2nd Anniversary Trip to Las Vegas!

Hey everyone!

Rick and I headed out to Vegas to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary.  We didn't get to do even half of what we wanted but we sure did have fun!  We met up with a couple of cousins of ours while we were there which made it even better.  We headed downtown one night to Fremont Street so Rick could see the "Fremont Experience" which was really cool and Halloween-themed, we gambled a lot of our money away (and didn't win much in return!), we had drinks galore, we saw our first Cirque du Soleil show, and ate tons of food!  It was a super wonderful trip but very short, and I wish we could have added an additional day.  We've already decided that the next time we head out, we're staying for at least 4 days and 3 nights instead of only 3 days and 2 nights.  Unfortunately for me, Rick has already booked his next flight out there for a 'guys' trip.  I'm insanely jealous but also super excited for him.  He'll get to gamble with the boys instead of the usual gambling with me!  I didn't get a whole bunch of pictures of the two of us while we were out there (I never realized how hard it is to take pictures when there's only two of us on trip!), but here are a few:

Rick & I at the Cosmo

Us enjoying the Fremont Experience

Rick, BJ & Brandy at the Cosmo

The guys being guys downtown

Finally...My Halloween Wreath!

Good evening!!

So, I finally got around to putting the finishing touch on my Halloween wreath today.  The actual wreath has been complete for a couple of weeks now and has been hanging on the door with my tacky clear door hanger.  But today, I finally got around to hanging it with a ribbon.  It looks so much better!!

I stumbled upon the Halloween wreath idea when I found this wreath from Martha Stewart on Pinterest:

Source: marthastewart.com via Kellie on Pinterest

But, I definitely wanted it to have more.  It's cute just the way it is but having a plain black wreath hanging from my front door would have made me feel like it were incomplete.  I like lots of decoration!  I ended up at the Hobby Lobby here in town and found a few wood and felt Halloween figures and cutouts.  I also got the the wreath form, flowers, and spray paint there.  Hobby Lobby is my one-stop shop!

Here's a picture of my set-up:

I made the horrible mistake of working with a straw form!  I've never worked with one before and I'll never work with another one again.  They're messy and they're hard to break through when attaching flower stems.  My fingers hurt so bad the next day from struggling with this form!  I should have stuck with what I know!  Anyway, I cut the stems down on all of the flowers and attached them to the form with hot glue, then sprayed the entire thing with black spray paint.

I let it dry for a few hours then attached the wood cutouts and felt creatures.  And, today, I finally added the black ribbon to hang it.  Here it is...drumroll please...

Ahhhh!  Isn't it adorable?!  I'm so happy with the way it turned out.  I really wanted it to be cutesy Halloween and I think that's exactly what I got!

I'm on a roll with these Pinterest-inspired projects.  First the leopard flats and now my Halloween wreath!  I can't wait to see what will come up next!

Oh, a sidenote: I lurk on TheNest, a lot, and was indirectly introduced to Birchbox.  I recently received my first Birchbox and am trying out all of the products they sent me.  Once I'm done testing the products I'll write about them.  :-)

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  Have a GREAT Sunday night!!

Yay! I Found...

My camera!!  I guess I didn't do that great of a job of checking all of my clutches because I found my camera safe and sound sitting in one.  My memory has gone down the freakin' drain!  I'm just happy I found it.

I got the grand idea to make my Halloween costume this year.  I get so tired of spending anywhere from $30 to $40 on a new costumes every year (actually, multiply those numbers by 2 because there are two of us that dress up).  Anyway, I decided that I was going to be a Flapper this year and I was going to make this costume myself.  I haven't sewed a huge project in years but I knew I had scrap material somewhere.  Low and behold, I find tons of awesome hot pink satin material.  Score!!  Then it dawned on me that it's already the 9th of October (when I found the material), I'm out of town next weekend, I don't want to be stressed the day of a Halloween celebration finishing a costume, and if I push myself to do it all this weekend then I will, for sure, mess it up; so, I canned the whole idea.  So, my new costume and inspiration is...

Flashdance!  Rick and I watched the movie Take Me Home Tonight this past weekend and that movie actually sold me on dressing up 80's style for Halloween...along with the fact that my best friend is doing it too!  The movie was awesome and hilarious with the crazy clothes and hair, and I've wanted to dress 80's style for a while now so this is what I'm doing for Halloween.  I'm even having a sweatshirt like the one above made so I don't have to answer possible questions about what I am for Halloween (not that I should receive any because this "look" is pretty well-known).  Now I just need to find leg warmers, a leotard, and leggings (there's no way I'm wearing JUST a leotard!).  I'll make a head band from t-shirt/sweatshirt scraps and I'm a pro at teasing my hair!  I'm pretty excited about this!

I've gotta run and finish my Halloween wreath but before I do, here's a picture of Rick & I dancing after a night out celebrating his Birthday.  Disclaimer: He's NOT a dancer and we were both pretty tipsy but I think it's an adorable picture!

Totally Forgot To...

Wish Rick a Happy Birthday somewhere in the last couple of posts.  Tsk, tsk!  Happy Birthday, love!!  Rick's birthday was last Thursday, the 29th, but we went out and celebrated with friends on Friday.  It was a super awesome time, as always!

Honestly, I'm happy we (or I) got the partying out of my way on Friday instead of Saturday.  Doing so allowed me to go to Hobby Lobby on Saturday and start on a Halloween wreath, then lay around and be lazy all day Sunday.  I don't know why I've never used Friday as my 'going out' night.  It's so much easier that way!  Get off work, go home and relax for a while, get dressed, head out, have lots of fun, go home, and relax on Saturday AND Sunday.  Genius!

So, on Saturday I started working on a Halloween wreath that I found on Martha Stewart's website.  I also posted it on Pinterest.  The basic idea came from her but I've added some elements to dress it up a little.  I wanted it to be a little more cutesy Halloween rather than just a black wreath hanging on my door.  I've finished the actual wreath but I'm still looking for a ribbon to hang it.  The Halloween-inspired ribbons that I found at Hobby Lobby weren't all that great.  Most of them were wire ribbons and I hate working with wire ribbons.  They always bend at the wrong places and it really irks me!  I think I'm just going to go with a plain black ribbon and be done with the project so I can finally hang it on the front door.  I'll take and post pictures when it's done! :)

Speaking of pictures, I've misplaced my camera!!!!  I can't find it anywhere.  Not that I've look all that hard...but I can't seem to find it where I would normally put it: purse, tv stand, shelf, nightstand drawer, etc.  I know where the battery charger is, but no camera.  I'm kind of freaking out a little and I'm kind of thinking that I lost it for good.  That may just be me thinking the worst of the situation though.  I must find this little guy!  We have 17 days (yes, I'm counting down!) until we leave for Vegas and I must have my camera with me.  "What happens in Vegas" WILL come back with me in the form of pictures.  I'm just going to have to think like a camera and ask myself "If I were a camera, where would my irresponsible owner have left me?"  I plan on canvasing the entire house this week to find my little companion.  Wish me luck!!

My First Pinterest Inspired Purchase!

I discovered Pinterest on Monday and it has completely taken over me!  I'm obsessed with finding new websites with things that I deem pin-able.  I've found so many new blogs and websites I never knew existed, and I've filled up tons of 'bookmark' space with these new sites!  My wardrobe, walls, furniture, decorations, EVERYTHING will be seeing some changes soon.  I've LOVING this!

I believe myself to be a super thrifty, bargain shopper.  I don't like to pay full price for anything.  I feel like if I'm paying full price for something then I'm somehow being cheated.  Honestly and truthfully, I'm just cheap.  With all the above said, my cheapness always seems to work out for the better for me.  Let's take yesterday for example.  It was raining (yes, rain in TEXAS!!) and the rain totally ruined my motivation for the gym.  Instead of finding myself at the gym yesterday for the 5:30 class, I found myself at Ross.  I wasn't there for anything in particular.  I honestly don't even know why I went there.  A Thursday isn't even a normal day for me to visit Ross.  My normal days to visit Ross are Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday morning.  Anyway, I fight the drizzle and windy conditions, make my way inside, and head straight for the shoes.  I'm just looking and browsing the shelves when I find these bad girls...

leopard-print flats!!!  And, they were only $12.99!  They're not name-brand and they were cheap, but they're super comfortable, they seem to be a good-quality flat, and, most importantly, they're my first Pinterest inspired purchase!  I HAD to have these!  These flats will allow me to re-create these cute and comfty looks:

Source: polyvore.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Source: vivafashionblog.com via Kellie on Pinterest

As you can see, I totally needed these flats so I snatched them up and never put them down!  I'm officially calling my first Pinterest inspired purchase a success!!

Procrastination At It's Best

I can't tell you how many times I've thought to myself, "Hmmm, maybe I should write a blog today," and well, I just didn't do it. Procrastination, or laziness, at it's best right here folks!

It's been almost two and a half months since my last blog entry and not much has changed, but we've kind of had a lot going on: I got to see Katy Perry in concert (she was awesome and gorg!!), we took a Hernandez Family trip to Port Aransas, we celebrated my 26th Birthday, one of my long-time besties visited from Pittsburgh (miss you, Sara!), football season started (my Jets starting off okay this season), and Rick has started traveling for work.

Poor Rick...he's wiring a new apartment complex in the middle of nowhere. Cell service is in and out, they don't have a TV for his first week there, and he didn't take a laptop because he didn't think he'd have internet access. Even though cell service is in and out, they have wifi so we're definitely sending him with a laptop next week! This job will probably last anywhere from 8 to 12 months, yikes!! Oh well, at least it's work, right?!

We're now officially less than a month away from our 2nd anniversary celebration in Vegas!! I cannot wait to be out in the desert with my love for a weekend full of gambling, drinking, eating, and going out! This is the perfect celebration for us! I guess I should get around to booking a hotel soon... LOL

New addiction alert! It seems like I'm a little late on my newest addiction but it's better late than never. I'm in LOVE with Pinterest! It's so neat! There are so many cool ideas for everything I love: decor, recipes, make-up, fashion, hair, landscaping, home design, etc. The coolest thing about Pinterest is I get to keep everything I like or love in one spot. It never gets lost and I can always refer back to it. It'll definitely come in handy when Rick and I get around to buying our home and are able to ultra-customize it (there are so MANY restrictions when renting). I'm on Pinterest overload right now and I'm trying not to "pin" everything I see. My ultra-favorite thing about Pinterest is I can do the majority of everything I'm "pinning" on my own! Tons of DIY projects!!! Love, love, LOVE! Can't wait to get started on some Pinterest-inspired DIY projects. I already have a Halloween project that I want to start on (and hopefully finish) this weekend, and I'll be sure to post pictures!

Oh, and before I leave...Happy Fall!! :D

Too Much Time Has Passed

Here's a little overdue "Hello!" It's been a few weeks, huh? Go figure! What can I say? I've been busy!!...ha, that's what I say every time. Honestly, I don't know why I haven't written sooner. I guess I just haven't thought about it. Shall we play catch-up?! *Warning: Lots of Pictures!*

Well, first things first! Rick & I have been looking and thinking of something we can do to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary in October. Around the same time we really started exploring the idea, good ole' Southwest had an awesome 3-day(ish) sale on airfare. So, we're going to...





Vegas!!! We just went last year, and I've been out there tons of times but Rick has only been once. He didn't really get to experience it the way I wanted him to so we're going again! We're definitely looking forward to being out there again, and we hope to catch a show or two and just be tourists the entire time.

Moving on...my Dad kicked off his political campaign with an All-American Picnic that was held in Seguin on July 2nd. It was super hot but it was a success! Lots of people showed up and the entertainment was awesome. We had Hannah Montana, Justin Beiber, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe impersonators, as well as great music acts. And somewhere in there I dropped my brand new HTC Thunderbolt in the toilet! I don't like to talk or think about it (people who know me know I LOVE my phone and I was pretty depressed about this), but she's (yes, she!) up and running again, so all is well! Below are a few pictures from the All-American Picnic event. You can also view more at:











Aside from booking anniversary trips and campaign kick-offs, we've been some busy people. Work has picked up and our social life never slows down. Rick is about to start a new project with his company and I'm working more territories now. It's nice to have more work because I'm always busy or on-the-go, which I love. I hate to sit around and be bored, or working on the same things. Aside from our day-to-day work, I've also started working on my own company. I hoped to have had it launched by now but I've had a few hiccups in the road. I'm looking to have everything complete and ready to go by the end of August. "Here's to a quick and stress-free launch! Here, here!!" LOL!

