On The Move

Pop Open the Bubbly...

2010-04-19T22:01:00.003-04:00

...and try on some jewelry! So...I've decided to start selling jewelry for Stella & Dot! My childhood friend, Dana, told me months ago that I should consider becoming a 'Stylist'. I was a bit hesitant...don't really know if I inherited the sales gene from Dad or not. But I took one look at the website and LOVED almost everything I saw! And what I didn't absolutely love, I liked a lot and knew someone else who would LOVE it.

I've been impressed so far with the training and stability of this company. In the past 2 years, it's grown like wildfire. Almost everyone I talk to has heard about Stella & Dot. My launch party is this Thursday! Check out the Evite by clicking here. If you're in the area and want to stop by, you are more than invited! Let me know or just come on over! And bring some friends!

So far, this is my favorite piece I've worn this week...

Yes...I realize it's only Monday and I still have 6 more days to go but I have a feeling I'll be wearing this A LOT this summer! And I'm hoping after Thursday, I'll be able to earn more free jewelry. Turquoise is hot this season and Stella & Dot has a lot of it!

Like this bracelet? Want to see more? Want this bracelet (or something else) for free? Want to host a show? Call me! Or email! Or...guess what! I'm back on Facebook so I'm absolutely, 100% accessible! :)

Lessons Learned from Bridge Run 2010

2010-03-27T18:35:00.002-04:00

1.) Run on shoes less than 2 years old with thicker than 1 mm tread...your shins will thank you.

2.) Invest in an Ipod older than 5 years...you'll actually get to listen to your race mix while you run instead of while you update your blog 9 hours after crossing the finish line.

3.) Mexican food does not count as a carb loading meal the night before the race.

4.) Sangria, wine and beer will not hydrate you the day before the race.

5.) If you have friends with you who are not running race, make them dress in running gear and meet you at the bar afterward.

6.) 4 1/2 hours of drinking bloody marys and screwdrivers will most definitely result in a headache.

7.) Not that I need it...but running 6.2 miles is a great excuse to bring a bunch of people down to Charleston for the week.

That's all for now friends...having fun in my old hometown! Maybe I'll post pics soon????

Facebook Free for Forty Days!!!

2010-02-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

Being true to my Catholic upbringing, I thought long and hard about what I should give up for Lent.

Ok...so that's a lie...it actually took me no time at all to decide what I needed to give up which I have to say is really embarrassing. When I found myself checking my Facebook account every 5 minutes on days that I was working out of the house OR checking it on my phone when I was in a school...I knew it was getting out of hand. How ridiculous is that?

So while some are giving up sweets, coffee, cokes (all of which I have done before)...I will be giving up Facebook. I've already started thinking of how I'll spend my time sans Facebook...

Made these as a follow up to a shower gift for friends' Beth and Matt's baby who was born just a couple weeks ago...

I had to knit them 'in the round' which is a pain...

...but when I finished, I wrapped them up with some green and brown ribbon left over from the shower and threw in a couple white onesies I had left over from another project...I certainly don't need them!

I hope they are helping little Walter Lewis Maleski keep warm in all this cold weather!

Which reminds me...can you guess where this picture was taken last Friday?

You might be able to tell from the Palmetto Tree on the left...

That's King Street in CHARLESTON and yes, friends that's accumulating SNOW!

I spent the weekend in Charleston at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo last weekend. The weather guys were calling for 3-5 inches of snow in Charleston to which I completely dismissed. In my 8 years of living in Charleston, I never saw a flake. So it completely blew my mind when I was walking down King Street on my way to dinner watching big, fluffy snowflakes fall from the sky! It was really cool, I have to say!

The Wildlife Expo is one of my favorite weekends in Charleston. I always work it...I sell beer all weekend...yes, you can laugh. It's funny, I know. But it's crazy money that I can't pass up so I'm going on 8 years working the Expo.

Colin entered his dog, Campbell, in the Dock Dog competition and she won 4th place! Look how proud she is of her ribbon!

Next year, I'm going to bring Sierra and enter her in the competition and try to give Campbell a run for her money...

...then again, maybe not.

So, other than knitting (which yes, I realize makes me sound like the 82 year old cat lady down the street, but whatever...) and taking trips down to Charleston, how else am I going to fill my time away from Facebook?

Just to show you that I'm NOT turning into the 82 year old cat lady from down the street...I'm planning on keeping up with my gym routine so that in 40 days, I'll look like this...

Hopefully, I'll have more time to read. I'm reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for Book Club...a group that I started by the way and have yet to finish a book that we have read.

I'm also hoping to spend a lot of time with these two books...

I'm starting a new Bible Study tonight and I'm looking forward to it. We're studying Beth Moore's new book, Breaking Free. I hope I enjoy it as much as the other ones she's done!

And while knitting, working out, and trips to Charleston will definitely occupy my time during the next 40 days, I think I'm most looking forward to spending more time in the Word and working on strengthening my relationship with the Lord. Because I think that's really what Lent is supposed to be about....giving up something worldly so that we can learn about something more Godly.

No Further Uneasiness

2010-01-17T16:37:00.010-05:00

I'm still here. I promise. I know I've said it before, but I am...I'm here. Reading over my last post, which was way back in June, it's fun to see what has changed in the past 6 months. The sweltering weather that I enjoy so much in the summer turned to cool Fall days and then to a downright freezing, somewhat dreary Winter. The plants I planted went from looking like this...

...to this...

Why I haven't uprooted them and planted something else, I have no idea.

While there are no gardenias that reside on my bedside table anymore as they did back in June...

...it's interesting to see what now rests on my bedside table...

In June, I was rereading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. If you haven't read this book, you should! It had a profound impact on my life! And the sequel is just as powerful. My sweet friend, Jenn Klein, gave me a gift card to Barnes & Noble for Christmas so I used it to buy Joanna Weaver's next book, Having a Mary Spirit. I thoroughly enjoy the quiet time I get to spend each day learning more about our Lord and how He is working in my life.

A few days ago, I was reading about a monk, Brother Lawrence, who joined a monastery in an effort to serve God. With all of his effort, he tried to be holy and without sin but he constantly failed. When he succeeded, he gave all credit to the Lord. When he failed, he acknowledged how dependent he was on the Lord to do right. And then "he gave himself no further uneasiness about it."

I've been thinking about that quote a lot in the past few days..."he gave himself no further uneasiness about it." Can you imagine how your life would be if you could acknowledge when you screw up and then walk away from it, knowing that you are forgiven? I still have uneasiness about the garage sale I attempted to have 2 years ago that I overpriced everything and only made $80! Every time I see a garage sale sign, my heart begins to race thinking about how I could have/should have done things differently.

Lately, there have been so many other situations that have made me feel uneasy and I pray that God gives me a spirit like Brother Lawrence had 300 years ago to acknowledge his sin, pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and then have "no further uneasiness about it."

"It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14

**********************************************************
Back in June, I was just getting back into knitting and had NO IDEA how addicted I would be by now! The weeks leading up to Christmas were consumed with yarn and needles and handmade crafts all over the house. I've come to love to knit and have to stop myself sometimes from finding another project to start! There's something very forgiving about knitting something. There is always a mistake in any project that I do, and for the most part, I just don't care....in fact, you might say that I go on about the project with "no further uneasiness." Oh, if only every other area of my life could be that way! Here's a sample of what I've done so far...and there's only more to come!

Ah...Summer!

2009-06-10T11:07:00.004-04:00

I have to say...summer is my favorite season! Even though when the air turns cool in October and the leaves change and I think Fall might be my favorite...or when the flowers start to bloom and everything turns green and I think Spring might just be the best time of year (I don't care what you say...I'll never like Winter)...then summer rolls in with the 95 degree heat and 100% humidity and I'm reminded of what it means to truly be from the south. We don't just tolerate the heat and humidity...we live it. We don't hide from it...in fact, we intentionally plan our days outside, right in the middle of it. This past weekend was the perfect summer weekend...

I spent most of Saturday out by the pool which is practically in my back yard!

Sunday I spent out on the lake with good Greenville friends and forgot to take pictures but CLICK HERE for a synopsis of the last lake trip I took with these friends and you'll pretty much get the gist of the day...sans Sierra!

I spent the better part of Monday and Tuesday filling planters with pretty plants that hopefully will make it through the summer alive!

For some reason, I think a chair is one of the best spots for a plant...

And then last night, as I was walking up the steps to my deck after turning Sierra out for the final time, I smelled something that always reminds me of summer...so I clipped a few, threw them in a bud vase and sat them on my bedside table...just like my mom used to do when I was growing up.

Is there any better smelling flower than a Gardenia?

I'm Back...

2009-06-04T22:58:00.004-04:00

...but who knows for how long! When I wrote the last post, I thought I'd follow it up very quickly with a long one about what I had been up to. Well...it's been two weeks, and I'm less motivated to fill you in on all of my 'happenings' than I was back then...and I'm sure by now you're thinking, "Geez Megan...we are so not interested anymore!" :)

Well...just in case any of you were curious about what my month of April consisted of...

The first picture in the previous post was the glass ceiling of the botanical garden in the Bellagio in Las Vegas! I took a girls trip out to Las Vegas and then on to Pasadena to visit a childhood friend from April 16-22! It was amazing and definitely worth a post all of it's own. Hopefully, I'll get to that one of these days!

The next picture was a piece of the one above. This was another Edisto wedding for another one of the daughter's of the Mother Daughter group that gets together every Christmas. Below is my favorite picture of the night with all the Moms. Look at Gretchen (the bride) and her mom holding hands...

And finally...I've started a new project. I'm knitting again. But I'm still going to keep this one a bit of a secret because I haven't finished the project yet and it's going to someone who checks this blog from time to time, but let's just say there will be another little one besides my precious Godbaby that I'll get to spoil very soon and I can't wait to meet her!

Other than that...life has been pretty normal lately. I've been in and out of town so much lately that I haven't been able to go to my Bible study all that much and tonight was the first night I was able to go in quite a while. We are studying a book that I started reading one year ago today! Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World is a book I would recommend to any girl out there trying to figure out how to fit it all in! I thought at first that I wouldn't be able to relate to the book because I didn't really have a household to run or family to raise...but oh, how I was wrong! Ladies...if you haven't read this one yet, stop now and click here and order it right now! It is so powerful!

