a few of my favorite things!

Merry (late) Christmas everyone! Hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas! Mine was a little more enjoyable than I had originally anticipated with the amount of running around we. It also turned out to be much of a chore to ensure that that certain family members (read: in-laws) were kept happy to avoid any complaining (read: bitching) we've had to deal with many many times in the past. We are slowly learning how to handle situations such as these to be fair to everyone, though it never seems we're ever really fair to ourselves... (were we to put ourselves first however, we'd be accused of being selfish, rude, lacking-manners and class, etc. - this needs more explanation and will require an entire other post). All in all though, once I got a drink in my mother in-laws hand and took over in the kitchen, and wrapped all of the presents she hadn't had a chance to wrap, Christmas was as delightful as it could be. Family and friends were extremely generous and the hubs went all out! With a birthday on Christmas Eve Eve, I've accustomed to receiving bday/xmas gifts but this year it seemed like I received twice the amount and then some! Here are some of my favorite gifts from this Christmas!

Stella Watch by Fossil (I read Carrie Underwood bought this watch so I HAD to have it!)

Circles from Pottery Barn (I've wanted this for so so long but was too cheap to buy it! So excited to get it on the wall!)

Faux Fur Throw from Pottery Barn (love love love it!)

Rooster Door Mat from Pottery Barn (Ok - it was a PB Christmas apparently)

Ok well this was for the Hubs but sometimes I enjoy playing with him sometimes - nice way to get out some anger! :)

What were some of your favorite gifts?

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Hubs and I bought our first real tree for our first real house and the sight and smell of the tree when I walk through the door seems to have a calming effect on me and is more than welcome especially after the days I've been having at work. There are needles all over the floor but I'm going to say that it's completely worth it to get a real tree and getting to go choose a tree, your tree, with your family. I think we'll do the real thing for quite a while!

In other news our dog determined it would be a good idea to completely rip up the carpet and carpet pad, down to the plywood today while we were gone. Guess he didn't like the color? I have to keep telling myself that it's not his fault - we adopted him, and he came from a puppy mill where he wasn't treated well at all. He's a sweet dog and means well but has extreme anxiety when he is separate from us. We tried something different today (now that we have the tree up) and I guess he didn't like it... hence the shredding of the carpet...

Happy Holidays everyone!

is the doc for reals?

TMI Alert. (Well, maybe not, but it may be a bit more than you care to know...) I figure that since I've determined that "this is year", I should start doing a little research to see what exactly I could be getting myself into.

Each month, for close to 14 years I've suffered severe cramps with my period. At a young age, my gynecologist put me on a birth control pill to help lessen the severity of the cramps. For a while, the birth control seemed to help and the pain was bearable however, about 4 years ago I started realizing that the pill really wasn't doing the trick anymore. My doctor prescribed a stronger pill (more expensive as well - health insurance didn't cover this pill) which also didn't provide me with the relief I hoped it would. The gynecologist had thought the cramps were a result of cysts on my ovaries - I had sonograms done, proving otherwise - and the term endometriosis was tossed around but nothing was ever conclusive.

Endometriosis (if you don't know) is a condition where the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus actually grows outside of the uterus. The body sheds the lining in the uterus each month during menstruation, but the tissue that grows outside of the uterus obviously is not shed and over time can cause issues if/when a woman tries to get pregnant.

I'm surely not ruling this out as a possible problem, though my fingers and toes are crossed that there is no problem and maybe I'm just a big cry baby with no tolerance for pain. When I say that I suffer from severe cramps though, I mean that I suffer from severe cramps. My cramps have been so extreme over the past 14 years that my mom used to give me a shot of brandy (a remedy her mother used to "cure" my mothers cramps) before going to school and I will often sip on a glass of rum/brandy/wine to take the edge off! My cramps have forced me to miss school/work at times, leave me in tears, curled in a painful ball in my bed for hours and cause me to pop advil every other hour. The cramping affects my lower back as well and not even a heating pad does the trick.

A few years ago at my annual, I again (as usual) brought up my issue with cramps. I was told that aside from the pill, surgery and an increase in Vitamin-C and iron (which I try to remember to take when I know my  monthly pal is due to arrive) that the only way to permanently lessen the pain was to get pregnant. My mother had mentioned this to me before - wishful thinking on her part, or so I thought! When my doctor spoke those words my jaw nearly hit the floor - I couldn't believe what I was hearing! (Side note: I was 22 when my doctor first mentioned this to me - so this wasn't as out of line as it might have been had I been younger!)

Since I hope to get pregnant in the next year, I decided to finally do some research on this to see if the doctor was for reals or was just pulling my leg to get out of finding another way to help me! Turns out there are many message boards and articles regarding this issue. I learned a few things in my research, that my gynecologist never really discussed with me and I'm sure I didn't learn in sex ed in middle school.

Severe uterine pain is called dysmenorrhea. There are two types, primary and secondary, primary being the common type and occurring in women who have not had children, usually disappearing after a full-term pregnancy, secondary being caused by a disease in the uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries (endometriosis, PID, uterine fibroid tumors).

Like I said, I'm hoping I'm just a wuss, and am just not capable of handling even a little bit of pain and my fingers are crossed that I don't suffer from secondary dysmenorrhea. I guess only time will tell and if we run into any issues we'll cross that bridge when we get there. For the time being, I want to continue to learn all I can to ensure that things go as smoothly as they possibly can... at least the things that are in my control.

this is the year.

This is the year. I can feel it... or I think I can feel it. I'm hoping it's the year. The hubs and I have spoken quite a bit about the B word this past month. He's gotten slightly more comfortable discussing it though I think it's probably overkill for me to bring it up every day. I don't mean to, but it happens. I see an etrade commercial with the talking babies or our neighbors walking their baby around the neighborhood and I can't help but think about what it would be like to have one of our own. A friend of ours just posted belly shots on facebook and another friend went into labor last night. We're babysitting another friends newborn next weekend, I'm attending a baby shower the following weekend, and two of my cousins are pregnant, due around the same time. Needless to say, there are babies everywhere I turn.

This is the year. We're not getting any younger, I know we're not that old to begin with, but we're not getting any younger! I'm ready. I can feel it, mentally and emotionally that is, physically... well, that's another story. I'm not where I hope to be weight-wise (I hope to be 20lbs less when it happens) when I get pregnant knowing how much on average a woman gains when pregnant but I'll get there before it's time to start trying. I'm certainly emotionally ready. In the past I've felt pangs of anxiousness and nervousness at the thought of having a baby and though those emotions will never completely disappear, I've never felt so calm and ready. Sure it's a big change. Sure it's demanding, but I'm ready.

Is a guy ever ready though? Very rarely do I hear someone say that their husband is ready for a baby but they aren't. More often than not, it's the woman pushing for a child and the man constantly resisting. Hubs isn't so much resisting as he is trying to push it off into the unforeseeable future. It doesn't help that his mother continues to state her opinion that we are too young (we are both 27 - she had her first when she was 27...). Sticking to my timeline, we will have been married 2.5 years and we'll both be 28 by the time baby number one arrives. This feels really comfortable to me in that we didn't rush into having a baby (the hubs couldn't rush into anything if he tried... 10 years of dating before popping the question...), we enjoyed 2.5 years of wedded bliss sans child (and doesn't the birth of a child only make the love of a family grow that much stronger and greater?) Also, by the time we're ready for #2 and #3 (hubs wants 3 mind you...) we will be around 30 and 32 which seems pretty perfect to me.

I'm filled with joy at the thought of starting a family. The nervousness and anxiousness that I feel lies with my husband. I want him to feel ready. I want him to tell me he's ready. I don't want to feel like I've pushed this onto him; that I've pushed a baby that he's not yet ready for, onto him. I'm almost certain that this would ahem, ruin the moment, you might say... the time comes (no pun intended) and all I can think is "he doesn't want this, he doesn't want this" - doesn't seem like the way things should go, if you ask me. But how do you help a man prepare himself and feel ready? Is this how the majority of men think? Do most women ignore the un-readiness of the man and just go for it when they know they are ready? I almost feel like I have to push him in order for it to ever happen. If I didn't push and I just waited for him to come around, I'm 99.9% sure that I'd be in my late 30's, early 40's before having #1, and I don't know many women who want to wait that long.

I'm ready. I hope this is the year and I hope the hubs shares the same sentiment...

bottomless (thanksgiving) pit

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love the colors, I love the warm sweaters and I love curling up with a mug of hot chocolate, but most of all, I love the food.

Lately I've been doing really well with the working out/Jillian thing. I'm seeing huge results in my stamina and my breathing while working out. My legs feel strong and controlling my breathing while running is not a problem at all. 3 mile run - easy peasy

Enter, Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Needless to say, the scale is still not my friend. All I want to do is make and eat delicious food! Here are just some of the things I've been making - much more to come, I'm sure!

a little twist on apple crisps!

sweet and salty pumpkin seeds

creamy sweet potato soup

pumpkin bread

What do you crave in the fall? What are some of your favorite fall recipes?! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

and cute to boot!

I'm not one to follow trends, clothing/style trends that is. It may be because I don't want to look like every other girl walking down the street or simply because when I try to pull off the current trend, I fail miserably which then leads me to use the excuse of not wanting to "look like everyone else."

Sigh...

Which leads me to the main reason for writing this post. I want to rock the mid-calf boot, and I want to rock the hell out of it. I've never worn a boot, let alone purchase a boot and I'm not one to spend massive amounts of money on shoes or anything for that matter; I'm certainly not a spendthrift by any stretch of the imagination. But, when I happened upon this boot, I fell in love and felt more than willing and happy to spend the 90 bones these babies cost (and yes, I'm aware that $90 is actually not much to spend on a boot, especially when I saw boots for $325, but $90 for me is significant!)

Behold, the Steve Madden Candence Boot

Pulling up to my house today I spotted the perfectly boot-sized Amazon box, quickly parked, grabbed the box and ran into the house, throwing my purse to the floor and ripping the box open in an excited frenzy. I slipped off my flats and pulled the beautiful leather over my leg only to discover that my legs need to go on a diet, or try annorexia for a little.... something! The boot fits perfectly, but a bit too perfectly. I can fit a finger or two between the boot and my leg (side note: I don't have fat calves but they are definitely muscular after all the running and shredding I've been doing) which means that a skinny jean is going to be difficult to fit into the boot, leaving me with the option of leggins.

Like I said, I rarely rock a trend (normally because I don't know how) and I've never worn a boot... so, I now own a boot, but now what do I do?! Leggins scare me but I've never worn them so maybe they aren't as scary as I think. If I wear a leggin with the boots what do I wear on top? I need some ideas!

(These looks are super cute but, not gonna lie, they are going to make me look like I'm wearing a potato sack - not the look I'm going for, fyi)

Anyone have the same issue? Do you have muscular calves that preclude you from wearing the many cute boots you see girls with toothpicks as legs prancing around in? (no offense to the toothpicks out there - I envy you more than you'll ever know). Have you found a boot that fits you perfectly? Any go-to's for sweaters/shirts/accessories/etc. to wear with boots and leggins?

What trend have you attempted recently that you were worried about, but then totally rocked it out?

holiday headaches.

 Tis the season to be.... frustrated.

Hubs and I determined that it'd be best if we started discussing the holidays with our families early in an attempt to avoid some issues we knew would arise, and set plans in advance so that last minute decisions wouldn't have to be made.

This plan has apparently backfired.

Instead of asking if we could figure out plans for holidays we should have just stated what our plans were. Last year we spent Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with his family, so, to keep it fair, this year we'd rotate and spend Thanksgiving with hubs family and Christmas with my family. Well apparently hubs sister had different plans in mind which involved us spending Christmas again with their family (because it worked with her schedule and her boyfriends schedule). She told us that this would work best for her (because it's always about her) and then proceeded to tell hubs mother who obviously is thrilled.

Last night we received a somewhat nasty email (after we stated that to be fair we'd do the opposite of what we did last year) saying that she doesn't understand why it would be a big deal to do the same thing as last year and that it would be great for them all to be together for Christmas. (well, duh! what mother wouldn't want that?!)

Quick side notes: Both of our fathers have passed away, my mother re-married, hubs mother has not, and lives alone. She is very jealous and acts like a martyr when she spends weekends alone or when she cooks a meal for us. She had Christmas dinner for us last year and even after I offered to bring something or help her with the cooking, she complained that no one cut her any slack or helped her and that she works hard during the week and then had to make Christmas dinner. Sigh.... now maybe you see what I'm working with here...

Hubs and I are trying to stick to our guns and do the opposite of what we did last year, because honestly, it's only fair! It's my family's turn to spend Christmas with us. That's just the way it has to be! Right?

Does anyone have any experience with these issues? I used to love the holidays but now I'm not so sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We thought we were being fair but now we're being criticized for not compromising!

If you've read past posts of mine you'd know a little more about my SIL. She was able to get her way during my wedding, mostly because I didn't want to create (even though she was the one creating) any drama. ie. I wanted tea length dresses and because she didn't like her calves (ugh) she convinced me to choose longer bridesmaids dresses.

Please help! How do you divvy up the holidays?

shred update.

Ok, so, I'm feeling a little indifferent about 30 Day Shred at the moment...

