Here's the mail, it never fails. . .

   As y'all should know by now I love Target. More importantly I love the stationary isle of Target. I could easily blow $20+ on Papyrus cards and can always think of a reason to send someone a card I send my own mom cards and I live across the house from her But up until last fall I had never had that monogrammed stationary I had so coveted, until I found the amazing company that is May Designs. It actually started as simply May Books and then Halloween of this year they launched May Notes. I could honestly order more of these things than I would ever know what to do with. Of course, don't only take my word for it, you should definitely follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I LOVE their Instagram feed because it always gives me great ideas seeing what other May Designs pattern/color combos people have put together. I currently have a May Book for each account I'm on and then a couple sets of May Notes and never fail to get a compliments on them And the best part is they are incredibly affordable and really great quality/hand made products that ship to you just a couple days after you order them. There are six or seven different book inserts you can order such as lined, dots, graph paper, 40 week planner, and the most relevant right now wedding planner made GREAT Christmas presents for my brides to be 
   So, gentlemen these would make a lovely Valentine's Day present. And all my single ladies, who said you can't give yourself a Valentine's Day present? Guys are horrible at presents anyway.. My current obsession is the new Sweethearts collection but there is definitely something there for everyone. Although it would be AMAZE if they came out with an NFL collection, can never get enough #blackandyellow. So there it is, the answer to the question that's been bouncing around on Instagram, "where did you get your stationary???" 



And it's a long way up when you hit the ground. Get up now, get up. .

   If you walk through the set of offices down on the first floor back behind the kitchen it's pretty much the equivilant of changing your radio station every 5 seconds. None of our offices have doors some of us don't even have ceilings, especially fun when the boys get ahold of the Pensacola beach balls and there is always a wide variety of tunes going on to say the least. But sometimes you hit that lyrical wall and you're tired of listening to the same will.i.am it's britney bitch song yeah, I thought it would never happen either and after shuffling my starred playlist 970 times I have finally found a remedy. If there's a song you really love by a band, go to that artist/band's Spotify page, find the album that song's from and shuffle it. That's how I've found some of my favorite not so Top 40 chart topping songs and how I came across the melody for this week's Wordy Wednesday. There are actually about three songs I wanted to use for post but I'll let you find those on your own, maybe you'll shuffle Imagine Dragons "Night Visions" for yourself.

"This purse eats things, I swear."

   So please excuse the lack of creativity behind this week's 10 Things. You know all those side effects they list off on those prescription drug commericals, well they're real. Spent the weekend enjoying the laundry list of side effects from one of my prescriptions and Monday waiting to hear back from the doctor about what to do/change. So while sitting on the couch waaaaaaiting for the phone to ring trying to come up with things to post on, I realized it was sitting right next to me. No, not Sophie. My purse. Taking some inspiration from my blog header, I threw my purse on the floor ran that through Instagram, duh and wah-la..

10 [maybe 12] Things...in my purse working from the top down

1. Lilly Pulitzer planner would DIE without it

2. Coach wristlet that thing survived 4 years of college, tride and true

3. Tili travel bag best thing Birch Box ever sent me

4. Target "To Call" notepad great for any last minute notes, or leaving notes on neighbors' cars who continue to park in front of your driveway

5 Checkbook wallet my "mom" wallet, got it in Paris with dad the day I got my first Longchamp

6 Orbit Wintermint

7. Coach Poppy rollerball fits my purse and budget better than the full size bottle

8. Vera Bradley eye glass case [and glasses]

 9. Ovesized hair clip never know when you're gonna need one of these till you don't have one

10. EOS products: handlotion and "eggs" technically three, but they're that good

11. Target "Raybans" for $11 I do not mind throwing these in my purse

12. L'oreal Paris colour riche balm the best

Next week's post will be much better, scout's honor yeah, I was never a girl scout. Have you ever seen me in nature?. And all you ADV 490 kids reading, this is what it looks like when you don't plan out your posts ahead of time..



Donations are not tax deductible, because you can't deduct kindness.

   Hey guys. Asking y'all to show some support to one of my guy friends. Starting this summer Brett's hiking the Appalachian Trail south bound Maine to Georgia. That is BIG deal. And to document his adventure, I now have one more friend blogging. Follow his blog Brett on the AT here http://brettontheat.blogspot.com/, there's even a tab for donations if you need your good deed of the day and you get a picture of Dabo, cutest dog But if anything keep him in your thoughts and prayers!

[Still] in love with my crazy beautiful life

     HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY TO ME, HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY TO ME!

