I get by with a little help from my friends…

First of all, let me say thank you for all the kind words on my past few posts!! You don’t know how much easier it is to get out of a “rut” when you have lots of sweet friends like you!!

The fabulous Brittany Ann, over at Living in the Moment, who constantly leaves words of encouragement on my blog (She’s amazing…go read her blog NOW!), made my day when she included me in her list of “Preppy Friends” for the Preppy Mafia award :)  Brittany Ann, you are too kind! :)

Anyway, on to the questions :)

1. Who is your style icon?

I have lots so since I have to choose one, I’m going to say this girl.

Yep, Barbie!  I know, crazy answer, but let me explain. Maybe I don’t get model my fashions after her, but we do have the same mindset when it comes to fashion:  dress for the moment.  So like Barbie, I have outfits for every occasion and rarely if ever wear the same thing more than once so you can see my connection with Barbie ;)  I even had a boyfriend tell me once that he was impressed with my ability to adapt to my setting because whatever we did (whether it be paintball, hiking, boating, going to the movies, or fancy parties), I had an outfit for it.  Needless to say, I don’t have one certain style by any means…I just dress for the moment ;)

2. What is your favorite socialite book?
If socialite books are like “Chick – lit” then I would have to say the Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella.  I’m also a Lauren Weisberger (Devil Wears Prada) and Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City) fan.  What can I say, I like to read so it is hard for me to choose!!

3. What is your favorite party theme?
That is a tough one because I LOVE parties!!  I guess my favorite is the old Hollywood glam cocktail party (it could be because my dream wedding would have this theme ;))  With everyone looking like this….

 source

And decorations like this:

source

I did throw a Christmas party once that is as close as I’ve gotten to that theme, but I would be perfectly happy if every party I went to had this theme ;)

4. What is your go-to Halloween costume?
Dorothy…all the way (Evidence can be found here.)  I’ve also been known to repurpose dance costumes as you can see below

5. What is the extravagance you just can't live without?
Shoes….definitely.  As Miss Carrie Bradshaw says, “I have a substance abuse problem:  expensive shoes”  I’ve got a post coming up on my “Spring Cleaning” and you’ll see how bad it is.

6. Who is the living person you admire?
My parents…they always did their best to make sure my brother and I have had the best life possible in every aspect.  They are amazing!

7. What is my greatest fear?
Not accomplishing the goals I’ve set for myself.  I set a lot of goals, some of them attainable, some of them not, but particularly the overall goals like finishing my PhD, finding a job that I enjoy, getting married, settling down and starting a family are important to me.  I am absolutely terrified that I won’t accomplish all of them.

8. What's the trait you dislike about yourself?
I don’t know that I necessarily hate this about myself because it is not all bad and I’d rather have this problem than the opposite, but I tend to be way too nice.  I have problems saying no to people (when it comes to helping others…not necessarily on morality type things ;)) Because I am so much of a people-pleaser, some people take advantage of that and I end up getting hurt in the end.  Like I said, it is a blessing and a curse, but I’d rather be too nice than the opposite :)

9. Which talent would you most like to have?
I would definitely love to be more artistic and crafty.  I have a ridiculously crafty family and although I’m sure I have the artistic gene somewhere in my body, I wish I was better at it (and maybe not so much of a perfectionist to actually enjoy it ;)).  Surprisingly I was the only one of my family to do performing arts (dance, theatre, singing, show choir, etc) and be fairly good with it so maybe that’s my calling rather than visual arts :)

1o. What is my greatest achievement?
I have definitely had a very blessed life and I’m thankful for everything I’ve received, but I think my greatest achievement was my education.  Although I may never get to use my fancy PhD (thanks to the economy), I will be so proud of myself for at least getting it.  My parents have always had high expectations when it comes to education, so I am proud of the education I have received :)

11. Who are the 10 people I'd like to tag with the Preppy Mafia award?

1. Kristen at Southern Web Girl
2. Amy at Just Add Walter
3. Brittany at Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau
4. KLC at Tales of a Northern Belle
5. Susan at Susan in the South
6. Heather at Life with Heather
7. Jennifer at Diary of a Southern Belle
8. Emily Anne at Martinis and Madness
9. Adelaide at Sweet, Sassy, Southern, and Classy
10. SouthernBelleJM at The Tale of a Southern Belle

Awards

When I was catching up on my Google Reader this morning, I realized I had been given not one, but 2 awards!

