stella + dot & country concerts - the best!!

stagecoach was amazing - sugarland was SO good!  and notice my cute stella and dot necklace? i'm trying to make an effort to wear jewelry every single day and it's actually really fun!!

i saw the bounty hunter last week [with jennifer aniston] and 1) her body is crazy bangin'! and 2) she looks beautiful throughout the movie, and it's really funny.  tonight, i'm going to see kickass (obviously with a guy, yay haha) and i'm nottttt really looking forward to it.  i was supposed to go see the backup plan last night but ended up going to the casino instead...i made $13, woot woot!  this past weekend was HORRIBLE for operation not the fat friend btw...oh well, a new week, a new time to get skinny!!

also do you see the cute necklace? i love it and it was so simple and pretty and easy to wear!  it seriously looked great with all of my outfits - .  you can buy it here

besides that, am i horrible for admitting that i have spent all morning watching jerseylicious, basketball wives, true life: i'm a compulsive shopper (haha this one hit close to home), and what not to wear?

also date last night went well, didn't even make it to the movies, decided to go out and have drinks instead and keep having that talk about how it's weird that i've only been back ten days and we've already hung out so much!!  it's totally a good thing though - i really like him :) it was funny too because last night he had asked if i would be hungry, and i was like i don't know, maybe?  well it turns out he actually was cooking dinner, like he grilled salmon and made a citrus salsa verde...i, of course, had already eaten so i felt terrible!  oops...

so other sidenote, want to see something crazy?  the length of my hair in college and the length of my hair now:

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!?  haha that is crazy person hair!  but it used to be super short so i think i'm preferring this.

annnnyways has anyone see pretty wild yet?  it's on E or Bravo or one of those and honestly, i kind of really like it!  they seem like really nice girls, although they do seem a little entitled/overpriveleged.  i like that they pray :)  and YAY just got invited out on another date tonight...yay!  hahaha remember my post a couple of months ago that i was thinking i should get a boyfriend when i get back?  things may be working in my faaaaavor!!! yaya!

dear diary, i'm fat. sparkles!

so being back has been AMAZING!  thank you all so much for all of your support and encouragement - in response to datin' kait (who along with masked mckenna writes a totally adorable female mormon dating blog [you'll see it's way more chaste then my loves at mormon bachelor pad...also can you tell that i'm obsessed with mormon people now?  my other fav mormon blog is the boob nazi]), i decided to join the military because my parents encouraged me to (my dad is retired), it was a full scholarship to a $40k/yr. university, i have a stellar job and i get to work with amazing people from all walks of life.  it's also basically the best leadership opportunity you could ask for - how many other fresh out of college people are handed fifteen people and told to have them 'do their work' despite the fact that you have no clue what that is (i had a communications degree and was placed down in engineering)?  it's a great job, honestly.

annnyways, y'all will die...LOOK at what i came home to:

my incredible best friends wrapped every. single. thing. i ordered in pink wrapping paper, filled my room with pink balloons, rose petals and a "welcome home princess alanna" sign!  aren't they so sweet?!

all this was after spending a fab few days with my mama, daddy, little bro and little sis in hawaii:

haha as you can tell, my hair had gotten CREEPY long over deployment!  so when i got back i went to a cutie new stylist who i developed a total girl crush on and we cut off four inches.  thank baby Jesus, so necessary!

but the best part about getting back?  remember my amaze friend tim that i've talked about, the totally handsome helo pilot who made my time before i left so fun?  well he couldn't make it to the pier to say hi, and he couldn't make it to our little lunch afterward, so here's what he sent in his absence:

a huge, gorgeous, all-pink bouquet.  is that not the sweetest thing you've ever heard of!?  it was in the back room and they pulled it out when we got there!  that's my best friend becky on my left, my old roommate [and good friend] rachel as the other brunette, and my best friend christina on the right.  p.s. do you recognize that adorable abercrombie dress?  SO fun I wore it twice!

