Life in the Laney Fast Lane

speechless.

2011-09-18T02:07:00.001-04:00

Our heads are hanging very low.

They might even soon wobble to the flo' ~~floor~~.

So discouraged after our big loss to the Florida Gators.

Will be back to blogging as soon as I have time to compose myself,

get my shit together, and learn that life will go on even though

Tennessee did not pick up a win today.

Bah.hum.bug

Oh well, now please excuse me while I go back to my

"orange-cha-glad-you're-not-a-gator-rita"~~orange margarita~~

to liquidate my sorrows away.

Thank god we have good friends to soften the blow & drink with us, ha.

mmm tasty... would hate to be a Gator

2011-09-17T10:00:00.001-04:00

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds Alligator, cut into cubes
1 leek
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup whipping cream
pinch of salt
chopped parsley
thin lemon slices

Who's ready for a little Alligator Stew?!

Well to be real honest, we aren't really.

We quiver at the thought of indulging in anything gator related!

We are gator HATERS in this family...

Hoping to score a Big WIN against the Florida Gators today!

Hang a gator, skin a gator, eat a gator...

Have at it BIG ORANGE!!!

Gratefulness.

2011-09-12T13:36:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a hard day.

My stomach was in knots, and I couldn't quite shake the "I'm about to bust in tears feeling". Thank goodness I had some girlfriends with me to dry my tears when they started to flow.

I struggled with several different emotions yesterday...

anger for the stupid sons of b*&c#@s that thought it would be cool to kill thousands, sadness for those that have lost, gratefulness for those that put their lives on the line. You name it.. the thought probably ran through my anxious mind.

However, throughout the day the one thing that was on my mind, & more persistent than any was sorrow for my sister in law Stacy and our nephew Richie. On September 29, 2008 they suffered a terrible loss...We all did! Our hero, Captain Richie Cliff was killed while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

It was three years ago yesterday that Richie left for his 3rd and final deployment & not a day has gone by that I have not stopped to pray for those that have lost a spouse, father, mother, child, brother, etc. It is gut wrenching to think that everyday a widow is carrying on because of careless, heartless people, who are out to take down our country which is based upon freedom.

This is the last picture that we have of Richie, Stacy his wife (pregnant with their first child), and her two sisters at our wedding reception three years ago in August. I look at this picture often and wonder what life would be like with him around. Stacy has shown more courage and strength than anyone I know, and I am so proud of her for raising their little boy as a single parent. I am grateful that her husband sacrificed his life for me and my family; she is living proof that we still have amazing people on this earth that are willing to give their lives for others!

9.11. was a day that we as Americans will never forget, a day we lost so many, a day that our lives all changed... It is so important to remember as we go on with our everyday lives that we still have troops fighting unselfishly for our freedom and giving up their lives to make sure we live in a world of peace!

"Some Gave All"

20 Facts!

2011-09-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm singing...

T-E-double N- E- double S- double E

TENNESSEE!

In honor of Tennessee Football this week I thought I'd do a Top 20

rundown of the best Knoxville, Tennessee Traditions & Fun Facts!

1. The University of Tennessee made its first football debut in 1891

For over 100 years, this college football team has been turning the Tennessee Vols fans into some of the most hardcore football fans you will ever meet!

2. When football season arrives, the Vol Navy lines the banks of the Tennessee River with hundreds of boats prior to home games for one of the best "floating" collegiate football tailgates parties there is. The Vol Navy began in 1962 when George Mooney, the Volunteers' broadcaster, found a quicker and more exciting way to get to Neyland Stadium other than fighting the notorious Knoxville traffic!

3. Running through the "T"... When Doug Dickey became the Vol coach in 1964, he moved his team's bench to the west side of the stadium, allowing the Vols to enter the field just before the opening kickoff through a giant "T" formed by the "Pride of Southland" Marching Band. Even through the numerous stadium changes this tradition has lived on!

4. Tennessee's Alma Mater was selected in 1928, and written by Mrs. John Meek (formerly Mary Fleming). It goes a little something like this...

On a Hallowed hill in Tennessee
Like Beacon shining bright
The stately walls of old U.T.
Rise glorious to the sight.

So here's to you old Tennessee,
Our Alma Mater true
We pledge in love and harmony
Our loyalty to you.

5. Smokey the Blue Tick Coon Hound has been the Tennessee mascot since 1953, when the school held a contest to pick a new live mascot... the ad read "This can't be an ordinary hound, he must be a 'Houn' Dawg'. Reverand W.C. Brooks’ Blue Smokey drove the crowd wild with his howl and UT had found its mascot. To date there have been nine Smokey Dogs.

6. "Rocky Top" isn't the official Tennessee school song, but you'd never know that based on the way it's played nearly nonstop anywhere and everywhere on campus. Vols love it, and opposing fans hate it; It's the perfect school song! Boudleaux and Felice Bryant wrote 'Rocky Top" in 1967 in less than 10 min. in a Gatlinburg, Tn hotel room.

7. Before each game, just before the Vols run out the tunnel, and run thru the T, they touch the Vols sign that says " I will give my all for Tennessee Today". This sign remains just over the doorway in the locker room at Neyland Stadium.

8. The Pride of the Southland Band is UT's marching band. At every home game, the Pride performs the "March to the Stadium" which includes a parade sequence and climaxes when the band stops at the bottom of The Hill and performs the "Salute to the Hill", an homage to the history and legacy of the university. The Pride is also known for the famous "Tennessee Circle Drill"... it is only performed at one home game a year.

9. "The Hill," the original part of the campus, is symbolic of higher education in the state of Tennessee. UT, founded in downtown Knoxville in 1794 as Blount College, moved to "The Hill" in 1828 & quickly grew around it. The main part of UT's old campus stands on this rising bank above the north shore of the Tennessee River.

10. The Tennessee Volunteers were nicknamed even before Tennessee officially became a state because of residents like John Sevier and other "overmountain men" who volunteered in the early 19th century during the Revolutionary War. The Vols nickname became even more prestigious when Gov. Aaron V. Brown issued a call for 2,800 men to battle in the Mexican war and about 30,000 volunteered!

11. Neyland Stadium is the third largest football stadium in the United States. It is still the largest football stadium in the South... the stadium can seat over 102,000 fans. Another fun fact is that UT's Stadium is only 1 of 3 college football stadiums located on the water.

12. Tennessee's official fight song is "Down the Field", which is played when the Pride "Opens the T" for the team to run through at the end of their pregame show, as well as after a Vols score.

13. The checkered End zones are a Tennessee trademark dating back to the mid-1960. When Doug Dickey took over as coach in 1964, he had the end zones of the football field painted with the checkerboards. The colorful and popular end zones are still a big part of Tennessee football!

14. In 1999 Tennessee installed a Sony video screen dubbed the "jumbotron" that back in the day was the largest of its type in the country. In 2008, parts were basically non-existant to fix the historic jumbotron and the university began having to buy scraps from other stadiums with similar equiptment. However now, the game-day experience for UT football fans has entered into the high definition era. When the Vols kicked off their 2009 season, Neyland Stadium featured a brand new, state-of-the-art jumbotron, with a price-tag of four-million dollars... The "jumbotron" is even more gargantuan now measuring in at 41' x 127' (that’s 5,207 sq. ft.).

15. Unearthed in the 1960s, from the old Calvary Baptist Church & moved to "Fiji Island", the Rock became the unofficial message board for the UT campus. The Daily Beacon has editorialized: “Originally a smaller rock, The Rock has grown in prestige and size while thousands of coats of paint have been thrown on its jagged face."

16. Tennessee's Biggest college football rivals are the Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Kentucky Wildcats. These are four games that no Tennessee Vol's fan would ever miss!

17. The Vol Walk (formerly named the walk down Yale Avenue) became somewhat a new tradition in 1990 when the walk was moved to Peyton Manning Pass, to honor Peyton's achievements! The walk allows fans to get up close and personal with the team as they walk from Gibbs Hall to the stadium, two hours prior to the game. It has become a fan favorite.

18. Smokey the dog won the 2000 Mascot National Championship title sponsored by the Universal Cheerleaders Association at Disney! (ps. Smokey was my roommate in college, true story)

19. Orange and White became UT's school colors when Charles Moore, president of the university's athletic association, chose them on April 12, 1889. His inspiration came from the orange and white daisies which grew on the Hill. To this day there are still orange and white flowers grown outside the University Center

20. Cumberland Avenue (The Strip) was one of the original Knoxville streets surveyed and platted by Charles McClung in 1791. The street and the surrounding area were home to wealthy business owners, but by the late 1920s, Cumberland Avenue became increasingly commercialized when the street became more of a student run street. Cumberland Avenue first earned its nickname "The Strip" after a drug raid during the 1960s.

And a side note...

UT is ranked 47th amongst the public universities in America!

Also, UT's College of Architecture and Design school is ranked #2 in the nation according to the journal DesignIntelligence in its publication "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools"!!!

An Anniversary Worth Remembering!

2011-09-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

On June 26th, 2008...

I sent a completed email bucket list to my husband.

This was simply something one of my friends sent me.

(I will note that it was prob. you Scotti Hines)

If you know anything about me, I am so not the forwarding type.

I refuse! They are lame, they piss me off, and are a waste of my time!

Well for whatever reason, I think i filled this one out because

I had accomplished a lot of the items on the list

and I thought it was a remarkable feat for someone at 24 years of age.

Anyway on with the story,

the bucket list went a little something like this...

( since said date, the orange X's resemble

the items I have since checked off)

Hit forward and place an X by all the things you've done
and remove the X from the ones you haven't, then send to your friends (including me).
This is for your entire life!