I recently did something I've never done before and I had a great first experience. We went night toobin'!! I was one of the few who had never been so we went all out with tons of glow sticks! It was a little weird at first and I have to admit that I was a little intimated by it, but it turned out to be an awesome time. Below is pic of my BFF and myself lit up with glow sticks.





We've had an awesome few weeks and I hope to continue to have more awesome weeks. I'll try to update more often, or at least think about updating more often! Have a great week, everyone!

A Lovely Day For A Picnic

On Sunday, Rick and I had a picnic dinner at Landa Park in New Braunfels. I bought a picnic basket in April and we're just barely using it but...at least we're using it, right?!

We got to the park around 6:30 and I didn't think we'd be out there for more than 45 minutes, and that was probably a generous guess. Rick isn't really into these kinds of things and it was hot. I had all of these factors working against a relaxing picnic in the park that would last more than 45 minutes. Well, we ended up staying out there for 2 hours!!

We ended up sitting near the gazebo in the park. Part of that area has been shut down to automobile and bicycle traffic because of damages caused from the flood last year. There were few people in the area, and it was just really quiet and peaceful. We ate our dinner, made friends with a Squirrel (named Squirrely), saw a group of ducklings, and saw a pair of ducks mating (which was frightening!). For me, it was one of those moments that I wish could stay around forever and never leave. It was nice to just sit there and not worry about work, bills, etc. It's something that we'll definitely be repeating!




Here are the ducklings!





Here is Squirrely enjoying an almond.





Squirrely loved watermelon!

Happy (belated) Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there! I have a great relationship with my Father. He and my Mother pushed all of us kids to get through school and college, all while never missing a volleyball, basketball, softball game, ROTC event, or track meet. They're awesome! Anyway, to honor my father and bring my family together (with the exception of Brad...miss you bro!), I hosted a late lunch on Sunday. I made a couple of appetizers: pigs in a blanket, a cheese ball, and deviled eggs. For lunch we had brisket (my FIRST ever brisket to cook and it was so, so good!), loaded mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and salad. I made one of my Dad's favorites for dessert, brownies! After lunch we played a looong game of Scrabble then moved to a few rounds of Taboo. It was a great afternoon and it panned out just the way I wanted it to!

Dale Brueggemann For Congress

The website launched earlier this week and now I can finally write, yell, and scream that my father, Dale Brueggemann, is running for Congress!!

Check out his website: www.dale4congress.com

He's also on Twitter and Facebook!

Follow him: @dale4congress

Like him on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dale-Brueggemann-For-Congress/233467203336451

Fireworks, Outdoor Welding, and Barbeques are Banned?!

What is up with this?!

http://seguingazette.com/news/article_224b12fa-909a-11e0-b3c5-001cc4c03286.html

The above is an article about barbeques and fireworks being banned through July 5th for Guadalupe County. The ban also includes outdoor welding. I think it stinks!! Thankfully we live in Comal County and the ban hasn’t made its way to us yet. I understand the reasoning behind some fireworks being banned and I kind of understand the reasoning behind outdoor welding being banned, but barbeques?!

Fireworks are beautiful, fun, and loud, but they’re dangerous. I get it. We don’t need things flying around and burning up the grass. However, I don’t think they need to burn ALL fireworks. There are some that are more dangerous and fire-threatening than others, but I think some are fine and somewhat safe especially with supervision. I think I feel more for the people who have invested money in their firework stands. This is going to kill their investment this year. :-/

But, barbeques are banned?! That’s really dumb. I don’t get it. What do people do in the Summer and especially around the 4th of July? They get together with friends and family and they barbeque!! This is totally going to kill the spirit of the 4th of July for residents of Guadalupe County.

Also, is it bad that I think that this is how the county is going to make a couple of extra bucks? It’s almost like they’re saying, “Hey, we’re killing your plans for your 4th of July weekend and we’re definitely going to write you a ticket if we catch you on the grill.” Why make this rule only through the 5th of July? Why not just extend it through the entire Summer?

I think it’s dumb and I think it’s stupid, and it really reassures me that I made a great decision when I decided to move from Guadalupe County to good ol’ Comal County where barbeques are still legal. Sorry, Guadalupe County residents.

A Weekend With Family

Our weekend, well more like our Saturday, was jam-packed with family activities. Actually, it was only two events but they took up the entire day and night, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

We started our Saturday with a barbeque/get together/birthday celebration with Rick's side of the family. His entire family was there and I even got to meet a couple of his uncles that I’ve never met before. We had food galore!! Stuffed jalapenos, chicken, fajitas, roasted corn, and tons of sides. I think the two most enjoyable things about getting together with his family, other than the food, are the children and the conversations we have. First off, there are so many kids! A couple of boys but lots of girls! And, naturally, with kids, hot weather, and a few adult (males!) who’ve had a little alcohol come…water balloons! As soon as I saw them firing, I ran and used my cell phone as an excuse for them NOT to get me with water balloons. Thennn, those tricksters, they played a cruel joke on me! Rick’s Mom asked to look at my phone so I handed it off to her. As soon as I gave her my phone she ran and I was attacked by everyone! I didn’t get too drenched, thankfully, but they definitely got me. I heard some small talk about possibly going to the beach in August with the whole family, so, that’s something that I’m already looking forward to!

I had to cut out of the barbeque early because…I had to go see my niece walk across that beautiful stage at good ol’ SHS! I’m so proud of her! I was super happy that it didn’t last forever either. I felt like we were in and outta there!

Anyhow, that’s all I have for today. We really haven’t had anything else exciting going on. I’ve been working and getting back into the habit of going to the gym, and Rick has been working and getting back into the habit of sitting on the couch instead of going to the gym. Had to throw that one in there! :-p

I'm Feeling The Love!

I started this blog as a way for me to vent, to post my random (very strong) opinions on certain things, but mainly to write about the life that my husband and I live; and I'm dumbfounded to see that people actually read what I write!

