I'm Leavin' On a Jet Plane

I'm currently sitting at the good ol' Greenville airport, ready to board my long-awited flight to go home (MN) for my sister's bridal shower weekend! Been up since 3am, and have already found plenty of things hysterical. I'm sure many crazy stories are headed my way.. Happy Thursday!


xo

I Need the Smell of Summer, I Need It's Noises in My Ear

Life has been crazy. I feel like I haven't posted in forev, but that's just the way it goes. Nothing exactly "shocking" has happened lately, but I've been busy planning my sister's bridal showers among lots of other things. I am getting SO excited to head back home for Shower Weekend.. so many people to catch up with and so little time. I am eccstatic to say I'm planning to go to the MN State Fair while I'm there.. I couldn't miss it. I can't believe I'll be home-home in about a week. Eeee!

Aside from planning, I've been busy with my job, getting ready for the new school year to start (started yesterday). It's always crazy this time of year! I love being in the schools though.. especially the Kindegarten class I visit. Oh my word.. those kiddies are the cutest. I closed with a client of mine today, a teen girl whom I've really enjoyed working with. It's always hard to say 'bye' for some reason or other. New clients to come.. Always interesting!

Had a good weekend. We hung out with friends, laughed and watched one of our faves, Away We Go.

"Do you promise that if I die some embarrassing and boring death, that you're gonna tell our daughter that her father was killed by Russian soldiers in this intense hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to save the lives of 850 Chechnyan orphans?"... "Chechnyan orphans. I do. I do."

We went to dinner with some other friends and tried this amazing chili-cheese dip.. Since then, Justin has been trying to re-create it, and so far all of his attempts have been delish! Hung out with Justin's bros, had pizza and champagne. Went to a baby shower and got a new recipe (Eee!). Speaking of babies -- Our friends Marco & Michelle are expecting their little one any day now! Aughh, I can't wait! I hope she comes before I leave for MN.. I don't wanna miss it!
I have to say I'm pretty disappointed that we barely hit the beach this summer, and now summer is basically over. It's still hot and humid as ever, but now that school started, the leaves will be changing any minute now. Fall is the best, so bring it!

Other than that, life has been non-exciting. Justin and I have been facing a complicated issue with his job. It's been quite stressful and frustrating. All we can do is pray and trust God's in control.

Ok.. That's all for now. Goodnight.


xo

[Lyrics - Brand New, Photo - weheartit]

Soundtracks: Beach Bummin'

To continue on with my list of all-time favorite soundtracks, I had to include my favorite beach-movie mixes. Not only do I adore both of these movies, but the soundtracks fit absolutely perfect.

Blue Crush

Check it Out

Featuring: Damian "Jr. Gog" Marley, Zero 7, Doves, Playgroup, Chicken, Blestination, Beth Orton, Lenny Kravitz, Beenie Man, N*E*R*D and Nikka Costa

50 First Dates

Check it Out

Featuring: Wayne Wonder, 311, Seal, Wyclef Jean, Ziggy Marley, Will.I.Am, Elan Atias, UB40, Mark McGrath, Dryden Mitchell, Nicole Kea, Jason Mraz and Adam Sandler

xo

Weddings, Showers, Parties & Inspiration

I know I'm already married, but I'm obsessed with wedding blogs.

I love the excitement.. I love party-planning.. And a wedding is like Thee Party of Parties to share with all of your closest friends and fam. I love it all. I could spend hours and hours scrolling through invitation ideas, decor, place setting, details and details that make weddings personal and oh-so memorable.

As you know, my younger sister, Vanessa, is tying the knot this September (Eeeeeee!). With all of the wedding blogs I already love and adore, I can't help but browse night-and-day for creative ideas to send her.. On top of it all, I get to throw her 2 (of 4) bridal showers (along with the help of our little sis, Lanae & my friend Stacie) and I am so flippin' giddy about every second of this whole process.

