Dinner tonight

Dinner tonight.

Only picture I took because I barely thought about pictures because I just wanted to eat.

Spinach, Garlic, and Onion stuffed Pork Tenderloin.

(this picture was taken with my new Blackberry Torch phone camera! oooo I love that phone. Wish they'd pay me to say that!)

Dinner tonight was on accident and was the most wonderful pork tenderloin I've ever had (although I haven't had that many).

It is not my normal dinner to make pork tenderloin (or pork of any type unless its bacon or turkey bacon, and yes I know that's not pork). I just haven't had it much and my only experiences cooking it were pork chops so far, or rump roast which didn't turn out so great.

This week I set out to make healthy affordable dinners for 3 nights. When I looking through my weight watchers cookbooks, I found a beef stroganoff recipe that I made (quite decent, but nothing to write home about), and a 1 lb. pork tenderloin teriyaki/ginger recipe. I figured day 3 we'd eat leftovers, or Taco Bell across the street. (don't judge, it can be healthy, but its definitely cheap)

Well, when I went to the grocery, much to my dismay, I only found pre marinated pork tenderloins or a huge 2+ pound value size portion. Considering the entire 2+ pound package was only about $7, I went with that and figured I'd cut it in half and make something else with the other half.

Well, when we went to make the first night of asian inspired pork, we discovered the pork tenderloin was already in two pieces! Yay, so I knew I could make another meal out of it.

The weight watcher recipe for teriyaki/ginger pork was decent, but again like the Stroganoff, nothing to write home about. Then...........I discovered this recipe while searching for things to do with my remaining pork tonight.

Now, I pride myself these days of having pretty much every spice/sauce/ingredient needed to season/flavor and create a meal as long as you have the basics. Well these two pork recipes are prime examples of that. I had absolutely every ingredient for them besides the pork.

Hence the reason I'm even more excited about pork tenderloin right now...its sooooo CHEAP, and you more than likely have enough spices to flavor it great!

So without further ado, here is the link to the recipe I used....

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/pork-loin-stuffed-with-spinach/Detail.aspx

Only differences are that we only had a 1 pound pork tenderloin, so we made the filling with the prescribed measurements for ease, I added some salt and pepper to the filling and then used about half of it for stuffing the tenderloin. Instead of 2 hours cook time, we did 1 hour: 30 minutes with uncovered, and 30 minutes covered.

It was sooooooooo wonderful, so tender, so juicy, so flavorful, and so cheap!

Update on the mailbox

I just picked up new keys to a new mailbox. Not all the mail in there was ours, so I'm really hoping they didn't assign us someone else's mail box who is still using it and change their locks like they did ours originally. We shall see. The new mailbox is not in order of our condo units so I'm skeptical. At least we are getting mail again right?

I can hardly move today

Last night I did my first day of Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred workout. Oh man, I can barely move today! Between that and the flu shot I got yesterday morning, my left arm especially is useless.

I did this 20 minute exercise in our living room with Jonathan just watching, laughing, and then becoming like a personal trainer, telling me when I wasn't squatting far enough, arms weren't in the right place, or my back wasn't straight, and getting me water. haha. He was so sweet and despite his laughter most of the way through it, it was really encouraging having him do all that. Maybe he'll do it with me sometime!


So between this video, curves, and my shakeweight (yes I have one), hopefully I'll be diligent and continue to get in even better shape maybe a little quicker before the holidays roll around.

Ok now to my tax returns where minimal movement is required.

Ever been locked out of your own mailbox?

Our mailbox lock was changed out when someone new moved in and somehow the post office changed our lock to be his box, and we no longer have access to get mail!!! grrrr this has been a process, and HOPEFULLY tomorrow when the post office is open again they will come get it sorted out. I was able to catch the mail lady (Sandra, she's so nice! and not the one who changed the lock I might add) on Friday and get our mail from the week, but she said she's been so confused and just holding our mail since the new owner of the box left her nasty notes. (He did save our mail from the week the confusion began though and gave it to us) anyway, so we tried every single mailbox with our mail keys and none worked. Then we looked up and on top of the mail boxes, was a lock just sitting there, low and behold it fits our keys! I can't believe this happened or how it happened. I can't believe also that they didn't send someone out on Thursday when I called to fix it immediately. Isn't that illegal? Ok probably not, but still. So I took the lock with me, because we are not paying for a new one with new keys. They'd better call me to use this same lock when they fix this little problem. Ok can you tell I'm frustrated?

