Diary of a Blonde Bob

February Photo Challenge - Day 1 & 2

2012-02-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

I've seen fatmumslim's photo challenge floating around on a few other blogs, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and give you all a glimpse into my life. Here are my photos for the first two days:

Day 1 - My view - this is my desk and classroom at the end of the day yesterday. Oh, middle school. Gotta love it. Did anyone else have lockers like this in their middle school? My middle school had lockers in the hallway. When I came to this school, I was so confused as to why we even had lockers...these suck!

Day 2 - Words - These are my notes from the sermon at our church this week on Vengeance. They are currently hanging on our fridge as the message hit me pretty hard. (Excuse my 6am photo shoot and inability to capture everything that was written.) Basically, the message dealt with identifying your subtle ways of taking vengeance on those around you and how to counteract your actions. For me, my vengeance is belittling...because obviously, NO ONE can do it as well as me. No, not even Roman. This is my reminder to work really hard on being more humble. I'm working on it every single day.

Stay tuned for this rest of the challenge, and the growing display of my Instagram skillz.

Happiness

2012-01-30T05:35:00.000-08:00

This weekend was exactly what I needed. Roman and I spent a low key ENTIRE weekend together, which hasn't happened in quite a while. Thanks to his new job, it will become a much more regular thing, and for that, I am incredibly thankful. It is so refreshing and reassuring to have that one person who can see you at your worst and still love you unconditionally. Who knows you are being totally irrational but will reassure you until they are blue in the face. Who will give you a hug and instantly make everything better. My husband is a saint, and I love him for it.

Friday night, we had pizza with Roman's brother and sister-in-law and our nephews. They are too cute for words, and with another little one on the way, we are so excited for all of the fun to come! It was exactly what we needed to end a long week!

Saturday we woke up and had a lazy day catching up on TV shows until our GroupLink event at church that night. GroupLink is an event aimed at forming new small groups for the church we have recently started attending. After two hours, we were lucky enough to find four other great couples to join up with. Over the next eight weeks, we will meet with these couples and get to know them to see where our group will go. I'm so looking forward to it and to getting to know these couples!

Yesterday, we woke up and went to church. The message once again was incredibly powerful and exactly what we neeeded to hear this week. That's the one thing I'm loving the most about our church. Each week I feel like the message is directed at us and where we are at in our lives and in our marriage. Afterwards, we had lunch and ran some errands before our second Financial Peace class. I'm feeling more at ease with our budget after the class and the plan that we have in place. I know God is going to do amazing things through the knowledge that we gain in the next 11 weeks of this course, and I can't wait. Our weekend ended by having dinner with Roman's mom, and it was great to catch up with her and her husband.

Overall, the perfect weekend to end a long week last week. Here's to a new, and no doubt better, week!

Breakdown? Breakthrough.

2012-01-27T06:35:00.001-08:00

Breakdown. That basically sums up the recent events. To quote one of my favorite characters, Jerry Maguire, "Breakdown? Breakthrough," I'm hoping that's what my breakdown last night is. A breakthrough.

Last night was a full on total breakdown for me. And, it all started at Walgreen's as I was filling my monthly prescriptions, which have now soared to almost three times to what I was paying before thanks to a new insurance plan. Do I want to take three medications for migraines? No. But, is that my current reality in order to function through my days with some sort of normal? Yes.

The financial hurdles that Roman and I are facing are tough. And, the stress of that is taking a huge toll on me lately. Every time we seem to have a plan in place, something else comes our way to set us back even further than before. Satan is definitely working hard against us right now.

What I do know is this: Our relationship is stronger than ever. I know we will make it through and come out better for it on the other side.

But, getting to that other side is going to be a long and winding road. We have a plan, we are educating ourselves, we are making cuts in every way possible. But, is that enough? When is it going to get better? Is it going to get better? Will we ever be ready to start a family? Will we ever be able to buy the house we hope to have some day?

Breakthrough. I need one.

Life progress

2012-01-23T19:15:00.001-08:00

Just an update on things recently mentioned on the blog...

1. After much thought and consideration, I decided to give up my Stella & Dot business. This year is all about putting my time and energy into the things and people that matter most, so it just made sense to move on.

2. I also resigned from Junior League. Along with devoting my time and energy to the things that matter to me most, I also have to start focusing on the things that make my life better. My experience with Junior League wasn't that, so I am moving on with full intentions of finding a more meaningful way of volunteering my time and service.

To make me sound like less of a quitter/slacker here...

3. Hubs and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University last night at a local church (ours doesn't offer it), and are so excited about it! We are looking forward to what we will learn in the coming weeks that we will then carry with us through our lives together!

4. And...the big news! Ro has a new job! Unexpectedly, a great new job opportunity came his way right after we came back from our honeymoon. After many rounds of interviews, the company invited us both to dinner to offer him the position! We are so excited for this new journey and the opportunity it will bring! He starts in February. I'm so proud of my hubs!

So there's what's been going on in my life...exciting, huh? :)

Handbag Heaven

2012-01-18T08:51:00.001-08:00

I think I've officially died...

and gone to handbag heaven. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

A girl can dream...

Day off productivity

2012-01-17T18:25:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had the day off for the MLK holiday. I tried to make the day as productive as possible. Since merging households, Roman and I have been in desperate need of some organizational help. Being the neat freak that I am and given our limited amount of space, I knew the place to go to solve our problems...The Container Store.

Somehow in my 27 years of life, I have managed to stay out of this store until yesterday. Yesterday, my world became complete. Walking into that place was my own personal spiritual experience. But, I knew I had to exercise restraint and focus on the essentials.

Here are some of my favorite finds along with a Pinterest creation! I know...me being semi-crafty! Impressed? Haha. I also planned our meals for the entire week using all new recipes!

This ONE Thing

2012-01-16T19:20:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, the message at our church was one of the most powerful and perfectly timed messages of my life. The focus of the sermon was one thing...the one thing that each of us will focus on this year and will refuse to back down on accomplishing. The entire message was centered around one simple verse that has been constantly playing in my head over the past eight days:

"I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down." Nehemiah 6:3 (NASB)

Seriously? I was utterly and completely blown away by these simple words. Immediately after hearing the story of Nehemiah and his refusal to come down off of the wall until it was complete, I knew what my ONE thing for 2012 was...debt. Yep. Roman and I have it. We aren't proud of it. It eats at us every day. We are embarrassed by it, we are held back by it, we are scared of it. But, is it something we can tackle if we put our minds and hearts into it completely? Yes. My wall is so clear to me, and I cannot come down.

So, there it is. Out in the open. My ONE thing. I am doing a great work, and I CANNOT come down.

Monster Jam

2012-01-15T09:33:00.001-08:00

This year for Christmas, I got Roman tickets to Monster Jam. You know, the monster truck rally. Ever since we have been together, he has wanted to go but something has always come up. This year, I decided I would be the best wife ever and get tickets. Needless to say, I won that stamp of approval with flying colors.

To my surprise, I actually really enjoyed it, and we had a great time. There weren't quite as many rednecks as I had hoped...maybe next year?

Here are some pics from the iPhone from our Monster Jam experience.

I think we may just have to go back for round two next year. Oh, the things we do for the men we love, right?

This is how we do it

2012-01-14T12:28:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure that I've mentioned this, but I've recently become an iPhone user. Besides feeling incredibly awesome and finally part of the cool crowd amongst my friends, my connected life has become much easier. Sure, I loved my Droid2, but it just didn't compare to the wonderfulness of the iPhone.

Last night, Roman and I met up with our friends Courtney and Josh and Meghan and Charlie for dinner at Gordon Biersch.

After great food, great conversation, and one too many celebratory drinks (all three couples ended up sharing some big news...I'll be sharing ours in the next few days!), we decided we weren't ready for the night to end and headed to the nearest bowling alley.

It has been years since I had been bowling, but we all had such a good time!

Cheers to fun nights with great friends!

Resolutions

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

With 2012 now here, I’ve been thinking a lot about my hopes for 2012. This year, life doesn’t just involve me and what I want and hope for. It now includes Roman, and I love it. Over the past few days, I’ve taken a look back at some of my past resolutions posts. Some of those things are depressing because I didn’t accomplish them, yet some are fulfilling to read because I did.

{The above photo was from our wedding photo booth. I think it is hilarious, so I’m posting it here to ring in the new year. It was our one attempt at the photo booth during the reception. The other guests definitely made up for it and the photo booth was a huge hit!}

This year, I don’t want to look back with any regrets. I want my resolutions to be real, tangible goals that will better both mine and Roman’s lives. I want 2012 to be our best year yet. So, here are my resolutions:

1) Keep up with my blog. This truly is my journal of life, and this year is going to be one I never want to forget as we journey through newlywed life. I toyed with the idea of giving it up during the wedding planning process, but over my vacation I’ve been re-reading some past posts and am so glad that I have this document of my life.

2) Be the best wife that I can be every day. I’m not naive. I know there will be struggles. I know there will be disagreements, bad days and probably even some fights. But, in 2012, I hope to be the best wife that I can be for my husband. I hope that he never doubts how much I love him and care for him and our life together.

3) Continue my journey back to my faith. At the beginning of December, Roman and I started going to a new church that we are both very excited about. Although we have only been a handful of times, we have both looked forward to going each week and are hoping to get more involved this year. For Christmas Roman totally surprised me and got me a beautiful Bible monogrammed with my new name, and I seriously broke down in tears. It was the perfect gift for where we’re at right now. I’m so excited for our journey in faith together.

4) Live a healthier life. I’m not getting too specific here, but I have some things I would like to accomplish. One thing that I do miss is running. It was a huge part of my life for 2 years, and last year I really fell off the wagon. Although I still ran pretty consistently, I only did ONE 5K during the entire year. I miss running and participating in races, so that is one thing that I will specify for this particular resolution.

5) Live a smarter financial life. Roman and I have financial goals that we are hoping to accomplish in 2012. It is going to take some serious work and dedication on both of our parts, but I know we are both committed to making this happen.

Cheers to 2012!

New Year

2012-01-01T19:20:00.001-08:00

Today is officially the last day of my break, and what a break it has been. I have enjoyed every minute of my first Christmas with my husband and our friends and family. Although I usually do a post of reflection on the past year, there is no way I could possibly combine that all into one post for 2011. Last year was the best of my life, and I honestly didn’t see it coming this time a year ago. I got engaged, married, and settled into a new home with my best friend and love of my life all in the span of one year. I spent time with everyone that I love most and have so many great memories from 2011. How any year could possibly top this one is beyond me. Although I’m sure it will happen, 2011 has set the bar pretty high. Here are just a few pictures to sum up the best year of my life.

Ice Storm aka SnOMG 2011

Court’s Bachelorette Weekend in Nashville

Roman and I went to Charleston!

Our engagement in Piedmont Park!

One crazy 4th of July at the lake!

Moving out of my single girl apartment

Showers, galore!

My bachelorette party in ATL with the best friends a girl could ask for

The most perfect day of my life

Honeymoon in Mexico

One month anniversary date at the ATL Botanical Gardens for Garden of Lights

Celebrating our first married Christmas

Here’s to an even better 2012 with the ones I love most, especially my husband.

Wedding Photos - Full Sneak Peek!

2011-12-16T05:07:00.000-08:00

Our photographer, Hilarye, posted our full sneak peek on her blog yesteray. I thought I'd share the link for those interested. They are fabulous, and I can't wait to see the rest! It is so hard to believe we've been married for almost a month - time flies!

Today is my last day of work until January 2nd, and I'm so ready for the break! We have a fun weekend ahead of finishing up Christimas shopping, wrapping presents (I'm hoping to finally master wrapping the perfect gift this year), attending some holiday parties, and relaxing!

Happy Friday, y'all!

Overload.

2011-12-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Since getting married, it is almost as if I have this whole new clarity on my priorities. Sure, I knew Roman was a priority before. But I now find myself rushing to get home to him every day after work. I still make time for my friends and family, but when I do have plans with them, I immediately want to get home to him afterwards and tell him all about it. I want to share my experiences and thoughts of every day with him. More so than ever before. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

That being said, it has become abundantly clear to me over the past few months that my priorities are plain and simple: my husband, my BEST friends, and my family. That's it. Before, I think I was trying to fill my life with things just because I had extra time available. I wasn't taking advantage of the time with the things and people that mattered most in my life, so, I filled it with things/activities/commitments that I thought would give me pleasure and satisfaction. And, for a while, those things did.

Now that my outlook and season of life has changed a bit, I find myself being overwhelmed by all of the "other" stuff that used to matter to me that now just seems excessive and unimportant in comparison to those key priorities that I am now cherishing more than ever.

The two key things that I'm wrestling with right now: Stella & Dot and Junior League.

I joined on with Stella & Dot as a Stylist last October. I love the company and the vision that they provide for women to own successful businesses. But, I've come to realize it just isn't a good fit for me. I love the jewelry, I love the inspiration of the company and the women involved, and I loved the time with my friends that it allowed. However, I no longer have time to commit to it, and I have decided to move on.

Next up, Junior League. I joined the League last year in hopes of getting involved in volunteer opportunities around Atlanta. So far, it has been nothing but fulfilling one requirement to the next. I don't feel that I've gotten that much out of it, and it really has seemed to become more of a time waste than anything for me. The drive of the girls that I have been around has not been matched by my own desire to help and serve, and I'm just not sure its the best fit for me. After this year, I'm considering going inactive and getting more involved in my church volunteer opportunities. I know I can make a difference in a big way through that venue.

Has anyone else experienced a crossroads or turning point such as this? Honestly, I'm pretty at peace with it. And, I'm pretty sure one of my goals for 2012 has to be keeping myself from overcommitting to things that are not a priority.

Are you smarter than an 8th grader? - Christmas Edition

2011-12-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Every year, I give the 8th graders in my Algebra class the following activity to do on one of the last days before Winter break. Today is the day that I'm giving the activity in class, so I figured I'd post it here as well. If you're looking to test your holiday song knowledge, see if you can figure out these holiday song titles or song lyrics.

Just a fun fact, I've never had a student get them all...so, I'm challenging you!

"Hanging in there"

2011-12-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

Alright ladies, I need your help/advice.

This year for Christmas, I am asking for one thing from my husband: new bras. With our wedding being so close to Christmas, we have gotten everything we could ever need or want this year. So, when he asked me what I wanted, I was stumped. I have it all. But, after thinking through things a little more I realized that I am lacking in the area of "support."

It has been over a year since I've purchased a new bra, and I'm tired of wearing stretched out bras that no matter how much I adjust, they still do not fit right. My straps constantly fall down, and I never feel as though my bras are fitting me the way that they are supposed to.

I am by no means "blessed" in the chest department. As a long time Victoria's Secret Very Sexy wearer, I am in search of a new bra that won't stretch out and become worthless after two months of wear. This has been my major complaint of the Very Sexy bras. They fit great for the first two months and that's it. I've been measured numerous times, so that's not really the issue for me. I know my size. I just need a bra that holds up over time. I am not expecting a bra to last more than a year - I'm not unrealistic here. And, I know that I can't wear the same bra everyday. My hubs knows that this gift will entail purchasing a few different bras for a rotation of wear.

So, tell me...what do you prefer? And let's be honest...money is really no object here. Roman is pretty dead set on taking me to Intimacy, but I'm hesitant.

Also - are you dying that I'm asking for bras as our first Christmas as a married couple? Good, because I am.

Oh, Mexico

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

For our honeymoon, Roman and I went to the Excellence Playa Mujeres Resort just outside of Cancun, Mexico. We chose this particular resort because of the raving reviews we had received from two of my best friends and their husbands that had recently gone to this resort on their honeymoons. I’m so glad we took their recommendation because this place did not disappoint!

We knew that we didn’t want to break the bank on our honeymoon, but we also wanted it to be a nice and relaxing vacation. This resort was the perfect combination of luxury and affordability for us. We were not disappointed with anything, and we already have hopes of going back for our five year anniversary! Roman never wanted to leave!

Here are some pictures from our trip. It was pure bliss.

Happy Birthday, HiMama!

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my HiMama’s (my Grandma) 70th birthday! These are some of my favorites from the wedding.

(Roman and HiMama at the reception)

(HiMama and HiDaddy at the reception)

(Three generations right before I walked down the aisle – HiMama, me, Mom)

Happy Birthday, HiMama! I love you! :)

Settled In

2011-12-07T19:08:00.001-08:00

Since my last post, Roman and I have been getting settled into life as newlyweds. Let me explain to you how that has gone so far…

We both went back to work last Monday.
Monday night I came home with a 101 degree fever and felt like I had been hit by a truck. An eighteen wheeler, to be exact.
I decided to stay home sick on Tuesday so that I could go to the doctor for a diagnosis of the plague. Unfortunately, it was only a flu-like virus. I stayed home all day Tuesday in and out of consciousness on my couch.
I managed to make it through my first week back home as a wife thanks to my fabulous husband and Nyquil. I can’t decide which to credit more.
Friday night, we babysat our nephews. How’s that for our first married Friday night at home? Really though, it was a blast and we loved having them over! Nothing like a five and two year old to wear you out.

The rest of the weekend was spent celebrating my friend Kristie’s birthday, watching the Falcons game, and indulging in some Mexican food. Although it started out pretty rough, I am thankful that my plague only lasted a few days and I am now finally back to normal.

Now begins the massive task of writing thank you notes, shopping for Christmas gifts and easing into the holiday season! And, this year, I find myself being more thankful than ever for everything I have been blessed with.

Here is another sneak peek at our wedding day. I will do a full re-cap once we get our pictures back from our amazing photographer.

Just call me Mrs. G!

2011-11-27T18:42:00.001-08:00

I’m back…and married! The past month has been a whirlwind of wedding festivities. Every single minute has been one of pure joy and happiness. Roman and I have just been relaxing today and getting ready to head back to work tomorrow. This afternoon while out running some errands, we were talking about everything and how lucky and content we feel with life, and it was one of those moments of clarity like I’ve never had before. I have everything I want in life, everything I need, and I feel so unbelievable loved and cared for by the man of my dreams. I never imagined myself in this spot. And, that’s a pretty great feeling.

We ended up giving in once during our honeymoon to check Facebook just to see if friends and family had posted any wedding pics. To our surprise, our AMAZING photographer had posted our sneak peek photos (which typically take about 2-3 weeks for her to post for most weddings that she does). We were shocked and so excited to see them!

Here is my favorite from the day of the 21 she posted in our sneak peek!

I can’t even imagine a more perfect moment that could have been captured from this day.

Stay tuned for more wedding updates to come!

Ones Upon A Time

2011-11-01T17:41:00.001-07:00

Today officially marks the beginning of wedding month, and I couldn’t be one single bit more excited! Along with wrapping up wedding planning odds and ends, I have numerous count downs going on:

9 days until my BFF/MOH Jennifer arrives for my wedding festivities from Maine.

11 days until my Bachelorette party with the best friends a girls could ask for.

17 days until my 27th birthday.

18 days until I marry the love of my life.

19 days until we arrive as husband and wife in Mexico for our honeymoon.

Seriously, can you even handle just reading all of that excitement?! I barely can.

I came across this article today, and I just thought it perfectly summed up the beginning of wedding month. I am a total math nerd, given that I am a math teacher, and I always notice things about dates. If we could have made it happen, I’m pretty sure Roman and I would have gotten married on 9/10/11 just because that’s cool. I found this article today, and I got really excited because we’re getting married during a month that happens “ones upon a time,” at least, for our lifetime.

“Check your calendar: Nov. 1 and Nov. 11 are listed as 11/1/11 and 11/11/11, and that, according to Ron Gordon, a retired high school teacher in Redwood City, Calif., makes this month a "Ones Upon A Time" mathematical celebration.”

And that, completely satisfies more than just my inner math nerd. :)

Love On Top

2011-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

L-O-V-I-N-G this song right now. Period.

Playing on repeat.

Steakhouse Pizza

2011-10-24T18:18:00.001-07:00

I made this for dinner last night after Roman’s return from his bachelor party. It was a huge hit and we both devoured it. Thank you, Pioneer Woman.

Sometimes I thank God…

2011-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

For really AWESOME co-workers that leave things like this on my desk when they know I’ve had an indescribably horrible day of dealing with other not-so-great co-workers the day before.

They more than make up for those few bad seeds. Mexico, here I come.

Wedding Wednesday – The Dress Fitting Fiasco

2011-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today officially marks the one month mark until the wedding! After having my worst day at work ever, to date, yesterday, I’m definitely glad to have this milestone to celebrate today. Makes those bad days even better knowing what lies ahead!

I mentioned a few posts ago something about my dress alterations and fitting fiasco, so I thought I’d fill you in.

And, this picture has nothing to do with it, I just love it.

Okay, so back to my story. I made my first alterations appointment for my dress the day before my first shower thrown by MOH. I was so excited to finally get the dress back on after three months of it sitting in a closet at my parent’s house. A part of me had one small second thought of, “Oh no, what if I get this dress on and hate it?” But, of course, that wasn’t the case, and I loved the dress just as much as the first time I put it on. In case I haven’t mentioned this before, or you forgot, my dress was the second dress I tried on while wedding dress shopping. It is perfectly simple, elegant, and me.

So, here I am, giddy bride-to-be in the dressing room ready to go. In walks the alteration lady to take my measurements and get the dress pinned up. She gives me an awkward look when she notices my bra hanging oh-so-very-obviously out of my dress. Without giving too many details (Ro sometimes stops by this little blog), I have to provide some back story here.

When I bought the dress, I was told that a certain adjustment to the dress could be made, no problem. This promise of the adjustment solidified my decision that this dress was THE dress and no other dress could possibly be as perfect with this one once this particular adjustment was made during the alterations process. I even had an alterations expert come out to confirm that this said adjustment could be made as I needed it to be done and everything would be perfect. I was guaranteed this would work.

Fast forward three months to the alterations appointment and my giddy bride-to-be-ness. In dress, in fitting room, pins being inserted into dress. In walks alteration lady to further investigate bra-hanging-out situation. Alteration lady proceeds to tell me that the adjustment I need cannot, in any possible way, be made as promised. At this point in time, thank the Lord, my MOH/BFF arrives at the store and comes in. She sees the look of terror/panic on my face and immediately takes control on the situation after throwing her newborn baby into the arms of my mom and HiMama.

Once the dress was finally pinned, and after lots of “YOU BETTER MAKE THIS WORK,” a plan was made, I was happy with what I was told, and we were on our way with fingers crossed that the dress would be ready as promised in four weeks.

Last Wednesday, I went to pick up my dress. I’m happy to report…all is well and the dress is absolutely perfect.

Crisis averted.

Is it just me?

2011-10-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in the presence of some disturbing comments from people lately while discussing my wedding. The most disturbing of which came a few days ago at work:

“Oh, I am so glad you’re a bride that’s eating like a normal person.”

What? I didn’t really know how to take this. It could either be interpreted in one of two ways, in my opinion.

1. Wow, you’re still eating like shit with one month until your wedding and you don’t look so great.

2. You look great even though you’re eating like shit.

Look, I’ve really tried to lose weight in preparation for the big day. And, I’ve managed to lose some. I’m still not quite where I had hoped to be. When I bought my wedding dress, I loved the way it looked on me then. When I went last week for my final fitting, I loved it even more because I was a few pounds lighter. Are there still things that I wish looked better? Of course. But, in case you haven’t heard, planning a wedding is kind of stressful, and we’re nearing the heart of the stressful time. If I need a french fry or need to sleep in instead of working out, I’m going to do it to preserve my sanity. That’s just me.

Am I the ONLY bride that isn’t going totally anorexic in preparation for her big day? Or, am I just the only one that is comfortable enough to accept the way I look and know that my fiance loves me just the way I am? Or, am I lying to myself and making excuses?

Wow, total honesty here today, folks.

New favorite thing

2011-10-17T17:59:00.001-07:00

At one of our recent showers, Roman and I received our new favorite thing. Enter, the Shark Vac then Steam.

We first learned of the amazingness that is the Shark mop from my parents. They have hardwood floors all throughout the majority of the lower level of their house. After years of being loyal Swiffer mop users, they picked up a Shark mop recently at Costco and fell in love. Upon hearing their praises of the product and seeing the results, we immediately added one to our registry. Two shedding cats + a condo with hardwood floors throughout = lots of floor cleaning around these parts.

Ro and I agreed from the beginning that we would not be using any wedding gifts until after we were officially married. Since we already live together, we wanted there to be some “new” things to our married life. But, when my HiMama gave us this, we couldn’t resist. We went home and immediately used it. And, the Shark did not disappoint. Our floors were squeaky clean, and Roman calls it his new “toy.”

Anything to get a man cleaning, right?

Showers galore!

2011-10-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve had three wedding showers so far, and they have all been beyond fabulous! We still have some to go, but I wanted to share some pictures from the ones we’ve had.

This is my mom and I at the first shower thrown by my lovely MOH, Jennifer, and her mom, Kathy. The shower was on September 11th, so I decided a red dress was more than appropriate! Sorry, I don’t have many pictures from this one!

Our next shower was thrown a few weeks later by my Grandma Judy, my two aunts on my Dad’s side, and my cousin Christine. The shower was so cute and the decorations were perfect – lots of gray and yellow! As you can tell from these photos, I was most excited about the fact that we finally received some of our china! I am using my great-grandmother’s china, but we also registered for some pieces to go with the yellow rose china that she had. I’m in LOVE with the final place settings!

Last weekend, my Great Aunt Ellen and her daughter-in-law Kathryn, threw me another fabulous shower at the cutest place called Tea Leaves and Thyme in Woodstock. It was the perfect setting, and the tea and food was delicious! Pumpkin pie tea = heaven. We had such a great time, and it was so fun getting all of the girls from both sides of our families together. Roman and I actually met at Kathryn and my second cousin, Jeff’s, wedding, so it was special to have these ladies throw a shower for us! Without them, we would never have met!

My favorite part about all this wedding stuff so far? Realizing just how loved you really are. I must say, Roman and I are overwhelmingly blessed in that department!

Well, hello there.

2011-10-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Has it really been a month and a half since my last post? Wow. If you ask me, this whole working/planning a wedding/trying to enjoy a somewhat normal life thing is overrated. While I have enjoyed soaking up every second of our wedding festivities lately, life is certainly getting busier by the day.

I'll take every bit of the stressed out breakdowns, afternoons that only continue to be productive thanks to diet coke, and those moments where I just need a good cry if it means that I get to marry the man of my dreams in just a few short weeks!

So, here are just a few quick updates before I begin what I hope is a back-to-normal posting routine:

Work is just plain crazy. Last year, I thought that teaching may not be for me. This year, I'm finding more and more how much I love working with the kids and how much I think I just need a change of scenery. I don't yet know if and when this change might happen, but I'm hopeful that next school year I'll be in a different place still doing what I know I'm meant to do.

My principal dropped a B-O-M-B on me just a few short weeks ago in that I have to become high school math certified in order to keep teaching my gifted accelerated math classes for next school year. This means that I have to take *and pass* the state high school math certification test. Although this test is expensive, my principal graciously offered to pay for two attempts, and the county provided some great review sessions last week for us. It's been quite a while since I've done calculus and statistics, but I'm really hoping I pass the test the first go 'round this Saturday. Fingers crossed! This certification would definitely open up some new opportunities in the future!

I got a new ride! After much debate, I finally gave in to Roman and decided that my beloved Infiniti G35 was just not practical for my 80 mile commute each day considering that it was killing us with the premium gas. I've never driven anything other than Infinitis, so this was a hard decision for me. But, after lots of research, we traded it in for a 2011 Kia Optima, and I'm loving it! It's quite stylish and WAY more economical! It even drives better than my Infiniti, in my opinion!

My best friend/MOH's house burned down the day after she threw me the best wedding shower a girl could ask for, and her little family lost about 80% of their belongings. To say I've learned the power of friendship throughout her experience is an understatement. When your best friend is 1200 miles away and tells you that her house has just burned to the ground, there is nothing to do but sit on the phone and cry together. There are no words for that kind of moment in life, and that is exactly what we did. I have been amazed by her strength through the entire ordeal, and I know she is surrounded by people that love and care for her, her husband, and her little baby girl. They have a long road ahead, but I'm so thankful that they were not there and were all safe.

I had my final fitting for my wedding dress last night, and everything was perfect! Thank goodness - another post about the alterations appointment to come - it was a traumatic experience!

I think that's enough for now! I'll be back tomorrow with some more wedding updates!

Thanks to those of you followers that are still there - I swear I've still been stalking your blogs in my reader even though I haven't been posting! :)

Today is the day!

2011-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I FINALLY get to meet this beautiful little lady!

And, I get to catch up with her beautiful mama as well!

Jennifer, aka my BFF/MOH, is finally here for a visit from Maine and to introduce all of the BFF’s/new aunties to Miss Kate! I haven’t seen my BFF turned mommy since May, and we have a lot of catching up to do tonight when I have all the girls, including our new addition Kate, over for dinner tonight!

CAN. NOT. WAIT! :)

Wedding Wednesday – Update!

2011-08-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

I’m finally back with a wedding update! I know you’ve all been waiting in anticipation to see what we’ve accomplished over these last few weeks, and let me tell you, we’ve been busy! 80 days to go!

With a *hint* of fall in the air these past few mornings, I can’t help but be more sure of how great our wedding is going to be. Fall has always been my favorite season, mostly because of the weather and my birthday, and this year the fact that my birthday and wedding will be combined into one big Fall weekend celebration is almost more excitement than I can handle! Roman and I met and fell in love in the Fall. It is just going to be perfect. I cannot even wait!

We’re entering that lull phase of wedding planning. Meaning, everything is pretty much ready to go save for a few small details. Thank goodness we planned such a short engagement! We’re already saying we should just go to the courthouse (not really!), but the anticipation is killing us! The lull will come to an end next weekend, though, when our showers start. Speaking of showers, we are blessed to have many great people in our lives that love us! Although registering was somewhat overwhelming, we found some great stuff. The favorite item, by far, was this beauty.

Not impressed? Well, maybe I should provide the name….introducing the Crate & Barrel GRIER 5-bottle wine rack. For those of you that don’t know me personally, I will soon be Mrs. Grier. This was the best find after many hours of registering, and we were blown away to find it with the correct spelling on a whim!

We also managed to nail down where we will be honeymooning! Apparently, Thanksgiving week is a BIG travel week for all-inclusive resorts, so we had a hard time figuring out where was the best place to go. We knew that in the end, it came down to us being together, not having to worry about what we were spending, and being on a beautiful beach. After recommendations from two of our newlywed couple friends that LOVED their visits, we decided on Excellence Playa Mujeres!

So much excitement ahead! Starting next week, I’ll be updating you on a different aspect of the wedding each week! Stay tuned!

Hooked on a feeling.

2011-08-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

A strange feeling has taken over me these past few weeks. No, not just wedding excitement. Roman told me before this school year started that he felt like this was going to be my best school year yet. And so far, he is absolutely right.

I spent the majority of last year seriously questioning my decision to become a teacher. I was constantly researching other job opportunities or grad school programs. I hated my job and was completely miserable. When I got my contract for this school year, I seriously considered not signing it and just being without a job come July 31st. Then, I took my first full summer off of teaching to plan my wedding. I didn’t teach summer school. I didn’t participate in any workshops. I just enjoyed my summer vacation, rested, and reflected on my career as a teacher.

I came out of the summer ready to get back to school and excited for the opportunities this year would bring. New kids, new responsibilities, new school supplies, a new schedule. Not one part of me doubted that my desire to teach is fierce. I love working with kids and sparking their interest in math (yes, I’m a huge Algebra nerd, so what?). Finally, in my fifth year of teaching, I’m feeling like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I’m not looking for other career options, and I am honestly perfectly content and inspired by what I’m doing each day with my students in my classroom. I believe my students are better for having ME as their math teacher this year, and it hasn’t been that way in the past. I haven’t always been the best teacher that I can be for my kids, but I’m working on changing that day by day.

Will this feeling always last? Probably not. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of bad days this year. But, for right now, it feels pretty damn good after four years of questioning what I’ve spent my entire career pursuing. And, I plan to embrace every minute of it and hopefully make a difference somewhere along the way.

Busy as a bee.

2011-08-29T18:38:00.001-07:00

I didn’t intend to take a blogging break, but it happened. The beginning of the school year has taken control, and now with three weeks down, I still find myself taking on this mantra in the evenings when I could be blogging…

Well, that and the fact that I’ve been rocking my 5AM workouts consistently and feeling great about it. Now if I can just get my eating under control. Yep, wedding dress fitting is QUICKLY approaching (AS IN SEPTEMBER 10TH), and this may be the only bride that does not lose any weight during the engagement/wedding planning phase of her life. Ehh.

For now, I’m doing what I do best and heading to bed. Stay tuned for some blog updates this week.

One week down...

2011-08-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

I know that I said I would be back to regular blog posting this week, but I did not account for how exhausted I would be after the first week back at school. So, here's a quick run-down of what has been going on this week and what's on my mind.

I am back into a before-work workout routine and seriously LOVING it. Although the 4:45am alarm everyday isn't exactly exciting, I love knowing that my workouts are done before I even get to work. Being able to stay a little late to catch up on grading papers or to just get home early to cook dinner or do some laundry is so nice. I'm 5 for 5 this week and am definitely going to keep it up thanks to the new LA Fitness that just opened near us. Our weekends are so busy with wedding festivities in the next few months that I know weekdays are going to be the best times for those workouts!

Roman told me on Sunday night that he had a feeling that this may be the year that I finally really start to love teaching. Don't get the wrong idea. I do love teaching on the good days. But, I tend to get really bogged down and discouraged by the bad, so much so that I've really begun to question whether I'm really cut out to be a teacher for the rest of my life. After one week, I can honestly say that I haven't had one bad moment with my kids so far this year. I love my classes. I've had fun this week teaching things to my students that they didn't know before. I love the new 8th grade schedule this year (we have our planning period at the very end of the day). I love my co-workers. I sure hope Ro is right!

I cooked three new meals this week, and all of them turned out great! I love getting home early enough to be able to enjoy having time to cook and sit down to a nice dinner after a long day!

We finally got around to registering last weekend at Macy's and Crate & Barrel, and while it was fun, it also is stressing me out a bit. Thankfully, I'm going back with my mom tomorrow to Macy's to make sure we got everything and that it is all sorted out!

I HATE my hair right now. I'm growing out my beloved bob for the wedding because I think it will really do best all up, but my hair does not do well longer. Right now, it just looks horrendous. I'm doing my best to suck it up even though I have gotten lots of compliments from others that like it longer. I'm really fighting the urge to chop it back to a bob and just wear it down for the wedding day.

The wedding is 99 days from today! :) Speaking of wedding...I have lots of wedding updates to share and will get to those as soon as I can!

Are you bored with wedding talk yet? No? Good! Happy Friday!

Here I am!

2011-08-07T08:36:00.001-07:00

Well, hello again. Yes, I am still alive and well. I had no intention of taking this little blog hiatus, but the past three weeks have flown by and life got in the way. My life has been full of time with friends and family as I’ve tried my best to soak up the last few weeks of my summer vacation. Sadly, tomorrow begins another school year. I am excited, however, to get back into a routine and meet my new kiddos! I met some great ones at open house this past Thursday, and I dare say it may be the best school year yet! Not to mention, we’re nearing 100 days to the wedding, and that surely means lots of fun to come in the near future! :)

So, here’s a little glimpse of life in the past few weeks…

Roman and I spent a much needed week at the beach in Destin with my fam. It was nice to have one last big family vacay before all the wedding craziness begins!

The next weekend after we got home from Destin, I headed to Denver for my friend Lindsay’s wedding. It was great being back together for a weekend with all my college BFFs. Although it was a short trip, we had a great time celebrating Lindsay and Scott!

And, then this past week it was back to reality for a week of pre-planning to get ready for the school year. In between, there has also been lots of wedding updates, book reading, and other life tidbits. I’ll try to get to those this week as I fight my way through the first week of school. Giddy up!

The One Piece

2011-07-15T07:56:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow, Roman and I are packing up and heading to the beach in Destin with my family for the week. It will be a re-creation of our infamous trip two years ago with me, Roman, my mom, my dad, my brother, and his girlfriend, Haley. We have big hopes for the trip and know it will be a great time, not to mention Roman and I could both use some relaxation before things with the wedding get going in full force and I start back to school. It is also really hard to believe that this is my last family vacation before I get married. Roman brought it up to me the other day in passing, but I hadn’t really thought about it.

I’ve been wanting to write about one piece swimsuits since first purchasing one at the beginning of the summer, and somehow I keep forgetting to. Let me just say, these things are ‘da bomb. This coming from a girl who didn’t even entertain the thought of getting her body anywhere near a bikini until SENIOR year of high school. Yeah, you read that right. Am I morbidly obese? No, probably not in your eyes. But, I have never felt comfortable in bathing suits.

Over Memorial Day, I was heading down to the beach with my college girlfriends for Lindsay’s bachelorette party. Having had zero sun exposure and feeling extra blobby, I decided to give these cute new one pieces I’d been seeing in stores and online a try. My first purchase was something similar to this from Old Navy in a deep purple color. Roman was extra skeptical, but he came with me shopping that day and even approved of the “dreaded one piece” bathing suit once on me.

After that trip, I tried to go back to my former bikinis, but I just can’t do it. I just don’t feel comfortable. I know there are people that look way worse than I do, but the insecure teenager is coming back to me for some reason, and THANK GOODNESS there are much cuter one pieces around now than there were then.

I picked this one up from Target before the 4th of July, and I’m loving it just as much. No tan lines can be had for the wedding, so I’ll probably be wearing this one a lot during our week at the beach!

So, are you embracing the one piece bathing suit trend as much as I am?

I’m just going to throw it out there that I may be the only girl wearing one pieces on my honeymoon… (it is going to be November, mind you.)

She’s here, she’s here!

2011-07-14T16:33:00.001-07:00

My BFF/MOH, Jennifer, had her baby this afternoon! After months of waiting for the arrival of the baby without knowing the gender, beautiful Katherine (Kate) Emerson finally made her way into the world today at 5:14pm weighing 7lbs 11.5oz. Mommy and baby are doing just fine, and I am in love already! :)

My Fitness Pal

2011-07-14T11:38:00.001-07:00

In an effort to get into bride-ready shape, I was desperately in search of a good calorie tracking program. Enter my BFF Courtney just in time to share her newfound obsession, My Fitness Pal. If you haven’t checked out this website or downloaded this app for your phone, you are SERIOUSLY missing out. I have tried some of the other calorie tracking websites in the past, but this one is the best BY FAR!

Not only does it include fun features like adding friends and commenting on progress, but the mobile component is so user friendly! I barely get online to update my log at all. I have a Droid, so its not just an iPhone friendly thing, thank goodness. I was beginning to feel left out because of the cool iPhone apps.

I’m not being compensated in any way. I’m just sharing an awesome find that I’m hoping will help me on this quest to get wedding dress ready over the next four months. Lord knows, my butt could use some help.

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-07-13T13:19:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, Roman and I trekked up to small-town Lula, GA with our awesome photographer, Hilarye, to take our engagement photos. The property and house where we shot our photos is where Roman’s grandmother grew up, so this place has lots of special meaning to Roman and his family, not to mention it is absolutely the ideal setting we had in mind for our pictures.

Hilarye released our sneak peek today, and I am in L-O-V-E. I’m not a fan of having my picture taken, and although we look hot and sweaty in some of these, I love every one of them! I can’t wait to see the full set of shots that she captured that day, especially after falling in love with just these few! And to think of what she will capture on our wedding day? Wow…can’t even imagine!

Ahhh…makes me so glad that my minor freak out early on in the wedding planning process resulted in such a wonderful photographer! Check out Hilarye’s recap of the engagement shoot and some of the other sneak peek photos here on her blog!

4th of July Recap

2011-07-08T07:47:00.001-07:00

Our 4th of July was spent at Lake Burton with Roman’s family and some close friends! Every fourth is always one of the most memorable weekends of the summer at the lake, mostly because too much alcohol and fun is always involved. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend!

(Me & Ro posing in front of the flag…this started a long night of flag pictures! And no, he wasn’t flicking anyone off, but it does appear that way now that I look at this picture.)

(Terry, one of our groomsmen, trying to look like a WWF wrestler. He weighs 135 lbs soaking wet.)

(Roman’s brother, Sam, and his girlfriend, Mary Brooke…getting creative.)

(The current, soon-to-be, and future Grier women!)

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-07-06T15:34:00.001-07:00

As of last night, ALL of the big To-Do’s for the wedding are crossed off of the list! Now, I can start focusing on more important things…the details!

We officially have all of the following booked!

The ceremony site. In case you missed this earlier, this is also where my parents got married in 1984.

The reception site

The DJ

The Photographer

The Florist

And, finally, as of last night…The Cake Bakery! Which, I have to add, was one of my most favorite experiences so far! Literally, a flavor fest in my mouth. The cake we picked out was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted, and I can’t wait to see the finished product on our wedding day!

So, what’s left? Well, last Friday my Mom and I racked up on all of the supplies needed for the centerpieces of my dreams as well as the invitations. The rest of the reception decor is just some minor fun details most of which I’ve already picked out on Etsy….duh! I’m not doing a ton of flowers at the reception because we’re getting married in the mountains and the scenery will be breathtaking itself, and our reception venue has windows everywhere. I do promise to wow you all with my amazing centerpieces, though, so don’t panic.

Once we get the invitations finished up, my plan is to get those addressed and ready to send out before going back to school on August 1st. Yes, that seems early, but those babies have to go out no later than September 19th, and once I’m back in school, the last thing I’m going to want to do is come home and address invites at night. So, let’s hope I can meet that goal, for my sanity, mmmkay?

We still have to get our bridal party gifts, some other odds and ends, finalize our reception menu, and decide on a honeymoon destination, but other than that, I’m feeling a huge relief that all of the BIG stuff is taken care of!

It’s hard to believe the wedding is just four and a half months away! So exciting!

2nd Blogoversary!

2011-07-01T07:27:00.001-07:00

Yes, today is my 2nd blogoversary! I missed it last year, so I figured it was important not to make that mistake again this year. Two years ago, in the midst of finishing up my master’s degree one hot summer afternoon, I took a break from my work and decided to jump into blog world after hearing the hype from many of my friends. I had no idea where this little blog would take me or how much I would enjoy looking back at my posts, now two years later. I’ve never been much of a journal keeper, but I love that I now have this blog as a documentation of my thoughts, life events, and just randomness. It really is fun to look back on and something that I’m glad I’ve kept up with moderately well.

In honor of the 2nd blogoversary, I’m going to share with you one of my favorite posts that I’ve ever written. Most of you were not around for this one as it was in my early days, but I promise, you don’t want to miss out. I had just completed my first sprint triathlon, and to say it was an experience is quite an understatement. You can check out the entire recap here….TRUST ME….you can’t miss this one!

This weekend, Roman and I are headed to Lake Burton with his family to celebrate the Fourth of July. This happens to be one of my favorite holidays, so I’m really excited about it. It’s also my future SIL’s birthday, so we always have a great time. And yes, we will be breaking out the American Flag bathing suits from last year, if you remember those. (If you don’t, I’ll have some pictures next week. Wal Mart specials, those things.)

I’m really looking forward to a great weekend, but, we could also use some prayers right now. Roman’s grandpa was moved to Hospice yesterday. Although he’s 94 years old, it is a very sad situation for him and his family right now. While everyone is still going to try to enjoy the weekend at the lake, because they know that is what Papa would want, our plans could change in an instant depending on his health. Please keep Roman’s family and his Papa in your prayers this weekend.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth of July! :)

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-06-29T17:15:00.001-07:00

Isn’t this such a fun photo? I found it on Pinterest today while browsing (which, let’s be honest, is what I spend a good part of my days doing lately) and fell in l-o-v-e. Definitely will have to get my photog to capture something like this if I remember on our big day. So cute!

This week, my whole world has basically been put on hold due to a horrible migraine that’s now on day numero three. I’m so over these things. I’m not sure if my body is just revolting from the non-stopness that it went through the past week while packing and moving, but something is up. I literally stayed in my bed in the dark almost all day yesterday. I managed to knock out a blog post, finish a book, and that was it. No TV, no communication with friends, nothing. Roman came home last night and brought me some McDonald’s french fries, God love him, because he knows those always help me feel better when I have a migraine (salt cravings come with my migraines…BAD).

Right, so back to wedding news. In the past week, I scored a great deal on some personalized cocktail napkins and cellophane favor bags for our reception from The Knot’s online sale. I’d been debating about whether or not to spend money on these for our reception, but at the urging of my mom and waiting it out for a great price and free shipping, I finally gave in. As my mom said, “When else are you ever going to get to put your name on a napkin?!” I guess she’s right.

Also, we’re still hammering out some final details with the florist we met with a few weeks ago. I loved the florist and felt that they really could envision what I wanted. I’m hoping that we can get everything finalized by the end of the week with them!

This week’s major task is to set up some appointments for cake consultations. My Mom’s one thing throughout the whole wedding planning process has been that we cannot skimp on the cake. While I considered doing the whole cupcake thing, in the end, Roman and I decided it was more important for us to go the traditional route (since that’s kind of the whole theme for our wedding) and do a regular wedding cake. I’m excited to check out some bakeries and hopefully find one that can help bring my vision to life! Here are a few that I’ve found while perusing online that I really like and will take for inspiration when we have our consultations…and the yellow one with the rings is the front runner (minus that wonky flower).

Which is your favorite? I may end up going with something nothing like any of these, but I can’t wait to see and taste the final product!

Moving On

2011-06-28T20:49:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, Roman and I moved into our new condo.

While it was sad to say goodbye to my single girl apartment after three fun years, I was so excited to move into our home. I tired to play it strong and kept telling Roman I’d be fine and have never gotten emotional when moving out of a place that I’ve lived, but surprisingly, as I was taking the keys off of my key chain on Saturday and doing one last walk through, I found myself tearing up big time over the fun times, the hard times, and the memories I’ve had in my little apartment. My Mom was there to comfort me, and before leaving, we took one last picture of my beloved little building.

The rest of the weekend was spent unpacking, organizing, and dealing with this…

Yes, we merged households and became a two-cat household all in one weekend. To say their little worlds were rocked is an understatement. Otis, King of the World (seen here on the bed), has done pretty well, mostly because he’s my cat (duh). He has been around other cats in his lifetime since my former roommate had a cat. Savannah, on the other hand, has never really been around other cats and has had a much harder time with the adjustment. Now that we’re on day four, we’re down to minimal hissing and both cats remain in the same room for the majority of the day. I actually caught them napping on the bed together this afternoon. Progress.

I’ll post some pictures of our new place later this week. It’s a pretty big upgrade, and I’m already feeling quite spoiled by our condo amenities and most importantly by the local Publix. More on that later!

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-06-22T08:25:00.001-07:00

This past week, I’ve been really productive in the wedding department…and I really wish some of that could carry over into the PACKING department considering I’m moving in TWO days and only about half of my stuff is currently packed up.

This big things checked off the list this week were booking a DJ, getting the first estimate on flowers, confirming the piano player for the wedding ceremony, all the bridesmaids ordering their dresses, and getting our engagement pictures done. The most stressful of those…booking the DJ. I guess I completely underestimated what a task this portion of the planning process was going to be. After spending most of my week calling every DJ company in Atlanta, and getting quotes from anywhere within a $1500 range, we finally found a perfect DJ that was actually used by two of my BFF’s for their weddings. Glad to be done with that.

The last few big things are nailing down a florist and finding a cake bakery. I also need to place the order for the invitations that I’ve already picked out and priced so that I can try to get them all ready to go before I head back to school at the beginning of August. It is so crazy to think that in just THREE months, we’ll be sending out our wedding invites! Eeek!

Now that the big things are mostly taken care of, I’ve begun focusing on some of the smaller details of our big day! Thank goodness for Etsy! I’m not much of a DIY-er, but I have a few things that I’m going to attempt in order to make our special day unique. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together!

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about my first wedding related melt down about the photographer? Well, I had another one this week. However, this time, it was over a fight with my Mom. I know, I know. SOOOO many girls have told me that wedding planning is the time when they fought with their moms the most. This particular fight, while I won’t go into the specific details, taught me an important lesson. My Mom doesn’t need to know everything about Roman and I’s life. Sure, in the past, I’ve fallen into the habit of telling my mom everything about things going on in my life. But, when it comes to Roman and I together, maybe there are some things better left unsaid. This particular fight taught me exactly that. Our married life is going to be OURS. She doesn’t have to know every single detail, and that’s okay. We’re adults and need to lean on each other when things get tough, and I know that more than anything.

Am I the only one that feels this way? Did anyone else have to learn this lesson the hard way once getting engaged/married? Please tell me I’m not the only one, here. Am I crazy for thinking/feeling this way?

And yes, Mom, I know you’re reading this, and I love you.

Moving week!

