Musings on a Sunday Evening

• I spent the weekend visiting my boyfriend.  It is beyond wonderful to see him every week, even if we're still  few hours apart and "every week" sometimes means "for an hour for dinner on a random week night."  This weekend we saw each other Friday, Saturday and Sunday so no complaints.  I also get to see him on Tuesday so I'm a happy girl this week!  

• It is freaking cold outside in Wisconsin right now.  I'm handling the cold much better than I expected but my skin is like a lizard.  Disgustingly gross and dry.  If I'm handling the cold, my skin definitely isn't.  I have super sensitive skin so I have to be careful with some products but I'm open to suggestions.  Have you found anything that truly combats these nasty Northern winters?

• The boyfriend gave me the official Ugg slippers for Christmas.  I can say that I would never have spent the money on them myself but they are amazing and I don't think I could go without anymore.  My feet are never cold anymore.  It was the perfect Christmas present - something I did actually need, but a nicer version than I would pay for on my own so it's a little bit of luxury too.  He did good.  What has proven to be your favorite present from the holidays?

• I'm thinking of doing my first giveaway in the near future.  What would you like to win?  Visit and like the Facebook page to share some ideas.

• I am joining the YMCA tomorrow on a quest to get in better shape, lose some of the weight I gained while living in Kentucky, and simply get more healthy.  Oh and I have it in my head that I want to do a short duathlon this summer.  I must be crazy.  Any suggestions on how to stay motivated?

Is that the most random post you've ever read?  Probably.  Just some thoughts for you this evening!

One Word: 2013

I know this is really late but I think it's worth sharing anyway.

When I first heard about the One Word project, I knew I wanted to give it some thought and decide what word I could best use to describe what I want out of 2013.

If I had chosen a word for 2012, it would have been positivity.  It took me a while to think of something that could top that, but I found it.

I thought about going with trust.  I used to trust everyone without questioning.  After having that thrown back in my face one too many times, I've had a hard time getting back to trusting others.
I thought about going with happy.  I am truly happy right now and I want to keep it that way.
I thought about health.  I'm working on some things to get myself in better shape.
I thought about read or write because I really do want to focus on doing more of both of those things this year.

All of those things fell flat.  None of them really expressed what I wanted this year to be about.

The move back to Wisconsin was a chance for me - for once in my life - to follow my heart instead of my head.  To do what felt right instead of what I thought was right.  To put myself as a person - not as a student, employee, daughter, or girlfriend - first.  I learned very quickly that making this move and listening to what my heart was telling me made me a better everything.  I don't need to analyze everything.  Sometimes I just need to trust what my instinct is telling me.

Because of that, 2013 is all about heart.  It's actually going to be a tough one for me.  But I'm working on it and that's all living the one word is about.


Did you do a One Word post this year?  Link it in the comments if you did.  I can't wait to encourage everyone to live their word.

A Quick Review of 2012

Phew.  Now that the holidays are over and I'm a little more settled, I think I might have some more time to focus on the blog.  Maybe not because there never seems to be enough hours in the day but I'm going to try. That's all I can promise right now.

I haven't even had time to write my one word post even though I've chosen my word for 2013.  I haven't finished any good books even though I'm in the middle of three of them.  I never got Christmas cards out.  My tree is still up.  I have piles of laundry that need to be washed.  I've been busy.

I want to start this year by looking back at 2012, even if I'm a week late.  More specifically the last 6 months of 2012.

I started the year a little lost.  I had just been promoted at a job that I truly loved but that I knew I wouldn't be staying in much longer.  I spent the first part of the year trying to figure out how I could be happy in a place that simply wasn't home.  I started focusing on the positive in my life and finding ways to either cut out the negative or simply make it more positive.

I spent most of the summer traveling for work and driving back and forth from Kentucky to Wisconsin for weddings, parties, and family functions.  I moved into a wonderful studio apartment in Lexington just before the Fourth of July and then traveled home for my sister's wedding.

Let's be honest - for a variety of reasons, that wedding was the turning point in my year.

