Giving Thanks

With another successful Thanksgiving in the books, I've been reflecting on the many things in my life I am thankful for. I know I am truly blessed, and I don't think I'm nearly as thankful as I should be. Sometimes, it's so easy to focus on the bad. But on this quiet post-Thanksgiving Sunday night, I've decided to stop for a moment and think about all the blessings in my life.

1. My Family

I know everyone says this, but my family is AMAZING! They have always supported me in every decision I've made and in every path I have taken in life. Without them, I most certainly wouldn't be where I am today. I'm soooooo thankful for them!

2. My Friends

Again, I know everyone says this, but I have the BEST friends ever. From my friends that I have known since Kindergarten, to my college friends, grad school friends, post grad friends, and everyone in between, I have been blessed to call some incredible people my friends. Again, a group of people who are always there for me. I consider my friends to be an extension of my family.

3. My Education

It's so easy to take this one for granted, but I am truly grateful for my education. My parents have invested in this from an early age, and I have tried my best to make it worth everyone's while. I have had some awesome teachers who have taught me much more than was on their lesson plan, and that has made all the difference.

4. My Health

This is something I definitely take for granted. Although I don't say it enough, I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to lead an active life. When I think about the many people who can't run or play tennis because of health issues, I realize just how fortunate I am.

5. My Career

I feel so blessed that I have a job that I love going to everyday. I truly love my job and the many people I come in contact with on a daily basis. Delta State is more than a university, it's a family, and I'm so thankful that I was welcomed in with open arms.

This is only a short list of the many things I'm thankful for in my life. I've been afforded so many opportunities, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and that you take time to give thanks for your many blessings.

xoxo,

JET

I love a good makeover

You may or may not have noticed that this blog has been a little dead lately. I have been struggling for inspiration; therefore, making it difficult for me to keep this little project up. I also struggle with the question: does anyone even read this? (Other than my Mom of course - Hi Mom!). This blog started as an outlet for my need to write and explore some of my interests and share them with others who might have the same obsessions as me. I never wanted it to become a chore, so I took a little hiatus.

With that being said, lately, I've really wanted to get back into the blogging world. However, I really HATED how my blog looked. My friend Amber, whose blog After April is awesome, put it best when she said: "It's like your virtual home that people come into." So, thanks to her encouragement I'm back with a new look! It's still a work in progress, but it's a vast improvement on the old design. Be on the lookout for more regular posts. I promise I'll try my best not to be such a slacker!

xoxo,
JET

On Trend: French manicure... with a twist!

So it's no secret that I'm obsessed with nail polish. I really love to experiment with new colors, so when I saw this new trend fill up my pinterest, I knew I'd have to eventually give it a try.

 I normally don't go for designs on my nails, and I almost never go for a french manicure, so this was a stretch even for me. But I really liked the playfullness of the colored french manicure, so I decided to go for it - despite the judgement from some of my friends. I chose coral and gold for my colors. I've been on a major gold kick lately, so that was a no-brainer. The coral came out of nowhere. I just really liked it (hot and spicy by OPI). So here's how mine turned out...














All of my friends I've shown this to have pretty much laughed at me, but I like how it turned out. Needless to say, this trend has not hit Cleveland, MS. But if/when it does, I'll be the one laughing. After all, it's just nail polish. Why not have a little fun with it?

What do you think about this trend? Is it fabulous, ghetto-fabulous, or just plain ghetto??

xoxo,
JET

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have a confession... I LOVE Valentine's Day! I know as a single girl, I should probably be sad and/or bitter on this day known by many as Single Awareness Day, but I think a day completely dedicated to Love is such a wonderful thought - especially knowing the history behind Valentine's Day (no it was not created by Hallmark!) I wasn't expecting anything on Valentine's Day this year, so I was pleasantly surprised when I received a very special card by one of my oldest and best friends, Amanda Jo Mims.

