anticipations for 2010

instead of resolutions, i thought i'd steal nancy ray's goal making/achieving process....monthly goals in conjunction with the standard, general resolutions.

january goals
quit. 21 to go before box decorating commences. :)
get a massage.
start working out again, slowly.
pay my car insurance, in full.
get caught up, financially.
go to church.
build the frame, stretch & gesso the large canvas i've been carrying around for 2 years.
visit a couple more apartment complexes...

2010 new year's resolutions
say goodbye to my "dependance" on nicotine.
monthly massages @ massage envy.
get healthy/get fit/work out more often.
make a real dent in the various forms of debt i carry around.
move when my lease is up 3/31, closer to work.
go to church, at least twice/month.
learn from my mistakes & not repeat them.
wear more color--my wardrobe is pretty depressing in the fall/winter!
be happy and "content"
paint more...
be more involved/go to more mint activities
find some girl friends in charlotte
not settle for less than everything that i want/deserve.

reflections

today is new year's eve and with it comes a time of reflection on the past year and anticipation for what 2010 will bring. so much changed over the course of one year, and yet, not much at all.....

i don't look back on 2009 and say "bleh" but i am certainly glad it's over...i don't have "plans" this year. i just plan to eat dinner, drink some asti, and try to stay up til midnight to ring in 2010. i certainly don't want to be out on the roads..my dui comes off in july! we have tomorrow off, for new year's day. woo hoo! a day off from work is the best way to ring in a new year, for sure! :)

christmas 2009 continued

bella and i drove to raleigh on christmas eve. traffic wasn't too bad..we made it in just about two hours. ;) my lesson learned for real? to shut bella in the spare room until we are really ready to go. she ran out when i was on the last load and went on an adventure all the way up to the front of the complex. dang dog! she continued that streak as she squeezed past my legs and ran into my parents' house--a big no-no! ugh! i had half a mind to put some coal in her stocking!

my dad was already at church, caring for rebecca so her parents could go to the 5:30 service; so, i drove my mom over. paul and paige joined us. after the service, we went back for our traditional swedish christmas eve dinner (white fish, white rice, candlelight). this year, my mom broke tradition and let my dad and paul open a gift on christmas eve. and what did they open? matching yellow remote control helicopters to fly outside on christmas. they were so cute (paul & dad, not just the helicopters)!

christmas morning, instead of rushing downstairs to open our stockings to see what santa brought, my parents and i got ready. we gathered all the gifts and headed down to paige & paul's. i drove separately because bella got to come too! paul used to have a dog and they love her. unfortunately, it was raining most of the morning/afternoon, so she couldn't enjoy the fenced yard. and, with her long, excited tail, she had limited roaming ability (particularly in the dining room with all the liquor bottles and glassware exposed), she spent most of the day in the spare room--the "man room/music room". ha.

we stayed at paige & paul's until about 2pm, rounded up our unwrapped gifts and headed back to my parents' house--to leave the newlyweds the opportunity to prepare for the next round of guests (his dad/stepmom and sisters). Once we got home, we opened our stockings to see what santa brought! then my mom brought out the puzzle. every christmas, mom gets a new puzzle; but, this one was hard!

originally, i was going to stay home the whole weekend, but i decided to go back saturday evening. and that's how my christmas went. :)

christmas 2009

christmas was quite a bit different this year. i got a tree this year, albeit a 2' tree. i got one for my office, that i set up with clear and silver ball ornaments with a green glitter star topper. it sat on my little bookcase, on a box and my tree skirt was leftover candy cane print fabric i've had on hand since my days in pirate's cove. i couldn't figure how to get lights on it so it remained unlit. having an unlit tree wasn't all bad--i didn't have to remember to unplug it after work each day!

for my tree at the house, i did get a string of mini lights from wal-mart (for under 2$). i strung and restrung the lights many times before i got it close to right..the theme for my home tree was red, white and silver. my mom sent me some teeny red & white ornaments from crate & barrel. so i picked up some silver ornaments while at wal-mart. i used a red glitter topper for my tree. i used more of the candy cane fabric for the skirt.

i rewrapped my garland with a couple strings of lights for the fireplace and hung my lighted wreath on my front door (at least that part was the same).

so, the photo above is bella in front of our little christmas tree. :)

Enchiladas

honey lime chicken enchiladas with chipotle tomato rice
i pulled this recipe off this blog as an attempt to get back into the kitchen, and to try something new! let me tell you, they are delicious! this is what they're supposed to look like:

i am apparently not as skilled in the rolling of tortillas, but no matter...they were just as delicious as i imagined. unfortunately, i could not find the chipotle for the rice, but it was okay. i've used spices i've never used before and it made my house just divine!

