Shrimp Pasta a la Kim

I went over to Kim's for dinner a few weeks ago to help her prepare for a baby shower (see all the deets here) and she made a fabulous easy shrimp pasta dish. I was amazed at how good it was and she whipped it up in only about ten minutes! So I must share!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Italian dressing (just eyeball it to your liking)
1 can artichoke hearts (drained and rinsed)
1 package of mushrooms
1/2 bag of frozen uncooked shrimp
angel hair pasta, fetuccine noodles, or your favorite pasta

On the stove top put the italian dressing in the pan and stir in your artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and the mushrooms are soft. In a separate pot, boil your noodles. Drain noodles, poor shrimp sauce on top, and ENJOY! :)

This dish is super easy and it can easily be altered to your favorite ingredients! Who knew Italian dressing would make such an awesome sauce over pasta?!

Latest Music Obsession

New beau (more on that later;)) was kind enough to let me copy his new Jason Aldean "My Kind of Party" CD and I'm OBSESSED! I love Jason Aldean and I didn't think his last CD could be topped but this one is just as good. I love CDs that you can listen to the entire thing instead of just skipping to the two songs that are actually good.

Loveeeee his new song "Country Boy's World". Check it out on youtube. You won't be sorry ;)

Book Review



Mama gave me the book "Heaven is for Real" and I cannot put it down, for real. It is soooo good!! I cannot wait to get home tonight to finish it. Yes, I'm that much of a nerd. Seriously though, I started reading it on Saturday afternoon at the pool, read a little Sunday night and last night and will be finishing it today. It's a super easy read and it's one of those books that you just can't put down. Now if you know me, I tend to be a bit pessimistic/skeptical of things but if this little boy really went to heaven and heaven is really like he describes it then oh boy do we have a reason to live the best life on earth so we can all get there!! :)

Easy Homemade PB Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 jar Peter Pan creamy peanut butter
1 and 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
half of a bag of Reese's peanut butter chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix peanut butter, brown sugar, and baking soda for on medium for about 1 minute. Add eggs and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter chips. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes.

These cookies are my absolute favorite and I love to eat them over vanilla ice cream! The perfect dessert!  :)

Royal Wedding

I LOVED Princess Diana and I was obsessed with the news stories that surrounded her death. I'm pretty excited for the Royal Wedding and I have DVR'd the wedding and the Barbara Walter's special tomorrow night! This has been a very stressful week at work and I am soooo looking forward to a watching William and Kate's wedding footage and relaxing all weekend! I'm reallyyyy hoping I can lay out by the pool--I heard it might be open :)

Amanda & Matt's Wedding

To Have and To Hold From This Day Forward...

Amanda got married this past weekend. Friday night we had the rehearsal at the church. The church was in Midlothian and it was really pretty. After the rehearsal we had the rehearsal dinner at Mi Hacienda. It was a really nice Mexican restaurant, the food was delicious, and I like that it was laid back and relaxed. On Saturday, I did my own hair and makeup so I didn't have to be at the church until 2pm. Amanda was feeling a little under the weather so we didn't end up taking pictures before the wedding but the wedding went off without a hitch and we took lots of pics afterwards. The reception was absolutely beautiful with an open bar and delicious italian food for dinner. My two faves--Mexican and Italian--clearly we're related :) Amanda and her mom were beautiful and her two brothers have turned in to the sweetest men! Who knew those little boys would grow up to be so awesome?? And Cheston just found out that he got into VIRGINIA TECH!! Yeah, I kinda might have screamed a little when he told me! :) Sooo excited for him. Here are a few pics from the wedding:

 Amanda and her brother, Blaine: 

 Mr. & Mrs. Waller:

Amanda & her mom:

A Few Favorite Finds

So here a few things I have discovered lately—

1. First of all, WHY have I never bought blonde bobby pins?? Surely, I knew there was such a thing? So why didn’t I own any? Dumb blonde moment, clearly. Well anyways, Amanda’s wedding was this past weekend and I decided I would do my own hair. No offense to the hairdressers that were offered but I never seem to like my hair or make up when someone else does it. Plus, $50 vs. diy?? I had to choose diy on this one. Who couldn’t stand to save a few bucks these days? I know I can! I went to Target Saturday morning because I realized my curling iron barrel is too small for my newly shorter hair. So in my search for the right size curling iron I also came across blonde bobby pins! Perfect! I also found the cutest little flower bobby pins to add a little flair to my ‘do. Thankfully, the hair ‘do came out just fine! Totally worth saving $50 and I’ll have to admit I was flattered that people kept asking me where I got my hair done ;) Mom has pics of my hair on her camera so I’ll try to steal them from her soon.  

