Fall TV

This post will probably make me sound like someone who sits in front of the TV for hours on end...I promise I don't! I have(or J and I have) 1 or 2 shows a night we like to watch as a way to unwind. We usually DVR it all so we can watch when we have time and fast forward through commercials

Here's our Must See TV list!

Monday

How I Met Your Mother


We are a little late to the HIMYM party, but we love it! I think last season was the first season we watched. We own the first three seasons on DVD (we're about to start season 3) and love this show. I love Barney's one-liners and I've loved Allyson Hannigan since her Buffy days.

Dancing With The Stars


I've never been a fan of these voting talent shows(I don't do Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, etc). This is the first season I've watch DWTS and I'm only watching because I went to high school with JR Martinez and he's a bit of a hometown hero. He really impressed me last week and I hope he goes far! I called and voted once...people on my FB feed were posting that they voted 60-100 times using different phones & email addresses! I'm sorry, but that just seems a bit much. I usually watch until he dances and then change/delete.

Hart of Dixie


Clearly, I haven't watched this yet but it looks really cute. I love Rachel Bilson and was a big fan of "The O.C." back in its heyday. And Jason Street (aka Scott Porter) is in it! From now on, any actor from Friday Night Lights will be referred to as their FNL character.

Tuesdays

The Biggest Loser

J and I watch this, though I've honestly been a little bored with it lately. I am interested to see how it is without Jillian. Dolvett looks like he could kick some ass, and I think Anna K. is not the best choice.

Wednesdays

Criminal Minds


I got hooked on this show this spring when I caught a rerun/marathon on A&E. I can pretty much find reruns on every night, ha! I caught the last few episodes of last season and I'm excited to watch a full season.

Plus, Matthew Gray Gubler is cute, in my opinion. I told my BFF that and she totally called him as my "type".



See? Although I must say, the hairstyle he had going on in the premiere was not the best.

Thursdays

NBC owns us, pretty much!

Community


Seriously one of the funniest shows on TV. If you haven't watched it, you need to!

The Office


I was curious to how this would be without Michael Scott/Steve Carrelll. I liked it! I like Andy as the manager. And Jim & Pam are back to being cute and sweet and not annoying.

Grey's Anatomy


This has been my show since college. Back when it was on on Sunday nights, my roommate and 2 neighbors would get together for Sunday Night TV and watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Grey's and Desperate Housewives. I've stuck through the crappy story lines ( I AM SO GLAD IZZY IS GONE!) and am starting to accept Meredith & Derek will never have happiness.

Whitney


J put this on the DVR out of curiosity. The first episode was okay...we'll see.

Friday

Ghost Adventures.

I can't help it.

Saturday

Saturday Night Live


We like to DVR this and watch it Sunday afternoon or something. I have a huge crush on Seth Meyers and we both love when Stefan shows up on Weekend Update!

Sunday

Pan Am



I actually haven't watched the premiere yet...and I forgot to set the DVR, so I missed the first 15 minutes. I may catch it online. I have high hopes for this to fill in my Mad Men void until it comes back!


So there you have it...what I didn't mention is my somewhat embarrassing addiction to The Real World. I almost always find myself watching it. I don't bother setting the DVR because MTV loves reruns!

What are you watching?

All pictures via Google or the show's Facebook.

Planning Fail

Source

I had great plans to go to a lunchtime class at the YMCA downtown. I used to attend this class regularly and it kept me in GREAT shape. It is(or was, I think they changed instructors) almost a bootcamp style class that changed every day. I've gained 10 lbs since I stopped going.

I shut my office door to change, opened my gym bag....no shoes.

Damn.

Looks like a puppy walk + Jillian Michaels DVD at home this evening for me!

What are your workout plans?

Making the House (Apartment?) a Home

I really want to decorate our apartment. Not painting or anything permanent, but I want to start collecting things that I would like to have in a home one day. I'm a bit ADD when it comes to decorating, so I think I'm going to start by focusing on one room at a time. I am starting with the living room, since that is where we spend the most time. While in Georgia this weekend, I cashed in some of the credit I had from returned wedding gifts at a local store and purchased this set of paintings to hang above our couch (sorry for the crappy iPhone picture)!



I got a good deal on these! $69 for the set! I also bought a cute little frame to hang in our 1/2 bath downstairs. That's pretty much the only fully-decorated room in the apartment :) I should post pictures!

I will post more pictures once we hang them. We will need to buy new throw pillows, I'm thinking maybe blue and brown. I also think I can tie-in a couple of the bright green accents I already have in the room.

I also want J to refinish the coffee table & side table we bought off craigslist now that it is cooler out. They have a slight cherry finish to them and I'd rather they be an espresso color. I also hate our Walmart, pressed-wood, black TV stand and would like to find a nicer one, along with a better couch and loveseat/ chair. I've always said "I don't want to waste money fixing up a temporary situation," but now I'm changing my tune. I've decided I'll start buying things I like now, regardless of how well they "go" in our apartment, knowing I'll love them in the future!

We have spot of wall between our two windows in the living room, above our (broken) loveseat, where I would like to hang a wood-framed mirror. All the mirrors I am finding online are $100+! Time to hit up Craigslist, TJMaxx and Tuesday Morning.

I look for ideas on Pinterest, but I get so over whelmed! Many of the ideas I like aren't applicable to our living situation (or budget!) right now.

Help me out! Where do you go for home decorating ideas?

Sleepless Nights

One of my biggest irritations in life is not getting enough good, quality sleep. At 27, I feel a bit like an old lady as I rarely stay awake past 11 PM, even on the weekends! I usually go upstairs around 10-10:15 and read for a few minutes and then pass out. I get up between 6:20-6:40 AM on work days(depends how many times I hit snooze...) and around 8 AM on weekends. I usually have no issues falling asleep.

TWICE this weekend, however, I could not fall into a deep sleep. The first was Sunday night, which I attribute to the 1.5 hour nap I took that afternoon. It was rainy, cool and I was tired and had Friday Night Lights, season 1 on. I assumed I would have no issues last night since I was pretty tired from Sunday.

I went to bed around 10:30 with a little bit of a headache and slept until 2:15. Then I was up for an hour! I could not fall asleep, my head was hurting, I was hot and the fan was making weird noises. J couldn't sleep either. After an hour of tossing and turning, I finally found some earplugs, took a BC Powder(which I normally HATE, but wanted something quick), and kicked-off the comforter, finally falling asleep a little after 3 AM.

I HATE that feeling of not falling asleep. I try everything, counting backwards, slow breathing...When I am away from home, I will take a OTC sleep aid(usually only 1/2 the suggested dosage), but try not to use it very much. I supposed I should have taken Tylenol PM when I first went to bed; there's no way I would have made it to work on time had I taken it at 2:30 AM!

So tell me, readers, what are your tricks for getting a good night's sleep?

Finally.

Glory, glory to ole' Georgia.

via google

Heroes have graced the field before you. Men with hearts, bodies and minds for which the entire Bulldawg Nation can be justifiably proud. The tradition of unbridled excellence demonstrated by these individuals and many others spans more than a full century.



And now a new breed of Bulldawg stands ready to take the field of Battle. To assume the reigns of the Georgia program.


To continue that tradition.

Understanding that there is no tradition more worthy of envy.



No institution worthy of such loyalty as The University of Georgia.


As we prepare for another meeting between the hedges let all the Bulldawg faithful rally behind the men who now wear the red and black with two words.



Two simple words that express the sentiments of the entire Bulldawg Nation...


GO DAWGS!" -Larry Munson

One Lovely Blog Award

Hi all! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We had beautiful weather...I laid by the pool for a couple of hours Saturday without drowning in my own sweat :) We were lazy, lazy, lazy and it was great. I spent the entirety of Sunday afternoon stretched out on the floor reading and cuddling with the dog. Perfection.

No Menu Monday this week, as I haven't planned anything :)

Ally over at Copacetic in Carolina pass on this One Lovely Blog award to me! How fun. These things are great--I love learning random facts about people.

Rules:

Link back to the person who gave you this award
Complete the form below
Share 7 random things about yourself
Award 15 bloggers this award and notify them of the award(kinda breaking this one...)

• Name your favorite color: Purple :)
  
• Name your favorite song: I actually don't think I have one because it changes all the time! I do love anything by Sugarland though.
  
• Name your favorite dessert: my Mawmaw's homemade chocolate pound cake + chocolate icing. yum, yum, yum!
  
• What ticks you off: liars
  
• When you're upset you: walk, call a friend, read for a while
  
• Your favorite pet: Of course I love our sweet Newnan! But I can't forget my baby back home in Georgia, Nipper, along with our cats. Then there was the first pet I ever had, my sweet cat of 15 years, Cocoa.
  
• Black or White: White...it looks so clean
  
• Your biggest fear: Not finding what I'm supposed to do
  
• Best feature: eyes
• Everyday attitude: Happy, laid back
  
• What is perfection: A fall Sunday afternoon...clear skies, post-church, preferably post- UGA win :)
  
• Guilty pleasure: pedicures, reading all day, Starbucks lattes
  

Seven Random Things About Myself:

1) I absolutely have to have reading materials for any car trip over an hour. I have to be entertained. Yes, I talk to whomever I am in the car with, but I also need a book or magazine. I can't stand to just look out windows for hours.

