Attention all brides out there!!

I was contacted by Sherrlyn Borkgren about a fantastic giveaway she is doing! Free wedding photography!!! How awesome is that?

Head over to her blog to read about it:

http://lovesimplyhappens.blogspot.com

And check out her website too. Beautiful pictures!!

By the way, if you win you must let me know!

The signs of spring

My camelia bush is finally starting to bloom!

Whenever I'm feeling a little down...

LOL Cats and LOL Dogs come to my rescue.

I'm simple that way.

A new symmetry

Ready for spring, I moved some things around in my house. I put up the garland that was still out on my mantle, moved my twigs from the dining room, and added a conch shell. I really like how oversized the twigs are, and I like them up on the mantle - it's a nice change for spring.

Do you put up something or change things around for spring?

Edged curtains?

I saw this image over at Girl-World-Decor, and it's been stuck in my head all day. I really am liking the curtains with the edging. Especially the bottom right, with the red edging. Hmmmm.... What do you all think?

Does anyone else have this problem?

I have a bad habit.
I close my eyes in pictures. Not on purpose, but there are soooo many pictures of me with my eyes closed!

This is probably the best picture we have from the wedding, with some of our friends. Notice how just ONE of my eyes is closed. That's talent. Oh, and me in heels = gigantic.

My eyes are not closed in this picture (the only one of us at the wedding where this is the case), but wraps really kind of engulf you! And can I say that fixing your hair when your traveling and in a different city sucks. It never does anything "right".

Okay, Chris will hate this picture! He doesn't like to smile with his teeth. Of course, my eyes are kinda closed. This is us at the rehearsal dinner. The maroon thing that is engulfing me is the wrap. And I did wear the jeans - I was the only girl wearing jeans. But, the night wasn't about me, and I don't think anyone remembers or noticed. (There was alcohol involved!)

My sisters aren't immune to this either! It must be genetic.
So, I TRY to keep my eyes open! Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do?

My weekend in Palm Beach

This past weekend was fabulous! We went to a wedding at the Breakers, and what a wedding it was! We had so much fun with our friends, and everything was beautiful.

Communication between the sexes

This is a good portrait of how I'm feeling today.

Here's the backstory: We're going to a wedding in Palm Beach this weekend (wheeee!!!!). For Friday night's rehearsal dinner, the invitation said the dress was "Beach casual - sundresses and Hawaiian shirts". Saturday evening, they are getting married on the beach, weather permitting.

So, about a week or so ago, I started going through my dresses and clothes to think about what I was going to wear. But, as I've stated here before, I've kind of gone on a weight-gaining binge since the wedding, so I found that the ones I was thinking I would wear were waaaaaaaay too tight. We're also kind of tight with our money right now. What's a broke and fatter girl to do?? Well, on Monday I did find a really nice dress that I bought, on sale, to wear to the wedding. I already have shoes, a purse and jewelry, so I'm all set. For the rehearsal dinner, I simply thought that if I wore my nicer jeans with a cute top and nice shoes/heels, I'd be okay. I know it's not a "sundress", but I'm pretty sure that not all the boys will show up in "Hawaiian shirts".
Well, my caring hubby was talking to some friends (a married couple) that are also going to the wedding, and he asked the guy what he was wearing. All fine and good. Then he asked the girl (who he also knows from work) what SHE was wearing, and proceeds to tell her that I "thought" I might wear jeans Friday night. Ugh. So, the girl, trying to be helpful because she thinks that I don't know what to wear (which is not really the case - the case is that I don't really have the $$ to shell out for a sundress that will fit just for a rehearsal dinner!!) emailed him pics of the dresses SHE is wearing. And my hubby then forwarded over the pics, telling me that this is what _____ly is wearing.
Okay, so this isn't life or death. Or even a big deal. Truth be told, I don't really care what she is wearing that much. It's just that this situation made me feel a little bad because I wish I did have a sundress to wear, but I just don't. And the couple dresses that I do have that do fit are more "winter" dresses, meant to be worn with tights - not exactly a Palm Beach look. I kind of felt like he should have just let me figured out what I wanted to wear and trusted my judgement - he knows the whole deal about me not fitting into my old dresses. And I didn't ask what SHE was wearing.

I'm sorry for posting about something so stupid and trivial, but as I know my caring hubby was just trying to help, I don't want to say anything to him or complain to him about how this made me feel. I will say one thing though, this is most definitely great motivation for hitting the gym on a more regular basis!

