Life is Now

Noonday

2012-01-29T06:27:00.002-05:00

Have you heard of Noonday? What a neat company with wonderful jewelry!

Den Reveal

2012-01-28T09:07:00.002-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that I was considering a den makeover. Over the past few weeks, I repurposed our den into a den & study for my husband as a surprise for his 40th birthday which was this past Sunday. He left on his birthday for a business trip and returned Thursday. After weeks of planning, it was my time to make my plans a reality.

Since my husband moved into "my house" and we sold his, we have worked hard to combine our styles. In all honesty, my style sort of took over and his took a backseat. He was fine with that because we made decisions together. However, for almost four years now, his books and cds have been shoved in his closet and in a hutch because we simply didn't have a place for them.

An avid reader and musician (with a massive cd collection), he needed a library for his books and music. Also, he will complete his second bachelor's degree in a few months. He truly deserves a space to study other than the kitchen table.

So my plan...

I wanted to get a bookcase large enough to hold all of his books and cds. Unfortunately, the two images below were the only ones I could find that remotely resembled what I had in mind. I wanted white and wanted a similar look.

I wanted to decorate with accessories that are special to my husband. The last thing I wanted was for the room to be more like me than him.

It was important to find a slim desk that was large and sturdy enough for a man. I found this one at Pottery Barn Teen that I really liked. However, I had decided to hold off on getting the desk since it was the least priority and was going to blow my budget despite the low price tag. And then it happened! I found this one on Craigslist about 25 minutes from our home!

Next, I wanted to find a flat screen TV to replace the huge, old one. I wanted something small but large enough to enjoy. And finally, the look of the new room needed to be consistent with the style of the rest of the house. After a lot of planning and some help from friends, here's what I ended up with.

Before...

After...

What I did:

Got rid of old lamps, armoire, end table and dresser
Purchased Task Light (Target)
Added accessories: black car, glass container with guitar picks, concert and movie ticket stubs, etc (Already had)
Framed his concert posters (Michael's)
New used desk (Craigslist)
Used chair I already had (K-Mart)
New 24" flat screen TV (Target)
Custom built bookcase (Local Cabinet Maker)
New lamp and shade (Target)
New throw pillows (Target)
Shortened existing curtain rod to open up space

What's left to do:

Hang concert posters and his diplomas (I wasn't about to tackle the plaster walls!)
Find the perfect rug.
Find the perfect accessories for each end of the couch.

I would love to replace the couch with two leather club chairs but my husband wants to keep the couch. That was the only thing that had to stay.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to treat my husband. And glad my freelance gig allowed me to save and spend the money without him knowing!

Den Office Pinspiration

2012-01-21T18:06:00.002-05:00

Remember our den?

Well, here are some inspiration photos for its possible redo.

Source: ahouseinthehills.com via Cherie on Pinterest

Source: elementsofstyleblog.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com via Barb on Pinterest

via

Stay tuned for more details!

Under Foot

2012-01-16T21:10:00.018-05:00

About a month or so ago, I won a seagrass rug giveaway on The Lettered Cottage. I've never won a blog giveaway! I was so excited. However, the rug is a little small for what I thought I needed; it is 5' x 8'. So I decided to try to sell it on Craigslist. I propped it in the corner of our den and when it didn't sell --- People were interested but didn't want to pay what it's worth --- I decided to use it in our bedroom.

Do you know the rug rules? Find them here and here. But ultimately, I think it's personal choice.

It needs a pad. And some textbooks need to hang out on the ends for a few days. What do you think? Do you like it?

Birthday Time!

2012-01-15T18:18:00.001-05:00

Today, we celebrated my Grandmother's birthday at my Aunt's house which is about 45 minutes away from where I live.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal...

A little birthday cake...

Opened gifts...

Played outside...

and then tried to warm up...

We had a cold but wonderful day!

Keeping Cozy

2012-01-14T14:31:00.003-05:00

Today is one of the first days in a while that I have not had a schedule to keep! Even today there are things I could be doing to work through my to do list but I've chosen to complete the few mandatory tasks and spend some time relaxing. Since it is so cold, I thought it would be fun to peruse some cozy nests on Pinterest. I'm warmer already!! Are you following me there?

Source: pinterest.com via Shirin on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: hollymathisinteriors.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Jordan on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Kayleigh on Pinterest

New Location

2012-01-11T08:45:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm redirecting my blog to a new location. On Friday, I will be located at www.lifeisnowblog.com. I feel it's time for me to change the name of my blog and this will help in the transition. If you have your blogged linked to http://monogrammedmrs.blogspot.com/, you should not have to change anything. You should automatically be redirected to www.lifeisnowblog.com. Thanks for your patience.

Weekend + Reading

2012-01-08T19:27:00.003-05:00

I spent this weekend on Harker's Island with my mother-in-law. It was wonderfully relaxing and much too short! We mainly ate and shopped and slept in between. To say I'm thankful to have such wonderful in-laws seems so understated.

The next photo of the dock (shown in the above photo) was taken from the deck shown above.

I used my new 70-300mm Sigma lens I got for Christmas. I'm breaking it in for football season! And beach season. It will be nice to photo boats passing by.

Here's the view from the deck in the other direction.

On an unrelated note...do any of you own a Kindle? If so, you'll love this site. Become a fan on Facebook and receive a link to free books daily. My co-worker told me about the site. She has over 300 books on her Kindle and said she didn't pay for any of them! Happy reading!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:08:00.011-05:00

We rang in the new year with dinner at On the Square. Click here to watch a short news story that shares the background of the restaurant.

On New Year's Eve they offer a set menu for a set price with four courses and a few choices for each course. Here's what they had on the menu and what we selected.

First Course: Choice of Shellfish Bisque with a Tempura Lobster Garnish or Caviar & Slow Cooked Egg with Crème Fraiche, Onion, Soubise, Fresh Herbs or Nantucket Bay Scallop Duet or Scuppernong Gelee, Butternut Cream or Seared Foie Gras with Truffled French Toast, Cranberry-Apple Chutney, Cranberry Gastrique.

I got the Nantucket Bay Scallop Duet with Scuppernong Gelee in Butternut Cream! My husband got the bisque but I didn't get a picture of his because I was too busy licking the butternut cream sauce off my plate. Just kidding ;)

Second Course: Choice of Honeycrisp Apple & Fresh Herb Salad with Toasted Almonds, Champagne Vinaigrette or Ice Cubes salad with Bacon, Gorgonzola, Buttermilk Dressing or Beef Carpaccio Salad Arugula with Parmigianna Reggiano and Umbrian Olive Oil. We both got the "Ice Cubes" salad.

Third Course: Choice of Shellfish En Croute with Lobster, Scallops, Shrimp, Crab or Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut with Black Bean Cake, Crawfish Cream and Crisp Collards or Domestic Kobe Strip Steak with Truffled Macaroni & Cheese and Crispy Shallots or Crisp Springer Mountain Chicken and fresh Black Truffles, Candied Chestnuts and Duck Fat Potatoes. I had the Crisp Springer Mountain Chicken and fresh Black Truffles, Candied Chestnuts and Duck Fat Potatoes. Yuh-hum. My husband had the Shellfish En Croute with Lobster, Scallops, Shrimp and Crab.

Unfortunately this was the only photo we had the server take. :(

Here's a better photo of my dress.

Happy New Year, everyone! No off to the gym to work on those resolutions, right?

I'm back! ....And ready for Christmas!

2011-12-14T19:01:00.003-05:00

First off, I think I have the image issue resolved. Finally! The solution: pay Google $5 for extra storage. Now on to bigger things...

Back in October, I received a planter for my birthday. I had fall flowers in it and now want to add something for our porch for Christmas. Maybe something lighted? It's a medium sized pedestal. Here are some ideas I got from Pinterest. What do you think?

Source: nedesignbuild.com via Ann Marie on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Source: thelennoxx.com via Britney on Pinterest

Our house is decorated for Christmas. We have so enjoyed sitting in the living room with our tree lit up. Does anyone else love being at home as much as I do?

The view of the tree from the kitchen

Only two more work days separate me from the Christmas holiday! After Friday, I won't set an alarm clock until January 2nd!

UPDATE!

2011-11-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

I went to write a new post over the weekend and when I attempted to upload photos, I not only had the old photo uploader but received a message that I had exceeded my Blogger photo capacity. HELP?! Seems like others have mentioned the same problem but I'm not sure what to do.

Baby Shower!

2011-11-21T08:19:00.001-05:00

My best friend is due to have her first child on February 1! Yesterday nine of her friends hosted a shower in her honor.

For years, I have prayed for this day!

Isn't she the cutest mama-to-be!

Another mama-to-be in the black and white.

My heart may explode!!

Oh how the Lord's timing is so much better than ours. His plans are perfect. And nothing catches Him by surprise.

Now We're Cooking!

2011-11-16T14:25:00.004-05:00

We've had two new additions in our kitchen over the past few months. We purchased a new refrigerator in early September and just this past weekend got the matching range. Both are Samsung and we absolutely love them!! Here's a look back at what the house looked like when I bought it. I'd love to find the perfect island to replace our current one. Let me know if you have suggestions!

Before (November 2005)

During (October 2011)

After (November 2011)

Post-Irene Progress

2011-11-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

My husband and I spent the long weekend checking off items from our to-do list!

Remember what our backyard looked like after Irene? Here's a reminder...

See the concrete slab in the lower left corner of this photo? It was left from an old metal outbuilding that was torn down soon after I moved into the house. We removed it right after Hurricane Irene.

The stump guy came this weekend and ground this stump. It looks so much better now!

And now the tree is gone along with the dog pen and dog house!

As if this is not enough work in the yard, we have been working with a consultant on relandscaping our yard. A month or so ago, we pulled out all of the bushes in our yard. Then we tilled the beds and a few weeks ago, we received the special delivery below. With work schedules and the recent rainy weather, we have not had much time to move the dirt throughout the yard. But I'm proud to say we finished shoveling dirt this weekend!

This week, we'll finalize the plant selections and place the order! I'll keep you posted throughout the project. Then we'll plant them and spread mulch.

Peanut

2011-11-06T16:47:00.001-05:00

Our 16 year old, Peanut, was the test subject for my new tripod today.

I think the tripod is going back to the store. It seems sturdy enough but I don't like that the grooves that are exposed are sharp when it's fully extended. And I don't like that the legs are so skinny. It seems it would be easy to knock over when in a group setting.

Fall Festival

2011-10-29T19:58:00.003-04:00

Our church had its annual Fall Festival tonight. Even though it was freezing, my husband and I had a great time walking around taking photos. Our job was to photograph the event for our church. We had a GREAT time but were ready to get home to something warm to drink. Hot apple cider. Yum!! We've finally thawed out. Enjoy our photos!

Butterfly Garden

2011-10-26T08:58:00.001-04:00

Our neighbor has the prettiest butterfly garden...

So when he asked us to keep an eye out on his house while he was traveling...

And it happened to be a beautiful, sunny day when I needed to check on things...

I did a little more than make sure the house was secure...

I took advantage of the warm sunshine and photo opp!

Anyone else love butterflies?

I find that photographing nature is a great way for me to learn the parts of my camera...


And attempt to master the techniques in easy, natural lighting.

Celebrating

2011-10-15T09:31:00.002-04:00

We have had a busy week of celebrating my sister's and my birthdays! Where I work, we get our birthday off so I went to see my sister and my mom in Raleigh. Mom and I had pedicures and then we met my sister, niece and nephew for lunch at Nofo. On my birthday and throughout the week, I was treated to several meals and given some very special gifts! Here are some of the highlights. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures on my actual birthday so I can't include everything.

I always enjoy getting birthday cards!

A dear friend left these flowers at my house for me. I was just thrilled to get them.

Here's a close up of the vase. Isn't it neat?

Last week, I bought this from a local artist at a silent auction. I know the artist so it makes it special. I put it above our closet for now.

I've enjoyed having more candles in the house. I got this candle holder while I was out shopping on my birthday.

And these coasters are a new addition too.

Crafting and Re-purposing

2011-10-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

My husband and I have this joke where I will show him something in the house that I've crafted, re-arranged or re-purposed and he will say "It was free wasn't it?". He says that because so many times, I will take something I already had and move it to a new location in our house or re-purpose it and it just refreshes the whole room.

Over the weekend, I replaced our living room lamps with some we already had that we were not using. I really wanted to add some white to the living room and I think it did the trick. This one was not tall enough to look right with the one at the other end of the couch so I added some old books. I also purchased this tan pillow cover with the vertical stripes and down insert for $4.50 at a second hand store over the weekend. It was in great condition.

And yesterday when my sister and I were in Pottery Barn, we saw a fall banner. I told her I could easily make one! So here's my version. I wish I could find an image of theirs online. It took only about five minutes.

Source: None via krp1010 on Pinterest

Caramel Goodness

2011-10-03T20:11:00.002-04:00

My Mom and I had the opportunity recently to serve one of my friends as she prepared for her daughter's birthday party. Her husband is in the hospital and we knew she could use the help. When she mentioned making caramel apples for party favors, I'll admit, I was a little scared! This is not something we had done before. But we had the best time making them. And they were actually fairly easy. Thank you, Lord, for a mother who taught me, by example, that life isn't all about me.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11

Mountain Getaway

2011-10-02T17:35:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful weekend at my parents' cabin in the North Carolina mountains. We both took off Friday and woke up really early to drive four hours from our house to the mountains. We arrived at about 10am and settled in at the cabin and then went to Hendersonville for lunch and shopping. I'm lucky my husband is a good "piddler". We love to find a nice downtown and just eat and look in shops. He's very good at finding a comfortable bench and waiting for me :)

After lunch at the Cypress Cellar, we had ice cream at Marble Slab Creamery. The vanilla cinnamon was superb!!

This photo was taken at the ice cream shop but I thought it looked really good in black and white. I LOVE THIS MAN!

After a little more looking around and shopping, we took a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway just outside of Asheville. We rode for about 30 minutes and stopped to see all of the beautiful views at each pullout.

And then we went to the top of Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi River at over 6,600 feet.

On Saturday, we headed to Cullowhee, NC to see the WCU Catamounts play football.

It was freezing. I sat in this chair in the sun all day wrapped in this blanket with my head/ear warmer on!

Who doesn't love Bojangle's at a tailgate??

Unfortunately the Cats lost (miserably) but a great time was had by all!

Another awesome fall weekend!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-09-26T15:29:00.006-04:00

FALL!!!

Now if we could have some cool weather, please?

First of Fall

2011-09-25T15:11:00.001-04:00

It has been such a FUN first weekeend of fall!!

This weekend was my husband's weekend to work so I stayed busy with family on Saturday.

Saturday morning I went to our nephew's first soccer game of the season. He played last year when he was 5 yrs old and we were amazed at how much he and his teammates have improved in a year's time!

They were into the game and really understand the strategy this year. My brother-in-law is coaching the team so it was fun to watch him lead the players as well. My nephew had the biggest fan club there I think!

After watching him play one and half soccer games, I left to meet my Mom, Dad, Granny, niece and nephew for lunch. We met in Warrenton, NC at the Hardware Cafe. It's an old hardware store that has been converted to a restaurant. They still have the ladders on the walls, the old shelving and lots of tools to look at.

My niece and nephew had fun looking at the fall decorations at the storefronts.

Next, we went to my parent's garden to pick pumpkins!!

Then we went over to the farm...

where the boys admired the farm equipment...

and rode it...

and drove it...

Everyone had such a good time!

I even think some of us would have stayed there if given the option!

What wonderful memories! I'm ready for a repeat already!

Somehow I ended up without any pictures of my mom! So the last several are for her!

As I drove back home, I couldn't help but drive back through historic Warrenton and snap some photos of some pretty old homes. Mom and I like to ride around and admire the architecture, yards, porches, wreaths (and anything else!) when we're together.

After such a wonderful weekend, I definitely feel energized for the week ahead.
I hope you all have a great week!

tips + tricks

2011-09-21T21:01:00.002-04:00

I am all for simplifying my life whenever possible. And recently I began using a "system" that does just that. Weekday mornings are a time I love. Generally, I get ready in a quiet house, I'm not rushed, I plan for the day and I sometimes have my quiet time in the morning. But the hardest part about my morning is picking out what to wear. So over the last two weeks I have implemented this new system. It seems silly but I save so much time by selecting my outfits on Sunday evening...one time each week. Then I use these little green tags numbered 1-5 (for workdays only) and I hang them on the outfit for each day. Of course, sometimes I switch the sequence around but for the most part I stick to the plan. It makes things so much easier.

