Thursday, May 31, 2012

rando

random things that rule right now:

1.) my momma and her to-go gin and tonics. :)
2.) baby ford 
3.) drew's company made the "breakfast champions list in Glamour this month. they won in the frozen waffle department too. :) proud girlfriend :) 

4.) my new H & M dress that my sister picked out for me. such a fun blue! 

5.) and that bride they are talking about here? ME! ahhhh! Still cannot believe it :)
E is sooo talented
6.) my wedding venue has a koi pond. with ACTUAL fish in it. decoration ideas anyone? shall I dye the water or the fish pink? ;) just kidddinnngggggg drew! :)

7.) words of reassurance


8.) JUNE is almost here :) 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

width



Remember in 2004 when the media went crazy when professional football player Pat Tillman had been killed in Afghanistan?
He left the NFL, enlisted in the army and had only been in Afghanistan for three weeks.

It was also only a few months away from when Pat was going to marry his girlfriend for over a decade, Marie. 

I was reading a magazine this weekend and came across this article from Tillman's widow where she talks about a letter that Pat had left for her. A "just in case" letter he had written from an earlier deployment to Iraq.

They never really talked about the weirdness of opening it, so it just sat on the dresser. 

"through the years, I've asked a great deal of you, therefor it should surprise you little that I have another favor to ask.
 I ask that you live.

Pat's last letter to me now is safely tucked away in a shoebox in the home I share with my husband, Joe, whom I married last year. I also met him through work, an while the conversation on our first date ranged from pop culture to the minutiae of our lives, we were communicating something very different. We had both weathered our share of disappointment and loss, but we remained open to life. 
I didn't know where that evening with a kind interesting man would lead, but that night proved I had not been broken.

I could travel alone, make decisions alone and kick myself out of a funk. I could contribute to the world.

I think that's what Pat meant when he asked me to live-not only to have fun but to understand that there is a weight to life, and he didn't want me to be frivolous with mine. 
it is a tragedy that Pat's life ended too soon.
But it's also a tragedy to live a long life that isn't meaningful. 
A life should have depth, which means pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. It has taken years, but I am at that point now. I am truly and deeply living."



i think that's not only what Pat wants us to do, but the families and loved ones of all the people who have lost their chance to live, in order to give us one. 

we should probably make sure that it counts. :)

Monday, May 28, 2012

Whatcha Weigh Monday?!


oh dear. 

is it really monday?

i am such a creature of habit, so the fact that Weight Watchers was going to be closed on Monday for Memorial Day really threw me off. 

In fact, may I blame my not so fabulous eating this weekend on that? :)

no, no and no. :)

so I wasn't able to use the WW scales this morning, which I usually use at 7AM before I have eaten anything.

That being SAID, this good ole monday weigh in is being done on the scale at home, on the bathroom floor and at 5:30PM. :)

sooo.... welll....8.1 pound difference from last Monday morning. 

different scale, different time of day, lots of fun foods for Memorial Day weekend. :/


buuuuuuut. i have got some major motivation.



this baby is now in mmmyyyy possession. well, that is until I go to visit the seamstress next monday with my undergarments and shoes :) 


okay. I don't think I have ever in my ENTIRE life worked out in anything that wasn't a t-shirt or a ribbed/dri-fit tank top. 

buuuut. saturday we ran stairs. like 20 sets. in the 80 degree weather. and i just didn't wanna wear a boring old cotton t-shirt. 

so here we are. 

love handles and all. but i tell ya. MUCH much better. :)



so here's to the next 12 weeks. :)

and beyondddd...... :) 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Sunday Funday

friendship isn't a big thing, it's a million little things.

like jen spending her sunday evening painting and researching ideas for the wedding centerpieces.

Marshmallows and red wine were provided :)

Saturday, May 26, 2012

there are my confessions...

1.) i jumped on the bandwagon and got colored pants. coral to be exact. :) drew made soo much fun of me so i had to chuckle yesterday morning when I opened my email and saw he had sent me a picture of his man-crush rocking coral pants too. :) he apologized for making fun of me. me and d-wade the twinners. :)

2.) I told Drew that his handwriting looked like a 5th grader. is that rude? i thought i was just stating the obviously. not that it matters... because his notes and their location so that I don't miss them are the cutest things EVER. aka. RIGHT in the middle of the hallway. :) 

3.) i was SOOO upset that I didn't have a camera with me on my run a few nights ago. the sunset was sooo pretty. I literally lamented for a good mile, until I realized... wait... i am listening to music on my phone. ohh I DO have a camera with me. hehe. it also was a GREAT reason to stop running and take a "photo break". i mean come on. these sunset shots don't come around that often. it was just coincidence that i had to stop and take this pic right before the steep steep hill :) 

4.) i am obsessed with Wendy's vanilla frosties. the amount I have consumed is embarrassing. at least I get the kid size right? right! :) it's allll about portion control.

5.) i just ate a Drumstick and now I have to go run stairs with my cousin and his wife. we are going to try and go up and down 10 times. and it's like 80 degrees. and Bud Light Platinum was my bff last night. 


happy saturday :) 



Friday, May 25, 2012

Good Reminder, Joyce! :)

true that, home girl. 

and I forget it ALL the time.

when I'm in the midst of one of my wedding-planning bridezilla freakout moments  or when I just feel like the day has sucked and i have GOT to be one of the biggest failures ever (maybe the day that I ate 4 skinnycow icecream bars and called it lunch, or the day I decided I really, really am not good at my job after the fourth person in a row hung up on me on the phone,)

I feel like that is not the day God is going to use me to show His love.  I don't have it all together and there is NO way He would want to use me as an example of what He can do.

but, once again. I have it wrong.



those are the exact moments He wants to use me, whether I like it or not. :)



Thursday, May 24, 2012

two goals for this weekend:

last weekend i heard people talking about both of these things. pure brilliance.

i cannot stop thinking about them.

what do i hope to accomplish this weekend?

make both of these things:


angel food cake french toast. 

why stop there? pound cake french toast? why not birthday cake french toast? you know you wanna :)


wine popsicles

well this is sure fun. combining two great summertime favorites. :) and once again, don't stop there. what about a margarita popsicle?

i will let you know how my weekend kitchen experiences turn out ;) 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Brain Dump

do any of you guys have these weird, ineffective tendencies?

like instead of planning a wedding, moving out and enjoying SPRING and the last three months of single hood, I have decided I must bake at least twice a week, and work on crafts?

just some lovely little things that have taken up room in my lovely little mind as of late.

1.) FOOD COLORING SPRAY CANS!!!!!

who knew there was such a thing? my life is forever changed. 

2.) if ya know my lovely mother, you know how much she LOVES the 4th of july and the American flag :) we finally ordered here this cute pallet board artwork from etsy for mother's day. i will not be surprised if it stays up all year round and she sets up speakers behind it that play "Proud to be an American" 24-7. 
3.) my manly man has decided that his man-cave room at the lake house would look nice in an "apricot" hue. :) these are some remnants of our painting adventures. 
4.) i have had to give up on my idea of pink lanterns for my wedding centerpieces :( that's okay though, on to bigger and better things. :) but really? i am OBSESSED with these things. aren't they cute?

5.) we had our Relay for Life Garage sale. look. at. all. of. these. shoes. 

if you saw a sign that said, "SHOES. $.50 each"
would you think that meant per pair or per shoe?
very misleading if you do ask me. poor marketing skills grandma :) 
and then one guy asked if he could mix and match.. NO JOKE. really? how would that even work???? "yeah sure, please take on flipflop and one moccasin. that makes so much sense. yeah. do it." 




ahh. see? i already feel so much better. now there is some room in my brain to start thinking about much more important things, such as wedding DJ music lists, dessert tables and  about what I am going to have for dinner. :) 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

my swimming, stylish man

i've seen all over the news and web lately that a study was recently  conducted that is showing the most desirable traits in a man, according to women. :)

just what do ladies want?

apparently, they want a man who is:

1. 6 feet tall
2. toned and athletic
3. brown eyes
4. short dark hair
5. smart dress sense
6. beer drinker
7. non-smoker
8. wears smart jeans, shirt and a v-neck jumper
9. gets ready in 17 minutes
10. stylish
11. wants a family
12. earns $77,000 a year
13. loves shopping
14. eats meat
15. clean shaven
16. smooth chest
17. watches soaps
18. enjoys watching football
19. drives an Audi
20. educated to degree level
21. earns more than his other half
22. jokes around and has a laugh
23. sensitive when his wife/girlfriend is upset
24. says 'i love you' only when he means it
25. admits it when he looks at other women
26. has a driver's license
27. can swim
28. can ride a bike
29. can change a tire
30. calls mom regularly

what a v-neck jumper is, I do not know. 

nor do I want a man who watches soaps. 

i dunno if i would feel any different towards drew if he didn't have a driver's license? 

this list is silly. 

and reminds me yet again just how silly psychological studies can be. silly psychology major. thanks a lot.  thank you for providing me the skills to conduct helpful studies like this. :) 

Monday, May 21, 2012

Whatcha Weigh Monday?



and here we are again. 

:)

my friend has JUST asked me what it's like at WW when I get on the scale and the number goes up. 

After a few consecutive weeks of losing/and or maintaining, I think it's easy to forget that not fun feeling when there is a lovely PLUS sign. 

I shrugged, and told her "eh, it's not that bad."

so was it coincidence when this rainy morning I showed up at WW and hopped on that scale, to see a + sign?

and not just any old plus sign. a big ole 1.4 pounds behind that + sign :(

I mean,  I did eat a bacon burger, a few cupcakes, some chicken wings, carrot cake, frozen yogurt and like 7 diet cokes over the course of the week.  ohh and some hotdogs, donuts and my grandma's delicouussss cookies. 

and the workout department? I mean I worked out, but never to were I really was "uncomfortable." Like yeah. walking on the treadmill at no incline is a liiiitle different than walking up a hill. I think I knew I was taking things a little easier, which is totally FINE, I just shouldnt have been so shocked at weigh in today. 

so I am trying to heed my own advice, what I said happened when I got a gain. 

"eh, not that big of a deal."

and in the grand scheme of things? it's not. 

so i'm gonna suck it up, and instead of wanting to cry and go through the McDonald's drive-thru and get an egg-muffin, I am gonna smile, eat my greek yogurt and lace up those running shoes tonight :) 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Too much cuteness!

Is there ANYTHING cuter than a toddler swimsuit? Okay. Maybe a baby. And my new wine glass charm is
pretty darn cute, too.

I don't want the weekend to be over :(

Too much cuteness :)

security

"one of the most common human claims is that we can't change the way we feel.

that may be true, but we can change the way we think, which will change the way we act. 

and as we change the way we act, the way we feel also begins to change."

~beth moore



so many times I think about how maybe I am not MEANT to be secure and confident. sometimes I self-confidence is just a character trait that I don't have and will never have. 


maybe i just wasn't made to have a bikini-ready bod that can hit the beach at any given second and not be self-conscious. maybe i am not MEANT to receive compliments without blushing. sometimes I think i think my personality is just one full of self-doubt. 


Ya know what?


WRONG. I may not know exactly what God has in mind when a job opens up in another city (should i take it or stay?) and sometimes God's will is super confusing. By my car breaking down on the side of the road does that mean I SHOULD go to Seattle or is that a sign that I need to stay home? :) 


Security is NOT one of this topics where God makes his timing unclear or up for debate.


There is no, "yeah, I think that right now in my life, God wants me to feel like I am not smart enough to go back to grad school. Maybe he is trying to show me another direction."


Nope. Being insecure doesn't do US any good or God any good.


God plan for us is absolutely, 100% to be secure.


don't need to pick up another self-help book. don't need to wait until you are sure you deserve it. don't need to lose 5 more pounds from your muffin top before you think you deserve something. You do. 


and after you ask Him for it? Consider it done. :)




this is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything acording to his will, he hears us. and if we know that he hears us, we know that we have what we asked of him. 
~1 john 5:14-15

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Don't you think that the "celebration stations" around town yesterday for Bike to Work/School Day could have had some more inspiring goodies?

Very motivating. This and my green banana sure make me want to bike to work more often.

And yes. I stopped at two of these stations to make sure I wasn't missing out. :)

Anddd to add insult to injury, the station worker guy asked if I wanted him to hold my bike while I got my "goodies." I said, "no thanks. I have a kickstand."

I have never seen someone laugh so hard? Apparently kickstands are a thing of the past?!? Beats me :)

Friday, May 18, 2012

breaking news

Three months from TODAY I will become a wife!

Seriously? Ahhhhhh! Sooo excited but soooo much to do. :)

Say a prayer that the next 90 days are fun and smooth sailing and that I don't go crazy and have a bunch of wedding pictures like this. I've been looking at this picture whenever I feel like I'm about to go over the edge and it just cracks me up. Isn't it just so
awkward??!? Ohh weddings.

Quote of the day:

My dad- "I wish we could plan this wedding again. I've learned so much." :)

National ------- Day!

For some reason I get an email that tells me about every single "national" holiday. Like National Donut Day or Wear Your Hair Curly Day. Nope, I'm not even kidding.

I also like to make sure everyone else knows about these :)

I thought today was National Devil's Food Cake Day. So I had to bring these in my backpack (because it was ALSO Ride Your Bike to Work
day!) stupid scheduling if ya ask me :)

After stuffing my face with these caramel devil's food cake brownies, I realized that day is actually TOMORROW! Whoops.

Today? National Pizza Party Day.

My bad.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Who needs a dishwasher?

And I always wondered why his dishwasher was NEVER running. I found his secret...

