My Boss is Coming Over

I've been buried deep in the crevasses of my house, cleaning, scrubbing, dusting, laundering, arranging, and repeating all week.  Also in 1200 square feet I'm not even sure we have crevasses, but if there are, I have found them.  All of them.

My boss, and my bosses boss are attending a bridal shower I am hosting at my house this weekend, and if I've never been intimidated in my lifetime, I am now.  Our house has been a work in progress for almost two years (yup, we lived through a remodel that was fun) , and while we're alm o s t done, we're not qui t e there yet.  But this year we've come a long way, and there are many sections of my home that I love, parts I have worked hard on, and things that make me happy.

Both taken with my phone from my couch, because I'm lazy.

But since my home is a place where I find comfort, and escape to after a long days work, it's hard to let people in with the idea that they are going to find the same satisfaction with it as we (my boyfriend and I) do.   Which in the end might be perfectly fine, despite the fact that that's exactly what I want.  But I'm a girl, and I want them to be impressed, and think it's beautiful, because wouldn't anyone want that for their home?

To be honest, I'm mostly nervous a pillow won't be fluffed enough, the food won't be scrumptious enough (yes I am feeding them all too), and the floors won't be clean enough.  But seriously what I was thinking sweeping and mopping, Cinderella style on my hands and knees, on Tuesday, when little Miss Zoey can single handily make any floor dirty hairy in 37 seconds flat? Fail.  God I want need a Roomba. 

Mostly I just want it to all go well. I can't wait to have all my crafts done, food prepped, drinks made, and guests here. I'll be sure to have a candle burning, all lights on, and fresh towels, new soap, and flowers in the bathroom.  My silverware will be wrapped and bowed in linen napkins, and my serving trays will be matching.  The wine will be chilled, and mimosas will be ready for an awesome party.  

This party has to make up for the the terrible bachelorette party the bride had, and I'm determined to do it.  So excuse me while I go fold the three loads of laundry that are currently heaped and barley fitting on my kitchen island, and scrub that back toilet, and clean up the back room in hopes that when my boss(es) come over Saturday morning, they'll be pleasantly surprised with what we've worked so hard to put together.

Fingers crossed.

Top Ten Things I Still Love About My College House

Three years ago I moved out of this house to join the real world, and it was horrifying. Not only was I moving 'away' from college, but my bestie and then next door neighbor was moving too, the worst.  This house, and my room (the two windows on the right) defined my college life.

Here are my top ten memories in this house.

-Celebrated my twenty first birthday by drinking, playing beer pong, and eating pizza in the front yard (it was lawn back in the day). I wore a black bondage dress that zipped up the front. It was a classy scene to say the least, you mean that's not a normal birthday celebration?

-Vacuumed our kitchen, it had carpet, and I am pretty sure this is a first for any house, ever.  No matter how many times we vacuumed it, it never felt clean.

-Had my bestie next door, and I spent the last night of college running to and from her house in my underwear. The story behind this is not might not be appropriate for the le blog, time will tell.

-We spent spring days out in our front yard (told you it was grass) like this. When I wasn't working or in class that is.

-My bed was in a nook, which was perfection.  There is nothing better than a nook bed, except maybe the King size I share now, but in college everyone needs a nook bed with a light that has a pull string.

-Had four roommates (seen below), four bedrooms, and dun dun dun one bathroom. It made for an interesting year that's for sure, we got exceptionally close.  Man was Brad in over his head when he signed up to live with us three girls.

-Locked our roommates hockey pledges in the basement, hey it wasn't the girls idea.

-Taylor Lautner was our fifth roommate, he lived in the living room, I'll explain.  We had life size cut out that looked out the living room window to the street.  We wanted people to think there was always someone home.

-Random mac PhotoBooth sessions before going out were normal.  The roll taken this night was about 37 pictures, we may have been a little drunk before we went out.  Gosh those were the days...

-My Grandma once showed up in our front yard, remember I'm a local gal.  If that wasn't weird enough watching her start at my shirtless male roommate was. P.S. I'm totally going to be that old lady someday.

-Solved serious mysteries...seriously. What bars did we go to last night?

Can't believe it's been four years.

Loved that house, and will always love these memories.

Cant wait for our roommate reunion March 2014.

Five Small Things that are Better with your Bestie

If you haven't already heard that I spent Thursday thru Monday morning with this one you've probably been living under a rock you're probably dead.

And what does a Bestie make better. Simply everything.

1. Target Trips

When in college, I for sure spent exponentially more money (and time) at Target when I went with her.  But I just can't seem to find gems like pleather peplums, BB cream, and the perfect lip gloss without her. 

