My Favorite Season

First off I want to say WOW! There was definitely a lot of interest in my (amazing) brother. We'll see what God does with that little blog post. I will keep y'all updated if anything comes from it. I had over 2,000 hits on my blog because of that little link-up.

Now onto other topics. It is now officially Fall! Fall is absolutely, by far, my favorite season of the year. However, fall in Texas is not really fall. Boo. I'm used to cool weather, bonfires, leaves changing colors, apple orchards, hayrides, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes. In Texas, fall just means that it might be in the 80s if you are lucky. Oh, and since I live in the city, we don't have any of the above. Except a pumpkin patch or two set up in a church parking lot. Lame. So this year I am determined to make fall special and search out some of these things. It may mean driving an hour into the country, but it is totally worth it!

To get into the fall mood I thought I would list a few of my favorite recent purchases.

Firstly, I decided I needed riding boots. When I decide that I need something (its never usually a NEED, more of a REALLY want) I need it immediately. So a few weekends ago I went boot shopping with a friend. I had two requirements; 1)real leather 2) cute. I ended up with these Enzo Angiolini riding boots, and I'm not sure if I love them. They are a nice, dark brown leather that I like because it is different from my cowboy boots. I also like the rugged look they have.


I have an issue with boots. The issue is my lack of height, ha. Apparently I have short calves and riding boots are made for women who are 5' 7". My friend purchased the ones I was swooning over (they were too tall for me, boo).


I rarely shop at Old Navy. I really like their jewelry (and the price of their jewelry) but I feel like their clothes don't typically fit me right or wear well. But the other night I was in a spending mood and ran in there and found a cute leopard print belt on clearance for, get this, $3.00!! YES! Then I found this shirt and after debating between the two colors, I ended up with the lighter orange. Now I wear it on Solid Orange Fridays (Go Clemson Tigers)!! 

Another fall staple that is new to my wardrobe are these flats. I have never been an animal print girl until this season. I guess you could call me a late bloomer? They were cheap, and comfortable. I don't know how long they will be in style so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on them. 



As for our apartment, I have been burning fall scented Bath and Body Works candles around the clock. Leaves is my current favorite.

 Will's current favorite is Marshmallow Fireside. I also love anything with pumpkin or spices.    

    
 We had a cool streak for about a week when it was 70s to low 80s, but this week we have been back in the high 90s. Boo. But the heat doesn't stop me from drinking these bad boys.

Pretty sure my caloric intake doubles in fall. I also made a new recipe for small group on Sunday night that I found on pinterest. If you need something quick, easy, and super delicious for a fall gathering, this is your recipe. Everyone (especially my husband) raved over it and asked for the recipe. It was sooooo good, and even better warm!
www.prettygoodfood.com 
Go there now for the recipe!

Show us Your Singles

If you're new here from Kelly's Korner, (which roughly 99.9% of you will be) welcome to my little corner of the blog world! And now for the good stuff...

Ladies, it's your lucky day! Today my cousin Katie and I are teaming up to write a post about my older brother, Kyle. I have THE BEST family in the world, we are all extremely close, but Kyle has always been my best friend and partner in crime.

First off, Kyle is a Christian who loves the Lord. He goes to The Village Church in Dallas. He graduated from UT Arlington with a Bachelor's in Business Management and works for a mortgage company. Kyle is probably the most laid back guy you will ever meet. He is super loyal and will go out of his way to do anything for you.  And hey, I might be biased but I think he's pretty darn good looking ;)

Kyle loves sports, especially anything involving The Ohio State University (Michigan fans need not respond, ha). You'll also find him all summer drinking a beer at a Ranger's game and cheering on the Cowboy's in the fall. He loves to play any sport, and loves to workout and eat healthy.

He's also an amazing golfer and wins just about every tournament he enters.

I go to Kyle if I ever have a question on wine or sushi. Let's just say he has a more distinguished palate than I do! This boy is always up for an adventure and loves a good road trip! He is a family man, and by that I mean that he loves his momma! He can totally be a romantic too.

