How to Look Good Naked

I downloaded an episode of this show and watched it...I love it! What a wonderful show! It's all about taking women who feel awful about their bodies and helping them see how beautiful they are. I actually learned some stuff and the girl they showcased really evolved and by the end of the show she was seeing just how fabulous she really is. Finally there is some positive self-image on TV! This will be on Lifetime in January, so all you women out there who can't see all the good stuff about you, I insist you watch this show! (And for everyone else who doesn't understand what it's like to not love your body, watch and learn!!)

Tonight is the end of the year. It's been an amazing year for me. Married, promoted...next year will be so different. My focus for 2008 is school and fitness. I start back on January 16th to school, and I am ready! I'm getting back in the weight watchers groove and I'm excited about that. It's time, and I feel good! (I didn't go to my meeting Saturday, but that's ok. Next Saturday I'm so there!)

So no more resolutions. Just dedication to the things that will bring about an improved me!

Happy New Year! Everyone please be safe, and have a fun evening!

I Can't Believe It's Over!

Seriously...has Christmas really come and gone? Wow...that was fast! I spent most of yesterday glued to the television watching coverage of the death of Benazir Bhutto. I honestly have to say that I don't know how it will affect Pakistan or the US's relationship with Pakistan. It's interesting to watch the coverage and see how Pakistan reacts. I don't in any way claim to be educated on anything going on over there...I just have a fascination with the news and how the world always reacts to things of this nature. In any case, I always think it's sad when people pass away like this. It seems to really have set things off over there.

It's been quiet otherwise. Nothing going on with me. I have to work a 1/2 day today and Monday, and then after the New Year holiday it's back to the grind. As a way of passing time, I have my new iPod up here at the office with me. I love this thing! It's the Touch, and I need to put come more movies/videos on here. This is such a cool piece of technology! :) When David and I go to London next year it will come in handy on the plane.

I have done just horribly with my eating over the holidays. I am ready to get back into my groove. I am going to work out today and I need to get in quite a few workouts! Too many tasty treats and not enough discipline. That ends right now. But the good thing is that I am putting myself back in control, so I will have lots of success this year! :)

I think that's it for today. Everyone have a good Friday!

Merry Christmas!!

Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas! I hope Santa was good to you, and that you spend the day with those you love dearly...I am! I got an iPod Touch from my Santa! :) It's charging right now and I can't wait to play with it!! I am about to get things ready to head to mom and dad's, so I am keeping this short.

Merry Christmas, and may the new year bring you lots of peace and joy!

Better Than Sprinkles??

So I made cupcakes last night. Nothing fancy, just a yellow mix and chocolate frosting. I think David was in Heaven! He went on and on about how they were better than Sprinkles...moist, delicious, and not crumbly. and he LOVED the milk chocolate icing! I may get the Wife of the Year award from him! I got a big hug when he finished his cupcake - and then he went and got another one! :) So I am feeling quite pleased with myself for giving him such a special treat.

This might be the last post before Christmas. We have lots of things we're doing and lots of family to see, so in case I can't squeeze in a quick hello, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Tired

I just feel so tired today. For some reason, I just didn't sleep well last night and it's catching up to me. I think I may be getting close to being ready for the holidays to be done. Not that I am not enjoying them, but all the holiday food pitfalls are getting hard to resist, and I am frustrated about that. I am going to have to kick my workouts up a bit. I didn't weigh in on Saturday, but I will this week. There are just some days when you know you can't do it, and last Saturday was just that day for me. It was a good weekend, otherwise. Full of holiday fun stuff. But now I am back at work and it's hard because everyone else (it feels like!) is home. That's just no fun! I have to go out at lunch today to buy stamps for our Christmas cards. (Yeah, they haven't gone out yet.) I'm just ready to take a big fat nap, though. I have to get a better night's sleep tonight. I went to bed at a decent time, just didn't sleep well.

No real news, just popping in to say hello to everyone. I hope everyone has a good day!

The Joy of Sprinkles

Ah yes. Anyone who really knows me is keenly aware of my love of cupcakes. And now I have experienced joy like no other...I have had Sprinkles Cupcakes. Yes, I bought into the hype and had a "designer" cupcake, but they're good! We now have a Sprinkles here in Dallas. We've had it for a while actually, but I hadn't been since it's not exactly next door. Oh, they are so good! But wait, you say....what about WW? Well, everything in moderation, my friend. I got an assortment when my friend Shanna went yesterday, and I am sharing the holiday love with others. One of them is mine, but the rest are being shared. However, here is a picture of my box of happiness:

Either the bottom left or the bottom right will be mine. I am not sure yet. The bottom left is a Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with vanilla cream cheese icing. The bottom right is a spiced buttermilk cake with cinnamon sugar. I definitely have to choose...I can't have both. UGH!! Just for fun, the bottom middle is dark chocolate with dark chocolate icing. The top left is egg nog, the top middle is vanilla with peppermint, and the top right is strawberry. (The vanilla with peppermint and the strawberry are for David!)

So I am letting my brain wander to cupcakes for a little while. I hope everyone has a great day!

What's Wrong With People?

I am going to a funeral on Friday, and I think this may be the worst thing ever. My very dear friend Anne's aunt was murdered Sunday night. That's right, murdered. If you live here locally, you probably saw the news story about the woman who was shot by some guy who knocked on her door and she answered it and he just shot her. She and her husband were just watching TV on Sunday night. Some jackass randomly selected their house and ruined everything for them. He didn't steal anything, he just shot her three times and ran off, jumped into a car and drove away. No one knows who this jerk was, and there isn't much evidence. How in the world do you wrap your head around this? There is no reason, rational or irrational. There isn't any way to justify this. It's this huge thing that no one knows how to make peace with. Marianne was a 67 year old woman who, along with her husband, was retired and looking forward to landscaping her back yard. My friend, Anne, is devastated. I have known Anne and her family my entire life. Our moms were best friends since their 7th grade year, so this isn't just something that happened to a casual acquaintance of mine. Although I didn't know her Aunt, I know that there isn't anything I wouldn't do to support Anne's family right now. She was there for my when my Gran passed, and I will be there for her to hold her hand be the best friend I know how to be.

Please be extra cautious. Don't answer the door if you don't know who it is. It sounds so elementary, but it seems that we officially live in an age where you can't even be safe in your own home. And most important, please be sure to hug your family and tell them you love them often. We really just don't know what life will hand us.

Dreary Monday

Today would have been a nice day to stay home in bed! It's cold and icky outside! Sadly, no chance of weather that would keep me home from work. :( It would have been nice! So here I am at work. But at least it was a good weekend! I had dinner with the girlies on Friday night, and Saturday we got to celebrate Jen's birthday with a surprise dinner! David and Kim and I met up with them at a Mercado Juarez in Arlington and had a good time! it was a big group and a fun dinner. Yesterday was a bit lazy...we watched the Cowboys squeak one out against Detroit. I still don't know how they managed to win that one, but they did, so go Cowboys! We went out to dinner and to Target to pick up some kitty litter and fire logs, and that was our big outing yesterday! So it was a quiet weekend for the most part.



I heard that the Salvation Army still has angels from their Angel Tree that need to be adopted, so we're going to head to the mall to check into that and see what we can do to help. If it's too late, we're going to plan to do something for Toys for Tots. There are too many kiddos who don't get anything for Christmas. It's the least we can do. I hope everyone will consider finding a way to give time or money this season. Maybe take care of a soldier's family, or give a gift to a kid with no chance of a visit from Santa this year. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Take care of each other?


Anyhow, have a good Monday, and stay warm everyone!

Happy Dance Time!

So I stepped on the scale this morning and the news was great! I lost all the weight I gained last week, so we are back at 15 pounds gone! :) I am proud! It's good to be back on track!

I had a great dinner with my girls last night. I love them all so much! It's good to spend time with friends like that. We're eagerly anticipating the release of the SATC movie in May! (I hope they do it justice!) We're planning a girls trip, and that's going to be awesome! :)

So that's it for today! Everyone have a good Saturday!

Counting The Hours (And the Calories!)

So my weigh in is tomorrow morning. For those of you who know know how much I must hate myself, I get up at 6am on Saturday mornings to go to my 7am meeting. So I will be weighing in around 6:40. I have done pretty well this week, and gotten lots of exercise in. My goal was 5 workouts, but I only managed 4. (Today will be number four, but I am going to the gym here at work before I go home, so I'll get it done!) I am hoping that my good choices and exercise will pay off tomorrow. Even if I don't lose it all, if I just lose SOMETHING I will be happy. It's all part of the journey, I know. There will be gains as well as losses, and I do accept that. I just want to be rewarded tomorrow! :) Whatever happens, I will be glad I went and work hard again next week.

