Hello! Sorry that I've been a bit MIA on and off. I don't really have a solid excuse, except to repeat what everyone in the blogosphere seems to be saying lately- life is crazy.

Over the past weekend, I got to get away for a bit to have a well-needed break. My family was invited to a wedding in Myrtle Beach, SC, so we got to go down there for a bit. It was absolutely wonderful. It was exactly what I needed!

We headed down first thing on Thursday morning, and made it to the beach in time for a late lunch. One of our favorite places at Myrtle is River City, so we decided to go there. It's the BEST- if you ever are in the Myrtle Beach area, you definitely should stop by. The food is amazing, and it's just a really cool environment- they have big buckets of peanuts, and the walls are lined with license plates. You can write wherever you want- on the walls, on the doors, the tables. There are hundreds and hundreds of signatures and messages written all over the restaurant, and it's really cool to look at them.

Isn't this place just the coolest? And the food is fabulous. If I lived at the beach, I'm pretty sure I'd gain ten pounds just thanks to this restaurant.

After lunch, we headed to the hotel, and grabbed some doughnuts on the way for breakfast. I have a love affair with Krispy Kreme.

We unpacked really quickly, then headed to the beach. We had a lovely adventure that consisted of a twenty minute struggle to figure out where on earth the beach access was. Like, we were debating whether or not we would have to go through the woods to reach it. Honestly it was sort of hilarious. BUT WE MADE IT!

The beach was SUPER windy, but it was so nice to be out there. I love the beach so much. I can really see myself living at the beach at some point in my life. The dream would be to have a house on the ocean where I can write and be an introvert to my heart's content, haha!

We did a ton of beach walking- like, four miles. Then we headed out to dinner. We really like Ultimate California Pizza at Myrtle, which is actually owned by the same people who own River City. When we GPS'd it, however, we ended up next to some tiny ice cream stand and were told that the place didn't exist. Ummm okay then... We found another one, though, so it was cool haha.

Their pizza is seriously the best. I love it.

Our plan for the next day was to go to the beach, but we only lasted about thirty seconds. It. Was. So. COLD! It was about fifty degrees outside, the wind was around 17-20 mph, and being next to the ocean- it was far too cold to stay on the beach. I thought I was going to freeze to death! So suddenly, it became a shopping day.

We decided to go to the Coastal Grand mall, and it was pretty successful- I ended up with a dress and a pair of shoes! They had a ton of shops, so it was really fun to walk around and just explore. I found a bunch of interesting-looking books in Books A Million, so I can't wait to see if my library has them! I have this weird thing about not wanting to buy books that I haven't read before, because I'm scared I won't like them. Weird, I know, but it's how I am!

These are the shoes that I found- aren't they the cutest?

That night we had a dessert party, which was fun- chocolate cheesecake was involved;) Gosh, I feel like all I do is talk about food lately. I swear I'm not as unhealthy as I sound.

The next day was our big beach day- we spent most of the day on the beach. Not going to lie, I was absolutely freezing for about 3/4 of the day. It wasn't as bad as the previous day, but it was COLD! I was wearing leggings, a t-shirt, my dad's sweater, and a hoodie, and I was still cold. The rest of my family was fine, though, so apparently I just don't handle nature very well.

That night was the wedding. It was a really nice ceremony, and the venue was gorgeous. The reception was also really fun- any time that I get to dance to Footloose is a good time!!

We had to go home the next day, but not without squeezing in a few hours on the beach, first. It was the best weather that we had all week- of course our best weather is the day that we go home. I loved the several hours that we spent out there, though- they were great.

After that we began the sad trek back home. But hey- there are still lots of exciting things at home, and we can always go back to the beach! I can't wait until we do. : )

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Well, that was my weekend! It was really nice to get away. How was your weekend? Do you have any trips planned? Tell me all about it in the comments!!

Blonde Takes On The Big Apple- Traveling!

Traveling:

We left for New York waaaaaaay too early for my tastes. As in, getting up at 5:30 a.m. early. Ouch. I'm seriously not a morning person, guys. But we were driving, and let's face it- NYC is pretty far away from the South. At least the time change worked in our favor- it felt more like 6:30. Early, but not as bad as it could have been.

