Our girl's moved in

We're back from Nashville and our girl is officially a college student and all settled in the dorm. I can't begin to tell you how strange it is to know she won't be coming home later. I think it will take a little while to get used to our new normal.

I'll just warn you now that this is going to be a long one, so find a comfy place to sit, grab a snack and come along for the weekend in photos.

So when you move a child to college by plane this is what the baggage situation looks like.

#thankheavensforsouthwest

And this is how you make the most of every inch of suitcase space. I used a lot of these vacuum bags to compact bulky items. There's a pillow and a bunch of jackets and sweatshirts in this one.

We had three tickets for the outbound flight and two for the return. 

#allthesadfaceemojis

The first two nights we were in a hotel and here we are in the elevator Saturday morning, fresh and ready to start the dorm shopping.

I think our credit card almost melted from over use Saturday.
 #poorkent

This was only one of our stops that day.

The domino's may seem odd in the cart...they were for our friends we were staying with the rest of the trip. We love us some games!!!

Sunday we went to early church, grabbed some lunch and headed to the dorm to begin the move in.

Welcome to your new home Katie.

 Here's our blank canvas. The first item on the agenda was to get carpet. There's a pretty cool deal where some carpet store has left over rolls of carpet that builders order and end up not using all of it. They bring the rolls over and then cut off sections to fit your room. We got a 12 X 14 piece of carpet for $60...pretty good deal if you ask me.

Here's Kent and our friend Paul carrying it up to the dorm. I should have taken a picture of Kent working on it. He did an AWESOME job of trimming it to fit the room and work around the sink, etc...

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you probably already know that Elam Hall is the same dorm I lived in when I was in college and if that's not enough, Katie's room is 2 doors down from my old room.

It's really fun for me to know where she is and what she's experiencing (somewhat). The bathrooms have been remodeled but are basically the same and the laundry rooms are still in the exact same places just with newer equipment. I told her it would be a hoot if one day she's putting a daughter in the same dorm.

#legacy

Katie's roommate is a really sweet girl and they are getting along great!

#blessing

We got the room all set up and decided they needed some more wall decor and curtains to add some more color so we'd go hunting for that Monday.

Isabel, Hayley, and Katie. Isabel is our friends daughter and she attends a different college and is going to leave to study abroad in Greece soon. How cool is that?

We took the girls to lunch Monday and then started shopping.

If you are lucky enough to have friends that have been with you for lots of years then you'll be able to understand the relationship we have with this precious couple. They are some of our dearest friends and the people who are kind enough to allow us to stay with them whenever we are in town. We've known them for about 19 years and enjoy every single minute we get to spend with them.  When we are looking through old pictures they make lots of appearances and Kent and I can't help but laugh at how his and Paul's hair color have changed so much over the years and amazingly mine and Elizabeth's hasn't. (wink, wink) They are a lot more salt than pepper these days, but with the salt has come wisdom and experience and those are good things. Here's a little walk down memory lane.

Nashville 2004

Gatlinburg 2008

Asheville 2008

Williamsburg

Chicago 2011

We don't discriminate when it comes to the ages of people we like to hang out with. This is another sweet couple from our Richmond days and now they also live in Nashville and we got to catch up with them over dinner Monday night. Leslie and Jason are like a younger brother and sister to us and we just love them to death.
#theyplayspades #jasonthinkshesgreat;)


Now if someone can tell me how we got from these little guys...

First day of 3rd grade and kindergarten.

To these two college kids so fast, I'd really appreciate it.

OKAY, back to the move in...

We found curtains and I cut them off and hemmed them and added lights above Katie's bed. What did girls used to do in the dorms before twinkle lights? You see them in so many rooms and I have to say they really are cute and add a certain warmth to the room. They still need some wall decorations, but we'll just keep an eye out for those.

Had to get a picture of the girl and her daddy.

And then came the goodbye's along with some tears. I was too slow and didn't get the sweet hug between them.

Katie and her roommate all dolled up. They had a nice dinner for all the incoming freshman and they had to dress up for it. 

