Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Painting the Guest Room

Guest Room Before

It has been a little over a week since we closed on our house, and we have been keeping ourselves busy! We have gone over there nightly taking odds and ends, getting furniture deliveries (a new washer & bedroom suite oh la la), and just working on getting out of this apartment as soon as possible. I am loving the feeling I get every time I walk into our home. It just feels right.

One of the first items on our home to do list was/is to paint the upstairs bedrooms. Neither Adam and I have ever painted before. I was not that nervous, as I always go by the mantra, "People more stupid than me have done this before." But Adam was so freaked out! He called his mom for advice a million times, and he spent many nights stressing about it. He even told me the most scary part of moving and buying the home for him was having to paint!

My biggest concern was choosing the paint color. 

We got up bright and early Saturday morning to get painting, and I got to to do the inaugural paint roll! Honestly, it was not near as hard as we thought it would be. Of course, we made a few mistakes. We didn't wear booties on our shoes. I tripped over the can of paint, spilling a 4th of it (thank goodness for the drop cloth), and we even got a drop or two on the carpet (we got it out). But when it was done, I was pleased with of our hard work.

Adam was not so sure. It took him 24 hours and seeing it completely dry for him to appreciate it. Yesterday, he called and left me a voice mail, saying the room still looks awesome. That made me smile, as he is so critical of his work.

Guest Room After

We took the guest room from a bright, shiny blue to a matte, darker blue. I really love how it turned out, and every time I'm at the house, I have to stand in the room a minute and admire it. It is the first home improvement project we have done together, which is why I am so proud.

I can't wait to get this guest room all put together, so we can start hosting our friends and family!


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Sunday, July 27, 2014

The Week that Was-#100 Happy Days

Ok, I've decided to give this 100 happy days  meme that has been going around instagram for months now a try. I want to do it as a way to document some small things I'm grateful for everyday. I am terminally bad about completing these photo a day challenges. Typically, I will be sitting on the couch about to go to bed, only to realize I didn't take a picture, and then be too tired to complete the task. But I am going to give it my best shot, so here is the week that was July 20th, 2014 through July 26th, 2014.


Day 1-Adam and I went for a pitch black trail walk. It was super dark and creepy at times, I kept feeling like we might end up on a Dateline special (I watch entirely too much true crime in general). Once I was convinced two eyes were staring at me, glowing, ready to devour me. But it turned out to be two conveniently placed lightening bugs. Disaster averted. After our walk, we went to sonic so we could get some slushies!


Day 2-Of course, I already blogged about closing on our house here. But this was truly the best part of that epic day. Sitting outside our front house, owning the keys, with our sold sign on our lap. Such an epic moment.


Day 3-I've added a little yoga into my workout routine. I started with an easy 20 minute video for complete beginners. I'm completely lovin' it. I find it so relaxing and the deep stretching feels so good. I could see myself really getting into yoga.


Day 4-Now that summer camp is over, I have to stop wearing shorts and t-shirts to work. But none of my old work wardrobe fits, so I went clothes shopping on my lunch break, and I picked up a few key pieces. Clothes shopping is a lot more fun now that I'm smaller. I still don't enjoy spending money on clothes though, I'd much rather spend money on home decor.


Day 5-We took our summer camp to Chuck E' Cheese. I'm rather a big fan of Chuck E' Cheese day. The kids are pretty good at entertaining themselves, and I was even able to play a few games too! But is Chucky not a little bit creepy?


Day 6-Our last day of Summer Camp this year was Friday. All of our helpers and all our children were crying, even our "tough" kids. I think the kids had a really fun summer this year, although that is not the point of a "therapy" camp. Earlier in the week, the children were asked to write a little bit about what they learned from camp. This response warmed my heart because this is what camp is truly all about.


Day 7- We spent 5 hours taping off our guest room and painting our guest room. We took it from a BRIGHT, shiny blue to a more matte, darker blue. It turned out really well, and I will share more about that later in the week. 

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Friday, July 25, 2014

Throwback: November 2010-January 2011

I didn't start posting regularly on this blog until 2011, so my posts from 2010 are pretty sporadic. But these cover the holiday season of late 2010 and some of early 2011!


