Shredding It

Well, well, well... long time no talk!  I can't say that I'm surprised it's been so long.  My work projects have filled my days and by the time I'm done with work for the day I tend to stay away from the computer screens.

In all honesty I haven't done much blog worthy activities in the past month either, but that's not to say that I'm not enjoying my down time.  My best friend Kristen (MOH Navy for those of you that followed me on WeddingBee) is back in the states with her little son, and son #2 on the way.  It's been amazing just to hang out and catch up on life changes during her time in Japan.  San Fran/Napa plans with Corinne are coming along - flights have been booked and hotel/bed & breakfast reservations have been made.  I don't think I'll make it to August without some sort of trip, so Chris and I are starting to look at a weekend road trip.

And then there has been this:

Mom got this crazy idea from her sister to try out this new diet and roped me into it.  We started right after the Superbowl and are now nearing the end of our 5th week (we took a week off when we both made trips to Florida for work).  I'm not going to lie, after throwing up on day 1 I did not think I would be able to make it through 6 weeks of this.

But surprisingly, I'm getting it done.  5 weeks in, 16 pounds down and I just feel better in general.  

I'm now walking/jogging 1-2 times a day, 6-7 times a week and I honestly look forward to this time.  I used to enjoy my morning walks with Gypsy, but as the weather got colder and with the loss of my walking partner I just stopped.  Now, I look forward to my lunch break everyday so I can get away from work, listen to my iPod and just think about anything and everything.  I even packed work out clothes and made it to the hotel gym twice during my 3 day trip to Jacksonville for work.  Everyday when my mom gets home and goes for her walk, I join in.  It's a great time to catch up on our days and just get in some quality mother/daughter time that I know I will miss when we move into our own house.

When it comes to food, there have been some hard days (I'm not a big fan of veggies, but I'm getting better) but for the most part I've never been hungry.  I guess that happens when you're having 4 small "meals" (which can range from protein shakes, smoothies and salads to chicken and veggies) and 3 snacks a day.  This diet has really helped us to look at the labels when we're grocery shopping and think twice about what we order when we eat out (we tend to do the diet for the majority of the week, allowing ourselves one night to eat out).  That food knowledge and increased physical activity are the two improvements that I know we will take with us once this diet is complete.  

Have you ever had success with a diet? 

This and That

A quick drive by of random updates:

1. Some advisors need to get better at their jobs.  Chris learned last week that his transfer electives did not transfer over as "advance" electives.  You would think the advisors would have caught that before he applied for graduation since he went to them every semester to make sure he was taking the correct classes. They apologized, but it still means no May graduation :(  We're crossing our fingers that he can find any 4 classes to fit the bill (his advisor said it could be anything including advance basket weaving, ha!) this summer and graduate in August.

2. Due to #1, we canceled our plans for DC in May.

3. Although there is no trip in May, we have booked our annual birthday trip for August!!  Hopefully it will be a birthday/graduation celebration trip and this year we're traveling with friends so I know it'll be a great time!  I'll post more on it later, but here's a hint: we're heading west.

4. I'm a little obsessed with Tervis cups right now.  It's a good thing because I find myself drinking a lot more water during the day.

5. I finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Onto The Goblet of Fire!

6. Have you heard of the Paper Tongues or Hollywood Undead?  I had not until Chris downloaded them.  Now I'm a little hooked listening to their songs during my daily jogs.

Do you and your spouse have the same taste in music?  Any guesses where we might be going in August?

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

It's Been A While

New year should bring new posts for this blog, but lately I have just been weighed down with work to do anything blog worthy.  I'm hoping that is going to change soon once I get a good handle on these new projects.

I always like to have something to look forward to (something to plan, excel spreadsheets to maintain) so we have been tossing around some ideas of a get away in May (after Chris graduates...knock on wood) and plotting out when the house hunt will begin.  It doesn't seem like it's been that long since I wrote this post, but I am amazed at how far we've come and am crossing my fingers that we'll be good to go come July.

In the meantime I did knock out Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and will be starting on the 3rd book soon.

I need to make it to a secondhand book store to pick up the last 2 books

In unrelated news, mom is currently on the hunt for a new dining room chandelier and I have fallen in love with some of the beauties out there.  Now to find an extra couple grand laying around...oh and a dining room to put it in :)

One of the cool chandeliers we spotted 

Do you have any trips, projects or plans coming up?  Anyone else having a hard time getting back into the swing of things post holidays?

Insured

Car insurance, at a minimum liability, is required in Texas so I have had it since I first started driving.  I've switched only once when I had to get off of my parents insurance (out of college and didn't live at home) and the quote was easily beaten by my current company.

Thankfully I have only had to call in on my insurance once since I've been on my own.  On our way to our engagement pictures a lady drifted from her lane and drove up along side my car.  I was pissed, but as luck would have it more damage was done to her car than mine (since her's was lower than my SUV), so after consulting with both companies each driver dealt with their own car.  I was a little miffed because it was not my fault, but with no witnesses (I didn't expect anyone to stop on a highway going 75 for a small fender bender) there was really nothing I could do.

I never really think about the insurance that we pay each month, it's just one of those necessities.  And then Chris came home with this beauty on my windshield.

Due to Chris' long commute up to school he takes my car which gets better gas mileage then his truck.  That cracked star is thanks to the 18 wheeler on the highway that kicked up stones.  I have to admit with all of the travel on major highways in the 7 years I've had my Escape, I'm surprised this is my first windshield crack.

After a call into the claim department, we had an at-home appointment to get it filled in at a cost of nothing.  I never want to really have to cash in on our insurance, but it's nice to know that we are covered in the event of something happening.

Have you ever had to deal with an insurance claims department?

Morning Me Time

Over the past 4 weeks I have altered my morning routine to include a little bit of me time.  Normally I would just let Gypsy out in the back yard and then log into my work computer and start working sometime between 6 and 6:30 in the morning.  Early, I know, but I am a morning person so it works out for me.

Now I get myself dressed, grab some earphones, strap on Gypsy' harness and we go for an early morning walk/jog. I try to change up the path we travel every now and then, making sure not to stay out too long because it heats up pretty quickly.

This is a perfect opportunity for me to get outside of the house every morning which has been harder since I started to work remote.  When you don't have to leave the house, it's easy to just get into a routine of staying inside.  I love using this time to listen to my music and just think about life, goals and plans for the future.

A lone bench we pass

I love that we normally pass the same people every morning with a friendly wave or "hello".  This time has become one of my favorite parts of the day and I like to think Gypsy enjoys herself as well.

Do you have any "me time" during your days?

Delaying The Dream

Life isn't easy.

We've all heard it and I'm sure most of you out there have experienced rough patches before.  Last week we were dealt some not so great news that is going to delay our house hunt.  At first I was crushed.  I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I was frustrated and attempted to stay strong when all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.  

So I did.  I let it all out and when I was done it was time to come up with a new plan. 

This experience reminds me of a time not so long ago.  Right after our engagement, we realized in order to have the wedding that we wanted it would take longer to save up.  25 months later we had the wedding of our dreams and proved to ourselves that with a plan and determination we could achieve our goals.

It may take a little longer, but with this new plan in place we will be far better off in the future.  Thankfully this plan should (if my calculations are correct) take a much shorter amount of time than our very long engagement.

No one ever said it would be easy, but we will make it work.

Wine Tastin' In Our Backyard

It's funny how I've lived in this area for 5 years now and have never ventured over to the wineries in Grapevine (which is a short drive from our apartment).  Chris decided to book the Grapevine Wine Tours which included tastings at 3 local wineries and a fabulous Italian dinner.

There is actually only one vineyard that grows grapes, which we didn't get to tour because it closes at 5 pm, sad face :(  The wineries that we did visit, with our group of 12, were all refreshingly different from the next.

We started off at Homestead Winery which is a set of tasting rooms located in a 1890s Texas Victorian folk-style home.

This quaint home was full of Texas hospitality!  Unlike most tastings where you select a handful of wines based on your taste preference, we were able to try as many different wines as our tour time allowed.  This probably wasn't the smartest idea since we had yet to eat dinner, but I loved branching out and trying more dry wines with my usual sweets.

Sweet & Specialty Wines

Dry Wines

The vineyard originated on the family farm in Ivanhoe, Texas so several of the wines today are named for that area.  Our favorite reds were the Ivanhoe Trio (a blend of Petite Verdot, Zinfandel and Ruby Cab), Ivanhoe Knights (a Ruby Cab), and the Homestead Red (Blend of Merlot, Ruby Cab and Pinot Noir).  Chris enjoys the dry reds much more than I do, but I really enjoyed these blends.  

The top white wines at this stop were the Prairie Rose, the Sweet Home Ivanhoe (a Muscat Canelli) and the Moscato.  The specialty, or Piney Woods Country wines, were a hit with some of our tour members but I can't say I was a big fan.

The Blueberry wine wasn't too bad, but the Cherry Chocolates aftertaste reminded me a little of cough medicine.  We selected the Prairie Rose and Ivanhoe Trio to take with us and boarded the bus for the next stop Su Vino Winery which was all decked out for Halloween.

This was our favorite stop of the trip, as evident from the 6 bottles that we left with!  According to their website, Su Vino is the first "custom winery" in Texas with grapes that are grown in a variety of locations and the wines custom made in Grapevine.  They allow guests to participate in the wine making process by bottling, corking and personalizing the labels.  This would be great for wedding favors or Christmas gifts! 

With 6 selections each, Chris and I made sure to share with each other.  While Chris picked from the red wines, champagne and after dinner indulgence, I stuck to the crisp & fresh and summery refreshment sections.  Those summery refreshment wines were AMAZING!  We loved each of those four different wines!  I asked what happens after the summer to these wines, and Jean informed us that they make them year round.  They also have holiday selections, so I knew Chris would go for the Bat Blood.  We might have to come back in December for the Tipsy Reindeer.

 The six bottles we walked out with were:

*Strawberry Blonde - Strawberry White Merlot

*Bat Blood - Halloween Sangria

*Peachy Keen - Peach Apple Chardonnay

*Summer Rain - Green Apple Riesling

*Island Paradise - Kiwi Pear Sauvignon Blanc

*Cheeky Monkey - Banana Pineapple Viognier

With all of these tastings and no dinner, we were eager to get off at our final stop Farina's Winery and Cafe. 

We had an option of tasting 3 different wines, or one glass of our selection.  I opted for the one glass of the Stella Rose, while Chris went with the smaller tastings.  One of his wines was from Messina Hoff the winery located near College Station, TX which brought back fond memories of my time at A&M.  

For dinner we started off with a tasty Italian salad with pepperoni, green olives, artichokes, kalamata olives & pepperoncini peppers.  I don't know if it was really amazing or we were all just so hungry from all of the wine, but everyone at the table knocked off every last bite of salad.  Chris selected the baked lasagna with a family recipe that has been served in Farina's restaurants since 1951. 

  

My mouth watering entree was the baked white fish, fresh Basa filet baked in a roasted garlic lime sauce served with grilled asparagus and penne pasta tossed with a pine nut basil pesto sauce.

This was an incredible meal that I could not leave anything behind, it was that good!  After cleaning off that plate, there was no way I could stomach any more food, so Chris enjoyed the Coconut pie on his own.

This tour was definitely not something that we could do every week (it was a little pricey), but was an enjoyable night and I am so glad that Chris suggested it!

Our take aways from the wine tour

Are you a wine fan?  Have you toured any vineyards or wineries in your area?

Just Like Old Times

Getting to hang out with my dear friend Kristen (or MOH Navy for those that followed on Weddingbee)  is  such a treat because she no longer lives in Texas.  It's always just like old times, catching up and talking like no time has passed.  I really cherish this time now as she and her baby bump are about to head over seas with her husband who is in military.

We had a quick bite to eat at Corner Bakery, where I did a pasta combo - Caesar salad and Pesto Cavatappi pasta.

The pasta was an all-natural roasted chicken and cavatappi pasta tossed in a rich pesto cream sauce and sprinkled with toasted bread crumbs.  I almost wanted to lick the bowl it was so good!  I'll be back for more - or may have to see if I can find a recipe for it online to make at home. Now that's a better idea!

After dinner we headed over to Color Me Mine to paint.  My first trip here was with Kristen and the rest of my bridal party for my bachelorette weekend, and I've been back once more with Chris to de-stress during the weeks leading up to the wedding.  There are so many items to choose from, but I finally decided on two bowls which would be cute for candy dishes or other snacks/apps for a party.

Kristen taught me a painting technique for the sides that utilized paper towel cut outs and layering.  I then finished off the rims with cute little dots.

One week later and here are my finished pieces.  Look how different the color looks from when it was painted to after the firing/glazing.

Whenever I look at these bowls, I'll always think of my wonderful friendship with Kristen and remember to cherish every moment.

Have you ever painted your own pieces?  What types of activities do you enjoy doing with friends?

Times, They Are A Changin'

Any other fans of the movie Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead?  I always find myself quoting that movie, especially with my brother.  Love it!

Not that surprising, as my current stage in life changes so do my interests in shopping and internet research.  Prior to getting engaged I was all about travel research.  When we were planning our wedding it was numerous stops to Michael's for paper products.  Now that we're saving for our house I find myself reading up on home renovations, watching HGTV and browsing the listings on realtor.com and trulia.com.

The other weekend my parents told me they were going to be in my area looking at new appliances so I decided to join them.  Before I would have had no interest in spending hours looking at dishwashers and refrigerators, but I was actually excited to see what is out there and make wish lists for the future.

We headed over to the Sears scratch and dent outlet where they had amazing deals on practically new appliances (some were never used and returned because they did not fit in the customer's kitchen).  Honestly, there were some that looked like they had been through a hail storm with the amount of dents.  On the other hand, there were several that only had scratches on the back side which would never be seen.  Mom & Dad fell in love with a dishwasher (the original reason for the excursion) and a new fridge (a splurge that they couldn't pass up).

Of course, things always seem to come with a story in my family.  The appliances were delivered and they hooked up everything.  Then mom noticed it wasn't their fridge!  The outside looked exactly the same, but some of the additional slide out shelves (you can see them in the top right corner of the picture above) were not there.  Mom did some more research and found that this fridge was for a Clara Williams, in stead of my dad (who's first name is William).  After a couple of calls and another day of delivery they finally had the fridge that they picked out, only to find out that it was dipping in the back because it was missing wheels.  Well long story short, Sears customer service really came through.  They delivered a brand spanking new refrigerator to my parents home.

Do you find that your shopping and internet searches change as you enter new stages in your life?

30 Before 30

Today calls for a special drink or two.

Wine tasting for my birthday last year

It's my 28th birthday!! Nothing like getting older to prompt me to make a little list of things I would like to accomplish. I thought I would add to the blogging trend of creating my own 30 before 30 list.  I have 2 years to get these tasks checked off, and I'll be sharing the results along the way!


Hobbies
1. Take a photography class
2. Paint a piece of art
3. Grow a flower or vegetable
4. Learn a new computer skill from Chris
5. Read 20 new books

DIY
1. Complete a home renovation project
2. Make scrapbook with postcards and photo strips from wedding
3. Make something out of polymer clay

Travel

1. Travel outside of the country

2. Plan a fun anniversary trip

3. Take a road trip

4. Stay at a B&B

5. Experience an exciting staycation

Food & Fitness

1. Get Chris to try and like a new veggie

2. Make a new Thanksgiving dish

3. Make homemade ice cream

4. Try 40 new recipes 

5. Work out 3-4 days a week for at least 2 months straight

6. Lose 20 pounds

Personal
1. Buy a house
2. Prep for a baby
3. Get a new truck for Chris
4. Weed out old clothes in wardrobe, replace with new clothes

Fun Times
1. Go to a concert
2. Venture back to College Station
3. Go to a college football game
4. Be in print
5. Throw a house warming party
6. Go to Medieval Times
7. Eat something from a food truck

*The list is subject to change :)


Do you have any activities that you would like to accomplish in the coming years?

Birthday Time!