The Positives:
1. Great work out for it being only 25 minutes (Jillians lies about it being 20, the dvd player tells me differently).
2. You can make the workout as easy or difficult as you want - varying weights/sinking deeper into moves, etc.
3. You don't have to go to the gym to get a workout in; you can work out in the comfort of your own home.
4. Going for runs has gotten a lot easier, I'm not getting winded as quickly and my legs feel a lot stronger.

The Not So Positives:
1. It's only 25 minutes... I know Jillian says it's all you need as long as you don't "phone it in" but in the end, like I said, it's only 25 minutes.
2. Hubs and I have been shredding fairly religiously (there were a few days that were skipped so it'll be more like 40 Day Shred - we've been jogging though, if we don't Shred) but recently I've noticed that the number on the scale keeps rising little by little each week and that I've developed what can only be described as a tummy pooch. Like I've said before - I've never been stick skinny but I've never been overweight and my stomach has always been somewhat flat (though not toned). The ab exercises have caused me to gain muscle under the fat on my stomach, causing me to have some strange bulges and pooches here and there... definitely not a fan.

Conclusion: Shredding = not enough cardio = muscle gain but no weight loss = higher number on the scale = tears.

So, I'm indifferent. I'm more than upset that my weight is climbing and I'm not noticing a huge difference in how my clothes fit, and I'm not pleased about the muscle bugles, but running has gotten a lot easier and I can feel my muscles getting toner.

I'm at a loss. I tried Jillians Metabolism Booster (50 minute workout) in addition to the 25 minute workout (boy does that kick your ass) and this morning I lost one whole pound! (note the sarcasm) I guess I'll continue with the workouts, especially as it gets colder and especially because I don't plan on shoveling out money to join a gym.

It was worth a shot... I think I'd still recommend it, but only as a supplemental workout to a higher intensity cardio workout. You do feel pretty good after the workout, and at least it's something for those who don't have a lot of time after/before work for an hour or two hour workout.

I think I'll keep you around a bit longer Jillian. Let's just lose the stomach pooches, please.

I'll cry if I want to...

lI'm starting to think I'm not very good at this life thing. I thought I had gotten better at it after I finished school which was an extremely rough time and not one I really want to go into right now. I was excited to have free time. I was excited to get a job, be able to take up new hobbies, buy a house and decorate, the list goes on and on.

I'm exhausted. I feel like I'm having a mental breakdown of sorts. Recently my boss has been giving me some trouble. He's one of those types who refuses to retire but probably should have retired by now. He's forgetful, he's getting slower and he's Type A with a need to have his shakey hand in every project. Needless to say, it's been difficult dealing with him, especially lately. I'm feeling some pressure on the project I'm leading and tirelessly trying to stay on schedule, with not much help from my boss who ultimately needs sign off on what I'm doing.

So, I come home exhausted, feeling upset and defeated. I have no energy to Shred (it's been 5 days - so much for 30 day shred), I eat cereal for dinner and I look around my house and get depressed about it's current state - the bedroom wall that needs a second coat of paint, the laundry that still needs to be folded and put away, the 30 year old coffee table and end tables we "inherited", projects I've started and have found no time to finish. I accidentally dropped a pack of tissues on the floor last week and for some reason haven't had the energy or found the time to pick them up... pathetic right?

I'm in need of a mental health day week. I need to re-motivate myself. I need to feel rejuvenated. That unfortunately doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon. I know I should just pick myself up, dust myself off and get over it, but I gave that a try and I failed. So until someone surprises me with vacation, pity party it is.

we're getting there... maybe?

This weekend has been much like every other weekend, the hubby and I running around like crazy, trying to accomplish a million mile long to do list and coming close to completing it while completely exhausting ourselves. The hubs has become a lot like me over the years (for this I feel horrible), making lists and feeling slightly worthless if he finds himself sitting still and relaxing for a few minutes - poor guy.

We are constantly having to remind ourselves that it's the weekend and that we need some down time so we're not sleeping through work the whole next week!

To do lists aside, the hubs and I had some time at dinner to discuss some things; things that I've always felt like he just wasn't ready to discuss seriously. Last night was different. He was actually open to discussing children, joking (about having kids in our late 30's) aside. We discussed our "timeline", the number of kids we want, other things we want to accomplish, places we want to travel, etc. etc. He even mentioned wanting to start a savings account for our little ones. This is certainly progress! I know that he's worried/scared about having kids, and I know that he thinks that life as he knows it will end once a baby comes along, but I think he's finally starting to realize the time constraints that women are under (though he does make it a point to mention that more and more women are having children later in life). A few years ago before we were married, I mentioned that I wanted to have a baby when I was 27, or shortly after turning 28. At that point, those years seemed far off. Not so much anymore. With the hubs recently turning 27 and my birthday coming in a few short months, he's starting to realize that time is kind of flying by... I think he's also starting to take notice of the number of friends who are either pregnant or just had a baby and, not that we have to keep up with the Jones's, realizing that our time is coming soon and that these discussions that I keep trying to have with him, are discussions that we really need to start having.

I think we might be getting there. I think we're making progress, and I'm thrilled.

Time to cross the last items off of our to-do list... shred, then...

... if only I was on the beach. Enjoy your Sunday night everyone!

uhhh....?

Dear Lady Gaga,
You are one hot mess but for some reason I can't look away. Looking forward to your concert in February.

Love,
a girl and a pearl.

What in the world does one wear to a Lady Gaga concert? Anyone been? What can I expect?

instant gratification.

I'm really not good at playing the waiting game. I like instant gratification, instant results. Today will mark Day 6 of 30-Day Shred. We've been doing Level 2 from Day 2 and I'm not sure we'll make it to Level 3 in this 30-Days of Shred (perhaps the next...) but Level 2 is difficult enough, especially after a 2 mile run. Now I know that Jillian says you only need 20 hardcore minutes of her workout a day to see results at the end of 30 days, but I'm not convinced. Even after a 2 mile run and 20 minutes of shredding, this morning of Day 6 I see no results... as far as the scale is concerned. I've been watching what I'm eating, though I haven't been as strict as I was before my wedding... I think I need a friend or relative to get engaged so that I have a goal to work towards... I've lost maybe 2lbs but that could be attributed to other things, if you catch my drift... I'm not going to give up, I'm going to make it through the 30 days, but it may be time for a reevaluation at that point... something's gotta give!

jillian says I'm on my way to being shredded.

I sure hope she's right! Day 1 of "30 Day Shred" took place yesterday. I'm feeling minimal pain in my legs after numerous squats but that's about it. Her program is totally doable and I'm hoping to bump it up to Level 2 shortly. After poking fun at the background music and saying "Oh, this ought to be good", I convinced the hubs to participate and let me tell you, 25 minutes later, sweat was rolling off his face! He didn't say another word...

I haven't jumped back on the WW (weight watchers) bandwagon quite yet... I'm going to get through this weekend of birthday celebrations first and then start hardcore, so I'm hoping that Jillian is right when she says that all you need is 20-25 minutes a day of her workout and not much else... Somehow I find this hard to believe but she seems to have been able to work miracles for plenty of people who were much much much worse off than I am.

Day 1, Level 1: complete
Day 2, Level 1: bring it on!

UPDATE: Day 2, LEVEL 2: complete.... much harder than level 1. Really feeling it this morning, but it feels good! Lost 1 lb... but that doesn't necessarily mean Jillian is a genius... yet.

sap-tastic!

I'm feeling a little sappy today. Maybe it's because I'm in a good mood because it's Friday or maybe because I'm emotional due to a certain visitor (sorry... TMI). Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you bloggers out there who I've discovered and who I continue to discover everyday. Your blogs have truly offered and provided me with an abundance of information, suggestions, inspirations and advice, some laughs and some tears and I'm grateful to have found all of you! I really enjoy reading all of your blogs and though I may not comment on everything you post, be certain that I'm reading each any every one! Life is certainly a journey that we're all on together and it's nice to know there will always been a community of women in the "cloud" who simply get it. I may only have 9 followers at the moment, but it means a lot that you read and comment on things I post. So,
 

to all you bloggers out there for keeping me informed and entertained!

where did my preppy mojo go?

If you've read my "About Me" section and some of my previous posts, you know that I was a tom-boy until my freshman year in high school when I started attending an all girls high school and began wearing over-sized pearl earrings and ribbons in my hair. I was still an athlete but the color pink found it's way into my heart, and my wardrobe, including shoes, sunglasses and undergarments! I enjoyed getting dressed up, wearing skirts, pearls, mascara and lip gloss. I loved shopping! I had become feminine. Yes!!

