How to Plan a Successful Beer Olympics

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My sister, Alyssa, and I have been fundraising recently for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for a cure that we have coming up in November. We’ve tried a million things to raise the funds, but one really cool idea that my sister came up with was hosting a Beer Olympics. I had seen Beer Olympics scenes in movies, but had never been to one before or honestly, even thought they happened in real life, so when she told me about it, I was so excited! She spent several months planning and in the end, everyone had so much fun and she ended up raising $500+ for the cause!

Because we had so much fun, I figured I would share it with you guys! That way if you have a cause that you need some creative ways to fundraise for, if you want to throw an awesome get-to-know-each-other event for your wedding party or if you just want to get together a big group of friends for a day of fun, this guide can help you get started! With that being said… here’s how to throw a successful beer olympics.

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First, you have to figure out a few variables and set the foundation for your event.

Things to Decide

  • How many people to have on each team
  • How much each team will need to pay to participate
    • If participants pay individually or per team
  • Whether to provide beer (included in the participation cost) or if your event will be BYOB
  • How you will assign a country to each team
  • Which games you’ll play and how many
  • Where you will host your event

To give you an idea of how she set it up, she allowed each team to have four members. You signed up as a team to keep things organized and you could choose your participation fee based on whether or not you wanted your package to include beer. Some people chose to bring their own, while others just purchased the full package. [ADD FEE STRUCTURE HERE]

On the Google doc application form, Alyssa included a section to give your top choices for your team country and decided from there. Some beer olympic how-to articles suggest that the host/hostess is team USA, but Alyssa chose to stay sober and referee during the event and we both highly suggest this if you’re planning on throwing one!

We played four “olympic” games and finished off the day with a relay race. That doesn’t sound like much I know, but it took the full day and most participants had more than enough to drink in this timeframe haha, so I don’t think you need much more. The games we played were Beer Pong. Survivor Flip Cup, Dizzy Bat and Cornhole.

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The event was held in a friend’s back yard that was pretty flat and had a lot of open space. This made it easy to set up all of the events and have plenty of room for everyone to enjoy.

Once the foundation is set, you’ll need to spend the time leading up to the event planning out the details. Here’s the to-do list she used.

To-Do List

  • Collect information from teams (names of team members, team captain and contact information, preferences for team country, type of beer preferred, questions/concerns, etc.)
  • Make final decisions on which games you want to play
  • Make a list of things you’ll need and gather them all before the event. Here’s our shopping list to help you get started!
    • Tables (Ask around – most times friends will have a couple you can borrow)
    • Beer
    • Coolers
    • Ice
    • Pong Balls
    • Medals (some cheap ones from the dollar store will do!)
    • A banner for people to take photos in front of (ours was a painted sheet)
    • A tailgating tent if it will be super sunny or is really hot outside
    • LOTS of water (stress drinking water to participants all day long!)
    • LOTS of solo cups (we recommend getting different colors for the different teams if possible – it just makes things easier)
    • An American flag – because we live in the good ole USA! 🙂
    • Music – see if you can borrow a speaker from a friend and have your most musically-inclined friend put together a playlist… that or just use Pandora or  Spotify to make your life easier.
    • A score board (white board) and markers (you can find these cheap at Walmart or the dollar store as well)
    • If you’re going to referee, a referee shirt, whistle and visor – because you’re too legit to quit, right?!
    • A snapchat filter (for one, this is just so much fun, but for two, it helped generate even more buzz about our fundraising efforts!)
    • Optional: Rewards for the first, second and third place teams (she gave out gift cards)
  • Plan your opening and closing ceremonies (we had a moment of silence for those who have lost their lives to breast cancer, as well as the national anthem – the closing ceremony consisted of everyone getting their medals, rewards and trying to grab Ubers home! lol)
  • Decide how the sequence of events will go on the day of the event (which games will occur simultaneously) and how each game will be set up
  • Organize brackets for events

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Game Set-Up

Here’s how the games we played were set up. You can always tweak these to fit your “house rules” or what works best for your group.

Beer Pong

At our event, we set up the beer pong as pool play where rankings were based off of the first round and from there the bracket was decided based on who was the top seed in each match-up. Pool play was six cups, while bracket play was 10 cups. We threw out things such as redemption to keep the games moving along, but allowed it in the final throwdown between the top two teams!

Cornhole

Cornhole was set up very similarly, starting with pool play and then moving to brackets. Two members from each team played each other with normal rules to see who could get to 21 points first.

Dizzy Bat

At our event, we had six teams, so dizzy bat was played with three teams at a time. This will vary depending on how many teams you have participate. Once the first round was completed, the first place team from each round went up against each other and the same went for the second and third place teams, until we ended up with three winners who competed against each other for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Survivor Flip Cup

Survivor Flip Cup was also set up as pool and bracket play. We stuck to pretty normal rules here. The biggest deviation from normal flip cup is that each round, the winning team can select a member of the losing team to sit out making it increasingly hard for the losing team to win overall. Not going to lie… this game got the best of me, but it was really fun!

Relay Race

The relay race rounded up our day of events and all teams went against each other. It was a super fun way to end the day!

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Overall, we all had such a good time and were excited to raise money for the fight against breast cancer. Have you ever participated in a beer olympics? If so, what were your favorite parts?

C’est la vie,

Anna

 

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4 Ways to Make Your Period Suck Less

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Periods pretty much suck… period. I can’t think of one person who is like, “oh, I just love shedding my uterine liner every month, it’s so beautiful”. haha Um, no. When I think of my dreaded time of the month, I think of curling up in the fetal position from cramps that feel like a little baby demon clawing at the inside of my stomach. I think of walking around feeling bloated like the Michelin man and craving everything in sight. Not to mention, the cravings and emotions. Oh… and period poops… nuff said. And the fact that we have to go through this hell once a month for the majority of our lives is just not fair. Ok, I’ve made my point.

