The Vincents Take on Dallas

Spring Wish List

2011-04-10T19:10:00.001-05:00

I am a huge Ann Taylor Loft (ATL) fan. Their clothes are really well made, fit me great, and are priced perfectly. I love when a new season comes around and I need a couple new staple items. They have a really fresh collection for spring. Here are a few pieces I would love to add.

Gathered and Belted.

Love the ruffle and color

I love patterned shorts, and these are great.

This gray ruffled shirt has faint sequins and
would look great with the shorts to the left.

Another pair of patterned shorts

Zebra patterened shorts in a thicker, nicer fabric.
Good for evenings.

Love the ruffles and the polka dots

Looks so light and airy, and I love the neckline.

Great summer skirt.

Good work top with a dot pattern.

Love the color and the ruffles...notice a theme?
Love ruffles on tops.

Great skirt..snakeskin print is big enough that it
is actually hard to notice.

Spring Break: Galvaston

2011-04-03T17:15:00.000-05:00

Joshua and I went with some friends to Galvaston over spring break and had a GREAT time. We did a whole lot of nothing..meaning laying by the pool, reading, and enjoying our time away from school and work. I managed to take little to no pictures, but here are the ones I did capture (mainly of the house).

Drinks on the bar. This was our outdoor kitchen, which was awesome.

Joshua getting to the grilling. He's really good at that.

Ryan hanging out by the bar.

Brandon and his AWESOME Spring Break shirt.

Joshua going down our water slide

Brandon has great form on the slide.

Pool, slide, hot tub....all directly across from the water treatment plant.
They don't tell you about that in the description. Still really awesome.

Just one of the great signs from around the house.

House with the downstairs bar/kitchen area.

Heading upstairs to see the rest of the house..oh, I mean the rest of paradise.

Upper porch area.

The great room. There were A LOT of plants..it was kind of a jungle.

Can I take this kitchen home with me please?
Perfect layout and big enough for a few people to cook.

Like I said, I don't really have any pictures of people..other than the first few.

Instagram!

2011-03-19T20:11:00.000-05:00

My good friend Hawley, who lives with her hubby and adorable daughter in New Haven, CT, shared a great iphone app with me today. She had taken some really cool pictures and I simply inquired how she did it. Well, the answer is: instagram. One great thing about this app: it's free! But, it has some really cool filters that you can apply to the picture...and pretty quickly. It doesn't take long at all, which is also great. AND..you can directly post to facebook if your heart so desires. Here are some pictures I've taken today:

Last view of the ocean on our way out of town.
(Nashville filter..hehe, love that!)

Sam Houston Statue in Hunstville, TX.
Took this from our moving car on the way back from Galveston.
(Hefe filter)

My new frames! Picked 'em up before our little vacation.
(Walden filter..I think)

So, as you can see..many different effects to be created...which is awesome. Also, you can follow other intagramographers (I totally just made that word up..aaannd, I like it.) If you want to follow me..please feel free to do so. my username is mevincent. I like the idea of being connected to friends and families via photographs. Great idea iphone app world and thank you HAWLEY for sharing this with me.

Lack of Posting

2011-03-11T13:20:00.000-06:00

So sorry for the lack of posts. I have found myself deeply wrapped up with work. If I'm not working..I'm relaxing and don't want anything to do with a computer. (Gasp!) I know..I desire a technology free time when I'm away from work. Granted, Joshua and I tend to spend our evenings watching a movie or tv..but I rarely get on a computer anymore. I've tried blogging from my iphone but need a new app for that..the one I have just isn't that awesome. Soo..if you have any suggestions, please send them my way!

Yes, I have been working my booty off..generally not leaving work until the sun has long gone. Thankfully, that sun is staying around longer and I'm getting to see a little more of it each evening. I've also been very diligent in my work outs lately. Making sure to get in at least 3 during the week...aiming for 4 though. Joshua and I have also been trying to get more fitness in on the weekends. We'll head over to White Rock Lake from time to time to take a stroll around the lake..which is so nice! We love spending time together outdoors.

I've been trying to train for a 1/2 marathon (Nashville at the end of April)..but am having a little bit of a struggle these days. I kind of plateaued at 6 miles. I just need to get some more time in my life to dedicate to running. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to run. It's freeing to me, it's something I think I'm pretty good at, and I feel so good at the end. I just need to find more hills..because if you didn't know...Dallas is very flat (in comparison to GA and TN). So..I will continue to push on in the hopes of getting to that 13.1 by April 30th.

Next week Joshua and I are headed to Galveston with some friends for the LAST spring break...and my FIRST. I never went anywhere crazy for Spring Break in college. I generally went home or to Memphis to see Joshua. So, this will be one for the books.

That's all I have for now. I'm on my lunch break and just wanted to get a little update in.

Fun things from around the web

2011-03-11T13:13:00.000-06:00

I love searching design sites...and I love finding out what inspires others. One of my favorite little blogs is A Cup of Jo. Some of her links from the last post were great and I wanted to share.

Kim McCarty does some BEAUTIFUL watercolors. I love the plant life...but the nudes are pretty spectacular too. All of her works are so light and crisp.

Michigan Mittens! A piece of my heart lies in Michigan.
That's where I was born and where all of my extended family lives.
So I like these little guys a lot.

That is all for now...I started this post over a week ago and am just now coming back to it. I'll have more fun things from around the web another day!

Cleaning House

2011-02-20T19:45:00.000-06:00

I must admit, one of my favorite weekend activities is cleaning our house. I love to light a few candles, turn the music up and clean. To me, there is just something rejuvenating about cleaning the house. When the weather is nice, I love to open the windows and let some fresh air in too. Not sure how that's going to work now that we have little Pierre...he would definitely try to escape.

There are a few other things I would like to add to my weekend list. I got an awesome art easel for Christmas and I would love to get the creative juices flowing and start to use it. I have prepped a canvas for my rooster painting that I have been planning..but just haven;t gotten the time to paint yet. I also bought 4 small canvases this weekend to do a series..or one big piece split onto 4 canvases.

Joshua and I are also wanting to get a lot of exercise in on the weekends. Today we went for a nice long walk. I really enjoy this time outside because we talk about anything and everything and it's just so nice to be with my best friend..picking each others brains, sharing our hopes and dreams and life goals. We do a lot of decision making on those walks.

My final goal: to not let the laundry sit on our small couch all week. I want to get them folded and put away. The only problem with this is that I do laundry all week long..so there is usually some laundry on the couch. Maybe I should condense everything into one day..hmm, ideas.

So..all in all, I love house chores. I know that seems crazy..but I love our space and I love that we keep it pretty inviting most of the time. So here's to taking joy in simple things.

The Cats

2011-01-23T18:04:00.000-06:00

We took Pierre home with us over Christmas break and I got some great pictures of him...as well as the other cats of the house. Mickey and DoodleBug belong to Joshua's parents but they all had a great time playing together. Here are just a few of the pictures I captured.

Handsome Pierre.

Mickey, curled up on the cat climber.

Pierre and Mickey playing.

DoodleBug..love her.

Cleaning.

Playing hide-and-go-seek with Mickey on the cat tower.

DoodleBug knocking off the flamingo. She doesn't like it sitting up.

bahaha..happy kitty.

tired kitty about to pass out with one leg hanging off the ledge.

Cats have so much personality..glad I was able to capture a little bit of each of them.

The New Year thus far

2011-01-22T18:25:00.001-06:00

I have been busy busy busy since returning to Dallas after our wonderful holiday break in Tennessee. Work has been pretty busy, still feel like I am playing catch up...slowly feeling like I'm getting back to normal. January is a big month for the Y, with everyone looking for a gym to support their New Year's resolutions of losing weight. But the Y is more than a gym. We are a non-profit working to strengthen the foundation of our community. So, every January we kick off our annual Partner's Campaign. The money raised goes right back into supporting our community. So, in addition to the normal work day, we work extra hard to raise money for the families, children, and seniors we serve. No one is turned away from the Y due to financial constraints.

Like all of those individuals coming into the Y to start leading a healthier lifestyle, I have some resolutions of my own. I have a pretty good handle on the workout aspect of a healthy lifestyle...it's more the dietary portion I struggle with. My goal is to cook at home more and to cook wholesome foods with more veggies. I have also committed myself to running the Nashville 1/2 marathon in April. I am currently running about 5 miles consistently so I'm well on my way.

I have two more things that I want to accomplish in 2011. I got an art easel for Christmas and I would like to be more creative and create one piece of art a month. I think that's pretty do-able.

And lastly, I want to remain more positive. Like the saying goes, "don't sweat the small stuff." I am aiming to let the little things go and focus on all the things that make me happy (Joshua, friends, family, art, running, cooking, etc).

So here is to a wonderful year. What are your goals to making the most of 2011?

-Milli

Tender Tennessee Christmas

2010-12-29T15:07:00.001-06:00

Joshua and I have been blessed to have an extended vacation this year. We're spending a full week back home in Tennessee and it has been absolutely glorious. We received a light snow Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...making it a White Tennessee Christmas! We've had the opportunity to make several drives through the country-side...something that has always been dear to our hearts. Josh and I used to take long drives when we were dating..absorbing our surroundings and the nature just outside our windows.

We went to Christmas Eve Service with Joshua's parents at Brentwood UMC, and the service was beautiful. This was the church I grew up in...but prior to this year, I have only been to their Christmas Eve Service once..and that was the year my sister was born. So...this was only the second Christmas I've ever spent in Tennessee. Christmas day was spent with Joshua's extended family. We had a delicious brunch at his parent's house with the family and then went over to Grandmother and Grandfather's for Christmas dinner. I love hanging out with his family. We all get along really well and have a good time hanging out and catching up.

We'll be here through New Year's but haven't decided yet what we'll doing. Old Crow Medicine Show is playing at the Ryman...but obviously already sold out. That's what we get for dealying our decision making.

Pierre has been getting along really well with the other cats of the house (Harley, Doodlebug, and Mickey). They have had fun getting to know one another, chasing each other, and playing. Pierre, I'm sure, has had fun with all the extra space..and STAIRS! It's been really fun to watch him interact. We're just afraid he'll be depressed when we head back to Dallas with no friends for him to play with during the day.

Ok..off to relax some more. I'll post pictures when I get back to Dallas.

Free Christmas Music

2010-12-15T21:34:00.000-06:00

Yes..that is right. There is free Christmas Music provided by none other than...

Target!

You get a bunch of tracks absolutely free. Now..who doesn't love something free? And what better free thing can there be?

.....Ok, don't answer that last question as I'm sure one could think of a lot bigger, shinier, better free things.

But with all that said, free Christmas music is always a plus. So, get your fanny over to the Target site and download until your heart's content. Cheers!

(The below song is one of the featured songs on said free Christmas album.)

Holiday Tradition and Cheer

2010-12-12T20:26:00.000-06:00

Christmas music, Caramel Apple Cider from Starbucks, and making my Christmas cards...not too much can beat that! Friday night I got to do all of these things all at once!

I'm not going to post a picture of the final product..as I don't want to ruin the Christmas Card surprise! But..they do incorporate the stamps in the right of the picture. This year I learned to emboss. I must say, the process is pretty cool. I've been working on embossing the cards and addressing envelopes. I'm a good 1/2 way through.

Last year I got my card idea from Martha Stewart. I used grosgrain ribbon to make Christmas trees on the front. Go to Martha Stewart.com for other ideas.

Mine looked similar to the one on the top left.

This years idea came from Paper Source. They had an embossing demonstration at the store and they had a great selection of stamps so I thought..why not! They have a lot of really cool gift ideas, on top of great card supplies. Check them out at Paper Source.com

I guess you could say making my Christmas cards is a holiday tradition. What is a holiday tradition that you look forward to every year?

Christmas List

2010-12-12T18:30:00.001-06:00

Yes..I still make lists of things I would love for Christmas. I've put together a little list below:

1. iPhone4: I resisted for a very long time. I didn't think I wanted to be that "connected"...but I'm finally seeing the bonus in them. So..on my list it goes.

2. Art easel: found this one online at www.displays2go.com

3. Fire pit for the backyard. I love spending time outside...but let's be honest, it's a little too cold in the winter. UNLESS, we had a firepit to hang out around. This plan also includes a need for 2x4 Jenga (if you haven't seen this..it's awesome!)

4. These ruffle gloves, found at Dillard's. Love them and they are really warm.

5. I would really love a rug for our main room. I need something warm under my feet.
I love this one from Target, but they don't make it big enough. It would look perfect in our
house though!

6. Last but not least, I really would love Kinect, which goes with XBox 360. Silly..but looks like so much fun...and gets you moving, rather than playing games and sitting stagnant.

Ok..that is all. I am really looking forward to our trip home for Christmas. It'll be great..and hopefully somewhat relaxing.

Vinyl Pinups Merry Christmas

2010-12-09T21:41:00.000-06:00

We have some very talented friends back in Nashville: Brennan and Khara Aerts. Below is their version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by The Vinyl Pinups. They recently released their first song on iTunes. You should check it out! Their Christmas cover is pretty good too..and a little silly. Enjoy!

Little Christmas tree from a box

2010-11-28T19:32:00.000-06:00

For the past 2 years Joshua and I have gone to pick out our Christmas tree from the lot. By the lot..I simply mean the pre-cut trees at Home Depot..but it was a really fun way to start the Christmas Holidays. Well, this year...due to our little family member (ahem..Pierre), we didn't buy a big tree. You see, we could envision him climbing and knocking over our huge tree. SO..this year we opted for a pre-lit tree from a box. It has some snow, berries, and pine cones on it and is very nice. It was just a different feel going into the Home Depot and picking up our tree in a box..and not tying it to our roof rack. So..without further a due, here is our precious little tree:

Our petite Christmas tree.

The little guy who is already causing mischief with the tree.

That is all for now. I'll post more of our decorations later.

Fall Touches

2010-11-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

I have all my fall stuff out..and I'm a little sad to see it go within the next week. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas. But there is just something about the warm colors of fall that warm my heart and make me so happy. Thankfully, some of these pieces can be carried through Christmas. Here are a few glimpses of our fall decor:

Welcome to the Vincent's. Warm welcome with our fall wreath

Coffee Table pumpkins. Had to get something Pierre wouldn't chew on...
glass pumpkins are a success!

Right by the front door. Love our Scentsy with fall scents.

These add a little glam. Thank you Target!
They will be sticking around through Christmas.

I needed to jazz up the hall a little and found this really cool wreath...
also from Target.

Ok, so this isn't part of my fall decor. But Pierre LOVES boxes.
Joshua got some new kicks last weekend and Pierre has claimed the box as home.
We've thought about making him a box fortress in the office (aka Pierre's room).

Also not Fall decor, but a great fall meal. Salad and Poppyseed Chicken Casserole.
See below for this super easy recipe:

Poppyseed Chicken Casserole:
3 chicken breasts: boil for 45 minutes
1 package of bag-n-boil rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 tbsp poppyseeds
1 roll of Ritz crackers
1/2 stick butter

Once chicken is done boiling, chop up in chunks and mix with cream of chicken soup, sour cream and poppyseeds.

Melt butter, crumble ritz crackers, mix these together.