www.goody.com

2. I am LOVING this new hair product I discovered. Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo. I am a wash my hair every single day faithfully kind of girl. But, it’s really not good for your hair to wash it every day so I’ve been trying to give my hair a break 2 days a week…usually once during the work week and on Saturdays (mainly b/c I’m a bum on Saturdays J) I used to use just plain on baby powder and it helps but this product really does the trick. I read about it on a blog that’s all about hair and after reading the reviews of the product I had to splurge a little and purchase it. It runs about $18 and I got my from Ulta with a 20% off coupon. If you live near an Ulta they are often send coupons so you could easily get it a little cheaper. It is Ahhhhmazing! Check it out!

www.tigihaircare.com

3. I used to be a TJ Maxx girl but lately I’m loving Ross. I can find great dresses in there at reasonable prices, cute tops, and they always have cute name brand sandles for cheap!!

www.rossstores.com

4. I’m also loving ARMY WIVES! I’ve never watched until this season but the show is addictive even after one episode. Beware—lots of the episodes can be tear jerkers!

Happy 25th to Me

25. Really? Already??

Wow! When I was little 25 was like a real grown up...OLD! haha! I had a FANTASTIC birthday yesterday and I hope that was an indication that this year is going to be great! I worked a half day and then I took the afternoon off for myself. And I’m so proud of the fact that I probably only checked my work email 3 times and I didn’t respond to a single one until I returned to work this morning. That’s progress :) I came home at lunchtime and poor Pebbles was sick so I got her all cleaned up and went on a couple errands before getting my hair done. Loving my new shorter ‘do! 

I had dinner with my Mom, Richard and two of my favorite girls—Kim and Paige. We went to Hot Tamale and I had a celebratory margarita which was yummy and I ate way too much guacamole! We had so much fun just talking and laughing. My parents had never met Paige and neither had Kim but everyone definitely hit it off. I got some great gifts, lots of phone calls, texts, and messages from fb friends. The day wasn’t perfect but it was pretty darn close! I feel so incredibly blessed to have lived 25 amazing years and to have found such amazing people to share my life with. I’m especially grateful that time and circumstances have weeded out some of the negative people in my life and I’m thankful to be surrounded by those who truly love me for who I am. What a great day! I’m not so sure I’m deserving of any of it but I thank God for my very blessed life. It’s not always sunshine but I guess you can’t appreciate the sunshine without a little rain, huh?

Thanks to my amazing family and friends for an amazing day!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Catch Up Post

3.26.11 was my cousin Amanda's bachelorette party! It's always fun to get a big group of girls together that don't know each other and to meet some new people. We had a great time getting to know each other around a few drinks and we had a yummy dinner at Firebirds before hitting the bar in the hotel. I didn't take many pictures (surprise, surprise) but here's one of the bachelorette:

This past weekend Mama and I spent all day Saturday at the outlets in Williamsburg. When Mama and I shop it usually turns into a 12 hour day and this one definitely did. We had such a good time and I love those moments with her when we laugh until we're almost in tears. I picked out one of my birthday presents--a fabulous Coach bag. I'm in looooove!!

