it's the little things {link up #2}

I'm back with It's the Little Things after a week off...and it's go to be back, sharing the little things God does to bless me during the week. If you think you'd like to join in, read her rules then go to this week's post to link up!

...rainy afternoons.
...productive school days; so productive that I got two days off! Yeah baby.
...premade cookies in the fridge so I could satisfy my chocolate craving right.then.
...hanging out with the cousin TWICE, on back to back afternoons.
...babysitting for an mom whom I'm so close too; and chatting about camp after she got home.
...Halloween candy out & buying a bag of Snicker's just because.
...having my Dad take my outfit pictures.
...party planning and setting up!
 ...little boys that are turning into men laughing wayyy into the night outside in their tents.

Happy Friday readers! I'm off to greet our party guest and drink a lot of Dr. Pepper. Because you know that's the drink of choice at our parties. ;)

fall colors will bring fall weather, right?

For some reason, I keep thinking I need to wear fall colors...maybe to encourage the fall weather to stay here in ENC? Or maybe I just like neutrals, but I though that was a given after THIS post ;)

Either way, I got many compliments on this outfit and it was even put together last minute this morning. Mama's closet is the best place to shop; that's where I got the shirt AND the shoes.Gotta love it when your mom is the same size you are...but the downside is that I plan to wear something, go to the closet, and then find it's not there. Oh well, win-lose I guess. 

Do you guys LIKE the brick in focus but person out of focus pictures? I do, but I know I could be the only one. Thoughts, please!

I call this my model walk...Feel free to laugh because obviously I am laughing at myself. ;)

 {Shirt} Mama's closet {Tank Top} Target {Jeans} Old Navy {Shoes} Hand me down

And a picture of my photographer for the day and I...

Happy almost end of the week, readers!

mid-week ramblings

Happy middle of the week readers! Am I the only one that has a love/hate relationship with Wednesday since, hello! the week is only half over? But then again, you've got the weekend to look forward to. Yeah, I'd totally say it's a love/hate relationship for me.

Since about a million thoughts are running through my head, I needed to get them out, so on the blog they go. Get ready for random, my friends.

{1} Lauren, Lauren, Lauren.  ::shakes head:: First you & Ilene get me hooked on Bones, then you go and write a post all about why you love Doctor Who. So, naturally, I Netflix'd {totally a word, mind you} & what do ya know? it's available to watch Instantly! I clicked, I watched, I fell in love with the show.

Man, oh, man this show is addicting solely because it's just so unrealistic. I mean, 5 billion years into the future? The earth being shield from the sun because it's expanding? Totally awesomespice, to quote Lauren. If you'd like to know more about the show, read her amazing post HERE. You won't be sorry.

{2} Party planning...it's what's happening over here at my house. Clark's 13th birthday party is going to be Amazing Race themed, complete with challenges and the works, so we're trying to work on the details without him really knowing what's going on. It's hard, but so fun because we get to work in secret; a test to see if we can do things without the snoop finding out.

{3} Day in the Life {in pictures} is in the works. Maddie inspired me with her twist on the regular ol' day in the life {just words with a couple of random pictures} by letting the photos do the talking. I documented most of my day today, so with a couple extra pictures of the things I do everyday thrown in there, it should be up next week! Hold me to that date, mkay? And the best part? I'm doing both the wordy AND the pictures version so we can compare them...because I'm a goober like that. ;)

{4} Misquitoes. Ya'll, they are everywhere...In fact, it's an epidemic since the hurricane and they are doing aerial sprays of insecticides at night to try and combat them. Don't get too close because I'm sure we all reek of bug spray. The bad part? It doesn't even touch the bugs.

 Apparently, there was one just going to town on my left middle finger and right ankle. Um, ouch? I think I'm having an allergic reaction because it's swollen up to twice it's size & it hurts to bend it. :( Looks like I'll be icing it & taking a Benadryl tonight.

**UPDATE** My finger is fine today {Thursday}; still hurts to move it though. It's my foot that giving me a problem...it feels like someone punched it repeatedly and there is a bruise underneath the skin. Ow! I'm sure ya'll where on the edge of your seats for that latest installment.

Happy Wednesday ya'll!

blog facelift

If you've been hanging around Simply Sarah-Anne for awhile, you know that when I have a blog design, I usually stick with it for awhile until the seasons change or I just tire of the same colors staring at me each time I open my blog {which is a lot. A LOT.}

While I did love the header my IRL friend Emily & I designed one afternoon, it was bringing me down, putting me in a blogging slump. It was just so...dark & I couldn't stand it anymore. So, a bloggy facelift was in order.

