sunday simplicity

To Wander and Seek via Floridian Social

"O’er many a heath, through many a woodland dun, 
Through buried paths, where sleepy twilight dreams

The summer time away.” ― John Keats, Endymion

the final sunday social: on blogging.

Today is Neely and Ashley's last Sunday Social, so I couldn't resist putting my own spin on their questions.  I can't wait to see what kind of link-up they come up with next!

1. How did you come up with your blog name?
It got to the point where I wasn't a bride-to-be or a recent newlywed anymore, and I wanted a name that reflected the biggest thing I want women planning weddings to know - there is life after the wedding, and there's a lot more to celebrate.  Beyond the Aisle is about celebrating every day and learning to love life by adding as much color and style as possible.

2. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
I've been blogging in some form since I was in high school and I love how I can look back and see how my voice has changed as a writer.  I was very sarcastic when I was younger, and now I'm more serious and try to encourage my readers.

3. What is one thing you have discovered because of blogging and now can’t live without?
Instagram, for sure.  I remember seeing cool, retro-looking square photos on Bleubird's blog and I couldn't believe how easy it was to get the same look.

4. Facebook or Twitter? Why?
Facebook; most of my friends from high school and family members haven't gotten on the Twitter boat yet, and I love being able to see longer posts and photo albums.  Basically I use Facebook to stalk other people's babies.  In a non-creepy way.

5. If one celeb read your blog, who would you want it to be?
Zooey Deschanel.

6. What is something you want people to know about your blog?

When it looks like I'm slacking off on the blog, that's when I'm putting my heart into my family, my home, and my teaching.  I don't let myself feel guilty about not posting because if I'm not living my life I'm not going to have anything to post about!

sunday social: all around.

1. What is your favorite magazine to read?

Nerdy answer: the NEA Today magazine that I get for being a member of the National Education Association.  I always pick up some practical teaching tips that I can use in my classroom.

Less nerdy answer:  Rolling Stone - it covers so much more about entertainment than just rock music, the interviewers ask celebrities truly deep questions, and I've even learned a lot about politics from Matt Taibbi's reports.

2. What is the best thing you’ve seen online lately?

Probably a tie between John Green's response to Riverside, California's decision to ban The Fault in Our Stars from middle school libraries, and Ellen Page and Kate Mara's Tiny Detectives sketch.  Oh, and this baby who loves Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" always cheers me up.

3. What is your favorite celebrity to follow on Instagram or Twitter?

Anna Kendrick's Twitter and Instagram are both very funny.  I also love YA author Maureen Johnson for gems like this one:

I've decided to live my life like someone is narrating it for Drunk History.
— Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) September 17, 2014

4. Is there one article of clothing no matter what the season you can’t help but love?

I believe every woman should own yoga pants and a terry cloth hoodie.

5. Do you prefer email or snail mail?

Super selfish, true answer:  I prefer to send e-mail and receive snail mail.  I'm usually too lazy to write actual letters but I love getting them from other people.

sunday social: all about fall!

1. What is your favorite part of fall?  I love getting dressed in fall!  Like I said in last week's Sunday Social post, a cozy sweater, a colorful scarf, a t-shirt of some sort, skinny jeans, and boots feels like a perfect outfit to me.  I love mixing colors and patterns and I think being part of this online community of bloggers has made me more adventurous with my personal style.  This is my weekend style formula, give or take a safari jacket, leopard-print ballet flats, and a statement necklace.

I also really enjoy seeing pictures of my friends' cute kiddos going on field trips to apple orchards and pumpkin patches now that so many of the little ones are approaching Pre-K and kindergarten age.  I also get very, very excited for Halloween - watching Hocus Pocus and planning costumes are two of my greatest pleasures in life.

2. Do you have anything special planned for fall?  My college roommate is getting married in October!  I can't wait for her wedding - I know it will be gorgeous because she's so creative and detail-oriented.

