saying goodbye to 2009

i can't believe 2009 is thisclose to being over. done. finito. another year for the books, time to start a new year, and a new chapter.

i had A. LOT. going on in 2009. when i look back on all of it...it's kinda crazy.

i started the year an engaged lady...i'll end it as a married one. becoming Nate's wife is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me....even if it doesn't feel much different than the 2 years we lived together, and the 1 we were engaged for.

which brings me to a resolution

#1. be a kickass wife.

i know everyone says that marriage is hard work....but so far, ours hasn't been. i'd like to keep it that way....at least internally. we can never predict what the world will throw at us...but we can make our bond as strong as possible. this man makes me laugh, and works hard to stop me from crying, and pretty much spoils me rotten...so i gotta give him his props.

2009 was also the first time the hubs was EVER on a plane...and only the 2nd and 3rd times for me...and our first trip out of the country. we gotta keep that going.

#2. keep traveling

it may not be anywhere far, and our passports may stay with just atlanta and amsterdam stamps...but i wanna hit the road this spring, and go show the husband someplace he's never been. maybe somewhere we've both never been.

and last, but certainly not least,

#3. live with NO regrets.

i've made this resolution every year since i was in high school. i'm a firm believer in the fact that EVERYTHING, good and bad, happens for a reason. and finding those reasons means there's no reason to regret anything that happened. because it happened FOR. A. REASON.

so tonight, when the clock counts down and hits the beginning of a brand new year, i'll be in my living room, with the love of my life and the very best friends i have...and i'll welcome it with open arms.

bring on whatever you've got for me universe...i'm SO ready =)

christmas for a book nerd.

i love books. always have. i spent more time in elementary school in the library than i did in class...because i'd finish my work, then skip off to get things to read.

this is one of FOUR books i took on my honeymoon...between the crazy long flights and the crazy long layovers...this girl needed something to read.

i won't even lie....THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. i loved every single page of the 500+. it's the story of a fictional teacher and his wife who worked at columbine high school...and the aftermath of the attacks there. SO. GOOD. even the husband read it and loved it...and he's a home improvement book kinda guy.



so he got me this one for christmas. i haven't started it yet...but if it's wally lamb, i know i'll love it.

then, i had 2 barnes and noble gift cards from last year...and the year before. call me a slacker...but i always have a hard time spending them even though i love getting them....because i don;t buy just any book. i love cheesy girl books...but i read them in 2 days, so it's a waste to buy them. but when i find an author i LOVE, i shell out.

john irving can do no wrong in my book. i first read A Prayer for Owen Meany in high school...10th grade AP composition. if you've seen the movie Simon Burch, you know the general story....but not nearly as awesome. our teacher told us it was a "bastardazation" of the book.

i've read a lot of his stuff, so when his new book came out last month, i knew i had to have it. i asked for it for christmas....but ended up buying it instead.

and then there's jasper fforde. i discovered him when i bought his first book, The Eyre Affair, for super cheap before my spring break sernior year in college.

digest that for a sec....I BOUGHT A BOOK FOR SPRING BREAK. anyways...it's about this detective, Thursday Next, who's searching for a criminal stealing characters from books and holding them for ransom. it turned into a 5-part series, and i am OBSESSED. it's the perfect thing for book nerds....cuz it's all about book jokes.

this is his newest book...that was supposed to come out IN JULY. i was all excited, because i went on amazon that day to order it...and it said the release date was moved to december 29th. FML. i was so mad.

but now this and the irving novel should be on my doorstep when i get home....nothing like ringing in the new year with brand new books!

plus, BOTH only cost me $5. bless you gift cards, and gift card givers.

what are your favorite authors? ever read any of these?

i need your prayers...but not for me

see that dashing guy in the bowtie? he married us (clearly). his wife taught the hubs in high school...and they've been like second parents to him since then. and now they're more like in-laws to me than my ACTUAL in-laws (which is a WHOLE other story).

so the hubs and i went to ATL this weekend for a trip to the GA aquarium...and on our way, we got a call from Mrs. C. Mr. C was in the ER...then we found out he was in emergency surgery, for either appendicitis, or something else causing an infection.

surgery went fine, and he went home yesterday.

this morning, i get a text saying he's back in the hospital with complications.

i need prayers for BOTH of them please....for him to be healed, and better, and back to his awesome self....and the same for his wife.

i HATE feeling helpless...i hate it. it makes me mad and frustrated and sad and like i'm just....useless. and that's how i feel right now...knowing people that i love are hurting, and i can't fix it.

i fix things....or at least try to. so this kinda sucks for me.

so if you could just a little something good to the universe for me, i'd appreciated it.

on a side note...watching USA this weekend, they had a commercial for some website they've set up about "characters" since their slogan is "characters welcome". one girl said "i believe in all paths to God."

amen sister.

how i spent my sunday

i promise, tomorrow i'll get to the "oooh, check out what i gots for christmas" bragging...but first, a little family introduction.

this is bojangles knowshon. for all you non-UGA fans who think i'm a terrible parent....knowshon moreno was an awesome player at UGA the year before and the year we got bo...until he went pro. still a little bitter.