I think that we ended up spending roughly around 12 hours traveling. It probably wouldn't have taken that long, but we stopped for food, had trouble navigating, etc. I spent most of the ride reading, listening to music, etc. (Also eating a cupcake, so that was pretty awesome)

Speaking of reading. Guys.

Have you ever read The Outsiders?

If you haven't, OH MY GOSH, GO TO THE LIBRARY RIGHT NOW.

This book. THIS BOOK. I'm going to have to review it. But it is such a soul crushingly beautiful book. Once I finished it, I honestly couldn't read anything else for a while. My mind was still trapped in that world. The Outsiders definitely changes the way you look at things, and it makes you appreciate the sunsets.

Gosh my mind is getting trapped in that world again I need to focus.

Anyways.

One thing that really surprised me about the drive up was how breathtaking the foliage was. It was past the peak leaf season, so I wasn't really expecting it, but oh my word. It was absolutely beautiful. The leaves were so bright, and the whole ride up was just gorgeous. That definitely helped with the whole stuck-in-the-car-all-day thing.

These pictures totally don't do it justice, but I thought I'd share them. 

I also started Mockingjay in the car! BUT I ONLY READ THE FIRST HALF!! That was slightly torturous. 

So that's how I spent most of the car ride, along with desperately texting my friend S and probably driving her out of her mind. I LOVE YOU!!!

We made it to Brooklyn that night, and I'm not going to lie, I was thoroughly terrified at first. If you've never been to Brooklyn, let me just give you this advice- try to arrive during daylight. Because at night it literally feels like you could die at any minute. We tried to get food and ended up at this super scary grocery store...you couldn't go anywhere without hearing swear words 24/7...it was all just a bit scary. We ended up finding food at a Shake Shack, which seemed to be the most popular restaurant in the city haha, I saw them everywhere! Anyways, it was kind of a weird first night in the city, I was a bit apprehensive, but I had no idea how much fun was to come! Can't wait to tell you all about it:)

Blonde Takes On The Big Apple- Things I Learned in New York City

Hello, everyone! I mentioned that I went to New York earlier this month, and let's just say it was a very interesting experience. Tons of fun, but VERY interesting! Here are a couple of things that I learned while I was in the city...

• The fact that I didn't get hit by a car was a miracle
• Sometimes you can meet really cool people when you get lost on the subway
• Being in New York helps you to forget everything. School, life back home, those twelve blog comments you should have replied to....everything.
• The subway is a scary, scary place.
• New Yorkers can be very chill with the fact that WE'RE LITERALLY AT THE SCENE OF A MURDER, GUYS. SHOULD WE NOT BE PANICKING A BIT MORE??
• The subway is even more terrifying when your train is stopped for a police investigation/search.
• Food is a lot harder to find in New York than you would expect.
• Toys 'R Us is like, the best place ever. I could spend an entire day in there.
• There is a very distinct difference between Northerners and Southerners. Namely, Southerners don't typically look as though they want to murder you just because you smiled at them.
• I could basically live at Macy's.
• Times Square is home to many interesting people. Some of which come up to you in Elmo costumes and try to hug you, and some of which need more clothing.
• I am even more directionally challenged than I realized.
• That being said, by the end of the week, I FIGURED OUT HOW THE SUBWAY WORKED. I was quite proud.
• You can end up eating bagels for lunch in the middle of a graveyard and it's actually really cool and non-creepy.
• Rats can be roughly the size of large squirrels.
• When given enough incentive, I can sprint an extremely crowded city block at night dragging my mom behind me, in heels, in roughly 3-4 minutes. Stage doors are that incentive.
• Also, meeting one of your favorite Broadway stars can render me almost speechless. And if you know me, that doesn't happen too often. 
• You can be innocently walking the streets of New York and then suddenly find yourself in a mob of Bruce Willis fans.
• If you have a piece of candy in your purse when headed to Statue of Liberty, just give up now.
• 99 Cent Pizza is actually really good and not sketchy. 
• You can find out that one of your favorite TV characters is hosting a meet and greet ten minutes from where you are and it's awesome. (FARKLEEEE)
• During daylight a place may seem perfectly nice, but go to the same area at night and you'll feel like you just signed your own death warrant. 
• Cannoli is the best thing in the entire world. 
• Similarly, Little Italy is heaven.
• THERE IS AN EIGHTEEN MILE BOOKSTORE.
• Hershey's Store is the best place ever. Period. Go there daily. THEY GIVE FREE CHOCOLATE.
• Apparently Northerners are obsessed with Chick-Fil-A and call it their personal crack. Gotta love a piece of the South. 
• Always order pastries. Just do it. 
• There are tons of really great photo-ops. Like, you could literally do a photoshoot anywhere it's glorious.
• The Disney store has the best escalator ever.
• Speaking of the Disney store, the people there are pretty awesome and will announce a trivia question when you can't figure out what song is playing. 
• Peppermint hot chocolate = Life.
• It's pretty easy to find said peppermint hot chocolate because Starbucks is LITERALLY on every street. There are three just in Macy's. It's kind of insane. 
• New York water is literally AMAZING. I was really shocked. But it tastes fabulous AND IT MAKES YOUR HAIR SO SOFT OMG. 
• They sell cats on the streets in Greenwich and Chelsea. THEY WERE SO CUTEEEE.
• New York is both a beautiful and terrifying place.
• (But I still love it ♥)

