The Life of a Newly Wife

Lucyyyy, you got some 'splainin to do!

2010-05-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well actually, my name is Tara not Lucy, but you're right, I do have some explaining to do. Where the hell have I been for the last month? Well, when I was in school, I had my days free and spent quite a bit of time on my laptop to procrastinate from doing my homework. Now that I am working Monday through Friday, I have to prioritize my time better. I need to spend quality time with my husband, so I have been spending a lot less time on the computer. I have over 200 blogs to catch up on on my Google Reader and I honestly don't know if I will. I have a decision to make. I don't want to half ass this blog. I either need to make blogging one of my priorities or stop blogging. I think that I would like to continue blogging and do it the right way. So here's what you've missed the last month or so:

I graduated!

The NewlyHusband and I went to Disney again

I started my new job. It's ok.

Our family dog that we have had since I was 11 had to be put down on Monday. Very sad, but it was time. Rest in Peace, Missi.

That's enough of a recap for now, but I hope I continue to "see" all of you around the blogging world and that I can balance my time enough to continue blogging.

Getting to Know Me, Alphabet Style

2010-04-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

This week is crazy. I had two finals on Monday, stayed up till 2am this morning finishing a paper that was due today, my dad comes into town this afternoon, my in laws come in tomorrow, my mom's graduation is tonight, my graduation is Friday, Margaritafest is Friday night, and our graduation party is Saturday. Oh and also I start my new job Monday and desperately need more professional clothes and shoes before I start. Tired yet?

With all that insanity, I can't even get my brain to think. So I am shamelessly stealing this post idea from Aly at It Ain't Always Pretty But It's Real.

A - Age: 24

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Vacuuming

D - Dog's name: No pets for us, but my mom's dog is Missi.

E - Essential start your day item: my laptop. It's true. I get on first thing every morning to wake me up

F - Favorite color: green

G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: white gold

H - Height: 5'6''

I - Interesting fact about yourself: I brush my teeth so hard that I have broken a toothbrush (I think I've told ya'll that one before, but oh well).

J - Jewelry you wear everyday: my wedding and engagement ring and earrings

K - Kids: none yet but we want one or two. Maybe next year.

L - Living arrangements: Living in a house that my hubby owns but trying to sell

M - Mom's name: Jo

N- Nicknames: My old roomie calls me Tich, my mom calls me Ta, The NewlyHusband has a bajillion for me. Most people just call me Tara.

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: nada

P - Pet Peeve: I have a lot. People annoy me. People that abuse the system, not using a turn signal, etc etc etc. Seriously I could write a whole post

Q - Quote: Can't think of a specific one right now.

R - Right handed or left handed: Righty

S - Siblings: 1 younger sister

T - Time you wake up: during the week, around 7 or 7:30, the weekends it was 4:40. Since I'm starting the new job Monday, I don't know when I'll be waking up. I do know that the NewlyHusband and I are going to start doing Couch 2 5k in the a.m. though

U- Underwear: how bout none ya? love you guys, but c'mon

V - Vegetable you dislike: How bout veggies I do like? Green beans, raw carrots, cucumbers. Seriously that's all. Much shorter list.

W - Ways you run late: staying on the computer too long (this is my #1 reason for running late)

X - X-rays you've had: mouth a bunch and foot once

Y - Yummy food you make: what the NewlyHusband calls "Tara's Tasty Baked Chicken"

Z - Zoo favorite: elephants!

One part of the waiting game is already over

2010-04-20T12:32:00.001-07:00

I was just offered a job! No more weekends after graduation!

Playing The Waiting Game

2010-04-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

That is the only way to describe my life right now. As most of you know, I have less than a week left of school. My last final is on Monday. So this week will be nothing but studying and finishing my 15-20 page paper. So, I am waiting for graduation!

I had an interview a couple weeks ago. The company called me back in on Friday to talk a little more and told me they were interested. So, I am waiting to see if they offer me the job. In the meantime, I am waiting to see if any of the other jobs I applied for call me for an interview.

Our realtor called us and told us that someone is very interested in making an offer on our house. They wanted to know what our homeowners assoc rules were for building a fence and were also somewhat concerned about airplane noise, so we gave our realtor a copy of our rules and regulations and signed something about the noise yesterday. Now we are waiting to see if they put in an offer. We had zero people look at our house the first two months it was up and now have had four people, so at least we're moving in the right direction.

Unfortunately, that's all I can do, is sit here and wait. Today I literally do mean sit here, cuz the NewlyHusband took my car to work, so I'm at home all day.

Oh and Ps: I definitely just heard and felt the space shuttle! There was this big BOOM BOOM and my whole house vibrated.

Disney Picture Overload

2010-04-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Disney World last month for the NewlyHusband's birthday. Disney was running an amazing special for Florida residents- you got 4 parks for $99! That's less than $25 a park! It was too good of a deal to pass up, so we used 2 of our days for his birthday. We went to Epcot and Animal Kingdom with my mom, her gf, my uncle, and my aunt. We had such a great time! We plan on going back next month to use our other 2 tickets on Magic Kingdom and MGM (which I guess is now called Hollywood Studios).

If you go to Epcot and eat at France, you have to get this drink. I don't remember the name but it was apple juice, Grey Goose, and St Germain liquor

At our hotel

Mini wedding!

In "Germany"

Mickey waffles for breakfast

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival

Riding Spaceship Earth

The NewlyHusband being goofy

I look so tiny compared to the big...uhhh...Epcot ball

We stayed at the All Star Movie Resort. It was alright.

All the NewlyHusband's Birthday Buttons (and the reveal of his real name!)

The Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom- so cool!

Mmm...Dessert at the African buffet

The fam eating at the African buffet. I absolutely recommend eating here if you go to Animal Kingdom.

A Day Late, A Dollar Short.

2010-04-11T02:32:00.001-07:00

Ok I'm actually 3 days late on our 8 monthaverssary post. Eek! I didn't get off my couch on the 8th- I was writing a 14 page paper all day! Then on Friday the 9th, the NewlyHusband and I worked our butts off getting our house ready for the open house we had yesterday. Only 2 people came, but that's better than the zero we've had so far. I'm hoping they were interested buyers and not just nosy neighbors.

Now, on to the real reason we're here. To celebrate 8 months of marriage! I can't believe we're already at 2/3 of a year. We'll be at a year before we know it. Today I am going share some of my favorite pictures of just the two of us at the wedding.

Oh Hi...Are You Still There?

2010-04-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Bad blogger, bad blogger. I'll be honest with you guys- I'd rather not write than write something totally boring and that's why I haven't written much lately. I was feeling kind of pathetic and didn't want to write it all here. Although it would have been nice to get out, I don't think this is the place.

Anyway, here's whats been going on in the NewlyWife life:

-Less than a month till graduation, guys!! I take my last final April 26th and my actual graduation (in case you didn't know already- haha) is April 30. I'm so excited to not have homework anymore. My mom graduates 2 days before I do and we're having a big party to celebrate. I wish some of you were local, you know you'd be invited!

-There's been some drama with my sister. I don't talk about her much on here, but here's the Cliffnotes version. She goes back and forth between two guys- we'll call them Bryan and Tony. She left Tony to live with Bryan a few weeks ago. Tony allegedly slashed her and Bryan's tires. Fast forward 2 weeks. Something happens and Bryan tells her to get the fuck out of his house. So, she moves into a hotel with Tony. Gets fired and realizes she can't pay for the hotel anymore. Tony has a friend in Kentucky, so they go stay with him. Doesn't tell anyone she's moving. Just texts our whole family after she gets there. 3 days go by. She and Tony get kicked out of the place they were staying in and are now back in FL. No one knows where they're staying.

-This almost college graduate is spending her days job searching. I got offered a job to start next Monday and I said I would take it. It would be working for someone I used to work with who is starting her own business. I'm starting to second guess that decision though. The pay wouldn't be great until they got licensed, I would be working as a 1099 employee, and there are no benefits. The experience would be great to put on my resume but I don't know. I got a phone call from another job yesterday morning, missed the call, called back and left a message, but never heard back. Hopefully I'll hear back Monday because I'm really interested in the job and company.

-House is still on the market. Still no showings. We have an open house next Saturday, so prayers, vibes, good thoughts, would be much appreciated.

-The NewlyHusband and I are at almost 8 months of marriage and it's wonderful. I love being married to him.

Well, I've got class in a couple hours, am behind on my homework, need to go to BB&B to get a gift for a bridal shower, and the grocery store to buy something to make for Easter to bring to work. And of course I work all weekend.

I Need a Notebook by the Bed

2010-03-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

I always think of things to write when I'm laying in bed. In the morning, all those ideas must be lost in dreamland.

Mish Mash

2010-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

A bunch of random thoughts for you on this Friday:

-Today is my last day of Spring Break. I did not get near as much as I wanted to accomplished. Ok, lie, I barely got anything accomplished. It was so nice to just be able to relax though. Work tomorrow and Sunday.

-I love Vitamin Water. Seriously, best drink ever. I stopped drinking soda a while ago and drinking Vitamin Water has made it so easy. I'm never tempted to drink soda now.

-The NewlyHusband has decided that my blog is so awesome that he should start one of his own. His blog is...a donut review blog! No joke. He has mentioned that he will occasionally review things like honey buns and bagels as well. So, if you're a donut fan, go check him out here. He's just getting started.

-My life lately has been consumed with job searching. I really want to have a job lined up by the time I graduate.

-We still have not had one showing of our house. We just reduced it $5,000 in the hope that it will attract more buyers. I didn't expect selling a house to be easy in this market, but not even one showing?! Pretty frustrating. The good news is it's not like we have to move for any reason. It's a good little house and we pay the mortgage just fine, so if we're stuck in it a little longer it's not the end of the world.

-My best friend and her husband are moving to DC for about 20 months for his job. Soooo DC Bloggers, what up? I'm thinking I may get to have a blog gtg in the fall!

-I am so ready to be done with school. I'm just not feeling it anymore. 1 month, 1 week, and 3 days until GRADUATION!

-The NewlyHusband and I have got to get in shape. The time is now. We went walking a couple days this week and of course got plenty of exercise walking around Disney last weekend, but we need something more. Any tips would be really great. We're thinking of maybe starting the Couch to 5K plan next week. We've even talked about P90X. I would love to start spinning, but the gym we belong to doesn't offer any classes.

- If I can have a job lined up by graduation, I will only have 6 weekends left to work. If not, I'll keep my job and stay working every single weekend till I can get a new job. Say it ain't so!

Hmm, well I think that's enough random Tara thoughts for the day. Have a great weekend!

Keep Your Kids Off Me, K Thanks

2010-03-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

The NewlyHusband's birthday was Saturday and we went to Disney to celebrate. Animal Kingdom on Saturday and Epcot on Sunday. We had an absolute blast! Now I know Disney is a family place and I'm fine with that. Kids should go and have fun. But that does not mean Disney is a free for all where parents do not have to control their children.

We were on the monorail, standing room only, and I was standing there holding the pole. A mom with 4 kids came on, so I moved my hand higher up the pole so that the kids could hold on lower. The entire ride, the kids kept playing on the pole moving their hands higher and higher. They kept.touching.me. I'm not a germaphobe by any means, but c'mon. I kept moving my hand higher and higher and they kept moving their little hands higher and higher.

We get off the monorail- yay! We go to dinner at a nicer restaurant. Think fancypants- only offers 6 entrees and it's all stuff you've never heard of kinda place. There is a child at the table behind us running circles around and around and around his table, each time bumping into my chair. The parents didn't say a damn thing to him. I kept turning around to give them the side eye, but they never looked. Thankfully, they left before we even got our apps. But please! Could they not have said something to their kid? Just because you are at Disney does not mean you can let your kid be rude. I was getting so pissed.

When we have kids, I plan on watching my children. Should they be able to have fun at Disney? Yes. Should that fun be interfering with other people's personal space? No.

Thoughts?

Rain Rain Go Away

2010-03-11T07:38:00.001-08:00

I realize we need rain for life and growth and all that jazz, but I hate the rain. I mean, hate it with a passion. I don't like the sound of it, I don't like the smell of it, I can't stand driving in it. I don't do a whole lot during the week. Mon, Wed, Fri I go to school and Tues and Thurs I usually sit at home all day reading for my classes. Why is it the day I decide I want to leave the house to go buy some jeans, maybe get a pedicure, is the day it rains? Now I don't feel like going anywhere. But I really need new jeans. I have 2, count em just 2, pairs that fit me right now. How sad is that?

On that same note, I need a shopping buddy. I had one right out of high school- that friend you can call up and say "Hey I need some new clothes. Wanna go to the mall?" Now I shop by myself. My schedule is odd, so most of the people I know are at work when I'm off and off when I'm at work. Shopping by yourself is just not as fun.

And speaking of shopping, one of my goals for this year is to do a closet makeover. I want to make my closet say Tara. Right now, it's a big mish mash of clothes. I go through my closet every couple of months and donate clothes. I want to be able to look in my closet and be able to pick out any piece and feel good wearing it. Right now, I have only a few items that I feel great in and that means those items get over worn. I know it will take time. I'm not made of money after all, but by the end of this year I would like to have a closet that shouts "ME"

It's That Time Again- 7 Months

2010-03-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

It's our 7 month anniversary today. Last night, the NewlyHusband and I were sitting on the couch talking. I was talking about what we could make for our lunches this week and he was telling me he did the dishes. I commented on the fact that our conversation definitely made it sound like we were an old married couple already. Haha

So for today, I will show you guys some pictures from before the ceremony. We did not see each other at all that day until I walked down the aisle.

We hung out in some rooms downstairs while guests arrived upstairs. This is my matron of honor and I heading upstairs for the ceremony.

The guys arriving at the church

One of my bridesmaids helping me make sure my dress is straight. This is right before the ceremony started.

The guys got a foozball table in their hangout room. We got nada. Their room was right next to ours and we could hear them yelling and cheering the whole time.

Me making sure I had some food in my stomach. My flower girls mom brought tiny sandwiches for her kids and that's what I was eating. Crunchy peanut butter- gross.

This friend reapplied my lip gloss for me all day.

Oh and PS: I'm posting this from our new Macbook!

And the winners are....