A year ago today I posted the first post of the monster that has become Pekarsk-ing Around. We were supposed to give an introduction of us, talk about our dreams/goals/future plans, and our experience in social media thus far. You can tell I still had naive hope that a Charleston agency would give me an interview, I'm also thinking it's a good thing I didn't end up in Charleston since I really only liked it because of Lilly Pulitzer. Judge Me. I did however end up in Nashville at the most incredible agency, that did give me an interview and then another and then another and then a job offer at 2pm on April 5th. Thank God I decided not to take a nap that day. 
A lot has gone on in the past 365 days but I would still consider myself and my hair bigger than my body gives me credit for. I will be running my second half marathon in April. I'm also kicking off 23 right by running use that term loosely, will probably be more like screaming and slowly jogging/laughing the Marine Mud Run with one of my very best friends the morning of my birthday, as well as spending my extended birthday weekend in DC being patriotic. I still talk WAY too much smack when it comes to the Steelers. I am still holding out to be an NFL wife. And no one could ever mix up their stuff with mine because it's all monogrammed. also still not CPR certified. 
Hmmm, what else? I'm still making plans. God is still laughing. I'm learning to laugh along with him. Snail mail has become my best friend when staying close with my best friends. And #LifewithJulie is always a good time. 

It has been a h e l l of a year. To say the absolute least. I've learned a lot. I've lost a lot. too bad one of those things was not Mike Tomlin. I still have no idea what I'm doing half the time. You just embrace the shambles. #blackandyellow. 
cPr. 

Far away, far away, I wanna go far away

   Knoxville is like this bubble, this little mini oasis where you can sit in bed at 6pm in pjs watching Dance Mom re-runs eating leftover Chipotle. Circle Park was amazing per usual and I definitely think Dr. Childers will have her hands full with this new batch of ADV 490ers in a good way, of course So instead of yamming on about how incredible all my friends are and how much I miss them I do that enough already I'll just give you My Trip to Knoxville via Instagram how very social media of me... 

Ready to hit the road, with the essentials of course

Such a horrible view being an Ad kid walking to class every day

Bings baby, GBO

Grabbing Molly from class and finally doing emails while waiting

Packed and ready to go home,
these is no way someone could ever mix up my bag with theirs

 
   And to top it all off I came home to a Taylor Swift Hallmark card from the one and only Jenn Pesek, yes you read that right a Taylor Swift card. And she's not sorry about it. Happy Tired Thursday! 

It's all talk talk talk, talking in the wind

   While I will admit, I watched the pilot of Nashville just to try and get a glimpse of our office they have their multiple crews and trailers set up in the lot across from our parking lot enough I am now hooked. And if you haven't heard the Nashville album yet, you need it. It's amazing. This little gem has been helping to keep me sane lately. Turns out real life is hard, who would have thought? And the banner line does ring true, it is a lot harder to shine than undermine. 

You drive your little love bug when you're skipping class

   I'm heading down south to the land of the bings. Yes, in three short hours I will be on my way to the land of orange, checker board end zones, ridiculous hills, The Cup, construction zones, Rocky Top, and some of the best memories of my short life. I will be attempting to fill the always chic shoes of Dr. Courtney Childers by subbing the ADV/PR 490: Social Media class while she is off chaperoning the always frigid but fun Ad Club Trip to NYC God, I could make a 10 Things list about that trip alone, was when I decided I wanted to go wit the Media side of the industry, LIFE MOMENT So this weeks 10 Things is a special University of Tennessee edition, or rather me having a sentimental moment about being eight months removed from never wearing real clothes and having a 3am bedtime. 

10 Things...I love and miss about the University of Tennessee

1. Running those God awful hills hello toned calves and ass or just campus in general

2. Mass/confession/life talks with the wonderful Fr. Charlie and Ashley and Kerri

3. Walking home from the library at 2am when campus is dead kinda weird and peacful at the same time

4. Being done with classes at 11am and then going back to bed

5. Balcony sitting and sometimes drinking

6. Being five minutes away from all your best friends

7. The Ad kids home away from home, the back right corner of the Commons, and all those group meetings complete with pulling the flash drive out without ejecting it yes the project was lost and yes I cried

8. Norts, sports bra, rainbows, Frees, sweatshirt, oversized "looks like I'm not wearing bottoms" t-shirt

9. The usual Chipotle, The Cup, Target loop

10. Cards from home now I send mom cards..

11. NAPPING

Now you may never be on the Maybelline commercial

   Mike Posner. 