I feel sure this next tip is already being used by most women.

Who hates making a grocery list? I do for sure! If you're anything like me, you make a list, then leave it somewhere then you think of something else to add to the list and you can't find it so you start another list. Then you pick up what you need from the store and you get home and your husband tells you that he's out of deodorant and then all of a sudden you need EVERYthing and you just went to the stinkin' store. ha ha! Or am I the only one who goes through this vicious cycle all. the. time.? Well, another way I've simplified my life is to come up with a standing grocery list. The truth is, we use the same things all the time. So my new list is tailored to our wants and includes everything we could possibly need. I found this grocery list online, edited the pdf in Illustrator and tweaked it a bit to fit our needs. Now it's in Word for your editing pleasure. :)

And finally, this product doesn't make my life simpler, but better. All summer, I have been fighting flyaways and frizz in the North Carolina humidity. I had gotten to the point where I was almost willing to let my hair look greasy rather than have constant frizz. ..until I found this!!! This product is great. I use it on my hair once it is dry but you can use it on wet hair too. It's not greasy and it gives a nice natural shine. In fact, my hair has looked dull for a while and the last time I went to get it cut, another hairdresser (not the one working on my hair) came up to me, touched my hair and commented on how shiny and great it looked. So if you have dull or frizzy hair (or both) or if you just want to make your hair a bit shinier, I highly recommend this product.

Weekend in Pictures

2011-09-18T18:52:00.003-04:00

Well folks, I'm back after a looong hiatus!

The weather here is great! At least it is for now. It has been in the 60s this weekend! And we have had a wonderful few days. It has been so nice to enjoy a cool, rainy weekend at home with my husband. He was off for the weekend and we had no major plans.

Friday evening we cooked dinner together (baked tilapia + veggies - one of our go-to meals) and lounged around the house. Saturday we made cinnamon buns for breakfast! They were so good! I think the cool weather made them even better!

The only plans we had for the weekend were to spend some time with a dear family friend of ours celebrating her 90th birthday. Saturday we (along with her other close friends and family) went to a party held at her home. I'm estimating there was nearly 100 people there! It was outside and they served brunswick stew that was so good!

Saturday evening my husband and I went to see Contagion. It is a really good movie! I won't spoil it for you but it is very realistic. The theater was packed.

And I'm embarrassed to tell you how much time I spent playing Super Mario Brothers on the DS. I'm finally at level 2-5.

Today we went to another birthday party for our same friend. It was so good to celebrate with her.

Can you believe this was her birthday cake!?

Stay tuned for some more updates this week. Have a great week!

Chalkboard Inspiration

2011-08-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

I've been eying these chalkboard painted cabinet doors on Pinterest. I really like the idea of making a grocery list on the inside of a door and being able to hide it from plain view.

Source: shelterness.com via Maria on Pinterest

Source: shelterness.com via Julie on Pinterest

Source: google.com via r:u on Pinterest

Source: maillardvillemanor.com via Kim on Pinterest

So tonight I put a first coat of chalkboard paint on our tall cabinet door. What do you think?

Good night, Irene.

2011-08-29T07:25:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we were supposed to travel to Wilmington, NC for the wedding of my husband's high school friend. We were going to stay at The Wilmingtonian in Wilmington's historic district just steps from shops and restaurants. But... Hurricane Irene had other plans. We decided on Thursday that we should remain at home with the impending large hurricane headed our way. Now we know we made the right decision. Here are some post hurricane Irene photos of our yard. We are so lucky to have just recently taken down some huge trees that towered over our house. In our city, about every fifth home has a tree through its roof. Over 10,000 homes in our city are still without power. Out home seems to be the cutoff for our block. Our home and the one across the street from us are the only two on the block with electricity.

We are so thankful that our dogs were hunkered down in our laundry room so they were not in harm's way when the tree fell. We officially have NO trees in our yard but we are so lucky that we were safe and only lost electricity and power.

Sweet Sunday

2011-08-14T20:08:00.004-04:00

2011 Summer Tour - Norfolk

2011-08-10T16:49:00.033-04:00

Two weeks ago, I went to Norfolk for my annual college roommate reunion. One roommate lives there and we LOVE to visit! This year one of our roommates could not make it but we still made the best of it. Since our visit last year, one roommate had twin girls and the other one is pregnant! We had so much to celebrate this year!!

She lives on the water. What's not to love about that!! So we went out on the boat.

And played with her sweet, sweet kiddos!

And worked hard to get everyone to look at the camera.

We did the same things we love to do each year when we visit. Went garage saling...they have GREAT garage sales there. And had bagels. Real ones. At Yorgo's.

And shopped at TJ Maxx Homegoods. And went to a party at East Beach.

I took photos of her house too. She doesn't know I did this yet. And she might kill me but her home is just so lovely and inviting.

We had an absolutely wonderful visit and I returned home well-rested and excited about our next visit (hopefully soon)!

To read about our visit last year, click here.

2011 Summer Tour - Lake Lure, NC

2011-07-24T19:06:00.022-04:00

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful weekend at Lake Lure, NC at his brother's inlaws' home. His sister-in-law's parents were great hosts making sure our every need and want was met! Friday night, we had a great dinner with grilled pork ribs and vegetables and Saturday was spent on the lake tubing snacking and ended with a great dinner. We were a little sad to leave today but are looking forward to our next adventure. I spent the weekend testing out my new camera since I had two great subjects - our niece and nephew.

This is the whole group.

From left: Me, hubby, my brother-in-law, my husband's sister-in-law (seated with our niece and nephew) and my brother-in-law's inlaws.

2011 Summer Tour - Ocracoke Island, NC

2011-07-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

Me, A, and the Mama Chef from Adventures of the Lil Chef

Last weekend, I spent a long weekend with the girls on Ocracoke Island, NC. We had a blast! Everything about the weekend was perfect. The weather. The food. The company. The shops. The conversation. The friendships.

The island is small so we rented bikes and parked the car for the weekend. We spent time on the beach, walking around, biking, checking out the cute shops, browsing handmade jewelry, pottery and other art and eating! ha!!

We loved Dajio. Ate there twice. The first time we went, I had the Dajio “Blue Plate” with fresh sauteed mackerel with horseradish mash and asparagus. And then the next time, we shared the Eggplant Napoleon which included fresh grilled eggplant and roasted peppers, lime chile pesto & manchego cheese stacked with fried wontons and the Lime Chile Pesto Primavera including linguine with teriyaki pesto sauce and fresh vegetables and Jerk Grilled Chicken. Out. of. this. world.

Enjoyed the Blackbeard exhibit.

These photos were snagged from my Shutterfly account after uploading so they're not quality files. BUT I'm loving my new camera and getting to know it really well!

swimwear

2011-07-13T21:07:00.004-04:00

With all of my beach and lake time lately, and two more upcoming trips (one to the beach this weekend with the girls + one to the lake next weekend), I decided I "need" some new swimwear.

I really didn't want to spend and arm + a leg so in looking at Wal-Mart*s website, I found these three pieces on clearance. I ordered them a couple of days ago and they showed up at my door today. And they fit perfectly! I got the matching stripe set and an additional one shoulder black top.

So don't ever discount the discount stores. Sometimes they have really good finds for really good prices. And the brand of these pieces is a little higher quality - not sold in the stores (or at least not that I've seen).

Independence Day/Week- Part III

2011-07-12T08:10:00.000-04:00

If you missed the first two Independence Day/Week re-caps, read them here and here.

As I was enjoying a lot of r+r during vacation and reading a magazine, I read about a website that offers free smart phone apps. I found the Camera Effects Android camera app and it looked like it was worth trying. After one photo, I was addicted!! I used the app on the following photos.

A trip to Clawson's for dinner. One of our favorite places!

An evening stroll along the Beaufort, NC waterfront.

Yet another beautiful sunset.

A nice cold Blue Moon.

NO...Not more rain!!!

More r+r...

Lots of laughs were shared as we were forced to stay inside for two days because of rain and storms!

I think we were stir crazy.

No beach trip is complete without a trip to West Marine! Here my husband and his dad were in heaven.

Some fun car photos...