Shopping fun

Ah, Friday and I don't have to go to work! Yay!!!

So today will be errand, cleaning, relaxing, mani/pedi day.

Anyway, I frequent all the local Marshalls/TJMaxx etc. because you never know what you will find.

Well this week, I found two things to note.

1. These Steve Madden shoes. I originally passed over them because Camo is not really my thing...but then I had to have them because its my husband's thing, and it will be deer season soon, and how fun would it to be to wear in honor of that? haha Plus honestly they are a really cute neutral once you have them on. I think I might actually wear them kind of often on the weekends this fall.

2. Purse Organizer. Oh my gosh I love this thing. I've been changing purses a lot recently and its getting frustrating forgetting things in one, or having to dig. (I like big purses). So when I saw this, it was mine. I got this same color, and it keeps absolutely everything I carry around soo organized. You just pull it out and put it in a new purse when you change. I mean c'mon. Ladies, we all need this!

Things I'm loving Thurs...I mean Tuesday.

Quick break at the end of my lunch at work to talk about things I'm loving today. And I almost put Thursday in the title because its been such a long week already. Technically I've worked 4 days already this week so its my Thursday. (Sat, Sun, Mon...LONG monday, and today).

So today has been a magnificent day so far, here's the breakdown:

1. Its tax season...that's not the good part....

2. Its tax season, and Sept. 15th is tomorrow....still not the good part....

3. I just sent all of my tax returns to be delivered!!! That's the great part! I'm pretty much wrapping up now, little processing things etc, and barring something major...busy season is coming to a normal season again.

4. I got to sleep a little late.

5. I am wearing a new Ann Taylor Loft shirt and sweater and headband. :)

6. I am eating yummy humus

7. I have pretzel M&Ms

8. The best part about the pretzel M&Ms....the WHOLE bag, whole normal size bag of M&Ms is only 3 weight watcher points. What??? I hope they never stop making these things. Sweet, Crunchy, Salty...yep its that good.

9. The convenience store in my building has started carry Snapple Trop a Rocka!!!! woohoo having it now!

Ah, that's it for now. I'm doing great today, can you tell? Its the little things.

Is it weird to write down what you eat?

I kind of had a thought today that its weird to write down what I eat. I don't know that I would want to read what everyone else eats...hmmm not sure about this journal anymore. Might just write down point numbers per day instead...we'll see.

Tonight we went to the Astros game and got to sit Diamond Level! It was amazing and we'll be doing it every day this weekend! Woohoo!

Sad news about Lance Berkman leaving for the yankees supposedly though. Pics of the weekend will be up later, or if you're friends with my mom on facebook, they'll likely be up soon! :)

Thursday - My 3rd favorite day of the week!

Breakfast:

0 - Coffee with Soymilk and splenda with fiber (sidenote, this is a great way to have your morning coffee with flavor and no points! I only had 1/2 cup or less of light silk soymilk for 45 calories, and with 2 grams of fiber from 2 splenda with fiber packets and the fiber already in the milk, its free!)

2 - Fiber One Bar (Oats with Strawberries and Almonds kind...first time to try it...oh so good!)

Lunch:

1 - Miso Soup
1- Edamame
3 - salmon, tuna, and shrimp sushi

Dinner:

10- Campbell's Sausage, Beef, and Bean Skillet Recipe
2 - Graham Cracker and Peanut Butter

Total: 19

Mid Week

Found this website today: http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Definitely will be using some of these recipes!

Breakfast:

1 - Coffee with FF Coffeemate (FF stands for Fat Free, in case you wonder)
2- Honey Nut Cheerios

Lunch:
4 - Smart Ones Turkey and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Dinner:
15 - Boneless honey BBQ Wings (ouch I know but they were Sooooo good!)
2 - 10 Saltine Crackers
1 - MGD 64 (pretty good for just one point!)

Total: 25

Flex points:31
- 7
24 left

New Daily Post

I've decided on a whim, after working out today, weighing myself and seeing that I've gained 4.5 pounds since February, that the thing I need to get back to doing for weight loss and then maintenance, is writing down what I eat. Plus I just read an article on CNN that talks about the importance of this very thing.



My background in or history with weightloss so to speak, is Weight Watchers, which I did with my mom in high school and I went from a size 10 as a 5 foot girl, down to a size 2-4 at my smallest. I'm hovering around a 6 right now and things are getting tighter. In weight watchers we are told to keep a daily journal of food. My mom does this pretty religiously, which I think is why she such a great figure so many years after starting. I on the other hand am I bit more carefree and have a hard time sticking to habits.



