Friday, September 29, 2006

My Corrected Monogram!


Yay! I love it! Turns out they corrected for free for me! :) Yay! I have 4 other ones, but I can only post one other, as ettiquette dictates that I cannot use our shared monogram until after we're married. So in one year, I will post them. ONE YEAR FROM TODAY! :) (Sick of this yet? I'll try to have something else to discuss next time I post!)

It's My Wedding Day! (In Exactly 12 Months!)

That's right! Exactly twelve months from today I am getting married! Can you believe it? So how will I celebrate today? I am having dinner with Kim and Mia! We're going to Bahama Breezes and having yummy food and fun, fruity drinks! :) I wonder what I will be doing one year from now? Will I be able to get a good night's sleep? Will I wake up early? Will I even be able to eat breakfast? How exciting for me! :)

So I ordered some really cool electronic monograms, and I got them in my email yesterday. I was going to post one today, except that in my excitement when I ordered them, I put the date I was ordering instead of my wedding date. So yeah, they're wrong and it's my fault so they are going to rework them for me. (Ugh! I'm an idiot!) So I could post my favorite one today but the date is wrong and I don't want to post that. So I will patiently wait. And then I will post and you guys can "ooh" and "aaah" over them. (And I know you will!)

But that's it for today. My future wedding day. How cool is that?

Thursday, September 28, 2006

I Have a Hot Date With A Treadmill

Yes, it's true. At 4pm I am going to be at the gym. Today, rather than the treadmill, I think I am going to pound my guns. (That's "work out my arms" for you non-gym rats!) I am still going back and forth about the wedding dress, and my biggest fear is my arms, so I am going tostart working on them to get them in better shape for the possibility of a strapless dress. I don't want to walk into the chapel and hear people whisper, "she shouldn't have worn that dress!" It's one of my big fears. I just want to look good!

I had lunch with Yvonne from work today. We're both pretty worn out with work. It's good to know it's not just me. Because I am so worn out, I am going to reward myself with a pair of black pants for work. If I am going to work like a dog, I might as well look good doing it! :)

Tomorrow night I am having dinner with Kim and Mia. Christy was going to come, but her mother has gotten a bit of bad news...a lump in her breast that is, according to the doctor, most likely cancerous. She gets her biopsy result today, and Christy wants to spend he weekend with her mom. I don't blame her. I am doing the Susan Komen Race for the Cure on the 21st of October, so I am walking to raise money for her. (If you'd like to donate, please email me and I will send you the link to my site where you can donate online.)

Saturday David comes home! I am going to try (again!) to make dinner. It never works out. I used to be an awesome cook, but I can't make anything anymore. However, Mom's pot roast seems to be pretty fool proof, so I am going to make it. It's always been very good when I have made it before. If I mess this up, I am taking him out for sushi.

That's it for today. Tomorrow's post will be very special. Stay tuned! :)

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Living in a Maze of Boxes

It's hard to be in a one bedroom apartment when it's FULL of boxes! Since David works out of the house, everything gets shipped here, and that includes all the boxes of things like keychains, canvas tote bags, mesenger bags...lots of gift with purchase stuff. It's driving me nuts! I am taking another box (one of the BIG ones) to FedEx on my way to Grampa's tonight to ship off to David for when he is in San Antonio next week. I am just happy to get a box out of the apartment! The cats are all busy sniffing the boxes and trying to get in them. I am glad they are amused.

I am sleepy today. I have been having trouble going to bed on time, and it's taking it's toll on me. I have to start making myself go to bed at 10am. (I've been having to do my makeup at work because I can't get myself going!)

It's a usual Wednesday for me. I am going to Grampa's for dinner tonight, and then when I get home I am going to try and get in 30 minutes of treadmill time at the gym. I've been doing well with the working out consistently, but I didn't work out yesterday. Today should be my day off from the gym, but I don't want to get lazy. However, if I am too tired then I will just not take Sunday off from the gym and hope that helps keep everything balanced. RIght now I am wondering if I will have the energy to work out this evening. Maybe just a nice walk around the complex will be good. Fresh air is wonderful!