3. What is fall like in your area?  Since Virginia has such a temperate climate, outdoor fall activities are really popular in the area - hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing and such.  The Blue Ridge Parkway is known as one of the most beautiful fall drives in the U.S., so we see a spike in the number of tourists visiting the area this time of year.  We have a lot of festivals that take place in fall as well - an apple festival hosted by the Lions, the Chamber of Commerce's wine festival, the GO Outside festival in Roanoke, and the Thomas Jefferson wine festival at Poplar Forest just to name a few.  Since our area is fairly rural,  fall traditions like trick-or-treating look a little different - since houses are miles apart, trunk or treat has become really popular here instead, and I remember my mom taking me to my school's fall festival every Halloween so that I could collect my share of candy.

4. What is your favorite football team to cheer for (college or professional)?  I love cheering on my alma mater, the University of Virginia.  The 'Hoos put up a pretty good fight against BYU yesterday - I was proud.  I also cheer for Mr. Q's school Virginia Tech - all except for the last weekend in November when our schools face each other for the Commonwealth Cup.  My favorite NFL team is Green Bay but I don't watch religiously.

5. Do you decorate for fall? Show us pics!  I love fall décor, but it's been so warm here that I haven't been motivated to do a lot of updating for the new season yet.  Here are some pictures from previous fall seasons:

2013

2012 and 2011

sunday social: favorites.

1. Favorite scent:

I've written on the blog before about how much I love lemon fragrance.  In aromatherapy, lemon is considered a mood-booster, and it definitely works for me.  Right now, I'm loving the Lemon Pomegranate Cream line from Bath & Body Works.  Some of my other favorite scents are the smell of coffee, pink peonies, green apple, and the eucalyptus spearmint candles my yoga teacher sometimes burns during class.


2. Favorite food:

Asian food in general.  I love lo mein noodles, I love sushi, I love miso soup, I love pho.  I was lucky to live with some awesome friends in college who showed me how wonderful and savory Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese food can be.


3. Favorite sound:

This question is a thinker!  Since I love music so much, my favorite sounds are musical sounds, and I think the instrument that sings to me the most is the fiddle.  Take any song, add a fiddle to it, and all of a sudden you're in the mountains.


4. Favorite picture currently on your phone:

I can't post them here for privacy reasons, but I love that my students stole my phone on the field trip last year and it has a bunch of their selfies on it. 


5. Best memory of the year so far:

Going along with my answer to #4, it was definitely the field trip to Washington, D.C. with a fantastic group of students including my self-proclaimed "daughter."  We had a great time and the girls reminded me why I love my job so much - they were asking good questions and showing off things they'd learned in my class while they toured the museums, and they reminded me that my real goal is not teaching students to use perfect grammar but teaching teenagers to be better people.

sunday social: all about the 5's

1. 5 things you want us to know about you:

• I am an only child.  My parents were 40 when they had me and had raised my cousin from the time she was a teenager until she was emancipated from her parents.  I have several "spoiled only child" qualities but my parents were also fairly strict because they'd learned a lot from raising a teenager. 
• I'm just starting to really think about how growing up in Appalachia shaped my identity; in college, I tried to escape that culture, but now I'm trying to embrace it.
• I am an evangelical Christian and also a liberal, progressive, pro marriage equality, pro-choice, pro stronger gun control Democrat.  That makes me a real weirdo in Southwest Virginia and a lot of people don't understand how my faith and political viewpoints can co-exist. 
• I'm a workaholic.  Being a teacher is a dream come true for me and I take it very seriously.  No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I'm probably thinking about lesson plans or how to reach a difficult student.
• Mr. Q and I have been married for three years now and I think our relationship is stronger than it has ever been.  I truly consider him my best friend and would rather spend time with him than anyone else.

2. 5 favorite things about blogging:

• Getting to know people I would never know otherwise because there are so many miles between us or because our lives are so different.
• Having a hobby that allows me to practice my writing and develop my voice while reaching an authentic audience of my peers.
• I've learned about so many cool things that I love from reading blogs, from TV shows to watch and new bands to listen to, to housecleaning hacks and DIY ideas.
• Learning that I really do enjoy photography and photo editing as a hobby - I need more practice but so far I know that my "style" = lots of brightness.
• I can't remember when I first started adding fashion posts to the blog, but participating in fashion-themed link-ups and researching trends has really helped me develop a more streamlined personal style.  I'm not buying many items that just sit in the closet because I have a lot more styling ideas thanks to my fashion blogger friends.