Anyway, I found this group of women shortly after I moved to Greenville through a Catholic young adults group. Some of the women are married with and without children, others are single. Some are Catholic, others are Protestant. All are very nice. But I've struggled with this group for some time because there's not a particular leader to the group. I am used to a Bible Study that someone prepares for and actually leads. We normally sit around and go page by page through a book and discuss what we have underlined. One of the things I enjoyed about Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World so much was the discussion questions for each chapter in the back. So tonight, I suggested that we discuss each question and actually read the Scripture passages that the author suggests (imagine that?). We had such a wonderful discussion and I think each one of us walked away having learned more about each other and the work that the Lord is doing in each of our lives.

The reoccurring theme of the night was trying to overcome discouragement. Whether it's dealing with the struggle of being perpetually single (wonder who's struggle that is???) or not being able to conceive a child or never ending stresses at work...all of us realized that we were putting these discouragements in place of our relationship with God. I have prayed over and over and over again for a husband and have started to realize that the better prayer is for peace, contentment, patience and most importantly trust in God that He will provide and that all things are beautiful in His time. It was a wonderful night of coffee, discussion, Scripture and the Spirit!

"He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done. I recognized that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well during life. For every man, moreover, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of all his labor is a gift of God. I recognized that whatever God does will endure forever, there is no adding to it or taking from it. Thus has God done that he may be revered. What now is has already been; what is to be, already is; and God restores what would otherwise be displaced." Ecclesiastes 3:11-15

What Have I Been Up To Lately?

2009-05-20T17:33:00.004-04:00

The answer is...lots of things...well, except for blogging obviously. I'll be back, I promise. Sometimes, my muse just isn't with me I suppose. So for now, I thought I'd leave you with a peak at what I've been up to lately...can you guess what I've been doing from these pictures?

My Brush with Greatness

2009-04-15T20:14:00.007-04:00

My mom used to always refer to a "brush with greatness" as a time when you met or had some connection or experience with fame.

Like the time I went to the James Taylor concert in high school and made my parents drive by the hotel where he was staying so I could meet him... (yes, they were at the concert with me and my friends but sat several rows back...that's what you get when you think it's cool to claim your parents music as your own...they go to concerts with you).

Or the time I sat across the bar from Charles Barkley in Auburn.

Or when my college roommates and I drove to Columbus, Ga to see a band called Soul Miners Daughter and talked to the lead singer, Jennifer Nettles, who just so happens to be 1/2 of the big time country act Sugarland now.

Well...I just thought I'd share with y'all another "brush with greatness" I've had lately. My good friend David owns a foam insulation company called EcoLogical Insulation which is based out of Auburn, Alabama. I had never heard of spray foam insulation before David started this company but I've actually enjoyed learning more about it over the past year. Their website is pretty cool too...check it out to learn more about this 'green' insulation.

Recently, David and Brycen, David's business partner, were given the opportunity to insulate one of the houses built on Extreme Makeover Home Edition! The episode airs next Sunday, April 26th! David and Brycen were given a narrow window of time to insulate the entire house...starting at 2 a.m.!!! It was a pretty interesting experience according to David.

So...mark your calendars, set your watches, and schedule the DVR for Sunday, April 26th on your local ABC station and watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition and make sure to look out for these two guys...

David and Brycen

Hasn't it gone a bit too far?

2009-04-07T13:52:00.004-04:00

Little things drive me crazy. I don't know why. Things that really make no impact on my life whatsoever. Like old women who speed walk on the beach in their bathing suits along with running shoes and socks on. Drives me nuts. Why do I care? Who are they bothering? No one...certainly not me...but it drives me crazy.

Something else that drives me crazy...car decorations. Now...I'll admit that my old Honda had the typical college and sorority decal. However, when I got rid of that car and graduated from college...that was it...I had grown out of that phase of my life. Christian one time put a sticker on my bumper from his girlfriend's bike shop (Pro Bikes in Asheville)...I took it off immediately. Love Christian, love his girlfriend, love bikes, love Asheville...hate car decorations.

Don't even get me started on the monograms! If you are reading this from anywhere else but the South, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Seems that someone decided it would be 'cute' to monogram their car...so now there are a bunch of girls that drive around with curly, swirly monogram decals on their rear windows. In fact, the whole monogramming craze drives me crazy as well...why do some people feel the need to monogram everything?

So, this Christmas I discovered something else to add to my unnecessary annoyances list. The Rudolph antlers and red nose car decorations. They were everywhere! Two brown antlers coming off of the driver and front passenger window and a big red nose on the hood. When New Years came around I breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn't have to see the silly Rudolph cars until next Christmas. Evidently...it's a seasonal thing. As I was leaving a school the other day, this is what I saw in the parking lot...

Are you kidding me???

I almost forgot...

2009-04-06T20:01:00.005-04:00

...to show you more pictures of the cutest baby girl ever! I headed down to Auburn early so I could hang out with Sara Beth on Friday before David, Paige and I left for the wedding. Remember the card I made to with the gift I brought?

How cute is she?
She wouldn't take it off all day!

I found that little rain jacket at TJ Maxx a while ago. When I got to Auburn, of course the first thing I wanted to do was snatch that baby out of Paige and David's arms and have her all to myself. She wasn't too sure about me at first...it had been since football season that I had seen her. As soon as I showed her the present I brought, she stretched out her arms and came right to me! I had also bought her a pig bath puppet. As soon as she saw it, she yelled "Elmo!" Isn't it funny how babies LOVE Elmo! I can't blame them...I love Elmo too!

The next day, I hung out with SB while Paige and David worked. Who knew walking around outside, swinging, playing with dirt, picking up rocks, and blowing bubbles could be so tiring!

"Bubble? Bubble!"
(Repeated over and over by SB)

It was so much fun but by the time I put her down for a nap, I needed one too!

Sara Bizzle getting her groove on to Snoop Dog on David's iPhone.

And yes...she knows how to work the iPhone. This is her showing her mom and her 'Honey' (Paige's mom) how to unlock the keypad on the phone. She literally took her little thumb and slid it across the screen to unlock the keys. She did it more than once...hysterical.

Wow...fun times. Can't wait to see her again! Who knows what she'll be able to do next time!

Sweet Home Alabama!

2009-04-06T13:17:00.005-04:00

It's been a busy past couple weeks, folks! And it sure did start off with a bang! I can't even begin to describe how amazing Mitch & Amy's wedding was! I seriously felt like I was at a celebrity event! Everything from the lighting, the food, the music, the flowers, the dresses, the 4000 square foot tent...everything was over the top! I've never been so full at a wedding reception! I felt like I had eaten Thanksgiving dinner! There was even a casserole bar! Sweet potatoes, mac n' cheese, pineapple au gratin, stuffing, waldorf salad...and then the carving station with ham, turkey and beef!

By the way...as you might have noticed...the results of the poll were pretty inconclusive! It was a tie between Dress A and Dress B. So Paige and I had to put on a fashion show for each other to decide which dresses we should each wear. I decided to wear the black dress (Dress A) since it was a bit chilly that night and the black dress just seemed a bit more 'cold weather appropriate.'

There were silver candelabras with roses exploding out of them on every table. Isn't the lighting cool?
Next time we all gather will be for this guys wedding in California!
Mike and Matt--Great Auburn friends...I crashed Matt and Elizabeth's wedding about 7 years ago! We've been good friends ever since!

Elizabeth, Paige and Courtney (Mike's fiance!)

'The boys'...some of the best guys I know

Paige, Beth and me (in the black dress!)

Matt and Beth...David is cracking me up in the background with the undone bow tie!

Christian and Marty...who ALWAYS poses for the camera! I was standing on the sidelines taking pictures of all the couples dancing (typical single girl thing to do)...Marty turned around and immediately strikes a pose...hilarious!

The Auburn crew

It was great being back in Alabama for the wedding! It was even better getting this group all back together. It's a rare thing these days now that we are all spread out across the country so we all feel blessed that we've remained so close for this long!

A Sneak Peak...

2009-03-26T23:08:00.001-04:00

...into the most incredible wedding I've ever been to! :) Needless to say, I'm exhausted and am getting ready for my next trip...flying out tomorrow! Check back next week for a long post on the wedding and trip #2 of 6 this weekend! Have a great weekend!

Happy Spring!

2009-03-19T09:03:00.015-04:00

Before I forget...don't YOU forget to vote for which dress you think I should wear to Mitch and Amy's wedding this weekend! It's a 6 o'clock wedding in Clayton, AL! I've linked the weather report to the very end of this post under 'BEAUTIFUL weather' if that will help you make your decision...see my previous post for pictures!

Do you ever find a song that you just can't stop listening to? I'm the person who will get a new CD and listen to the same 3 songs over and over and over again until I can sing them in my sleep...and then I move on to a new CD and do the same thing. Lately, I've been obsessed with the song that you hear right now (unless the sound on your computer is muted...which in that case, TURN IT UP! You're missing out!). I thought it only right to force you to listen to Pat Green's new song over and over again while you are reading this blog so that you too can sing it in your sleep! :)

I also decided to upload the song to my blog because it's what I listened to over and over while I was making a little 'Happy Spring' card to go along with a 'Happy Spring' gift for this sweet girl!
I leave to drive down to Auburn today so that I can hang out with Sara Beth tomorrow while Paige and David are at work. We leave for Mitch and Amy's wedding tomorrow evening. I found a cute little rain jacket at TJ Maxx back in January that I've stashed in a drawer until now. What's better than a rain jacket to be prepared for April showers? :) And of course, I needed a cute card to go along with the gift so...I went through all the scraps that I had from the 'Congratulations' card I made a few weeks ago...

...got a little creative in Word...

...used up the rest of the green ribbon I had from my stationery project...

...and wished a Happy Spring to my sweet God baby...

It was a complete coincidence that the flower I made in Word somewhat matched the wrapping paper I used!

So, now I'm off to a fun filled weekend with good friends and BEAUTIFUL weather!

I feel SO cool now!