2010-03-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I can't get the random.org picture to copy to my blog. So you guys will just have to trust me.

There were 39 entries all together.

Winner number 1 is....Entry 17. Natalie Rae!

Winner number 2 is....Entry 1. Sonja!

Congratulations ladies. Hope you enjoy your Paula Deen Cookbook/Recipe Journal.

Sonja, I'll be emailing you shortly to get your address. Natalie Rae, please leave a comment here with your email or email me with your address. CSN Stores has sponsored this giveaway, so I will forward your addresses to them and they will get your books sent out.

Thanks for playing!

Your Questions Answered

2010-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Hello to all my new followers and thanks to everyone who asked questions!

Elliott asked "Does your husband know you have a blog? I've encountered people who blog in secret, and their families never know about it."

Yep, the NewlyHusband does know about my blog and sometimes even reads it. However, he is the only person IRL that knows I have a blog. While my blog is not necessarily anonomous (I use my real first name and have my picture up), I don't want to have to censor what I say and worry about what people in my real life think about it. I also sometimes want to vent about something and don't want to offend anyone I know. I have thought about it and doubt I will ever tell anyone in my day to day life about this blog.

Peterson Family asked "Has your husband asked you not to blog about any part of your lives? If not, what would you say to him if he asked you not to blog about something?

He has never asked me not to blog about something. Sometimes something will happen and he'll say "Oh gosh. Are you gonna blog about this?" in a joking way. However, if he asked me specifically not to blog about something I wouldn't. You have to have that respect in a marriage. If I asked him not to tell his friends about something and he did, I would be hurt. Same concept.

Hannah asked "I just read that you're in Florida and go to college here...which one?"

Hannah, I'm at UNF. Less than 2 months till graduation!

Brittany asked "What are you going to do with your degree when you graduate soon?"

My degree is in History with a minor in Psychology, and I won't be using that at all. I am looking for a job in Human Resources. I just needed to get my Bachelors in something and I like history and psychology.

"What's your favorite candy/sweet?"

My favorite all time candy is Mike and Ikes, but lately I've been eating sour patch kids. Favorite sweet though is probably cookies.

"Did you grow up in Florida?"

I moved here when I was 8, so practically. I have lived in South Carolina, Virginia, Arizona, and upstate New York.

"What's your favorite thing about living in Florida?"

This is a great question for now, because usually I don't love living in Florida. I burn extremely easily, so I'm not a fan of the beach. But with the crazy snow the rest of the country has been getting, I'd have to say the fact that we don't have snow. I like cool weather, but I hate freezing cold weather.

CarissaJaded asked "Top five fave movies?"

1. Office Space
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Fever Pitch
4. Dirty Dancing
5. Role Models

"Fave actor of all time?"

John Travolta based on acting. Matthew McConaughey based on hotness

"Most embarrasing moment evah?"

This is a hard one. I think I seriously block embarrassing moments from my memory after they happen. I've blushed a lot in my lifetime though, so I know I've had plenty. I'll give ya 3 since I can't think of the most embarrasing ever.

1. Living with the ex- His sister had just been at our apt visiting. She left. I went into the bathroom. Came out naked and she had forgotten something and was back in our living room.

2. Used to work at Sonic. Yep, on rollerskates. I was on the patio when I saw the guy I was crushing on. Got excited and turned around to say hey. Fell flat on my ass. That was one of probably 15-20 falls while I worked there.

3. Anytime I have ever been drunk. I always wake up embarrassed. I have thrown my purse (open) down a flight of stairs, I have kicked a guy in the face, I have come thisclose to knocking down 2 tables while yelling "I wanna be 22 forever!" (That one still gets brought up a lot). Still wanna drink with me? Haha!

MandeeFoFandee asked "What do you think is the funniest word evah?"

Another hard one, but I'm gonna go with poon tang. Does that count as a word?

"Who is your favorite BL contestant this season?"

I don't have just one yet. I really like Sam and Koli. They are such hard workers and seem like really good guys. I also like O'Neil.

"Are you watching Jeff and Jordan on the Amazing Race?"

NO! And I so wanted to! I thought they were going to put it on OnDemand and they didn't and I never recorded it. How are they doing? PS, I still have Jeff on my pending friend requests on FB and now I'm getting his updates even though we're not friends.

"If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 3 things would you bring with you?"

I'm assuming things doesn't include people or I would say the NewlyHusband.

1. my IPOD. I don't like silence. With the IPOD, I could fill up the deserted island with my awful singing and fab dance party skills.

2. Sunscreen. I burn so easily and so bad, I would be miserable without sunscreen.

3. Wilsonnnnnn! haha Just kidding- Sunglasses. If there is even the tiniest amount of sun out, I need my sunglasses.

Michelle S asked "puppies or kittens?"

I'm going kittens on this one. I got my cat when she was so small, I had to bottle feed her and she could fit under that little spot between the bottom of the bedroom door and the floor.

"Cake or pie?"

Cake. I like the cherry pie filling but don't love pie crust. So cake.

"Opera or ballet?"

Never seen either live, but I'd say opera. Ballet is just boring to me.

Vanessa asked "Favorite wine?"

Riesling

"Do you collect anything?

I don't but my grandparents collected pencil sharpeners for me while I was growing up, so I still have all of those. They are pencil sharpeners that look like other things. Here's an example:

"Best gift ever given?"

The GPS the NewlyHusband gave me while we were dating. I am horrible at navigation, so it was an extremely thoughtful and useful gift.

"Best thing about blogging?"

I'm supposed to say the connections, right? Haha. No really though I love reading about other people and hearing what other people have to say to me. I haven't been blogging long enough to actually meet anyone but maybe one day. Also, I like having somewhere to put my thoughts.

Kishah asked "When did you start blogging and why?"

This is my first blog. I started it Sept 10, 2009 so I'm coming up on 6 months. I started blogging because of reading The Heir to Blair and LivItLuvIt (both of which can be found on my sidebar). They were both hilarious and I read every single one of their archives. One day, I thought The Life of a NewlyWife would be a perfect name for a blog for me if I ever made one. Thought about it for a couple days and figured Why not?

And last but not least, Kaz and Amy asked "What is your favorite pair of shoes to wear? The shoes you choose the most!"

Ooh! This one's easy. These boots from Kohls. So comfy!

Thoughts from the Olympics

2010-03-01T05:13:00.000-08:00

I never thought I liked the Olympics. I watched a bit of the figure skating here and there when it came on, but that's it. The NewlyHusband does like the Olympics though, so this year I actually watched a good bit of it. And I really enjoyed it! Here are my thought from this years Olympics...what I watched of it anyway.

1. I am going to miss watching Apollo Ohno. Did you guys see when the other two skaters fell and Apollo just jumped over the fall and kept going? Awesome. There is just something about him that I really like.

2. I heart Michael J. Fox. He is just so adorable, in all his Parkinsons glory. (I hope that doesn't sound offensive- I truly don't mean it to be). If you are wondering what the hell MJF has to do with the Olympics, he is Canadian and took part in the closing ceremony.

3. I feel for Joannie Rochette. This has got to be one of the craziest weeks of her entire life. To win a bronze Olympic medal and be dealing with your mothers sudden death at the same time.... When she skated, I actually was kind of rooting for Canada instead of the US.

4. Curling is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. I just can't watch it.

5. I love to watch short track speed skating and alpine skiing. Those two plus figure skating and ice dancing are probably my favorite events.

6. I loved watching the closing ceremony- seeing all the athletes full of joy taking pictures and videos of everything. I could feel the excitement in my living room.

So there are some thoughts from a newbie to this whole Olympics thing. I will definitely be watching in 2014 when they are held in Suchi, Russia.

*Don't forget you can still ask me anything. I will be answering all your questions tomorrow. And there is still time to enter the Paula Deen giveaway . Two people will win and I will be drawing the winner on Tuesday.

Hey Ya'll....It's GIVEAWAY Time!

2010-02-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

I was given the opportunity to check out some websites this week that I had never been to before, but that I found all kinds of great deals at.

I found really nice kids bedding that I know my nieces and nephews would love, really neat kitchen stuff, like pots and pans, picnic baskets, aprons, and cookbooks, and very cool modern home accessories, such as artwork and office accessories that I want for my house.

For you, my lovely readers, I wanted to giveaway something that I would love to receive. So I am giving away, not just one, but two Paula Deen Kitchen Wisdom Cookbook and Recipe Journals. That's right, 2 of you will win this book!

What I love about this book is that it includes Paula Deen's recipes, which we all know are awesome, but in addition to that she shares some really neat tips such as what to do if your cake gets dry in the oven or you have people on their way over for dinner and your kitchen is full of smoke. And we all know that in this NewlyWife life, there are plenty of kitchen mishaps! There are even blank pages for you to write your own recipes!

To enter:

1 entry for either telling me you are already a follower or becoming a follower.

1 entry for delurking and asking me a question on my last post.

2 entries for blogging about my giveaway.

That's a total of 4 possible entries (you know in case you couldn't do 2+1+1 on your own). Don't forget, two people will be winning. Please leave a seperate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using random.org on Thursday, March 4. That's one week from today.

Let's Get To Know Each Other, Shall We?

2010-02-23T13:44:00.001-08:00

I am totally lacking blog motivation lately. So to combat that, here's what we're gonna do. First of all, I want to "meet" my readers. Hello out there, yes you, I can see you, what's your name? How ya doin? De-lurk guys! Introduce yourselves. I'd like to know who you are. I think I read most of my follower's blogs, but if I don't, I'd like to check you out. One of the best parts of blogging is all the great people you get to know. So, do it! Say hi.

And while you're at it, I'm taking questions. Ask me anything. Really, anything. It can be totally random or it can be more deep. Whatever you want to know, ask. I know these have been happening a lot in our little blog world and usually I'm not a follower, but I think it's a great idea. I've never done one before and I have almost 50 followers now, so I'm sure some of you have questions. Or even if you don't, think of one. You know, to make me feel good. I will answer them a week from today.

And since I just gave you guys assignments, I'll let you in on a little something. There's going to be a giveaway happening soon! Get excited!

That of Which We Should Not Speak

2010-02-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

I had planned to start a new weekly post today entitled "My Faves Friday." I am going to start this weekly post where I tell ya what I've been into that week, whether it be blogs, tv shows, food, drinks, clothing, etc. However, something has been on my mind that I just have to talk about so My Faves Friday will have to start next week.

Yes, people, I'm talking politics on the blog today. I tend to keep my politics out of this blog and still will for the most part. Honestly, this post isn't really political, anyway, it just deals with politics. I will let you know where I stand. I am a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. What that means is that when something has to do with economics and policies like that, I tend to side more with Republicans. When it has to do with social policies, such as gay marriage, etc, I tend to side more with the Democrats. Yes, this does make it hard for me when it comes time to vote. I was raised by incredibly liberal Democrats and married a pretty conservative Republican.

Now to get to what pissed me off enough that I had to blog about it. I don't understand why some individual's cannot get over political differences. Case in point, I know a Republican who judges people just based on their political beliefs. This person even made a comment to the effect of "I just found out so and so is a Democrat. I thought I liked him." Why does knowing someone's political beliefs differ from yours change the way you feel about them as a person? My husband and I disagree a lot in election year November's. But it doesn't mean I don't love him or like him as a person. He has certain opinions that I don't understand and I'm sure I have certain political opinions that he just doesn't get, but does that mean we can't get along?

It's like the age old question, "Can men and women just be friends." I'm asking "Can Republicans and Democrats get along?" I certainly think so, but apparently this friend of mine does not. If we all had the same opinions on things, wouldn't the world be boring? Now I will admit that there are certain things that I feel so strongly about that if you feel strongly in the other direction, I question how we can be good friends. But these are very very few and they are things that directly affect my family. I will not judge you based on what political party you are registered with.

I'd love to hear your opinions on this.

Half Year Anniversary!

2010-02-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

A day late...oops. Well anyway, yesterday was our 6 monthaverssary. We've made it half a year, people! And I'm lovin it. Sooo today, I have decided to showcase the reception. Enjoy!

Walking into the reception

Our First Dance (You Move Me by Garth Brooks)

Lemon filled wedding cake

Grooms Cake (Chocolate Ganache)

Me asking everyone if I should smash cake in his face

Toasts

Dancin. We honeymooned in Mexico, so the groomsmen surprised us with sombreros and maracas

Gettin low...low...low...low...low

Last Dance (Don't Stop Believin by Journey)

And the NewlyHusband and I at the end of the reception

Hope you all enjoyed the pictures!

Story Time!

2010-02-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Story 1: I get home from work the other night and the neighbors cat is in the driveway. Such a sweet cat. I tell her hello and then go into the garage, where my wonderful husband is waiting for me. He goes to shut the garage and I said "Noo! You're gonna squish the kitty!" He says "Tara the cat is smart enough to run back onto the driveway."
Fast forward to the next morning. I open the door from our house to the garage and what is the first thing that catches my eye? That cat sitting right in front of the door. "Meow....Meow..." I felt so bad! She was stuck in our garage over night- no food, no water, no litter, no nothing. She ran out as soon as I opened the garage for her.

Story 2: I have my own cat, but she lives with my mom because the NewlyHusband is allergic to all things furry. My mom just got this awesome new kitchen. I mean she completely ripped out her old kitchen, walls and all, and had it redone. It's gorgeous. Included in this new kitchen is one of those flat top stoves that is kind of flush with the counter. Well my poor cat (Pepper is her name) must not have understood that it was a stove. After cooking dinner the other night, the freaking cat walked across the hot stove! She has been walking around for a few days now with the one burnt paw held up in the air. It's so pathetic and adorable. Guess she won't be walking across the stove anymore.

Story 3: As you all know, house hunting was had yesterday. The area we're looking to buy is a good half an hour-50 minutes away from the area we're in now. So I meet our realtor at a Starbucks about half an hour away. I did that yesterday and then rode with the realtor. The NewlyHusband met us later on to see the two I really liked, so of course I rode with the NewlyHusband to finish the house hunt. The NH and I went out to dinner afterwards and then came home. We start pulling in the driveway and NH says "Damn it!" I'm like "What?! What?! What's the matter- is a door open, did the house get broken into?" Nope, none of that. He had just realized that we completely forgot my car was still at that Starbucks. Yeah, we're doofuses like that. So we were up bright and early this a.m. to go get my car before NH headed to work. Oops!