I know our life isn't crazy interesting or exciting but I like documenting our memories through photographs and scrapbooks, and this is just another way for me to document our life together; and I'm just so happy I have people who actually read it...errr, or, at least take the time to look at it! Soooo, thanks for looking & reading! :)

Wordless Wednesday

We Love Three Day Weekends!

Well, well, well...we have had an awesome and long three day weekend! Despite a personal and horrible situation that arose last week, we were able to have a wonderful weekend and I'm so grateful for that.

Our weekend started on Friday night by taking in a showing of 'The Hangover 2' then we continued the night with food and drinks at Buffalo Wings and Rings. I really liked the movie and it was hilarious, but can I just say...I really, really love the new menu that Buffalo Wings and Rings has! Ummmm...delicious and lots of new food options! Absolutely love it!!!

We floated the horseshoe in Canyon on Saturday and it was really nice and relaxing. The water was flowing, the majority of the time, and it wasn't freezing cold either like it usually is down there. Unfortunately, that was the only river trip we took all weekend. I meant for us to spend more than one day on the river but it just didn't seem to fit with our plans or our levels of tiredness and laziness, and to be honest, the cops were really bad this weekend and I just didn't want to chance anything. They had people pulled over left and right, and I didn't want that to happen to us.

On Sunday, we went to the Spazmatics concert! They rocked it, as always, and it was so, so, so much fun! They put on a great show and we try to catch them at least once a year. I'm definitely going to have to post pictures from the show and you all definitely have to catch a show of theirs. They're having another show at Whitewater Amphitheater in Canyon Lake during the 4th of July weekend. Even though we just saw them, I'm thinking we might have to catch another show...they're THAT much fun!

Now, today has just been pathetic. We were supposed to hit the river with some friends but decided that catching up on old episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" was much more important, and I desperately needed to go grocery shopping but that didn't happen either. My gosh, we have been so lazy today! But I guess we needed it. We've been going, going, gone and I don't think it's going to change any time soon. There's always something to do and people to see!

Time for a random thought...
I think I've watched the "Sandlot" too many times. I have this idea of a block party in my head and I feel like it still happens, just not anywhere around me or in my neighborhood. You know what I mean by a block party, right? Where you close down a street in the neighborhood, everyone comes out and we all enjoy a potluck dinner of hot dogs, hamburgers, and homemade sides and desserts; and then we don't have to drive anywhere to enjoy the fireworks for the 4th of July because they're so close it's almost like they're in our backyard. That still happens, right? I'd like to believe that it still exists. Even if it doesn't happen in my neighborhood, I'd like to think that something so simple like that still exists and one day I'll get my dream of having a neighborhood potluck block party. Now I'm laughing at myself because it sounds so stupid!!...but, I still want it!

Maybe I'll just make my own 4th of July potluck/block party in my backyard...get ready, Rick...you'll be the one doing the grilling! :)

Feeling The Need To Vent

This post is going to be a little different from my normal posts, but I'm feeling the need to vent and this is where I'm doing it. This is definitely more for my benefit than anyone else. I don't care who reads it and I don't care who sees it. It's for my benefit to unleash some hostility that I'm holding in. It's not directed towards one particular person and it's not about one particular event. What you are about to read has happened to me several times but it's happened enough now that it's really gotten to me.

**Disclaimer: This post is NOT directed at anyone in particular. If you read it, please don't take it personally or twist what I'm saying**

The Freedom of Speech is a wonderful thing, and it's something that I exercise rather frequently and freely; but, somehow, it's gotten me into trouble on numerous occasions.

I'm 25 going on 26, I'm a college graduate, I have a great job, I'm married to a great man, we hold our own very well, I definitely have babies on the mind...all in all, I'm a grown up and I don't want to deal with any kind of drama. I'm too old for it and, quite frankly, I don't have the time for it. I've even moved from the city where most of the "drama" in my life originated!

Now, with all that said, why does petty crap continue to follow me? Do I have to stop speaking my mind about absolutely everything?! Gosh...I'm not even really speaking my mind! I'm posting about upcoming events that I'm excited about, I'm posting my annoyances, I'm posting my opinions, and sometimes I'm just posting because I feel like posting. Isn't that something that everyone does? Isn't that the sole existence of Twitter and the most popular thing to do on Facebook? So, if I'm just doing the same thing that everyone else does on these social networks, why do people take offense to my posts? What is it about my posts that just makes someone think that I'm talking about them? I don't get it. I don't mention names and I don't point a finger saying "this is about that person right there --->" Facebook and Twitter statuses should not be taken seriously! Just like Facebook friends shouldn't be taken seriously! I mean, come on, I have somewhere around 450 Facebook "friends." Do you really think I'm friends with all of those people?

What I want to know is, if it's MY Twitter and if it's MY Facebook, aren't I allowed to post what I want? And, who cares what or who the hell I'm referencing?! I'm not naming anyone in any of these posts, I speak in broad terms, so, why would someone assume it's about them?

You know, I honestly don't think this has anything to do with what I'm posting, but rather about the person who's reading it. I honestly feel that if someone reads one of my statuses and genuinely feels offended by it, then that person is the guilty party. I'm just posting something that, to me, means absolutely nothing! Nothing at all! Why, why, why do people read so much into these stupid little status updates? I don't get it!!! People read these statuses, they assume I'm talking about something or someone, they play a little game of telephone (and we all know how that game ends up), and I'm the one who ends up being attacked, and I'm the one who looks like a horrible person.

I already walk on egg shells around various people in an attempt to not hurt their feelings. What else do I have to do? I grew up in a small town where everyone assumes they know everything about everyone, and you can't assume! I honestly think people look at me, think I'm mean, then read what I write and assume that I'm just talking crap about someone. That couldn't be further from the truth. I don't care that much about people that I don't talk to on a weekly/bi-weekly basis! And I don't mean Facebook chat, Twitter mentions, or by writing on your wall. If I don't make it a point to talk to you by phone, text, or email at least once a week or bi-weekly, then I really don't care all that much about you! That's not me being mean, that's me being brutally honest! As honest as I can possibly be! So, If I'm not talking to you like I mentioned above, what in the world would make you think that you're on my mind when I'm updating a stupid status or posting a tweet?! It doesn't make sense.

