Lovin' My Lilly

I have to admit, one of my absolute favorite things is getting a new planner. Even more than that, I like filling them out with all the fun things I have going on at work and in my personal life. For the past few years, I've kept two planners, one for work and one for personal. However, thanks to my awesome intern, Becca, I've now got a new awesome planner that has everything rolled into ONE! I present to you the most fabulous and insanely adorable Lilly Pulitzer planner!

"These useful and unique daily agendas are full of frisky fun!
The colored tabs make for happy planning" ... {source}

According to the stats on the website, this fantastic planner is 17 months and complete with both weekly and monthly calendar pages. It also has a "dates to remember", "contacts", "notes" and the best yet...snazzy stickers! The pattern I picked out isn't listed on the website, but there are four other color options available and all are just precious! Not to mention, it has this oh-so-true quote right on the front page!

source

Can't wait to get to filling out my new planner! If you're in the market for a planner or just want a new one, I recommend this one for sure! Can't go wrong with Lilly!

Case of the Monday's

So far, my day has been less than stellar. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

{5:45am}         Workout Starts
6:00am Wake up in panic as I realize the alarm was never set to go off ...
6:01am "Oh, I must have turned the alarm off in my sleep" - My Husband in a sleepy voice
7:20am Wake up, Shower and get ready for the day. Play with Kona Bear
8:10am Stop at Starbucks to get some instant caffeine in my system since I missed my workout
8:12am Spill coffee on my white jeans ... in the middle of my crotch ... AWESOME
8:25am Hear random noise sounding like blown tire on way to office
9:00am Get told I need to spend $400 to get 2 new tires ... JOY

Needless to say, the upside to my day came around early afternoon

1:00pm Flowers from Mike arrive with a card saying "Hope your day is getting better"

Here's to hoping the rest of the day is on the upturn. I'm heading to dinner tonight with some girlfriends at one of my new favorite places, Local Three. Can't wait for their 'Fantastic Voyage Monday' $35/person for 3 course and wine pairings. Bring on the fun, girl time and vino!

Hope your Monday has had way more sunshine than mine has started off with!

Random Thursday!

My brain is in a fog of all the things I've done lately and still have to do. I'd be lying if I said this post had some real content. So here you go, a Random Thursday with me!

**Favorite new eating joint : Local Three Kitchen Check this place out. Food was divine, service was great, atmosphere a huge A+ with me. I went Monday night with some girls and i was definitely impressed with the place. Can't wait to go back.

**My iPad 2 comes today. I've been waiting almost a month for it to arrive and it's finally going to be here today...GET. EXCITED.  Too bad Mike is in Texas until tomorrow so he'll have to wait to play with it!

**Finally hired my summer intern. She starts right after we get back from our honeymoon. Seems like she's an uber smart chick with a lot of potential. I'm very much looking forward to having an intern this summer and working with her!

**My college BF moved to Buckhead this week which means we can hang out much more and not drive (okay, her not drive) so far to go to dinner/go out with us! Hooray! Love the new place, L

**I'm in search of new white pants. Mine are too big (hooray, right?) and not sure where to look. I picked up some new white jeans at Anthropologie the other day, but I need like more casual cute white pants...think wide leg. Got any ideas on where I should go?

Here are some of my recent favorite random images off two of my favorite sites, okay well it's really one site but two different segments ... you get my point. I always check Lolcats and Loldogs when I need a laugh mid-day or to find something funny to send to a friend!

That about wraps up my super random Thursday post. Hope you weren't expecting anything too good to read :) I'll be much better tomorrow and actually write something worth reading!

*all photos via Lolcats and Loldogs 

Funny Email Friday

I got this from a male coworker today and thought I'd share!

THE  FEMALE  MERIT / DEMERIT  SYSTEM

In the world of romance, one single rule applies:

Make the woman happy.

Do something she likes and you get points.

Do something she dislikes and points are subtracted.

You don't get any points for doing something she expects. Sorry, that's the way the game is played.