Don't take this the wrong way.. but I wish I could have like 10 weddings. I don't mean different marriages, but can you imagine the opportunity to throw 10 different dream weddings?! Billions of ideas for all different styles and schemes.. Maybe that's why I'm extra excited. Our schemes are so very different (I had a beachy/casual wedding, she's going vintage/formal) so I feel like I get to throw millions of totally new ideas at her.. things I didn't get to do for mine, or things I've seen that would be so ridiculously awesome to incorporate.

I've been planning her bridal showers for months now (is that strange?), and I can't wait! I will be flying up to my homeland - Twin Cities, Minnesota - for V's Big Bridal Shower Weekend at the end of this month. 4 showers in 3 days. It's totally manageable. I'll be hosting (with Lanae) a [Sophia Coppola's] Marie Antoinette-inspired lingerie shower and a relative shower (my mum's side) with a french-inspired theme as well. I so want to share all of my ideas and plans, but obviously I can't, as I want to keep most of it a surprise for Vaness. For now, here's a little Antoinette-inspiration.. Eeeee!!

Can I just say? I am totally obsessed with garland, paper and tulle poms and poufs, tissue flowers, organza.. chiffon.. Oh my, oh my! It's so easy to turn a shower or party into an adorable, whimsical, romantic event with just a few efforts.

A few things I'm loving and creating:

xo


[Sources: Click Marie Antoinette photos for source, Most additional photos found on various sites, and 100 Layer Cake, Hostess with the Mostess, Love Ardently]

Uh, Mr. Husky? You've Got The Wrong Place.

Earlier this afternoon - not long after we both got home from work - Justin and I were hanging out in the living room, watching TV, and relaxing. Just a normal, summer day..

All of a sudden, we hear keys going into the lock on our door and we sit in shock, as a large, unknown, sweaty, husky man proceeds to enter into our home. My first instinct was confusion. How the crap does someone have a key to our place? We watch as Mr. Husky walks into our home and closes the door behind him, and just kinda stands there in our entryway, like "Honey, I'm hooome!"
Uhhmmm..?

Justin quickly got up and said something like, "Can we help you? I think you're in the wrong place.."
McHusky: "Uhh..Ohh..Umm.. Where's Jason?"
Justin: "Sorry man, you have the wrong place"
Huskers: "Ohh.. ? #936 huh?"
Justin: "Sorry, you're in the wrong place.. This is 937. 936 is across from here"
Husky: "Ohh..uhh..Ok.."

He then, turns around and walks out. No explanation. No apology for 'breaking and entering'.. Nothing.

Whaaaaat?! Are you kidding me right now?!

Justin looked back at me, with a look like "Did that just happen??" He locks the door and comes back to the couch (where I was, jaw-dropped, watching this whole thing happening). We tried to understand for a moment, how in the world he got in our place. We tried to make sense of the situation..

• How did Mr. Huskyman's key work in our door? Where did he get a key if he knows nothing about these apartments?
• Why wouldn't Husky knock, if he doesn't own the place?
• What was going through his head, as he stepped into a fully-furnished apartment, with two strangers sitting comfortably on their couches and a happy little dog running around?
• Can Husky read? 937 is clearly on the front of our door, plain as day.
• He looked almost somewhat disoriented.. Maybe he was high? Drunk? Lost?

It was wierd. And creepy. Within minutes, we hear a knock at the door. Justin opened the door cautiously, and there's Mr. Husky again (What is with this dude?!). He still says nothing about him entering into our apartment just moments before, but instead he says, "Can I use your bathroom? The key won't work in 936." What is this guy's problem? Still unwilling to explain anything, or identify himself? I watched Justin look at him for a second before saying, "Sorry, I think you should use the bathroom downstairs, near the Office". The guy responds, "Office?? What? Where? Huh??" (Seriously, is someone pranking us?) And Husky mopes away.

After that I called up to the Office to let them know what just happened. We didn't think the guy was dangerous.. It was just so strange and confusing.

Basically, we found out that there was a guy who just moved in across from us, and we are assuming Mr. Husky came to help the newbie move in. We assume newbie gave Husky a copy of his key? and we realized that we didn't think our door was locked, since I had just gotten home from work and had to unload some groceries, etc. -- which means his key didn't necessarily open our door (it probably fit into the keyhole, but didn't unlock anything). He didn't really have any chance getting in our place again to use our bathroom, since he didn't even bother to explain himself, or even apologize or help us understand what happened. I wanted to feel bad for him, but it was all just so bizarre.

I know I have gone to the wrong house/apartment/front door by mistake.. but I wouldn't just open the door and enter. It's embarassing, yes, but I couldn't possibly just walk away.. the least I could do is say, "Oh wait -- I'm sorry! Wrong place!" I dunno, maybe Huskers was having a blonde-moment. We definitely had a good laugh. Still trying to make total sense of what happened..

Whatev. Thanks to our mystery guest, we will now keep our doors locked at all times!


xo

I Am.

I am in love. I am a woman, but I feel like a girl. I am tired. I am a Christian. I am easily amused. I am living in the moment, but I also plan ahead. I am critical. I am frustrated. I am a children's counselor, though I often need counseling myself. I am a freelance make-up artist. I am blessed to be able to do what I'm passionate about on a daily basis. I am an aggressive driver. I am happy. I am emotional. I am fortunate. I have a rewarding job. I have many friends. I have never used an airplane bathroom. I have more than 80 bottles of perfume. I have been attacked by a stupid dog. I have late fees at the library. I have a plan. I have had a tumor, have had broken bones, have had surgeries. I have been judgemental. I have never done drugs. I wish I lived on the beach. I wish I could talk to my grandparents again. I wish for 3 more wishes. I wish everyone I love lived in the same city. I wish college was free. I wish more people left comments on my blog. I want to complain less. I want to just laugh when there's truly nothing I can do about it. I want to live on the beach. I want more motivation. I want to be understood. I want to keep all of my promises. I want to watch a complex movie without having to ask questions. I want to go skydiving. I want children and grandchildren. I want a new car. I want to go back to school. I want a new computer and a new camera. I want to raise another yorkie. I want to be a celebrity makeup artist. I want more clothes. I want to go to Europe, Australia and Hawaii. I want to lose weight without having to try. I fear spiders and bees. I fear losing someone I love dearly. I fear the drivers in Greenville. I fear that when my phone is in my pocket, I might accidentally call someone while talking about something super-private. I fear that I'll make the same mistakes. I hear music. I can hear Romeo crunching on his food. I hear people laughing outside while playing a hefty game of tennis. I wonder what Johnny Depp is doing at this very moment. I wonder what Romeo is thinking about. I wonder why some restaurants are so dang expensive. I wonder if there really are cities in the center of the universe. I wonder why I'm not getting paid more for what I do. I wonder how many people actually read my blog. I wonder what life will be like in 20 years. I regret not buying 2 of the same shirt the last time I was in California, it ended up being my favorite. I regret not wearing my retainer longer than I promised. I regret slacking in college - especially my Bible classes. I regret yelling at someone I respect. I love my family, my friends. I love the way Justin looks at me. I love that he is an amazing husband who loves me unconditionally. I love my perfect doggie, Romeo. I love how he always smells like syrup and brownies, I love kissing his paws. I love to laugh. I love raspberry ginger ale. I love to add extra chocolate chips to desserts. I love to add brown sugar to meals I'm cooking. I love the freedom in my job, I love that I can make my own schedule, take vacation when I want and be as flexible as I want to be. I love really good hugs. I love music and movies. I love to give gifts. I love to eat meat. I love accessories, makeup and perfume. I love palm trees and the beach. I love down comforters and sleeping in. I love to write. I love driving fast. I love making scrapbooks for others. I love paying off debts. I love to throw parties. I love taking videos and pictures of exciting and boring moments in my life. I love God and his constant patience and forgiveness. I always wear my seat belt, although it chokes me and I hate it. I always order the same thing at PF Changs. I always talk things up bigger than they are. I always have to wear earrings. I always sleep with a fan on. I always take my shoes off in my home. I always talk to my mom on the phone. I always give the characters different voices and accents when reading a book. I always listen to music in the car. I always forget to take my thyroid medicine before bed. I always wear my glasses when I read. I always chew gum. I always miss home. I usually have a headache or a migraine. I usually brush my teeth before bed. I usually put Caesar dressing on my salad. I usually procrastinate. I usually go to bed late. I usually drive barefoot. I usually am organized. I am not good at giving speeches or performing under pressure. I am not confident in many things. I am not good at bowling. I sing loud while I'm driving. I sing in the shower. I sing at work. I sing over-exaggerated opera to make Justin laugh. I rarely go the speed limit. I rarely listen to music quiet. I rarely wake up at my first alarm. I rarely get my hair cut. I rarely break out. I rarely take out the garbage (thanks, babe!). I rarely tolerate spicy foods. I rarely fall asleep before Justin. I rarely think or talk about politics. I never unpack within a week (at least) of returning from a trip. I never have been to Mexico. I never can sleep on the floor. I never want to empty the dishwasher. I never want to eat at Bojangles or Church's Chicken. I never check my voicemail. I cry easily: commercials, previews, movies, music. I cry when I'm happy. I cry when I see a man cry. I am not always on time (though I try!).  I am not always good at simple math. I am not always content. I need to be more patient. I need to forget that my clock is set 12 minutes fast. I need to express more appreciation. I need to do laundry. I need to empty the dishwasher. I need to pray more. I think organic food is confusing and overrated. I think most people voted for our president for the wrong reasons. I think this computer is way too slow. I think people can be really rude and obnoxious. I think my friends are rare and special. I think we should think before we speak. I think country music sucks. I think Pauly Shore is funny. I think Conan O' Brien got screwed. I think soccer is boring. I think olive oil is overpriced. I think my parents raised me well. I think I made the right choice. I think you're pretty rad for reading this whole thing ♥