On our way home Sunday, we stopped by El's Drive-In for a famous shrimp burger!! So good!!

Yum!!!

Our dogs were gllaaaaaddd to see us! And we were glad to be home. Now back to reality!

Independence Day/Week - Part II

2011-07-11T17:33:00.005-04:00

If you missed Part I, read it here.

I got home from the lake on Tuesday around lunch time and my husband and I went to see Larry Crowne in the afternoon and then had dinner at a local independent restaurant. We had a great date night!! I'll review the movie after I finish my Independence Day posts.

On Wednesday, my Mother-in-Law and I went to my in-laws' beach house. We had some special girl time and my husband and father-in-law joined us on Friday.

Beautiful sunsets before the weather got nasty later in the week.

We had a spa day on Thursday at the OC Spa in Salter Path, NC. I highly recommend this spa!! We checked in at 11am for our 2pm appointments and used the pool, hot tub and sauna. They also had a steam room we could have tried out. Before my hour massage and my Mother-in-Law's pedicure, we were each given a foot bath and while we indulged in lemon gelato in the relaxation room which included large comfy chairs with tons of magazines and ice cold spring water. A must visit!!

One of my favorite things to do at the beach and the lake is to take photos of the sunset and views.


Later in the week, my husband took this photo with our new camera. Can you tell what I'm doing in the photo? Probably not...I'll give you a hint in the next photo.

Ha!! I was riding our nephew's razor scooter. It was FAST!

Again, playing around with the new camera.

Stay tuned for the final Independence Day re-cap tomorrow.

Independence Day/Week - Part I

2011-07-10T19:22:00.011-04:00

I have thoroughly enjoyed my Independence Day holiday. I have been off of work since July 1 and have filled every minute with family, fun, food and good memory making. I hope you've found time to spend with family and friends too! I am so blessed to have family to spend the time with and great vacation spots to visit.

My holiday began with a shopping trip in Raleigh (at the Streets at South Point) on Friday, July 1.

I found this dress at H&M for only $35. It's satin and completely lined with a cotton sheath so it won't cling. Perfect for the wedding we're attending in August!


I purchased several tops and a fedora too.

On Saturday, July 2, I went to my parents' home to ride with my Dad in his hometown's Fourth of July parade. We took his 1976 convertible VW bug.

He drove his 1976 VW bug convertible.

We threw a ton of candy to the crowd!

This lil fella was in the car behind us.


Isn't Baxter a cutie? And oh so patriotic with his scarf!

Later that day I went with my parents to their lake house and stayed until Tuesday. Ahhh. Relaxation at its best!

We made no plans and had nowhere to be!

We enjoyed sunset cruises...

Amazing views...

Hammock time!

My parents jumped into the lake holding hands. My mom had already gone under.


July 4th meant a flag cake and homemade icecream with my cousin and his family. This has been the best Independence Day holiday that I can remember. Stay tuned for part II.

Show Us Your Life

2011-06-24T05:54:00.004-04:00

Today I'm writing about my friend, Kelley, in response to the Show Us Your Life that Kelly Stamps is hosting. Kelley is one of my BFFs and is someone I'm so thankful to have in my life.

She is a single, Christian, woman living in the Triangle of North Carolina and working in IT. She has a busy career and is active with her church and family. Originally from a medium-sized city, she recently moved to a big city and is staying busy embracing all of the cultural amenities it has to offer.

She has a sweet English Springer Spaniel named Paris who keeps her on her toes.

Kelley's easy to get along with and has a large network of friends. Descriptors I'd use for this great friend of mine include, beautiful, smart, honest, happy, talented, creative, dedicated, sweet, loving and personable.

She finds joy in little things in life like fabulous fabrics, personalized gifts, fabric yo-yo's, photography, fresh-picked flowers, 1940's and 50's movies, just the right song or just the right scent.

She realizes God gives us the ability, inspiration and skill to create new things and it's up to us to utilize that to glorify Him. Her nephew, niece and family are her world.

Non-Christians and men with baggage need not apply. Living for the Lord is her top priority and it must also be of utmost importance to the man to which she invests her time. Interested parties must love children and dogs although she only has the latter.

Leave me a message with your email address if you're interested in emailing her.

A is for Aperture

2011-06-20T21:23:00.003-04:00

For the last three years, I have wanted a big girl camera but didn't want to spend the money. This weekend, after a couple years of my husband nudging me to do so, I bit the bullet and bought a Canon EOS Rebel T3. It's a good camera that can grow with me as my photography skills improve. I bought it in Raleigh at Southeastern Camera at my professional photographer friend's recommendation.

I hope over time you will see an improvement in my blog's photography.

So far I've learned a little about aperture, depth of field and exposure. The camera has great automatic settings but my goal is to get the most out of the camera by using the manual settings. These photos were taken with the manual aperture settings (or AV on the dial).

If you are a photographer and want to offer advice, I will gladly take it!!

Enjoy the pics of my neighbor's flowers.

Father's Day in Photos

2011-06-19T21:21:00.004-04:00

In honor of Father's Day here are some fun old photos of my Dad and me!

I enjoyed a day with my parents today including church and then lunch and lounging at out house. We made pizzas and had orange juice cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert. What a wonderful day celebrating a wonderful man.

Feeling Blue

2011-06-18T23:44:00.000-04:00

Source

I have been loving navy blue this summer! I like the nautical look but even more just love navy and white. Hence the new blog colors.

I love this rug that Bower Power has in their living room. And what a deal, right??

And I love the outfit below that I put together on Polyvore. I don't, however, love the price tag!

What are you wearing these days? I love sporting bright pops of color during the summer! Here's what I'm dreaming of...

Weekend Wear by monogrammedmrs featuring floral jewelry

Scoop neck top
$90 - lagarconne.com

Marc Jacobs high rise pants
$359 - barneys.com

Flat heel shoes
$50 - topshop.com

Tote handbag
$359 - barneys.com

H m jewelry
£5.99 - hm.com

Betsey Johnson floral jewelry
$30 - zappos.com

Tiger Lily Jewelry bohemian necklace
$249 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Summer Fun!

2011-06-16T19:34:00.015-04:00

First things first...What do you think of my new blog layout? I'm really digging it! My first experience working with a blog designer was a good one. Special thanks to Tricia at TriciaNae Designs for the new look!

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I just love summer. Even though I work full-time and a lot of my friends have summers off (ah hem, teachers), I still like to plan a lot of outings even if just for the weekend. In fact, I take a lot of long weekends in the summer. In the summer, we have summer hours so I get off work on Friday at 1pm. That makes it much easier to take the whole day off on Friday.

Photo taken on our deck - Summer 2010

I'm so excited about the following trips this summer.

The first weekend in July, I'm going to the lake with my parents. They have a place at Lake Gaston and it's only an hour from my house! Since I'm off the whole week of the fourth, I'll probably stay there on into the week too.

July 4th at Lake Gaston - 2010

The following weekend, I'm joining two of my best buds (and college roommates) for a weekend in Norfolk. Hallelujah for girl time!! Becky (the blond) has had twin girls since our visit last year! We can't wait to meet them!

College Roommate Reunion in Norfolk - 2009

College Roommate Reunion in Norfolk (the 1 in the middle has 2 buns in the oven in this pic) - 2010

The next weekend, I'm going with one of the same friends along with another girlfriend to Ocracoke Island for a long weekend.

The Three of us on NYC Bus Trip - Summer 2010

Then my husband and I will travel to the NC mountains to Lake Lure to stay at my husband's brother's inlaws' house on the lake.

In August, our tour will end with a trip to Wilmington, NC when we'll join my husband's friend from high school as he ties the knot.

Whew!! Such fun times ahead. What do you have planned for the summer?

World Travelers

2011-06-12T20:45:00.009-04:00

Before I get started on the "World Travelers" post I want to share a link with you. I have been looking for some free printable art and on Friday during my daily blog surfing, I found this. Go here to download free botanical prints and more! Thanks to A Thoughtful Place for sharing this site. I plan to print some of the prints.

Now on to your regularly scheduled blogging...

Friday evening, my in-laws returned from a 14-day Mediterranean cruise. I was so excited about the things they brought back for us.

This Lemoncello apron from Capri, Italy coordinates with our kitchen beautifully!

The bag and bookmark came from Turkey. The bookmark is regular size; the Bible is just tiny. I can't wait to wear my navy dress and gold sandals with this bag to church today!

