W.I.R.W. #4

So, over the weekend, I read not one but two books!

I very much wanted to escape from reality.

When I wasn't painting my bathroom trying to get my house ready to sell, I was reading the books.

They were quick, easy reads that helped me get through the weekend.

The first one I read was UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn.

  It was a freebie on Amazon, and I'm so glad it was.

The storyline has such promise, but the writing could use some improvement.

It's about a girl who finds out she is a descendant of the Grimm line.

Despite the teenybopperness {yes, I made that word up}, I enjoyed the book for what it was.

I also bought {with a gift card} the sequel - Fairest.

If you want a quick read, then I recommend picking this up!

After I finished reading the above book, I wanted something else to read.

I didn't have my gc with me so I wanted to find another free book.

What I found was a book by Paul Pilkington called The One You Love.

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon the book, but I am glad I did.

It was a great read that I didn't want to put down.

As you can tell by the cover, it is set in London.

It's a suspense book that left me trying to figure out whodunnit.

I pride myself on being fairly observant when I read books and watch TV/movies, so I had practically figured out who was behind it all about halfway through the book.

It was good, but unlike UnEnchanted, I have not bought the sequel.

I don't think you really need one, and I'm satisfied with the ending of this book.

Until next week...

tell me what you're reading!

sources :: one, two

Cara Box Exchange

So, for 2013, I decided that I would try to be a better blogger. In doing so, I wanted to connect with other bloggers, and I found a great way to do so - the Cara Box Exchange hosted by Kaitlyn at Wifessionals.

This is my first time participating, and I loved every minute of it! I loved getting to know my partners and making new friends in the process! This month's theme was resolutions.

I got my gifts from Chelsea who lives in Washington state.

 

I have absolutely loved emailing back and forth with her. Well, they weren't really emails; they were more like novels, and it was fantastic! :)

Now, I really wish I hadn't been so excited to rip into all my goodies because now I don't have a picture of what they looked like wrapped. :( Let me tell you though, Chelsea out did herself. She wrapped all the gifts in brown paper and tied them up with the prettiest pink and white twine! It was perfect, and it came on a day when I was feeling low, which might explain why I ripped into the package!!! I also got so excited that I threw away the packaging without even writing her address down. I felt terrible having to ask for it. But, the gifts were absolutely perfect, and just what I needed.

{the group of items}

{my motto for 2013}

 {chalkboard adhesives}

{coupon for a book!}

{cookbook}

{cute note cards}

 {calendar to write birthdays on}

And, I sent gift to the lovely Ashley who lives in Alabama! You can pop on over to her blog to see what I gave her!

I can't wait for next month's exchange! You should join in too!

Fashion Friday

My Saturday apparel for visiting the hair salon.

I didn't get to wear it for long because I had to come home and don my junk clothes so I could get to work on our bathroom.

scarf {new york & co}

shirt {kohls}

jeans {old navy}

boots {alloy}

W.I.R.W. #3

 

I finished The Winter Sea!!!

It was a slow read at first, and I had to get into it.

Susanna Kearsley is a great writer but a bit too descriptive for my taste.

{However, that will not stop me from reading another of her books in a couple weeks that I got as a Kindle Daily Deal.}

Once I got to the meat of the book, I had a hard time putting it down though.

Thank goodness I had a three day weekend in honor of MLK day as I spent all day Sunday in my sweatpants and tshirt cuddled with a blanket and my kitty reading this book!

I highly recommend this book if you love historical romances, which I do!

And now, because of this book, I want to visit and live in Scotland. :)

Do I have any takers to join me?

He Said / She Said

I managed to wrangle my husband into answering some questions! Woo hoo! He never wants anything to do with my blog, but he succumbed to my prodding quite easily this time. :) It's a small win. Check out our responses below!
 
He Said::

1. When do you feel your best? on vacation
2. In those last few moments before going to sleep, what do you think about? do I really have to get up and work in the morning?
3. What do you dream about most often? really random things
4. What do you want to be when you grow up? a GM of a NFL team
5. How old is too old to live with your parents? 30
6. What is your hobby of choice? golf, watching sports
7. How many siblings do you have? one
8. How many bones have you broken? one
9. How many times have you moved? five
10. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? the caribbean
11. If you won the million dollar lottery, what would be the FIRST thing you would buy? pay off student loans
12. What was your first girlfriend's name? i don't remember.
13. How old were you for your first kiss? i have no clue.
14. Who is your favorite person to hang out with? my wife
15. Do you like short or long hair on girls? long

She Said::

1. When do you feel your best? when i'm reading a book
2. In those last few moments before going to sleep, what do you think about? sitting on a warm beach with a light breeze blowing
3. What do you dream about most often? random romantic scenes that would be a perfect scene in a book
4. What do you want to be when you grow up? a baker/crafter/SAHW
5. How old is too old to live with your parents? never
6. What is your hobby of choice? baking and crafting and reading and blogging
7. How many siblings do you have? two: a sister & a brother
8. How many bones have you broken? just one, i think
9. How many times have you moved? five
10. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? somewhere warm with a beach
11. If you won the million dollar lottery, what would be the FIRST thing you would buy? a house in the mountains so i could have a white christmas
12. What was your first boyfriend's name? chris
13. How old were you for your first kiss? 14
14. Who is your favorite person to hang out with? my husband
15. Do you like short or long hair on boys? definitely, short!