On Sunday, I had to go to work for the open house of the new skilled unit at work. We've added 30 new skilled beds, a new state of the art gym, dining room, offices, indoor pool that's twice the size of our current one, cardio room, weight room, rooms for excerise classes including Zumba etc. 35,000 square feet and my office happens to be on the complete opposite end of the already enormous building. Sooooo I'm going to have to retire the heels and invest in some tennis shoes with little wheels that pop out....I kid, I kid. But maybe I'll lose a pound or two from all the extra walking!? The opening of the new unit has been something that's been talked about for at least a year and the anticipation of how this week would go has been worrying everyone. Other than being overwhelmed with the big change and added work and responsibility, it's going to be a fabulous thing. Something that I know cannot compete with a single facility in Richmond and others in the state probably don't come close. And this is why when people ask me WHY ON EARTH would you want to work in FARMVILLE? I know that where I am is the best. Don't get me wrong, I get extremely frustrated at times and fed up with everything but that's going to occur in any job anywhere. We all have those moments. But today I had one of those "I'm SO PROUD of how amazing this place is and how much it's grown in the 2 years and 4 months that I've been here" days. I wish I had some pictures to share...the nurses station has granite counter tops, the art is beautiful and modern, the furniture is gorgeous but comfy, the rooms are huge and the patients feel like they're in a 5 star hotel instead of a "nursing home". Now tell me you'd rather go to a rehab facility and share a tiny room with another patient that probably hasn't been updated in 20 years?? Probably not. LOVE IT! LOVE how impressed and happy the patients are! LOVE MY JOB! :)

Amanda's Bridal Shower

I wanted to share some pictures from Amanda's bridal shower. Amanda's mom LOVES to decorate and insisted on doing the decorations for the shower and I must say they were over the top beautiful!

The chocolate fountain was DELISH!!

These pictures were taken before all of the yummy food was put out!

I ended up doing several games. The first one was the "Clothes Pin Game". As guests arrived they were each given a clothes pin and they were not allowed to say the fiance's name or cross their legs. If they were caught by another person doing either of these things, their clothes pin was taken away by that person. At the end of the shower, the person with the most clothes pins was given a prize! The next thing I had set up was the "Guess How Many Game". The guest who came the closest to the actual number of jelly beans received a prize. 

I also did a "Question Game". I had 8 questions about the bride and groom pertaining to their relationship (where did they meet, what is their favorite restaurant, when did he propose, etc.) I called out the questions and the guest with the most correct answers won a prize. The last game we did was the traditional "Wedding Dress Game". I decided to have two teams of 4 with one person as the bride and the other three guests had to make a dress for the bride out of toilet paper. The girls had SOOO much fun doing this. They were given 8 minutes and in the end we just couldn't decide on a winner because both teams were so creative and good sports :)

I think all in all the day was a great success and I hope Amanda had a wonderful time! :)

10 Purchases You Will Regret Article

This is a great article that really makes you think about your purchases. If you're like me and have a dog who is also your "child" don't read number 10. But, all of the other ideas are great! :)

http://money.bundle.com/article/ten-purchases-that-you-will-regret/1

HAPPY SPRING!!

Just a Few Reasons I Love Spring:


-SUNSHINE

-Sandals, flip flops, wedges!

-suntanned skin

-blooming flowers

-everything is alive and green

-it’s light outside when I get home from work

-perfect running weather

-thunderstorms!!

-brightly colored clothes

-SUNSHINE

-birds singing in the mornings

-dew on the grass

-skirts without tights

-Robin’s hibernation ends!

-did I say SUNSHINE??

WOOOHOOOOOOO Springtime is HERE!!! I’m a happy girl!

More Reasons to Looooooove Target!!

I love Target. It's pretty much the best store ever because they have everything. It's absolutely impossible for me to walk out of there without spending way too much money. There's no such thing as "running in Target for one thing". Impossible!

So here's even MORE reason to love Target:

SUPER CUTE NEW DRESSES BY DESIGNERS!!

Happy St. Patty's Day! :)

Who Does What

This was in a forward from Mama today and I think it's so cute :)


A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning..

The wife said, 'You should do it because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.

The husband said, 'You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'

Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee..'

Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.'


So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says 'HEBREWS'

Easy Low Cal Breakfast (or in my case--lunch)

Okay, I've been lazy enough this winter and since Daylight Savings Time (YAYYYY!!!!) was this past weekend---IT'S TIME. It's time to concentrate on eating healthier and working out. If I could just give up sweets I'd probably weigh 100lbs but since that's not happening EVER....I better do good the rest of the day :)

So today for lunch I had this yummy creation:

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1 packet plain Instant Oatmeal
brown sugar to taste

Add water and microwave.