And a beaded bracelet from Greece...And last but certainly not least (this was my favorite!!)...

They brought us a painting from Venice where they watched a street vendor paint it. I can not wait to get this framed and placed in the perfect spot in our home.

They also gave us a rosary that has been blessed. It came from the Vatican. We are not catholic (Southern Baptist) but how can you visit the Vatican and not bring back a rosary? Can you imagine seeing all of these places??

These are items we will cherish for many years to come.

Our Week in Phone Pics

2011-06-12T08:29:00.000-04:00

Flowers from our yard!

After our early Mother's Day dinner with my mother-in-law

At the farm with my family for Mother's Day.

Me and the Peanut catching up on blogs.

And here's a sneak peak at the progress of our den makeover. More to come.

For now I'm off to pack my bags for a four day weekend trip!

Lake Time & Our Favorite Valedictorian...

2011-06-07T06:49:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I went over to my parents' lake house for an overnight. We always enjoy beautiful sunsets there. Dad took Mom and me out on the pontoon boat for our very own sunset cruise. The sunset was gorgeous!

We had a wonderful time filled with shopping, Chinese takeout for dinner, fishing, magazines and lots of laughs and relaxation.

On Saturday afternoon, I came back (my husband stayed home to work) and my husband and I went to a graduation party for his cousin's daughter. Here she is opening gifts at the party.

We are so proud of her. She is the valedictorian of her class and was accepted at two colleges of her choice. She is the captain of the cheerleading squad and a star softball player. We have enjoyed traveling to her games and supporting her. We can't wait to see God's plan for her as we know she'll do great things.

One more thing...Have you noticed my new re-direct?!

Pretty Lamps, Other Projects & Pinterest!

2011-06-05T21:31:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I spotted two matching lamps at Goodwill for $5 each. I have been looking for a pair of matching lamps with a more sophisticated look for our bedroom. I tested them and they worked so I had to get them! I knew I wanted to paint them and add drum shades. I picked up the shades at Lowe's for $14 each. Wal-Mart also has the same shades for the same price.

My husband painted them for me using a matte avocado color spray paint to match the fabric I ordered. The fabric would soon cover the shades. Or so I hoped...I had never done anything like this before so I was a little nervous. But with this tutorial, there wasn't much room for error.

For the shade, I measured the fabric and began cutting leaving plenty of overhang in case I mis-measured. Using fabric glue, I glued the fabric around the top and bottom and glued the seam on the side. Then I put paper clips around the top and bottom to hold the fabric until it had time to set (don't judge). I let it set for 72 hrs.

Here is the first one after I glued it. I left it this way while it set and then removed the paper clips and cut off the excess fabric on the inside.

Here is the finished product. The one on the right is still setting. On Tuesday I'll probably remove the paper clips and cut off the excess fabric.

I have also moved the frame on the left so it's actually on the adjacent wall now.

Lamp project budget breakdown:

Lamps - $10

Drum Shades - $28

Spray Paint - $6

Fabric - $20

Total = $64

That may seem like a lot but the cheapest patterned shades I could find (not including the lamps) were $75 each.

You can see that the extra fabric has not yet been trimmed on this one. I should have switched the lamps out so the finished one would be in these pics but oh well. Aren't the hydrangeas pretty? They're from our yard.

The lamp looks really green in this photo. It's more pale than this.

Here you can see where I moved the dogs' pictures and replaced it with a piece of free printable subway art I found here. (Thanks Pinterest!)

Next project: decoupaged initial

Stay tuned for details.

Thanks Pinterest for all of the creative ideas!

Going to See the King!

2011-06-02T11:34:00.004-04:00

Well, not really but a King. We are headed to Norfolk tonight to see BB King and Buddy Guy. My husband will be in blues heaven. And I am looking forward to some good music and time with my man.

Photo Source

Update!!

We left home at about 2pm on Thursday and drove about 2.5 hours to Norfolk for the concert. Since the concert doors didn't open until 6:30pm, we had time for a nice leisurely dinner. We went to Mojo's for dinner and enjoyed bar-b-q. My husband had a sandwich and I had a salad. After a few minutes of being there, Buddy Guy's band walked in and sat at the table beside us for dinner. We thought this was so cool of course! After dinner, we headed over to the Ted Constant Center and found our seats.

Buddy Guy's performance was great! He talked to the crowd (not a full house unfortunately) and played non stop. BB King's performance was not as good. His band played for 30 minutes without him. Then when he finally came out, he talked for about 30 more minutes. He had a nice guitar strapped on but rarely touched it. Buddy's performance was worth the trip. He was the one we really went to see anyway.

Mother's Day

2011-05-07T12:22:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day (a day early) to all of you hard working moms. I'm so thankful to have a great realationship with my mom. I'm aslo thankful that she is only an hour away.

Thank you, Mom for teaching me:

to treat others with respect

to care for others even when I think they may not deserve it

to help those less fortunate

to count my blessings and be thankful for what I have

not to complain

to serve selflessly

to be a loving wife

to take care of my home but realize my real home is in heaven

to love on my husband

to take pride in my appearance

to always fix my hair

to always be punctual and polite

to set a pretty table for even a simple meal

to give sacrificially to others

to trust in God as my only hope

to not be afraid

that I CAN DO IT

to be a peacemaker

to work hard to get my education

to put others first

to pray continually

to recognize that nothing here on earth is mine

to take care of my health

to say yes ma'am and yes sir

to let people know I appreciate their kindness

to send encouraging notes

to be patient

I'm not perfect but I try to work on these daily.

I could list a million things she's taught me.

My cup not only runneth over but my saucer is full and is dripping on the table, running into the floor.

I'll never know why God chose me for this family but I am so very thankful.

This weekend and throughout the year I pray for those who don't have a good relationship with their mother. I hurt for those who long to be a mother but have been unable to have a child. Oh how my heart aches for those struggling with infertility and/or mourning the loss of their mother.

Play Time

2011-05-01T18:47:00.002-04:00

Kitchen and Dining Area

2011-04-26T17:58:00.005-04:00

Today I'm linking up with HOUSEography to share my dining room with you. Better late than never; the link-up is now closed.

We do not actually have a dining room but we have a dining area off of our kitchen where we have all of our meals. Our table has leaves so we can expand it if needed for guests.

From the living room.

Don't mind the blocks under the table's feet. HA! I had to raise the table once we got the chairs assembled because we liked the chairs and didn't want to disassemble and return. One day I'm going to stain them and affix them to the table feet so they blend in.

Spring Salad Recipe

2011-04-24T20:11:00.006-04:00

We had a great Easter and hope you all did. My husband and I went to the sunrise service at our church and then went to meet my family at my aunt's house for lunch. We took a salad and bread and I thought I'd share with you the recipe for the salad since it was such a big hit.

Spring Salad

Chopped pecans

Fit & Active Mixed Berries Dried Fruit (purchased at Aldi, craisins may be used)

Feta Cheese

Baby Spinach, Mixed salad greens

Almond slivers

Olde Cape Cod orange poppy seed dressing (purchased at Harris Teeter)

A break

2011-04-18T13:53:00.004-04:00

I'm ready for a break and am glad I'll be visiting "the island" soon. Does anyone else have spring fever?

Bedroom Makeover

2011-04-16T11:52:00.006-04:00

We recently changed our bedroom a bit. We had an ivory comforter, dust ruffle and curtains and we switched the bedding with the white bedding from the guest room. We got new white curtains to replace the off white curtains and will move the old ones to another room in the house. The silver photo frames got a coat of white paint. If you click to enlarge the images, you'll see the difference. I also replaced the lamps with just one lamp. The new one is white with an off white shade. What do you think?

Our dogs don't get on the beds but this is a special visitor. It's my aunt's dog. It was the only before picture I had.

Before

After

Update - June 2011

Dollar Store Decor

2011-04-16T07:43:00.001-04:00

I have been wanting to get some new 'everyday' dishes and glasses. For plates, I knew I wanted some simple white dinner plates similar to the 'restaurant style'. I have looked at several places but didn't see any I liked. You see, we have a 'real' porcelain sink and nothing lasts if it gets dropped in the sink. For that reason I didn't want to spend too much. We do not have a dishwasher so we always use the sink. I found these at Dollar Tree this week. They're exactly what I want.

