Renovation Rants

My Next Project

2012-01-26T13:00:00.005-05:00

Next project...ha! That includes at least 236 things...but, for reals, I hope to tackle this bad boy next:

Please note: this is the picture from Craigslist.

I plan to change the 'function' of this table and make it something more useful and a little softer.

Stay tuned!

Workspace Makeover

2012-01-03T22:47:00.001-05:00

Hello all and Happy New Year! I should be sharing my 2012 resolutions but I haven't quite finished them yet...what, we still have like 362 more days to accomplish them!

Today was my first day back at work and I decided to spruce it up a little...I had some pictures frames and stuff but it just seemed messy and disconnected. Partly because it was.

Before:

And the after - I cleaned up my crap, threw away a stack of papers I didn't need and added a new lamp and some bright picture frames:

Oh, and I must add that the lamp isn't on because I forgot to bring a light bulb. Der.

Not a bad little makeover for a cube space, right?!

2011: A Year in Review

2011-12-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

This year has been a whirlwind. At the beginning of theyear, I remember saying ‘I’m going to slow down this year.’ Pashah – didn’thappen. So, here’s a stroll down memory lane…

In January I started using Latisse and it changed my life -and my face. We got snowed in for four days during Atlanta’s Snowpocalypse. Iofficially became Stacy Wilson. I spent 13 hours painting stripes in my guestbedroom. We went to our friend, Lindsay’s, cabin in North Georgia and I made myfirst video.

In February we thought about selling our house. But thenquickly found out that the rumors are true – house prices really are in thecrapper.

In March we threw a wedding shower for our friends Mike andMandy. We celebrated St. Patty’s Day and some birthdays – including my dad’s. Itrusted my GPS and it led me astray.

In April we celebrated a birthday and our wedding band, FluxCapacitor, was there – Awe.Some. I traveled to Orlando for Mandy’s bacheloretteparty and attended a bridal shower. Saw the dermatologist for the first time inmy life and finally diagnosed the eczema on my hands. Latisse continued tochange my life.

In May we had another bachelorette party in Atlanta forMandy. After that, I was a bridesmaid in her wedding. We finally got our deckstained. Beau and Brother turned three years old. We celebrated my brother,Patrick’s, birthday.

In June I went to Dallas, TX for work. We saw Zach Brown at a local bar - he sang a few cover songs and poured some free shots. We celebrated our friend, Branden’s, birthdaywith a pool party. Shane and I started playing kickball. We celebrated ourfriend, Mike’s, 30^th birthday with a movie-themed costume party.

In July we went back to Lindsay’s cabin for summer 4^thof July fun – including tubing, trapping snakes and hanging out. We hadsome trees cut down…hoping the grass would grow. It didn’t. We celebrated ourfriend, Kelly’s, birthday. We found a bong in the closet. We bought a new car.I went to Chateau Elan for work. We spent a week in Panama City Beach, Fl. Halfof my work team quit and things got stressful.

In August we celebrated one year of marital bliss. Shane gave me diamond stud earrings that I’ve wanted FOREVER. I went to Aruba with my besties. Wecelebrated Danielle’s 30^th birthday with a party bus and Smyrna barcrawl. We finally sent out our wedding thank you notes. Work was still hectic.

In September we kicked off Georgia football season. Wecelebrated our friend, Jennifer’s, birthday. We saw Journey. I started laserhair removal – and it changed my life. Work got really rough and I had severalbreakdowns. I found out that I run a 7.1 second 40-yard dash and put it on ashirt. I started boot camp with Jennie and learned to run outside.

In October I turned 28. Work was still crazy. I got amassage. Attended Kirnfest. Ran my first 5K. Started taking a photography class (that wound up sucking, big time). Celebrated my mom’s birthday.

In November I tried on wedding dresses (don’t ask :)). Celebrated ourfriend, Justin’s, 30^th birthday. Played our final kickball game ofthe fall. Hosted our first Thanksgiving. I worked a lot. Celebrated our friend,Mandy’s, 30^th birthday with an 80’s theme.

In December I went to Raleigh for work. Saw The Sitter (it’s just like Adventures in Babysitting). Had a lowcountry boil. Worked a lot some more. Celebrated my brother, Chris’, birthday. Hadan awesome Christmas with the family.

I am thankful for all that we were able to do and celebrate in 2011 but I must admit it was a busy and stressful year. I'm looking forward to a fresh start...now, bring on 2012!!!

An Awesome Christmas and Prezzies!

2011-12-28T20:47:00.002-05:00

We had an awesome Christmas this year and are truly blessed to have such great family and friends.

We began our Christmas on Friday by heading to my dad's for some dinner and relaxation...I actually got to read a book before bed...I haven't read (anything for pleasure) in like three months. The next morning, we got up, ate breakfast, opened gifts, played some games, ate lunch, laughed a lot and just chilled.

On Saturday afternoon, we headed to my mom's where we had our traditional Chinese food Christmas Eve dinner and Jager bombs. Yeah, we have Jager bombs on Christmas Eve - don't judge. We played a MARATHON game of spades that my brother and I dominated! We then just hung out and took it easy. Sunday morning we opened gifts and ate, ate, ate and then ate some more. There is nothing like my mom's holiday cooking!

Sunday afternoon we headed home where Shane and I exchanged gifts with each other and then relaxed and watched movies.

Good times!

And a few prezzie highlights - I RACKED.UP. this year....again, so blessed and so thankful!

Hope you all had a great Christmas too!

2012 is only three days away and I am SO ready!

Christmas at the Wilson's!

2011-12-22T16:32:00.000-05:00

Although we were a little behind this year, the Christmas decorations at casa Wilson are up!

Look at all those prezzies!

Getting crafty with the snowman.

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and that Santa is super generous to you all!

Love - Stacy and Shane

Terrible Christmas Presents

2011-12-19T23:01:00.001-05:00

I posted a similar video at Halloween and this Christmas version is equally as funny! You will never believe the kid at the very end...'your language is offensive!'

Sweet Potato Cupcakes - A Recipe You NEED!

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, I'm not a very good cook. Sometimes I cook from a recipe and it still tastes like crap. I'm also not a baker.

HOWEVER, I completely redeemed myself with these cupcakes!

I had at least three people, who weren't even my husband or blood-related family members, tell me that these were the most awesome cupcakes they have ever tasted. Okay, maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but I'm pretty sure they said "Seriously, Stacy, these are awesome...please send me the recipe!" So, here is is:

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 17.2-oz. can sweet potatoes (yams), drained, mashed
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting, below

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line twenty four 2-1/2-inchmuffin cups with paper bake cups; set cups aside.
In medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon,baking soda and salt; set aside.
In large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer onmedium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat on high speed untillight and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on lowspeed after each addition until combined. Add sweet potatoes and vanilla,beating until combined. Add flour mixture; beat until combined (batter will bethick).
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake about20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. (It's very important you don't overcook these...you want them to be moist.) Cool in pan on wirerack for 1 minute. Remove from pan and cool completely (I let mine sit overnight, just covered with a towel).
Place Cream Cheese Frosting in large resealable plastic bag.Cut a 1/4-inch opening in one corner of bag. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Icing

Inlarge mixing bowl beat one 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened and 2/3 cupbutter, softened, with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 2tablespoons milk and beat until combined. Beat in 5-5 1/2 cups (or a cup more, judge it by taste) powderedsugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until smooth and of a good piping consistency.Makes 4-1/3 cups.

