News from a Not Quite So Newlywed's Life

Thursday, April 28, 2011

I am....

In the process of importing roughly 1400 pictures from our last wedding.....oh the editing to do this weekend!

Trying to wrap my head around the fact that we may be buying a car this weekend.....oh the paperwork!

Trying to make myself enjoy my first two consecutive days off since March 23rd.....I don't know what to do with my freedom!

Wanting desperately to do lots and lots of baking.....oh the ideas on my Pinboard!

Planning outfits and doing laundry and shopping for our Disney trip/Family reunion/Anniversary weekend.....lots of ideas, only 5 days!

Desperately needing a new leg workout.....my thighs don't fit in a certain dress anymore-too much bulk from only running lately! HELP! Need a toning, lengthening routine and to cut back to 1 mile only for cardio!

Running out of sentences that work using "....." in the middle :)

Monday, April 25, 2011

32 Truths for Mature Humans

I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
Nothing stinks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.
I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.
There is a great need for a sarcasm font.
How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
Was learning cursive really necessary?
Mapquest really needs to start their directions on #5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tire.
Bad decisions make good stories.
You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…..again!
I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page document that I sweat I did not make any changes to.
“Do not machine wash and tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever
I hate it when I just miss a call by the last ring but when I immediately call back it rings eight times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?
I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given weekend more kisses begin with alcohol than Kay.
I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.
Sometimes I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it!
I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take two trips to bring in my groceries.
The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.
I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t understand a word they said?
I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in front!
Shirts get dirty, underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty and you can wear them forever.
Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber and dumber every year?
There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you’re going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what mode of transportation I always hate bicyclists.
Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys, cell phone or pinning a tail on a donkey – but I bet you anything everyone can find and push the snooze button in 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

I didn't make them up, but I did edit a couple cruder ones out! Hilarious! So many are so true! What are your favorites?

Monday, April 18, 2011

Baking

So I finally baked something yesterday! I feel like I never bake anymore, probably because whenever I do bake, it lasts like 2 days, if that. Cupcakes need to happen soon, but until then, the Snickerdoodles will do.

1/2 Cup Softened Butter
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 ts Vanilla (I use the clear with these cookies) Extract
2 3/4 Cups Flour
2 ts Cream of Tartar
1 ts Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt

Additional-
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Tb Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400.

Cream together Butter, Shortening, Sugar, Eggs and Vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine Flour, Cream of Tartar, Baking Soda and Salt, add in 1/2-1 cup at a time.

In a small bowl, combine extra Sugar and Cinnamon.

Form dough into balls, (I seriously use an ice cream scoop for mine) coat in Cinnamon Sugar Mixture, place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned and middles still look a little doughy.

Let rest of cookie sheet, 2 minutes, move to rack to cool.

ENJOY!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Okay, so it's been awhile, again!

I've been online, I've been reading blogs, even commenting, but not really bothering to blog myself.

Mostly I've been addicted to Pinterest. I started "pinning" about a week and a half ago, and suddenly I have over 100 pins, like a dozen boards and I can't stop finding more things to pin! I'm totally hooked! Now I need to start actually acting on some of these things. If you're interested in seeing what I'm interested in, head over HERE and check out my pins and request an invite if you want to start pinning your own. I'm totally going shopping this afternoon for supplies to try some of the "Ideas for Mom" pins, because I can't expect her to make all those things, I'm going to see what happens when I try to be crafty for the first time in awhile, who knows, maybe I'll find I can make someone worth selling, or at least giving away!

I'm also "pinning" tons of food ideas, from actual recipes, to cool cupcake decorating ideas, to fun food displays for parties, it's totally addicting! I'll make sure to post pictures if I find time to make any of these ideas any time soon!

We garage saled this weekend, made $55 bucks too! Not really sure how as I didn't have that much stuff, but it was still totally fun! Lots of CRAZY old people out shopping! All I know is my profit paid for more than 1 night at Disney for our anniversary trip.

Which, by the way, we're getting a real vacation ON our actual Anniversary! That's never happened! We've wanted to go away, even just get a nice hotel for a night for our anniversary every year, and this year we'd been saving to do a big trip, which got messed up by my brother-in-laws wedding expenses, but my sister and her family and my parents are all going to Disney in May for my sister's brother-in-law's wedding and my parents work, so we're tagging along. It's not exactly our romantic tropical vacation, that will have to wait another year, but it is a vacation! Which is much needed after NY.