but anyhoo, this little guy is 20 pounds of pure pug energy...."prone to obesity" like the internet says? i wish!! he never stops moving...and so the hubs and i figured we needed to find him a friend. we're always perusing the pups at petsmart, looking for the perfect little guy to hang with him. it takes a lot to be as cool as Bo...cuz he's pretty much the coolest.

blog friends, meet Keno. no, he does not actually have laser eyes...but that might be kind of cool. he's a beagle/some kind of herd dog mix....his body is bigger than bo's, but he has TEENSY legs!!

we saw him at petsmart this summer, for 2 weeks in a row...and then he was gone! in my head...i was always comparing other dogs to him. "oh, that one is not as cute as the dog i wanted"...so when we saw him back yesterday, i was thrilled...and mad! i thought someone had adopted him and brought him back!! but apparently....this particular shelter moves dogs around to different adoption sites, trying to find them homes. so keno was on a different route...then he got a wicked case of fleas. so they had to keep him away from the other pups till he was better. and now he is...and now, he lives with us!

Bo gave us this look like "who is this dude who keeps peeing on MY bushes in the yard?? and sitting on MY couch??". but i think they're gonna get along just fine...they're already fighting like brothers, and bo keeps luring keno into chasing him around!

rocking the funk

i'm the first to admit...i tend to latch on to celeb trends...or at least the ones that i haven't really seen before, and want to start rocking myself.

and i have to say...i LOVE the whole dainty charm on a necklace thing...especially if there are several necklaces involved. i have the monogrammed ones, and a couple others...so today, i bought myself a little present.

it took some waffling, cuz i wasn't sure about being the girl rocking a t-rex necklace...but for $20, it had to be done. imagine this with a ruffly girly dress, and some rocking boots. i am IN. LOVE.

it's a dinosaur for crying out loud!!

sadly...the hautelook shop was sold out of a tiny gold fortune cookie (and yes, i'd wear them together...it's very godzilla vs. tokyo, no?)...so when you're in need of a cooky cookie (hah, i crack myself up), i go to one place....etsy.

and then i found an awesome shop with fortune cookies, and SOOOOOO much more.

this one is called "love takes work". how freaking adorable is this?? a heart AND a hammer. there's also a wrench and a saw version too.

i am so crazy about this it's hardly even funny! it's cold and silver...and the best part is most definitely the rain drop. i would wear this ALL. THE. TIME.

and for all you four-eyes like me...this can't be beat. even though i'm a contacts girl now...i'll always be a glasses girl at heart. i love how retro they look too!

all of these precious necklaces are from Lanyapi's etsy shop, and they aren't more than about $25 apiece...so please go check it out...but DON'T steal the ones i want =)

why i almost cried at winn dixie

last night, i hit up the grocery store with mom for some last minute christmas goodie ingredients.

side note: anyone else love the tiny carts at inn dixie?? the hubs won't let me get them when we go together, cuz he says they make him feel ridiculous. whatevs.

anyhoo, so i got my tiny cart full of stuff, behind mom in line...when the bagger guy says lane 7 is open. so i toddle (toddle?! is that a word??) on down there, and get in line behind an older guy, probably 60's, with 3 things.

then cashier says she can't ring him up, she's waiting for a lady to get back inside, she ran to her car to get her money...the woman says "she's young, has a baby boy and another little girl."

so we're standing there waiting, and in comes the girl...looking for all the world overwhelmed by trying to find her lost money and dealing with 2 kids under the age of 3.

she tells the cashier to take one of the beef stroganoffs off her bill, she only has $20. the cashier obliges, and the girl goes on her way.

then the older man asks what the lady put back because she couldn't pay for it...and then tells the cashier "put it on my bill" and tells the bag boy "run this out to her and tell her merry christmas."

OMG ya'll, i'm standing there, trying not to tear up because this old guy was just so sweet!! it was probably a $2 box of hamburger helper he paid for...but the rewards he'll get from the universe have infinite value.

no matter what your religious affiliation or beliefs, people like him are really the spirit of christmas. giving with no reservation, and giving to give...not to get anything in return.

i'm gonna try and be a little more like that guy.

turning into my grandmothers

right this second...i'm wearing an adorable grey and highlighter yellow striped sweater. and a long necklace that's a pewter chunk chain, and the bottom is a bunch of clear, black and grey crystals.

which brings me to the conclusion i came to last night at target.

i'm turning into my grandmothers. not my mom...she's a silver and gold, always wears the same jewlery kind of lady. so is my sis for the most part.

me...i'm a little different. which means i totally take after BOTH my grandmothers, who have boxes full of jewelry and necklaces hanging on the wall.

if it's chunky, and covered in rhinestones...i'm on it like white on rice. hence...my latest purchase, that inspired my revelation.
these are from target, for a whopping....$10. i love love LOVE them!!! they're much prettier in person....the gold is brighter, and the center stone doesn't look nearly so fakey.

i'm rocking them tomorrow for my last day of work, and my "party" with my BFF's for christmas. these babies, black sweater tee, hunter green cardi, skinny jeans and black ballet flats...SO. HOT.

any other "grandma jewels" lovers out there??