Happy

Husband and I realized that after a year of living in Charlottesville, we have made some great friends.  I prayed about it for a long time when we first moved.  It was something I worried about  since I work from home and I was unsure how I would meet people.  I knew it would take time and I just had to be patient, and it turns out I was right.

So last week was Husband's birthday and while considering where to have dinner, we realized there were 10 people we could invite.  10 people we consider friends.

We have friends!  And they are so nice!  And I feel like we fit in, like we're birds of a feather, like we're peas in a pod, like we're bacon in the same pan!

Yes I feel like a nerd saying that but making friends when you're older is tough.  Thankfully we ended up in an awesome neighborhood and that was all God's doing.  If we didn't live here I think our lives would be quite different and we would have missed out on knowing all these really awesome people.

I'm thankful and happy.  

It's a blurry picture but that is a-okay, the happiness shines through. 

Some of the sweet ladies I have met 

In the words of Phil Robertson: 

happy happy happy

It's a female thing

A few weeks ago I was at a farewell party for one of my favorite girls who is going to grad school. Hubby and Bubba, my brother, came along with me. We stood around drinking and chatting. At one point the door opened and there was a girl who went to my alma mater with a sleeping baby curled up and wrapped on her chest. She came over and we all talked and I couldn't help but rub the sleeping baby's back.

What is it with women and babies? Do your ovaries have baby radar?

Well...yes.

Hubby was right. As soon as this chick walked in the door I automatically wanted to go talk to her about her & her baby. I wanted to rub it's back and know how old it was. I wanted to know if she was using disposable or fabric diapers. I wanted to know if she had read Nurture Shock.

Maybe it's my age. Maybe it's because I'm married. Who knows, but he called me out.

Changes, part IV

It was decided. I was going with Option B, the one that was super close to home and a wonderful opportunity to gain new skills. I'm not sure I can accurately describe the feelings I felt when I finally made my decision. It was a delicious mix of hope, joy, relief, pride, happiness. I was able to let go of the stress, uncertainty, anger, frustration, bitterness that had been building and hanging over my head for over a year. I felt like I lost 5 lbs. Like my hair would stop turning gray prematurely. Like the disorienting, hazy film of negativity was finally wiped away.

The weekend I made my decision was full of relaxation. As a reward, Husband and I walked to the Burger Joint and for some hamburgers with cheese and bacon, onion rings, and sweet potato fries. We spent the evening celebrating with friends, playing as$hole, and living in the moment. We watched movies and snuggled, relaxed and re-energized.

Monday I sent my resignation letter/email to my manager. I never realized you could get an anxious tummy of butterflies over an email. Again a wave of relief and hope washed over me. I didn't have to do this any more. It was time to move on.

My manager handled it exactly as I expected: detached, unemotional, nonchalant, as if my duties were not substantial enough to worry him. His response was a stark contrast compared to how my customers handled the notice. Everyone was surprised and remarkably sad to see me leave, but happy to see me progressing and advancing. The feedback has been wonderful and confirmed for me that I had done a good job.

Stylish

A little while back I got a Stylish Blogger Award from the wonderful Dating is My Hobby. My heart is so happy to get a little award!

Here's the deal:
1. Link to the blogger who gave the award
2. Share 7 facts about yourself
3. Pass the award onto 15 lovely ladies

On to some (I hope) interesting facts about myself.

1. Husband and I met in middle school (8th grade) art class. I was sitting at a 4 person table with a tubby brunette boy who was obsessed with hard metal music, a tiny blonde girl with more energy than the sun, and a cute Blue-Eyed Boy with a shaved head. I sat across from the Blue-Eyed Boy not realizing the impact he would make on my life.

As the class progressed so did our friendship. He gave me the random nickname, "Billi" because I didn't look like a Fill-in-my-real-name. Whenever I was at my locker, the Blue-Eyed Boy would tug my pony tail and wait for me to look around. I would turn around and when my eyes met his, he would smile coyly and keep walking. We got to know each other in art class, and when we were more comfortable around each other, he would hug me from behind when I put my art bin away. Those from-behind-hugs were one of my favorite things when I was 15 years old (they still are).

