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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Peace

So I would do a stream of consciousness thing or maybe just a random bullet point post, except there is only one thing on my mind. 

WORK. 

Work, y'all. WORK! OhdearLordinheaven, HELP ME! 

Haha. Okay, i can say this with a bit of humor, because today was a much better day! But work has been really stressful. I am still happy about this job & I still believe it is the right job for me. Just some adjustments that need to be made. :) I have a meeting tomorrow & it should get things going in the right direction. 

I do love my boss, my coworkers & the students, though. It's just the actual workload itself that has me drowning. In tears. Haha. 

Oh, yeah. It's bad. Cried all the way home last night, got a Brad-hug, took a hot bath with a glass of wine, and stayed up till midnight finishing work. Something i said i'd NEVER do. But something that HAD to be done.

Today was better. And hopefully tomorrow will be even better!

On top of all that, we are having car issues. Brad had to get 2 new tires on Saturday, we had to have my car checked out & I didn't catch exactly what is wrong but i did catch that it will be about $1200 to fix it. And this is a guy who always charges us SO LITTLE that we throw in a large tip because we think he undercharges us. For real. ANYWAY... other than that, Brad has to get a tooth worked on tomorrow & we have no idea how much that will cost since he doesn't have dental insurance (had i but known, i would have put him on mine!). AND Brad is getting sick. Like, VERY sick. He sounds & looks horrible. I mean...he's handsome as ever haha, but you know what I'm saying. SICK. Dear Lord, please don't let me get it! I can't miss work! 

So yeah. When it rains, it pours, can i tell ya? You already know this, I'm sure! 

I did quit my job at the Manship Theatre, though. I've got mixed feelings about it. I'll finish out February since that schedule has already been done, but then I won't be working there anymore. A little sad, but glad overall. It's the right decision.

Still deciding about the other theater thing. Because i really want to do that one, but I'm just not sure if i can pull it off. Not with this job. Which i'm feeling more positive about today, but yesterday, MAN! I put it on facebook, because i felt SO CLOSE to a breakdown that i really needed some prayer. I just needed someone to lift me up! (More on this later.) Someone texted me this Bible verse after reading my post (thanks, Amber!). I need the reminder. Always. 

"I am leaving you with a gift. Peace of mind & heart. And the peace I give isnt like the peace the world gives. So dont be troubled or afraid." -John 14:27

How are YOU, my friends? How can i pray for you? Are you going through a rough time, too? 

Tell me. We can pray for each other. :) 

{GROUP HUG}

P.S. Is the weekend here yet?

Saturday, January 28, 2012

My week in photos - # 4

Week 4 of 2012
{January 22-28}

I am really surprised I got a photo each day this week. All with my phone. Work was insane this week, as discussed in my last post! But I managed to get pictures anyway! 


Sunday, Jan 22 - This was my view from after church until bedtime. I know. Exciting life I lead. :) 

Monday, Jan 23 - FINALLY finished receiving inventory at work... had to bring some of the boxes to my office to distribute on campus the next morning. This pretty much sums up the day: Boxes, boxes, boxes! 
Tuesday, Jan 24 - House Managing at the Manship Theatre for the Jewish Film Festival, third night in a row! Great audience!

Wed, Jan 25 - Oh, the perks of working for Aveda! Great discounts on wonderful products! Finally got my Smooth Infusion & I love it! Smells so good, too!

Thurs, Jan 26 - I finished off our new student orientation at work by distributing kits to the new students (their bag with all of their school supplies = pretty much Christmas to them!). This was the mess when we were done. I have seen more boxes this week than ever in my life. If you are ever moving & need boxes, you might want to ask me!

Fri, Jan 27 - House Managed at the Manship Theatre for Loudon Wainwright & The Punch Brothers - both EXCELLENT! This is at the end when they both did a song together. LOVED these guys!

Sat, Jan 28 - Breakfast at the in-laws this morning! Saying goodbye to Fani, their Rhodesian Ridgeback before leaving. Isn't she a beauty? They were lion hunters, did you know that? (Fani is actually missing the ridge... She's still gorgeous!)
How was your week?

On traveling.

I really love to travel. A lot of people may not know that about me, because I rarely actually do it. I have dreams of seeing the whole world, and I hope I get to see at least part of it some day. It's just that traveling is expensive & right now, the priority is saving for a house & other things. 

ANYWAY. Yesterday's Fill-in-the-Blank Friday was on Travel. Is it too late to play?



1. My favorite place I've ever traveled to is Santa Monica, California. It's just beautiful there. We went on a missions trip with the Dream Center in Los Angeles, but a free day in Santa Monica was fantastic. Shopping & the beach right next to each other, along with perfect weather? LOVE. I also really enjoyed NYC & want to go back!

