football – The Good Stuff

{Sort of like a “Friday Five” or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my not-so-glam 20-something life. See past posts HERE}

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Gearing up for Fall…

I am usually annoyed at people who proclaim September 1 as the first day of fall. But I am just SO READY for it this year! I will also never understand why being obsessed with fall seems to infect ALL WOMEN, but it does, it really does. I’m basic, and not even ashamed.

Sawyer June

Sorry for the spam of baby pictures but Sawyer June is growing so fast and I miss her so much!

The Teacher

I shared this on my Facebook a few weeks ago, but I just had to include it again. If any regular readers still don’t know why I fell in love with Manhattan, KS, just read this.

Bill and I actually have something in common, because my first visit was also on a cold December day and the kindness of the people I met is something that has always stuck with me. I left knowing that it was where I needed to be.

At the very least, if you are a sports fan, this is still worth your time to read.

Article here —> https://www.theplayerstribune.com/bill-snyder-kansas-state-the-teacher/amp/

Eagle Creek Fire in Oregon

Saved this as a screenshot from Facebook… but I can’t remember the source. Sorry!

Not to downplay anything related to Hurricane Harvey and Irma, whatsoever, but fewer people are aware that Oregon is hurting quite a bit too lately (as is much of the west!) because of a fire in the Columbia River Gorge that now covers an estimated 37,500 acres and is only 13 percent contained. The fire has changed the landscape of so many beautiful natural landmarks and treasures, some to the point that they will never again look the same during my lifetime.

Its been a rough couple of weeks all around, folks.

Motivation from Filly Flair

Growing up with a grandma and mom who own their own business, I have always had a special place for women entrepreneurs. Maybe a little less than a year ago, one of my friends told me about an online clothing boutique out of South Dakota, called Filly Flair, that I should check out. I am now a super fan and customer, but lately I also started followed the company’s owner on Instagram and have really enjoyed her overall message and transparency. So I wanted to share a little video that they recently posted about her and the company. I’d recommend it if you need a little motivation today. And no, this is totally not an ad of any kind, but hey Filly Flair hit me up! 🙂

K-State Capital Area Alumni

Recently I joined the planning committee for the K-State Capital Area Alumni group and my new job is handling social media (big surprise there!) We just kicked off our football watch party season, so I’ve already been all over our Facebook page and also started up our own Instagram account. We’re at @kstatecapitalalumni if you want to check it out.

But really though, making images with K-State purple and football? That will never get old.

The Power of Rituals and 6 Other Ways to Get in The Zone

My Shine Texts are always on the money for what I need to hear, EVERY SINGLE DAY. Habits and routines that help my productivity and focus have definitely been a struggle point for me for a while. This article lays it all out in a way that makes sense to me. Now to just better implement those things…

Article —> https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/7-ways-to-guarantee-youll-have-a-productive-day/?utm_source=Shine&utm_medium=BroadcastMain

Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

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So, There’s That.

Cheers!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 18

October 17, 2016October 18, 2016 Amanda

{Sort of like a “Friday Five” or a “Life Lately” except it’s probably not Friday, and I gave up on the idea of a catchy alliteration. These are some bits and pieces of my glam #postgradlife. See past posts HERE}

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This post should really be titled “What has been going on in Amanda’s life for the last two months to keep her from blogging even once?” But obviously that would have been a bit long and obnoxious.

Well as you will see below, I’ve been pretty busy! Every week day has been full at work and my weekends even more full. I’ve actually been slowly adding to this post for a few weeks now, and final found a moment to send it off.

I also returned last week from a quick work trip to GUAM! So as soon as I can get to the pictures on my nice camera I will be blogging about that (hopefully this week)!

Anyway, back to not-so-regularly scheduled programming…

1. NEEDTOBREATHE and Mat Kearney

I crossed two old favorites off my list of live concerts to see with my friends Sarah and Elissa. I have been a fan of Mat Kearney since he debuted about 10 years ago when I was in high school. And NEEDTOBREATHE I discovered early in college. The Monday night concert was out at Wolf Trap Park and was a great venue!

The fact that Mat is originally from Oregon and includes it in a lot of his songs definitely makes me an even bigger fan.

I LOVE when artists cover other classic songs and artists, and blend it in with their own songs.

I was a bit disappointed that we did not get a full rendition of my favorite NEEDTOBREATHE song but the acoustic snippet was still great.