I can't resist telling you...he drew my portrait. It was one of our art assignments and he picked me as his subject. He put so much time and energy into that drawing; it's burned into my brain. And it is one of the sweetest, most romantic things anyone has ever done for me.

The Blue-Eyed Boy was winning me over. Our story continues after middle school...but that will be another post for another day.

<3

2. Husband gave me the nickname Peaches. When he was a little boy, his mom would call him a "peach" when he was being sweet. One of our favorite songs is Joker by Steve Miller Band (we danced to it at our wedding). There's a part after the chorus that influenced the creation of my nickname:

"...You're the cutest thing That I ever did see I really love your peaches Wanna shake your tree..."

Together with Husband's childhood affinity toward "peach" and our favorite song, he dubbed me "Peaches" and it's one of my favorite nicknames.


3. I'm a coffee and tea drinker and every morning I have one of the two. I like a warm beverage in the morning, it makes the beginning of the day a little bit easier to handle. One of my favorite things is a sprinkling of cinnamon in my coffee or tea (if the bag is right). The cinnamon dusts the inside of my mug and swirls around with the coffee and creamer. It gives the coffee a little extra pizazz and it's tasty. I suggest giving it a whirl sometime.

{taken by Joseph Allen}

4. I have a Family dimple. On my dad's side, all of the female, blood relatives have one dimple in their right cheek. So when female relatives are in one place, you can look around the room at all the smiles and notice we all have the same dimple on the same side. Just recently with my cousin's death, I met all kinds of cousins I didn't know I had. I learned that even my extended female relatives have the Family dimple. It makes me feel special.

{via}

5. I consider myself a morning person. (I like the morning time but make no mistake, I do not enjoy getting up before the crack of dawn for work.) There is something about the newness of the morning. It is a fresh start and the beginning of a brand new day. What I really love is that not everyone is awake, which makes it a peaceful time of the day. And I am quite productive in the morning, whether I am at work or at home. I love sleeping in as much as the next person, but waking up at noon makes me feel like I've wasted a precious part of the day. Waking up at 10:30am on the weekends is the perfect time in my mind. I can sleep in but still have some of my beloved morning.{via}

6. I love grocery shopping. It's a fun place...with all the produce, freshly baked breads, delicious cheese variety, spices, bacon. I like making lists so grocery shopping is right up my aisle (haha pun!). And grocery shopping with Husband is fun because we flirt with each other...pinching bottoms when no one is looking, sneaking smooches, etc. Eventually we get separated from each other (mainly because I get distracted by the Threads for Thought shirts at Whole Foods); it happens every time we go to the store.

{rugby ball}

7. I played rugby in college. For one semester. A friend wanted to try it so I did it with her. As a small-statured person, I was placed in the scrum-half position. I was the position that took the ball from the defense and gave it to the offense to proceed forward. The team of girls was great, although a little rough around the edges. By the end of the semester I was in great shape...but I was also a little bruised up. At the end of the semester I decided it wasn't for me, but rugby will always have a spot in my heart.

And now I get to pass this Stylish award to some other lovely ladies.

Vintch
Janet and the Pink Crayon
I am Style-ish
IHeart Organizing
Tiny Bit of Sparkle
Tiptoe Butterfly
I Heart this Blog
Brown Eyed Belle
A Darling Little Life
Pink of Perfection

Thank you Dating is My Hobby!

Life update

I think it's time for a little life update...

Professional life: (I need just a moment to vent.) Last week I was handed an additional task on top of my 8 hour work load. This new task is an full job in itself...yet somehow my boss wants me to cram it all into an 8 now 9 hour period. No I am not getting any sort of compensation...

I went in to talk with him this afternoon because I'm feeling overwhelmed and I'm seriously concerned that I am triple-booked. And he basically said, "you'll figure out a way to handle it once you get used to the ebb & flow of your new work load. And you can always give some of the work to your co-workers." Okay fine, but as far as I know, they are already full up with things to do. I feel like his response just shows how out of touch he is with us minions.

So I'm frustrated. I'm angry. I'm annoyed. But mostly, I feel taken advantage of. I know it will all work out and I'm probably being a big baby. But right now I just want to be mad.

