Under Construction

Throw on your hard hat and grab a hammer if you like - this darn blog is getting a facelift (one of these days). My ever worsening indecisive nature keeps my blog design in limbo meaning that if you read it at all, it probably looks different each time you visit. With only 5 minutes of here and there play time on this page, I can't ever seem to figure out what I like.

My apologies for the rotating scenery - I'll try to figure it out soon. In the meantime...just hang along for the ride.

We Love Basketball!

In our house, November through March means only one thing - basketball season! Most any picture I take is either of boys on the court...or my boy on the court. Below is a picture of JJ in action (complements of another photographer). So serious! Go Tigers!

Two is Better Than One??

At least in the Justus household that seems to be the mantra this summer...

For one reason or another, this summer has been all about the power of multiples. From dining experiences to family emergencies, we seem to find ourselves indugling in the same activity over and over. On some occassions, the double-dip experience has been fun and we've taken advantage of the little things we enjoy as many times as we can squeeze into a short summer - such as:

1. JJ got to run two basketball camps over the summer

2. We ate Trolley Stop hotdogs nearly everyday on vacation

3. We chose to ride the bicycle built for two instead of one

4. We celebrated our second year of marriage!!! Yeah for us!

But on other occassions, we've found ourselves in less incredible repeats. In particular, having both cars in the shop (the same week!) and our furry little baby running in and out of doctor appointments. This note is the purpose of the post.

(Sigh)...Yet again, our sweet little golden retriever has found his way back to the operating table for the third time this year. The first slicing took place in October 2009 after he swallowed half of a tennis ball into his stomach and we found it lodged in his tubes blocking just about everything that is critical to survival. He was cut open immediately. After recovering nicely 10 days later (thank you, Madison Animal Hospital!) he was back in for x-rays in December to diagnose a nagging limp in his right hind-leg. Despite hoping for a sprain, it was a torn ACL and one that was beyond natural repair.

In comes surgery #2.

Coop went in for a TPLO knee surgery in March 2010 for a full repair. Basically, a doggie knee replacement complete with a metal plate secured with six screws around the joint. (Anyone want to guess how expensive 6 tiny screws can be???). We were told the recovery time on this round of operations would be 90 days and he was to remain as immobile as possible.

Riiiggghhhtttt.....that part was hilarious.

We argued that Coop was a four year old, healthy pup and he couldn't possibly stay quiet for 90 days. With a little shake of the head and a pointed finer, the surgeon looked at us and said, "Ok, but just realize that when a dog his size tears one knee, there is a 50% chance he'll tear the other. I'm just saying be careful."

That was all we needed to do everything short of sitting on top of him all day long to make sure he didn't move. We took every precaution and kept him on doggie lock-down for as long as possible. "Just make it to June," we'd say, "And then we're home free!"

Well, June 1st hit, and we celebrated! We were in the top half of the 50% and best of all our bank account would narrowly dodge another $3,000+ operation. Time to cheers!

Then came June 4th. And the limping began.

We were sure he had just tweaked an ankle since there was no way this was happening again, but after a week of watching him limp around the house at night, we knew we had plummeted in the statistics. It was back to the doctor (our new best friend) for more x-rays and another confirmed yes, that in fact, the second ACL had been torn. By this point we were pros. No need to check the calendar at home - just give us the next available appointment.

In comes surgery #3.

August 17, 2010 - Cooper returns to the doctor for ACL surgery #2 on the other knee. It doesn't get easier on the parents, I don't think, but for some reason Coop seemed to come home in happier spirits than the first time. Despite the gigantic swelling and bruising splotches all over his knee, he seemed content. Not quite happy, but content. It was almost as if he remembered this all from the first time around and it was old hat to him...or, eh, old cone?

As I showered him with his new "surgery presents" of gourmet dog cookies and stuffed animals, he licked his lips and wagged his tail like nothing had happened. It was me who needed the relaxer meds...

Relieved to see him alive and well, I can now sit back and breathe that we're done. Hey, the dog only has two knees, right? What more could he tear?? (I'm knocking on wood).

Next on the to do list: rebuild the bank account and destroy all tennis balls that are within eyeshot!

The Business of Making Memories

If there's one thing that my husband and I have learned over the 5 years of dating and marriage that we've experienced, it's that we're both terrible at giving and receiving gifts. Sure - who doesn't love to GET a gift, but then there's always the expectation that you'll one day turn around and give one back. Right? And then comes the agony of being the bewildered shopper...

We never could quite figure out how to find the next best gift for each other, so we finally reverted to the one thing that frustrated gift-giving couples will say to each other to avoid the topic:

"Just don't buy me anything, and I won't buy you anything. Deal?"

So in 5 years, of all the Valentine's days, anniversaries, Christmas holidays, birthdays, etc. I think I can only recall ever really receiving about 3 gifts from him.

And I love it.

Instead, we've made a pact to just blow our money on a fabulous evening out anytime we're "supposed" to be buying each other presents. We're in the business of making memories, as my Grandma would say, and not draining our bank accounts to out do each other's creativity. And so far it's worked. We dine at incredible restaurants, we go repelling on zip lines, we go to the Final Four, we horse back ride (ok, so that was MY day to pick something) - but you get the point.

We've learned to value the moments of seeing the look on each other's face the first time we do something new or see a new place. It's the same feeling you get when you watch someone open a gift you know they'll love - only you get to do it, too.

But for our second wedding anniversary, JJ took the cake in the memories department. We actually did give each other gifts this go around and although I thought my gift would trump his, hands down, he definitely took the crown.

As I came home from work the other day, I walked in the house only to find a sheepish grin on his face with a half-bent smile running up his cheek. With his eyes dancing and the wiggle of his "I know something you don't know" dance, he pulled out an envelope with my name on it.

Unsealed.

And dared me to open it.

The front said Happy Anniversary and there was a thin piece of paper wrapped up inside an envelope bearing his company letterhead. (Ok - on that note, he took the easy road, but it's what was inside that counts.)

After moments of challenging his dance with "I don't cares" and my own cocky grin, I finally gave in and ripped open the letter. Inside, was a plane ticket to Chicago.

My first thought was, "Awesome! How sweet! He planned a trip for us and I bet he's planned something totally cool for us to do. When do we leave?!"

As I flooded him with questions, he said, "Look again. I'm not going."

Dazed and confused, I looked at the ticket again. Sure enough, it was for one passenger. ME. And only Me. As I processed what was going on, my mind raced with the obvious question: Why would you send me somewhere ALONE for our anniversary? Ok, JJ - worst gift ever!

But before I could blurt out my objections, he told me he had arranged for my two best friends to take the day off work to pick me up at the airport in Chicago on the day of my arrival. He had secretly maneuvered for us all to be in the city together for three blissful days to do 'whatever it is you girls do' when you're together - something we die to do as often as possible, even though it never seems to be enough.

He had used every email, Facebook, and text message trick behind my back to set this up for me and I was blindsided - fabulously blindsided. As I screeched with excitement and called them both to blurt out the good news (as if they didn't know), I quietly rememebered why I married the most wonderful man in the world.

Of all the gifts he could give me - he gave me time with my best friends.

And that's a gift you never forget.

R-E-U-N-I-O-N-S...

Since starting my new job several months ago the word 'reunions' is now one of the most common words to leave my mouth - on a daily basis. It's all I talk about from 8-5pm every single day of the week, and even a little on the weekends...when people ask how work is going.

I used to only think of Reunions as a these long-awaited (or sometimes impromptu) retreats for my friends and me to get away together. Sometimes a wedding trip to North Carolina, or a business trip to Atlanta (conveniently we're all there at the same day) or even a trip to New York for absolutely no reason to go, other than that we miss each other.

So it's a fun topic. It's about getting excited to travel somewhere inticining to spend time with people you care about. In my job, I work with people who are about to have a Reunion of their own - a college Reunion. Personally, my college alma mater doesn't hold these unless it's a big year - 10th, 25th, or 50th. But in my work, we have them every 5 years....so they're common.

But like my alma mater - most high school reunions are few and far between. They don't just happen every so often, so when they do it should be a blast to go. Right?

I find it's always interesting to see the reaction of people when you talk about their High School Reunion and whether or not they want to go. Personally, I can't wait for mine in two years...but then again I loved every second of high school and miss my friends daily. But even for those who may not have cherished every second of every day in high school -wouldn't you be curious to see how people have changed?

Or maybe how they haven't?

I encourage everyone to read this article - especially those nay-sayers who say Reunions are a waste of time. You never know what you just might find if you go...

Just a Little Taste...

...of what we're getting to see every night!

Here in the Forest, we've been having some incredible evening art displays courtesy of Mother Nature and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The summer sunset views from our front porch are very often gorgeous here in central VA, but yesterday's display of color was almost breathtaking. It was hard to take your eyes off of the sight, and to be honest, the picture doesn't do it any justice - but here's a tid bit of what we get to watch from our own front porch. Enjoy...it's ok to be a little jealous!

My Before....And After!

So after many days of back breaking, bent over work on my old furniture, my project is only one dresser away from total completion. As mentioned in a previous post, I was in search of an affordable and time effective facelift for our merged bedroom furniture, and after much deliberation I decided painting was the way to go. I've been really pleased so far with the way the pieces have turned out and I'm excited to show you all the finished products!

Before I began, I spent countless hours driving myself crazy over how to start this beast of a project, but in the end it really only consumed about a solid week of my time and forced me (and JJ) to give up the living room in the meantime. To start, I took a visit to my local paint store in town and bought all the supplies I needed in one stop. The owner was incredibly helpful and very patient with me as a new beginner to this kind of craft. In total, the cost of renovating all of this furniture (plus one piece to go) was around $150 for supplies and new hardware for the drawers. Not bad considering they all look like new!

I got a little excited with my painting and forgot to snap a few "Before" pictures but this picture will show you what the original wood looked like for JJ's pieces.













It was a lighter, medium wood with a laminate covering on top and only required some minimal hand-sanding to rough up the surface. The hardware was very antique looking and was tarnishing in a bit of a copper/brass color. It was very ornate and quite different than my sleek, modern taste!

So here is the Before...and after a coat of tinted primer, three coats of paint, and three applications of polyurethane...here is the After!

I got a little excited after the first piece turned out so well that I forgot to snap a before shot of the next two dressers. Both looked like the smaller nightstand shown above in the lighter wood, but I was able to snap a picture of the second chest midway through the process. This "During" shot shows the dresser covered in it's coat of tinted primer with the drawers already onto the first coat of paint...quite a difference with the final product!


And again, no Before picture to show, but you get the idea! This piece was the last of JJ's three and was a huge dresser to paint. The backing of the mirror was actually paneling and not wood which made it a little more difficult to get even paint strokes. Although huge, it ended up fitting like a glove in a random nook in our new apartment.

