Taking a Little Break..

Clearly I haven't been posting for the past few weeks... and I really didn't mean to just up and quit, but after a little bit of unwanted drama I decided to take a step back and think about whether having so much of my life posted online was really the right thing for me. (and I don't mean just with blogging, but with facebook too).

At first I stopped blogging completely and then I stopped uploading as many pictures and stuff like that on Facebook. The problem is that I like to blog and post things on my facebook page. 

So, I still haven't really found the balance between doing these things and yet still not putting too much out there... but for now I have decided to take a little break from blogging (just for now, I do plan on starting up again and I promise to still keep up with your blogs!) and as far as Facebook I have changed some of my settings and changed a lot of my albums so only I can see them (because a lot of the pictures I don't have copies of anymore so I didn't want to just delete them completely).

Anyways, I wanted to at least explain a little and not just stop blogging out of the blue like that!

Hope everyone is having a good week.. it's almost FRIDAY! :o)

Fill in the Blank Friday

It's Friday again (YAY!) and time for Lauren's Fill in the Blank Friday. This week is about vacations which works out well since we are going on a mini beach vacation this weekend :)

1. If I didn't have to work anymore I would... ok well if I didn't have to work anymore, I think I would still want to. I actually like working and if I could do something just because I loved it and not for money I think that would be perfect.. like opening my own small business where it didn't matter how successful it ever became just as long as I was enjoying it. Sounds good right? Maybe one day.. haha

2. My favorite thing about a vacation is not having to wake up to an alarm clock.. I seriously hate that sound.

3. When packing for a trip I always overpack. It's somewhat of a problem and even though I always try to only pack what I will actually need, I still end up with a ton of extra stuff.

4. If I could go on a road trip with anyone (dead OR alive) I would choose.. not to sound cheesey, but I would choose my husband, because, we have been on a few together and I have always really enjoyed it and it's a great way to spend time just talking about anything, and we would go on a cross country road trip. We talk a lot about wanting to drive from here to CA and make tons of stops along the way to really see some of the places we wouldn't normally travel to. Hopefully one day ;)

5. My top 3 absolute travel essentials are 1) an updated ipod 2) water and snacks 3) a good book.

6. Vacations are always much needed.

7. On vacation you must always make sure to take some time for yourself and really get a chance to just relax for a litlte bit :) 

HAPPY FRIDAY! Hope you all have a great holiday weekend! ;o)

my current obsessions

Lately I have become slightly obsessed with a number of different products and I thought I would share them with you all :)

NARS lip gloss. (specifically in Turkish Delight) I love this stuff.. I actually ran out a couple months ago and then recently bought a new one and realized how much I had missed it ;)

 Hand sanitizer. Lately I have become somewhat of a freak about germs and keep hand sanitizer with me at ALL times. I have many of these little ones from bath and body works all over the place (my purse, my car, my nightstand, etc).

Michael Kors watches. I really like his large watches.. this past weekend I picked up this watch.. I don't typically wear gold, but I saw this in a magazine and was obsessed and have worn it every day so far this week. haha.

Cream eyeliner by Smashbox. AMAZING. It makes my eyeliner go on perfectly and stay that way throughout the whole day. (if you get it make sure to get the eyeliner brush to use with it!) I prefer it in the dark brown ;)

  Lotion, lotion lotion! I have always been a lotion addict. I have a big box of nothing but various brands and types of lotions. Recently I picked up Aveeno's new "positively nourishing 24-hour ultra hydrating whipped souffle" (yes I know it has a long name.. lol). This stuff seriously leaves me skin satiny smooth. It is mixed with oatmeal, shae and cocoa butter and makes me feel and smell good :)

Nora Robert's Bridal Quartet. (yes I know this one is not a beauty product like the rest, but it's definitely a current obsession)I know I mentioned a little bit ago I was reading the first book in this series.. well after the first one I went on to read the 2nd and 3rd (both within 2 weeks of finishing the 2st) and am in love with these characters and their stories. The 4th book comes out in November and right now that seems like FOREVER from now.. if you haven't done so already make sure to read these!

And lastly, when I went to the hairdresser 2 weeks ago to have my hair dyed she suggested that I try the Shiny Big Hair shampoo.. and let me tell you, it really does leave my hair SO shiny and silky smooth. I would definitely recommend it for all hair types!

