Livin' on Sweet Tea

Our Valentines Story

2012-02-15T11:49:00.000-05:00

Our standing Valentines tradition is a little lack luster. We are not the normal couple to spend money on jewelry, flowers, and expensive over crowded dinners. I'm not knockin' other peoples V-Day plans but for me and the hubs it ain't worth it.

This year I did at least something fun. I filled Mr. P's Den with three dozen balloons. We also have a standing joke about a rather large teddy bear ( don't ask ) so he got a large teddy balloon too.

As well as a smaller teddy bear and a fun cowboy themed card. For some reason I'm a big card giver. I think that's the least you can do on a holiday or special occasion, ya know?

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you already saw my gift. I got new towels from Mr. P. He obviously knows the way to my heart. AND I got a cast iron griddle for the stove.

To finish off the night we ordered our traditional Stuffed Crust Pizza and watched TV. Yup. No razzle dazzle for us. Just another Tuesday. What other reason do we need?

So What! Wednesday

2012-02-15T10:20:00.001-05:00

So what if...

.... I just googled how to bake a potato. I'm a baker not a cook.

...I've gained three lbs back cuz I fell off the weight loss train. After losing 20lbs, 3 should be easy.

...I REALLY want to call out sick from work. Pretty Please? But my morals wont let me. DANG!

...I ordered boots for the Boston trip before we even bought the plane tickets. ( & UPS just delivered them as I'm writing this post and I luuurrve them cuz my calves actually fit into them like normal peoples would)

...I don't really like bacon. Yup, thats right I am not a bacon wrapped anything fan.

...if I stayed up reading Misha Collins tweets from the past year cuz' they were funny.

..if I'm going to post about our abnormal yet normal-for-us V-Day after this!

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

2012-02-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Morning Ya'll!

I'm trying to figure out why I'm obsessed with getting a Gold Starbucks card. Why!? This year the hubs and I are trying to save money yet I'm spending it on over priced ~~yet oh-so-good~~ coffee.

[photo]

I'm using my key chain card just to rack up the little stars on the Starbucks App until they reach 30. At 30 I become a "gold" member. But why this foolish expenditure just to get a free drink after every 15. FIFTEEN!

[photo]

Right now I only need 4 more stars to reach gold level so I'll probably reach my goal within the next week or two. If this south FL weather stays in the low 50s, maybe faster. Can we say hot chocolate with a double shot? It's so good!

[photo]

Can anyone explain whats wrong with me?!

Menu Monday

2012-02-13T10:35:00.001-05:00

Hi Loves!

Welcome to another Menu Monday: Pinterest Edition. The past week or two I haven't gotten to cook much. I've been swamped with work. This past weekend we had our first competition since October. Saturday was a stress filled 12.5 hour day.We did OK. We didn't rock it like I wanted to, but we got 2nd place in every level.

Sunday was spent being half lazy. I saw half cuz I did some laundry, vacuumed the floors and did a little shopping. I finally found a quilt for our guest room. Score! It's sad that the quilt was my victory of the weekend and not the competition from Saturday. Oh well. Then Sunday night the hubs and I had our Valentines Day dinner. We tried a new place by our house and it was ahhhh-mazing. It's a tiny little hole in the wall place but it was so frickin' good. Then we came home and watched the Walking Dead. Cuz' it wouldn't be us if zombies weren't involved right?!

On to the decadent breakfast menu!

Since I haven't cooked much lately I'm throwing in some breakfast foods. I've made both of these are they are fabulous!

Source: moneysavingmom.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Glazed Cinnamon Sugar Scones

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Cake

Menu Monday... well Tuesday

2012-02-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

It's Menu Tuesday this week. I was too heartbroken over the Patriots loss Sunday night to post yesterday. =/

Source: themarathonmom.com via Jessica on Pinterest

DIY peanut oat bars.
They are sooo yummy and a great grab and go snack. They are made with peanuts, peanut butter, coconut oil, flax, honey and oats.

Source: bakingbites.com via Jessica on Pinterest

French Dip Sandwiches.
I made mine just like the recipe except I used a bottle of beer instead of red wine.

So warm and stick to your bones good.

February Photo-a-Day Challenge

2012-02-07T10:48:00.005-05:00

1. My view today: This is my drive to work. It's pretty with the pal trees. :)

2. Words: I didn't pick a saying or a poster for this one. I chose the writting on the website for the shoes that I'm currently obsessing over and want to buy.

3. Hands: Showin off my purty' wedding' ring.

4. A stranger: I didnt take this photo. The only strangers I saw that day were at my gym and thats just creepy and wrong to take pictures of random people in a kids place. Or the people were at the movie theater where my Mom & I went. Kinda hard to sneak in a photo in a theater.

5. 10 am: Dog bone peices on the floor, laundry to be done, and a house to be cleaned.

6. Dinner. I was lucky to make it in the door last night with food. We ate chick-fil-a. I was soo tired and sick I came in, ate, and went to bed. Sorry no photo here either.

So far I suck at this photo a day stuff. At least I made 4 out of 6. Fingers crossed I make better luck with the next 6.

Boston: Packing

2012-02-03T11:35:00.000-05:00

Next month it looks like we'll actually make it to Boston! BUT I've been looking into the weather there for March and it's average of 37 degrees and the rainiest month of the year. I'm asking for help! I'm such a Florida girl and wear flip-flops all year. What do I wear?! Would outfits like these work?

Source: polyvore.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I need to know what to buy or what to pack! Also, where should I visit!?

Fill In the Blank Friday

2012-02-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

Good Morning Loves!

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross of my life list is buying a beach house and a boat. I think I'd buy a Keys house and stock it with kayaks, paddle boards, jet skis etc. and make it a house all my friends and family can use when they want. But then I don’t think I’d ever leave...

2. Rearranging the house is something I like that other people think is weird. It drives my husband crazy cuz every couple months or so I rearrange the kitchen and the furniture.

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be Stressed In Sunrise. I took over for another coach on beam and I've been working my booty off trying to make their routines look decent again. It's another 9 hours of work a week and our first competition is the 11th of this month.. Only another week.. OMG

4. Three things I am looking forward to this month are watching my gymnasts kick ass at their competitions, going to Tampa and of course Valentine’s Day. Not to mention the super bowl this weekend!

5. My favorite song to sing in the shower is Good Directions by Billy Currington.

6. If I found out that the production of Southern Comfort was ending this month, I'd go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow. (Ha that sounds bad!)

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of is Taco Bell. Seriously.

Happy Friday ya'll!

Apps

2012-01-29T19:21:00.000-05:00

I finally have my own Apple product. And it's a doozy. I got an iPad for xmas! Now my dilemma is what to put on it?! I have a few favorite apps but I would like to hear about more! Is it possible to be an app junkie??

Here's my fav's so far:

The Weather Channel

self explanatory.

Accounts

This app is a virtual checkbook register. It lets you enter your expenses, plus take photos of receipts, and show what you spend most of your budget on.

Urban Spoon

I love this app! It lets you find places to eat around you. You specify the area, type of food you want, and the price you want to pay and it shows you in map form. Its fab. if you want to find new places to eat.

Words with Friends, Scramble with Friends

Play me: livinsweet

VideoPix

The name doesn't give a just description but I loooove this app for work or sports. If your device can video record then this app is great. You record a video and can play it back as fast or slow as you want. I use it for work and show the girls each beam routine in slow-mo so they can see what went wrong.

Alarm Clock HD

I use my phone or iPad as my alarm clock most of the time and I like this one the best so far.

moreBeaute2

Just a great way to clean up photos you've taken yourself on an iPhone or iPad. I've got the skin of a 13 year old hormonal girl so it's great to smooth out the blemishes.

CoffeeTable

It's a scrolling catalog of catalogs. This saves unnecessary clutter in my house and it's green, save a tree!

Groupon/Living Social

I love a good deal. I know I've told you about these sites before and the apps are just as great.

AppGReader

I have to check my google reader. It's a must. If someone has a better way let me know.

Nike Training

This app kicks ass. Literally. If you work out, check it.

Please comment with a favorite app!

Menu Monday

2012-01-29T13:11:00.000-05:00

Source: eatinonthecheap.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Oven Baked Fajitas

These are the only fajitas I will ever make again. They were uhhh-mazing. I made the recipe just as written but added some mexican rice also. SO yummy!

Source: mykitchenapron.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

I was never a fan of Buffalo until this recipe. 3 ingredients, how can you go wrong!? Make as directed, shred and put in a leaf of iceberg lettuce for buffalo chicken lettuce wraps. I recomend this 100%. I've also made it with just chicken wings for a party or a whole cut up chicken. It works with everything so far.

Source: hungry-girl.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Wonton Tacos

Wonton wrappers are the new black. Seriously. They are low in calories and carbs and you can make almost anything in them. These wonton tacos are a waist friendly version if you're missin' your taco fix. ( ugh I could eat Taco Bell everyday, it's gross but I can't help it!)

Enjoy!

2012-01-27T12:38:00.000-05:00

1. My favorite place I’ve ever traveled to is anywhere. BUT I love the Florida Keys. Or Hawaii.

2. Ireland or Australia is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by reading or playing Bejeweld on the iPad

4. My three must-haves when I travel are an iPod/iPaD , snacks and A hoodie.

5. My favorite travel companion is my husband or my travel buddy Jenn!

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is ... well I'd say Alligator but thats not exotic to me, although it would be to some people.

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in the Keys, but if we're picking other states maybe Arizona. I loved visiting there.

9. I have been to twelve states in the U.S. I'd love to say all of them though.

And I'll leave you to a fabulous weekend by this random text conversation the hubs and I had:

Me: I had a dream we had a supscription to Playboy.
Hubs: I had a dream about zombies.
Me: If our dreams had a baby, THAT would be scary.
Hubs: I don't know how that would work...
Me: Playboy would have naked zombie bitches,
Hubs: I think thats already a movie..

haha. Seriously, who has these convos.

Mash Up

2012-01-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

Can i just start this post by telling ya'll how excited I am that Tervis now has water bottles!? Seriously I'm probably a little too excited but I use my tervis' every day. They're great for my gym because they don't sweat and ruin the mats/beams. AND now there is a water bottle! My life is complete. haha

Source: tervis.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Anywhoo, I don't have much personal stuff to write about. All I've been doing is working, and working, and working with a little laundry thrown in. And I didn't even do that laundry, the hubs did because I come home exhausted every day. Ya like the grammar in that sentence right? The next big holiday, aside from the Super Bowl wherethePatriotsbetterkickthepantsofftheGiants is Valentines Day. For us it's never a big deal. We've got our v-day routine down and we're stickin to it, but I'd like to spiffy up myself a bit anyway. I'd like to get a manicure like this. I say "get a manicure" because I've been using the Shellac type stuff cuz' I WILL chip every nail the same day I paint them without it. I'll shell out the $30 every once in a while just to make it last.

Source: Uploaded by user via Jessica on Pinterest

I also want to make this shirt. I work on v-day and can't wear many cute things while working out, but this I can manage to pull off.

Source: tandsdaybook.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

& while we're at it, I'm thinking of going blonde again. *Gasp*I said I wouldn't do it, that I love the brunette.But the time may have come to start lightening it up again. Maybe. Any thoughts?

So What Wednesday

2012-01-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

I don't believe I've ever done a So What Wednesday but I really enjoyed doing todays. There are too many things that we keep inside that bother us and we kinda just gotta let our inner bitches out. Know what I mean?!

So what...

... if I totally got excited about the thought of buying a new spring dress and pink heels.

... if I'm too broke to bring my husbands wallet to him 40 mins away that I made him give me $20 to do it.

...if I've been watching every episode of Supernatural every night before bed while playing on my iPad. AND I'd rather do that then go out.

...if I haven't grouted the new bathroom tile fully yet.

...if I already filed our tax return. Yes, ma'am I got that done early. Momma needs some new shoes! ( Hmmm maybe some green ones, since we'll be spending St. Patty's Day in Boston!)

... if i have been a total slacker on my "diet". I haven't been horrible but that Krispy Kreme i had for breakfast yesterday didn't help.

... if i refuse to watch any of the campaign ads. I don't even know who is still in the running.

... if I STILL haven't decided on a paint color for our guest room. Now I'm thinking yellow and I kinda hate yellow at the same time.. HELP!

Now go let your bitch out and play along with Life After I Dew!

The Big 2-6

2012-01-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

26 seems so much older than 25. I really didnt think it would be much different. Now I feel the difference. It's hard to explain. The idea of getting older should get kicked in the face, just sayin'.

This birthday wasn't much different than my previous ones, just less drama filled. Sort of. My family came over and we ordered a couple trays of Italian food. It was nice to be able to have everyone over for a meal and not have to cook it! While we were eating.. I was drinking....Southern Comfort of course. I totally scored this year and got a bottle from my brother in law and my friend. (insert evil laugh here)Then came cake. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Yum!
And gifts.My aunt got me a Brighton charm bracelet. I love the little fish, sandal and crab! My friends gave me this sign. Which I~~did not~~ make Kado hold up for a picture.
And my parents gave me these. The most squishy comfortable sandals.

Source: amazon.com via Jessica on Pinterest

And the monogram necklace!

Source: charmandchain.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I had a great birthday this year and could not have asked for a better family and friends. Thank You all!

Menu Monday: Pinterest Edition

2012-01-23T11:14:00.002-05:00

I have been cooking at home A LOT more then I did before. For some reason I don't like making the same recipe over again for a while, so I'm always trying new recipes. Then *Kablam* here comes Pinterest. This site it awesome for food. Like really.

