I Was Going To Tell You About The Superbowl

I had all of these great plans to blog about all of the things you needed to know for the Super Bowl. Then people beat me to it. So today I'm totally going to cheat. Ready? Okay!

5 Things For Sunday
Bill Nye The Science Guy on Deflated Balls.
PUPPY BOWL. DON'T FORGET THE PUPPY BOWL.

*bonus* Marshawn wins the internet: 


4 Things You Need to MAKE for Your Super Bowl Party
Shameless plug for my kickin' buffalo chicken dip.
THIS SAUSAGE CREAM CHEESE DIP OH MY GOD.
Beer + Cheese Dip
Tequila Sangria, obviously.

3 Drinking Games To Play
Sarah, again, with the best one.
Commercial Bingo!
Puppy Bowl Drinking Game!

2 Party Jams You Need On Your Pregame Playlist
Uptown Funk -- because I cannot get enough of this one right now.
Don't Tell 'Em -- because I really like to sing it "you ain't eatin' don't tell 'em"

1 Commercial You Gotta See
but seriously is this farmer single? all the heart eyed emojis.

And there you have it! All of the things I think you need for the game this weekend! Linking up with Sarah + Karli! Are you having a Super Bowl party this weekend?

26 Things I Learned at 26

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. Would I even be a good blogger if I didn't do 26 things I learned in 26 years? Also, this is the only place I'll admit that. I'll be telling everyone else it's the fifth anniversary of my 21st birthday. so, yeah. 
  1. A good, long, hot shower can change your entire outlook on life. 
  2. It's totally okay to say "no" when you don't want to do something, you can't make everyone happy.
  3. TRAVEL
  4. Credit cards are a bitch.
  5. Real books don't have a battery, but an e-reader is a lot lighter + easier to tote through the airport...
  6. [I know this is cliche + clashes with #2, but you know. #sorrynotsorry] doing things that are out of your comfort zone can open up doors + introduce you to people you could never imagine. 
  7. fresh air is good for you, you should choose your bars/dinner places based on rooftop patios.
  8. ceiling fans are non-negotiable. 
  9. if you don't ask, the answer is always no.
  10. drink all the water that you can. trust me. even if you have to pee all the time, it's worth it. 
  11. if your sneakers are fantastic colors, it'll make you want to wear them more + work out more.
  12. the same goes for your gym clothes. if they're fun, you'll want to wear them. 
  13. it's easier to keep your room clean than it is to let it get to natural disaster levels + then try to rehaul the whole thing. 
  14. boxed wine tastes just as good as that fancy stuff, but it costs less, stays cold, stays fresh longer after you open it, and is always on tap. the only downside is that you don't get any corks for art projects. 
  15. just because it "fits" doesn't mean you should wear it. 
  16. don't click on those articles that say things like "her husband told her to back her bags, you won't believe what happens next!" it's not worth it. it's probably a dumb story for clickbait.
  17. Instagram isn't real life. it's the best picture, a creative filter, and a clever caption. 
  18. Pinterest hair tutorials are made for people with super cooperative hair, not hair that could just about pass for a mane. 
  19. if someone gossips to you, they probably gossip about you. 
  20. always have a backup battery. 
  21. smile at strangers on the street even if you're having a bad day** 
  22. don't go to the grocery store hungry, or right after work, or on Saturday, or Sunday. 
  23. sometimes, you just gotta drink champagne + dance on the table.
  24. wear. sunscreen. 
  25. if you tip the bartender well, you're next drink will [almost] always be better. 
  26. don't worry about that guy judging you while you're rocking out to "Baby One More Time" with your windows down in January. he's just jealous that he's not Britney, bitch. 
TA DA. I've learned a lot. Obviously. Who would have thought I'd learn this much by the time I was 26, I swear when I was 18 I knew everything!

**okay. not everyone is a serial killer, but don't be dumb about it. there's a difference between smiling at strangers and getting yourself into a bad situation. don't get yourself into a bad situation. okay? okay. good talk.