2) I used to be terrified of flying, yet I wanted to be a astronaut. Still not completely over my fear of flying, but as I fly more, I'm more comfortable with it.

3) I am, and always will be, a band geek. I started playing clarinet in middle school, marched in high school, and played in the UGA concert bands in college. I still love the sound of a drumline outside a Friday night high school football game!

4) For some reason, I always get sucked into movies I OWN when they are on TV. Yesterday afternoon was Titanic. I wonder how many times I've seen that movie? And each time I just think..."Surely he could have grabbed another piece of wood..."

5) Speaking of the Titanic, I have been strangely fascinated by it since I was young--7 or 8 years old. I'm not sure how it started, but I've read pretty much every book about it, watched the documentaries, played video games, etc. A few years ago I went to the exhibit when it was in Atlanta and touched a piece of the hull!

6) I went with some other Memphis-area UGA alums to the Liberty Bowl Gala last year. When we were coming down from the cocktail hour to the dinner, we saw Aaron Murray and some other players waiting in the lobby for a meeting. I told him I should get my picture made with him because "I'm the Memphis UGA Alumni club president, so I have street cred." Someone should have cut me off after 2 drinks.

7) At least 50%(probably more like 75%...) of my wardrobe is from Target. Probably 80% of my shoes are!

Here's Where I Break The Rules

If you are reading this, and haven't received this award, CONGRATS! You just did. Please post up some fun facts about you and leave me a link to your blog. No blog? Post the answers in my comments :)

Have a great Monday!

Oh hey....

Sorry about the absence!

I've been a little busy at work(I usually blog on my lunch hour) and just haven't felt like posting. I think I'm out of the funk though!

Next week will be back to our regularly scheduled programming, but for today you get a bulleted list of my random thoughts. Enjoy!

• I plan on enjoying this last weekend of August by the pool and walking Newnan(the temps have been great yesterday and today!), but come Monday, I'm ready for Fall.
  
  
• Fall items I'm looking forward to: cool weather, tall boots, recipes with cinnamon and apples, fall scented candles, hoodies, Jim Beam + Coke Zero and college football!
  
  
• Newnan destroys at least 2 toys a week. Does anyone make dog toys made of steel?
  
  
• I read Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin this weekend. I've read 4 of her 5 books and they all deal with cheating. I'm sensing a theme.
  
  
• On another note, I liked Something Borrowed and Something Blue, but did not care for Baby Proof or Heart of the Matter.
  
  
• I've read a lot of books recently, so expect a reading post soon!
  

That's all I have for today...Ally gave me a blog award, so expect that post sometime this weekend!

What are your weekend plans?

Pale is The New Tan 5K Results & Playlist

Last Friday, I ran my first 5K since last October! I'm really trying to get back in shape, so I signed up for the race as a sort of benchmark for my training. I plan on running a Labor Day weekend 5K and wanted to have something for comparison.

My official time is listed as 35:29. However, I tracked on my watch and had 34:51. I stopped the watch when I actually stopped running for a few seconds at the 2 water stops (it was so.humid.). I set a goal for under 35 minutes, so I'll say my watch was right! My last two 5ks have been 33-34 minutes, so I was pleased with this time, especially since my training last week was sub par. I took 3 1-1:30 walking breaks.

I need to decide on my goal for the CFA 5k: No walks, or faster time? What do you suggest?

I made a playlist for the race and thought I'd share it with you all. These are a few of the songs I've been enjoying on the treadmill this summer!

Sorry for the lack of posting this week...haven't felt that great. Next week should be back to normal!

What are your favorite workout songs?

Wedding Thursday: Flowers, Details + DIY Projects

Drats, late again this week!

You've heard the saying "It's all in the details"? I think that's very true when it comes to weddings. I believe the details really make the whole day personal to the couple. Although, looking back, I don't think J cared much about the details. As long as he didn't have to wear a purple tux, he was okay.

The Flowers + Decor

Ceremony:

I think flowers are gorgeous, but man, can they be expensive. I wanted pretty flowers for our ceremony and reception, but I also didn't want to spend thousands of dollars on flowers for one day! That's the part that got me the most, these flowers were only for one day!

I used a local florist that did the flowers for my friend's wedding. I gave her a budget( $2,000) and told her the general look I was going for. I wanted something light and springy, not too formal. I gave her swatches of my bridesmaids dress colors. I also tore out pictures from magazines of looks that I liked and mailed them to her. I told her to use whatever was in-season to keep costs down. I was so pleased with the result!

For the wedding party, I originally thought I wanted my bridesmaids to carry ivory/neutral bouquets and mine be the only colored one. In the end, I went with all color because we used the bouquets at the reception for decor. For the guys, the groomsmen wore ivory rose boutonnieres with purple accents while J's was a purple flower. Our mom's wore pin on corsages and our dad's matched the groomsmen. We also had small wrist corsages for our readers.




I wanted very little decor for the ceremony for 2 reasons: 1) my church is beautiful, so it didn't really need to me fixed up, and 2) The ceremony was less than 30 minutes long. Why spend a big chunk of my budget to fix up the church when we spent more time at the reception? Our florist marked the pews for our families with a simple baby's breath arrangement. We had an ivory arrangement at the altar; we donated it to the church to use the next morning in memory of our grandparents. There were a couple of candelabras in the choir loft and a memorial candle in the foyer. That's it!




The Reception:

This is where she blew me away. As I said earlier, I really didn't specify what I wanted. I didn't demand certain flowers or anything like that. I told her some things I liked, but what was important was staying in budget and following the color scheme.

I knew one way to save money was with the centerpieces. We had 23 tables in our reception room! This included 15 tables in the main room and 8 in the "covered patio". To cut costs, only 8 of the main room tables had floral centerpieces. The other 7 + the covered patio tables were candle arrangements. We did not decorate the buffet tables or the cake tables. The guestbook/gift table was one of my DIY projects (more in a minute). She also made a small toss bouquet for me. I don't have very many straight-on shots of the arrangements, but I loved all of them.


Isn't it all pretty? And she provided all supplies + labor for....$2,095. That's a damn good deal if you ask me!

Details + DIY

I followed the old tradition of "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue". My something old was my Mawmaw(paternal grandmother)'s engagement + wedding band and my Nanny's (maternal grandmother) necklace that I attached to my bouquet. Something new was (clearly) my dress + accessories. For something borrowed, I put my DG Big Sister(and Matron of Honor)'s Delta Gamma pin on my bouquet; she wore mine in her wedding. Something blue? Blue Hanky Panky underwear :) I also had a UGA garter, but didn't actually wear it the whole time. I put it on before the garter toss.


I made our programs using Microsoft publisher. I just designed them as a brochure and printed them out. I tried to match our invitations, using a mix of script and roman font. The cover was just a slightly heavier stock, metallic silver paper. I punched holes in the sides and tied them with a ribbon. The outside cover was stamped with a pretty flourish rubber stamp I found at Hobby Lobby in purple ink. My maids of honor and I worked on these for the two days leading up to the wedding(unfortunately, they didn't photograph well!). I think I spent a total of $60; purchasing programs to match my invites would have cost $250!



I also made the tissue paper pomanders for my flower girls. All I needed was a 5" Styrofoam ball, purple tissue paper, florist's wire and silver ribbon...and a lot of time! They took forever, but I loved how they looked.

I knew from day 1 I would make moss covered letters to hang on the church doors. Our initials (L & J) ended up being the "theme" of our wedding. These were super easy to make with cardboard letters, moss sheets and spray glue.


Our wonderful photographer (who's pictures I've used in all my recaps) put together our guestbook using our engagement photos. He posted a fun animation of it on his blog.

We placed the guestbook on a table that I decorated (well, collected items for and left instructions with my reception coordinator to decorate). I bough zinc letters from anthropologie ( L & J) that were placed on the table along with all the bouquets, the guestbook, buckets of bubbles and my bridal portrait.



I had a great time adding personal touches to our wedding. I really admire all the 100% DIY brides out there...my few projects took it all out of me!

A few more posts in the series...our pre-wedding parties & the Honeymoon, plus some of my favorite pictures!

All photos in this post were done by William Massey Photography.

Menu Monday

::sigh:: The weekend was way too short.

Here's our planned meals for the week! I'm excited to try a few new recipes!

Tonight we'll be having this Southwestern Steak & Beans recipe I saw posted on Cooking Light's Facebook page. I'm putting asparagus(that I never cooked last week..) and baked potatoes with it.

The Salsa Chicken found on SparkPeople is one of our favorites and I haven't made it in a while. I love crock pot recipes!

I'm excited to try my first Mama Pea recipe--and to make the famous "MMMMSauce"--with this Summer Succatash Quesadilla with Nacho MMMSauce. Cross your fingers J will like it :)

The last planned meal is the Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine from Cooking Light. Another favorite and there are always delicious leftovers!

I've requested sushi post-5K on Friday :) We may try a new place...or just go with our standard Sekisui :)

What's cookin' this week?

Wedding Thursday: The Reception

A little late on this series this week!

Even before I was engaged, I knew that one thing I wanted most when I got married was to have a great big party will all my loved ones...and that's exactly what we did!

