A Reward Will Be Offered....

..... to anyone who can help me make a decision on which area rug to purchase for my living room.  

I have hardwood floors, and I am in desperate need of a rug.  My couch is black leather and the room itself is a bit dark.  The walls are a neutral color, too, so I want to add a lot of brightness and color with my accessories.  I am thinking either lime green or yellow.  I tend to like contemporary style with some fun designs.  At first I couldn't find ANYTHING.. and now I've found so many I'm having a hard time narrowing it down.  

So, here are some of the ones I have found.  Let's take a vote, ok? Let me know which ones you like the best/least/etc. and we'll go from there.

#1-- This one is very simple but I like the clean lines and the colors.

#2-- This one is clearly not bright, but I love the design.

#3-- This one's not bright either but you can't really go wrong with zebra.

#4- I like the purple but still not as bright as I want.

#5-  This is closer to what I'm looking for but I don't love the design.

#6 - I think this is one of the closest ones to what I was looking for.

#7 - I love this one, but wish there were less grey and more yellow.

#8 -- again, I like this one but wish it were brighter.

#9-- I love this one but am actually considering using purple in my bedroom.  

#10- This one isn't as contemporary, but I love it and the price is good.

#11-- I LOVE this one

#12- this one is modern and fun

#13- Frankly, I can't even tell what this says but it looks cool.

In case it helps... here's a picture of my couch so you can see what I'm trying to contrast against.  It's black leather and a bit masculine. I plan on using different throw pillows too.. those are just the ones that came with the couch.

Best Thanksgiving Ever...

I may have had the best thanksgiving of my life this year. You don't really learn gratitude for your friends and family until you are apart from them. I genuinely enjoyed every moment of my trip home to Kentucky.

My flight was incredibly uneventful. Based on my travel experiences from last year on Thansgiving Eve, I decided to wait until early Thursday morning to fly home. Both my connection flight to Charlotte and my flight to Lexington arrived early...That is unheard of (at least in my experiences)!

My mom brought Jackson with her to the airport to pick me up and he was so excited he didn't know what to do with himself. He wouldn't leave my arms the entire hour car ride home.

Immediately upon arrival, I stopped to visit my dad then went with mom to her side of the family's thanksgiving. We had a great time and had lots of good food too.

Friday was an extra special day because dad and I got to meet my brand new baby cousins Thomas and Truman. They are so cute! Truman is the calm one and Thomas is more spunky.

Truman

 I was excited to get to hold both babies, and I even got to feed Truman.

Saturday was my mom's thanksgiving and even my Christmas! Gotta love family time and early presents. I don't know what got into me.. but I didn't take any pictures.

Sunday morning was a bittersweet "see you later" with my dad and Jackson. It was way hard.  As I was packing my bag, Jackson knew something was up and started lying on top of my stack of clothes so I couldn't pack.  It made me sad but at the same time was super cute.  Thankfully for my handy dandy iPhone, I was able to capture that cuteness too.

My mom and Levi drove back up with me to New York to bring the rest of my belongings.  I very much enjoyed having them visit me in NY and see where I'm living.  They had SUCH a great time.  They've already explored more of Long Island than I have (in just one day).  They also ventured into the city and took a tour.  I'm so glad they had fun and made it home safely.  It was hard to say goodbye to them too.

All in all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude this holiday season.  I may very well have the best friends and family in existence and I hope than any of you reading this know how much you mean to me!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

It's officially my one month anniversary as a New Yorker.  Well, let's face it.. I'm still not a New Yorker, so I should say... it's my one month anniversary of residing in New York.  I'll always be a Kentucky girl.

I'm still amused at how much everyone I meet loves my accent.  I'm still not used to hearing people say cawfee (coffee) and I don't think I ever will get used to it.  I also don't think I'll ever get used to the insane traffic and crazy drivers.  One day it was raining slightly and it added a good 20-30 minutes to my commute b/c people had no idea what they were doing.  I'm told that it's even worse in snow.  Great.