> ( x ) Gone on a blind date
> ( x ) Watched someone die
> ( x ) Been to Canada
> ( x ) Been to Mexico
> ( x ) Been to Florida
> ( ) Been to Hawaii

> ( x ) Been to Europe
> ( ) Been to South America

> ( ) Been to Central America
> ( ) Been to Asia

> ( ) Australia
> ( x ) Been on a plane

> ( x ) Been on a helicopter

> ( x ) Been on a Cruise
> ( ) Visited All 50 States

> ( ) Been lost in a neighborhood I knew

> ( x ) Been on the opposite side of the country
> ( x ) Gone to Washington , DC
> ( x ) Swam in the ocean
> ( x ) Cried yourself to sleep
> ( ) Played cops and robbers
> ( x ) Recently colored with crayons
> ( x ) Sang Karaoke
> ( x ) Paid for a meal with coins only
> ( x ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
> ( x ) Made prank phone calls
> ( x ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.
> ( x ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
> ( x ) Danced in the rain
> ( x ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
> ( x ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
> ( x ) Watched the sunrise with someone
> ( x ) Blown bubbles
> ( x ) Gone ice-skating

> ( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors

> ( x ) Gone to the movies
> ( x ) Skipped school
> ( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch

> (    ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
> (    ) Been deep sea fishing
> ( ) Driven across the United States
> (    ) Been in a hot air balloon

> ( x ) Been sky diving
> ( x ) Gone snowmobiling
> ( x ) Lived in more than one country
> ( x ) Lay down outside at night & admired the stars
> ( x ) Seen a falling star and made a wish

> ( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
> ( x ) Seen the Statue of Liberty

> ( x ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
> ( x ) Traveled by train

> ( x ) Traveled by motorcycle
> ( x ) Been horse back riding

> ( x ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR

> ( x ) Been to Disneyland or Disney World

> ( x ) Truly believe in the power of prayer
> ( x ) Been in a rain forest

> ( x ) Seen whales in the ocean

> (    ) Been to Niagara Falls
> (    ) Ridden on an elephant
> (    ) Swam with dolphins
> (    ) Been to the Olympics

> ( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China

> ( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
> ( ) Been spinnaker flying

> ( x ) Been water-skiing
> ( x ) Been snow-skiing
> (    ) Been to Westminster Abbey
> ( x ) Been to the Louvre
> (    ) Swam in the Mediterranean
> (    ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
> ( x ) Been to a National Football League game

My husband and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary

on 7.25.2011 in South Port, NC

To start off, I had no idea why on earth we were going to South Port...

but I didn't question it because my husband is NOT so much the planning type and this was something he had planned all by himself for us to do! He cleared it with my various "boss's" & we were on our way to the quaint little town for a relaxing weekend.

We had reservations to stay at the

Robert Ruark Inn B & B for the weekend.

The Inn was so cute, food was delicious,

& the owners were so accommodating to our needs.

All around an awesome place!

We even had our own personal bikes to get around the town...

an orange one, how fitting right?

On Friday night we took a sunset cruise with Captain Bert

& his wife Becky on their historic 1938 work boat, the Soloman T.

It was such a romantic evening out on the water!

We finished up the evening with dinner at the Fishy Fishy Cafe.

So back to the bucket list...

Friday night after we had gotten back to the B&B

Michael started playing the song "Free falling" on his IPOD.

He then proceeded to whip out this age old bucket list & tell me

that we were going SKYDIVING in the morning.

Really? OK! How Freaking Cool!

I was so very excited... I could barely sleep.

The next morning we had breakfast (a light one for fear of after effect)

& headed out, on our way to the Brunswick county airport.

After watching a terrifying video & signing our life away we got strapped into our gear and into the plane we went. We jumped, had a hell of a good time & made a memory we will not soon forget!

We even got the $100+ video to remember a little bit more vividly :).

What an awesome first surprise trip!

I can't wait to see what he plans for us next.

We loved the experience, and would totally do it again

if someone paid for it that is...

*a funny note...

the instructor prepping us for our jump asked if I was OK

with this surprise plan because, she had had a number of couples

in the past have an all out marital dispute on the runway

when the husband broke the news to the wife

about what they were going to do, ha!

Good thing I'm the adventurous one in our family!

My Happy Place!

2011-09-07T02:21:00.005-04:00

Pre-warning: The logic is NOT smart!

Last summer when my design firm job

suddenly, without a minutes notice went down the drain...

I weighed many options as far as future career moves.

A little of which I have mentioned before on my blog,

but is a whole other post in itself.

After lots of thought & a whole lot more discussion...

as a family we decided that it was best for me to try my hand

at doing freelance design from our sweet little abode.

...........................................................

Let me take you back 5 years.

When we purchased our house it was a ~~dump~~ "fixer-up".

We worked tirelessly to make it "pretty" quickly!

We didn't, & still don't have...
all the money in the world to make it perfect,

but by golly it sure is a lot closer than it was on move in day.

Someday, I plan to do a whole post on the process...

A few before pictures & a few afters
to catch you up to speed with what things look like now.

Our first house will always be a work in progress &

I think that is one of the things that we love most about it.

It is truly "our home"... our eclectic style, our labor of love!

It was the place that we started a family & someday,

will be the place we bring our first child home to.

We "technically" have 3 bedrooms & bonus rooms,
but we don't need 3 functioning bedrooms at all times.

I have a semi-small, but very close knit family...
So we often have several guest all at one time & need bed space.

We did the "norm" & placed beds in all three bedrooms
& were basically place holding our space!

I decided on a whim that I was going to sale pretty much
all our hand-me-downs that were not "our style",
or did not go with the function
we were trying to create in our home.

Obviously, this is where the logical part comes into play...

it was NOT so smart to do this without a paying job!

You live and learn and I do not regret my foolish move in the least bit.

We now have the most wonderful studio/ office space,

that gets used more than any other room in our whole house.

Our office/ nursery (in the far distant future) is My Happy Place!

It is purely delightful & keeps my creative juices flowing daily.

I am so passionate about my studio, it is the perfect place to design!

I am so dog-gone pleased with the way it turned out that

I remind my husband probably more often than he cares to hear

(after all it is his "office" too).

This project was a long time coming & took longer than expected...

We did all the work ourselves & still have plenty of touch-ups

to finish the project, but overall 95% finished!

I have reached that point of taking a small break before

finally deciding it is time to knock out the rest of the dirty work

(painting a 3rd coat, burying cable cords, painting molding, etc.)!

To see the post I wrote in October of last year about the chaos...

which was also known as the office, visit this post.

We used lots of "sentimental items" to complete the room

& that makes the finished product even more special to us!

Below are a few of the items & what they mean to us:

*Wooden craft table~ was my Grandmother and Grandfathers dining room table, they used it as their table their whole married life

*Upholstered Rocker~ was my husband's Great Aunt's rocker & we had it recovered from a gold velour fabric to an over sized hounds tooth print... I LOVE IT!

*Hill painting~ I painted this once returning from my life abroad. This was an old fort that we visited as a going away toast w/ the group during my last week in Denmark

*Wooden side tables~ These were also our "Aunt Chattie's" I loved the modern design of the side tables and when Aunt Chattie went to be with our father, they were passed down to us to treasure

*Modern Dresser~ This piece was our craigslist find... we gave it some TLC and a fresh new coat of paint & it is good as gold

This is how our project turned out!
Do you like it? Is it fabulous or what?

Organizationally savvy, fun & funky,
& all around an inspirational space!!

Truly what makes my "Design Brain" tick & I love it!

Our end of summer trip to PA!

2011-09-01T15:16:00.007-04:00

On November 3rd last year I promised I would post more details on "my latest" project ~~clearly that was so last year~~ but, it has taken me a little time to decide to sit down and blog. So here I am, better late than never has always been more the trend in my life philosophy.

In August my team (my endearing husband, bf Bethany
& her Red Headed Best Friend, aka. Dan) took a trip to Pennsylvania.
We visited a few darling little towns along the way

before reaching our final destination Fogelsville, Pa.

We stayed a night at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, PA, where we spent the evening chowing down on pizza, playing corn hole, and celebrating the guest of honor's upcoming nuptials! We then made our way into the quaint little college town, Kutztown, PA
where the girls took care of wedding to do's &
the guys made a stop at the famous Marks sandwich shop.

My husband has yet to get over the Philly he had at Marks

& tries often to find re-makes here in NC with no such success thus far.

Our final destination was to the historic Glasbern Country Inn
in Fogelsville, PA. This adorable inn is where
we would watch our best friends' Sarah & Greg marry

after 19 years of dating their childhood sweethearts!

What a sweet weekend it was...

Sarah had been living & working in South Africa for the year prior to her wedding so she entrusted me to help her plan her big day ~~weekend~~. What faith she must have had in me (the most anxiety ridden person I know) to plan her forever wedding with her forever man. I will be forever grateful for the experience and it has spawned into an all out love for event planning in the past year!

August 21st, 2011 marked the one year anniversary of
Sarah & Greg's Wedding Day...

But this date was also a very significant marker
for many other accomplished goals!
On this day a year ago, our friends Bethany & the Red Head (Dan)
shot their first paid wedding for our dear friends...
what an accomplishment it was to see the results
of their hard work pay off! Now, they are incredibly talented,
full fledged wedding photographers, living and working in Boston.

To see more details of our wonderful weekend
in Pennsylvania as well as...