Happy Friday! :)

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

circumstances

i have been in quite the bad mood as of lately.

the problems that are "ruining" my life:


no lie. i sat in the macy's shoe department for 41 minutes deciding which of these three types of Sperry's to buy. I still cannot decide. it stresses me out whenever i think about it.


no one in the flipping Happy Nails would take a grandma/mom/sister/little sister picture of us at our Mother's Day pedicures. ugh. is a group shot that much to ask for? needless to say, i didn't leave Happy Nails very happy.


i can NOT for the life of me find a good stain/paint/whitewash that I want to use for wedding crafts.
this pink was a liiiiiiiitle bright for the look I was going for. The cashier at Lowe's asked if "I liked pink". She thought she was soo funny. :/


i can NOT decide what I want to do with these annoying little pails that are so stinking cute i can hardly stand it. what? you don't think they should be silverware holders at the wedding? either does my mom. :/

and wedding invitations? WHY oh WHY does there need to be SOOOO many options? i want simple. no, i want sweet and precious. no, i want modern. no, I want vintage. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? ahh
.

see? valid reasons to hate the world.

so. it fnally the ish hit the fan when i read this over at this blog.

kelly was talking about her friend Janet that has been fighting cancer. You can find all the details on Janet's blog, but something Kelly wrote really stuck out to me.

Janet was going in to find out if the cancer had spread, of if her treatments had been successful. Kelly said something along the lines that

she knew Janet would love the Lord and rejoice just as much if she found out the cancer had spread then if she found out the treatment had worked.

can you fathom that? I burst into tears. This amazing lady gave no room for her circumstances and life happenings to change her perspective. and I feel depressed because I can't decide on wedding invitations?

after a good cry I felt much better. I want to love Jesus like Janet does, regardless of what happens in my every-day petty-little life. cuz that's not what it's about.

but i will gladly accept suggestions for wedding invitations ;)


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I need your help!

so while we are making lots of progress with the wedding planning. there is one part that has not been decided.

in fact, it is barely talked about, because we just end up mad.

the groom/groomsmen attire...

drew has informed me that the reason he doesn't want to talk about it is because he think that if we run out of ideas and time is too close, i will let him wear a tuxedo. 

no no. not a tuxedo tuxedo. a tuxedo T SHIRT. i think he is kinda kidding, but i am not 100% sure?

the slogan? "look spiffy and still have enough money to get your drink on." perfect :)

 soo. if i don't come up with something quick, the boys will be rocking these. 

and i thought wedding dress shopping was hard. there are lots of options for the males too :)

we could go the vest route...

or the artistic look...


we could do grays?


or different shades of grays?


or what about the beachy khaki look?

in the khaki department there are lots of cloth options. i vote linen. every man i say this to shoots me down immediately. since when have they cared about wrinkles in their clothes?!?!

even if you decide on the main color, tie or no tie? colored ties? different colored ties?




then we thought about mixing up the khaki/colors a little more?


too dark of khaki? what about some good ole seersucker? :) 



hahahah. oh man. if only drew knew I was really considering sticking him in seersucker. i am sure he has no idea what that even means, and just the mere mention of the word could probably convince him it's time to go shopping for his wedding clothes. seersucker or tuxedo shirt? i see a compromise on the horizon... ;)

Monday, May 14, 2012

Whatcha Weigh Monday?

and here we are yet again. guys, it is HALFWAY through may.

and almost three months till the wedding. :)

but not that this "healthy" business is about looking goooood in that wedding dress. it's about being healthy and happy :)

so this week was so great. :) i went out to dinner like 4 nights, breakfast twice, blizzards, frozen yogurt... :)

but ya know what I'm learning? we have choices everywhere we go :)

i swear if I had a fruit plate that looked like this everyday I would have NO problem getting down my 3 servings of fruit :) 

ohh and not to mention all the cake this week. It was a co-workers birthday and then we celebrated staff appreciation day and had a HUGE sheet cake all week at work :) i had a little piece of cake every single day last week. but ya know what? when you don't freak out and obsess over it, a 2 inch by 2inch little piece of cake is MORE than enough. crazy. I never thought I would be satisfied with that little thing. but alas, I was :)

and ya know what else helps? good old fashioned exercise. drew has decided that he really likes his Under Armour neon gree shirt... :) when I wear pink we are quiiiite the hot couple sweating on the trails. NOT. we look like we are trying to be cool and fit into the neon trend but are a little old to be hip :)

all i know is that I have to wear my sunglasses when we run because I literally can't look at that silly shirt without getting a migraine. :)


so weigh in this morning...

dun dun dun....

+/- 0.00

That's right. i didnt lose or gain a single OUNCE this week.

buuuut considering all the fun stuff I ate, I will consider it a good week :)

it's all about balance, and this is seriously the first time in like 5 years that I am getting the hang of it....

