Chapel Hill Bucket List

Most people know where my heart lies. It lies with delicious food, it lies with stunning clothes, it occasionally lies with cute boys, but more than anything it lies in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill is my one true love and will have my heart forever. The DTH (the student paper at UNC) recently published a Bucket List of things every UNC student should do before they graduate. I thought it'd be interesting to see how many I've done and if I have any fun stories associated with each. And for the ones I haven't done... I'm getting on them asap. I may have graduated, but in my mind I'll forever be a UNC student.

1. Ride a full circle of the P2P route Done. Several times. Oh heyyy, freshman year.
2. Play in the fountain at Bynum Circle Done.
3. Explore Wilson Library’s Rare Book Collection Done.
4. Get frozen yogurt at Yogurt Pump Obviously. Oreo is the best.
5. Have your picture taken with Rameses Done, despite my fear of mascots.
6. Drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes Done. (The tears are starting to well up)
7. Eat a cheddar-chicken biscuit at Time Out after 2 a.m. Done. You'd never know something that tasted so delicious late night, could be so utterly repulsive in day light.
8. Celebrate Halloween on Franklin Street Done. Four years in a row. Let's see - flapper, Daisy Duke, fairy, lady bug.
9. Pretend to fire the ROTC cannon Don't think I've done this one... can't say I have an overwhelming desire to.
10. Eat lunch at the counter of Sutton’s Drug Store Duh.
11. Go stargazing in Kenan Stadium Yes. :)
12. Pull an all-nighter in the UL If you haven't, you aren't really a UNC Student.
13. Get covered in paint at the Holi celebration on Polk Place Uh... I don't even know what this is.
14. Listen to the Pit Preacher and argue back I'm not sure I argued back, although he did tell me multiple times I was going to hell for wearing shorts.
15. Sunbathe on Polk Place Yes :)
16. Eat breakfast at Ye Olde Waffle Shop Yep.
17. Hula hoop at Weaver Street Market Been to Weaver Street, but never hula hooped.
18. Tweet at a UNC varsity athlete Of course. But even better than tweeting is actually talking to them. Preferably late night at Lucy's.
19. Play a round of golf at the Finley Golf Course Does the driving range count?
20. Play four-square in the Pit Nope.
21. Get ice cream at Maple View Farms in Carrboro Yep.
22. Visit a professor during office hours Of course.
23. Visit the Duke Botanical Gardens No. Do you see the first word in there?
24. See a star show at the Morehead Planetarium Done.
25. Complete a DTH crossword Only every day for four years of my life. Plus Sudoku the last two years.
26. Have a snowball fight on McCorkle Place Yep.
27. Climb the Bell Tower on Senior Day Yep. Tearrrr.
28. Persuade your teacher to hold class outside on a sunny day Oh yes. One benefit of having super liberal teachers.
29. Drink an extra-large coffee at the Daily Grind No. I've been to the Daily Grind several times, but I don't really like coffee.
30. Become a member of Local 506 and see a show Oh hey, freshman year. My friend's band played here several times.
31. Find and eat at the taco truck in Carrboro No. Food trucks didn't get big until after I left.
32. Sit outside Memorial Hall at night and listen to a show over the loudspeakers No, that's weird. I just bought a ticket. Oh Ben Folds, you were amazing.
33. Climb the rock wall in Rams Head No.
34. Hang a hammock and have a picnic in the Arboretum I've been through the Arboretum multiple times, but honestly we called it the Rapeoretum because it was really scary.
35. Run the stairs at Kenan Stadium Yes. Kenan, my love.
36. Watch the sun set from the 8th floor of Davis Library Yes.
37. “Borrow” cutlery and dishes from Lenoir No. I wasn't much of a Lenoir gal since I lived in private dorms the first two years that had a cafeteria and lived off-campus my last two years.
38. Crash a prospective student tour No!? That's rude.
39. Run or walk a 5k on campus for charity Tar Heel Trot, yay! Plan on doing Eve's run soon.
40. Get tickets as a senior to the UNC-Duke game Of course.
41. Dance in a library flash mob Didn't participate, did witness.
42. Walk across the Morehead Planetarium sundial on your way to Franklin Street Yep.
43. Get a letter to the editor and a kvetch published in the DTH No.
44. Attend at least one game for every UNC sports team Wow. As hardcore as I am, I don't think I ever went to a men's lacrosse game. I could be wrong though.
45. See (or participate) in the library streaking during finals Yep.
46. Attend a Zumba class at the SRC or Rams Head Yes, but Absolution is the best class ever.
47. Visit the basketball museum at the Dean Dome Yep.
48. Have a drink and listen to some bluegrass at Fridays on the Front Porch at the Carolina Inn AHHH now I'm really crying. YES.
49. See a movie hosted by CUAB at the Union Yep.
50. Play volleyball at a sand court Yep.
51. Grill some hot dogs at a residence hall grill Done.
52. Sit on the Davie Poplar bench — with someone else Aw this is sweet. I'm sure I have, but I doubt it was cute and romantic.
53. Play racquetball at Fetzer Gym No.
54. Eat a deep-fried candy bar at the State Fair No and this has nothing to do with UNC.
55. Swim some laps in the Bowman Gray pool Nope.
56. Stand on your feet for 24 hours with UNC Dance Marathon No, but donated time and money to it!
57. Paint yourself blue for a football game I've done it for a basketball game (risers, Wake Forest, senior year). I really try to look super cute for football games.
58. Trip on a brick in the Pit More times than I can remember.
59. Get a blue cup from He’s Not Here Of course.
60. Visit Gimghoul Castle at night Yep.
61. Fall asleep in a couch at Graham Memorial I don't know if I've fallen asleep, but I love Graham Memorial. It became my official study spot senior year.
62. Sing “Hark the Sound” and link arms with a stranger at a sporting event Yes. This is one of my favorite feelings ever.
63. Go to Duke’s campus wearing a UNC shirt Yep.
64. Watch a basketball game from the risers at the Dean Dome Yep. Wake Forest. T-Hans. Miss you senior year.
65. Appear in an STV show No.
66. See a movie at the Varsity Theater Yep. I've seen a couple, but I remember seeing Brokeback Mountain there.
67. Pit-sit for a student organization Oh yeah.
68. Go swimming in Jordan Lake Yes, but again, I'm a little confused about how this relates to UNC. I guess for out-of-staters?
69. Take a weekend road trip to see fall foliage in Asheville  See above.
70. Head eastward and lie out on the beach in Wilmington See above.
71. Eat traditional Southern food at Mama Dips Yep. Not my favorite Southern food in CH, but it's one of those things you have to do.
72. Buy flowers from the ladies on Franklin Street Oh yes. Flowers sound like a great idea late night.
73. Check out a book from each of the eight floors of Davis Library I doubt it.
74. Have a hot dog at the season opener at Boshamer Been to season opener, probably didn't have a hot dog.
75. Make a gingerbread house in the Great Hall during finals week No.
76. Climb on the roof of a building on campus Yes. :)
77. Visit the N.C. General Assembly building in Raleigh No?
78. Play basketball in Woollen Gym Did I play basketball in Woollen? Are you kidding me? Four years of intramurals - I think I bruised half of campus with my sharp elbows.
79. Feed a squirrel on campus I had a bad experience with squirrels on campus. One fell out of a tree a mere 3 feet in front of me and broke its neck as I walking to graduation proceedings. Like really??? I think it was telling me not to graduate.
80. Participate in a football tailgate Y'all know this is my favorite thing ever. :)
81. Introduce yourself to Holden Thorp I don't know if Holden and I have met yet. He wasn't there when I was. (Which I'm making sound like it was a hundred years ago - it was less than 3)
82. Work on an election campaign for student government Yep.
83. Memorize the words to James Taylor’s “Carolina In My Mind” Of course!
84. Go to a Clef Hangers concert Oh Clefs, you have a little piece of my heart, too.
85. Sign your friend up for clubs at Fall Fest — without his or her knowledge No, but do remember Fall Fest.
86. Make money by participating in a research study on campus Haha no, but really debated it a few times.
87. Get a parking ticket and appeal it No.
88. Eat cheese fries at Linda’s on Franklin Street Yep.
89. Attend an “I Heart Female Orgasm” lecture No?? I don't even know what this is.
90. Paint a cube in the Pit Yes :)
91. Read an issue of each student publication Many times.
92. Go to a UNC Board of Trustees meeting at the Carolina Inn No.
93. Eat one of everything off the menu at Alpine Bagels Mmm, no need to eat everything. Everything bagel with bacon-scallion cream cheese is where it's at.
94. Go dancing at Players Hahaha. All of my good friends know the story behind this one.
95. Attend a Durham Bulls game and buy a baseball cap Yes, but the best ones are the plastic baseball caps that hold ice cream. :)
96. Peruse the ties for sale at Julian’s on Franklin Love me some Julians.
97. Win an intramural championship T-shirt Sadly, my stellar basketball skills never won me an Intramural shirt.
98. Head to the drive-through window at Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen and order a biscuit Mmm, yes.
99. Take a walk across campus early in the morning before anyone else is awake Yep.
100. Rush Franklin after beating Dook — and run all the way there from the Dean Dome Yes. And even cooler, Rush Franklin after winning the National Championship --- and run all the way there from the Dean Dome.


Now that I'm officially in tears and missing Carolina more than ever, I absolutely cannot wait to be over there for the Dook game Saturday. And since I'm all nostalgic, here are some of my favorite memories from UNC.

My brother tailgating at Spring Lane. I don't think I realized at the time what a big deal it was for my dad to give up his normal tailgate spot and come to my house. I'm very appreciative now. We had some great times there.

Miami football game in Chapel Hill. You can't tell, but this is a picture of them being cocky and dancing to our music. We won the game and they looked silly. This was one of the first big football wins when I was in school.

One of my best friends and I at a Carolina football game. This one particularly stands out because the guy behind us kept calling the other team "Sneaky Creatures" and whispering it in a weird, creepy voice.

My little sister from my sorority who turned into family. One of the best friends I made in college. This was at a Valentine's Cocktail. We always made the events our own. :) 

I always had fun when my friends from home came to Chapel Hill. Here we all are at Spring Lane getting ready to go out for Halloween my Junior Year.

This is my favorite bar in Chapel Hill. It changed its name to P.T.'s, but will forever be Lucy's in my eyes. You will find many references to it on this blog.

This was at one of my best friend's apartments. I spent many hours on that couch, reading magazines with a rum and diet coke, while he played XBox. Those were some of my favorite, quiet moments.

Wine, cheese and pepperoni became a tradition that my little sister turned best friend and I participated in often. I miss those afternoons/evenings more than anything!

Daddy and I in the Dean Dome for my last game as a Carolina student. Tears.

Mom and I before graduation.

My brother and I at graduation in rainy Kenan.

Daddy and I at graduation at Kenan.

Chapel Hill,

Please keep being forever amazing and let's continue this little love affair of ours until the day I die.

Always yours,

Lindsay

Oh heyyyyy Harrison!

Goodness gracious y'all. Last night we played FSU in Tallahassee. It was a back and forth physical game throughhout. We didn't play particularly well, but when we had a seven point lead with just a few minutes left, I thought we were okay. Silly me.

We turned it over several times and were down 70-69 with 18 seconds left. Kenda drove and was blocked. Timeout Roy with 11 seconds left. Harrison got the ball, dribbled for what seemed like five years, pulled up for a three at the top of the arc - buckets. 72-70 Tar Heels win.

I haven't been so excited about the ending of a Carolina game in forever. It was ridiculously awesome. And taking a three there  - gutsy move, Harrison. I like it. and you.

Dook also won there game to make Saturday's game for the ACC title. Bring it, Dook. :)

Monday Morning Review

GO HOKIES!

Saturday night Dook lost to Va. Tech in Blacksburg. It was a very close game, but one that you had the sense Va.Tech wanted it just that much more. Duke now has two ACC losses (the same as us), so we are tied for first in the conference.

The bball boys beat Maryland at home last night by 11 points. It was a very fast paced game. Henson had 15 rebounds and both Z and Harrison had over 20.

We play Wednesday at Florida State and Duke plays Clemson at home this week.

Which means... if we both win... we are playing for Regular Season Conference Champs when we play each other Saturday. How epic would that be!? But first we have to get past a 3rd place FSU team at home - no easy task.

Go Heels!

State and Carolina are, well, really different

Happy Friday, loves! I hope you all have something marvelous in store for the weekend or maybe a whole lot of nothing (which is pretty dang marvelous in itself). I think my weekend will be pretty low key with a trip to a new brewery tonight and a cookout at home tomorrow.

Before I get ahead of myself, let me update you on the Carolina vs. State game. As you'll recall, I had courtside seats. My client ended up sitting somewhere else and giving me an extra ticket, so I took my daddy. We had the best time. Here is how close we were (and this is from my horrible-picture-taking Blackberry):

Y'all, I could see every elbow thrown, smell every drop of sweat and hear every bad word said. It was AWESOME. One time, Harrison went flying and I almost caught him. Good thing I didn't because I probably wouldn't have given him back. Play on boys, Harrison will be over here with me. Roy, calm down! You need to give the bench players more experience. Harrison will be fine over here.

We ended up winning by 12. It was an extremely ugly and physical game. Not a pretty win, but a good, solid road win for us. I wish I could have those seats in the Dean Dome. Sigh.

Anyway, while I was at State, I noticed some glaring differences between State fans and Carolina fans. Take this with a grain of salt, if you want, as I'm a life long Carolina fan, but my mama taught me not to lie.

1) State fans are mean. I've experienced their meanness at football tailgates, so I wasn't entirely shocked, but I anticipated they would be a little more apathetic to their less-than-mediocre basketball team. Boy, was I wrong. I heard the f-word more in a two hour time span at the RBC Center than I've heard in the past five years of my life. For real.

2) State fans don't make sense. I think this goes along with the #1 - I think they say strange things to be mean regardless of if they want to make sense. Here are two classic examples.
    a.) Every time Zeller touched the ball, one State fan felt the need to yell "America!" When one of his fellow State cohorts finally asked him what this "America" was in reference to, State fan #1 responded, "Because Zeller's from a foreign country." Right.
    b.) At the end of the game, when we were up eleven, I heard this. "That's pure class right there. Look at Carolina. That's pure class playing defense when you're up 11." Last time I checked, you aren't really supposed to just stop playing defense. Not to mention, State was fouling. If it's close enough for you to foul, it's close enough for us to play defense.

3) State fans don't like to wear pretty clothes to games. Now, don't get me wrong, I have some very close State friends who are very fashionable. But even these pretty, fashionable girls wear t-shirts to games. I can't remember the last time I wore a t-shirt to a game. As you know, I'm a big believer in the football dress, but I usually tune it down for basketball with a crisp, Carolina blue button down and dark-wash jeans. I guess t-shirts aren't bad, I'm just not used to that.

I left the RBC Center prouder than ever to be a Carolina fan. I'm sure some State fans would argue they are more hardcore about sports with their t-shirts, bad words and shotgunning abilities, but I'll take a football dress (or even a button down for goodness sakes), quiet cheering and wine and cheese any day of the week. Go Heels!

(Close to) Monday Morning Review

Saturday the bball boys took on Boston College at home. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the ugliest game ever. The final score was 48-46. It was that ugly. Nothing really spectacular to write about it, other than to say we got the W and it was our 20th win of the season.

Tomorrow night we take on the Wolfpack in the RBC Center. One of my clients offered me a courtside seat to the game. Um, officially freaking out over here. I could reach out and touch Harrison. I can see little John Henson's precious faces a mere few feet from me. This is insane. So, so blessed.

I'm More of A Sunshine and Solid Ground Kinda Girl

This past weekend I went to the mountains for a long weekend with some of my best friends. I'm not really a mountain girl, I've never skied in my life (save one traumatic incident when my dad took out all the kids in my lesson when I was six because he couldn't stop) and I'm not a big fan of snow (unless I'm wrapped in cashmere and sipping a hot toddy on a snow day). That being said, the idea of a long weekend with some great people sounded fabulous. So I packed up sweet Baby Civi and head to the mountains after work on Thursday.

Friday morning we hit the slopes (don't I sound like a pro now?). There were three of us who didn't have much experience, so we decided to stick together and snowboard (I've since learned snowboarding is thought of as way harder than skiing). Let me tell you, it was the hardest thing ever. First of all, the board is really heavy. For those who haven't met me, I have abnormally thin arms and legs. That snowboard weighed my legs down like crazy. To start things off you get on the ski lift. Which is terrifying. You have to jump off at exactly the right moment. The first time I went, I barely got off and the chair pushed me about five feet. After you get off the lift, you strap in and head down the mountain.

My group apparently isn't the brightest because we tried an easy level slope BEFORE we tried the bunny level. Needless to say I spent most of the time on my rear end. The times I did get going, I was so petrified that I made myself fall. I went down the slopes two times and then made myself at home at the ski lodge bar. It was so much fun, but I would definitely take a lesson next time.

Complaining about snowboarding aside, it was an amazing weekend. It reminded me how blessed I am to have this group of friends. Most of us have been close since we were in high school and I consider them all my brothers and would do anything for any one of them. This trip reminded me that no matter what happens, our group has a bond that is unbreakable. And for that I am so incredibly grateful.