One of the perks(?) of planning a wedding in a smallish town is that we had limited reception venues to choose from, so there wasn't a lot of time spent trying to make a decision! We looked at a gorgeous renovated barn that overlooked the mountains...I loved every bit about it, aside from the price tag that was 1/3 of our budget just to rent the venue!

We settled on the local country club, where many of my friends had their receptions and my family had been members for year. It was just $500 to reserve the large ballroom/banquet room and that $500 went towards our final bill! They provided tables, chairs, basic white linens, and service along with food + drink. Talk about a good deal!

After a few formal post-ceremony shots, we headed over to the Country Club. My Great Uncle (My Uncle "B" as I've always called him) helped make one of my wishes come true for the wedding. Our car was a 1949 Pontiac and he was our driver! I think he got a kick out of driving us too :)



We did the bridal party presentation to Led Zepplin's "Kashmir"...J is a big LZ fan and I really like the beat of this song. Honestly, I would have liked to have used the Vitamin String Quartet version, but I don't think he would have approved :)

After the entrance came the dances! Jordan and I didn't pick out the song for our first dance until about a week before the wedding. We wanted a song special to us, but not too long...no one ever tells you how awkward it is to be dancing while everyone stares at you! It came down to Jack Johnson's "Better Together" or Jason Mraz & Colbie Calliat's "Lucky". We went with Jack Johnson because "Better Together" has been our song since we started dating :)

I think choosing a song to dance with my Dad to was harder than choosing our first dance! I wanted to steer away from the typical songs you hear--"Butterfly Kisses," "I loved her first" "Stealing Cinderella"--but still do something sentimental. I toyed with the idea of "The House at Pooh Corner" because I love Winnie the Pooh, or even "Georgia on My Mind". In the end, my dad is actually who found the song. He LOVES looking up random videos on YouTube. He found a cover of "Forever Young" done by Johnny Cash. I always loved that song, but felt the Dylan version was too slow and long for a wedding dance. This version was perfect--and we both love Johnny Cash!

Jordan danced with his mom to The Beatles' "In My Life". He gave her a few options and that's the one she picked. It was fitting, as his dad(and both of us) love The Beatles. She also wanted to avoid a song that would make her cry :)


After dancing came food! We did a heavy finger foods buffet with hot and cold options along with a beer and wine bar. A seated dinner just didn't give in to the party feeling I was going for :)



Our cakes actually came from Publix! A DG sister of mine told me that every venue in Atlanta she spoke to about her reception suggested Publix. I got so frustrated trying to schedule meetings with little local bakers back in Georgia that I just decided to use Publix as well. .I found a picture of a cake on TheKnot that I liked and purple ribbon that matched my bridesmaids' dresses. I bought the mirrored monogrammed cake topper off of etsy. The cake was delicious! It was layered vanilla and chocolate cake inside with fresh strawberry filling and buttercream icing. So. freaking. good. Jordan actually designed his groom's cake to look like the front of his Jeep. We were expecting a white sheet cake with the design on it in icing...nope, they went all out! His was a plain vanilla cake.


After cakes, came dancing, garter/bouquet tossing, and toasts. It all went by in a blur, which is the one sentence that I think sums up the entire day. I'm so glad we hired a videographer! We used a DJ instead of a band, which I liked for two reasons--cost & the ability to request songs. We did, however, download a Pitbull song to someone's iPhone because he didn't have it in his library :)


We exited around 9 PM to our guests blowing bubbles. My Great Uncle drove us to the hotel where we(and most of our guests) were staying the night. The hotel bar stayed open for us and we celebrated with our friends until 1 or 2 AM. It was, truly, the best night ever. It all went by so fast...I just love looking at all the pictures!

All photos in the post were done by William Massey Photography.

Next week: The Details + DIY Projects!

PS--Thanks to Ally for cluing me in on making a photo collage!

Menu Monday

First, my living room smells like peanut butter. Baby boy gets a spoon of PB in his Kong each night and I never noticed how strong the smell was!

I didn't assign these to days this week. I like just having a "go-to" list and making what I feel. Only three planned meals for now. I'm going to a painting class with friends on Thursday and we're just going to see what we're in the mood for on Friday.

Tonight, we had Baby Breakfast Quiche with a side of cantaloupe (me) and bacon (J). Our quiche had bacon, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese. They were delicious and really easy to make!

Another night we are having roast chicken with balsamic bell peppers and a side of pesto asparagus. I know asparagus isn't really in season, but I'm a little tired of squash and corn!

The third meal we have planned is skillet-grilled red pepper shrimp. Shrimp and grits have become a bit of a household favorite. This looks like a tasty (and healthy) version!

What are you eating this week?