2009-03-16T17:39:00.007-04:00

I finally figured it out! I finally figured out how to change my header so it's not just the boring title! I came across this blog (through another blog, of course) which brought me to this website! I have seen a collage before...where else, but on yet another blog...but never could figure out how to make my own! So yay! I'm excited! I tried to include as many friends and family as possible but if you aren't featured...sorry! Or let me know, and I'll try to add you! :)

On another note...I am super excited to see this guy get married this weekend!
I can't believe I actually posted that picture! The answer to your question is...several. :) Mitch is marrying a wonderful girl, Amy. I am so happy for them! The wedding is in Clayton, Alabama...the closest hotel is in Eufaula...20 minutes away. If any of you have seen Sweet Home Alabama, a lot of the scenes in that movie were shot in Eufaula. Anyways...should be quite an affair. The reception is at the home where Amy grew up. Hopefully, I'll remember my camera and be able to post lots of pictures next week!

Ok...on to more important things than the happy couple...What will I wear? I'm down to 2 dresses and I need your opinion!

Dress A
This was my New Years Eve dress last year and I wore it to Oscar Night this year. I bought it on New Years Eve day last year at some pricey boutique in Charleston. It was big time on sale and I still paid A LOT for it. I love this dress because it has an external zipper, which I just think is cool, it's comfortable, and the best part of all (and I only just discovered this on Oscar Night) it has POCKETS!!! (Btw...Oscar Night is a party that the Junior League of Greenville throws every year on Oscar Night! These are my friends, Meredith and Caryn at the pre-party Meredith and Matt had at their house.)

Dress B
This dress cost me about 10 times LESS than Dress A. I got it at Target! Yep...that's right, Target! The comfort level is right up there with Dress A. I love the column of ruffles and the asymmetrical neckline. The color might be more appropriate for a wedding than black, but it's also closer to my pasty, winter skin color, so either way...I'm in need of a tan! (Speaking of a tan...see below for my great discovery!)

Ok...so I want to know what you think! I've uploaded a poll on the side of my blog...choose Dress A or Dress B! I'll post pictures next week so you can see which one I wore! You have until this Friday at 3:30 p.m. to choose! Please do remember that I will be the ONLY single one in the group so I need to look HOT! :) Just kidding!

On to my great discovery...Have you ever used this stuff before?
It's Neutrogena's MicroMist tanning spray. I was in a hurry to get ready for Oscar Night and realized that my legs hadn't seen the light of day in 6 months! So I ran up to the CVS and grabbed a bottle. I got home, looked at Sierra, and said "Here goes nothin'!" It actually worked really well! I only applied it once and tried to be careful not to overlap any certain area. The thing I liked about it was that it didn't give me too much color. I wouldn't suggest applying it more than a couple times over the course of a few days. I used it every other day for about 6 days (3 applications). By the 3rd application, I could definitely start to see where I missed some places.

Well friends...that's all for now! It's been a rainy, cold, icky mess outside for days now! I'm ready for the 80 degree weather to come back!

Crazy dog in the SNOW!

2009-03-02T09:03:00.004-05:00

Look how much snow we got last night! Remember the pictures from my previous post? Okay...I realize it was just yesterday so you probably haven't forgotten them yet. Anywho...I think we got at least 4 inches, if not 5!!! Wow! My neighbor is from Florida and was trying to make a snowman...I didn't have the heart to tell her that she probably wouldn't see another snow like this for the next 5 years!

Sierra had fun in the snow when I took her out this morning. She ran around like a crazy dog and kept sticking her nose in the snow and trying to eat it. This is a major improvement from last night when it was just starting to snow. There was barely an inch on the ground and she wouldn't step foot in it. Poor girl had her legs crossed by the end of the night because she wouldn't go out...once she gave in, she had a great time in the snow and kept wanting to go back out in it.

Braving Mega-Winter Storm 2009!!

2009-03-01T17:17:00.016-05:00

This might turn out to be a long post since I haven't posted anything for a while! I don't know how some of you do it...keep up with a blog, that is! I'm amazed when I read blogs of girls who have 3 or 4 kids...how do you find the time?

Anyways...today, it started off looking like this...
I turned on the Weather Channel, and they were calling it "Mega-Winter Storm 2009". Seriously. Supposedly, we're supposed to get 2"-4" of snow! Every time snow has been in the forecast up here, it's just turned out to be a cold, rainy mess. Even if I didn't see any of the white stuff, it was enough to keep me inside for the day and since I cleaned yesterday...

...I needed something to do, so I pulled out this book......and looked up this recipe...
...and started baking!

I've made these cookies before but I wanted to try them again to see if they would turn out better this time. I prepared all the ingredients ahead of time.
I picked up this trick from my mom. I noticed one time when she was making dinner that she prepared everything ahead of time...chopped herbs, measured salt, etc. and set it aside on a plate in small containers. I tried it while I was making the cookies and it really worked well!

So, thanks to my Kitchen Aid Mixer...
...and some really nice cookie sheets I got for Christmas...
...I now have a batch of Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies to completely counteract any effort I might make this week to stay in shape! :)

While the cookies were in the oven, I wasn't ready to leave the kitchen so I figured, "What the heck?"...why not make marshmallows?My dad gave me this mix for Christmas and I thought that we'd probably have a fire going this week and it might be fun to roast marshmallows! It was pretty easy...we'll see tomorrow how they taste...they have to sit overnight.

My urge to bake left me with a mess in the kitchen...after I had just spent the day yesterday cleaning it!

And I guess the weather guys actually know what they're talking about this time...I just looked out the window and look what I saw...

Looks like this little one might have fun playing in the snow tomorrow...
This was what she did the entire time I was baking today...always underfoot she is!

By the way...have you seen last months Southern Living? The one with the yummy Nutter Butter Banana Pudding on the cover? While I was standing in line at the grocery one day, I quickly grabbed it and threw it in my basket! What could be better than bananas and Nutter Butters? Not much! I was excited when friends, Meredith and Matt, had a cookout so I had an excuse to make it.When you do make it (because how could you not?), the recipe says to let it chill from 2 to 24 hours...I suggest letting it chill as long as you can. The longer it chills, the softer the cookies get...they almost become part of the pudding! It's so good!

Well, if you have read this far...GOOD FOR YOU! I'm impressed! I'll just post a few more pictures to let you know what I've been up to for the past few weeks! Hiking, more stationery, obviously not blogging! I'll try to be better!A card I made for friends who just found out they are having a baby!

The rest are from a hike Sierra and I took at Table Rock one day when it was much warmer...only a couple weeks ago!
Where's Waldo?? Can you see Sierra in this picture? Sierra is really good on hikes. I can keep her off the leash most of the time and she'll run about 20 or 30 feet ahead of me and then run back to make sure I'm still behind her! Whenever she sees other people approaching, she turns around and runs back to me so I can put her on the leash!

Just to Get You Caught Up...

2009-02-06T18:50:00.008-05:00

I know, I know! I'm a slacker! I'm behind! Can you forgive me? Because I know how you all wait with baited breath for every post!

Do you remember that I still owe you Part 3 of my Crazy, Crashing, Crafty Christmas post?
I've talked about Darby's blog before...She's a gal I went to Auburn with and has a wonderful blog that I stalk often. Before Christmas she blogged about the Christmas labels she made using Microsoft Word. Ever since I worked at Invitation Station in high school, I've always loved anything personalized so I decided to try to make these labels. After making labels of my own, the crafty side of my brain took over and I decided to make my own stationery. What do you think?

The rest of these pictures are from a hike I took a while back with Sierra and my friend Nicole in Paris Mountain State Park! It was so great to get outside and enjoy the mountains! Sierra had a great time too! She swam for almost an hour straight when we stopped for lunch!

A Glimpse of Humanity

2009-01-21T13:18:00.003-05:00

Okay...I know that I haven't finished my 3 part Christmas post...and I was really on a roll at the beginning of January! I promise I'll get to it because I am proud of my crafty side that showed itself after Christmas this year! But I've been so affected by the events of the past week, that I wanted to go ahead and share what I've felt and then get on with finishing up with the Christmas festivities. I hope you don't mind. You might actually get the final Christmas post by Valentines Day!

Last Thursday, I was working out of the house and happened to turn on the TV to see what Oprah had to say. Instead of Oprah, Brian Williams was doing a special report. Apparently, there was a plane that had hit a flock of Canada geese in "perfect formation" according to Williams. Both engines were affected and the pilot had to do a "controlled crash" into the Hudson River. I was amazed and humbled by God's grace that all 155 passengers and crew made it out safely. I began to notice all the boats that surrounded the plane and figured that those were rescue personnel that reported to the plane when a 911 call was made by an eye witness. But then I found out, that the pilot had chosen this specific area of the Hudson to "land" because he knew that was where there was a lot of boat traffic. All of the boats surrounding the plane had already been in the water and came rushing to the scene to help.

Shortly into the broadcast, a passenger named Jeff phoned in to give his account of what was going on. He was quite emotional and excited but did a very good job of describing the sequence of events that took place after the plane hit the water. He described how the men on the plane started making sure that women and children were the first off the plane. I don't remember much else of what Jeff said because that comment just hit me. They made sure that women and children got off the plane first. This didn't make an impact on me because I'm a woman, but because of the humanity of it all. I remember watching the movie Titanic years ago...when the boat hit the iceberg and began to sink, the crew started taking women and children to the life boats first while the men stayed behind. It seemed like such an old-fashioned thing to do and so civilized and humane. I remember wondering back then how society today would handle such a tragedy. In the face of 911 and even Katrina (especially the aftermath) and now the Hudson River Plane Crash, it's refreshing to see that deep down inside, we all have a need to help out our fellow man, and that humanity and civility do show up from time to time.

Just as quickly as the news of the US Air flight came about, it was gone due to the impending inauguration to take place 5 days later. If you know me well, or at all, you know who I voted for in November. However, before I go on, I would like to say this...I support our current President and pray for him, his family and our country. With all the hype and drama that our country has been entrenched in for the past year surrounding the campaigns and the elections, I was curious to see how the inauguration would go. Would there be protests, demonstrations, bitter words exchanged between politicians, or awkward/tense moments between the outgoing and incoming first families? Would there be Bush bashing or rallies thrown to steal the attention away from who should really be in the spotlight that day?

As I settled into my couch on Tuesday to watch the inauguration of our 44th president, I was so proud to be an American. I watched the Obama's meet with the Bush's for coffee Tuesday morning and thought about despite the bitter words, the differing values and ideals, the hype, the drama...we are a civilized nation steeped in tradition. I thought about how the day of the Inauguration actually started with us, the American people, and the choice we made on November 7th. I thought about how lucky we are to be given a choice!