So that's it for me today. I hope everyone has a good Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Dress Dilemma

I didn't know that choosing a dress for my wedding would be so difficult. There are so many dresses that I like, and I was so sure about the last one I had chosen, but now I have a few worries: what if I don't look special enough? Is the dress too plain? If I wear something strapless or spaghetti straps, will people simply think that my arms are too meaty to wear that? Ugh...what to do? This is a hard decision. I have until February to decide, and in the meantime I keep finding more dresses that I love. I want to be sure that when I step into the chapel on my wedding day that David will think I look beautiful. This is a hard choice!

My friend Joseph is considering a change of environment. We've been chatting back and forth about Seattle and it's pros and cons. Don't know if he'll decide to move, but I think a change would be good for him. Dallas hasn't been so kind. I'd love to see him go back to Paris so that I could come and visit him, but I would absolutely go to Seattle to visit. It's a great city - expensive, but great!

David is on the road, and last night UPS delivered 6 LARGE cases of free Gift With Purchases (GPWs). I have so much in the living room and it's making me a little crazy. I am going to have to do something about that tonight. My folks are so sweet-they have offered to come and help me move the boxes to the garage, but I think I can do it. We have a small luggage dolly that might work. Otherwise, I may throw them off the second floor. ;)

Not much else is new. I have been good with working out, and I am working out again tonight. When I get home I have to box up some of David's GWPs and take them to FedEx to send out. But after that, I am going home and relaxing! :)

Oh, and I will probably look at dresses online. What am I going to wear? (The wedding is one year from this Friday!)

Monday, September 25, 2006

A Truly Beautiful Weekend

The rain was a welcomed sight on Saturday morning! We sure needed it, although it was hard to see while driving to my Grampa's. I picked up Dad and we went to meet Mom at Grampas house. We visited for a while and then decided to head to the cemetary. I had picked up a dozen roses for the vase on the headstone. They were a pretty orangey-yellow with red around the edge of the petals. She would have loved them so much. (She would have also told me not to buy her roses, but I didn't listen to her about things like that!) We weeded and sprinkled grass seeds. It's peaceful out there where she is, although I know technically she's not there. Somehow it's comforting to have a place to go and talk to her. When we finished gardening, We all stood there quietly, and I silently talked to her and told her how much I miss her. I think of her so much and I can't believe she's been gone a year now. I wish she could be at my wedding, but I know deep down she will be. She'll just be a little harder to photograph! ;)

We had a date Saturday night! We hadn't gone out in a while, so we went to our favorite little neighborhood teriyaki/sushi place and had a yummy dinner, and then went to Fox and Hound to throw darts. I ran into a girl who used for work for a company that my office works closely with, so it was fun to catch up and hear how she's doing. We got home before midnight and agreed we need to set aside time to do that again. It's fun to do things with our friends but it's important to make sure we have time for ourselves. Especially over the next few weeks! David leaves for south Texas today and he won't be home until Saturday evening. At least I get to take him to the airport and see him off!

So that's it for today. I am looking forward to a girl's night Friday. Several ladies can only make dinner, and that's ok! It's going to be fun to get together. :)

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Friday, September 22, 2006

Airline Safety - My Lipgloss Is Lethal!

Just out of curiosity, I was looking at the TSA website to see what you can/can't bring on an airplane. Turns out I can bring cigar cutters, small screwdrivers, tweezers, nailfiles (metal is ok!), toy weapons, scissors (with pointed tips), and personal lubricants (?). My lipgloss, however, is NOT ok. Can someone explain this to me?

I had lunch with Jessica and her precious baby Devin today! It was so nice to see her and I am hoping we can do it again soon and that Mia can join us! I miss working with her...she made the day LOTS more fun, and she's a MAC junkie, too! :)

Nothing big going on tonight. After dinner I am leaving David to his "sci-fi Friday night" programming and I am heading to the gym for a hot date with the treadmill. Besides, it assures David that there will be at least and hour and a half of no wedding talk! (I can't help it! I think about the wedding all the time!)

Christy and I went to a small bridal boutique show last night and we had a good time. There were yummy snacks provided by the City Club, which was a big reason I wanted to go-I wanted to sample some of their food! The snacks and champagne were delicious, and we saw some gorgeous wedding dresses (priced at $5000!!!!). The flowers on display were done by my florist, and they were beautiful. When we got there, my coordinator for City Club greeted me like we were old friends, so I felt special. I am going to go through withdrawal when this is over! Is there a"wedding detox" program for post-wedding depression? It's somuch fun to plan this and I wish I did it for a living! :)

Joseph interviewed for a promotion today, so everyone please send him good thoughts!! It's his time...good things are due to start happening for him!

