Five on Friday [Catching Up on Life Edition]

Happy Friday sweet friends! Oh does it feel so good to be back in the blogging world! I know I've taken a little break for the past week and a half but with my job winding down and the teacher job search in full swing, I just had to take a few days to get my life together. However, I'm back and I am excited to have a full summer ahead to spend with each of you getting to grow this blog and turning it into the blog of my dreams. Without further ado, I'm linking up with my favorite ladies (Darci, Christina, April, Natasha) for another Five on Friday post. Enjoy :) ONE // "HAS BEEN" TRAVELING LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT

If you've been following this blog for some time, you know that since graduating last May I have been traveling the country as a Leadership Consultant for my wonderful sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. Well Tuesday my ten months of traveling ended and it still hasn't sunk it with me that I'm home for good and not just home on another short break. The people I have met this year, the things I have gotten to experience, and the places I have been able to see can never be summed up in words for anyone. I try so hard to describe this "job" to people and I always fail because to me it's become much more than a job; it's become my passion, my life, and an unforgettable journey. While I am still in the unpacking and adjusting back to normal life phase, I cannot wait to share some exciting parts of this journey with you all next week in a future post!

TWO // EASTER SUNDAY

I am so thankful that I got to be home a few weeks ago for Easter Sunday with my family and Joshua! Mama's flowers in the back yard where in perfect bloom to capture this picture on our 5th Easter together!
THREE // WEDDING PLANNING Thank you all so much for the sweetest words over the past few weeks! It still blows my mind to be receiving comments on our blog post weeks after I put it up but they always make my day. For those of you that have been asking "where is the video?" well all I can say is our sweet friend is still working on it. However, I promise as soon as we have it back it will be up! Wedding planning is picking up a little steam and I am so excited to spend the next week and a half going to tour ten venues with Joshua...yes you read that right, TEN! We are going all the way from Winston-Salem to Wilmington and in-between! Stay tuned to my Wedding Wednesday post next week to see the list of where we are looking! 
FOUR // BEACH REUNION 

::Fort Walton Beach, FL::

15 days until me and 13 of my sweet TLC sisters are laying out by the beach for a whole entire week with no set plans except to get tan and laugh at all the memories we had this past year. To say I am extremely excited to see these girls is an understatement! While I have had the joy of running into a few of them on the road, many of them I have not seen since we left training in August and I cannot wait to just have girl time with them all!
FIVE // WEEKEND PLANS  This weekend will consist of studying for a teaching interview on Monday morning and running down to the eastern part of the state to see Joshua's little brother take pictures before his senior prom! What type of plans do y'all have for the weekend? Follow along with me on Instagram so we can keep up with one another!

5 Reasons I Love April + Giveaway!

Before now, I have never had a "favorite" month. I have always loved spring and increase that love by ten and that is how I feel about fall. For some reason though this year it has just hit me that for now, April is my favorite month! For today's "Five on Friday" I thought I would tell you my top 5 reasons why April is my current favorite...

ONE//
The beautiful weather has finally arrived! I'm in Pennsylvania for another 48 hours and it isn't quit warm enough yet to pull out the shorts but I am just loving soaking up the spring air. 

TWO//
Today marks one week till I get to go home for 3 days to spend Easter with my family! I would be lying if I didn't say I'm excited as a little kid in a candy store. Delta won't be able to get me home fast enough next week to see my family and handsome fiancé!

THREE//
I feel like this month just holds so much promise. I am officially done with being a Traveling Leadership Consultant on April 29th and while I am sad that the journey has come to an end, I am gushing to know what is coming next in my life. You best bet the applications and cover letters have been in full swing the past two weeks! (Shoutout to JKG for proofreading every single one!) 

FOUR//
April showers truly bring May flowers and I just keep soaking up that phrase, which leads me to.....

FIVE//

The biggest reason that I'm loving April is because I've paired up with 7 other amazing bloggers to give away a free pair of Hunter Rainboots! Yes, you read that correctly, we are giving away the one and only Hunter Rainboots. Y'all, in case you have never heard of these, they are the greatest thing since slice bread and a fashion accessory that every woman should have! Not only will one person be winning one standard pair (Valued at $140) but you get to pick your color from all the choices below. So what are you waiting for? See the rafflecopter below to start racking up entries! 