It's supposed to be 78 here tomorrow! Maybe I'll head to the beach... :)

Monday Morning Review

Wednesday night the Heels took on the Dookies in Cameron. We started off the game on fire and took a quick sixteen point lead. I was so excited, but knew better than to count my chickens at that point. Growing up around here there are some things you learn. 1) Basketball is king. 2) Eastern NC bbq dominates Western NC bbq. 3) Dook will always make a run.

I'm sure there are other things you learn, but those stick out. Anyway, me being the smart southern girl that I am did not count  my chickens and therefore did not freak out when Dook made a run. Can't say the same for my Tar Heel boys. They are young and most aren't local - I understand. They will know better next year. We ended up losing by six. Disappointing, but okay. It takes a miracle to win in Cameron and I can tell how much we've improved. I think we've got a real shot at home.

On Saturday the boys took on Clemson at Clemson. I was at the mountains (post coming soon on my first snowboarding attempt) and the tv signal kept going in and out so I'm not sure of the details. From what I did see, and from what I've read, it was sloppy and HB had a crazy dunk. We snuck out of Littlejohn with a two point victory - I'll take it.

We play Wake tomorrow night at home. Wake is the worst team in the ACC (by far), so unless something crazy happens, we should be okay.

Monday Morning Review

Happy Monday y'all!

The bball boys took on FSU yesterday in the Dean Dome. No one was sure what to expect after the sudden departure of Larry Drew (now officially deemed Larry Who by many Tar Heel faithful), but K-Marsh quickly relieved that uncertainty. Marshall broke a freshman record for assists with 16 while commiting only 3 turnovers.

You know all that great play Larry Drew had been praised for since coming off the bench? Those 19 assists to only four turnovers? Well, Marshall had almost the same in one outing. Wherever Larry Drew was hiding, he heard about Kendall's game.

We won by twenty points and have moved up to #20 in the rankings. We play Dook Wednesday at Cameron. I'd love to win, but I won't be too upset if we lose. Playing at Cameron is almost impossible and playing at Cameron with such young players would be an even more difficult feat. My only concern is that a loss would affect that awesome confidence we are playing with right now.

It's so nice to be enjoying Carolina basketball again. Go to Hell, Dook!

Depression, Confusion and Anxiety Ensue

Anyone that knows me even semi-well knows that I'm a huge Larry Drew fan. While the rest of Tar Heel Nation was saying he was horrible, I was singing his praises. I don't really know why I liked him. I enjoy diminutive point guards. And he just seemed so presh. And I love a good underdog. I defended LD more than anyone and was loyal like no other. That is why this is so hard for me.

Larry Drew II is leaving UNC. Mid-season. Without any good reason. It seems to be a decision driven by his father who is Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks. He apologized for "failing to meet expectations of people in Chapel Hill" and said it was a family decision.

It appears Roy was unaware until he talked to LDI this morning and the players all said they found out via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

This hurts my heart for two reasons.

1) Despite what people say, we need Larry Drew. Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, we need two point guards. We have NO backup point guard. Dex will have to play pg now and that's just a flashback to Shammond playing point, but a not as good version.

2) My feelings are hurt. I know LD doesn't know me or my love for him, but I stood by that kid like no other. I defended him to everyone. I'm sure you can go back on this blog and see.

Excuse my language, but this sucks. Especially if this decision is coming from his father (as it appears to be) and not him. And the timing is incredibly stupid. He will have to sit out a year and won't get to play any games the rest of this year.

Anddddd, I just got word that our awesome new assistant football coach Brian Baker, who has been with us for less than three weeks, has left us for the Dallas Cowboys. What a day.

Fashion Fix: Football Ring

It's no secret that I think the perfect outfit can make or break a football game. My football dress did pretty well last year and was true Carolina blue (true Carolina blue is very hard to find, but that's another post). Anyway, I'm always looking for accessories in Carolina blue with some style (ie that aren't manufactured by UNC and slapped with a big ol' logo). Here is my newest want:

Isn't it gorgeous? It's by Ippolita, one of my absolute favorite new jewelry designers. Just imagine it on my finger wrapped around a champagne flute at a tailgate. Love at first sight.

It Finally Feels Good to be a Tar Heel Again

Let me start by saying, I'm so blessed. I've grown up a Tar Heel fan and have come to love everything about the athletics program, the school, the people. I've also become a little spoiled. Most of my life Carolina basketball has been pretty dominant. My freshman year at school I witnessed a National Championship and got to storm Franklin Street (I'm getting chills just remembering it) and the year after I graduated, we won the National Championship yet again (if only I had stayed five years). Carolina football has never been great, but it's always been fun. Fast-forward to this past year. Carolina basketball fails to make the NCAA Tournament. Carolina football is involved in an NCAA and academic (this turned out to be mostly nothing) scandal. It's been hard to be a Tar Heel fan lately.

The past couple of days though, I've felt those warm fuzzies coming back. The warm fuzzies I get when Shammond and TJ declare "I am a Tar Heel" and the warm fuzzies I get when singing the alma mater after a big win. Tuesday night, the bball boys headed to snow-covered Boston to take on BC. I was a little nervous about this game - ACC road games are always hard. We dominated the entire game and won by over thirty points. I haven't seen us play that well in a few years. We looked like a top five team, if not the top team in the nation. It was ridiculous. Harrison had 26, BOTH our point guards distributed well, everyone was on fire. It was SO nice to feel like we are back where we belong. I'm not naive and I know we've got a tough schedule coming up, but it's good to see the Heels playing to their full capability.

On the football front, yesterday was National Signing Day. We signed a top 15 recruiting class in the face of all the NCAA silliness. That is insane. I said it last year and I'll say it again - Miami on New Years?

Happy Thursday kiddos. I'm off to find a dress for Spring Football. :) Lovelovelove.

Monday Morning Review

 The Tar Heels took on the Woofies Saturday afternoon at home. We pretty much dominated the whole game and won 84-64. Harrison had 25 points and Henson had 16 points and 16 rebounds. I think they are both adorable.

Before the game, Daddy and I went to a Coaches Circle event - a champagne brunch in the newly-renovated Carmichael. It was so much fun! We sipped mimosas, ate yummy biscuits and oh yeah, talked to BUTCH!! We told him we were so grateful for such a great season and he said to give all the credit to the boys and the assistant coaches. At that point, I really wanted to express my love for a certain Taylor Jonathan and declare to Butch that I do, in fact, LOVE YOU TJ, but I refrained. We then got a tour of the locker rooms in Carmichael which are incredibly nice.

At halftime of the game, the football boys were honored for their Music City Bowl win. Teej wasn't there as he is playing in the NFLPA game on Saturday (along with Shaun Draughn and Ryan Taylor), but it was good to see some of the boys. After the football presentation, one of my clients had a halftime presentation which was also very exciting!

How was everyone's weekend? I'm feeling refreshed and revitalized after a great weekend and getting more and more settled in the new house. Have a great week y'all. It's supposed to be 69 degrees on Wednesday. I'm sort of giddly like a little girl about it.

Craving: Warm Weather

Happy Friday, sweet sweet readers! This has been A WEEK! Wine o'clock cannot come soon enough this evening. But I digress. I am craving warm weather. In a serious serious way. As you know, I moved last week into a beautiful house with one of my best friends Lauren. We have this ridiculously awesome sunroom that I'm pretty sure I'm going to live in when it gets warm. It keeps calling my name, "Lindsay, Lindsay, don't you want to sit out here and drink wine and eat cheese and crackers? Lindsay, Lindsay, don't you want to spend a lazy Saturday lounging on the loveseat out here, reading fashion magazines and eating Bon-Bons?" Why, yes I do sunroom, but these below freezing temps are not helping the situation. I also got a brand new grill for Christmas that we're dying to try out one weekend. We can't wait to play with our new cornhole board too! Ugh, winter, why must you torture me so?

On that note, I think I'm going skiing in a few weeks. Now, guys, the one time I went skiing in my life was sort of traumatic. I was about six years old and in a little skiing lesson for kids. My dad, meanwhile, was in a lesson for adults. All of the sudden out of nowhere my dad comes barreling through our kids lesson, unable to stop, and takes out a few kids on the way. I haven't been skiing since. But the boys invited me to tag along on their ski weekend in a few weeks in Blowing Rock. I don't know about the skiing, but the house has a hot tub and I'm a big fan of hot tubs.

Sidenote: Living with a roommate is awesome in many ways, but one unexpected benefit is I don't eat as much! I always used to cook goodies when I was bored and despite good intentions, ended up eating half of the batter along the way. Now I hang out with the roomie when I'm bored. While I may be pale in my bathingsuit in the hot tub, I will not be fat.

Craving: Hydrangeas

I am in love with hydrangeas. I want them all over my yard, in vases all over my house and when the day comes when I decide to get married, I want them all over the church. The fact that they come in Carolina blue, well, that is just perfection. So ready for warm weather so they are available (stay tuned for a warm weather post)!

