Happy Birthday Mom!

It's my mother's birthday today, and in her selfless ways she spent her birthday with me shopping for wedding stuff! We were with our friend Wendy, and we got three absolutely beautiful flower girl dresses, the gorgeous fabric to make the ring bearer pillows, my garter, some wedding jewelry for my junior bridesmaid, and in the midst of all this I got the call that my wedding dress has arrived and is at the store being steamed! I got to see it and try it on for the first time on Wednesday night, and I can hardly wait! I'm actually going to see the dress I will wear when I become a "Mrs."! It feels so surreal!

I went to WW today, but didn't get on the scale. It was a good meeting, and I am feeling energized and strong...I'm ready to have some success this week! I am hoping to go to yoga on Monday night, but it depends on if we go see David's parents. It's been a busy week, and next week promises to be just as busy. We have the menu tasting on Tuesday and the dress fitting on Wednesday. It's a wedding week!!! :)

So that's it for now. I need to get ready to go pick up David at the airport. He was supposed to be here, but his flight was very late due to the weather. Everyone have a good Saturday night!

The "Peaks and Valleys" Speech

I remember years ago my dad telling me that life has peaks and valleys, because without the valleys, we would never appreciate the peaks. One of my blogger friends is in a very low valley right now, as she has unexpectedly lost her father. Her grief is just beginning to pour into her blog, and I know she has a long path to feeling "normal" again...and normal for her is forever changed. I don't know the depth of her pain. I think it's only something you understand when you are going through it, and no one can sympathize unless they have been there. I'm lucky...I haven't been there, but I know people who have (including my own parents). I've watched people lose a parent, and it's awful and horrible. But I've also seen what happens as time passes and the grief isn't as life consuming as it was...and that's when you can revisit the loving memories without sobbing your heart out every time. (You still do it sometimes, though.)

Unfortunate Serendipity's blog is beautifully written, and I am grateful that she is brave enough to begin sharing a little bit of her grief with her readers. She's a wonderful person. How do I know? Because even though we've never met, she has become a friend to me. We email on occasion, and she's even offered to help me during fashion dilemmas. I don't have to have met her to know that I like her and respect her. (Hey, the woman has great taste in shoes!)

So my blog today is just about my friend and how even though there are no words to ease the pain, maybe the collective healing energy from those who read my blog and send her good thoughts will provide some comfort.

Jerilyn, you are in my prayers.

Wow...I Actually Have No News!

It's true...I have nothing to contribute to the world today. It's been a boring day at work and I am sleepy. (I hung out with my mom way too late last night!) I haven't been overly productive or anything. Kinda pathetic!

Mom's birthday is Saturday, so that might be classified as news! (Happy 29th birthday, Mom!) I need to get a manicure, and I have a massage scheduled on Wednesday. That's about it!

So everyone have a good Wednesday! I'm going to Grampa's tonight for dinner, so I know it will be a good day!

After Much Thought...

I have decided that I am feeling differently about the Sopranos finale than I was yesterday. The more I think about it, the more I think I liked it. TV spoon feeds us stories and endings, and for once we are now left to think about what has happened. I have a few theories on what happened to the Soprano family, but I also kind of like the idea that I don't really know. I hope that they eventually decide to do a movie, but mostly because I enjoyed the series so much that just a little more would be a wonderful treat. However, there is apparently very little likelihood that it will happen. So we are left to mull over the fate of Tony Soprano.

And back in the real world, there's not much news to share. David headed out for south Texas today, and he'll be back Saturday night. Saturday is Mom's birthday, so I am thinking of a good b-day gift for her. She comes back from Austin today! :) Dad left for the coast yesterday for his annual fishing trip, so until tonight I am holding down the fort!

I'm sleepy today...I was so warm and cozy in bed when the alarm went off. :( Getting up is no fun! I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday!

Sopranos Finale: Who Got Whacked?

The viewers did! I won't go into detail here just in case any Sopranos fans haven't seen the finale yet, but what the heck??

It was an interesting way to end the series, but me? I think I would have liked to see something different. Just an opinion.

Ugh!

Okay, Maybe I Did Have A Brush With Fame

When I picked up David from the airport last night, I did get to see Eva Longoria! Of course, she was whisked by on one of those little carts, but she seemed very unpretentious and looked happy. (No one saw her but me...no one else knew to look for her!) She was in jeans, a black t-shirt, and red high heels. She also had a headband in her hair and big sunglasses on. But she was smiling and chatting with the cart driver, and she looked like she was enjoying her conversation. My impression on her? She looked like she was enjoying herself. David said she was letting people take her picture on the plane, and I think that's nice. She could have been a real b*tch about it, but she chose to be friendly and pleasant to her fans, and that makes me like her! (I wish I could have asked her about her wedding plans!)