Every Monday I plan on sharing things that I've already made with you. I've found these all on pinterest and they got the thumbs up from us. =)

Source: skinnytaste.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Crock pot Santa Fe ChickenIf you like Mexican and can channel your inner Chipotle loving self, this recipe is for you. SO easy too.

Source: dashingdish.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Skinny BBQ Chicken Pizza. C'mon now, how could this be bad?

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Asian Turkey MeatballsI'll admit it, the words Asian and meatballs don't normally go together in the same recipe. This one works though. It took me a couple bites to determine if I liked it but the hubs and I agree. We do.

Source: thedeenbros.com via Jessica on Pinterest

LasaGna Soup

This ones a winner. Bobby Deen made it and it's a lighter, lower calorie soup then the original by his mother, Paula. I happen to put more red pepper flakes in mine than the recipe called for but it was still good.

Enjoy!

2012-01-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

I'm lovin' that the hubs and I have decided we're going to Boston to see his family this year. AND he's agreed to take time off work to go to Ocala to see my Grandparents.

Source: google.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I'm lovin' that you can see my collarbones again. I'm down 22 1/2 lbs and it's finally showing.

I'm lovin' that I've been able to keep the windows open most of the day for the past couple weeks. FPL eat your heart out.

I'm lovin' that I just bought a Groupon for Paddleboarding. I've always wanted to try it but not to spend the $ unless I really like it.

I'm lovin' that I wanted to get my nails and toes done for my birthday and I was short on cash, and another Groupon come up today for 50% off. Score.

I'm lovin' that the Patriots beat Denver this past weekend! Nothin' personal against Tebow, but I'm sick of hearin about him.

from here.

Currently

2012-01-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I saw this idea from Heather and thought it was a good idea. It'll just let ya'll know what's up with my neck of the woods.

Currently:

Listening: "Take it Outside" by Brantely Gilbert

Eating: So far today nothing. It's still too early for me.

Drinking: Wahhta.

Wearing: Old rodeo shirt and my husbands bball shorts and camo crocs. haha I'm a fashion disaster in the a.m.

Feeling: Like I have too much to do and not enough time.

Weather: Beautiful and sunny but just a tad too cool for a bathing suit which makes me sad. =(

Wanting: To play hookey and watch tv all day.

Needing: To work out!

Thinking: That I need to win the lottery. Asap.

Enjoying: My weight dropping on the scale. 23 lbs baby!

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-01-13T11:04:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Lauren from thelittlethingswedo.

Happy Friday!

1. The last thing I ate was blueberry yogurt and black tea.

2. The last song I listened to was "I'm Gonna Miss Her" by Brad Paisley.

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell jess, is, case, ... lame, i cant find anymore!

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick grey. I love grey t-shirts. OR blue cuz I could live in blue jeans all day, every day.

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find my wallet, keys, coupons, lip gloss, camera, motrin, my coffee coozie, and a bag of popcorn.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to finish watching last nights Greys Anatomy.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is: well i'm going to go with facorite song to get me going, dancing or running at the gym. Keep on Rocking Me Baby by Steve Miller Band.

Have a great weekend loves!

Birthday List

2012-01-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

Since my Christmas was huge on gifts, I'm not really looking to get any birthday gifts. BUT where is the fun in not showing you want I actually want?!

Fossil Carson Cross-Body

Nike Women's Dual Fusion ST 2 Running Shoe

Griddle for the Stove

Source: crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Jessica on Pinterest

A day on the boat or beach

Source: amazon.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Reef Star Sandals

2012-01-11T11:14:00.001-05:00

Hey ya'll

I'm playin along with Jamie today so go check her out!

I'm loving...

...the bathroom tile. It's ALMOST done.

..that I've been cooking so much lately. Last night I made these Wonton Tacos.

... that I FINALLY got the job promotion.

I'm now the Beam coach for our team! GO me!

... that my birthday postcard came in from Starbucks!

Free Starbucks. yes, please!

... that I also got free redbull this week. Red Bull was giving away free drinks to people who declared their resolutions at the beginning of the year.

..these amazing pork chops.

I made them Monday and hubs has eaten them every day as leftover lunch. Something he never does.

... the fried mac n cheese balls that my hubs & I demolished on Sunday. I'm officially down 22lbs now so I took a cheat day and scarfed down from fatty food.

Fill In The Blank Friday: Free Time Edition

2012-01-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll!

It's Friday again, so here we go. Go play along with Lauren @ the little things we do!

1. One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is organize things. Honestly everytime I have a couple free hours I end up cleaning something and throwing away atleast one bag full.

2. When I have free time I tend to be more motivated. I see it as an open opportunity to get whatever I need done. I had one free day last week and mulched a new planter in the front yard, went through all my 2011 files and purged stuff and still watched a movie.

3. If I had an entire day completely to myself I would go to starbucks, then drive to the beach and sit there and read all day.

4. I would prefer to spend my free time alone most of the time. I get more done and can really think about things without everyone around.

5. Most of my free time happens during football season. Don't forget, I'm an NFL widow from September to February.

6. The best thing about free time is that you don't have any obligations of course! The world is your oyster! . ( I'm stealing her answer!)

7. The next time I have free time I should probably do laundry but instead, I'll probably play around on pinterest. Or go label my new file folders. It's sad. :)

Happy Friday!!

Four books.

2012-01-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

Four books. Easy peasy! I read an average of about 40 books a year, so the only thing hard about this post is picking ONLY four.

1. The Cypress House

The Cypress House is sort of paranormal but not really when you read the whole book. It grabs you from the first line and I def. recommend reading it.

2. Widow of the South

The south in war times. All you need to know.

3. The Sookie Stackhouse Series

Notice I said the "Sookie Stackhouse" Series and not "True Blood". As much as I love the show, the books are so much better.

4. Anita Blake Series

Anita Blake and her supernaturals have stolen my heart. I've read every single one of these books and religiously check to see if the next one has a release date yet.

Since I read sooo much, I'm curious what your favorite books are. Give me ideas!

Bathroom Board

2012-01-04T10:18:00.001-05:00

Here is the main idea for our bathroom reno. The tile in the top left corner is the actual tile we are using. That's why it's taking so long. Each individual tile has to be set correctly and you can only do one 12x12 travertine piece a day or else the weight pushes them unlevel. Ugh.

The paint color is similar but not the same as what we are using. The actual green is a big lighter, and so is the dresser we are really using for our sink.

We've been using the white bowl sink for some time and I really like it. Now the white sink will match a white tub. The brown tub with tan tile and brown grout just didn't look as clean as I would like.

This is a big reno for us. It seems like so much more work then the ones we've done in the past: Kitchen, patio, roof, landscape, flooring, the Man Den, etc. We've worked on almost every room in our house. The guest room is the only one we haven't worked on.

We
~~dont~~ have an excuse for leaving it for so long. We wanted to see if we could get the old cast iron tub out of the adjoining bathroom successfully without having to pull it through the wall into the next room. That would have sucked.

The guest room only had to suffer one minor injury so far. A crow bar went through it's wall. No biggie.

After the bathroom is done that's one project marked off my " to do before I get pregnant" list. I didn't want to put a baby in a dirty and rusted tub. In a couple of days I get to check that off my list!

Bathroom Update

2012-01-04T09:21:00.000-05:00

This bathroom update is taking a bit longer then we'd expected. I can't really complain beccause my Dad is doing a lot of it and he only comes over to work when we're home. Which is not very much now that we're both back to work after the holidays.

Here is what the bathroom has looked like for the past two years. Well I guess its looked like this since the 1970's technically... but we'll go with our two years.

Right after we moved in we put in a new floor. They are 16"x16" travertine stone tiles and I'd like to keep the look going up the shower walls as well.

Day 1:

We got it all ripped out, with Kado's supervision of course!

We even got our brand spankin' new bath tub installed that day!

It's slightly bigger than the old one so we had to customize the dry wall a bit. Possibly but moving

~~bending~~

a metal stud around.

Ain't she a beauty!? Look at that shine!

2011-12-30T10:07:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll!

The holidays are finally over, sort of... and my house is cleaned up, sort of...and I'm grabbing about 5 minutes between insanity ensuing to catch up on a blog post. Right now the house is half way cleaned up from the holidays and about 70% more messed up due to the guest bathroom being reno'd right now. Pics to follow on that.

1. New Years is a great way to "start over". Even though life still goes on as normal, it feels fresh

2. One of my New Year's resolutions will be to continue working on making myself a better person. I've already lost 20 lbs and I'd like to see another 10 come off, expecially since I believe I've put on 5 over this holiday season! UGHHHH. Also the hubs and I have talked about trying to pay off as much as we can this year. We're going to only eat out once a week ( which helps with losing weight too!) and try to be more frugal.

3. A New Year's resolution I've made in the past was to (haha) i can't remember any of them!

4. The most time consuming resolution I ever made was (n/a)

5. This year I will be spending New Year's Eve at a friends house more then likely. We were suppose to be the New Years Eve party house this year but... drunk people + no toilet = no bueno.

6. If I could wish one thing for my new year it would be to see all my family and friends make it through the whole year.
7. 2012 is going to be awesome, right?

I hope everyone had a fabulous and safe New Years Eve!

Holiday Party & Ornament Swap

2011-12-13T20:53:00.001-05:00

This previous weekend was my office party. Granted my office is a gym. So its a gym party? Who knows what the right term is for it but anyways, I attended, and so did my husband. Which is a first. Normally around our house we attend these things separately or not at all. I don't like mixing work with home life and home with work life. In my line of work a lot of the people I work with are younger than I am and that normally equals drama. We all know the kind.

So this year was special because I brought him with me. In 6 years, this was the first. I even got a picture to prove it. :)

All American Jess hosted an ornament exchange this year. I did one last year and got some interesting ornaments so I tried it again this year. I was partnered up with a girl named Sara, who unfortunately does not have a blog so it was a little harder to pick something she might like. On the other hand, she got me some really cute ornaments. I even started a mini tree in my kitchen to hang them on.

This photo doesn't do the tree justice, it really is much cuter in person. Sara bought me the snorkeling Santa and the larger blue & yellow shells.

There are also two other fun ornaments on my little tree this year. There is a blue seahorse and a green seahorse that we bought in Tampa at the Florida Aquarium.

Hopefully one day I can have a larger white tree with all the shells and ocean ornaments. It's kind of fun to collect one type!

New Babies

2011-12-13T11:25:00.002-05:00

To all of us without children we need to find things to amuse ourselves with. My newest hobby/amusement is growing vegetables. Fun huh? I know, hold onto your seat!

A couple weeks ago Mom & I went to a county "go green" festival cuz' they were giving out free trees. On the way to get our trees, we stopped by a few booths to see what the fuss was about. At one booth, a man was selling vegetable plants for $1. One smackaroo. In most places you cant even get a soda for that anymore. I was sold. Id wanted to try growing something edible for a while and this was perfect.

Here are the new babies:

Spicy Peppers

Basil

Sweet Peppers

In the background of most of these pictures you can see the lettuce plant. It's a mixed green variety that seems to be doing the best of all of them so far.

I've also started growing a pineapple plant too. Just buy a whole pineapple, cut the top off and plant it. Just keep in mind they can take 2 years to grow a pineapple!

Also, since I'm on a growing food kick I saw this tip on Pinterest and tried it and it really works!

Source: homemadeserenity.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

New I'm going to try these:

Source: chickensintheroad.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Growing celery

Source: growinginprek.com via Jessica on Pinterest

and growing a pumpkin.

Turkey Bowl & Tampa

2011-12-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

My husband has this crazy tradition to play football with his friends every Thanksgiving morning. Normally it isnt so bad, but this year they hadn't played at all until two weeks before the "big game". That does not make for an exciting event.

The highllight of this years game happened in the very beginning. Let's just say I'm glad he plays with guys his size cuz' my husband lost his britches. He got them ripped right off!

A friend gave him another pair of shorts for the rest of the game, but his is what he was left with them he got home.

After all that excitement, we went to my parents house for dinner. I didn't get pictures of almost anything, which was one of my goals this year. =(

I did get a picture of the Pumpkin Nutella Cake that I posted about before.

Along with the pies...

and the sweet potatoes..my favorites.

The next day we headed north to Tampa! FINALLY a vacation!

We checked into the hotel and then went straight to the Florida Aquarium. It's a rather small aquarium but nice all the same.

Later, we returned to the hotel and took a nap. In. The. Middle. Of. The. Day. Who get to do that anymore?!

After our restful sleep :) we walked the 10 blocks to dinner. The weather was so freakin' nice, we even ate outside on the water. The food was really yummy too!

The next day we got to go to Busch Gardens, Woo Hoo!

There was a cheetah with a doggie friend. It was so stinkin' cute.

We got stalked by a gorilla. This bad boy was on the other side of the enclosure but when we got there he came right over and sat in front of us with his back to the glass.

This was a much needed vacation for the two of us. We've gone on a bunch of different trips this year, but none of them were together! I can't wait till the next one.

I Did it Again...

2011-12-01T11:07:00.001-05:00

photo credit.

Hi, My Name is Jessica, and I'm a magazine addict.

Yeahh, I've already told you that I LOVE magazines for some reason.

I seemed to have added to my already long list from last time I mentioned it.

Right now I subscribe to:

US Weekly

Taste of Home

HGTV

Food Network

Weight Watcher

Clean Eating

Shape

ESPN ( cuz I seem to look at it more than my hubs)

Horse Illustrated

and today I added another. Did I need it? nope. BUT I'm always looking for healthy alternatives and for the price of this one I couldn't pass up.

Thanks to Fantabulously Frugal for showing me yet ANOTHER magazine for under $5!