First up, an award from my sweet friend Brittany Ann, whom I have spoken about many times.  She’s amazing so definitely check out her blog! :)  She presented me with the Beautiful Blogger Award!  Thanks so much Brittany Ann!

The rules are that I have to list seven things about myself, and then choose 7 beautiful bloggers.

My things (it is getting harder to come up with stuff you don’t already know about me, so I’ll give you some more current things on my mind:):

1. When I was little (long before I became a dancer), I was a pageant girl.  I did them from the when I was born until I was about 3.  My last pageant, a little girl who had won tons of pageants, pretty much had to be drug onto the stage and she kicked and screamed the whole time, while I walked out on my own smiling and blowing kisses.  The other little girl ended up winning and mom was frustrated at how unfair the judging was at that pageant so she never signed me up for another one.  If it weren’t for that incident, I would probably still be doing it. I know most people feel very strongly about having their little girls in pageants, but as a child, win or lose, I LOVED it.
2. My mom is by no means a full-fledged pageant mom, but she is close.  She expects the best out of myself never lets me do any differently.  She has always been very honest with me and doesn’t sugar coat anything.  Although it may hurt at the time, I’m so thankful to have that honesty.  She is first to point out the flaws, but she is also first to point out the best as well (If she says it is good, I know it must have been!:)). I am also thankful to have a daddy that is the sugar-coater and tells me I’m perfect at everything I do so I have the perfect balance :) 
3. I’m obsessed with wedding and photography blogs.  I love everything about them, the details, the colors, the dresses…everything.I’m not one of those girls that has always had her wedding planned out and honestly, up until about 2 years ago, I didn’t even think about what colors I would use.  I discovered wedding blogs when I was helping a friend plan a wedding and I’ve been in love ever since.  I do collect ideas of things that I love, but they have no rhyme or reason and like I said before, my wedding is far from planned :)
4. When I’m stressed, I am bad about just turning on music and dancing.  I miss having dance as my outlet, but right now, that’s the closest I can get to being in the studio! :)
5. I hate being let down by the people I love.  On my birthday last week, I was thankful for the outpouring of love and support I got in the mail, on my phone, on my blog, on my Facebook, and Twitter.  I am so thankful to have those people in my life.  However, my best friend, or who I considered to be my best friend of 4 years, never said Happy Birthday to me.  I know that is childish, but she is one of those people I expect to tell me Happy Birthday (just as I would with  Alex and my family) and when she didn’t, it hurt.  Worse yet, her sister told me Happy Birthday, and it has been over a week and I still haven’t heard from her.  It would be understandable if she could have forgotten, but we’ve celebrated our birthdays together for years and in fact, she’s helped me plan the majority of my parties.  I know that sounds awful, but when my friends let me down, it breaks my heart :(.
6. I miss old school mail…like letters, thank you cards, etc.  I’m a tech girl all the way, but there’s nothing like receiving something in the mail!  I got a few birthday cards last week and I forgot how amazing it feels to open the mailbox and see a card envelope (you know what I mean…those envelopes that when tucked in the middle of the bills just make you smile :))  I’ve decided I’m going to start sending out little cards (not just my usual birthday cards), but just little notes to say hello or that I’m thinking about them.  I mean, who wouldn’t like that? ;)
7. I am in the middle of an all-out quarter life crisis and I hate it.  I knew it would happen (part of the reason why I dreaded 25), but I’m trying to smile through it.  I’m in that “I need a change” mood and questioning pretty much every decision I’ve made in my life. It probably doesn’t help that my ex-boyfriend (the only other serious one I’ve ever had) just got engaged, 4 of my friends just found out they were pregnant, 5 others just had babies, and 3 of my friends just got promoted and/or hired for their dream job.  Needless to say, I’m in a bit of a slump.

That’s about it!  Whew!  Now for 7 other beautiful bloggers!

1. Brittany at Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau
2. Black-eyed Susan at Susan in the South
3. KLC at  Tales of Northern Belle
4. Heather at Life with Heather
5. Miss Emily Anne at Martinis & Madness
6. Just Add Walter
7. Kristen at Southern Web Girl

 

KLC at Tales of a Northern Belle gave me this award!

The Rules are:
1.Post where you would like to be in 10 years
2.Pass it on to 10 other special Bloggers!

In 10 years (at 35 yikes!), I hope to be married, have kids (or at least one), have a great paying job utilizing my PhD, and start settling down (if I haven’t already!) :)

Now, instead of choosing just 10 bloggers, I pass this on to all 24 of my followers just as a thanks for visiting me :)

Another Award

I’m so sorry…when I was trying to play catch up with my awards today, I forgot one.  My sweet friend, Brittany Ann over at Living in the Moment passed this award to me a while back.  Thanks for the award and for all the support Brittany Ann…you’re fabulous!

I’m supposed to nominate 15 blogs, but because I love you all, I’m passing this on to all of my “followers” (I don’t like that word so I’ll rephrase and say “The people that follow my blog” :)).  I am so thankful for all of the sweet comments and support!!! You guys are awesome :)

Blogger BFF’s

My sweet friend Brittany over at Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau just sent me the Blogger BFF award and I couldn’t be more grateful!!  She is fabulous and always makes me smile!! Thanks Brittany! :)

The Rules
1. Thank and link the person that sent it to you
2. Present this award to at least five people and explain why you chose them for this award.
3. Copy and past the award on your blog.

My Five Blogger BFF’s

1. Brittany Ann at Living in the Moment – From the moment we connected, she has been super sweet and encouraging with everything I’ve been through.  She has done the “long-distance” thing multiple times with her hubby and is about to have to do it again, so her support is amazing!  Not to mention, she is a FABULOUS writer!  Check her out…you won’t be disappointed.
2. Just Add Walter – She has been so supportive through all my ups and downs and always leaves me sweet comments.  Her posts are great reads as well so go check her out!
3. Kristen at Southern Web Girl – She and I are both Bama grads and surprisingly we knew many of the same people!  She is obviously a huge Bama fan so we “talk football” quite a bit :)
4. Katie at Katie and Cullen – She and I had Spanish class together Freshman year.  At the time, she was dating her now husband, and through Facebook I was able to keep up with her. She and I chat a lot on Twitter now and her blog is always full of fabulous photography!
5. Mellie at The Unemployed Biddy’s Chronicles – Mellie and I met year’s ago through Alex’s group of friends.  She has recently begun blogging her experiences in the world of unemployment and always has some entertaining posts.

Whew!  That was tough!! A HUGE thanks to everyone who has commented on my new “situation”.  You guys are amazing and you have no idea how much the support helps :)

I’m off to celebrate baby brother’s 19th birthday so have a fabulous Thursday!

Belated Award

Forever ago (seriously, it has been over a month…yikes!), my sweet friend Brittany at Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau gave me the Happy 101 Award and I am just getting around to blogging it!  Thanks Brittany!