Join us & answer the questions too! :)

I'm Paying It Forward

{source}

I absolutely love to make and give gifts!

I had so much fun participating in the Cara Box exchange this month at Wifessionals.

I can't wait to see what next month brings!

While I'm waiting, I thought I'd put it out there that I want to Pay It Forward.

You might have seen this on facebook already, but I wanted to do this on my blog.

So, here's how it works, if you don't already know:

The first five people to comment with their email and blog address will receive from me, sometime in this calendar year, a surprise in the mail - perhaps a book, a baked good, jewelry, or music. There will likely be no warning, and it will happen when the mood strikes me!

In return:

Those five people must make the same offer on their blog!

If you're interested in getting some happiness in the mail, leave a comment! :)

Sunday Social {in threes}

So, I'm sitting here writing my second Sunday Social post while listening to my BRAND SPANKIN' NEW dishwasher, which is super hard since it's sooooo quiet! :)

But, more importantly, onto this week's post...


Top 3 Favorite Kinds of Food {Oh...this is so hard because I love food!}
1. Mac & Cheese
2. Pineapple
3. Pumpkin Bread

First 3 Things You Do in the Morning
1. hit the snooze button
2. get ready for the day
3. motivate self to have a great day

Last 3 Things You Do at Night
1. turn my mattress heater on
2. wash my face
3. double check my phone alarm for the morning

3 TV Shows You NEVER Miss
1. BONES
2. New Girl
3. Once Upon a Time

3 Places You Want to Visit
1. Greece
2. Prague
3. France

3 People You Can Always Count On
1. My daddy
2. My husband
3. God

Happies & Crappies {the first}

I found this awesome new blog hop that was just started yesterday! I'm so excited to be a part of this awesomeness!! Plus, the button is super fabulous because it's all glittery and stuff!!!

 

Happies

~ I had a two hour delay at school on Tuesday because of "ice." It was nice to get up, drink some hot chocolate, read a book, & then go to work.

~ I had a hair appt on today. I love when people play with my hair!

~ Our bathroom reno is going really well. It's taken some hard work and lots of thinking, but we're making progress!

~ I got my new dishwasher! :)

~ Layla (@ohdearitsLayla) had her sweet baby boy!!!!

~ It's a three day weekend.

~ I'm proud of myself for keeping up with blogging each week.

Crappies

~ I love teaching kids, but it makes me soooo tired. I never knew 4yo had so much energy.

~ It took over two weeks for my new dishwasher to get to my house.

~ It's going to cost around $600 to replace one of our exterior doors.

~ I have piles of laundry to do.

~ My family has many medical issues going on right now {thankfully, I'm not one of them}, but it's enough to stress a girl out!

Fashion Friday

Here's what I wore last week for our school's Open House!

{excuse my tired look. i took this picture after a full day of work & without retouching my makeup.}

dress {ross}

sweater {new york & co}

shoes {target}

watch {fossil}

W.I.R.W. #2

Since I surprised my husband with a visitor this weekend, we were quite busy so I didn't get a chance to read at all.

I'll be reading (& hopefully finishing) The Winter Sea this weekend!

What are you reading this week?

Leave a comment below!

Tennessee Winter

Depending on where you live, you might have different versions of what winter looks like.

My favorite version of winter looks like this!

{source}

However, if you live in Tennessee, your winter looks like this.

{source}

Basically, it rains a lot and sometimes it "freezes."

And then, you have a two hour school delay.

Or, other times, when there's an impending ice storm, you get to leave work early.

I would prefer that all this ice and rain was white fluffy snow.

Can someone make that happen for me?

A "Surprise" Visit

Before Christmas, I planned to have one my husband's good friends from college come visit us this weekend! I'm super proud of myself because we planned to keep it a secret from my husband. :)

I casually tried to clean the house over the week so that it would be somewhat decent for when our friend Kerbs arrived. When I got home on Friday, I tidied up a few last minute things and tried to keep my husband from doing the bathroom renovation he had planned to do this weekend while we waited for Kerbs to arrive.

Kerbs arrived about 30 minutes after I got home when we were "getting ready" to go run. He knocked on the door, and my husband thought he was the neighbor. It was really funny to have my husband open the door and ask me if I knew Kerbs was coming. I tried to hide my smile and deny it, but it was impossible!

