Midweek Ramblings.

{My first Orange Crush in Virginia Beach- a local favorite that a lot of bars in the area serve! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

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Ramblings:

• Iconic song turns 25: Since I'm now back working in country radio, I'm enjoying diving into country music news each week. One of my favorite older 90s country songs is the iconic Strawberry Wine from Deana Carter. What a beautiful song! It recently celebrated its 25th birthday, and Deana chatted with Garden & Gun magazine about the song's legacy, which was a fun read. 
• Toxic the podcast: I have been loving this podcast for the past couple weeks, shout-out to my friend Perrin for telling me about it! Toxic is a deep-dive into the 13 year history of Britney Spears's conservatorship. It's super informative, and there are interviews with many key players who knew Britney in the early 2000s at the height of her career. It's hosted by Tess Baker and Babs Grey, who used to host a different podcast called Britney's Gram, where they tried to dissect and interpret meaning from Britney's mysterious Instagram posts. If you're curious what's been going on with Britney Spears, or if you enjoy 2000s pop culture, this is a must listen!

Weekend recaps:

• This weekend: It was very chill and relaxing. On Saturday the weather was very rainy, so I did some shopping in the morning and then went to check out a branch of the local library that I hadn't been to yet, and I spent the rest of the evening at home. On Sunday, I drove down to Edenton, NC (90 minutes south) to spend the day at my aunt and uncle's house! They have a waterfront home right on the Albemarle Sound, and it was a lovely afternoon of swimming and reading on the dock. 
• Next weekend: My mom arrives to visit on Thursday! She's never been to Virginia Beach before so I'm excited to get to explore with her. It is crazy how much has changed in my life since my mom last came to see me back in Charlottesville in April!

Purchases:

• LOFT was having an incredible 60% off sale over the weekend. That's like Black Friday prices! I stopped by my local store on Saturday and tried on a bunch of things, and I ended up getting this hot pink midi dress. I think it'll look really cute with a belt for work.

Wishlist:

• A more modest and work/church appropriate dress that has the most bright and gorgeous pattern!
• Moving to the beach is making me want to hold onto the summer season for as long as possible, including summer fashion! Still loving these fun dresses. 
• This shoe brand is definitely out of my budget right now, but I keep seeing so many bloggers absolutely rave about the quality of these heels and sandals. (I do own a dupe pair but dreaming of the real deal!)
• This checked skirt has my name all over it for fall and winter fashion.

Currently reading: Goodnight, Texas by William Cobb - A novel about various people trying to survive and get through their day-to-day lives in an impoverished town located in the Gulf Coast of Texas. The plot and characters are interesting, but the writing style isn't my personal favorite. 

Recipe of the week: Melting Moments Cookies - I still haven't been doing my normal amount of cooking yet with settling in at my full job, but I did bake some cookies on Monday! These are a favorite easy recipe of mine and taste absolutely incredible! If you like very soft cookies you have to try them.

Song of the week: Kiss My Uh Oh by Anne-Marie and Little Mix - I always get excited when new songs sample early 2000s songs, since that's my favorite era in pop music! Kiss My Uh Oh samples the popular early 2000s one hit wonder Never Leave You by Lumidee. The song has an absolutely infectious beat and I listened to it on repeat all weekend- I hope it does well on the US radio charts!!

Favorite blog posts of the week:

• A Touch of Teal - Katie's Life Lately posts are some of my favorite life update posts to read out of all the bloggers I follow! Loved hearing about her summer and upcoming travel plans.
• The Classy Academic - I love seeing blogger home and apartment tours, and Kelly's new home office is absolutely gorgeous.
• Heather Bien - Despite the fact that I'm from New England, I haven't been to many New England beaches outside of the ones from my home state of Maine. I've never visited Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, but I have read many books set in both! It was fun to read Heather's spring itinerary for Martha's Vineyard. 

On the blog this week:

• 4th of July Wedding Outfit

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese