Back to the Grind?

Ahhh, Christmas weekend was just wonderful. And I'm so sad that it is now over. So much great family time, fun presents, but most of all the family time. And for me and my husband, celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus. This time was truly magical.

I think my favorite presents were my new purses, a lovely china tea pot set that my in-laws found at an antique shop (my favorite!), and a china teacup and saucer that they bought on Prince Edward Island that has a picture of Green Gables artfully painted on it. For those of you who don't know, it's from Anne of Green Gables! One of my favorite movies! The best part is they actually bought it while they were there on a vacation earlier this year so it's really something that can't be replaced. Love it.

Any special or favorite gifts received??

Christmas Eve

"God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love... the all of Christmas, which is Christ."
~Wilda English

Christmas Fun

Okay, here we go.... :)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Depends on the present... but when I use wrapping paper I like to use pretty ribbon and bows to make it festive (although sometimes I get lazy or am in a time crunch so I'll slack a little bit). :)

2. Real tree or artificial?
Well, I prefer the real trees because nothing can beat that smell, but we haven't had a real tree in 3 years, or even a normal sized artificial one. We have a 3ft fiberoptic tree (it's actually quite pretty) that we put on our hearth and that's our Christmas tree! (Although once our girls get bigger we're probably going to get a full-sized artificial one so we can start the family tradition of decorating it together).

3. When do you put up your tree?
Not Thanksgiving weekend but the one right after.

4. Do you like eggnog?
Love it! I also love it with rum, but I'm obviously not drinking it that way this year. ;)

5. Favorite gift received as a child?
I can't remember but one thing that is sticking out in my mind is something that my younger sister got for Christmas when she was 3. One day we were at the department store and for some strange reason I told her that if she was really well behaved then Mom would buy her this cute little patent leather purse for Christmas. She became so excited about it and was the epitome of the best-behaved child in the land. I started to feel really guilty so I told my mom what I'd said and showed her the purse. So Mom, being the great mom that she is, went and paid for it while I distracted my sister. So she did get the purse for Christmas and she LOVED that thing! Carried it with her everywhere for at least a year. It made me feel good that she was so happy about it and that I took a bad thing I had done and made it right. :)

6. Do you have a nativity scene?
Of course! A lovely porcelain one with hand-painted gold trim that sits on our mantle. Very pretty.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Probably my dad. During the year, if he wants something, he buys it. This makes things tough for everyone else!!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Whichever sister I get in the name drawing. Girls can be so easy to buy for!

9. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
Mail. I know people probably don't keep them but it's still nice to get "fun" mail!

10. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story and White Christmas (love those classics!)

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Whenever I see something that I think will be right for a particular person... but not seriously until sometime in December!

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Do I really have to choose? Umm, probably all the Christmas sweets, like sugar cookies with buttercream frosting, the mint sugar cookies my aunt makes in the shape of a candy cane, her espresso cookies, gingerbread....

13. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree?
White lights, for sure! They are just so pretty! Reminds me of the stars. Although the colored ones look nice on other people's house, too.

14. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night. Just a beautiful song.

15. Travel or stay home at Christmas?
Stay local. We do Christmas Day with one family and then "Christmas" again the next day with the other family, and we trade off each year so it's fair. And the out-of-town siblings always fly in because the parents on both sides of our families live here.

16. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Yep!

17. Angel on tree top of star?
A pretty star.

18. Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
Christmas morning, for sure. There's nothing quite like the excitement of going to bed on Christmas Eve and then waking up, knowing it's Christmas morning and we get to open presents! Since being married hubby and I always go to the parents house that we are spending that day with in our pj's to do Christmas morning the way we did when we were kids. So we get up in the morning, get ready to leave (which means I brush my teeth, wash my face, and put on just a little makeup [powder, blush, and a lightly tinted chapstick] to keep from looking sickly, get dressed in either cute track suit or jogging outfit, or a cute pair of pajamas) and load up the car with presents and our change of clothes. Then, before we head over to Mom and Dad's we do our Christmas presents to each other. Such a special time for us on Christmas morning. Then the rest of the day is spent with family!

Christmas Cookies!

I love just about everything about this time of year... the lights, decorations, festivities, fellowship and good times with friends and family... and I really love all the food! Especially the delectable treats. My family has a tradition of baking sugar cookies in all the fun shapes and then making the scrumptious buttercream frosting from scratch, then the best part - decorating!

We set up the kitchen table with all the cookies, the different colored frostings, sprinkles, and other items to artfully top each cookie. My sisters and I all sit around the table and spend hours carefully decorating each and every cookie, adding fun designs and even goofy ones (like using the yellow frosting instead of white to frost a snowman). ;)

So this year, feeling a little more domesticated with babies on the way, I decided to also do it myself at home. Not feeling like making the dough from scratch though, I bought the Nestle tub from the store (which is yummy, by the way) and then made my own frosting, etc. and just had a ball decorating everything! I did sugar cookies and also gingerbread. And as much as I love gingerbread, sugar cookies with the homemade frosting and sprinkles is just the best!! One of my holiday favs!

What are your favorites??

I'M AN AUNTIE!!!

This is super exciting news... my younger sister just delivered her healthy baby boy yesterday morning, so now I'm an aunt!! The only sad part is that she lives in Boston, and being almost 7 months preggo myself I'm not allowed to travel so I don't get to go and see them. She texted me a picture but for some reason when I try to e-mail it to myself so that I can upload it and add it to my post it doesn't work , so unfortunately I have no picture to show you yet.

But praise God that her delivery went went well and Jonathan Lull Wood is a very healthy boy, weighing at 7lbs. 13oz. He was named after our dad so I think that's pretty cool. And cooler still, she and her hubby decided not to find out what they were having so it wasn't until yesterday when I got the text message saying, "Hi Aunt Jekika (what my sis called me when she was really little), my name is Jonathan" did we know that she had a boy! Very exciting stuff!!

He is the first grandchild on our side of the family, with my girls to follow in a few months, so needless to say my parents and are beside themselves with joy. :)

My sis and family are hoping to visit next summer when Jonathan's a little older and my girls will be about 3 or 4 months old themselves. I can't wait!

Christmas Card Photo

Every year my husband and I do a photo Christmas card. I used to do the regular cards but not only it it more expensive to buy those nice ones, it takes a lot of time to fill out and sign each one, plus I also love getting the photo cards from my friends, so one year I figured, why not? we had a great picture that was taken of us outside a restaurant so we used that pictures, got tons of compliments, and we've been doing the photo card thing ever since.

So each year we have to choose a photo, and sometimes we stage it on purpose just so we can get it done in time. This year was one of those times. Here it is Sunday and only FIVE days till Christmas, and we don't even have a picture we can use, let alone ordered the cards. So we decided to do it outside in front of some of our Christmas decorations so we could get the pretty white lights in the background. I set up my camera on the tripod, set the timer, and viola! There you have it!

I think it turned it pretty well, especially for doing it totally last minute. And the best part was that I uploaded the photos and ordered the cards within 10 minutes of doing it and the cards were ready at 12noon the next day, so I was still able to get them out in the mail on the 21st, arriving to almost everyone before Christmas. Whew! Glad we made that work!

By the way, notice in the pic that my nails are a lovely shade of autumn berry red? I had taken my old nail polish off earlier that day with the plan of doing a complete manicure later, but once we rushed outside to get the picture done before it got too dark and I realized that my nails weren't done and it would show in the photo (I know, I'm SUCH a girl!), I ran inside and did a quick coat on just my right hand because I knew that would be visible in the picture - ha! So yes, for that Sunday evening I only had one hand painted red.

My husband didn't even notice but when I pointed it out to him and told him what I'd done and why, he totally laughed and said, "Funny, but I'm not surprised." :)

COACH COACH COACH!

I'm a girl who likes nice things. Designer sunglasses, purses, you name it. So I have quite a collection of Coach handbags but lately, really for the past 3 years, I've been "over it" and haven't even set foot in a Coach store, let alone bought one. There are just so many other great desginers out there to be explored! Why settle for only one brand??

So explore I did and have added numerous other designers to my handbag collection - which I love! But then my two sisters in Boston decided they both wanted Coach purses for Christmas this year so my local sis and I went to their store to pick out new bags for them. And we did find a great bag for each of them that I'm sure they will love, BUT, while there I also found, not one, but TWO bags that I really liked for myself!

Sis: "Mom and Dad haven't gotten you anything for Christmas yet, have they?"

Me: "No, not yet."

Sis: "It's only 6 days until Christmas! Have you asked for anything?"

Me: "Not specifically. I was thinking of asking for baby stuff since we're going to need so much with having twins."

Sis: "But you're having THREE baby showers! You're going to get everything you need from your showers and this is Christmas. You should ask for things just for you for Christmas."

Me: (Silent)

Sis: "I think you should get them both! Mom will reimburse you like she always does, plus she'll be glad that some of your shopping is out of the way. And it's not like you'll be buying stuff for yourself once the babies arrive."

Me: "Good point. Okay, I'm getting in line."

So... I bought them! And they're from my parents for Christmas! (And Mom was pleased she had less shopping to do). ;)

The first is this one, except instead of being the gray with black signature it's the dark black with black signature and the leather is a fun shiny patent. I love the slip pocket on the front and it fits so comfortably under my shoulder. I was actually inspired to get this bag because it so reminds me of a cheap one that I had many years ago that was this same shape, style, etc. It was such a comfortable purse but I got rid of it because the "leather" on it wasn't even real, was poorly constructed, and it just needed to go. So now I have a much better version of it!

The second one is not this bag exactly (couldn't find a pic of it) but it is this exact color and is also in patent leather. It's a bit smaller, but has a slip pocket on the front and the signature "C" pattern is embossed all over the leather. Very bold and not for everyone but I love it!

So after coming home and seeing my great purchases my hubby decides we should get a Coach bag for his mom for Christmas. Great idea! She doesn't have one and would LOVE it if we got her one! So yesterday, back to the store we go. After searching and searching and finally finding one that we know she's going to love, I get in line and the hubby says he'll wait for me at the entrance.

I finish paying and am on my way out when my husband says, "Hey Babe, look at this one!" I look at what's he's pointing to. Ohh, very cute... I actually really like it. I sit down on the bench next to the shelf it's on and start carefully looking it over.

Me: "I really like this bag. The vintage horse and carriage pattern is so cute. And I love the detachable long strap and the pocket on the front" (Can you tell I like exterior pockets on my purses?) ;)

Hubs: "You should get it."

Me: "What? No, it's too expensive, plus I'm already getting some new ones."

Hubs: "Don't worry about it, you deserve it. We're getting this one, so Merry Christmas!"

Girl browsing nearby: "Where I can get one of him?" pointing at my husband. I know, he's so sweet, right?

I smile, give him a kiss, and agree, so back to the register we go to pay for my third Coach bag this Christmas! Here it is:

Not bold and flashy, but cute and functional. The best part about this is I can totally see myself pushing a double pink stroller with this bag on my shoulder, and when I'm trying to pick the babies up and don't want the bag falling off I can wear it cross-body. That will definitely come in handy!

*Sigh* So much for my avoidance of Coach. And while I will always continue to explore other designers, it does feel good to be back. :)

(Any other Coach fans out there??) :)

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so it's been many many MANY months since I last did a post, and many things have happened since then. I have to mention that the biggest reason I stopped writing for a while is that I was very sick and in the hospital and then it took about 3 months for me to really recover. That being said, I have FANTASTIC news....

I'M PREGNANT!! And even better... I'm expecting TWIN GIRLS!!!!!! I'm already 6 1/2 months along now (26 weeks) and doing great! The whole reason I was hospitalized was a rare and awful early pregnancy complication - I actually found out I was pregant while in the hospital! (And I was hospitalized just a few days after that last post that I wrote). But after that awful thing resolved I've been having a great pregnancy ever since. Praise God!!!

Both of the girls are growing right on schedule, I'm feeling really good, not having any weird pains, cramping, bleeding, heartburn, headaches, bloating, swelling, chest hair, nausea, or anything else! My doctor even said that I have a "model twin pregnancy". Doesn't get much better than that, does it?? Besides, I figure that if my little girls can survive what I went through in the beginning then they must be little fighters that can survive anything. :)

My husband and I are more excited, thrilled, thankful, blessed, and overjoyed than words can say. What an amazing miracle for us!

It definitely feels good to be writing again and I will keep you all posted of my progress. Lots more to come!

God is Good!

I am SOOO relieved! Everything went as perfect as it could have yesaterday. I'm still pretty sore and my doctor said it should take about a week for me to fully recover but everything went just beautifully as I was hoping. :) Yay!

I hope to write a real post soon!

BIG DAY!!!!

Sorry I've been a bit MIA lately... I have to have another surgery tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous. I've spent a lot of time at the doctor's office the past week and been too preoccupied to write, so here I am. :) I just want everything to go exactly as we want it to. I'm sure it will be fine but I'm still nervous. I've been praying every time I think about it, which is about every 15 minutes.

Inhale......... Exhale........... Inhale............ Exhale.............

I just need to keep breathing and everything will be fine. Right?

Peanut Butter S'mores

Lately I've been addicted to peanut butter s'mores.... Here's how I make them:

Spread a layer of creamy peanut butter on half of a graham cracker.

Place Hershey's chocolate squares on top.

Toast 2 marshmallows, lay on top of chocolate, then use other half of graham cracker as the top of the s'more to pull the marshmallows off the forks.

Pretty much your basic s'mores except I add peanut butter and use 2 marshmallows, otherwise the peanut butter can be a little overpowering. It's absoutely delicious and I've been eating one of these every night for the past 4 nights. I just can't help it!

New Curlers: Attempt 1

So I tried my new curlers this morning. Let me start by saying that I have naturally wavy hair and usually when I curl it with the curling iron I have to use a flat iron first on the top half of my head to get all of that hair smooth, then I can curl the lower half (my hair is at the middle of my back).

This morning I skipped that first step and when straight to the rollers, just to see what it would do.

I didn't take any photos but when I took the rollers out it had made the lower half of my hair very smooth and wave free, with some soft curls at the ends. Unfortunately the top half was still very wavy so I had to go back with the flat iron and do what I normally do. But even so, my hair was still softer and smoother than it normally is. Score 1 point for that!

BUT, I think I used sections of hair that were way too thick (oh yeah, my hair is also quite thick) so it didn't curl it as much as I wanted it to so I ended up having to go back over it with the curling iron.

I'm going to try it again but this time will try smaller sections of hair. This might take a few times to practice but if I can get this down and it works then I will keep the set. Otherwise... it's going back to the store!

Fat Hot Rollers

I just bought some new huge hot rollers. I decided I wanted to try something new with my hair. I always use a curling iron to style it and it looks nice but takes a long time. Plus, sometimes I want big loose waves instead of the tighter curls I get with the iron. I realize I could've bought a bigger iron (which I may end up doing if the roller thing doesn't suit my fancy) but I liked the idea of putting them in your hair and leaving them while you do your makeup, then taking them out and, viola! Gorgeous hair, dahling!

*sigh* If only it were that simple. I'll let you know if it is.

Fashion Success

First of all, thanks to all of you who so kindly offered suggestions to me for my outfit dilemma I was faced with yesterday. I ended up up wearing the lovely dress (and am so glad I did!) along with a coral scarf that also doubles as a wrap. Then I threw a jean jacket in the car along with a mini umbrella, just in case.

Fortunately it didn't rain (yay!) and the house was so full of people it got pretty warm inside so I didn't even need to wear the wrap/scarf for very long.

