Romantical Pictures

Well, hello Friday.

While we were on vacation you kept showing up with a quickness, but this week?

You certainly took your damn time.

First off, you NEED to go check me out on my boo Tab's blog. She's on her honeymoon, which means she will be blogging about her wedding and honeymoon when she gets back. If you are like me, you are addicted to all things wedding and honeymoon, so you will want to follow her and live vicariously through her. Not only that, but she is HILARIOUS and she just happens to be a sexy soldier. Now that...is a triple threat. On top of that, you can see pictures from our last tropical vacation that was far too long ago.

That should hold you off until next week when I hope to be in full on vacation recap mode. I worked extra this week to finagle a three day weekend for Labor Day, so some restful blogging and editing sounds quite lovely. Along with a Birthday party, finally getting a hair trim, and lots of time with the hubby, of course.

Here is a sneak peak of Wadsworth, Ohio, and the romantical pictures:

Random fact of the day...Did you know that lots of Daisies in summer means that a cold, hard winter is coming? I have heard this is going to be a rough winter, and we have TONS of Daisies this year, so it seems legit. Don't think of it as a bad thing, though. We all need the moisture and snow to prevent fires next year, kill off the pesky bugs, and I wouldn't be against a white Christmas. Just think how pretty it's going to be when the leaves start turning...Boy, oh boy! I can't wait.

Until then, Happy Labor Day to all, and to all a good weekend!

If Blood Makes You Squeamish, Look Away

Yesterday morning I had some time to spare, so I popped into Victoria's Secret. I had some of those coupons they've been sending out and got a $10 GC from work, so I was on a mission. There I was trying on some fabulous braziers and bathing suits, and holy canoli, I felt the needle part of the sensor cut right through my arm.

The poor sales girl had no clue what to do, so I just asked her to put my stuff on hold and said I would come back when the bleeding had stopped. Later I found out this was the best decision, because when I went back the manager was there, and she went above and beyond to make up for my little wound. I didn't even have to complain and she was throwing more coupons and discounts my way. I of course added a few more items to my pile to milk the discount, and by the time I was done, we had taken more than $60 off my bill! A bathing suit, two bras, and six pairs of panties is a freakin' steal at $63 dollars. Way to go Victoria's Secret, you have won my loyalty, and in spite of all the ninnies telling me to sue you, I would never. Discounts will suffice, 'cuz you can totally buy my love ;)

Other than that...I have Apple and iPhones on the brain.

Usually, I'm that person that refuses to go for the "newest" iPhone and chooses the older model to beat the system and not pay those hyped up prices. However, I am totally torn about the next launch. September is fast approaching, and other than Pumpkin Spice Lattes, we know that means a new iPhone is coming out. As a matter of fact, there seems to be two iPhones coming out.

Initially, I could have upgraded in June, but I gave my upgrade to Will. My speaker and software weren't working already, but his phone was having even more issues than mine. He had an upgrade in August, so I resigned myself to waiting until then. I knew that it wouldn't be an iPhone 6 coming out, so I figured I'd just get the 5 and call it a deal. Uuuuuntil I heard that the "5S" or whatever they dub it will have a better processor and therefore better battery life. Oh, and I hear there is a champagne color option...sounds just fab to me. The second, the "5C", will be a cheaper option made of plastic for the first time and come in different fun colors. What is a girl to do?

Why does my Birthday have to be all the way in October? Birthdays are a great excuse for ignoring the guilt one might feel for purchasing materialistic things, right? I guess I could just wait for my Birthday, but living without an alarm is getting really old. It is against my religion to succumb to the desires of our society, but I just don't know what else to do.
Are any of you going to rush out and but the newest iPhones?

Speaking of Pumpkin Spice...Has anyone tried this stuff?

It looks AMAZING.

Miscellany Monday

From here on out, I'm ALWAYS going to plan two recovery days after a vacation. Especially after a ten day vacation. Can you believe that I just spent every moment for the last twelve days with Will and I still don't want to leave him to go to work tomorrow? I almost can't believe it either. Aren't married people supposed to want their "independence"? I guess not in our case, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

We spent the weekend doing laundry, restocking the fridge, working off all the crap we ate, and I spent no less than six hours in the kitchen whipping up some new recipes to give us healthy options for the week. Yeah...it sounds like a lot of work, but it was a labor of love you might say. Totaaaaally worth it.