The Rules:
1. List 10 things that make you happy.
2. Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

10 Things Making Me Happy:

1. Spending time with my family, friends, and Alex - They always make me smile when I’m having a bad day!
2. Reading a good book - especially “Chick Lit”…it is such a refreshing break from my usual doctoral reading.
3. Gorgeous shoes – This includes shoes I own as well as those I covet.  If I’m having a bad day, slipping on a pair of my favorite shoes seems to make it all better…weird I know ;)
4. “Anything Shiny” – Mainly diamonds, but this girl loves a good piece of jewelry no matter what the gem stone.
5. Dancing – Whether it is for fun or for a class, dancing has always been my escape.
6. Teaching – It has always been my passion and even on the hard days, knowing that I am making a difference in a child’s life makes it all worth it.
7. Sweet Gestures – Whether it is a phone call, text message, thank you card, or even holding the door open with a smile…I love it.  It makes me realize there are still nice people in the world :)
8. Date Night with my Tivo – I love it when it finds new shows for me to watch and that I can always go back to my favorites when I need them (i.e. Sex and the City ;))
9. Good food and chocolate – If weren’t for the dancing mentioned above, I would be huge because I love good food…I think I’m a foodie at heart.
10. Art – Whether it is visual or performing, I love it all!

Whew!  That was not easy!  Now, for my 10 bloggers that make me smile (Some of you ladies have already gotten this, but I love you so much I had to include you on my “Favorites” list):

1. Just Add Walter
2. Southern Web Girl
3. Living in a Moment
4. Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau
5. Martinis & Madness
6. The Sweet Sea
7. The Byingtons
8. Miranda’s Mumblings
9. The Horton Family
10. The Unemployed Bitty’s Chronicles

Thanks again Brittany! :)

Thanks Brittany Ann!

As soon as I posted my last “Catch up” post about receiving my first blog award, I went to read Ms. Brittany Ann’s Blog Living in the Moment, and realized I had won my second….The Fabulous Sugar Doll award :)  I’m so excited!  Not only is it my second award, but it has a fabulous name! :)  Thanks Brittany Ann!

Anyway, the rules of this one are that I have to tell you 10 things you may not know about me and then pass this on to 10 of my favorites.  This will be tough because I had a hard time coming up with 7 interesting facts, but I’m going to try :)

1. My high school mascot was a tiger, but our colors were red and white.  When I lived at home I collected things that were red and white and of course tigers.  Now that I’m at Alabama, I got to keep the red and white things, but had to trade the tigers in for elephants (if you’re not familiar with the SEC, 2 of our huge rivals are tigers so tigers are a no no :))
2. I have a problem saying no to opportunities, which is exactly why my resume is almost 3 pages long.
3. I LOVE gadgets and am a self-proclaimed gadget queen (works out perfectly since I’m a tech major right ;)) I could walk around Best Buy for hours and would be perfectly happy!
4. I’m not sure if it is the teacher in me or the “professional student”, but I ADORE tote bags.  I’m scared to count how many I have and when I go on trips, I tend to buy one that reminds me of that particular place i.e. A vintage Disney movie one from Disneyland, a one covered in, at the time, current Broadway musicals from NY, Chicago skyline from Chicago, etc.
5. I have been getting acrylic nails almost every month since I was in 11th grade (so about 7 years).  I’m that girl that has her manicurist on speed dial (what can I say, she’s amazing and the only one I’ll let touch my nails!)
6. I love seeing movies, but I rarely buy them because I hardly ever watch a movie more than once (unless it is a favorite, which I usually purchase :))
7. I truly believe I was born in the wrong time period.  I did Guys & Dolls in High School, and I fell in love with that time period and decided that I should have lived in the time of hats, finger waves, and guys in suits :) (The cast of “Guys & Dolls” pictured below.  I’m the first of the girls in pink and hey, I was a doll :))
8. I have a big heart, sometimes too big for my own good.  In elementary school, my mom would have to give me 3 times more money than I needed every day because I couldn’t stand for anyone not to be able to afford to go to the talent show or get snack that day.  I have been known to date guys because I felt sorry for them rather than because I loved them. I cry over everything and prefer giving gifts instead of receiving them.  This isn’t always a good thing, because I also tend to be the person that people walk all over because of this.
9. The majority of the time, I wear high heels.  I have bought a few pairs of flats, but I only wear them if it 1.) suits the outfit, or 2.) I am going to be doing a lot of walking and don’t want to wear the tips off my heels.  In fact, I wear them so much that even Alex doesn’t realize how short I am until I am in flats (and it never fails…he always says, “Wow, I didn’t realize you were that short” ;))
10. I am a huge perfectionist and although I’m fairly crafty, I tend to shy away from making stuff and certain projects because it brings so much frustration when I don’t get it right the first time. (I was the kid that would be almost finished with a drawing or assignment in school and would wad it up and throw it away because I wasn’t happy with it!)