I also found this awesome section on the Better Homes and Gardens website that has some very helpful calorie/carb charts! Check it out-- http://www.bhg.com/recipes/healthy/eating/calorie-charts/

Pebblypoo

One night last week, I came home to this--

Pebbles' gate fell down and instead of jumping out into freedom for the day she was scared to cross it and waited for me to get home to let her out! Sooooo cute!! I just love her :)

Overdue Update

Well, I haven't been doing such a good job of blogging lately, huh? Sorry!! Here's what's been going on in my world--

Last weekend, my parents came up and we went to VCU to see the Brunswick Boys play in the State Championship game. It was SUCH a close and exciting game and WE WON!! After that I went shopping and to dinner with Paige. I finally found the perfect spring time bedding that matches my curtains and accents in my room so I didn't have to change that stuff. Here's a pic although the lighting isn't very good and I'm still searching for the perfect picture to put behind the bed--

I've also been busy preparing for Amanda's bridal shower this weekend! I'm excited for Saturday to get here. I have 4 games planned and lots of food items! I'll have to do a shower blog and hopefully share some pictures??

Can't wait for my dinner date with Kim tonight! We don't see eachother often enough and I can't wait to catch up! Thank God it's Hibachi Night! :)

Airport Post from Thursday

I’m sitting at the airport during my layover writing this post. I probably won’t actually be able to post it until later since in the Atlanta airport you have to pay for internet unless you want to go to one of their sites that is free which does not include gmail, blogger, or facebook. Whomp, whomp.

I have to confess I got TOTALLY freaked out when I got to the Richmond Airport this morning and I was waiting to go through security (YES, it was THAT early in the morning that security wasn’t even OPEN!?!).  First of all, there was a huge Code Orange sign saying there was High Risk for terrorist attacks when I walked in.  Then, I sit down to wait for security to open and the man across from me is not an American and he has headphones in and he’s TALKING to his ipod/phone?? It was just sketchy the way he was whispering and laughing and looking at people. Well, turns out he was probably talking to one of his buddies and it sounded like it was about a girl. I felt like a jerk when I realized he was clearly not a terrorist and was just an innocent (maybe?) 20 something guy talking about a girl.

I LOVEEE people watching! And the airport is obviously a great place to do that. I find myself looking at these folks wondering why are they all in Atlanta. Where is their connecting flight? Are they going somewhere tropical because he’s wearing shorts and Sperry’s? She looks miserable—is she traveling because there was a death in the family or is she just mad at her husband who seems totally oblivious to that scowl? Why is this woman traveling with 3 small kids? Where is her husband? Why is he wearing a suit? What kind of job does he have that flies him on planes in a suit? 

People are SO interesting to me. Hence, my choice of major in college (Human Development) and my career choice.

Now if I only I knew what all of these people were REALLYYYY doing here!

Happy Thursday Folks!!

l

Spring Fever

I have spring fever. It's no secret to anyone that knows me at all that I DESPISE winter. It's such a drag and everything is dead and ugly and cold. Eww. But we are now 11 days from daylight savings time!!! (Am I the only person on the planet that counts down to that glorious day??)

I really want a new springy comforter for my bedroom. I don't really "need" one but I think it would brighten up my room for spring/summer because I currently have everything in brown and blue. I want a spring comforter that still matches my blue curtains and brown/blue accents around the room. Target has some really cute ones! Here's what I've found so far:


http://www.target.com/ for $29.99



http://www.target.com/ for $89.99
Love, love, love this one!!


http://www.target.com/ for $69.99

Ohhhh the joys of decorating! :) I'm going to blame my latest obsession on Paige--we're ALWAYS redecorating some type of room when we shop together!

Sometimes You're the Windshield, Sometimes You're the Bug

Sometimes do you feel like you’re just damned if you do and damned if you don’t? I’m planning to keep this blog very G-rated but there’s just no substitute word for that saying. I’ve decided that in some situations all you can do is the right thing. I work very hard at a job where I help people all day long--help them solve their problems, listen to them when they think they're the only person in the world going through this and reassure them that they're not, break the bad news to their loved ones when they don’t have the courage or strength to do it. I think I'm a good (yet very flawed) person and I’m always going to strive to do the right thing and try to put my needs before others and tell the truth. And well, if I don’t get that respect in return then that’s okay. I can sleep at night know I did what I thought was best, right, just, kind.