Mom and Dad and I are going to spend time with Grampa tomorrow. Today would have been Gran's birthday, and tomorrow marks one year that she has been gone. I miss her so much. I hope she's smiling down on us and is pleased that we still think of her so often. She's certainly not forgotten.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Surrounding Yourself With Love

You know, I am a very lucky girl. I am surrounded with people who truly give a damn about me and not everyone has that. So I am very fortunate, and I do realize this. I am surrounded with lots of love.

I am trying to get a girl's night together soon so I can spend time with the girlfriends. It's been a while and I have been wrapped up in all the stuff going on with me, and now it's time to unwind with the ladies!

I don't really have any news. I am going to Grampa's on Saturday morning with Mom. We're going to brunch and then we're going to visit Gran's grave and do some lawn care there...pulling any weeds, making sure her headstone is clean, bringing fresh flowers for her vase. I know she isn't there, but somehow it's comforting to have a place to go to remember her, although I remember her everywhere I go. Joseph has been a real comfort from the time she passed and even now. So thank you, Joseph, for being such a good friend and knowing just what to say to remind me that Gran is always with me.

In lighter news, the kitties are still doing well. I think Zak and Cleo are developing little kitty-crushes on each other. They follow each other around and are now more interested in looking at each other than hissing and chasing each other. Poor Kaylee! She used to be the apple of Zak's eye, although they still lay on the bed together. Zak is really quite the ladies man!

Tonight Christy and I are going to a small bridal show in Ft. Worth. It's being catered by City Club, so I am happy to get to sample the tasty treats. We'll also enjoy champagne and get to look at all kinds of wedding goodies. Christy has to start planning her wedding now, so this should be good for her to attend, too. :)

That's it for today. I hope everyone has a great day!

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Pirates and a Little Bit of Sadness (Not really Related To Each Other)

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day to ye!

Nothing terrible new today. My car is good, Beth's new baby is good (don't know the name yet), and all is well at home. We had dinner with Mom, Dad, and Grampa last night, and we had a lot of fun. I'm going to see Grampa tomorrow night for dinner, too, so he's going to get his fill of me this week. I am planning to see him for a bit on Saturday, as Saturday marks the one year passing of my Gran. I've been having a really tough time with that right these days, and it's made me very emotional. I miss her so much and I wish I could tell her all about my wedding but I can't and it's hard. She would be worrying about how much money we were spending and she would be so proud of Craig and Jennifer on their new house. She loved us all so much, and as much as I miss her, I wouldn't bring her back to the condition she was in. She didn't like being in a care facility, and she hated not being able to get up and walk. She was a woman of grace and dignity, and I want very much to be like her. She will always be so very special to me. I can't help but think about how I always wanted a picture of me and Mom and Gran on my wedding day. I will miss her so much that day.

So anyhow, I am a little bit melancholy this week because of time of year it is. Her birthday would have been this coming Friday, too.

I think that's all for today. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Monday, September 18, 2006

The Good News!

IT'S A GIRL!!!! Congrats to Beth and Jason for a 9 pound, very healthy baby girl!! :)

Also, in less life altering news...

The word on my car is that it's a minor thing (gas cap), so repairs will be minimal and the major cost for me is a couple of routine things that I needed done (transmission fluid flush and an oil change) so it's all good! :)

Wow...maybe my luck is changing for the better!!

Mondays

Well, it's truly a Monday. Work has already been tough, and on the wya in this morning, my engine light came on. I have to take it to the dealership at lunch to get the diagnostics run on it. I'll stress out until I know what it is and how much it's going to cost. I don't ever have the luck of it being something small. Cross your fingers that it's nothing big. Ugh!

The weekend was good...met with the florist and I LOVE her! The flowers for the wedding will be beautiful! I'm not showing the picture of what the bridesmaids bouquets will look like because I want it to be a surprise for them on the big day. :) They will be absolutely stunning, though!