3. 5 things you are doing before the year is over:

• Welcoming my BFF Breeze's new neice, Kinslei, into the world in a few weeks!
• Seeing To Kill a Mockingbird at our local theater.
• Going to the wine festival with Mr. Q and some of our lake friends.
• Participating in the Color Me Rad 5K to raise money for Special Olympics.
• Hopefully visiting either an apple orchard or pumpkin patch - I am determined to get outside and get my fall on.

4. 5 favorite fall fashion staples:

• Scarves

• Riding boots

• Skinny jeans

• Pencil skirts

• Sheer sweaters for layering

5. 5 favorite beauty products:

• L'Oreal True Match Naturale mineral foundation - it contains SPF 19, covers blemishes, and gives my skin an airbrushed look.  I get compliments on my "perfect skin" even though I actually have a ton of pockmarks and acne scars.
• Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer - extended time in the sun just isn't part of my lifestyle and I'm very serious about using SPF and wearing hats when I am outside.  As a result, I'm naturally very pale and need help keeping a healthy glow.
• Physicians Formula HappyBooster bronzer and blush - the second part of my fake-glow regimen.  This blush and bronzer combo looks so natural and blends really well.
• Almay Smoky Eye Shadow Trio - the perfect combination of colors for brown eyed girls.
• Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick - it smells good and feels really soft, not dry and lipstick-y.

I look forward to reading all of your Sunday Social posts this week and to chatting with you in the comments!

sunday social: Wahoo-wa!

1. What are you most looking forward to about fall?

I'm excited about fall fashion colors, college football, cinnamon/caramel/pumpkin flavored everything, the Color Me Rad 5K, scarves, Trick-or-Treaters, vests, boots, concerts at our local venue, sweaters, tweed, tartan, and Thanksgiving, but I think if I'm going to be really honest, I am actually most looking forward to the return of my favorite television shows.  I am a shameless TV junkie and I need to know what happens next on The Mindy Project, Nashville, Parenthood, Sleepy Hollow and my other faves like Agents of SHIELD.  I'm excited for the new drama Red Band Society, comics-based Gotham and Constantine, and John Mulaney's new sitcom.

2. What is your favorite sports team?

I'm not really a huge fan of any team sports (I'm more of an Olympics and So You Think You Can Dance girl), but my favorite team sport to watch in person is football.  My alma mater, UVa, isn't really known for our football team, but I love going to home games and sitting on the hill or in the student section, wearing my orange and blue, cheering for Cav Man's adventures, singing the Good Old Song, and watching the marching band perform.

3. If you could go back to college is there one thing you would change?

I would not have said yes to the first boy who asked me to be his girlfriend in college.  He was my best friend, and I wanted to have a boyfriend, but I ended up breaking his heart and we aren't friends anymore.  I really regret that I did not take time to think about whether we'd really be a good couple.   I also wish I hadn't given up after my first bad dance audition in college - it was for a lyrical dance company and I got intimidated by the other dancers and overwhelmed by the choreography.  I wish I'd kept trying out or that I'd found a local studio to dance with.

4. What was your favorite class you took in high school or college?

I really loved the class on teaching writing I took during my final semester of college with Jane Hansen.  She is the director of the Central Virginia Writing Project and teaches writing by modeling what a writing workshop can look like- the class reminded me why I love creative writing so much.  She worked with Donald Graves and actually invented the concept of the "author's chair."  My thesis advisor, Jamie (coauthor of Getting Started, for any teachers following along), was taking the class as well, and it felt very cool and important to be in class alongside a doctoral student I really looked up to.  Several other girls from my elementary education program were taking the class as well who weren't necessarily my best friends, but by the end of the semester they definitely were - by writing about our lives and spending so much time envisioning our ideal classrooms we'd gotten to know each other really well.

