5.28.2014

A Photo Dump (Because I'm Still Here)


Believe me, I'm not totally unaware that my blog hasn't been seeing much action these days. But I'm not going to be one of those Bloggers who apologizes for my absence. Chances are, if you're reading this, your life was probably not hugely affected by my lack of posting. I would so love to be the person who has an arsenal of rainy day posts saved up in their drafts for times such as this, but I'm not. My desire to write ebbs and flows. I have complete confidence that my inspiration will soon return, but in the meantime, here's my Memorial Day weekend/visit from my parents in a nutshell.

Enjoy friends, I'll be back before you know it :)







In case you're wondering, the farm where we attended the annual Strawberry and Asparagus Festival is the same farm where we married. So, of course, we had to reenact our exchange of vows where they took place almost 2 years ago- in our friend's garage. This farm is my happy place.

5.21.2014

A Dress Just for Me | eShakti Review


It's not often that my little ol' blog is contacted to do a product review. And it's even less frequent that I accept an offer to do a product review because, let's face it- there are some weirdos out there. However, I had seen some of my favorite bloggers talk about eShakti before and I loved the concept of a website that offered affordable (and I actually mean affordable, I buy almost all my clothes secondhand) clothing that was customizable.

After searching through a ton of options, I decided on a dress straight out of a Stepford Wives' closet. When it comes to dress sizes, I'm a pretty standard size 6, but I wanted to test out their customize option, so I decided to change the sleeve length to a 3/4 sleeve and add pockets. Because who doesn't love pockets?! My order arrived about 2 weeks later, I'm assuming because 1. The customizing would take awhile and 2. The dress was shipped from India.

Very visible smudges on the included sash.
When I opened up the package, there was a small sash (that I'm still unsure of how to include in the ensemble) that was a little dirty, so my first impression was a little dismayed. There were also a couple loose threads on the dress that I promptly picked off. 

Upon trying on the dress, I was pleasantly surprised, however. It fit me like a glove and I was totally smitten with the included pockets. My only criticism would be the tightness of the sleeves. I was very restricted in the shoulder area and when I later decided to toss Frisbee with my Hubby, heard an audible tear when I reached to catch a high-flying toss. May I suggest not playing Frisbee in a brand new dress?

Overall, I give eShakti a 'B' rating. Would I order from them again? Possibly. I don't know that I would regularly shop with them, but if I wanted a custom fitted dress for a wedding, shower, etc, they would be the first website I would look to!

Also, I clearly should never model clothing ever again.

If you're interested in trying out eShakti for yourself, you can get $25 off your first order when you sign up! Considering most of their clothing is in the $50 range, that's half off!

And if you do order from them, let me know what you think!






5.05.2014

I Ran a Race


I did it, guys! I did it! Saturday was my Quarter Marathon and I did it! 

When I registered for the race, I ambitiously gave myself an estimated finishing time of 1:10. I slacked on my training and only actually ran the full 6.5 miles once before running the race. I was also concerned because I had never run in a real race before and wasn't sure how I'd do in a huge mass of people. 

Rest assured, that not only did I do it. But I kicked its butt!


My RunKeeper app was a little off, because the marathon people told me I finished at 1:06:29. Either way, I'll take it.

I thought the race was pretty well organized and it really wasn't too bad to run in the huge mob of people. The worst part was when the three races: Half, Quarter and 5k, converged and I had people threatening to bowl me over on my left, and people walking and blocking my path to the right. At the finish line, I grabbed my medal, a water and a free bagel courtesy of Panera Bread and headed to the after-party. 

To be honest, I really wish I had been there with someone. (Chuck had to work that day and couldn't be there to cheer me on). The finish line party looked like so much fun: drinks, live music and tons of vendors. So, after I called Chuck and my family to boast about my victory, I drove home and promptly spent the rest of my Saturday curled up on the couch.

Overall, it was an awesome experience. There was music along the whole course and some great people on the sidelines holding signs and cheering everyone on. My personal favorite was the guy whose sign said, "You're the best at exercising!" I saw him twice throughout my run and cracked a smile both times.

I'm so fortunate that I work for an employer who sponsored me and am hoping they choose to do it again next year, because I'm totally in for Round 2!

5.02.2014

20 Months as Mrs.


A lot has been happening these last two months and it seems that time has positively flown by. I am now closer and closer to celebrating my second wedding anniversary. I still feel like a newlywed- how can that be?!

