17 years ago yesterday (january 23), my grandpa died. my mom's dad. he's the one i get my height from. i remember the funeral. it was winter, in colorado. it was snowing. i think about him from time to time, but know that he's kickin' it up in heaven and i'll get to see him again one day.

on a lighter note, 4 years ago today (january 24) was paige & paul's first date at hayes barton cafe in five points. happy!

last saturday, i had the privilege of attending a baby shower held in honor of one of my oldest friends, leah. i met her in the first grade (when we were 6!)...and now she's married and expecting her first child in march. i was quite emotional at first..i haven't seen her in a few years and to see her pregnant was exciting! the shower was large at ~ 30 women. i forgot my camera, so here are a few pictures i swiped from sara/leah/mrs. baker. (you can click the pic to see it larger.) what a happy time!

(entry table & yummy cupcakes)




(sara, tara, leah & mrs. baker)


(that's the back of my head!)


(group shot..i'm 2nd from left, standing)

i simply love this daisy figurine. it's actually an earring tree, but i love it on its own. i simply adore white daisies with yellow centers. if there's one thing my family and friends know about me, it's that i am a daisy girl (i always believed that i should've been alive in the 70's & always wanted a vw bus that i would adorn with daisy decals..tacky, yes, but fun nonetheless). i just believe that you can't help but smile when you look at a daisy, pure and innocent. (i got this at belk, in the lucky jewelry case..on sale. i probably still paid too much for it ($30ish) but i love it and you can't really put a price on a smile can you?!)

the next photo shows the daisies with my "money saver center"...a clear glass canister i got at ikea last year, and a clear piggy bank i picked up at the container store (and a lamp from my grandma). i have been diligent about putting 1$ in each day (i need to get some more singles!)..up to 6$ as of today. man, i'm gonna be a millionaire in no time! haha.

(blurry photos = taken with my phone :[ )

2011 resolutions

save money, on purpose...

start taking better care of myself

run in at least one road race (5k at the minimum)

finally finish my room!

finally sort EVERYTHING & pack what will move when i move/be organized/etc.

finish the bonus room

attend church more frequently (at least 1x/month)

get new foam for the futon

quit

pay off my hsbc account (last one!)

oh, and last but not least, GET A NEW JOB!! :)

january..

put 1$/day in the money jar each day (& NOT take any out!)

new foam for futon

finish my room!

- make headboard for my bed (i'm thinking, wide white stripe with white molding)

- iron & hem curtains

- hang floral installation

- install floating(?) shelves & framed photographs

church

sorting saga continues...

- computer room

- "stairwell" in bonus room

- art supplies/portfolios/cube

- clear bonus room & get carpets cleaned

- figure out storage system for the bonus room

- finish the bonus room (should include a fresh coat of paint?!)

exercise at least 2x/week

work on paintings

(not our photo sent with cards, but a cute one nonetheless)

2010 is winding down...just a few days left. our family christmas was wonderful, complete with time with family, gifts, a roaring fire, and..snow! as the year comes to a close, it remains to be one of reflection and optimism. i'm sure the next few days will be filled with joy and a lot of thinking/planning about what 2011 will hold. i am still holding out for a planning gig--i still haven't received a thin white envelope from the one i REALLY want..hopefully they're just teasing me! :/ and, i've just sent off 2 more packets (transylvania county/brevard & albemarle) and will be sending two more (edenton & pa) before the year is over (& maybe an online app to il)...so we'll see what the new year will bring!

i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is enjoying the snow! :) i did finally get ALL of my pictures ('cept the new ones) put on a cd, so the new year will be filled with posts with pics! (a new year resolution for sure!) hope you enjoy the end of 2010 and ring in 2011 with the ones you care about most!

nc state plays tonight & ecu plays tomorrow afternoon (military bowl, dc @ 2:30pm). GO PIRATES!!!

merry CHRISTmas!
(courtesy of craftily ever after)

today is monday. i woke up early...to the muffled sounds of my parents getting ready for work..yet managed to stay under the covers until ~ 8am. there's just something about being under the warm covers, with the sun filtering in windows with a touch of frost.

today, i unpacked, sorted, and repacked my kitchen..into 8 boxes. i didn't pack most of those boxes during the move in mar/april so, for the most part, i didn't know what each box contained. now, dishes/glasses/etc. are more carefully packed (with bubble wrap), numbered and ready for the next move.

tuesday, after i meet with a lady at my dad's office, i will tackle what is currently holding residence in the breakfast nook (what was taking up residence in the living room for the past 6 months). after that, i will carry the boxes up to the bonus room, to live in the window nooks until the next move. that will clear the first floor of my "crap" after...7 months. ;)

wednesday-thursday, i will be in charlotte & then fayetteville for interviews. the fayetteville one is a follow-up (2nd round) to last week's phone interview. please say a prayer (+)!!

friday, my dad's supposedly going to be on vacay...so i'm gonna use this day to decorate the house for christmas, minus putting the ornaments on the tree. that's a family tradition. :)

that's the way i have my week planned...hopefully, it'll work out just like this! :)