Happy Mother’s Day, Mama!

I don’t know about you all, but after reading all the sweet Facebook updates today from all the people wishing their mom a Happy Mother’s Day, I am a blubbering mess!  No clue why this Mother’s Day is making me so emotional…maybe it’s because I am seeing more and more friends have babies and see just how big of a responsibility being a mom can be…maybe it’s because the older I get the closer I become to my mom…maybe it’s because I am not in Knoxville with my mom today and am not able to celebrate with her in person…and maybe it’s because I hope to have a child feel the same way about me one day.

No matter the reason, I realize today that I am a very lucky woman!  I have a mom who is so much more than a mother to me!  I have a mom who I talk to every single day, who I share things with and laugh with and complain with.  I have a mom who will go shopping with me, or help me with any task or undertaking I request.  I have a mom who now treats my husband (and my doggy) like one of her own.  I have a mom who I know beyond a shadow of a doubt puts my siblings and me second only to God.  I have a mom who is my best friend! 

Now for a few pics of my mama and me.  This is my favorite picture of us…it is on my 6th  birthday and my mom is about 8 months pregnant with my sister.  I think she looks so pretty in this picture…she looks exactly like what a mom should…and P.S. I hope I look that good at 8 months preggo one day!

This is my siblings and me with my mom and grandmother.  My grandmother was the other “mom” in my life and one of the reasons my mom is so fabulous!This is Senior Night in high school.  I think my mom and I look so much alike in this picture:As you can see, there is a big gap between high school and all of the following pictures, which obviously happen to be wedding related.  My mom HATES to have her picture made, so this is the best I could do, Ha!

And, before I go, I want to take a minute to wish every mom a Happy Mother’s Day! There isn’t anything easy about being a mom; however, so many of you do it so gracefully, and make it look so easy!  I hope that one day I can be half as poised and confident when being a mom is one of my job titles!

Wedding–Family Photos (Post Ceremony)

Because Patrick and I didn’t see each other before the ceremony, we wanted to take some additional family pics after the wedding.  Here are some of my favorites with my family. 

First up, a family of 5 is now a family of 6:

Next, a sibling pic:Everyone from my family who made the drive to Nashville for the wedding:Patrick and me with my aunt, Carole:

Now, for Patrick’s family…First is a pic of us with his mom:

And a picture of his dad and sister, Kristine!

And another sibling pic with Kristine!

And, last but not least, all of Patrick’s extended family:

Patrick and I are sooooo lucky to have such loving families!  So happy that we get to start our own family traditions to add to all the happy memories we have made with the above people!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

It’s been awhile since I’ve linked up with What I’m Loving Wednesday, so I decided to get back at it today!  Here’s what I’m loving today:

1.  That Steeplechase is this weekend!  I have a love/hate relationship with Steeplechase…every year I feel like I am too old and I declare that this year will be my last…however, I think there is just something so sentimental about it for me…afterall, it was the FIRST Nashville outing I attended when I moved to here back in 2006.  I have to say that I’m really looking forward to going back this year after taking a break from the event in 2012.  Here’s a pic of my beau and me at my last Steeplechase:

2.  That Sunday is a very special day for my Mama!  I hate that I can’t be in East Tennessee to celebrate Mother’s Day with her, but fortunately, I was able to get lots of time with her this past weekend!  She knows I think she’s the best Mama a girl could ask for!

3.  Speaking of East Tennessee…I’m loving that I got tons of cute clothes on my shopping excursion this weekend!  Can’t wait to wear all of my finds!

4.  That next week is my birthday and it appears that my week is jam packed with all kinds of fun birthday celebrations!

5.  And, finally, I’m always loving my beau and my Zo:

What are you loving today?  Can’t wait to find out!

Bridal Party Pics!