I've also been going through what seems like thousands of pictures we took, so hopefully I can start recapping soon. It is going to be sooo hard to narrow them down, but I can't wait to relive the trip!

Hope everyone has a great week and ciao for now ;)

Dear Weiser...

You better still be on your best behavior.

This is the first time that we have left you this long, so don't pout or whine. I KNOW that Aunt Marissa will take amazing care of you, but I also know that you can be a spiteful teenager at times.

You will finally get to play with daddy again when we pick you up, so just hang tight a few more days. I promise we will take you to the dog park soon, and dad will wrestle with you every day. We miss you nugget, so don't ruin that by being a butthead. 

Please and thank you ;)

Dear Everyone Else,

We are in Chicago and loving it!

Love you all <3

On The Road Again...

Hello, HELLO

Checking in from the road to tell you that this trip is going awesome!

So far we have enjoyed Richmond, Williamsburg, NorVa, Maralynd, and Ohio, and the best is yet to come.

We've been eating too much, exercising too little, and everything else you would expect from a good vacation. Although, everyone had pizza last night, and I had an apple with peanut butter. That took incredible self control, letmetellya. I just kept invisioning the pizza in Chicago, and wanted to build up more anticipation. I don't think I've had pizza for several months, so I'm definitely due. Ooooh yeah.

I'll try to send out more pictures via social media soon, and then of course I'll recap when we get back. At least I have been keeping up with emails in spite of not having wi-fi for the majority of the trip. I am quite proud of myself for using my iPhone to read blogs for the FIRST time on the car ride. Yes, you read that right...I have never used my phone for emails or for blog reading up until two days ago. I usually just like being in front of my laptop and getting the full blogging experience, but I think I'm liking this new fangled way. It's efficient and not as hard as I thought it would be.

Anywho, now that we have seen all the family and friends, it's time for the real vacation. I need some alone time with my sexy husband, and we will be savoring every moment together.

Chicago,
We are coming for ya!!

Boys behind the blog Aug 15

If you have been around this blog for awhile, you know that my husband is the star character. I'm sorry to admit it, but when he is on the blog, I take a back seat to Mr. Studmuffin. But can I blame y'all for that? No. He's wonderful, and I know it. Hence why I married him- I have good taste.

Case in point:

This is why I just knew that this linkup was a good reason for a visit, and Will was happy to oblige! {He secretly loves it}

The Boys Behind the Blog #3 Questions:

1. What would you do with $1,000,000?

 Buy several properties in Pensacola {to rent out}, and make the wifey quit her job to manage them. Been telling her to do that a while, so that she can travel with me whenever possible. Annnnd maybe sneak a baby in. She probably won't notice, haha.

2. What is your dream job? 

I love my job now, and all the opportunities it affords me and the fam, but I would say ideally it would be a 9-5 that would never make me travel {away from my wife}. For now I will settle for helicopter pilot {the job he's working hard to get}. Tell you what happens come September. ;)

3. Who is your celebrity crush?

I got conned into this question once before when we first started dating. I had watched Summer Catch the day prior, went with Jessica Biel, and I'm sticking with her. You might remember Janna mentioning it her blog not too long ago, haha. I follow it very closely, so I remember ;) 

4. What is your favorite sports team? 

I actually don't like watching sports, which is weird for a lifelong athlete. I just hate the idea of sitting on the couch all day to watch other people play. I'd rather go out and do something myself.

5. What was your AOL/AIM screen name back in the day?

I was kind of a big deal, Super7859. I'm sure you heard of me. Haha!

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Dear William,

I'm pretty sure you can't sneak a baby past me...unless you are going to adopt some kid in Africa without my knowledge, but nice try! Let's work on this property management idea...I'm down to work from home ;) and when you are a Flight Warrant you will be bringing home the gravy and bacon, so I will be able to travel with you, hehe. Lastly, thank you for being athletic, I like your sexy body.

PS. I still hate Jessica Biel, and in case you didn't notice she looks NOTHING like me. Harrumph.

