Anni-moon Here We Come!!

Ive always wanted to visit Charleston, SC! I blogged about it here a few months ago! Well lovely readers, I am finally getting to visit the most gorgeous city {that I’ve seen on-line and in magazines}! The hubby and I will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary in this amazingly historic city! I can’t wait!

Historic tours, shopping, beer/wine tastings, southern food, ahhh bring it all on!!! Possibly even a photo shoot with a local photographer to capture our first anniversary and to document our travels! We can’t thank my hubby’s step-father and mom enough for allowing us to use their rewards points to book our stay! It has saved us an incredibly large amount of money that we can now put towards other anni-moon adventures!

If any of you southern SC ladies know of ANY fabulous local Charleston photographers please let me know!!! I really think it would be fun to have a little love photo session while we are there!

Can’t wait to check in at the Embassy Suites Charleston in Historic Charleston on June 9th!!

Hope everyone enjoyed Tiffany from Blabbering Thoughts yesterday!! I'm pretty positive our next get-a-way will have to be California!
Hope you all are having a fabulous Friday so far!!! Any awesome plans for the weekend?! You know I love to hear what everyone is doing!!! See y'all Monday!!

Xoxo,

Tiffany - Blabbering Thoughts - Guest Post!

Tiffany was one of my first followers on the blog, Twitter, and Instagram! I love her blunt sarcasm and sassy style! Not to mention her precious babes fill up my Instagram feed weekly and I love it!! She is very far from the South and I can't wait for y'all to read about California from her perspective! Be sure to pay her blog a visit too! Xoxo!


Midwest girl gone West Coast

When I say Midwest what do you think of? Do you think Indiana? I am guessing no. I am not quite sure why Indiana is considered the "midwest" but I like it. Now that you know I am from Indiana I bet you are wondering where I live now... I live in California.. You know that over glorified state that is beautiful but yet in debt up to their ears? Yeah that place.. I live there. But I don't live on the "coast" I live in the valley.

I come from a cornfield.. Seriously, I grew up in a cornfield... Okay I am joking but I lived next to like 5 cornfields. I love when people I meet out here ask where I am from & I say.. Indiana.. And they give me this blank stare like.. Right.. I do not know where that is.. Somewhere East. You know a lot of Californians consider Indiana East Coast? I am like whoa did you not have geography in 5th grade? Because I did. Anyway - No one knows anything about Indiana except it snows. Yes, it does.. In the winter time but in the summer time it doesn't. It's scorching & it's humid. I love Indiana. I love being a Hoosier. I love being Red & White. I love Indy Car. This sign is who I am.. Or at this point who I was. 

But now, I am apart of California. I've been here for 2 whole years. Say whaaaa?

I never thought California would be my home. When I grew up.. In the 3rd grade I requested a newspaper from Long Beach, California.. Little did I know I'd live in California but definitely not in an overpriced crowded city. I am very bitter towards the big cities. Of course they've got great views, but the weather. It sucks. I mean I like to be on fire in the summer time. Plus all those coastal cities are soooooo traffic-y. I want to punch myself in the face every time I get on one of their highways.

OKAY but this post is about me moving west & instead I am just rambling. I moved west 2 years ago with my daughter to be with her daddy. He is an air traffic controller & Fresno, California is where he got placed I guess you could say. So now we are here. At first the city is blah, it's a new town.. Don't know a lot of people. It's hard. 

I am slowly meeting people. I miss my family like crazy but it made me grow as a person & it helped our family tremendously. 

So here is my point.. You need to visit California. Not just for the LA/Hollywood/Disneyland/San Diego/San Francisco.. There are other places here you know.

You need to see Yosemite. I am not a nature girl but I love me some mountains. Breathtaking.

You need to drive down Highway 1 to Big Sur. Did I say breathtaking already? Okay, these views are impeccable. 

I.am.never.leaving.this.place.

Plus did I mention that Vegas is just a short trip away. Yeah Vegas. I don't like to party... I don't like to gamble.. But this place is BOMB. Just saying. 