5. Reach into your purse what is the first thing you grab?

My phone!  Always with me because I prefer texting to e-mail and phone calls, and I need easy access to Instagram and Snapchat so I can make my friends smile during the day.

sunday social

1. One item you wish you could splurge on right now:

Does a puppy count as an item?  I'm 29, but instead of baby fever I really just want a fuzzy friend.  Mr. Q and I really want to wait until we get our own place to get a pet so it can have some room to run around and play outside, but I think a small dog would be perfectly happy in our townhouse :)

2. If you had an entire weekend of no plans what would you do?

Read blogs, read books, go shopping at the farmer's market or the mall, or go to the movies - I'm pretty easygoing on the weekends since I am so busy all week.  I really cherish the weekends that I get to spend time with my family, especially when I get to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins.

3. Next place you are visiting outside of your current city?

I don't really have any travels planned for this fall or winter, though I'd love to get up to D.C. to visit Bridesmaid Philly at some point.  I'll probably be visiting Richmond in March for my reading association's conference - it's been held there before and they put on a very nice, well-organized event, plus Richmond has lots of neat non-chain restaurants and shops to check out, especially in the area around Virginia Commonwealth University.  The most exciting travel on my horizon is our planned trip to London next summer!  We're saving our money to pull that one off.

4. Are you a neat freak or a clutterbug?

Both?  At school, my co-workers constantly comment on how organized my classroom is, but I explain that I *have* to have a lot of organization systems in place because otherwise it would constantly look like a disaster zone.  I have designated spots in my classroom for students to turn in work, for papers I need to turn in to the office, for papers I need to copy, for the next week's handouts, for my professional books, for my lesson plans, etc. Meanwhile, the cleanliness of my house is directly related to how soon I have company coming over and how busy Mr. Q and I are at work - with him starting a new job last week and me going back to school, the townhouse has gone from Pottery Barn catalogue quality to frat house in a very small timespan.

5. Favorite summer purchase?

Probably my J. Crew Factory pineapple tee - I really loved the pineapple print trend this summer, and a shirt covered with gold foil fruit was a little bit outside my comfort zone.  It's fun and makes me smile when I see it in my closet.

Although, we did buy a new car this summer, so I should probably say the Subaru Crosstrek... but I still think I like my pineapple shirt more :)

sunday social: i did not leave the south side for this.

1. One show you would love to see on Netflix that isn’t there:  The new Starz show Outlander - when I read about the show on io9, the premise - a WWII nurse travels back in time to Scotland in the 1700's - sounded really interesting, so I started reading the novel it's based on.  I watched the first episode and it was awesome - unfortunately, we don't subscribe to Starz so I won't be able to watch the rest unless they put it on Amazon Prime or Netflix.

2. One song you wish they would play more on the radio:  Roanoke doesn't really have a good modern rock station so I don't get to hear bands like Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, or Foo Fighters unless I go on YouTube.  I don't think I ever heard "You Can't Fix This" on the radio when Sound City came out.

3. Your favorite song to sing loudly to in the car:  I'm on a Fleetwood Mac kick again so probably "The Chain" or "Gold Dust Woman."

4. What movie/TV show do you quote the most?  Mean Girls.  It's always appropriate to every situation (I work in a middle school, remember?), and when it's not, I quote it anyway.  YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US!

5. One silly thing you do daily:  I make a lot of sound effects without realizing it, like trumpet noises or little bits of music.  If someone says something that reminds me of a song, I start singing the song.

sunday social: favorite 3's

1. 3 favorite songs right now

Get More: 

• "Alone Together," Fall Out Boy - specifically, this performance with The Band Perry from CMT Crossroads.  Who knew punk rock and country could sound so good together?  Kimberly's innocent-sounding voice just takes the song's lyrics to another level for me.
• "Somethin' Bad," Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood - my SIL and I are in love with this song.  Our poor family had to listen to us sing this one in the car a lot on vacation.
• "The Devil Takes Care of His Own," Band of Skulls - this one reminds me of the White Stripes circa White Blood Cells.  Part of my writing playlist right now, gets played on our local indie station a lot, and is also in the background of at least one TV commercial!

2. 3 favorite movies that remind you of summer

• Dirty Dancing - filmed right here in Southwest Virginia!
• Now and Then - probably the reason we had so many seances growing up?
• Moonrise Kingdom - summer camp gets the Wes Anderson treatment.