I'm not a horrible person. And I'm not writing "I'm not a horrible person" to make me feel better about myself or to make me think that I'm not a horrible person. I'm a good person and I know I'm a good person. I know I'm a great wife, sister, daughter, and friend. I don't wake up every morning thinking "You know what? I think I'll be as mean as I can possibly be today and I think I'll say something just to piss someone off." Really?! I'm definitely not the type of person who intentionally hurts someone's feelings. When I hurt someone's feelings then my feelings end up being hurt, and I don't like it when my feelings are hurt. I'm just not the person that people think I am and it's hurtful to me that people actually think this way about me, especially when I've never done anything to them.

I'm a huge people person and I love nothing more than to be surrounded by a huge group of friends, but I can't continuously put up with the crap that's thrown at me because someone takes what I say the wrong way. I think I've come to a crossroads where I really have to start evaluating who I let into my life and who I should keep out. To help me start this process, I have purposely blocked people on Facebook to keep them from seeing any kind of information about me, I have purposely locked my Twitter and have deleted followers whom I think may have contributed to the "drama" of my past, and I have purposely deleted phone numbers. The fact that I had to do all of this at the age of 25 is mind boggling but it is what it is, and I'm willing to do anything to keep my life simple and happy. This blog is the ONLY thing that's public but, once again, I've never spoke ill of anyone or any situation in particular within this blog, and this blog is strictly for when I need to vent about something or to document the life of my husband and myself.

I feel the need to mention this again...THIS ISN'T ABOUT ANYONE OR ANY SITUATION IN PARTICULAR! This is me being fed up with the same stuff that has happened to me several times. It's toxic and I don't want this in my life. I hope this is all as clear as glass.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and letting me vent. :)

Wowwwza

Geez, it's been a long twenty-something days! A lot has happened since my "Historical Week" post...shall we play catch-up?

We have been swimming, floating the river, camping, bbqing, and in between all of that, my sister graduated from A & M and my brother left for Afghanistan. It has been crazy!

Erica finally graduated from A & M University on the 13th. I'm kind of teasing about the finally part...but not really! LOL. I'm very proud of her and she makes the third child that my parents have put through college. So, as proud as I am of myself, my brother, and my sister, I'm more proud of my parents and forever thankful to have such an awesome support system.

Bradley "too rad B-Rad" recently left for Afghanistan. That last Skype video conversation was tough but I've since Skyped, talked, and emailed with him. He says things are fine and he's in an area that hasn't seen too much action within the last year. I have a feeling he'll be super bored but I'm happy about the "no action" part. I'm already looking forward to May 2012 and having him back in the States. :)

We went camping at Garner State Park this past weekend. It's something we try to do every year. Thunderstorms were predicted for our entire stay but there wasn't a drop of rain (although Rick says it started sprinkling one night). It was super hot and humid, and it's a good thing there was still enough water in the Frio Rio to keep us cool! We went with six of our closest friends and had a blast the entire time, but there's something about camping that makes you want to go home after a couple of days of living in a tent. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun and I have a feeling we'll be doing it again soon.

This upcoming weekend is Memorial Day weekend and we all know that it serves as the "official" start to Summer. I'm sure we'll be out in the hot sun floating the river(s), bbqing, consuming a few (or many) alcoholic beverages (we always have a safe driver!), and...we're going to see the Spazmatics on Sunday night. I've seen them a couple of times before but their shows NEVER get old! There's just something so fun about rocking out with nerds to 80's and 90's music! Somehow, all is right in the universe at that point in time, LOL!

Of course, let's not forget about the real meaning of Memorial Day...to remember the fallen soldiers who gave their life to fight for our freedom. It's not like I don't know the meaning of it or I don't think that you don't know the meaning of it. I just feel obligated to mention the meaning behind the holiday anytime I talk about doing anything fun for the holiday. I blame it on Facebook! Everyone is so opinionated on Facebook (not that I'm not as well). There are just those few who always make it a point to push their views, whether political or religious, or try to make others feel like crap because of the way they live their life, what they believe in, etc. Since when did it become okay to chastise someone because of their views, beliefs, and actions? It's not cool, and I wish people would take a step back sometimes and just realize that they don't have to be so vocal with the opinions and comments. **Didn't mean to step on the Soap Box but it just kind of started pouring out...Stepping Off Now**

I would post a new recipe or decorating idea, but I just haven't had time to try anything new. I haven't even had to time to look for the hammock I so desperately want! Shoot, I'm still cleaning my house from about two weeks ago...but I'm slowly and surely getting it done. I have a feeling I'm going to have a packed house this weekend so I'm, for sure, getting it done by Friday evening! Oh, I have to give a shout out to Rick right now because he has been super helpful with cleaning the house lately. He even mopped! Something was wrong with him that day. He must have taken some kind of drug or something, LOL! Just kidding! It was nice to have his help and here's to hoping he's willing to help again...?!

Have a good rest of the week and an AWESOME Memorial Day weekend!!

Historical Week

This last week has been one of the most historical weeks of my little 25 years of life. A Royal Wedding, the death of Osama bin Laden, and Mariah Carey gave birth! Just kidding about that last one, haha!

I was kind of against the whole Royal Wedding thing from the beginning. I didn't understand why it was such a huge deal. I didn't like that news stations had a countdown for it and talked about it every damn day and I didn't like that it took front stage over other important news stories. Then...I found myself up at 5 AM, on the couch, watching the wedding on TV. I was supposed to go to a spin class but decided that the Royal Wedding was much more important than a workout. Five minutes into it and I was hooked! I fell in love with two people I didn't know anything about and had never cared about them before, EVER, and I fell in love with the idea that real fairytale princess stories do exist! I was dumbfounded and amazed. I couldn't look away. And, I hated that I had to get my butt up off the couch and get ready for work! I continued watching until I had to leave for work. When I got to work, I immediately turned on the TV and changed it to a channel that had wedding coverage. Later, I found myself researching the Royal family, Kate Middleton's family, and I even researched Princess Diana. At the end of the day, I realized that this was a big day in history even though it had nothing to do with me or my country, and I'm happy I got to see it all unfold. For me, it was really cool to see a fairytale come to life.