Lately however, I've been feeling very unfeminine. I don't wear much pink anymore; not that pink necessarily equates to femininity. I still wear pearls, often, but I have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror lately, especially when I no longer see the preppy, cute, feminine girl I used to be. I'm not sure what happened! I haven't changed all that much. Yes, I've aged and gained a little weight but I'm not overweight aka clothes don't fit that much different on me than they did 10 years ago (see Apple Pie for more on my weight). I still shop at the Loft, J.Crew, Banana Republic, etc. (though I don't take quite as much pleasure in going shopping anymore - it seems like more of a chore these days) but I feel like I have a hard time trying to find clothes that are flattering, that are work appropriate and can be paired with other items on the weekend. And, on top of all this, I have a certain aversion to accessories which I admit are generally lacking in all of my outfits. For some reason I can't seem to convince myself to buy a necklace or bangle, not matter how much I really want it, if it costs more than $20!

I see other women my age and wonder how they do it! I picture an outfit they are wearing on myself and soon realize that it would look absolutely different on me and not flatter me in the least. I wonder where they get the money to buy the $60 necklace they're wearing. Victoria Secret commercials depress the hell out of me. I could never be that skinny even if I starved myself, not that I want to be that skinny, but their skimpy bras and panties (sorry for those of you who are disgusted by this word... I'm right there with you) make them poster women of femininity. I've tried to venture outside my comfort zone of shopping purchases but always seem to find my way back to what I know, and what I thought was flattering me, making me look preppy, and allowing me feel feminine. Apparently this hasn't been the case. I see myself in pictures next to friends who I think always exude feminism and there I am... thought I looked good that night, but actually looked frumptastic. Why!

This post has been inspired by many of the bloggettes out there who post the WIWW blogs. Many of the clothes I see you wearing, I either own or have something similar, yet, they look feminine on you and not so much on me! How can this be!?!? I need help! I need some advice! I need a personal shopper! I've lost my mojo!

I'm sure there are times when you just don't feel too feminine (for me, it's more often than not)... what do you do or buy to make yourself feel more girly or feminine?

Advice of any kind is welcomed and encouraged! This is a cry for help! Don't let me walk around like this! (no offense J. Simp.- I love ya but those jeans weren't working for ya...)

first (of many) anniversary plans!

Because we wanted an outside wedding but still wanted it to be cool (I have a low tolerance for heat) we decided on an October wedding. Because we fell in love (as did many many other people) with the venue to hold the reception we didn't have much of an option for days. It was a Friday, or Halloween. Now, I have nothing against Halloween and nothing against anyone who chooses to get married on Halloween, but that's just not us. Therefore we were sort of left with a Friday which just happened to be the day before hubs mother's birthday.

At first I didn't think this would be a big deal, we'd sing happy birthday to her at the wedding, and celebrate a little the next day. For some reason I didn't think about the years to come... aka anniversary's/anniversary weekends away... this is still going to take some planning in the years to come but for our first anniversary we're going to stay pretty close, visiting some places we've talked about going for quite a while now.

Skyline Drive

Apple Picking

Vineyards

We'll get to spend some quality, quiet, relaxing alone time together in Virginia for a day and a half and make it back in time to celebrate MIL's birthday the next day. Phew! If momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy... even if it is our anniversary!

Definitely looking forward to getting away for a little while and certainly wondering where the time went! This year has just flown by; I feel like the wedding was just a short time ago!

freakout friday.

Do you ever feel like there's just never enough time in a day, a week, a month, a year?!?? That your to-do list grows exponentially each weekend and the number of things you add to that list far exceeds what you are actually crossing off that list? We've been homeowners for a little over 8 months now and I was well aware that home ownership would mean to do list's a plenty (and I was excited about it!)... but this is getting slightly ridiculous. I have to remember that it's not a race but, while I enjoy the updates and the opportunity to be creative in my own house, I just want it all done so that I can enjoy the rooms and have more time for other fun things and hobbies!

our kitchen with the carrot cake I made for the Easter Bunny!

We've slowly made our way through a few rooms and tried to get them each to a point we could live with but I'm starting to not be able to live with them anymore. The kitchen was the first room I tackled, painting the walls a mossy green (my newest color obsession), replacing door hardware with stainless steel knobs, finding a tall kitchen/bar table with 4 chairs that could also function as an island if I needed more counter space, and replacing the light fixture from a cheap, hideous fluorescent to an equally efficient track light type fixture and replacing all the outlet covers with brushed nickel plates (way more affordable than actual stainless steel). We found a fun, tall/skinny picture to put on the wall, some matching placemats and dishtowels and put a rug on the floor - done and done. The kitchen is the room we are the most proud of for the moment and we do enjoy spending time in there because it's the most done.