So anyhow, I did get have a brush with fame!

Catching Up

Wow...it's been a little while since I had time to blog! It's been a busy week. I overslept for WW this morning. :( Although I wasn't feeling like it would be a good weigh in, I was planning to go. However, I did go to the gym so I am feeling good. I am also really feeling like I am back on my game, so hopefully the pounds I am revisiting will be on their way back off soon.

Mia and I went to the mall to check out the new Sarah Jessica Parker clothing line, and it's pretty good! We picked up a few things after a light lunch, and had a lot of fun walking the mall. Mia is getting ready to go to CA, and Kim is there right now. Everyone is travelling! David is on his way back from NYC right now. Actually he just called me about 5 minutes ago to tell me that Eva Longoria is on his flight! Pretty cool! He waved at her as he passed through First Class and she waved back. I told him to give her a "Go Spurs" if he sees her again! Pretty neat! He also met Oscar de la Hoya at his hotel across from Madison Square Garden. I didn't meet anyone famous this week. :(

A week from Tuesday we have our menu tasting for the reception food, and my dress will ship out on June 14th, so things are really moving along. Mom's birthday is a week from today, and my birthday is approaching, too. 35. Yikes! However, having oily skin is keeping me young looking, as no one seems to believe I am older than 27. Hey, I'll take it! :)

I think that's about it for now. I need to clean and get ready to pick up David in about 4 hours. I can't wait! :)

Have a good weekend!

Glamorous!

David and I had our engagement pictures made on Sunday, and if I may say so, I think we looked great! I can't wait to see how the pictures turn out! It was humid so I hope our photographer can photoshop out a few sweat beads. :) But it was a lot of fun and she took a lot of pictures!

It was a very productive weekend! I got my invitations put together, the programs are done, we found a dress for my junior bridesmaid, shopped for a new phone for David, and looked at a kitchen table. I also got my hair highlighted and went to WW. WW wasn't so good, but I knew it was going to be a gain. For the last two weeks my eating hasn't been good, but I am back on track now. I am working with Susan this afternoon, and then I am going to Yoga with Kim tonight and I am very ready! I need it! I haven't been in a couple weeks because of being sick and then last Monday being a holiday. So I am probably a little regressed, but I am back on it, baby! :)

So here we are on a Monday morning. Is it 4pm yet? I am so ready to hit the gym!

Everyone have a great day!

A Small Victory

While getting dressed this morning I put on a dress that I bought a bit too tight and could not wear. Well guess what? I'm wearing it today!! I love it when this happens...it's really motivating! I needed a little nudge, and that helped. I also got a really good workout in yesterday. My trainer was off, but I still worked my legs really good, and David and I went to the gym last night and I got some good cardio in as well. David also grilled us some salmon and we had a salad...we were very good!

It's hard to get back into the swing after a long weekend. We had a nice time...it was good to get to spend two days with David in a row! He has to head out of town tomorrow but comes back on Saturday night. Next week he's off to NYC. The travel will wrap up at the end of June, so that's something to look forward to. :)

That's really about it for today. I'm trying to get a few things done because I have a long meeting today. (Ugh!) I'm looking forward to dinner with Grampa tonight.

Everyone have a good Wednesday!

On the Mend

Oh man, I have been so sick! I've had a monster of an upper respiratory infection and it hasn't been much fun. I missed a few days of work, but I am better. Still coughing and fighting the phlegm, but definitely better.

My kitchen shower last Sunday was great! Wendy went all out and we had a great time. My friends and family are so very generous! We got lots of wonderful stuff, and we had a good time going through all our goodies after I got home. :)

It's been a busy week with work. Today is nice because I only have to work a half day, so Mia and I are going to bum around and have some lunch. I got to have dinner with Christy last night, and it was nice to get together. (We went to the MAC counter!!) She wants to have a bridal shower for me in August, so we talked about that. August will be busy for me...bridal shower and bachelorette party!! Woo-hoo! My girls are planning a trip to Austin for that, so it should be a blast!

Saturday night I am hostessing an engagement celebration for Kevin and Samantha. It's easy - it's a pot luck dinner, so we'll have lots of yummy stuff. I'm going to get to see lots of friends I haven't seen in a while, so I am really looking forward to that. David will be home Saturday night, so I'll get to show him off for a little while at least! (He's in Denver right now.)