I think we can all agree that being on your period is just no fun.

BUT…

I’ve recently discovered some things that really help make your period less painful, more convenient and overall, just a little less sucky. So ladies, if you’re ready to change the period game, keep reading.

Viv Wellness

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Viv Wellness is a company I learned about a year or so ago and that I was super skeptical of at first. Their mission is “Periods without pain or shame, empowering women to be their best every day of the month.” I absolutely love that. They’re all about holistic, herbal supplements to help get rid of PMS and cramps during your menstrual cycle. Let me preface this by saying, that I’m pretty much an Ibuprofen addict and was freaking out about not taking it to help with my cramps. I was literally fearful of the pain I was going to be in.  Nonetheless, I sampled the Perfect Period Pack and it comes with one bottle of Unwind and another of Relieve.  Unwind is for the 2nd half of your cycle and Relieve is for the days you’re on your period. I will say it’s an adjustment. In the same way that you have to adjust to taking your multi-vitamin every morning or birth control every day, you have to adjust to taking a dropperful or more of the product 3 times a day.

But, I will also say, I was very pleasantly surprised. They do warn you that the first month, your cramps and PMS won’t just vanish completely, but that over the first 3 months, you’ll really start to feel the change and it’s true! I was so shocked that I could manage my pain and not have to fill my body with tons of medicine. I can’t say that I’ve stuck to using Viv 100%, just because it requires you to keep up with the routine and I’m not always the best about that, but I was really happy with the results and do like the product when I remember to use it correctly.

Diva Cup

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So, I was really weirded out about the Diva Cup. I’ve been using tampons since about the 7th grade and I’m pretty content with how those work, but I really wanted to give this a try for a couple of reasons. For one, I hate how much money I spend on tampons. I mean, in the scheme of things, it’s really not that much money, but it is one more monthly cost to add on top of everything else and I feel like I go through boxes of them so quickly. The Huffington Post calculated how much money the average woman spends on tampons in her lifetime… check it out.

1 tampon every 6 hours (on average) = 4 tampons per day x 5 days of a period (mine lasts 7! :/ ) = 20 tampons per cycle x 456 periods = 9,120 tampons. At 36 tampons per box, that’s 253.3 boxes x $7 = $1,773.33

Secondly, I hate thinking about how my tampon usage affects the environment. According to the Huffington Post’s calculations above, you use about 9,120 tampons in your lifetime. I recently read that this year, they’ve calculated that there are about 7.5 billion people in the world. I’m guessing about 50% of those are women, give or take. So 3.75 billion women x 9,120 tampons = 34.2 billion dirty tampons filling up our landfills and stopping up our sewer system in each woman’s lifetime. It’s kind of sad.

Back to the Diva Cup though. It’s a sustainable, easy-to-use, cost effective and eco-friendly menstrual cup. To use it, you fold it in half and insert it into your vagina. It suctions and stays up there, similar to a tampon. Then, when it’s time, you remove it from your body, empty it and wash it with warm soap and water. Trust me, I know how weird and awkward this sounds, but after you give it a few tries, it’s really not so bad. It doesn’t hurt at all and it really is effective for containing your period. One thing is that I would never, ever want to have to empty and clean it at work, but as long as you can time it so that you do that at home, it’s really great!

*Although I was given free products to sample, I was not paid to post about this product! 

Thinx Underwear

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So when I first saw Thinx, I totally thought, those are so weird and must feel like a diaper. I figured why not give them a try though. They call themselves the period panties for the modern woman and they come in several different types, from thongs to hiphuggers, high-waisted to briefs – and different color options. The way they work is that they are made of anti-microbial, moisture-wicking, absorbent and leak-resistant material – to fight bacteria and absorb liquid.

I’ll be honest, I was totally freaked out about using them. So… I started my period and put them on. One thing I had to adjust to was the fact that I hadn’t felt Aunt Flow come out of my body in a million years. I wear tampons and avoid pads like the plague, so that was a serious adjustment. However, I was surprised that they didn’t feel wet. They really were absorbing everything. I tried them out the first day of my period though and that was a mistake. I don’t think I have a super heavy flow, but I did wake up and have a tiny bit of blood in the bed. I contacted them though to ask their thoughts and all, and they mentioned that some girls need to wear them in conjunction with a tampon or cup the first day or two (they note this in the instructions, butttt I may or may not have read them in their entirety haha), but to give them another try on day 3. So I washed them and gave them another shot. On day 3, they worked like a charm! I was pretty comfortable and didn’t have to use any tampons. I was surprised that they felt dry and didn’t have a smell. Overall, I was pretty happy with them! If you want to make the switch and give them a try (you totally should), just click this link or the image below to get $10 off your pair! 🙂 coupon-discount-thinx-underwear

 

Yoga

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When I’m on my period, the very last thing I ever want to do is go the gym. Seriously, all I want is to crawl under my covers, roll up into a ball with my heating pad and sleep my life away. However, I have found that if I can convince myself to just get up and do something with my body, it really does help. Now, I’m not saying go on a run (although tons of girls will tell you this helps), it just makes me cramp more and sometimes need to go to the bathroom, bathroom haha, but yoga is a super good way to ease your cramps, get a little workout in and give a little love to your body.

According to Do You Yoga, here are 6 yoga poses you can do to help relieve menstrual cramps.

  • Child’s Pose
  • Forward Fold
  • Knees-to-Chest Pose
  • Supine Twist
  • Cat & Cow
  • Savasana

 

Periods are never going to be fun or amazing or the highlight of your life, but there are definitely ways to make them more manageable, convenient and comfortable. Don’t suffer when there are tons of new ways to make PMSing a thing of the past. If you have more specific questions about any of the products, feel free to drop a comment or shoot me a message!