I'm working out, so the issue has got to be what I'm eating. I'm a stress eater, and I've recently developed a love for cooking. About half the recipes in our house are Weight Watchers recipes, and the other half are from things like the Pioneer Woman. Full of buttery goodness. I think its good to know how to cook like that, but I need to scale back my intake, its all about portion control and I haven't been actually figuring out how much a serving of my recipes is recently.



Thus, I'm going to start a daily food journal on my blog.



I'm going to do the journal in weight watcher points, so if you're interested in that or even need to lose weight, I HIGHLY recommend weight watchers. For the money you pay going to meetings to learn the system, you will be so pleased with the results and lifestyle it brings. Despite my little recent weight gain I've not gone above my size 6 since high school so that says something.



Plus I'd like to lose about 5 pounds or so by our Mexico vacation. So I have about 3.5 weeks til then. Healthy weight loss I think is between even 1/2 lb. to 3-4 lbs. per week. 3-4 being much more rare the closer you are to your goal weight. Anywho...



We'll see how this goes:

My daily point range for my weight and age is to have 18 points per day, and then I have 35 flex points to use throughout the week.



Tuesday:

1 -Coffee with coffeemate

2- Honeynut Cheerios

1- Light soy milk

5- Turkey 6 in. Subway Sandwich with Cheese and FF dressing

2- Yogurt
4- Crockpot Beef Short Ribs (I only ate 2, not he best meal choice for first day of this :)
3- Mashed Potatoes
1- Sauteed Spinach
2- Cottage Cheese
1- Bite of Cheesecake pudding pie

Daily Total = 22 points.

35 flex points
- 4 used
31 flex points left.

Things I'm loving Tuesday

I know most blogs do things I'm loving Thursday, but things are a bit stressful at work this morning so I'm going to take 5 minutes and write things I'm loving Tuesday to get in a positive mindset. :)

1. Bethenny Getting Married show on Bravo. Love it. Love it. She's so funny and I love her and Jason's relationship!

2. My family is coming in town Friday!! Yay! My brother gets to stay with Dub and me, and we are going to all three Astros games this weekend in some pretty nice seats!

3. My hubby made me laugh so hard yesterday, for like hours, and he cleaned quite a bit around the house before I got home as I had to work late last night.

4. Self tanner. After putting some on this week I instantly feel more like its summer. (despite the constant rain this week)

5. Inception. It was a great movie! Went Sunday night to Studio Movie Grill to see it. That's another thing I love, Studio movie grill. Who likes to see movies without food anymore?

6. Cooking. Dub and I cook a lot. This morning I put short ribs in the crockpot and hopefully tonight they'll live up to their name of "melt in your mouth"!

7.Vacation. I'm going on vacation for a couple days at home with my parents next week, and then in less than a month leaving for Playa Del Carmen for a whole week, all inclusive vacation with friends and Dub!

oh I could go on! Ok things seem much brighter now around here. Time to work. :)

Hair

I got my hair done today and my eyebrows waxed for the first time since........eeekk can't believe I'm going to admit this.....since my wedding....in November. Ok true a few people might know I got my hair cut once since then but at a totally random little place near our home in Houston just because it was ridiculously long. But, since my wedding I have not had my highlights done or had a truly professional good hair cut and layering. I don't know why I waited. Fear of a finding a new stylist? Lazy? Wanting to save money?

I thought my eyebrows looked fine, no stray hairs, but boy was I wrong when I had them done! Whew such a difference! Love love, Facelogic. I've gone to Facelogic in Waco, Dallas and now Houston for my eyebrows exclusively for 6 years now and I've been so pleased with the results and atmosphere. If you don't like my eyebrows then don't go there! haha! I love them. My grandma Dixie always had a thing about keeping natural looking, thicker eyebrows and I guess it stuck with me. Something she used to say about being in a car wreck and they'd shave off your eyebrows and they wouldn't grow back so keep them nice and thick...I dunno doesn't make much sense but when I think about my eyebrows I hear her voice. Ok that's neither here nor there, I look better today end of story. :)

Then the hair...trivial all this beauty stuff is I know, but it really makes you feel so much better when everything is fresh. I sucked it up and went to a really nice salon in Houston called Traci Scott. I went to the stylist, Cion. He is originally from Hobbs, New Mexico where my college roommate Maggie is from! Small world. He is the nicest and most experienced guy. I didn't think I'd find anyone as good as Casie in Waco, but he has put my fears to ease and is just as good. Can't say better because Casie is just soooo wonderful, but I'm thrilled to find someone not 3 hours away!