2. Car Concerts

Life Rule: When driving in a car, you are invisible to the world, so the moment when someone catches you rockin' out solo to the next overproduced overplayed hit, it's embarrassing. But when you're with your bestie, no shame.  It transforms from a embarrassing solo to a effing awesome duet.

3. Wine

Need I say more. Four bottles later the night we 'stayed home' may have needed the most Gatorade and ibuprofen in the morning.

4. Snuggling

 Three years later, it still feels totally normal to share a bed with her, despite the fact that I have been co-habituating with my boyfriend for close to two years.  In college no less than two three drunk nights a week ended with two blondes, one bed. 

5. Getting Dressed

Getting dressed alone is like getting dressed in the dark.  Unless my outfit has been copied off pinterest or inspired by a blog, I'll be lookin' a hot mess, or I'll text her to see what she thinks.  It's so much easier when she's here.

How To Get Your Friends to Buy You Presents and Other Things I'm Loving

Dress//Target $19.99 Can't find it online yet

Scarf//Gap (gift-ish)

Sandals//Target (three years old)

So when I saw this elephant scarf at Gap, months ago, I knew I had to have it. So instead of buying it as a present to myself, I found a friend, (okay I had the friend already) who owed me money.  I had her buy it for me to 'pay me back', so it really just felt like she was buying me a 'happy day' present, which I can't complain about.  And that right there my friends is how you get presents from your friends. Hello guilt free scarf, I love you. 

As a side note I used to have many 'decorative' ceramic elephants, but when I moved in with my boyfriend I thought he might find that strange, so I donated them in hopes that someone else would enjoy them as much as I had.  Yup, you nailed it, I'm a weirdo.

And some other things I've been lovin' on lately:

Tee shirt dresses in every color (thanks Target)

Fake Bake Self Tanner (clearly not used in these pictures)

My new jeans, now only it were cooler

Illumintor, I bought this one

 Cooler summer days and weekends

Summer smooties, been making this one

Seeing lots of my friends

Early morning runs with my little

and a whole lot of Mexican food.

Happy Wednesday ladies, we're almost there.

An Email to my Best Friends

The other day, I almost quit blogging, yeah not sure what had come over me.

But I mentioned that I wanted my writing to sound like an email to my best friends (who pretty much live all over the country). So I am going to give it a try.

Most of my best friends and I communicate You've Got Mail Style, only we use Gmail instead of AOL.  Who uses AOL these days?  Wasn't that just something us boy band-loving teenagers used to AIM with our friends in middle school with user names like starcutie0008???  

Those were the days.

circa 2006

Our emails typically include lists of things that are happening in our lives, numbered off so we can keep our life categorized and so we don't get distracted in the writing of the email. The next responder just writes what's happening in their life under the numbers, and so on. 

We talk about our boyfriends, life troubles, birth control preferences, current reads, and whlep we talk email about pretty much everything.  I feel so normal when I email them, which is bizarre because they are both in graduate programs that will one day put a Dr. before their last names, which automatically makes them like 902,402,673 times smarter than me, but they love, and that's what matters.

Would you trust her with you hoo-ha? And her with your pets....I WOULD
Gosh I love them!!!

The other day I then spent an entire section of my response email explaining that if either of them had cancer, I knew they would beat it; but if either lost their hair from the chemo, I would shave my head for her.  It wouldn't be pretty because my head is too big for any hat (no like seriously, I can't wear hats) so I'd have to just rock out my baldness.  Clearly fit's in a normal 'category' or life, right.  It's titled: What A Best Friend Would Do In Extreme Hypothetical Situations

I also informed them that last night I used three different self tanners.  While this might seem like over kill, I 'developed' over night and woke up tan, or as my boyfriend says orange.  In all reality, I might have been a shade between tan and orange, but that means I'll look fabulous tomorrow which is something to look forward too. 

Our emails also have to funny things we have seen, read, things we are doing, or planning on doing.

This is one of the links they sent me. I watched it, and cried, and immediately wanted to do this myself.  Warning, you need at least five minutes to watch think link, if you do not have time now, come back, and watch it later.  It's seriously a great lesson for us ladies and our self esteem.

Our email thread also contains a 'category' titled 

'General Bad-Assery'

My question to you is, what would you put in that category??

I Survived: Austin Edition

Remember when I told you that ALL my best friends live far away here????

Well this weekend was our 'musketeer reunion', Austin style.

Since two of us live on the Coasts (East and West) and our third musketeer lives in Texas, we decided to meet in the middle.

The trip was a little bit of a whirlwind (I arrived on Friday and left Saturday), BUT it was worth every. single. minute.

The three of us had not been together for a year and a half.

So happy to see these ladies.

The reunion made us realize, some things never change, no matter how much time has passed!

You know the trip is going to be good when your first 'meal' after the airplane is a baked chocolate and fruit covered donut.  

