Old Navy is Killin' It! {+ 30% Off Code}

I received an email this morning from Old Navy offering a 30% discount, and since I haven't been on their website in a while, decided to click around. I was pleasantly surprised and I think you will be, too!

I have a love / hate relationship with the color persimmon / clementine, that seems to be one of the hot colors of Fall this year. Love because it looks good with my darker hair, but hate for obvious reasons (Clemson, if it really wasn't obvious). 

Sweater

Crossbody Bag

Sheath Dress

Block Heel Sandal

Sleeveless Cutout Dress

 Faux Leather Hobo

Ponte-Knit Shift Dress

Canvas Utility Jacket

Quilted Vest

Use code SHOPHAPPY to receive 30% off of your purchase (excludes Everyday Steals, Hot Deals, & Today Only Deals), AND don't forget to go through Ebates FIRST to receive 2% cash back on your purchase!

Kickoff Week: A Look Back At Tailgating.

This week kicks off the 2014 football season and I think everyone is more than ready! Today, I'm joining Cait's link up and bringing you a look back at Gamecock tailgating for me over the past 10 years.

Let's start from the archives, shall we? 

Our last tailgate as Seniors

 

Cameron's first Carolina game (when they weren't playing Clemson)

Notice the way neutral shirt.

 

This is how we tailgate for away games at Uncle Jay's...

 Wow, my hair sure did change a lot. 

 

Friday Five.

{one}

Nine West Floyd Ankle Strap Wedge Sandals

Bought these shoes yesterday for a steal and I can't wait for them to arrive on my doorstep (they shipped the same day!). They will be perfect to wear to work and out! I love the mix of black + tan.

{two}

Bacon, Leek, and Mushroom Risotto

Tried another risotto recipe last night and this one was even better than the first!

{three}

Tim!

Thank you all for your sweet words and prayers for my friend, Tim. I am happy to say that they helped and he is making improvements every day! He is no longer in the ICU, is doing better breathing, and even went for a short walk around his floor on Wednesday. 

Check out the BrightLife Facebook page to see a video from Tim!

Update: Tim is being discharged today! God is good!!

{four}

New favorite songs.

These songs are sure to wake me up in the morning and put me in a good mood on my early drive to work. (Only 2 more of those early morning shifts left! Won't have any of those for my new job!!)

{five}

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who commented on my post about paying off my credit cards. I loved hearing other people's personal experiences and hearing that my post may possibly help y'all tackle those last pesky credit cards that you've been trying to pay off.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

One Week Until Kickoff! {Gameday Attire}

In seven days, I will be back at one of my favorite places in the world - Williams Brice Stadium! Cannot believe football season is just a week away, but I am so glad it is!

Here's a round-up of garnet and black attire + accessories to get you ready for the game!

Xhilaration Romper

Thanks for Christina for pointing this one out to me!

H&M Pleated Skirt

J. Crew Factory Merino Pocket Tunic

J. Crew Factory Draped Pocket Tank

J. Crew Printed Silk Snood

J. Crew Small Shelby Satchel

J. Crew Factory Skinny Cord

J. Crew Factory Crystal and Stone Trio Earrings + Bracelet

J. Crew Excursion Quilted Vest

Don't forget to go through Ebates first to earn that cash back!
J. Crew - 2%
J. Crew Factory - 1.5%

How I Paid Off My Credit Cards...

It all started in high school....I was shopping at American Eagle (yep), I wanted an outfit, but I didn't have enough money to pay for it at the time. So what did my non-responsible self do? I decided to open a credit card. Want to know how much limit they gave a non-credit-having teen? $100. Ha. That was such a blessing in disguise. 

That was probably the start to my credit card addiction. 

Freshman year of college, I opened up an Express and Victoria's Secret card, almost simultaneously. I wanted to be fashionable and again, had no money. 

Senior year came the Best Buy card. I really wanted a digital camera and of course I had to have the picture printer to go along with it. Later, I went on to buy my ex-boyfriend a Xbox. #dumbass

After college came the Saks (David Yurman ring and bracelet? Yes please!), Pottery Barn (wedding gifts galore), and South Carolina Federal (my bank - so that I could charge whatever I wanted!). 

You know what all of that gets you? 
$7,000 in credit card debt and hardly anything to show for it. 

Back in August of 2010, when Cameron and I really started getting serious about our relationship, he created a balance sheet and income statement for me that I would fill out every month. It helped me see where my money was going and it was an easy way to watch the balances of my credit cards go down. I probably didn't start cracking down on my cards until last year when I had about $4,000 left to pay off. But in that short amount of time (roughly a year), I managed to pay the rest of it off with the method below. I would use my work bonuses, tax refunds, etc towards it. Anything I could! 

