one month later

I moved to North Carolina!

That is still surreal to say (or type).

This is a big step for me and a big life change but it is going well.

I finally have my own classroom,teaching first grade!!

I am so excited to continue to explore NC,I am basically smack dab in the middle of the state so the Ocean is a few hours as well as the mountains.

I love my new apartment and I am still finding my way around, I have also met a few other new teachers who I hang out with over the weekends,that is nice.

I miss my family,friends and the comforts of Chicago but this is a fun chapter in my life.

And it is September already!! Fall is just around the corner,my favorite season!

Weekending

This weekend was for:

Enjoying the Summer weather and sunshine.

Reading outside.

Eating fresh fruit!

Celebrating my Dad's birthday and Father's day!

Having a family dinner out.

Laughing with friends and family.

Summer bucket list

Make a pie,from scratch
Go to Boston
Go to Wrigley for a Cubs game (it has been too long!)
Start running again
Go to the beach for a day
Attend a concert or festival
Read all the books on my to-be-read pile;there are currently 18...

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What is on yours?

my weekend in (some) pictures

watching the Blackhawks with Bestie P!

enjoying the weather and cheering for Lovebug #4

group texts with the siblings and seeing this precious Lovebug!

Soaking up another great weekend.

This weekend was for:

eating a crockpot dinner and wine on Friday
sleeping in
volunteering with Operation Support Our Troops
getting a haircut
the usual Saturday cleaning
getting to together with some of the Besties to watch our Blackhawks win!!!!
laughing hard
cheering hard
going to church
working on job applications
watching Unbroken (wow,what a story!)
reading :)
taking the Twin sis for a Starbucks
making gnocchi

It sure was a good weekend!

four

I am swiping this idea from the lovely Astleigh:

four nicknames  

Vic

Vicda

Aunt Viv

Tricky Vicky (even though I hate being called Vicky,my elementary school teacher had nicknames for all of us and I didn't mind this one).

four jobs i have had

camp counselor (for 2,3 and 4 year olds! I loved it!)

babysitter (it is a real profession, and it helped me pay for everything growing up and for college!)

Pre K teacher

Teacher's Assistant in K,First and Second grade

four movies i have watched more than once

Sweet Home Alabama

Bourne Movies

Home Alone

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

four things in my purse

an Ariel the Mermaid sticker that Lovebug #2 gave to me years ago (she knew Ariel was my favorite growing up)

Trident gum

notebook and pen

extra batteries for my camera :)

our five books i would recommend

anything by Karen White

Too Good To BeTrue Kristan Higgins

The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton

Heaven is Here Stephanie Nielson

four cars i have driven

geo prizm

our old,big, red,passenger ford van

an older ford focus model

and my current car:2010 ford focus

four places i have visited

Washington, DC

Nags Head, NC

New York,NY

Nashville and Smoky Mountains,TN

four places to visit

Australia

England

Ireland

Montana and Wyoming

four of my favorite foods

pasta

cheese sticks

chocolate

coffee (it is a food in my book)

four favorite drinks

water with lemon

iced tea and lemonade

pepsi

red wine

four tv shows i watch

Nashville

NCIS

Live with Kelly and Michael

Hawaii Five-0

four places to shop

Von Maur

Target

The Loft

HomeGoods

and

four things I am looking forward to in 2015

traveling more!

(hopefully,finally) having my own classroom

new adventures

watching Lovebug #6 grow!

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Happy things

Tons of family time

Watching the Blackhawks play

Reading a good book

Praying

Thinking about my Boston trip next month!!

Listening to music--Need to Breathe, Mumford& Sons, Nashville Soundtracks

Dinner with a Bestie

Group texts messages with friends and family

Taking pictures of Lovebug #6

Happy Fake Monday!!

weekend happenings

This weekend I watched Lovebug #4 play T-ball

I soaked up the sunshine and glorious weather.
I finished reading, The Seven Sisters 
I watched the season finale of Elementary
I cooked dinner and did my usual weekend cleaning.
I went to church and continued with the job applications
I watched the Blackhawks (lose...but it is okay!).
I wished there was one more day to the weekend :)

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Happy Monday!

mid week

It is Thursday, hooray! Friday Eve!