2. Labor Day Weekend

After some back and forth of who was going to visit who where… Nicole made the trek up from Raleigh for a weekend in DC. I am sure I have said this before on the blog, but Nicole is a fellow kid from Eastern Oregon who studied Ag Communications at K-State, and now lives on the East Coast. Yeah, we have a lot in common…

Our weekend was filled with attending the K-State watch party, wandering through Eastern Market and Capitol Hill Bookstore, a few museums and typical DC sightseeing. I’m pretty sure she would agree that the highlight was going to the Newseum! I will never understand why I waited so long to go! There were many moments where Nicole and I both had to pause to collect ourselves, we were really nerding out.

fullsizerender

If you are in DC or a visiting book nerd, a stop at Capitol Hill Bookstore is a must for your list. This video does not do it justice.

This story probably deserved its own blog post, but I think too much time has passed for that so I’m sharing it here.

So to get into my condo building you need a separate key from the one I use on my apartment (it is a really old building.) Because I was wearing jeans that evening I decided to not carry a purse or clutch, and just put everything in my pockets, except for my keys which I gave to Nicole to put in her clutch. Except I was trying to be efficient and just gave her my apartment key instead of my whole key ring…

Fast forward to us getting home at 3 a.m., a bit tipsy and realizing that we were locked out of the building, and to top it off the buzzer that is supposed to allow me to open the door remotely from my cell phone was not working. Right about when I am thinking that I am going to have to get us a hotel room, this guy walks up and listens to me go on and on about how I promise I live here and am not some crazy person trying to break in. He lets us in and then I continue to badger him to let me know which apartment number he is in so that I can bring him a bottle of wine. He tried turning me down (and not tell the drunk crazy girl where he lived) but if you know me you know I am persistent.

I did indeed make good on my promise to leave him some wine outside his door (and promptly left very quickly) and just so happened to have this wine on hand with the perfect name.

3. Costco

My family have been Costco members through our business since I was little and it was about time that I got my own card, you know, to spend all of that extra money that I have…

4. Virginia Tech Game

In September, I visited Blacksburg again to spend the weekend with one of my favorite Kansans, Chelsea, who is going to grad school there. I am a sucker for a college gameday and tailgate no matter who is playing… even if they do have some strange traditions.

5. West Virginia vs. K-State Road Trip

Speaking of college football… I started out October the right way by road tripping with my fellow DC K-State alum to our game versus West Virginia. The end of the game was a tad bit embarrassing but it was a great day overall, and for the most part the WVU were very welcoming. Now if I could only get that John Denver song out of my head…

Also, I just love how small the world is! Katie was a part of our group because she was visiting her BF who is at Georgetown Law and also happens to be the sister-in-law to one of my best friends from college, Blaine.

6. Eric Stonestreet K-State Video

And speaking of K-State Football…

So cheesy and so, so wonderful.
And the fact that it is narrated by everyone’s favorite K-State alum makes it 10 times better.
Just do not make me admit how many times I’ve watched it.

7. Gilmore Girls Revival

Have I mentioned lately HOW EXCITED I AM!?!

8. Chasing Bubbles

Looking for a bit of motivation or a break from binge watching on Netflix? I HIGHLY recommend checking out this documentary, “Chasing Bubbles.” It is about really seeing life as a journey and a story about how one guy sailed around the world to discover that. Of course its about a lot more than that, but you should just really watch it to find out.

For me it was also interesting because the younger brother of the guy the film is about is one of my friends through my AFA leadership network. I honestly do not know Joe all that well, but it was interesting to learn about the family he comes from and a bit of what makes him who he is. Overall, this documentary really touched me and it is a story that deserves to be shared.

9. My Puppies

I miss these two all the time, and certainly could not pass up giving them some love on Instagram on #NationalDogDay

10. My Dad and His “Kitty-Kitty”

Over the past two months my parents have been in the process of moving houses, and while living with my grandparents for a few weeks the pets had to stay at various other places. My Dad has a rather strange affection for one of the cats and so this SnapChat from my sister is just too funny NOT to document.

11.Coffee Things

Coffee has been the real MVP lately.

12. Forever Country

The Country Music Association is turning 50 this year and recently released this medley of songs with a long list of country music all-stars.

I have yet to watch it without tearing up.

13. National Taco Day

My sister posted this collage on #NationalTacoDay.
We may or may not have a taco obsession in our family.

14. Out and About

A few snippets (and Snapchats) of life lately.

The scaffolding is FINALLY all removed, and the Capitol sure does look gorgeous!

On the Key Bridge overlooking the Potomac River

I recommend “Bilbo Baggins” restaurant. It’s quirky and cute.

Excited for this K-State friend to be in DC for the next full year!

Volunteering at a community garden with my church.

Got dinner and did some site seeing with my cousin Dave who was in town for work.

15. My Life in Memes

Memes that are speaking to me right now… both thought provoking and just plain funny.

Substitute a Dirty Chai Latte for the PSL and this is all me.

Pretty sure my parents thought this on the daily for the first 10 years of my life.

16. Update on My Favorite Kiddos

Because this has become the best part of my “So There’s That” posts.

Wesley Ray – somewhere between 6 and 7 months old.

Robin Michele – somewhere between 5 and 6 months old.
I just LOVE the picture above of Robin with her Mama.

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So, There’s That.

Cheers!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 15

April 28, 2016April 29, 2016 Amanda

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1. Hokie Country

Man, I am tired.
I was planning on getting this “So There’s That” out LAST Friday before my weekend started, but here I am on the following Thursday and struggling to wrap it up.
This past weekend I road tripped down to Blacksburg, VA, home to Virginia Tech, to visit my good friend Chelsea.
Chelsea and I lived together at Smurthwaite Scholarship House for two years at K-State and she was my “big sis” in the house. I have always felt so lucky because while some big and little sis pairs do not really connect, mine has turned into a life long friend. Chelsea is a PhD student and invited me and Katie, another K-State friend who lives in Baltimore, to come down for the spring football game. It was a FULL weekend, complete with girl talk, tailgating, complaining about undergrads, crab ragoons, watching an entire season of Archer and a REALLY bad sunburn for me.

katie and chelsea — Katie, Chelsea and me.

2. Proud Big Sister

Note to self, wathcing live golf scoring on a computer is almost just as nerve wracking as watching a live, fast-paced sport.

Last week my sister, a senior playing golf for the Lewis-Clark State Warriors, played in the Frontier Conference Championship. Although her team did win the regular season championship, they still had to win the tournament in order to go to nationals in Georgia (which I would to traveled to). Unfortunately they came up a little short and placed second. But I am still so proud of Janci. She attacked this season with hard work, commitment and a good attitude. I know she was pretty sad to have played her last tourney as a student-athlete, but I know she is so thankful that she pushed herself to that level.

And she didn’t lose by any means. She was an 2nd Team All-Conference player, a Academic All-Conference student-athlete and at the tournament she was recognized with the Champion of Character Award for the season.

My family cheering her on in Arizona. Really wish I could have been there.

3. Welcome to the World Robin Michelle!

One of my best friends and freshman roommate, Leah finally welcomed her little beautiful little girl into the world on April 4! I am so excited for her and Ryan, and can not wait to hold her when I visit Kansas at the end of May!

4. #WorkLife

I am always so excited and a bit relieved when I project that I put a lot of thought and hard work into turns out how I envisioned it. Two of the overseas offices for the organization that I work for are celebrating 50 and 50 years this year and these two commemorative programs were used at the celebrations that took place earlier this month.

5. Lip Sync Battle with Melissa McCarthy

In my next life, Melissa and I are going to be BEST FRIENDS.
I have been a super fan since her early days on my all-time favorite show Gilmore Girls and it has been fun to see her career take off. Her recent Lip Sync Battle with Jimmy Fallon officially replaces this one with Joseph Gordon Levitt as my FAVORITE.

6. Gilmore Girls Retro Poster

Speaking of Gilmore Girls, I am REALLY trying to convince myself that I do NOT need to buy this retro fan art for my new apartment. I am trying to downsize and simplify… but the jury is still out on this and the other two posters I stumbled upon on Etsy.

7. Bye Marilyn

Sometimes you just have to let go.
When I was maybe 15 or 16 my Aunt Michelle was recorating her living room and let me have this huge canvas of Marilyn Monroe. For whatever reason I always loved this picture, and so it hung in my room through high school and once I moved out of the scholarship house at K-State, Marilyn made her way across the country to become a part of our random college decor. My roommates pretty much hated her, saying that she was creepy. But over time she became the best conversation starter and a bit of a roommate joke (hence why we referred to the picture as another person and not an object.) When I moved to DC I did not really have room for her so she went into storage underneath my bed. I am getting ready to move again to a new apartment next month and decided that it was probably time to retire her.

8. Alex’s Snapchat

This should not be THAT funny.
But it was enough for me to screen shot it and send it to 5 other people.
Someone in grad school has way too much time on their hands…
#easilyamused

9. Disney Princesses Singing in Their Native Languages

Guys, maybe it is just because I grew up on most of these movies, but these videos are seriously really cool! I knew what countries quite a few of them were based in, but others were a bit of a surprise. Ariel in The Little Mermaid is Danish? Who knew!

10. Drink The District

A couple of weeks ago one of my new DC friends Elissa joined me, my co-worker and his group for a fun afternoon at Drink the District, a beer and wine festival.
Despite the chilly temps in April (love my new beanie!) fun was definitely had.
Lots of fun.

11. Carpool Karaoke

I’ve explained my love for James Corden before…

And now I am officially obsessed with his Carpool Karaoke segments. My favorites include Adele, Sia and both of the Biebs (#noshame). This link below features and ranks each of the guests that have participated so far:

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/james-corden-carpool-karaoke-clips-ranking?ref=twitter-869

Yo James, when you are ready I have a list of requests for you to consider.

12. Word Love

Quotes that I have saved to my phone lately.

13. America Survives

I refuse to talk about the elections on my blog or social media. There are already enough people blabbing on and on about it. But regardless of who you are backing, you have to admit that this is at least a little amusing.

14. 50 Design Terms Explained Simply for Non-Designers

This is a great resource regardless of your level of expertise in design.
Read HERE.

15. On the Road with Wheat Foods Council

http://www.ontheroadwithwheatfoods.com/

This is fun way to learn about wheat foods in the United States!

16. Fire Away

Seriously. Though. Put. This. On. Repeat.
Of course I also loved his performance with his wife at the ACM Awards.

17. Prairie Star Tournament Champion

My office takes the Men’s NCAA March Madness tournament serious and yours truly ran away with the win. Thanks for the loss Michigan State.

18. Perspective

Source: Kansas Wheat

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So, There’s That.

Cheers!

Family

Get It? Got It… Good.

March 30, 2016March 30, 2016 Amanda

I meant to write this post a few weeks ago, but it got away from me and so I thought I would save it for today.

Yesterday was my Grampy’s birthday, but this post is about so much more than that.

10304343_10152455962286224_3941349490687158181_n — Photo by Josh Ego.

I was talking about March Madness the other day with someone, and after a few of my comments they said, “Wow, you know a lot about basketball, and love sports. What did you play?”

I responded, and then followed by saying, “But I never was very talented, so that’s not really where the love comes from.”

———-

My Grampy is truly one of a kind.
He’s witty, ornery and loves to push everyone’s buttons.
Last year when I moved to D.C., my grandparents flew to Kansas to help me pack up and drive my car and the U-Haul. Obviously I was pretty stressed about the quick move, and we hadn’t even left Kansas before my Mom called to ask how I was handling my Grampy…
I’m pretty sure I had at least three things to roll my eyes at and rant to her about.
But he also gives us quite a bit to laugh at.
We’re talking about a guy who has ran out of gas and been stranded more times than anyone in our family cares to count, and has knack for accidentally leaving and losing spendy items in public places.

But for as ornery as he is, my Grampy is also thoughtful and kind. When my mom was little, my grandparents were in charge a girls group home for a while, and over the years I have seen that kindness extended to so many people. He’s always there to help in any way he can.

33799_1563718888296_1143896_n — Photo by Shannon Boettcher, Fotonovella

My Grampy is adventurous and is always on the go.
He served in the army and is a world traveler.
When he was finishing up his degree after they had moved from Portland to Hermiston, he would hitch hike up and down the Gorge to attend class.
For many years he and my Grammy were known for their beautiful yard and rose garden, a labor of love that filled up the summer months between his job as a counselor and then high school principal. That focus eventually transferred to the family flower shop business after he retired from education, and now it has shifted to the family cabin. He can’t sit still, and has more energy than anyone I know.

———-

But what do any of these things have to do with sports?

Everything.

My Grampy grew up playing sports and has done some radio announcing for a variety of high sports over the years. Early on he coached high school boys’ basketball in Portland, before moving to Hermiston and becoming the head coach for many years. I know that he also spent time coaching youth teams that traveled overseas and assisted in other high school sports, like baseball. Then this past season, my Grampy had the unique opportunity to step back on the court as the head coach of the boys’ basketball team at Hermiston High School, for an interim season.

That influence sifted down to my uncles Jay and Josh, who were both college athletes and then became high school coaches in their respective sports, girls’ basketball and cross country.

But for my Grampy, I know that it has never the actual sport itself.
It’s about what sports can mean for people.

It is about practicing and teaching discipline, commitment and hard work. In a lot of small towns sports are often the key to keeping kids out of trouble and a stepping stone for them to see their potential to apply themselves. He wholeheartedly believes in the value of investing time and heart into students. I have always heard so many stories about his coaching days, and am so thankful that I was able to see that part of him come alive again for these kids.

(This post title comes from the question and response that he ends each huddle with.)