(Wow I'm really not close to it this week) Monday Morning Review

Hey sweet readers! Here it is, Thursday (thank the good Lord in Heaven) and I am just writing the Monday Morning Review. It's sunny out today which makes my heart smile ridiculous amounts. It's still chilly, but it's been dreadfully rainy and gloomy so I'll take what I can get.

All stayed right with the world last week when we beat Clemson for the 55th time in a row in Chapel Hill. I, unfortunately, came down with a bout of the flu last week (get your flu shots, my friends - it.was.miserable) and did not go to the game. Between the flu, moving and a HUGE work meeting, things have been crazy. Today has been the first day I've gotten a chance to breathe and boy, does it feel lovely.

Last night, the bball boys hit the road to take on Miami. We started off incredibly slow and got ourselves in a big, ugly hole, but managed to come back and tie it up at halftime. The whole second half was close, but we ended up winning on by three on a clutch 3-point shot by Harrison. Thank you, Mr. Barnes! He has hit several clutch shots lately. You will not here an "overrated" chant anywhere near the lips of this girl.

Next up: State on Saturday following a champagne brunch at Carmichael. Count this girl in! 

Moving was successful. I am so blessed to have a set of awesome guy friends that helped me and did most of the grunt work while I was feeling less than stellar. I love y'all! It's nice to have someone to lounge around with and have a glass of wine with at the end of the work day.

I Want to Be French

 Goodness y'all, I'm silly. I don't know how I didn't put two and two together until now. I thought I had some weird fascination with the letter "B." I want a bakery and a bicycle with a basket and a butcher. And I really like boys and the movie "Breathless." While it is weird those things all start with a "B," I think I really want to be French! I want to start off my day with crossaints outside at the bakery down the street. I want to wear cute French clothes like striped shirts with a little scarf tied around my neck. I want to head to the butcher to get fresh meat to cook for dinner. I want to do all this in a bicycle with a basket. I want fruit, cheese, bread and wine in my basket. And boys, well, I just like them. How can I incorporate more of Paris into Raleigh? Suggestions welcome! Merci! :)

(Brief) Monday Morning Review

Last night the bball boys took on Georgia Tech in Atlanta. It was not pretty. The final was 78-58 and it was one of the sloppiest games I've ever seen. Hopefully we can come back strong against Clemson tomorrow night at home - after all, we do have to keep the streak in tact.

A Game of Extremes

I'm going to go ahead and post about last night's basketball game since we have another one this weekend and I don't want the Monday Morning Review to get too crowded. Last night the bball boys took on Va. Tech in our ACC home opener. The game started out horribly! The first few plays of the game were turnovers and we found ourselves in a 31-15 hole. Things looked hopeless. Dexter was all over the place, Harrison was forcing shots, Malcom Delaney couldn't miss - things were a mess.

We then made a run to bring us to within seven at the half. The second half was tight. Kendall came in and played awesome (even Little Larry Fan Club Prez over here has to admit it) and kept us in the game. Va. Tech only had eight scholarship players and I think it wore on them - four or five players ended up having cramps throughout the second half. We were down five with only a few minutes left when Mr. Barnes decided to redeem himself. He hit two three pointers and a fadeaway jumper to give us the lead. We ended up winning 64-61. The Dean Dome was electric! It was a late game on a school night, but the boys hung in there and took care of business so we stayed and harked. It wasn't pretty, but it counts. I'm so proud of the boys for hanging in there.

The ACC is crazy (bad) this year. Somehow BC and us are the only teams without an ACC lost, BC at 3-0 and us at 2-0. Duke lost to FSU two nights ago in a battle. I'm not sure how we're atop the ACC, but I'll take it. GO HEELS!

Finally: BOWL GAME!

Goodness, where to begin?

I flew out of RDU about 6 p.m. Wednesday evening. The airport and flight went perfectly. I arrived at the Gaylord to a glass of wine and my smiling family. Now let me start by saying the Gaylord Opryland is by far the biggest, craziest place I've ever been. It's constantly busy and slightly touristy, but absolutely breathtaking nonetheless. Here are a few pictures from in the hotel.

One of many pretty waterfalls at the Opryland Hotel.

We had a lovely dinner at a steakhouse in the hotel and went to bed to prepare for the long day ahead of us on Thursday. My brother and I woke up at 6 a.m. while everyone else was sleeping. We proceeded to do a bowl game dance and giggle like little girls. We are always giddy with football, especially giddy with bowl games and unrecognizably giddy with bowl games that aren't in Charlotte.

After a walk around the hotel with my incredible tour guide (if you are lost, you want my 9-year-old brother with you), we got ready and boarded the Rams Club Bus to head into Downtown Nashville. Here are some bus pictures:

After the bus ride, we arrived at Wild Horse Saloon for a Rams Club pre-party. We ate, drank and enjoyed the music of Chase Rice. Chase played football at Carolina when I was in school. He was a couple years younger than me, so I didn't know him, but I did have a class with him. This year he was runner-up on Survivor Nicaragua. He is trying to make it in country music and now lives in Nashville. I must admit, I've never watched Survivor until Chase was on it. I have a slight (okay, major) crush on him. So when the following picture was taken, I was pretty happy.

Chase and I!

After Wildhorse, we headed off to the game. I can't even begin to describe this game. It was a close game throughout. Carolina was down three with barely any time left. There was huge confusion about what unit was supposed to come on the field and the clock ran off. The refs said, "The game is over," Butch shook Dooley's hand and we prepared to go home with another bowl game loss.

BUT WAIT. "We've been buzzed from the box. The previous play is under review." It turns out TJ (sweet sweet TJ) spiked the ball with one second left on the clock. We got a penalty for having too many men on the field, but one second was put back on the clock. The field goal until took the field and Baby Connie (Casey Barth) hit a field goal. OVERTIME.

Tennessee won the toss and decided to go second. After a few plays, TJ scored a touchdown on the quarterback sneak. Casey hit the extra point. Tennessee's turn. Tennessee scored a touchdown on an awesome catch and hit the extra point. (Side note: Tennessee's quarterback is so annoying. He's a freshman and does rude gestures the entire game. Makes me even more grateful for Teej.) DOUBLE OVERTIME.

We win the toss and elected to go second. Tennessee meanie-face quarterback Tyler Bray throws an INT right into the hands of fabulous senior Quan Sturdivant. Oh my goodness. Freaking out. Our turn. We run a couple of plays and then Casey comes in and nails the field goal. GAME OVER. CAROLINA WINS. I'm tearing up just talking about it. Those boys deserved that game and I couldn't have been happier. I don't have any pictures from the actual game, but I do have one from right after we won.

We weren't excited or anything.

It was an amazing game. We went back to the hotel and got to high-five all the players. It was all very surreal. We capped off the trip with New Years Eve at the beautiful Grove Park. Heavenly.

Beautiful.

Monday Morning Review

I forgot to update on last week's bball game, so this will be a two-for-one. Last Sunday, the bball boys took on St. Francis at the Dean Dome. It wasn't our toughest task and we won rather convincingly. My brother and I went and had the best time together. Shammond was also there with his sweet baby girl, which was very exciting to say the least.

Saturday we opened ACC play at UVA. It was a (too) close game, but we pulled it out to start the ACC season 1-0. 

Quinton Coples announced that he will forgo the NFL draft and stay in school for next season. My brother and I have begun the official countdown to Spring Football.

In other news, my brother scored in his hockey game yesterday. I'm a proud big sister.

Fashion Fix: Tay's Gorgeous Ballet -Inspired Dress

I haven't done a fashion post here in a while, but this one makes up for it. Check out Taylor Swift's stunning ballerina-like dress. I'm in love.

I've always had a bit of a girl-crush on Tay (except for a few months recently when I od'ed after three solid years of my friend R and I being obsessed - but then she came out with her new album. Girl-crush back on.)

Anyway, I'm in love with this dress. I want it. So badly. It's perfectly feminine and flirty while still being classic. And I've always wanted to be a dancer. I tried when I was younger, but a love for filet mignons and twice baked potatoes did not do wonders for my little belly in a leotard.

Do you think J. Mendel will send one to me?

TJ Could be Roy's Foxhole Buddy

Y'all already know how much I love TJ (Lucy's late night, cuddling, Alpine everything bagel with bacon-scallion cream cheese amounts) and y'all know Roy has grown on me (his whole I don't give a **** about North Carolina, bothered me at first, but I've since come to appreciate his loyalty to the team he's with). Well, Roy recently paid TJ a huge compliment and said TJ could be one of his foxhole buddies. In Roy's book, he refers to his closest group of friends that he can always count on as foxhole buddies. He says some pretty incredible things about Teej that left me in tears. Here are some quotes from Robbi Pickeral's N&O blog post:

"I'd take T.J. Yates …  as a foxhole buddy, because when it was chaos, that young man used his brain and he's tough enough to stand in there make  throws,’’ Williams said in the audio clip, which was provided by the school. “And I just love him to death.”

“[The bowl game] just justified one thing that I really believe – and I don’t know the young man hardly at all : T.J. Yates is one of my favorite student-athletes to ever play at the University of North Carolina. One of the things is, that last year I was really hurt, I was really disturbed, I was really disappointed with the thing where they show his picture in the Smith Center [on the video boards] and the crowd didn’t give him a great reception. That’s not the Carolina way. The Carolina way is you put your arm around our guys. If you want to boo, boo the [heck] out of those other guys, OK. But the Carolina way is to put your arms around our guys.

"And I love the fact that he went through so much adversity , and you know what he did? He just worked. … And [freshman quarterback] Bryn Renner, everybody is saying [at the beginning of the season], ‘Let’s get T.J. out of the way.’ I think Bryn Renner is going to be a big-time quarterback for us, I really believe that, but this kid [Yates] has put up with a lot of junk, put up with a lot of negative talk, put up with a lot of discontent and has taken a great deal of blame – somewhat like Larry Drew, which is not deserved. 

“One of the greatest plays that I have ever seen is him taking that snap and grounding the ball. Because do you know what that took? That took some intestinal fortitude to say, ‘Hey, I don’t know what the crap is going on’ – which if anybody says they did, they’re lying, because it looked bad, the whole bit, but there was confusion and there was chaos. But that youngster had enough sense to take the snap, ground the ball and give us a second. Now the referee and the guy upstairs had to review it , but how many times have you heard Coach [Dean] Smith use the word ‘savvy’? My gosh. When all things are in an uproar around you, someone’s got to have some savvy to make a play and that young man saved that bowl game.

“You might say it’s crazy for me to say that’s one of my favorite plays ever, but it was. He got the ball and snapped it, and the center had to snap it, too, so it’s a two-way street. But to ground the [football] there with one second left to save the game has given us so many more positive feelings about the bowl game and about the season. He broke some records, and all of the junk that young man had to put up with -- I’m going to write him a letter. It probably will mean something to him, it might not mean a great deal and that’s okay, but I just love the fact that he took all of the abuse and all he did was say, ‘OK, I’m just going to work at it.’

“From the LSU game on, that kid, in my opinion, should have been the first-team all-conference quarterback. I think he played better than anybody else and put us in position to make something [happen]....  It’s not just the savvy that he played with, but the toughness.

“…The greatest compliment I can give somebody is that I would take you as a foxhole buddy. I'd take T.J. Yates …  as a foxhole buddy, because when it was chaos, that young man used his brain and he's tough enough to stand in there make  throws. And I just love him to death.”

New Years Goals :)

Let me start by saying Nashville, the bowl game and New Years at the Grove Park were all amazing. Rum-and-dc, sunny spot on a cold day, dinner of only wine and cheese, skinny day - amazing. But to write a post now without including all the pictures I've yet to upload would be doing the incredible trip an enormous injustice. So, my friends, you will have to wait. But let me tell you, it's worth the wait.

Okay, okay. Here's a preview: 

:) More to come soon. In the meantime, I'd like to share some New Years Goals. Now, I'm not trying to go against the grain by not using the word "Resolutions." But most New Years Resolutions are solid, measurable things (lose X lbs, sleep X hours a night, etc) while mine are a little less tangible so I'm using the word "goals."

1. Live in truth. It's not like I'm a liar. But over the last year I caught myself in a couple little white lies. At the time, I thought I was sparing others feelings, or making a situation less awkward, or being generally harmless, but now I know I was really rationalizing. I want to live in complete truth.

2. Be grateful. Y'all know this is a constant goal of mine. I always make an effort to count my blessings and focus on the positive. This year I am making more time to spend in fellowship so that I may walk closer with God and grow in my relationship with Him. (Dedicating more time to Him these past few days has already made my load feel tons lighter and made my heart feel more open)

3. Don't judge. My least favorite part of me is the judgmental part of me. And it's a weird part. It's not judgmental against different races or classes, it's judgmental against personalities. If someone and I do not automatically click, I write them off immediately. Now, in my mind it's not always their fault. In fact, most of the time, it's my fault which leads me to goal #4.

4. Be confident. This is my toughest task. I am my hardest critic. And I'm naturally an introvert - not a scary, creepy introvert (no offense), but an 'it's hard for me to speak up with my ideas in a group' introvert. Somehow I always feel like my idea won't be good enough. And I'm horrible at public speaking. Horrible. I get the red splotchies like I do when I have the first sip of a glass of wine. This year I'm trying to do things that scare me. I'm trying to speak up before I have a chance to analyze the situation 50 million times, I'm trying to put myself in positions to be heard and seen. This is an ongoing struggle for me. Sometimes it helps to get outside of myself and say, "Hey. You are a kind person. You have a great job that you love. You are pretty enough. You have wonderful friends and family that love you. You are okay. Don't be so small and scared." I never realized it until I wrote that, but "feeling small" is the best way I can describe it. I remember my last year at UNC, I felt larger than life. I was confident in school, I knew the town I lived in inside and out, I went out all the time and smiled and laughed and lived life. I never thought I'd feel small in the city I was born and raised in, but Raleigh has really grown. And as I begin my career, I'm back on the bottom. I need to work on getting back to that confident place. (Part of this goal may involve putting this blog "out there" a bit.)

5. Be social.  I have so many awesome friends. And I'm at this great place where I'm meeting some really cool new ones too. But most of the time, when friends call, I ignore the call. Most Friday nights I'd rather be on my couch with a bottle of wine by myself than out with people. I vow to change this. There will be plenty of times for Fridays with wine on the couch when I have kids and they go to bed. I'm 24 and I need to start acting like it a little more. I think moving into a house with one of my best friends in two weeks will help the process, too.

6. Be open. I've been through a few things in my life that have made me guarded. It's funny because most would not describe me as guarded. I'm extremely caring and my heart tends to beat out my head every time. But, internally, there's a lot going on. This year I'm vowing to not let all the past "mess" get in the way. I will be open. I will start a clean slate with everyone I know. One of my favorite sayings applies here, "If you agree to bury the hatchet, don't leave the handle sticking out." I also vow not to turn down opportunities because I'm afraid nothing could beat what I've already had. If it doesn't, no harm done; if it does, well I would have missed out if I hadn't. :)

7. Stop overanlayzing. Pretty self-explanatory, but much needed.

This sums up how I want to live 2011:

All I want from you is to trust me with what little you can,
and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you.
It's not your job to change them, or to convince them.
You are free to love without an agenda.
The Shack

Happy New Year loves!

(What's Supposed to Be) The Monday Morning Review

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Mine was truly magical. I know I sound like a broken record, but I am so, so blessed.

I'll start with the basketball game last Tuesday. Carolina took on William & Mary in the Dean Dome. We won pretty soundly and my brother and I got to enjoy the awesome lower level seats. I've been so fortunate to go to many basketball games in the Dean Dome throughout my life and even more fortunate to have had season tickets since I was about sixteen - there is nothing better than Carolina basketball, even from the top row of the upper deck. That being said, lower level seats are pretty amazing. You can hear what the players are saying and see their sweat drip down their faces - too much for some I'm sure, perfect for me.

Christmas Eve was wonderful. While I miss my grandmother and Christmases in South Carolina dearly, nothing beats Christmas Eve at home with mom. We get on our pjs, drink apple wine (well, drink a sip because it's really sweet and disgusting before switching to regular wine, but we have to do it for Dolly) and make only our favorite parts of Christmas dinner - turkey, gravy, dressing and mac & cheese. Mom makes the most incredible homemade cornbread dressing and my macaroni and cheese is pretty delicious, if I do say so myself. We had a fabulous night and all three of us (Mom, Tuck  [my 11-year-old puppy] and I) fell asleep in her bed watching tv.

Tuck

Apple wine! YUCK! But a tradition!

You can't use pre-shredded cheese for good mac and cheese!

Perfection!

When I woke up Christmas day Mom and I opened presents. She, as always, was way too generous! She starts shopping so early and ends up getting more than she knows! I then went to my dad's and had a great time opening presents with them. After presents, we headed to my grandparents for more food, fun and family. It was all so much fun.

Another short week this week as I am headed off to Nashville tomorrow for the Music City Bowl. I am so excited! More to come on that later...

Monday Morning Review

Carolina (the bball boys) lost an incredibly close game to Texas in Greensboro Saturday. If you love basketball, this was a great game. It came down to the wire and we ended up losing by two. It was sad, but I'm proud of my boys for hanging in there. I've definitely seen improvements, especially on the "intangibles" like defense, hustle and aggression.