It made me realize that all of the driving back and forth was insane and that I really just wanted to be back by my family and friends.  I was missing things that I couldn't stand to miss anymore.  It was after the wedding that I started looking for the right job to bring my back to Wisconsin more seriously.

It was because of the wedding that I met the wonderful man that I am still dating.  Who knew that after all the crappy dates I've been on in the random states of lived in the guy that I really wanted to be dating was busy living with my new brother-in-law during college?

2.5 months ago, I decided to take a huge leap of faith.  I gave my preliminary notice at work, found someone to sublease my apartment, and applied for a job that I thought I might really like in a place I had never seen before that was only a few hours away from my family and friends (and yes, my boyfriend.)  I interviewed for the job, gave my actual notice, and got offered the job a week later.  I haven't looked back.  I have never once questioned my decision to move back.

It's hard to believe that I've been back in Wisconsin for 7 weeks already.  In some ways, it feels like I've always been here and that the years I spent down South are all a dream.

If 2012 was all about finding positivity in my life, I think I succeeded.  What does 2013 hold for me?  Check back Wednesday when I finally get around to revealing my word for the year!

Just a Little Something We Can Do...

A few days ago, while reading through some of my favorite blogs, I stumbled upon a little announcement about "Operation: Friendship for Newtown."  Like the group on Facebook if you want the most current info or want to follow along.

The gist of it is that this wonderful woman is collecting green and white friendship bracelets for the kids at Sandy Hook.  Remember back when those little friendship bracelets meant the world to you?  Yep, we're giving that little bit of love and hope back to these kids.  I went out and bought embroidery floss tonight (10 skeins of each color for a grand total of $7.00....... I mean come on.  It's the least we can do) and plan to spend my free time in the car this weekend making as many of these as my little fingers can handle.

Even though it's a minor thing for me to be sharing this with my limited audience, I wanted to anyway.  If you have any free time in the next week or so, please consider doing a little something for the students whose lives have literally been shattered.  It's not much but it's something we all can do so they know they haven't been forgotten.

It's Friday (Friday)

Am I the only one who sings this ridiculously annoying song in her head every single time she thinks about writing a Favorite Things Friday / High Five for Friday post?  Yes?  Moving on then....


As always (or when I have time to write these Friday posts) I'm linking up with Lauren!

1.  Did you see the announcement yesterday about the new Facebook page?  Still getting it 100% up and running but give it a look and like it if you feel so inclined!

2.  I'm finishing my second week at the new job and I confirm every single day that it was the right move for me to make.  Of course I miss my friends and coworkers from Kentucky and loved the work I was doing there.  But I am constantly amazed by the good work being done by my new employer and know that I will be able to make a huge difference by utilizing my talent here.

3.  Likewise, I've been living in my new apartment for just over two weeks and I still love it here too!  It's finally starting to look like a real home - as long as you don't look in the disorganized closets or ignore the stack of packing supplies about a mile high in the garage.  Plus I'm still missing a dining room table.  Anyone feeling generous and want to contribute to the "I really like a table that's a little out of my price range right now" fund?

4.  More than me liking the new place, my cats freaking love it.  They spend hours every night running up and down the stairs, chasing each other from room to room, and exploring closets.  Seeing them settle in makes a huge difference for me.

5.  The best thing about the last two weeks?  Getting to see my friends and family on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, I'm not making the trek to Minneapolis to celebrate my best friend's birthday this weekend like originally planned but just knowing that all of my favorite people (minus my little sister) are just a short drive away is a huge relief.  Already feels like home.

Happy weekend everyone!

Throwback Thursday

I am seriously missing my little sister right now.  The best thing about my moving home is that I will get to see my family more often.  But considering that my sister is living in North Carolina with her husband, kicking vet school's butt, I still won't get to see her as often as I'd like.

Just for good measure, one more photo of how awesome we used to be...

Sweet pants to both of us.  Extra sweet haircut and fanny pack to me.