It is about chasing the science — studying the game and strengthening your sports IQ. Growing up, he called the high school football and basketball games on the local radio for a few years, and I loved to take stats for him because his live analysis and color comments helped me better understand the mechanics of the game. There is a thrill in the chase, countering strategy and risk, and the feeling of pay off when you succeed. My Grampy would tell you that you do not have to be into sports to understand that feeling, just replace sports with something that you are really passionate about, to fill your life with things that you make feel alive and that are worth chasing.

But most of all, it is about family and community.
Between my sister and me, we played quite a few different sports growing up, and our Grampy was always there to cheer us on and prepared to tell us afterward what we could do to improve next time. Even at our dance performances, he wanted to know the ins and outs of how everything worked. When my Uncle Josh stopped playing basketball in high school to focus on cross country and long distance track, something he continued into college, that became my Grampy’s new focus and he would run back and forth across the course shouting times. Similarly, when my Uncle Jay became a head basketball coach himself, my Grampy traveled to so many of his games that he might as well of become a (not so silent) extra coach in the stands. And of course, that support and interest extended past our family to our friends growing up.

I have always known that it is about investing time and finding things that he could do with us. Ever since my sister started taking golf seriously (she is finishing up her senior year at Lewis Clark State College), he was there every step of the way in whatever way she needed him. Because of that, they have played some awesome courses together and even attended the U.S. Open. For me, the past few years have been all about K-State sports for us. When I became a student at Kansas State University, he almost instantly became fan, taking the time to learn about its history and studying up on player’s stats, new recruits and more. He bought my season football and basketball passes each year so that I was always able to go and my friends knew that he was the only person that I would take the time to text while the games were still going on, or he was going to ask for a full summary afterward. Even with me being a news junkie, he would often find out about news before I did. Some of my favorite memories will always be the two football games he came to in Manhattan and going to watch K-State play Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.

gramps — At the K-State vs. Miami game in 2012.

Grampy and I at the Auburn game. — Grampy and I at the K-State vs. Auburn game in 2013.

10802023_10203303533564503_4968908252865626860_n — Grampy and I at the K-State vs. Auburn game in 2013.

1797495_10202741651454707_2018484053_n — Grampy golfing with my sister Janci in Cabo in 2012.

301148_3852757472830_241472685_n — With Grampy, Mom and Dad at the K-State vs. Miami game in 2012.

537768_4349246444744_1628941756_n — With Janci, Grammy and Grampy at the Fiesta Bowl watching K-State play Oregon in 2013.

———-

I love sports because of how much I love my Grampy, and the memories and things I have learned about other things in life because of his own love for sports.

I know this was a long post, but when I lay it all out like this I hope you can see what special guy he is. He truly embodies the phrase, “for the love of the game,” in every way.

Happy Birthday old man!
And let me casually brag that my bracket definitely outdid yours this year.

Love,
Mandy

With my grandparents at my high school graduation in 2009.

With my grandparents at my college graduation in2013.

Friendship

Thankful for Friends.

December 8, 2015September 12, 2017 Amanda

First, I’m just going to put this here…

“23 Greatest Thanksgiving Moments From “Friends”

…please ignore the fact that this post is more than a week late…

I might have a pretty strong argument for Manhattan, KS being the happiest place there is, but I’ve also always said that I truly believe that you can and will find great people wherever you go if you are open to it. Over the past two weeks though, those people have just so happened to be from that happy place and for that I am extra thankful.

At the end of November I made the trek in holiday traffic down to Raleigh, NC (a 6.5 hour drive that should have only been 4.5) hours to spend Thanksgiving with a group of Oregonians transplanted on the East Coast. I originally met Jake and Nicole back as Oregon FFA members and eventually played a role helping recruit them out to K-State. Now Jake is wrapping his first semester of grad school at NC State and Nicole will be joining him in NC after she graduates from K-State (holla to a fellow ACJ grad!) this month. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend with great food ( I’m mean REALLY great food) and even better company.

Thanks for the invite!

friendsgiving 5 — Friendsgiving 2015 Group

This past weekend I enjoyed a visit from another Kansas favorite. My friend Chelsea is one of the first friends I made when I first moved to Kansas. She was a year ahead of me living in Smurthwaite Scholarship House and became my official “Big Sis.” Many times those pairings don’t turn into friendships or only last during your time in Smurthwaite, but Chelsea was the perfect match for me and I am thankful that we are still friends today. Chelsea is currently working toward getting her PhD at Virginia Tech and was able to get a weekend off to visit and join me for the last K-State football watch party of the season!