* Sarah & Greg's Wedding

* My first event planning gig
which is now a design business~ Modern Swank Designs

* & Our friends' photography business
visit this link on bethanydanblog.com

~ All photos by Bethany & Dan Cox ~
"Photography so fresh, you'll want to slap it!"

Some Lucky Lady!

2011-08-31T21:12:00.000-04:00

In a little under 24 hours...

A very lucky lady will be receiving this little package of Joy!

It's almost...

"Football Time in Tennessee"

What on earth could be better than a Saturday
celebrating the Big Orange on Cumberland Avenue...

Or even better an SEC Football game in one of
the world's most famous places, Neyland Stadium!

Or, how about singing...
"Rocky top you'll always be home sweet home to me"

101 times in the span of about an hour?
Pure Bliss if I do say so myself!

Saturday is the start of football season in V-O-L country
& we couldn't be more excited!

The day these tickets arrived at our doorstep,
was a day of cheerful celebration...

Since we are a little over 6 hours away from Knox-vegas,

we are passing up this weeks game for
bigger & better rivalries later in the season.

So, one lucky lady via Ebay & UPS
will be receiving our game tickets
to cheer on the Big Orange Volunteers!

What's your football fancy? Do you bleed orange too?

If you do, I would love to hear from you!

If not, I would love to hear your football traditions.

Later in the season...

I might bless you with MY LIST of our

Top 20 best Tennessee football memories!

After all, Neyland Stadium was just voted

#1 Football Stadium in the US in 2011...

Not a surprise to any Tennessee Fan!

Sore Hiney!!!

2011-08-29T15:04:00.003-04:00

Why might you ask...

do my hunk of a husband and I have sore hineys'?

We've been riding mountain bikes a little too much lately!

We enjoy it, we always have but...

We enjoy it a lot less when our

out of shape legs & hindsides

feel beyond inoperable the next day!

We have been home the last two weekends

which I might add, is a rare occurrence...

So, both Sundays we have decided to take

a little whirl around the town ~~or state is more like~~!

Raleigh has an awesome greenway system

& that's where we have taken our last two long rides.

Last Sunday this was our route... only 12 miles, not too deadly.

This Sunday however, we took a little longer ride...

17.15 miles to be exact

Today, as I sit here in my office chair...

I am envious of those will voluptuous backsides,

or maybe, it is those...smart enough to have

laid around lazy daisy on Sunday afternoon!

Either way, I guess I will be positive & look for
the Sunshine in our day after the hurricane activities...

Runkeeper tells me that I burned over

1000 calories (yeah!!!)

yesterday on our whirl around town!

Now, I am going to run and make plans for us next weekend
so we are not in the same predicament come Monday Morning!

Where has the time gone?!

2011-07-29T13:42:00.002-04:00

I forgot I had a blog?!

Most would think so since I haven't posted in months.

To be honest, I just hit a big rut & had too much change!

Most would say... "That's the perfect reason to blog", but I didn't!

O well, I'm not going to try to catch up...
I'm moving forward & going to make this a habit again!

I have lots of fun things I want to share...

I'll leave you with one quick hint
as to what the next couple of post are going to be about.

Until next time...

How about a little... Modern Swank

2010-11-03T12:32:00.003-04:00

In my non-existent blogging days (err. months), I have been meaning to tell you all about a little business venture I have been working on....

After we took our wonderful "Two Year Honeymoon" as we like to call it, I immediately found out that "The Jenkins Architecture" I had been working for... for nearly 5 years was NO longer going to be! Change of heart, midlife reassessment, whatever you would like to call the owner's decision to venture away from the design business...

I knew immediately that I wanted to start freelance designing. Having been in the design field for nearly 10 years now, I have learned the projects that I LOVE to work on, and vise versa... the ones I hate. My life needs a little creativity. Let me take that back quickly... A LOT! I have met many contacts along the way & know that with much effort, I CAN BE SUCCESSFUL!

The best part of this new gig is that I am now able to choose the five W's when it comes to my job. Well maybe not all five... but the what, where, when, etc. It's been wonderful so far!

So let me unofficially welcome you to Modern Swank Designs!

(Click link above to visit shop & bookmark it for your next event)

I plan an official welcome once I get all the business plans in order, but for now a sneak peak at what I have been spending my time doing over the past couple of months.

Not only am I doing design projects, I have also been doing a little event planning! Would you like to see a sneak peak of one of my most recent jobs?!

In my next post, I will give you the back story on this beautiful bride & her awesome groom!

Three Months!

2010-10-14T14:51:00.004-04:00

Holy Banana Balls!

Three months...

Have really passed since I last posted.

Shame, Shame on me!

I was reminded by one of my *IRL. Women's Retreaters...

That a couple of people used to read my blog.

Yep.
Probably not anymore.

I have NO excuses. I have just been flat out busy.

Too many other things piled higher on the plate than my blog.

O well. Life will go on.

My blog's not the only thing lacking attention.

Check out my flippin' office.

Yep.

This is where my husband and I are supposed to be productive....

Mmm. daily. Oh, Contraire!

You see, this room used to be just a little cluttered.

One day, I had had enough... I thought!

I decided it would be a swell idea to sell all the furniture in our house.

I will save those details for another post, ahem.

This included, but is not limited to
In our office alone....

~ Selling all the book cases
that used to hold those trendy storage boxes

~ Buying for some unknown reason....

15 large green Tupperware boxes
to store the 100's of books & ish in.

~ Selling the Guest beds that slept three bodies in this room.

~ My husband's anciently old gold "Man Chair".

The chair he has worked in...
pajama's, morning hair and all for 4 years.

~ O and I must have sold my sanity too!

What on earth was I thinking?!
(I still do not regret the exciting change though)

Now we are left with a large mess

Oh & the green lawn chair he is working from each day.

Comfortable, right?

On a serious note...

This room resembles how I feel our life has been the last several months.

(Not complaining! Just stating the facts).

Utterly Chaotic & Out of Control!

We are however making headway.

Things have to get worse before better right?

We have experienced the worst I hope, ha.

In the next couple of weeks...

~ We will have finished painting the trim,
In this newly painted Tennessee Orange room.

~ We will have a new wall of built-in cabinetry
to hold our office supplies

(temporarily stashed in Tupperware boxes).

~ The fantabulous new hounds tooth glider
For my husband to work in daily... will have arrived.

~ We will have refurb'd a new chest of drawers
to match the new design scheme

Walah!

Before we know it,
this room will be back in tip top shape
& ready for business!

Just as this room will continue to shape up...
So will the other aspects of our chaotic lives :).

In the meantime, I will try to better keep you posted!

Ps. I will also take time to switch camera lens'

So that you can get a better glimpse at the room
& not just a fixed 50 view.

Seriously, with the look of this room...
and the story behind it.

I didn't need to waste my time doing that this morning!

Appropriate Title? Life Goes On...

2010-07-18T23:34:00.006-04:00

SO much has happened since I last posted..

I don't even know where to begin.

I am slowly but surely going to get back to making blogger

a daily accomplishment... on my on going to-do list!

MckMama's "Stream of Consciousness" style

would be the best way to fill you in on ~~all~~...

Well, some of the changes that have taken place in

the Laney lifestyle over the past 4 months.

We celebrated my Mom's 60th Birthday, Easter, &
Hannah Grace & Zachary's Birthdays.

Our good friend Chubbs married Meagan
@ a beautiful ceremony in Charlotte.

We attended with the best company, Josh & Cristina.

Oh, & Monty & Marlene. We had wayyy too much fun!

My husband won the Hooter's golf tournament at Rock Barn... j/k.

He did play though, does that count?

We saw several concerts...
Jimmy Hendrix Tribute & Alice in Chains were two.

April rolled around & we prepared for
our "2yearhoneymoon" to France.

I had more office work to do that month than I wanted to do in a year
(but life goes on & I did it).

A ~~small~~ volcano erupted in Iceland that jeopardized our trip...

& then a bigger one didn't ever blow. T.T.L.

We went to another wedding & visited friends in Greenville.

We boarded a plane & flew across the seas...

We had ~~shitty~~ craptastic weather the whole time we were in Pari'

My North Face jacket caught on fire & I cried.

We celebrated my 26th Birthday... I got a Longchamp & a Swatch,

both of which made me smile!

We went back to work 2 weeks later & my boss had a change in heart.
Closing his company & changing careers. Fabulous!
Perfect timing, you know.. Suddenly,
after taking a LARGE financial splurging trip & all...

I was jobless! Sheesh.

& pissed, and all the other words in the between.

On a good note: I bought my computer from my boss...
for CHEAP.

So Now I CAN BLOG!
Yes...

& Life goes on!

I paid a lot of money to register for my licensing exam

& suddenly, I have all the time in the world to study.

Check back with me to see if I have used my time wisely...

You know to actually study & not procrastinate.

We went to the beach. First with my mom & dad,

then just me with mom & dad,

then just mom & dad,

next whole family + children with mom & dad.

Laney loves the dog park.

She also loves to roll in the mud at the dog park.

& then hates getting the much needed bath afterwards!

I eat lunch with my husband almost everyday & I LOVE IT.

We went to another fab. friends wedding in Durham &

Caught up on the Flip Mode boys lives & their women.

I have inspiring lunch dates with friends & that is beyond refreshing.

We had a rockin' 4th of July party & the cops came... whoops

Laney loves to snuggle & really enjoys getting to sleep in
(with her mom until.. well too late in the day)

& in case I forgot to mention...

Life goes on!

My dad was in a "totaled" car accident, but thank goodness he is OK.

Sarah moved back to South Africa & I miss her.

