One Document

Livid would be a light description of my attitude yesterday. Let me just break it down for you like this. I took Thursday and Friday off of work for the big and final move. For those of you who have recently started reading my blog, I did a 1/2 move in August and left all my furniture in Virginia since I still had my lease to finish out until this weekend.

I flew up to Virginia on Thursday morning, met my dad and the moving trailer at the airport, packed up my apartment in two hours, hugged some friends' necks, grabbed dinner and hit the road. We stopped in Charlotte to spend the night and then made the rest of the trip to Atlanta on Friday morning.

Then, Friday around noon, I get a call saying that my closing may be postponed and that I owe an additional big chunk of money at closing that I was not aware of. (Buying a house makes you broker than you ever thought possible, by the way).

Realtor: (Noon): "Your closing may be postponed."

B: "I have to close today -- please do everything you can to help. This is the only day my daddy can help me move in."

Broker: "Brittney, I will be there at 3, so you be there, too."

B: "OKAY!"

I get dropped off at the airport to pick up my car and I head to attorney's office to close at 3:00. Meanwhile, my dad is waiting for me at my house.

2:45 : Realtor calls: "Brittney, the attorney is not ready. There is one document that has not been signed and it won't happen today because he is hunting in the woods. We will hopefully shoot for Tuesday."

B: "ONE DOCUMENT??!?!?!!? ONE DOCUMENT?!?!?!?"

I made a U-turn and headed to my grandparent's house, called my dad and told him to head back to Alabama since I won't be moving in that night and then .....

I lost it.

I broke down sobbing. All the stress of this year, all the heartache, all the craziness... I thought I was finally getting to the end of the tunnel Friday night, but it didn't happen. The cancelled wedding, the 6-month job hunt, the move, the car breaking down, the car accident, finding a house to buy, moving out of Virginia completely..... it has just been too much to emotionally handle. I hit pretty low yesterday and just cried out to God to help me. Yes, so many great positive things have happened the last month that I am so so so thankful for, but I am still not out of the woods yet. My belongings are sitting on a moving truck in a friend's driveway.

I tweeted yesterday that I #hate2010. I really do. I will be partying like a rockstar New Years Eve bringing in 2011... wiping the dirt and the grime of 2010 off my body and erasing it from my mind.

On a lighter note, this combo is amazing. Target carries both! 

 I chose my downstairs paint colors! The blue will be the living room color and I still cannot decide between the other two for the kitchen/dining room color! 

Scheduled Posts

If you think I rise at 6 am, pad through the kitchen in my slippers, pour myself a mug of coffee and embrace the morning while turning on my laptop to post my blog for the day, think again. Before I knew how to schedule posts, or that it was even an option, I would always be so stressed during the week if I failed to have the time to blog. I felt that I had to section off some time each night to prepare a post for the next day.

If you are one of those out there who, like me, had no clue that you could schedule posts, welcome to the world of convenience! Each week, I brainstorm what I want to write about for the following week. On either Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I typically slip away to a Starbucks and hammer them out and schedule one for each day of the week. I shoot to provide something new Monday through Friday each week, give or take.

Directions to schedule posts: Click on the Post Options button within your New Post. Schedule it. That's it. Now, I am going to go schedule this post for Thursday at 6 a.m!

Have a great day! I am flying up to beautyland --- Virginia! I am moving all my stuff out of that blasted apartment filled with awful memories (with the exception of my amazing roomie, Stephanie) and bringing it on down to Atlanta! It will be sitting in storage for another week until I can move into my home!

Lately

Just some shots of my life lately! Nothing too fancy! 

I have enjoyed watching a lot of football with Poppy in the theater room this season! 

My new pink weight lifting gloves! Don't hate.

Co-worker and I at Cagle's Dairy Farm corn maze!

Loving my watch! 

I bought the cutest poncho! I love it and wore it for 'family pictures' in Alabama! 

I wore this to work last week and thought I looked like I had walked out of prep school yesterday.

....and this is my backseat. This is embarrassing, but I can't help it. I close on my townhome in two weeks and I will be moving all of this out! 

thinkThin

I love doing product reviews. Since I haven't cooked since moving down to Atlanta yet because I have been living with all sorts of people, I have heavily relied on protein/nutrition bars to get me though a lot of dinners. In fact, that's really all I eat at night right now. I wanted to share with you a fantastic bar I came across this week at Publix. thinkThin bars contain 0 sugar and 20 g. of protein. Now, y'all know how I feel about my protein consumption. 20 g in one bar... that's awesome! These are probably the most tasty bar I have come across. They almost remind me of a healthy candy bar.

Age Degrees

"When should a woman be married? When should a woman have children?"

