Bittersweet.

These past two weeks have been full of ups and downs. I have never been good with loss. My family had to make the decision to put Champ down on what just so happened to be his 5th birthday. I spent last Sunday at my parents and put off saying my goodbyes to the very end. I have never had to feel this type of sadness before, and believe me there are types. He was such a good dog, but It makes me feel better to know that he feels no more pain and all dogs go to heaven right? Well I put off going by my parents all week until last night and there is without a doubt an emptiness there. Missing a family member and friend. RIP CHampy....we love you! 2/21/11

On the upside...this week has been a much better week. I feel like I am on a roll. My second job is going well. I will FINALLY get my first pay check on Friday :) I have spent quality time with my family. I went with Mom and Nate last night for dinner and to pick out Nate some new shoes for his track meet. He is doing really good...I am so proud of him! I usually stop by grandma and papaws every night after work and get a bite to eat and watch american idol. I love the nights when I have the house clean and light my vanilla caramel candles and sit down at the table and eat dinner with my wonderful finance. (so relaxing) Our bathroom doesn't have a tub, we have a standing shower so I put on my bathing suit and attempted to give all 3 of our dogs a bath and let me just tell you how big of a horrible disaster that was. Now I know....next time I will be taking them one at a time to the dog wash! I bought a new blanket at Home Goods which I absolutely love...it is the softest blanket EVER.....but I rarely get to use it because I am constantly fighting Charlie for it. 

Nino has Sundays off and we always go to the flea market in Thomasville because it makes him happy haha. Well we went because he intended on getting another rooster and chicken because I told him if he make another coup as nice as the other one that he could, even though they wake me up at the crack of dawn. They make good eggs! Well this is what we came home with....meet Ginger :) teehee

Our guinea pig.

She is the cutest sweetest thing....I just couldn't help it.

I spent all night tonight trying to make my wedding playlist. I love music and I have a lot of songs but this is going to be harder then I thought it would be. I also looked into some different caterers. Decisions.....decisions......which I am not good at. It takes me 30 minutes just to pick out a new shampoo. I NEED HELP! haha

I am FINALLY getting my hair done next week so my BFF nicole can do my engagement pictures :) Yayy. I cant wait!

Kina Grannis

So Kina Grannis is an artist that I have been following since she posted her first couple of videos on youtube. I found her when I was looking up Waiting on an angel by Ben Harper and I found her doing a cover song. I dare you to listen to her songs and not fall in love with her. Anyways she's on tour and playign on a friday night in April in North Carolina and I am going to try so hard to go! : ) On the down side I woke up Sunday morning sick.....just in time for my new job and Valentines day. Ughhh! Perfect timing. This weekend we went to pick up our new couch...(with the help of my wonderful dad) ...Yayy.

So Nino lets me cuddle with our babies on the Old (off the side of the road) couch...haha : ) Which makes me happy because he is a stiffler on dog hair.

PLEASE...check her out! I cant even pick my favorite song....i love all of them. She does a lot of cover songs but she has a lot of her own songs which are just as good!

If Only I Could Freeze Time...

Yesterday was one of the best days I have had in a long time. I live my life for days like this, it makes all of the bad times and struggle well worth it. I love the days where I can lay in bed and have long in depth conversations about life with my fiance. He really is my best friend. We woke up early Sunday morning and I didn't have to beg him to go to church with me, he came on his own. We tried a new church and he liked it : ) so were planning on going again next week. I just love seeing him all dressed up...I can't help but smile and look at him like some kind of creeper. haha. He is such a cutie!

Anyways....after church we stopped by to visit my parents and to drink some of mom's yummy coffee. We also spent time petting on my dog Champ. He has a tumor in his jaw that is REALLY bothering him and it breaks my heart to see him like that. He is 6 years old and SUCH a good dog. Dogs like him deserve to live long healthy lives. I hate when animals are sick and they can't tell you what is bothering them, how much pain they are in or what they need us to do. There isn't much we can do for him except give him his daily pain meds but I am hoping and praying!

We then went by the mexican super market to get groceries for me to make something Yummy for lunch, and I spent the rest of the afternoon watching nino break a sweat playing on the Wii (my little brother has created a monster). We went to Hooters in high point Sunday night to watch the Superbowl and it was such a good game and I LOVED the half time show. If I had to pick anyone to do the half time show amazingly enough I would have picked the Blackeyed Peas and def. USHER. Usher is one of my favorite men period. Every time I look up his videos on youtube Nino likes to point out how gay he is Haha, he screams jealousy. We had such a good time with our friends Amanda and Steven. Then of course we raced to Starbucks before they closed to get our Apple Caramel Spice drink : ) Which topped off my great day. 