Tonight I am going to a Christmas gathering with my girls. We're going to Mia's to hang out, and we're all bringing a snack. You know mine will be WW friendly for sure! I found two recipes I want to make. (I want to make something veggie friendly for Kim!) One is spinach triangles, and the other is Mexican beef and cheese won tons. They both require a fair amount of prep work, so I may be searching for alternatives. I am going to be sweaty when I get home and I need to shower and dress in addition to getting food ready. I think I may rethink my food ideas and find something yummy and healthy at the market. There are plenty of yummy and healthy snacks to be found there!

Tomorrow I am also going to get caught up on laundry. I am WAY behind and have plenty to do! We're not messy people, but the house needs to be picked up and vacuumed...we have lots to do! And of course Sunday is the Cowboys game at noon, so everything comes to a screeching halt for Romo and the boys at our house. (And that's okay! I watch the games, too!) So that's our weekend in a nutshell. Maybe somewhere in there I can get a manicure!

David is doing something super sweet! He has arranged a very special date night for us. On Saturday the 22nd, we're going to downtown Ft. Worth and having a nice dinner and enjoying the Christmas lights in Sundance Square. He even got us a room at the Worthington (where we stayed after our wedding!), but he used his Marriott points so it's FREE!!! :) So we can have a nice evening and we don't have to drive home! I thought it was very sweet, and I am really looking forward to it.

I think that's it for now. I hope everyone has a great Friday, and I will post my weigh in results tomorrow! :)

Cozy

My grandparents had the most wonderful cat named Cozy. She was the light of their lives, and the family joke was that she got better treatment than the rest of us. (Which was great with us!) My Gran adored that cat so much. Cozy would sit in my Gran's lap and cuddle with her. When Gran passed away, Cozy was my Grampa's companion. She would follow him through the house and they had their own routine.

Tuesday, my Grampa let her out to hang out in the yard, as always. She stays in the yard and keeps to herself. When he came home, he had to face the horror that she had been attacked viciously by two dogs, and she did not survive. It's like losing my Gran again, in a way. And now Grampa is without both his beloved wife and the loving furry companion that they both adored so much. Needless to say, I took this really hard. I am angry that these two dogs were running around without being on a leash. This didn't have to happen. And I hate that the last few moments of Cozy's life were filled with fear and terror. I can't even think about what she went through. We all loved that cat, and now she's gone, and there isn't any justice to be had. I'm not so much mad at the dogs, but at careless owners. We don't know who they belonged to, but God help them if I ever find out.

So now my comfort is that Cozy is reunited in Heaven with Gran. Gran loved that beautiful cat so much, and now they are together. That somehow really does provide some comfort for me. But I am still heartbroken for Grampa.

The Blogosphere - A Sampling

So I decided to check out other random blogs by clicking the "Next Blog" button at the top of the screen. It takes you to other blogs and I learned a lot. There are a ton of junk sites and Spanish speaking blogs out there! I found a couple of interest (just random people's lives that sound interesting) so I bookmarked them for later, but otherwise it was a lot of stuff that didn't interest me. I did run across a blog where a girl had her wish list for Christmas. What a good idea! Here's my wish list, assuming that money was no object. So this is truly a list of things I would love to have:

1. Coach bag - specifically the Carly Leather in brown. What can I say? I dream of Coach bags!

2. Drawstring workout pants and log sleeve zip hoodie from Oprah.com. I love this stuff! Check out the kiwi colored pants! These look insanely comfortable. I want!

3. Manhattan Leather Chair from Pottery Barn - Seriously, one very cool, sleek chair. I am sure I can find it cheaper somewhere. I just haven't looked. But I have loved this chair forever!

4. BMW 328i. Yes, I am a BMW lover. My little Honda is good for now, though. :)

5. Anything from Williams Sonoma. How could I be expected to narrow that list down?

6. My wedding china. It's so pretty and yet we hardly got any of it. It's a mix of two patterns from Wedgwood. (Pacific Stripe and Blue Fin) We have two bread and butter plates. It's not cheap stuff, but I would love to have at least 4 place settings!

7. iPod Touch. I saw this at Northpark Mall and LOVE it! It's really cool! My iPod is old and very outdated and needs to rest.

So that's it for now. Enough wishing for stuff I don't really need. But it sure is fun! If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would you ask for? I'd love for you to leave that in the comments! :)

The Weekend In Review

Okay, so it was a fairly busy weekend. I went to dinner with Christy Friday night and we had a blast! It was good to catch up with her. Saturday morning was the weigh in. The news? Not great. I gained, but there's some water retention going on. It's not all water, but it wasn't all me. I am not beating myself up over, actually. I have really refocused and am doing well so far this week. Last week was so hard for me, so now I am back on track and looking forward to better results next week. :) Then there was the mammogram. I had mine at 10:30 Saturday morning. It wasn't painful or even uncomfortable, really. The girl was very professional. It's awkward to get moved around and adjusted like that with a complete stranger. But it's done now. I just have to wait for the results to make sure all is well, which I am pretty sure it is. This was done as a baseline, but it's still a little nerve wracking.

After all that, David and I went out to Northpark to look at the holiday decorations. We wandered around the mall and had a great time. Then we drove out to McKinney to the town square and walked around. It was so much fun! We even found a great hole in the wall pub called the Londoner, and enjoyed a pint of beer. :) We went over to Craig and Jen's for dinner and we hung out and had a really good time! Jen made a really awesome beef stew (that was also very WW friendly!) and some corn bread, and it was so good!

Sunday we were lazy. We pretty much just hung out. I went to the grocery store but that's about it. I hope everyone else had a good weekend, too.

Have a good Monday!

The Holiday Edition

Welcome to the holiday edition of the blog! In today's installment, I feel the need to be snarky and criticize some holiday lights. Let's begin...

What is this mess? It can best be described as Al Gore's holiday nightmare. Can you imagine what their electric bill will be like? And really...do you have to put up EVERY strand of light that you have? Sometimes less really is more. I'm just sayin'...

But sometimes less is just less. Moderation is good, but do it with some style...

Hmm...did they just give up? Was this the most creativity that they could muster? I think at this point they should have just admitted that they didn't feel like decorating and left it all in the attic.

I'm going to keep an eye out for a lovely happy medium. These two were just wrong!!

In other news, I am really glad it's Friday. Oh, and how about them Cowboys? Sorry for all you Packers fans. I think we broke your QB. Oops!

Everyone have a good Friday!

Target = Grinch

I love Target. It's one of my favorite places to shop! But I had a very unpleasant dealing with Target that has soured me a bit, and as a consumer I feel compelled to share.

David and I bought a new Christmas tree last year, and we saved it (still in the box) for this year. We got ready to decorate for Christmas and when David put the tree together we discovered about a 12 inch gap with no branches and no place for branches. Clearly a manufacturer's defect. So naturally, we called Target to see about exchanging. We explained to Customer Service what the issue was, and even told them we'd be happy to upgrade our tree and spend a little more money. We got a big fat no. They told us that since it was past 90 days, there was nothing they could do. So we spoke with the store manager, who was rude and just as uncooperative. Now, I totally understand store policy. But with a holiday item like this, you would think they would grant some leeway. Do you open a Christmas tree a year in advance to make sure it looks okay? Well, we didn't and I never would think to do that. I trust Target to sell me good merchandise. So the store manager gives us the number to their corporate office and David calls them. Although they were more pleasant, we got the same deal - sorry we sold you something we won't stand behind. We couldn't get hold of anyone at the manufacturer, so here is my advice: Don't buy a tree from Target. If you do, assemble it in the store and make sure it looks like it is supposed to. Or at least make sure you assemble it right away and then return it immediately (with the receipt!) to make sure you don't get screwed. We did! Bah Humbug on Target!

So anyhow, the rest of our weekend was good in spite of the tree issue. We have a new tree that's BETTER than the old one and it's all decorated and festive. I'll have to post a picture of our beautiful tree. We're going to go to the Neiman's Christmas Store to pick out a special ornament to celebrate our first Christmas as a married couple! (Feel free to gag...I know some of you are right about now.)

Today my super awesome husband is out getting new tires, an alignment, an oil change, and new wipers for my car. It was getting bad! (And I didn't have to go do that! It's nice to have him take care of that!)

Everyone have a wonderful Tuesday!