Let's Get Physical

Not so long ago(6 years), I looked like this:

Disney World, 2005--friends' college graduation trip

I believe I tipped the scales at around 165. I probably hit 170 at my highest. I am barely 5'2".

I was never a skinny kid...or teen...or college student. I was always a bit overweight, but in college it got a little out of control. I actually lost weight living in the dorms (Brumby hill, baby), but that all went down the drain when I lived in the DG house my second and third years at UGA. Living in the sorority house meant we had meals cooked for us Monday-Friday, but we were on our own on the weekends. Instead of stocking my mini fridge with easy-to-make foods, I went out to eat with my friends. I probably went out 4-5 times a WEEK! The picture above was taken the summer following my third year at school. After this trip, I moved in to a condo with my best friend on the East side of Athens. We cooked dinner together, I cut out almost all fast food (save my beloved Chick-fil-a), and I started walking to campus from the apartment and walking all around campus. By the time I graduated in May 2007, I weighed around 110. I lost 50 lbs!

I moved to Birmingham for six months. While there, I began actively working out at the YMCA taking classes such as BodyPump and BodyFlow(oh, how I wish my Y had these classes!). I also continued to learn to cook. I was very happy with my weight/healthy lifestyle.
J and I began dating and I moved to Memphis in March 2008. After 3 years, my weight has slowly crept back up and I'm about 15 lbs above where I'd like to be. I've decided to get my butt back in gear before it goes up anymore. Losing it once was hard enough!

You can tell by my Menu Mondays that I try to cook fairly healthy meals and I limit how much I eat out (for budget and health reasons). Really, the only meal out I usually do is on Sundays with J's parents! Not to say I deprive myself of my favorites. Sekisui sushi and Mellow Mushroom make appearances, as does my new love, YoLo.

Wedding planning craziness put a hit in my workout routine. I'm getting back on track now though. I ran a couple of 5Ks last year and enjoyed them. I finally invested in some good running shoes and I'm back up to running 2 or 2.5 miles on the treadmill(wayyyy too hot to do that mess outside right now). I just signed up for a 5K on August 5th. I plan on running it and then the Chick-Fil-A 5K over Labor Day weekend, hoping to see some improvements in my time! I also enjoy lifting weights, I just need a consistent routine.

So here's to getting back on the fitness track! I'll keep you updated on my progress. In the meantime, what are your favorite workouts? And do you have any good playlist suggestions?

Currently, I am...

I have a bit of a writer's block today. While going through my Google Reader, I saw this post on Something to Cheer About and decided to follow suit!

Eating: I just finished an Amy's Kitchen Southwestern Burrito. Have you had these burritos? I love them! They're fairly healthy, keep me full and are now available cheap at Kroger for $2.14 (They used to be $3+)!

Reading: Nothing...can you believe it? I just finished the fifth "Pretty Little Liars" book. I have a new book on hold at the library.


Wishing: I was home with my pup instead of at work. Yes, he owns us both now.

Patiently Waiting For: The weekend

Freaking Out About: Our sweet pup is somewhat over our apartment's weight limit. Let's hope we don't get in trouble!

Annoyed By: The fact that I don't have a lot to work on at work.

On My Nails: Nothing! I really need to paint them this weekend.

Obsessed With: Pretty Little Liars. I'm reading the series and watching Season 1. I promise I'm 27, not 17.

Lusting After: This china cabinet. I really, really want it. It would look ridiculous in our apartment, but I hate that our pretty wedding gifts are boxed up in the guest room closet.


Looking Forward To: Football season! It is only 44 days away! GO DAWGS!

Wedding Wednesday: The Ceremony

Photo by William Massey Photography

Our ceremony was short and traditional. While I acknowledge the fact that the ceremony is the most important part of the wedding day, I have to admit I don't really love standing up in front of a bunch people and being the center of attention!

Our ceremony was officiated by an associate pastor who has been at the church my entire life.
Looking back, I'm a little surprised at how traditional my ceremony was. I don't consider myself a very traditional person! A few prayers, a small sermon, the vows, the rings, the blessing and the announcement. We had two readings. J's best friend from undergrad (who flew all the way from Alaska to be there) read Colossians 3:12-17 and one of my best friends from college read "The Blessing of the Hands" right before we exchanged rings.

We had no singing solos. My dad pointed out early on in planning "That song may be pretty, but you need to think...that's 3 minutes we all have to sit there looking at you while you look at each other." Good point. We also skipped the unity candle.

