Midweek Ramblings.

 

{A throwback detail shot from my current apartment tour, since I shared that on the blog a year ago this week! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

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Ramblings:

• The newest number one song goes to: Do you know the name Olivia Rodrigo? If it doesn't ring a bell, don't feel badly. I didn't know who she was yet at this time last week! She's a young actress who is breaking into the music world, and her very first single Drivers License just came out on January 8th, and as of yesterday is topping the Billboard Hot 100! I want to say the last time we have a breakout artist gain popularity this fast was Lil Nax X? But even Old Town Road wasn't number one in its first week. This is truly incredible and even though Drivers License isn't my personal favorite song, I feel like Olivia is going to have a huge career ahead of her. The TODAY show wrote this awesome profile on her career so far!
• Funniest video of the week: Let me tell you I was crying laughing watching this video from comedian Trey Kennedy about stereotypical 20 something guys that are "entrepreneurs." It reminded me so much of guys I've known over the years, haha!! Watch here if you need a good laugh this week.

Weekend recaps:

• Last weekend: Friday was a 10+ hour day for me at work, so I spent most of the afternoon/evening napping! On Saturday afternoon, my roommate and I met our friends for a game of (masked) pickleball outside at a local park! It was so cold out that there were snow flurries falling while we played, but we toughed it out. It's been hard lately trying to find ways to safely see our friends in person (COVID cases have increased in our area a lot in the past month, so safety is super important right now), so we were proud of making this COVID-safe outdoor meet-up happen! Sunday I had a Zoom meeting for the chapter advising that I do for my sorority, and then spent the rest of the day watching Netflix and doing meal prep for the week.
• This weekend: My friends and I are hoping to plan another COVID safe meet-up... I think this weekend we might all meet-up at Target and shop together? (With our masks on of course!) Other than this I don't really have plans. I'd like to knock out some blog work and reading. 

Purchases:

• Just one big one this week! 😀 I've shared this gorgeous crossbody bag a few times on recent wishlist sections of Midweek Ramblings... and I finally got it! I'm a big believer in treating yourself when you have a life accomplishment, and I recently added another title and took on several new weekly duties at my day job, so I felt it was deserved. This is an investment bag that will last me for years! 

Wishlist:

• I've seen this brand of leggings nominated from some of my favorite bloggers, and I think they might be an activewear purchase this year. 
• This line of sweaters and winter accessories is way out of my budget, but I love the beautiful colors! The striped winter scarves are gorgeous- I'll have to see if I can find a dupe version. 
• For any pink and navy lovers- this striped sweater would be a must!
• Another designer crush this week: I love the colorful and bold sundresses from this brand! I think the star mini dress is my favorite. 
• The cutest little leopard dress that's marked down to under $30!
• This jewelry line is new-to-me but I really like their classic earring styles especially. Such good staple jewelry pieces.!

Currently reading: Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah - Kristin Hannah was one of my very favorite authors in high school, and I've enjoyed reading her books periodically in adulthood as well. I'm not too far into this one yet but so far I like it! It's about a reunion between estranged adult sisters, and a mysterious child who shows up in a small town in rural Washington state. 

Recipe of the week: Chicken Sausage Rigatoni from Hello Fresh - This is my favorite Hello Fresh meal I've had in awhile. It's an easy and absolutely delicious pasta dish! It would be easy to play around and use a different type of sausage or add extra ingredients, too. (If you didn't know- you don't need to use Hello Fresh to get their recipes! They post them all for free on their website.)

Song of the week: Love Not War by Jason Derulo ft. Nuka - LOVE this new Jason Derulo song! I haven't heard it played on any US radio stations yet, but it is getting airplay in Europe. (I feel like Europe often does Top 40 radio better than the US- a lot of great English language songs that never get big here do get big there!) Check it out if you love a good dance pop song, and I'm crossing my fingers it'll get more popular here.

Favorite blog posts of the week:

• RefreshHer - Denise shared some beautiful words of encouragement and faith for those that are going through hard seasons of waiting and grieving. 
  
• Style Charade - I loved reading Jenn's post about her newfound interest in cooking! 
  
• Caravan Sonnet - For those of us who are missing travel adventures during the pandemic, my friend Rebecca has some wonderful suggestions for making the most of exploring your own city and state this winter.

On the blog this week: 

• My Best Purchases of 2020
• 2021 Resolutions + Word of the Year

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese