Other Musings
(the facial expression still makes me laugh! via personal collection)
So I promised a picture from the party last night, so here you go! I wish it had the gold lame leggings in it, but sadly the "photographer" didn't capture them. They were a big hit though, so I'd let to say a special thank you to my sister who let me borrow them. Promise they were part of a costume :)
Everyone's week going well? I hope so! Have a great Wednesday everyone!!
via snippet and inkin honor of the dogwoods blooming in Augusta
So I'm pacing myself with my chocolate bunny. As of now, it's missing it's upper half. I'd like to say I have more willpower than this, but I'm pretty sure the rest will be polished off before dinner!
I'm being pulled in 1000 directions right now so I am going to go ahead and apologize that this post won't be incredibly coherent.
Website is coming together (from what I hear) and I'm hoping to have it launched this week.
Master's Week kicks off today! Yay for the hometown!
Realized this morning that I was scraping the edges of my foundation compact and before it was too late (you know, the "I'm using concealer as foundation" day) I hurried myself to Chanel and picked up a new one. The mall was really crowded and the traffic was even worse. It wasn't even 3pm and the normal 3 minute stretch of road took 35 minutes.
Ran to the printers to pick up an order and talked about how we seem to have jumped right past spring and into summer. We both like spring more than summer (Georgia summers are brutal.) and agreed that it's a crime that we can barely wear our cute spring outfits before it's just too hot for that "adorable cardigan, light jacket, etc."
Have I mentioned that it was like 85 out today? Beautiful, but hot. Luckily, the nights are still cooler than the days so we've been trying to take every opportunity possible to dine alfresco and go out for drinks on the park.
Highlight of the day? Picking out outfits for the jersey shore party tomorrow night. I'm busting out the gold lame leggings :)
Hope everyone had a wonderful Monday!
via sunday suppersSorry about not posting yesterday! Let's just say it was an April Fool's joke :)
Been taking some much needed "fun time" these past few days (between the necessary work of course.) Last night, the hubs and I went out with some friends to have some drinks at the park, and then today we decided that it was just too beautiful outside and since he didn't have school we had to get out of the house. So what did we do? Packed a lunch, threw the kayaks (well... heaved I guess) into the truck and headed to the river. The water is still really cold (but it never really warms up and the object is to not flip over :) ) but it was so beautiful out and a lot of fun. Thanks to all of the rain, the water levels are really high and that makes for fast moving water and way better rapids to play in. 4 hours later we heaved our tired, slightly more tanned, selves into the car and drove home. (I am not ashamed to say I haven't really left the couch since my shower and am trying to figure a way to get the chicken to grill itself.) What a great way to start off the weekend!
What about all of you? Any big plans? I know my parents are getting everything ready for the start of Masters week in Augusta, and on Sunday J. and I will be heading over to his parents for church and Easter lunch. I'm thinking of doing another Easter egg hunt Sunday morning for him because last years was so fun. Tomorrow I'm off to buy chocolate bunnies, cadbury eggs, and jellybeans to make Easter baskets because you are NEVER too old for a chocolate bunny.
or 2, or 3 chocolate bunnies... I promise I won't tell :)
Have a great weekend everyone!
via you are my fave
Happy Tuesday, everyone! This one is for all of us who still would rather watch Save By The Bell reruns instead of the morning news. Hope you all have a lovely day!!
Happy Monday, everyone! How is your spring starting?
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Atlanta was finally graced with sunshine, so J. and I took advantage of every ray we could. Saturday we woke up early, packed a picnic and headed off to do a little light kayaking, and we couldn't have asked for a nicer day! Just enough of a breeze to stay cool, but still enough sun so it wasn't cold. That night he had to attend a fraternity alum thing so I went to eat dinner with one of my favorites ladies and her fiance' (who I also love.) Nothing better than eating Mexican outside with friends. It was so great getting to catch up with them both and hear how life, wedding planning, traveling, etc. is going!
Sunday the rain came back so we spent a lazy day lounging around the house, sleeping in/taking cat naps, and wrapped up the day with breakfast for dinner. We had never eaten at the restaurant before, but having passed it multiple times we were happy to finally see inside. Granted, "inside" was more of a big tent than a building, so when it really started to rain it got really loud and the "walls" were shaking because of the wind. We loved it (but we love a good thunderstorm) and I made a joke about the tent giving out and rain pouring in.
