3 Days

July 2, 2009

I love short weeks and long weekends.

We seem to have a lot planned for this weekend. Saturday will mostly be family time though which I am looking forward to- we haven’t had any quality family time in a while. :)

Sunday our church is on the move! We’ll be packing up what’s ours at the theater and moving south to the new building. Strange feeling knowing when we come back from Florida we won’t be going to the theater anymore for church. I am soooo looking forward to it.

We leave next Friday for vacation and it seems I have a growing list of things to do, get ready for, plan, make, etc before it arrives. We even ordered a new set of luggage!! Good deal and it’s purple! James said I could get purple only because it would stand out more on an airport carousel.

I did something today I haven’t done in years. Updated my resume. Wow, it was outdated. Gave it a bit of a new look too. I have a friend who is an expert at this stuff reviewing it for me. I’ll probably start the job hunt after vacation unless I decide to do something completely frivolous like work in a boutique or bakery. Frivolous and fabulous.

I have another project up my sleeve- another blog. I have been sitting on it for a while now and hope to release it this weekend. Fingers crossed I get some time. I know a few people are waiting for it’s debut. Hopefully they won’t be disappointed.

Well, an hour and a half before my weekend starts….

Posted in: Life – 1 Comment

Coming to Terms

June 29, 2009

I miss having James post on here…he doesn’t as much anymore. Maybe if I ask him nicely…again?

This week he starts his new, full-time, salaried (still working from home) job. Wednesday is his first day. I know he is very excited to have this job and steady paycheck and me? Well, let’s just say I am ecstatic to not be the breadwinner any longer. I told him last night I was done and it was all up to him now to bring home the bacon. I think he is more than happy to oblige.

Since he has this job now and we aren’t as reliant upon my income that could mean a possible change for me in the coming months. Not really sure what that will look like or end up being but knowing I don’t HAVE to stay at this job any longer if I didn’t want to is a huge relief. Every day more and more I am becoming less attached to this desk, this computer and even my view. I am ready for a change.

I think we’ll give James a month or two to settle into his new position but in the meantime I will be on the look out for something else. How I’d love to stay home all day and do whatever my little heart pleases but I think I would get too restless and drive James nuts. :)

For now I am going to take one day at a time, be patient and save, save, save.

Posted in: Life, Work – No Comments

Been a while

June 18, 2009

I actually had two posts started and then never finished them so I deleted them. Sometimes I work better starting from scratch instead of trying to pick up where I left off.

I don’t have a whole lot to report except the usual day to day things and I won’t bore you with those details. I will say we have been busy though and that has made me look forward to our vacation 100x more. I really need a break and leaving the state is the only way to get that. I need to re-energize.

Our focus this week has been getting ready for the Bridal Extravaganza on Sunday. It will be the last of this type of show we participate in. I have yet to tell our rep but we will not be renewing our contract with them. I don’t think we got anywhere near breaking even with what we spent on all the advertising and shows with them. Not doing that again.

I have been really frustrated with myself lately. I’ve had elbow and foot issues that have kept me from working out consistently. I started Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred weeks ago and have not been able to progess past level 1. I can’t do jumping jacks or butt kicks or jump ropes because of my ankle and no push ups because of my elbow. I took a break for 2 weeks and tried to get back to it this week and barely made it though. My elbow did not approve. I need to work out!! I thought maybe I’d try some yoga or something instead until my issues improve, maybe throw some cardio in there that I can handle in the meantime. I just want to feel better!

Well, I could go on about my car being a fugitive from the law, hiding from the police, taking care of my mom, buying 9lbs of clothes from Old Navy, trying to start my other blog and not having time to even clean my house but I won’t. :) You can thank me later.

Posted in: Busy – No Comments

What’s new pussycat?

June 3, 2009

I feel like the summer is already speeding by! I guess if I think about everything going on this month and next that can happen. There are so many things I’d like to accomplish….we’ll see!

My brother and sister-in-law arrived in town last night. It’s great to see them again and have them here for a while. Took them straight to Rudy’s BBQ from the airport. haha! It was a great evening. We’ll have a full weekend with them before they head back to Oregon next Tuesday.

I am trying to do a post a day for the month of June on the VP blog so I thought I’d try it here as well. We’ll see how that goes. :) Not sure you want to hear my random ramblings all the time.