   Don't even get me started. Judge me, I do not care. I love him. This goes way back to the summer of 2010 and Drug Dealer Girl hope you caught that post title reference. I love him enough to follow him on Instagram that's true love right there so I knew last night to check his website today at 2pm. And per usual, he did not let me down. So since it technically still is Wordy Wednesday and there is no rule on how many songs I can share since this is my blog and I make the rules, here you go. I'll be blunt. I am sick of this song being played on two stations at the same time on my drive into work and like five times on the miserable commute home. But not when it's coming out of Mike Posner's mouth. Hell no, lips of an angel. He went to Duke and is Jewish. I went to the University of Tennessee and am Catholic. But stranger things have happened. Like the song says, you're my sweeeetheart. 

Click Here

Black hoodie rap

   Things Joe and I learned at the movies this weekend: if a movie says it starts at 7pm the actual film starts at 7:30pm, therefore you can successfully see a 5pm showing of Gangster Squad and not miss any of the 7pm Zero Dark Thirty. The amount of previews before movies these days is about as ridiculous as the back of your head. But one trailer I did not mind seeing twice was the new "42" movie about Jackie Robinson, backtrack provided by Jay-Z/Santigold. Yeah, Brooklyn definitely goes hard. It would be safe to say at least half the theater was nodding their head along with the trailer. Joe and I immediately turned to each other and with one look agreed, next movie date "42". Oh, and next Spotify "starred" track, Brooklyn Go Hard. So here's my newest musical obsession along with the trailer it lends its infectious beat to. Oh and, fun fact: the song is actually from the Notorious soundtrack and now my Spotify running playlist. Enjoy.

**skip to 1:50**

Gotta keep your head up, oh oh

   We've only been in the new year for what 15 days, barely even two weeks, but 2013 and I have become frienemies in no time. I'm not gonna get into the details of it because there is nothing more annoying than someone with a blessed life whining. Especially after one of my worst days in a long time ended with me eating mac and cheese  in pjs on the couch with mom and a giant fire in the fireplace. So taking a page from one of last week's devotions prayers of thanksgiving do more than prayers focused on problems this weeks 10 things will only consist of "prayers" of thanksgiving for 2013...

10 [good] things... that have happened in 2013:

1. Got to check my number 1 and 2 movies off my 10 things list from last week in an epic Saturday afternoon double feature with Jofus last date before he goes back to school, tear

2. I finally found my dark green nail polish that phrase "it's the little things", apply that here

3. My media placements were called out the good kind of "called out' during a client meeting, by the client

4. The Packers are not going to the Super Bowl

5. I will be returning to Rocky Top for round 3 of visiting my favorite ADV 490 class

6. Both Copper Kettle and Chipotle lunch dates

7. Found the perfect denim shirt thanks to one of the little brothers' Christmas present gift cards

8. Plans for my birthday trip are in motion doing 23 up right, the patriotic way--that was your location hint

9. Revenge came back!

10. No one has hit the bug knock on wood, fingers crossed, say a prayer

Fly , Fly , Baby don't cry

   It's probably a fair assumption to say at least 99.98% of girls on Pinterest have an inspirational quotes board, hell they've got to be getting these quotes I see as emotional FB statuses from somewhere with like hundreds of actually pretty great quotes that we pin and then never read again. So adding to my growing list of weekly posts is now Friday, gotta start putting all those hours of pinning to avoid studying at 2am to good use. Ending the week with a quote from my "Inspiration" pin-board or any of the countless quotes mom emails/post-it notes on my mirror/or pulls out a magazine for me is probably backwards since you need the motivation on Monday but you know me, gotta keep it shambly. 

I sometimes lose my faith in luck

   We did everything right. Graduated, on time. Got jobs, before we graduated, on time. Get to work early, leave late. So why in the hell is life so damn hard/frustrating/irritating. Why are people weird and mean and hurtful. WHY DOES MY HAIR ALWAYS LOOK AWESOME RIGHT BEFORE I SHOWER? The family's going up to our mountain house today and how I wish I could go with them, to my hiding place on top of my very own mountain. I used that house as my retreat senior year of college. Sweats, glasses, sitting on the roof yes, we have a spiral staircase to our roof nothing or rather no one could touch me. But instead I'll be in my office surrounded by cards and pictures of my family and friends, living the life I worked so hard to get myself. Mom reminded me how much I yearned to be working in the industry last spring, "at least I'll be getting paid to be exhausted" was an over used phrase for sure. So for Wordy Wednesday I went with a song that sounds like what Davenport our mountain top oasis looks like. This will be on repeat all day. "Might just take a little time. Deer Creek Canyon's where I'm from. And it's where you are."