2011-06-20T09:22:00.001-07:00

First, I am a horrible fiance! I had completely planned on doing a birthday post for Roman on Friday, but things got busy, and I completely forgot. So, here’s a brief version…

Ro…Happy 28th Birthday! I love you, and I’m so glad you had a great birthday weekend at the lake with friends and family this past weekend! I can’t believe that in just a five short months you will be my husband! I’m so excited for all of the birthdays and fun memories that are still to come for us! Happy Birthday to my favorite person and love of my life!

Isn’t he handsome?! (Okay, enough cheese ball-ness)

After a much needed weekend at the lake, we came home last night and took our engagement pictures last night with our AH-MAZ-ING photog Hilarye last night! She got some amazing shots, and I can’t wait to see the finished products! As soon as they are done, I will be sure to share them with y’all! The few that we saw were better than I could have ever imagined!

This week is moving week for us! I’m leaving my single-girl apartment that I’ve called home for three years to move into what will be my married home with Roman. I’m leaving the neighborhood in Atlanta that I’ve come to love for a new and equally great different neighborhood. I’m leaving my little historical cozy apartment for a newer, bigger condo that I love already. While I have had some great memories in this little apartment, I am so excited to move on and see what the future holds in our new place. I wouldn’t trade a single day for the lessons I’ve learned while living on my own during these past three years. Many girls my age either get married or live with roommates and never get the chance to live completely on their own. I have cherished my time on my own, and even though Roman has been around for a lot of that time, I’ve still had “my space” and my home throughout everything. Learning to live by myself has taught me so much and made me even more independent than I already was before…and believe me, I’m pretty independent.

With that said, this week is all about productivity for me. With Roman in the midst of busy season at work, the packing has pretty much been left up to me except for when he is home in the evenings.

I’m thinking this mantra will get me through the week since cleaning out always makes me feel better! I know I’ll come across some things I’m ready to toss out and some things that bring back memories of some wild nights here in Apartment 3, but I’m ready to let go and move on! I have so much to look forward to as Roman and I start our lives together, and that excitement is motivation enough for a lifetime!

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-06-15T07:57:00.001-07:00

This week, I’ve really been working to check some things off of my list. This, of course, has led to me needing to remind myself of this….big time.

My biggest problem is that I’m an immediate satisfaction type of person. When I find what I want, I make a decision and move on to the next task at hand. However, there have been some road blocks recently in the wedding planning process that have required me to be a little more patient than I would really like to be.

That being said, one thing that has been successful this week is the sending out of our Save the Dates! After a long process of finding the right one for the right price, we finally got them all addressed and ready to be sent out yesterday! It’s official!

Excuse the AWWWWFULLLLL Droid photo quality. This was my best attempt, but you get the idea. And no, they are not two different colors of gray. One picture is the front, and the other is the back side. For some reason, the light must have changed from one picture to the next. Roman and I knew that we wouldn’t have our engagement pictures made before we would have to send out our save the dates, so we opted to not include a picture on ours. The search for something simple, yet vintage/classic, and most importantly fairly cheap, was a long one. I am a lover of all things paper, but in the end, I had to remind myself that these lovelies will eventually end up in the trash without a second thought. So, I decided to allocate more of my paper budget to my invitations rather than the save the dates I had originally picked out on day two of being engaged.

I’m pretty happy with how they turned out, but I’m even more excited for all of our friends and family to receive them in the mail over the next few days! :)

Here are the things I’ve been patiently working on this week…

Finding a DJ – this is a much more difficult task than I had planned on it being, so I’m glad I’ve gotten on it this week. I’ve gotten some great recommendations from friends this week, so I’m hoping that we will have our DJ soon! I refuse to get ripped off by some of these cheese ball DJ’s I’ve talked to over the past few days, so hopefully I’ll find a good one soon.
Finding a cake bakery – we are meeting with a baker on Friday up near our wedding site. Because we are technically having a destination wedding (although it is only an hour and a half outside of Atlanta), our biggest challenge has been finding vendors that will travel to our location without huge fees. This bakery is actually very close to our venue, so I’m crossing my fingers they turn out to be great!
Finding a florist – we are also meeting with our first florist on Friday. They are a very reputable florist that is widely used in the area where my parents live. They always do a great job, so I’m really hoping that they can visualize what I want and that the price is right. We’ll see, but if not, I have some other great options lined up as well!

The other big things we need to work on are ordering invitations (which I already have picked out and priced), creating our registries, and picking a honeymoon destination! Maybe next week!

Engagement Party

2011-06-14T07:52:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night, my best friends threw Roman and I our engagement party. Let me just say, we are truly blessed to have these lovely ladies in our lives. The night was absolutely perfect down to every last detail! It was so fun to celebrate with all of our friends and family together in one place finally! (Minus a few key players…Jennifer and Lindsay!)

Of course, I was so busy catching up with everyone all night that I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures of my own, but here are some that have been posted on Facebook so far. My most favorite part of the night was watching the video that our friends Courtney and Josh took while hiding in the bushes during our actual proposal. We are so lucky to have that moment captured on video forever…and I’ve already watched it about five times! Love it!

(With the lovely hostesses)

(Almost all of my bridesmaids…minus the MOH Jennifer!)

(With HiMama and HiDaddy)

(All the deocrations…they did ah-maz-ing!)

(There was a rainbow outside while we were taking some pictures! :) )

Such a great weekend….and so much more fun ahead in the next few months!!!!

ModCloth Review

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last week in my Wedding Wednesday post, I mentioned my newfound love for ModCloth. That was until I actually had received my order. I found and perused the site last week and instantly fell head-over-heels in love with this dress.

It was EXACTLY what I had been looking for as my outfit for our engagement party. I looked up the sizing chart, took my measurements, and placed my order. I anxiously waited for my order to arrive, and surprisingly, it arrived with regular ground shipping in only three days. Perfect.

When I received the dress, I was surprised to find the dress to be more of a yellow-green color and a silky material unlike the cotton sundress material I had assumed it would be from the picture and vague description given on the website. Nevertheless, I yanked the dress out of the wrapping and couldn’t wait to get it on.

Now, I am no skinny-minnie. Typically, I wear a size 10 in dresses. Sometimes I can get away with an 8, and occasionally I will even have to get a 12 in those pencil-type dresses. I got some booty and I’m 5’1…my body type is in no way ideal. But, in general, a 10 almost always fits. The sizing chart for this dress, and the measurements I took, sized me at about a 10 as well. This would have been a medium according to their chart. Knowing better, I went with my gut instinct and ordered the large just to be safe. A large supposedly accommodating sizes 12-14.

Despite my best efforts, the freaking dress would not zip around my rib cage…OF ALL PLACES. The band around that area is fairly tight and the zipper just wouldn’t budge. I was pissed, went into a fat girl rage, panicked that I had nothing to wear for our party, and forced Roman into an all day shopping trip the following day (Sunday) which consisted of trying on countless dresses before finding two that I considered acceptable on my body. However, I was happy to see that some reviewers said the same about the dress. That made me feel a little better.

So thanks, ModCloth, for making me feel like a fat kid. I won’t be ordering from you again.

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-06-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

This is quickly becoming my favorite post of the week! Lots of updates this week now that I am officially on summer vacation…WOOHOO!

Last Friday, my Mom, HiMama, and my future MIL went to pick up my dress! It fit like a dream and was just as beautiful as I had remembered. I got to show HiMama and Laney (future MIL) the bridesmaids dresses, and they loved them just as much as the girls did when I first showed them! I am so happy that everything is falling into place.

After making sure everything was good to go with my dress, we decided to do some dress shopping for these important ladies. Both my HiMama and Laney ended up finding a dress that they liked at Macy’s (of all places) as they had some FABULOUS dresses for those mother figures looking for something a little more fun than the traditional grandmother and mother gowns. Although they lucked out during our trip on Friday, I think they both are still going to shop around to find the perfect dress, but progress was made and I think they are both feeling good about what they will be wearing on our big day!

My mom had seen a dress at one of the boutiques we had been to when shopping for me a few weeks ago, so Saturday morning, we went back so that she could try it on. It was absolutely perfect on her and totally her style! Although she was a little hesitant about the not-bad-at-all price tag, she finally took the plunge and went back to order it on Sunday. I’m so excited that she has a dress that she loves and looks fabulous in!

While on our shopping trips this weekend with these lovely ladies, we also checked out the stores at which Roman and I are planning to register. We narrowed it down to Macy’s and Crate & Barrel and found some stuff I can’t wait to put on our registry! It was great to have these ladies along to make suggestions and help me figure out what things are “must have” and what things are just for fun!

Sunday, Roman and I went shopping for our engagement picture outfits. Although I was going through a little bit of the “I’m fat and nothing looks good on me right now” phase, we ended up finding some cute things that hopefully will turn out great for our pictures this Sunday!

We have A LOT to look forward to this weekend! Besides our pictures, my best friends are throwing us an engagement party with all of our close friends and family! I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone all together! Plus, Courtney and Josh (our photogs and videographers during our entire proposal) have been working tirelessly on putting together a whole video of our proposal that they are showing us for the first time at the party. I think I’m MOST excited about seeing it and reliving that moment again! We are so blessed to have that moment captured forever! :)

I did it!

2011-06-06T18:06:00.001-07:00

Today, for the first time since before we got engaged, I made it back to the gym. You read that right. I worked out. And, it was glorious. I forgot how great it feels and how much I LOVE working out. I don’t know why I fell completely off the wagon after two and a half years of no longer than maybe a random week off here and there of consistently working out.

And, despite my expectations, I even busted out two pretty awesome miles on the treadmill at a decent speed. Yeah, only two. I decided it was probably best not to overwhelm myself too much on the first day back. The best part…I was not dying at the end of the two miles. I actually could have kept going. I decided to take it easy and moved on to some arm and ab work. It felt great.

Skinny Bride Melissa…HERE I COME.

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-06-01T20:32:00.001-07:00

Although I’m busy finishing up my last few days of post-planning for this school year, I couldn’t skip out on my wedding Wednesday post. And believe me, friends and family have all been anxiously awaiting it all day today.

On Friday last week, I got the most exciting news yet! Just two weeks after placing the order for my dress (which was supposed to take around 12 weeks to come in), it is here! Thank you for making my life easy, David’s Bridal. Seriously, I cannot understand why anyone would go anywhere else. But, then again, I have pretty simple tastes in the dress department. This Friday, my Mom, HiMama, and my future MIL are heading to go pick up the dress and a do fitting so they can all see the dress in person! I’m so excited to get back into my dress! And just because, I love this picture above. Hopefully, it will serve as some motivation to get me back in the gym this summer and get my booty in shape!

Here’s what I’ve been working on this week:

Gathering addresses for our Save the Dates to go out sometime next week, hopefully. More on this disaster next week…
Finalizing the information on our wedding website
Ordered my dress for our engagement party next weekend from ModCloth. I’ve never ordered from this site before, but I’ve heard good things. The dress is PERFECT, so I’m crossing my fingers and toes that it fits as well as I hope!
Figuring out rental information for our guests for the wedding weekend
Booking the rehearsal dinner venue with my sweet future MIL. She has been awesome and so on top of things. My kind of gal.
Scheduled my alterations appointment for my dress…September 10th! That gives me three months to get dress ready!

Today we’ve been engaged for a month…time flies! :)

Wedding Wednesday!

2011-05-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

I must say, in the midst of this crazy week…I was really looking forward to writing this post today! There’s just something about planning a wedding that makes you instantly happy every time you think about it.

That being said, I had my first official wedding breakdown this past week.

Over a photographer. You see, Roman and I knew from the very beginning that quality wedding photos to capture memories from the most important and special day of our lives was a top priority for us and our budget. Sure, we could go with a cheap option, or we could blow our budget on a really expensive photographer and have to seriously skimp in other areas.

After scouring websites all last week, I finally remembered really liking the wedding pictures of a girl I had gone to high school with that had gotten married two years ago. I shot her a rando Facebook message asking if she’d share the name of her photog and her opinion of them. She wrote back raving about her experience, her pictures, and everything in between. Bingo. I emailed the photog instantly. And, just as I prefer, she wrote me back just a few short hours later with a full detail of her business and pricing.

Excited, I sent an email with this info to both Roman and my Mom stating what a good find we had in this photog and how excited I was to set up a meeting with her.

Roman’s response - “Her pics look awesome! Let’s set a meeting up with her!”

My Mom’s response - “I think you should keep looking.”

WHAAAAAT?!?! Clearly, my mom did not understand the awesomeness that I had discovered. This photog was quality compared to the others in the similar price range that I had been searching for all week. However, in my Mom’s defense, she is a numbers gal. She is an accountant and sees everything in terms of numbers. So, when her ideal number isn’t involved, she reacts negatively.

(In case you didn’t notice, my Mom and I are pretty much the same person in that regard. When things don’t go our way, we don’t handle it well…but, we live and learn. Gotta love her.)

This comment, obviously, sends me into a downward spiral of emotions that inevitably results in a nasty-crying-sobbing phone call fight with my Mom followed by a calm-yourself-down-Melissa phone call from my Dad. In the end, their message was clear…do what makes YOU & ROMAN happy. Which, I knew all along. But, when your parents are so generously offering up money to fully fund your special day, you want their 100% approval and support on things like this.

Needless to say, we met with the photographer, Hilarye, on Monday night. She was just as awesome as her pictures, and I am so excited that she will be shooting both our engagement pictures and wedding day!

Check out her work for yourself here. SHE ROCKS.

I know this is not the last breakdown or argument that my Mom and I will have, but it was the first big one. It may seem unimportant, but to me, it was borderline traumatic…especially given the stress of work right now.

One day, I’ll look back and laugh at all of this, right?!

Confessions of a Blonde BLOB

2011-05-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have a nasty confession to make...

Today marks exactly four weeks (yes, you read that right) since I have been to a gym or done any sort of working out. I don't even remember the last time I took FOUR freakin' weeks off of working out. I don't even know what is wrong with me. I feel gross and look grosser...(is that even a word!?!?).

Are you disgusted? Because, I am. And don't get too excited...I'm not planning on having any time or energy to change this blob/sloth lifestyle anytime in the next week. It is the last week of school, give me a break.

This weekend I'm heading to the beach with my college girlfriends for Lindsay's Bachelorette party, so minus raising countless beverages to my lips in celebration and walking back and forth to the beach, I'm not counting on much physical activity there either.

Uggghhhhh. Operation "Get Melissa in Bride-Worthy Shape" will have to wait until next Tuesday. So be it.

But after that....believe me, it's ON! No. More. Excuses.

Forget the rules…

2011-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently, my students have.

So thankful that it is Friday. 5 more school days ‘til SUMMER!

6 months!

2011-05-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I said wedding posts would be limited to Wednesday, but today is special. Six months from today, I will marry the love of my life.

I absolutely cannot wait!

Wedding Wednesday - Inspiration

2011-05-18T18:59:00.001-07:00

I’m going to try to keep my wedding related posts limited to Wednesdays from now on. Since I’m in full blown planning mode, I figured that I’d share some pictures that are currently serving as my inspiration for the planning process. And, I must say, thank GOD for Pinterest! This non-technology savvy girl really appreciates how easy it is to use for things like this!

As for the progress on the wedding planning, here’s what we’ve got so far:

Date: November 19th, 2011
Colors: Pewter and Marigold
Ceremony Venue Booked
Reception Venue Booked
MY dress ordered! (It was the 2nd one I tried on!)
Bridesmaid dresses ordered
Save the dates ordered
Guest list finalized
Wedding website in the works

Moving right along…

Shellac-ed

2011-05-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

At my last visit to the nail salon, the lady doing my nails convinced me to try the Shellac gel manicure instead of my beloved OPI Axxium gel. I found a color I liked and decided to give it a go after hearing her rave about it. The OPI gel manicures usually last a good solid three weeks on me without chipping or peeling, and then I only have to get them redone because they grow out.

This nast picture was taken last Friday, not even two weeks after getting the shellac manicure. Gross. I still have it on my nails, as embarrasing as it looks now, but I will be heading back to the salon for an OPI Axxium manicure tonight.

Never again will I get Shellac-ed. I'd recommend you do the same.

Please excuse me

2011-05-16T05:33:00.000-07:00

Please excuse me for my serious lack of posting. The past two weeks have been incredibly busy, but really, that's no excuse. I have missed blogging and keeping up with my favorite blogs. My reader is incredibly full, and my mind is racing with a million things to do. But, I do have many exciting updates to share, and I promise to update you this week.