As if the Royal Wedding wasn't historical enough... I'm watching one of my favorite shows Sunday night, The Real Housewives of Orange County (laugh away!), and I'm checking Twitter to see what everyone is saying about the show and I see that Osama bin Laden has been killed!!! I don't know if it's wrong or right to cheer about someone's death but I couldn't have been more thrilled about it. I have friends and family whom have gone to war overseas, who are at war now, or who are about to leave for war, and for me, it was a huge milestone in history that has been a big part of my life. I'm sure that al-Qaeda will find another leader for their group and I'm sure that bin Laden's death will not come without repercussions, but I, along with many other Americans, have been waiting for this day for a really long time. Now, I guess we just sit and wait to see what happens next...

Two historical events within one week...absolutely awesome! :D

Let's Play Catch Up

Hey all!!

Well, these past few weeks have been eventful. We've been taking advantage of sunny days with friends complete with lots of food (and drinks!), and this past weekend we loaded up the crew and headed down to Port Aransas for Sandfest 2011. We had so much fun!! It was very relaxing, the weather was gorgeous, the company was great, and the sandcastles were awesome. It was one of those weekends where I just kept telling myself, "I don't want this to end" and "I wish it could last another day." Although the next festival isn't for another year, we're all looking forward to heading down there for a weekend during the summer and enjoying it all over again!

A few posts back I made a wish list of items I want in my backyard and I've finally checked one of those items off! I went to Hobby Lobby and they have all of their paper lanterns on sale! I have regular string lights that I'll hang them on so I didn't need to purchase any of those. Anyway, I loaded up on 8", 10", and 12" lanterns in blue, yellow, green, orange, and pink. They're absolutely perfect for Spring (not that we've had a Spring season), Summer, and a Fiesta party I REALLY want to have. I'm holding off on hanging them up outside because I'm using the blue, yellow, and green lanterns inside my home for a baby shower I'm hosting this weekend, but they'll definitely be going up very soon.

Oh, FYI, I'm hosting my very first baby shower this weekend for a very close friend of mine. She's coming into town and won't be back until after little Liam enters the world, so I figured "why not?!" I've only had about three weeks to prepare for this little shindig, one of which where I was out of town for an entire week, but I think it's coming together nicely. Guests will only have to go through the agony of playing games twice and they're not all that bad. It's at 2PM so I'm having appetizers and finger foods. The decorations have been ordered and delivered! I really just need to clean the house, prepare the food, and put up decor...oh wait, that's all of the hard stuff that I still have left to do! Geez...please wish me "Good Luck!!"

From time to time, I have what I like to call "pothead" moments. I am NOT a pothead, but these moments have to deal with food and I feel like they would occur after someone has lit up, hence, "pothead" moments. They occur when I'm thinking about food, particularly when I'm thinking about a dish I've recently had. So, I caught myself thinking about cream cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon and thought that the combination would work well with chicken. I found myself at HEB right after work buying absolutely everything I would need to make this moment a reality. I halved and seasoned both sides of one chicken breast, then sliced it to create a pocket. Next, I chopped and seeded a large jalapeno and pulsed it with about 3oz of cream cheese in a food processor. Scoop cream cheese mixture into the pockets of the chicken, wrap with bacon (I think I ended up using about 4 slices) and secure with toothpicks. Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes and eureka...cream cheese and jalapeno stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon! It was delicious and Rick even liked it, and it's hard to introduce him to anything new! Try it out!!!

Fun In The Sun

Rick and I took full advantage of the beautiful sunny days we had this past weekend! The entire weekend was so awesomely AWESOME and I never wanted it to end. :(

Saturday was a day full of sun, drinks, and friends hanging out lakeside. I forget how much I love being by the lake. It's so peaceful and relaxing. It makes you forget about absolutely everything else that's going on and you just enjoy your surroundings. And, I can't remember ever swimming in March but we sure did enjoy being in that water! Being out there also made me realize how much I actually miss living lakeside. I don't know that the first house we buy will be lakeside but I do know that we'll be living lakeside at some point during our lives.

Yesterday was another day full of sun, drinks, friends, and, my personal favorite, barbeque!! We hit the volleyball around, threw the football around, listened to music, played Rock Band, ate some good food, had delicious cold drinks, and we talked about our upcoming trip to Sandfest and our annual camping trip to Garner. And after all of that, my hubby still took me to Baskin Robbins so we could share a chocolate ice cream cone! "Awwww!" J/K...kind of, but not really

This past weekend was just one of those weekends where nothing was going to get in the way of having fun and nothing (and I do mean NOTHING!!) was going to spoil a good day or night. It was one of those weekends that ended with me saying, "Damn, I love my life!!"

...Now, time for a movie recommendation...
"The Switch" starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman
Go rent it, NOW! Yes, I'm a chick-flick kind of person and, yes, Rick watches chick-flicks to amuse me but even he said, "that was a gooood movie." I laughed, I shed a tear or two, then I was happy, then I might have shed another tear, then I was happy again. It also made me realize that I definitely want a 5 year old child in my life! :)

R.I.P. Spring Break

So, I've been out of college for almost 4 years (yikes!!) and I really miss Spring Break. It's not like I have any business being out on the beach for an entire week partying my butt off the whole time, but I do miss the idea of it. Getting away from school or work, lounging or playing in the water all day, sipping a margarita or another alcoholic beverage of choice...*sigh*...I wish I could do that! Instead, I'm enjoying a nice, long week at work. Eh, at least I have Sandfest to look forward to. It's only a short month away! Rest In Peace, Spring Break. You were great while it lasted!!

In my last post, I wrote about wish list items and getting my backyard and patio ready for spring and summer. Well, I totally forgot to mention that I wanted new plants because ALL of my plants from last year had died during winter. I went to Home Depot yesterday and found some really good deals on filler plants for my hanging pots, and I found the cutest, tiny, little sago palm tree. I'm so excited and giddy about my new plants and palm tree! Next, I'm working on finding the perfect hammock. I'm checking stores like Academy, Home Depot, Lowes, etc., but I'm also looking on Ebay, Amazon, and Craigslist. I'm always looking for a deal and hopefully I'll find a deal on a hammock and have it hanging in the backyard in a couple of weeks.