Hashtag Space Cadet

GUYS, I couldn't get my act together for Write or Die today. So go over to Mia + Shelly's places + read all of those first. It's okay, I'll wait............. So, let's talk Hashtag Humpday instead, okay? Okay. 
#Hashtaghumpday @ Life with Lolo
We talked about my barre class addiction -- I'm doing THREE classes this week. I think I'm even ready to join a gym (HEY PS WHY ARE THEY ALL A ZILLION DOLLARS A MONTH?) But the biggest deal? In my class on Monday I COULD TOUCH MY TOES. I also didn't even almost fall down in the stretches, BUT THE TOES THING. #happydance #smallvictorites 
MY BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW. #PARTYPARTY #THURSTYTHURSDAY #ALLCAPSARENECESSARY
TADAAAA
I momentarily forgot how to order coffee this morning. Because as I told Melissa, I need coffee to make coffee. The barista who remembers me always laughed at me, then I ordered a giant coffee + now I'm TOTALLY WIRED. sorry in advanced for the weird comments I'm going to leave today. #actuallynotsorry #theyregonnabehilarious #becauseCOFFECOFFECOFFEE
No one has told me they're buying me the dream jeep off of my birthday wishlist, so I'm now planning a convincing argument as to why a jeep dealership should give me one for marketing purposes. #becauseImablogger #youknowmoreadvertisement #PLUSIWOULDLOOKSOCUTE
Welp. Since I already hit "publish" instead of "save" on this post, I guess that's the end of it. OBVIOUSLY I am extra special this week. What's up with everyone else? #tellmemoretellmemore

My Completely Reasonable Birthday List

So, today my mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday, because I'm turning old on Thursday. So I figured in honor of my birthday week I'd like to share my completely reasonable birthday wish list. I hope you're ready! 
is it just me, or does nothing top 21st birthday pictures? 
a job that I love that also pays for said house + puppy. 
an occasion to wear this dress from Rent The Runway (full disclosure, that second link is a referral code, but you can get like $10 off your first rental!)
a nice pair of earrings (with a solid back because I always only lose one. I have a drawer full of mismatched earrings.)
dream jeep wrangler
everything in my Pinterest closet.
all of the Barre classes
another Eurotrip ;; I'm thinking Ireland or Munich for Oktoberfest....
tickets to all of the Shaky festivals this summer (Knees AND Boots)
UGA Football season tickets + a hotel for the season.
 
I think that's about it. If you're going to get me the jeep (you really should) could you give me a little heads up before I pay my birthday tax to renew my tag? Awesome. What's on your birthday wishlist? 

Père Lachaise Cemetery -- Paris, France

I don't think it's any secret that I'm a total history nut. It should also not be a secret that I'm completely fascinated by cemeteries. Which is probably weird, but I'm not even a little bit sorry. This entire post is dedicated to the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. 
"in the end, we don't regret having come"
Oh man guys. It was really hard for me to pick just ten pictures for this. I totally took all of my lenses + carried them around, but never used anything but my cute little "nifty-fifty" lens. Did I mention that we went at sunset + there were crows everywhere? It was so eerie and I absolutely loved it. Plus, could you ask for a prettier sunset than that? It was crazy, because it rained until well after lunchtime. We wanted to see Oscar Wilde too, but the cemetery security ran us out, because apparently it closes at like 5:30! 