This conversation has come up several times in the last few weeks. It came up Saturday afternoon actually when I was asked what age I wanted to be married by. The only response I had was, "I don't know. It'll happen when it happens and when its right."

In college, all my best friends and dorm-mates always thought I would be the first to marry out of school. They all thought I was there to get my MRS degree. Grant it, with the 20 different guys I had dates with in that one year, I probably was on that route. The school I attended is known for influencing young marriages right out of school, or heck, even during the senior year. People said that you went to that school to find a mate. I didn't find one! 

When I got into my senior year, I became very focussed on my major and academics. I had completed my internship in D.C. and it really opened my eyes to the world or having a career. 

I have now watched all my best friends marry. One is even now pregnant. I think I will probably be the last one, and guess what? I AM OK WITH THAT. 

I feel that too many times, girls put these age degrees on themselves that they have to accomplish certain milestones by certain ages. I just would rather let things flow where they will and have a darn good time while doing so. 

I don't care if I am 25 or even 28 before I marry... it's okay. I am thankful I have the opportunity to have a career. And by the age of 28-29, I can look back and see what I accomplished as an independent woman. Not have wild 7 yr. olds running around wondering where my precious 20s went. (Not that there is anything wrong with that ladies, I am just expressing my personal goals)

I want to travel. I want to own my own home. I want to continually prove myself to corporate America. I want to influence society. I want to be a wife and mother too, and those days will come, but I refuse, do you hear me? Refuse to label age degrees on when this is supposed to happen. 

All this to say that I am no longer that 18 year old girl who just couldn't wait to get married after college. Life is not about becoming a wife or a mother. It's about becoming You. The rest will fall where it may.

Halloween Costume Party

This weekend, some new co-workers of mine hosted a Halloween Costume Party. It was such a blast! I went as Little Red Riding Hood. Other costumes to note: Eskimo, Pocahontas, Don Draper, Pretty Woman and Candy Dots. You will have to continue to excuse the quality of my photos lately. They are coming from my BlackBerry since my camera cord is MIA. My J.Crew brown boots are MIA too, but we won't even go there right now! 

Fall Pleasure

Around 2:00 am this morning, I was sifting through emails and came across a free shipping promotion from one of my favorites, The Limited! It was also 30% accessories and sweater dresses. I cannot refuse that. This is what I ordered!

 

Starbucks VIA

Happy Friday and Happy Fall! 

Since I am such a Starbucks junkie, I had to share my recent find. Has anyone tried Starbucks Flavored VIA? Well, I did this week and it is such a hit! I bought a whole box of Vanilla. Other flavors include: Mocha, Caramel and Cinnamon Spice. 

All you do is pour it into your favorite mug, add hot water and stir. 

Splendid.

Fitness & Weight Training

The gym is very important to me. It's such a mental thing. I have to do it, and if I don't, I get mad. I structure my social life around my workout schedule. I have certain nights a week I know I am working out, so yes, I will even not go on a date if I know that I have gym time scheduled. (Of course, I will ask to reschedule!) For me, it's an appointment written right in my MyAgenda... it's Brittney time. 

Take today for example. I was so tired after work and then I had to go to Sprint and get a new battery for my phone. It was 7:45 by the time I got out of there. Really, all I wanted to do was come home and rest. Insert the mental thing here. I had to go to the gym. Had to. So, there I went. I performed one of my hardest workout to date. One hour of weights and 40 minutes of cardio. I'm wiped!

I pride myself in leg pressing 250 pounds. My legs may be curvy, but they are hard as a rock. With your legs being the largest muscle in your body, and knowing that muscle burns extra calories around the clock, I want to focus all I can on strengthening those muscles. 

One day a week, I also do Body Pump shown above. It is a change up to lighter weight, but heavy repetitions. It is smart to keep your muscles guessing and changing it up. 

All I can say is this: Girls -- don't be scared of weights! They will not bulk you up. They are good for you and will only leave you looking more toned and chiseled. Just to prove it to you, I am listing my weights below. 

** I do not recommend these amounts for a beginner weight trainer. You need to build your stamina and work up to these limits. I suggest seeking the assistance of a personal trainer before beginning any weight training routine, period. 

Brittney's Weights:

Leg Press: 250 

Squats: 125

Hamstrings: 45

Quad Press: 50

Chest Press: 50

LAT Pulls: 70

Row: 45

Shoulder Press: two 15 lb. dumbbells

Triceps: 20 lbs (behind the head press)

Biceps: 15 lbs in each hand

*I do 3 sets of 15 reps each

So, throw those 3 lb. weights aside and begin lifting some real weight!  I assure you, you will see some real results. 

