And so it was...

The Giver was finished this weekend at the lake! (Pictures to come) Plus, Pride and Prejudice is well on the way which started at the pool on Monday. I love a great day at the pool. I was only out there with my roommate Lindsay for about an hour, but I just loved it.

I had p-l-e-n-t-y of sunscreen on, to protect my still youthful skin, and read and watched the duck in the pool. So great.

Chapter 8 is waiting to be read when I get home. ALSO - the Mavericks play tonight! Let's Go Mavs!!



Special Addition Blog: Officially Occupied

I've never posted two blogs in one day, but I thought that for an occassion such as this, I should splurge!

I, after 3 1/2 months at my new job, received my Name Plate for my cubicle! I am way too excited about it, but there's just that feeling of rightness associated with it. I also made sure that my other team members received theirs as well. Love it!

Summer Reads

It's almost every summer where I decide that I want to read a lot of books, and it's almost every summer that I fail to do so. However, this summer - we are in BUSINESS. My mom has started reading the classics and so

I thought I would join her. I stopped in at Barnes & Noble yesterday (probably should have gone to Half Priced Books) and

picked up Pride and Prejudice and The Giver.

Does anyone remember The Giver?? Jr. High, 7th Grade?? I really feel like this was the first book to make me question life and the possibility of whether or not it could be different. It's only 179 pages and it's worth the quick read. I'll probably knock it out this weekend. Pride and Prejudice will be another story - I want to read it and then read some literary commentary (too much??)

If you know of any other books I should read, please let me know. I would love some suggestions! Have a great Memorial Day Weekend! 

Workplace Warriors

Our department has successfully invested in:


1. Balance balls to use instead of chairs
2. An excel spreadsheet used as a Food Journal
3. Water bottles that are slightly intimidating
4. AND we walk the stairs at least twice a day! That's TEN flights of stairs.
5. Next, I'll have everyone doing arm workouts at their desks :)

I love this place! Have a great weekend!!!

Weekly Walking Workouts

So my friend Vanessa and I have started walking during our lunch breaks. We used to work together at a well-known Chamber of Commerce in DFW, but have both moved on to explore other avenues of career building. What's great is that we happened to relocate to the same area of town. Her building is literally 0.2 miles from my building. I also think that this quad was made just for us (see below) because it is EXACTLY 1 mile and I'll guarantee the developers made it that way so that Vanessa and I could enjoy walks in the Spring.

So Vanessa and I started, this week, to walk the block twice - which gives us two miles of walking followed by a climb up the stairs in our buildings. It's the perfect lunch break. You walk, climb stairs, and still have time to enjoy lunch at your desk. I'm sure once Summer is in full swing, we won't be so lucky with enjoyable weather. No one likes a sweaty co-worker! We'll just need to come prepared with a change of clothes and a way to freshen up!

Also, I have been aiming to drink 64 ounces of water each day. This is not an easy task - especially when I'm a huge fan of Diet Coke. So, I have invested in this beauty and now my kidneys will love me forever! Plus, it's kind of like a game! How much water can I drink??...this much!!

TOP 5 Websites

Here's to another slow day at the office. Don't get me wrong, I've done quite a bit of work, but it's still a slow day. I thought I'd share with you my 5 most frequently visited Websites that get me through days like this one. I will need to state that I do not frequently purchase anything - but I seriously look at these almost every day.

First stop:

I like West Elm because it is very likely that I'll stop by and pick up some items for the new apartment. **FYI: West Elm is owned by the same company as Pottery Barn and William Sonoma.** The west elm look is a little more modern but still welcoming. I love it!

Second venture:

Oh how I wish it wasn't so pricey. It's not entirely outrageous in price and the quality of their merchandise is great, but I'm not able to shop here as frequently as I'd like. So pottery barn is where I stop to find new ideas and decorative tricks. Then I head on over to Home Goods!!

Third destination:      KATELOVEPHOTOGRAPHY

I check it once a day just to look at Kate's blog and website to see if there's anything new that I might have possibly missed...it's always a GREAT day when there are new pictures up!

Fourth hot spot:   

 Forever 21

They have some GREAT dresses (for cheap, cheap, cheap) right now. We're talking $12.80 finds that look more like Urban Outfitters. So I check out their "Now in Stock" page and get to searching...(i just love it!)

Fifth visit (but never my last of the day):

Alright - I've decided after many months to share with you my secret fabric website. They would not be happy to know that I haven't been sharing, so I feel as though I should promote them. They have a LOT of designer fabrics at really really resonable prices. So if you have a project coming up and you're looking for certain shades, textures and different fabrics - then this is your website! They have a "color grid" you can look at and it'll show you designs that match and complement each other. It's so fun and I spend a lot of time on here. So go have a peek!! The company is owned by a couple who love to sell fabric and they ship your order, usually, the same day you order. I love them!