:)

Thursday, May 31, 2012

rando

random things that rule right now:

1.) my momma and her to-go gin and tonics. :)
2.) baby ford 
3.) drew's company made the "breakfast champions list in Glamour this month. they won in the frozen waffle department too. :) proud girlfriend :) 

4.) my new H & M dress that my sister picked out for me. such a fun blue! 

5.) and that bride they are talking about here? ME! ahhhh! Still cannot believe it :)
E is sooo talented
6.) my wedding venue has a koi pond. with ACTUAL fish in it. decoration ideas anyone? shall I dye the water or the fish pink? ;) just kidddinnngggggg drew! :)

7.) words of reassurance


8.) JUNE is almost here :) 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

width



Remember in 2004 when the media went crazy when professional football player Pat Tillman had been killed in Afghanistan?
He left the NFL, enlisted in the army and had only been in Afghanistan for three weeks.

It was also only a few months away from when Pat was going to marry his girlfriend for over a decade, Marie. 

I was reading a magazine this weekend and came across this article from Tillman's widow where she talks about a letter that Pat had left for her. A "just in case" letter he had written from an earlier deployment to Iraq.

They never really talked about the weirdness of opening it, so it just sat on the dresser. 

"through the years, I've asked a great deal of you, therefor it should surprise you little that I have another favor to ask.
 I ask that you live.

Pat's last letter to me now is safely tucked away in a shoebox in the home I share with my husband, Joe, whom I married last year. I also met him through work, an while the conversation on our first date ranged from pop culture to the minutiae of our lives, we were communicating something very different. We had both weathered our share of disappointment and loss, but we remained open to life. 
I didn't know where that evening with a kind interesting man would lead, but that night proved I had not been broken.

I could travel alone, make decisions alone and kick myself out of a funk. I could contribute to the world.

I think that's what Pat meant when he asked me to live-not only to have fun but to understand that there is a weight to life, and he didn't want me to be frivolous with mine. 
it is a tragedy that Pat's life ended too soon.
But it's also a tragedy to live a long life that isn't meaningful. 
A life should have depth, which means pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. It has taken years, but I am at that point now. I am truly and deeply living."



i think that's not only what Pat wants us to do, but the families and loved ones of all the people who have lost their chance to live, in order to give us one. 

we should probably make sure that it counts. :)

Monday, May 28, 2012

Whatcha Weigh Monday?!


oh dear. 

is it really monday?

i am such a creature of habit, so the fact that Weight Watchers was going to be closed on Monday for Memorial Day really threw me off. 

In fact, may I blame my not so fabulous eating this weekend on that? :)

no, no and no. :)

so I wasn't able to use the WW scales this morning, which I usually use at 7AM before I have eaten anything.

That being SAID, this good ole monday weigh in is being done on the scale at home, on the bathroom floor and at 5:30PM. :)

sooo.... welll....8.1 pound difference from last Monday morning. 

different scale, different time of day, lots of fun foods for Memorial Day weekend. :/


buuuuuuut. i have got some major motivation.



this baby is now in mmmyyyy possession. well, that is until I go to visit the seamstress next monday with my undergarments and shoes :) 


okay. I don't think I have ever in my ENTIRE life worked out in anything that wasn't a t-shirt or a ribbed/dri-fit tank top. 

buuuut. saturday we ran stairs. like 20 sets. in the 80 degree weather. and i just didn't wanna wear a boring old cotton t-shirt. 

so here we are. 

love handles and all. but i tell ya. MUCH much better. :)



so here's to the next 12 weeks. :)

and beyondddd...... :) 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Sunday Funday

friendship isn't a big thing, it's a million little things.

like jen spending her sunday evening painting and researching ideas for the wedding centerpieces.

Marshmallows and red wine were provided :)

Saturday, May 26, 2012

there are my confessions...

1.) i jumped on the bandwagon and got colored pants. coral to be exact. :) drew made soo much fun of me so i had to chuckle yesterday morning when I opened my email and saw he had sent me a picture of his man-crush rocking coral pants too. :) he apologized for making fun of me. me and d-wade the twinners. :)

2.) I told Drew that his handwriting looked like a 5th grader. is that rude? i thought i was just stating the obviously. not that it matters... because his notes and their location so that I don't miss them are the cutest things EVER. aka. RIGHT in the middle of the hallway. :) 

3.) i was SOOO upset that I didn't have a camera with me on my run a few nights ago. the sunset was sooo pretty. I literally lamented for a good mile, until I realized... wait... i am listening to music on my phone. ohh I DO have a camera with me. hehe. it also was a GREAT reason to stop running and take a "photo break". i mean come on. these sunset shots don't come around that often. it was just coincidence that i had to stop and take this pic right before the steep steep hill :) 

4.) i am obsessed with Wendy's vanilla frosties. the amount I have consumed is embarrassing. at least I get the kid size right? right! :) it's allll about portion control.