Place rice in the bottom of your baking dish (I use an 8x8 because I like the thickness of the casserole this way). Layer chicken mixture on top of rice. top with butter and ritz cracker mixture.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Trip back to Nashville

2010-11-05T20:15:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I took a really short trip home to witness two amazing people tie the knot. Lindsay and Stefan are an amazing couple, dedicated and focused on God. Their ceremony was beautiful and the weather couldn't have participated more wonderfully. The ceremony was unique to them. They got married under some beautiful fall trees. Before going to be seated, you were given a stone and asked to say a prayer for the couple. Once your prayer was over, you placed the stone in a bowl with the stones other people had placed there. As a celebration of their commitment to one another, Lindsay and Stefan washed each other's feet as their first act of worship together. It was so beautiful. Here are a couple pictures from the night.

Lindsay walking down the aisle with her dad.

Beautiful setting..Lindsay and Stefan walking back down the aisle.

Making their grand entrance.

My lovely lady friends!

Hawls and Lindsay. Beauties!

Wonderful Schneider clan. Read all about their adventures here

Friends! Such a great way to spend the evening.

Me, Stefan, and Lindsay

Lindsay and her grandfather dancing. Adorable!

Georgia girls..miss Hawls dearly and loved the time together...even if it was brief!

The whole gang.

Sonya and I at the end of the night.

Beautiful Baby Eden.

I was so thrilled to see Hawley and Matt and meet their adorable little girl, Eden. I haven't seen them since THEIR wedding over 2 years ago. They have an amazing family and it made me so happy to spend some quality time with them. I wish I could see them more often..wish we lived closer. I also got to see Zach and Sonya, Kallie, and a bunch of girls I was in Bible Study with while I lived at home for several months. What a blessed time the weekend was and a beautiful marriage that brought us all together.

Go Rangers!

2010-10-27T22:45:00.002-05:00

If you haven't heard...the Texas Rangers are in their 1st World Series ever. That's pretty exciting! As a Texan..and a Dallas/Fort Worth resident (home of the Rangers)...I'm proud of our team and excited to see them go this far.

Tonight may not have been their night..but I discovered something rather interesting. Tim Lincecum, the San Francisco Giants pitcher, looks SO much like Mitch Kramer (played by Wiley Wiggins) in Dazed and Confused. If you don't believe me, check out this match up:

Lincecum (L) and Mitch Kramer (Wiggins) (R)

Bahaha...so entertaining. I could just see Lincecum do the nose pinch of Mitch Kramer when he isn't happy with something he does on the mound. Looking forward to a good Series and cheering on our Rangers.

Photography Learning

2010-10-10T20:41:00.001-05:00

I spent some time last weekend learning more about our camera and all the cool stuff it can do. I learned how to change the ISO speed, how to select the correct white balance for the picture (whether I'm in the shade, the direct sun, indoor lighting, fluorescent lighting, etc). I also learned how to change from color to black and white..and then also color tinting of the black and white. I have a lot more to learn about the advanced operations, or creative zone) of our camera..but I've had a lot of fun learning so far. Here are a couple pictures I took during my testing of the learned knowledge. The compilation is pretty boring...but I thought the effects were pretty cool.

Plain b+w

b+w with blue tint

b+w with purple tint

b+w with green tint

b+w with sepia tint

Today I took some photographs of Pierre, our cat, in some of his favorite places and here are the results:

Pierre in the window

Same as above photograph, just different lighting choice.

He loves to stare out this window at the goings on of the world.

Love this one..and his balancing act between the window and blinds

He loves this rug..and things it's his chew toy.

Looks so sweet..but really about to pounce!

This was an accidental take..but I actually really love the movement.
I told you he was about to pounce!

I'll continue to add my photography discoveries as the come. I'm enjoying our camera a lot more now that I know a few tricks!

Ketchup

2010-09-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

Not the condiment..but I definitely need to play a little catch up. I haven't had the chance to blog recently..mainly because I haven't felt compelled to write. Things are going great in Dallas..and fall is finally here. Actually, I am sitting in my front yard as I type, enjoying the glorious weather. The only thing that could make this any better would be a glass of lemonade and my husband next to me. He's in class..and we are out of lemonade. Fall is definitely my favorite season, with the leaves changing and the cooling temperatures...not to mention the great clothes (aka sweaters) that I get to pull back out/purchase.

Ok, so to play a little catch up. Almost a full month ago I got to go home to attend my good friend Sonya's wedding. I think everyone there can say that we witnessed a beautiful marriage of two amazing, wonderful people. Zach and Sonya make a great couple and they love the Lord and you can see Him working in their lives..and I can't wait to see where he takes them. I also got to see my other 4 best friends from growing up and we all celebrated the greatness that now is The Reesers. Here are a few quick glimpses into the wedding:

Me and Olivia

Me and Kallie at the reception

Zach and Sonya cutting the cake..isn't her dress beautiful?

The cake

Kallie, Jacklyn, and Megan

Love the light and movement in this one..first dance.

Me and the bride.

Breaking it down on the dance floor.

Me and Olivia again. I love my sister.

Final dance.

As you can see..the wedding was beautiful..as is the love between these two!

Joshua wasn't able to make the trip back home for this one and I really missed him! I love going to weddings and remembering my own wedding and how much fun it was...and reaffirming all the things that I know are good and true about marriage.

Joshua WAS able to go to little Stella's 1st birthday party though! Stella is the sweet little girl of our friends Greg and Kristi. She is absolutely adorable and I'm so glad we were able to celebrate her birthday with them. I haven't had a chance to download those pictures from our camera...as it's been at the shop (Ducati shop where Joshua works) a lot lately. But here is a picture Greg sent me.

Us with the birthday girl. Stella was obviously very interested in Joshua!

And for the month to come..there are many things I am looking forward to:

The Texas State Fair and all the goodness that implies
Fright Fest at Six Flags..more excited about the rides than the frights. Excited none-the-less
Pumpkin carving: looking for a great pumpkin patch experience!
Picnic at Dallas Arboretum with Joshua, Ashley, and Jayson. Can't wait to use the basket Joshua got me for my birthday. The weather has been perfect.
Lindsay and Stefan's wedding at the end of the month!

Many things to do...little time to do them in. Ready, Set, Go!

Herding Cats

2010-09-10T20:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure where this new "Cat Herding" fascination comes from..but there are 2 recent commercials that have just this topic. One is for EDS:

The other is for Ikea:

I personally much prefer the Ikea commercial..as it really shows the behavior and personality of cats. The EDS commercial is a little silly. Anyways, just throwing it out there..because I thought it was interesting that there were 2 companies using this idea.

Power Yoga Venture

2010-09-02T06:06:00.000-05:00

This week I ventured into a Power Yoga class with one of my co-workers. That's one of the great things about working at the YMCA, you can be working one second, change your clothes really quickly and begin a great workout without even leaving the building! It's made building a workout routine into my day much easier!

Anyways, this power yoga thing is much harder than one would think. I was expecting this slow, meditative yoga...and power yoga is totally different. You move constantly, going from downward dog to cobra...and many other positions in between that I cannot even begin to pronounce. My body still aches, in a good way though..and mainly in my arms and back.

My experience reminded me of time I spent with my friend Sonya, her sister, and her mom growing up. I spent the summers with them and we would go with her mom to yoga class. I remember them standing on their heads and doing other weird poses...and not understanding why one would want to do these things and be SO QUIET!! But then again, I was 7 or 8 and just wanted to play.

My first experience was great and I definitely plan on continuing this journey. It's pretty great and totally different than my normal workout routine: cardio! cardio! cardio! and a splash of weights here and there.

Missing the Great Outdoors

2010-08-29T12:17:00.000-05:00

I love being outside...and yes, I even like to sweat. Something I really miss about Tennessee (and Georgia for that matter) is the landscape. I loved being able to drive 10 minutes and be able to do some really great hiking in the woods. Those tall trees provide some great shade, making your hike much cooler than just walking in the sun. I haven't been able to find a place to hike, quite like the hills of Tennessee. Last fall I was able to go on a really long, great hike with my family and it was so perfect! Here are some pictures from that hike that just remind me of the amazing hills that I still consider home.

View of those tall trees.

At the start of the hike..man my hair was short!

Dried up creek crossing.

Trickling water from another dried up creek.

View of the lake we were hiking around, some of the leaves had started to change.

Sunlight hitting those pretty green leaves

Top of the climb, looking across the lake.

I'm headed home this week for my good friend Sonya's wedding. I'm thinking I may have to hit the trails one morning and soak in all that beauty.

New 2010 penny

2010-08-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

I was in my car this morning and noticed this different looking piece of change in my change holder. It was the back side of a penny, but it was different the the 2 backsides I knew of. The first, original penny back has the Lincoln Memorial on it. The second has Lincoln sitting on a log with an ax. But this third...it is much more simplified. It has a large shield on it. I was curious as to the origins of this new design and after little research found a page with a full description. Turns out, this penny was released just before ole' Abe's 201st birthday. So, here is what this new penny looks like, and a little bit about it:

New 2010 penny

So, this is the Union Shield, meant to resemble the unity of the United States and a celebration of Lincoln's ability to keep all 13 original states unified. There are 13 stripes on the shield..to represent the original 13 states. The top of the shield is one large band, representing the federal government. This large top band has the verbage "E Pluribus Unum" inscribed, which means "Out of many, one."

This penny, to me, is very simplified. I have always loved the old, Lincoln Memorial reverse..and the fact that you could see a TINY little Lincoln sitting in it. Anyways, interesting history is always found on our coins.

Sseko Designs

2010-08-22T14:36:00.000-05:00

While browsing another blog (Wide Open Spaces), I ran across this awesome company working in Uganda called Sseko Designs. Sseko Designs employs Ugandan women who are transitioning between secondary school and the university. The company is designed to help these women pay their tuition for school...something that would be virtually impossible otherwise. The women work for about 9 months making these really cute sandals and then continue on with their education...and then a professional career. What an empowering message this company has!

One of the women who works for Sseko. Read her story.

One of the sandal designs.

I love companies that have a good purpose behind their product. Women's education is definitely a wonderful thing!

Weekend Cleansing

2010-08-15T21:40:00.000-05:00

It has been one heck of a weekend! Saturday started off amazingly..with banana pancakes, some Zac Brown Band, and a nice long walk. I spent the afternoon running errands, cleaning the house and doing some laundry. I feel the need to clean more often these days with Mr. Pierre around. I grew up allergic to cats...and I think keeping the house super clean (and thanks to our awesome wood floors) really helps keep the allergies to a minimum.

Today was spent organizing the garage with Joshua. We bought 2 new shelves to house parts and tools for his project bike. We also bought a couple of organizational tubs. We'll definitely need to go back to get some more of those. It was a workout just being in the garage and cleaning!! We sweated a good bit, which was nice (yes..I like to sweat). THEN...to wrap up our day Joshua's alternator blew on our way back from a movie in Arlington. Goodbye power steering, hello over-heated car! We stopped for the engine to cool down and found that there was a belt missing! Just when we thought things were wrapping up nicely for the weekend..we get another project.

We did find time to have a little fun this weekend too..it wasn't ALL work! Friday we went to see The Expendables and today we went to see The Other Guys. Both were pretty good...very much guy movies and The Other Guys was pretty crass..but overall pretty good.

I potentially feel more exhausted at the end of the weekend than I did at the beginning...here's hoping next weekend will be a little more peaceful.

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

2010-08-03T00:19:00.000-05:00

Last week Joshua and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. In two years we've been through a lot..and learned a lot..and grown together...and magically grown to love each other more. That's one thing that will continue to amaze us..you can never imagine loving someone more than you do at the exact moment you are in..but then time passes and you love them more for the little things and the big things.

We celebrated our anniversary by going to the zoo! We hadn't been to the Dallas Zoo yet..and we both love the zoo...so we were off! We had a lot of fun exploring and just being together. There were some great animals, lions, tigers, giraffes, leopards, etc. There weren't very many people...so it was nice to be able to explore..virtually un-bothered. We had a long morning out in the sun..so after the zoo we headed home to relax and nap before heading to a delicious celebratory dinner at Hillstone (formerly known as Houston's). The food was phenomenal and the conversation..as always was wonderful. Again..it was just so great to be together, just the 2 of us (something that we cherish...but don't get to much of all the time).

Here is a gimpse of the past 2 years of our marriage:

On our wedding day!

Moving to Texas to start our new life together.

Our first apartment...a place to call home for a year.

haha...lovely! Joshua's 24th birthday at Medieval Times.

Joshua helped me out by calling Bingo at the Y.

Catching a minor league baseball game..the Frisco Rough Riders.

Moved into our 2nd home..celebrating our 1st year together.

Experienced the Texas State Fair.

Celebrated Jason and Deidre's marriage.

Picked out and carved our pumpkins.

I helped cook Thankgiving dinner with Josh's mom.

Celebrated Christmas with my family in Michigan.

Experienced Dallas' biggest snow storm..potentially in history...and had one heck of a time!

Got our first pet..Pierre!

Traveled to Memphis to celebrate Aaron and Becca's wedding.

and finally...us as the zoo! It was rather hot and humid!

There are a ton of things we've experienced that I didn't include...like countless weddings, many nights out, and lots of other memories. It's been a heck of a ride so far and we are looking to several more years of happiness and fun!

Walkin' in Memphis

2010-07-20T21:46:00.000-05:00

Joshua and I got to take a long weekend and travel to Memphis for his college roommate's wedding last weekend. We were so glad that we were there to support Becca and Aaron as they made the leap into the married world. The wedding was great and the reception was a sweet tooth's dream. There was an ice cream sundae bar, cake, and a chocolate fountain.

Becca and Aaron cutting the cake. Becca definitely smeared cake all over Aaron's face.

Me and my husband, one of the groomsmen at the reception

There were a few things that we had on our itinerary other than the weddings...and all events included food of some type. You can't go to Memphis without eating barbeque..and though I've grown a palette for Texas barbeque...you just can't do better than Memphis barbeque. We were able to check that off of our list on Friday at the rehearsal dinner.

The next thing on our list of things to do was go to Jerry's Sno Cones. Jerry's is simply one of the best treats I've ever had in my life...perfect for a hot Memphis afternoon. Jerry's is tucked away in a neighborhood and you can't search for it in your GPS. These are no typical sno cones...in fact, they have a "supreme" which has soft serve ice cream ON TOP of the sno cone. If you are ever in Memphis, you should definitely head to Jerry's...you will not be disappointed!

Jerry's Sno Cones

This is my Sno Cone...the name of it is "John Deere" and you can tell why...it is GREEN!

Joshua got the "Ninja Turtle" which was also bright blue-green.

The last 2 things we wanted to do were go to Huey's for burgers and go downtown and meet up with friends on Beale Street. Huey's was delicious...and we went downtown afterwards and had a great time. It was great to meet up with some of Joshua's fraternity brothers, some of whom we hadn't seen in 2 years (since our wedding)! We went to Alfred's and Silky O'Sullivan's for a few drinks and then headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.

All in all, we had a wonderful trip and we are so happy for Aaron and Becca Smith! Congratulations you two!

Oh thank heaven...

2010-07-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

...For 7Eleven! Tomorrow is "Free Slurpee Day" at 7Eleven. On July 11th (7-11), you can pick up a free 7.11oz slurpee at a 7Eleven location near you! Who would want to miss out on such an awesome, FREE treat?!?