The boys had a great time hanging out at bars and catching up after not seeing each other since July! We had grand plans to go to Nashville on Saturday and bar hop, but then it poured down rain so we hung with my family instead & watched football.

I feel like the best wife EVER right now!

Sunday Social

I've decided to link up over at a Complete Waste of Makeup today. It's been something I've wanted to do for awhile, and I am finally getting around to it.

So this weeks questions are...

1. What is the name of your blog? How long have you been blogging? My blog is called A Southern Pair. I have bee blogging since the summer/fall of 2009 when I got engaged. This is my second blog! I started it after I got married. It went through a small identify crisis, but here we are now!

2. Why do you blog? I blog because I love it. I was never good at keeping a diary because I always felt ridiculous writing "Dear Diary." But, I love blogging because I can chronicle everything and look back on it. Plus, typing is so much easier than writing, and I love getting feedback on my inner thoughts. A diary just doesn't provide that.

3. What is the first blog you ever followed? The first blog I ever followed was Jessica at The Budget Savvy Bride.

4. What is your favorite post you wrote in 2012? I didn't write too many posts in 2012. I love my WEverb posts that I wrote in December though. It was a great feeling to reflect on the year.

5. What are your blogging goals for 2013? I want write more! I also want to grow my followers too.

6. Top 3 favorite blogs to follow?

Laura at The Luckiest in Love

Jessica at Heart on Homestead

Chelsea at Freckles in Our Eyes

Fashion Friday: Hair Edition

This is what I use in my daily hair routine!

I use the best shampoo in the ENTIRE world. It basically waterproofs your hair!

I mean, I can straighten my hair when it's humid or wet out, and it totally doesn't frizz.

I love it!!! And, my hair always feels soooooo soft.

Ever since I started using this shampoo, I have gotten so many compliments on my hair.

Wella Brillance Shampoo

 {source}

I don't use conditioner. It weighs down my hair and makes it oily the next day.

I use a leave-in conditioner instead.

It's a 10 Leave-In Conditioner

{source}

These are the two that I use all the time!

I use other products based on how I want to style my hair...when I want to put in effort.

Curly Hair Products
Pantene No Crunch Curls Whip

{source}

Got2b Kinkier Curling Mousse

{source}

Straight Hair
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

{source}

What I'm Reading Wednesday

So, one of my goals this year is to read 50+ books!

Last year, I read 34 books.

I'm making it a goal to read at least one book per week.

Last week, I read...

 {cover courtesy of goodreads}

And now, I'm on to...

 {photo courtesy of goodreads}

Feel free to comment & tell me what you're reading now!

My Calendar Dreams

So, I told myself that in the new year I would be more organized.

Well, here's my first step toward that!

I have this wall space in my house that is blank!

I hate blank walls.

You can ask the people I work with; they know my hatred of blank spaces.

 I knew I had to so something with it.

Here's what it looked like before.

Ugh!!!

See???

It's so boring.

So, I had wonderful plans to make my very own colorful calendar.

I even found one on Pinterest {from chicisms} that I loved.

And, I was ready to tackle the project!

But, when I went to Lowes this week to buy a dishwasher {more on that later}, I couldn't find any paint samples that I liked.

boo.

So, then, I was emailing back and forth with one of my Cara Box swappies, Chelsea over @ Freckles in Our Eyes, and she was telling me about a chalkboard calendar she found over at iheartORGANIZING.

 Jen @ iheartORGANIZING has great ideas that I hope to tackle soon, but I just didn't have the patience this weekend to make the chalkboard calendar.

I had so many other things on my mind!

So, while I was grocery shopping at Walmart this weekend, I found one that appealed to me.

I immediately picked it up and stuck it in the cart.

I was so desperate for a calendar that I bought it and brought it home.

It may not be the prettiest calendar or handmade, but it does its job!

 

Now, it is proudly hanging on my empty wall with everything that is going on this month.

I feel so proud and accomplished.

It's one small step in the right direction!

 

How do you stay organized?

Do you use wall calendars?

Or agendas?

Or both?

Fashion Friday: 2013 edition

Remember when I said I was going to do these?

yeah...

Here we go again!

I am going to start the year off with my favorite color - navy!

I welcomed in the new year sporting my new navy dress from ModCloth that I got for Christmas from my MIL. I even paired it with a navy glitter clutch I picked up at Target on clearance with a gift card.

 

outfit details

dress {modcloth}

shoes & earrings {jcp}

clutch {target}

watch {fossil}

necklace & tiara {nye accessories from the boat}

What's your favorite color right now?

Our 2013 Motto

Do you have a motto that you live by each new year?