C’est la vie,

Anna

My Bucket List

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I recently came to the realization that I have already lived 26 years of my life and only experienced a small fraction of all of the things I want to do. Then, I thought to myself and really felt like in order for me to accomplish and experience all of those things, I need to start taking some serious steps to making it happen. So, I started making this bucket list. It is very much influenced by the Bucket List Journey because if you ever sit down and start making your own list, you’ll eventually realize that you know there are a lot of things out there that you want to do that you don’t even know yet.

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So, here it is… MY bucket list. This post will forever be evolving because as I cross items off the list, I’ll also be writing and linking posts back to this list so you can read all about them! 🙂

Enjoy!

Anna’s Bucket List

  • Swim with dolphins checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Zipline above the jungle canopy checking-off-my-bucket-listbucket-list-zipline-above-jungle-canopy
  • Go to an aquarium checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go to the zoo checking-off-my-bucket-listbucket-list-go-to-the-zoo
  • Go to the circus checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go to the fair checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Visit all 50 states
  • Visit at least 50 countries
  • Create a blog checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Buy an expensive couture outfit
  • Go white water rafting checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Fly in an airplane checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Fly in a helicopter
  • Ride a horse checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Ride a mechanical bull checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Learn to Surf checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Rappel down a waterfall
  • Explore a cave
  • Go indoor skydiving
  • Hold a shark checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Get a weird piercing checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Get a tattoo
  • Dye my hair a crazy color
  • Take a police ride along
  • Ride in a hot air balloon (tethered: checking-off-my-bucket-list, untethered:   )

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  • Go snorkeling checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Walk a suspension bridge
  • Zorbing checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Witness a solar eclipse checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • See the grand canyon
  • Tour the White House
  • Ride on an elephant
  • Attend a rodeo checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Climb a volcano
  • Kiss in the rain
  • Dance in the rain checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Milk a cow
  • Churn butter checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Name a star
  • Relax in a natural hot spring
  • See Georgia football win a National Championship
  • Release baby sea turtles into the ocean
  • Go deep sea fishing
  • Go on a cruise checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Ride a train
  • Ride a subway checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Take a greyhound somewhere
  • Ride in a horse and carriage checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Explore NYC checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Camp in a tent checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Watch a meteor shower checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go to the Olympics
  • Meet Britney Spears
  • Meet Selena Gomez
  • Sleep in a teepee
  • Sleep in a treehouse
  • Sleep in an ice hotel
  • See the Mayan Ruins checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • See a pyramid
  • Visit the 4 corners
  • See the Northern Lights
  • Go topless at a topless beach
  • Have a pen pal
  • Sing karaoke checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Leave notes on bathroom mirrors in 5+ cities
  • Write a book
  • Make a candle
  • Make a tie dye shirt checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Get a drastic haircut checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Try archery checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go to a film premiere
  • Attend a music festival
  • Walk the Susan G. Komen 3-Day
  • Run a half marathon
  • Be a game show contestant
  • Be a TV studio audience member
  • Celebrate New Years in NYC
  • Visit the Eiffel Tower
  • Be an extra in a movie
  • Bet at the dog races checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Dance on a bar checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go to a drive in movie
  • Be a part of a flash mob checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Read 100 books
  • See a ballet checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • See Cirque de Soleil
  • Set a record in the Guinness Book of World Records
  • Take a pole dancing class
  • Go paddle boarding
  • Do yoga somewhere cool
  • Visit Yosemite National Park
  • Go to the Kentucky Derby
  • See a broadway show checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Visit Niagara Falls
  • See Mount Rushmore
  • Go to the Grand Ole Opry checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Sleep in an over-water bungalow
  • Walk to the Great Wall of China
  • Get a Brazilian wax checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Get a spray tan checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Get a fish pedicure
  • Do a boudoir shoot checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Get a complete makeover
  • Get fitted for a bra
  • Get a full body massage
  • Go to the New York Fashion Week
  • Mud wrestle checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Wear colored contacts
  • Make 6 figures
  • Save $50,000
  • Become 100% debt free
  • Buy a house checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Have a housekeeper
  • Order room service checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Have sex somewhere crazy
  • Visit a winery
  • Put a message in a bottle in the ocean
  • Take a photography class
  • Order an expensive bottle of champagne
  • Ride a rollercoaster checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Ride a tandem bike
  • Go to a luau
  • Celebrate a holiday in another country
  • Drink from a fresh coconut checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Stay at a bed & breakfast
  • Host a dinner party
  • Host a pajama brunch
  • Use chopsticks checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Give a waiter a HUGE tip
  • Bake a pie
  • Take a cooking class
  • Go kayaking checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Experience a white Christmas
  • Climb a mountain
  • Go skiing
  • Go waterskiing checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go snowboarding
  • Invent something
  • Slide down a fire station pole
  • Skinny dip checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Have sex on a beach
  • Have sex on a plane
  • Smoke a hookah
  • Stay out all night
  • Have a baby
  • Do a random act of kindness
  • Dance in the street
  • Get a college degree checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Get my MBA
  • Visit the elderly at a nursing home checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Give blood checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Find out my ancestry
  • Learn Spanish (fluently)
  • Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Germany
  • See the Taj Mahal
  • Swim in a cenote checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Gamble at a Casino checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Eat fondue checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Let go of a floating lantern in Thailand
  • Go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
  • Go to the National Cherry Blossom Festival
  • Climb a lighthouse
  • Fly 1st class
  • Go on a safari
  • Take a cross country road trip
  • Help someone cross off an item on their bucket list
  • Write a post that gets published
  • Play an instrument checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Host a foreign exchange student
  • Stay in a hostel
  • Plant a tree
  • Meditate
  • Pay for the person’s meal behind me in the drive thru
  • Sponsor a Christmas child checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Go on a mission trip
  • Go bowling checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Climb a rock wall checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Complete a ropes course checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go to the World Series
  • Go to a Nascar race checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Go to a Super Bowl
  • Go to the Masters checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Run a 5k checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Run a 10k checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Ride on a motorcycle
  • Shoot a gun checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Ride a jet ski checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Ride a segway
  • Ride in a tuk tuk
  • Throw money and make a wish in a fountain checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Hike a trail checking-off-my-bucket-list

