Get to know me...Pass it on

So, Ashley tagged me, so I'm going to play along.  She's a good friend of mine, and one of the reasons I even started a blog to be honest.  I enjoyed reading hers and learned that you can learn a lot of things by reading other blogs.  Quite the little network the bloggers have out there, especially in dealing with weddings (which I'm in the midst of planning right now) so I'm getting a lot out of it thanks to the others out there :)  Anyway, here goes:


1. If you could live any where in the world, where would you live?
This is easier to answer in theory.  I think I would like to live in Tennessee, but there is no place like home.  So, if I can't bring my friends and family (which is what makes home, home), I'd have to stay right here.  I would love to have the resources to travel many different places and test out the perfect spot, but of all the places I've visited as of now, I'd pick Tennessee.  Knoxville area to be exact.  Here's why:

2. What is your dream job?
Oh how I would love to be a sports reporter.  I LOVE football, so if I could be right there on the sidelines, reporting the highlights of (SEC) football games, I'd be in heaven!  I mean, I go anyway, so why not get paid for it??


3. What is the most attractive quality in a mate - physically/emotionally?
There is no way to answer this with one quality, how about a top 3?  Honesty, humor, and being supportive.

4. Is there an area in your life in which you are high maintenance?  What is it?
Time.  I'm not really high maintenance at all, usually pretty go with the flow, but if life gets busy and we haven't had any quality time together, I get to the point where it must happen.  It takes a while to build up, but when I'm there, I'm there.

5. If you were only allowed to wear one color ever the rest of your life, what would it be shades of?
Oh, that's a tough one...I guess the only logical choice is blue.  I thought about picking pink, but how would that look at Gator games??  Priorities people!

6. What is your favorite season?
Fall, I love the cooler mornings and the nice breeze that comes during our 3 day fall we have here in Florida :)  It makes me want to just sit outside.  Running is way more fun during fall too!  Seriously, to get out of the state (back to that whole Tennessee thing again) and see the leaves changing...it's amazing to me.  (Can't discount spring, summer, and winter though that bring their own goodies, such as beach time, pretty flowers, and snowboarding!)

7. If you could spend an entire day shopping with any celebrity, who would it be?
I'm not a big celebrity person, so I actually searched online for celebrities.  During my search I remembered I had told John (while I was watching 'The Sweetest Thing' on HBO last weekend) that I would love to hang out with Cameron Diaz.  She just seems so fun, laid back, and down to earth.  

8. Do you have a signature drink? What is it?

No.  I have felt like having more drinks than normal lately, due to the slight stress wedding planning involves from time to time, but have not partaken much more than normal (which isn't much for those that don't know).  I enjoy a cold beer every now and then, and like my little apple-tinis and cosmo's, so I guess pick one of those.

The Shack

Book #1 finished to check off of my 101 in 1001:

I'm honestly still not sure what to think about this book. It was a great story, but I am still trying to wrap my head around it. The story starts out with this guy (Mack) and he is fighting within himself after his daughter's disappearance and murder. They never had found a body, but all of the evidence leads to her death. This serial killer, who preyed on little girls and left his "calling card", had gotten away with 4 murders before Mack's daughter. He left her alone for a minute and she was gone and he had been dealing with this guilt for 3 years when he gets a note and that leads him into a weekend with God...in person.

I'm not one for reading religious stories really. I feel like many "Christian" books are all a man's thoughts, and not the actual truth, so I'm pretty careful when I read certain things so my own views do not get distorted by another man's view. This book is considered fiction, even though the man actually claims this happened in his life, and not that I'm questioning whether or not God could do this, it just isn't a normal thing. What I did like about the book was the way it painted God...loving, kind, forgiving, gracious, servant, and any other good thing we can normally think about, but more importantly, the relationship that was painted in the book: How God designed man and His to be. I guess that's what I took away from the book...it's not about the religion, it's about the relationship. It was worth reading though if you ever get the chance.

First book checked off my list :)

Thankful Thursdays

Wedding Wednesday

I've decided to make Wednesdays "Wedding Wednesday". I still have more than 6 months left until our wedding, so I figure I'd write a little bit about what we're doing each week, and hopefully get some pointers from all of you! I am not even close to being good at the whole "girly girl" thing, however I do have a girly side...sometimes I'm just not sure what to do with it. I am really one of the last of my girl friends to get married, so I've seen things I've liked along the way, but I've seriously started from scratch with our wedding plans. I'll start with what we've completed so you know where I'm coming from. We are having an afternoon beach wedding, with an outdoor (tented) reception in March.

So far we have:

• The date
• The time
• The place
• Reception contract signed
• Catering contract signed
• The Dress!
• Bridesmaids dresses picked out
• Colors: Cornflower Blue & Silver with lots of white thrown in

Here's my vision for the ceremony, except chairs for 300 instead of 30:

And here's what I picture for the reception, except a blue or silver color on the table instead of the orange:

Next week, John & I are going to meet with the photographer. Their pictures look great online and they've done a family friend's wedding, so we know they have done good work for others with outdoor weddings. Hopefully it all works out. Now, my questions for all you ladies out there are:

What do I come prepared to talk to the photographer about for our first meeting?

What questions should I ask?

All input is greatly appreciated!

Next week: Invitations

My 101 in 1001

Lately, I've been seeing The Day Zero Project pop up on other blogs I've been reading. I decided to start my own.

Starts: September 7, 2010

Ends: June 4, 2013

Self Improvement
1) Complete a half marathon in under 2 hours.
2) Finish the Insanity DVD package.
3) Get my measurements to my goals.
4) Make it 5 for 5 for one full month at the gym.
5) Run four 1/2 marathons before my 1001 days are up.
6) Get a physical next year.
7) Give blood at least once.

8) Get certified to teach some class or personal training at the gym.

9) Go one week a month without eating any sweets.

10) Go to church regularly.

11) Join a small group that J & I both like.

12) Find somewhere to volunteer.

13) Adopt a more positive attitude towards life and others.

Financial
1) Start my Roth IRA.
2) Have my goal amount saved in my bank account before J & I marry.
3) Make out a budget and stick to it firmly for one month.
4) Start contributing to a church.
5) Become even better at watching what I spend.

6) Create a detailed financial plan for J & I.

Domestic/Home Projects
1) Get Married!

2) Take a cake decorating class at Michaels.
3) Paint the house.
4) Decorate the house.
5) Host a holiday at our house.
6) Put down new flooring.
7) Make one dessert from scratch a month for a year.
8) Make some type of art from photography for the master bedroom.
9) Keep my car clean for a month straight.

10) Create my own piece of furniture.

11) Take another cooking class.

12) Put all my clean laundry away for a month.

13) Train Lily better.

14) Change my last name.

15) Find a creative way to display a 'W' in the house.

16) Make a cake for a friend's birthday using my new decorating skills.

17) Make Gator Cupcakes.

18) Find 2 fish recipes I enjoy enough to eat again.

19) Use the crock pot for dinner at least twice a month for a year.

Professional
1) Get my General Contractor's License.
2) Get LEED accredited.
3) Make two new contacts and build relationships.
4) Completely organize and decorate my office.
5) Figure out ways to keep the company a fun place to work for everyone in and out of the office.
6) Take 2 new courses a year through ABC to help myself learn something new.

7) Get more involved with ABC.

Travel
1) Take a cruise.
2) Go to another country.
3) Visit Matt & Kathy in Georgia.
4) Visit Delta, Ohio.
5) Go to Cedar Pointe.
6) Travel to Michigan to see my cousins.
7) Go somewhere in Texas, just for fun.
8) Go snowboarding with friends.
9) Plan a girls weekend in a historic city.

10) Go see New York City.

11) Go tent camping.

12) Go to California.
13) Visit a National Park.

14) Play in the mountains.

For The Fun Of It
1) Read the Bible cover-to-cover.
2) Read one new book a month.
3) Boudoir photo shoot.
4) Do something to encourage a soldier.
5) “Go to the movies” in a scandalous place.
6) Make a new friend.
7) Practice new looks with make up.
8) Find a new style for my hair I can manage daily (after the wedding).
9) Go to a concert.
10) Watch “Gone With The Wind”.
11) Participate in a project with the church.
12) Spend more time with my grandparents.
13) Go to an NFL game.
14) See a friend get married.

15) Take a pole dancing class.

16) Find heels I love to wear.

17) Do some spring cleaning on all the clothes I have.

18) Give my old clothes to someone in need.

19) Dance more with my love.

20) Take golf lessons.

21) Have 'wedding dress dinner' with the girls after J & I get married.

22) Try and see baby turtles hatching in the fall.

23) Take more pictures with those I love.

24) Look for coupons to save money.

25) Brew my own beer.
26) Make my own wine at home.

27) Take a bubble bath, at least once.

28) Practice using a curling iron and curl my hair for an event myself.

29) Walk Lily around the lake once a week.

30) Make a calendar for friends.

31) Collect five classic Disney DVD's.

32) Make a scrapbook for our wedding.

33) Write thank you cards within a month of our wedding to all of our guests.

34) Get a massage.

35) Go to a karaoke bar.

36) Take the MG to a car show.

37) Go to a winery.
38) Wax my car.

39) Take a motorcycle drivers class.

40) Go fishing.

41) Join a team involving some type of athletic activity.

42) Write a blog entry for each item crossed off my list.

Long Weekend Ahead!

Friday is here. Not just ANY Friday though, it's football Friday! That's right...college football kicked off last night, and there's a weekend of football ahead of us! Florida kicks off at noon tomorrow which I'm SO excited about! Way to represent the SEC last night South Carolina. The SEC has one win under our belt! Time to prove that once again, we are the dominating conference! Yeah! :-)

Enough football talk...now to the puppies! Last night, I ended up going to see my friend's puppies alone (John had some work stuff and couldn't get out of the office in time). The mom is pretty, and the puppies are, well, hamsters still. At least I feel like all puppies look like hamsters for the first couple weeks. There are only 6 puppies left, 1/2 of them did not survive, and there are 2 females, with one spoken for. So, she is our option for a new lil American Bulldog. Here are some photos of them:

Mom Dog

*Potential* Future Pup

All the pups-Top left would be ours

Other female...she's pretty

Anyone else see the hamster resemblance here?? So, now it's deciding time. John & I both really would like to have an American Bulldog, but when's the right time for a new pup? They take so much time at first and with the wedding coming up in March...well, it's not the easiest time I suppose. But, I'm sure we will figure it out...puppies ARE so much fun! :)

I'm also going to play along with 5 question Friday, so here goes!

1. What do you do when you have time for yourself? Sometimes I read, sleep, or watch a nice girly movie that I'm sure John wouldn't want to watch.

2. When you look out your kitchen window, what do you see? I'm going to go ahead and consider John's house my house, since it will be soon and I use his kitchen more than mine :) There's a lake out there...sometimes with these annoying geese that poo all over the back porch. Get 'em Lily!

3. Who/What would you want to be reincarnated as? No one. I'll go ahead & be myself in heaven :)

4. What is your biggest pet peeve about other people's kids? My pet peeve is more about the parent's response. I HATE to hear kids screaming bloody murder. Not that parents like it, but I literally leave stores when I hear it. I understand sometimes kids do that and sometimes they are in a mood and the parents can't control it, but take your kid out or at the least, tell them to stop. Just because YOU are use to hearing it, does not mean anyone else cares to hear it through their whole meal. The worst I've run in to was on a plane when this kid was kicking the seats and screaming and his dad was playing a video game with headphones on and mom was looking out the window...neither said anything to their child (which I know because they were across the aisle and I was watching them the whole time). Finally the flight attendant came to them and said, "Is there anything we can do for him? He is disturbing the entire flight." Then they finally helped him calm down and he fell asleep. Really, that's what it takes for you to do something about your kid screaming in an enclosed space...how embarrassing.

5. Regular or diet soda? Not a soda drinker really, but if I do have it, I'm going all the way with regular!

Hope you all have a happy Labor Day weekend!!

GO GATORS!!!

Thankful Thursdays

I'm linking up with Cheerful Carolina for Thankful Thursdays this week!

I'm thankful always for John, my friends, family, & Lily! Today marks the start of college football...kicked off with an SEC game to boot, so I'm super excited! Only 2 more days til Florida takes the field and I can't wait!!! The long weekend makes me very happy. Here's a little of what I'm thankful for & what I'll be doing this weekend:

We have fun-filled 3 day weekend ahead. Plus, my new Gator shirts came in for the season yesterday, so I'm ready!!!

PS: We're looking at puppies tonight! Update tomorrow!