Obsessed, maybe?

I may be a bit obsessed. I'm not sure. This has always been one of my favorite songs. Seriously, I get so excited everytime I hear it. No matter how crazy she is now, Madonna is an icon. And since I'm slowly, but surely becoming a Gleek, it makes me love it that much more. :)
Sorry for the lack of updates this week. My PC kit came in and I've been trying to get everything ready for it. I promise, I'll update more about it soon!

Discover The Chef In You! :)

Today I signed up to be an Independent Consultant for The Pampered Chef! I'm going to order my kit tomorrow or Monday, so I should be ready to have Cooking Shows by the first week of May! :-)

I opened up a checking account just for my PC buisness and I ordered my business cards and my stamp with my name, e-mail and cell phone number on it today, too! I'm pretty excited! I have a list of stuff to do to get myself ready for it and I'm almost finished with it. :)

I just thought I'd share my news with you! Hope you're having a great day!

My Best Friends: My Baby Sister

My baby sister, Whitney, is one of the people that I love the most in the world. I do believe if anything ever happened to her, I would have to be locked away somewhere. I'm just not sure that is something I could ever handle. She is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Mom and I often talk about how no matter what she wears or how she fixes her hair, she's beautiful! Her make up is always perfect and her hair always just falls into perfect place.

Me & Whit @ her high school graduation in 2006.

However, we weren't always so close! We were the textbook example of the phrase "sibling rivalry". We couldn't be in the same room with one another without being at one another's throats. I always look back at those times and wish we could've been those sisters that shared everything without any problem and always went to one another if something was wrong. I'm really glad that we're like that now though!

Me & Whit when I graduated college in 2008. Dad told us to be our true selves! :)

In August 2009, she gave me the greatest present ever: Little Miss Emma Jade. Whit is a wonderful, wonderful mother. She works full time, goes to school full time and still manages to keep up with her housework (her hubby is one of those guys who think the women should do everything!). There have been times I'm talking to her at 10:30 at night and she's just starting laundry and cleaning the house because she's had school, work and had to put Emma to sleep. I can only hope that when I have children, I will be just as good of a mother as she is! :)

Me, Whit and Emma (in her Halloween Costume) at my household shower! :)

Something New. :)

When Kevin and I were planning our wedding, we knew that we would have a large bridal party. We ended up with ten on each side, but at the last minute one of his groomsmen (his best friend from NC and who lives 8 hours away) couldn't make it for the wedding. So in the end, I had ten beautiful bridesmaids and he had nine handsome groomsmen. To say we had the best wedding party ever would be an understatement. Our big, but yet, close-knit, group of friends is assembled of some of the funniest people I have ever met. The majority of us met six years ago while attending college and we've added a few along the way!

The greatest wedding party ever! :)

I've been thinking of a new series to do and I had an idea today. No matter how many changes I've had in my life, my best friends have never changed. And I'm lucky to say that each one of my bridesmaids is someone I can call my best friend. It may seem like I use the word loosely, but I can assure you that isn't what's happening.

I'm going to do a post about each one of my best friends. And to save time, I'm going to divide them up: my sister, the click (my high school friends), Erica & Johanna (my college buddies) and then Ashley & Jess (my favorite Filipino sisters who I became friends with after college). I'm really excited about doing this series! We're all so busy that it's hard to take the time to let someone know just how much they mean to you. I'm hoping these posts will definitely express that for me!

Weigh-In Wednesday

For those of you who were following my Weight Loss blog know that Wednesdays are my day to weigh-in. Well, I weighed this morning and I'm up not even half a pound.While that isn't a bad thing, it certainly isn't a good thing. I'm ready to start losing again! I've decided to set myself a week to week goal. I'm going to lose three pounds a week. I've already lost 15 pounds out of my goal of 40. That's 25 to go and if I do three pounds a week, I should reach my goal within the next two months. Let's hope it goes well! :)

As I've said before, I'm not the most religious person out there. I wasn't raised in church, but I did attend for several years while in high school. Sometimes I find it hard to just turn it all over to God and let His will be done. It wasn't ingrained in me to do so. I know I should, but it's just hard to let control go. I was thinking of my current job/financial situation the other day and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm where God wants me right now. There's always a plan and it is always what He has planned for me, not what I have planned for me. Now, this doesn't mean I'm going to stop working toward my goal of becoming a teacher and being financially secure, but I'm going about it with a different view now. When something doesn't work out, I'm not gonna go all "woe is me" anymore. I'm going to shrug it off and just keep trying!