I spoke too soon.
Maybe 5 minutes later we hear a scream from the opposite side of the "dining room" and look over to see a couple jumping from their seats and a waterfall flowing from the ceiling. It was hilariously unreal. Luckily, they were okay (and dry due to their fancy foot work.) I'm just going ahead and guessing their meal was comped.
How about you all? Good weekend? How is the week starting?
via martha stewartYep, I completely forgot today was St. Patrick's Day. It wasn't until J. and I went to lunch at my uncle's restaurant did I notice (and only because everyone was wearing green. My uncle even had a green hat and bow tie!) Thankfully, no one pinched me :)
But with all of the rainy weather here in Atlanta, it just doesn't feel like St. Patty's Day- let alone March. Normally, I'd already have a dozen or two shamrock cookies in the oven, a green dress on, and the table set with green napkins etc, but instead, I am curled up on the couch with my computer working on my taxes. Luckily though, my blanket does have green in it so I don't feel too badly.
and who knows. maybe by dinner tonight I'll get into the spirit and break out the green. If nothing else, I'll at least put on my favorite green dress...(Being Irish it seems only right!)
Hope everyone is having a fantastic St. Patrick's Day! Enjoy the festivities and be safe!
So I was talking to one of my friends a few days ago about engagements and how despite all of the "we're equal, yatta yatta yatta" talk many women give, when it comes to one of the MOST important decisions on our lives, we still think it's up to the guy. And by we, I don't mean all of us. I know there are plenty of couples who let go of the stereotypes and make decisions as a team, but sadly, I don't think that is the norm. In our case, I wasn't about to just sit back and let J. decide my future- nor did he expect me to decide his. Instead, we had a serious discussion about getting engaged, and while we both still wanted some of the "surprise" factor, we had a feasible time line of when we could have the wedding, how long of an engagement we wanted etc so neither one of us was completely oblivious to what was going on/just following blindly.
But like I said, that doesn't seem to be the norm.
More often than not I hear of girls who desperately want to marry their significant others, but instead of expressing that desire to them, they share it with their friends and then "hope" that he will maybe possibly propose this Christmas. Or this Valentine's Day. Or their birthday. Or their anniversary, maybe this Saturday... you get the idea. Maybe J. and I have an uncommon relationship, but I have never understood why- in this day and age- women still feel it is "wrong" to talk to your significant other about marriage.
Here are a few excuses I've heard.
Excuse #1- "I don't want to scare him."
Sweetie, this is an easy one. If he is scared by even the prospect of marrying you, then he isn't the one.
(now, if you've only spoken twice, you don't know his middle name, and you're already picking out wedding dresses, well then maybe you're right. That would scare him. Hell, that would scare me. I'm speaking of the timing being right. You're old enough, have been dating for a decent amount of time-whatever that may mean to you, need to make a life altering decision such as where to live, whether or not to take a job, go to a specific grad/med school, etc. etc.)
Excuse #2- "I want to be surprised"
Kind of valid. Some people do need the candlelit walkway, the rose petals, the hidden photographer in the bushes- but the thing is, he can still do all of that after you two have talked about marriage. Like I said, I knew that J. and I were going to get engaged soon, but had no idea how he was going to do it. But honestly, that doesn't even matter. It's not about the candles and roses- it's about the promise you are making to each other. And that my friend, should not be made in the split second he dropped to his knee. That is a decision that you two should already know the answer to because you've both already discussed the lives you want together- including the tough issues like money, where to live, children, etc. Meg mentioned once that you need to discuss divorce too, and I completely agree. If it is not an option to you, you need to talk about that. Discuss what you would do if you two felt disconnected. Would you go to counseling? Throw in the towel? These are things you should know BEFORE you say "I do."
Excuse #3 "I don't want to issue an ultimatum."
True. Ultimatums are never a good thing. If it has come to ultimatums though, maybe there is a deeper issue at hand. Nothing good comes from forcing someone to do something they don't want to- especially when that something is getting married.
