Going the Distance: November 2013

Turkey Coma

No post of any relevance today.

I'm in a turkey/food coma.

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Or I'm in Pennsylvania.

Or I'm in a turkey coma IN Pennsylvania :)

Either way, I'll be back on Monday! Enjoy your weekend, lovebugs!

Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday!

The day is here! Thanksgiving!! MG is running a turkey trot this morning (this girl is not ok with waiting around to run in the cold...just not me) and then my parents and his parents are headed over to our place to cook and eat and enjoy time together. I'm really looking forward to our first Thanksgiving at "our" place (even tho my mom is doing most of the cooking...shhh)

So, since it's the big day, let's get down to some thanks, shall we?

This week is the big guys that I'm thankful for:

~MG. He's my best friend, he makes me laugh, he comforts me when things aren't going the way I want and he's always thinking about the future, for us. The day he asked me to marry him was one of the happiest days ever, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life making memories and a family with him. April 12 is just a day (albeit a special one), because I've already began my life with the man that I love, who loves me back and quells all of my fears from the past. I'm so lucky and thankful to have him in my life.

~My parents. My dad, as I've mentioned, has been struggling lately. After his heart attack things just haven't been the same, and lately he's gotten hit with some health issues that he's had trouble bouncing back from. I only hope that those get better because he's a great dad and I want to see him able to enjoy life more than he's able to right now. My mom is an angel, taking care of my dad, being there for me always...she's amazing. I love them both and have them to thank for raising me to be a pretty normal person (for the most part) and supporting me all along the way. I love them with my whole heart.

~Cooper. He's the absolute little light of my life. Seeing how happy he makes almost everyone that he meets, makes me smile. Watching his tail wiggle at the slightest thing, showing what a happy little puppy he is, makes me feel so much joy. I truly was blessed with one of the sweetest most gentle pups in the whole world. He's been with me for 5 years now and I can't imagine my life without the little fluff ball. He's just the most perfect little pup ever and I can only hope that he knows that with every fiber of his little doggy being.

~Friends. I'm not the person who has 100 friends. I have a few close friends who I just adore, can be myself with, and they love and support me. My best friend, Genna, my bridesmaids Trish and Crystal, are just some of the best girls I know (there are others, too, but these ones get a special shout out). I know that if I need anything, (or my parents) they are always there. I'm always gonna be there for you girls, too and just know how much your friendships absolutely mean to me. I wouldn't be who I am or as happy as I am without you all in my life.