Today my hair is a little shorter, and a little lighter, but we toned down the blondeness of the highlights so its more....honey golden...? with a slightly auburn color? and with some darker low lights. Mabye not auburn....I don't know I haven't looked at it enough but its different.

Ah breath of fresh air. Almost didn't make it to my appointment because work was so crazy, but ya know...sometimes you just have to literally say, is this so important that I can't do it later? So I got away and now look refreshed!

Happy Birthday Jonathan!!

This was Hubby's birthday week! He turned 25 last Saturday, June 12! I think I sang happy birthday to him 3 times, maybe 4, and had 3 cakes and he still has a big joint birthday bash this weekend with our dear friends David and Bill, whose birthday's are all within a week.

We went to the lake where Jonathan went fishing first thing Saturday morning, caught 2 fish, then we went golfing with his dad and his sister and new brother-in-law. All before noon...totally Jonathan's idea of a great birthday! Then we were out of the boat with Jonathan wakeboarding and tubing all afternoon followed by all of the Theilig/Pavlic extended family coming over to the lakehouse to celebrate recent family birthdays!

We celebrated Aunt Frances, Uncle Lynn, and Jonathan's birthdays. It was such a joy to be with his whole family. Now its off to Dallas to continue celebarating this weekend!

Love you Jonathan! Happy 25th!

What my Husband Did

So what did my husband do that was so wonderful?

Without my knowledge, he contacted the Baylor University Men's Basketball program and through a series of connections, emails, and phone calls, got a basketball autographed by the entire NCAA elite 8 season team....wait for it...for my Dad for father's day!!!

We went ahead and gave it to him the next time we saw my parent's because Jonathan just couldn't wait. Well I couldn't either!

He just decided that this would be the best gift for my dad and was so excited about it that he didn't even tell me until he had confirmation that it was in the mail.

He even had thought enough to ask for the basketball before the school year was up so that Ekpe Udoh got to sign it before leaving for the Pro's, Tweety Carter signed it before graduation, and of course Scott Drew signed it front and center!! I mean everyone's signature is on this ball.

When my dad opened it, he was shocked. It was so fun! He asked if Jonathan had to tell them his father-in-law had cancer to get this!

Dad said this he doesn't know if Jonathan can ever top this gift, and didn't expect such a great gift so early. Mom kept saying how she wanted to get Dad an elite 8 T shirt but we thought this was a better memento of the season. :)

Jonathan has always been good at surprises, but this one ranks pretty high up there. I love you Jonathan and thank you for being so thoughtful of the people I love most!

Sick :(

I'm sick....so for my memorial day weekend post, see Stephanie's blog. :)

I don't feel like doing all the pictures and everything. It was a much needed awesome break with great friends after a stressful work week and other things. I think I let down so much that my immune system just broke down after all the stress and now I'm just ugh. But I got great meds and am finally beginning to feel better.

I can finally tell you about the wonderful thing my husband did, but that will have to wait until tomorrow as I'm just too tired to do it now and am about to take my cough syrup with codeine. :) Nightnight!

Carla's Graduation

My sister in law, Carla, graduated from Baylor this weekend with a degree in Education in I believe Pre-K through 4th grade. She is getting married, however, this next Saturday, so I think she was just ready to get across the stage and finish the last details for the wedding!

Here she is walking across the stage. Aren't my picture taking skills amazing?!?! haha I think its getting close to time to get a new and improved camera. We weren't that far away from the stage and this was the best I could do, plus the camera is super slow.

Congratulations Carla!!! So proud of you. Now its on to the wedding this weekend!

My Husband

My husband just did something completely wonderful! I will share more about it in a few weeks, but for now I will just say that I am completely blessed with such an amazing man who cares about me and the things/people I love most. Oooooo I just love him to pieces!!!

On that note...if any one is reading who isn't married yet...follow your heart for the one God has for you. You will know when it's them. Do not settle. The blessings of being with someone God has designed for you are countless. Wait for that person. Pray for that person.

I've been tagged by Stephanie at A New Day. So here goes with this little interview.