I was thinking yesterday morning about money and our spending. I realize that it’s been months since I’ve even thought about charging something or had a desire to whip out a credit card. There is something so challenging in saving money for a goal you’ve set. It’s way more exciting than using a credit card (and the bill you later receive). Since paying off James’ car we’ve been able to save way more than we ever have been able to. It’s an incredible feeling and very addicting. Every month I work the spreadsheet to see where we can spend less and save more. That’s not to say we don’t have a life anymore or fun. We do! Along side saving for the future we’re also saving for our vacation next month. It will be paid for entirely with cash and when we come home- no debt!

I know we have mentioned Dave Ramsey quite a bit on here - that’s because his techniques work if you are motivated and determined to stick with them. It’s one of the best things we ever did for our marrige. I know we’ve only been married a year and half but not once have we fought about money.

Saving for unexpected things is a good idea too. Like random doctor’s appointments for silly bumps on elbows. Yesterday morning I woke up to a sore left elbow. I got up, checked it in the light and saw that it was also red, bruised looking and really poking out more than normal. My first thought was brown recluse. But no bite marks or spiders found. I was a bit concerned so we headed to the doctor. Two hours and two prescriptions later we find out it’s a pocket of fluid that has gathered around the inflammation in my elbow. Not exactly sure where the inflammation come from. The only thing we can think of is my bad posture at the computer and how I am constantly leaning on that elbow. Monday was a long computer day too. It’s better today. I’ve been wrapping it to put pressure on the fluid and encourage it to disperse back into the body and also icing it helps with the soreness. I am on a couple meds too for the inflammation and to fight any bacteria that might want to grow in the fluid. Gross? Yes. I really hope all this works because the other option is to drain the fluid and if I can avoid that I will. Even if it means taking smelly antibiotics. :)

That’s all I have to ramble about for now.

Posted in: Busy, Family, Home, Life, Marriage – 1 Comment

44 days and counting

May 26, 2009

Sunday was our last wedding of the season until August. On one hand I am glad- we’ll be able to spend time with family, take our vacation and get some VP business stuff better organized before 2010 arrives. On the other hand I wish we had a few more between now and August but I won’t complain. It’s been a great year so far and I know we need this down time.

We had a nice long weekend for Memorial Day. I left at 1pm on Friday to get ready for my sister’s graduation ceremonies at Bass Concert Hall. It was actually a pretty entertaining comencement- at least the most entertaining I’ve ever been to. I guess that’s what you can expect though when all the students are artists, actors and musicians. Afterwards we headed over to Chuy’s for a celebratory dinner (complete with margaritas, of course).

Saturday, after sleeping in for a bit, we got around to doing various Saturday things. I went to a spa appointment and then after lunch met up with some gals from church to visit the Wildflower Research Center and the Natural Gardener to gather ideas for the church landscaping project. We split ways just in time- I drove home in a torrential downpour that had rain coming at me sideways! I think I went 20 mph all the way home.

I made it home and as it continued to pour we decided a movie and pizza were in order. No way was I going to HEB in that mess. After Kate & Leopold, I finished my list and we headed out to refill the fridge. It had stopped raining by this time too. What a perfect afternoon though- just chilling and hanging out with each other.

Sunday after church we didn’t do too much. Just did some preparations for the wedding that evening then headed out about 4:30. It was a beautiful wedding despite the ceremony getting rained out just as it began. The bride was totally cool though and didn’t let anything bother her.

On our way back from the wedding we stopped off at the UT tower to get a shot of it lit orange with an ‘09 in the windows. I thought it would be a cool addition to my sister’s graduation photos.

Monday we slept in again (we never let that opportunity pass us by!) then got up and made crepes and coffee for breakfast. Divine.

A week ago I started doing Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred DVD and oh my. Last week was murder. Well the first two workouts were murder. The third was better and I wasn’t near as sore. My goal is to do it three times a week until I complete the 30 days. I think you are supposed to do it everyday for 30 days but that’s not happening with my schedule. Monday, even though it was a holiday and I had just downed who knows how many crepes, I stayed on schedule and did my 4th day. It’s definitely getting easier and I am excited about the results. I really recommend this DVD to anyone looking to get a well rounded workout without spending a ton of time at the gym.

We went out Monday to do some summer shoe and clothes shopping for James. We were successful on the clothes front but not the shoes. When it comes to flip flops he is pretty picky. Haha! I am sure we’ll find just the right pair soon.

For dinner we headed over to my mom’s house for chicken kebabs on the grill. Jessica and Nathan joined us and we ended the evening with a few hands of Uno. Good times.

That brings us to today and 44 days until our summer road trip to NOLA and Florida. 44 days!! I can’t believe it’s so close. A lot to do before then!

Posted in: Business, Busy, Family, Fun, Holiday, Life, Shopping – 1 Comment

Another Update

May 18, 2009

I guess that is what this blog is all about right? Updates on our life, happenings and such. Does it get boring though to just read accounts of our daily life? I hope not. I enjoy the writing- instead of doing this in a journal it’s now online for the world to see. I wish I still wrote in my journals as much. Might need to get back to that since I don’t share my deepest, darkest thoughts and all here. :)

A week from last Friday my sister, Jessica completed her ‘grand finale’ recital. She played four different pieces from memory- she was incredible! She graduates from UT this Friday afternoon. Way to go girl!! I knew you could do it.

We celebrated Mother’s Day a day early and took my mom to the salon for a new hairdo and then lunch at the Blue Dahlia Bistro. It was a fun morning with just us girls hanging out. I did a little shopping that day too and got some summer sandals. Good deals too.

Sunday evening we met up with the family again to celebrate my brother-in-laws birthday. Welcome to the ‘I’m 28′ club. :) Dinner was at Musashino for sushi. I was not adventurous at all. Stuck with Caterpillar Rolls but they were very fresh. Also tried a cucumber roll and unfiltered saki which I enjoyed.

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully and quickly. Things like laundry and VP work happened. Landscape meetings for the new church building and dentist appointments. I ended up leaving work early on Friday to see the eye doctor. It was an unexpected visit but my left eye got very red and bloodshot on Wednesday so I thought I’d better make sure all was ok. No contacts all weekend and some drops helped and all seems fine.

Friday night was part two to my bro-in-laws birthday: Poker Night. There were 9 players in all with a $5 buy in. I didn’t play because I knew I’d be out faster than you could blink and didn’t want to waste $5 but it was fun to watch. The birthday boy won in the end. We wrapped up the night with some Rock Band and made it to bed by 2am. Needless to say we didn’t get up early on Saturday. It was noon before we were out of bed and that only happened because we were meeting our May bride at 1. It was so relaxing to just lay there and listen to the rain.

A few of you may know that we met with a realtor on Saturday too. Not to look at houses or anything but to ask questions about the great unknown of buying a house. It was a great meeting and he was incredibly helpful. The whole process doesn’t seem so frightening now. Out of curiosity we poked around online to see what we could afford in our desired area. For $10k more than we want to spend we can get a nice house in a good location. I was surprised. The more we thought about it and looked at numbers we decided that now is not the right time for us to do this. Waiting another year and a half or so is our new goal. We’d like to save some more before diving into home ownership and all the expenses that come with it. The anticipation of having our own place one day is great though- I look forward to that day.

Saturday night we had an unexpected date. A coworker had two tickets to the Austin Symphony they couldn’t use so we got them! It was our first time in the new Long Center and what a great experience. We had orchestra level seats that ended up being in the first row. We were like 10 feet from the conductor! The performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony was beautiful. My favorite part had to be the sopranos - what voices! I was so jealous. :) We definitely want to go again even though we probably won’t be sitting front row next time.

Sunday was full of church activities, a nap, and prep for the new week. What a gorgeous day too that has carried into today. It’s a shame I have to be at work when such beautiful weather is at hand. Oh well, only an hour and 15 minutes remain.

I wanted to have images for this post but since I am at work and they are at home you don’t get any this time. Sorry! You’ll have to enjoy my word picture instead or check out my Flickr. :)

Posted in: Blessings, Busy, Family, Fun, Life – 1 Comment

To Ohio and Back

May 8, 2009

Our trip to Ohio was great and exactly what we needed. No computers, no work and no to-do lists. We caught up on sleep, spent time with family, ate a lot of good food, did some shopping and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

I came back with only a few photos from the trip. It was just one of those times I wasn’t really into taking a picture of every single thing. We did a session with James’ parents though for their 30th anniversary. That was fun especially since Columbus has all these cute smaller towns everywhere that are just adorable and have a ton of great spots for photos.

This trip marks a first for me too. I heard tornado sirens. I always thought they would be louder and that when I did hear them I’d find myself in a basement, ditch or bathtub. Well, none of the above. We sat down to dinner instead. Glad we did too because it was a delicious dinner. Haha!

I had the chance to make dinner for the family too. Enchiladas! They turned out great and everyone liked them. The guacamole was a big hit too (especially since I left the cilantro on the side but that’s another story)! I guess it was a pre-Cinco de Mayo celebration complete with Coronas. Yum!

Spending time with James’ family is always fun and has never been uncomfortable for me. They are always so welcoming and it feels like ‘going home’. I am truly blessed to be apart of this family.

Here are just a few photos from the trip and my trusty p&s. Enjoy!

I was so jealous of the Lily of the Valley that was growing around Amy’s house. Not something you see often or at all here in Austin.

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For dinner one evening we went to Carsonie’s and dinner was incredible Italian Fries and Stromboli.

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The only group shot I got all weekend. We’re all happy and full though!

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James’ sister Jenna introduced us to La Chatelaine on our last visit to Ohio and we knew we wanted to go back this time. I was lucky enough to go twice! It’s similar to La Madeleine here in Austin but WAY better. Pictured here is a latte and their divine almond croissants.

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I’ll end with a photo of James and I. You can check out other photos on my Flickr and I am sure Amy will have more people photos on hers too!

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Posted in: Blessings, Family, Fun, Holiday – No Comments

Margin, Shopping and Good Times

April 29, 2009

As I expected our weekend was non-stop. It was great though because we were either shooting, hanging out together or hanging out with friends. I think I was on the computer a total of 15 minutes all weekend! It was fabulous.

Friday evening we had dinner at Torchy’s Tacos- seriously in love with their food. I ordered the pork fajita plate and had enough for 4 tacos and then some! Great deal.

After dinner we tried to go further downtown to try out a new yogurt shop but the traffic was terrible with all the events going on so we turned around and headed back south for some shopping. James almost found a pair of flip-flops and I got a few things at TJMaxx. Still no sandals for me.

We picked up a Frosty then headed home to watch Star Trek: Nemesis. James has yet to see most of the Star Trek movies so we may be doing some catch up on Netflix until that is remedied. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy Star Trek. We used to watch all the Next Generation episodes when we were younger- Saturday nights at 9pm. Good times.

We were both pretty wiped out from the week and had an early Saturday waiting for us but we stayed up too late anyway. It wasn’t too bad though- we got to sleep in a little bit. James headed out to help a friend move and I headed downtown to our 10am engagement session. Other than overcast skies, a few drops of rain and a lot of wind it was a great session. The couple are a lot of fun and don’t take themselves too seriously. Haha!

We had lunch with them at Freddies on S. 1st. I’ve driven by it a million times but this was the first time to eat there. We sat outside since they had their pooch, Sadie with them. I had a chicken wrap that was quite tasty and filling and split a side of sweet potato fries with James.

After that it was home for a nap before our 4pm bridal portrait with our friend, Laura. I had been looking forward to this session all week! I think bridal portraits are my new favorite sessions. Laura is a stunning bride and I am so happy with the shots we got. We started off at St. Ed’s at the Main Building and were on a roll when we got stopped by a couple of APD officers on patrol. It seems someone reported us so they had to check us out. After a call to their Sgt. we were given the ok to keep shooting. Since we had shot there before with no issues I assumed it was ok. I’ll definitely call ahead next time. It was all ok and they were very polite about everything. We continued to shoot outside but the wind had picked up considerably so we decided to head to the Capitol. It was a bit busy on the grounds but we found a few isolated spots to get some more shots before calling it a day.

The rest of the evening we just relaxed and I think we watched another movie. Can you tell what we like to do for down time? :)

The next morning was early with church duties. It was a great sermon given by our associate pastor, Curt. The one point that really stood out to us though was about pruning. Just like you prune a tree and the little shoots and such that grow crazy so the tree can grow correctly, stay strong and produce more we too have to be aware of what needs to be ‘pruned’ in our life. James and I discussed this in terms of our life and all our activities and things that keep us busy. Do we have anything that needs to be ‘pruned’? Going back to my last post and all the busyness- it’s getting to me. We had a serious dicussion about taking control of our schedules and activites, even pruning out some things that are good but not necessarily needed. We realized if we don’t it could and is affecting us physically, mentally and spiritually. We’ve both decided to take some time during our vacation to really think and pray about this. Ask the Lord what we need to do differently and how. I am ready for a change in our lifestyle.

Sunday we had lunch with friends at Rudy’s then headed home for a nap and to get ready for our 4pm session with a 1 year old little girl. She is all over our blog since we’ve been shooting her since birth. It’s been so much fun watching her grow and her personality develop. The session went great once she warmed up to us a bit. I am excited her mom wants to continue periodic sessions with her.

We were starving by the time we finished up there so we decided Mighty Fine burgers were in order. Only we split one this time and a shake. More than enough food for us! Seriously the best burgers ever! After that I convinced James to let me browse through Old Navy. I picked up a couple summer pieces for a good price and we headed home.

For the past few Sunday’s we’ve been watching Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens on PBS Masterpiece Classics. I love shows like this and really enjoyed this one. It was an interesting story and very well done. The last episode was the climax where all was revealed and it moved really fast and was a bit confusing. We had to research the ending online just to clarify what went down! I am still not sure I have it straight! haha! If you like shows like this I would recommend it for a rainy day.

This is a short week for us as we are heading to Ohio tomorrow to be with James’ family. It’s felt like vacation all week though!

I’m sure we’ll have pictures to post and stories to tell when we return.

Posted in: Business, Busy, Fun, Home, Life, Marriage, Shopping – No Comments

What’s that saying?

April 24, 2009

Oh, right. Burning a candle at both ends. And like my coworker has been saying lately…and holding a lighter in the middle.

That is exactly how I am feeling lately. There is so much to do and keep up with and things going on. We are always going, going, going. I am at work all day in front of a computer screen (not really doing anything much) and then I go home and my evenings are pretty much the same. More computer time for VP stuff. I am not complaining too much, I love the VP stuff but I am looking forward to the day when I don’t have to do 12 hour days. I miss evenings just hanging out with James or family or friends. We still make time for those people but I feel like we miss out on a lot because we are so busy. I know it’s a short term sacrifice to be where we want to be so I am ok with that. I just wish we’d get there sooner sometimes!

This weekend we have 3 shoots scheduled and I am praying the weather stays nice for them. It doesn’t leave us much of a weekend but I keep reminding James that in a few days we’ll be on vacation! We can sleep in, chill, do whatever we please and NO COMPUTERS!! I am so ready.

Just a couple more hours and I’ll be outta here to enjoy a nice date evening with James - shopping and eating out! Doesn’t get any better than that.

Cheers!

Posted in: Busy, Life – No Comments

Home Stretch

April 16, 2009

Yep, it’s almost Friday and the weekend again. This week was slow but busy. And not busy at work, busy in the evenings doing VP work. Tuesday night I was up until 1am working on the 1st quarter books so I can pay sales tax by Monday. Sheesh, it’s not the bookkeeping part that frustrates me, it’s our pro lab and their account statements and lab credit that totally mess everything up. They aren’t easy to decipher.

Last night I took a break from the books to do something more creative and worked on the bridal portraits from our session at Laguna Gloria on Saturday. Amazing!!! It was an overcast and rainy day so I was in a sucky attitude until we left for the shoot because I really wanted brighter skies. Once we got there and I started shooting though the light was perfect and soft. Totally enhanced the images and gave them a very romantic feel. You’ll have to wait until August to see them on our VP blog though. I love how they came out and am pretty proud of them.

Tonight is small group and I am glad we aren’t too busy or wiped out to go this time. Looking forward to seeing everyone and talking about patience. I consider myself a pretty patient person except when it comes to computers that don’t work properly. Hehe.

This weekend I am going shopping with my sister and mom. I’ve had a couple gift cards wsiting to be used and I am ready to spend!! Hopefully there are some sales waiting for us. Need to revamp the summer wardrobe. I realized this morning I have way too much black in my closet. So one rule for Saturday? No black allowed. :)

Sunday we have a wedding to cover at Mayfield Park and Preserve. Our time there will be really short but I am excitd about the location and the fact that there will be a traditional ceremony followed by a Persian ceremony. Cool, huh?

And we won’t mention what day comes after Sunday but we’ll be another week closer to vacation and taking off for some family time in Ohio.

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my 30 Day Shred work out DVD. It’s the same lady from the Biggest Loser who wrote the Making the Cut book we followed back in February. Doing the pilates class with my sister got me hooked, she started another 6 week course this week and I miss it. If it was closer to the apartment I’d do it again. From what I’ve heard the DVD is an intense workout too. My goal is to do two mornings a week. Since the DVD won’t be here until Monday James actually got up with me Tuesday morning to workout. At 6am!! I was shocked and seriously wondered what happened to my husband. haha! It meant a lot to me that he did that and it helped me get motivated and out of bed as well. Thanks babe!!

Well, about to head outta here for the day. Ready for the weekend!

Posted in: Fun, Life, Shopping – 1 Comment
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