Today Is The Day...

The day that I get to jump into my soldiers arms!!

Yep, that also means that it's vacation time, and BOY do I need it.

One more important thing...yesterday was my daddy's Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to the man that gave me his happy and good natured genes. I wouldn't be the girl I am today without him <3 Love you, daddy.

This is it for today, but come back tomorrow for The Boys Behind The Blog! Will has already answered the questions, and I can't wait to see how all the boys answered.

BBQ's Are Totally Worth The Calories

oh boy...

If you are reading this, I hope I'm still alive.

I went to a Birthday party for two friends, and one of them has been trying to get me to drink with her for three years. Why, oh why did I agree to drink on Sunday when I have to work Monday? Sometimes, I set myself up for failure.

The worst part is that I've been trying to lose a few before going on vacation {where I know I will gain a lot}, and I'm practically back to square one after a BBQ and much drinko. I'm going to have to be good until we get to Chicago, since I am totally stuffing my face with pizza there. Compromise people.

I really wanted to look my best when I see the hubby after a month, but at least I know he will love me no matter what. Not too mention, he is incredibly supportive and he is the best motivation to better myself. We don't work out because we think we have to impress each other. We work out because we WANT to impress each other.

We have a contest up in Loveland, Colorado at the end of the month, so I think I'm going to make it a goal to be in shape for that. I KNOW that I will not put myself on that stage if I'm not ready, so it will give me a good goal to maintain. However, I reserve the right to change my mind while on vacation. I want to be positive about eating healthy and working out, so if I have to put too much pressure on myself, then it's just not worth it. I guess we shall see.

Do you try to be good on vacation or do you just have a free for all?

Our Anniversary Getaway!

I know you are thinking, "Wait a minute...your anniversary was back in April...", and you would be correct! Unfortunately, a rough period followed that, so the recap was pushed to the wayside. Well, there's no time like the present, and I will enjoy looking at some pictures of my handsome devil that I haven't seen for a month. Sigh...

We started out at Earl's, which was spot on for dinner, and then we had drinks at Urban 24 before we went to a comedy show. I had a cucumber mojito, and it was heaven. Plus the company and location weren't too shabby either.

We had a fabulous time at the comedy show even if Will did poor his drink on me, and no, I haven't forgot about that, lover. We had our laughs, and then got to go back to the hotel at a reasonable hour, 'cuz we needed our rest for BRUNCH. My favorite meal of the day with my favorite Denver Babe ;)

I thought that a trip to Benihana's on the way home would be our last hoorah, but boy was I wrong. Our real anniversary was on a week day, so I went to work as usual and came home to this:

He had decorations everywhere, and I couldn't have been more surprised!

Yes, the decorations say Happy Birthday, but that's just how he rolls. At least he created a legend so that there wouldn't be any confusion. He also put out our "Anniversary Sign" that he made me for our 6 month anniversary. It has come out every year since, and I love it every time. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the windshield wipers and dry erase board he got me! Just kidding...he did get those things and presented them to me, but the real presents were some camera lenses and accessories for my new toy. Super thoughtful.

Then it was dinner for three.

I made spaghetti in the crockpot, and I had promised Buck he'd get some, but don't worry...he left right after dinner.

As we finished up our delicious dinner, and sipped our wine, the hours flew right by. I absolutely love that after three years we can still enjoy each other's company and chat for hours about anything and everything. Cheers to forever, my love.

Only a few more days until we are reunited, so for once, I HOPE this weekend flies by. At least for us. I wish the rest of you a peaceful, long weekend. Ciao!

Ps. I received this in my email this morning, and thought I'd share.

Janna,

I just wanted to say thank you again for singing the National Anthem last week at the golf tournament. It was incredibly moving and amazing to watch you! You are such an amazing representation of our company Janna. Thank you for everything you do!

See you next Tuesday!!

Claire ~~~~~~~

Regional Marketing Manager

RM Marketing & Promotions

It's amazing that a few kind words can mean so much ;)

Did You Know I Was A Sorority Girl?