So, it looks like I’m finally back on the wedding pictures…and I promise to eventually finish these up.  I have to admit, at this point, I’m mainly documenting this because I want to make sure it’s in here for me in the future…I’m fully aware that the rest of the world has moved on from my wedding…that was almost 10 months ago!  Ha!  Anywhoodle, here are pictures of our bridal party…our best friends!

Patrick and I signing the Marriage Certificate…I guess we really weren’t married until AFTER the ceremony, huh?  =)One of my favorite wedding pictures!Our sweet guest book attendant, Lauren!And our reader, my sweet friend, Elaine!  Fun story about Elaine, her son got married the very next weekend in Colorado, so she and her husband, Ken, flew out of Nashville the next day to get to Fort Collins to prep for his wedding!

Stay tuned next week for more family photos!  Have a great Tuesday, friends!

An East Tennessee Weekend Update!

My weekend started early, as I took Friday off.  I still was up early though to head to Knoxville.  I had to meet my mom for our pedicure appointments!  We had a great time getting our toes ready for sandal weather, then we headed to Market Square to do some shopping.  I just love the Market Square area downtown.  I wish it had been that nice when I worked there! 

That evening, I met Andi, Rob, and sweet Kennedy for dinner.  I love being able to play with this adorable little girl..isn’t she sweet?

Saturday, my mom and I headed out to do a little more shopping…this time we went to West Town Mall.  We shopped ‘til we dropped and then we took our exhausted selves home for some dinner and R&R with my dad. 

Sunday morning, we went to church and then it was time for lunch with my parents and brother.  We had a nice time catching up and then it was time for me to head back to Nashville.  I was sad to leave, but I also missed my beau and my Zo, so it was time to get back.  After heading to the gym for a quick workout, my beau and I decided to head to Las Palmas for dinner…it was, afterall, Cinco de Mayo! 

That’s it for my weekend!  I had a great time, but alas, it’s back to work this morning!  Hope you all have great weeks!

Happiness Project-Work!

This is a very difficult time for many CPAs workwise.  We have just come off of a very busy time and quite frankly, it’s sometimes very hard to get back in the swing of things when you virtually have 5 months before another big deadline.  That’s why I decided this month would be a great one to work on my work guilt.  Here are a few of the changes I plan to make this month:

1.  Wake up every morning at 6:15.  I have a terrible time getting myself out of bed in the morning…in fact, that is 100% of the reason that I am never on time to work.  SO, every work day this month, I plan to get out of bed at 6:15…this should give me more than enough time to get to work by 8:00.

2.  Spend only 15 minutes in the morning getting ready for the day.  For some reason, I always have a hard time getting going in the morning…mainly because of the normal distractions of getting coffee, eating breakfast, and checking e-mail and voicemail.  This month, I resolve to spend only 15 minutes first thing in the morning “getting going.”  After that, it’s time to pick up the first project and get started.

3.  Use the 50/10 rule.  One of my biggest problems is distractions such as e-mail and phone calls coming in.  This month, I resolve to try to stick to the 50/10 rule.  Spend 50 minutes focused on one specific activity.  Then, spend 10 minutes dealing with any tasks that came up during those 50 minutes that could have been distractions.  After that, it’s back to 50 minutes of focus. 

4.  Make a To Do List for the next day before I leave the office at night.  Another issue I always have with getting my day started is not having a clear project in mind to work on when I walk in the door.  My resolution is to take 10 minutes to make a to do list for the next day before I ever leave the office at night.

Here’s to hoping this holds me accountable. 

Happiness Project–March/April Wrap Up!

So, apparently, I’ve had in my head all week that today was the last week of April…not yesterday…SO, this update is a day late.  That’s very fitting seeing as how March and April weren’t the greatest months for me Happiness wise.  I don’t mean that I wasn’t happy because I was…I just mean that I had a very hard time keeping up with the project.  March and early April are pretty self explanatory as to why, but the last half of April I was just plain unmotivated.  I didn’t fail completely, and I still feel very strongly about working on my spirituality.  Let’s review, shall we?

1.  Treat others how I want to be treated.  I think this is one that’s so hard to measure that I don’t know if I will ever feel that I “win” at this one.  I will say that I think much more about what I say, and I try more than I used to treat others how I want to be treated.  However, sometimes I’m sure I still stick my foot in my mouth.

2.  Go to church 2 times during the month.  Well, I made it once…on Easter.  I know, this is pathetic.  I really hope this is something I can do more often during the summer months!

3.  Read The Upper Room devotional every day.  I did this about half of the time.  I think I just had a hard time remembering it every day.  I really enjoyed it most days, so I also intend to keep this going. 

Clearly, I still have a lot of work to do…here’s to next month, right?  Stay tuned tomorrow for the May Happiness Project goals!

101 Things in 1,001 Days

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 1,001 days (well, really 1,003, but who’s counting) since I started my original 101 Things project!  I have to admit that I didn’t come anywhere close to finishing all the items on the list.  Some just weren’t financially feasible, some weren’t feasible because of time constraints, and some I just changed my mind about.  I decided to start a new list that begins tomorrow, May 1, 2013.  This list will be complete on January 26, 2016.  You’ll see that this list is a little on the short side…however, I fully intend to get to 101 items.  I just want to make sure that I include things that really interest me and not just adding items to get to 101!  If anyone is interested in helping/joining me on any of these, please let me know!  I’m always up for partners-in-crime!

1. Arrive at work on time everyday for a month.
2. Exercise 3 times per week for 2 months.
3. Visit the Hermitage.
4. Make a "cookbook" with all of my favorite recipes.
5. Add 3 more states to my "states I have visited" list.
6. Frame my diplomas and hang in my office.
7. Frame my CPA certificate and hang in my office.
8. Find a church in Nashville that I LOVE.
9. Serve a meal to the homeless.
10. Go watch a movie at a Drive-In Theater.
11. Learn to make homemade ice cream from my mother.
12. Fill up my Pandora bracelet with charms.
13. Save a pretty hefty down payment for our house.
14. Either rent or sale Patrick’s house (that we are currently living in).
15. Buy a new house!
16. Give up caffeine for a week.
17. Go on a NashTrash Tour.
18. Take a 1-week Facebook sabbatical.
19. Teach Zoey to "Say the Blessing."
20. Visit Cades Cove again.
21. Take a hike in the Smoky Mountains.
22. Move my old college textbooks out of my parent’s basement.
23. Refinish my Grandmother's cedar chest.
24. Go horseback riding again.
25. Visit the Frist.
26. Have some wedding pictures printed and framed.
27. Complete the Provisional Year of the Nashville Junior League.
28. Have a baby.
29. Buy a new car.
30. Have my wedding dress preserved.
31. Make a “yearbook” for our 1^st anniversary.
32. Make a “yearbook” for our 2^nd anniversary.
33. Make a “yearbook” for our 3^rd anniversary.
34. Change my name on all important documents (i.e. bank accounts, credit cards, passport, etc.)
35. Buy dining room furniture for our house when we buy one.
36. Get to my goal weight.
37. Finish decorating our outdoor seating area.
38. Organize our spare bedroom.
39. Organize our garage.
40. Assemble and ride the bike Patrick got me for Christmas 2012.
41. Create a Home Management Binder to help Patrick and I with organization.
42. Create an Emergency Binder with all of our important documents.
43. Create an Owner’s Manual Binder so they are all in one place.
44. Read The Upper Room devotional every day for a month, without missing a day.
45. Pay for someone’s meal in a fast food drive-thru.
46. Complete all long runs in training for a half marathon.
47. Run another half marathon.
48. Spend a day not looking at my To Do List!
49. See Rock City.
50. Leave the United States again.
51. Go on a picnic.
52. Take Patrick back to Rodizio Grill.
53. Take a Nashville Food Tour.
54. Take a Grand Ole Opry Backstage Tour.
55. Visit the new Music City Center.
56. Volunteer at Second Harvest Foodbank.
57. Eat dinner at The Sushi Train.
58. Eat a meal at Bobbie’s Dairy Dip.
59. Pretend to be in my 20s again and head out to The Stage.
60. Have our letter from President and Mrs. Obama framed.
61. Do something cute with all our wedding cards.
62. Host a Bridesmaids' Reunion to get my girls back together again.
63. Attend a Justin Timberlake Concert.
64. Take a girls' trip.
65. Take a Mother/Daughter trip.
66. Take a photography course...not a "class" but a "course."
67. Visit Circle G Ranch in my hometown of Strawberry Plains, TN.

