Fun Facts Friday: May 15th

Aloha Friends!

Let us get to the fun facts shall we??

1. I ran my first 5K of the year last night!

I ran with some coworkers in the Vermont State Corporate Cup Challenge and it went pretty well actually! I was expecting to run it around 37 minutes and came in at 35:30 final time which I was veryyyyy happy with given that I just recently started pounding the pavement again. The weather was perfect, a little chilly at the start but once we got going I was happy to have a cool breeze. There were about 4000 runners/walkers that participated which meant for quite a bit of congestion throughout downtown Montpelier. My goals were to just keep good form, use my yoga breathing and not stop to walk, thankfully I hit all of them!

2. I met my first blogger friend in real life!

The lovely Rachel of the blog Darlin’ Rae aka the other badass Vermont blogger and I knew we would be running in the Corporate Cup but weren’t sure we’d be able to meet up before it given the craziness of the event. As luck would have it I had just taken a spot in line at the start and noticed a bright and shiny new pair of birthday sneakers that I recognized from her blog (cause I’m a creeper and remember that kind of stuff). We got to chat a bit and give our well wishes for the race, she is such a sweetheart! If you haven’t checked out her blog before I don’t know what you are waiting for!

3. I tried an awesome new beer that I must find more of!

After the race we headed to The Reservoir in Waterbury for a little post run food & drink. I decided to try the Foley Brother’s Brewing “Fair Maiden” double IPA and was not disappointed. It was perfectly hoppy but smooth and probably way too easy drinking for it’s own good. If you have a chance to try it out I highly recommend it.

4. My dress for baby sister’s graduation came!

The Loft was having a sale online a few weeks back and I snagged this awesome dress marked down from $89 to $33! I’m really digging this color for summer and it surprisingly goes with my current pale complexion though I hope a few rounds of self tanner will give it a little more pop next week 😉

5. Grey’s Anatomy Though?!?

All the feels for this stupid television show that I’ve never missed an episode of 11 years running.

Judge me as you feel necessary!

Have you ever met a blogger friend in person?

Are you part of the terrible television show watching club?

Fun Facts Friday

It’s finally Friday! I don’t even care that I have to work all weekend, I’m just so stinkin’ happy it’s the weekend! Now let me drop some Fun Facts Friday style knowledge on ya…

1. When your boss has a pig roast that includes a free shuttle service, commemorative t-shirts AND a keg wall, you must attend. Gotta keep the boss happy right??

Newtonanny Keg Wall!

He really loves when I take selfies with him.

Solo cups and corn hole, am I back at Tennessee??

Seriously though, this pig roast was so fun! They even had a DJ. Thanks Blaine and Becca! My employee satisfaction went up tenfold 😉

2. Wine + Painting = Masterpieces

Waiting for the magic to happen…

I went a little Aztec on this painting.

Last night I joined my co-worker Ashley for “Art Under the Influence” hosted by SEABA.  These painting classes are hosted at various locations across Burlington and taught by local artists. With your ticket you receive all the supplies as well as one free drink (sold- totally sold).  This particular one was held at Vin Bar & Shop and it was a great time! The artist had us draw lines in chalk prior to the painting process, and then after we set up a basic outline we were off to make our own interpretations.  As you can see from the photo I went a little differently on mine than others but they all turned out great! I’ll definitely attend another class 🙂

3. No big deal but I’m dating THE high score holder of Cabal at Tilt.

Actually the top two high scores are his #readyforfame

I’m digging the layout Tilt!

Also last night post wine/painting I stopped by to see some other co-workers at Tilt Ale & Arcade House.  If you read my bucket list post from a few weeks ago this was definitely on it!  The nerd in me loved getting to play pinball and golden tee- I almost beat Zach at gold tee but I had an unfortunate run in with some water hazards that kept me down and out.  LAME!!! Tilt was fun though, lots of great beers on tap and a really cool two-floor layout.

4. I only have 3 episodes left of Orange is the New Black.

I started season 2 on Wednesday… my binge watching abilities are unbelievable. I’m not proud of this.

5. I NEED this dress.

J. Crew Factory Sundress

I found this dress on the J. Crew factory website and it has to be mine, the possibilities for styling it seem endless. In other dress related news, I’ve been desperately searching for a dress to wear to a wedding I’ll be attending at the end of August (and then another two in September) but so far I’m just not finding what I’m looking for.  I need something that says “Hello, I’m classy but also I’m super fun and sometimes fashionable.” WHERE DO I FIND THAT DRESS???

Have you ever taken one of those drink wine while you paint classes?

Are you an OITNB watcher?

Tell me a fun fact on this lovely Friday 🙂

Fun Facts Friday

Alright! Alright! Alright!

(I like to imagine Matthew McConaughey loves Fridays just like I do)

Fun Facts Friday will be my version of Friday Favorites or Five Things Friday… these facts will all be incredibly true and worth reading/taking in to consideration… obviously.

1. Ice Cream Socials were fun as a kid but might be even more fun as an adult.

This is my “ice cream in the hair don’t care” face.

Vermont = Farm Country

A moose wine holder??? How unnecessarily necessary!

I spent a lovely afternoon catching up with a dear friend over a couple of MASSIVE cones of ice cream and a long walk through the islands.  For those of you who haven’t been you must and I mean must make a trip to Seb’s Snack Bar in South Hero at least once in your life.  I have never been to a place where I chose hard ice cream over soft but at Seb’s the cookie dough hard ice cream is basically heaven. Plus it’s attached to one of the cutest little country stores… I mean hello who doesn’t need a hand crafted moose wine holder?