Other websites that I check out:
http://www.thevillagechurch.net/
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.stylemepretty.com/
http://www.gmail.com/
http://www.gap.com/

Good Friend & Colleague

This is my phone Phoebe. While I've only known her for three months, she's been a gem. She doesn't ever ring, because I don't do much, doesn't disturb my day or interrupt my thoughts. If she ever wants my attention, it's because a friend or family member is on the line which is always welcomed. She's just so quiet and accomodating with her polite and poised manner. She's a great office supply asset to my team and enhances the clutter on my desk beauty within my cubicle. She is my phone Pheobe, and I've grown to love her.

Solitare!!

Oh wow, I play a LOT of solitare these days. There is something soothing about this game that makes me so relaxed. When you don't win, you just start a new game! It's great - fairly mindless - and helps speed up the day when you've got some down time at the office. Check out your phone for this free app because I've got to tell you - it's amazing!

Just don't play for too long - your contacts will start to dry out and then it's just such a hassel...my stats are below. I'm clearly not proclaiming to be "good" at Solitare, just that I enjoy it!

Ephesians 4:22-24

²²to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

I want to remember this verse this week. I so often become self-centered and prone to wander that I ignore the newness that God has given me through Christ.

Summer Wishes

Summer is just around the corner and I thought I'd put together a Summer Wish List! Since I'm no longer in college and don't have the flexiblity to enjoy lazy summer days, I want to make it a point to still enjoy the Texas heat.

1. At least 10 pool days - It's hard to make it to the pool enough in the summer these days. There is always something to do or get done. But this summer I'm being optomistic and hoping for at least 10 summer days.

2. River Trip 2011 - oh BOY, I want to go float the River in San Marcus, TX so bad! I love waking up early and heading out to the river to sit for a couple of hours. It's always so much better when there are a lot of people to go with you too.

3. Beach Trip - I'm not completely opposed to Galveston this year, but I would most definitely want to head to Gulf Shores again! So much fun!

4. Lake House Trip - Time in the lake is the best. I love being on a boat!

5. Museum of Natural Science in Dallas - Dinosaur exhibit! This is a must see this summer. A chance to get out of the heat a little bit and enjoy history!

6. A nice weekend in Austin would be great - Luckily there's a wedding in July that will get me down there! This will be such a great weekend to celebrate with friends and to see the city.

7. Train for a 10K - I'll hopefully start this pretty soon and work my way to a scheduled race in August. If you have any suggestions of races to run, let me know!

8. Take more pictures - I just want to take more pictures and figure out my new camera!

9. Make homemade Ice Cream - this would be so FUN!

10. Summer Movie Nights - outside or inside, I don't care. I just want to embrace the relaxing element of summer!

Here's to a warm summer in Dallas, TX!

Etsy Metsy

SO - this past weekend I went to the Dallas Etsy Craftshow where a lot of Dallas Etsy folks were displaying their creations for sale. I got an email from this girl who makes pretty cool clothe cards and I was instantly so glad I put my name on her mailing list, or I would have missed this. Anyway, I ran into a pair of women who's company is called Jane Joss and they are fabric florists!! I bought these two REALLY cute flowers that I currently have in my bathroom and smile every time I look at them. They are cute, textured, and they aren't dying!

And I must add that they were each $12, which I happen to think is completely fair for the professionalism of the product. I wanted to buy some of their other styles but - I didn't. Would have been a GREAT mother's day gift! In fact, maybe I could get them rushed to me just in time. You should think about it too...

The best part of Saturday was that Michael went with me :) So sweet of him to embrace my interest in crafts. We also landed ourselves at the Dallas Farmer's Market and found some decent sushi and Gelato!!

Hearing hassels...

There is this woman who works on my floor and her office is a clear 500 ft from my cubicle and she's so loud. She's, for the most part, very nice and really cares a lot about our company and her role here. Today, however, she had a meeting in the conference room that is just on the other side of my wall. Man, oh man, is she loud. I heard every syllable she shared with her team. The good thing that came out of the hour long distraction was that my team sat and looked at each other for about 15 minutes in disbelief. That led to discussions of people we know who are believed to have hearing challenges. The art of a whisper was discussed for about 10 minutes and it was pretty funny. I just thought I'd share with you today a little daily encounter that happens here. I hope your May has started off on the right foot...