1. Who is your style icon?


I have a few:



The two women I'll put are Kelly Ripa, and Eva Longoria Parker. Both are petite like me, and embody what I like most about fashion. Details in clothes, and the perfect shoe for every individual outfit. They understand the importance of proportion for petites as I try to and execute it wonderfully. They also, both know the magic of a shoe the same color as your skin. I have multiple pairs of every variety. It makes us short people look taller (or at least we like to think so!)








Note: She is wearing Christian Louboutins. My dream is to own a pair or 10.


But, currently, I buy almost all my clothes from Ann Taylor Loft, so I must include that as well. They are doing a great job on keeping it classic but current. And most things I can wear to the office (which is what I do everyday) and transition to night






2. What is your favorite Socialite Lit book?


Hmmm...I'm not sure I quite know what this is supposed to be. An ettiquite book? I have the one referred to in Lindsey's blog Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma.



But....really the book I think is the best to follow for social ettiquite, is the Bible. Honestly. Have you watched Real Housewives of New York or any of them for that matter? These self proclaimed socialites, like The Countess who writes about so-called "Class", could use a less or two from the book of Proverbs. The Bible has the correct way to deal with gossip, money, adultery, language, and forgiveness just to name a few.


Now this doesn't mean I don't watch these shows...they are such entertainment! I just think they spin their wheels dealing with issues that wouldn't be issues if they acted right in the first place. Granted, no one is perfect, myself included, so all we can do is our best and the Bible is the only way to start.

3. Favorite party theme?

I love tropical themed parties. Especially our annual Jimmy Buffett party that is coming up very soon!

4. Go to Halloween Costume?

I think I've been something different almost every year. I don't like to repeat. However, I have been a flapper more than once, so I guess that is it.

College! Left to right, Stephanie, Me, Maggie, Caroline.

5. Extravagance you can't live without?

Estee Lauder, Idealist.

This stuff makes your skin feel like silk!! I put it on nearly every morning before my makeup. It really does make you glow and when used regularly my skin looks so much healthier and my makeup looks flawless. It will set you back a pretty penny, but when used sparingly, it lasts for quite awhile. I think I bought my last bottle about 6 months ago. Just before I got married :)

6. Living person you admire?

My mom.

She is incredible. The epitmote of graciousness, unconditional love, and pure goodness. She is such a Godly woman, who has it all. Everyone that knows her loves her and seeks her wisdom. She is also just plain fun! Love you Momma!

If you need a pick me up, or inspiration, you should check out her new blog that she just started!

7. Greatest Fear?

Spiders. No really, I hate them. Ok, but also...losing someone in my family is a big fear. I don't have any grandparents left, and I miss them all dearly even still. So that's my biggest fear.

8. Trait you deplore in yourself?

I think I read this book as I child and it definitely didn't have any impact on me.

I am not a very tidy person. I have to try VERY hard to put my dishes near the sink. Yes I said NEAR. I tend to gather coffee cups in my bathroom, and water cups beside my bed. I am trying to get better at keeping house and organization in general, but I'm just not good at it. I need a raise to get a maid.

I am, however, very good at organizing my work related matters. Weird I know. Must be psycological. I was also always good at organizing school work. I never miss things, am late, or even messy with work or school, but my personal life, and my car...well that's very different.

In fact, my precious grandmother, Dixie, gave me a book once called "How Not to Be a Messy". And she also mailed, oh probably 30 newspaper articles or so to me during her life about cleanliness, organization and things of that nature. I try to channel her sometimes when I need motivation to clean. She was so wonderful at keeping a home, as is my mother. Not sure where I got lost in that gene pool. :(

9. Which talent would you most like to have?

To be able to sing like Celine Dion. I can sing (or so I have been told), but I mean REALLY be able to sing. Ok this is going to share a lot about me, but I actually dream about being able to sing the high notes Celine hits, and I daydream about it. I sing in the car as if I can, and then my voice cracks, and I'm humbled. She is out of this world, and I just wish I could have that much control over my voice. And maybe even get to sing with her someday. ;) I always have my dreams right?

10. Greatest Achievement?

Gosh, that's hard. I'm really proud of what I've accomplished in school and work and especially my marriage and the man I found! But...I think that all of that comes from my positive attitude. I think my positivity is my greatest accomplishment. Sometimes it can be hard, but I always find the good in a situation.

Now I tag: Carla and Lauren.

