Sunburns and BBQ

Pretty much the perfect words to summarize June.

Except for I just received my first sunburn TODAY. 

June 29th.

And I can't remember if I have had BBQ yet this summer...

Where the heck has the time gone already?

I can't believe it is already almost July.

Usually by this time of the year I am already baked to a crisp. 

Or "leathery" as some people like to call it.

But due to the new job and family shenanigans.... today was really the first day that I have had a chance to actually lay out and soak up the harmful rays.

It was pure bliss.

Even if it was a million degrees.

I spent the morning oversleeping.  Which meant that I missed my boxing class. (boo hoo!) And then I spent the next couple of hours running errands and checking things off my to-do list.

Fortunately, my to-do list involved working out.  Which meant that I had to do something or else I wouldn't be able to check it off.  Thank goodness for OCD, lists, and the fact that I'm running a HALF-MARATHON in 3 months.

Um.... yes, I forgot about it too.

Well, maybe I didn't "forget" as much as I "thought it was so far away that I didn't focus on it".

One blogger that I follow is already training for her half marathon that is in NOVEMBER.

Eeeek.  I'm so far behind.

So, my errands included going to the gym.  To run.

Except for the movie that was playing in the theater was probably one of the worst movies I have ever watched.  And I'm forced to watch a LOT of Sci-Fi nonsense.....so, you know that it must have been pretty bad. 

I ran and ran for as long as I could stand it.  But "The Back-up Plan" starring J-lo was seriously on my last nerve.  And I had to end my workout after I reached my third mile.

(I have to do thirteen miles on October 1st.) 

(I am seriously shaking in my boots.)

I came home to a stack of magazines that have been begging to be read.

And they pretty much all involved food.  Food for summer.  Food that requires more time grilling and sitting outside than it does slaving away in a hot kitchen.

I love summer.

And I love changing up the foods we eat based on the time of year.

Speaking of food.  And summer....

I never told you how this salsa rocked my world.

 I used it for a meal that I made last week. 

It was like the perfect combination of hot and spicy and fruity.  If that makes any sense.

Basically, it wasn't necessarily a fruit salsa and wasn't a complete tomato/spicy salsa... but the perfect mix of both.

I added it to a meal of crabcakes and coconut shrimp.  Both from the Fresh Market.

 I have a recipe for coconut shrimp and I have a recipe for crabcakes..... but for some reason ( because I was busy and tired) I decided to go ahead and buy them premade.  The coconut shrimp at Fresh Market is TO.DIE.FOR.  Like unbelievably good.  The crabcakes, however, not so much.  I could do better.  I have done better.  And I will make them myself next time.

It didn't help that I burned them pretty badly.  Even if it was an edible "burning".... meaning that I still ate them. You see, Kev surprised me with NEW cookware.  New stainless steel pots and pans.  Pots and pans out of my dreams (because I do dream about stuff like that) and it was my first time to use them... and I didn't realize that they cook a little differently even though the directions warned me that they would.  So, medium high heat is actually high heat.  And delicate crabcakes aren't too fond of high heat.

Or so I discovered.

Regardless, the meal was delightful.  We put the salsa on top of the crabcakes, mixed it in the rice, and then ate it with chips when we were finished with our meals. 

Obviously, we were HUGE fans.  

The salsa has inspired me to make all different kinds.  We could eat salsa with every meal.

And you wouldn't even believe the amount of recipes that I have been collecting that are just dying to be made over the next couple of months.  At this point, I don't ever want summer to end.

I could eat summer meals all the live long day.

Especially if they involve BBQ.

As we speak (read), my house smells like The Whispering Canyon... at the Wilderness Lodge.... in Disney World.

Because of this stuff....

I can barely contain myself.... not to mention that I am circling the crock pot like a shark.

All-you-care-to-eat BBQ starts in 30 minutes.

I might die from excitement and happiness.

Goodbye Forever.



My New Best Friend

A new family has moved in to my home.

A family of red spatulas....

And now I know what I've been missing.

I have a slight infatuation with rubber spatulas. 

Even though I have only had one up to this point.

They do so much good in the kitchen... with scraping and stirring and mixing.

But never have I ever experienced what this little guy could do...

I have seen him on tv.  But I have never seen him in stores.

Believe me.  I have searched and searched.

He is a jar cleaner.  A miraculous utensil that ensures that no drop of food goes uneaten.

He is my soulmate.

Look at him at work...

I was able to get every last drop of Ranch dressing out of the jar.

If that is not saving money/maximizing food... then I don't know what is.

I've asked him to move in with me.  He can share my closet.  And my bathroom.

And we will live happily ever after.

Sweet Caroline

Last Sunday, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend another baby shower for my soon-to-be niece, Caroline Ruth.

It was held at a new-to-me restaurant.... Lillian's.

Lillian's just happens to be located across the street from my new place of work.  And also just happens to be a place that I plan to visit often.

It has an INCREDIBLE sandwich menu.  Meaning that I would eat every single thing on it.

And I'm sure has a million other incredible things that I didn't see because I was too busy drooling over the avocado/sprout combination.

The restaurant was closed for the shower.  Which meant that we were made to feel extra special.

There was so much yumminess there. Red velvet cupcakes, boiled peanuts, sausage balls, and these delightful tomato pastry bites that I've been dreaming about every night since.  It was the perfect Southern baby shower.

And the hostesses didn't miss a detail.

It was perfect.

Even down to the "party" favors...

 How cute is this?

I LOVE this idea!

Not only is it precious.... but it is so useful.  Especially for grill freaks like us.  We can't wait to use the sauce.

But we can't wait to meet our niece even more!

Just a couple more months......

I'm Back!

....to my old self.  Completely and officially.

And with lots of random information.

The perfect way to spend a Friday.

Unless you actually have exciting plans.  Of which.. I do not.  And therefore my random Friday was pretty perfect.

It all started with an "a-ha" moment that I had yesterday.  A moment that reminded me that I have ONLY been at my new job for ONE month.

Just ONE month, folks.

It feels like it has been six.

In one month, I have successfully re-organized and cleaned the store from top to bottom, I have hired six people - two of which are managers, I have started claiming my new place as my own.

I would say that it has been pretty successful.  Even if it took me eleventy billion hours to do it.

My point is that I have been running around like a chicken without a head and feeling like there wasn't enough time in the day.... and I've actually accomplished a lot in a small amount of time.

Especially since my first week I was in Georgia in training.

So, for three weeks in my store.. I would say that is not too shabby.

And I'm sure that Kev is thankful that I have finally come to that realization.

I literally put my life on hold for this job.  It is my spastic OCD behavior that causes me to do things like that.

My realization has caused me to take a relaxing breath.

And re-focus on myself and Kev.

(You can't see Kev right now ... but he is jumping for joy!)

Today was my first REAL day off.  I mean.. I was off last Wednesday but I was reading training book after training book and spending more time on "work" than on myself.

Today, I chose to focus on me.

Which meant that I started it out by going to boxing class. 

Fight Club University has become quite the place to be.  They are offering SO many different classes and have upped their game in terms of training.  Believe me.. it is intense.  And gets worse more intense with every class.  The limit of people per class is six.  And today they had two classes overlapping each other... not to mention the multiple boxers being trained one-on-one. 

I pretended I was Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. 

Even if I looked like Gumby when I box.

I actually had sweat dripping off my eyelashes by the time I was finished.  And then my coach/instructor/boxer/drill sergeant offered me the entire gym in case I wanted to continue my training for the day. 

Um.  No thank you.  I was two seconds short of collapsing. 

So, naturally I went to the car and took I -phone pictures of myself to send to Kev to show him how sweaty I was.

He needed a good laugh.

And I was successful in giving it to him.

The rest of my day was spent running errands and doing chores.

Basically, catching up on life.

I won't bore you with all the details.... but scrubbing my fridge from top to bottom and re-organizing it's contents was part of my day.

It made me feel so much better. 

And when I called Kev to recap my day.... (because he is ALWAYS dying to know every detail of what I do... NOT!) his response was "You are back!!"

And I smiled so big that all of the wildlife fled for their lives having never seen chompers as gigantic as mine.

Then I passed out from delight when I realized that the herbs I had purchased for Kev "the plant whisperer" had grown to insane heights... 

 Look at all that goodness.  The basil has grown so tall that I'm sure there are treasures and a giant waiting at the top.

(That is a Jack and the Beanstalk reference... just in case you didn't know)

I mean.. I feel like it was just the other day when I was bringing home tiny little sprigs of herbs and asking Kev if he could make them grow.

I've been researching basil recipes for an hour.  It looks like basil is going to be the theme of summer.

Yay!

And I am currently roasting some blue (or purple?)  potatoes in the oven... potatoes with chopped rosemary.

I am so happy that I let rosemary in to my life.  We have such a great relationship.

Having my own herb garden has exceeded my expectations of joy. 

There is nothing like walking in to the sunroom and taking whatever herbs I need for my meal.

And speaking of meals....

Tonight's meal will include this...

It is straight out of my gift  bag sent from Heaven.  Part of getting back to normal means that I have planned an entire month's meals... most of which include something new and fun. 

I cannot wait to taste this salsa.  My mouth is watering as I type this.

Lucky for me it is time to make dinner. 

And lucky for you this random rambling post is over.

Hope you have a great Friday night!



It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Normal

Things are FINALLY starting to come together.  My life is slowly but surely getting back on track.

I'm sure you all are relieved.  :)

Today was the first day since I started my new job that I didn't go in early and/or stay late.

Mainly because my extra long "to-do" list is getting shorter and shorter by the minute.  Thanks to a VERY sweet friend that came in from Charleston to help me get my store in order.  It's not that I couldn't do it myself.... but two people are ALWAYS better than one ( unless you are on a single person raft on a waterslide) and she made the exact same transition that I did last August.  So, she has been there... done that and was able to offer some expertise.

And she also had a label maker. 

I believe she was also the first non-family person to stay in our house.

Which meant that we had to be on our very best behavior.  Luckily, we worked so much that she never got a chance to meet Kev. 

Crisis averted.

In fact, I have known her for over eight years.  And she has yet to meet the elusive man/guy/boy that I call my husband. 

He is sneaky like that.

And a recluse.

Regardless, we got so much done.  And I am feeling so much better.  And I can't thank her enough for all of her help.

Because of it, I was able to leave work ON TIME.  And I was able to go to the gym!!! ( I've missed it so much!)  I was able to run a little...( I do have a half marathon coming up soon.  One that I have done NO training for.)  And I was able to cook/kind of burn (by accident) dinner.  And I was able to make our lunches for the next two days.  Oh.. and I made Kev's dinner for tomorrow night.  Cleaned the kitchen.  Cleaned myself. 

And now I'm blogging.

It feels great to have a normal day.  :)

Now if I can just detox off of caffeine again.  Then I would be all set.

So, I realized this evening that I still have some recapping to do about the "wedding weekend".  About the event that took place the day after the wedding.

A baby shower.  For Holly and Kris AND Dave and Laura.

The shower was a couple's shower and was hosted at my parent's house.  We invited friends, church people, and family... which worked out great since they were all already here for the wedding.

Holly and Kris are having a BOY!

And Dave and Laura are having a GIRL!

I feel the need to apologize to every one that was hoping to see baby bumps.  Both moms-to-be have ways of hiding them... especially for the cameras.  Or maybe it is because I chose to only take a couple of pictures of them sitting down and failed to get any of real value.

It's because I was responsible for writing down the gifts.  At least that is the excuse I'm going to use. 

Once I picked up that pen... it was all over for my camera.

Both couples received the most generous and incredible gifts.  It was so much fun to see all of the things that my niece and nephew are going to be using or wearing.

Of course, Kev thinks all the things that a baby needs these days is ridiculous.

But then I'm sure people would say the same about our "needs" with food, cooking equipment, plants, and all things work out related.


My Mom had two cakes made.  One for Baby Craighead....

And one for Caroline Ruth...