You're Welcome. :)

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-12-09T20:16:00.001-05:00

Better late than never for this Thanksgiving recap! I'll let the photos do the work...

The Thanksgiving Table

Table Setting

Sweet Potato Cupcakes...OMG - so good. Promise to share the recipe!

My new owl candles...prezzy from Shane.

Shane sampling our deep friend turkey...ordered from Copeland's. No frying-related house fires for us.

HoneyBaked Ham...delish, as always.

Topher, Mom and Shane

Brother and Katie...don't think Brother was exactly down for this shot.

Hugs.

And...late night. :) Patrick, Shane and Jason.

Tired puppies.

This was the first year Shane and I hosted and it was a success! We were tired as hell (and a little hungover) the next day but enjoyed being with family, reflecting on what we were thankful for and kicking off the holiday season! Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving as well...geez, that sounds so weird now since it was dang near two weeks ago!

Now I need to get in gear on the Christmas shopping!

I Met the 10-Year Old Version of Myself

2011-11-18T16:59:00.001-05:00

Well, first, I didn’t meet her…but I wanted to.

Here’s how it started…I went by Atlanta Bread Company today to pick up some lunch. After I ordered, I look over and there is this young girl who is wearing an identical shirt to one that I recently purchased.

I sit down at a table next to her, her sister and her grandma to wait for my food. Her sister has this diary that she is trying to open - remember the old school kind that had Lisa Frank unicorns on it with a little lock and key? Awesome. Although this one was purple with a couple of cats on it…Anyway, my 10-year old self looks at her and says:

‘You know that diary isn’t just for writing.’

Sister:

10-year old version: ‘It’s for recording all of the bad things that happen in your life.’

Sister: ‘But I don’t have bad things in my life.’

10-year old version: Gone…she’s moved on to something else – grandma.

Her grandma had dumped out her drink and she immediately walked over to her and said:

‘Gi-gi, why did you dump my drink out? I was not done with that.’

Grandma: ‘It was almost empty, I thought you were done.’

10-year old version: ‘No, if I was done, I would have told you I was done.’

They all pack up and leave…AND she forgets her coat.

I seriously felt like I was watching myself, just maybe 20 years younger (actually, only 18 years). :)

I Ate All Your Halloween Candy

2011-11-04T12:34:00.001-04:00

Bootcamp: Sample Workout #2

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

We cranked out another pretty good bootcamp workout last week...I've modified this one a bit but it took us a little over an hour to get through it - it was tough!

(1 lap = .29 miles)

Walk 1 lap

Run 1 lap

Lunges — Stand straight with your feettogether. Place your hands on your hips. Step forward with the right leg andlower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor. Contracting thequadriceps muscles, push off your right foot slowly returning to the starting position.Alternate the motion with the left leg to complete the set. The step should belong enough so that your left leg is nearly straight. Do not let your kneetouch the floor and make sure your head is up and your back is straight. Yourright knee should not pass your right foot. You should be able to see your toesat all times. Perform 15 reps on each side.

Run 2 laps

Jumping Jacks With Front Kick - The jumping jackis a classic standby that you can always turn to while doing your boot campworkouts but to add a little more variety to this one, after doing the firstjumping jack, stop and do a front kick on one leg. After that, move into asecond jumping jack and then perform the second kick. When doing these aim tobend as low as you possibly can down in the movement as that’ll increase thebenefits you see.

Run 2 laps

Rolling Plank - Finally,the last exercise to include in your boot camp workouts is the rolling plank.If you want to target your core, this is the exercise for you. To performthis one get down so you’re into a plank position and after holding for about10 seconds, flip over so that you’re now with your back to the ground. Atall times the body remains in that straight, table-top position.

Run 2 laps

Alternate ToeTouch — Stand with handsextended out to the sides. Then bring your right hand down in the direction ofyour let foot. Return to the starting position and perform the same movement onthe other side (left hand towards right foot). Perform 20 repetitions on eachside.

High March — March in place but raise your legs as high as you can. Perform 15 reps each side.

Double Time — Lie on your back and cycle both legs as fast as possible as if riding a bike. Perform the movement for 60 seconds.

Stretch

KickBallin’ - Balls Deep Style

2011-10-28T16:22:00.003-04:00

Our kickball season has come to an end…our last game wasWednesday but we, somehow, have a playoff game next Wednesday. Wefinished the season with only three wins (3-4) – but we still had fun. And we have the best shirts in the league…check it:

Each person chose nicknames and we had them screen printed on our shirts.

Shane is the ‘Godfather’ (any Old School fans out there?) and I’m Flash 7.1. And, yes, that isdirectly related to my 40-yard dash time…which, I’m pretty sure, has gottendown to around 6.8.

Also, after our games, Atkins Park - a local bar - hosts all of the kickball teams for drinks and food. They also have dueling pianos...after a few drinks, Shane likes to get on stage for a little ditty:

Look at sneaky snake trying to play the piano.

It's usually about 20 minutes after this that we decide it's time to go home...it is a Wednesday for god's sake and we are no longer in college.

Have a great weekend!

Bootcamp: Sample Workout

2011-10-27T21:49:00.002-04:00

As I've mentioned, Jennie and I do two-man bootcamp three days a week. We get pretty loco some days (running a lot and doing crazy exercises...yes, that is my definition of loco) but, more recently, we've been just walking and talking. And when you wake up at 5:45 a.m. to begin a workout at 6:15 a.m. - you want it to be good.

This is totally what we look like. Fatigues and all.

So, I did some research (on other blogs, of course...what other resources are there?) and developed the following for our Wednesday workout:

(1 lap=.29 miles)

Walk 1 lap

Run 2 laps

Hop and Pops — Perform five jumping jacksand then drop to the floor and immediately do five pushups. Right back up toyour feet for five jumping jacks, down for five pushups. There is no restbetween jumping jacks and pushups. Perform a total of 20 repetitions for each.It’s OK if you need to perform a modified pushup (knees on floor). Thisexercise is not as easy as it sounds so if you need to do fewer reps to startthat’s OK.

Run 4 laps

Ski Jumps – Stand with your feet togetherand keep your knees slightly bent. Jump to the right several feet and then jumpa few feet to the left. Make sure to keep the knees and legs together and kneesslightly bent. Perform 20 total reps

Run 1 lap

Double Crunch — Lie on your back on a mat.Bend your knees until your legs are at a 45 degree angle with both feet on thefloor. Your back should be comfortably relaxed on the floor. Place both handscrossed over your chest. Contracting your abdominals, raise your head and legsoff the floor toward one another. Return to the starting position stopping justshort of your shoulders and feet touching the floor. Perform as many reps aspossible until you can’t perform another.

Double Time — Lie on your back and cycle both legs as fast as possible as if ridinga bike. Perform the movement for 60 seconds.

Run 1 lap

Stretch

Pretty good work out! Your arms will definitely be sore!

Birthday Recap

2011-10-25T17:22:00.000-04:00

I’m another year older…officially the big 2-8. I’m notnecessarily upset by it, but to quote my very intellectual father, it felt likejust another day. No older and certainly no younger.