Although I did get a lot of compliments on the dress and the entire emsemble! I felt pretty, enjoyed catching up with people, and had some really great food. The day was a success!

Thanks again, girlies!!!

What to Wear??? Need Help!

So I'm all set for the golf tournament tomorrow and then Saturday I have a bridal shower to go to. Since I just loooove maxi dresses I've been planning to wear one. It looks very similar to this except the colors are pink, orange, coral, and white, but a funky yet pretty pattern with a sweet braided tie that goes just under the bust. It's long and flowy and darling and just so lovely.

I'm planning to wear cork-heel wedges, large gold bangles (remember, there's a lot of coral and orange in this with just hints of pink), a small gold necklace and large gold hoops, and of course, my big gold bag.

BUT, here's my problem. I just checked the weather forecast and, while it is forecasted to be 74 degrees... it's supposed to rain! What am I supposed to do??? It won't be cold exactly but there could be a chilly breeze and I don't think this outfit really goes with rainy spring weather. :( And I was so excited to wear it!

Am I going to have to resort to jeans and a cute summery top? Then a lightweight rainjacket to get in and out of the car without getting wet and frizzy hair? Ugh! Rain would be fine if it was February but it's not! And I want to wear a flowy strapless sundress!

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Comfy n' Cute

Tomorrow I'm working at a golf tournament and the theme is "A Day At the Beach". So of course I want to be comfortable but also look cute and go with the theme of the event. So I decided to wear a string bikini with 6 inches heels and a feather boa.

At at work event?? Ha! No way! (Would I ever wear a boa with a bikini? Hmm, maybe if you paid me enough). ;)

I actually am going to wear a bikini BUT it will be covered with a strapless maxi dress almost identical to the one below. All you'll be able to see of my swimsuit will be the colorful strings of the bikini top sticking out and tying around my neck. And of course flip flops, some colorful beaded bracelets, and maybe even a lei, since they're doing a luau that evening.

I am going to be SO comfortable in this, I actually can't wait to wear it!

I am SUPERFANTASTIC!

That's what I have to tell myself sometimes when I'm not feeling exactly super or fantastic, just to make myself have a more positive attitude towards things. Strangely enough it actually works! Well, at least a little bit. :)

I take a deep breath, tell myself everything will be okay because God is on my side, and remind myself that I AM SUPERFANTASTIC!!

Try it today if something unplesant, annoying, or frustrating happens. ;)

When I Am Old I Will Wear Bright Yellow Crocs...

... and any other kooky thing that I wouldn't be caught dead in right now because, hey, at that age it's cute!

My mom's Aunt Julie (my grandma's older sister) came into town over the weekend to visit. And wouldn't you know it, she had on bright yellow crocs. She even had to point out that they were real crocs and not some cheap imitation. lol! Those shoes with her darling old-lady haircut and surprisingly energetic personality were just adorable!

So I've decided that when I am old I will wear authentic in-the-moment pieces and will joyfully choose the most obscene colors... knowing full well that, being old, is the only reason I can get away with it. I will take advantage of the things my age has to offer, like 10% off Tuesdays at Ross. I will move to Hollywood because I won't be subject to the pressure's of looking a certain way and will tell them I want to be in a movie as "Old Lady Who Hits Man With Purse". And maybe will progress to "Spunky Grandma". I will carry a can of soup in my enormous bag just in case I ever do have to really hit a man with it. I will teach my grandkids about life and the secrets of happiness. I will try to fix up my great-nieces with wonderful "young" men I know. And I'll do it all while wearing my bright yellow crocs (or whatever ugly shoe they create that is popular in 50 years).

Yellow-Croc-Wearing-Grandma, out.

ALASKA!!!!

Here are some photos from our wonderful trip!

Getting checked in for our cruise.

Seeing a show.


At the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. This was one of my favorite stops. It doesn't look like much in the photos but it absolutely took my breath away when I first saw it.

I'm the little dot in the middle, walking down to get a better look. :)

(Isn't is MASSIVE??)

Enjoying my latte and yummy pastries in the piazza. (I ate a LOT on this cruise!)

Gold panning in Skagway was so much fun!

It was COLD on deck!

But the Tracy Arm was just beautiful.

Arrived at Ketchikan.

And got to meet the real Santa!

Our ship was huge!

One of the formal nights.

Jake winning an onboard poker tournament!

While I relaxed by the indoor pool.

I actually took around 180 photos but I didn't want to put all of them on here... just had to give a little taste. :) We had such a good time... the best, really. We're already working towards paying for our next one! Can't wait!

Back from Alaska!!

Hello everyone, I'm BACK!

And sorry that I haven't posted anything yet... just trying to get back in the swing of things. To start off let me say that my trip was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!

Alaska: Beautiful
Food: Scrumptious
Ship: Amazing
7 Days with only my husband: Priceless

Let me just say that it was the best time ever. I think the best part is that it was like a second honeymoon only better, because we've been together so much longer so everything was even more fun, more special, and more meaningful. *sigh* Yes, I know that's sweet and sappy but I can't help it. It truly was wonderful. (And lucky for me he feels exactly the same way!).

