Not Me!

Good things come to those who wait. I have no idea who said that, but whoever it was, he or she was right on. I worked hard this past week at my job, and finally, before I knew it, Friday had arrived. I worked right up until 5 pm, offered a "Merry Christmas" to my boss, and flew out of there as soon as I could. Finally... Christmas break! It was a great feeling.

I blinked, and suddenly it was Saturday. and then Sunday. The church service at Friendship Baptist was great; awesome music, uplifting sermon, Christmas carols sung by adorable kiddos.

After church, Justin and I had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant with Tim and Shannon, Justin's brother and his wife. Tummies full, we all headed to Justin's parents' house to practice target shooting with Tim's new pistol that he got from his loving wife for Christmas.

I did not, on Sunday afternoon, shoot a handgun for the very first time ever in my life. I *certainly* did not scream like a little girl after it went off, and you KNOW I didn't turn around and point it haphazardly in the direction of the crowd of onlookers while it was still loaded. Nope, not me. I am MUCH too smart for any of that business.

The good news is, I didn't shoot anybody. :) And I learned my lesson: always, always be aware of where you're pointing a loaded gun. Don't worry guys, I'll do better next time. Promise.

What have you not been up to this week? Go ahead! Go write a "Not Me Monday" post of your very own and link to MckMama's blog. Come on, you know you want to!

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For Your Enjoyment

Does the chilly winter weather ever make you want to just curl up in front of a nice, cozy fire?

Well, here you go.

You're welcome.

One week 'til Christmas! :)

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Christmas Confessions

As you already know, I love Christmas. It's my favorite time of year. If I could move to the North Pole and live with the Clauses, I would. The only problem is, all the joy and cheerfulness always comes with one little problem: the FOOD. This is always the time of year when I get the mentality that "Christmas calories don't count" (as I saw so craftily painted on a cookie platter at Cracker Barrel recently). I cook and bake more, and I sit my booty on the couch with something delicious and munch, and munch, and munch some more.

Now, if you are one of those people who is lucky enough not to have to count your calories, please take a moment and thank the good Lord for your good genes. I most definitely do not fall into that category. Since I was young, it has been a struggle to keep that number on the scale in a healthy range. And it sure doesn't help that I love to eat - especially sweet things, and especially during the holiday season! It's hard to find that balance where you can still enjoy the things you love, and not overdo it. I'm thinking the secret is either moderation, or exercise, or maybe a combination of both.

So, why am I sharing this little confession with all of my blog readers? So glad you asked. Well, I have found in the past that when I let others in on these types of things, I am more likely to follow through and be accountable. Know what I mean?

Since no time is better than the present, I'm not going to pull my usual "Well, I'll start doing such-and-such on Monday, blah blah blah" deal. I'm starting with right now, today. My original plan was to take my dog, Ellie, on a walk around the neighborhood this afternoon (Daisy, my little girl, can't quite handle the chilly weather for long, so she gets most of her exercise inside), but then it started raining, and who wants to walk in the rain? Not this girl. So, I think Plan B will be to bring out the Tae-Bo DVD that has been gathering dust for the past however-many months since I last used it.

This time around, I'm leaving the "d" word out of it, because I hate the whole "diet" mentality, where you kick your butt for a temporary length of time, and then finally break down and go nuts, falling right back into your old habits again. I'm still going to enjoy the holidays, and sample all the things I love; I just don't want to gain all the weight back that I've lost over the past couple years (about 20 pounds, give or take a few). I want to be healthy and happy, at the same time.

Aristotle was on to something when he said, "Everything in moderation." From here on out, I'm going to do my best to live up to that motto, and not overdo it during the remainder of the Christmas season. Sprinkle in a little exercise, and hopefully I won't kick off the new year by making yet another health-related resolution.

Who's with me?!

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TGIF!

Enjoy! Happy Friday, all. Have a fantastic weekend!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

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Not Me! Monday

I first discovered "Not Me! Monday" from Melanie at Adorkable Me, and once I started reading MckMama's blog, where the whole "Not me" thing originated, I found myself glued to her site for hours. I just had to know more about this lady's incredible journey. If you've never been to her blog, you really should check it out!

So, without further ado, my very first Not me! Monday post.

*ahem*

I definitely did not come home from work tonight and immediately slip into my jammies at around 6 pm. Nope! And I most certainly did not eat so many homemade Christmas cookies that I didn't have room for a proper dinner. Not me!

I sure don't have so much love for the holidays that I practically sing Christmas carols in my sleep, and I don't complain about the warmish weather in South Carolina this time of year. Nope. I would NOT much rather be bundled up like an eskimo, waddling through a foot of snow. Not me! I am totally NOT a silly, giddy little child on the inside when it comes to Christmas. :)

If you want to write your own Not me! Monday post and link to MckMama's blog, click the adorable button below!

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Santa Came Early!

