Song lyrics of the day

Ain’t a spot downtown that’s rockin’ the way that you rock me.
Ain’t a bar that can make me buzz the way that you do.
I could be on the front row of the best show.
And look down and see your face on my phone.
And I’m gone so long, hang on. I’ll meet you in a minute or two.

If you wanna call me, call me, call me.
You don’t have to worry ‘bout it baby.
You can wake me up in the dead of the night;
Wreck my plans, baby that’s alright.
This is a drop everything kind of thing.
Swing on by I'll pour you a drink.
The door’s unlocked. I’ll leave on the lights
Baby you can crash my party anytime.

"Crash My Party" Luke Bryan

Real conversations

...between my family and I.

Future Tom Cruise?

So my oldest says to me yesterday, Mom I need some new underwear, can we go shopping tomorrow? I took him to Target and he wanted boxer briefs. 

He has been running by my office, "modeling" them every 30 seconds or so. It's all I can do not to take a video and send it to America's Funniest Home videos.

This is sexy

Friday friday friday!

 

I'll be hanging with the boys of Hickory Switch on Friday night - and if you come out to the show, you may just get a little surprise serenade from yours truly.  Maybe.  Probably not.  :)

Devine's in Durham - 9:30pm

Another blow

I found out today that another of my coworkers has decided to leave WiserTogether.  I'm very sad and disappointed about this one because this guy was awesome.  As a former coworker said on Facebook:

Backstreet's back, all right?!

What an amazing time I had at the Backstreet Boys concert last night!  I blame most of the laughs and fun on this girl:

 

How awesome is it to have a friend that will sing along to every word of the songs with you??  

There were shenanigans including rain ponchos:

And singing.  LOTS of singing.

(For the record, that's the sweatiest I have been in my life)!

BSB 4-ever!

HOLY FLASHBACK!

Oh 1994, with your sequin gowns and big hair...  What a great memory!
(Miss Teen of NC Pageant)

Awwww

My husband is kinda funny sometimes.  :)

Yep.

It's officially time for bed when you can't even read your own chicken scratch.

Good night y'all!

Ode to Cupcake Vineyards

This is my favorite wine.  My neighbor drank it all when he took care of our dogs last week while we were at the beach.  He replaced the bottle with another company called Guenoc.  It's probably three times the price of my beloved Cupcake wine, and it tastes terrible. 

I had to laugh because this is the description on the Cupcake website of how this wine tastes:

Sourced from the South Island of New Zealand, this Sauvignon Blanc exhibits complexity and a vibrant zing. Flavors of Meyer lemons and Key limes integrate with hints of grapefruit, gooseberry and citrus, culminating in a long, creamy finish. Long, cool seasons in New Zealand’s Marlborough region allow our grapes to mature slowly and gain character and complexity. The grapes are harvested at night and gently crushed before undergoing cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks. An extended fermentation sur lie adds richness and softness, complementing the fruit’s natural zest and acidity.









Um, it takes like cake.  Fruity cake.  Enough said.

How do you know you're procrastinating?

When you just spent the last 45 minutes recreating a piece of "subway art" for your brother for a Christmas present instead of working on a paper. 





And the subject of the art is your rival college.  Yeah. 

Go Wolfpack?

4 more months!

I'm so ready for school to be over so that I can concentrate some brain cells on some other pursuits besides the study of marketing.  I have been listening to this on repeat today (and I can't wait to really TRY to learn this myself):

Always.

I'm not a fan

... of self-imposed hiatuses.  For anything. No soda, no chocolate, no texting, no alcohol, you name it.  You know you're imposing it because it's the "right" thing to do, but it's not what you actually WANT to do.  And that just sucks.

That being said, tonight I am texting people I shouldn't, eating chocolate, staying up too late and drinking wine.  And tomorrow I will be just fine. 















(And in case you're wondering, it's killing me dammit.  Ugh...)

BSB 4-ever!

I didn't make puffy painted ponchos... YOU made puffy painted ponchos!

Leah and I are ready to go for the show tomorrow night!  BSB 4-ever!  (ps - I love you Kevin!!)

TRUTH.

Thought for the day

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” 

 

— Jane Austen

When my husband is out of town, it's a proven fact that...

1.  One of the children gets sick
2.  They both act like heathens
3.  I want to quit my job
4.  Something in the house breaks
5.  It rains nonstop
6.  I drink too much wine

Isn't it August?

If so, why in the hell am I wearing a huge sweater and Uggs today??

ugh...

The first day back after being on vacation is a special kind of hell.

My cousins ROCK!

I am crying tears of joy tonight.  My cousins are the best "sisters" a girl could have.  I was really dreading running this half marathon alone because I didn't think there was any way I'd be able to make it alone.  Now I don't have to.  My cousins Erin and Grace are going to run it with me!  I am the luckiest girl around!

Atlantic Beach or bust!