Victory in the Face of Adversity

We all have our demons. The holidays can really bring them out for some people. Maybe for some it's dealing with family, for some it's getting through the holidays and not reverting to bad habits. I fall in the latter category. (I have great family, so that's not a holiday issue for me.) My demon is food. It's been a struggle for me as long as I can remember. I vaguely remember not having a weight issue in elementary school, but even toward the end of that I began to gain weight. Now that I am 35 I have decided that I won't let that control me any more, and just to make my point, I managed to lose 3 pounds this week, even through 2 Thanksgiving meals!! That's a total of 15.2 pounds now! So am I feeling good about this? You better believe it! That gives me the strength to know I can keep this up. It's hard to make smart choices when your mother in law makes Paula Deen's Corn casserole (which starts with a whole stick of butter in the recipe!). But you know, I had a teaspoon of it, and it was good and I moved on! I think I impressed myself with my inner strength. I forget it's there sometimes. But it really is, and I think I reminded myself of that today. I know a lot of people that don't deal with weight/food issues might not understand this particular victory, but it's a very big deal for me. I am working to have 25 pounds off by Christmas. This I can do, but I will need to work for it. I am ashamed to say my workouts were few this past week, but that will change next week. That's what I love about WW...every week is brand new and I can do better than the week before. So here's to a new week and new successes!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Brace yourselves...the holidays are truly upon us!

Meet Madeline aka Maddie!

This is mom and dad's newest household edition! Isn't Maddie adorable?

Tomorrow we are going to start the turkey day preparations! I'm keeping this short so I can get a few things done. Everyone have a great day!

I Forgot To Post!

I lost 1.8 pounds for a total of 12.2 pounds gone now! I am one excited girl, and I am well on my way to having 20 pounds off by Christmas! (That's my first goal)

Mom and Dad adopted a rescue kitty this weekend, and she is adorable! She is a precious dark marmalade tabby with beautiful almond shaped eyes. She is a year old, and we've named her Madeline, but we are calling her Maddie. I'll post pictures very soon! She is a snuggler, and mother is in love with this little precious baby!

David and I got all the nieces and nephews Christmas presents bought and wrapped, so I am about halfway done with my Christmas shopping. This is a first for me, as I am always out there at the last minute trying to get it all done! We bought beautiful wrapping paper and bows and tags at Target, and I had a blast getting them all wrapped and ready. Now we just have to put up the tree! (Which we won't do until AFTER Thanksgiving!)

So that's it for now. Everyone have a great Monday!

End of the Week

I am glad the week has gone by fast. David comes home Saturday night, and I am excited about that. So it's quiet around here. I did get two new pairs of shoes Wednesday courtesy of David! I got a pair of cool new boots and a great pair of flats. I got some gorgeous brown leather dress heels Tuesday that I love, so I am doing well in the shoe department! I had my annual "well-woman" exam yesterday. (Ugh!) Now that I am 35 I get to go have a mammogram. I don't mind except that now I just feel old! But I am all for taking good care of myself and making sure I am not at risk for breast cancer. After Christy's mom won that battle last year, I know how real it is. (And Pam has been clean for a year now!!) So while I am losing weight and trying to eat healthy, I will be making sure that the "girls" are healthy, too.

Tonight I am going to sort through our wedding pictures. Mom and I need to decide which ones we are going to order so that we get the 25% discount on the prints. I am excited, as the pictures really turned out very well. It's so fun to look through them! Mom and Dad came over last night and Mom and I got the menu figured out for Thanksgiving. We made our shopping list and we'll be buying everything tomorrow. (Trying to keep out of the stores as much as possible this week!) David and I are doing the Christmas shopping for the nieces and nephews on Sunday so that we can get our trip to Toys R Us out of the way ASAP! (Not my favorite shopping trip!) I know what I am getting David, and I'll buy that at the end of the month. (He knows he is getting a Zune mp3 player!) I think he'll be getting a Wii for his birthday. He was torn whether he wanted that for Christmas, but he decided on the Zune, so I'll do the Wii at the end of January. Maybe I can get a good post-holiday deal on one!

I think that's it for today. I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

It's the 500th Post!

This is my 500th post! I can't believe it's been over two years ago when I started this blog and that it's still going! Lots of things have changed in two years...some stuff is the same. (Still battling my weight!) My life has taken so many twists and turns, but it's all good and things have worked out well for me. It's a good life! :)

No huge news here. Actually, not even small news. Oh, except that this is David's last week of major travel until next year! This is a big deal for me! I haven't had a Saturday with him since our honeymoon! It will be nice to actually have two days in a row with him without one of us having to go to work. :) I think we'll have to uncork the champagne we brought back with us from Jamaica for this! (We were going to pop it open on our 1 month celebration of marriage, but he was on antibiotics)

It's a quiet day here at work. I am listening to BBC Radio 1 on my headphones. If you haven't listened online, it's interesting to hear the radio station in London. David and I are going for a week before Christmas next year...I can't wait!

So I think that's about it. Everyone have a great Tuesday!

Yes, I Am A Loser!

And it's a good thing! I lost another 3.2 pounds for a grand total of 10.4 pounds gone! Yes folks, it's the real deal and I am regaining my rock star status. :) (I'm rejoining the ever so fabulous Kim in the rock star world of weight loss and fitness!) And I even went to the Melting Pot this week! Yeah, I think I'm getting my ducks in a row, people. And it feels good!

Today is a very exciting day of housecleaning. But I am going to take a break mid day to go to the gym and the grocery store. I found a WW recipe for phyllo-wrapped salmon, so I'll review it tomorrow and post the recipe if I like it.

I was super lame last night and pretty much came home, made dinner, and fell asleep. hey, it's been a long week and I actually had to think this week! Those two days of consultative sales training whooped my booty.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is creeping up so fast! Mom and I are starting to plan what to make, and we're trying to cut back on how much we cook since we always have way too much food left over. We're doing the big meal at my Grampa's this year and mom and I will do the cooking. I'm excited about it! I have some yummy and healthy recipes to make so I am planning to lose weight for the holidays...I can do this! :)

Okay...time to get rockin' on the house work. It will be nice for David to come home to a clean house! Everyone have a good weekend! (Hope yours is more exciting than mine!) :)

TGIF!

Yay! It's Friday! I am so glad, too. It's been a busy week. I have been in training for the last two days, so it's nice to be back at my desk and doing my thing. I went to dinner with mom last night, and we chowed down at Subway. I swear, I love that place! I am addicted to the turkey on honey oat bread. I may have another one for dinner tonight! I am going to work out after I get home from work, and I am looking forward to it. Mom and I were out and about and she was very generous and bought she and I both some new workout clothes, so I have to go try them out tonight! :) After that and dinner, it's bubble bath city for me. I am looking forward to the down time. I have my weigh in tomorrow, and I am thinking it should go well! :) I'll post here tomorrow morning and let everyone know for sure.


Tomorrow is going to be a day of housecleaning. I want David to come home to a clean house. (Who sounds like Suzy Homemaker??) That, and the house needs a good cleaning. With three cats, we have cat hair everywhere so I need to vacuum and dust and wash sheets and all that stuff. We're still figuring out where to put some of our wedding gifts! We got a lot of wonderful stuff and we're a little limited on space. We'll figure it out!

Oh, I'd like to introduce my newest blog link! Check out Carmen in Sin City! I found her through the Blonde's blog, and Carmen is another fun gal about town. She's a poker player and her blog is lots of fun! (And her Vegas pool reviews are very helpful!)

Yes, it's shaping up to be a quiet weekend. Oh, I didn't even get to share that our wedding pictures are in! It's so exciting to look at them, and I really love the pictures!! Here's me with my absolutely gorgeous bridesmaids:



I love this picture! I think each of these ladies is amazing. My 12 year old cousin is in the middle on the left side, and she's going to grow up to be a strong woman. I won't let it be any other way!

So anyhow...I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday! Send me some skinny thoughts in the morning!

It's Just As I Suspected

My legs HATE me today. Walking down the stairs at my apartment this morning was very painful. It seems that my trainer did just as I asked, and she worked me over good yesterday! So I will smile through the pain and know that I am on my way to a smaller, healthier me! :) Tomorrow I can complain about my arms since Susan and I are working arms today. Great...tomorrow I won't we able to walk or lift anything. What a pain!

Man, it was windy last night! The wind just howled outside the bedroom window all night long. I was surprised when I left this morning that it wasn't colder than it was, but it was definitely chilly! I put on my jacket and scarf in the hopes that winder was on it's way but it seems that we have a little bit longer before it truly gets cold. Heck, it's going to be 80 degrees this weekend! (We don't even know how to dress this time of year!)

I don't really have any other news. Tonight it's girl's night at the Melting Pot, so I am meeting Kim and Mia for dinner. This poses a challenge with WW, but I have a plan to stay on track. I'm eating carefully all day and will be very careful tonight. I think I can do this! :)

Have a great day everyone!

Extra Hour of Sleep = Happy Me!

I love this time change! I actually feel refreshed when I wake up, and it's much easier to get out of bed on time. (I am a habitual snooze button pusher!) However, I still managed to doze a little this morning, but I wasn't late to work, so it's all good. :)

It's been a nice Monday. Nothing exciting, just a quiet day. David and I did our budget planning this weekend and the outlook is very good! We've got an aggressive savings plan and we'll be credit card debt-free by the end of 2007! (you read it right...thats THIS year!) I am one happy gal! :) I am taking all the credit cards out of my wallet and tucking them away untl we actually need them. (And really...when do we actually NEED credit cards?) So we are excited about our plan to save money. Next major purchase? A house, but not for a while. We're saving up and when the time is right we'll be homeowners! :) I love it!

