2010

My hopes for 2010

1. Continue to not keep looking for the next best thing and be thankful for what I have now. I am getting beyond annoyed at those with the "Keeping up with the Jone's" mentality. For those who struggle with this, please for your own sanity and definitely the patience of those you are trying to compete with, stop now. The Lord has blessed me beyond words and as I stated in this recent post, there comes a point when you have to be content with what you have. This applies to: your house, your job, your jewelry, your car, your clothes. All the things that eventually do fade away. Let's let 2010 be the year when we focus on what really matters.

2. Lose another 7 pounds. This will equal 20 pounds lost since starting in June 2009. When this happens, I will be at the lowest weight I have ever knowingly seen. I started watching my weight my freshman year of college and my 2010 goal weight is 5 lbs. less than my freshman college weight. Bring on the white bikini for the Hawaiian honeymoon!

3. Make a good move career-wise. A new city to live in means a new job move. I hope to find something that will not only productively challenge me, but something that just 'fits' me. I would like to find something that will be the stepping stone between my life now and when Don and I decide to start a family.

4. Stop saying "crap". It's not ladylike.

5. Spend more time in prayer.

6. Be smarter with my money.

7. Don't become a bridezilla.

8. Have fun decorating our townhome!

9. Let things slide. This will be a struggle for me as I like to have my hand in lots of things. I need to adopt the mentality that there is "always tomorrow" to accomplish tasks.

10. Blog consistently. I did an average job this year of blogging a few times a week. My goal this year is to blog at least four days a week if not more. I also want to take more pictures! I will have a giveaway if I make it to the 300 follower mark.

11. Put my BlackBerry down when I am with Don. This is something he laughs at me about, but I really should not be on my BB 24/7.

12. Read more books. I have a bookshelf full of books that I have bought in the past few years that are collecting dust by just sitting there. I will hopefully make more time to read!

Have a wonderful January 1, 2010! I am excited for this year!

2009 In Review

I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on my life in 2009 and then focus on new hopes and goals for 2010 in tomorrow's post. In 2009, I started off my year with this post. Some things I did and some I did not. Let's take a look:

Take a fun trip with a group of friends - I did go to Virginia Beach for Memorial Day weekend. I wanted to do more of these, but the wallet just wouldn't allow it.

Complete more than half of my MBA - This one did not even begin! I withdrew before the class started. Although a career right now is appealing and I plan to shine during this time, five years from now, I just want to be a wife and mom! No MBA required -- just a heart full of love!

Trade my car by October- This did not happen and would not have been a smart decision financially. I have a perfectly nice and capable SUV that will suit me just fine until all the bills are paid off.

Shop less - I did do this! Not by my own will however. You are all aware of my tight financial issues this year and I am happy to say that I did not buy one piece of clothing for myself for 9 months. That is crazy, but doable if need be with a lot of diligence. I do look forward to rewarding myself with a treat here and there this year!

Limit coffee intake -Didn't happen and decided that it should NOT happen. Why give up something I love? Nope. Not doing.

Show mercy - I did do this and am grateful I did.

Develop a stronger relationship with a new friend - I was blessed with meeting a bridesmaid, Ellie, this year. What started off as a casual friendship turned into a much deeper one and I am so thankful for her!

Trust Less - Especially on the professional level.

Take a weekend adventure - Don and I took several fun trips this year! Virginia Beach, 2 trips to Atlanta, trip to D.C., and went to Charlotte a few times!

Have a healthy relationship - I have been blessed beyond measure to have met Don Egle. He is everything I have ever dreamed of and treats me like a QUEEN! I love him with all of my heart and cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him.

Live in one place for one year - Fail! I lived in the white house with my girls for 11 months! I will now live in my apartment for 11 months until I move into Don's home for good. I will accomplish the one year mark next year!

These are my highlights of 2009:

January

Nothing overly exciting happened this month, but I did move into the big white house with these great girls!

February
I traveled a lot to D.C. for work and participated in the CPAC conference.

March

What a fun month! I took a trip to Richmond, VA with my roommates, had an unexpected snow storm and also attended Natalie's bridal shower.

April

Financial struggles set in, but I did enjoy flying down to Gulf Shores, Alabama to spend Easter with my family at the beach.

May

I took a blogging break and a lot happened this month! Natalie and Nate's wedding day! I was also offered a dream job in Atlanta. The next weekend, I met Don Egle and knew within my soul that he was the one. I turned down the job two days later.