I ate more than was necessary of the vanilla cake.  And then I ate some more.  The icing was scrumptious. 

Three days of cake.  And banana pudding.  And cheese.  And every thing else that you could possibly think there would be at a rehearsal dinner, a cookout, a wedding reception, and a baby shower.

It was worth every bite, though. 

Even if I did reverse every thing that the Spring detox/cleanse did to my body.

Hello Pepcid.  You have NOT been missed.

Not to worry though.... I will be back in the game soon enough. 

As long as I can get to Trader Joe's some time in the near future.



Family, Food, and Flies



Yes, I'm still talking about flies.  Aren't they extra annoying this year?  Or is it just me?

I feel like they come out of nowhere every time we sit down to eat.  I've had to start camouflaging the food with Army fatigues and then whispering that dinner is ready.

They are such a nuisance.

Anyhoo, I've realized that I have spent the past couple of posts talking about the wedding... and have pretty much failed to mention all of the extended family that came in to town.  Seeing family members that you rarely get a chance to see is one of the greatest things about having a major event in your life.

And yes, I'm starting to include my Marine brother and Army sister in that category.  Because they live far, far away and are rarely seen.

I've given up on my fairy tale idea of us all living in the same cul-de-sac and borrowing eggs and cheese from each other.

Like I would ever give up my eggs anyway.

We had family come from miles and miles and miles around.  At the last wedding ( which was just last year), I barely got to see or spend time with anyone because family was staying at hotels and at different homes and we just never got together.

Such a shame.

So, this time I decided that if people were up for it... they could come out to our house on Saturday afternoon.  We would be entertaining guests anyway... and it would give every one a chance to hang out and have something to do.

Luckily, people were.

My uncle Bud kicked off the morning by making a visit to my beloved Farmer's Market.  You know... the one that is right down the street.  I awoke to a counter top full of beautiful produce...

Uncle Bud worked endlessly in the kitchen.  He chopped and sliced and diced and mixed.  And created some incredible seasoned veggies and fruits. 

It was such a pleasure to have him in my kitchen!!  He is extremely creative and was able to teach me a thing or three.

Kev worked endlessly at the grill.  Shirtless.  The way all guys in Gaston cook their meat.

And then family started to arrive. 

My brother (soon-to-be Daddy) and Laura (mommy-to-be) and Bethany....

I need for you to notice that Dave and Laura are making the exact same faces in the above and below pictures.  If that isn't true love/soul mate stuff ... I don't know what is.

My awesome cousins... aka The Pawleys Island Peeps... Carrie and Angela!!! Carrie is getting married in November!!! And Angela is the mommy to the extremely precious Lillian!! 

Sweet Lillian with her Mommy....

Other family members joined as well.... My Aunt Laurie.  Her boyfriend John.  My (pregnant) sister Holly.  Husband Kris.  Bethany's boyfriend Teddy.  Cousin Ross.  My Mom and Dad. And Kev's Mom, Mary.

I loved having this sweet girl at my house!!!

The cookout was fun... but was over in the blink of an eye.  We had a wedding to get to.  More specifically, I had to leave early to do hair and makeup.  And bark out orders.  And poke my niece's eyeballs out... accidentally, of course.

But not before I got my fill of banana pudding.  It was the only way I could make it through the day.

Banana pudding has magic powers.  Especially the recipe from my cousin Brandy. 

It was AWESOME spending time with so many members of my family!! Absolutely awesome!!

And now I will just have to wait until November to do it again....

There are so many amazing things happening this year... We are SO blessed!!



Shannon + Randy

There are two things that you need to know about me.


#1.  I am SO incredibly sore right now and have been since my boxing class on Wednesday.  It was ridiculous for me to think that I could participate in such a hard class after hardly working out at all over the past couple of weeks.  Not to mention that I have worked several long days in a row... in high heels.  My legs are miserable.  I MUST get back to a routine soon!  Or invent a pair of pants that could double as a permanent ice bath.

But that would probably leak.  And make weird noises when I walked.  So, nevermind.

