Getting to Know Me, Alphabet Style

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!

Oh Hi...Are You Still There?

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.

Mish Mash

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!

Rain Rain Go Away

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"

Your Questions Answered

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!

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

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!

Something's Gotta Give

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?

Christmas Break!

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.

4 Months

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!

Blog Award!

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