Just Dance

I love dancing. Like really love dancing. I love to dance and I love to watch dance performances so it is no surprise that I love a good dance movie. I do mean love. The highlight of my December trip to NYC with Gregg was getting to visit Lincoln Center where none other than Center Stage was filmed. Sorry to be cheesy but it was seriously like a lifelong dream come true for me.

Standing on the infamous Plaza where Charlie and Jodie Sawyer share their ending kiss. 

Gregg in the entry floor where Maureen infamously quit the ballet to her mother. 

Overlooking the inside area. 

The stage where it all happened. 

Speechless. 

Time for the Nutcracker. Gregg's favorite event of the year....

Then I stumbled across this amazing article: The 30 Best Dance Movies of All Time and started flipping through. The best part is that not only are movies listed but they also show the trailers...watching some of these old favorites in their trailer form makes me want to curl up with a big blanket of nostalgia. It's also amazing to see older versions of movie trailers.

Have you ever seen the trailer for Dirty Dancing?

Sure I have seen Grease 1 million trillion times but I've never seen the trailer for it. So nostalgic.

Confession: I have never seen Saturday Night Fever even though I am obsessed with every single song in this trailer not to mention disco itself. I should probably force my husband to watch this with me ASAP.

I can't watch this trailer for A Chorus Line without thinking of Songfest in college. I am pretty sure Hayley will agree. Seen it- danced it- can't watch it anymore.

Can you believe this is Carrie Bradshaw the younger years in Girls Just Want to Have Fun. I think I've seen pieces of this one but probably need to add it to my list.

And then of course who can forget my all time favorite mentioned above. Makes me want to go watch the movie asap.

Do you have any favorites on the list? Have you ever seen Saturday Night Fever? What do you think of these old school trailers? 

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!

Things I Learned This Weekend

Disclaimer: I was supposed to post this last Monday 10/20. Just realized I did not. So here it is a week late and seems very appropriate since my weekend was anything but sitting around reading magazines:

What is your favorite way to relax? I used to think it was just laying around watching TV. It still sort of is...but I have a new favorite...I like to sit down with the stack of magazines that have been sitting on my kitchen table accumulating and do something crazy, read them!

I learned all sorts of things this weekend:

1. From Instyle, I learned that Meg Ryan was supposed to do the part of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman but filming for When Harry Met Sally ran over so she wasn't able to and they cast Julia Roberts instead. On the flip side, Julia Roberts was cast to do Sleepless in Seattle with Tom Hanks but she had a conflict and wasn't able to do that one. These are all movies I could never imagine without the person cast in them, whether it was Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan.

2. The Tiffany T. Awhile back I read that Tiffany's had made some new hires was going in a new direction with jewelry, focusing on the "T" symbol instead. I saw an ad and I have to say the jewelry is really pretty. Wishlist- check.

3. On a similar note, Gregg told me Cadillac is undergoing a new brand look too and you can tell in their commercials they are going after a younger audience. They even changed their logo.

4. They are selling these new pod things for your house so you don't have to take your clothes to the dry cleaners. These things look insane to me. Not something I have on my wishlist at all.

I wanted to do an even five but I forgot the 5th one. In the same way I forgot to post this last Monday. I am totally out to lunch right now! 

The Small World of Weddings

Gregg was in a wedding the first weekend in May for his friend R who seriously looks like his brother from another mother. Please note the resemblance even though there is zero relation:

So Friday morning we woke up at 4am to get on our 7:30am direct flight to Washington Dulles. The kicker is that my dear husband got home at 3am from work and went to bed approximately 3:15am. So as soon as we had some breakfast at the airport and were at a sitting point, this happened while we waited to board our plane…

We bought those sleep pillows that morning on sale at the airport and I must say they were worth every penny. 

We arrived in DC and drove two hours to Charlottesville, Virginia where the wedding was being held. I love that on the East Coast you can drive two hours and be in another state and here I drive two hours and I am only in Austin.