This beauty is at home right now, waiting for me to come introduce myself.

I. am. so. excited! More to come. ;)

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Word Cloud

Just a little something fun. Head over to Wordle to get your own word cloud!

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Out with the Old, In with the New

Thanksgiving was grand. I ate way too much of some of the best home-cooked food I've had in a long time, and spent time with some pretty great people. There were 10 people around the Thanksgiving "table" (although most of us ate in the living room), and I think I speak for all of us when I say that everyone had a wonderful time. Little Emily, of course, was the life of the party, and we followed her around, taking pictures of her cuteness and giggling at the "sentences" she put together. She does this thing now where she sounds very much like an adult in her tone, but babbles on about who-knows-what, looking at you with this expression that says "you got all that?" It's great. :) Her vocabulary is pretty large for a little one her age, though, and she is constantly throwing out words none of us knew she was capable of!

Between all the food, the family, the football, and the fall colors (had to throw in another "f" there), Thanksgiving turned out to be pretty awesome.

And, let's not forget the whole point of the holiday - giving thanks. There really is so much to be thankful for, as Justin and I discussed on our way home from a delicious turkey dinner. We have some of the best friends and family anyone could ask for, and we have each other. We also have an upcoming trip to look forward to, which is making me super duper excited... are you ready? Here goes:

WE'RE GOING TO MICHIGAN FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

You have NO idea how happy this makes me. We originally thought that we wouldn't be able to afford a trip up there for the holidays, but when Justin found out that for once, he actually has a pretty busy work schedule throughout the upcoming winter, we decided to go for it. We will be driving all the way there in one day (a first for us) on Christmas day (another first), and will be staying with my family through New Year's Day. I am SO looking forward to snow, and precious time with family, and trying out our fantastic Christmas present to each other (which will be described in a later post... stay tuned!).

So, now that Thanksgiving is over, it's officially time to put up your Christmas trees, buy those presents, drape your house in lights, crank up that Christmas music (if you haven't tried Pandora, you really should) and start your countdowns to the BEST (in my opinion) day of the WHOLE year! Enjoy the new layout, and Happy Holidays, everyone! It won't be here for long, so let's enjoy every second of it!

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Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for so many things.

My amazing husband who really does love me in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, through thick and thin.

Our beautiful home, with a warm, cozy bed and a big backyard where the dogs can play.

The wonderful people who show me warmth and hospitality when I can't be with my own family on special days.

The fact that I am blessed in so many ways; that God always provides, always forgives, always loves.

For all these things, and many more, I am thankful.



Love and Lattés,

Katie

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Concussed

I have often complained that my life is a little too monotonous. The past couple days, I would have easily taken monotony over the unwanted excitement that took place in our house.



Tuesday night was the same as any other night. We watched a movie, I snacked on popcorn and a strawberry shortcake bar, and we went to bed at a decent time, ready to wake up at 5:30 for our respective jobs. Around 1:45 am, I woke up feeling a bit "off." I walked into the bathroom, felt a little dizzy for a moment, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in an awkward position on the tile floor. It took me a few minutes to catch my bearings and figure out how I had gotten from the bed to the bathroom floor (it wasn't until later that I remembered ever getting up to go to the bathroom). All I remember is that my head hurt, and I felt very weak and clammy. I called for Justin several times, but he couldn't hear me over our noisy bedroom fan.



Now, I have passed out before - I am slightly hypoglycemic, so I'm almost certain this was blood sugar related - but it wasn't the passing out that caused me to have the worst night, ever. It was the fact that I hit my head on the way down - HARD - likely on the tile floor, which has a concrete slab directly beneath it. Right after the fall, I was confused and in pain, but besides a bump on my forehead, I thought I was fine.



Not an hour later, I was gripped with SEVERE nausea, and ended up getting VERY sick in the bathroom several times. It was awful.



A trip to the doctor the next morning confirmed the conclusion Justin and I had come to mutually - I had given myself a concussion. This is a first for me, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I can handle pain, but nausea is a whole other story. And when you mix the two together... it's pretty miserable, to say the least.



Today, I am taking my second day off work to rest and drink fluids, and am already starting to feel better. Looks like I'm going to make it. :)



I have to mention that throughout this whole adventure, Justin has been absolutely incredible. He got up to help me walk to the bathroom all through the night when I was feeling sick, brought me water and medicine, and always made sure I was as comfortable as I could be. I am so lucky to have such an awesome husband.



Now, if I can just clean up this mess of a house enough that I won't scare away my mother-in-law and baby niece who are coming to bring me lunch in a couple hours!



More to come.



Love and Lattés,



Katie

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Grown-up Birthdays

You know what I've never been able to figure out? How to solve a Rubik's Cube. But that isn't the point of this blog entry.



I've never been able to figure out why grown-ups aren't allowed to be giddy about their birthdays. Christmas isn't just for kids, and neither are birthdays! We all have them, they only come around once a year, and they're just plain fun! What other day do people come up to you and wish you an awesome day? I mean, really?



Since I was a little kid, I have made a big deal about birthdays. The word "birthday" becomes an adjective, and goes in front of every noun I use that day. For example: "I am putting on my birthday pants so I can go to my birthday job." See what I mean? Suddenly I'm thinking I shouldn't be sharing this much. :) Seriously though, I think I have come to a grown-up conclusion as to why I get *so* excited over days like my birthday and Christmas. First of all, leaving Michigan was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and anything that gives me an excuse to think back on family memories and remember years worth of good times, is a good thing. Secondly, my parents have always encouraged mine and my siblings' excitement, gladly adopting the "birthday as an adjective" thing and playing along.



Really, though.. most of our lives are a series of very small peaks and valleys, without a lot of change. That stagnancy drives me a little crazy sometimes. So, call me silly, but when I see an opportunity to have a rockin' day, even if it means people might look at me sideways, gosh darn it I'm going to seize that opportunity!



And speaking of which... has anybody noticed that we're almost halfway through November? Holy COW... the holidays are COMING!!



More to come. :)



Love and Lattés,



Katie

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Boo!

Happy Belated Halloween! This year was a lot of fun for me. I hope you had a great time, too! On Friday, I dressed up for work.

My vampire getup won me "honorable mention" at our company costume contest. Woohoo! It was pretty awesome.. my boss even let me "bite" his neck (I really just draped my cloak over him and squirted his neck and my mouth with fake blood), and the results were fantastic. What a fun afternoon!

On Halloween night, I was on candy duty, passing out treats to the little ghouls and goblins of the neighborhood. We didn't see very many, but it was still completely awesome to be able to see trick-or-treaters for the first time since we got married. Finally, we're in a house now, and it makes everything that much cooler!

So, there you have it. Halloween was great! Now, November - and the holidays - are upon us, and I couldn't be more excited. It's the most wonderful time of the year! YAY!

More to come. :)

Love and Lattés,

Katie

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If you can't put it into words...

...then let someone else say it for you. :) Here are a few of my favorite poems on autumn. I just love this time of year! Enjoy.

Nature XXVII, Autumn

by Emily Dickinson

The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown;

The berry's cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold,

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Ode to Autumn

by John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.



Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?

Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find

Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,

Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,

Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook

Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:

And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep

Steady thy laden head across a brook;

Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,

Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.



Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?

Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--

While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;

Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn

Among the river sallows, borne aloft

Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft

The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;

And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.





Love and Lattés,



Katie

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10 Happy Things

Sorry, once again, for my lack of posts lately! I have been trying to balance an odd combination of being busy and incredibly bored, and haven't had much to report in a while. Since I have had a lot on my mind, and have really been trying to focus on the blessings in my life, I thought I would share 10 things that currently make me happy. So, without further ado, my 10 happy things:

1.My sweet hubby drew this and e-mailed a photo from his phone while he was out of town for work. :) I just love him.

2. Funfetti cookies. Seriously.

3. Being able to Facebook with family and friends all over the world.

4. My adorable - and genius - little niece who is constantly saying and doing new things. When she calls me "Tatie," it warms my heart.

5. The cool fall breeze we have had lately is just lovely.

6. A coworker brought me fresh honey from her parents' farm, and it is to die for!

7. I recently had a conversation with an atheist friend, and came out feeling even more strongly about the things I believe -- God is good.

8. I have already bought my Halloween costume, and am excited to dress up at work for the second year in a row (did someone say costume contest??)

9. I am in love with my new, red sweater from Old Navy.

10. We just bought Snow White and Pinocchio on Blu-Ray, and Justin hasn't seen either one yet! There's nothing to cheer you up like a Disney classic. :)

What makes you happy?

Love and Lattés,

Katie

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FALLing in Love

Fall, being my favorite season, brings out my creative side. I am at my best when I'm doing something that uses the right side of my brain, and for some reason, this time of year I get the urge to create. I cook and bake more, I find little craft projects to do, and lately, I sew! My latest project was a doggie bed, which I made out of a cute, paw-printed fabric and the stuffing from an old pillow. I made a do-it-yourself oval shaped pattern out of wrapping paper, and made a simple two-sided pillow for Daisy to sleep on in her crate. (Picture coming soon!)



Now that I'm finished with that little project, I'm trying to decide what to do next. Since Halloween is only a few short weeks away, I have been googling costume ideas and pumpkin carving designs like crazy. I haven't made any decisions yet in those areas, but when I do, I'll be sure to share my ideas.



Aside from my fascination with autumn, there is not much to report. Justin and I have both been busy with work, and are only able to see each other about three days a week until his current project is over. I apologize for my lack of blogging, and promise I will come up with something more interesting to write about soon. :)



Have a great week, everybody! Enjoy this beautiful time of year!



Love and Lattés,



Katie

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