#2.  I have a LONG way to go as far as my photography skills.  But you probably already knew that.  I had this great idea for the wedding.... to just snap away like the pros.... and get lots of fun, candid pics that are hard to capture when people are posing. 

Um.  Well, that didn't work so well.  Instead we ended up with a million pics of randomness... and five pics of ok stuff.  Maybe it was all the constant lighting changes?  Maybe it was a shaky hand?  Maybe it was the weirdo in the black and white dress that doesn't know how to take to take pictures.

For the record... I wore a black and white dress.

Regardless, the wedding is done.  The pictures are done.  It is what it is.  Just don't ever ask me to be your photographer if you have high expectations.  Or ANY expectations at all.. for that matter.

As for the wedding...

The whole process and experience was so much fun!  It was just a laid back, down to earth, kick back and get comfortable, nobody cares if you spill food on your dress, kind of wedding.

Except for I didn't get "laid back" until AFTER the bride was ready.

I was responsible for the hair and makeup... ( stop laughing!)... and I may have taken it a little too seriously.  In fact, I was the ONLY one that was even stressed.  I've never seen a more calm bride.  She was just so happy to be getting married... so what if mascara is smudged on her face ( I was shaking... I had a LOT of caffeine).. so what if a huge chunk of hair was missing because I was frantically and violently yanking the curling iron around her head... ( ok - there really wasn't any hair missing... but there could have been) so what if I poked my niece in the eye and then told her to be quiet and stop whining about it.

Just in case you were wondering..... I'm a delight under pressure.

But every thing just had a way of coming together.  Every thing went so smoothly.  Every one did a great job.  Even 3 month old Abigail ( a bridesmaid) was as silent and calm as a feather while being pulled down the aisle in a wagon by her big brother.  And actually she stayed so happy throughout the entire evening.  Clearly, I need to take some lessons from her.  Or start drinking her formula...

After the ceremony, all of the guys..starting with Randy... donned sunglasses and picked up their fishing poles as they walked back down the aisle.  It was in honor of Randy... as he is a competitive fisherman... and pretty much spends every second he is not working on a boat on the lake.

My family... with kids and spouses...

Just the eight of us...

One of my favorite pictures......

Driving off in to the sunset..... (yes, this is what cars look like in Chapin!)

Then we got to the reception.

It was held on Shannon and Randy's property.... the new go-to place for events.  They have so much space and a building in the back yard that is perfect for parties... and storing fishing equipment.

Randy cooked some BBQ and we served it up with all kinds of sides.. like cheese.  And fruit.  And spinach dip.  And mini quiches.

It was the perfect spread of randomness and delight.  I ate so much that I am still full to this day... one week later.

Nothing is as classy as tailgating at a wedding reception....

Yes, that would be Kev.  Always prepared for a party.  Even with a comfy change of clothes.

The cake was AH-MAZING!!  My fave!! From Publix.  I would totally get married again just to get a cake from there.  Married again..... to Kev, of course.  And actually I can just go to Publix anytime and buy a cake.. or just a slice, for that matter.  So, scratch the getting married again.  It is too much work.

And that, my friends, was the LAST picture that I took.  Because my camera card was full.  And we totally forgot to do a toast, throw the bouquet, toss the garter, and I'm sure a million other things because we were just having so much fun.

I also didn't get a picture of the band..... who was fabulous! They played the best music and entertained us until midnight.  I even got up to dance... TWICE!! Which I NEVER do.. mainly because I can't dance a lick.  Thank goodness I had Kev to lead me.  And Bethany to teach me some moves. 

Shannon and Randy were thrilled with EVERYTHING!! They had such an amazing time and are SO happy to be married!! It was truly a great experience!!

And now I just need for my family to settle down a little bit.... maybe take next year easy... and give me some time to recuperate.  :) 

Except for a family as big as ours.... I don't think "settling down" is an option. 

And, now that I think about it.... I'm O.K. with that!

Back To The Real World

After a crazy wonderful weekend such as LAST weekend.... it is usually so hard for me to get back in a normal routine.

It's almost like I'm going through a de-tox.

From family.  From busy schedules.  From cake.

Except for "busy schedules" is my middle name.