Jen and Craig's house is beautiful! We saw it Saturday night and I am so in love with their house!! They got their new furniture over the weekend and it's awesome! :)

My cousin Beth is scheduled for a c-section today! We are waiting to hear if it's a boy or girl - they opted to wait to find out! :) I'm so excited! Her daughter, Ellie, is 3 and insists that she wants a girl. No boys. We'll see how that goes!

That's it for today. Have a good Monday!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Quote of the Day

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that otherpeople won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory ofGod that is within us.
It's not just in some of us -- it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others

-Marianne Williamson

I begin WW again on Sunday, and this quote is my motivation. I hope everyone has a great weekend, and remember that each of you is beautiful and fabulous!

Thursday, September 14, 2006

"A Woman's Place is in the Dome"

Great words from a great lady. We've lost a true Texas lady with the passing of former governor Ann Richards. I think she was a shining example of what a woman can do when given an opportunity. She was classy, intelligent, and quick-witted. She will be greatly missed.

No other news really. David is in Houston until tomorrow, and I am looking forward to a quiet evening at home. I have been so tired running and getting things done that I haven't had time for myself. So tonight is just for me! I am ordering chinese food and learning how to use MS Access. (woo-hoo!) And of course, I will watch Gray's Anatomy!

So that's it for now. The kitties are doing pretty well. Still some occasional hissing but it's MUCH better! Everyone have a good Thursday!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Did You Get Some Sun?

If one more person asks me this, I will go postal on them. Yes, I am extremely sunburned all over my face. Yes it hurts. Yes I am peelng. Yes, am putting aloe vera on it. Damn, people. Kevin says next time someone asks me if I got some sun, I should say that no, I am just red with embarrassment for them for asking me such a stupid question. I think I am going to have to use that.

Everything else is good. I got to have lunch with Mia today, which doesn't happen often even though we work for the same company. It was nice to visit. :) She lets me go on and on about wedding stuff, which must be a great relief for David. Speaing of wedding stuff, David and went to a session about the Sandals resorts last night, and we think we will probably go to the Sandals Royal Bahamian. He can go deep sea fishing while I get spa treatments - I love it! There is a casino nearby where we can have a night out and do a little gamblng, as well as hiking by waterfalls and having fruty frozen drinks brought to us on command. I love it! They have a honeymoon registry, so we can have people put money towards our honeymoon instead of buying gifts. Now, trust me-I am registering for things, but it seems like a neat option to have a honeymoon registry!

Not much else to tell. David is heading out of town tomorrow and will be gone until Friday evening. Craig and Jennfer are officially homeowners now, so congrats to them! Also, the official wedding date for Christy and Rich is May5th-congrats to you guys, too!! Everyone has such great news these days! :)

That's it. Everyone have a good evening!

Monday, September 11, 2006

Sunday, September 10, 2006

A Very Relaxing Weekend!

We are home from our weekend at the lake, and we had a wonderful time! It started out questionable, as we had only been there 10 minutes when David tossed some trash in a can outside only to discover there was a skunk in there! Naturally the skunk freaked out and began to spray, but the spray itself managed to stay confined to the can. The smell did not. Have you ever smelled skunk spray like that? It's a horrifying smell that doesn't go away very quickly, for sure! It stunk up the cabin for a few hours, but it went away and all was well. We had lots of fun out on the boat just cruising around the lake and getting some sun. Too much sun, for some of us. (Which pretty much just means me. I got a stupid sunburn with VERY clear sunglass marks. Yes, I have a real case of raccoon eyes!) Saturday night David announced to his friends (because these are not people he sees often) that we're getting married and everyone was so sweet! We had so much fun staying up late and feeding deer - right out of our hands! We fed them corn, bread and even marshmellows and they loved it! (especially the marshmellows!) As soon as we download the pics I will post them...they're fun! We didn't take many but we did get a few shots of me feeding the deer.

So now I am getting ready to get my sunburned self to bed. It's been a really fun weekend and I can't wait until next year! (This is an annual event with this group!)

And as a very important note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGELA!!!

And tomorrow Craig and Jennifer close on their house. I am so proud of them! Jen, your mom is very proud of you too. I just know it! :)

Thursday, September 07, 2006

387 Days

I'm getting married in 387 days!!! :) Mark your calendars, friends!

