Midweek Ramblings.

 {Exploring Belle Isle Pedestrian Bridge in Richmond last weekend! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

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Ramblings:

• Jason Collier saga - Who else was following along with this drama on social media last week? I first heard about this whole story from my blogger friend Nicole and it was too juicy not to keep up with. Basically- this guy Jason is a cheating scumbag. He was "engaged" to two women, while being married with kids, and dating and hooking up with more women in addition his fake fiances too! He was arrested in Texas last week for getting caught falsifying annulment papers for once of the fiances. If this story doesn't have Lifetime movie or Netflix limited series written all over it....
• Christian patriotism vs. nationalism - I don't share too many "deeper" things about faith and/or politics on my blog- but this article was too good not to share. Journalist David French explores the delicate relationship between people of faith and being healthily patriotic vs. toxically nationalistic. A fascinating read given the current climate in our country.

Weekend recaps:

• Last weekend: Probably my favorite weekend of 2021 so far. It is crazy how much it helps my mood just to have some sort of plans and itinerary on deck, rather than just staying home and not doing too much. On Friday afternoon I headed down to Richmond for some blog photos. I had a little bit of time after, so I went to finally check out the Belle Isle Pedestrian Bridge and trails on the James River! It was so cool- I can't wait to go back when it's warmer. Sunday it snowed in Charlottesville! It was a wonderful snow day- I made soup and cheese fondue, and went for a walk in the neighborhood in the afternoon with my friends Abigail and Emily.
• This weekend: I signed up for an outdoor Jazzercise class Saturday morning- it'll be cold but hopefully still a good workout. Not too much else is on my agenda for right now, hopefully I'll make some sort of plans! 

Purchases:

• Do I need more ImPRESS nails? Absolutely not- I have a ton of packs already at home. But when I saw the brand new solid colored ImPRESS nails at CVS late last week, I had to buy a pack of the mint green ones! They will be great for spring. 
  

Wishlist:

• A bright striped t-shirt that has me ready for spring days. 
• A cute and casual heart pajama set for under $30!
• The prettiest pink tie-front dress! It also comes in some other colors too. 
• So many Valentine's themed pajamas from this brand.
• An elegant navy wrap top that would be great for the rest of the winter season.
• Loving the fun sleeve details on these dresses.
• If you're still looking for the perfect heart sweater for Valentine's- I think this is it! 

Currently reading: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda - It's been quite awhile since I read a good thriller, so I was happy this one came in for me at the library. It's about a woman who returns back to here small North Carolina hometown, the same town that her best friend went missing in 10 years prior. 

Recipe of the week: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup from A Spicy Perspective - One of my very favorite winter soups that I made on Sunday during the snow! This time instead of tortellini I used some of the Kroger brand frozen ravioli (which are DELICIOUS- if you live in an area with Kroger you need to try them) and I think the soup was even better with them! 

Song of the week: Regardless by Raye & Rudimental - I remember one of my radio internship bosses in college told me that she thought Rudimental would be the next huge thing in the US...sadly that never really ended up being the case in our music scene. But they have gotten huge in the UK and Europe! I love their new song with singer Raye.

Favorite blog posts of the week:

• A Touch of Teal - I always love reading other bloggers' travel posts about Charlottesville, and seeing which spots they're visiting when in town. Katie went to UVA and comes back to Cville fairly regularly, and I loved this post from her latest weekend trip here.
• I'm Fixin' to Blog  - Meghan set a new travel goal for 2021: to finish visiting all 100 North Carolina counties. How fun is that?! I can't wait to follow along all year.
  

On the blog this week:

• What I Wore to Work: January 2021
  
• Red + Pink Valentine's Outfit Round-up

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese