Such a Loverly Life...

Bahahaha.....

2011-05-09T08:38:00.000-04:00

{via pinterest}

To cheer you up today...

2011-04-27T09:57:00.000-04:00

{just in case you need it and even if you don't}

Over half ain't bad...

2011-04-15T10:23:00.001-04:00

01. take a roadtrip.

- didn't happen... maybe at 26!
02. get a massage.

- i honestly don't know why this one didn't happy. seriously.
03. decorate a home that i love.

- i would say that i am constantly accomplishing this. a house will always be a work in progress, but i'm very happy with my progress.
04. go camping.

- nope, don't see it really happening. my love isn't the outdoors type.
05. take a class/workshop.

- technically i'm taking classes for school... that counts right?
06. scour out a good flea market/thrift shop find.

- apparently i'm too lazy to search out good finds. i tried, but i don't have the patience.
07. see a show.

- yes! White Christmas!
08. host a party.

- yes! Graduation party and Baby shower!
09. purchase a new camera.

- no, not in the budget yet.
10. makeover a piece of furniture.

- yes! As seen here.
11. visit a museum/gallery.

- when we were in Asheville we visited several galleries, so i'm counting this one!
12. sew something.

- i spent 2 hours one night in December trying to sew pillow covers, but my sewing machine is stupid.
13. fly somewhere.

- again, budget.
14. start a new family tradition.

- hmmm not sure... i would have to consult the fam on this one. did we do anything new/different?
15. re-read the Twilight saga.

- done and done. easy peasy.
16. figure out my career path.

- yes! Will graduate in a little over a year and become a teacher!
17. build/diy something awesome.

- yes! I'll have to show you the finished product soon! I'm so proud of it!
18. do hot yoga at least once.

- again, don't know how this one didn't happen. next year!
19. participate in a 5k.

- yes! Make that THREE 5ks!
20. plant a garden.

- do weeds count? we have plenty of those!
21. see a chick flick with my husband at least twice.

- can you believe this didn't happen? we watched one. pity is welcomed.
22. visit with old friends.

- yes! ms. ashley's wedding was too much fun!
23. get a new blog design.

- yes! thanks, annie!
24. welcome a new family member.

- yes! couldn't imagine life without her.
25. take a vacation with just me and my love.

- and yes... looking forward to another one this year (fingers crossed).

14/25 isn't too bad... you can't say i didn't try, because i did!

Happy birthday to me...

2011-04-14T09:45:00.002-04:00

from here

am going to lunch with my best co-worker [BCW?].

am bowling with good friends tonight.

am going to a fancy dinner with my love tomorrow night.

am spending much needed time with the fam on saturday night.

[and did i mention an uber-delicious meal last weekend with the in-laws?]

been a great week.

Speaking of...

2011-04-06T09:07:00.000-04:00

... speaking of our anniversary, my love and I took a little overnight trip to Asheville over the weekend and it was the most relaxing 24 hours ever. We arrived at our Bed & Breakfast and headed off to the Biltmore Estate!

We toured the gardens and then enjoyed one of the most overindulgent meals of my life at Biltmore.

So overindulgent, that we went straight back to the B&B and fell into a food coma for almost 11 hours. And we woke up at 8:00am. You do the math. Party animals, I tell ya.

The next day we ate another indulgent meal at the Inn... Duh, it's a Bed & BREAKFAST. Then we wandered around downtown Asheville window shopping.

Perfect getaway... I think we should do it every year!

One day late...

2011-04-04T10:50:00.002-04:00

... I was too busy celebrating. Yesterday, we celebrated our 2 year anniversary. 2 YEARS! Can you believe it? I can't!

While I'm at it...

2011-03-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

Here's a smaller home project that anyone can do that makes life a lot easier! Anyone else have a drawer or cabinet that looks like this??

Ta-da! Easy-peasy... lids in one bin and tubs in the other. You will thank me later.

Cross off the list...

2011-03-22T09:05:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have been dying to hear an update on my 25@25 - here you go! A few months ago, I requested your suggestions for a kitchen table stating that I wanted it to somewhat match this hutch:

Well after much deliberation, I decided to just restain the hutch to match the rest of our furniture. To say this was an easy task would be a bold face lie. First, Carie and I sanded it down really good, conditioned the wood and applied the first coat. I had planned for this to be the only coat, but my love's criticism motivated me to do one more coat to make it more even. Some process shots:

Final product:

I'm super duper happy with the result and I need to give a big shout out to Carie and muh husband! Thanks!!

feliz dia de san valentino....

2011-02-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

Last year, I actually got valentines in the mail to family, but this year just didn’t make it. All of my brain power goes to reading about disciplinary literacy and ancient civilization these days – give me a break.

And I’m not going to say anything about overcrowded restaurants and not fussing to get all dressed up. Because I love those things. Yes, a quiet Valentine’s at home is always nice, but why turn down an instance to get gussied up and eat at my favorite restaurant {especially on the day of love}?

Since I’ll be going straight from work to class to said restaurant, I took extra time this morning to get pretty. Not a bad start to my Monday at all.

And on a side note :: after watching the Grammy’s last night, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are my new fave Hollywood couple. A-DOR-A-BLE

A different look....

2011-02-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

Now that I am officially a Clemson Tiger, I have a much bigger sense of school pride. Living 45 minutes away from Clemson my entire life, we were always Clemson fans. My older sister went there for 2 years which brought closer ties, but now that I'm a student its so exciting!

I see my classmates wearing Clemson sweatshirts and t-shirts. I see the stickers on their laptops and what not. My approach will be a little different. After browsing on etsy for a little too long (I'm not the only one, right?), I came across these.

Tiger tee :: found here

Tiger Eye Elephant Necklace :: found here

Tiger Stripe Feather Earrings :: found here

Tiger Eye Ring :: found here

I'm kind of in love with all of them.

School is cool...

2011-01-26T21:04:00.000-05:00

With a week of classes under my belt, would I be jumping the gun to say that I love school? Probably so. I’m sure you’ll hear me whining in a few weeks about all of the work and how tired I am, but right now I love it.

I forgot how much I truly love class… learning. I’ve missed the thought-provoking discussions, even the more controversial ones that make me nervy (even though I’m the quiet type and usually only speak up when I feel I have a very valid point to make).

I feel like I’m actually doing something with my life instead of sitting in a corporate cubicle waiting on a promotion that’s never coming and that I really don’t care about.

Yes, I have gobs and gobs of homework, but that’s okay. I now remember why I rarely watched TV in college on a regular basis. At least I have a DVR now.

Another perk? When I’m at class those two nights a week, my husband misses me. He misses coming home and talking to me. He misses my home-cooked meals. He’s bored. So when I finally drag through the door at 8:15, he’s never been happier to see me. It feels great being missed. (And yes, I miss him too)

So like I said, school is cool. School is very cool.

Snow day...

2011-01-10T18:35:00.003-05:00

Today it snowed about 7 - 9 inches, which is a rare occurence in South Carolina. We stayed cozy inside. I put a roast in the crockpot, watched numerous episodes of Glee (season 1), took a snow walk and taught myself to crochet (still learning!).

A day well spent.

2010 in pictures, part 2...

2011-01-06T21:26:00.004-05:00

beach trip & baby hayden's arrival * first day of school * first 5k * halloween extravaganza * thanksgiving day * white christmas

2010 in pictures, part 1...

2011-01-04T22:11:00.008-05:00

a night on the town * valentine crafting * snow in march * anniversary cruise & birthday * house construction * 80s banquet & moving in

I'm dreaming...

2010-12-21T18:17:00.003-05:00

... what's that?

It might snow on Christmas day??

In my 25 years of life, I have never, ever, ever had a White Christmas.

Fingers crossed!!

Christmas countdown...

2010-12-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

make hot chocolate & wrap presents
sing or listen to favorite christmas songs
pick out a new christmas cd
put up a wreath
watch “it’s a wonderful life”
purchase gifts for a needy child
get crafty & light christmas candles
put up a ribbon sash for christmas cards
address & mail out christmas cards
make eggnog & watch “love actually”
go to a christmas dinner w/ friends
make christmas cookies for friends
pancake breakfast for dinner {in pj’s}
bake bread
call/email/facebook old friends to let them know you miss them
drive around to see neighborhood lights
go see a seasonal movie
host a christmas party
watch “white christmas”
go see public light displays
fancy dinner date
pick out christmas day outfit
have a candle-lit dinner
bake for christmas day
exchange gifts

Do what???

2010-11-30T17:26:00.004-05:00

I had to blink twice when I opened up my reader to see the Design Sponge had done a city guide on my hometown.

Not gonna lie... I couldn't have chosen a better city to spend the last 25 years of my life. Woop, woop! We're famous!

Tomorrow is the day...

2010-11-26T23:41:00.003-05:00

... da-da-DUM!

Who will win? Go Tigers!!!

J + K = truluv4evr

2010-11-09T17:03:00.004-05:00

{the first picture we took together}

Three years ago, today, my love and I went on our very first date.
He was 2 hours late.
I didn’t care because he was hot.
He’s never been very good with directions.

Tonight, we are eating at the very same restaurant {crossing my fingers for the same table}. And going to see a loverly rendition of one of my all-time faves. Perfect evening, just like it was three years ago.

Life changing...

2010-11-08T07:13:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you a story. A story about a little girl named Katie. When Katie was about 9 years, she decided that she wanted to grow out her permed bangs. Once she got to middle school and her bangs had fully grown out, her mama advised her to wash her hair in the morning instead of at night.

"You know, dear, your hair looks terribly dirty by the time you get home from school. Washing it in the morning will make it much, much better," said Katie's mama.

"Yes, Mama," she agreed.

For the next 13 years, Katie washed her hair every.single.morning. She couldn't avoid it, sometimes even washing her hair twice a day! It was life. It was inevitable. Something she would always have to live with. In college, she envied her roommates that could just roll out of bed and go to class. She was always up early, washing her hair so that she could look acceptable.

One day, Katie started reading blog posts about Tresemme's Dry Shampoo, scoffed, and moved on. Once she heard that her younger sister had tried it with success, she considered - not wanting to get her hopes up.

One day she took the plunge, paid the $5, and bought the Dry Shampoo very anxious about the results.

"There's no way this will work! My hair is waaayyy too oily. I should just give up now," she thought.

But she tried it. And it work. It really, really worked. Katie has never known a day in her adult life without washing her hair in the morning. It was a revelation. Life changing.

"Thank you, thank you so much Tresemme!" Katie exclaims every.single.day.

Reason #9 why I married him...

2010-11-05T07:31:00.001-04:00

... he lets me sing.

Ya'll. I'm going to be honest. I cannot sing, but so badly wish I could. Growing up, my bossy older sister {love you!} wouldn't let us sing loudly in the car because hearing the "s" sound got on her nerves. As I got older, if I sang too loudly I would get comments like, "I didn't know we had Celine Dion in the back seat!" {seriously, love you fam =)}

My love, though, never says a thing about my singing. I know it's not the most beautiful sound, but he doesn't care if I'm singing as loud as my little voice can go. He encourages me to sing when we're playing guitar hero. And he has no problem with me singing around the house {as long as it's not Glee or Lady Gaga}. And now, I'm off to sing!

Hallo-weekend Recap...

2010-11-04T07:34:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY:

We went to an Unknown Hinson {google him if you dare} concert... it ended up being more fun than I thought!

FRIDAY:

My BFF, Carie, and I threw a Murdery Mystery Party for the Young Adults group at church. It was a ton-o-fun and a total success!

SATURDAY:

We went to trunk-or-treat at the Church. We definitely thought we had the best trunk, but we didn't even place. Rip off!

Needless to say, it was a super busy weekend... I'm looking forward to relaxing some this weekend!

Spent...

2010-10-31T18:36:00.003-04:00

We had a very busy Halloween weekend... and I'm spent. 3 different costumes + planning a party will wear you out.

Costume #1 - Clark Kent and the Devil with a Blue Dress On

Costume #2 - Dracula and a Southern Belle Ghost

Costume #3 - Cowboy & Indian

I'll recap these nights throughout the week, but right now I'm curling up on the couch with some hot apple cider, waiting for trick-or-treaters, and watching a scary movie with my love. The end.

In love...

2010-10-19T04:41:00.001-04:00

... with my new pillows from Tonic Living.

It's amazing how some throw pillows can completely pull a room together!

P.S. You like my new gallery wall hiding in the background?

Apple picking...

2010-10-18T06:24:00.000-04:00

... this past Friday, my love and I made the drive to Sky Top Orchard in Hendersonville, NC. It.was.beautiful. Twas a lovely day of apple picking, apple cider slushies, and apple cider doughnuts {to go}. Be jealous.

Fall-y things...

2010-10-06T06:42:00.003-04:00

... since everyone else and their mother is blogging about Fall and all the loverliness it brings, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. What the hey?

I love listening to John Mayer "Continuum" during Fall. It's slow and moody and I now have a better appreciation for the guitar solos thanks to my love. This CD reminds me of my fall semester of senior year at college and brings a ton of nostalgia... the roller coaster ride of senior year drama. Its amazing to look at my life then and now. Drastic difference.

I love baking. I made cinnamon bread this past weekend. Do you know how good cinnamon bread is with a pat of butter and a cup of coffee? Heaven. Apple sauce is on my to do list for this weekend.

I love decorating. Although I haven't had any time to even put up a wreath, its coming. I wish I could take a picture of my neighbor's yard with all of their scarecrows, bales of hay, and mums. Their style isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I give them props for getting into the spirit (nothing like a little friendly neighborhood competition).

And who could forget Halloween? I love dressing up (without the whole "lingerie + animal ears" bit)

And last, but not least, Fall totally suits my love. I love his Fall wardrobe and he looks so cute! I find myself creepily sneaking pictures of him. Yeah, I'm a weirdo.

What do you love???

Change...

2010-09-29T06:47:00.000-04:00

... on Sunday, the clouds rolled in, and along with them brisk, cool air. What do I want to do when it gets cold outside? EAT. It just so happens that these recipes have magically come across my eyes in the past couple weeks.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

Feliz Cumpleanos...

2010-09-28T07:03:00.000-04:00

... to my adorable niece, Harper! 2 years - wow!

Mission accomplished...

2010-09-27T06:41:00.000-04:00

... that's right. Another one to cross off the 25@25 list! I ran my first 5K this weekend with my little sister! I won't elaborate on my time because I don't want to broadcast on the internet how awfully slow I am, but hey - I finished!!

I am proud of myself considering it was faster than I've ever done it at the gym, I've never ran outside, and lots of hills were involved.

Needless to say, though, this has motivated me MAJORLY to do another one and improve my time. So on October 30, my sisters and I will run another.... gotta get to training!

Announcement Grandioso...

2010-09-22T06:01:00.002-04:00

... I told you details were to come. I have finally figured out my career path!

::This January I will begin grad school::

::I will be a Clemson Tiger::

::Spanish will once again be a huge part of my life::

::And in one and a half years, I will be a teacher::

I'm super duper excited... super duper. But I do have an unofficial poll to take:

Does everyone use laptops now in college instead of paper and pen?

I don't want to be like Elle Woods on her first day! It's only been three and half years since I've been out of college, but a lot changes in three and a half years. Help!

On Saturday...

2010-09-14T18:50:00.010-04:00

... me and my BFF, Carie, went to the Indie Craft Parade in town.

It was awesome.

And they had a photo booth.

Holla!

Twenty-five @ 25 Update...

2010-09-12T22:44:00.004-04:00

... do you remember when I made my Twenty-five @ 25 list? Remember that? Well I’m here to give you an itsy-bitsy update:

01. take a roadtrip.
02. get a massage.
03. decorate a home that i love. – IN PROGRESS
04. go camping.
05. take a class/workshop.
06. scour out a good flea market/thrift shop find.
07. see a show.
08. host a party.
09. purchase a new camera.
10. makeover a piece of furniture. – IN PROGRESS
11. visit a museum/gallery.
12. sew something.
13. fly somewhere.
14. start a new family tradition.
~~15. re-read the Twilight saga.~~
~~16. figure out my career path.~~ – DETAILS TO COME
17. build/diy something awesome.
18. do hot yoga at least once.
19. participate in a 5k.
20. plant a garden.
21. see a chick flick with my husband at least twice. - HALFWAY THERE
22. visit with old friends.
~~23. get a new blog design.~~
~~24. welcome a new family member.~~
~~25. take a vacation with just me and my love.~~

Yeah, my progress kinda sucks. I need to focus! I really want to do the Susan G. Komen 5K at the end of the month. And I plan on staining the hutch in my kitchen. And, there’s a new hot yoga place in town. I made plans to go one day, but my niece ended up being born so that put a little hitch in my plans (not that I minded in the least!). {Excuses, excuses… tisk, tisk}

Time to get to work!!!

Caught my eye...

2010-09-10T07:13:00.001-04:00

... these are things across the blogosphere that have recently caught my eye...

Goodbye summer polaroids from Orangette.

Snazzy, new bandaids

A possible answer to our dining table woes (if I can convince my hubby)

I've always wanted to wear a pretzel on my head. You?

Bingo...

2010-09-07T12:26:00.000-04:00

... I have an announcement to make. I have finally found my scent! I would like to thank my one and only fashion true love, Michael Kors.
Very Hollywood.

At first sniff, it’s a bit old lady-ish, but once it settles on your skin… ahhh. So sweet and perfect. I’m in love!

Why hello there...

2010-09-06T07:19:00.000-04:00

... guys and gals. Long time, no blog! I took a little break to get settled, resist the pressure of blogging for blogging’s sake, and gather my thoughts. Hope you’re still around!

I come to you today with a question. Our house is still a bit of an empty shell. This is due to the fact that our budget is low and I’m in a rut. See this big, beautiful empty space beside our kitchen? It’s obviously for some sort of breakfast table, but you know what? I have absolutely no clue what kind of breakfast table. The look I’m trying to accomplish in our house is modern with southern tradition. When I look at all of these fancy decorating magazines and blogs, I love the modern look. But then, I’ll pick up a copy of Southern Living or Southern Lady and I remember all of the beautiful things our grandmothers have passed down and my Southern heritage kicks in. I’ve gotta have both.
Anyways, back to the topic at hand. What should I do? We would like for it to coordinate with that hutch in the background. Any suggestions, friends??

First day of school...

2010-08-16T18:16:00.006-04:00

... I love making my husband pose for pictures.

So handsome!

Layoffs stink...

2010-08-06T07:39:00.001-04:00

…I could just end it there with the title, but I’ll elaborate a little for you. No, I’m not being laid off, but one of my most favorite and closest co-workers is. Our office is a whole big mix of emotions ranging from sadness to anger to aloofness to being able to cut the tension with a knife. Not something I look forward to walking into everyday. At all.

My co-worker that is being laid off is honestly the most caring, giving, thoughtful, hard-working person I know. She’s definitely someone to look up to and it’s still shocking to me that she will be gone and, honestly, that she was the one chosen to be laid off. She was my go-to person for party planning tips or recipes or reality TV. We could talk for hours (ahem, off the clock) about Grey’s Anatomy and Twilight. She threw a bridal shower for me. She always gave me a birthday present or Christmas present. The last day that I was at work before my wedding, she gave me the sweetest scrapbook filled with marriage advice she had collected from all of our other co-workers. I’m tearing up just writing about this.

All this to say… layoffs stink. This economy stinks. It’s not on “the up and up” like they are claiming. And another one of my closest co-workers could be leaving me end of fiscal year in September. And it stinks.

Vent over. I apologize for being a killjoy, but she leaves today.

On a happier note - have a great weekend!

She has arrived...

2010-07-31T12:25:00.004-04:00

Hayden Brooke / July, 28, 2010 / 7 lbs. 8 oz / auntie x 2

We are kindred spirits - you know, because we're second born baby girls and all =)

Letting you in on a secret...

2010-07-26T20:42:00.006-04:00

… wanna know what it is?

When I’m at work, and I feel like I’m going crazy…

When my co-workers just get under my skin…

Or when my boss asks me if it’s dry cleaning day or if I work at SuperCuts* (because apparently my outfit is horrid)…

I grab my car keys, go down the two flights of stairs in my office building, walk to my car, and just sit and listen to the radio. I pretend like I’m not at work, and that I’m on summer vacation. That I’m actually just running errands with my mom like in the good ol’ days and I’m just waiting for her to come out of the bank. No co-workers to rub me the wrong way. No wannabe fashion police bosses. Just me, the sun, and the radio.
And then I snap back into reality and have to go back up to the second floor and sit at my desk for the rest of the day. But it’s a nice break and no one ever notices that I’m gone when I get back.

Don’t tell anyone, mkay?

*No offense if you work at SuperCuts – I didn’t get the “joke.” He had to explain it to me. And continue to make references to me cutting hair all day long.

*image from here*

Take me back...

2010-07-19T21:56:00.004-04:00

... now.

we had a blast. the end.

Baby in Bloom: Miscellaneous

2010-07-15T05:10:00.000-04:00

I decided to put everything else in this post together.

I asked my little sister {who was a BIG help... and my mama too!} to pull these pictures off of my sister's facebook account so that we could get a good idea of the baby blooming.

I found this game on the interwebs. I called it "Traits in Bloom" and the guests had to pick which trait the Mama wanted the baby to have - hers or daddy's? The winner got this Green Apple package from Philosophy.

I downloaded the template for these stickers from this etsy store. I used them as the cupcake toppers and to seal the napkins!

All in all, I feel everyone had a great time!! I could really get into this party planning business!

Baby in Bloom: Favors

2010-07-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

Once again, these were inspired by the wonderful world of blogs. Small natural cotton bags with "Baby in Bloom" printed on them in orange. They were filled with wildflower seeds. Also, I printed off a Bible verse and used a 1.5 inch punch to put in there as well.

Amen...

2010-07-13T22:45:00.002-04:00

… We’re off to St. Simon’s and never coming back.
Just kidding. We have to. But it’s nice to dream, right?

Another Twenty-five at 25... a vacation just me and my love

And you will still get shower updates as the week goes....

Baby in Bloom: Menu

2010-07-12T04:53:00.002-04:00

All of the food needed to be orange and green. So after several brainstorming sessions, I came up with...

Carrots and Cucumbers with Ranch

Pimiento Cheese with Celery

Mini BLTs (with orange tomatoes)

Carrot Cupcakes

Honeydew and Cantaloupe Skewers

Veggie Chips

Crackers with Cheese and Green Apple

Limeade and Blood Orangeade

Baby in Bloom...

2010-07-11T16:45:00.001-04:00

... I just threw my older sister a baby shower yesterday with the them "Baby in Bloom." The colors were orange and green - and yes, I do know that those are very non-traditional baby girl shower colors, but this is the second baby and I wanted it to be different.

I've been planning this thing for months and changed the theme several times, but after seeing these parties, I was hooked on this theme.

I will go through the details with you this week and you'll get baby glimpses of my house in the background =)

"Joey doesn't share food!"

2010-07-08T11:11:00.000-04:00

…I’m a nice person… really, I am. I’m a loving and sharing person as well. But there’s one thing about me – I love food. End of story, no way around it. But as you all know, I’m intensely counting calories and life is good. While I’m at work, I eat 4 “meals.” Breakfast. First Lunch. Lunch. First dinner. I’m sure my co-workers think I’m a pig, but these meals are all well-portioned and the calories are counted. I know exactly how many calories I have left for dinner every night. Almost every afternoon I pop a bag of 100-Calorie-Pack Popcorn and enjoy each little piece.

The other day I had my popcorn on my desk. A co-worker was helping to proofread something over my shoulder. Whenever I reached down to grab some popcorn, she reached down to grab some popcorn. Without asking. Now, like I said, I’m good at sharing. But not my pre-calculated, portioned, rationed popcorn. I immediately thought of that friends episode where Joey’s date keeps eating off of his plate and how he would yell “Joey doesn’t share food!”
I guess I need to send a Memo out to the office that “Katie doesn’t share food!”

Woah baby...

2010-07-06T11:01:00.000-04:00

… I just realized that there is something in the water here in blogland. There are a ton of bloggers pregnant. {At least in my little blog world, that’s how it seems). And then there are others that just had babies.

No worries here though… no babies anytime soon (unless I get a sip of that water unexpectedly!). My friend asked me the other day what our plans were on when to have a baby.

My love likes to call it the “9 Month Clause.” Let me explain:

We always agreed that we would have kids around 3 years after we got married. In my head, that meant I would get pregnant at 2 years and 3 months (and yes, I know you can’t be that precise when it comes to conceiving). In his head, that meant I would get pregnant around the 3 year mark. Ahh… classic misunderstanding.

I’ll guess we’ll just wait and see what happens! How did/have you come to this decision??

Happy fourth...

2010-07-04T22:51:00.004-04:00

... hope you all had a great holiday! Ours was pretty laid back and nice. I should be back in action now... hopefully back to regular posting. I was out of town last week at Bible camp and it was so great! Pictures and a recap to come!!

No I did not forget...

2010-06-21T21:18:00.002-04:00

... to do a special post for father's day. We are now in the house {yay!}, but without internet {boo}. We were so busy yesterday that I didn't have time to go to someone else's house or Starbucks for internet {at my mom's now}.

So today, the day after, I want to wish my Daddy, the best Daddy of all Daddies, Happy Father's Day! I couldn't have dreamed of a better father, and I'm so lucky to have him!

Tonight...

2010-06-18T23:23:00.004-04:00

… will be the last night that we spend in our apartment. It’s kind of sad to be moving out of our first home. The home where we laughed, cried, played, and fought {gotta remember the good and bad}. Where we celebrated all of our firsts: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Anniversary.

We’ll certainly miss walking across the street to the gym {probably more than we realize}, walking to the movie theatre at our {literal} back door, and just the pure convenience of apartment living.

I need to take some pictures tonight before everything is moved out. I want to be able to show our children our first home. I always loved looking at the old photos of my parents in their first home: sweet, simple times. I guess we really don’t know how sweet and simple everything is right now for us, so we better enjoy it!

Sorry in advance...

2010-06-08T20:52:00.002-04:00

... if things get a little (more) sparse around here. Things are kind of crazy right now and will only get crazier. We closed on our house this past Thursday (yay!) and plan to spend the next two weekends moving in. Then I leave for Bible camp the last week of the month. Then one week after returning from camp, I'm hosting my sister's baby shower AT MY NEW HOUSE. Seriously - I think I'm certifiably crazy. Help me Rhonda.

And I promise at some point I'll get over to my house and actually take pictures for you. Pinky promise.

I'll never understand...

2010-06-07T22:16:00.001-04:00

… why people do the things they do. I like to think that I’m pretty good at grammar*. I may not be quite the grammar Nazi as my English teacher sister, but I get the job done. I watch out for those sneaky split infinitives and dangling participles. I’ll call you on a run-on sentence or the use of “good” and “well” any day. I use the same tense throughout and will slap you on the wrist for any misuse of a comma.

When a co-worker hands me a piece of literature to send out to every donor or volunteer, I put on my proofreading hat and get to work. I find my red Ultra Fine Point Sharpie and mark up the whole page {if necessary, which always seems to be the case}. So why, co-worker, why do you not make any changes after I pour over the page for at least an hour rewriting sentences in my head and looking up correct spellings, salutations, and title abbreviations? Do you think I’m incorrect? Do you just not care? Did you accidentally send the wrong version to the printer? I’ll never, ever understand why you waste my time.

*I learned more about grammar in my AP and collegiate level Spanish classes than I ever did in English class. Something to think about.

I know you’re probably wondering why I don’t take such care proofreading my own blog posts… I’ll just leave it at laziness. See what I have to put up with at work? I’m exhausted by the time I get home and start writing.

Conversations...

2010-06-01T12:53:00.000-04:00

… sometimes, I really do enjoy my job. But only on rare occasions like the other day. This is the stream of conversation between me and two of my bosses. That’s right – bosses.

Subject Line: Katie Gaga
Male Boss: Wrunnnn, wrunnnn, wrunt, wrunt, wwwwrrrrun-un*! Please leave my head. Please.

Me (aka Katie Gaga): Do you want me to come down there and sing you another Gaga song??

Female Boss: I would prefer Telephone – [Male Boss Name], you be Beyonce… hahahaha

Me: “Hello, hello baby how come I can’t hear a thing. I have got no service in the club you see, seee.”

FB: “What, what, whaat did you say are you braking up on me, sorry I cannot hear you I’m kinda busy.”

MB: From the looks of those lyrics, I’m glad I don’t know that one. And the only Beyonce I know is Single Ladies.

Me: What about Poker Face… that’s super catchy.

FB: P-P-P-Poker face, P-P-Poker face! Oh man – I was cracking up at the fact that I was actually having this conversation at all! If the stiffs in our office knew what we were emailing about, they would NOT approve. Oh well – I approve!

*From Bad Romance in case you couldn’t figure that out.

Realization...

2010-05-31T12:44:00.004-04:00

... I just realized today that this is the first Memorial Day of my professional career that I've had off! Last year I was making up time for the wedding and the prior year my former company didn't grant Memorial Day as a holiday. You can imagine my excitement!

It has been quite a good weekend full of...

:: chick flicks... I've watched at least four this weekend!!!!

:: an impromptu dinner party for my family at my humble abode.

:: naps and sleeping in.

:: a much needed girls night.

:: and good food!

But of course, I have no pictures to record because I'm lame like that.

And P.S. We close on our house on THURSDAY! I'm so excited!

Graduation Party: The People

2010-05-26T19:52:00.001-04:00

... there she is! The graduate!

We invited Mimi's closest friends and family and it was a great night!

{My fave}

Graduation Party: Food

2010-05-25T10:42:00.001-04:00

... We had quite the spread on Saturday night: meatballs, bruschetta, hummus, chicken salad & pimiento cheese pita pockets, proscuito wrapped watermelon, fruit, lemon bites, and oreo cupcakes... yum! Oh and of course, sweet tea!

Graduation Party: Decor

2010-05-24T19:20:00.009-04:00

... The party on Saturday night was a success! We went with a simple black and white color scheme. I tried my hand for the first time at some popular crafts across the blogosphere: Martha Stewart Poms and bunting.

Everyone is right. The poms really are very easy to make. Cheap, quick, easy, beautiful - what more could you ask for??

And after several fights with my sewing machine, I finally got the bunting down pat. I thought it turned out pretty good to be my first one!

I already had some milk glass vases on hand, so I went to Michael's and bought some black vases on clearance and we filled them with whatever white flowers we could find at the grocery store!

Also, I snatched up these paper lanterns at Big Lots for $20! I think I'm going to go back and get some more!

Overall, I was very happy with how everything turned out... and as you can see, the weather was beautiful!

Ready for July...

2010-05-21T21:41:00.002-04:00

… don’t get me wrong. I love all warm months.

But do you know what July means? It means I will be in my house. It means everything will have to be out of our apartment. It means a baby shower I’m really excited to host. It means no stress about contracts, loan paperwork, moving. It means one less month of “school’s out for summer” meltdowns*. It means {hopefully} a vacation. It means hot sticky weather and daily thunderstorms. It means a new addition to our family.

{july thunderstorm in St. Simons}
So, you get it? I’m just read to relax a bit.

*”School’s out for summer” meltdowns are when I cry and whine about my husband, family and friends not having to work in the summer {some teachers, unemployed, or in school}. Here comes the pity party, I’m the only one {excluding my dad and bro-in-law} that has to trek to work every day from 8:00 – 5:00 while everyone else sits on they bums at home and enjoys their summer. Okay – vent over. That may have been another minor meltdown. {And I may exaggerate some, but I can’t help it}

Just checking in...

2010-05-18T21:10:00.001-04:00

... I know I haven’t been posting regularly, but I wanted you to know that I am, indeed, alive! We have just been so busy lately. We’re trying to close on the house at the end of the month – I absolutely cannot wait to move in! Also, my love has been taking a class on Monday and Thursday nights from 5:00 – 9:00pm. You would think that in this alone free time I would spend it blogging, but no. I’m usually out running errands or working out or vegging out on the couch – such is life.

Another thing that has been consuming my time and thoughts would be party planning. Oh yikes – this weekend we have my baby sister’s graduation party and then in a couple months will be my older sister’s baby shower. Hmmm… what’s missing here? Oh that’s right – a party for the middle sister! Oh well – such is life, right?

I will be back to regular posting soon with some awesome pictures from my sis’ party on Saturday (pray for no rain please, kthanks).

Please, please don't tell me...

2010-05-10T22:05:00.004-04:00

... that I’m not going to have another good year in reality TV. Last year was so spectacular, that I couldn’t handle such heartbreak after so many victories.

Amazing Race, you broke my heart. I said the whole time, “I don’t care who wins as long as it’s not Jordan and Dan.” And what did you do? You let them win. The Cowboys will always have a place in my heart. I can only hope that The Apprentice (Go Bret!) and Dancing with the Stars (Go Evan!) can turn my reality TV frown upside down.

To the mamas in our lives...

2010-05-09T18:08:00.005-04:00

We hope your day is wonderful!

Love, katie & josh

photos courtesy of cox photography

Cleaning off my phone...

2010-05-02T21:09:00.003-04:00

I love Twilight, but I'm a little creeped out by make-up inspired by the Volturi...
Bet you didn't know that I went to college for four years so that I could cut and paste at work...

Administrative Professionals Day gift from my office...

Our builder texts... how cool is that?

While baking my love's birthday cake, I felt a bit like the Pioneer Woman.

Happy burfday...

2010-05-01T16:16:00.001-04:00

... to my one and only!

Hope you have a fantabulous day!

Finalmente...

2010-04-27T10:37:00.000-04:00

... I have found the inspiration for my guest bedroom! I would like to say thank you to the wonderful Jamie of i suwannee for posting her own inspiration boards for clients. As soon as I saw this, I knew it was what i had been looking for.

There was no model home when we were picking out our floorplan, so when the walls finally went up last week, we realized that our guest bedroom has cathedral ceilings! Since it's such a beautiful space, I knew the pressure was on.

I'm in love.

My favorite part of the day...

2010-04-26T16:41:00.000-04:00

... coming home to the Mister.=)

Happy feet...

2010-04-23T22:28:00.004-04:00

... I had a sudden realization today that I haven't bought myself any shoes in a looong time. So here's my picks for the summer. These beauties will be keeping my feet happy!Nude pumps

A shoe that doesn't go with anything, but yet goes with everything

Brown wedges

Red Toms

Yay for summer shoes!

Twenty-five @ 25...

2010-04-21T13:22:00.001-04:00

... here's to checking off my first task! Huzzah! I got this more than loverly new blog design from Annie. Please go check out her services... she does an amazing job and is very reasonably priced!

Thanks, Annie!

Other Twenty-five @ 25's in progress:

-Signed up for a 5K in May and ran/walked 5K on the treadmill last night - woohoo!

-Have plans to take a cake decorating class with my sister within the next month or so.

-Planning a romantic getaway with my love!

A word on dress code...

2010-04-20T21:26:00.002-04:00

… where I work, there is a pretty strict dress code, but yet, “strict” is loosely interpreted… quite ironic. Right before I started in August 2008, they had just changed the dress code to allow women to wear open toed shoes and have bare legs. Thank goodness!

A couple weeks ago, I was wearing a denim dress with a cardigan and a belt with boots. I thought I looked pretty cute. Well a co-worker who has worked with my company for over 20 years came up to me and said, “You’re wearing denim. You’re not supposed to wear denim.”

Me: “Really? I thought it was just jeans.”
Co-worker: “Nope. All denim. I won’t tell on you.”
Me: “Thanks?”

As I look over to her cube today, she is wearing knit pants, and an oversized knit top with tennis shoes. Seriously? You were commenting on my outfit? Oh brother… where’s my handy dandy rule book when I need it?!

So how is this fair? How come she gets to wear tennis shoes and basically pajamas to work when I’m expected to look prim and proper every day? Please tell me?? Uggghhhh…..

Don't say I didn't warn you...

2010-04-15T08:56:00.000-04:00

… because I totally did. Here are some pictures that are currently making me swoon.

**And I’m totally a bad blogger because I have no idea where any of these pictures came from. When I saved them, it was pre-house and I didn’t think to keep the link. My bad! If you know where they’re from, just let me know. Except for the 8th picture, its from here.

Twenty-five at 25...

2010-04-14T10:46:00.004-04:00

...today is my birthday! I actually have been and will be celebrating all week… that’s how I roll. I have decided to make a list of 25 things that I will do my 25th year of life. These are not extravagant things like skydiving or seeing the Eiffel Tower… just simple, everyday challenges that are definitely within reach. I do realize that some of these don’t seem like a challenge (i.e. #21) but in my world, they are. I plan to keep you updated as things progress and I celebrate little victories.

01. take a roadtrip.
02. get a massage.
03. decorate a home that i love.
04. go camping.
05. take a class/workshop.
06. scour out a good flea market/thrift shop find.
07. see a show.
08. host a party.
09. purchase a new camera.
10. makeover a piece of furniture.
11. visit a museum/gallery.
12. sew something.
13. fly somewhere.
14. start a new family tradition.
15. re-read the Twilight saga.
16. figure out my career path.
17. build/diy something awesome.
18. do hot yoga at least once.
19. participate in a 5k.
20. plant a garden.
21. see a chick flick with my husband at least twice.
22. visit with old friends.
23. get a new blog design.
24. welcome a new family member.
25. take a vacation with just me and my love.

Did I forget...

2010-04-12T20:50:00.005-04:00

... to tell you that we got the house???? I think so! Well, the house it ours under contract, we are so, so, so excited, and I apologize if this becomes a decorating blog. It happens... I'm sure one day it will be a baby blog, then a mommy blog, and so on.

So! Here are some pictures from our visit last week... we haven't been visiting everyday like everyone suggests, but we're trying to get better.

one of the guest bedrooms

looking through the dining room to the garage

looking through a guest bedroom to the great room

from the master through the closet to the great room... you keeping up?

the kitchen

looking through the two guest bedrooms and guest bathroom

We're in love!

I did something I thought I would never do...

2010-04-08T13:49:00.000-04:00

… coupon clipping. Not only did I coupon clip, but I took it a step further. I went to 2 different stores in order to get the better price. I’m becoming my father!

We have been shopping at a higher end grocery store for a while because they had a bigger variety of organic foods and non-dairy products for myself. As you can imagine, the tab can add up quickly. While shopping at Target the other night I remembered that I was out of soy milk and ran over to their “market” to grab some. While over there, I noticed that some of the staples I buy every week were DOLLARS less than I was paying for them. DOLLARS. I couldn’t believe it – think of the money we could be saving! Then, that got me started on a coupon kick, and now I sit on the computer scouring websites for the best coupons… it’s actually really fun! Like a scavenger hunt! So ladies – I know there are a ton of sites out there that I could join so I want to know… Which are the best? Which are free? Does your inbox get spammed giving out your email so much?

So, I guess you can say that I’ve caught “the savings bug!”*

*please tell me you have seen this ridiculous commercial.

Our Bahamian adventure...

2010-04-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

… as I promised, again, here is a post about our adventure while in The Bahamas. Let me preface this post with this: I have never ridden in a taxi. I’m a city girl, but not a big city girl. The ones in my town are driven by creepers and no one hardly uses them. Whenever I’ve traveled, we’ve either been in our own car, rented a car, had hotel transportation, were with a big group on a big bus, or took the tube.

Now for the story… as I have mentioned numerous times, my love is a HUGE James Bond fan. HUGE. So his excitement for our trip to The Bahamas stemmed from the fact that several James Bond movies have been filmed there. One of the most recent, Casino Royale, was filmed at the Ocean Club. I did a little research beforehand and knew that it was not within walking distance. So, being the good wife that I am, I obliged to take a taxi for the first time. In The Bahamas. After 5:00pm. Yikes! We walked into the visitor center, found a nice looking taxi driver for a decent price and took off. He knew where we wanted to go and then proceeded by supplying us with lies in order to gain entrance into the exclusive club. As he stopped for gas {I wasn’t freaking out or anything. Note sarcasm.}, I was frantically asking my love what we could use as weapons if things went sour. We spotted an umbrella and a broken broom with a rusty end. Yes – that was in the back of the taxi.

Once we got on Paradise Island, we had another pit stop – the car broke down. Our driver kept saying, “I just put gas in it! This never happens!” Yeah right. Finally, we made it to the Ocean Club and were given a big fat NO. We could not come on the property. My husband tried to use his charming persuasive skills but to no avail. This is the only picture I got of the place.
Oh well. But then on our way back, on the huge bridge from Paradise Island, the taxi broke down again in the middle of the road. Oh boy. Wait – I thought this never happens?? I didn’t think I was ever going to get home. But luckily I did and, James, our driver, wasn’t so bad after all.

As promised...

2010-04-06T10:10:00.002-04:00

… I now give you the awesomeness that is Music Asia. No joke. This was the band we went and watched every night on the cruise. We {read: me} became groupies. I took pictures, made requests, and slowed danced with my love to Heart. This band played any and every popular rock song from the 70s and 80s and each one made my heart smile. Each member is Asian, has a awesome voice, and is very talented. I loved that they sang every song in perfect English, but while speaking to the audience, their thick Asian accents came out. It was adorable. Some more gratuitous pictures…P.S. You can find them on youtube =)

P.P.S. Stayed tuned for my next post about our interesting adventure!

Back to life...

2010-04-05T19:23:00.003-04:00

… back to reality. Bleh. Our cruise to The Bahamas was amazing… we really do have so much fun with each other {most of the time, ha!}.

We had beautiful weather, ate way too much food, and got nicely sunkissed. It was heaven. We didn’t want to come home and we might just move to Florida. And you know what? I actually took a boat load {pun intended} of pictures! I was so proud of myself because I had slipped into the bad habit of never taking pictures. Here are some for your enjoyment, and by no means to make you jealous. Even though I wouldn’t blame you. I’m jealous of myself 3 days ago. And you can thank me for not showing you the cheesy pictures we purchased from the cruise line… I don’t care what you say, I love them, senior portrait and all.

getting on the ship

our waiter made a heart out of the straw... precious.

on the beach in Nassau

dinner on elegant night

don't make us go home!
And stayed tuned for a special post a la MUSIC ASIA!

Come sail away...

2010-03-30T22:50:00.003-04:00

{taken on my last cruise}

... I want to thank all of you for your suggestions for our vacation location. It seemed like a toss up between Savannah and Destin.... so we went with Destin since my husband has never been to the Gulf Coast. As we were looking through hotels on the internet, though, we got a bit frustrated. In frustration my love said, "Let's just look at the cruise prices one more time.... maybe we can do this."

Did you know that cruise lines drop prices dramatically a week before the sail date?? I didn't, but do now! Also, did you know that with Carnival cruises you get a past guest discount that takes off about $75 per person? I didn't, but do now! So we changed courses and will be happily on our way to the Bahamas this week. We are so elated we can barely contain ourselves. I have pretty much checked out mentally at work and have been steadily getting everything ready to get out of here!

So, I'll be gone for a few days and back in action when I return!

For the bride to be...

2010-03-28T20:27:00.006-04:00

…I’m working on being a better giver in many aspects of my life. I’ve seen this trend all over the blogosphere, am an avid follower of giverslog (please go look if you haven’t!), and I commend Annie for the commitment she’s made and hopefully one day I can get there. Babysteps. My dearest college BFF, Ashley, just recently got engaged and I was honored and beyond thrilled when she asked me to be a bridesmaid! So, I got to thinking about what I could get her that she would love, appreciate, and would be deemed thoughtful.

Ta-da! A paper chain countdown! I was channeling our inner “Wannabe Elementary Education Major” selves (we both changed majors at the same time in college).

I thought it was pretty darn cute, if I may say so myself, and it was very inexpensive. I used paper leftover from different projects, double-sided tape, and a computer! Voila – something to hang up and countdown until the BIG DAY!

Quote of the weekend...

2010-03-27T23:17:00.003-04:00

I'm going to do my Mick Jagger impression if I ever see Ke$ha just so I don't get kicked to the curb.
-My husband

Also, a very thought-provoking debate with my in-laws over Edward vs. Superman.

Dear Universe...

2010-03-24T22:55:00.006-04:00

I would just like to acknowledge the fact that yes, I do look like Katie Stevens on American Idol. And yes, I do realize that Katie Stephens is my maiden name. And no, everyone does not need to point it out to me. And no, I do not fly back and forth from Hollywood every week. And no, I cannot sing like her.

But yes, I will take the complement that I could look like a 16 year old.

Warm Regards,

Katie Not-American-Idol-Stevens

Lackluster...

2010-03-20T22:52:00.004-04:00

{picture from our honeymoon to the Caymans. I miss the Caymans everyday.}

… I know it’s been slow around these parts, but I feel like things have been slowing down in life. We’re still slowly working through the contract on the house. I’m currently having a lull in between my reality TV shows. After a few tricky, indulgent weeks, my weight loss has slowed down. And we have piles and piles and piles of laundry laying around the apartment that neither of us feel like folding or hanging up.

But what’s just around the bend??? Spring Break! Now since my love is a teacher, he gets a full week. We had plans to take a cruise, but we waited too long to get the good prices and we’re not about to shell out $500 per person (that might sound reasonable to some, but here in SC the cost of living is pretty low, which translates to we are paid very little).

So, we’re open for suggestions! We live in South Carolina and are willing to take a nice drive. And I’m guessing I need a tan because last night my love said, “Hey, I can see a blue vein on your neck!” I guess I’m now translucent. So, we would like somewhere sunny and possibly a beach… Florida? Charleston (we’ve both been there many times but not together)? Savannah? Either way – I’m so ready for a vacation!

How my day began...

2010-03-09T20:21:00.007-05:00

Hey look – my love let me use his nice coffee cup this morning…

… wait, why is it so empty??

… oh yeah – because I knocked it all over my desk! You see that nice, big, disturbing

coffee stain across my notes? Well, imagine that coffee also on receipts, files, and nicely flowing under my printer. That’s what I get for not drinking up all of my coffee while I had the chance.

I tried to inconspicuously clean up that river of coffee without my co-workers noticing. No need to cause a scene, right? But someone probably saw me – actually, I know the girl in the cube beside me did. Maybe it would have been cooler to make a big scene. Oh well. It’s a good thing I keep that huge stash of paper towels at my desk for moments like these. Now my desk reeks of coffee and citrus cleaner. Just fab.

Photos courtesy of my cell phone. Your welcome.

Pizza perfected...

2010-03-08T19:39:00.003-05:00

via

… It has taken me awhile, but I do believe I have perfected a homemade* pizza recipe {at least to our likings}. There has been a lot of trial and error – uncooked dough, burnt cheese, too much sauce, and so forth. Here’s my recipe and what we enjoy about once a week. I love this recipe because of its ease. The dough doesn’t take hours to make, and once that process is over it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. I usually make the dough the night before, so that I can just come in from work and bake it.

Pizza Dough:
¾ cup lukewarm water
1 package active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
2 1/4 cups flour**
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

Proof the yeast in the ¾ cup lukewarm water with the pinch of sugar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it gets foamy. If it doesn’t get foamy, pitch it and start over. While the yeast is proofing, combine flour, oil, and salt without stirring. When the yeast is ready, add it to the flour mixture and begin kneading. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes – it should be a little sticky, but easy to work with.

Set the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it over to coat it. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set it in a draft-free, warm place for 45 minutes and let it rise. If you’re not going to use it immediately, go ahead and stick it in the fridge (if you do this, take it out of the fridge and let it get warm and rise again).

Pizza Topping:
½ cup of your favorite pasta sauce (or more if you like it saucy)
1 cup Fontinella cheese (or any other sharp, Italian cheese)
Drizzle of olive oil
Your choice of meat – we like Canadian bacon (or go meatless!)

Roll the dough out on a floured surface and shape it into a disc about ¼ inch thick. Drizzle or brush the olive oil on the disc. Pour the sauce on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with cheese and meat. Bake at 500 degrees for about 15-20 minutes (the edges of the dough should get nice and brown). The end.

Some tips I learned along the way:
:: Buy a block of cheese and grate it. The pre-shredded stuff has a cornstarchy substance on it that doesn’t let it melt well enough and it burns easily.
:: Don’t take it out of the oven too soon. Even if the edges are brown, wait until it looks like it’s about to burn.

*Homemade is a relative term. I buy the sauce, but make the dough. You can make both; go here for a great sauce!
**You can use whole wheat, all-purpose, or a mixture. I use a mixture because it gives it a better consistency.

And yes – I have done the calculations: 8 servings, 250 cal per serving

So, so true...

2010-03-04T18:04:00.002-05:00

… yesterday while waiting at the salon to get my bangs trimmed, I was flipping through the February issue of Harper’s Bazaar. I came across the horoscopes section, and while I don’t necessarily believe them, they are always entertaining. At the tail end of my horoscope it read,

“Restrictions at work make you realize that you cannot have it all when it comes to your career, but the payoff is an enriched private life.”

I loved it. It is so true. With the economy, my company has already put a freeze on salaries so I know that I won’t be getting a raise. We just hired 2 new people in my department, so I know that I won’t be getting promoted anytime soon – at least until the start of the new fiscal year. But I’m okay with that. I do have an enriched private life. I get to spend so much time with my love, family and friends. I don’t ever take business trips. I rarely / never work weekends. And I never have to take my work home with me.

So, thank you Harper’s Bazaar for showing me the silver lining.

{I tried to nonchalantly rip it out of the magazine to take home, but my stylist walked up right at that moment. Luckily, I just googled “Harpers Bazaar horoscopes” and found it again.}

For your information...

2010-03-03T22:45:00.003-05:00

... first of all, if you don't already follow Marta - hurry, run over there right now and do it. Trust me, you won't regret it. Second of all, right now she's hosting a workshop about blogging and business.

It's awesome.

It's helpful for casual bloggers {like myself}, bloggers who want to go pro, and bloggers who want to start a business. She has great tidbits of advice and an expert panel to help out along the way.

Like I said - run!

That girl...

2010-03-03T18:30:00.001-05:00

… I am thankful everyday for this little blogging world of mine – for many reasons. One of the main reasons is the inspiration I get on a daily basis. Fashion inspiration. Crafting inspiration. Humorous inspiration. Writing inspiration. Cooking inspiration. But one that I didn’t realize when I entered the blogging world, but again receive on a daily basis, is spiritual inspiration. I read yesterday that Jenny just completed reading the entire Bible, and I thought to myself, “Why in the world haven’t I done this yet?!?”

I grew up in the Church. Hardly ever missed a service and still don’t. I don’t need a hymnal to sing the songs. I know the basics of all the stories. I even went to a Christian college and practically have a minor in Bible. So why haven’t I ever read the Bible in its entirety? I really have no clue other than pure laziness. So, I’m on a mission. I’m going to read the entire Bible. Front to back. I’m not going to set a time limit on myself because that would just be setting myself up for failure or force me to rush through it. I want to read it and enjoy it and learn from it and better understand it. So, like Jenny, I will be that girl sitting in the break room, eating lunch and reading the Bible. And I’m okay with that.

Hello March...

2010-03-02T18:02:00.001-05:00

{gifted gerber daisies from my boss and snow}

...

2010-02-28T09:32:00.002-05:00

... this picture came across my screen and it made me realize three things...

:: my niece is growing up way too fast

:: warm weather needs to get here asap

:: I need a trip to the beach

Like I said...

2010-02-25T22:36:00.003-05:00

… I’ve been decorating this possible house in my head. Constantly. The house will have 3 bedrooms and an unfinished bonus room {unless they want to finish it for free!}. I knew that one room would be a guest bedroom and I knew that one bedroom would be my love’s room. A man cave of sorts. My love and I tend to butt heads when decorating, but I went ahead a put together a little design board. What his style? Rock ‘n’ Roll, James Bond, Video games, Movies. I thought, “I can do this.” Soooo, here’s what I came up with and sent in an e-mail to him.

After the e-mail was sent – he called me and said he loved it! Of course, he had a few changes, but I was very happy! I was quite impressed with myself. I went more for the James Bond, sleek look – I knew he would love it. He wants more silver touches and a big “Dr. No” poster. And there will be enough wall space to hang his guitars {yes, multiple} too. There will also be plenty of space for his games and movies. So what do you think?

And don’t worry – I’m not leaving myself out. The guest bedroom will be all mine – I’ll have a little craft workspace and be very content. I apologize in advance for any future male guests; the room will be a tad girly. Get over it.

Just too good to be true...

2010-02-24T20:48:00.002-05:00

... so my love and I are house hunting... again. We did this last year without success and moved into an apartment. This time around, we got a different realtor and a little more motivation with the tax credit running out so soon!

Well, we couldn’t find a house last year because we were so picky. I didn’t like the kitchen. He didn’t like the bathroom. I needed more storage space. He didn’t like the location. Picky, right?

Well this time – we have actually found a neighborhood that isn’t built yet and we could build a home there. Pick out our price range. Pick out the floor plan. Pick out paint, tile, countertops, fixtures, etc. We get to be picky!

When we first happened upon it – it sounded too good to be true. Then when we gave them our offer {asking for stuff to be thrown in for free} and they gave us what we wanted – again, sounds too good to be true.

Believe me – I am super excited about this! I haven’t stopped decorating the house in my head. {Read: this post} I have everything picked out. But I am nervous that something’s going to happen. We’re being duped or conned or played or we could just be really blessed. I’m praying for the latter.

Any homebuyers/builders out there have any advice? We’d be more than happy to take it!

I'mma be...

2010-02-23T21:13:00.005-05:00

... loving the Black Eyed Peas. This past Saturday night, my little sister, Mimi, and I saw the Black Eyed Peas in Charlotte.

Fergie was beautiful.

Will.I.Am = love.

The stage reminded me of a uterus.

They were amazing and we got to see them for free! Mimi won tickets off the radio. You see, I have always liked the Black Eyed Peas {they have good workout songs} but never would have thought to drop a lot of money to see them in concert. After Saturday, though, I will pay to see them again – they are quite the entertainers!

{uterus shaped stage}

He was right...

2010-02-17T18:19:00.005-05:00

… that’s right – my husband. It’s not often that I admit this, but it’s true. {Warning: A wordy post ahead}

A little background information. Since the wedding last April, I had gained about 10 pounds. I attribute this to Birth Control and the fact that I was hardcore dieting before the wedding, and then afterwards was so tired of dieting that I ate whatever I wanted. When I realized I was starting to gain weight, though, we joined a gym and I began “watching what I ate.” This had always worked for me before – no problem. This time, though, my weight wasn’t budging. I tried everything. I mean everything. I was even vegan for 2 months and lost no weight (I wasn’t vegan for weight loss purposes; I was vegan because I read this book). I even stooped to the Special K diet to no avail. It was beyond frustrating because I had never had this problem before.

{engagement picture - when I could lose weight at the drop of a hat}

So at the start of the New Year, I finally took my love’s advice. You see, he’s a health nut. An OCD, gym-obsessed health nut. He knows every calorie and gram of protein that goes into his body. So, I started counting calories… and it works! I’ve lost 5 pounds and I can hear the angels singing! You might think it’s a pain to count calories, but it’s not that bad. I cook mainly out of Cooking Light, Kraft or Real Simple so that I have a calorie count. If not, I Google every ingredient and figure it out. Yes, you can Google anything and find out how many calories are in it. I even made little guides for fast food joints and restaurants, so that I know what to eat when I’m out.

The biggest thing I’ve come out with from this whole experience (other than losing 5 pounds!) is awareness. I had no idea how many calories I was eating before! It was ridiculous! I could have easily come out of a restaurant with at least 1000 calories. Here’s how I break it down – take your ideal weight and multiply it by 10. That number is how many calories you should eat a day. If you don’t reach that number, that’s fine – if you’re full, don’t stuff yourself. And in case you think I’m depriving myself, I’m not! I have one cheat day a week, and if I want a cookie after dinner, I simply factor that in my daily calories (maybe a lighter breakfast or lunch, or skip my mid-morning snack). Also, what I cook is amazing… just go take a look at the recipes over there! And don't forget to work out regularly! Its sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn’t – and my love is beaming with pride right now… I just know it.

So, if you’re in a rut like I was – try it out!

On obsession...

2010-02-15T20:21:00.003-05:00

... I tend to obsess easily. Like certain TV shows. Or a certain food I can eat over and over again (onions? coconut yogurt? er... not together). I just get so excited and jazzed about something, I really zone in on it. Two Thursdays ago, my mother and I went to see Wicked. Oh brother... it was amazing. AMAZING! I'm already in love with Idina Menzel (not to mention her hubby either), so imagine my excitement knowing she was the original Elphaba. I imagined it was her as Elphaba during the whole show. And a co-worker gave me the soundtrack, I listen to it constantly in the car and its all I think about. I'm plotting out the next chance I could have to go see it again. Obsessed.

Oh well. I think my obsessions are okay. I never cross any lines or do anything uber psycho... unless you count knowing my 10th grade crush's schedule and taking the long way to class just so I could pass him in the hallway. I just really, really enjoy things sometimes. And that's okay. I'm okay with it.

So, any other Wicked lovers out there??

Already better...

2010-02-11T21:29:00.003-05:00

... A spic'n'span clean house, The Office, blogging motivation, Valentines ready for the mail, and crafting have completed my Thursday.

It's been a great day. Did I mention that I had Burger King for dinner? Heaven.

Oh yikes...

2010-02-11T19:59:00.001-05:00

... I just got a punch to the gut. I know I haven’t been the most active blogger over the last few months, but I’m trying… really. I’ve always wondered how to find out how many people subscribe to you through google reader and I found it today*. It was depressing. What was more depressing? I was listed under “Most Obscure” and “Inactive.” Ouch.

So, I got my kick in the butt, and hopefully I’ll be hanging out around here more often.

*To figure this out, first you have to subscribe to your own blog. Then on the left side click “Trends” and then just browse the “Subscription Trends” to see how you’re ranked. And you all may already know this.

am loving right now...

2010-02-01T20:43:00.003-05:00

... I figured since we have now entered the month of love, I would highlight some things that I'm currently smitten with.

via

:: mushrooms
:: the bachelor
:: chef morimoto
:: my evergrowing, amazing marriage
:: dreaming big dreams {with support stemming from the previous}
:: snowy, icy weather so that I have an excuse to bundle up
:: my new, black skinny pants
:: blogs... after a couple lackluster months, I'm back in action
:: house hunting on the horizon

Winter wonderland, psych...

2010-01-30T12:44:00.002-05:00

... so the weather man predicted 6 to 8 inches?? Pshawwww... this is all we got and probably all we'll get this year. Oh well.

Yipee....

2010-01-23T00:30:00.003-05:00

... my wedding photographer just posted the link to his blog highlighting my wedding. Its so nice to go back and revisit that day. Go check it out!

Update: My photographer, Cox Photography, just won "Best Photographer" by the Knot!

Goodbye...

2010-01-19T20:28:00.003-05:00

... remember my dear, sweet, precious kitty? Well, that dear, sweet, precious kitty didn't turn out to be so dear, sweet, or precious. She was more along the lines of crazy, fiesty, and pyscho! She didn't like to be held or petted. She ran around the apartment like she had lost her mind. She liked to bite and scratch. I tried my hardest to nurture her, be sweet, and teach her how to be sweet... but she didn't like to listen to me.

So, my love and I decided she would be better suited to be an outdoor cat and took her to my mom's friend's farm. The first time I saw my mom's friend after dropping her off, she said, "Your cat is CRAZY!"

Uh, yeah. I know. That's why I passed her off to you.

I feel bad because I feel like I failed at my first attempt to be a "mommy." But I feel like we made the decision in her best interest... right? She's much happier running around a farm and climbing trees all day... right??

Some affirmation would be much appreciated. Thanks.

So long Stevie... its just not the same around here without you!

Oh yes it's ladies night...

2010-01-16T13:19:00.004-05:00

... I went to dinner last night with two of my favorite gal pals! See? I'm officially working on my resolutions! Which means I also took pictures of us, but you can definitely tell I'm a little out of practice.

When its too cold outside to re-take photos you get this...

A shaky, creepy ghost-face picture...

More shakiness and Carie's "hump-butt" due to her purse, hahaha.

And Lena closing her eyes.

Oh well, we'll get it right next time!

Be still my heart...

2010-01-11T21:14:00.002-05:00

... if photography makes your heart go pitter-patter, especially wedding photography, go visit this site highlighting the best wedding photographs of 2009. They will make you melt.