Playing Catch Up!

A week without the internet is no fun at all when you are a blogger! I now have two weekends to catch up on, so here I go...!

Saturday (February 19) started out with a photography workshop hosted by one of my favorite photographers! It was a bit more basic than I was hoping for but I still think it was worth my 38 bucks. Most importantly, it inspired me to practice, practice, practice (which my poor friends and family now must suffer through)!

After the workshop Jackie, Erin, and I road tripped it down (and over) to Dayton to visit Miss Lydia! On the way we rocked out to some "Jackie's Jams" which is a mixed CD Jackie made around 2003. Good stuff, let me tell you!

When we walked in the door of Lydia's apartment we saw this...

And this...

And this...

Lydia obviously knows how to make us happy!

We didn't waste any time and headed out the door for some antique shopping. While there we found some pretty great hats, learned that people use hornet's nests for decorating, and had a few scary encounters with creepy baby dolls.

After awhile we went back to Lydia's for strawberries and champagne, guac, and hummus. Delish!

We finished it off with cupcakes from the Cake Diva! Delish x2!

I think this text message I sent Nick sums up the rest of the night...

"I lost my voice. I watched the dunk contest and I heart Blake Griffin. We went to 3 bars and 1 smelled like vomit so we left. Erin and Lyds love eminem. Lyds is amaze! We started a cupcake blog! Erin is rapping. Jack makes weird faces in pictures. I love Kim K. Oreos Gushers. Life is good :)"

The next morning we enjoyed cinnamon rolls, juice, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but, the Kardashians.

Lydia, thank you for the amazing staycation! You are quite the hostess!

When we got home on Sunday we headed to my parent's house to celebrate Dad's 61st Birthday! I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Alright, now lets fast forward through the week. It was not the best anyway. I was in a bad place emotionally, was sick physically, and...didn't have the internet.

This past weekend had it's ups and downs.

Friday was an "up." Nick and I kept it low key (as usual) and enjoyed dinner and beers at a local pub. It was a great way to end the week.

Saturday involved Raising Canes and lots of euchre with Nick's family. Saturday evening I "self-destructed" (Nick's words, not mine). So, let's just say, Saturday night was a "down."

Sunday was my favorite day because we celebrated my Momma's birthday! Once again, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking...

After the birthday celebration my sisters, Mom, and I went to try on bridesmaid/MOB dresses. It was a tad bit stressful and we learned to never go to a bridal store on a weekend. But, when the outing ended with us at Menchi's all of the stress was forgotten and we just enjoyed the treat!

I'm so glad both of my parents had such wonderful birthdays! They are definitely worth celebrating!

Be blessed,

Jumbled Mess...Just Like My Dirty Laundry!

Lots of thoughts going through my mind...

1.) My Valentine's Day was just perfect. I love this holiday, but have never really liked the lovey-dovey couple aspect of it. Red roses and a box of chocolates are just not my thing.

It's a good thing Nick knows the way to my heart. He knocked on the door holding a big red bag. When I looked inside this is what I saw...

Two boxes of Gushers, two boxes of shark fruit snacks, and an enormous bag of Skittles. Oh, plus a card with Edward and Jacob on the front. Ha! Good work, Nicholas!

My family also made the day special. Every year my momma fills up a pink bag with pink things for me and my sisters. This year included a yoga mat, a heart cookie cutter, poptarts, and bubblegum. My dad hooked me up in the candy department of course! And, Jackie gave me an awesome Glee Valentine's Day card with Brittany on the front.

I am blessed to have them.

2.) I am slightly embarrassed to post this, but I just had to document my dirty laundry pile.

Because there is no washer and dryer at my apartment I do laundry about once a month. Not good. Today was definitely laundry day!

3.) During the winter months my hands are in a constant state of stress. Just look at them...

My job requires me to wash my hands lots during the day... after diaper changes, before preparing snack or lunch, after wiping a snotty nose, etc. I am also very germ-conscious which equals more than necessary hand washing even when I'm not at work.