5 Questions I Still Have About #Deflategate or #Ballghazi

HELLO FRIDAY. I thought you would never get here. Did you get stuck behind a parade or something on Monday? Anyways. In case you missed it, which I don't know how you could have, the Patriots allegedly illegally deflated the balls for their game against the Colts because it was rainy. In case you're wondering, here's how balls in the NFL work -- QB's pretend they're not as superstitious as baseball players, but that's not true. Each QB has a specific way he likes the ball to feel, so as long as it's within regulations, they can have the ball the way they want it. THAT leads me to question #1.
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If Tom Brady is such an elite QB, how did he not notice that the balls were different? Okay. Now, I used elite in a sassy way because international super model Tom Brady + various other NFL QB's who don't have his hair like to argue about who is the most elite. ANYWAYS. If he's so great (which, obviously he's pretty good, this is his 6th Super Bowl appearance...) how did he not notice the balls were different? If a guy on the Colts DEFENSE noticed it when he intercepted the ball, surely someone who handles it a lot more often would also have known. 
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Why didn't the referees notice? This is actually a bigger one to me than the Tom Brady one. I mean, it's cold, he's wearing gloves, he could make plenty of excuses. The refs though, their job is to make sure the rules are followed. THAT'S YOUR JOB. How are they not in question here? Seriously. One job guys. Why didn't they do anything about it before it was officially a scandal + the game was over? 
What is the NFL going to do about it? I mean. They're all over the board right now with their punishments. It's like they can't quite figure out what the right thing to do is. It's probably in your rule book, guys. You have a lot of rules, maybe someone's only job should be to make sure the punishments are by the book. 
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When is the NFL going to hire Olivia Pope? They really need to. I bet she could fix this entire situation for them. I'm assuming she would start with "TOM. Don't say things like "I'm not squeezing them" because the American public has the collective maturity level of a 14 year old boy, and will giggle. While we're at it, dress like you're giving a press conference." Seriously, what was Tom wearing in that press conference? His comfy Saturday afternoon raking the leaves jumper? 
safety dance
Why is the NFL instead so focused on being a bully to Marshawn Lynch? There is probably nothing that makes me more uncomfortable than watching someone who doesn't like to be in the spotlight be forced into it. Beast Mode just wants to do his job and not have to answer the media's dumb questions. The NFL keeps fining him, which he seems to have no issue with + seems like a fair trade to me, but now they're talking about making bigger sanctions on him for only giving the media one-word answers? C'mon man. 
C'MON MAN
So, Mister Commissioner, if you could get me the answers to these questions, I'd greatly appreciate it. I mean, mostly the one about Olivia Pope. It does sound a little like Tom Brady already hired the handler who got Bill Clinton through the Monica Lewinski thing.. Also, if you're wondering why it was all but one ball that was underinflated, it's because the kickers need the ball to have all the air so they can kick it further. Okay. That's as long as I can talk about balls without giggling. Who am I kidding, I did a lot of giggling. Linking up with Sarah + Karli
huh huh huh
What do you think about this? Do you think the Colts should go to the Super Bowl instead? Or do you think the NFL will be soft about it + only give them a slap on the wrist? 

Paris Is Always A Good Idea

Warning. I have an unpopular opinion about Paris. I didn't like it. I mean. I'm glad I went, I do want to see the crypt where all the bones are, but I don't think I'd be all about going back. I wasn't impressed. I loved the food [guys, escargot is actually really tasty.] I did take forty million pictures though. I might even need more than one post. Whaaaaaat. Here are some of my favorites:
Obviously, there are plenty of Eiffel Tower pictures. From like seventy billion different angles. Because.. Paris?

UNTIL TOM EATS JERRY. #relationshipgoals. ALSO. We learned that the French government does not care for your love locks + that a couple of weeks before we got there part of the bridge FELL OFF + ALMOST KILLED SOMEONE ON THE RIVER. Your love is too heavy for the bridges in Paris guys. 
I actually think I would like to see the gardens at Versailles in the summer. So maybe I could be convinced to go back to Paris. Who am I kidding, I will alway be down to go anywhere.  
Official decision, there will be at least one more Paris photo dump. Soooooooo stick around! Have you been to Paris? What was your favorite part? 

No Ragrets

You know, I think Mia + Shelly let me keep coming back for #WODW because I'm such a wildcard, you never know where this post is gonna go. Like last week when it started out serious + ended with me saying "I want to be a mermaid + have the courage to touch the butt" This week's prompt is "No Regrets" so, YOLO.
I don't have any regrets. Honestly. At least I can't think of any. There are plenty of things, decisions, boys, and haircuts I would probably skip if I had the chance to go over and do it all again, but I don't really think regret is useful. I learned something from all of those things. Like that I hate when I have to actually do my hair every day or that boys who say "I don't like tequila or sports and I think we shouldn't tell anyone we're dating" are in the bad decision category. 
On the flip side, I am all about Hakuna Matta, or YOLO to you youngsters. I like to [pretend to]  not worry too much. Okay. That's not true, I'm a worrier. I know it's like chewing bubblegum to solve an algebra problem. BUT STILL. I use it as a motivational saying when I am on the fence about what I should do. Like that whole Europe trip? Yeah, that was a "if I don't do this, I'll hate myself" situation for sure. Not hate myself, but I'll always wonder "what if I had gone to Europe before I really settled down? Where would my life be now?" I don't ever want to wonder "what if" if I can help it. 

