Penelope

I should be going to bed...I have an all day training tomorrow (can we say fun?)...
but....
I'm watching this movie again.

Did y'all see it?

I wanted to go see it in the theatre....but we never got around to it. We rented it tonight...and I've watched it TWICE!!!

It is really a cute film...and the colors...oh my goodness...if you aren't all kinds of inspired after watching this....I don't know what to tell ya.




Anyway...if your up for a cute film...I definitely suggest it.

Lots going on this weekend...hoping to update with pics from around the house (yay!) and the stock show last weekend (double yay!!)

Let's see...

I got this in an email today...thought it was fun...so I'm sharing here. Play along if you want!!

What were you doing 10 yrs ago?
Umm, I was starting my second semester of college. Of course..not too long after that...I quit for several years. I was working at the gym... and had just met my best friend Jennifer....and was having WAY too much fun. For real.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I had the flu...for the first time in my entire life. Beyond feeling deathly ill...I was having a HORRIBLE week. And...I was about a week out from leaving/losing what I thought was my perfect job. Let's just say it wasn't my best few weeks.

Name 5 Snacks you enjoy?
Only 5? Umm...
Chips and salsa,
chocolate chip cookies,
hershey's kisses,
pretzels and mustard,
sonic ice (I'm totally serious...I'm having it right now!).

5 songs you know all the words to?
Sweet Child O Mine by GNR (my most favorite song EVER..by the way)
Proud Souls by Jason Boland and the Stragglers
Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughn
Suspicious Minds by Elvis
Take Me to the Dancehall by Pat Green ... there are more...but these are my faves!

What are 5 things you would do if you were a millionaire?
more travel
more charity
start a business
hire a chef
and a personal trainer

What are 5 of your bad habits?
Worry too much
Sometimes too lazy
Not standing up for myself
Eating out too much (this goes with lazy)
Not following through (again with the lazy)

What are 5 things you like to do?Read
Create
Shop
Concerts
Hang out with with friends and family

What are 5 things you would never buy/wear/get again?
I will never finance another vehicle.
I will never buy a larger size of clothing than I have now (so I should really lose the weight...cause it could get ugly)
I will never buy another Country Home, Simple Scrapbooks or Domino magazine (they are all closing!!!)
I will never get married again (this one is FOREVER!).
I will never get another credit card.

What are 5 of your favorite toys?My laptop and all that technical stuff.
My camera.
Art stuff (paper, paint, etc).
C and I's bikes.
My jewelry box. LOL

Your turn!!!

Another Funny...

Ok...so we have all seen this print.

I have it hanging in my living room. And...for the most part...I am able to stick with this simple little mantra.

But...somedays....

image from My Sweet Savannah
this is where I'm at.
I'm just sayin.

Crackin me up

I just saw this on my youngest sister's myspace page. It cracked me up...because it is SO her.

I need to come up with my own version.

Maybe something like...

If you are confused beyond reason...

then my work here is done.

hahaha.

Stay warm!!

Cold Girl

I'm freezing....and I can't seem to get warm. So...I've got about 4 layers of clothing on...and I'm eating chips and salsa. LOL.

And dreaming of this bedroom....

I have no idea where I got this picture...maybe Country Home or Country Living. Obviously...it's not mine. Not sure the hubs would go with all white in the bedroom. But...I'm loving that brick wall.

I can not wait until we have everything pulled together here. I have stacks of stuff to hang on the walls....and I think that will help. And...I am looking for some new dining room chairs. I'm having a little trunk show here for a friend of a friend....and I have about 4 weeks to get all the things on my to-do list completed.

You'd think that would be how I spend my free time....

But, for now...I'm thinking about purchasing one of these:


What would I do if I lived up North?

Stay warm!!

frugal is the new fabulous...

I was watching the news last night and they kept showing these little blurbs about getting free makeup or skincare. I finally looked it up online...and sure enough....if you run down to your local (participating) department store....voila...free! Local girls...I went to the Parks Mall and Macy's and Dillards only have the following products available. I was hoping for some Lancome mascara....but a I'm certainly not going to complain.