So I think that gets me caught up. I haven't done well with my eating this week, and I haven't been able to exercise because I have been so sick, so even though I am going to WW tomorrow, I am not going to weigh in. I need to go and get pumped up at the meeting and then be back on track again, so don't look for a weight loss total tomorrow. We're just going to say that I maintained and leave it at that. The thing is that I am okay with this. I ate some stuff I shouldn't have eaten this week, and now I am getting myself back into my groove. Actually, I see this as a positive - I'm back in control and ready to work out next week! So I am feeling good about this. That's the nice thing about WW...it's never too late to get back on track!

Have a great Friday everyone!!

A Little Under the Weather

I'm sick with an upper respiratory infection, but I'll be back to blogging soon!

Me vs. The Scale: I Win!

Yes, I lost 4.2 pounds this week for a new total of 17.6 pounds gone!! Everyone told me the four-tenths of a pound gain wasn't me, and it really wasn't! So I am feeling rather spectacular! I still don't know what to reward myself with when I lose 20 pounds, though. I found a super cute Coach wristlet that I fell in love with today, but it would be a better 50 pound off gift. I need to think a little smaller for 20 pounds. Maybe a massage... :)

David will be home soon, and tomorrow is my bridal shower! I am so excited!

The "Make America Sparkle" Campaign

I had a weird revelation a few minutes ago...next month I will be old enough to run for president. Not that I am making any plans to do so, but if I did, what would my campaign be like?

• Mandatory shopping holidays (deep discounts and paid time off from work included)
• Cleaner cities - we need to make America sparkle!
• People would need to exercise courtesy and good manners in public (cell phone etiquette, hello!)
• Hugging would be the proper form of greeting people

I'm sure there are more important issues at hand, but it's not like I'm actually running. BUt as of June 22nd, I could!

On a less "fluff" note, tomorrow is weigh in. After my .4 gain last week, I don't have a clue what the scale will say, but I've done a good job this week of tracking what I ate and of making good choices, so what else can a girl do? Hopefully I will have good news to report. I have also been drinking green tea all day. Good for the insides!

Sunday is my very first bridal shower! Do you know how hard it is not to peek at my online registry? Yeah, I don't know either...I peeked! :) But I won't peek any more this weekend. I bought nice hostess gifts for Wendy and Maureen, who are hostessing this wonderful party, and I can't wait to give them their gifts! I also found the absolute coolest bridemaid gifts, but I obviously can't talk about them here. After they get the gifts in September I can spill the beans. But they're so cool!! If you need a really cool gift for a girlfriend, email me and I can tell you all about it! (Unless you're one of my Fox Force Five...then you have to wait!)

That's it for now. Have a good Friday everyone! I'm going to dinner with the folks and then going to buy my Thank You cards, so it should be a very nice evening. :)

Take That, Scale!

After my devastating four-tenths of a pound gain (I know it sounds silly, but when you work this hard you want measurable results!), I had my trainer take my measurements. I've made good progress in all areas, so I am now officially convinced that my weight gain was muscle. :) So there, scale! Ha!

Other than that, no big news. Oh, except that my very first bridal shower is this Sunday! I can't wait! (and I get married in 133 days - eek!) I am trying not to peek at the registry to see what people have bought for us...it's hard not to do that!

I still have plenty to do for the wedding. Next month, I am working on invitations and programs. I need to get the table cards finished before the end of this month for sure. I think I am going to work on that this Friday night.

We're almost unpacked from the move. It's nice to have a bigger place, and it does feel like home. We have an upstairs neighbor with cement feet, though. I keep thinking I will go up there and apologize for making so much noise. When they look surprised and say they don't hear us, I will say something like "oh yeah...it must be you then!" I probably won't do that, but it's fun to fantasize!

So that really is it for today. David is feeling a little better, but is still getting over his upper respiratory infection. Poor guy! He has to travel again tomorrow. But he'll be home on Saturday night! :)

Have a good Wednesday!

Denied!

I was so close to my 15 pound mark, but my body decided to gain .4 pounds. GAIN??? The only reason I can come up with for that is gaining muscle, as I worked out really hard this past week. I am trying to move on and have a good week this week and hopefully have a loss on Saturday morning. I was really frustrated!

Poor David is really sick. He is congested and coughing, but being the man he is, he isn't going to the doctor. I wish he would, but hopefully he will feel better. He's had to travel so much it's not surprising that he is feeling so crummy.

My very first bridal shower is this coming Sunday! It's so surreal to me that there is a party like this being held in my honor! (Is it wrong that I checked my registry to see what people have bought for me? I'm going to try not to do that again...I'd like to be surprised on Sunday!) It's really neat to think that people are so wonderful and are gathering to celebrate my wedding like this. I really do feel so honored! :)

Tonight I work out with Susan and then I have Yoga at 7pm. I am looking forward to working out. We celebrated Mother's Day and I ate some chocolate cake (not a whole piece, mind you!) and I am ready to work it off my body. I also discovered that since i don't eat such things these days, it kind of made me feel icky. That's a good thing, right?

