tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21014032008204661422024-03-13T13:13:03.373-04:00Year 28the diary of a southern girlREMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-29596890625404493132011-12-22T14:32:00.001-05:002011-12-22T14:32:55.354-05:00New year, new homeHowdy friends! Please visit me at my new blog home<br />
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<a href="http://randierin.wordpress.com/">http://randierin.wordpress.com/</a><br />
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This was my very first blog, and after giving her a facelift, I have decided to go back to a wordpress platform to continue blogging.<br />
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Thanks and hope to see you there!REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-71543755513561010372011-11-17T10:00:00.000-05:002011-11-17T10:00:02.836-05:00Anniversary Gift IdeasI have been married just over 6 months, so I know this is a bit premature, but with thinking about Christmas shopping and wish lists, I couldn't help but share with you (and my sweet husband) two ideas that I recently came across that would make perfect anniversary gifts for our first anniversary this coming March.<br />
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1. Enlarged and Framed Sheet Music (as artwork)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgkq60F1nKC_6o8zR4xox6ELVW7QyDNELIRCMbf10WadshOTy44_Y2W_yeC2HsWrM6V2Ktr-fwvMaUFNvWSyGCrYdAQfy4-Avdh4KHhlwCFXcEpoBR_zH_8mQpYtccSzPccGKWdVjjTE/s1600/mitchel+gold+bob+williams+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgkq60F1nKC_6o8zR4xox6ELVW7QyDNELIRCMbf10WadshOTy44_Y2W_yeC2HsWrM6V2Ktr-fwvMaUFNvWSyGCrYdAQfy4-Avdh4KHhlwCFXcEpoBR_zH_8mQpYtccSzPccGKWdVjjTE/s320/mitchel+gold+bob+williams+3.JPG" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/102996391/">via Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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This is just awesome. and it covers the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_anniversary">traditional symbol</a> for a first anniversary gift, "paper". Song selections could be our first dance song, or the song I walked down the aisle to (Moon River, just in case <em>someone</em> forgot) or just another song that sounds like "us". I think this is just fabulous and would look good in many rooms. <br />
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2. Anniversary Band<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwfbgLWNjB-qFqoDDaHPB5p0fsFhVPlmdswLKNFr4Er5nP9SX1xSRFNNI1fQwgKYo8ngJe2uX4Dn5QYNtqafXoBl58LfSO-k30KefEpwaP_Gn3_vVlaNQDfPgJcLAdcb9H9Sx969wqUQ/s1600/240778009_MV_LG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwfbgLWNjB-qFqoDDaHPB5p0fsFhVPlmdswLKNFr4Er5nP9SX1xSRFNNI1fQwgKYo8ngJe2uX4Dn5QYNtqafXoBl58LfSO-k30KefEpwaP_Gn3_vVlaNQDfPgJcLAdcb9H9Sx969wqUQ/s320/240778009_MV_LG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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I would love to have a plain wedding/anniversary band to wear solo for running and working out, and also to be able to pair a plain band with my solitaire engagement ring. Since my original wedding ring is an enhancer that my engagement ring sits inside of, I have to wear it as a complete set and I don't really like wearing such a large ring when I run or go to the gym. I would love a plain Jane white gold band, about the same width as my engagement ring. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEpZiHm2hSzQ4Q6hCvCT2qaz8Sl6ZnM4e9di1Udg3MlLQuAISPXiYWOV4YRAKSatwyhKgWLhmBlnbyIvK9RepExxCwAow8bQZ_kfYijyatm9mC3lV7Ixx1VT5V-5-Dd-CHVbFHs7zJOk/s1600/IMAG0040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEpZiHm2hSzQ4Q6hCvCT2qaz8Sl6ZnM4e9di1Udg3MlLQuAISPXiYWOV4YRAKSatwyhKgWLhmBlnbyIvK9RepExxCwAow8bQZ_kfYijyatm9mC3lV7Ixx1VT5V-5-Dd-CHVbFHs7zJOk/s400/IMAG0040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Princess Solitaire engagement ring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSifQsvP0udYCqNksS3azFEehHH-BFGH93a6t-C1QS1VPZpk9sqdI9TxxtvmqKYA0xkehpyUDjSXzgSA_3wWzZ3mH-P7gmA4TSfln7RraGNu1pEepLDT6JZ0UScNaZac8GdCgUGKx6WTQ/s1600/IMAG0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSifQsvP0udYCqNksS3azFEehHH-BFGH93a6t-C1QS1VPZpk9sqdI9TxxtvmqKYA0xkehpyUDjSXzgSA_3wWzZ3mH-P7gmA4TSfln7RraGNu1pEepLDT6JZ0UScNaZac8GdCgUGKx6WTQ/s400/IMAG0044.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Together with enhancer</td></tr>
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So those are my two anniversary gift ideas! What do you think? Do you have an anniversary band, and if so, do you mix and match your wedding/anniversary bands, or alternate wearing them?<br />
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Do you drop hints to your husband or boyfriend about possible anniversary gifts? <br />
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Cheers! <br />
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<br />REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-45317901879223763022011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:002011-11-15T10:00:12.155-05:00How I Started RunningI was on the track team in middle school and for one year in high school. I ran short sprints and relays, and my favorite races were the 4x100, and the 100 meter hurdles. I was good at those, because they were short distance and only a quarter of the track. Not to toot my own horn, but I was pretty fast. <br />
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I also ran the 4x400 relay, however it was my least favorite because back then I thought an entire lap around the track was pure madness. There are a few reasons why I quit track after one year in high school, mainly because it interfered with our competition calendar for cheerleading. If I ever had a regret, quitting track would probably be it. <br />
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After that, I wasn't a big runner at all. I remember taking a class in college, Boot Camp Fitness, and we had to run a mile and a half, and I thought it would be the death of me. I got bored while running and counting laps around a track was not interesting to me at all. <br />
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So in 2009 when my brother mentioned he was going to run a 5k with some friends and asked me to join, I immediatley laughed and said no. I didn't even know how many miles that was, but it sounded far and I was not interested. Then he told me I could walk it and that there would be beer at the end. So I asked how far was 5k exactly. 3.1 miles. After some convincing I finally agreed and the only thing I was looking forward to on the day of the race was the free beer at the finish line. <br />
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But then something happened on that race day when all those people showed up in their running shoes with numbers pinned on the front of their shirts and sports watches to time their progress, it was like something lit a desire in me that I never even knew I had. When the shotgun went off and the race started, and I turned on the ipod I borrowed from my brother and started jogging with a thousand other people, there was so much positive energy and excitement inside me. I had shown up fully prepared to walk most of the way. However, I surprised myself and ran most of (as well as really enjoyed) those three miles. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvAc98y0YM6c9EsmgMyz3ouyXRnIVhd6t22u3QgjHCR5KVj1Z-9zJpoRNVjIm5pOyar-1NP9MnYhlbXXZhF8rfAi2aKGMYPDCJ1gayeRo0jKaa1SSwWnza1dbaE3k2kiuIYi-qOz41NY/s1600/first+5+k+palace+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvAc98y0YM6c9EsmgMyz3ouyXRnIVhd6t22u3QgjHCR5KVj1Z-9zJpoRNVjIm5pOyar-1NP9MnYhlbXXZhF8rfAi2aKGMYPDCJ1gayeRo0jKaa1SSwWnza1dbaE3k2kiuIYi-qOz41NY/s400/first+5+k+palace+2009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My First Race, Palace 5k April 2009 (I'm the one in pink)</td></tr>
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I was so excited about my accomplishment, that I convinced my friend Karah to run another race with me the next month. In May we ran the Tails and Trails 5k and after that she and I both were officially hooked on running races. <br />
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We started running together twice a week with the hopes of improving our time for future 5ks. We ran a handfull of those for about a year, then Karah suggested we up the anty and attempt to run a 10k. </div>
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Our first 10k was this past April, the Springtime Tallahassee 10k. We trained for months in advance having two motivators, both of us wanted to lose a few pounts for my (then) upcoming wedding, and we wanted to cross the finish line having run most of the 6 mile race. We crossed the finish line, had a celebratory adult beverage, realized 6.2 miles wasn't so bad, and in the following few weeks, we set our next goal. We would run a half Marathon in October.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Springtime Tallahassee 10K, April 2011</td></tr>
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There were many times while Karah and I trained for the half marathon that we both thought we had lost our minds. There was one time I remember in particular, it was an early Saturday morning and I drove out to Havana where Karah lives and we ran an 8 mile track that took us around the Havana Golf Club. It was a <strike>warm</strike> Hot summer day and we had her two kids in the double stroller, and at about mile 4 I remember feeling like it would be impossible to complete all 13 miles of the half marathon. <br />
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We pushed through our training plan and on the day of the run it paid off. But what really is rewarding about this whole experience, has been spending time with a wonderful friend who I admire very much. We set goals and hold each other accountable all while enjoying the company of a good friend. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apalachicola Run for the Bay Half Marathon, October 2011</td></tr>
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So... what's our next goal you ask? With the time change and now that it gets darker outside earlier, we are going to try to improve our time on short runs, with the intent of improving our 10k time from last year by 10 minutes this coming March! Stay tuned for updates! </div>REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-37706537722902513312011-11-14T16:00:00.001-05:002011-11-14T16:14:32.092-05:00MotivationI am ashamed to say my Nikes have only hit the pavement once since the big half marathon, and my appearances on the blog have been few and far between as well... so here are some words of motivation, I need some in all aspects of my life lately! <br />
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all photos from <a href="http://pinterest.com/randierin/">Pinterest</a></div>
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After a hectic day at the office, I am headed to a busy evening of Junior League meetings. Hope Monday was good to you! </div>
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Cheers,</div>
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<br /></div>REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-712744287920846232011-11-01T12:35:00.003-04:002011-11-01T12:35:42.226-04:00FuzzyHere are some fuzzy pictures taken with my camera phone from this past weekend. And yes, the top item on my Christmas wish list is a new camera! <br />
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This was taken after the Seminoles shut out NC State this past Saturday! This was after the game while we were waiting for the crowd to thin out. I realized I hadn't taken a single picture the entire time we were there. It was a GORGEOUS day in Doak Campbell Stadium, and a shut-out game made it even sweeter! <br />
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My girl Tab who sat with me at the game. She is an FSU Alum, I am just a hometown girl cheering for my second favorite college team. </div>
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This deliciousness is homemade <a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2011/10/pumpkin-creme-brulee.html">PUMPKIN CREME BRULEE</a> and was heaven on a plate! I was so proud of myself for making this from scratch. It was not as hard as it sounds like it would be. I realized too late that the torch I had intended to use for the final step of caramelizing the top didn't come with butane, so I went with plan B and turned on the oven broiler. Visually it didn't look as crisp, but I promise you it tasted just as delicious! <a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2011/10/pumpkin-creme-brulee.html">Click here</a> for the recipe I used. </div>
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And last but not least... my sweet little Darcy. I rarely get a shot of her with her eyes open, and this was just too sweet not to share! I think she had just been eyeballing my pumpkin creme brulee and plotting a way to sneak a taste after I set my dish down. Hehe! </div>
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Hope you're not in a Halloween candy sugar coma this morning! Despite the abundance of left over candy in the office, I only had two milky way's yesterday, and none yet today. The key word there is "yet"... </div>
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Cheers! </div>
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<br /></div>REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-42123407067477647342011-10-27T15:37:00.001-04:002011-11-01T13:17:27.686-04:0013.1If you had told me three years ago that I would be able to run 13.1 miles, much less enjoy it, I would have said you have downright lost your mind. <br />
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But my running partner (and one of my best friends) Karah and I went down to the little fishing town of Apalachicola this past weekend, and early Sunday morning we ran our first half marathon, The Apalachicola Running for the Bay Marathon. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good luck basket of goodies from my sweet husband! </td></tr>
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Krysti, (who is Karah's sister) Karah and I rode down to the coast (which took not quite 2 hours) in Krysti's jeep with the top down. It was such a nice drive! The weather was fantastic and we rocked out to great music the whole way down. <br />
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We stayed at the Apalachicola River Inn on the second floor overlooking the bay. It was really a fantastic view! That evening we had a few drinks and a delicious dinner at Tamara's, listened to some live music downtown at the blues festival, then Karah and I called it an early night and walked back to our room to get some good rest before the big race the next morning. <br />
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That bridge in the background is the one we ran across and back for the race, The Gorrie Bridge</div>
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We got up at 6:00am Sunday morning and got on our warm running clothes since it was a chilly 56 degrees. Armed with our iPods, we tracked across the street to the starting line at about 6:45 and stretched really good while we waited for the 7:15 race to begin. <br />
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I hope I never forget the feeling I had watching the sun rise over the gulf while running across the Gorrie Bridge that connects Apalachicola to Eastpoint. It was so moving, and the whole way across and back I thanked God that I had legs to run, eyes to see the sunrise, and breath to breathe in the salty ocean air. <br />
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I also have to add that a lot of my motivation and adrenaline came from the OUT OF THIS WORLD play list I created on my iPod. Music really motivates me, and I get really bored with repetitive songs, so I took careful consideration when arranging this play list for the big run. </div>
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One of my friends, Kristin, suggested I check out <strong><a href="http://illegal-art.net/allday/">GirlTalk</a></strong>, a mash up DJ who combines songs everyone loves. She sent me a link to <a href="http://illegal-art.net/allday/">download for free</a>. I am skeptical of anything that you can download for free, but <span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><span style="color: #333333;">I have to tell you, it did not disappoint. The beat is incredible and it kept me pumped up all the way until the finish line, and I think I even could have kept on going! So shout out to Kristin for the phenomenal suggestion!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming to the end of the bridge, I spotted my mom down on the ground taking pictures. I waved so she would know it was me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost done! This was the final down hill section of the bridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming in strong for the finish! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done! Ah it felt so fantastic to cross that finish line! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Morgan was there to cheer me on across the finish! So glad she told me about this run and glad we both finished it! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karah coming down hill off the bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Karah crossing the finish! Way to go girl! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with two of the girls who were bridesmaids in my wedding! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My running buddy Karah</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb-JjHECJXH95B2MWvBYHq3-ILXPk8yws1wTceNioefOoq4LYEI9lcBA0MgIpqPPN9h_XY5ET0Qjei87QsvcTJB2SXpZ2nq7YTVZAELsGNV8ignBxHjzftRi_ZaF9FfAUIP4u7MobUpM/s1600/295979_265161370193700_100000995173986_754048_473335089_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb-JjHECJXH95B2MWvBYHq3-ILXPk8yws1wTceNioefOoq4LYEI9lcBA0MgIpqPPN9h_XY5ET0Qjei87QsvcTJB2SXpZ2nq7YTVZAELsGNV8ignBxHjzftRi_ZaF9FfAUIP4u7MobUpM/s400/295979_265161370193700_100000995173986_754048_473335089_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did it! 13.1! </td></tr>
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I ran 13.1 miles in 2:30:03, which was a pace of 11:28 per mile. I finished 16th in my age division and 136 overall. I am so proud of Karah and myself for accomplishing this goal! <br />
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Now what's next??? We have decided to work on our time, and try to be at least 10 minutes faster by the next Springtime Tallahassee 10k, which is usually sometime in April. Personally, I would love be running a 9 minute mile by then! <br />
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Cheers! <br />
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</div>REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-46784111330949945142011-10-17T12:38:00.000-04:002011-10-17T12:38:47.685-04:00Lovely Advice- Day 33<div style="text-align: center;">
Health: Drink plenty of water. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. Live with the 3 E’s - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy Play more games. Read more books than you did in 2010. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Sleep for 7 hours. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile. </div>
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Personality: Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. Don’t over do. Keep your limits. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip. Dream more while you are awake. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. Smile and laugh more. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. </div>
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Society: Call your family often. Each day give something good to others. Forgive everyone for everything. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6. Try to make at least three people smile each day. What other people think of you is none of your business. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. Life: Do the right thing! Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. The best is yet to come. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy. </div>REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-27016848211432064082011-10-10T15:00:00.000-04:002011-10-10T15:00:05.490-04:00Wedding Rewind- Figuring out the BasicsAfter we were engaged and had spread the news to our family and friends, we really didn't do much for almost two months. We enjoyed being engaged and thinking about the future without any immediate deadlines. It was nice to have this time to just relax and enjoy the moment. I have talked to many friends who feel their engagement was rushed, and the day after they were engaged they started planning a wedding. We didn't even know what kind of wedding we wanted, so it was to our advantage to take our time. And if you know me, you know I am a bit slow when it comes to making crucial decisions. <br />
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Coach and I had a series of casual conversations about what kind of wedding we wanted. His first suggestion was to just go to the courthouse. Ha! Although I think that is a romantic and simple idea, there was no way I could really have a courthouse wedding. I am too much of an event person to go that route. Even though my dad tempted me with, "I'll pay you to just go to the courthouse, you can take the money and (get a new car, put a down payment on the house, take a fantastic vacation)." But, as tempting as that was, I had always wanted a wedding. After talking it over, the Coach admitted he thought it would be nice to have a wedding too, that way our families could be there. So the first decision was made. <br />
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It was fairly simple for us after that to decide what kind of wedding we wanted. We are both family people, so it was important for us to have our family present to witness us tying the knot. Therefore, since we are both from the same hometown, a destination wedding was out of the picture. We would have a hometown wedding with our family as the priority of our guest list. That being said, we both have big families, so we knew making this decision meant we were looking at a 100-200 guest wedding. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very first inspiration board</td></tr>
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We took a suggestion from my friend who is an interior designer, who told me that in school when she was doing projects, the professors had them chose three words to define their space. These three words would set the tone for their design, and would help them narrow their focus and encourage consistency in the space they were desiging. We thought this was a great idea, and decided to use that concept and chose three words for our wedding. <br />
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Coming up with the three words was easier than I thought. We didn't plan to do it this way, but Coach ended up choosing one word, I chose another, and we both decided on the third. <br />
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My word was <em>Romantic</em>. I wanted a rich feeling of love and romance and hoped to portray this through our color scheme and flowers. <br />
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Coach picked the word <em>Comfortable</em>. He is a pretty laid back guy, and likes to kick back and have a good time, so it was no surprise to me that he chose this word. He said he wanted our guests to feel comfortable at our wedding, not stuffy or awkward. He didn't want anything too fancy, and he wanted a location where people could move around and visit and talk to each other. <br />
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Our last word we chose together was <em>Southern</em>. I think this pretty much speaks for itself. We are both born and raised southern. Southern for us is a way of life, it means tradition and family, good food and great music. It was only natural that we include southern traditions in our wedding, specifically through our decorations, food, and music<br />
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So that's really how we decided on the basics. We decided to have a wedding, made it a priority to invite family first, and decided we wanted our day to be summed up in three words: Southern, Comfortable, Romantic. <br />
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We didn't sit down and just hammer out everything in one night, I (more so than he) am the type of person that needs to have time to digest and think about things before making decisions, so this method of casually throwing out ideas and taking about two months to think about what our options were allowed us to really stew over things before we made any commitments or signed any contracts. <br />
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Did you jump right in with planning, or take some time to think about what you wanted your wedding to be like? Did you already have your wedding planned in your head, or did you need to brainstorm with your fiance like I did? <br />
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Next post, budget! <br />
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Cheers, <br />
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-79283446060134111022011-10-10T12:59:00.002-04:002011-10-10T13:11:21.918-04:00If you start thinking that your week begins on Sunday, suddenly Monday's aren't so bad anymore- Day 26My BFF, Mindy, said this to me this weekend, and how much of a difference that has made for me today! I had a fantastic weekend visiting her (and her baby bump!) despite the rainy weather all weekend and didn't want to leave! I had so much fun in fact, that I didn't pause to take a SINGLE PICTURE the entire weekend! Bad blogger! Now that I am blogging, I need to remember to have that camera in my hands at all times. <br />
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I arrived at her house Friday afternoon, and after surveying all the updates she has done to her house, we took off to go antique shopping in Leesburg. We went to an amazing shop, then I took up the rest of our time in the candle shop across the street. Have you heard of <a href="http://www.swancreekcandle.com/">Swan Creek Candle Company</a>? We have three stores (that I know of) around my area that carry some Swan Creek merchandise, but there is an outlet store in Leesburg and I was in candle heaven! If you have never heard of these candles, let me just tell you, they are made from American soy bean wax, and are the best smelling candles. I even prefer them over Yankee candles. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.swancreekcandle.com/">http://www.swancreekcandle.com/</a></td></tr>
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I received my first one as a gift about two years ago, and it was in a decorative pottery jar, so not only do they smell divine, they look fantastic as well. I had the hardest time on Friday deciding which scents to bring home with me, but I finally decided on a small Lavender candle for our bedroom, three Lilly of the Valley votives for the bathrooms, and a tall French Vanilla Bean for our kitchen. I also bought my first Christmas present, a tall Snickerdoodle candle for my mom. <br />
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Friday evening we ventured to downtown Mt. Dora and had dinner at the Saucy Spoon. I had the salmon which was served with roasted vegetables and grits. It was great! After a nice meal we rode up to the Mt. Dora Brewery. I had heard Mindy and her husband talk several times about the brewery, and I was excited to see first hand what the buzz was about.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mountdorabrewing.com/home.html">Mount Dora Brewing</a></td></tr>
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We sat out on the patio in the back of the brewery where we could have fresh air but still hear the music from inside. I tried the Rockin Rabbit Red, which is an Irish Red Ale made from organic ingredients including orange blossom honey. I am not usually a red ale kind of girl, but I enjoyed this one very much. You could definitely taste the honey. </div>
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Saturday we trekked down to Orlando to the Mall at Milena to make a stop in Pottery Barn Kids to check out some baby bedding Mindy had been eyeing online. We of course made many more stops, including a late and long lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen. We split pizza and an appetizer and yapped like we always do, but better since we were in person instead of over the phone. </div>
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Sunday we went to church and I assisted (rather poorly, I might add) while Mindy taught Sunday school to a rowdy group of first graders. Then we went to the service, which was fantastic, followed by lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. Then it was time to pack up my car and hit the road to head back home. </div>
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I love every second of my weekend with my best friend, specifically starting out my week beginning with Sunday morning at church. Watching those first graders learn about Moses and then listening to the Pastor speak about seeking God has made a big difference in my attitude this Monday morning. Today I am thankful for best friends. Even if we live 4 hours apart, she always finds a way to touch my heart and help make me a better person. </div>
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Thanks for a super weekend Mindy Sue! I can't wait to see you soon! </div>
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Do you have a long distance BFF? How often do you get to see each other? </div>
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Cheers, </div>
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-18240619507317714572011-10-07T06:00:00.000-04:002011-10-07T06:00:01.818-04:00"F" is for Friday and Fabulous Friends- Day 23I am out of the office today and on the road traveling to visit this awesome girl<br />
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We have a busy weekend planned, and I can't wait to see all the updating she has done to her home, go antique shopping, have lunch in little town Mt. Dora, and most of all spend time with my BFF!</div>
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Hope you get to see someone special this weekend! </div>
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Cheers, </div>
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-3675995213038069632011-10-06T13:11:00.000-04:002011-10-06T13:11:08.949-04:00Jobs on Jobs- Day 22<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While the only Apple product I own is an iPod, my husband, parents, brother and many friends own iPhones and multiple other Apple products. I have found it ironic that most of them learned of Steve Jobs' passing on the very technology that he facilitated the creation of. I don't know much about Steve Jobs, but while reading the morning news, the following quote stood out to me and I felt the need to share. </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do," </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on."</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Steve Jobs, said at the 2005 commencement address at Stanford University.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let this day be great. There is lots to be thankful for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cheers,</span> </span></div>
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-57346493252549506672011-10-05T10:10:00.001-04:002011-10-05T15:14:53.232-04:00Ten Articles a Newlywed Actually Wants to Read- Day 21I love reading blogs and if I find a particularly interesting one I like to see what blogs that blogger reads... and somewhere I get lost down a bunny trail of blog-hopping. Today I stumbled upon <a href="http://hitchdied.com/">this blog</a> and this post in particular that had me laughing out loud, and I had to share. <br />
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Being a newlywed of 6 months, this entry is very applicable to my life. Wither you are planning a wedding, have planned a wedding at some point, I hope this makes you laugh too. <br />
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This blog is <a href="http://hitchdied.com/">HitchDied.com</a> and the following is a list of suggested articles that newlyweds actually want to read (from these mass email producing sites like the Nest and Martha, and many others)<br />
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<strong><a href="http://hitchdied.com/2011/08/10/a-brief-pseudo-reprieve-from-my-hate-on-for-the-nest/">Ten articles a newlywed actually wants to read</a>:</strong><br />
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<li>Hand exercises to alleviate Thank You Note cramps.</li>
<li>Who should move for whose career: The Armageddon of Newlywed Fights</li>
<li>What exactly do you use a stand mixer for, anyway?</li>
<li>Beyond flowers: easy ways to say “I’m sorry I was such a jerk last night”</li>
<li>Damn the man, lower the co-pay: navigating through a health insurance switch.</li>
<li>Cute ways to style short hair (because every newly married woman cuts her hair off, right?)</li>
<li>No soap? Seriously?: How to clean a cast iron skillet</li>
<li>Fun ways to answer the question, “How’s married life?” that will ensure it is never asked of you again.</li>
<li>Can you still celebrate your dating anniversary? How many anniversaries are you allowed before you are That Couple?</li>
<li>How to watch your wedding video without cringing so hard your face Gets Stuck That Way. [this article would really just be a collection of cocktail recipes] </li>
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I would especially be interested in reading number 7. We received a cast iron skillet as a wedding gift and I have yet to use it, doesn't it have to be prepped or seasoned or something before you use it?? Anyone know how to do this? <br />
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Also, my standard answer to number 8 is, "So far... so good!" Don't know if this is appropriate or not...<br />
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Have a great Wednesday! <br />
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Cheers,<br />
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-49868245966810552892011-10-04T14:42:00.000-04:002011-10-04T14:42:02.079-04:00Wedding Rewind- New Blog SeriesI get a lot of questions about my wedding, and I thought it might be fun to do a little wedding re-cap here on my blog. Even though it was the highlight of my 27th year, I don't think it will hurt to look back a bit and share with you one of the best times of my life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-23UqazzPU7wKi7pjpET2bsrXuur1gNsgX4T-_ZA06HFE1hdcsNXhigZBrXDWrMZPwh1JP07_S_SXCbd-pQN3Pfq8A2-z9n73TvkA5j1xeBfBSQ0T4D54SzmA-CfRopb1dhYtG8aCac/s1600/thank+you+card+picture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-23UqazzPU7wKi7pjpET2bsrXuur1gNsgX4T-_ZA06HFE1hdcsNXhigZBrXDWrMZPwh1JP07_S_SXCbd-pQN3Pfq8A2-z9n73TvkA5j1xeBfBSQ0T4D54SzmA-CfRopb1dhYtG8aCac/s400/thank+you+card+picture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Mary Beth Tyson</td></tr>
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I am going to do a few background posts and share who our vendors were and how we made those hiring decisions. I'll also show you a few DIY projects my mom and I did. Our wedding was truly a collaborative effort, we couldn't have done it without so many people's help! <br />
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I look forward to sharing this with you, and hope if there are any brides-to-be out there, that maybe some of my experiences will help you with your own weddings! <br />
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Cheers, <br />
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-69158694338595689542011-10-04T07:00:00.000-04:002011-10-05T15:14:29.177-04:00Cypress- Day 20Last week the Coach took me out for a belated birthday dinner. He picked the restaurant all by himself, and it was amazing! We went to Cypress, which I had been to once before several years ago with my parents. He had never been. To say we both enjoyed it would be an understatement. Everything we had was absolutely fantastic! Cypress specializes in southern regional style cuisine, and everything down to the deserts and sauces, is made fresh in house. <br />
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We started off our meal with two Sweetwater 420's from the tap and the appetizer special which that evening was quail. It was served on a bed of mixed peas and the sauce on the side had a BBQ flavor, it was divine! <br />
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Next up were our main courses. I had the grouper, which came with clams served artfully in the shell with a sort of chowder in each open shell. It's hard to describe, and I wish I had a picture because it was just gorgeous on the plate. Coach tried the entree special for the evening, duck two ways. Duck con fit in a risotto was laid below smoked duck breast. I snuck a bite of his and the meat was so tender. <br />
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After the main course, we enjoyed a second round of beers while we mulled over the desert menu. My favorite desert to order anywhere is creme brulee, however we decided to try the Southern Pecan Pie Turnover with maple caramel ice cream. OH MY HEAVENS I could have licked the plate! the pie was wrapped up almost like baklava and drizzled with caramel sauce. There was a scoop of maple syrup flavored ice cream with caramel crumbles on the side. Once again, I wish I had a picture because it was gorgeous.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs6pU4PiPgdzLxUe6cO4Ysl7_IzxNp-Ze2RXT-aCozY0jRF0n-TyAZQCpgk6jI6bBSLdMOoPAb3GVYYP2MrI926rwfVez1695DNrq0CAg-mjz33z1ot5Fb0Llv67ADK3xNJtFaxfqcW4/s1600/quail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs6pU4PiPgdzLxUe6cO4Ysl7_IzxNp-Ze2RXT-aCozY0jRF0n-TyAZQCpgk6jI6bBSLdMOoPAb3GVYYP2MrI926rwfVez1695DNrq0CAg-mjz33z1ot5Fb0Llv67ADK3xNJtFaxfqcW4/s320/quail2.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cypressrestaurant.com/">Quail Appetizer from Cypress Website</a></td></tr>
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It was nice to have a date outside of the house. We are both so busy and really concentrating on sticking to our monthly budget, we don't often let ourselves splurge, but it was worth it for dinner at Cypress!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<br />
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-6145569249428786702011-10-03T15:42:00.002-04:002011-10-05T15:14:12.732-04:00"Monday Morning you sure look fine, Friday I've got travelin' on my mind..." - Day 19Here is a list of things that are on my mind this Monday morning-<br />
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1. Fleetwood Mac is on my radio (hense the title of this post)<br />
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2. Today is the beginning of a four day work week for me and I feel fantastic! <br />
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3. I am so proud of Karah, my running partner, and myself for accomplishing our goal of running 8 miles on Friday! We ran until the sun went down and pushed ourselves to go a little longer and run by the light of the street lamps to achieve our 8 mile goal. Proud to say we did it and have another long run scheduled for tomorrow evening. We are about 20 days away from our big half marathon run, so we need all the encouragement we can get! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLOQ3CvaqP5W7Mzq9enYntEFnhpxZ-p4A5azAl2eVMf_AqTWb6_olqXbuxtEy80aMj23PW2erUa7Vp88z_SmVbLsnBi-IuD6NsXWQ-PZxYHiT_2ZtAsmVMRj_Sy8pQCP0u6lE4_e0IQI/s1600/176068766_vsAoWo6c_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLOQ3CvaqP5W7Mzq9enYntEFnhpxZ-p4A5azAl2eVMf_AqTWb6_olqXbuxtEy80aMj23PW2erUa7Vp88z_SmVbLsnBi-IuD6NsXWQ-PZxYHiT_2ZtAsmVMRj_Sy8pQCP0u6lE4_e0IQI/s320/176068766_vsAoWo6c_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via Pinterest.com</td></tr>
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4. I am still dreaming of the beach this past Saturday. It was gorgeous! We stayed later into the evening which proved to be rewarding. Tabs and I were treated to a show by a group of dolphins. They were jumping out of the water and were swimming pretty close to the beach. I had never seen one jump while I sitting on the beach. It was so cool! We also saw this sailboat around the same time that the dolphins were turning their tricks. I wonder if it was stirring up fish or something? <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBLaAnyWR5Ac6whyphenhyphenSTaVivvFM6TZehk57L-sKXg7rmvGQYwKhUEsWEKj85RE6xqATncSaf-gsCD0qWZ-qw6zypYJoyEP3Farl9Ow_0bmXeU_r5y4Evt7QFOirve-VRq_kk3-TROk5cbo/s1600/sail+boat+at+beach+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBLaAnyWR5Ac6whyphenhyphenSTaVivvFM6TZehk57L-sKXg7rmvGQYwKhUEsWEKj85RE6xqATncSaf-gsCD0qWZ-qw6zypYJoyEP3Farl9Ow_0bmXeU_r5y4Evt7QFOirve-VRq_kk3-TROk5cbo/s320/sail+boat+at+beach+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">phone pic from my droid</td></tr>
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5. Sunday was fantastic. I caught up on all my girly DVR'd shows, did laundry, cooked spaghetti, cleaned the kitchen, took a nap, and got some reading done. I am currently reading <em>Girls in Trucks</em> by Katie Crouch. I have two more chapters to finish, then maybe I will post a book review. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngRlOxipL2LW_zpErcb93cpMHe2Jz8Jif5KPJw7bOnVwU4GGd2Zbpc_3kFr3MSKwu319MJBFiy5x7pTwroLNgL26iBA2ZDO1S6xTSH13z4XE4Yri8L2hBQsQLoti1nIyFAoAtw7-c2y4/s1600/girls+in+trucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngRlOxipL2LW_zpErcb93cpMHe2Jz8Jif5KPJw7bOnVwU4GGd2Zbpc_3kFr3MSKwu319MJBFiy5x7pTwroLNgL26iBA2ZDO1S6xTSH13z4XE4Yri8L2hBQsQLoti1nIyFAoAtw7-c2y4/s320/girls+in+trucks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via Google</td></tr>
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6. I am using annual leave on Friday and skipping town to have a weekend visit with my BFF down in Mt. Dora! I am so excited to visit her and see all the updating she has done to her home, go antique shopping, enjoy long lunches and just see her in general! I haven't seen her in about 7 months, since my wedding! It has been too long, and these two peas in a pod are overdue for a fun girl weekend. <br />
That's all for this Monday!<br />
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Cheers, <br />
<br />
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-4042606715296044222011-09-30T16:08:00.000-04:002011-10-05T15:13:47.613-04:00"F" is for Friday, and Failure - Day 16which I have been a big one for skipping two days of posting. So sorry. I don't know what I got caught up doing to be honest! <br />
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BUT... let's just relish in the fact that today is the beginning of the weekend!! Time to get your party shoes on! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqaNo9N5_M1U5ODEBiCrJL3nbzpaQa2HeRbv1iLf3YLJLD1IqaKpAsNKeBVraUek1mx8oQ5rcwAiQ8o6Tmz7xozFRHID1-Dm_OrMU8CnQbE2NDeAHRwpoc6NQwB64K7xa5oId7ySMdwI/s1600/28618338_1EQZwAxZ_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="289" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqaNo9N5_M1U5ODEBiCrJL3nbzpaQa2HeRbv1iLf3YLJLD1IqaKpAsNKeBVraUek1mx8oQ5rcwAiQ8o6Tmz7xozFRHID1-Dm_OrMU8CnQbE2NDeAHRwpoc6NQwB64K7xa5oId7ySMdwI/s320/28618338_1EQZwAxZ_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/28618338/">via Pinterest</a><br />
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So what's on the agenda for this weekend you ask? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNqW_-ejcnOsY8bUrCDf9YO8o3SqQyWVmOnys45uqq9WK2qllw2tes1cV26YNHumO4Ojj-6ZGf40s0JJamtjC0_aNtdB793wvxsTwPIpgvQ_4TW1mi_3uBtnxYtV5Gk3eYIC-8xjarx0/s1600/110326264_858uXZc6_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNqW_-ejcnOsY8bUrCDf9YO8o3SqQyWVmOnys45uqq9WK2qllw2tes1cV26YNHumO4Ojj-6ZGf40s0JJamtjC0_aNtdB793wvxsTwPIpgvQ_4TW1mi_3uBtnxYtV5Gk3eYIC-8xjarx0/s320/110326264_858uXZc6_c.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/110326264/">via Pinterest </a></td></tr>
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Well it starts off with an 8 mile run after work today! Can I tell you it has been over a week since my last run, and I could definitely tell when I buttoned my jeans this morning! If I am going to be in any condition to run a half marathon at the end of October, I need to quit procrastinating and get on the work-out ball, both figuratively and literally! <br />
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Next up, after about an extra hour of sleep on Saturday morning I am off to the beach with my friend Tabs for our ceremonial the last beach trip of the year! <br />
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So sad that summer is really over, but I am so excited for this trip Saturday because the weather is supposed to be phenomenal! Upper 70's and I plan to spend every minute I can soaking up some sun, reading, relaxing, maybe sipping on a cocktail with my toes in the sand. Tabs and I are both beach bums to the core, so we mourn the loss of summer each year and make a point to spend one last day at the beach sometime in the fall before it gets too cold. Last year on our bye-bye-beach day we stayed until the sun set, and I literally had tears in my eyes on the way home! I swear I am such a water baby! <br />
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There are so many good football games on this Saturday, and I am hoping to get home in time to catch the evening games! Alabama and Florida are playing in the Swamp, my least two favorite teams ever. I can't say that I am pulling for one over the other, doesn't much matter to me, I am just glad one of them is guaranteed to loose! <br />
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You know exactly where I will be on Sunday morning... on my couch with a cup of coffee and watching the news! After which I will catch up on all my girly DVR shows while I have the house quiet to myself! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPeG2XkIONVFvtwGhyOslZCgbHV0nvyAxr0_YvriLIyy5RA5Su1hBG6Ed91y8D_Fy7U4YIo9-oQ8mpAry4wqKOAr_oZXXhasIisy_-tcZuUVvVjcmXAU_n7iANVJEq0TxT3s79rlrYPw/s1600/175265425_edfCKufY_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPeG2XkIONVFvtwGhyOslZCgbHV0nvyAxr0_YvriLIyy5RA5Su1hBG6Ed91y8D_Fy7U4YIo9-oQ8mpAry4wqKOAr_oZXXhasIisy_-tcZuUVvVjcmXAU_n7iANVJEq0TxT3s79rlrYPw/s320/175265425_edfCKufY_c.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/175265425/">via Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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I hope you do something extra special this weekend!<br />
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Cheers, <br />
<br />
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<br />REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-11831888890413182222011-09-27T16:33:00.001-04:002011-10-05T15:13:22.805-04:00Day 13<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicggadP6hA4HShPtSlvIdxG1K_zF5kFWWygryFLBuJJ7kcrI7udzj1DH4nC0Svsjx4ulBD99jGw2xZ8LdJAyWNDIh2GwIF5avakd-rgjdG0QTsLQuX7rQwAMa7Avy1dpaVbqQ3ydvyNlU/s1600/244533883_Dujqeuql_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicggadP6hA4HShPtSlvIdxG1K_zF5kFWWygryFLBuJJ7kcrI7udzj1DH4nC0Svsjx4ulBD99jGw2xZ8LdJAyWNDIh2GwIF5avakd-rgjdG0QTsLQuX7rQwAMa7Avy1dpaVbqQ3ydvyNlU/s320/244533883_Dujqeuql_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via Pinterest.com</td></tr>
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I love it. <br />
Cheers, <br />
<br />
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REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-28448584091001095792011-09-26T15:31:00.001-04:002011-10-05T15:13:04.251-04:00Hello Monday -Day 12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I couldn't sleep last night, the cat was climbing all over the place, knocking my glasses and a bud vase of flowers off my nightstand, pawing at the covers and trying to find herself a spot to curl up on the comforter. The alarm went off too soon and instead of my usual ritual of hitting snooze approximately eight times I hopped up and went about getting ready for work. I got to work at 7:45am instead of my usual 9:00am, and had a mild panic attack when no one else had shown up by 8:10, thinking that maybe there was a meeting I was supposed to be attending that I had somehow forgotten. My office mate came in shortly after my freak out and I was relieved. Folks were just running behind, much like I usually am. Here's a summary of my weekend: <br />
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1. Friday afternoon left work and had cocktail hour at my house with Tabs. She brought the cheese and I broke out the crown and ginger with lime. She was headed out on a date so I helped her pick out her outfit and finished my cocktail and hers since she didn't want to be tipsy before she even showed up for the date. I finished my evening catching up with my DVR. <br />
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2. Did anyone else watch Project Runway? This was one of my least favorite challenges ever in the history of the show. Both the challenge itself and the garments that were displayed on the runway I thought were blah. The designers had to create outfits for members of a band. There were eight designers and four members of the band, so they were split in two groups and each band member got two "looks." The poor drummer, both his outfits were pretty bad. I don't know how else to describe the episode, it was just borring to me and none of the outfits were particularly creative. I was not a fan of Oliver, the designer who was eliminated, so I am sort of glad he is gone. Hopefully this next week will be a better show! <br />
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3. My relaxing Saturday started out with a massage, I had been holding on to a gift card I was given for Christmas and finally used it. I was in heaven for about 60 minutes, then had to battle it out in the grocery store, then spend the rest of the afternoon running around town instead of on my couch with a glass of wine watching football like i had intended. Oh well! I did however make it to my parents house to visit with my Uncle and Aunt who were passing through town and spending the night.<br />
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4. Besides Fridays, Sunday is my second favorite day. Coach has film study at school so I get to spend my Sunday mornings watching the news and drinking coffee. It's my "me" time for the week!<br />
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That's really it for today! Hope your week is off to a great start! If not go home today and have a cocktail, you deserve it! <br />
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Cheers,<br />
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<br />REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-22161809097687936982011-09-23T14:36:00.002-04:002011-10-05T15:12:42.024-04:00"F" is for Friday, and Fighting over Finances- Day 9Maybe I shouldn't say fighting, but the Coach and I had a heated discussion last night about finances. <br />
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Any of you read or listen to Dave Ramsey? Coach had me read Dave's book, A Total Money Makeover before we got married. I thought it was a great book, and I agreed with most everything in it. The keyword being "most."<br />
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Coach and I have a very realistic budget that we adhere to each month, and we are well on our way to being debt free. That being said, we also don't own a home, we currently rent. We are both ready to be out of our current rental situation and into a home that is ours. That has storage space, a garage, plenty of kitchen cabinets, a walk in closet and a laundry room. However, we differ in opinion on when in our journey to becoming debt free we should look to purchase a home. I won't go into what each of us thinks, because my point is not to argue sides. I have a few points- <br />
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A.) I can completely see why money is the leading cause for divorce <br />
B.) Money is a topic that two people considering getting married should discuss at length. Including how much you feel is an appropriate amount of savings to maintain, and how to determine who is the one who gets the new car when both of yours are on the fritz. <br />
C.) Even if you talked about these things, you will still have discussions (maybe even fights) over finances. <br />
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The bottom line is we both want the same things, it's just coming to common ground on when we can/should have those things. We made a few compromises last night and that is one of the reasons I love him so much. We listen to each other, respect each other's ideas and opinions, are not afraid to hold each other's feet to the fire when needed, and are willing to compromise to reach a common goal. <br />
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Do you and the person with whom you share your bank account ever disagree on finances? (I know you do!) How to you reach common ground? <br />
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I can tell you one thing, I am ready for a cocktail! Lucky for me I am having one of my bff's over for happy hour at my house after work today! Can't wait to get home and hear the clink of ice in my glass! <br />
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Cheers, <br />
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REMREMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-2943864116111257162011-09-22T16:13:00.000-04:002011-10-05T15:12:16.523-04:00Busy with a Dash of Random- Day 8I've been buried deep under a pile of notes taken while conducting interviews for my current project, so I don't have much to say today. Other than my fingers are cramping from so much re-typing my notes and my keyboard is not ergonomically friendly. Is that the right term? My point is, my hands hurt and my keyboard isn't in the right position for massive amounts of typing. <br />
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Any way, it's a rainy Thursday here. I normally run twice a week but yesterday I copped out of what would have been the second run this week. It was just too humid and was threatening rain. Didn't end up raining until early this morning though. Oh well. Except for the fact that I have a half marathon coming up in EXACTLY one month and need to get cracking on my training plan! Eek! <br />
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That's all for now! </div>
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Cheers, </div>
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REM</div>
REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-83140872529333740652011-09-21T13:46:00.000-04:002011-10-05T15:11:43.080-04:0010 Commandments of Dressing for Work- Day 7 <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/16/living/workplace-professional-dress-cb/index.html?hpt=hp_bn8">Article Credit</a></td></tr>
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I read <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/16/living/workplace-professional-dress-cb/index.html?hpt=hp_bn8">this article</a> last week and it intrigued me because as I am climbing the corporate ladder, as well as the age ladder, I have found that in my late 20's I often feel conflicted when dressing for work. I may be 28 on paper, but I don't feel 28. I want to dress youthfully and fashionable, but also come across as professional and confident. I want to wear clothes that I think are fun and current, but I don't want to create an image to my boss and others that I am inexperienced and don't know what I am doing at work. I work in an office environment where the majority of my co-workers are 40+ and sometimes I feel as though my attire makes me stand out even more than I already do.<br />
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These 10 Commandments from Career Builder found via CNN.com I felt were very spot on. So I thought I would share them with you, as well as provide my own commentary for each. <br />
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If you are conflicted over what to wear to the office, read these ten tips and re-think your work wear! <br />
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<strong>1. Modesty is a virtue.</strong><br />
There is always "that girl" (or woman in my office building) who wears the shirt cut too low or the pencil skirt too tight, you know who I'm talking about, every office has one. Don't be her. You can be stylish without compromising your modesty. For shirts that are super low, throw on a camisole underneath, or even a tank top in a neutral or contrasting color. It can add interest to your outfit and keep you from being the topic of conversation in the break room. For pants or skirts that are super tight around the rear-end but may be loose throughout the legs, wear a flowy or longer shirt that hits right about wrist height or slightly higher if your arms were at your sides to cover the top of the pants. <br />
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<strong>2. Keep holy the casual Friday.</strong><br />
This is a tricky one, because so often Friday feels like it's practically already part of the weekend. But don't show up to work like you are already on vacation. Different offices have different standards for Friday. Mine is casual, and some folks in my building take that too literally. Pair dark jeans with a blazer and some fun heals for a casual appropriate look. Think about what you would wear to a nice dinner out with your significant other and then layer with a cardigan or blazer to make it slightly more business, thus appropriate for the office. <br />
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<strong>3. Thou shalt wear the right shoes.</strong><br />
I am guilty of breaking this one. It is a hike from the parking lot to the building and then another three flights of stairs before I'm finally behind my desk, and often I can be seen taking that hike in my trusty rainbow flip flops with heals hanging out of my purse. And on days where I am chained to the computer, I will stick with the rainbows instead of changing into heals. I think shoes can be counted as accessories when completing an outfit. You wouldn't wear a redic amount of necklaces or bracelets, so keep your shoes classy and not so high that you can't walk in them for the office. <br />
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<strong>4. Honor thy leaders.</strong><br />
Don't know what to wear to a client meeting? Look at those around you in executive positions and take clues from their wardrobe. To they wear jackets to meetings? Maybe you should do. <br />
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<strong>5. Thou shalt not steal thy boss's tie.</strong><br />
While taking tips from executives can be helpful, don't recreate their entire wardrobe as your own. <br />
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<strong>6. Control thy festiveness.</strong><br />
I love this one because nothing annoys me more than when folks show up to the office dressed to the nines like Cleopatra or Fred Flinstone during Halloween week. People please, I know you're excited about taking your kid trick-or-treating, but let's save the dress-up for after 5:00pm. It is fun to wear a red sweater before Christmas or maybe a pretty pink blouse on Valentine's day, but let's leave it at that. We don't need reindeer antlers and Cupid's arrows as accessories during business hours. <br />
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<strong>7. Remember the good book.</strong><br />
Remember that book/binder/folder you received on your first day? That you probably haven't picked up since? It's probably got a dress code in it! Most every office has a dress code policy that they want their employees to adhere to. Read and refresh yourself on what your office requires in the attire department. <br />
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<strong>8. Thou shalt notice what year it is.</strong><br />
Congratulations on taking such good care of your clothing that items from 1983 are still "fine" today. Now put these relics in the Goodwill box where they should have landed years ago. While one need not be a fashionista, looking outdated can give the impression that you lack fresh ideas.<br />
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<strong>9. Err on the side of caution.</strong><br />
Not sure if you should wear that black tank that has almost too thin straps? Then don't. Better safe than sorry. Another good rule of thumb, if your bra straps are not covered by the straps of your top, then you should probably not wear it, or add a cardigan or blazer to make it more professional. <br />
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<strong>10. Dress for the job thou want.</strong><br />
Best piece of advice in my opinion. Dressing like an executive can not only help you present yourself like one, but make you feel like one. I think clothes are such an outward expression of how we feel and how we feel about ourselves. Do your body a favor and clothe it in excellence! REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-70637080289667790252011-09-20T09:00:00.000-04:002011-10-05T15:11:30.165-04:00Salt Air- Day 6<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/thewheatfield?ref=ls_profile">Find on Etsy</a></td></tr>
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This gorgeous poster is inspiring me today. This pretty much sums up my life. I am hoping to squeeze in one more trip to the beach somewhere between football Saturdays before it gets too chilly. Wouldn't this be lovley framed in a large spa bathroom decorated with crisp white towels? Yeah, my teeny bathroom is a far cry from a spa... but a girl can dream! <br />
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Find more from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/thewheatfield?ref=ls_profile">thewheatfield</a> on etsy. This shop is fantastic. <br />
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Cheers,<br />
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REMREMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-52678719828907809932011-09-19T16:23:00.002-04:002011-10-05T15:11:12.525-04:00Oh Monday...- Day 5<br />
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It felt like moving a mountain this morning when I finally un-tucked myself from the covers after the fifth or sixth time hitting snooze on my alarm clock. I was silently cursing to myself while getting ready because I had to come into work today. However difficult that may have been, I am here now and am ready to fill you in on seven highlights from my weekend. So here you go- <br />
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1. This weekend was fantastic and terrible at the same time. It literally felt like a roller coaster. It started Friday with a marathon errand run in record time. Just over an hour and three stops to make, one being the grocery store. I seriously spend too much time in the grocery store, so this was a challenge for me. But I did it and managed to stay within my budgeted time. However when I got home with just enough time to drop off the groceries, feed the cat and scoot out of the house to head to the high school football game, wouldn't you know it was torrential down pouring. I sat in my driveway for a minute trying to figure out how to get two sacks of to go BBQ for the next day's tailgate, two large bags of ice and a few other small grocery bags into the house without getting myself absolutely soaked. <br />
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2. The BBQ we ordered for the tailgate was fantastic. I had never been to Piggy's before but my personal review was that it was very good, which agrees with most everything i had previously heard. We got the pulled pork, mac and cheese and baked beans. If you haven't ever been, you should try it out. <br />
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3. We also got a whole chicken that no one ended up touching because the BBQ was so fantastic. I can't ever throw away uneaten food, so I thought we could just keep it in the cooler till we got home. Well, needless to say when i went to clean out the cooler yesterday evening, there floating around in the melted ice with the last few bottles of beer and water were pieces of that chicken. The Styrofoam box which held the chicken had come undone in all the moving around, and pieces of it had been soaking in that water and floating around for almost 24hours. Gross is an understatement. I bleached the cooler three times and my front stoop still smells like chicken water. <br />
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4. Both my primary and secondary college football teams lost this weekend. For my primary team, it was just a matter of time before someone was going to get the better of them. For the secondary team, it was a tough break, but the boys played hard and we had a blast in the packed stadium watching the game. <br />
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5. I caught up on my DVR yesterday morning while the coach had film study at school. I record a Sunday morning news show, and one of the segments was on penmanship and cursive vs. typing, and how schools are not teaching cursive anymore. I have some pretty strong opinions about this subject that i plan to share later this week. <br />
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6. I also caught up on Project Runway. I love this show. I thought the challenge this past week was particularly interesting as well. Designers picked male clients thinking they would be challenged with making menswear. However the real challenge was to make something for their wives/girlfriends. It was funny to hear the men describe to the designers what their wives or girlfriends typically wear, where they shop, what colors they liked. It made me wonder what my own husband would say had we been a part of this challenge. In the end, I thought the best dress won. I would wear Joshua McKinley's black cocktail dress with the phenomenal back in a heartbeat. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway">http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway">http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway</a></td></tr>
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7. Tonight I am cooking chicken with sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic, topped with melted provolone cheese and I *might* be adding some bacon in there some where. It is one of my husband's favorite dishes so I am happy to surprise him with it every so often. Not sure what I will serve on the side though, maybe cut up a fresh tomato and sprinkle with some black pepper. I might have a lone package of instant potatoes in the pantry that I can whip up. I know, instant, blah, but we don't eat enough potatoes to justify buying a bag so I just purchase fresh ones when I plan to cook them that day, and keep a box or two of the instant stuff for emergencies.<br />
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That's all for this girl today! How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? <br />
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Cheers,<br />
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REMREMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-29013626190108559572011-09-16T11:15:00.000-04:002011-12-22T11:04:56.357-05:00"F" is for Friday. And Football- Day 2 <br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today is Friday. It is my favorite day of the week. There is just something about Friday that whispers freedom. Going into work in the morning isn’t as hard knowing that I don’t have to come back the next two days. And the excitement of what the weekend holds, wither planned full of activities or not, is like letting fresh air into a stale room. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fridays are days to roll the windows down, turn up the radio and be glad for life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This Friday is a particularly exciting one in my sleepy little college town. The home team has a big football game tomorrow, and there are lots of pre-celebrations starting this afternoon and going all the way up until game time Saturday evening. Adding to the football frenzy, the high school team plays at home tonight and I will be in the stands cheering for the coach (my husband) and his players. There will be lots of BBQ, beer, and left over birthday cake for me this weekend. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hope you have something fantastic planned today, and for the weekend. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cheers, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">REM</span></div>
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</div>REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101403200820466142.post-25668582124707034792011-09-15T12:32:00.002-04:002011-10-05T15:09:27.583-04:00Yesterday- Day 1 <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2t1iP-eCeyeLdMljrHIjHCHzky7ruMuqB6aORmxw_BVnmx3SFquf7JrYzpFImn8-c6xwMy4_D3ygca0sUe7vOyFW6p85MB-_smpI4C-UpVnIvUvV9AkTrv8DUwcz6f4X11tTvqrfQ2k/s1600/vintage+birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2t1iP-eCeyeLdMljrHIjHCHzky7ruMuqB6aORmxw_BVnmx3SFquf7JrYzpFImn8-c6xwMy4_D3ygca0sUe7vOyFW6p85MB-_smpI4C-UpVnIvUvV9AkTrv8DUwcz6f4X11tTvqrfQ2k/s320/vintage+birthday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sugarsavvy.blogspot.com/2011/06/birthday-card-for-my-sister.html">Link</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday was my 28<sup>th</sup> birthday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was expecting it to be a painful reminder that only two years are left in my glorious twenties. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regardless of my lack of enthusiasm, I celebrated with family, friends, and co-workers by eating my way through the day. Eggs, bacon and doughnuts made by my husband at home for breakfast; my favorite Mexican restaurant for a lunch of quesadillas, chips and salsa with my local girlfriends; strawberry birthday cake with fluffy vanilla icing at work with my office; a second piece of cake and a glass of wine during a private and quiet happy hour at home after work; cedar planked salmon with fresh vegetables for dinner at Ted’s Montana Grill with my parents, husband, brother and his girlfriend; and rounding out with a snickerdoodle cookie and two scoops of ice cream for a complimentary birthday treat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_U6tgJXxwVz5wxgIaPwpg9ynzP5GTAzWpJVj6Z3ip2EVk6cD1EiTP1YICiHjqPh5U_cQUuqM6tAjzpW5qZoEPsZaNL-Kx3FNaTMvgi7MMB6lhhqbZzORjXlw6az8CFQVznw5hO7N-xLI/s1600/leftovers+for+lunch+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_U6tgJXxwVz5wxgIaPwpg9ynzP5GTAzWpJVj6Z3ip2EVk6cD1EiTP1YICiHjqPh5U_cQUuqM6tAjzpW5qZoEPsZaNL-Kx3FNaTMvgi7MMB6lhhqbZzORjXlw6az8CFQVznw5hO7N-xLI/s320/leftovers+for+lunch+2.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leftovers for lunch </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And late yesterday evening when my stomach felt like it would absolutely burst if I so much as moved to switch off the bedside lamp, I realized I had a pretty fantastic day after all. I also thought about how fantastic my entire year of being 27 was, and how I wish I had documented more of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, while I start year 28 approximately 5ish pounds heavier than I was at the end of year 27, I am also starting a blog. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will post whatever makes me laugh, smile, hurt, cry, or leaves me inspired during this year of my life. These precious breaths that are a gift to me from my Heavenly Father should be celebrated, and this is where I intend to document this year of celebration. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cheers, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">REM</span></div>
REMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907023664442738559noreply@blogger.com0