A Little Spring in the Fall

    There's something about flowers.

I love them in the yard; I love them in a vase. 

My sweet Anthony has been surprising me pretty regularly with these lovely office beauties. 

He sure knows how to brighten a girl's day and how to stay on her good side. :)

Who doesn't love a Pumpkin Carving?

   Anthony and I carved pumpkins last weekend. This was my first time every carving anything other than a face made from triangles. Really trying to branch out, here! ;) Enjoy the pics.

Preparing

Super excited to get started

I completely ran into a pumpkin, dislodged my toe nail, and managed to get pumpkin all under my nail. Not too much fun.

Only because Anthony loves this photo. I look like a moron, but you can see the damage my toe caused to the pumpkin

Scaredy cat.

Seeds for roasting and toasting

Finished products

Not quite sure where he's keeping them since I found out he can't put stuff outside in the hallway :( 

Friday's Letters 10.11.13

Dear Jackson, MS:
  You hold some of the kindest people! Keep doing whatever it is you're doing because it works. Even if you are Mississippi.

Dear Alabama National Fair:
   Words cannot describe how horribly disappointed I am that I was unable to visit you this year. While I do draw some comfort from hearing you got a great deal of bad reviews, I still desperate wish I could have tasted your cotton candy and funnel cakes, spun until I felt sick, and gotten annoyed by all the rude people that refuse to get out of your way or walk at a decent pace.

Dear Work:
   Simply put, I love you and that's all there is to it.

Dear Anthony:
   Four weeks in a row? Boy, am I a lucky girl!?! I'm so looking forward to the White Coat ceremony. I'm so very, very proud of you!

Dear Walking Dead:
   Finally!!! You return! Last year was the first year that I could watch you all by myself. I hope you crank up the horror and gore this year so I can no longer say that.

Dear Businesses:
   Customer service trumps product, in my  humble opinion. There is nothing worse than speaking with a sales associate who acts like you are inconveniencing them. While I realize everyone has a bad day or two, it should never be a universal truth of all your employees. Get it together!

Friday's Letters 10.04.13

Dear Last Weekend:
   Yowza, were you fun! Listening to some great music by the Walley's in Auburn on Friday night, celebrating upcoming Harlyn on Saturday, Oktoberfest in Auburn on Saturday night, and celebrating newborn Rowdy on Sunday. And to top it all off, I got some quality time in with my sweet boy.

Dear Vampire Diaries & The Originals:
   I am so, so, SO very happy that y'all visited me through my television last night. Can I just tell you that was the longest few months ever?! And, by the way, I'm over Elenamon and Dead Bonnie. Resurrect that girl and return the heart-throb that is Stefan Salvatore! Please and thank you.

Dear Pure Barre:
   You make me feel so weak. Literally. Weak in class when I have to take a couple-second break and weak when I leave. I seriously didn't think I was going to be able to make it down the three flights of stairs today when returning to work. But, as I'm feeling weak, I'm reminding myself that it's making me STRONGER. So thank you.

Dear Reece Pumpkin Family Size bag:
   601,345,124 calories later, you're gone. I'll have you know you're completely sabotaging my Pure Barre body.

Dear Buckle:
   Thank you so much for changing your jeans sizes and fits. Because of this, I was able to buy a brand new pair of jeans in a size I haven't been able to wear in years--and they're a little loose. I feel like it's a lie because I know full-well I can't squeeze one thigh into the same size jeans from a few years ago, but I'm fine with living a lie for now. It justifies my Reece pumpkin purchases.

I'm a quitter.

 Y'all, I hate to be a quitter, but it's going to have to happen. Normally, I'd press onward since I only have a few more days left of the challenge. However, I've already failed in that it has been well over a month since the start of this challenge.

  I'm not one to complain about being too busy. I love it. But let's get real, I'm too busy to sit down and blog everyday for a month. Okay, I'm sure I could find some time to do it since we all have the same amount of time in a day, and plenty of others have completed the challenge in the allotted time frame. Perhaps I should just say I choose to spend my time doing other things. Like living my life rather than blogging about it.

  Maybe that's why this blog isn't a source of income for me. I'm just not faithful to it. Perhaps my schedule will slow down with the cooling of the temperature. Although, I find that to be doubtful at best.

The Sunday Seven 09.22.13

What I did this week.I spent the first half of the week working in Huntsville and finished it out in Montgomery. I wish I had more fun stuff to report about the weekdays, but ya know, these things happen.

What kept me busy this weekend. This weekend was nothing short of amazing! After three loooonng weeks, I finally got to see my Antonio. I kick-started it by going back to the barre for a fabulous workout that left me in pain for the next couple of days. I stopped by the mall to pick a few things up after work, Anthony surprised me by coming into town early! :) :) We celebrated Jenna's "25th" birthday with her family Friday night. We spent Saturday with my second family at the lake and enjoyed a lazy day at the lake today.

What I'm eating. I've pretty much been alternating days of being a faithful Paleoac. It's crazy hard when I'm on the road because I always want to eat at a local place and get their specialty. It's not so hard when I'm in town. We'll see how I fare this week since I'll be in town the whole time....

What I'm listening to. I found my old Sum 41 cd and have been jamming out to it as of late. Nothing like angry teen music to get your day started.

What I'm looking forward to. I'm looking forward to celebrating little babies next weekend. I will be attending my fair share of showers to show my love and support for my friends' expanding families.

What quote I'm loving.

Day 28: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use YouTube to include them in the post

Day 28: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use YouTube to include them in the post

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross--This is my all time favorite hymn. 

Its words are ever faithful to put things in the right perspective and begs me to refocus.

2.

Danny's Song by Loggins and Messina--As hippie as this song is, it remains one of my all-time favorites. I connect with it because one of the goals for my life is to lead a simple one. This song brings it home.

Best of Me by The Starting Line--My, how I love this song! I first heard it while watching MTV when I was a teeny-bopper (Shh, don't tell Mom. MTV was allowed in our home!). I told one of my best friends about it, and he surprised me with the CD one night after we left a graduation ceremony. 

I'd Love to Lay You Down by Conway Twitty--If I weren't restricted to five songs, there would be many more on the list by Conway. If you know me--even the tiniest bit--you've probably been exposed to my love for Conway. (It must run in the family because Kelly is quite the fan, as well.) So, because I decided to limit him to one, I choose this because it's my favorite. (Well, it's probably tied with Don't Cry Joni.)

Look Away by Chicago--This is another one where I could pick multiple songs from their available albums. However, this is probably my favorite song by Chicago. I can remember listening to this song in the car with my Mom. For some reason, I always think about driving with the windows down on a nice day. Maybe that's a specific memory tied to listening to this song--I'm not sure.

**For the record: I wanted to include a song by the talented Anthony Bianchi but wasn't sure if he'd appreciate it. Just know that it's one of my favorites and deserves a spot on this list--even if it is unofficial.**