2. Europe is somewhere I'd love to go someday. Specifically, Italy. More specifically, Greece. But all over Europe, really. I've never been.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus or train or car ride) by reading novels or flipping through magazines.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are books, magazines, & my iphone.

5. My favorite travel companion is Brad, once we actually get there! He can be a bit of a pain during the preparing to go process! He worries about getting lost, he gets anxious about money & packing & directions, & he often doesn't want to go at all. Once there, though... he's the perfect travel buddy. :) 


6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is getting stuck in the Detroit airport overnight. Ugh. What a long night! 

7. The most exotic food I've tried while traveling is alligator. I know that's sad, considering there are much more exotic foods to be had! And this is silly considering i've lived in Louisiana my entire life! But I didn't try alligator until i was on a missions trip in Panama. We were in the Darien Jungle & the natives took two of our team members & 2 of our leaders & they hunted an alligator during the night. He was for dinner the next day. And yes, he did taste like chicken. :)

8. If i could live anywhere else, I'd live in Charlotte NC, Savannah GA, or Natchitoches LA. 


Where was your most favorite roadtrip/vacation?
Where would you like to go someday?

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Stress = tears.

This week = INSANITY.

I've been stressed to the max. I won't go into the details of WHY, but yeah. This girl needs a massage. A glass of wine. And LOTS of prayer. I mean it.

I'm making it, though! And after tomorrow, I should be good to go!

Part of this was poor planning on my part. I scheduled myself to work at the Manship the same week as new student orientation. Orientation won't be a big deal in the future, but this is my first time. Not to mention other first-time assignments I've also been given to accomplish this week. To be honest with you, it's not a one person job. At all. But I'm making it!

I've cried everyday at work so far this week. It's what I do when I'm under stress. In fact, I've realized that tears flow for me more because I'm under too much stress or because I'm very sick, and less because I'm sad or angry. Isn't that strange? I've had 2 girls cry in my office at work this week & apologize for it, and both times I was able to say, "It's okay... I've already cried today. It's that kind of week!" It makes them feel better, at least.

My week looks like this: 
Monday: Work 8-5. End up working on a project at work until 5:30, when I'm supposed to be at the Manship Theater at 5:45. Try to load 3 boxes on a dolly & the top one falls over & a huge glass bottle of massage oil crashes to the ground. NICE. Made it to my second job late. Work till 10, home by 10:30. Straight to bed.

Tuesday: Work 8-5. Work till 5:30 AGAIN because i can't leave until certain things are done. Late to Manship AGAIN. Work till 9:30, home by 10. Straight to bed.

Wednesday: Work 8-5. I can't tell you if today was worse or better than Monday. It's a toss-up. My presentation to the new students for their orientation went well. YAY. :) Left work at 5:15 & went HOME. Home sweet home. 

Thursday (tomorrow): Work 8-8. Tomorrow is the second day of orientation & my presentation for them is the last thing on the agenda - from 5-8. Once that's done, I can go home.

Friday: Work 8-5 (hopefully!). Manship at 6:15. Probably will get home around 11. 

SATURDAY: NOTHING! DAY OF REST/RELAXATION/BLOGGING/READING/ETC

So that's my week. Hopefully i survive tomorrow's presentation (kinda nervous about it, because I have not been able to prepare yet!). Pray for me between 5 & 8, if you think about it.

Please know i am not complaining. I still love my job. It's just a tough week & I knew it would be going into it. I will make it! And after this week, things will be better. 

Time for bed.... Night!

P.S. I have some important decisions to make regarding my second jobs & if they are a good thing for me at this point... I could use some prayers in that area as well. 

XOXO

Sunday, January 22, 2012

My Week in Photos - #3

Week 3 of 2012
{January 15-21}



Sunday - Baby Shower for Mika...soon-to-be mama of twin girls!
Monday - Off of work today! Got a new book & new blender in from Amazon. YAY!
Tuesday - Hung out with my friend Aimie that evening...was really mad i didn't get a pic with us! Instead I got a pic of a smoothie. Whatever!
Wednesday - Got my Jillry order in! Love my new earrings & bangles! Pretty! (Check out Jillry on Facebook. She has amazing jewelry & great deals!)
Thursday - I cheated here, too. Had a date with two of my besties, Shana & Sarah, at Deangelo's. We spent about 20 minutes in the car trying to get a decent pic of us. Laughing until we were crying, because EVERY pic chopped off our heads or had Shana's eyes closed! My phone died. And then it was too late, I had deleted all the bad ones! This salad actually is from Friday. Bummer!
Friday - I got business cards at work! And isn't Fievel so cute?!
Saturday - Breakfast with my good friend, Lindsay at Another Broken Egg! Yay!

