Lilly Giveaway!

One of my favorite bloggers, Sweet Southern Prep, is hosting an amazing giveaway with LWhelan's Designs, who you can find on Etsy. She specializes in creating unique Lilly items like coozies, hair accessories, and the featured giveaway item - this Lilly apron!



Head on over to Sweet Southern Prep's blog and enter the giveaway! I would REALLY appreciate it if you mention that I sent you :)

Good luck!

Two-Toned

I had a request for a picture of my multi-colored eye (NTP "lovingly" refers to me as two-tone). So here's a picture! We don't really know why it's two colors. I was born with completely blue eyes and when I was about 7 a "freckle" popped up. Then it started growing. My doctor says it's not really anything to worry about, just the pigment changing color. It could stop and stay the way it is, or my whole eye could eventually be brown, who knows? Only time will tell. But for now, it's kind of fun watching people try to figure out what's wrong with my eyeball. :)

And I'm by no means the only one that's two-toned. A few friends also have "freckles" in their eyes, even celebrities like beautiful Kate Bosworth.

I wonder if we could have a national two-toned eye day, like national left-handed day. Just something to think about...

Love, hugs, and being different!

Sweet sweet sugar

Yay for awards! And especially awards that contain my favorite substance on the planet, SUGAR! :) Adorably Southern Ashley from Miss Ashley in Mississippi sent me this Sugar Doll award. Thank you Ashley! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you really should. Even though she's a gator, I love reading her posts. See!? Gators and Seminoles CAN get along!

Here's the rules...

Thank the person who gave it to you, share ten things about yourself, then pass the award on to ten bloggers you've recently discovered and let them know you gave them an award!

So here's my ten...

1. My left eye is half blue, half brown.
2. I have a minor shopping addiction. Ok, maybe a little more than minor.
3. I've been known to eat ice cream for dinner. Often.
4. My best friend could pass as my twin.
5. I have a love affair with water. Beach, lakes, rivers, you name it. I'm even a kayak tour guide.
6. I'm writing a book. And unlike the other three I've started, I'm determined to finish this one.
7. "I'm kind of a big deal" as Ron Burgundy would say. Just kidding, but I was a sports reporter for Sun Sports Network for a year covering FSU sports.
8. I love sour patch kids. Truly LOVE them. It's kind of an obsession. I'm working on it. But not really.
9. I'm not sure I could live without sweet tea. And I don't want to find out.
10. I'm a hardcore bookworm. I love love love to read. :)

And I pass this award on to...
1. Kate at Hoosier and Pearls
2. Ashton at Just a Small Town Girl
3. 5th Belle Avenue
4. Sailboats and Seersucker
5. Margen at Simply*Southern
6. Same Sweet Girl: Memoir of a Southern Belle
7. Petite Gorgeous
8. Melissa at Diary of a Blonde Bob
9. Juleps and JonJons
10. Misty Michelle

Thanks again Ashley!

Willpower where are youuuu??

I am having the hardest time maintaining some self-control (shopping self-control, that is). I managed to leave ModCloth without pressing the BUY button, but now my sights are set on something else. Of course.

I've been looking at these adorable recipe card boxes from Preppy Paper Girl for a couple weeks now. However, upon reading her blog today I saw that she is now offering them in Lilly print. I'm practically swooning over the Lobster print. And the price is not bad at all. Especially including the monogram. Yet I can't seem to fork over the money. (And some that know me very well would say there's no point since I don't cook very often...)

Just something else to add to the buy-when-I-get-a-job list. But I figured I'd share with all you lovely ladies that don't already follow her!

Enjoy!

Oh ModCloth

I knew looking at ModCloth.com was a bad idea. And I knew when I found this dress I should just stop right there and exit out of the site.


Miss Issippi Dress

However, I did not exit out and then stumbled upon this dress. Only one left. In my size. Fate? I think so. But sadly, I have no income. Go figure.


