Stuff

Friends, I am such an awful blogger. I'm barely averaging once a month now. How pitiful. I've been a complete slug, otherwise, too. While I'm loving my new job, it's really kicking my butt. I work through lunch and stay late MOST days. And that is starting to take a toll on my fun time. I haven't baked anything. I haven't really taken any pictures. My book reading is suffering. Oh well, here is what has been going on lately...

1. I've lost 15 pounds! The Jillian Michaels program is definitely a winner for me. I love the recipes in her books, I love her workout DVDs. I love that I can work out and be done in 25 minutes. I also love that I can make dinner, and most of my meals for the next day, in about the same amount of time. We also got a spin bike and have been using that pretty frequently and I love it! That 15 pounds has me down a dress and pants size. Go me! Still have more to go, but at least I've made it this far.

2. I start grad school in about 3 weeks. I'm nervous but excited. And nervous. I hope I do well. Did I mention I'm nervous?

3. We're having a baby...doggy! Haha, almost got you! We recently started the process of adopting a puppy from the Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue organization. We've passed the application and home visit portions, now we just have to wait to see which pup we get! I've got my eye on a gorgeous little golden girl, but it depends on how many people are in line for a puppy. Hopefully good news on that soon!

4. We're going to paint the house. We noticed that the wood around our windows needs some TLC. Which then led to our porch, and the brick columns, and then the porch floor, and eventually the actual siding of the house. Now we just need some time and to actually do it. Big job.

........I thought I had more to update on than that. I guess not. You probably don't want to know that I have bronchitis and have been hacking up a lung for over 6 weeks (thanks, Bonnaroo) and annoying anyone within earshot of me--like my husband and work people (sorry!!).

Anyway, that's all for now. Until next month!

She Works Hard for the Money...

So hard for it, honey. She works hard for the money so you better treat her right!

And now that that's out of my system...

Wednesday marked the 1-month anniversary of being at my new job! I have to say, it is very challenging and very fulfilling. I definitely made the right choice in accepting that position. Everyone is great. Aside from all that and everything being great, we have been BUSY. So busy that I come home at least a few times a week and crawl straight into bed for a short nap. I's tired.

It's definitely been a transition, going from working at home to working in an office...8-5. It's a job in itself to get out the door and to work on time, but I'm making it work! I like being around people and it's nice to get out of the house.

HOWEVER...I must say that I can't help but feel behind in every other area of my life. I've been trying to do something to keep the house up at least every day, but like I said, I's tired. I'm so thankful to have a husband that keeps up with MORE than his share of the housework. I'm truly blessed, indeed. Also very behind in the blog world--reading and writing. But, as I check my Google Reader for what seems like the first time in weeks, I also notice that some of the blogs I subscribe to have only posted 1 or 2 times in my absence, so I try not to feel too bad. And then I decide I'll take a page out of my friend Jill's book and just subscribe to the belief that good enough is the new perfect. Fine with me!

One thing, however, that I'm happy to report that I'm NOT behind on is my health/fitness/weight-loss goal. I officially kicked Tony Horton out of my sandbox and invited Jillian Michaels over for a visit. And now we are BFF for real. I've been following the meal plan on her website and am on about a 1,250-calorie-a-day plan that was the result of a little quiz on the website. She breaks things down into different oxidizer groups (Slow, Fast, Balanced) and that determines what you eat and the breakdown of carbs, fats, and proteins of each meal. I was surprised to discover I was a Balanced Oxidizer and to find out what all that entailed since I was sure carbs would be banished from my life forever. I haven't really touched pasta or much bread since I started, but I eat a LOT of fruit. Fine with me, though. I'm always satisfied and the meals on this plan are GREAT! Most of them are 5-10 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to make. We do our best to prepare at least breakfast, lunch, and our snack the night before so there is no guess-work the next day. I've discovered that, left to my own devices, I make horrible food choices. This plan has been great. I work out a couple times a week (JM 30-day Shred), follow this meal plan....and I've lost 8 pounds so far, and 2 inches off my hips! A steady 2-pound-per-week weight loss. Color me a happy camper. I have a ways to go, but I've finally found a program that I love and that works for me, so I'll be sticking with it.

BG is pretty much eating what I eat, not working out, and has lost about 15 pounds so far. What an a-hole.

The garden is going well--still waiting for some things to mature a little more since most everything is being raised from seed. Billy brought home some blackberry plants the other day, so I'm excited to see if those will work out. Blackberries are my faaaaaaaavorite. Some people I know are already harvesting squash and zucchini, but my zucchini plants are not quite there yet, so I'm just trying to be patient.

