So long sweet summer

Autumn weather is headed our way, bringing cooler temperatures and.....

 HUSKER FOOTBALL, BABY!

I love this time of year. Fall always seems to fill my weekends with good food, great music, and amazing people. This past weekend Joshua and I were lucky enough to see the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra's opening performance of the season, Cirque de la Symphonie, at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts here in Lincoln. The Orchestra played many well loved pieces, and were accompanied by artists from Cirque du Soleil. It was terrifyingly beautiful. Good music makes my heart happy, and I must say, the human body can do some amazing things. The Cirque performers turned acrobatics into an art form. I was blown away to say the least.

We have also recently reconnected with an old friend of Josh's from back in the day. I had a blast getting to know him and his wife. Last weekend, the four of us met up with a couple of my co-workers at Mary's Place (local dive/biker bar) and had a great time drinking gin and tonics and dancing to the cover band that was playing. 

 Good times had by all.

Welcome, Autumn! Stay awhile, I'm really enjoying you so far =)

xoxo, V

*all photos personal

Fabulously [& Fashionably] Fall-ish

Fall is in full effect here in the Heartland.

I love everything about it-

Cozy layers, bold lipstick, plaid everything, checkered scarves!

My current obsessions? Black eyeliner à la Brigitte Bardot, apple red/coral lipstick, anything metallic, hot rollers (my hair is naturally pin-straight), and the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. So delicious & only 130 calories w/nonfat milk!

[above] My outfit for date-night last weekend. Yes, I'm dating again...very excited/nervous about this. Actually, I have a couple prospective beaus right now. Scandalous? Nah, just keeping my options open! I've decided that this time I'm setting my standards high, not giving as many chances. Try as I might, I don't think I'll ever be a 'one strike & you're out' girl. I'm way too interested in figuring out what makes people tick for that. I love a good people-puzzle, don't we all? But I'm working on being smarter. Not ignoring red flags or going against my instinct, which is usually right.

So, my dear reader, please join me in enjoying this wonderful season! Whether you're snuggling with your honey enjoying a movie and some festive coffee or tea, supporting your favorite college football team (Go Huskers), or going out on the town, decked in bold patterns and dramatic makeup; live it up! Before you know it, Winter will be upon us, bringing about days of snow-shoveling, toe-freezing coldness. Let's enjoy this amazing Autumn while we still can!

-V.O'Neel

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Song: "The Fear You Won't Fall" Joshua Radin (appropriate & Oh, so punny) =)

All photos edited using Picnik, a wonderful site for an insomniac such as I!

It's all in the game

So my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers lost today with a heart-breaking turnover in in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. We had been leading for the entire 2nd half, 12-10, then 15-10. It doesn't sound like we were doing well, but we really were! Defense was looking good, 2 of our players broke University and personal best records, it was a good game and we thought we had 'em. And then out of nowhere, in one play, we hesitated, got confident, and that darn Hokie offense snuck a TD. Game over. We lost by 1. ONE!!!

Okay, cheesy part where I relate a life to a football game: (You KNEW it was coming!)

Lately I find myself battling the same situation; I think I have my life under control and I can relax for a little while and just coast, the universe throws a wrench into the gears of my perfectly functioning life. Whether its a chance bout with the dreaded death-flu, or an equally infuriating flat tire, life sure has a way of messing with me. Some things are preventable, to a certain extent. I can wash my hands obsessively and shun my sneezing co-workers, but eventually I'm going to catch a cold. I can check the pressure on my tires and drive carefully, but I can't stop the parking lot of the Sonic Drive-Thru from having a jagged, tire-eating crack on my way to work. All for the sake of a diet Coke with lemon.

I have decided to accept these inevitable small losses as a part of life, but in no way does that mean I am admitting defeat. Certain weeks may get the best of me, I will fall to my opponent every now and then, but there are still plenty of games left in the season, and I'm ready to play. As long as I am able to shake off the day at the end of it, and keep my goals in mind, I know I will be successful in my endeavors.

Go Team!

-V.O'Neel
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Photograph edited using www.picnik.com by the author of this blog (that's me).
=)

Songs:
"It's all in the game" Johnny Mathis
"That's just the way it is" Tupac