My love for neutrals became an obsession and I knew exactly what I want the blog to look like, so off I went to make a new header on Scrapblog.com only to have about a million width problems. I ran to Emily begging for help and she graciously helped me install the header in all of it's glory.

All that to say: what do you think? Do you like it? I need to know anything that might need to be changed! Some other changes are coming too; an updated blog roll list & just this afternoon I switched back to the good ol' Blogger commenting system {I never really liked Intense Database system; too many problems}. While the comments aren't showing up on the blog, I have all of them saved in my email :) Thank goodness, am I right?! It would make me oh so sad if they were lost forever.

Happy Tuesday readers; almost halfway through the week.

the evolution of hair

Remember the Evolution of Dance YouTube video? Yeah, I totally stole the title idea.
As a lot of my readers remember, I cut off half a foot of hair at the beginning of the summer, just in time for my sweet 16 party. To go from having hair down to mid-back then to just brushing my shoulder was a shock, but it made me fall in love with short hair again. Enter my first awesome Picasa collage...

Come on, you gotta admit that short hair is better on me, right? I was in love with short hair again. BUT! I made the mistake of letting it grow out the whole summer, so by Sept. I had had enough and wanted to really chop it all off like some of my friends.

 Enter Linsday's new haircut. She gave me the confidence to realllyyy chop it all off at my next haircut {which was going to only be a trim, ha!} But not without a funny backstory.

I saw her haircut picture on Twitter & thought "THAT'S what I'm going to do with my hair! But what if she thinks I'm copying her?! I kinda am, but I don't want her to think that. I better ask her permission..." And so off went, sending her an email for permission to get a similar haircut. I'm such a dork. Her reply made me literally laugh out loud...

"Hi Sarah-Anne, 

I appreciate your email, but girl, you can get any dang haircut you want! It's not up to me to tell you what kind of hair cut you can or can't get! :) I'm sure you will look great no matter what you decide."

Lindsay 

Aisle to Aloha

www.aisletoalohastudio.etsy.com

www.aisletoaloha.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/aisletoaloha

I went in September 14th to get it all whacked off, surprising both my mom AND Emmylou with my boldness and willingness to cut it to which I said "It's just hair; It'll grow back, guys!" Ya'll, I may never let my hair grow out again. Enter my second Picasa collage...

Overall, I think about a foot of hair came off my head during the summer. Crazy, right? And that, my readers, is the evolution of Sarah-Anne's hair... ;)

A to Z: all about me

Fine, I'll admit it...I have a problem with blog parties, but this one has been floating around the blogosphere & I just had to join in!

Age? Sweet sixteen, baby!
Bed Size? Twin. & currently in the market for a new one ::hint hint to the parents:: ;)
Chore that you hate? Washing dishes that have crusty food on them. For serious, I can't stand it.
Dogs? My dad's side of the family will hate me for this, but I'm a cat person. No smelly dogs for me, pleaseandthankyou!
Essential way to start the day? Wake up time in my bed. I rarely roll outta bed with a smile on my face so it's best not to talk to me for a minimum of 30 mins...unless you have food then I'm game.
Favorite Color? Purple, in case you couldn't tell. Purple blog, purple room, purple & gold things everywhere in my closet as well.
Gold or Silver? Hate to be hatin' on the older generation, but gold seems outdated to me so I'm gonna go with silver!
Height? 5 '1? Maybe? I"m a shorty so I don't really measure myself that often.
Instruments you play? I used to play the piano but homegirl ain't musically gifted...and I'm quite sad about that. :(
Job title? Full time high school student; I'll do toe-to-toe with the first person who tells me
Kids? Um, none at the moment.
Live...? Ohhh...sneaky. Totally not telling all the Internet weirdos where I live, but I will say this: I live in a place that only the locals would know.
Mother's name? Melanie.
Nickname? SA, Sassy {what Clark used to call me when he was little}, tiny & all of the little person jokes nicknames you can think of.
Overnight hospital stays? Once when I was little, I believe.
Pet peeves? Blogs that make every day sounds like a walk in the park. Let's be real, people! Oh, and chewing gum; can't stand that either.
Quote from a movie? Marty: "Oh, this is heavy." Doc: "Heavy, heavy...There's that word again! Tell me, is there something wrong with the earth gravitational field in the future?" Back to the Future, baby. Respect the classics.
Right or left handed? Righty!
Siblings? One little bro, Clark.
Underwear? Um, yes. How do people NOT wear them?!
Vegetables you hate? Eggplant & mushrooms. One's bitter and one's rubbery; yuck!
What makes you late? The computer, chores, other people that aren't ready to go...take your pick.
Xrays you've had? None.
Yummy food you make? Pumpkin cookies...if there is one thing I want to be remembered by, it's my pumpkin cookies.
Zoo animals? Elephants, giraffes, otters, and lions {duh!}. Although I've never been to a zoo before

So what do you think, readers? Was that fun or just enough about random things about me? If you'd like to participate  link up in the comments so I can read your ABC's post, please!!

my TV shows.

Is it wrong to start a post with a disclaimer? Because this post needs one, so here you go!

Disclaimer: We don't have cable, and only have the 3 main networks that have worthwhile shows on them. Therefore, we are really only in front of the TV at night for the news and our TV shows. I promise you, we're not glued to the TV as portrayed by my ::ahem:: extensive must-watch list.

You know you have TV shows you're OBSESSED with like I do.  This is my I-can't-miss-this-show list, my must watches.

{Dancing with the Stars}

photo credit Google Images

Ya'll, this show is my guilty pleasure reality show; Mama & I love watching all the, DUH, dancing & admiring the sparkly dresses...never mind the fact that cast questionable people on the show. Honestly, you just can't fake people learning to ballroom & Latin dance unlike so many "reality" shows ::cough cough Jersey Shore cough cough:: ;)

{Castle}

photo credit Google Images

If you've read the blog since, oh...last year, you'll know I'm in love <3 with the show Castle. Last season's finale left us hanging on Castle's declaration of love for Kate while she was bleeding on the ground, and we came back into the season yesterday with Kate on a gurney and Lanie looking like a ER doc or something doing compressions to keep her alive. 

Phew. Quit playing with my heart, ABC, and let Castle & Beckett get together already. This season is going to be EPIC, I tell ya.  

{Grey's Anatomy}

photo credit Google Images

You know how I said I had a guilty pleasure reality show? I also have a couple medical shows guilty pleasures: GA and House, but Grey's has a special place in my heart for being more like a soap opera than anything. Oh, and the crazy ways people hurt themselves & end of in up in Seattle Grace's ER...sometimes sad, sometimes funny but always bizarre. 

{Blue Bloods}

photo credit Google Images

Mama hooked the family on this one during the summer while they were running re-runs on Friday nights. This your normal cop show; the whole Reagan family in is on it & you get the sense that they realllyyy care about catching the bad guys...not to mention Tom Selleck & his mustache. Gotta put that in there. 

{The Middle}

photo credit Google Images

If you need a laugh, then watch this show; what makes it SO hilarious is that all this stuff happens to your family at one time or another. For serious, whether you want to admit it or not. It premieres tomorrow night and I can't wait!! You always need to laugh to combat the middle of the week doldrums. 

{House}

photo credit Google Images

My second medical show guilty pleasure. House is just...House. Always cruel & taunting, but he shows his caring side every now and again. If you like cray-cray medical mysteries, then you'll love House like I do. 

{Chuck}

photo credit Google Images

Again, if you've followed the blog for the last show, Chuck is always talked about. ALWAYS. This show is amazing, guys...my favorite show on TV right now. It's sweet, it's funny, and pretty darn real {if you count someone getting a downloaded with all the government's secrets real}. Plus, it's nerdtastic. Zachary Levi is the bomb, mkay? OK. 

{Bones}

photo credit Google Images

I think this post will explain everything about Bones. Just read it & you'll get all you wanted to know about  My only beef about it this year? It doesn't start until Nov. Boo!

Those shows above are my must-see, but I do have shows that I love to catch if I can like...

...the Sing-off, Parenthood, Biggest Loser, Modern Family, Body of Proof, CSI: NY, the Amazing Race, Community {hi-larious, ppl}.

What are YOUR favorite shows, readers? I'd love to know so we can chat about the shows in the comments :)

neutrals have my heart

Like the title says, I have a special place in my heart for neutrals...give me earth tones over neon colors any day of the week.

I've had my eye on this sweater/shrug every since I saw it in Mama's closet this summer, and with the days warming back up over here {but not quite warm enough for a single thin long sleeved shirt}, I decided today was the day to bust out this bad boy & see if the outfit in my head I had dreamed up matched what it looked like in the mirror.

{Shrug} Mama's closet {Striped Shirt underneath} Old Navy {Jeans} JCPenneys 

And...it did! I know, you were holding your breath to see if it did ;) The shoulders could be a little more slouchy than I thought, but other than that, it's just like I imagined it. Don't you love it when that happens?

So we're up to outfit post #3...are you readers still enjoying them? I know I am!

happy birthday samantha!!

the latest pic I have of us together @ my bday party.

My cousin Sam turns 20 today. Really? Twenty?! I can't believe it.

She's my closet relative, the sister I never had {because really? who don't want a cousin that looks like Taylor Swift...I love her to death, along with all the memories we've had over the years. The ones that stand out the most over the past year though are going to the beach together, sleepovers & Bible Studies, going to see movies & coffee dates at the Coffee Shack.

Happy Birthday Sam!

happy birthday samantha dawn!

Samantha, the younger of the infamous duo of Sam & Caleb, turned 9 today. Update 9/18: When I found out her birthday was yesterday I went up at hugged her saying "What are you, like, 30 now?" She smiled & laughed & said nine all while giving me a look only Samantha could. Gotta love her!

I absolutely love this girl...I love her humor, her wittiness, her tomboyish-ness, everything. She always gets me to smile and she acts wayyy older that her age...so much so I often am surprised when I say something and she's all like "What?" because she's never heard of it before. And the way she calls me Sarah instead of Sarah-Anne? Love it!

Happy birthday to one of the coolest girls I know!

it's the little things {link up #1}

My blogging hero, Lindsay, started hosting a link up called "It's the Little Things" to remind us that God blesses in a not-so big ways. A whole day can turn around when I get a special little something in the mail or my favorite show is on TV that night, and it's great to document the little things God puts in our day to show us he loves us!


...nutella on sale at the store.

...going to a movie with my cousin.

...late night, spur-of-the-moment texts from a friend inviting down to the river.

...a fresh new haircut.

...library books just waiting to be read. 

...ice cold Dr. Pepper & popcorn as daily snacks {hey, i gotta get my junk food in sometime, right? ;)}

...tea & toast in the morning.

...cooler temps & fleece PJs.

What are the little ways you see God working in your life & showing you He loves you lately?

sea blue = ocean memories

Second outfit post, readers! I'm still getting the hang of posing & titles for my outfit posts, so bear with me, mkay?

{shirt} Target {dress} Borrowed from Mama's closet; Dragonfly Import {Belt} Grandmothers

Ah, the beach. This dress just reminds of the beach...both the overall look of the outfit AND that I got it at our favorite beach shop, Dragonfly Imports. Lot's of memories from this year's vacation and years past came flooding back when I slipped it on...I felt like I should've been pacing the beach in this outfit. ;) Love the blues and the fabric pattern of the dress as well! 

Still loving the outfit posts, readers? Sound off in the comments...your opinions matter. Also, I edited the pictures in this post...overdone & OK? I need editing help, that's for sure!

football at Chilis

It's no secret that my family LOVES <3 football. Like, really...it's not a secret; I have a whole category for it on the blog.

Thus, we got all pumped up for ECU's first game last Saturday. And then we got beat silly & basically slinked off the field with our purple & gold tails in between our legs because DUDE, if my memory is correct the other team scored over 40 points. That's just sad.

The first home game was on Saturday & since we don't have cable, we searched for a place to watch the game & came up with this place:

Chilis aka One of the best places on the earth. Seriously, we used to eat there all.the.time after church, and to go on a Saturday was like a dream come true.

We donned our ECU T-shirts & made the trek over to the nearest town all while praying ECU would make the game worthwhile.

We ate so many chips, ya'll. Two full bowls...and they were delicious. 

 There was root beer & Dr. P involved because what's a football game without your fave drink?! Not a good one I'll tell ya that. And PS I had TWO Dr. Peppers and still slept good that night.

There were FIVE TV in the bar area of Chili's and all you had to do was swivel your head a bit to see another flat screen. Dad focuses on his football games. 

 Oh yeah, we laughed a lot too but that's a given.

And we ate realllyyy good food that doubled as our lunch the next day.

 

In the end, ECU didn't win. AGAIN. But that's OK; I'm not a fair weather fan & will always jump at the chance to watch the Pirates play & sport my ECU apparel all while making memories with my two favorite guys :)

Happy Tuesday readers! And I have to know...did your football teams win this weekend?