Besides traffic and crazy accents, I LOVE it here.  There's a whole lot to do (obviously) and I am so ready to be completely settled so I can start enjoying the scenery more.  My job is incredible.  I am loving being an analyst because it really allows me to be the nerd that I am.  I literally dreamed about a spreadsheet last night and woke up happy... I'm not joking.  I know I'm not normal.  The best part is that I'm not stuck behind spreadsheets and numbers ALL the time.  I get a lot of interaction with others and there's definitely a big teamwork emphasis, which I love.  When I chose to study business, I envisioned my career to look something like me sitting in a room with really smart people coming up with awesome ideas and then going off and implementing them.  Now that I get to do that... I'm loving it.

My apartment still isn't anywhere close to what I want it to look like. It's been a long process with getting furniture delivered, etc. and I still have basically nothing decorated.  My couch is being delivered tomorrow so I'm trying to get the last of my things unpacked and organized so I'll have room for everything.  It's definitely interesting having so little space when I was used to having my own house.  I like it though. Cleaning is SO easy and quick.. and frankly, I'm just one person.. I don't need a ton of space to live.  I plan on getting a lot of my decor, etc. when I go home for Thanksgiving this week, so that will make this place feel more like home.  Also, I'm just REALLY excited to see everyone at home.


I know this blog is super long (I wouldn't have this problem if I'd update more through the week, right?!) but I also want to briefly talk about HOW MUCH FUN I had at a Foo Fighters and Social Distortion concert this week.  It was this past Monday at The Rock (Prudential Center) in Newark, New Jersey.  The Rock happens to be where the New Jersey Nets play currently, but they are moving to Brooklyn next year.  We had general admission floor tickets so we got to stand pretty close to the stage.  I was worried that people would be all crazy and pushing/shoving but it wasn't really the case.  A few people were, but for the most part everyone was pretty calm.  I don't know a lot of the music, but I enjoyed the show anyway.  Dave Grohl, the lead singer, is an incredible entertainer.  The highlight for me was the the drummer was wearing a "Wildcat Pride" t-shirt!!! It was really cool.  I literally made it my mission to get a good picture of it but he was moving so fast with drumming it was hard to get a good one.  Here's the best one I got...

For now I'm off to go get my car detailed (for $25.. thank you Groupon!) and drop off my laundry.  I know, it's an exciting Saturday! Tomorrow is my big day, though.  Going to make Kevin one of his favorite meals (chicken fettuccine alfredo) in exchange for him being so kind as to take me to see Breaking Dawn Part 1.

I Haven't Forgotten About You!

I keep telling myself that I'm going to post more, and I have really good intentions. It's just really easy to let it slide when you get caught up in the day to day routine.  

I just finished up my second week of work.  I'm genuinely loving it.  I feel like I learn something new every day and I get to do all of the nerdy things I love to do.  

My commute to work is a bit interesting.  It takes me almost 30 minutes exactly to get to work which isn't bad at all.  I leave pretty early even though I don't have to be to work until 9:00 so there isn't much traffic at all.  On the way home, though....wow, it's crazy.  It has taken me upwards of an hour to get home due to stand still traffic in certain areas.  Of course, the efficiency nerd in me has analyzed about 4 different ways to get home now and I'm in the process of figuring out all the fastest shortcuts.   

I've got a lot of exciting countdowns going on right now. 

• 1-3 Days:  Receiving my TV and comforter set in the mail (what was I thinking leaving those incredibly important things at home?!)
• 2 days:  Foo Fighters concert with Kevin
• 6 Days: Breaking Dawn Part 1 opens in theaters
• 8 Days:  My new couch is being delivered!
• 12 Days:  My first visit back to Kentucky since moving! Thanksgiving weekend!
• 16 Days:  Kevin's birthday! (I am in desperate need of gift ideas for a guy who couldn't care less about STUFF.)

So Thankful

If you've logged onto facebook at all in the past few days, you know that a TON of people are posting each day in November something new they are thankful for.  Frankly, I don't have enough time or discipline to do that every day; however, there are tons of things that I am thankful for... especially now.  I'm going to consolidate and do one post with a list of the many things I am thankful for.  You're welcome.

God's incredible displays of grace and love in my life
I do not deserve the many blessings I have received, and I am so thankful he provides anyway. 

Both of my parents

The relationship I have with each of them is so different yet both provide so much love and support in their own way.  Love you both!

Kevin

I am so thankful to have met such an amazing person to have in my life.  He's one of the most thoughtful and kind people I know.  