bucket-list-hike-a-trail

  • Get baptized
  • Yell off a cliff at the top of my lungs
  • Send my parents on a nice trip
  • Go on a trip with each of my siblings
  • Build something
  • Fix up a piece of furniture
  • Raft down the Martha Brae in Jamaica checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Stay at an all-inclusive resort checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Stay in a penthouse
  • Own a pair of Louboutins
  • Go to a concert checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Have a picnic checking-off-my-bucket-list
  • Be a huge blessing in someone’s life
  • Eat pasta in Italy
  • Eat pizza in NYC checking-off-my-bucket-list

bucket-list-pizza-in-nyc

  • Eat pizza in Chicago
  • Get to a body size and look that I love
  • Remodel part of my house
  • Go on a crazy shopping spree
  • Go ice skating outside
  • Play in a Beer Olympics checking-off-my-bucket-list

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  • Add more things to my bucket list 🙂

What’s on your bucket list?

C’est la vie,

Anna

Cheap & Easy, DIY Fall Decor for the Girl on a Budget

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Cheap-and-easy-diy-fall-decor-for-the-girl-on-a-budget

Happy first day of fall y’all! Although I’ve been filling my house with Sweater Weather, washing my hands with Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte and sipping on actual pumpkin spice lattes for days now. Go ahead, call me basic! haha

Nonetheless, there’s nothing I love more than adding a little fall flair to my home. But, if you’re like me, you have a million other things to worry about financially (bills, savings, new fall clothes, etc.), so you don’t want to break the bank, right? Luckily, with some of these DIY autumn decor ideas, you don’t have to! And although I consider myself relatively crafty, I’m always about easy crafts, so I can get back to online shopping and watching the latest episode of Grey’s. So, if you too are looking for some cheap, easy ways to add a little fall decor to your house, this one’s for you!

 

1. Pumpkin Floral Arrangement Centerpiece

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I love this one because it’s super easy, adds some fresh flowers to your home and looks pretty sophisticated for the girl on a budget, if I do say so myself.

Here’s what you’ll need:

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  • A pumpkin – This can be a real pumpkin for those of you going the extra mile. In that case, you’ll just need to cut a hole in the top and scrape out the insides like you do when you’re normally carving a pumpkin. Then, you’ll need to take an empty soup can, tupperware container, etc. to use to hold the water inside. This makes you super crafty and you win major brownie points. For me, I just used a $5 pumpkin trick-or-treating container from Michael’s. It was really easy and I don’t have to worry about it going bad on my dining room table.
  • Water
  • Scissors
  • Fall flowers – I grabbed a few cheap bouquets that were on sale at Kroger for $5.99

**Helpful tip! Google “Michael’s coupon” any and every time you shop there. They almost always have a coupon for 40% off that you can show on your phone!

How to create your pumpkin floral arrangement centerpiece: 

  • Take your pumpkin bucket (or real pumpkin) and fill the inside piece about halfway full with water.

budget-friendly-diy-fall-decor-cheap-easy-pumpkin-floral-arrangement-centerpiece

  • Unwrap your bouquets of fall flowers and use one to measure the right height for your pumpkin.

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  • Cut the ends of your flowers to be all around the same length. I don’t cut them all exactly the same because I like a little variety and messiness, but that’s up to you!

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  • Arrange your flowers inside your pumpkin to your liking and place it in the center of your table.

I told y’all these were easy! Check out how cute this finished product turned out!

budget-friendly-diy-fall-decor-pumpkin-fall-floral-arrangement-centerpiece

 

2. Cinnamon Stick Candle

Candles are a girl’s best friend! They immediately bring warmth to a room and add a little cinnamon and they’ll make your whole home smell good too!

Here’s what you’ll need: 

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  • A small white/ivory candle – To go super cheap, you can grab a 99 cent white pillar candle from Walmart. These work really well for looks, but they’re unscented and unscented candles make me sad. That’s why I opted to grab the vanilla scented candles in the same size. They’re less than $3.50 a piece, so still pretty cheap!
  • Cinnamon sticks – I just grabbed these from the baking aisle. If you get them at Walmart, they’re cheap, but you’ll only get 6 to a container and you’ll need a good bit more than that. Run by Target though (who’s going to be sad about that, right?) and they have containers with a bunch more in them for not too terribly much more in price.
  • Hot glue gun
  • Hot glue sticks (obviously)
  • Twine – You can get a really cheap thing of this at Walmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. and they usually come with a lot in them, so it’ll last you for lots of future crafts!

How to create your cinnamon stick candle: 

  • Unwrap all of your materials and lay them out on the table. You have to move kind of quickly with the hot glue, so it’s better just to have everything out to start.

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  • Put one vertical line of hot glue on your candle at at time and lay a cinnamon stick on top of it. Continue this until you have cinnamon sticks covering the entire outside of the candle.

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  • Cut a piece of twine and wrap it around your candle and cinnamon sticks several times before tying it off with a bow!

Wham, bam thank you ma’am – you’re done! 🙂

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3. Candy Corn Candle

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Yes, this craft is as cute as it is delicious! Now, I have never been a fan of candy corn, but when I was putting this together, I snagged a few pieces and was pleasantly surprised that it tasted a lot better than I remembered.

