When The Universe Speaks, I Listen...

...eventually. This time it has been a nagging feeling inside of me for about a month telling me to go blog. I kept ignoring it. But here it is, June 8, 2015 and I am listening and I already feel better about the feeling going away. Funny how that works.

There is lots going on in our life. Apparently we go big or go home when it comes to life changes. These are exciting changes. Still changes. But they are exciting.

1. Baby Warren is on the way and due October 11. We don't know if we are having a boy or girl which is exciting, strange, makes me think in circles, goes back to being exciting, goes back to being strange..it's interesting to think there is a baby inside of me and I have no idea what it is...none. And honestly, I am scared to have a boy and scared to have a girl, so either way it's still scary.

The baby, that is inside me right now, that is either a boy or girl....you have a 50/50 chance of being correct.

This is not a great picture (at all...) but this is a real blog so I have to show you the not so great moments too. I made Gregg take it last Sunday morning. Let me set the stage for you...I slept too late, was frantically throwing on clothes and make up as he was getting ready to go to work and I was running out the door quickly trying not to miss church...then I decided oh, you are here to take a picture during daylight, I should maybe document today. So there you have it, just a glimpse into what I refer to as "real life marriage." The caption reads "Week 22: Sorry your Mom is still not more creative!" I am also going to start apologizing to my child now that its Mom is so uncreative. Sorry child. Hopefully I will rock it in other areas of your life. 

2. We are buying a house. Or attempting to buy a house. Pretty sure we are buying it but my gosh, who knew buying a house was such an emotional roller coaster and full of punches to the gut out of nowhere. Hopefully next month at this time I am blogging from our new house.

3.  Kristina is getting married this summer. I helped plan the engagement last summer. I then spent the next 10 months helping to plan the wedding. I can't believe we are nearly to the finish line of this and am really excited about my future brother-in-law. He's perfect for her and perfect for our family. As a big sister who was overly protective of my sister in the dating world and overly protective of my family's dynamic, this is a blessing in so many ways.

The future Mr and Mrs Cobb

April and May got a little crazy because of d) all of the above.  It's going to be a fun summer, an exciting Fall and a special end to 2015. I missed blogging, got too busy and honestly couldn't find a creative ounce inside of me to write about my life. But like all things in life, when something nags at you enough and you keep ignoring it and pushing it aside and pushing it aside, you eventually realize that nagging feeling isn't happening just because...it is happening because the universe is trying to send you a message. In my case it was, get back to writing witty commentary about your life...regardless of if anyone is reading it, you miss it. XOXO

Has the universe sent you any messages via nagging your subconscius lately? 

I'm Dreaming of a Dreamy Thanksgiving

Even though I am traveling and not hosting Thanksgiving this year, I imagine some day Kristina and I will dabble in this effort together. I envision a very chaotic day of sweat pants, wine and lots of food...and fighting.

For instance...here is a little glimpse into one of our Thanksgiving gatherings circa 2009:

Starting a live auction of items in the fridge in an attempt to get all the leftovers into the fridge. Kristina is on the phone with an anonymous bidder.

Who wants creamer?

The bidding starts getting competitive over a bottle of Grey Goose.

I am getting yelled at for my choice of Tupperware containers.

It all finally fits- Success!

Now if that doesn't scream a non-dreamy-unorganized-unPinterest-Thanksgiving I don't know what does.

However, right now we are in my dream world and there Thanksgiving looks like a Pinterest ad. Here are my dreamy Thanksgiving finds in case you too would like to dream of a festive-organized-Pinterest looking Thanksgiving or maybe actually can execute this...or maybe you are just looking for distractions to avoid talking to relatives...whatever the case may be, hopefully I can help!

1. Dreamy Decor: 
Thanksgiving Decor courtesy of Ivanka Trump's new website which I also love. I also love her shoes. I am a major fan.

2. Dreamy Food: 
Rachel Ray's essential Thanksgiving recipes courtesy of The Skimm which I also love. If you don't read The Skimm you are missing out. It's the only way I can figure out what is going on in the world.

3. Dreamy Apparel:
While everyone else is sitting around watching football or napping, I intend to be getting my pre-Black Friday pre-Cyber Monday online shopping game face on and figuring out what is on sale where. So far all I've got is JCrew Factory but that alone is enough to stock my closet. 50% off every.single.thing. Boom.

4. Dreamy Cocktails:
I usually have zero patience for mixing up a cocktail at home and stick to wine. Pop the cork, pour, done. However, in dream land I would mix up all kinds of cocktails and this list would be where I would start.

5. Dreamy Day Overall:
And to sum it all up, here is a Modern Guide to Thanksgiving Etiquette that I can only wish to achieve every aspect someday.

Wishing all my friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving! So thankful you are in my life!

It's Game Day- Get Your Monogram On!

I feel like I am late to the party on the monogram. I grew up having things like my dance bag, sweatshirts or bags monogrammed but then I just kind of stopped. I think it grew harder to find a place to do monograms and then at some point in college, I had in the back of my mind that I would eventually get married and my initials would change...so I just stopped.

Then I did get married and my initials changed and I went through some sort of identity crisis. It is really hard to change your name. It's really hard to all of a sudden not have the same last name as your family or your sister. Four years later I feel I am finally settled into being AGW.

A few weeks ago Kristina told me to enter a blog contest she saw where Marley Lilly was going to send a few bloggers an item to blog about...so I entered. They asked me to describe my blog and I was a bit stumped....so I said I write about my life sarcastically. This blog is basically an exercise in not taking myself too seriously.

May I also point out that it is really sweet how my sister is thinking of me as she trolls her instagram. 

So I entered. And guess what....last Saturday I had a notification that we had a package and Gregg arrived upstairs with a box that had this inside:

A creme colored scarf with my initials in a dark brown. AGW. That's me! 

Coincidentally I was also getting dressed/more like prepared to freeze at the Texas A&M game that evening before we drove to College Station that day. I thought hmm...this goes perfectly with my outfit, it is really cute, I think this will be the ultimate test of this scarf. It is SEC game worthy with its southern monogram style...but will it keep me warm....stay tuned for the verdict...

My new scarf packed in my bag to head to College Station with my A&M gloves courtesy of Forever 21. A neck scarf for my Grandpa. Beanie hats. You get the picture. It was basically like we were moving to College Station for the day and trying to stay warm.

Let me tell you what would have made for a cuter bag though:

Monogrammed Large Jute Bag 

It has a zipper, it is lined and in black it would work very well sitting in the stands. It is the perfect "throw around and throw everything in" bag. You know what I am talking about...everyone needs one and you really need one with a zipper. Instead I took a big purse that I shouldn't have taken and was not super durable in the elements and well...I think it is going to recover but the poor bag was never intended for such use.

Back to my story...finally made it to College Station. Gregg and I headed to see some friends briefly before Kristina arrived with Papa. They were driving up on the A&M bus from San Antonio.

Wearing my scarf. Staying warm. 

One final picture in front of what is the soon to no longer exist side of Kyle Field. Look how cute my AGW scarf looks.  I know they appreciate me renaming it my AGW scarf.

Can I also point out that it is really fun to wander around your old college campus drinking beer? Luckily the tailgate I went to was giving out some free koozies. But I think a fun stocking stuffer or addition to a gift for a friend who loves a tailgate would be a monogrammed koozie. It would also be the perfect gift if you had a friend who just got engaged or a friend who just had a baby...since everyone I know seems to fall into one of these groups recently, this seems appropriate. The newly engaged friend would appreciate seeing her new initials and the new mom would appreciate you thinking of her return to the land of beer and wine. She'd probably also appreciate a cute monogrammed onesie for the baby. Onesie inside of the koozie. Boom. Done. Someone is getting that soon.

You could do blue if your friend is a new boy mom, pink if they are a new girl mom. any color if they are a new fiancé. I could come up with tons of reasons to buy this koozie. 

It's also really cute that you could choose to put the monogram on the bottom instead. 

Post-beer....Kristina arrived with Papa.

These two. The hilarious duo. 

The second she got off the bus she was showing me the mini wine bottles she had stolen from Dad...she had one left. And you know what...she could've used a koozie too...granted she wasn't drinking a water bottle... but I think this size would've worked best

It is a water bottle "koolie" but considering the size of Kristina's mini wine bottle, I think this has multiple purposes. I also think I need one of these for summer. I may also be getting her one for her  upcoming summer honeymoon.

