BOO!

Happy Halloween Ya'll!

Remember to save all your Jolly Rancher lollipops 

and candy corn for me!

Recap

My weekend according to Instagram:

(A day late, it obviously took me a little while to recover from the devastating Gator loss on Saturday)

Taking full advantage of the FULL BOTTLE of leftover champagne 

from the photo shoot at work. Aka: Weekend Pre-Gaming.

Prepping for our tailgate.

At this point I feel obligated to mention that we took absolutely ZERO pictures during the game. I then decided that I was going to revise my previous expectation to "take a picture during every game" to now be "take a picture during every game that the Gators WIN." With this new correction, I've inevitably made myself not feel to guilty for my lack of photos. BAM!

I forgot to mention that my sister, Mary Kate, and her boyfrannn, Matt, spent the weekend with us. After the game that will no longer be mentioned on this blog, they fancied up and went to the Zac Brown Band Concert. JEALOUS!

This was our Sunday existence:

 1. Watching DVR episodes of extreme cheapskates

2. Watching the my least favorite NFL team loose (Jags)

3. Questioning the sanity of the Steelers stylist (and maybe Nike) and their god-awful decision to create (and wear) a "tribute uniform" reminiscent of a bumble bee

Exhibit A:

Really, what were they thinking!?

(photo cred)

The silver lining of the weekend was the weather! For the first time all year the temperature wasn't offensive outside allowing us to open the windows!  ... thus creating Remy's new favorite hobby: Guard Doggin' the carport. 

Follow my exciting life on Instagram: Magmag1010

keep calm and go gators

As we part ways for the weekend, I'll leave you with some words of wisdom:

I've been doing my best to try and remember to take a picture during each game. Originally, my intention was to take a picture of and I of John during each game, but that plan fizzled when I realized that I'm out of town way too much during football season and that I would take a picture with whomever I was with!

Florida vs. Bowling Green

Florida vs. Texas A&M

Florida vs. Texas A&M

Florida vs. Tennessee

Florida vs. Kentucky

No game. Just drinking and Honey Boo Boo-ing.

Florida vs. LSU

(BEST GAME OF THE SEASON!)

Florida vs. Vandy

Florida vs. South Carolina

Truer words have never been spoken.

(Stolen from the biggest Gator football fan that I know, Ellie)

oh the places i have been

Update 3:

Years ago I created a mantra for myself: If someone offers you the opportunity to travel for free, take it. Always.

Around the time I took a break quit blogging I took a new job within the same company (possibly a suitable excuse for my lack of posts?). Per usual new job, I had new expectations to learn, new clients to meet, new processes to master, new bosses to impress, and new events to attend which coincidently meant new places to travel!

I've been raking in the frequent flyer miles ever since :)

Hanging out with Olympic Gold Medalist, Dawn Harper in Aspen, CO at the Silver Rush Event hosted by SNOW magazine

Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek at the Silver Rush Event in Aspen, CO

The Silver Rush Event in Aspen was the first event I planned as part of my new job. Not bad, if I do say so myself :)

Don't let the wine fool you, I was hard at work.

Boulder, CO

Pearl Street; Boulder, CO

Side trip to my old elementary school on a trip to Ft. Lauderdale.

SNOWbiz Media Event (NYC)... the event that was the bane of my existence from March - July!

(click here to see a video from the event)

St. Augustine's own DJ Applesauce in NYC at SNOWbiz Media event

My work uniform.

A beautiful walk to Blockheads on a beautiful evening in NYC

Next stop, Saranac Lake NY

Not a long trip but just enough time to teach this little cutie how to be the next Honey Boo Boo

And hang out with my 2 favorite sisters

Small plane fear, conquered.

currently reading

I have a confession to make: I am a reader.

All those years of mandatory reading, book reports, and novel quizzes really have a way of making reading everything but an enjoyable experience. Towards the end of college I had had enough. I was sick of it. I was sick of being told what to read, when to read it, how to interpret it, and especially that sickening feeling that I got (every time) knowing that finishing the terrible book was only HALF of the work and that no-doubt a book report or some sort of reflection of said book was in my near future. 