I do have a fond love for 7Eleven..we have one just down the street (close enough to walk to) and Joshua and I go there quite often for whatever our hearts desire (ice cream, a coke, popcorn, SLURPEE, etc). So I'm pretty excited that I'll get to have a free slurpee tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy yours1

Welcome to the Family little Vincent!

2010-07-09T19:01:00.002-05:00

We have a new member on the family..and we love her to death! Joshua and I have our very own little kitten! We got her last Friday and I’ve been waiting to post until I get a picture on my computer…and I uploaded them last night. She is about 10-12 weeks old, black with little white paws and a white soul patch on her chin and white chest. I LOVE her! So..without further adue, here is CoCo:

Her face is so so sweet..and I love that she has white whiskers!

CoCo loves to look out the window..except when you are taking a picture of her.
Then she loves to look at the camera..or tries to attack the camera.

CoCo is still very curious.
This is a quick snapshot of her exploring.

She loves to nibble and paw at you. Though usually pretty harmless..her bites and pawing can get a little rough. She has found her favorite sleeping spot to be ON my pillow...which really has got to go. But I feel so bad locking her out of our bedroom..she just sits and cries. All in all, we love CoCo very much and get a lot of entertainment watching her run and play. She has some pretty sweet jumping skills and gets rather high in the air!

My bags are packed...I'm ready to go!

2010-06-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

Ok...My bags are ALMOST packed but I am 100% ready, mentally, to hit the road and head to Colorado to meet up with 5 of my best friends! We are all convening in Boulder, where ore friend Brittany lives, for a long weekend in honor of Sonya, our bride to be!

I haven't gotten to spend time with/see some of these girls for 2 years...so this trip is well overdue! Our final destination is Vail. I am absolutely SO pumped about seeing these ladies. They are dear to my heart and I've grown so much with them...and experienced so much in life with them: middle school, high school, stories from college, my wedding (and now Sonya's!). We've been there through thick and thin together and I'm so glad we are able to get together on this occasion to honor and celebrate one of us.

Picture of summer in Vail from vail.com

I am also really excited to be going to Colorado. It's a state I haven't been to yet, and somewhere I've been wanting to visit. Megan is flying in from Birmingham and driving with me. We'll be stopping in Amarillo tomorrow night and then finishing up our drive on Thursday. I can't wait to get into that cool mountain air, especially after the triple digit heat we've been experiencing in Texas.

Updates to come of out trip!

Many parts in one body

2010-06-21T22:10:00.000-05:00

"We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us." -Romans 23:4-6

Tonight was my last night of a 34 week bible study. We read through the Bible, beginning to end, in this time and it was such an amazing experience. I know many Christians, including myself, have attempted this several times without a guide or accountability and it is simply a huge book that can be overwhelming without guidance and support. I've learned a lot and was blessed to be in a group with some older individuals who had some great input on the Word of God.

This weeks lesson was focused on our spiritual gifts, which differ from our personal talents. Talents are God-given, natural, a part of the created order; while gifts are received through the Holy Spirit. Gifts are roles or special abilities, different and distinct. They are different from the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Spiritual gifts can change depending on the need for that gift and are not necessarily tied to your talents.

We took a Spiritual gifts survey and I was surprised to see that I rated high in evangelism. I guess I've always seen evangelists as in your face, blunt, and somewhat of a turn-off. But after reading the description I was pleasantly surprised: "The gift of evangelism is the gift of faith-sharing and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ with those we meet. Evangelism is primarily a one-to-one or small group experience, grounded in building relationships with others and inviting them to make a decision for Christ. Gifted evangelists do not force their faith on others, but offer relationship with God as a gift, and are ready to tell the story of God and Christ in their own lives." I guess I felt intimidated by evangelism. I'm not the best at approaching strangers...but this description points to relationship building before sharing your faith..and that, I think I am good at. Of course I want everyone I know and care about to find Christ and eternal salvation. God is amazing and loves us deeply and has given so so much to prove his love and get our love in return.

Cat and Mouse

2010-06-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

As I've said before..I have a love for our neighbor cat Stanley, who comes to visit us a lot and just has tons of personality. Well, yesterday I get home and Stanley is laying in the front yard under a tree...and I think she is just cooling off. Well, after a closer look there is a small mouse right next to Stanley. the mouse is still alive but moving slowly...obviously already injured.

What I found interesting was that Stanley wasn't attacking the poor little mouse while it was so close. She was literally playing cat and mouse. She would let the mouse get just far enough away to think it was safe and she would POUNCE. I watched her do this a few times with pure fascination. I grew up with dogs, so this behavior is completely new to me. When I told Joshua about what I had witnessed he said this was common behavior and cats are somewhat cruel when it comes to the hunt. So..on that note, I capture a little video of Stanley hunting.

On a separate note, I absolutely love summer and the length of sunlight we get! Last night we were going to get a late dinner...it was nearly 9 pm and it was still beautifully bright out. On our way home we noticed this division in the sky, something neither Joshua or I had ever seen. There was the big line dividing the darkening sky and the lighter part of the sky. I tried to get a good picture of this phenomenon but the division isn't quite as visible in the photograph.

Picture of sky before a little bit of editing, line in sky is somewhat visible right down the middle.

After a little bit of editing, you can see a more distinct division, like we actually saw last night!

We're approaching the longest day of the year...so I'm thrilled that we'll have a couple more days of continuing daylight. So wonderful!

Playing catch up!

2010-06-12T22:12:00.000-05:00

Lots of things have happened already in June..and a quick side note..I can't believe we are already half way through 2010. That is simply CRAZY! I celebrated my 25th birthday and the day was absolutely wonderful. my co-workers treated me so sweetly and took me out to a delicious lunch at Penne Pomodoro, this great little Italian chain here in Dallas. They have some of the best bruschetta in town. The day at work was followed by a wonderful evening with Joshua and our good friends Ashley and Jayson. I chose Italian...again. This time we went to Patrizio's and it was also AMAZING. I had actually never been to Patrizio's but I heard very good things so I thought we should try it out. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious...can't get much better than that.

Joshua got me some pretty sweet gifts. He got this awesome picnic basket with place settings, wine glasses, cheese board, bottle opener..etc. It even has a blanket and a cooler! See picture below.

I have been wanting a new gym bag, as the zipper on mine busted a while back (and I've had the bag since 8th grade). And being the good listener that Joshua is...he got me a bright green Puma one! It's kind of retro looking and fits all my stuff perfectly!

My bag looks simlar to this, but Kelly Green with black piping and lettering.

Mom sent me some awesome shoes that I've been wanting and some clothes from Ann Taylor Loft. I absolutely love the sandals and have worn them pretty much every day.

Thank you Steve Madden for these small wedges

I cannot wait to use my picnic basket. I want to go to some of the Cool Thursdays at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. There is going to be a Elvis Tribute this Thursday..how awesome would that be??

Hometown Heroes

2010-05-22T17:59:00.000-05:00

My hometown of Nashville, TN recently experienced a horrible flood..and unfortunately, didn't really receive much press due to other big headlines. But Nashville is strong. They have worked together to set up funds for flood victims and those who didn't have damage went to help their neighbors who did. The damage to the Middle Tennessee community is beyond fathomable. Houses were literally swept away, landmarks were hit, and the roads will take lots of man hours to repair. You can see a brief slideshow on the Tennessean website.

Tons of merchandise was created to raise money for relief, with 100% of the proceeds going to the cause. A group of local (Nashville) artists and designers got together and created t-shirts to show support. Here are a few of my favorite:

Jars of Clay is selling 5 different versions of their song "Flood" all for a total of $1..all proceeds going to flood relief.

Go to www.jarsofclay.com to download and donate.

And the most recent news, the country music community is joining forces to do a benefit concert in June called "Nashville Rising: A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery." You can read more here.

There are also some really awesome posters through Lift Up Nashville. Again, 100% of the proceeds goes directly back into the community. So incredibly awesome that all of the artists are offering their products to benefit their community. Here are a few of the posters:

I am proud of my city...and I'm proud to call myself a Nashvillian. Though I'm far from home..I hold Nashville close to my heart and am doing as much as I can to support from afar.

If you would like to make a contribution on it's own, you can donate through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Love to cook

2010-05-02T21:17:00.002-05:00

I love to cook. I love to dive into my large array of cookbooks and find something delicious to make for dinner. I love mixing everything together..and the fragrances that waft from the pot...mm, absolutely wonderful! Today I took a trip to the farmer's market to stock up on some delicious fruits and veggies. I picked up strawberries, zucchini, yellow squash, some greens, and tomatoes...all of which I purchased for a total of $15...a good deal in my books. So I've planned a couple of fantastic meals and I'll have to blog about them as they arise because they are all pretty fantastic sounding.

Tonight I made Angel Hair Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese and I got the recipe from Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta. It is an easy, absolutely exquisite recipe. See directions below. I don't have a picture of this one because I took dinner to Joshua at the library.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped (oil reserved)
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces angel hair pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture and toss to coat, adding some reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and parsley and stir. Mound the pasta into bowls and serve.

The side was asparagus...a request from Joshua. I'll put my next dishes up later in the week.

Amazing Saturday

2010-04-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

Though it's only 2 pm, today has been a wonderfully perfect day. Joshua and I got up early, as he needed to head to work at AMS and I wanted to get up and enjoy some time with him before he left. I also had mentioned that I would make my delicious blueberry muffins for the guys at the shop. Well, I was lacking a few ingredients so I headed up to the grocery story, and let me tell you, I will be shopping early Saturday mornings from now on because the place was empty...unlike last week's Sunday afternoon experience of jam-packed aisles.

So after whipping up a double batch of muffins and taking them down to the guys I decided to go for a run. I've been very diligent about working out, but I haven't been running and I want to get going again. One quick side note, I have to thank my co-worker, Shannon, for being a wonderful workout pal...we've now worked out every week day for the past 2 weeks! So I headed out on my run.

View from the corner, where I start my runs

My goal was to run for 30 minutes and I almost made it. I ended up cutting my run short by 5 minutes because the loop I took brought me back to my house faster than I thought and the slight hill I had to run at the end about killed me. I was, however, pretty proud that I ran 2.89 miles in 25 minutes...that's not to far off from 3 miles OR 30 minutes! The thing I love most about running the the peacefulness of it. Yes, I get tired and am ready to quit most of the time...but I love putting my music on and hitting the pavement. Everything else going on just melts away and I am at total peace.

After my run I went out in the backyard to soak up some sun and read some more of Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox. I have been reading this book for quite a while..but just haven't quite finished it. This isn't because it's a bad or a hard read...but simply because I have other stuff going on. While outside, I discovered that our rose bush has bloomed! Joshua and I didn't even know there was a rose bush in our yard until this sprint and now there are several beautiful deep pink flowers.

The long vine. We had to wrap it behind our fence post
because it was obstructing the use of our sidewalk.

Close up of the beauties.

A single shot, SO pretty!

I'm tempted to cut a few off and bring them inside to add some beauty to our house...but they're just so pretty all clustered together.

Now I'm off to enjoy the rest of my afternoon! Have a wonderful weekend.

A Green Pug

2010-04-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

My friend Ashley sent me this video today...in honor of Earth Day. This pug knows all about being green...and is very well trained. Enjoy a bit of Earth Day fun!

Fort Worth trip

2010-04-22T20:31:00.000-05:00

I never got to post about our trip to Fort Worth while my family was in town. We went over early to go to the Art Festival downtown on Main Street, which had some really cool stuff. Joshua founda guy who made all sorts of little people out of spark plugs. He had figures for pretty much every profession and hobby...and of course Joshua loved that he had motorcycle riders. Here's an example of Dick Cooley's work with his website below.

www.sparkplugguy.com

There were some AMAZING wind veins on display. Unfortunately, I don't remember the artist but here is an example of the extremely intricate sculptures.

They had tons of moving parts and were just really fun to watch. this is one of the largest ones on display but there were all just as intricate.

I also found an artist I absolutely love. Dolan Geiman produces mixed media works and describes his work as "contemporary art with a southern accent." I love the antique quality and the diluted colors that are used. You can find examples of his works online: Dolan Geiman. Here are few that I absolutely love.

Queen's Garden Collection (Zinnia

Made in the Shade Guitar (Medium) Collection

After the art show we headed to down to the Stockyards to see the cattle drive that they do TWICE daily. I was actually really excited because I thought it would be really cool to see the longhorns...but honestly, I was a little disappointed. I was expecting at least 100 steer, but really..there were only about 20. We did get some fun pictures though!

Stopped and got a beer at the Bull Ring. Interesting fact, you can carry an open container within the Stockyards!

Railroad Crossing. This was right where we sat for the cattle drive.

Dad and Mom waiting for the cattle drive.

Me and Joshua on Exchange Street

The cowboys and the cattle.

It was quite a fun day in For Worth! Great way to spend the day with family...and the weather was absolutely perfect.

We Are the World Remake

2010-04-20T20:59:00.000-05:00

I know I know..I'm a little behind the times. When the "We Are the World" remake was done in February in a tribute to Michael Jackson, and also to help raise funds for Haiti I remember thinking to myself, "Awesome, I should definitely download that song." Then, I never did anything about it. So tonight I was on itunes and remembered to check it out. I first went to YouTube and watched the video:

I may just be emotional..but it was quite the moving video. I immediately went back to itunes and downloaded the song. In addition to being a great song, the proceeds go to Haiti, a country still in great need of help.

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-19T22:19:00.006-05:00

So I subscribe to an email newsletter through Whole Living, which I once received via mail...but then decided I should save the cash. Anyways, there are some interesting articles here and there and this week was one entitled "10 Ways to Make Earth Day Mean Something." Just another quick fyi, Whole Living is put out by the Martha Stewart brand..which I love. So there are 10 fantastic ideas to help love on the Earth and live a more sustainable life. I think it's important for everyone to do their part to keep this Earth a nurturing, productive, beautiful place and Earth Day is just the day to embrace those ideas.

Among the 10 things were:

Join a community garden.
A really awesome idea about gardening together. Growing fruits and veggies while getting to know your neighbors, and creating a beautiful, useful space! You can find your local community garden through the American Community Gardening Association.

Plant a tree.

Thanks Olivia for the picture!

This is probably the most traditional Earth Day activity. BUT, did you know that a properly placed tree can reduce your cooling costs in the summer and improve the overall health, aesthetic, and value of your home?

Sit down to a family dinner.

In addition to good ole' fashioned conversation, make your meal of organic, local, and seasonal produce. With nice weather spring and summer weather, take your meal outside and enjoy your food and some fresh air.

Do something outside.

Again..thanks to my awesome sister for the picture

Eat a meal outside, go on a walk..a hike..a run, sit and read a book. Just get outside and enjoy God's creation. It will make you appreciate it more..and feed that desire to care for it more.

Start your own backyard garden.
This is something I've been aching to do...but feel limited by my lack of permanence. We rent..and I want to be able to take the fruits of my labor with me..not just the fruits of the plants! I know I know, the answer to that are pots...I now have no excuses.

So pick something fun this Earth Day and give back to nature!

Some good reads

2010-04-11T11:45:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, while being somewhat of a lazy bum around the house, I read a couple articles in Marie Claire. Yes, magazine articles. Marie Claire actually has some really good articles that are worth the read. The first was entitled "My Life in a Harem" and was a Q&A with author Jillian Lauren (now wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner). Her book her her true-story of becoming one of the Prince of Brunei's 40 girlfriends. The book is entitled Some girls: My Life in A Harem and I have marked it on my "to-read" list. The article discusses her sense of adventure and her life while living in the harem. She received very lavish gifts, shopping sprees where thousands upon thousands of dollars were spent. Though I disagree with Lauren's opinion on legalizing prostitution, I think the book will be an interesting read because it will open my eyes to a different culture and experience.

GoodReads gives the following description:
A jaw-dropping story of how a girl from the suburbs ends up in a prince's hare, and emerges from the secret Xanadu both richer and wiser

At eighteen, Jillian Lauren was an NYU theater school dropout with a tip about an upcoming audition. The "casting director" told her that a rich businessman in Singapore would pay pretty American girls $20,000 if they stayed for two weeks to spice up his parties. Soon, Jillian was on a plane to Borneo, where she would spend the next eighteen months in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, youngest brother of the Sultan of Brunei, leaving behind her gritty East Village apartment for a palace with rugs laced with gold and trading her band of artist friends for a coterie of backstabbing beauties.

More than just a sexy read set in an exotic land, Some Girls is also the story of how a rebellious teen found herself-and the courage to meet her birth mother and eventually adopt a baby boy.

The other article that I really enjoyed was about Tala Raassi, a rising young designer who was raised in Iran. On her 16th birthday party, she was taken to jail and given 40 lashings for wearing a mini-skirt in the privacy of a friends home and in the company of the opposite sex. The story is very moving and really brings to light the issues and oppression women face in Iran today. Raassi moved to the United States after the lashings and stayed with some family while getting back on her feet. She chose a career in fashion design to celebrate femininity and freedom of choice. Just a really inspiring story! You can see her line on the web: Dar be Dar, which literally means "door to door" in Persian, but is also slang for "all over the place". You can read the article about Raassi on the Marie Claire website.

Last day of the visit

2010-04-10T12:02:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the last day my family was in town and we had a wonderful day! We started out with breakfast at Bread Winners Cafe and it was absolutely delicious..as always! Everyone got something a little different and it all looked absolutely fantastic. I love their Cafe Mocha, it is so tasty and comes in a beautiful clear glass mug.

Then we headed down to the Dallas Farmers Market...which I will have to start patronizing on a more regular basis! We bought a bunch of fruit and veggies for dinner/dessert at a really reasonable price! I mean..we got like 4 or 5 yellow squash for $3! I think that's a pretty good deal. We also got some fresh greens for salad that was amazing! Joshua and I will have salad remaining for at least a week..and we'll have to eat salad for every meal.

After the Farmers Market we went to the Dallas Museum of Art. I had wanted to go all week, so I was really glad that we were able to go on Friday! They have a really cool exhibit up right now that relates 19th century photography and painting of the Normandy coast.

It was really neat to see the images along side each other and learn about the history and impact the two mediums had on one another. I took an AWESOME class about 18th and 19th century photography while at the University of Georgia and it included a couple of images that were on display. It was really fun to be able to explain/discuss those with my family. We spent about 2-3 hours at the museum..I mean, it is 4 stories of art! After the Museum we all needed a little pick me up so we headed over to Yumilicious (used to be Yogilicious), which is one of THE BEST frozen yogurt place in Dallas.

No offense to all the others, of course, but it was one of the first during the fro-yo, do it yourself waive..so I'm still partial. I always tend towards the fruit flavors. they have FRESH raspberries, kiwi, and strawberries which are soo delicious mixed in with the plain yogurt flavor and a splash of Fruity Pebbles for a little bit of crunch!

Ok..so last night mom and I cooked a scrumptious dinner. We used the fresh veggies from the farmers market and roasted them with olive oil and italian seasoning in the oven. Dad grilled some marinated chicken from Central Market and they turned out SO tender. It was awesome! We also had a great salad, some fresh sliced tomatoes, and bow0tie pasta tossed with pesto. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Now the family is gone..and I am left to do a little cleaning (not much though) and catch up on the laundry. Cheers to a fun, relaxing week with my parents and sister!

Family Visit

2010-04-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

My mom, dad, and sister are in town for the week and we've had so much fun so far. Tuesday was spent at the Arboretum wandering the BEAUTIFUL grounds. Their tulips are in full bloom right now..and the flowers themselves were about the length of my hand!!

One of the many tulip beds

Yesterday was spent shopping at North Park...literally all day. We had a lot of fun and found some really good steals...One skirt at the Gap was only $7 and the other was $10!! What a find.

Today we are headed to Fort Worth for the Art Festival and to explore in general. We'll probably head to the stockyards after we are done with the art festival. It's a little chilly this morning, so I'm hoping it will warm up on our drive over. Maybe we'll get to experience the cattle drive down exchange street! yeehaw!

Ok..that's all for now. I'll post more about the trip tomorrow.

Easter

2010-04-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful...and so blessed...to have an amazing God who loves me, and the rest of humanity enough to give his son as a sacrifice to save me from my sins. Easter is a celebration of that love and a celebration of Jesus' resurrection. I am so thankful to have been saved from my sins and have the gift of eternal life in heaven with the Lord.

Joshua and I attended LLUMC this morning for the Easter service. The service was great and really celebrated Christ and his resurrection. After church Joshua and I came home and I cooked up a wonderful Easter lunch. We had some traditional staples: bbq baked beans, deviled eggs, and sweet potato casserole. Instead of ham, we had steak..which Joshua grilled for us. A picture of our delicious feast is below:

I even pulled out the china to eat on. First time with the china at the new place. We were out of town for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year...so haven't gotten to use the beautiful dishes. Good occasion to use them though!

Mom, Dad, and Olivia are headed in town tomorrow, so this weekend was spent cleaning and preparing for them to get here. Last weekend I bought a new welcome mat because we still had our Christmas mat at the front door. This weekend I bought a couple packs of flowers and got some pots replanted and placed on the front porch.

There are two of these pots on the front porch. I love them!

I'm so excited about the week to come. I think my parents..and Olivia..are really going to love Dallas and we're going to have a blast!

Facelift!

2010-03-28T12:16:00.000-05:00

As I'm sure you can tell, I've changed the look of my blog. Blogspot has updated their creation process and gives some cool options for customizing your blog. So hear it is..my blog recreation for now! Hope you enjoy. I know it's really pink..and bold...but I kind of like it. Especially for the spring!

Ok...Josh and I are off to a race watching party at Dr. Bells (a bbq place downtown). Have a wonderful Sunday!

New Bedding

2010-03-28T12:14:00.000-05:00

Joshua and I have decided that we would love a new bedding set. Granted...this is not going to happen because bedding is just too expensive. But with some day dreaming, I've found some that I absolutely love. I've put some images below...everyone is allowed to day dream right? I think the next time we go for bedding, I would like something darker...more romantic. Right now our bedroom is light in color...which feels really bright and fresh...but i think I would like some darker colors:

From Bed Bath and Beyond

The next one I like is from Macy's, whose website wouldn't let me copy the image...silly! This one is from Bryan Keith Bedding.

Oh to dreaming!

Spring!

2010-03-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

Spring has arrived in Dallas...though they are predicting cold weather tomorrow...ick! It has been SO nice out this week...some good high 60s-mid 70s always puts you in a better state of mind. So today I took it upon myself to start the spring cleaning. I cleaned all the windows in our house...and made the discovery that our bedroom and office windows open! We thought they were painted shut...like the rest of the windows in our house. Definitely an excellent find. I love getting fresh air in the house. Unfortunately, there are no screens...so along with the fresh are comes the occasional bug. However, I think it's well worth the nature. Our bedroom is completely dusted and cleaned..I just have to do the floors..which is pretty easy.

Along with the spring cleaning, I'm REALLY wanting to create a potted plant garden on our back patio. Joshua would say this is a horrible idea...as I have been known to kill our plant. I am going to be successful this time around. I'm thinking some herbs would be nice...some basil and rosemary. Martha Stewart..surprise surprise...has some really good ideas for container gardens. I've put some of the visual ideas below, along with her descpriptions:

Bushel baskets from the garden center make charming and inexpensive containers for a mix of annuals, including Angelonia, Lantana, and Plectranthus. Their wooden slats provide built-in drainage, and they can be recycled after the plants have had their season in the sun. As autumn draws to an end, the entire basket can be composted once the wire handles are removed.

I actually saw this next idea in an issue of Martha Stewart Living. In the magazine they suggested this for an herb garden..but I like the idea for flowers too.

Introducing height and structure to your garden with tiered planters is easy. Begin by finding three pots of descending size with drainage holes. The pots can be uniform in style or mixed. This example uses terra-cotta pots; the one at the base is 2 feet in diameter. Choose a location carefully; the final construction will be very heavy. Fill the largest pot evenly with potting mix nearly to the rim. Center the medium-size pot on the larger one, then fill; follow with the smallest. Select plants of various colors to accentuate the tiered configuration; trailing foliage creates a hanging-garden effect.

In addition to Martha Stewart's website, I found Plants For Texas which provides information on the best plants to plant in Texas, and retailers that sell those plants! Score! Time to start planning out my pots.

Cool Save the Date

2010-03-21T11:05:00.002-05:00

As I've stated before..I am slightly obsessed with all things paper. I know this goes against any ideas of green, as paper uses natural resources..but i love pretty paper products. While browsing the web, I found a really Cool Save the date that hearkened back to my childhood..playing outburst jr.

I found this on wide open spaces whose author found it on Ruffled

I love how interactive this save the date is! It's so playful and fun.

Spring Snow

2010-03-21T10:36:00.008-05:00

Who would have thought 2 days after having my windows open with beautiful sunny 75 degree weather, there would be a good snow on the ground?? Well, there is! Joshua and I woke up this morning for church..to find our yard covered in a few inches of the white stuff. I made him go for a walk around the block with me...which proved to be a HORRIBLE idea. It's about 34 out, but the wind is something fierce. I took a couple of pictures around our house.

Ironwork by our front door covered in snow

Front of our house!

Our patio. i really liked the grid pattern of the snow on the patio bricks.

Our bikes are in the backyard...covered in snow.

I got my fill of snow earlier this year when we had a good 6-12 inches...so I won't be out playing in it this time. I'll actually be at work..getting some things done! Happy Sunday.

Michael Buble and the grocery store

2010-03-20T10:05:00.003-05:00

I love Michael Buble's new song "Haven't Met You Yet" and I love the music video even more. Who doesn't love a good dance party in the grocery store?? I especially love the old couple that dances. See below:

The warm spring weather has briefly left...leaving rain and cold..ick!! So I'm spending my day inside reading! And listening to music of course.

No Good Very Blah Day

2010-03-03T21:09:00.002-06:00

Do you ever have those days when you just think, "Blah...not having a good day but I'm not really sure why?!" Well, I just kinda had one of those days. Nothing went wrong...I just wasn't feeling it today. All I wanted to do was go home and curl up with my husband and giggle and just play all day. Joshua is my best friend and one of the best things about being married to him is that I can give him a call or come home and just be honest about how I was feeling. here is there to work through my emotions with me and really dig into what maybe caused me to feel that way. What a gift marriage is..to be able to connect with someone and continually grow and support one another.

So even though I had a somewhat "blah" day...it turned out to be a blessing because I got the opportunity to grow and communicate with my husband.

Weekend Bliss

2010-02-27T14:45:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite things about the weekend is breakfast! I know...my life seems to evolve around delicious food...but breakfast on the weekend is one of my favorite activities with Joshua. During the week it's a rush to get out the door on time..so we'll make eggs really quick and eat them standing in the kitchen...or make a quick bowl of cereal....or sometimes I even put some oatmeal in some plastic-ware to make at work. Needless to say, weekend breakfast is much slower paced and usually consists of muffins, pancakes, waffles, or eggs with some sides. My mom has THE BEST blueberry muffin recipe that is healthy and wonderfully delicious. I know I've posted about them before...but I've finally decided to share the recipe. I'm going to call them Robin's Blueberry Muffins on behalf of my very talented mother!

Robin's Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. OJ or water (I prefer OJ)

1 1/2 c. all purpose flower

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c. oil

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

2 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tbsp cinnamon (reserve for topping)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line or grease muffin cups. In large bowl, combine rolled oats and OJ-stir well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup- level off. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, oil, and egg-mix well. Stir in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. mix remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes.

Eat and enjoy! Have a good weekend!

Baggu!

2010-02-26T11:46:00.002-06:00

So I found these awesome reusable bags on a design site that I frequent (can't remember which one at the moment). I saw them just before Christmas and fell in love! I bought a couple to put in the Walton Family Christmas Dirty Santa exchange. Unfortunately, I don't think very many people appreciated them...other than myself and my mom and my mom ended up stealing them for herself!

Small Produce Bag

Regular size baggu

The GREAT thing about these bags is that the fold down into TINY squares for easy storage in your purse..or even your back pocket. I haven't been able to purchase any for myself yet. They are definitely on my wish list! You can go to the Baggu website and purchase the bags in an array of colors and sizes. They also have good deals on bulk orders and shipping is only $4!

Weekly Wrap-Up

2010-02-25T19:09:00.005-06:00

Joshua and I have been busy bees this week. It seems like we've only had time to see each other for maybe 20-30 minutes before heading to bed every night. Joshua has class late Monday-Wednesday, so I've found activities to occupy my time. I have Bible study on Monday...which is part of our normal schedule. Tuesday night was consumed with a phone party for our Partner's Campaign at work. Since we are a non-profit...and part of our mission is to provide "membership for all," we have an annual campaign to raise money to provide scholarships to families in the community that cannot afford the full cost of membership or programs at the YMCA. While Joshua was contemplating his future in law last fall (and had briefly decided to part ways with law) I had recruited him to help raise money during our annual campaign. Well, he decided to stay in school and has class until 9:30ish Monday-Wednesday, so I've been put in charge of raising his portion, on top of my own. So this year, I was responsible for raising $1200! So Wednesday night was also consumed with a calling party, and then the weekly watching of the Bachelor at Ashley's.

Thursday was much better, as Joshua only has one class in the morning and I get off work between 5 and 6. Since we seem to never have time together during the week I do what I can to at least be in the same space as him..even if he is doing school work. So Thursday night I went to the library to hang out while he worked on a paper that he is working on with one of his professors. We then grabbed a quick dinner and then went to the 2010 Dedman School of Law Follies. It was so good to see some of his law school cohorts that I haven't seen in a while..plus we got in a good laugh. The follies were shown at the Magnolia theatre, which is this cool movie theatre in West Village. The preview of the show is below. The film was great and there was a great deal of time dedicated to it. Hopefully the whole film will be up soon!

This weekend Joshua and I are looking forward to relaxing, maybe grilling out and on Saturday night we'll be going to a benefit dinner with Ashley and Jayson! I'll post about that later.

Snow weekend

2010-02-20T13:22:00.002-06:00

Last weekend Dallas got a taste of what the east coast has been experiencing...SNOW! We got about 12 inches...which is the most snow Dallas has had since the 1970s. The snow was absolutely beautiful..big flake, perfect for snow balls and snow men. We made a giant snow man at work..a good 6 1/2- 7 feet tall! The bad thing about the snow...it knocked our power out, along with 200,000 other Dallas residents. But, we made a bad thing into a good thing and went over to our friend Ashley's for the weekend. We had SO much fun! We made dinners together, played in the snow, and played lots and lots of Wii. Here are a couple pictures of our weekend of snow.