The rest of our house is painted a what I wish I could call beige, but is more like contractor pink... it's not a hideous shade of paint but it certainly doesn't go with any pieces of furniture, lamps, rugs, etc. that we have.

With the long weekend approaching, I'm trying to determine what should be next our my list to tackle. We have 3 bedrooms, one of which we have painted, is furnished (with my childhood furniture which probably needs to be refinished - but I'm feeling guilty about doing that for some reason), cute bedspread and pillows on the bed.... but nothing on the walls, no curtains, no pictures.... it's not quite there yet....

what I want (we'll get there... I hope)

I'm thinking our bedroom is next. With the amount of time that one spends in their bedroom, it should be a place of refuge, that's comfortable and warm... a place you want to be. Our bedroom at the moment... not so much. It's fully furnished, and we've added new faux-wood blinds in place of blinds that actually matched the color of the wall (eww) and the walls are just screaming for a fresh coat of paint. Our furniture is a mix of black nightstands, and wood dresser and headboard/footboard, not too light not too dark. Our duvet cover is green (obvi) but I'd say we're open to changing that up... we've had it for a few years now. Color suggestions are completely welcome!!!!

Here are some room inspirations....

maybe?

a little over the top? I like some of the things happening in this picture...

kinda? (I know hubs won't like)

Also, on another note, how do you feel about those stick to the wall decal kinds of things? Maybe in a guest room? Definitely in a childs room? Also, where do you have the most luck finding lamps? There is a lamp shortage in our house and we haven't been able to find anything we like!

Enjoy the long weekend everybody!

The hubs and I just experimented with spaghetti squash. I had never seen it in the grocery store and come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever actually heard of it. Boy, were they right on when they named this vegetable!

I think I'm in love. I was a little worried at first about what it would taste like and if it would resemble spaghetti in the least. Not only did it taste similar to spaghetti, I would argue it may even taste better! We combined the squash with butter, basil, chives, sage and garlic, after cooking the squash (cut in half longways) for 45 minutes. We threw in some tomatoes as well and gently tossed all of the ingredients over low heat in a skillet and topped it with parmigiano reggiano. It is so so soooo good! I found a few recipes from mothers who use the squash as a way to get their kids to eat vegetables without realizing they are actually eating vegetables! Ingenious and fairly simple!

mmm.

In other news, the hubs and I have our first anniversary coming up and while we're still discussing celebration options, we are more than excited to eat our cake! Our cake was probably the most delicious thing you'd ever eat in your life! (I'm not biased or anything!)

We went fairly non-traditional with a Tres Leches cake with a meringue topping and raspberry sauce on the side. It's a very light cake that sort of melts in your mouth! Delish! We weren't able to keep the top because, being filled with 3 milks, the cake doesn't last for more than a couple of hours, so our bakery generously offered to make us one for our first anniversary!

stay-at-home-momdom.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, especially as more and more friends have gotten pregnant; what will happen once we have a baby on the way? (Yes, this is vague, but I swear this is going somewhere) I've always viewed myself as fairly independent, monetarily that is, emotionally... not so much. I've rarely asked for financial help, took out loans to pay for my education and am now paying on those loans and will be for quite some time. I've always been academically and career driven. As an enthusiastic undergraduate student, I was ready to conquer the world. I knew what I wanted and I was determined to get it. I continued my education, earning a Master's degree and landed a position at an amazing design firm. I wanted nothing more than to have a strong career, doing what I love, and to work my way up in the design field and be featured in popular design magazines. After graduate school I hit the ground running. I was so excited about what I was doing and my future goals and successes in the field.

Now, not that I am not still passionate about my job, my feelings have sort of changed. In school my family sort of, unfortunately, took a back seat - they were always in my peripheral vision, but after my father passed away, I dove head first into my work and let it completely consume my every minute (making for an even more mentally unstable and unhealthy individual). Now that I've regained time during the week and have free weekends, and now that my head is screwed on a bit straighter, I've been able, thank God, to make my family a priority and many things have started to dawn on me. Family is absolutely #1 in my book. This, I have always known, and there isn't a thing I wouldn't do for them. This leads me to my current dilemma (not that it's really a dilemma) of wanting a family. My life plans have been altered and it's left me with an uneasy feeling. I want nothing more now, than to have children and be a stay at home mom. Nothing seems more rewarding than that. I'm torn because I do love what I do but at the same time, I'm feeling less fulfilled by it because thoughts of stay-at-home-momdom have infiltrated my thoughts. What has really gotten to me is that I worked so extremely hard in school (my family will tell you that they were actually worried about me and how serious I was about school - I'm serious when I say I let it consume me), I'm paying off school loans that I took out so that I could attend graduate school, further my education and have an easier time advancing in my career... all so I could become a stay-at-home-mom??? It's pains me to think it could have been for "nothing".