By the time I graduated just the very thought of reading stressed me out.

Over time I slowly started reintroducing books back into my life, realizing that part of my problem was that I had no idea what kinds of books I event liked to read! For 20 years I would get a list of required reading and painstakingly make my way down the list not even bothering to take into account if I actually liked what I was reading. At the time, they were all the same genre to me: Required.

Fast forward a few years and you would have no idea that I used to be an ex-reader. My iPad, specifically the iBooks app, has made reading infinitely less risky. iBooks allows me to preview books before buying, see how a book is rated among other top sellers, read my books on all my devices (iphone and iphone), but most importantly I can decide if I like a book, an author, and the storyline before committing my (precious) time. I'm in all or nothing kind of girl - and during the first steps in my quest to enjoy reading, I hated that I was buying books that I wasn't sure I was going to like, after all, I didn't even know what I liked!

A few things I've realized during my intervention:

• I have a pension for reading smut (ie: The 50 Shades of Grey Trilogy)
• I like autobiographies 
• I've recently become a huge fan of listening to books on tape (yup, that still counts as reading in my book)
• I prefer reading on an eReader vs. a "Real" Book 
• Reading makes falling asleep much easier

I've been invited to join a few book clubs in the past few months but have politely declined. Just the thought of mandatory reading and a group discussion gives me hives!

Currently I'm reading:

• Most Talkative,
  by Andy Cohen          
• The 19th Wife, by Davis Ebershoff

   

hello halloween

Not so long ago my years were split into 2 categories: School and Vacation. It was as easy as that, I went to school and while everyone else was checking their syllabus for test dates and project deadlines, I would open my brand new school issued planner and begin my countdown until summer vacation, writing numbers on each day of the week and setting earmarks on holidays like Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter.  

These days my calendar is far less interesting, the only thing separating this week from last and next week from 5 weeks from now are work trips and expense reports. Gone are the days of my planner and the summer vacation countdown. Unfortunately, unless we get a corporate day off for a holiday, I have no idea it exists. I have the receptionist's bowl of candy and Pinterest updates to thank for reminding me of the current holiday season. After all, I live in Florida, our seasons are as simple: Hot and Warm. So while the rest of the world welcomes fall and Halloween with tall boots and pumpkin spice lattes, I have styrofoam pumpkins and acrylic paint to help put me in the holiday spirit. 

My friend Ellie found this project in the most recent issue of Country Living, and being the die-hard magazine junkie that I am (it comes with the territory), I figured it was good enough for the pages of print, it was good enough for my doorstep .... and also the perfect way to add some Halloween spirit to the front of my crib without the mess of carving a pumpkin:

Pumpkin Painting 101

Need: Acrylic paint, pumpkins (real of fake), 

paint brush, and finishing spray

Who doesn't love a chevron striped pumpkin. 

I'm sure my mailman will appreciate it :)

These probably would have turned out much better 

with some painters tape, but I didn't have any so I 

decided to freehand everything.

Once your paint dries, spray on finishing spray 

and let set overnight. 

Follow me on Instagram for project sneak peeks: magmay1010

wedding recap

Saturday was the most perfect day!

Mary & Tim got married AND the Gators beat South Carolina! 

Does it get any better than that?

Mary walking down the aisle with her dad

(Knowles Chapel at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL)

So LUCKY to have been places at one of the outside tables, 

the weather was PERFECT for being outdoors.

(Reception at the Winter Park Country Club)

No detail was left unturned. 

Mary did a beautiful job with the decorating!

(all the flowers were from Whole Foods)

A view of the inside before guests arrived

The photo booth set up. Guests were asked to take a Polaroid of themselves (with friends) and then tape it into their guest book (using the cutest brown tape) and then write a little note in paint pen. SUPER CUTE idea!

(Some) of the pictures we snapped :)

Welcoming the Bride and Groom!

Beautiful dress! (Dress from J.Crew)

Congratulations Mary and Tim!

My (man)date taking a break from the football game 

to pose for a picture

The dinner buffet and cake table 

(all the food was catered by Whole Foods)

Kelly, the wedding planner!

And of course, it's not really a Sunday without Bloody Marys (with bacon salt)!