However, sweet Shane did make it very special by planning aton of special stuff for us (and he likes for everything to be a surprise…lovehim.):

Friday – Dinner with the parents at The Vinings FishCompany. Wine and Ahi Tuna – yum. And I got some cash and some more Latisse – yumas well. After dinner, we met up with some peeps for drinks and then went tosing karaoke! We traveled the 20-30 minutes out to Buford Highway to go toKaraoke Melody where you rent your own room and sing karaoke with just yourgroup – we love this place. Stayed out too late and hit the hay around 4 a.m.Yikes.

Saturday – Had brunch at J. Christopher’s with Patrick, mybaby brother, and then over to Natural Body for an hour-long massage. So.nice.Came home and watched some TV and some movies and then headed to Studio MovieGrill for dinner and Paranormal Activity 3. First off, the movie was prettygood – I’d give it a B-. Secondly, the customer service at this place wasawesome…we will go back just for the sheer fact that they were so polite andcourteous to us.

Sunday – Lunch and margaritas with Chris, my other babybrother, and then went shopping – at Target. So, you know that was a disaster…howis it that you go in there to buy fabric softener and come out with a newwardrobe, 15 greeting cards, new Halloween decorations and a bicycle? Whateversubliminal marketing thing they’ve got going on in there totally works.

Unfortunately, there are no pictures…only memories. Hope youall had a great weekend!

I Never Thought I'd Like It..

2011-10-18T11:42:00.001-04:00

Post-apocalyptic? Zombies? Um, sounds stupid - no thank you.

Until this...

I'm hooked! In two days, Shane and I watched the entire first season and the Season 2 premiere. Seriously.hooked.

No-Carve Halloween Pumpkin Ideas

2011-10-13T11:14:00.003-04:00

I love Halloween. I love carving pumpkins. I love it so much I usually want to do it very early on in the month - meaning my pumpkins are rotted by Halloween. Weelllll...here are some ideas I'm looking at to avoid this predicament (other than the obvious idea of carving later in the month...boring).

BH&G

Annily Green

Casa Sugar

Good 'ole Martha

What do you think? To carve or not to carve?

5K

2011-10-10T12:08:00.000-04:00

I said a couple of weeks ago that I wasn’t an athlete…however,I think I’m moving the needle on that statement. While I’m still not anathlete, per se, I’m less of a non-athlete. Proof? I ran a 5K on Saturday…wha?!?

While I certainly wasn’t the fastest one there, or thefastest of my running trio (Jennie and Brittany ran with me) – I still felt SOaccomplished afterwards. My official time was 35:57 and I was 20^th (outof 27) in my age group of 20-29 year old females.

Me, Jennie and Brittany - I wear a sweatband these days because my ears get reallycold and it makes me dizzy – what about it?!

My goal moving forward (dare I put a goal out into the blog world) is to run another 5K and, obviously, beat my time by at least 5 minutes. Totally doable!

I.Cannot.Wait.

2011-10-07T14:30:00.000-04:00

Meeting Hell - So I Write Notes

2011-09-30T16:39:00.001-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while - sorry. Work really sucks right...doing the work of five with only two people can prove to be really tiring after a while. With that said, I'm a little demotivated and jaded when it comes to the ra-ra work stuff...case in point, a recent department meeting.

This meeting was Tuesday and was 4 HOURS LONG - that's right. So, since my maturity level hasn't advanced since about the 11th grade, I started writing notes to Kelly...and making fun of people...and, overall, making this meeting a little more bearable.

When I came back and looked at the notes I'd taken - I seriously laughed out loud.

(Click to make larger)

My favorite elements are the drawing of a 'deer in headlights,' along with the comment that someone needs a flatiron. Ha!

Have a great weekend!

Speedy Gonzalez

2011-09-13T16:21:00.000-04:00

I’ve never claimed to be an athlete.

My physical activity includes going to the gym and I recentlystarted doing ‘private boot camp’ with Jennie (as in the two of us meet earlyin the morning and do a bunch of different boot camp-style workouts together);but I have never labeled myself as ‘fit,’ ‘a runner,’ ‘in shape,’ etc.

I alsofeel it appropriate to note that when I was in 7^th grade, someonetold me I ran like a duck…I was scarred for life.

Back to the story...

During the summer, Shane and I (and some friends) joined aco-ed kickball league. Running is/was clearly involved. During one of our games,that happened to follow a 4^th of July trip to the mountains/river,someone asked (after I ran to first base) if I had sand in my shoes. My firstthought was ‘No, I didn’t wear these shoes to the river' - thinking that hethought that I literally had gotten sand in my shoes. Please note that I’venever labeled myself ‘smart’ either.

Later, this comment was clarified for me – it meant I was aslow runner. What makes this even more sad is that I had just commented to my friend,Danielle, that I was proud of myself for running so fast at that game.

SO – to prove myself, I bet that I could run the 40 yard dash in under 10 seconds. Then, after a fewbeers, said I could do it under 8 seconds. This is total reasonable since NFLplayers, who run for a living, can do it in like 5 seconds, right?

UM, TOTALLY RIGHT! I ran like the freaking wind and ran a7.17 second 40 yard dash - holla!!!! There was video taken, which I may shareat a later date, and after reviewing the footage – I do indeed look a little slow. But, basedon my time, that is clearly just an optical illusion! This girl is FAST!

Payless and Target Shoes - Have You Seen Them?!

2011-09-01T16:47:00.001-04:00

I'm not usually a big Payless or Target shoe fan. Why? Weellll, I feel like sometimes their shoes look cheap (maybe just to me) and I prefer to spend just a little bit more and get something that is real leather and will last a while.

HOWEVER - I just looked at the Payless and Target websites and was quite shocked at their fall selection! I may have to go against my prior feelings and snag some of these bad boys!

Payless Faves:

Women's Kora Platform Sling $34.99

Women's Hitch Lace-Up Shootie $34.99

Women's Pearl Platform Pump Christian Siriano for Payless $59.99

Target Faves:

Women's Xhilaration® Karima Leather Boots - Brown $49.99

Women's Merona® Manette Double Buckle Tall Boots - Tan (out of stock online) FIGURES.

These shoes are shown on the Target shoe homepage but when you click for more information it gives an error message and I cannot find them anywhere else on the site...but they are so cute and I would totally buy them - IF I COULD FIND THEM!

These all make me so ready for the fall! What do you think?

New Bracelet and Tile Grout

2011-08-31T21:40:00.001-04:00

I've got two totally random topics to talk about today - and you read the title right - a new bracelet and tile grout.

First, I've added yet another piece of Stella & Dot jewelry to my jewelry repertoire:

Second, I finally got to one of my to-do items that I'd been putting off for well over a year...cleaning the tile grout in my kitchen and living room. Well, today, I finally got on my hands and knees and cleaned all of the tile grout with a toothbrush. It was absolutely disgusting:

The two previous pictures are befores...not the best shots but you get the point at how dingy it looks.

And the above is the after - see how much whiter the grout is! I swear it is the very, very simple things in life...

One more time - BEFORE

And AFTER!

So glad this annoying, menial little task is done! I'll go ahead and check this one off from the September 2010 to-do list. Disgraceful.

Also, I got my Shabby Apple dress in and it is super cute on...stay tuned for pics!

Winner!

