Time Out

This picture represents our dog, Susie, who is sitting in time out. Hunter and I had been talking about getting a baby gate to put Susie in the front room of our house where there isn't much for her to ruin if she decides to be bad. However, while I was out of work I started leaving her out in the house while I was gone. I started slow...maybe 15 minutes, then 30, then a couples hours. She did great! Hunter and I thought for sure she was ready to roam the house alone. For the past two months we have had no problems. Today the tides have changed.

Most of you know, I started a new job teaching preschool. I absolutely love it, but I am exhausted by the time I get home. Hunter had dinner plans with a friend, so in my mind I had imagined a night of quiet time. I was going to come home, cook dinner, and watch my favorite tv shows and go to bed early. A surprise was waiting on me when I walked in the door. I walked through the kitchen, and I saw a cloud of white puffs EVERYWHERE. I then saw trails of vomit, wood chips, and brown string. It completely covered our den. Susie was jumping on me so excited that I was home. I was beyond upset. I didn't know wether to cry or to yell. I decided to scream. I screamed so loud that our neighbor yelled out if I was ok. There was throw up on our leather chair, on the carpet, on the couch, and on the wood floor. She had eaten a pillow, chewed up Hunter's shoe horns, chewed our monogram off of my favorite blanket that we received as a wedding present, and then thrown it all up-all over the house. I spanked her hard, fed her dinner (I almost didn't), and put her in time out. She's still there. I don't know if this tactic works for dogs, but I'm trying it. I might just let her stay there until Hunter comes home. ...

Thinking Blue....

I have some great news...I will have another nephew arriving on March 22, 2010! I am so excited for my sister to have another boy! I am so blessed to have Jack and Clara in my life. Clara will definitely be the Queen of the household! Being an aunt is one of the greatest things I have ever experienced. I can't wait to meet him!

This is Alabama football!!!!

Roll Tide Roll!!!!

Parties, Babies, and Weddings!

Long time, no blog...I have missed everyone! I have a lot to catch up on! Hunter and I had such a busy weekend! Starting on Friday night we hosted a shower for two of our great friends who are tying the knot in Tuscaloosa, October 10th. I can't wait for their wedding! It was great to visit with them celebrate their upcoming wedding! Saturday morning, I hosted a baby shower for my friend Candace. She is due in two weeks!!! I can't believe it! It seems just like yesterday when I posted here. She looks adorable...all belly!! I can't wait to believe Mary Bradley! Candace got a lot of great things. Mary Bradley will be looking cute all the time! Saturday night Hunter and I had a wedding of a friend of his. We had a great time catching up with friends and celebrating another wedding!

On some good and exciting news, I accepted a job offer on Friday afternoon so it definitely kicked my weekend off to a great start! I start my work tomorrow, and I am very anxious and excited! I will be teaching at a preschool, and I couldn't be more excited! Kids are definitely my passion and make me smile so I think this will work out just fine! Here are some pictures from our fun weekend!

Summer Reading Updates

This summer I have been very busy reading books! I first blogged here about all of the books I wanted to read before the summer was over. I'm getting close to finishing my list! First I read "The Fixer Upper" by Mary Kay Andrews. It was such a cute, light read! It is set in the south, with cute characters, and a cute storyline. I love all of Mary Kay's books, and I recommend this one to those who like her style of reading as much as I do. The books is somewhat predictable, but fun!The next book I tackled was "Twenties Girl" by Sophie Kinsella. She is also one of my favorite authors. I ended up really enjoying the book, but it took me a while to get into it. In the beginning, I wasn't quite sure if I would end up liking it. It set off to a slow start, but the plot thickened up, and I began to enjoy the story. It was also an easy read! It's a cute book with a little mysterious twist to it. The third book I just finished was "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. I absolutely loved this book! Out of the three this one was my favorite. My mom and grandmother both read this, and said how much they enjoyed it. I thought it was funny that my grandmother had a hard time getting used to the dialect. With me being from the south, it was easy for me to adapt and read it in the natural state. This book had me turning the pages so fast. I read it in one week. I would have finished it earlier, but I had to get off of the couch at some point. I even decided to put it down for a day because I didn't want to rush through the book too fast. This didn't last long...I picked it up and finished it yesterday! I highly suggest this book to everyone. It has such a meaningful story that is full of character, southern culture (good and bad), and grace. My last book that I hope to begin reading before the end of the week is "Best Friends Forever" by Jennifer Weiner. I hope this one is as good as the others!

As for the rest of my life, a little news. I lost my job last week. It was a hard day, but after all was said and done, I am at peace with it. I am actually a lot happier than I was. I am finally able to sit down and think about what I truly want in life. It has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I have had time to relax, think about my future, and focus on my happiness. I know God has a plan for my life, and it is to prosper and be happy. I am ready for my next chapter in life!

Oh Baby!!!

Two posts in one day...I had to announce this one though! I am so excited to announce that I am going to be an aunt again! My sister and brother-in-law are expecting their third child on March 22, 2010. I am so excited! Hunter and I can't wait to have another niece or nephew to spoil and love them to pieces! Janelle and Gavin are such great parents, and I know they are thrilled to becoming a family of five soon! I think it's going to be a girl, but we will see come November!

Disappointed

This is so disappointing to me...I really thought this one would work. I can't believe this!!!!

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/bachelorette-winner-cheated-with-two-different-women-200958

Some would say this should be no surprise, but this is to me. I really liked them together. What a jerk!!!!! Go to the site above and read all about it. Poor Jillian!

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday, August 2, marked Hunter and I's 1 year wedding anniversary. This year has flown by! It really feels like yesterday when Hunter and I got married. They say the next five years go by even faster so I'm hoping to make every moment count! We had a great weekend celebrating. Hunter surprised me with a trip to Atlanta for a nice out on the town. We got there early so we could go shopping-he was being very good to me! Hunter is not a shopper, and he especially doesn't like Lennox Mall because it is way too crowded for his liking. He was sweet enough to take me, and he happily followed me around from store to store. We then went to our hotel to take a little nap, and then we headed to dinner at Bones steak house. It was fabulous! It was the best fillet mignon I have ever had. The dessert was probably even better. We shared a piece of homemade pecan pie with a side of ice cream. We decided that the next time we go to Atlanta we are going to go there for a drink and some pecan pie! It was so nice to get out of town with my husband and just be with him. We didn't use our cell phones at all, and gave each other our total attention. It was nice to spend quality time with him away from everything! I am so lucky to have him as my husband. He is so caring and patient with me. I can't wait for our future together!

This is the night we got engaged..Tuesday, December 4, 2007

My interview

3 things in my closet I'd rather not live without...

-my tan, leather knee high boots

-my Joes Jeans

-my Burberry coat

Perfume I wear

-Marc Jacobs

-Vera Wang

Schools I've attended

-Hoover High School

-The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

My favorite holiday

-Christmas of course

Jobs I've held

-preschool teacher

-church office manager

-administrative associate

Jobs I'd like to have

-kindergarten teacher

-travel agent

-author

Movies I watch over and over again

- Father of the Bride

-Bride Wars

Favorite Reads, recent and old

-Something Borrowed and Something Blue

Favorite things to do

-take a nap

-go fishing

-watch movies

-travel

-read

-take pictures

-be with my family

Now what about ya'll?!

Frog turns 3

My little frog, my nephew Jack, turned 3 years old on Saturday, July 11. I still can't believe he is already 3! To say he is three seems so old, but I know in my heart he is still a baby (well in my eyes at least)! His birthday party was so fun this year and laid back. Janelle's in-laws had his party at the lake. Their house is so beautiful, and of course it was decorated so cute! It was a pirate themed party, but most of his gifts were from the movie Cars. That is his favorite movie right now. He is obsessed with watching it! The weather was beautiful for his party. They had a pirate pool set up, and other games for the little ones to play. Clara was so cute in her tiny little, pink bikini. She put her feet in the water in the baby pool, but wasn't too fond of it. She is so dainty! Clara is walking now! She is too cute. She walks pretty well, but she is very cautious when she walks. She does not like to fall down.

For Jack's birthday present this year I wanted to get him something a little different. He has a lot of toys and books, so I thought I could get him something he could have forever. I found this great place at Christmas Village at the BJCC last fall. It's called Simply Written Designs. They are based out of Florence, Alabama. She has the cutest designs. Hunter and I have a bible verse in the shape of a cross framed in our house. I also did a design for Clara's first birthday. I got a bible verse done in the shape of a leotard. She also added a tutu on the skirt with some cute pink fabric. For Jack, I had a bible verse made in the shape of a turtle. She also put some really cute fabric on the shell. She will personalize it for you putting their name on it, and she has tons of different paper and prints to choose from. They are great gift ideas for people of all ages!