Custom Framing Dilema

For my college graduation, I was given this beautiful, classic print by Benjamin Watts. It is a collage of Baylor landmarks, Pat Neff building being the center. I have had it for a couple of years now and just haven't gotten around to framing it. Now that we have our house I'd like to have it framed. The problem is that it is an odd size and as far as I've found requires custom framing.


So today, I was determined to just go get it done so that we can hang it in the hallway between the bedrooms which has been bare since we moved in. I went to Hobby Lobby, they are having their half of custom framing sale (which happens every other week or so), and I picked out this frame, matte, and silver inner detail as my favorite. It is a brushed silver ornate frame, with a chocolate flat matte.
Our home right now has fairly modern architechure with all brushed silver/chrome accents, and dark wood furniture. I thought that this frame might be a good compromise between the somewhat modern style we have now and whatever future home we may have which I think will be more traditional. I can even envision this is an office we might have in a suburban home. So I want a frame that will stand the test of time.

So, here is my first question:

What do you think about this framing choice? Too traditional? Or should I go with a dark wooden frame and lighter matte?

Then the kicker, and why I didn't buy it today...it is so expensive! Half off, this entire set was a little over $200. (The picture with a 3 inch Matte requires a 29X20 frame) Is it worth it? I have never had anything professionally framed. So my second question is:

Do you know of cheaper places than Hobby Lobby to have things framed? Or do I just need to save up and get this?

Thanks for the advice!

Later this weekend I'll be doing a post where I was tagged by Stephanie at anewday-tx.blogspot.com

Up on the Rooftop

Jonathan and I had our first real dinner on our rooftop deck this week! The weather was probably the nicest it will be for a long time. It was about 78 degrees, with clear skies and a breeze! We grilled steaks, and had baked potatoes and broccoli.

We had Jimmy Buffett music playing, and had some Jimmy Buffett Landshark! We are going to a Buffett concert in about 2 weeks so we're getting ready now! The pots on the table are becoming my little herb garden. This was a project we did a couple of weekends ago. We thought our deck needed a little bit of life. So we have started with some Basil. It is growing so well!

And it smells fabulous! I want to add cilantro and rosemary next in the other two pots.

Our other gardening project was to get some potted greenery that will stay green all year and grow up and become a privacy barrier of sorts. I think these Japanese Boxwood plants will be perfect. Right now they're small, but hopefully with some care they will really fill out.

I just love the pots we got to put them in.

After using our iced tea pitcher to water for a couple weeks, I thought the patio deserved to have it's very own water can. So I found this adorable one at HomeGoods for about $12.

In Honor of St. Patrick's Day

In honor of St. Pattie's Day, here is a photo from my trip to Ireland back in the Summer of 2006 while studying abroad with Baylor in Great Britain. I believe this was taken at Glendalough in Ireland. Ahhhh....I miss BGB.

Lauren & Rand's Wedding

This past weekend Lauren and Rand got married!! Stephanie and I were in her house party, and Jonathan was an usher. It was truly an honor to be part of their wedding! It was absolutely stunning. And unfortunately my camera was about to die the whole time so I barely got any pictures. Here are a few though.

Rehearsal dinner at Tony's in Houston. Fabulous, fabulous!

The ceremony was beautiful! All the flowers were white. The church was covered in flowers! Didn't get any pics of that though.

The reception was at Lakeside Country Club, and it too was covered with white flowers. The theme of the wedding to me was New Orleans glamour. It was complete with a blue lit bayou, twinkle light lined bridge, trees lining the drive covered in moss, romantic candlelit lanterns lining every walkway, and little fun touches throughout. Such as....a lifesize lion ice sculpture, cheeseburgers brought out at 10:30 pm on silver platters as the band played Jimmy Buffett's Cheeseburger in Paradise, Chinese Slippers brought out for comfort dancing, a chic photo booth, and to top the night off....as the couple left for their honeymoon, guests were treated to hot beinget's and cafe ole. Oh and everything was monogrammed...I mean everything. From the coffee cups, to the beinget bags, to the hand towels in the restrooms. Wow.

Unfortunately as well....since we were so busy throughout the day, I didn't even realize I hadn't gotten a picture of Lauren! This is the only one I have. We liked Mitzi (her mom's hair) so we took a picture of that. Makes no sense...I know. :( I'm sure there will be plenty of pics of Lauren later though. I'll find them somewhere. She was gorgeous!