Our beach week has been a roller coaster.  It was extremely hot and sunny when we got here and we had three great days of heat and sunshine, but the last 48 hours have truly sucked.  It's rained nonstop.  And it doesn't appear to be letting up.  I'm ready to throw in the towel and finish out our vacation back at the house in Raleigh.  Either way, here are some pictures from the last few days:

We arrived at the beach on Sunday afternoon and checked into our condo.  I was pleasantly surprised at how large it was.  The Peppertree resort was built in the 70s and you can tell that they are starting to update the units to bring them into the 21st century.  The condo was clean, completely outfitted with everything we needed and the boys were very excited.

We decided to drive back over the bridge and have dinner on the water front in Morehead City the first night.  We ate at a local joint called the Ruddy Duck and Jayson was finally able to get his seafood fix.  The boys had a great time looking at all of the fishing boats that were pulling in to dock for the night.  You can tell these kids love the coast - they were asking me if we could never go back home.  Brier even said "Mom, I want to live here forever."  God I love that kid.  He is more like me every single day.

Our second day was exhausting.  We were out on the beach before 9am and stayed there until lunchtime.  Back to the condo for a bite to eat and then it was time to check out the pool.  Back for dinner and then back to the pool again!  I have never been that tired in my life.  Brier was practically falling asleep before we were even in our jammies.  They boys are having such a great time and Tyler has practically learned how to swim all by himself in the first 2 hours.

Day 3 was on the beach again.  And the pool.  Again.  See a pattern?

Hooray for getting a tan naturally!!  You see that smile?  It's completely genuine.  Man I love it here.

Unfortunately it's done nothing but rain all day on Wednesday and Thursday.  We spent it at the aquarium and in the movie theater.  I admittedly haven't taken many pictures because of it.  Sigh... 

I have no words.

Welcome back 1997!

Last night I went to a concert with some of my girlfriends.  We went to go see the Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty.  WOW, do I feel old.  I was constantly saying "Oh I forgot about THIS song?!" all night long.  It turns out Matchbox Twenty had A LOT of hits.  Who knew?

Anyhow, here are some gems from the show:

This song is the one that makes me want to learn the guitar.  Man I love it.

FOYP

This is going to be stuck in my head all day.

Sending out an S.O.S.

Song lyrics of the day

Take this job and shove it
I ain't workin' here no more
Woman done left
Took all the reason
I was working for
Ya, better not try to stand in my way
As I'm walkin', out that door
You can take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more

-"Take this job and shove it"  Johnny Paycheck

Go big or go home

I just took stress eating to a whole new level.

I ate an entire bag of mint Milano cookies.

WOW. In light of my pending 10 year anniversary...

This was posted on a friend's Facebook wall tonight.  I'm sharing because it's pretty spot on.


MARRIAGE ADVICE I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD:

Obviously, I’m not a relationship expert. But there’s something about my divorce being finalized this week that gives me perspective of things I wish I would have done different… After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had...

1) Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love.

2) PROTECT YOUR OWN HEART. Just as you committed to being the protector of her heart, you must guard your own with the same vigilance. Love yourself fully, love the world openly, but there is a special place in your heart where no one must enter except for your wife. Keep that space always ready to receive her and invite her in, and refuse to let anyone or anything else enter there.

3) FALL IN LOVE OVER and OVER and OVER again. You will constantly change. You’re not the same people you were when you got married, and in five years you will not be the same person you are today. Change will come, and in that you have to re-choose each other everyday. SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO STAY WITH YOU, and if you don’t take care of her heart, she may give that heart to someone else or seal you out completely, and you may never be able to get it back. Always fight to win her love just as you did when you were courting her.

4) ALWAYS SEE THE BEST in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love, and you know without a doubt that you are the luckiest man on earth to be have this woman as your wife.

5) IT’S NOT YOUR JOB TO CHANGE OR FIX HER… your job is to love her as she is with no expectation of her ever changing. And if she changes, love what she becomes, whether it’s what you wanted or not.

6) TAKE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY for your own emotions: It’s not your wife’s job to make you happy, and she CAN’T make you sad. You are responsible for finding your own happiness, and through that your joy will spill over into your relationship and your love.

7) NEVER BLAME your wife If YOU get frustrated or angry at her, it is only because it is triggering something inside of YOU. They are YOUR emotions, and your responsibility. When you feel those feelings take time to get present and to look within and understand what it is inside of YOU that is asking to be healed. You were attracted to this woman because she was the person best suited to trigger all of your childhood wounds in the most painful way so that you could heal them… when you heal yourself, you will no longer be triggered by her, and you will wonder why you ever were.

8) Allow your woman to JUST BE. When she’s sad or upset, it’s not your job to fix it, it’s your job to HOLD HER and let her know it’s ok. Let her know that you hear her, and that she’s important and that you are that pillar on which she can always lean. The feminine spirit is about change and emotion and like a storm her emotions will roll in and out, and as you remain strong and unjudging she will trust you and open her soul to you… DON’T RUN-AWAY WHEN SHE’S UPSET. Stand present and strong and let her know you aren’t going anywhere. Listen to what she is really saying behind the words and emotion.

