Nike Tempo running short backlash!

I got a really hilarious blog comment on Oct. 29 on my post Funky Friday in which I was inquiring about the Nike Tempo running shorts. And I just have to share.

John had this to say:

Burn the NIKE TEMPO SHORTS this fad should die. die die die. It makes girls look sloppy. So many girls at the University of Alabama only wear Nike Temp shorts everyday. They aren't running anywhere. They are in class. They wear Nike Temp shorts and oversized greek event shirts. They all look terrible.

John cracks me up. It sounds like he would like female UA students to make more of an effort. Luckily I am no longer a UA student, having graduated 4.5 years ago, and I only wear my Nike shorts (which I LOVE) when I am working out, walking my dog, or doing yardwork.

John, I do agree that always wearing running shorts & t-shirts to class does look sloppy. My uniform toward the end of college was either New Balance running shoes or Rainbow leather flip-flops, bootcut jeans or jean capris, and a Greek t-shirt or Polo oxford button-down. And I always did my hair and makeup, which girls seem to do less and less. And I NEVER wore shorts to class. I would not have ever considered wearing shorts to class for several reasons, one of which is that the lecture halls are usually FREEZING.

I was on UA's campus last Wednesday and Friday and I noticed a LOT of girls wearing exactly what John mentions above -- oversized greek t-shirt, Nike Tempo running shorts, and Uggs. I LOLed at that combination. Thankfully none of them were members of my sorority. It seems that trends like that hit the UA campus really hard, especially among sorority members.

Hmm, so Gracie Beth, any thoughts on John's comments?

On imperfections

Brittany Ann over at Living in the Moment wrote a wonderful blog post today that I think speaks to a lot of us female bloggers out there.

I'm going to borrow from Brittany and tell you a few things about myself that make me not so perfect:

-I struggle with food on a daily basis. I cave in to my cravings too often.

-Sometimes I question going into news, and studying journalism. The economy has taken its toll and I'm starting to get jaded.

-Sometimes I'll leave a load of laundry in the washer, or the dryer, and completely forget about it.

-I've been gaining and losing the same 10 lbs. for a couple years now. And beyond that 10 lbs. I still need to lose 30 more.

-I hate cleaning the bathroom, mopping, and doing yardwork. Luckily my husband does all three.

-I still have moderate acne breakouts and get very self-conscious about it. I never leave the house without at least a couple items of makeup on my face.

-Sometimes, I have a hard time letting loose, letting go, and just having fun.

-Sometimes, I feel very burdened by the fact that I have so many financial obligations. The house, the car, the bills... Sometimes I wish that I could quit my job, leave everything behind and go on a cross-country road trip with the dog and the husband, not a care in the world.

-I don't think I'll ever be a domestic diva. My husband is a fantastic chef. So why should I even bother?

-Sometimes I would like more credit for the things I help create or make happen. I let others take the glory too often.

-You can often count the tumbleweeds of Mango's fur as they move about my house.

-I don't have a huge circle of close friends. Most of my few best friends live in other states. But I think I'm finally beginning to accept that I'm just not the type to have a gaggle of gals with me wherever I go.

-I hate talking on the phone, especially to strangers. I prefer e-mail.

-I judge people. I get jealous. I covet clothes, shoes, handbags, home furnishings, and other women's metabolisms, athleticism, and physical fitness.

-I'm not sure that I'll ever get the urge to be a mother, and that's kind of scary. Because having kids is what society expects.

So, there you go. None of us are perfect. I know that the blog world, for women, is about sharing ideas, getting inspiration from others, but it can't be perfect all the time, can it?

My celebrity crush list

So, because my fingers are still crossed, and because I don't feel like blogging anything wedding-related, I give you...

My celebrity crush list. Which only has two guys in it. Whatever, I'm picky.

1. Gavin Rossdale. He just turned 42 and still looks AMAZING.

Look at him with his son. Is that not adorable?

My love for Gavin goes back to approximately age 12 or 13, when Bush's Sixteen Stone was uber-popular. Remember Everything Zen, Little Things, Machinehead, Comedown and Glycerine? I was OBSESSED (And Comedown remains my favorite Bush song). I saw Bush on tour for Razorblade Suitcase in 1997, and a few years later at Music Midtown in Atlanta. I also saw them during spring break 2002 in Panama City, Fla. I digress. Anyway, I personally think Gavin is one of the most beautiful human beings alive, and the fact that he is married to Gwen Stefani makes him that much cooler in my eyes. There's something about those British rockers, no?

2. Bret Favre. Just turned 40.



So while some may criticize Favre for his team-hopping as of late, I don't. I just look at him and drool over his looks and marvel at his arm strength, even as he turned 40. I think he is a guy who has gotten even more handsome as he's aged, a la George Clooney. He's also part of the other demographic of men I love - Southern. He even has a chocolate Lab, just like Mango!

So there you have it. My two celebrity crushes. I wish I could say I had more, and while I think guys like Chace Crawford an Robert Pattinson are beautiful, they're younger than me. So um, no.

Twitter, tweet, twit

Hi y'all!

I just wanted to throw out my Twitter account for everyone out there. I am southernwebgirl. I have a work account too, but southernwebgirl is my personal, locked account. However, if you are a fellow blogger or friend, I am very happy to let you read my tweets, and in fact, I would love to have more followers. You might be able to gain some insight on just what the heck I've been talking about in the past couple of blog entries.

Also, if you have yet to get on the Twitter bandwagon, I highly suggest it! I think this video explains it really well if you have yet to dive into the Twitterverse:



Lastly, I just wanted to thank everyone for all the sweet comments I've gotten lately. I know I'm not nearly as active a blogger as some of you, but I hope that can change soon. Let's just say I've been a little bit distracted lately. And I hope to get back to blogging about the wedding some more soon. Yesterday was our 6-month anniversary, can you believe it?!?