 Ok, now I am off to watch project runway! Hope you all had a great Thursday :o)

Is it really only Wednesday??

Yes. It is only Wednesday, and it has already been a very long week. I am tired, grumpy, and wishing I was on vacation rather than working this week.. (and apparently I am whiny today as well). 

You know what would make me feel SO much better?

a MASSAGE... ahhh just thinking about it makes me relax and smile a little. 

I'm not going to be able to fit it in this week, but maybe sometime soon! BUT good news.. we are heading down to the beach for Friday and Saturday night, maybe relaxing with my toes in the sand and the sun in my face is just what I need to shake this crappy mood I am in this week ;)

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

(only 2 more days until the nice long labor day weekend!)

Fill in the Blank Friday

It's FRIDAY (finally!!) and time for Lauren's Fill in the Blank Friday. Make sure to check out her blog to join in :)

1. The most adventurous thing I've ever done is ... well, I guess I am kind of boring because I can't think of too many things for this.. but one time my freshman year (after one too many drinks..) at Virginia Tech, Vince and I jumped the fence at the football stadium in middle of the night. I know, it doesn't sound that crazy, but I could have been suspended from school if I had been caught.. haha (see... seriously boringggg)

2. If I were a pair of shoes I would be a pair of really cute high heeled boots... I know kind of weird.. but I love the fall and I looove boots! And now that the summer is ending I am starting to get excited about being able to wear them again soon :) .

3. My preferred mode of digital communication is.. well texting is obviously one of the easiest and most convenient ways for quick communication, but honestly.. I think I still prefer actually talking on the phone to someone best.

4. I feel happiest when I am with Vince and Ty doing nothing but lounging around the house ;)

5. A little dream I have for my life is to start a family... preferably sooner rather than later <3

6. The one modern convenience I could NOT do without is my GPS. I haven't even had it for 2 years yet and I already depend on it all of the time. I used to read maps or print out directions, but now I just look up an adress, put it in the Garmin and head on my way.. I have NO idea what I would do if I had to go back to real maps again lol.

7. Music, movies, TV or books: if I could only choose one to enjoy I would pick books. TV was definitely a close second choice, but books you can take anywhere and I really do enjoy curling up with a good book.

Happy Friday everyone.. hope you all have a great weekend! :o)

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for Thursday night TV. Big Brother and Project Runway are two of my current favs ;)

I am very thankful that I got to spend the past weekend in Virginia with my grandparents. I miss not seeing them as much, so it was nice getting to have some quality time with them. 

I am thankful that I am friends with my hairdresser on Facebook, it makes it very easy for me to make random late night decisions to change my hair... haha.. last Thursday night I messaged her a picture of dark hair I was considering, and she messaged me back and said she could do it the next day. If I hadn't gone then and waited a couple of weeks I probably would have chickened out, but I am glad I did it :) Want to see??

So what do you think? (it's the only picture I have of it so far that wasn't a blurry pic from my phone) I am naturally dark blonde, but sometimes it's fun to change it up a bit haha.

I am thankful for a weekend that I can sleep in on both Saturday and Sunday. I have been very sleepy this week and am looking forward to catching up on some rest. 

Speaking of catching up, I am also thankful and looking forward to catching up with some friends this weekend as well! Friday night a friend is having a party for her boyfriend and then Saturday night we are going out with some other friends I haven't seen in awhile.

I am thankful for an unbelievably loving and caring husband.. we have had a crazy couple of weeks and he has been nothing but sweet the whole time. Love you <3

Happy Thursday! :o)

Fill In the Blank Friday

I know, I know.. I have been MIA recently. Honestly, there is no real excuse, I normally blog in the evenings after work and I just haven't been on the computer much at night lately. So I apologize and I am going to try to be much much better this week!

Besides.. nothing too exciting has happened in the past couple of week, so you didn't miss much haha. This weekend I am heading down to Virginia to see my grandparents for the weekend. Just me, Vince has to work until about 10:30 tonight and since it's 6 hours away if I waited for him it would just be too late to drive that far... but I am actually looking forward to a weekend with just them. They have been like second parents to me, and when I was at Virigina Tech I used to go down to see them all of the time and I really miss that. So anyways, those are my plans for this weekend.. what about you guys? Anything fun or exciting going on?

******

OK.. now on to Lauren's Fill in the Blank Friday. You all know how much I love my TV shows, so this weeks topic is perfect for me ;o)

1. My favorite current TV show is One Tree Hill. I am seriously obsessed. I have never watched it as it has aired on tv, but around Christmas time last year I randomly bought season 1 on dvd and ever since then have been hooked. This past week season 7 got released on dvd and I pre-ordered it so I could have it delivered on the release date (see? I told you I was obsessed).

2. The TV character I can relate to most is hmmm this is a hard question... even though there are a few characters whose lives I would LOVE to have.. I'm not sure I can honestly say that I can relate to them all that well (but sometimes I wish I could haha).

3. My life is like (fill in with TV show and why).... I am going to go with Friends for this one. Not that I live in the city or anything like that.. but because I have a core group of really close friends who are all completely different, but also completely inseperable. I think partly because Vince and I have been together for so long we have all of the same friends and over the past 10 years have all just gotten really close.

4. My all time favorite TV show is Beverly Hills 90210. (the original version!)

5. A TV show that is ridiculously stupid, but I continue to watch is Big Brother! This is season 12 and I think that it just continues to get more and more ridiculous every season, but I really can't help but watch (and that show is on 3 times a week, so at times it's a lot of stupidity to deal with. lol).

6. My favorite TV couple is.. this is by far the easiest question on the list (and I know Vince would agree with me on this one..).. Chuck and Blair from Gossip Girl. I. LOVE. THEM.  

7. One TV episode I could watch over and over again is the final 2 hour episode of Dawson's Creek. I know, it was soooo sad... but it was also SO good! 

and just a little side note... even though I listed a number of different shows I watch on  here, it no where comes near to the list of all of the shows I love to watch ;o) just to name a few more tv addictions for me: Grey's, 24, Lost (so sad those last two are both done!), Brothers & Sisters, The Hills, The Bachelor/Bachelorette... and really the list goes on and on.. (I watch way too much tv, and I know it!)

Happy FRIDAY! :o)

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that I have been SO busy this week, because it has made the days just fly by!

 I am VERY thankful and excited that they started digging for our house this week! We went in on Monday for a pre-construction walk through and as soon as the meeting was over, the guys were out there working... I am also thankful that the builder is going to be emailing us weekly with updates and pictures of the progress (not that I won't be driving by constantly too haha)... here are a couple of the pictures I got today:

I am thankful that on Tuesday next week One Tree Hill season 7 comes out on dvd.. I have recently bought every season and watched every single episode and can't wait to see the next season (I am hooked, can you tell?)

I am also really happy and thankful that on Monday I was able to have a meeting with my boss to go over my 1 year review and it went SO well! Even better than I could have hoped for :) (not that I thought it would be bad or anything, but getting reviews always make me a little nervous haha)

I am thankful that at yesterdays golf outing (I was sponsoring a contest for work) I remembered to bring a big tent, so even though it was extremely HOT outside I was able to stay in the shade most of the day.

I am NOT thankful that the groomers SHAVED Ty on Sunday. I specifically asked for them to just TRIM him.. but Vince picked Ty up and when he came into the house I almost cried! (yes I know realize that is pathetic.. but I did say almost.. I didn't actually cry or anything haha) Now don't get me wrong I still think my little man is adorable, but he just looks so different to me and I miss his long shaggy hair.. I am praying for it to grow quickly! You have to see before and after pics to truely appreciate the difference:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

  

I am thankful for random lunch dates with my hubby <3 We don't get to do it all of the time, but every week or two we are able to meet up for a quick lunch together and it's just a really nice little break in the day ;)

I will be thankful tonight if Rachel gets voted off of Big Brother. She is such a drama queen and I really can't stand her crying anymore.. ughh. Plus it will be interesting to see Brendon on the show without her around..

Well hope you all have had a good week so far.. THANKFULLY it is Thursday and almost time for another weekend :o)

Truthful Thursday

So occasionally on Thursdays I do a "Thankful Thursday" post about all of the things that I am thankful about that week.. but today I thought I would switch it up a little bit and write a "Truthful Thursday" post. Not that I am not always honest on this blog, because I promise I am.. but I think once in awhile it would be good to also comment on some of the less than perfect things going on because the truth is no one's life is perfect and we should learn to appreciate that every now and then..

I really am happy that my family is doing well and loving living in St Louis.. but truthfully I still get sad and lonely a lot. I know I have Vince's family here, but it's just not the same.. there are days when I would do anything to have my family move back to Pa.