xo

Parking-Lot Idiots

Last night, Justin and I met some friends downtown for dinner. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot in a small parking lot, right near the restaurant - especially on a Saturday night - so we were pretty happy. Dinner was fab and our night moved along smoothly. As we headed back to the lot to leave, we could see it was pretty cramped, as people were fighting for spots. We moved quickly, to surrender our good little spot, and as Justin was about to back out, we noticed there was a car still sitting directly behind us, so we couldn't back out. We waited with our reverse lights on, assuming the man would pull forward so we could get out, but nothing happened. He was even holding up 3 or 4 cars behind him, who couldn't get by. I opened my door to smile at the guy and let him know we were leaving and he could take our spot, or move ahead (or something!), but he wouldn't look at me. Maybe he was waiting for someone to leave? But no one was leaving.. so it didn't make any sense. We waited a little longer. Nothing. Finally, I got out of the car and walked toward his parked car to get his attention.

He fumbled around a little before zooming his window down. I started to ask if he could pull a little forward so we could back out.. Before I could finish my sentance, he says all huff and puffy, "I am calling the POLICE! Someone took my parking spot! I'm calling!"

Whaaat?! Who calls the cops when someone takes your spot!? Not to mention, refusing to let any car move along around him until justice is served?? Is this guy for real? We tried backing out a little further, when Tattle-tale finally moved forward 3 inches. Good grief. Thank goodness we made it out of there before Angry Man showed up to start beating on my window.

All of this parking-lot business reminded me of a little book Justin and I found (and bought) at Urban Outfitters. How many times have you come out to your car, and found some idiot who parked so close to you that you can't even get inside the door?? Or how about the half-wits that take up two parking spots, so you can't find anywhere to park? I guess it's happened more than a billion times to us, so finding this little faux-parking ticket book was like a miniature jackpot. They are perfect to tear out and leave on an idiot's windshield when necessary. The company that makes them - Shinbox Print - have some other really cool little things to check out.

I know we're not the only victims of bad park-jobs, because some people have even dedicated their blogs and sites to making fun of them! Pretty funny!

Your Parking Sucks

You Park Like an A-hole

Bad Parking

xo

[Parking Ticket photos source Shinebox Print and Flicker - Kbaird]