Our house is so quiet. 

We are back to a (semi) healthy eating schedule.

I got my hair color fixed. ( so much better.... I will actually go back to her now.  maybe.)

And I worked out!  I went to boxing class.  It has been almost a month.  I'm dying right now.  And my legs have already turned in their resignation.

It was SO hard.  Like flipping the biggest tires I've ever seen across the floor hard.  Like jumping rope for three minutes straight and then dropping and doing one trillion push ups hard. 

I missed it so much.  And I'm sure they missed me too.  Even though I was running late and I got yelled at first thing.

I seriously want to be a boxer when I grow up.

I spent today getting caught up on me.  Which means... doing laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, getting caught up on work, and laying out by the pool. 

I even took a nap in my favorite float.  It was so relaxing.

And then I spent the early evening coming up with delicious meal ideas for the summer. 

Inspired by these surprise gifts...

These gifts were awaiting me when I got home Sunday night.   Our houseguests, The Martins, left them for us as a thank you for our hospitality.

They were completely unnecessary.... but oh so amazing.  And thoughtful.  And incredible.  And generous.

And I may have just screamed outloud and ran around the yard in circles.

It was truly OUR PLEASURE to have them stay with us.  We enjoy having them around SO much!

This is what was inside the bags....

All from Williams Sonoma.  My Aunt Sandi went "red themed" as that is my favorite color.  Salsas, bbq sauces, spatulas, spices, pizza crust, and the list goes on.

You better believe that I will be posting some recipes soon!!  I can't wait!!

And speaking of thoughtfulness and generousity.... Bethany's boyfriend, Teddy, gave us a very nice bottle of wine as a thank you.  Again... not necessary... but definitely a brownie point for him because it was our first time meeting him.  I would say that we absolutely approve!!

We always have the best company.

I love my family.  :)

I ended my day with a glass of this...

Created by Bethenny Frankel - one of the Real Housewives of NY ... just in case you live under a rock.  They are healthy (er) than regular maragaritas and super yummy.  Bethany and I were supposed to try them over the weekend... but, as usual, we ran out of time.  So, I drank one in her honor today and decided that it was for the best because that means there is more for me.

I've got a long time friend/co worker coming to stay with us tomorrow to help me get better settled in my new store.  Good thing that the house is still clean from the weekend.  We've just got a few more days of acting civilized and then it is back to throwing my clothes on the floor and drinking straight out of the milk carton.

Except I would never do that because I would end up spilling it all over myself.

Wedding details will be coming soon.....  

Just Married

Introducing...... The Bundricks!

The wedding came together perfectly.

And we had more fun last night than what should be allowed.

I will post more details as soon as I get my strength back.

And my senses.

But just know that it was a HUGE success!!

Congrats Shannon!!  I was THRILLED to be a part of your day!

Celebrating My Sis

Four months ago this happened....

Randy proposed to Shannon.

It was epic.  And beautiful.  And there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Randy has a way of doing that to people. 

I only wear waterproof mascara when I know I'm going to be around him.

I couldn't ask for a better brother (in law).  I couldn't ask for a better husband for my sister.  I couldn't ask for a better Dad for the kids.

We hit the jackpot with Randy. 

And we are all better for it.

(I hope Randy knows what he is getting himself in to!!)

We spent the day celebrating the bride.... with manicures and pedicures...

 Lunch at the Olive Garden...

 Practicing the ceremony...

 And having dinner at Alfredo's in Chapin.

(And I need for you to know that the chocolate cake was UNBELIEVABLE!!) 

(And you all know how I feel about chocolate.)

The other great thing about family events..... all the people that it brings "home".  I'm so excited to spend time this weekend with all of our family!!

But I'm even more excited that my sister has finally found the man of her dreams!!

The Night Before The Event

And all through the house....

Not a creature was stirring...

Not even a mouse.

Except I feel I should be honest.  There is a frog on the loose.

Even though he is outside.

Our BELOVED Froggles has returned from his winter slumber.

And is here just in time to welcome our guests.

Other things that are here to welcome our guests...