With that said though, it is not an ultimatum to say that you want to spend your life with that person and want to make that promise to them, and want to know that they are on the same page. And being on the same page, also means being on the same time line. If you want to be married within a year, and they are more in the "maybe in 5 years" boat, you have to ask yourself if you are willing to compromise there. You also need to see if THEY are willing to compromise, because marriage is all about the compromises.
Then, if they are still dodging the question, refuse to give a solid answer of yes they want to or no they do not, personally I think you should seriously reflect on why that is. Because like every one of my guy friends have told me- "if a guy wants to be with you, he will." (Remember the movie He's Just Not That Into You?) And like my dad has told me (paraphrasing here) "You either want to marry someone or you don't. Either way, you just know."
And I think that is the major issue here.
Are so many of us women just waiting around in relationships, not talking about it, because we're afraid of the answer we might get? If that's the case, then you already have your answer. This isn't the 1800's. Likelihood, no one is going to show up at your door with a glass slipper that magically fits. And seriously? Would you really run off with someone you didn't know because a shoe fit? No, because that would be silly.
So ladies, let's all stop with the excuses. Decide what you want from life and be honest with one another. And after that, allow your partners to be honest with you- even if it's not what you want to hear. Talking isn't going to ruin the surprise, it won't be an ultimatum (unless you say propose to me tomorrow or I'm gone and really? that's not constructive.), and if they are the right person for you, the idea of sharing their life with you shouldn't scare them.
via martha stewartForgot to share this fun tidbit.
I completely forgot about the time change this past weekend. With the time difference already messing with me all day Saturday, I completely forgot to change our clocks. Normally wouldn't be a big deal, except we had a birthday party for our friend's daughter (she turned one!) I was talking to my mom on the phone when my cell started to mess up and I had to hang up. For some reason, I decided to check the time on my phone as opposed to my bedside clock and I saw that the party was to start in 10 minutes.
I thought it was starting in an hour and 10 minutes.
My hair was still wet, I was in my robe, and our friends live 40 minutes away.
To say the least, I've never gotten dressed and wrapped a gift so quickly :)
Whoops.
mule deer watching us walkHi everyone! So after a nice long relaxing week in Colorado, we are back and (trying to get) settled into our daily routines. The trip was fantastic! I have always loved Colorado and used to visit often to ski, but this trip was different- this time we were looking for where we would like to live after J. graduates. Primarily, we were looking at Boulder, but since we have never actually been there we were a little worried that the reality wouldn't meet our expectations.
boy were we wrong.
part of downtown
While maybe not for everyone, it is perfect for us. Artsy, outdoorsy, friendly- just overall wonderful. It barely took an hour for us to realize that this is exactly where we wanted to move! It felt as though we had been there forever- none of the uncomfortable and uneasy feelings sometimes associated with being in a new, unknown city.
We arrived in Denver super early and as soon as we picked up our luggage and rented our car, we were on our way north to Boulder. We spent the whole week exploring, looking at real estate (we found where we want to live!) and eating. After living in Athens, Georgia (for all of college and then the year after) we were pretty spoiled when came to restaurants. Athens offers EVERYTHING you can imagine and is home to many of our favorites, so we hoped Boulder would offer some of the same.
It offered even more. The restaurants were amazing. The town has the same vibe as Athens (it's still a college down thanks to CU Boulder) but is much bigger. I won't bore you all with the details, but I will name a few places you have to try if you ever visit.
Restaurants
Illegal Pete's- Moe's done right. Eclectic, fresh, and a mesh of American favorites and authentic Mexican flavors. Oh! and they let you order the burrito in a bowl with chips- just the way I like it.
Foolish Craig's - amazing breakfast, really artsy vibe, super friendly, great prices. For all of the UGA grads, it's a lot like Big City Bread but with mimosas and breakfast burritos.