You can find more information here or here. Free skincare makes me a happy girl!!

Oh...and speaking of saving money...

I have discovered the joys of CVS. For real. I kept seeing people post about the money they were saving (and getting back!!!)...but had no clue where to start or what to do. I researched a couple of blogs/websites....and I made my first big purchase today.

A couple of months ago I got a prescription filled...and got a free $30 gift card (they have these coupons all the time in the flyer). I had used it here and there...but still had about $15 on it. And..the last time I went, I got a printed coupon for $10 off of $50. So, I came home and read this blog and mapped out a plan. LOL...so serious.

Anyway....I got about $63 worth of stuff for about $32 out of pocket (thanks to the $10 coupon, manufacturer coupons and my gift card). And....here is the kicker....I got $30 in ecb's (basically...an amount on your receipt that is kind of like a gift card). So...now I can do it all over again next week....and maybe not spend any money out of pocket! Yay!!

Very Excited....

Have you seen this release from October Afternoon? I've been pretty "ehhh" about most of the releases I've seen. Not that I wont end up buying some of it...but nothing is getting me super excited about scrapbooking....until today. This line is ADORABLE!!!

Struggles...

Man, I have been off work so much in the last few months....

First...my back.
Then....the wedding and Thanksgiving.
And...Christmas break.
Oh...and finals last week.

Going back totally wore me out today. And...I won't even embarass myself by telling y'all how few hours I actually worked today. It's sad. Real sad.

But...I have tomorrow off to recover. Whew. LOL. (Shameful...I know) I have about a zillion errands to run...and then I am going to start unpacking some of those boxes of books and clothes that are STILL in the garage. Though...I am very impressed with how well I have done with what small selection of clothes are in my closet. I just keep mixing things up and doing laundry ALL THE TIME...but it works.

Posts without pictures are kind of boring, huh? Sorry about that.

I will update my WW progress (weigh in wednesday) and some other things I've had on my mind about that tomorrow.

Until then....

Things

Still praying for baby Harper, and her family. I found Kelly's blog last year...and was immediatly hooked. I followed her through her infertility struggles and remember jumping up and down the day she posted about her pregnancy. My heart aches for the family and the things they are going through. At the same time, I am blown away by the faith of that family and the many (MANY!) bloggers (most of which are complete strangers...like me) out there who have been praying non stop. I am forever faithful that our God is a loving God...and hears our prayers. None of this is a surprise to Him...and He has great plans for that beautiful baby girl.

Speaking of babies...one of Megan's friends is having a baby boy in March, and her shower was this past Saturday. It was in Lake Worth...which is a little hike from where we live, so I caught a ride with Megan and Mom. Luckily...Dalton was there to keep me company in the backseat.

Not sure if you can tell that much from the picture of me above....but that little wisp of hair by my chin is the longest piece of hair....because I got it ALL CHOPPED OFF!!! I was just so sick of "doing" my hair. And by doing....I mean getting so frustrated it just went into a bun. Cute. I ended up getting enough cut off to donate to Locks of Love, and so far I'm pretty happy with my sassy new do.

C is working late tonight. I miss him so much when he is not here. Sometimes I still feel single...sitting in the apartment all by myself. But...I'm a really blessed girl in that my husband is a hard worker. I'll be glad when he is just working normal hours again though.

We are going to go through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at church here in a few weeks. I am really looking forward to it. We don't have a lot of debt....in that we don't have a mortgage or that much credit card debt. My car will be paid off this summer (YAY!!!!) but... C is still upside down on his truck. Oh...and then there are those LOVELY student loans. We really, really, REALLY want to have NO DEBT when we get ready to buy a house. Of course...we also really wanted to buy a house when the original lease was up. We have been praying for direction...and we think we are going to stay put here for a bit longer.