2. A Trader Joe’s Cookbook (skinny style) is a brilliant idea.

Seriously, it has photos for each recipe… I’m sold.

Mexican food and potatoes?!? Yupp.

I picked this incredibly random cookbook up at a Christmas Tree Shop a week ago and can’t wait to try out some of the recipes.  Now that Vermont finally has a Trader Joe’s (I know what you are thinking and it really is tragic… we don’t even have a Target… life is tough) I am super pumped to know exactly where to get everything. The only thing missing from the cookbook was multiple recipes on how to use cookie butter… probably because “Skinny” was in the title.

3. A Sunday spent on the golf course is the perfect way to spend a Sunday.

Brother crushing it on the links.

On Sunday my big brother and I went golfing at Ralph Myhre Golf Course at Middlebury College.  It was the first time I had been there and from the drive there to the course itself it did not dissapoint! My score was nothing remarkable but it felt great to get out and spend a gorgeous Vermont afternoon swinging some clubs.  I even learned how to hit my hybrid… only took me 5 years 😉

4. When you find a great concealer it’s sort of like winning the clear skin lottery.

L’Oreal True Match Crayon Concealer

I literally cannot remember which blogger suggested this but I picked it up yesterday and could not be more happy with it. It feels great and it covers so well! If you are looking for an inexpensive but trustworthy concealer you must try it out! (Plus Rite Aid has a ballin’ return policy)

5. Weeknights at the Ball Park are basically the best.

Vermont Lake Monsters vs Tri City Valleycats

These people are pretty cool.

Thursday Evening Ballpark Style

I had the pleasure of spending last evening at Centennial field which is such a cool little ballpark with an awesome history! A few friends of mine decided to go in on some season tickets this summer to the Vermont Lake Monsters (a minor league affiliate of the Oakland A’s) and now have a great excuse to spend home games together at the field.

ACTUAL FACT ALERT: Legend has it our very own Lake Champlain has it’s own lake monster affectionately referred to as “Champ”

Keep it real folks 🙂

Benders and Bargains

Oh hey there!

I don’t know about you guys but sometimes I go through some serious phases.  From various shows that I’m watching to books that I’m reading and quite frequently when I decide I must be crafty and redecorate the entire apartment before ANY guests can come over. Currently I’m rocking a shopping “phase” that I prefer to call a full blown bender.  While I don’t consider myself a stylish person I do believe that in being an obsessive style blog reader I am taking baby steps towards gaining random stranger compliments.

My goal with this blog is to try a little bit of everything because why not?

So today I am going to share with you a few things that I’ve purchased these last couple of weeks during my retail therapy bender. I’m actually pretty excited about a lot of these things as almost every single item was a massive sale 😀

        LIT Boutique (Newbury location) $49.00 (I couldn’t find it online at LIT but I did see it here)

I bought this dress while shopping in Boston over Memorial Day Weekend and the second I put it on I had to get it.  The color (which shows way better in the second photo) was gorgeous and I am a serious sucker for fun backs on dresses.  It also wasn’t too short which is a problem I find often. I definitely need to make a trip back there before I head into wedding season in August!

TJ Maxx $29.99 (Couldn’t find it online but this one is also adorable)

I mean seriously how fun is this bag? I’m loving aztec prints lately and this is just the right size for my computer! Plus who doesn’t love calling themselves a “Maxxinista” (Ha!)

bareMinerals Faux Tan Face and Body $20 for sample set

Marc Jacobs “Daisy” $22

I decided after seeing Julia talk about this line of self tanners from bareMinerals on GalMeetsGlam that I would try it out but I was hesitant on my fairly Irish skin tone so seeing the sample size was the best way for me to go! This stuff has been great! It doesn’t feel streaky and it is noticeable without being over the top.  I will say that my hands look quite brown after but a few (10) washes tends to do the trick.

And this rollerball from Marc Jacobs I just love, it smells awesome and my friends always ask to borrow it.

JC Penney Arizona Sandals $19.99

JustFab Emilee Sandals $39.95

JustFab Audri Sandals (Not found online anymore) but these are similar!

The JC Penney sandals I got for free because I returned something at sephora and had a coupon… win. I also signed up to be a VIP on JustFab and ended up getting those two pairs of sandals for $29.95 with free shipping! How that worked out I really don’t know. The Emilee sandal has been my go to, it runs a little big but doesn’t feel like it when I’m wearing them.  The Audri straps are so fun and classic, they produced a nice little blister on my heel though 😉

Maurice’s from the sale rack for $10 (I’ve got my eye on this one though)

Also Maurice’s (not online) for FREE… with a whole bunch of giftcards/coupons

I only ever go into Maurice’s with my little sister who swears by their jeans.  Each time I go in though I come out with a dress that I’m not looking for but secretly am really happy about.  The black and white one fits really nicely but I haven’t had a chance to bust it out yet.  The Grecian dress just may be my favorite find in this shopping haul, I’m trying to decide if I want to bust it out at the Burlington Wine and Food Festival this weekend but I have a massive fear of spilling red wine on myself which would be a real bummer.

Do you all ever feel like you are in “bender” mode?

What have been some of your favorite purchases lately?

Also, premature question… how does one get red wine out of say the dress above? 😉