besides the chipotle, i did veer off course slightly. instead of poaching a chicken or using a rotissere chicken, i threw 3 boneless chicken breasts on my g.foreman with salt and pepper. i forgot the part about marinating the chicken for at least a 1/2 an hour..i would've preferred at least an hour; and, the 3 breasts made a whole more than my 6 enchiladas (so did the rice). i've eaten them for dinner two nights so far, and with all the chicken and rice, i'll be eating them until at least sunday. it's probably more of a dinner for a 2+ person household. bella did help with the grated cheese. ;) here's what mine looked like:

just a quick post

i am trying to decide how to neatly end the year..do i find my "best" pictures or write a "best of" list? or, do i simply sum up 2009 and list my goals for the new year? i have just a couple days to decide....

also to come: i found a recipe on a food blog i follow (well, 2 recipes) that i made last night. the food didn't finish its time in the oven until nearly 10pm so i didn't get a chance to taste it last night, but man, oh man, am i excited for dinner tonight! honey lime chicken enchiladas with chipotle tomato rice (minus the chipotle..couldn't find any). i took a picture too, just because it smelled so good so i'll be sure to post it as well. i made 6 (and there's plenty of chicken and rice left) so it is sure to be my meal for the week. i'm excited. :)

breaking up with your breakdowns
standing tall in your white gown
you're going nowhere, you're going fast
slowin' down, but it never lasts
take your time, woman
take your time

it's the wrong dream, with the wrong man
with a cold gun, in your wrong hand
get it right this time, get it off your mind
let the summer rain bring rest and shame and love

carve your name in a black stone
swear to God we won't let go
if you can't love, babe, then you can't hurt
we take the good times, with the worst
take your time, woman, take your time

it's the wrong dream, with the wrong man
with a cold gun, in your wrong hand
get it right this time, get it off your mind
let the summer rain bring rest and shame and love

bridge

it's the wrong dream, with the wrong man
with a cold gun, in your wrong hand
get it right this time, get it off your mind
let the summer rain bring rest and shame and love

let the summer rain bring rest and shame and love
and love..
and love..
and love..
and love..

and love.

rest, shame, love ~ augustana

can you tell i am in love with http://www.picnik.com? ;)

thursday, i took a half-day from work and got my hair cut (eek!). i came home and cleaned the kitchen & took out the trash..and realized that i still needed to pack and would be leaving during rush hour. so, i took my time..we finally headed for raleigh around 7:45. i spent the night in raleigh and headed down to greenville friday afternoon because....

after 7 years of money issues, taking time off, and working full-time, my best friend, has done it! friday evening around 5:15pm, adina and her purple chucks walked across the stage to officially graduate! i am so proud of her for pulling through and finishing her degree.

after the ceremony, it had started to rain...ugh. after losing adina in the parking lot (she ran off--silly girl!), we went back to toby & jenn's to start the celebration with some super mario on the wii. her "boyfriend" was there...that's a whole other story. i will say that it was nice that he came to her graduation.


i love my girls. here's the picture of the FIVE of us ready to go over to paul & stephanie's (jackie is pregnant!).


it was so nice to be able to see jackie (we didn't plan to match either!) and hannah. i can't wait to plan a baby shower for baby brown! :) it's due in june--what a great birthday present that'd be!

i will refrain from talking about friday night because it reminds me why i have come to hate greenville. it was great to see jacob & the guys, but let's just say that i'm not planning a trip back until hannah gets pinned for her associate's from pcc (in 2 years).

i headed back to raleigh late saturday afternoon and stayed with my folks. with the threat of wintry weather, i didn't want to be driving in the dark. we decorated the tree and watched "ratatouille". after a wonderful brunch of my mom's french toast & my dad's scrambled eggs, i packed up the car and we headed back home.

parental recap

my parents came to visit me in charlotte this weekend...my dad hasn't been here since he helped me move in march! we had a great time (bella too!) spending the time together, however brief it was.

saturday, after we ate a quick lunch (they got to my home ~1pm), we went and looked at a couple of apartments that i haven't visited yet (b/c they are new): the circle @ concord mills and arwen vista. my lease is up in march, so i'm contemplating leaving addison yet again. i'll do a comparison post in january, but at this point my options are: the circle, arwen, bexley @ concord mills, the reserve at stone hollow, phillips university center and ashford green..and addison of course.

after looking at apartments, we went to the billy graham library. to say it was "nice" would be an understatement. i really enjoyed it and is blessed to have shared the experience with my parents. there was a live nativity complete with a donkey (that looked cold & tired/drugged), a camel, a couple sheep and a goat, some kids...baby jesus was a doll of course. i learned a lot, and would recommend it to anyone..bonus--it's free!
after the library, we drove out to mcadenville/christmas town usa. i really wanted to see the lights. but traffic was a nightmare. i'll have to go on a weeknight i think...or earlier in december! so, we bypassed the lights and went onto dinner...at the olive garden by northlake. it was delicious! yum, yum!! after dinner, we went back and played with bella. she was extremely happy her grandparents were here..especially her grandpa. they are too cute together!

sunday, we went to hickory grove north for worship and then home for eggs and bacon. after brunch, we loaded the car back up and they headed back to raleigh.

after they left, i went to ulta and finished my christmas shopping (picking up a few things for me of course)-except for my dad and went to the grocery store. then it was an evening of laundry & cooking (i made a tender roast and veggies/broth in the crock pot)...i can't wait to have some when i get back from my artitudes event tonight! :)

hope everyone had a great weekend. i'll do a weekend & end of year preview later in the week. :)

can't help but share

when i picked bella up from suite paws (for the wedding), i also picked up this super cute bandana. it's pink (so she won't be mistaken for a boy!) with hearts and skulls (for the pirate in her!) & so cute. isn't she pretty?!

my parents just e-mailed me photos from our christmas card photo shoot from thanksgiving weekend (my batteries are dead, so i have yet to pull the ones off my camera). i'm not sure which one will win, since i haven't seen them all, but here are a few that i think are particularly cute (of bella..). :)

getting set up...she really only poses if no one is in the picture with her.
her grandma (my mom) bought her the harlequin collar at ps. :)

Really, Mom? Another picture? I just want to play!

I love when she smiles. :)
This one might be the winner...

I have decided, however, that I won't be making my cards this year. My parents are coming this weekend (Sat-Sun), I'm in Raleigh/Greenville the following weekend (Thurs-Sun), and then it's Christmas. Poof! Just like that! The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas just seems to get shorter and shorter every year!

YAY PIRATES!
YAY PIRATES!
YAY PIRATES!

Back-to-back Conference Champs!

Skip & the boys are heading back to Memphis & the Liberty Bowl
to take on Arkansas, January 2 @ 5:30 on ESPN.

GO PIRATES!
GO PIRATES!
GO PIRATES!

100

this is my 100th post. yay.

some may think i'm wasting it, but i got this e-mail yesterday on the ncplan list serv and it made me smile. because someday, if i stay in the public sector, i may want to hold this position or something like it:

Regional Planner needed to assist with implementation of the Military Growth Task Force (MGTF) Regional Growth Management Plan in eastern North Carolina. See www.nceastmgtf.org. This is a 2-year grant funded position with further employment potential. Reports to the MGTF Executive Director and is located at the Eastern Carolina Council offices in New Bern, NC.
Regional Planner will perform advanced planning work and provide coordinated guidance in the principles and practices of regional planning, land use planning, and community development. Skill in the collection, analysis, and presentation of technical data. Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing. Proficiency with ESRI ArcGIS software. Ability to build positive working relationships with local governments and key stakeholders. Ability to organize and coordinate public participation.
Requires graduation from a college or university with a degree in a related field and considerable planning experience in public sector planning, AICP preferred. Salary negotiable up to $110,000.

(ECC is a quasi-governmental planning organization serving Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico and Wayne Counties.)

I particularly like that negotiable salary. ;) happy 100th post to me. :D

one more to go

this is my 99th post! next stop, 100. wow.

thanksgiving has come and gone (and boy, was it tasty!). soon, christmas will be here and after that, a new year! aside from the summertime (my birthday, the college world series), this is my favorite time of year. there's just something about a brisk chill and being able to see your breath with the glimmer of hope that snow will come east of the appalachias to brighten one's spirit.

and even though it's december & i haven't watched an ounce of basketball, i'm already looking forward to february and the start of baseball. i'm contemplating getting season tickets for the uncc games. season tickets are $49 total. that's ~35 home games. i think it's a good deal..plus it's tickets for the uncc/clemson and uncc/unc match-ups. could be good. ecu comes this way only twice, and only to high point and elon. i will be asking to leave work early for those. but before i jump the gun completely, i just wanted to say, you better bring out your megaphones and root for the pirates this saturday as they take on houston(?) in the conference usa championship game, 12pm, in greenville. woo hoo! gooooo pirates!

ECU Snuggie

i kinda always wanted a snuggie and knowing that ^THIS^ is out there!?!
it may have to be a christmas wish list item! :)

review & preview

i stayed in friday night. i really wanted to get a lot done saturday/sunday so i snuggled up with my blanket & watched tv. my favorite friday night show (besides "numb3rs") is "say yes to the dress." i'm not sure why since a wedding is in no way eminent but the dresses are gorgeous & watching the families is interesting, to say the least. (oh, and i took a late lunch friday and wound up with an impromptu date..he had the day off so he met me downtown at ellie's.)

saturday, i woke up around 9. i didn't want to sleep too late because i had a lunch date. so, i got up and took bella out and made pancakes (my first time ever!! they were okay..). i had just gotten out of the shower & the guy had texted me to tell me he had to bail. his dad had fallen so he had to go. i understood..he's lucky to be so close (he's in concord/harrisburg & his parents are in salisbury/rockwell). but, now that i think about it..i'm a little..unnerved. why couldn't he call? dating & today's technologies can be annoying sometimes. because he & i don't know each other well enough to be texting to bail. he will remain a "he" until further notice.. ;)

so, instead of going to lunch saturday..i decided i'd watch some football before the REAL game (ECU v. Alabama-Birmingham of course!). so, i spent the afternoon watching football. i actually haven't done that in awhile. and, since they don't talk about ECU that often during the sports reports, the Pirates beat the Blazers 37-21! Whoopie!).

sunday was REALLY productive. i woke up about noon, made breakfast (poached eggs & bacon), watched friday's "numb3rs" and then went to work. bella was being good, so i let her hang out (usually i put her in her crate so she doesn't get in the way). i finally unpacked from 2 weeks ago, fixed my closet, put away all my clean clothes, put fresh sheets on and remade my bed, redid the spare closet (again) because i was moving my white chest of drawers back in, packed up the last of my warm-weather clothes to take back to raleigh on thursday & vacuumed. whew! i didn't quit until 9. before i went to bed, i cleaned up the kitchen and got organized for work this morning. i didn't wind up crawling in bed until about 12:30 but somehow, i didn't have much difficulty getting up for work this morning (and was up on time!). must've been the fresh sheets & the clean room/house! yay for a 33% productive weekend!

3 days of work and then home for thanksgiving. bella and i are gonna drive up thursday morning. paige & paul are coming (they'll go to the various stops for his family the rest of the weekend). i hope they bring pictures from their honeymoon in aruba!! mom & i are going to prime my old room in order to repaint over christmas. i'm excited. it's something i've wanted to do for a few years but was always working at zg instead. oh the joy of not working retail! maybe b and i will take another round of christmas photos this year?!

hope everyone has a great week & a wonderful thanksgiving. we have so much to be thankful for!

financially focused

there are six weeks until the new year begins, but i am not waiting to begin to make some (well-deserved & overdue) changes in my life.

i've talked a little bit about the small debts that will be paid off by the end of december (brent, apt. complex) and how those will free up some money for me come january. but, for the first time (yes, an overdue first!), i am putting myself on a real budget. at first i thought i would limit myself to 100$ per pay period, but since i'm just starting out, i'm allotting 150-200$. this money will go towards groceries, gas, bad habits, errands, eating out, stool time @ stooly's..basically anything that isn't a bill payment will come out of this chunk. that frees up about 800-900$ per pay period to go towards bills & debt-payments. eventually, i do want to come down to 100$ for two weeks, but i think that'll take some getting used to for sure!

so, my daily spending budget/plan is that once my paycheck shows up in my account, i go get the allotted amount and that's what i use for my purchases. this is mainly so i quit using my debit card so much, especially for stuff under 10$ (i think that's stupid). having cash on hand ties into the next change, which is saving money.

i need to start somewhere....so, i read in real simple about an easy savings plan. every time you get a 5$ bill, you put it in a seperate part of your wallet. then, when you get home, take the 5$ bill(s) and put them in a special envelope. you open a savings account (at a bank other than where your other accounts are, so you won't be tempted to make withdrawals or transfers) with the minimum amount. then, every time you accumulate 50$, make a deposit. i think it sounds easy enough and will be fun to watch the money grow.

the easiest way to save money? take a break from looking for someone special. i used to do m.c, then i gave eH a try. eH is more expensive for month-to-month, so in december, i am going to cancel. it's the easiest way to save 50$/month. ouch! and, i usually forget so it automatically renews (and doesn't send the reminder until after it's been paid)..not this time, i've wrote it down in my planner!!

i really do believe that if i stick to these plans, i will be able to both pay off my debts and save money..which used to seem impossible. c'mon financial freedom!

Hitched

INTRODUCING...

Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. Boyles
November 7, 2009

Celebrating Paul & Paige

Here are just a few pictures from the wedding (I took over 100 Friday-Sunday). It was a perfect day and definitely a celebration of Paige & Paul. Enjoy!

Paige & Grandma @ Tanas

Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Putting on her veil

Mom, Dad & Paige

"Tonight's the night! Let's live it up!"

Father/Daughter Dance

Heath with his prize!

Mr. & Mrs. B cutting a rug! Paul even did a split!

Strawberry Fields YUM!

The photographers, AJ & Cynthia, were amazing & so nice. Check out their blog:
www.simplyphoto.net.

Bead Lady Baubles

As promised, here are photos from my latest venture into The Bead Lady (downtown Concord).

Last year, Kassie had given me a skull bracelet, but it was too big for my wrist. So, I added some black ball beads and clear seed beads and ta-da! my skull necklace. I love what it's turned out to be!

I found these beautiful stone beads. Even though these 3 weren't loose, she let me cut the strand and have them at the individual price without having to buy the whole strand ($3.50/bead vs. $35/strand). I found some coordinating wood beads and sead beads..I think it came out great! I do "need" to go back with my spare wood beads and have a pair of earrings made. I love it! They had some similar blue stone beads that would make quite a statement if an entire strand was used. Hmm...