I watched Fmr President Bush and Laura Bush walk with the Obama's to the back of the Capitol building to board the helicopter waiting for them. As the Bush's entered the hanger at Andrews' AFB to have lunch with friends and dignitaries, I couldn't help but admire the dignity of our former President. He stood true to his convictions, whether we supported him or not.

And I have to say, while I would never vote for anyone based purely off the color of his skin, it is exciting to see that our country has elected a President of a different race. It's always exciting to see our country turn a new page of history. I do pray that President Obama has discernment and good judgement about the direction he will take our country and look with anticipation towards the days to come.

What a Crazy, Crashing, Crafty Christmas!!!

2009-01-03T17:12:00.011-05:00

PART TWO: WHAT A CRASHING GOOD TIME WE HAD!

Cheesy, I know...humor me a little...I just got back from about a 4 mile hike (I'll blog about that soon!) and I'm exhausted!

So, onto the rest of my Christmas festivities! After the Tacky Sweater Christmas Party, we all came home to continue another family tradition...watching Tommy Boy. Now, I realize most families are watching Miracle on 42nd Street or even The Christmas Story, but if you know my family well, you know we're not in the least bit normal...so we watch Tommy Boy. I think we get more enjoyment out of watching Blair and Colin imitate Chris Farley than Chris Farley himself.

"Brothers don't shake hands...brothers gotta hug!"

"I swear to the god of skinny little punks..."

By the time we finished watching the movie, it was pretty late so we decided to crash for the night. Christmas morning we all woke up and had a wonderful time opening presents, drinking coffee, eating cranberry bread and just hanging out as a family. The highlight for Sierra and Campbell (Colin's puppy) was the massive box of milk bones Mom and Dad got them.

Campbell and Sierra are very attentive when bones are involved.

Colin and Blair in their Panthers jerseys.

I wish I had more pictures of us opening presents Christmas day but they all ended up on my parents' camera. It'll pretty much take an act of God to get them onto my computer, but if it happens in the near future, I'll be sure to post them. :)

After the madness of the gift exchange subsided, it was time to get ready for dinner with our good family friends the Bayards (see Part One...Ruth and Amanda Bayard are part of the Mother Daughter crew) and the arrival of Aunt Pam and Uncle Gary along with Cousin Cassie! Dad ran out in hopes of finding an open grocery for one final ingredient as Pam, Gary and Cassie made their way to our house from the Charlotte airport. As they walked through the door, the phone rang...it was Dad...he had been rear-ended...CRASH!!! Everyone was okay...the girl who was driving the other car felt so bad...she had her little boy with her. Dad asked if they had been wearing their seat belts and she said that her son had told her to put hers on 10 minutes before the accident! God has really good timing!

This is Dad's car...unfortunately, I think the insurance company has totaled it. They only had 5 more months until it was paid off!

This was the car that rear-ended Dad...you can't tell, but the air bag deployed.

As we were all gathered around the cars and waiting for the Highway Patrol to write up the tickets, my Uncle Gary and I decided to check out the contents of Dad's trunk to make sure everything was okay. Gary checked out the golf clubs to make sure nothing was damaged...my main concern was the case of wine that we were supposed to have at Christmas dinner. Both the clubs and the wine were in tact...Whew!

With all of the excitement and activity, someone else crashed...

Campbell snuck her way onto Dad's chair while we were gone.

We ended the day with an incredible dinner with incredible family and friends. I am now remembering all of the pictures of the Bayards beautiful house and the table set for Christmas dinner and am determined to get those from my Mom to post soon!

Keep checking back for another post about how my crafty side showed itself after Christmas! Until then...cheers!

What a Crazy, Crashing, Crafty Christmas!!!

2009-01-02T11:59:00.007-05:00

Ok, so the crafts were a post Christmas activity as you'll see in a later post, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to alliterate! :) I'm going to try to blog about all of the Christmas festivities in 3 parts...

PART ONE: BRING ON THE CRAZINESS!

I planned on going down to Columbia on Tuesday the 23rd, but since I work for an awesome company that gives me 2 whole weeks off for Christmas and New Years, I really didn't have that much going on so I decided to pack up early and head home on Monday the 22nd. Mom and I went to see the movie Australia that night...I would suggest renting it and drinking a Red Bull before you watch it...it was good, but LONG!

The next day, Mom and I spent the day going to 3 different grocery stores to stock up for the next few days. Every Christmas Eve, we get together with good family friends for a Mother Daughter Luncheon. When I was little (4 or 5), Mom would have a Mother Daughter Christmas Tea Party. All of my friends would come with their Moms a few days before Christmas. I'm sure our mothers came with hopes of all of us girls dressed up with bows in our hair and our best Sunday dresses, sitting around being sweet little girls drinking tea and such...In reality, it was the mothers who were sitting around drinking tea and such while us girls were running around outside in our Sunday best riding the zip line in our back yard. There are 3 mothers and their daughters who came to every Mother Daughter Christmas Tea and who are dear friends so for the past few years, we've all gotten together for lunch on Christmas Eve. It's one of the things I look forward to the most every Christmas...so instead of running around and riding the zip line outside, we all sit around and exchange gifts...the tea has been substituted with Mimosas and the cakes and snacks we had have been traded in for a fantastic brunch. It's a joy every year to sit around the table and hear about what everyone has gotten into over the past year. We just celebrated the first wedding of the group in September and we're looking forward to our next wedding in April. The youngest daughter of the group has just completed her 1st semester at USC...I remember her mom coming to the Mother Daughter Tea years ago pregnant with her...she was born 2 days later on December 26th! And it's always fun to hear about the adventures of our New York City girlfriend who is working with The Electric Company...remember that show on PBS?? She works in production (I think)...and she's hilarious so we're constantly entertained. Here are some pictures...

Mom and Ruth (top left) got these hats for the mothers this year! Nora Floyd is to the left of Mom and Joy Snyder is in front of Ruth Bayard.

Mom getting a little crazy with her hat...she said that it made her dizzy the more she wore it!

The daughters from left to right: Me (the oldest of the crew), Caitlyn Floyd (the youngest), Amanda Bayard (New York gal), Gretchen Snyder (soon to be Gretchen Hope...in April), Megan Floyd Cauthen (the newlywed of the group)

On Christmas Eve, we've started a new tradition of going to a Tacky Sweater Party at the Outzs' house. Over the years, the party has turned into quite a competitive contest that Dad, Blair and Colin take quite seriously. Colin raided his girlfriend's mother's closet one year for all of her Christmas sweaters...needless to say, Colin won the grand prize that year. Dad, however, took the prize last year.

This was a picture from last year of Blair, Dad, Colin and Virginia (Colin's girlfriend). It's sad to say that Dad didn't stop with the sweater...after I took this picture, he went back upstairs to put on his red running shorts and red knee socks (don't ask me where he found those)...so, it shouldn't be all that surprising that he took home the prize (the chicken) last year!

This year, Dad had to give up his crown and pass the chicken over to another Tacky Sweater winner. Here are some pictures from this years Tacky Sweater Party...

Mom and Dad before leaving for the party
Dad and Colin
We all decided that Dad 'upped the ante' last year when he wore his running shorts...Needless to say, there was more skin this year than ever...Blair included!
Dad taking his final walk as King of the Tacky Sweaters!

That about sums up the crazy part of our holiday! Stay tuned to hear about the "Crashing" good time we had!

Pumpkin Pies with a Dash of Nostalgia

2008-11-26T12:17:00.003-05:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving and I've been given the responsibility of baking the pumpkin pies this year! Quite a big responsibility since it is my favorite Thanksgiving dessert! If the pumpkin pie isn't just right, Thanksgiving just isn't the same in my book. I've had the ingredients in my pantry for about a week now and have been looking forward to a day of baking for a while now. I woke up today with a list of things to do outside of the kitchen. Once I got home from errands I ran straight to the kitchen, turned the stove on so that the mulling spices I bought from William Sonoma last year would fill the house with a holiday smell, tuned the radio to one of the TWO stations in Greenville playing Christmas music and started baking! I've never made a pumpkin pie before so I just decided to use the recipe from the label of the canned pumpkin that I got. They look good...I hope they taste as good as they look!

What is it about smells that bring back memories? All day, I've gone through a wave of vivid memories of my mom in the kitchen at Thanksgiving time baking and cooking while dad is outside grilling the turkey. I stand in awe of how she was able to put so much on the table at once when it's taken me the better part of a day to bake just 2 pies!

I hope that wherever you are this Thanksgiving, you are with those you love and are thankful for the blessings that surround you. I am blessed to have the most incredible family and friends anyone could ask for. The longer I stay in this kitchen with the smells and tastes and sounds of the holidays surrounding me, I think of my family, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, brothers, mom and dad, friends and doggies and seriously can't think of anyone else who could be more blessed than me. I am grateful to have every single one of you in my life. Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome Movember!!!

2008-11-14T14:31:00.001-05:00

Say hello to my friend Clay! He just sent me this picture to update me on the status of his 'Mo'. You see, he is raising money for Prostate Cancer Research by growing a moustache during the month of November. I really think it's actually just an excuse to be able to go in to work everyday looking absolutely ridiculous but that didn't stop me from sending in my donation to help the cause! How could I not??? Look at him! If you care about Prostate Cancer Research or just want to see how much further this 'mo' will go, you can go to www.movember.com. Click on the US tab, then click on the 'Donate' tab at the top. You'll want to then click on 'Donate to an Individual' and type in Clay's registration code which is 1691111. Happy Friday!

Recipe for a Perfect Fall Weekend...

2008-11-09T21:18:00.003-05:00

1 family dinner in Columbia with good wine and even better lamb
3 of the cutest dogs you can find barking, wrestling and playing all night long
1 ticket to the USC v. Arkansas game on Saturday
a dash of 70 degree weather
1 Michael Phelps standing 50 feet away from me to drule over
1 USC win
1 Auburn win
1 night hanging out with new friends
1.5 hours spent at Mass
1 Body Pump class
1 Yoga class
30 minutes at the dog park
1 tall Pumpkin Spice Latte
1 batch of African Peanut soup
1 new episode of Desparate Housewives

And of course...no pictures! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as I did!