NY was a fiasco, I almost wish I'd taken pictures to show you some of the hilarity of how tacky some of it was, but I really didn't want permanent memories, so no pictures. It was obvious from the moment we pulled in their driveway I wasn't welcome. My husband was clung to, I got one arm hugs and no words. While hanging out in front of the TV and around the dinner table, they'd ask my husband questions, he'd refer to me, I'd start answering and they'd change the subject and talk over me. The Thursday of wedding weekend all of the females, including groomsmen and ushers dates went to a spa, wine bar and fancy hotel. I found out after the fact from a date of an usher. I was never invited. My husband ended up having to spend well over $150 for his portion of the bachelor activities that went on from 9:30am-3:30am (18 freaking hours! Hello, we're not 21 anymore!) and then by 10am Friday he was getting texts from his brother asking where he was and from his mom telling him to "find some place to drop your wife so you can spend time with your family before the rehearsal". Needless to say, I just showed up with him. The rehearsal for their 20 minute ceremony took 1 hour 25 minutes to perform. I'm not sure how, other than the fact that the church coordinator kept giving them 5 options for everything and they had to try them all before deciding simple things like arms linked or holding hands, turning before or after prayer, etc..... At the rehearsal dinner my father-in-law made a huge thank you and introduction speech where he introduced the entire family, including grandma, uncle and aunt, but skipped me, his wonderful brother who's wife is the other family outcast (also married the first born) called him out on it mid speech.

Here's the best thing though, the part I'm still ~~dumb-founded~~, ticked beyond belief about-

So I'm sitting the back of the sanctuary, about an hour before the wedding while the guys are off taking pictures and the girls are getting ready and pretty much just family and the wedding party was in the building but I wasn't ~~needed~~ welcome anywhere so I was sitting towards the back of the room playing Words with Friends and Facebooking waiting for someone to tell me what I was allowed to do after offering to help both the guys and girls and the family and getting turned down. I figured, if I'm not needed I'll just keep to myself and thank God for smart phones with entertaining apps! So, I'm sitting there minding my own business and the bride's mom comes rushing around all panicky and heading straight for me. She sits down next to me grabs my hand and announces that she "needs to pray!" So, I say fine and bow my head thinking this has potential to be a good thing. She starts off praying for a calm spirit and smooth ceremony and so forth, goes to praying for her daughter and my brother-in-law and their new marriage, and then, just before she's about the end, she throws in-
"and I pray this time with (insert in-laws names) would be a time of refreshment and therapy for Mr and Mrs Not So Newlywed and their troubled marriage. Amen"

I could have left my hand print on her face I was so mad. Of course I realize her not knowing us means she wasn't really to blame, because clearly, people are spreading lies about us in NY! Where does this woman who I'd met twice prior to the wedding and spoken to for maybe 15 minutes ever get off slamming my marriage????? The only reason she probably felt able to say anything was because she believed it to be true because of something one of my in-laws said. They are buddy buddy after all.

Of course less than 10 seconds after her "Amen" she was gone, so instead I just sat there ~~dumb-founded~~, fuming for the next 45 minutes until I was forced to take my real seat.

I still don't know for sure how these lies started, but I'd totally put money on my in-laws/brother-in-law.

Seriously people- GIVE IT UP ALREADY!!!!!!!! He married me because he loves me and wanted to marry me and nothing you can say or do will change that, let him be happy with me already! Let him have his own life and prioritize someone higher than you, spend more time with me than you, value my company more than yours. GET OVER IT!!!! Stop making me out to be some horrible evil control freak who brain-washed and manipulated your son into marrying me and letting me destroy his life. Did you ever stop to think that maybe he wanted this?? Did you ever think about his happiness instead of your own agenda? Stop putting your beloved son in the position where he feels he has to choose between his wife and his parents and siblings!

Okay, vent over, on to better things. Maybe, sometime, after I've downed at least one more coffee. This post has been a long time coming if you couldn't tell. I'm working on being the more mature, Christian person on this, so I'm not reacting, not taking action on anything, not even still mad really, just in awe of how mean and immature people can be really.

But, better things are ahead. I don't have to see them until July, and even then, it's optional, I may just refuse and make my husband see them alone since there's no point in going where I'm not welcome.

And, in the meantime, we get to go to Disney World for our 5th Anniversary in 3 weeks! The clothes shopping, planning and packing have begun! Can't wait!

Anyways, back to Saturday laundry, cleaning and errands. More later! More that won't be a giant vent too! Sorry/Thanks, you know what I mean!

Giveaway Alerts fro the Mommies out there!

Or just other women who like spoiling friends and kids and nieces and nephews!