Our massive plant collection.  ( It is out of control!!)

And a (semi) clean house.

I have never claimed to be a good housekeeper.

I save all my energy for my workplace.

It is a good thing that it is just family coming over.

They will still love me any way.  Right?

We have food.  And drink.  And clean sheets.  And entertainment.

And air conditioning.

I think we are all set.

I'm looking forward to this weekend!!

It will NOT disappoint!!

Stay tuned for family, food, and fun.

But before I let you go... I must tell you about what we had for dinner.

Because it was pretty good.

It was from Chipotle.

The restaurant named after my favorite pepper.

It is pretty much next door to my workplace.

And it has been begging me to come in and try it.

A day like today was perfect... because I had a million things to do tonight and I had NO time to cook.

It was good.  Like healthy good.  It is kind of  hard to explain because it is not your usual "covered in cheese" "smothered in grease" kind of Mexican place.

Instead it is organic, local, and fresh. 

Which makes my skirt fly up.

You can read all about it here.

Kev got a steak burrito.  I got the "special" which was grilled chicken, cilantro lime rice, corn salsa, and pico de gallo.  With a side of guacamole.

It was delish.  And the guacamole was YUM.

It was a perfect meal for a busy night.

With plenty of leftovers. 

And now I'm off to get some sleep.  I need all the rest I can get.

This weekend is gonna get crazy!!

Busy and Blonde

My sister is getting married on Saturday.

My family is coming in to town on Friday.

I only have two more days of work before the festivities  begin.

I am ecstatic!!

And exhausted.

I've been doing everything in my power to tie up A LOT of loose ends at work.

Starting a new job the same time that a major family event was taking place was probably not the best idea. 

But it will all work out in the end.

Especially if I get a little help with making food for the reception and shower.  Wink.  Wink.

To top off my already busy week.... I had to find a LAST MINUTE hairdresser because I had to cancel on my usual one due to my work schedule.  And the last minute one went a little crazy.  With blonde coloring. 

In fact, my "just a little touch up to cover my gray" turned in to an all out brassy blonde helmet.

It's a good thing that I'm the wedding photographer.  It will ensure I won't be in any pictures.  :)

The hairstylist recognized her mistake immediately... and is going to fix it at no additional cost.  However, the problem is that I am OUT.OF.TIME.  Meaning that I seriously do not have a second to spare until Friday morning. 

So, brassy blonde it is.  Good thing the wedding is out in the country.  :)

Other than that, I haven't been to the gym in a week and my eating six healthy meals a day is nonexistent.

But the job is great!! And things are coming along. 

And every thing will be back to normal SOON!

Unless Kev buys a motorcycle. 

Because I've only told him about one bazillion times that he CAN'T have one.... and yet every time I look over at his computer screen... he is looking at motorcycles on line.

Yes, Kev.  If you are reading this... I know what you are up to.

And I'm not o.k. with it.

Stay tuned for pictures of the festivities.... I will have a LOT to talk about!!

Got Flies?

I've had it!!

With flies... that is.

I mean there is only so much "love every life" that I can tolerate.

Why do they have to be so annoying?

A couple of them got in to my house!!! And have been buzzing around ever since.

I can't even walk in to the kitchen without getting a "how do ya do?" from one of them.

I've got too much going on to deal with them right now.

So, I decided to do an age old trick of orange juice.

I say "age old"  and I probably mean "my age old".  Because it is possible that I came up with it.

You never know.

Anyway,  I filled a champagne glass with orange juice. 

And just sat and waited.

And waited.  And waited.  And waited.

For days, I tell ya.

And then it finally happened.  My juice mesmerized a fly.

 And that was the end of him.

And I felt victorious!!  And I jumped around the kitchen screaming.  And I embarrassed Kev in front of all of his vegetation.

I couldn't help it.

And just in case you want another picture of "proof".... here ya go...

Goodbye annoying fly.  Goodbye forever!!

And now if I can just catch your brother....

Then we would be back to normal.

Oh.  And maybe it would be wise to NEVER ask for champagne when you are at my house.

You could be drinking out of a fly catcher.