Not Me Monday

I seriously don't know how I got to work on time today. It was pouring outside, with a great amount of thunder....my perfect sleeping weather! I could have stayed in bed all morning listening to that. Is it just me or does anyone else love thunderstorms the way I do? I loveeeee a good thunderstorm. I love to cuddle up on my couch with a good book or a good movie. I could listen to thunder and rain all day!

Here is my not me Monday (please don't' judge ;-)

I did not sleep in until 6:50 , knowing I have to leave the house around 7:10 to get to work on time. I did not skip my shower so I could lay in bed a little longer.

I did not steal (borrow) my neighbor's hydrangeas, and while doing so I did not step on the board by their fence and bust a hole through it.

I did not stick my gum underneath my seat in the movie theater yesterday-agh! That is something I would normally never do.

I did not watch 4 episodes of Sex and the City yesterday when I have already seen them 5 times in the past year.

I did not eat pizza for four straight days in a row. And I most certainly did not bring a pizza lunchable today.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I know we did. We celebrated Jack's third birthday! I will post pictures soon! Have a great Monday!

Us lately and summer reading...

Sorry for my lack of posting. I don't know why I haven't been posting like usual, but I miss it! I'm back. Hopefully I will keep more on track now. Lately Hunter and I have had a really busy summer. I can't believe we are in July. The older I get, the more time flies by! I miss being young and time creeping by! We had a great 4th celebration at Hunter's family's lake place. My grandparents are in town from California which has been great! We spent the day at the lake and spent the evening watching the fireworks. It's definitely not my favorite holiday, but I love holidays in general because it brings everyone together! The weather was great for the day too. We were worried that it would be too hot for my grandparents, especially since they are used to 0 humidity and breezy weather. We definitely lucked out! It was a great beautiful day! Thank you to my sweet-in-laws and Nannie for having us have a wonderful holiday!

We also celebrated my brother's birthday this past Tuesday-the big 29! He's getting up there! haha On Saturday we are celebrating my nephew's 3rd birthday! I can't believe he is already 3 years old. It seems like yesterday when he was just a little newborn sleeping in my arms. He is still as sweet as can be. I hope he will always be my "little frog." I will definitely have some pictures to post after his birthday party at the lake!

I don't know about ya'll, but I am overwhelmed with all of the good books that are out or are coming out soon. My favorite authors are all putting out books this summer...I hope Emily Giffin will soon too! I am currently reading, "The Fixer Upper" by Mary Kay Andrews. It's based in the south so I love it. It's a cute, fun, easy read! My next book will be "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. It's cool that she graduated from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa-Roll Tide! My mom and sister have both read it, and they have loved it! I can't wait to get my hands on it. Then for more exciting book news, Sophie Kinsella is coming out with her new book-"Twenties Girl" in a couple weeks. I will be buying this one for sure! And last, but not least, Jennifer Weiner is coming out with her new book "Best Friends Forever." All of these books seem so good. I have a lot of reading to do!

What other books am I miss out on? Does anyone have any good suggestions?? I am always looking for new authors and new books to read!

Wish List Wednesday

I can't remember where I saw this, but I saw a post chain called "Wish List Wednesday." I loved the idea so I thought I would give it a try! Since Wednesday happens to be least favorite day of the week, I will definitely be wishing away!

I wish....

I wish I was in Highlands, NC right now

I wish I had a gift card to Target

I wish I could be at home taking a nap

I wish Hunter could have his dream truck ;-)

I wish it would rain...our plants need some water!

I wish I could see my niece and nephew everyday

I wish all of our family lived in the same city so I could see everyone anytime I wanted!

I wish I had the summers off like I did in college!

I wish I would lose 15 pounds, but not have to do any work for it-haha

I wish I could be in Canada...my ultimate dream vacation

Speaking of Canda, the Bachelorette has made my love of Canada even bigger! The train ride was kind of corny for the show aspect, but as far as the actual scenery it is insanely beautiful. I hope to one day be able to go! This is where I would love to stay...

The Fairmont at Lake Louise

Reality show, reality show, where did you go?

I am guilty. Guilty of loving reality shows or should I say so called "reality shows." What happened to things been real on tv? I am so sick of people acting and setting up particular false scenes on reality shows. I used to love Laguana Beach. It was so fun, seemingly innocent, and it didn't seem planned like the way The Hills has been arranged. I tried my best to get into another guilty pleasure of The Hills this past season, but I just couldn't commit. The set ups were too staged, the scenes were so unbelievable, and the last episode ruined it for me. Can we say d-r-a-m-a-t-i-c? It shouldn't be called "The Hills" anymore....it needs to be a sitcom. While I am ranting about the show, can I also say that Heidi and Spencer really disgust me? I will leave you with something I find humorous...

