There's no place like home.

Being both a Kansas girl at heart, I was very, very happy to come back to my *actual* home today. Unlike most families, mine does not usually attend church since we moved to Northern Virginia. We attended the greatest church while living in Kansas, but we cannot find anything that compares since we've moved. So, last night when Mom returned home from work in DC, we began opening Christmas presents. For my family, we've always opened the Santa/Mom/Dad/Aud/Dude (younger brother) presents on Christmas Eve.

 Usually, we're travelling to New Jersey, or in New Jersey on Christmas day, so bringing all of our presents from our parents, is just... unnecessary. Mom and Dad both provided me with a number of wonderful pieces of clothing from J. Crew, a down vest from Gap, and a gorgeous printed picture of the Fox Hunt Parade that takes place here in Middleburg, VA every December. My "true" Christmas present is a trip to Jacksonville, Florida to compete with a horse that I should have hypothetically found by now. I'm going to hope that this is going to work, haha.

The boyfriend's gift showed up yesterday as well. Because he's wonderful, amazing among other things, he got me Season 5 of Grey's Anatomy. This, makes me a VERY happy camper. Along with that, he got me a beautiful pair of earrings, which he assured me were not made of nickel since I have a rather serious, and aggravating skin allergy. SUCH a sweetheart. I'm so so lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life. 

So, we hopped in our car this morning, packed with our suitcases and presents for my Aunts, Uncles, Grandmother and two cousins. Leaving at 6AM, it was not really my idea of fun. But, I got to sit in back and watch Grey's with mom while Dad drove. I slept for a little while, not too much. We opened presents today, I got the cutest Coach bag and wristlet, sterling silver ring with a horse on it, money to J. Crew, money for Jacksonville, slippers, clothing from J. Crew, and a few books. It was all in all a GREAT Christmas. I love my family, as dysfunctional as we can be sometimes.

So, I hope you all had a great Christmas as well. (: I hope Santa brought you all that you guys asked for and more!
Merry Christmas!

Last minute shopping nightmares.

So, first off, I am so excited to see I've got a handful of followers. (: Thank you girls! I look forward to reading your blogs as well. I feel like I'm not nearly as adorably-preppy as you all are, but I'm sure that you'll do a through job in furthering my "preppy-ness." (:

Today I decided to tackle finishing shopping for my parents. Can I just say, that is something that is a million times easier in theory. The mall was packed. I've never muttered so many ugly words under my breath as I was pushed and jostled around. The fact that all the local public schools are cancelled because of the "blizzard," I think that almost all of Northern Virginia was at this quasi-outlet mall. However, I spent some quality time in Books-A-Million (one of the most heinous book stores, but the only one that this mall had) and found books and CD's for Mom and Dad. I'm still on the search for a CD by the band Straight No Chaser, the acapella men's Christmas group. Mom's a big acapella junkie, as am I, so I'm hoping I figure something out soon.

In other news, I wore my coral J. Crew cords today, and I loved 'em. They're Shorts versus my normal Talls, so they fit just like a good pair of cropped pants. Black sweater, white polo, black flats and a black belt; I looked so cute. It's just no fun that I had to share my adorable outfit with the mall walkers. Can't win them all, right?

Horse news: Called and talked to the trainer with Alando today, I just need to do some shamoozing with my parents to make them realize that the money is worth it, since he's rather, well... pricey. Aren't all the best things expensive anyway?

Until tomorrow, au revoir!

The very beginning.

First things first, I'm Audrey. I'm a junior at a teeny tiny liberal arts college in North Carolina, where I'm studying English with no real sense of direction of where to go afterwards. (Graduate school, the family-encouraged insurance business; it's anyone's guess) More notably, I'm a member of our Hunter Seat Equestrian Team, which engulfs my life. For the past decade, I've adored horses with all my being. Corny as that may sound, it is inevitably the truth. I was privileged enough growing up to own two of my own creatures, who we can call LV and C, who both have places in my heart that I'm not sure anyone can fill. I have had a collection of creatures since selling LV my senior year of high school, but they have all been just time fillers, as sad as that sounds.

Past riding, I adore music and books. Ben Folds, Guster, Wilco, Pete Yorn among others are at the top of my "Most Played" list on my nearly ancient iPod. There is not a drive, walk to class or shower that is not filled with music. I am by no means musically talented myself, but I love to wish I was. There is just something about a piano, a guitar and a soft and somewhat croony male voice that just makes my heart flutter. Books have a not-so-secret honored spot in my heart. Often referred to as a nerd or a geek, I am happiest with my nose buried into the pages of some book, school-related or merely pleasurable. While my boyfriend still finds this to be more along the lines of painful versus enjoyable, I beg to differ. Also, I am a very passionate Kansas Jayhawks fan. This is something you'll figure out over time. (:

I'm a transplant-kid, the product of seven moves over the course of my 20 year lifespan. One of those was a choice I made for myself, but the rest have been well, forced. Born on the East Coast, I have been shuttled back and forth from the great Midwest back to my where my WASP-y routes started. At the moment, my "place of residence" (according to my license and my parents) is Northern Virginia, when I'm not at school of course. Horse country, not so much. But, I'm only about an hour away from it. (: Having "grown up" in Kansas, it's a place that holds a great number of fond memories for me, but I'm ultimately glad I've gotten out of there.

Well, here goes nothing. Being the English major that I am, I find myself full of thoughts and ideas, things I wish I could write down... somewhere. Today, I'm full of horse-shopping nerves. This spring, for the second year in a row, I'm planning to compete in the ANRC National Championships. Last year was a rather extraordinary learning experience, and I would not have changed a thing about it. However, the sweet and darling mare that I ultimately ended up riding has returned to a life of school horsery, and I want something that gives me the chance to well, win. I'm talented enough, so I want to freakin' win. Thankfully, I've found one. I just need things to work out. Things including the price tag, shippers working in my favor, father's cooperating.

As much as I should love this holiday, I'm not really loving it. Being apart of this "Blizzard of 2009" that struck Virginia, I am stuck amongst hordes of people who are fearful of the snow, creating multitudes of traffic and in the long run, stressed out people. We are leaving for the Shore on Christmas Morning, and I'm totally hoping to sleep the whole way there. The likelihood of that happening is so close to slim, it's sad. Oh well, I can dream right?

Now that I have fed my insomnia for two hours with the start of this wonderful thing, I'm going to attempt to fall asleep. Without my usual 6'5" and wonderful bed companion, this is getting harder and harder every night. Miss you.

Thus begins the countdowns:

Two days till Christmas.

Thirteen days till I leave for Jacksonville.

Twenty-six days till I see my man from Minnesota. ):