.......breathe......

I just need to take a break from work and breathe...feeling very agitated...need to get it out of my system so I can get back to being productive.

Counting to 10....

OK....I think I'll make it....

:)

{Random thoughts}

I'm in a scrapbooking slump right now, but I think it is mostly because I'm focused on doing house projects. Anytime I'm into one, the other falls to the back burner. We did a few home improvement things over the weekend (see my last entry) that I'm really excited about. The next big task will be painting our new porch railing which will be tedious but very worth it.

I'm waiting to hear if I will be chosen for the Scrap Hype DT....I would really love to be a part of that group...it is a really fun site!

Took a few hours off of work today to meet up with my Mom. We had coffee, did a little shopping and had lunch...it was nice to have a mid-day break from the hectic work day.

I've been trying to exercise more...seeing the effects of the late 20's on my body is freaking me out a little. I'm still in good shape by most standards, but not where I would like to be. I'm going walking again tonight...hopefully I can keep up this motivation!

Fun new house stuff :)

We finally got our new coffee table put together and hung our dining room chandelier over the weekend...love them!
Yay for my handy hubby! :)

Big life decisions...

Being an adult means having to make big life decisions...and I'm not so sure I'm ready for that. But, I know that sooner or later I'm going to have to take a leap of faith and maybe now is the time. We are contemplating a move and job changes so that we can have a better future, one that will include a baby hopefully in the next couple of years. We are both ready to start a family, but the place we are in right now with our careers and even our house just won't work. Please keep us in your prayers...we may be making some big changes soon!!

Here's a layout I did this weekend of my sister and I...love these new transparencies...check them out!!

More b-day fun!

Got together with my sister and Mom today for my b-day and look what my sister got me!! I was floored by how generous she was. The Ballard bag is so awesome and she gave me a Pulp album, Foofala buttons, and a Chatterbox mug! She really knows how to spoil a girl!! I also got my stuff from Remember the Dayz today to do my monthly DT layouts (plus some other goodies). Can't wait to play with all my new toys! :)

New purses make me happy :)

Just wanted to share a fun layout I did tonight about my newest handbag. This one is really perfect...I can fit my breakfast in it for work, even a magazine if I want. Love it! :)

Meeting my Mom and sister for a belated b-day lunch tomorrow...should be fun.

Had to call today about some water damage we noticed in our living room...a guy is coming tomorrow to give us an estimate...oh the joys of home ownership! :(

Things I love right now...

Some things I love about my house right now...the fern canvas prints and medallion plaque in my dining room...my cute kitchen curtains (they are really dish towels...shhh!)...and my tin mirror hanging in the kitchen (I love the white against the fun green paint). These things make me so happy. When I get overwhelmed by the other clutter in the house, I just look at these things to make me smile.

Super Excited!!!

What a great day I had today! I got an awesome RAK in the mail from Addie (Addier on 2peas)...some scalloped Bazzil...can't wait to play with it!!

Also....what I'm SUPER excited about is that our porch railing is finally underway and it is going to look soooo cute! He is doing exactly what I wanted. It looks great now but it will look awesome once it is painted white.

I also got a new vaccuum today and man that puppy really sucks!!! LOL :) I don't even want to talk about how much cat hair ended up in that cup! Nothing like clean carpet to make a girl happy!

B-day Recap

So I'm 28 now...and I guess I don't feel that much different. For some reason this b-day hit me kind of hard...just feel like my life isn't where I thought it would be at 28. Definitely thought I would be a Mom by now, and be more settled into a career (Dan too). But...the more I think about it, I'm really not ready to be a Mom yet and I have to find a way to be OK with that and just be happy with the way things are right now. I know I compare my life way too much to those around me and think I should be where they are, even though everyone's circumstances are different. My Mom had me and my sister by my age...I can't imagine myself with two children! Anyway...I'm trying to be comfortable in my own life and focus on that. :)

Had a great weekend...being married gets you even more b-day celebrations! :) Dan's Mom made me dinner on Friday night...steaks and corn on the cob..mmmm!! On Saturday, my parents took us out to dinner at Red Lobster....more mmmmm!!! Then on Sunday, Dan and I went out of town, did some shopping, and had dinner at Corinno's...loooove that place! If you haven't tried it, go now and get the bow tie festival pasta...soooo good! Dan got me the CD I had been wanting by The Fray and a cute green leather case for my mp3 player. He even made me a cute homemade card with a picture of us on the front...so sweet!

All in all it was a great b-day and I feel very blessed to have a wonderful family to share it with.

Countdown to 28...

So I'll be 28 on Sunday...28!!! Am I the only one that doesn't feel like I should be allowed to be 28? 30 is only 2 years away and that is even more wrong! So...in honor of the passing of my 27th year...here are a few things that I would like to accomplish before I'm 30...

Become a Mom...that is #1 for sure!

See Dan get a new job and build back his self-confidence (OK, this isn't a personal goal, but when your husband is unhappy, you are too!)

Continue to grow with my scrapbooking and possibly make a couple manufacturer DT's. (I would love to be on a bunch of DT's, but working full time really makes it hard for me)

Move on to another job that better fits my creative nature...sitting at a desk 40 hours a week really bites!

Work on cultivating friendships so I have at least one great girlfriend

Keep up my figure...maybe lose a few pounds, but at least stay the same size as I am now

OK...that's all I can think of now. What are/were your goals that you want to reach at 30, 40, etc???

Fun new shirt...