Mid-way through completing my dressers I decided to take on an easier piece and re-paint the legs of an old retro chair I've had for several years. The legs used to be a very light, almost blonde color and the wood was a fake, particle type product. Just a few coats of paint made the legs match the furniture and really updated the look of the chair!

And finally, it was my furniture's turn for a make-over. This is an old piece I have had for years and took with me to college from my childhood room. As you can see from the bottom drawer, the original wood was very dark and solid. The greyish paint you see is what has been on there for the past few years. Luckily, that layer of paint was peeling off very easily as you can see from the drawer and in no time it was stripped back to it's original wood.

I decided to keep the same hardware on it as before since it was already in the brushed nickel family of metals and I'm so pleased with the turnout!

So that leaves me with one final dresser that looks exactly like this last one here. It's taller and skinnier, but the same overall design. I'm SO glad I decided to tackle this project because as we've now made the move to our new apartment none of the same "family" of furniture has been able to fit in the bedroom and we've had to mix and match...but now...they all actually match! Hope you enjoy my handy-work!

Supplies used on my project:

- Approximately 5 hand-sanders of various thickness

- Paint scrapers

- Paint rollers and brushes

- One gallon of tinted primer

- One gallon of paint

- Screwdriver

- Carpet tarp

- One can of polyurethane and an old rag

- Wet paper towels

Overlooked Thankfulness

While I know I'm due for a post on my newly re-designed furniture and a major update on life (our move, new job, summer plans, weddings, etc) I stopped for a moment tonight to consider a few blessings in disguise and how many of them go unnoticed each day. As I sat here at my computer with an overly full belly from ice cream and a million post-it notes of To Do's staring at me, I paused for just a second to twist my big sighs of exhaustion into big smiles of thankfulness.

Thankfully, despite all my complaints about things To Do and laundry lists of incomplete chores - there is of course a silver lining. Actually, make that gold.

And to elaborate.

My stomach aches from a helping of ice cream too greedy for my own good - but I'm fed and full.

I have an inbox of emails to return that are long over-due - but they're all from dear friends who want to hear more about my life.

My home is in shambles from a recent move with items displaced everywhere - but we have a beautiful place where I watch the sunset across the mountains each night.

I clean-up dog hair every morning and night from my sofa - but I love my cuddly puppy who fits so well in my nook each night that I can't stand to make him move.

My husband leaves his clothes and shoes thrown about the house EVERYDAY no matter how many times I nag him - but I do have a gorgeous, loving husband to nag...every now and then.

I can't get my curtains hung fast enough to block the morning sunlight in the window - but I have a warm, fluffy bed to fall asleep in every night.

I have searched and searched for new furniture for our living room with little luck to date - but we have the luxury of purchasing our wants instead of just our needs.

Just to name a few.

So, in the grand scheme of things as you'll see...the moments of having an aching stomach and a furry, old sofa each day may not be glamorous, but they're just the kinds of daily reminders we need to remember to be appreciative for the overlooked places where we should be thankful and see the golden lining.

And so I am.

Furniture Facelift

As JJ and I approach our one year anniversary (holy cow!) as the newly married Justus family, we've been holding lots of conversations about re-evaluations of our life. Are we where we thought we'd be (both in marriage and in life)? What would we like to still do with our young, kid-free years? What would we like to put our money aside for to make our next big purchase? You know, the basic questions to answer, "Well that's where we were, here we are now, so where are we going?"

We've come to the conclusion that we're certainly happy, in love, and loving our life together, and we have just about everything we thought we'd have a year into marital bliss - with a still short wish list of wants - ie: get this girl a job! And we're keeping a running list of travel locations we'd like to take advantage of before we no longer qualify for the 'adult only' resorts. So that brought us to our big purchase question. With a new move on the horizon (aka: next week) to a new apartment we've narrowed our purchase choices down to furniture. (Keep in mind this is a very grown up decision for the couple who bought a new flatscreen tv as our romantic wedding gift to each other).

If you step into our current home it still looks like a bit of a Goodwill show room - my old dressers from childhood, hand-me-down bed frame, bachelor pad couches, and Target DIY shelving units. Mismatches galore and a nice long history of hand exchanges on most of the pieces. So after a year of wishing for a 'big-girl' apartment and nice newlywed pieces we've decided to save up for our first pieces of purchased furniture together...a new living room set. Something that is oversized (for my oversized JJ), modern, trendy, and dog fur resistant (but that's a whole 'nother topic).

With our summer savings going toward that, I have been researching my options to give the rest of our furniture a much needed facelift and to cure my own disgruntled self of my mismatch annoyance. Summer project, here I come!

Thanks in huge parts to my talented, crafty mother and my new neighbor, Lauren, who is a pro at furniture re-finishing, I have by-passed the highly toxic stripping and staining options and have opted for the time reducing practice of priming and painting. While not the classiest option or most beautiful, it's become the best way for me to blend the marriage of our furniture and the eye sore of our light vs dark stockpile of furniture. The winning team? Dark. I have selected a paint known as Chowning's Tavern Brown - a greyish, espressoesque color that depending on the light is rich in the mornings and muted at night.

With one dresser completed and awaiting a few coats of polyurethane I have six more to go - four more dressers, the legs of a chair, and a kitchen table and chair set. Ok, that's really about 12 pieces all together, but who's counting?

Wish me luck! Before and After photos to come...

My Wedding Hindsights

Recently, I have been asked by a local paper from my husband's hometown to contribute some ideas about my experience with the wedding planning process. We were married just under a year ago and the article asked for my thoughts on several areas of planning and what I might have done differently in hindsight. It was a short questionnaire and one that was pretty basic, but I figured why not post my thoughts here and let you all see a snip-it of my thoughts - before they get edited by the paper!

1. What did you learn about the planning process that you wish you'd known earlier?
There are lots of ways to cut costs and still have a beautiful wedding. Finances can be very stressful during the planning process, and it can be overwhelming to think of doing things yourself, but by enlisting the help of knowledgeable friends and family you can really make some gorgeous DIY pieces for your wedding. For example, rather than buying flower centerpieces for tables, grow your own seeds and flowers in a backyard garden and make your own arrangements, create your own programs using a local office supply printing store, write a thank you note to your guests in place of a favor (use pretty paper!), have someone sew a garter for you instead of buying a new one, or rather than purchasing colored table linens from a caterer, go to a discount fabric store and buy yards of fabric in your wedding color; a quick hem on the sides will make beautiful runners to jazz up a plain white tablecloth. Oh - and spray paint always works to make a quick change on a basket or flowerpot that you may already have in storage. Instead of immediately buying, consider how you can make each aspect of what you want...you'll be surprised how easy some of it can be.

A few of the DIY projects we did - programs, favors, goodie bags, and cake toppers.

My mom grew all the plants for our reception centerpieces and turned our porch into a greenhouse!

2. What was the best way to get the groom involved in the planning?
Have a quick conversation and ask him to list the things he cares the most about. Likely it will be the menu, music, honeymoon, and possibly his attire, but you may be surprised at what he wants to provide input about. If he shows a strong desire to help on one particular thing, say, the Save the Date options, let him do it. Even if he's happy with one small part, his overall attitude will be much easier to work with and he'll feel like he can lay claim to something HE did for the wedding. And a quick tip - don't hound him for advice on something he clearly has no interest in; serisouly, he doesn't care and you should just roll with it!

3. How did you stay calm and balanced during the whole stressful process?
I just reminded myself over and over that of course, if something can go wrong, it will. And it did. At the end of the day, if dirt was on my dress, my nails chipped, the flowers wilted - or whatever - I was still getting married to the man I love more than anything in the world, and that's all that actually matters. The rest are just minor details that most people won't even notice or remember. My favorite quote of the wedding week - "I'm too blessed to be stressed."

4. If you had to plan your wedding all over again, what's one thing you would try not to worry about as much?
I wouldn't ask for so many opinions from people about my "non-traditional" ideas. I worried about what people would think about doing things slightly different than usual - such as wearing colored heels and multiple necklaces with my dress or having two flower girls who were both 23 years old! I loved both of those aspects of my wedding and wouldn't have had it any other way, but I was so worried other people would think I was crazy...oh well!

5. Is there anything you forgot to do, or chose not to do, that you wish you did?
In hindsight - I wish I would have cut my guest list when I had the chance. One by one the guest list would grow bigger and bigger to the point where we were so stressed out a week before the wedding that our reception site would be too small to handle the guests. I wanted our 200 guest wedding to be a little smaller and more intimate, but I was too worried about hurting other people's feelings that I let it get a little out of control.

6. What's the one best piece of advice you have for soon-to-be newlyweds?

Seriously consider signing up for marriage counseling before the wedding. Although we were a little skeptical about doing it, we actually had a great time once we got there. It provides a platform for discussion topics that you might not address on your own and you'll likely learn something about your fiance that you didn't already know. I highly recommend it!

Around the Country in 30 days

Being unemployed certainly has it's advantages. You can sleep in late, wear your pajamas all day if you want to, watch trashy tv at odd hours and catch up on the little things you always swore you'd get to one day. But possibly the best part about the freedom that comes with the lazy days, is the ability to travel.

I began my travels nearly a month ago and have had the pleasure of spending my days with some of my favorite groups of people from all walks of life. To kick start my May adventures, JJ and I boarded an AMTRAK train at DC's Union Station and roared into Penn Station in New York City, NY. It was JJ's first time there and my third visit, and the city was alive and buzzing just as you'd expect. Our hotel was right along 44th and 7th (or somewhere near there) and we were steps away from Times Square and the heartbeat of the tourist attractions. And tourists we were as we drug our tired feet up and down the city avenues in search of Ray's Pizza, the ESPN Zone, Central Park, Chinatown, Little Italy, the WTC Memorial, and a million tiny stops in between.

Two highlights of the trip for our memories (but not for our wallets) were our big nights out. On the first night, we took the subway up to the new Yankee Stadium for JJ's pick where we saw the first ever Yankees vs. Red Sox game under the lights of the new facility. It was an historical game, albeit was devoured by a rainy onslought of downpours and delays which cumlinated in a two hour delay and a 1am closing pitch. But the $20 ponchos and the $8 hot dogs were worth it as we sat bundled together in the rain making a memory as a young, crazy couple out in the big city ready for anything. The second night - was my night.

I was dying to see a Broadway play and although there are many options to choose from, WICKED jumped out to the both of us as something we couldn't leave NYC without seeing. So we bought our tickets and tredged through the rain to see what all the fuss was about. It was the time of our life. It was fantastic, magical, and so worth the money. From the stage design and songs to the monogrammed sippy cups we drank our cocktails out of, it was one of the most incredible experiences I've had and I can officially say, I am now hooked on Broadway. Stick a fork in me...I'm done. I can never go back to anything less.