2011-08-29T19:24:00.000-04:00

Last week, I was the lucky winner of a giveaway on Freckles Chick's blog! This new Shabby Apple dress is now mine all mine:

So cute and it looks super comfortable! Can't wait to get it!

Say Thank You

2011-08-25T20:45:00.000-04:00

Now that our one year wedding anniversary has come and gone, I feel the urgency to complete those wedding thank you notes that I said for MONTHS that I was going to do. Don't get me wrong, we were super appreciative of everything that everyone did for us, gave to us, etc., but I'm a 'work in a crunch' girl. The urgency was there before, but now it's really here...

SO...I'm half way through them! I actually mailed out almost 30 notes today and plan to have the rest out by tomorrow. See what I can do when faced with a deadline! (Well, in this case I missed it slightly, but still...)

And as an added bonus, I was going to take a photo of our thank you notes that Karly from SweetBeaker created for us. But as I was digging around online, I found her blog and she posted some images there! And she takes much better pictures than me so score!

And check out her sweet blog post about these here! (yes, it was from almost a year ago - but this was my first time seeing it!)

My Anniversary Prezzie!

2011-08-24T19:50:00.001-04:00

BAM! Love them!

Sidenote - Um, who knew my face was that furry? Welp, I'll just go ahead and add one more thing to be super paranoid about - sideburns.

And I love this guy:

RIP Poopmobile

2011-08-23T21:43:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm back in the blogging world, I'm realizing how many things have happened in the past month and a half! The most glorious being our wedding anniversary, the second being the retirement of Shane's old car - which I affectionately call the poopmobile.

Exterior paint? Barely. Rearview mirror? Nope, it fell off. We glued it (twice) - it fell off (twice). Functioning axles? I think one was working correctly. Passer of emissions? Sometimes.

When this bad boy rolled 235,000 and started randomly overheating - we decided it was time to get something new.

RIP

Please note the lack of paint on the hood - classy.

And we are now owners of a new (to us) Toyota 4Runner!

Clearly, not an actual photo...I'm just getting back into the blogging thing - I don't have a photo of ours and I'm too lazy to go outside and snap one.

Florida, Aruba and One Year of Wedded Bliss

2011-08-22T21:54:00.001-04:00

I’m not even going to address why I haven’t blogged in a MONTH AND A HALF – because it’s just pathetic.

We’ve definitely been on the go and doing a lot this summer…first up, Florida. We spent an entire week in Panama City Beach –the first few days just me, Shane and Jason and the last half with more friends – Mike, Mandy, Danielle, Branden, Chris and Lindsay. Key takeaways:

Panama City Beach hasn’t changed since the year 2000.
I accomplished my three book goal, finishing The Help, Still Missing and Are You There Vodka? – It’s Me Chelsea. Nothing better than reading on the beach.
After the trip, I had my first bout with serious indigestion – like I’ve never had before. I guess that’s what you get after a week of eating like crap and drinking like a fish.

A few photos for your viewing pleasure:

The beach...der.

This is my 'I don't want my stomach in this picture!' pose

Besties!

This next series of pictures is quite curious...but hilarious!

The only pic of me and Shane.

The next trip was to ARUBA! Danielle, Mandy and I went to celebrate Danielle’s 30th birthday and it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. The water was the bluest, clearest water I’ve ever seen…unlike any other Caribbean island I’ve ever been to. Danielle did a good job recapping our trip – check it out here, here, here, here and here.

Next up, and I can’t even believe how fast time has flown, was mine and Shane’s one year wedding anniversary! We began the day with a special shopping trip (pics to come of my gift!), a delicious steak dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House (including a Robert Mondavi Merlot bottle of wine – new fave), an improv show at Dad’s Garage and a night at the Melia Hotel downtown! Such a special night and I’m so proud of Shane for putting so much effort and thought into it…I’ve trained him well.:)

At dinner...check that dessert.

Cheeseballs who apparently are fascinated with our hotel balcony and the fact that you could see a skyline. Total suburbanites.

And, surprisingly, we have done a crap load of stuff around the house too! I promise to blog again and share said stuff before October. Swears.

Some Friday Randomness

2011-07-15T13:15:00.000-04:00

I've had the most random thoughts/experiences this week. Here are a few appropriate ones that I've chosen to share:

I was at Chateau Elan for most of the week at a meeting. Their wine is disgusting. They actually only make 5% of their wine and the rest comes from California...yet, they have a vineyard at their entrance. Stoopy.

I ordered some more Stella and Dot jewelry (joo-ri)...check it:

I got the purple one because it was on sale. Regular $40 and I got it for $19. Score.

I was on my way home last night and pulled up next to this:

When is it ever OK for your children to put stickers on your windows? I would love to know exactly how that went down...mom is having a bad day, kids are screaming in the backseat, so, you throw a pack of stickers at them to calm them down? And then let them destroy your car? And then you get home and don't even pull them off and use some acetone to get the sticky off? Instead, you drive around, looking like a complete moron and let everyone judge you? Well, consider yourself judged. Now go get that mess off of there and spank your child for destroying property.

We are on vacation at the beach all next week and I. Cannot. Wait. I plan to read at least three books (and will be disappointed in myself if I don't accomplish that goal), not wake up to an alarm clock (AT.ALL.) and am considering taking at least one day to not shower. Or talk.

We recently attended our dear friend, Mike's, 30th birthday party. Everyone dressed as a character from one of Mike's favorite movies. It was hilarious.

The hosts - Mike (birthday boy)(Super Troopers Bullet Proof Cup) and Mandy (Receptionist from Beetlejuice)

Shane (A Clockwork Orange) and I (Something About Mary)

The boys (L to R) - Jose (Shake Weight Guy), Nick (The Hangover), Jason (Ace Ventura - Mental Institution scene), Mike (Super Troopers), Brandon (Big Brother from the Goonies), Shane (A Clockwork Orange)

And notice Jason's tutu - I made it. It was the first thing I've made in a while that I didn't fail and that I was really proud of! I watched this tutorial. Here's a better picture with a very enthusiastic model:

And, that is all. Have a great weekend!

Into the Woods

2011-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Fourth of July weekend was spent in the North Georgia mountains with lots of friends, lots of food and lots of drinks. I should also include that it was spent with some wildlife...

Including this snakeskin that met us at the entrance:

Then a scorpion fell out of the blinds on the window and then we spent the next hour or so talking about scorpions, if they are poisonous, what would happen if we got stung, etc. No photos to accompany the scorpion.

Next was an actual snake...it was a baby but still gross.

Here is a video of our reaction (warning: foul language - we clearly crack under pressure):

And then we did some grilling...watch the Grill Master perform a really cool trick:

I know it's about a week late (that's how we roll) but I hope you all had great 4ths!

New Joo-Ri - Loving Stella and Dot!

2011-07-08T16:22:00.000-04:00

How did I not know about Stella and Dot? A co-worker's sister sells it and yesterday she told me about a sample sale...at which I promptly bought three items at a serious discount!

I got them today and I'm in love!

Got these bracelets in black and brown - regular $59 each; I paid $30 each:

Love this necklace - regular $70; I paid $25:

I'm totally digging the Stella and Dot!

You Like Meatloaf?

2011-07-07T16:50:00.001-04:00

I do...especially when it's a Paula Dean recipe - yum! I'd highly recommend this easy, yet delicious version! (I made some slight changes to the recipe - you can get the original version here.)

