Shake and Bake!

I am officially a North Carolinian again! These past few weeks have been quite the whirlwind but it feels oh SO good to be back in my homeland. And what better way to celebrate being a southerner again than take a trip to a place of mystery, intrigue, and curious creatures?  That's right people, I attended my very first NASCAR race!  Let me begin by saying I definitely had my reservations.  I pictured being hot, uncomfortable, and surrounded by loud, boisterous rednecks.  I did not see the entertainment value in watching cars go round and round and round.  The biggest thing I did not foresee was having one of the best times of my life!  I must say, I have a new found appreciation for the sport.  When I first walked into the speedway I was instantly swept up into the excitement.  When the engines first started up the my blood started to surge a little faster.  And when I saw the speed of the first car go flying by I was instantly converted.  As much fun as I had watching the race, the best part, by far, was people watching.  So in honor of my first NASCAR experience I give to you my dear readers.....a NASCAR fashion show.  That's right!  I present to you the latest and greatest fashions of the NASCAR world.

Our first model is sporting very nice true religion jean enhanced by the camouflage boots in which they are tucked.  She is also confidently rocking the cut off t-shirt.  You go girl.

Our next model is sporting the very popular jorts.  For those of you who are not NASCAR fashionitas, jorts are otherwise known as jean shorts.  He is also wearing the ever so slimming sleeveless t-shirt which I can only assume he took the liberty to "de-sleeve."

These next two models are clearly showing, if you got it, flaunt it. Here again, we see jorts but in a nice alternative of white.  I noticed many NASCAR goers took the less is more approach.  In this case, less is showing a little more than I would like.

I spy jorts AGAIN!  These two models show jorts are the perfect accessory to your favorite NASCAR t-shirt. 

And finally, our last two models show us that bikinis and straw hats aren't just for the beach my friends.  When bikini momma picked out her outfit that morning she said no pesky farmers tan for me today! 

Thank you to all of our wonderful models for showing us there are no limits to NASCAR fashion (even though there should be).  I raise my miller light to you camo boot, bikini top, jort wearing NASCAR fan.  Thank you for making NASCAR about much more than fast cars, and for making me feel just that much better about myself. 

On the rocks with salt por favor!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

(and the end of finals!) 

I am quite the fan of any holiday that involves Mexican food and alcohol!  Give me some enchiladas and a large margarita and I am a happy, happy girl.  Sadly, today I will not be partaking in the Cinco de Mayo festivities as I will be feverously packing for Raleigh.  So sad.  Although, in the spirit of the holiday, I will be consuming sipping Coronas as I pack my life up in boxes.  A six pack of Coronas + packing...this should be interesting.  As I am not celebrating today, I dream about what next year's festivities could include.  I love the idea of entertaining, but since I have been a student the past few years, small apartments and being courteous of roommates have limited my opportunities.  Hopefully this time next year we (my amazing boyfriend/Mexican food enthusiast and I) will be having a Cinco de Mayo fiesta of our own.  I have been dying to try this enchilada recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. It has been a big hit on several blogs and seriously, how yummo does that look??

{Enchiladas via The Pioneer Woman}

The Crate and Barrel Ria pitcher looks like it was made for batches of margaritas.  I adore the hint of color AND that it's made from recycled glass! Go green!

{Ria pitcher via Crate & Barrel}

To add some chic flare to any table, I think these Crate and Barrel cotton napkins would do the job.  I love that they are bursting with color and could be used for an array of occasions!

{Chloe Multi Napkin via Crate & Barrel}

I hope plenty of you are out there getting your fiesta on!

Ole!

Best friends are like bras...

...close to your heart and there for support!

I was brimming with joy today when I saw my bffbtb (best friend forever bride to be, don't hate, I dubbed her this when I had a whole pot of coffee surging through my veins) posted a shout out on her blog Put A Ring On It.  I felt officially inducted into the blogging world, I had a shout out!  Word.  Anyways, to any of you who may one day stumble upon my tiny slice of the world wide web, you should definitely check out her adorable blog!  And to my bffbtb, thanks for being such a great bra (haha, I just had an image of girls calling each other bra like guys call each other bro, oh how my mind works) you are definitely a dependable, brightly colored, push-up, trimmed in lace!

