Clove

This is my first official blog post from work and I feel like I should be in trouble right now...oh well. Well we have a new addition to our household--Clove. We really didn't want another cat, but I found a litter of 3 kittens hiding in the bushes in front of our aparment 2 weeks ago. It was freezing outside and they were just shaking and I couldn't stand it. So to make a long weekend story short...we trapped the kittens and the mom (it took awhile) and took them to the Humane Shelter. They wouldn't take them b/c they weren't hurt or abused, so we were stuck with them and nowhere else was open to take them to. We ended up putting the little kennel of cats in our guest bathroom bathtub with some beach towels under it. We kept them there overnight and I decided to play with them since they were there. I pick up my favorite kitten and Mark walked in, saw it, and told me that we needed to keep it. :/ I took him the next morning to the vet, came back, and took the other cats to the Bartlett Animal Shelter. They wouldn't take them either b/c I wasn't a Bartlett resident..so I got my grandmother who lives in Bartlett and she filled out the paperwork and they are now safely there. Raising a kitten that is 5 weeks is old SO much work. We initially had to bottle feed and potty train him. I swear I do not know how women handle having babies...I can barely handle this kitten. He is really cute though so it kind of makes it all worth it. :)

Moving on...we (well, me mostly) are really looking forward to our first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. I've been watching the weather religiously to make sure that it's going to be cold on Thanksgiving b/c if it's hot I get really cranky. ha I'm going to be bringing homeade mashed potatoes and a caramel apple pie this year. The pie is a new recipe so we'll see how it goes. :) Soon I will begin working on our homeade Christmas presents this year but I can't say anything more b/c they're a secret. :) We also went to Chattanooga last weekend at a bed and breakfast there just to relax for a little bit. After going to a bed and breakast, I'm not sure I ever want to go back to a hotel ever again. The people who work at bed and breakfasts treat you like family. You come into your room with fresh robes chocolate covered strawberries awaiting you. Then you have turndown service...a 3 course breakfast...what more can you ask for??

Mark and I are wanting to take a holiday picture for our Christmas cards this year, but we're wondering if we get a friend to take the picture for us or if we set the timer on a camera? How do most people take Christmas card pictures?? We're obviously newbies at this. :)

23rd Birthday =$23 for charity:water

Hey everyone, Mark here! I'm turning 23 on December 15 and am donating my birthday to charity:water. Pretty much that means I do not want gifts, but instead for you to give $23 to charity:water for their work around the world.

You can donate by clicking here. 

I can smell the holidays a'comin

I know I know...we are not the world's most steady bloggers. We blog sporadically and it needs to end. My aunt informed me a few weeks ago that I needed to update and I forgot again. I promise to do better! *fingers crossed* Mark and I have been ridiculously busy the past few months. Mark's store has slowly been improving, but it will soon be insanely busy since it's almost the holiday season. He spoke last month at a little conference called Ignite Memphis where people are chosen to speak for 5 min. about ways to improve Memphis. I've been working hard at Morgan Keegan and been enjoying married life so much. :) We both agree that being married is just getting better and better as times goes on.

Now I know my sister will understand and appreciate this, but we started decorating our apartment for Christmas last night. Yes I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet but I just can't help myself! I want to enjoy our Christmas decorations longer than 4 weeks, plus it's one less thing I have to worry about once it gets really busy near Christmas. This year I decorated the tree and bought the ornaments from the Dollar Tree because they're cheap and in case the kitties want to play with the tree, they don't break. I'm going to take pictures of everything once I finish. :) Christmas and Thanksgiving this year are more special than ever because it's our first Christmas as a married couple. I never imagined how much different the holidays become when you are married. Everything is more sentimental because you know you'll be starting traditions that'll last for a long time. I want to fill our home with the warm smells of cookies baking and soup simmering. Speaking of cookies--I'm baking some Earl Gray Tea cookies right now. I found them on www.realsimple.com. They are very low calorie (I think 44 calories a serving) and are not too sweet...and perfect with tea of course.

We also bought little holiday kitty collars for the cats and 10 min. after putting them on we took them off. It didn't go over to well. Mark and I have been eagerly anticipating the fall and winter weather--basically since September. We are both cold weather people and love to bundle up in the cold. We are planning on going to a bed and breakfast somewhere in Chattanooga sometime in November to get away for the weekend. Perhaps it will be our new pre-holiday tradition to get away before everything gets crazy. A tradition we started last year was to go to Waffle House on Christmas morning for breakfast. Surprisingly enough, it's really packed too! We decided that a tradition we want to start for Thanksgiving is to buy cards for each other and write down what we are most thankful for one in another and thank God for blessing up so much.  

Now that it's getting colder, it means that it's time for a few things:

1. Time to buy wood for the fireplace at Kroger.

2. Time to turn off the heat and pile on the blankets.

3. Because we keep it so cold, the kitties are usually on one of us trying to stay warm by the time we wake up in the morning .

4. Time to remember to put your robe by the shower or else the dreaded LEAP to the robe where every part of your body is wet and cold occurs and you are miserable for the rest of the morning.

5. Time for yummy drinks such as: mulled apple cider, hot chocolate, and latte's.

6. Time to plan out your holiday gift list (I even wrote out a whole list of everyone's names we needed to get gifts for at work..yes I am very productive). :)

7. Time to bring out scarves, gloves, boots, sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets.

8. For girls, time to switch to a heavier moisturizer because the cold weather dries out your skin.

9. Time to lather on lotion more heavily than usual to prevent really dry skin.

10. Time to watch all the cheesy Christmasy movies (Peanuts movies are my favorite!!!).

11. Time to find Mark a stocking b/c as of now, both kitties have one and I have two all hanging up on the mantel...two Olivia's and 2 kitty stockings...I don't look selfish at all right? (One of my stockings is in place of his soon to be stocking so don't judge me haha).

12. Time to buy tins at the Dollar Tree to put all my Christmas baked goodies in.

13. Time to hit the gym harder and run longer outside to burn off those Christmas goodies.

That's all I have for now, but keep expecting more things soon. :)

Weekend Update

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. Life has been pretty hectic recently. This weekend I had some decorating adventures that even included me going to Walmart...somewhere I haven't been in years. Although I know that Target is more expensive , I would much rather spend the extra money than go to Walmart. I know it sounds snobby, but I really just don't like it. But I was needing some picture frames for a few projects that I'm working on, and for my diploma that finally got its own frame.

Here is the first project I did...it is a collection of Starbucks gift cards glued on to cardboard and put in a poster frame (which I originally got for something else, but it didn't fit). I apologize for the flash on ALL these pictures...I'm not a photographer by any means.

The next project I did involved a calendar my mom gave me last Christmas that has a bunch of old timey food posters. I bought some frames and here you go! I made three of 3, but this is just one.

Then I went fall crazy at Walmart and bought all these really fun fall decorations. By the way, they have really great smelling candles for $3-5. I got Carmel Apple Spice and Pumpkin. The table cloth I bought, well, it doesn't really fit right. I think it's supposed to be for an oblong table, but oh well. You can't tell in the picture anyways. :)

Oh and this tablecloth was only $9 too! What a bargain!

Hope you guys have a great week!

New Painting

I finally finished my painting! It was a picture I found online and decided to paint. I tweeked it a little to make it my own, but I really like it!

Weekend Update

Hello all! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far, minus the horrible heat outside. I'm sure all of Memphis is counting down the days until fall weather starts to creep in. That is probably one of my favorite seasonal feelings: you wake up one morning during early fall right before the temperatures have started to drop and walk outside to realize that you need a jacket! Then the nights are cooler and that wonderful fall smell comes. I'm not sure I'm able to capture that smell in words...maybe smokey, sweet, and crisp. Yankee Candle needs to bank on that idea and make a candle called "Fall" and it would be a hit seller. I've been so excited about fall coming that I've been purposefully been using up our summery scented candles so I can buy new fall and winter ones!  

Mark's Starbucks store's air conditioning unit broke this afternoon and the store is now at 95 degrees. I predicted the response of his district manager perfectly too. The correct response: you should close the store immediately. The actual response (predicted by me): you should just get some fans. Ugh...really? I feel badly for the baristas working there. When I worked at my old store that happened and amidst the heat were the awful customers complaining about it. Speaking of good ol' Starbucks, I have to go and work a 4 hour shift tomorrow morning which is odd considering I don't work there anymore. But hey, my manager worked very hard to get my shifts covered so I could start at Morgan Keegan so I suppose it's the least I could do right?

Speaking of Morgan Keegan, I'm still loving the job. I'm happy to say that I'm out of my first week of work. Now I'm a somewhat familiar face and know a little more what I'm supposed to do. Today Mark and I ran some errands and went to a Street Team Meeting for OBS. I was excited about be able to go to church tomorrow, but I can't because of that 4 hour shift I have to work. Oh well, such is life...and it's the last time too. Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Job Update

See the big brown building on the left? That's right! That's where I work now! Today I just finished my second day and my brain is in overload mode. I've already reached that 'I'm so lost' to 'I think I'm kind of getting this' to 'I can't even comprehend what I'm being told right now...words going in...out...' Tomorrow I'm going to try and do things on my own instead of observing so we'll see how well this goes. I've already missed the turn to leave my floor, gotten on the wrong elevator, and walked into the wrong department. So yes, I am ready for the whole first week "fun" to be over with. It's hard coming from a job where you are one of the people in charge and knows what to do to not knowing anything or anyone. It has been really wonderful to wake up around 6 and not have to wear nasty black or white polos and a green apron  anymore. The best part of my week by far (and yes, it's only day 2) is that I don't have to deal with customers or clients. I love it!

Mark has been enjoying his  new car. He keeps telling me that it's weird coming home and not seeing me taking a nap. Oh, and I have to thank my awesome brother-in-law Stephen for lending me his extra iBook G4 since my old laptop died. Does anyone want to buy a broken Macbook for its parts maybe??

The kitties have not yet adjusted to my new schedule. They in fact still want to be fed at 4am and will not leave me alone until I do. I'm ready for fall by the way!