Ode to my Home State

I don't think it's a secret to anyone who knows me that I have always been, and will always be, a Wisconsin girl.  My friends and family are up in Wisconsin (or Minneapolis, but that's pretty much the same thing minus their crappy football team), I am totally a beer, cheese, and football kind of girl, and I can even say I don't mind the winters that much.

When I left the Midwest four years ago to move to Nashville, I really didn't believe I'd ever go back north.  Maybe to the Twin Cities, but certainly not to Wisconsin.  I have always loved my home state but I didn't know if I would ever want to live there again.

I was wrong.

In the last year and a half, I have grown increasingly homesick.  Not in the I can't wait to visit sort of way but more of the I wish I never had to leave way.  My trips back have become more frequent and much longer than in the past.  I've started reconnecting with some of the people I used to be friends with and started keeping an eye out for the right job that could bring me home.

The thing is that I truly love my life in Kentucky.  I love my job most days, have an excellent apartment even if I've only lived there for a few months, have amazing friends even if it took me a while to find them, and almost appreciate horse racing and basketball even if I'll never get into drinking bourbon.  I knew I wouldn't leave for just anything.  Kentucky could easily have become home to me.

For a wide variety of reasons - my family, my best friends, and yes of course my boyfriend even if he wouldn't want to read that - I decided a few months ago to get serious about this whole moving back to Wisconsin thing.

Suddenly the time felt right to get it over with.  To leave this place that I've come to love and to build my life in a place that is so amazingly familiar and supportive and wonderful to me.

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks to say the least because, all of a sudden, everything came together quickly.

Two weeks ago, I still didn't think I'd be leaving for another couple of months at least.  And then, in less than 24 hours, I found a sub-leaser for my apartment.  Once that was done, I decided to give my notice at work because I had a few things in the works up in Wisconsin and figured I could get a serving job to get by until I found something full-time.  And then I was offered an awesome job - in my field, doing something I love, for a company that I think will be amazing to work for.

All of that is to say, I'm moving back.  I will officially be home by Thanksgiving.

Some of you are probably thinking that all came in the wrong order - give up my apartment, quit my job, then get a new one - but honestly, everything about it was perfect.  I simply had to trust that it would work out. I wasn't wrong.

I'm so sad to be leaving my friends here and will miss everyone dreadfully.  At the same time, I am so incredibly excited for what lies ahead.  Wish me luck!

Nostalgic Storytelling

I just realized that I'm still sitting at work. I've been here alone for almost an hour. I very rarely work late. Yes, I'm being productive but I could be productive at home.  

I'm sitting here to avoid going home to an empty apartment, so that I don't have to sit there and listen to my cat cry constantly like she's lost something (I know exactly what you're feeling, baby), and because the thought of going home and eating "our" leftovers is enough to make me want to cry into my microwaved steak.

Just call me that girl.

Instead of working some more, I thought I'd put off the inevitable by writing for a bit.

Even before this (incredible, awesome, and amazing) weekend, I've been feeling homesick. I was getting used to going home every few weeks this summer. Yes, it was exhausting and expensive, but it was so wonderful to see my family and friends on a regular basis. Things are so incredibly good here in Kentucky right now but I, of course (and not unexpectedly), miss home.

Whenever I get nostalgic, I reach for old favorites from the bookshelf. It hit my exceptionally hard while traveling a few weeks ago, however, and I didn't have my trusty books to turn to. Thankfully, a few months ago while organizing the ridiculous backlog of Kindle stories I had downloaded to read, I added in a few classics - it started with a few of the Anne of Green Gables books. I then downloaded a few shorter books by L.M. Montgomery that I had yet to get to in all my years of reading. I am so glad that I did. 

I know fall is coming when I'm feeling down, lonely for home, and just want to curl up with something enchanting. My old friend Lucy Maud did not disappoint.

I started with The Story Girl, the story of a young girl who takes everyone to another world with her story-telling ability. I've marked it as a new favorite. If I had children, I would want to read it out loud to them, one chapter at a time, like my mom and dad did for us with so many of the classics. The children in the story get into the most delightful antics and scrapes and this book is meant to be read to others, with a piece of pie balanced on one knee and a childish giggle just waiting to be  let loose on the other. (I tried reading it to the cats - you wish I were kidding - and it just didn't do the trick.)