We enjoyed a pretty laid back weekend and of course a WILDCAT VICTORY! Saturday was beautiful with sunshine and temps hanging around in the upper 50’s so we also detoured for a walk by the White House Eclipse to see the national Christmas tree and holiday decorations.

Each state and U.S. territory had its own little tree. I thought it really strange that every single tree was decorated with big glass balls filled with things representative of the state… EXCEPT for Oregon, which had a bunch of additional, and in my opinion, weird decorations. #KeepOregonWeird?

Thanks for a great weekend Chelsea! It was great getting to catch up!

Cheers.

Friendship, Kansas

Long Weekend in Kansas

October 17, 2015July 17, 2018 Amanda

This past weekend I flew to Kansas for a long, fun-filled weekend.
If I’m being honest, after having K-State season football tickets for 6 years, I just couldn’t imagine NOT going to a game at all. So when I discovered I had Columbus Day off (Thank you Christopher!) and found reasonably priced airline tickets, I decided to make a visit to my second home.

I’m actually surprised that I haven’t been as tired this past week because I really couldn’t have fit more in a little more than 72 hours. I flew in late to Wichita on Friday night and was picked up by my bestie/college roommate Megan. We got up early and road tripped to Manhattan on Saturday, and spent the morning hanging out with Leah and having lunch and coffee at my favorite study place, Bluestem.

The afternoon was filled with tailgating and catching up with lots of friends. All of my main group of friends in college have gone a lot of different directions, but almost all of us were in town. It is so refreshing to be reminded of the value of those friendships and memories, but equally exciting to see how well everyone is doing now.

The game itself was crazy. I was prepared for disappointment, and while the ending was indeed just that, the Cats reminded everyone to never disregard them too quickly. Regardless of the ending, I was still so excited to be back in one of my favorite places on earth. And on such a beautiful day! Seriously, fall sunsets in Kansas are simply gorgeous.

My view from inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

On Sunday I went to breakfast with a few more friends and then Megan and I headed out to Ellinwood, KS to visit our other bestie/roommate, Kyla. While her husband Nathan had been able to make it to Manhattan for the game, she had to stay behind for a school function (she’s a music teacher.) Overall, we traveled over 380 miles that weekend, but nothing was stopping me from including Kyla in my visit. We eventually realized that it was almost a year (a week later) than Megan and I had made similar trip out to see Kyla for my birthday.

We returned to Wichita that evening, and spent Monday relaxing and setting up some things in Megan’s new duplex before my flight left in the late afternoon.

Sometimes surrounding yourself with your favorite people, places and things is just good for the soul. Thanks to everyone for such a great weekend!

Cheers!

So There's That Series

What’s Up Wednesday: September 2015

September 30, 2015June 29, 2017 Amanda

Oh hey, what’s up? This link up happens the last Wednesday of every month with the same list of questions and is hosted by The Larson Lingo, Mix & Match Family and Pinterest Told Me To.

What I’m Eating This Week…
September was a bit unexpectedly busy and stressful, so I just really didn’t feel like spending too much time in the kitchen. This month was a lot of my quick go-to meals that are easy to prepare. I did try a couple of new restaurants though. Jaleo is a Spanish Tapas place in Gallery Place/Chinatown that was amazing!! I went there for a girls night with a few I know through work and there wasn’t a plate we didn’t like. We wrapped up the evening at Oyamel just right across the street for salt foam margaritas. I’m not big on the coarse salt margs are usually served with, but these were so different and so good!

Another place I tried was the Mitsitam Cafe at the American Indian History Museum. I think all of the Smithsonian’s have some type of cafeteria/food option, but the only other one I had eaten at before had a pretty standard menu. This one though had different stations and menus that reflected on native food from different Indian regions in the Western Hemisphere, so think “Northern Woodlands”, “Meso America”, “Northwest Indian,” etc.

What I’m Reminiscing About…

Our family friend posted this picture this week of Kelli, who is 10 years old and totally owning her first season showing livestock in 4-H.

My sister and I were Kelli and her brother Vance’s main baby sitters from the time they born, they even picked up on my sisters name for me “Sissy” for a while. One of the saddest things for me was to leave for college and not get to watch them grow up. All of these pictures from her first show season almost made me tear up because she looks so grown up (and almost taller then me) doing this…

And its so hard to believe that its been 6 years ago since she was doing this…

But the little girl in this picture will always be my favorite. Love you Kelli Bean!