5.) i just ate a Drumstick and now I have to go run stairs with my cousin and his wife. we are going to try and go up and down 10 times. and it's like 80 degrees. and Bud Light Platinum was my bff last night. 


happy saturday :) 



Friday, May 25, 2012

Good Reminder, Joyce! :)

true that, home girl. 

and I forget it ALL the time.

when I'm in the midst of one of my wedding-planning bridezilla freakout moments  or when I just feel like the day has sucked and i have GOT to be one of the biggest failures ever (maybe the day that I ate 4 skinnycow icecream bars and called it lunch, or the day I decided I really, really am not good at my job after the fourth person in a row hung up on me on the phone,)

I feel like that is not the day God is going to use me to show His love.  I don't have it all together and there is NO way He would want to use me as an example of what He can do.

but, once again. I have it wrong.



those are the exact moments He wants to use me, whether I like it or not. :)



Thursday, May 24, 2012

two goals for this weekend:

last weekend i heard people talking about both of these things. pure brilliance.

i cannot stop thinking about them.

what do i hope to accomplish this weekend?

make both of these things:


angel food cake french toast. 

why stop there? pound cake french toast? why not birthday cake french toast? you know you wanna :)


wine popsicles

well this is sure fun. combining two great summertime favorites. :) and once again, don't stop there. what about a margarita popsicle?

i will let you know how my weekend kitchen experiences turn out ;) 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Brain Dump

do any of you guys have these weird, ineffective tendencies?

like instead of planning a wedding, moving out and enjoying SPRING and the last three months of single hood, I have decided I must bake at least twice a week, and work on crafts?

just some lovely little things that have taken up room in my lovely little mind as of late.

1.) FOOD COLORING SPRAY CANS!!!!!

who knew there was such a thing? my life is forever changed. 

2.) if ya know my lovely mother, you know how much she LOVES the 4th of july and the American flag :) we finally ordered here this cute pallet board artwork from etsy for mother's day. i will not be surprised if it stays up all year round and she sets up speakers behind it that play "Proud to be an American" 24-7. 
3.) my manly man has decided that his man-cave room at the lake house would look nice in an "apricot" hue. :) these are some remnants of our painting adventures. 
4.) i have had to give up on my idea of pink lanterns for my wedding centerpieces :( that's okay though, on to bigger and better things. :) but really? i am OBSESSED with these things. aren't they cute?

5.) we had our Relay for Life Garage sale. look. at. all. of. these. shoes. 

if you saw a sign that said, "SHOES. $.50 each"
would you think that meant per pair or per shoe?
very misleading if you do ask me. poor marketing skills grandma :) 
and then one guy asked if he could mix and match.. NO JOKE. really? how would that even work???? "yeah sure, please take on flipflop and one moccasin. that makes so much sense. yeah. do it." 




ahh. see? i already feel so much better. now there is some room in my brain to start thinking about much more important things, such as wedding DJ music lists, dessert tables and  about what I am going to have for dinner. :) 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

my swimming, stylish man

i've seen all over the news and web lately that a study was recently  conducted that is showing the most desirable traits in a man, according to women. :)

just what do ladies want?

apparently, they want a man who is:

1. 6 feet tall
2. toned and athletic
3. brown eyes
4. short dark hair
5. smart dress sense
6. beer drinker
7. non-smoker
8. wears smart jeans, shirt and a v-neck jumper
9. gets ready in 17 minutes
10. stylish
11. wants a family
12. earns $77,000 a year
13. loves shopping
14. eats meat
15. clean shaven
16. smooth chest
17. watches soaps
18. enjoys watching football
19. drives an Audi
20. educated to degree level
21. earns more than his other half
22. jokes around and has a laugh
23. sensitive when his wife/girlfriend is upset
24. says 'i love you' only when he means it
25. admits it when he looks at other women
26. has a driver's license
27. can swim
28. can ride a bike
29. can change a tire
30. calls mom regularly

what a v-neck jumper is, I do not know. 

nor do I want a man who watches soaps. 

i dunno if i would feel any different towards drew if he didn't have a driver's license? 

this list is silly. 

and reminds me yet again just how silly psychological studies can be. silly psychology major. thanks a lot.  thank you for providing me the skills to conduct helpful studies like this. :) 

Monday, May 21, 2012

Whatcha Weigh Monday?



and here we are again. 

:)

my friend has JUST asked me what it's like at WW when I get on the scale and the number goes up. 