No other news, really. I am still going through wedding withdrawal, but hopefully my proofs will be in this week and I can start going through pictures. I'm ready to see them! Kim has been kind enough to share what she has, and they were so great to look through!

I think that's it. I am going to be getting my a** kicked by my trainer in 30 minutes. We're doing legs today, and I actually told her not to have mercy on me. What the hell was I thinking? If I live, I'll report in tomorrow. Otherwise, I died at the hands of my trainer, who only did what I told her to do. I believe I might be insane.

Good News!

I weighed in this morning and lost 4.8 pounds this week! What a great first weigh in! I'm so excited and really motivated to keep up the hard work. My goal this week is to add in one more workout. I was going to get in 5 this past week but fell a little short. So I will get in 5 this week! :)

That's my big news! I had dinner at Applebee's with my friend Anne last night and we had a really good time. I am about to go to the grocery store to pick up stuff for lunches next week and for dinner tonight and tomorrow. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

A Piece of Peace

It's all quiet in my homestead. David is out of town until tomorrow night, so I am taking advantage of the alone time. I am having dinner with my friend Anne, and we're going to catch up. Tomorrow I have my first weigh in, and I am ready! I think I have done really well this week and I except good things to happen on the scale. :) Then I am going to get to visit with Angela for a bit during the early afternoon. It will be nice to get caught up. She and I have had very opposite schedules and we finally found some time to get together. Sunday I am going to a "purse party". Not sure what to expect, but we'll see! Maybe I'll find a purse I love!

I am looking forward to David coming home...it really does get a little lonely when he's gone, and the kitties miss him, too. I need to think of something creative to make for dinner on Sunday for David. I have been enjoying the WW recipes we've had so far, so I will try to find something good for Sunday night. Shouldn't be hard! I am dying for some Mexican food, so I will see what I can come up with! :)

Have a good Friday, and I'll post the results of my first weigh in tomorrow morning! Send me some skinny vibes, please!

Housetrained

Yes, I am slowly being domesticated. We are making great efforts to eat at home more, so we are cooking more. Yes, I am channeling Betty Crocker. (Except healthier!) Last night I made a recipe for lemon caper tilapia, and it was divine! We steamed some red potatoes and asparagus and had some raw snow peas and it was all really good! We were celebrating our one month-a-versary, and were going to toast with champagne but since David is on antibiotics we toasted with fruit juice. :) I made black bean soup last week, and I even have a recipe for balsamic chicken with mushrooms for tonight. We've really gotten into cooking at home and I am loving it! Another reason? Brace yourself for the same old song and dance: I have rejoined WW. (Try not to groan and roll your eyes.) Why will this time be different? Because I got put on high blood pressure medication. I am not happy about that. My doctor says that with weight loss I can get right off it, so I am no longer in it for the vanity reason. I hate being on medications, so I am seriously busting my butt to get off the medication. So all these awesome recipes? Yep. They're WW recipes. I put myself on the plan on the 20th, but didn't actually go to a meeting until the 27th. However, in that week of working on my own I did lose 2.5 pounds! So I am very serious this time. (Really, I swear!) It's all about being healthy now, and not just looking cute in a pair of jeans.

Since we live in an apartment we don't typically get trick-or-treaters, even though in past years I have put out signs and bought candy. This year we are not buying that junk. We're going to dinner with Grampa! :) (I'd much rather do that anyhow!) I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow night. Now that everything is slowing down, I feel like we have a lot more time to get back into our routines, and having our weeklies with Grampa is a very important and very enjoyable routine.

Kevin is back from his honeymoon and we had lunch today to get caught up. I'm so glad he's back! It sounds like he and Samantha had a wonderful honeymoon, and I couldn't be happier for them!

So no other news for now. David heads out on Thursday, so I still have a little more time with him. I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday!

I've Been Married For One Month Now!

Wow...time flies! One month ago I was getting ready for my wedding, and now the dress is stored in the closet, the flowers are all gone, and the cake has been eaten. It's sad to think it's all over, and I won't get another day like it again. It really was wonderful! I got to watch a little bit of the reception that my sister in law taped, and it was fun to see everyone mingling and having fun. Thank goodness there wasn't any footage of me and the girls getting our groove on...nothing good could come of that! :)

Tonight David and I are making dinner and then opening the champagne we brought back from Jamaica to celebrate. I found a healthy recipe for lemon caper tilapia, so we're giving it a try. Hope it's not a disaster! (You know me and cooking...it's usually fine but there have been occasional mishaps)

Kevin and Samantha were scheduled to return from their honeymoon yesterday. He gets back to work tomorrow so I am eager to say hello and hear about their trip. I hope they got to see the shuttle launch!

That's it for today. I hope everyone has a happy Monday! :)

Trying To Get Back Into The Routine

Yes, I have been a lazy blogger. Truthfully, there hasn't been much news to blog about lately. The wedding and honeymoon have come and gone, Kevin's wedding has come and gone, and now I'm getting back to regular life. David is on the road again, so I may walk around the house tonight in my veil and tiara just for fun. :) We had dinner with Grampa last night, and it was a great visit! It's the first time I have had a chance to get to see him since the wedding, and we are getting back on track with our weekly visits. I am going to try and get my social security card changed today. I can't do much in the way of a name change until I do that. I am dreading standing in line and waiting to do that. I looked and can't do it online, and I don't like sending in my marriage license even though they are supposed to send it right back to me. Oh well. I'll go stand in line!

My cousin Craig just went to Germany - how cool is that?? Hope you had a good time, cuz! :) I am ready for another trip to Europe. Wish it was cheaper to travel! Kim and I had so much fun in Paris a couple of years ago. I can't believe it was June of 2005...seems like it was just yesterday! It was so great to wander the streets (yes, because of my map reading skills we did a lot of wandering the streets!). I am dying to go to London and spend time there, too. We barely had a day there, and it was wonderful!

So I guess that's it for now. I hope everyone is having a good week!

Man, Time Flies!

I can't believe I haven't posted in a week! I've been in training pretty much all this week, and last weekend was super busy! Kevin's wedding was just beautiful and special, and I was so honored to be a part of everything. Samantha looked so pretty, and of course Kevin looked wonderful! I started to cry the minute she came down the aisle. The other groomsmen told me I gave groomsmen a bad name because I'm a crier! :) I don't care...one of my best friends got married!!

No real big news this week. David is traveling and will be home tomorrow, and tonight Mia and Joseph are coming over for dinner. Just a very quiet, laid back evening. I am making grilled pork chops, veggies, salad, and mixed fresh fruit. I haven't seen Joseph since the wedding, and I am looking forward to spending time with him. Mia might be bringing Brian, but she may be coming solo. Either way, it's going to be a nice evening.

Tomorrow will be busy...I have a massage schedule with Mia, and a Halloween Tea at Wendy's in the afternoon. Somewhere in there I am making soup and cornbread for dinner for David. I pick him up from the airport around 6-ish, and I will be happy to see him! :)

Everyone have a great weekend!

The Rehearsal

Nope, not mine! It's Kevin and Samantha's rehearsal and dinner tonight, and I am so excited for them! It's such a big deal! David is going to take pictures...something I wish we had done for our own rehearsal (that we have no pictures of, darnit!). I am looking forward to the evening, and I feel so honored to be standing up for Kevin as part of the groom's party. Tomorrow is going to be a special day, as Kevin has done the right thing and waited for his perfect person to come along. They are truly a special couple and I know God is smiling down on them.

In other blissful news, my coordinator from the City Club got engaged on 10/1/07, and she sent me pictures. She and her fiancee are so adorable! She wants to get together and have lunch, and I am more than happy to get together with her! She is wonderful and I look forward to enjoying a friendship with her. :)

Here's a picture of Heather and her fiancee on the night of their engagement:

So that's my wonderful news for today. Everyone have a wonderful weekend! :)

It's Not About Me Anymore

The reality has set in that my wedding has come and gone. Seriously, I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had that day! I'd love to go relive it just once more...it was wonderful! The only picture I have from that day is of my friend Wendy and me.

I'll have more pictures soon, I hope. My professional pics won't be available for a little while, and no one has indicated that they have any pictures! :( The day was such a blur, I am dying to see pictures of anything!

I've been back at work for a day and a half now. I am working on my new job, and I like it so far! I am getting used to having more freedoms at work, and it's really nice!

So that's it for now. Kevin is getting married this weekend, and I am happy to be a part of the groom's party. I'll have pictures of that, for sure!