Today begins the 12 day period where I enjoy calling Chris an old man.  With only 12 days between our birthdays, I try and work it in as much as possible before I end up at the same age as him.  :)

When we first started dating, I thought it would be fun to take a road trip to San Antonio to celebrate his birthday. It was our first trip together, and I knew that it really touched Chris to see that someone cared enough to celebrate his birthday.  Every year since then we have traded off celebrating our birthdays on mini trips.

Chris' birthday - 2007 in San Antonio

My birthday - 2008 in New Orleans (only there for 16 hours before we were evacuated for Hurricane Gustav)

Chris' birthday - 2009 hiking in the national park, Hot Springs Arkansas

My birthday - 2010 stomping grapes in Fredericksburg, TX

This year would have been another trip for his birthday, but since we'll be in Philly for Corinne's wedding right around mine we decided to keep it simple for his.  I'll be back soon to share some pictures from our "big night out"!

Do you have any fun traditions or birthday celebrations for you or your spouse?

I Heart My Gamer

Chris is a gamer.  A pretty big gamer.  When we were tasting cake for our wedding, it was an easy choice as to what the groom's cake would be styled after.

Candy Haven knocked it out of the park on the recreation of Chris' Xbox 360, topped with the controllers of all of the systems that we currently have in the apartment - Wii, Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3.  With a busy weekly schedule of work and school, he doesn't have as much time to play.  On the rare Saturday or Sunday off, I know that there will be a little gaming action in there.  

As his collection grows, I know that more storage will be in order.  Chris has voiced an interest in turning the storage into a DIY project, possibly building floating shelves or a new bookcase in the future house.  I love that he's as excited about future home projects as I am.

Do you have any hobbies that require additional storage?  What advice do you have for organization?

Brides Against Breast Cancer

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer for a great cause - Brides Against Breast Cancer!  BABC is an organization that accepts donated bridal gowns which brides-to-be can purchase at a discount.  All of the proceeds go towards granting wishes for women with stage 4 breast cancer.

It was an early morning as I met some of the ladies from the Nest for a delicious breakfast at Cafe Brazil.  After breakfast we headed over to the Hilton Anatole to check in.  There were so many dresses there!  The doors opened at 10 am and the bridal traffic was on and off.  I mainly acted as a runner to return dresses from the fitting area to the floor. Although the turnout wasn't as high as they would have love, there were several brides that found "the one" and it's such a wonderful moment to share with them.

Not only did I have a great time helping brides to be, I also had a wonderful time volunteering with a few ladies that I chat with on a daily basis.

Thanks for the picture Leslie

Are there any volunteer organizations that you enjoy helping out?

Will The Name Change Process Ever End?

I was so happy that I had the chance to knock out the major name change items in one day - Social Security, Driver's License and the bank.  I had to hold off on my passport because I needed it in my maiden name for our honeymoon.

Can we go back tomorrow?  I miss the all inclusive

Since there are no out-of-the-country trips in our near future I wasn't in a big rush to send in my passport...until I read the fine print.  I should probably back it up a little and give some more info.  My old passport expired in August of this year, we honeymooned in May.  You would think everything would be ok, until I read on the MSNBC that some countries "will not permit travelers to enter the country unless their passports will remain valid for at least six months after their scheduled departure."  I don't think Mexico is one of those countries, but there is no way I was going to risk it.  So one completed form, 100+ dollars and a certified mailing later I renewed my passport in time for our May honeymoon.

I originally thought that I would have to sink another $100 bucks to get my name change, but after reading the small print I noticed that if you send off for a name change within a year of your last renewal it's free.  That's right, FREE.  For once, I wasn't being screwed out of more money (I'm looking at your county office for an official copy of the marriage license) for this name change.  Since I didn't want to risk anything in the timing, I went ahead and sent off the passport yesterday.  Hopefully that marks the end of my major name changes.  The minor ones will come in due time.

If you're married and changed your name, were you able to knock out the major changes quickly?

Oh Lordy!

The new blog title just screams Southern accent to me.  Of course for this blog it's really a reference to our last name.

Well this is the new post wedding blog.  I started off blogging about our 755 day journey to the aisle, 

and now that the wedding is over (don't worry, still doing my recaps over at Weddingbee) I still have the blogging bug.  Get ready for random musings as we settle into married life and experience the journey to home ownership and later parenthood!