My other life -

I'm an avid blogger reader. An ideal morning for me includes a wog (walk/jog) with my dear friend, some Bible time, and blog reading - all before 9 AM. Obviously, ideal means it doesn't always happen. When perusing blogs, I enjoy seeing people's lovely houses, adorable kids, and beyond clever crafts/outfits, Etsy businesses, social rants, etc. I am quite jealous (if I may be so honest in my choice of words) of some folks' abilities, attitudes, and home decor. However, blogging is so fun because I get to chose who I read and if I can't stomach their content, I simply don't check their site.

That being said, I have this other life. It's not super glamorous,and I can't pitch my wares, since I don't personally control what is sold or nor do I really market anything especially interesting (to most of you). I don't work with celebrities or have the need to wear high fashion on a daily basis. I don't work in full-time missions or teach under-privileged childen. I'm not a stay-at-home mom (which in my book, totally qualifies as work), since we don't have kids (yet). I just work. And that's ok.

Sometimes I feel in the blog world that having a job like mine doesn't qualify as "important" or "impacting". But the thing is, it does and I am. And so are you. Your job isn't all you are, but it is part of you. So, on Friday, October 7, please know that whether you teach or sell or market or manage or clean or cook or study or do anything else that might not seem shiny and exciting, it is important to someone. You're impacting others through your attitude and your effort. And that's awesome.

I needed the reminder. (Colossians 3:17)

Full disclosure: I work in marketing for a super large technology company. I am proud of my job career, and the work I do. I am blessed to work from home (Most days in my life primarily feature my laptop, my phone, my husband, my dog, and coffee.), and the people I work with keep me challenged and laughing. Most of them don't read this blog, but if they do, they might need the reminder, too.

(Image via)

New Polish, Courtesy of JB

I saw some fun lime green nail polish in my newest Real Simple - something that I would not normally wear. I picked up a comparable color at Target yesterday, and today, my fingers (and toes) are sporting a new look.

Sidenote: I have not painted my fingernails in probably two years. Close up, it looks AWFUL.

Look who I have to thank for the color.

As I'm sure you did not guessed, I get to thank Mr. Justin Beiber.

This color is from his "The Less Lonely Girl" collection, "Designed with the fans, for the fans."

That's eye roll inducing, but the color - One Time Lime - is pretty fun. Happy Friday.

(Color is by Nicole by O.P.I.)

A bear of a week needs a good song.

This week has been a bear. Work has be rough. And yesterday, we met with a realtor about the possibility of putting our house on the market (in anticipation of a likely move - more to come), and the numbers are disheartening.

This morning, as I was running through scenarios in my mind on the way to drop one of our cars off at the shop, these lyrics came to mind. This song is both challenging and encouraging possibly my all-time favorite. (If I had to take one CD with me to a desert island, Caedmon's Call's "40 Acres", where this song is from, would be high in the running.)

Happy Friday!

As I survey the ground for ants
Looking for a place to sit and read
I'm reminded of the streets of my hometown
How they're much like this concrete that's warm beneath my feet

And how I'm all wrapped up in my mother's face
With a touch of my father just up around the eyes
And the sound of my brother's laugh
But more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives

But if I must go
Things I trust will be better off without me
But I don't want to know
Life is better off a mystery

So keep'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

Hometown weather is on TV
I imagine the lives of the people living there
And I'm curious if they imagine me
Cause they just wanna leave; I wish that I could stay

And to visit places from my past
But only for an hour or so
Which is long enough to smell the air
To tell the tale and find the door

But I get turned around
I mistake some happiness for blessing
But I'm blessed as the poor
Still I judge success by how I'm dressing

So I'll sing a song of my hometown
I'll breathe the air and walk the streets
Maybe find a place to sit and read
And the ants are welcome company

And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes.
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes.

Caedmon's Call, Faith My Eyes



Road trips bring the world together.

The hubs and I just completed an eight-hour road trip. Here's the thing with road trips. They always sound fun - kind of retro and All-American. And they are fun, when the right song is on the radio to belt out (off-key, much to the dismay of my husband).

However, not so much when you have to go the bathroom.

We stopped at our first gas station, and it did not have indoor plumbing. We had to use the portapotty in the dirt lot beside the station. I told the hubs as I walked out, "Whatever you do, don't look down."

By lunch, we upgraded to the travel center offering both a Quizno's and a Dairy Queen. While we ordered sandwiches (Quizno's subssssssssssss. They are gooooooooood. Or so sayth that weird, annoying, yet slightly charming commercial from a few years ago.), the hubs charmed me with stories of cleaning out the ice cream machine when he worked at Dairy Queen as a young lad.

But seriously, yall, the next exit took the cake. I was charmed by the exit signs promising Starbucks. I wanted some coffee to counter the images of portapotties still crowding my head. When we exited, we saw this sign, situated in middle-of-no-where USA across from a corn field.

Yes, that is a Starbucks, a Denny's, a Subway, and a Burger King. Something for everyone.

Would you like an obnoxiously large chair for your man cave?

They will ship it to you for $89.98 plus tax! (If you don't believe me that it was obnoxiously large, note that the piece of paper is 8 1/2 X 11.)

The Starbucks? Not a random gas station coffee bar "proudly serving Starbucks coffee." Oh no. This was the real deal. I didn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed that Starbucks sold out.

And at each gas station we stopped at, people from all walks of life were doing the same thing we were. Pumping gas, going to the bathroom, marveling at the bizarreness of it all.