Another necklace redo: I had bought this necklace from Arden B over the summer(?) and loved the turquoise beads. What I didn't love was how the loops and chain tarnished (that's costume jewelry for ya!)..I took it in and she reattached the turquoise strands to new hardware and replaced the chain with beads (that I picked out to coordinate). I didn't want to pick a color, since I don't always wear it with brown or black, etc. Again, updating/redoing old jewelry is awesome (and inexpensive). I think it looks great...A lot better than tarnished hardware!

Last but not least, my purple and gold set. Last September (when my Aunt Holly was in town), I had a purple/white/gold beaded bracelet made. Well, I decided I wanted to have a matching necklace made & some earrings. This is what I ended up with. Love!

What do you think?

2009 is almost done....

Yesterday, at the end of the work day (which, by the way, was my 2 year anniversary with the County), I decided to redo my dry erase calendars since there's only 2 weeks left in October. After doing so, I realized there are the two weeks left this month, November, December and then the year is over! Man, did this year seem to fly by or what?!

To think, I started the year out with a first date with Brent and now, here we are, 10 months later we barely speak. Actually, scratch that--we don't speak. We only communicate via text messages and facebook..about money. Don't ask me why, because I don't remember, but he paid my rent for me one month. But, the great news is that I won't be going into 2010 owing him anything. Clearly, we are not friends and once he is paid back, I don't forsee us having any contact whatsoever. I could go on, but I'll refrain. All I know is that by going into 2010 without him a part of my life will leave that spot open for someone else. ;)

Another debt that will be paid is for my old apartment. When I moved, I was sick and unable to prime. That, coupled with having my first puppy, left me with a pretty steep payment. I've been on a plan since April or so, and the last payment is due by December 31. I'm coupling Oct/Nov payments in Nov and possibly adding December's to be done a month early and have some cash on hand for Christmas gifts...No matter how it's handled, it'll be done in time to ring in 2010. Yipee.

I am really looking forward to 2010...My small debts will be paid off; my car insurance premium will come way down (Feb 2010 makes 5 yrs since my court date & "it" comes off my insurance); I may be moving in March...I think 2010 will be a heck of a lot better than 2009. Not that I'm getting ahead of myself or anything..there are still 2 months left in the year that are bringing great experiences, and I will enjoy them. :)

P.S. ECU spanked Rice on Saturday 49-13. :D

tgif

i thought i would post today since next friday, i'll be out of town for my sister's bachelorette party in wilmington.

eye update: i had an eye dr. appt. last night after work (my first one since i moved to charlotte--oops!). turns out my eyesight is a little worse, so i was fitted with new contact lenses. i suppose, maybe for christmas, i'll get some new glasses. i found out i have a slight astigmatism in my left eye. other than that, my eyes are healthy. i go back in 2 weeks for a check up...it's so nice to be able to see everything even more clearly now! ;)

this weekend, i am laying low & staying in..unless my neighbor still wants to hang out. ;) i want to finish priming the dining room and living room tomorrow, so tonight i'm going to prep after work. ecu plays rice for homecoming tomorrow, but i doubt i'll be able to catch much more than the score on the ticker. and, i need to work on my room...basically, i'll be spending my weekend painting/sorting/purging/organizing. and, i will be up in plenty of time to hit north campus on sunday morning. ;)

hope everyone has a great friday and a great weekend. go pirates!

review/preview

it's been a couple weeks since i've posted..not much to write about i suppose. :/

this past weekend, i was going to go home. as usual, i didn't feel like driving friday night so i stayed in..i went to bed at a super reasonable hour since i was planning on getting up early to hit the road. but, man! did my bed feel good saturday morning. so i rolled over and called my mom. she did her darndest to convince me to come, but the security of my 3 comforters, 1 blanket & 4 pillows (+ teddy) just wouldn't let me go! so i rolled back over, and was in and out of sleep (mostly "in") for the next few hours. i ended up getting myself up at 1:30 or something like that! poor b...stuck in her crate since i thought we were leaving early....but she's a trooper. ;) saturday, i was lazy and watched football & movies (including staying up to see the end of the ecu-smu game. ecu lost by 7 pts. agh! we are just NOT a 2nd half team. i don't get it!! sunday morning, i went to church. but, since i was running behind, i ended up going to the main campus service that starts around 10:30 (the north campus service starts at 10:15). i like north campus better, but i'm glad the services are staggered. :) all i can say for sunday, is i did watch most of the panthers' game (not really sure why though), and cleared my dining table off and played a couple games of solo scrabble. i won. ;) then, i went to bed and had my horrible nightmare again, waking up at 1am and not wanting to go back to sleep. but, the nightmare also proved something i already knew: that i kinda have a crush on my neighbor. i think he lives with his dad, which is slightly endearing. he's really nice. we may hit up the wine vault this weekend, since i've yet to go. we'll see.