 

As you know I am living at my in-laws house while our new house is being built and it is going better than I expected.. but to be honest there are times I want to pull my hair out. It's nothing specifically that anyone has done wrong, it's just we need our own place.. sooner rather than later. haha

 

I eat pretty healthy most of the times.. but that doesn't mean I always want to eat healthy. Truthfully, I LOVE fast food. Gross, I KNOW... but there are days I just crave chick-fil-a... mmm, just typing it makes me want it now haha

 

Vince and I talk a lot about moving one day out of state, maybe North Carolina.. but truthfully, I think if we actually started the process of moving I might chicken out. I do want to move, and I do love NC.. but there is something nice about having grown up here and knowing so many people, it may just be too hard to leave. (but then again, there are downsides to knowing so many people here for so long too.. sometimes you just feel like you are still stuck in high school)

 

I talk a lot about how much I like my job, and I DO. I promise... but would I give it up to start my own business if I could?? Heck to the yes!! Yes, I like my job, but truthfully it's not my dream job. I probably will never have my ideal dream job (which is why it's a dream haha) so I have no intentions of leaving this one.. no job is perfect, but I really shouldn't complain because I do really like it.

 

and lastly... I truthfully really want a baby... like badly. We talk about it a lot and are ready to start our family, but it hasn't been as easy to do as we would have hoped. I just keep telling myself god knows more than I do when the right time is so I need to just stop stressing and let it happen.

 

 

 OOOK... so that's enough honesty for one night haha jk. I will probably go back and forth between Thankful Thursdays and Truthful Thursdays... it's nice to change it up every once in awhile ;)

Happy Thursday!

 

Not Me Monday

There were not 30 of us all from high school who went together to our friends wedding in West Virginia (some of the 30 were significant others of those from high school). I did not have an AWESOME time hanging out with some of our close friends and catching up with some of the other friends I hadn’t seen in awhile! :)

The ride down was not a really fun early morning trip. We did not start off with bloody mary’s and mimosas at 8am. (everyone BUT Vince who was being the responsible driver for the rest of us.. thank you Vince! )

We did not all end up deciding about an hour before the rehearsal dinner to rent a coach bus to take us to and from the dinner. (it ended up being a very smart choice considering the dinner was about 40mins from the hotel and no one was in the proper state of mind to be driving back haha) The bus ride back was not one of the highlights of the night. (it was like open mic night the whole way back haha)

We did not wake up Saturday and all kind of stumble down to breakfast in our pj’s trying to wake up and figure out what to do all day since the wedding wasn’t until 5pm.

Those of us who were not in the wedding party did not decide to go bowling that morning. We did not end up having a ton of fun.

The wedding was not GORGEOUS with tons of beautiful flowers EVERYWHERE. The reception was not SO. MUCH. FUN. And did not sort of feel like a mini high school reunion (you the kind that is only filled with the people from high school you actually want to see instead of the awkard conversations with people you never liked anyways.. haha)

We did not all end up at the hotel bar until the wee hours of the morning (taking wayyy too many shots).. some of the pictures prove that we all got a little sloppy towards the end… lol

The following morning did not consist of lots of bottles of water and advil for everyone and people passing cameras around looking at all of the pictures that are way too embarrassing to ever been seen online.. hahaha

There were not a lot “only in West Virginia” comments throughout the whole weekend.

The ride home Sunday did not seem a LOT longer than the ride there. (all our severe hangovers may have had something to do with that..)

I am not excited that I will see most of the same people again this coming weekend for another friends wedding!

I also am not SUPER excited that the season finale of the Bachelorette is on tonight! I do not REALLY want her to pick Chris… and am not praying that reality steve is completely wrong in saying she ends up single..

( MckMama normally hosts the Not Me Monday every week.. but she is currently at the hospital getting ready to have her baby! Congrats to MckMama and the rest of her family!!)

Hope you all had a great weekend and happy Monday! :o)

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that today is Thursday and I have off work tomorrow. Three day weekends are the best.