I must say though the two hour trip was lovely because Gregg had been working crazily and it was like a mini date for us. When we got to Charlottesville we had lunch at Panera Bread and we saw a Pet Smart across the strip mall where I wanted to buy a souvenir for Chloe. Gregg said no. He told me that the same toy we could buy at a Pet Smart in Virginia which was the same toy we could buy at a Pet Smart in Houston did not count as a souvenir for Chloe. Fine. But I still disagree.

The wedding was not only beautiful with the location, the food amazing from beginning to end, but it was also a small world reunion central. The best man married one of my best friends from dance team in high school. One of the Matron of Honor's was another member of dance team in high school and coincidentally in the same sorority as the bride. One of my good friends from Student Senate was there as a guest. The list went on and on….it was a fun weekend full of flashbacks with old friends.

Rehearsal Dinnering in downtown Charlottesville with husband on the left. And former Apache Silver Dancers on the right. 

The next day while the husbands and boyfriends did wedding things, the girls ventured out to lunch and wandering around the quaint little town center.

Wish we had longer to explore this place!

It's kind of fun when you are the one not in the wedding because you can go do touristy things with other new non-wedding friends. 

Gregg walking down the side aisle. I seriously for a half second thought the groom was Gregg. When Gregg walked down the girl next to me goes, that one is Gregg, he is your husband. Ridiculous. 

The wedding was held at an outdoor vineyard and it was a horrible view as you can see.

Instead of a grooms cake you could go to the donut trailer and get a bag of warm sugary donuts.  It had been a long time since I had a donut and that splurge was totally worth it. I still dream of those donuts. 

Like I said we had a bit of a dance team reunion that evening too.  Once a Silver Dancer, always a Silver Dancer. 

And I reunited with one of my favorite Student Senate pals. Did you know I was a Student Senator? More importantly if you didn't, are you surprised???

Then came Sunday and our flight that departed at 12:30pm. I had been talking to LC about the fact that I was going to be in the same state as her for the weekend but not seeing her. We brainstormed all types of plans to see each other- some involved massive detours to DC, others involved using helicopters- in the end we decided LC and JC would meet us at the rental car place, we would all go for breakfast early and then they would drop us off at the airport.  

The bottom line is we cannot be in the same state and not see each other. It is not humanly possible. This ranks up there with the infamous December 26 drive by in Dallas to drop off LC's shampoo and conditioner she had left during her visit here. Yes, we are that crazy and I love her that much. 

Gregg and I decided to have a mini date on the plane since we knew he'd be returning to work quickly after we arrived back home. His schedule may be crazy but it has taught me to enjoy the small moments we have together and appreciate them when they are happening. I know so cheesy but just go with it. 

Yes we are looking rough. This is the sign of a TOP wedding weekend. 

Large bottled water for me (a running joke/issue between Gregg and me) . Wedding snacks. Goldfish. And Johnny Manziel. The gang's all here. 

It was a fun weekend and it made me miss college. It made me appreciative of the time I got to spend with Gregg. It also made me realize how wise Disney was when he said "it's a small world after all." 

Congrats R & M! 

Friday 5

It has been a million trillion years since I did a Friday 5 and had 5 things noteworthy to share that I thought you would even enjoy. I also promise to refrain from anymore DWTS even though I could seriously do five links to DWTS videos and post-win scoop:

Watch and laugh- Jimmy Kimmel: Celebrities read mean tweets about themselves

Is It Better To Rent or Buy? 

• Gregg and I are buying a house zero time soon but I thought this interactive chart was kind of fun to play around with to justify why we will not be doing that anytime soon.

Spring Cleaning Your Closet Tips from Elle 

• I desperately need to get motivated to clean out my closet. It is out of control trying to transition from winter/spring and now it's summer. 
• Most noteworthy tips- Put on some great music and have some wine. I had never thought of that combo before. I might actually feel motivated to do it now.  

Hero cat throws 1st pitch at baseball game

• It should be noted that Chloe would never be caught dead in the middle of a cheering crowd in dirt.  

