my march favorites.

Here's what I've been loving this month...

1. American Shakespeare Center - Did you know that the world's only re-creation of Shakespeare's indoor theatre, the Blackfriars' Playhouse, is in Staunton, Virginia? I went with friends to see a production of the parody The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) in college, but hadn't been since. My co-teacher's parents got tickets for our whole English team for Christmas, and we had a wonderful day driving up to see The Merchant of Venice and eat dinner at the Mill Street Grill.

2. The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima - Several of my male students had recommended this fantasy series to me, so I was surprised when I finally got around to checking out The Demon King from the library, with its super-masculine cover art, and finding out that one of the main characters is a feisty princess! The other MC is a streetlord who's basically a combination of Aladdin and Han Solo. These are definitely time-consuming books to read (each one weighs in at over 500 pages), but I really enjoyed getting lost in the unique fantasy world Chima has built, which includes a matrilineal society that feels medieval, an indigenous culture based on eastern Native American societies, and a magical college.

3. Old Navy Clover Necklace - I picked this dainty necklace up around St. Patrick's Day, but it's also perfect as a 4-H necklace for me :)

4. REN Evercalm Rescue Mask from Sephora - When I got back from my business trip to Indiana last month, my skin was a mess from staying in a hotel and air travel - I had acne on my cheeks, which is really unusual for me. I had a little sample bottle of this mask from Sephora, which is a little thicker than a normal day moisturizer. I used it morning (under makeup) and night (after washing my face) for about a week and it made a huge difference. The full-size version is a pricey product but I feel like it'll be worth it if used sparingly for skin emergencies!

5. Indoor Rock Climbing - The Bible study I've joined tries to have a fun activity in the community each month, and this month we visited a rock climbing gym in Roanoke. I hadn't done any climbing since I worked as a 4-H camp counselor in college and was surprised by how easy it was to pick back up. I didn't realize how much my upper body strength had improved since I've become a yoga junkie! It doesn't hurt the fun factor that the River Rock gym shares a building with Wasena Tap Room!

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
WATCH.

• This might be my favorite Carpool Karaoke yet - it's Britney, bitches! I think my all-time favorite is still "Toxic," but I'm going to picture James from now on when I hear "Hit Me Baby One More Time."

SWOON.

• Pretty burgundy botanical inspiration from 100 Layer Cake.
• From APW, a sweet woodland wedding with lush florals.
• A dreamy boho outdoor movie night from the Everygirl.
• A romantic greenhouse wedding from Henry + Mac.

SMILE.

• Happy birthday to America's National Park Service.
• Sweet: a site that lets little girls design their dresses.
• Erin's to-do list system is similar to my lesson plans.
• So cute: an art exhibition designed for dogs to enjoy.

FLASHBACK.

• 2014: My faves for September and shared a Sunday Social all about the 5's.
• 2013: jewel-toned wardrobe picks, ceremony backdrop ideas, a guide to housewarming gifts, my "House United" wreath for football season, and a Southern game day outfit.
• 2012: end-of-summer Instagrams, orange and blue and apple orchard wedding inspiration, kelly green wardrobe ideas, geometric home and fashion accessories.  
• 2011: the cost breakdown of our DIY wedding flowers, photos from our rehearsal, and my favorite peach pie recipe.

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...
WATCH.

• Thank you, James Corden, for the gift to humanity that is Carpool Karaoke! Have y'all seen this one with Michelle Obama and Missy Elliot yet? These folks are having so much fun with "Single Ladies" and "Get Ur Freak On!"

SWOON.

• So jealous of Tara from Braid Creative's writing shed.
• A pastel vineyard wedding from Christine Sargologos.
• At Style Me Pretty, a chic San Francisco city hall wedding.
• SMP presents a cool visual history of engagement rings.

SMILE.

• Have a small window of free time? 15 productive things to do.
• Let Read It Forward's Book Apothecary prescribe one for you.
• Playing Pokemon Go? Check out these new tips from Vulture.
• For a laugh: 40 things everyone but you is doing this summer.

FLASHBACK.  

