I've Missed Y'all!

Can you believe it?!  The Belle is back!!

I know, I know...  I'm so sorry for the crazy-long, unannounced hiatus -- But believe me, this past year has been insane!!  Let's see...  Where to begin...

Well, internship was successfully completed and I got a job here in the same area!  I feel SUPER lucky to have scored the job that I wanted!  I am LOVING teaching (although, you would be completely disappointed blown away by what kids are willing to tell their teachers today).  I have mostly sophomores in my world history class, and there is never a dull moment!

I've also gotten back into running, and since January, I have run three 5K's, and I'm running my next race on Saturday, which is an 8K.  I've always liked running (and especially what it does for my booty!  HA!), but only since about October can I honestly say that I LOVE it!  It's my "me-time" to clear my head after a stressful day -- and not to mention it's helped me lose 25 lbs. SO FAR!  *Woot Woot*  GO ME!  Here are some pics from some of the races I've done this year...

Treating myself to some TJ Maxx after my first 5K of the year -- HA!

 Jan. 2012 -- Charlie Post 5K in Sullivan's Island, SC

 Feb. 2012 -- Oyster Race & Roast Trail Run in Mt. Pleasant, SC

Mar. 2012 -- Gasparilla Distance 5K Race Weekend in Tampa, FL.

Let's see...  I've also been doing a bit more traveling and just enjoying life.  Being single def. has it's perks!  :)

Annual Oyster Roast @ Boone Hall Plantation, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Random Weekend Getaway to Beaufort, SC

And best of all, I've got several other trips coming up!!  I'm headed back home to God's Country -- a.k.a. KENTUCKY-- for opening weekend of Keeneland's Spring Meet and to spend Easter weekend with my family.  It worked out PURRR-FECTLY to where I am on Spring Break that week...  Now to decide what to wear!!  I'm planning a post next week on outfit options, so you lovely ladies are gonna have to help me decide!!

Then, I get to head back to the beach, and celebrate my birthday (we don't have to say what number birthday -- let's just look at it as a reason to celebrate!) with my college buddies!!  How funny is this invite we worked up?!  His birthday is the day after mine, so we always had birthday co-parties in college.

Annnnnnd, speaking of KENTUCKY, I am SOOOOOO excited for tonight's big game!!  Time for some redemption for our one-loss, by one-point, with one-second remaining!!  Wish I could be in Atlanta to watch the game in person, but alas...  I will be cheering on the C-A-T-S from my living room -- perhaps a bit too loud at times, but OH WELL neighbors -- deal with it! ;)  Seriously, check out my St. Paddy's Day attire:

WOOO-HOOO!!  GO BIG BLUE!!

Christmas is Almost Here!

3 more days!!

Actually, AB and I will be heading up to VA Thursday morning to visit with him mom and grandparents... Then, leaving from VA to head to good ol' Kentucky as the crack-o-dawn on Christmas day, so that we can visit my family. And get this -- its supposed to snow! Yay for a white Christmas, but not so good to have to travel in. Hopefully, it won't be too bad for my little black car!

I've been finished with my shopping for quite some time now... I've never really been one of those people who wait til the last minute -- I'm far too OCD to do that! My dad on the other hand -- well, he ALWAYS waits til literally the day before Christmas to buy my mom's gifts. And then, he'll come home, come upstairs, and ask me to wrap whatever he got for her. Oh, to be a man!! :)

Yesterday was this lovely lady's birthday!!

I hope that you all stopped by Polka Dots, Pearls, and Pink... OH MY! to wish her a happy 21st... (Hehehe, see what I did there Jess?!) ;)

Today is also my LAST DAY EVER at my office!!

I won't be able to work a 9-5 while doing my internship (which starts in January), so today is my last day so that I can really enjoy my Christmas/New Year's vacays. I can't even tell you how long its been since I've been able to take more that 3 days for a Christmas break!! And believe me, I am thankful that I've been able to do that... I know plenty of people don't get to take off at all...

Anyway, I have been unhappy at this job for a while, so I am extremely excited!!! There will be plenty of people that I will miss, sure, but there will plenty of things that I won't miss a bit!!!

