadgets that you have to have NOW or you're life is over! For example:

Mini Lantern

Glass Flower Vase

The glass flower vase was not bought with the intention of putting flowers in. This my friends, is one of my Pinterest pins that I conquered. I actually created a different one a few months ago, but soon found out it was too short and small for quick make-up application. The new vase I found at IKEA was a bit larger and much taller. This helps the brushes from not falling to the side and touching other things. - I'm an extreme germaphobe so the minor glitch soon became a new pet peeve. So ever since I've been on the hunt for a new, but similar one. This applies to all the Pinterest junkies out there... Don't you feel like you won a gold medal after completing something that you've "pinned"? Keep in mind, I'm referring to the completion of a project that isn't a complete fail. I saw this ecard on one of the 89 social networks sites (I can't seem to remember which one now, probably Pinterest) that fits my feelings perfectly... "There should be a "DID THIS" button on Pinterest complete with applause when you click it." How unbelievably terrific would that be? We can only dream for now ladies and gentleman. If you aren't familiar with someecards.com. Get familiar. They crack me up.

The trip wasn't all rainbows and unicorns. First off, I think we chose to go on the absolute worst day EVER. When pulling up to the parking lot, the place was packed. And by packed I mean Black Friday packed! Inside, I was basically giving strangers piggyback rides through the tight aisles. After struggling through the claustrophobic warehouse, we ended our visit at the check-out line that was quicker than it looked.

IKEA Check-out

Second, I tried Starbuck's new Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher for the first time this weekend thinking I was about to taste heaven in my mouth. This was a recommendation from a reliable friend's tweet. They lied. Never trust a twitpic. *You know who you are.* I wish I could say the drink tastes as delightful as it looks, but I can't. All I can say is it's not my thing... Not one bit. With that being said, PUMPKIN COFFEE IS BACK! I will be sticking to the coffee from now on.

Better Late Than Never

Today is a noteworthy day for me. It's exactly one month after my birthday, but that isn't what I'm referring to. Today I finally received what I would consider the best birthday present ever from my parents (or at least that I can remember at the moment). I got a brand new Keurig Brewer! WOOHOO! Some may see this as a little odd. I see it as a special moment in my life... almost like one's wedding day. If you aren't a coffee person, you wouldn't understand.

Actually I got the Keurig Brewer yesterday, but thought it would be a bit cooler if I posted about it one month after my birthday so just roll with it. I was actually quite nervous to open it and start venturing through the manual. Lucky me, the thing was stupid-proof! Let's be honest, that's what we all need when it comes to new gadget manuals. Here is a picture I took. Brace yourself, it's a beauty!

MY Keurig Brewer

First Cup of Coffee

Can you tell I love my new gift? You could say I'm so excited about this because I have been dreaming of having my own Keurig forever now. You could also say that birthdays start to get less fascinating as you get older so I was taken by surprise with this gem. Your birthday will always be your special day, but it's clear that it will never again be like it was when you were little and treated like the Queen of England. That boat for me sailed when my cousin Mandy had her son, Colin. He is now the secession to the throne of August 2nd birthdays. Although, I am more than okay with that because that kind of attention makes me all kinds of nervous now. Sometimes I get confused and have to think twice when I say my age out load. I suppose it's a good thing that I still feel like a kid, but sad when I remember older people who I used to hear the same thing from. I still dream of Disneyland and feel that I am fit enough to dominate a tumbling pass (even though I most likely can't due to having no guts to attempt it). I guess feeling young is a wonderful thing and I'm forever young.

Colin with his game win

Colin at Idlewild

Colin and I on the Scrambler

Something I still haven't told you about this gift from God is that it doesn't just make hot coffee. It makes iced coffee, tea, iced tea and even hot cocoa! I can't even comprehend how I am going to feel during the most wonderful time of the year, otherwise known as Christmas time! Ho ho ho!

One last thing. Thank you Keurig for giving me one more reason to never leave my house.