Family Picture (Kyle is far right)

If you're the type of girl who wants to marry a man who will be your best friend and love you unconditionally, then you're in the right place. 

Feel free to comment on this blog and I will pass it along. And like Kelly says, DO NOT get discouraged if things don't work out this time. God has a perfect plan for you, and perfect timing!

Ohio Continued

It's really hard to live 16 hours away from your best friends. It was especially hard when we were all planning weddings, but it is even harder now that we are moving into the baby stage of life! I want to be Auntie Rachel and Uncle Will to my BFF's kids and I want to be able to watch them grow up, not via the computer. That realization was one of the hardest parts of this trip. It was such a relaxing trip. I got to spend a lot of quality time with my closest friends who I miss every day! Sarah and Lisa just know me better than I know myself and I am so thankful for the way they love me unconditionally, even from far away!

The trip consisted of a lot of coffee, a lot of eating out, a lot of laughing, a lot of house hunting, a lot of driving on back country roads, and a lot of family time. Perfection. And the rest of the story will be told in pictures.

Ladies night out!

We love baby Jude and can't wait to meet him!

BFF's since 4th grade. That's like 14 years, folks!

She ratchet. Breakfast at Panera.

Have I mentioned how excited I am about my little nephew?!

A trip down memory lane, Brookville High School :)

Babies need ice cream, so do we.

Hannah and I stopped by Grandma Sute's grave. We miss her, but so thankful she is in heaven where we will see her again!

So sad I didn't buy this statue, it is an exact replica of Rigsby.

Best Friends!

Outside the cheesecake factory.

Awe, what a sweet little family!

The best coffeeeee. I miss Boston Stoker, SO much better than Starbucks.

Loved shopping with the Kinne girls.

A little Twister fun.

Such an amazing trip! Its always good to go back 'home' to Ohio.

Bad Blogger

Wouldn't you know it, as quickly as I jumped on the blog train, I fell back off. Life has been crazy busy these past few weeks, leaving my immune system fighting sickness and my body craving rest.

It all started last Monday, the 30th. I babysat overnight for a family in Fort Worth for 3 nights while still driving an hour in to work during the day. Let's just say I didn't get a full night's sleep any of those days and all of the driving was exhausting. I love the boys that I watch, they are the sweetest (and most energetic) kids!

 On Thursday, Aug. 2nd I left work a bit early to leave for OHIO. My brother, sister, and I piled into the car for the 16 hour drive.

We drove overnight on the trip there and the drive back home. And I do believe that is why I'm fighting sickness. I digress. Road trips are the best. Every exit in East Texas has a DQ, so we just HAD to stop!

 

Kyle was amazed by how big the burgers were. DQ in Texas has tacos on their menu, weird.

We drove through some scary thunderstorms/ tornado watches at about 3:30am. And we were greeted with the most BEAUTIFUL Illinois sunrise the next morning.

This cross was on the side of the highway.

Ohio is BEAUTIFUL in the summer. I really miss it. The weather was perfect, 70s-upper 80s all week. Some rain, a lot of sunshine. Rolling hills, greenery, and cornfields. It is just where I feel most at home. Did I mention the cornfields? I love them, I don't know why. Maybe because they make the best mazes in the fall? Or because they remind me of Brumbaugh's Fruit Farm, bonfires, and apple fritters. Nothing beats fall in Ohio, except maybe fall in the Appalachian Mountains. Husband, if you are reading this blog, can you take me somewhere that the leaves change colors this fall? Pretty please?

Back to the trip. Tim Horton's was actually our very first Ohio stop. Sticking to our Canadian roots I guess. Timbits are also known as donut holes in the US. Always have and always will be Timbits to me, YUM.

Our old exit. I find it amazing that we lived on Arlington Rd. just a few years before we moved to Arlington, TX.