Anddd a random nugget to leave you with. The realtor's GPS, when telling him to get on the highway, says "Turn right onto the motorway." Seriously, who the hell calls it a motorway?! Do you?

House Hunting

2010-02-04T05:46:00.000-08:00

I am going house hunting for the third time today. I am excited because there are some really promising prospects to look at today for really great prices and I think we may find the house for us. However, I'm also super nervous. We are planning on putting our house on the market next week. Yes, you heard that right, our house isn't even for sale yet.

Originally we were planning on waiting until after I graduated to buy a new house. Then, they extended the home buyers credit and made it available to repeat home buyers, and who are we to say no to an extra $65o0. So we decided to go ahead and try to buy a house before April.

However, I realize it is not a seller's market right now. What if we can't sell our house? What if I find the perfect house today and we want to put an offer in and our house just doesn't sell? I'll be so upset. I know, we probably should not have started looking for houses before our house sold, but house hunting is so much fun and the prices are phenomenal! One of the houses I am going to look at today is a 5 bedroom, 2 bath, 2810 sq ft home in a great area of town for $175,000.

If ya'll could just out some positive thoughts, prayers, whatever floats your boat, out there that we can sell our house and quickly, that would be awesome. Thanks!

My Random Taste In Music

2010-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Vanessaings and thought it would be cool to do and to show you how incredibly varied my taste in music is. Let's see what pops up!

So, here’s how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, etc).
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question type the song that’s playing.
5. When you go to a new question press the next button.

Here goes!

Opening Credits: "Just Lose It" -Eminem

Waking Up: "Kissing You" -Romeo and Juliet Love Theme Instrumental

Falling In Love: "Butterfly" -Crazy Town

Fight Song: "Praise You With The Dance" -Casting Crowns (soo not perfect for a fight song haha)

Breaking Up: "Heart in a Blender" -Eve 6

Make-up: "Girl at the Rock Show" -Blink 182

Life’s Okay: "American Dream" -Casting Crowns

Mental Breakdown: "The Bad Touch" -Bloodhound Gang

Driving: "Stupid Girls" -Pink

Flashback: "Wife and Kids" -Kenny Chesney

Happy Dance: "Brand New Girlfriend" -Steve Holy

Regretting: "She's Country" -Jason Aldean

Final Battle: "A Few More Days" -Matthew West

Death Scene: "Life of My Own" -3 Doors Down

Make-Out Scene: "Standing on the Promises" -Alan Jackson (again soo not appropriate)

Ending Credits: "Blister in the Sun" -Violent Femmes

So there ya have it, some of my incredibly random ITunes. And yes with 2 blog posts in one day, I am procrastinating on my homework. So what? Ok, ok I'm getting off the computer now and am going to read about the Sociology of Work. Don't miss me too much, mmkay?

Making A Difference: It Starts With Us

2010-02-02T05:12:00.000-08:00

Nate from It Starts With Us has posted an awesome 2009 Year In Review of various missions It Starts With Us did in 2009. Even if you don't have time to read the whole thing, just scroll through and see some of the great things the people at It Starts With Us have done. I am still very new to ISWU and have only participated in a couple missions so far, but I am so excited to be a part of this group in 2010.

An example of the last mission I participated in: A blogger was having a hard time. He had just gone to see his dying mom. The mission was just to leave a nice comment on his blog post and, as Nate said, "drop an massive love bomb" on him. You can see his blog post here. It's things like this- things that seem small and are usually pretty easy to do, but that really make a difference in people's lives that It Starts With Us is all about.

Check out the link above and see how easy and how little time it takes to make a difference. A smile may be all you have to give but a smile be all someone needs.

Thank You, Thank You Very Much

2010-01-28T09:00:00.001-08:00

Awww, one of my absolute favorite bloggers, Brittany, gave me the "Blogger BFF Award." I am so excited because I really do consider her a blogger BFF. Thank you Britt! Lucky you guys, this award doesn't require me to tell any weird/random/"interesting" facts about myself. It just requires me to pass it on. So I am going to pass this award on to 5 bloggers that I would love to grab a drink or 4 with if we ever met in person.

1.Mandee at The Bear Naked Truth. Mandee and I have talked on The Nest, on FB, and on G-Chat. There is no doubt the NewlyHusband and I would have a blast with Mandee and her Mr MandeeFoFandee.

2. Carissa at Carissa Jaded. Carissa is adorable and fun and clumsy --like me, although I have never broken anyone's arm doing a super awesome kick ;) If she was ever down in my neck of the woods, we would have to grab a glass (read:bottle) of wine together.

3. LiLu at Liv It, Luv It. Um did ya'll see how many 20sb awards this chick got? And her karaoke videos? Who wouldn't want to grab a drink with her? LiLu- you, me, and some Sweet Caroline karaoke style if I ever make it to DC.

4. TKOG at Not That Kind of Girl. I'll be honest- I'd be scared of what kind of NTKOG stuff I'd be getting into by hanging out with her. :) But she does live in my favorite city in the US and I think it'd be fun. Heck, I could probably use a NTKOG moment.

5. Vanessa at Caramel Covered Photographs. I know Vanessa got this award from Britt also, but I can't do this list and not include her. We have soo much in common that I know we'd get along fabulously.

Thanks again Brittany!

Have I Learned Anything?

2010-01-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

As you all know, I am in my last semester of college right now. I will graduate with my Bachelors in History with a minor in Psychology in April. So I thought it would be cool to look back on the classes I've taken in my college years and see if I really learned anything. So this is what I've taken:

Math:

Math for Liberal Arts
Elementary Statistics.

Yes I have gotten away with only taking two maths and not taking College Algebra at all. I hate math with an absolute passion. And no, I don't remember anything from these two classes.

Science:

Zoology
General Biology for Non Science Majors

Again, I took as little science as possible. Math and Science are just not my subjects.

English:

Composition 1
Composition 2
Compositon 3
American Literature
Creative Writing

I thought I wanted to be an English major, so I took a couple more English classes. Turns out- not for me. I like to enjoy my books and not analyze them. I did enjoy my creative writing course though.

History:

US History
US History Since 1877
Politics and Society in Britain and Ireland
Russian Thought and Culture
Craft of the Historian
American Revolution and Constitution
US Since World War I
Irish History
Modern China
1890s
Global Environmental History
History of the New South
Nazi Germany
Florida History

You knew this list would be long. I am a history major, after all. I have actually learned quite a bit in my history classes. They have certainly made me better at Germany. My faves have been Nazi Germany (still in this one, so we'll see how I feel when the semester's over), Irish History, Russian Thought and Culture, and US History Since 1877. The worsts were Florida History and Modern China. In Craft of the Historian, Global Environmental History, and the 1890's, I had/have to write a 15 page paper. My Craft paper was on the cause of the Salem Witch Trials. My Environmental one was on the role of women in the toxic waste movement, and my 1890s paper is going to be on the experience of immigrants at Ellis Island.

Psychology

Understanding Human Behavior
Human Growth and Development
Educational Psychology
General Psychology
Psychology of Women
Social Psychology
Industrial Organizational Psychology
Stress Management
Learning Theory

I have really enjoyed having Psych as my minor. All the fun stuff without the crappy research courses majors have to take. My faves here: Stress Management, Learning Theory, and Psych of Women. I am currently in IO Psych and I think this is the one I'm going to take the most out of.

Other Junk I Took as Electives or Was Required To Take

The Humanities I
The Humanities II
Microcomputer Applications
Fundamentals of Speech
College Success Skills
Introduction to Education
Sociology of Work
People and Cultures of the World

So here I am, nearing the end of my college years, having taken all of those classes. Is it sad that I couldn't tell you a damn thing about the majority of those? How much do we truly learn in college?

Oh and PS, I realize this is probably the most boring post ever. But here it is.

Something's Gotta Give

2010-01-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Right now, this is my life:

-School Mon, Wed, and Fri.
-Work Sat and Sun
-Homework and research for school
-House hunting
-Getting our house ready to sell (decluttering, general cleaning, painting, staging)
-Eating
-Sleeping
-Computer time

These are the things I want to add into my life:

-Daily Bible time either by myself or with the NewlyHusband
-Working out at least Mon-Fri.
-Devoting more time to schoolwork

I seriously suck at motivation though. I can spend hours on the computer, although I'm much better than I used to be. I know I need to make Bible and prayer time a priority, but I haven't. I have got to start working out. We've had this conversation here before. I am not a big girl, I realize this. But I am bigger than I used to be. My stomach hurts constantly and I hate wearing jeand cuz they dig into my belly (This is after I've already gone up a pant size).

So help me out, awesome readers. How in the world do you get motivated to give up your favorite foods, give up soda (I've done this before and it made me feel so much better, but it never sticks), get up early and WORK OUT? Why is this soooo hard for me? I just don't know. I think about it and it should be easy.

This is how I would like my days to go:

-Get up early with the NewlyHusband and hit the gym.
-Come home, shower, and eat breakfast.
-Hit the books and get my schoolwork done
-Only after schoolwork is done, get on the computer.
-Go to school (on the days I have school)
-Come home and have dinner with the NewlyHusband
-Do a house project so we can get the house on the market.

This is how my days tend to go
-Wake up when NewlyHusband gets up to go to work
-Do a little homework
-Eat breakfast while watching tv
-Get on the computer
-Go to school
-Come home and have dinner with the NewlyHusband
-Maybe work on the house, maybe chill out.

I drink two sodas a day (Mr Pibb or Cherry Coke). The only workouts I get done are walking from my car to campus for class. I don't eat well. I spend way too much time on my laptop. At the end of the day, I feel fat and unproductive. So I make the decision to change...and I don't.

I am almost in tears writing this, because I hate myself for being so lazy.

Help? How do you do it? How do you make the positive changes in your life that will make you feel better in the long run?

Thoughts, Things, and JellyBeans

2010-01-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

A random title for a random post. Guys, I can't believe I have only posted twice in January! We have lots to catch up on, don't we? This post will be a complete smorgasbord of thoughts. Hope ya don't mind!

Uno: Why haven't I been blogging lately? Some days I feel like I don't have anything to say. Like life is just happening, but nothing anyone would want to read. I feel like I shouldn't even have a blog. Other days, I feel like my brain is so full of things to blog that I am too overwhelmed to even sign in. So instead I've just stayed away. I have been reading your blogs, though! But I enjoy this whole blogging thing and the connections I've made with some of you. It's something I want to continue, so this is me getting back into it.

Dos: Exciting things happening in this newlywedded life. We are going to see Jimmy Buffett in February and Gabriel Iglesias (the Fat and Fluffy guy) in March.

We are also house hunting. Here's my major issue with the house hunt. We've found one we like a lot. It is in a good area of town. The only thing is the neighborhood is far from everything. It's 10 minutes to get to a grocery store, gas station, etc. That's a big deal for me. I like to be close to things. So I am trying to decide if that is a dealbreaker or not.

Tres: My aunt and two of my cousins came to town last week. The youngest that came was 17 years old and I had never met him before. How sad is that?

Quatro: We got new furniture!

New couch and loveseat

And new bedroom furniture, although ours is a darker wood.

Well, peeps, I have to be off to school but it was nice talking with you again!

And ps: My friend Mandee just got a blog and I have a feeling it is going to total awesomesauce. Go check her out at The Bear Naked Truth

5 Months Married!

2010-01-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

We've made it 5 months as husband and wife. I do believe I promised to show our engagement pictures to celebrate 5 months. But first, the story.

There is a very private beach in town that we love to go to. You have to walk through a wooded path to get there, so not very many people go. This is where we wanted to do our engagement pictures. So we get together with our photographer and start to drive out there (about an hour away from us). We are almost there and realize that it is high tide. The way this beach is set up, if it's high tide, you can't even get onto the beach. So we decide to scratch that plan and take the ferry over to this park and take the pictures there. While in line for the ferry, it starts pouring rain.

We decide to reschedule the shoot for another day. That day comes and the forecast says rain, although it hasn't started yet. I call the photog and we decide that we really need to try for that day because the NewlyHusband was going to have ear surgery in a couple days and we would not be able to reschedule for a while. So we go ahead with the shoot but decide to do them at the more public beach closer to our house so we can hopefully get it done before the rain starts.

It was windy and thundering, but we got it done. Part of me still wishes we had been able to do the pictures where we really wanted to, but I do like how they turned out.

Here are some of the pictures.

This one is my favorite.

Notice how the NewlyHusband rolled his pants up to walk through the water and I didn't

And how in all subsequent pics, my pants are wet and his stay rolled up. Oops!

Told ya it was windy!

More evidence of the wind

Us being our goofy selves

Don't Worry. Life Will Only Get Worse

2010-01-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys- don't know why I've become a once a week blogger. I guess there's just not much going on in my life to write about. But I can write about this little pet peeve I have. I've been encountering it more lately.

The people who say "Oh you've only been married 5 months, so you're still happy. That won't last." And the people who say something along the lines of "You think your life is busy now. Just wait till you have kids and can't do anything."

Bitches, this is my life and if I want to be happy I will be. Maybe your marriage sucks and if so I'm sorry. But I went into my marriage fully committed to having a forever lasting, good marriage. A marriage where we communicate and strive to make an effort. A marriage where we talk about our problems and miscommunications. A marriage where we put forth the time and energy to make quality time for each other.

I am realistic. I realize that no marriage will ever be perfect. But that doesn't mean you can't stay happy and in love. I fully expect to have arguments. I fully expect to disagree over things and have times where I just don't feel like I'm getting all the love and attention that I need. But I also fully expect to communicate those issues to my husband if/when they occur and work them out.

It is not up to anybody else to just assume my marriage will go down some shitty path. It is up to me and my husband where our marriage goes. I just don't understand why people feel the need to tell all newlyweds that they better not get used to the bliss that comes from being newly married. Misery loves company, I guess.

Now on to the other pet peeve- kids. Dudes, I am so not ready for kids yet. I want them one day, one hundred percent. And I like other people's kids enough. I love my nieces and nephew. I can't stand it when people give me the kid lecture. "Oh woah is me. I have a baby and I'm in school. Baby takes up all my time." Kudos to you for staying in school after you got preggers, but it ain't my fault. You chose to bring a child into this world. I'm sure it's hard. But I don't necessarily want to here about how my life will be sooo much worse when I have them. I'm not an idiot and I know kids are a lot of responsibility. But don't downplay my life just because mine does not involve children.

Ah, it sure feels good to blog all this out.

The End and The Beginning

2009-12-31T05:55:00.000-08:00

Today is my last day off before 3 days of work and then I'm back to school on Monday. Today is the last day of 2009. Today is the last day of the decade. Goodbye 2000's, Hello 2010's (or whatever the heck we're calling them).

2009 was a good year. I won't go into the whole decade, because honestly, I can't remember all that. I love New Years because of the celebration of things past and the hopefulness of things to come.

This is what I am looking forward to in 2010:

-Graduating! This is numero uno on my list- being done with my Bachelors in April. Although I am stoked to be almost done with school, the nerves have started to kick in a bit about job searching. Hopefully I will be able to find something good by May. Going along with this is quitting my current job when I graduate, so I won't be working weekends anymore.

-Buying a new house! We want to put our house up for sale sometime in January and buy something by April. The house we live in now is actually the NewlyHusband's. He has owned it for a little over 5 years and I just moved in here before we got married. It's not a bad house, but we would like something a little newer, in a different part of town, that we can really make ours.

-Getting healthier. Notice this one does not have an exclamation point, because I am not really looking forward to it. I like good food and I don't have a whole lot of motivation to work out. However, I do not like myself when I look in the mirror. I get depressed about this body that I've never had before. It's hard getting rid of all your jeans because they no longer fit and donating all your shirts that are too fitted. The NewlyHusband is doing a Biggest Loser competition at his job, so we are planning on getting up early together every morning to hit the gym. Getting healthy will also include drinking less soda and way more water and thinking a bit more about what I put in my mouth. I will never be a health nut when it comes to food, but I can at least make a little bit better decisions.

-Being more responsible in my walk with God. I do not currently go to church because I work every Sunday, but I need to make an effort to actually read my Bible and talk to God more.

-Learning to cook more. I would love to make something new at least once a month to put a little variety in our meals.

-Seeing our good friends get married in May.

-Celebrating our first anniversary in August with some sort of vacation.

So, here's to 2010! May it be a great year for us all!

Lessons on Cherry Pie

2009-12-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Well hello again! Christmas is over, the in laws have left, and I'm enjoying my last couple days of freedom before school starts again (my last semester!!)

Christmas was wonderful. We spent Christmas morning at our house with my in laws. The NewlyHusband and I then went to my parents to exchange gifts, where eventually we were joined by the rest of the family, including his parents. It was wonderful to be able to spend Christmas with both our families in the same spot, so we didn't have to worry about splitting our time. We had 17 people total at my parents house!

As this was my first Christmas as a wife, I do believe I was allowed some kitchen mishaps...and I had one. I decided to make a cherry pie. How hard can that be, right? I bought two pre-made pie crusts in the tins and took them out of the fridge to get them to room temp (that's what the directions said to do.) What they don't tell you is that if you are using one of the pie crusts as the top, you should probably take it out of the tin before you thaw it or it will just crumble in your hands. It did crumble. But I wasn't going to just give up! I filled the bottom with two cans of cherry pie filling and pieced together the other crust on top. It was ugly as hell, sure, but I thought it would still taste good, so who cares. I put it straight in the oven (mishap #2- apparently you're supposed to put it on top of a cookie sheet first). Checked it 15 min later and half of the top had fallen onto the bottom of the oven. At this point, I decided to give up on the pie and throw it away. I put on some oven mitts, grabbed the pie, and went to throw it in the sink.

Right before I got to the sink, the pie folded in and fell. Covered the sink, the counter, the cupboards, the floor, and the new Christmas socks I was wearing. I really wish I had a picture of our kitchen covered in cherry pie. So there ya go. This is the life of a newlywife.

In other news, my nieces and nephew's mom found out she is pregnant again, so I will be getting a fourth niece or nephew. And.... the guy that was the best man at our wedding proposed to his girlfriend at Christmas. So that was really exciting news!

Hope everyone reading had a wonderful holiday. I am off to find a dress to wear tomorrow night!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

It's almost Christmas, guys! I seriously love this time of year and just like a little kid, it feels like this week is taking forever. Our house is decorated, all my shopping and wrapping is done. Although the NewlyHusband's is not...he's out finishing right now. The in laws are here to spend Christmas with us and our house is currently full of cookies.

I really don't have much to say today, but just wanted to say a very Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope your holidays are amazing, full of friends, family, and food!

Shopping, Grades, and Breaking Up With Friends

2009-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

I shopped till I dropped yesterday. I went to the Town Center here, which is this huge outdoor mall. I shopped for about 4 hours! My shopping for the NewlyHusband is completely done now. I can't tell ya what I bought though, because the NewlyHusband makes his way over to this blog every once in a while. *Hi honey!* I think I may be done Christmas shopping altogether. It feels good. Now for all the wrapping. We also put our tree up last night and decorated.

Great news guys! (Not that anyone really cares but me, but it's my blog and I'm happy, so I shall post)- I got my grades for this past hellish semester. In my American Revolution and Constitution class, I got a B. In my Irish History class, I got a B+, and in my Modern China class and Global Environmental History class, I got A-'s. I'm sooo glad that semester is done and over with and so stoked that I got all A's and B's.

Now, as for breaking up with friends. Have you ever had this come up before? You have a friend that you used to be really close with, but for some reason, you're just not anymore. In all harsh honesty, you would be okay just not talking to them anymore. You don't want to catch up, you don't want to hang out, you certainly don't wish them ill or have any dislike toward them, you just don't click with them anymore. But the friendship just won't go away. Don't you wish you could just call them up and say "Ya know, we had some really great times together. It's not you, it's me, but I think we need to break up as friends. No hard feelings. I really hope you have a great life without me in it."

I have a "friend" like this in my life. We were really close for a while, but not so much anymore. The things he says and does kind of annoy me. I just don't see a need to keep up with each other anymore. I think we are in two very different points in our life.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you ever had a friend you wanted to break up with, not for any particular reason, just cuz you didn't want to be friends anymore? That sounds so kindergarten, I know. Are they still in your life or did you break up with them? Lemme know!

Christmas Break!

2009-12-14T07:08:00.001-08:00

So I know I promised to write my dream Christmas list on Friday. But Friday sucked and I had no time to blog as I was writing a 13 page paper all day. Seriously this last week seemed like one of the longest of my life. Researching and studying Monday-Wednesday. Two finals on Friday which consisted of a total of 3 essays and 5 short answers. Boy, was my hand hurting by the end of it all.

Buttt now I'm officially on Christmas Break! Woohoo! I have lots of planned blog posts coming up, so look for me to be much more blog active in the next few weeks. As for today, I am going to share an award I got from the fabulous Brittany over at Tales of a Southern Belle and her Beau. Her blog is one of those that I look forward to reading every day. Thanks Britt for the sweet award!

For this award, I am supposed to list 10 things that make me happy and then tag 10 blogs that make me smile.

So, 10 things that make me happy:

1. The NewlyHusband. I know, I know, how obvious. But it's true. My life would certainly be less amazing without him in it.

2. Great conversations. I love it when you get into a conversation with someone and neither of you can stop talking. There are no awkward silences, but plenty of "I know!"'s and "That is SO true!"'s cuz you are on the exact same page.

3. The Christmas season. The reason for the season, Jesus' birth, makes me incredibly happy. I also love the music, the shopping, the crisp air (something we don't always have here), the general hustle and bustle, the wrapping, the decorations, seeing the look on someone's face when they open a really great gift.

4. Keeping with that theme, New Years Eve. New Years Eve is my second favorite holiday. I love the celebration that comes with ending one year and beginning a new one. Celebrating memories from the past and goals from the future. And it has become even more special, since that was the night that the NewlyHusband proposed to me.

5. Game nights. Game nights are my fave, especially the ones that end with me on the floor laughing. Give me some snacks, a drink, fun friends, and a board game (or card game), and I am a happy camper.

6. Dinner. Dinner is my favorite time of the day. The NewlyHusband and I do not get much time together, but we make sure to have dinner together pretty much every single night. I start thinking about what's for dinner before I even eat lunch. If something gets in the way of my dinner plans, I get very dissapointed.

7. Blogging. It's not something I ever thought about doing or wanted to do until I read The Heir to Blair and and Live it Love it. These girls were my blogging inspiration and gave me hours upon hours (ok I lie, days upon days) of entertainment reading their archives. I now really enjoy putting my thoughts out there for others to see and enjoy the connections I've made.

8. Music. I work out better with my IPOD, I clean better with my IPOD. I need music to get me going. I need music in my car. And yes, I sing and jam along. I sing my heart out in the car, I dance in the shower. Music just makes me happy.

9. Church. I have not been since the middle of March, because I work every Sunday, and this kind of depresses me. I am so so excited that I can go to the 11pm Christmas Eve service. I cannot wait to be done with this job and start going every Sunday again.

10. Vacation. My favorite thing in the world is just getting away. I love the feeling of being away from home, experiencing new things, having no responsiblities, even if it's only for a few days. The feeling of being on a trip is a feeling that nothing else compares to.

I am going to be a rule breaker today and only tag 5 blogs, because I need to get my butt off the couch and get moving. Along with the 5 below, don't forget to check out the 3 great blogs mentioned above.

1. Carissa Jaded. Heeeee-larious! Her blog makes me laugh out loud daily. I love it.
2.It Starts With Us. I have only recently started following Nate's blog, since joining It Starts With Us, but I highly recommend it. It will make you think and if you like what you see, it's easy to join in!
3.More is Better. Another blog to make you literally LOL.
4. Not That Kind of Girl. This chick has some bravado and is a complete inspiration to get out there and try something new.
5.Strawberry Swing and Other Things. A newer blog with some yummy recipes and some even yummier fashions.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

2009-12-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

Only a hippopotamus will do...

Ok I don't really want a hippo for Christmas- they're violent, aren't they? When I was little, I wanted Shamu for Christmas. My mom told me we didn't have a big enough backyard...ahh the dissapointments we face as children. Anyways (yes I know there's not an s on "anyway" but that's how I like to say it), let's get to the point...My Christmas list! Lots of bloggers have posted their Christmas lists lately and who am I not to jump on the bandwagon? Today, I will post my realistic Christmas list. The stuff I actually want, ya know, in case anyone's paying attention. Tomorrow, I'll post my dream Christmas list (the stuff I'm not near spoiled enough for).

My Christmas List for 2009

Cashmere sweater from Kohls- they're on sale for 30 bucks people! And 100% cashmere. Score!

Knee high socks- I need socks to wear with my boots, so my boots don't rub against my legs. I like fun socks, not plain socks.

Scarves (Or is it scarfs? I never know)- It doesn't get too cold here in Florida, but I do need a scarf every once in a while and I only own one. This one from AE would do, but I'm not picky

A nice coat. I have one leather jacket for when it's really chilly and a bunch of hoodies. A nice pea coat would be fab, maybe this one from Aeropostale or something similar but a bit longer would be better.

A study guide for the PHR, which I plan on taking after graduation

A cookbook for beginners or for picky eaters.

And of course, gift cards so I can go shopping myself! My favorite part of after-Christmas is getting to go shopping with the gift cards I got for Christmas. I also like getting restaurant gift cards, so the NewlyHusband and I can go out to eat without feeling guilty.

It Starts With Us- My First Mission

2009-12-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

Go here to see my post on joining It Starts With Us.

The first mission I received was this:

Give someone a picture that you know they'll enjoy.

I was excited about this one. I knew this would be really easy for me, since we just got married and had really great professional pictures of some of our friends.

How I accomplished the mission:

I found professional pictures of 4 couples that came to our wedding and sent them to the couples through email.

Response/reaction to mission:

I knew that I would love to receive a professional picture of the NewlyHusband and I from someone, so I figured others would too. I got really great responses, such as "Thank you for thinking of us." "That was so sweet. "I love the picture." It made me feel good that something so small and easy to do put a smile on someone's face.

It also gave me the idea to frame some of the professional picures we have of my aunt and uncle, grandma and grandpa, etc and give them as Christmas gifts. A cheap, personal gift, that I think they will love.

So join in if you'd like. Give a picture to someone that you know they'll enjoy. It's quick, it's easy, and it may just brighten someone's day.

4 Months

2009-12-08T05:49:00.000-08:00

It's December 8th- the NewlyHusband and I have been married 4 months today. On November 8, I showed you all a glimpse of our fabulous honeymoon. So I decided to carry on the tradition and on each one of our monthiverssaries, show you a little part of our wedding or wedding events. Since I started at the end with the honeymoon, I decided to come back to the beginning today- the proposal.

The NewlyHusband proposed to me on December 31, 2008. For New Years Eve, him and I and my best friend and her husband went to the Comedy Zone to celebrate- they do an hour comedy show and then dancing till 1 am. I certainly was not expecting a proposal. The first slow slong to come on was Tiny Dancer by Elton John. So we went onto the dance floor and he started telling me that he loved me and how he wanted to marry me. And I'm like Yeah I want to marry you too one day. We've had the talk before, so I thought we were just talking casually about it again. Until...He got down on one knee in the middle of the dance floor!! I couldn't believe it. When he said "Will you marry me?" I said "Shut up!" Haha- I was just so shocked. I then nodded my head excitedly and ran off the dance floor and hugged my best friend.

It was just the absolute best night. People were congratulating us, the dj made an announcement, and since we didn't get a picture someone offered to take a re-enactment photo. So the NewlyHusband got down on one knee in the hallway outside of the bathrooms and we got a picture. We ran into a lady that worked there a couple months later and she said "Oh yeah! You're the ones who got engaged in front of the bathroom!" Poor NewlyHusband was all romantic and proposed in the middle of the dance floor and this lady thought he pulled out the ring for the first time in front of the freakin restrooms.

Pictures from that night for your viewing pleasure:

Beginning of the night

Re-enactment photo

NewlyHusband, Me, BFF's Hubby, and BFF

Coming up on our 5 monthaverssary: Professional Engagement Photos!