She's so Photogenic!!!

2008-10-23T22:30:00.002-04:00

A gal I know from Auburn and a fellow blogger hosted a contest for pet owners to submit their favorite pictures of their canines and other pets! I entered this picture of Sierra that I took when she was a puppy! She hasn't announced the winner yet, but I think my girl has a pretty good chance, don't you think? She compiled all the pictures she was sent into a slide show! If you need a good laugh and a warm heart, check out Erika's blog and look for Sierra! Erika is an incredible interior designer and her blog is one that I stalk often! Her twin sister, Darby, has a really cool blog as well! Check them out!

What an Awesome Opportunity!

2008-10-23T16:35:00.005-04:00

As I'm trying to seek the intentions God has for me in this life and not focus on the limitations, I'm trying to open my eyes to every opportunity sent my way. I feel certain that I have made good friends in Greenville so fast because I completely opened myself up to whoever God sent my way. When my cousin sent me on a happy hour without him to meet all of his friends just 2 weeks after moving here, I went not knowing who or what to expect. What a blessing it has been to have met so many fun people and been included in so many great events like a day on Lake Keowee, birthday parties, and Gamecock Football! Me and Meredith at the tailgate

No...this is not a new friend...this would be the locksmith that charged Matt $150 to unlock their car after they locked the keys in the car!

Mom and Dad were able to get me 45 yd line, 10th row seats to the game! So, no...I did not zoom in to take this picture! Best seats I've ever had for a football game!

Besides making good friends, I've been trying to find opportunities to fill my extra time. I have a lot of time on my hands 1.) because work is slow, and 2.) because I'm single and don't have a family to take care of. So because I'm not letting the nature of my job and a slow economy nor my marital status define who I am, my eyes are open to the intentions God has for me. I decided a while back to try to get involved with the Children's Hospital at Greenville Memorial. This was such a natural decision for me since I grew up watching my Mom give so much of her time to Children's Hospital at Richland Memorial in Columbia. Lucky for me, I have a pretty solid connection with the Children's Hospital here in Greenville.

I asked Bill Schmidt (who just so happens to be the Director of Children's Hospital), or Dr. Bill as I like to call him every now and then, whether there was any group I could be a part of that would allow me to meet other people and get involved with Children's Hospital. Being the eternal optimist that he is, Dr. Bill immediatly said, "Yep! I'm going to get you involved with the Development Council!" Within a few weeks, I had 2 emails in my inbox welcoming me to the Development Council and inviting me to a New Member Orientation. I had to sign a Commitment Form and started to read a description of the Council which mentioned that this was a 3 year commitment! Yikes! What had I gotten myself into?

So, today was the New Member Orientation. I tried to remember what Mom would wear to hospital board meetings back in the day, so I threw on my favorite wool tweed dress pants, some sassy heels that are impossible to walk in and a sweater. (I love dressing up in the fall!) I walked into the lobby of Greenville Memorial and felt like I was in Phipps down in Atlanta! There was a hustle and bustle about the place, very upbeat, piano playing in the lobby, food court straight ahead. Was I really in a hospital???

I turned the corner to go to Conference Room #5 and saw Linda Brees who Dr. Bill told to look out for me! She immediately threw her arm around me and welcomed me! They took my picture for the directory and then shuffled me into the Conference room where a bunch of men and women, dressed in business suits were sitting around a table eating lunch. I felt a bit of anxiety as I started to think of little ol' me...a former school teacher...not really fitting in with the 'suits'! But as soon as I sat down, everyone was so nice and we had a great lunch talking and getting to know each other.

Dr. Bill soon came into the room and sat down and ate lunch with us. Then the meeting started. As the various leaders of the group went around and spoke to all of us about the Development Council and its purpose, I began to realize that this was an incredible opportunity given to me! Suddenly, getting out and meeting people took second base to getting out and making a difference.

The Development Council does so much to support the children and staff at Children's Hospital! They plan events and fundraisers to raise money for the hospital...anything from the Radiothon that raised over $200,000 dollars this year to golf tournaments. They are committed to the education of children and parents about child safety to keep kids OUT of the hospital! There are so many other ways that the council gets involved with children and I'm so excited that I have been given a chance to work with them too!

The absolute best part of the meeting was at the end when Dr. Schmidt took us on a tour of the Children's Hospital. Besides my father, of course, I have always said that Dr. Bill is one of the most incredible men I know. To see the Children's Hospital that he runs and is so passionate about reaffirmed my respect for Bill and all that he has done to make this facility one of the best around. He took us through the NICU first which was absolutely heart breaking and incredible at the same time. To see babies in little beds, clinging to their lives...some of them only weighing in at a little over a pound! Each baby has a station with a monitor and rocking chair. Each station also has a dry erase board on the wall. One baby's older sibling wrote a note saying that he loved his little sister. Another baby had a note written on the board from one of his nurses saying, "Yeah! I weigh 3 pounds!"

Every child at Children's Hospital must go to school. Dr. Bill showed us the classroom they have set up. They bring in teachers who are hired by the school districts to work at the hospital and teach kids who are sick. So while kids are in the hospital, they are counted present at school and can return without missing much of anything!

Dr. Bill also showed us the 'Treatment Rooms' they have on the Children's Hospital floor. He told us that there is a strict policy that no treatment beyond a finger prick is ever done in a child's room. Any procedure that has to be done, the child is taken to another room, neutral ground, so that their rooms are a safe haven where they can relax. They also put kids to sleep for any painful procedure because they want the hospital experience to be as pain free as possible.

I could go on forever about everything else I saw today...but I won't! It was amazing! I almost felt like I was on an episode of Grey's Anatomy and I was one of the residents trying to keep up with Dr. Bailey because Dr. Bill walked so fast throughout the tour that he was literally about 15 feet in front all of us the whole time! Every time he started walking again, we were almost in a jog to keep up with him!

I can't wait for the next meeting which is November 5th! One day after Election Day! Oh boy! And with that in mind and Halloween approaching...I'll leave you with this cartoon to ponder! (I found it while blog stalking...yet again!)

Something to Think About...

2008-10-15T14:55:00.003-04:00

I've been reading "The Shack" by William Young lately. I'd recommend it to anyone who struggles with the question of why God lets bad things happen. There was a quote that I wrote down the other day after I read it that I keep thinking about:

"...humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I (God) have for them"

How often do we focus on the limitations of ourselves and others? I think of myself as a single girl in her 30's before I think of anything else. Not to say that being single is always a limitation but a lot of people view it that way. And those who view it as a limitation and are burdened because of it are missing what God has intended for them. I am not defined by my singleness but by who I am and who God wants me to be...a teacher, a daughter, a friend, a sister, etc.

How often does society define others by their limitations? Kids with disabilities are often defined by their disability rather than who they are. Emily once told me while we were at Auburn that we should always consider "the child before the disability." In other words, rather than saying "the down syndrome student" we should say "the student with down syndrome."

Even political candidates are defined by their limitations (i.e. McCain-old, Palin-inexperienced) when really we should define them by who they are and what they have to offer.

I've been thinking about this quote for the past few days and thought I'd share. I hope it sticks with you for a while as well!

I'm Still Sleepy!

2008-10-15T09:13:00.002-04:00

So, Sierra sleeps in my room (on the floor, not in my bed! I have a thing with dogs in bed...I can't stand the hair and Sierra is a bed hog). She used to sleep in her crate but that stopped around the time that she started waking up at 4:00 am and barking! The bark collar worked for a while but then I decided that she spent so much time in her crate during the day, it wasn't such a bad idea to let her sleep in my room. I started this down in Charleston and she did great. Her bed was on the floor about 2 feet away from mine and each night we would go to our respective beds and turn in for the night.

Lately, however, Sierra dog has been a bit restless. I've woken up for the past couple nights to her shaking her head (she has an ear infection which I think is why she's shaking) so of course, her collar makes noise. So, I've taken her collar off before she goes to bed. That seemed to work for a while. But last night, she came up with a new trick to wake me up.

About 3:30 am, I wake up to what sounded like my poor dog using every muscle in her body to hurl all over my carpet. I threw on the light, sprung out of bed and hurried her into the bathroom on the tile floor. Once in the bathroom, she stares up at me with a grin on her sweet face, as if to say, "Wanna play?" Oooooh! I was not happy! So now that my eyes are adjusted to the light and I feel as if I've run around the block a few times after the mad sprint to the bathroom to avoid massive damage to my carpet, I'm wide awake. And what does Sierra do once she realizes that it's not time to play? Well, she just goes back to her bed and falls asleep. Needless to say, the snooze button on my alarm was pushed a couple extra times this morning! Praise God for Office Days!

Weekends in Greenville

2008-10-13T11:10:00.007-04:00

I just thought I'd post some pictures of what's been going on in Greenville over the past couple weekends. My last post was about my girls weekend with Erin and Jenn. Here are a couple pictures. Don't you love how Erin and I are twins in the first picture and Jenn and I are dressed alike in the next? I'm a complete copy cat!

On the bridge in Falls Park

At SkyTop Apple Orchard

This past weekend, Mom and Dad came up to Greenville with the Bayards to stay with the Schmidts. On Saturday, we all went up to Table Rock to hike and have a picnic lunch. The hike brought back memories of when we came up to Greenville to visit Bill and Jean when I was younger and we all hiked Table Rock. I can remember sliding down one of the rocks into the water below. Table Rock is only about 45 minutes away from Greenville so I hope that I'll get up there again soon! I think Sierra was a mountain goat in her former life! She never stopped...my hands felt like they were rope burned from pulling back on the leash so much! She loved it.

I have to say though, one of the more memorable moments for me was what happened after we got back from the hike. While we were hiking, Ruth Bayard stayed behind because her foot was bothering her. So we planned to meet her at the trail head for lunch. After we ate lunch, Ruth walked up to the restroom before we got in the car to go back to Greenville. Mom, Jean, and I were talking around the table as Ruth walked up the hill. Mom was holding onto Sierra when all of a sudden Sierra starts barking in Ruth's direction. We all looked up at Ruth and it seemed like she was fine...so we just told Sierra to lock it up. Sierra kept at it though. A couple minutes later, after non stop barking, we realized that Ruth was still up at the top of the hill and hadn't made it to the restroom yet and she was limping. She started calling down to us so her husband John ran up the hill to her. Turns out that she had twisted her ankle and was really hurt. I'm not saying that my dog is a genius...but I am convinced that she has a 6th sense!