How gorgeous was the weather this past Saturday?! We didn't get to do much on Saturday. I was at the gym all morning and Rick was working, then we tried to rest for a couple of hours before heading to a wedding that afternoon, so we kind of missed out on it. I thought yesterday was going to be just like Saturday so we planned to barbeque, but yesterday was quite the dud and we skipped the barbeque. This upcoming weekend, however, looks like it's shaping up to be super gorgeous! Gorgeous barbeque weather!! Although, I wouldn't mind having a picnic in the park with dogs...I guess we'll just see how it goes. I think this weekend is a plan-less weekend and I'm looking forward to just enjoying it. Geez, how pathetic am I? It's only Monday and I'm already talking about the weekend!

Jealousy and Wish List Items

The first day of Spring is March 20th, and I've noticed a lot of people talking about and making plans for their Spring breaks. *Sigh* Can I just say that I am uber jealous? This is definitely one of those times when I wish I were still in school or... would have become a teacher! LOL! Those teachers get the best holidays! Some government/bank holidays, Spring break, Summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/New Year's break. At this point, I don't know why I didn't think of becoming a teacher when I was in college or making a career change a couple of years ago. I know there's much more to being a teacher than the holidays but they are a huge plus, I'm sure. As of now, I'll think of myself as super jealous of those getting a Spring break but also lucky to be able to look forward to an extended weekend at the beach in April for Sandfest 2011. So, the countdown begins... 40 days until Sandfest 2011!!!

And now for my wish list items...
We moved into our house in May of last year and didn't have a whole lot of time to get our backyard set-up the way I wanted to and it's looking like we might not get around to it this year either. :( There are a few items that I think I could probably DIY and do it for a fairly decent price. Then, there are those items that I would LOVE to have but can't justify spending the money for them. There's also the issue of us being in a rental house, instead of a house we're paying a mortgage on, that hinders us from doing permanent things such as building an uncovered deck off of the covered deck to create a sitting place for our firepit.

We currently have small twinkle lights strung under the cover of our patio but I would really love to string lights away from the patio to create more light and make the backyard more welcoming. I love large, colored lights and paper lanterns!








I also love these paper lantern towers I found on Martha Stewart's website. I want to make tons of them and line them along the fence. They are too cute!!





In our first house, Rick and I had a hammock and we loved it! I really want a hammock that is supported by trees...





...but we only have one tree so I guess I'll have to settle for a hammock swing. Either way, I want a hammock!!





The biggest item on my wish list is an outdoor canopy with a chandelier and a dining table. I really want to have outdoor dinner parties and this would set-up would complete the entire thing, but I know I won't get it anytime soon. Big sad face! Oh well, a girl can wish, right?!





My last wish list item is a new barbeque pit. We love hosting barbeques and I love nothing more than grilled fajitas, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, and jalapenos! I would love to have this grill!





I'm definitely going to try to DIY the light strings, paper lantern lights, and paper lantern towers. Hopefully, next will be the hammock and new grill, then I'll keep wishing for the outdoor canopy, chandelier, and dining table!! LOL!

I think the wish list will at least provide a little more motivation for me to work harder so that I can finally have these items in my backyard, and host the perfect, outdoor dinner parties I've been dreaming about.

Totally Forgot to Mention...

Our snow day of 2011!! During the night of February 3rd and through the early morning hours of February 4th, snow fell and STUCK in good ol' Central Texas. Or course we had minimal accumulation but it was so nice to see the white fluffiness all over the streets, yards, and houses. Here are a few pictures...

Spring Is In The Air!

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone has a lover for the day or night, and if you don't, I hope you aren't one of the many that complains about the day. Yes, it's a commercialized, Hallmark holiday, but it's nice to have a day to spend with your loved one that doesn't revolve around an anniversary, birthday, or another special date. I love my husband every day of the week but it's nice to love him a little extra for Valentine's Day. *Stepping off my soap box now*

How beautiful was this past weekend?! It made me want to be outside all day long...and I kind of was! I was out and about on Saturday shopping for new home decor items before heading off to Couples Shower that evening. As for yesterday, I cleaned the house and did about 8 loads of laundry, then headed off to Wal-Mart (horror story!) for a few groceries and a rake! LOL, the weather inspired me to get started on yard work. I didn't technically use the rake but I did do some work on the some of my plants that were harmed by mean ol' Mr. Winter. My poor yard has suffered too. I have nothing but dead grass and leaves. I figured since the weather is about to warm up, I'll get started on making my yard green and beautiful again.

Let's move on to this horror story of grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. My gosh, it's a horrible place to shop at for groceries! I've never really like their meat or produce, but it was extra horrible yesterday. There were huge families with running and screaming children EVERYWHERE, about half of the items I wanted had to be substituted for something else due to their shelves not being stocked, and their prices were NOT cheaper than HEB. I usually shop at HEB but I wanted to buy a rake, so I figured I'd just kill two birds with one stone...huge mistake. I drive the extra 10 minutes to shop at the new HEB off 337 and 46 in New Braunfels because I feel like it's a better store with a better environment, and I've never been so right about that. Lesson learned! I'll just make two stops the next time I need two completely different items. I will avoid grocery shopping at Wal-Mart as much as possible from now on.

I head off to Houston tomorrow for work and I'm kind of excited about it. I haven't been to Houston in about two months and it's about time I head back out there for business. The good news is it's a short trip and I'll be home late Thursday afternoon, but the bad news is I'll be losing a couple of good-weather days to start working on my yard. I really want to rake up the leaves in my front and back yards (this will be an awesome workout)and get fertilizer spread along with a round of Revive before it rains this weekend. I guess I have a full day of yard work coming up on Saturday! How sad is it that I'm already looking forward to Saturday and it's only Monday? Oh, well!

Have a great Valentine's Day, everyone!

Awaiting Valentine's Day

Yep, you read it right, I'm anxiously awaiting Valentine's Day! I'm a person who loves LOVE, and loves any excuse or "commercial" holiday to celebrate love. I don't expect to go out to this crazy dinner and spend an insane amount of money, but I do expect to have my date night and alone time with my hubby. With that said, I'm trying to figure out what we're going to do! I go from one idea to another and then to another, but I always go back to one main idea: cooking a romantic dinner at home together followed by a night of sitting around the fire pit. Absolutely NO TV!! It actually sounds perfect for us because it's been a while since we've cooked dinner together. Cooking a meal together is something that I wanted us to start doing at least once a week but schedules and activities have gotten in the way. I think Valentine's Day just might be the perfect "excuse" to get my cooking night! What is everyone else doing for Valentine's Day, or are you one of those people who really don't care about the holiday?