So life is still good. I am now in the process of researching wedding DJs. Yes, there will be much dancing and merriment at the reception, so bring your dancing shoes, folks! We're going to have a good time. I used to just think I wanted a small wedding with just cake and punch afterwards, but I realize now that that I want to really celebrate finding the right person. David is so awesome and I want to celebrate finding each other while surrounded by people we love and cherish. So big wedding? YES! It's not meant to be pretentious, just a big, fun celebration!

Last night David smoked some pork out on the grill by the pool, and it was AMAZING! That boy can cook so well! :) We just relaxed last night and enjoyed the evening. Tonight we get packed to go to the lake tomorrow. We have to go grocery shopping and get ready so we can head out in the morrning. I am looking forward to relaxing for a few days. His brother is bringing the boat, and although I don't ski, I like sitting in the boat with the wind rushing through my hair...it's liberating!

So that's about it for me this weekend. Everyone take care! I'm outta here for the weekend!

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

My Week Is Almost Over!

David and I are going to the lake on Friday morning, and I am really looking forward to it! :) Today is like my Thursday! :)

We spent our evening yesterday cleaning the carpet to get the cat pee smell to go away. I think we did it, but we had to borrow my mom's carpet cleaning machine, and on top of that I had to get down on my hands and knees and scrub! I think we did it, though. And now we have a lovely little litter box in the bathroom next to the toilet so that Cleo can quit peeing on the carpet. Ugh!

Mom had locked her keys in her car yesterday so David and I ran up there with the spare and she took us to dinner at Chili's. It was a nice evening and I am glad we spent time with mom, but seriously mom...we'll have dinner with you without you locking your keys in the car to get us to come over!! ;)

Christy and Rich have officially set a date for their wedding! April 21, 2007, is the big day! I'm so excited for them. They're going to have a lovely wedding. :)

That's it for now! I hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

The Long Weekend

It was so nice to have time off from work! However, when I fell last week, I think I jacked up my back it it's sore. :( So that put a slight damper on the relaxing. Saturday was the pool party at Angela and Tom's and we had a lovely time. Finally got to meet Kim's new man and he's great. I'm really happy for her! :) Joseph came out of hiding and joined us at the party, too. After the party, we pretty much called it a night. Joseph headed home, and David and I stayed in and I nursed my sore back. Sunday was nice...relaxing and dinner with the family. Oh, and I dragged mom to the dress shop, as I have once again found THE dress. :) I was going to take pictures but I managed to forget the camera, so no luck there. But the dress is gorgeous (thanks Mia for helping me find it!).

Yesterday was spent with David's family. We had a nice time and lots of good food. So it has been a great weekend. This coming weekend, we're going to PK for their annual lake trip. I am looking forward to relaxing. I'm taking Friday off so we can get an early start on our trip. I'm going to take a book and enjoy some time to read and relax, along with the hiking and the boating.

The kitties have had a hard time getting along for the alst couple of days, and Cleo decided to pee in the corner, so we're working hard to get rid of the cat pee smell. (Zak decided he didn't want to share the bedroom with her, so she didn't really have anywhere she could go) It's getting better, though. He's allowing her in to use the box now, so hopefully things will continue to go well. :)

Have a good Tuesday everyone!

Friday, September 01, 2006

The Bad Kitty

Yes, Cleo can't seem to play nice with other kitties. Last night she continued to be brave and come into the bedroom, but with the sole purpose of chasing Zak and hissing at him. After several occurrences of this (un-instigated by Zak, mind you), I had enough and had to shut the bedroom door and make her sleep in the living room so the other kitties (and me!) could sleep in peace. After that, Zak seemed VERY grateful to me, and was very snuggly. Both Kaylee and Zak slept undisturbed, and Cleo was just fine in the living. We may have to do this a few times until she figures out that all kitties are equal residents and no one gets to beat up on the others.

Leave it to me to have the bad child!

I got to see my awewsome cousin Jen last night! She hooked me up with a discount so I got a few new clothes last night. :) Thanks, girl! (I was returning some things and exchanged for a few other things and didn't spend much money at all!)

So anyhow, everything else is good. Oh...HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRAIG! :)

I am totally looking forward to a nice long weekend! I hope everyone has a good one. Be safe!!