It Starts With Us

2009-12-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

If you are a member of 20SB, you probably got the email about their partnership with It Starts With Us. Because, ya know, I totally needed yet another website to join, I decided to join their A Team. Basically, the goal is to participate in small weekly missions to help people out, make a positive impact in people's lives and maybe make a difference. They email you a mission each week (that should take less than 15 minutes to complete). You do the mission and then you can discuss the impact in their forums and/or blog about it.

I will be starting a weekly post about whatever the week's mission is and how I accomplished it. I find myself being selfish more often than selfless and I believe this is at least a little something I can do to think about someone other than me. Join in if you'd like!

It's not a way to brag about doing something good. It's a way to bring attention and get people involved in doing something nice for others. Read more about It Starts With Us at the links above.

Christmas Spirit?

2009-12-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

Where is it? Do you have it? How bout you- do you? A lot of the bloggers I read have written posts lately about how they are just not in the Christmas spirit this year. I feel the same way. I've been listening to Christmas music, but it just feels wrong. I've worn Christmas socks. I've shopped (some) for Christmas presents. I even wrapped a present today and mailed it out to my Secret Santa (If any Nesties are reading this- yes I sent it out a day late, but it is out!)

But... still no spirit. When the NewlyHusband gets home tonight, we are going to watch Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Maybe that will help. We can't put up our tree until the 14th (when I will be on Christmas break). I'm sure that will help. And it has gotten a little cooler here, although I think it's 78 degrees (F) right now. It may just be that I am so concentrated on getting done with the semester that I have no room left for the holidays. Holiday shopping is the best thing to get me in the mood and although I've done a bit, I just really don't have the time. And I need a shopping buddy. Going by yourself just isn't as fun.

Are any of you feeling the Christmas spirit yet? What gets you in the mood for the holidays?

A Different Kind of Holiday

2009-11-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We spent Thanksgiving at the NewlyHusband's parent's house. I tried some new foods (which is a big deal for me!): squash casserole, cornbread dressing, and pumpkin pie. The power actually went out at 2 am on Thanksgiving morning! A car hit a power line and the electricity didn't come back on until about 10:30 am. The NewlyHusband and I enjoyed some time on the pier at the beach where his parents live while the power was out. We watched a bird that had taken a shrimp from a fisherman's bait bucket and just kept hopping around with this shrimp in his mouth. I think he was scared that if he put it down to eat it, another bird would snatch it. A rational fear, I think, since the other birds seemed to be following him pretty closely. We had dinner, watched some football and ice skating, and then went to see NewlyHusband's sister and niece for a bit. A very relaxing Thanksgiving.

On Friday, we went shopping (in the late morning- no way we were getting up at 3 am and fighting the crowds.) We went to Target where I got 2 pairs of gloves for $1.50 and the game Apples to Apples for 10 bucks. I've never played it before but heard it was a blast. We then went to the mall. I wanted to go to Old Navy to check out their 50% off outerwear sale, but man it was a madhouse in there. We picked up some Christmas gifts and we each got a new pair of shoes. I got these:

for 15 bucks! We drove home Friday late afternoon and crashed early after a quick stop at Kohls.

Poor NewlyHusband hasn't been feeling well since we got back. He has very bad allergies and his parents smoke in their house which really exaggerates his allergies. It was so nice to have a couple days off to spend with the NewlyHusband and his family. Now it's back to school. This week is my last week of classes and next week is finals. Sooo I better get busy!

But I'm Thankful Too

2009-11-25T06:15:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving (American Thanksgiving, that is, don't want to leave out you Canadians who already had yours!). I believe that everyday, we should all take a moment to think about what we're thankful for. I read something once that said we should be thankful for our pile of dirty laundry that needs to be washed because it means we have clothes and thankful for the weight we have gained, because it means we have food, etc. That is such a great way to think.

So, dear readers, some of the things that I am thankful for, both big and small:

that I found my faith in God a little over four years ago. If God is all you have, God is all you need.

my amazing husband. Read some of the reasons I love him here.

my family. Although we certainly have our flaws, there is lots of love there and to me that is most important.

my job. I complain a lot about working every weekend, but I am incredibly thankful that I am employed right now.

prescription sunglasses. I wear my sunglasses all.the.time. Even if it's cloudy- if they're not on my eyes, they're on my head. I feel weird and semi-naked when I don't have them.

I am thankful for many other things, but those are the ones that automatically came to my mind.

This will be the first year I have not had Thanksgiving with my mom. We are heading to the in laws. It will be different, but I am looking forward to spending the holiday with people that have taken me in and loved me as their own.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Tired

2009-11-24T16:23:00.000-08:00

I realize it's Thanksgiving week and there's some unspoken rule that we should all write about what we're thankful for. In an effort to not conform, I've decided to kind of do the opposite and write a post of the things I'm tired of. But no worries, I do have plenty of gratitude, so look for a post of things I'm thankful for tomorrow.

I'm tired of:

my pants being too tight
my neck being in constant pain
homework and studying
not speaking my mind
being afraid
working weekends
missing church
living on the westside
my vision getting worse
things breaking
not having enough time

What are you tired of?

Let's Catch Up, Shall We?

2009-11-19T12:23:00.001-08:00

I don't have much time, cuz I need to write a paper that's due tomorrow, but I just wanted to catch up with you all a bit. So, expect a bunch of randomness in this post.

-I went to Martini Fest Friday night with a couple girls. Martini Fest is an event here where you get a small martini glass and they have over 50 different booths, all with different types of martinis that you can sample. Best ones- American vodka and lemonade and one that was Bubblegum vodka, cranberry juice and gingerale. Yum! Worst one- caramel martini with chocolate sauce. Ick!

- I just registered for my last semester of college classes! WooHoo! That just feels amazing. My last semester will consist of these 4 classes: a seminar on the 1890's, Nazi Germany, Industrial Organizational Psychology, and the Sociology of Work. (Should be better than this semester which was Irish History, American Revolution/Constitution, Modern China, and Global Environmental History).

- I have 3 weeks left until the end of this semester. I cannot wait to have 3 weeks off of school. I'll probably be back to blogging every day then. I also plan on going to the gym Mon-Fri during Christmas break and painting some rooms in our house.

-Seriously guys, I'm not exaggerating when I say school is just wearing me out. Being a history major means lots and lots and lots of reading and writing. It is just very hard to keep up with. When I finish this blog, I need to read a chapter and a half in a book called The Belfast Diaries for my Irish History class and write a study guide for it, write a 5 page paper on the Okefenokee Swamp, and read something for my Environmental History class (I don't know what yet).

- We are going to a 1st birthday party for our friend's little girl on Saturday. We also have a housewarming party to go to. I took Saturday off so I can attend both, which I'm way excited about!

Sorry this wasn't the most interesting post! Bear with me, ya'll!

Posts Are Coming

2009-11-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Just wanted to write a quick post to let you know I do have some posts coming and that I haven't forgotten about my lovely blogosphere. I have just been feeling so overwhelmed lately and not really known how to deal with it. There's been lots of tears.

See ya soon!

Dinner, Shopping, and Dissapointment

2009-11-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

It's....Recap time! I don't get a weekend, so since the NewlyHusband was off for Veterans Day, Tues/Wed was kind of like my weekend.

Tuesday evening, we went to Bonefish for dinner to celebrate making it past 3 months of marriage. I know, I know, monthaverssary's are kinda dumb but we realize that a marriage takes work and darn it we want to celebrate being married and happy- we don't want to take that for granted. I shall now proceed to make your mouth water with what I had. I had a Bonefish Martini, which is vodka, champagne, and cranberry juice. It was tasty but man was it strong. Some of the sips felt like I was taking shots of straight vodka. We shared Bang Bang shrimp for an appetizer. Lemme tell you, I don't too much care for shrimp, but this is amazing! I wish I could describe the taste. The online menu describes it as "tender, crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce." For dinner, I had the Lily's chicken- chicken breast with lemon basil sauce and goat cheese- with a side of herbed jasmine rice. It was a really nice date night.

Wednesday, we got up somewhat early to drive to Orlando. We were going to check out Ikea. Have you guys ever been there? It is incredible. 309,00 square feet, 2 stories of homegood heaven. The whole top story is set up as showrooms. The closets...ohmygosh...the closets. I wanted to just move into the store. They also have a little cafe and a small Swedish grocery store in there. We spent 4 hours there. We didn't really go to buy anything though, just check it out. We did leave with 2 table lamps, a ceiling light for our kitchen, and an apron for me.

After Ikea, we decided to head down to CityWalk at Universal for a drink at Margaritaville. As soon as we started pulling in, I decided I wanted to actually go into the park and ride the rides. I put on my best pouting act, but it didn't work. Haha- we did decide we'll have to go back down there just to go to Universal and Islands of Adventure. I loovvvee roller coasters and I haven't been to Universal in at least 5 years. I had the Pomegranate margarita at Margaritaville though and it was fab! While there, I found a coat I liked at the Billabong store, but it was more expensive than I would have liked, so we decided to head to the Orlando outlet mall to see if I could find something cheaper.

Here is where the dissapointment part comes in- I always thought that outlet mall meant cheaper stuff. I thought it was last season or overstock or whatever. Yeah...turns out everything at the outlet store is the same price as in the regular store. What the heck is the point of having an outlet then? NewlyHusband got some new shoes at the Nike store, but after a while, my feet were hurting and we headed home.

It was a really nice way for the NewlyHusband and I to spend some time together and it was especially nice to get out of town, even if only for a day. I can't wait till we have weekends off together again. 5 and 1/2 months!

Blog Award!

2009-11-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

One of my absolute fave bloggers, Brittany at Tales of a Southern Belle and Her Beau gave me the Kreativ Blogger award. I would like to thank the Academy... No really thanks Britt! I feel special. And of course there's no such thing as a free lunch (or award as the case may be). So let's go over the rules, shall we?

1. List 7 things about myself others might not know.

2. Pass this award on to 7 other bloggers.

So, here goes. 7 things about moi:

1. I brush my teeth really hard...like so hard I actually broke a toothbrush in half while brushing one time. Oops!

2. Although I am usually very messy and disorganized (my car is always a mess, I tend to leave stuff out, let's just say I'm far from a neat freak), I keep my closet incredibly organized. It is seperated into tank tops, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeves, long sleeve, jackets, scrubs, skirts, and long shirts. I get annoyed if something is out of place.

3. I am an awful studier. I just don't like to study. Thankfully I am a very good test taker, so my grades don't suffer too much for it.

4. I really want to be a stay at home mom when The NewlyHusband and I have kids. It is important to me, however I know I will feel weird not bringing in money.

5. I love kittens and puppies. I miss my cat dearly (she lives with my mom cuz NewlyHusband is allergic.) Although I would love for us to be able to get one, part of me is glad NewlyHusband is allergic, cuz I like not having anything to take care of.

6. I am a crazy list maker. I make grocery lists, to do lists, lists of goals, lists of wants, pros and cons for decision making, etc etc. I tend to make these lists and then never look at them again. I am a list maker, not so much a list crosser outer.

7. I hate that I haven't gone to church since March because I have to work every Sunday. I miss it so much.

Alrighty then, there ya have it. Now time to give some other bloggers this nice award.

1. The Continuing Adventures of a Recreation Addict

2.Chelsea Talks Smack

3.Mrs Southern Belle

4.Menopausal New Mom

5.Vanessaings

6.How to Survive Life in the Suburbs
7.Chris and Danielle Lenz

If You're Happy and You Know It

2009-11-09T06:39:00.001-08:00

Vent, vent, vent. I feel like that's all I've been doing lately. I feel like I've been a Negative Nelly, so let's bring some rainbows and puppys to this blog. (Disclaimer: there will be no actual rainbows or puppies on today's blog post. Sorry to dissapoint.) 3 months ago today, the NewlyHusband and I were heading to Mexico for our honeymoon. I absolutely loved the place we went. It was complete perfection. We stayed at an all inclusive resort for 7 days and 6 nights. So behold- the fabuliciousness that was our honeymoon:

Zip lining

Swimming in a cenote

Rappelling

Beds on the beach

Beautiful sunrises

Mayan ruins

Snorkeling

Iguanas that roamed the resort

Swing bars (and I mean a bar with swings as seats, not a bar you go to to trade partners)

Carts with champagne and chopped fuit

Private dinner on the beach

I've got my magazine, my sunscreen, and my champagne ready to go relax on a beach bed. This was pure bliss.

This was the last thing I did right before we checked out: got a plate of chips and guac and a margarita and brought it to the beach bed. Perfect way to say goodbye to our honeymoon.

Hope you all enjoyed the pictures half as much as we enjoyed our honeymoon!

Be A Man (or Woman)

2009-11-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Warning: possibly offensive language in this post

What the fuck is wrong with people? Recent news both from my area and around the country

- 12 soldiers killed and many more wounded at Fort Hood. We thought we had to worry about our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan? Apparently, we have to worry about them on base too.

-7 year old Somer Thompson kidnapped and found dead in a landfill (I posted about this one a couple weeks ago.) It's not safe for our kids to walk home from school.

-Man shot while sitting on his porch. He was not the intended target. News article said he was at the "wrong place, wrong time." We can't even feel safe on our own front porch.

-2 young men stabbed to death outside a nightclub in what one would consider one of the safest parts of town.

-Father kills his 11 year old daughter and 16 year old son before killing himself. Him and his wife were going through a divorce. This is not the way to deal with your problems, dickhead.

-7 month old baby found in a box underneath a bed.

-5 teenagers set another teen on fire.

You have got to be kidding me. I am appalled that we have so many messed up people in this world. Because you have to be screwed up in the head in order to committ any of these crimes. If you have a problem, you need to stand up and be a man (or woman) and deal with it. These are not ways to deal with problems, people. I just.don't.get.it. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by these heinous crimes.

I Don't Belong

2009-11-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

in the South, that is. I know I've written about how much I love the north before, but please indulge me again.

I get why we are here. It's cheaper in the south in general plus taxes are much lower (no state tax at all- holla!) The NewlyHusband has a great job. Our families are close. But there is something in my heart telling me I belong up north.

Things I don't get/don't like about the South:

Typical Southern Food - Now don't get me wrong- I can down some fried chicken, but I'm talking more along the lines of grits and sweet tea. Ick

The Sun and the Sand- I am white people, like really pale white. I do not tan. I burn like a lobster. And yes, I did go to a Mexican beach resort for my honeymoon, but I stayed in the shade 90% of the time. The beach just isn't fun to me. I'd rather sit at the pool bar (in the shade of course!)

The intensity that surrounds college football- I mean I just don't get it. You didn't go to the school. Why do you care so much? And also why is it necessary to get dolled up in a dress and heels to tailgate and watch a game?

The North...oh the north. I miss it and want to live there, especially this time of year. It is only this week finally down into the 70's.

Things about the north that I love:

Apple picking and hay rides- that is the definition of fall for me

Boston Red Sox- It sucks not having a MLB team where we live. (And yes this is Wally in the backseat of my car on the way to the ALCS in Tampa)

And just in general (although this goes against what most would say), I have actually found people nicer (and less fake) up North than down here.

I realize these are dumb and irrational reasons, but like I said it's more of a feeling than anything else. And I realize I have it kinda good down here, so I'm not trying to complain (too much!) And to remedy this feeling, I have decided that we should take a trip somewhere up north every fall so I can get my fall in and not drive the NewlyHusband crazy with my complaining about the south. Any ideas on where we should go?

Oh and ps, my hubby is a born, bred, and raised Southerner, so I still love you southerners. :)

Shoe Envy

2009-10-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

The older I get, the more I love shoes. I used to be ok with one sneaker, one flip flop, one brown dress shoe, and one black dress shoe. But now...oh I how I desire to go shoe shopping. I do live in Florida, so I'm mostly a flip flop gal. I have multiple pairs of flip flops. I have my one pair of sneakers that I wear to work, and a few heels but nothing too fancy. I realize I don't need fancy shoes right now as I wouldn't really have anywhere to wear them, but I still lust after them. So I thought I'd share with you some of the shoes I've seen lately that I want and maybe you can lust with me.

First of all, I have been on the hunt for boots lately as it does get a little chilly here in the winter.

Here's the pair I just bought:

I really need a brown pair of boots but haven't found any that don't look too much like cowboy boots.

Heels that I will never buy, but love:

And flats that I want, but for some reason this kind of shoe never stays on my foot:

Ahhh...a girl can dream, right?

Us

2009-10-27T03:43:00.000-07:00

Because school is kicking my butt, as mentioned in my previous post, and is truly the only thing going on in my life right now, and I'm sure you don't want to read a post about my classes, I've decided to do a little questionnare about me and the NewlyHusband. Cuz you know you guys are just dying to know more about us. I got this from The Tale of a Southern Belle.

1. What are your middle names?

Mine is Jo and I can't tell you his cuz even people in his real life don't know it. It took him months to tell me.

2. How long have you been together?

Married for 2 1/2 months, It's been a little over 2 years since we became boyfriend and girlfriend, and a little over 3 years since we were practically dating but without the titles. It was complicated.

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating?

A little over a year

4. Who asked who out?

Like I said, the whole "dating" process was complicated, so it's not like either one of us asked the other on a date. As for being in a relationship, he asked me to be his girlfriend by saying "If you want the title, you can have it." Haha it really was more sweet than it sounds, and he did a much better job of asking me to be his wife.

5. How old are each of you?

I am 24. He is 37.

6. Did you go to the same school?

Nope

7. Are you from the same home town?

Negative

8. Who is the smartest?

I'd say we're both about the same

9. Who majored in what?

He majored in Finance with a minor in History.

I am majoring in History with a minor in Psychology.

10. Who is the most sensitive?

Him

11.Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

Boston or Mexico or the Bahamas. I'm amazingly bad at geography, so I actually don't know which one would be furthest from us.

12. Who has the worst temper?

In the past, I may have said him. But actually maybe me.

13. How many children do you want?

1 or 2. But not yet!

14. Who does the cooking?

We both do. He usually cooks on the weekends or the days I have later classes. I usually cook on the my days off.

15. Who is more social?

Oh definitely him. I am very social if I am with people I know very well. But put me with people I don't know and the quietness comes out. He's the kind of guy who will sit down next do you and know your whole life story by the time we leave. It's one of the things I love about him and that balances out my more antisocialness.

16. Who is the neat freak?

Neither one of us, but him more than me. I am sooo not a neat freak.

17. Who is the most stubborn?

Neither one of is is really stubborn.

18. Who wakes up earlier?

Definitely me. I try to get up around 6 on weekdays to do homework and I have to get up at 430 on weekends for work.

19. Where was your first date?

We never really had one. The first place we went together was the poker room and Chilis, but it was more as friends.

20. Who has the bigger family?

Me for sure. Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family is usually about 15 people. His is 6 at the most.

21. Do you get flowers often?

No. I got them more when I had an office he could deliver them to, which makes sense. So maybe when I graduate and get a real job, they'll make an appearance again. Not a big deal though.

22. How do you spend the holidays?

Well before we got married, we would spend Thanksgiving apart, with our own individual families. Christmas, we would spend the day apart with our individual families and then have our Christmas together on Christmas Evening. New Years, we like to spend at the Comedy Zone (where he proposed last year!)

This year will be strange. We will spend Thanksgiving with his parents, then possibly have an after Thanksgiving dinner on Monday with my family. Christmas- his parents are spending at our house so they will probably come to my family's Christmas night for dinner. New Years- I have to be up at 430am to work New Years Day, but we'll probably still do the Comedy Zone.

23. Who is more jealous?

Neither of us is too jealous, but probably me more so than him.

24. How long did it take to serious?

A year and a half or so

25. Who eats more?

We eat about the same

26. What do you do for a living?

He is an auditor. I am a college student, working part time at the moment.

27. Who does the laundry?

Whoever has time

28. Who's better with the computer?

Him I guess. We usually just call someone else when we have a problem.

29. Who drives when you are together?

Usually him.

30. What is your song?

The song we danced to at our wedding was You Move Me by Garth Brooks

And a wedding picture to finish this off, because well I'm an attention whore like that.

Right after we were pronounced man and wife

At the end of the reception

I've Been Lurking (and Blog Award!)

2009-10-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

I have been a bad blogger lately....a total blog lurker. I haven't posted in a few days and I've been reading my Google Reader but not really commenting. I apologize for that. School has been kicking my butt lately and although it will probably continue to kick my butt until December 11 (my last final this semester), I will try to be better. So anyway, now that I have gotten that out...

The absolutely fabulous Brittany tagged me with the Tag You're It award. Thanks Britt!

The rules:

1. Answer with 5 answers.

2. Tag 5 friends.

1). What were you doing 10 years ago?

a. I was a freshman in high school

b. I was dated a guy named Jon for 3 months

c. Hanging out with my best friend at the time, Cortney

d. I had my first real kiss on the bleachers at the Homecoming Game

e. I painted my face and colored my hair for high school football games

2). What 5 things are on your to-do list for today

a. Write a blog (ha almost done with this one already)

b. Get a pedicure

c. Finish reading "The Burning of Bridget Cleary" for a test I have tomorrow.

d. Cook something good for dinner

e. Go to Target for ziplock bags, water, Rock Stars, and taco flavored pizza rolls

3). Snacks you enjoy

a. Fruit snacks, like the shark kind

b. Cookies

c. Ice Cream

d. Chips and salsa or cheese dip

e. Apples

4). Places You've Lived

a. Florida

b. South Carolina

c. Virginia

d. New York (upstate, not city)

e. Arizona

5). What are 5 Things you would do if you were a billionaire?

a. Travel

b. Buy a fab house

c. Be able to buy all the clothes and shoes I can't afford now

d. Donate to charity

e. Make sure mine and the Newly Husband's families were taken care of.

Oops! I almost forgot to nominate 5 people:

1. Just A Titch

2. Caramel Covered Photographs

3. Dara On The Hunt

4. Michelle's Diary

5. How to Survive Life in the Suburbs

Missing Girl

2009-10-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

What in the world is wrong with people? There is a seven year old girl missing in my town. They believe she was abducted walking home from school on Monday. My heart breaks for her and her family. I really have no words, but I wanted to put this out there for all to see.

Amber Alert

Update: They found a child's body, but are not positive it is Somer's.

Update 2: They are now saying it was a little girl's body they found in a landfill. Although they have not come out with a positive id, they have changed this from a search and rescue to a criminal investigation.

How does this happen? You are walking home from school Monday and they find you in a landfill Wednesday. What kind of horrible person could do something like this?

Last Update: They did ID the body as Somer Thompson. Horrible.

The Newly Husband

2009-10-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

Warning: This is going to be a sappy post. It will contain information on why I love my husband. If it's not something you want to read, it's all good.

Last night, something happened that really showed me why I married the man I did. I always go to bed earlier than the Newly Husband. Our sleep schedules are just different. I get whiny if I'm not in bed by 10. He can't fall asleep earlier than 1 am. So last night, I was incredibly tired (as I always am on Sunday nights) and went to bed. I laid in bed for a bit, frustrated that I was sleepy but couldn't fall asleep. I shuffled out into the living room and told the Newly Husband why I was frustrated. He had his laptop on his lap. As soon as I told him what was up, he put the laptop on the ground, opened up his arms to me, and let me fall asleep on his lap. He didn't even hesitate in stopping what he was doing (fantasy football I'm sure) and opening himself up to his wife.

I know this may seem small, but it is the daily small things that make me realize how blessed I am to be married to him. When I come home from a 12 hour day at work, he has a glass of wine poured for me and dinner on the stove. When I have a lot of homework, he cooks, cleans, and even offers to go to the grocery store. This man takes care of me in so many different ways.

He is hilarious. No one knows the total goofiness of my husband but me and I love it. I love that he dances and sings songs about mowing the grass.

If we have a day off together (very rare), he appreciates it and makes sure we do something fun.

He asks what I want and looks out for my needs before his own and I hope that I do the same for him. We were once told that a relationship cannot be 50/50. It has to be 100/100 and he gives 100%.

He hands over the remote, even during Monday Night Football (yaknow, as long as the Jags aren't playing).

Although he does a great job showing me he loves me, he also tells me he loves me. Sometimes I need to hear the words.

He gobbles up the dinner I make and tells me how good it is, because he knows I'm insecure about my cooking skills.

He makes me feel sexy on days I feel nothing but ugly.

He is a big brother to my little sister, who needs a good male influence in her life. This is so precious to me.

He goes to my family gatherings even when I have to work and can't make it. On the same note, he encourages to me to go to things his friends are doing, even when he is out of town.

He talks about me when I'm not around. Sometimes this one makes me nervous, but it makes me feel good that he is proud enough to have me as his wife that he wants to tell strangers at the poker table about me.

He has his guy time and wants me to have my girl time.

Although I moved into his house, he works hard to make sure that I feel like it's my home too.

I know this may seem like nothing to the people reading this, but to me it means so much. I went through relationships that weren't right for me and breakups that I thought broke my heart, but I truly feel that we learn what we need to learn in those wrong relationships so that we can be the right person in the right relationship.

Procrastination Will Be the Death of Me

2009-10-15T08:32:00.001-07:00

I would place a bet that I could win "Biggest Procrastinator in the USA." Seriously, it is quite sad. It is a big flaw of mine and something I am not proud of. I can waste a whole day on the computer, even though I tell myself I won't. The Knot, The Nest, Facebook, blogs, email... It's bad. Is there therapy for procrastination? If so, I'm there. Every day I tell myself "Today will be the day that I am productive and do not procrastinate." Every day it doesn't happen. I found a quote that says "What I do with today is very important because I am trading a day of my life for it." I can't remember where I got it, so if I stole it from you let me know and I'll give you credit. That spoke to me. But still...I can't seem to stop. I hate myself for it. I know that no one can help me but myself, so I don't know why I'm blabbing about this on the blog. Maybe it helps to just write it out.

And so I leave you with these:

Reality Stars That I Hate

2009-10-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Look, I don't hate anybody in real life. Sure there are people who annoy the hell out of me and people who I have no desire to hang out with or even come into contact with ever, but there is no hate in this heart. There are, however, three reality tv "stars" that I feel this hatred towards. Maybe it's easy to take out aggression on these people who insist on aggravating me on my television set. Maybe these people just shouldn't exist (no really that may be too harsh). And yes, I know that I make the choice to watch these reality shows and that I could turn them off if I wanted to.

So, here goes: my top 3 hated reality tv "stars"

Number 3- Natalie from last season's Big Brother. This chick was awful- she was incredibly annoying, slept in the HOH room every week even though it took her until the end to actually win HOH, thought she was better than everybody. And the kicker- the episode where her boyfriend showed up and proposed. She showed no excitement and then lied about it even happening. She was 10 times more excited to win HOH than to accept the marriage proposal. Thank goodness she didn't win. The hate has died down now that I am not watching her three times a week.

Number 2- Heidi and Spencer Pratt from The Hills. I was going to just sat Spencer, because he is the world's biggest douche, but Heidi too because she puts up with it. The Hills is the show I watch when I've already watched all the other On Demand shows that I watch and there isn't much else that interests me. We could probably write a whole blog on the dickhead things Spencer has done, but how bout just the most recent? When he and Heidi were house shopping, he brought her to a house to look at. She said she didn't like it, but there were some aspects she liked. He said "Good. Cuz I already put an offer in." Dude bought a freaking house without talking to his wife about it first. My husband would be hurtin if he did this. Last episode, Spencer kicked a little kid out of their house that Heidi was watching and playing with, telling the kid to "say goodbye forever." My hate for him really does continue on to her though, because she married him and she puts up with all he does. She deserves the crappy marriage.

Number 1- And most fresh in my mind, Tracy from this season's Biggest Loser. How the hell does she keep winning challenges and controlling the game? That's gotta be the devil's work or something. She screws everyone over every episode, is a complete liar, and an annoying crybaby. I almost threw the remote at the tv last night when they didn't send her home. And now I dislike the whole blue time, because with all their whining and bitching about Tracy, they still didn't send her home. They also deserve everything they get. If I ran into her in the street, it would take a lot of self control not to punch her.

And yes, I do realize I am a complete loser for writing a whole post on reality tv.

The Good and the Bad

2009-10-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend and it was a sad weekend. And today is shaping up to be a frustrating day. Let me explain.

I went to a surprise birthday party on Saturday night. Now, I have to leave my house at 6am every Saturday and Sunday for work, so as you can imagine, I usually don't go out Friday or Saturday night. And I wasn't planning on it Saturday. But some friends called and I couldn't turn it down. The NewlyHusband was out of town golfing and it was his friend's surprise party, so I figured I better represent for us. It was a blast! I stayed till midnight, which I know doesn't sound that late, but is for this chick that likes to get her sleep before work. Here's the birthday boy's shirt.

Monday was Columbus Day and since the NewlyHusband is lucky enough to work in a financial institution, we had a day off together. We did a tour and tasting at San Sebastian Winery. Always wonderful to have a day off with the hubby!

Now on to the not so good. First of all, the reason I am home writing this blog post right now instead of in class where I should be is because my car battery is dead. I was running late as usual this morning, ran out to my car thinking if I hurry I can make it to class on time, stuck the key in the ignition, and got that awful sound that is the car saying "Idiot. You left your trunk open, which means the inside light was on all night long. So, yeah, I'm not starting up for you today." There is no one around to jump my car, so I will probably be missing all 3 of my classes today. Not good. 2 will be handing back midterms and they all take roll.

And on to the worst part of the weekend. We were pretty slow at work on Sunday, so I was able to catch most of the Red Sox game. They scored more runs in the first 3 innings than they had in the last 2 games comined, so I was hopeful. They put Pap in in the 8th, so I'm thinking "We got this. We're in it for at least one more game." Andddd I don't know what happened. Papelbon was not all there. And so, my beloved Sox got swept by the Angels. And now I need to root for those Angels to beat the Yankees. Until next season, Sox. See ya in Spring Training.

More Things That Frustrate Me

2009-10-09T13:00:00.001-07:00

I promise ya'll I am a positive person. I like to see the glass half (or more) full. I like to take something negative and find the good in it. However, I am using today to tell you about more things that irk me.

1. The shuttle bus drivers on campus- Really dude- you do know that you have a shuttle crammed full of college students? Half us are standing up, bag full of books on shoulder, one hand grasping the little rope thingy that hangs down. Yet you feel the need to slam on your brakes every 30 seconds. And when pulling out from the stop, is it really necessary to start going, slam on the brakes to pick someone up you see walking, start going, slam on the brakes again for someone else. Just go damn it. I am trying not to vomit because of your shitty driving. And getting thrown back and forth is not helping matters. Just because we are stuffed onto this bus, it does not mean that we don't fly when you hit the brakes. K Thanks.

2. Fake wedding websites for tv characters- I love The Office, I do. And I truly enjoyed the Pam and Jim wedding episode. It was great. But I have some breaking news for you (please don't cry, it will be ok)... Pam and Jim are NOT REAL PEOPLE. They are characters played by actors. So do they really need a wedding website with registries, location info, pictures, and a guest book? People go on to this site and sign their guestbook, saying things like "Congrats! So happy for you guys." I don't watch Grey's Anatomy, but the chick on there that got married had a wedding website too. Seriously, past the age of 8, should I really have to be telling you that the people on tv aren't real?

Those are the main two things annoying me lately. The NewlyHusband is going on a golf trip tonight, so I have a frozen pizza, a Hersheys dark chocolate bar, and a yet to be determined chick flick planned for tonight. Ahhh...

The Heat

2009-10-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Seriously, it is fall. It is October 8th. It is 92 degrees. What the hell?

My Google Reader

2009-10-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Since I am new to this whole blogosphere, I am constantly adding to my Google Reader. I love finding new, fun blogs to read. And I'm sure that you all love finding new blogs to read also. So I have decided to devote this post to the blogs I have in my reader and hopefully give you some new reads (Oh! Don't leave here though, k? K.) I couldn't put all of them in here, so I picked just 12. Hope you enjoy!

1. Live It, Love It Who doesn't have LiLu in their reader? Seriously, almost every blog I've clicked on has this blog on their blogroll. She can be counted on to post daily throughout the week, so you never have to go too long without her. She is hilarious and seems like the kind of girl everyone wants to be friends with. She does a special called TMI Thursdays, which you absolutely have to check out. It has become a phenomenon in the blogosphere and many other bloggers play along. This is the girl who inspired me to blog.

2. The Heir to Blair The Heir to Blair is the only blog other than Live It, Love It that I have actually read all the archives on. It is a pregnancy blog and she actually just passed her due date, so the little one should be here any day now. I promise this is the funniest pregnancy blog you will ever read. She is extremely witty and just, well, fabulous. She balances the funny with the sincere in a way that makes you want to read more.

3. Just A Titch I was drawn to this blog initially because my old roomie calls me Titch. I've stuck around cuz there is something about Amy that is just very readable and relatable. She is a teacher, which leads to some really funny stories. She blogs about herself and her life and is another one of those gals that just by reading, you could see yourself being friends with. Her blog posts almost always make me laugh.

4. Caramel Covered Photographs. I have only recently found this blog and I love it. She is such a sweetie, and a lot of time when she posts something, I think "Me too!"

5. 2 Dogs and a Blog Kari is a newlywed, like me, blogging about her life. Just a very real blog andplusalso she posts Recipe Tuesdays. Yum! Her most recent is a hot chicken casserole that I may have to try to make next week.

6. A Lion Inside Me Among other things, Sessa posts about her adventures in journalism school. I'll just say that I don't think I could ever do it. Lots of laughs.

7. Dara on the Hunt Dara was posting about her job search and the interesting happenings that come with it. She did get a job though, so I'm interested to see what direction her blog goes in now. She's a lot of fun.

8. Middle Aged Waitress If you have ever served in a restaurant before, you have to check out this blog. I'm sure you will relate. Oh it makes me so so happy I'm out of restaurants.

9. Not That Kind of Girl Not That Kind of Girl moved to Boston from Cali and is blogging about doing things that she would usually not do. If you haven't checked her out yet, I highly recommend it.

10. Tales of a Southern Belle and Her Beau I kinda feel like Brittany and I are blog buddies. Is that weird? Probably. Such a nice girl and I really enjoy her blog.

11. The Other 98 Cents KC blogs about the crazy goings ons in celebrity gossip, etc. She seriously cracks me up, and most of the time I totally agree with her.

12. Vanessaings Vanessa ties the majority of her blog posts to songs and I have found a few great new songs through her blog.

For other great reads (cuz I'm a cheater like that), check out My Husband is Annoying, Lemmonex's Out of the Frying Pan and into the Mire, The Pilgrim Congress, Reinventing Sandy B, and Shopaholic Social Worker

I've Been Tagged! Guilty or Innocent

2009-10-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Michelle of Michelle's Diary tagged me in this Guilty or Innocent post. Thanks Michelle!

Here are the rules:

1. You can only say Guilty or Innocent.

2. You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks! (So leave a comment if you have a question.)

3. Copy and paste this into your notes , delete mine and type in your answers and tag your friends to answer this.

Have you:

Asked someone to marry you? Innocent

Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Guilty

Danced on a table in a bar? Guilty

Ever told a lie? Guilty

Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty

Kissed a picture? Guilty

Slept in until 5 PM? Innocent

Fallen asleep at work/school? Innocent

Held a snake? Innocent

Been suspended from school? Innocent

Worked at a fast food restaurant? Guilty

Stolen from a store? Innocent

Been fired from a job? Guilty

Done something you regret? Guilty

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Innocent

Caught a snowflake on your tongue?Guilty

Kissed in the rain? Guilty

Sat on a roof top? Guilty

Kissed someone you shouldn't? Guilty

Sang in the shower? Guilty

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Innocent

Shaved your head? Innocent

Had a boxing membership? Innocent

Made a girlfriend cry? Innocent

Been in a band? Innocent

Shot a gun? Innocent

Donated Blood? Innocent

Eaten alligator meat? Guilty

Eaten cheesecake? Guilty

Still love someone you shouldn't? Innocent

Have/had a tattoo? Guilty

Liked someone, but will never tell who? Innocent

Been too honest? Guilty

Ruined a surprise? Guilty

Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterwards? Guilty

Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty

Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Guilty

Joined a pageant? Innocent

Had communication with your ex? Guilty

Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Innocent

Got so angry that you cried so hard? Guilty

I'm tagging just a few blogs that I think would enjoy this and that I think you all would enjoy reading!

Caramel Covered Photographs

Shopaholic Social Worker

A Southern Belle and Her Beau

The Wino and I Know

2009-10-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I stole the title of my post today from a Jimmy Buffett song.

My little sister turns 21 today! Wow. I feel a tiny bit old because of that. We are going out as a family tonight for Mexican to celebrate (yum!) The NewlyHusband and I got her an ABC Liquor gift card. I got one of those when I turned 21 and it was one of my favorite gifts. You know, we all drink before we turn 21 (oh you didn't? Uhh...yeah me neither- nope not a sip of alcohol till my 21st...ha actually I think I drank more when I was 19 and 20 then when I was 21), but it's fun to be able to actually buy something from the liquor store after you turn 21. I am excited for her, but yeah, if you live in North Florida, just watch your back on the road. Haha.

So, I know you're all dying with curiosity as to what the NewlyHusband and I did with our rare day off together. Yeah, don't lie. You were at your computer, checking your reader every 5 minutes- what did Tara do on Saturday...oh I can't stand the suspense- post Tara post!
Well, I'm here to tell ya. We spent our wedding gift cards and went to Total Wine. Our experience at Total Wine:
We pull up into the parking lot and see all these people with grocery carts. The NewlyHusband and I scoff and converse about what lushes these people must be to need a grocery cart in a store that carries nothing but alcohol. So we walk in and look around in awe, start checking out the wine.... we made it about 2 aisles into the store when the NewlyHusband turns around, walks out, and comes back with a cart. We left Total Wine with 8 bottles of wine, a 4 pack of a new kind of Sam Adams and a 6 pack of Woodchuck raspberry cider.

So the in laws just left and I have lots of studying to do for a midterm tomorrow and another midterm Thursday. Hope everyone has a good Monday!

A Day Off

2009-10-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

I work every Saturday and Sunday. The NewlyHusband works Mon-Fri. So we never have a full day off together. Well, we are going to a wedding tonight, so we actually have a Saturday off together. I'm so excited! Now I feel like there is pressure to make sure we do something with the day. Choices:

-Go to Home Depot to look at carpet and tile for the house

-Go to Total Wine (we've never been and I hear it's huge with any kind of beer and wine and liquor you could want). If we go there, we will probably eat at one of the restaurants in the Town Center that Total Wine is in.

-Spend our gift cards that we got for the wedding.

-Go to a museum that we have a BOGO coupon for.

-Mini golf

-Go see a movie

No matter what we do, I don't want to spend the day in the house. Sometimes I wish we lived in a city where there was more to do. We don't have like a "downtown" area where people go to hang out. Our downtown is somewhat scary and there is one area called The Landing that is on the river, but it's basically a couple shops and a few restaurants. Really not much there.

This will be the first wedding we've gone to since we got married, so it should be interesting. Oh and the inlaws are here!

I realize this post is random nothingness. I seem to come up with good blog ideas in the shower or in bed and then forget them by the time I get around to writing. So, to at least give you something good, I did finally make the banana bread I've been talking (writing) about. It freaking rocked.

We have eaten it for breakfast and dessert every day since I made it. Here's the recipe- and as always it's super easy. I'll make you a deal right now that I won't put any recipe on here that is not dummy proof.

Banana Bread

Taken from Cooks.com Never Fail Easy Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup crushed bananas (this amounts to 3 bananas)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

3 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, adding bananas and melted butter last. Put in a greased loaf pan that has been sprinkled with sugar. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

TV

2009-09-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Ok I admit it...I am quite the tv whore. I'm not lazy, I promise! Ok...maybe a little...sometimes.

So, because you obviously care about what I do in my downtime, and because I don't have anything better to write today, here are the shows I watch regularly:

Big Brother-The season has ended, but I am excitedly looking forward to next. I have watched almost every season of this show and can't get enough. If I went on any reality show, this would be the one.

Project Runway-This is only maybe the second season I've really gotten into, but I am enjoying it. I could never be a clothing designer. And hello- they made clothes out of newspaper- woah!

Drop Dead Diva- New show on Lifetime that I absolutely love!

How I Met Your Mother- Hi-larious! Last season was the first I had ever watched and I love it.

What Not to Wear- I would love for Stacy and Clinton to go through my closet and tell me what they think and then give me $5000 bucks to spend on new clothes. Heaven, I tell ya, heaven.

CSI/CSI Miami/CSI New York/NCIS/NCIS LA/Numbers- I group these all together because these are the On Demand shows that the NewlyHusband and I watch when we eat dinner. Sometimes, I wonder why the hell we watch these while we are eating.

The Biggest Loser- If you can watch this and not cry, you have no heart. Seriously, I cry every episode.

If I'm bored and there is nothing else on, I just find other On Demand shows (I don't like commercials), like Psych, 18 Kids and Counting, The Little Couple, Little People Big World, etc.

So...wow...this post makes it seem like I spend all day every day watching tv. I don't- I spend much more time on the internet...hmm and that statement made me seem like a 50 year old fat bald guy typing from his mother's basement...promise I'm not that either.

Well, guess I better shut off the tv, get off the internet, and actually do something. Homework or bake banana bread- hmmm.

I Cooked Yesterday!

2009-09-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've said it before on this blog...cooking has never been my thing. However, it is my goal to learn to cook different meals now that I am married. My family will tell you that if it comes in a box with directions on the back I can make it. Past that, uhh...get the number for Pizza Hut ready.

Well last night, I cooked without a recipe. I mean I looked around the internet to figure out how long and on what temp I needed to cook, but this was a big deal for me. And if any of you "foodies" out there are reading, yes I realize I am not a gourmet cook. But I don't blog these recipes for gourmet cooks. I blog them for kitchen newbies like me, who may have no clue what they are doing. So if that's you, enjoy! We sure did.

Oh and I forgot to take a picture. Oops!

Tasty Baked Chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt about three tablespoons of butter (I used margarine cuz we never have butter in our house.)

Coat boneless skinless chicken breasts in melted butter ( I had 3 chicken breasts.)