This trip was to celebrate our 7th anniversary and we even gave each other special gifts once on the ship. He gave me a beautiful gold monogram necklace that I love. This is what it looks like:

Isn't it lovely? It looks a little dark in the photo for some reason but it's actually normal, shiny, pretty gold. :) I love it! And I gave him a stunning platinum and yellow gold ring that has our anniversary in Roman Numerals going around the band. Looks great on him and he loves it, too! It was supposed to be for special occasions (to wear on his right hand) but he likes it so much he is wearing it every day. Can't blame him there. :)

Okay, that's all I have time for right now. I know this post is short but I promise to write more and add pictures later in the week. I have lots to show!

What's a Girl To Do....

Sorry I've been so MIA lately - just so much to do to prepare for my trip. Which is TOMORROW!!!!! I just can't wait!

And if you saw the picture in the below post of my empty suitcase with piles of stuff all around it you might be wondering if I got everything to fit... uh, no. Didn't happen. So what is a girl to do? Consolidate her clothes and put things back in the closet to make more room? Hmm, perhaps some girls, but not this girl! Nope, I marched straight to the store and bought myself a new suitcase. Yes, I bought a new suitcase!

A huge and very purple suitcase that is big enough that I can fit in it with room to spare to tuck clothes around me. It's HUGE! And it solves the problem of not being able to bring everything I wanted. And now I can even bring my running shoes and workout clothes so maybe I won't feel as guilty about all the bad-for-you food I'm going to be eating.

Speaking of which, that is about all I've been able to think about the past week. All of the amazing food onboard! And the best part is it's all included so I don't even have to worry about how much stuff costs. I can get what I want, when I want, however often I want. What could be better?! I swear I'll be eating every 2 hours! (Good thing I'm bringing the workout clothes). ;)

Okay, I must run and continue with my last minute preparations. See ya after I get back!!!!

Our Cruise!!!!

I can't believe it's already here! We booked this thing months ago and it seemed so far away, and now we're packing and doing all of the last minute things, last minute purchases, etc. to get ready for our trip. We leave on Saturday to fly up to Seattle and board our ship there.

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It turns out that our ship just underwent a 6 month rennovation - they sent us a photo slideshow on Monday so we could see what it looks like and it's absolutely gorgeous!!!!! Basically it's completely brand new. So cool!

So I've been running around for days picking up things - getting more travel-size bottles of this and that, buying my hubby a lightweight rainjacket (yes, it's supposed to have light rain off and on in Alaska while we're there), a new suitcase for him (his old one was trashed)... all kinds of stuff.

And it's kind of hard to be packing for cooler weather since it's been spring for a few weeks now and I've been wearing nothing but skirts and sundresses. But I totally don't care that it's going to be cool and rainy, I'm actually looking forward to it! I've got my to-do list for things to finish before we leave and my packing list of everything I need to bring all made out. And most of my clothes piled on the floor, ready to be put into the suitcase. Only problem is...

Do you think I'll be able to fit all of my stuff into that suitcase?? That's not even all of it - just what I've pulled out so far. And I really tried hard to limit the number of shoes I'm bringing but right now I'm up to 8.

What? I'll be gone for 7 days and I need dress shoes, hiking-on-the-excursion shoes, and comfortable-walk-around-the-ship shoes, right? And it's not like I can wear the same pair of heels every night, I need to be able to change it up! :)

We'll see how the rest of the packing goes. :)

P.S. Did anyone skip yesterday?? I want to hear the stories!

Meaningful Mondays: Being Silly

"He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day...needs to reorganize his life"
~George Matthew Adams

"Take time every day to do something silly."
~Philips Walker

I wasn't feeling inspired by anything in particular today but I've just been in such a good mood lately that I decided to focus on FUN. :) Doesn't playful sillyness always make everything better? Earlier this morning I was skipping down the hall... yes, that's right, skipping. And I think that was probably the 7th or 8th time in the last two weeks. Try it, it will immediately boost your spirits and make you feel like a kid!

I think I might do that whenever I choose until I'm 90 - assuming my joints will allow me to do so at that age. But wouldn't that be great?! Not just for me, but for anyone who saw me doing it? What would you think if you saw an old woman skipping?? I'd make you smile, wouldn't it? Yeah, you bet it would!

Try it tomorrow. That is your one silly thing that you must do sometime tomorrow - SKIP. C'mon, I know you can do it! I dare you!

And let me know how it goes. ;)

Meaningful Mondays: Relaxation

"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it. "
~Herodotus

"There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden, or even your bathtub."
~Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

I decided to use several quotes this time to emphasize the importance of taking time for yourself to realx and recharge. Too often we get so caught up with trying to get "everything" done that we don't allow ourselves time to unwind.

I think Dr. Joyce Brothers put it best when her said, "No matter how much pressure you feel at work, if you could find ways to relax for at least five minutes every hour, you'd be more productive."

Isn't that the truth? Of course, that applies to everything with life, not just at work. Rest from work, from the kids, your home projects... whatever it is, breaks and occasional rest are essential.

Don't you agree? :)

President's Club!!

I can't believe it's already here! I am leaving super early tomorrow morning on my flight to head down to sunny Southern California!!!

It took me several days of trying on outfits and pairing with the right accessories and shoes, but I finally figured out all the stuff I want to bring with me. It is all neatly piled on the floor in my room and now I just have to actually pack it into my suitcase(s) - let's hope I can fit it all into one suitcase!