Tuesday felt like it took forever...

It is finally glorious outside...

I am excited for this week's People magazine,I love me some Royal Family news...

I read The Girl on the Train (can you say crazy but good) and now I am reading Every Fifteen Minutes

This weekend is for celebrating my Mom and Lovebug #2...

Job applications,they never end...I sure hope something fruitful happens this Summer though...

I am so looking forward to going to Boston with Bestie B in just over one month!!!

The school year is ending in 25 days,I enjoyed being back in the atmosphere and environment,what a fun and eye-opening year it has been.

The Blackhawks have Round 2  Game 4 tonight,it could be a big winner for them!

I love seeing and photographing all the Spring blooms around here;they never get old...

Two crock pot dinners this week,I am smart that way...

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Have a good day!

May blogging challenge:Day 2

Five Favorites

1. Photography taking my own and admiring others
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Reading I currently have over a dozen books in my to-be-read pile by my bed.
3. Chicago Blackhawks (hockey!) Lots of good looking players and they are an amazing team and sport to watch
   
   
   
   
4. Coffee preferably with just milk or half and half. I do enjoy a fancy Starbucks drink once a week,too
5. March of Dimes and Operation Support Our Troops I love volunteering and helping out those that need it.

May Challenge

I'm Victoria

A twenty-something year old from the Chicago area

A U of I Alumni (go Illini!) 

An elementary school teacher

I love the Chicago Blackhawks and Cubs

I love Fall and Spring

A cup of coffee is a must each morning

I have huge wanderlust and I like to try to travel to one or two new States a year

My family is the best...and it is big. I am one of SEVEN kids and I have SIX Lovebugs (nieces/nephews).

I have a sarcastic sense of humor and I love to laugh

I want to go to to Australia so very badly

I blog for fun and I have been since 2007

I love photography and taking pictures

Nice meeting ya!

Thursday thoughts:

Currently:

thinking about life

drinking my morning coffee

reading Kristan Hannah's The Nightingale

thinking of Nepal as they continue to grapple with their devastation from the earthquake

getting ready for the weekend

enjoying all the  flowers and trees that are finally blooming

glad it is Thursday!

looking forward to dinner with Bestie K tonight

I was the kind of kid who:

I am so glad I found this,it is a hilarious link up!

I was the kind of kid who...

Thought everyone had a big family like mine.

Would rather play with baby dolls or hold real babies than play sports.

Idolized her older sister...and brothers.

Would get into serious sibling fights with one of her older brothers. Man,they were fierce! (But we love each other now!)

Wrote in a journal.

Was a good student but hated math.

Talked a lot during school.

Was a neat freak, my school desk was always organized.

Loved riding her bicycle...and would pretend it was a horse, well my best friend and I would do it together,pretend we were riding horses.

Would be so scared to get into trouble at school...and then cried during conferences in fourth grade because I thought my teacher was going to tell my parents about the one time I had gotten in trouble during class.

Had short hair,and I mean, boy short (or as my Mom called it, "pixie cut") until third or fourth grade.

Played school for hours on end,even after being at school.

Read books all.the.time. (Still do actually)

Didn't eat sugary cereals,fake peanut butter,etc so would love to go friends' houses or camp just to eat those items.

Listened to country music (Shania Twain, Faith Hill--they still are my favorites).

Would set up kool-aid stands during the Summer with my best friend.

Had my first job at age 12,junior camp counselor! Loved it!

Would come home late from a friend's house and lie that my watch wasn't working....no one really bought that lie either. 

Loved hanging around/annoying my older brothers.

Thought being a teacher was the coolest job.


(I am in the white shirt)

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What were you like?