And finally, not sure if you've heard, but we are having an emergence of the 13-year cicada. A cicada is a gnarly-looking insect...kinda like a grasshopper that doesn't jump, with wings. They come out of the ground every 13 years, mate like crazy, lay eggs, and are LOUD. They are all over the place here and it is GROSS. There were two in our house tonight, which led to my drinking two extra glasses of wine just to calm my frazzled nerves. If they're not dead on our driveway, their shells have been shed and are everywhere, and they are all in the trees. I contemplated relocated myself temporarily for this 6-week period. Why Nashville, why must you do this to me??

Time for bed. I's tired.

Hodgepodge

So sorry to keep you waiting on pins and needles about the new job (ha). Turns out, just a day later, they extended an offer and...I accepted! I start this Monday. My mind is swirling with anxiety and excitement, not to mention worries of "what am I going to wear?!" and "I hope they like me!". Oy. New chapters are so exciting, but I can't help make myself sick with nervousness right before. I guarantee I will not sleep a wink on Sunday night. So very thankful, though, that I am able to jump right into a new position and not have the added fear of not being able to find a job in today's economy. Ack! That's just stress I'm so glad I don't have to deal with.

As for the clothes issue, since I can't really roll up to my new job wearing my trusty "work at home" uniform of yoga pants and Old Navy $5 t-shirts, I think a shopping trip is in order. I hate to shop. Especially while trying to lose weight and get fit and all that. Luckily, my BFF Kara LOVES to shop and personal shopping/styling is a service she provides to clients of her new business, she's throwing me a bone here and we're going shopping on Friday. I don't even want to think about the damage I'm going to do financially....I may have just given Dave Ramsey heartburn. I hope we find some good stuff.

Speaking of style, I was super lucky last night because I went to go see Tim Gunn lecture at the Langford Auditorium at Vanderbilt with Kara and our friend Jen. He is just delightful! He just has the greatest advice: be nice, never assume, always take the high road, etc. He mentions many other points like this in his new book Gunn's Golden Rules, which I plan on purchasing ASAP. Oh, and I smuggled my camera into the lecture and managed to take a picture of Mr. Gunn, even though I totally brought the wrong lens. Meet Tiny Tim...

In other uneventful news, I went to the dentist this morning and am proud to say I had great appointment and came out unscathed and un-cavitied. No cavities allowed!

And finally, a gripe...mainly to myself. I know a goal I set for myself this year was to do and FINISH Power90. Well, after some unplanned breaks in the workout program, I'm around day 60ish, and while I can feel a significant change in my body muscle-wise, I definitely cannot say that I've lost any weight. I weigh myself regularly and fluctuate a lot. I had a goal to lose 5 pounds by April 8, which is Friday. So depending on what my body plans on weighing that day, I may or may not have hit my goal. I'm just frustrated. I watch The Biggest Loser like it's gospel, and this people are amazing and lose SO MUCH WEIGHT, and I can't lose 20 pounds. REALLY. I know I need to cool it with the pasta. It is my #1 weakness. I've been out to eat twice since Saturday and got pasta both times, both time with a creamy sauce. I KNOW these are not good food choices. And today I was so hungry when I left the dentist that I picked up some McDonald's--which I rare. I'm sabotaging myself, I know.

So, I know I need to get real and just have some self-discipline. I know I need to make better food choices and maybe get to treat myself once a week (preferably not in a way that involves food...maybe a pedicure or new book?), and I think I'm going to switch up my workouts. I'm burnt out on the Power90 and P90X. I'm breaking up with you, Tony Horton. I'm taking my toys and going to play at Jillian Michaels' house. I plan on picking up her 30 Day Shred DVD today, and may even use her online weight-loss tool on her website. Enough is enough. I can do anything else...why can't I do this???

Sorry for the Debbie Downer moment, but I'm just in a rut and beating myself up about it.

I need to go take a chill pill.

What a week!!

Holy cow, y'all. This has been a roller coaster week. To give a little background information, the company I work for is going through a bit of a transition. Let me walk you through my week...and it's only Wednesday!

Monday:

• Talk to my boss, looks like my days are numbered. As in, less than 10...
• As you know I've applied to an MBA program. I get a call from the admissions counselor. He tells me that my admissions test score was probably the highest he's seen since he's worked there. I aced the math and writing sample, and matched the highest-ever score on the critical thinking portion. He tells me on the spot that I'll be part of the program that starts in August. Hot diggity!
• I started my job search early (a few weeks ago) with the anticipation that I wouldn't be around much longer. Got an email Sunday setting up a phone interview for Monday. I speak with the recruiter, she thinks I'm overqualified. The I speak to another person in another office. Not sure I like what I'm hearing about the job responsibilities. Email "no thanks", but get an email back requesting that I go ahead and come in for an interview...

Tuesday:

• Have the interview and boy am I glad I did! Have a totally different understanding about the job. Love what I hear, love the people, love the office. Love!!
• Current boss calls. My last day with current company will be next Friday. Not feeling so doomed after the good interview.

Wednesday:

• Email back from owner of company setting up another phone interview with CEO (did I mention this company is small??). Very excited.

So that's where we are right now. I am a mix of emotions. Sad that my current job is ending. I adore my boss and the folks that I work with. Excited about grad school (holy cow I got into grad school! and I rocked my exams!). Nervous about finding another job. Excited that I might have found another job. Nervous about grad school. Sad that going back to work in a real office means I won't get to hang out with Murphy all day. In my pajamas.

So, my insides are knots. Cross your fingers and throw up a prayer that everything works out. I know it will. I always manage to land on my feet. I'm so lucky to have a husband that supports me in whatever I do, bless his heart. I cannot help but freak out a little bit though.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Sorry, had to get that out.

28

Hi friends!

Today is a bit of a day of reflection for me, as it is my 28th birthday. My facebook wall is flooded with birthday wishes (thank you all!!) and my heart is full of love. Part of me can't believe that I'm thisclose to turning the big 3-0, but at the same time, I find myself liking the person I've become more and more with each year that passes, and welcome each new candle on my birthday cake.

What did I accomplish as a 27-year-old?

• Started a very fulfilling photography hobby
• Quit a job that made me miserable and got a new job that I love, working with people that I adore (who knew it would be at the very same company!)
• Celebrated 1 joyful year of marriage with Billy
• Watched my little brother graduate from college AND get married
• Improved my baking and cooking (because that's important, right?)

It was a great year! Honestly, though, I hope that 28 is somewhat uneventful. I'm so happy with how things are in my life right now, that I couldn't possibly think of a single thing to change. However, I will (hopefully) add another role to my growing list (wife, friend, daughter, sister...): Grad student! I'm applying to an MBA program and should start this August if I get accepted...

Speaking of school, this year will be 10 years out of high school and 6 years out of college as well as 6 years of living in Nashville.

As far as updates go, I've been a little busy these past few weeks and have to apologize for not sharing all of the things swirling around in my brain:

• I visited our big office for a big team meeting in Herndon, VA last week. Surprisingly enough I had some GREAT Mexican food (I'm very picky about it since I'm from Texas), got some great feedback on the work I've been doing, and won one of these. It is super cool and would be a great gift, especially for a techy husband or dad. It's BG's fave new toy.
• I learned a new baking trick while making Billy's birthday cake a couple weeks ago. It has changed my life! I promise to share SOON!
• Still trying new recipes...like a Caprese Panini. OMG delicious.

So that's about it for me today! Time to finish up some work, maybe work out (I'm on day 52 of Power 90--and BG gave me a birthday pass for today so I could take the day off, but I feel like I should work out anyway...oh the guilt!) and then go have Happy Birthday Happy Hour at Eastland Cafe with some friends.

Did I mention that my husband, the man that does not read directions or pay attention or do things in order, is making me a birthday cake? This should be interesting...

My Valentine

In honor of today's totally ridiculous commercialized holiday, I thought I'd share some pictures of my very special Valentine.

My Valentine is funny, goofy, quick to laugh...

My Valentine is kind, sensitive, caring, and thoughtful...

My Valentine is silly and fun and always puts a smile on my face...

My Valentine loves my family like they are his own...

...and loves my friends as much as I do...

Happy Valentine's day to the most amazing man, my best friend,

my husband, my partner in crime.

I love you!

And then there's this guy...

I love you, too, Murph!

Hibernation In Progress...

Hello and (a very belated) Happy New Year!

So sorry I have been MIA--things have been crazy since Thanksgiving, with the holidays and all of our crazy cold winter weather. We've already had several multiple-inch snows here in Nashville, y'all! One of which was on Christmas Day, so I missed what would've been my very first White Christmas. Talk about bummed.

Other than holidays and freezing weather, here is a VERY short list of things that have happened lately:

• Billy and I drove to and around Texas for Christmas break. We drove from Nashville to...
• Nacogdoches, TX--My brother graduated from Stephen F Austin State University on December 18th with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in some sort of Graphic Arts somethingorother! Then we packed up his apartment (and all of his art crap!) and moved him and his fiancee to...
• San Antonio, TX--I don't know if it was just because it was a few days before Christmas, but it was CRAZY there. The traffic, the crowded stores, ugh. Billy and I did get to spend a lovely little evening on the Riverwalk and stayed at La Mansion. The next day, we did a quick walk through the Alamo (way smaller than I expected!) and then picked my mom up at my brother's apartment and drove to...
• Houston--Pretty much just relaxed and hit up some of my favorite hometown restaurants. We had our actual "Christmas" with the dinner and the presents on Christmas Eve, because on Christmas Day we drove to...
• Midland, TX--Out in the middle of nowhere! But leave it to my brother to cram everything into one holiday break: he and his fiancee Sarah got married on December 27th! The wedding was gorgeous and I took a TON of pictures, but I'm too lazy to post any here now. Sorry. :( The next day, we drove...
• HOME! That was the longest day of my LIFE! Fortunately, since we woke up so dang early, we hit Dallas about breakfast/brunch-time and got to have a quick meal and visit with my college roommate, Jenny, and her husband, Dane. We made plans to HOPEFULLY attend a Fightin' Texas Aggie Football game next fall. I really hope so! Then we made it through Texarkana, Little Rock, Memphis, and finally back to Nashville late that evening. Phew!

After all that we put about 3,000 miles on my car. All of that out-and-about-ing is fully to blame for my current state of home-body-itis. You could not pry me from this house if you tried! But, I've gotten a lot of reading and cooking done, started to plan this year's garden, watched my Aggies put on a good show against LSU at the Cotton Bowl (even though they lost, dang it!), and generally been a big slug. Oh, and we've watched almost the entire series of LOST on Netflix.

I have some great plans for this year, so bring it 2011!! First and foremost, we will be DEBT FREE by this summer, if Murphy's Law doesn't launch into affect and ruin all of my planning. We have already knocked off a big debt item: our car!

I hope everyone is staying dry and warm! I'll be curled up on the couch under a few blankets if you need me...

Updates...

Hi friends! It's been almost a month since my last post...tsk tsk. Things have been pretty busy around here, so here is a quick update on what we've been up to:

• Work, work, work!
• My mom came in town for her birthday and I made her some cupcakes. Happy Birthday Mama! I made her some mini cupcakes.

• I haven't cooked my next Giada recipe yet, but I have been cooking a lot of new things...mainly recipes that I've pulled out of magazines. Some were good, some not.
• Billy and I have been riding our bikes a lot more lately on account of the weather being so nice. So, we can blame the weather for my absence here, right?
• I've been reading a lot. I've read 5 of the 9 Sookie Stackhouse books...and we've joined Netflix, so we're watching a lot of movies.
• Here is something else I have cooked: Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting. The pumpkin cake is a recipe that my grandmother made for years. I'm currently obsessed with small things (mini cupcakes, small appetizers, etc) so I decided to adapt this recipe for smaller amounts. I also tweaked how you put the ingredients together, based on what I've been learning about mixing dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, and sifting your dry goods. These turned out so much lighter than the actual cake, and they were delicious! I'm not knocking my grandmother...what can I say, she was old school!

So that's about all I have to say right now. I'm considering pulling the plug on this little blog...I'm so AWESOMELY BAD at posting regularly. Should I just do a "picture a day" type thing where I just show you what I've cooked that day, or something that we've done? Not sure yet. I'm still working on my photos and cooking/baking. We'll see what I come up with.

Happy Saturday everyone!! Enjoy it!

Our house in the middle of our street...

Today, September 30th, is the 2 year anniversary of the day we closed on and began moving into our home...here she is:

I had no idea that you could fall so in love with a piece of property, but it's possible! Billy and I fell in love with this house the moment we walked into it in 2008 and never looked back. We know it was our "home" immediately.

House, here are a few of the many things we love about you:

• How charming you are, in all of your 90 years (that's right, she was built in 1920!)
• Your beautiful leaded glass front door
• All of your windows
• How you keep us safe and dry
• How you sit up high on a hill
• How you make our friends and family feel like you're their home, too

We also have another anniversary coming next week! Can you guess what that is?

Brain dump...

And here we are again...almost 2 months since my last post. Bad blogger lady!! We have a lot to catch up on, and I have a lot on my mind, so this post might be a bit of a brain dump. Here we go...

I've moved several things around in the house and I do so want to post pictures. I've almost gotten to a point where I don't want to touch another single thing around here, as I love the way it is THAT MUCH. Somewhere in Nashville, Billy's jaw just dropped...

That pesky 5% is still the adult blue in our bedroom. I just can't figure out where to go with it. I'll post some pictures of how it is now, promise, and then let you see what you think of some potential color choices. Definitely loving some of Martha's new shades.

And then there is work. I had a really good day today. Most of my job is learning and implementing Salesforce.com with some of the projects that our marketing team has been working, and I gave a training presentation today and had great feedback. Within minutes I had an email AND voicemail from my fabulous boss saying how great she thought I had done. Phew!!!!

In August I went with my two friends Kara and Jennifer to our other friend's wedding in Savannah, and it was the best time! BG couldn't go, but we had a great time, just us girls.

I took lots of pictures but honestly, I still feel a bit wonky with that camera attached to my face. But K and J reassured me that it is a MUST accessory on our adventures. I still have to thank them for making me lug it around as I got some great pictures! Here's one for you of us at Catherine's super-swank wedding. I fixed the color just a bit, but didn't crop because I love to see all the background people having as much fun as we did! Cheers!

Jennifer, Kara, and me at Catherine's wedding, 8/7/10. Love them!

And one more thing...I know how many times I've posted that I'm gonna do P90X and finish, or how I like Power 90, or recently that I've started (trying) to walk 3 miles a day, or even post on here once a day. Here's what I've discovered about myself: I have no self-discipline. And it really doesn't bother me that much, honestly. So, I've decided I'm going to do my best, at whatever it is I choose to do. Lately, especially after dress shopping and seeing myself in pictures, I've decided that the self-discipline thing definitely needs to change and I need to start taking better care of myself, so I put myself on Weight Watchers last Thursday. Today was 1 week into it and I've already lost 5 pounds. I'm hoping to lose 20 at least by the end of the year, and I think I've got a good chance of hitting my goal.

Part of me feels really embarrassed by admitting it, but the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one. Truth is, I was so proud of myself when I weighed this morning and actually had a RESULT!! I love the accountability of the points and being mindful of everything I eat, and seeing that line go down on my weight tracker. And the fact that there is an iPhone app to help when I'm out and about or traveling for work REALLY helps. I don't feel deprived at all or that I'm even on a diet. I still get to eat the things that I love, although not as much, but it makes me appreciate it that much more.

As far as this blogging thing and self-discipline goes, I know I have to treat it just like a work project--do a little every day. And that's what I intend to do! I'll put it on my to-do list right up there with unloading the dishwasher. Baby steps!

Until tomorrow,

mg

Time flies...

Well, y'all. July has just been crazy for me.

As you know, BG and I returned home from Texas on July 5th, and obviously things have been hectic around here as I have not posted ONCE since we got back! Lots of things have been going on though:

• I got a job! At my previous job, I was helping someone with a side project and she had been persistently trying to get me on her team since about February. Some how she managed to make that happen, and I have been working again since last Monday. I will be working as a contractor until the end of the year, and then we'll see where things go from there! Last week they had me in Minneapolis all week for training on a sales database, and then next week I'll be in Herndon, Virginia (near Washington DC) for a meeting.

• I finished the desk! It is not perfect by any stretch, but I finished it. I built a desk! I'll post a picture soon--I'm still working on getting our "office" together and I want you to see it when it's all done and pretty! I took the color inspiration from a binder that I used when I was planning our wedding. Think: chocolate brown, turquoise, a light celery green, and white.

• We've been working hard on the yard...we have new grass and everything! I have a few plants to shift around, and then I'll post pictures. PROMISE. And by "we", I mean Billy. He's the best.

• I got an iPhone! Yeah, yeah, so what. But it's big news for me!

So anyway, the moral of the story is: I've been pretty busy. Since the beginning of June and then running through next week, I'll have been in or through 9 states! The girls and I drove to Florida, so that put me in Alabama, too. Then I drove to Texas, so that puts me through Louisiana and Arkansas. Last week's trip to Minneapolis, and had a stop in Illinois. And then next week I'll be in Virginia for work and then Georgia for our friend's wedding. Counting Tennessee, I've hit up a good 20% of the US!

Once I get settled in with work, I plan to get back on the workout wagon (I started Power 90 on Tuesday and it is so much better for me than P90X!), and finally put up some pictures of our house. I've been moving a lot of stuff around so it's kind of a disaster right now.

I hope everyone has a splendid weekend! I've got a birthday party to go to, and then week 2 of our card group...what about you?

mg

We're back...

We're back from Texas and I just wanted to show you how insane our kitchen looks right now.

It's pretty ridiculous.

I have lots of things to share: what we did to my mom's house, what Billy did while he was at home and I was gone, and what I'm up to now that I'm back.

Stay tuned!

Meet Victoria!

Well, I've been a busy bee this month. How is it already June 16th?! On Sunday I returned from a quick little trip down to Watersound, FL to celebrate our good friend's bachelorette party weekend. And then this Friday I'm headed down to Texas to visit for about 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll get some of my beach pics up before I leave for Texas!

Anyway, Billy's best friend, Adam, and his wife, Ashley, recently welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world: Victoria Taylor Nelson. They were taking Adam's brother to the airport here in Nashville and decided to swing by for a visit, and we are so glad they did! Billy has been so busy with work, that we hadn't had a minute to run back to Billy's hometown to meet her.

Here are some pictures of her visit:

What is cuter than baby feet? Really!

Victoria with Uncle Billy

I can't even begin to describe how it made me feel to see Billy holding a little baby. It will definitely be a couple years before we start on Project Baby, but I know when the time comes, he will be such an amazing father! It was hilarious hearing him say "Hey little baby!".

It's time to go get ready for my trip! Happy hump day, y'all!

Quick one...

I decided I needed to share two things with you real quick...

My dog.

My lunch.

That's all. So far this "freedom" thing is agreeing with me. :)

Here goes nothin'...

Friends, I've recently been handed some lemons. At work I was up for a pretty decent promotion, which I did not get. I'm still trying to understand why that happened, because I looked back on that job description and checked off the requirements like you check off the items on your grocery list. While I have my own opinions about it, I'm not the type of person that's going to run my mouth (fingers?) because I didn't get my way.

I've decided to make something out of those lemons: I quit my job. I'm not sure what I'm making with those lemons yet, maybe lemonade? Maybe a cake? Maybe I'll take pictures of those lemons and sell them on Etsy? I dunno.

I've though a lot about this, even though things happened very quickly. I like to think that maybe the only reason for working there was so that I could meet Billy. Fortunately, our Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball has crushed many of our bills over the last several months, and with Billy working so much it has definitely afforded me this opportunity to jump ship and maybe pursue some things on my own.

Here are some things on my TO DO list:

• Learn more about photography and SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!
• Finish Photoshop Classroom in a Book, so I can edit my photos.
• Restart P90X--we made it through Phase 1 and 2 last time. I'm going to do the Lean version this time and I'm determined to make it all the way through.
• Cook. A lot.
• Work on some things around the house. I plan on building myself a desk, and then tackling our laundry room with some help from Ana's plans on Knock Off Wood.
• Teach myself how to sew finally.
• Work up to at least a post per day.
• Make a trip or two to Texas to see my mom in Houston and my friends Jill and Jenny in Dallas. Jill's baby Mia is soooooo cute, and I've been dying to squish her for MONTHS!

I'm not sure where this journey is going to take me. Maybe something with photography? Food photography? Catering? I don't know. I know there is a plan for me and I just have to wait and see what that is. I'm scared, anxious, excited. And scared. So, we'll see. Wish me luck.

Treasure Hunt.

Last night, I came home and the Billy Goat had a little surprise for me.

It started at the back door, with a note that read:

“Ready to Play?

When I am visiting, I need to get clean...”

With that note was a 4G SD Card. Hmmm...

I thought for a minute and then decided that if I was visiting and needed to get clean, I would go to the guest bathroom. So off I went. Nothing in the sink. Nothing on the toilet. I checked behind the shower curtain...a-ha!

Note #2, taped onto a camera bag.

“What good is an empty bag? There has to be more.

You can say when I’m in the kitchen I’m TOP SHELF”

So I went on to the kitchen. Nothing on our top shelves in the cabinets looked out of the ordinary, so I checked the pantry...bingo!

Note #3, taped onto a ZOOM LENS...

“So you do agree I’m Top Shelf? I’m kind of pointless without my body...

I like to hang out in very dry places...”

DRY PLACES? DRY PLACES...DRY PLACES!!! THE DRYER!

Being the ding-a-ling I am, I looked in the washer first...oops. Nothing there. Look in the dryer next, and dug under some clean clothes I really need to fold...

Note #4, taped onto a CANON EOS REBEL T1i DSLR CAMERA!!!

“You found me!!! I’m all yours. Love, Billy and Murphy”

Swoon. Sigh. Grin. My husband sent me on a little in-home treasure hunt for the camera I’ve been gabbing on and on about for at least 6 months. My BFF Kara was there, and got to witness the whole thing. I was sort of in shock, and she summed it up perfectly when she said I was all “twitterpated”. You got it, girl.

So that lead on to lots of hugs, kisses, thank yous, beers, and the best darn burgers and potato salad I’ve had in months! I took a couple pictures but haven’t gotten very far in the manual yet to know how to upload them...haha. I’m working on it and will hopefully have some pics to post later today or tomorrow.

Now that I think about it, is TOP SHELF a play on TOP CHEF? Or could it be just that it is really good? Either way, I think it’s adorable.

I stinkin’ love that guy.

Sorry...

I have been a really bad blogger lately. Here's what's been going on:

• On March 4th, my parents came up from Texas.
• On March 7th, I turned 27.
• My parents were here all through the next week until this Monday, the 15th.
• Since the time change I have been ABSOLUTELY WIPED OUT! I know it's only an hour, but I have never been so tired in my life. No, I'm not pregnant.

I have made some developments in our living room decor though. I was somewhat perplexed about what else to put in here and the thought of driving to a bunch of stores absolutely puts me in a panic. So, I put together another mood board.

What we already have:

• Our walls are painted Behr's Garden Wall.
• The blue is the color of the curtains.
• The rug is from Pier 1.
• The couch is from Haverty's.

What is new:

• The pretty flower print, also from Pier 1.
• Some bright pillows, from Pier 1, in a pretty coral. I decided this room was too blah and needed to dial up the color a bit.
• That pendant lamp is the awesome one at West Elm. However, Billy wrinkled his nose at the thought of wiring a light where I wanted it, so we got the one I've been keeping my eyes on from CB2. It came yesterday. It's perdy.
• I already have a ceramic garden stool, but it's in a creamy ivory color. I'm contemplating spray painting it copper.
• I really want that big Expedit shelf from Ikea. Maybe we'll use this as a reason to visit Atlanta!

I'll get some pictures taken this weekend and post up here for an AFTER moment. I'm definitely much happier with how things are looking around here compared to before, although my "I want to do this..." list seems to grow by the minute.

I hope everyone has had a great March so far!

mg

Will you be my V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E...

Happy Valentine's Day! I have to admit, I am a converted former V-day cynic. I would be in constant eye-roll mode as soon as the pink and red stuff hit the store shelves right after the new year hit every year. Until last year. Last year, Billy and I had our first Valentine's Day together and this year was our first as a married couple. Here's what I woke up to this morning:

And there was a sweet little card on my nightstand, too! As for my gift for BG, I'm goofy and like to make people things. So, I put together a little basket for him, including a calendar, a little coupon book, and the I Love You, Man DVD. This movie cracks us up...BIG TIME!

I also made what turned out to be the most funky looking heart-shaped sugar cookies ever made in the history of the world. I am clearly not good with the whole cookie-cutting thing. Do I stick to just "blob" cookies (cookies that you just put a blob of dough on the pan and let the oven do its thing) or keep working on it? We'll see...

I managed to arrange them artfully enough to hide the wonkiness. They were pretty tasty though. As for the calendar, I totally have to give credit where it's due. I got the idea from Young House Love's post Calendar Girl (& Boy). This was an idea that John put together for Sherry with some of their funny inside jokes, and I thought it was such a cute idea that I just had to do it. There's no possible way I could've figured out how to whip out a calendar like that, so it was a great thing for me that they posted the template. Billy just went nuts over it!! So thanks to John and Sherry for such a cute idea that was super cheap ($0!!) and one that we can enjoy all year long!

Today has been really great though. We've just been hanging around on the couch watching the Olympics and taking advantage of the cold, gloomy weather outside. We managed to venture out to grab a coffee and we'll have to figure out how to peel ourselves off the couch to get our daily workout in, but I'm sooooo not looking forward to that. Ugh!

And by the way...every day I come home from work and find the couch cushion in front of the window squished on one side and now I know why. I think Murphy has found himself a little perch...

