So let me be frank, my attitude on Friday for my weekend ahead was bad.  I went into it exhausted and stressed and all I wanted to do was get in bed for three days.  And yes, I probably could of used the sleep.  I have a lot going on at school and with leaving for Houston, TX to attend the AJLI Winter Conference on Thursday morning, I have been very stressed out.  I spent most of Friday grumbling and really dreading the weekend a head.

Saturday morning I was up by 7 and in the car by 7:30 to attend my local League mid year retreat.  A Starbucks Hazelnut latte later and I had a smile on my face.  Hazelnut makes me smile.

I was happy to see the cheery faces of my freinds and fellow League members.  That morning I got the pleasure of hearing George Fleming of Insightful Action speak.  I really needed to hear what he said, he spoke so passionately about being ignited about everything we do and not just doing it to do it but doing it for the experience that could come out of it.  Even as simple as going to Starbucks.

I needed to hear what he said and at the end of it, he asked us all to make an affirmation.  Mine was this:

I want to be real and authentic about everything I do.

Here’s to an amazing week!

Between the Miss America Pageant and The Golden Globes this weekend, I was on TV overload.  I am so happy Miss Wisconsin won!  But I always love it when the brunettes win!

Anyways I was more excited about the Golden Globes and enjoyed sharing my thoughts on Twitter with some of the other bloggers and tweety birds out there.

A few favorites:

I enjoyed the show and really thought Ricky Gervais did a great job, I know some don’t view him in the best light but I have always found him entertaining.   I thought a great job was done by all the presenters and was happy to see some of my favorites win a few awards.  I am always struck though that sometimes shows and movies listed are ones that I have never heard of.  I saw both J.Edgar and My Week with Marilyn and really want to more than ever see The Descendants and The Iron Lady and who doesn’t love Clooney and Streep?  At the risk of complaining, I am no longer a fan of Kelsey Grammar and felt his win was undeserved.  And that’s all I’ll say about that.

I know some feel watching pageants and award shows are a waste of time but with the 3 day weekend I decided I could afford the time and being a couch potato.  I mean I did walk/run 3.1 miles yesterday!

Did you watch the Globes?

Who was on your best dress list?

Have a great day!

I’ve done a lot of thinking and soul searching about the goals that I very much wanted to accomplish in 2012.  I have so much going on that it was hard to narrow down and focus.  It was very refreshing to write down what I want to see happen and during the moment that I was composing them, I felt an immediate sense of a call to action.  I am so excited to share them with you and would love to hear yours!

BIG GOALS FOR 2012.

WORDS OF THE YEAR: Love and growth

SPIRITUAL GOALS:  Walk by faith and not by sight, remain positive, be kind and love always.

PERSONAL GOALS:  Run 3-4x/week, build my strength, ME time, and start saying “no.”

FAMILY GOALS:  Embrace my family’s new dynamic, love all the way!

WORK GOALS:  Obtain a full time teaching position, get going on my event company.

TO DOS:  Pay off CC, buy new laptop and lower car payment.

Happy Goal Setting!

2012.  Wow, already?!  Truly amazing that it’s upon the doorstep and ready to be invited in.    It’s January, 2nd 2012 and I’m ready.  Leading up this point I wasn’t ready, still hanging on to so much “stuff” and not ready to move forward.  But yesterday after prepping myself to go back to work and my routine I realized I had to let go.  2011 wasn’t a terrible year but a year of growth in so many ways.  It’s hard to knit all that growth together into various resolutions so I haven’t really done that yet but as I was driving today to work in the dark, beautiful soon to be sunrise landscape, I began to think about little things I could shift to make 2012 more fulfilling and in the long run an amazing year.

2011 was the year I finally learned I had a saturation point; I can’t do it all.  And I have to learn to say “No instead of Yes” sometimes.  I get to wrapped up in thinking I’ll disappoint people or be judged that I lose sight of the best decision for me.  I did a lot of great things in 2011 and years past but I was very exhausted both mentally and physically.

It was also the year that I realized certain people are in your life for a certain period of time and then they make an exit.  I emotionally attach myself to people very quickly which sometimes isn’t the best option.  I am a family oriented person and thus seek it even in friendships.  But things change and sometime you have to detach yourself and move on.

I have taken a different route than a lot of my friends.  I’m 31 and single and feel more comfortable with that than I have ever before.  I know I can’t settle for just anyone and in terms of the children part, I’m a teacher, I have children in my life everyday and that is extremly fulfilling and rewarding.  I haven’t had a “full time” job since 2004/2005 and while I wish for that, I’m okay with the dabbling.  A bit unsettling in the financial department but I have a job.  Blessed.  Enough said.  I have full confidence that my soul mate/father of my amazing children will enter and everything will fall in line in that department at the right time.

Meanwhile, I continue to grow everyday, in so many aspects and I’m proud of that. Sure, some moments are ugly and hard and emotionally draining but such is life.  I am committed to waking up everyday not drowning myself in what should of happened yesterday but looking forward to the possibility of what may come that day.  Whether it’s my favorite song playing on the radio or falling head over heels with a random guy in the coffee shop, the possibilities are endless.

I can’t wait.

2012, bring it on!

Happy Monday!

December is finally here!  I cannot believe it!  So excited that Christmas is around the corner!  I had a great weekend picking out our tree and other decorations.  We aren’t finished yet but I wanted to share a few snippets of what we have done.  All that is left is a few interior decorations and adding some lights to our outside trees.  They don’t allow for mass amounts of extenstion cords and such so we need to head out this week to find some battery operated lights.

That’s a preview and I am so excited to show you the rest next week!  Other than that, life clicks on by with each day and I am enjoying every minute.  It promises to be a busy week with League commitments, work and other fun and amazing things including a day trip next Sunday to see the Carolina Panthers play the Atlanta Falcons.   I hope you all are enjoying getting ready for the holidays!

For more holiday cheer:

Tiny Prints Holiday Goodies  

Layla Grace Cozy & Cuddly Deal

Minted & J.Crew

Pecan Pie Goodness

Tis the Season to be Kind

Happy Monday!

Every year the holidays get a lot harder for me because of my parent’s no longer being married.  I’m very much a traditionalist when it comes to the holidays so anything that messes that up makes me uneasy.  

But sometimes you have to welcome new traditions into the mix.

My mom and I spent this year at a friend’s gathering at her and husband’s home.  They along with other hosted about 20 people.  Each person contributed a dish and brought a bottle of wine.  We were given the task of pies.  We made 2 pumpkin and 1 pecan.  I’ll be sharing the Pecan Pie recipe on my here tomorrow.    Overall, we enjoyed ourselves.  It was fantastic to meet new people and mingle with our current friends.  

Life changes and so we have to as well.  These things are hard, sometimes uncomfortable but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful moments of their own.

Happy Monday (Night) !

After blogging off and on for nearly 3 years, I realized I had never answered the question why I blog.  I blog because it’s an outlet for me to share what’s going on and things I like and want to share.  Blogging is really a great outlet and community especially for women to network.  I gchat and exchange snail mail with several other bloggers who I met through blogging.  I really can also rely on these friends when I need a listening ear as well or a different perspective on  something.

The greatest part is that there is room for everyone and every passion to be shared.

Why do you blog?

Have a beautiful Monday!

I cannot believe November is here, I am quite amazed and a little fazed about how quickly 2011 has flown by.  I actually didn’t make any resolutions this year.  If I did, I didn’t write them down.  Or maybe I just decided to let those resolutions spontaneously appear when needed.  Yea, that’s it.  For instance, in June I committed to completing a 5k.  On September 17th, 2011 I did just that and then managed to completely wear myself down by running two more over the following two weeks.

I haven’t run for a good month, but I do miss it so I hope to get back on track soon.

In other news, I left my restaurant job after only 6 months.  A unique opportunity fell into my lap so I leaped.  I am still super scared about the whole thing two weeks in but I have an office and business cards have been ordered so that’s exciting.  I get excited about things like new spaces and business cards, I know its weird.  Also, I applied to the local unuversuty’s Master of Liberal Arts Program.  I’ve been wanting to do it for years and decided in September that it was time.  Although I spent the last two weeks of October scrambling to get everything in and was very thankful for the efficiency of the US Postal Service.  I will have an interview with the Graduate Council before Thanksgiving then said council will meet on December 1st and make their decision.  If all goes well, I’ll start in January.

The sad news is that I couldn’t finish out my notice at said restaurant.  I started to get a cold on Monday and by Friday morning I had woken up with swollen lymph nods and a fiery throat.  I got to Urgent Care and I guess I looked really sick because they got me in pretty quickly.  The doctor on duty didn’t even wait for the culture to back, he diagnosed me with tonsillitis and sent me onto the pharmacy.  I ended up not being able to work my last two shifts and I was devastated.  I plan to visit and get my last paycheck sometime this week.  I’m on day 4 with this and hope to make it back to the land of the living today.

As November speeds on by, it gets me closer to my favorite holiday, Christmas.  I am super excited as my whole immediate family will be together.  This is amazing because my parents have been divorced but amicable so I am so excited to have the whole family together.  Granted, it may been stocking up on wine and other libations but whatever.  I am going to try to add some DIY projects to the mix thanks to Pinterest.  Also, trying to incorporate more traditions  as well…

What are you favorite traditions?

Have a beautiful week!

Happy Monday!

Can you believe we are already half-way through October?  It is amazing how this year has flown by!

I got to thinking the other day how many t-shirts I own or rather have acquired over the years.  I am not speaking of the basic Gap or J.Crew ones I stock up on every season but regular, graphic sometimes too big t-shirts.  I began to think about the stories that surround each of these items.  Probably why so many people caught onto the t-shirt quilt craze so many years ago.  If I showed you every single t-shirt I have in my drawers, I would have a story to go along with it.

There are my sorority shirts from my days as a Phi Mu.  Formals and mixers all had their memories and certain pictures that I hope will never end up on Facebook.

There are the random t-shirts that people have gifted to me; either extras from events or they didn’t want them anymore.

There are the college shirts that somehow remind me of those glory days…ahh

And finally the shirts from my races.  The proof that I’m a runner.

What stories do your t-shirts tell?

Have a beautiful day!