Richard always likes to remind me of these two things--
1. “Nobody is perfect Robin”

2. “Every family is not like yours”

I have to remind myself that all families are different with different issues and although I think my family’s way is the right way and the best way. It’s not. It’s just the way I know. It's tough to understand a world where people don’t take food when someone dies, where people don’t say thank you, where people don’t keep in touch with their loved ones, where people abuse and use each other, where there’s jealousy, and spitefulness, and where love and support aren’t the number one priority. I know all kinds exist, believe me I do. I worked for social services—I’ve seen the nastiness that’s out there. I guess I know it exists because I see it...almost every day. But when it's personal (meaning my friends, loved ones, etc.) it’s harder to swallow. 


So here's to recognizing how fortunate you are if you have people in your life who show love and support no matter what the circumstances! And I pray that others who don't give that or receive that will find it. 

A Vacation from Preparing for Vacation. Whew!!

The last few days have been crazy busy and I couldn't be more ready for a few days off. But first, I have to PREPARE to be off....

Unfortunately, I do not have a back up or fill in person when I am off so I have been super stressed with trying to catch up on work, make discharge plans, room change plans, etc for the rest of the week in addition to the fact that we are currently in BILLING since it's the end of the month. When we're in billing that basically means I have about 30 interviews to conduct with the residents and then enter that information into the Medicare database on the computer which happens to be SUPERRRRR slow and frustrating! I feel like I haven't taken a breath in the past two days...not to mention I worked from home for several hours and Saturday and I feel like there's NO WAY I will get it all done before I leave Thursday morning...but I'm determined to do it somehow. Meaning, I plan to be at work around 7:30 in the morning and I didn't get home until after 7 tonight. I never get a true "day off" because I'm always checking work emails, responding, answering phone calls with questions. I really need some good help and thankfully I think it is on the way very soon! When that day comes that I can take a day off stress free I will be SOOOOO thankful :)

And who knew that having a dog would be like having a child!

My puppychild has been to the vet, had her nails trimmed, needs to be bathed tonight, clothed in the most fabulous outfit, I have to pack her little VERA BRADLEY over night bag, buy a new bag of dog food, and finalize the plans with Grandma and Papa for her 4 days away. What a spoiled rotten little pup! Papa is NOT a dog person at all and the first time she spent a couple of days there, Papa felt like he had to "babysit" and not leave her home alone. Finally, I reminded him that she's home alone everyday when I go to work and she'll be okay to be alone for a few hours. Haha! So cute! I'm so thankful for my amazing parents! They're driving an hour and a half tomorrow night just to pick up their grandpuppy :) 

Quick Hair Update as Promised

First of all, I had a great experience at Hair Cuttery on Saturday! Heather did a great job and I got a real trim (not an I listened to the hair and accidentally cut 4 inches while we were chatting) and I'm very happy with the highlights!

Also, I attempted a fishtail braid and if I can do this, believe me, ANYBODY can! :)

Is anyone else watching the Bachelor? Clearly, it's not real and no one really falls in love in 6 weeks on a tv show but for some reason I still can't resist watching!! Back to the TV--almost time for the rose ceremony! Team Chantel or Team Emily? Hmmm....I can't decide...

“I Believe There are Angels Among Us”

This morning I had my first FLAT TIRE! I pulled out of my place, drove about a tenth of a mile and realized my tire must be flat. So I pulled over, put on my flashers, hopped out of the car to check the tires and almost IMMEDIATELY there was a work truck with two men hopping out asking, “Do you have a spare??”  Can I just tell you the relief I felt that I would not be sitting on the side of the busy interstate waiting an hour for AAA to show up?? Don’t get me wrong AAA is a great thing but to have it done immediately by two nice strangers?? Now that’s a miracle! Also, it restores faith in the human race-that there are still people out there willing to help a neighbor in need.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the two strangers who helped make what could have been a horrible Monday morning into a great day!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

Loving the Braid Trend

I'm loving the braid trend that's been going on for awhile. My hair is pretty long these days and it takes awhile to dry so it's nice to be able to do something different and easy on days that I'm lazy or running late. This style also works great on "second day hair". I'm definitely a wash my hair every day type of girl but lately I've been trying to not wash it at least 1 or 2 days a week to just give it a break since winter makes hair dry and more prone to breakage. I love this look below and this is the look I try to go for (although mine doesn't look nearly as nice as Selena Gomez's below!!)