It's supposed to be 80 degrees while I'm there so I'm super excited! Some of my good friends are coming with me so I just know it will be a blast! Oh, and did I mention that I already have my spa treatments booked? One Swedish massage and one reflexology massage. Heaven!

I won't be back until Sunday so have a great week, everyone!!!

Meaningful Mondays: Perseverance

With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.
~Thomas Foxwell Buxton

This quote I chose in relation to my recent success. I don't think much more needs to be said about this, just read my previous post. :)

What are some things you never thought you'd do but you persevered and attained?

I DID IT!

I did my first Half-Marathon!! I am so excited!

Saturday morning I woke up at 4:15am... much earlier than I needed to be up but I think I had a little case of nerves going on. After laying in bed for a while I got up, got myself ready, and then my friend picked me up to head down to the starting line where we were set to start at 7:15am.

The weather was cool and cloudy and basically perfect. The first mile breezed by and so did the second. I was so happy that at the halfway point I was still feeling pretty good. By mile 7 it started to rain - just a light sprinkling. It was actually pretty refreshing.

After mile 8 I called my husband to tell him he should get ready to head down there (he planned to meet me at the finish) since I would be done it about an hour.

By mile 9 my legs really started to hurt but, no matter, I pressed on. The rain continued but I barely even noticed it.

I could not have been happier to see the mile 12 marker, with my legs really hurting now but otherwise doing just fine. I started to see people lined up on the sides to cheer us on, all holding umbrellas and wearing warm, cozy clothes. For a brief moment I wished to be in comfy clothes and my Uggs right then, but only for a moment... the adrenaline rush from doing this was just so great!

Crossing that finish line was one of the coolest things ever - they even had an annoucer who called out your name as you crossed! And some cute little girls were just past the finish line that were putting medals around the necks of each person that finished. Yay, I got a medal!

I know I will never set any records because I'm really slow and still have to alternate between running and walking, but my goal was to finish in 3 1/2 hours. I finished in 2 hours and 35 minutes. Can you believe it?? I'm so proud of myself that I did this, I finished, and I did it much faster than I was expecting.

Will I ever do a full marathon? Doubtful. I can't imagine putting myself through that. But this is one more thing that I can add to my list of accomplishments. *sigh* It feels good. :)

P.S. My legs are still sore but really not that bad. I even went running again this morning (only 2 miles, though, to start). ;)

It's Here!

I can't believe it, but my Half-Marathon has finally arrived. It's tomorrow!! I feel ready.... At least I think do. ;)

Yesterday I went and picked up my race packet, bought some Cliff Shot Blocks to give me eneregy during the race, and a large protein drink to have tonight right before I go to bed. I'm excited but I'm also starting to get nervous!

It's supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow and raining. Ugh! It will actually be around 53 degrees when I get started because we're starting early in the morning so it will be chilly. And I don't mind working out in the rain but I've never done it for that long before. I expect this to take me about 3 1/2 hours (yes, I'm really slow), so my only concern is getting sick. I cannot get sick! I'm going on my trip to President's Club next week and I just can't get sick! Or injured!

...I'm sure everything will be fine, it's just the worry wart in me coming out.

Wish me luck!!

Perfect Outfit

You know how putting on the perfect outfit can make you feel totally great? That's how I felt today.

I have this darling black and white dress that I put a black patent leather belt over, matching black heels, a wristful of pearl bracelets, and a 3/4 sleeve black peacoat on top (it was chilly this morning), and the first person I saw at work said, "You look glamorous."

Delighted gasp!

What a great way to start your day! And then I continued to get compliments throughout the whole rest of the day which made it even better. The funny part was it didn't take much effort to put it together but I knew I felt great when I walked out of the house.

Don't you just love it when that happens???

Meaningful Mondays: Help When You Need It

I know it's Tuesday but I was SWAMPED yesterday and didn't have time to even check my personal e-mail, let alone write this post. So, a day late, here it is. :)

"A friend is one who walks in when others walk out"

-Walter Winchell

I chose this quote because of how much it applies to me right now. I am leaving next week for my President's Club trip (yippee!) and I really need help with something while I was gone. My mother-in-law promised over 3 months ago that she would help me but then bailed 2 weeks before I was set to leave because she had plane tickets that were going to expire and she really wanted to use them, so instead of keeping her promise she's going on vacation.

I won't say what it involves but it is a really big deal and not something just anyone can do (it's not like I asked her to water my plants). Needless to say I was really unhappy with M-I-L and I ended up calling a friend that lives 50 minutes away out of desperation. Bless her heart, she promised to do it without a moment of hesitation.

She came over tonight so I could walk her through everything and show her exactly what needed to be done and how. Wanting to do everything perfect, she even had a notepad and was scrawling notes the entire time so as not to forget anything (it was a lot of information).

Even though I usually don't get to see this friend more than a few times a year and we don't talk nearly as often as we should, as soon as I called her needing help she was more than willing to step in. So yes, I have to agree with Walter Winchell. A true friend is one who walks in when others walk out.

Ever have something like this happen to you?

Progress

I can't believe my Half-Marathon is almost here... it's a week from tomorrow! And silly me, I actually thought I'd be able to start running again 2 days after my surgery. Uh, no. My doctor put the kybosh on that and said I have to wait until next Tuesday. Ugh. But, she did say that I can go "walking at a moderate pace" on Saturday so I will at least do that.

