The Ramblings of Mrs. Hargrave

Real life...

2012-03-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

Today's run pretty much sucked.

After the high of last week's 20-minute run, I was expecting to breeze right through today's 5-minute/8-minute/5-minute run. Except that I started walking about a minute early on the 8-minute run and couldn't even come close to finishing the last 5-minute run.

Yuck.

But oh well. I've got to remember that I've come SO far from where I started, and I'm not always going to be able to perform at 100%. That's just real life. :)

Other than that, we've had a fantastic weekend! We had "date night" yesterday, which was great. We started at Pottery Barn, made our way to NorthPark and Cheesecake Factory, and ended with some rentals from Redbox (and for those of you who were wondering, the Footloose remake was pretty abysmal, although I really do love me some Julianne Hough).

Today we had lunch with Micah's family to celebrate his dad's birthday, and Micah's brother's wife and I made this cute candy card that she found on Pinterest.

(Don't mind those two missing airheads... :))

This afternoon, we just picked up some groceries (so be looking for a meal-planning post tomorrow!) and chilled at home. I made Micah a sweet treat (and will be sharing the recipe soon!), and now I'm really looking forward to a nice, long bubble bath.

Hope you guys had a phenomenal weekend! :)

Project Scripture: Week Eleven...

2012-03-11T16:51:00.001-05:00

I really love this week's verse because it's essentially the foundation of our faith. Happy memorizing!

Amazon deals...

2012-03-08T12:00:00.000-06:00

I stumbled across two Amazon deals today that I just had to pass on...

First, you can download Lady Antebellum's Own the Night album for only $.25 (click here)!!!!

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Amazing, right?

Second, you can snag a silver KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer for only $197.99 after mail-in-rebate (click here)!!!

This is seriously an awesome deal on the professional mixer - you can't even get the smaller, plain white mixer for that price! But mail-in rebates are a pain, so check at all the details here before you buy.

And if you're even remotely interested in either of these, snatch them up soon because Amazon changes its prices at random. Happy shopping, y'all!

What counts...

2012-03-07T20:28:00.002-06:00

Tonight I ran for twenty minutes without stopping.

It was awful.

And awesome.

And I feel like my legs might fall off. (Especially after the dadgum "sexy legs workout" I did last night.)

But I did it, and I suppose that's what counts. :)

Quick and easy dinner recipes...

2012-03-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it's really hard to squeeze dinner in on workout nights. I usually leave work around 5:30, and by the time I get home and changed, it's usually 6:30 or so before we can start. And after we finish, I'm out of commission for at least fifteen minutes while I attempt to regain the ability to breathe normally, so dinner isn't even on my radar until about 7:30.

So on workout nights, we usually do one of three things for dinner: (1) have something cooking in the Crock Pot so it's waiting for us when we finish running, (2) have something easy that Micah can put together for us while I recover on the couch :), or (3) go grab Subway or Chipotle after we finish.

Just in case any of you also have trouble fitting dinner in, I thought I'd share some of our quick/easy dinner ideas.

{Crock Pot Recipes}

I big, red puffy heart my Crock Pot. I love being able to set it on low when I head to work in the morning and have it do all the hard stuff while I'm gone. One of my favorite Crock Pot recipes isn't super diet-friendly, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway. It's called Angel Chicken, and it's delicious.

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It calls for a whole stick of butter, but I've done it with half a stick instead and reduced-fat cream cheese, and it's still super yummy. So try it that way if you're trying to cut calories. Serve it over some rice (which you can stick in a rice maker before you head out to run), and you're good to go!

For more figure-friendly Crock Pot recipes, check out skinnytaste.com's slow-cooker recipes. The Chicken Ropa Vieja looks amazing, and I love her idea of making it into a "Chipotle" burrito bowl with some cilantro rice and black bean salad!

We've also made this Slow Cooker Cilantro-Lime Chicken, which was delicious!

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{Other Quick and Easy Dinners}

Micah has really gotten into mixing up salads for us lately. Now truthfully, he sometimes loads it up with more "bad" stuff than I probably would, but they're always delicious. Here's my favorite version:

- romaine lettuce (I fork over the big bucks for the pre-washed stuff because the convenience is worth it to me)

- grilled chicken (I buy the pre-cooked/sliced stuff, and a big bag usually works for 2-3 meals)

- grape tomatoes (again, more expensive than buying romas and cutting them up, but much easier)

- reduced-fat feta cheese

- kalamata olives

- dried cranberries

- croutons (optional)

- Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

(And if you've got some strawberries lying around, they'd also be a great addition to this salad.)

You could also do something like these Skinny Chicken Enchiladas, which could be prepared ahead of time and then thrown into the oven right when you get back from your workout.

Another favorite of mine is my Summer Spaghetti. You could use whole-grain pasta and throw in some pre-grilled chicken for protein for a healthier version. And it's really quick to throw together.

Lastly, but not least, we love to do my Papaw's Tilapia with some roasted asparagus. Both take less than 15 minutes to bake and are super simple to prepare.

How about you guys - what are your favorite quick and easy recipes?

Just a few things worth noting this morning...

2012-03-05T08:46:00.000-06:00

- If your husband asks sweetly for a fruit smoothie for breakfast, don't forget that you've given up all non-water drinks for Lent and devour half a blender's worth of the darned thing on accident. (Becuase if you're going to cheat, it might as well be on purpose with a Diet Coke!)

- In-N-Out is good. Maybe it's just because it's the first burger I've had in months, but it was totally worth the calories. (Although the fries definitely weren't.)

- Running eight minutes at a time isn't as hard as I thought it'd be, but I feel certain that tomorrow's 20-minute run will be.

- I stopped in to pick up a few things at Marshall's this weekend because all of my work clothes are falling off, and, for the first time in a long time, everything I bought was in the "normal" section!

- My sweet husband turned 26 on Saturday, and I can't tell you how happy I am that he was born. This life just wouldn't be any fun without him.

- Our Sunday School class has joined in on Project Scripture, and it's really neat to see God working through this simple thing that started with a half-priced picture frame and a can of spray paint.

- I'm having dinner with a friend at Cheesecake Factory tonight and then heading to watch my man play softball. I haven't seen him kick butt on a field in a long time, and I'm excited. :)

That's about it from me! Anything exciting going on with you guys this morning?

Project Scripture: Week Ten

2012-03-04T18:00:00.000-06:00

Two months, down... ten to go. :)

Here's the verse for Week Ten!

Good in the hard...

2012-03-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Truthfully?

I was dreading the run last night.

I hadn't run since last Saturday because I got violently ill on Sunday and didn't feel 100% until yesterday, and I knew it was going to be tough getting back into the swing of things. Plus, I was moving up to Week Five, so I was losing the security of the "easy" three-minute running intervals that I had finally gotten used to and bumping up to all five-minute running intervals.

But you wanna know what?

It honestly wasn't that bad.

There were a few tough spots (mostly up hills), but I ran the whole five minutes each time, and I could feel that I was going faster than I did last week. And I remembered how good it used to feel to me to finish strong during my workouts in high school (I know it's sad that high school athletics is the only point of comparison that I have, but at least it won't be for long :)), so during the last running interval, I found myself all-out running during the last thirty seconds or so. And I actually could have kept going when Lola (is it weird that I gave my virtual Couch-to-5K trainer a stripper name?) told me that the workout was over.

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It's probably so lame, but Francesca Batistelli's Beautiful Beautiful came on during my cool down, and I actually teared up listening to it. Because this thing that I'm doing isn't pretty. I'm a chubby, sweaty, red-faced mess every time I finish a workout, and I'm still slow as Christmas.

But even so, I can feel God making something beautiful out of me. Sure, I'm losing pounds, and I'm slowly starting to look like me again. But He's also teaching me self-control and patience and persistence. He's teaching me that I'm stronger than I think and that, even when I'm not, He's more than capable of carrying the weight. I'm learning what it means to push myself beyond what I thought I was capable.

And I'm also learning that this man is a saint.

Truly. He runs with me, night after night, staying behind me so I don't really even know that he's there. Letting me have these moments for myself, but supporting me in his quiet, perfect way. (And all the while, dealing with our crazy dog who isn't always easy to handle.)

I'm learning that there's good in the hard. And that what's hard today probably won't be quite so hard tomorrow.

But then again, I do bump up to eight-minute runs tomorrow, so maybe it will. :)

Hands lifted high...

2012-02-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

I finally made it to Isaiah last night. After deciding to read the entire Bible several years ago and taking several breaks along the way, I have finally gotten to the first book of the prophets. As I was speed-reading through the first chapter last night, racing through each verse so I could finish the chapter and congratulate myself for being such a good little Christian, I hit verse 13.

And it smacked me right in the face, stinging my cheek and bringing tears to my eyes.

Stop bringing meaningless offerings, He said.

Stop bringing meaningless offerings, Ryan.

He doesn't want my empty prayers. He doesn't need me to speed through His Word without comprehending it. He doesn't care that my body is in a pew if my mind is somewhere else. He isn't impressed when I color inside the lines just because I should.

There's nothing I can hold up in my hands to make Him proud.

He just wants me.

My heart.

My time.

My praise.

He wants my hands lifted high and completely empty.

Because anything else is meaningless.

A magic little potion...

2012-02-28T20:15:00.000-06:00

I was planning on doing a little eye makeup tutorial here sometime soon (I've never done a video blog before, but I'm considering trying for you guys... you'd have to just ignore my awkwardness), but I've got to share something now that just can't wait.

I recently bought this Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Set:

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And can I just tell you guys... I'm totally obsessed. I used to have trouble with my eyeshadow wearing off by the end of the workday. But this stuff is like magic. Like super-duper, makeup fairy-esque magic. You put it on under your eyeshadow, and it keeps it looking fresh all darned day. Here's a picture of my eyeshadow at 7:45 PM...

(Please ignore my "I'm taking a self-portrait and can't decide whether I want to smile or not, so I'll do this mysterious thing with my mouth so that no one will be able to figure me out" look. It's not my best. Also, you should know that I did not touch up any of my makeup, so I'm looking pretty Edward Cullen-ish.)

... which I applied at 7:00 AM.

Magic, I tell you.

I got the sample pack because I couldn't figure out which color to try (and because it's on sale - win!), and I love them all. But my favorite is the gold-ish Greed, which I use as my base eyeshadow, so I only have to apply whatever color I want to use in the crease.

Anyway, this is definitely not a paid endorsement - just wanted to pass on this glorious knowledge to any other eyeshadow enthusiasts out there. :)

(Also, I feel like it's important that I tell someone that I've been using the Instagram app for a few months now and just now realized that I've been sharing all the pictures I edited with my "followers." Good thing I kept it clean! ;))

What up, yo?

2012-02-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

(Yeah, I'm totally thug. Who wants to know?)

I'm feeling much better today! Still not 100%, but almost. And so far, it doesn't look like Micah's caught it, so fingers crossed I didn't give it to him. I am a little bummed that I missed his first game with the church softball league last night. He was definitely excited to go, and I felt like the worst wife ever for not going, but whatever I had was apparently really contagious, and I didn't want to give it to anyone else. (Plus, I was incredibly weak and just overall yucky-feeling and couldn't really muster the energy to get out of my pajamas.)

But otherwise we actually did have a great weekend! We had dinner to celebrate Bubba's birthday on Friday night.

We got some stuff done around the house on Saturday and took it easy on Saturday night. On Sunday we had lunch with Micah's family and had some new friends from church over for dinner. We had such a great time!

Unfortunately, Micah also totally ruined his iPhone this weekend. I'm not supposed to say how, but it may or may not have involved a certain handsome engineer falling into the lake with his phone in his pocket. But who really knows... :) We tried drying it out in rice like all the articles online instructed, but as of yesterday evening it was still totally dead. Thankfully I still had my old iPhone laying around the house, so he's using that one until we feel like forking over the dough for a new one.

This morning we met with a financial planner, and I'm SO excited to finally get a plan together for organizing our finances. We've been trying to save and be financially conservative, but we didn't really have a plan, and Micah and I both operate better with an organized plan (preferably one involving Excel spreadsheets). :)

Lastly, Lent is going really well! I'll be honest, I totally forgot to read my two chapters the first day (utter FAIL), but I read two extra chapters the next morning and have remembered every other night, so I'm going to call it good. And I've managed to resist the lure of all non-water drinks (i.e. Diet Coke and Starbucks) so far. But I'm really hoping it doesn't get any harder than this because I swear, y'all - I'm almost to the point where I'm about to have to start searching for Diet Coke-flavored chapstick...

Ick...

2012-02-27T09:00:00.001-06:00

**Update - It's definitely a bug. Apparently my brother, sister-in-law, mom and dad all have it. We all went to dinner on Friday to celebrate my brother's birthday and seem to have caught it from Miss Stella Bella. If that little princess wasn't so darned cute... :)**

So my plan was to post a fun weekend wrap-up this morning, but I'm feeling too sick to do just about anything. I'm not sure what happened, but I either have some version of a stomach flu or a mild case of food poisoning. Ick.

I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend, and I promise I'll check in soon!

Project Scripture: Week Nine

2012-02-26T17:00:00.001-06:00

On to Week Nine, y'all. Yay!

What a blessing it is to know that we worship a God who is always just as faithful as He was the day before!

Apparently I Tweet now...

2012-02-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

So I've been thinking about getting back on Twitter again for awhile, and I finally tracked down my old password, so I figured I'd let you guys know where you can find me.

I'm here at @Mrs_Hargrave.

So far, I've only managed to steal a line from Britney's version of "I Love Rock N Roll," but I feel certain I'll get better soon. :) I'm planning on using Twitter for all the random, silly, every day ramblings I have when I can't squeeze a post in. (Such as the fact that I spent the whole darned day yesterday thinking I had lost my wedding band but ended up finding it in my bobby pin container. Apparently I'm just working too hard these days - my brain is mush when I get home!)

So anyway... if you've got a Twitter, let me know so I can follow you. I'm feeling awfully lonely. :)

Running Must-Haves: Couch-to-5K App

2012-02-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

I know that I just posted about how Couch-to-5K was going and that it's all I can talk about lately (I really hope I'm not totally boring you guys), but I really wanted to make sure everyone knew about the Couch-to-5K app.

Maybe I'm the only idiot, but for my first couple of Couch-to-5K workouts I didn't realize that there was an app that would make my life a million times easier, so when I ran I'd just take my iPod with me, set my workout playlist on shuffle, and then keep an eye on the stopwatch on my iPod to figure out when to run and when to walk. The problem was that I was constantly fiddling with the iPod and couldn't really relax enough to focus on the run, especially at the beginning when the intervals were at a minute and 90 seconds - I was constantly looking down!

Then I found this app:

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Things that are awesome:

- When you're ready to start a workout, you open it up, select which workout you want to do (e.g., Week 4 Workout 1), and it does all the hard work for you. It loads up a timer, which shows you which interval you're on, how long you have left on that interval, and which interval is coming next. When that interval is over, and it's time to start the next one, she gives you verbal cues to tell you what to do (e.g., "Let's jog!").

- If you have music on your phone, you can add songs into the music player. To keep it simple, I just pull up my "Workout" playlist and add all the songs.

- You can see your overall progress for the workout in the little "track" around the timer, as well as the total amount of time left for the workout.

- One of the best things about it is that it uses the GPS on your phone to track your route, calculate your total distance, and determine your pace (e.g., X minutes/mile). When you finish a workout, you can add it to your "log" which shows you your stats for all of your past workouts, so you can see how you're progressing.

Things that aren't awesome:

- The app isn't free. I can't remember exactly how much I paid for it, but I think it was $2-$3. And I have a weird thing about paying for apps (I seriously have maybe paid for one other app), but I think it's totally worth it. There's actually another Couch-to-5K app called "Get Running (Couch-to-5K)," which looks like it's pretty similar, but I went with this one and love it.

- If you're not following the Couch-to-5K plan pretty closely, you might not find it super helpful, as the timers are all based upon the workout as designed.

- The music player doesn't seem to have a repeat functionality, so if you get through all the songs you've added, it doesn't start over with the first song again. You have to go back and add them all again, which is a pain to do while you're running.

Overall, I'm in love with this app, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's attempting to get off the couch and out on the pavement. :)

There's a first time for everything...

2012-02-22T12:00:00.008-06:00

So I think I'm going to give this Lent thing a whirl.

As fate would have it, I'm a Southern Baptist gal and not actually Catholic. And I've never, ever participated in Lent before. At least I don't think I have. (Which suggests that I have not, because I feel certain that I'd remember giving something up for 40 days.)

So we've established that I'm utterly inexperienced in this. But the idea of taking 40 days to focus on Christ is so appealing to me. Yes, I do realize that I should be focusing all of my days on Christ, but I am unavoidably human and continue to struggle with this very basic tenet of my faith. So I'm thinking that this might be pretty perfect for an imperfect girl like me. :)

So what am I giving up?

Well, again, it's something I should probably already be doing anyway, but for my first Lent stint (ha!), I'm giving up all non-water beverages.

On the Slim-4-Life plan, I'm limited to 16 oz. of non-water drinks a day anyway, and I'm not ever allowed to drink any dark colas (i.e. NO DIET COKE!). But because my love for Diet Coke is deep and unyielding, I allow myself two diet cokes per week. What can I say... I'm a rebel, y'all. (And you'd better believe I savor every last drop of those two cans.) And Fresca is free game, so I usually have one of those every other day or so, as well as the occasional Skinny Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks as a treat.

I realize this is probably pretty lame, as far as spiritual sacrifice goes, but I think it'll actually be a really neat way to give God a little more of me. When Wednesday afternoon, say 2:30, rolls around, and I start craving a cold can of deliciously refreshing, aspartame goodness, I'll think of Christ and what he endured for me and remember how small my sacrifice is compared to His.

And because I want to really make this about Him and not my desire to be healthier, I'm also going to commit to reading two Bible chapters each day. Yet again, I should be in the Word daily, but I don't always make time like I should. Maybe this will jump-start a habit?

So what are you guys giving up for Lent?

(And also, happy birthday to my big brother. You're almost 30, Bub. Holy cow, you're getting old! ;))

One month...

2012-02-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

As of today, I have been running for exactly one month.

This is, by far, the longest I've stuck to any workout regime since high school. And it feels really good to have not given up yet.

I've run in the rain.

I've run in the cold.

I've run until my shins are throbbing (from the pain of repeated heel strikes) and my calves are burning (from the effort it takes to try and run on my toes so my shins don't hurt).

And you know what?

I'm going to keep on running.

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I'm not telling you this out of any sort of pride. I am lazy and short-sighted, and I've given up on so many "I'm going to start working out" kicks that I've lost count. So, believe me, there is absolutely no pride here. I'm only telling you what I'm telling myself so that maybe I'll eventually believe it. And so that maybe you can help keep me accountable?

But just in case, I invested in a little extra "insurance" to keep me motivated to stick with it.

I registered myself and Micah for the 2012 White Rock 5K on April 14th. I'll be running a 5K in less than two months, y'all!

It's so exciting. And terrifying. And I have this weird fear that I'm going to fall on my face in front of everyone (which wouldn't be altogether surprising), but I'm going to do it anyway. I'm going to find my strong and do this thing that's difficult. And I'm hoping that one day I'll look back at this goal that seems huge and insurmountable to me right now and smile at the strength I didn't know I had.

Project Scripture: Week Eight

2012-02-19T17:00:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! We've actually taken it pretty easy around our house. (Currently, Micah's fixing some turkey burgers, and I'm finishing up a project for work.)

I've gotta be honest, y'all - I really had trouble with this past week's verse. I'm not sure if it was because it was extra long (two verses, to be exact!), or if was just a little more gramatically complex than the past verses, but I didn't really get it down until yesterday evening. Thankfully, this week's verse is a little simpler, so we should all be able to get it much easier. :)

Here's the verse for Week 8!

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and happy memorizing!

Thankfuls...

2012-02-17T18:00:00.001-06:00

It's Friday! Whoo hoo!

In celebration of the coming weekend, I thought I'd post some things I'm thankful for today.

In no particular order...

I'm thankful that I had the best tall, skinny peppermint mocha (with extra peppermint) of my life this morning. Seriously... SO good.

I'm thankful that Pottery Barn put these cute moss sphere vase fillers on sale (with free shipping!).

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I've been scouring the earth for more things for the plethora (yeah, I just busted out an SAT word on you) of glass containers lying around my house, and these are just perfect.

I'm thankful that I allowed myself an extra workout at the Week Three pace. I'm just not quite ready to bump up to five minute running intervals. The transition to Week Four on Sunday is not going to be fun at all.

I'm thankful to have so much support from you all on this weight loss/running journey. Seriously. I can't even tell you how wonderful it has been to know that y'all are rooting for me. It motivates me to keep going so I don't let you down. :)

I'm thankful that we finally broke down and got DVR last year. Because what in the world would I do if I actually had to choose between Private Practice and Jersey Shore? (Man, I'm pathetic...)

I'm thankful that I was quick enough to score a gorgeous bookshelf from Noteworthy Home for our bedroom. (Her stuff goes so quick {because it's all gorgeous}, so when you see something you like, you have to snatch it up before someone else does!) It's being delivered tomorrow, and when I get it all set up and accessorized I'll post pictures. For now, I'll show you her picture.

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Gorgeous, right? I just love the bun feet and molding!

And last but definitely not least, I'm thankful that I got to have sushi at lunch today. Because, let's face it, sushi is always a good idea. :)

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday!

Find your strong...

2012-02-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

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After unintentionally taking a few days off from running, we got back on track (pun definitely intended) last night.

And I'm not gonna lie... it sucked.

I was working really hard to find my strong but still couldn't quite finish the three-minute running sections of the workout, even though I had been able to the last time I ran. It was an important reminder that, for me, consistency is important. Because when I take a few (or five) days off and remember how blissful laziness feels, I have absolutely no desire to put on my running shoes again. And the longer I go between workouts, the higher the chance that I'll just give up completely. Again.

But thankfully I made myself put my shoes on and take the first step out the door last night. And, believe me, it definitely sucked. But I finished. And I feel certain that it'll suck at least a tiny bit less tomorrow, and that is what's keeping me going.

If there's anyone else feeling defeated or tired or ashamed for having given up yet again, remember that every day is a new day. Every morning brings a new opportunity for us to find our strong. And when we can't find it, we can always rely upon His. :)

Eleven Things...

2012-02-15T11:00:00.011-06:00

I sure love it when I can lazily (it's a legit adverb, fo sho) rely upon others to supply content for a post. And it's definitely a bonus when it involves me getting to share random tidbits about myself with you. So I'm taking Leslie up on her universal tag of all of her readers in this cute little game.

Here are the rules...

~you must post the rules

~post 11 fun facts about yourself

~answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you & then create 11 questions to ask the people you've tagged

~tag 11 people and link them in your post

~let them know you have tagged them

Here are the eleven fun facts about me...

1. My favorite, ahem, profane exclamation is "mother flip." I'd almost always prefer the original, but I'm a Southern lady, and we try to keep that kind of thing to a minimum, y'all.

2. My middle name before I got married (and moved my maiden name to my middle name) was Elisabeth. Why, yes, it is just like Elizabeth, but with an "s." Can you even imagine what a beatdown it was for me when I was in elementary school with a name like "Ryan Elisabeth"? Boy-ish first name + weird, out-of-the-box middle name = automatic seat at the semi-dork lunch table. But I guess the fact that I occasionally wore ties and medieval headdresses (like the one pictured below) to school probably didn't help.

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(But to be fair, I really love my first name now. Well done, Mom.)

3. I'm exactly two and a half years to the day younger than my brother. He always calls me on my birthday to wish himself a happy "half-birthday." :)

4. 99% of the time, I fall asleep within two minutes of my head hitting the pillow. It's a gift that I never take for granted.

5. Every song on the Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone Soundtrack is on my favorites playlist on my iPod. It's only slightly embarassing when Micah's friends are over playing pool and "Fluffy's Harp" starts playing on my docking station. Cause then I can just change the song to "The Boy is Mine" and regain all the cool points I lost. (Perhaps it's time for me to invest in some new music?) (But who else is excited that Brandy and Monica are collaborating again!??)

6. I love kissing in the rain. And falling asleep to the sound of rain.

7. I could eat blue cheese every day for the rest of my life and not be sad about it.

8. When I bend over to pick something up, I almost always have to lift my leg up behind me like I imagine a ballerina would do.

9. There's a lady and her husband who sit behind our Sunday School Class group at church and sing every song at the top of their lungs and off-key. I really, really wish they wouldn't.

10. I've never met anyone famous. Ever. I almost saw the girl who played the mean girl in The Babysitter's Club movie and Joey's pregnant sister on Friends while I was in New York, but I got back from the bathroom too late, my old roommate tells me.

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11. If there's music playing, I'm almost certainly wiggling my toes to the beat. I have no idea when I started doing this, but I can't stop myself.

Here are the questions that Leslie posted...

1. If you could raid any celebrity's closet, who would it be and why?

It's probably too predictable, but definitely Jennifer Aniston. Her style is so timeless and classic.

2. If you were a shoe, what would you look like?

These.

Valentino Couture Bow Platform Pump via

Hands down. Classic black peep-toe pump with just a hint of sass. :)

3. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Oh, this is hard. Despite my comment above, I'm not usually easily annoyed. (I swear, y'all... they sing really loud!) But I have to admit that the incorrect usage of they're/their/there, you're/your, and to/too can sometimes send me spinning out of orbit. As Ross said, "Y-O-U-apostrophe-R-E means 'you are.' Y-O-U-R means 'YOUR!'"

4. Favorite song of all-time?

Hardest question EVER. I can't. I just can't.

5. Are you a dog person or a cat person? And why? (If you don't like animals, we can't be friends.)

Dog person. I love how sassy cats are, but I need unconditional love.

6. You're queen for a day. How do you spend your royal 24 hours?

Smuggling out all the crown jewels, of course!

7. What's the most delicious thing you've ever eaten?

Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Visions of cheese and buttercream frosting and heavy whipping cream are dancing in my head. (But not together, of course. It's more like a conga line.) Truthfully, I can't really narrow it down to just one, so I'll just tell you that the Chocolate Mousse Cake from Stein's Bakery in Dallas is pretty darned delectable. It's my birthday cake every year and kept coming to the front of my mind over and over as I deliberated this question for approximately nine-and-a-half minutes.

8. What scares you the most? (This can be deep and complex or shallow...whateva you feel like!)

Alligators. Or crocodiles. Either/or.

9. Which celebrity do you wish would drift off into obscurity?

Miley Cyrus. The sound of her braces/retainer (whatever the crap it is that makes her sound so strange) is the only thing I hear when she sings, and it makes me want to cry.

10. You're 16 years old again. What advice would you give your younger self?

You're going to have your heart broken soon. But by the time your next birthday rolls around, you'll have met the man you're going to marry. He's worth all the tears, I promise.

11. What's your Starbucks order?

Tall, skinny peppermint mocha. Delish.

Here's who I'm tagging in this post...

I'm taking Leslie's cue and tagging YOU! Anyone who's reading and wants to join in the fun is invited!

Here are the questions you've got to answer...

1. Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?

2. Name a beauty product you can't live without.

3. What's something you hope to do in the next five years?

4. If you could take three things with you to a deserted island, what would they be?

5. Favorite song? (See if you can do it. Maybe I'm just cray-cray?)

6. What's the best book you've read recently?

7. Team Edward or Team Jacob? (Or do you hate them both?)

8. If you could be any person for a day, who would it be?

9. Something delicious you ate recently? (I won't make you pick your favorite because that's just mean. ;))

10. Describe yourself in five words or less.

11. What's something you're good at?

If you decide to play along, definitely come link your post up in the comments so we can come check it out! :)

XOXO.

What I'm Loving Wednesday...

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

I'm loving a lot today, so I'm linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love to share some of my faves on this lovely morning!

I'm loving that, even after my temporary bout of insanity, Micah and I ended up having a WONDERFUL Valentine's Day. I left work early so I could stop and get groceries to make Ranch Chicken and Loaded Potato Casserole.

Ranch Chicken via Loaded Potato Casserole via

We made dinner and Chocolated Covered Strawberries together and then watched Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part I. Micah was such a sport about it, but he did say several times, "I just don't understand. This movie is horrible." But I can't help myself. I love me some Edward Cullen. :)

I'm loving that, after a few days off, Micah and I are running again tonight. We've been SO busy the past couple of days, and it has been SO cold here, but it should be in the 60s tonight, and I'm ready to keep going with Couch-to-5K.

I'm loving my very favorite eye makeup duo: M.A.C's Retrospeck and Tempting.

Retrospeck via

Tempting via

I've used these colors together consistently for my everyday eyeshadow for at least 7 years, and they'll probably always remain my favorites.

(You can kind of see what they look like in the picture above, although I was really just trying to get a picture of my hair so I could remember how to do the side braid for the next time. :))

I'm loving... these recent Pinterest finds.

cake batter puppy chow via

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ranch chicken via (this was good, y'all! although I'd definitely use tenderloins next time)

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And, as always, I'm loving my precious, adorable, wonderfully perfect husband!

Just the facts, ma'am...

2012-02-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

These are the facts, and they are undisputed.

- Micah and I have a history of sucking at Valentine's Day.

- Micah is sort of the opposite of most guys: he's wonderful to me all year long but sometimes drops the ball when it comes time to pony up the artificial, Hallmark-type romance.

- I, on the other hand, am a typical girl. I want him to want to pony up the artificial, Hallmark-type romance without me having to tell him to. And I also want him to understand this about me without me having to tell him. So, basically, he should be a skilled mind reader. (Which I maintain is not an unreasonable requirement, but I digress.)

- With full knowledge of the utter disaster that ensued the last time he forgot to make dinner reservations for Valentine's Day, Micah made reservations at a nice steakhouse in Dallas a full week in advance. Very well done, I must add.

- Yesterday I realize that I have put absolutely no thought into a gift for him, so I call to ask him if he's gotten me a present yet. He says he has an "idea," but he's not sure "what kind" to get or where to get them. Being a skilled mind reader myself, I tell him that pearls are a fairly expensive and timeless gift, and that he (we) should probably do some research before we spend that kind of money on them. After recovering from shock at my psychic-esque skills, he agrees that we just won't exchange gifts this year. I convince myself that I really am fine with not getting a present and almost succeed, remaining slightly frustrated that he didn't plan ahead to make sure I felt extra special on Valentine's Day. (Never mind the fact that I had absolutely NO plans for a present for him.)

- Last night, I realize that, as sweet as the gesture was, I don't really want to eat steak on Valentine's Day. I'd rather have a quiet night at home with Micah and go to dinner somewhere on Saturday. So I tell him this. He tries to cancel the reservation from his phone but can't, so he asks me to call and cancel the reservation. I become unreasonably angry that he won't take care of it himself since, as I pointed out, he is the man, and husbands should always just take care of things like this, but especially on Valentine's Day. We both get frustrated, and we end up going to bed angry.

- This morning, we wake up happier (as we usually do), but I corner him in the closet as he's trying to get ready for work. I ask him why he can't understand that Valentine's Day is about husbands doing sweet things for their wives. I tell him that he's the best husband in the world 364 days of the year but that on the one day he's supposed to make me feel special, he fails miserably. He remains quiet, and I follow him out into the kitchen, fully prepared to continue lecturing him.

Until I see this on the counter.

Utter wife FAIL.

Apparently he had stopped by the store yesterday evening, after all.

No, it isn't pearls or flowers or some over-the-top, expensive, predictable gift. It's just my husband, loving me in his sweet, understated, consistently wonderful way. Just like he does every other day of the year. It's just one more piece of evidence that he is more than I could ever deserve. (And that I'm a crazy, ridiculous girl who sometimes forgets that society's perception of romance isn't reality.)

Now I've just got eight hours to figure out how to fashion a gift from office supplies and the candy jar in the kitchen at work... ;)

(And, for the record, we didn't actually drink the champagne before work, in case you all were wondering...)

More on the Sweet Tea Candle...

2012-02-12T21:29:00.000-06:00

Our weekend wasn't exciting at all, really. We took it pretty easy, and right now we're cuddled up on the couch watching the Grammys. (P.S. How wonderful is Adele? Isn't she just lovely? And don't you all pretend you're also an international phenomenon while you're driving down the road singing "Rolling in the Deep," belting it out with feeling and doing her hand motions? And when you finish, you say "thank you" in your best British accent? No? So, it's just me then.)

So, since we're so boring, I don't have much to share tonight. I mostly just wanted to post a little more about the Sweet Tea candle I posted about last week.

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Any local readers can pick one up at Southern Simplicity in Rockwall, TX, and any out-of-towners can buy them online here. (And, just so you know, Southern Simplicity has no idea that I exist. Not a teeny tiny little clue. Just wanted to share about this delicious-smelling candle becuase I like you guys and because I feel like I'd be doing you a disservice by leaving you in the dark about it. It's scrumptious. And that's it for the annoying I'm-an-attorney-and-just-can't help-myself part of this evening. :))

Alright, y'all. Hope you guys had a wonderful weekend and have a GREAT week! :)

Project Scripture: Week Seven

2012-02-12T18:00:00.000-06:00

Hope you guys are having fun with this. I know I am! Here's this week's verse.

I feel like confessing...

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

Fridays just feel like a good day for confessing, don't they?

1) Yesterday was a running day, and by about 4:00 in the afternoon, I was actually... looking forward to it. I can't even believe I just said that, but it's true. I'm just halfway through Week Three of Couch-to-5K, and I'm already looking forward to running. Holy cow. Who would have thought? Now, make no mistake, about halfway through the workout last night, I was cursing the world and wondering why any sane person would voluntarily submit themselves to such torture (clearly, I could never survive any sort of interrogation... or anything even remotely challenging, apparently), but I powered through. And my time was even better than my previous workout!

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2) Micah has been out of town since Tuesday, and I've been reminded how crappy and boring my life would be without him. Even just watching TV is more fun when he's sitting beside me. I also didn't love the fact that he wasn't here to hold Lilly's leash while we ran, so I had to deal with her, instead. (She's just too pitiful when I put on my running shoes and go out the door without her. Micah said the last time I left her home, she whined for about five minutes. Poor little princess.) I spent a stupid amount of very precious energy keeping her from spazzing out every time another person/dog/car/leaf came near us. I definitely won't take him dealing with her for granted anymore...

3) I've got a pretty significant dent in my windshield on my car, and the crack is starting to spread quickly. I've been putting off getting it fixed, but I'm pretty sure my time is about up. Ick. I guess I'll go ahead and get my squeaky brakes, dented bumper, and cracked stepside fixed at the same time. My car's a hot mess.

4) I recently pinned this sweet, sweet story. Instead of paraphrasing it, I'll just post the story and the letter written by the daughter of what must be the cutest couple in the history of time:

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"We always give a small metal box with this story inside to friends who are getting married. Tim likes to include $50 and a note saying, "the first 50 are on us." We've loved making this tradition a part of our marriage and hope you do to. It's never too late to start!

Dear Ann Landers,

Last weekend, we celebrated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. This morning they left on a long-awaited trip to Hawaii. They were as excited as if it were their honeymoon! When my parents married, they had only enough money for a three-day trip 50 miles from home. They made a pact then that each time they made love, they would put a dollar in a special metal box and save it for a honeymoon in Hawaii for their 50th anniversary. Dad was a policeman, and Mom was a schoolteacher. They lived in a modest house and did all their own repairs. Raising five children was a challenge, and sometimes, money was short. But no matter what emergency came up , Dad would not let mom take any money out of the “Hawaii account.” As the amount grew, they put it in a savings account and then bought CDs.

My parents were always very much in love. I can remember Dad coming home and telling Mom, “I have a dollar in my pocket.” She would smile at him and reply, “I know just how to spend it.” When each of us children married, Mom and Dad gave us a small metal box and told us their secret, which we found enchanting. All five of us are now saving for our dream honeymoons. Mom and Dad never told us how much money they managed to save, but it must have been considerable because when they cashed in those CDs, they had enough for airfare to Hawaii, plus hotel accommodations for 10 days and plenty of spending money. Before they boarded the plane, Dad winked and said, “Tonight we are starting an account for Cancun. That should only take 25 years!”

Ann, I thought you’d enjoy this story about 50 great years of intimacy in marriage!

From a loving daughter in Abilene, Texas"

Is that not the sweetest, most adorable thing you've ever heard? I feel certain that I'll be giving this as a wedding present sometime soon.

Alright, loves. I think that's about all the dirt I can scrounge up right now. Happy Friday, and enjoy the weekend! :) (And if you have your own secrets to spill, be sure and link up to A Blonde Ambition!)

Another treasure...

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

I found another treasure in Micah's bible the other day.

That's my name there on a notecard. (Yes, I used to sign my name with a halo above it. I even put the halo on my driver's license signature when I was eighteen. Man, I was obnoxious back then. But I've totally grown out of that. Totally. Well, probably. Or maybe. Surely? Actually, probably not. Okay, definitely not. Alright, I'm still totally obnoxious. Sorry.)

We were in the same Sunday School class in high school (which was actually taught by Micah's dad. Isn't that precious?), and every week we drew names for a person to pray for during the week. Apparently Micah drew mine one week and decided to keep it in his bible. For approximately ten years or so.

Even after all this time, Micah continues to surprise and dazzle me. He truly is the best man I've ever known. Plus, he's handsome. And smart and funny. And he runs with me so I don't get murdered. (I may or may not have an irrational fear that someone's going to jump me from behind while I'm running.) And he pumps my gas for me. And he snuggles with me even when he doesn't want to.

So I can't really help but love him. Thank goodness he loves me back. (Even in spite of my obnoxiousness.)

Three minutes...

2012-02-07T20:01:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness, y'all.

The past few days have been crazy. Like, insane.

But before I get into what we did this weekend, can I just tell you about how awesome it was to start Week Three of Couch-to-5K tonight and to be able to run for three minutes without stopping?? I honestly never thought I'd be able to do that, and it was an amazing feeling. AND, I'm working on my running mechanics (running more on my toes), so my shins and knees don't hurt near as badly as they did last week. I'm so excited! (It's the little things, apparently... :))

Anyway, so back to our crazy weekend. Here's what we did from Saturday through tonight:

I met Lauren for a BFF pedicure and lunch date. (Whereupon I bought this cute little "@" for the side table in the living room. And a sweet tea-scented candle. Yeah, I said sweet tea-scented. It smells like heaven. Like a delightfully Southern heaven.)

Micah went to the Dallas Boat Show with his Dad and brother.

We drove to Josephine to have turkey and dressing with my extended family. (Apparently my Mamaw was craving dressing and didn't want to make a whole pan for just her and Papaw, so she invited all of us to come eat with them. It was delicious.)

We went to a work friend's birthday party.

We brought breakfast for our Sunday School class.

We had shrimp creole (marry me!) at my Mom's house.

We went to a Superbowl party with our Sunday School class.

I went to a women's event at church.

I survived a big presentation at work for one of the partners. Whew.

Micah went to his first men's group meetings with our Sunday School class.

I kicked off Week Three of Couch-to-5K.

All that in four days, y'all. I'm exhausted just typing it all out. And the food... ugh. Let's just say that I was NOT a very good dieter this weekend. I'm definitely back on track again, but I'm rocking a pretty gnarly sugar headache today. I will definitely not be indulging in peanut butter balls, pretzels dipped in chocolate, or donuts again any time soon.

But all in all, I think I've still earned myself a nice bubble bath. Don't y'all? :)

Project Scripture: Week Six

2012-02-05T16:00:00.000-06:00

It's Week Six, y'all!

And in addition to sharing this week's verse, I wanted to check in and see how everyone was doing with the memorizing! Some verses have been easier and some have been more difficult for me, but overall it has been such an amazing experience so far.

One thing I've been trying to do is to recite ALL the verses as I'm learning the new verse. That way I know I'm not forgetting the ones I've already done, and I can kind of place the verses in relation to one another, so it's easier to recall the location for each verse. (So, for example, I remember that there are two verses from Psalm 119 and another from Psalm 118, so that makes it easier for me to recall Week 4 when I blank out.)

I hope you guys are enjoying it too, and definitely don't worry if you started late or haven't gotten all the verses down yet... we've got plenty of 2012 left! :)

Liebster Blog Award...

2012-02-02T18:00:00.001-06:00

The Liebster Blog Award is to recognize your favorite blogs with less than 200 followers. The rules for the award are: 1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog. 2. Link back to the blogger who awarded/nominated you. 3. Copy and paste the blog award to your blog. 4. Reveal your top 5 blog picks! 5. Drop by your top 5 picks and let them know you chose them by commenting on their blog!

Candice from Wolf's on Safari (who has the cutest kids ever, I must add!) sweetly passed along the Liebster Blog Award to me, and I thought I'd pay it forward to some of my favorite blogs.

The Link Home - Katy is a friend from elementary school, and I love reading all about her sweet little family.

Dandelions and Daffodils - I stumbled upon Sarah's blog through Kelly's Korner. She's a military wife (who actually met her husband through one of Kelly's Show Us Your Life posts!) and always has fun and clever posts.

From House to Home - You'll love her posts about making her new house a home. Plus, she's following along with Project Scripture and posts about each verse every week, which I am LOVING.

Hands on a Miracle - Ally is a friend and a beautiful writer (and person!). She's also a fellow music lover. (And she swears she isn't ready for a baby, but a quick peek at her last few posts suggests otherwise... ;))

The McMullin Family - I can't get enough of Sarah's angels, Douglas and Dot. They're so darned precious, I can hardly stand it!

Thanks again, Candice, and I hope you all enjoy checking out my favorite blogs. :)

Superbowl food...

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Because I love you guys so much, I spent hours upon hours, searching high and low for the perfect superbowl recipes to share with y'all. (Or maybe I just checked out my Cooking and Recipes label for a few minutes... who really knows.) So if you're just now realizing that you've got to find something to make for Sunday, here are a few of my favorite snacks/desserts. (Warning - most of these are NOT diet-friendly, but I'm thinking we'll all be okay if we snack in moderation. :))

Jalapeno Popper Dip

via

Kicked Up Sausage Balls

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Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

via

Cake Batter Bars

via

Crostinis

via

And as a bonus, here is the skinnytaste hot spinach dip recipe I'm making to take to my Mom's for lunch on Sunday.

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Hot Spinach Dip

Servings: 10 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 92.2 • Fat: 6.8 g • Carb: 3.0 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Protein: 5.3 g

Ingredients

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out

1/2 cup light sour cream

5 tbsp light mayonnaise

1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

1/4 cup scallion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 cup (4 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

fresh pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. Serve right away.

Happy snacking, y'all! :)

Funny or not?

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've watched this YouTube video probably twelve times in the last twenty-four hours. I think it is absolutely hilarious. Mostly because Kristen Bell is so utterly adorable, but also because I can totally relate to the emotional scale she talks about. I can't tell you how many times I've had to utter an "I don't know" to Micah as I've started crying for no good reason at all.

I showed it to Micah last night, expecting him to be overcome in a fit of laughter the way I am every time I watch it, but he didn't get it at all. So help us settle our debate: funny or not?

Remember that time...

2012-02-01T12:00:00.001-06:00

Hey, remember that time when I almost made a New Year's resolution to take a picture every day for a year but then decided that there was no way I would ever actually follow through with it, so I resolved to take a picture every day for a month but then only stuck with it for two weeks before giving up completely?

Yeah, me neither.

(I told you guys I was really a quitter at heart.)

(Sorry.)

(But, on the bright side, at least I haven't quit the eating healthy/running. Yet. ;))

My Music Wednesday - Running Edition!

2012-02-01T06:00:00.004-06:00

Miss Allie proposed that I share all about my running faves and must-haves, which I definitely want to do in a month or two when I can really share what has worked for me and what hasn't. (At this point, I'm mostly still just trying to not fall over.)

But I thought I could go ahead and share with you guys how I went about setting up a "running" playlist to get me in the mood to pound the pavement. For me, music can be a huge motivator and can significantly affect my mood, so it was really important to me to find music that makes me happy and really gets me going.

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At this point, I was mostly interested in finding songs that would help me set a really nice pace for the walking portions of the "run." This might sound counterintuitive, but just hear me out. See, I couldn't care less at this point how fast I'm actually running so long as I'm running. I'm still so out of shape that I just can't realistically expect to run at any particular pace yet. So right now I'm just focusing on being able to run (at any pace!) for as long as I can, and I'll worry about how fast I'm running after I get more endurance.

But I think it is important for me to keep walking quickly, even though I'm tired, so that I keep my heart rate up throughout the workout. So I wanted to figure out a good walking pace that kept my heart rate up but didn't wear me out too much. By a happy accident, the shuffle on my iPod started one of my runs out on Your Love by The Outfield (you know the song... Josie's on a vacation far away, come around and talk it overrrr. So many things that I WANNA SA-AAAY, you know I like my girls a little bit older. Yeah, I like cheesy 80s music. So what?), and the pace was absolutely perfect. Not too fast, not too slow, elbows-bent-at-waist, power-walk PERFECT. (For me, anyway. You real runners are probably laughing at how ridiculously slow I am. :))

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So I set out to find out how "fast" the song was. I googled "your love the outfield bpm" and found that it had roughly 130 beats-per-minute. And then I found jogfm and JogTunes, which are amazing (and free!) sites which categorize songs by how many beats per minute they have, so you can search for songs that will help set a consistent pace throughout your workout. I looked for all the songs I could find with close to 130 bpm that I thought would be fun to walk to (and wouldn't annoy the crap out of me... I'm not in love with most of today's pop music). That way, I could use the beat of the song to determine when my feet should hit the pavement during the walking portions of the "run," and I'd still enjoy listening to the songs during the running portions. Here's the list I came up with:

Your Love by The Outfield

Hot N Cold by Katy Perry

All Over You by Live

Love Song by Sara Bareilles

Forever by Chris Brown

Long Hot Summer by Keith Urban

Marry the Night by Lady Gaga

California Gurls by Katy Perry

I Gotta Feeling by The Black-Eyed Peas

Kiss from a Rose by Seal (for cool down)

It's not a long list, but since I'm just jogging 25 minutes right now, it's pretty perfect. (Plus, I've ended up putting Forever by Chris Brown on repeat a couple of times because I just love it so much, so I don't usually get through all the songs anyway.) When I get a bit faster, I'll probably buy a few of the Xtreme Cardio Mix albums, which are mostly 140-160 bpm (a girl can dream, can't she?).

So there's my overly methodical, totally lawyer-ish method for finding the perfect workout music. If you want to find songs that work for you, just shuffle through your iTunes library during your next run and find a song that sets the right pace. Then check out jogfm and JogTunes to figure how how many beats that song has and to find more songs at that speed. Voila! :)

Basically...

2012-01-31T12:00:00.000-06:00

Every day I thank the Lord for letting me love the most wonderful man on this planet.

He is my dream come true, my answered prayer, my best friend, my partner in crime (ha!), my heart, my soulmate, and pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Plus he's not bad to look at, either.

So, basically, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

That is all.

Meal-Planning Monday...

2012-01-30T15:49:00.000-06:00

Here's what we're having in the Hargrave house this week!

Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad

Turkey Chili Taco Soup

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce and Easy Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

I found all of the recipes at Skinny Taste, which has TONS of low-calorie recipes! It's probably pretty apparent that I'm really missing my Mexican food, so I figured I'd load up some healthy alternatives. I'm really looking forward to the shrimp salad - YUM! :)

Peace and Grace...

2012-01-30T06:00:00.003-06:00

So, I showed you guys this little Pinterest project we did at Christmas.

When I bought the letters at Hobby Lobby, I also bought the letters I'd need to spell out "Grace" so I do something similar during the non-Christmas months. And I decided that I wasn't really in love with the gold for every day, so I painted all of the letters with Rustoleum Heirloom White a couple of weeks ago.

When we went to hang them up, I really felt like the whole thing was just too small for the space it was in, so we decided to move it to another wall in the dining room, next to the window.

I really love it! It's a fun, pretty addition to the dining room, which is still pretty darned bare at this point.

We ordered off-white curtains for the living room to replace the bright white ones we got from Pottery Barn (which we'll move to the master bedroom because you'd better believe those puppies are going up SOMEWHERE in this house!), and if we like them, we'll order three of the same for the dining room. I cannot WAIT until we get the living area done! But it's just like the running and weight loss, right? Slowly but surely... :)

Linking up to...

Sew Can Do

So here's what we did this weekend...

2012-01-29T20:30:00.005-06:00

1. I finished up Week 1 of Couch-to-5K! It mostly sucked, but I will tell you this. About halfway through the last run, while listening to Chris Brown's Forever, I actually smiled while running for the very first time. I know most of it has to do with the fact that I think of Jim and Pam's wedding every time I hear that song, but I also was just truly enjoying the run at that point. And I could almost sort of understand that "runner's high" I've heard people talk about. Right after that I broke through the trees, and began running directly into the wind. I was definitely not happy at that point. But all in all, I can definitely see improvement from the first run!

2. Our pool table was delivered! It's all set up and leveled, and it looks great!

We've obviously got a LOT more to do in the game room, but it's definitely a good start.

3. We got to watch this little princess by ourselves for the first time ever!

5. We spent the hours between 1:30 and 5:30 am this morning at the emergency room. I'm totally fine now, I swear. But yesterday evening I started having trouble breathing, and it just got worse and worse as the night went on. When I tried to lay down and go to bed, I started gasping for breath. I knew I was starting to panic, so I tried to stay calm and took a bath. And sitting up in the tub wasn't horrible, but the minute I tried to lay back down, I started having trouble breathing again. At about 1:15, I finally woke Micah up and told him that we needed to go to the ER. I was just horrified that I was having an asthma attack (even though I don't have asthma) or pneumonia, and I knew I wouldn't be able to calm down enough to sleep.

After a breathing treatment and X-rays, we found out that it's just a bad case of bronchitis. Which is so weird because I wasn't feeling bad at all before the breathing problems began. But whatever. The breathing treatment really helped, and the doctor prescribed some steroids and an inhaler for the next couple of days. And after the upper respiratory and sinus infections in the last month, I've decided that I really need to start taking some vitamin C and using hand sanitizer more often. :)

6. We finished up a cute project at the house that I'll share with you guys tomorrow!

We also gave Lilly a bath, got some workout clothes at Target, laughed at each other a lot, danced around the aisles of Home Depot (well, that was mostly me... not we), and slept until 11:30 am (this morning after being up all night). What did you guys do this weekend?

Project Scripture: Week Five

2012-01-29T18:00:00.001-06:00

Here we go with Week Five!

Pride comes before the fall...

2012-01-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

A word to the wise...

Before you go and brag on your blog about how you miraculously resisted the temptation to scarf down a SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito (with bacon instead of sausage and easy on the jalapenos, in case you were curious), consider the possibility that you probably don't have super-human strength and that talking about it might make you want one even more than you already did.

And then, when you finally do shamelessly give into temptation, you'll probably have to, in the interest of full disclosure, admit to the people who read your blog (and have encouraged and supported you on your weight loss journey in an incredible and uplifting way) that you did, in fact, subsequently drive through Sonic and indulge in the deliciousness that is the SuperSonic breakfast burrito.

I mean, hypothetically speaking, of course.

So don't be like me is what I'm saying.

(Hypothetically speaking.)

No, I don't want any cheese...

2012-01-26T08:00:00.002-06:00

... but I am going to whine for just a second so that I can tell you that I feel like an old woman today.

My legs and butt are so sore that sitting down in a chair has become a cruel form of torture. And I can definitely blame some of that on the running, I guess. I did Week One, Run 2 of Couch-to-5K last night, and my shins feel like they're bruised. And I know it's because I'm running all wrong, it's just hard to remember to lean forward while also trying not to collapse from exhaustion.

(I might invest in a pair of Vibrams {check out MckMama's post about how you can score a pair for $39!}, which apparently force you to run on your toes. But I'm pretty sure I'm way too vain to sport those suckers in public.)

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But I feel certain that most of my soreness stems from the fact that I did this "sexy leg workout" on my "off" day on Tuesday night:

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Let me just tell you... for a girl who hasn't done so much as stretch her legs in at least two years, I am FEELING all the freaking squats and lunges. The whole "you're most sore two days after you work out" thing is definitely true because I almost cried when I had to sit down on the toilet to pee this morning. (Probably TMI, but I'm keeping it real here, y'all. And also, I'm pretty sure I never wished that I was a guy and could pee standing up more than I did in that moment.)

I posted this status on Facebook last night:

"Running still sucks. And also, how is it possible that I can't remember what the capitol of Spain is, but I still remember the lyrics to Salt N Pepa's Shoop? (I spend all my dough... re mi, cutie... Shoop Shoop be doobie, like Scooby Doobie...)" (I amaze even myself with my insightfulness and depth.)

One of my Facebook friends (hey, Allie!) asked me how I am motivating myself to run. My answer was basically that, in addition to the fact that Micah's coming with me and walking Lilly (which she totally loves), I'm really just so curious about how people can come to love running so much that I'm making myself try it. That and the fact that I intentionally blasted it on my blog and my facebook to incentivize me to keep doing it so everyone won't realize what a quitter I really am at heart.

(And can I also just say that it drives me absolutely insane that Micah and Lilly totally kept up with me last night, and he wasn't even close to being winded when we finished, while I was doubled over and practically doing lamaze exercises to catch my breath. Men.)

So bottom line -- I'm a big, fat whiner about the running and getting in shape, but I'm going to do it. So you should probably prepare yourself for a teensy bit more complaining from me in the near future. I'll go ahead and apologize now.

Don't know how you do the Wuslu that you do...

2012-01-25T12:00:00.001-06:00

... makes me wanna shoop, shoop, shoop.

(I'm not sure that's quite how Salt N Pepa sang it, but I think you get my point.)

(Oh, you don't get my point? That's okay, neither do I. We'll just start over.)

Well, hey y'all! Fancy meeting you here. (Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me today. Maybe it's all this rain.)

Anyway...

I read this blog. And she mentioned Wuslu. And ever since I signed up for their daily emails, my love for their deals of the day and lovely things has grown deeper and deeper.

It's a sort of deal-of-the-day site, but the products are the kind of unique, charming things you'd find at a really cool flea market or antique store. Except that you don't have to go to a flea market or an antique store. And the prices are pretty darned reasonable (although not quite as low as you'd find if you actually went to a flea market or antique store).

For example, today's deal is a French Tier Wire Basket.

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They've got it priced at $44.50 plus $5 shipping, so you're looking at $50 for a cool, unique piece that you probably couldn't easily find anywhere else.

Here are some of my favorite deals they've done in the past.

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So if you're lazy like me and would rather someone else do the hard work for you, check out Wuslu. And let the underachievers unite! (I have no idea what's up with me today... I really am sorry.)

My Music Wednesday...

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Speaking of the days when Mariah was still good, here's one of my favorite videos from the '90s. Enjoy My All by Mariah Carey!

Pinterest Projects

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

I've been pinning my little heart out lately, but I haven't actually done much with my pins. They sit there on my pretty boards, taunting me with their cleverness and making me feel incredibly lazy. So I've picked a few that I actually want to do relatively soon, and I'm sharing them with you guys (1) so that you can keep me accountable for getting off my lazy butt and (2) just in case you need a little inspiration, yourself.

{Kitchen Organization}

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Micah and I are desperately in need of a "command center" in our kitchen. Our mail and bills just pile up before we finally break down and file them away. And my meal plan is usually written on yellow legal paper and taped to the front of the fridge. So I love the idea of having a designated meal plan board (although I'll likely do something similar to my memory verse board as opposed to the vinyl Landee used), as well as some framed pictures and mail slots to keep the mail organized. Plus, the side of my fridge is exposed, so I won't have to use the sheet metal to create a magnetic surface. I think we're going to try and tackle this project this weekend.

{Door Mat Wall Hanging}

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Apparently this is a rubber door mat from the dollar store that has been painted with Rustoleum Heirloom White (my fav!) and sanded to give it a distressed look. This is super appealing to me because it's cheap, creative, and it would totally go in my house. The problem, I think, will be finding a mat that has such intricate detail that isn't expensive. (But heck... maybe I'll get luck and actually find one this pretty at the Dollar Store. :)) I'll probably do three of them to create a bigger statement and put it in the niche in my dining room.

{Framed Scrapbook Paper}

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This is so cool-looking, isn't it? I love how striking it is and how cheap it probably was to create. I may use scrapbook paper, but I'll probably use these book cover postcards I bought from Anthropologie yesterday:

(And I'm really bummed because I just found them on Amazon for almost $10 cheaper with free shipping.)

Either way, some version of this will end up in my house soon. Likely in my master bedroom where my memory verse board is currently. (I'd like to move the memory verse board to the bathroom if it'll fit.)

{Frame Collage}

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I love this idea for our breakfast area. I've got a fairly large, totally blank wall in there, and I think this would be fun. I'd probably do the frames in greens and whites. I LOVE the chalkboard, and since we don't have kids' artwork to display there yet, we'll have to be creative in what we hang in the frames. I'm thinking using a couple of these kitchen printables.

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Clever, right? Anyway, I just like the look of the frames grouped together.

{Fabric-Covered Foam}

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These are apparently 4'x8' foam insulation boards from Home Depot covered in damask fabric. I think they look so elegant. We've got this humongous niche above our stairs that I can't, for the life of me, figure out what to put there, and I'm thinking this might be absolutely perfect. I'd have to go with different fabric, obviously, since my house isn't nearly this formal, but that would be the perfect mission for me and my mom on a Saturday. Plus, the foam can't be very heavy, so that'd make hanging it much easier for my poor husband. :)

{Towel Rack}

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We've got an ugly towel rack in our guest room that leaves very little room for decorating in there, and when I saw this I immediately coveted it. The only problem is that I don't know whether the person who hung it actually made it or if they bought it somewhere. One other cool thing would be to use an old, distressed mantel and to add the hooks either to the mantel, itself, or to the wall directly below it.

So what are your must-do Pinterest projects?

My story...

2012-01-23T18:00:00.000-06:00

I am nine years old. I spend some time with my grandmother, and she tells me about the cross and about a love big enough to redeem even the worst of sinners. During the car ride home, I rest my head against the back of the driver's seat of my mom's car, eyes closed, and invite Him in. And because I'm not sure if once is enough, I pray three more times when I get home. I am baptized and receive a book about what it means to be a Christian. And then I go on about my life, just as before. Business as usual. I am good and sweet-natured, but then I always have been. I do what I am told (with occasional sass and a flair for the dramatic), but I remain the same girl I had been since the day I was born.

I am in seventh grade, and my parents flip my world upside down. They tell me that we're leaving the town I have always known. My friends, my school, everything I had come to love. In an effort to ease the transition, they start driving me to church in my new town that year, even before we move, so I can get to know everyone there. Eventually, I meet Micah and rekindle a semi-friendship with Lauren, who would come to be my very best friend.

And, for the first time, I really meet Jesus. At a youth conference I walk with Him on His journey to the cross, and the enormity of His love and sacrifice wash over me. I am a broken mess because I wonder if I have ever really accepted Him as the Lord of my life. I feel confident in the Savior part -- accepting grace, redeeming love and all that -- but when I look back I just can't be sure that I have given Him my heart in return. So once again, I invite Him in.

Except this time, I give Him all of me.

After that I am sold out for Him. Throughout middle school and high school, and even college, I am bold in my faith. I never touch cigarettes or drugs or alcohol. I lead my school's FCA group and speak often at youth group and Disciple Now, and I lead bible study on multiple mission trips. I fall madly in love with Micah, and we vow to wait. I stay plugged into the Word and have an active prayer life.

At some point, the fire and spark fade. My parents divorce. I move to Houston for law school. I get wrapped up in how hard it all is. I lose sight of where He's leading me and start walking alone. But He still speaks. Forgives. Loves.

I am a third-year law student, and I have no job. I am broken, defeated, humiliated. I miss home. He wraps his arms around me and reminds me that He has a plan. So I start walking again, but this time I'm following Him. I accept that He may not bring us home quite yet. But then He does, despite all of my clumsy attempts to do it myself.

Today, I am His. I still fall short every single day, but His grace is sufficient. He is molding me into something better.

I will inevitably lose my way again. But the best part is that He never will.

Pool tables, movies, and SuperSonic breakfast burritos...

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm having trouble walking today. Most likely, it's because I started "running" yesterday. (I put running in quotes because my "run" included quite a bit of walking.) Or maybe it's because I'm wearing four-inch heels that are just a teensy bit too big. Who really knows.

Other than the aforementioned wobbly-ness, we had a great weekend. I went to dinner with the girls on Friday night (and had a blasty blast) but ended up not sticking around for bingo. I was wiped out, and we had to get up on Saturday to head to Frisco to look at a pool table. This pool table, in fact.

It's an 8-foot, black distressed table with brick-red felt, and it was CHEAP (for a pool table). So we bought it! We're having it moved on Saturday, which is definitely not cheap, but it's worth it to us to not have to mess with it. The slate is HEAVY.

When we left Frisco, we dropped by the Cheesecake Factory in Allen (my FAVORITE) for a quick lunch. Have you guys tried their Skinnylicious menu yet? All kinds of stuff under 500 calories, and it all looked SO good. The chopped salad I had was to die for, and I'm hoping it offset the loaf (er... loafs) of bread I practically inhaled.

On Saturday night, we had a nice, quiet movie night. We finally saw Courageous, which we had been wanting to see since it came out in the theaters.

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It was really, really good. Uplifiting, encouraging, moving, funny. All the good stuff in one.

We also watched Hope Floats, which Micah hadn't seen before. My mom always called me Bernice Matisse when I was growing up because I was serious and precocious and sweet and because I actually kind of looked like the little girl in the movie. Anyway... I loved being reminded of those memories with my Mom. She's pretty much the best Mom anyone could ask for.

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Yesterday we went to Sunday School and church and may or may not have had Joe's Crab Shack again. Which ended with me in a food coma and a two-hour nap. But I totally made up for it with the running yesterday afternoon, right? Right?

Last night I made this slow-cooker cilantro-lime chicken, which was divine.

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But what I really wanted to share was how I managed to resist a delicious, evil temptation on the way to work this morning. As I'm scarfing down my boring protein bar, I got this ridiculously strong craving for a SuperSonic Burrito from Sonic. You know the one I'm talking about right?

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It's made with sausage (I usually sub in bacon), eggs, cheese, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and bits of tater tots. (Yeah, my mouth just filled up with saliva, too.) Anyway, I decided that I was just going to ignore the fact that it packs almost 600 calories and get one. After all, I haven't had one in months. Surely I deserved it? So I drive out of the way to Sonic and, just as I'm about to turn in, I remembered how much I wanted to quit yesterday while running. How sweaty and red-faced and exhausted I was when I finished. And then I thought about how I didn't even burn HALF the calories of that stupid, delicious burrito during my tortuous run, and I just kept right on driving.

So maybe I won't give up on this running thing so quickly... looks like it might help in more ways than one. :)

Project Scripture: Week Four

2012-01-22T18:00:00.001-06:00

Here you go, y'all! Who's excited about Week Four??

Some confessions...

2012-01-20T08:56:00.005-06:00

It's Friday, y'all! In celebration of this gorgeous Texas morning, I'm spilling a few secrets...

1. I didn't actually know the weather was supposed to be gorgeous today, and I'm sporting a pretty substantial sweater. Meteorology fail.

2. I tried on some jeans this morning that I haven't been able to fit into in at least two years, and they fit perfectly. Getting back into my old clothes is even more fun than buying new ones!

3. I had a cheese enchilada for the first time in four months yesterday, and it was glorious. But not as glorious as number 2 above, so I'll be foregoing such ~~indulgances~~ indulgences for at least another four months.

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4. A group of some girlfriends are all getting together to go play bingo tonight, and I'm strangely excited. The only problem is that the last time I played bingo was in high school, when I went with my then-boyfriend and my brother and his girlfriend. Turns out that was the night when my boyfriend and my brother's girlfriend decided that they'd dump my brother and me and start dating each other. So I'm worried I might have bad bingo karma. (You probably didn't know I was going to get all Maury Povich on you this morning.)

5. The first time I heard LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It, I actually thought it was a spoof performed by the guys from Jersey Shore. No lie. It was a little depressing when I realized that it wasn't and that it's actual, legitimate music. (What happened to the days when Mariah was still good and the guys from Boyz II Men were still "boyz"? Is 26 the age at which one becomes nostalgic and old?)

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6. We may or may not be purchasing a pool table relatively soon. Micah's definitely ready to get the game room upstairs looking more like a game room and less like a catchall for all the cheap Ikea furniture we bought when I was in law school.

7. My firm kickball team lost in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday night in extra innings (just typing this sentence felt lame).

8. Sometimes when I'm talking to people at work, I'm thinking the words in a British accent in my head as I'm speaking them. I keep thinking about how awful it will be when my brain inevitably gets the signals crossed and the words come out all Harry Potter-ish.

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... and I think that's about it, y'all. Hope you have a WONDERFUL Friday!

A running plan...

2012-01-18T08:00:00.001-06:00

Not unlike every other overweight, out of shape American, one of my New Year's resolutions was to get back into shape. Yes, I'm eating right (we'll just ignore that slice of banana cake I had at the Stars game last night... no one has to know about that, right?), and I've already lost a significant amount of weight by just adjusting what I eat. But I want to really be healthy. I want to remember what it used to feel like when I could work out for 3-4 hours a day and love it. I obviously don't have time to fit a 3-4 hour workout into my schedule anymore, but I can definitely work in 30 minutes to an hour a few times a week.

I keep seeing this floating around Pinterest, and it sort of illustrates what I'm saying.

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Let me be clear. In my opinion, this girl looked amazing even at 127 pounds. I mean, come on. But you can't deny that she looks better with more defined, lean muscle at 136, even though she weighs more.

So, bottom line - I need to work out, regardless of how many pounds I lose as a result of my diet.

My dilemma has been that I wasn't sure what kind of exercise routine I wanted to commit to. Should I join a gym? Should I get a good exercise tape to do at home? Should I invest in some personal training sessions?

And then I figured that, at this point, I should really keep it simple. If I have to haul my butt up to a gym to burn calories, I won't go. And if there is any chance in heck that Micah might walk in and see me jiggling and bouncing around to a workout tape, I won't do it. (There are just some things a husband doesn't need to know about his wife. In my humble opinion, the extent to which her curves jiggle when set to cheesy workout music is one of them. But that's just me.) And personal trainers are just too darned expensive. Plus, I don't respond super well to tough love. I am the baby in my family and may or may not have been slightly coddled ~~as a child~~ my entire life.

So... I've decided to start running.

This isn't the first time I've tried to magically transform myself into a runner, but I'm really hoping it's the last. My plan is to use the Couch-to-5K plan as a base and adjust it as I need to. I've actually started Couch-to-5K once before and lasted about two weeks before I cursed whoever invented it and threw my running shoes on the highest shelf in my closet. But I know two people who have done it successfully (hey, Rebecca and Melissa!), and they're now like legitimate runners. Rebecca recently ran a half-marathon, and Melissa ~~recently did a 30k (over 18 miles!~~ is about to finish her SECOND marathon! (Yeah, Melissa, I stalk your facebook. Don't be freaked out. :)) And I'm pretty sure they were both self-professed non-runners before. Which is totally where I'm at. I HATE running and always have. I'm this girl.

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But I've always secretly wanted to be a runner. I can imagine that's it's therapeutic and stress-relieving, and I love the idea of exercising outside. We've got an amazing pond with a walking trail in our neighborhood that I'd love to take advantage of (since I do, after all, pay the dadgum astronomical HOA fees. It's highway robbery, I tell you).

So I'm just going to do it. I'm going to turn myself into a runner. In the next week or so, I'm going to find a 5K to sign up for, so I've got something to work toward (and so my penny-pinching self makes me train for it so my registration fee doesn't go to waste). And now that I've put it out there for you guys to see, I'm counting on my obsessive need to follow through to get me there.

But on to the really important questions: what should I wear, and where can I find the perfect workout music? ;)

My Music Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

So, who else is a sucker for cheesy '80s movies? It's sort of ridiculous how much I love them, even though they're terrible. Case in point? Footloose. Could that movie be any cheesier? (I really wish you could hear my Chandler Bing impression in person. It's amazing. Amazingly awful.) But I love it anyway. I haven't yet seen the remake, but I really want to.

This week's song is actually a remake of my favorite song from the movie, Holding Out for a Hero. This version is by Ella Mae Bowen, and it's GORGEOUS. Like beautiful. And because I'm awesome, the video is actually a clip from Julianne Hough's performance to the song (with a little Blake Shelton at the end). I have a feeling that you'll love it even if you don't share my love for cheesy '80s movies.

Enjoy!

A situation...

2012-01-17T12:00:00.001-06:00

I don't know what's happening to me.

I'm afraid I've lost all sense of acceptability and common decency.

You see...

We've got ourselves a situation... (ha!)

I'm apparently obsessed with these Jersey Shore guidos and guidettes, whose sole focus each day is GTL (gym, tan, laundry). They refer to ugly girls as grenades, hot guys as juicehead gorillas, and they party like there's no tomorrow. (And they scream/punch each other more often than I thought was humanly possible.)

But after a recent bout of insomnia and an all-night marathon on MTV, I've been sucked in. (Despite the fact that I swore I'd never watch this garbage.) The sad thing is... I have absolutely no desire to get out. I can't get enough of the drama and ridiculosity.

So bring on the juicehead gorillas and fake tans, y'all. I'm in it for the long haul, apparently. Who's with me? ;)

Catching up and a new chair...

2012-01-16T18:00:00.005-06:00

Happy MLK Day, y'all! I hope you all had the day off from work. I actually did but worked all day anyway. Plus, I'm battling a pretty terrible sinus infection which is no fun at all. But other than the screaming headache, sore throat, and constant pressure in my face, we had a great weekend!

I got home from New Orleans (for hopefully the last time for awhile) on Friday. We got real fancy and had Subway for dinner. Then on Saturday, we took it easy at the house for most of the day and had dinner to celebrate Micah's best friend's girlfriend's birthday, which was super fun.

On Sunday, we went to Sunday school and church and then headed to Micah's parents' house for lunch. Micah's dad makes the most delicious stir fry (which also happens to be relatively healthy - yay!). When we left, we had just enough time to grab some groceries and get them unpacked before we had to leave to meet my mom and Steve for dinner at Ali Baba, which we didn't realize was closed on Sundays. Ha! So we ended up grabbing Mexican food at Matt's Rancho Martinez (yum!). Last night we watched Moneyball (which someone had surreptitiously snuck into the cart at Tom Thumb), which was so, so good. If you haven't seen it, you definitely should.

So there's a (painfully boring) rundown of our weekend. Don't you wish you were super cool and exciting like us? ;)

Other than that, I just wanted to share pictures of the chair we scored for the master bedroom last weekend.

It's fun, breezy, and beachy without being too beachy.

Plus, we got it for a great deal, which makes me love it even more.

And there you have it. You're all caught up. :)

Photo A Day Challenge: Week Two

2012-01-16T09:58:00.000-06:00

Here are my pictures from the second week of January. I definitely had to go back and take some of these since I was out of town, but oh well... :)

(And in case you couldn't tell, most of these were taken on my iPhone and played with in Instagram. I just don't take my big camera around with me most of the time.)

Meal-Planning Monday...

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yeah, you read that correctly. I'm meal planning again!

After looking over our finances this weekend and realizing how much we eat out each month, Micah and I realized that we really need to stop eating out so much. It's cheaper and healthier to eat at home, and I honestly just feel better when I cook. (Is that weird?) The easiest way to address that is for me to plan out our meals so that we're not asking ourselves what we want for dinner every night.

So, mostly courtesy of Pinterest, here's what we're eating this week.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken, sauteed squash, and toast

Lemon-Dill Chicken Skewers and sauteed zucchini and onions

Skinny Chicken Jambalaya and roasted asparagus

Summer Spaghetti with shrimp and sauteed spinach and mushrooms

And because I've really been wanting to try them, we're going to work these Pudding Pops into the mix somehow. They're only 25 calories per pop!

All of these recipes are pretty darn healthy, too! Hope you guys have a wonderful week!

Project Scripture: Week Three

2012-01-15T17:00:00.000-06:00

Hey y'all! Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I'll do a catch-up post soon, but until then... here's the verse for Week Three!

I am home...

2012-01-13T21:42:00.001-06:00

... and am so happy to be back with my husband. But tonight, I am mostly just praising God for this:

http://erikandkatekrull.blogspot.com/2012/01/results.html?m=1

I have never met this sweet family, but I have been praying for this precious little girl like crazy. Go, Lucy, go!!

Ridiculous...

2012-01-12T17:38:00.001-06:00

I've been out of town for approximately a day and a half.

We're ridiculous. (In a good way, I suppose.)

Pinterest Love...

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

It has been awhile since I did a Pinterest post (you can follow me here), so I thought I'd catch you guys up on all the things I've been drooling over lately.

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oreos baked into brownies via

mac and cheese via

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love these built-ins via

Skinny Spaghetti via

makeup via

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken via

Creamy Cheesy Potatoes via

Michael Kors "Blair" Chronograph Watch via

Guacamole Bruschetta via

My Music Wednesday

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Look at me... posting music two weeks in a row! I just couldn't not share this song. Unfortunately, I can't embed the video here, so you'll have to actually click over and listen, but I can PROMISE you that you won't be sorry. This song is gorgeous. Enjoy Beautiful, Beautiful by Francesca Battistelli.

Click here to see the music video on YouTube.

Here are the lyrics.

Don’t know how it is You looked at me

And saw the person that I could be

Awakening my heart

Breaking through the dark

Suddenly Your grace

(Chorus)

Like sunlight burning at midnight

Making my life something so

Beautiful, beautiful

Mercy reaching to save me

All that I need

You are so

Beautiful, beautiful

Now there’s a joy inside I can’t contain

But even perfect days can end in rain

And though it’s pouring down

I see You through the clouds

Shining on my face

(Chorus)

I have come undone

But I have just begun

Changing by Your grace

Two things you should try if you haven't...

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

1. Just Dance 3

We went over to my brother and sister-in-law's house this weekend to have dinner, hang out, and roast some marshmallows over a bonfire. We had such a good time, and once we finished indulging, we decided to undo some of the damage by playing Just Dance 3 on their Wii.

Let me just tell you... it was hilarious. Particularly when Micah got up to play, since he never dances. Ever. And he's not allowed to make fun of my dancing anymore since I was the high scorer for several games (until Faith dethroned me... I demand a rematch! ;)).

Truth be told, I know I looked ridiculous, but it was definitely fun, and by about the fourth dance, I was legitimately sweating. If you want a fun thing to do at your next gathering, definitely give it a try. You'll definitely get some giggles and will burn a few calories, too!

2. Ragin' Cajun Steampot at Joe's Crab Shack

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I'm not sure how it's possible that I had never eaten at Joe's Crab Shack before yesterday, but I can promise you that we'll be back again soon, for reals. (Sorry, but I just can't give up on this thug thing.) We shared the Ragin' Cajun Steampot, and it was heavenly. Like so good that I was licking my fingers in public.

After seeing all the spicy butter left at the bottom of the pot, I'm not sure how healthy it actually is, but I truly didn't care. It was that good. So if you're in the mood for a perfectly delectable, incredibly messy meal, get your booty over to Joe's Crab Shack and try a Steampot. I can pretty much guarantee you won't be sorry.

Photo A Day Challenge: Week One

2012-01-09T12:00:00.001-06:00

So I got the first seven days of the Photo A Day Challenge done and thought I'd go ahead and share. I could wait until the month is over and do them all then, but I'm not always so great with patience so let's do them NOW, shall we? :)

And, hey... if you want to join in, just go back and take the Week 1 pictures and catch up. I promise I won't tell! :)

Because I haven't been quite random enough...

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

... I'm going to steal Bailey's idea and post a few randoms about me. Just in case you were the least bit curious. :)

I'm good at... loving Micah. Ha! But seriously... I really am. If I could make a living by loving him more than any person ever could, I'd be a gazillionaire. :)

I'm happy when... I've got everything on my "To Do" list scratched off. I don't actually have a "To Do" list, but you get my point.

I'm working on... getting the office and the game room finished up in the next couple of months. But I may or may not have purchased this beauty for the master bedroom this weekend.

via

I think it's cleverly casual, and it so goes with the beachy, airy look I'm going for in that room. Plus, I got it for a steal, which is always more fun. I'll post pictures when we figure out, for sure, where it's going in the room.

I'm interested in... looking into getting a professional blog designer to pimp out my blog. (I just said "pimp." I'm so thug. Except I think when you have to tell people that you're thug, you're probably not really thug.) My current setup is fine, but I'd love to let a professional take it and make it into something special. Any suggestions?

I'm always... happy. Well, not always. But most of the time. I have no doubt that this is a precious gift from God, and I never take it for granted.

I'm enjoying... Project Scripture.

Seriously, y'all, I was so looking forward to starting Week Two yesterday! There are several people following along via Facebook, as well, and it's so neat to see God taking this simple thing and using it to draw us closer to Him. I really loved From House to Home's thoughts on last week's verse and am looking forward to learning from her reflections each week.

I am in... the fourth month of my weight loss journey, and I can't believe I've already been dieting for so long! I put on some cute jeans yesterday, and Micah asked me whether they were new. I smiled and told him that they were actually old and started thinking about how fun it will be when I get into my "skinny" clothes. I still have a long way to go, but I WILL get there. :)

I am reading... The Love and Respect Experience Devotional with Micah on Sunday evenings and am loving it.

It's neat to think about things from his perspective, and I think it has been useful in helping him understand where I'm coming from, too.

I'm concerned about... how we're going to manage being wonderful parents when the time comes and juggle our jobs, too, as I've mentioned before. But as Micah was praying over the situation last night, I really did feel an incredible sense of peace about it. It really will work out, and I am trusting that the Lord will sweat the details so I don't have to.

I'm looking foward to... the adventures that the next twelve months will bring. I have a feeling it's going to be a crazy, exciting, scary, and prayer-filled year. :)

Project Scripture: Week Two

2012-01-08T18:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Sunday, y'all!

I hope week one went smashingly! (Do cool people say "smashingly"?) I've got Psalm 119:105 down, and I hope you do too. If not, I think it's totally doable to try and get two verses memorized in one week, so go ahead and finish up last week's verse, and then jump in with Week Two whenever you finish. :)

Here's the verse for Week Two.

It's a little tougher than last week's verse, but definitely doable. If you come up with any clever pneumonics or tricks for memorizing the order of "teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training," please share with the class. ;)

Confessional Friday...

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today I'm linking up with A Blonde Ambition (if you haven't checked out her blog, you should. You'll L.O.V.E. her.) to share some confessions.

1. I was about THISCLOSE to scarfing down a buttermilk donut and kolache when I got into work this morning (why, oh why, does my firm seek to torture me with delicious goodies every Friday?) but I miraculously resisted temptation. I just thought about summer and pretty sundresses and bathing suits, and my craving vanished almost immediately. How about that?

2. I realized yesterday that I always do this really weird thing with my gum. I flatten it out into a long, thin strip, and then roll it up like a snail. Then I smash it down and start all over. Does that make me crazy?

3. I had a mini-meltdown on the way home from work yesterday when I thought about what Micah and I are going to do about childcare when we have kids. Every time I start to think about logistics and work and the commute, I start to panic. And then God reminds me that He is faithful and that it will all work out. Then my heartrate slows down again. At least for a little while.

4. I was entirely too excited to watch the mid-season premieres of Vampire Diaries, Grey's, and Private Practice last night. No matter how I try, I just can't quit them.

5. I accidentally skipped Day 4 of the Photo A Day Challenge for this month.

After googling "Letterbox" like a champ (apparently it's a mailbox?), I realized that the sun had already gone down and that any picture I took would be crappy anyway, so I'll just cheat and take one this weekend. Don't tell! ;) (Although I'm fairly convinced that I don't actually have to take the pictures in order anyway, but the rule-follower in me can't resist.)

6. Did anyone else tune in for the hot mess that was The Bachelor premiere on Monday? This poor, poor girl...

I think her name is Jenna? She's apparently a blogger, and I really wanted to like her, but then she proceeded to get rip-roaring drunk, cry in the bathroom for most of the cocktail party, and engage in a strange, monologue-esque rant about love and life and whatever else her poor drunk little heart was crying about. I say it every season, but I have NO idea why I'm watching. I guess it's the hopeless romantic in me that harbors a hope that this will be the season where it actually works out. Wishful thinking, I'm afraid.

7. We don't have a lot going on this weekend, and I'm thrilled. Just some time with the fam, and maybe I'll make Micah take me out on the boat for the fishing trip I promised him during the Christmas Countdown. And I've got a hot date with my Kindle to finish up the Game of Thrones books. Other than that, I'm seeing quite a bit of cuddling with Micah in my future. I've got to head back to New Orleans next week, and I'm bummed about leaving him.

And that's about it! Hope you guys have a wonderful Friday! :)

My Music Wednesday: 10,000 Reasons

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

It has been awhile since I had any music to share, but I heard this song at church this week and fell in love. It's so melodic and beautiful. Enjoy 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman.

Resolute... better late than never

2012-01-03T20:31:00.000-06:00

I already told you guys how not well I did in sticking to last year's resolutions, but I'm making resolutions for 2012 anyway. I am, at the very least, persistent, if not consistent. So here we go.

Continue to Lose Weight

Well, I weighed in tonight, and I'm down 36 pounds total since the end of September. I actually lost another 3.5 pounds over the holiday! (I'm not sure how, since I cheated a lot.) At this point, I've got my eye on the prize and am in it for the long haul. And I hope that my resolution for next year will be to just maintain my goal weight. :)

Add a Workout Regime

I know that I can lose the weight I want to lose by watching what I eat, but to get to the healthy place I want to get to, I'm going to have to start working out. I haven't committed to a particular program yet, but it's definitely on my mind, and I'll let you know what I end up going with.

Finish Decorating the House

We've got a LOT of the big things taken care of, but we still have plenty to finish up in the house. In the master bedroom, I need curtains, bedside tables, and things for the wells. In the kitchen/living room, I need accessories, a shelf, something for the niche above the stairs, and a table for the entryway. In the dining room, I need curtains, accessories for the buffet, to finish up the centerpiece for the dining table, and things for the walls. We've got most of the office to do, and all of the game room, as well. I think we can realistically finish these things up by the end of the year. What do you guys think?

Figure Out a Plan to Pay My Law School Loans Off Early

Technically, I still have nine years to pay off my loans, but I really, really want to get them paid off in five. I just hate the idea of dragging out debt when we could be capable of paying them down quickly if we could get organized and streamline our expenditures a bit. So by the end of this year, I hope to do that.

Take More Pictures

I had originally planned on taking a picture every day, but I figured my husband and dog would get REALLY sick of me sticking the camera in their faces (since I really have nothing else to photograph) and gave up on the idea. Then I saw Katy's post about taking a picture every day just for the month of January and loved it. They even give you the subjects for your pictures!

So, even though I missed day two (I actually did take a picture of myself on New Years Day), I'm hopping on board. Here's today's picture of something I adore. :)

(So silly.)

I'll try and post the pictures each week, and I'll definitely post them all at the end of the month. And when January is over, I plan on making an effort to continue taking pictures. I love looking back at them.

Project Scripture

I'm probably most excited about memorizing 52 verses this year. Our Sunday School teacher has said been stressing how important it is for Christians to "know what we know." I don't want to take the Scripture for granted, and I don't want to just believe what I've been told. I want to know that I know the intricacies of this love letter God has given us, and memorizing Scripture is a big part of that. So here's to knowing what we know in 2012! And I'm so, so glad so many of you are joining in on the fun. It's so much fun to be doing this together. :)

Finish Reading the Bible

On a related note, I started several years ago trying to read the entire Bible and got about halfway through. But then I just stopped, and I'm not sure why. This probably deserves its own post at some point, but for now I'll just say that I'm ready to start back up and get it done.

Get Pregnant

Ha! This isn't really a resolution so much as a prayer, but I figured I'd throw it in anyway. I'm so excited for this time in our lives. (And just to clarify - we're not trying just yet, but we're planning on starting sometime this year - God willing.)

I think that's about it! These resolutions seem much more doable than last year's. (Maybe the key is setting the bar low so I'm pleasantly surprised!) And I think the key will be relying upon God's strength when mine fails (as it will inevitably do). Isn't everything better when we give it to God? :)

A look back...

2012-01-01T22:22:00.001-06:00

Today has been bittersweet to me because 2011 was so good to us - we're sad to see it go! I've been thinking back to everything we've experienced this year and praising the Lord for his many blessings.

This year...

... I shopped a lot.

... We had the biggest snow I can remember.

... I met Pioneer Woman.

... We bought our first house together.

... I photographed a wedding.

... I had my first trial.

... I wrote about my favorite beauty products.

... I got addicted to Pinterest.

... I cried with my best friend when she was told her son likely had cancer and rejoiced in God's goodness when she found out that he didn't.

... We welcomed our niece, Stella Josephine, into the world.

... I saw Backstreet Boys/NKOTB in concert.

... I saw Rihanna in concert.

... I saw Britney Spears in concert.

... Micah caught a BIG fish.

... We took an impromptu trip to San Marcos and got some furniture for a steal at the Pottery Barn outlet.

... I finally ordered Micah's juicer.

... I reflected on the ten year anniversary of 9/11.

... I started a diet and lost 32 pounds.

... I worked a lot.

... We singlehandedly kept the Knox Street Pottery Barn in business (ha!).

... We took a trip to Houston to see one of my besties get married.

... I shared all of our decorating adventures and mishaps.

... I reflected on God's extravagant grace.

... We decked the halls for Christmas.

... I did a Christmas Countdown for Micah.

... I hosted a Christmas party for some girlfriends.

... And I decided to do Project Scripture.

It was a year of mostly ups and only a few downs, and I am, once again, amazed at God's grace. I can only pray He is as wonderful to us in 2012 as He was in 2011. :)

Project Scripture: Week One

2012-01-01T16:00:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone! :) I hope you guys all had a wonderful New Years Eve! I've been under the weather and accidentally woke up at 4 am yesterday morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so we barely made it to midnight last night. We had dinner at Micah's parents' house and played dominoes (I know, we're so old) but left at 11:15 so we could be home at midnight (I wanted to get home safe before all the drunkety-drunk drivers got out on the road). We didn't quite make it and had to pull over so that we could kiss at midnight. :)

I haven't gotten all my resolutions finished up, but they're coming soon, I promise.

But I DID get my board all ready to start Project Scripture! I'm so, so excited about this, y'all. It's always fun to set goals and even more fun to achieve them, and I know we can all do this together. :) I did some research to see if I could find any suggestions for effective ways to memorize scripture, and I really liked this approach.

I've had a couple of different verses up on the board for the past few weeks, and I found that it really helped me to visualize the board as I was reciting it to myself throughout the day. I have a bit of a photographic memory, so that works for me. I also have found, just generally, that words set to music are easier to memorize. For this week, check out Ginny Owens's song Thy Word, which contains Psalm 119:105. :)

Okay, y'all. Let's get down to business.

Here's the verse for Week One!

Happy memorizing, y'all! :) (And, if you're memorizing your own verses, post them in the comments.)

My new buffet...

2011-12-31T17:25:00.000-06:00

So I told you guys earlier that we got something new for the house today.

Well...

Sike, ride your bike!

(Sorry, that was mean.)

I guess these frames are technically new, too, but here's what we got today.

So, what do you think of our new buffet?

It has the prettiest bead detailing, and the distressing is just flawless.

And I'm so pleased with it in the space. It's perfect (at least to me).

(hey, husband!)

And a bonus was that I got to meet Christian of Noteworthy Home and her sweet little boys when we went to pick it up! :) I've been coveting her things on Facebook for awhile, but when I saw this one, it was love at first sight. She was so great to work with and has a fantastic eye. I'll definitely keep an eye on her inventory for other absolutely perfect pieces (although I'm fairly certain this one will remain my true love ;)).

I've obviously still got to find pretty things to put on top, and I'm toying with the idea of moving the frames down a few inches (shh... don't tell Micah!), but I wanted to go ahead and share because I just COULDN'T wait.

Hope you all have a wonderful (and safe) New Years Eve!

Just a hint...

2011-12-31T15:23:00.001-06:00

As shocking as this must sound, we bought something else for the house today. ;)

And let me just tell you, it may or may not be my very favorite thing that we've gotten so far.

We haven't gotten it all in the house yet, so I don't have real picture yet, but here's a little hint.

I'm in love!!

Truth is...

2011-12-29T18:00:00.002-06:00

... I've been quite a lazy blogger lately. It has been easier to slap some pictures and decorating fun on here than it has been to tell you guys what's been going on in the Hargrave house. Believe me, though, it's not because we have any drama to share... it's just been pretty quiet around here. But I'll do my best to update y'all because I feel like I should. That's what a good blogger would do. :)

Micah and I are both feeling a little icky. It hit us both yesterday - head congestion, sore throat, etc. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm all jacked up on DayQuil, hoping it magically goes away. Thankfully, I'm working from home most of this week. Apparently the office is fairly deserted every year between Christmas and New Years, so I thought I'd just work from home and save myself the commute. The work doesn't stop, though - lots of writing the past few days, which I love.

The next big house project we try to tackle will probably be built-in bookshelves for the office. We're thinking that, if we can, we'd like to just use the company who did our kitchen/bathroom cabinets so they fit in with the rest of the house. (Speaking of, I've got to call them today...) Micah wasn't in love with the idea of doing lighter shelves at first, but I think I've got him convinced that, given the small/dark space, white/cream will be better. No matter what we do, I'll be THRILLED to get rid of all of the ugly file cabinets we have in there now. And I'm pretty sure we're going with a nautical theme, with framed antique nautical charts, and maybe I'll find a use for this spool table after all!

And you're probably wondering how the diet is going, too. Truthfully, not very well in the past week or so. I let myself eat pretty much guilt-free over the holidays, and I can't quite pull myself out of eat-whatever-I-want mode. I have no doubt I'll snap back into it soon, but until then, I'm pretty sure I need to rid the house of all the delicious sweet things we acquired at Christmas. I may or may not have polished off a ridiculous amount of white fudge Flipz this morning. But I did make a yummy, healthy dinner last night and had a perfectly on-plan lunch today, which reminded me that it does feel SO much better to eat things that are good for me.

(What I wore to the firm Christmas party... definitely not perfect, but better than last year! :))

On a happy note, Micah and I celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary on Tuesday! It just blows my mind that we've been married for three years already. It really has gotten better every year! He's so much more than I deserve, but I think I'll keep him anyway.

We're doing so well, actually, and having so much fun with our niece and nephew that we're starting to think about our timeline for having kids. And...we're thinking that we'll probably start trying sometime this coming year! Life is busy, and juggling my role as a mom and my career will be tough, but there's never going to be a "perfect" time, and you just make time for things that are important to you. So there's a little scoop for you guys. :)

And that's what has been up with us! Same old quiet little life, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Project Scripture...

2011-12-29T06:00:00.006-06:00

Alright, y'all, I am SO excited about this! I hope you guys are too.

Here's the list of verses I'm planning on memorizing in 2012. I mostly picked verses that were relatively short so they'd fit on my board (which you can see how I made here), plus, I figured they'd be easier to memorize, too! And I tried to get all the hit all the "key" verses, but feel free to shout out any that I missed and absolutely must memorize this year. :)

(And note that I didn't pick any one translation to use. For each verse, I tried to pick the translation I had heard used most often for that verse. But obviously feel free to pick whatever translation you like best.)

(And I promise I'm almost done with the parentheticals, but here's a button you can add onto your blog if you'd like!)

Alright... here we go!

Week One: January 1 - January 7

Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Week Two: January 8 - January 14

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness."

Week Three: January 15 - January 21

Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Week Four: January 22 - January 28

Psalm 118:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for his is good; his love endures forever."

Week Five: January 29 - Feburary 4

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen."

Week Six: February 5 - February 11

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Week Seven: February 12 - Feburary 18

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

Week Eight: February 19 - February 25

Psalm 124:8 "Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Week Nine: February 26 - March 3

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!"

Week Ten: March 4 - March 10

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God."

Week Eleven: March 11 - March 17

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might

become the righteousness of God."

Week Twelve: March 18 - March 24

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Week Thirteen: March 25 - March 31

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Week Fourteen: April 1 - April 7

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Week Fifteen: April 8 - April 14

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.'”

Week Sixteen: April 15 - April 21

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Week Seventeen: April 22 - April 28

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Week Eighteen: April 29 - May 5

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Week Nineteen: May 6 - May 12

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?"

Week Twenty: May 13 - May 19

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Week Twenty-One: May 20 - May 26

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Week Twenty-Two: May 27 - June 2

2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'”

Week Twenty-Three: June 3 - June 9

Proverbs 3:5-7 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Week Twenty-Four: June 10 - June 16

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

Week Twenty-Five: June 17 - June 23

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Week Twenty-Six: June 24 - June 30

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Week Twenty-Seven: July 1 - July 7

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Week Twenty-Weight: July 8 - July 14

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Week Twenty-Nine: July 15 - July 21

Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Week Thirty: July 22 - July 28

Matthew 28:20 "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Week Thirty-One: July 29 - August 4

Acts 2:21 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Week Thirty-Two: August 5 - August 11

Psalm 128:1 "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways."

Week Thirty-Three: August 12 - August 18

Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Week Thirty-Four: August 19 - August 25

Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Week Thirty-Five: August 26 - September 1

James 4:17 "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

Week Thirty-Six: September 2 - September 8

Mattew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Week Thirty-Seven: September 9 - September 15

Psalm 34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

Week Thirty-Eight: September 16 - September 22

Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Week Thirty-Nine: September 23 - September 29

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Week Forty: September 30 - October 6

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

Week Forty-One: October 7 - October 13

Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Week Forty-Two: October 14 - October 20

Luke 18:27 "Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Week Forty-Three: October 21 - October 27

Ephesians 4:31 "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."

Week Forty-Four: October 28 - November 3

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you."

Week Forty-Five: November 4 - November 10

Phillipians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Week Forty-Six: November 11 - November 17

Phillipians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Week Forty-Seven: November 18 - November 24

1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

Week Forty-Eight: November 25 - December 1

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."

Week Forty-Nine: December 2 - December 8

Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

Week Fifty: December 9 - December 15

Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Week Fifty-One: December 16 - December 22

Phillipians 1:16 "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Week Fifty-Two: December 23 - December 29

1 Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called."

So that's it! Totally doable, right? :)

Want to memorize some scripture with me?

2011-12-28T08:36:00.001-06:00

So I showed you guys this memory verse board that I made a couple of weeks ago.

And I got to thinking - wouldn't it be great if I could actually memorize a new verse every week in 2012? I realize that I was an epic failure last year, but I really want to do it this year. And I figured that maybe some of you guys might want to join me?

So here's the plan.

I'll post all the verses I'm planning on memorizing this year sometime in the next couple of days. And then, to make it fun and as a reminder each week, I'll post a picture of my memory board every Sunday with that week's verse on it.

If anyone wants to join me, you can link up your own verse every week or just do the same one I'm doing. I figure we'll all do better if we do it together, right?

Here's to commiting 52 verses to memory in 2012! :)

This...

2011-12-26T22:51:00.000-06:00

... is perfection.

via

I stumbled across it tonight and can't take my mind off of it. It'd be the PERFECT thing for above my mantle. I found a pretty mirror at Garden Ridge a few weeks ago that looks nice there, but it's nothing special and doesn't really make much of a statement. This one's on backorder until February, but I think it'd be worth the wait. What do you guys think? I did get a PB giftcard for Christmas that'd make a nice little dent in the price. (Thanks, Mom and Stevey!) :)

On that note, we had a WONDERFUL Christmas! Lots of time with family and good food. (But, ugh... I feel so yucky from all the junk I've eaten in the past few days. I can so tell a difference in my energy level and overall well-being. It's back to the diet hardcore tomorrow.) This season--of remembering the miracle of Christ's birth--is so wonderfully magical to me. I was almost sad when I woke up on Sunday morning because I knew the day would fly by (and it did!) and that Christmas would be over. But it is nice that we still have New Years to look forward to. Here's hoping 2012 is as good to me as 2011 has been!

Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and that Santa spoiled you rotten! :)

Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night!

2011-12-24T20:03:00.001-06:00

I hope you guys are having a WONDERFUL Christmas Eve!! Micah and I have had a wonderful day with family (and yummy food!) and feel so, so spoiled by our family.

And just in case you haven't had enough adorably cute in your life today, you can check out this little princess. :)

Sticking to it...

2011-12-21T06:00:00.006-06:00

It hit me like a slap in the face today that 2011 is almost over. What the...? How did another year speed by so quickly? And when did I become an old lady who talks about time speeding by?

Anyway, I decided to look back at the resolutions I made at the beginning of the year to see how I did. Overall, pretty abysmal. There will definitely be several I have to add to to the list again for 2012. If at first you don't succeed... :)

Get more involved at FBC Sunnyvale.

We actually have joined a Sunday School class. We'll just gloss over the fact that we didn't start going until about a month ago.

Memorize a different Bible verse each week.

I REALLY wanted to do this, and we did great for about three weeks. Ha. But I did make an adorable memory verse board a week or so ago, and we're already doing better on this. I mean, I've got Song of Solomon 3:4 down pat. :)

Read my Seasonal Bible and stay caught up each week.

Definitely sucked at this, too. Of all my failings as a Christian, the amount of time I spend digging into the Word is probably my biggest. Again, I'm just going to try again next year.

Pray with Micah as many nights as possible.

Ditto.

Pray intently for a different person each month.

Well, Lauren and Mom should have had a great January and February, respectively. But the rest of you suckers.... not so much. Daddy, I'm starting with you on January 1.

Work out at least twice a week.

I'm going to say that, in lieu of working out, I started dieting. It's totally the same, right? ;) No, actually I did do pretty good for the month of November. I was averaging 16 flights of stairs 1-2 times per week. And then I accidentally took my flats home and haven't brought them back up to work with me. The official party line is that I keep forgetting them. I almost believe it.

Meet more people at work.

Now this one, I've actually done. I'd say the number of people who don't know my name has decreased substantially. If only I could get that one partner to stop calling me Reagan... (seriously).

Take off my makeup each night.

I've actually done well with this one, too. Which is probably why my skin looks so much better than it did last year.

Get rid of bad habits.

Well, I'm still biting my lip, and my nails are a mess. And I still pop my knuckles like there's no tomorrow. I'm starting to think I should have just called this one "Stop acting like a man."

Get my diplomas framed.

I'm 2/3 of the way done with this one. Here's the proof!

I got my diplomas framed but waited on getting my law license because I couldn't fathom spending $300 on a plain black frame (although I won't lie, the mat is actually a super pretty shiny cloth. I love it.). Then I forgot about until the license until this very moment. Maybe I should add "Stop forgetting stuff" to next year's list.

So there's my (very poor) report card for this year. How did you guys do?

Mason jars...

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I'm sure you've all seen, as I have, that mason jars are all the rage in blog-/pinterest-land. They're simple, country, and CHEAP! I used this cool idea for "snow" candles for my party on Saturday.

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Festive, simple, easy. That's my kind of project. :)

Anyway, I saw another very cool use of mason jars on Pinterest the other day and fell in love.

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Isn't this chandelier gorgeous? It's from this Etsy shop.

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The cool thing is that they're fairly affordable, as chandeliers go.

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SO creative!

Anyway, I'm not convinced that I need one in my house. I've been eyeing a few other looks for above the kitchen island, kitchen table, dining table, and foyer. But they're pretty, nonetheless. :)

Last year...

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Last year...

I looked like this.

This year...

I look like this.

The change is subtle, but I can definitely see it. This is motivation to keep going. To start a new week with renewed discipline after all the cheating this weekend. And to hope that next year's picture will show an even more dramatic change. :)

(My sister-in-law, of course, is as beautiful as ever. Love her.)

The Abbotts...

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We had Christmas with my Dad's side of the family today, and it was wonderful as usual. Intead of telling you all about it, I'm just going to dump a bunch of pictures on you. These are mostly for my family, so I apologize if these are completely boring to everyone else. :)

(Pretty Stella and her Paw Paw.)

(Aunt Brig loving on Miss Allie)

(Two twin brothers and their granddaughters. So precious.)

(Stella and Mamaw)

(I just love this picture. My sweet Aunt Cinda's smile is one of my favorite things on the planet.)

(Bubba listening to the book Mamaw and Papaw made for Stella. They recorded their voices reading the story. So precious that I cried.)

(Me and Faithey. Love her.)

(Three handsome Abbott men and the prettiest baby in the world.)

(The Abbott girls. I couldn't love my cousins and aunts any more.)

(Aren't they so cute?)

(My pretty cousin and her little twin.)

And these aren't Abbott boys, but I couldn't resist.

(Can you spot the toddler? :) And isn't my husband the most handsome man on the planet?)

Hope you guys had a lovely, relaxing weekend!

Party food...

2011-12-17T21:33:00.001-06:00

Whew!

I just got done cleaning up the little Christmas party and gift exchange I had for some of my girlfriends tonight. We had SO much fun! It had been awhile since I had some good girl time, and it was definitely much needed. But can you believe that I didn't take a SINGLE picture??!! Not even with my iPhone. I'm pretty sure that makes me the worst blogger ever.

But as a peace offering, I'm posting links to all the recipes I used tonight. A lot of them were new recipes (which is always a risk), and I'd definitely make most of them again. To see the recipe, just click on the name of the dish.

Here we go...

Jalapeno Popper Dip

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This stuff is tried and true. It's different and delicious. Give it a try for your next party.

Dorito Casserole

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Let me just first say that mine looked nothing like this. That might have something to do with the fact that I used the wrong size pan and didn't layer it like the recipe said to. Anyway... I saw this on Pinterest and had to make it. And it was definitely good, but not amazing. But that could totally be operator error. Fo sho.

Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

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Um, yes. These are as delicious as they look. They're definitely not a super low-maintenance (or cheap) recipe, but they're worth it. Pinky promise.

Cake Batter Bars

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Heaven. That's what these babies are. If you make them, pretty pretty please don't overcook them. They've got to be a little undercooked to have that deliciously chewy texture, so resist the urge to put it back in the oven when they're still jiggly. You won't be sorry.

Champagne Punch

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This stuff was really yummy. The recipe calls for cloves and cinnamon, so it's got that fun, Christmas-y flavor, but it's still fruity and fresh too. Plus, aren't the sugar-rimmed glasses the cutest things you've ever seen? (But know that the green sugar may or may not turn your mouth green like it did mine.) Super fun recipe.

Broccoli Salad

This was a recipe my sister-in-law got from a coworker, so I don't have a picture. But it was good. You've probably had some version of this somewhere. Here's what I put in mine.

Ingredients

4 cups of broccoli

2 cups seedless red grapes cut in half or fourths
½ cup chopped red onion
1 bag of slivered almonds
1 package of cooked bacon crumbled (do not add the bacon until you are ready to serve)
You can also add chopped celery (1 stalk), but I left it out because Faith doesn't like celery.

Dressing

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (plus more, to taste)

Directions

Mix up dressing and toss with the salad stuff at least 2 hours before you serve it. Store in refrigerator until time to serve. Then add the bacon and toss again.

Simple and delicious.

"White Chocolate" Popcorn

Just for the record, it doesn't actually have any white chocolate. It's the white, vanilla-flavored candy coating you find in the baking aisle. Some people call it almond bark (but it doesn't have almonds in it, either, as far as I know). Anyway, I digress.

Ingredients

1 bag natural, no-butter, no salt popcorn

1/2 package white candy coating

Directions

Pop the popcorn. Try and remove any unpopped kernels if you can. Melt the candy coating in a big bowl according to the package directions. Add the popcorn and stir it all around to coat the popcorn. Once it's all stirred up, pour it onto wax paper to harden. Let it sit for about 45 minutes or so, and then it should be good to go.

Hot Chocolate Bar

I was inspired by this pin on Pinterest to have a hot chocolate bar:

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(Although I can promise you mine wasn't anywhere near this cute.)

I made this recipe for hot chocolate (multipled it by four) and put it in my crock pot to keep it warm. Then I set out little bowls of mini marshmallows, mini m&ms, and some candy canes for stirring. It was simple and fun. I didn't actually have any, come to think of it, but it looked good. :)

Smores Favors

Last, but not least, here are the favors I made.

Pinterest again. I sound like a spokesperson. But these were so cute (if I can say that as the hostess). And easy to do. I like things that are functional as well as cute, and these were perfect.

So that's what I made tonight! After all that cooking, I'm thinking it's just about time for a loooong bubble bath. :) (And if you're wondering, yes I am still dieting. 32 pounds down so far. But I'm guessing it'll be more like 30 after tonight. :))