Place on cookie sheet and cover the side that is facing up in salt, pepper, and all purpose seasoning.

Cook for 15 min.

Turn chicken over and cover that side with salt, pepper, and all purpose seasoning.

Cook another 15 min.

And there ya go- super easy and it was so flavorful. I served it with low fat Velveeta Shells and Cheese (not recommended- the shells were not flavorful at all.)

Rants

2009-09-28T04:47:00.001-07:00

Things that I feel like bitching about:

Rant 1: Idiots who want sympathy I'll be honest. I feel guilty about this rant, but it's been bugging me for a bit now. I get annoyed when people that are idiots ask for my sympathy. This is the part where it may offend some people and I'm sorry. Couple of cases in point: Read on the local news the other day that a pregnant 19 year old (who already had a 9 month old child) was riding in the bed of a pickup truck. The truck got into some sort of an accident, she was thrown from the bed, and her and her unborn child are dead. Is this a sad story? Yes, very sad- it's sad for the baby that will never be, it's sad for the 9 month old who is now without a mother, it is sad for this girl's family. However...she was pregnant and riding in the bed of a truck. I know we may all have rode in the bed of a truck at one point or another and I know we all probably realize it's a dumb move cuz your ass is most likely grass if that truck is in an accident or hell even if it has to hit on the brakes. But this woman should have been thinking about her baby. If you are pregnant, you should be acting more responsible because you have not only yourself to worry about but also that baby in your belly. So...do I want to give this woman my sympathy? No- she was being an idiot. Second case in point, a girl asking for prayers for her friend who was...get this...trying to roll a truck and took off his seatbelt in the process. And, can you believe it, he ended up in the hospital. Uh hello, DUH. Will I pray for the guy to recover? Of course. Do I feel for the guy? No, I don't. He was straight up asking for it.

Rant 2: Dear Metabolism, Why did you trick me in my youth? You were so fast. I could eat anything that I wanted, never lift a finger, and not gain a pound. I'm only 24 and you're slowing down already? I actually have to work hard to keep myself in shape. I get that most people have to work to keep their weight down and I'm ok with that, but it's not something I've ever had to do before so it's taking some getting used to. I love good food. Ask the NewlyHusband, dinner is my favorite time of the day and I get grouchy if I don't have a good one. And, ya know, I enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two or three after a bad day or when I'm celebrating something or when I go out or with dinner. Are these things I'm going to have to cut back on? Oh you evil evil thing metabolism, you.

Rant 3: Hate crimes- This one is more serious. But I don't get and will never get why one person thinks they have the right to take the life of another person, just because of who that person is. You know watch, scratch "hate crimes" and put in "violence in general." Why does one human being believe they have the right to hurt/kill another human being? If anyone has the answer to this, please let me know.

Rant 4: Celebrity gossip- Now I'm ok with a certain amount of celebrity gossip and I get that it is a lot of people's guilty pleasure. Hell we're human and we like insight into other people's lives, hence why we read other people's blogs and why we watch reality tv. But there are two kinds I despise. 1- Anything having to do with Speidi. The only good thing about Speidi is that "Speidi" sounds like a nickname you would give your pet tarantuala. I find spiders gross and annoying and I find Heidi and Spencer gross and annoying. Perfect nickname. But c'mon, these people need to get the hell out of the spotlight. There is nothing special about them. They both love drama and they certainly belong together. 2-Celebrity gossip that is pointless and hurtful. The best example of this was when TMZ did a report that Katie Holmes had a cold sore and had pictures of her with it. So the fuck what? People get cold sores- cold sores are usually NOT an STD, a lot of times people have gotten them since they were younger, and things such as stress, cold, and heat can bring them out. Why is that something to report on and make fun of? I felt so bad for the girl. This kind of celebrity gossip is messed up.

I'm sure I could think of many more things to vent about, but let's save those for another day. I'm thinking of making banana bread for the first time later on, so be on the lookout for a post about that debacle, uh I mean, fabulous recipe.

It's...Recipe Time!

2009-09-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

If you read my first post, you know that my specialty in the chicken before getting married was chicken nuggets and tator tots. And yes I mean the kind that is frozen in a bag, you stick in the oven, and wallah! yummy dinner. A close second was hot dogs and macaroni, made so special by the extra slice of cheese I always put in.

Well, one of my goals after becoming a wife was learning to cook for my husband (and myself of course). I knew we needed to eat better and I knew we needed to eat at home more. Also, when we have kids, I want them to know what a home cooked meal is. Because when I was a kid...hot dogs and macaroni was a home cooked meal.

So I have decided to share with you all when I try to make something new. I will let you know what it was, how it turned out, any freak outs I had in the kitchen, and of course share the recipe. I will even include a picture of the final product (if you promise not to laugh-ha who am I kidding?)

Today, I am going to start off with the one thing I learned to cook before getting married. It is my go to recipe when we have people over for dinner, because it's easy and it's tasty every time. I figured I'd start you off with something that actually turned out good, so maybe you'll stick around to see the ones that didn't.

Baked Ziti

This recipe came from the "Best of the Best 500 Fast and Fabulous Five Star 5 Ingredient Recipes" book by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley. They call it S'ghetti Bake, but I call it Baked Ziti cuz that's pretty much what it is.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 (8oz) pkg mostaccioli pasta, cooked

1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (8oz) pkg shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Brown ground beef. Then drain. Stir in cooked pasta, spaghetti sauce, and parmesan cheese. Pour into a 9x13 in casserole dish. Top with mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 20 min. Serves 8.

FYI's:

-Putting more mozzarella cheese on never hurt anybody. I say the more cheese the better.

-I always use the store brand original spaghetti sauce. Obviously, you can use whatever you want.

-They say it serves 8. I say it serves 6.

-I always serve it with garlic bread.

This is so so good. It's great to make when you have people over, cuz you can do all the pre-cooking before they get there, stick it in the oven, and then you can hang out with them while you wait for it to cook. Plus for a newbie cook like me, the only things you have to do at the same time are cook the pasta and the ground beef, which is wonderful for lessening the kitchen break downs.

Enjoy!

*Edit- I am so not blog savvy yet. I tried to put spaces between each section underneath Baked Ziti, but for some reason it is making it one big block. I apologize for that- I like everything broken up.

I Went and Did It

2009-09-21T13:21:00.001-07:00

Don't mind the bathroom mirror picture taking. Newly Husband wanted me to send him a picture of it and this was the best I could do.

I am now a brunette. We did keep a tiny bit of my natural color in there just to balance it out a bit. I like it though!

A Big Change to My Hair?

2009-09-21T05:18:00.000-07:00

If you're a girl, your hair is probably somewhat of a big deal to you. You want it to look good right? And sometimes you just need a change. I knew a girl who would cut her hair every time she went through a break up. Well, the wedding's over, it's back to normal life, and I'm feeling like I need a major hair change.

First, let me tell you about my current hair: I have always had strawberry blonde hair. Currently I have blonde highlights in it. My hair is incredibly fine, so I can never grow it too long or it looks super stringy. Here are some pictures of my hair now, well a month or so ago:

I'm thinking about cutting it like this:

Or this:

And the bigger change......

Going brunette! I've thought about it for a few years now- what would I look like with dark hair? And I think I'm finally ready to take the plunge and find out.

Sooo...what do you think?

My Affinity for the North

2009-09-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well the Northeast I should probably say...

I love it. We lived in upstate New York when I was in elementary school (left after 2nd or 3rd grade). My dad was born and raised outside of Boston. My aunts still live there and my grandmother lives in Plymouth.

I now live in Florida and have since I was 8 (minus a few month stint in Arizona). Florida's great and all. I get cold when it's 60 degrees out or heck even when it's 70 if the wind is blowing. So of course the temperature is a plus. But, to reiterate, I've lived here since I was EIGHT! I'm tired of it.

I love love love Boston. It is my absolute favorite city in the US. I actually wanted to go to UMass after high school, but was given a scholarship that was only good for in-state schools and couldn't really give that up.

Another plus of Florida- no state taxes and it's pretty damn cheap to live here compared to a lot of the US, especially the Northeast. So it would be a financial shocker for us to live up there (although if we ever strike it rich, a house on the Cape is the first thing we're buying after we pay off debt).

However, temperature and money considered, I still love it up there. I want to live up there at some point in my life. I want this with a passion.

But guess what...I went and married a Georgia boy. Born and raised in Georgia, he moved to Florida about 10 years ago and loves it here. He says he couldn't survive in the snow.

So I guess my dream of living up north is dashed. I mean sure it'll be great to still be in Florida when we have kids- both our parents are close enough to babysit. And the Newly Husband has a really great job here with awesome job security- something I wouldn't want him to leave, especially in this economy.

But I'm dissapointed. I mean yeah I knew this when I said yes to his proposal, just like I knew my cat would have to live with my mom forever (he's allergic). And he is a wonderful, loving, caring, husband. And practically, it probably makes sense for us to stay here. But the dissapointment is still there and probably won't go away for a while. And hey, I just may apply for jobs up there after I graduate and who knows- if I just happen to get offered a sweet gig, he may actually put some thought into it.

A girl can dream, right?

Patience...And the Baby Talk

2009-09-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

First of all, please be patient with me as I try to find a background for the blog that I am happy with.

Now on to the real subject of this blog...babies. Oh no, don't get scared away! I'm not having any any time soon. But no newlywife blog would be complete without a post on the baby talk.

Why oh why, is it the first thing people ask you after you get married? "Oh you're married...congrats...so when are you having kids." Woah...woah...woah...slow it down there buster. We were being asked this question less than TWO WEEKS after our wedding day.

Let me give you some background. The newlyhusband is...well...older than me. By a bit. So I can understand why his mom wants us to have kids quickstyle. She's ready for grand-babies. And yes, because he is older than me, we may have kids sooner than we would otherwise. Now, let me give you more background- I am in college people. Yes, yes, I took a couple years off and should have been done way before now. But I'm not. I'm still there- 7 1/2 months left (yeah, I'm counting). Do you really think I want to be preggers (yep, I said preggers) while I am in my last semester or two of college? Let me answer for you- Hell to the no.

But when I tell people that I would like to finish college and you know, get a real job (gasp- a career!) before we bring a child into this world, do you know the most common response..."Well, if you got pregnant now, the kid wouldn't be born until after you graduated." For real, this is their logic.

Do I want kids one day? Yes absolutely. I want to be a mom and I think the newly husband would make a great dad. We both want this. But right now, I want to come home from school, check Facebook, read my favorite blogs, do homework, catch my tv shows, spend some quality time (wink wink) with the newly husband etc. In short, I am too selfish for a kid right now.

Andplusalso, before we have kids, I want to:
Finish school
Buy a new house
Decorate and furnish and make that new house a home
Travel more (I want to make it back to Boston soon, I've never seen NYC, I would love to go to Italy and Spain and Ireland- although I realize all this may not happen first)
Get a career where I can get maternity leave, have good benefits for said kid.

So yeah, I'm not ready. Why do people assume you should be the second you say I do?

Annoyances

2009-09-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

A lot of things annoy me: traffic, having to do math, people walking/driving too slow in front of me, people that take up the whole sidewalk at school so I can't get past, bad teachers. Some people annoy me just by of the sound of their voice.

My current annoyance: The guy two seats down from me in the library listening to his IPOD at full volume. I don't know what song it is but it goes "I need ya" over and over...and over again. Oh and he has to have the song on repeat, cuz it's been the same thing since I got here half an hour ago. Seriously dude, turn the music down. I've given him many the side eye but he doesn't seem to be getting it. My head hurts already and he is so not helping.

The Gym?

2009-09-14T13:01:00.001-07:00

Before the NewlyHusband left for work today:

NH: You want to go the gym tonight?

Me:Abso-freaking-lutely *(Side Note: I never gained the freshman 15 in college but I very well may gain the new wife 15. This is what happens when all week, you sit at school, you sit at home to do homework, and on the weekends, you sit at a desk at work. That's a helluvalotta sitting. So you can see why I was so excited when my husband asked if I would like to go to the gym)*

While he is at work, through email:

Me: Porkchops for dinner tonight? *(Side Note: Don't be jealous. My man makes the best grilled porkchops EVA!)*

NH: After the gym?

Me: Of course.

Later on, through email again:

NH: Are you really gonna let me watch football tonight?

Me: You're gonna make me go to the gym AND watch football? Woah Woah Woah..*(Side Note: I am SO not a football fan. I have a blast at the games. I have zero desire to ever watch it on tv.)*

NH: Actually hun, I'm not really feeling the gym tonight.

Me: Oh good. I was sooooo not feeling it either.

I have got to do something. I have gained a pant size. Mind you, I am not a big girl, I realize this, but still.... I do not want to gain the "wife fifteen" as I'm calling it less than 2 months into our marriage. It is just so hard to get motivated to go work out. I actually enjoy the gym when I'm there. It's the getting there that's hard.

How do you get motivated?

Trying Wine

2009-09-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

I have never liked wine. But for some reason, in the past week or so I have really enjoyed it (Read: brought a bottle home almost every day). People say that it is an aquired taste...I started out with Berringer White Zinfandel-because that is what we had in our fridge- and the Newly Husband and I finished the bottle the next day. Yum! Went out to dinner with friends the other night and the friend ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir- I also liked that. He then ordered a dessert wine- a Moscato something or other. Also very good. So I'm all proud of myself for being a grown up and enjoying wine...The husband was gone last night, so I decided to try the Cabernet we had had in our fridge for a long time---Gross! I poured the glass out into the sink. So of course the husband had to try it tonight- he actually spit it out into the sink.

Turns out the wine had seperated or something in the bottle...yeahhh still think it turned me off of trying Cabernet again for a long time. Think I'll stick with my beginner wines for now.

Welcome to my world

2009-09-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little welcome post since this is a brand new blog- I hope to be able to share with you my thoughts, feelings, emotions.....yeah no. This is going to be a place for me to hopefully amuse you with the goings on in the life of a "newly wife." I've been married a month and two days now, and lets just say I wasn't very "wifey" before. My best homecooked meal was chicken nuggets and tator tots. Mmm...don't judge. Oh yeah, it'll also be a place for me to procrastinate when I really should be doing my homework (2 semesters left until I get my Bachelors in History).

So...enjoy!