Currently

 

 (My Suitcase Being Packed for Disneyland)

TIME: 9:13 p.m. Sunday Night

LOCATION : Sitting on the Living Room Couch  (always, that is my blogging place)

FEELING:Tired! But making myself stay up so I can get Adam from the airport in a couple of hours.

LOVING : My planned costumes for my upcoming races in the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge.  

 

READING : In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

DRINKING : Water with Orange Ocean Flavoring

ANTICIPATING : Leaving for vacation. My nieces' wedding. A week and a half off work.  It is all I can think about.

LISTENING TO : MUSIC : The Best Day of Your Life by Kate Herzig  PODCAST : Disney Dream Girls

WATCHING : Season 4 of Madmen. Season 3 of Awkward. And Below Deck is back!

PLANNING : What I want to read on vacation. I typically take a physical book and then have one available on my kindle. 

LOOKING FORWARD TO : Ummm, Disneyland?

CREATING : Nothing much, I'm all up to date on my scrappin'. And just finished painting my ikea dresser.

NEED TO FINISH : Some blog posts I plan on going live while I'm gone.

WISHING : That Link would have let me get in a nap this weekend. He's been a stinker with Adam being out of town.

MAIN GOAL : Get two short runs in before vacation.

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Project Life 2015: Week 34

I really love this spread this week, which I know I say a lot lately. But I really do feel like I've found a style and flow that works for me. I feel as if I have improved so much from when I first started this year. I'm not saying I'm the most talented project lifer ever, but I love how my album is turning out. And what I really love about this week is all the gold touches. It is a popular style with many scrapbookers, but I've never tried it. 

One of the things I wanted to do this week was take a picture of the outfits I wore every day of the work week. I actually had one from Friday too, but I didn't include the photo because it had to be taken inside due to storms. I didn't like how different it looked from the rest,  so I just went with the four days. 

I loved this picture of Adam and I driving in the car, because it's such a familiar view in our daily life. Adam drives 95% of the time, and I just chill out in the passenger seat. 

There is also the instagram of Linky and a picture of the dollhouse in my office at work. 

This side has the continuation of my outfit shots, a facebook conversation with our niece, and pictures of the weekend eats! I wrapped it all up with a card documenting the events of the weekend. 

Materials Used:

Project Life: Be Fearless

Project Life:  Gold Foil Rub Ons

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Notes from the Week

We got first place in trivia Monday night, which was super fun, because it is super rare. My mother, Adam, and I go nearly every Monday night. It is steep competition, there are often times 15+ teams there, and some have 8+ people in them. It makes it hard to hold your own when you are just a lowly team of three. But we do frequently do well, and we often place in the top 3. This is the third time in three years, we've gotten first place, which is something to celebrate! 

Tuesday was a big election in our little town. The vote was on whether or not to raise property taxes to improve our local city schools. The polls closed at 7, and I get off work at 6. So I was killing myself to commute home from work and pick up Adam so we could vote. Voting is super important to me, so I was super anxious we wouldn't make it! I even got stuck, by not 1 but 2 trains.

When I finally got Adam, I told him not to tell the polling people we had recently moved, because we hadn't updated our address, and I figured it would be a problem! But God Bless Adam, he is a better person than me, and he did tell them we moved! I was already keyed up due to the anxiety of getting there, and for a moment, I was super irate at him. They ALMOST didn't let us vote, but they were nice, and let us anyway. We were the very last people to vote.

Unfortunately, we voted yes to support our city schools, but most of the city voted no. So we lost. On ward and upwards I suppose. 

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a new dress I loved. I probably just loved it because it was yellow, that is my favorite color. I wore it to work on Wednesday, and I got through the morning with no problems. And then on lunch, I went to wal-greens to pick up a few things, when I felt a little draft on my backside. I never heard a rip or anything, but apparently the slit in the back on my dress had torn open. My butt was hanging out, and  I was mortified! I spent the rest of the time in the store, holding my dress together and running toward the car. I had to barrel home, so I could change, and this made me 10 minutes late getting back from my lunch break. I can only hope my butt wasn't hanging out all morning long, as I walked in front of people quite frequently!  At least my boss thought the story was funny, when I texted her why I was running late! 