So yes, I think regret is a waste of your energy and I think it's negative energy that can be better turned into "what did I learn from this situation? how can this help me in the future? what can I do better next time?" Next time you think you regret something, give yourself some constructive criticism instead. You're doing the best you can, so go easy on yourself. 
Write or Die Wednesdays

I Think I'm Addicted to Barre

First of all. Every time I talk about going to "barre class" EVERYONE assumes I mean "bar" + they say, "Kasey, why on earth do you think you need to go to a class for drinking? You're already pretty good at it." SERIOUSLY. Anyways. So, if you haven't heard, ClassPass came to Atlanta!** If you follow me on the twitter, you'll know a couple weeks ago I tweeted "facebook tells me classpass is in Atlanta, so I'm really hoping I get an e-mail from classpass saying "hey try this for us + blog about it" THEN I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM CLASSPASS SAYING "Hey Kasey, we saw your tweet, today is your lucky day!" Just goes to show you, if you don't ask, the answer is always no. 

I. DIGRESS. Anyways. So I'm addicted to barre class. It kicks my booty every time but I want to go back for more. That's what you're supposed to get out of a workout, right? I love that, at least in the classes I have been to, there's not anyone who is all nose in the air, I am so much better than you are at this. [see, my inability to dance but still liking Zumba classes as well as my inability to touch my toes... in any class..] Everyone I've met at any + all my barre classes has been just as friendly as possible. I don't even feel self conscious about not being able to touch my toes there. Guys. My legs are really long okay?
here's a blurry selfie from a Friday night pre-happy hour barre class....
So, the moral of this short but sweet story is that what started as a fun little Atlanta Bloggers meetup turned into a total addiction + I'm going to have a rockin' bikini bod come summer time. Get excited! If you're interested in signing up for ClassPass, you can use this link to skip the waitlist! Maybe we can take classes together! Is anyone else addicted to barre class? Or using ClassPass? What are your thoughts? I'm a fan so far!

**obviously, ClassPass gave me a free month [because I asked for it..] in exchange for a review, opinions are my own + there will probably be another ClassPass post in the near future...**

Choose Love

photo from unsplash

Currently.

Oh I always feel like when I do a "currently" post it's because I literally don't know what to write about, oh wait, that's exactly why I'm doing it... Anyways. The sun is out today and I'm only working a half day so obviously this is going to be short + sweet because I HAVE MISSED THE SUNSHINE. Weather induced depression is real, y'all. 

reading // Sherlock Holmes a Study in Scarlet I started it in London because I didn't want to leave yet. Can I go back yet? I want to go back. 
eating // goldfish crackers. because it's 9:30 am + that is a reasonable snack. 
drinking // McDonald's coffee, which is actually really decent coffee, but they HAD THE NERVE to make it to where not all sizes are $1, which really bummed me out. It's just about time for a cocktail.
planning// for someone else to make my birthday plans. I don't wanna do it. I just want them to be done. But I also don't want it to be a surprise. I don't like surprises. 
jamming // Cold One, by Eric Church. Because I wish it was summer y'all.
See? Short, sweet, 5 things I'm currently doing. Bonus: being incredibly lazy today. Sorry... What are you up to today? ALSO HAVE YOU SEEN THE BUZZFEED ARTICLE ON RON WEASLEY BEING ADORABLE? go on. here's a sneak peek. 

Amsterdam For New Years

I don't know about you, but I hate New Year's Eve. Think about it. There's so much pressure for that night to be awesome that it literally never lives up to the hype. Well, at least that's what I thought until I went to Amsterdam, officially setting the bar for future NYE celebrations at unattainable levels. So here I am, 25, and I will most likely never top that experience. Tampering future expectations obviously. Or maybe I'll just have to spend NYE in a different country every year. What an adventure that would be. 