Here's what worked for me:
The Dave Ramsey Snowball Plan

-I took the credit card with the lowest balance and focused on that one first. I would pay the minimum payments on the rest of the cards, and use whatever extra money I had, plus the minimum payment, towards the card I was focusing on. Dave said it best when he said, "You need some quick wins in order to stay pumped enough to get out of debt completely." Each time I paid off another credit card, it felt awesome, and turned into more of a game for me to see how fast I could pay off the next one. 

-After I paid off a card, I would add that money that I normally paid towards it, towards the next one. My bank account didn't know the difference because I was paying the same amount each month towards the cards, but the card that I was focusing on, was getting 2, 3, or 4 times the amount of the of the minimum payment. 

It's as simple as that! 

I hope this short little post may help you in some way in paying off your credit card debt, if you are trying to!

By the way, I am in NO way promoting this kind of behavior. It was very stupid on my end and obviously I've spent years (and LOTS of interest) paying these cards off. 

A Day Off {Pool, Trader Joe's Trip + Prayer Request}

I just realized that this is my last full week at my current job! Woohoo! Next week I'm only working 3 days and I cannot wait!

Since I'm working an event this upcoming Saturday, I had the day off today. My friend, Katie, met me at my in-laws house so that we could get some sun and catch up on our busy lives. 

We lasted about 3 hours before the heat started getting to us. I headed to Mt. Pleasant for a Trader Joe's trip and figured since I like to see what out people buy, I'd show you what I got! Now this was not a huge haul, as I had just gone to Harris Teeter yesterday, so keep that in mind. 

Ginger Beer - $3.99

Organic Chicken Broth - $1.99

Sparkling Pink Lemonade - Just realized this isn't on my receipt! Woopsie!

White Cheddar Corn Puffs - $1.99

Organic Red & Green Mixed Grapes - $4.49

Pita Chips - $1.99

Shaved Brussels Sprouts - $2.79

White Button Mushrooms - $1.79

Georgia Peaches - $.69 each

Coffee Ice Cream - $3.99

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas - $1.99

Mediterranean Hummus - $3.99

Carne Asada - $10.94

Mint - $1.69

Chile Verde Chicken Burritos - $2.99

Garlic & Herb Pizza Dough - $1.29

Total after Tax: $49.40

_____________________________________________

Lastly, I have a prayer request for some very close friends of mine. If you've been following for a while, you've heard me mention my friend Tim, who has been battling colon cancer for the past 4 years. Keep in mind, he just turned 31. His wife, Jenny, is one of my sorority sisters. He was admitted to the ICU last Friday due to high fever, trouble breathing, and issues he's been having with his pancreas, and has had plenty of ups and downs since then. They removed him from ICU on Saturday, but he was placed back in there today. He has a million people supporting and praying for him, but he could always use more. 

You can find out more and keep up with his status here on their blog.

We love you, Tim! Keep fighting!

Friday Five.

{one}

Pineapple Thank You Cards

{two}
F21 Tulip-Sleeve Dotted Blouse

{three}
Brady love
Brady went to go stay with my parents Tuesday night - Thursday morning. We got a new roof installed on our house and didn't think the workers would like a noisy dog barking at them all day. The house was so quiet and there was no one to lick up any spilled crumbs. We didn't like that feeling one bit and were so happy to see him yesterday back in our house when we got home from work!

{four}
Union Provisions
Last night a group of us went out to eat for our friend, Justin's, birthday at Union Provisions. It is a recently new restaurant located on upper King Street in an 114 year old renovated building. The menu is tapas style, so Cameron and I ordered a couple of things to share. Along with what you'll see below, we also ordered the fried oyster salad, which turned out to be our favorite dish of the night. The other plates, unfortunately, we were not blown away by. The Duck Carbonara was probably our second favorite item. 

Pickled Veggie Plate

 Chicken & Dumplings                        /                          Duck Carbonara 

{five}
Update on the risotto
I got a great response to the risotto recipe I posted on Tuesday, so I wanted to update y'all! I, like a lot of you, was always intimidated to make risotto, but I'm telling you, it's really not hard! It's time consuming, but not hard. Highly suggest you try it out soon!

Here's how mine turned out:
 (I didn't add spinach like the recipe called for because I was lazy and didn't feel like stopping at the store.)

I'm off to the beach to enjoy a day in the sun with my sis-in-law and nieces!
Have a great weekend!!