The One About Football

I was raised in the South, and when you're raised in the South you learn that the only thing that is socially acceptable on a Saturday in the fall is football, and that football requires an outfit. One you thought about prior to Saturday morning. It's a fact.

...unless of course you're rooting for Florida or Tennessee, then I'm not sure WHAT you learned or why you're wearing those jean shorts with a t-shirt that is missing it's sleeves.

But - back to the point.

If I were going to be anywhere fun this weekend (i.e. anywhere hosting reasonably entertaining football) I would need a good outfit. So here they are - straight from dream world.

TCU is playing Baylor and believe it or not, it'll actually be a big game in Fort Worth. Now, hopefully we'll score about 1,000 points on the Bears, but students will be out tailgating for sure...and tailgating requires a cute outfit. This one is perfect. Lots of purple, good boots, and cute but simple jewelry.

Last year I picked this for the first Georgia football game. I figured a new year required something a little bit sparklier - is sparklier a word? It should be. Maybe that will influence our team to be a bit sparklier on the field, since right now we're looking pretty dull.

The best part about wayfarers is that they come in almost every important color - red and purple included.

Other than watching football...I'll be laying by the pool, celebrating engagements, and loving on friends who I haven't seen in a while. We're all planning on grabbing brunch tomorrow morning which makes me REALLY happy. Hopefully at that point at least one of my engaged friends will have made a final decision on her dress - keep your fingers crossed.

The One With The Pictures

Just in case you were wondering...this is where I have been the last few days. It's possible Phoeniz, AZ is the most ridiculous place on earth. A little bit old people, a little bit Jersey Shore, and a little bit hippie-chic.

Riding home from a bar in a bicycle taxi...

...drinking the largest beers that ever graced the planet...

we moved on from that to the world's best 80's bar...but I didn't find the time to document that with any reasonable pictures....

...tailgating with awesomely dressed individuals...

...and celebrating birthdays with awesome people...

...Fiesta Bowl...

...obviously the best place to find people you're looking to see is the bathroom, good thing Cal's coming to see me in 6 days...

...my all-time favorite sign...
"my fiance left me but Coach Patterson never will..."

...finally made it to our seats, and our new BFF (false) the 75-year-old man sitting next to us. Don't worry, Fiesta Bowl = chips and salsa on each and every seat, between that, a cup of beer, and the stadium dogs - I was a very happy camper (until we lost...)

The One About Vacation

I'm taking the next few days off from work to go see these guys play in Phoenix (any good ideas for things to do in the desert?)And hang out with some of these people...

And I will be back soon. I hope you have had an amazing holiday! I'll fill you in on my week when I get home from Arizona.

The One For Horned Frogs

I'm not actually blogging right now. No, I'm actually tailgating - with a mimosa or two. I hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday.

The One About Halloweekend

It's coming up...

Unfortunately, I'm in the real world now so I only get one night of Halloween, but it still ranks right up there as one of my all-time favorite holidays.

This year, I'm going to be...drumroll please...MAX.

Aren't I adorable?

My mom is the coolest mom ever and is making my costume from scratch (minus the black Converse I went to purchase at Hot Topic last night).

I know...my first ever time PURCHASING something in Hot Topic, it was interesting to say the least.

I'm also going to be in Fort Worth for the holiday. Although I haven't actually celebrated Halloween in Birmingham as an adult (read: old enough to consume alcohol) I'm pretty sure college is the pinnacle of Halloween-ness, so I figured I'd go back and join in the fun. PLUS - I have to see ONE football game this year. I mean...we are ranked #6. And we do things like this...

And make people look like this...

And it's just generally fun to watch. TCU should plan Homecoming and Halloween on the same weekend every year. Recently though it's been the same weekend at our game with UNLV...which is not always in Fort Worth. Although Vegas was fun for Halloween too...

The One To Get All Caught Up

Work has been CRAZY busy this week. My boss returned from maternity leave and we have been trying to get everything back in order. It's been a crazy whirlwind of a week outside of work too. I've been learning about money from Dave, watching football (had either South Florida or Tulsa actually beaten the crappy teams they were playing - TCU would be even closer to the Sugar bowl), having a girls night pizza party, and planning my next trip to Texas (14 days...). It has been POURING down rain here, but lucky for me it's stopped today and Alabama has decided it can be Fall now. When I left the house this morning it was 54 degrees. THAT is what I'm talking about. I'm wearing a scarf, and jeans, and boots, and a cozy corduroy jacket and I AM HAPPY. The only thing that could make this better is if we didn't have to work, and I was going to Nashville this weekend. Georgia is playing Vanderbilt and this might be the only game in the near future Georgia has a change of winning. WHY DO WE LOOK LIKE CRAP - Willie Martinez, I'm going to run you over with my car.

In other news (in case you didn't catch that up there)...I'm going to Texas for Halloween/Homecoming. I need a good idea for a Halloween costume that can easily fit inside a suitcase. Last year I was a turkey - and I wouldn't even fit inside a bus.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have a flapper outfit in my dress up box that I could bust out but that seems so unbelievably boring. I would love to not have to pack extra shoes and what not. American Airlines LOVES to charge you for that checked bag - and I'm going to be an amazing packer and only take one carry on. Maybe...