These are flowers from the wedding. Mitzi told me to take some home and I did not hesitate! They are now brightening my dining room table. Breathtaking.

Another Houston Car Show

A few Saturdays ago, Jonathan and I woke up at 7 am to get to an informal Houston car club show that happens near the Galleria every first Saturday of the month. All sorts of cars from classics, to kit cars people build, to average sports cars that people make a hobby of improving, to the most exquisite, rare, and expensive luxury cars were there. We spent a couple hours just walking around and I really enjoyed it.

When you arrive at the Uptown shopping center, the shops aren't open yet, since the car show only goes til 10am, and every parking spot is filled with a special car. Many with hoods up so you can see the goods inside.

I thought this car was a really pretty blue. :)

Here you can see where Jonathan was able to find a parking spot in the corner for his car...we thought at the time no nice cars would come over near us because we're not part of the car club....well we got blocked in by fun cars, and one little teeny tiny cute cute red one beside him.

On the right in this pictures you can just barely see a black Lamborghini. I think there was something really special about this one because Jonathan went crazy over it. Also, he loved the red car. Not sure why right now. I'll have to get him to remind me.

Oh I know, why I was probably distracted from the Lambo and red car....the main part of the show was parked outside Ann Taylor Loft! And as part of getting me to come, I got to go shopping afterward! It was closed until the very end of the car show so we kept walking by and I'd look in the window and think about what I might like. Slightly distracting.

Ahhhhh........wonderful way to end the morning!

Letting down

I am officially letting down and de-stressing today. I have been nonstop busy the past month....like made a hair appointment and had to cancel because I had to work(on a Sunday)/tried to get my nails done and had to just touch them up myself (3 times)/my wonderful amazing in-laws came and cleaned my house busy.

I had a huge client deadline this past Monday, and I took a section of the CPA exam today. The CPA exam is the bane of my existence right now sad to say, but I feel very confidant that I passed the part I took today and I just have 1 left after this!

So this evening when I got home from my exam, I walked in to my house and on the stairs was this trio of things...(clearly its on my dining room table here but it was on the stairs...so sweet)

Oh Jonathan....how do I love thee, let me count the ways! He is so thoughtful and this was exactly what I needed after the month's business.

Well its been an entire month practically since I've blogged so let's catch up.

Our attic caught on fire last weekend. Well not complete ablaze thanks to a circuit breaker that does its job. But the secondary circuit breaker that we have for the heater only in the attic tripped or something and caught fire and turned off our heating/cooling system. Long story short, we got it fixed immediately but it was scary and we are very fortunate it was not worse, was covered by our warranty, and that we weren't sleeping when it happened. (I have pictures of the box they took out, but I didn't have my card in my camera so I have to find my actual camera cord to get them on here...I'll work on that. the picture is amazing....metal and plastic completely melded together and black...scary)

We joined our sunday school class at second baptist, the Newlywed class. We love the teachers and meeting new young couples every Sunday! It is one of the highlights of every week for me. The class is for couples in their first year of marriage, and is so wonderful at getting us to talk about things we wouldn't normally just bring up, and see God's plan for it all. Its sort of like year long marriage counseling.

The other big thing of the month is that we discovered a new TV show that I am obsessed with!

If you haven't seen The Big Bang Theory on CBS, well its time you did. I have never been this addicted to a sitcom before. We bought the complete second season, couldn't find the first so we got it on netflix, and we watch it every Monday night for the new episodes on CBS at 8:30. The show is about 2 genius scientists living in LA working at a university with their 2 geeky friends, and an aspiring actress, Penny, who works at the Cheesecake Factory and lives across the hall. Its just about their lives and quirks and interactions, but it really is awesome! It is the funniest show I've ever seen. The best episode...if you've never seen it and want to go rent it and be hooked...is in the second season called "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis".

Besides that...we've been watching the Olympics...trying to keep a clean house, which yes...Jonathan's parent's really did come and clean our house. His mother called me and just offered...and I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I am beyond blessed to have them. A wonderful example of selflessness and care.

Our condo complex has begun construction on the second phase, so that's been interesting watching construction and dealing with that. But I know it is a blessing because it will make property values go up which is always good!

As for the future....we are heading to fabulous LAS VEGAS friday!!!! We are going to a join bachelor/bachelorette party for our best friends Stephanie and David. It is going to rock.