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Stay tuned to hear about more of my NYC experiences!

Thankfulness Thursday + Announcement

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Adventures

Having time to blog

Gorgeous weather

Outlining my novel

SLEEP

Long nights curled up with Dancing With The Stars

A series ending exactly how I wanted it to

Holidays

Listening to music

Catching up with friends

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Hello, everyone!! I'm sorry for being so slow replying to comments lately, and that I've gotten behind on the DWTS posts. This past week has been crazy, because....

I've been in NEW YORK CITY!!!!

It was honestly SO much fun, and I can't wait to post all about it!! I took tons of photos, and I have a bunch of posts written up in my head. It's just the matter of actually getting them typed up!! I'm determined to do it though, as well as some other posts like DWTS recaps, Thankfulness Thursday, etc. I'm super excited to share all of my adventures with you! 

I also have some book reviews to share with you all, as I got a ton of reading done on the ride up north. I finally read Mockingjay!! That was...interesting. So much death, guys...so much death...

Expect a post spam very soon!!!

Summer Photo Challenge- Week 8!!!

....Guys. It's Week 8.

NOOOO! I've been doing this for two months. THAT IS NOT OKAY. I REPEAT, THAT IS NOT OKAY.

I'm mildly freaking out here.

I need a time machine. Or a Fountain of Youth. Or something. Help.

Monday:

 THIS. SOUNDTRACK. IS. AMAZING. I am such a huge Fansie. Oh my gosh. Even if you're not a big Broadway fan, listen to this soundtrack. It is incredible and emotional and motivating and agh. Literal perfection.

Tuesday:

I need to have a Harry Potter movie night VERY SOON.

Wednesday:

gUYS. I am in shock. My friend gave me the Naked 3 palette!!!!!!!! Agh!!!!!!!! Have I mentioned how completely and totally AMAZINGGGG she is? Because she is. I'm kind of obsessed with this palette. I'm going to have to do a whole post on it. But yeah, I'm insanely happy. I LOVE YOU, S!!!!


Thursday:

Now, I'm aware that this is a horrible picture. But it was the only one I could get because the color was kind of light. Guys. I chalked my hair!!!! It was really fun. Thankfully it washed out, although the blue kind of gave my hair a bit of a greenish tint for a few days....needless to say, that was slightly unnerving. Otherwise, I love it! I may have to do a bunch of my hair pink one day...that one washed out easily!!!!!

Friday:

 I'm developing a bit of an obsession with Pottermore. This is a problem.