Action thriller, I could watch you forever

   Since the South has apparently decided to get on board with this whole "winter" thing the months of January and February and maybe even March seem like a very good time to go somewhere warm, where you can wear sweats and no make up, and eat yummy things in the dark without judgement. Obviously the movies... So here are 10 things or rather movies I can not wait to see, these include "in theaters" and at your friendly and convenient redbox kiosk near you. 

10 things...or movies I am pre-ordering/reserving my ticket for

1. Gangster Squad no explaination needed

2. Zero Dark Thirty 'Merica

3. Parker Jason Statham, hollar

4. Warm Bodies "Indie" flick kind of cool

5. Beautiful Creatures AAA-maze

6. To Rome with Love Redbox date night with momma

7. Seven Pyschopaths badass mother fcker

8. Identity Theft Megan from Bridesmaids, done and done

9. Broken City bad cop, hot cop

10. 21 And Over the hottie from Pitch Perfect is in it, oh yeah

Mascara will be a waste. Holding hands helps.

   I'm sure by this point I sound like a broken record blogging about friendship but it's a topic on my heart right now. Friendships are relationships, especially at this stage in life when girlfriends will be there long after [ex] boyfriends do their dirty work and peace. The "best" friendships are not the girls who never fight, have disagreements, or even weather periods of weirdness. They have all that and more, but what makes them the "best" is that they work through it. Molly came into my life as my little and is now one of my closest friends. And we have been through it all. There was Fall/Christmas of 2010 when things got so bad they culminated into a heated fb message confrontation, yes a FACEBOOK MESSAGE fight. And you know what, even in the midst of not talking we still sent each other Christmas cards. Things were still rocky for a while there and although she didn't agree with the path I was taking with my life she still stood by me and when it all fell apart, who did I call? We've come a VERY long way these past three years. Friday morning I got the unfortunate text that her grandmother had passed. If I could have driven to her apartment right then I would have even though I'm not sure what I could have done to make it hurt any less; after all she showed up at my door with a hug and the most amazing cupcakes ever when my grandfather passed junior year. And although I'm in Nashville and she's in Memphis right now she knows I'm thinking of her and sending love to her and her family. Simply texting eachother about people and the crazy things they do and document on social media the past two days have kept us laughing, and when the tears started flowing Saturday night we texted through that too. THAT is what friendship is. Along with laughing at girls falling down the steps at Kappa Sig, saving each other from shackers gone wrong, running extra super fast like almost died after because an ex was spotted, or simply wandering around Target for hours buying cards we'll just end up sending each other. So I ask you to keep Molly and the Albin family in your thoughts today.

The fighter wrapped his gloves

   Let me start by saying, Happy New Year y'all. 2012 was so incredibly huge for me and my life I can't even begin to imagine and wince at what 2013 has to offer. I spent my first day of the new year the best way possible, bra-less and with my family. I also spent my last day of 2012 the best way I could think of, a morning shopping adventure to Opry Mills with the little brother, afternoon Publix run with momma, and getting ready for NYE downtown while watching Keeping up the Kardashians my guiltiest pleasure of them all in the mirror. Joe surprisingly proved to be a worthy shopping buddy being a god send holding clothes, finding sizes, watching me try on outfit after outfit and quickly introducing me as his sister not girlfriend when we ran into one of his college buddies. It was a very good Jofus/Sissi date. And if you follow me on Twitter/Instagram or read my blogs regularly you know there is always a scene to be made when mom and I go to Publix together. 2012, I rang you in in tears on the phone with my ex but I think I rang you out right. Below is my last post of my 10 day blog challenge and here is my first Wordy Wednesday post of 2013. It's a The Fray selection so I think it's a solid start to all there is to come and of course blog about this year.  

These are my confessions

Day 10: A Confession

This one time on vacation in Point Clear, AL [at band camp] we were getting breakfast and Joe ordered Fruit Loops and the milk they brought to him was sour and when he poured it onto his cereal it came out in a chunk so mom and dad had to call over the waiter and get new Fruit Loops and whatever. 

That's not the story.

While all this was going on I was enjoying some wonderful pancakes that came with a big dollop of whip cream on the top. And I ate it. And it wasn't whip cream, it was butter.

That was the story.

Since every one was so focused on Joe and his cereal per usual no one saw me gag down a giant thing of butter like a champ I might add until Thanksgiving the following year when I let it slip. However I still have never told anyone about that time Gretchen got diarrhea in Barnes & Noble.

What? You thought you were gonna get some great secret out of me? No, no. That's reserved for Father Eric and that confessional. Sorry, not sorry?