The Time I Went to Washington

What a weekend!!! In case you missed it, I went to Washington, DC this weekend for the most epic of vacays and a Blate! I finally got to meet my BOFF P!inky and Jenn! I headed off to DC for Jenn's wedding and P!nky's birthday weekend! To say I was excited is the most understatement of all time. i was elated, excited, over the top could not hold in the excitement happy!

I got in and headed out to see DC since I had never been. It was Cherry Blossom Festival and boy were they in bloom! DC was gorgeous! Beware of picture overload:

Then, I headed back into Clarendon for P!nky's bday dinner! It was major public screaming! I had a blast with her family and friends and well just being together!!

Saturday was wedding day! Man oh man did Jenn look beautiful!

BOFF, we were made for each other!

Mr. and Mrs.

gorgeous bride!

3 bloggers, 3 great friends!

We danced the night away and just had a blast! If you didn't now we had just met in person you would have never known, it was like we had known each other for years. Which, technically we did, but not IRL! Yes, people, this was real life, major reality!

Its funny, I knew I had connected with P!nky and Jenn and Jessica, but its so different when you meet them in person and talk to them. I had built up this crazy anticipation and it lived up to it! Seriously, I thought P!inky and I had a connection, but we really do! Funny how God works and puts people in our lives and finds a way for it to work.

I know that my friendship with these two woman will only grow over time. I am beyond blessed! It was also the best way to spend the anniversary of the big D, with two of my closest friends, two people who had been there through it all.

Sunday I headed to church and brunch with P!inky and her family. It was the perfect end to the perfect weekend. Praising Him with one of my best friends IRL now. I loved sharing my faith with her and her family (who  by the way are the coolest people ever!). And le husband, well C is the best (thank you C for indulging your wife's crazy passion to write and meet people in person she has only know via blogging!)

Although I was sad to go and totally already miss her, & Jenn, I know this is only the beginning! But... I was so happy to see these faces when I got home:

Hope ya'll had an epic weekend as well.

5 on Friday

It's Friday! Its supposed to be 80 here today and well this week managed to turn out alright! Like...

1. March Madness - This is the first year in forever I am not a basketball widow. Yup! Nope man has deserted me for Vegas to watch copious hours of basketball in a smoky casino sports book with his BFF. Nope, I filled out my bracket, by myself, (not that Ohio St. or Cincinnati did me much help) and I don't plan on watching one solitary moment of basketball!

2. I came home to these babies on my doorstep! Made my little heart so happy. What is better than flowers? Flowers from one of your BOFF!

 3. Lattes, when I can make them from the comfort of the Keurig in our office kitchen.... I love the Gevalia mocha lattes!

ignore that my mousepad is nasty we had a coffee incident

4. SPRING! As in its finally looking like its lovely face will stay for more than 24 hours! Rain, shine, as long as its above 32!

5. Food! Yup, its amazing. This is perhaps the first time since hmm 2006 that I have just not worried so much about food. Yes, I watch what I eat, and only indulge when it matters, but I do not count every calorie, look at every fat gram, weigh myself 3-4 times a day, and oh I eat! Like 6 times a day. Its freeing to not see food as the enemy anymore! I let myself splurge every once and while, don't shame run 4 miles when I eat bread or dessert.... Who knew life could be so good and I would actually look better than I did 10 pounds ago!

Ma'am Could You Quiet Down?

So I was way excited for yesterday at 5:30pm.. .Why you ask? Well, I got to meet this lovely lady for a lil wine and pizza and well, chatting! Yup, meet Amy of The Blissful Bee. She is a Fort Worth Blogger, and well also one of Fort Worth's Most Beautiful Women (as voted on the January issue of the Mag). So, I "met" Amy via the magazine article we were both featured in. When I saw her email and that she blogged, I just knew we were going to be instant friends. And well, yup we were!

So, after a few months of planning and saying we needed to meet, we did last night. I took her to my fav local wine spot Winslow's and we had a good ole fashioned girls' night. You would have thought we were two old friends just catching up on a Monday night. Yet, nope first time meeting. There were laughs, stories, giggles and perhaps an older gentleman who thought we were pretty cute.

Yup, in mid sentence he just came over and in a very polite way, told us we were a tad loud. I admit, two glasses in, our volume may have risen to more than our 6-inch voices. But the sweet man chatted away with us, complimented our beauty and intellect and pointed out that women have this unique ability to talk at the same time and still know what the other said. (It's true, Amy and I test it).

Alas as our evening ended I drove away with a huge smile on my face. Well, because 1. I love meeting new people (especially bloggers, I mean we just share a bond); and 2. I was two glasses in people.

So, do me a favor and hop on over and visit Amy's blog. She is waaaaay creative and has so many DIY project and ideas, and well she's just too darn cute ya'll!

Blates, Babies & Booze

What more could one ask for in a weekend? Minus the awful cold and sinus infection I have been battling, that kept me grounded from work Friday, but alas still billing away! And today is an anniversary of sorts, yes 8 years ago today, I met M. No regrets, I would not be where I am today with it.

But, I digress...

Saturday morning  awoke to find out that everyone I know had their babies! And all little girls! A girl from my City Group, sorority sisters, and high school friend all welcomed bundles of joy this week/end. Just something about babies that puts you in a good mood. The rest of my Saturday was spent running errands, ya know my weekly trip to Lowe's...

this is how much I love Lowe's!

 Then, I headed out to the Big D, Dallas, for Neely's engagement party! It was a blate supreme! As, not only did I get to celebrate Neely & A, but got to see the ever lovely Amber and finally meet Ashley in person!!

Love me some Amber! So good to see her!