But...I still check out the mls listings almost everyday. LOL

PRAYER NEEDED

From Kelly's Blog

Please Pray
UPDATE:We need you to lift us up in prayer like you never have before. Harper is in VERY critical condition and they are going to fly her to AR Children's hospital. It is very, very serious and the NICU doctor did not give us a favorable report. Scott and his parents will be driving there tonight. My parents and I will be driving there in the morning as soon as I can get out of the hospital. We know that God is soveriegn. WE KNOW that God is the same right now to us as He was to us this morning when we were so excited and praising Him as we drove to the hospital. We know that He loves us and no matter what happens - we will continue to praise Him. I honestly don't know how I'm going to survive if we lose her. I just want to be honest with you. I'm putting this on my blog right now because we have had over 30,000 hits today and I need 30,000 of God's people to be praying for us. Thank you in advance for getting on your knees for our precious daughter.

Harper Brown Stamps was born at 7:03 PM. She weighed 9lb and 12oz.She is having some trouble breathing, so they have taken her to the NICU to check her heart. They have had to incubate her - they are doing tests to see what's going on.Also, Kelly lost a lot of blood in delivery and has really low blood pressure. We would really appreciate your prayers for both mother and daughter.

Scott & Kelly Stamps

Weigh In, Weighing In

First, the not so fun stuff. My weigh in from last...I gained .6 That is what I lost the two weeks before that. I suppose if I actually tracked my foods...and I don't know....went into the gym instead of driving by it....I would have a little bit more successful weight loss.

And, now...the fun stuff. We still haven't completely finished decorating. Initially, we thought we would just be here 6 months...at the most, a year. But...it looks like we will be here another full year (from now)....so I suppose we should actually make it look like home.

The room that we spend the most time in is the living room. Being an apartment...the living, dining, kitchen is all basically just one room. We are really blessed to have found a great building...with some amazing architecture...and not just some cookie-cutter standards. But...space wise...well, ya know.

I've been scouring the web, magazines, and of course...my catalogs for inspiration. I'm loving these two rooms. They are so peaceful. (ahhhhh....peaceful).

Source: BHG

Source: BHG

So, this is our couch. Which, we LOVE. It is way comfy....and perfect for the size of our room.

We don't have a coffee table yet. I can't find one I like. C keeps saying he will make us one (the man can build anything). But...I just stumbled upon this one at Pottery Barn that is calling my name. Isn't it gorgeous?

I'm usually drawn to upholstered, fluffy ones...but I don't think it will "fit" our room. I love the industrial feel of this one...and for once....a Pottery Barn item is within my price range...PTL!!!



OK, so I haven't taken a picture the last two days. I don't know why that is such a hard task for me...I suppose maybe because my life is so boring. Although, the next few days are looking good. I have sub training tomorrow. Date night Friday. A baby shower and the Stock Show on Saturday (these two things are happening on the same day...but not at the same time...we aren't that redneck...yet).

My Poor Blog...

I've been meaning to blog. But...my laziness has really gotten in the way.

Actually, C and I have had a mini crisis that we are trying to work through. I've mentioned it before...but I hate to make decisions. Apparently, so does my husband. And...the bigger the decision, the more we avoid it. Of course, when it has to do with your home...you can't run forever. We've just been praying and hoping for an answer soon.

I've missed a few days on my photo a day journey. But...I wanted to share the ones I have done.

Jan 3. Chillin at the apartment. Watchin tv. Being lazy. (I told you).

Jan 4. Goin to Newcomer's Fellowship at church. We are so excited about joining. There are some really wonderful things in store at the church. Not sure if you can tell but they are building on to the church...in the middle of the picture you can see some of the framework.

Jan 5. Icy trees outside our building. I'm pretty sure that Tuesday was hot. Love Texas weather.

Jan 6. I made chicken lasagna. Yes. Tricia made a dinner more difficult than spaghetti. It's true. And, it was good. And, I haven't done it since.

Jan 8. Went to visit my little buddy. I miss him so much. I can't believe how big he is now. And...he carries on full conversations. He say's things like "I don't think so, Tim" and "That's what I'm talkin bout". LOL Too cute.