I feel so honored to be a part of her and Alex's big day! We have known each other for over 20 years! And I have recently had the chance to get to know Alex. I think they are a perfect couple, and I wish them all the happiness in the world! I'm so excited for 12.14.13!

Me and Jo cheering on the Rebs at the Compass bowl in Birmingham

And if you're wondering how I spent my Valentine's Day.... I was cheering on the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen basketball teams! It may sound like a #singlegirlprobs, but it was actually really fun. And I was surrounded by some great friends! I hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day as well!
Until next time,
xoxo
JET

A February wedding

Hello friends,

My oh my have I had a busy couple of weeks. One of my best friends from college, Martha Campbell, recently said "I do" to her long-time beau Terry. We started the celebration by heading to Nashville for her Bachelorette Party! When we got to Nashville Friday night, we got settled into our rooms, and then got ready for dinner at Sambuca. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was really cool. I'd definitely recommend checking it out next time you're in town.

Taylor and I at Sambuca

After dinner, we headed down the street to Bar Louie for a nightcap. None of us had been there, but it was close so we decided to check it out. We were able to get a table, which was perfect!

So good catching up with Frannie!

Allie and Josie at Bar Louie

We decided to call it a night, so we hailed a cab... little did we know what we were in for. When we climbed in, I notice there were lights in it. My first reaction was "Are we in the Cash Cab?!?" Then, we noticed the monitor, and realized we were in the Karaoke cab! It was fabulous! We sang a few songs on the way back to the hotel including "Starships" by Nicki Minaj. We were having so much fun, Jennings asked the driver to take a lap so we could finish the song! We made sure to get his number so we could call him throughout the weekend. From that point on, we refused to take any other cab! Here are some of the best Karaoke Cab pics....

In case you want the number....

Saturday, we woke up and walked to Tavern for brunch. It was fabulous as always, and our friend from college, Hillary, who lives in Nashville met us there. After Tavern we walked to Broadway Brewhouse. Of course I had to have a Bushwacker while I was there. It was so great to sit and catch up with friends I haven't seen in awhile. My sister, Ellen, also stopped in to hang out with us for a little bit.

Bushwacker.... Yum

Sisters!!!

Before we knew it, it was time to start getting ready for the night. Allie was sweet enough to host a Shower for Martha at her apartment. 

Next we headed to Cabana for dinner. Susan, another college friend living in Nashville, met us there. Cabana is a really cool restaurant that has private areas built into the wall. You can even plug in your own iPod. I'm pretty sure we played "I knew you were trouble" at least 15 times.

Cheers to the Bride!!

 Allison and I

 The old Market District crew... Josie, Allie, and I

EA, Martha, and I at dinner

After dinner, we headed downtown! We went to Honky Tonk Central and danced and sang along with the band. We had such a blast - the whole weekend was perfect and we were all so sad to head home on Sunday.

Before we knew it, two weeks later it was time for Martha and Terry's wedding! I got to Memphis this past Thursday just in time to change and head to Felicia Suzanne's for the Rehearsal Dinner. Before dinner, they hosted a cocktail hour; a perfect time to mix and mingle and catch up with old friends.

Felicia Suzanne's was delicious, and despite being seated at a table with an obnoxious guest haha, everything was perfect!

Saturday morning, we had the Bridesmaid Luncheon at Memphis Country Club. After the luncheon, we had a little time to kill before we needed to be at the Church for pictures, so Kate, EA, EA's husband Lee, and I headed to Local.

And EA got the biggest Mimosa I've ever seen! After, us girls decided to try out one of the local nail salons to prepare for the night.

Martha's wedding was at St. John's Episcopal Church on Central. When we got there, Martha was already dressed, and she was breathtaking! The ceremony was so sweet - Martha was so happy, she couldn't stop crying. 

Reading a letter Terry wrote her

Me with the beautiful bride

The reception was at the University Club, and I have never seen so many gorgeous flowers! It was absolutely beautiful, and the band was fabulous as well. We had a blast dancing the night away.