Oh the places you'll go

Seven days and counting until I am back in my homeland.  Oh, how I can taste the sweet tea already.  I can smell the freshly glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts (that's right, you can thank Winston Salem, NC for the invention of one of the most heavenly, melt in your mouth, confections ever created).  I can almost feel the warm sun on my pale, borderline transparent, Ohio skin.  Oh.  Did I not mention I have been living in Ohio for the past 5 years?  And let me say, it has been 5 years too many!  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Cincinnati.  In fact, had I not lived here I would never have learned the following:

1. Chili is not something you eat out of a bowl.  It is something you pour on top of a pile of spaghetti then cover with a mountain of cheese.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is known as a 3-way.  To the 99% of you whose mind just went there, get it out of the gutter. 

{Cincinnati chili via whatscookingamerica}

2. If you hear someone yell "Who Dey," do not automatically assume they have turrets.  This is indeed the cheer of a Cincinnati Bengals fan.  "Who Dey" refers to the chant "Who dey! Who dey! Who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals?"  While I better understand its origin, 5 years later I still think it sounds like it was composed by a 6 year old.  And let's not even get me started on Chad Ochocinco (if you are going to change your last name to something so ridiculous at least figure out the correct Spanish spelling of 85....epic fail).

{Cincinnati Bengals via}

3. If you are dining in a restaurant and ask for a "soft drink" your server will stare at you as if you had just asked them to solve for the square root of an imaginary number (I'm studying for my math education class...math is on  my mind).  Apparently the moment you cross over the Ohio River soft drinks and sodas become pop.

4. Finally, a game in which you attempt to throw bean bags into a hole cut in a board is not as silly as it sounds.  When I first moved to Ohio I saw this game in bars and it amazed me that grown men were so intense about making a bean bag into a hole.  Cornhole had not made its way down to North Carolina so I was dumbfounded as to why people were so into this game.  All it took was one invitation to play and I completely understood.  As players around you are making their bean bags into the hole, and you are not, a sense of desperation overcomes you and you MUST MAKE BEAN BAG GO IN HOLE!!  Since I was first introduced, cornhole has made its way down south and I will be confidently packing up my mad skills (insert sarcasm) and taking them down there with me.

Seriously, how cute are these boards?

{Cornhole boards via topcornholeboards}

So thank you for the life lessons Cincinnati.  It's been great, but my my heart is in another place.

Let's be friends.

It's not you, it's me.

Dum Dum Dummm...

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the sound of my fate being held in the hands of a little thing I like to call FINALS!  Drink your vitamin C, because it's that time of year where finalitis spreads like wildfire.  Symptoms include sunken eyes, short temper, and extreme cravings for coffee.  Finalitis is a serious condition and should you, or someone you love, experience these symptoms, keep in mind there is a cure.  After time, a handful of completed scantron sheets, and countless hours of lost sleep, the only way to completely ward off finalitis is one strong alcoholic beverage of your choice.  So I raise my cup of coffee (and, in a few days, my margarita) to all you sufferers of finalitis and here's to hoping this doesn't happen:

{Zits}

Cheers!

Hi! Nice to meet you!

Hello to all who may stumble upon my little blog.  My name is Jennifer.  I am a twenty something year-old student who loves all things crafting, cooking, and creating.  Coincidentally, that is exactly what my blog is about!  Well, that and a few life encounters thrown in for color.  The truth is, I am about to take a giant leap.  I am diving head first into cohabitating with a boy! *GULP!*  So what better reason to start a blog?  I hope to create a place where I can share, and look back on, all of life's adventures. Now if only I could be more skilled with the computer...I guess that is where the tech savvy boyfriend will come in handy.  So, to all you future readers out there (I can only hope) it's nice to meet you and don't be a stranger, ya' hear?