Our officiant's wife played the piano and another church member played the organ. I started taking formal piano lessons when I was nine, but my Mawmaw began teaching me to play long before that, so it was important for me to have piano music. I had a lot of fun picking out the music for our ceremony. Again, it was all very traditional:

• Pre-wedding prelude--variety of hymns & classical music
• Seating of the Mothers- Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
• Bridal Party- Pachabel's Canon in D
• Bride's Procession- The Trumpet Voluntary
• Recessional- Hymn to Joy/Ode to Joy

Our ceremony FLEW by! I can't remember most of it. Sitting in the small holding room off the side of the church foyer with my dad and bridesmaids was the only time I felt nervous the entire day. I vaguely remember seeing faces in the crowd. I handed my bouquet off to my Matron of Honor too early. We kissed 3 times at the end. My ring bearer stood with his hands in his pocket the whole time; one flower girl had her finger up her nose half the time. All in all, I think it was perfect!

Our Growing Family

J and I have been married three months as of this past Saturday! Naturally, we've been discussing expanding our family. And we did.

Meet Newnan.


Baby boy is two year-old lab/pit mix. A friend of a friend had two dogs, Newnan and another one. Unfortunately, she and her husband divorced. She is moving and can't afford two dogs on her own. We met Newn and his old owner about a month ago and after spending the day with him, fell in love. We had planned to pick him up this past Saturday, but when J picked me up from the airport Tuesday (I was in Ohio for work) and took me home, Newn was there waiting! Needless to say, he has us wrapped around his paws.



We took him on his first ride in the jeep Friday evening. I feel guilty that he is in his crate all day while we work and that we don't have a yard to let him out in, so we try to do some extra fun things on the weekend. We went walking on the greenline Friday evening and Sunday he went to J's parents with us and played in the backyard.

His favorite spot in the apartment is the front door--no squirrel, chipmunk, train or walker will go unnoticed.


He's also a big cuddler. Don't try telling him he isn't a lap dog--and he prefers everyone to be at his level. Also, I can't believe I'm posting this picture of me on the internet. I'd ran 2 miles and then Newn and I walked another 2, where he attacked a neighbor's in-ground sprinkler (sorry).


I apologize for the iPhone pics. It is easier to take a picture of him with our phones...when you lift a camera, he turns his head!

Menu Monday

We've had a hectic couple of weeks and, as a result, our menu planning has been basically non-existent. I'm excited about this week's plan--lots of new recipes, plus some household favorites!

Monday--Spicy Black Bean Burgers from Jenna at Eat, Live, Run with sweet potato fries. I'm excited to try Jenna's "boyfriend-approved" black bean burgers. I love bean burgers, and I'm trying to do one or two meatless meals a week. Hopefully these will be "husband-approved"!

Tuesday- Honey Mustard-Glazed Salmon from Clean Eating. Paired with Kale(for me) and green beans(for him) and brown rice.

Wednesday- Enchiladas! A household favorite. Mine will be vegetarian; his will have chicken.

Thursday- Deconstructed Lasagna from Clean Eating. Another new one!

Friday-- Homemade Pizza. I'm on a kick making my own pizza crust. We like to put pepperoni, spinach, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and basil on it.

Looks like a tasty week! What are you cooking?

Weekend Reading Suggestion

I have some fun news to share, but I'm waiting to get some more pictures this weekend before sharing :) In the meantime, I have a reading suggestion for you all!

My dad loves WWII memoirs. My Grandaddy fought in the Battle of the Bulge and other major battles, so I almost always try to find him a memoir focused on those to give him for Christmas or his Birthday. I gave my mom "The Help" for Mother's Day, so I was searching for a book for Father's Day. My parents came to Memphis to visit a few weeks before the holiday, and my dad mentioned wanting this book so I bought it and gave it to him while he was here:

Image via Amazon

From Amazon:

From Laura Hillenbrand, the bestselling author of Seabiscuit, comes Unbroken, the inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini--a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louie’s plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time. You’ll cheer for the man who somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity despite the monumental degradations he suffered, and you’ll want to share this book with everyone you know.

My dad loved it. He passed it on to my Great Uncle who also loved it. When I was home for the 4th, I brought it back with me. I just got around to reading it because I've been tearing through the Pretty Little Liars series(embarrassing, I know, but I have no shame in my reading choices!). I read it in 4 days. What this man went through is unbelievable. Something I've noticed in my history classes and such as that, when it comes to WWII, you mainly hear about the atrocities committed in the German concentration camps. This book shows that over in the Pacific, equal amounts of horrifying acts were committed. I could not put this book down. I finished it yesterday on my lunch break! I highly recommend it, even if you don't enjoy history.

Next on my list? Pretty Little Liars #5. Talk about a 180.

Have a great weekend!

Happy (Late) Birthday To Me!

Again, I apologize for the lack of posting this week. I'm hoping to get back on track soon!