My friends

I have so many friends from throughout the years whom I cherish so much.  While I always appreciate them, moving away from home really reminded me how many great people I have in my life.  I was so overwhelmed with the love and well-wishes from everyone.  Also, I enjoyed every minute of the time I got to spend with you guys in the past few weeks I was home.  I miss you all!

My old job and coworkers

I would expect that typically when someone leaves a job, they don't miss it much but that's definitely not the case in my situation.  I think about my old coworkers often and I'm dying to hear how everything is going with them.  I've kept in touch with a few, but already need to do a better job.  Also, the job itself provided me with such great experience and taught me so much.  I'm so grateful.

My New Job

I just finished up my first week on the new job yesterday, and I must say... it was incredible.  It's a whole different atmosphere than what I am used to given that I'm now working in a corporate office of a company and previously was working in a field environment.  I love dressing up every day (we'll see if I'm still saying that in a few months).  I also am really enjoying learning about a different industry.  Going from construction to vitamins is an interesting transition to say the least! I'm even in a different position than I was with my old job.  Previously, I was a Purchasing Specialist (buyer) and now I've moved into an analyst position.  I've learned SO much about excel and data analysis in the past week, it's crazy.  I'm learning actual useful outcomes from all of those weird formulas we were taught in college. 

Thanksgiving Break

As much as I love living here and my new job, I am really excited to come home and visit my family! I'm looking so forward to seeing everyone! I'm particularly excited to meet my two new little cousins, Thomas and Truman.  My uncle Scott and aunt Mindy just had twins! They're precious.

There are a ton of other things I'm thankful for, but none are more important than the ones I've written about already.  I'm going to leave it at that for now. 

As Promised.... New Apartment Pics (Before)

It's been kind of hectic for me lately.  I've stayed in my apartment two nights now so far, and I'm basically still living out of boxes for the most part.  As such, I will only be posting before pics today.  Hopefully this weekend I'll get some things accomplished and will be able to post some after pics next week.

I really like the new place. It's way different than what I'm used to, but I'm adjusting well.

Basically, it's in a house that's separated into two sections.  It's not a traditional duplex, it's basically just a small apartment attached to a house.  Here's the outside. The apartment is the small part on the left side of the picture. It's in a safe, quiet neighborhood which is really close to shopping and restaurants.

The rest of the pictures were taken as the old tenant was moving out, so there were still some things lying around.  Here is the kitchen/living room combination.  It's kind of weird that there's just a little row of cabinets, etc. in the living room... but it works.  I really like the hardwood floors.

The bathroom is one of my favorite parts.. I like the tub and there is lots of cabinet space.... lots of room for my thousands of types of lotions, hair products, etc.

The bedroom is carpeted.  The walls, ceiling and even the carpet are grey.  I like the color, but it's definitely a LOT.  The carpet almost looks purple compared to the wall color.

Guess Who Isn't Homeless?!

Warning.... this post is super long!


That's right! I finally found an apartment.  Trust me, the entire process was incredibly trying and I thought it would never end.  With lots of time, effort and most importantly prayer, I was able to find a place to call home.

I started the apartment search process online weeks ago, but in New York, apartments are rented out REALLY quickly so none of the ones I liked were available once I got here.  I spent the first couple days I was living in the hotel room making a list of towns and areas in which I would like to live.  I started calling up landlords and real estate agents in the area inquiring about properties.

For one reason or another, every single apartment I loved would be taken before I could get it.  I called a local Century 21 office inquiring about a particular apartment (at this point I have no idea which apartment it was) and spoke with the receptionist who was to put me in touch with the appropriate listing agent.

Somehow, the receptionist got the MLS # and apartment confused for another apartment, so I ended up having an appointment with the wrong listing agent regarding an apartment which was three times my budget. The first word that comes to mind when I think of this particular agent is "crazy".  I mean, I don't think she was clinically insane or anything but she definitely had an interesting and very outgoing personality.  She was exactly what I would have imagined a New York real estate agent to be.  Loud, abrasive, pushy and of course she had the THICK accent (although she told me she's from Texas... weird.  Let's hope I don't adopt the accent too after living here a while!).

She seemed to be really anxious for and in need of my business.  I say this because most agents don't really give rentals the time of day because there's not enough money in the business to make it worth their while.  She was willing to go out looking for properties with me so I spent the entire day with her looking.

She showed me SO many horrible apartments and for whatever reason she was unable to grasp exactly what I was looking for.  She was taking me all over Long Island, not in the areas I was interested in and was showing me apartments I would never consider renting.  I was getting VERY discouraged on the first day when we finally found an apartment in the newspaper which was located in Syosset.  Syosset is where Kevin lives and there are pretty much NO apartments available there.  I had pretty much written off the idea of even being able to find anything in that town, so when we found this one I was thrilled.

We made the trek to Syosset from wherever she had taken me.  I LOVED the apartment.  It was a small apartment in the back of someone's house.  That's how most of the apartments are here.. there aren't many complexes.  The homeowner was pretty weird to say the least.  I don't even know how to describe her. I called up Kevin to have him come look at the apartment and I made an offer on it.  The homeowner waited until that moment to tell me there was another offer on the apartment and that they were supposed to sign the lease the following day.

My agent and I discussed it and I made an offer slightly above what she was asking for the apartment.  The homeowner then led us to believe that the apartment would be mine pending review of my financial information.  

The next day, I met at the real estate agent's office to fill out paperwork and send over all the required financial information.  I was devastated when she called us back that day and told us that she had decided to go with the first offer and didn't feel as though it was right to go with me since they were first.

I was frustrated and my agent was FURIOUS.  She went on a bit of a tirade calling the homeowner things I will not repeat.  Wow.  I wanted to be done for the day and my agent's reaction made me want to be DONE with her.  She was inducing much more stress in the process than necessary and was making me crazy.  She pushed me into seeing more apartments that day.  All of them were awful. At the end of the day, she finally agreed to take me to a town I was actually interested in, but of course the apartment turned out to be horrible.

The drive way of the apartment was a steep hill.  We got in her SUV to leave and the gear shift would not move in order for her to put the car in reverse.  She started panicking and cursing saying that she had broken it off a couple of weeks ago and had yet to pay the mechanic for the work.  She called him up to ask what to do.  Because of her non-payment he was pretty unwilling to help her at first, but then gave her directions on how to get the car unstuck from park.

The directions were pretty simple:

• Put on the emergency brake
• Rock the car (forward) to release the weight of the vehicle from the current position
• Put the car in reverse
• Release the emergency brake
• Go on your merry little way

We get out of the car and I stand behind the car to help rock it while the agent was up front ready to put it in reverse.  She forgot one pretty important step in the process..... putting on the emergency brake.  I rocked the car and could hear something release.  I told her I thought she could probably get it to switch gears to reverse.  She then made another big mistake in this process... she put the car in reverse BEFORE getting in. 

The car started rolling down the steep driveway... quickly! I jumped out of the way but she decided to run with the car trying to jump in.  Eventually the car was moving too quickly for her to keep up with and the door knocked her to the ground.  She was within inches of being run over by the car.

Eventually, the car ran into a brick wall after knocking down a white picket fence and mailbox.  It was lodged on top of the short brick barrier.  The next thing that happened is what really put me over the edge with knowing I was going to have to "fire" her as my agent.  She then proceeded to tell me to get in the car to help her get the car off the wall.  I agreed and told her that as soon as we got it down, she needed to go talk to the homeowner.  Once we were in the car she took off and tried to leave the scene of the accident. 

Finally, I convinced her to pull over.  She was sobbing and swearing and just freaking out in general.  Luckily, a neighbor who saw her do that came up and pretty much made her go back and speak with the homeowners.  

I swear I thought I would never make it home that night and was SO relieved when the day was finally over.  I cancelled my appointments with her the following day and then sent her an email telling her I would no longer be looking for apartments with her.  She's been leaving voice mails and sending emails since but I just delete them.

The same day I fired her, I ended up finding THE apartment on my own.  I really like it a lot, and I can't wait to share pictures with all of you.  This post is long enough already, so I will save the new apartment for a later post.  I'm currently in Pennsylvania anticipating 5 inches of snow today with Kevin and his friends from college.  I'm

The Race is On

The race is on to find an apartment.  I'm in the hotel for week one, and while I love it here, I do NOT want to stay here longer than a week if possible.  Living out of suitcases and boxes isn't something I want to do long term.  I can't find anything.  Mostly, I am just really excited to get settled and find a place to call home.

We are leaving next Thursday to go to a lake house in Pennsylvania, so ideally I'd be IN an apartment by then so I can at least put my boxes in there.  Currently about half of my stuff is still in my trunk and the "necessities" are in my hotel room.

So far, I've been a little discouraged by the apartment search.  As I'm sure you'd guess, the prices are OUT OF THIS WORLD RIDICULOUS and you don't get much for your money.  That's an adjustment.  I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that for the same amount of money or more that I was paying for a MORTGAGE on a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house in Kentucky, I'll be renting a tiny studio apartment which will likely have no dishwasher and will almost definitely have no washer/dryer.

You DO get a lot given that you're in a great location, near shopping, restaurants, beaches, and within commuting distance to NYC.  So, I'm not complaining... I am just learning to accept a new reality which is so completely different than what I have known for the past 25 years.

In case you're curious.... Here are some pics of my top three so far.

Apartment #1- Small Studio:  I'm viewing this one tomorrow morning.  It's REALLY small, but the price is good and includes all utilities.  Plus, I think it's charming (minus the Spongebob pillow and clutter).

Apartment #2- Slightly bigger studio:  I'm waiting for the agent to call me back on this one.  It's a little larger than the first one, but it's still a studio.  The price includes everything except cable, so that's a plus.  This one has a little less character than the first, but it is bigger. The kicker for this one is that it has a washer/dryer.  One downside is that it has that mini-fridge instead of a full size.  As I'm writing this blog, the agent called me and unfortunately it's not available until December.  If the others don't come through I may actually just try to negotiate a monthly rate for my hotel for November and wait this one out.  We'll see.

Apartment #3:  This one is my favorite and of course the most expensive (but not by much).  It has an actual bedroom and some hardwood floors.  I think it may just be the kitchen curtains, but there's something really dainty and cute about it. I really do like the kitchen countertop and white cabinets.  It looks clean and inviting. I'm not crazy about the red accent wall, and would probably ask if I could paint it a different color.  I had red furniture for most of college and in my first house... so I'm just tired of red.

I would love to get your opinions on the top three so far.  Which of these do you like the best? And by all means... feel free to Google to your heart's content and help me find something you think is better if you think it's out there.  Huntington, NY is my preferred town, but anywhere between Huntington and Ronkonkoma near the Long Island Expressway would work.

I've Arrived!

Well, after a two day trip.. I have arrived in New York.

I began my journey around 9 AM Wednesday and said a few sad goodbyes to my family and my adorable dog. The drive was really smooth thankfully.  I got to enjoy the fall leaves in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania the first day.  I stayed in Pennsylvania for the night and made it through New Jersey and finally to New York yesterday.

I learned some very valuable lessons on the trip here and they are: 

1. Ensure you have great brakes when driving in Maryland.. I'm not sure how it would be possible, but it seemed like I was driving downhill for about 100 miles.
2. New Jersey smells weird and the toll roads are expensive.  One toll alone was $12.50. 
3. When public workers (i.e. toll booth operators) ask you how you are doing... they get really surprised if you ask them the same.  
4. You may think your driving directions won't take you through Manhattan, but don't panic when they do.  You'll live, maybe.
5. When driving in Manhattan, BE AGGRESSIVE (B-E AGGRESSIVE).  If not, you may be run over.  
6. Always carry cash.  I've never seen so many places in my life that don't take debit cards. 
7. ALWAYS remember you get what you pay for.  When a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.  The hotel room I booked online for my first week here was a TOTAL disaster.  I have pictures (because I might have to dispute their charges to my credit card) but honestly... they might make you sick so I'm refraining from posting.
8. Get lost more often... I found some really cool places (mostly shopping) when I got lost.
9. There really are rats in the subway, big ones.  I had never seen one until last night.  

I arrived in New York yesterday after an uneventful drive.  I am proud to say that I didn't make a single wrong turn on the way here.  That part was great! I went out to get lunch after I got here and I did get a little lost then, but it was a good lost where I ended up learning the area a little better.

I met up with Kevin in the city last night and we went to see a play his friend Keith was directing.  We had so much fun and the show was really entertaining too.  It's called "Crab House: A New Musical".  It started in Australia and just opened in New York apparently.

I have failed my loyal readers and didn't take a single picture of the evening.  I promise to do better.

Crazy Life Update

I know I haven't blogged in a while... I have been really distracted with lots of crazy changes happening in my life. Tomorrow is my last day at my job with Bechtel.   I am moving to New York to start a new position with a different company.  Also, I'll be living REALLY close to Kevin, so that's really fun.  The past two weeks since I've announced that I'm moving have been incredibly bittersweet.  I've been spending a lot of time with people I love and cherishing every single minute.

I definitely am excited and a little overwhelmed but at the same time I'm sad to leave behind an incredible group of people including my family, friends, co-workers and church family. 

My goal is to use this blog as a way to keep the above-mentioned people updated on my new adventures.  I hope you'll follow along and also keep me updated on all of your lives.  I am notorious for being HORRIBLE at keeping in touch with people, even when I love them a lot, so I'm genuinely hoping to change that. 

Currently, my existence is being surrounded by boxes and stacks of things I'm not sure what to do with.  I cannot believe how much STUFF I have accumulated over the past several years.  Honestly, I'm looking forward to simplifying... getting rid of everything I don't need and starting fresh.

My last day of work is tomorrow.  I can't believe that.  I'll spend most of the day wrapping things up, turning things in, and packing up the past three years of my life.  I've been so blessed in the past few years, and I am so looking forward to the next chapter as well.

Wednesday starts my adventure.  I'll be loading up my car and making the drive to New York.  I've made a couple good CD's for the car ride (because I'm having trouble with my iTunes account and getting my music on my iPhone), so I should be halfway entertained.

The drive is about 13 hours, and I'll be spending my first week living in a hotel.  I have a list of several apartments to look at, and I'm REALLY hoping the apartment hunt is a smooth process.  Finding a place to call home is very important to me with all of the big changes I'm experiencing right now.

I hope everyone will continue reading my blog and follow along with me on the journey.  I'm so thrilled about the opportunities on the horizon, but at the time will miss you all SO MUCH.

Things I Love - Mad Men

I get incredibly bored when I'm sick.  I've been dealing with seasonal allergies and have felt pretty crappy for the most part this weekend.  I have been sticking around my house.. taking medicine, contemplating buying stock in Kleenex and trying to keep myself occupied.

Like most of you, my go-to activity when I'm stuck at home not feeling well is catching up on TV or movies.  Currently, I don't have cable which is good overall since I can't waste much of my time in front of the television that way.

I do have Netflix, which I don't utilize too often, but  this weekend I have been getting my money's worth.  I had watched the first episode of Season 1 of Mad Men a few weeks ago and really liked it, but never got around to watching any more of it.  I don't know if I should be proud or embarrassed to say that in the past three days I have watched all of season one and the first few episodes of season two.  I'm hooked.

I'm curious how many of my friends have been watching this show and how long I've been out of the loop? It's a really interesting show.

It's set in the1960's and the main character is Don Draper, an advertising executive.  I'm completely baffled by the way women are portrayed on the show, as such objects.  As people who are only capable of making dinner, smoking cigarettes, and being completely submissive to husbands.  My, how things have changed. I'm told that as the seasons progress, the women start to take on my powerful roles in the show.  I'm excited to see what happens.

Do you watch the show? Do you love it? Or hate it?

Caffeine Withdrawal is AWFUL

For those of you who know me, you may know that diet Coke is kind of "my thing".  For as long as I can remember, I've been drinking diet soda.  As I've been reading and hearing more about the potential long term negative effects of soda (even diet), I've been thinking more and more of quitting.

There are two things that make me not want to quit drinking diet Coke.  First, I just like it.  It tastes good and I enjoy it.  Second, I've built up an addiction to the caffeine.  I've decided to make quitting soda a two step process.

Phase 1- No caffeine

Starting yesterday, I have only allowed myself to drink non-caffeinated drinks including caffeine free diet coke.  I figured it's a good way to allow myself to ease into the transition of drinking as much DC as I want to drinking none.  I've had some Sprite Zero and some caffeine free Diet Coke yesterday and today.  At first, I was feeling fine.  But this afternoon, the headaches and fatigue have set in.

Frankly, I'm miserable.  But the withdrawal symptoms I'm experiencing from the lack of caffeine are just another reason for me to want to quit now.  I don't like the thought of being addicted to ANYTHING even if it is "just" caffeine.