Our street as we leave for Ashley's.

Out playing in the snow! I would never get sick of playing in the snow. I love it!

Joshua outside. He loves that hat.

Obviously a little bit of excitement!

The Vincent House!

2010-01-23T15:37:00.007-06:00

I spent last night transferring a ton of pictures over from my old laptop. It is being converted into Joshua's "garage computer" to help him with the Duc's programmable ignition. While getting all the pictures off, I found the pictures I took of our new place...though not so new anymore. We've made some changes since taking these, so I'll have to post those changes later. Here is a little glimpse into our quaint home.

This is our main living space...where we spend most of our time. The room is pretty long and I was standing close to the tv.

Bathroom! Thankfully, our stuff already matched.

Kitchen. I love our corner sink and the ample amount of storage we now have. The stove, refrigerator, and portable..yes portable..dishwasher are all to the right.

Our awesome patio area outside of the kitchen. Joshua used this area a lot this fall to have his weekly cigar chat with his dad.

I've already shown our bedroom, but here it is again. I love that every room of our house has windows. It makes everything so bright!

The path from our side patio to our backyard..great crepe myrtle in the yard.

The backyard...you can see the home of our future grill..and the stepping stones to it.

The only thing i don't have pictured is the garage and the office. The office is constantly in flux (aka very messy). We love our little place and are looking forward to warmer weather so we can enjoy the yard again!

Stanley, the neighbor

2010-01-16T20:38:00.006-06:00

Neighbor CAT that is. Joshua and I moved into our quaint duplex about 6 months ago and we immediately noticed that our neighbor has 2 indoor/outdoor cats: Stanley and Alex. They both came over to meet us pretty quickly and one night, during a horrible storm, they were both crying at the door. So, while watching Coraline, we let them come in and explore. Alex was a little skittish, but Stanley was very friendly. Stanley has continued visits..and from time to time will even curl up with us at night and sleep over! So, without having a pet of our own..we get the perks! Stanley is a very very loving cat and she (yes, she) is SUPER talkative. She meows up a storm..and will meow back when you talk to her. It's a riot. The other night Stanley and I were cuddling when waiting on Joshua to get home and I captured a really cute picture of her.

While I'm at it...I took some new pictures of our bedroom. As I clean up the house a make a few changes here and there, I'll be sure to post pictures of other portions of the house.

Some details of the room, including my bedside table, and my dresser with the candle holder I got during the Walton's Dirty Santa exchange:

More house updates to come. The pretty ivy that used to cover part of our kitchen window became a little too unruly and was crawling through the window...so that has all been torn down. I'm sure I'll regret tearing ALL of it out because it was so pretty. But I'm glad it's no longer creeping in to our kitchen!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T22:15:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!

Joshua and I had a wonderful Christmas. We were able to spend a few days before Christmas with his parents before heading to Michigan to spend Christmas with my family. Once we reached our final destination, we had a very relaxing, restful time. We stayed with my grandma, on the farm...which made me feel like a kid again. I've spent every Christmas except for 2 in Michigan, so it was kind of like going home.

I got some pretty cool gifts, including some gorgeous books that I've been pining over. I received Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights from my cousin's wife, Devon. The cover design is by Coralie Bickford-Smith and they have been all over design websites. I absolutely love the designs and I've actually never read either, so I'm looking forward to diving in.

So we are on to 2010! Time to start setting goals...and sticking to them. Of course, along with the rest of the world, I have a goal to eat healthier and live an overall healthier lifestyle. Goals are abbreviated below. I really haven't thought to much about these...but some things I would like to accomplish:

1) Cook and eat more meals at home.

2) Exercise more regularly. I do work at a gym, after-all!

3) Send more hand written cards. There is just something about snail-mail that I absolutely love.

4) Become more fiscally responsible. I think I do a pretty good job of not spending money on a whim, but I want to keep a better record of expenses this year.

5) Grow my hair out. I miss my long hair...and thus, I am growing it out.

6) Keep our house more organized.

That is my list for now...I'm sure I'll be adding to it in the coming weeks.

One other cool thing I found today that may be a fun way to help me attain #1 comes from a website I absolutely love called Design*Sponge. It's a diy project for a grocery planner. now, I am truly a sucker for paper products and things with purpose and beauty...so I may have to take this project on. Here is the idea:

You can find instructions for the project here. And, if you like design and prjecting, I encourage you to check out the rest of the site. There are some pretty cool before&after projects.

Thanksgiving.

2009-12-06T18:00:00.003-06:00

Yes....I know Thanksgiving was a good two weeks ago, but I haven't been able to find time to write..so here it is.

Joshua and I were able to make the trip home for Thanksgiving this year and it was SO good to be home. We did Thanksgiving with his parents, since we'll be going to Michigan for Christmas. Jannelle (mom-in-law) ordered a few things so we didn't have to do a TON of cooking...but we made sure we kept the traditional sides for us! I made Sweet Potato Casserole and Barbeque Green Beans and Jannelle made Ming Salad and Deviled Eggs (a Vincent must have!!). Our lunch turned out perfect and it was fun to have the meal with just the 4 of us.

After a little football watching/napping, Joshua and I made our way over to my parent's house for dessert and coffee. Mom had made pumpkin, apple, AND pecan pie....which meant we had to sample all of them, of course! We went to a moview with my family: Joshua made the choice of Old Dogs...which he later regretted, as it was a typical Disney flick.

Friday we went with both our families for lunch at the Mellow Mushroom! Must get in the local food (though Mellow Mushroom isn't just a Nashville thing...we don't have it in Dallas). Eating was followed by shopping for the women and cigar smoking for Joshua and his dad. I went with Jannelle, Olivia, and my mom through all the stores in downtown Franklin. They have done a great job of bringing in some really cool stores. Friday evening I met up with Kallie and Megan for dinner and had a BLAST catching up and just spending some quality time with them. I miss them terribly and wish all 6 of us could have been together...but there's always Christmas for that!!!

Saturday Joshua took me for a ride on his dad's bike. I was expecting for it to be a miserable ride, as it was FREEZING...but I wore appropriate clothing so it wasn't too bad. Like all rides/drives in Middle Tennessee, the scenery was fantastic! All the leaves had pretty much fallen, but the rural farms are still absolutely gorgeous...especially those big old barns. I'm a big sucker for the landscape! I met up with Olivia during the afternoon to do some shopping for our parents and then met up with Josh and his parents again for dinner with Grandmother, Grandfather, Aunt Lane, Uncle Keith, Suzannah, and Caroline. It's always nice to see and catch up with all of them! I love their family and feel so blessed to be a part of it now! After dinner we went bowling with Jason and Deidre, which is always a good time. They are a great couple and a lot of fun to be around.

Sunday was quite the beast of a drive back to Dallas. It rained the ENTIRE way back. We stopped in Memphis for delicious barbeque. Texarkana had quite the surprise for us on it's side roads. We got off to use the bathroom...and to detour the stand-still traffic due to construction...and found ourselves driving through severely flooded streets. Let's just say we found our way back to the interstate rather quickly.

Now we are enjoying the holidays...just got our Christmas tree last night! Somewhat smaller than last years but absolutely perfect!

Halloween!

2009-11-03T14:51:00.005-06:00

I had a very full week of Halloween. We had our big Halloween carnival at work on Wednesday...which was a HUGE success. We have about 300 kids come..and this doesn't include their parents! PinkBerry was there serving samples of their frozen yogurt, which was a huge hit! We had pizza, the bounce house, a cupcake walk, and tons of other fun games. Our little dancers put on a performance to Thriller...and of course the YMCA by the Village People. What a fun event! All of the staff dressed up too. We had a male Minnie Mouse, Grapes, Marine Barbie, a Fortune from a fortune cookie...and I was a bag of Jelly Beans!

Jelly Bellys (me) and male Minnie (Jeff)

Friday night Joshua and I went to our friend Ashley's Pirate themed mystery party, which was a lot of fun. Ashley is GREAT at planning parties and is a wonderful host. She made these really cool boxes for our invitations and delivered them in person. I was the part of "Mad Rose," the beer wench at the Salty Sea Dog and Joshua was Commodore Clearing. Our costumes were really fun and it was fun to act the part of a pirate...pirate accent and all!

Joshua and I dressed up. The picture below gives a better idea of our full costumes!
Saturday was spent at Ikea, looking for some shelving for our office. We then went party hopping...as Johnny Cash and a Cowgirl! We went out to Rowlett, about 30 minutes from Dallas for Stacie and Matt's party and then came back to Dallas, picked up Chris (Josh's friend from Memphis who is in town working for a couple months) and went to Richard's for an SMU party..which was also a good time.

Phew...Halloween is over..and I can say we are Halloweened out!

Bailey's Wedding

2009-10-24T09:39:00.006-05:00

It has been about a month since Bailey and Kevin tied the knot and their photographer's pictures are up! After looking through all of them...and seeing what a wonderful day it was, I was reminded that I hadn't written about it yet!

Joshua and I traveled to Georgia for the most spectacular wedding in September. Bailey and Kevin are a beautiful couple and I think that really shined through during their wedding weekened. They love each other unconditionally, the way all couples should, and you can tell how happy they are to be together.

I was blessed to be part of such a wonderful day and I loved spending the time primping with Bailey. It's hard being so far away and not being able to be as involved as I wanted to be. That time together was so greatd. There really is nothing like being a girl and being able to take ALL day to get ready! hehe. Bailey, not surprisingly, looked absolutely breath-taking. Her dress was just perfect for her. There was this moment right after she walked down the aisle that you could see how astounded Kevin was by her beauty and grace. He was grinning ear to ear. That's what the dress is all about..the shock factor.

Ok..so I borrowed a few pictures from the photographers site to give a little taste of her wedding. The photographer did an AWESOME job of capturing everything in the wedding and the quality of his pictures is great! His name is Steve Barnhart and here is some of his work:

Just a few snapshots of the night. The first one is of all the girls before the wedding. Bailey is holding one of the shoes she had us sign. The second picture is one of my favorites. It is all of the wedding party with the trolley. The guys are on the inside looking out at us while we pose. The last shot is of Bailey and Kevin serving each other cake. Always fun!

Disciple Bible Study

2009-10-07T12:30:00.003-05:00

I've been searching for a good, intensive study of the Bible for a while now...and I'm just not good at doing it on my own so I decided to join a Bible study. As a child, I can remember my parents participating in Disciple Bible Study through our church. When I saw that LLUMC offered the class, I was thrilled! We have has 2 lessons so far and it has been so great. It is a 34 week class that leads you through the entire Bible. Each week there is a focus verse and word and this weeks work was Wonder. What a perfect word for the creation story! One can only stand in wonder and awe at God's awesome and mighty hand. It is only our second week and I've already learned so much!

I've read through Genesis several times, but each time it was in a rushed or hurried manner...as I always felt like I knew exactly what it was saying. This time, it's different. We started with just the 1st 2 chapters this week and I took the time to read the words..as well as the notes my Bible provides. It's so incredible to see how Genesis allows room for the Trinity in it's use of words...and I honestly didn't know Adam means Earth and man. I cannot wait to continue on this journey of learning.

Stationary Obsession

2009-09-19T22:44:00.007-05:00

Ok, so I have this deep love for paper goods...I love stationary, notepads, day planners..and I LOVE when they are good quality...and of course pretty. This summer Joshua got me this awesome personalized notepad as a belated birthday present from Linda&Harriett, out of Brooklyn. The great things about their note pads: they can be personalized!! My pad looks a little something like this:

with MILLI VINCENT (in navy) at top center.

The great thing about these notepads is that they are pretty affordable and super cute. You can use them as stationary, or for grocery lists. Their letterpress paper products are little more expensive, but that is too be expected.

I used this one really cool site for our save-the-dates, and come to find out, they also do personalized stationary, birth announcements, party invitations, so on and so forth. Love the site, and here is an example of what you can find there:

These can be found under the Business Stationary.

Just plug in your personal information when personalizing.

They also have some great seasonal invitations or greeting cards!

mmm mmm good!

2009-08-26T18:48:00.004-05:00

One of my go to recipes for a delicious, easy, semi inexpensive dinner is by Giada De Laurentiis from the food network. When I was in school I was watching her show one day and she made a delicious looking Pasta Primavera. So, over the years, I've turned to it on several occasions for a good meal that will easily impress people. My mom, the best cook I know, told me it tasted "gourmet." Now, props of to Giada, because I definitely didn't come up with the recipe, but it impressed my mom..and it is just too easy. This pasta will only take about 20 minutes once you've cut everything up. To get your taste buds going, here is a picture of the delicious meal and I'll put a link over to the food network site below that.

Pasta Primavera

picture courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Relaxing, fun weekend

2009-08-23T21:09:00.003-05:00

Joshua had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. Friday night was spent at home. Joshua got home late because he had gone out the Rust Restorations in Mansfield, where he gets the Ducati worked on. We ordered a pizza from I Fratelli, probably the best pizza place in town and watched random tv, and then put in a John Wayne western. Now, putting in a western puts me right to sleep so I didn't really watch any of the western. Saturday morning we woke up early (meaning 8:30ish...which is early for us on a Saturday), did some cleaning around the house, ran to Einstein's bagle for a good bagel and coffee out on ther patio, came home and watched New in Town, which stars Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. Now, it was a major chick flick...and IMDb gave it a pretty poor ranking, but Joshua even liked it and I found the plot line to be pretty entertaining. Just about the time we were about to start movie number 2 (as we had dedicated Saturday to movie day), Josh got a call from Matt, my co-worker Stacie's husband. The invited us out to their place to go out on their boat, as we had planned this adventure for the weekend before, but were unable to go due to some illness on their end. So Joshua and I accepted the offer and went out on the boat with them Saturday evening. Man, it was the PERFECT day to be out on the lake and the water was absolutely beautiful! Nothing like good weather and good company!

Today, Sunday, we tried out a new church. We went to the 11 am service at Lovers Lane United Methodist. The service was great and the people were so friendly and welcoming. We definitely felt more at home there than at the church we had previously attended. I'm hoping to get involved in a Bible Study there. Next week we're going to try out heir contemporary service, which I am really looking forward to.

So, all in all, its been a good weekend! I'm definitely not ready for the week to begin again. I love my weekends with Joshua and hate having to go back to the real world...aka work.

Back to Running

2009-08-20T19:47:00.004-05:00

Thanks to mom and dad (in law), I have new running shoes! As in every good sized city, Dallas has a great running store called Luke's Locker. The great thing about this shop, other than it's HUGE selection of running gear, is their personal service for fitting you into the right running shoe. Now, I have been a Nike girl for pretty much my entire running life. I love Nikes and they have always fit my foot really well. However, this time I actually walked out with something different. The nice gentleman watched me walk and came to the conclusion that I run on the outside of my feet...who knew?!?! So he brought me three different shoes to try on and then I got to pick the one that fit my foot the best and...it was not the Nike. I ended up with a really cool pair of Saucony's They are purple and super comfy.

My new shoes!