Does anyone know how to do the fishtail braid? I think it's soooo pretty but I just can't figure it out. I'd LOVE some tips if anyone knows how!

Update--I found a good tutorial You Tube:

Now it's time to test it out! I'll have to let you know how it goes :)

Swine Flu Update--GET YOUR FLU SHOT FOLKS!!

As I mentioned in a post last week, I was diagnosed with the H1N1 or "swine" flu. Thankfully, my fever only lasted for a couple of days and other than an annoying cough I have been feeling better each day. I went back to the doctor on Wednesday for my cough and he put me on some cough medicine that makes me sleepy and a little loopy but I feel so much better than I did. Last night, one of my facebook friends posted this news article link:

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-27-year-old-in-botetourt-co-dies-from-the-h1n1-flu-20110216,0,3485664.story

This article is about a healthy 27 year old who had the swine flu and passed away a few weeks later. I have alway been on the fence about the flu shot but after having the swine flu last week and seeing what effects it has on your body (high blood pressure and an extremely high resting heart rate) it is much scarier than I previously thought. Now, after seeing this article I am convinced that I will be getting the flu shot from now on. Please keep this young man's wife, 4 year old daughter, and family in your prayers. I am SOOOO very thankful that I am healed and now all of my friends get to hear me advocate for the flu shot!! It's not too late to get yours!

Hair Scare!!

I'm one of those girl who rarely gets my hair cut because to be honest, I'm always a little afraid of what the hairdresser will do. And lately (in this economy!), I'd rather just save that $30 for more important things--like dinners out with girlfriends! Well, I've decided it's time for a trim. I don't think I've had my hair cut since November and my normally pretty side-swept bangs are telling me that they don't want me taking the scissors to them any more--they want a professional!!

So I've had to decide this week whether I want to go to my usual hairdresser (who is FABULOUS might I add) or should I try somewhere a little cheaper?? Now, I LOVE my gay hairdresser and I believe every girl needs one BUT--

A.   I only want a trim and he likes to "let the hair speak" to him which usually results in a 3-4 inch hair cut instead of a trim. 

B.   A "trim" costs the same as a hair cut which is $27

So my friend Paige, recommended a girl named "Heather" at HairCuttery near my place. I have an appointment tomorrow at 10am for a hair trim and a partial highlight. I'm really quite afraid of the highlights as well because I like for my hair to look natural and I'm not the "dye your hair every 6 weeks" type....I'm more of the "highlight every 4-6 months" type.

I'll let you know how it turns out, how much money I saved and if it's worth the money saved!

The Martin Agency's Finest!

Today I would like to say--

CONGRATULATIONS

to my wonderful, amazingly supportive, smart, witty friend KIMBERLY SINK on her new job!! She is going to be working at THE MARTIN AGENCY, (which is only like the most famous branding and marketing firm ever).

I'm sooo happy for you Kim and I hope this is the start of a bright new career that you are so deserving of! Good luck! :)

This Little Piggy Has Flu

I have the swine flu and let me just tell you it is NOT fun. At all! But, I have to say I have the very best friends and family in the world. Mama had to come to Richmond today for work so when she left her meeting she went to WalMart and Panera and stocked me up on soups, meds, tissues, and all the essentials (like toilet paper--how does one run completely OUT of toilet paper?? Ridiculous but I sure did it today). She is the BEST!! And Kimberly offered to leave things on my doorstep, knock, and RUN far away to avoid my germs. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who's checked on me today! Where would I be without my girlfriends? 

Thankfully, Patient First wasn't the terrible experience that I had thought it would be and I was able to be seen, get meds, and get out within an hour and a half. Now I'm just praying that I didn't spread it to any old ladies and gents at the nursing home. :( 

So it looks like I'll be cooped up in this apartment all weekend and the girl who sleeps under any circumstances can't sleep on these meds? Really? 

Ok, off to watch Grey's and Private Practice that I missed earlier and hoping I drift off to sleep soon. 

Happy Birthday Jenn!!

Today is Jennifer’s 24^th birthday. She is a year younger than me and we met the summer before her freshman year of college. I had just completed my first year at Virginia Tech and she was about to be a freshman. We happened to meet at a get together back home and became INSTANT friends. When we went back to VT in August we met some other amazing girls and we had the time of our lives. Luckily, after college Jennifer and I have remained best friends and she has been there for me through everything and I know she’d say the same about me. I’m very thankful for her friendship and we have lots of fun memories.