Fingers are crossed!

Do you ever?

Do you ever get that feeling that everything might just fall into place for you?

Like maybe you were feeling down about some things. Worrying, brooding over some issues, be it your weight, your finances, what have you. Then maybe a couple small, positive things happened to you over the course of a few days. Nothing big, just small things like a good meal, accomplishing some things at work, catching up with old friends.

Then... maybe something BIG happened and it might, just might lead to something great.

Well, that's how I'm feeling these days. (c:

Pumpkin recipes!

I have been majorly craving some pumpkin sweetness. Here are a few recipes that I'm thinking about for fall and Thanksgiving!

Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies

Pumpkin sandwich cake

Pumpkin praline cheesecake



Pumpkin-chocolate cheesecake pie



Pumpkin chiffon pie

Hmmm....I wonder which I will make first?

My favorite discount clothiers, because "clothiers" sounds fancy!

Like Miss Northern Belle, I have champagne taste on a beer budget. Though these days it's more like champagne taste on a Natty Lite budget, I suppose. (c;

Despite including a couple of items from Target and Delia's in my last post, I haven't shopped at either of those stores for clothes in a while... especially Delia's, as I can't attest to being able to squeeze into junior's sizes anymore. Although I MIGHT have just placed an order for the Delia's coat and scarf from my last post, as well as these babies:Converse All-Star Ox in blue surf.

So thank you, AngryJulie, for bringing these back into my mind's forefront as I was ordering my coat and scarf today. And thank you Mrs.SouthernBride and MojitoMaven for your Converse All-Star seals of approval via Twitter today. (c;

So, provided that I like everything and it all fits, the red dress and Target-brand Uggs from my last post will have to wait. I'm not sure if I'll be going to any Alabama games this season, so the dress can wait for sure.

Because I don't make tons 'o cash, I can't afford my favorite brands such as J. Crew, Banana Republic, Lily Pulitzer, Boden, or Tory Burch on a regular basis (although I will hit up the J. Crew clearance rack from time to time.) Instead, I've found some other stores that carry the same sort of styles at half the price.

Kohl's. Kohl's is my only store credit card, and they treat their cardholders really well. I'm constantly getting coupons in the mail for 15% and 20% off my total purchase. And their clearance racks are great if you have the time to scour through them. I really like their Apt. 9 line, as well as Daisy Fuentes, Vera Wang and the new Lauren Conrad Collection.

Macy's clearance rack. I always find cute tops here. I recently got a $25 gift card for filling out a bunch of surveys with e-rewards. I found 2 really cute tops on the clearance rack for a total of $10 -- a very preppy long-sleeved blue and white stripe button down shirt from Charter Club (with ruffles!) and a short sleeve blue dipdye top from Style&Co.

JCPenney. Believe it or not, they have some CUTE stuff. I really like their Common Genes jeans line -- they are usually on sale for $29.99 and look and feel like a much more expensive designer brand. I have these and I hope to get a pair or two more. And I found a cute top from the I heart Ronson line. I also like their American Living line (so obviously Ralph) but have yet to buy anything from it.

Old Navy. Always good for basics! Nuff said.

Ross, Marshall's, and T.J. Maxx. I haven't bought anything from any of these places in a while, but they're always fun to scour if you have the time.

What are your favorite places to shop when you're on a Natty Lite budget?

My fall wishlist

Some budget fashions that I am craving for late fall and winter.

First up is Tar-jay:

Target's brand of Ugg boots. They're only $24.99 and they have some great reviews on their site. I have yet to fall for the Ugg trend, but honestly, these would be so great for taking the dog out in the morning among other things.

New Alabama gameday dress! Merona wrap dress from Target, $24.99. To be worn with the Gap houndstooth flats from this post, except they seem to be sold out, boooooo!

Now, my favorite place to shop from while in high school, Delia's:
Then, when it gets colder, I'll don the Devin military peacoat from Delia's in pomegranate, which is currently on sale for $69.50.Add the $19.95 Juliet houndstooth scarf and voila!

This teenage Delia's model has no idea that she is sporting typical cold-weather Alabama Crimson Tide fashion.


Since we're in the Crimson Tide mood, let's head on over to Old Navy.Some knockoff Wayfarers in crimson? For $5? I think yes! Although I have tried these on a few times and I think I look ridiculous.


I recently acquired 2 pairs of Nike running shorts on sale from Kohl's, one of which is the Nike Tempo short. I am in LOVE. I also got 2 new Champion sports bras that are so supportive and comfortable. I also got a pair of black leggings from the shop that I am doing Web work for, but I have yet to muster the courage to open the package and try them on.

Camping time!

Yep, it's that time! Camping time!

Brian and I bought a tent a couple years back, but we have yet to use it. We recently bought matching sleeping bags (duh, so we can zip them together!) and a LED lantern. We're bringing fishing gear, and we already had a camp stove, so just add in a cooler stocked with good food and we are all set!

We are going to northeast Alabama, to one of the state parks. We're getting an improved campsite that will have running water and electricity. We plan on fishing, hiking, swimming, and taking lots of photos of the beautiful scenery. Deer sightings are very common. We're really just looking forward to having some quality time together more than anything else. There have been so many distractions lately.

I haven't been camping since I was young enough to be a Girl Scout, but I think I'll do OK. There is a bathhouse with showers and sinks so as long as I can shower off every day, I will survive. Brian is daring me not to wear any makeup at all, so we'll see how that goes. Yikes. Pretty sure I'll still be wearing some mineral foundation.

We're leaving Saturday and coming back either Monday or Tuesday. Hey, if I'm going to get handed more furlough days at work, I'm going to take advantage of them.