After wandering around and hitting up another tailgate with Papa we finally were ready to head into the game.

See those smiles? Approximately 5 minutes after this picture it started drizzling, then raining. Do these look like the faces of people prepared for freezing temps AND rain. 

We all could've used a rain jacket over the tons of layers of clothing we already had on...the irony is I was sitting there thinking I wish I had a rain jacket like I had when I was in college that said Pi Beta Phi and lo and behold this is the same thing but I could get it with my initials. Granted, I would love to still sport my sorority letters everywhere I go but I may need to update.  

Sigh. To be dry.

Don't be fooled by the smiles. We are FROZEN.

I tried getting the monogram portion of the scarf in a large amount of 'stand selfies' Kristina and I were taking because we were losing and frozen. It wasn't working out so well and this is the best one. But I was as warm as I could be given the elements. 

The verdict: This scarf did its job keeping me warm and looking as cute as possible given the weather. 

Let's be honest, we look pretty rough. We left at halftime and found warmer and drier temperatures across the street at the MSC where we finished watching the game. There's my AGW scarf. Still keeping me warm.

The only that would've been better is this sweatshirt....which I think I need for winter. It's cute enough that I can wear it indoors lounging or running errands and look like I got dressed even though I didn't. That is my favorite kind of weekend outfit, fyi.

It comes in a lot of colors but duh, I want it in purple. This neon is amazing though. It gives the  sweatshirt such pizzazz! 

There are approximately 5,000 other things I could've used to stay warm at the game. I was already wearing leggings, jeans, cowboy boots, wool socks, and two shirts and a jacket and a hat but clearly that wasn't enough for or any of us. 

Maybe a fleece vest would've made the difference...or a fleece...or who am I kidding we were never going to make it out of there warm or dry. The other people in the stands that dressed in full on hunting camo gear with wind jackets and pants though clearly came more prepared...similar to the guy next to us in the stands who brought a cardboard box to shield himself from the rain. We have so much to learn.

Crazy game days of being crammed into Aggie football games with these people- they are some of my most cherished memories. We won't have these exact season tickets or seats next year but it's been a fun ride full of wonderful memories with Papa, class of '47.

Hope you enjoyed my game day recap combined Marley Lilly post! 

Go get your monogram on! 

Vegas Family Vacay

Awhile ago, as in June, a family known as mine went to Las Vegas for a good ol' fashioned family vacation. I am sure you can picture it…organized travelers, perfect weather, getting to the airport early, no rushing to our flights…..

WRONG! First there was a torrential downpour that soaked me while trying to pick up some sandwiches pre-airport. 

Then we had to get all these bags checked  (if you look closely, you can see above that is the curbside line of people out of control because of rain delays earlier in the day). Plus get the car parked. Plus get wheelchairs. And of course we were on time. <insert major sarcasm>

And who came to the rescue? None other than my little sister. …I still sit here in shock months later. Dad and I parked cars and she got all boarding passes, all bags checked and we headed straight to security.

And upon arrival, Dad gave up trying to figure out taxis and got a limo. In Las Vegas there is a limo line and a taxi line which is very convenient for people like us traveling with an army of family.

After we had arrived and checked-in, the three of us headed downstairs at The Bellagio to get To-Go food for dinner.  As you can see by our drinks, we weren't just going to sit there waiting for food without entertaining ourselves.

Monday night (unknown to Kristina or me) kicked off the beginning of the double vacation Kristina and I were on that week in Las Vegas. Family Vacation by day….and sister Vegas vacation by night….

Night 1: Kristina and I hit up Marquee Nightclub at the Cosmo….the next morning I got up early to share coffee with Papa….let's not judge my appearance. Then after about 4 hours we finally made it down to the pool….it only took a few fights and an act of Congress...but we were on our way….

The Bellagio has lots of pools. Lots of beautiful and amazing pools. It is also approximately 115 degrees in Las Vegas so you don't want to do anything but spend the entire day in the a/c or in a giant pool of water. Once we finally made it down there, it was amazing. 

For the next few pictures please just sing the words "I'm so fancy….you already know…."