What were the highlights of your week? :)

Friday, January 20, 2012

My Week in Photos - #1 & #2

You know how one of my new year's resolutions was to take a pic a day everyday in 2012? Well, I've been doing that. The album itself is on facebook, but I meant to post a week's worth every weekend. 

This post will catch you up. :)

{2012, so far}

Week One
January 1-7
Sunday, Jan 1: New journal I found at Barnes & Noble. A question a day for 5 years.
Monday, Jan 2: Showing off one of my new scarves! Meant for the pic to be more scarf, less face.
Tuesday, Jan 3: Back to guzzling the water. Yay! My body thanks me.
Wednesday, Jan 4: An "unwhich" from Jimmy John's! So good!
Thursday, Jan 5: Cupcakes at work that i did NOT eat. (Proud!)
Friday, Jan 6: Got to have lunch with my good friend, Danielle!
Saturday, Jan 7: Hit the lakes for a little photography lesson!

Week Two
January 8-14
Sunday, Jan 8: The classic underbite. 
Monday, Jan 9: The day of the LSU/Bama game was crazy. I didn't see a single person that day not in LSU attire. And this big flag was flying high on the boulevard where I work. We lost, though. Lots of sad people in Louisiana that evening (for the record, I don't watch football. But even i got a little infected that day.). 
Tuesday, Jan 10: I made SkinnyTaste's stuffed peppers for dinner. They're so good, y'all. And healthy.
Wednesday, Jan 11: Met my old coworkers, Tonya, Wendy & Monique, for dinner!
Thursday, Jan 12: No sleeping with us, but Fievel does get the bench at the end of the bed. He loves it!
Friday, Jan 13: I got a wii! So much fun! Just Dance 3 is awesome!
Saturday, Jan 14: Date night with Brad! 

So there you go, you're all caught up. I'll give you one of these each week!
(Try not to get too excited, now!)

Links & some answers!

I have not blogged all week. It's just been so insane at work, and other than Wednesday, I've had somewhere to go after work. I'd just come home & go straight to bed! All i wanted to do today was come home & BLOG! So, here I am. :) 

* * *

 FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY
1. Where do you hide the really good snacks?!
Um... there are no snacks here. Except fruit & there's no need to hide that! The only temptation left for me in this house is Brad's cereal, but guess what?! He loves my smoothies so much, he said he'll stop buying the cereal! This is really good because if it's a really weak moment, I really want that cereal!

2. Do you keep your vehicle clean?
My car is so gross, y'all. I'm not even kidding. I need a professional wash, stat! Honestly, i don't have a lot of STUFF in there... I can be good about bringing that stuff in the house (although right now i can't say that). But little bits of trash, grass, etc? It's gross.

3. Have you ever been to Vegas?
No

4. Warm room, light blankets or Cold room, warm blankets?
I like option B.

5. What is the worst flying/airplane experience you have ever had?
When i was 21, I flew to Canada to be in my friend's wedding. It was my first time flying, my first time in Canada (or up North, PERIOD), my first time being a bridesmaid, my first time singing in a wedding. All at once! I had a layover in Detroit. Keep in mind, I'm BY MYSELF! There was a layover or something on my first flight which made me miss my next flight and so I HAD TO SLEEP AT THE AIRPORT. Overnight. ALONE! They would not put us up in a hotel. And for some INSANE reason, I didn't call my dad to rescue me?! To this day i have no idea how that happened? I mean... I would have called my parents. And SURELY they would have gotten me set up in a hotel? That's what they would have done. And yet... i stayed overnight at a hotel. In detroit. Alone. The details are foggy, but that i do remember! When I arrived in Buffalo, NY, the next day where my Canadian friend was waiting for me, I was DEAD tired. It was bad. 


---Links For You---

Wanted to share some interesting reads for you! You should check these out. 

My friend Mackenzie just moved to Belgium. Yes, BELGIUM! Her hubby got transferred there for the next few years & the whole family is tagging along. She wrote this post today on how grocery shopping is so different there, and i thought it was pretty interesting! P.S. Mackenzie was my role model when i was a little teeny bopper. Also, she has the CUTEST family you've ever seen. 

I've been working on cutting sugar from my diet. I did very, very well this week. I have to learn to eat low carb/very low sugar because I want to reverse my insulin resistance. It is possible & I am learning. Anyway, I got the book Sugar Nation & it is really good so far. I also saw this article on my twitter & thought it was an interesting read. READ IT. Sugar is bad for you. I know that is not fun to hear, but honestly. Check it out.