We may not be planning on ever having kids, but I love spoiling my niece, so I still enter all the baby/kid geared giveaways I can find. Here are a couple you should check out!

Faith Hope and Love is a blog my sister follows regularly and they're giving away a REALLY cute bunny for Easter, from Covered in Blessings

Also, Little Olive Studio on Facebook is hosting a 1000 fans giveaway that gives you lots of options on what you can win!

Go check them out! Working on getting another giveaway going here next week, stay tuned for a real post later today!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Photoshoot from before the trip

Victoria and her husband are good friends of ours from church and were married a year ago this month. They didn't have as much time as they wanted for fun pictures of just them on their wedding day, so they decided to get all dressed up and have us do another round of wedding like pictures for them. They picked a gorgeous private property location, a perfect weather day, and this is what we came up with, or at least a small sample of them!

Victoria's also a new blogger, head on over to her blog, Cooking with Victoria, for lots of fun food posts!

So, yeah, it's been awhile

I seriously don't know where to start, it's been a LONG time since I've posted anything real. Sure, I've mobile blogged a few snippets, but nothing with any substance or meaning in week. Nothing's even been funny, or worth commenting on really, at least not anything I've had time to post about.

We went to NY for my brother-in-law's wedding, which is 2-3 blog posts in itself, coming soon.

We got back from NY and my sister and her family were in town, and I spent one full day with them before rushing back into work. That was March 24th, I've had one day off since then. Oh the stories I could tell about the people I see in the store, if I had time.

I've processed two photoshoots, one official, one fun and shot one VERY interesting wedding! Details can not be divulged due to the fact that I want to stay in business and the whole confidentiality thing is important to most clients, but it was a new one for me, that's for sure!

I've done very little cooking or baking, hopefully to be remedied today and tonight. I'm in the mood for cookies, either snickerdoodles or chocolate chip, or maybe a cookie cake. Or cupcakes, now I'm thinking cupcakes, or Aunt Faye Brownies.....hmmm......

Our dryer's been out of commission for 2 1/2 weeks and up til this weekend. I finally got to wash towels last night, which was good, because towels don't line dry well, so we were about to run out and I may pitch my hamper if the dingy smell doesn't go away today. 2 weeks of wet towels will leave quite the aroma in your hamper, just an FYI.

I finally made a Target run last night, watered down shampoo is basically worthless and now that we have a dryer again it only made sense to replace my empty bottle of laundry detergent. Now for a food run today as our groceries are pretty scary, as in there really aren't any that actually go together or could make a meal, just random leftovers.

I'm working on updating my summer wardrobe for a just in case vacation. See, we've never really taken a luxury trip, and this year being our 5 year, we really wanted to, but the money's just not there, so we're looking into several little splurges we can take in the process of getting to or from the family trips we have to take this year.

Due to the shopping for new stuff, I'm debating between a blog sale or a garage sale to find new homes for things that no longer really fit or fit in my closet. Thoughts? Would anyone be interested in buying clothing off my blog?

We're less than $1600 away from being debt free! Which means it's time to start housing hunting! Woohoo! Finally! And car shopping for me! I'd had my own car since I was 16, bought by me within weeks of getting my license, so this whole not having my own transportation for a year kind of makes me feel like I'm 14 again. I'm totally ready to be a grown up again!

Rachel clued me in on Pinterest where I've been compiling decorating and clothing shopping ideas, as well as random other things I'm stumbling upon. Check it out and if you want an invite to create your own boards, let me know.

Well off to shower, and do more laundry, and wait for my husband to come home with the car so I can go to the bank, post office, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ulta, Target and Kroger and maybe consider eating too. And coffee, definitely more coffee!

Detailed posts and pictures coming soon!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

My first "big girl" purse!

A Happy Birthday and Thank You for Dealing with my family gift from my husband.

Free run in the Coach outlet!

Thank you husband! I love it!

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Wish me luck!

So after 2 days of pre wedding festivities, today is the actual wedding. My brother-in-law is getting married and my in-laws couldn't be happier.

So happy they've announced on Facebook how wonderful it is to finally be getting a daughter.

So overjoyed by the Bride's presence and Bridal activities that they forgot I was a girl and met new girls who happened to be in town as dates of the Groom's friends at the spa.

So distracted by their happiness that they forgot to include me in the family introduction my father-in-law made a big show of at the rehearsal dinner last night.

So excited about all the pictures with their new family that I was left at the table talking to random relatives or asked to hold their stuff so they could get a better family picture.

Should be a fun day playing random stranger without a name not worth speaking to.

Pray I don't impale someone with a high heel would you.

One more day to go!