After finishing The Story Girl, I moved on to Kilmeny of the Orchard. Like so many of Montgomery's books, it dwells in a simple time where an innocent, albeit admiring, friendship blossoms into love - love that is without caring about the challenges that stand in their way. Can anyone say "bawl like a baby when the plot finally comes together?" Because I did that. Not ashamed to admit it.

If you haven't read these two stories by a classic favorite, go out and do so immediately. Did I mention they're both free for Kindle? Perhaps the best thing about classics. Pour yourself a glass of wine or make some cocoa on the stove (or both), put on your sweatpants, pop some popcorn and settle in for a night. Just ignore the fact that it may still be 90 degrees where you are (like it is here) and pretend that it's actually fall. 

While reading these new favorites, your mind slows down and you're able to just breathe for a while. A refreshing change for someone whose brain always moves to fast, who has too much on their plate, and who wants to be transported.

New Apartment Unveiling: Living Room

Welcome back to the apartment!

Today we're looking at the living room area. This area saw a lot of furniture re-purposing, as well as a few key additions (and a few yet to come) so I'm excited to share it with you.

Let's start with sharing Charlie's new favorite place in the apartment before moving on to the actual space, shall we?

The girls' beds are tucked under the chaise lounge. While Charlie also really likes climbing to the top of the bookshelves - you'll see them later! - she's taken to napping in Lady's cat bed underneath the chaise for hours on end. There have been Saturdays where she only comes out to eat and then climbs back underneath there. Too cute.

Ready to see the rest of the room? Click the link below!

Favorite Things Friday

For any number of reasons (I was traveling, I was dealing with the blog identity crisis, I was simply too busy), I missed Favorite Things Friday last week. And by missed, I don't just mean skip. Sitting down to think about the top five things for the week - whether it's a theme week or just a general catching up on my week - is such a great way to usher in Fridays and end the work week! Not doing that last week left a bit of a void. Who knew?

Pretty simple to think of my five favorite things right now. In no particular order...

1 - Football season started last week. Which is exciting unto itself but even more so right now because I am so over this summer heat and football equals fall. Warm sweaters, boots, and hot cocoa nights will be here before we know it.

2 - I ate homemade mashed potatoes for dinner last night. And by that, I of course mean there was also a pork chop and cob of corn involved. But mostly mashed potatoes. As in, all I wanted for dinner was mashed potatoes so I choked down the rest of the (delicious but not potato) food, loaded the plate in the dishwasher, and ate another batch of potatoes from the mixing bowl. I have no idea why I wanted them so badly but don't be surprised if I ate the leftovers for breakfast this morning. That sounds weird because I'm writing this Thursday night.  Whoops!

3 - As I was writing this Thursday night, I received an excellent test message from one of my very best friends.

The caption read: "We thought you might enjoy this book!!" Of course I love that book! 
I love it for so many reasons. 
I love it because it's about cats (obviously) and my best friend's little boy thinks my cats are cool - even if his dad disagrees. 
I love it because my best friend and her husband are ridiculously awesome parents and read with their little ones - which should be a given, but we all know it's not always happening in households these days.
Most of all, I love it because it makes me so happy that I don't have to live near my friends in order to be close to them and their children. I miss these kids dreadfully - as I've mentioned before - but I'm still a part of their life. They think to send my texts like this and that's just awesome.

4 - I'm traveling next week for work again, but this time I'm going to Boston. I've never been to Boston so I'm excited to meet new alumni, see a new city, and then fly back to go to a football game (see number 1!) Thursday night. The next two weeks are going to go REALLY fast.

5 - I've been pretty vague about my last favorite thing but suffice it to say it has to do with a boy. He'd probably be mortified that I even said that much but he said once that he wasn't going to read my blog anyway so he'll probably never see this. Plus, I've gotten enough emails asking if I'm leaving my job, moving, pregnant, , that I figured I needed to let you in on the suspense a little. So no, I'm not doing any of those things listed above. That's all I'm going to say about it but considering it's still a favorite thing, that says something, doesn't?