Then tomorrow....oh I'm so excited about this.....Jonathan is taking me to go see Celine Dion's documentary movie in Imax about the world tour she just finished (which I saw in Dallas with Mom, Steph, and Maggie last January). I'm so excited. Related to that, mom and I have already decided that we will be making a trip to Las Vegas again in 2011 to see Celine when she revives her Vegas show. No question about it. We will go.

That's God

As I was driving home from Grand Prairie last night, along I-45 for four hours...I had prayed before I left that I would be alert and enjoy the drive. Well God answered my prayer in a wonderful way and a way that I think He speaks to me in particular. Through music. I stumbled upon a little country radio station from Crockett, TX that plays inspirational, Christian country music on Sunday evenings. A countdown of sorts; well the very first song in the countdown that came on just as I randomly flipped to this station was "That's God" by JoDee Messina. I've always liked JoDee's music. I think she was discovered by Tim McGraw. Anyway, the melody caught my attention and then the words...the words were just as if I had thought them and here they were in song. I had been thinking over the past week about just how do I explain my faith to someone who may not believe. My actions speak louder I know, but I was thinking about how to start a conversation with someone about why I believe, and possibly lead them to Christ. How do you put into words what God is and why they should believe too? Now granted, this song does not answer this question as by definition faith is not seen or heard. But, it did put beautifully what I believe is one way to see God.

This is JoDee's website where you can hear the song and hear her story of how she came to write it. Hope it works:
http://www.jodeemessina.com/index.splash.php?file=JDMTG-Radio

The album is new and this is the first single. I particularly love when mainstream artists do songs that are a testimony. I think that Christians in any field are missionaries, and for secular musicians that are Christians they can have a great opportunity to reach people who might otherwise be turned off by a religious song.


Lyrics:

Have you ever stepped outside,
felt the sun on your face.
Seen the waters of the ocean
Reach so far they start to fade
Have you ever seen a mountain top
Reach up and kiss the sky
That's God.

Have you ever seen the wonder
In the eyes of a child
And felt the way the room lights up
With that tiny little smile
Witness their amazement
At the simplest of things
That's God.

If you take the time to look around
You'll see it everywhere
Its right here all around us
Even when we're not aware
It doesn't have to be a miracle
It might just be the little tthings
And even those who say they don't believe
They may not know it, but everyday they see
That's God.

Have you ever heard a song
That reached inside your soul
That says what you can't say
Let's you know you're not alone
You'll find the inspiration
To keep on holding on
That's God.

Oh and people make a difference
Just being who they are
But when someone wants to lend a helping hand,
Maybe its somebody who just takes the time to listen
To let you know that they understand

Have you ever known a love
That opens up your heart
Selfless and encouraging
To help you reach the stars
Patient and forgiving
And accepts you as you are
That's God.

The Houston Car Show

Tonight Jonathan and I went to the Houston car show. I took off work early just for this because he has been talking about it for over a month! It was quite fun! Sort of like the car shows at the Texas State Fair, except I think a little bigger. Tonight was nice because it was opening night and there just weren't that many people there. We were in and out in an hour and then went and had dinner at Lupe Tortilla. By the way, if you haven't had their steak fajitas or their queso....you don't know what you're missing. I could drink that queso. Ok back to cars....

This is my next car...my mommy car. (No, I won't be a mommy soon but I envision getting this in about 3-4 years. :) Just realized he didn't really get a picture of the car. Its a Lexus RX350. You know, the smallest SUV one. So cute!

Here you can just barely see my man "posing" with an Audi R8. Apparently its very nice because it was one of the few you can't get in. (according to Dub just now, it is about $115K.) I say "posing" because he would not really pose with a car at the show. I think its not cool or something. I had no problem with it. :) You can't see it too well in this picture, but the engine is right there in the back window. Weird.

Then, this was just neat to look at...Toyota made a version of the Tundra all tricked out in tribute or inspired by the country duo Brooks and Dunn. It had this crazy tailgating setup all BUILT IN to the bed of the truck. A flat screen TV, stainless steel grill, steam pot, and serving area.

Then, the bed of the truck had this cover...it is all embossed leather in a cowboy sort of pattern with steel studs. The door handles are silver embellished like belt buckles. What?

Finally, the cream of the crop at the show were these Aston Martin DBS cars. According to Dub, they are 2010 models that have not even gone on sale yet. Just for comparison though...the 2009 models of these went for $270,000. These were roped off completely. These were Bond cars last year. Cool!

After some of these car prices...my request for a little Lexus SUV is just not to far out there I think.