so i've been celebrating after i got back, nonstop.  reunion dinners, baseball games, going out every night...my girlfriend joined us for a sunday funday brunch and she looked fantastic, and told me she was doing spin classes at 24 Hour Fitness.  i love 24 hour, it's SO convenient to be able to go whenever, so i had planned on rejoining when i got back anyways.  well i get there and the guy sells me on a personal trainer.  fine. i'd wanted one of those anyways. 

so yesterday i go in for my first meeting, and we have to do weigh ins.  i'm embarassed to tell y'all how much i've gained since i got back.  i weighed in at 149.  149!  i wasn't even in the fit section of their little body chart, i was in the 'acceptable' section!  i'm like i'm supposed to be having the best summer of my life and i'm scared of the scale!? absolutely not!

so i'm motivating myself right now - watching the 40 biggest celebrity slim downs while i finish this long awaited post and getting ready to go to the gym and finish my first assignments!  haha hence the blog title...one of the comedians was teasing about tyra banks having a food diary and said,

"what does she write?  dear diary, i'm fat! sparkles!" 

i also picked up some great new sneaks yesterday at nordstrom rack [love] and got some gorgeous new Pumas and a pair of Nike's with that Nike + in it...does anyone use it?  i'm tempted to buy the whole kit thingy!  so i'll be back to blogging, back to serious dieting, and hopefully back to goal weight (which we've established as 133...my trainer thinks i can do it, and it'll be a good weight for me with my build) in no time flat!  love you girls and can't wait to catch up with you!  sidenote: i'm aiming for about 1400 calories a day, so it's 1:20 and i've eaten a weight watchers egg mcmuffin (210c.), an alternative bagel (100c.) with a laughing cow light cheese wedge (35c.) and a large banana (120c.). 

is it just me or should fruit have no calories?!

and can't wait to let y'all know about Stagecoach [this weekend]...and the fact that i'm going to be someone's date to a weddingggg...not only my second wedding ever, but the first one i've ever gone to as a date!  haha i can't wait to start shopping for an outfit!  can we just add that i still haven't OPENED all those damn boxes so i also can't wait to post about the great giveaways i've won from our fellow bloggers!?

xx!

HOME FROM DEPLOYMENT!

so after seven. entire. months. [literally. we left in mid september] of this:

i got to see my amazing and adorable family, who met me in Hawaii for less than forty-eight hours of shopping (of course, right?  i'll show you pics when i wear them, y'all will die...strapless, ruffles, mini, nautical...i got them all!! I EVEN GOT A ROMPER!), dining and drinking.  

amaze, right?  ya...except that, tomorrow morning, i get to see THIS:

 san diego!

i know, y'all are just as excited as i am!  finally, no more boring posts about deployment, right?

and hopefully no more embarassing online shopping posts.  speaking of which, my debit card and i may or may not have had a last hurrah on the vickie's website...i will soon be the proud owner of this adorable dress:

in navy, bright melon, beach blue, diamond blue, tropical turquoise, white, black and tropical pink!

they were only $29 each...so economical, right?  and inevitably i'll return a couple if they're too close in color (those blues all looked pretty similar)...haha those colors look hideous in the text format!  

and i wanted to thank sweet College Prepster...i won her Kiel James Patrick giveaway, and y'all know how i love me some KJP!

and thank you to Desperately Seeking Seersucker, who gave me the awesome love your blog award:

Rules: post 10 things you love and share with 10 people!

i love...

1. sparkles

2. dresses (all types, although i'm totes partial to sundresses)

3. flirting

4. shimmer (as opposed to sparkles, obviously)

5. meeting new people

6. cocktails!