I need this weekend so badly. Mostly being my to-do list is huge right now. TGIF!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

Good Morning!

It was a great weekend so I figured I'd follow the trend for the last few weeks and link up to tell the blogosphere all about it!

The Good - I spent the weekend in North Carolina for my little sister's white coat ceremony for vet school. Yep, the same little sister who just got married a month ago. This summer alone she got married, bought a house, and started vet school. So proud of her.

The visit included both of these critters:

Apparently a Saturday at my sister's looks very much the same as visiting me, except there are different animals involved. 

The Bad - The trip to NC didn't start out so great. Flat tire drama. I left 4 hours later than I planned and then hit torrential downpours so was further delayed, meaning I didn't get to NC until almost 4am. I'm still tired I think. But, as I posted on Facebook, it could have been worse. I could have...
-Gotten a flat tire somewhere in the mountains instead of in my parking garage.
-Worked a full day and not discovered said flat until 6pm instead of at 2pm.
-Been in a strange city and not had awesome friends and coworkers to come help me.
-Spent way more than $19 to fix the problem.
-Not asked for an ETA after waiting for an hour and a half at Sears for them to patch said tire so could have waited even longer for a car that was already finished.
-Not been able to go to NC at all.

The Ugly - I think I'm mentioned before that I get sunburn extremely easily. I carry sunscreen in my purse and reapply at least once an hour if I'm in any way, shape, or form in the sun. Including while driving. SPF 30 every hour while driving should cut it, right?  Wrong.

Somewhat hard to see, but I'm fried.

The Uglier - I didn't burn evenly of course.

One shoulder is pasty white while the other is going to be purple tomorrow. Sucks.

Favorite Things Friday!

How is it Friday again already? This summer is flying by and moving so slowly at the same time. Is it Labor Day yet? PLEASE?

Anyway, before I get to my typical Favorite Things Friday / Hive Five for Friday post, I need to get something off my chest. I realized something yesterday. Something worth celebrating as more than just a favorite thing.

There's been kind of a big thing happening in my life lately that I haven't talked much about, other than a hint here or there. Honestly, there have been a lot of big things in my life lately - lots of life changing decisions being made - all of which have been teaching me little things. While talking to a friend of mine yesterday, I had an epiphany though.  

I realized (for sadly the first time that I can remember) that I deserve to have people in my life who make me happier.

What's that? That's an epiphany? Yep.

See, I'm a giver. I like to make other people happy, sometimes at my own expense. I also don't like to be a burden on anyone else so I'm quick to take care of myself, pamper myself a little, and don't expect others to go out of their way to make my life easier. I can do it on my own. I don't ask a lot of my friends and family (at least I don't think I do) and am perfectly happy on my own.

Take note. The realization had nothing to do with needing other people in my life in order to be happy. Not in the least. Read it again. The realization was that I deserve to have people in my life who are willing to make me happier.

It may not make sense to you all but it's blowing my mind.

Even better? My life is full of those people right now. Think I'll keep all of you around for a while!

So let's call that my very favorite thing that happened to me and proceed with the next four, shall we?

New Apartment Unveiling: Bathroom

Now that the apartment is finally settled, I'm excited to share it with all of you! I'm sure my mom is happy too - I've made her wait to see pictures until it's all done. Not that my place is that exciting - I didn't paint any of the walls beyond the basic apartment off-white, even though I could have, but I do think I have a unique sense of style and an amazing ability to re-purpose and reuse furniture! As I'm sharing my spaces, I'll try to point out the new uses for things.

Today I'm sharing my bathroom with you. So without further ado, click below to see the bathroom unveiling!

Favorite Things Friday!

Is it really Friday again?  I mean, this has been just about the longest week ever but still.  Where is the time going?  July is almost over!

Without further ado, here are my top five favorite things this week!