this week: it's back to the grind today..bah. i have a quick work project that's due by monday dealing with apf data entry. shouldn't be too bad. tomorrow, i have artitudes at 6:30 downtown, and then supposedly meeting derek for dinner somewhere south (since he lives in ballantyne). thursday, i have a much-needed eye appointment after work in concord. i haven't been to the eye doctor since i moved to charlotte. i need contacts!! (that's not to say that i've been wearing the same pair for 2 years, because that would be disgusting and incredibly bad for my eyes!) friday, after work, is another mint after 5. so long as the weather cooperates, i'm gonna go. saturday, i have a hair appt. (last color appt. before the wedding..darker, less blond, tone down the red, etc.). ecu plays rice for homecoming. the way rice got spanked this weekend, if we can't win, i'm gonna go give the team a swift kick in the rear! i'm going to be motivated this weekend for sure...get some work done (maybe even finish priming the living/dining rooms?). oh, and i need to find some new black flats (as i am in studded thong sandals today despite the temperature/weather; which is okay for outside work but maybe not so much for work in october?). wish me luck. ;)

hope everyone had a great weekend and survives the chillier & gloomy/rainy week that lies ahead.

p.s. i promise to upload pictures this week/weekend!

couldn't resist

Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona.

The Charlotte Observer held a photo contest this summer. I pulled these (along with other breathtaking shots) off the website. The winners will be published in Sunday's paper. These are a few of my favorites. BEAUTIFUL!



Yellowstone National Park. Heart O' the Hills Trail, Olympic National Park. Storm, Emerald Isle, NC. Ammoudi Fishing Village, Santorini, Greece.

i can smell freedom

...because it's friday! :)

i haven't blogged much because i've been busy with work. next friday's the deadline, and there is A LOT to do! i still haven't uploaded my pictures of my new bead work. i'll probably do that tonight, and post them next week..so stay tuned! :) i am in a super good mood..i hope it lasts throughout the day.

weekend preview: my mom is coming to visit tomorrow. she still hasn't found the perfect mob dress and the wedding is 7 weeks away! eek! plus, i'm looking forward to having her all to myself! (well, and bella of course) so tonight, i'll be tidying up (there's not that much to do, thank goodness) and catching up on this week's tv that i missed. tomorrow & sunday afternoon = mom time. sunday evening, i'll be regrouping for another week...weekends are too short!

after a winning start, the pirates are 1-2 after falling behind the tarholes last weekend. saturday, they take on central florida & it's a purple-out game as the team opens up conference play.
U goooooooooo pirates! argh! U

my sister's getting married

In just over 8 weeks, Paige & Paul will be saying "I do."

Here's a photo of the Gladwin women at Saturday's shower.

It's a true showing of our heights because we're all wearing flats.
Just imagine if I'd decided to wear my heels!

a new day...

Ordinarily, I don't post on Mondays because I'm usually bitter the weekend is over, but I'm feeling pretty good today. :)

This past weekend, Bella and I rolled into town Saturday (afternoon) for my sister's bridal shower. It was a lovely afternoon (the food/cupcakes were delish!) and I won the door prize! They set an egg timer and if it went off when Paige was opening your gift you got the prize. It was a bag of coffee (I gave that to my dad), some tea tins (I'll give 'em a shot-not usually a fan of tea) and some glass latte mugs (those are in my dishwasher now). There were some women that Paige cheered with in middle & high school that I hadn't seen in easily, 10 years or so. Apparently, I've grown since they saw me last. ;) It was nice.

Bella stayed home with my dad. We looped her to a tree with a chain & a 25' cable. She didn't like it much..she whimpered and barked a lot. It made me sad, but she likes to wander and when my dad's on the other side of the house painting, that can't happen..especially now that the Wards got a new fluffy puppy (looks like a cotton ball). I think B scared the poo out of her a couple times with her big girl bark. :) I think her Christmas present will be (if I can find an inexpensive one), a remote controlled zap collar so she can learn to stay in the yard. Otherwise, she'll need to stay leashed or inside, in her crate. :/

I had my date Saturday night when I got back into Charlotte. It was..okay. I think he is a great guy and I really like his personality. I don't want to be shallow or vain, because he is cute, but..he's a big guy. Not fat, just big. I've never been attracted to a linebacker...I couldn't even wrap my arms around him to hug him. I don't know. I am planning on making a day trip up to Boone at some point this weekend to see if it's really an issue or if I'm just being me. Ho-hum.......

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon on the couch since the house was clean and my laundry was done. I was in and out of naps, as was B. It was lovely. :)

This week: I have our first Artitudes event at the Mint on Randolph (a follow-up to Charlotte's Fashion Week) Wednesday evening. Thursday evening, I have our Planning & Zoning Board meeting. I have two rezonings going before the Board, and it's my first meeting in over a year! Friday's pay day (yay!) and the first Mint After 5 and the MMC+D rooftop. It'll be my first one too..I'm excited. :)

Sports recap: UNC barely beat UConn (due to an obscure safety rule), State blew Murray State out of the water (but let's be honest..they should've won that game anyways), ECU lost to WVa by 20 pts. Not a good showing for our second game, but after we spanked the Mountaineers last season, I knew they'd be ready. This week, ECU meets the Tarholes. They're 2-0, we're 1-1. We'll see. ...

Hope everyone has a great week.

weekend preview

This weekend, I will be...

1. in Raleigh for my sister's bridal shower on Saturday afternoon;

2. back in Charlotte Saturday night for my date;

3. doing a little cleaning and more organizing (because hopefully next weekend I'll be painting some more).

It's not an exciting list, but that's good after the whirlwind that was last weekend.

Hope everyone has a great weekend & remembers today, and always.

**P.S. ECU heads to West Virginia this weekend..GO PIRATES!!**

question

it's wednesday...instead of making it wordless with a photo, i'd like to pose a question to all the non-single readers out there in blog land.

if you are married or are engaged, how did you know? how did you know that your significant other was in fact, significant? what about them, or what happened, to let you know without a doubt, that this was the person you were going to spend the rest of your life with?

i've posed the question before, to various people i've worked with who were married and the consensus (sp?) is that they "just knew". i'm not sure if i could ever "just know" and with me trekking down the hill towards 30, i'm curious.

how did you know?!

When good girls go bad...

they attack their cousin!

Just kidding...Ramses and Bella had a great play date on Sunday but man! Does she looks scary or what?!

in case you didn't hear...

the pirates pulled out the victory against the mountaineers on saturday!

..and when i say "pulled out," i mean it. ecu seems to always want to give the game away. if there had been 5 more minutes, the result may have been different. but, no matter. state lost, virginia tech lost and east carolina WON! :)

i have just one thing to say....

Loyal & Bold, We are the Purple & Gold.
GO PIRATES!!

It's HERE

I've been waiting since January! :)

I promise not to include all the teams in future posts...

Thursday, September 3
South Carolina @ North Carolina State (7pm, ESPN)
Troy @ Bowling Green
Villanova @ Temple
Coastal Carolina @ Kent State
North Texas @ Ball State (7:30pm, ESPNU)
North Dakota State @ Iowa State
Eastern Kentucky @ Indiana
Utah State @ 19 Utah
16 Oregon @ 14 Boise State (10:15pm, ESPN)

Friday, September 4
Tulsa @ Tulane (8pm, ESPN, C-USA)

Saturday, September 5
Central Arkansas @ Hawaii
Navy @ 6 Ohio State (12pm, ESPN)
Akron @ 9 Penn State
Towson @ Northwestern
Montana State @ Michigan State
Appalachian State @ East Carolina (12pm)
Minnesota @ Syracuse (12pm, ESPN2)
Kentucky @ Miami (OH) (12pm, ESPNU)
Liberty @ West Virginia
Toledo @ Purdue
Northern Iowa @ 22 Iowa
Western Kentucky @ Tennessee
Youngstown State @ Pittsburgh
Northeastern @ Boston College
Nicholls State @ Air Force
Portland State @ Oregon State
Weber State @ Wyoming
San Jose State @ 4 USC
13 Georgia @ 9 Oklahoma State (3:30pm, ABC)
Nevada @ 23 Notre Dame (3:30pm, NBC)
Western Michigan @ Michigan (3:30pm, ABC)
Baylor @ Wake Forest (3:30pm)
Jackson State @ Mississippi State (3:30pm, ESPNU)
Illinois @ Missouri (3:40pm, ESPN, neutral site)
Rice @ UAB (C-USA)
Southern Illinois @ Marshall
Citadel @ 21 North Carolina (6pm)
Middle Tennessee State @ Clemson
William & Mary @ Virginia
Stanford @ Washington State
Charleston Southern @ 1 Florida
Louisiana-Monroe @ 2 Texas
3 Oklahoma @ 20 Brigham Young (7pm, ESPN, neutral site)
Florida Atlantic @ 24 Nebraska
Northern Colorado @ 25 Kansas
Louisiana Tech @ Auburn (7pm, ESPNU)
Missouri State @ Arkansas
Wofford @ South Florida
Richmond @ Duke
Connecticut @ Ohio
New Mexico @ Texas A&M
Northwestern State @ Houston
Northern Illinois @ Wisconsin
Southern University @ Louisiana-Lafayette
Army @ Eastern Michigan
Alcorn State @ Southern Miss
North Dakota @ Texas Tech
Mississippi Valley State @ Arkansas State
Massachusetts @ Kansas State
San Diego State @ UCLA
Indiana State @ Louisville
Western Carolina @ Vanderbilt
Samford @ UCF
5 Alabama @ 7 Virginia Tech (8pm, ABC, neutral site)
Idaho @ New Mexico State
Stephen F. Austin @ Southern Methodist
Central Michigan @ Arizona
Buffalo @ UTEP
Maryland @ 12 California (10pm, ESPN2)
Idaho State @ Arizona State
UC Davis @ Fresno State
Sacramento State @ UNLV
11 LSU @ Washington (10:30pm, ESPN)