In other news, it's almost Christmas. That, my friends, is insane. I lovelovelove the holidays. It's an excuse to be happy all the time, overindulge and give as many presents as you want (we should really all make an effort to live like the holidays all year round, but I digress).

I'm officially considering today the first day of my full on Holiday spirit. I've already finished my holiday shopping (sidenote: I've actually been done since early November. When you work in PR and pitch your client to Holiday gift guides starting in late October, you get in the mood a little early), but today I can feel most of the stress leaving my body. Tonight I will make oreo truffles while sipping champy and blasting Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas." No one has ever called me a grinch. :)

Never...

Never, ever, EVER take for granted a friend that can make you laugh when you feel like crying. These people are angels. You know who you are in my life and I'm eternally thankful and indebted to you. I love you.


Here are a few of those angels I could not live without:

My oldest and best. Meet halfway?

Love this girl, even though she pulls for the Pack!

Monday Morning Review (And Post #100)

Happy Monday, y'all! I woke up this morning with a renewed sense of spirit and ready to go! You know, it's funny. The nights when I have the most anxiety and pray for the most help are usually followed by the mornings of the most peace and renewal. I guess "funny" is not the word - more like faith. :)

Saturday evening Mom and I headed to watch the Heels take on Long Beach State at the Dean Dome. I was supposed to go with my brother, but he ended up having another obligation (quite the little socialite at 9 years old) and so dad gave me the tickets. First we went to Weathervane and had the.yummiest. apps and a glass of wine. I always forget about that place since Bansh and I haven't been around to have our brunch dates, but it is so underrated. I had a cup of potato/chorizo soup and butternut squash ravioli. Mom had polenta and vegetables. All delish.

We had the lower level seats for this game - so amazing. LD could tell I was that much closer to him and put on his best performance of the year with 13 pts and 8 assists. Also, TJ came out at halftime and got a much deserved ovation - quite the far car from his boos in the Dean Dome last year. Between those two, I was in heaven. :) We ended up winning a way, way too close game, 96-91. Now we take a week break for exams before facing Texas in Gboro next week. :)

On another note, this is my 100th post on this blog. :) I haven't really publicized this blog much (maybe that's something I'll start soon), but it has been such a great outlet for me, especially when I was at my old job and didn't get to write as much. I've grown so much in the past year and I feel like "Game Day!" has come along for the ride. From "A Perfect Mess" to "Game Day!" this blog has gone through a bit of transformation, but I hope it has retained some core characteristics.

I hope it has remained honest.
I hope it has remained interesting.
I hope it has put an emphasis on expanding and growing without forgetting where it started.

Looks like my blog and I have a lot in common. :)

Even in the land of exile, Especially in the Land of Exile

I heard the most amazing sermon on Sunday. I'm sort of ashamed to admit this, but sometimes I DVR local church services. Last week I did just that and the particular sermon spoke to me in a very real way. The preacher began by referencing a "Peanuts" cartoon in which Charlie Brown's sister declares that she's "decided to be a better person... but in a few days, of course."

The sermon went on to say how we are always putting off being the best person we can be for "a few days" or "until things are better." It spoke of how we need to happy, joyful, grateful and the best person we can be "even in the land of exile, especially in the land of exile." The preacher said that he added the especially because most of this life is not paradise, we are often in the land of exile.

Goodness, gracious, did this speak to me. There have been some recent hard times and I have used them as an excuse to pout, cry, even be meaner than I would ever like to be. I am someone who prides myself on being kind and I know that I have let my emotions get the best of me recently and have strayed from that. This sermon reminded me that no matter what is going on in my life, I  need to be kind, joyful, pleasant and grateful.

I am so blessed in so many ways - I have a great family who loves me, awesome friends who make me laugh and put things in perspective (never, EVER underestimate the power of a friend who can make you laugh at something about which you've been crying), a job with which I'm absolutely in love - and so much more. I need to remember that, even when times are tough, even in the land of exile, especially in the land of exile!

Lovelovelove.

(What's Supposed to Be) The Monday Morning Review

I'm so sorry this is late. Here it is, Thursday, and I'm just updating you on the weekend's events. My only excuse is this week has been absolutely insane, but in all honestly, the coming weeks don't provide much relief.

Last week was amazing. Daddy and I headed over to Chapel Hill and got an early lunch at Top O before the bball boys took on Kentucky. We had yummy food, sat on the heated patio and enjoyed my favorite beer (really the only beer I'd choose over wine) - Old Well White. It was perfect. I love those times with my dad. We then braced ourselves because Kentucky is very good and we already had three losses. But leave it to my Heels to surprise.

It was an awesome game - tight the whole time. Our boys ended up winning 75-73. We were so excited. We then walked out of the Dean Dome to ... wait for it ... snow! I had almost forgotten how absolutely stunning Chapel Hill is in the snow. A close win against a great team and snow in Chapel Hill - I was pretty smushy.

Sunday we got the news that the Heels would be facing Tennessee in the Music City Bowl! I'M SO EXCITED. BOWL GAME! I've already booked my flight and am getting a day off work (thanks to my awesome boss!) to fly there. We're staying at the Gaylord Opry which is apparently some huge complex. We're driving halfway back on New Years to spend NYE at the Grove Park. That makes me happy. With everything that's been going on, I think a NYE with the fam and some expensive champagne is just what my heart needs.

Last night the bball boys took on Evansville in Evansville for Tyler Zeller's homecoming game. Evansville was not very good, but we were pretty dominant and ended up winning 76-49. We play Long Beach St. Saturday evening.

Tonight my brother is one of the three Wise Men in his school's Christmas play. I'm very excited to see that and get in the Christmas spirit.

Happy Holidays and bowl game season, y'all! <3

(What's Supposed to Be) The Monday Morning Review

So it's Wednesday and I'm terribly behind on updating you. Between football and basketball overlapping, plus the holidays, things get a little crazy. But NO EXCUSES.

Saturday the football boys won a (too) close one at Duke! TJ had a solid game and Elzy/Draughn ran the ball well. That means our regular season final records is 7-5 record, guaranteeing us a winning season no matter the bowl game result.

Speaking of bowl games, we'll find out by Sunday (probably earlier) which bowl we'll (both the Priesters and Carolina) will be attending. Keep your fingers crossed for Music City! It seems to be what most people are predicting - Music City v. Tennessee. That would be so much fun! BOWL GAME!

Since I last updated you on the bball boys, they won two games against UNC-A and C of C. Both were way too close. Last night, we lost by 11 to Illinois bringing our record to 4-3. NOT GOOD. And we have Kentucky coming up on Saturday. Goodness gracious. There is a lot of talent on this team, but boy, are we sloppy. We had 18 turnovers last night and they weren't hard, grind-em out turnovers. They were "Here you go, Illinois, here's the ball" turnovers.

Poor Harrison Barnes has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He hasn't started out well, but I know it's because of all the pressure. Last night Illinois fans chanted "OVERRATED" every time he touched the ball. It's one thing to chant that to a team, but an individual is different. Not nice.

Monday Morning Review (Depressing Style)

Well, if you were a Tar Heel fan, you pretty much had the worst weekend ever. Carolina lost to State, 29-25. But that wasn't all. Carolina also managed to lose two basketball games in one weekend. Oh, yeah there's more. Women's field hockey lost in the national championship game and women's soccer lost in the NCAA tournament. It was awful.

The only highlight: TJ had an awesome game (his third over 400 yards passing), despite the outcome.

The bball boys play UNC-A tomorrow night and the fball boys take on Duke Saturday in their season finale.

Thank You, Seniors! (aka I love you, TJ)

Saturday's game against State is Senior Day. I know Saturday will be a busy and emotional day, so I'm going to thank our seniors now (read: I'm not going to be able to thank them Saturday when I'm sobbing knowing it's TJ's last game in Kenan).

Thank you seniors for everything you've done. We will be going to a bowl game for the third year in a row this year. For Carolina football standards, that's amazing! During your four years, I've become the biggest Carolina football fan I've ever been and I have you to thank for that.

To my two favorite seniors:

Deunta Williams - Thanks for all your clutch tackles and interceptions. Thank you most for saying "I'm Deunta Williams and I'm a Tar Heel" with the biggest, most handsome smile on your face. It brightened my day to see that. Each time I met you, you were exceptionally friendly and embodied the kind of student-athlete I want representing my university. Thank you, Deunta.

And now, sweet baby.