1.  My sister and the new hubby will be spending the night with me tonight.  Them, their 47 lbs dog, their cat, me, and my cats.............. in a studio apartment.  Should be interesting but I'll take any time I can get with them!

2.  My girls are really loving the new place, which is making me happy.  They spent lots of time like this...

They love watching the world go buy and while the world looks really really small right now because we're really really high up, the girls don't seem to mind.

3.  Speaking of being really really high up, the view from my apartment is awesome.  Last night, I snapped these photos following one of the many storms that have blown through this week.  Note the cool shadows from the sunset, the rainbow, and the view itself!

4.  In preparation for creating a photo collage wall, I've been going through old pictures.  My best friend and I take a lot of pictures and seeing them all made me miss her dreadfully.  We're working on finding a weekend that she can come visit because we haven't seen each other since April but even if it doesn't work out due to the fact that we are both ridiculously busy, it's so awesome to know that she's even trying to come see me that it's definitely worthy of the number four spot.

5.  Can I keep number five a secret still?  Yes?  Good, because number five is actually by far my favorite thing about this week but I'm not ready to talk about it yet.  Suffice it to say that there is a number five.

Linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk Blog

Redefining Happiness

A while back, I wrote a post "Celebrating Women" in honor of Mothers Day.  In addition to the writings I've done on the topic, I've been following along with some of the "Mommy Wars" (please tell me you didn't miss this little gem from The Bloggess) which really aren't limited to "Mommies" but rather have tentacles to women everywhere who are just trying to do the best they can.  Too much of the conversation these days is negativity about how women are perfect at one aspect of their life and not at every other area.

The latest controversial post to hit the big time is this article by Anne-Marie Slaughter entitled "Why Women Still Can't Have it All."  Her article, written from the perspective of an incredibly high-powered woman, resonates with me big time.  I've been doing a lot of soul searching about what my priorities are, what I see for my future, whether I ever want to settle down and start a family, what kind of person I want to be remembered as... all big things hanging over my head for the last six months or so.  I don't know what all of my answers will be to those big questions yet but I do know that I need to redefine my own version of the American Dream if I want to survive.


I've learned that no one, not men or women, no one can possibly survive and really have it all because our definition of "having it all" is a disaster.  Something has to suffer because we are not super-human.  I hate to break it to all of you out there who are still "living the dream" but it isn't possible to do everything perfectly 100% of the time!  And it may never be possible but certainly not right now.  I love Slaughter's closing paragraph of the article.

We’ll create a better society in the process, for all women. We may need to put a woman in the White House before we are able to change the conditions of the women working at Walmart. But when we do, we will stop talking about whether women can have it all. We will properly focus on how we can help all Americans have healthy, happy, productive lives, valuing the people they love as much as the success they seek.

Re-envisioning what "success" means is a tough lesson for me sometimes because I truly love being seen as someone who excels in a career-focused environment.  I like being a big fish in a small pond, if you will, but in order to be that, even though I'm new to this whole career thing and not finished with my education, I have had to set other things aside.

I don't even have a family yet or possibly ever (aka - children... because you couldn't possibly have a family if you haven't given birth) and I've still had to make some tough decisions about how I want to prioritize my life.  I took a job in a city where I didn't know anyone, far away from my family, in order to excel in my career.  I've done exactly that.  But for the first 2 years that I lived here, that was all that I did.  I can honestly say that I didn't really have friends in that time - much less have any semblance of a dating life.  In order to be closer to my family, I'll probably have to take a step back in my career.  I have always wanted to pursue my PhD but that requires me to put my career on hold completely and probably move to an entirely new and different place.    As I've realized that I can't put relationships on hold, and can't rule out the fact that I may want to settle down some day, I've realized that might mean making sacrifices in my career.  The problem is, I don't like sacrifice.


That being said, the latest realization I've come to is that maybe I don't need to be "the best" at anything.  Maybe just being average at it all is ok.  I hate mediocrity but that's not what I'm talking about.  Maybe it's absolutely perfect not to climb so high in my career, pursue the terminal degree in the same way I once thought, marry a rich doctor and have a dozen perfectly adjusted kids.  