• 2015: favorite summer reads and picks for fall, Part 1 of our Charleston vacation.
• 2014: my favorite 3's, style picks for a tropical getaway, and inspiration for a modern Alice in Wonderland inspired wedding.
• 2013: a Sunday Social about food, beach bag essentials, quirky ceremony backdrops, and summer blog loves.
• 2012: President Obama's rally in Roanoke, wardrobe inspiration in shades of gray, inspiration for a destination beach wedding, and the Sunshine Blogger Survey.
• 2011: thoughts on what makes a wedding fun.

this week's clicks.

get your week off to a colorful start...

SWOON.

Chris Isham Photography via Style Me Pretty

• The classiest HP inspired wedding.
• New travel goals: amazing Airbnbs.
• Current decor obsession: entryways.
• Isn't Liz's office makeover lovely?

SMILE.

• My new April desktop via Flipsnack.
• Um, have y'all seen Drake on Cake?
• Love Sarah's DIY scallop beach hat.
• ROTFL at these McDonald's tweets.

FLASHBACK.

• 2015: I shared a Sunday Social all about the 5's, joined Literary Junkies, rounded up bridesmaids in white, let Mr. Q take over, and recapped April in entertainment.
• 2014: I recapped my entertainment faves and my spring in Instagram.
• 2013: I shared my goals for the future.

clicks of note: if you truly wish to be...

get your week off to a colorful start...
WATCH.

• I don't care how stressed out I am, the Muppets will always make me smile. This video has me wishing the powers that be had chosen Josh Groban to play Willy Wonka instead of creepy Johnny Depp. Linking up with Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos.

SWOON.

• China pattern fans rejoice: the new White House set.
• Are you loving the brass kitchen hardware trend too?
• SMP features this elegant multicultural wedding.
• At SW, a creative, beautiful equestrian center soiree.

SMILE.

• Desktops from Card Store and Going Home to Roost.
• If I ever start my own school it will have rainbow stairs.
• How cute is Lia Griffith's jellyfish beach party garland?
• Beautiful paintings inspired by Searching for Sunday.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared a TV flashback themed Sunday Social post, rounded up lemon yellow picks (including my favorite scent) and inspiration for a rustic lemon wedding, and shared a typical day in my life as a teacher.
• Two years ago I shared my past and made predictions about my future.

my fall in instagram: if you can't get a pony, be a pony.

I was surprised to realize that I haven't done a photo update since August!  As I mentioned in last week's post on Halloween costume ideas, this has been an especially busy fall for Mr. Q and I, for various reasons.  Here's a peek at what we've been up to!

Adding a little fall cheer to our outdoor and indoor spaces.

My Italian basil plant was growing out of control and I had

to snip off some branches to keep it from falling over.  It

dawned on me that I could put some in a vase, the way

people do with boxwood branches.  The smell is an extra perk.

The first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season, a Friday gift from

Mr. Q, and a happy coincidence spotted while shopping.

There's a brand-new restaurant in town called The Bootlegger's

Café and we are in love.  Of course, the drinks are served in Mason jars.

My BFF Breeze and I decided to have the most autumnal day

ever - we visited a pumpkin patch, carved pumpkins, make apple

seasoned pork chops and apple sangria, and watched football.

We couldn't resist these Virginia Tech and UVa themed hay bales!

Our tribe's Halloween pumpkin carving efforts - the middle two

started with stencils, but Breeze and I did the monograms freehand!

Mr. Q competed in his first Cyclocross race in Roanoke.  Cyclocross

is no joke - the bikers had to ride and jump over obstacles like 

telephone poles, a wooden wall, and a sand pit.

I participated in Color Me Rad with some lovely special education

teachers from my school - the proceeds go to Special Olympics so it was 

near and dear to our hearts.  I actually ran several parts of the course!

Halloween!  Mr. Q was so happy when he spotted this He-Man

costume that I decided we should go for an 80's theme.  When I

saw a My Little Pony hoodie, I was sold.  Hoodie costumes for the

win - most comfortable Halloween ever.  I also kind of want to dye 

my hair pink and purple for real because I loved being a rainbow.

Linking Up:

Be.You.Tiful at Maybe I Will

clicks of note: on this lovely sunny day...

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• Zachary Levi and Bert from Sesame Street remind you to GO OUTSIDE.  The cutest.

SWOON.