There is also this great site the help map runs. You can become a user for free, or you can just use the application as needed. If you become a member, you can keep track of routes, and log all of your runs, which is really handy if you are training for a race. Right now, I am just trying to get back in shape...and get used to running in the Texas heat again. Maybe I'll think about training for the Nashville 1/2 though. And maybe THIS TIME..I won't injure myself a week before the race.

Here's to setting goals and pushing myself to achieve them injury free.

New Digs!

2009-08-16T14:39:00.003-05:00

Joshua and I have been busy since mid July moving into our new place, and it is really starting to come together. We absolutely love our new place and we are finally (almost) done doing upgrades/additions. Our new home is a 2 bed, one bath duplex just 5ish minutes from work and 1.5 miles from SMU. It's on the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, which is also home to Ross Perot, and George W. Bush. They, however, live in the mansions of Preston Hollow and though our new place is an upgrade from our first apartment, we are definitely not living in a mansion. Our place is a 1950's design with a really cute yellow tiled kitchen and yellow and blue tiled bathroom. I've taken a few pictures but don't have them uploaded quite yet. They BEST feature of our new pad is the yard and garage! These were two things that were a "must have" for the new place. We've already spent a lot of time out on our patio and Joshua has a nice "man cave," as he calls it, in the garage.

I've already been out running in our new neighborhood and love it. We're no longer on a busy road, so I feel a lot safer running on my own. Joshua and I walked to Blockbuster the other night...but that was a little more of a trek..as it is just beyond school. But, it was good exercise and good talking time.

Joshua's parents came down to visit last weekend and we made a trip out to Ikea, the land of everything one could ever desire for a home, and had fun looking at all they have to offer. Since we only have one bathroom now, I really needed a space to get ready in the morning. So, we bought a little desk/vanity for the office. I now have my very own space to sit in the morning to do my makeup and hair...and then a desk to work at in the evenings while Joshua is doing his school work.

In the next couple of days I'll take some pictures to show the new place.

Big Cedar Lodge with the family

2009-07-12T14:26:00.006-05:00

Before I get started on posting about our vacation..I went back and added pictures to the last 2 posts. Make sure to check them out! There are a few from events we've gone to this summer.

Josh and I just got back from a wonderfully relaxing week at Big Cedar Lodge, which is just outside Branson, MO. This trip is somewhat of a tradition for my family, as we've always stayed at Big Cedar after picking up from Kamp Kanakuk. I used to go to kamp there, and Olivia just spent her 4th summer there. We had such a great time with my family and really enjoyed the time relaxing by the pool, on the lazy river, and the day we spent out on the boat. It was also a lot of fun going back to K-West to pick Olivia up! Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

Olivia and I are finally reunited at kamp!
This is just before her all around event.

At Kanakuk you specialize in a sport, because it is a Christian sports kamp (get used to kamp being spelled with a k...that's just the way it goes with Kanakuk!). You can specialize in soccer, basketball, volleyball, dance, cheer, tennis...and I'm sure some others...OR you can do all around which gives you the opportunity to do more electives. That is always what I opted for, and what Olivia has done as well. When your family comes to kamp the first night your specialty puts on a show to demonstrate what they've done for the past 2 weeks. This year, all around did blobbing!

Here is Olivia about to jump onto the blob.

Olivia and her cabin.

Every year the kampers are given a bible verse and 2 words that describe them. The counselors talk about the qualities they saw in each kamper and how they have seen each of them grow in their relationship with Christ over their 2 week stay.

Morning of the tribal ceremony with the chiefs and princesses.

Kampers are split up into 2 different tribes. On the guys side there are the Cherokees and Choctaws, and on the girls side, Kickapoos and Kiowas. At the beginning of each term new kampers are put into their tribes. If you have family members that have already attended kamp, you'll be the same tribe as them. I am a kickapoo, so Olivia is as well! Each term the tribes compete in different activities to determine the winner of the term. This year Kiowas won.

The horse on our carriage ride.

Mom and Grandma on our carriage ride.

Most of the afternoons were spent by the pool relaxing and working on our tans. But, one afternoon mom scheduled a carriage ride for us girls. It was a nice ride around the property.

This is a picture of "Devil's Pool". Just to the left of the pond there is a pool and restaurant.

Big Cedar is a Bass Pro Shop lodge and this big fish is part of their little putt putt course. It is the final hole.
We saw a ton of turtles on logs while on our carriage ride...

Wednesday was spent out on the lake. We went tubing, skiing, and bluff jumping. Table Rock lake has some amazing bluffs! It was so nice to be out on the water! I'll have to put pictures of the bluff jumping up later. I was doing the jumping, so there aren't any pictures of that on my camera.

Me and Olivia on the boat.

Mom and Olivia tubing!

On our way to dinner the last night.

Dad's birthday was Friday, the day after we left the lodge, so we surprised him with a cake at dinner the last night! The weather was gorgeous, so we sat out on the patio for dinner, it was SO nice in comparison to the heat of Dallas!

Me and Josh at dinner.

Mom and dad at dinner..it was obviously a little sunny!

One last picture of the lodge...the flower gardens around the main building are absolutely gorgeous, so here is a picture of the main entrance to the registration lodge.

We're now back in Dallas and getting ready to move!! We are moving out of our first apartment together and into a really cute little duplex. We'll have a yard, a garage, and a cute little vintage kitchen and bathroom. Once we move in and get settled I'll post pictures!

Summer is Here!

2009-06-23T10:53:00.006-05:00

Summer has officially started and boy can you tell here in Dallas! Most days are in the high 90's...if not 100 degrees. The good thing is, I'm not really out in the heat much...since I have an indoor job, BUT it doesn't really cool off at night either. It just stays HOT. Last night the sun set around 9 and it was still around 93 degrees. This is pure craziness for June! Summer activities are also in full swing. The YMCA is busier than ever, with summer camp on site, 2 camps off site, swim lessons all day long, families coming to the pool, and our normal crowd is here too. I'm working my usual hours at the YMCA, but I'm teaching Art Think Jr. for the little ones at 2 day camps. Art Think Jr. is basically the same thing as the Art Think I taught during the school year..except it is geared towards elementary students instead of high schoolers. I must admit, I love those little kids!! They have such fun, interesting answers to the images and they don't complain like the high schoolers do. In addition to showing slides, we also do a little art project at the end...which I find super fun. Hands down, love the little kids!

Josh on the other hand...is not loving the little kids. He is working with summer camp at the Y this summer. And though he is getting VERY tan, he isn't enjoying the fact that they aren't allowed to really discipline the kids.

We've had a few fun weekends, with Beth's Wedding, a Motorcycle Race Watch Party, a Frisco Rough Riders game (they are a minor league team that feeds into the Dallas Rangers MLB team), and in a couple of weeks we will be joining my family at Table Rock Lake in Missouri for a much needed week vacation! We'll be picking Olivia up from Kamp Kanakuk and then spending time at Big Cedar Lodge, one of the most relaxing places on earth. I can't wait to relax with the family..and SEE them! I haven't seen my dad or sister since OCTOBER!!

Here are some pictures from Beth's wedding and the Rough Riders game. Unfortunately, my camera died at Beth's wedding, so my pictures are limited.

Beth's Wedding

Though a little blurry, this is a picture of all my dear college friends! Left to right: Jackie, Sarah, Beth (the beautiful bride), me, Shay, Emily

Two of my college roomates, and bridesmaids in my wedding
Me, Jackie, and Sarah

Sarah, Emily and me

The wedding party, post wedding pics.

Rough Riders Game
Self photo before the game began.

Picture of the field from our awesome seats!

Deuce, the team mascot...not quite sure what animal he is.
The other mascot is Daisy, the female..she was cute too!

Joshua and his helmet of Dip 'N Dots, a baseball tradition.

One thing we both definitely enjoy about baseball games is the food! Nothing can beat a hot dog, coke and some Dip 'N Dots...or funnel cake in my case!

Week of my birth!

2009-05-31T17:32:00.004-05:00

This coming week has a lot of exciting things going on...including my birthday! Though birthdays aren't quite what they used to be (meaning..no big sleepover party)...I still get so excited for birthdays. I love celebrating others' birthdays, and I love celebrating mine as well. It is that one day a year that can be totally focused on that individual...which I think is so special and wonderful. Joshua and I don't have anything exciting planned, as we're leaving the next day for ATLANTA!! We'll be heading out for Beth and Ramsey's wedding! I can't wait to celebrate with them and see all my beloved friends. Since that is going to be our big cost for the week, we're going to do a small dinner, just the 2 of us.

Joshua, Ashley, and I went over to see Kristi and Greg yesterday and did a mini birthday celebration for Kristi. Greg is in school with Joshua and Ashley, and we've all become pretty good friends. It's always nice to have another married couple around! Kristi's birthday is today, and she is on bed rest due to her pregnancy...sooo, we took her some Yogilicious (mmm, so good) and balloons. It was great to see both of them and be able to spend some time catching up with Kristi. Joshua and I plan on taking them dinner in the near future, just to help out while Kristi is out of commission.

I also got my haircut yesterday! It's pretty short..above the shoulders. I really like it though, it is the perfect summer cut. I'll have to post a picture later!

As promised...here is a picture of my new hair style. It has grown out a little since the original cut...but still pretty much the same!

Week of rest...

2009-05-24T21:13:00.002-05:00

This time last week Joshua and Van (my father-on-law) departed on their 9 day trek to Vegas and back! It has been interesting...and a little lonely...living on my own. I've gotten to catch up on all of my girly tv shows, which include...but are not limited to...Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and the new episode of the Bachelorette! Last Monday I totally vegged in front of the tv for all 3 of these shows, it was awesome! I've also spent some time reading, cleaning, resting, and exercising. Last week I walked to the grocery store to grab dinner, something that was actually really rewarding. The weather here has been so gorgeous..so I've tried to spend as much time outside as possible. After teaching on Thursday I spent some time relaxing pool side, getting a start on my summer tan.

I was also able to catch up with some dear friends! This week I had some lengthy phone calls with Sarah, Emily, and Hawley!! I definitely don't get to talk with these girls enough, so it was nice to be able to sit on the couch and chat with no time limitations. Haha, that makes it sound like Joshua sits there and times my phone calls..totally not the case. But, when we are home together I usually don't answer my phone and just enjoy my time with him.

My weekend was spent being a total bum. I rented "The Reader" and the old "Marie Antoinette" film with Kirsten Dunst and also watched a few movies that came on TBS. "The Reader" was very interesting, though I have to admit I fell asleep towards the end..it got a little slow. "Marie Antoinette" was SUPER slow..and though the costumes and music were awesome...it was kind of a waist of a rent. I did get some exercise in this weekend, which is always good. I also spent some time by the pool, and then Sunday I went in to work.

Though I've enjoyed the time alone...I defintely prefer living life with Joshua and having someone to spend my time with every evening. 9 days has definitely been a little too long to be seperated, but I'm glad Joshua and his dad were able to take this trip together. I know it'll be a great memory to look back on.

Well..that's it for now! Next week I head to Atlanta for Beth's wedding!! I can't wait to be there for her and share in such a special event. I'm also really excited to see all of my dear friends from UGA! I'll also be celebrating my BIRTHDAY next Wednesday! Woo hoo for 24!

Optimisim

2009-05-07T21:23:00.004-05:00

There was an AWESOME special tonight on ABC called Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. As everyone knows, Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's disease...but rather than keeping him down, Fox's optimism and positive outlook on life has kept him going. Yes, he does have great resources for the best doctors, the best medicines, etc...but without that positive attitude, who knows how well he would be doing now. This special explored optimism, not only in the United States, but also world wide. And you know, it was just a great reminder...a REFRESHING reminder to live every day with a big smile on your face, loving life, giving thanks for all that you have, thanking our Lord for all the gifts he has provided, and just generally enjoying life.

I've have be stressing a lot recently...mainly focused around finances...and this little special reminded me to relax, take a deep breath, and focus on the positive. Though Joshua and I don't always have the funds to do everything we desire...we DO have each other and that is the biggest thing to celebrate every day! So rather than continuing my stress on finances, I am going to focus on the good stuff...friends, family, free fun, and the Lord.

Ok...so that is all for the moment. Hehe, just wanted to share a breath of fresh air. It's always nice to see someone so happy, that has reason to be so angry. Thank you Michael J. Fox for your inspiration!
Oh...and as a last note, Michael J. Fox has a book out: Always Looking Up. I am definitely putting that on my list to read!

Spring!

2009-04-28T13:11:00.002-05:00

It has been quite a while since I've updated the site...so sorry about that! Joshua and I have been busy with lots of different activities. Work has been pretty demanding recently..and it feels like I can never quite catch up. I don't mind though, because then I'm always busy! Joshua is starting finals this week...which is keeping him busy. I have gotten back on the workout wagon and I'm trying to workout every week day. It seems like it would be really easy, since I WORK at a gym...but it's really hard to get away from the desk sometimes.

Other than work and school, Joshua and I have just been trying to spend time together doing things we love...like going on walks, watching movies, and going on occassional long drives. This spring has been wonderful so far and we both feel like we've grown closer with all the time we've spent together. This past weekend we went to one of my co-workers for her birthday and we had a lot of fun! Stacie lives out in Rowlett, which is about 1/2 hour from Dallas and she lives really close to the lake. Josh and Stacie's husband got along really well. He is a Dallas Police Officer and I think they have a lot of the same interests and life values. I think we'll definitely have to hang out again.

Other than that, we're just doing our normal routine and looking forward to a few trips this summer. Joshua is going on a 9-10 days motorcycle trip to Las Vegas and back with his dad right after school ends, which leaves me in Dallas all alone..but I know they'll have a good time and their time together is always important...father-son bonding time! We'll be heading to Atlanta for Beth and Ramsey's wedding, which is June 6th! I can't wait to go and witness their marriage and as a bonus see all my wonderful friends again!! Then we're going to go to Branson, MO to see my family and stay at Big Cedar Lodge after Olivia gets out of camp at Kamp Kanakuk! I'm pretty excited about this because I haven't seen my dad or sister since October! Plus, I went to Kanakuk when I was younger, so it'll be like returning to childhood for me. We're still trying to figure out what to do for our anniversary, but it'll be special no matter what we do.

Ok...I better get back to work. Just wanted to do a little update!

Wrapping Up the Week

2009-03-29T22:35:00.003-05:00

So this week has been nothing out of the ordinary. I taught on Monday morning...which was like pulling teeth. We missed two weeks of class, first because I was out of town, and then they had spring break. After two weeks of not discussing art, I think they got a little clammed up. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. There is a group coming to "observe" my classroom to approve a grant for the Art Think program. I am a little nervous about that...but I think it will be completely ok. I am starting at a new school this week as well. I'll be teaching on Thursdays from 8:45-2. That means I'll have to work Saturdays at the Y, but I think it'll be worth it. It's only a 6 week program, so after that 6 weeks, it it was too hard, I'll know not to take on so much in the future. This program is really giving me a better feeling about teaching. I think I would be a great teacher and I would love teaching children. I know I'm not called for high school, but it really gives me a better understanding of what it takes.