Jan 11. C had to work, so I went to visit my Dad's family and celebrate my cousin's 21st birthday. Here is my uncle and cousin. Fun Fun. My aunt made Italian Cream Cake that was to.die.for.


Jan 12. C and I went to the Kroger on cooper to get some Chinese food. And since we were driving right by...we decided to go visit Dalton again. He and Uncle Charlie played some baseball. Good times.

The kids are taking finals this week, so I got the week off (yay!). I'm cleaning the apartment, and trying to weigh out our options on moving or staying here a while longer. I'm watching lots of movies (can you say Harry Potter...lol). I have a couple of custom stationary designs I need to work on. And, I'm hoping to scrapbook some here in a little while. Big doings, folks.

Oh those boys are much too much...

Have you seen this commercial? It is so stinkin cute!! And...the message is pretty good too.

The Bachelor...

is on tonight...and I'm loving it. Please don't be jealous of my exciting life. But...c'mon he's a cutie.
And...so far....I'm a little annoyed with most of the girls. Of course, we are only an hour into it. But, the cheese level is pretty high.

I am pulling for this girl:
because she is a Dallas girl, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and her last name and my maiden name are exceptionally similar. This is a really scientific process y'all.

Hopefully she won't be as embarassing as her former employer.

I go back to work tomorrow...eek. And...I'll share my pics of the day from the last few days.

So...

I can't believe my two weeks off are coming to an end. I cut back on my tutoring hours to T/Th only...and in a few weeks I will start substituting....and later this month I take my certification exam. I went to Mardel this morning...and wandered back to the teacher's resources...and got so excited looking at all the posters and stuff. I just can not wait to have my own classroom. Now, if I could just zip right through all that application/interviewing...which makes me so nervous!

Got my bank info updated today...which was a complete hassle. I also got my car inspected and the oil changed. I don't even want to think about the money I have spent on my car since September. New tires, oil change, inspection, tags, brakes, alternator, battery. But...it's like a new car now...well after it gets a bath. It will be paid off in August and I am really wanting to get a new car then. I guess I will always have a car payment. ugh.

POTD 1.2.09 : My Grandmother's painting.

My sweet Grandmother passed away a little over a year ago....most days I still can't believe it. Along with several other treasured items...I got this painting that she did a few years before I was born. C had it framed.....and it is now hanging in our living room. I love the colors....and love to see it everytime I walk into the room. And...the colors (aqua and brown) match our living room colors perfectly.
Ok, so tomorrow...we have to get all this Christmas stuff down to the garage. I'm tired of looking at it all boxed up! And...we are supposed to have a little date night tomorrow...so exciting!!

Happy 2009!!

The first day of the new year....almost over. Not as productive a day as I thought it would be...but so much better. First...we partied it up with lots of class last night. Mexican food and Bingo? Score!! Seriously, a group of us have been doing the same thing for 4 years...and it really is a lot of fun. Have you ever been to a Bingo hall? The people watching is amazing! There are seriously ALL types of people there!
We had chips and salsa from Pappasitos and cupcakes and candy. And, we were sharing with everyone in the non-smoking room...which made us a big hit....and made it even more fun.

We got home super late...and slept half the day. Even C, who is up by 6 on the weekends stayed in bed till nearly 10. It was SO nice. I love days off!! We made it to the mall to exchange some wedding stuff (LOL)...and then went to see Yes Man. It was pretty cute. .

Anyway...then we went to Walmart (fun) and got stuff to cook several meals....which is the first time I have done that....ever. I'm more of a go to the store everyday kind of girl. Mostly because I never know what (if) I'm going to cook. I made the beef cupcakes from Kelly's blog...and got stuff to make a couple of other things from her recipe blog. The beef cupcakes were pretty good...I made a few with more sauce than meat....and then some with lots of meat (for the hubs).

Oh...and every year I say I am going to take at least one picture a day. I've been known to miss the first day (more than once). But...this year I am really, really going to try...and I even got today done. LOL

More water for Tricia in 2009. Less coke.

I love the quote on my daily calendar:

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Here's to a wonderful 2009!