Sierra and Dexter

Okay...so I was going to post pictures that I took of Fall for Greenville, but since it just took me almost 30 minutes to post the last few, I think I'll take a break for today! Is anyone else having problems posting pictures to your blog? Everytime I try to post them, they go the the top of the post and then I have to drag them to the spot in the post where I want them to be. Lately, it's been next to impossible to drag them...they just don't move! What am I doing wrong? Should I post the pictures first and then type around? Help!

Girls Weekend!

2008-10-06T10:18:00.002-04:00

This weekend my friends Jenn and Erin came to visit me in Greenville! They both got here around lunch time on Saturday so we went straight downtown and grabbed a bite to eat at Paris Cafe on Main Street. Mom and I went there a couple weeks ago for lunch...it's a great spot to grab a good sandwich and salad and sit outside to enjoy the fresh air! I then took them up and down Main Street to look at all the cute shops. Jenn took advantage of a baby free weekend and started her Christmas shopping! On Sunday, we went with Angie and Tres and family to the SkyTop Apple Orchard in Flat Rock, NC! It was an adventure!

The more people I know who have children, the more in awe of parenthood I am! We drove up to Angie and Tres' house to see a Suburban and a Mini Van packed full of strollers, snacks, car seats, and oh...babies. They had friends in from Charlotte who had 2 kids so there was twice as much stuff to haul up to the mountains. The drive up to the orchard was absolutely gorgeous! The fall colors have started to appear so it is really cool driving into the mountains! I can't believe I'm this close to them! Once we got up to the orchard, we met Jason and Caryn and their new baby, Charley. Tres and friend, Chad, got a dozen apple donuts which were better than they should have been! Oh my gosh! They were like an apple version of a funnel cake you get at the fair...but better.

You should have seen the whole clan walking through the orchard. The kids were hysterical! One little girl, Peyton, kept picking the apples, biting into them and then throwing them down on the ground. I'm sure the people walking through after us must have seen a couple dozen apples with teeth marks in them on the ground and wondered what strange animal was lurking around the orchard biting into apples but not eating them. It was a great place for the kids to run around and it was fun for the adults too! I thought it was pretty cool being able to just pick an apple off the tree and eat it right there!

We then stopped off in Hendersonville to get lunch at a Mexican restaurant afterwards. You should of seen the poor girls face at the door when Jason told her that we had 15 people with us, "and 6 of them are kids!" They survived and the place is still standing so all in all, it was a great day.

When we got back, the girls left and I went straight to my room to read the last 9 pages of The Other Boleyn Girl, which I've been reading for the past 6 weeks almost and could not put down! This was the longest book I've ever read--I LOVE to read but am a slow reader so this was a pretty big deal for me! I couldn't wait to rent the movie so I went straight to Blockbuster. I sat down with a glass of wine and the homemade applesauce I made with the apples I picked (I know...doesn't sound like a very appetizing combination, but I was full from the Mexican food). From the first 5 minutes of the movie, I was disappointed! They changed the whole thing!!! I hate when Hollywood does that! I get so wrapped up in the book and involved with the characters and the story line! I actually get sad when I finish a book! So I get really excited when to watch the movie because I feel like it's a way for the story to keep going. It just wasn't the same.

It was a great weekend overall...and of course, I forgot my camera everywhere we went! Hopefully Erin will send me the 2 pictures she had room for on her camera that we took at the orchard on Sunday and I'll post those soon!

A Few Things that Scream FALL

2008-09-28T18:30:00.008-04:00

I've always been a lover of season change! I love the days when you can first notice a change! The first truly warm day when you know that beach season has begun. Or the first cool day when a hoodie would be a good idea to wear in the morning. On those days, you can almost smell the change in the air.

So since I haven't really experienced a true fall in a few years (don't get many of those at the beach...humidity sticks around until Thanksgiving...I swear!) I'm really enjoying the fall in Greenville. I'm posting some pictures I've taken over the past couple weeks as I've celebrated Fall making its appearance!

College Football Season
Auburn vs. LSU Tailgate Warrrrrrrrrrr Eagle! Hey!
September 20, 2008

Banana Nut Muffins
by Krusteaz
I tried to find the Pumpkin mix but had to settle for Banana Nut. I'd recommend this mix though! They were really good!
(Jennie--if you're reading this, the answer is yes...I was blog stalking and found the idea for the mix and the picture from Darby's blog. I can't help myself sometimes!)

Pumpkin Spice Latte
from Starbucks
I discovered this latte last year and it's the perfect blend of coffee and fall flavor. It's pretty sweet so I can't handle much more than a tall.

Apple Juice and Fall Apples
I love Simply Orange juice and thought I'd try the apple version today when I was at the grocery! It's awesome! It's the dark kind of apple juice that reminds me of apple cider. Any time I see apple juice or apples, I think about the mountains when the leaves change and the apples are ready to be picked! You'd think I grew up on an apple farm. Truth is...I've never even been to an apple orchard but I remember when my parents would go to the mountains in North Carolina and bring back a ton of apples and make homemade applesauce.

Red Wine
I think the best time to drink red wine is when it's cool outside...and you have a nice grilled steak to go with it! The best part of this picture is the fact that I had to pour myself another glass of wine. Oh well!

Hope you are enjoying the Fall weather too!

I'm the Worst Blogger EVER!!!

2008-09-25T19:59:00.010-04:00

Wow! I just took a look at the date of my last post and it's been exactly a month since I wrote anything...which is sad because so much has happened!

So when I wrote the last post, I was only 29. Just a little girl in my twenties, didn't know much...but now, I'm a wise, accomplished, independent 30 year old!!! This is where I spent the morning of my 30th Birthday!

If you're saying to yourself right now, "That doesn't look like a very fun place to start off your 30th Birthday," you would be right! This is the Charleston County Courthouse. Two days before I moved to Greenville I was pulled over for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign in my neighborhood. Who knew that the word STOP on the big red signs actually mean stop??

So my first birthday present was from Judge 'What's His Name'...a $130 fine reduced from a $232 ticket! Wahoo! Happy Birthday Me!

I worked for the next two days in Charleston and then retreated to the beach where my family very mysteriously told me to be on the weekend of my birthday! So once my parents and brothers made it to the beach, they gave me a beautiful pair of earrings and told me that they were throwing me a surprise party the next night! Well...I guess they didn't get the memo that a surprise party was supposed to be a surprise BUT it was great because I was able to call everyone they weren't able to get in touch with which wasn't very many people at all! I was so overwhelmed by how much effort they had put into getting in touch with everyone! My cousin Bill and his wife Monica were even in town! It was perfect! I told Mom that the only thing that would make it better was if my Auburn friends could have made it up for the weekend. That would have been a lot of travel though and I was so excited to see all of my Charleston friends the next night, I just put the possibility of my Auburn friends joining us out of my mind.

After a great dinner on the porch and a few glasses of wine, it was late (about midnight) and we were sitting on the rocking chairs on the porch. Dad got a mysterious phone call and decided to take it out in the back yard? All of a sudden, I look up and two of my best friends from Auburn, David and Paige and their 11 month old baby, Sara Beth, my Goddaughter are standing there! I couldn't believe it! I stared at them for a couple minutes and then just started crying! There is nothing more I would have wanted to ring in my 30th year than to have my family and best friends together at the beach for a weekend! Awesome!

Sara Beth learned how to "surf!"

David and Sara B

SB loved the sand!

Sara Beth in her party dress!

It turned into a Hat Party!

Colin, Mike Quinto (family friend) and Bill Lovelace

Monica Lovelace, Colin and Bill

Cousin Bill and me

Blair being, well...Blair

Sierra's Life Saving Abilities!

2008-08-25T11:21:00.004-04:00

So, we all know that my dog is brilliant...but did you know that she could save your life if you were drowning? I think I might start calling her Lassie! This weekend new friends, Matt and Meredith Dowless, invited me and Sierra out on their boat on Lake Keowee. I didn't quite know how Sierra was going to do on a boat but figured it was worth a shot. I knew she wouldn't try to jump out of the boat or anything because that would require being more than 10 inches away from me so I was pretty sure we could at least keep her safe while moving...I just didn't know how the boat would fare after having a 70 lb. ball of fun running around it all day long! She adjusted pretty well to being on water rather than land and eventually as Matt put it, "Got her sea legs!" Matt took us to a really nice cove where we hung out most of the day. Everyone jumped in...well, we had to push Sierra in. Once she was in the water, she was a little nervous at first because I don't really think she knew what was going on. She's used to jumping in after a stick or a ball, not being pushed off a boat. So, she kept swimming from the shore to me and back. All of a sudden, she swims straight to me and grabs the life jacket I'm floating on with her teeth. I thought she was trying to play with it because it looked like on of her toys so I told her 'no' so that she wouldn't eat the life jacket. Then (and this is where she shows off how brilliant she is) she grabs on to the strap of the life jacket and begins pulling me to the shore! She literally swam with all of her might and dragged me all the way to land! And all I could do was let her drag me because I was laughing so hard! Everytime I swam back out to the middle of the cove, she came after me and dragged me back! So we all took turns having 'shore duty' which consisted of throwing the stick or a ball for Sierra. Look at the picture below of the 3 girls floating in the water...there's a tiny speck in the background way behind us...that's Sierra swimming to catch the ball that one of the guys threw! Needless to say, she was exhausted last night! I don't know why some of these pictures are so small. If I can figure out how to make them bigger, I'll try to post them again! Sorry!

What Could Be Better...

2008-08-23T12:38:00.003-04:00

...than spending a night with Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan in Greece? That was my Friday night! I went to see Mamma Mia and thoroughly enjoyed myself! There's nothing like sitting in a cool dark theater, having popcorn and a diet coke for dinner, and totally immersing yourself in a great movie! I sang along to every song! It was great! If you haven't seen the movie yet, especially if you've seen the play but even if you haven't, I suggest that you check your local listings as soon as possible and treat yourself!! It was great!