Home From Paradise

We are home from Ocho Rios, and we had a blast!! We were lazy slugs the whole week and did very little besides snorkeling and walking around the resort. (I highly recommend Sandals!) We had a wonderful time, and I will share more about it later. For now I am going to eat a piece of wedding cake and call it a day. :)

So here is me in all my sun kissed (translation: sunburned) glory at the resort. I'll share more pics soon!

The Wedding In Review

We did it! We are married and I am a very happy newlywed. :) Here's a recap of the big event:

First of all, let me just say that if we had a million dollars, I wouldn't have changed a thing or done anything differently. It was the dream wedding and everything was perfect! No glitches, no hiccups, just a beautiful day. My flowers were unreal...absolutely beautiful. The roses in my bouquet matched my dress exactly, and everything was beyond my expectations. When it was time for us to line up to process in, every one of my bridesmaids was so beautiful. The men were so handsome in their tuxes! And when it was time and they opened the doors, my father walked me down the aisle and it was perfect. The ceremony was so special, and we both did a good job of holding it together through the ceremony. :) (I didn't know if we would!) After lots of pictures, we headed over to the City Club in Ft Worth for the party of a lifetime! The room was gorgeous, the food was incredible, and the DJ was incredible! (Big shout out to Melodies and Memories!!) We seriously got our groove on, and my legs are so sore today from all the dancing! We had a blast! Our cakes were delicious, our guests were wonderful, and even my grandfather had prepared a toast! When it was time for us to leave, we made our escape in a horse-drawn carriage that took us around Ft. Worth and dropped us off at the Worthington Hotel. We changed clothes and met a handful of friends down at the patio at 8.0's and hung out for a short time. Then we had to call it a night because we were exhausted. But it was the best night of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing at all. As soon as we have pictures I will post a few, but we never remembered our digital camera was with us, so we didn't take any photos of our own! (Silly us!)

What a great night! Thank you to everyone who participated, was a guest, or simply wished us well...it means so much to David and I!! Now we are off to Jamaica tomorrow for a week of bliss!! I'll blog when I return, so everyone be well and know we love you!

It's My Wedding Day!

Wow...it's really here! We had a great rehearsal last night, and the dinner was lots of fun. And now, after a really good night's sleep, my day is here. I stayed with mom and dad last night and they took me to breakfast this morning. I feel so calm! Alex called to tease me, and it was a fun first call of the day! I can't wait to see everyone tonight, and I know I will wish I had more time to talk to all my friends. I have old friends from elementary school, friends I have known since birth, and new friends coming to share the day. I got a very special text message from David last night, and it's one more reminder that I am marrying the perfect man for me.

So that's it! The next time I blog I will be Mrs. Jennifer Willis. :)

Things Are Getting Surreal

Yes, it hardly seems like things are happening as quickly as they are! Time is flying, and I am so afraid that I will blink and miss it all. We've been so busy, and I swear that no two people can spend money as fast as we do. Ugh! Yesterday was a big day...all the favors are done and everything needed for the reception is at the site, so today we only have a couple of errands to run and then we're set. I am getting a facial and then picking up my dress!! After that, we have to pick up just a few things and then clean house like crazy! (It's a mess!!!)

Tomorrow is the rehearsal and dinner, and I am excited about that. Mother and I are going in the morning to take white roses to my Gran's grave site. Her birthday was last Saturday, and the second anniversary of her passing was last Sunday. It hardly seems possible for two years to have passed by. It feels like yesterday. I am missing her more and more as the wedding approaches, but being a believer in guardian angels, I know she will be there with me. There will be a white rose on the church organ just for her.

Two days...there is a lot happening in the next two days, and it's like I am floating through the days. I am really looking forward to Saturday, but I will be sorry that it's all over. But come Monday, we are off to Jamaica, and this girl is ready!!!

My next post will hopefully be Friday night. I am staying with Mom and Dad and am hoping to post before I go to bed that night.

Everyone have a good Thursday!

Celebrating Friends

Today was very special for me. Mom and I hostessed the Bridesmaid Brunch, and it was wonderful! We went to the Grand Lux Cafe and had mimosas and omelets, and a wonderful time was had by all! It's wonderful to sit at a table with your best friends and have a chance to tell them how much they mean to you. I am a very lucky girl to have as many close friends as I do.

David's parents gave us their wedding gift to us last night. They gave us all the Fitz and Floyd tableware we registered for, which was incredibly generous! We've had fun looking at all our new tableware!

So now the countdown is on! Tomorrow night we are picking up all the tables and chairs for the rehearsal dinner and getting them to Tom and Angela's tomorrow night. (We're having our dinner catered at their beautiful home!) We have a few things left to do, and I am about to begin working on the wedding favors after I finish my blog. I am making bourbon pecans, and I love these things! :) I have two days left at work before I am off for the wedding/honeymoon, and I have a ton of stuff to do there before I go, too. Whew! It's going to be busy!

I'll blog as I can this week. Have a good rest of the evening!

Nine Days???

Yup. Nine days. It feels like everything is almost a dream...am I really getting married? Wow. I really am! (Do not mistake this for cold feet! Just adjusting to the fact that I will be a married woman very soon!) I have had a very good single life, so in a way it's hard to think I won't just be "Jennifer S." anymore. My thirties have been good to me and I have had many good (and tough) times. But through all my experiences I have learned who I am, and who my true friends are. I have learned that I am a strong woman who powers through tough times. I learned to love myself, which taught me to allow others to love me, too. I've learned I can do things when I really work at it. And most of all, I have really learned to respect myself. And when I quit asking God to send me a man and to teach me to love myself for who I am, along came David. So my life is good, and not just because I am getting married. It's good because my life is full of people and memories that I treasure. And this is only the beginning!! I'm on the cusp of the next phase of my life, and I wonder what it will bring. I always ask myself whenever I move to a new apartment, "what will happen to me in my life while I live here?" It's fun to find out!

My bridesmaid brunch is this weekend and I am glad to have the chance to dine with the girls and show them some love. They have treated me like a queen and been so good to me...it's such a small token of thanks, but I hope they enjoy their goodies and fill their bellies with tasty food. And mostly, I hope they walk away knowing how much I love them. They are part of a core group of people who rock my world and help keep me sane.

And to Joseph, who is far too manly to be a bridesmaid...I am grateful to you for all the times you, too, have had to help me figure out my life. I am one lucky girl!

So as I prepare for the biggest event of my life so far, it's good to reflect on all those who I treasure. And my Gran...I will miss your physical presence, but I do hope that somehow you're with me that day!

:)

The Big Night Out

I am totally spent. It was a really great weekend, but I guess I am no longer built for dancing until 3am anymore! We started out by checking in to the Melrose Hotel and cracking open a bottle of wine. Mia provided arm/shoulder massages, and we got dressed and ready to go out, but not before was presented with the required bachelorette veil, complete with light up, blinking penises. We headed over to Frida’s restaurant where the food is absolutely fantastic! After an incredibly tasty dinner, we walked over to the Condoms to Go store, where the group bought me a very sparkly tiara that says “Bachelorette”, a candy necklace with penis-shaped candies on it, and a large plastic drinking vessel, also shaped like the aforementioned male anatomy. Oh, and did I mention it was Pride weekend on Oak Lawn? I was the belle of the ball down there!

Joseph, me, and Christy

We got to S4 early, so we sat out on the patio and had drinks. We wandered up to the Rose Room for the 11pm drag show, which was a riot! After that we went downstairs and danced our tails off and had a great time! We wandered to Café Brazil about 2:30am and had a bite to eat and then headed back to the hotel to call it a night.

A HUGE thank you to Christy, Mia, Kim, Joseph, Dima, and Jonquil for making it a great night! (And Jonquil, I followed your advice and made it home with both shoes and both earrings!)

Me and Christy

Joseph, Mia, Dima, Kim, and Christy

Mia and Christy

Kim, Mia, and Christy

Joseph and Dima

What a great farewell to my single-hood! Thanks to everyone! :)

Slow Recovery

I am still exhausted after the bachelorette party Saturday night!! It was beyond fun...it was crazy! I'll elaborate more when I am recovered. I even have a couple of pictures suitable for public viewing, and I will post here.

Thanks to everyone who came: Christy, Joseph, Dima, Mia, Kim, and Jonquil! It was a blast!

Bachelorette Party Eve

Tomorrow is my bachelorette party! I have been so tired running around doing other things that I haven't really gotten pumped up about it until tonight. I bought a really cute new shirt for tomorrow night, and I am in the process of designing the make-up look, and I think it is all coming together! I had dinner and drinks with Christy tonight, and I sure needed it. We talked and she assured me that she was feeling just like I am when she was two weeks away from her wedding. It's good to feel normal! David and I were going to try and go salsa dancing tonight, but we are both worn out. He is at his parent's house for dinner tonight, so I am relaxing. As soon as I finish this post, I am going to take a bubble bath and eat a popsicle. :)

Tomorrow morning we meet one last time with the florist, and then have brunch with Grampa. It's a fairly busy day, but a good one. David's bachelor party is tomorrow night and I just told him I don't need to know everything. ;) Next weekend we are having our last date as an unmarried couple, and I am looking forward to it. We're going to the museum, and then drinks and dinner. Very romantic, and we need some quiet Dave and Jen time before that last week!