Elisabeth Millay via Southern Weddings

• Coco and Kelley features high fashion home decor inspiration and ideas.
• Dreamily beautiful Paris travel photos from Entouriste - can we go now?
• This DIY paper punch backdrop from Ruffled is perfect for summer parties.
• Southern Weddings features a sparkly, elegant and fun Charleston fete.

SMILE.

• Don't forget to watch the Belmont Stakes this weekend - go Cali Chrome!
• Jenny Steffens Hobick's summer collection is perfect for entertaining.
• Different perspectives on legendary places worldwide (The MetaPicture)
• Rachel is hosting a fun Instagram photography challenge this month!

FLASHBACK.

• Last year, I did some summer reminiscing with the Sunday Social ladies and shared the weird Google search terms that brought people to the blog in 2013.
• Two years ago, I shared inspiration for a mint and blue wedding (still love this color palette).  
• Three years ago, I found myself having a wedding planning meltdown, which I survived by deciding to DIY a lot of our details.  

my april + may in instagrams

My monogram - "purple" for #fmsphotoaday.  I just don't know

if non-Southerners appreciate a good momogram as much as we do.

The theme for the second photo was "shapes" and this envelope

from the University of Virginia was the best I could do.  I have a similar

 stylized rotunda engraved inside my class ring - it was in our class flag.

After my second Color Run - this year's wasn't quite as much

fun as last year - Mr. Q was out of town, it was a chilly day,

the course was a more challenging walk, and several of the

stations ran out of color because it was so windy.

Some snaps from around the house.

Getting ready to watch Mr. Q's team compete in their 

first relay triathlon at Smith Mountain Lake.  He is doing

another one today in Roanoke -  I think he's hooked!

May 4th (Star Wars Day) and cheering on my students

in their softball game - they dominated!

Honey purchased at the local creamery (I find that my allergies aren't

as bad when I eat local honey daily) and yummy shrimp scampi

(I used this recipe from A Beautiful Mess and fresh basil from my garden).

The first strawberries of the season- a sure sign of summer's

imminent arrival.

Weekend snaps - summer-izing the living room with a new

blanket from West Elm and putting in final grades for the semester.

My sister-in-law's worship band performing

at Festival in the Park in Roanoke.

I had to be out of my classroom by 2:00 on the first teacher 

workday so that the maintenance staff could get to work.  At

my school, EVERYTHING except desks has to be off the floor

and everything must come off the walls.  All of my furniture has

to be moved in the hallways so my floor can be stripped and

 waxed.  Here's what happens after the kids leave!

My best friend at work made me the most decadent

cake for my 29th bithday - the cake is chocolate with

chocolate chips, the frosting is peanut butter with Reese's

Pieces!  I don't know what I did to deserve having

such an amazing friend in my life.  Absolutely love her.

sunday simplicity

We Are the Mastersons Photography via Bridal Musings

Who said that every wish would be heard

and answered when wished on the morning star?

Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.

Look what it's done so far.

What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing

and what do we think we might see?

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.

The lovers, the dreamers and me.

clicks of note: dance with me

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• A sorta-oldie but a goodie: "In the Colors" is one of my favorite Ben Harper tunes and after the whirlwind that was the past two weeks, I need to slow down.  I'm linking up to Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos today.

SWOON.

Jake and Necia Photography via Wedding Chicks

• I can't stop looking at the details from this rustic-meets-elegant affair at Wedding Chicks.
• An elegant gold-embellished taper candle DIY from Front and Main. 
• Inspiring fall home decor ideas from Jennifer Rizzo.
• Love My Dress features an amazing Art Deco-inspired destination wedding in Italy.

SMILE.

• From Casa Sugar: Do you update your bedding for fall?  I like adding a little texture.
• What does your Starbucks order say about you?  What about caramel macchiato? (Levo League)
• Audrey from Putting Me Together rounds up fall staples: leopard print flats and cognac boots.
• This clever Vanity Fair infographic shows what it would cost to live like Jay Gatsby today.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared fall wardrobe and home decor ideas in tangerine and tomato, compiled a roundup of wedding dresses with lace bodices, and featured my September blog loves.  
• Two years ago, I recapped our wedding's processional and exchange of vows and featured fall wardrobe and home decor ideas in phlox purple as well as inspiration for a rustic phlox purple wedding.