I Have Blog Envy

2008-08-20T11:30:00.003-04:00

In my down time, when I'm not obsessing over Michael Phelps, I've discovered a new obsession...other people's blogs! I read them every chance I get! It's crazy! Mostly, I stick to people I know personally (try not to be too nosy) but sometimes friends will turn me on to someone else's blog that is interesting and it becomes part of my daily rountine of blog stalking! I discovered some really cool blogs out there and also have noticed that some people have really cool custom backgrounds! How did they do it? Where did they get all the cool graphics? How did I end up with the lame template that comes with Blogger.com? Is there anybody out there who can tell me how to come out of my lameness and enter to world of cool blog custom backgrounds?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

2008-08-19T14:47:00.006-04:00

This post is dedicated to my wonderful mother who turns...well, another year older, we'll say...today! And in honor of her birthday, I thought I'd follow in the footsteps of David Letterman and do my own Top 10.

Top 10 Reasons Why My Mom is Cool

1.) She's hilarious...if you need proof, look at the picture above.

2.) Every one of my friends says so. (Seriously, ask them.)

3.) She never takes herself too seriously.

4.) She has great taste in clothes. (And gets me great deals from Worth!)

5.) She's a great cook!

6.) She loves books and never tired of trying to pass the same interest on to us kids. We eventually caught on.

7.) She was an awesome teacher which I know is why I was determined to go into education.

8.) She has a HUGE heart as evidenced by every waking minute she ever had free was dedicated either to her kids or volunteer work.

9.) She's an incredible listener. (She doesn't even screen my calls!)

10.) She loves my dad.

Ok, so I have a dilemma. When I left my house in the hands of Danielle and Shelby, I also left them responsible for my lawn. I have been responsible for lawn maintainance in previous places I've rented so I knew this was reasonable and the girls were on board. I even gave them the name of the guys I've used for the past year who have done an excellent job of turning my weeds into actual grass! Well, Danielle called me last week to tell me that they weren't able to get in touch with my guys and asked one of Shelby's friends to mow the lawn. Danielle was concerned because 1.) he overcharged them big time, and 2.) he didn't do all that good of a job. When I talked to Shelby, she couldn't tell me what more he had done besides just mowing the lawn. I explained to both girls that it was important that whoever did the lawn mowed, edged, and weeded or else I was concerned the weeds would come back. Coincidentally, my yard guy called me the same day Danielle did and I realized he had a different number than the one I had given the girls earlier so it was an honest mix up. I told both Danielle and Shelby that since these guys have been working on my yard for the past year, and I know they do a good job, I would prefer that they continue to work on the yard. My dilemma is this...I'm starting to feel bad that I am having them pay $35 every 2 weeks for lawn guys that I requested.

What do y'all think? I seriously want to know other opinions! Leave a comment! Should I pay for the lawn care myself if I'm going to be picky about who they use? If the guy that overcharged them had done a good job, I would have been okay with letting him do the lawn but I got nervous because it didn't sound like he had done a very good job!

8 For 8!!!

2008-08-17T11:16:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm a little tired this morning thanks to Michael Phelps! I thought he was supposed to swim at 10:15 p.m. last night but no...he had to wait until 10:55 p.m. I tell you what...my Olympic viewing schedule has really taken a toll on me! :) By the time I stayed up for the medal ceremony and interviews, it was after midnight! It was worth it though. What an amazing relay! Oh, and did anyone hear Bob Costas point out that the number 8 is considered lucky in China? This would be the reason why the Olympics started on 8-08-08. Isn't it incredible then, that Phelps broke the record to win 8 gold medals???

I went to Mass this morning at St. Mary's downtown and really enjoyed it. They have a young adults group that looks pretty active that I think would be a good way to meet more people in Greenville. I also noticed that the high school youth group is taking a retreat to Camp Kahdalea next weekend! I was a JC in 1995 and a counselor in 2000 at Camp Kahdalea. Paige and David went to Camp Kahdalea/Chosatonga as well. I actually met Paige for the first time when I was 15 at camp!

I also wanted to share with anyone/everyone who checks this blog from time to time the e-card that Blair sent me the other day. Before I go on, click here to view it. It took me a couple times of listening to it to understand what the guy(?) was saying but evidently my family is cooking something up in Charleston for my 30th birthday this month. No doubt that some of you reading this right now are laughing because YOU are in on the plan and I have NO IDEA!! As always...I'm clueless! So we'll see...and if any of you want to help a sister out and fill me in on the plan...you know how to reach me! :) The suspense is killing me!

I'm a bit obsessed...

2008-08-16T20:49:00.004-04:00

...with Michael Phelps! Actually, with the entire 2008 Beijing Olympics! When I look back on my first 2 weeks in Greenville, it will be hard to forget these games and the countless hours I've spent watching all the amazing athletes compete. If you've missed any of the first week of these games, you've really missed out! The swimming has been the best by far in my opinion. Does Michael Phelps not absolutely leave you in awe? There are times when I've questioned whether he's human! Last night, when Phelps swam the 100M Butterfly, you would have thought it was the opening game of college football...there were so many people crowded around the TV in the bar cheering him on! Will he beat Spitz's record tonight? We'll see @ 10:15 pm! Swim Michael Swim!

Sierra's New Hangout

2008-08-16T16:23:00.006-04:00

The past couple weeks, I have been trying to get to know Greenville as much as I can. Last week, I spent a lot of time at the house unpacking. Work is pretty slow right now which is good but I was starting to have a bit of cabin fever. Sierra had been so good at not tearing up her new home or terrorizing the new neighbors. But about the middle of last week, she gave me this look that said, "Ok Mom...you've uprooted me from the only home I've ever known and made me pace the same 4 rooms for the past week...take me somewhere! I'm bored!" So I decided to try to find the dog park that I've heard about in Cleveland Park downtown. I was able to find the entrance to the park so I turned in and figured there would be signs pointing to the dog park...much to Sierra's dismay, there were no signs. So we drove around for a little while...saw plenty of playgrounds and picnic areas, but no doggies. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I see a lady walking a dog. Then I see a couple more people walking dogs. I knew we were getting close. I swear that Sierra is psychic because before the dog park was even in sight, she sprang up in the back seat and starts wailing and crying and jumping around she's so excited. And then we found it! The dog park! I could barely contain Sierra as I parked the car. People must have thought that this was the first time I've ever let the dog outside anywhere! She was that excited! Try picturing me leashing a 70 pound ball of energy flailing around in my back seat and then "walking" her to the gate. She nearly jerked my arm out socket! Watching Sierra enter a dog park is one of my favorite things to watch because she takes all of the energy that she's saved up (hard to believe that she's ever saved any) and just lets it all go as she runs from one group of dogs to the next, rolling around, sniffing butts, jumping, fetching, saying hello to people, whatever. It's hysterical! There was a 5 month old male doberman pinscher that took a liking to Sierra. Needless to say, he would not leave her alone and kept trying to "dominate" her much to his owner's embarressment. This happens all the time...every time I took her to the dog park in Charleston, all the male dogs would follow her around and try to hump her. She never fought back, never snapped at them...little hussy. Well, I discovered the other day at the dog park that I'm not the only one who has been affected by the move to Greenville. Lil' Miss Sierra has decided it's time to start standing up to those mean ol' boy dogs who try to have their way with her. Every time he tried to hump her, she would bark and snap at him and then run away. I was proud of my girl! :)

The dog park itself is really big and has swings for people to sit on. It's entirely covered in mulch which is really nice.

"I've had enough...can we go home?" Sierra says as she hides under the swing!

This statue is outside the dog park. It's called 'High Four!' Get it?

Sierra was not being cooperative during picture time. I tried to get her to sit down by the statue but this is all I could get. She was exhausted!!!

I've also taken advantage of Paris Mountain State Park. I had heard that there were lakes there where Sierra could swim. So, last Friday, I packed a lunch and my book and a ball for Sierra and headed out on just a 15 minute drive to the park. It was a really pretty day and I found a nice shaded area where I sat and ate and threw the ball for Sierra. She found the lake on her own so she got to swim. It was so nice to still be able to find a place outside where I could relax, read and play with my dog, even if it wasn't the beach!

Later on that day, I had planned on meeting Tres (cousin) for happy hour to meet some of his work friends who were around my age. He thought they'd be a good group for me to meet because they were outgoing and very friendly. Turns out the Tres had a makeup tee ball game (he is the daddy of 3 after all) that night but said his friends had invited me along despite his absence. I thought, "What else am I going to do on a Friday night besides watch the Opening Ceremonies by myself?" So, I got ready and went to On the Border to meet Tres' friends and discovered he was right...they were very outgoing and very friendly. One girl, Meredith, even invited me to dinner with her husband and other friends after happy hour. It was great meeting new people and seeing new places downtown. I even got them excited about the Olympics. Meredith's husband Matt told me that he didn't get into the Olympics but I talked it up so much that by the time we made it to a bar after dinner, all the guys were glued to the TV watching the Opening Ceremonies as if it were opening game of college football!

Last night, I met Meredith and Matt along with Jason and Caryn for dinner again at another restaurant downtown, Pomegranate. It was so good!

Next weekend, Meredith and Matt have invited me and Sierra (oh boy!) on their boat out on Lake Keowee! I'm very excited!!!

This might be the longest post ever...

2008-08-05T18:18:00.009-04:00

...but that's what I get for procrastinating so long, right? Gosh...I can't believe I haven't blogged at all about the move. So much has happened in the past couple weeks and I've just had enough energy to sit and take it all in. So, it might take me a couple days to complete, but this post will hopefully catch everyone up with what's happened over the past couple weeks.

First off, when I told my friend Amy that I was moving to Greenville, she graciously invited me to have dinner at Cassique which is the part of the Kiawah Island Club where I worked on Saturday nights for a few years. For those of you who don't know about the Club, it is a members only, very exclusive, very expensive golf club on Kiawah Island. I loved every Saturday night I spent at the club and sometimes felt guilty for getting paid to hang out with friends! Cassique serves some of the best food I have ever had in my life...and that's truly no exaggeration! So as a thank you for all of their support over the years, I invited the two people who have influenced my taste buds and raised me to appreciate only the best...Mom and Dad! The meal was phenomenal and it was great being wined and dined by such a great group of friends!

Everything is served "family style" so we ordered as a table and passed around the food to share! This is my plate...we had hanger steak, halibut, sea beans (cross between a green bean and asparagus) corn, and pureed potatoes!