And our second stop was for THE BEST PIZZA IN THE WORLD. HANDS DOWN. NO CONTEST. Okay, I'll stop yelling. But my mouth is watering just thinking about my yummy Marion's pizza with sausage and pepperoni.

To be continued...

Weekend Foodie

We had a fairly busy weekend this past weekend. Actually, we didn't, we just ate out quite a bit because Will's Uncle Ken and his family were in town from Houston. And when Uncle Ken comes to town, the whole family goes out to eat.
Thursday night we met Will's parents and ate at Cotton Patch (home cooking similar to cracker barrel). Friday night the whole family met at Niki's Italian Bistro, and Saturday was Babe's! Babe's in Roanoke is a MUST when you're in the Fort Worth area.
It is served family style and your options are fried chicken, or chicken fried steak! Then you get creamed corn, mashed potatoes, salad, and biscuits on the side. We closed down the restaurant Saturday night and left weighing a pound or two more. It was worth it...

Online Shopping

Okay folks, my name is Rachel Reynolds, and I have a problem. Lately I have been way too into online shopping. It is just SO quick and SO easy, and there are so many sites that give you great discounts! I have never been an online shopper before, but now that I am working I am loving the convenience of the internet.

 A site that I just stumbled across is www.groopdealz.com. Ya'll, it is fabulous! Cute jewelry, monogrammed iphone cases, wall peel chalkboards and so many other fun things!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I have been!

The ABC's of Me

A. Age:23

B. Bed size: Queen, I've had a queen  for as long as I can remember, but now I have to share it!

C. Chore you dislike: Dishes! They seem to be endless at my house even though we have a dishwasher. Hubs will do any cleaning but the dishes so that means I am stuck with them.

D. Dogs: A rescue from the shelter dachshund/lab mix (we think). We love our little Rigsby (most of the time)!

E. Essential start to your day: COFFEE. I am not a morning person, anyone who knows me can tell you that!

F. Favorite colors: I've been all about the CORAL this summer! And I love decorating my apartment in blue, but green has always been my very favorite color.

G. Gold or silver: My rings are white gold, and I am loving both silver and gold these days.

H. Height: 5'1 and 3/4 haha

I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano and trumpet

J. Job title:Client Care Manager/ Marketing Assistant

K. Kids: We hope to wait a few years, then hopefully 4 or 5. Open to adoption as well!

L. Live: We live in Arlington, TX. But I have lived all over! Nova Scotia, Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina. Ahhh the Carolinas hold my heart!

M. Mom’s name:  Carol or just momma. Isn't she BEAUTIFUL!

N. Nicknames: Rach, Sute (people still use this! ha), and Babygirl (oh Hubs...)

O. Overnight hospital stays:I'm sure I stayed a few days as an infant! :)

P. Pet peeves: Incorrect Grammar. And people playing with their feet. Ewe.


Q. Quote from a movie: "Buzz, your girlfriend...WOOF!"- Yes, Home Alone is my favorite movie of all time. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

R. Righty or lefty: Right 


S. Siblings: I LOVE MY SIBLINGS!

I have a beautiful little sister, Hannah, who is 8 years younger than me.

And a little brother, Joe (left) who is 5.5 years younger. Kyle (right) is my big bub; my 3.5 year older partner in crime.

T. Time you wake up: 8ish but only because of work. I'm a night owl, and mornings come too soon.

U. Underwear: Yes, I wear underwear...

V. Vegetables you don’t like: MMmmm I'm a big veggie fan. My least favorite is probably collard greens. But only because I've had some bad experience with gritty, dirty collards.

W. What makes you run late: My love for sleep. My lack of time management. Social media. Making coffee. My dog. You name it ;) I'm working on my promptness. My husband is alway 30 minutes early. ALWAYS. Me, I'm always 2 minutes late.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, and I've had a CAT scan for headaches.

Y. Yummy food you make: My cream cheese pound cake. Oh Yum.

 Z. Zoo animal you like: I love giraffes! They fascinate me!