Whew!  That was fun!!  I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!  Thanks again Brittany Ann!
Now for my 10 people to pass it on to (which you should check out every single one of these ladies…they’re fabulous!),

1. Britney - “Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau”
2. Kristen - “Southern Web Girl”
3. “Just Add Walter”
4. “Carina the Blogarina”
5. Emily Anne - “Martinis & Madness”
6. “Rasberry Scrubs”

and to any of my other readers (link back or follow me so I know who you are :))
Have fun!
Love!
Maegan

My First Blogger Award!

Thanks to one of my new blogger friends over at Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau, I have been given my first blogger award!
Thanks girl! :)  The rules are I have to tell you 7 things about myself and give this award to 7 people.  This will be a tough one, but I’m going to do my best! (Note:  Alex told me that these are pretty well known, but I’m posting it anyway :))

1. I am a compulsive color matcher.  It drives my mom crazy because I have multiple shades of every color (particularly red) because I will not wear anything together if it doesn’t match exactly.  I know you’re not supposed to be matchy matchy, but I can’t help it…it is in my blood.  If you mention this in front of my grandmother, she will immediately bring up the time when I was 2 and took off my shorts because they didn’t match her shoes I was playing with at the time.  Yes, I have a problem :)
2. My senior year of high school, I went to a Rockette workshop in Nashville.  Afterwards, our instructor pulled me aside and told me I should think about trying out to be a Rockette.  What she didn’t realize is that I am only 5 foot and the minimum was 5’6. :(
3. Although many people spell their first name like mine, my mom actually made up the spelling.  She like the show Hotel and she thought the receptionist, Megan, was cute.  She liked the name, but to make it different she took my grandmother’s middle name, Mae so it would be pronounced like May-gan instead of Megan.
4. I’m obsessed with all things purple.  Not only is my room and bathroom decorated in purple, but even things like my mop, broom, vacuum, storage bowls, storage boxes, etc. are all purple.  Usually if I see something in purple, I buy it (my mom and Alex also contribute to this addiction)  This addiction started when I was little after I found some of the silk fabric my grandmother used to make my mom’s bridesmaids dresses and began wrapping it around my pacifier.
5. I have a ridiculous memory when it comes to certain things.  Like, I can tell you what I’ve worn on just about every date I’ve been on.  Certain events I can tell you every detail down to what I was wearing, but common every day things I have to write down or I’ll forget. 
6. I’m OCD when it comes to certain things, but not so much with others.  I’m a horrible housekeeper, but only because I don’t want to just clean, I want it organized perfectly. I start cleaning and drag everything out to reorganize… I get overwhelmed and it never gets finished, which means I end up with a bigger mess than when I started.  Like when I redid my closet, instead of just hanging up all of the clothes, I took the rest out and put them all back in, all of the colors together following the color spectrum.  Although it took forever and I made the biggest mess (and couldn’t find my bed for a few weeks), it was worth it because I can find my clothes much easier :) 
7. I love all things paper.  I am a compulsive list maker and have been known to buy cute notepads for every season and have tons of stationary (and tend to pick some up all the time).

I now pass this on to 7 of my favorite bloggers:
Just Add Walter
Southern Web Girl
Living in the Moment
Raspberry Scrubs
The Blogette
Always in Bluhm
Ink Obsession Designs
By the way, these are all fabulous blogs that you should be following…go check them out now! :)
Thanks again for the award Brittany!