**Remember, incorporate at least 30-40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 4 days a week to shed the fat surrounding the muscle. 

**Disclaimer: Though I was a certified instructor in college through AFPA, I did not renew my certification at this time.

Larabar

I was introduced to Larabar two weeks ago. Where have I been? They are absolutely delicious. Prided with containing whole ingredients, "a real food bar", the fruits and nuts that comprise these bars are a win-win choice. With approximately 210-230 calories per bar, they are a great choice for breakfast or pre-workout fuel.

Having a good friend who is on a complete gluten-free diet, I immediately emailed her when I tried them! Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my favorite. 

Here is a video clip about the history of Larabar!

New Blog!

First off, a big thank you to Penny Lane Designs for my new blog! I absolutely love it! It had been a good year since my last refresh, so I thought it definitely was time. New move, New life, New job... New Blog! I have some room for a few more sponsorship buttons, so feel free to email me if you are interested! 

I had a pretty decent weekend. I made a quick trip to Alabama for our Family Picture appointment on Saturday. We haven't had one in a few years, so we were all excited to get new ones taken. I was so tuckered out last night that I came home back to Georgia and fell asleep on the couch watching the Alabama game! I have to be pretty darn tired for that to happen! 

Y'all have a great week!

CamiCakes

Last weekend, V and I were craving (or, well, maybe it was just me craving) something sweet after our sleepover Friday night! I have heard of CamiCakes, as it originated where I am from, Jacksonville, Florida. They have two locations in Jacksonville and they have one shop located in Buckhead. Not only was I in heaven because of the pink girlie atmosphere, but the cupcakes are so intricately designed and thought-out. In my opinion, they are a step up from Georgetown Cupcake which I always spoke so highly about (and still do). CamiCakes is now my cupcakery of choice! 

Giveaway Winner!

    

Thanks for the 171 entries in the Starbucks giveaway! I was so excited to have this! Number #89 is Lacey! I already emailed her and actually found out she is from Alabama and now lives in Atlanta. Sounds familiar to my current life! 

Now, go have a pumpkin spice latte and enjoy your day! It's October, my favorite month, afterall! 

Guest Bathroom

I borrowed this picture from David's blog because I absolutely love the concept for my guest bathroom upstairs! A deep navy wall with splashes of burnt orange and possibly a cream & brown toile shower curtain. I think I shall call this my Ralph Lauren bathroom.

Master Bedroom

Really, I am at a loss when it comes to deciding what decor direction I want to go with my new home. I move in the last week of October and I am starting to feel the pressure to decide on what colors to paint the walls. Let me just tell ya, I always lean towards pinks. However, in an effort to not make my home look like Barbieland, I am trying to make it look more preppy and grown up. I did mention in a previous post that I want to steer away from reds and browns, not that there is anything at all wrong with those, but I want to try some 'out of the box' colors!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the direction I should go! Feel free to comment! 

The main room I an concentrating on right now is my master bedroom and bath. The first duvet I chose is a soft pink. I know I just said I am leaning away toward pink, but I would 'ungirly' this up by choosing a dark wall color like a chocolate brown or gray. Keep in mind, my bed is a dark cherry wood sleigh bed.

This picture is a tad pixeled -- but it was so small, I just had to blow it up. My second choice is a gray and white duvet from Crate & Barrel. I would paint the walls a deep berry color to offset the blah colors on the bed. 

 My third favorite option is a color ensemble from Pottery Barn. Clearly, I can bring so many color out of this!

Do you see now why I am having such a hard time choosing? Help, please! 

Sponsorship

In the next few weeks, I will be launching a new blog and I am so excited! I am now accepting sponsorship inquiries for small businesses, Etsy shops, blog designers, services, etc. Sponsorships will contain your blog button on the landing page to drive traffic directly to your blog or site!

Please email me for more information and pricing packages. I am offering 3, 6 and 12 month package options.

runninginhiheels {at} {gmail}.{com}

Thanks!

600 Followers Giveaway!

I logged on today and cannot believe I have reached 600 followers! My oh my! All I can say is thank you all for your love and support this year! Putting up with all my crazy banter and roller coaster of a life! I hope I am as much of an encouragement to you as you are to me. 

Obviously, Starbucks is amazing and I wanted to give away a $25 gift card to a reader this week! Okay, I know a Starbucks gift card may not be the bang of all giveaways, but cut me a break... I'm buying a house people! Totally playing, but still. I promised a giveaway when I reached 600, so I wanted to keep my word. 

Entering is easy: You must be a follower and leave a comment telling me your favorite Starbucks beverage! For 2 entries, follow me on Twitter! 

Winner will be chosen at random on Monday night, October 11! 

Wedding Highlights