I mean does this look like the face of a baseball player by any means? No. 

@summerinboston

• Every year around this time I get very wanderlusty and want to go (and or move) to Boston. Gregg and I had fun vacay there four years ago while he was looking at MBA schools and it has always had a special place in my heart. 
• Do I follow them on twitter pretending I am a local? Absolutely. 

We somehow stumbled upon an outdoor concert with The Pointer Sisters, the real life Pointer Sisters, singing "I'm so excited" and you could say I was major excited. 

Cheers at Cheers. We have fun traveling together even though we don't get to do it nearly enough!

Happy Long Weekend! I really never thought Friday was going to arrive. 

Throwback Thursday: Easter

I am very, very behind on a lot of really important moments I want to remember and I know you want to read- it seems that if work gets crazy then so does life until your head is spinning out of control. Feast or famine all the time with that stuff. That being said, I plan to spend the next couple of weeks slowly catching up and in true Analisa fashion I have even made a list to keep myself on track:

• Easter
• Washington DC with LC and JC (not the JC in the sky)
• Culture Thursdays with S
• My 30th Birthday weekend with Kristina in town 
• Friends and Fundraisers 
• Virginia weekend wedding vacation
• Baby Shower-ing
• Mother's Day Snippets
• Chloe discovers a ladder
• College besties reunion weekend   

Easter weekend April 18-20, 2014

Easter is like the mother ship of Catholicism. It's a 4 night/day event. If you are Catholic you go big or go home at Easter. But here's the thing, contrary to what you may believe...
 
Good Friday is not a Holy Day of Obligation I am not exactly the best at holy days of obligation but this fact kind of blows my mind because I really always thought it was on the list.

Regardless though, Kristina nor I made it to church Friday. What were we doing all day?

• We were dealing with a dog crisis.
• And we were eating pizza. We somehow managed to eat pizza for every meal and not on purpose:

Friday Reason: No meat and when you hate fish that leaves limited options every Good Friday.

Saturday: We pretty much stayed in our PJs all day and did a lot of nothing. Gregg did arrive around 2pm, he and Dad made their usual trek to have Manhattans and see some action movie and when they returned, Kristina, Gregg and I headed to the mall for one VERY intense hour because I had to find a dress for our upcoming luncheon. I am talking the kind of trip where you walk in, zero in on only the dresses, get cutthroat in the dressing room and get out....

When you are too busy doing this and not thinking about food until 9:30pm which is SERIOUS danger zone for feeding Kristina...

That leaves pizza pick up round 2.

Easter Sunday: Kristina, Gregg and I all met Papa at church, looking very dapper and saving us some seats in his pew. After church we dropped Papa off, headed to pick up our "Easter to go food" at Maggiano's and then went back to pick up Papa and take him to our house.

Well we sort of arrived at Maggiano's around 10:30 because we had all been to church way earlier than normal since we were going with Papa. Maggiano's doesn't open until 11 and said our food wouldn't be ready until 11:30. So what is there really to do to occupy the time except...

Easter Sunday Mimosas and Bloody Marys at Stonewerks

We came...

 We saw....

We left...

We were, are and continue to be people on a mission at all times when we are home. The bar staff was actually sad to see us go and honestly we were sad to leave too.

As always though, it just goes to show that the most unexpected moments in an otherwise planned out day can be the most fun. It's a lesson I am constantly learning and constantly trying to remember as I get nervous about plans and things falling into place. Embrace the unexpected.

But one thing that is not unexpected- my favorite Easter candies that are on my list every year. I take great joy in knowing every Easter, this is happening:

Hershey's candy coated eggs and Peeps....you either love them or hate them.

Cheers to learning to embrace the little surprises and unexpected moments with the people we love!

Top 30 on the 30th of Analisa’s 30th by Sister of the Blogger

Disclaimer: This was all written by my sister Kristina and copied and pasted into here by me. She even sent me detailed instructions on where to place the pictures. I didn't change anything but you should know it is the greatest thing you will ever read.