When our final day in the city had passed, JJ boarded his train back to Washington, DC and I hopped on a plane bound for Atlanta to meet up with my college girls for a Cinco de Mayo reunion at Lake Hartwell. It's a tradition we've relished in for the past few years and one we may not have again as the ring leader of the trip, Spacey, is off to a new adventure in her life - a move to the great state of Alaska. It was a bittersweet vacation, as of course it was filled with gossip and laughs but it was a going away party for Spacey and a tribute to how much we're all changing post college.

There is an unexplainable bond that we share that possibly only the lake understands. We nag and pick each other apart and laugh when we have shortcomings and we are big fans of the "call-out" move to call each other's bluff. But we hug each other even harder, we cry with each other's pain, and we are one another's biggest fans. Our memories keep us together, and our ambitions keep us moving forward. Reunion weekends help remind us why we're the best of friends, and they always stand to make the investment of time and money worth it all.

After nearly a week away I was excited to return home, see my puppy and JJ, and crawl in my own bed. But it was short-lived as we were bound for the road yet one more time. After two long years of working toward my MBA, my graduation had finally arrived and it was time for me to receive my hood in my cap and gown. My parents drove in, my in-laws and friends came, and my husband was by my side - all cheering me on for this accomplishment and milestone in my life. I must admit; I was proud. I was excited, nervous, and glowing with a sense of completion that I had acheived a goal in my life that I always thought I might reach.

To cap off the weekend, I drove another 200 miles to Myrtle Beach, SC to place another stamp on a defining moment in a friend's life - a bachelorette party. Now, much of the details I will omit to keep those involved innocent, but it was a great time of fun, sun, and lots of laughs as we let loose at the beach and toasted to a good friend taking the long walk down the aisle. Heath deserved it...every minute of it! And it was exactly the type of "going away" party you would expect for her single days. From the bottom of my heart I love you, Heath, and wouldn't have missed it for the world! Cheers to you, and the new Mr. and Mrs. Love.

So now here I rest, back home in the comforts of my dorm...eh, apartment, only to find that yet again we have a few busy weeks to come. As the details unfold, be assured you can read it all here, but as a preview, our summer looks to be filled with sports camps, job discoveries, weddings, vacations, our first anniversary, and a new place to call home.

Big doors will open as we close a few small windows, but we're happy, hopeful, and wide-eyed - ready for anything. It's good to be us, good to be breathing. Over and Out.

Falling Off the Blog Wagon

The month of May seems to have passed me by faster than my skinny fingers can blog of all the experiences I've been having...(shocking, I know). But the truth is just that. I could have been spotted in five different states, planes, trains, cars, and lakes, rivers, and quads all in the last 18 or so days. I have finished graduate school, had a college reunion, been to NYC, played in the river with my dog, and will now be venturing off to the great state of South Carolina in Myrtle Beach for a bachelorette party weekend with my high school besties.

I literally can't keep up with myself, much less my blog. So yes, as I have disappointed my mother by not posting more information about my travels thus far, I promise to provide a full re-cap upon my Memorial Weekend return. Sorry, blogosphere...please forgive Nook Fiction.

Stay Tuned!

Exhausted and Thrilled

I've been having an amazing time in New York City with JJ! We've done so much in our short three day trip to the Big Apple and have loved every second....(well minus a tiny mishap at H&H Bagels). We've seen The Yankees, Broadway, Ray's Pizza, and lots of crazy people. This trip has certainly lived up to our expectations!

I'm leaving for Atlanta tomorrow morning and plan to write all about our experiences when I return to Virginia next week. Stay tuned for our wild tales from the streets of New York to the lakehouse dock in the sun.

Can't wait to tell you all about it!

The Train, The City, & The Lake

OK, so back to my summer checklist:

1. Fake Tanning
2. Total Body Fitness Crunch
3. Plan a well-deserved vacation
4. Swimsuit shopping

With Step #1 out of the way (thank you, Dove) and Step #2 being a work in progress, I am now officially entering into step #3. Although it's only the beginning of May and the summer is very young, I have already planned two trips to spend some much needed quality time with family and friends and vacation number three is shortly around the bend.

My first trip begins today...sort of. I am officially taking my last trip down to NC to finish out my graduate school classes and I couldn't be more excited. I have been working on my MBA degree for just under two years and since moving to Virginia, I've made the commute to NC approximately 48 times. This will be number 49 and 50. Whew! Talk about your gas prices and car mileage. So in honor of my final roadtrip, I am also packing for a fabulous three day trip to New York City with my favorite person in the world...JJ.

Our plan is to stretch out one of his work trips to make an exciting getaway experience for my third trip to the big apple and his first. So we're booking our tickets now to take a scenic train ride from Washington DC to New York City this coming Monday. We're of course staying, (where else?)...in Times Square in the heart of it all (yeah, yeah...tourists) to soak up all that NYC has to offer. A visit to Central Park? Possibly a Broadway Show? A trip to Madison Square Garden? We have three blissful days of doing anything we want in the big city...and the best part is, there won't be a cow in sight!

My second trip piggy backs right on top of the New York vaca as I will hop on a plane and head for Atlanta, GA. Waiting for me there? The most entertaining, spirited, and fan-tabulous people you will ever meet...my college best friends. We haven't seen each other since my wedding in August and each year we have had the tradition of meeting up at one of the girl's lakehouses in GA to soak up some sun, gossip about our lives, and relive the days of festering, jestering, and rotting together through our college years. I can't wait! We mix a few margs, play a few cards, and just leave it all behind us on the rooftop dock. Rain or shine we make it work and we ring in the Cinco de Mayo party in our own special way....even though it'll be more of a Ocho de Mayo this year. Watch out! Things always get a little crazy...