~MG's family (my soon-to-be in-laws). I just adore them. MG's mom is SO sweet and kind and has been since I met her. His dad is the most generous person ever. His sisters treat me like another sister, and have been wonderful since the day I met them. And his nieces and nephews are the absolute best, and have made me the "aunt" that I can't be since I'm an only child. I love seeing them grow up and getting to be a part of that.
I know some people have horror stories about their in-laws and I am SO grateful that I can't relate to that in the slightest. I'm so excited and happy to be joining a family who already accepted me as one of their own long before MG and I even got engaged.

~~~

If I didn't have a job, or any of the other blessings I have, sure I would struggle a bit, but knowing that I have the people above would make it all much more bearable. I'm SO incredibly lucky to have these wonderful people in my life and am so so so thankful for the happiness that they bring to my life in their own ways.

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. I'm thankful for you all, too, because I've developed so many relationships because of blogging, and can only hope to foster more. The blog community is a great one and I'm incredibly thankful for it, and for you!

Now go get your turkey on!

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Worst Date Ever and a LinkedIn Request

Did my title intrigue you? Confuse you? It's ok, you'll shortly understand.

I'm going to tell you about the worst date I ever had in the history of ever. Loaded statement eh? Just wait. I was in grad school, about 24 years old (maybe 23) and had been messaged by a guy who was kinda cute on a dating site I was on at the time. He was a Florida State alum, and his name was Art--I was not fond of the name, but he seemed nice so after talking for a bit, we decided to meet up in Adams Morgan and go to a kickball bar crawl.

We met up and he was cute like in his pictures. We may have grabbed some food (I can't recall) and then headed over to the bar crawl, but before we got there, he told me a name I was supposed to use so that we could get into the kickball party because it wasn't ACTUALLY his team. Uhh...shady right? Red flag number one.

I went along with it though (cuz I was an idiot apparently) and we had a good time. We made it to several different places and then ended up at a "mansion party" (in DC there are several "mansion" town houses that super wealthy people have). At this point, Art had been participating in the alcohol consumption heavily. Actually, beyond heavily.
After being at this mansion party for a bit, I wanted to go outside because it was super hot in this house.

We went outside to sit on the stoop in front of the house and take in some fresh air. He apparently thought this was a great time to maul me. Like smash into my face attempts to kiss me, and then putting his hand on my thigh and trying to move it higher...you know what I mean. I told him no and pushed him away. He tried over and over, and eventually I got up and said I wanted to go.

He started walking beside me and was seemingly not happy about my lack of willingness to be mauled. He yelled at me, said he was leaving, and then walked away in the opposite direction. At this point I wasn't sure which direction the metro station was to get home, and I began to panic. Luckily there was a cop on the corner of the block we were on so I asked him for directions. Art must have seen this and decided to come back to talk to me (oh joy). I told him I was going to the metro and to leave me alone. He was SO drunk, there was no reasoning with him. He kept grabbing my hand and trying to pull me in to kiss him and I would push away and keep walking towards the metro, dragging him as he stumbled down the street since he wouldn't let go of me. I knew once we got there, he had to go on another train and this would finally be over.

Eventually we made it to the metro station and we each went our own ways. Thank goodness!! The next morning I got a message from him that was something like "hey, when do you wanna hang out again?" So non-chalant, like nothing had happened! I responded and told him I wasn't interested in hanging out with him as his behavior on our FIRST date was a HUGE red flag and I didn't want to see what another date would entail. Only THEN did he apologize and said that it was out of his character, totally not like him, and to give him another chance. I decided no response was the best way to proceed.

Cut to now 6 or 7 years later, and I wake up on a Monday morning to find a LinkedIn request. From Art.

What. The. Hell?

I've never spoken to this guy again after we went on that HORRIFIC date, never seen him, don't have any friends/people in common. And he reaches out to me on LinkedIn?? Not to mention he's back in Florida.

No. Just....I can't.

I had totally ~~blocked out~~ forgotten about that horrid date, and seeing his face on that request just brought it ALL flooding back. Ugh. And I'm pretty sure the picture on his LinkedIn is the same one he had from 6 or 7 years ago.

I remember I took a LONG break from on-line dating after that experience. Luckily MG was the antithesis of that date!

Anyone else have a horror date story to share? Did they ever contact you again?

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Apparently I got back on the reading train full force two weeks ago because as soon as I was done with The Wolf of Wall Street, I picked up The Fault in Our Stars and finished it in less than a week. (It just took me a bit to get to posting my review....shhh, don't tell)

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Here is the Amazon synopsis:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

I liked this book. It had emotional parts, it had sarcasm, and it had reality. It surprised me at parts, and it made me think. I found it an incredibly fast read...and I'm not sure if it was because I was so engrossed in it, or it was just easy to read. Or maybe it's a combination of both. Either way, I recommend reading it. It's kind of heavy, so be prepared for that, but it's also good. I agree with Katie's review, that I had a hard time believing that the language and dialogue coming from the main characters was from a 16 or 17 year old. But, once I got over that in my head and just read it, I still liked the book.

Also, it's $3.99 for Kindles on Amazon (when I got it). Can't beat that! :)

Side note: I'm going to see Catching Fire tonight with MG and some friends and I can't wait!! I've heard such good things, so my hopes are high!

Weekend Recap

It's Monday and it is COLD in the DC area. No more 50s and 60s sadly so I'm doing my best to stay warm.

Luckily my weekend provided some fun times to warm my heart (cheesy!)