7. heels

8. being happy

9. compliments (giving and getting)

10. giveaways!! [especially winning them, but that's neither here nor there]
ten of my MANY happy blog girlies:
in this wonderful life, her southern charm, college prepster, smart and sassy with sprinkles, dreams do come true, fashion meets food, mrs. in training, shopaholic in alabama, summer in newport, and think classy

...sooo, speaking of giveaways, you HAVE to check out shopaholic in alabama...she's doing ten days of mother's day giveaways, featuring: 

A Lilly Pulitzer Large Agenda

Kiel James Patrick

At the Blue Barn 

Lilly Pulitzer Headbands

Social Climbers

PeaceLoveLipgloss

i'm sorry i've been such a poor commenter recently - as i always complain, right before we pull into a port is one of my busiest times! i can't wait to catch up with y'all, and don't forget to enter those giveaways!  i can't wait to update you guys with the embaaaaarassing debauchery i manage to put myself through during my first few days back in San Diego!

OMG SPA WEEK!! and homecoming ;)

amazing things about this week:

1) so i had a totally bummed out couple of days...went through the whole, "i am so fat, how will i fit in with my friends when i get home and we go out and i am alone and unwanted?" and i started 

operation not the fat friend

during which i worked out twice a day and counted calories.  this lasted for four days, until i worked out one time one day, and the next day not at all, and now i'm back on to once a day (with only one day off, yay!) but we are unfortunately out of 

fresh fruits and vegetables!

have you ever had canned asparagus?  don't.

but i got over my PMS-y hatred of myself, slapped on some sunless tanner and did some squats (immediate qud definition, right?!) and white strips and feel back to my lusty self.

2) discovered mormon bachelor pad.  google it.  i have NEVER read a funnier blog because it is so. dang. honest.  they're totally anonymous so they write about what actually happens with the ladies they date. 
eta: for clarification, these guys are assholes, immature and probably poor examples of Mormon men.  I don't know any other Mormons (except the Boob Nazi) but the way they talk about and objectify women is truly in poor taste.  regardless, they're funny. 

3) fewer than 11 days until i'm home in san diego, and even fewer than that until i'm reunited with my family in hawaii!  so excited!

4) spa. 

week.

[click me]

incredible.  found out about it via prior fat girl because she got some free treatment (nice!! haha if only my blog were that successful....), but holy moly am i glad.  TONS of treatments are available from local spas for only $50 between the 12th and the 18th of April.  IT'S LIKE GOD KNEW I WAS RETURNING FROM DEPLOYMENT JUST IN TIME!  

my momma and i are already getting the pineapple and kiwi wrap at the Catamaran Spa...i'm just nervous about getting any massages or facials because i don't know how well a massage goes with a hangover, and i don't want to break out from an unnecessary facial, you know?  but is any facial really unnecessary heh?  example of what a STEAL this is, though?  that wrap is normally $115 and i'm only paying $50/person!

and i'm going to get a deep conditioning treatment and blow out at Gregorie's Spa in Del Mar . . . here's my logic behind this one: my appointment?  10:30.  Early enough in the day so it doesn't interfere with my plans, late enough in the day so it doesn't interfere with my hangover, and...

I DON'T HAVE TO WASH OR STYLE MY OWN HAIR ALL WEEKEND!  hahahah!

5) and now for my most recent purchases...i would say "oops", but we all know by now it's not an oops. it's an addiction.  hopefully it goes away when i get home and am embarassed by my consumerism.

1) Guess gold stilettos...I think these will be perfect for all of my longer little sundresses.

2) BB Dakota ruffled v-neck tunic-length tank...you know i love ruffles!

3) jack by BB Dakota ivory shift dress...

and i'm currently bidding on//hoping to win this adorable mock-two piece BB Dakota dress and BB Dakota halter dress!  i just can't ever get over how reasonably priced their clothes are for the cuteness level!

SO in response to all of you sweet beautiful AMAZING bloggers,

I am going to be home in less than two weeks!  MUCH LESS!  I AM SO EXCITED I CAN BARELY CONTAIN MYSELF!  MY TOES ARE SERIOUSLY CURLING WITH ANTICIPATION!

but is it okay to admit that I'm a teensie bit nervous?