SO we did literally a million things on New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. It was a fast trip. Way too fast. I probably could have spent two weeks in Amsterdam alone. I'll have to go back in the summer. One of, if not my favorite activity on the whole stay in Amsterdam, was the self-guided canal boat tour. Our group rented three boats, we piled in with baguettes, boxed wine, cheeses, and grapes, then took off down the canals. Obviously, our fearless leader knew his way around, but it was fantastic. We dodged a few giant canal cruises with a bunch of miserable looking people on them, and waved our hello's to everyone, just in case they were thinking we might not be tourists.

Before the canal tour, we had a guided walking tour of the city. Our tour guide was the best, cracking jokes and taking us to all the places we wanted to go and some we didn't even know we would want to go. Our tour ended at the Ann Frank House, which I would have loved to have had a little more time to take in. There were some pushy people behind our group, as well as a few people who maybe didn't understand the gravity of that place. I'd have to say, I don't feel like that's really the place for joking around. Maybe that's just me though.

Finally, for the actual NYE festivities, we all hopped on the tram from our hostel (which, by the way, was not anything like we were expecting from the movie Hostel. It was just like summer camp, aside from having to push a button to keep the shower water running + the motion sensor lights in the bathroom not staying on long enough for you to pee, I would totally stay in one again!) Grabbed a quick pizza (you know, "American food") and tried to find a good bar to start the evening at. I learned that they don't drink tequila in Amsterdam (or Paris, if you're wondering.) I ordered one tequila drink, where I was promptly told she couldn't make me a tequila drink, but I could have a tequila shot. Seems reasonable. She ended up giving me too much change anyways, so I got paid to take a tequila shot.. We then headed to a market, because we figured why not take advantage of how "open container laws" are an American thing.
I'd be surprised if you expected anything less
A bottle of wine to each of us, we wandered around to Nieuwmarkt, found a bar to settle in, then rang in the new year out on the square where there were literally all kinds of fireworks from all angles. I definitely got hit in the face with one or two. It was equal parts beautiful and terrifying. They really love their explosives over there. I'd say the fireworks were going off until about the time we left on January 2nd. Sometime before our adventurous two mile walk home, I lost my driver's license, then turned super melodramatic exclaiming that I didn't even exist any more. Which is reasonable.

New Year's Day we did some more exploring and made our way to the Heineken Experience. Y'all. If you're in Amsterdam, you gotta do it. Buy your tickets in advance though, so you save a couple of Euro and don't have to wait in line. It was so cool. The brewery has so much more history than the craft beer places over here, so there's so much more to the tour than "this is where we mix the hops. not sorry about the smell." There was even a 4D tour where we were turned into beer + then taught how to take "manly sips" to enjoy the beer better. I would actually probably do that tour again.

All in all, Amsterdam was definitely the best place I could have possibly picked for my first adventure out of the States. I will be back. In the summer. I'll rent a bike and look at the tulips that started wars and take another boat ride down the canals. I will absolutely be back.

I'd Like To Be, Under The Sea...

Oh, Write or Die Wednesday, how I missed you whilst abroad. I even considered buying a wildly overpriced journal in London just so that I could journal a little bit. I definitely missed the lovely ladies I get to link up with every week. Also, don't hate me, but I'm totally tying this prompt back to travel. I got that wanderlust bug bad, man. HOW cool is this picture though?
I have already come to the conclusion that my next big destination is Australia + New Zealand (hey ps, why does spell check always think I'm spelling Zealand wrong? It really throws me for a loop, because I've spelled my name wrong before........) I want to see the Great Barrier Reef. OBVIOUSLY I'll have to get certified for scuba, because that's literally a whole other world to explore. Hey, Ariel, I wanna be part of your world.. 
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How crazy is it, though, to think about how there's an entire world that we can't even see. Not aliens on Mars coming to steal your basketball skills, but fish and coral and sharks and dolphins and whales just going about their business in what might as well be outer space? It blows my mind. I want to see it all. I want to be a mermaid. I want to have the courage to touch the butt.
NEMO.
This post started out altogether differently, I don't know how it turned into Disney movies + a little bit of Space Jam, but I really dig it. Do you have the courage to touch the butt? (side note, I'm pretty sure Nemo only touched the boat because his dad said not to, which is also the way I tend to get my courage. 'Kasey, you can't do this.' OH YEAH? WATCH.)
  Octopus's Garden - The Beatles Abbey Road by Unknown on Grooveshark
Write or Die Wednesdays