After a few consecutive weeks of losing/and or maintaining, I think it's easy to forget that not fun feeling when there is a lovely PLUS sign. 

I shrugged, and told her "eh, it's not that bad."

so was it coincidence when this rainy morning I showed up at WW and hopped on that scale, to see a + sign?

and not just any old plus sign. a big ole 1.4 pounds behind that + sign :(

I mean,  I did eat a bacon burger, a few cupcakes, some chicken wings, carrot cake, frozen yogurt and like 7 diet cokes over the course of the week.  ohh and some hotdogs, donuts and my grandma's delicouussss cookies. 

and the workout department? I mean I worked out, but never to were I really was "uncomfortable." Like yeah. walking on the treadmill at no incline is a liiiitle different than walking up a hill. I think I knew I was taking things a little easier, which is totally FINE, I just shouldnt have been so shocked at weigh in today. 

so I am trying to heed my own advice, what I said happened when I got a gain. 

"eh, not that big of a deal."

and in the grand scheme of things? it's not. 

so i'm gonna suck it up, and instead of wanting to cry and go through the McDonald's drive-thru and get an egg-muffin, I am gonna smile, eat my greek yogurt and lace up those running shoes tonight :) 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Too much cuteness!

Is there ANYTHING cuter than a toddler swimsuit? Okay. Maybe a baby. And my new wine glass charm is
pretty darn cute, too.

I don't want the weekend to be over :(

Too much cuteness :)

security

"one of the most common human claims is that we can't change the way we feel.

that may be true, but we can change the way we think, which will change the way we act. 

and as we change the way we act, the way we feel also begins to change."

~beth moore



so many times I think about how maybe I am not MEANT to be secure and confident. sometimes I self-confidence is just a character trait that I don't have and will never have. 


maybe i just wasn't made to have a bikini-ready bod that can hit the beach at any given second and not be self-conscious. maybe i am not MEANT to receive compliments without blushing. sometimes I think i think my personality is just one full of self-doubt. 


Ya know what?


WRONG. I may not know exactly what God has in mind when a job opens up in another city (should i take it or stay?) and sometimes God's will is super confusing. By my car breaking down on the side of the road does that mean I SHOULD go to Seattle or is that a sign that I need to stay home? :) 


Security is NOT one of this topics where God makes his timing unclear or up for debate.


There is no, "yeah, I think that right now in my life, God wants me to feel like I am not smart enough to go back to grad school. Maybe he is trying to show me another direction."


Nope. Being insecure doesn't do US any good or God any good.


God plan for us is absolutely, 100% to be secure.


don't need to pick up another self-help book. don't need to wait until you are sure you deserve it. don't need to lose 5 more pounds from your muffin top before you think you deserve something. You do. 


and after you ask Him for it? Consider it done. :)




this is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything acording to his will, he hears us. and if we know that he hears us, we know that we have what we asked of him. 
~1 john 5:14-15

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Don't you think that the "celebration stations" around town yesterday for Bike to Work/School Day could have had some more inspiring goodies?

Very motivating. This and my green banana sure make me want to bike to work more often.

And yes. I stopped at two of these stations to make sure I wasn't missing out. :)

Anddd to add insult to injury, the station worker guy asked if I wanted him to hold my bike while I got my "goodies." I said, "no thanks. I have a kickstand."

I have never seen someone laugh so hard? Apparently kickstands are a thing of the past?!? Beats me :)

Friday, May 18, 2012

breaking news

Three months from TODAY I will become a wife!

Seriously? Ahhhhhh! Sooo excited but soooo much to do. :)

Say a prayer that the next 90 days are fun and smooth sailing and that I don't go crazy and have a bunch of wedding pictures like this. I've been looking at this picture whenever I feel like I'm about to go over the edge and it just cracks me up. Isn't it just so
awkward??!? Ohh weddings.

Quote of the day:

My dad- "I wish we could plan this wedding again. I've learned so much." :)

National ------- Day!

For some reason I get an email that tells me about every single "national" holiday. Like National Donut Day or Wear Your Hair Curly Day. Nope, I'm not even kidding.

I also like to make sure everyone else knows about these :)

I thought today was National Devil's Food Cake Day. So I had to bring these in my backpack (because it was ALSO Ride Your Bike to Work
day!) stupid scheduling if ya ask me :)

After stuffing my face with these caramel devil's food cake brownies, I realized that day is actually TOMORROW! Whoops.

Today? National Pizza Party Day.

My bad.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Who needs a dishwasher?

And I always wondered why his dishwasher was NEVER running. I found his secret...