Happy Valentine's and Go Team USA!

mg

Evolution

No, I'm not about to go on a rant about Charles Darwin. I'm talking about personal evolution. Today Billy and I ran to Costco around lunch to see if they had this month's book club book: The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow. They didn't. On our way to get a hotdog, I just happened to look at the price of that Canon EOS Rebel Xsi DSLR camera I've been salivating over for a while. It was $150 MORE than the last time I saw it.

Insert Homer Simpson's drooly sound here...

Not gonna lie, I kinda pouted for a minute. Just days ago Billy and I were talking about maybe treating ourselves to a few things if we did, in fact, get a bonus at work. This was on the short list. Until now.

As I was drowning my sorrows in my hotdog, I had an epiphany. A little voice inside my head said "Well, maybe I don't really need it right now." Holy crap. What was that? I just grew up.

That took me to what I learned in the most recent Dave Ramsey lesson from this weekend: Buyer Beware, more specifically the segment called Power Over Purchases. When making major purchases--which these days is anything over $100 for us--Dave Ramsey recommends you go through these 5 little steps:

1. Wait over night. Get over the high of a significant purchase. If you go back and it's not there anymore or not on sale anymore, that might be God's way of saying NO! You don't need that camera/puppy/Coach purse...
2. Carefully consider your buying motives. No amount of stuff will make you happy. Don’t let your stuff get you! Is it a need or a want? WANT. Next...
3. Never buy anything you don’t understand. I will admit that I know way more about photography than I did 6 months ago. I guess I was justifying it by saying Well, I can't REALLY learn if I don't have anything to learn on, right? WRONG. I still have a perfectly awesome point-and-shoot that I still haven't mastered.
4. Consider the opportunity cost on your money. What opportunity are you giving up by spending that money or saving that money? We would be giving up the opportunity to become $600+ closer to being debt-free. In my book, that's a lot more valuable.
5. Seek the counsel of your spouse. What does Billy think? "You don't need it right now anyway, really." Sigh.

I'm not really sure what to do next. Obviously, I won't be buying a camera. I've tossed around the idea of putting $50 away every month until I have enough to buy it but the idea of paying COLD HARD CASH for it is a lot sweeter. I may even get a better deal.

Time to go work off that hotdog.

What's been going on...

So here we are, a little more than a month into 2010, and I thought I would take a minute to grade myself on how well I've been doing on all those ambitious resolutions...

P90X: Billy and I are starting week 6 today. I have to admit I missed a few (really, only 3!) workouts when I was in Houston last week visiting my mom, but I jumped right back into it. It actually felt a little weird to not work out! I'm so proud of Billy: he can do SEVERAL pull-ups while I'm still hanging around at a half pull-up. I know, I'm lame. I can definitely see a change in my body and I feel great! We're totally finishing this time!

Dave Ramsey: Definitely doing some good things here. I really enjoy listening to the lessons. Not only is he funny but he makes you look at your money in a whole new way. We have successfully completely Baby Step #1 of having our Emergency Fund, and it was a good thing we had that too. Every winter our electric bill seems to be a bit on the ridiculous side, and this was one of those times. Had we not had our Emergency Fund to dip into, we would have been hurtin' this month. Now we just replenish what we borrowed from it and keep truckin' on Baby Step #2: getting out of debt.

Church: Haven't found one and haven't gone. Fail.

Healthy Marriage: There are some books I want to read and we definitely want to go see our Pre-marital counselor for a "check up" at some point, but over all things are great!

Trying new recipes: We are doing pretty good in this department. We've made our own bread and it was delicious! I've also tried out some recipes that I printed off of FoodNetwork.com. I'll post about those soon...you should try them because they were fantastic!

Eat locally: Fail on this one too...but that's not totally my fault. We will start on the Farmer's Markets in the spring, promise!

Keeping reading: I finished The Help and it was fantastic! I was actually sad when I finished. I haven't picked up the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle book again yet but that's because I decided to read To Kill A Mockingbird again. I know I read it in school at some point, but when I read it this time I just loved it. I finished it this morning. Our next book club book is The Girls from Ames, and my brother's girlfriend gave me her copy of American Wife. So we're ok here.

Learn to sew: Nope.

Take more pictures: Still figuring out my camera, but I definitely have been taking more pictures. And I have my eye on a Canon Rebel that we may treat ourselves to if we get a bonus at work. Yay!

Wake up earlier: Ha!

Housekeeping: Oy.

I'm definitely going to keep up with these for the rest of the year. And try to learn to knit. And blog more. See what I do to myself? That can't be healthy...