The ladies over a BonBon Rose Girls just wrapped up their latest give away. It's a $25 gift certificate from an online store called Ruche. I was browsing the site and found the prettiest scarf! I've been in the market for a scart lately, but I can't ever find one I really like.

Petunias To Daisies Floral Scarf

You ladies definitely need to head over that way and check out that site. You'll find some really pretty stuff! :)

It's rainy here in Virginia today...the perfect napping weather. Hope you guys are having a great day! :)

Champagne Saturday!

** Please note that this was scheduled to be published early this morning. It didn't work, so I'm doing it on my own. I'm too lazy to fix it, so just pretend it's Saturday morning! ;)

BonBon Rose Girls

Good Saturday morning, ladies! :)

Its once again Champagne Saturday and, as you're reading this, I'm on my way to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a bridal shower in honor of one my best friends. She and I were in Kindergarten together, but it wasn't until we were 12 years old did we become friends. She was my best friend through thick and thin, no matter how many times she and I had it out. A couple of years after we graduated, she moved to Tennessee leaving me and our three other best friends here to fend for ourselves! ;) Next month she's getting married and the four of us are making a girl's weekend out of it. No hubbys and no boyfriends. Just the four of us on the wide open road, with not a care in the world. Except making sure our friend's wedding goes as planned, of course! I'm quite excited to see Denise! She doesn't know I'm coming though. The other three girls have to work and her other two bridesmaids (who are also still here in Va) can't make it either. I had planned on going, but didn't think it was going to work out for me to. When she found out that none of us could come, she was heart broken. So, I've decided that no matter how much money it takes in gas to get there, I'm going to see her. Her sister, who also lives there, knows I'm coming. Its been hard not letting it slip to Nisey, but I'm excited to surprise her!

Anywho! I digress. Like I said, its Champagne Saturday! :) The shower is billed as casual, so I'm sporting khaki capris and really pretty top from Old Navy. I can't find any pictures on the 'net, so I'll have the hubby take one for me to post tomorrow. And my drink of choice? Since we're having to leave at the crack of dawn to get there, you better believe I'll have a nice cup of coffee on hand. :)

Make it a great Saturday! :)

** Since I'm already home and I do have a picture. I will upload it now for your viewing pleasure! :)

(Just in case) Nisey's on the left and I'm on the right.

A Few Of My Favorite Things Edition #7

I love sweet tea and I come by it honest. My little mamaw made the best tea I've ever had and it is definitely a favorite family drink. Whenever me and my cousins go out to dinner, every one of us get tea.

However, I hate to admit that I've never had anything but just down home, Southern iced sweet tea. I've never drank it hot, I've never tried herbal tea....basically, I've never strayed from Lipton. :) I've been wanting to try different varieties of tea lately. I mean, how can I say I'm a tea lover if I've only ever tried one kind? I had a professor in undergrad who was from Ireland. He told me I hadn't had tea until I tried real Irish tea. His mother would often send him some, but I never had a chance to try any of it.

Tonight my nerves were frazzled and I was just in a weird mood. I found it strange because I actually had a good day. I was cleaning and I just thought "I want some hot tea." Of course, I only have Lipton, but hey, it worked! I didn't want to make a big pitcher, so I settled for a single cup. A few months ago my mom gave me a little tea pot, with a strainer and what I'm assuming is supposed to be the cup to drink it from? I used it tonight and I love it! Its now one of my favorite things. :)

I think I used too much water because the tea is kinda weak. Hey, practice makes perfect! I did like it hot though. Its very relaxing!

Hello, Friday! :)

This week has flown by, but I'm so glad it's Friday! I've been so tired this week. I have to force myself out of bed every morning. I'm sure I look like a zombie moving around our apartment. One morning I even fell over! I don't have anything too exciting to do tonight, except clean. I have a busy weekend ahead of me, so I'm getting that out of the way tonight. You guys have anything fun planned?

Yesterday's meeting with Teresa went really well! I'm excited to start, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to. I'm hoping to get signed up by the end of the month because they're having a promotion for new consultants right now! I'm really looking forward to it though!

I deleted my Weight Loss blog. I'm still on my diet and doing quite well (this week, anyway). I just got bored with it because I was saying the same things over and over. I will just keep up with it through this one. :)

Well, that's all for now. I was a little bored, so I thought I'd upate! :)

Make it a great day!

I'm a bad wife.

Today the hubby and I have been married for 138 days. When I saw that, my heart sank. How could I have missed our 100 day mark? I'm usually very good at keeping up with things like that. Life has been rather crazy lately, so I could use that as an excuse. Right? The hubby didn't remember either, so that makes it okay. Right? This doesn't make me a bad wife. Right? Right.

Sometimes I wonder if I am, and then I get mad at myself for even wondering that. While I dream of being a domestic diva and an absolute kick ass mom, my life goal isn't to be June Cleaver. I know that the man is supposed to be the head of the household and the bread winner, while the wife stays home to keep house and watch the children. In this day and age, you're lucky if you can do that. And while I wouldn't mind terribly to do that, it just doesn't seem possible given our current financial situation. So, with that being said. I work just as many hours a week as the hubby does, even though my job isn't as strenuous as his, it certainly is stressful. I believe its only fair that we divide up the household chores and cooking duties. Now, does it happen that way? No. I still end up doing a majority of the work around the house. In his defense, the hubby does wash his own clothes and we take turns washing dishes. He takes out the trash and if I need help with something, he'll do it. If I don't feel like cooking, he'll fix him something to eat. No big deal.

However, I always see women on Facebook talking about how they're doing this for their hubby and they're doing that for their hubby, or better yet "a woman's work is never done". And I instantly feel guilty. I feel like I'm not taking care of him like a wife should. Does that make sense? While I grew up in a home where my mother did everything for everyone of us (sometimes pops chipped in), I was still taught that I'm my own person and that I'm a man's equal. I feel that a marriage makes you a team, with both sides giving an equal amount of effort. While I'm not biblical scholar, I know that the Bible states that the man is the head of the house and he has the last say. But, I also know that the Bible also says the man should love his wife as Christ loved the church. While ultimately, I know if there ever was a big decision, whether I was against it or not, I would go with what he says. I just can't ever see us dealing with something like that. For the most part, we are usually on the same page. And for that, I am very grateful.

Finally!

For quite some time now I've been trying to think of ways to bring in an extra income. A couple of ladies I work with sell Premier Jewelry and I thought about that. That's too much to start up, and while I've come to love jewelry, I'm not a jewelry person. I thought about Mary Kay or Avon, but I'm not a big make-up person either. I thought about getting a part-time job in the evenings, but I knew once school starts in the Fall, I'd have a hard time with it.

Well, yesterday I was talking to the girls here at work and we were talking about The Pampered Chef. I love their products. You guys know me and my longing to be a great cook with a big kitchen. If not, get up to date here. Anyway, Melissa suggested I look into selling P.C. products. It isn't much to start up and you get all kinds of neat things in your start-up kit! I got really excited about it and I hadn't even talked to a consultant yet! But, one did call me last night and we're meeting this evening to discuss everything.

I really hope this works out. I'm tired of being broke with no end in sight. I don't mind having to work another job, I just can't think of anything I'd like to do. I know, beggars can't be choosers. At least this is something I'll enjoy! Kevin's worried that I'll be too tired to do the parties and stuff, but, believe it or not, back in the day I loved getting out and running around. I liked meeting new people! Hopefully, this will help me get back to my old self! Instead of the current 80 year old woman that has taken up residence in my body!

I'm looking forward to meeting Teresa today! I'll update tomorrow to let you guys know how it went. And then, you can start booking your parties with me. ;)

Hope you ladies are having a great day!

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That!

I really don't have anything specific to update about, I just wanted to update.

First, I was out of creamer for my coffee at work, so I went to get some yesterday. I decided to get the chocolate flavored one. I mean, how could you go wrong? Coffee AND chocolate? I tried it this morning and I'm hooked. It's 60 calories for four tablespoons, but I only used a little more than one. I couldn't imagine using four tablespoons of regular creamer, let alone chocolate!

Second, more baby talk! :) One of my nearest and dearest friends and his wife are expecting their first child together! I'm so happy for CJ and Kristy! They were married a few weeks before we were, so this was quite a shock to me! Kristy has an 8-year old daughter, so I know she's a great mom! I just know CJ will be a great father. He's one of the nicest, funniest, just all around great people I know. This child is definitely blessed!

And as far as baby talk goes, concerning me? I started taking a prenatal vitamin! :) My doctor told me in October that I should start taking them, so I've had them for a few months. I was afraid to take them. I hate feeling sick, so I kept putting it off. So far, so good. No sickness! :) Friday was a long day here at work, so I browsed baby sites all day long. I picked out furniture and bedding! Haha! All I need is the baby now! I can't wait!

Third, Little Miss Emma Jade is 8 months old today! She's growing so fast! Friday she said her first word: "da da". Now that she's got that out of the way, I'm gonna start teaching her "TeeTee". haha! Whit said she also said "uh oh" when she dropped her toy. She hasn't started crawling or anything yet. She hates to lay on her stomach, so that's hindering her when it comes to crawling. Maybe she'll be one of those babies that skips crawling and goes straight to walking!

Finally, I'm definitely feeling a lot better about the whole not having a teaching job thing. I was feeling sorry for myself and it was just getting out of hand. I talked to a friend of mine who is in the same exact boat I am. She and I have been friends since 6th grade and went all the way through college together. We're both certified to be History teachers, but neither of us can get a job. After talking to her, I definitely feel a bit better. But, hopefully something will change soon.

Well, that's all for today! Its nice and sunny here today...hope you're having great weather wherever you are! :)

When I Grow Up...

I can't ever remember a time that I didn't want to be a teacher. Okay, scratch that. Now, that I said that, I can. My last year in undergrad, me and the hubby (boyfriend, at the time) had broken up. I was one of those girls who always, always had a boyfriend and I was always known as so and so's girlfriend. I never really formed my own identity. I liked what they liked, I did what they did. We had been having some problems and I just felt like our lives were going in opposite directions. He didn't want college, I planned on attending Grad School. I wanted to travel, he was content on staying here in SWVa.

Anyway, I digress. When we broke up, I went through the phase that me and one of my friends (who was going thru it with me) called our "rebellious, finding ourselves" phase. That time was one of the best times of my life. I had it in my mind I was going to go to school until I received my Ph.D, travel the globe until my doctors told me I was too old to fly anymore and then retire in a big house with a ton of cats. And I hate cats! I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a teacher, so I didn't do my internship for teaching. And although I was told that it wouldn't hinder me once I started looking for teaching jobs,  I can't help but feel that it has. The state certified me to teach anyway, so I'm thankful for that.

Anyway, so here I am, two years later and no teaching job. We all know I'm frustrated and discouraged about this. So, here lately I've been thinking about alternative career options. Bank Teller is definitely out. A stay-at-home-mom would be ideal, but I just don't see that ever working out in our favor. I love to take pictures, but there are so many photographers in our area, it would be hard to build a big client base. I love party/wedding planning and have definitely tossed that idea around. Once again, this isn't a big area and it would be hard to make money with it. Me and a friend of mine have mentioned starting our own daycare. Once again, not a lot of money to be made.

But, that's the one thing I keep going back to the most. I worked in a daycare/preschool enviroment for six years and I loved it. There was a time that I was extremely stressed and I shouldn't have been working around children. I switched from the daycare to the preschool and I was fine. That is the one thing that I take pride in and I can say that I'm good at. I love children and I love working with them. They make life so much fun.

If only the economy was different. Maybe one day...

Champagne Saturday! :)

Today's my first time participating in BonBon Rose Girls' Champagne Saturday! Its pretty neat. All you do is list the outfit you're wearing today (whether it be a lazy Saturday in pjs or you are going out on the town with friends) and also list your beverage of choice!

Its a beautiful day here in Virginia, so my friend Amy over @ Simply Being Me is having a cookout at her and her hubby's house. I'm pretty excited! I love cookouts! :)

I'm just posting pictures I got from the web, instead of a pic of me. I may try to post one tomorrow! :)

I'll be wearing:

American Eagle Shirt Tail Tank w/ a cami underneath & just plain jane skinny jeans.

I love Old Navy flip flops! They're cute, comfy and cheap!

And my drink of choice?

Sweet Tea, of course! :)

If you ladies want to participate, just head on over to their blog, copy their button and then blog about your outfit today! :)

Six years! :)

Six years ago today, I met my hubby at one of my closest friends' birthday party. That night I thought he was the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen and I still think that six years later! He may be the one person on the face of this Earth who can make me the maddest I have ever been, but then he can turn right around and make me laugh so hard! We've definitely had our ups and downs, but what couple hasn't? I'm so glad I have him to spend the rest of my life with! :)

BAM!