Last night we celebrated her birthday a day early. We went to P.F. Changs! We had a great time catching up and the food was amazing.

As we were leaving, I ran into a little problem. I had absolutely NO change and I had to go through a 75 cent toll on the way home! I frantically searched my car and purse hoping to find a penny or two. Next thing I know, Jennifer is walking over to this couple in the parking lot begging for spare change. Haha. Not all friends would do that! Thankfully, the nice (yet scary looking) couple gave her some change and I made it home without having to stop for cash or go an extra thirty minutes to avoid the tolls!

Thank you Jennayyy! Hope you had the FANTASTIC birthday that you so deserve! Love to you!

"Plans Are Made To Be Broken"--RHB

Why is it that as women we have a constant need to have a PLAN? We feel like we need to have a plan about what's for dinner, a plan for the exact plans of next weekend, a plan of what to wear for that special occasion, a plan for when to get married, a plan for when to have babies, a plan for what to do at work tomorrow? I think it's just an innate characteristic that women have that we cannot control--WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN. Men on the other hand, think about what they're going to eat for dinner when they get hungry, pick out their outfit (for the wedding you've had an invitation to for 6 weeks) when he gets out of the shower on the day of the event, and decides what to do next weekend, when next weekend gets here. Oh to be so carefree and not have any pressure of planning--to just take every thing in life as it comes. I think that's something we could all learn from the males in our lives. Why stress over what's going to happen next weekend or in 5 years? It's certainly not going to change the outcome. There's only one person who knows what the next five minutes or the next five years holds...and that is God. So today I'm going to try to spend more time having FAITH that everything in life happens as it is supposed to and spend less time sweating the small stuff.

Lazy Sunday

I'm feeling a little under the weather today but I have the BEST snuggle bug ever to keep me company! Miss Pebbles turned 3 on January 1st and I don't know what I'd do without her. She is so sweet and has the best little personality. 

Bridal Shower Plans!

So today I went shopping with Mama to get started on planning a bridal shower for my cousin Amanda. She is so special to me and we have been the best of friends for as long as I can remember. We used to vacation together when we were little and those are still some of my favorite summer time memories. Throughout our childhood, college days, and after college days we have remained in touch. Although we don’t always see eachother as often as we would like, she is one of those special friends where you can pick up where you left off as if no time has passed. I’m so excited to be a part of her big day!

The wedding colors are lavender and kiwi green. Well so far, I have made a center piece out of lavender flowers. What do you think?

Also, I’ve purchased the cups, plates, napkins, and a few other odd and end things to tie the theme together. I’ve started to get some ideas together for the menu and bridal shower games. I’ll let you know what I come up with soon!

Amanda and her mom, Gloria, are on the way over now so here’s the set up I have at my place for them to see when they get here. I’m too excited to keep it a secret but I will have a few things up my sleeve that the bride-to-be won’t know about.  

I LOVE FRIDAYS!

I <3 FRIDAY

I just love Fridays :) No meetings, I have quiet time to catch up on all of my documentation for the week, and if I'm really lucky I can be out of the door and on the way home by 4:30!


This weekend is going to be a good but quiet one--Jenna's basketball game, bridal shower planning for Amanda's upcoming wedding, and enjoying my first DVR and finally having internet at my place :) I for see a lot of couch sitting, catching up on my shows, and blogging! I'm so excited to finally have Verizon Fios TV and Internet!

It's the simple things in life :) 

Happy Weekend Folks! :)

Meetings, BM Dress, Housewives

Today was VERY busy and filled with meetings at work. When I got off , I went to pick up my bridesmaid’s dress for my cousin’s wedding. I am SOOOO happy to report that it will not need any alterations and it fit perfectly! It’s really pretty and I love the color! Check it out: 

Now it’s time to watch my guilty pleasure “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Reunion Show” Ohhh, the drama!

Discovering Etsy

So today I decided to check out etsy.com since I've heard so much about the unique finds on there. I stumbled across these beautiful rings for only $15 and I think I'm going to have to make a purchase soon! They are so different and all of the reviews for the designer make me want to buy one even more!!


I am IN LOVE with this one: