Carrabba's

Tonight, Sam and I were treated to a sneak-peek preview dinner at Carrabba's. Basically, it's a dinner where they preview new, upcoming menu items. It's by invitation only, and you can access these, along with wine dinners and other cool offers through Carrabba's Amici Club!

The dinner started at 6:30 tonight, which meant I had to go in early for work so I could leave early. After a horrific morning commute that lasted nearly 2 hours, I left 610 and Post Oak around 5:15 and made it to the Carrabba's on Highway 6 sometime around 7:00. Pathetic.

Anyway, the dinner was really great! We go to sample a delicious lobster macaroni dish, shrimp bruschetta, grilled sirloin steak with crab-stuffed shrimp and green beans, and a banana panini with Nutella dipping sauce for dessert. So good!

I was also there to do a little research for work. I wanted to take pictures and such to document the experience, but I didn't want to creep out the other couple at our table that we ate with, so I decided to forgo the note-taking. We at with a really nice older couple, and had some great conversation, primarily about real estate which was perfect since we're in the market for a home. The man is a real estate agent, and his date is a mortgage broker, so we got some all around good advice!

Now, I am off to watch Justified and head to bed. Going to try to get up early tomorrow to hit the gym, since I have been seriously slacking since getting sick a few weeks ago. No more excuses! Bikini season is right around the corner and fast approaching.

Until tomorrow, my friends!

Let the house hunt commence...again!

I'm excited to announce that S and I are on the house hunt...again! We originally started looking for a house last year around this time, but never really found anything that clicked. Then the wedding came, and it was time to put house hunting plans on hold. And then...I got laid off. So we obviously weren't looking for a house during that time.

So here we are, a year later, kicking up the house hunt once again. I am excited and hopeful that we will find a house soon! S and I are sooooo ready to be in our own place. I think I've moved at least once a year since I was about 19 years old, so after eight years, I've finally grown tired of that type of lifestyle, and am ready for something more permanent.

The catch is, I need a new vehicle really badly! Let's just say that I've had the same car since my senior year of high school, and I am now 27 years old. I hit 195,000 miles this weekend on the ol' Explorer, so I don't have much time left, lol! I'm hoping that we find a house by the end of March, so we'll be able to close before our lease is up in early May.

House hunting can be extremely stressful. I know in my mind what I am looking for, but to actually find what I am looking for is a whole different story. Especially a house that falls within our price range. Last year, we really didn't find anything, and it was so disappointing. But I'm going to stay optimistic about our search, and just hope and pray that we find something soon! I know that God will lead us in the right direction, I just have to stop worrying so much and let things happen they way they are supposed to.

My latest TV Addiction

I'm currently typing this blog with the TV on in front of me, watching Justified, my favorite show on television right now. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. I highly recommend catching up on the first two seasons, and tuning in on Tuesday nights to watch the third.

I'm not usually into cop shows, but this one is different. Timothy Olyphant (who is BEYOND gorgeous, by the way...) plays a US Marshall who fights crime in Kentucky. He's like the best of both worlds, part cop, part cowboy, and 100% pure hotness. I mean, just look at this face:

See, I told you!

In other news, we're expecting bad weather tonight, and I'm a little nervous. While I do enjoy a mild thunderstorm every now and again, I'm not a huge fan of severe weather. Especially since Joplin. Which I never posted about. Will add to my to-do list. That, and S is manning the fire station tonight, so I am home alone. Hopefully, the storms won't be too bad.

I am thinking about getting a personal trainer. I really need to take my workouts up a notch or two, and I'm at the point where it would be very beneficial to have someone show me what to do at the gym. I know that I'll do it, I just need to know what to do. However, there is quite a cost incurred with this sort of thing, so I'm not sure how committed I can really be to hiring a personal trainer. We shall see.

Work has been a little stressful lately, but in a good way. I know they are pushing me to be better, and I appreciate that. And it's enjoyable, at least.

Last weekend (well, the one before it, actually) was my good friend K's wedding, in which I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid! I felt so so honored to be a part of her big day. Everything went off without a hitch, and the wedding was absolutely beautiful! The only part that made me nervous was when K was at the altar saying her vows, and she started coughing uncontrollably!! She had been feeling sick earlier that day (I was feeling bad, as well), and I guess it all caught up with her. Luckily, someone brought her a drink and she was able to get through the vows okay. Too funny!!!

Welp, I haven't been doing a good job keeping up with this blog so far this year. Going to try harder to update more regularly! And redesign it, too. My design is lacking right now...

Until then, I am off to finish Justified and go to bed!