Fluid Dynamics Dress

Le sigh...

Reasons why YOU should hire me

1. I make amazing coffee. Uh-may-zing. And copy machines are no match against me.
2. I work really hard. I mean REALLY hard. I spent 12 hours yesterday just looking and applying to jobs online.
3. I'm fun. I promise. No zombie 9-5er here.
4. Communication is my biggest asset. I'm great at talking. Try me.
5. I'm completely ready to start from the bottom and work my way up. I like climbing.
6. I'm really creative. I love writing, reading, decorating, designing, and believe the key to every project is in the details.
7. I've got experience. Yes, I just graduated college, but I was a busy girl while I was there. 3 internships AND worked as a reporter for a southeastern sports network.

And since 7 is a lucky number, we'll leave it at that.

If you want to see my resume and profile, network me (Alyson Hart) on LinkedIn.com!

Holla! (And I say that in as professional a way as possible.)

Celebration Photos!

As previously posted, yesterday was my bestie's 21st birthday and we had an amazing time celebrating at Taverna Opa in Orlando! It was so much more than delicious Greek food, it was an absolute experience! Napkins raining down on us, running around the restaurant, dancing on the table, and the most insane belly dancer I've ever seen were just a few of the highlights! I think the night was definitely a success and I hope she had as much fun as I did. :) Here are some photos as promised!



My nautical themed presents for the birthday girl! (Wine bag made from real sails that sailed around the world - Sea Bags, Relax Riesling wine, and in the box a Mariposa sailboat wine stopper!)



Bestie drinks!



Birthday lemon drops!



Us girls dancing on the table



At the end of an amazing night!

Love, hugs, and celebrations!

Porch swing giveaway!

Today is just the day for giveaways I suppose! Blonde in a Blog is hosting an AMAZING giveaway that ends July 1st. The prize is a gorgeous porch swing from Hayneedle.com If you've never checked out the site it's definitely worth browsing through! I've already got quite a wish list.

As all you southerners know, we love our porches. So what better way to celebrate summer in the south than with a lovely swing from a lovely company! Head over to Blonde's blog to check out the terms for the giveaway!

Love, hugs, and front porch swinging...

J.Crew Giveaway!

Adorably petite blogger Petite Gorgeous is hosting a giveaway!

Head on over to her page to check out all these details and find out how you can enter to win this super cute J.Crew bracelet!

Love, hugs, and good luck!

Happy Birthday Bestie!

I love June for many reasons - wedding season, summer, beaches, and birthdays! Today is my very best friend's 21st birthday and I'm so excited to celebrate with her! I would love to post pics of what I got her, but that will have to wait until later since she reads this. However here are some pictures of us over the years. :)



It all started with two green dresses and some packs of Doublemint gum



High school prom



High school football game



FSU Football



:)



Goofing off over Christmas Break one year



From high school look alikes to college graduates!



And my most favorite picture of all. I love you Ky! I hope your 21st is everything you hope for and more!

Help!

Good morning blogging world! I'm doing some research for my book and while I personally have a multitude of insane dating stories, I'm in need of some fresh ones.

So ladies, tell me about some of your deliciously hilarious dating misadventures! The crazier and funnier the better!

Love, hugs, and laughter...

Graduation!

So I just realized that I was so caught up in everything with the surgery that I never posted any pictures from graduation! Shame on me. Here's some of my favorites.


In front of the fountain


In the studio


With NTP :)



I miss it already...

Even ears :)

Hello lovelies! I know it's been a few days, but I've kind of been vegging and working on feeling better. Here's an update on how everything went...

They went in and got out as much of the disease as they could, but unfortunately they didn't get it all. I'll have to have to another surgery in 6 months. :\ However the second surgery should be much easier than this one with a faster recovery time (or so I hope!) It had spread to a muscle in my jaw so they cut into that which is making it a little difficult to eat, but today I started on solid foods again so that's good news. Thanks to my bestie I've had plenty of sugar :) and I really appreciate all the calls and well wishes.