My husband scraped his leg on frisbee golf & didn't cry.

We visited the town of Franklinton for the first time... I was not a fan.

& then had a ~~mini~~ massive panic attack.
(when Sarah sees this picture she might panic too, ha!)

But, as I said before "Life Goes On"!

& I am choosing to roll with the punches...

& make the best of each day!

On a final note...

I'm back to blogging,

thanks for sticking around!

Pink, Black, and a Splash of Zebra!

2010-04-14T22:24:00.002-04:00

If you have been following my blog for a while...

You probably remember when my computer died!

Crashed, bit the dust, blew up in flames.

Well, not literally...

But enough trouble and heartache that it is still hindering

Speedy photo editing & relatively quick blog posting.

Those two terms, now completely NON- EXISTENT.

I made several promises right around the time that my computer,

Well, BLEW...

That I have not followed through with.

Most of those promises relating to mmm... posting pictures!

I have been working on those promises & I am almost ready to

Get patient and Wait on the hour glass to spin for hours...

You know the little annoying one on this P.O.S. Mac...

That spins everytime it is thinking, or TIRED!

My only comment on that is...

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just spin

While we are in the middle of very important task,

While on the job... that is.

Before I begin with the task of catching up,

I have to share with you what we have been up to.

My WONDERFUL Mother turned

SIXTY!!

On March 27th, 2010

That's right.. you read that correctly!

For all of the other big years like,..

"Lordy Lordy looks who's Forty"...

You know those years that are normally prefaced

With silly little rhyming quotes...

All of those have been Overlooked.

My sister and I thought it was

HIGH TIME...

To Throw a BIG PARTY!

We did just that...

In a hot minute,

You know, because we are a very busy family...

We planned a fun surprise party for my mother!

We invited her closest friends and family.

We made cute decorations,

Had southern BBQ, the fixins,

Sweet tea & lemonade catered!

& had a fabulous time!

Thanks to all of our *IRL

(in real life friends),

That came to celebrate

An awfully special occasion

With us!

Here are some pictures from our
BIG SURPRISE!!!

Mom,

We Love You...

More than we could ever express with words!

SO... a little fun! & a sweet giveaway!!

2010-04-14T16:04:00.000-04:00

We all know how crazy dazy I am about having

My little Laney pup

In the best dressed doggy wear!

Well, I am a huge fan of this company ...

Fido's Fashion Collars!

Laney May is lucky enough to have not ONE...

But a couple of collars & leashes from fabulous Fidos...

This beautiful orange one.. is in her collection!

Don't you looove it?!

Why am I sharing the link?!

Fido's fashion collars also has another store called...

Phat Straps...

They happen to be giving away a Suweeeeeet camera bag.

An Epiphanie!

What an Epiphanie of a good idea!

Have you heard of these bags?

If not, they are fabulous & worth a minute of your time!

If you have ever looked for a Uber Chic and Stylish Camera bag...

But not found what your heart desired...

Here it is!

I recently purchased one...

Only after a friend purchased one & raved and raved about the

Awesomeness... That is an "EPIPHANIE"!

Take a glance!

Don't you want one too?!

This lovely "Belle" bag...

Is UP FOR GRABS...

I Hope I win it!

These Two Children...

2010-04-12T23:59:00.001-04:00

Are the first thing I think of...

Each & every morning.

They light up my life.

I love them to the moon & back.

Their precious faces make my day.

I pray for there health and happiness.

And wish on a star for them nightly.

I will look forward to seeing them smile for the rest of eternity.

I love them more than I ever thought possible...

These two children...

Are more than a blessing!

Did you think I was never ever coming back?

2010-04-06T09:27:00.002-04:00

Well Ladies and Gents....

It has almost been a month & I am so embarrased.

I left this blog wet, hanging out to dry
For so long it is covered in pollen.

O wait. That is just the city of Raleigh...
A big cloud of pollen.

Life has taken us by a storm!

Yes, and my computer is still malfunctioning....

(because it is as old as my grandmother would have been)

But ya know what's new!

So, I am just going to go with it...

Until we win the lottery.

Ya know, the one that...

We have never bought a ticket for.

Our life has been crazy lately.

We have not been in town one weekend since February.

& have our weekends booked through may.

Some part of us...
Is going crazy!

To have just one weekend...

In the house we pay a load of mortgage for

EVERY single month

~~Even if we aren't here~~

Would be...

Well,

Wonderful, Splendid, AMAZING.

Dream on right!

There are good things that have come out of this though...

& related to the blogging world...

We have great news for this here old blog...

There is BUKUS to catch up on!

Are you ready???

We have been birthday party central for the past couple of weeks...

How fun!!! We have loved celebrating with our little ones.

& have spent more family time than we have in YEARS!

So Hello!

Thanks for sticking around!

I hope to spend a little quality time with

blogger this weekend to make up for lost time!

Until then...

Still Going...

2010-03-19T17:19:00.005-04:00

It's Friday, Thank Goodness.

@ least in all of this chaos...

I don't have to worry about my job for 2 days!

I have been working on my "To Do" list,
not to mention have really enjoyed
everyone's encouragement.
It is coming along...
Slowly but surely.

I am taking a break from the list this weekend though...

We are going to spend a few days
celebrating with some of our best friends...

After all,
Chris & Meagan are soon to become one!

We are so excited for the Wedding Festivities

& the time we will get to spend
with our "Charlotte Friends".

Josh & Cristina are you ready for us?

I hope you will all enjoy your weekends as well!

Hopefully, I will have had some time to edit our

San Fran pictures to share by the time we return!

I have been abducted...

2010-03-17T18:01:00.000-04:00

Who has abducted me you ask?

Well, "Mrs. Too Much To Do" in fact.

I am home from my fabulous girls trip.

Which I might add...

I will be dreaming about till next years trip rolls around.

Now that I am back in the swing of things...

I am trying to get a couple of major things accomplished.

*Upload & edit trip pictures

*Get computer temp. fixed

*Catch up on office work

*Wash mounds of Laundry

*Unpack & repack for the next 6 weekends out of town

*Clean the 2 inch thick piles of Laney Hair on our floor

*Get back on a Regular diet

*Catch up on a little sleep

*Spend some extra time with my husband

*Plan out some future events

I could honestly list for days!

Pray please...

That I find peace in all of this chaos...

& can actually get a few things...

On my million asterisk list completed.

I will be back to you soon...

Very soon hopefully to catch you up with our recent happenings...

& post some ooohh la la pics from my trip!

Repost & a little Vacay...

2010-03-05T00:03:00.000-05:00

Repost:

So as you know my computer is brokity, broke, broke :( sad!

While it is broken, I am taking advantage of a little blogging vacay

& well one in real life too!

This post is from a couple of months ago

but thought I would repost.... because...

I am with these fabulous girls on our once a year outing!

We are in San Francisco....

For a WHOLE week!

Wednesday was the usual Wordless Wednesday!

Or was it?...

Do you know why I posted those pictures of the same group of girls in particular?

Let me first start of by saying, these ladies are SO, so important to me!

I have grown very close to this group of girls over the years. I was blessed or cursed whichever way you see it, to grow up in a small town. I have always seen it as blessed! My parents were both born and raised in Newton, NC. In the hundred years combined that they have lived in the area, they have met many people (generations back because of there parents, and grand parents, and so on). Both My mom & dad are very involved in our community. With my mom being a school teacher for 30+ years, & my dad being a business man who served on many charity organizations they know everyone (this general term includes everyone, and their brothers, and their cousins, and all their dirty gossip as well.)

Where am I going with this post? I have always looked at the small town I grew up in with two sets of "goggles" if you will.... My friends were my friends because my parents interacted with there parents at some time or another. I could look at the situation and be frustrated that I was placed in the lives of these ladies & their families, but I don't! I feel blessed & feel as if my parents started me on the right pathway to finding friends for a lifetime.

My girl friends attended my church, my elementary, middle, & highschool, my dance classes, the sports teams I was on, etc. Two of the girls in my pictures from yesterday have been my best friends since long before we knew the meaning of "best friends". We have even had the little silly slogans over the year to prove what good friends we were in that time in life!

These girls were in my first dance recital, attended my first sleepovers, celebrated each birthday over the years, cheered on my cheer squad, were juniorettes with me... Do you get it? I could go on and on and on! I will spare you with all of the joyous moments we have spent as friends.

There have been times when our friendships have not been so pleasant. We have squabbled over the years. At the end of the day though I would never trade these two girls in the world!

The funny thing is... the other girls in the picture I didn't know from Adam?

Who is Adam? Where does Adam live?

Just as our group grows.... so does our friendship! Sometimes it is the only week out of the year we see each other. We are all SO BUSY & not to mention live on the other ends of the world now that we are adults with families and full time jobs. Wouldn't that seem like we would be a little skiddish when we reunited, it is just the opposite.

These women are wonderful. They were placed in my life for a particular reason! They are friends I didn't choose for myself... & their friends came along with the package. I give credit to my parents for showing us at a very young age how to create a life-long bond in each other... no matter our current situations. On a higher note... I thank god everyday that I have these women in my life. I know I will never have a day as long as we are living on this earth that I will not consider them to be the best of friends!

I posted their pictures for "Wordless Wednesdays" as a reminder. A reminder of the past & what's to come! Without even a word said.... I smile the biggest smile knowing that I have been blessed.

I am so ready...for Women's Retreat 2010!

In March, we will be visiting San Francisco for a week & I am counting down the days!

I miss you girls on a daily basis & look forward to another week full

of wonderful memories as Girl Friends.

xo.

WR '05

Updating...