Here’s what you’ll need:

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  • A small mason jar – They sell these individually at Michael’s for about $3 each, but if you think you’ll use them for other things (I’ve used them for all kinds of crafts), go ahead and grab the 8 or 12 pack at Walmart. They’re a lot more cost efficient.
  • A bag of candy corn
  • A small votive – Again you can grab unscented here or a vanilla scented votive, which is always my vote! These are both available at Walmart.
  • Twine
  • Hot glue gun
  • Glue sticks

How to create your candy corn candle: 

  • Take your mason jar and fill it about 1/4 of the way up with candy corn.

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  • Place your votive down in the jar on top of the candy corn that is already in there.
  • Fill the jar so it’s about 3/4 to almost full making sure that the candy corn falls around the sides of the votive.

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  • Cut a long piece of twine and wrap it several times around the lip of the jar. Hot glue the end of this to keep it in place.

Candy corn candle complete!

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And last, but not least…

 

4. White & Gold Pumpkins

Any time you can throw some white/off-white and gold into your fall decor, I’m a fan! This craft is really simple, but throws a cute, non-traditional element into your autumn decorations.

Here’s what you’ll need:

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  • White or off-white pumpkins – I picked up these plastic pumpkins at Michael’s for $5 a piece (all of their fall decor is on sale in store right now)! Sometimes I’ll also pick up some tiny, real, white pumpkins from Kroger to throw in as well.
  • Gold metallic sharpie

How to create your white and gold pumpkins:

  • This is almost going to seem silly it’s so simple, but decide what wording you want on your pumpkin and write it using your gold metallic sharpie. I suggest practicing on paper first and maybe finding a font you like online to copy. I just used “thankful” here, but you could throw in tons of cute words like “grateful”, “harvest”, or even your family name, like “the freemans”!

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  • If you absolutely do not love your handwriting, try out some polka dots or chevron. These don’t have to look perfect to still look really cute.

Pair a few different pumpkins together and they’ll be one of your fall favorites!

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To make this crafting 10x more fun, have a couple of girls over to do it together. Maybe throw in some yummy fall drinks (I have a delicious recipe for one coming to ya on the blog soon)!

All of you DIYers out there, send me your DIY fall decor ideas – I’d love to add some new goodies to my house this year! 🙂

C’est la vie,

Anna

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White Water Rafting Adventure on the Chattahoochee River

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If you are looking for a fun weekend adventure here in the South, then white water rafting on the Chattahoochee River is for you! I recently visited my sister who had just relocated to Columbus, Georgia and when she first invited me down I had no idea what to expect of the city.

White water rafting has always been an item on my bucket list, so when I found out that Columbus had a beautiful downtown area on the river with some of the best white water rafting around, I couldn’t have been more excited.

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We went during Memorial Day weekend, so we were really nervous that it was going to be overcrowded (luckily we made a reservation before – be sure to do that if you’re going to go), but they really had a good process in place so that you didn’t have to wait very long. The guides were super nice and helpful as far as getting your gear on and showing you the safety guidelines before entering the water.

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Since most of us were beginners, we took the Classic Trip. On these trips, the water moves slower and the rapids are smaller. They are classified as Class I – III and there’s even a portion of the river where you get to jump out and actually float down the river, which is pretty cool.

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They also have a High Water Trip that you can take later in the day, but I wasn’t quite ready for that one. These are Class II – IV+ rapids which are quicker and larger… perfect for someone who’s gone white water rafting a few times in their life!

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Our trip was perfect for us though and we had such a fun time! Our guide made sure to show us a few cool tricks and to tell us all about the history of the river during our ride. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a weekend adventure!

Do we have any experienced white water rafters out there? If so, where all have you been?

C’est la vie,

Anna

 

College Game Day Outfit Ideas

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Here in the South, Fall means cooler weather, pumpkin spice and college football! If you’re like most of us southern girls, you’ve spent a Saturday or two cheering on your favorite team. And although we all come together to watch our boys lay it all out on the field, Saturdays are also for eating, drinking, tailgating and wearing cute game day outfits.

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If you’re looking for a little college game day outfit inspiration… you’ve come to the right place.

Ashley’s Pick

Ashley is a huge Georgia Bulldogs fan and put together a super cute, but also comfy outfit in this black, cut out romper!

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Of course, she dressed it up with some red accessories and lipstick!

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Plus, the perfect black shoes to complete the look.

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Get Ashley’s look:

Romper – Dress Up

Necklace – Target

Shoes – Target

Watch – Michael Kors

 

Lauren’s Pick

Lauren is an Auburn University alumni and cheers on her Tigers in this classic look.

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She stays cool and pretty in the Alabama heat in this short and top combo!

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And I am obsessed with her accessories!

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Get Lauren’s look:

Top – Fabrik

Shorts – Fabrik

Shoes – Marc Fisher @ Nordstrom

Earrings – Hand in Pocket boutique **similar pair linked

Bracelets – David Yurman

 

Amanda’s Pick

On any given Saturday, you can hear Amanda singing Rocky Top and cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers in this trendy outfit!

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She takes this cute top and jeans outfit up a notch with all of her gorgeous accessories!

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And she’s ready to help her boys kick butt in these sexy boots!

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Get Amanda’s look:

Top – Swank

Jeans – Hudson Jeans @ Fabrik

Boots – Justin

Jewelry – David Yurman and Betsy Pittard Designs

 

Anna’s Pick

Last, but not least, it’s your’s truly! I’m a UGA alumni and live for Saturdays between the hedges. Here’s my summer-to-fall transition, game day outfit!

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I’m all about throwing in some animal print!

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And I love these lace up shoes that not only give me a little height (I can use all the help I can get in that department, haha), but also save my feet from being in pain while walking around all day.