Saturday:

  Can we just agree that these pajamas are seriously fabulous? Forever 21 has the best sassy pj's on the planet. I absolutely adore them. And seriously- sarcasm is probably the main reason that I'm on the planet. It's possibly the only thing I'm actually good at. xD

Sunday:

My family decided to take a three-day trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to do a bunch of shopping, and this was the view from our hotel. Isn't it beautiful? This is completely unfiltered, just complete, natural gorgeousness.

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How was your week?

Charleston Part One!!

Hey everyone! So, I'm really sorry I haven't been posting. I've gotten super behind. :P I've been crazy busy lately with school and different activities, and I just haven't had time.

A few weeks ago, I spent a few days in Charleston, South Carolina, and was never able to blog about it because of the Halloween posts that I was busy getting ready for you all. SO, now I'm going to get to show you all everything that I experienced!! :) I was planning to do this as one long post, but I feel like I've gone too long without posting, so here's part one of my Charleston trip!
Let's see. I'm having to think through everything, since it's not quite so fresh in my mind anymore haha. I have to say, the first thing that I got really excited about wasn't a typical Charleston attraction.
It was a Target.
Yep, that was basically the most exciting thing to me the day we arrived. The hotel we stayed at was right next to this little shopping center, and there was a really big Target. :) I wish I'd taken a picture! It wasn't a Super Target, but it was pretty close. We went there at LEAST twice, if not three times. I love Target so much! It's a bit of a problem haha.
So, our first day in Charleston, the first thing that we did was go on a carriage ride. Oh my goodness, that was so much fun! We had a really funny carriage driver, he was a bit eccentric, but that made it even better. The tour was great, it was so cool to see the different parts of Charleston.

I adore this yellow house! It's so cute!

This building is so beautiful!

I think this is just such a pretty picture!! :)

This is a hotel, and our guide on the carriage tour told us that it was haunted!! I'd be fascinated to actually see a ghost there, although I know that it would scare me out of my wits. 

I think that this old brick building is just so beautiful! It's such a classic style.

I love this white house.

So, we saw all of these buildings, and more, on the carriage tour. By the time that we were through, it was time for lunch, and we decided to try this pizza place that the guide had recommended for us. Oh my goodness. The pizza there was so good! And the slices were huge. They were the length of my wrist to my elbow. It was absolutely insane.

This pizza was soooo good. Yum!! :)

After we ate, we decided to explore downtown Charleston. There are tons of shops there, and since I adore shopping, it was perfect! They had an H&M, so here's my haul from there.

I love this lip color that I got. I've been looking for something in this color for a while, and when I saw these for five dollars, I absolutely HAD to pick one up. I think that this necklace is super cute, I got it for my mom for like, $1.50. Isn't that crazy?? Love it! Plus I got these earrings for like, .50! Love these prices!!

So, after we went shopping, we went to Battery Park. It was so pretty! You could see the harbor, and there were all of these great low-hanging trees. Well, instead of me babbling on and on, I'll just show you pictures!! I'm actually pretty happy with how these turned out, which is a change for me, since I usually can't take very good pictures. :P These are pretty, though!

I love the waves. I really could live on the ocean for the rest of my life, and be happy. 

I thought that this was such a cool shot of the waves crashing against this wall.

My heart is in Charleston..

I just can't get enough of this view.

Wasn't the harbor pretty? I honestly could have just sat there and stared out at the water for hours and hours.

The trees in Battery Park were absolutely beautiful. The limbs all curled around each other, and it was so cool.

I loved pointing my camera to the sky and capturing the trees!

Charleston is just so pretty!!

I loved this gazebo!

All of the walkways were lined with trees :)

There was this huge tree limb, and we just had to take some shots there. I might have to include those later. Anyways, so I tried sitting on it, but I was a bit terrified of breaking some ancient tree. I can just see the headlines now- 'Tourist Girl Breaks Old Tree Limb By Sitting On It.' Yep, that would be me. Staying classy, guys......

We tried going to the beach that night, but there were these BUGS. It was awful. We would walk on to the beach, and these little gnat-like things would literally SWARM around you. We tried to take a few pictures, but we could feel them crawling all over us. It was horrible.

So, yeah. That was basically the first part of our trip! I hope you've enjoyed this, stay tuned for more posts!! :)