I've decided that the next time we have $20 to spare, I'm going to buy a BAM! discount card. Sad, isn't it? That I have to set aside $20 to buy something! I went in there tonight to buy a bookmark because I was tired of using flimsy pieces of paper that I constantly lose. I found a really pretty one that has an Asian look to it with a quote from Confucius.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

I found it rather inspiring. There are so many things I want to do in life, but I can't just sit around and say I want to do them. I have to actually take that first step toward my goals. No matter how scary that first step may be, if it's something you really want in your life, the outcome will always be worth it!

So many times I've thought I needed to do something, but I always talked myself out of it. I'm a creature of habit and the slightest change just throws my whole world off its axis. Take going back to school, for example. Sending that first e-mail to the graduate coordinator (or taking that first step) was scary. I just kept thinking I've been out of school too long for this or I'm not smart enough for this or this is too big for me! While this won't be a piece of cake, it will be worth it when I officially have my M.A. in History! While it isn't a huge campus, ETSU is a larger campus than where I went for undergrad. The day I met my advisor, I was freaking out because I didn't know my way around. I just kept saying "I shouldn't have came alone, I shouldn't have came alone." And thats another thing. If I have a friend around me when I'm going to be around a ton of people I do not know, I'm okay. I'm still somewhat self-conscious, but I'm still okay. However, take that friend away and I'm a mess! For the first two years of college, I had every class with my best friend, Priscilla. Once we got into our majors, we were separated and I was terrified. Once I was in my classes and was settled in, I was okay. It's just that first step that was hard!

So many of us are going through some big changes in our lives and we're all scared! However, we don't need to be! You have to take a chance at something, or take that first step.

Well, this was supposed to be a blog about the perks of a BAM! Discount Card, but turned out to be something entirely different. Isn't that what journals/blogs are for? For you to write down what's going on in your head? If you don't have one of those cards, I suggest you get one. The cashier had me talked into it, until I realized I have things to buy for one of my best friends' wedding. If you're an avid reader, the $20 will be worth it!

I'm off tomorrow, so hello three-day weekend! The weather has cooled off a bit, but regardless, I'm spending my day indoors to start on Spring Cleaning. Jealous? I know, I know.

Tweet, tweet! Tweet, tweet!

I've had Twitter for awhile now, I just never keep up with it. You can follow me, here. I've been on it for the last hour and I do believe I've become obsessed. Does anyone know if there is an app for Blackberry?

Also, in my last Bucket List Post, I didn't get to add any photos. That killed me. So, while I was playing around tonight, I decided to put up some pictures of San Diego and LA. As if we all haven't seen them enough, but, hey, its my blog! ;)

San Diego Temple

San Diego Skyline

Hollywood

I've got the fever...

I've always wanted children, but never have I felt like I have "baby fever". That is, until now. Kevin and I had talked about starting to try around our one year anniversary and I was totally content with that. However, after seeing Emma Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus seeing the bank courier's 4 month old grandson yesterday and seeing Tanzi so much, I now have baby fever. In a bad way!

There are so many of my friends who are pregnant or have just had their babies. There's probably at least 15 of them, no lie. And every one of them are little girls, except two! I love listening to their pregnancy stories and love looking at pictures of the nurseries they've all decorated. I have some baby showers coming up and I can't wait to start shopping the baby section.

Kevin and I have been playing around with names, too. Its fun to think of different names. However, he wants very plain, everyday names. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I don't want my child going to school with ten kids that share their name and they have to be known as "Joshua 1" or "Ashley 2" (sorry, Ashley! haha!). According to him, I want names they'll never be able to spell! I don't want anything too far out there (like Apple or Mowgli Bronx), but I would like for it to be somewhat unique. We've picked one name out for a boy and a few names for the girl. We always go back to the same middle names. I know by the time we actually are pregnant, it'll change 100 times, but its still fun!

Kevin sleeps like a rock and I'm constantly telling him that will have to change once we do have a child. He also has no idea how much of the bed he takes up, so him rolling over our sleeping child is a definite possibility! I don't want them to sleep with us anyway, so that just gives me some extra motivation to stay strong!

Once we do start trying, we're keeping it a secret. I know I wouldn't be able to handle all the questions people would ask, especially if we're having a hard time conceiving. Just know that it'll be by the end of the year! :)