OHHH, only in Texas. 

 And to answer the question I hope all of you are asking yourselves, Yes I ate the whole, entire thing.

24 hours in Austin have been well spent when you:

Feel swampy in the first seconds out the airport doors

Hear the y'all, and love it

Eat a heart attack dounut as a 'warm up' for dinner

Shop your way down South Congress

Eat gumbo and a shrimp po boy

Bar Crawl down Sixth Street

Wake up sweating in the middle of the night

and

Eat the most incredible breakfast

Hope you all had a GREAT weekend!!!

No matter where you were :)

Tag- She's It

I'm guest posting over here today.

Remember that real life bestie that I lost to the East Coast?

Yup. We're hanging out (in blog world) today. 

See my sassy side.

Also I was going to do the What I Wore Wednesday, but was NOT happy with the fit so.... 

Instead, here's one of Zoey and I at coffee this afternoon ;)

And here is what I would like to have been wearing, but let's be honest I wasn't....

 

But a girl can dream right???

Life with Besties Post College

Leaving friends after High School and College hard; there is a adjustment period.

You're moving away from what you know, who you know, to something new.

When you join the 'cooperate world' (or just life in general) post College, there is a more serious and alarming adjustment period.  

No more living with or next door to your friends, no every day class with your friends, no more going to one party and seeing ALL of your friends: no more life in a fishbowl. 

The J-O-B doesn't always allow for enough friend/bestie time, either, nor is it condusive to collegiate lifestyle that for four years was so comfortable and normal.

Lets just say friendships after College take some serious EFFORT!!!

Not in a good or a bad way, but friendships just get harder to maintain. 

Different work schedules, time zones, countries don't help this. 

When I have exciting news to share, or have a serious issues (read: I have a serious outfit dilemma that I need some advice from someone who knows me best) I have to stop and think: It's 9pm my time, so midnight their time....shit shoot.

So all my best friends scattered post college, and really I can't blame 'em. (Although sometimes I want too). But I really do consider myself lucky.  I have people to visit everywhere, and stories to share with people all over the map. 

Finding time and money (Love those Southwest Sales) to visit doesn't always come together in the most ideal of ways, so when the dollars fall short, I turn to:

group text

snail mail

skpye

email 

and

facetime

But there is no doubt, these technology tricks are just not the same. 

The ladies below, are my BEST friends, each of which hold a special place in my heart.  It's not often I can find someone (I must have tricked my boyfriend) who can understand me, support me, encourage me, inspire me, teach me, remind me, laugh with and at me, entertain me, trust me, guide me,  and put up with me.  

And each of these lovely ladies can and do.

Here is an OTTD Best Friends Ever.

I am so proud of each and every one of you.

A 21st Birthday Celebration

Pic: Circa 20066

Soooo long ago...

College Reunion in Vegas- New Years Eve 2011

It is my hope that in the years to come, we are able to stay close no matter where our lives take us.

With the given technology- I hope we can manage.

I hope to create even more memories, in the times (usually short weekends) we do get to hang out.

But most of all I need to say thanks for sticking with me, even we are not together.

Anyone else feel the same way?

How do you keep in touch with friends in far places?

Sometimes and Always #1

So I know that I copy this blog a lot, but when your best friend calls and says, "I'm starting a blog," and she lives what feels to be 4, 487, 145, 980 miles away, you do the same, so it feels like you are doing things 'together'.   It's ALMOST like you're hanging out.  But 

When I told my Dad I was starting a blog because Nadine did, he said, "Why don't you just email?" Clearly he doesn't get it.  So here we go with another copy cat post.  But her post today put me in tears, only because I feel the same way, so I felt it was justified.  Plus she got the idea from Mackey Madness, and copying is the best form of flattery.  Thanks for linking :)

Sometimes: I think I can stay awake to watch a movie during a week night, even when my boyfriend reminds me this has happened once in the past year.

Always: I fall asleep 20 minutes in.

Sometimes: I wonder if I am where I am supposed to be, on the right track, shall we say.

Always: I remember how lucky and blessed I am to be surrounded by family and friends who love and support me.   Yes, I am in the right place.

Sometimes: I wish my Grandpa were still here to tell me stories, judge my life, lay it out straight and narrow for me, and keep my Grandma company.  She's lonely without him, even though she has two kids in the immediate area.

Always: I remember how many great years they were married, how much advice he was able to share with me, and how he helped shaped our family.

Sometimes: I am convinced I have everything I need for the day, before leaving for work.

Always: I run back inside to grab the missing item (i.e. Phone, Purse, Wallet, Computer, Jacket, etc.)

Sometimes: I think I call my parents too much.

Always: I remember, never too much.  They are just so helpful, supportive, inspiring, and understanding.