Happy Friday! :)

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

circumstances

i have been in quite the bad mood as of lately.

the problems that are "ruining" my life:


no lie. i sat in the macy's shoe department for 41 minutes deciding which of these three types of Sperry's to buy. I still cannot decide. it stresses me out whenever i think about it.


no one in the flipping Happy Nails would take a grandma/mom/sister/little sister picture of us at our Mother's Day pedicures. ugh. is a group shot that much to ask for? needless to say, i didn't leave Happy Nails very happy.


i can NOT for the life of me find a good stain/paint/whitewash that I want to use for wedding crafts.
this pink was a liiiiiiiitle bright for the look I was going for. The cashier at Lowe's asked if "I liked pink". She thought she was soo funny. :/


i can NOT decide what I want to do with these annoying little pails that are so stinking cute i can hardly stand it. what? you don't think they should be silverware holders at the wedding? either does my mom. :/

and wedding invitations? WHY oh WHY does there need to be SOOOO many options? i want simple. no, i want sweet and precious. no, i want modern. no, I want vintage. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? ahh
.

see? valid reasons to hate the world.

so. it fnally the ish hit the fan when i read this over at this blog.

kelly was talking about her friend Janet that has been fighting cancer. You can find all the details on Janet's blog, but something Kelly wrote really stuck out to me.

Janet was going in to find out if the cancer had spread, of if her treatments had been successful. Kelly said something along the lines that

she knew Janet would love the Lord and rejoice just as much if she found out the cancer had spread then if she found out the treatment had worked.

can you fathom that? I burst into tears. This amazing lady gave no room for her circumstances and life happenings to change her perspective. and I feel depressed because I can't decide on wedding invitations?

after a good cry I felt much better. I want to love Jesus like Janet does, regardless of what happens in my every-day petty-little life. cuz that's not what it's about.

but i will gladly accept suggestions for wedding invitations ;)


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I need your help!

so while we are making lots of progress with the wedding planning. there is one part that has not been decided.

in fact, it is barely talked about, because we just end up mad.

the groom/groomsmen attire...

drew has informed me that the reason he doesn't want to talk about it is because he think that if we run out of ideas and time is too close, i will let him wear a tuxedo. 

no no. not a tuxedo tuxedo. a tuxedo T SHIRT. i think he is kinda kidding, but i am not 100% sure?

the slogan? "look spiffy and still have enough money to get your drink on." perfect :)

 soo. if i don't come up with something quick, the boys will be rocking these. 

and i thought wedding dress shopping was hard. there are lots of options for the males too :)

we could go the vest route...

or the artistic look...


we could do grays?


or different shades of grays?


or what about the beachy khaki look?

in the khaki department there are lots of cloth options. i vote linen. every man i say this to shoots me down immediately. since when have they cared about wrinkles in their clothes?!?!

even if you decide on the main color, tie or no tie? colored ties? different colored ties?




then we thought about mixing up the khaki/colors a little more?


too dark of khaki? what about some good ole seersucker? :) 



hahahah. oh man. if only drew knew I was really considering sticking him in seersucker. i am sure he has no idea what that even means, and just the mere mention of the word could probably convince him it's time to go shopping for his wedding clothes. seersucker or tuxedo shirt? i see a compromise on the horizon... ;)

Monday, May 14, 2012

Whatcha Weigh Monday?

and here we are yet again. guys, it is HALFWAY through may.

and almost three months till the wedding. :)

but not that this "healthy" business is about looking goooood in that wedding dress. it's about being healthy and happy :)

so this week was so great. :) i went out to dinner like 4 nights, breakfast twice, blizzards, frozen yogurt... :)

but ya know what I'm learning? we have choices everywhere we go :)

i swear if I had a fruit plate that looked like this everyday I would have NO problem getting down my 3 servings of fruit :) 

ohh and not to mention all the cake this week. It was a co-workers birthday and then we celebrated staff appreciation day and had a HUGE sheet cake all week at work :) i had a little piece of cake every single day last week. but ya know what? when you don't freak out and obsess over it, a 2 inch by 2inch little piece of cake is MORE than enough. crazy. I never thought I would be satisfied with that little thing. but alas, I was :)

and ya know what else helps? good old fashioned exercise. drew has decided that he really likes his Under Armour neon gree shirt... :) when I wear pink we are quiiiite the hot couple sweating on the trails. NOT. we look like we are trying to be cool and fit into the neon trend but are a little old to be hip :)

all i know is that I have to wear my sunglasses when we run because I literally can't look at that silly shirt without getting a migraine. :)


so weigh in this morning...

dun dun dun....

+/- 0.00

That's right. i didnt lose or gain a single OUNCE this week.

buuuut considering all the fun stuff I ate, I will consider it a good week :)

it's all about balance, and this is seriously the first time in like 5 years that I am getting the hang of it....

:)