3. 3 favorite articles of clothing you own

• My LOFT skinny jeans - I wear them pretty much every weekend.
• White pointelle sweater from Old Navy - perfect summer layer!
• YOGA PANTS, let's be honest here.

4. 3 items on your wish list

• A nice camera bag - Mr. Q bought a nice backpack for our DSLR but I'd love to have one that looks like a purse for when I'm the photographer on duty ;)
• Black strappy sandals I can wear to work - either these or these.
• This Fossil watch - I only like watches if they look more like jewelry.

5. 3 books you would recommend to someone

• The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank - not actually about hunting or fishing; instead it's a coming-of-age tale told in a series of short stories.  I would especially recommend it to fans of Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada.
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed - I loved this moving true story of a woman's journey on the Pacific Coast Trail; read my full review here.
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - a haunting, heartbreaking genre-bending YA novel about a German girl whose foster family hides a Jewish man in their basement during World War II.  

Sunday Social

1. What is the most difficult thing you have been through?

Losing my dad.  I've written about my dad's illness and passing several times here on the blog - when I was in my third year of college, Dad's kidneys failed and he was put on dialysis. While I met people who had been on dialysis for 5, 10, 20 years, my dad just seemed so weak and diminished that I was convinced his kidneys were going to fail at any minute.  I struggled with depression and a lot of pent-up anger that year.  The next year, my Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  My parents decided not to tell me my dad had cancer until after I had taken my finals and he was in his last days.  I didn't realize how strong I could be until I gave the eulogy at my dad's funeral, but it took years for me to be mentally stable about losing him.


2. What was your best birthday?

My 21st - not because WOO BOOZE but because I spent it with my bestie who shares my birthday and our best friends.  There was Red Robin and balloons and stolen glassware and surprise phone calls and it was one of those nights when it feels like anything could happen. My camp staff friends were such a family for me.


3. What has been your favorite thing that you have done in your own city?

I've lived near Roanoke for my whole life, so it's hard to narrow my life down to one favorite activity!  The recent coolest thing was when Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert came here.


4. What is your idea of the perfect date night?

Dinner at either Wasabi (Japanese, obviously) or The Quarter (Cajun) and a concert.  Even though country is not Mr. Q's favorite genre, he's always up to go see my faves with me. Honestly, I enjoy watching our friend's band play almost as much as a big show at the Civic Center.  Live music is as good as a night can get for me.


5. Have you ever been to a blogging conference? If so which one(s)? If not do you want to?

No, I think I would feel out of place at a blogging conference because I'm not a big-time blogger and I don't really think about "growing my audience" or the other things conferences seem to focus on.  It would be neat to meet other bloggers, but not in an environment where everyone is trying to impress everyone else.

Sunday Social

1. Favorite genre of music?  If I had to pick just one I would have to go with country. It's what I grew up listening to and what I'm most likely to spend my concert money on - give me Dierks, Miranda, Kacey, and Blake and I am a happy girl!

2. Favorite genre of movies?  Most of my favorites are action movies with a good dose of comedy and romance thrown in - and I have a lot of Marvel superheroes and sci-fi (Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, John Carter) in my action collection.  Although I think my secret favorite genre might be "comedies set in high schools" because I will watch The Breakfast Club, Mean Girls, and Clueless any time I come across them on television.

3. Do you watch reality TV? If so what was the first show you remember watching?  Today I'm more into skill competition shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Master Chef, but my original favorite reality shows were Survivor and Making the Band (did you guys see that O-Town is trying to make a comeback?).

4. Actress you’d want to be BFF’s with?  Mindy Kaling!  Reading her book felt like hanging out with a best friend swapping crazy stories about coming of age.  STEP ASIDE BJ NOVAK.

5. Actor you’d be happy to be stuck on an island with?  Channing Tatum, because Channing is the best, obviously.  And apparently even Bear Grylls thinks he has survival skills.

sunday social: randoms

1. What was your college major? Did you ever change majors?

My major for my undergraduate studies was English Literature and my graduate major was Elementary Education.  I actually declared my graduate major first since I was accepted to the five-year Master's degree program at the end of my first year of college.  I considered minoring in Anthropology, but I wasn't able to fit the required linguistics courses into my schedule.