So that's the news for today. It's been a busy day, and I am looking forward to going to bed. :)

Nowhere Near The Storm

Although the weather here has become slightly cooler, I am the in Dallas/Ft. Worth area and not getting any rain from the hurricane down south. So anyone wondering if I am washing away, I'm barely seeing clouds today. So thanks for your concern!

I have no news today. I am home taking a day for myself and getting some things done. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

17 Days, But Whose Counting?

Tick-tock, right? Actually, I am doing pretty good. The stress is minimal, and things are on track. What's the scary thing now? Trying to make time to practice dancing for our reception. I have been trying to contact a dance teacher here in the area, but won't return my calls or emails, so I will take the hint and keep looking. If anyone is interested in hiring Gene Willman for dance instructions, I would say keep looking! He won't contact you back!

The weather has been unreal! It is gorgeous outside! David and I celebrated the weather with dinner on the patio at OTB, followed by enjoying our own patio last night. I am loving this weather and I hope it stays like this for a while!

And a big shout out to my friend Holly who got a new job within the company at one of our regional offices! Go girl! I know you are much happier! :)

So that's it for today. No real news, just mindless chatter. I wish I had something more substantial to share, but no such luck. So just enjoy the weather! David and I are having dinner with Grampa tonight. :)

Have a good Wednesday!

Slug-Like Behavior

I got home last night and just ran out of energy! We ran some errands and grabbed a quick dinner at Chili's and after that I was useless! (I was in bed before 9!!) But it was nice to get some good sleep.

I failed to mention yesterday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGELA!!! I know she prefers to hibernate for her birthday, but I love you, girl! Hope it was good! :)

It's been really busy up here at work, but the word is spreading that I got a promotion and I am having people email me lots of nice congratulatory things. September is quite a month with the promotion and wedding! As much as I am looking forward to the wedding, I am really looking forward to the honeymoon, and a week of more sloth-like behavior as I lay around on the beach and have a cabana boy bring me cocktails. Yes, it's going to be a good vacation! :)

Saturday night is my bachelorette party, and I don't know what to wear! We're going to dinner and then going dancing, and I am really looking forward to it! Sunday is Kevin's fiance's wedding shower, and I am helping to host. So it's a busy weekend! Oh, we also have our final floral appointment on Saturday morning. I am looking forward to that, too. :) Friday night I am going shopping for my super-fab outfit for Saturday night. (I am also picking up a few responsible looking outfits for my new job, too!)

I am no longer having wedding nightmares about things going horribly wrong. I am at peace with all of our arrangements and there is very little left to do. I need to get the wedding favors together (homemade bourbon pecans!), and print out a handful of programs...just to make sure we have enough. But I think most everything is ready, and I will be glad to have it all done.

One more important note for today...God bless all those who were affected by 9/11/01. It's been 6 years ago, and so many families are probably still dealing with grief.

An Open Letter To Britney Spears

Britney,

The whole world seemed to wait for you to have an awesome performance last night on the VMAs...people are cheering for you to succeed and show everyone that you're a born performer and not as crazy as the tabloids say you are.

Oh girl, your train totally derailed last night.

What the heck happened? First of all, you were lipsynching...you couldn't even get that right! Were you stoned or drunk? Your eyes were vacant, and you literally stumbled through your performance. And hair extensions...you make enough money to go get some good extensions. You looked awful! I hear you like to do your own makeup...did you do the extensions yourself, too? You looked like you had checked out way before you even got onstage.

The song itself isn't so bad. It has a good enough groove to dance to at a club, so I'm not blaming you for bad music. (I kinda like the song!) But seriously, I think what the world wants for you is first and foremost that you get sober. It's VERY evident that you have some sort of substance abuse issue. (c'mon...even Lindsey attempts rehab!) You have two kids that need parents. K-Fed is looking like a very responsible parent compared to you, girl. Quit acting a fool and get yourself together. If we never see another performance from you again, let it be because you decided that being a good mother is what your #1 priority should be. (You know, you can still be a great mom and pop star! It's possible!) Next, you need to wear clothes that work for your body. Let's face it...the sparkly bra and boy shorts don't go with the beer belly. (And I'm not judging about weight...I'm just suggesting more body-appropriate clothes!) There are plenty of looks that would have been much better for you. And if you can't stand up on your own, don't wear your best hooker-heels to dance in.

You had a lot of people cheering for you. You let everyone down. Girl, you should have cancelled your performance and stayed home with the kids. I just don't see a "comeback" happening for you. You need to get right with your family and get yourself together. You only get one shot at life...try to do it right.

Less Than Three Weeks!

We are officially under the three week mark until the wedding, and I can't believe it! I keep feeling that there are things I need to be doing, but everything is really under control. I just have a handful of things to do, but they are small details. So I guess I am almost ready! I have a meeting with the florist once more this week, and then she'll be ordering the flowers. :) This is also my last full week in my current position. I am beginning my transition to my new position beginning next week, and I am very excited about that! I am ready for a new challenge.

We had dinner with my cousin and his wife last night to celebrate his birthday. it was nice to just get to hang out with them last night. We haven't done that in a really long time, and it was fun. We made dinner, hung out, and played Guitar Hero on the PlayStation...and had a blast!

Today is the day David has been waiting for...the "real" start of the football season! He is on the couch right now flipping between two games. I like football, but I am too restless to invest myself in a game right now. I do plan to watch the Cowboys tonight, though.

I think I am going to finish the wedding programs today and get that done. I need to figure out what to wear for my bachelorette party next weekend. That's going to be a good time, and I can't wait! We're going to do dinner and dancing. (No, we're not going to a strip bar...it's not my bag, baby!) I need to start planning the outfit now!

Everyone have a relaxing Sunday!

I Do! Oh, not yet?

Yeah, I am a dork. We went to get our marriage license yesterday, and when the JP asked us to raise our right hand a swear that the information we provided was correct, as David said "yes", I'm over there being Goober-Bride saying "I do!" Needless to say, both David and the JP laughed at me. :) Hey, I was practicing!

It's been busy here at work. My manager and his boss are both a little panicky that I am moving to a new position on another team. Sorry, but I guess they should have managed their teams better! I am so excited about my new position! I feel so grown up now! (And I got a good raise, too! Yay!)

So all is good right now. I am much less stressed now that the reception is paid for, and there isn't much left to do. :) I am a happy bride these days, although I feel like we are passing each other coming and going. We've been so busy! Every time we turn around we have something we need to do. I am glad that we get to slow down this weekend. We are having Craig and Jen over to celebrate Craig's birthday Saturday night. David is doing a brisket, and it should be pretty amazing! I'm going to make cupcakes, too. :)

I think that's about it for now. Have a good Thursday!

The Marriage License

Holy cow...we're going to get our marriage license today! This definitely feels surreal to me. After that, we're going to Grampa's for dinner tonight. I haven't gotten to see him in a few weeks, so I am looking forward to it!

Tomorrow David heads out again, but will be home on Friday, so it's not a long trip. Saturday night we are planing to have my cousins over for dinner to celebrate Craig's birthday....we didn't have time last weekend, so we will this weekend! :)

It's been crazy busy here at work. I am ready to call it a day. But I have my mid-year review this afternoon. After that, I am out of here!

28 Days and Counting

Well, my dress is altered and finished and at the bridal shop to be stored and steamed! Very exciting! I have done the trial run on my hair and makeup, and I had a facial this morning. There are just the little details left now, and I am getting very excited!! Less than a month...holy cow! Tuesday we got get our marriage license, and I think that will feel very surreal.

In other news, I got a promotion and a raise yesterday! It's been long-overdue and I couldn't be any happier! I am going to dinner tonight with the family to celebrate. :) David managed to get an earlier flight home, so he gets to go celebrate, too! :)

I don't have much other news...I'll be on my honeymoon one month from today! Woo-hoo! :)

Everyone have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Have A Seat? No Thanks!