I am thankful that I have a fun weekend planned with lots of good friends. A friend of ours is getting married in West Virginia on Saturday so about 15 of us are renting a few vans and driving down there tomorrow morning. I like road trips with friends and I LOVE weddings.. so it should be a pretty good time ;)

I am also thankful that we are bringing dunkin donuts and someone else is bring mimosas for the early morning (we are leaving at 6am) car ride.. the mimosas will definitely help wake us up.. haha

I am very thankful that my mother-in-law and I are as close as we are.. otherwise living in her house while we wait for ours to be built wouldn't be so easy... but thankfully it's been going really well and I really don't have any complaints. (at least not yet.. lol)

I am thankful for having friends who work in retail stores, because it's really nice to get a little discount every now and then ;o)

I am thankful for books. I may sound like a dork, but I love to read. I go through stages where I can read 4 books back to back and then I may go a month without reading at all... but no matter what whenever I pick up a book and actually start reading, I get hooked. My favorite books to read are usually by either Nora Roberts or James Patterson. (Well and of course I am huge fan of both the Harry Potter and Twilight series as well haha)

and last but most importantly.. I am thankful and extremely proud of a husband who works SO hard for us.. he leaves the house first thing in the morning and sometimes doesn't get home until 10pm and never once complains. I am also very thankful that all of his hard work is paying off for him and getting him to where he wants to be. (and to where eventually his hours will be much less, thank goodness!) 

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Since we are leaving early tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday evening, I won't be posting again until sometime next week... but hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Thursday :o)

Wee Bit of Wednesday

Before getting into Leigh's Wee Bit of Wednesday post.. I just wanted to take a second to say HI :) I know it's been a week since I posted last, but I promise I have been keeping up with reading your blogs.

Things are going good here.. just the typical work stuff during the week and over the weekend we went out with some of our best friends for drinks. Iit was supposed to be a nice normal calm evening.. but it was one of those nights that turned in to too many tequila shots, lots of laughs, and staying until the bar closed for the night.... so basically it was a GREAT night haha.

Other than that nothing too much new.. hope you all have had a good week so far and now on to today's post:

{one} if you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be?Ignorance. It was the first thing that came to mind and I think it's pretty self explanatory.  {two} if you could go on vacation for the next month with an unlimited budget, where would you go?Ok, so normally I would say Italy... BUT after watching the recent episode of the Bachelorette I am going to have to Tahiti... oh man, I would LOVE to go there for an entire month!  {three} cats or dogs?

I think it's pretty obvious from the pictures on my blog that I am going to have to say DOG.. and really wouldn't you pick dog if you were looking at this cute little face right now ;o)

 (and YES I know he is in serious need of a haircut right now haha)

{four} would you rather date a lot of people or be in a committed relationship?

Well since I am married and actually started dating Vince when I was 15... I think I am going to have to say I am more of a committed relationships type of girl <3

 {five} would you rather own a luxury yacht or a private jet?Ooh a private jet please!! Then I really could travel anywhere, anytime I wanted to!  {six} what was the last book you read?

This weekend I finished reading Vision in White by Nora Roberts.. it's a 4 part series and I just started the second book last night.

{seven} would you rather be really hot or really cold?Hot, definitely HOT. I absolutely HATE being cold. {eight} if you could change your name, what would you change it to?hmm... I have never really spent much time thinking about that, so I really have no idea what I would change my name to?! {nine} what did you dream about last night?I very rarely remember what I dream about.. I wish I did more often, but unfortunately I have no clue what I was dreaming about last night. {ten} if you had to throw away either your tv or your computer, which would you throw away?

I would be really sad to throw away either... but if I had to choose I would say TV. (only because I can watch most of my favorite shows online too haha)

Happy Wednesday! :o)

Pictures Part 3

I had said I would post part 3 of our photos yesterday, but ended up not getting a chance to do it... SO without further delay, here are the pictures of us getting all wet and sandy in the ocean ;)

(go here to see part 1 and part 2)

..and that's all folks!

We had SO much fun taking these pictures, hope you enjoyed seeing them!

Happy Wednesday ;o)

Pictures Part 2

Now that I posted the normal pictures of Vince and I in Cape May, here is Part 2 which is the trash the dress photos before we got into the water! 

So, I guess really these are more like just basic beach portraits, we're not actually trashing the dress yet.. haha. (also quick side note, these are all just proofs so none have been edited or anything.. once they are there won't be any signs or random things in the background anymore)

**A special thanks to James and Christine at Cucinotta Images for all of the awesome photos! On Christine's personal site there are a couple of the edited pictures up on the home page 


(Part 3 will be posted tomorrow!)