Confessions

Somehow I can't believe it's Thursday. With Monday off, work training Tuesday, and a bunch of meetings on Wednesday....and this morning we already have a 2 hour delay  school cancelled because we got a little snow last night that the snow trucks didn't prepare for, so.....it's been a quick one!

Since it's nearing the end of the week, I wanted to do some confessions!

I confess that....

.....I picked out an outfit yesterday that involved my fleece-lined leggings that was also work appropriate so I could be super cozy while at work

.....I'm that crazy dog mom who puts a coat on Cooper when it's cold out. Not only is he super cute in it, but it actually serves a purpose when it's -2 out with a windchill #nochilidoghere

....I've eaten more than my fair share of veggie straws since we got the Costco sized bag on Monday. Luckily because it's the size of a small toddler (or maybe even a large toddler), you can't tell just how many I've had #toomany

....I'm all about getting a snow day on Friday. If we're gonna be snowed in for the weekend, I want a day off from work. Is that so much to ask for?

....shady car salesman who offer really really bad deals make me laugh--try it on someone else #imnotstupid

....speaking of stupid....stupid people annoy me. That is all.

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.....We're all stocked up at the house to make it through a weekend of blizzardy weather. We have our menu planned, and food purchased. Bring it on!

.....I haven't worked out at all so far this week. Monday was busy with errands, Tuesday I was tired/lazy after my work training, and Wednesday I dealt with some weird mix up with my doctor's office, and then did some pre-snow shopping. Somehow I feel skinnier right now than when I work out tho, so I dunno what's going on there...but I'm not complaining

....did anyone watch Real Housewives of Potomac? I grew up right outside of Potomac and it's nothing like what I know of Potomac. I don't really like the ladies so far. Also, how are these women so "rich and fabulous" and they have really old @ss kitchens?

I've lived in apartments with nicer kitchens than these!

.....Olivia from the Bachelor is annoying as all get out. And then those faces she makes... Have you seen the video The Bachelor posted online?

Stop it. Stop it right now. #closeyourmouth

What are you confessing today?

What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday {#25}

Sorry for my absence at the start of the week--it was just a bit chaotic, and being at my work training yesterday (which was actually productive--thanks to those of you who showed me some love!) I knew I wouldn't have time to blog or respond to everyone so I took two days off from blogging. But, I'm back for what's hap-"pinning" Wednesday, to share what I've been up to this past weekend!

My weekend highlights included:

~Friday after-work bday HH for my friend, which was much needed after a not so pleasant encounter with another teacher

~getting &pizza for dinner

~prepping our bedroom for painting the next day. The before:

everything was this beige/yellow off-white...boring

~some wine and essential oils to relax into the evening

~a morning and afternoon of painting the bedroom, including both MG and myself up in the alcove in our bedroom to tape and paint

you can kind of see the color a bit better in this photo than later on

~We were supposed to be getting our screen doors delivered and installed, but Home Depot continued to prolong the process by not being able to find a key part of the whole thing, so that was delayed again (it's already been 2 months...)

~Finishing the final coat of paint, and hanging up new curtain rods, for a totally complete and cozy room (it looks more gray in these photos, but it's a soft gray/blue/green color in person:

~Cooper even got a new dog bed to go in the bedroom, which he immediately started playing in once we brought it home ($20 at HomeGoods!)

~Sushi for dinner on Saturday to reward ourselves for all of the hard work we did on our master bedroom

~Sunday morning stop at Starbucks before running errands

~Our first snow flurries of the season on Sunday...nothing stuck though

~Went out for several test-drives on Saturday afternoon and then all day Sunday afternoon. Tried out the Nissan Rogue, the Honda CRV, Mazda CX5, and the Hyundai Tucson. The Tucson was my favorite, but a bit out of our budget, so we're still deciding...

~Made the lasagna soup that Jessi posted about the other week....oh my goodness it was SO good, and a huge hit with MG!

And now I'm back at work today, with kids, hoping for a snow day on Friday since we're supposed to be getting hit with the start of a "blizzard" that day. We'll see what happens on that front, but in the meantime, it's your turn to link up below and share what's hap-"pinning" with you!

BRB

I was M.I.A. yesterday due to a busy weekend, and not getting my act together for a weekend recap. And today I'm in an all day training at work, so I won't be around today either.

But I WILL be back tomorrow for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday with Jessi!

Catch you beauties tomorrow!

Friday Faves

Happy Friday!!! We made it through another full week, and hopefully you have the prospect of a 3-day weekend ahead of you!

Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday// 5 on Friday
My favorites this week are:

{1}-Happy Hour Celebration
After work today I'm meeting up with my friends from work for a little happy hour to celebrate my one coworker's birthday. This is the group that we went out with for drinks after my holiday party over the weekend, so it'll be nice to hang out outside of school again. Plus, it's Friday before a long weekend, and what better time to celebrate?

{2}Favorite Quotes
I saw this one over on Owen's blog yesterday and it was a great reminder 

And my bestie sent me this one this week, which I also loved:

{3} Favorite Meal
On Wednesday night I made spinach artichoke "dip" pasta. Oh my word was it delicious. There was very little that was 'healthy' about this dish but I didn't even care because it was filled with creamy deliciousness! All of my coworkers at lunch yesterday commented on how good it looked (and it was!!)
 Recipe coming soon :)

{4}Favorite Tutorial
Did you catch my girl Karly's blog earlier this week with her recommendation and tutorial on the Hot Tools thermal styling brush and how to get a nice DIY blow out? I'm buying that brush and I'm totally following that tutorial because who doesn't love a blow out? And Karly's hair always looks amazing!

{5} Funnies

When you see a picture of a guy you used to date in HS on Facebook and he looks nothing like he used to

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How I want to respond when someone has a meeting that should be 45 minutes and it ends up being 2 hours...all of which is past your contract time (aka not getting paid)

credit goes to Jess

The little guy in your head when your higher-up says something really stupid, and if you open your mouth, you'll be in trouble:

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When you're trying not to shop at your favorite store, Loft, to save money this month, but you see some pretty things on sale:

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Have a quick and easy Friday, and enjoy that weekend! You deserve it :)

Currently...

I'm linking up with Christy today for a round of Currently

Reading ...
I haven't started a novel yet this month, but I've been reading Savor every day which has been a nice way for me to take a few moments, reflect, and in some cases, pray.

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Listening to...
Serial2...I have two episodes to get caught up on--maybe this weekend while we're painting we'll put it on

Watching ...
The Bachelor! Lace is a looney--I originally thought she was going to be the resident Biatch for the season, but I realizes this wee that it's Olivia, who's mega annoying--both the bragging and her over the top facial expressions. Ben is adorable.

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Cooking...
SOUPS! I mentioned last week that it's all I've been craving so I made chili over the weekend, and then my broccoli cheddar soup on Monday. I'm in soup heaven!

Wanting ...
for someone to magically paint our bedroom. Especially the 16 ft wall. I really don't feel like falling off of a ladder and busting my head open this weekend haha

Looking forward to ... 
a happy hour blate (blogger-date) with my girl Christy today after work in Arlington!!! 

Enjoying ...
that we had one more random warm day on Sunday in the middle of Winter. Considering last year we were already dealing with snow, I was happy to see 63. Although, I'd take a snow day or too....

Loving....

that we have a three-day weekend ahead, followed by a teacher work day (which, for me, means an all-day training). On Monday it's going to be VERY nice, not to have to wake up to an alarm, and get in some extra Cooper snuggles too :)

Wearing ...
my gray cable knit Uggs, because it has been cooooooold around these parts lately. It was in the single digits with the windchill yesterday morning. No thank you, senor.