The moral of the story is this: At some point on a road trip, every one of us - black, white, lawyer, student, whether you own a Mercedes or '89 Chevy Cavalier - will have to go to the bathroom above all else and our only option will be a gas station with no indoor plumbing.

But, please don't worry. Our end location has indoor plumbing. And a lovely view.

(Welcome to National Harbor, Maryland. Work beckoned, but we'll enjoy some fun time as well.)

Joining up with Carissa to share this travel miscellany.

We're so all-American.

The other day the hubs walked out the front door driving a Coke in the bottle (courtesy of the World of Coke in Atlanta), and I starting singing, "I'd like to buy the world a Coke..."

 Last Friday, we ventured to a Charleston Riverdogs game with some friends. This is my husband's (disgusting) choice in hotdogs - complete with chili, bacon, and jalepenos.

We set behind home plate and cheered them on to victory (although I don't remember the score). I do remember that the young(ish) guys sitting directly in front of us would stand up and do this bizarre dance that involved leaning back slightly and waving your arms at your side, kind of like a fish. I eventually asked them, and they told me they were "doing the Bernie," as in Weekend at Bernie's. I totally learned a new dance.

Me and the ever-lovely Elizabeth (and my birthday purse).

After the game, they played a medley of "classic American songs" during a fireworks display. It felt like summer. Also, during the finale series of fireworks, it appeared that some fireworks blew up on the ground, and suddenly the words "Big on the Pig" were spelled out in fire. Yeah, we're classy.

Yesterday, Britney Spears' latest (very catchy) song - the one about dancing til the world ends - came on the radio as I pulled into my neighborhood. I drove around to listen to the song (I hope I'm not the only one who does this.), and I saw this guy. He's probably 8 feet long head to tail. We have signs at all of ponds that say, "Beware of the alligators," because our neighborhood was built on wetlands.  But, usually they stay hidden. I guess he was out for some sun. (Sorry for the blurry picture. I decided not to go over and introduce myself. )

The hubs sent me flowers today. Aren't they lovely? This picture gives you a close-up view of my home work environment - two screens (one work laptop, one Mac for Pandora and Hulu so I don't slow my work computer down), empty plate from lunch, water glass, bills in background - the gang's all here.

Tomorrow, I'm hosting the baby shower at I mentioned in my previous post. I wrote a baby Mad Lib. Everyone who's coming should prepare to laugh.

And one more thing, as of Saturday, we'll be in the market for a new-to-us AKA used car. I'm drawn to Accords, Highlanders, 4Runners, Pilots, and Subarus (is that weird?). We've saved our pennies, but we definitely can't afford a new one of the above - more like an 06-08. Any suggestions on cars? Opinions on the ones I mentioned?

Perspective

Today was one of those days.

I had a carefully constructed list of things that had to happen. Nothing huge, just little things that needed to get done.

And over the course of the day, that list fell apart.

Instead of taking the high road, I defaulted to my normal response - grumpiness.

But, on my way home tonight, I looked over to my passenger seat, and I had to laugh.

I was sharing my car with a diaper cake - complete with an elephant constructed entirely of receiving blankets attached on top with ribbon (made by my extremely talented friends in anticipation of a baby shower I'm hosting soon).

Seriously, I laughed out loud. In the scheme of things, I was freaking out about ridiculous things. Things that could be done tomorrow without cause for concern.

Perspective, courtesy of the diaper cake in my passenger seat.

Deals, Favorites, and Public Speaking

My interest in couponing (a la Extreme Couponing) ebbs and flows. However, I never get tired of the coupons and special offers I receive in the mail/e-mail from non-food stores. Sometimes they are a big fakeout, such as FREE SHIPPING if you $150 or more. (Seriously, that is (one of) my pet peeve(s). Who spends, on a normal occasion, $150 at one store?) But, all in all, they save money and occasionally make something unaffordable, affordable. What's not to love?

At some point along the line, I got on Victoria's Secret's mailing list. Now, I get a consistent arsenal of coupons from them. I'm certainly not complaining (I haven't paid for underwear in two years.). Last month, I received a $10 off anything coupon, and I picked up these sleep pants (which I am wearing now). I love the smocked waistband, infinitely more comfortable than a normal elastic waist. It's like wearing a cloud. (Not that I have official proof of this, but I imagine wearing a cloud would be way comfortable.)

(image via)

I also used a couple of coupon codes from Kodak Gallery to order two mini-albums of our wedding photos (18 months later) for our moms. Two albums for $32 with shipping. Two happy moms.

This is the cover. When I shared it with the hubs, he said, "Hey, that picture makes it look like we're pregnant." This declaration was both inaccurate and somewhat of a buzzkill. However, I choose to presume that the mothers aren't going to draw the same conclusion.

When not making slightly less-than-endearing comments about my custom gifts, my husband was named "Sailor of the Quarter" amongst the staff that teach and/or support the training school he works at. As a result, he was given the honor of speaking at an upcoming graduation ceremony. I'm not really sure that a forced public speaking opportunity is ever a true "honor" (because, ugh, public speaking is higher than death on the fears list for a reason), but tonight he's putting the final touches on his speech. I think it's pretty significant that he has the opportunity to speak to this group of sailors, who are at an exciting, yet intimidating, point in their baby Navy careers. I'm confident he's going to nail it (if not on looks alone). Not that I'm partial.