5 On Friday: Soccer-y, Pumpkin-y, Tour-y Kindof Week

What a glorious week this has been! Jam-packed with good friends, backstage tours, movies in bed with the hubs, soccer de-virginization (to be explained), thrifting, thrifting, and more thrifting. And as I sit here in the Panera surrounded by high schoolers who either A. work here or B. are sitting in booths flirting with girls through brace-wired teeth, avoiding phone calls from their moms, I am sweetly reminded that I am now a grandma.

But, at least I'm a grandma who still shops at Old Navy and knows at least four popular songs.

Let's recap the glory that is life at the moment:

// Tower of Terror Tour //
One of the (many) perks of working at Walt Disney World are VIP tours. On Tuesday, my co-workers and I got an exclusive tour of Disney's Tower of Terror ride which is ALSO where Timothy and I got engaged. It's kindof the best ride on the whole planet and this tour was filled to the brim with cool trivia and interesting backstories. And of course, who wants to tour this ride and note ride it? So, after a few screams and shrieks, we called it a day. Perfection.

// Orlando City Soccer //
You guys, I've never particularly cared for soccer. Let's be honest, I just plain didn't like it. So, if you had asked me two weeks ago if I would have ended up decked out in Orlando City colors screaming among super fans dressed like moon men, cheering with the "Ruckus" supporter crowd, I would have scoffed at you. Rudely. Some of our couples friends invited us out and I'll be darn-tootin' if it wasn't one of the best things I've done in Orlando. Championship game TOMORROW NIGHT! Raaaaahhhhh!

// Pumpkin-y Things //
It's Fall! Everything is turning into a pumpkin (which contrary to Cinderella's opinion on the matter, is actually a GOOD thing)! I finally got my first pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. A word about the pumpkin spice M&M's: They do NOT taste like pumpkin. They do not taste like anything different from a regular chocolate M&M. Fail. Big fail. Bigger disappointment.

// Pita Oven //

I stumbled upon a hole in the wall Greek fast food joint this week and died over their falafel. Seriously, if you're in the area- get in on Pita Oven.

// Victrola 78's Score //

Last year at our engagement party, my amazing aunt and uncle gave us the most beautiful (WORKING) Victrola from- wait for it- 1912! I can't believe we have something over 100 years old in our little undeserving apartment. Regardless, it's not always easy to find records for this puppy until I struck gold at a thrift store yesterday. We had such a romantic evening last night listening to awesome old school songs while it stormed out. Siiiiigh.

How has YOUR week been?

Linking Up With:

5 On Friday || High 5 For Friday

Our Apartment: Gallery Therapy

Saturday was a day off and thus a day for a little apartment updo action. Pinterest of course has had me swooning over all of the different ways to adorn your home in photos so I had to give this and this a go. 

This is how they looked on Pinterest:

And this is how they look in our little apartment!

I scored this shelf for just a few bucks at Salvation Army. Additionally, we have lots of pictures of ourselves because we apparently have no friends. This made a nice addition to our tiny hallway. 

Backstory on the above photos: Ever since Timothy and I started dating, I always give him a framed minimalist movie poster when any sort of holiday or birthday rolls around. It has become a bit of a tradition for us and now a nice way to personalize our space with a little gallery wall! If you don't know about the minimalist movie poster revolution, get in on this mess.

What pictures are you showcasing in your space?

Linking Up With:

The DIY Dreamer || Not Just A Housewife

5 On Friday (8.2.13)

It's Friday! It's August! It's my mom's birthday! Clearly, there's a lot to celebrate. :)

/ My Mama! /
She is a super hero. No, really. She's beautiful, kind, hilariously enthusiastic (especially when it comes to unexpected wildlife while driving), quirky, joyful, unwaveringly supportive, giving, vivacious, and she always knows what I'm thinking. Happy Birthday, Mama. You deserve all the pumpkin pie and daughter hugs in the world. I love you so much!

(That's Mom on the left. Isn't she cute? S'cute!)

/ Thrifting My Face Off /

I have been going thrift store crazy this week. Found some delectable cardigans (to be showcased later this week), a cute shelf, and some whimsical vases for a secret project I'm working on and can't wait to unveil! I even gave our bathroom a sweet little tidy-up. These bowls were 25 cents each. Why does anyone ever go to Pier 1 EVER these days when you can score awesome deals like this? :)

/ House Blend Cafe /

In the midst of my thrifty antics, I stumbled upon a happy accident of a café: the House Blend Cafe in Ocoee, FL. It's quite far from our neck of the woods but I'd be happy to make the trek again and bring the hubs along for an afternoon bite. I ordered their Egg White Spanish Frittata (sans onions) and it was just lovely! I'd like to head back to try the Curry Stew over Rice, their New Orleans Red Beans And Rice, and their Mexican Salad Mondays! To top it off, 100% of their net profit goes to the community. Their slogan is "Eat Good. Do good." Who doesn't love that? Any locals ever been to this little gem?