TJ Yates - Oh goodness. Where do I begin. You have turned me into the college football fan that I am now. I started out in college liking Cam Sexton and being upset with you for battling him for his job. How things have changed! You have put up with so much from Carolina fans and never been bitter about it. You've been a great spokesperson for the team. You will leave Carolina with your name in the record books. I know you're leaving us in capable hands with Bryn, but Carolina fans will miss you more than they know. I'm going to miss yelling "WE LOVE YOU TJ" and you giving a little fist pump more than you know. Thanks Teejy for everything - now let's go beat the Pack and Blue Devils and get ready for a bowl game victory!!!

Tailgate Treats: State Edition

Y'all, Saturday is huge. We play State at home. I didn't post about our last game, because, well, it's my blog and sometimes I have selective memory and choose to "forget" bad games. Anyway, the State game is always big, but we desperately need a win. Also, State has won the last three in the series so we need to take a stand.

It will be senior day. I'll do a Thank You Seniors post soon (which will basically be a We Love You, TJ! post, just for fair warning).

Until then, here are Saturday's tailgate treats for the noon kickoff:

Slow cooker breakfast casserole (I'm so excited about this, but it could end up being a disaster. I'll keep you posted.)
Cream cheese danish squares (new recipe!)
Carolina Cake Balls (These were a huge hit last week. I've had a couple of baking successes lately which is huge for me! Promise to post a picture this time).

Stay tuned for senior day and I hate state posts. Lovelovelove.

Carolina Cake Balls

Hello, Perspective

Ok. I promise to post about Carolina Cake Balls and the Va. Tech game later, but some things trump food and football (gasp, I know, it is hard to believe and I can't believe I said it).

I have had a series of events lately that have been HUGE wake up calls. There is no denying that God is trying to tell me something (to realize how blessed I am, to lean on him and to stop sweating the small stuff, I think) and I'm so grateful for it.

I won't get into specifics for the sake of people's privacy, but there have been a couple scares in my life lately. They both have turned out to be nothing more than scares, but have provided ridiculous amounts of perspective.

In addition to those two scares, my brother is giving me the same much needed reality check.  He will be 9 on Friday. WHAT?! I remember the day he came home, the day I was the only one that could make him stop crying, the day I complained awkwardly about how starving I was to distract from the fact that I didn't know how to feel about getting a new brother the day before my 16th birthday.

I cannot believe he will be 9. He is starting to get this great little personality that makes me so proud of him. He's smart and funny and we have a bond that I cherish. His sense of humor kills me and I cannot imagine my life without him. I'm so grateful for my brother in my life.

Anyway, all this is to say there are way more important things than the things that stress us out day-to-day. And I have to believe that God really does have a plan for me. He's been trying to tell me to relax and appreciate all the blessings that I have - He will handle the rest. What an enormous gift to have such amazing friends and family AND be able to give all the little daily stresses to God. Life is good!! :)

Tailgate Treats

I'm starting a new blog posting category: tailgate treats. I figure I put so much thought and effort into what I'm making each tailgate that I should share the yummy successes (and not so yummy failures) with you here.

Saturday is a big game. We are playing Va. Tech in Chapel Hill and we NEED to win. A win would be huge. Ginormous. Priceless. Insane. You get the picture.

I'll start cooking tomorrow night, but for now, let me leave you with the menu.

Ham and Cheese Palmiers (these have become a staple)
Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Dip (new recipe!)
Carolina Cake Balls (I'm particularly nervous about this one - I'm SO not a baker, but these look precious and more tailgate friendly than a giant cake you have to cut)

Stay tuned for pictures and taste verdicts.

Monday Morning Review

This weekend was absolutely insane. I literally don't think I had a moment to myself other than sleeping for a few hours at a time. That being said, it was an absolutely AMAZING WEEKEND!

Friday night started off with a Chapel Hill dinner at Brixx followed by watching the bball boys take on Barton. We won, by a lot. KMarsh looked great. Barnes struggled, but I'm not worried. I imagine it's pretty hard to be the first freshman ever named to the preseason All-American team. No pressure, right? He'll be fine.

Saturday I had a really fun work event. The weather was cold and gross, but the turnout was great. After that, I headed to my dad's to watch the football boys BEAT FLORIDA STATE IN TALLAHASSEE. Yep, you read that correctly. It all came down to a last second MISSED field goal by FSU, giving us the two point win 37-35. And our beloved Taylor Jonathan had a career game with close to 450 yards passing. Ready? WE LOVE YOU, TJ!!

TJ's Crew!

Sunday was our Pancreatic Cancer Walk which went so amazingly well! We raised over $100,000 dollars (the goal was $25,000) and had close to 700 people walk/run! After the race we had two after parties, so there was no rest for the weary!

Looking forward to some down time after visiting my grandparents tonight with a little XOXO Gossip Girl.

Oh hey there November!

Today is November 1, 2010. It is also a Monday. I lovelovelove when the first of the month falls on a Monday. It seems so...fitting. Monday's are always "fresh start" days and when a Monday falls on the 1st the fresh start quotient is like quadrupled.

I've been making a conscious effort to live in the moment and just be happy. There are several things coming in my future that I could worry about, but I have no idea how they will turn out and there is absolutely nothing I can do to affect the outcome. So, in the meantime, I will just live and have fun.

And November is Thanksgiving month! Which means the holidays are upon us! Everyone knows Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Any holiday that involves massive amounts of food (especially carbs), beverage (prosecco, please) and football (Carolina at Duke) is right up my alley.

Happy November, y'all! Enjoy and lighten up a little. :)

Monday Morning Review

Dressed up as Marvin Austin

Homecoming + Halloween = a guaranteed good time. And it was. The Heels managed to pull out a 21-17 win over Mike Paulus and William and Mary. It was NOT pretty, but we got the W. We're now one win away from bowl eligibility. Unfortunately, we play FSU next game in Florida so it will be a daunting task. Also, Shankles tore his ACL so he is out for the season. Turns out he will be the 30th player to miss a game this season. That is almost a third of the team. Insane.

The weekend itself was great. Fun with friends and family all weekend. So game day! I got to see so many people from school, including one of my best friends/my little sister from my sorority. Basketball season starts Friday. Stay tuned. :)

Grateful

You know when you have those moments when you realize how incredibly blessed you are? Whether it's a specific event that causes the realization or one of those times when you just feel an overwhelming sense of peace - it's so important to be grateful. I realize this would be a good Thanksgiving post, but its on my mind now and I figure we should be grateful all year round, not just at Thanksgiving, right? So here goes.

I am grateful for:

• The absolute most incredible family in the world. Okay, so it's definitely not the most traditional family and there have been some hard times, but I would not change one single thing. To be as close to both your parents as I am is an incredible blessing and I wouldn't be anywhere in this world without them (literally, of course, but I mean more metaphorically). I'm Mama's best friend and Daddy's little girl and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have a ridiculously awesome brother who is finding new ways to make me proud everyday (including, but not limited to, early morning game day texts). I have a stepmom that makes even ordinary events seem fun. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc are all incredibly cool. So blessed.
• Carolina. Even if you take sports out of the equation, there is no place I feel more sublimely happy than Chapel Hill. And once you add sports, well, game over (no pun intended). Chapel Hill has been in my heart since I was a baby, but it means even more to me since I graduated. I literally feel a weight lifted off of me when I am in Chapel Hill. Everyone should be so lucky to have a place that makes them feel the way Chapel Hill makes me feel. So blessed.
• A job I love. Sometimes I literally have to pinch myself. I get to do public relations for the best jewelry store ever. (I know it's my job to say that, but I was a customer prior to the job). Some days I find myself writing about the latest designer line or playing Santa and giving away jewelry and I can't believe I got so lucky. So blessed.
• Amazing friends. You know, friendship is a funny thing. Growing up changes friendships in a way that at first really frightened me. You don't always talk as much and people you considered your best friends move on with their lives. But then there comes a moment when you realize the coolest part - these people are more "there" for you than they ever were before. Yes, we all grow up and move on with our lives, but I've come to learn that if I ever needed any of these people they'd be there in a heartbeat. And that's what friendship is really all about, isn't it? So blessed.
• Sports. I really don't know how people cannot like sports. There is so much raw emotion behind them and so many great storylines. Picking a favorite player (love you Teej!), a clutch shot to win a game, a kickoff return for a touchdown - these are some of the great moments in life. Not to mention, game day dresses. Go HEELS! So blessed.
• North Carolina weather. How fortunate are we to experience all four seasons, but none of them too harshly? So blessed.
• Food. Obviously, I'm grateful for food on a purely sustenance level, but as I've grown up I've come to appreciate the ingredients in food and love experimenting in the kitchen. So blessed.
• And some more: Walking into a warm sunny spot on a chilly day, the peace that passeth understanding, pretty dresses, good books, fashion magazines, wine, girly tv, a good night's sleep, meeting a goal, writing.

Don't forget to take a little minute to be grateful.