This is Katie and who I think you'd consider her new BFF. These girls are not only what Lipscomb considers "legacies", but their friendship could easily fall into that same category. Here's what Cassie said to accompany this precious picture on Instagram...

If you had told Kim or myself 25 years ago when we graduated college that we'd be putting our girls in the same dorm, the same year and that they'd become besties like we were I don't think we could have imagined it. Life's funny and this is going to be so fun to watch.

I guess you can tell that the weekend went great, we had a ball and the future is wide open for Miss Katie. We couldn't be more proud or happier for her and the experiences she will have in the next four years. My memories of my time at Lipscomb are among some of my favorite and now both of my kids are there making new memories of their own.

#fullcircle 

Happy Monday friends!

Lisa

XOXO

Friday Favorites - Back at home edition

Hey there friends! It feels like it's been forever since I did a post. We are back from getting Katie all settled in at school and resuming our "new normal". I'm working on a picture filled post from our trip to Nashville for next week, so stay tuned for that.

Now that I'm back it's all of the sudden Friday again and time for another edition of Friday Favorites. I've been seeing so many posts on blogs and Facebook about all the little's going back to school and they are so sweet, BUT I'm going to be brutally honest here and tell you I don't think I'm going to miss making school lunches for even a split second. Can I get an amen?!?!?!

Let's see what this weeks Friday Favorites are with Erika, Narci, Andrea and oh yeah, of course me.

ONE

(Yes, my nails needed to be done.)

This little candy is one of my favorites. The sweet soft center surrounded by the soft chewy caramel is a divine combination and whenever we go into the city there's a candy shop at Pier 39 we go to that has TONS of candy and these are the ones I always buy.

Every kind of taffy, which I have to say I don't get. I think taffy is just nasty and I apologize if you are a taffy lover because I know there must be a lot of you out there since they make so much of the stuff.

These are the original Bulls Eye candies that I had growing up and it wasn't until a couple of years ago when we came to this store that I found these...

I could eat them all and I'm not even kidding!!! I have a sweet tooth the size of my head. (and I'm a member of the big head club...hahaha)

I wanted to buy these, but not for $8...ouch!

Here's our little bag of goodies. You buy them by the piece/pound and it ain't cheap. This little bag was FIVE DOLLARS.

So while we were in Nashville getting all the dorm supplies of course we ran into the Dollar Tree because...cheap stuff = winning.

Look what Katie found.

Are you kidding me? I was like a kid in a candy store. LOL!!!

This entire bag of these chocolatey little nuggets for ONE DOLLAR!!!

#bargainfound #igrabbedfourbutputbacktwo #selfcontrol

TWO

A new cookbook!!! I love cookbooks, especially cookbooks with good pictures. I think I'm more apt to try something if I can see it. I took it to bed with me last night and looked through it dreaming about the yummy things I could make from it.

#thanksElizabeth

I'm definitely going to be trying the recipe on the front cover...it's brussel sprouts.

THREE

Each and every opportunity we get to have these 2 kids in the same place as us is always a favorite. To see these two is definitely what it's like to see your heart walking around outside of your body and to see them happy and excited with where they are in life is the icing on the cake.

FOUR

This little gem right here. Do you have a frother for your coffee? I had one that worked OK but my sister-in-law gave me this one a while back and I hadn't used it yet. I pulled it out yesterday and it works so much better than my little cheap one. It will make a yummy frothy top on your coffee for an extra special treat.

#thanksLorrie

FIVE

I shared this special with you previously here and here.

Purchase the REDEFINE AMP It Up Special and receive a box of Acute Care Patches for FREE!!! 

That's a $220 gift to yourself right there.

#lovemesomethingfree

It looks like so many of these are selling that we may sell out soon, so if you haven't yet taken advantage of this now's the time.

Visit my website 

www.lrichardson3.myrandf.com

There's a Solution Tool on there that is fun to use and see what is recommended for your skin care needs. You can email yourself the results.

If you decided to take advantage of this offer I'd recommend going ahead and signing up as a PC (Preferred Customer). You pay a one time fee of $19.95 and this then gets you free shipping once a month and 10% off your products. You control what and when items are shipped to you and can push off reorders until you need product and can cancel at anytime.

#couldntbeeasier

This offer is like three different deals in one. You can split it up and use it for gifts or keep it all to yourself.

Just take a look at what these products can do for your skin.

#agingbackwards #yesplease

What this roller does for the texture of your skin is just amazing. I love the results people of all ages are seeing when using it.

If you've considered trying it, now's the time to do it. You truly have nothing to lose (except wrinkles) with our 60 day, bottom of the jar, money back guarantee.

I think that about does it friends. Five favorites for this fine Friday. I'm in good humor and dealing with Katie being gone exceptionally well if I do say so myself. For all you momma's out there taking kids to college, my prayer for you is peace and happiness. This is an exciting time in the lives of our children and a new chapter for us as well. Put on those big girl panties and a brave face and let them fly.

Have a great weekend and come back Monday!

Lisa 

XOXO

Don't forget to check out the other Friday link ups below as well. You're sure to find some fun, new favorites.

High Five for FRIDAY / Five on Friday / Friday Favorites / oh hey FRIDAY

Hello from Nashville

Hello from Nashville!!!

We've been busy getting Katie all moved into the dorm and it's gone great. Post to come with pictures of our trip soon. I've finished hemming some curtains to take over and hang in a little while and then we will say our goodbye's. (wish me luck with that part)

I thought while traveling is on my mind I'd share a typical outfit I'd wear when flying with you today. 

this years version of blouse / jeans / baby blardigan / necklace / earrings 

I wore my favorite "pajama" jeans and a loose fitting blouse with my new baby blardigan.

I always dress in layers when traveling by plane. The airports are usually chilly, sitting on the plane before take off is stuffy and once you get in the air it's freezing.

I've consistently taken my blardigan on the plane for every trip the last year since I first purchased it. It's PERFECT for keeping you cozy and warm when traveling and I use it as well for sitting around with jammies on as a robe.

Blardigan 

During the Nordstrom anniversary sale I purchased a baby blardigan which made it's first trip with me. I loved it!!! It's a little more "tailored" looking than the regular blardigan so you look a little more put together I think.

Baby blardigan

I still like to accessorize even when traveling and wore my magenta Kendra Scott necklace which is a little pricey.  This necklace is a great alternative if you are looking for a steal vs. splurge.

I thinks it's funny how when you are in an airport you see people dressed every which way. Business, casual, workout, dressy...you see it all. I always think, "this time I'm wearing my leggings and a tunic" and every time I end up changing my mind and going with something more like I'd wear on a daily basis. I'm always afraid I'll run into someone I haven't seen in years and don't want to look like a total slob.

So what's your style of dress for travel? Do you go for style, comfort or both?

Hope you're having a good week!

Lisa

XOXO

Friday Favorites and Cheesy Puns

  

 The day is finally here and I can hardly believe it. We are headed to Nashville to take our baby girl to start her college career. So many emotions come with this milestone but I'm going to try to focus only on the positive. She's excited and ready to test her wings as she leaves the nest. We are praying for nothing but happiness and success for her and while we know there will be some bumps along the way we also know she is a bright, caring, enthusiastic young woman and has a lot to offer this world. You got this Katie and we couldn't be more proud or love you any more.

Okay, so now lets get to Friday Favorites with Erika, Narci and Andrea.

ONE

I FINALLY got my hands on some birthday cake flavor Halo Top. I've been telling y'all about this ice cream for a while now and been in search of the elusive birthday cake flavor. I'm not even kidding when I tell you that if you go on the search for this frozen delight you'll likely have a hard time finding it. We know the days it comes in at our Whole Foods so I ran down there to check and almost jumped up and down when I realized what I was seeing in the freezer case. Did my eyes deceive me? Could it be? YES...I'd finally found some. So I quickly grabbed THREE (I just knew we'd love it) and scurried to the register. I told the checker I felt bad buying 3 and she said people come in and buy 6 or 8...I guess that makes me a light weight. Here's the scoop (HAHA...see what I did there?) It's AWESOME!!! This is my favorite!!! I almost feel like I shouldn't declare that because now everyone who reads this is going to be grabbing it up, but what can I say? I'm a giver and sharing this info with you is what I do. ;) and P.S. I'm not saying I came home and ate an entire pint by. myself. but I'm not saying I didn't either. 

TWO

As much as I hate to say it, it's back to school and time to start thinking about fall. On the upside that means Thanksgiving is around the corner and my kids will come home for visit. #happymom

Back to fall...one of my favorite things about fall is the #allthingspumpkin craze. I fall into the pumpkin loving category when it comes coffee, bread, soap and candles. What a weird combination, huh? We were at the mall the other day and went in Bath and Body Works (love this store) and picked up these goodies. I always buy my soap, candles and hand sanitizer from BBW. I've tried other candles and with the exception of the one pictured below which can be found here or here,

Bath and Body Works candles just smell the best. They actually permeate the air in your home with the fragrance of the candle. I burn one a lot and guests always comment on how good it smells. :)

THREE

We finally found Katie some new tennies that she likes. They are ASICS and we had to order them and have them sent to Nashville, but they'll be waiting on her when we get there. They are so cute and I just love the colors. This may seem like no big deal to you, but trust me...it's a big deal! We have been looking and looking for some that would meet with her approval.

#nosmallfeat

FOUR

I picked up my new black Wit & Wisdom jeans that I purchased during the #NSALE and took in to have hemmed. I can't wait to wear them and actually have them be the right length. I've talked about these jeans before here. This is my second pair of this brand and my third pair was on the front porch when we got home last night. I think I'll take them in to be hemmed as well. Love that Nordstrom offers this service. This jeans are soooo comfortable!!! You can see all the varieties they offer here.

FIVE

What kind of stain remover do you use? If you are looking for something new to try this just might be what you're looking for.  Katie had gotten something on a pair of her shorts and grabbed this out of the cabinet and was a-mazed at how well it worked. It's now on our list of things to get when we are picking up her laundry supplies for college this weekend. I love the vintage look and feel the packaging has. You just wet the bar and rub it on the stain then wash as usual. It really works great.

So there's five for you this week. Wish me luck as we take this girl to school. We have 3 tickets for the flight to Nashville and only 2 for the return. Sniff, sniff.

#imgoingtobebrave #sayitwithme

Lisa

XOXO

Don't forget to check all these other Friday link ups and see what's going on in the blogoshpere.

High Five for FRIDAY / Five on Friday / Friday Favorites / oh hey FRIDAY

Stranded: Footwear Edition

We're headed into San Francisco today for a last hoorah with Katie before we leave to take her to school on Friday. We plan to go to Coit Tower, eat Chinese in China Town, do some shopping and of course we never go into the city without getting ice cream at Ghirardelli Square. It's THE BEST!!! 

Today I'm linking up again with Erika and Shay for 

If you were stranded on a desert island what THREE pairs of shoes would you want with you?

Well unless you happen to be Mrs. Howell or one of the other castaways from Gilligan's Island who coincidentally bring all their worldly belongings along for a 3 hour cruise, I highly doubt you'd need more than one pair. For me that pair would be...

My Reef flip flops.

I wear these flip flops pretty much everyday. I even wear them around the house because call me weird, I don't like going barefoot.

See, I wear them all. the. time.

(actually all of these pictures are from different outings into San Francisco which always involves A LOT of walking and these do great!!!

So what would I want for my second pair?

I think I'd just want a back up pair in case one of mine got lost in the sand or washed out by high tide.

I think for my third pair I'd bring a pair of Chaco's. I don't have any, but Katie and Benny both do and just love them. That way I wouldn't have to worry about them falling off in the water and I could hike around the island in them.

Okay ladies, what would your footwear choices be. I can't wait to read and find out. I feel sure I'll be reading and asking myself, "why didn't I think of that?".

If you've missed any of the other STRANDED posts I've done you can find them here:

Medicine Cabinet Items

Books

Netflix Series

Famous People

Lisa 

XOXO