Heidi compares herself to Mother Teresa. She wants to act like her and be a role model. Here is my question, would Mother Teresa pose in Playboy?

hmmm I think not.

Happy Anniversay House!

On Saturday, May 30, it marked our one year anniversary of owning our home! I didn't remember it, and Hunter did-I was shocked! It was actually very sweet because Hunter was so excited to say that we have been in our house for one whole year! Well, it will be a year for me in August, but we closed on our home on May 30, 2008. I will never forget that day. We had so much going on with work, our wedding plans, the house, etc. We both took the day off from work so we could move furniture in and get the house cleaned. The closing was so exciting! When I was handed my very own set of keys to our house I couldn't help but smile. It was such a memorable moment for us. I remember walking to our cars leaving the lawyers office, and we both couldn't stop smiling! We spent that afternoon moving, cleaning, and trying to organize our stuff. Then I rushed home to get ready for our couple's shower we had that night. The shower was a lot of fun, we got a lot of great gifts, and when it was all said and done, we were exhausted! It was only the beginning though. We spent the rest of the weekend cleaning, painting every room in the house and tearing up carpet. We had the best help too-both of our families were there to help! We couldn't have done it without them!

It's so weird to think that it has already been a year. We have had so many great memories in our home, and it's only the beginning. We have already done some kitchen remodeling, last weekend we did some yard work and added our own personal touches to it, and one day (not anytime soon) we will have a nursery! God has really been great to us. One thing I have learned is that owning a home is more work than you think. When we took our keys and signed our life away I didn't know how much work and fun we had in store for us! I have learned a lot about owning a home this past year. When something goes wrong, my dad isn't there to call someone to fix it or when the house is a mess I am responsible for cleaning it. Mom-I owe you an apology for not understanding the true meaning of cleaning a home. It is a lot of work. Even though cleaning is not always the best part, I do find pleasure in doing it. I love going to bed at night with a clean house.

Hunter and I are so happy that we found our love nest. It truly is the perfect home for us! Here are some pictures from how it all got started...

We love our backyard and Susie does too!

My favorite room in the house...our master bedroom! It's so cozy!

Our den....some of the furniture has been rearranged since this picture was taken

Toothpaste boxes

Growing up I always envied my friends and family, especially my sister, who had specific things they collected. My best friend growing up collected sea shells, my best friend from high school Stacy collected Winnie-the-Pooh bears, and my sister collected penguins. She loves penguins...stuffed penguins, penguin pictures, penguin movies, and just penguins in general! I loved helping her collect over the years. To this day I still pick up special items with penguins to give to her. I assume she still has a love for them, but maybe I should ask her. I don't want to be the person who keeps giving her stuff and she is too nice to say, "Enough!" I most certainly do not want to be categorized with my grandfather who has been sending empty beer bottles to someone who once made a comment about how he admires old beer bottles. The sweet man who will remain anonymous kindly receives the package, unpacks the bottles and then puts them in storage in his basement. After admiring other's collections I decided that I wanted to collect something. What did I collect you ask....toothpaste boxes! Yes I am being serious-toothpaste boxes. Don't ask my why I decided on my idea of glorified trash, but I did. I remember my mom getting so frustrated with me because I would have drawers full of empty, dirty, old toothpaste boxes. I finally gave in and knew this wasn't my thing, and I threw them all away...every last one...well I did keep one. I will never forget it. It was an old Aquafresh box that was still in good shape. I thought to myself that if I so happen to start collecting them again, I would like to have one original! Just in case you are wondering, the box is no longer with me. I think my mom "misplaced" it.

Over the years I have been admiring vases. Gorgeous vases that come in all different shapes and sizes. I adore a fresh bouquet of flowers, and I also adore the container they come in. I graduated from collecting toothpaste boxes to vases, and I couldn't be happier! I have a fairly big walk in closet in our house, and on the top right hand shelf sits all of my vases. I have petite vases, fat vases, round vases, and really tall vases. I even have some vases that look impossible to fill, but I know one day I will find some use for it! My mother-in-law gave me one of the most beautiful vases for Christmas last year. She knew I had my eye on a certain centerpiece that held 5 individual bud vases. The first time I saw it, I was. in. love. I could see it on my table. I envisioned having a baby shower or a wedding shower at my home, and I would envision which flowers I would put into the vases. My imagination ran wild! On Christmas morning, I was thrilled to open the box to find my imagination was going to come to life! My mother in law is the best! She always pays attention to the little things, and she is always caring for everyone but herself! Is there something you collect?! Let me know because I might surprise you with a gift someday!!!

Here are some vases on my wish list:

This one is a must have for me.....get ready for how pretty this is!

A new rake and a precious pair of gloves

My title says it all...well most of it at least. On my way home from work yesterday I was noticing all of the pretty yards at different people's homes. Instead of taking my daily left turn on Park Avenue (yes I live off Park Avenue...aren't you jealous?!), I took a sharp right towards our local hardware store. I purchased a rake and a cute pair of gardening gloves. I knew that these were not the ones that would hold up the longest or even provide much comfort, but I thought it might make the work more fun to have something cute to look at while I work. I knew I would have a good 2 hours before my husband would get home from work so I rushed inside, took Susie out, and went straight to work. I wanted to impress him. I raked several beds out in front of our lawn with dead leaves, old pinestraw, and random other things that shouldn't be in the beds. It looked like it was going to be fairly easy to do, but it wasn't at all. We have a lot of ivey that has a long vine attached to it. Every time I would get a great grasp on the leaves, the end of the rake would get caught in the vines. I knew it would be easier if I would grab the bunch of dead leaves with my hands, but I hate to get my hands dirty so I hesitated a lot. You are probably thinking, "you wore gloves, so why would you be afraid to use your hands?" That sounds logical, but once I saw how cute the gloves were I didn't want to get them dirty! I was acting ridiculous. I'm just glad my husband wasn't there to see it. I would never live it down. After a long hour of raking, I gave in and used my hands, and to my astonishment it wasn't bad.

I also decided to pull the hose around to the front of the house so I could wash off our porch that was covered in pollen and dirt. I ended up soaking the area so much I had so push some water off of the porch so no one would slip on our steps. After all was said and done, I was very proud of myself. I had 4 huge piles of dead leaves and such ready to be thrown away, washed the porch, swept the side porch, and pulled weeds out of some ivey. I then went inside, took a nice, long shower and laid on the couch watching my taped shows for the day. When my husband came home I kept waiting for him to say, "Wow babe you really out did yourself or the yard looks great!" I got this-nothing, not even a what is the hose doing in the front yard or why is the front porch wet or where did the huge piles of leaves come from? I didn't say anything because I thought he would eventually notice once he took the trash out. Before I went to bed, I said, "Man my back hurts from working so hard today." He asked why would my back hurt from sitting in a chair. I laughed and asked him how in the world he didn't notice my work? He still didn't know what I had done. After explaining everything I did he said "Oh well thank you," and turned right back to baseball. At this point I thought it wasn't worth making a big deal out of it. I decided to give myself a pat on my back and get some shut eye. In the back of my mind I thought, "Just you wait until you clean the bathroom for the first time, and want me to acknowledge it-haha!"

Home and "Not Me"

We made it home safe and sound from California! It was such a wonderful trip. There is nothing I needed more than a trip to the Sunshine state and a long weekend filled with my family! The big celebration was for my grandfather's 80th birthday party. It was a golf themed party with a special emphasis on the Masters golf tournament. A lot of their friends wore some serious "get ups" that made everyone laugh! Each family also wore matching clothes. We were very easy to spot-Alabama golf shirts and seer sucker. When my grandparents friends would say hello they would say, "You must be from Alabama darling!" An Alabamian is almost always spotted when you go to the west coast! I unfortunately do not have the pictures downloaded yet. Here is one I will borrow from my cousin for the time being. Let me introduce you to my big, "fat", Catholic family ;-)

And of course, a very good example of the attire is this...

Now on to "Not Me Monday"...

I did not blast my horn for a couple seconds at a young couple doing some serious making out in the truck in front of me in at in intersection. I did not drop my mouth open and yell, "You are too young to be doing that!" I did not cry on the plane while we took off in Houston, and I did not tell Hunter I wanted him to ask the stewardess to land the plane because I needed to get off. I most certainly did not burp loudly in the parking deck of my husband's office building, and make him very embarrassed and upset with me. I did not almost wreck my car over a little spider that was running across the dashboard in my car. Last, but not least I did not nap for almost 6 hours yesterday.