First Post of 2012

Keeping in line with my previous post concerning New Year's Resolutions, I am sitting in front of my TV watching The Help while writing my very first post of the new year! I was finally able to rent this movie after several weeks of unsuccessful Red Box stalking.

S and I spent New Year's Eve between two separate parties: one at our friends' house, and another at S's sister's Birthday/New Year's Eve party. I wasn't feeling my best last night - I think I'm on the verge of catching a cold - but I did enjoy a few adult beverages and spending time with good friends and watching fireworks.

Today S and I got up and went over to his parents house to eat or customary New Year's Day meal of black eyed peas and cornbread. Apparently, it's good luck to eat black eyed on peas on New Year's Day. I'm not sure if this is true, but it's worth a shot! After that, we came home and S took down the Christmas lights, and I went shopping. I didn't end up buying anything (nothing new there) but it was nice to get out for a bit.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year's!

K

Wait, it's almost 2012? Really?

Oh my, how time flies!

Feels like just yesterday, I was sitting at my computer, coming up with a list of resolutions for 2011! Hmmm...I need to look back through my blog and see if I can find those!

So while I'm on the topic of New Year's Resolutions, here are a few I have come up with for 2012 (I can't even believe I'm SAYING that!):

• Become financially healthy - I wouldn't say that I'm the most financially unhealthy person. It's just that I know I've got some work to do. This year, I want to focus on really paying down my debt, and starting to save for my future (our future, if you count the hubby!). In particular, I really want to start investing my money into stocks and IRAs and mutual funds and all of that other fun stuff. Having just turned 27 a few weeks ago, I'm starting to realize that it is never too soon to start saving.
• Sign up for my first 5k - technically, I already did this on December 16th, during my company's 1st annual 5k Fun Run at Memorial Park! But I don't really count that since it was work-related. I know I'm never going to be the world's fastest runner, or even be able to endure a marathon, but I think a 5k is a doable goal. I've been working on increasing my endurance at the gym for the past few months. I'm up to about 2.3 miles now, so I've almost hit my goal! I know I can do it. Some days, I'm really on the ball, and others I just can't seem to get into gear. But no more excuses! I also really want to sign up for the next Warrior Dash This will happen in 2012.
• Tap into my creativity - I know that I could be so much more creative than I am. I used to be so creative as a child. What happened?? I guess life, and more practical pursuits such as going to school and getting a job got in the way. Somewhere deep down, is a creative little girl just itching to come out! This could mean anything - painting, crafts, cooking, baking, photography, whatever!!
• Blog more - I know I say this every year, but this time, I mean it! I did do a good job of blogging more in 2011, but I still don't write nearly as often as I should. Next year, I'd really like to challenge myself to write every day. Or at least once a week. That way, when it comes time to send out Christmas cards in 2012, I'll be able to write one badass Christmas newsletter!
• Go to Las Vegas - I've always felt that this is something that should be done before kids. Even if I just got to go for a weekend, that would be enough for me. We'll see what materializes. 
• Get a promotion at work - considering I just started my job in November, I'm not sure how realistic this is. But I'm going to work my ass off to see that it happens!
• Budoir Photoshoot - I've ALWAYS wanted to do this!! And definitely before I have kids.
• Buy a house. Sam and I are working on that one as we speak. 
• Buy a new car. Preferably sooner than later!
• Start horseback riding again - the problem with this is that I'm pretty much at the point where I'm past lessons and need to own my own horse so I can train properly on my own animal. Except I'm not at the point where I'm financially able to afford a horse. See bullet point number one.
• Work on my writing - I'd really like to kick off my freelance writing career if possible this year. I've always loved writing and am at the point where I want to see how far I can take it.
• Get in shape - again, I say this every year. I definitely slimmed down quite a bit in 2011 compared to 2010, but I'm ready to take it to the next level.

Okay, so those are my goals thus far for 2012. I think they are all attainable. My friends and family often give me a hard time for being such an "overachiever" and tell me I'm too hard on myself, but I firmly believe that success is earned, and if you don't set goals for yourself and work towards them, you will never be successful and life. And success is what makes people happy! So there you have it. We'll see where 2012 takes me!

Weekend Blown

This weekend didn't quite go as planned.

I'd planned on getting a lot of clothes shopping done, starting my Christmas shopping and catching up on my house cleaning. Well, none of that really happened this weekend, so now I'm going to have to play catch up this week!

Sam is off work this week, so hopefully he will at least do a little house cleaning so I won't have to. It stresses me out when my house is a mess. My biggest pet peeve: dirty floors. I can't stand feeling dirt on my feet when I walk around my house!!