Now - My next mission getting Lauran little miss south east girl & her man to come visit me :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

First off I can't thank you sweet gals enough for the comments on yesterday's post and the Facebook comments I received as well!!! I will definitely be looking into many of the options y'all have suggested! Secondly, is it really Wednesday already?! Why yes, yes it is!! Here is what I'm loving:

1. Blanco Xoco White Wine!! My darling friend Tatiana bought this for me at the wine fest Saturday {Sadly we weren't able to make it - sigh}. This is the best dessert wine that has ever hit my lips! It tastes exactly like WHITE CHOCOLATE!! In all seriousness it is to die for and I can't wait to pair it with something like cheesecake!!

2. Thunderstorms! I love love love love love love love love thunderstorms. I'm not sure when exactly my love for them developed but I can't remember ever not liking them! We've had quite a few pass through in the last 2 days and while the rain causes issues {because apparently people around here have NO idea how to maneuver a car in it} the lighting strikes and claps of thunder are welcome! For some reason, and I'm not sure if its the area location we live in, thunderstorms seem to bypass us a lot. I can hear them and see them to the south but they never seem to go right over top of us! Therefore when one does, I thoroughly enjoy it!

3. Tuesday evening snuggles with Baby Reef. As I was sitting on the couch after dinner catching up with the hubby, Baby Reef decided to jump up and join us. For some reason he felt the need to sit right in my lap and rub his head under my hands! He was telling me he wanted some belly rubs!! I love our snuggle time and think it's the sweetest thing when he willingly snuggles me like that!

4. My lunch date yesterday with Mrs. Brandi and her new Baby Brooklyn! {Check out Brandi's journey through mother hood at Pigtails and Pacifiers}.  I haven't seen Brandi in about a year and a half. In that time frame she has tied the knot, I have tied the knot, and she has had a beautiful baby girl! We met yesterday for lunch and I got to meet lil Miss BK for the first time! What a little ham!!! She has the smallest little fingers and the biggest hairbows and I could have literally eaten her up! It was so nice to catch up with an old friend and hear about this new life she is now living! It's amazing how priorities can change drastically in just a year and a half! I couldn't be more happy for her and her little family! We've already been discussing another get together but this time over dinner because a one hour lunch break just wasn't enough time!

5. Having NO PLANS in the books for this weekend! I have no doubt that something will come up that we will end up participating in, but for now looking at my calendar is making me one happy gal! I feel like we have constantly been on the go so to have a relaxing weekend with nothing that we HAVE to do will be more than appreciated! Of course there are some little things here and there I'd like to get accomplished {as in buying a new bed frame} and I am sure we will, but for now I'm just going to bask in the glow {on my Iphone} of the two empty days on my calendar!

Source: katieleighrobinson.tumblr.com via Katie on Pinterest

I hope you all are having a wonderful "Hump Day"!!! Come visit tomorrow! I have a new guest blogger who I would love for you all to get to know! She is married, a momma to two precious babes, and a hard working gal!

XoXo,

Lack of Motivation!

As a female I know we all struggle with self image and weight loss! Over the weekend I was uploading photos from my camera and I had forgotten about a few events that were still on the memory card from the past few months that had yet to be uploaded. Boy, do I wish I had just kept them forgotten! Looking at photos of yourself when you have gained about 15-20 pounds {not sure if it's that much since I refuse to weigh myself} in the last year is beyond depressing!

Source: pictureperfectbodywerkit.tumblr.com via Lauran on Pinterest

I have always had issues with my weight and have truly never been happy with my body! I call it the female curse! I think it is extremely rare to find any female who is 100% happy and content with the body she was given. If you are part of that rare group, I applaud you for loving your body completely! That, in my eyes, it one of the best things a woman can do for herself, not just love herself, but love the body that she was blessed with. As much as I try to appreciate what I have been "aheem" blessed with I still focus in on the imperfections. 

I have NEVER had a flat tummy and this is the one imperfection, that if I could afford it, I would immediately contact a plastic surgeon to correct. It is one of the first places, besides my face, where I notice serious weight gain and no amount of sit-ups and crunches have ever made it fully go away. I noticed this weekend that it has gotten to the point, that I could probably pass for a 4 month pregnant woman after a good meal! I've never really been an exercise guru either. I've always remained active, from dance, to horseback riding, to cheerleading and soccer, but I have never had a love for the gym. I went pretty religiously for a small time in my first two years of college, but eventually fell off because I was working ALL the time. The gym is just not fun to me, neither is waking up at the crack of dawn to work out or to even go after sitting in rush hour traffic on the way home from work. I just lack the motivation! 