For now, here's what's on my mind...

I have ten more school days until summer vacation. I cannot even tell you how much I need summer this year and am looking forward to it. After a rough school year this year, now planning a wedding, moving in the next month, and all the other excitement in between, I'm longing for summer more than ever before.

10 days. 10 days. 10 days.

I can do this.

Progress

2011-05-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

I don't want this to become a wedding only blog by any means, but let's be honest, I'm pretty excited and this week has been a whirlwind of getting a jumpstart on planning! I'm so excited, but I do have to admit that Wednesday I finally hit a wall. A wall of exhaustion. After meeting up with friends and family almost every night this week, I'm wiped. By the end of the school day yesterday, I literally had my head laying down on my desk. I've been so excited all week that I've barely been able to sleep (totally not the norm for me) and the excitement has finally caught up with me. Seriously, I fell asleep, and slept all night, in my work clothes from yesterday. Not even kidding.

Here's what I've accomplished so far:

1) Picked the date - November 19, 2011! This also happens to be the day after my birthday, and I'm really excited about that! It is also the Saturday which will begin my week-long Thanksgiving Break during the school year, so that also kind of works out perfectly for us. It is a completely non-stressful time of the school year, and Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I've really always seen myself as more of a Fall bride anyway.

2) Picked my colors - Pewter and Marigold. I've always loved gray and yellow (can you tell?) but I wanted some shades that also were Fall-like. These are the perfect ones.

3) Compiled a guest list. We're looking at inviting exactly 175 right now. Right at what we had planned on.

4) Found my dream venue, know that it is available, and touring it tomorrow! This is the place my parents got married, so I'm really hoping that it all works out when we go to look at everything tomorrow!

5) Found the most perfect save the dates ever. So excited.

6) Found a potential bridesmaid dress dependent upon whatever dress I choose for myself.

7) Started working on our wedding website.

8) Booked my first dress shopping appointment for next weekend when my MOH, Jennifer, is in town. This will be her last visit before Baby Arnett arrives in July, so I'm excited that she will be here for my first time shopping for dresses!

Yep. We're pretty much in full wedding mode right now. 197 days and counting!

The Ring

2011-05-03T19:13:00.001-07:00

I’ve gotten a few requests for some ring pictures, so here they are. The diamond in my ring is my great-great grandmother’s diamond from her engagement ring. As far as we know, it dates back to 1914 or 1915 when my great-great grandmother and grandfather were married. She died very soon after my great-grandmother was born in 1917, so that has always been a treasure in my family. I am so honored to have it.

My great-grandmother later had the diamond made into another ring with five smaller diamonds surrounding this diamond. The surrounding diamonds were also given to us. Three of them are from a necklace worn by my great-great grandmother and two were my great –grandmother’s. Hopefully, we can find a special way to make these diamonds into a wedding band.

Roman decided that he wanted to add his own “personal touch” to the setting as well. I told him prior to getting engaged that I would go look at rings one time, mostly because I wasn’t really sure what I wanted. That was in January, and I have to say, he did pretty good to pick out almost the identical setting five months later. The personal touch that he added is the peek-a-boo diamond on each side.

Excuse the picture backgrounds…they were at the restaurant as we were ordering drinks right after we got engaged. I absolutely love that my ring incorporates so much special history from my family and now from my new fiance! :)

5.1.11

2011-05-02T03:42:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was important in more ways than one, but to me, it was the best weekend of my life so far. This weekend, the love of my life asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. And, of course, I said YES! :)

Apparently, Roman had been planning this whole little venture for a while despite my attempts to figure out the whole plan. While we were in Charleston a few weeks ago (when everyone else expected us to get engaged but I knew Roman would never do it in such a predictable way), Roman did tell me that I would be engaged by the end of the school year this year…or, by Memorial Day. To some of you, that may sound like it takes the fun out of things. But, when you’ve known since the first month of dating a person that you were going to marry them, waiting this long just was beginning to seem ridiculous. So, I took his promise and had planned to go through the next weeks with a peace of mind that things would happen.

On Saturday, my BFF Erica called to tell me that she was engaged to her longtime beau, Matt. I was so excited for her, but at the same time, I couldn’t help wishing that it was me. I knew we would have lots of planning to do and stories to catch up on once Erica came back from her weekend trip, but I also knew that I was now the last of my best girlfriends to get engaged. Deep down, I think I always knew things would work out this way.

Saturday night, Roman and I went to dinner with my other newlywed BFF, Courtney, and her hubs, Josh. All throughout the night, Roman was acting really strange, and we all kept commenting on how odd he was acting and how quiet he was…not the norm for my crazy Ro. I didn’t really know what was going on, but I just brushed it off.

Yesterday morning we woke up, and Roman was insistent that we go for a walk at Piedmont Park. Now, Roman and I have been together over 2.5 years. I think I’ve seen the man workout once. So, for Roman to encourage something that involved physical activity…I was a little skeptical to say the least. But, somehow he convinced me. I changed into my shorts, a t-shirt, and some tennis shoes, and we headed to the park to enjoy the beautiful day.

For those of you not from the ATL, it was pretty hot here yesterday. My car temperature said 90 degrees at one point. When we started walking at the park, we were mostly walking on shaded sidewalks, which was completely fine with me. My parents were coming down later that afternoon to go with us to look at a house, and I had told Roman I didn’t want to get all sweaty and gross. Then, out of no where, Roman suggests that we walk across this huge field, with no shade/trees, to go to Park Tavern (a restaurant on the park) to grab lunch. In true Melissa fashion, I, of course, start pitching a fit. One: I wasn’t hungry. Two: I was hot. Three: I didn’t want drinks because I had a smidge of a headache from drinks the night before. I was not leaving my shaded paths for a steaming hot grassy field. Not happening.

Somehow, Roman’s persistence finally convinced me. I followed him across the field huffing and puffing…and complaining….the whole way. As we were coming up on Park Tavern, I noticed that Roman slowed down and looked over to our left into some bushes. I also noticed a guy squatting down in these same bushes, and at this point, things started to click. I thought the guy looked a lot like my brother, and I turned back around to see what was going on with Roman. He was still looking that way, and when I turned back towards the bushes, I saw a girl with this guy that was now rolling around in the bushes. I turned back around to Roman, and he was, at this point, down on one knee. After lots of crying, hugging, and screaming YES, Courtney and Josh came out of the bushes where they had been video taping and capturing our entire proposal on camera. We also had quite the audience of other people that were in the park watching the entire thing.

Here are a few pictures that they took…

After making tons of phone calls, we headed over to Park Tavern with our photogs for some celebratory Mimosas and to hear how Roman planned the whole thing. The rest of our day was spent with friends and family celebrating.

Thank you to everyone for all of the congratulations and love. I know it has been a long time coming.

I’ve never been more in love, and I’ve never felt more lucky in my life. It was the most perfect day ever.

Atlanta Bucket List

2011-04-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Way back when I first started blogging (almost two years ago), I came up with a Bucket List of things I wanted to do in the ATL that I had never done before. Now, a Midtown resident of three years, I thought it was time to update this list after recently completing one of those items. Here is the list and my updates:

1) ~~Eat dinner at the SunDial restaurant~~ (accomplished November 2010 for my birthday)

2) ~~Sit in the cool chairs outside of the W Hotel in Midtown and enjoy a beverage~~ (accomplished April 2011)

3) ~~See the Monet exhibit at the High Museum~~ (no longer in the ATL…missed out on this one)

4) Attend Martinis and IMAX one Friday in the near future

5) Attend Cocktails in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

6) ~~Eat dinner at Mary Mac's...because I keep hearing how amazing it is~~ (accomplished April 2010)

7) ~~Go to the SweetWater Brewery for a tour and obviously, a few beers~~ (accomplished early 2010)

8) ~~See Titanic Aquatic exhibit BEFORE it leaves Atlanta!~~ (another one I missed out on)

9) Tour Oakland Cemetery and eat at Six Feet Under

10) Go to the winery in Dahlonega one weekend

Here are my new additions to this Bucket List since the creation…

11) Have a stay-cation in ATL with Roman.

12) Stay at my favorite hotel, the Georgian Terrace.

13) Visit the Margaret Mitchell House. My love for Gone With the Wind runs deep.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I’m sure I’ll add more at some point. Hoping to check some of these off with all of my FREE time this summer! :)

Just a fab little weekend…

2011-04-25T18:17:00.001-07:00

And what a great weekend, it was.

This past weekend was full of lots of good fun, good friends, good family, and good food. Friday night Roman and I had planned on a quiet date night in of cooking and catching up on our Lost episodes that we’re trying to get through on Netflix. After laying down to talk for a bit, we promptly fell asleep fully clothed at around 7pm. No joke. When did we get so old? Needless to say, we were exhausted from the week and didn’t wake up until Saturday morning. It was glorious.

Saturday, I continued my laziness and just laid around most of the day watching TV, reading and cooking. Again, more glorious-ness. My friend Brandon is moving to Australia in a month, so I attended his going away party Saturday night. Ummm…Brandon believes in topping off drinks with a bottle of vodka, and I can’t remember mine ever being empty. So, yeah. I was hurting on Sunday, but I managed to have a fabulous Easter none the less.

Sunday, we woke up to take part in Easter festivities. First, we ate with my family and then headed over to Roman’s mom’s house for leftovers later in the day. We talked last night about how lucky we are that we both LOVE each other’s families and fit right in. I love that, and I hope it always is like this.

I have one picture of me with my brother and parents from Easter, but I’m looking rather blimp-ish in it, so I’m going to just not post that. Good thing I managed to fight my way through a 3-miler at the gym today thanks to a little Britney. Love that girrrrl.

Oh yeah…this week is our state CRCT testing. No stress at all, right? HA! At least it is all downhill from here! And, I officially decided NOT to apply for summer school this year for the first time ever. I’m drained, burned out, and exhausted. I. NEED. A. BREAK. So, although I know I will probably get really bored over the summer, I’m really looking forward to it.

Only 24 more days of school….WOOOHOOO!

Recipe

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I made this for dinner last night, and Roman and I were both in love. He even said it tasted better than the food at his favorite Chinese restaurant. That’s a pretty bold statement coming from my Chinese/Asian-food loving boyfriend. And the best part, it took less than 30 minutes to make, which was perfect for a night when we both ended up working late. Try it for yourself and see!

Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Beef and Spinach – Cooking Light, April 2011 Issue

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
TOTAL:24 MINUTES

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked wide rice sticks (rice-flour noodles)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
2/3 pound top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 (6-ounce) bag washed baby spinach
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.
2. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onions and steak; stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add spinach; stir-fry 1 minute or until greens wilt.
3. Combine rice vinegar and the next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to steak mixture; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles, sesame oil, and salt; cook for 1 minute or until noodles are thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

This will definitely be a part of our regular recipe rotation from now on! Enjoy! :)

Nail Love

2011-04-19T18:45:00.001-07:00

Last week after returning from Spring Break, one of my students told me about her Sally Hansen nail polish strips and how in love with them she was. I listened as she told me all about them, and then marveled at the fact that her nails still looked great after having applied the strips a week before. So, last Friday night, I headed to Target to check these out for myself. While I obviously prefer a gel manicure, they tend to be a little pricey for my budget these days. I was excited to find that for $8.50, the nail strips came in a variety of colors, and I selected the sparkly pink…much like a six year old girl would!

The strips were super easy to apply, and after getting the hang of it, I had a fabulous looking manicure in under 30 minutes.

I haven’t taken a picture since that night, but I’m proud to report that four solid days later, my nails still look great and are chip-free! I’m hoping they last the entire ten days, but even if they last a full week, it is worth it to me!

I can’t wait to try some of the other fun colors! This may just be my new favorite thing!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-04-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Keep grabbing life by the horns! Love you! :)

New Must Haves

2011-04-12T20:14:00.001-07:00

I’ve been dying to post this for a while now! Before Spring Break, I decided it was time to buy myself some new make up. Other than the essentials (eyeliner and mascara) this maybe happens once every two years or so. I just don’t really wear that much, so I don’t tend to go through it that quickly.

At Courtney’s wedding, amongst other things that day (including my DRESS which Roman had to bring to me last minute), I forgot my makeup bag. Luckily, my trusty BFF’s were there to come to my rescue. Erica pounced on me immediately and begged me to try her new favorite product after knowing how long I’ve suffered from what I like to call….oily eyelid syndrome. You see, no matter what I try, I’ve never been able to keep my eyeliner/eyeshadow/mascara from smudging into one big black mess by the end of the day. I’ve never understood it, and I usually end up wiping it all off once it gets gumpy and creasy by the end of the day anyway. Erica begged me to believe, and so I gave her new miracle product a chance.

Man am I glad I did. Meet my new favorite must have item.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Meet, magic in a bottle. This stuff is a miracle product, ladies. It keeps EVERYTHING in place. While I will admit there is a slight smudge at the end of a 12 hour day, this stuff keeps my eyeliner from smudging and my eyeshadow bright and fresh all day. I feel like a new woman, and I for sure will never go without it again. But, is it just me, or does the bottle look like some sort of sex toy/potion/lube? Just sayin.

While at Sephora picking up my new must-have, I obviously wandered off and started looking at other things. That place is a product-holic’s dream. I just so happen to be one. I figured that if Urban Decay made one amazing product, then I might as well try all of their eye make up products. I ended up also buying eyeliner and this fabulous eyeshadow pallete. It is so fun, and I’m loving the colors!

Urban Decay Ammo Eye Pallette

I then decided that I needed new lip gloss and had been in search of a good new blush for a while. These two just happened to go together so beautifully, and I had never tried NARS products before. Just so you know, I’m in love. This blush is the BEST THING EVER…well, second to my eye potion. It is the perfect color for my medium-fare skin and will look great year round.

NARS Lip Gloss in Super Orgasm

NARS Blush in Orgasm

So, that’s my beauty update.

PS - Who knew there could be so many sexual references in a post on products?

Charleston Trip

2011-04-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Roman and I headed to Charleston for a weekend getaway to finish off my Spring Break! Although not back to 100%, I was feeling much better and was ready for some fun after a less than spectacular Spring Break up until that point.

I love Charleston, and it is one of my favorite places on Earth. When Roman told me he had never been, I knew that we needed to plan a trip as soon as we could afford to do it in style and really experience all that this amazing city has to offer. Although we were only there for three days, it was by far one of my favorite trips ever with my favorite person ever!

We got in late Thursday night, so Friday started off with lunch at one of my favorite spots, Red’s at Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant!

Then we headed off to do some touristy things since Roman had never been to Charleston, and I had never done much outside of downtown. Our first stop was Patriots Point to visit the USS Yorktown. If you ever get the chance to go, it is worth the visit. Roman is a pretty big history buff, and needless to say, he was in heaven. I was just happy I found the “Top Gun” room, since it is my favorite movie and all.

Our next stop was my pick…Boone Hall Plantation. Boone Hall is the site of the summer house in the Notebook. While the house is stunning, my absolutely favorite part was the Row of Oaks leading up to the house. It was absolutely breathtaking. We also got to take a tour of the plantation and that was gorgeous as well.

After Boone Hall, we headed downtown for drinks and dinner at Blossom. I highly recommend it as we had a fabulous meal, fabulous service, and a perfectly romantic setting to finish out our day!

Saturday, we ventured downtown for a day of sightseeing and shopping. We started our day with a carriage tour through downtown and the Battery, which somehow was something I had never done either in all of my trips to Charleston. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our tour. I could have seriously stayed on that carriage ALL day.

We then had lunch at Southend Brewery. I was really excited to try this place, but we got there and their taps weren’t working right for some reason. That paired with the not-so-great food was disappointing. Too bad their house brew was called Southend Blonde…could have been my new favorite beer. Still, the building was really cool and we enjoyed the big windows to people watch.

After lots more shopping and sightseeing around downtown, we finished our evening off with dinner at Poogan’s Porch. I loved the quaint little house where this restaurant was held. Although the food was not nearly as good as Blossom, we still enjoyed our dinner and reading about the history of the house. Poogan was the name of the dog left behind by the family that owned the house. When the house was converted to a restaurant in the early 70’s, Poogan greeted customers daily until his death. There is a little statue out front of Poogan.

And, I have to include my favorite souvenirs from the trip that Roman picked out himself at Charleston Cooks! Charleston Cooks is a cute little cooking store right on East Bay Street. I love to cook, so this was a place I could not wait to get to. We went in on Friday night before eating at Blossom, and when we saw the pineapple stuff, I fell in love. We decided to keep looking throughout the weekend to see if we found anything better, but we didn’t. On our last night, Roman reminded me how much I’d loved the pineapple cutting board and dishtowel at Charleston Cooks, so we went back so that he could buy it for me. I’m seriously in love.

