Adios 2014!

I'm going to go ahead and state for the record that I loathe NYE. It's always been my least favorite holiday, but 4 years ago, it became my least favorite day ever. Four years ago, my Granddaddy passed away. I don't want to rehash that awful day, but I will make this disclaimer: when a family member dies, be sure all of your relatives know before you post it on Facebook, because that's a really shitty way to have to find out. 

I've always been disliked NYae because it is always full of magical expectations and always seems to ended a drunken disaster. Things never go as planned, at least in my experience. Bars are overcrowded and overpriced. People drink way too much and flake out. Thus, I decided a few years ago to not treat NYE any different than any other night. Last year, B and I rang in the new year at an Avett Brothers concert, and I have to say, it was the best NYE I've ever had. This year, we will enjoy a bottle of Champagne and some Netflix, just the 2 of us (and the cat). 

I hope everyone has a safe and fun night. Here's to big things in 2015!

Love,

A

Christmas Miracles

There is so much tragedy in the world and I feel like every time I turn on the news, I'm bombarded with awful stories about death and violence and other terrible things. The best story I've heard recently was about a woman that walked into a Massachusetts Toys R Us and spent $20,000 to pay off the layaways for all of the stores' customers. It just warmed my heart!

Today I got a text from an old coworker and dear friend. I'll call here Lee. She is a hardworking single mother with a 5-year-old son, who is the light of her life. Last month, her son's father texted her and said he would send her money to buy Christmas gifts for their son. This came as a big shock to her, as he has never even paid child support. With this news, she went to K-Mart and put all of his gifts on layaway. Money has been especially tight for her lately since she has seen an increase in tuition for her son's school and daycare. (The local public school system is atrocious, and her son received a scholarship to a local private school so she enrolled him so that he could receive the best education possible.) Lee and I had even talked on the phone last week and she told me that she was so excited that she was going to be able to give her son a really good Christmas this year, and I was so happy for her. She texted me today with some sad news. Her son's father had texted her this afternoon and informed her that he wasn't going to send money for Christmas because he was having some financial trouble. This meant that she was not going to be able to make her final layaway payment tonight. She told me that she currently has $35 to her name until payday next week and she still needed to buy groceries for dinner tonight and that her gas light in her car had been on for 3 days. Lee was terribly embarrassed but she asked me if she could borrow $20 from me until she got paid. Of course I told her yes and offered to loan her more than $20 so that she didn't have to worry about money in the coming days. 

I decided that instead of just giving her some cash that I would just make my way over to the K-Mart and pay off her layaway balance. She only owed $42.81 and I wanted to do something nice for her since she is struggling right now. I walked back to the layaway department and there were 3 women in line in front of me and a man was at the register. I noticed that all 3 women were silently crying. The man turned around and said, "Merry Christmas," and he left. After a moment, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked the women if they were alright. One of the women dried her eyes and told me that they were better than alright. That man had been sitting on the bench in the layaway department, just waiting for someone to come back there to make a payment. When the women got to the register, he asked who their layaway items were for. One of the women told him that they were Christmas presents for her young son. She pulled a worn envelope of cash out of her pocket and he stopped her. Without even asking the cashier the total, he handed over her credit card and told them that he was going to make the final payment for them. The women and the cashier were all shocked. The women immediately began thanking him and crying. He said that they could repay him by having a Merry Christmas. When it came my turn at the register, I asked the cashier if that happened a lot. She told me that it had been happening more often in the wake of the story of the Massachusetts woman that paid off layaway for strangers at Toys R Us. She told me that in fact, I was the third person that day to come pay off layaway for someone else. She told me that like me, most people that did it were making payments for people they knew, but that that man was the first she'd seen that made a payment for a total stranger. 

For those of you who think that goodness and kindness are dead, I'd like to tell you firsthand that it is not. My heart is so full and warm for witnessing this. 