I also wanted to get a couple of acrylic dinner size plates for spring but have you looked at any of the prices? I really didn't want to spend more than $1 or so per plate because the design always gets scratched or wears off quickly. When I was in Greenville on Sunday, I found these on clearance for $1.99 each at New River Pottery. If you're local, they had a ton more if you're interested.

You're probably thinking, didn't you just get married? And didn't you just get a nice everyday pattern? We'll yes I did. I selected mix and match colors of Fiestaware and while I love the bright pretty colors, my style leans towards a simple clean look too.

I also bought these glasses at the Dollar Tree. For the most part, we have a bunch of random glasses. In hindsight, I wish we had spent more time on the wedding registry. We got some great stuff; don't get me wrong. But we missed some essentials. Again, I wanted to get something simple and plain and these were it!

What have you found at discount stores?

Weekend.

2011-04-09T07:00:00.010-04:00

I indulged. More to come later.

A few things...

2011-04-08T08:30:00.033-04:00

When I began working out, I was so afraid I would also begin breaking out. In the past, I have had breakouts when I begin working out. With all of the mess that's leaving my body seemingly via my face during workouts, I thought I was sure to have a pizza face before long.

One thing I did to prevent breakouts was start a new skincare regiment -- not only to prevent breakouts but for my skin's overall improvement. Along with drinking a lot of water, I began washing my face after workouts as soon as I got home. A couple of weeks ago, I began using the following after each workout and in the morning and evening:

Clinique's Rinse Off Make-up remover
Clinique Seven Day Scrub
Clinique Toner (the purple one - not sure what it's called)

The results have been good. I have had the most radiant skin for the last week or so. My dark circles are diminishing even despite the onset of allergy season.

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I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Tonight my husband and I are going out to dinner with some of his co-workers in Greenville. One of his co-workers has completed Law Enforcement Training and is leaving the company to be a Deputy (I think?). I can't wait to see them all and their wives. We had a great time when we saw some of them a few weeks ago in Myrtle Beach.

Side note: I almost forgot to tell you. About a week ago, I watched someone get tased. Can you believe that? At my college we offer law enforcement training and in order to carry a taser as a law enforcement officer, you have to be tased. Let's just say it was unbearable to watch. I went because one of our staff members was being tased and I watched the first person and left after seeing that. It was awful.

Tomorrow, I'm going shopping! I'm so excited. I've saved a little nest egg for this outing and I'm going alone to Raleigh to shop for clothes to wear to work. Did I mention none of my pants fit because I have lost weight?!! I hope to get some staples including a black pant suit, a navy suit or at least navy dress pants and some other solid color dress pants.

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I was thinking of doing an "outtakes" post. Here's one outtake photo I'll leave you with. It's from last fall. Ha ha ha. Another one that comes to mind is a photo of my almost three year old nephew in his sister's Wonder Woman costume.

Hope y'all have a great weekend.

Springing Forward - Making Progress

2011-04-04T15:05:00.002-04:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I've been pretty busy enjoying the spring weather and longer days!

It seems like we're all working out these days, getting ready for warm weather and improving our overall health. Two of my real life friends, Mrs. Smith and Mama Chef, have recently updated on their workout progress and I'm so proud of both of them. They along with several other friends have been a huge encouragement to me in my dietary changes and exercising.

I've been working out and counting calories since late January. Since this post, I've had one more workout with my trainer where we basically did the same circuit again. This helps keep me on track as I try to duplicate the circuit on my own throughout the week. She said that I showed some improvement so that's great!

Other than the circuit training, I've been concentrating mostly on cardio (running and fat burning elliptical programs) and weight training (arms and abs mostly - flys, tricep pull downs, lunges with the medicine ball, assisted pullups, etc.). My biggest challenge at this point is pushups. I get so discouraged because they are SO hard. Erghh. My goal is to be able to do 10 classic pushups eventually.

I've modified my diet in several ways. Sunday, March 27 I had my "last" caffeine. I've officially gone from having one or two diet mt. dews each day to having NO caffeine at all. It has been ok (read as: I'm still alive). I was extremely tired the first few days and have had a lingering headache but I think the headache is from the pollen.

I have also been eating only fresh foods since Sunday, March 27. I counted calories before I went completely fresh and I ate pretty healthy foods before but no more hundred calorie packs, etc. I'm avoiding the processed foods and trying to stick to natural foods.

As a side note, I had my annual physical recently (prior to the fresh eating) and am pleased to report great numbers on cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar!!

Anyway, as far as my food goes (I don't like to call it a diet)...

Here's what my typical day looks like:

Breakfast: cottage cheese, banana, apple, Dole fruit cup (in water)
Lunch: salad with canned tuna (in water) or chicken breast, grapes, apple, lots of veggies
Dinner: fish with brown rice, salad and vegetables (usually green beans)
Snacks: all natural fruit roll-up (This is my biggest splurge @ 50 calories each. I got them at Aldi.), nuts, grapes, cantaloupe, apples, laughing cow cheese wedge (not good for me but low cal), cottage cheese, raisins...I snack some all day.

I make sure my meat servings are not any larger than the palm of my hand.
I'm trying to stick to foods that contain two ingredients or less.
I'm drinking a lot of water (about 80-100 oz. day).
The key for me is to always have healthy options around whether I'm at my desk at work, at home, in the car, etc.
If I think I might have to work through lunch, I take my lunch to work. My husband and I ate out yesterday after church and we had Subway. I had a salad full of veggies and skipped the meat, cheese and chips.
All I'm drinking at this point is water.

So! For the results...

I've lost a couple of inches. I'm not sure how many but I know I've lost an inch in the last week. I just started measuring then. My face looks a lot "brighter" and not so tired. I'm sore pretty much every day but that's a good thing, right :) My abs are flatter and I'm noticing some changes in my legs and buttocks. My husband says he notices a big difference. The scale has moved a little bit but until I lose two more pounds and break through this really difficult number, I'm not going to get too excited.

So what works for you? If you're eating whole foods, what does your daily menu look like?

Living Room & Office in a Closet

2011-04-01T17:48:00.001-04:00

Spring Fever!

2011-03-24T08:03:00.003-04:00

Mama Chef's post today really got me ready for spring clothes! I have been enjoying wearing lighter clothes this past week and not wearing socks or pantyhose under my pants! When I was looking at the outfits she put together, I clicked on the link for one of the dresses and saw that Delia's has so many cute dresses this spring (also seen above).

Happy Thursday! I'm excited to be visiting with my best friend tomorrow and going to my cousin's wedding on Saturday. I love weddings!

Tea Time

2011-03-20T19:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my mom, sister and I held a birthday tea for my aunt. Her birthday is this week and we wanted to do something special for her in her home for her and her friends to enjoy. We had nine people total. We had a wonderful time and my mom did a great job once again making it pretty and special. We set-up an additional table in her living room so we could all spread out.

My niece singing "Happy Birthday" to my aunt

I made it!

2011-03-18T11:31:00.001-04:00

I had my trainer session last night. Today I feel like I've aged 50 years and was hit by a car.

We did a full body workout that consisted of a lot of moves that I thought would KILL me!

My first words to my husband when I got home were "I haven't really been working out all this time." I said that for two reasons: First, the workout I had last night was a lot tougher than anything I've done since I was on the soccer team in high school. And second, I found out my 30 minutes on the elliptical each day are not even considered a real workout after what I did last night.

Here's a look at what we did.

Kettlebell Deadlifts

Assisted Pullups

Lunges with Medicine Ball

Stability Ball Pass

Side Plank

Free Weight Butterflies

Jump Pushups

There are a few more I could not find videos for. I also did a few 400 meter runs in between in the beginning.

A few things I learned:

1. I'm very week. (I already knew this though.)
2. It takes muscles to breathe. (I already knew this too but had not actually felt these muscles work during each breath until today.)
3. I don't need to worry so much about counting calories. I need to concentrate more on eating fresh. (I already do this but it is not my focus - calories are.) She said a good rule of thumb is to eat items that contain two ingredients or less.
4. I need to work on starting to run. The trainer seems to think I might be a good runner. Who knew? She recommended that I work up to running four 400s back to back with the shortest possible break in between (10-15 seconds).
5. I'm definitely up for this and I like the trainer! She was tough but not mean or drill sergeant-like.