And, I must admit what a bad lifelong Southerner I am. Until this trip, I had no idea that the Pineapple stood as a sign of hospitality. Many of the houses in the Battery have pineapples on the gate posts at the entrances to the houses. The fruits served as a sign of hospitality in that, when placed on the gates, they signified that the man of the house was back home and, therefore, the house could once again welcome visitors.

Needless to say, I’m now a hospitable Southerner with my new pineapple decor!

Mr. & Mrs. Buffalo!

2011-04-10T17:06:00.001-07:00

I’m baaaack! I apologize for my longer-than-intended absence! I had planned on getting caught back up on blogging last week during my Spring Break, but that didn’t happen once the death sickness took over my body. I ended up finally giving in and going to the doctor on Wednesday to find out that I had an upper respiratory infection and possible FLU! I panicked, told the doctor I needed some serious meds, she handed out a serious concoction of steroids/antibiotics/cough medicine. Thankfully, I felt much better by the next day when Roman and I were leaving for Charleston!

I have so much to catch up on, and believe me, I’ve missed my little blogging outlet! The first, and most important, is Courtney’s wedding! I can’t imagine a more perfect day or a more beautiful bride that what I saw that day. Court was stunning, and her pictures are fabulous! Here’s a sneak peek!

Everyone that has seen the pictures has told me how much they loved the colors, flowers, and everything else about the wedding. So, Court, you did good girl! Her photographer, Marissa, did an amazing job! If you’re looking for a great, and affordable, photographer in Atlanta, check out her work at Poppy Photography.

Congratulations to my favorite newlyweds…Courtney and Josh! Love you guys! :)

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels – Parts One and Two

2011-04-04T16:36:00.001-07:00

I’m a little late posting on these for the Book Beginnings and Bookends Book Club that Rachel and Erin host, but I did read the book, loved it, and have been keeping up with everyone’s responses. Now that I am on Spring Break and have some down time, I thought I’d jump in…better late than never!

PART ONE QUESTIONS

From Rachel:

Has this book brought you back to the beginning of a romantic relationship in your life?

This book definitely brought me back to the beginning of Roman and I’s relationship. I remember our first dates like they were just yesterday and can recall the most specific details of those first dates we had together. What we wore, where we went, what we ate, what we talked about. Even now, two and a half years later, I still get butterflies when I’m around him, but I still love the sweet memories from our first days together.

From Erin:

What surprised you about Ree? If this was your first time reading about her background, did anything surprise you about her "beginnings?"

What surprised me most about Ree was how real she seemed. I did not previously know much about her other than the few times that I have checked out her website or heard something from a friend about one of her amazing recipes. I was amazed at how much I found myself relating to her throughout the book. Her beginnings seemed so normal, and I loved that she seemed just like a friend of mine that I was reading about.

From Nina:

While reading Part I of Black Heels, did you find yourself comparing your own love life/story to Ree's?
Would you have handled ex-boyfriend (J) the same way or differently than Ree did?
Have you ever made a life-changing decision based on a guy in your life? And how did it work out for you?

I did find myself comparing my life to Ree’s in many ways. After college, I had a horrible break-up. Although he broke up with me first, he tried to get back together many times. In the end, I was the one that realized he wasn’t who I thought he was and had to put an end to things. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I didn’t regret the decision for a minute. I wasn’t upset, and I knew I had done the right thing. Not even a year later, I met Roman and am in a much better place than I ever imagined being. The relationship we have is completely different and better than with my ex. I know now why I was so at peace with that difficult decision.

From Stephanie:

How do you think Ree's family felt that she was just going to give up going to Chicago for a guy she had just met?

She didn’t really mention much about how her family felt when she decided to abandon her plans of moving to Chicago. I assumed that they must have realized how in love she was and accepted that the decision was best for her.

From Rocky Mountain Wife:

If you were Ree and started to question your life plan (leaving Cali, moving to Chicago, being independent for a while)...how would you feel when this sudden romance came into your life at the 'wrong' time?

I think that’s when the best romances come along…just when you’re NOT looking for them. Isn’t that what always happens in the movies? Haha! I think timing is in God’s hands, and you can’t ever plan out your life, although, some people, including myself, have a hard time accepting that. Sometimes, you just have to let life take it’s course and live.

From Meghan:

How do you think the situation with Ree's parents affected her relationship with Marlboro Man? (Or do think it did not affect her?) Have you ever felt an instant connection with someone? How did it turn out?
What made you relate to Ree? In what ways could you not relate to her?

I think her parent's’ relationship made her relationship with Marlboro Man stronger in a way. She knew how much her parents had loved each other at one time and how something had gone wrong. I think that was why she knew Marlboro Man was the one for her…because of the intense passion they had for one another. I think this was something she felt would last forever when maybe what her parents had could not.

I have felt an instant physical connection with people before, but Roman, I can honestly say, is the only person I have ever felt an instant connection on all levels with. How will it turn out…well, let’s just say I’m pretty sure he’s my Marlboro Man, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! :)

I related to Ree in so many ways. Like I said before, I felt like I was reading about one of my best friends as I read her story. She seems so real and normal and down to Earth. I loved every minute of the book.

From Meredith:

I love all the details of Ree's cooking for Marlboro Man in the early stages of their relationship. Have you ever made anything for the guy in your life that was just an utter disaster? Did he choke it down anyway?

I love to cook, and luckily the things I make turn out pretty good most of the time. I have had my fair share of meals that did, however, not turn out as well as planned. And, Roman has always choked them down without a word. Gotta love him.

From Amber:

How much of Ree's book do you think is truth or fiction? How much did she embellish? Do you think she omitted or added anything? Obviously she couldn't get EVERYTHING that happened during this period of her life in the book, but I kept wondering what was left out and if some of the stuff she was writing was built up just a teensy tiny bit.

I’m sure there are things that were left out and things that were embellished for dramatic effect. But, I didn’t really care. I loved the story. Was it built up some? Probably. But, that didn’t keep me from getting completely wrapped up in their love story like a little girl.

PART TWO QUESTIONS

From Samantha:

What did you think of Marlboro Man's proposal? How would you feel if you were proposed to like that? She wrote a lot about never riding in a pickup truck before and how she used to judge girls who rode in the middle. After being with Marlboro Man she felt differently and actually wanted to ride in the middle. How do you feel about that? Have you ever judged somebody and then after learning more, regret that you had judged them?

I loved Marlboro Man’s proposal…simple and from the heart. Although I’m not engaged yet, I hope that when I do get engaged, my proposal is something like that. I don’t need anything fancy or something that impresses my friends. I need to know that whomever proposes to me is speaking from their heart and is focused on us.

I am definitely guilty of judging someone and regretting it after learning more. It happens all the time in life…isn’t that part of our human nature? We can’t be perfect. What isn’t familiar to us makes us uncomfortable. We form opinions. Hopefully, when those opinions and judgments are negative, we are proved wrong when equipped with more information.

From mcbracey:

After their first fight, did it make you question if Marlboro man was the one to give up everything for, or was Ree willing to do it because it was easy when everything else seemed hard?

I did not question their relationship after the first fight. It was bound to happen. People in love are bound to fight and disagree at some point. I don’t think Ree was taking the easy way out by being with Marlboro Man either. They were in love with each other and had to work together to overcome the challenges along the way.

Do you wonder what Ree is doing all day? How is she financially making it? Is she really just waiting around all day to meet up with Marlboro man at night?

I did wonder about this one. Was she just living at home for free and not working or anything. I did wish that she had mentioned this somewhere in the book. And, I do wish my parents would allow me to do the same!

Would you let your now husband duck out of your reception to watch a football game?

The question is…would I have a choice? Boys will be boys. I have a feeling there would be no stopping Roman in that situation. He’s a die hard football fan.

From Erin:

So many embarrassing things have happened to Ree in front of Marlboro Man. What is the most embarrassing story that comes to mind when you think of embarrassing things that have happened to you in front of a significant other?

Too many to name. I am probably one of the clumsiest people ever. Thank goodness Roman loves me just the way I am.

How would you have reacted to being around for the prairie fire?

I would have been really scared and panicked, but at the same time, I would have been really proud of my man out there working so hard to save what he loves.

From Rachel:

There have been so many funny little stories along the way in the book. What has been your favorite? Any favorite lines?

I don’t recall a specific story, but I love Ree’s descriptions of her outfits along the way. I could just picture them. It makes me wonder what I’ll think is out of style one day…

Be right back…

2011-03-29T03:36:00.001-07:00

I realize that it has been a week since my last post….a busy week at that! Life has entered one of those busy seasons this week as it is the week before Spring Break, the week after my best friend’s wedding (where I’m finding myself completely exhausted), and the week where the majority of my work for my gifted endorsement class is due.

The wedding was fabulous, and I can’t wait to share pictures. I love my BFF’s more than anything. I promise that next week I’ll have some great posts (already have some that need to be written but no time to do so this week), and back to my normal self. For now, I’m on the verge of melt down both physically and mentally.

So, I’ll be right back. Love you.

(PS – This looks like my kitty, Otis, back during that brief period of time that he was small. Love.)

Jodi Picoult

2011-03-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last night, my BFF Jennifer and I got to meet Jodi Picoult at her Atlanta book signing for her new book Sing You Home. I haven’t read the book yet, but after hearing her short reading and discussion of the book last night, I cannot wait to devour it over my Spring Break or sooner if I get the chance.

Sing You Home deals with the controversial issues of gay rights and marriage. I was surprised to learn that Jodi’s own son came out a few years ago, and although this was not the first inspiration for her to write this book, she said that it definitely encouraged her to delve deeper into the issue when writing this story.

Jodi was seriously so down to Earth. Jennifer and I have both been huge fans since high school, and we’ve both read most if not all of her books. Although I have my favorites, I have zero doubt that Sing You Home will become a new one. She had some great quotes throughout the night that I thought I’d share to give you a better idea of what she’s really like in person.

“If you know me, or if you stalk me, you know that I have three kids.” – Jodi Picoult

When asked how she comes up with her ideas…

“Writing is successful schizophrenia.” –Jodi Picoult

When asked how she has energy to write a book almost every year all while being a mother to three children…

“I don’t know…crack cocaine?” – Jodi Picoult

Love her.

Nashville!

2011-03-21T19:09:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I went to Nashville for one of my BFF Courtney’s Bachelorette party! It was a much needed getaway for all of us, and we had SUCH a great time. I am completely convinced that I need to move to Nashville. Immediately.

Friday night, we ate dinner at Sambuca before heading out downtown. Saturday, we woke up and headed out to Arrington Vineyards for a day of wine tasting and enjoying the beautiful day with our picnic. Saturday night, we dined at Cabana then ventured downtown again. I seriously love everything about that city. The restaurants. The bars. The music. The people watching. I love it all, and I always have such a great time.

Here are my fav pictures from the weekend. Enjoy.

(Preggers BFF Jennifer stocking up on her chips and Busch Non Alcoholic Beer so she could fit in)

(Dinner at Sambuca)

(Arrington Vineyards)

(Pregaming)

(New hairdo for the weekend…I was loving my curls! I have to figure out how to do this myself since one of the other girls did it for me!)

(Cabana)

I can honestly say…one of my top five favorite weekends ever.

Change.

2011-03-17T03:42:00.001-07:00

So much has changed for the BFF’s and I since this time last year, and it has all definitely been for the best! Another one of us will become a married woman next weekend. The first of us will become a mommy in July.

Cannot even wait to get to Nashville with these ladies this weekend!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

2011-03-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

I’m loving…that this weekend I will be heading to Nashville with my favorite ladies for Courtney’s Bachelorette weekend!

I’m loving…this time change….after this week once my sleep pattern adjusts.

I’m loving…the Tom’s wedges. I’ve gone back and forth for a while now on whether or not my oddly wide feet could pull off a pair of normal Tom’s, but these are a much better alternative. And, I LOVE the red!

I’m loving…that Roman and I are officially going to Charleston for a long weekend over my Spring Break. Charleston is one of my absolute FAVORITE places on Earth, and Roman has somehow never been. We’re excited!

I’m loving…the Michael Kors studded wrap watch. OMG. I’m in love.

(If you haven’t noticed yet…I have a bit of an accessory addiction.)

Weekend Update

2011-03-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was such a great one, and we had amazing weather here in the ATL. Friday night after work, Roman and I had dinner at one of our favorite pizza joints in Brookhaven before heading home for a much needed movie night in. Saturday, I woke up and ran out to run errands and pick up my race number for the JLA Shamrock N Roll 5K on Sunday. I was really nervous going into the race. Although I’ve been running 2-4 miles consistently over the past few months, I didn’t run at all last week because I was sick.

Sunday morning, I woke up ready to go! The race was way more crowded than I expected, but I started out feeling really great for not having run over a week. I ended up running the entire way and feeling really strong. By the end of the race, I finished with one of my best 5K times ever and a renewed feeling of why I love running so much.

Although I’ve taken a half marathon hiatus since my last half in April last year, this race really solidified for me how much I do still love running. Over the past few months, I’ve been focusing on learning to run for me again. Not for a training schedule. Not to impress anyone. Not to lose weight. I’ve been learning to run because it clears my mind, makes me feel better, and helps me stay in shape. My biggest struggle when doing all of the half marathons over the past few years was that I would eat like a horse while training, lose weight, feel great, and as soon as my training was over, I’d gain all the weight back. Now that I’m doing well on WW, I am really focused on getting into a workout routine that I can maintain. And for me, half marathon training doesn’t fit in for the long run. Running 2-6 miles consistently does. So, that’s my focus for now, and I’m really happy about it.

After my race today, I immediately looked up races in April and found a really great 10K for mid-April that I’m going to sign up for. I’m pumped!

After the race, I spent the day lounging around with Roman and indulging in our latest TV obsession. We have both been long resistant to giving into this, but we’ve finally done it, and we’re hooked.

After my obsession with the Pioneer Woman book, I decided I need to try one of her recipes. I’d seen many blog posts on her Chicken Spaghetti recipe, so I decided it would be my first. I headed first to Target to grab some weekly essentials before heading to Publix to get the necessary ingredients. I don’t really have any casserole dishes other than my trust Pyrex, so I decided to check some out for my new recipe. I spotted this new Corningware set and fell immediately in love. I. MUST. HAVE.

As for my Chicken Spaghetti attempt….let’s just say it will now be a staple in our recipe rotation.

Hope y’all had a great weekend!

True/False Friday

2011-03-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

Back for my weekly installment of my most random thoughts from the week in a leave-you-hanging format! Enjoy!

I think I've finally kicked this nasty cold just in time for the gorgeous weather expected this weekend. {True}

I ran three times this week to prepare for the JLA 5K race this Sunday. {False}

I skipped my weigh-in at Weight Watchers this week, mostly because I was sick. {True}

I spent $85 on pointless stuff at Target last weekend and took every single item back the next day. {True}

I'm ready to start planning my own wedding instead of watching everyone else plan theirs. {True}

My students are being perfect little angels given the fact that we had all of our breaks/holidays taken away due to the snow week in January. {False}

I gave myself a manicure last night instead of giving into the temptation of going to a salon this weekend. {True}

This weekend will be spent tying up lose ends, running errands, and cleaning my apartment before heading to Nashville next weekend with my BFFs for Courtney's bachelorette weekend! I'm so excited! I love Nashville and getting away with the girls will be great! Getting to see them again the following weekend will be even better as we all watch Court get married!

Tonight, Roman and I have a date night since I feel like I haven't seen him all week! I was so sick and busy this week that I've barely seen him at all...definitely not the norm for us! We'll be catching some dinner and drinks tonight and then watching Inception...have you seen it? I love Leo, so I'm looking forward to finally watching it. And yes, I'm the girl that saw Titanic approximatley six times in the theater.

Hope you all have a fabulous one!

Enlightening Perspective

2011-03-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

This year, I was debating about what to give up for Lent. Roman and I have recently visited a church in my neighborhood and are considering making it our church home. Although we've only been once so far, I immediately felt at home in this church as it so accurately represents the Atlanta neighborhood in which I live and have come to love so dearly. This week, as I was thinking about Lent, I received the new church's weekly newsletter. This was the pastor's message for this week, and it really struck me, so I thought I'd share.