Wednesday was National Dog Day, and this is the picture I shared of my little stinker, on his walk at a nearby trail. I just had to take a moment and honor this sweet, sweet boy, who has added so much love and energy to our household. We love him more and more everyday. It's stupid crazy how much we obsess over this little dude. But we won't apologize for that!

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Getting It Done

I tried and tried to get in my last long run (a 10 miler) over the weekend but all it did was rain, rain, rain. I swear every time I hit the streets, I would see lightning and have to high-tail it back inside. But I knew I had to do this long run this weekend to prove to myself that I was half-marathon ready (which is in ten days!). So I had no choice but to get up early on Monday morning to get it done.

A ten miler is a two hour plus run for me. That is crazy to do on a Monday morning before work. But when you have a dream to complete the Dumbo Double Dare in Disneyland, what else can you do? 

I struggled to fall asleep on Sunday night, as I always do, because I'm typically well rested from the weekend. But I also struggle to sleep when I have a BIG run coming up. So sleep was never going to happen. I hadn't gone over 8 miles all summer, and it just seemed crazy hard in my mind.

I woke up at 2:30 and could not get back to sleep, so I went ahead and dragged my butt out of bed. And I was just ready to get going. So I very crazily (and maybe unsafely) started my run a little bit after 3 a.m.

Whether or not it was safe, it felt good to be pounding the pavement before the sun came up with no one around. I never saw one car on the road the entire time, it was so peaceful. 

Due to health issues, heat, or whatever, I've slowed a bit over the summer. In the spring, I was in the low part of the 13 min miles (sometimes in the 12's), but I've been averaging a little over 14 minutes lately.  But I'm OK with that. I don't beat myself up over "slow times," but I do celebrate the "faster times." So I was pleased when my first mile was a sub 14 mile (about 13:50).

I was even happier because my splits remained consistent throughout the whole run, and I never even touched a 14 minute miler. I did feel a little tired about mile 4 and mile 7, but I was able to fix that with some cliff gels and stopping for water every mile.

I finished right as the sun came up. My completed time was 2 hours and 19 minutes (a full 12 minutes before the time my Nike app predicted I would run it in).

I finished strong. I sat on the front porch a while, just soaking up the victory of it, and thinking about how far I've come.

I was proud, and although I was tired all day, it was worth it. It made me feel ready. I may not finish fast, but I'm thinking I can finish. That is all I care about it.

I'm still a little nervous. But that is probably good, because I never want to be cocky! The only thing that scares me is the back to back runs (a 10k followed by the half the next day). But I'm looking forward to the challenge.

 Here goes nothing.

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Currently

 (Orange Leaf Yogurt from the Weekend)

TIME: 7:39 p.m. Sunday Night

LOCATION : Sitting on the Living Room Couch

FEELING: Rested and Happy that the house is Squeaky Clean!

LOVING : My new laptop! 

 

READING : The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

DRINKING : Water with Jolly Rancher Red Flavoring

ANTICIPATING : My ten mile run in the morning. It's the last long run before the half marathon, and I'm terrified!

LISTENING TO : MUSIC : The Last Five Years Movie Soundtrack  PODCAST : Gilmore Guys

WATCHING : Season 17 of Big Brother. Loving this season. Team Johnny Mac.

PLANNING : To paint my old Ikea dresser to match the colors in the craft room.

LOOKING FORWARD TO : Disneyland!!

CREATING : My own Pocket Scrapbooking Digital Cards (thinking of selling them)

NEED TO FINISH : Get ahead on my paperwork, in order to go on vacation stress free.

WISHING : That Starbuck's frappichinos were calorie free

MAIN GOAL : Eat healthy the next two weeks to prepare for the splurge that will be Disneyland

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Project Life 2015: Week 33

Week 33 was a quick scrap for me. I kept it pretty simple, using just journal cards and a few embellishments here and there (The week 33 stickers, photo overlay, and washi tape strips).

For the fist side I took a photo of my desk at work (a just cleaned desk that is, not usually that empty!), and talked a little bit about all the paperwork I've been trapped under lately.  There was a picture of my mother picking up Linky from doggie daycare, which she does every Wednesday. A picture of the Lays Southern Biscuit and Gravy chips that I had to try due to curiosity (so gross by the way, all I could taste was pepper). And my mother and I received our goodies for our Disneyland trip in the mail last week!! 

Side two features the picture of Linky being scared of Adam's "virtual boy". I placed a photo overlay over it to add a little decoration. Two pictures are from mother/daughter painting night at Spirited Art. I also added in a little Spirited Art business card, which is a way I like to include memorabilia. Lastly, I have a picture of Adam, in his natural habitat, gaming. He spent most of last Saturday playing online games with his cousins, which he enjoyed immensely. 

Materials Used:
Project Life: Azure Edition 
Project Life: Adventure Photo Overlay 
Studio Calico: Mega Date Stamp 
Studio Calico: Everyday Traveler Washi Strips

See more layouts HERE.

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The Weekend Report

Woah, this work week was a long one. We are converting all our client's diagnosis from the DSM IV over to the new DSM-V (which is just therapist jargon). But it means I am up to my eyeballs in paperwork, and I definitely needed the weekend to recover. 

I kicked off the weekend by going shopping with my mother at my favorite store, Hobby Lobby. I didn't purchase much, but I got so many ideas. We then went over to Chee Burger, Chee Burger to grab some dinner, before heading next door to Spirited Art for some painting.

I'd been wanting to do the Funky Steeple painting for a long time!  And it finally fell on a night I could attend. It was a small class, which was nice, and we all bonded really quickly. We got to use some new techniques, I have never used before. At first, I didn't like my painting, but now I love it! 

Saturday, I stayed in and crafted. Adam ran  many different errands, and he stopped by his favorite place, The Flea Market. He ended up buying a virtual boy? It's some kind of video game thing, but I think it is just the robot from Short Circuit. I only mention this because Link was so terrified of that thing, and it was hilarious to watch. But we did put it up when he started to cry, we didn't want to torture him. 

Sunday was just a lazy day. We did chores and laundry. I went for a  hot morning run, and I even took the dog out for a late night walk. Now I'm unwinding and watching some Big Brother. So loving this season.

I think I'm ready to jump into the work week, but I could use another day.

But couldn't I always?

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Project Life 2015: Week 32

I was really excited to get my first new studio calico kit in a while this month. Actually, I only skipped one month, but that month without it was torturous for me. I really love Studio Calico, it's the only monthly subscription service I subscribe too (or really have any interest in subscribing to). I love the boldness of this month's kit, Pop Art!

I featured only two moments from the weekdays. A picture of a breakfast casserole I made for supper and a photo from the Republican Presidential Debate. I wanted to include the debate, because Adam and I were so entertained watching that sucker. Trump was hilarious. After the debate, we stayed up late talking together about our political beliefs. I so enjoyed this because it reminds me how well we get on with one another. Although we are on opposite sides of the political spectrum (except when it comes to social issues), we can talk to each other with understanding and respect. 

This side also features the first part of last weekend. Which was going to see Ricki and the Flash, followed by dinner at P.F. Chengs with my mother (including my fortune cookie fortune).

My  favorite part of this side is my title card. I just love that little camera washi tape I got from Hobby Lobby the other day!

Left side was mostly focused on painting my craft room. I included the adorable selfie I took with Linky and a before/after shot of the room. I also managed to sneak in a picture Adam hated of him taping off the room. 

I wanted to include my little Disneyland vacation countdown I have going on in my head all time. This is actually a screenshot from the wallpaper on my iphone right now!

Materials Used:

Studio Calico Pop Art Kit and Mega Date Stamp 

Project Life: Honey Edition (Retired) 

Cameras and Arrows Washi Tape

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Painting My Hobby Room

Last weekend, Adam and I went to Lowes to buy paint to finally get rid of the obnoxiously bright purple color in my hobby room, that we inherited when we bought the house.The paint color I picked was called beehive yellow, as yellow is my favorite color. We had the intention to paint this Saturday morning.

On Friday, I finished up my work week in the afternoon, and I actually ended up going out to a dinner and a movie with my mom. So I got home fairly late, and I was pretty tired. But Adam got a wild hair, and he decided we should just paint that night instead. I thought he was crazy, it was already 10:30! I protested. He said he could do it all by himself, but that would make me feel guilty and lazy. So paint we did. He won that round! And I kind of temporarily, totally hated for him for it. Because I was tired, and I'm not nice when I'm tired.

Adam had already moved out all the furniture by the time I got home, and he was finishing up with the painter's tape. He kept putting it on his head, which amused me because it looked like a fez. When I told him that, all he could say was, "Fez's are cool." Linky and I got to work helping Adam by taking late night selfies. Although Linky didn't stick around long, because as soon as we got loud with the plastic drop cloths, he got scared, and went downstairs to sleep. He is scared of loud noises. And plastic. And kitchen aid mixers/dishwashers/and dryers. And don't forget big, affectionate poodles.

It is definitely tough to paint when you are uber tired, but we managed to get that first coat done with plans to do the second one in the morning. I felt somewhat high and somewhat sick, when we headed off to bed. I woke up early the next morning, and I started the second coat while Adam slept.

We ended up running out of paint and needing to buy more to finish up. This was crazy because we had painted our guest room, which is much bigger, with the same amount of paint and they very same brand, and we had a ton left over. But that bright, bright purple was sooo difficult to cover. But we managed to finish up, and I love the results.

I have to say I'm glad that we won't be painting again for quite a long time! And I think if it's a room much bigger than this one, we will hire someone. I can't wait to start the decorating process now that it is painted, I'm going for a white, grey, and yellow theme. It will be the perfect space for me.

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Project LIfe 2015: Week 31

I really love this layout, and I'm not really sure why. It is so simple, and I didn't spend a ton of time on it. But maybe I love it because it is sooo simple? I'm always trying to find my style, which is constantly changing. I love using different kits and techniques week after week. I figure my style will be always evolving, so I'll just roll with it.

By the way, how are we 2/3 of the way through 2015?!?

For this week's layout, I  really only focused on two events-my recent virtual 5 miler, and how we spent the money we came in to with Adam's recent back pay of overtime work he has done over the last handful of years.

The majority of my photos were from the run. But I also included a screen shot of my alarm on my phone, a picture of the place I hang my race medals, and a photo of my post run breakfast. I stamped "on the menu" underneath it. I'm just now getting into stamping! It slightly scares me.

I included pictures of Adam's video game haul (and him playing wit his "toys", I love my geek), and a picture of our guide books for our London/Paris trip. I also used the "Let's Go" sticker to represent the future adventure of the vacation.

 The only thing that isn't part of the theme of this page is a text message conversation between my mother and me. I added a few emoji stickers, because I thought they were adorable. 

Materials Used:

Project Life: Kraft Edition and Adventure Edition (retired) Chipboard Sticker

Studio Calico: Emoji Stickers and Stamp is from Studio Calico too (unsure of what kit)

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London, Paris, Oh My!

Adam and I have been working very hard lately, and we have had a lot of blessings. Although I'm reluctant to call them "blessings," because while I have a strong belief that God blesses people, I also believe he blesses people who work hard for them.

With these blessings, we have been able to take care of a lot of bills/debts lately. We paid off our car! We paid off an old loan we had taken out years ago, and we also took care of some personal debts we owed to both our mothers. And that feels freakin' good. 

But we had some money left over, and being that it has been three years since we've been over seas.  I've started getting that itch to go somewhere new. Which for me means Paris. The Eifell tower! The Seine River! Notre Dame Cathedral! And most of all I want to visit Versailles, I am obsessed with Marie Antionette.

But to be honest, Adam could care less about France.  He wanted to go to England, however I went to England when I was 18 years old (my first international trip in fact). And while I LOVED it, I wanted to cross a new place off the bucket list. 

But then I got to thinking, there was a lot in London I wanted to do but didn't get to.  I never toured the Tower of London, did the Jack the Ripper tour, or saw Hampton Court Palace. So why couldn't we do both?

We decided to spend a few days in England, and then we will take the high speed train over to Paris. 

The first thing I do whenever I decide I'm going on a trip, either domestic or international, is buy guidebooks. Yes, the Internet is awesome for planning trips, and I use it a lot. But there's nothing like having those old-fashioned books in your hand.  So Adam and I hit up the bookstore, after we booked out hotels and flights. 

The trip will be in May, over my 30th birthday. I just don't know how I'm going to survive the wait the next 10 months, when I'm this excited, and it's all I can think about! 

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Road Shark Run Virtual 5 Miler Race Report

Running this summer has been hard, I've actually never trained in the summer before, and truly the heat and humidity is a whole different ball game. My training has been lackluster.  It's not just the heat, but also the exhaustion I experience during the summer program @ work and some health problems I've had. I have been training for certain, but my mileage is not quite where I want it to be. But I've made a plan, and I should have no problem getting through my half marathon next month, as long as I stick to it! 

The way I've been beating the heat is by getting up obnoxiously early to run. It is still pitch dark out, when I roll out of bed. Which I HATE, but once I get going, I rather enjoy it. It is quiet and somewhat cool out. There are few cars or distractions. Just me, the road, and my music. Plus,  I get to knock out my most daunting task of the day by 6 o'clock. 

A few weeks ago, I signed up for a virtual 5 miler known as the Road Shark Run. I figure it would be a fun way to earn a medal and make sure I got 5 miles done on the day I needed to. The event was actually supposed to take place this weekend, but I did it Tuesday morning, as that is when I had 5 miles on the schedule (I had 7 miles this weekend). 

I even wore my race bib, although I felt a little silly!

I felt a little nervous about the run because I hadn't done over 3-4 miles in a while, so I thought I would have to push myself. But I felt pretty good through out the run, my times were better than they had been on my last few runs, and I felt like if I had a longer run on the schedule, I could have completed it.  This run gave me a lot of confidence about future training. 

I finished in a little over an hour. 

This was the view I had just as I finished the run, and the sun began to rise. Fog in the Tennessee Valley over the cornfields. The photo doesn't do it justice. What a beautiful sight it was, and it was such a beautiful start to the morning.

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Project Life 2015: Week 30

I enjoyed working on this layout so incredibly much. I got to try out a few new things, as well as play around with my new Adventure project life kit. 

One of the new things I did was take a panoramic shot of a local park, with my iphone, and I used it to fill two photo slots. I love how you really get such a great idea of what the view looks likes this way I also printed my journaling right onto the my project life cards. I love how this turned out, as I HATE my handwriting. 

For side two, I printed on the journal card again, and this one is all about my little trip to Steel City Pops. And I included the invitation we got to my nieces wedding this fall! I love saving invites this way, because otherwise they just sit on the fridge for months and then I toss them. 

These are just some details shots. By the way, I included a recent facebook status of Adam's because I want to include more of him in the album. But he doesn't like taking tons of pictures, so I thought this was a creative way to do it!

Materials Used:

Project Life: Adventure Core Kit (including chipboard stickers and paper pad)

Miss Mint Social Media Journal Cards

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