The Super Bowl was this past weekend and I must admit, it was a pretty exciting game. We got together with our closest and best friends for an afternoon of food and football. Rick and I were going for the Steelers and it sucked to watch them lose. Even worse, it sucked to lose money because they lost, LOL! At least the Black Eyed Pea's halftime performance was entertaining...in my opinion anyway!

The Super Bowl festivities were great until that cold front blew through and it brought something with it that knocked me on my butt. I'm still not sure what it is that I'm "allergic" to but I know I don't like it! Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat; gross stuff! I rarely ever get legitimately sick where I have to take off work or just sit around and do nothing. The last time I was sick like this was the week of our wedding back in October of 2009! I go through periods where I don't feel so hot but I never really, really get sick, so it sucked that I had to take off work because I couldn't move without coughing or sneezing. And as my luck would have it, I'm finally feeling better just in time for the next cold front to blow through tomorrow morning. I just can't wait to see what allergens come in with this front (enter sarcasm). I feel like I'm always complaining about the weather...well here's another complaint: I'm tired of cold fronts! I'm ready for these cold fronts to go somewhere else and give my stuffy nose and sore throat a break.

Alright, enough complaining. I'm off to eat a cupcake and get some rest before heading back to work tomorrow.

Louisiana and... Spring-Like Weather?!

So, work took me to Louisiana last week and it was a pretty interesting trip. It's been years since I've been to Louisiana and I was excited to see how it is and learn a few new things. I flew into Baton Rouge then headed to Lafayette and Lake Charles, then back to Baton Rouge to catch my flight back; but I caught tons of tiny towns in between those cities. I was there for almost 5 whole days! The weather was crappy for the first couple of days, then it was cold and windy, and, as my luck would have it, the last day was absolutely beautiful. I made several calls a day and came in contact with a lot of people while I was there. I did a ton of driving, almost 900 miles, which allowed me to see a lot of things and meet a lot of people; and from that I learned the following: Louisianans love their boudin, cajun food, king cakes, and mardi gras; there are non-working draw bridges everywhere; crawfish and alligator are served at almost every restaurant; there are tons of older people who ride their bikes everywhere; and the most interesting fact from my trip...I didn't see one person on the side of the street asking for money and it was quite refreshing. That may sound a little mean but I see people on the side of street asking for money all the time when I'm in Austin, Houston, and Dallas, so it was nice to not see that for a while. All in all, it was a good trip and I hope to win additional business from it.

Now, fast-forward to this weekend... How beautiful was this weather?! Oh my gosh! The weather this weekend was absolutely awesome. Only in Texas does it get near 80 degrees in January. It was nice to be out and about enjoying it. It feels like Spring is right around...but low and behold, Mr. Winter is not ready to leave yet. A cold front moves through Tuesday and while I was dreaming of barbeque this weekend, it looks like I'll be dreaming of chili later this week.

This is probably the shortest entry I've ever written but I have cupcakes in the oven and they're calling my name! Until next time...

Snowww!

Work took me to Dallas last week. I boarded a plane bright and early Monday morning and was greeted by white, fluffy snow EVERYWHERE when I landed. I even had left over snow on my rental car. It was absolutely beautiful! I took a couple of pictures with my crappy cell phone...






Well, we're 18 days into the first month of the year and I can say with full confidence that I've stayed true to my resolutions. I've worked out more times a week than I have since high school, I'm definitely eating better (and punishing myself with guilt when I eat crappy), Rick and I are running on a semi-regular basis, and I really feel like my attitude towards various things has changed. I feel AWESOME!! It's amazing what can be done when you really concentrate and put forth tons of effort.

Rick and I are looking into taking a vacation this summer. We're looking at going somewhere tropical like Cozumel, Jamaica, or some other Caribbean island, but we're also looking destinations like Los Angeles, New York City, and Vegas. I think I'm probably going to rule Vegas out because it's somewhere we can go for a quick weekend getaway. I would love to go to New York City because it's been years since I've been and I would love to show it to Rick, but something's telling me that maybe I should save this trip for another time. Neither one of us have been to Los Angeles and I'm fascinated by what I see on TV, and I think it would be a fun vacation. As much as I debate and try to rule out possibilities, I think I've pretty much made up my mind. Neither one of us have ever been out of the country, except across the border to Mexico in little border towns, and I think this might be the summer that we travel internationally. Hopefully I'll make up my mind in the next month or two, and we'll book the trip for some time in the summer. If anyone has any recommendations about tropical travel spots, please send them over!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, guys!! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. I know we did! We saw tons of family and friends over the Christmas holidays and rang in the new year with some of our closest friends. It was absolutely wonderful!

I say this every time I've gone a month or more without updating, but I've been meaning to get on here. Really, I have! It was a busy month for us. Work gets crazy that time of year, we hosted a Christmas party, I'm an obsessive holiday decorator and that takes tons of time, we had family coming into town, and we had family to visit. I'm sure December was hectic for everyone. Work, shopping, Christmas parties for friends, family, and work, decorating, etc. Anyway, I'm using the entire month of December as my excuse for not posting for almost a month, ha!

We hosted our 1st Annual Christmas Party and it was a complete success. Almost everyone showed up, some of us wore tacky sweaters or Christmas gear, we ate, drank, and exchanged gifts. It was so much fun and I believe that was the first time we were able to get a big group of our friends together during the holidays. We're already looking forward to doing it again this year!

We spent New Year's Eve with some of our closest friends, and as always, it was a great time. We all got dressed up and rang in the new year in style! I believe that's another 'firsts' for us. We're usually pretty low-key for New Years so this was a refreshing change to our routine.

Resolutions are a huge thing for many people and I made it a point to make a few of my own this year. My number one resolution is to be an all-around better person. I want better health for myself (and for Rick), more motivation and determination, and a better attitude towards different things and people. Along with that, I'd like to eat better, stay in shape, be more active, and, of course, blog more often! I know it's hard to change but I think change is good, and it's definitely possible. Not only have I said these resolutions aloud, but I've also written them down as a reminder when I'm feeling discouraged or lost.

I wish everyone luck on their resolutions...you CAN do it!