One of the front desk supervisors at the Y is leaving to go work at the association office. Sooo, we had a going away party on Saturday. We went and played the gam called "Whirleyball" and had SO much fun! Joshua went with me and we summed the game up as "basketball, polo, and bumper cars" all rolled into one. So, there are two teams in bumper cars (each with 5...I guess we were players??) and we each had a stick, similar to that used in lacrosse. Ok, so there was a wiffle ball that we had to throw into a hole, about the height of a basketball bet, but parallel to the wall instead of parallel to the floor. Oi..that sounds so confusing. Anyways, you drive your bumper car around trying to score...AND trying to block the other team. Needless to say, I am ridiculously sore today. It feels like I've been in a car wreck, which I guess is partially true because each time you were bumped it felt like a massive collision. We all laughed the entire time! What a fun game.

Ok, so my last note of the night: I just watched "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" and it really made me miss all of my girls. It made me miss those great nights of friendship from when we were young (yes, i know we are still young..be we are grown-ups and have responsibility now..boo!), staying up late, talking about total non-sense. I miss having those friendships near and close at hand. I love and cherish them all so dearly and I don't think I tell them all enough. The end.

Weekend at the library

2009-03-22T16:16:00.002-05:00

Josh has been working REALLY hard on his brief for his Legal Writing class. He turns it in tomorrow and that will count as his one and only grade in that class. Oh the stress and pressure! He hasn't been able to get work done at home, and therefore, as been spending lots of time at the library. Well, being at home night after night can get pretty lonely, so I've chosen to come spend some time with him at the library. I know...sounds like no fun at all, but it really has been nice. I picked up a new book today titled A Faith and Culture Devotional: Daily Readings in Art, Science and Life. The layout is pretty cool, offering readings in Bible and Theology, History, Philosophy, Science, Literature, Arts, and Contemporary Culture. The book breaks down the reading into 15 weeks. Each week there is one article from each category, which really provides for a balanced read and you don't get overwhelmed with one topic. At the end of each category there are questions for reflection or discussion. I love books that include questions because it really gets you thinking about the topic. I'm really looking to the coming weeks as I explore and learn through this devotional. Here is what the back of the book says, just to provide a better note as to what the book is about:

Kelly Monroe Kullberg and Lael Arrington offer a daily guided tour through many of the paintings, laboratories, rock arenas, great books, mass movements, and private lives that have shaped the ways in which we think and live. mass movements, and private lives that have shaped the ways in which we think and live. This educational devotional will inspire us to go beyond critique to creativity as we discover the wonder of God in seven subjects--theology, history, philosophy, science, literature, art, and contemporary culture.

Explore significant ideas, people, and events from a Christian worldview in a format that fits your busy life. A Faith and Culture Devotional will help bridge the artificial gap between learning truth and loving God--inspiring you with the wonder at the genius, power, and beauty of Jesus Christ.

I think it will be interesting!

busy bee...

2009-03-19T21:13:00.003-05:00

I have quite the busy, and fun, past couple of weeks. It started two weekends ago with a wonderful trip to Orlando, Florida with my mom. We met up for a mini-vacation with my grandma and two aunts. Mom had a conference being held at Disney World, so we had a free room for part of our stay! Before heading down to Florida I didn't really think we would spend any time at the parks. I mean...we are all grown women, it would look pretty hilarious for all of us to be parading around Disney without toting kids around. BUT, to my surprise, everyone wanted to go to the parks. So parking we went. Saturday was spent at Epcot, traveling the world while conveniently staying safely inside the Disney World resort. We had churros in Mexico...a delicious fried treat my aunts and grandma had never tried. Aunt Nancy kept exclaming "I would like one of those chimichangas, or chalupas" after having one. To which I replied, "they are called CHURROS." Saturday evening we went to Magic Kingdom for the light parade and fireworks. My grandma has seen the light parade on tv several times, but has never seen it in person. She was very excited to see it...and we had front row seats, right on the curb. The parade was wonderful..a the characters were aglow with lights. It was truly magical. The fireworks following were also pretty spectacular. Fireworks are always great..even if there is no special occasion. Sunday was going to be spent at "Disney's Hollywood Studios" (Formerly MGM Studios)...but apparently when MGM went, so went many of the attractions. Disney's Hollywood Studios=a bust. So instead, we journeyed through Animal Kingdom. We passed by "The Tree of Life," went on a Safari, ate at an African "outpost," and saw "It's Tough to be a Bug" in 3D. f you haven't ever seen the Tree of Life, it's a really huge, awesome fake tree with lots of animals carved in it's trunk, branches, and roots. My grandma and aunts left Monday, at which point my mom's conference started. I slept in a little, then went out and laid by the pool for a while. Monday afternoon mom and I went to Magic Kingdom to go on some of my favorite rides. These include, but are not limited to: Pirates of the Magic Kingdom, the Swiss Family Tree House (even though it isn't a ride), Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain. Mom was such a trooper. She doesn't like roller coaster's...or heights...but she went on the rides with me anyways and we had a great time. Tuesday was departure day, and though it was sad to leave the fun and family behind, it was nice to get back to Dallas..and most of all my Joshua!

I didn't have much time at home with just Joshua because on Friday Megan and Kallie came to visit!! Megan is a teacher and her spring break is this week, so she called me up to see if she could come visit...and of course I said YES!! They were my first friends to visit Dallas and we had a great time, despite the disgusting weather. I have to applaud them because they spent 12 hours getting to Dallas, a drive that should only take 8 or 9 hours. The girls got in late on Friday so we just picked up some pizza and drinks for a relaxing evening in. Saturday there was a huge St. Patty's Day parade on Greenville Ave, which I happen to live approximately 100 yards from. So, after sleeping in a little, we decided to go check it out. We loaded our cooler and walked down to the end of my street where we caught the end of the parade. There were many odd characters and some wonderful costumes as well. After the parade passed we just decided to follow along and see what there was to see. I've decided that St. Patty's is like a belated, mini- Mardi Gras. Beads are thrown...and alcohol is consumed. The rest of the weekend was spent showing them around the city. We went to the West Village, a trendy spot in town with some boutiques and shopping. I drove them through part of Highland Park, with huge houses and designer shopping center. Then we headed back to the apartment for a little down time before dinner. We went to Cuba Libre (because Chuy's was packed) for dinner and drinks and then back to the house. Sunday was going to be our day at the museum...but we again, slept in. So instead, I drove them around downtown (which I'm not very familiar with) and then we went grocery shopping for dinner. I thought it would be fun to cook at home and have a nice meal in. I made individual baked tortellini dishes and mom's delicious salad with home-made balsamic vinaigrette, spicy pecans, strawberries, and blue cheese. Monday I had to work so they spent the day exploring Dallas and then Josh and I took them to Burger House! The best/our favorite burger place in Dallas. After dinner we went back and watched tv and just hung out. It was so nice to have friend here and be able to spend so much time with them!

This week, in comparison has been pretty slow (after the girls left). Work is completely dead because all of the kids are on spring break, which means all of the families have gone on trips. I am, however, looking forward to a slow, relaxing weekend. It will hopefully be nice out so I can go to the lake or lay out by the pool!

I'll upload pictures from all of the adventures later.

Teaching!

2009-02-18T22:06:00.009-06:00

I had my first day of teaching on Monday and it was so incredibly wonderful and refreshing. Don't get me wrong I love my job at the YMCA, but it is a little monotonous...so a break from the norm was so great. I taught 2 classes at Hillcrest High School and absolutely loved it. I was a little nervous about teaching high schoolers, but it really turned out ok. They were very respectful and responded well to the "session." Ok..so I'm not really TEACHING them anthing huge...but I do think it's an important exercise. Every class we go through four pieces of modern art. I give them 5 minutes to sketch, or take visual notes. This allows them to take down the important things in the image. The we discuss the work for 5 minutes. They tell me what they think is going on in the image and why (what do they see in the image that leads them to their opinion).

I think this is an amazing exercise because there is no right or wrong answer and it allows everyone to have a voice about art. A lot of times art is open for interpretation and I think giving high schoolers a voice is really important and it helps reinforce their creativity and thought pattern.

The other great thing about these classes is that I don't need to know anything specific about the work. I'm not there to lecture on the history of the work or tell them what the artist was aiming for. I am there to simply create conversation about some great contemporary works of art.

So here are some of the works we looked at the first week:

Cindy Sherman. "Untitled Film Still"
Unsure of correct title, I'll update it later!

Kelli Connell. Giggle. 2002

Xinpeng Chen. Self Portrait. 2004

Pablo Picasso. Weeping Woman. 1937
Femme en pleurs

The theme for Week 1 is "Be." The use of self portraits is great for this becaues it shows the students how the artist is wanting to portray themselves to the viewer.

If you have any questions or ideas just give me a shout!

Good Reads!

2009-02-09T20:52:00.002-06:00

So some of my dear friends included me in their venture at GoodReads. It's a really great site that allows you to share what you've read, what you are currently reading, and what you have on your list TO read. You can also review the books you've read, giving others an insight to what you thought. I've loved seeing what others have read and I've added many of the books to my books "to-read."

I've just finished Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. The books is similar is subject to The DaVinci Code, but I still really enjoyed it. It's a book loaded with suspense, and although most of the "facts" are not entirely true, or just completely fabricated...I do see an underlying theme or message. The big story line of the book is "Science vs. Religion" and the other desire for them to work together. I really do believe you can have both...not one without the other. God created us with the ability to think and expand our knowledge and, to me, science is just a tool to further understand God's amazing creation.

The next book on my list is Love and Respect (The Love She Most Desires and The Respect He Desperately Needs)by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I really want Joshua to read this one as well...but that might have to wait for summer...or maybe I can just give him photo copies of the passages he should read..haha. It seems like a great relationship strengthening book.

Ok, that is all on my book talk. If you haven't already, you should go check out "Good Reads" and get connected!
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In other news....I start teaching my own classes next week with the Dallas Contemporary! I had all of my training last week- a half day at the studio and a half day at a school- and I feel confident that I am going to do a good job. I may have to practice on Josh Sunday night just to make sure I've got it down. I'm so excited though! I'll definitely let you know how the first day goes!

Art Auction

2009-02-01T22:28:00.002-06:00

This weekend the Dallas Contemporary held their annual Wish Auction. The pieces in the auction were donated by artists throughout Texas. The event was so much fun! I worked the check-in and check-out and I loved seeing all of the great outfits. They always pick a color for the theme and this year it was green! I was able to wear my beautiful dress from Hawley's wedding along with the great gold shoes! Who ever said you can never wear a bridesmaids' dress again? I have to give Hawley props for picking such a stylish dress. All of the money raised went towards the gallery's operations.

Just to give a little background: The Dallas Contemporary is a non-profit, non-collecting gallery that shows emerging Texas artists, as well as some national artists. They also do this great program called ArtThink. It is a program that teaches high school kids how to think and approach contemporary art. It helps them relate to the subject matter and take their personal experiences in to consideration when interpretting art. I've recently been asked to to participate in this program and I am SO excited! I am going to be TEACHING art!! I will only be doing this once, maybe twice, a week but it's still a great start. I'll post back abou this later!

New Year!

2009-01-25T18:58:00.003-06:00

So I am a little late in the update. Work has been SO busy lately. Everyone is in full swing with their New Year's resolutions and we are included! Our main goal this year is to be healthier and eat more meals at home. So far, we've been doing really well and I've made some delicious meals! I have to give my thanks to all of the online recipe collections, as I've gotten most of our meals from sites The Food Network and Cooking Light. So far, our top three favorites are "Wake-up Smoothie," "Orange Glazed Chicken," and "Spiced Chicken and Greens with Pomegranate Dressing." Below is a picture of the delicious salad, along with the super easy, quick recipe:

mmmm...so good!
"Spiced Chicken and Greens with Pomegranate Dressing"

Chicken:
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used chicken tenders instead)

Dressing:
1/3 c. pomegranate juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Salad:
1 package mixed salad greens
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion (optional...I didn't use because I don't like onions)
3/4 c orange sections (I cut these up into smaller pieces)
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/4 c crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:
To prepare chicken, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chili powder and salt over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; let stand 3 minutes. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; set aside

To prepare dressing, combine all "Dressing" ingredients and whisk well.

Make salad. Enjoy. The end. I promise, you won't be disappointed!!

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I also made my mom's DELICIOUS blueberry muffins this week. They were definitely a great start to the day!

We have more resolutions and I have so much more to update on...but for now I am going to leave it at that.

'Tis the Season!

2008-12-23T20:18:00.005-06:00

So Joshua and I got our Christmas tree a few weeks ago, but I've been entirely too busy to post about it! We spent one Saturday shopping for lights and garland...and of course our tree! This year we got a real tree, which was a lot of fun to pick out. It's actually my first real tree ever, so the whole "picking out a tree" thing was new to me. We got our beauty from Home Depot. It's approximately 7 1/2 feet tall and really fat! We absolutely love it. Some pictures are below:

The tree! It's much bigger than it looks in this picture.

A view from below

This ornament was a gift from the Dickens family!

We are so blessed to have such great family and friends. We didn't need to buy a single ornament! Thankfully, half of our tree faces a corner so we didn't have to put ornaments on that side. My mom and grandmother both gave us ornaments as wedding gifts from this great town in Michigan called Frankenmuth. The entire town is dedicated to Christmas all year round. I remember going there as a little girl and picking out ornaments and Christmas figurines. We also got ornaments from some friends of Van and Jannelle for our wedding. And then more from the Dickens family (Joshua's aunt, uncle, and cousins) for Christmas. We are so glad to have such a beautiful tree.

We are going to be spending Christmas in Dallas this year and we are really looking forward to it! We are going to Highland Park United Methodist for church on Christmas Eve and then developing our own Christmas traditions from there! We are so excited to spend not only our first married Christmas together, but our first Christmas together EVER! You would think after dating for 5 years we would have spent one together already, but our families are always in different places. So, this one will be very special for us.

We'll let you know about all of the fun later in the week!

Season of Celebration

2008-12-07T17:49:00.008-06:00

So it has been a while since I've posted. Joshua and I have been staying very busy. We have celebrated his birthday, had Thanksgiving in Dallas, and now we are getting ready for Christmas!

This year for Joshua's birthday we got a group of friends together to go to Medieval Times. This was most definitely Joshua's idea and thankfully they had a buy one get one free deal going on...those tickets aren't cheap! We had a good group of 8 and it was a fun evening! We were in the Red and Yellow knight's section and we wore our crowns proudly...and cheered very loudly. Below are a few pictures to document the evening.

All of the knights before the competition

Not sure why Joshua has such a goofy face...

Outside of the castle after the competition!

This year we sent Thanksgiving in Dallas and Joshua's parents came down to be with us! I was able to cook my first Thanksgiving meal (minus the turkey) and everything turned out GREAT! Here is a list of our menu:

1) Honey Baked Ham: Joshua's choice
2) Barbequed Green Beans: Steaban tradition
3) Sweet Potato Casserole (with pecans on top)
4) Deviled Eggs: Vincent tradition
5) Corn: needed another veggie
6) Rolls: gotta have some carbs!
7) Pumpkin Pie: Thanksgiving must have!

Picture of the table (minus some of the food due to lack of table space)

I also got to use our china for the first time!
And finally: Joshua and I with our first married Thanksgiving Dinner!