Mimi, Mom, and I - three generations

Mr. and Mrs. Robertson

First Dance... Notice the flower chandelier 

Friends!

And of course, no trip to Memphis would be complete without a visit to Raiford's... All in all, the wedding weekend was a complete success!! Congrats to the Bride and Groom. I hope they're having a blast in Maui while the rest of us are freezing!

Until next time,

xoxo

JET

Happy New Year!

Hola amigos! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year! It's been awhile since I've posted so I'm going to attempt to catch you up on my Holiday season. So I'll start before Christmas....

My friend Rhonda and I left Cleveland one weekend to visit our friend Jennie in Natchez. Jennie just bought the cutest house, and it's decorated so adorable. While in Natchez we went to a Christmas Party for the Natchez Garden Club. It was in a beautiful old house in downtown Natchez. After the party we went to dinner with her parents and then out. We had such a great time! This was my first visit to Natchez, and I've got to say I feel in love with the charming town. Jennie took us on a tour to see the sites of Natchez. We saw all of the beautiful Antebellum homes, St. Mary's Basilica, the old cemetary, and we went over the bridge across the MS River. We went to Fat Mama's and had the BEST tamales ever! Here are some pictures from my visit:

This restaurant... we didn't eat there, but it was worth a trip just for the picture.  I think it was called Mammy's.

This fabulous house...

Me and Jennie at Bowie's

Rhonda, Jennie and Me at the Natchez Garden Party

I had a great Christmas Break catching up with family and friends. Both my sister and I had nice long breaks, so we got to spend some quality time in Grenada hanging out with the parents and Mimi. For Christmas Eve, we went to Oxford to our Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Tammy's to celebrate Christmas with my Mom's side of the family. There is never a dull moment with the Bruno family. I think this picture accurately sums it up.

Uncle Jimmy really knows how to ruin a picture!

On Christmas Day, we went to our Uncle Brent and Aunt Angie's house to spend time with the Thomas clan. I have three adorable younger girl cousins who are at the funniest age! They were all three so excited about all their presents, and both Campbell and Catherine even texted me from their iPod touches to show me some of their gifts. The day after Christmas, I headed back to Cleveland to host Trivia at Hey Joe's. My parents, my grandmother, and my cousin Brooke decided to come with me to check it out. Even though they didn't win they still had a great time and finally got to see what all the fuss was about.

I celebrated New Year's in Cleveland this year with one of my favorite bands, Blue Mother Tupelo! Jennie and Kate both came to town, and we headed to Airport Grocery to ring in the New Year! We had a blast, even though we knew no one else there. It was all worth it though because Jennie and I got autographed posters!

So good to see Katie!

Of course we got our picture with BMT... and later they let me play the tambourine!

I went back to work for two short days before I packed up again and headed to Birmingham to cheer on the Ole Miss Rebels in the BBVA Compass Bowl. That Friday night was my sister's 23rd birthday, so we organized a little birthday celebration at Tavern on the Summit with her friends. The next day we headed to Legion Field to watch the Rebels stomp all over Pitt! My aunt, uncle, and cousin also made the trip. It was a great weekend despite a little rain and some trouble with waiting in line for the buses. That night I met up with Margaret and Julie at Tin Roof. I was so excited to see them! I miss my college friends so much!

Ellen's birthday! We surprised her by getting the waitress to sing Happy Birthday! Emily is looking on adoringly/creepily!

Our make-shift cooler for pre-game. They kept referring to it as their Alabama cooler!

Me, Ranger and Ellen

Family before the game!

Me and Jo at the Game!

This guy's fabulous jacket!!

Ellen's third and final birthday cake at Cheesecake Factory. It fell mid-picture!

Well I think that pretty much sums up the last month of my life! I hope your Holidays were as wonderful as mine!
xoxo,
JET