What shall we do about Lent? It’s always a challenge for me to pick a Lenten observance. I’m just self-absorbed enough that all my fasting really amounts to is an attempt to lose some poundage. And all my silent prayer amounts to is an attempt to retreat into a quiet corner to avoid my noisy kids. In other words, none of my observances every really end up being all about God. As usual, they end up being all about me. But this year I want things to be different, for all of us.

One way to avoid the trap of self-improvement thinly disguised as self-denial is to shift our thinking away from “giving things up” to taking things on. One way to focus our hearts and minds on Christ and his sacrifice for us is to actively seek to add things to our spiritual life. Add more prayer. Add more devotional reading. Add more acts of anonymous servanthood. Giving things up is okay too, but one way to make sure it isn’t all about your waistline, if you’re giving up a favorite food, is to donate the money you would have spent on that item to a charity you believe in. You could give a gift to the church to help feed our friends who come to Breakfast and Supper Club. You could donate toward one of our youth going on their summer mission trip. In short, you can transform the thing you are “giving up” into a thing you are simply giving in order to do something positive in someone else’s life.

It is hard to keep our humanity out of our spiritual practices. We are as God has made us - conscious most of what touches us most directly. This Lent let us try to transform even our Lenten observance into a means of expanding our compassion for the world around us. Let us pick something special to practice that will help us identify with Christ, who endured hardship and pain for us, but who also shared of his love and his compassion and his selfless devotion. Lent is only 40 days. Make them something extraordinary and then tell me after we are finished what this holy season has done for you.

What an eye-opening perspective. This was just what I needed.

So, this year for Lent, I am making a commitment to give in a way that means sacrifice in my life right now. I have slacked off on my reading of the Bible, which was one of my goals for this new year. My goal during Lent is to give my time back to that goal, get caught up, stop making it a chore in my life, stop making excuses, and value that time each day. I'm not especially religious, but I find myself relying on my Faith more and more each day. This Lenten season, I vow to make time for my devotion to scripture and finishing out my goal. I feel so excited about this decision and already made time for my readings yesterday and today in my efforts to get caught up. Obviously, this weekend, I definitely want to spend some time getting more caught up with my One Year Bible reading schedule. I know I can do this.

Book Review – The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels & Tractor Wheels

2011-03-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

First, I must say thank you so much for all of the sweet comments yesterday. Although not completely back to 100%, I am heading back to work today. I got plenty of rest yesterday and definitely feel much better than before…it is amazing sometimes what one day off can do for your body when you’re sick.

Yesterday, in my state of utter pathetic-ness, I decided to finish the book I’ve been anxiously reading every free minute I’ve had since purchasing it late last week. Now, please understand, these free minutes have come only while laying in my bed. I bought it last week during a rare bout of insomnia and could barely put it down. So, yesterday, I devoured the last part in my drugged-up state.

I don’t own the Pioneer Woman cookbook that everyone raves about, and I have admittedly only checked out her website/blog a handful of times. When searching for my next good read last week on my Nook, I decided to give this a shot after seeing it on the top list of Nook Books. I was immediately drawn in by her connection and real-life account of her love affair with Marlboro Man. She seems so real to me (I mean, I know she is) but even though this book is a biography, I felt like I was reading a fictional love story. She wrote it that way, and I immediately fell in to the trap.

Ree is definitely hilarious and that shines through in her writing and retelling of the various stories throughout the book. I was able to connect with her on many levels, and that made me love her even more. She’s roped me in, and I will undoubtedly be purchasing the Pioneer Woman cookbook with some of my spending money this month to join the ranks of every other American woman.

If you need a good book or just a reminder of the fact that real, non-perfect love stories do still exist, pick it up!

Wednesday.

2011-03-09T08:27:00.001-08:00

My mantra for the day…along with don’t shake violently from fever chills, don’t rupture an ear drum when blowing your nose, and don’t break a rib while coughing. Back to bed.

Top 5 Reasons Why…

2011-03-07T19:07:00.001-08:00

As many of my readers already know, I started my business as a Stella & Dot Stylist back in October. Since then, I have met so many new people, made tons of extra spending money, gained an entire collection of fabulous jewels, and had a great time while doing this “job”. If you’re looking for a great, fun, and flexible way to earn some extra money while wearing fabulous jewelry and having fun with your girlfriends, here are the top 5 reasons why now is the time to join Stella & Dot!

True/False Friday

2011-03-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday, y'all! Welcome to all of my new followers! If you're new to my blog, I have recently started doing a kind of brain dump on Fridays known as True/False Fridays. It's kind of fun to just be really generic in these posts and get some thoughts out.

I NEED a silver Michael Kors watch so that I don't have to wear my horn colored one with every outfit. {False}

I am more motivated than ever on Weight Watchers and with working out after a really good week this week. {True}

I secretly wish I was a housewife...somedays. {True}

Going four months without getting my hair highlighted is completely acceptable. {False}

I'm considering growing out my hair even though I love the bob. {True}

I have started procrastinating less as I've gotten older. {False}

I envy my friends that are really close with their moms. {True}

Somedays, I'm unsure if I will be a teacher for the rest of my life. {True}

That's all I've got for today! I have a pizza and beer date on a patio planned with Ro tonight before we head to a friend's house for a little get together. Tomorrow, I've got a full to-do list of running, meeting one of my bride-to-be friends for brunch, getting my bridesmaid dress for a wedding at the end of the month altered, picking up some bachelorette party goodies, cooking some desserts for a Stella & Dot trunk show on Sunday, and hopefully going out on the town tomorrow night!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

This Is MY Story

2011-03-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

Today, I am featured over at Leslie's Blog, A Blonde Ambition, as part of her This Is Her Story series! I was so excited that Leslie allowed my story to be a part of her amazing series. I am a huge fan of her blog, and I read it daily! I know I don't talk too much about teaching on this blog, so I hope this story will give you a better glimpse into who I am and why I do what I do each day!Head over to Leslie's blog and check out MY story! :)

My Happiness Project - MARCH

2011-03-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

During one of the most hectic months of my year as a teacher, my focus this month is perfect for helping me to maintain my level of happiness…LOVE/FRIENDSHIP.

Two simple things that can be overlooked so easily in life. I know that when work stresses me out or things don’t go my way, I always turn to Roman for love or to my favorite ladies and their friendship. But, am I always providing those things back to them? I’m not sure. Roman usually gets the brunt of my stress, and I hate that. I know it happens, and I try to stop it. But, I know I can do better. I want to do better. This is the man that I’m hoping I’m privileged enough to spend the rest of my life with. He DESERVES better. So, in my most stressful time, this is what I want to focus on.

This is a great month to do so. Not only are things at school incredibly busy as we near Spring Break and our annual state testing in mid-April, but I am getting a chance to see all of my favorite ladies this month as well as a chance to see one of them marry the love of her life at the end of the month. We have all been anxiously awaiting Courtney' and Josh’s big day, and after a Bachelorette Weekend of fun in Nashville, she’ll be saying “I do” with her best friends at her side! I can’t wait for the big day, and I can’t wait to be reunited for two fabulous weekends with the girls that are my true sisters in life.

So, here are my goals for this month…

Write a reason I love/thing I love about Roman for each day of the month. (I have a plan for what to do with this…)
Try to be more mindful of the things that others have going on in their lives.
Send a handwritten letter to each of my best girl friends letting them know how much they mean to me.
Buy a gift I’ve been meaning to buy for one particular friend.

I’ll be back at the end of the month to update you! Be HAPPY, lovely readers! :)

My Happiness Project Update - FEBRUARY

2011-02-28T16:05:00.001-08:00

I’m back with another update on my personal 2011 Happiness Project. You can read my original post for February here. My goals, all with a focus on MONEY, at the beginning of this month were as follows. I have also included my updates/thoughts for each goal now that I am at the end of the month.

1. Use the Dave Ramsey money envelope system for all spending other than bills.

I’m pretty sure this could have been my only goal for the month and still it would have been enough to handle! I did purchase the Vera Bradley envelope/notepad combo that I mentioned in my beginning of the month post and have become incredibly attached to it. I keep all of my spending money in it and record every dollar I spend, as soon as I spend it. I kept track of everything throughout the month, and it really opened my eyes to my spending habits. I did find it difficult to use cash for my gas and groceries, so I will most likely stick to using cash for everything that is not a bill, grocery, or gas purchase. This worked well for the past month since that is where the bulk of my excessive spending tends to be. At the beginning of the month, I took out, in cash, the amount that I would allow myself to spend on things like eating out, entertainment, a haircut, and anything else. At the end of the month, I had $50 left over…this NEVER happens! I splurged and bought the only unnecessary purchase of the month, which was some new blush and mascara. However, I decided I didn’t really *need* the blush, so I returned it and got my $30 back. So proud of myself. This is a system I definitely plan to keep up!

2. ABSOLUTELY no shopping unless necessary.

I caved at the end of the month, so shoot me. Everything else I bought for the entire month was a complete need. Other than the manicure and pedicure that Roman gave me for Valentine’s Day and the Target giftcard I had leftover from Christmas that I spent, I didn’t treat myself at all. Was it hard? Kinda. Did I survive? Absolutely. I need to do this more often. I find myself buying stuff “just because” all too often lately. I need to get out of this habit, get my debt paid off, and focus on what my true needs are. I have plenty of clothes, plenty of food, and roof over my head. I can make do, and this month really made me realize that.

3. Only three meals eating out per week or less.

I did really well for the first two weeks, and then I lost track during the last two weeks of the month. Actually, last week, I ate out exactly three times. So, I passed. This wasn’t as challenging as I thought, except for on the weekends. I don’t really eat out during the week since I’m really into trying new recipes at home. Unless I’m meeting friends after work to catch up, I almost always head home and cook something. I did not count my Subway on Wednesday nights when I have class because that day is for-ev-er long and I have no other option than to grab something in between work and class. I get the value meal and it costs $4.24. Get over it.

4. Try couponing.

Big. Fat. Fail. I checked out the websites. I tried to understand. I tried to print coupons. But, I have a pretty set grocery list each week. I am a creature, and eater, of habit. Other than the recipes I cook for dinner, I pretty much eat the same breakfasts and lunches every day. When I didn’t find coupons for those things, the whole process just seemed more annoying that worth it to me. I’m not giving up completely, I’m just not convinced it’s for me.

I’m proud of February. Probably more so than January. I’m happy that I have a way to manage my spending and to hold myself accountable. I’m happy that I find myself asking, “Do I really NEED this” when I’m wandering aimlessly around Target picking things up. It was a good month despite some failures and setbacks.

Stay tuned for my March post tomorrow!

True/False Friday

2011-02-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

TGIF! Just love the picture above. Many of you seemed to like last week’s True/False Friday post, so I’m back for more this week!

Tracking your points and not cheating will help you be successful on WW. {True! Down 1.6lbs this week…and I’m GOING to keep this up!}

A coworker verbally assaulting you, for no reason, will make your week spectacular. {False}

Skinny belts are my new favorite accessory. {True. See yesterday’s post.}

The homework battle (begging them endlessly to actually do it) with your students is worth the fight. {False}

A good haircut can make any bad week better. {True}

I spent my leftover spending money this month on new mascara and blush instead of saving it for next month. {True. I’m weak.}

Shin splints are my favorite thing ever. {False}

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend! :)

My New Obsession

2011-02-24T07:03:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I went to Target again. I don't know why I do this to myself knowing I have no extra money to spend. But, I did have a $50 gift card burning a hole in my pocket left over from Christmas, so I figured it was time to spend it. In an effort to revamp my already existing wardrobe, I decided to branch way out of my comfort zone and try something new.I've seen tons of people wearing cute outfits lately with skinny belts. I'm not very fashion forward. Usually, my outfits consist primarily of pieces that come from Ann Taylor Loft, Old Navy, Target and Gap. I should also mention that the majority of these pieces are cardigans. I don't really branch out. But, I found a belt I liked, and for $12.99, I decided to give it a go.

Since Friday, I've worn it four times. And, come up with two really cute new outfits out of pieces I already owned. Who knew how inspiring a little belt could be?

Of course, now I need belts in every color...

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-02-23T17:23:00.001-08:00

I'm a little late getting this posted today, but better late than never! After a horrible day yesterday (more on that to come in tomorrow's post), I decided I need my favorite mid-week pick-me-up!

I'm loving...this Spring like weather in February! I've enjoyed running oustide, getting to wear more of my wardrobe, and just feeling like I have more energy in general. Praying it sticks around for good, but as a native Georgian, I know that's only wishful thinking!

I'm loving...my sweet, loving, caring boyfriend Roman. I called him crying yesterday as soon as I got in my car after work. He was still at work, and I'm sure incredibly busy as the afternoons are his busy time. Knowing that I was in need of a good vent session after the day's events, he took the time and listened to everything I had to say and promised to come over as soon as he could after work. I'm so lucky to have him in my life.

I'm loving...how great I feel that I have made a budget and stuck to it this month! Moving to a mostly cash system and writing down everything I spend besides my bills has really opened my eyes! I know this is what I need to do right now, and I just pray that I can keep it up!

I'm loving...all of the cute new Spring clothes in the stores. BUT, shopping hiatus 2K11 continues. I am enjoying digging into my closet and coming up with some new outfits with what I do already have. Definitely going to continue this. I have PLENTY of clothes.

I'm loving...my Axxium OPI gel manicure that I got on Friday as a Valentine's Day gift from Roman. I forgot how ah-maz-ing they are! I must find a way to work these into my monthly budget again without over spending!

What are you loving this week? Head over to Jamie's blog and link up!

A Fishy Tale

2011-02-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

I’m going to preface this post only by saying that I, no matter your opinion after reading this post, am NOT a horrible person. And, I love my cat like a child, along with most other animals.

Okay, let me go back to the beginning. In 3rd grade, my Grandpa Larry made one of my birthday wishes come true by getting me my very own aquarium. At the time, this was the most amazing gift ever. The 20 gallon tank was all mine, complete with a matching stand to compliment my bedroom furniture. I was so excited to go to the pet store to pick out all of my fish, and the angel fish ended up being my favorite.

Fast forward 9 years…my parents, who are native Atlantans, are transferred to New Hampshire for my Dad’s job. They pack up while I am about to enter my sophomore year of college at UGA and head up North for a short try at Northern living. At the end of my Junior year, I find out they have had enough of “those damn yankees,” and my Dad has received a job offer back in Atlanta. All I could think was that my family was finally coming home!

Once back home in Georgia and settled in another new house, my parents, over the next year, started going through all of their stuff and purging items that they no longer needed or used. This included old furniture, boxes of old clothing…anything that was clutter. One item that came up during my first year of teaching was my beloved aquarium. I basically got the “if you don’t take it, we’re throwing it out” talk. I, obviously, was not going to let that happen and excitedly took the tank home with me and got it up and running again. I hurried to the pet store to select my new fish, and the tank was perfect…for a while. This was exactly three years ago…February 2008.

Since then, I have moved this tank from Athens, GA to Atlanta in the dead heat of July in the back of a U-Haul. Believe it or not, all of the fish survived the move and seemed happy in my new apartment. About two months after the move, one rogue fish decided one day to eat all of the other fish in the tank. I was feeding the fish daily and keeping their tank clean, and these fish had been living together in the tank for over six months at the time. I was so confused and sad about what this stupid fish had done. I really began to hate this fish. Although I debated flushing him immediately down the toilet, I decided not to. I figured I would wait until he died on his own and then would go out and buy some more lovelies for my tank. That, unfortunately, never happened. This fish was a fighter. He didn’t die. It was almost like he was trying to torture me by letting me know I had to keep this ugly aquarium with one lousy fish in my apartment because he would eat anything I tried to put in there.

This weekend, the cannibal fish FINALLY died. I say finally because this little terd has been living in this huge tank all by himself since the Fall of 2008. I have not bought anymore fish for fear that he would chomp them all to shreds. I have gone through various spats of “forgetting” to feed him or months of not cleaning the tank, but I’ve always ended up feeling bad and giving in eventually.

That all changed around Christmas when I ran out of food. I decided it was time for this cannibal to die. I know this sounds awful. But, I was tired of cleaning the tank for one stinking fish. I’ve really been ready to get rid of the tank period so that I can rearrange my living room furniture. So, I made the executive decision to not buy anymore food and to stop cleaning the tank. Think of me what you will. But, this fish had survived for over three months just fine. The heater to the tank has even since broke. It was only a matter of time before he died.