With the promo code NATURAL you get this one for $2.99 on Tanga!

Thanksgiving Cooking Class

2011-11-24T12:31:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, my friend Janell and I went to our first cooking class. Granted that I cook at home all the time, so this was just for fun.

I'm not sure if you have something like it in your area, but down south we have Groupon and Living Social. They are one day deals on everything from clothing to vacations and everything in between. We scored a Living Social Deal for a 3 hour cooking class for $25. Score!

Since the class was 45 min away in rush hour traffic we got there about 10 mins later then we would have liked. Once we signed in and met our cooking partners, we got to work. There were five groups of four cooking partners. Every group had a different dish to prepare.

Our dish was sweet potatoes. If you know me I'm a sweet potato freak. I LOOOOVE them.

Our work station. I was trying to be neat about it.

Myself & Janell, proud sweet potato parents :)

At the end of the night we got to eat everything that the groups made.We had our swqeet potatos,turkey, stuffing, brussel sprouts and orange cranberry sauce. Not to sound self centered, but our sweet potatos were definetly the best thing on the plate!

I so stole this picture from Miss Amy's FB page. Love You Amy!

Now I'm off to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family! Have a good holiday!

Warm Hug Scarf Swap

2011-11-15T11:51:00.000-05:00

I received my Warm Hug Scarf Swap package a week or so ago, but sadly I had lost my cord to my camera to upload the pictures of my goodies. =) Luckily Overstock had a cheap $2 one that I bought and it came in yesterdays mail.

About a month ago I signed up for a Warm Hug Scarf Swap co hosted by Leesh and Elisse. Living in south FL doesn't afford much time to wear scarves, but c'mon they are so comfy! I seem to keep adding to my collection without needing too.. Whoops.

I got partnered up with Heather who is such a sweet new mommy! This is the package she sent me. TWO scarves. yippeeee and a couple packages of her favorite cold weather drinks. I think there may have been a third packet of drink mix but in my giddyness to
~~tear~~open the package in my car i may have lost it under the seat.

So far we've only gotten two days this season of weather in the 60s so I haven't been able to wear any scarves yet BUT there is only 10 more days till we take a mini vacation a couple hours north of here so I might get to wear one then. Fingers crossed!

What I'm Loving

2011-11-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

It's November. WTF!? Where did this year go? Why does time start speeding up as you get older? Ahhh no fair. OK sorry for the temper tantrum... back to it being November. Which means it's also time to think about everything we're thankful for. It's all in the little things isnt it?\

Here are some things I'm thankful for and totally loving today..

I'm loving the county I live in is giving away free trees this Saturday! Not only is that great cuz' my yard needs some sprucing up but it's also great for the environment. Think of all the trees that will be planted soon!

I'm loving the diet that I've been following has now become more of a lifestyle and I LOVE that. I've cut most of the sugar and white carbs from my diet. I've also started eating more cleanly. No processed foods, high fructose corn syrup or chemicals I can't pronounce.

Skinny Taste is one of the websites that I get some of the recipes I use at our house. I also just love that I found a salad that I'm going to bring to Thanksgiving this year!

Skinny Taste Mixed Baby Greens with Pomegranate Seeds, Gorgonzola and Pecans.

Source: google.com via Shannon on Pinterest

I'm loving that my Brother-in-law is getting out of the Marines and will be home to celebrate the holidays with his family.

What are YOU loving today? Go link up & play along!

Everyday Minerals

2011-11-08T22:01:00.001-05:00

I don't particularly like wearing make up. I don't love how it feels, but not every woman can roll out of bed looking well rested and fabulous. Ain't gonna happen for me.

BUT every girl has a favorite beauty product right? This just happens to be one of mine.

Everyday minerals is one of my top picks. I use a base and bronzer/blush. And guess what? If you go to the website you can get a trial kit for free. My trial bronzer lasted me 6 months.. it's definitely worth looking at!

This is not a paid advertisement. I just thought I'd share some freebies with you since I like this product so much!

Thanksgiving: Desserts First

2011-11-08T10:55:00.006-05:00

Thanksgiving it probably the one meal a year where you wouldn't want to eat dessert first. Well I wouldn't, but I'm going to do this backwards this year and post thanksgiving recipes from desserts back to appetizers.

These are the recipes that look the most appealing and may just grace our Thanksgiving table this year:

Source: inbetweenlaundry.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Source: ladybehindthecurtain.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Cinnamon Apple Upside Down cake

Source: laaloosh.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Carrot Cake

Source: marthastewart.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

Pecan Pie

Source: annies-eats.net via Kadie on Pinterest

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

Source: hostessblog.com via Judy on Pinterest

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Source: poboylivinrich.com via Lynn on Pinterest

In years past I've made

Salted Caramel Upside Down Pecan Pie

Source: melskitchencafe.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Pumpkin Rolls and

Pupmkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust

Both are awesome!

Pumpkin Nutella Donuts & a Dining Table

2011-11-07T09:43:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday was a major shopping holiday for me. What was it you ask? Mondo neighborhood yard sales. Yup, thats right I'm a thrifty shopper, I love good deals!

Well this time I scored big.. as in a used Ethan Allen dining room table big! I finally found a round dining room table! I've been looking for a usedone for a while. I wanted used because of the beat up character and also because I wouldnt feel guilty painting it. Right now I can't find the cord from my camera or I'd show you a picture but its definetly going to be a featured DIY project!

Since we were going garage saling ( is that a word?) so early in the morning I made a great dessert/breakfast cake the night before. I used this recipe from Real Mom Kitchen I found on Pinterest. It's fantastic.Seriously.

I even made my own little changes to how it's made and baked it in my Wilton Donut Pan. Which is fabulous at making almost anything cake related into a baked donut! If you love pumpkin, and Nutella, make this!

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bread or Donuts*
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons Nutella (2 tablespoons per mini loaf) ***see note below

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and extracts. Whisk until smooth and combined.
4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Mix until ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the batter into the mini loaf pans, making sure batter is evenly divided. Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of Nutella onto each loaf pan. Swirl the Nutella into the pumpkin batter with a knife. Place the loaf pans onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Place the loaf pans on a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then carefully remove the loaves. Cool completely before slicing.
*Note-You can make regular size loaves. This recipe should make 2 8×4 loaves. Adjust baking time to about 60 minutes. You can also make muffins, but I am not sure how many you will get from a full recipe since I did some mini loaves and some muffins. For muffins cook between 15-20 minutes. I also recommend doing additional nutella in the middle of you muffins or loaves. Just fill the pan half way and swirl in some nutella just like the recipe calls for on top.

Shutterfly Holiday Cards!

2011-10-28T10:25:00.000-04:00

Shutterfly is where I got my holiday cards last year. Let's just say I was disappointed when I didn't have enough friends and family to send every last card out to. Sad isn't it?!

This year they have an ever better selection of Christmas cards. I'm leaning towards the tropical Florida-ish cards for 2011.