So my wedding dress is done except for adding the straps and one very special little detail. But I tried it on and loved it! It's not built for comfort, that's a fact. And sitting down? I don't know if that's going to happen. We all know I am not a supermodel-sized girl, so there are some mechanics going on under the dress to smooth things out and make me look nice. That, and the dress has a fair amount of boning in it to make the bodice lay just right. It's beautiful! But not good for sitting! Thankfully I have very comfy shoes (thanks to Born footwear!) and will also have some flip flops in case I need to change...but I doubt I will. So while I may look lovely, I will probably be wishing that I could sit gracefully. :)

I met with our reception coordinator. She replaced the one we had that I loved so much, and I had a lot of reservations about a new person this far into the game. Turns out that I ADORE her!! And sadly, the other girl that I loved wasn't on top of things like our new girl, whose name is Heather. Heather and I have the very same organizational style, so I feel like she gets me. And she has been in this business for a long time and knows what's what. So I am feeling so much better about things!! I wrote the check for the reception, and we talked for two hours about all the reception details. I am really excited about everything! :) So now I can focus on other details because I know things are on track. :)

Today I am having a bridal shower here at the office, and I am excited about it. Although it does start to feel funny when you think about people pretty much just gathering to watch you open stuff. It's a little awkward, but very flattering! :)

So that's it for now. I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

33 Days - Holy Cow!

I can't believe it! 33 days! We had a very busy weekend, but we got some wedding stuff accomplished so I feel good. We got David measured for his tux, we had the final cake tasting (that was sheer torture...eating cake is a tough job, but someone has to do it!), celebrated the 2nd birthday of my very soon to be twin nephews...and that was all on Saturday! Sunday was much less busy with regards to running around like madpeople, but we still got lots done. We relaxed, did some housekeeping, and vegged for a bit. But during the evening, we watched about three hours of the Discovery channel's Blue Planet series. All three episodes were about sea life and let me tell you, there are some scary looking things living deep in the ocean! I thought some of those things were made up, but they're real! I am never going into water I can't see the bottom of...those creeped me out!

However, while watching all this, we finished up the confetti packets for the reception, as well as discussing other details. Tonight we are working on wedding day logistics and how to get everyone and everything where it needs to go on the big day. We're also going to work on the seating chart. (Don't worry...we're doing it so that we can match up people who might not know anyone else with other people who they might enjoy getting to know! It's not like a second grade classroom seating chart!) Mom has gotten the decor for the rehearsal dinner taken care of, and it's going to look great! We found someone who actually has enough chairs and tables for us to borrow, so we won't even need to rent them! (We're catering our dinner at Angela's beautiful house!) Everything is really falling into place and I am getting excited again. For a while I just wanted to hide from everything wedding related. It gets to be a lot of stress! (I had no idea!) I used to make fun of the Bridezilla shows. Although most of those women are over the top rude and tacky, I do understand how they get stressed and a little snippy with people. (That does NOT excuse just flat out bad behavior!) You just want everything to be beautiful and to look like you envision. I am learning to just trust that it will all be OK. I am also not good at delegating, so I need to remember that I am surrounded by wonderful people who are here to help. (I have people ask me all the time what they can do to help me!) All will be well...I need to relax and breathe.

So that's it for today. Plenty of rambling. It's only going to get worse in the next 33 days!

For Rachel in North London

A fellow blogger has lost her mother this week after a stroke followed by many complications. If you haven't stopped to read Rachel in North London, she is a survivor of many things, most notably for me of the London tube bombings. She's turned her experience into a fight for justice and for those who did not survive. (A link to her blog is listed on the right of this page) My most sincerest of prayers goes out to her family. I thought I would share the lyrics to one of the most beautiful songs I've ever known:

O Earth, lie heavily upon her eyes; Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching.
Earth, lie close around her; leave no room for mirth
With its harsh laughter, nor for sounds of sighs.

She hath no questions, she hath no replies,
Hushed in and curtained with a blessed dearth Of all that irked her from the hour of birth;
With stillness that is almost Paradise.
Darkness more clear than noonday holdeth her,
Silence more musical than any song;
Even her very heart has ceased to stir;

Until the morning of Eternity
Her rest shall not begin nor end, but be;
And when she wakes she will not think it long.

-Christina Rossetti

Just Stuff

Nothing of importance today...just random stuff. Mom and I went to look for goodie bags for the kids at the wedding reception. Found lots of fun stuff to put in there. We really want the kiddos to be entertained, so we're also hiring a clown for them so that their parents can enjoy the reception, too.

I think I am starting to feel ready to get stuff done again. I am meeting with the coordinator for the reception next Wednesday. Oh, and I am writing her a very large check. Ugh! But I am looking forward to meeting her. I'll feel much better about things when I do. David is getting his tux measured on Saturday morning, so we'll get that out of the way. Then we get to eat wedding cake! Yay! We're doing our final cake tasting on Saturday afternoon and I am looking forward to that. I have to remember to go next door to the paper shop to get more paper for the table cards at the reception. There is still much to do!

Tonight I am going to Toys R Us to buy birthday gifts for the nephews. They are twins and turn 2 this weekend. They are getting a very good art easel and a couple of Ugly Dolls. (If you haven't seen them, Google them - very funny and cute!)

Somewhere in all this I am trying to squeeze in a trial for my hair for wedding day. I have 37 days to get this mess together!! Ugh!

Time Off For Mental Health

I had to day a day off work yesterday. It's just been so busy, and I am feeling overwhelmed sometimes. It's nice to just take a day to do nothing. We were going to go to the museum, but it was closed on Mondays, so we saw the Bourne Supremacy. Good flick!

I've had two fittings on my wedding dress, and it's fitting nicely! It doesn't gap on top anymore, so I look much better. I would post pics from the first time I tried it on, but I just can't since David drops in. I'll post pics after the wedding. Really, more like after the honeymoon. Hopefully our resort in Jamaica is still standing! The honeymoon is what I am really looking forward to! :)

I've taken a break from wedding stuff. I have 39 days...I really can't do that, but I needed to so I did. Oh, and in the midst of all this, I am planning another wedding shower for someone else. I think I am crazy. I am also a "groomsperson" in Kevin's wedding, and I am excited about that. It's always nice to be part of someone's wedding! :)

I think that's about it. We have a busy weekend with cake tasting (the final!) and family birthday stuff. Whew! I am also hoping to squeeze in a trial run on my hair. So much to do!

Oh, and a very happy (belated!) birthday to Blonde!! :)

Everyone have a good evening!

Sick :(

I have really had a time with my allergies this week. I went home early from work to rest, and I think it was a smart move, as I am feeling better today.

David and I have a date tonight...we've designated some time to spend together with little to no wedding talk, and I am good with that. We're trying to make sure we don't get lost in all the wedding stuff!

Tomorrow night we're going to see Mia's husband's band play, and that should be great! I haven't seen them in a while and they have a bunch of new stuff to play. (If you're in Dallas, be sure to make your way out to the What Bar by 9pm to see them!)

It should be a nice weekend. Not much going on during the day, and just a few things planned at night. :) And I get to sleep in! Yay!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Long Week

It feels like this week is going to drag. I am feeling kind of crummy...congestion and sneezing. I refuse to get sick. I'm the bride, dammit! I can't be sick!

I don't have much news...it's just a boring Tuesday. I'd rather be home in bed.

Shout out to my homegirl...you know who you are!

Showered With Love!

I had another bridal shower this weekend, and it was wonderful! This one was put on by my awesome bridesmaids, and they did such a fantastic job! The food was good, the punch was awesome (hello...rum punch!!), and the guests were very generous. David and I have so many wonderful things for our home as we get set to begin the next phase of our lives together. :)

And we got a toaster!!! (Ours died back in May, so this was a wonderful gift!!!)

We went to David's brother's house yesterday, and my FSIL (future sister-in-law) and I took her daughter to a salon for the younger ladies to get her hair done and a mani/pedi. She was adorable! We had lunch, and then she bought David and I our wedding gifts, so again, we are surrounded with very generous people! :)

The weekend went much too quickly, and it's a busy week for everyone. I hope you have a good Monday!

We're Officially Having A Wedding

Invitations went out on Tuesday, and people were already getting them yesterday! It's so exciting! Now it's getting to be crunch time...so much to do! I have been a little bit of an anti-bride lately...sort of avoiding stuff that needs to be done, but now is the time to get moving on this stuff. I have a lot to do. I was supposed to hear from the new wedding coordinator at the reception site yesterday but she didn't call. This doesn't instill a lot of confidence for me. I'll keep trying to set up a meeting with her, though. I just need to meet with her and go over everything...I'll feel better when I do.

I have a bridal shower on Saturday, and my five wonderful bridesmaids have put much time, effort, and money into making it special. I know it's going to be wonderful! :)

Tonight we are cleaning. Something we have needed to do for a while!

Have a good Thursday!

Back from Sin City

Yeah, I had a great trip! It was very low-budget, so not much gambling or shopping. Lots of walking around and just having a good time people watching. I wasn't feeling very lucky, so I wasn't tempted to gamble, which was good. We have a bunch of people to feed on September 29th! We hung out at the pool at the Venetian for a couple days, so I got some sun. :) We didn't stay at the Venetian, but we snuck into the pool area and had a blast!

Now that I am back home, I am diving back into wedding stuff. I actually tried to take a break from it last week. My head was going to blow up. There's a lot to do and barely over seven weeks to get it all done. Ugh!