I'll be back later with a really wonderful outfit for this really wonderful day. It's all blustery and cold and gray. It's the kind of day that makes me wish I lived in New York City, I'm not sure why.

The One About TCU

For your own personal information...

go ahead and check out #9 (and #10 in the AP and ESPN.com)

Now, if we can only figure out how to get to the Sugar Bowl, I'll be a happy camper. I can always use an excuse to hang out with friends in New Orleans.

The One About My Weekend

Unless you have been living under a rock (or not reading this blog) then you know I went to Fort Worth this weekend. I apologize for the complete lack of pictures - I did take about 5, but nothing interesting or appropriate for the blog. It was completely amazing and wonderful. I had a great time, with fabulous people and absolutely LOVED getting to watch two amazing people marry each other. The wedding was beautiful and fit them so perfectly.

Image from here

Top Ten Things I Learned This Weekend:

10. It is best not to fly so late at night - you're sleepy, the people that pick you up from the airport are sleepy, and the people that work in restaurants are sleepy. This results in no food for you.

9. You will survive giant black heels all night. You're feel will want to kill you - but you'll be tall and that's all that matters.

8. Sometimes, the best things ARE NOT free. Sometimes they are, but in the case of my super adorable new red clutch that I'll be taking to the Auburn game...well, that wasn't free.

7. Pei Wei is delicious at all times of the day.

6. It is best to NOT lose your drivers license, but if you absolutely have to - make sure to have another, legitimate, get-you-in-the-bar type of ID. This is true of Dallas, Fort Worth AND Vegas.

5. While Dallas is cool, the best people are (or were) in Fort Worth.

4. If you have a flight at 8:10am, it is best not to stay out until 4 in the morning - and you shouldn't even try to get to the airport if you're still packing things up at 7:35am.

3. Taking vacation is fun, calling is sick is better.

2. Toms look perfect with a wedding dress, and sparkly Toms look perfect with bridesmaids dresses.

1. The very best part of vacation is seeing all of the people you've been missing - but the second best part is all of the new people you DIDN'T know before you got there.

The One About Vacation

I am leaving for Fort Worth tonight, and will either be there or on a plane until Sunday afternoon.

In case you're board while I'm gone...another list of wonderful bloggers.

Pink India Ink

Greedy Girl

Little Green Notebook

Design*Sponge

Orange Beautiful

Jordan Ferney: Oh Happy Day!

The City Sage

Oh Joy!

Elements of Style

I Suwannee

and A Hungry Bear for yummy foodness.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend (be it 2 days or 4) as much as I'm going to. I'll be taking lots of pictures, so get excited for that...and maybe I'll even attempt to blog along the way. And ditto the other post similar to this one - I'll be sure to get these in the sidebar at some point. GOSH! I'm going to have a long sidebar if I keep doing this.

The One About Texas

Today begins the week the I get to go to Texas.

I'm leaving Wednesday night and I'll be there until Sunday morning.

I'm getting to hang out with my some of my very best friends, and watch one of them get married!

It's going to be bliss.

Isn't it weird that I WANTED to move back to Alabama, and I LOVE it - but I'm still beyond excited to be headed back West. I wish there was a home football game - so that we could all be dressed like this.


And I definitely plan on wearing this top mom bought me at Urban on the plane trip, probably + boots, because you just can't head to Texas without boots, and it's cold on planes.

I probably need to start making a to-do list for this weekend...I'm not planning very well, and I'm poor so I would really love to not have to check a bag. Although...that would hinder my ability to bring makeup and such. Planes annoy me.

By the time I get back I'm probably going to be so hopped up on Texanness that I'm going to be spending all of my money purchasing myself the Texas things I always wanted...

This for instance.

I also found the James Avery catalog in the mail the other day and now I want a new charm to add to my bracelet. Isn't he cute!? Don't worry - I'm not bailing completely on the South. I want him too.

My only concern with going to Texas is that I'm going to spend too much money and gain too much weight chowing down on all the food I've missed these last four months.

Pei Wei
Fuzzy's
JD's Chippery
Yogi's
Yucatan
Joe T's
Einstein's
McKinley's
Taverna

It might be impossible to fit it all in.

I'm taking my camera too - obviously, I haven't been sticking by my goal to practice a lot, but I figure this weekend is a good opportunity to try.

I can't even express how excited I am.

The One About Texas

My baby brother is packing up to be a Freshman in Auburn, and my sister is coming back from Europe only to dive directly into school at Georgia again - but come August I'll still be here. I'm starting to get a little bit sad about having left Texas (and not being in college anymore). Why does it have to be so darn far away? So...in light of that fact - my top ten things about Fort Worth (and Texas in general).