I really wanted to catch up on some crafting this weekend, as well. I guess I just need to start organizing my time a little better - I never seem to have time to do things I really want to do. Definitely going to put that down on my New Year's Resolution list.

So, what did I do this weekend?

Well, I got my hair cut (finally) and colored. I cut about 4 inches off; it's the shortest my hair has been in probably 6 or 7 years! I'll post a pic once I finally get it styled the way I want it.

I'm kind of funny about getting my hair cut and colored - I always dislike it the first week or so after I get it done, and then I absolutely love it! When it's first colored, it tends to look a little too saturated, so I like it better when the color is just starting to fade. And I have really fine hair, so when it's first cut it always looks a little too short, and, well, freshly cut.

I was a little hesitant to cut it, but I was definitely ready for a change. I'd been growing my hair out for my wedding for the past 2 or 3 years, so it was time for something different. I kind of miss it a little, but overall I'm glad I cut it! It's really not even that short (shoulder-length), I've just had it long for so long that it feels really short!

Other than that, Sam and I just spent some time with family and went grocery shopping. The exciting life of newlyweds, lol!

We did finally decide to start shopping around for a house again. I'm not sure if I ever wrote about it, but last year around this time we were actively looking to buy a house, but things didn't work out for us. We just ran out of time before the wedding and we had to be out of our apartment, so we decided to put it off for another year. Interest rates are even lower than they were last year, so this really is the ideal time to buy. Pretty much a golden opportunity right in front of us! Hopefully, this time around will work out better than last year! We are so ready to be in our home and stop moving every year. Such is the life of a twenty-something - I think I've moved at least once (sometimes twice!) every year since I was 20 years old!

When Little Things Aren't So Little

Well, I must say, today was EXHAUSTING!!

I haven't been very good about going to bed on time this week. I'm swamped with projects at work, and it's thrown off my whole schedule.

Last night, I brought home a project that kept me up until about 10:30 (and that was only because my internet crashed...if it'd been working, I would've been up much later...) and tonight, I stayed at work until 7:30, got home around 8:15, and just finished an addition to the project I was working on last night. So needless to say, I'm pretty tired.

Today was one of those days where nothing seems to go right. Little things, here and there. Like forgetting my sunglasses at home this morning. And remembering I'd left that at home right after I'd pulled out of my neighborhood. It was too late for me to go back and get them, so I begrudgingly left them at home. I hate driving without sunglasses. The Texas winter sun is just too bright for during my morning commute to not wear sunglasses.

Then, I'm driving on the freeway, and for once, I let someone in who had just entered the freeway. See, I don't normally do this, because it always backfires on me. In the past when I've let people in, they always end up lollygag around, not paying attention and leaving a 50 foot gap of space between them and the car in front of them. I'm almost always in a hurry when I drive, and I can't stand getting stuck behind drivers who are slow, purposeless, and distracted. It makes my blood boil. So while I realize I appear to be a jerk by writing this, I don't really care because I know that it's best for everyone involved if I just never let people in.

Once I get settled in at my desk at work, my email decides it's going to continually disconnect from the server and stop sending/receiving emails. Wonderful. And the weird part is, I'm the only person in the office who has this problem. The same thing happened to me several weeks ago. So I end up spending about 30 minutes on the phone with IT that could've been spent much more usefully. I was already slammed busy. Email never shuts down on you when you're slow, only when you're busy. And God Bless the guy that helped me, but he was quite the chatter box. Which normally I don't mind chatting up with people, but I was already beyond annoyed that my email stopped working and I lost 30 minutes of productivity, and not really in the mood to chat. Of course, that wasn't his fault, so I did my best to keep a smile in my voice. If not on my face.

I kept trying to take notes at a meeting earlier and my pen would just not write. That is unacceptable, for pens to just not write when I know they are fresh, and full of ink. So irritating. I just started scribbling all over my notepad, and yes it did eventually work. Suck on that, Papermate!

I sound neurotic right now. I think I'm just really tired.

Lastly, I get home and start working on my spreadsheet, and I can't seem to type to save my life. I'm typing things in the wrong boxes, with the wrong symbols, and my color coding got all screwed up, it was just awful. And then my numbering got messed up. It was about that time that I decided I needed to sleep for about 2 days, uninterrupted.

Luckily, these weekend is looking pretty open! The only open weekend I have this month. So I should have plenty of time to sleep in and rest up. And go Christmas decoration shopping (as well as gift shopping!) because I need to spruce up my Christmas decoration collection a little. Since this is the first year Sam and I have had a fireplace in our home, I really want to make some stalkings to hang. But I really have no idea how to use my sewing machine, so that might be biting off a bit more than I can chew. Yet, the challenge of it excites me...so we shall see!