2. What is the best purchase you’ve made lately?

CeraVe facial cleanser - my skin is the clearest it's been in years!


3. What is something silly we don’t know about you?

The movie Thelma and Louise makes me cry.


4. What is your favorite holiday?

It used to definitely be Christmas, but as the years have gone by I have really started to love Halloween more and more - not so much the creepy aspect but the imaginative side.


5. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

Take a shower - otherwise I will be grumpy/groggy until I do.

sunday social: weird favorites

1. What’s your favorite scary movie?

I do NOT like any gory scary movies because I have a very visual memory and those images never leave my brain - so I haven't seen most of the popular scary movies like the Saw franchise - The Ring scares the bejeezus out of me first year of college and after that I've just said no to horror.  I do usually enjoy movies that rely on psychological scares, and my favorite is probably Silence of the Lambs.  I remember seeing the VHS on the shelf at my house for years growing up and my parents always telling me I couldn't watch it because it would scare me too much, then finally letting me watch it in high school.  I felt very grown up.

2. What is your favorite weird TV show you think no one else watches?

Here at the country townhouse, we will watch basically any reality program about Alaska. My favorite is Bering Sea Gold - it's like Gold Rush but way, way more soap opera-ish.

3. What is the song you can sing all the words to without any music?

Wonderwall by Oasis.  It used to be a popular closing campfire song at the summer camp where I volunteer, but it became very obvious last summer that only me and one of the staff members who I grew up with actually knew the verses.


4. What is your favorite book to re-read?

The Time Traveler's Wife.  I like that because of the nature of the story, I can turn to any random page and get pulled right back into the characters' lives.  And I like that it's sneaky science fiction masquerading as romance.


5. The one website you visit more times a day than others?

Facebook.  I log on in the morning while I'm waking up and usually check several more times throughout the day.

sunday social: summer 4's

My phone's wallpaper is from Eine Kleine Design Studio

1. 4 favorite phone apps

• Instagram (basically my journal these days)
• Facebook Messenger (better than texting, I think)
• Snapchat (my friends are ridiculous)
• Pandora (love having streaming music everywhere)

2. 4 favorite Summer TV shows

• So You Think You Can Dance - let's get this hot tamale train started.  I'm so ready for auditions to be over so I can pick some favorite dancers and start voting!
• Master Chef - I loved the last two winners, Christine Ha and Luca Manfe, and I love that Master Chef is a show in which typically the mean, cutthroat contestants do not do well because teamwork is a requirement on most of the challenges.  It's nice to see Gordon Ramsay's softer side, and Joe and Graham, the other judges, are cool too.  The show inspires me to try more creative recipes during my summer break!
• Night Shift - I was borderline obsessed with ER and Chicago Hope back in the day, and this new show reminds me of those.  Remember the season of ER where Carter was on drugs?  Night Shift is that crazy all the time.  It's about the emergency department at San Antonio Memorial, which is in danger of closing due to budget issues, and where a lot of the doctors have served in the military.  There is a LOT of drama, unusual medical issues like multiple personality disorder and a hunter getting his hand bitten off by a boar, and the characters are multifaceted.
• Switched at Birth - Love me some ABC Family.

3. 4 things you would NEVER do

• Bungee jump.  Nope nope nope.
• Teach math.  I learned during my student teaching that I can't explain math.
• Hot yoga.  I love yoga but that just sounds awful.
• Wear a tube top.  My tube top days are over.

4. 4 items you carry with you no matter what

• My glasses/sunglasses
• My phone
• Glucose tablets
• A pen

5. 4 blogs we should follow

• Unabashedly Me - Micah's one of my best friends in the blogging world.  Her lifestyle blog is funny, honest, and always interesting.
• From L.A. to LA - Shoshanah is another great friend.  Hers is also a lifestyle blog and she just revealed some big news - she and "the boy" are expecting their first baby!
• Oh Joy! - Pretty much my blogging idol.  Everything she posts is fun, colorful, and inspiring.
• Rachel Held Evans - Rachel's book A Year of Biblical Womanhood is amazing and her blog makes me think.  She writes about all things controversial within the evangelical Christian community.  My favorite posts are her weekly round-ups of interesting links.

sunday social: summer fun!

