Another Autumn

 We made it, everyone; September 22nd marks the first official day of the fall season. :)))

According to the results of my poll, most of you are ready to get in the autumnal spirit, which is music to my ears. It really is the beginning of the best part of the year for me. Where to even begin? I think we should tap into our five senses. 

Ya'll know I love fashion, and I feel the possibilities are endless with fall fashion. Muted colors, cozy fabrics, nostalgic prints, and the ability to layer... the idea of dressing excites me more than ever. I feel the most like myself during this season. The hot weather in Texas is unfortunately still persisting, so the challenge is creating transitional outfits. I'd love to know what the temps are like where you guys live. I would do anything to be in a sweater right now. 

Media! So curious what you guys think the best shows to rewatch are right now. I think The Vampire Diaries is mandatory, as well as Gossip Girl and When Harry Met Sally. All of these exude the vibes I am looking for during the coming months. Please recommend seasonal favorites. 

When it comes to the tastes of fall, I am a sucker. Give me anything apple or pumpkin-flavored this time of year. As for coffee, I am not a Starbucks girl anymore, but please let me put you on to the seasonal drinks at LaLa Land... wow. I'm afraid it's popular for good reason. Their pumpkin spice, banana, and french toast specialties are all to die for. 

We absolutely can't skip over the smells! I am currently planning my trip to Bath & Body Works, super interested to see what they have in store. A fall candle genuinely has positive affects my mood when it is drifting around my house.  

The sounds of fall can be a plethora of things. Music-wise, I associate Cigarettes After Sex, Hozier, and specific Taylor Swift albums (Midnights, evermore) with this time. There is a beautiful melancholy that exists during this season,  which I hope you can embrace with me.  

Please tell me what things you are most looking forward to!! Other than what I have talked about, I am anticipating all the new films coming out, continuing with football season fun, and spending time with everyone I love. 

Xoxo, Jo

diaries of an NFL fangirl

 It's almost my favorite time of year!!! 

The list of reasons I love fall is endless, but this week specifically brings the start of the NFL regular season, and I am super excited. 

My family absolutely loves watching football, so I grew up watching it played at every level and have grown to appreciate it more over time. I love the pros, especially because of how it feels like every week they are fighting tooth and nail to reach the ultimate goal of winning it all in February. 

My dad has always been a Houston Texans fan, so we rooted for them even though they were never as good as they could be. However, in 2019, I fell victim to the greatness of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase at LSU, helping their team take home a championship. So when they both ended up getting drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals after college, I had no choice but to become a fan. Because they have history and a strong friendship, the connection between the two star players is special to watch. 

One of the most fun times to be a fan was the 2021 season when the Bengals won out the AFC North division and made it to the Super Bowl. Even though they lost in the end, it was an amazing run and brought so much attention to Cincinnati. It became clear that the new additions to the team were going to make a positive impact for the years to come. 

I was finally able to see the Bengals live and in person in 2024, when they faced (and beat) the Cowboys in Dallas, and it is such a good memory shared with my parents and best friend. 

The past few years have been tough with our QB sustaining multiple bad injuries, and we haven't been able to win out the division again. Even with the setbacks, this team has been so entertaining to keep up with, and I am of course, optimistic about the upcoming season. We just went undefeated in the preseason, which is very uncommon for us lol, and the players are speaking highly of this years lineup.

All this said, I am fully prepared to let this team dictate my emotions every week for the next few months, whether good or bad. If you are impartial when it comes to the NFL, I hope that I can motivate you to root for the Bengals' success. 

I hope you enjoyed reading the first entry in my NFL fangirl series, because there is certainly more to come as the year continues!

Xoxo, Jo

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

 Hiii, happy September, you guys!

I feel like it's been forever since my last post... just busy with school starting, but I've been dying to talk about one of my recent special interests - engagement rings!!!!

This began when my TikTok began to show me posts of vintage rings that I found so so pretty, and soon fell down the rabbit hole of all kinds of diamond cuts, settings, colors, and sizes. I just had never realized the lengths to which you are able to customize your ring, and I am obsessed with the endless possibilities of expressing your personality through this sentimental piece of jewelry. I am not an expert by any means, but I have become much more familiar with the variations people can choose from, so please indulge me while I talk about some of them. 

The pic I included is a larger selection, but the diamond cuts we see most often are emerald, pear, round, oval, and marquise. The cut determines the shape as well as the dimensions, and each one gives you a completely separate look and reflects light differently. The cut is also something to consider when choosing carat size, because one cut may look much bigger at 3 ct than another would, for example.  

Once you've chosen a cut and carat size that you love, the next fun step is picking out a band, and later a wedding band, which can also determine the way you want the diamond to be set. There are five different settings, or ways to hold the stone in place, each giving a different appearance. I won't bore you with all the names, but a common one is prongs holding it in place, as opposed to a bezel (metal rim), or a halo of smaller stones, to name a few. 

Moving forward, if you desire a wedding band that is thicker, more intricate, or customized, it is likely the diamond will be set higher off the finger, so that the two rings sit nicely together. One of my favorite aspects of this process is creating a pairing that is completely unique to you and looks stunning together. 

There are so many more specifics I am sure we could get into, but I have covered the basics to the best of my knowledge. We won't get into price!!! ;)

Just to clarify - I am nowhere near getting engaged myself, but that doesn't mean I don't have my dream ring in mind, obviously... 

It is highly probable that I will change my mind over time, but I have always loved the classic emerald cut diamond, in both a cushion cut or standard set with prongs. I have pictured a simple thin band, in white gold, up until recently when I fell in love with the look of gold, so either one would be beautiful. My perfect size is between 2.5 and 3 ct, because I don't want anything too big but still want it to stand out as an engagement ring. Honestly, there are so many wedding bands I would adore, so maybe I will leave that more up to my future fiance lolll 

I hope some of you found this at least midly interesting, and if you didn't and read it anyway, thank you! 

Xoxo, Jo