Secret Santa

I've been on Tumblr for a while now. It has certainly provided very much appreciated study breaks this semester. I've been using my Tumblr as a running 'inspiration' board of sorts, full of things that catch my eye and lovely things. There is a delightful girl that I follow that organized a Secret Santa. Her Tumblr name is Pearls-Curls and A Southern Girl and what she did was just the sweetest thing. I love the juxtaposition of the fact that you 'follow' these other people and you see what they're into and sort of get to know them but you are after-all strangers. Nonetheless, this kind stranger set up this whole thing for about 30 of us followers. I got my Secret Santa gift today and I just love it. It's the sweetest thing. My Secret Santa gifted me a handmade make-up pouch, made out of various swatches of Lilly Pulitzer fabric. I know, right? Epic and perfect for me. I only hope that my giftee enjoys what I picked out as much as I love my gift. I had an 18 year old giftee and it was so much fun putting together her's. As soon as I know she's received mine, I'll show you what I did. I hope everyone is enjoying December as much as I am. It's truly been a great month and today's mail only brought yet another sweet moment. Thank you Secret Santa!

The Kelly Green

What's in a name?

'The Kelly Green'

Obvious - the color. Kelly green is perhaps the perfect color, it's so happy and bright. I've always been drawn to the color and I am oh so lucky that I married a Kelly. So the name comes from the color, my new last name and GOLF, as in a golf course green! My husband is a huge golfer. He'd say not so much but I like that he's into it, especially since it's truly the one thing he really does for himself. For an amateur, he's pretty good and does compete in local tournaments. A good part of our summer is spent in Southern Illinois, going to various golf tournaments on the weekends. It's good times and I do intend to document some of those here. For the blog name, I had to stick 'the' in front because without, the name was already taken. I'm not in love with the name but it'll do.

What's it all about?

Well, I'm not quite sure yet. Right now, just a little bit of this and that. I registered for Blogger so long ago and let it sit unused. I had a little extra free time on my hands this summer, so I thought I'd start.

I have this thing that I struggle with sometimes, I think about things too much and with that I was worried that this blog had to be something specific. Was I going to write a personal blog, were I'm writing about my life? What about a 'lifestyle' blog, where I'm writing about my style and taste. I don't think it was ever going to have a type, my blog. But I don't care anymore, it's all mine whatever it ends up being. I follow at least 10 so-called 'Preppy' blogs regularly and they are all in one way or another the same. Don't get me wrong, I follow these blogs because I think they're great. Do I really have to say anything different? Maybe somedays.

Mostly right now, I'm trying to figure it all out - this social media world. I had been on Facebook for a while, not really doing anything with it but I was there nonetheless. This summer I started this blog and quickly started a Tumblr blog. Before too long I had registered a Twitter account. So I'm in the thick of it now. I love my Tumblr blog. It's really just a long list of pretty things. It's all pictures and whatnot that other people own and post, then you go on and 'reblog' what you like to your own blog. So naturally, my Tumblr blog has become a fun place for pretty things that I like. I'm really interested in how interconnected some of this can be. Most specifically, the way a presence online with social media develops. There are a few small businesses/brands that I've seen develop with great help from this online world. It's really amusing actually. There's this one brand in particular that's a favorite of mine. They started a Tumblr blog early this summer, I was quite excited but what's been fun is seeing how, from their point of view it's expanded the brand. On Tumblr, you could actually see how quickly they'd get more and more followers, it kind of spread like wildfire. I have a somewhat relevant reason to be interested in branding. I've been throwing around an idea in my head for sometime now. 2012 might just be the year that I pull the trigger, we'll see. If I do, I'll need a strong online presence. I'm not ready to start anything yet, so for now, I guess it's all a sort of research. Perhaps I will give it a go and then this blog will end up being a documentation of my business start-up too. We'll see what happens.

For now, as random as my posts can be. This is my blog. I know I have three readers, and I love them all very much - my Mom, Dad and husband.

Anything else?