2010-03-02T23:38:00.001-05:00

... Still stressing...

But after today,... Half as much!

I am so relieved to report....

that...

MY HUSBAND HAS A HEALTHY HEART!

Over the past few days..
even worse than my lousy computer dying on me...

I thought My husband was going to too.

I have considered how harsh this sounds...

I have kinda been a little basketcase'y

Well, since Sunday after we sat in the E.R. ALL day...

We have been visiting a few specialist.

Today we learned that his heart in not a concern!

I am just LUCKY enough to...

Have a husband with a abnormally sweet heart...

I love him & am so thankful for this great news.

As for the computer.
Well, it is still dead.
But. I'll post when I can

Out of order.

2010-02-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

Welp. My computer.

The one that is a standbuy...

Because the other one already bit the dust.

Died.

Stinks.

O well.

So I will be missing for a while....

Don't forget about me...

I have to finish my story...

But, of course

ALL my images are on my p.o.s. computer!

Vrooooooom.

2010-02-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

Back on the highway, we were!

Finally, to Jacksonville Beach.

I thought for a minute...

We had already had several sweet treats!

But boy was I wrong...

These last few post...

are describing a lot of the

"~~dirty~~ little secrets" of my husband.

But one part of him that I really truly love...

is his interest for things out of the norm.

When I met Michael..

he had a Nissan 300 ZX.

It was his pride & joy.

Pristine condition.

Beautiful RED.

Always clean & waxed.

A police magnet to say the least.

It wasn't just any car...

It held a lot of memories,

Gave my husband the "Sports Car Ego"

& well is now the burden of several big dents.

Dents large enough to total it!

You get the point.. we no longer have

the "little red Z..."

Have no doubt though in the next couple of years...

if either one of us have anything to do with it...

we will have a new "little ~~red~~ Z".

If we don't get fired from our jobs that is!

What does this have to do with our trip you ask?

Well on our way to Jacksonville we passed a Nissan dealership.

In NC it is very rare to find more than 1 or 2 Z's on the lot.

This one... had probably 20!

We had to do a U-turn,

cancel our hotel because we were nearing the check-in deadline

(but not sure if it was clean enough to stay & needed to approve first)

drive through the car lot & look.

What did we see??

Plenty of Z's...

There was one extra special Gem on the lot though...

A Nissan GT-R!

Two men... got giddy like little school girls.

For shits & giggles...

they had to convince the guy to let them sit in it.

Done.

That wasn't enough fulfillment though..

Next, they convince the guy that they need to drive it.

3 cars were moved out of the showroom

to make room for this beauty to leave the lot.

Did I mention the car cost well over a 100 grand???

& was handmade by 5 employees

or that there are only a couple produced a year?

It does. All of the above totally accurate statements.

Do we have insurance high enough to cover the cost

of this car if it gets wrecked on our test drive?

We don't.

O well. Who could resist.

So we take it for a spin.

0-100 on an exit ramp!

The car rocked...

Heads turned when we passed other cars on the highway.

We were the first people to take the zero mileage car out of the lot.

We got 8 miles to the gallon.

Ha.

Totally worth...

watching my dad with a stain on his shirt

(from being in the same clothes.. in the car for 2 days)

pretend he had a bank account

big enough to buy it

for his wife for their anniversary...

Just to drive it!

The boys talked about there experience for days...

& on to Jacksonville we go!

To be Continued..

Next post about our time in Jax...

Yum. Yum.

2010-02-25T15:51:00.002-05:00

We were on the road for several hours!

Still trucking along with no snags...

So, we were pleased!

But wait.

My husband has this love affair with Pralines...

O, and beer.

Well, maybe I should rephrase..

anything super sweet & terribly unhealthy :)

It is a wonder we are not little round beach'd balls.

He spoke of them...

& didn't have to do any twisting of the wrist

to convince my dad (the master of specialty sweets) to stop the car!

Before I knew it...

We were taking a little detour to the River Walk in Savannah, Ga...

So that we could grab lunch with some friends

& get my hubby some...

Praaaaalines!

Our first stop, Moon River Brewing Company

A pretty sweet place...

Michael had a flight of beer, & I had my favorite Whitt beer..

(anyone that is a *r.l. (real life) friend knows about

the Hickory Hops Brew Fest...

& well the Whitt is what got me!)

For lunch, I had the Lowcountry Crab Melt...

Grilled Texas toast topped with fresh (real) blue crab in a mayonnaise-based salad and Monterey Jack cheese, smothered with a creamy Parmesan sauce and baked to a bubbly deliciousness!

Next, we made our way to the River Street, wandered around,
& then visited River Street Sweets!

We Walked out of the shop with about 10,000 more calories...

A box of Pralines, Some Bear Claws & Sugar & Spice Pecans.

Laney sure enjoyed the sugary, sweet, smells!

Next stop, Jacksonville Beach, FL!

To Be Continued...

	$9

Pralines... & Whitt

2010-02-25T14:42:00.001-05:00

Continued...

We wake up.... In Walterboro,

Still to this day... not sure where that is?

We thank god for getting us through the Helluva night....

SAFELY!

We pack our bags quickly... & get ready to head out the door.

@ this point we were 24 hours behind schedule

& wanted to get to Jax. Beach! Quickly...

All parties... were pretty excited... I might add!

We opened the door to go load the car & what do we see?

Sunshine & NO snow.. well a tiny little bit.

Where in the world did it go?

Were we imagining the night before?

No way.

After making a pact that we were not delirious...

& really did encountered a terrible snow storm the night before...

(the one that knocked the fog lights off...

& destroyed the front end of the bmw)

We packed the car,

Took a few pictures,

& tried to get Laney May...

To relieve herself in the white stuff.

(She is NOT very fond of that!)
(& she is also NOT relieving herself in this picture.)
I would be *chawed* if I caught that on photo.

After about 20 min. of a crazyfreakoutrambunctiousDOGfit....

She was tired of playing in the cold, wet snow

& ready to get on the road.

The roads... Clear!

Sun was out & travel conditions...

Great!

We were on our way to...

Savannah, Ga!

For some Pralines & "Whitt" beer of course!

Continued...

Slippery... and Slidey..

2010-02-25T12:09:00.004-05:00

So, to continue on our journey....

We planned to leave Hickory, NC on Friday morning to head to Jacksonville, Fl.....

Things came up... as they ALWAYS do in our family,

So we didn't get on the road until rush hour.

The two men involved decided that despite weather forecast
Calling for LOTS of snow along the east coast
That we were going to take the only non-4-wheel drive car
Our two families own.

The logic that we would beat the weather

& not see very much of the white stuff on the way to...

Sunny Florida.

We cram as much as we can fit into
My dad's small bmw & hit the road.

I planned to use the 7-hour travel trip to snooze,

Read a couple magazines, catch up on twitter, etc....

Laney on the other hand, had different plans in mind.

She wanted to crawl around on my lap,

Lick the windows, howl at odd things we passed,

Jump from the front to the back...
To see if the view was any different ya know...

To be honest, I didn't mind...

It was nice to have another female on board...
Even if she barks & walks on four legs!

Little did I know...

We were heading for a real adventure!

We drove through Charlotte...
A little of the white stuff falling...

But kept trekking.

We got to Columbia...
Were covered in the white stuff…

6 inches... or more to be exact.

The boys said, "ahhh, we can do it...
We will soon run out of the snow!

Lets keep going." So we did!

Next thing I know...

We are sliding across a bridge
To avoid from hitting the car

That was rammed into the guardrail
& blocking both lanes of traffic.

Before I realize what is going on,...

My husband jumps out of the drivers seat
& turns over the reigns to my dad.

Michael leapt over to the car stuck to try to help.

All I could picture in my mind....
All the worst scenarios.

You have heard before of the friendly man that leaves his car

To help others during torturous road conditions
& and ends up being knocked off the bridge to death
@ 4 levels above solid ground.

I know... terrible, demented thoughts....

I just wanted off of that bridge! & Quick!!

After a little time & a few extra prayers...

They get the car moved enough that

Others can pass by & we continue on our way.

@ This point traffic is moving really slowly.

We have been on the road 5 hours & gotten nowhere.

So,... we start comedy hour in the car,

Take pictures of the scenes outside,

Call our family to warn them
Of the mess we have gotten into.
Stop @ subway in ghetto'ville for dinner,
Lock all windows & doors...
Decide it is smart to keep driving!

2 hours later we are sitting in the same spot.

After 7 hours in the car... only traveled 200 miles....

A hundred cars flipped or in a ditch,
People stranded left and right....

We make it to WALTERBORO, SC.

Have you over heard of this place? I sure hadn't!!

Nonetheless, I begged we stop for the night!

My dad agreed, probably in fear that
I would be a pain in the %$# until we did.

Luckily, we found a pet friendly Best Western
& plopped for the night....

Besides the 4 hours without power
& the slimey cold shower, we were in business!

To be continued...

Too many things..

2010-02-21T22:35:00.002-05:00

I might have to just start a list...

Or better yet,
I might do a post a day this week...
on our previous fun adventures.

We'll see how it goes.

So, two Mondays ago, we visited family in Hickory.
My husband's grandmother passed away on Sunday two weeks ago.
We got the news on Sunday morning &
the services were planned pretty quickly.
Michael's grandmother had Alzheimers
& for many years we have been
unrecognizable to her. She has been non-verbal
& in a regulated home for almost 6 years now.

Her death was completely unexpected,
but in a way was such a relief.
We feel so much comfort knowing
that she is now in heaven & in a much better place.
Although, we hate seeing family members & friends
under those circumstances...
it was great getting to spend time with family...
we normally only see on Christmas eve.