Friday morning Jannelle and I went shopping. I got a few great pieces for work and the mall was relatively calm! I think we got there as the early birds were leaving and before the afternoon crowd came. Then we all went out to the shooting range and the guys shot the shot gun and then we went and shot pistols. Friday evening we went to dinner at Cuba Libre, one of our favorite places to eat and then we traveled to Fort Worth to go to Billy Bobs, a huge country bar. Jannelle and Van got out on the dance floor while Joshua and I watched...we had no clue how to line dance!

I'll update with more fun Christmas festivities later!

Pose, and Pose..

2008-11-16T21:46:00.003-06:00

I have FINALLY uploaded pictures from my camera. So upon request, here are the long awaited pictures from my dear friend Hawley's wedding. Matt and Hawley were married on September 20th in Washington D.C. It was a fantastic weekend and here are all of the pictures to prove it!

Weekend Fun

2008-11-10T23:37:00.003-06:00

Joshua and I had a pretty great weekend. We went out Friday night with some friends to celebrate our friend Greg's birthday. Greg and Kristi are also married and Greg is in class with Joshua. They are from California and we have a really good time with them when we hang out. Nicole and Richard, other law school friends, also went out with us and we ended up splitting into a girl group and a guy group while we were waiting on dinner. Conversation was great and dinner was FANTASTIC! We went to Cuba Libre, which you can check out here! It's always nice to have good food and great company. We then went to Victor Tangos, a new bar in our area. It was pretty cool...a little pretentious, but overall it had a nice atmosphere.

Saturday morning was spent sleeping in. Then we went Boulevarding...aka tailgating SMU style. This is pretty much the best situation for people watching. Mainly because it's fun to watch all of the undergrads parade around and wonder if I acted anything like them/hoping I acted NOTHING like them. SMU actually played Memphis on Saturday, but we opted for shopping and relaxing at home over the game. Then Saturday night we went over to Richard's for movie night...always fun. We watched the Godfather. Well, they watched...I fell asleep, per the usual.

Sunday was a great day. We started off with waffles, which...if you know me at all..you know that any day that starts with waffles is bound to be a spectacular day. Though we didn't go to church as we had planned, we did get up and go for an amazing walk around White Rock Lake. If you go here you can learn more about the lake. It was a gorgeous morning and the walking path goes right along the edge of the lake...absolutely perfect. I think I'll have to go out there and run on the weekend now. We are looking into purchasing a bike for me so that I can go ride with Joshua out there!

Well, that's about it for our fun-filled weekend! Sunday afternoon was spent doing laundry while Joshua studied. It's starting to kind of feel like fall here and some of the leaves are changing a little bit but I really miss the weather back home and all of the beautiful trees. Thankfully I got a little dose of that when I was in Michigan last weekend.

Playing Catch up!

2008-10-27T19:36:00.007-05:00

So, it has been quite a long while since I've posted and so much has been going on! We had a fun filled weekend. We spent Saturday afternoon at the dog park with Nicole, swooning over other dogs and having fun playing with all of them. We REALLY want a dog and it was nice to be around so many different breeds all at once. Now we just have to agree on which breed we want..and move. Our apartment doesn't allow bigger breeds, which is what we want.

Aaron was in town this weekend for the Cowboys game so we met up with him for dinner on Saturday before we headed out to a Halloween party hosted by the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL). The party was fun...I love dressing up for Halloween and there were tons of great costumes at the party. Josh was a boxing announcer (think: "Let's get ready to rumble") and I was a disco girl (see picture below).

Sunday we went to the COWBOYS game with Aaron!! It was a lot of fun and they won! I will have pictures up from that soon. I just have to get the camera stuff downloaded. It's the Cowboys' last season in Texas Stadium so I'm glad we were able to experience a game in one of the oldest stadiums still being played in before they move.

Here are the pictures from the game...posted almost 2 months later:

This is Texas Stadium.

Inside Texas Stadium, I love the light coming through!

Joshua and me at the game.

annd...The Cowboy's entrance.

The job is still going great. Last week was our family fun night...Halloween themed of course. All the kids were adorable! The membership staff dressed up as witches, so I got to wear a witch hat all day. Dressing up at work is always fun. I am finally working at my desk, rather than out front and I'm working through all of my accounting reports. It's so nice to have more responsibility and to have people come to me with questions.

Well, that's it more now! I still need to download the camera software so I can post some pictures! Have a Terrific Halloween!

Muscleflex

2008-10-01T22:34:00.002-05:00

So the great perk of working at the YMCA is free exercise classes! I went to a class on Monday titled "Muscleflex" (hence the name of this post). I took the class with three of my coworkers, which was really fun...but MAN did that class kick my butt. We used the bosu ball, which is the 1/2 ball used to help with balance and strengthening. I am here to testify, that was probably one of the hardest workouts I've done in a very long time. My entire body still hurts, especially my upper body (such a weakling). Anyways, I'm really excited about all of the class possibilities. They have cycling too!

Weakling no more! The Y will make me strong. Also, they are sponsoring a 5K in November called the Turkey Trot. I'm excited about another chance to run a race.

That is all for today! The weekend is almost here!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-09-28T18:19:00.004-05:00

This week has been anything but boring. After getting back from D.C. on Monday, I started my job! I am working at Town North YMCA in Membership. My first day was Wednesday and it was absolutely fantastic. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. In addition, it feels great to be working for a company I believe in and grew up around.

For the first month I will be working at the front desk, mastering their computer system. I've been meeting all of our members and getting to know the staff really well. The other great thing about working at the YMCA is a free gym membership. One of the other girls in the membership department also really likes to run and think she'll be a great person to hold me accountable in my workout routine.

Speaking of running...the law school put on a 5K on Saturday. It was my first race since my hip injury in college. I was a little nervous and didn't think I would do all that great. Joshua, of course, had tremendous faith in me and said I would run it in 24 minutes. I laughed that off because I really was thinking more like 27-28 minutes. Well, he was right! I ran it in 24 flat! I was also the 2nd female to finish (23rd overall)!! It was so great to get back out there and race. I'm looking forward to more races in the future.

It seems Josh and I have been on the go all week, which has actually been really fun. It is so great to be employed and have something to do during the day. I think we are going to start having some guests from home in October! Some of Joshua's friends are going to come down for the SMU vs. Memphis game and Aaron is coming down for a Cowboys game. So we'll stay busy! I'll post again later in the week!

D.C. Weekend

2008-09-23T14:15:00.002-05:00

I just got home from a wonderful trip to Washington D.C. My dear friend Hawley got married on Saturday, so I went up Wednesday to help her finish up a few errands. I had such a good time and I was able to stay with another good friend...Elyse!

Hawley's wedding was absolutely wonderful. The whole thing could not have fit her and Matt's personality more perfectly! The colors were a olive green and gold and the centerpieces at the reception were potted plants, so people were able to take them home and keep them! I had a great time meeting all of Matt's friends, as well as those of Hawley's that I didn't know yet. It was definitely a busy weekend, but I had a blast being a part of such a special day.

On Sunday I was abl to spend some time with Elyse, Claire, and Moira. Claire came in town from Charleston, and Moira came down from New York. I had a blast catching up with them and just relaxing, and generally having a good time. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do any site seeing. I spent most of my time north of the city, in Bethesda, where Hawley's parents live..or actually running errands around town.

I missed Joshua TREMENDOUSLY and we have decided never to take a trip that long without each other again. I'm lookin forward to taking trips with Joshua one day soon, but for now I'm just so thankful to be back home with him. Well, that is all for now. I start my new job tomorrow! I will write more about that later this week, and I'll also post some pictures from Hawley's wedding.

Weddings and Reunions

2008-09-15T12:21:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I traveled up to Michigan for my cousins wedding. It was so nice to see my family. Mom was already up there and Zach and Olivia drove up Friday, arriving after me. We all had a great time hanging out at dad's house on Saturday and at the wedding Saturday night. I danced the night away with my cousins. I loved my wedding, and I am so thankful for all the people that came..I really was the party of a lifetime. However, it's also great being on the other side, and being a guest! As their favors, they gave lotto cards, which was so fun!

The trip was very short, I flew home Sunday afternoon and came home to a wonderful surprise! Joshua had picked up our new coffee table!! I'll post pictures soon. He also bought beautiful dark pink roses and had candles lit. It was so nice to come home to my loving husband and a clean house. We had a wonderful afternoon together. We explored a neighborhood on our way to the movies. There is this really cute (really expensive) little shopping center in Highland Park that has an amazing movie theatre. I am putting a picture below. It reminded me of the theatres in Italy (though I've only seen them in movies). I think I may have thought that in part because there was a little gelato shop on the main level!

Highland Park Village Theatre

After our movie we went out to dinner at a great little Mexican place that has truly Mexican food, rather than tex-mex. The food was delicious and the proportions were perfect! After dinner we came home, grabbed our things and went to the library so Joshua could get some work done. It was just really great to spend an entire day together. I hope all of our reunions will be so great.

Volunteering, Tailgating, Socializing

2008-09-07T18:33:00.004-05:00

I had an awesome opportunity to volunteer at a local gallery last week. The Dallas Contemporary honors an artist, artist patron, and artist professional every year at their "Legends Ball." This years artist was Joseph Havel and his work was pretty incredible. He works mainly in cloth, but also has bronze works that imitate cloth. I have put a few examples of his work below.
This was a beautiful work entitled Drinks Are Boiling, Iced Drinks are Boiling. It is an amazing, monumental installation measuring 12' x 10 1/2'. The swirling mass coming out of the central ball includes words from a poem and it is absolutely breathtaking. At the Contemporary, the long strand spiraled up two stories. My friend Brittany wrote about the birthing of ideas recently, and this work give a visual example of that concept. The words are coming out of a central nucleus, finding their way into the world.

This work is entitled Dream. Joseph Havel created this work out of shirt tags that were made to order with "Dream" on the tag. This was another piece that I loved. It is suspended from the ceiling and the labels spill out onto the floor, forming a beautiful, irregular puddle. It is an interesting piece to me because he has taken something that could be abstract (dream) and placed it on a consumer object (the shirt tag).

I really enjoyed volunteering at the Contemporary. The environment and the energy was really great and rejuvenating. I had a great time meeting people and discussing art..and career options. I can't wait to do more work with them.

Last post I had mentioned that Joshua and I went to a dinner at a local judge's house. It was such a great evening. We met another couple that also just got married...the weekend after us actually! It was really nice to meet someone that is in the same position as me. After dinner there was a bible study, which was actually done by a local lawyer who graduated from SMU. I'm looking forward to going again. He invited law students once or twice a month, so we'll definitely be going back.

Well, that's all for now! I have another long week of job searching to look forward to!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-03T17:25:00.004-05:00

Joshua and I had a great weekend. Van, Josh's dad came in town, so we got to hang out with him a bunch. Friday afternoon, while Joshua was in class, Van and I went to lunch with a couple he knows from Nashville. Catherine is from Dallas and her parents came to lunch with us as well. We went to this GREAT Italian restaurant called Campisi's. Their pizza was absolutely amazing! They invited us to go out to dinner with them and some of their friends on Saturday (I'll get to Saturday in a little bit).

Friday night we went over to Fort Worth with Van, Fred (Van and Jannelle's neighbor), and a friend of Fred's who lives in the DFW area. We went to a pizza place...yes, I had pizza twice in one day...but it was really good too! Fort Worth has a much more relaxed night life than Dallas. Most girls there were wearing jeans, which is not common in Dallas. Girls in Dallas usually wear dresses out. Downtown Forth Worth was just really cool. They had lights in the trees and we felt really safe walking around. Granted, I was with all men...so how could I not feel safe, right?

Saturday afternoon Kylie Jo invited me to go watch the season opener for our beloved Bulldogs with some other Georgia alumn. So, while Joshua studied at the library, I drove out to Plano to cheer on the Dawgs. It was great to be around familiar faces and just relax and have a good time. There was also some wonderful tailgating food, can't pass that up! After the game I came home and relaxed and then that night we went to dinner with the group of Catherine's friends. It was great getting to meet other women in Dallas in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. We must have sat at Primo's (a great tex-mex place) for at least 4 hours. I acquired the name of a Salon, so I can get my hair cut (a definite need right now) and I got a few numbers too!

Sunday was really relaxed. We went over to Fred's friend's house (yes...two possessives in a row, sorry!) and played in his pool and grilled out. It so nice to relax all weekend! I had an interview on Monday..but that didn't lead anywhere because it was a sales job and I'm just not interested in cold calling people. I DO have an interview with the Dallas Museum of Art on Friday though!! I am really excited about that. They are hiring temporary staff for the King Tut Exhibit that will be here from October to June. That's a LONG temporary position and if I get the position, it will enable me to learn the city a little better and continue to make contacts for jobs after that.

Ok..I'll stop now. I realize I just wrote a ton! We are going to eat at a judge's house tonight with the Christian organization from the law school. I'm sure I'll have something fun to share from that!

Our Apartment!

2008-08-28T10:50:00.018-05:00

I finally have some pictures of our apartment! It wasn't easy to get a view of the whole room, so there are just highlights. Our place is still a work in progress. We still need to put up some art and I have a bunch of crosses to hang on the wall behind our bed. But..for now, here are a few views of our first home together.

This is what you see when
you first walk in the
door. We will have a coffee table very soon that will sit in front of the couch. There is a sliding door behind the far chair that leads out to our patio (pictures to come later).

Down the hall and to the right
is our bedroom. The only thing in there that is worth photographing
is the bed so here it is. I absolutely love our bedroom. We definitely
need something above the bed though...and eventually a bed frame and head/foot board. I absolutely love our lamps!

Directly across the hall from
our bedroom is the office. From this picture it looks really messy, but it's actually really clean! We just have a lot of stuff in there. There are two desks, one for each of us..even though I usually sit out on the couch when I'm on the computer. We still need another computer chair for the second desk. This room also has a walk in closet and bathroom. You might be asking yourself, why didn't they make it the master then. Well, it is a good bit smaller and would have been a tight fit!

On the same side of the hall
as the office, going back towards the main room, is the bathroom. This is the only picture I could get that ALMOST gets the entire bathroom. Don't worry, I have a few details. I picked blues and greens for the colors..very calming.

<--This is a detail of a picture we received as a gift. It also gives you an idea of the shower
curtain and towels.

And to the right is another detail.
Josh and I purchased the painting in Jamaica last summer and it hangs on the right wall as you enter the bathroom.

Well, that's it for now. I haven't taken pictures of the kitchen or dining "area" yet. I'll post them as soon as I get everything organized.

Texas Resident!

2008-08-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

I am officially a Vincent and a Texan!! I received my driver's license in the mail yesterday!! Yes, you read correctly, in the mail. Here in Texas they don't print your license out for you at the DMV. Instead, they give you a temporary, paper license without a picture on it and mail you the real one. You also must surrender your "foreign" i.e. out-of-state license at the DMV, leaving you without a photo id. Very weird, I know. Josh and I have been using our passports as identification for the past two weeks and finally..I can now use my new Texas license!

There really isn't anything else exciting going on. I went to an interview today with American Income Life Insurance. I had a brief 10 minute interview and then sat through an extensive information session. The job seems interesting, though I'm not sure how stoked I am about a life insurance sales position. We'll see if I get a call for the final interview and assess the situation from there. I have applied for jobs at the American Red Cross, the YMCA, and Mended Hearts. I think all three of those would be a better fit for me...now I just have to wait and see.

That's all for now. I will post pictures of the apartment later this week.