Not much news to report. Hope everyone has a good Monday!

Vegas, Baby!

Yep! I'm heading out to Las Vegas tonight. I'm in need of a break, and this ought to be a fun one!

If I win any money, I'll be shocked! :)

Have a good weekend everyone!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

My parents have been married for 38 years now! I am lucky enough to have the best parents ever, and I think that 38 years together is so wonderful and special. Not everyone gets to have that in their lives, and they are truly blessed. I love you guys so much! :)

That's the news for today! Just a short entry to celebrate my parents! Love you guys!

Happy Birthday Christy!

Christy is FINALLY in her 30's now! (Hee hee...couldn't resist!) She's such a great friend, and I love her to pieces!

Happy birthday, girl!

Whirlwind!

It ended up being a good but busy weekend! Friday night was calm and relaxing, and David and I had a lively evening making dinner and just talking. Saturday began early with a facial and then going with Kim to pick up her dress. I also picked up Mia's and will be taking it to her. (Gorgeous dresses!) then Kim and I ran to Target so she could get some goodies for her new apartment. When I got home, David and ran to Target (thank goodness I never get sick of going there!) and bought a new digital camera with some gift cards we got as wedding/shower gifts. We have one, but it pretty much crapped out and we needed a new one.

After the Target trip, we worked around the apartment and then got ready to go to Christy and Rich's combined birthday party. We had a great time (food catered by Cool River - YUM!) and it was good to just get to go hand with my Matron of Honor! My shower is two weeks away, and I can't wait! My wonderful bridesmaids have put a lot of time and money into making this special, and I am very grateful! :)

Sunday was good...we got up and went to breakfast and then came on home so David could start getting ready. He left for Vegas this afternoon (after some long weather delays!). I went to Fry's to find a memory stick for the new camera, and then ran to Wendy's to pick up some wedding stuff we've been working on. I didn't have a watch on and my afternoon got very derailed, as I visited with Wendy for much longer than I anticipated, so I was a very bad daughter and missed time with my mom working on wedding stuff. We've rescheduled for Tuesday, and I'm okay with that. I spent the evening trying to relax. I've been really stressed with wedding stuff and needed some time to unwind quietly.

I hope everyone had a good weekend!!

A Good Weekend Ahead

Ever just have the feeling that it's going to be a good weekend? I have that feeling! We're not even doing anything crazy...just going to have a nice weekend. :) Tonight I am getting my hair cut (YAY!) and then David and I are going to make sandwiches for dinner and relax. Tomorrow I have an appointment for a facial, I am going to go with Kim to get her dress (and pick up Mia's for her!) and then David and I are going to work in the second bedroom to clean it out. And then tomorrow night is a birthday party for both Mr and Mrs Falcone! (That's Christy and her hubby!) They have birthdays that are very close together, so they celebrate with one big party! And Sunday I take David to the airport and he's off to Vegas. Mom and I are going to work on wedding stuff on Sunday. It's going to be a good weekend.

We took my wedding dress to Wendy's last night to start the alterations. I got to put it on again, and I just love that dress so much! I hope I feel like a princess on my wedding day. :) Everyone has been so generous with their time and efforts into making this wedding something special. I think we may have a bigger turnout than we expected, but it's going to be wonderful!

64 days until I get married!!!

Holy cow! It's coming up quick! David is home right now putting the postage on the response envelopes. We're going to tuck them into the invitations, and as soon as our gold seals arrive in the mail, we'll seal the invitations and mail them. (So the invites will probably go out right before I leave next Thursday for Vegas!)

Exciting stuff! I hope everyone has a great Friday! And Happy Birthday, Rich! See you at your party tomorrow! :)

I Officially Know It All

Yes, I have completed the seventh Harry Potter book. No spoilers here...just simply saying it's nice to have been able to sit down and read the whole book. I don't know how JK Rowling comes up with that stuff, but it's amazing to me.

It was a busy weekend. My soon to be neice, Morgan (aka Mo-Mo) turned two, and we celebrated with a birthday gift and some homemade cupcakes. :) It was fun!

I "helped" Kim move some stuff on Sunday. I think I was more of a distraction. We moved some stuff from her old place, and then we went to the mall. Yeah, I'm a helper! After the mall, we went to the 7-11 that has been temporarily turned into a Kwik-E-Mart in honor of the Simpsons movie coming out. It was pretty cool, but WAY too crowded. We wandered around the store as much as we could and then left because there were just too many people. But now we can say we've been to the Kwik-E-Mart. :)

David has been with his colleagues who are in town, and I have been invited to join them for dinner. This is exciting! I've not gotten to go to one of his corporate dinners with his whole team like this, so I am looking forward to it! Grampa and the parents are coming for dinner tomorrow, and then Thursday begins the dress alterations! :) Once that is done I need to decide where to do my bridal portraits. Tonya, the coolest photographer ever, is helping with this. :)

So that's about it. I head to Vegas a week from Thursday. David is in a meeting up there, so I am flying up on a free ticket on Southwest and we're staying up there compliments of his company! :) Yay! So it's a VERY cheap trip for us. I'm looking forward to the getaway!

Have a good Tuesday everyone!

Friday, You've Been A Long Time Coming!

Seriously, this has been a long week!

I'm having one of those days where I am having hair issues, I don't like what I wore to work today, and I am tired. I'm not in a bad mood, just ready to go home. David and I have a nice evening planned, and I am looking forward to it. We're going to a yummy pizza place for dinner and then coming home to enjoy a Netflix selection. We have a busy day tomorrow, and hopefully it won't be rainy.

I don't much to say today. Kim is busy moving to a new and bigger apartment, so without her emails it has been quiet. Mia and Kevin and I had lunch, and that was nice. :)

Everyone have a great weekend!

Panic Mode

I just got a call from the reception venue, and the wedding coordinator I've been working with for a year now has resigned. So now I have a new coordinator. My previous one was wonderful! We had a wonderful working relationship built, and I knew she got my idea of what I wanted. I'm nervous about having to build a new relationship with Heather, my new coordinator. If I had more time to get to know her, I would feel so much better about that but right now all I can think of is weather or not things will run smoothly. Jackie had come so highly recommended, and we just had an amazing connection.

I know it will be okay, but this really rattled me. You'd be rattled, too, if it was your reception. It's so important to me that my guests have a wonderful time and enjoy themselves, and I just want it all to run seamlessly.

71 days until the wedding. Holy cow!

Life is Good!

First of all, the Cinnamon Sun Chips are great!! If you need a sweet snack, that's a good choice!

We met with our wedding DJ last night, and I just love her! We got the reception music planned, and we are going to have the time of our lives!! (Anyone coming better get your booties on the dance floor!) David and I are getting ready to sign up for dance lessons so we can wow everyone! :) I really need the help. I am not so graceful! (But with my dress, I don't really need to worry...no one can see my feet!)

We are going to finalize flowers today, and then we are meeting with the church organist after that to select our ceremony music. I am in wedding Heaven! :)

I hope everyone is having a great day!

Potential to be the Holy Grail of Snacks

I have a real love of those cinnamon-sugar coated pita chips. I do...I love them! But I can't buy them because I will eat them. (I know that's the point, but I don't need to eat a whole bag of them!)

I may have found the answer. Sun Chips has just come out with Cinnamon Chips. I love Sun Chips because they are a little healthier, and now that they have cinnamon chips? Heaven help me! The good news being that they come in individual serving bags. I bought a bag from the deli this morning, but I haven't eaten them yet. (It's 8:24am...not the right time!) I have high hopes, though. :) I'll let you know what I think!

In other news, it was a good weekend. I did my first trial run on bridal makeup, and I really loved what she did! Paula, my esthetician, is wonderful! She is doing all my facials and brow waxing, and she has a love of MAC just like me! She is an absolute genius with makeup, and we decided that we may need to take a trip to the MAC counter together soon. (I love this girl!) I have a bunch of stuff to recycle and trade for free lipsticks, so I am planning to go this week regardless. :)

Hmm...I haven't mentioned WW lately, have I? I'm struggling again. I didn't go on Saturday, but I did get workouts in at the gym, which is the thing that keeps me from totally blowing it. I know that WW has revamped their program and I am supposed to be able to eat more food, but I don't want to do that. I am trying to re-focus on making smarter choices, so I am going to the old points system. The system that worked so well for me two years ago. I know...I keep struggling, but I just refuse to give up on myself. I did it once...I can do this again! (Right?)

We saw the new Harry Potter film...loved it!! The book comes out this week and I think I need to buy myself a copy. It's the last one and I can hardly wait to dig into it! We also watched Last King of Scotland, which was a very interesting film. Amin did terrible things to the people of Uganda, and this movie gives you a look at what kind of man he was. He was awful. But the film was great, and Forrest Whittaker is a very good actor!

I think that's about it for me. I hope everyone has a good Monday!