(What's Supposed to Be) Monday Morning Review

We lost. Badly.  (33-10). Fumbles, interceptions (TJ tripled his interceptions this game by throwing 2 - he now has 3). It was just sad and bad. I hate Miami. They dance and throw their little U sign up. They are gross.

Looking forward to Homecoming this weekend! We play William & Mary. Word is former UNC backup QB Mike Paulus (now William & Mary's QB)  is talking a lot of smack to his old teammates, saying he is going to teach the Rude Boyz some manners. Oh silly Paulus.

(What's Supposed to Be) Monday Morning Review

Goodness gracious, I just could not be more proud of my Tar Heel boys. They have had to deal with so much this season, yet have gone above and beyond. Case in point: Saturday the Heels went to Charlottesville and took home a decisive 44-10 victory over those dirty Wahoos. We hadn't won a game at UVA since 1981 and we dominated it.

Extra kudos to Dwight Jones for his three touchdowns and to TJ Yates (always, always kudos) for continuing to be the steadying force behind the Heels.

We head down to Miami Saturday for what's arguably our toughest game this season. GO HEELS!

Yearly Dilemma

For the past three or so years, I have had the same dilemma. Now let me preface this by saying, this is not too serious of a dilemma, and really, it's one I'm blessed to have.  But as a girl who has always been indecisive (I'm trying SO hard to work on this rather icky trait), I hate something that makes me feel like a little bit of a hot mess.

I just penned all of the 2010-2011 Carolina Basketball games into my calendar. And I got SO excited.  Like giddy, butterflies in the pit of my stomach excited. I saw this is a year where we end the season with Duke at home and I got even more excited.

But then I got stressed. Enter dilemma. Am I a football girl or a basketball girl?

I grew up playing basketball. I've played since I was six years old and I have always been in love with the game. While not exactly a star player, I held my own which was huge for me. I've never really been athletic and to be able to competently play a sport (and even be relied upon to make the big plays) was a dream come true. There is nothing to me like the feeling of playing. I miss nothing more than playing basketball. 

I know my dad always wanted a kid who was good at sports and for me to even come close to doing that for him gave me the biggest sense of pride. Granted there are regrets.  I didn't practice enough to become the kind of player I really could have been and that will go down as one of the biggest regrets of my life. But for those few seasons when I was the "man" on my team - the one they would go to when they needed a winning three pointer, the one who played every second of the game - I was in love with the game of basketball.

So when my dad announced near the end of my high school career that we were getting UNC season tickets, I screamed. Lots. I've watched Carolina basketball since before I could speak much - "Yucky Wolf and Duke ::stick out tongue::" were among my first words/actions. I became the biggest Shammond Williams fan in the history of life at a young age. I was also fortunate enough to see a National Championship my freshman year of college (words.cannot.describe.this.experience). I love the Dean Dome, I love the defensive drill before games, I love the "I'm a Tar Heel" videos, I love the time my dad and I get to spend together at games, I love that you get to know every player on an individual level - I love Carolina basketball. It's also nice that I "get" it. Having played for over 13 years, I understand what's happening in basketball. I can read plays, I know the rules, I have a good grasp on basketball.

Now, let's talk football. I became a college football fan much later in life. I started getting into it at the end of high school and really started following it my freshman year when I went we went to a bowl game (Yeah, my freshman year was awesome).  Of course, I had always gone to the games, but I had never considered myself a die hard. Fast forward to now. Saturdays during football season are really my reason for living. I love wearing my football dress, tailgating and watching the Heels in Kenan. I have been known to cry when we lose big games (hello Meineke Car Care bowl 08 and 09, and LSU game 2010). I love Carolina football. Football is complicated though. There are some plays I really don't understand and sometimes a penalty is called and I'm left clueless. But nothing is better than a victory in Kenan.

If you asked me during football season, I'd tell you I was a football girl without hesitation.  But when basketball season comes around, I start to remember how much I love the sport and how much Carolina basketball has been a part of my life.

So am I a football girl or a basketball girl? At this point, I still don't know. But here's to another year of both, trying to figure it out. GO HEELS!

New House!

I've been so overwhelmed with sports, that I haven't posted much about this yet, but in a few months I will be moving! My friend Lauren's dad bought the cutest house in a great area and is completely renovating it for us.  I am so excited!! This weekend we picked out paint colors - it's starting to get so real! My room is going to be a khaki color with all my carolina blue accents and my bathroom is a pretty blue called "dockside blue," almost Carolina blue, but with a little more grey in it. It will be so nice to live in a house with a yard and a sun porch.  And it'll be fun living with Lauren - she's a really great friend.  AND we'll be saving money since we both live alone now! Can't wait!!

Monday (Close to) Morning Review

Oh goodness. Where to begin.  Well, the Heels pulled out a close one against Clemson this weekend. It was a beautiful day in which we enjoyed Tar Heel Town, the Old Well Walk and a tailgate.  The game was very close, but we came out on top 21-16, giving us a 3-2 record - which, all things considered I think is pretty good.

On Saturday right before the game they announced that Jonathan Smith would be out for the season (academic side of the probe) and that now Devon Ramsay was out as being possibly involved in one side or the other. That frightens me. Devon has played in all four games prior to Clemson, including two wins.  The NCAA could take away those wins because Devon played in them. I'll keep you updated.

Today UNC announced that Greg, Marvin and Robert Quinn were done for the season. Little and Quinn were declared ineligible by the NCAA and Marvin was dismissed by UNC. No word on sanctions yet.

The Heels (and I) are off to Charlottesville this weekend to take on UVA. We haven't won there in a bazillion years so a win would be huge.

New blog name and design - oh my!

Ok guys, over the past few weeks, "A Perfect Mess" had been boring me.  It was starting to feel like a rip-off.  Not that I copied anyone on anything, but the inspiration for the title was the Red Hot Chili Peppers song (still an incredible song - if you haven't heard it, go.download.now) and the site "mascot" if you will was Audrey Hepburn.  While I still lovelovelove the sentiment of "a perfect mess" and believe that we, and this blog, are all perfect messes, I want this blog to be uniquely mine.  Hence - Game Day!

Game Day! is perfect on many levels.

1) Whenever I wake up on football Saturdays (usually around 6am no matter our game time because I'm so excited) I text all my family and friends the words "Game Day!" They get really annoyed because it's way too early and I'm way too excited, but I can't help it - I really really love game days.

2) After waking up and annoying all my friends, I walk around saying "Game Day!" for most the day.  The only time this changes is during bowl season (if we're good enough to get to one) and I yell "Bowl Game!" all day.

And, most importantly,

3) Game days are perfect days. I look forward to them all week and savor every moment of them. There is no place I'm happier than tailgating in Craige and watching football in Kenan on a beautiful Chapel Hill day.  With this blog, I hope to get a little more of "game day" into every day.  Family, friends, food, fashion and football. Perfection. Or...a perfect mess. :)

Enjoy!

Gearing Up for Clemson...

Because of the (stupid, IMO) football expansion, Carolina has not played Clemson in Kenan since 2002.  That's a shame for many reasons.  1) Clemson is BIG time football. And it's always fun to play a big time football team. 2) For the part of my family that does not bleed Carolina blue (gasp, I know), they bleed Clemson orange.  Both my grandfathers went to Clemson and my dad's dad played football at Clemson.  I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Tigers - they are so spirited and they have the kind of football tradition that we'd love to have. That being said, I'd love to crush them Saturday.  We get Deunta back which will be nice and hopefully we can pull out the W.  Clemson is coming off two losses to big teams so they will be angry.  I happen to have a little tiger tail I found on the ground in Atlanta when we played LSU - should be fun for Saturday!

As for the game day menu:
-carmelized onion dip and chips
-sausage balls
-chicken nuggets
-pigs in a blanket
-frito dip and chips
-chocolate chip cookies

GO HEELS!!

Monday Morning Review

What a great weekend! Friday night we went to a Rams Club function in CH at Kenan.  First we ate dinner at a new restaurant called One - delish! Then we headed over to Kenan and even hitched a ride in Butch Davis' golf cart to have a couple glasses of wine in the staduim.  Kenan is so beautiful and being there at night was breathtaking. I love that place!

Saturday we had a great tailgate with family and friends (both Tar Heels and Pirates alike), before beasting the Pirates 42-17. I was so incredibly happy.  Searcy was cleared for this game and ran an INT back for a TD.  Shaun Draughn and Johnny White ran all over the place and were incredible (which, I made known to Shaun Draughn when I saw him after the game and ran up and high fived him and informed him that, 'You're Shaun Draughn!).

We're at home again this Saturday vs. Clemson! We haven't played the Tigers in a while so it should be a lot of fun! Deunta will be back for this game, so I'm looking forward to that! GO HEELS!

Sunday was Mom's birthday so I hung out with her all day, shopped, and ate fattening foods! I have the best Mom in the world!