We intended on trekking to Hickory on Thursday night
so that My dad could take my husband to the Race in Daytona.
To save on gas & the stress of traveling I-40
multiple times in one week...
we decided to stay in town with my parents.

I always LOVE getting to spend more than a weekend there.
To top off the excitement of a little break from work,
spending time with mom & dad, & being out of Raleigh for a little...
I got to spend a rediculous amount of time with my niece & nephew.

It was heaven!
Not that I wished sickness on my sister...
but she had a respiratory infection while we were in town.
The downside...,
we didn't get to spend ANY TIME with her or our b-i-l,...
but, we did get to take the kids off their hands for a couple of days
& wake up to their sweet little voices.

We enjoyed bath time, morning cartoons, snacks after school, family night suppers at church, movie nights, lots of laughs ...

Overall good quality time
& so much food for my soul.

I think from the looks of it...

Hannah loved it & her Aunt B. did too!

It was just what I needed!

Getting to know YOU...

2010-02-21T21:22:00.001-05:00

Hey Hey..It's Sunday!

Time for a little funday..Getting to know YOU action..

To play..Grab the questions..copy them..answer them..

Go to Mannland5.com and link on up..

It's as easy as easy gets..

& don't forget to leave me a note

in my comments if you join .

-------------------------------------------------------------

The questions..

1. How often do you wash/change your sheets?

2. When is your birthday?

3. Have you ever met a bloggy friend in real life?

4. Brad Pitt or George Clooney?

5. If you could change one thing about your body what would it be?

6. How often do you wash your hair?

7. Do you have pets?

8. How many social networks do you belong to..if you had to give up one, what would it be?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

1. How often do you wash/change your sheets?

Let me start by saying....
I should totally change our sheets more often...
but needless to say.. I guess I am lazy when it comes to that.

I probably change the sheets about every two weeks...

or umm when there is too much dog hair
or umm they stink.

Gross, I know!

2. When is your birthday?

May 8th!
This year I am going to celebrate my birthday in FRANCE!

It may be the best birthday celebration yet.

3. Have you ever met a bloggy friend in real life?

Well.... I have several bloggy friends that
I knew in real life before bloggy world.

As for many of my daily reads though...
I have never had the opportunity to meet

them in real life! If you are in Raleigh,..
or NC for that matter... Lets meet!

4. Brad Pitt or George Clooney?

Brad Pitt for sure..
but leave Angie @ & bring Jen along.

Not a fan of "brangelina"!

5. If you could change one thing about your body what would it be?

My THIGHS.
Period.
They suck.

They are BIG, flabby
& have always been so unglamorous.

I HATE THEM W. A PASSION!

6. How often do you wash your hair?

I used to be the every stinkin day kinda girl...

but over the years,
the gray hair, numerous color jobs, & the length

have made it so ungreasy these days...
it kinda rocks!

I hate to say it, cause it kinda gross's me out..

but sometimes I can go three days
without a little shampoo action!

7. Do you have pets?

Yes,
just one though...
unless you consider my husband in that category.

We have a pocket beagle,
her name "Laney May"

& she is the little furry love of our life!

8. How many social networks do you belong to..if you had to give up one, what would it be?

Facebook, Twitter, Linked In
& I guess Blogger if that counts.
I would totally give up Linked in.. if I had to choose one.
It'sCareer oriented & totally not as FUN!

Because I wanted to....

2010-02-21T17:36:00.000-05:00

I just took a little hiatus...

Why?

Well, I wanted to...

I needed a little outdoor time

I needed to clean a little

I needed some extra rest

I needed to get together with friends

I wanted to eat (constantly)

I needed to read everyone else's blog

& not update my own

I needed to take the dog to potty

I needed to organize our pantry

I needed to put up clothes

& unpack from our latest get-away

& then pack again for my upcoming one

You get the point right?

This is my blog & I make the decisions...

Right?

So, now that the weekend is coming to a close...

& I have gotten a lot of that list accomplished

In a couple of hours I plan to...

(Once we get back from

getting a few cold ones

with friends @ a local brewery)...

Of course...

Catch you all up with our recent

happenings for the past two weeks.

They have been busy ones!

So fun. So stressful.

But overall, So... Fun!

So for now...

Get ready!

In the mean time,

that is what I will do as well.
(Ab ripper x makes you nice & stinky)...

Our friends probably wouldn't appreciate

Our raunch...

If we went as we are now!

See you later!

Wordless Wednesday..... +

2010-02-17T23:03:00.000-05:00

The usual Wednesday post + a few extra's...

These pictures are of something GOOD.

Good & Expensive.

The quality of the pic... not so good.

O well. Forgive me.

I will explain this gibberish in more detail...

when I have a few minutes to breathe.

For now just enjoy the beauty before you.

I am slammed, overwhelmed, stressed, & exhausted,

Go ahead and throw in...

whatever other words you choose to use

when describing the feeling of...

getting hit by a semi.

That's me!

*except I'm not a sqwooshed pancake.

We had a unexpected, not as planned weekend of fun & adventure...

I can't wait to do a little recap.

In the meantime, let me apologize...

I have missed the past two "Bachelor Recaps"!

I have watched the episodes & am so flabbergasted.

I will get back to my thoughts on the season

once I finish the other listed items of business.

Now, for Semi- Wordless Wednesday...

Very Exciting News!

2010-02-16T15:08:00.001-05:00

I am overly joyed.... to tell you all about it!

Until' then...

Sophie, We will see you in May!

Gentlemen....

2010-02-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Start Your Engines...

This weekend, My dad & Michael went to the Race in Daytona.

Yes, it is was on Valentine's Day... I know!

You see 28 years ago...

My dad started this tradition of leaving my mom on not only Valentines day...

but, February 14th just so happens to be their Wedding Anniversary as well.

Where do you think he went?

You guessed it!

For the entirety of their marriage...

He has gone to the Daytona 500 to spend time with his guy friends.

She is one Lenient wife! He is one CrAzY huband.

This year my dad decided to include my husband!

It all started by my dad pulling my husband aside one Sunday afternoon & saying,

"Can you convince Rebekah to let you get away on V-day?"

He had it in the bag.

You see, last year....

I spent Valentine's Day in Seattle with my best girl friends.

Of course he could get away with it one year.

I am afraid though, that this is going to become a recurring trend!!

I enjoy spending Valentine's with my husband...

but I think it is so important for my husband

& his father-in-law to spend time together.

We live a couple hours away from our parents so

that doesn't get to happen very often.

I think we both felt kinda privileged for Michael

to be included in this yearly trip...

How special it was that my dad enjoys being around him

so much that he would want to drive 9 hours in the car

& a whole weekend at the race track together.

Even with his business buddies, Wow.

It is a really great feeling to know that my parents

care as much about my husband as they do me!

Actually, it is wonderful to know that they think of him as a son!

I know, without a doubt that we are LUCKY!

They have one more "once in a lifetime memory" down in the book!

& we are so thankful for the relationships we have with our loved ones.

Getting to know you...

2010-02-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

MannLand has a little Getting to know YOU action going on!..

To play..Grab the questions..copy them onto your blog..answer them....put your link in on MannLand's blog and let the Sunday Fun begin!

Let's rock and roll!

The questions..

1. How many piercing's do you have?

2. I love the sound of.....?

3. Favorite city?

4. Colts, Saints, or could care less?

5. Frozen yogurt or ice cream?

6. Favorite appetizer?

7. What item in your closet currently makes you the happiest?

8.Favorite facial moisturizer?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. How many piercing's do you have?

Mmmm.. hang on let me count! 2 in one ear, 3 in the other, a nose stud, & belly button .... what's that? Seven Piercings, wow!

2. I love the sound of.....?

Rain hitting the tin roof .. like @ our mtn. house. I wish I got to hear that noise a little more often.

3. Favorite city?

Copenhagen, Denmark is my favorite so far. I have several top seconds... but am so in love with Copenhagen.

4. Colts, Saints, or could care less?

Could care less... although, I was cheering for Peyton Manning.

5. Frozen yogurt or ice cream?

Neither?

6. Favorite appetizer?

Guacamole, buffaloe'd shrimp, crab dip

7. What item in your closet currently makes you the happiest?

My trendy cowboy boots

8.Favorite facial moisturizer?

Mmm.. don't have one. Still haven't found one I love.

On Your Marks... Get Set...

2010-02-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

We are on the GO!

My dad, Michael, & I are on our way to Sunny Florida,

I am going here...

and...

They are going there...

We will be spending the "Hallmark Holiday" apart...

Can you guess why?!

... I'll share that in my next post...

Pray for safe travels for us please!

Wordless Wednesday.....

2010-02-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

On this day 26 years ago.....

2010-02-09T08:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday

Joanna.....

All of us here in NC are wishing you the best year yet!

We love you & miss you soooo... much!

Can't wait to celebrate with you in March, xo

Shout Out!

2010-02-08T13:00:00.005-05:00

I have a friend that has started a new photography business....

kristysasakphotography.blogspot.com

I was looking over her site today &
thought it deserved a little extra attention!

Can y'all help me with that?

Kristy lives here in Raleigh, NC & has two of the cutest little boys...

Jacob & Ben (pictured below)

She has always enjoyed photography ...

& is obviously very talented!

She is giving the business side of it a whirl!

Below are some of her fabulous shots...

Enjoy & keep her in mind
when planning family photos, weddings, etc.

Simple Pleasures...