You would have thought wedding preparation would have kicked me in full gear to work out, but it didn't! It just didn't! My wedding dress hid all of my imperfections and I felt I had so much going on, the gym was the least of my concern. Not to mention I took some diet supplement from China {where i couldn't even read the writing on the box} to help shed some weight! The supplement worked and I lost about 10 to 12 pounds before the wedding, but  I didn't really know what ingredients it contained and after researching it, I learned it was banned by the FDA in the states. I stopped taking it after the wedding.  

Some may call me lazy, but I have a hard time calling myself that. I am a really dedicated individual! I am extremely determined to reach goals that I want to achieve, and I usually always do, except for this. I don't know if it is a mental block that I have or if I just want the easy way out, but one thing is for sure, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. I refuse to allow myself to become any bigger. I want to be healthy, toned, and fit. I want to fill good in a 2 piece bathing suit. I want to look good for my husband {even though he already adores me and my imperfect body} and I don't want to be grossed out by the sight of myself in the mirror or in photos! The time is here for me to focus on achieving the goal of becoming a better me. 

Do any of you lovelies have any advice for how to gain motivation? I don't have a WHOLE lot of time in the day to spend countless hours at the gym, so ideas and motivation techniques for working gals would be appreciated too! One day I hope to be a part of that rare group that loves their entire body, I just need to take the first step to get there!! 

Hope you all are having a Terrific Tuesday! {Corny I know!} I can't wait to hear what advice and motivation y'all have to share!! 

XoXo, 

Mother's Day Brunch = Success!

Welcome back to yet ANOTHER Monday! I hope you all had wonderful weekends celebrating the most important women in your life!! I know our house was full of lovely ladies on Saturday morning and I proved to myself again {despite how stressed out I can become} that I LOVE to plan get-togethers. Especially when it involves such important people in our lives!

I had gathered a few idea's off of Pinterest, oddly enough though, no recipes! I spent many of my lunch breaks last week picking up needed items for the day. Friday night, the hubby and I ventured to Wally World for one serious grocery trip AND to pick up food for the brunch. Once we got home and groceries were put away it was 9:30 p.m.! Perfect time to start working on finalizing everything - ha not so much! I prepped all the food and baked as much as I could the night before. Once I cleaned up the kitchen I moved on to finalizing the crafts, however, the Mother's Day banner was a disaster! I first tapped the letters the wrong way so it was completely backwards. Then, the dollies started falling off {thanks a lot stick glue}. The icing on the cake was when I got the ribbon all twisted up! I eventually tossed it to the side and said I would figure it out in the morning! At this point it was 1 a.m. and I STILL had yet to sew the table runner I wanted to make. I pulled the fabric out cut it in half and proceeded to measure it to determine how wide I wanted it and where I would need to place pins in order to hem it. I don't know if it was because I was extremely tired and already feeling overwhelmed or what but I freaked and decided I'd have to figure something else out! So much for sewing my first project!

I probably only got about five hours of sleep that night, I woke up at 6:45, let the dog out and enjoyed a cup of coffee. Then I hit the shower and decided to go ahead and do my hair and makeup so I wouldn't feel rushed to do it later. I headed downstairs popped the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole into the oven and continued to set things up. The hubby made me incredibly proud! He got up and vacuumed the whole downstairs and completed final touches like restocking toilet paper in the guest powder room and taking junk laying around upstairs! Not to mention he set up the table and chairs in the living room for me! My momma even came by an hour early! She helped me fix the banner and kept an eye on items in the oven.  I ended up still using the fabric I bought for the table runner! I just folded the edges in and safety pinned them so it looked more finished! Thank goodness for some sleep and clear thoughts!

The menu consisted of:
Sausage, Egg, Cheese Casserole
A Yogurt Bar - Including Vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, blackberries, and granola
Munchkins
Blueberry and Raspberry Muffins
A Veggie tray - Including cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli with ranch dip
Homemade Hash Potatoes
Orange Juice - with choice of Champagne or Non-Alcoholic Cider for mimosas!

Here was the food table set up! I didn't get pictures of the casserole or potatoes as they were still cooking in the oven!

Veggie Platter and Munchkin Tree

Yogurt bar and Muffins

And this was the table set up with the safety pinned table runner, purple and white M&Ms, and succulents we planted for each lady! 

All the lovely ladies enjoying brunch! 

And lastly, the infamous Happy Mother's Day Banner!!! 

Once we all finished eating we gathered everyone outside for picture time!! Here are just a few! 

I love how ALL of our grandmothers wore teal! 

 My momma, the Hubby, and I! 

My Mother-in-law, the Hubby, and I! 

The Brunch was a HUGE success and I definitely could not have pulled it off without the help of my darling husband! There seriously was no way I could have vacuumed and all that jazz that morning or set up the "heavy" stuff or run to Dunkin Donuts to pick up 50 munchkins!!! That man rocks my socks and I am beyond lucky to have him! 

I hope our dear mothers, stepmothers, and grandmothers really enjoyed themselves! I didn't get pictures of it but we gave each lady {along with their succulent} a framed photo of their families from our wedding day. For instance, my mom's photo was the hubby, myself, my sister, my mom, and my stepsister. Grand's {the hubby's grandmother} photo was Grand, her 3 children and their spouses and ALL the grandchildren, including us. They really seemed to love them and I am glad we were able to give them a nice photo of them with their entire families! It was sweet hearing them all asking each other what their photo looked like and passing them all around!! 

The Brunch was made complete when my MIL gave me a card from Baby Reef!! It was absolutely adorable and brought tears to my eyes! I may not be a "real" momma to some but I think furr baby momma's count! 

Hope all of you are having a fabulous Monday!!! I would love to hear how all of you spent your Mother's Day!!!  Only 5 more days to go until the weekend!!! Haha Who's counting with me?! 

XoXo, 

30 Days to Go!

Today is May 11, 2012! Yes, this is a pretty ordinary date {unless you were married on this day OR it's your birthday}! For the hubby and I, this is the start of the 30 day countdown till we reach our 1st Wedding Anniversary!! It is hard for me to fathom how quickly the past year has flown by! I can't wait to celebrate this first year nor can I wait to celebrate the next 50 years of our life together!

In honor of our 30 day countdown, I wanted to share our first dance song with y'all! We actually had a hard time picking a song for that infamous dance! I liked many songs that were popular at the time like "Smile" by Uncle Kracker and "Hey Soul Sister" by Train, but I felt they were too "poppie" and didn't express our taste in music or style. Somehow {and I can't remember exactly how} I ran across what would end up being our song. The lyrics really fit us to a "T", like the lines, "You give me life my dear, you give me strength to beat the odds and overcome my fears", "You make me feel like I belong under the sun", and "And you know that you got my tomorrow baby, today and yesterday"! Simply perfect for us and it really expressed our feelings and emotions towards one another.

Take a listen!! Hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did! I could literally listen to it everyday ALL day {a wee little secret: I pretty much do}!




Hope everyone has a fabulous Friday and does something super special for the mother's in their lives! I know we are!! Can't wait to share all the details with y'all!!! See ya on Monday!!

Xoxo,

Simple Pleasures - Link Up

I’m Linking-Up today with Classic & Glam for Simple Pleasure Thursday!!! I know we all have simple little pleasures that brighten our days, make us relax, and keep us smiling. It’s all about the little things in life that keep you going!

My simple pleasure is when my sweet hubby caresses my face. I think many of you ladies can relate to this. A caress has an incredibly calming affect. It is also one of the most affectionate ways to touch someone and it can even be more reassuring then words or a kiss. A caress is never expected but very much appreciated and I am always left smiling afterwards! It has a way of melting away all my worries and stresses. For that reason alone, I think we could all use a little caress time!

Source: amantedelladia.tumblr.com via Marissa on Pinterest

What are you’re simple pleasures in life?! Link-Up with Classic & Glam and be sure to share!!!

Have a lovely Thursday!!! See ya’ll tomorrow, also know as, Friday, Friday, Friday!

Xoxo,