Hi! Ten facts:

{Pretty roses in pink paper for my sisters.}

1. It's been cold here. By cold, I mean 20 something degrees in the morning and high 40's/low 50's for highs. And while everyone else is complaining about the drastic change in temperatures, I could not be happier. Hello, scarves! Hello, sweaters!

2. This week was my fall break. I spent it in a tiny town in Missouri with my love, where he's on a three-week business trip. I pretty much locked myself in our hotel room and got lots of things done. It was so nice.

3. I've started doing yoga pretty much everyday. Well, at least one sequence of poses each day. My arms are getting more toned; my body feels so much stronger; my posture is improving; and, most importantly, I'm learning to let go of tension in my muscles. It's truly the best feeling!

4. I got a 108 on my first test in Editing. Then I got a 95 on my second one and was disappointed. Too bad I can't borrow some points from that class and send them over to my Biology class!

5. I finally enjoy and am somewhat good at thrifting.

6. Tomorrow I'm filming a TV show. Let's not talk about it.

7. I've been traveling a lot lately. More about that later.

8. I discovered that I really like hiking.

9. I really love the people in my life.

10. I plan on spending the rest of tonight in my bed with iced coffee and all the magazines I've neglected over the past couple of months. Hooray!

Life in Instagrams

Life has been treating me really well lately. I have nothing to complain about. School and working at the paper are stressful, of course, but both are incredibly rewarding. Want to see a little bit of what I've been up to lately? Here are some of my favorite Instagrams from lately:

We went to the beach. Here's the rides on the boardwalk from like a bazillion feet in the air.

The beach!

The view from the bayhouse we stayed in. It was lovely. And would you believe that a tropical storm came along and blew all that water away from the shore the next day? It was so crazy.

Packing for a weekend getaway.

The most beautiful candy store!

I love head scarves. Even when I do put them on crooked.

I'm writing a fashion column at out paper. It's wonderful to get paid to do what you enjoy!

Sheldon loves sweet tea. We love Sheldon. ♥

Happy birthday, Arkansas!

It's no secret that I love Arkansas. I've traveled all over the country and in a few other countries, too, and nothing compares to this place I call home. No, I don't believe Arkansas is the prettiest place in the world (although parts of it are absolutely gorgeous), and I know it's not the most exciting. But it's my home state, and no matter where I go, my heart will always be with the people and places I love so much here.

Today is this beautiful state's 175th birthday, and to celebrate, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism released a list of the top ten places to visit here. I read this list, and while I agreed with part of it, I decided to make my own list.

Here are my top 11 (I couldn't narrow it down to just ten!) favorite sites in the state:

My very favorite: Sunset Point on Mount Nebo in Dardanelle. Two of our best friends live at the base of this mountain, so we're able to go there a lot. And that makes me really happy. Sunset Point makes me happier than just about anywhere else on this earth.

Downtown Eureka Springs. There's nowhere in the world like it. I especially love the Flat Iron Building.

Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs. Most of the bathhouses are no longer used, but it's so fun to think of how packed this place was in the early 1900s when people believed the springs had magical healing powers!

Mount Magazine in Paris. It's the tallest mountain in the state, and it's my favorite place for long drives in the fall.

Walton's Five and Dime. Aka the original Walmart! This is in Bentonville, where I live. This place is so cute and old fashioned. Living in the same town as the Walmart Home Office means lots of opportunities to meet all the celebrities who are always in town. That's my favorite thing about living here!

Twin Falls in Jasper. There are just no words for the beauty of it.

Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs. I adore this place! It's so peaceful and gorgeous.

Arkansas-Texas state line in Texarkana. Taking a picture in front of that sign never gets old.

Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton. The history of Petit Jean is so rich, and the views from the mountain are breathtaking.

Haw Creek Falls in Fort Douglas. I have so many wonderful memories of picnics with my Nanna and Poppa here. It is lovely.

The State Capitol Building in Little Rock. Oh, it's pretty!

And here is one to grow on (that makes 12, oops!):

The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Old Main is my favorite (and the most famous) building on campus. And there's nothing like Razorback football!

What state or country do you live in? Have you ever been to Arkansas? If so, what did you think of it?

*Photo credits: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Wednesday.

This dreamy print makes me smile, and it also makes me want a beach vacation.

I'm planning to do some serious redecorating in my apartment this summer, and while I still have no idea what style I'm going for in my bedroom, bathroom, and living room, I can imagine that this gorgeous print by 20x200 would be gorgeous just about anywhere.