2010-02-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

One of the blogs I follow daily had a post up last week labeled,

"Simple Pleasures"...

I just loved the idea...

So, I thought I would list a few of my personal Simple Pleasures.

Simple Pleasures sometimes go un-noticed, yet they are so important.

Sometimes our Simple Pleasures are the most cherished parts of our lives.

Spending a weekend with my nieces & nephews!

Warm clothes out of the dryer!

A day to splatter paint on canvas!

A long hug from my husband unexpectedly!

Hearing Laney May bay in the mornings!

Coming home to a package at the door!

Great days & cherished memories with friends!

Sweet treats from Starbucks!

Laney waddling when greeting me @ the door!

Alone time with My Husband on the weekends!

Pictures of older family members!

Having a clean car!

A compliment from a friend!

Warm sunny days!

Five dollar burritos @ Moes!

A spic & span, organized house!

Creamy Caramel wall scents!

Buying a new pair of jeans!

Seeing my mom, dad, and sister!

I have so many more SIMPLE PLEASURES!....

These were just the first few that came to mind.

What are yours? Do tell?!

2nd highest food consuming day...

2010-02-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!

"For football fans, winter means only one thing: The Big Game!

Whether you're a die-hard sports fan or

just eager to check out the high dollar commercials,

no Super Bowl Sunday would be complete

without friends, family and fabulous food!"

That is just how we are spending this Superbowl Sunday!

We are having a group of our friends over

to watch the big game in the "man cave".

While we are enjoying the game....

Eating delicious potluck appetizers & drinking a few cold beers...

I thought I would leave you with some

Superbowl fun facts ...

Did you know that...

The first Super Bowl was held on January 15, 1967

at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.

Although, back then it was known as

"The NFL-AFL World Championship Game".

It wasn't until 1969 that the name was finally

shortened to "Super Bowl" by the media.

The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs

in that first game, by a whopping 35-10 victory.

The Packers went on to win the title the next year as well.

However, they didn't win another championship until 1997.

The Vince Lombardi trophy is named for the Green Bay Packers'

who led them to victory in those first two years.

Sadly, Vince Lombardi passed away in 1970 &

The Super Bowl trophy was named for him prior to Superbowl V.

What about some trivia questions for those of you

having your own superbowl get together?

Give your guest a few stumpers in between commercial breaks!

Q: Who was the MVP of the first-ever Super Bowl?
A: Bart Starr - Green Bay Packers

Q: Who was the first wide receiver to win Super Bowl MVP?
A: Lynn Swan - Pittsburgh Steelers

Q: Who was the first ever 3-time Super Bowl MVP?
A: Joe Montana

Q: Which quarterback has the record for most consecutive

completions in a Super Bowl? How many?
A: Joe Montana - 13

Q: Which was the first Super Bowl in which the winning points

came on the final play of the game? Which team scored?

A: Super Bowl XXXVI; New England Patriots

Q: Which player holds the record for most

rushing yards in a single Super Bowl?

A: Timmy Smith - Washington Redskins

Q: Which player has the most career fumbles in the Super Bowl?

A: Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys

Enjoy the game & the celebrations!

May the best team win!

Ahhh...

2010-02-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful picture!

I love it.

Norman Rockwell is the artist.

Google introduced it to me.

For a couple of hours on Wednesday...

this was the google emblem of the day!

Not sure why... but

I think it was meant to be.

It reminds me of something very familiar!

It reminds me of my relationship with my husband...

From our Highschool years to now...

We have grown, younger years to now, together.

Look at that precious little beagle sitting at there feet.

That is also contributing to my excitement.

I just love it!

I love him.

I love my family.

I am just in LOVE with my life.

Beauty Tips & Favorite Products

2010-02-05T19:56:00.004-05:00

Kelly's Korner is doing...
the normal Friday,Show Us Your Life Post.

This week the topic is on your favorite
beauty tips & products.
What girl do you know that doesn't enjoy indulging in "products"?

I know a lot of us don't always have time
to have a daily facial regimen

or time for an extra soak in the spa...
but doesn't it feel good?

Don't you just wish that you could have
a mani/ pedi once every six month,
or a massage every other year?
That is how I feel.

Women's beauty products are SO expensive!

My husband once told me about a research study he read,

So many top of the line Women's beauty products

are made of the same ingredients as
Men's low budget items.
Isn't that something?

I don't splurge very often on these products
because they do last for quite sometime,....
but here are my favorites!

This list.. is in order of how I apply the product
as well as how it is best used!

First off,

All Clean- Fresh Foaming Cleanser

All Clean Fresh Foaming Cleanser For Normal Skin quickly lifts away makeup, dirt and debris. Glycerin conditions and softens the skin. Tangerine and Coriander refresh and soothe.

To use, massage over wet face. Rinse thoroughly.

2nd, I use...

Soothing Face Tonic

This alcohol-free hydrating formula softens, tones, and refines skin

-- gently -- without tightening or irritation.

Infused with Cucumber Extract and natural Lavender

to instantly soothe and calm.

Next, I apply a conglomerate of Mary Kay products on different areas of my face. I am a Mary Kay Consultant, but don't nearly take advantage

of the great opportunity for extra $ it could offer me.

I do however use my employee discount to afford
getting so many of the newly released neat products to try out and use!
I also have my favorites that I have used for years & order time and time again!
Some days, I use Mary Kay foundation, & eye primer, and lip primer,
& so on to prepare my face for the basic products,
so that when it is applied it looks the best possible...
but most days I just use the basics which are.....

Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation

A weightless, skin-perfecting powder foundation that provides build-able coverage.

I then apply,

Sheer Mineral Pressed Powder

This powder is designed to illuminate the skin for a more radiant tone.

Next, I apply the fun stuff! The fun stuff is blush, eyeliner, eye shadow, bronzer, and mascara.
I use a mixture of these next few products... I look at it like a painting & blend colors to get the shades I want! I have a huge collection of colors from both Mary Kay & Bobbi Brown & I love both!
All of these products work best when applied with appropriate brushes! It is so important to have a brush set that you love.. that doesn't leave your face hairy & applies products equally.

Bobbi Brown- Blush

Silky formula glides on smoothly and offers a matte finish with long-lasting wear. Comes in this sleek, flip-top compact that can be used individually or assembled into palettes (sold separately).

Recently awarded Allure" 'Best Of Beauty' (Oct. 2009) and "Elle" 'Genius Award' (Apr. 2009).

Bobbi Brown- Pot Rouge For Lips And Cheeks

This cream-based formula is great on both lips and cheeks for a sheer, stained finish. Available in a wide array of color choices for a variety of skin tones. For All Skin Types. Now in Cabo Coral & Calypso Coral (new sunny shades of coral). Creamy and easy to blend - pat on lips and cheeks for a beachy pop of color.

Beauty Bonus: Makes an equally beautiful lip color.

Mary Kay- Mineral Cheek Color

It's so versatile that, no matter what your skin tone, you can start with a natural glow
and then build fade-resistant color as you like it.

Mary Kay- Mineral Bronzing Powder

Bronzing shimmer shades add natural highlights to the complexion,
while matte bronzing powders add warmth.

Bobbi Brown- Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

This award-winning liner offers the precision of a liquid liner and the ease of a gel-based formula. Awarded: "Elle" Magazines's ‘Top 5’ (Nov. 2009), "In Style" 'Best Beauty Buy' (2008), and "Allure" ‘Reader's Choice Award’ (2008).

To apply: Dip tip of Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush into gel formula (coat both sides of brush head). Wipe off excess on tissue before applying to eye. Work quickly as product becomes transfer-resistant once dry. To remove, use Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover.

Mary Kay- Eye Liner

Glides on gently in a great creamy, long-wearing, waterproof formula.

Bobbi Brown- Long Wear Cream Shadow

Velvety-smooth formula that goes on easily with a finger or brush - and lasts all day without creasing or smearing. Fragrance free. Safe for contact lens wearers. Ophthalmologist tested. Awarded the “Golden Compact Award” for Best Eye Shadow (2009).

To apply: For a polished, professional look, apply on clean lids (no powder shadow underneath) with the Cream Shadow Brush. Using short, sweeping brush strokes layer color on lids for desired effect. For a more sheer effect, use fingertips to blend.

Mary Kay- Mineral Eye color

Mineral-based formulas that are long-lasting, fade-resistant and look gorgeous on any skin tone.

Bobbi Brown- Eye Shadow

Sheer, lightly pearlized shadow, or matte, which can also be used as a
highlighter shade under the browbone. Comes in this sleek, flip-top compact.

Mary Kay- Ultimate Mascara

Exclusive, all-in-one formula delivers long, thick, voluminous-looking lashes.

And it has Smart Wiper technology that delivers the exact amount of mascara you need

for maximum plumping – without the clumping.

Bobbi Brown- Tinted Lip Balm

This unique formula offers deep moisturization and sheer color that lasts longer than most. With a portable newly designed metal case, Tinted Lip Balm offers finger-free and mess-free application.

Bobbi Brown- Brightening Lip Gloss

This sheer, reflective formula wakes up your face and helps create the illusion of fuller lips. Wear alone or on top of your favorite Bobbi Brown lipstick.

Walah! There you go... my morning rundown on makeup & beauty products.

The hair it is a whole 'nother story for another day, haha!

5QF!

2010-02-05T16:30:00.001-05:00

Rules for 5QF: Copy the following questions to your blog post, paste them, answer them, c'mon back and grab the MckLinky code

& link back to me, Mama M.!

If you don't have a blog, feel free to jump in on the fun & leave me a link to your blog post in my comment section.