I am truely blessed with the best family and some amazing friends!

Inspiration-Starfish Story

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"

Friendships & Relationships

Friendships 

I have been through my fair share of friends and learned a lot of lessons about trust and who I should let into my life. I will just give you a few examples of friends I have HAD and some that I still have but remember to maintain my distance. FRIEND ONE-someone who only comes into my life when they need something and becomes very distant every time she thinks she finds a relationship worth while...until something happens and of course I am the one there to listen to her cry and console her and attempt to convince her that her life didn't revolve around some loser. When I need someone, is she there for me? NO. FRIEND TWO-someone who would come over DAILY whether it be night or day and vent to me like I was some kind of psychologist and tell me about one of the million guys she was "IN LOVE" with and how they make her feel and how she couldn't have them because no one would love her. I couldn't even get a word in with this girl about my life, and of course she never asked. One of the few friends my fiance actually showed he cared for and liked and she has the nerve to tell everyone I am settling for him. REALLY?! I have someone who loves me JUST as much as I love him. I am not settling...and Its funny how you can say that yet you are the first one to jump up when he got home from work and give him a hug....WEIRD right?! I have had a lot of bad and I know a good thing when I have it. To her-good luck to you in the future and in all of your one way non existent relationships..I hope one day you go for a guy who is worth a damn. Someone who isn't engaged to someone else or in jail. As I friend...I should be able to tell you my opinion without you getting all upset and deleting me from your life. Take some constructive criticism from a REAL friend...or what used to be. 

I am thankful for the few REAL friends and family I have who are there for me ALL the time : ) I am a lucky girl....I am just glad I got rid of my baggage : )

Relationships

I am going to keep this simple. ALWAYS be with someone who loves you JUST as much as you love them. It took me many failed relationships to realize that even though someone tells you he loves you....doesn't mean he really loves you. Let him show you. Lying, Stealing from you, pawning your things for drug money, staying out all night and making you worry, ignoring your calls when you know his phone stays in his pocket, teasing you by talking about marriage when his mental state is telling him SINGLE doesn't show you he loves you and doesn't show he is serious about the relationship. I wasted a lot of time and learned a lot of lessons but I don't regret anything or take anything back because I put up with a lot and got to see the bad in relationships and all i can say is...."I know now......"

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I read this book and IT IS REALLY GOOD ...AND  is being made into a movie starring Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, and John Goodman. I wont tell you much....but its about a 9 year old boy with a strong imagination who loses his dad in the 9-11 attack.

Nicole DuBois-Photographer

I set my long lost friend Andrew Bechtold up with Nicole today, who does AMAZING work. I met Andrew @ Lees-McRae and he finished school @ NC school of the arts for Dance. LOVE how his shoot went! I got to watch Nicole in action and was memorized. I wish I was talented. LOL

One my new favorite recipes!! Spinach Pasta Shells

1 pound medium orlarge shell pasta (not stuffing shells) & SALT

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a clean kitchen towel

Freshly grated nutmeg

Black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 can Italian tomatoes (28 ounces)

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (10-12 leaves)

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided

1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese (1/2 pound), cut into 1/2-inch dice

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water and cook the shells for 2-3 minutes less than the package directions. Heads up: You will need to reserve 1/2 cup starchy cooking water just before draining the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat a medium size pot or high-sided skillet over medium heat with the EVOO. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach, pulling it apart as you add it, and season with a little freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. When the spinach mixture is warm through, transfer it to a small dish and reserve. Return the pot to the heat, add the butter and melt. Add the tomatoes and break up with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, add the basil leaves and cook to thicken the sauce, 7-8 minutes.

Drain the pasta and return the pasta to the hot pot. To the pasta, add the spinach, reserved starchy water, ricotta cheese and half of the Parmigiano Reggiano. Adjust the salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to a baking dish. Top the pasta mixture with the tomato sauce, mozzarella and remaining Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake until the cheeses are melted and bubbly, 6-8 minutes.

Living One Day at a Time

The secret to life is living it one day at a time. Our lives are made up of a million moments, spent in a million different ways. Some are spent searching for love, peace and harmony. Others are spent surviving day to day. But there is no greater moment than when we find that life, with all its joys and sorrows, is meant to be lived one day at a time. It's in this knowledge that we discover the most wonderful truth of all. Whether we live in a forty-room mansion, surrounded by servants and wealth, or find it a struggle to manage the rent month to month, we have it within our power to be fully satisfied and live a life with true meaning. One day at a time, we have that ability through cherishing each moment and rejoicing in each dream. We can experience each day anew, and with this fresh start we have what it takes to make all of our dreams come true. Each day is new, and living one day at a time enables us to truly enjoy life and live it to the fullest.