Sunday, January 30, 2011

My Best Friend

My best friend...
...makes me laugh even when I'm mad and don't want to.

...makes me feel beautiful even while I'm in my sweats.

...listens to my dreams and does everything in his power to make them come true.

...tucks me in every night with a hug and kiss.

...can't cook worth a flip, but can make a mean PB&J.

...would have a house full of dogs if I'd let him.

...is pretty dang hot.

...is hands-down the coolest guy I know.

...is my world.

I love you Josh. 

Thursday, January 27, 2011

A Simple List

1.  I ate way too much today. My stomach is still in half-marathon training mode but I am barely getting in a 30 minute workout each day. I need to start a food journal to get this under control.

2. My husband looks like a pedophile. Thankfully he didn't leave it like this.
3. I have found the world's most amazing bread- Stone Mill Bread in Fayetteville. Oh lord, I am addicted. (This is probably most definitely related to #1)

4. My current guilty pleasures include Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, and 16 & Pregnant and I don't care who knows it!

5. I love colons: I don't always use them correctly, but I love them dearly.

6. I am looking forward to my first Valentine's Day as a wife. It's gonna be pretty dang awesome.

7. I am on week 1/day 3 of the 100 Push Up Challenge....oh how it burns. I honestly don't know if I will be able to do 100 (boy!) push ups in 6 weeks, but I'll keep you posted.

And 7 sounds like a good number to end on. No one ends a list on #7. Poor #7, it always gets over looked.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Walking in Memphis

This past weekend was pure bliss.

I took Friday off from work and drove an easy 4 hours to Memphis where I met a few of my best friends for a fabulous girls weekend. Nora (aka: Miss Law School Student & Marathoner) lives in a beautiful condo in the middle of downtown, which is where Kara (aka: Miss World Traveler & Lover of all things Chick-fil-A) and I met for our weekend of food and fun!

The beautiful lobby.


And the wonderful view from the rooftop.


When Nora, Kara, and I get together the main theme is always food! First thing we did was make a huge  batch of granola to snack on all weekend.

Friday night we got our BBQ fix at Rendezvous, which is famous for their amazing selection. After we stuffed our faces with pulled pork and barbecue nachos, we went back to Nora's and ate way too many of her famous Krispies.
Lets just say, we all went to bed with tummy aches. (However Saturday night was much worse; there was nothing left of batch number dos. Cough Nora Cough)

But that's okay, because we woke up early to get in a fabulous 3 mile run! I'm usually not motivated to run in the morning, but with these girls we kicked some major booty 2 days in a row!
We were exhausted!
After cleaning up, we stuffed our faces again at the Blue Plate Cafe for breakfast. Yum! While I never thought I'd be a city girl, the fact that all the restaurants were in walking distance was quite convenient and charming! I might be convinced to give up a big yard and move to a city after all.

Oh, in the middle of all the face stuffing I did get my veggies in. See that little, bitty, tiny sugar snap pea? Yea, I ate that. No big deal.
And what is a girl's weekend without a dance party? We watched Step-Up 3, but we shouldn't have wasted our time...we already knew all the moves.


Side note: I burned my hair in a candle. How a person with short hair leans far enough over to burn her hair, I do not know. But I do know this: burnt hair does not smell nice however it does result in rolling laughter for hours afterwards.

I am so blessed to have these amazing women in my life. It doesn't matter how long we have been apart, friends who are soul-mates stay close no matter the distance. I love listening to their life's troubles, accomplishment, and dreams and I know I can spill out mine without hesitation. We can talk for hours or sit in silence with complete comfort in just being with each other. I pray that you have friends as dear and true as this.

Kara and Nora, I love you!!! Can we please do this again soon?!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Penny Saved; Penny Earned

If you know me, you know that I am a Type A personality: My life makes sense when my kitchen is clean and the laundry is put away; Late to pay a bill? NEVER; I get annoyed when my socks get placed in my underwear drawer; my grocery list is organized by Walmart's layout...and if I suddenly remember an item, I feel compelled to re-write my list.

I could continue, but I will stop before I embarrass myself. (Wait, I already did that). 

One thing that Type A personalities like myself love is a budget. Oh, ladies and gentleman, how I love my budget! First, I create a spreadsheet of projected earnings, spending, and saving for the upcoming month. And then at the end of that month, I sit for an hour or two and count every dollar we spent and squeal for joy at the results. (This is about the time where I make Josh listen to my analysis of where we went wrong or what we did right, and then continue with what needs to be changed.) Each time our budget is tweaked a bit, but the foundation stays the same: Save more, spend less.

Now, in regard to my NYR, I have set a goal of saving 20% of our yearly income. With our spending habits this should be 100% possible, with maybe some overachieving as well. Here is a breakdown of what our projected spending is each month (after taxes, insurance, and retirement):

Rent/Utilities: 37.5%
Personal/Health care: 3%
Home decor/set up: 2.5%
All things Walmart: 15% (yes, Walmart has it's own section...we should invest)
Entertainment/eating out: 3%
Alex's fun money: 5%
Josh's fun money: 5%
Misc. expenses: 3%
Total Spending: 73%
Total Savings: 27%

Now, we actually won't be saving a total of 27% because some of it goes towards Josh's school (We are lucky and don't have to take out any loans.) But, if it all works out, we should meet our NYR with flying colors! 

And remember, as my favorite Yiddish Proverb says, 'With money in your pocket, you are wise and you are handsome and you sing well too.'

Psst!
Want to know more about smart spending and saving? My hands-down favorite budgeting blog is The Simple Dollar. I've learned so much about all things money, and it is explained in a way that even I can understand!



Friday, January 7, 2011

Just Because

Because I can laugh at myself


Because, sometimes, you can't take life too seriously


Because I am married and no longer feel the need to always look presentable


Because I'm me


I don't mind posting this:


What is this horrible mohawk/mullet/Conan O'brien hairdo?

Someone, please come save my husband.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Sew Much fun!

You'd think I have steam under my butt or something... I have already began tackling one of my 2011 resolutions ! Surprised I am this motivated? Yea, me too!

Josh and I spent the Sunday after New Years cleaning and de-Christmasing our house. Who knew real Christmas trees are so dad-gum messy!? I am so glad to have my house put away and organized again; my type-A personality really starts to shine when I clean.


With the smell of a clean house and residual energy hanging around, I set my sight on a new project: a purty camera strap! I've been wanting to make one ever since I received my camera and it seem like the perfect time to dust off my beautiful sewing machine and get to work.

I used this site as a tutorial and it was actually extremely easy!

I had some cute fabric lying around, so I cut it out using appropriate measurements and backed it with lining to give it some structure and cushion.


Then I double folded the edges and sewed away!



I followed the instructions and sewed 3 lines for a nice clean finish.



Once I sewed the right-sides together, the real fun sucky part started: turning it inside-out.


Ugh, this part sucked! My little fingers were so tired.

And here are my multiple attempts to take a picture of the finished strap. Not the easiest thing to do when the strap is attached to your camera.


I had so much fun with this little project and I'm dying to start something new! Possibly something for a wee-little one? No, not mine! Don't freak out. A friend of mine is due in June and I am eager to find out the gender so I can get to work! (Did I almost scare you there for a minute?)

PS. My husband is currently watching Paranoia Activity and it's freaking me out! I hate scary movies, especially ones about demons. 

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The New Year

Happy New Year!
(picture from Jessi)

I can't believe 2010 is over and we are in the year of two-thousand-eleven...Where are the flying cars? Shouldn't we be teleporting by now?

We started 2011 off right: with a dance party, games, great food, and amazing friends.
(Picture from Jessi)

I would like to make a big statement and say the 2010 was easily the best year of my life. This past year was HUGE in every way possible:

Josh and I rang in the 2010 New Year newly engaged and spent the first 4 months planning the start of our marriage.

In the same weekend, I graduated with my master's degree in Speech Language Pathology and married the most amazing man I've ever met.

And I watched many dear friends marry their best friends as well.

Then we moved 2 1/2 hours away from friends and family so I could pursue an amazing job opportunity.

Oh, and I ran two half marathons.

Now that 2011 is here and shining with new possibilities, I am eager to set some new year resolutions! I love making resolutions; I love having goals for the year and being able to cross it off the list! Previous resolutions include:
No fast-food for the year - Accomplished x2 without a hitch!
No soda for a year- easy peesy.
Run a 5K- I used the Couch-2-5K program and it changed my life.
Run a half marathon- Check x3!

I have so much to hope for in 2011 and I know I can accomplish it all! My 2011 resolutions include:

1. Run a 5K, 10K, and half marathon; and set a new PR
I want to be comfortable racing across all distances and I love the idea of diversifying my racing experiences, especially with 10Ks. And I want to work on speed as well!

2. Save 20% of our yearly income
Josh and I have so many things we want to plan for, but I was raised with the mindset that, if you don't have the money for it, you can't buy it. So if I want that new car, we better save-save-save because taking out a loan is not an option! And even though we aren't ready to buy a house, it's never to early to start saving!

3. Take a photography class
I'm a newbie when it comes to my SLR camera and I'd love to become a better photographer! I plan to take a simple 'How-To' class and see where it goes from there.

4. Become more confident in my sewing abilities.
This will just take time and practice. Bring on the projects!

May all your 2011 dreams and wishes come true!