Outdoor living

On beautiful days like this, where it's sunny and about 70 perfect degrees outside, with the daffodils starting to come up, I start itching to get outside!

I'm what I would call a "fair-weather" gardener. Just like a fair-weather friend, I really only like to garden when it's like this. Mostly, I love to create. It's the upkeep, while it's 100 degrees out, that's not so fun.
This year I'd really like to focus on our back yard and porch. Right now it's not very pretty. There's some grass that's grown into the monkey grass that needs to be weeded, and there are patches in the monkey grass that need to be filled. Add to that the weeds in the yard, the 3 bushes that need to be transplanted to a sunnier location, and a couple bushes still in plastic pots... well, you get the idea.
But, it's always fun to look and lust and get ideas, so I've pulled a few images that inspire me. A few that I wouldn't mind having out my back door (especially the second one).



Is anyone else starting to gear up and tackle their yard or porch area??

*above pictures of outdoor spaces from Domino!

the Big Chop

I did it. Well, on February 7th I did it.
I chopped my hair, and I love it. Surprisingly, it looks much longer to me in this picture (taken this morning by my lovely co-worker Tracy) than it does in "real life". But, I got over 5 inches cut off! It is cut a little like Gwyneth's, where it is longer in the front than in back. It's just a little longer.
I decided to go with the slightly longer version for a couple reasons. First, it would be a little less drastic. And second, I can still pull it all back in a ponytail easily, which is nice to be able to do when you wash your face, go workout, run to the grocery store on a Saturday morning, etc.


So far, so good. I like it, it's easier to blow-dry in the mornings (although it looked much fuller and better before I left the house and got to work!).

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!



I'll be back with pictures of my new hair and Valentine's project for Chris hopefully this weekend!!

*first picture from Domino, second picture from MyHomeIdeas.com

Readers' Home Tours

I love home tours! I love seeing other people's homes, how they live, how they solved common decorating dilemas. I'm nosy.
So, I'm really excited that over at EAD Living, they are looking for real-life pictures from readers' homes and/or gardens! What a cool idea! I can't wait to see all the pictures.

Don't forget to send in pictures from your place!

Go over and read about it here.



*By the way, yes, that is my super-ugly and outdated bathroom. I'm planning on sprucing it up sometime this year, so stay tuned. But this just goes to show you that yes, we DO want to see how you live, because not all of us live in those pretty homes in the magazines!

33

Monday was my birthday.
So, in honor of my 33rd year, I thought I would share 33 musings about myself and life.

1. I definitely feel much younger than "33".
2. I love my new haircut! I can feel my hair move!
3. I am glad that I didn't get married any younger than I was. For me, it gave me time to figure myself out, learn a little about life, and realize who I was looking for.
4. I sometimes miss my younger single days.
5. But most of the time I'm glad they're over.
6. If I could, if I had the money, I would start up a non-profit animal shelter to save all the animals that people neglect, give up, or dump.
   
7. Some of the places I would love to live in: New Orleans, Florida, Savannah, Charleston, Austin, Granbury...
8. I've always ALWAYS wanted to live in an older historic home, preferably a 1920's bungalow. Those architectural details and a sense of history make my heart melt.
9. If I had a ton of money, I don't think I'd buy an extravagant home, or car, but I would travel the world!
10. I am thankful that my family is really close - I love my sisters, we are best friends.
11. I wish my in-laws were more like my family.
12. I am really loving the weather down here lately - upper 60's to 70's and sunny. Nice.
13. This type of weather makes me want to sit out on a patio, eat some good chips and salsa, and drink margaritas!
14. When I was younger, I was concerned with what other people thought of me, of how they saw me. Now that I'm older, I really don't care as much. I mean, I want people to like me and have a good opinion of me, but I could give a rats ass if I'm not the cutest girl in the room.
    
15. I'm allergic to beer, haven't had one since I was about 21-22, and don't miss it.
16. I do like wine, mixed drinks, and hard lemonades though.
17. After my honeymoon, I thought "I worked out really hard this year and really watched what I ate. I'm going to enjoy myself over the holidays".
18. Now, I'm wishing I hadn't enjoyed myself so much.
19. I daydream about interior design stuff - color schemes, paint, accessories, furniture...
20. I really like to garden as well, but I don't know that I'm as good at it. Plus, I don't like getting out in the midst of the summer heat. So, I'm a big spring and fall gardener.
21. Even though I live in Texas, I don't enjoy being out in the hot hot heat. It'll zap you.
22. My wedding day was one of the best times of my life. Not only did I marry Chris, but it was just a really really fun time! Probably the most fun "party" that I'd ever been to.
23. I'm a TV junkie. It's bad, but we watch way too much TV. I'm trying to ween myself away.
24. I voted for Barack, and Chris voted for McCain. Politics is always an interesting conversation in our house.
    
25. I do think I'm actually and truly addicted to caffeine. Not from coffee, but Diet Coke. I really need to start weening myself away from it. Slowly, though, to avoid the headaches.
26. Extreme Home Makeover always makes me a little teary-eyed.
    
27. I love "LOST", and wish I was as kickass as Sayid. He appeals to my inner-action hero.
28. Chris and I want to have at least 2 kids, but to tell you the truth, it is a little intimidating and scary to think about! I think the older you get, the more horror stories you hear.
    
29. I really don't have the best memory or recall for little things, so I am always writing myself notes. I can remember big things, but if I need to remember something like "Bring FSA paperwork to work tomorrow", I need to write myself a note. Otherwise, I'll remember AFTER I get to work. Or the next day.
30. I'm a big fan of country music. I do also like rock, blues, reggae, and pop. I got more into country, though, a couple years ago when I got really tired of listening to the same 5 songs on rotation, and thought they weren't that great anyways.
    
31. I always thought that by 33, I would have been married for a while with a couple of kids.
    
32. I am a huge bargain shopper. I love getting things on sale, or getting some sort of rebate or incentive. I price compare and do lots of research.
33. Oh no, I just realized that next year I will be 34. Which means I'll be "mid-30's". *Groan* I guess 33 isn't looking so bad after all!

Crafty kind of Valentine

This has got to be one of the most original and cutest ideas for a Valentine's Day card! It's especially great if your guy plays poker or cards, like Chris does!

I think I'm feeling crafty!


I'll make sure to show you how mine turns out. Hopefully as good as this one did!

Feel free to read more about it and see more pictures at Craftster.org .

A new look

Saturday, I'm cutting my hair off.
It has just gotten so long (below my bra strap), and I'm dying for a change! I've had it long like this for probably 3 to 4 years now. Plus, I've found that I'm actually missing a chunk in back (OMG)!!! Seriously, there is a good size piece that is shorter than the rest. Not sure why, but it's there. It blends in, but now that I know it's there, it really bothers me!! Ugh.

So, do I still leave some length, like the girl in the picture below?? I really like her hair, and while it's much shorter than what I have now, it's still longish.


Or, do I go a little more dramatic with it and cut it above my shoulders?? I love Gwyneth's new haircut, it's just so stylish.

I'm not really sure yet... more than likely I'll go with the longer cut, just to get used to it, and then cut it shorter from there if I want.
But, it's only hair. It will grow back if I don't like it...

Anyone else recently chop their hair? I know Jenny did, and she's loving it!

My office tour

I was inspired by Introverted Wife, and thought I would take you on a tour of my office where I work!
As some of you may know, I work in an interior design trade showroom - which sounds all glamorous, fun, and creative, but many times isn't. Sometimes we are able to flex our creative muscles, and other times the clients come in with those "what are you thinking?!?!" fabrics that make you want to cringe just a little. Sometimes, what a client is interested in is not what you would pick out at all, but part of my job is being a good salesperson, so I have learned an appreciation for other styles and looks that I normally wouldn't really like.

But enough of that. Here is what I see every day when I walk through the door. Luckily it is pretty clean and picked up in this shot. There have been times when the center aisle is littered with carpets and fabrics that you have to hike over or around!


This is a picture of a custom rug we are working on. These are strikeoffs that the client will get and we will work with to get the colors and design correct before the rug goes into production. If a client decides they don't like a certain shade of green, this is the time to change it.


This shot is in the back where we have all our stock rugs rolled up. These are all new rugs, but we do have antiques as well.


Oh, and look, my little cubicle space. We're upstairs, in what I've termed "the cave" as there are no windows or natural light. There have literally been times I've walked in to work when it's sunny and beautiful, and then a couple hours later all of a sudden I hear rain on the roof, run out front, and it's pouring. It can be somewhat disconnecting. But I digress.... You'll notice the many yellow sticky notes I have stuck around. I am a huge note taker, because I'm forgetful at times. Also, I'm realizing my desk looks more messy in this photo than it does to me in real life. There is a method to my messy madness.

Well, this concludes our tour of my workplace. It is a good job, and one I've been lucky to have for *eek!!* 9 years now (although I still dream of opening up my own place someday!).