spring shopping

I probably shouldn't have, but I did a LOT of shopping this past weekend!  On Saturday, I went to the Leesburg Outlets with Megan and Amy since Megan still needed to find a dress to wear to a wedding in North Carolina next weekend (she gets to stay at the Carolina Inn... jealous, party of one).  And we found her one!  But Amy and I also did a little shopping of our own, and I found this adorable polka dot skirt at the Gap Outlet for $35!

I also found these super cute ballet flats for $20 (as if I needed more ballet flats, but whatever.  I could have worse obsessions).

Then, yesterday at Target, I found this cardigan on sale for $12!  I'm thinking the polka dots are going to be a theme for me this season...

And these madras sneakers (for $9!) are begging me to roll up my jeans.  Casual Friday can't come fast enough!

So, my spring shopping is officially underway!  And if I keep getting this lucky, I might not break the bank... fingers crossed!

brendan james: round two

Some of you probably remember my last Brendan James concert at Jammin' Java back in October, but I have to admit, I'll probably go see him every single time he's in town.  AND Lady Gaga was in town last night.  That's how much I love him.

This time, he brought Will Knox and Matt White with him, and they were both fantastic! 

You may remember Matt White from the following McRib commercial...




His song, "Best Days" was pretty popular a few years ago, but I think "Falling in Love (With My Best Friend)" is one of my new favorites!

Doesn't he look a little like Elvis with that hair?!?  Swoon.

And then Brendan came out!  I don't need to tell you guys again how amazing I think he is.  I mean, homeboy went to Carolina, so... bonus points.  But seriously, he got like three standing ovations and just about sold out Jammin' Java.  Love him.

Here's a portion of one of my favorites, "Nothing for Granted".  I promise it sounds SO much better live and on his album!

And here's part of "The Lucky Ones", which was used in the trailer for the movie, How Do You Know.  It's brilliant!  Make sure you check him out on iTunes!

Have a super happy weekend, and don't forget to watch the Oscars Sunday night!  I may have to do a little fashion recap next week!

wizards v. pacers!

So, a bunch of you probably remember this guy...

I spent the better part of my four years at Carolina referring to Tyler Hansbrough as "my husband", so when his NBA team, the Indiana Pacers, made the trip to DC to play the Wizards, I absolutely had to go.  Fortunately, I have a couple friends who really love basketball, too, so we had a ball in our cheap nosebleed seats!  There were a TON of people there in Carolina blue, too, which felt like home.  AND, I ran into my suitemate from freshman year right before the game!  How crazy is that?!?

FIRE!!!

Katie refused to leave without a foam finger, so... that's what she got.

There he is!!!!  It's still so weird to see him in a different uniform, but it still gave me a warm fuzzy.

You know that thing they do in the middle of pro sports games where they toss/shoot/drop t-shirts?  This is how badly Molly wanted one.

SUCCESS!

I think he only missed one free throw all night... so proud!

Gettin' his NBA on.

Pacers win!  I promise I would normally pull for the Wizards, but my blood is Carolina blue.  It's not something I can negotiate.

Oh my goodness.  I think we were the last people in the arena.

Hahahaha, whatever... we made a spectacular exit.

Apart from the fact that the Wizards are terrible, we had a really good time and I definitely want to go back!  I wonder when they play the Nuggets next.... I could use some Ty Lawson superhuman speed in my life. 

adele: 21

It's here!!!!!  And it is FANTASTIC.  And I think I wasted about .2 seconds yesterday morning listening to it on Grooveshark before buying the whole darn thing on iTunes.  Don't worry, Mom, I'm mailing you a copy today.  ;)

If you haven't heard Adele before, get ready to have your mind blown into next Tuesday, because she probably has one of the most incredible voices I've ever heard.  And her video for "Rolling in the Deep" is my favorite of all time.

The whole album is just unbelievable, but my favorite of the songs released yesterday is probably "Someone Like You".



Enjoy!

weekend at home!

Sorry to all of you who were expecting a new post yesterday... one of the nice things about living in DC is being on the federal government holiday schedule, which means getting the day off when people like this guy have a birthday...

Thanks, G-Dub!

So, I got to spend the long weekend with my family and some of my very best friends in Raleigh!  Molly came with me, which made everything extra fun.  After Dad lovingly made breakfast, Molly, Bekah and I did some necessary accessory shopping at North Hills before grabbing lunch and driving around Raleigh for a little bit.  It was super duper fun, and Molly got an education on the Greek system, as told by Bekah, the alum.  Molly's was the face of intense rapture.  And I am not being facetious.  And THEN, Bekah introduced us to the best new thing in Raleigh... Sweet Spoons!  For you UNC alums, it's a lot like Yogurt Pump.  Basically, it's self-serve frozen yogurt that comes in a bunch of flavors, and you can add as many toppings as you like!  They just weigh your cup at the end, and that's what you pay!  It's pretty cheap, too, and you can rock out to some sweet jams while you decorate your wall ornament.

This is how deliriously happy it makes you.

I love it when my friends love each other!

I know, right?!?  Two MAJOR people in my life.  In one picture.  Mind is ex. plo. ding.

On Sunday morning, the three of us got to play with some serious two-year-old cuties in Children's Church!  Bekah made crowns for them to decorate, and we figured out just how popular an old yogurt cup can be.  Also, two-year-olds have the whole camera hog thing down!  I was taking pictures for Bekah to use to promote volunteering in Children's Church, and those kids BEG to have their pictures taken!  And they know you have the ability to show them the picture right after you take it, so don't even think you're going to walk away with that camera before they give you the thumbs up.

And finally, some of you will be happy and some of you will groan to hear that I, Lauren Winstead, have seen the Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D movie for a third time this week.  I cannot help that my mom, sister, and Bekah all wanted to see it while I was in town.  Wait, yes I can.  I suggested it.  Am I ashamed?  Still no.  But definitely waiting on tickets and backstage passes for life from the Biebs.

Also, we are totes excited about the new teen rom-com creatively titled Prom.  Dear Aimee Teegarden, going from Friday Night Lights to the Disney machine is disappointing and impressively shrewd, all at the same time.  Hesitant snaps. 

In summary, we do not know Rachel Cooper, but we think we'd have a lot to talk about.

Molly and I also got to see Amanda and Nick and meet their new dog, Bella, this weekend!  Bella is just the sweetest little Chihuahua ever, and we had tons of fun getting filled in on newlywed life!

Can't wait until life brings me back to Raleigh again!  I wish I could have seen soooo many more friends!

bieber fever!

I totally have it.  I'm not ashamed.  That kid is adorable like baby bunnies.  And somehow, his hair always knows it wants to go forward. 

Soooooo, I may or may not have seen his new movie twice.  In two days.  Didn't even need to get new 3D glasses the second time (even though I did).

Molly, Megan and I made a special trip to Chinatown for the Biebs on Wednesday night, after a delicious dinner at Potbelly and some shopping at Urban Outfitters, and let me just tell you, this movie is simultaneously inspiring, hilarious, and cute as a button.  Why does this generation get the Biebster when mine had to deal with the awkwardly aging Aaron Carter?  Seriously, what the heck happened there?

And, when Megan and I found out Tricia wanted to take her son to see the movie last night, we may have jumped at the chance to see it again.  I could be remembering it incorrectly, but I'm pretty sure I almost honked the crap out of the slow drivers who made us late to the movie.

I also may have done a lot of this:

 
Ok but really, this movie also has Usher, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and some ridiculous dancing.  I do not feel bad for being unable to resist.

Just go see it.  No one cares that you could be his mother.