Personal life: My dad's cousin died last week, so I'll be attending a funeral this week. It's pretty sad because cousin Bill was still young (in my eyes) and so full of life. It's hard to imagine his family without him. So if you remember, please send some prayers to my cousins in MD.

As I mentioned, this past weekend I was dog sitting and it went really well. I've been hesitant about getting a dog because I didn't want the additional responsibility. But after hanging out with Jax for a weekend, I realized that it isn't so bad...and it was actually quite enjoyable. And Jax-sitting gave me more faith and confidence in myself as a dog owner. Hooray for that!

This weekend I also got together with my college roommate, KDog. I heart her. I love getting together with her because we get along really well. She's one of those friends where conversation flows easily, we laugh and it's nourishing for the soul. She took me into Georgetown to walk around. I visited Zara for the first time and I like it! The quality of some of the clothes isn't the greatest, but there are so many cute things. And their sale section was pretty good.

After Zara, we walked down to Anthropologie and Kdog said, "It's like being in someone's really cool house; it's huge!" She was right on the money. Anthro in G-town is BIG. We headed downstairs and I almost bit the dust and tumbled down the stairs. Luckily I grabbed the hand rail and Kdog grabbed me and together, we stopped gravity from taking me down. Even though I was embarrassed, I was pleased when I looked up and realized no one really noticed.

So that's the latest with me. I'm sorry I haven't been posting and haven't been commenting the lately...the hours in the day seem to be filling up faster than I can count. I hope everyone is doing well and I miss you.

Jax sitting

My friend Kathy went to JMU this weekend and asked me to watch her toy Australian shepherd, Jax. I’ve watched a dog before, specifically my in-laws' cocker spaniel, Morgen. Mo Mo is well trained, she’s very used to seeing me (and she loves me), so it’s a piece of cake watching her.


Jax is still a puppy and in comparison to Morgen, he’s 18 while she’s 70-something. Even though he’s young, he’s well behaved too. Kathy took him to an obedience class and he passed with flying colors. But I was wondered if he would be behaved with me too.


Kathy dropped Jax off with me on Friday afternoon. One of the first things I did was find a tennis ball. My plan was to do something with Jax and form a bond between us. Catch was the perfect game: a solo game or a duo game with me. Thankfully we have tennis balls so we played catch for a while. And a bond definitely formed.

I remembered watching the Dog Whisperer and he said taking walks is a good way to get a dog accustomed to a new space (or something like that). When Kathy takes Jax out, he has to sit before she attaches the leash. When they come back inside, he has to sit before she takes off the leash. SO I did the same thing and he did too!! He sat for me. My heart fluttered with happiness.

The first walk wasn't too bad. I did have a little trouble juggling a poo bag, a leash and a phone while keeping Jaxman from jumping on two pedestrians. But I'm sure that comes with a little practice.

We came back in and Jax sat for me while I removed the leash. *hooray!* For the rest of the night we played catch, did laundry, watched TV, etc.

It was a good first day.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Husband and I opened presents on Christmas Eve. He is such a good gift giver. He got me Washington Capitals fleece sweatshirt that's super comfy and vintage looking; I love it. It never ceases to amaze me just how well Husband knows me. He knows my photography love affair began with film and this Christmas he gifted me with the Canon EOS 3 body. He said it's what the professionals were using before everyone went digital. AND the EOS 3 is compatible with the our DLSR lenses! How awesome! Gift giving is definitely one of his love languages.


I got him a super soft, plush, navy robe since it's been so cold this winter. And I got us some house presents, like tall drinking glasses for water (so we can stop stealing each other's) and a little 2 cup liquid measuring cup. It wasn't super exciting but they were things we needed.


The rest of Christmas Eve was spent at my parent's house. It was a pretty relaxing afternoon and I'm glad I got to spend some time with my family since we were traveling out of town. We had dinner and opened presents.

Me and Bubba

AND I got to open T's lovely package of her favorite things. I was so excited! I've already used the gloves and love them. They're way cuter than my plain jane blue ones. And the bag sealer is a big hit with Husband.

Any time we have friends over for drinks, I break out the Lily coozie because it separates my drink from everyone else's and it's pink and girlie. Thanks again T!

Later that night we went to church and afterward had some friends over for drinks. We ventured out to Q-Ball, a billiards bar near our apartment where Husband proposed to me. It's kind of our tradition to have a drink there on Christmas Eve. And I totally kicked butt playing pool - woot woot!