I need to find a miracle lotion!

4.) I have started recording old episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Yes, it is slightly dorky, but I am not to shy to admit my love for this show. It's not nearly as embarrassing as another show I recorded recently. I even made Erin swear she would never tell a soul what it is. Hopefully she sticks to her word!

5.) Today is my dad's birthday! He has been sick for the past few days so we postponed his birthday celebration until a little later. Spending a birthday sick is no fun, but I still think he enjoyed his day because my parents upgraded to digital cable and DVR today!

Happy 61st Birthday Dad! Love you!

Be random,

Wonderful Weekend

Another weekend recap coming your way!

Friday

I decided to have a night all for myself. And it was wonderful. I made a quick stop at Giant Eagle to purchase this for dinner...

That CPK pizza is my new favorite. A bit expensive, but totally delicious. I enjoyed it while watching a couple old episodes of Glee.

After eating I settled into my bed and watched a movie...The Greatest.

I had never heard of this movie before renting it at the Redbox, so I had no expectations whatsoever. It was such a great movie. Very sad and emotional, but also very touching and most of all, real. I literally cried my eyes out for the last 20 minutes of the movie.

Saturday

I started my Saturday off with a run at my own personal gym. Really, it's just the tiny workout room at my apartment complex, but it feels like my own because nobody is ever there. It is so nice to have the entire room to myself. Where else could I run on the treadmill while listening to the Glee soundtrack on my iPod and singing at the top of my lungs?!

In the afternoon Nick, Jackie, Nick and I went to the Tavern to watch the Ohio State basketball game. Our Buckeyes lost. It was such a disappointment because they were the only undefeated team left. As soon as the game was over the bartender blasted the song Heartache Tonight.

We did our best not to let the loss get us down and played a couple games of pool. Although the Nicks dominated, Jackie and I held our own.

Saturday night I went to my Aunt and Uncle's house to celebrate my Grandma's 81st birthday! We sang Happy Birthday, ate cake, and...played Just Dance on the Wii!

I was addicted to Just Dance. It is so much fun!

We made my mom and Aunt Joan dance to a song. It was hysterical. My cousins stood on the couch behind them and danced too. I love my family :)

Sunday

After church I came home and cleaned! Call me crazy, but there is something that feels so good about cleaning your house on a Sunday afternoon.

Jackie came over to decorate cupcakes for a bake sale at work tomorrow. We used Jackie's new cake decorating tools (gift from Miss Lydia). It was definitely a learning process. Our first few cupcakes didn't look so hot, but by the end they were turning out beautiful!

Be Sweet,

Woo Girls Rewind

This past October I went on one of my favorite road trips ever! Jackie, Lydia and I (aka "The Woo Girls") took a weekend trip to Indianapolis. Why Indy? It's close, but not too close. Just perfect for a weekend getaway!

Some things you should know before reading. We are called the Woo Girls because we love to woo! We each have a signature "woo" and we use them often. You should also know that we like to have fun wherever we go and firmly believe these are the times of our lives.

Friday, October 22- Sunday, October 24

After work on Friday Jackie and I went straight to Dayton to meet Lydia. We went to her school for a quick tour of her classroom. It was easy to see the hard work Lydia (and her family) put in to that room. Lets just say I would love to be in her kindergarten class!

After the tour (and a quick stop at McDonalds of course) we were ready to hit the road!

With our trusty friend, Marta the GPS, we arrived within a few hours. After settling into our hotel we headed out to get our first taste of Indy.

First stop was Kilroys, which we loved! We stayed for a beer then headed to our next destination...Cadillac Ranch. This bar was not exactly our favorite but we still managed to have some fun by throwing sugar packets at a couple showing way too much PDA and watching our favorite girl in the green shirt breaking it down on the dance floor.

We made a quick stop at Claddagh to use their their bathrooms then headed to our final destination of the evening...Howl at the Moon. It was a great way to end the night. We especially loved dancing on stage to Hang on Sloopy (Go Bucks)! And of course, we adored the piano player!

Our first night in Indy was definitely a success and the Woo Girls truly were having the times our their lives!

Saturday morning we woke up ready to watch our Buckeyes play against Purdue. Well, at least Lydia and I woke up ready to go. Jackie was battling a nasty hangover and maybe had to take a stop in the bushes once or twice.

We headed to Kilroys again because we thought it would be the perfect place to watch the game, but unfortunately they weren't playing the sound. We power walked to Champps where the sound was being played (Thank you Champps!). There, we watched the best football team in the country defeat the Boilermakers. A Buckeye win always feels good.

After the game we wandered around the Circle Centre Mall and eventually became Best Fashion Friends Forever, or so Charlotte Russe told us. After a great deal, we walked out of the store each with a pair of fabulous new boots!

We headed back to our hotel for a little downtime, then got ready for an evening out. Of course, we each wore our new boots :)

Before heading to dinner we made a quick stop at Panera to buy pink ribbon bagels to be eaten before sleep. As we'd come to find later, it was a brilliant decision.

We ate dinner at Scotties. Delicious food and an amazing atmosphere! Plus, the servers were all super friendly, especially my love, Ally. They all gave us some wonderful suggestions of places to go out after dinner. And Ally even gave us each a box of Red Hots.

After eating we headed down the street to the Wild Beaver Saloon. We enjoyed lots of laughs there and even were told we were 1/2 of the most attractive people in the bar (haha). We called a cab so we could go to Broad Ripple. Our cab driver was so nice!

We did a little barhopping once we got there. Landsharks (crazy bachelorette party), Brothers (Jewish party), Old Pros Table (trashy girls with Twizzler pull-n-peels).

At one point we discovered something that would change our lives for good...Zombies! There was a Zombie Walk going on and it definitely convinced us to participate in our local Zombie Walk this year.

We starting practicing immediately...

After those three bars we decided to head back into our part of town. We called a cab, where we had the ride of our lives. And not in a good way. The driver ran red lights (not kidding) and rolled the windows down to cover up that not so secret scent coming from the driver's seat. Gross.

We made one more stop before calling it a night...the Slippery Noodle. On the way there we were walking fast because it was almost closing time. Some guy saw Lydia and yelled, "Hey Jazzercise! Quit walking so fast!"

The Panera bagels and gatorates were a lifesaver and we all woke up on Sunday feeling fabulous! We drove to Mass Ave for some boutique shopping. We each bought something from Home in the City.

I purchased one of these beauties...

One of the highlights of Sunday was finding The Flying Cupcake bakery! Cupcakes just might be the best breakfast ever!

After we were shopped out, we went to start the car and found out it was dead! Just our luck. Luckily, a nice couple saw what was going on and offered to jump it for us. We were so thankful.

Once the car business was sorted out we stopped back at Kilroy's for a quick lunch before starting the drive back home.

On the way back we kept busy by creating a list of new places we can visit for future Woo Girls Weekends. We also channeled our middle school selves and played MASH.

The entire weekend was just what I needed. New experiences, relaxation, and lots of laughs with two of my favorite girls ever.

Be Happy.

Who I Am...

I am...a happy girl.

I want...a Pink Moon cupcake. Right now.

I have...the best family and friends in the world.

I wish...I could be on a game show.

I hate...wet jeans!

I fear...losing someone I love.

I search...for a way to make more $$$.

I wonder...if I'll ever have the house of my dreams.

I hear..."I love you" daily.

I regret...eating the entire box of fruit snacks.

I love...sunshine.

I ache...for those who know death closely.

I always...enjoy spending time with Nick.

I usually...am a control freak.

I cry...waaay too easily.

I dance...with my kids at work every day.

I sing...with them too!

I sometimes...hit the snooze button for way too long.

I am not always...the most graceful person.

I never...enjoy hearing toddlers whine.

I lose...and then I get angry.

I need...to start running more!

I should...always remember to be strong, confident and happy.