Okay, let's get down to business!!
_________________________________Questions for Friday, 2/5/10:

1. What are you most afraid of?

2. Do you use a flat iron or curling iron?

3. Hands-free or phone to the ear?

4. Do you have a matching bedroom set?

5. Do you believe in the paranormal?

____________________________________________________________________

1. What are you most afraid of?
I am so afraid of losing a family member! I used to think that I had a grasp on life & death.... &... dealt with those situations very well... Now, not at all! I would be devastated if something happened to a family member. I, sadly enough spend a lot of time dwelling over living farther away from family & the time I am "wasting" not getting to see them on a daily/ weekly basis when I have the opportunity. I think it is one of my biggest regrets in life so far... I am working on the mindset... for all concerned but I do think these are years I will never be able to get back & that worries me.

2. Do you use a flat iron or curling iron?
Curling iron... most def. My hair is flat as a flitter & would look terrible if I flat ironed it.

3. Hands-free or phone to the ear?
Phone to the ear! Blue tooth devices are really silly looking.... seeing people talk to themselves is really even sillier.

4. Do you have a matching bedroom set?
Yes, if In used condition counts..... We have my husband's childhood bedroom set & will have it probably forever if we don't get a raise :). We were lucky Michael's mom was building a house when we purchased ours!

5. Do you believe in the paranormal?
Mmmm... not sure how to answer this? I'll pass.

Beach Trip

2010-02-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

On Thursday... In the wee hours of night we set out on a journey! A third annual journey.... that gets more and more interesting EVERY year. You see we always go to the Myrtle Beach to celebrate my hubby's Birthday. We have learned over the years.... that it is a must that we arrive at the beach a day early & prepare ourselves for the havoc that is getting ready to take place.

My husband's friends... (alright, alright, I claim you as mine too.... ) are one of a kind. There is a magician, an alcohol forcer, a soon to be lawyer that could argue with a sign post, and a guy that must be on drugs from the Jersey Shore! Just kidding about all of that,... but when they get together it is serious business. So serious that in the past we have come very close to getting ejected from Walmart for riding children's toys, throwing balls, & doing cartwheels in the middle of the isles. STRANGE! The normal other halves (responsible female caretakers) hideout multiple isle away in hopes that no one relates us as being part of there rambunctious group.

This year... we ALL survived & had a great time. We love getting together with this group & do not get the opportunity that often. Michael played lacrosse with these boys in college
& over the years they have found wonderful lady friends that are a great addition to the mix.

I caught a few snapshots this weekend.. but I must say that they are surely not candid, haha! The pictures make this group look "normal".... What is that saying "You clean up well"? Although it is natural to be a buncha hooligans....... when we are all together~ we have learned to be on our best behavior in public (most of the time)!

Wordless Wednesday.....

2010-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Bachelor Recap

2010-02-02T12:28:00.002-05:00

It is Tuesday again....

Last night was a crazy night on the bachelor....

Jake has lost his mind obviously.....

We were all stunned as to what he is thinking??

Jake just what are you thinking?

Girls with girl drama are always a red flag.

COME ON! Vienna sucks at life. Sad.

On last night's episode, Jake narrowed down his original field of 25 aspiring wives-to-be to just four (Ali, Gia, Tenley, Vienna), Which one do you think it will be? Who's the perfect fit for Mr. Pavelka?

That age-old, tried-and-true decision-maker tool

is said to be the best way to

narrow down the option pool:

The Pros and Cons List!

_____________________________________________

Ali, 25, is an advertising account manager from Williamstown, MA

now living in San Francisco, CA. Last night they visited her hometown territory.

What a perfect way to spend a date... visiting all of her favorite San Fran places

Pros:
Sweet "all american/ girl next door" type.
Knows how to stand up for herself.
Protective of Jake.
Open about her feelings.
Interested and invested.
Smart and sassy.

Cons:
Confrontational, holds a grudge at her own expense sometimes.
Doesn't quite know when to stand down.
Doesn't trust Jake's judgement.
Sensitive.
Would make a great next- Bachelorette.
______________________________________

Gia, 26, a swimsuit model from New York, NY

Pros:
Sweet and kind.
Sexy swimsuit model.
Bonded with Jake over unpopular high school days.
Great romantic chemistry & crazy big kissable lips.

Cons:
Not all that bright.

Voice kinda grinds on nerves after 2 hour episodes.
New York City girl (Jake's a country boy).
Usually goes for bad (and rich) boys.

Mom seams to be in the mafia.

________________________________________

Tenley, 25, a college admissions representative from Newberg, OR

Pros:
Sweet, sunny, positive.
Open and honest.
Athletic (dancer).

Six pack, rail pole.
Kind, giving, nurturing.
Fun-loving.

Cons:
May have trust issues from infidelity in first marriage.
Too nice to keep Jake's interest for long?
She's America's sweetheart: would also make a great Bachelorette.

_______________________________________

Vienna, 23, a marketing representative from Sanford, FL

Pros:

Really, really psychotically into Jake.

Overly confident and resilient.
Has best intentions in mind- looking for a daddy for her dog.
Honest.
Has a gag me with a spoon selfish nurturing side.

Cons:
Lacks tact and discretion with what she says.
Has a troubled relationship history, including teenage elopement.
Spoiled daddy's girl.
Rubs others the wrong way with competitive, confrontational, bratty attitude.

Has terrible weave.

Is a tattle tail.

Is on crack cocaine & has constant black eyes.

Wears the most horrible outfits.

Is quite slutty.

As we can all see...
Any of the top three would be more close to a perfect match
for Jake than VIENNA!
Why is she still on the show?! Geaz!

Pictures & idea from Senior Writer, BuddyTV, Meghan Carlson

Happy Birthday....

2010-01-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Michael! I love you

He's another year older!

2010-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Michael Laney.....

Is soon to be another year older.....

He will be 26 years old.....

Tomorrow!

So... we are at the beach with some of our favorite people

Wishing him a year full of health, wealth, and happiness!!!

I will update you with pictures of our fantabulous weekend....

when we all recoop that is!

5QF....

2010-01-29T17:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so here we go... it's that time again... can you believe it?

TGIF!!

I am spending my weekend at the beach celebrating my Hub's birthday with the presence of my friends ...

so I will make this version a short answer Friday!

Rules, as always for the always fun and entertaining Five Question Friday!!

Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post,

answer them, come on back and grab the MckLinky code (if you wish) and link up!!

And, if you would be so incredibly kind...

I'd love it if you'd link back to moi, Mama M.!

If you don't have a blog...

feel free to leave your answers in the comments of any blog

along your hippity hoppin' way!

Let's get this par-tay started!!

Questions for: 1.29.2010

1. Would you ever vacation alone?

Nope, Not a chance! I love company. I thrive off of it actually. I rarely spend alone time & sure wouldn't want to spend vacation that way!

2. Do you go the speed limit?

Haha, that is a funny question. To all you cops out there yes! To the general public.. absolutely not! I drive at a safe speed... but think the speed limit is redonkulous half the time. Knock on wood... I have never had a speeding ticket & would love to follow that trend in the future.

3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs?

I have no idea? I wish I could think back a moment & recall one time that hooked me on a a blog, but I can't. I really enjoy the opportunity to keep up with good friends from far away & this is the perfect way for now!

4. Where do you shop for yourself?

ANYWHERE. I am a picky shopper... & probably most would call me a fashion snob... but I could find pleasure in shopping anywhere!

5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to?

How Do You Fall In love- by Alabama. We have loved this song & thought of it as our song since we started dated in our teen years. Why change it up on the biggest day of our lives!?

Apples to Apples....

2010-01-29T17:27:00.003-05:00

Wednesday was the usual Wordless Wednesday!

Or was it?...

Do you know why I posted those pictures of the same group of girls in particular?

Let me first start of by saying, these ladies are SO, so important to me!

There have been times when our friendships have not been so pleasant. We have squabbled over the years. At the end of the day though I would never trade these two girls in the world!

The funny thing is... the other girls in the picture I didn't know from Adam?
Who is Adam? Where does Adam live?

You see the three of us have all done a lot of growing over the years.... When it was time to go to college the three of us picked different universities. All three in different towns, with very different feels. We started a little tradition way back when.... a tradition that no one would have thought would last long after we graduated college. Each year we picked a different spot & had what we called "Women's retreat". We each brought our roomates/ or best friends from our new towns & got together for serious girl time! It was at our yearly Women's retreat that I met a couple of the other girls in my picture... and each year it just keeps growing.

Just as our group grows.... so does our friendship! Sometimes it is the only week out of the year we see each other. We are all SO BUSY & not to mention live on the other ends of the world now that we are adults with families and full time jobs. Wouldn't that seem like we would be a little skiddish when we reunited, it is just the opposite.

These women are wonderful. They were placed in my life for a particular reason! They are friends I didn't choose for myself... & their friends came along with the package. I give credit to my parents for showing us at a very young age how to create a life-long bond in each other... no matter our current situations. On a higher note... I thank god everyday that I have these women in my life. I know I will never have a day as long as we are living on this earth that I will not consider them to be the best of friends!

I posted their pictures for "Wordless Wednesdays" as a reminder. A reminder of the past & what's to come! Without even a word said.... I smile the biggest smile knowing that I have been blessed.

I am so ready...for Women's Retreat 2010!
In March, we will be visiting San Francisco for a week & I am counting down the days!
I miss you girls on a daily basis & look forward to another week full
of wonderful memories as Girl Friends.
xo.

WR '05

Wordless Wednesday....

2010-01-27T14:00:00.001-05:00