TGIF

I recognize that red car...and those could be her stickers. I sped up and realized it was her!

I rolled down the window and yelled, "Hey hot stuff!"

With a surprised and happy face, one of my favorite girlfriends yelled back "BEST MORNING EVERR!!!"

We work less than 10 miles away from each other and this was the first time we have ever run into each other (thankfully not literally since we were in our cars). I've known Kathy since middle school. We carpooled together in high school and spent many a morning cursing at traffic as we sipped our blue slurpies. We were in marching band together for four years (nerd alert) which means we got to know each other very well. I can't count the numerous afternoons, late evenings, and weekends we marched the football field getting ready for Friday night football and competitions. We lost touch during college but reconnected after graduation as real life, working-adults.

I am so very happy we rediscovered each other.

Anyway, back to my morning...I couldn't agree more with her "best morning ever" statement. It's a lovely Friday, the weather is nice, my work desk is clean and organized (OCD much?), and I'm excited about my weekend plans.

Drama Drew is staying with us this weekend and I'm making his favorite cookies after work, chocolate chip with walnuts. Tonight we're going to a farewell party and tomorrow we're going out for drinks.

I understand that most 20-somethings party all the time, but what I'm most excited about is WHO I'll be hanging out with.

Of course Husband will be there; I can't ever get enough of him.
Drama will be hanging out with us, hopefully any collateral damage will be minimal.
Kathy is getting drinks with us tomorrow. AND she's baking cookies with me this afternoon.
Patty Poo is partying with us this weekend too!

Quick run down on Patty Poo: We might as well be brother & sister because we've known each other since I can remember. He grew up across the street and is best friends with my little brother, Bubba. As a little kid, I was always surrounded by boys because I was the only girl in the neighborhood. Patty Poo wasn't exactly my favorite kid on the block. I'll save the embarrassing stories for another time. But my feelings changed as we grew up. Patty Poo and I started building our friendship when he was in late high school and now that he's graduated from college I absolutely heart him. He's witty, funny, and an all around great guy with a good heart.

I'll be spending the weekend with my favorite people. Any one else excited about their weekend?

The Bees Knees

I'll admit it, I'm a Burts Bees convert. For the past, um...10 years I have been faithfully using Chapstick. It's what my dad kept on his dresser when I was growing up. I remember sneaking up to his room and using his regular or mint Chapstick when he wasn't looking; I guess I wasn't old enough to have my own. So for years Strawberry Chapstick was a staple in my purse, and it had to be strawberry not cherry. There is a difference.

But then I discovered Burts Bees Lip Shimmers. I was first attracted to the hint of color. I'm not quite ready for full blown lip stick (it makes me feel like I'm playing dress up) so tinted lip balm is the compromise. The color is sheer with a slight hint of shimmer. It has the signature Burts Bees minty/cooling sensation on your lips. It isn't too shiny and it definitely isn't sticky. A major plus for me since Husband calls me "Sticky-Lip-Shits" when I put on shiny, sticky lip gloss. The major reason I converted: it's very moisturizing. After I used these Lip Shimmers for about a week straight, my lips have never felt so soft.

Husband has always been a big proponent of Burts Bees. I resisted for a while but now I understand why he's constantly reaching for his yellow tube of Burts Bees. It's tingly, fresh, and most importantly Burts Bees locks in moisture for soft, kissable lips.

I have three shades of Burts Bees Lip Shimmers.

Burts Bees - Peony is the same shade as my lips. I use it as my regular "I want chapstick."


Burts Bees - Watermelon is a light pink color that reminds me of light pink carnations. The shade is a little bit of sweet pink.

Burts Bees - Rhubarb is a stronger pink color. It's a sheer pinky-red I use when I need more color.

I highly recommend picking up one (or three) of these fabulous tinted lip balms.

We will get through it.

After an encouraging post, Life reminded me that I'm still in a batting cage with curve balls hurling right at me. Each time I duck & dodge, I narrowly miss getting smashed in the face.

I keep thinking that maybe, just maybe we'll get thrown a bone and things will ease up a little. That maybe the utility bills won't be quite so high this month. That maybe we'll have enough money left over so we can finally start saving for a trip to Paris, or VT, or CA. I keep holding out thinking that one of these days we won't get surprise bills from the City of Fairfax. And I wonder if everyone else is struggling like this too but they know how to hide it better.

I constantly remind myself that life doesn't cut you slack and I should get used to this already. My small hope that 'life won't always be this hard' is slowly fading. And all I can do is keep on charging through like the little engine that could. We will get through it. We will get through it. We will get through it.

You get one freebie

Husband walked down our hallway to the living room and presented his proclamation.

"I have a thought: God gives you one freebie and for everything else you have to work hard. For some people their freebie is a good job or a good salary, for others it's beauty. I think for us, it's love. When it came to us God said, your life will not be easy and you will have to work hard, but I will give you each other early on. We will be that elderly couple celebrating their 70th anniversary."

I believe this to be true. I believe that we will always have each other...that our life will be hard and trying, but that God blessed us with humor and wit to make light of otherwise miserable circumstances. I believe I was created to be Husband's wife, and that Husband was created to be, well my husband.

Why else would we fit together so perfectly?

My tiny little nose fits next to Husband's like kissing puzzle pieces. My sense of smell is almost non-existent, which serendipitously works because sometimes Husband has stanky feet. Our senses of humor compliment each other rather than competing with each other. It's in the little things that make me believe we are each other's soul mate & team mate.

Signature scents

"Oh my gosh, your husband smells so good...he smells like a man is supposed to smell," my good friend gushed. I agreed and quietly thanked God for fixing me up with a good smelling man.

My husband has impeccable taste in cologne. He tends to like earthy, sensual, woodsy scents which mixes well with his pheromones. I associate 3 colognes with Husband:
1. Abercrombie Woods - worn in high school when we first started dating. Even on a teenager's budget, he found a smell that matched him perfectly. And it's one that made me weak in the knees...perhaps when Husband realized the power of good cologne. Sadly the cologne was discontinued in 2005.
2. Calvin Klein Obsession - worn pre-engagement and now. To me this is a heavier/heartier smell and seems perfect for fall and winter...It's warm, woodsy, and manly.
3. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male - this is a recent addition that's manly with a touch of vanilla but a little lighter than Obsession. I (and my girlfriends) adore this one.

Smell usually invokes pretty strong memories for people. For example, when I hug Husband and breathe him in, his smell envelopes me and all of my fond memories are exaggerated with his warm, unique scent. A cologne/perfume that works with your pheromones is so much better than just the scent alone. It's the pheromones that make the scent intoxicating.

And this is what I have been pontificating: do you stick with one signature scent, like Husband? Or do you change it up and keep people guessing?

Personally I'm a switch-it-up kinda gal, in which spritzing is dependent upon on my mood, my day's activities, and the weather.
But lately I've been trying to use up the last of my Gucci perfume and wondering if I should pick a scent and make it my signature. What's your scent style?

Some things I love

Coffee press coffee

Sunday mornings

Bed head little boys sitting in church

Cool September air

Running without humidity

Library books

Saturated blue skies

3 day weekends

Katy Perry’s new CD, Teenage Dream

Jeans

Boots

Ecotools make up brushes