I called Lee and told her I actually wouldn't be able to meet her tonight to lend her the $20. I heard the sadness in her voice as she said, "It's ok, friend. I still love you and I appreciate you trying." I told her that I couldn't meet her because I'd gone ahead and paid off her layaway, and that when she went to get her items, she would just have to pay the remaining balance of 1 cent. (K-Mart will not hold your layaway items once they are completely paid for, so I left her with the smallest balance allowed.) Lee started crying and thanking me. For the record, I didn't do this so that I could brag. I did it because I love her and I know what it's like to be strapped for money and how humiliating it is to ask someone to borrow money. I'm sharing this story because I was in such awe of that man and the generosity he showed those women who were complete strangers. The Christmas spirit is alive and well, my friends! 

Love,

A

Five on Friday!

Another week of December has flown by and we are less than a week away from Christmas.  Can you believe it??  Once again, I am linking up with Christina for Five on Friday.  Hope you enjoy!

-ONE- 

Today we had our Secret Santa party and holiday luncheon at work.  I made the jalapeno corn dip like I'd planned, and it turned out great.  I got several compliments from our sales guys and several enthusiastic thumbs-ups with full mouths.  I definitely think I will be adding this recipe to my party rotation.  I also got a lot of compliments from the girls in the office about my Crock-Pot.  I got it last year from Target, but they are available on Amazon.  

-TWO-

As you might have already read, I started walking again this week.  It continues to be tough and painful, but I'm trying to muster through.  B had his surgery yesterday so we are quite a pair right now.  

-THREE-

B and I will be going to see his family this weekend to celebrate an early Christmas and to celebrate his birthday.  It will be a small get together with his parents and his sister and her husband.  I doubt we will do too much since he and I are both in recovery mode, but I'm looking forward to spending quality time together.  

-FOUR-

I'm really wanting one of these cool curling irons for my hair!

-FIVE-

There is this great clothing company that I just discovered called Lauren James.  They are having great sales leading up to Christmas.  Today they have all of their koozies and stickers 50% off when you use the code DAY10WIN at check-out.  Here are a few of my favorite items!

Have a great weekend!

Love,

A

Baby Steps

I started taking tiny baby steps today! I went back to my surgeon today and he removed my cast and put me in a walking boot! After a very long and stressful 8 weeks of not being able to walk, I'm finally able to start gradually putting weight on my right foot. I'm ditching the faithful knee scooter and I'll be using crutches to help me with my transition over the next week or so. It's surprising just how weak your whole leg gets after 2 months of not using it. I now have the joy of dry, dead skin and a super hairy leg to deal with, but I'm thrilled to be making progress! My surgeon said my X-rays look great, things are healing well, and my scar will continue to heal nicely and fade with time. I'm not too thrilled to be back in so much pain, but no pain, no gain. I'll be in the walking boot for at least 6 weeks and then I will likely move into a shoe with a rigid sole, like Danskos. 

Now I'm off to soak my gnarly foot in a tub of hot water and slather my leg with all of the lotion I can find!

Love,

A

Beware of Zombies!

I'm writing this post from the passenger seat as B drives us home from Georgia. I'm not well-suited for long car rides these days. 

We went to Fayetteville, GA this weekend and took a side trip to the town of Senoia, which was about 20 minutes away. Senoia is a movie town. Several movies were filmed there and that's where they film some of The Walking Dead. 

We went to Senoia first on Saturday night but it was dark and most things were closed when we got there. We decided to eat at Zac Brown's Southern Ground restaurant and we were not disappointed! Their margarita was killer, and we ended the night with their chocolate and peanut butter bread pudding (of which I was skeptical but ended up loving). 

We went back to Senoia on our way home today. We shopped at The Woodbury Shoppe and managed to see parts of the set. It was really neat! We could have taken the $65 tour, but we were short on time. 

Anyone want to let me borrow $34.99?

That's the burnt out church in the background. 

B and I checked out a jail cell. 

The Governor 's Dead Wife

"Everyone makes it till they don't!" -Bob

Tyreese and Lizzie

How was your weekend? I'd love to hear!

Love,

A

Five on Friday

My dear friend Katie introduced me to a great blog called Carolina Charm!  Christina and her friends do a great little thing on Fridays and I've decided to participate and link up! Here goes nothing...

-ONE-

B and I will be going to Fayetteville, GA this weekend for his Continuing Education class.  I am tagging along so that I can visit one of my absolute best friends in the whole wide world.  I can't wait to be reunited!

-TWO-

We have decorated a little bit for Christmas, but still have a lot to do.  We (and I really mean B) put up our tree and put lights on it, but we still need to put on the ornaments.  That means that we will have to track down the boxes of ornaments.  Since we moved, I have no idea where anything ended up!  B also put these awesome lights on the outside of the house.  

-THREE-

I am literally counting down the days until I go back to the doctor and get my cast off.  In case you were wondering, I go back on the 16th, so just a few more days!!!  I am so ready to ditch the knee scooter and start walking again.  I know I have a long way to go to rebuild all of the muscle and strength I lost, but luckily I know a pretty good Physical Therapist (coughBcough).  

-FOUR-

I am completely obsessed with the SERIAL podcast.  If you haven't heard about it or haven't started listening yet, you're missing out!  Check out the details here.  

-FIVE-

I just found out yesterday that not only is our office doing Secret Santa, but we are also having our first annual Holiday Potluck.  I am so happy to be around to see these traditions start.  Now the hardest part will be to buy a Secret Santa present for someone I've only know for a few days.  Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated.  Both events are the day after B has minor surgery, so I am trying to plan ahead as much as I can.  I think I am going to make this corn dip to bring to the luncheon.  It seems easy enough and looks delicious!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Love,

A

nEXt

I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed last night and noticed that one of my exes had posted an article from my hometown newspaper. I read it and saw that his wife is now the Youth Director at a hometown church. I randomly sent him a message about it, since I used to be a Youth Director, and at one point in time, I'd been offered (and graciously turned down) the job his wife now has. We ended up chatting back and forth and he praised me for the good job I'd done with my Youth Group. (We have a mutual Facebook friend who was one of our college professors who happened to have a child in my Youth Group and she has been kind enough to publicly brag on my work.) He also asked about what I was up to these days, so I told him the news about my new house with B and my new job. He replied with something I never expected. He said, "He likes like a great guy, like you've found the perfect match." This guy and I were friends all through college (and we will call him D.) D and I stayed close via AIM in college and he was always my go-to for guy problems. We ended up dating for a bit after college, but the relationship faded into the sunset, as some relationships do. He married the next girl he dated. We haven't talked much since our relationship ended, but D is a nice guy and really smart, so I still keep up with his life via Facebook. And you know what? He was right. B is my perfect match and I couldn't be happier with the life we've built together. He perfectly balances me out and I couldn't imagine a better partner in life. There's a certain weird affirmation found when an ex has witnessed your life via Facebook and tells you that even he can see that you've found "the one." 

Just thought I'd share. 

Love,

A

A Time for Change

Those of you who know me know that I don't have a very adventurous sense of fashion.  If you looked at my Pinterest boards, you'd see some trendy outfits posted, but you're not likely to ever see me actually wear them.  You'll find me in my typical uniform or black pants/leggings and either a comfy sweater or vest during this time of year, or an always trusty cardigan.  I tend to express myself through my accessories.  I love the Fall (and I guess Winter) because it gives me a chance to break out my collection of scarves.  Infinity scarves are my jam right now.  I also have a deep love for jewelry.

Growing up, I always rocked a velco-band digital Timex watch.

Imagine that guy in every color combination they manufactured in the late 1990s with a sweet velcro band.  I wore it constantly, so much so that I had a watch tan for most of my life (and may have a slight one even now).  

When I went to college, my parents gave me a "fancy" Nike watch, which was obviously still digital.  I have always had issues telling time.  It's not that I can't tell time, but rather I'm too lazy.  Judge away.  

It wasn't until sometime during college that I broke down and got a "real" watch.  It was some cheap little Timex from K-Mart and I wore it until the face cracked, and long after the battery died.  Like I said, I wasn't really reading it very often.  It was so fancy that it had a stretchy metal band.

A few years ago, I started wearing watches as more of a fashion statement than a habit.  Over the past few years, I've invested in 3 very nice and classic Michael Kors watches that I absolutely love.  They have served me well.  I seem to prefer larger-faced watches these days.  Probably because I can't see for crap, but I digress.  

About a year ago, I discovered this really great company called 1:Face Charity Watch.  When you purchase one of their watches, they donate money to a designated charity.  Here is what their website says:

Our story starts with the belief that one person, literally, can change the world. Millions of people need food, medical attention and clean water. And there are millions more that can help change that. One person has the power to feed a child, quench a thirst and find a cure.

Be the Face of change with 1Face.

Our model shows how one person can change the world. We want to increase our impact and allow our supporters to help a variety of people and causes.

1Face supports nine causes; cancer, hunger, breast cancer, clean water, disaster relief, environment, AIDS, education, and animal rights, and have partnered with different charities to bring global change. Each cause has a specific metric that tells you exactly what you purchase does. From building wells to providing a year of education, 1Face is committed to bringing about change, worldwide.

Each cause is represented by a watch of a different color.  My red watch sent money to Keep a Child Alive and provided AIDS treatment for 4 children.  My blue watch sent money to The Adventure Project and that money went to help provide a charcoal efficient stove for a family in Haiti.  My most recent purchase from them has been the black touchscreen watch.  This watch supports all 9 causes and changed 36 lives!  I absolutely love the look and the functionality of these watches.  The standard watches all have an awesome mirror face.  The touchscreen watch is all black.  I get compliments every time I wear one of my watches, and they are definitely a conversation starter!  Most people ask me if I'm wearing one of the new smartwatches, but they are really intrigued when I tell them that I am wearing a life-saving watch.  They would make the perfect gift this holiday season for a friend or loved one or just for yourself!  

And here is my new touchscreen 1:Face compared to B's Pebble smartwatch.

Love, 

A

All images (except the last) are via here.

Wine Under the Christmas Tree

I love having candles in our house, especially the kind that smells good! I've found the perfect Christmas candle and wanted to share my find with y'all. It's by a company called Rewined and they make all of their candles in recycled wine bottles. They are all wine themed and amazing. The Christmas candle is called "Wine Under the Christmas Tree" and it's the perfect blend of wine and pine. 

Buy yours here: http://www.isabellacatalog.com/p/Rewined-Wine-Under-the-Tree-Candle

Love,

A

Funny Life

Life is funny sometimes. Last night, I chatted with an old friend. (She rescued a dog and is trying to find a permanent home for him and I'm trying to help.) JL was my best friend from kindergarten through 10th grade. One day we got into a huge fight over this guy named Kyle. We both had major crushes on him and all went to the movies one night and she ended up making out with him right in front of me and it crushed me. She chose him over me and they ended up dating for the rest of high school. JL and I went our separate ways, but stayed in touch over Facebook and ended up reconnecting and becoming friendly again a few years ago. 

Want to know the funny thing about all of this? She came out of the closet in college and has been in a relationship with this amazing woman for the past six years. 

Want to know the even funnier part? He came out of the closet in college, too. 

It just goes to show that silly teenage fights are exactly that; SILLY. 

Just thought id share that with you. Remember that the things that may seem earth-shattering today will probably seem really insignificant in a few years. Don't write someone you care off forever because of petty differences because in a few years, you will probably realize that they are pretty great and you'll remember why they were so important to you in the first place. 

Love,

A

Hall of Fame

I've kept this pretty quiet on social media, but I started a new job this week. I'm working for a really cool company in the professional sports industry. My company had a meeting with the NFL today, and an old Hall-of-Famer stopped by! Joe DeLamielleure played for the Buffalo Bills in the 1970s (alongside OJ Simpson) and was a part of their famed "Electric Company" offensive line. 

I don't know too much about professional sports, but I'm sure I'll be learning a lot soon!

Love,

A

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that everyone had a magical Thanksgiving and ate until their stretchy pants declared, "no more!" 

I spent my second Thanksgiving ever a away from my family. (The first was in college when I was studying abroad in Italy.) I spent this year with B's family in the mountains of NC. We just did a day trip, so most of our time was spent in the car back and forth, but it was so nice to meet parts of his extended family that I hadn't had the opportunity to meet until now. 

We even drove through some falling snow on the way! B was much less excited than I was. 

B was even kind enough to stop for a picture in the snow at a rest area (even though he didn't look at the camera.)

Our first stop was at his Aunt and Uncle's house for lunch with his mother's side of the family. We had a great traditional meal. I met his grandparents, his Aunt and Uncle, and a handful of his cousins. His parents and sister (and her dog Joy) were also there. The food was delicious and his family was so nice. The visit was relatively short because most people had to get on the road to spend the rest of the day with other parts of their families. 

Joy was rotten, as usual, but a steadfast lap companion. 

We ate dinner with a few members of B's Dad's side of the family. That meal was much less traditional. We had shrimp, pizza, and various sides and pies. It was equally as delicious as lunch!  I had the opportunity to meet B's other Grandmother and another one of his Aunts. Again, his parents and sister (and Joy, Sunny, and Patches) joined us. The house was pretty full with 7 people and 3 eager and playful dogs! We did manage to snap a few pictures to commemorate the day. 

Obligatory selfie!

Sunny loves his B and just had to be in the picture. 

Sunny and Joy did some serious playing. Can you tell that even though she's much smaller, Joy is always the boss?

After a full day, Sunny was worn splat out!

I hope everyone had a great day and has a full belly!

Love,

Aw

My Jams

I've recently become a little obsessed with Jamberry nail wraps. They are these awesome stickers that you apply to your nails in lieu of traditional polish. They come in super cute designs that I'd never be able to mimic with normal nail polish. They seal to your nails with adhesive and are waterproof and super durable. I'm a total spaz when it comes to painting my nails and the polish always chips or peels off after about a day. My Jamberry nail wraps can last 10 days with no issues. (This post is not endorsed or sponsored and these opinions are entirely my own.)

Check out some of my recent jamicures!

The patterns are fun to mix and match!

I even mixed my Jams with some traditional polish and love the results!

This is my most recent one and I love it!

Check them out and I know you'll fall in love, too! Also let me know what you think!

Love,

A

Putting the "I" in "we"

I've noticed recently that I seem to have developed a habit that I never imagined I'd developed. I guess it happens to most people eventually. I've started to refer to myself as "we" in conversations, Facebook posts, and even here on my blog. I find myself thinking in terms of "we" (being me and B) instead of thinking in terms of "me". I guess that's an inevitable part of being in a long-term relationship. I'm by no means insinuating that that's a bad thing, just merely making an observation. 

Friends will ask me, "What are your plans for the holidays," or "What have you been up to lately," and I always seem to find myself answering about what we are doing for the holidays or what we have been up to lately. 

Being the perpetually single gal in my circle of friends, I always used to cringe when my best girl friends would transform into a "we". I asked about you, not you and your boyfriend. I used to see this transformation as a weakness, a sign that my friend's individual identity was fading off into oblivion. It always seemed as though my friend could no longer exist separate from her boyfriend. Perhaps that was just the cycinal single side of me thinking that. It always perturbed me that when I'd ask a friend to hang out or make plans, she'd tell me she'd have to check with him before she could commit. I was angry that she couldn't make plans without first clearing it with his schedule. (For the record, this isn't about just a single friend. I felt this way about all of my friends who were in relationships.) 

Over the past year and a half, I have unknowingly become one of those girls that I once judged and disliked. I am now the one that, before cementing plans with a friend, checks with him. I don't do this because I need his validation or permission. I do this because we share a life together, and I'm not always aware of what is on our social (or personal) calendar. Trust me, B is not a high maintainence guy or the least bit controlling of me, and for that I am thankful. I am a strong and independent woman who does not need permission from anyone to live my life in the way that I choose. I do, however, want to share my life with this man that I love so very much. I want to spend time with h and I want to do things as a couple. 

This transformation from a "me" to a "we" is actually something that I welcome. Shocking. I think it's just interesting and sometimes mind-blowing how our lives can transform into something we'd never imagined without us even realizing it. 

So to all of the other "we" people out there, I'm sorry I ever thought that being part of a "we" made you less of a "you." 

Love,

A

The new edition to our family

Well, she's not new by any means, but my kitty Princess Fiona finally came to live with us today! She's been living with my parents for quite sometime, but now she's finally home. When I moved to Charlotte last year, I chose to leave her with my parents to avoid paying the $300 non-refundable pet deposit at our apartment. Now, you're probably thinking that that makes me a terrible mama to my baby cat, but that was an expense that I just couldn't afford at the time. At the time, I was still driving back to Greenville every weekend to do my duties as the Director of Youth Ministries at my home church, so I got to spend every Sunday loving on Fiona. B and I always planned to take her back when we moved into the house and got settled, but my parents kept her a little longer than originally planned because of my surgery. Dad came and took me to my doctor appointment today (since I can't legally drive with my right foot in a cast) and he brought Fiona with him. She's spent most of the day sniffing around and cautiously exploring her new home. We've also caught up on some much needed snuggling. 

Princess Fiona was a birthday/Chrisas gift from my BFFAE back in 2009. At the time, I had just moved into an apartment by myself and I was single and lonely. I'd always had cats growing up and BFFAE thought that I needed a companion to come home to everyday. She adopted her from the Greenville Humane Society and surprised me with her on November 15, 2009. She was barely 3 weeks old, and the Humane Society had named her Juanita. My first order of business was to change her name. (I just couldn't imagine myself saying things like "Get off the counter, Juanita!") I had a list of potential names for her. BFFAE and I sat on the floor with her and I started testing out some of the names. When I called out "Princess Fiona", she meowed and came right to me. (Yes, I named her after the ogre Princess from the Shrek movies and it truly suits her personality. She can be quite the ogre at times.) 

She is a Maine Coon cat, which means she's quite large. She has long hair and and a fluffy tail and the softest, fuzziest belly in the world. She's awkward just like her mama. She growls like a dog when she's scared, and she loves cheese almost as much as I do. She loves playing in boxes and shopping bags and will shamelessly beg for treats. 

Happy (belated) 5th birthday, baby cat! Mama loves you and is so happy to finally have you home!

Love,

A

Fiesta time!

I'm back! I felt like my last few posts that I've blogged about how I never blog anymore were way too meta and I needed to remedy that ASAP!

On Saturday, B and I hosted a housewarming party at our new place. We did a fiesta theme (since our street name is in Spanish). We ordered catering from Moe's Southwest Grill (make-your-own fajitas with all of the fixings) and served red and white sangria. Our new house quickly turned into a home when we were joined by 22 amazing friends and family member and one super cute dog! We are so thankful for all of the love and support that we have received and continue to receive from these amazing people. B's college roommate even drove all the way from Arizona to NC to join us!  

My very dear friend Katie and her wonderful husband also joined us and spent the night in our newly refurnished guest room. (Check out Katie's blog, Farm to Fête at http://www.farmtofete.com!) She is one of the most incredible and genuine people on the planet, beautiful both inside and out, and I firmly believe that I'd be utterly lost without her in my life. 

B's sister and her husband brought their adorable dog, Joy, who was the life of the party. My BFF surprised me by bringing her sweet baby, Mia, who is just one month old! Mia was born a week before my surgery, on the day we moved into our house, so this was the first time I got to meet my "niece" and I was over the moon. She's the most perfect tiny baby and I am so in love! This was her first party ever, so I'm glad we could start her out on the right foot. 

After all of our guests left, B and I spent some quality time with his college roommate, Katie, and her husband. We drank champagne and played Cards Against Humanity and laughed until our sides ached. It was the most fun I've had in ages. 

The next morning, we went to brunch (and stuffed our faces) and said our goodbyes. It was the perfect ending to the perfect weekend. 

Needless to say, I was having such a good time at our Fiesta that I completely forgot to take pictures. I did manage to snap a couple, but didn't get any of the party in action. 

Some shots of our newly decorated living room, just before our guests arrived. 

Katie and Joy enjoying the Fiesta. 

B FaceTiming with a friend who wasn't able to make it in person. 

Sweet Mia rocking out at her very first Fiesta. Olé!

Enjoying a magnificent brunch at The Flying Biscuit with Katie and her husband!

All in all, it was a magical weekend and I hated to see it end. 

Love,

A