I got this shirt at Target over the weekend and wore it to work today...love it! Wish that was me in the photo...but I'm a little curvier than that chica...:) It is so nice and cool for this hot weather. The color is really a light pink with a kelly green paisley pattern...looks kind of washed out in this photo.

I hit 5,000 posts on 2peas last night! Yipee! Now I have my own personalized name...its the little things that excite me! :)

Reconnecting...

I met Stacy for coffee today...it had been 10 years since we had seen each other...10 years!! I'm so happy that we have reconnected. We chatted for over two hours like no time had passed. I feel so happy and blessed that we have found our friendship again! Look at us in high school...so young and skinny!! LOL :) Although can I say how GOOD Stacy looks..she just had a baby 4 months ago!!!

Taking charge...

I just made a very important work decision (with a little help from my Mom).

No more being walked all over, letting myself feel inferior, having my ideas and decisions questioned. This week I'm going to take back control and remind myself of just what I'm capable of...a hell of a lot!!

And I'm not going to allow myself to apologize for going after what I want....and I'm going to try my hardest to not worry about what others think. If the fact that I'm exerting my strength bothers someone...well then it can just bother them!

Man do I feel better!!!!

Can't a girl get a drink?!

So I went out to lunch with my Mom today...kinda nice since I had been cooped up for so long.

I get iced tea...my favorite...and I get it at this place all the time.

We sit down, I take a sip.....UGH!! What is wrong with this tea?

Mom drinks hers....nothing...drinks mine...nothing.

OK...it just tastes like %#@* to me then.

I'm so exhausted that I just eat my lunch sans drink.

When we get ready to go, I asked the counter girl for another cup...I get Sprite.

We walk outside...take a sip...UGH!! No flavoring!! I just can't win.....

Better Together

This morning, Dan woke me up by putting one of the ear buds to his MP3 player in my ear. It was playing "Better Together" by Jack Johnson, which is one of our songs. What a sweet way to start the morning, laying face to face in bed, listening to Jack.

I'm finally feeling better today...feels soooo good to be back to myself again. I have so many things piled up that I want to do. Clean the house, pull weeds outside, go to Hobby Lobby, return some curtains I bought that are too small, and of course...scrapbook!

Guess its back to work tomorrow...but at least that means I'm better!

Life on the outside...

I want to be a part of it again!!! LOL :)

Hobby Lobby has some great scrapbooking sales this week...I have to get there before Sunday and stock up! AC and Doodlebug ribbon are half off...great deal. They also have the SEI scrapbook in a bag kits on sale...not sure if I need one but a sale is a sale, huh?? ;)

I'm actually watching Dr. Phil right now...a little Regis and Kelly earlier...and a little Ellen. I never get to watch the talk shows, so I guess being sick has its advantages.

Thinking about what I want to do for my birthday. I'm pretty sure we are going to go to either On the Border or Johnny Carrino's for dinner....yummmmmmm :) Mom is taking me to Rileybrook again on the 3rd...always look forward to our little yearly b-day tradition. Hopefully the weather will be nice that day so we can explore the gardens.

Dan ordered me an MP3 player...he reminds me that I can't call it an Ipod because it isn't, but it is basically the exact same thing, just not...does that make sense??? ;) Even though I told him I really don't need one that fancy, I am excited to get it and start using it.

OK...enough random thoughts for one day :)

Unhappy kidneys...

So after a weekend filled with awful back and abdominal pain and an almost constant fever, I was so happy to go to the doctor this morning. Turns out that I have a kidney infection and a slight case of the stomach flu. Not that I want to have these things, but I feel so much better knowing what is wrong and having the medication to take care of it. I'm slowly starting to feel better and the plan is to be back to work by Thursday. Dan has been so supportive and helpful...going to the grocery, getting my prescriptions, basically being my slave for the past four days. I am so blessed to be married to him.

I'm hoping I'll feel good enough tomorrow that I can scrapbook a little. I still need to do my design team layouts for Remember the Dayz, and there are a couple contests I want to enter.

My birthday is quickly approaching...2 weeks from today!! Can't believe I'll be 28!! AHHH! ;) It is going to be nice to have it on the weekend so Dan and I can go out on my actual birthday.

I guess that is about all of my random thoughts for today...feels good to at least be living in the cyber world again...hopefully the real world is only a day or two away. :)

Life is a rollercoaster...

andI'm riding one of the low points today...but I'm trying my hardest to get up the hill. I went to the doctor today and switched anti-anxiety meds. I was trying to wean myself off of Paxil, and turns out it is one of THE hardest to get off of. I've been having headaches, nausea, dizziness, back pain, and overall fatigue...not fun. I start my new medication today so hopefully I'll notice a nice change soon.

On a happy note, Dan and I are going to visit my Mom's parents on the 30th. I'm really excited about it. They live 2 1/2 hours away, so we don't see them very often. We're going to take them to their favorite Mexican restaurant. I am taking her a scrapbook, photo corners and a pen...she told me she really wants to start putting their photographs in better books (acid free ones). I'm excited to give her everything and look through all the fun old photos! :)

Guess that's all for now...but I may be back later today!

My 1st layout for the Scenic Route DT contest...

I'm really happy with this one...just decided tonight that I'm going to enter. I love their designs, so it would be such a blessing to get to work with them! 1 down, 2 more to go!

Playing with my new camera...

Dan took this picture of Melvin tonight with our new camera...sooo cute! :)

I'm so happy to have this new toy...I'll be even more picture crazy than before!!

I'm thinking about entering the Scenic Route DT contest. There is sooo much competition out there but I love their products and I need an excuse to start using the ones I've bought anyway. :)