And speaking of our anniversary- we had planned to go on a fabulous weekend getaway to celebrate. We don't get to travel nearly as much as we'd like so our anniversary weekend was the perfect excuse. Unfortunately, some of our other family members chose the same weekend to get married, so we'll be celebrating their love instead of ours. I've honestly been pretty salty about it, but I'm trying to change my mentality and get into celebration mode. Love is love and we could all use a little more of it in our lives :)

But anywho, we're not at two years, just yet. I've got some catching up to do as a 20 Months as Mrs...



finances

Taxes really killed us this year. We were already not doing so hot after Chuck's employer messed up his paychecks a couple months back, so to see that we're going to owe a huge amount this year was upsetting to say the least. We're trying to recall our lessons learned last year in our Financial Peace University class and get more serious about cutting out unnecessary spending and bring more moolah in. Chuck has the opportunity to work extra hours if he makes plans ahead of time. So that's definitely an opportunity we want to utilize!

living

Our lease is up at the end of September so we're trying to decide what the future holds for us: will we continue living in Chuck's small hometown or will we move into the same metro area where we work? I love the idea of living in a big city again- there's just so many fun things to do! And cutting down our work commute is something we are both in dire need of. But there's something to be said for living near family. And quite frankly, I don't want to move again. I haven't lived in one place for more than a year since graduating high school, plus moving is expensive! I'd be content to stay put for another year just so I don't have to pack again!

family

I've always counted myself blessed that I'm one of the "lucky ones" who seriously hit the jackpot with my in-laws. I know having a close relationship with a significant other's parents is not something all that common, so I don't for a second take for granted my relationship with Chuck's family. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like there was some tension there. In terms of how we relate to our families, Chuck and I are polar opposites. My family is small, independent and not exactly socially-inclined. We see each other a few times a year, email regularly, call sporadically and still manage to remain very close. If I lived in the same town as my parents, I would still likely only see them once or twice a month because that's just the kind of people we are. Chuck, on the other hand, is visiting with his parents about 2-3 times per week. And he is growing tired of answering questions concerning my whereabouts. It's hard for me to be over there the amount of time I feel is expected of me. For starters, I'm just not inclined to spend THAT much time with family. Not to mention the sheer volume of people in his family is incredibly overwhelming for me. It's something that's a constant struggle for us- striking the balance between my own comfort level and engaging with his family so they know they are loved and appreciated.

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Just writing that, I feel like our relationship is so much more...mature. Our "issues" are real married people issues. Weird. With that being said though, I think the thing that continues to make our marriage work is the fact that neither of us takes anything too seriously. We're both silly, childish and non-confrontational. And it works for us. The sense of youthful playfulness that is always present in our marriage is what's going to keep us going for the next 50 years :)

Read more of my "Months as Mrs." here:

5.01.2014

Book Review: One More Thing


p/c

Goodreads describes this books as, 

"From an actor, writer, and director of the hit TV comedy The Office (US version): a story collection that was "workshopped" at comedy clubs and bookstores on both coasts.
B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories is an endlessly entertaining, surprisingly sensitive, and startlingly original debut collection that signals the arrival of a welcome new voice in American fiction."

I admit, the only reason I read this book was probably the same reason for anyone else who read this book: I'm a fan of The Office. I'm still grieving the loss of that show and knew BJ Novak was one of the top writers, so he intrigued me. I also am head over heels in love with Mindy Kaling, so their close relationship also sold me.

Let me say this: I may be a bookworm, but I rarely venture outside my comfort zone of novels and memoirs. Short stories are not something I would normally seek out. Which is probably why this book didn't get the five stars it deserved. Because I don't really "get" short stories. 

Regardless, there is no denying BJ Novak's sheer genius as a writer. He is clever, crafty and witty. And the stories he conjures up continued to amaze me. I would love the ability to just shrink down, Magic School Bus style and take a stroll through his brain. I still can't figure out where the source of his enormous creativity comes from! It's almost as if he's writing from some alternate reality of goofy scenarios, and articulates them so well.

If you love some darn good writing, you've got a great book on your hands. If you're like me and don't normally read short stories, just know what you're getting yourself into.

For me, Ryan, the temp gets...

FOUR out of FIVE stars!

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Have you read One More Thing? Do you enjoy reading short stories?
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