10. Everyone LOVES Texas. You can't over estimate the importance of Texans' confidence in themselves. If you live there long enough (I'd suggest 4 years...) it starts to rub off on you.

via Joanna B. Pinneo in National Geographic's Traveler

9. Cowboy boots. Cowboy boots are appropriate at all times in Texas, not so much in Alabama. In Alabama boots are for jeans or dresses, only come in brown, and only in the fall. In Texas boots are for jeans, dresses, shorts, bathing suits and can be worn year round. People have them customized with initials, colors and fraternity letters. There were a significant number or purple and white cowboy boots with SAE inlaid in the leather running around every Saturday. Mine are currently sitting in the closet lonely and desperate for love.

8. Road trips. Road trips in any other state are long and require many days of adventure. If you're driving over an hour and a half to get somewhere - you're spending the night. Not so in Texas, in Texas people road trip to Houston for the day (4 hours), they road trip to San Marcos for outlet mall shopping at Pottery Barn and William-Sonoma (3 and a half hours), and they road trip to Dallas (45 minutes) for Zoe's chicken salad and JD's Chippery Snickerdoodles....oh wait, that was me.

via ElectrictyBid

7. The weather is predictable. This might be making the top ten list because in Alabama it's currently pouring down rain...but at least you (generally) know what you're waking up to in Texas. It might be brutally hot, and incredibly humid but it rarely rains (3 times my entire Freshman year - once in the middle of the night).

6. There is always someone up for going out. Texans are not workaholics. (Maybe this is just college students...) If you want a mimosa at 11 am head to Taverna for bottomless $5 mimosas and bellinis. If you want a margarita after class at 3 pm - then stop in at Chimy's, Joe T's or Fuzzy's, if you want Cherry Vodka Sours or beer at night then you're going to Pete's, and if you're intention it to obliterate a bad day from memory then order a James' Special at The Cellar. If you want to drink in a bar that's fine but people also drink at the pool, drink at sporting events, even drink in the car (Eskimo Hut). Now I'm not saying Texans (or college students) are alcoholic....just that they're always up for a good time.

via Lara Richard on Time Record News

5. Cowboys. Lots and lots of cowboys. Fort Worth definitely has a country kind of charm - but we're still a city. Some people however, still take the cowboy thing seriously and it's no surprise to see men on their lunch breaks (in suits and ties) with cowboy hats on their heads. People own "dress boots" for formal occasions, and I've even seen a guy walk into Fuzzy's wearing spurs. The best time for crazy cowboy watching is during the annual rodeo and stock show...then cowboys come into Fort Worth from all over Texas.

4. Culture changes. In one (granted, GIANT) state - there are so many different kinds of people and places. Everything from the Riverwalk in San Antonio to Northpark Mall in Dallas. There's the monstrosity that is Houston...and the laid back charm of the Stockyards in Fort Worth. Hippie chicks with good taste in music in Austin and cowboys in west Texas. Generally, anything you could possibly want or need.

Joe T Garcia's Mexican Restaurant (Fort Worth, TX) via Roadfood

3. The Mexican food. OH MY GOSH. Not only is it delicious, but it's everywhere. There are taco bars, heavy family style restaurants, swanky upscale tex-mex, there are burrito chains, and huts on the side of the road, your best friend's mom makes the world's best tamales and margaritas show up everywhere from fraternity parties to TCU's "Senior Toast." Texas is the best place in the world to be hungry.

2. It's the most laid back place on Earth. The nicest restaurant in Fort Worth is in the Stockyards and there is absolutely no problem with walking in wearing jeans and a cowboy hat.

1. All my lovely friends. It's weird feeling like I live two different lives. I have friends here in Alabama but then I have a completely different set it Texas...and they don't over lap (with the exception of my fellow Texas transfer Ian). It's a HUGE bummer that I don't own a private plane and can't jet back and forth whenever I feel like it.

The One With All The Wonderful People

To those of you in Fort Worth this weekend...Hi. I love you, and I'm missing y'all this weekend. Enjoy it...even if it would be better with me there. I'm expecting lots of good stories, we should just consider this the warm-up for when I head out there in the fall. Have a drink for me.

P.S. I was going to put the picture on here that was a little more organized and pretty...but this seemed more appropriate.

The One Where I Need Photography Lessons

In the interest of following through with my goal for the summer...I'm contemplating this. I need a friend to do it with me though. I can't imagine that going to school, after work, on Tuesdays would be much fun by myself. I said that I had some pictures that were taken with my fancy camera - so, here they are. They are the only ones that haven't been taken as a result of a class project. My friend Allie and I took them on Easter weekend - after all of our friends had headed back to their Texas hometowns (she's from Kansas City). Allie is much better at the arsty portraits - I stick mainly to buildings, or people who eventually end up fuzzy, but you get the idea - and you get to see some pretty pictures of downtown Fort Worth. Me on the other hand - well I might should have brushed my hair.

The church at the top of the page is mine (left image). It's BEAUTIFUL, just as pretty inside as it is out - plus the preacher is AWESOME and they sing real hymns which is exactly the opposite of my church in Birmingham. The other picture (right) is of the Fort Worth Court House which is at the end of the main drag downtown. It makes it really hard to get out of downtown because I always circle around and come out in the Stockyards - far away from campus, oh well it's pretty to look at.