Speaking of twitter. I'm on it. I like it. I am surprised,  because i joined in March 2009 (according to them... I don't remember) & I hated it. It was stupid. Well, I like it this time around. So if you are there, you can follow me if you like. My name there is lilmrsmarried.

This is my new favorite blog. For serious. She writes so well & she's funny & honest & everything you love in a writer. You have probably already read it by now, because i had a couple of friends post it on facebook & one friend blogged about it. But if you are a mom, read this one. I'm not a mom, but i loved it.

Ever want to be a little more blog savvy & create one of those photo collages? Smitten just did this great tutorial & I thought i would share. :)

I guess that's enough links for one day. 

Happy Friday!



Sunday, January 15, 2012

A little game for you!

Awhile back, Katie tagged me in this little game thing. I love these things, to be quite honest with you, and I haven't done one in awhile. Please participate if I tag you! It'll be fun! Haha!

(Don't worry, I will not tag you to play if she already did!)

[the rules]
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4. Tag 11 people and link them on your post
5. Let them know you've tagged them!
[11 fun facts about moi]

1. I love left-handers. I don't know why that is. I just do.

2. I also think people who take their coffee black are super cool. I might already think you are cool & then notice you take your coffee black. And suddenly you are even cooler than I thought. That's just the way it is. (I do not take my coffee black. I wish I could, because it's cool. (And healthier.))

3. I am often told I look like Reese Witherspoon. This is a huge compliment to me, but I wish people would leave it at that. When they add, "Has anyone ever told you that?" or "I bet you get that all the time, don't you?", I start feeling a little awkward. If i say, "yes", it just sounds a bit like I'm trying to flatter myself. And I hate it when people do that. But if i say no, I'm lying.

4. I get a lot angrier at inanimate objects than I do at people. 

5. I dream of having a house with a wrap around porch & a hammock. And a backyard with a fence. And lots of cabinet space in the kitchen. And lots of storage. And nice floors. And walk-in closets. And one of those tubs with the claw feet. And a library, just a little one. You get the idea, right?

6. I make lots of silly faces. My husband believes my face is made of silly putty. 

7. I sometimes feel sad that the whole world cannot experience how incredibly funny my husband is. I was crying from laughing last night. Nobody sees this side of him (except his family), because he's pretty reserved in public. What a shame!

8. I LOVE to read. For whatever reason, I prefer fiction to nonfiction. I don't believe anything is wrong with fiction, but i sure do wish i could fly through nonfiction just as quickly.

9. I wish everyone understood that many skinny people are just as unhealthy as fat ones. People do not believe this. But it's true. EVERYONE should work on their health.

10. I still want to move to Savannah, Georgia or Charlotte, North Carolina. But I would settle for Natchitoches (nacho toe cheese), Louisiana. Why? Because they're CUTE. 

11.The following phrases annoy me: That is all, But I digress, FML. (There are a lot more, but I can't remember them right now.) There is nothing wrong with these sayings (other than FML) if they actually fit into what else is being said. I am finding, however, that people are using these phrases to sound clever, when it doesn't actually work with what is being said. Instead of sounding clever, it sounds like it's copied from someone who did sound clever when they wrote it. Am I making any sense here? It bothers me! These are perfectly fine sayings, just over used. 

On Grey's Anatomy, in an argument, the characters often say, "You don't get to say that!" when they feel that what the other person said was unfair. It's a great line, but it annoys me because it is so over used. This is a mistake on the writer's part. Each character should have their own character flaws, sayings, quirks, etc. "You don't get to say that!" should come from one character, because that is their "thing" to say. Not every single character whenever there is an argument. It's bad writing. (I love that show, but I'm just saying.) 

Side note: "I'm just saying" does not bother me because it is usually funny & works with what is being said. The other ones never sound like they work to me. It always sounds like the author trying to be clever.

That is all. 

HA! I used one! See? It worked, I think, but it still annoyed me!

That was way too long & probably made no sense. Moving on!

[Questions from Katie]

1. If you could only own cats or only own dogs for your entire life, which would you choose?
DOGS, hands down. I am just now starting to kinda sorta maybe like cats, but it is still nowhere CLOSE to how much i love dogs.

2. What was the last sleep dream you had that you can remember?
I dreamed a good friend of mine was pregnant. She & her husband told me the news. It was good!

3. If you had no fear of failure, what would you try?
I would definitely finish a novel, starting with one of the many I have already started that sit in notebooks under my bed. I would also get some headshots done & start auditioning.

4. If you could save only one photograph, which would it be?
I don't like this question. Can i save my entire wedding album?