So for next steps:

I'll continue to meet with her twice a week for a few weeks for a full body workout each time. Then I'll go to once per week and eventually I won't need her. I'll also be doing cardio on my own 3-4 times a week which will consist of running two minutes, taking 10 seconds off, running two minutes, taking 10 seconds off, and repeating six times.

I'll keep you posted as I continue!

Tonight's the Night!

2011-03-17T09:28:00.003-04:00

I'll let you know how it goes. ha! And while I'm sharing a Toby Mac song, just let me say he is an AWESOME workout partner. I never go to the gym without his songs in my phone. The beat is great and the lyrics are uplifting.

No Pain, No Gain.

2011-03-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

I seem to have plateaued a little bit in my weight loss. I may have lost a few pounds but not really anything substantial. Most of my pants are now too loose to wear so I'm trying to focus on that. But my husband and I have been talking lately about me hiring a trainer mainly for weight training. Until now, I've just been doing all cardio.

So last night when I was leaving the gym, I stopped by the member services desk to inquire about a trainer. I asked one of the receptionists what I needed to do to hire a trainer. She asked if I knew who I wanted and I said no to which she followed up "male or female?". I said I'd prefer a male who would be tough on me.

As she was discussing the male trainers with the other woman at the desk, I realized there was a very athletic woman standing off to the side who had heard the whole conversation. Michelle was her name and she asked me about my goals. Still not realizing Michelle (who looked like Venus Williams) is a trainer, I told her "weight loss, inches off, overall toning...". She asked how long I wanted to work at each session. I told her "an hour, I guess". She said "are you available to start Thursday night?" I said yes and she said "let's start with 20 minutes. Any health problems? How old are you? Ok, I'll see you Thursday at 7pm. Come ready to work hard."

She is totally going to kill me. But I can handle anything for 20 minutes, right?

Secret Weapons

2011-03-14T12:00:00.001-04:00

Since I've grown out my hair, I have found that I have to use a lot of products. Have any of you experienced the same thing? My once perfectly textured hair has become a bit unruly unless I spend additional time on it and apply additional product to it.

Here's what I use.

Redken Hot Sets 22 Thermal Setting Mist:

Hot Sets is good for setting curls when you're using a curling iron. It tends to make hair a little crispy and it should only be used when you have your curl right where you want it. It really makes the curl stay put. I have a love/hate relationship with Hot Sets. Sometimes it can make for a Hot Mess. You can purchase this at most salons.

Bioterra Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner:

I've just started using Bioterra Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner at the recommendation of my hairdresser. It smells good and my hair seems to be ok but I don't have any feedback to share at this point since it has been less than one week. I bought it at Sally's and it is one of those "compare to" Matrix Biolage. It runs about $6/bottle and my hairdresser said it is just as good as Matrix's Biolage.

Ion Pomade Wax:

I've been noticing my hair has a lot frizz or flyaways. I think this is because I have my hair texturized and thinned but my hairdresser says she can't even see what I'm talking about. I think she thinks a lot of my hair issues are in my head :) And maybe they are! Anyway, after my last cut and color, I had to find something to smooth out my hair after styling it. Ion's Pomade Wax does the trick! I got it at Sally's and it was about $7-8.

Tigi Catwalk Weightless Shine Spray:

This is another love/hate relationship. My hairdresser uses Tigi's Catwalk Weightless Shine Spray on my hair. And it always looks so great when she styles it. She says this is the trick. However, I can't get it to do much for me. Let me take that back. I bought a bottle and it worked really well. When I finished that bottle I bought another one...Actually I asked for it in my stocking at Christmas and got it. This second bottle has not really done anything for me. I don't known if maybe my hair is getting used to it or if I got a bad or old bottle the second time? Just not sure. I still use it because it does seem to help a little. It came from the salon. It works well if you spray on your dry hair before using the curling iron or flat iron.

Tresemme Hair Spray:

Tresemme Hair Spray is my old go to. I've been using it for years. I use the one that has some hold but not too much to style after spraying.

So what do you use? What are your secret weapons?

Mini-Vacation

2011-03-13T19:33:00.019-04:00

My husband and I went to Myrtle Beach, SC this weekend! We both took vacation on Friday and drove down in the morning. We went because my husband's district for work was being rewarded for their sales. As a result, he got a night at Embassy Suites on Saturday night and a dinner the same night. We decided to extend the time away and stayed Friday night too.

Everyone was really nice and the hotel was great too! We definitely love Myrtle Beach as a destination when it's not peak summer time. We had all of the amenities (except the beach of course since it was cool) without the crowds.


My husband thought it was funny to "lock" me on the balcony within minutes of our arrival. And then he took a picture! HA! Once we got checked into the hotel, we found some of my husband's friends and we all made plans for dinner. We ended up going to the Mellow Mushroom and I had a wonderful build-it-yourself salad. Most of the others had calzones and pizzas. I sampled those too :) After dinner, we decided to go to a dueling pianos bar. There we met up with even more people from his company. We had a great time listening to the pianists play requests all night. It is amazing they know so many songs. They didn't use any music! We all had a blast. Saturday morning, we woke up to this sunrise. This photo was taken from our bed. Can you believe that? It was absolutely heavenly. I highly recommend the hotel where we stayed. The beds were unbelievably comfortable and the room (suite) was nice too. I had wondered if it would feel like "work" since after all we were there for my husband's work event but it didn't. We had a wonderful, relaxing time!

Our mornings were slow and we did a lot of this. We got ready at our own pace, had breakfast and eventually headed out for the day.

Yesterday, we ventured out with my husband's friend and his wife. We checked out a flea market that had a bunch of junk...not cool antiques but a surplus of White Rain shampoo - Ha! Then we headed over the Atalaya Castle. It was pretty interesting but we didn't stay too long. Not a whole lot to see other than walking through...

Then to Broadway at the Beach for lunch at the Key West Grill. It was wonderful!!

The dinner last night was GREAT! My husband and I both had mahi mahi but they also offered steak and chicken.

This morning we got up, packed and checked out of the hotel. We went and got breakfast and then headed to the outlets for some shopping. And I wrapped up the trip with a little Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

I hope you had a great weekend!

A little time away...

2011-03-11T07:35:00.003-05:00

I'll post more soon about our time away...Have a great weekend!

Breakfast

2011-03-10T08:08:00.002-05:00

My new favorite breakfast. 150 calories of fruitiness.

I give up.

2011-03-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

There's a lot of talk about Lent since it begins today (Ash Wednesday). I hear people talking about giving up something and sometimes I wonder if they do it just because that's what you do or because they're giving it up to grow stronger in their walk with Jesus and really reflect on Christ's life. I've been thinking about whether or not I'll participate by "giving something up" and what it will mean for me. Being Baptist, there's not much talk about Lent like when I was Methodist. It's not something I've been hearing a lot about at our church.

I've been convicted lately about working on some very specific areas of my life and I want to really follow that conviction and trust that these are areas I truly need to work on. So I have decided to give up something that really competes with the amount of time I spend reading my Bible and praying. I'll be replacing that with time in the Word and prayer and simply spending more time with my husband, family and friends.

I'll keep you updated as I'm ready to share more.

What are your thoughts on Lent?

Top 2 Tuesday

2011-03-08T06:12:00.021-05:00

Today I'm joining the undomestic momma for "Top 2 Tuesday". How fun!

This Tuesday's topic is Top 2 Things you've learned about relationships.

My cousin Julie and I were talking about this very thing at our cousin's bridal tea a few weekends ago. We were talking about the advice we would share with a newlywed such as, our cousin, who is getting married this month.

So, I'm going to tell you the top two things I've learned since being married.

1 - It doesn't always have to be my way to be right.

I don't always have to be right. And I don't have to be in charge.

Let's face it. I'm just not always right. There. I said it. I feel better already.

It's ok to be wrong and it's ok to admit it with your spouse. I'm learning this more each day. I don't have to be in charge. It doesn't matter that I'm more Type A than him...or that I'm very detail oriented and he's not... or that I'm a scheduler/planner/calendar keeper and he's not. Those traits don't give me permission to be pushy. Or in charge all the time.

I let it go more. It doesn't always matter if it's not how I would do it or how I want it done.