We don't have any kids yet so maybe our fur-baby can make the cards? Ha, Kado is cute and all, but we know who REALLY eats the last Christmas cookie. . . its probably me.

And there are also so many other pretty cards to choose from! I love this chevron card. Don't be surprised if this baby makes it in the mailbox this year.

I also like this one if I go the more traditional route.

And Shutterfly also has cute thank you cards for all those unexpected gifts this holiday season. Or maybe some invitations for a New Years party?? That may be happening at our house too!

FiTBF: Childhood

2011-10-28T09:45:00.000-04:00

1. When I was a kid I wanted to be a horse vet or horse trainer when I grew up.
2. As an adult, my dream job would be a stay at home Mom at a beach house .

3. When I was younger I wanted to be just like my grandma =) .

4. The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was when I was Belle from Beauty & the Beast.

5. My favorite childhood toy was the backyard! I was never inside, from what I can remember.

6. The time I got into the biggest amount of trouble when I was a kid was when I ...I got grounded for sneaking out.

7. I get daily inspiration from Pinterest and people watching.

Now head on over and play along!

Fav. Fall Decoration!

2011-10-26T10:26:00.000-04:00

I've jumped on the pinterest bandwagon. I'm afraid I'm addicted! I'm sure I'm one of the last to find out about it, but seriously there is everything on there!

I went through my boards and picked out my favorite fall decorations. I hate to admit it but I'm almost over the fall stuff already and its my absoulte favorite part of the year. I'm ready for christmas!

Source: adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: None via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: myheartsdesireblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Punkin' Carvin'

2011-10-26T09:12:00.000-04:00

I'm having a hard time choosing a pattern for my pumpkin this year. It's something I look forward to every year but I don't want to do something lame...These are the ones I've found that I like so far. What do you think?

(from here)

I think I have a sick sense of humor. haha

(from here)

& The Steelers pumpkin is a thought to irk my hubs. He does not like the steelers, while I do. He'd rather I did a Patriots pumpkin.

(from here)

I think I'm going with the hello kitty one though. If I get to carve my own, I might as well go with the girly one. Plus who doesn't like Hello Kitty!?

Fill In The Blank Friday

2011-10-20T23:26:00.000-04:00

I love that there is a new photo each week! I'm linking up with the little things we do.

1. Nothing says fall like having the windows open and feeling the crisp breeze through the windows.

2. My favorite autumnal tradition is carving pumpkins! I love going to the pumpkin patch and picking out the best pumpkin.

3. My favorite fall treat is a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte and a scone. Soo good.

4. Fall makes me think of family and happiness because the humidity in the air goes away and I feel like I can breathe. Also cuz' of all the holidays. Unfortunately Florida doesn't have a fall/winter we only have cold fronts so we have to take advantage of the "cool" weather while we have it!

5. Autumn free form word association, go! Pumpkins, apples, boots, bon fires, scarves

6. My go-to outfit in the fall is jeans, boots and my camo jacket. Or jeans, boots, a scarf and sweater. Jeans and boots are a must.

7. My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving) . Well I love Halloween in October and Thanksgiving in November, does that count?!

5 Foods

2011-10-20T13:17:00.000-04:00

I know this post isn't diet friendly but ya know... It's a nice farwell to the things I won't be eating much of.

{1} Jalepeno Mac N Cheese

{2} Publix Sugar Cookies

{3} Steak and Baked Potato

{4} BBQ Cheeseburger

{5} Dominos Cheesesteak Pizza

16lbs down!

2011-10-20T12:53:00.000-04:00

Any time I want to try a new project, its nice to have some guidelines right? I'd been thinking lately that my life could use some sprucing up. Mainly my eating habits. I eat like a 5 year old! Well, uhh so does my husband so we're both over due for some diet rehab.

A woman I work with started the 17 day diet and has lost 14lbs so far. It's a clean eating program that is long enough to create a habit. I was excited to check it out, and bought the book on my Kindle app. After reading though the first chapter I was hooked. Call it a fad, or w/e you like but I was game to try it. Even the Hubs was down to do it.

So far I've lost 5 lbs on this diet and my energy has gone through the roof. Getting rid of processed food is a HUGE step in the right direction for us. I just FEEL better all around. I sleep better, I move better, and I don't miss all that fat/sugar that I use to eat.

NO, I'm not paid to write this post. I'm just sharing my own personal experiences. It's just something for you to think about ;)

2 years.

2011-10-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I got to celebrate two wonderful years of marriage to my husband!

Sigh.

2011-10-06T13:27:00.000-04:00

This is the post that I've dreaded writing but I'm finding is oddly liberating. I had mentioned previously that I've had some misfortune lately and some fears were realized.

September 1st: I found out I was preggo. Jumping for joy doesn't even cover our surprise and excitment. We'd been trying/not trying (if it happen it happen kinda attitude) since last October. It looked like our time had finally come. The same morning I found out I made an OB/GNY appt for the next morning so we would be able to confirm the home test. This put me at 4/5 weeks along.

September 2: I had my appointment and had a blood test done.

September 4: I had some spotting at about 4 am. I was scared but had heard this happens to a lot of people.

September 5 ( Labor Day): we told my parents cuz' we couldnt keep it in any longer.

September 6: I had to go back to the Dr. to check my HCG levels. The first blood results came back at 117.

September 7: I get a phone call from the Dr that my blod test from the previous day had come back. My HCG levels had dropped down to only 32. She informed me that it was not a viable pregnancy and I would lose this baby. I would start miscarrying soon.

September 8: The miscarriage starts. I won't go into detail there but lets say its 10x worse then your normal monthly "visit". Emotionally I was a wreck. Crying all the time, sad at the loss and not knowing how to deal with it. In just the weeks time, I'd already gotten attached to my baby.

For over two weeks following that I was still bleeding and feeling horrible. I was a b*tch and didn't care what anyone said or did. I was also going to the Dr every two/three days to check my blood levels. My arms were black and blue from all the tests, and I had to keep answering questions about what was wrong with me. I expecially loved when the lab lost a blood test and I had to go back the very next day and do it all over again. I think in September I gave blood over 10 times.

To make matters worse, the lab screwed up a blood test and told the Dr. that my HCG levels had gone back up. Which ment I was ectopic or there was a problem with my miscarriage. Hence, this nightmare was now being coninutally dragged on.

It's looking like things are finally getting back to normal now. I had what I hope it my last blood test this morning. As long as its showing my levels are still down then this is over. Fingers crossed.

I'm not posting this out of sympathy. More or less this is my story about something that happens to 80% of women. Thats a little fun fact I had no idea about. Most women just don't even know they've miscarried because it happens to early on.

For the next few months I'm just going to let my body recover and get my head straight before we even start thinking of trying again. I'm praying we have better luck next time...

six places

2011-09-29T15:37:00.000-04:00

I'd loooove to go to any of these places. There are about 1,000 more that I could add to this list!