Lucille's - One of our waitresses told us about this place, and then one of our friends who used to live in Boulder emailed me about it while we were out there, so J. and I figured we should try it out. So happy we did! Set in an old house downtown, this restaurant really satisfied. Their grits were great (which says a lot. You rarely find great grits outside of the south), as were their potatoes, bacon, eggs... everything. Not to mention they brought out huge squares of "biscuits" (more of a cornbread concoction) before our meals which were amazing. Mountain Sun- I think this was our favorite place! We walked in for a late dinner (9ish) and given the place was already packed we knew it was a good choice. The food was wonderful (a section just for different grilled cheeses? yes please. Greasy fair-like fries? go ahead and add those too.) and the service was awesome. The waiters rotate around so you are never having to find "yours" and they all have a really fun attitude about them. Our first one went ahead and sat down with us to figure out exactly what type of beer J. would like and when he was unsure she came back with 5 different samples for him to try- complete with a diagram she drew telling which was which and what each one offered. She rocked. Oh, and I forgot to mention the place is a microbrewery so they really know their beer. The whole back wall was filled with taps and they had something for everyone- even a non-beer drinker like myself. Oh, and it's cheap. Which is always a positive!
Other fun things to do (special thanks Kelly for all of your guidance!)
view in Boulder Mountain ParkDrive up Baseline Road into the Boulder Mountain Park. The views are phenomenal! I actually have one as my phone's wallpaper :) We went twice and just sat and talked while gazing out at the white caps. So relaxing and beautiful.
beautiful aspens in the national parkDrive out to Roosevelt National Park. I'd never actually been to one, but J. has. (He and his best friend actually went on a 3 month road trip to visit and camp in as many of them as possible, and this was one of his favorites.) He loved getting to share the experience with me, and after seeing it I now understand why he loves national parks so much. It was magical and so humbling to see. If you ever need a recharge in your faith, this is the place to go. Majestic is the best word for it. Having a picnic with that view is a memory that will never disappear!
Red RocksWe are huge music fans so while looking around Denver to see if maybe we wanted to live in a city again (we don't :) ) I saw that Red Rocks was only 15 miles away and not wanting to miss out on seeing it empty, we ditched the house search and headed there. It was so cool! First, the fact that it's a naturally built amphitheater is amazing enough, but to see everyone who has performed there (they have huge timeline-esque plaques on the wall of the visitor's center) and how much it means to all of them, you really feel like you're part of something there. It's an awesome venue and we can't wait to visit it often for shows! I'd definitely recommend visiting it if you are near by.
Pearl Street Mall- their downtown is fabulous. So many shops, restaurants- everything. We loved just walking around and spending time there.
Lastly, Eldora Mountain Resort is only 30ish minutes from Boulder and while it's not the biggest, the fact it's practically in Boulder's backyard is wonderful. We spent a whole day skiing and can't wait to be able to make that a regular occurrence!
So main point- the trip was wonderful! We got to spend some quality time together, saw a lot of possible places to live (that was a stress reliever all in it's own) and went on a great vacation all at the same time. Hope everyone had a fantastic week as well and that this week is starting off just a great!
I love this robe! It's so comfortable and unique. Not to mention it's been my main wardrobe these past few days...So I went to the doctor and she had absolutely no clue what was wrong with my throat. She did seem to be really worried about my left ear though.
"Does your ear hurt at all?" "No ma'am" "Are you sure?" "yep." "It hasn't hurt at all?" "In my life? or since my sore throat?"
Apparently my ear was really red and she assumed it was infected, and therefore hurting. Despite saying over and over that it didn't hurt at all, she was concerned (or thought I was lying) and decided to put me on antibiotics "just in case." She added that it should also help my sore throat, since even though the strep test was negative, she assumed it was still caused by a bacterial infection.
About 2 hours after I got home my ear did start hurting. Only problem was it was my RIGHT ear. The one she thought was fine :)
The good news is though, my throat feels so much better. Just in time for our trip!
via flickrI've gargled, taken over the counters, used the rubs, the juices, the fizzes... you name it, but still woke up to the most painful throat ever. And by ever, I am now to the point of actively trying not to swallow.
So I give up. It's been 5 days. I'm going to a doctor.
and p.s. I don't like doctors. Or taking medicine. I'm much more of a "let it run it's course" person. But with a ton of work to be done, our trip next week, and now not even wanting to eat it hurts so badly, I figured I should suck it up and figure out what this is.
* another note- I realized that I don't have a doctor anymore (besides an ER trip which was actually an emergency, I can't remember a time since college that I've visited the doctor just because I wasn't feeling well) so I spent all last night researching doctors around here and fingers crossed I picked a good one.
She's already winning points given that I get to come in this very afternoon.
I'll keep you posted on the progress.