Hello world! I’m the sister aka best friend (see below: My Golden Birthday #1). When Analisa started this blog, she brought up the idea of me doing a guest blog post. This morning, I decided today is the perfect day for me to share 30 reasons why I love my sister not just in pictures, but in real life too.

Top 30 on the 30th of Analisa’s 30th

1. She always takes my side, even when it’s my fault. Messing with 1 Gisin girl really means messing with 2.
2. She’s purple, I’m pink, and we each have our own corresponding ensemble. 
3. We send at least 2,475 text message to each other per day. 
4. She manages to make marriage seem fun and not so much of a ‘Betty Crocker, life is perfect, I married my best friend’ type of situation. 
5. We are each other’s #1 cheerleader. 
   
6. Some people don’t like all things social media, but we do and we’ll shout it from the rooftops.
7. We joke about how the 2 of us are similar to a ‘weekend hurricane’ when we visit our parents. It’s really the truth. 
8. When we find out we’re pregnant, we will tell each other before telling our husbands. 
9. Her 1st Christmas break home from college, she became the funniest person I know and it’s been that way ever since. Most people don’t realize how hilarious she is and she’ll be the first to tell you she doesn’t think she’s that funny, but it’s true. Analisa’s got jokes. LOTS. 
10. No matter how big or small a crisis may be (overheated radiator, picking between 2 pairs of shoes), she always pulls through. Even if it’s a late response, I know she’s out there. 
11. We intentionally try to wear matching outfits. 
12. She’s the older sibling and has to be the responsible one by birth. 
13. I’m secretly jealous that people always think I’m the older one. She’ll look 50 at 68 and I’ll look 98 when I’m 50. 
14. We never get tired of each other. Ever. After a 3 hour phone conversation, we send each other text messages about things we forgot to say. 
    
15. She isn’t afraid to tell people that I’m a monster when I’m tired and hungry…she’ll also tell people while I’m tired and hungry. Playing with fire.
16. Even though she’s a Warren, she will always be a Gisin girl. 
17. She’s Daria and I’m Quinn. 
18. When we speak in movie quotes, we completely understand what the other is trying to say. 
19. We secretly wish we could spend the rest of our lives together in a room with white walls and white floors because it would be “total.utter.INSANITY.” 
20. We have a Super Sister bucket list and it’s fabulous. For example, wear Mom’s old clothes to a Cher concert, attend NKOTBSB in our signature colors (see #2), run the Statesman Capitol 10K and (literally) hold hands while crossing the finish line. 
    
    
    
    
    
    
21. We use various emojis as a symbol for a particular person, thing, or feeling. There’s 1 for every member of our family (including the dogs) and (our favorite) the cigarette emjoi = “I’m over this”. 
22. She lets me plan crazy birthday parties for her because she knows I’m obsessed with birthdays.

    

    Yes that is a button celebrating the Royal Wedding of Will and Kate she is wearing- Birthday party 2011.

23. We yell and scream at each other, and then 5 minutes later we are best friends. 
24. She is 150% of the reason why I love my life so much. 
25. Following in her footsteps has led me to A&M and becoming a Pi Phi. Two of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 
26. She let me be Barbie while she was Ken…something I’ll still remember in 20 years. 
27. She created a written application and made our Mom submit it when she wanted to become a ‘Mom Friend’ since we are ‘Sister Friends.’ 
28. No one has any idea the amount of stuff we accomplish when we go home, most recently saving our dog from having her eye removed. Sheesh. 
29. She’s the reason our relationship hasn’t waned since she got married. 
30. She’s my sister, 2nd Mom, therapist, nutritionist, life skills coach, and best friend. She is everything. If you’ve been reading her blog, I’m sure you’ll agree with the majority of these. 

Happy 30th Birthday, to my Giftedly Golden Sister!

Friday 5

List of The Real Housewives top musical singles...you know because every single one of them is a singer. I'd have to say this nonsense is my fav- watch it and kick off your Friday!

