Good Bye 2012

I had such big plans for my Christmas break.  I had 12 consecutive days off!  That is probably the most time off I have ever had!  Unfortunately my plans we derailed.  On the 22nd my tooth started to hurt a little.  By Christmas day I was in soo much pain!  I took about 30 Advil just to make it through the day.  I couldn't sleep because the pain was unbearable.  I called my dentist's emergency hotline since their voice-mail said they were closed until Jan. 2nd.  They called me in a prescription for Vicodin and made an appointment for the next day when my dentist would be back in town.  I took a Vicodin every 3-4 hours and slept pretty much the whole day.  He saw me the next day and said my tooth had died and there was an infection.  He said they have to clear the infection and then do a root canal.  So my vacation has consisted mostly of this:

Painkillers, antibiotics, reading, watching TV and sleeping.  It has been pretty miserable.

There have been some bright spots.  I got to see Christmas at the DPAC twice and it was amazing!  (If you want to watch the whole thing, it is now online HERE).  I got to eat at Angus Barn with my family and at a great restaurant in Durham 604 at West Village with one of my favorite work friends.  I cooked for my family on Christmas Day.  And we threw a baby shower for my BFF.  (whole post to come on this later)

I'm ready for 2012 to go though.  It has not been my year and the last month has really been the icing on the cake.  I have done some amazing things and gone to some amazing places with some amazing people...

Snowshoe

Half Marathon

Kayaking

San Diego

Beach Month

San Diego (round 2)

Vegas

State Fair

And many other memories like watching two of my good friends finally say "i do" at the beach, seeing Wicked for the second time, have not one but two fun wine and design nights, getting scared at the Haunted Farm again this year, other fun races like The Franklin 5K, Chic-fil-a 10K, and Color Run, and many fun days and nights with great friends.

But this year has been frustrating and I am ready for a fresh start.

Pity Party- Party of ONE

Today really sucked.  The past few weeks...months....years have actually sucked.  I can't blog because I can't even form thoughts in my head that are positive anymore.  It took all I had to do that 30 Days of Thanks.  I know I have a lot to be thankful for...it is just hard to see feel right now.  All I feel is....frustration, blahness, loneliness.

Tonight we got to Facetime with one of the girls from our Bible study who is in a position where she is traveling all over the US right now.  We hadn't talked to her in a few months and everyone had these amazing updates or major things that had changed in their lives and I had nothing.  Nothing but car trouble and never ending silly work drama.  My life is so stupid and pointless right now I feel.  Nothing major has changed.  Everyday feels the same.  I am so lonely.  I am so overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time.

I am kind of skipping Christmas this year.  I didn't put up my tree.  I did put up a few decorations, but it feels so....empty.  I'm buying no gifts.  I think I am going to give my mom $50 for a massage and give her money for one of the fancy pillows she is buying my uncle.

I have a lot to do.  In fact I am probably going to be up making power point slides all night for a meeting in the morning.  I am hoping my car will make it to work and back to the shop tomorrow since it decided to act a fool tonight and say I had no oil pressure even though I just got an oil change last week.  Oh and I need 4 new tires.  FOUR!  I hate car stuff.

I went to a couple's baby shower this weekend and I was the only single person there.  It is so depressing to look around the room and see all these couples and you have no one.  I will never attend another couples shower again.

I feel so alone in life.  Life is not supposed to be like this and I know it will never be perfect, but I could use something.  Some kind of change.

Life is hard y'all.

30 Days of Thanks- Days 27-30

Remind me not to do this again next year.  Yes, it is good to look for things to be thankful for everyday, but dang it gets boring around here on this blog and there are so many other things I want to talk about, but only have time to type out a post here and there.  So I'm finally finishing up this 30 Days of Thanks and will hopefully get back to more interesting content on here ASAP.

Day 27 I was thankful for...
My Bible Study

I think I have already been thankful for this, but honestly I am so thankful for them that they deserve two mentions!  If you aren't in a Bible Study, you should get in one.  But it probably won't be as legit and awesome as ours!

Day 28 I was thankful for...
Loaded Tater Tot Burgers

(and someone to split them with!)  We went to eat at The Busy Bee in downtown Raleigh and they are famous for their loaded tater tots.  Apparently they are so famous they put them on a burger.  Umm yum!  And luckily my friend was cool with splitting it with me so I didn't do so much damage to ever expanding thighs and waistline.

Day 29 I was thankful for...
The Target Clearance Rack

I got a little sweater dress from the Target Clearance Rack last year and wore it today and got tons of compliments on it today!  Sometimes you can find real gems!

And tomorrow on Day 30 I will be thankful to...
Have a 1/2 Day off Work

I have some vacation time saved up so I am looking forward to 1/2 day Fridays for the next 3 weeks, having a random Tuesday off, and the whole week of Christmas off!  Thank God for vacation days!

30 Days of Thanks- Days 20-26

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 20 I was thankful for...
My iPhone

I know it is silly, but I rely on that thing so much.  I forgot it at home that day when I went to work and I felt like I was missing my arm.  I can hardly remember what life was like before it.  But it has it's flaws too.  Lately it has been losing connection to 3G or Wifi and I have to reset it.  And I have been dropping a lot of calls lately.  #firstworldproblems

Day 21 I was thankful for...
Happy Hours

I was supposed to have off on Wednesday and go to my moms.  But I ended up having to work to make sure everything was ok for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  I am about to kill one of my vendors today because the app we had ready for Cyber Monday is still not live.  If I would have known they wouldn't have it live I wouldn't have worked all day dang it!  Anyway, after work it was nice to go have a beer with co-workers to decompress from the day.

Day 22 I was thankful for...
My Mom

She has done so much for me and even though it is pretty much just me and her in our tiny little family, I am so thankful.  I don't know what I would do without her.

Day 23 I was thankful for...
My Black Friday Tradition with Meredith

Really I was thankful for this on the 22nd, since apparently Black Friday has crept into Thanksgiving Thursday.  One of my best friend's Meredith and I have been doing Black Friday together for years!  I'm so glad she likes this tradition too because we get some good deals even if we don't have a specific item we are going for.  This year I didn't really have a specific item I was going for except my Asics running shoes.  We went to see Twilight (I loved the ending on this one!) and then hit up Target right after at about 9:30.  I was contemplating getting their $49 Nook, but it was sold out already.  There were way more people shopping than in years past.  We hit up Dick's Sporting Goods at midnight and then went to the mall.  We were all done by 1-1:30 am.  I also scored some pretty sweet deals online at Old Navy and The Limited that night.

Day 24 I was thankful for...
Dance Parties with 3 year olds

I don't dance unless I am wasted...or apparently if I am around 3 year olds.  3 year olds don't judge you and they've got even more crazy dance moves than you do.  And sometimes you just need to dance.

Day 25 I was thankful for...
A day off

I was going to clean and put up my Christmas stuff on Sunday, but instead I went over to a friend's house for lunch, went to the grocery store, walked on my treadmill, and watched some TV.  The weekend went by way too fast and I needed a day of nothing.  I can't wait to have more days like this during the week of Christmas!

Day 26 I'm thankful for...
My Health

A few weeks ago I fell while I was running.  I tore the skin off my palm and it is finally almost healed.  During these weeks of being limited to using just one hand for some things, it has made me realize how much I take it for granted.  And this weekend I slept funny and hurt my neck really bad.  Saturday I couldn't turn my head at all.  It is slowly getting better, but it was another reminder of how much I take my body and my health for granted!

30 Days of Thanks- Days 17-19

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I had a blast at The Color Run in Charlotte this weekend and hope to write a whole post about it soon.  I don't have much time so I'm going to get to what I've been thankful for:

Day 17 I was thankful for...
Friends who are hospitable

My old roommate lives in Charlotte and she let us stay with her Friday night.  I was so thankful for this!  It was so good to see her and finally get to see her place and catch up with her.  Friends who are hospitable are the best!

Day 18 I was thankful for...
The Summit Choir

Our church switched to a worship band instead of a choir a few years ago and I have missed the choir.  Every once in a while they put on a concert and I go to go this Sunday to see it.  They are so good and I can always feel God's presence in the room when they are singing!

Today I was thankful for...
Sushi

I love sushi!  Our small group got together for our "Thanksgiving dinner" tonight at one of my favorite sushi places.  We ordered so much we even got a boat!  YUM!

30 Days of Thanks- Days 13-16

This week had been crazy!  I've been a little frustrated and negative this week, but there have been a lot of things to be thankful for...

Day 13 I was thankful for...
My Small Group and our awesome leader!

I've been in the same small group (Bible study) for about 4 years I think.  I have grown so much in my relationship with Christ and I've seen the group go through so many changes!  Tuesday I was thankful for our leader Alicia who invited me to bring my dog over to Bible Study and made us yummy apple cider and chocolate chip cookies. I was thankful for such a good time putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  So thankful for God bringing these wonderful ladies in to my life and for them loving me even when I'm at my worst!

Day 14 I was thankful for...
Friends that make me step outside my comfort zone

Wednesday I went with one of my sorority sisters that I haven't seen in forever to a line dancing class!  One of our other sorority sisters teaches the class and it was so much fun.  I have even been practicing some of the dances we learned so I won't forget them.  I am definitely looking forward to going to another class soon!

Day 15 I was thankful for...
Potlucks

Yummy food is always something to be thankful for!

Today I am thankful for...
Nice Co-workers who will watch my dog

I am heading to Charlotte tonight to stay with a friend because we are all running in The Color Run tomorrow!  A guy I work with is going to watch my dog for me tonight.  I am a little nervous about it because honestly I don't know this guy all THAT well even though we have worked together for the last 2 years.  But we have become friends over the last few months and he has expressed interest in getting a dog before so I thought this would be good practice for him.  I'm sure he will do a wonderful job and Cam will have a great time.  It just makes me a little nervous because it is my baby!

Have a great weekend y'all!!

30 Days of Thanks- Day 10-12

Hello blog readers!  I hope you all had an excellent weekend!  I went to a Women's Conference at my church this weekend and got to hear Elise Fitzpatrick teach.  It was excellent.  Another thing that was excellent about this weekend was the weather!  Gosh could it just stay in the low 70s-high 60s with beautiful fall colors all around all year?!?

Saturday I was thankful for...
Friends that just get me

You know that feeling when someone just understands you and accepts you for the way you are?  I may not have a husband but I have some great friends that just get me.  In particular my friend Stephanie.  She nor I are perfect but we get each other and accept each other for the way we are.  It helps that we like to do a lot of the same things.  Thanks for being such a great friend Steph!

Sunday I was thankful for...
Friends that can cook and invite me over to eat :)

Sunday my friend Kristin invited me over for dinner and it was simply fabulous!  Kristin is another friend that just gets me.  I am so thankful for her friendship too and can't wait to run jog slow jog/walk in The Color Run in Charlotte this weekend with her!

I am so thankful God has blessed me with such great friends!  And this weekend really reminded me of that and how lucky I am to have them in my life.

Today I am thankful for...
All US veterans and Active Duty men & women

I hate war.  I hate guns.  I am so thankful for the men and women who fight for our country. I'm so thankful God made men and women brave enough to protect our freedom and rights.  Today I am volunteering with The Kramden Institute to refurbish computers for military families.  I am going to have to work all night to make up the hours I will be volunteering this afternoon, but that is a tiny sacrifice compared to the sacrifice they have made for us.

30 Days of Thanks- Day 9

Today I am thankful for...

BOOKS

I love books!  Lately I have also been loving audio books.  I just posted a bunch of reviews on my Bookshelf Blog:

4.5 out of 5 stars

2 out of 5 stars

4.5 out of 5 stars

I'm also linking up for

30 Days of Thanks- Day 7 & 8

Yesterday I was thankful to get to attend a party this place:

This is The Pavilion at The Angus Barn and I LOVE this place!  I have said for years if I ever get married, I would love to get married there.  (Although there are tons of other great places around RDU that would be on my list too!)  This is the third party I have gotten to attend here.  And they always do a fabulous job!  My company has these events once or twice a year but only depending on our whole North America's group performance.  If every team hits their numbers we get the party.  If not we don't.  Luckily we did!

Today I am thankful...

Yes, I am thankful for Microsoft Excel.  I love me a spreadsheet. When I tried online dating a few years ago I even made a spreadsheet of all the guys I was dating.  Crazy, I know.  I have kept all my personal budgeting under control for the past 3 years in Excel and recently was able to add a sheet for a year-over-year comparison of where I was spending my money and it has been sooo helpful!

As much as I love Excel I am no expert, but thankfully my boss got me some online training classes that are hopefully going to increase my Excel skillz!

30 Days of Thanks- Day 6

Today I am thankful for...

My right to

I was so torn in this election.  I honestly did not decide who to vote for until this morning.  Last night I was getting so stressed out from the pressure, the commercials, and trying to research to find out who I liked better.  I was really split on the issues.  Such is the life of an independent though I guess.  The only silver lining is I don't think I will be too disappointed whatever the outcome tonight because I honestly think both men would ultimately do fine.  Don't agree with either of them entirely, but we aren't in a dictatorship so I am not too scared.

I am also thankful to see so many posts from friends today reminding me of the truth.  I think my friend Lori said it best:

Love stuff like this!  But I will be glad to see other posts like this stop:

(I honestly tried to find a bad one from an Obama fan in my Twitter and Facebook feeds but couldn't.  But I have seen bad ones in the past from them too.)

30 Days of Thanks- Day 5

Today I am thankful for...

THIS GUY!!

I LOVE my dog!  Even though he gets on my nerves sometimes and can be really needy and annoying sometimes, I love the crap out of him!  Tomorrow is Cam's 6th birthday!!  I'm going to get him a few treats but unfortunately the celebration may be minimal since Tuesdays are my busiest day because of Bible study and throw on top of that voting...I sadly will not get to spend a lot of time with him tomorrow.  But I will hopefully make up for that with a long run on Sunday.

30 Days of Thanks- Day 3 & 4

Yesterday I was thankful for...

My Job

I sometimes forget how miserable life can be when you are not happy with where you spend the majority of your waking hours (work...ugh!  who came up with this work week schedule!?)  Even though there are a lot of things at work that still drive me crazy and stress me out, I love my job.  I work for a great company, have awesome co-workers (who are even awesome to hang out with outside of work on the regular!), work on a great team, enjoy what I do, and even love the products (using one to type this post actually!)  So blessed in the work department!

Today I was thankful for...

Seasonal Food!

I love this time of year because there are so many seasonal foods to try!  I've tried both of Pepperidge Farms Seasonal breads- Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple (love!), Eggo Pumpkin waffles (pretty good), Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Chai lattes (yum!), and my favorite- Apple Cider!!

This week I am going to try pumpkin soup!  I will let you know how it turns out!

30 Day of Thanks- Day 2

Today I am thankful for...

The Internet

What did we ever do before the internet??  I seriously cannot imagine life without it now.

30 Days of Thanks- Day 1

With Thanksgiving approaching at the end of this month a lot of bloggers are committing to 30 Days of Thanks.  Each day posting something they are thankful for.  I think this is a great idea!

Today I am thankful for...

GOD

I know...obvious first choice right?  But it is true!  I am so thankful for Him!  You have no idea.  Just when I think nothing is going to work out God gives me a glimpse at things He is doing behind the scenes.  He is my rock.  He is my hope.  He is my salvation.  So thankful for HIM!!

P.S.  Update on the prayer request about the difficult conversation.  There has been progress.  Not exactly the way I was thinking it would go, but then again it never goes that way for me.  There are still some more words that need to be said, but at least progress has been made.  You can keep praying for the conversation to continue.  Thank you so much for the prayers!  They are working!

List progress and second thoughts

Since I marked off #27- Read the Bible all through, I now only have 3 things left on my list!

1. Get in the best shape of my life
10. Catch a fish
26. Kiss in the rain

I am so close I can taste it!  Obviously I did not meet my goal of doing all these before I was 30 (because I am 32 now) but that is ok.  30 is not the end of the world I thought it would be.  Neither was 31 or 32.  At least I am still making progress and not giving up on the things want to do just because some self-imposed deadline has passed.

When I was reviewing the list there was one that I wondered if I should re-consider.  I marked off #6- Ask out a crush two years ago.  I marked it off without doing it.  Why?  Well here is an except from the post I wrote about it:

"...  It’s not because I did not have the guts to do it.  It’s because I am old fashioned and I refuse to let the guy get off easy.  I mean I want a man, not a boy.  I want this man to be the man in the relationship with me and to set the tone from the beginning by asking ME out on a proper date.  A man should know what he wants and the proper way to ask a girl he likes out for a date.  I refuse to date boys who do not know who they are or what they want anymore because in my experience that only ends up hurting me in the end.  They either cheat on you or leave you to see if there is something better out there or they treat you like crap because they don’t know how to treat a woman.  It’s time to grow up.  I’m sure your mothers taught you how to treat a lady, so start doing it.

I’m all for equal rights and think women can do just about anything a man can do (sometimes better).  But I’m ok with being the girl.  I WANT to be the girl.  And I want the man I am with to treat me like a girl- a smart, wonderful, beautiful, funny girl that he thinks is just amazing- not a doormat or a housekeeper, but a partner that he wants to help, protect, and enjoy life with.  

And I want him to be the man.  I want him to be decisive and be the leader in our relationship.  I want to look at him with pride and support him in anything he wants to do.  I want him to respect my opinion and come to me when the world has beaten him down for the comfort he needs.  I’m a lady and I expect my husband to be a gentleman and treat me like a lady.  And that includes him asking ME out. 

I think I was so opposed to this and fought this natural urge for so long because society kept telling me if I was a “strong independent modern woman” I should be asking guys out left and right.  But I think that I am still a strong, independent modern woman who wants a man to be a man and to ask me out if he is into me.  What is so wrong with that?

I’m not saying this is what is right for everyone.  I know lots of married couples where the girl was the first one to make the move.  All I am saying is this is what’s right for me.  And I am finally just accepting that and saying I don’t care what society tells me, this is what I want.

And that is why I am marking it off the list even though I haven’t completed it.  And I am perfectly ok with that.  It doesn’t mean that I failed.  I just figured out that wasn't what I really wanted so why do it just because of the list?  It’s ok to figure out you were wrong about something, right?"

I still feel this way, but I realize I am kind of wishy-washy sometimes.  I mean just a few weeks ago I was blogging about how I wanted a boy who still likes to be silly and have fun.  I mean am I asking too much?  expecting too much?  I know lots of people who ended up together because the girl made the first move.  Is there a reason I put this on the list?

Do I need to reconsider?  Or was I right the first time?  Should I stick to my guns and hold out for a guy that has guts??

Thoughts???

#27- Read the Bible all the way through

Hallelujah!  I can FINALLY mark something else off my list today!  I finally finished reading the Bible all the way through!

Back in 2008 I decided to try an email service that was supposed to email me passages everyday and within a year I would have read the whole bible all the way through!  Well, that didn't work out.  So I bought a New Living Translation Bible (Someone recommended this translation to me because the language is much more simple and reads more like a story.  I LOVE it!) and I bought a reading guide/journal to help me:

I started out strong but quickly lost track and finally gave up for a while. I was struggling and way behind.  The Old Testament is just not that easy to read sometimes.  By May 2011 I had only made it through 12 of the 66 books in the Bible.  By this point I had completely given up on the Devotional Journal.  I was now mainly reading through the Bible app on my phone when I got a chance.  I had a spreadsheet to keep track of my progress.  During the past few years I also did deep studies on some of the books of the bible and would mark those off my list as we completed the studies.  The ones I did on major books of the Bible were:

These studies help tremendously to really go deeper and completely understand what the text is saying and what it all means.  The Galatians and Romans studies were by Tim Keller who gets kind of deep and I personally have a tendency to get frustrated with them.  But that frustration I've found is good for me.  I grew more spiritually during these two studies than any of the other ones we've done I think.  The Esther and Daniel studies were Beth Moore.  Oh I love Beth and her big hair and seeing her outfits on the videos each week.  (Yes there are videos with these and they help a lot!)  I really enjoy Beth's studies!  These deep dive studies take a long time.  Anywhere from 6-12 months!  But I love them and can't wait to do more!

Other than those books and after I gave up on the chronological study guide (probably around Deuteronomy) I just read straight through the Old Testament.  I did take breaks and do smaller books like Proverbs and Ephesians during times we were studying those at church.  When I finally finished the Old Testament, I knocked out a few smaller books of the New Testament just so I could feel like I was making some real progress.  Then I went back and started with Matthew.  I jumped around a bit in the New testament I think because the last two books I ended with were Acts and finally Revelation.

It feels good that I can finally say I have read the Bible all the way through!  But I am by no means done!  I will spend time everyday in God's word.  I want to do more deep dive studies on specific books for sure!

I think it is good for everyone to read the Bible all the way through from start to finish because it really does tell a story!  Tons of little stories and some are really shocking and interesting! But also one bigger story of God creating us, giving us chance after chance to have a good relationship with Him, us rebelling over and over, God trying to correct us, us screwing up, God loving us, the promise and foreshadowing of Jesus, and then finally Jesus comes and fulfills the promise!  And now we no longer have to try to save ourselves   He sent us a king and savior to take the punishment for sin and all we have to do is accept that gift and make him Lord!  It is so amazing to see everything come together and how God used all these things to weave together such a beautiful story!

My favorite book of the Bible?  Ecclesiastes

My favorite character in the Bible (other than Jesus)?  David

My favorite story in the Bible (other than the crucifixion)? Abraham almost sacrificing Issac

 My favorite verse in the Bible? (at the moment) 

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 

(but there are so may more good ones!  It could change weekly!)

Have you ever read the Bible all the way through?  What was your approach?

Prayer Request

I believe in the power of prayer.  I believe because I have seen it work many times.  Two years ago I asked you guys to pray for Bailey's safe return home and it worked!  (Read a more on that story here)  I never thought I could raise over $3,000 for a mission trip when I was at my lowest financial point ever, but I did. When I got laid off a few years ago, I never thought I would recover financially or find a job I love, but I did.  All of those were only accomplished through the grace of God and prayer!

This isn't nearly as urgent but it's something that needs to happen but I need a little help.  There is someone I need to have a difficult conversation with.  Please pray that God will create an opportunity for this conversation to happen and that I will have courage and the words to say.

I know that is very vague, but I promise I will give you more details eventually.

Thanks for your support and for being such loyal readers/friends!  I know I have been slacking in the posts lately.  It's hard to write when your mind is consumed.  But I promise to get back on the regular blogging bandwagon soon!

Pinterest Inspired Wednesday- Address Flower Pot

Source: google.ca via ncsuz on Pinterest

Two weekends ago I went a little crazy buying pumpkins and mums.  I bought 3 small mums, 2 medium size mums, and one great big mum.  I also bought a big orange pumpkin, a small white pumpkin, and a cute little gourd.  There is a cute pumpkin patch thing they set up in a field up the road from where I live.  They have so many mums, pumpkins, gourds, and other fall stuff.  It was such a pretty day and I think I got a little carried away.

Anyway, my friend told me about this thing she saw on Pinterest where you paint your house number on a flower pot.  She had found them on Etsy and ordered one and it was sooo cute.  So I decided to try to make one for my big mum.  I painted a big terra cotta planter and found this paint specifically for terra cotta planters at Michael's.  I bought a cream color for the pot and black for the numbers.  I printed out my house number using a font I liked in Microsoft Word.  Then the hardest part...I used an exacto knife to cut out the numbers.  I think the unfortunate thing for me was I had two 8s and a 0.  So I had to cut out the circles in the middle and save those too.  I taped the stencil to the pot and filled it in with the black paint.  I had to go back and touch up around the numbers after I took the stencil off and it still wasn't perfect but looks pretty cute!

Linking up for:

Pinterest Inspired Wednesday- Frozen Banana Treat

Source: under400.tumblr.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

I'm going to try to bring back my Pinterest Inspired Wednesday posts.  Seeing as how I have over 2,000 pins on Pinterest, I need something to motivate me to DO a lot of the stuff I am pinning and doing a weekly post was a good motivator for that.  So each Wednesday look for a new post about something I have tried, bought, made, cooked, or was otherwise Pinterest "inspired"!

This week I tried an easy one- these little frozen banana treats.  The original used almonds, but since I didn't have any almonds I used granola.  I didn't have a Popsicle stick to stick in them either, but they were just as tasty using a fork.

I also found this link to a neat little simulator where you can input your current weight and then your goal weight to see the difference in how you would look.  For me I couldn't see a huge difference in the front facing ones, but saw a big difference in the side and rear facing ones.  Pretty cool.

Source: api.modelmydiet.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

I'm linking up to the Vintage Apple's Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday where bloggers link to their posts about their favorite pins.



But I also want to know if you have actually tried something- how did it turn out??  If you have a Pinterest success or disaster please leave a link in the comments section so we can read your story too!

And as always  so you can see all the fun things I'm pinning and I can follow you and get more inspiration from your pins!

Need your help! What should I bring to cookout??

I am going to a cook-out/dinner thing with a bunch of work friends Wednesday and need to bring something.  What should I make?  Here are a few options from Pinterest.  Vote for what you think I should make or if you have a go-to-knock-your-socks-off-amazing recipe I need to try please let me know!

Option #1- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip

Source: half-bakedbaker.blogspot.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

Option #2- 2012 Side Dish Smackdown Best Pasta Salad

Source: myrecipes.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

Option #3- the BEST hot corn dip ever (according to the original pinner)

Source: ginamarieskitchen.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

Option #4- Mashed Potato Bacon Cheddar Side Dish

Source: sippitysup.com via ncsuz on Pinterest

Books, eBooks, CD Books?

I just posted two reviews on my bookshelf blog:

A Dog's Purpose- 5 out of 5 stars! Loved it!

The Story of Beautiful Girl- 4 out of 5 stars- Beautiful Story!

Right now I am currently reading this for fun:

And listening to this on my daily commute and while driving around town:

And I am reading this one for Bible Study:

That's a lot of books huh?  It's been a while since I listened to one on CD, but I enjoy doing that because my "to-read" list is so long I would never get to them all if I didn't listen to a few.  I've been thinking about listening to books during my runs this winter too, but I am afraid it won't be as upbeat as I need it to be to keep going!  What do you think?  Do you listen to books?

I've also been wanted to give in and get some sort of eReader.  It is between these 3:

Nook Simple Touch with Glow Light- $119

Kindle Paperwhite- $119

iPad or possibly the iPad Mini- ??

Do you guys use an eReader?  Do you like it?  If you have an iPad, do you use it as an eReader too?  Any recommendations are welcome!

Sunday Snippets: Duke football team

They played this video at church this weekend and I just loved it!  Hearing guys talk about their faith is so hot.

Duke Football Story from Josh Sliffe on Vimeo.

I like this

I smiled. I squealed. I cried. I like this a lot.  Definitely worth watching.

Blue

I've been a little blue lately.  I had a crappy week last week due to a million little things. And this week I am getting sick.  I am really trying to fight the urge to complain...but that is what a blog is for right?

I still need to do a post about my San Diego (yes I went back) and Vegas trips 2 weeks ago.  But not tonight.

I need to update the bookshelf blog with the two books I read on my trip.  But not tonight.

I still owe Heidi a guest post for her blog.  But not tonight.  (sorry Heidi!)

My to-do list and inbox for work are out of control and I need to reign them back in.  But not tonight.

Tonight I am sulky because I am getting sick, just had a crappy week, and I just want a boy.

I want a boy to give me a long hug and kiss the top of my head and tell me everything is going to be ok.

I want a boy to bring me home a bag of peanut M&Ms because he knows I've had a bad day.

I want a boy to go to a haunted house/hay ride/corn maze with me.

I want a boy to go to the fair with me and win me a stupid prize from one of those stupid games even though I think they are a rip off.

I should say I want a man and I do, but I also want him to have some boy left in him that likes to do stupidly sweet things for me and be silly with me.

Oh well I am sure it will pass but lately I've just been kind of blue about everything.

Guest Post- Heidi

I'm traveling this week.  Right now I am back in San Diego for work, but today I leave for Vegas for vacation!  I'm doing the Vegas trip with some people who are high rollers and really like to party and not sleep, so I am a little nervous.  Say a little prayer for me that I survive the next 4 days!

While I am gone, please enjoy a very special guest post from one of my bloggy friends Heidi:

Hi 30 Before 30 readers!

My name is Heidi, and I blog over at Bartlebee's Bumblings about school, friends,

and my boring life as a 21 year old college student.

I like the idea of things to do before I turn thirty,

and I have started several lists of my own,

but I always get distracted researching the things on the list and never finish!

So, in honor of Suz's list,

I've decided to create a list of my own, but with a twist.

I combined her idea of a list with a "If you really knew me" list, inspired by Danielle from Sometimes Sweet.

So, here's 21 things you would know if you really knew me:

1. I am not very outgoing until I get to know you well. I pretty much don't talk to new people. I don't mean to be rude, I just prefer to listen.

2. I am a picky eater. Tomatoes are the bane of my existence, to the extreme that I don't even eat ketchup.

3. I hate being touched. Unless I initiate a hug, stick to a wave for your own safety.

4. I am a klutz. I injure myself walking into walls all the time. My nickname in high school was Crash.

5. I am only an English major because of #4. I love science, but klutzes and chemicals don't mix well.

6. I have never seen a single Star Wars, Star Trek, or Indiana Jones. I was apparently raised under a rock.

7. I was that kid that desperately wanted to be popular in high school. I was a cheerleader, but I was never popular.

8. I used to hate my sisters. Now I want to be my sisters. One's in school to be a chiropractor, the other an emergency room doctor.

9. I used to play "Doctor's Office" by myself when I was little, where I was a doctor's receptionist. Now, I actually am a receptionist in a medical facility. Dream come true? Not really...

10. I sometimes dream about growing up in 1912 Brooklyn alongside Francie Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, my all time favorite book.

11. If I'm mad, or just hanging out with my roommate, I cuss like a sailor on leave. If I'm not super worked up, I make up my own cuss words.

12. I love clothes, but I hate clothes shopping. When you're in between sizes like me, shopping becomes a nightmare.

13. I am easily distracted. I have been known to start several projects and completely forget about them ten to twenty minutes later.

14. I've had the same best friend since I was 13. She's my exact opposite, so much so that we can't agree on a design for our best friend tattoo.

15. I have been riding horses longer than I have been walking. Here's photographic evidence:

(To be precise, this is a mule, not a horse...)

16. I have my own mule. She's the one pictured above, and her name is Baby. She used to be my grandma's, but Grandma doesn't ride anymore.

17. I am a small town, country girl through and through. I get nervous in big cities, seeing as how I went to a high school of 117 people total, including the staff.

18. I am in the Honors program at my university, and I can't stand it. It was fun up until it wasn't.

19. I love to bake, but hate to eat what I make. Cake baking is my stress release, but I am sick of cake, so I usually give it away.

20. I started blogging because of Frills for Thrills. Sarah is the daughter of one of my coworkers, and I'm friends with her sister.

21. I am jealous of Suz. Girl has her life together - owns her own house, works for an awesome company, has the cutest animals ever. When I grow up, I wanna be her!

Well, now that you all know me a little better,

don't be afraid to hop on over and say hello!

Yummy Food Around the Triangle

I have been so slack on blogging lately.  Seriously bad blogger.

I tried some awesome restaurants recently and I didn't take any pics.  BAD BLOGGER, I know!  But here are some reviews...

First up Beasley's Chicken + Honey in downtown Raleigh.

It was so stinking cute.  The drinks are served in mason jars and it has a distinctly Southern feel.  Fullsteam has created an exclusive beer for Beasley's called Beasley's Honey White and it was delicious!  We went during downtown Raleigh restaurant week and got the $20 special- it included a salad, 1/4 chicken, 2 sides, and a dessert.  The salad was great.  The chicken was amazing and I am not even a fan of fried chicken.  It was perfect and drizzled with honey.  YUM!  I got the mac and cheese and collard greens for my sides and they were scrumptious too.  Dessert was caramel pecan pound cake with vanilla ice cream.  It was all so good!

Next up is Greer Street Garden in downtown Durham.

They have a cute little outdoor seating area that was perfect for the mild August night!  To start I got the Jalapeno Cheddar Hushpuppies (so freaking good!!).  I also got the grilled pimento chesse sandwich witch fried green tomatos on it and fries.  The sandwich was huge!  On Texas toast!  It was as amazing as it sounds. But it was so filling!  I only ate half and took the rest home for lunch the next day.  The fish tacos also looked delicious here.  I will have to go back and try them!

Finally, last night I tried Oro in downtown Raleigh.

One of my friend's husband is the manager here so it had been on my list to try.  I went with a friend and we got a lot of things and split all of them.  I love this because I love trying new things!  They had a cocktail sampler where you got to chose 3 cocktails and get little 2 oz. samples of each.  I got the Jamacia Me Crazy (good), Pleasure and 'Pagne (too strong tasting for me), and the Skinny Cucumber (my favorite!).  For food we got the Caesar Salad (amazing!), Shrimp and Grits (to die for!), Mac and Cheese (ok), and the Fish Tacos (ok).  For dessert we got the Banana Bread Pudding and it was so freaking good I wanted to lick the plate!

Oh and last Saturday we had a food truck rodeo at church and I was able to try an Only Burger.  Sooo freaking good!  And their fries were really good too!

Still on my list to try soon is Dame's Chicken and Waffels in Durham.  Soon my friend, soon!

This weekend I might try out somewhere else new in downtown Raleigh because I am going to Hopscotch!

Lenovo is a major sponsor of this music festival.  We have a VIP party that overlooks the headlining concert at City Plaza.  I went last year and got to see the amazing show The Flaming Lips put on.  This year's headliner is The Roots.  I am going to try to get down there early and check out some of the day shows and hopefully get to try another yummy food place before heading over to the party!  Any Suggestions?