I also met Don's new puppy, Hutch!

June
I went home to Alabama for my birthday and Don and I took a weekend trip to Atlanta to meet both sets of parents.

July

Went on a cruise to Alaska with my family. I did not realize at that time that it would be the last vacation with them before getting married and having a husband come along!

August

Took a fun beach trip to Virginia Beach and became more and more proud of this man everyday.

September

Was Maid of Honor in Meghan's wedding!

October

Work, work, work. Mom also came up to Virginia for a visit!

November

Engagement! It was the biggest surprise ever!

December
Don and I spent Christmas in both Michigan and Tennessee with family!

Hutch started becoming a big boy!

Wedding Wednesday: Cakes!

Before Christmas break, Don and I met with a local baker in town to try out different cake flavor combinations! We had a great time trying all of the yummy cakes! We got back into the Tahoe and within five minutes, we came to a quick agreement on what flavors we liked best. So easy!

We will have a four layer cake. The first and third layer will be spice cake with cream cheese filling and buttercream icing. The second and top layer will be french vanilla cake with chocolate fudge filling with the buttercream icing. I had to find a way to sneak cream cheese in there somewhere!

I was surprised at how quick it was to decide on flavors. Now, I am overwhelmed with choosing the style and design. Maybe you can help me! I like a very classy style -- no pink or polka dots this time around (I don't think Don would have let me either!). The first style I like is solid white with a fondant ribbon on the base of each layer with flowers strategically placed on each layer.

The second style I like are white cakes with lots of flowers in between the layers. This not only makes a cake look bigger, but adds lots of color!

The third style I like is having a design on the white cake layers. I have also even considered having 2 layers with a design and 2 layers with just a ribbon around it. That may be too busy though? Help! Feel free to comment on what your favorite styles are!

We also cannot even decide on round or square! The baker suggested square, but I like round, too.

Last night, I also found my wedding shoes at J.Crew! It was a random store visit and Don picked them out. Had to get them even though I was trying them on in running clothes and an unpedicured foot! I called mom shortly after and she said I will have to bring them to Atlanta when we dress shop in February!

Thanks for all of your advice ahead of time!

Birdcage Wedding Veils

I had the great opportunity to be Maid of Honor in one of my best friend's wedding in September. Meghan planned a beautiful wedding in downtown Charlotte on the rooftop of a hotel. She incorporated a lot of her own personal touches being the crafty woman that she is -- she made her own birdcage veil! As a present bride-to-be, I definitely see this as a growing trend and have had several friends and acquaintances use the birdcage look. Meghan enjoyed making her own veil so much that she decided to take it a step further and start her very own business. She specializes in birdcage veils, longer veils, and special hairpieces such as flowers.

For a consultation on Skype or phone, please email meghan@birdcage-wedding-veils.com.

Snowed-in Weekend

It sure was a great weekend of being snowed-in! I was able to leave work early on Friday because the snow was scheduled to hover over Virginia at 3:00 p.m. I was sure to dress accordingly at work that day--fur hood and all!

Don came into town at 5:00 and barely made it before the mountain roads became too dangerous. We planned to stay in that night, but Don being the adventurer that he is, decided to take the Tahoe out in the streets to find a milkshake. That was actually a lot of fun, although I was a little nervous!


Saturday morning we watched the snow come down and then decided to suit up and go PLAY. The day continued with digging cars of friends and random strangers out of the snow. Speaking of random cars, I do not understand why people with low cars without 4-wheel drive even attempt to drive in 2 feet of snow... then act confused when they get stuck... then display looks of desperation to big SUV drivers like us to bail them out! Unless it's an emergency, plan to stay in and don't drive!

Being the high maintenance girl that I am at times, I was really craving a Starbucks! I called all 3 in town, as well as 4 other coffee shops. All were closed but the one Starbucks located 15 min away on a clear day -- and about 25 minutes away on a snowy day. Don was so sweet to take me! I only ordered a Tall, but feel I should have ordered a Venti after all of that effort!

As our VA Governor declared this weekend a state of emergency, I am thankful I was safe this weekend. Several of my friends got caught in the storm and either had to sleep at their office or call for help in the early morning hours. I am thankful we were safe and I pray that people who got stranded are okay. I am proud of the state of Virginia for pulling together during this weekend and helping out those that were in need.

A Look Inside my Fridge

In documenting my recent weight loss, I thought I would include what I ate and what I still continue to eat. Now, let me just put a disclaimer out there: I do not eat a ton of vegetables or organic food and I do enjoy the occasional splurge. To me, a "splurge" is having a pop-tart once a week. You will see that my fridge and pantry selection is slim -- that is because I have a boring menu that consists of the same things each and every day. There is an occasional mix-up when Don is in town and I feel the need to prepare a decent meal suitable for a man. Other than that, this is what I eat:

I have a roommate and half of the fridge is hers. Let's take a look at what is mine. Top Shelf: Diet Coke, my absolute favorite. Lots of yogurt-I eat 2 of these a day. One Activia in the morning to help with digestion and one Yoplait in the afternoon. My favorite flavors are Raspberry, Raspberry Cheesecake, Orange Cream, and Key Lime Pie. They are 100 calories each. Also, eggs for cooking/baking. Middle Shelf: Crystal Light, Milk, Pork Tenderloin, Lean Ground Beef, Sandwich Turkey. Because we may get snowed in this weekend, I made sure I had two good meats to prepare for Don. I plan to make tortilla soup tonight and pork tenderloin on Sunday. Third Shelf: Nothing. Bins: Nothing. I don't like raw vegetables! Now, let's take a look at my pantry...

Pretty bare. Surprisingly, this can last me up to 2 weeks. Some nights, I will make a baked potato, wheat pasta with mainara, or have soup. My bottom shelf contains Fiber 1 Bars that I have for breakfast, Whey Protein, Grits, and like I said before, the occasional poptart (but I always feel guilty after eating them).

Overall, you can tell that I am not an OCD healthy eater. Most things I eat are a healthier option than a lot of other things, but I would not classify myself as a health nut. My biggest thing is watching calorie count and portion control and also balancing the food groups. I make sure I get plenty of dairy, fruit (apple each day), vegetables (my main veggie is green beans), lean meat (chicken or a Jennie-O turkey burger), and monitor my carb intake after 6 p.m. If I have toast for breakfast and lunch, I will not eat bread with my dinner. I try not to eat past 7:30 p.m. period. I do not keep a set regimented menu, however, I do track my calories daily on my BlackBerry and plan out my meals in my head. My daily calorie count will vary and fluctuate with the amount of exercise I get and the carlories burned. I adjust accordingly.

Daily Tip:

Get into the habit of measuring. It's so easy to just pour a bowl of cereal without realizing how many actual 'cups' you are pouring. 1 cup of Captain Crunch has appox. 120 calories. I realize Captain Crunch may not be the healthiest cereal choice, and I do love others like Special K, and Mult-Grain Cheerios. Meauring only 1 cup of cereal may seem like a small portion but try it -- you may be surprised that it can and will fill you up.

My Happy List

Emily of From the land of Cotton gave me this award! She is so sweet and I enjoy reading her blog each week!

Ten things that make me happy are:

1. Beauty Rush lip gloss in "Melon" at Victoria's Secret. It is the glossiest lip color I have used thus far and I love it.

2. Fresh highlights and a French manicure. I feel so put-together when I have this combo.

3. Polo Ralph Lauren. Whether it be a polo in the summer with khaki shorts, or a cable-knit crewneck or cardigan sweater in the cooler months, I can't ever go wrong with these. Simple and Classic.

4. Sharing a Grande, Skim, No-Whip, White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks with Don.

5. Watching our puppy, Hutch, get bigger and bigger! He will be 1 in March and is so spoiled.

6. J.Crew -- my favorite store of all time. I always feel put-together when I wear their clothes.
7. True friends. They are hard to find and I treasure the ones God has blessed me with.


8. Budgeting. I look at it everyday and make sure everything is lining up perfectly. I rarely go outside of the budget. Makes for a very organized life.

9. Creating marketing themes and ideas. Don says the things I come up with are fantastic. From a Public Relations expert, I'll take that compliment! I just wish other people would actually listen to me! ....one day...

10. Watching SEC football! Get ready for January 7 championship game. Go Alabama -- Roll Tide!
Now, on to listing 10 bloggers who I can't go a day without reading:

A Little Bit of Everything
A Wedding Story
History of the Harveys
PammyCakes
The Roaring Twenties!
Through Rose Colored Glasses
Polka Dot and Protein Bars
The Seattle Smith's
Live.Love.Laugh
In this wonderful Life

I also received the Glamourous Blog Award from PammyCakes today. We both gave each other an award on the same day!