A new Bravo show started Southern Charm and an oldie returned Real Housewives of NYC 

Intrigued to try this new coffee shop that opened in my hometown.

JCrew 25% off with code HEYSPRING

I really want this new Rachel Zoe book

I kind of love Rachel Zoe

Have a great weekend! Be sure to check out Hayley's Friday 5.

And stay tuned to see if the red wine I spilled all over my clothes last night comes out after dropping my clothes at the dry cleaners this morning...story and update to come.

Friday 5

Is anyone else as ready for this week to end as I am? Raise your hand!

After our every other week experiment in February, Hayley and I are going to attempt our Friday 5 every week from here on out. Everyone loves to procrastinate on a Friday so I hope this gives you lots of opportunities.

Watch Sarah Jessica Parker's tour of her brownstone in NYC for Vogue. Spoiler alert, she has a ping pong table in her dining room.

Here are the best places to cry in public in NYC. It makes sense since New Yorkers typically don't have a car they can go sit inside of and have a good cry...lucky for me, that's where my public crying typically occurs.

This map ranking cities worldwide based on the number of selfies taken. Houston ranked 285 while Austin ranked 90.

I love B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling from The Office. I love they are best friends who make fun of each other all the time in real life. So duh, I love this little video they did to promote B.J. Novak's new book.

I also can't wait to read the book. I hear there is an audio version though with a star studded cast doing the narrating. May go that route for our next long car ride instead.

Finally, I know I promised I was done talking about The Bachelor, and I promise I am, but you have to see this video. Juan Pablo's video tribute to Nikki, using his own words turned into a song. Made by Juan Pablo for Juan Pablo, in my opinion.

I know you don't know what to say. I was/still am speechless after watching it too.

Have a great weekend!! We made it to Friday!

Friday 5

In case you are living under some sort of rock, we made it! It's Friday!!

 

Hayley and I are linking up again for another edition of Friday 5. 

Without further adieu here the Top 5 things that I think you need to know about:

I have been obsessed with Fashion Week from afar and thanks to twitter every year I feel like everyone is at a party with me. And I am left missing out and being jealous of this 2 year old.

Would you ever rent a short term apartment when traveling abroad instead of a hotel room? This guide makes me think I could do it.

My mom got this blanket from a friend and it is so soft and cuddly. Perfect gift idea.

In case you want to pretend you live in NYC. Take this quiz and find out which neighborhood is best for you?
  
You know you love me, XOXO. Blair Waldorf marries Seth Cohen. The must-see official wedding announcement for fans of The OC and Gossip Girl.

Have a great weekend!

Ice Dancing's #1 Fan Overnight

I haven't blogged much (or at all) about the Olympics because to be honest I have only been quasi-watching. I put it on in the evenings when there isn't something else I really need to be watching or catching up on and I usually only put it on in the background. I had yet to really "get into it" until last night….

Meryl Davis and Charlie White realize they've won
Photo credit via FOX News

The Bachelor was over. I flicked on to the Olympics and started watching Ice Dancing. I still don't even know what Ice Dancing is but I do know it sounds similar to figure skating but a little more fun and a little more realistic as a possible "Analisa Olympic Talent." Because yes that is a requirement for me to love an Olympic event- envisioning myself doing it- since we all know that's going to happen someday.

There I was watching the judges critique things like "twizzles." And I got even more intrigued. 

NOT Twizzlers. 

Twizzles. Spins. Turns. On ice skates. Together. In unison. Fancy turns. On ice skates.

Regardless, I flipped from The Bachelor and watched the final three teams perform. One was really good. They took the 1st place spot. One was so-so and then I started hearing that the USA still had to go. In an instant I became seriously patriotic and seriously competitive:

I watched as Meryl Davis and Charlie White ice danced the dance of their life and took the gold. And as usual when these big moments happen…I have now become obsessed with Ice Dancing and obsessed with the newest Gold Medal Olympians Meryl Davis & Charlie White.