And since I probably won't get the chance to blog again before Christmas, I hope that you all have a wonderful, fabulous, enjoyable, amazing

Merry Christmas!!

Until Next Time,

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Hello my lovely blog-ettes! I cannot believe that I have been on hiatus for a WHOLE month (thanks for baring with my crazy blogging schedule ladies)!! But, some big things have been happening during my month away from KBB...

1) I completed my 2-week teaching practicum in one of the local high schools. It was great for the learning experience -- I really got to dive right in and take over the classroom, as I was blessed to have a wonderful cooperating teacher. But, I also had a TON of meetings/conferences/assemblies during my 2 weeks there. Honestly, I felt like I attended more meetings during my practium than were ever even held in my high school!! It really was a wake-up call as to how much high school has changed, even in the just the *cough* 8-and-a-half years *cough* since I graduated!! Did I really just say that?!

2) Thanksgiving came and went, and it was delicious! AB and I stayed here because we were unable to go home -- me with finals and AB with work. So we decided to have a dinner with some of our friends here too! AB fixed the turkey and the gravy, and some strata, while I fixed the deviled eggs -- YUMMY!

3) FINALS, UGH! I had so many papers to write, I as I have said before, I am the world's worst when it comes to procrastination. So needless to say, I had a LOT to do in a short amount of time! But, I got it all done, was invited to a presentation for the chair of the department, and pulled off another 4.0 semester of grad school! GO ME!

ANNNNND...

4) AB had an intervivew for an amazing job... The company even flew him out for the day to talk to him and see what all he could do! And a few days after Thanksgiving, the company called him back to let him know he indeed got the job, and he'll start on January 3rd!! Only one small, teensy-weensy problem... The company and the job are in Dallas, TX!! So, we will be going to VA to see AB's mom and grandparents on the 22nd-24th, driving to good ol' KY on Christmas Day to be with my family until the 28th, drive back to SC on the 29th, and the we are renting a car to drive to Memphis, TN on the 30th, continuing onto Dallas on the 31st, and me flying back to SC on the 4th on January.

I am sad that AB and I will have to do the long-distance relationship thing for 4 months (until I graduate with my masters), but I am so excited for him and what an opportunity this is! I think that spending NYE together in Dallas will be a great way to start off living apart, creating lots of good memories in a new city together.

So, as you can see, I've been plenty busy!! Now, to my Dallas blog-ettes, I ask, "What are some things that we must do while we're there?" And to all you other lovelies, I ask for tips on doing the long-distance thing for a few months... Have you and your SO ever had to be long-distance? If so, what were some tips/tricks that made it more bearable?

There's a First Time for Everything!

So after about a month of lurking in the shadows, reading several other blogs anonymously, I've been inspired to start one of my own! I love the fact that you can feel like you know someone, just by reading their words, looking at their pictures, admiring their super-cute shoes -- and then stumbling across something that makes you think about your own life... I love it!

I envision KBB (Kentucky Blue Belle) as my sounding board: what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling, even what I'm planning on wearing! Prepare yourselves now for lots of pictures of shoes and handbags!! We all have a weakness!

I'm also looking forward to experimenting more with Graphic Design. I did alot of desktop publishing in high school, and I really enjoyed it! However, since my college years, I haven't done too much. My first go back at it is the KBB header! I think it turned out great, if I do say so myself!

But now, I must put the laptop down, and pick the laundry up (UGH, I hate laundry -- my most despised element of housework). Let me leave you with a picture of my furry child, the only child that Amazing Boyfriend and I would like to have for a while! :) Heeeeeeere's Maddie Poochina!

She's a Great Dane, almost 1.5 years old now (only about 9 months or so in this pic), and spoiled rotten! I adopted her when she was 9 weeks old, as she and her litter-mates has been rescued from a horrible breeder, where they were being neglected and abused, left sick and hungry. Now, Maddie is happy and healthy! She's my mini-horse who thinks she's a lap-dog!! If you've never met a Dane, they truly are gentle giants. I'd love to hear about your pets! When/where did you get them/them find you?


Until next time,