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Get Anna’s look:

Top – Forever 21

Skirt – Lulu’s

Jewelry – Apple and Swank

Shoes – Target

Clutch – Mint Julep Boutique

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What are your favorite game day looks?

C’est la vie (& Go Dawgs),

Anna

 

How to Combat Dry Skin Between Seasons

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Does this awkward time between summer and fall have your skin feeling dried out? I know for me after a day of being outside in the sun or spending time outdoors with friends, my skin and lips often get dry and crackly… gross. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can add to your daily routine that will help you kiss those ashy, itchy skin days goodbye!

Here’s what to do if you have dry skin!

 

1.Moisturize your body

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This seems obvious, right? If your skin is dry, add some type of moisture and voila! But… you’d be surprised how many people don’t moisturize and if they do, don’t moisturize correctly. I don’t know your shower routine, but have you ever noticed when you get out of the shower that a few minutes later your skin feels dry and tight? If you get to this point, you’ve already waited too long and you’ve already lost a ton of moisture from your skin.

My best tip for you is to try some in-shower body lotion. My favorite is Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer. It literally says that it locks in hydration at skin’s peak moisture moment for luminous skin and it really does! I just started using it a few months ago and it has completely changed the look and feel of my legs and elbows. Plus, it’s so much easier to put on than regular lotion. Did I also mention that it has coconut oil in it, which is oh-so-good for your skin?

 

2. Take care of your face

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Now depending on what type of skin you have, you may or may not be able to use this same moisturizer on your face. My skin is super sensitive and one wrong move could turn my pretty, smooth face into a pizza, so I opt to use Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer SPF 15. There’s tons of expensive face lotions out there you can use that are great, but I prefer this one because it’s tried and true. You can find it at almost any drug store so you never run out, plus it has UV protection in it, so it really keeps your face safe. Your face is just like the rest of your body though. As soon as you get out of the shower, pat it dry (don’t rub it harshly with the towel) and put lotion on asap. This will not only make your skin feel better, it will make your face seem brighter, your makeup sit better and it will help prevent wrinkles.

 

3. Drink lots of water

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A year or so ago when I was getting ready for my wedding, I started drinking 100 ounces of water a day and I swear it changed my life. Now,  you don’t have to drink 100 ounces every day… that’s a ton and just ask my co-workers, they tell me all the time that I win the award for the most times in the bathroom per day, haha! But what I didn’t realize is that for years I was dehydrating my body and my skin by drinking Diet Pepsi and Diet Dr. Pepper all day with minimal water. Now if I go out drinking one night or if I’m so busy that I don’t get enough water in, I can really tell in not only my appearance, but also how I feel and how my skin feels. Start slowly adding water into your diet and at the same time, slowly start reducing those sugary or caffeinated drinks. I swear you’ll see results in no time!

 

4. Use chapstick, liberally

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Chances are if your body and your face both are dry, your lips probably are too. It drives me crazy that my husband refuses to use chapstick. I even bought him a very masculine, camo one, but still to no avail. Your lips are only going to get more dry and thin and old looking with every passing year, so give them what they need! I suggest keeping a chapstick anywhere you spend a lot of time. For example, I keep a chapstick at work, in my purse, in my car (although be careful here, it can melt and make a mess), in the coffee table in my living room, in my bathroom and in my bedside table. It’s not that you necessarily need this much chapstick, but you really should never be caught without it. “Why?” you ask… Well, when our lips are dry and we don’t have chapstick available, our first instinct is to lick our lips. Well, once or twice, this is harmless, but keep on doing it and see what you look like. I for one like to avoid having a second set of lips when you get all red and chapped or cracks on the sides of my mouth. Brand suggestions here… I honestly haven’t met a chapstick I don’t like yet, but I’d have to say that Blistex, EOS and Burt’s Bees are probably a few of my favorites.

 

5. Be skin-conscious in the shower

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Let me just start by saying, I’m a hot shower’s biggest fan, but taking a super hot shower might not be the best for your skin. In fact, a lot of dermatologists recommend only using warm water and trying to stay in the shower for less than 10 minutes (I’m at least a 15 minute shower-er, so I feel your pain). But reducing your shower time, even a little, can help your skin. Plus, when you’re in the shower, take notice of the products you’re using on your skin. Are you using a lot of colorful, clear-looking gels and harsh, cheap bar soaps? These don’t do much for your skin in the way of keeping in moisture. Try to find soaps and body washes that have moisturizer in them and that have a creamier feel to them. One of my favorites is Dove’s Deep Moisture Body Wash.

These are just a few of the things you can do to help if you have dry skin, but starting off with these five easy steps will help a ton! What are your favorite dry skin remedies?

C’est la vie,

Anna

 

Celebrating the Hubs with a Recap of Our Favorite Memories

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My husband’s birthday is in a couple of days – he’s turning the big 2 – 7! He’s not huge into birthdays and he’s definitely not into being the center of attention (unless he’s drunk and in a dancing mood lol), but I’ll be celebrating him all week long! I mean what better to celebrate than the day my soulmate entered the world?!

Bryan and I started dating in the 9th grade after a friend’s birthday party. Weirdly enough, I still remember what I was wearing. It was 2005 and I thought I was so hot in my holy jeans and floral tube top… yes, I said tube top haha! I have searched high and low for a picture from this party to no avail, but it’s the day I truly started to get to know my now husband, so it’s obviously gotta be added to my list of favorite memories.

Having been together for over 12 years now, there are a trillion memories I could share, but I’ve tried to pick out just a few of my very favorites.

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Bryan and I broke up and got back together a ton of times in high school, but this picture is what I like to think of as the day we fell back in love. It was Senior Day, one of our last days of high school. I had recently had some fall out with my friends, so I had no one to hang out with and even though we hadn’t been talking for a while, he stayed by my side all day.  I was pretty sure then that he would be my forever.