Borgund Church, Norway

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Alaska

Heart Reef, Australia

South Island, New Zealand

Kilimanjaro, Kenya

FITBF

2011-09-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

This week's Fill In The Blank Friday is going to be super boring cuz I'm not feeling supper creative. I'm exhausted and stressed and that doesn't equal an awesome post. But Hey, at least I'm posting right!?

1. The best thing I did all week was sleep. And I didn't do enough of it.

2 Pumpkin Spice Lattes make me super happy.

3. Pets are amazing to have.

4. My husband is the best thing about my life.

5. With the cooler weather I am looking forward to scarves and bon fires!

6. Something that's on my "wish list" right now is a maid. haha

7. This weekend I am going to be working ALL weekend. We have our first competition! Let's go Penguins!

seven wants.

2011-09-19T08:32:00.000-04:00

Is it too early to make a Christmas list? I think not.

Of course I'm going to change my mind or add/subtract from this list in the future, but here's seven of my current wants. I'm spending so mch time lately thinking deeply that I'm going for shallow and materialistic with this one. =)

seven.

[Michael Kors Black & Rose Gold watch]

six.

[Dirt Devil KURV Hand Vac]

five.

[Personalized Melamine Platter]

four.

[ Rose Gold Monogram Necklace]

three.

[IPad 2]

two.

[Kangaroo Water Bottle with Storage Compartment]

one.

[A Photo Wall Like This]

Jenn's Bachelorette Party

2011-09-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

We all know you don't spill all the beans about what happens at a bachelorette/bachelor party.And I'm not going to! =p

Here's just a few tidbits from the night.

1. I was the DD.

2. That doesn't mean anything, apparently I don't need to be drinking to drive stupidly.

3. I missed the turn for the road we needed to take and we ended up at the airport. Whoops!

4. We finally made it to dinner, on time too!

5. After dinner we hit the bars/casino down here. It's called the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. It's a rather large collection of bars/clubs and restaurants attached to the outside of a big casino.

5. We gave Jenn her Bachelorette Party "To-Do" List. Check that baby out.

6. Hilarity ensued.

I'm leaving out the other photos from the list ;)

I wasn't feeling well and left about 1 a.m. but from what I hear the rest of the night was even better. Congratulations Jenn!

8 Fears

2011-09-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while, I know. There just have been things going on in my life that have brought out the best and worst of me recently and I took a little hiatus to sort through them. Hopefully I can be back now, and refocus my attentions.

Since one of the things that I'm even currently dealing with was one of my biggest fears, I thought this post would be appropriate.

[eight] heights

[seven] drowning

[six] small spaces

[five] losing someone I love

[four] dementia/ Alzheimer's

[three] having a disease/cancer

[two] getting bitten by a spider or poisonous snake

[one] having my identity stolen?

OK, so these are real fears. Mine aren't so bad though. I'm not scared of insects or animals , although there are a few I'd rather avoid so that I don't look like a fool running away from them. ( Like the big ass spiders in the barn!)

I'll be posting on what I'm going through right now in the future. Hopefully the not-too-distant future. =\

Mini - Season

2011-08-06T19:02:00.000-04:00

I guess I've been home about a week now, which really makes me sad =(

Last week I spent a few days down south in one of the prettiest places in the U.S., the Florida Keys.

I can't say I mind the three hour drive, ^ this is the stuff you see almost the whole way.

One of the nice things about the Keys is that we don't have to stay in a hotel, we have family friends down there with a nice house and a boat. On the first day, after unpacking a visiting for a little while, we went out on the boat just to ride around and see what the chaos was going to be for the next morning.

You might ask, why we thought there was going to be chaos.. well you see, it was the Florida Mini-Season Lobster Dive. The mini season dive is only legally 48 hours where anyone with a Saltwater fishing permit with a special designation for lobster can dive and catch a daily limit. In the Keys the limit is only 6 per person per day. There's a good reason for that...

We got out on the boat a little late the first morning, about 7 a.m. but the sunrise over the ocean is worth getting a late start!

Remember that 6 pp per day limit? Well the mini dive has also been called "amateur hour" because everyone and their momma comes out. The photo below doesn't do it justice, there were about 200 boats within a mile of us, all with divers in the water.

Since that spot was decimated, remember we got there late? We headed to another spot about 30 mins south. Which was beautiful! I wish these photos could show better, but the water was a nice aqua green and warm!

We didn't hit our limit either day, but that's OK. Like i said, we weren't there for lobster. I hadn't gotten to dive in YEARS! Which it totally horrible cuz it's one of my favorite things to do.

I got a little sun burnt, but I had such a good time. I got to wake up in the morning and have my coffee on the dock that's about 2 houses down from the open water.

The drive back was uneventful, I tried to beat the rush of people headed north towards home.

Can't say the view was bad either =)

9 Loves.

2011-07-31T18:30:00.000-04:00

Easiest day of this series by far!

*And of course these are only in order of how I found the pictures on my computer.

1. So far I'm loving

( pinintrest)

2. My husband.

3. The Biffs.

I'm using high school slang instead of what I would really call them :)

They're all there, even little Amy peeking from the back! Hi Amy!

4. The Pooch

5. My Family

6. Church

7. Going Back to School

8. The Ocean

9. Our Country

10. Cupcakes

Of course I could go on and on!

2011-07-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

I'm being a major procrastinator right now. I'm suppose to be studying for my anatomy quiz tomorrow. yyyeahhh.. not happening. I'd rather be jamming to Jason Aldean and blogging.

I saw this particular idea on Krystal's Kitsch and though I'd play along. I cant promise I'll post them all on 10 consecutive days though.

I'm gonna have to think hard about this one, I don't know about 10 secrets...

1. I hate negative people because i feed off of it and become negative too. I'm always happiest when those people aren't around.

2. I feel like I'm a person stuck in another persons life. I can't really describe this one as neatly as I'd like. I live in a city when I want to live in the country. I still think of myself as the girl I used to be in high school but clearly I'm not. I think I should have been born 50 years ago, before the world had computers, texting, etc. There are so many more conflicts that I'm working out with myself. I honestly think a lot of people feel this way and its just something to be thought about.

3. I hate waiting on other people. I know this is a negative statement and it contradicts #1, but its true. I hate waiting on them to make up their minds, to do some thing that could have already been done, or figuring out a problem that isn't difficult at all.

4. I don't want my husband to get a tattoo because he looks better the older he gets.

5. The older I get the harder it is for me to get on a plane.

6. I'm miserable if I don't get to go mudding, fishing, camping, or go to a country concert every once in a while. I go though mud withdraws. =(

7. I feel that sweet tea should be served everywhere and I don't understand why its not.

8. I've never been happier then since I started going to church with my husband. He may not come every week with me, but he does come enough. It's turned into a family affair, my aunts and cousins go too.

9. I really love liking teams that everyone hates. New England Patriots, Florida State Seminoles and the Red Sox. It's fun. I'm a Steelers fan too!