Maybe the American dream, having it all, should be more along the lines of finding a career that you love and that you are decent at, get as much education as you enjoy getting, fall in love if you meet someone worthy of sharing the rest of your life and have kids if it suits you.  


It's not lowering expectations.  It's redefining happiness.  At least for me it is.

I'm Back!

Not having internet, followed by a week of wedding madness, has completely ruined the good blogging cycle I was in.  But have no fear, I'm back and ready to share all sorts of neat things with you guys!

Couple of quick updates before my lunch hour ends.
- The move is progressing nicely.  The only room that is in the least bit organized is the bathroom but it was nice to have an organized space to get ready in this morning so I'm ok with that.  Pictures to come as I finish things up!  Expect the first batch of photos this week sometime.

- Being home last week was so crazy busy, nevermind that I completely forgot to do / pack / bring back with me half of the things that I was supposed to do, but it was wonderful to be home.  I described the last few days of my visit as "wedding-themed summer camp."  It's was surreal and I feel like I came home with a whole new group of friends.  I have to say, my little sister sure knows how to pick great people to be in her life!

- The wedding itself was perfect. My sister and her husband (I think I've referred to him as her fiance more times that I can count today - I'll get used to the change!) are off on their honeymoon.  I think they thought the wedding was as perfect as the rest of us thought.  Photos to come, I promise.

- The new blog design should be up and running in the next couple of weeks.  I am so excited for the change - just have to get my "designer" a few more things that she needs, and probably give her lots of glasses of wine as a thank you for helping me redesign the blog completely redesigning my blog with a sad level of input from yours truly, and it'll be live.  Woo whee!

Ok, back to work.  The to do list couldn't possibly longer after being gone for more than a week.  I am so tired that it's hard to keep moving today.  Maybe tonight I'll just sleep and let the unpacking take care of itself.

Early Morning Musings

My girls and I are very used to being alone.  Just the three of us.  A little person-cat family with habits all our own.  Not really all that different than a person-child family.

Every morning, sometime between 4:00am and 6:00am, Charlie (the baby) wakes up, crawls up to my chest, looks lovingly into my face and lets out this truly pitiful, questioning “MEOW” that I have come to realize means “Mommy, is it time to get up and play yet?”  Typically, I pat her head until she snuggles into the crook of my arm and we drift off to sleep again.  At least until she wakes up a few minutes later and repeats her morning ritual.

Lady Bug (the older sister) will sleep as long as I sleep.  She harrumphs her way onto the bed every night, sprawls in the small space between my left side and the edge of the mattress, and falls asleep with her head rested on her paws.  Most mornings, I wake up to her squished between me and the edge of the mattress, sprawled to get the best angle of the fan, with her head on her paws – in absolutely the same position as the night before.  She meows a little meow at me and snuggles in until I’m ready to get up.  Lady knows that when I am ready to get up, the world will start moving very quickly around her and she relishes quiet moments like this.

Today, Lady Bug got up a bit before me.  When she realized she was up a little early, she climbed back on the bed and laid her head on my leg, waiting patiently until I got up and turned the bathroom faucet on for her morning drink of cool running water.  Charlie ran circles on the mattress, twisting and turning, rolling around to rub her head on the cool sheets, meowing and whining as if it was the greatest injustice that I was not yet ready to get up and play.

To be greeted by my babies every morning is a wonderful thing.  Every single day, I wake up knowing that where ever I am, I am home.  I may not have a husband or children, but I do have my own little family.  In the next four days, we will switch apartments again – this will be the fourth apartment Lady has lived in during her three short years of life – and then pack up the car to drive north to Wisconsin to see the family and celebrate my little sister’s wedding.  The girls will be with me for every step of the way, calming my stress and allowing me to calm theirs.  We will experience virtually the same morning ritual that we always do, only we will be in my parents’ basement instead of our own bed.  We will wake up every morning and have a bit of quiet time before the rest of the world intervenes.  It’s moments like these that I live for, that keep me grounded when the world seems a little too crazy for comfort.