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I love this picture because I remember how in love and happy I felt in this moment. Being long distance our first year of college was really hard and this was our one year anniversary after being off at school. I remember I thought we were big shots because we stayed at The Georgian Hotel in Atlanta and Bryan gave me a ring that I still wear to this day.

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I’ve been a University of Georgia fan my entire life, but it’s Bryan and his family who took me to my first game and taught me how to really hunker down for the dawgs! While I was in school at UGA, Bryan and I had so many fun game days and I hope we’ll get to share that with our children when that time comes.

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I felt so terrible on this day. I had just had my wisdom teeth out and had a virus at the same time, but it’s still one of my favorite days. Bryan had wanted a lab puppy for forever and I surprised him with our now fur baby, Champ. I have never seen Bryan so excited and I have never seen him so in love. I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without this sweet soul in them.

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It only makes sense that the day that this sweet boy asked me to be his wife would be on the list. I totally thought that I was planning a surprise birthday party for him, so to find out that he had planned the whole thing all along was so crazy. Even though his proposal speech came out a little bit like a blabbering mess, it was the sweetest thing he had ever said to me and I couldn’t wait to become his wife.

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This is by far the happiest day of our lives up until this point. It was on April 23, 2016, that we said “I do” and became Mr. & Mrs. Freeman!

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Jamaica will forever have our hearts. Our honeymoon was filled with adventures, amazing foods and lots of love. ❤

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Mexico was no Jamaica, but celebrating our first year of marriage was so exciting. We love traveling and experiencing new places and this trip truly was the experience of a lifetime. Here’s to hoping we go on a million more anniversary trips around the world.

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We recently just bought our first house and we are still in the process of making it a home, but this is such a fun time in life and we’re just happy to be where we’re at for now.

To you, Bryan Morris Freeman, I’m sorry to get mushy on you for all to see, but I love you with all of my heart. I love you for having my back, no matter what, even when I’m wrong. I love you for protecting me, taking care of me when I’m sick and kissing me everyday when you leave for work, when I get home from work and before bed. I love you for your delicious steaks, your willingness to split our chores 50/50, your green thumb and your bug-killing skills. I love you for how loyal and considerate and loving you are. I hope you have the very best birthday and that you never forget just how much I love you (in case you didn’t catch that already lol). Happy Birthday!

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C’est la vie,

Anna

 

 

 

 

An Inside Look at a College-Football Inspired, Elegant Southern Wedding

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My brother and sister-in-law just got married a couple of months ago or so and the wedding was to die for! Both Brent and Hayley lived in Athens, Georgia (home of the Georgia Bulldogs) during their college years, so the city and the university are near and dear to their hearts. Hayley did such an amazing job putting together a seriously gorgeous, southern charmed wedding with little touches of the team they both love, so I had to give you guys an inside look. Get ready for wedding envy in 3… 2… 1…

The Gifts

Hayley picked out a gift with several sweet items for Brent, but one of my favorites was a pair of University of Georgia cufflinks that he’ll cherish forever!

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If you want to sob a little, take a look at one of the gifts that the groom got for his bride… a beautiful white bible, with her new name inscribed on it.

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Or these absolutely adorable mother-of-the-bride and father-of-the-bride gifts!

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Getting Ready

I’m so obsessed with these blue hydrangea robes that Hayley gave to her bridesmaids and Tame Style Bar did an amazing job dolling them up!

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The Ceremony

The ceremony was held at the iconic, UGA Chapel, located on the North Campus of the University of Georgia.

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And of course, they had to officially seal their marriage with a celebratory ringing of the Chapel Bell!

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The Reception

H & B’s reception was held at the Taylor-Grady House just outside of downtown Athens.

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The food was catered by the Athens’ favorite, Mama’s Boy, and boyyyy was it good!

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And yes… this cake was as perfect as it appears.

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Not to mention, she didn’t leave one detail untouched, from photos of their parents’ wedding days to mercury glass decor and hydrangeas and greenery galore.

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UGA Inspiration

Now for the Georgia Bulldog touches you’ve been dying to see. 🙂

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This Groom’s cake by Callie’s Cakes. ❤ ❤ ❤

https://www.facebook.com/CalliesCakes/?ref=page_internal

A visit from Hairy Dawg!!

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And of course an exit with red and black poms and Georgia themed music!

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And did I mention that even though it rained almost all day that it was still one of the most fun weddings I’ve ever been to and this bride stayed as gorgeous and sweet as ever?!

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So what do you think? Are you as in love as I was?

Congrats to Brent & Hayley – I’m so excited to see what your lives have in store!

C’est la vie,

Anna

 

Photos: Alyssa Alig

 

 

 

26 Reasons I’m Excited to Turn 26

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Yeee! I can’t believe it’s already August and that my 26th birthday is here! I feel like it was just the new year, or better yet, that I was just telling all of you about the 25 things I had learned in my 25 years of life. But nonetheless, summer is coming to a close, kids are going back to school and I’m celebrating 26 years of memories and life experiences!

So, of course, I’m thrilled because that means birthday cupcakes and glasses of champagne, but there are a million other reasons turning 26 is so exciting. Here’s just 26 for your enjoyment…

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1.I’ve lived one more awesome year of life and I’ve still got 4 years until I turn 30! Thank God.