Friday night MG and I didnt have plans but our couple friends asked us if we wanted to get dinner at a local Italian place that has yummy pizza, so we decided to go. And they invited another couple friend, and it was a great time. We all went back to the couples' apartment complex after dinner and hung out for a while longer before going home.

The next morning I felt horrible. Red wine hangover. Ugh. I hurt just thinking about it.

MG and I ran some errands later in the afternoon to prepare for Thanksgiving with our parents this week, and to get some stuff to make an appetizer for our get-together later that night with one of the couples from the night before.

Around 7:30 we made our way to their place and were joined by another couple that we hadn't met before. There was TONS of food, and the company was great. I made my feta dip, which was a huuuuge hit! It was one of those low key nights with great conversation and company that was just fun.

Sunday MG and I decided to go out and look at couch sets for our living room since our main couch is sunken in on one side (MG's side...so I was less motivated to go haha). We ended up finding a really nice set, and were able to get 0% financing for 36 months, so we went for it! We'll now have extra seating in our place, and it won't break the bank!

The rest of the night was spent watching football, reading and just hanging out before this short week and Thanksgiving festivities!

Hope your weekend was fab!

5 on Friday

Another Friday is here, and this one brings us closer to Thanksgiving! (Don't worry, I'm not "wishing away my days" as one blogger commented last week...just excited for family time and the holiday).

This week actually felt like it went by at a good pace. Perhaps that had to do with the fact that I didn't have a nightmare meeting with a parent this week like I had last week. But, I digress...on to more fun things, like...

{1} Fun Registry Items

{via} don't go buying them all though! :)

Part of the fun of getting married (other than the obvious) is registering for gifts. We did our big day of registering a while back, but as we come across things or think about things, we've added to our lists. Last weekend, thanks to Pinterest, I saw this fun little item, showed MG, and decided to add a set of 2 to our list. (You can also use the cracker part for dip and have carrots or something in the cup). It's something small, but I think it's cute and unique and will definitely get some use, at least from me! :)

{2} Friends-giving

MG and I had a couple friend of ours invite us over for a Thanksgiving potluck with them, and some of their friends. A friends-giving if you will. I love the idea of doing something with your friends before the holiday, because in some ways, your friends are like your extended family and it's nice to celebrate with everyone, even if it's not all together all at once. Can't wait for our Friends-giving this weekend!

{3} Christmas Tradition

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I talked about this last year, but MG and I have started a Christmas tradition, and I find myself looking forward to it every year. Right before Christmas the last two years, we've made reservations at one of our favorite restaurants in DC, Old Ebbitt Grill, for dinner. We indulge in oysters, decadent main courses, creme brule dessert, and after dinner coffee and drinks. We really go all out (and feel super fat afterwards), but it's so fun. The food is always good, it's a fun environment, and we always enjoy it. Plus, we can usually walk over to see the National Xmas tree afterwards, too. This year, MG has already made reservations for it. We're going the Monday right before Christmas and I already can't wait. I love that this has become a tradition for us!

{4} Work Bathroom

Our bathroom at work is an adult-bathroom (thankfully) and it's a single stall/room. Something I hate about it is when you walk in to go, and it smells like someone took a #2. Not only is that bad, but then there's that fear that someone is gonna come in right after you and think that YOU are the culprit of the stink. I hate it. I think it gives me a small amount of anxiety when I'm in there. Rushing, not only cuz of the smell (ew), but also so no one comes and thinks it's me.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a first world problem.

Moving on...

{5} Dog Funnies
Pets are awesome. Dog shaming is hilarious. On a hard day, I look up some e-cards and dog shaming. And then every once in a while you stumble upon a gem like this:

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Here's hoping your weekend is testicle-biting free! :)
Catch ya on Monday, lovies!!

Thankful Thursday

One more Thursday before the BIG day of thanks, so get your list of things you're thankful for ready so you're super prepared! If you want to join in on the thankfulness, link up below and share what you're thankful for!

This week, I'm thankful for...

....65+ degree weather on Monday. It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day out. I didn't need a jacket, I wasn't shivering every time I went outside, and all of the windows were opened in our place in the afternoon. Happy-maker for sure :)

.....Pinterest. This may sound silly, but Pinterest has given me SO many great recipe ideas (the ones I turn around and share with you all!), ideas for our wedding, and things for my classroom/kids that I work with. Not to mention the other times it just helps me kill dead time. Love me some Pinterest.

.....shoe heel liners. You know, the little pads that stick into the back of a shoe if it's rubbing you the wrong way and causing blisters (if only they made "shoe liners" for people to prevent them from rubbing you the wrong way....). Those puppies have saved me from numerous blisters and have made some uncomfortable shoes comfortable!

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.... free shipping and companies that offer it (especially without having to spend a fortune to get it). Whenever there is free shipping, I try to take advantage. I hate when companies (*cough cough* Loft) make you spend $100 or $150 to get free shipping. Target is ok (I still haven't gotten a Red card) since theirs is $50 and I can ALWAYS find something to get there to meet that number. I just hate paying for shipping when sometimes they don't have things in a store that I want, but they have it online.

....phones. I can keep in contact with my parents, if something happens with my dad, my mom can reach me. I can keep in touch with my friends. Sometimes my best friend and I talk multiple times a day, just because. I love that I have the immediate access to the people I love when I need or just want to.

That's it for this week (obviously there's lots more that I'm thankful for but to list it all would be a never-ending post)! Share in the linkup--I'd love to see what you're thankful for!