Weekend Update!

Despite being exhausted and having no energy, this turned out to be a really great weekend!  Friday night Patrick and I just hung out at home and had take out.  I had to get to bed early because on Saturday, I was up EARLY to volunteer at the Mile 10 water station of the Country Music Marathon.  As I left the house that morning, it was pouring rain, and I’ll be honest, it didn’t really let up the ENTIRE time.  Fortunately for us, we were under a bridge most of the time.  I felt so bad for the runners; by the time they waited in the rain for 30 minutes or more for the race to start, and then ran 10 miles, they were soooooo drenched.  However, despite how wet and tired each of these runners had to have been, I was amazed at how many thanked us for coming out and volunteering.  How nice is that? 

Kat and Me before the runners started keeping us busy:

All the water stacked up and ready to hand out:

This guy was the leader at the time he came through Mile 10…so fast!

After I finished volunteering, I took my cold, tired self home to thaw out…it was perfect weather for just laying around and watching TV.  Later that afternoon, Patrick and I ran to the grocery store, then out to dinner for Amber’s birthday!  I tried to take some pics at dinner but my camera died, and I only got one:

On Sunday, Patrick made me breakfast, then I went to see The Big Wedding with Alysia.  We had a fun time!  After running a few other errands, I headed home to cook dinner.  We also put together our new patio furniture!  I am so excited to have a nice area on our deck to relax at the end of the day.  I’m not showing the space until it’s completely finished, but here is what we bought!  I love World Market!

That was it for my weekend…guess it’s back to work I go this morning…only 5 more days until we start it all over again!  Have a great week ladies!

OOTD–Charleston Style

So, I see bloggers doing OOTD (Outfit of the Day) posts all the time.  And since I am really working on doing more mixing and matching in my wardrobe (especially this time of year when the weather is so weird), I decided to post all of my “outfits” during our Charleston trip.  Here goes nothing…

Thursday Evening -- Dinner, Drinks, and General Sight Seeing in Downtown Charleston

• Colorblock Dress and black ballet flats – White House Black Market
• Purse – Coach (circa 2007)
• Sunglasses – Ralph by Ralph Lauren

Friday Daytime – General sightseeing in downtown Charleston/Sullivan’s Island/Isle of Palms

• Split-Neck Sleeveless Dress – Old Navy
• Braided Strap Sandal – Merona via Target
• Sunglasses -- Ralph by Ralph Lauren

Friday Evening – Dinner in Downtown Charleston

• Sloane Colorblock Tank Dress – THML via Stitch Fix (more to come on this at a later date)
• Braided Strap Sandal – Merona via Target
• Purse – Coach (circa 2007)

Saturday Morning – General Sightseeing in Downtown Charelston (cold and rainy) – By dinner that night, I was able to take off the tights and rainboots and switch over to black ballet flats.  This was my least favorite outfit of the weekend, but I needed to stay warm and dry during our Photography Tour.

• Chambray Dress – Old Navy
• Scarf – Random boutique in Notting Hill, London
• Black Tights – Random/Old
• Rainboots – Dizzy via GroopDealz

There you have it!  My attempts and mixing and matching and TRYING not to overpack…