Lisa Loves John // Perfectly Scrubbed // Tattered to Taylored // Southern Abundance
Jessi's Design // Mary from the Mitten // B Loved Boston // Perpetually Daydreaming

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linking up with my Favorite Five on Friday Blogger today! Thanks April :)

Five on Friday: April Edition

Well we have made it to the end of another week sweet friends and I hope y'all have some pretty awesome plans lined up for the weekend! I'm linking up again today with some of my favorite bloggers for their "Five on Friday" post. Hop on over and find some new bloggy friends!

ONE //

Is anyone interested in participating in a giveaway along with myself and Lisa over at Lisa Loves John? We are looking for 2-3 more bloggers to jump in on this giveaway with us that we are hoping will start next Friday the 11th! Comment below or message me at mysouthernabundance(at)gmail.com if you are interested and we will give you the details. All I can say is Lisa seriously came up with the cutest giveaway idea but I will only reveal it to you via e-mail so just let me know if you are interested ASAP!

TWO //

I've spent the last week in the beautiful little town of Clarion, Pennsylvania! Seriously y'all, like I am in love with this town and would be perfectly fine with never leaving! Everyone that I have met here from students at Clarion University, to the cooks at restaurants, to the lady who painted my nails have literally been the kindest people I have met on the road. Where I have stayed all week was in walking distance of downtown and I loved every minute I spent just exploring the town and interacting with the locals. If any of you ever randomly decide to visit sweet Clarion, you must eat at: County Seat and Daddy's. Oh and get your nails done at Pristine Nails! 

Source

THREE //

Josh and I are wanting to go on an extended weekend (Thursday-Sunday) vacay this summer but need your help! Since I always pick the location I told Josh to pick out his top 5 places and figured you all could help with the rest! Between the five below, where would you want to go?

Savannah, GA

Outer banks of North Carolina

Charleston, SC

Washington, D.C.

Williamsburg, VA

FOUR //

In case you missed it, Wednesday I posted part one of Josh and I's proposal day story! Click here to hop on over and read about it. Part 2 will be posted this coming Wednesday! 

FIVE //

It is bittersweet but I have started my last month on the road as a Traveling Leadership Consultant. I've found myself the past few days holding back tears when I think about the end being near but I have no doubt God has some pretty big things planned ahead. I am excited to find a teaching job this summer and absolutely cannot wait to start planning out my future classroom but I would also be lying if I did not say this past year has been the best year of my life yet and I am going to miss every second of it. I'm not the same person today as I was when my family dropped me off at the airport on July 20th and I will forever be molded by this job in so many ways. So here is to the last three college visits I have: Westchester, Birmingham Southern, and Elon...I'm coming for you!

Five on Friday

Happy Friday loves! We have finally reached the weekend and I am oh so excited to enjoy some free time in Pennsylvania over the next few days. As always, I'm linking up with some of my favorite bloggers for Five on Friday. Let's get started!
ONE // May Book I have always loved looking at different May Book designs on May Design but I had never ordered one. However, a few weeks ago I decided to start a new calendar for scheduling blog post instead of writing them on scrap paper. So I hopped on over and created me a new blog planner which I am absolutely loving! Isn't the design super cute? They are also having a sale through this Sunday (March 23rd) where you can get your monogram on it free which is a $5 saving! I may or may not have ordered my future MOH one to give to her with all her other MOH goodies! Shh..... ;-)

 
TWO // Westminster College This past Sunday I arrived to the small town of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania and the beautiful campus of Westminster College. I am here for a nice three week visit and it's been very relaxing getting to unpack my suitcase and settle in with the girls I'm rooming in for the next few weeks. I'm hoping we will be able to get in a day trip to Pittsburgh this weekend :-)

THREE // DIY Bride-to-be Basket In case you missed it, this week I did my first "Wedding Wednesday" post and it was about my Bride-to-be basket my sweet friend Emily made for me! Hop on over and check it out. I will for sure be making one of these for any of my friends who get engaged soon!