{via}

Pinning...
bedroom inspiration photos like I talked about yesterday in my What's Hap-"Pinning" post

Feeling ... 
excited because MG and I are going to go out and test drive a new car this weekend! I've been toying with the idea of getting a new car for a while now, but putting it off because I don't NEED one. Well, Nissan is having 0% financing for 60 months, so we figured we'd go check out the car I've had my eye on and see what kind of deals we can make since my trade-in should be pretty decent. Doesn't mean Ill get one this weekend, but I'm excited to go look and test drive!

*beep beep*

Grateful For...
Friends who are there when you need them and remember special/important dates in your life or with things that are going on. I'm so lucky to have so many friends in my life who are loving, supportive, and caring no matter what. #allthehearteyes

Don't forget to link up what you're up to currently!

What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday {#24}

Happy Wednesday!

It's time for another round of what's hap-"pinning" with Jessi and I--remember you can link up about anything that's happening. It doesn't have to be Pinterest-related!

In our house, we've been planned for our bedroom being painted. It took us a while to actually pick out a color, and let's hope it looks good once it's up, because we have a 16 foot wall on one side of the bedroom. 

I do not want to re-paint that wall (heck, I don't want to paint it at all to begin with!)

We picked Behr's Urban Raincoat because it has hints of blue, grey, and green in it (common colors throughout our entire house). It looks lighter in this online sample than it does up on our walls. Plus, the color changes based on what light is coming into the room.

I've been finding some great room inspiration photos on Pinterest. I'm loving the wall color of these, and the bedding!

{via}-love the comforter design                                                     {via}-so clean!

{via} I would love to get a headboard like this for our master bedroom at some point; and I like the subtle design in the comforter!

And since I've still been trying to be good on my no-spending month, I've been dreaming of some bedroom decor to go along with the new paint color. Especially some ideas for above the bed:

{via}-wedding song lyrics                                         {via}-wedding date

{via}
I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about this nightstand/dresser and the styling of it!

Do you have any go-to inspiration when you're deciding on paint color and other design elements in your bedroom, or other rooms in the house?

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I and share what's hap-"pinning" with you!

Show Us Your Books!

I've kept meaning to participate in the Show Us Your Books link up, but never got myself together to do so...until now!

A while ago I read Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave. It was a book I'd heard good things about from other bloggers, and read with my book club group.

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Part of the Goodreads synopsis is:

"There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…
Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.
But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever."

The reviews on this book are pretty mixed. Some people love love loved it, and other people disliked it. I fell in the middle. It was an enjoyable story and I liked seeing the relationships between the characters develop and change. Plus, I learned a little bit about wine-making in the process. There wasn't anything earth-shattering about the book for me, but it was an enjoyable read.

I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

The other book that I read over Christmas was called Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre. I discovered it on a random search on Amazon for a new read and found this one for $4.99 with more than 4 stars so I gave it a shot!

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The Goodreads synopsis:

"Cole Masten. Abandoned by his superstar wife, Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Watch out Los Angeles, there's a new bad boy in town. 
Summer Jenkins. That’s me, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year. 
We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But then Cole Masten read a book about my small town. And six months later, his jet landed on our dusty airstrip, and he brought Hollywood with him. 
From the start, I knew he was trouble. For our town. And for me.
Sometimes, opposites just aren’t meant to attract."

This book was a fun read. Although the main situation that occurs is slightly " too good to be true" watching the relationship between Cole and Summer unfold gets steamy. I enjoyed this one much better than the Crossfire series (well, the first book, I never made it past that one) because the writing was just better I think. If you're looking for an easy romance read, this is a good one that you'll likely breeze through pretty easily.

I gave this one 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I started reading The Fall Up, which is part of a series, but I feel like it might be too similar of a storyline to Hollywood Dirt after reading the first chapter so I might try and find something different in the meantime.

That's what I've been reading--what about you? Share some good ones with me!