Most people decide to go Greek at the beginning of their college career, but I was a self proclaimed GDI {Gosh Darn Independent} for the first two years. I hung out with everyone and went to all the parties, but I didn't like the idea of being tied down and having to play by anyone's rules. And yet, by hanging out with everyone, I eventually got sucked in. As a Junior, I sucked it up and took the plunge to pledge! It was either DPhiE or nothing, so I only participated in their bid week. Thank goodness they let me in or else it would have been awkward going through bid week to end up sorority-less.
Reasons why being in a sorority rocks:
+ It's your family away from family.

+ They make your Birthdays special.

No Janna's were harmed during this Birthday kidnapping.

+ You get to hang out with all the cool kids.

+ You can take on different jobs within the sorority that are pretty cool. I was elected Social Chair aka The Party Planner!

My favorite party?

I rented out a boat and we hit the Intracoastal high seas for a Pirate party!

+ You learn that Unicorns are REAL!!

At least to DPhiE's...

+ But most importantly... You create relationships with the gals that will not only be your sisters, they will be your best friends for life. Meet the Wifey's Originales Club:

Thanks for joining me on a trip down memory lane. It's been five years since I graduated, but it feels just like yesterday!

I Could Kick Myself Right Now

There I was last night trying to be productive, and I completely deleted an entire published blog post. Comments, pageviews, and ALL. Boy do I feel dumb.

Ain't nothin' I could do about it, so I continued with going through my HUNDREDS of drafts. How do I have hundreds, you ask? I create a draft for any idea I have, and they range from key phrases to ready to publish. Some I plan to share soon, some are rough drafts, and some were written cathartic-ally and will probably never be blog appropriate.

Obviously, I will never make it through all the drafts since more ideas come to me daily, so I decided to combine ideas that don't have to stand on their own. Tid bits, if you will.

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Have you seen Mike & Molly?

It's a cute show, great cast, and I went to school with Katy Mixon's sister! Between watching her and dude from Major Dad, I'm hooked.


I couldn't believe that she was in it, and I had no clue!

I was going to blog about how I stay happy, but here is the abbreviated version.

+ I seldom drink. Yes drinking can be fun, but if you've ever been depressed after drinking, then you know how badly it effects your body and mind.

+ I try to live simply.

+ I try to make my hubby happy.

Happy wife = happy life? Yes, and happy hubs = lots of love.
+ I take Fish Oil and B Complex.

Read some great tips about your credit:
Four Moves That Can Lower Your Credit Score
Top Five Credit Myths

The Best App EVER!
It's called Heads Up, and it's a great game to play with friends anywhere. We played it on our downtime in Denver and I am now obsessed. It was inspired by Ellen Degeneres, so you know it's got to be awesome.

Find out how to Pin from Pinterest!
The Vintage Apple has a great tutorial. Thanks to all who shared this with me.

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Welp, that's enough for today.
But I do need to say thanks for all the sweet words yesterday ;)
Y'all made me feel like a superstar!

It Ain't Perfect, But Here I Am Singing The National Anthem!

I actually thought I was going to get out of singing altogether, and then without warning they told me to head to the mic. I was like, "Um, what?" Who knows, maybe I would have been more nervous if I knew when it was actually going to happen, but either way, I was going to be a ball of nerves. 

All I can say is at least I had the kahunas to do it, and it's taking me even more balls to share this with you, knowing that it's not perfect. I tend to be a tiny bit of a perfectionist, so don't judge me too harshly. Just get on it with it already, but don't turn the volume up too loud.

All in all it was a great day! We raised lots of money for Operation Homefront, and we had a ton of fun in the process. Cute outfits, great food, and good friends were more than I could ask for, and I had so much fun that I might've done it for free if they'd asked. Luckily, they didn't ask 'cuz I made bank. Whoop whoop!

If you want to see these photos plus more you haven't seen, check out the P.I.E. Facebook page. I have just realized that it's WAY easier to put photos on there. Don't miss out ;)

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And if that didn't excite you, then a giveaway might! I haven't participated in one for awhile and I'm a sucker for Blogiversaries, so I was happy to participate in Kelly's.

Kelly on Sparkles and Shoes turning 1 year old:

 "I can not believe it! I still remember last summer how long and hard I pondered over choosing a blog name, deciding what to write about, and wondering if anyone besides my mom would read it - now here we are, a year later. None of this could have happened without the support of all of you, so thank you to my readers and everyone else who has supported Sparkles and Shoes! To help me celebrate I have partnered up with a great group of girls for a giveaway in honor of my birthday with hundreds in ad space, hundreds in gift cards, and half a dozen other fantastic prizes. Take a look at all of the things you can win in this giveaway!"

Life Unsweetened Ad Space || Postcards from Rachel Ultra Gift Card || Fizz and Frosting Ad Space

Life as I Know It Ad Space ||  Lipgloss and Crayons Ad Space || Perception is Everything Ad Space 

Glam Hungry Mom Ad Space || Not in Jersey Handmade Hat ||  Noor's Place Ad Space

Tea and Sequins J.Crew Giftcard ||  Penniless Socialite Ad Space || Hooah and Hiccups Ad Space 

Olive and Ivy Design Credit || Messy Dirty Hair Ad Space || Aree with Umbrella Design Credit

One Haole Girl  Ad Space   ||  The Glossy Life West Elm Giftcard|| Sparkles and Shoes Kelly's Favorite Things

This giveaway is international, so enter away! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter away, because I would love to have one of YOU win!

Happy Blogiversary, Kelly!

Read This If You Like Kids Or Are Afraid Of Them.

So after just saying that I'm not ready for kids, I learned that I'm REALLY not ready for kids. On Wednesday night, I had a friend in a jam, which lead to me hanging out with a cutie patootie three year old.

You may not know this, but I used to be obsessed with children, and even worked as a nanny and at a daycare to get my kiddo fix. Obviously, this means that I am pretty good with kids, it's just that nowadays, I'm more particular about which children I interact with. Miss Lindsey here, happens to be one of the few that I'm always happy to see, and yet she is still a GREAT form of birth control.

Things I learned:

A three year old is a little person.

She sung me her ABC's, she could unbuckle her carseat {thank goodness she waited for permission}, she was polite, her momma told her she better be good and on the way back to her mom, she said "I can tell momma I was good." I said yes m'am, and was so thankful that she was really good. Sigh of relief.

You can't wait for them to tell you they have to potty. 

She got to playin', and I'm so happy I didn't listen when she said, "No, I'm fine." I was a kid once, I know I never wanted to stop playing either, so I took her juuuuuust in case.

Apples and pickles are an acceptable dinner.

I tried to get her some food when she said she was hungry, but when the server asked what she wanted she only wanted pickles. I offset it with the apple.

Plan an extra 20 minutes for a car ride.

The loading and unloading of the vehicle is definitely different from how I usually hop in and out. Oh, and if said child drops something, you have to stop and get it.

You really need a new car.

We drive big ol' trucks, and they are not conducive to chil'ren. It's no wonder they require everyone to have specific car seats for kids nowadays, and I'm happy I had one. I also wish I would have had a vehicle with better safety standards while transporting precious cargo, and automatic windows would have been nice. We seriously have crank windows and putting them up, down, up, down, over and over, started getting old. I finally told her it broke. It was just a lil' white lie.

Playdates are clutch.

I had to take Weiser to Aunt Amanda's, and Aunt Amanda happens to have a three year old. Those two entertained each other for several hours, and had lots of toys to play with that I didn't have at my house. Not too mention, we got to have girl time too. 

Win/win for everyone!

See that tablet in the left hand corner? That thing is fancier than my iPhone, and they both used it better than I use any electronic device. It's absolutely mind boggling.

I'm going to give Caleb a little shout out too.

This kid is a freakin' charmer, and has too much personality to fit into one person. I can't even tell you how much he surprises everyone with his ability to read people, get EXACTLY what he wants, and keep you laughing for hours. I'd tell you he's my three year old boyfriend, but that sounds weird. Let's just say, this picture says a lot.

The funniest part?

When I took her back to her mom, we climbed out of the truck, and as she jumped into my arms without a warning, she said "I'm done with you." What? Apparently she missed her momma. Good news is she still wants to play again, but yeesh, I thought I was about to get snubbed by a three year old.

Okay, time to go. Wish me luck on singing The National Anthem! Hopefully, it goes well and I can share a video with y'all soon. We shall see ;)