There's always a few charades...um...is it JAWS?


Wakeboarding, skiiing, and tubing...(no tubing for me, thanks)

And a little bit of late night nonsense...you know it's going to happen...

So that brings me to trip number three. After a long year of work, JJ is in desperate need of a great vacation to somewhere where teenagers don't exist and restaurants don't have buffet lines. We're hoping to book a great August vacation where we can have some fun, sun, and lots of laughs to celebrate our one year anniversary.

Anyone have any good suggestions?!

Test Your BS Radar

Often we hear that the majority of our communication efforts are actually heard through our body language and muscular actions. Non-verbal words can speak volumes when interacting with people and what you say with your face may be heard much louder than what you say with your words. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good judge of facial expressions, but then again, we all probably think we are, right? So I was excited to take a fun little quiz today to see if my BS radar was really as sharp as I thought.

After finally finishing my long-time nightstand read of A Whole New Mind, (see one of my previous posts for more info) I decided to look into some of the exercises in the back of the book to test your right brain skills. One of the websites highlighted in the author's research is from the BBC's Science and Nature webpage. The BBC is one of the world's largest broadcasting companies based out of the UK and has a fun twenty question test you can take for free to see how easily you can detect a fake smile from a genuine smile.

I took the test and got a 19 out of 20 score! To take the test on your own, click here and see how sensitive your BS radar is to catch the next faker around the corner!

And be careful...us spotters may just pick off your fake smile a mile away.

A Wednesday Night Tift

The lights were low. The room was packed. As the tiny double doors to "The Club" slid open I tip-toed across the back of the room to find an open seat on an old wooden pew in the shadows of the church building. Of course, I had to wear my cowboy boots...with the loudest possible heel on hardwood floors. Trying ever so hard to avoid the creaks when I sat I had my eyes fixed on two people, both standing with their guitars under the stage lights reflecting off the chandeliers made of blank CD's.

We had arrived just in time to catch the second song of the opening act. After driving 45 minutes, fifteen dollars and a hand stamp got us into the MRC building (Music Resource Center) in Charlottesville, VA and we were immediately thrown into the swells of the local fans chasing the musical talents of Tift Merritt and friends.

I had never heard of Tift, nor had I ever thought much about her genre of music - which I suppose can be described as a combination of country/jazz/blues/blue grass tunes. I didn't really know what to expect when my friends Tricia and Jaime asked me to tag along to a concert. Hey, for a fifteen dollar ticket price, my expectations were low but I thought why not...something new to do on a Wednesday night. And so we piled in the car and headed for a Jam Session featuring two new artists I never knew existed.

I definitely trusted Tricia's judgement in music and especially in this area as she always knows where the best food, fun, and shopping secrets can be found. And I certainly gained more respect for her taste when I found out on the ride into town that her once college fling was Dierks Bentley...one of my top 15 favorite country artists. I mean, how cool is that?! So when she put on Tift's music for the remainder of the drive, I got excited about this low dollar concert we were going to find in a tiny nook in a town I know very little about.

Tift's opening number was a woman named Shannon Worrell who categorizes herself as folk/pop/country. Did you even know that existed? Regardless, I LOVED both women and just like the rest of the artsy crowd I found myself bobbing my head to the melodies and soft guitar music with a goofy grin on my face. Several times I caught myself thinking my friend Ashley would have been perfect to have along on this adventure...totally her thing! And as any good groupies would do, as soon as Shannon was done playing we walked ourselves to a local pub for a beer during the intermission. It was such a neat night, because I had never done something like this before, and I actually enjoyed every second of it.

When Tift came on stage, she seemed shy and quiet and was full of smiles and Thank You's for the clapping, whistling fans. She was cute and laid back and just looked like a girl with a guitar who happened to play the piano and harmonica along with her soft, sometimes raspy voice. She was grateful, full of stories from her home in North Carolina, and she worked the crowd walking through the aisles with her guitar, unplugged, belting out her most appropriate tune for the evening - Virginia.

But most of all there was something so inspiring about walking into a room where I had no expectations, surrounded by people who were clearly passionate about these artists. They were chill, happy, and just glad to be in an old, dusty venue with no bells or whistles or flashing lights. It was so unlike any other concert I had ever been to and even when Shannon's mic broke and Tift's keyboard needed some impromptu tape the crowd loved it. Every second of it. And they were so appreciative of not who the person was but for their talent and skill.

So many of the major shows I've been to have always been about the celebrity and how popular they are on the radio or tv. These singers were raw, unedited, and real people. Now, I'm sure they're quite popular to those who follow their music as both have several hundered thousand hits on their MySpace pages, but to me, they were just like any other Average Jane. And they performed like they were.

So here's a challenge. Look up your local dive joints and see what bands are playing. Take a chance and stumble into the bar, church, or warehouse and support the rising stars. It'll probably be worth the fifteen dollars and you'll likely enjoy being in a setting that's uncertain to you and your expectations. And challenge number 2 - download some of Tift and Shannon's music for a new playlist on your iPod. Their slow tunes and soft voices are perfect for the after work subway ride home or for easy listening on Sundays as you drive along with the windows down.

And like any good country singers, there are plenty of songs about life, love and heartache...the only thing I probably should have expected.

We Plan and God Laughs

I have many beliefs.

I believe people are innately good, but tarnished by life experiences and bad influence.
I belive a puppy's head in your lap can cure any and all bad moods.
And I believe we are all here to fulfill a purpose in this life.