It kind of feels like life is being put on hold because if I get a job my parents' insurance will no longer cover me. And if I get a new insurance plan with a new job, chances are they'll deny me coverage because it's a pre-existing condition. So we're kind of in a limbo with figuring out how all that is going to work. It could have been much worse though, and I'm so thankful that we're able to get it taken care of.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers!

P.S. My ears are even. :)

The big day

I'm currently packing a little overnight bag full of super comfy clothes and blankets and whatnot. We head to Gainesville later this afternoon and find out when my surgery will be tomorrow. If all goes well, I should be home and eating ice cream with my baby-sitting bestie by tomorrow afternoon.

I'm definitely nervous about it. I've had surgery on it before, but it was a very different procedure. This time we have no idea how bad it will be or how much the disease has spread until they go in, so I'm pretty nervous. And call me crazy, but I think what scared me most is when the doc was talking about how they would make an incision behind my ear in order to get in and then put it back in "pretty much the same place" when they're done. Pretty much??? No, no. That ear must be in the EXACT same place as it was before.

Here's to hoping my ears are even. :)

See ya'll post-op!

Book Preview Part II

Here's part two of the preview to my new book! Hope ya'll enjoy it (and buy it if I ever finish and manage to get it published)! :)

“It’s never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you. That’s why I stopped doing it.” – Jean, age 10

“Maddie you can’t just boss people around” said my mom when she picked me up from preschool on my second day. I had been sent home with a note pinned to my shirt that said, “Maddie is rather bossy.” Rather? Who pins that to a preschooler’s shirt?
As for my bossiness, what can I say? I’m an only child. And I’ve outgrown it. I think.

“Ah, don’t worry about it kiddo,” said my dad. He picked me up and sat me in his lap. “Our little heartbreaker here is probably just telling the boys to leave her alone and they run off and tattle that she’s being mean. Ain’t that right, freckles?”

Mmm… not exactly. While all my parents’ friends fondly referred to me as Heartbreaker or Freckles, both super-cute and adorable, everyone at preschool called me… ummm… Kissy Girl.

Embarrassing. I’m aware. I don’t remember any of this (I’ve come to realize forgetting is the mind’s best defense mechanism), but apparently I had a habit of chasing the cute little boys around trying to kiss them. I couldn’t tell you why I did any of this because the thought of doing that now makes me sick to my stomach. I guess I didn’t fall for the whole “cooties” thing.

My first encounter with the disagreeable nature of males occurred during this interesting chapter in my life. It happened on the playground, like many character-forming and life-altering experiences do.

There were two tires stacked on top of each other that we could climb on near the middle of the big fenced-in yard behind the main building. One day I was lying across the top of the tires, minding my own business finding animal shapes in the clouds, when out of nowhere I felt a hand on my stomach. By the time I pulled my eyes away from the dolphin I had found swimming in the sky to see what was going on, Daniel Southstone had pushed me into the tires, folding me up like a pretzel in the process. My little butt was wedged in the hole and my feet were in front of my face. I was stuck and everyone else was going inside. Luckily, one of the teachers heard my cries for help and got me out while Daniel watched from the doorway laughing.

We’ve been really close friends for 20 years now.

But the fact that he pushed me into the tires is not the worst part; it’s what happened after I stopped crying that did the real damage. You know the movie, “He’s Just Not That Into You”? In the beginning the little girl is pushed down by a boy on the playground and her mom tells her that he did it because he likes her. Well I was fed the same load of bull by my teacher. Why do older women tell us this!? They’re old enough to know better! They’ve had plenty of life experiences by that time to know that sometimes boys are mean because they don’t like us. But instead, we poor innocent girls are brought up to believe that when a boy is mean to us, it means he likes us, when in reality, he probably doesn’t.

And thus, where the problem began.