Christy is home from her honeymoon. She left me a message, but I had missed her call. I was happy to hear her voice and I can't wait to hear how her honeymoon was! (I just want the G-rated details!) It's so funny to think that the next wedding I attend is my own!

135 day away...I bet the time will go by quickly!

Friday Has Arrived!

It's been a long week! I am so ready for the weekend...and for weighing in tomorrow! It's been a good week, so I expect good things from the scale. :) I need to make sure I get some treadmill time in after work, though, just to be sure.

No real news today. I need to work on some wedding stuff tonight. It's only 138 days until the wedding. I know it sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. Not when I think about all the little things I need to do. The most important thing to me is that people see us in the details. I want people to walk away from a fun evening feeling like they saw our personal touches in all the little things. No one will really pay much attention to the fact that I am making all the table cards by hand, but if for just a moment they hold their card and think to themselves that it looks like something David and I would pick out, then I will be happy. I want our day to be full of laughter and love and family and friends. If a flower girl puts her dress over her head, it will be one of those funny things people will laugh about later. (Bridesmaids, keep your skirts at your knees! That's not funny! ;) ) For me, the day will be perfect if everyone has a good time and enjoys themselves.

That's it for today! Everyone have a great Friday!

Waterbed Has A New Meaning

Yeah, I was so tired last night after working with my trainer and then an hour of Yoga that I actually fell asleep in the bath tub. Yes, that's pretty tired. Apparently we had some loud storms, but I slept through that as well. (Not in the tub...I did wake up and dry off and go to bed) I am about to work with my trainer some more. I am officially a glutton for punishment.

Oh, and my arms are killing me from lifting weights yesterday. We are going to see Spiderman 3 tonight. I'll probably fall asleep. Ugh!

No big news. Hope all is well with everyone. Lucky Christy...she and her new husband are lying on a beach in the Dominican Republic!

A Little Less of Me

WW is going really well! I lost 2.4 pounds for a grand total of 13.8 pounds gone! I didn't expect to do that well, so it was a wonderful surprise for me! :) I am feeling good and can hardly wait until I can see a difference!

Christy got married this weekend, and it was wonderful! there ceremony at the Bontanic Gardens was lovely, and the reception was a lot of fun. It's hard to believe that the next wedding I go to is my own! (That feels strange to even think about!) I have a lot to do and time is starting to tick away!

David came home on Sunday and I was so glad! I missed him so much and I get to have him home until Thursday. :) I'm so happy!

Tonight is Yoga night and I am looking forward to it. I didn't much exercise last week because my allergies were giving me so much trouble, but I am feeling good and ready to get back into my groove. I should be good and sore tomorrow!

Have a good Monday everyone!

Thoughts, Ideas...Anything?

I need a little help from everyone. I am trying to think of a good reward for myself for when I reach the 20 pounds off mark. Nothing food or dining out related, and nothing hugely expensive. For 10 pounds gone, I bought myself a Yoga mat and a bag to carry it in, so now I am looking for my next reward. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!!

No big news. David left this morning for Omaha, and he will be back Sunday evening. This week is shaping up to be busy, with Christy's wedding happening on Saturday. I am still feeling kind of crummy, but I am definitely feeling better. It really sucks to have allergies!

So that's really it for today. Mostly just trying to figure out what to do for myself as a treat. :)

Slightly Delayed

Sorry to be late in posting an update...it was a busy weekend! Friday night David and I went to dinner and we were going to go see a movie, but we were both so tired we opted to stay home and veg. He was home all week long, and that's kind of rare for us so we took advantage of the time and snuggled. It was really nice!

Saturday morning...I'm a loser! I've lost 11.4 pounds now, so I got to get my new Yoga mat as my reward for having lost 10 pounds now! I also went to Yoga on Saturday morning with Kim, and afterwards we went to lunch and then she ordered her bridesmaid dress. :) Saturday night was the engagement party, and it was a wonderful evening. It was just wedding party and family, and it was wonderful - Angela really knows how to throw a party! :)

Sunday I was really having allergy trouble, but we went went to the DMA and the Nasher to see the Henri Matisse exhibit. (I wanted to see his paintings in Paris but the were being cleaned!) We had lunch at the Spaghetti Warehouse and then came home and relaxed. I felt just awful yesterday. My allergies are giving me a really tough time. I had to miss Yoga, but I am feeling better today. Not great, but better. I think I might be on the mend.

So that should bring you up to speed. My birthday is next month...I'm going to be 35! Where did all the time go? Ugh!