In case you also become randomly obsessed with things like this and then want to know everything you can, in a short amount of time, to impress everyone you know…here are a few links you can read to quickly absorb some insider information. I promise to tell no one. Your secret is safe with me.

People Magazine: 5 facts to know about Meryl Davis and Charlie White and if People thinks you should know these 5 things, then you should know these 5 things 

USA Today: How they have known each other since they were 9 years old

Buzzfeed: An easy with pictures step by step guide to getting to know them

People Magazine: Talking about their Moms, their #1 fans who matched them together to compete when they were little

Good Morning America: Hear and see them in this great interview

Tonight is ladies figure skating. Say it with me now, U-S-A

Valentine's Day Comic Relief At Your Service

I am dressed and ready for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is kind of a comical holiday in my mind because instead of lots of rosey chocolate covered memories, my Valentine's Day memories are all ridiculous. I am not anti-Valentine's day but if you are in need of a good Valentine's break from everyone's picture perfect days, then I invite you to take a trip down memory lane with me.

Disclaimer: Do not read these and feel sorry for me. I am a happily (sometimes) married lady now. But for some reason Valentine's Day and I have never mixed well and it gave me an appreciation for girlfriends, creating my own plans and laughing at my own misfortune which seemed to happen every time February 14th rolled around.

The younger years:

• My popular sister: The time Kristina came home with this bouquet of flowers from school and I came home empty handed. (Who am I kidding this was not just one time) But this particular year, I had to stare at these flowers for days sitting in our kitchen...and then she broke up with him. I realized she literally kept her boyfriend around so she could get flowers for Valentine's Day.
• One of the moments where I realized my sister is smarter than I gave her credit for and decided I would keep her around.

The college years:

• The Year of Taco C: The time in college where Hayley and I thought we'd just drive to Houston for Valentine's Day since we were both "not dating/dating/not dating" guys who had gone MIA. The problem is hers resurfaced right before the day and blew our plans. But then he disappeared again on February 14th only to resurface at 10:30pm while we were in the HEB check out lane. I can't even remember what we were buying or why were were there but I specifically remember standing in the check out lane as she was screaming about the fact that he was just now asking her on a date...and it was to Taco Cabana. 
• A Rose from my Chiropractor: Then there was the time I had a visit to my chiropractor on Valentine's Day and he was giving all of his patients a rose. At the time I was thinking surely this won't be the only rose I am going to get on Valentine's Day? And I'll let you guess what happened there. 
• Pizza Hut: Somehow one Valentine's Day I ended up at Pizza Hut with random girls from our sorority house that also didn't have dates. Yes Pizza Hut. The only time I ever went there in college. 
• College Pad Meets Bachelor Pad: When I was dating Gregg senior year, our first Valentine's Day we decided to bake cookies at his house. This problem with this is it exposed me to a lot of things about the house of my new "not-my boyfriend-yet" (yes, I was judging, go ahead and judge me for that)....the main one being the mason jar he offered me for water. 

The long distance boyfriend years: 

• The Plan: While I lived in Denver for grad school, Gregg and I celebrated by eating the same food and watching the same movie. (cheesy but come on you think it is sorta cute) The only fast food around me and also near him was Wendy's so that was the plan. 
• The Reality: I got out of class around 8pm only to discover it had snowed and was continuing to snow. So there I was on Valentine's Day scraping ice and snow off my car. Then I arrive at the drive-thru only to discover my window is frozen shut. It would not open. I cannot place my order because I can't get the window down. So I have to park my car and go into this oddly placed Wendy's on Valentine's Day..making this entire experience even worse because I am the only person in there. Meanwhile Gregg is texting me that he's hungry wondering what is taking me so long. 
• Needless to say we did not try this again.