So what if my husband leaves the toilet seat up or if he sets his empty Pepsi can on the counter next to the trashcan instead of putting it in the trashcan? So what if he does? I'll put the seat down before I use it or I'll pick up his garbage and put it in the trash. Is it really worth it to talk ugly to him, to disrespect him, to make him feel like less of a person, just to remind him of this?

Most off all, I've learned that it's an honor to pick up his trash. My life now that he's in it is a lot more complete than it was before I was doing that.

There are many many people praying for a husband. They would love to have a husband to clean up after. Being Type A, a bit obsessive compulsive, I have to say, it's quite liberating to not always have it my way.

This doesn't mean that I'm a pushover. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who respects me and I don't have to worry about being taken advantage of.

2- Always respect his manhood.

This is not the same as "boys will be boys". Don't be confused. There are some things men get away with as a result of that phrase that are simply not right and not justifiable.

For instance (warning about the soapbox here)... Last week, I had a conversation with someone who was talking about a 50-something married man who had commented in public about a woman, how "attractive" she is, etc. Went on and on...My friend who had witnessed this and was telling me the story thought it was sort of funny. Said "boys will be boys" etc. He was being disrespectful and not all men are like that. I'll leave it there.

But back to what I've learned...I've learned that just like being girly can be a big part of our lives, manhood and that which comes with it needs to be respected as well. I highly recommend this book. There's a couple of chapters that talk about men's needs. Overall just a great book.

So what have you learned? Won't you play along?

Buddies

2011-03-04T22:28:00.001-05:00

This photo was taken today while I was home for lunch. I always let Peanut out as soon as I get home. Today I did the same thing...except I forgot she was out there. I left her in the front yard for about 30 minutes. Then I heard something scratch at the door. It was her. We made up and she forgave me. True love.

Happy Wednesday!

2011-03-02T07:57:00.001-05:00

Last weekend my freelance client, the local symphony, had a concert. The theme was music from the big and small screens. Great show and great timing with the Oscars on Sunday. I couldn't use the flash excuse the photo quality.

Speaking of the Oscars...What were your favorite dressed celebrities? These were mine. I just think Anne Hathaway is so gorgeous and I loved seeing all of her different outfits.

Ikeep seeing Jennifer Hudson on the "miss" lists. I think she looked gorgeous! I would have liked the dress a lot more if the bust was more modest but overall it was a great dress and a great color for her skin tone.

While I'm listing things I love, I wanted to ask...Has anyone tried Progresso's Tomato Basil soup? It is a great low calorie, tasty lunch and works well for those on a diet and in a hurry. Last week, I tried it because I had a coupon. I put it in a mug and headed back to work with it for my lunch. Oh, so good. I like light soups because they're so filling!

Another new favorite of mine for fast workday lunches is WalMart's house brand of frozen light meals. The brand, Great Value, offers lunches ranging from 200-300 calories at about $1.60 each. That's about $0.30 cheaper than Weight Watchers meals at WalMart.

Do you like to daydream and look at houses online? An acquaintance of mine emailed me recently to tell me she is selling her house. She knows how much I LOVE her house. It's the perfect, charming Cape Cod, Cottage style house. It would be PERFECT for my husband and me. BUT we're not looking to upgrade anytime soon :) So since she told me about this, I have been looking online just for the fun of it. I know my boundaries though.

And finally, have you heard about this? I follow Carmindy on Facebook because I love her beauty tips and how she always goes for a natural look. If you've watched What Not to Wear, then you know she always makes the subject look so naturally beautiful. She mentioned the Makeup Free Mondays on Facebook so I went to checkout the site. For those of you who work, can you imagine not wearing makeup to work on Mondays? And those of you who don't work probably wouldn't even do it. Whew. My coworkers would probably have a pity party for these dark circles.

Tea for the Bride to Be!

2011-02-27T17:52:00.003-05:00

On Friday, I went to my parents' home about an hour away.

I went to help my mom and my aunts prepare for a bridal tea for my cousin at my parents' home on Saturday. For years, my mom along with my aunts have been holding a bridal tea for my cousins when they get married.

By now they have it down to a science.

The bride-to-be's seat at the "cousins" table

A variety of my Mom's dishes were used to make it extra special.

What a great idea my Mom had to make a dollop of pink whipped cream on the top of each brownie. The bride's colors are pink and brown.

We all had a great time. Since this was one of the last ones, we want to create a book with the 'rules' on how to prepare for a tea. The book and maybe a box (tea party kit) would then be passed down from the aunts to the cousins.

So thankful to be a women and thankful for the girly details and traditions that have been passed down by my mom.

Writing is Fun!

2011-02-25T09:56:00.001-05:00

Lindsey tagged me in this handwriting blog post! I've tagged a few people to do the same! Anyone else should feel free to play along!

Here are the questions:

1. What's your name / blogger name?
2. What's your blog's URL?
3. Write "The quick fox jumps over the lazy dog."
4. Favorite quote?
5. Your favorite song?
6. Your favorite band / singers?
7. Anything else you want to say?
8. Tag 3 - 5 other people.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-02-22T08:13:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Mama Chef over at the Adventures of the Lil Chef for finding my blog worthy of the stylish blogger award. Yay!!

The rules are:

1. Link to the blogger(s) that gave you the award
2. Share 7 facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to other bloggers.

So here it goes!

My favorite parts of the day are getting ready for work and picking out my outfit and accessories, having dinner at the kitchen table with my husband and when I arrive at and leave the gym (notice I don't enjoy the part in between).

My family lives close by and I can't imagine being any further from them. My parents and sister are each an hour away (in two directions). My inlaws and my brother-in-law's family are here in town (only about 15 minutes away).

I'm looking forward to seeing my female cousins this weekend!

I love my job. It's challenging and never the same.

I'm ready for spring and the fashion it brings! Some of my favorite looks...

I'm saving for a new car in the next few years. I'm not sure what I'll get but I like these:

I have a best friend who lives about an hour away. She and I think we were really meant to be sisters. I have a special appreciation for the girlfriends in my life. I try to make an effort to see them but it doesn't always happen frequently. With that, I might just plan a girls night out.

I'm passing the award along to:

Mrs. Smith @ Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Jolie @ Shopping Candy

Betsy Maddox

Thanks again to Mama Chef for calling my blog stylish.

Success

2011-02-16T16:30:00.001-05:00

Less than one month in and I'm five pounds lighter! Go me! Ha!

No really, those five pounds gave me a hard time during past attempts of weight loss.

I'm not sure why I ever thought I would make them disappear though with what I tried in the past...pretty much um, NOTHING except good intentions!

I'm feeling a lot better and it hasn't been so hard. Here are a few things I've been doing. These things seem to work for me.

** I started writing down EVERYTHING I consume. This includes water, drinks, food, birthday cake, everything. And every item has a caloric value recorded with it. For the first three weeks, I recorded everything I ate and also kept track of calories burned and water.

** I pretty much gave up diet sodas.

** Started drinking a lot of water.I heard a good rule of thumb years ago to drink half of your weight in ounces of water each day. ie. If you weigh 100 lbs, you drink 50 ounces of water each day. That's what I do.

** Started working out. My goal is to go each day but I usually go about five times per week. I don't get crazy, I just go 30 minutes on the elliptical and usually burn 300+ calories in that time.Then I leave. It's that simple.

** The play list is a tremendous motivator in my workout.

** I've started preparing healthier options for my dinner. My husband usually has a variation of what I'm having but has the full calorie version. Again, I counted every.single.calorie the first few weeks. Now I don't have to write it down, I just know what everything has in it. ha.

I know I've dropped inches and pounds and pant sizes. I'm at the point where I need to get a few new pairs of dress pants.

I chuckled when I read Lindsey's post this morning and saw the funny Valentine's Day card her husband gave her because that was the first thing my husband noticed when I started losing weight ;)

Francesca's Spring/Summer Looks

2011-02-05T09:04:00.002-05:00

My shipment came from JCP and of the several tops and cardigans I ordered, only one worked. I hate how some stores' clothing through the catalog is not the same quality or type of clothing they have in the store. Do you find this to be true?

Have you ever ordered anything from Francesca's Collection? I always admire their look but haven't bought anything there. Here are some items I like for Spring/Summer. It's important to note that on my 5'0" frame, the dresses will probably fall where they should. They want be this stupidly short.

Dresses on sale (under $30)...

Cute for just a basic tank...

Very feminine...

Jewelry under $30.00...

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