This was the first Thanksgiving meal I ever prepared. I'm still impressed that I pulled that off, with only a few hiccups (and  a few tears). That kitchen was so small! I literally had only one small counter to work on, but somehow I was able to pull off pretty decent meals in our little duplex! I can't wait to see what I pull off in the new house! 


Christmas 2010 was our first and only Christmas that we did not see one of our families over the holidays. It was nice because we were really able to join both of the traditions we had growing up, while also making our own. I thought it was so fun that we both got each other slippers, and my mother gave me a kitchen aid mixer (which I promptly made this cake with to christen my lovely new machine). And isn't Sarah the cutest? I miss that little furbaby so much still. 


This was the first post where I shared a little bit about our love of the Green Bay Packers. I'm pretty sure this post was done on the same day we learned we were going to the Super Bowl! So I just had to do a post and share all the superstitions Adam participates in to keep our team wining! And yes, he still does all these things and has added new ones to the list! Maybe this year, I'll have to do an updated post with his new superstitions. 

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

We Bought a House


It is kind of a crazy, whirlwind when I think back about the last 3 months of house hunting, and all the steps it took to get to the moment, pictured above, holding our SOLD sign at our home Monday night. Yes, we officially closed on our house Monday. Signed, sealed, delivered, it is now ours, all ours.

And when I say whirlwind, I mean a whirlwind of emotions. The first of which was fear. I remember how nervous we were when we first walked into our new realtor's office, having no clue what we even needed to do to begin looking for a house.

Then there was the excitement of finding what we thought was our dream home, putting in a bid, and  having it fall through a month later, which was devastating. Not knowing there was something even more perfect for us just around the corner!

With this house, everything fell into place. We got the right price, in the right neighborhood, in the right city. The whole process was smooth from start to finish, with very little nail biting along the way. 

Adam and I have dreamed about owning a home together for the last 6 years that we have been living together. It's weird to have wanted something for so long and to now finally have it. I just can't wait to see what new memories we make there.

I am definitely feeling a lot of gratitude tonight. Gratitude for our lovely realtor and mortgage broker, who made this experience such a fantastic one. Gratitude for my husband and how he managed the budget the last couple of years, allowing us to have the down payment we needed. And a lot of gratitude to the big man upstairs for helping us find the perfect house at the perfect time!

Now it is time for packing and boxes and one of my least favorite tasks ever MOVING! But at least this time, we are moving without the expectation of having to move again. When we were in California, we knew we would be moving to Alabama. Once we got to Alabama, we knew we would be buying a house eventually. 

I'm tired of temporary living, and I am ready for something that feels more secure and permanent. Can't wait to put down our roots.



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Saturday, July 19, 2014

Belle Chevre Creamery








Saturday, Adam and I toured the Belle Chevre Creamery in Elkmont, Alabama. Belle Chevre (meaning Beautiful Goat) is a place where they make the most tasty, goat cheese. I was really excited for this outing because cheese is a big part of my diet now, so I knew I could enjoy myself!

We started the the day with a self-guided tour of the factory, which even included a little bit of a scavenger hunt. We learned all about how they make the spreadable cheese and even got to observe them making some cheeses. 

Next, we went outside to play with the goats! They were sooo incredibly friendly. The one whom I'm pictured with kept following me around, begging to be petted, and trying to eat my shirt. They even had some adorable baby goats. My friend Anna commented on this photo on facebook, saying we needed a goat for our new house. I think she may be right! But I doubt Adam would go for it!

Before we left the creamery, we did a cheese tasting. We tried all the varieties (original, honey, cinnamon, fig, coffee, and pimento). I think my favorite one was the pimento! I did not like the coffee, but I haven't had coffee since my surgery, so I think I've lost the taste for it. 

We are trying to conserve money, since we are closing on the house on Monday, so I only bought two types to take home. Original and Cinnamon (to put on apples).  But luckily, I live pretty close to Belle Chevre, so I can buy more pretty soon.

Work has been wearing me out, so we haven't gone out and done too much this summer. But it felt really good to get out for a bit and have some weekend fun. 



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Friday, July 18, 2014

I'm a Blogmopolitan & Happy Weekend!