But I also believe that each and every one of us are living a life that has already been planned for us. I believe our daily actions are merely us executing the life we were meant to lead even when we think we actually make decisions that might alter the plan. More simply, I believe in God and that He has already written the course for our lives.

I think one of the most complicated problems we all face is battling the journey to "find our purpose in life." Especially in these days, we all seem to want to find careers that make a difference; that help people other than ourselves and bring meaning to our communities and our own lives. That's why books such as The Purpose Driven Life or The Secret have been so popular to readers worldwide. They aim to help us find our purpose, our plan, or I suppose, our destiny.

My thoughts on this have been revived by the recent stresses in my life about job searching and deciding where it is exactly I should be. Both JJ and I have been used to success all our lives. We were always well liked among our peers, always made the team, and consistently made good grades in school (well, I'll speak for myself). Failure has, fortunately, not coming easy to us and we've enjoyed great benefits throughout our 20 some years from our successes. We're not used to hearing NO or falling in the middle of the pack. We've always known what it feels like to be on the top, and I credit that enjoyment to God's plan.

But as we get older we're sure to face bigger and scarier challenges than simply making the high school team or bringing home the report card full of A's. And we're currently facing one we can't quite conquer with a smile and a little elbow grease. We're job searching. We're soul searching. And we're trying to figure out exactly what it is we should be doing with our lives and careers. It's been difficult to find clarity in finding the right plan for both of us, so we've been consumed lately with making the best decisions for our professional and personal lives.

The more I stress about it and worry about both myself and him, however, the more I hear a voice in my head telling me that what will be has already been decided.

I don't think it's my privilege to choose my course. I firmly believe it's already been chosen for me. Each of our life plans have been chosen for us, by God, who knew exactly what purpose we would serve before we were born. So when I don't get that job I'm sure I can get, or my 'purpose' seems meaningless in my current role, I'm comforted by my beliefs each day that I am living the life I was meant to lead; because God put me here, in this exact moment, for a reason.

So plan we will, because that's what we do. We obsess over the "What's Next" thoughts and the ever overwhelming terror of making life changes. Half of life's lessons, I believe, are taught through the processes of deciding. Where to move? What job to take? Whom to befriend? What school to attend? We call it fate or destiny most often that things work out as they do, but when the time comes to make a decision and you get that "gut-feeling" that your choice is the right one, I believe that's God's nudge guiding us in the right direction. At the end of the day, be confident that your decisions have actually already been decided for you and that the process and agony of deciding can actually be softened by a simple moment of reflection and quiet prayer for patience.

So, the next time your perfect plan falls through the tiniest of cracks...just pause for a moment and listen to God laughing. His plan is sure to unfold soon enough if you're patient enough to wait for it.

The Power of Solitude

While we're on the subject of fitness this month, I think it's important to discuss an exercise option that works our mental health as well as our physical stamina. It's an area of fitness that is often over-looked in our race to drop a size and look long & lean. Keeping our emotions in check and reflecting on our thoughts is important to routinely do in order to keep balance in our lives and give ourselves a chance to just...feel.

Yesterday I had a lot on my mind. Lots of questions swirling and twirling with the nerves of new possibilities on the horizon. So I took a step back and did the one thing I hate (almost as much) as stressful tension. I went running.

We have the incredible luxury of living on about 100 acres of beautiful land filled with rolling hills, mountain views, golf course fairways, and wooded land. Rivers and creeks wind through the woods and an 8 mile running trail surrounds our home. Often I go for walks on the trail to enjoy the scenery, but there are a few times where the only thing I want to do is jog deep into the woods, find tiny foot paths, and hide myself in the trees by the water. It's perfectly quiet. It's still. And there's not a trace of another person for what feels like miles. There's not one particular spot I go to...I just sort of...go. And when it feels like the right time; I stop.

On this day, I found a new part of the trail I'd never been to and I saw what looked like a deer path leading to the creek. I followed it for just a short way and found a fallen tree with a perfect perch. And I sat.

There is something very fulfilling and rare about just sitting alone in complete solitude without the sounds of voices, cars, televisions, iPod music, and commotion. If you allow yourself, you hear and see things you've never noticed before; and it's beautiful. The ripples of water, the sun dancing on leaves, buzzing flies, and branches swaying. And that's all I did for as long as it felt right to sit.

I watched.
I listened.
I soaked in the quiet.
And I loved it.

I let my mind go wherever it wanted and I didn't force a single thought. I tried very hard not to move and I let the afternoon lead me. And eventually, it felt right to leave. It may have been that the hawks were starting to circle above me or that I had reached the mental clarity I was seeking, but I picked up a rock, skipped it down the creek just like Grandpa taught me, and I rejoined the trail to finish my run. I have no idea how long I sat or what I really even thought about but it felt great - as though balance had been restored.

I know everyone isn't as lucky as us to have the kind of nature at their fingertips that we have here, but everyone can find solitude somewhere, you just have to find it. I dare you to find a place that's so quiet you can hear everything. I dare you to let your thoughts run wild without any agenda or plan. And I encourage you to do it often. You may be very surprised how fit you feel when you're done...and I guarantee you won't get a cramp.

The Perfect Wedding Gift

If your summer social calendar is anything like mine was two years ago, you're slated to attend more weddings in a two month span this summer than the number of weekends that are actually available. Both attending weddings and participating in the bridal party line-ups bring tight time constraints and the unwelcoming sound of !cha-ching! as the costs of dresses, airfare, hotels, and gifts keep racking up....and that's just for one wedding! But of course, the unflattering price-tags associated with going to your best friend's wedding or even your good friend's nuptial are never too high and we likely attend regardless of the cost. Who really wants to miss such a precious moment in the lives of people you care about? And so we suck it up and blow our vaca savings on the people we love.