I still think I should be okay for the race. Last weekend I did 10 miles - I am so proud of myself! I can't believe I actually went that far. And I did it much faster than I was expecting. A whole thirty minutes faster!

Fortunately I am recovering well from the surgery and the walking tomorrow will be good for me. Other than that I am planning to relax, drink tea, read, and put my feet up the rest of weekend.

This is what I'm currently reading.

Anyone else read it? Seen the movie? I have the movie recorded on my DVR but I don't want to watch it until I've finished the book. I actually love the book, so far. I like the author's writing style and it is a very intriguing story. I can't wait to see how similar, or different, the movie is. I'm sure there will be a lot of things left out of the movie because the book is actually quite long and a lot of things happen. I'm only a quarter of the way through it but I'm definitely enjoying it.

So I plan to get a little further in my book this weekend. :)

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!

All Is Well

Happy Wednesday!!

Just wanted to let you all know that everything went really well yesterday. The doctor did a great and job and was successful and I also handled the anesthesia pretty well (no sickness this time!).

Today I feel great, but I just have to take it easy for a bit and no exercise for a week (boo!).

I'm so happy it went so great!

SURGERY TODAY

Hey girls!

Yes, I am having surgery this afternoon - shouldn't be too big of a deal but for those of you who believe in God and prayer would you mind just saying a quick little prayer? Thanks a million!

I'll probably be pretty out of it tonight because I usually don't do too well with anesthesia but I'll try and do a quick update tomorrow. :)

Meaningful Mondays: Embarrassment

What was your most embarrassing moment?

"It's only embarrassing if you care what other people think."
~Anonymous

If you think about that for a second you quickly realize just how true that is. 'Embarrass' is defined as: to cause shame to; make uncomfortably self-conscious. I guess no one can make you feel self-conscious if you don't care about their opinion, right?

So I'm going to add to my question... What was your most embarrassing moment, and describe a time when you would have normally been embarrassed but you weren't? (And why weren't you??)

Cakes, Cakes, Cakes

I love making cakes, especially doing creative frostings from scratch. This one I did about a month ago (which is why it's on the ugly travel cake plate and not my pretty glass cake stand). It's cherry chip cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum! Okay, so cream cheese frosting isn't exactly unusual, but of course, I had to decorate the top with cherries to make it a little more festive.

(Very tasty). :)

And this one I did last night for my sister's birthday. I can't wait to dig into it tonight! I call it Peanut Butter Cup Cake. It's chocolate fudge cake that I baked peanut butter chips into, then make peanut butter frosting. Yes, that is right, I made peanut butter frosting!! I'm sure there are some bakeries out there that do this but I honestly have never even heard of it, let alone had it before. I just came up with the idea one morning when eating peanut butter toast and, viola! It's absolutely delicious!

Oh, and those are Reeses Pieces on top. ;)

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are my sister's absolute favorite candy so I just know she's going to love this. Ever since I came up with the idea I've been dying to tell her but I've managed to keep it a secret so I can surprise her when she comes over tonight. What fun!

Who Ever Thought I'd Like Antiquing??

Last weekend after my run my friend and I decided to stop in a couple of cute little antique shops on our way back to our car. Back in the day I always thought that kind of thing was totally boring and I just wasn't into it. But now I LOVE it! It's amazing the kind of interesting and unique treasures you can find in an antique shop.

And it's so fun to think of the story that must be related to whatever it is you're looking at. Who it once belonged to, how much they must have treasured it. Or maybe it was a wedding gift they couldn't stand and were glad to finally be rid of. :) Whatever the case, there are much more interesting and unusual things you can find compared to a regular store that has all brand new stuff.

Don't get me wrong, brand new has it's place. But I also don't like having a bunch of things that everyone else has. It makes me think of that Friends episode where Phoebe declares how much she hates Pottery Barn because so many people shop there and all of their houses look the same. Not to knock Pottery Barn or their stuff (I actually like a lot of it), but I think I like Phoebe's way of thinking.

So needless to say, when I went antiquing last weekend I had a lot of fun looking through the stores. Once of them had a lot of beautiful china pieces. Since I am now collecting tea cups I just fell in love with this one and had to have it.

I was so excited with my purchase I came right home, washed it, and used it. :) You should try it sometime... you never know what you might find!

Party a Success!

I have to say that my Couture party was such a success! I had so much fun! My entire front room was converted into a store with racks and racks of beautiful clothes everywhere so as soon as people walked in they saw all the clothes and were greeted with a gentleman holding a tray of champagne. Talk about VIP!!

Before everyone arrived I tried on a bunch of stuff and just fell in love with two pairs of jeans. I was only planning on buying one pair but when the hubby said to go for it I ended up buying both. ;)

The first is a classy, more dressy trouser style by Paige Premium Denim that I wasn't too sure about when I pulled them off the rack, but when I put them on they not only fit perfectly, the denim was so soft I could do all of my workout stretches in them as if I was in althetic pants. And they look great! Especially with a cute cap-sleeved blouse tucked in.

Yes, I was hesitant on the high-rise, too, which honestly doesn't look right on everyone, but I just love them. Oh, and the legs on mine are a bit wider and more trouser-like (I couldn't find the exact photo on their website).