10. I'm scared to death to start a new job and graduate school. again.

If I get accepted into the Physical Therapy program I'm terrified to actually complete it. I'm afraid I'm going to self-sabotage myself!

NOLA Partie Un ( Part One)

2011-07-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

I've finally been home more than 7 hours in 5 days so I'm trying to catch up from my trip.

I was in New Orleans for a work this this past Thursday through Sunday! I was only there 4 days but I think I crammed all of downtown NOLA into one trip.

As soon as our plane landed and I checked into the hotel, our group hit the town. First off was Cafe Du Monde of course. Beignets and coffee anyone? And as a bonus the Monster energy drink girls were givin' out free cans of the new sugar free version. =)

From there we hit up this place:

11 a.m and drink in hand! Woo Hoo!

One of my friends really wanted to check out a particular psychic while we were there so that's where we went with our drinks.

Let me tell you this, this guy is good. If your ever in NOLA, go to him. His name is Phillip and hands down he's worth every penny. There are a lot of skeptics out there but I'm a true believer now.

There was enough personal information out of his mouth that I left shaken but much happier. Just an example ( but not too personal) was this: I got off the plane and got a text from Mr. P telling me our dog kept throwing up bile and wouldn't eat/drink. So of course I was worried, who wouldn't be? Well, I sat down with Phillip for a reading and after he started his palm reading, he looks at me and says" Don't worry, your dog is fine". He didn't know I had a dog, or that Kado was sick.

I honestly can't say enough good things about the experience.

After our readings, we hit up another bar, and got hit back with this:

A torrential downpour, which went through the tarp we were sitting at by the bar and we ended up looking like drowned rats.

Ankle deep water 5 minutes later. Apparently every time it rains the streets and shops all flood. There were guys sweeping water out of their store fronts!

To make it worse, we were so went the taxi's wouldn't pick us up!

Part Deux coming soon!

Feelin' the Blues

2011-07-10T19:02:00.000-04:00

My 4th of July was spent a little blue. As in, covered in blue paint.

Don't worry, I was happy as a clam. But Mr. P wasn't too thrilled when he came home and the living room had gone from brown overload, to Valspar Sage Bud. See, this is the thing, he never thinks anything needs to be changed. When we moved in to the house, we did the initial "let's paint everything neutral" newbie mistake. Well I cant call it a mistake because we didn't know what we wanted to decorate the house like, but now we do. And I repainted.. ~~again~~.

Before ^ and after.

This is a really bad picture mind you. :/

Now here is the living room wayyyy before and the present look:

I even painted the hallway and put up my favorite sea horses I found at HomeGoods.

That store was created by the devil I tell ya!

And lastly the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't in the plan to paint, but I got carried away. Whoops.

I know you're suppose to BBQ and relax on holidays, especially this one but I never have time to do these things! I had a good time all by my lonesome while the hubs went fishing without me.

After he got home, we ate dinner then sat on the roof of our house and watched a 360 degree fireworks show. I'm really surprised more people don't do that!

Photo.

Patio Makeover

2011-07-07T11:22:00.000-04:00

The patio has been finished for about two months, but I'm a total bum and haven't posted it yet. I think I'm started every post apologizing now?!

This is how our Chattahoochee patio looked before...

(click on photo to see the horribleness)

and how it looks as of this morning!

The cracks are gone, the pavement is evened out and the grass is real!

This past 4th of July weekend was spent digging up 6" of rock throughout our whole back yard and putting new sod down. We only got about 2/3 of the way done, but the improvement is unbelievable!

Words.

2011-06-28T11:22:00.000-04:00

Easter Beach Baptism

2011-06-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

I'm only two months late in this post.. oh well!

On Easter morning we got up at 5 a.m to get to the beach for a sunrise beach baptism. Did we make it to the beach for the sunrise? NO!

I somehow used my daily blond moment to get lost on the way to the beach. how does that happen when I've lived in south FL my whole life? I have no clue.

Well anyways, we got to the beach in plenty of time anyways since my Aunt and parents were there and already checked us in.

All we had to do was wait about 10 mins and then we got called into the water.

Let's just keep in mind that it was just a wee bit chilly that day too.

None the less, we all go in the water as a family,

That's me in the middle of my aunt on the left and Mr. P on the right.

We accepted our savior and got dunked.

Somehow I was the last one out of the water and a person walked in front of the camera and you can't see my face.

Overall it was a very enlightening experience and one that I'm glad I finally did. I'm also glad my husband and family could be there with me.

Check out all those people that came to be baptized that day:

Smileyface.

2011-06-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

I'm just taking a break to smile about a few things. Being back in school is actually making me ridiculously happy, I'm a big nerd. For the new semester, I realized I needed another planner, a bigger one that I can write school stuff in.

Here's my fun new school accessory.

And because I have the best husband in the world, he got me a gift certificate for a massage!

All in all the past few days have been pretty good. Today I worked, went to the gym and got my floors mopped. The last two never happen! I've fallen off the dieting bandwagon also. PMS is a bitch.

But in the spirit of eating better and having fun this summer, I also signed up for a cooking class. Living Social had one on special today and I decided to go for it!

If this the how the entire summer is going to go I'm psyched!

Next on the agenda, Mr. P's Bday is Wednesday. Stay Tuned.

Paint, Paint, and more PAINT

2011-06-05T17:11:00.000-04:00

We finally painted the house! I've just been talking about doing it for oh... almost 2 years!

Here's the before shot, with the new roof color:

and the after with the new gray paint.

Buh Bye ugly rocks and brown/gray combination!

Now don't hate on my fancy paint shop yard job here, but this is what I'm going for over all:

1. Dig up all the rocks in the driveway.

2. Paint the columns on the house an accent color.

3. Plant some colorful bushes in front.

4. Complete the planter on the front by our bedroom.

I'm sure all this will happen in about 6 years... but on the meantime this print makes me happy.

So true!

Like an 18 year old.

2011-06-03T13:47:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted anything about the dieting that I'm doing. You never know if it will work or not but I'm proud to announce I've lost

10.5 lbs!!!

I've never tried to lost weight before, but it hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. The hubs is watching what he eats too and that alone has made this whole thing easier.

Here's what I'm doing.

1. watching my calories with myfitnesspal. It's helped tremendously with counting calories.

And also, on those nights that I need to work after 7 o'clock I do a meal replacement shake instead of a dinner. This is the one I'm using and it kinda tastes like coconut vanilla milkshake so its pretty good. I prefer it with milk instead of water.

I'm also taking my vitamins and doing cardio when I can. If i don't have a lot of time I'll just do a mile on the elliptical.

I'd also be really psyched if I could get through a Tough Mudder, which is enough motivation for me. Check out the insanity:

Also, I think I've completely lost my mind. I'm trying to go back to school.

Yikes.

This time I'm going to go for Physical Therapy. Anyone have any advice???