I am very much looking forward to December. The last year has been a bear. It was about this time last year that chaos ruled. My husband and I were faced with a dilemma and an opportunity all in one. The end result was that we'd move to Chicago-land. We started to make plans and he even started a new job up there. This was Thanksgiving time through just after Christmas. We were both excited and scared at the same time. Neither of our families live here. This is my hometown but my Parents, and eventually my Sister moved to Pawleys Island, South Carolina. My husband's family lives 2 hours away in Southern Illinois. We were scared about putting even more hours in between us and our families but if it was for the best. The harder pill to sallow was leaving our lives here. As I've mentioned before, I have been blessed to marry into an amazing and close group of friends. These are the kind of people you choose to be your family too, they'd do anything for my husband and I. Such good natured and talented people, you wonder what they see in you. Leaving these people was not going to be easy. Last year's holidays were emotional to say the least. I should say that my husband and I were hesitant, not scared and that hesitation lead to a better opportunity here in Champaign. And thankfully, as of February 1 we were staying put for the foreseeable future. Life was good until about June, when I got the rug pulled from under me professionally. It hurt like hell and we were once again unsure of what to do. We did look into moving out to the East Coast. My husband and I have always known a move out to the Coast was in our future but the time wasn't right just yet. So the question became, what to do with me. The job market left little possibilities and we quickly decided that it was best to have me knock out some more college classes. So that's what the last year has been like. Things got so serious that we had started to pack. We now have a storage unit with quite a bit packed up and organized to perfection. What's the most impressive about the whole 'we're moving, we're not moving' dance we played is how much we purged and got rid of. I have been to Goodwill donating so much stuff, it's tiring just remembering. I'm loving how freeing and clean it all feels though! So why the long, random story? I'm just very much looking forward to Christmas and this new year. I'm also very much looking forward to Champaign being home for a while longer. So with that, stay tuned for much more Central Illinois adventures. Of that I am sure, I'm going to be writing a lot more about my husband and I's local scene here.

If you'd like to find me on Tumblr, I'm here.

And here on Twitter.

New Vintage Find

I've finally secured a great vintage Dooney & Bourke bag á la Sarah Vickers. I picked it up at my favorite local consignment shop, Karen's Kloset this week. It wasn't in the greatest condition and took a little elbow grease to bring it back to life but I love how it turned out. Now when I got it I promised myself this would be the very last bag I buy in 2011. You see, I have sort of a problem. I'd like to say I'm a collector but it's really more shallow than that. I have tons and tons of bags. I can't help it, they are by far my favorite accessory but it's kind of out of control. So I'm going to try really, really hard to stick to my self-made promise. But then I found this...

Seriously Vineyard Vines? You have to make a University of Illinois Classic Tote now?! Please don't get me wrong, I'm super-duper excited but you're practically making me break my promise. I'll have to use it for school next semester though. I can't retire the vintage Dooney so soon. I'm loving that one of my favorite 'Preppy' brands is showing some MidWest love.

Now if only KJP would hook-up with a retailer south of Chicago...

Vintage Dooney picture is mine, taken at lunch yesterday.

Vineyard Vines picture is from their website and can be found here.

Birthday Weekend Re-Cap

I'm starting from Thursday because my birthday was perfect but far from what I thought it was going to be. As it happens, life happens and changed my plans. But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Last Thursday started out GREAT. I got my first Accounting Exam back and I got an A. Seriously surprised. I took Intro. Accounting five years ago. Let me say that again, FIVE years ago. I really have been struggling because it takes me so long to work though the most basic principles in my head because it's so opposite of what I had been working with while I was at Merrill. This is why I thought I had done so poorly on this exam, we had lecture afterwards so this made the exam timed. I finished well enough and got through all the problem work but I didn't have time to thoroughly double check myself. All is well though, obviously but it was my first real moment of, 'Oh, I'm really doing this. I'm finally finishing my degree! I'm a student again!'.

I got home and started to study and sure enough around noon, I knew something was terribly wrong. By the time BDK got home, I was near hysterics. A few phone calls later from my Mom (the family's resident RN), we took me straight to the E.R. and it was not fun. By the time the whole thing was over, I was pumped full of pain killers and had cried hysterically for at least 4 hours. I'm totally fine and it's quite literally 'one of those things'. If nothing else, for a normal person, I'm sure it wasn't that bad but I have an extremely low tolerance for pain.

So I wake up Friday and took another Rx. That pretty much ends my day on Friday. I think I was awake for maybe 3 hours. Not fun.