Favorite Things Friday

Hey friends!

No theme this week because, quite frankly, I'm too tired to be creative and theme-y.  Instead, I'll stick closer to the High Fives for Friday format that Lauren at From My Grey Desk uses.  Sorry if that disappoints in any way.

1.  I'm moving to this building!  (Also, my post from yesterday didn't publish somehow and it's a fun and interactive one so keep scrolling and enjoy yourselves.  At this point it's already a little outdated but it'll do!)

 2.  My baby sister gets married TWO WEEKS FROM TOMORROW!  Ah!!!  Way back when they got engaged (two years ago) I planned to write a post about them and it never happened.  Expect wedding posts soon.  Because really, after I move next week, that's all I'll be thinking about for a good week!

3.  That nail polish from yesterday is still a high-five.  Seriously.  It's rocking my world.

4.  The blog address has changed - subtly.  I started the blog before I had two little munchkins (the photo is from the first day I had Charlie.  My how they have grown.) and never got around the changing the address.  So I've finally added the "s" officially instead of just having an (s) in the title.  I needed to make the change now because.......


5.  My dear friend Lindsay (why do I always call her that when I write about her?!) is in the process of helping me revamp the blog.  Stay tuned, friends.  I'm jazzed about the upcoming changes and am so happy she's forcing me to stop procrastinating.  Even if she is a total pain in my butt for adding one more thing to the to do list right now.


Happy Friday!

Happy Birthday Lady Bug!

Lady turned 3 yesterday, which means I've had for a 2.5 years. 

The last 2.5 years have been pretty full (for me and for her, I'm sure considering that she's seen more of the world than some children at 3).  That's 2.5 years of moving, traveling and road tripping, working, snuggling, reading, arguing, and loving.  I didn't even like cats that much when I first got her and now I literally could not imagine my life without Lady and Charlie to go home to.  They really do make anywhere I'm living feel like home.

Below is a photo collage of some of our favorite moments in Lady's 3 years.  The day I brought her home, the day I brought Charlie home, outfits I've made her wear (my favorite moments, not hers), football games, days she came to work with me, driving to my parents' house, hours looking out the window at the world outside, and countless mornings and nights spent cuddling in bed.

Enjoy!

Movie Review: Dear Frankie

If you didn't know, I have a not so secret obsession with films that have unique and mind-provoking story lines.  Ok, I have a not so secret obsession with movies in general (see my post on Battleship from a few weeks ago) but I really do like a good story.

I had the pleasure of spending last Sunday with my grandmother.  This grandma loves movies as much as I do.  She also has impeccable taste in attractive actors.  (When I was in middle school, I received her copy of People's Most Beautiful People issue in the mail, complete with post-it notes marking her favorites as well as mine.  She's a hoot.)  Her current favorite is Gerard Butler so to kill a few hours Sunday afternoon, we put in a favorite movie of hers starring her current favorite actor which I had never seen.

Dear Frankie is the story of a young, deaf boy who lives with him mother and grandmother.  While his father is not part of the family, the story is narrated by Frankie's letters to his "Da."  You learn early on that his Da is not really receiving the letters.  Instead, his mother has created an elaborate lie regarding why his father is not involved and is reply to the letters herself.

The story that follows is of a mother who is trying desperately to give her son the best possible life and a young boy who truly wants his mother to be happy.  Gerard Butler plays a stranger that the mother hires to act as Frankie's father.  The interaction between characters is heart-warming at its highs and heart-wrenching at its lows.  The movie is loaded with strong emotions and keeps you wrapped up in the story from the very beginning.

Dear Frankie is a simple film in that it focuses on a very short time period in a very small family's life together.  But the story that is woven for the audience is complex and (I thought) unpredictable.

The next cold and rainy day you have (it may be June but the weather has been beyond unpredictable), go out and rent Dear Frankie.  Curl up on the couch under a warm blanket, make a mug of cocoa, and prepare to have your heart warmed.