Amidst these financial choices to attend the wedding lies the decision of what the perfect wedding gift might be for the happy couple. So often we want to give them something that they will cherish, love, and remember us by long after the wedding is over. To many of us, our gift feels like an extension of our love. It's a symbol of the relationship we share with the bride and/or groom, and is often something special they wouldn't normally get for themselves otherwise. But after spending hundreds just to get to the ceremony...who has hundreds left to spend on this memorable gift? But, I'm also not trying to be the one to wrap up the toilet brush, know what I mean?

Enter the perfect wedding gift. It's personal, creative, and inexpensive to give and will surely be the one your blushing bride and strapping groom will remember forever.

A personalized wedding plate.

Now, I'm not talking about a silver tray that's engraved (although those are lovely options). I'm talking about a hand-painted creation by your's truly. I realized the memorable feeling and heart felt sentiment that one of these creations carries when I recevied my own hand-painted wedding plate from a good friend for my wedding. It was a simple design - just my wedding colors and a cake with a message describing her wedding wishes for us with the date of our big day on the front. It came with a wall-hanging rack and now hangs in my kitchen above the stove in a place where I see it everyday and am reminded each morning about my special wedding day. It brings a smile to my face, and everytime someone asks where I got it...I know exactly who to give the credit to...my friend, Anne.

And so, as one of my very best friends is about to walk the aisle this July I took it upon myself to paint her my own creation of a wedding plate for her 4th of July wedding. I even came up with my own saying to make it that much more special for the soon-to-be Love family...

"The Day Our Love Became the Love's, July 4, 2009"

Her bridal shower was this past weekend and I thought it was the perfect chance to give her the plate. And boy, was it a hit. She was so excited to have it and it was passed around the room with several girls saying, "Oh, I want one!" Now, I'm no professional artist but that's almost where the appeal comes from...it's an original...it shows mistakes...and it's the thought and time that went into it that means the most to the bride. You can't buy it in the store and you can't find another one just like it. It's all their own...forever.

My other two married friends loved my plate so much they asked me to make one for them, too. Of course, I am happy to do it and what's better now, is that they can give me input on exactly what they might want so I can make an even more personal plate for them this time around.

So if you have a friend, sibling, cousin, or just someone you care about who's getting married this year, consider taking some time to paint them your own creation. Find a ceramic or pottery studio in your area that allows walk-ins, block off about 2.5 hours in your day, and think of a creative design. It takes about a week for them to glaze and fire your plate and it's usually ready in about a week...so plan ahead. A typical dinner plate size will run between $15-$20 and includes the paint, glaze, firing, and plate itself. The studio workers are also usually so welcoming and helpful and the possibilities are endless.

Now, go out and be the original friend who gives the best gift ever! It's sure to be a party favorite and will leave a lasting impact for years!

Those Lifelong BFFs

As many others did, I traveled home for the Easter holiday for a number of reasons - a best friend's bridal shower, first time at home since Christmas, Easter Sunday at church with the family, and a need for a change of scenery. And one thing I again discovered during my 5 days at home was that, while some things may change, some things always remain the same...and that's almost always a very good thing.

I have been very lucky to have a spent about 10 years growing up in the same place, same town, same house, for most of my teenage years through college and the most amazing part of that privilege has been the group of girls I've run with over the years. There are 5 of us to be exact. Five girls who are oh, so different but oh, so the same in so many ways - and seven years after our high school graduation, little has changed in all of us outside of haircuts, jobs, and husbands. So, it is always such a treat to make the roadtrip home to jump back into our 15 year old memories and pick-up right where we left off before we all packed our bags for college.

Now, to be clear, at high school graduation, everyone thought for sure we would all end up at the same college or at least in the same city since we clearly couldn't handle life without each other. We were attached at the hip and where one was, the other four were close by. But the intrigue of our story is that not only did we choose 5 different colleges, we chose 5 different paths that continue to lead us right back to where we started...as best friends. Now, six years later, three of us are married, one is on her way down the aisle, one has traveled the world and lived overseas, one is three short years from becoming a Doctor, another has an MBA, and one is a homeowner.

But despite all our accomplishments and work to become our own individuals, we still come running back to each other's homes for movie nights, sleepovers, and pool parties just like when we were kids. There is something so comforting to know that while the details may change, the big picture has remained untouched and those BFF lifelong friends we always said we'd have has actually become a reality thus far. I am completely aware that this luxury isn't something that everyone gets to speak about or hold close to them, which is why I felt this topic was so important to write about. And while I have an entirely separate group of college friends that this also applies to, there will forever be something special about watching your childhood friendships unfold and grow years down the road...in front of your very eyes.

We even have a time capsule waiting for us to open in a few years (although none of us can remember when we're "supposed" to open it). Although it's probably filled with crap with stuff we thought was really cool at the time, we always remember it's waiting for us to pull the lid off and again relive another memory of growing up together. Memories that will probably make us laugh, roll our eyes, and most obviously make us say, "Remember when we did that!" As ridiculous as it may sound, I can't wait to open that plastic box and curl up with some wine (not juice this time) with my four best friends to remember it all over again.

This is my high school Nook. My best friends from Tennessee who have been with me through it all for the last 12 years. I love each one of them and I'm so grateful to have them in my life.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get ready for my sleepover tonight.