Neely & I. Blessed to call her a friend

The whole blogger crew:
Me, Amber, Neely, Amber, Michele

To say I had fun, would be an understatement, Its always good to see my friends, but blogger friends are just a whole 'nother kind of fun. #itsabloggerthing

Sunday, well it was a gorgeous Sunday here in Cowtown. The Cowtown Marathon took place, and I may have accidentally ran in the Ultra Marathon while on my measly 4 mile run through Trinity Park. I mean, these people looked at my like I was blazing by, and who am I to pass up free cheering.

After my run, I mean it takes a lot out of a girl to run 31 4 miles, I did a little work and hung out with the loves of my life and dined on this to die for crockpot meal. Seriously, the crockpot is my mainstay for Sunday dinner. Just put it in, head to church and yummo by dinner time. The pups, well they got in some epic Sunday napping. Hope ya'll had a great weekend, and hopefully, I can wipe this cold out before my depos tomorrow! xoxo

I'll Fly Away

So, what happens when you have been working way too much and decide you need a getaway? Well, if you're me, you fly to Georgia, and drive to the wilderness for a weekend away... oh and you plan a wonderful blate!

This is also my lesson #7: take time for yourself, plan a trip, get away, do something you don't normally do, like... plane a trip to the middle of nowhere Georgia and see friends!

So, Thursday afternoon I boarded a plane for Atlanta. Just as I was about to take off my best friend from elementary school saw my check-in at the airport for Atlanta and she was like umm I live 20 minutes from there... I was like umm whoa... so I texted when I landed and low and behold, 30 minutes later I was in her house seeing for the first time since we were 14.

Kristin and I were in the 1st and 2nd grade together. She moved to Florida in the middle of 2nd grade and the saga of the letters began. We wrote letters to each other over the course of the next 7 years. Like handwritten, Lisa Frank stationary letters. We had a rule: once you got a letter you had 2 weeks to send another one. We wrote and wrote and wrote. We sent gifts talked on the phone occasionally, and then Christmas of the 9th grade I went to visit her in Florida. We lost touch a little in college and such, but Facebook helped! We reconnected and so there I sat talking to her and seeing her little ones. It was marvelous! What a way to start my trip.

Gorgeous woman inside and out!

I then headed on to my hotel. I was staying at the Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Everyone should go. Its so peaceful and relaxing.

Friday morning I woke up and headed in McDonough to meet miss Jessica who blogs at The Newly. I have been awaiting this! Jessica and I have been "friends" for a couple years now and I just love following her and have enjoyed watching her grow in her marriage and now as a mother.We have just connected. So when that blonde-haired beauty walked in her with baby boy Caleb. We gabbed for hours! It was like we were old friends just chatting over pizza! It was hard to see her go, but it was wonderful. I cannot wait til next time and perhaps if her B gets into the program in Texas... we may just be seeing more of each other!

Saturday I hit up the gardens for a lil hiking and sightseeing before hitting up the spa. Callaway Gardens is miles and miles and acres of gorgeous flora and fauna.  I'll let the pictures do the talking.

gorgeous chapel in the middle of the gardens... future wedding site?

birds of prey show

SEC topiaries

frogs who hung out outside my room

The gardens were peaceful and gorgeous and just what I needed to relax and connect with nature. I then high-tailed it to the spa for a message and some steam.

Sunday I dreaded going home, but I went into Atlanta and hit up the World of Coca-Cola.

And how did my wonderful weekend end? I came home to wonderful fall pumpkins to adorn my porch from my sweet friend and neighbor CT!! It was just what I needed! I got to see two wonderful friends and just could not be more relaxed and refreshed. How was your weekend?

One Epic Weekend

I have to say this was one of the best weekends ever! After being sick all week, I was a little scared for the weekend, but alas it turned out great.

Friday I was still feeling pretty icky so I took it easy and did a lil movie watching.

Saturday I was up early for perhaps the slowest 3 mile run I have done, well in forever. My body was just not having it. But then I had a massage and headed to meet Neely & Amber for a blate of all blates. Neely and I have only been planning this for umm I dunno, a year! Yes, a year people. Everytime we got a plan something came up. Guess that's what happens when you put two busy gals together. She was amazing! It was like we has known each other for years. Amber was awesome too. This is what blogging is about people! You read about these people's lives and then you meet them and its like hanging out with your long lost best friend. Both ladies were so sweet, and fun and we just shopped and gossiped like a bunch of French hens!

Then, we headed over to my neck of the woods for a lil Pure Barre. Neely & Amber are pros as this, but I had a blast! I have not taken a barre class in like 9 months and now there is a studio down the street. Check out Pure Barre Fort Worth. It was an awesome workout and my buttocks and thighs are still burning! And it was blogger meet-up fun. I also got a chance to meet Taylor who is a fellow Horned Frog.

Saturday night I went to a movie, saw We're The Millers. Holy bananas it was hilarious! Lil offensive in language and an epic ball shot, but freaking hilarious people. Then I met a friend out from another lifetime ago who happened to be in Fort Worth. It was so much fun to catch up and chat. Strange how you can years without seeing people and then BAM, they pop back into your life and its like nothing changed (err well we have both changed, but ya know what I meant).

And then it was Sunday. I was at Miss Texas Homecoming all day. Our organization was fortunate to host this event as Miss Texas 2013 was one of our girls. Ivana Hall was Miss North Texas. It was so much fun to see all my pageant friends and catch up and celebrate Ivana. There were cupcakes, cookies, food and friends & a lil Jesus in between.

 

 

Umm then I got the bestest thing in the mail... Yes, bestest! Just the invitation to my BOFF's wedding!!!!

 

 

This weekend made Sophie tired.... she said mom its time for bed!  All in all, great weekend of people, food and fun!