FOUR // Spring Wish List I cannot believe that yesterday was the first day of Spring...it was 33 degrees and snowing here in Pennsylvania! Even though it is still a bit chilly, I have high hopes that Mr. Spring will actually arrive soon so I created my wish list for this wonderful season. Click on over to yesterday's post for full details and links to where you can purchase these wonderful items!

FIVE // Social Media As always, don't forget to follow me on social media as I have loved connecting with those of you that I've gotten to know over the past few months! 

Five Five+Fashion Poll

Praise! We have reached another Friday sweet friends and the weekend is upon us. Anyone have any exciting plans? Sunday morning I'll be up bright and early to go to the 26.2 with Donna marathon here in Jacksonville, Florida. Now don't go thinking I will be running...nope, nada. I'll be the girl cheering on all those runners at the finish line with my pretty glittery sign! :-) I'm excited to be linking up with Darci again today for Five on Friday.
One// Care Packages My heart is so thankful to have a wonderful man in my life who still after 4 years of dating knows how to surprise me! Since the beginning of the year, Josh has been sending me a letter each week to read in the mail but yesterday when I got my "letter" it was an entire package. I opened it up to find my favorite sour candies, a homemade card, three letters, and a new Wake Forest sweatshirt. I am truly lucky beyond words!

Two// Social Media Change You might have seen here, but in a few days I'll be deleting my blog social media sites and strictly using my personal ones! I'm ready to be real with y'all and feel you should know the real me. So why try to hide behind a second Instagram/Twitter account when it is just much easier to have you follow the real me :-)

Three// Winter Whites Okay y'all, I need your 110% honest opinion. How do you feel about wearing white in the winter time? Take this little poll below to let me know your thoughts and look out for a little post with the outcome next week!

Do you think it's okay to wear white before Easter?
	Yes, 110%
	No, no, no
	Depends on the location/event
pollcode.com free polls

Four// Bachelor
So I did myself in and looked up the ending of the Bachelor...all I can say is I'm shocked. If things end up the way Reality Steve has predicted they will, this season could end VERY interestingly. 

Five// Spring

Spring weather has arrived here in Florida and I've been soaking up every little bit of sunshine that I can! This girl needs to do some major shopping for short sleeve shirts so that I don't look like a crazy person wearing all the sweaters that are packed in my luggage! Happy weekend loves!

Five on Friday: Valentine's Edition

Happy Friday and Happy Valentine's Day! I'm excited to be celebrating one of the first major holidays of 2014 and even though I'm not at home, I'm sending lots of extra love back to my favorite people in North Carolina today. Today's a little bittersweet for me as this is the 5th Valentine's Josh and I have celebrated together but also the first that we don't get to be together. 502 miles separate us today but I can promise you that won't stop us from have a wonderfully long Skype date tonight! (Oh modern technology, I am so thankful for you!) So today I'm linking up with my favorite ladies for Five on Friday and I'm doing this post a little differently than normal. Today is all about looking back on the past five Valentine's I've spent with Joshua. Enjoy :-)
one// 2010

Our first Valentine's Day came a little over 3 months into us dating. We spent the weekend in Chapel Hill and got to experience our first snow fall together. We ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant and then had a snowball fight outside his Carolina dorm room. 
two// 2011

Valentine's Day number two was spent having Josh as my date to my sororities date function. The theme was "Famous Couples" so we went as the red and green M&M. Pretty clever right?
three// 2012

By 2012, Josh was interning as a youth pastor so we spent our Valentine's weekend skiing with 30 youth group members in West Virginia. Luckily no broken bones happened! 
four// 2013

Valentine's our senior year of college was celebrated with hearing the acceptance of Josh getting into grad school at Wake Forest! 
five// 2014 And since we aren't together today for me to snap a picture, I made Josh a little surprise montage of many of our pictures together. This is what I sent him earlier today, so if you have 4.5 minutes to spare you can take a little laugh at how much our looks have changed in the past five years!

Valentine's Day 2014 from Alyssa on Vimeo.

Happy Valentine's day to all of you, my sweet sweet friends! 