5. Deserted Island: What three books would you take?
The Bible, a good piece of chic lit, & "How to not lose your mind on a deserted Island". Surely there is a book with that title.

6. What skill do you wish you had & why?
I wish I were a dancer. Because it's BEAUTIFUL & has to feel so freeing!

7. What is your favorite meal to cook? 
I like cooking. Anything. But soups are easy. I like just throwing stuff in a pot, and you can do that with soup. :)

8. How long does it take you to get ready to go out of the house?
An hour. I can do 30-45 minutes, but it's not very fun & I'm certainly not at my best!

9. What is your favorite childhood memory?
Exploring/playing in the woods/neighborhood with my friends. Family vacations. Opening Christmas presents early & then re-wrapping them so i wouldn't get caught! HA!

10. Deserted Island: What 3 movies do you take? (It's a strange island that has a working dvd player.)
Sleepless in Seattle, The Proposal, The Help

11. How long on average does it take you to read a book?
A few weeks? Gone are the days where I could just fly through them! Adult life = responsibilities!

[The Chosen 11]


1. Betty at It Takes Two
4. Susan at The Life of Susan
6. Linds at A Dollop of My Life
7. Ashlee at Blessed Chick
9. Ashley at A Treasured Legacy
10. Emily at Thoughts

(Some of you may not give this the time of day, and that is okay. Even though it'd be really fun to read it!!! A couple of you are brand new to blogging, so if you do not have 11 people to tag, that's okay with me.) 

[Questions for The Chosen 11]
1. What are your biggest pet peeves, not including traffic issues? (We all have traffic issues.)
2. If you could go on an all-expense paid vacation & take one person, who would you take & where would you go?
3. If you could do anything you wanted for your next birthday, what would you do? (Money is no object & everything is okay to eat!)
4. What is your favorite play or musical? If you do not have one, how are we friends? (Totally kidding. I don't watch football, it all evens out!)
4. What are some of your favorite girl names? Favorite boy names?
5. What is the biggest lesson you have learned in life?
6. What is your favorite recipe? (Link please!)
7. What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it?
8. Who is your favorite author or speaker?
9. Which bloggie friends do you hope to meet in real life?
10. What is your nervous habit?
11. What do you hope will happen (that could happen!) in 2012?


Well, that was fun! (Time for bed.)

Some link love!

I just won a little blog award from Laura, who writes at One Step at a Time. I haven't participated in one of these in awhile, so I thought I would do it! Thanks so much, Laura, for your sweet words about me & for nominating me. ;)



Please know that if I nominate you, I really could care less if you pass the award along! I just want to give you a little well-deserved recognition! 

So basically I am supposed to nominate 5 people who have less than 200 followers. (I have a little more than that, because Laura cheated. HA!)
So here we go. Check out these blogs, y'all! 

1.) Ashley at A Treasured Legacy - Ashley is a friend from church. I actually grew up really good friends with her older sister, Kristin. I went to their house to hang out a lot over the years, especially in my teens. Her parents threw some awesome Christmas parties! Ashley lost her dad in October 2010 & she was a big-time daddy's girl. He was one of my most favorite people & it was a big shock when he went to be with Jesus. When that happened, though, Ashley ran TO Jesus instead of away from Him. She got baptized & has been drawing closer & closer to Him everyday. I am so proud of this girl & I know her daddy would be (is!), too! She is now blogging what God is showing her, along with some culinary creations & other stuff. She's joining me in the Made to Crave Bible Study as well. Her blog is brand new & not exactly how she wants it to look yet, but she deserves some recognition already! So, go give her a little support, will ya?! :) 

2.) Patti at Emersyn & Everett, Our Biggest Little Blessings - Patti is a blogger I've been talking to for quite awhile now & one of those i REALLY need to meet in person. I love her. She has two ADORABLE kiddos & she is REAL. I love reading her blog. You should definitely check her out & her cutie pies!

3.) Laura at A Hearty Overflow - Laura is one of my very best friends in the whole wide world. We have been blog friends for 5 years now & I finally went to meet her in December. She is real & honest & writes about important things. She writes about things that matter. I love reading her blog, whether it's about her adorable kids, her crochet projects, her photography, or what she is learning from God. She is just very genuine & honest, she is not afraid to speak the truth in love. LOVE THIS GIRL & you will too. So check her out! 

4.) Emily at Thoughts - Emily is one of my favorite bloggers. She is actually a real life friend of mine from the theater. I'm so glad she is a blogger now, too! She's taking a very short break (Short break, Emily. Right?), but she will be back soon. You need to give her some love. She's been going through a rough time & needs hugs! I love reading what she has to say, too. She's adorable. And my future babysitter. So be nice to her! Haha!

5.) Katie at The Amazing in the Ordinary - I LOVE HER. Love reading her thought-provoking posts. She is a godly woman & she knows who she is. She's also pretty funny. The things she says are so relatable, she sometimes cracks me up. :) Another one I must meet in person!

6.) (I cheated. 6. So sue me.) Kimberly at A Fresh Perspective - I got to meet Kim when I got to meet Laura! Kim & Laura are real life friends. I love Kim. She is mainly a photography blogger. You must go see her photos because they are pretty fantastic!


YAY. I'm glad I did this! It gave me an excuse to show off some wonderful bloggers! Please go check them out!

Love weekends!

I've had a good weekend. And it's not over yet! We have tomorrow off for Martin Luther King Jr day. Woohoo!

It's been a great weekend so far. 

I can't even remember what we did Friday. Probably nothing. ;) 

Saturday was good. It started out with me in a bad mood & I have no idea why. Then we spontaneously decided to have a date night! That must have been what I needed? It cheered me up right away!

I had been wanting to see the movie, War Horse, so we saw that. It was very good. Touching.


After that we browsed in Barnes & Noble for a bit. I saw two books I would like to get. I didn't, though... I'm determined to finish some that i have before I buy any  new ones! Brad didn't buy anything either. This is kind of a miracle for us to go into that store & not buy anything!


After that, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Brad had gotten a gift card there for Christmas. We found ourselves right in the middle of a bunch of fans watching a Saints game. If i am in the room w/ a Saints or LSU game, i will watch. Brad won't even do that. He just does not CARE! Haha! I actually do want LSU/Saints to win, but not enough to ever watch a game. i glanced at the screen a few times to see what was going on. The screams/cheers in the restaurant were ear-piercing! Haha. I saw enough to know that it was a close game, but we didn't win. The food & service was great, though! We stopped somewhere we shouldn't have on the way home. I'll keep that part to myself! Not my best eating day... yikes!


 Today we went to church & the sermon was AWESOME.  I will write about it in another post! Afterwards, we had lunch at Sammy's. I did better there as far as eating goes! I had a baby shower to go to, so we had lunch there & then did a quick walmart run! After that, he went home & i went to the shower. Got to visit with my good friend Shana the whole time. Hadn't seen her in too long! It was fun. Mama-to-be is having twins & got TONS of things for those baby girls. Love her baby bump!

It was a good day. And i am so glad tomorrow is free, too! WOOHOO!




Friday, January 13, 2012

If you're happy & you know it! (Also, pinterest.)

I am so happy, y'all. It is RIDICULOUS! And nothing significant happened to make me feel like that. I just... am HAPPY. It's Friday night of a 4-day weekend. I have the sweetest husband in the whole entire universe. My dog is curled up beside me on the couch. Things are just lovely. 

You know what song is in my head? "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!" 

Do you remember that song? If so, you might be singing it all day now. The "WHERE?!" part is annoying. I'm sorry. But it's true. I've got the JOY.

Oooh, and now Brad is playing the piano. Even better!


I feel like sharing some random things today.

It was a good week at work. Productive. A lot clicked in this brain of mine. I really enjoy the talking to students part of my job. It's fun. They're fun. I want them to do well. I also love my coworkers. I totally bonded with one of them today & it was awesome. 

I got a wii. Oh, I already told you that, didn't I? It's still not hooked up yet. We'll do it this weekend. I bought Just Dance 3 today. I am ready to start exercising! 

I am also ready for my blender to arrive! I got the email... it should arrive on Monday! And I'm off Monday!

Speaking of being off on Monday... For Christmas, I thought we only had 1 day off. Then i found out we had an entire week off. It was kind of better that way, because I was overjoyed. I have not gotten that long off for Christmas since college! Well, this time i had been told we didn't get off for MLK day. And that was fine. It wasn't until this week that I found out we are off. WHAT?! Next year I'll know all the holidays we get & it won't be nearly as fun as this is. 

I am going to a baby shower on Sunday. She's having TWIN GIRLS! What?! :) You say, "Poor mama!" I say, "LUCKY mama!" (I know. I'm crazy!)

To tweet or not to tweet? That is the question.

Also, Pinterest. I am still finding names of people who are not on Pinterest. Sometimes I click "find friends" just so i can see who is new to pinterest now that i am not yet following. And while I'm at it, i see this whole list next to it of people NOT on pinterest. And then i think, "OHMYGOSH! Why is she not on pinterest?!!? I mean, she's a designer/teacher/creative person/great cook, she would LOVE pinterest!" But I don't send them the invite because I don't want to annoy them. But seriously. If you are not on pinterest & you want an invite, TELL ME. I will invite you. Today!

Here are some things I saw this week that i must have/do/create/eat. 

I'll take one of these, please!


Considering I love tomatoes & cheese, this might be the perfect salad for me.




I love the pink & blue for a future baby girl's nursery. Who says blue is just a baby boy's color?!


And they always have these pretty decorating ideas! Buttons in a vase! Genius!


And things to get you moving!



For real, y'all. Pinterest is wonderful. I like it a lot!

Well. I gotta go. Happy Weekend to ya!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Healthy things!

It's been so crazy busy these days... mainly because of work! But everything is good!

I've been spending money lately. It's kinda fun. Too bad it will all be gone soon.

I'm just kidding. It's just Christmas money that I'm spending!

I finally invested in a blender. I can't wait till it comes in. I've been wanting a new blender to make breakfast smoothies. The one we have now is a joke. It was like $6 at a discount store, so maybe that's got something to do with it? Anyway, I recently put a question about blenders on facebook. I asked for recommendations on one & several people said the Ninja & another several said a Hamilton Beach. I'm sure the Ninja works like a charm, but I didn't really want to spend that much money. So i got a newer model of the Hamilton Beach. It was about $35. I went to 3 Walmarts & 1 Target. All three of them were fully stocked EXCEPT for their Hamilton Beach ones! Those were on display but the shelves were empty! This has to be a good sign. The reviews on Amazon (where I finally ordered it) were also great. So here it is! I like the pour thing. It seems less messy? 



I also bought a used wii from someone who is getting rid of theirs. I got a good deal, as it's a good bit cheaper than the ones online, but it includes a lot more stuff. I'm getting it tomorrow! Another friend said i can borrow their Wii Fit! YAY!
This means I'm going to have to order Just Dance 3. That's the whole reason I wanted a Wii in the first place!


I also ordered a book called Sugar Nation. Sugar is BAD! Not just for me, because I'm insulin resistant, but for everyone. It's okay if you eat it, but i'm just telling you. It's bad news. What I have read so far about this book sounds like something i definitely must read (as I am still addicted to the stuff.). I am excited for it to come in!


Oooh, and I'm doing this Bible Study again! It is a great book. I read it last year. But i am in DIRE need of a refresher course! 


You can join us, you know! It starts January 15th! You just need the book! You can watch Lysa's webcast here.
Getting my health in order, y'all! What are you doing to get in shape this year!?

By the way. I normally write about all this in my other blog. I don't know why I didn't today!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Expanding Your Vision (a photography lesson)

So, one of my resolutions (or goals/to-do items/whatever you wanna call it) was to finally read & finish Bryan Peterson's book, "Learning to See Creatively". It was recommended to me by my friend, Laura, & I bought it way back then. Only... like so many other books of mine that aren't fiction... I never got around to reading it. I decided 2012 will be the year i read it - along with several other books I haven't gotten around to reading yet. :)
 
I got a Canon Rebel a year ago & have just started learning to shoot in Manual instead of Auto. (I know. Took me long enough.) I love it. But you have to keep on practicing to get better. I have no dreams of being some famous photographer, but I really want to be able to take great pictures. That's all. And I'm not there yet.

Yesterday I read the intro & the first part of Chapter 1. I wanted to share the first exercise with you. Now,  you may just scroll down & see nothing but a bunch of trees. And that's okay. But isn't it a fabulous tree?! I could totally climb up there & read a book. :) 

The first chapter of the book is called "Expanding Your Vision". Peterson talks about how, as a photographer, you can get so much more than just pictures of what you, as a human with a certain view, can see. You can get on your knees, you can get on your belly. You can climb a tree or a tall building. You can get just about anywhere to get a picture from the view of the bird or squirrel. Or from a small child.His goal is for you to see all the different views you can get just by getting closer & closer to your subject, and cutting out all the surrounding "stuff".
 
First, you are supposed to go to the local park or your backyard & choose a subject. It can be a tree, a swing, your husband, or a friend - whatever. I went to City Park at LSU. I was planning to go to the LSU lakes but wasn't sure what i'd find that wouldn't require me to walk in the water (you'll understand when you read the exercise!). As it happens, I had to pee really bad (tmi), so i went to use the restrooms at LSU's City Park, just down the road from the lakes. And then I saw the tree, an amazing one we had taken some pictures by for our first year anniversary pics. Plus, though the playground & dogpark were FULL of people (& dogs - haha), for the most part, there was nobody around this tree. 

For this exercise, Peterson wants you to expand your vision. He says to set your focal length to 35mm & make it a point NOT to change this during the entire exercise. From whatever distance necessary to do so, make sure your subject falls in the middle of the frame, allowing for a lot of "empty space" above, below & to both sides. Take a picture then walk forward five steps & take another one. All the way until you are right up next to your subject. You are supposed to do it again on your knees & again on your belly. 

Keep in mind that my first pic I am at the top of a hill. I know it doesn't look like it, but each step I take is going downhill, not straight towards the tree. I didn't change my settings hardly at all, but the lighting changes a lot. I'm guessing because the sun was shining brightly & in some spots there were branches overhead & in others there weren't any. Also, all of these shots are SOOC (straight out of camera - not edited).
 
So here I am far away from that gorgeous oak tree. As you can see, it's surrounded by other tree branches, a road, the hill I'm standing on, etc.


5 steps closer...

Another 5 steps...

 Another 5...

5 more... (you're getting the picture, right?!)



I really like this one. I guess because I'm finally getting just the oak.






Here's where the shadows start getting all crazy. Haha.





 As I said, you were supposed to do it again on your knees & on your belly. I kinda cheated on this one b/c for one, it was really dirty!! And for two, people were watching! (I know. Bad reason!)
 
So i went about halfway back & sat on my bottom...

Went forward about 10 paces...






At the end, I was to go for it again on my belly. It was REALLY dirty, y'all. So i did it just right there really quick! I know. I suck at this! HAHA. (I think i was getting the point, though.)


Then, flip over & take a shot at the sky! 
Ahhhh. :) 

So it was fun! And this may be just the most boring post ever for y'all & that's okay. Just wanted to document it!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Five Q's for you!

I cannot even tell you the last time I did one of these. So here we go. :) 





1.What is the weather like where you are & do you like it?
It is currently 63 degrees. Most of today has been in the 60's. Tomorrow the high is the mid-70's. Here's the thing... I LOVE 60 & 70 degree weather... in the SPRING! And SUMMER! December, January, February? That is when i like to get my sweaters out! And usually we do, yes, even down here in South Louisiana! But not this year. No. We've had some 30 degree days, but it went right back up to 60! Ah, well. :)


2. When you're sick what do you seek comfort from?
Cozy blankets & cozy pajamas. And a hubby who doesn't mind waiting on me. Ha!

3. What do you need to do by the end of the month?
With my job there are all these things I have deadlines for. I could tell you what they are for the first week of the month, since that's this week. But off the top of my head? I can't remember what's due at the end of the month! It's okay, it's Friday!! (And I'm still new!)

4. Have you ever served on a jury? 
No, but I want to. Yes! I do! Everyone complains about getting called & I don't think I'd mind. I know it's a "hurry up & wait" kinda thing, and i probably wouldn't get picked to be on some major trial, but I still don't think it'd be SO terrible. I think I would find it very interesting. The only thing I would REALLY hate is if it ruined some plans of mine!

5. If you could be any animal, what would you be & why?
You know... I am an imaginative person. I like to think out of the box at times. But i hate questions like this! #1, I DON'T KNOW! #2, You can't just be an animal! & #3, a dog of course... especially an inside one! Boy, do they have the life! :)

{HAPPY FRIDAY!}


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Good Friends + Dinner Party = {SMILE}

I've gotten a tiny bit behind in blogging.

So... December 30th. :) 
 

We had 3 couple-friends over for a dinner party. My friend Amanda was in town for Christmas with her husband, Matt. They live in California now so I only get to see her a few times a year, if that. Last year, we planned a small dinner party for while she was here & invited a couple of our mutual friends. I decided to do it again this year. We had a great time!

Both years I made the main course & everyone else brought drinks, appetizers or desserts. Last year, I made Pesto Chicken Lasagna, which was delish but took forever! This year, I decided to do 2 different kinds of soups. Soups are easy. I could put one in the crockpot & make one on the stove & we'd be good! And we were. They were so good!! OMG. I had already had the Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup... i can't wait to make it again. It's my favorite. And I also tried Cheeseburger Soup for the first time. It was yummy!

 Becca & Amanda. Love them so much!

 Amanda & Matt, in from Cali! Yay!

 Adam & Katie - aww. 

 
We played some Taboo too. Mike & Becca were cracking me up!

 

 I like this of the four of us... Katie, Becca, Amanda & me!

 A shot of the guys... Mike had just left because he had to work at an ungodly hour the next morning. I wish I'd gotten one before he left! Anyway... Brad, Adam & Matt

 This one cracks me up. 

 And this one might be my favorite! Ha!

These two are mommies-to-be! Katie is due in May & Amanda is due in June!

Fun Times!!!