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6-ounces of Cabot 75% fat free sharp cheddar, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
Press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 55 minutes.

That Bong, Ba-Bong, Bong, Bong!

2011-07-06T21:52:00.000-04:00

Monday night...actual conversation:

Shane: Looks like we didn't clean this house out as well as we thought we did when we moved in.
Stacy: What are you talking about?
Shane: I was putting up some stuff in the hall closet and found something tucked in a corner.
Stacy: What did you find?
Shane: Walk around the corner and look.
Stacy: What did you find?!
Shane: Just go look!
Stacy walks down the hallway, turns the corner and sees this:

Stacy: Is that a flashlight? What is that?...Oh my...
Shane: I'm pretty sure it's a bong.
Stacy: Oh - that is a bong! Why did you just leave it on the floor?! What are we going to do with it?!
Shane: Um, throw it away.

And scene.

The bong is still sitting on our kitchen counter.

Timberrrrrrr!

2011-07-01T17:33:00.000-04:00

As part of our 'Grow Grass Now' initiative, we've not only enlisted Scott's Lawn Care Service (and yes, I expect Turner Field-esque grass any minute now) but we also decided to prune and even take down some trees. Here was the scene at the Wilson home today:

We cut down two trees (one oak and one crooked pine) and 'limbed up' (that's tree cutting terminology) three others. Before and afters:

Through the office window...safety first. Always.

And now a few shots from the street...no before and afters, sorry. (Damn, that grass is struggling.)

We are really pleased with the end results. We'd definitely recommend our vendor - Tree Monster in Atlanta!

And now that we've rid the yard of sunlight obstructors, stay tuned for photos of beautiful green grass. And possibly 'Yard of the Month' signage.

Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!

2011-06-30T16:39:00.000-04:00

Because I have nothing exciting to share or update on, I leave you with this sign that I saw while on Mandy's Bachelorette Trip in Orlando.

This reaffirms my idea for a business - proofreading and writing for business owners who speak English as a second language. These people would be first on my list of prospects, with the remainder being the owners of every single Chinese buffet in the world.

Celebrity Sighting!

2011-06-20T17:26:00.000-04:00

Last week, Shane and I (and some friends) were at our regular spot, Hottie Hawgs, playing trivia. Long story short, we didn't win, but got a call from someone saying Zac Brown was at Dixie Tavern (a local bar where the Zac Brown band got their start). We jump in the car and head over and sure enough...Zac Brown was there. Proof below (sorry for the bad quality...damn camera phone):

And some videos:

We never approached him or tried to talk to him...he was just trying to have a drink and chill. So, instead we sat three feet away from him and just stared. Way less creepy.

Sh*t My Dad Says

2011-06-17T09:00:00.009-04:00

As we approach Father's Day on Sunday, I thought it only fitting to share some of the wisdom that my dad has shared with me over the years. Some legit, some non-legit...some relevant, some irrevelant.

Chew with your mouth closed. OR Don't smack your food. (This turned into an OCD disorder...I know notice EVERYONE who smacks their food. And once I notice it, it sounds like they are doing it into a microphone.)
Take your time and do it right the first time.
Take initiative - don't wait for someone to ask you do something.
Always keep your car clean - you never know who will need a ride. (He actually used to say 'What if you saw the President stranded on the side of the road? Would you let him ride in a nasty car?' Well, first, the President would never be hitchhiking, and second, if it is our current President that we are talking about...then, yes, he could ride in a nasty car.)
Keep your elbows off the table.
Being on time means you are late. (This one NEVER sunk in because I'm habitually late.)
Always make your bed. (This one didn't quite take either...)
Always keep your things 'squared away.' There is no excuse to not take care of your stuff.
Always tell your brothers you love them. Family is the most important thing.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Happy Father's Day!

Summer Cold - Recommended Remedies

2011-06-15T10:05:00.001-04:00

I officially have a cold...in the summer...and it sucks. Yesterday was spent laying in my bed, then on the couch, eating soup and feeling sorry for myself.

Below are my go to items for a cold - all highly recommended:

The Neti Pot...this thing is AMAZING.

No better sleep than the NyQuil sleep...

Mmmmm.

Stay hydrated with the Camelbak...the second best invention on this list.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese...mmmm.

Feel sorry for me.

Random Thoughts this Week

2011-06-10T16:31:00.001-04:00

I only have one picture for this post – boring. But something that ISN’T boring are some of the completely random things that I’ve thought about/done this week.

1. Who invented the 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. work week? And why? And who decided that Saturday and Sunday should be your days off?

2. I got home the other night to the HUGEST bug sitting on the door handle to my house. I walk up, put my keys in the lock and then see the bug…I jumped down three stairs, ran over to the other side of my car and immediately opened my phone to call Shane. (Whenever I get scared or confused, I call Shane. He can fix problems telepathically.) He was playing tennis, though, so I knew I was in this one alone. I was frantic. I immediately had to pee…like pee my pants pee. Then I look around because I think maybe this is a joke…someone drove all the way to my house to put this fake bug on my door handle and then sit and wait for me to get home and find it. Or maybe it’s a stalker. (Too much Law and Order). So, long story short, I do what any mature adult would do – I begin picking up sticks and branches and throwing them at the door from across the driveway…hoping to scare the bug off. After about 10 sticks, I finally hit it and it falls off onto the steps. It was dead. I take another stick and flick it under the deck stairs. Look around again…proceed inside.

3. I’ve decided I like Justin Bieber. It’s not Bieber-fever status but I enjoy some of his songs…and I recently watched the CMT awards (or some award show that was on CMT) and saw that he collaborated with Rascal Flatts. Done and done.

4. Guys who grunt at the gym are ridiculous. Besides the point that you are being disrespectful of those who are trying to enjoy a nice novel while walking on the treadmill, you just look stupid. And if you wear earbuds and possibly can’t hear yourself doing it…just watch for my over-exxagerated huffs and puffs and my laser focused death stare.

5. Nicki Minaj is a cheap, tacky rip off of Lady Gaga, in my personal opinion. Yeah, I know they do two different types of music…but still.

6. Moo Moo and Dragon are dead. Moo Moo was malled and gutted while Dragon was simply tortured…Beau slowly removed his squeaker by busting the side stitching of his chest. Although he may be a sadist, I consider him a genius dog…I think I’ve said before that I plan on using him as our first born’s nanny. I was only half way kidding.

You have any random thoughts to share?

Have a great weekend!

Recipe Sharing: White Sangria

2011-05-26T17:03:00.003-04:00

I’m not normally a sangria fan…I prefer vodka. With a Sugar Free Redbull, or Crystal Light, Or Sprite, Or Straight. Whatever.

However, a few weeks ago, I stopped by my mom’s house and she had just made white sangria. It. Was. Fantastic. And STRONG. And very pretty too (all the colors, you know…)

So, here is my mom’s recipe for white sangria that you should make TODAY. (Or you could perhaps wait for the holiday weekend…I guess that would be more appropriate.):
Makes a pitcher of sangria

3 Bottles of dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardanay (Just use cheap wine – Trader Joe’s)
Simple Syrup (add to taste, the recipe below requires less to get sweetness)
Fruit ( Strawberries, Pineapple, orange slices, apple slices, Star Fruit, Kiwi)
Fresh Mint Leaves

Making your own simple syrup is also more economical than buying it at the store. You can make as small or as large a batch as you wish and store it in the refrigerator in a well sealed bottle for around 6 months.

Rich Simple Syrup - With this variation you can use less syrup than a cocktail calls for.

Cook Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 parts sugar
1 part water
Crushed Mint Leaves

Preparation:

Bring the water to a boil.
Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water then add Mint, stirring constantly.
Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. (Note: Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or the syrup will be too thick.)
Strain Mint off.
Allow to cool completely and thicken, then pour into your wine/fruit mixture.

ENJOY! (Responsibly, that is...:))

Doggie Birthday!

2011-05-25T17:29:00.001-04:00

Monday marked our dogs', Beauregard and Brother's, 3rd birthday! Can't believe how quickly they are growing up...:)

Funny part is - their birthday was Monday but Shane and I forgot. We talked about it Friday, Saturday and Sunday - BUT forgot about it on Monday. So we decided to celebrate on Tuesday...

They got these new toys...also known as Moo-Moo and Dragon:

Our dogs don't typically get stuffed animals because they will promptly destroy them. However, these toys are Go Dog toys and have something called Chew Guard Technology...I wasn't sure about these until the sales person said that her two Pit Bulls had these same toys and had had them for over a year. I purchased them and am proud to report that almost 24 hours later - these toys are still intact. With all of their limbs, wings, eyes, etc. I think we may be fans!

Brother, Shane and Beau...look at Beau - he is so obsessed with his dad.

This was 20 minutes after the stuffed animal presentation...he was bored. I think he knew that we really missed his big day.

But this guy was thoroughly entertained. He prefers to see the brighter side of the situation.

And we finished the night off with some Frosty Paws! And, yes, we I did sing Happy Birthday as we put down their bowls.

And, in case you are indeed still reading, I figured I'd share some birthday stuffed animal video footage...is it clear how much we love our dogs?

Aaaannnnd....

2011-05-20T17:03:00.000-04:00

We're back. I've been gone a month and I know you missed me.

So, what's been going on? Here is an update on our life over the past month...in no particicular order:

Our friends, Mike and Mandy, got married! It was so beautiful, so fun, so emotional...but only for me apparently. Mandy was cool as a cucumber but I couldn't get myself together...I cried with pretty much everyone who spoke to me. I hate when I do that.

Check out the beautiful bride:

And here are all the bridesmaids...and the bride. She's the one in shorts.

We also hosted another bachelorette party for Mandy the weekend before...it was fun. And crazy. Per usual. We started the night off with pole dancing - and you are for sure high if you think I'm posting pictures of that. But after that we put back on our suburban girl clothes and went to a bar that typically targets the 40-50 crowd...it was awesome.

Stobbe, Mandy (she's the one in the wig.) and me

The group...apparently I thought that I needed to squeeze in.

This guy bought champagne. Perfect.

And the last picture of the night - HA!

In non-Mandy and Mike related news, here are some highlights:

I have dyhidrodic eczema on my hands. It has been there since college and I thought that it was warts. Thanks a lot Web MD.
We bought a deck box for the deck. Clever name. And then got the deck stained. We always do things backwards.
Our dryer broke. AGAIN. Would I recommend that you purchase a Frigidaire? Um, check this out.

And that pretty much sums it up! Hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Weekend Recap - The Bachelorette Party!

2011-04-20T17:22:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned, last weekend (well, Wednesday to Sunday) was my friend, Mandy's, bachelorette party in Orlando. We all had a great time and I will add that we fit SO MUCH into our three full days:

Thursday - a full day at Islands of Adventures. For those who may be contemplating going here, check out the 'Single Riders' line...it will cut your wait time by 75%.

Thursday night: Dancing the night away at some place that was labeled 'Dance Hall.' Apparently they weren't concerned with creativity when naming the joint. There were all of seven people here and we were pretty much the only ones on the dance floor. I won't even elaborate on how sweaty we I was at the end of the night.

Gotta' love the self timer...and we are all four in this picture although it looks like Mandy's back is connected to Michelle's butt...LOL!

Friday: Pool day and bachelorette night!

Saturday: Shopping and a movie (Scream 4 - and with it being the fourth installment, you know it was bad...I fell asleep). Also, Orlando has awesome outlet malls...proof? I snagged this puppy (in brown) for 25% of the ticket price:

Sunday: Our flight home...complete with unruly kids and handheld game devices NOT on mute.

Some things we did learn on this adventure, however, are:

That you are not allowed to drink your own alcohol on a plane. So, when you receive your non-alcoholic drink from the flight attendant, don't set up a makeshift bar (displaying your air plane liquor bottles with pride) on your tray table while you mix your drink. That is against federal regulations and you will be reprimanded.
Disney employees are watching you while you are on the rides...they can even talk to you over the loud speaker and completely freak you out.
Pita Pit. Enough said.

We all had a great time and are looking forward to the wedding in only a few short weeks!

It's Party Time!

2011-04-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

Leaving today for Mandy's bachelorette party weekend! See ya on the flip side!

A Review of Latisse and Buy One Get One Free!

2011-04-11T11:52:00.001-04:00

I’ve been using Latisse since December and am a huge fan. Here’s why:

Because it works…seriously – my lashes are not only a lot longer but much darker.
Because I haven’t experienced side effects. Not sure even what those are.
Because it is easy to apply – put some drops on a brush and apply to your lash line before bed. Done.

I don’t have any before and after pictures, because I didn’t really think that far ahead BUT here is a pic of my lashes now:

Trust me when I say that they weren’t like this before.

Buy One Get One Free!

I went to the Latisse website to grab an image (because my last few blogs have been picture-less and that upsets me) but saw something even better…a buy one get one free offer! All you have to do is the following:

Visit http://www.latisse.com/
Sign up for LashPerks (you will see the box at the bottom left side of the screen)
Enter some information and you will get a voucher for a free pack of Latisse! Granted, this involves buying Latisse, having a doctor sign a form, mailing said form and waiting for your free pack to arrive…not bad.

All forms must be completed by June 30, 2011.

Happy lash growing everyone!

The ABC's of Me

2011-04-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

Thanks, Danielle's Dish and Fictiously Delicious. :)

{a} age; 27
{b} bed size; King
{c} chore you hate; mopping
{d} dogs; 2: Beauregard and Brother – boxer/lab (maybe pit?) mixes
{e} essential start to your day; coffee and breakfast
{f} favorite color; black
{g} gold or silver; both!
{h} height; 5’3”
{i} instruments you play; none
{j} job title; Associate Manager, Communications
{k} kids; Not yet…but I want 5
{l} live; in Smyrna and love it.
{m} mom’s name; Wanda aka Wandawg
{n} nicknames; Babe, Stace
{o} overnight hospital stays; Nope
{p} pet peeve; When people smack their food, the sound of nails being clipped, heavy breathing…and I could go on and on…
{q} quote from a movie; “I’m not gonna call him Dad.” “Brennan, you’re 39 years old, I wouldn’t expect you to call him Dad.” “Well, I’m not going to – EVER! Even if there’s a fire!” – Step Brothers
{r} right- or left-handed; Right
{s} siblings; 2 younger brothers – Chris and Patrick
{t} time you wake up; No earlier than 7 a.m. (unless I’m trying to catch a flight to go on vacation) and never later than 1 p.m. That’s right, I’m a 27 year old who still sleeps past noon…sometimes.
{u} underwear; nope. :)
{v} vegetables you dislike; spinach
{w} what makes you run late; my personality? Or poor time management skills…I’m late for everything
{x} x-rays you’ve had; the ones at the dentist and some on my feet (to look at my delicious bunions…gross.)
{y} yummy food you make; baked ziti and chili
{z} zoo – favorite animal; do they have dogs there?

Mine All Mine…

2011-04-07T14:40:00.001-04:00

As of today, I am the proud of owner of the most domesticated item on the market…a steam mop. And I am pretty darn excited about it too!

Say hello to the Eureka 313A Hard-Surface Floor Steamer

I don’t know about ya’ll but I normally don’t shop for something online until I really want it. And then I just can’t handle shipping time so I call every store within a 20 mile radius to see if they have it…and if they do, can they hold it?…for how long?…where are you EXACTLY?...I’m on my way.

So, I stumbled across a review for my new steam mop over at All Things G&D and knew immediately that I must have it. She linked to Amazon and from there I was searching Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Walmart, and many others to see where I could get one TONIGHT. I MUST STEAM MY FLOORS TONIGHT.

Sold out at all of those stores. So I relented and ordered it online through Amazon. Overnight shipping was $35 and although it was tempting, I didn’t do it. But, wait, what’s that? A free trial to Amazon Prime (a program with a $79 annual fee that comes with membership perks) that provides me with two-day free shipping? Yep, I’m in…and I’ll get it on Saturday! EEEEEE!

P.S. I immediately flagged May 7 on my calendar to cancel this membership. I’m an e-consumers dream, I know.

I get my steam mop on Saturday and I can’t wait to steam and sanitize some shiz.

Things To Do in the Next Two Years

2011-04-05T17:03:00.001-04:00

I was perusing ‘My Documents’ on my computer, which is often packed full of nothing but half thoughts like a grocery list that only says ‘milk,’ or a house to do list that says ‘bedroom’, and came across the following list. Which of these things are not like the other?

101 Things to Do in 1, 001 Days (2.74 Years)

Paint the front door black.
Get married.
Have a baby.
Grow grass in the back yard.

The best part is that there is an empty spot for a fifth item. Oh, I make myself laugh.

Trusting Your GPS

2011-03-31T14:17:00.003-04:00

I had to be in Buckhead yesterday at a web studio to help one of our VPs with a live webcast. I’ve done this before…at this same place. I’ve been there like six times. Well, yesterday I got lost. I know – how do you go somewhere six times and get lost on the SEVENTH time? Well, that would be because I’m a logistical ra-tard. Compound THIS with the fact that I am ALWAYS late…not a good thing.

But yesterday was a little different, I left my house SO early it was nuts. I was actually brought a book with me because I thought I’d be sitting in the parking lot for a while. God, that sounds dumb now that I type it…but it does highlight the fact that I am always late because I hate waiting. I don’t mind that you have to wait though.

Anyway, back to the story, I grab my GPS out of the glovebox, just to be safe because I’m all over it today!, and look at my recent addresses. I see Maple Street and that sounds about right so I click that…I should be there in 10 minutes tops. As my GPS starts to scream that is it ‘CALCULATING ROUTE’…’CALCULATING ROUTE’…I see that my trip time is like 45 minutes. WTF? But what do I do? I follow it. I follow it all the way to Hapeville.

Oh, what’s that? You want a visual of how moronic I am? By all means…please direct your attention to below.

Pink dot – starting point. Orange dot – destination. Blue dot – embarrassing.

You want to know the worst part? I was all the way in Hapeville before I stopped and thought to myself ‘Where am I? I don’t even see the city. I wonder if that was the wrong address in the GPS.’

Bottom line, it took me OVER AN HOUR to go 15 minutes. So I think it would be safe to say that I trust my GPS…like completely trust it with my life…my career…my dignity. I might even let it babysit my first born.

The Most Important Thing I Have to Say

2011-03-30T10:54:00.000-04:00

Is that I have 1.5 days to accomplish my March goals. What's outstanding?

Write and mail all wedding thank you notes
Print 6 of our favorite wedding photos
Buy/make curtains for dining/living room
Read two books

Yeeahhhh...I can totally knock that out by tomorrow.

**Please consider this my goal update for March and my goal setting post for April. If I don't knock this out in April, I'm never sharing my goals again. Ever.

Happy St. Paddy's Day & Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-03-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Paddy's Day all! And Happy Birthday to my dad, Jimmie - love you!

That is all for today.

No. I Don't Like It.

2011-03-09T19:18:00.000-05:00

I don't like salmon. I have officially, scientifically, without a doubt determined that.

I love the way it looks...I mean, come on, that looks delicious!

But the second it hits my lips, immediate gag reflexes kick in. Overdramatic grabbing my neck gag reflexes. Thinking about it 20 minutes later - still gagging. Thinking about the slimy, gross skin that used to be on it...what if I ate some skin? OMG - OMG - OMG. Gag me with a spoon.

This is totally random, I know, but I haven't uploaded my pics from the shower and I'm just too lazy to do it right now.

Tootles.

I’m Dieting

2011-03-03T14:34:00.000-05:00

I typically do not weigh myself…I only judge myself by the way my clothes fit. And, with my bubbling personality, people don’t really pay attention to my weight…they are too busy laughing at my jokes. Right, Shane? Kidding.

Anyway, I have vowed to always try to be a size 6 - although there may be times where they are falling off of me (this would probably happen 2 times in my entire life…max) or I may be busting out of them…regardless, they are a size 6.

Well, over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that my pants were a little tighter and I was just feeling very non-confident with the way I looked. So, on Monday, I got in gear and started a diet. Not a fad diet or anything where I starve myself (although the first few days were rough as my body was REALLY concerned as to why I wasn’t consuming 2,500 calories) but it is straight up chicken, fish, turkey, veggies, egg whites, brown rice, lettuce and water. Every Saturday is a cheat day – and THAT is when I go back to consuming 2,500 calories…and it is glorious.

Today is the fourth day and I have lost 5 pounds. It may be water weight, although I swear my ass is smaller, but I’ll take it! I’d also like to comment that it is somewhat nice to know, for real, what it feels like to be hungry. As mentioned, I typically eat for sport, so it’s nice to get back to eating for survival.

My goal? 15 pounds (10 more to go). Wish me luck!

February Goals - How Did We Do?

2011-03-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

How did we do on the February goals? Not bad but not 100%...

February:

Complete and submit income taxes - DONE!
Write and mail all wedding thank you notes - Um, not at all...didn't even crack them open...I'm horrible.
Select and print 6 of our favorite wedding pictures - Well, I selected them but never printed them...I'll print in March.
Work out at least 4 days each week - DONE! I can't believe it but I actually accomplished this during weeks 2, 3 and 4 of February!
Read two books - Nope. I'm still reading my book club book and haven't even started 'Still Missing.'

So, looking ahead to March - here is what we're shooting for:

Write and mail all wedding thank you notes
Print 6 of our favorite wedding photos
Buy/make curtains for dining/living room
Work out at least 4 days each week
Read two books
Help throw a fun and successful wedding shower for our friends, Mike and Mandy - Stay tuned for photos of this event next week!

Here's to a successful and productive March!

Using the New Chalkboard

2011-02-23T17:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a shot of our chalkboard in action!

Now, let me explain:

I took this picture at 4:30 a.m. - feel me?
'The Wilsons - Est. 2010' - we are the Wilsons and we were married (established) in 2010. der.
I have no idea what the drawing is - it looks like legs or golf clubs...no doubt intended to be something unsavory. Artist: Mike Kirn
'Happy Birthday Linds!' - another toughie...it was our friend Lindsay's birthday and that was our special message to her.
'Lean Cuisine Fett. Alfredo' - that is what we were eating at 4:30 a.m. SOMEONE hadn't been to the grocery in a while...ESPECIALLY if we were eating Lean Cuisines!
'Adopt a Bulldog' - Shane and I went to PetSmart on Saturday to get dog food for Beau and Brother and they were doing adoptions outside the store. They had a six month old English Bulldog for adoption and he was adorable! Shane seriously thought, for at least 3.6 seconds, that we were going to adopt him...but then I reminded him that we already had two dogs, live in a shoebox and can barely take care of the four of us. We don't need another mouth to feed up in 'her. So, he sent a picture along to our friend, Jason, in hopes that he would adopt it and could just bring it over every once in a while. Thus...this was on the to do list.
'Dirty Girl' - Rob Dyrdek's (aka Bobby Light) song. Hilarious. It was playing...at 4:30 a.m.
'Leg Day 2-19' - Shane and I went to the gym on Saturday and did legs. We were pretty sore on Saturday, which is why I jotted it down, but seriously COULD NOT WALK on Sunday and Saturday. So painful.
The last drawing is also another Mike Kirn original...it's a leg - and a very unproportional one at that. I drew on the shoe and laces. Your welcome.

But we know the chalkboard paint works now! And we love it!

February Goal Accomplished

2011-02-18T16:32:00.000-05:00

Although it was a bit depressing, we have finished and sent in our income taxes. Here are the highlights:

Being married is not beneficial - from a tax perspective. Uncle Sam apparently hates marriage.
I have always used Turbo Tax to do my taxes and get so excited when I see my green numbers flitter (upward, preferably). That did not happen this time. I only saw one upward flitter.
We had to start repaying our '$7500 Homebuyer Tax Credit' that Obama 'gave' us when we purchased our house in 2008. Oh wait! It wasn't a tax credit and it wasn't given to me! What they meant to say was 'Enjoy this interest free loan for the next two years. And thank you for paying it back for the next 15 years.' Seriously? I'm not going to get political here but Obama is stoopy. I miss you George W.
And, lastly, I wish I was still at an age where $1800 meant that I WAS FREAKING RICH.

That's all.

Have a great weekend!

The New Kitchen Chalkboard

2011-02-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, we decided to try our hand at chalkboard paint...and I was very impressed with the brand we used - Rustoleum Chalk Board Paint!

Here is the before:

And here is the after (that looks like I just painted with black paint):

So, I give this product a 5/5. It was super easy to roll/brush on, it didn't really smell that bad (although it was different than a 'paint' smell) and it covered my white cabinet after only two coats. I would highly recommend taping your surface before you get started...and I normally NEVER recommend taping.

However, I can't write on this for three days while the chemicals and blah blah blah settle and it forms a real chalkboard. But I'm looking forward to jotting all kinds of little notes here...such as "Shane - remember to win the lottery." or "The Wilsons Rule." or something in Italian, because that just seems like something you would write on chalkboard stuff.

I'll post a pic of some of our musings after Saturday!

Trying Our Hand...

2011-02-16T15:42:00.000-05:00

At using this...

Stay tuned...

Happy Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-14T16:50:00.000-05:00

I am one of the few (or at least that’s how I feel) that enjoys Valentine’s Day. I like getting flowers (although I don’t get them NEARLY enough :)), getting dressed up, braving the crowds and going to dinner, ordering off the ‘limited menu’ and sitting elbow to elbow with the couple next to you. There, I said it.

However, I also realize that the holiday (made up or not) is also about recognizing the one you love. And I’m going to do so, here and now, and give you the top five reasons that my husband is my ultimate Valentine:

Because you enjoy spending time with me (and trust me, not a lot of people can say that same thing) even if we are just laying on the couch having ‘snuggle day,’ cleaning the house, shopping, or whatever…we always make it fun.
Oh, and I love that you love to shop with me – clothes, shoes, house stuff, beads – you are there, you’re engaged and you don’t complain. (Unless it is a Saturday during football season.)
Because you make me laugh. Even when I’m pissed at you for not washing out your bowl or putting away the PlayStation because ‘you have to finish the season’ – you still find a way to talk me off the ledge and make me smile.
Because I see how much you love our boys, Beau and Brother, and can only imagine the love you will have for our children.
Because we don’t give up. We have been through some doozies together and we always know that, no matter what, we’ll get through it together and be stronger because of it. And we never doubt this.

There are, of course, many more, too many to list, but I’ll stop here. I love you, Shane! You are my special Valentine!

Hope everyone else has a great Valentine’s Day!

A February Goal in Progress

2011-02-11T11:39:00.000-05:00

I'm working on picking out my six favorite wedding photos and am having a REALLY hard time! I want to print them all...in a flip book...and remember the day (just as it occurred, minus my meltdown about my hair) over and over and over again!

Here are the front runners:

Favorites? Thoughts? So many good ones to choose from!

Planning a Wedding Shower

2011-02-10T17:52:00.000-05:00

Shane and I, along with two other couple friends, are in the midst of planning a wedding shower for our friends, Mike and Mandy...I'm not sharing any details but I ran across this funny and just wanted to share:

Plus, I have nothing else to talk about today. :)

Fire Makes Me Panic

2011-02-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

Last night, the dogs were outside going to the bathroom and I was standing on the deck. I look over at our neighbors house (who have a long transom window directly in eyeshot) and I see a red flicker. Then I hear a house alarm.

Below are the sequence of events that occurred after I thought my neighbor’s house was on fire:

I immediately did a double take of the flicker and was certain that it was fire.
Did a triple take and was 200% sure that it was moving up their living room wall.
I kept my eye on the fire while trying to get back into my house…still looking at the fire…knocked on the brick – that was wrong…still looking at the fire…tried to turn the deadbolt – incorrect…finally grabbed the lever and pulled it. (By this time, Shane is standing at the door wondering what the hell is going on.)
Stacy: “Shane! Call the cops! The neighbor’s house is on fire! Come look!”
Shane: “What?!?!”
I run back outside. I employ the same door opening techniques to the gate on my deck…fail. I jump over the gate and then realize that I have stairs on the other side…so I grab the railing on the way down, swivel and almost break my wrist.
Shane comes back outside, “Are you sure that it’s fire, before I call?”
Now that I’m ground level (mind you – wearing PJ’s and socks and having just ninja’d my way off of my deck) I can see the fire clearly.
Oh wait, that’s not fire. What is it? A freaking red, mylar Valentine’s Day heart hanging from the ceiling.
My response to Shane: “S**t…no, it’s just Valentine’s Day decorations. Damn it – I really thought that place was on fire!” Commence full body shakes from adrenaline.
Stacy: “Well, 'Operates well under pressure'…F.”
Shane: “Yeah, you kind of freaked out there for a minute…”

Moral of the story: Always look twice. Or in my case – five times.