I flew back to Memphis on Tuesday and my sweet husband was actually waiting inside the airport when I got there instead of picking me up curbside. Okay...he was only in there because I told him I like it when he is there waiting on me, but it was still sweet :) And the Delta App let him know when I was landing so he hung out in the cell phone lot before parking, so we still made it within the 30 minutes of free parking :)

Yesterday was my 27th Birthday! I celebrated with an all-day client meeting(JUST what I wanted. How did they know? ;))...okay, it ended early and they let me leave around 3:30 so it wasn't terrible. I tried to do some shopping but came up short. When I got home, a gift from my friend Kelly was waiting for me:

Image from Amazon.com

The commemorative 75th anniversary printing of Gone With The Wind. I actually have a copy, but it is my grandmother's hardcover from the 1950's. The binding is coming apart; I keep it with my other GWTW memorabilia on a shelf at my parents' house. Plus, Pat Conroy wrote the forward to this; I love his writing(despite the somewhat sick twists his stories have).

J gave me a big canvas print of Turner Field he found a Target for me to hang in my office. I can't find a picture online! But it will be great to fill in the white space I have going on there.

He also surprised me! I knew we'd go out to dinner and he was very insistent on Tuesday that I pick a place RIGHT NOW. He suggested Mellow Mushroom or (my fave) Sekisui. I couldn't figure out why I had to make a decision at that moment, but I picked pizza. Last night when we got there, two of my good friends and their husbands met us there! I was so surprised. It was nice to have friends there to celebrate with.

All in all, a good day. I loved the Facebook posts and texts and calls. I also love the gift card from my in-laws and new Nike shorts & InStyle subscription from my parents :) I love birthdays!

Ain't Nothin' Like That G-A Red Clay

I apologize for the lack of posting this week! I'll be back with the normal posts, plus an update on our new puppy :)

I am currently home in Georgia for the long weekend. I miss my husband(who couldn't come due to lack of vacation time), but I love my time at home. July 4th is a big holiday in my family and we celebrate with a cookout at my uncle's with tons of people, good food(he loves to cook), beer, (illegal) fireworks and the annual shuffleboard tournament among the men(why the women never play, I don't know...I think we drink too much sangria). My dad lost to his brother in the championship round by one point. His strategy every year? Be the sober one. Fell just a little short this year, which is surprising since some of the competitors were drinking moonshine(did I mention I'm from the N. Georgia mountains?)!

The rest of my time has been spent shopping at the Outlets with my best friend and hanging by our pool with the dog. My view looks like this:


Please be aware that there was an empty lounge chair on each side of me, but he had no interest in those. Spoiled dog.

Enjoy the holiday! And many thanks to our service men and women for all they do!

Wedding Wednesday: What Everyone Else Wore

I apologize, again, for the lack of posting! I've missed Wedding Wednesday for two weeks in a row! Last time I talked about finding The Dress. This week I'll talk about what everyone else wore!

The Bridesmaids + Flower Girls

Purple has been my favorite color for as long as I remember. In fact, my room at my parents' house is still painted purple! So it was clear what color my wedding party would be wearing!

I wanted to steer clear of any super-pale lilac or pansy color. I found European Lilac from Bill Levkoff to be the perfect shade. It was dark enough to not be pastel, but still light enough for an afternoon spring wedding.

I picked out the color, fabric (Euro Satin) and length(cocktail) and then my bridesmaids were free to choose any style dress that met that criteria. They had about a dozen to choose from and could pick whatever dress they liked. Out of six women, three chose the same dress and 3 chose different ones!
I asked that they just wear silver shoes, flats or heels--I didn't care. My matron of honor is more comfortable in flats, while my sister chose what can only be explained as "hooker heels"(she's the super tan one on the end)!

I originally picked out silver/gray chiffon dresses with satin lilac rosettes on the neckline and waist for my two flower girls(no picture available). We ordered them in February....they did not arrive at the store until the Tuesday before the wedding. When they did? They were both size 2. That size fit the three year-old, but the six year-old? no dice. Their cousin ended up going out to Belk's to buy ivory Easter dresses. I ended up loving them more than the originals.




The Guys

I originally wanted the guys to wear light gray suits. I love that look and something about a light gray suit screams Spring to me. However, due to logistics, we used Men's Wearhouse for the tuxes and I did not like their gray suits. We went with a classic black tux with ivory shirts--we avoided white since my dress was ivory. J wore an ivory vest + tie and the other guys wore a purple printed one. The ring bearer wore a mini version of J's tux. Our dad's wore black tuxes with black vests and ties.

His mom wore a lovely taupe skirt + jacket, while my mom wore an eggplant halter dress. Here's our whole family!



And here's the whole wedding party! The two girls in the teal and coral are my cousins who were program attendants.

All pictures done by William Massey Photography.

Next week: The Ceremony