{via A Cup of Jo}

New Orleans

Yesterday, I flew down to New Orleans to be with my boyfriend who's been working here for a few weeks. I kind of have a love-hate relationship with New Orleans. Most of the people here are friendly, the history is so rich, and there is nothing in this world that can compare to the French Quarter. But the humidity keeps my hair inexplicably frizzy and the sheets on our hotel bed feeling clammy, and I'm not a fan of the rotten smell of the stagnant water in the French Quarter. I can absolutely get over that, though; I'm so excited to spend this weekend eating great food, exploring my favorite historic places, and finally being with my love again!

Here are some of my favorite photos from my last visit to New Orleans:


Charbroiled oysters with shrimp and mushroom fondue at Drago's.


St. Louis Cathedral - my favorite.


Eerie St. Louis Cemetery #1.


Beignets and iced cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde.


The sweetest home in the French Quarter!


Bee Sweet Cupcakes. This was the first cupcake shop I'd ever been to, and it started a long, unhealthy obsession with red velvet cupcakes for me.

A little vacation in Louisiana.

{Spanish moss at the St. Francisville Inn}

This past week, I went down to St. Francisville, Louisiana with Richard, which is where he will be working for the next two weeks. I'll be honest; I've never really been a fan of Louisiana. I'm not big on humidity, swamps, alligators, or land so flat that you can see for miles (gotta have my mountains in sight!). But this trip changed my mind a teeny, tiny bit. I'm definitely not considering relocating, but I kind of fell in love with the historical homes, Spanish moss, and soul food (fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, oh my). Plus, I'm all about a change of scenery from time to time.

{This is what happens on a Friday night in St. Francisville. In a town with 1,500 people, no Walmart, and only three restaurants, you kind of have to make your own fun.}

{We passed by this cute church on an evening walk through downtown Jackson.}

{My love at the Magnolia Cafe. We loved their crawfish salad and Mag special sandwich.}

{And guess what we did on Saturday night! Yep.}

{Beautiful Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge just before dusk.}

{That place is huuuuge.}

{Downtown Baton Rouge is lovely.}

{Byeee, Baton Rouge. Byeee, Richard.}

On the Road to L.A.: Route 66

And the road trip posts begin! On the night of July 12th, Kristal, Jaime and I loaded up Jaime's brand new Honda Pilot (and I do mean we loaded it up... pack rats, we are) and rolled out of town just before midnight. Before we even made it 60 miles to the state line, Kristal had a new nickname, and clothes started coming off (I promise, this is not as risque as it sounds). We drove all night, thanks to Red Bull, gas station coffee doctored up with just about fifty packs of sugar and ten ounces of half and half, and good music. We drove all the way through Oklahoma, stopping at sketchy gas stations throughout the night, and made it toAmarillo, Texas just after the sun came up. And we made sure to sing "Amarillo By Morning."

After a little nap and a shower, we slipped on our sundresses, grabbed ourselves some Starbucks (Starbucks will be a common theme in this road trip story) and hit the road. Oh, and Kristal made sure to sing "On the Road Again" every single time we hit the road! Before getting out of Amarillo, we stopped at the Cadillac Ranch, which is a sad, rundown, muddy place, but we loved it.

We only drove 400 miles that day, because we took Route 66 for much of the way and stopped in lots of cute nearly abandoned towns to photograph old motels and restaurants. Route 66 is magical! It's such a unique part of history, and I'm so happy that I was able to experience it. We drove through the rest of Texas and made it to Tucumcari, New Mexico before dusk. Tucumcari is such an intoxicating Route 66 town. The motels and restaurants there are classic, picture perfect little places.

We continued to drive through New Mexico. We ate the best burgers and fries of our lives at a gas station in New Mexico. We also met a mean old man at a gas station and saw a crumbly, broken old church in New Mexico. We saw the lowest clouds ever in New Mexico! We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for some necessary iced coffee and treats in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We really just loved New Mexico.

We stopped at a hotel in Gallup, New Mexico very late that night for some much needed sleep and a shower. Ohh, that's right, our shower DID NOT WORK. Insignificant things like broken hotel showers are what make life interesting, eh? I do believe so.

The Cadillac Ranch

Pssst. Don't let them fool you. They're not Caddies!

The Vega Motel in Texas

There was all kinds of pretty antique furniture outside of the Vega Motel. I wanted to take it all home with me!

The halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles on Route 66.

Ugly Crust Pies!

This place was not so fabulous anymore. :(

"And this, dear friends, is how you do a cartwheel." Kristal, myself & Jaime in Texas.

Cutest motel I ever did see. Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Another abandoned Tucumcari motel. The beds were still made... very eerie. And the pool was full of grass.

Feetsies.

Busted church. Creeeeeps me out, still.

Oh, New Mexico.

(Sorry this is so long and detailed. I just love experiencing every moment of this wonderful trip all over again, and I feel like it's one of those stories where you NEED to know all the details to understand just how perfect it really was!)