We stumbled home, happy and pleased with the day. We had a long day ahead of us and it was time to get some rest.

Clothes Mentor

While I was in North Carolina visiting some besties, we went window shopping one afternoon. After hitting up the usual suspects...Ulta, Victoria's Secret, Pottery Barn, Jcrew, we headed to Clothes Mentor. MK had told me about this place before, that it was a nice second hand shop where you can get nice clothes for much less than retail.

It was not until I stepped inside and started looking around that I started to under stand MK's love for the place. Clothes mentor was clean and brightly lit with aisles of clothing organized by type and color. They had shoes and bags, coats, jackets, sweaters, pants, you name it, they had it. And the quality of the clothing was the best I've ever seen at a second hand store because the clothes were clean and had been well maintained.

I started browsing the sweater section and I was hooked after seeing a Jcrew cashmere and wool blend cardigan for $20. I looked at MK and said with shock and awe...this retails for about $80+, she just smiled and said, mm hmm I told you this place was good.

$20 for Jcrew cashmere?! Yes please

We kept looking around and with an arm full of sweaters I hit the dressing room. This is what I ended up loving and taking home with me.

A lovely navy cable knit sweater by Ralph Lauren...$20

Red Talbots top that's perfect for the holiday season...only $18

Lily Pulitzer sweater, NEW with tags ($98) for $30. Who could say no to this?

Banana Republic skirt suit made of heavy jersey material. The jacket was $24, and the skirt was $16!

There were shoes too! These Enzo Angiolini sandals were comfy and sexy and only $18!

These Naturalizer slingback, kitten heels $12!?!

These Anne Klein patent heels were surprisingly comfy, $22.

I was checking out, when MK and I noticed a black Coach tote bag behind the register. It's this style. I couldn't resist so I asked the sales lady if I could take a look at it. It was in great condition, not too many scratches or scuffs, the inside clean and just as it was supposed to be. There was a small white mark on the handle but it wasn't noticeable. I looked at the price, expecting it to be priced similarly to the Coach outlet (~$120) and was really surprised. $70. Is that price right?

I was already spending way more than I anticipated but I really couldn't pass up the deals without losing sleep over them. The sales ladies could sense that I really wanted the bag so they gave me 10% off and knocked the price down to $60. At such an unbelievable price for a quality, timeless, leather bag, I had to make it mine.

I've been using this bag for 3 weeks straight and I love love love it. I am really glad I purchased it because it's easier for me to find the stuff in my purse and I can carry my water bottle which is convenient.

If you have a Clothes Mentor near you, color me green with envy. If I had the money and equity, I would open a Clothes Mentor in VA. It's a wonderful way for women to share their clothes and save money.

Anyone else come across some amazing deals?

I wish you enough

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Even when the days seem impossible to get through, God speaks to me. Mama H sent me this email and gave me a little dose of perspective. I'm keeping my head up and holding on to the end of my rope. It will all work out, one way or another.

I hate to leave such a sad, kinda depressing post, so I'll end with some good news. I had a great, productive weekend! Husband and I visited our happy place, or otherwise known as Charlottesville. We were visiting Drama Drew and helping him with his private personal training business. We will help him put together his administrative materials...like letterhead, setting up a filing system, marketing, his website, etc.

Drew is a funny guy and he's always goofing around. I was afraid it would be like pulling teeth to get him focused, but I couldn't have been more wrong. This weekend we took pictures and videos for his website and he did a fantastic job. I was really impressed with him. But he has been training for 10 years so it shouldn't be a surprise that he is VERY GOOD at his job. I'm SO SO proud of him for taking on this new adventure. And I'm happy to help him be the best he can be.

Of course, after we were done taking care of business we had a bunch of fun and good food. Like fire roasted pizza, fried chicken and dirty rice, eggs steak & sausage, and BEER RUN double dutch french toast. It was a fun, beautiful weekend and exactly what I needed.

I hope everyone had a happy Monday!