9) BE SILLY… don’t take yourself so damn seriously. Laugh. And make her laugh. Laughter makes everything else easier.

10) FILL HER SOUL EVERYDAY… learn her love languages and the specific ways that she feels important and validated and CHERISHED. Ask her to create a list of 10 THINGS that make her feel loved and memorize those things and make it a priority everyday to make her feel like a queen.

11) BE PRESENT. Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully WITH HER. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is.

12) BE WILLING TO TAKE HER SEXUALLY, to carry her away in the power of your masculine presence, to consume her and devour her with your strength, and to penetrate her to the deepest levels of her soul. Let her melt into her feminine softness as she knows she can trust you fully.

13) DON’T BE AN IDIOT…. And don’t be afraid of being one either. You will make mistakes and so will she. Try not to make too big of mistakes, and learn from the ones you do make. You’re not supposed to be perfect, just try to not be too stupid.

14) GIVE HER SPACE… The woman is so good at giving and giving, and sometimes she will need to be reminded to take time to nurture herself. Sometimes she will need to fly from your branches to go and find what feeds her soul, and if you give her that space she will come back with new songs to sing…. (okay, getting a little too poetic here, but you get the point. Tell her to take time for herself, ESPECIALLY after you have kids. She needs that space to renew and get re-centered, and to find herself after she gets lost in serving you, the kids and the world.)

15) BE VULNERABLE… you don’t have to have it all together. Be willing to share your fears and feelings, and quick to acknowledge your mistakes.

16) BE FULLY TRANSPARENT. If you want to have trust you must be willing to share EVERYTHING… Especially those things you don’t want to share. It takes courage to fully love, to fully open your heart and let her in when you don't know i she will like what she finds... Part of that courage is allowing her to love you completely, your darkness as well as your light. DROP THE MASK… If you feel like you need to wear a mask around her, and show up perfect all the time, you will never experience the full dimension of what love can be.

17) NEVER STOP GROWING TOGETHER… The stagnant pond breeds malaria, the flowing stream is always fresh and cool. Atrophy is the natural process when you stop working a muscle, just as it is if you stop working on your relationship. Find common goals, dreams and visions to work towards.

18) DON’T WORRY ABOUT MONEY. Money is a game, find ways to work together as a team to win it. It never helps when teammates fight. Figure out ways to leverage both persons strength to win.

19) FORGIVE IMMEDIATELY and focus on the future rather than carrying weight from the past. Don’t let your history hold you hostage. Holding onto past mistakes that either you or she makes, is like a heavy anchor to your marriage and will hold you back. FORGIVENESS IS FREEDOM. Cut the anchor loose and always choose love.

20) ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. In the end, this is the only advice you need. If this is the guiding principle through which all your choices is governed, there is nothing that will threaten the happiness of your marriage. Love will always endure.

In the end MARRIAGE isn’t about Happily ever after. It’s about work. And a commitment to grow together and a willingness to continually invest in creating something that can endure eternity. Through that work, the happiness will come.

Marriage is life, and it will bring ups and downs. Embracing all of the cycles and learning to learn from and love each experience will bring the strength and perspective to keep building, one brick at a time.

These are lessons I learned the hard way. These are lessons I learned too late.

But these are lessons I am learning and committed in carrying forward. Truth is, I LOVED being married, and in time, I will get married again, and when I do, I will build it with a foundation that will endure any storm and any amount of time.

If you are reading this and find wisdom in my pain, share it those those young husbands whose hearts are still full of hope, and with those couples you may know who may have forgotten how to love. One of those men may be like I was, and in these hard earned lessons perhaps something will awaken in him and he will learn to be the man his lady has been waiting for.

The woman that told him 'I do', and trusted her life with him, has been waiting for this man to step up.

If you are reading this and your marriage isn’t what you want it to be, take 100% responsibility for YOUR PART in marriage, regardless of where your spouse is at, and commit to applying these lessons while there is time.

MEN- THIS IS YOUR CHARGE : Commit to being an EPIC LOVER. There is no greater challenge, and no greater prize. Your woman deserves that from you.

Be the type of husband your wife can’t help but brag about.

Song lyrics of the day

If you need a friend
Don't look to a stranger
You know in the end, I'll always be there
But when you're in doubt
And when you're in danger
Take a look all around, and I'll be there

-"The Promise"  When in Rome

truth.

I love Jimmy!

THIS made me happy this morning!

Jimmy, Robin and the Roots!

I'm quite the Picasso this morning...

Hooray marketing ideas!

Thought for the day

Throwback Thursday

How's this for anchorwoman hair??  Holy smokes my hair was red.