Phase 2- NO Soda

Once the caffeine is no longer such an issue, I'm going to cut out even the caffeine free diet sodas.  I figure I'll give myself a couple more days and then I'm planning on nixing soda altogether. I did it for two years once.. so I know I'll be able to do it again.  Quitting just isn't a pleasant process.

I'll keep you guys posted on my progress (and keep myself accountable).

Ask Miranda?

I have ALWAYS been really into reading "Ask ....." columns.   I really enjoy reading about peoples' advice on certain topics like relationships, work, school, home, etc.  I stumbled across one of these columns the other day and thought, "How fun would it be to write one of those?".

Also, for whatever reason, my friends and family seem to always come to me for advice on things.  I tend to be a good listener and am somewhat rational about most topics.  I also tend to be very neutral in conflict and am good at compromise.  

I wish I could come up with a way to incorporate that into my blog.  I probably don't have a big enough following just yet to start a regular "Ask Miranda" post, but that's definitely something that would be a fun addition.

For now, if you DO have any questions you'd like for me to respond to or need some advice, feel free to Facebook, Twitter (@mdtown2), text, call, email or smoke signal them to me.  You can also anonymously post any questions directly to the comment section of this blog if you'd like. I would, of course, always keep the identity of the questioner anonymous on the blog.  

Things I Love - Thrift Stores

For years, I would wince, whine and complain any time my mom or grandma would try to "drag" me into a thrift store or flea market.  They loved going somewhere and digging around to find a hidden "treasure".  I didn't get it.  Why would you go to a store filled with other people's old junk?

For whatever reason, as I got older, my mentality completely changed.  Now, I find myself going on the exact same treasure hunts my mom and grandma were so excited about when I was young.

There's something to be said about finding something that someone else had no use for and making it useful again.  In today's economy (or at any time really).. I see no need in wasting money to pay full price for things I can get for such low prices elsewhere.

Recently, I've had some pretty good luck with household items.

I got this huge brown/tan vase filled with huge palm leaves for $9. I didn't want to use the palm leaves so I'm getting rid of those (if anyone wants them let me know).  I'm on the lookout for something else to put in it.  This just needs to be cleaned up and will fit with my decor perfectly.

I bought this flower arrangement to sit on a shelf in my bathroom for $4.00.  I typically don't go for the fake floral arrangements, but for whatever reason I really liked this.

I bought this shelf for $6 or so.  I plan on painting it a fun color like lime green or turquoise to add some color to my otherwise very neutral living space.  This picture makes it look like it's in really rough shape, but in reality it just needs to be cleaned up and painted.

Finally... today, I had my all time best thrift store find.......

An authentic Louis Vuitton purse for $25! I've actually never paid $25 for any one item at a thrift store as I usually stay in the under $10 range, but I just couldn't pass it up. I was on a thrift store high for the rest of the day even though I didn't have much luck at any of the other stores we visited.

Why I Love Thrifting

• I REALLY like saving money and getting good deals on things.
• I enjoy the thrill of the chase.  I'm not one of those people who gets frustrated when things are out of order in a store.  I like finding that special item that others have passed up.
• When you spend less money on individual items, you can try new things and have a variety of fun things in your home.
• You can obtain an eclectic mix of decorative items or furniture.  I tend to be very "matchy matchy" when it comes to furniture and decor.  I find a color or set of colors/patterns I like and I really stick with it.  When you shop at thrift stores, you can really focus on finding special pieces which is fun and looks great.

The Downside

• Some people who shop at thrift stores can be a little unpleasant to deal with (won't move over to let you through the aisle, etc).  I suppose people are just really into their thrifting experience and don't worry about what's happening around them.  This isn't a huge problem, but it does happen occasionally.
• You have to be REALLY careful that the things you buy aren't missing pieces or broken.  A lot of stores don't have return policies.  Fortunately, most things are so cheap if you do decide you don't like something... you can always just re-donate it.
• The hobby can be time consuming.  Depending on how organized the store is... it can take a while to find the good stuff.  I'll share some quick tips.
• Usually the really special items (i.e. Louis Vuitton purses) are typically in cases near the register/check out.  
• In my opinion, the outside perimeter of most stores typically have the coolest items (furniture pieces, home decor, books, cds, etc.)
• Only go to the stores when you are in the mood to browse and never go into the stores anticipating finding anything specific. 

I personally don't really like looking at clothes and shoes at thrift stores.  For whatever reason, I feel like most clothing items are too worn out and faded for my tastes.  Also, the clothes never seem to be arranged by size which I find really frustrating.  The majority of what these stores sell are clothing items, so I don't have the patience to dig through 50 racks to maybe find 2-3 items I like.  I prefer discount and clearance racks in other stores for clothing, but other people seem to have better luck than I do at thrift stores.

I'm not a thrifting expert by any means, and I know some people are really into it.  But if you have any questions or would like any other tips, I'll do my best to help!

Kevin's First Trip to Rupp Arena

Last night Kevin got to experience his first basketball game at THE Rupp Arena.  Yes, basketball in August.  Yes, I know most sports fans are currently anxiously anticipating college football.  In the Bluegrass, though, it's basketball season.

Kevin was a real trooper and stayed through the whole game with me even though he wasn't feeling well.  I think he had fun and I know I did!

The singing of the National Anthem of the DR

Coach Calipari is coaching the Dominican Republic national team which played an exhibition game against a team of former UK b-ball players who are now in the NBA.  It was so cool to see so many of my favorites (particularly Demarcus Cousins, John Wall, Tayshaun Prince and Rajon Rondo) playing together at Rupp Arena.

The pros actually lost to the Dominican Republic team, but it was still a great time.

I like seeing him in UK attire!

I'm exhausted from waking up super early to take Kevin to the airport before heading to work this morning, so I'll keep today's post short and sweet.

Later this week I'm planning on writing about my recent thrift store finds and some projects stemming from those finds.  Stay tuned.

Braggin' on Jackson

Let me start with a little background information...

My mom bought Jackson, my toy poodle, for me as a gift my Junior year of college.  I had NEVER been allowed to have a pet inside the house when I was young and as I got older I realized I was probably missing out.  I started talking about getting a puppy, and for whatever reason my mom decided to get Jackson for me.

I may be biased, but I think Jackson is one of the cutest dogs ever (see below evidence).

While I think Jackson is great... super cute, cuddly, loving, protective, etc.  I will be the first to admit that he can be a little on the obnoxious side as well.  I like to describe Jackson's bark as blood curdling.  It's awful- so high pitched and loud.  I also think Jackson has separation anxiety.  Combine the obnoxious barking with freaking out any time we leave him and, Houston, we have a problem.

I can normally deal with the barking when it's just the family around, but when you bring in visitors, his anxiety and barking only get worse.  It's virtually impossible to give guests your full attention when you spend most of the time consoling the dog and trying to keep him company.  We try as much as possible to separate him from the guests, but I find myself feeling sorry for him and sneaking away to hang out with him instead of the people.  I know what you're probably thinking, and YES I know I sound like a crazy lady.  Maybe this says something about the people I surround myself with if I'd rather hang out with my dog than them.... I'm kidding, kind of! (Love you friends and family--- don't get your feelings hurt!)

Anyway,  for the past week, I've been researching and implementing some new things with Jackson to try and curb the amount of barking.  I read a ton of articles and how-to's and decided to start with the easiest ideas first.

Taming Jackson

One article I read (I wish I could find it again) mentioned that you should just sternly say "NO" to the dog immediately when they start barking.  As soon as the dog calms down and quietens you give positive reinforcement be it a treat or just an "atta boy" and attention.

I would have never thought something this simple would have worked with Jackson, but I found that he almost immediately understood and would follow my command to stop barking when I said, "NO".

Jackson usually barks a LOT when I come downstairs to my little "apartment" and leave him upstairs in the main part of the house.  I always feel guilty and would find myself sneaking around (I'm not joking) in order to avoid disturbing/upsetting him.

I've been making a conscious effort to keep a treat with me, and any time Jackson would start barking at me on my way down, I'd tell him "NO" then follow up with a treat when he got quiet.

I am SO proud to say that for the FIRST time, just now, I came downstairs and there was not a PEEP from Jackson.  I can't believe it worked so quickly and I am oh, so excited.  Obviously, consistency is key and one minor battle victory doesn't mean the war is over.

I am anxious to see how this turns out..... So far, so good!