And then after dinner…..it was sister Vegas vacation night 2 at Hyde at Bellagio:

Imagine being eye level with the fountains, behind a huge glass opposite side of the strip. You can feel the wind as the fountains dance. It's also funny that while everyone else on The Strip is watching this set to the tunes of Frank Sinatra you are listening to the tunes of Usher. 

And that brings us to Wednesday morning and another day of family vacation: 

This quickly became our ritual…morning coffee, splitting a cherry danish with Papa….and for me also Tylenol.  

Later in the day Wednesday, we decided to venture down The Strip to the Venetian. To say we looked like a parade would be an understatement….

That plus a hungry sister who can.not.function. when she is hungry had us all in lovely moods by the time we made it to lunch at The Venetian….

In the family…a little food and a lot of wine goes a long way….

The best part though was when my Dad got tired of us. Not a joke.  After we took the family picture, he started talking to the table next to us. It all started so innocently with Dad saying "so where you guys from…" and 10 minutes later I was snapping photos to document the evidence. <That is my Dad in the middle in the dark blue shirt>

One of the funniest moments though was when Kristina and Papa decided to wander along pretending to be part of a tour group….they totally blended in well don't you think?

Then began Night 3 of Vegas Vacation:

Fizz Champagne Lounge which is one of my favorite places in Las Vegas. Gregg and I discovered this little gem during our visit last December.

Then we spent Thursday, our last full day, wandering around with a lot of ridiculousness: 

 Kristina jamming out in the O souvenir shop.

And then there was her big production in the Shania Twain gift shop…

A little Grandpa-Granddaughter gambling at Caesar's Palace  

And after watching the Spurs win the finals we had our own finale to our Sister Vegas vacation week Thursday night at Encore Beach Club:

When people ask how our vacation was I tell them "it was a nonstop circle of we love each other, we are having the best time, we want to kill each other, we are all fighting, we are eating, we are drinking, we are laughing, we love each other" and so on and so on…." 

These people are crazy but these are my people. 

From Enya to Pitbull- My Mother's Day Weekend

After my nice Saturday spent  hosting a baby shower for my expectant friend C2, Kristina and I headed home to San Antonio to celebrate Mother's Day. Allow me to explain the polar opposite worlds- this is like switching the radio station from Enya to Pitbull. It's amazing how many ridiculous moments can occur in pretty much less than 24 hours.

What kind of ridiculous moments might you ask? 

Moment 1 a few hours after we got home: Dad convinces Kristina to help him change the air filter. Allow me to explain the process that is Dad and Kristina changing an air filter together:

Step 1: Kristina attempts to get the air filter cover back on thinking she knows everything.  <Insert Dad and Kristina having heated exchanges at 10,000 feet on how the filter cover attaches>

Step 2: Dad starts yelling more and Kristina has to respond. Please note that yes she is that high off the ground.  But she is legit going to break the filter and Dad is having none of it. We may be 30 and 27 but we are still afraid of our Dad. 

Step 3: Dad wins. Dad climbs up. Dad puts filter back on. Kristina pouts. 

Step 4: Still screaming at each other and now the ladder has to somehow get out of the house and to the garage. 

Step 5: Trying to work together as a team. Kristina is doing her 'pout walk'

Moment 2 Sunday morning: I head to the grocery story Mother's Day morning to buy food to feed us for Mother's Day.  I know, it sounds so special. I am now vaguely remembering Dad had a work trip and had to leave early Sunday morning. I walked into HEB and had the genius idea of getting mom a balloon. What I did not fully think through was how I was going to have to walk throughout the entire store dealing with this balloon that was sitting in the cart constantly smacking me in the face:

Moment 3 Sunday afternoon: I am already late getting out of town and walking in to say good-bye to Mom and Kristina after loading my car. I walk into my parents bathroom to discover a panicked Kristina and pink nail polish spilled all over the ground. I momentarily flashed back to a 4 year old Kristina and Big Red spilled on the living room floor.  So yes I was behind schedule, yes I needed to get out the door but I could not violate the Golden Rule of sisterhood: Leave no sister behind.

So I got down on my hands and knees and I started scrubbing. And together we cleaned it up before Mom knew anything different.

It is for these and a number of other reasons that I am scared for any and all family get-togethers. This was only Mother's Day, what should arguably be the most zen holiday of the year. You seriously do not know what awaits you during a visit to "The land where time stands still."