/ Krystal Burger /

Timothy and I raaaarely eat fast food these days. If we do, the furthest we will go to "fast food" is often a sub shop. However, when I drove past a sweet little Krystal burger joint yesterday, I just had to make a U-turn and surprise my husband with a bag o' burgers after work. To be quite frank, I'm not a big burger person. I enjoy them but hate the inevitable guilt that, without doubt, ensues every time I take that last bite. There's something so alluring about the miniature state in which these burger find themselves. They're like the Honey I Shrunk The Kids of burgers. I've never had a White Castle burger so, WC loyalists will have to let me know if I'm missing out on something better or if both of these burger joints are merely twins with different names.

/ Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes /

I forgot about this little tune by Kristin Andreassen. Before "Cups," there was this. Get some. Best Listening Conditions: Barefoot while driving with the windows down on a sunny day. You're welcome.

Linking Up With:

5 On Friday | High Five For Friday | Back That Azz Up

Five On Friday (7.26.13)

I'd love to use ye olde saying and proclaim, "Thank God it's Friday!" But, alas, when your Friday contains a work day that spans 10PM at night to 7AM on Saturday morning, you have to let go of your premature weekend excitement and resign yourself to forced day-sleeping. Do I work the graveyard shift? No. This is called: being an entertainer. While I shall forever scoff at the idea of business suit antics and cubicle dwellings, there are those days where the shining beacon of normalcy seems nice.

But, then I remember I get (PAID) to play pretend for a living and all's well (that ends well (YES- actor humor! YES- double parenthetical sequence!)).

That being said, it's so nice to reflect on the good in this past week and all of its crazy busy glory.

/ Dollar Tree /

Folks, I have an addiction and it's called the Dollar Tree. Do you want to know why? Because, EVERYTHING'S A DOLLAR. This is a dollar store in its purest form. No thinking. No second guessing. No searching for removed price tags. No price check. No questioning the cashier with furrowed brow, "Oooh... the sign said that was on sale."

The Dollar Tree made me a promise and that promise was that: everything is a dollar.

None of this Dollar General junk where "everything costs generally a dollar."

None of this Family Dollar junk where "everything costs a family of dollars."

None of this 99 Cents And Up junk where "everything is 99 cents and up- just like it is at any. other. store. in. America." A dress at Bloomingdale's is the "up" part of that equation.

NOW, keeping that in mind, there are just some times when the Dollar Tree doesn't quite get it right. 

So, Dollar Tree, I'm sorry but I will not be making my frugal purchase of warming jelly, pregnancy tests, at-home drug tests, or Halloween decor in July today. But, thank you for meeting my needs otherwise. :)

/ Hubby's Meals /

Separate from the norm, I've been the one working 9AM-6PM every day this week and per usual, my husband has made delicious food. Favorite meals on the list?

- We got the Perfect Tortilla Bowl! It's awesome. Whipped up some chili, put it in the bowl. Delicious.

- Balsamic Rosemary Chicken with warm Quinoa Asparagus Salad modified from this recipe. We used feta cheese instead of goat cheese. YUM.

- Cheeseburger Cauliflower Bake modified from this recipe. Timothy added breadcrumbs on top. C'est magnifique!

/ $5 Shorts From Wal-Mart? /

Yes, please. Why spend a dollar more? You say stingy; I say classy and frugal.

/ Sara Bareilles' New Album, "The Blessed Unrest" /

She is undoubtedly one of the best singer/ songwriters we have out there right now. I've loved her for years and there is no end in sight. She's incredible. Alongside Ingrid Michaelson, she sings my heart and inspires me in my songwriting every day. 

Her strings version of "King Of Anything" reminds me of my own 2010 Folgers jingle submission. A girl who likes strings is fine by me. Hey Sara, can we be besties? Ok thanks!

/ My Husband's Nightly Music Serenades /

If the chicken is marinating or the onions sauteing, then my husband is on the piano. Whether it's mindless jamming, a Billy Joel cover, or a song-request sing along, it's always beautiful. I sometimes forget how lucky I am to have such a musically gifted partner in life. :)

How was your week?

Linking Up With:

5 On Friday | High Five For Friday | Back That Azz Up

Yard Sales And Quiet Walks

Ah, the quiet of a Saturday to myself after a full week of clowning hysterics. You can't beat it.

There was a community yard sale happening in an apartment complex down the road from us so I decided to take a morning walk over to see if I could find some treasures. I failed to remind myself that distance is highly based on perspective. Cars are fast. Human feet (sans Olympic champs) are not . So, what I thought would be a five minute skip-to-my-lou turned into 25 minute trek. UPHILL! Apparently I'm a grandma.

Still, it was a breezy overcast day and a little cat greeted me on my journey. I can't complain. :)

I scored a nice white canvas shower curtain, some Scentsy smell-good tarts, and a cute wallet (or so I thought. Turned out to be a tiny photo album. I WANT MY QUARTER BACK!). The damage? Six bucks. Nailed it.

I've spent the remainder of the evening losing hours to Pinterest and listening to old songs from high school. Hey, remember when John Mayer was normal?

In my pursuit of nostalgic tunes, I rediscovered this hidden Jason Mraz gem. You're welcome.

Happy Saturday! :)

Linking Up With: Sweet Saturdays & I Love My Post