I had a lot of fun filling out this little quiz located here. I always loved those celebrity quizzes in Cosmo, so I had to give it a whirl. But I'm also popping in to wish everyone a happy, happy weekend!  I'm hoping to get into a few shenanigans, despite having the knowledge that it will most likely be a non-stop rainy weekend.


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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Just Call Me Pretty, Pretty Princess


I have to give a big old shout out to my wonderful husband today. Because I've been planning, dreaming, training, SAVING, and talking non-stop about my plan/dream to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon for months now. Of course, sign up day fell on a work day, when I was herding the children around the community pool with zero internet access. I couldn't even wait a few hours and then sign up, because these events sell out crazy fast!  So I had to relinquish the sign ups to Adam.

I wouldn't say I'm a total control freak, although I can be on occasion. It has more to do with my anxiety than my need to be in charge. I can calm the anxiety better if I know when we are doing something, why we are doing something, and most importantly, exactly how we are going to do something.  

Last night, I painstakingly wrote a note with all the information Adam could possible need to know for registration (or so I hoped). And this morning, I anxiously watched the clock waiting for 11 o'clock. By 11:05 a.m., I had confirmation that both Adam and I were registered for the race.  He totally rocked the sign ups! He even bought me a special commemorative pin as a surprise.

And yes, Adam decided to do the race with me, so he could support me and cheer me along (even if it is a PRINCESS race). Because he rocks like that. I may even be able to convince him to dress as the Beast to my Belle. Stay tuned.

So now that I'm over the "getting signed up for the race" anxiety, I can que my, "Oh My Gosh I have to run a half-marathon" anxiety!



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Monday, July 14, 2014

6 Month Surgiversary


For my 6 month anniversary, I wanted to post this picture of what I looked like a mere 3 weeks prior to my surgery.  The difference is astonishing. Sometimes I forget how far I've come. Although I never forget how bad it felt to be that size. How disgusting I felt, how out of control I felt. There is being fat and there is living life like a train that has jumped the tracks,  and I was that runaway train.

Sometimes I get impatient to lose more weight, as things have started to slow down. I'm no longer shedding 5+ pounds a week (I'm losing about 2 pounds a week. Which I know is to be expected and it is totally WONDERFUL and AMAZING that I'm still losing consistently). But there is something so fabulous about losing weight so fast, that once it slows down a bit, you miss it. I have never been a patient person, and I just want a crystal ball so I know where I'm going to be 6 months from now.

I forget to live in the now and enjoy the progress I've already made. So I'm working on just focusing on the daily wins and the non-scale victories.  Like the other day, when I ran in to someone I hadn't seen since last fall, and they asked, "Where is the rest of you?" Or when my client's parents ask what I've been doing, how I've been losing weight. Or the people who tell me I inspire them when I'm out for a run. Or the mere fact I can ran 4 miles, and how I am excitedly looking forward to my first half marathon.

It is about my surgeon and nutritionist telling me they are proud of me. It is about being able to plan activities like zipling and parasailing, which I could not do before because of my weight. And when I lose 15 more pounds, I can cross skydiving off my bucketlist. Yes, skydiving. 

I am happy where I am now.  I am happy to be active. I don't worry too much about going out in public in my swimsuit. I'm no longer fearful of the Doctor's office or stepping on the scale. And that means more than anything.

Happy 6 months to me! I can't wait to see where I will be 6 months from now. 

Sunday, July 13, 2014

I've Got Some New Shoes On


Y'all, I'm feeling so much better than I did when I wrote that totally whiny post a few days ago. And it all has to do with a new pair of shoes. Yes, in the words of singer Paolo Nutini, I've got some new shoes on and everything is going to be fine!

Friday, I headed over to Fleet Feet to get a new pair of running shoes. I've been interested in their custom fitting process for a while, but I have been avoiding it because good running shoes are pricey. But due to the pain I've been having and the worn out state of my shoes, I knew it was time.

The first thing my consultant did was measure my feet. I've never known my true shoe size as it varies so much. My feet are more wide than they are long (flintstone feet), which always leads me into buying shoes that are too big for me.  So it was nice to learn my actual size.

Next, she had me run on a treadmill. I learned that I run as I should on my right foot but over pronate (inward roll of the foot) on my left foot. And my left leg is the one causing me all the pain (although it is possible that I'm overpronating because of my leg pain but I feel it is vice versa).

I got fitted for a really nice pair of shoes with a lot of cushioning and support, which hopefully will help correct my running technique. If not, she also suggested some orthopedic inserts for even more support. I also got some nice moisture wicking socks, oh la la.
 
I did a half mile run on the treadmill to test them out, and it gave me no extra pain! So tomorrow I will do a mile or two and continue to up my mileage until I'm back to four miles (as long as I'm not in added pain). I'm hopeful the shoes will be the solution I need to get back to training. 
 
Which is good, since Disney Princess sign ups are two days away!!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Just a Little Black Rain Cloud


This isn't really my typical post about what I've been up to, more of just a general update on life and how I'm doing. I'm hoping getting this down and sending it out into the great, wide blogosphere will help me get it out of  my system soon.

I just feel so blah and so uninspired this week.

The main part of the equation is my leg. No it is not really hurting much, but it is there. I'm having to rest which I hate! Running gives me such a sense of accomplishment and makes me happy. So instead of running, I'm  just coming home, sitting on the couch, doing nothing, and feeling like a blob. Not to mention how much I'm worrying about getting past this injury. In my head, I blow it so out of proportion. I start thinking that this will sideline me for months.

I have moments of feeling sorry for myself. And I get it, it is not that big of a deal, and it probably is just a blip on the radar.  But I can't stop the worry. 

I also think this whole leg injury is putting me in such a negative head space because it is making me feel like I did last summer. I was constantly in pain last summer, and I could not do anything. I was always extremely tired. I was nearly 400 pounds, so out of shape, and incredibly inactive. 

So now I feel a little like that inactive, tired, morbidly obese girl I was, instead of looking at all the progress I've made these last 6 months. I just gotta get out of my own head.

Right now, I'm just looking toward getting some rest this weekend. I'm hopeful next week will be better. Before I know it, I will be relaxing on a beach.

I just can't wait.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Around the House


I love, love, love these jewelry dishes I got from Anthropology. I may have mentioned this before but I really have an appreciation for the city of San Francisco (you can read about one of my trips to San Fran here). It is probably my favorite city in America. So I had my eye on this Golden Gate bridge jewelry dish for quite some time. I waited until I got my May birthday coupon to purchase it along with the umbrella dish.  It brightens up my little closet jewelry nook.


I really hate clutter and I am more apt to throw things out when I get overwhelmed with having too much stuff than I am to hang on to sentimental items. But I love sentimental stuff, I just need a place for it. So I wanted to figure out something to do with my race medals I've collected, so I could stop storing them in a box in my night stand. I found this cute medal display rack from the website gone for a run and I hung it in our bedroom. Totally lovin' it. 


I have been collecting snow globes for many many years now (usually from traveling). Growing up, I had a few Disney snow globes that I adored. I've slowly started expanding my collection by buying new ones on ebay. They just make me happy, and Disney is such a nostalgic thing for me. I'm positive they will look great in my new office.


One of my best friends, Anna, gifted me these succulents last time she came to visit. She said she wanted to give me a plant for our future home. This is my first plant ever! It is hard to believe I've never had a plant and I'm nearly 30. I love this plant, but I'm so terrified I will kill it. That would make me sad. But it seems to be thriving and growing so far. Let's see if I can keep it alive till closing!

Sunday, July 6, 2014

The Weekend Report


I am a girl who really loves her holidays, and I mean holidays of all kind. But I must say the 4th of July holds a special place in my heart. I have so many wonderful memories growing up of BBQs and shooting fireworks with my cousins back when I would spend my summers in Texas. Plus, I just simply love being an American.

The festivities really kicked off on Thursday, since the holiday made Thursday my Friday. For our summer program, we took the kids to the skating rink and one of our helpers wore his Captain America suit, and it was hilarious to watch him skating around the rink. And once when he was chasing a wayward child, he looked like he was going after a bad guy. Just like Steve Rogers, although perhaps less graceful.

After I wrapped up work, I went to meet with my surgeon and nutritionist for my 6 month follow up post weight loss surgery (I will share more about that when I do my 6 month post). When my doctor found out I was running, he told me to get out and do a good 4th of July run. That is exactly what I did.

The weather was just gorgeous Friday morning, so I knew I had to run outside. I went to my favorite, local trail. I thought I would have a pretty slow pace since it is a somewhat hilly trail. But I had my fastest run ever! I usually average a 16 minute mile, yet on this run only one of my 4 miles was over 15 minutes. I'm getting faster! Slowly and steadily, I'm getting faster. 

I used to always worry about what people would think when they saw me, a fat person, jogging. But for the most part people are super encouraging. When I was running, this fast lady who passed me a few times, stopped to tell me how amazing I was doing. That was so nice to hear!

After my run, I was sitting on a bench on the trail resting, when I looked down and saw a huge caterpillar crawling on me! I hate bugs, and I just flipped out. It was so hard to knock off, it was clinging onto me for dear life. Yes, I know it couldn't hurt me but GROSS.

After my run, I changed into my swimsuit and headed down to the water park. I've been dissapointed that I haven't gotten to swim that much this summer due to poor weather. But the forecast was clear so I headed out. I spent some time in the wave pool and lazy river. I even ran into some of my coworkers and ended up hanging out poolside with them for awhile. The sun felt oh so good! Does anyone else love the smell of chlorine mixed with sunscreen as much as I do?

When I got home from swimming, I took a nap, waking up just in time to watch the fabulous, local firework show from our bedroom window with Adam.

Other activities from this weekend include: buying a washer for our new home on an excellent 4th of July sale, packing up some boxes for the move, watching Disney's Tarzan & the movie Her, dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, and tons of pinterest and etsy browsing for home decor ideas. Right now, my life revolves around the new house. I just can't wait to get in there!

Unfortunately, Saturday I woke up with really awful leg pain, that feels like the pain I had last summer, that lingered forever. I think I can attribute it more to heavy lifting at work than running. It makes me want to cry (and maybe I have cried from anxiety about it) because I'm worried it won't get any better for a long time and it will keep me from my training. I've been doing so well and I love running so much lately, and I just don't want to lose my conditioning. Any runners have any advice? 

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Throwback Thrusday: September 2010

Now that I have amassed nearly four years of content on this little blog of mine, I thought it would be fun to do a little throwback and take a second look at the past.  I have to give all the credit to Steph from The Loudmouth Lifestyle for this idea!



Back when I was still living in California, my mom would occasionally fly me home to visit with her or to see my friends. Now that I'm living back in Alabama and only miles from her, she no longer funds my vacations. Which is somewhat depressing! Being a grown up is hard....and expensive. But back in September 2010, she bought me a plane ticket when one of my best friends from college, Monique, married her best friend, Clark, in Atlanta. I was so happy to celebrate her and it was the most beautiful wedding (This also happens to be my first blog post)!


In September 2010, the now common wedding photo booth phenomenon was just coming in to vogue. This was my first time seeing a wedding with a dress up section. We took some of my favorite pictures I have ever taken with these girls at Monique's wedding. I have always been obsessed with my little old lady look in the first picture. 


I did a little post on how much we wanted to go back to Washington D.C., which is where we went for our Honey Moon (First Anniversary Trip) in April 2010. I still remember that trip so fondly. Paddle Boating on the Tidal Basin! The Walking Lincoln Assassination Tour! The Smithsonian! What a wonderful city.


I still love a good board game night. And I took these pictures on one of our epic Monopoly nights. Monopoly just happens to be my favorite game ever! By the way, if you can secure the red properties as a Monopoly, you are just about guaranteed to win. Always works for me.


This post is epic, only because this is the first post where I talked about our beloved Green Bay Packers. Plus, it has Sarah, our old Golden Retriever, sharing her Packer Pride. This is also the year we won the Superbowl. I would like to think blogging about the Packers that year is what gave us the good juju for the ultimate win!


That month we celebrated our Four Year Dateiversary (I love to celebrate everything)! This is the first picture we ever took together. I love it because we look so young, so naive, and so had no clue about what we were getting into.

But isn't that what being young and in love is all about?