What I’m Loving…

Pieces of home. Even at (almost!) 25, I still have waves of bad homesickness. The past week or so has been particularly strong. This month was a little overwhelming in a lot of ways and I’ve been talking a lot about home because I was making plans for Christmas vacation. My family has had some pretty hilarious group text chats and everyone just has so much going on in their lives that I wish I was closer for. So Snapchats like this one my sister sent me and t-shirts like the one my childhood bestie Kari sent me, are what get me through some days

What I’ve Been Up To…

I started out the month in Guatemala, and each week that followed was full of lots of unexpected things at work. The fact that the month is over blows my mind a little bit. There’s always a few evening happy hours and work events, so honestly I’ve been pretty tired and definitely more than ok with my lazy weekends. The really exciting thing is that K-State football watch party’s have started and I am enjoying spending some of my Saturday in a bar full of purple-clad people.

What I’m Dreading…

Well I’ve been really excited about fall, but the other day my boss and I were in the District for a meeting and grabbed some lunch at a food truck. I start talking about how nice it is that we can enjoy our lunch outside and he immediately responds, “Yes, and that just means that winter is next.”

Thanks Eeyore, I was trying to forget about that part for now…

What I’m Working On…

I finally got my own separate office at work so I am working on making the space my own. I added some fun fall decorations and am making a burlap wreath for it that I will share some time soon!

What I’m Excited About…

My kicked off my new “The Road I Traveled” series this week and I received a lot of interest and some good feedback! I am really excited to see how this project can evolve. A special thanks to my friends Jancey, Jordan, Megan and Lance for helping me work through some of my ideas!

Read the introductory post HERE.
Read my first post featuring yours truly HERE.

What I’m Watching…

I said last month that I have been working my way through Friends on Netflix from start to finish. The problem is I only have 6 episodes left in the last season and now I am avoiding them. I don’t want it to end!!

Last week was fall premiere week, and I was excited for some of my favorites to be back on. I’m not committed to watching everything in real time, so anything I miss I’ll catch up on later on Hulu or the specific network’s sites. Right now my fall shows are Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder and Criminal Minds. I kind of half-watch, half-listen to The Voice. I enjoy the coaches’ banter and like hearing good covers, but that is just SO MUCH time to commit to a show two nights a week! Usually if I miss an episode completely I’ll just watch the performances and highlight reels on YouTube. The only new show that I’ve checked out the pilot of is Blood & Oil. I wasn’t super impressed but I might give it a few more chances. There are a few others I like such as Gotham, Castle and NCIS: LA but again, I just think its a little unhealthy to spend that much time in front of the TV, so I’ll catch up on those later on a lazy Sunday or while I’m cleaning my apartment.

What I’m Reading…
I’ll recap my September reading list next week during Molly and Katie’s Bookworm Wednesday link-up.

What I’m Listening To…

Well this week I’ve mainly had Thomas Rhett’s new album “Tangled Up” on replay. You’ll hear more about that on this week’s Friday Jam Session.

But be sure to catch up on all of my September Friday Jam Sessions…

Vol. 16: September 4
Vol. 17: September 11
Vol. 18: September 18
Vol. 19: September 25

What I’m Wearing…

Thunderstorms have made a few afternoons a bit humid, but for the most part it is officially scarf weather here!

I don’t really make a habit of taking pictures of my outfits because I don’t see myself as that much of a fashionista. I was, however, proud of these outfits and took the pictures to send to my friend Megan…so I guess why not share here. The grey suede booties from Express are my new favorite and I’m excited to try them with different looks. The red Gap pants are my very first colored skinny pants. I’ve tried many on over the past few years but I was never brave enough. The cream sweater in the second picture is from The Limited and my other new favorite fall piece. It is really soft and actually is split from the buttons on the shoulder down to where you can see that it is uneven. Obviously I thought it was cute when I bought it, but didn’t notice that the extra tag said it was apart of the “Scandal’s Olivia Pope” inspired line. Now I love it even more!

What I’m Doing This Weekend…
So far just planning on watching these boys in their first conference match up of the season. We are 3-0, but I’d still say that the season has started up bit shaky. This weekend’s game against Oklahoma State should give us a better idea how the rest of the season might pan out.

What I’m Looking Forward to Next Month…
Ah, I love October! I mean, who doesn’t love their birthday month….

So because I’ve traveled somewhere almost every month since I moved to D.C., I figured, why not continue the streak… Or it was more like I just really missed my Kansas friends and after being a K-State football season ticket holder for the past six years, I couldn’t imagine not going to a single game! I have a three-day weekend coming up with Columbus Day so I am taking advantage of it for a quick trip to the heartland. I have A LOT packed in but I am really excited!