More than anything, I’m relived. Mr. Cannibal Fish can now rest in peace and pay for his sins with his little fishy friends. And, I can get rid of my beloved aquarium once and for all.

True/False Friday

2011-02-18T09:55:00.001-08:00

I like making true/false statements in life, so I thought I'd give this a shot this week...

I am ready for the weekend. {True}

I have lost lots of weight since joining Weight Watchers in December. {False}

I need the entire Katy Perry OPI collection. {True}

I weigh more now than I did since joining. {False...thank goodness! Still 5lbs lighter}

I lie and manipulate when tracking my points. {True...damnit}

I am starting to like running again, and it is slowly getting easier. {True}

One of my students has been wearing little-girl-frilly dresses all week as a punsihment from her mother for behaving badly at school. {True}

I might be addicted to audiobooks because they make driving to and from work better. {True}

I'm going to be ready for the 10K I had planned to run next month. {False}

I have been a bitch to Roman all week for no reason. {True}

Having three of my best friends getting married this year is costing me a fortune, but I love them. {True}

I love that all of my stuff still smells like a french fry from cooking fondue on Sunday. {False}

If you like this random compilation of thoughts, let me know, and I'll keep True/False Fridays going! Happy Friday! :)

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

2011-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

I’m loving…this handsome man who managed to pull off another fabulous Valentine’s Day!

I’m loving…that I finally was able to get in an outside run yesterday after work because of this amazing weather! It felt so great to be running outside again at the park near my school that I love!

I’m loving…the Justin Bieber songs that were on Glee last night. Although I think he is pretty girly looking, I can’t help but like his music.

I’m loving…that Roman got me an OPI Axxium Gel Manicure for Valentine’s Day, and I will be going immediately after work on Friday to get it! I’ve been so long without one because of my new money conscious lifestyle, so it will be much appreciated!

I’m loving…audiobooks! I figured out how to download them for free onto my iPod from the local library, and I have almost finished the Hunger Games! It has been such a refreshing way to spend my 40 minute drives to and from work each day.

I’m loving…Lady Gaga’s new song, Born This Way! Duh.

What are you loving this week? Head over to Jamie’s blog and link up!

Something’s Up

2011-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

On Friday, after a rough week and while doing my best to overcome a migraine, I decided to head to Target in an effort to make me feel better after work. As I was making my way aimlessly through the store, I only found one item that I really wanted. It was a pair of black pajama pants with white polka dots that were on sale for $9.08. I haven’t spent any money in excess this month in sticking with my Happiness Project goals. Every single thing I’ve bought, besides one bag of Dove chocolate hearts, has been out of necessity. It has been a great feeling, and I’m more motivated than ever to get my debt paid off completely by no later than this time next year.

So, I sat there in Target and found myself asking, “Self, do I really need these really cute pajama pants?” Of course, the answer was no. Would they be really comfy and replace a ratty pair that was taking up space in my drawer? Yes. Do I need them in order to survive? No. I put them back and moved on. I could barely believe what was actually happening at that exact moment. I’ve never before felt more grown up than at that exact moment. I walked out of Target with a bottle of Draino, Roman’s Valentine’s Day card, and a(nother) bag of Dove chocolate hearts.

And, if you ask me, those chocolate hearts were worth every penny and were definitely a NEED. You can only get them once a year.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-14T18:22:00.001-08:00

We had a Valentine’s filled weekend! Saturday night, we went to a Valentine’s themed cocktail party for my BFF Courtney and her fiance Josh that are getting married in just a few short weeks! I can’t believe another one of my BFF’s will be a married woman in just a little over a month!

I absolutely cannot wait for Court’s bachelorette weekend in Nashville in just a few weeks, and most importantly, the arrival of my BFF Jennifer just in time for the occasion! I’m especially excited after receiving this in picture in an email on Friday. If that isn’t the cutest little preggers BFF you’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is! (J – hope you don’t mind me sharing!)

Sunday, Roman and I spent the whole day together and anxiously awaited a special Valentine’s Day dinner that evening! We decided to skip going out to some expensive and overcrowded restaurant, and we opted to make a nice dinner of fondue at home. It turned out delicious, and it was probably one of my favorite “dates” we’ve ever had. Too bad my entire apartment now smells like a french fry. Oh, and the table runner was crafted by none other than my sweet HiMama. That woman is the best, I swear. So cute.

Tonight, we enjoyed some leftovers and Roman is graciously watching the Bachelor with me! A truly perfect Monday night Valentine’s Day if you ask me! Hope everyone is feeling loved on this day! :)

What. A. Week.

2011-02-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

I apologize for my lack of posts this week. Here's how my week (since last Friday) has gone.

Last Friday....sat in parent conference, with student present, where student proceeded to tell me and one of her other teachers that we had attitude problems and that she could not get along with us. Student then proceeded to tell the group, including our Assistant Principal and Counselor, that she did not like any of us, hated our school, and was not going to do what we ask her to. (Side note: My AP told me she has never seen a child be so flat out disrespectful in her 26 years in education.) After the conference was over, our AP suggested that mom check the student out for the rest of the day. Also, something I have NEVER before witnessed an AP suggesting to a parent.

Saturday...woke up at 9am to get ready for my BFF Courtney's wedding shower at the Swan Coach House here in the ATL. The Swan House is a Southern tradition here in Atlanta, and every bride looks most forward to having a shower/luncheon at this beloved Atlanta landmark. As I'm in the shower, my power goes out. I panic, get out of the shower, and start to formulate a Plan B so that I don't show up to the shower looking like a hobo in front of all of my friends and her family. Thank goodness for my phone...I get online and find out that all of Midtown is experiencing a power outage due to someone hitting a telephone pole. Awesome. And, of course, as luck would have it, as soon as I go to walk out my door, the power comes back on.

Sunday...reserved this day for working on the massive amount of homework I had for my gifted certification class. I wanted to get it all done before our Super Bowl party that we were to attend that night, but of course, I had a major mental block, could not figure out what type of lesson I wanted to do for my assignment, went for a run after eating way to much pizza for lunch, almost threw up in Piedmont Park because of this, came back home, got motivated, missed the party, and worked for 4 straight hours on my work.

Monday...pretty normal day overall. Started doing 30 Day Shred again and realized how much I love doing this in the mornings. Will keep doing this for sure.

Tuesday...a good day. Made an awesome dinner from a new Gina's WW Recipe (if you haven't tried her Southwest Turkey Meatballs...you need to).

Wednesday...long day. Meeting before school, worked all day, class from 5-9 where I got assigned more work.

Thursday...Woke up at 2:30am with a horrid migraine. Like, the worst I've had since November. Contemplated vomiting, but I decided against it, took my meds, and went back to bed hoping for a snow day. Woke up, could barely tell that it snowed, still felt awful, but I went to work anyway. Was teaching during 1st period and almost passed out from nausea. Migraine came back in full force. Took meds, they didn't help. Got a sub. Went home. Slept for five hours, woke up, ate dinner, went back to sleep.

Friday...woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck in a post-migraine haze. Still have a lingering headache. Rest of day...TBD.

Top 2 Tuesday: Top 2 Things I’ve learned about blogging

2011-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Sorry for the late post yesterday. I was up early yesterday morning, worked, then had to work the basketball game after school last night. It was against the school I used to teach at, so it was really great to get to see some former co-workers. I also always love getting to see my students that play, cheer, and dance…or those that just come to socialize at the game!

On Friday night, Roman and I went to see one of his friends perform at the Punchline Comedy Club here in the ATL.

Josh Blue won Last Comic Standing a few years ago, and he is one of Roman’s oldest soccer friends! Josh has cerebral palsy, and so does Roman (not sure I’ve ever mentioned that on here before…definitely needs a post of it’s own). Roman and Josh played together on the U.S. Paralympic Soccer team all throughout Roman’s high school and college years, so whenever Josh is in town, we always try to make it to his shows and then he and Roman try to find some time to hang out. He is absolutely HILARIOUS, so if you ever get the chance to see him, please do!

Today’s Top 2 Tuesday topic is…Top 2 things I’ve learned about blogging.

1. If you blog it, they will come. When I first started blogging, I used to get bogged down about the fact that I had only six followers…all of which were close friends and family. As time went on, I debated on whether or not blogging was something I really wanted to dedicate myself to. Then, I finally realized that I needed to blog for me, and no one else. This is my life, and the fact that 68 of you find it interesting enough to read really excites me! I have found plenty of awesome blogs and continue to find more each week. So, I’ll keep blogging…and hopefully, more followers will keep coming. Either way, I love this whole blogging world and will keep at it as long as it doesn’t become a chore.

2. Comment on and follow blogs you like! The best way to get more attention on your blog, and to meet some really awesome bloggers, is to give people the praise they deserve. If you like a blog, follow it. If you love a post, leave a comment. I don’t comment on everything I read. But, when I can relate to something that someone has written, I do my best to leave a comment sharing my thoughts. This is something I’m continually working on. I know I love getting comments on my blog, so I know those bloggers feel the same when I leave them some love!

Ape House: Chapters 1-12

2011-02-07T18:42:00.001-08:00

I am participating in the Book Beginnings and Bookends book club for another round! This time, we are reading Ape House by Sara Gruen. I started the book yesterday morning and could barely put it down, but other commitments forced me to! I love this book already, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes!

Here are my answers for the first reading’s questions:

1. What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans? I thought it was really interesting! I didn’t see any threat to the animals in the way the lab was presented in the story. I found the way that the bonobos were able to interact with Isabel very interesting!

2. Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they're apes and know that the humans are humans, but they don't see any superiority with either... What do you think the major difference is between the two? I think the major difference between the two is the way in which they communicate. The bonobos make sounds that we don’t understand. Humans can talk and be understood by both other humans and the bonobos. But, the common language among the two groups is sign language.

3. What are your thoughts on John and his feelings toward Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out? I am unsure of John’s feelings towards Isabel at this point. He seems to have been very taken with her during their first encounter and the story comes back to the fact that he can’t get his mind off of her. I am interested to see how this plays out in the rest of the story.

4. How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken? Isabel will not react well. She loves the bonobos and seems to consider them her family…she keeps photos of them in her apartment, loves the animals like relatives because her own aren’t present in her life, and has a special relationship of trust with them. I am sad to see how she will react.

5. Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center? I am still unsure about this, but she definitely seems suspicious at this point in the story.

6. What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda? They seem to have somewhat of a one-sided relationship. John obviously cares for Amanda, but she decides on taking the job in LA without much consideration of his feelings. Although he cares for her, the fact that he thinks about Isabel seems to come up often in the story line. It almost seems that their marriage is a little forced to exist at this point.

It’s not too late to join in! I definitely recommend getting this book and reading it immediately! I can’t wait to finish!

Just another reason I hate Kohl’s

2011-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Let’s rewind to about two weeks ago…

I came home from a long day of work to find the February issue of Real Simple magazine in my mailbox after the Snowpocalypse that hit Atlanta during the second week of January.

One evening, I sit down to devour the latest issue of my fav magazine. As I’m flipping through, I notice a lot of cute dresses in this particular issue. Dresses are on my brain lately mostly due to the fact that I have approximately four weddings to attend thus far in 2011. I need some dresses for all of these events, especially considering that I am a bridesmaid in two of the four weddings.

And then, I spot it…the dress I must have. The perfect cut, fit, color combo…exactly what I’ve been looking for for the upcoming Spring wedding events that I have to attend.

Excitedly, I scan over to find the price and where I can find the dress! To my surprise, I see that it is part of the Lauren Conrad collection at Kohl’s and is available online. Although I don’t usually shop at Kohl’s, mostly because I can’t stand even walking in that unorganized place and don’t understand why you can’t afford anything without a coupon, I race to their website to snatch up this awesome find.

Annnnnnnd, disappointed yet again. Here are the Lauren Conrad dresses available online. All three of them.

REALLY?!?! Not sure who to blame in this case….Real Simple or Kohl’s. Either way, there is some serious miscommunication going on somewhere, and I’m pissed.

Now, I know there are some Kohl’s lovers out there reading this wanting to slap me..including my own mother. I’m sorry if I have offended you. But I’m not sorry that I hate Kohl’s…this is ridiculous. Thank goodness for quality retail establishments (most importantly, Ann Taylor Loft) that rarely, if ever, disappoint me.

Good thing I’m on a shopping hiatus anyway.

My first…What I’m Loving Wednesday!

2011-02-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have been seeing these posts for a while now, and I just absolutely LOVE this idea! What a great little mid-week pick-me-up and chance to be completely random!

Here’s what I’m loving this week…

I’m loving that Roman and I finally had a Tuesday Night Date night again last night after a long hiatus. It had seriously been since before the holidays that we had taken the opportunity to indulge in our beloved weekly tradition, and despite the cold and rain, we made it out. I looked forward to it all day yesterday! :)

I’m loving my new Stella & Dot Spring jewels! No new clothes for this girl! Accessorize, I will! (Sorry for the crappy phone pic)

I’m loving that I remembered last night, while waiting two hours for my car to be fixed, that I can access my NookBooks on my Droid. I caught up some on my Bible readings that I was behind on, and now, I can read them on my phone in the mornings, too!

I’m loving that this week is early release for parent conferences. I like meeting with parents, especially those of my not so good students. And, the kids are gone by 1:15, so when I don’t have conferences, I get to catch up on all of my other teacher related work!

I’m loving this bridesmaid dress that my BFF Courtney has picked out for her wedding this March! I finally got my dress and was able to try it on. The color is perfect, and with a few alterations, I may just actually pull off not looking like a beluga whale in a strapless dress!

Head over to Jamie’s blog and link up! Hope everyone is having a LOVE-ly week!

My Happiness Project - FEBRUARY

2011-02-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

New month…new area of focus. I do intend to keep up my goals from last month, however, this month, I will add to that list. I will not be perfect every day, and I recognize that even more after the first month. But, hopefully, each month will increase my happiness in some way…even if only a small way. So, working out four days a week, trying new recipes, reading the Bible, planning meals, and getting enough sleep will all continue to be a part of my goals, but this month I will add to those.

At the end of this month, I will update you on my progress with my February goals but will also fill you in on my progress with my January goals.

So, here we go. February’s focus will be…MONEY!

This is a subject that has been weighing on me heavily lately. I feel like I’m getting to the age where the fun is over, and I really need to buckle down and get my finances in order. I’m taking some steps in the right direction, and I am truly hoping that they will pay off. Here are my goals for this month:

Use the Dave Ramsey money envelope system for all spending other than bills. This includes gas, groceries, and any spending money (going out to eat, entertainment, shopping, etc). One of my readers, Mrs. D., suggested this Vera Bradley organizer since she uses the same system. I stopped by Barnes and Noble to pick one up the other day prior to getting paid, and I’ve already put my money in to my envelopes for the month and created my budget! I’ve already recorded the money I have spent on the notepad this weekend. I love this combo and know it will be essential in keeping me organized this month.

ABSOLUTELY no shopping unless necessary. This means…no clothes, no wants, no nothing for one month. I need this right now. And I’m determined to do it for one month.
Only three meals eating out per week or less. This includes coffee, snacks, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Anything. Weekends are a big expense in the eating out department for both Roman and I. This is definitely an area we can cut back in.
Try couponing. I’m not going to get too specific here. I know it exists. I know people are crazy about it. I know nothing. If anyone has tips, tricks, or ways to get started to share….please help me! I’m clueless. I’ve looked at the sites and don’t even know where to begin. I also don’t want to just buy to buy.

I’m excited for what February will bring! I’ll be back to update at the end of the month!

Top 2 Tuesday: Things I've learned about friendship

2011-02-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

This week's topic over at The Undomestic Momma's blog is things you've learned about friendship.

Friendship is something I feel as though I have learned a lot about over the past year. I've made new friends, had to give up old ones, and cherished my best friends more than ever. It makes me feel old, but in the end, I have to keep people in my life that make me happy, and that is what I am learning to do.

1) Don't hold on to one-sided friendships. Even if you love that friend and try to keep faith that they will change, they won't. If you're the only one putting in effort...it is time to move on. A hard lesson to learn, but I can't tell you how much this has impacted my life recently.

2) It's not the quantity, it's the quality. I don't have near as many friends now as I did in the past. However, the friends that I do have are the best. I may not see them as often as I'd like or talk to them every day, but I know that these girls would be there for me in a heart beat. And, I would do the same for them.

Head on over to Taylor's blog and link up!

ALSO, my post for today on my February goals didn't post as scheduled, so I'll have it up later tonight...stay tuned! :)