Saturday was a good day but I was pretty out of it. I spent most of the day with a good friend and her adorable baby girl. It was great just being out of the house but I did go home to rest for a little while.

Then BDK and I went back to said friend's house and they held a small get-together for my birthday. It was perfect, laid back and exactly what I wanted. They got tons of sugary goodies from this amazing local bakery, Cream & Flutter. Cupcakes, Brownies and Cookies, oh my. I was so out of it though, I failed to take one single picture. Pretty upset about that.

Sunday was the big day and I woke up finally feeling at little like myself. My wonderful husband treated me to an amazing brunch at Silvercreek and I was in heaven. Then we came back home and took it really easy. I caught up on some studying and took a little nap. BDK and I went back over to our friend's house to celebrate their Son's birthday with more cupcakes and ice cream! It was a blast. Really short but sweet since it was Sunday. His birthday is today, Sept. 27th. And that was that, the start of my next decade.

I really lucked out. When I married BDK, I married into a really close knit group of friends who are beyond amazing. Especially these last few months, they have been so unconditionally supportive and kind. BDK has known these people for years and years but since day one they've brought me in and I'm just so thankful that they're in my life. They really are the sweetest people and I'm so lucky. And I think they are pretty cool too.

Since I don't have any pictures of my party, I'll leave you with a few pictures of some of my birthday loot!

BDK got me the perfect pair of classic pearl stud earrings from our jeweler, Browne's Fine Jewelry.

Mom sent me some Lilly from Pawleys Island! Including the much needed Laptop Tote in Lilly's Luscious print. Thanks Mom!

Pearl Stud earrings picture taken from JCrew.com and may be found here.

Lilly Pulitzer Laptop Tote picture taken from Lifeguardpress.com and may be found here.

Lunch @ Black Dog in Urbana, IL

I met BDK for lunch today and finally let him take me to Black Dog Smoke & Ale House in Urbana. I say 'finally' because I really wouldn't say I'm a huge BBQ fan. BDK has met friends there before and has always raved but I had no idea. I asked him after a few bites if we were in South Carolina. Black Dog definitely has Low Country BBQ down, and they should since their House BBQ is 'Carolina Red'. You may also find a blog post with a review of sorts here.

For my lunch, Pulled Pork Plater with Pit Beans and Twice Baked Casserole. Highly, highly recommended.

Favorite Blog - Aug. 2011: Vickers & Patrick

There are many reasons why I love Kiel James Patrick:

1.) Company is total quality and is completely Made in the U.S.A.

2.) Even though I'm born and raised in Central Illinois, wearing his pieces sort of help me pretend that I'm a true New England Prep.

3.) Kiel James Patrick is totally self-made. You can read all about it here.

4.) I cannot stop loving my recent pick-up from The Orginal Hammock shop in Pawleys Island, as seen below. It's really the perfect bracelet. (Thank you Mom!)

What does this have to do with a blog you ask?

Well, he and his business partner/girlfriend, Sarah Vickers launched their own blog in May.

It's called Vickers & Patrick and it's so dreamy. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my life but can I go play in their world for a day? Back on task. The blog is totally inspirational and I'm loving following these two tastemakers. Even if you're not necessarily of the preppy/traditional persuasion, you have to check it out. If nothing else the accomplishment of these entrepreneurs is something to see.

Hair

I've had an intense love/hate relationship with my hair all my life. I've got thick, curly hair and it's always been a mess. I'm really excited today though! Yesterday I got the new Global Keratin treatment at one of my favorite local spots, BJ Grand Salon & Spa. I love, love BJ Grand, it's a dream. The space is always super clean and the staff is amazing - they always take really good care of you and the Spa's pricing is really reasonable. My stylist, Bailey Stocker is the best. She's always super sweet and fun to work with. She's the consummate professional, she knows where I get nervous and is always super supportive. Now I can't wash my hair until Friday because that is how long the GK treatment takes to set but I can't wait! It feels like silk. As I'm super curly, I know it's not going to be stick straight on it's own but it's going to be a lot easier to straighten. I'm actually looking forward to it, it doesn't feel like it's going to be a chore. I'll have to post a photo on Friday when I'm done. I definitely feel interview ready!