Friday five

Five of my favorite moments that I captured from this week's trip to DC:

(well this one actually wasn't taken by me,thanks T for taking it!)

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                                                               Happy (Good) Friday!!

Happy Easter Weekend!

Currently:April

Thanks to Anne and Jenna!

Currently:

wearing-pjs! Don't judge,it is Spring Break and I am sipping my morning coffee in comfort before my productivity begins.

sipping-coffee with milk;the usual morning drink.

wishlisting-anything cute and Springy,especially at the Loft.

writing-posts about my DC trip,I just came back on Tuesday,

 exploring-DC!!

going on over here

It has been rather quiet around here,no particular reason,just life.

This week is going fast,thankfully because next week is Spring Break!! The students' last day is today and we have conferences today and tomorrow morning.

Lovebug #6 is due in less than a month,so excited to meet this new little cutie!!

I have raised over $500 for my March for Babies Team this year;people's generosity always astounds me and makes me love them even more,

Last Monday I wore capris and flats to work,this Monday it was snowing and I wore my snow boots and Winter jacket...silly Spring.

How is it the end of March already?!

How is Easter just over a week away?!

Tomorrow is going to be awesome!!

I am so ready for my trip to DC!

Currently reading: The Only Thing Worth Dying For and American Sniper (I have always been drawn to war/military books).

Currently listening to and loving: Brandi Carlisle's Firewatcher's Daughter. Although I only like songs 1-7 and 9.

Currently watching: Madam Secretary, The Mysteries of Laura, NCIS, Person of Interest, Arrow

Happy Thursday!!

a new link up

Happy Thursday! Or as I like to call it, Friday Eve!

This week is going by quickly and I like that. Some Stuff and Things from this week:

My Spring Break trip to DC is just over two weeks away!!

Dinner with Bestie K tonight is going to be much deserved.

Watching Lovebugs #2 and #4 last night was fun, those kiddos rock. Although I did miss Lovebug #1!

Waiting for Lovebug #6's arrival in just over a month...I can't wait!!

The "warm" Spring weather is nice,now we just need the snow/mud to to keep melting and dry up.

I bought a few items over the weekend from the Loft, I had a coupon AND a free $20. Gearing up for Spring!

I used a lot of exclamation points in this post...!!

This weekend is going to be a good one;and I hope to do some serious baking.

A love filled weekend!

5 things on my weekend agenda:

1. My sisters and I are throwing SIL (and brother B) a baby shower for Lovebug #6 tomorrow! We are looking forward to it!!

2. Hanging with B and K while they are in for a couple days!

3. Coffee with some of the Besties--catching up with them!

4. Baking and baking

5. Enjoying Monday's day off with my a Von Maur visit with my Mom.

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What is on your weekend schedule?

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Take this fun quiz from Two Thirds Hazel!

This weekend was for:

volunteering with operation support our troops again,so glad I found this place last year!
sleeping in
making a new dinner recipe--crock pot orange chicken;so good!
indulging in beer and pizza on a Saturday night
coffee with Bestie K
splurging a bit at Von Maur
matinee movie with Bestie K--The Imitation Game--another awesome movie,what a story and what a war hero!
catching up on my shows from the week
church
finalizing SIL's baby shower details with the Sisters :)
cleaning and organizing

currently...

Hearting--some of the pictures I took on Monday after our 18 inches of snow fell on Sunday. 

I am also hearting my SIL's Baby Shower that my sisters and I are throwing for her on Valentine's Day!

Reading--I just finished Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and I am reading Chevy Steven's That Night and next up is American Sniper by Chris Kyle

Pinning--I don't Pin, I know,crazy! But I am loving Etsy finds:

chicago skyline necklace and chicago blackhawks decor


chevron necklace and minimal necklace

 Eating--Don't judge but I had an Eggo French Toast Waffle for breakfast;they are so tasty!

 Anticipating--Boston trip with Bestie B in June! Lovebug #6's arrival in April. Dinner with Bestie K tonight!

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You?
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Happy Wednesday!