Wedding Wednesday

One of my friends told me recently that I don't talk about my wedding enough on here, so I thought I'd participate in Wedding Wednesday. (And a side note sorry for those of you who don't feel like I've shared enough--I try not to make my blog JUST about my wedding since it's not the ONLY thing going on in my life. And I'm in a planning lull right now which I'm really enjoying haha).

Anyway, let's get to it!

Our wedding date is April 12, 2014, just 4 1/2 months left! (not that I'm counting....)

I know I've mentioned that we ordered the bridesmaid dresses, but I dont think I ever showed you what they would look like. With lots of help from my soon-to-be sister in law, I picked a designer, the color, and the fabric, and then all of my bridesmaids picked their own style of dress that they wanted. We went with Bill Levkoff, Regency color in chiffon. This is the closest picture I could find to what they would look like, except ours aren't long:

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I think the purple is gonna look great on all of my ladies and I can't wait to see them in their dresses and all of the styles!

As for what's going on right now, like I said earlier, we are kind of in a planning lull right now since we were so on top of things so early on. So, lately the wedding-related planning has centered around my bridal shower and bachelorette party dates, and details relating to those two.

MG's bachelor party is the same weekend as my bridal shower which makes it nice to have the whole place boy-free for my girls to come into town and stay! I'm SUPER excited for the bridal shower and bachelorette parties, to be with my friends, and celebrate this day that I've waited so long for :)

Next on the list: MG and I decided that we aren't going to get each other Christmas gifts this year. Instead, we are going to get each other our wedding bands (and a card, cuz this girl loves a card with a handwritten note from my dude!) I can't wait to go and pick out our wedding bands :)

That's about all for the wedding stuff. I'll share more details as they come!

The Sunshine Award

Jessica over at {The Newly} nominated me last week for a Sunshine Award. That sweet sweet girl! Jessica and I have become good bloggy friends over the past year, and I just adore her, her blog, and of course, her cutie pie son!

Here are the rules:

{1} Acknowledge the nominating blogger.

{2} Answer 11 questions the blogger has created for you.

{3} List 11 bloggers that deserve the recognition & love (not including the blogger who nominated you).

{4} Post 11 questions for the nominated bloggers to answer.

1. Where is your "happy place?"

This is going to sound somewhat pathetic, but on the couch, in sweats, cuddled up with Cooper and MG. I couldn't be more comfortable or happy.

2. If you could tell your 18 year old self one thing, what would it be?

Throw away the "timeline"....enjoy what's in front of you instead of worrying about what is/isn't going to happen, etc. Party a little bit more in college so you party a little less in grad school (maybe).

3. Fall or Spring?

Spring, minus the allergies. It's so refreshing to go from the cold to warmth, and knowing that summer is right around the bend is always nice. I can't help but smile on nice Spring days. And I get to use my sunroof which always makes me happy.

4. What's at the top of your Christmas wish list?

I haven't really thought that much about it--MG and I are buying each other our wedding bands for our Xmas presents, which I'm really looking forward to (altho it'll be a little delayed gratification since I wont actually get to wear it until April...). I honestly don't really NEED anything right now. If I had one WISH for Christmas, it would be that my dad would start feeling better and regain some of his strength back.

5. Favorite breakfast food?

I love a good omelette with feta in it. And a sausage patty. Yum.

6. If you could change your name, what would you choose?

I'm not sure. Originally my mom was going to name me Jessica, so maybe that. I feel like at this point I'm so associated with my name that I can't imagine being named anything else.

7. If you had to choose: french fries or dessert?

This really depends on what mood I'm in since I sometimes crave salty and sometimes crave sweet. More likely than not, though, it would be french fries.

8. Favorite quiet time/de-stressing activity?

I really like to read to de-stress. Or have a glass of wine haha. Hanging out with friends to de-stress is also a good one, too. Combining wine and hanging with friends is usually a good combo, too :)

9. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Greece. I want to go SO badly! All of the pretty pictures from there, the history...I just want to see it all. A trip to Athens, Santorini and Mykonos and I would be the happiest girl in the world!

10. Favorite store to shop for yourself in?

Hands down, LOFT. I have the credit card bill to prove it.

11. If you had all the money in the world, what's one item you'd most like to 'splurge' on?

I dunno if this actually counts, but I would love to buy a house that MG and I could grow into. We're in that phase of thinking about a family sometime soon and our little one bedroom w/sunroom condo just isn't going to cut it. Everything in the DC area is SO expensive that it's gonna be hard for us to find something that we love that won't break our bank. I'd love to have a cute home for us and our future family.

I'm going to nominate the following girls (some of whom have already been nominated, but that just means you're doubly sunshine-y, right?):

1} Trish @ Tales from Trish

2}Casey @ Poodleism

3} Janna @ Perception is Everything

4}Samantha @ It's all in the Details

5}Lynn @ Illegally Blonde

6} Katie @ Life, Love and Pursuits of Katie

7} Elyse @My Life with a Cherry on Top

8} P!nky @ Pink Persistence

9}Megan@ Fried Green Pickles

10} Meg @ Life of Meg

11}Michelle @ Virginia Beach Housewife

Here are your questions, ladies:

1. What is your favorite activity to do on a rainy day?

2. If you could go back in time, what is ONE thing that you would change?

3. If you could be one Real Housewife from any season, which one would you be and why?

4. Favorite ice cream flavor. Go.

5. Name/show something that you've seen online that makes you laugh every time you see it.

6. Tell about the best date that you've been on. Or the worst.

7. Who is your celebrity crush?

8. If you could eat one thing/meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

9. What's the best thing, for you, about blogging?

10. If you were a gazillionaire, do you think it would change you, or would you lead a relatively normal life?

11. What's your favorite month of the year, and why?

Thanks again, sweet Jessica! I think you're just as sunshiny! :)