Normally, mine is just to keep living life like I am and keep my head above water.

Well, I'm sick and tired of that!

boo. hiss.

Ever since August, Mr. GrapeJuice and I have been talking about what we want out of life.

I know that I feel stuck right now and that he's not particularly happy either.

He started joking about moving to the beach or the Caribbean after our cruise last March.

I kept brushing him off saying that we could never do that!

But then, I thought to myself...why not?

What's keeping me here?

There's no rule that says you have to stay in one town your whole life.

That's kind of boring.

I want to travel.

I want to go to different places.

I want to be happy!

So, when this past school year started, I came into our beginning of the year retreat completely open to what God had planned for me.

{which also meant that I cried like a baby & my coworkers thought I was nuts}

But, I knew...just knew...that this is not what I am meant to be doing at this time.

I told myself that I wouldn't back down on what I said I was going to do though.

I know I have to push through and finish this school year.

Once it's over though, all bets are off!

So, with my new resolve for the school year, I came upon 2013 with even more determination and some courage too!

I am going to make this the very best year...ever!

I am going to do what makes me happy.

I am going to be proud of myself.

I am going to be a better blogger.

I am going to run a half marathon.

I am going to become fit and healthy.

I am going to love deeply.

I am going to live strong.

I am going to move.

I am going to be organized.

I am going to be honest.

I am going to be a better friend.

I am going celebrate life.

I am going to be me!

...because...

ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN!

That's our motto this year.

What's yours?

How to Not Celebrate Your 2nd Anniversary

Let's start at the very beginning...

In 2011, my husband and I spent our first anniversary in Buffalo, NY. We did not get each other Christmas gifts that year, and no matter how hard I tried, Mr. GrapeJuice rejected the idea of giving each other gifts for our anniversary too. I was content with that, but I thought he'd at least give me a card. Nope! No card. :( I gave him one though.

Enter 2012! I thought it would be different. I thought I would get a card. Nope! Wrong again. I guess I have too much faith in my husband. Again, I gave him one!

We had to run to the store before our trip out of town, and he SMARTLY picked one up then.

We decided to spend our anniversary in a town about 2 hours away from where we live so we booked a hotel room that was in walking distance from our NYE destination. We had no intention of driving!

We got to the hotel room and decided to get ready since the hotel we stayed at had a bar. We went down to the bar and had a drink. They also had some Champagne for sale so we bought two splits of that for later since the bar would be closed by 10pm.

Then, we headed off to our destination - a dinner riverboat cruise! It was super cold outside as we walked to the boat. We decided not to bring coats because we didn't want to fool with them.

We got to the boat early and enjoyed some apps and drinks! They had this wonderful key lime pie shot that I enjoyed three times over. Yummmm! As we boarded the boat, we picked up some NYE accessories to don during the countdown.

They seated us at our table, and we literally sat right on top of two other couples around our age. They packed us in like sardines! Dinner was buffet style, and I enjoyed the salad. We were one of the last tables called up to eat so the food was picked over. We almost didn't get dessert!

During dinner, we spoke with the couples next to us and really bonded with one from Louisiana! They were on their honeymoon, and we partied with them for the night. Kelsey is a dance teacher so we got out on the dance floor and broke it down. I even learn how to wobble, which might be the source of my sore knee!

Once we docked, we took our champagne flutes {whether we were supposed to or not}, got a bottle of champagne, and made our way to the bar that had the apps earlier in the night. We toasted the new year and became Facebook friends. Then, we said our goodbyes and headed back to our own hotels.

This is where it gets ugly...

Mr. GrapeJuice and I turned the TV on and got ready to celebrate the new year, central time zone style. We drank both our splits of champagne, and then called it a night, or at least we thought we had.

Until, the fire alarm started blaring at 3:00 in the morning! We contemplated actually getting out of bed and going downstairs, like good little rule followers. Well, we thought it would stop and decided to stay in the room. It didn't stop though so we got out of bed and headed downstairs. Somehow, I managed to grab my watch and the room key but not my phone, which is always glued to me. It felt weird not to have it as we stood outside and froze.

The fire department arrived and cleared the hotel...but they couldn't turn the alarm off. The person who pulled the alarm didn't just pull the lever...they pulled it OFF the wall!!! Ugh... We tried to wait it out by sitting on the balcony where we couldn't here the alarm, but it was cold. Then, we went downstairs. By about 4:30am, I was over it and had Mr. GrapeJuice go talk to the management about what was going to be done. They said that if we left then we would only be responsible for the bar charge so that's what we did.

Then, we drove 2 hours home in the rain, and immediately went to bed. We did not wake up until after noon yesterday. I know it wasn't the hotel's fault, but it totally ruined our night.

Maybe next year will be better?

I can only hope that my husband actually remembers to get me a card at least. That will be an improvement!