And the second pair are WHITE! Um, me in white jeans?? Never! Well... I guess now I do! I didn't think I'd like them at all but when I put on the Miss Me jeans below they fit so perfect and the pockets are just darling.

Can you see that the crosses are sparkly crystals?? Love them! Oh, and I actually wore them with black stilettos, too (although I didn't see this pic until now!). :)

It was SO great to see the girls and have some fun shopping in my own home. What a great night!!!

Meaningful Mondays: Special Days

“Never save something for a special occasion. Every day of your life is a special occasion.”
~Anonymous

Wear your “good” perfume any day you feel like it. Burn your pretty candles because you want to, you can always buy more. Get dressed up any time you please, even if no one else is. Use your good plates and crystal stemware. Wear your sexy lingerie. Open that $100 bottle of wine. Use the sparkly new eye-shadow you’ve been saving for a party. Have the girls over just because it’s Friday. Drink champagne!

I've decided to follow this advice. I have a beautiful china cabinet full of all of my china and crystal that I never use. So I've decided that I'm going to have some small, intimate dinner parties with a couple of friends where we will actually sit at our formal dining table that looks so pretty but, in the 3 1/2 years we've owned it, has never really been used. We will use my china and crystal and burn those pretty candles. For Easter I even pulled out my pretty cake stand that has been in it's box in the garage for who-knows-how-long.

I can't believe I never used it before! That travel cake thing I always used is functional but pretty much an eyesore on the kitchen counter. From now on, it's my fancy glass cake stand!

Time is precious; don’t waste it waiting for “someday”.

Any day is special if you make it so!

Couture Party Tonight!

I am so excited, my party is finally here! And there will be about 15 awesome girls coming so it will be good. Just the right number of people - not too many to where I can't spend quality time with each of them.

The house is cleaned and ready to go, now all I have to do is chill the champagne! Oh, and figure out what I'm going to wear, of course. Actually, I just need to figure out my top half. Once my friend arrives with all of the clothes for her business I'm going to try on a bunch of jeans and the ones I decide to buy I'll wear tonight as a sort of walking advertisement. I'm super excited!

And I'm such a bone-head that when I planned this I didn't even realize I scheduled it for Good Friday. Guess that means I won't be going to Good Friday service this year. Oh well, I much prefer Easter morning service, anyway. :)

We did our "formal family dinner" last Sunday so for Easter Sunday we're having a casual BBQ at our house for friends that don't have any family in the area. It will be small and fun. The weather is supposed to be sunny at 72 so it will be perfect! I'm really looking forward to that, too! I think we'll even have to throw in an Easter egg hunt for us "kids". ;) Great, great weekend coming up here. :)

Think about the wonderful thing that God did for us that we are celebrating this weekend and have a HAPPY EASTER!!

To Dawdle or Not to Dawdle....

After my workout this morning I sat at my computer before making my way into the bedroom to jump into the shower. Not knowing how much time had gone by I did a little work... a little more work... glanced at the clock and realized with horror that I was supposed to be leaving the house in only THIRTY MINUTES! Gasp! As I sat staring at the clock hardly daring to believe that what it was telling me was true, it suddenly hit me - I am a dawdler!

Not always, mind you, but it seems that when I'm getting ready in the morning it really takes me a while. As in, an hour and half to two hours to walk out the door from the time I get in the shower. Yes, you read that right. It's not that I'm particularly slow moving it's just that I have so many things to do.

I like a nice shower to do all the necessary scrubbing, shaving, cleansing, etc. Then out to the fireplace in the bedroom to warm my cold, wet, self up while I towel dry my hair. Then, when I'm comfortably warmed, I can make my way back into the bathroom to start applying moisturizer to my face, running my comb through my hair, adding hair products to damp hair, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and on and on and on until all is finished.

Mind you, I'm often going back and forth between my computer and the bathroom so I can send off e-mails to clients as I remember to, so my weekend "get ready routine" is much quicker. And trying to decide what to wear can also eat up a large chunk of time. Especially if I have to try different things on and experiment with different combinations. If I'm able to choose my outfit the night before then things the next morning are a lot smoother.

And, yes, I can go much faster if I really need to. Like this morning. It only took me 60 minutes instead of 90-120. Still, I think in general I could probably get ready a little faster than I do. Oh, and fortunately traffic was light so I wasn't even late. :)

P.S. I don't really know what's up with that picture - they just kind of looked like dawdlers to me. :)

President's Club

So, I'm on the sales team at my company and they have this thing called "President's Club" that takes place every May. Basically, if you meet or exceed your annual goals then the following May you are cordially invited by the President of the company to attend President's Club - a posh getaway full of relaxation, great food, spa treatments, you name it. All the fantastic things you could wish for.

So I exceeded my goals for 2008 so next month I'm going to President's Club!!!! Yippee!!!!!!! And the best part is all of my friends that I work also are going so we get to hang out together! Every year it's someplace different (last year they took us to Cabo - WAY fun!) and this year it's in sunny San Diego at an uber-fancy resort right on the beach! (I'm not saying which so none of you follow me). ;)

I already have my spa treatments booked and I am sooo excited that it's in a beautiful location, so of course I'll be bringing my big camera with me. Now I have to go shopping for at least one new bikini (maybe two), and figure out what cute sundresses I want to bring with me. Oh yeah, and party clothes, since we'll be going out probably every night!