Here is a guide to the point system:

SIMPLE  DUTIES

You make the bed (+1)

You make the bed, but forget the decorative pillow (0)

You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets (-1)

You go out to buy her what she wants (+5) in the rain (+8)

But return with beer (-5)

You check out a suspicious noise at night (+1)

You check out a suspicious noise, and it is nothing (0)

You check out a suspicious noise and it is something (+5)

You pummel it with iron rod (+10)

It's her pet (-20)

SOCIAL  ENGAGEMENTS

You stay by her side the entire party (0)

You stay by her side for a while, then leave to chat with an old school friend (-2)

Named Tina (-10)

Tina is a dancer (-20)

Tina is gorgeous (-80)

HER  BIRTHDAY

You take her out to dinner (+2)

You take her out to dinner and it's not a sports bar (+3)

Okay, it's a sports bar (-2)

And it's all-you-can-eat night (-3)

It's a sports bar, it's all-you-can-eat night, and your face is painted the colors of your favorite team (-10)

A  NIGHT  OUT

You take her to a movie (+1)

You take her to a movie she likes (+3)

You take her to a movie you hate (+6)

You take her to a movie you like (-2)

It's called 'Death Cop' (-3)

You lied and said it was a foreign film about orphans (-15)

YOUR  PHYSIQUE

You develop a noticeable potbelly (-15)

You develop a noticeable potbelly and exercise to get rid of it (+10)

You develop a noticeable potbelly and resort to baggy jeans and baggy Hawaiian shirts (-30)

You say, "It doesn't matter, you have one too." (-8000)

THE  BIG  QUESTION

She asks, "Do I look fat?" (-5) (Yes, you lose points no matter what)

You hesitate in responding (-10)

You reply, "Where?" (-35)

Any other response  (-20)

COMMUNICATION

When she wants to talk about a problem, you listen, displaying what looks like a concerned expression (0)

You listen, for over 30 minutes (+50)

You listen for more than 30 minutes without looking at the TV (+500)

She realizes this is because you have fallen asleep (-4000) 

What Could Have Been ...

I often find myself thinking about what could have been. Usually it's when my mind is wandering, like in the shower (okay that may be TMI) or when I'm getting ready for bed, sometimes even when driving home from work. I think about where and what I'd be doing if I made different choices or if my life path had changed. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my life. I have a wonderful group of friends both new and old, my family is amazing, my soon to be husband is a dream come true, but I'd be lying if the thought "what if" never crossed my mind.

I've had my share of boyfriends...good and bad. I even work with my ex (who is the brother of my other ex...don't get me started!). It's hard to believe how life could have turned out so different if I was going to be marrying one of them in 66 days. I look at my ex and his new wife and think wow, that is what I'd be like if my life was on that path. Thank goodness it wasn't! If I had chose a different college, been a different major, made different friends....where would I be today? Who would I hang out with and what career would I be in?

I know that there is a reason for everything and that a path for me has been set, long before I was here. I just find it quite amusing as to how one little thing could change a whole big part. Kind of like the butterfly effect.

The butterfly effect is a metaphor that encapsulates the concept of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory; namely, a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. Although this may appear to be an esoteric and unusual behavior, it is exhibited by very simple systems: for example, a ball placed at the crest of a hill might roll into any of several valleys depending on slight differences in initial position. The butterfly effect is a common trope in fiction when presenting scenarios involving time travel and with "what if" cases where one storyline diverges at the moment of a seemingly minor event resulting in two significantly different outcomes. 
(source : wikipedia)

I'd be willing to say, looking back...I'm not where I thought I'd be. I pictured myself married by 23 with 2 kids by now, working in a sports arena of life (physical therapy, athletic trainer, etc) and living in some really nice house. Real Life : I'm 18 days away from being 27, engaged to be married, no kids, working in marketing and living in a highrise. Not really the same. But like I said, I'm happy. Just funny to look back on what you wanted, correction, thought you wanted your life to be like. Is it just me, or does everyone go through this?

30 Day Blog Challenge : Day 18

Day 18 : Something You Regret

There are many times in my life where I wish I had said something different or reacted different ways, but I can't think of anything I fully regret. What I have done in my life and how I went about things has made me who I am today. I think that you should live life with no regrets and whatever happens happens. Life is about chance and living it to the fullest. Here's a favorite quote of mine that kinda ties to this...

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right... forget the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance...take it. If it changes your life... let it. Nobody promised that it would be easy... they just promised that it would be worth it."

Brain Dump!

Today is one of those days. I woke up feeling blah and did all the things I knew to do to try to make myself feel better. Took a nice shower, dressed up nice for work, got Starbucks (thanks to my awesome future husband for the gift card!) and went to work. Got there, realized after 3 people told me I looked like a mess and not good...I turned right around and came home! What a waste of gas! Either way, I bring you this blog straight from me sitting in my PJ's on our couch!

So are you ready for the brain dump? I can only promise that this will be a mish-mash of stuff and try to stay with me. My head is in a fog but I've got a lot to blog!

Wedding Stuff:
-The great M&M debate thickens. Who knew M&M's were so freaking expensive! For us to get about 25lbs for our thank you's at the wedding in 2 custom colors (cream and grey) it'll cost about $250.00. SAY WHAT?! So my mom asked me about doing just regular colored M&M's instead and then saving close to $100. I thought long and hard, talked to Mike about it ... to which he responded "It'll look like a clown visited our wedding if we used the multi colored ones" ... to which I responded to my mother, "cream and grey it is!"
-Mike and I are meeting with Rev. Britt today of Peachtree Road United Methodist church. He'll be marrying us on our big day and we're excited to start the process of working with him on this. We've already attended a meeting with a marriage counselor who also works at the church and this is the next step in the process.
-Oh honey, honeymoon that is. I blogged about our honeymoon plans a while ago and now the plans are taking shape. The hotels are booked, main flights taken care of and now the daily planning begins. Mike has planned the first 2 days of our trip and he's got 10 more to go! My only requirement...we snorkel, beach, spa-it and eat good!
-Today I'll be sending off our table numbers and gift tags to be printed. Thanks to my awesome corporate print vendor for doing this for me for free.

Other stuff
-I blogged the other day on the 30 day challenge about hating tornado's. Bad news kids. As I sit here at home writing this blog, a tornado warning has just been issued for my area. AWESOME....NOT! I'm home alone and we'll have to see how this goes.
-I did a joint blog with my good friend, Lauren, about our ghost tour we did this past weekend. Go check it out and give us your thoughts on ghosts and supernatural beings!
-My dear friend Britney's husband just released the trailer to his movie The Ocean Black yesterday...go check that out!
-Had a super fun dinner with a girlfriend, Erin, last night at Verde. She's got a kick-A personality, is a vet and well, we just have a lot in common! Also, if you live in the Atlanta area and haven't checked out Verde in Brookhaven...you need to! Great food, great drinks always a good time!

That's all for now. I sure hope I feel better soon and hope that these tornado's stay clear of our little condo in Buckhead.

30 Day Blog Challenge : Day 13 & 14

I'll be gone this weekend, so here's an early day 13 and 14!

Day 13 : Goals

I feel it's always important to have goals in your life. I have met many of my goals I had set forth in my 26 years and currently have a few on the table. Some of these will be accomplished sooner than later, some maybe never, but here's a rap-sheet of what I'd like to do!

• Run a half marathon in the next year
• Compete in my first triathlon in the next year
• Get married (well, clearly I'm planning my wedding, but the goal can't get checked off til April 30th!)
• Surf
• Own my own wedding consulting/planning company
• Work for a non-profit company
• Be a Young Life leader
• Be a Mother (post the wedding of course!) 

There's plenty more but this is a good sampling of things I think I'll be able to accomplish in the near future!

 

Day 14 : A Picture You Love

(here's a couple!)

BAMA vs UF at the SEC Championship game last year!

A favorite photo from our eengagement pictures

 

This picture makes me laugh EVERY TIME I see it! Always puts a smile on my face and makes me think of good times with good people! We tore that bachelorette party up (and a few dresses too!).

30 Day Blog Challenge : Day 12

Day 12: What You Believe

I Believe That....

I Believe ... I am on this earth for a reason.

I Believe ...That I'm pretty lucky in life both with family, career, love and friendships

I Believe ...That the Alabama Crimson Tide is the best football team around :)

I Believe ...That one day I'll run my own wedding planning business

I Believe ...That I have learned way more through mistakes than I have through anything else in my life

I Believe ...That there is plan for my life whether I want to believe it or trust it

I Believe ...That my grandparents, friends I've lost and other loved ones are looking down from heaven on me all the time

I Believe ...That one day I'm going to find a 4 leaf clover

I Believe ...I'm going to get that pony one day!

30 Day Blog Challenge : Day 11

Day 11 : Favorite TV Shows

I must admit I watch a range of TV shows! From trashy ones to educational ones...here are just a few of my favorites in no particular order!

                                                 anything on this station is okay with me!

                                                      pondering trying to get on this show!

Love me some animal planet

who doesn't love Grey's!?

this show is addicting

these people are so weird. I get sucked in every time I watch it!

of course you know I love this show!

clearly a favorite of mine! 

such trainwrecks...can't NOT watch it! 

30 Day Blog Challenge : Day 10

Day 10 : Something You're Afraid Of

Funny, I blogged about this a few months back! My something that I'm afraid of is thunderstorms...well tornado's actually! I posted in  my blog a bit ago that I associate storms/tornado with a very rough patch in my life and my family.

(photo from google)

 Though I can handle them now and am at peace with what happened back then, they still scare me and I still dislike sitting through them alone. Luckily, now that I live with Mike, it's rare that I have to.


Isn't it funny how you can associate one thing with a memory and it never goes away. I get chills every time I hear thunder or hear about/think a storm is heading our way.

Vacay Wrap Up!

Monday morning and the end of vacation comes too quick! Hate to say that I'm back in the office after such a fun-filled vacation to Las Vegas, NV. Here's a wrap-up of our trip and some pictures!

Thursday: Arrived in Las Vegas about 11am local time (2pm Atlanta time) and headed off to lunch at PF Changs located in Planet Hollywood casino with Mike and his mom. Had a great time and was able to catch up with her since she's been in Vegas for a week already! Mike and I were pretty jet-lagged this trip so we made sure to take a nice nap and get ready for dinner at KOI (also in Planet Hollywood) and then over to Paris Hotel for the dueling pianos at Napoleon's .

Creepy Wood Nymp at Bellagio Hotel Conservatory

Friday: Got up bright and early and got a 3 mile workout in with Mike at the hotel gym. Felt good to start the day out right! Headed to Bellagio for brunch...which I must admit is one of the best in town...with Irene, my FMIL, and Mike. After brunch, Mike and I headed out to walk around town and see what we could get into. We went to MGM and checked out the lions...they even had 17 day old lion babies! Headed on over to the M&M World...it's our namesake of course! Rode the rollercoaster at New York New York and then walked down to Aria to do some window shopping and make dinner reservations at Mastro's Ocean Club and then finally went back to Planet Hollywood to play my favorite $.01 slot...Super Jackpot Party! After another afternoon nap, Mike, Irene and I headed to dinner at Mastro's...an amazing restaurant located at Aria/City Center. They have the BEST food and the coolest smoking cosmopolitans! Post dinner we met up with my future SIL and kids and then headed on over to Minus 5 ice bar at Monte Carlo. This place was AWESOME! Everything was made of ice. The walls, the seats, ice sculptures, the bar and even the cups! We had a great time and would totally do it again!

Mike, Irene and I at the conservatory in Bellagio Hotel post brunch

at M&M World

at M&M World

Mike and I at Minus 5 Ice Bar at The Monte Carlo hotel

Lizzie and Brody at the pool

Saturday: Got up and worked out with my future SIL, Melissa, and then headed over to Planet Hollywood to watch some pigskin! Took my future niece and nephew to the pool and had a great time playing around in the water, although a little chilly, and watching them swim. It's amazing to see how good Lizzie is and she's only 4! Brody isn't swimming alone just yet, but certainly is eager to start! Melissa and I took Lizzie to the world of M&M's and caught the 3D movie there...pretty cool if you ask me! 4 floors of M&M's in all colors, shapes and sizes. Mike and I then took my dad to dinner and The Beatles LOVE Cirque show at The Mirage. Dinner at BB Kings was great and the show was out of this world! It was really nice to be able to hang out with my dad while on vacation.

with my dad and Mike at The Mirage post The Beatles Love show

Sunday: Sat behind a screaming child and her super chatty brother all the way back to Atlanta :) The only saving grace, I could watch TV on the plane!

30 Day Blog Challenge : Day 9

Day 9 : A picture of my friends

Here are a FEW pictures of my friends! They are the BEST!

Kyle, Garrett, Me, Kerri and Todd at dinner when Garrett was in town. Great High School friends!

with some of the ladies at Courtney's going away party! 

My awesome friends at my birthday party at Fado

My bestie from college, Lauren! 

With Kerri! My BFF since 6th grade!

With my favorite Jager Ladies!

with Stephanie at her bachelorette party!

with Britney and her husband Marco at their wedding!

30 Day Blog Challenge : Day 8

Day 8 : A Place I've Traveled To

The summer before I finished my senior year at The University of Alabama, I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain for 6 weeks. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had! I learned A LOT about what's really important and what its like to live without life necessities...well what I consider life necessities. There were about 60 of us from BAMA that went on this trip. We lived right outside of Madrid in the town of Alcala de Henares and traveled on the weekends. It was an AWESOME experience! 

I lived with my college friend, Lauren, in a home where the house mom was not only a cop, but also owned a bar...El Presidente Feliz. I spent quite a bit of time at that bar :) Here are some pictures of us throughout Spain and my trip there. 

At Senor Burro...or Mister Donkey for us Americans! A favorite local hangout for our group!

With my buddy, Parker, on top of one of the castles in Segovia

A group of us out for a night in Alcala

At La Granja!

Awesome bridge in Toledo. One of my favorite pictures from the trip

View from our room in Alicante at the beach! Sure was a good time and not such a good idea to drink a whole thing of vodka and gatorade :)