2. IDGAF what anyone thinks.

Just kidding… I probably care what people think more than most. I am always so nervous to offend or hurt or put off anyone, but I guess I more so mean I don’t care in that, I’m not afraid to be my true self. I feel like when you’re younger, people are so critical and don’t embrace being different, but the older you get, the cooler it is to be unique and be yourself. So if it’s lame to be obsessed with the Michelle Branch Pandora station, if it’s fat to eat ice cream twice in a day or if it’s not cool to take 1000 photos on every trip you go on… I don’t care because it makes me happy. 🙂

3. I’m old enough to be treated like an adult, but still young enough to make mistakes without being crucified for them.

4. This year is for my career.

I feel like each year in life is filled with something that takes up a lot of your time or is your sole focus. Some years that’s been graduating from college, other years it’s been getting married, spending time with a sick loved one or buying a house, but this year I really think I’m going to get the time and space to make my career my top priority. I’m in a really good place in my life in general and I’m hopefully not looking to make babies anytime soon, so I’m excited to really dig in and see where my career can go.

5. I have a savings account and my 401K actually has a good bit of money in it.

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6. My family (on my husband’s side) is complete.

With our last brother-in-law getting married in June, we now have a full family on our own. I’m really excited to become true sisters with both of my sister-in-laws and to be a good aunt to my sweet, new nephew. Did I mention I can’t wait for Christmas?! It will definitely entail some major spoiling!

7. I bought a king size bed.

That’s a funny thing to be excited about, isn’t it? But it’s big and beautiful and has a gorgeous tufted headboard and I can’t wait to spend a gazillion hours in it.

8. I have plans to travel.

I absolutely love traveling and want to see as much of the world as I can. Luckily, I’ve already got a couple of trips in the books and am trying to plan a few more.

9. My husband is turning 27 this month.

Sucks to suck, bro. haha I’m just kidding, but it totally makes it better to say that I’m still in my mid-20s and he is officially in his late 20s!

10. No quarter life crisis here!

I think I told all of you guys when I wrote about 23 Reasons Being 23 is Awesome a few years back that turning 22 was really hard for me and I was excited to be done with that year (sad to think I really felt that way now, but oh well!). I had an early quarter-life crisis. So when a ton of my friends told me turning 26 was really hard for them, I was nervous. However, I really think the whole 22 fiasco was a life saver for me, because it hasn’t been hard at all. I’ve come to realize that 26 is really young and this is a really exciting time in my life.

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11. I’m getting my eyebrows microbladed!

Ever since I waxed my eyebrows too thin in the 7th grade, I’ve struggled with them. Cheers to not having to fill them in anymore and having beautiful, thick brows. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to post on the blog all about how the process goes, before & after pics, etc.!!

12. Everyone else is having babies.

This is kind of a sad thing sometimes because people aren’t available to go to brunch at the drop of a hat or spend a weekend at the beach with you, but it’s also so exciting because you get to enjoy all of the cute, happy goodness of babies without having to deal with the crying, pooping mess of it all.

13. If for some reason I do accidentally get pregnant, my parents won’t be totally pissed about it… they might even be happy.

14. Granny panties are life and I ain’t even mad about it.

15. When people meet me, they still think I’m 18.

This used to drive me crazyyyy, but considering that at 26, forehead wrinkles and gray roots are a real thing, I’ll take it!

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16. Jennifer Lawrence is 26… and she pretty much rocked it this year, so inherently, that means I will too, right?

 

17. I’m redesigning the blog.

I know I’ve said this for foreverrrr, but when you aren’t a full time blogger and you have a job that truthfully is more than full time, it makes things hard. However, the redesign is not that far in the future and I can’t wait to unveil it for all of you!

 

18. People in my field are really starting to respect me and value my knowledge.

In the world of marketing, sexism and ageism are a real issue. So when I first started my career, it was really hard meeting with older men (and sometimes women) who thought I had no idea what I was talking about. I’ve really gotten to a point though where most of my clients consider me a marketing guru and want my opinion and that’s really cool.

19. I’m honest with myself and my friends.

I’m not trying to pretend that my life is perfect or that I don’t sabotage myself from time to time. I may cry about not having anything to do or anyone to do it with sometimes, but I also tell myself, you are bad about ignoring text messages and refusing to get up from your Netflix binge to wash your hair. Some days I want to be a ray of sunshine for my friends and other days I have to straight up tell them I’m lost and sad. No one’s life is perfect all of the time and I’m learning that’s okay.

20. Birthday coupons!

What can I say? I love to shop online and I love to eat! When I started getting floods of birthday coupons from my favorite boutiques and even a free birthday burrito from Moe’s, I instantly knew this was going to be a good year. #NotTooRichtoUseCoupons #NotTooOldtoTurnDownaFreeMeal

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21. I’m really starting to see the value in family and quality time.

I have always been super thankful for what a wonderful family I have, but as I get older they truly become more and more valuable to me. I’ve realized how important it is to call, just to talk, even when I don’t feel like it. I’ve learned that time spent with family, even if you’re not going anything, is time well spent. There’s something really special about how much your family will unconditionally love you and you really shouldn’t take that for granted.

22. My birthday is on the weekend!

I can’t explain how excited I am that not only do I not have to go to work on my birthday, but I can also sleep in… which never happens! I seriously can’t ask for much more.

23. I’ve learned that if you’re aggressively paying off debt, it’s okay to splurge sometimes.

24. I’m figuring out what causes are important to me in life.

26 years in, chances are you’ve dealt with some heartbreak or seen some sad things. Last year, I wrote about how the world lost the most beautiful soul and it really changed me. I’ve participated in fundraisers like Relay for Life, the American Red Cross Hero campaign, flood relief, coat drives, Toys for Tots, etc. my whole life. All of these things are obviously important to me, but fighting cancer really has taken on new meaning for me. That’s why in November, I’m putting that passion into action and walking the Susan G. Komen 3-Day to help raise funds to fight breast cancer.

25. There are a lot of exciting things I want to do in year twenty-six and I think I might actually have the drive and focus to do them.

26. Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake.

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Thank you all SO much for the sweet birthday wishes. Cheers to year 26!

C’est la vie,

Anna