Five on Friday

Happy Friday! We made it through the week and in just a few short hours it will be the weekend, wahoo! I'm linking up again with some of my favorite women for my usual Five on Friday post. Thank you April, Darci, Christina, and Natasha for hosting this every week! one// Sarah Jessica Parker cards at Hallmark I think it might be the southern soul in me but I sure do love me a good handwritten note. Pair that note with some beautiful stationary and my heart just smiles! I travel with lots of stationary on me as every college I visit, I normally leave behind 3-5 thank you notes (so you can imagine I'm going through cards like wild fire). Last night I popped on over in to Hallmark mainly to find Josh a Valentine's card and the worker persuaded me to buy Sarah Jessica Parker's new stationary box set. I'm not too crazy about the price of $12.95 for only 10 cards but I do love the high quality that they are. 

Hallmark
two// 2014 Winter Olympics The Winter Olympics start tonight, need I say more? I'll admit that I get more into the summer games than I do winter, but nothing will ever beat the opening ceremony of either. I think the main reason I love the opening ceremony so much, is for one night the entire world seems to be unified. 

via

three// Birthday

Y'all, this past week my little sister turned 19! Where has the time gone? It did not hit me until her actual birthday how quickly life goes by. She will be 20 in less than a year now and my mind still cannot comprehend that. To me, I feel like we should still be those little girls with cow licks in the top right of this picture. This was the first birthday that I've been away from her for and it was a lot harder than I originally imagined but I sent her lots of love and goodies throughout the day!

four// Godly Friendships

Four years ago this summer, God sent the most amazing lady into my life that has now become one of my very best friend. Emily Sue and I worked at mission camp together for 8 weeks in 2010 and were not that close to begin with but after that summer a beautiful friendship began to develop. My friendship with Em is one of my most prized relationships on this earth and I was more than honored to stand beside her this past August as she married the love of her life in what was truly the most unique wedding ceremony I've ever seen. Over the past few weeks all of her wedding pictures have finally been seen and it's without a doubt that I am so thankful her photographer captured the shot below. I knew there was nothing more I wanted to do than pray for Em and Derek right before their marriage started and it was such a highlight of the day for me. Thank you God for such a beautiful friendship that is truly centered on you!

 Tara Mauldin Photography 

 Tara Mauldin Photography 

five// $75 Sephora Gift Card Giveaway

Lastly, don't forget you have until 11:59PM on Sunday night to enter for your chance to win a $75 gift card to Sephora! I know you don't want to miss out :-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Five on Friday

Happy Friday sweet friends...we made it! I've been looking forward to Five on Friday all week as I missed it last week due to my short notice visit to Nashville.  So without further to do, I'm teaming up with April for this week's post. Let's get started: [ONE] I am finally caught up on all the Bachelor episodes from this season. I may have stayed up way past my needed bedtime last night to finish watching them on Hulu Plus and thank goodness I am back on track! Luckily this week I don't travel till Tuesday so I'll be able to see the episode on Monday night AND the thing I've been looking forward to for days months.... Sean and Catherine's wedding! I cannot wait to see what her wedding dress looks like. 

[TWO] So one thing I'm looking forward to when I get off the road is purchasing a "big girl camera" aka a DSLR camera. But, I need some help! Those of you that have a DSLR, what brand/style do you use? Are you happy with it? Any other recommendations you might have would be great! 

[THREE] Last night I submitted my North Carolina teaching application and I can finally mark that off my list as one step closer to being a teacher! While I love the job I have now and would not trade the experience for anything, my little heart has been waiting to have a classroom of its' own and I cannot wait till I get off the road to find my teaching position!

[FOUR] Tuesday I head back up to New Jersey and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will see some snow. You would think with all the traveling that I've done that I would have seen some but nope, sure haven't! I already told the girls to get a big bowl of clean snow from this last storm and save it for me in the freezer. I think I'm going to teach them how to make snow cream!

[FIVE] One thing I just can't stand about winter is how chapped my lips always become. Like y'all,they get to the point sometimes where they are so dry they crack. Any one else out there suffer from this? Well my sweet friend A. Bax introduced me to Aquaphor last weekend and I'm obsessed now. You can find it in the lotion aisle at any drug store and it has worked wonders on my lips! You can also use it as lotion but I tried it once on my hands and it was way too greasy. My lips though, they are as soft as a baby's bottom!