1. What is your best summer memory as a kid?  

Visiting Disney World with my parents in high school the summer they paid off the mortgage on our house.  I was fifteen and I think I enjoyed the trip more than I would have if they'd taken me as a child because I really appreciated how big of a deal it was.  We stopped in Savannah, Georgia on the way down and stayed there for the night, and I fell in love with that city.  Disney World was great, of course, and one of the best parts was seeing my parents get to enjoy themselves and just totally geeking out together about the movies we loved and how magical everything is there.  

2. What is your favorite summer drink?

Sweet tea is my go-to year round, but it's extra good in the summer.  In the adult beverage category, I really love mojitos in the summertime - a mixed berry version was our wedding cocktail!

3. What is your favorite summer TV show?

So You Think You Can Dance!  I can't wait until it returns on May 28th.  I always have favorite dancers and I call in and vote every week.  A close second is Master Chef - Mr. Q and I both love it and it inspires us to use our kitchen more in the summer.

4. What is the best outdoor summer activity?

Being on the lake - I really love canoeing and kayaking, but I won't pass up a motorboat or pontoon ride if one is offered.  Just no sailboats - they make me seasick.

5. What are your summer vacation essentials?

Sunscreen, bug spray, and comfortable shoes - no matter where I am, if I'm in a new place, I want to see and do ALL THE THINGS.

sunday social: pet peeves

1. What is your biggest driving pet peeve?

Currently it's drivers from North Carolina passing on the right on our northbound highway. Do you see my Virginia tags and town sticker? I live here.  If I'm slowing down, there's a reason - I know where the dangerous curves are and where the police like to park their cars and wait for speeders.


2. What is your biggest blogging pet peeve?


I'm an English teacher, so unfortunately I tend to be very picky about spelling and grammar. If you're going to engage in writing in English as a hobby, please take the time to proofread your work. If you know that grammar and spelling are not your strong suits, pick up a copy of The Elements of Style, use your spell check button, or enlist a friend to give your posts a once-over before you hit publish.  Knowing how karma works, though, I've probably made at least one spelling, grammar, or punctuation error in this post.


3. What is your biggest shopping pet peeve?

Spoiler alert:  nothing is ever available in the store...

When I find something adorable and perfect for my wardrobe and the store/website has every size except mine in stock - this happens to me all the time with both clothes and shoes. Why don't retailers stock more of the most common sizes?  They're definitely going to have more size 12 women come into their stores than size 0 women, right?


4. What is your biggest general pet peeve?

The first one that comes to mind is faculty meetings - sometimes I think the only reason we have them is because our administrators think we have to (maybe someone higher up is telling them we do have to).  So much of what is discussed in faculty meetings could be easily communicated by e-mail.  Small meetings where everyone is working together toward a common goal can be great, though, and our administrators have put together some really interesting breakout sessions on teacher workdays.


5. What is your most irrational fear?

Moths.  I know in my brain that they are pretty much no different from butterflies, which I love, but I feel in my heart that they are evil. 

sunday social: essential 5's...

1. 5 songs you'll listen to the rest of your life

• The Beatles - "Get Back"
• Billy Joel - "My Life"
• Tracy Chapman - "Give Me One Reason"
• Alabama Shakes - "Hold On"
• Johnny Cash - "God's Gonna Cut You Down"

2. 5 things on your bucket list

• Publish a novel
• Own a house
• Visit New York City
• Visit California
• Run a complete 5K

3. 5 celebrities you'd love to hang out with for a day

• Ellen
• Tina Fey
• Amy Poehler
• Mindy Kaling
• Ellie Kemper

4. 5 things you always carry in your purse

• Cell phone (current wallpaper is from Breanna Rose)
• Lip gloss (current favorite: Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick)
• Hairbrush
• Glucose tablets in case my blood sugar drops
• Wallet (driver's license, debit card, insurance card, and library card)

5. 5 books on your reading list

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

6. Share the last 5 pictures on your phone

Here are my answers to this survey from last year.