The marriage years: 

• Operation Carpool: Our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, I got to wake up at 4am and drive Gregg to the airport because he had to go on a consulting trip. My car was having issues and I needed to use his for the week. We were both so cold and miserable that I don't think we even said Happy Valentine's Day to each other in person that morning.
• Adventures in Baking: Which brings us to last night when I was making these cupcakes and nearly "mixed" my hand off. Here is a lesson to note: Do not plug in the handheld mixer and then decide to put those little silver mixer things inside. What will happen is you will accidentally turn on the mixer and before you know it your hand is getting a beating and you can't figure out how to make it stop.  

Luckily no one had to be taken to the hospital during the baking of these cupcakes.

There you go. If you are having a day where the guy you are dating has disappeared, do not be alarmed. If your plans are not working out the way you had hoped, don't think it is the end of your relationship. And if you don't have a significant other around then grab your best friends or just grab yourself, load up on chocolate candy and watch a movie. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday 5

Hayley and I decided to venture into blogging together so it only makes sense that we would find a way to combine forces and blog together periodically. Since we both share a love for not only discovering but also sharing articles or items we find, we decided to each compile our favorites into a post each Friday. You can check out Hayley's on her blog here.

Without further adieu, here's my Friday 5:

50 Jobs You Can Have According to The Bachelor : see if yours made the list

This interview video with Diane Von Furstenburg

Dr. McDreamy's house in his real life as Patrick Dempsey

What does your Starbucks drink say about you? My love for the skinny vanilla latte pretty much nailed it.

This gift that I am really debating buying for my Valentine

Have a great weekend! 

Being Still, Slowing Down, Being Present

I need to slow down. I never really notice how much I need to slow down until I am forced to slow down and realize I have trouble slowing down. Does that even make sense?

But the thing is, this slowing down I am referring to doesn't relate to activity as in a busy schedule. It relates to a growing need I am feeling to constantly be looking at something either on my computer, my iPhone, the TV or anything else I feel I need to be paying attention to...in addition to what already has my attention in the first place. Even while I am sitting here writing this post I am getting on my phone to text or check instagram. I can sit down to read a book but I still have my phone next to me and periodically check it as well. I am beginning to think these tiny behaviors I have grown accustomed to are not tiny and not a big deal like I once thought but beginning to sneak their way into other pieces of my life.

For instance, this weekend Kristina and I spent some time hanging out with Mom in our parents' bedroom. We were all laying around on the bed with the dogs, wearing pajamas (quasi-matching, of course) and literally just being still....life was moving slow.

In this exact moment I found myself having this nervous energy, almost like I felt I needed to be doing something. I kept having to consciously tell my mind to be still, slow down and be present. To stop thinking about other things, creating a mental "plan for the day" or even checking social media for whatever reason I don't even know.

When Sunday rolled around and I knew it was also the day we'd be leaving, I felt a similar restlessness except this time the issue was with being present. In hindsight I realize that I spent most of the afternoon anticipating we would be leaving and in a lot of ways I missed out on the simple moments of the day. My mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with everything that had to be done before we left...when I would pack, what time we would leave, what I had to do when I got back that the thoughts just swirled and blocked me from being present. Instead of just going with the day and "rolling with the punches" I tried to prevent the punches...consequently I wasn't mentally present for any of it because I was thinking two steps ahead at all times.

After a weekend of feeling this at home, Monday came and I went to visit a good friend of mine and her one month old baby girl. As I sat there talking and catching up, I watched her sitting on the couch with her new little daughter. The baby was just still and she was forcing my friend to be still. The baby then forced me to be still when I held her. After our visit it left me thinking a lot about how we can be forced to be still and be present. I am wondering if the two go hand in hand.

I am finding that it is the smallest things that force us to slow down and pay attention. In my case this weekend, I began to receive this lesson by lounging around with our family dogs on a lazy Saturday afternoon and meeting a new little baby on a Monday morning. Now it is up to me to take this lesson and figure out how to apply it...figure out how to be still, slow down and be present on a daily basis. Definitely a challenge but also definitely something I need to be committed to right now. Stay tuned.

 

Does anyone else have issues with constant multitasking in your mind or with social media? Any tips for shutting down and allowing yourself to focus on the moment?