I did a little researching on this topic, which I found there is lots, and found this quote: "My children are only young once; I can get a career later." I have to admit that this does make me feel a little bit better. There will always be time later in life to accomplish other goals you may have once had and sometimes some goals need to be put on hold while other goals are achieved.

Those school loans are going to be there for a while... and though I've told him that it's my debt, and mine alone and that I wouldn't think of asking him to help me pay them off (that's the independence speaking) the hubs will have to pick up some of that slack which leads me to wonder how finances will work... that's a whole other blog though...

tick tock.

Baby fever continues. This past weekend hubs and I went out to dinner with some friends. One couple has a 2 year old and one on the way. In an effort to dissuade me and my desire to get pregnant, the hubs thought that if I sat next to the 2 year old I'd be completely turned off - especially because the baby would be cranky, hungry and tired. Boy did that plan backfire. Not only did it not dissuade me, it made me want one even more! The crying/screaming didn't really make me panic or make me think "shut that kid up already!", it made me want to hold him and play peekaboo to get him to calm down. I could also see how thrilled and excited our pregnant friend was to have their second child. She was radiant and glowing and ready to pop!

Hubs and I always talk/talked about having kids, and I know that it will happen but it has to be right for both of us. I hate feeling like I am pushing the issue but honestly, is the guy ever the one to say, "honey, I think it's time to get you preggo?" I think not. Research shows that by the time a woman reaches the age of 30, she loses up to 90% of her eggs. After learning that both of our mothers had their first child at 27, I think he is starting to realize that sooner is better than later especially since he wants 3 kids! He not so secretly hopes that we're blessed with triplets and "get it over with all at once". Lovely way to think of it, don't you think?

Until then... my biological clock is ticking...

love this clock (from esty) by the way!

grab your sombreros!

I love to eat. I love seeing my family and friends. I also love having parties that involve my family, friends and eating. So, in an effort to see family and friends more often (it's been difficult recently with people away at school), my mom and I decided to start an Around the World Potluck Dinner Party series! We figured this would be a great way to try some new dishes and get together with family and friends more often!

Because I've recently been craving some good Mexican food, I decided that Mexican would be our first order of business in the series. I mean, who doesn't like margaritas?

Does anyone have a favorite Mexican dish, drink or recipe they'd recommend? I'm always looking for new things to try!

friday favorites.

must. shred.

I've been an athlete my entire life. My parents (well, my mom) started me in ballet, tap, and jazz (what mother doesn't want to see their little girl in a tutu and ballet slippers?) but my dad quickly realized (or secretly hoped) that I wasn't "that" kind of girl and quickly signed me up for soccer. Ballet lost out and I soon joined club teams, traveling all over to play soccer, guest playing on boys teams, making the varsity soccer team at my high school (as a freshman I might add - one of 2 freshman to make the team) and playing on the club team in college.

In the past couple of years, after college, I've barely touched a ball and I've taken to running for exercise and recently I've gotten pretty bored with the whole idea, even though the hubs and furbaby run with me. I'm not seeing results as quickly as I'd like, or as quickly as I did playing soccer and really wanted to find something to supplement my running. I might also mention that in one of my last games (a coed intramural game in college) an inebriated young man proceeded to cleat me in the knee leaving the tip of my tibia fractured and my ACL hyper-extended... I was told that if I didn't plan on playing soccer competitively that I wouldn't need the surgery - recently it has started to bother me again...

So after much debate, I've decided on Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I've heard and read rave reviews about this and have been told repeatedly that she is going to kick my butt, and to prepare myself. I've talked to some friends who said it took them a while to move on to Day 2!

Amazon has informed me that Jillian will be making her debut in my living room next week. I say, bring it on Jill-Jill!

getting a little ahead of myself...

Too cute! All from Etsy! If I had a baby or was even pregnant with one, I'd sooo be purchasing these things immediately. I swear I'm not crazy!

buy it here

As I think I mentioned, the paint color I chose for our smallest guest room which will some day become a nursery is a color that can be paired with "boy colors" or "girl colors". White furniture will definitely be a must. This is almost the exact same color we painted the someday nursery. Love this!

check it out here

so cute!

oh. my. gosh!

so stinkin' cute!