Sunday, September 6
8 Mississippi @ Memphis (3:30pm, ESPN)
Colorado State @ Colorado

Monday, September 7
Cincinnati @ Rutgers (4pm, ESPN)
Miami (FL) @ 18 Florida State (8pm, ESPN)

wordless wednesday

:)

taking a break

unfortunately, i am taking a break from my 4am wakeup calls this morning due to being extremely exhausted and subsequently, not feeling well at all. ugh. and, just when i was starting to get into a groove, too. oh well...hopefully, i will be feeling better by the weekend!

this past weekend, my mom and sister were in town (for 24 hours). it was great to have them both here..even if all they wanted to do was shop! ;) i didn't really get anything..i'm trying to get things tied down financially, but it was still nice to spend time with them. friday night, we ate dinner at red rocks in south park. yummy! :) the bridesmaids dresses were picked up and by the skin of my teeth, it fits. basically, i need to keep up my workouts because my top half can't get any bigger! i blame my mother. ;)

let's see...tonight, i have a artitudes committee meeting at the mmc+d at 6:30 (so basically, i'll screech home, let bella out, change into jeans, put bella back in her crate and hurry downtown). my mother has requested my presence this weekend (she wants to have a garage/yard sale next weekend), so i have to change bella's vet appointment. so, i will be around labor day weekend, and i am going to enjoy it! i am going to continue priming my apartment (i have a $10 off $50 card at lowes that will expire, so that will go for another tub of primer) and relax. :)

hope everyone is having a great week so far...here's a birthday shout-out to brent. apparently, he reads my blog (another anonymous reader!), so...happy birthday brent! here's to being another year closer to the big 3-0. :D

wordless wednesday take 2

to appease the asu alumni/fans i may have offended with my pre-season/pre-game banter, let me offend you in another way. this is the guy that i once believed to be the man of my dreams, the keeper of my heart (brad bardon).

WHAT was i thinking????
if only for the fact that i hate tattoos--especially large, visible-in-normal-clothing ones.
(that wasn't there when i was in love with him.)
none to worry, this picture is from his honeymoon...
yep, she can have him.
oh, the power of the internet.

wordless wednesday.

17 days until...

victory!

saturday, september 5, 2009
east carolina pirates
vs
appalachian state mountaineers
greenville, nc

Weekend Preview

Nothing exciting planned for this weekend...I aim to prime the living room, kitchen and dining room so once I decide what color goes where, the walls are ready to go. Saturday, I will officially start my new exercise regime. I'm excited. I'm sure I'll be sore come Monday, but it'll be worth it. I do need to decide if I am going to train for the half marathon in December..there is a cap of 3500 runners and if I register by August 31st, the fee is only $50. Hmm, guess we'll see how this weekend goes??

Next weekend will be more exciting. On Friday, I am working 1/2 a day and getting off at noon. :) I have a hair appointment at 1pm, to get my color done. It's been 4 months since my last appointment and the color has grown out and I'm back to being light brown/blonde. I think I'm going to go back to brown with red/blonde highlights. I'm doing it now so I can get it done again before Paige's wedding. :) Friday afternoon, my mom & Paige are coming to Charlotte to shop for Mom's MOB dress/suit and hopefully find shoes for the bridesmaids..So, I'll be cleaning again to get the place ready for their arrival. :)

Hope everyone has a fabulous rest of their Friday...I need to get some comments sent to CESI before the end of business today as well. Ack! Where does the day go?!

See you Monday! Maybe I'll even take pictures of my primed walls to post?! :)

Wordless Wednesday

New Chapter

New heart, new chapter...

So, in order to motivate me to get back into shape - not just for the wedding, but just so I'll feel better about myself - I am going to register for a couple 5k's that are coming up in September and October. I love to run and I love having a goal, a finish line. The first one I'd be able to do is September 19 but I'm not quite sure I'd be quite ready, but the Brixx race is the following weekend, September 26.

I bought a little notebook this weekend, to keep track of my progress. I'm going to start on the treadmill..I HATE treadmills but they're the best way to get back into the swing of things, and since it's so dang hot here..Once I'm able to keep a good pace, I'll take it outdoors.

And don't worry, I'm not going to push it too hard, too fast. At this point, my goal would be a 35 min. 5k which would be SLOW for me. ..In college, I was running pretty close to a 7 min. mile. But, I'll start slow and work my way down. And, if I stick with it like I'm planning on (it helps that my complex has a gym), there's a 15k (9.1mi) in Cornelius in October and a half-marathon (13.1 mi)/marathon in December. Obviously, I'm working towards the half-marathon.

Wish me luck!