A weekend away

It had been too long. A year and three months, to be exact. I was North Carolina bound to see two of my high school friends, MK and MC. The drive was a little eventful with an accident on 95 halting my drive for a good 45 minutes. And then a few hours later when I stopped for gas, I couldn't find my debit card! EEEK!!! I called MK slightly hysterical and realized that the only place I could have lost it was when I went to ATM the night before. Husband was the next call, "honey could you search my coat and pant pockets for my card, please and thank you." When he couldn't find it I called the bank and reported it lost, so a new one is on the way, thank goodness!

When I finally got to NC, I met the girls at McD's so we could drive to dinner together. We went to Sweet & Savory a cute but packed little restaurant/bakery. At dinner I met MK's significant other, Frank and their friends Chris and Teresa. Such sweet people. We sat around a long table and chatted and got to know each other. Teresa is a sweetheart and I can understand why MK and MC have her as a friend. She's smart and sweet and funny too! And while I was sitting next to her I tried my hardest not to stare at her sparkler...omg from what I could tell it was a 3 diamond ring with diamonds in the band. It almost blinded me a couple times. Seriously. We stuffed our faces with chicken sandwiches and home made chips. YUM.

After dinner, Chris and MK started smack talking about their 50 chicken nugget challenge. They will go head to head and eat 50 chicken nuggets AND large fries in 60 min or less. The loser has to jump in the pool...in January. I have no doubt MK will kick butt. Good luck Chris, she's a determined chick.

Pic Credit

We picked up some wine and headed home to for a low key evening catching up on Glee and Oprah's favorite things. We woke up early the next morning so we could meet Mr. K and Mrs. K at the bagel bakery about 20 min away. In high school, I was at their house often so it was really good to catch up with these folks. Mr. K has cancer but from looking at him, I never would have known. He came in bursting with energy and smiles and gave me a big hug. He's a talker but I don't mind listening. Mrs. K is doing well with her job and is saving a facility that was going down the drain. Way to go Mrs. K!

The girls asked if I had a hangover from my wine the night before (I happened to pass out on the couch and then crawled into MK's bed around 5am). I had felt a little iffy during b-fast but after a warm bagel and lots of water I was good to go. After breakfast we headed to the outdoor shopping center for some good old fashioned window shopping. We were up so early most of the stores weren't open yet. It was nice to walk around and gab about the store offerings, since these days I normally do most of my shopping solo. I hit the jackpot later in the afternoon, but I will share my new items later; it deserves a post all to itself.

Pic credit

Anyway...MK and I headed back home and were greeted by a sad little niece, Allie. MK being the great aunt that she is, called Gma aka Mrs. K and asked her to come cheer up our sad little girl. Little Allie perked up so fast it made my head spin. And then after MK told her Frank would be stopping by, Allie FREAKED OUT. All frowns were turned upside down, her eyes bugged out, put on the widest smile you've seen on a 4 year old and screams of "FRANK AND GMA ARE COMING!!! FRANK AND GMA ARE COMING!!!!!!" You would have thought the Queen of England was coming with the President. Holy goodness.

Dinner time was rolling around so MK, Frank and I headed to the grocery store to pick up fixings for taco salad, YES! I love me some taco salad. We got home and got everything prepared but when we sat down MK said she couldn't eat. Since about 3pm that day her throat had been slowly closing up, like an allergic reaction or something. She freaked me out when tears started falling and she said, we may have to go to the ER. We're talking about one of the strongest women I know. This girl can handle and juggle a lot, so seeing her worried was hard. MC is a nurse and she recommended taking some medicine and having Frank there definitely helped calm her down. She was fine, it ended up being a cold/flu that came on fast. So the rest of the evening was quiet as we watched movies and just enjoyed each other's company.

I helped get Allie ready for bed since Aunt MK wasn't feeling well. Brushing little teeth, changing into pjs, reading bed time stories. She was a good girl. Unfortunately I was leaving really early the next day, like 6am, so I wasn't able to say bye to little Allie. MK told me later that Allie was sad that I left and asked, "where'd the pretty girl go?" Aw! That melted my heart.

Pic credit

It was a low-key weekend but exactly what I needed. I just wanted to spend some time with some of my favorite girls. I miss them bunches, but I'm really happy that they're doing well. I am not going to let a little distance get in the way of friendship that heals the soul.

(Sorry this is a massive post.)