This Month’s Bonus Question: What’s Your Favorite Halloween Tradition…

I’m not a huge Halloween fan. I have this weird phobia of people wearing masks and costumes that hide their face and growing up it was always freezing in Oregon by October 31 so we had to get creative with layers in our costumes to stay warm. In college though, the scholarship house that I lived in my freshman and sophomore year had a really cool philanthropy tradition. The guys from the men’s scholarship house were auctioned off to us girls (I was the auctioneer one year!) and we were in charge of dressing them up for Halloween. We would then go out and trick-or-treat for canned goods that we would then donate, along with the money to the local food drive. Typically girls would group together and pool their money, and it was always really funny to see boyfriends go for a really high price because everyone kept bidding up even though it was kind of an unspoken rule that no one else would buy them. The best part though, was costumes themes. My freshman year our guys were the Spice Girls and we were their groupies. And my sophomore year we were all a box of crayons.

2009

2010

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Well, that’s what’s up this Wednesday!
Cheers!

So There's That Series

So There’s That Vol. 12

September 22, 2015September 22, 2015 Amanda

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1. One Day at a Time

The last two week’s since I returned home from Guatemala have been pretty stressful at work. Everything turned out great, they were just a bit stressful…
I was humored that the next page on my quote book knew exactly how I was feeling.

2. Happy 25th Birthday Megan

“Maybe our girlfriends are our soul mates and guys are just people to have fun with.”
– Carrie Bradshaw

From age 18 to 25, we’ve been asking ourselves lately “how did we get here?” Not sure that there’s an actual answer to that, but I know it involves a lot of cheesy memories.

3. Wheel of Musical Impressions

So I’m not really an Ariana Grande fan, but seriously, I have to admit that her musical impressions were really impressive, and funny.

4. T-Swift Love

Tonight my bestie Megan is going to the Taylor Swift concert in Kansas City with tickets that she won on the radio! The grand plan was that I was going to fly there and go with her. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, (but I am going to visit Kansas for a three-day weekend in October!) Over the last few months I have become a little obsessed with all of the guests that she continues to feature at each of her stops, and I can wait to hear about who shows up at this show!

The Complete Guide to All the Famous People Who Showed Up on Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour
(with Videos)

5. Curly Hair Problems

15 Things Girls Say When Their Hair Just Won’t Cooperate

#storyofmylife
#seriouslythough

6. K-State Football

People, college football is BACK!

So there is this…

…and then there is this guy.

7. Coach Ego

Hermiston hires Ego as interim boys basketball coach

Almost everything that I love about sports and particularly the game of basketball is because of my Grampy. No matter what it was that my sister and I were involved in from basketball, soccer, cross country and golf to even dance team and FFA, he always played the role of coach and cheerleader, investing in us the best way he could to make sure that we came …out on the other side as better people. When I decided to go to college at K-State he immediately became a Wildcats fan, learning stats and hearing big news even before I would hear it on campus. People usually knew that he was the only person whose texts I would respond to during games. Even living so far away from home it allowed us to remain close and share something we both loved. On the outside he’s super passionate about sports, and while I’m very excited to finally see him in the coach’s seat, its not really about that. My Grampy taught us that sports are about investing in other people and challenging yourself. They are about hard work, discipline and committing yourself to something you love.

These kids really don’t know what they are in for this season. I love you Gramps! I can’t wait to discuss your team for a change!

8. Ready for Fall

It’s slowly starting to feel like fall in D.C. and I am loving this candle that I picked up at Target. It has three layers: pumpkin nutmeg, bonfire nights and vanilla dolce. So far I’m loving it.

9. Basic

Just humor me, and take the quiz. I promise a good laugh.
You know you want to.

Quiz: How Basic Are You Really?

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So, There’s That.
Cheers!

Gearing up for Fall…

Sawyer June

The Teacher

In Case You Missed It On the Blog in August

Eagle Creek Fire in Oregon

Motivation from Filly Flair

K-State Capital Area Alumni

The Power of Rituals and 6 Other Ways to Get in The Zone

Out and About

My Life in Memes

So, There’s That.

Cheers!

So, There’s That.

Cheers!

1. Hokie Country

2. Proud Big Sister

3. Welcome to the World Robin Michelle!

4. #WorkLife

5. Lip Sync Battle with Melissa McCarthy

6. Gilmore Girls Retro Poster

7. Bye Marilyn

8. Alex’s Snapchat

9. Disney Princesses Singing in Their Native Languages

10. Drink The District

11. Carpool Karaoke

12. Word Love

13. America Survives

14. 50 Design Terms Explained Simply for Non-Designers

15. On the Road with Wheat Foods Council

16. Fire Away

17. Prairie Star Tournament Champion

18. Perspective