Cheers!

I was so focused on hiring movers, packing and making other arrangements, that I really hadn't thought much about the fact that I was running out of time with my friends! I guess because Greenville is so close to Charleston and I knew I'd be coming back down to Charleston a lot, I hadn't really come to the realization that I wasn't going to get to see them as often as normal. So it was really awesome when my good friend Clay offered to have a "Going Away Pot Luck Dinner" for me. I was actually very flattered that so many people showed up. It's hard to believe that all of the people in the following pictures are "new" friends. I've only known them for a couple years! But they are some of the best people I know.

This is Nick and Kelly getting ready to cut into the ice cream cake that I made!

And here is the ice cream cake! One of the easiest things I know how to make-ice cream sandwiches, whipped cream and snickers! Yum!Me and Nick

Look at all those cute girls! Betsay, Margaret Ann, Christine, Kelly and me

Me, Shawn Ray, Kelly and Clay

John and me

This picture is evidence that as the night went on and the food ran out, the drinks definitely did not! Not a bad picture of Micah, but what am I doing? Look at my neck!?!

The next day my friend (and boss) Emily came over to help me pack my kitchen! It really wasn't until I unpacked in Greenville that I realized how much she had done! We were able to pack up my kitchen and most of the living room by 2:00 that afternoon! Later on that night, Saylor, a coworker, and her husband Chris had an awesome Going Away Party for me at their house in Mt. Pleasant! It was wonderful to get together with my new work family! Nathan, who is a Clemson grad, gave me a Clemson baseball hat so I'd fit in up in "God's Country!" Saylor and Chris fixed a spread and we all enjoyed hanging out on their patio with their new patio furniture! I wish I had pictures but I forgot to bring my camera that night!

So a few days later was moving day! Mom came down on Wednesday night and the movers showed up the next morning around 9!Mom and I kept laughing at how big the truck was for just one person's stuff but the move went really smoothly! The movers quickly loaded up all the boxes first. I had spent the entire week packing boxes and moving them to the garage so all that was left in the house was my furniture, Sierra and myself! All in all, after 2 1/2 hours the truck was 1/2 full and we waved goodbye to all my worldly possessions! Mom and I spent the next couple hours scrubbing down the house. I was really proud of how clean we left it. As we drove away from Charleston to drop Sierra off in Columbia for the week and then on to Greenville, I have to say, I was still really excited about where I was headed.

Mom and I spent the next 2 nights with good family friends Bill and Jean Schmidt. The next morning we met the movers at my new house and pretty much told them where everything went. I am very grateful that my company, TE21, was so gracious in giving me a moving allowance. It was really nice to have big strong men moving boxes and furniture. Mom and I got so much done on Friday!

I didn't actually get to sleep in my own bed until the following Monday night because Mom and I headed off to Raleigh the day after I moved to Greenville for my cousin, Jim Lovelace's, wedding. It was great hanging out with the family and meeting our new cousin, Jacob. He's 9 months old and about the cutest little boy I've seen! Again...forgot my camera...no pictures...sorry!

And now I'm in Greenville full time! I'm loving it so far! I spent the first few days unpacking but have made it a point to get out and about each day...even if it is to just get a new driver's license! Greenville seems really easy to get around which is a blessing when I think back to my first week in Charleston when I spent an HOUR driving around the same 2 or 3 blocks trying to find the bridge to take me home! I was going to post some pictures of the house, my room, bathroom, etc. but all of a sudden got paranoid about putting too much personal info out for the world to see (thanks Mike)! Oh well...that just means you'll have to come and visit!

I had the perfect title for this post...

2008-07-31T16:04:00.002-04:00

...but I forgot what it was! Oh well! I need to get one of those digital voice recorders to keep in my car because I always come up with great ideas on the road but by the time I get back home, I've lost them!

Just wanted to let all of you know that I'm now living in Greenville! I realized a few days ago that it's been quite a while since my last post so I thought I'd fill you in! Days have been a bit hazy since moving day! I'll post pictures soon! Speaking of pictures...that's pretty much the last thing I have to do before I really settled...hang pictures. I hate that part! I know this is short but I'll blog more later...promise! Because I know you are all on pins and needles waiting to here what Shropshire is up to now! Ha! Check back for a post about my last week in Charleston!

I should be packing...

2008-07-17T10:06:00.005-04:00

...but instead I'm posting more pictures on my blog! Lucky you! :)

I just thought I'd post a few pictures from my AWESOME trip up to DC for the 4th of July! You can argue with me if you want, but you definitely won't win...Washington DC is the absolute best place to spend the 4th of July. Even if Dave Matthews is playing at the Joe in Charleston on the most gorgeous day ever! We had a great time with cousins and aunts and uncles, Abe Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, George W., Jerry Lee Lewis, Taylor Hicks and more!

It's taken about 2 days to complete this post and seeing as how it's not all that long, hopefully that will show you how crazy my life is right now. I just finished tallying up all my junk that didn't sell from the garage sale last Saturday so the Kidney Foundation can come and pick it up tomorrow. My good friend Staci, who is moving to Baltimore with her husband, and her sister Shelby, a new friend, shared the garage sale with me and also helped me tally my stuff! They will also be at my house tomorrow to meet the Kidney Foundation because I'll be at an all day meeting in Charlotte. Ahhh!

So maybe the next time I post, I'll be in Greenville! Who knows?

253 Ingleside Way

2008-07-08T21:08:00.003-04:00

Yes...I have an address! I haven't posted in a while because things have been so busy. About 2 or 3 days after my last post I got an email from a cousin of my friends Elizabeth and Matt Maleski. Beth had sent me her cousins email because she lived in Greenville. So I emailed Kristen and asked her for advice on where to look for nice rental places in the area. She emailed me back and let me know that she had just bought a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse and was closing on July 15th and wanted to rent her 2nd bedroom. It was such an answer to prayer! Kristens new townhouse is beautiful! It's in a gated community in an area of Greenville that I think (I'm hoping) is very similar to where I live in Charleston. It seems very convenient to everything! There's plenty of green space for Sierra to run around and the pool is literally in our backyard! There are so many things that are fitting together so nicely, I can't even believe it. It really humbles me.

The answer to the question, "When are you moving?" has up until now been, "Well...I'm moving out on August 1." I knew when I was moving out of my house, but had no idea when I was moving in to anything because I really had no idea where I was moving. My search for a house/townhouse/condo/apartment/shack in the woods...wherever...was interesting if not comical. I wish I had pictures of all the places I looked at where the owners gloated over beautiful "hardwood" floors, beautiful paint colors, beautiful neighborhood, beautiful yard, beautiful appliances, beautiful everything. And all I saw was mediocre, at best. The very last place I saw 2 weekends ago was the best though. When I walked into one of the bedrooms and saw a Krispy Kreme box with a handsaw on top sitting on the bedside table...I lost it. I was beside myself with laughter....just couldn't hold it in. So, anyways...I'm very excited to know where I'm moving to and am currently starting to get estimates from movers and cleaning out all the junk that I've collected since August '05! I'm having a garage sale this Saturday! I'm trying to work my moving date around my cousin, Jim's wedding on July 28th. I'll either move a couple days before Jim ties the knot, or a couple days after.

I am planning on posting about my 4th of July trip to DC soon! But I just wanted everyone to know the update on my move! Before I know it, I'll be in Greenville!

God Will Provide

2008-06-25T21:58:00.006-04:00

So after Danielle and Shelby signed the lease last week to move into my house on August 1st, I realized that I needed to start looking seriously at places to live in Greenville. Since I put an ad for my house on Craigslist, I of course started looking there myself for places to live. I found a TON of listings! Friends and my cousins had told me certain areas to look in and some to steer away from. So I was pleased to find several listings that boasted of hardwood floors, maple cabinets, close proximity to downtown, etc. Well, let me just tell you in case I'm not the last to realize that you can make anything look good on the internet! The first place I looked was a townhouse in Taylors with mauve carpet and 3 TINY bedrooms. The next place was even worse. This was the house that the owner bragged about hardwood floors, maple cabinets, 2 minutes from downtown. First of all, it was off of a dirt/gravel road. The first thing I saw when I walked in was cracked...actually, crumbling tile floor in the kitchen around the door and the fridge...which, oh by the way, didn't come with the house! I don't know who expects for renters to bring their own fridge. Oh, but the best part was the window A/C unit! That's right! No central air...just a window unit...in SOUTH CAROLINA! Needless to say, I left there hoping never to return.

I was realistic at the onset though. I knew that I was going to have to see a few dumps before I found my palace and I kept reminding myself of that as the day went on. I decided to head on to Tres and Angie's (cousins) house where I was staying for the night. They have been so gracious in letting me stay often and talking to friends of theirs about places they might know of for rent. Tres pulled up the classifieds from the Greenville News and was able to show me on a map where to look and where not to look which was very helpful. We then headed downtown with the kiddos (Jaxson and Maddie--their two CUTE, CUTE, CUTE little ones) for an awesome dinner. After dinner Tres drove all around downtown to look for "For Rent" signs. Angie copied down the numbers and addresses while Tres and I looked. I felt a glimmer of hope that I might find "the place" the next day.

After two rather unimpressive (and far from downtown, I might add) townhomes, I ended up at an English cottage in the heart of the very covetted Augusta Road area of Greenville. Here it is...isn't it cute?

The couple that owned it were so nice. They came straight from church to show me the house. Two bedrooms, renovated kitchen, beautiful hardwood floors, 2 small rooms and a cute bathroom. There was a huge backyard...a plus for Sierra, not so much for me (I have not inherited Mom's green thumb as of yet) and a big deck along with a basement big enough to store all the furniture I probably wouldn't be able to fit in the small rooms. Needless to say, I fell in love with it and thought I had found my palace!

The catch was that it was a little out of my price range. I even talked the couple down $75 a month! But I was still excited and started thinking about ways that I could cut back and save money to be able to afford the rent. I called Mom and Dad and they were excited for me. But as I drove out of Greenville towards Columbia, reality set in. I started adding up all of my expenses and realized that this cute little house in a perfect part of town was just a bit too much for my budget to support. I walked into Mom and Dad's house and Dad asked me what I had decided and I told him I didn't think I'd be able to do it. And then I really got upset (yes, the waterworks were in full effect) when I realized that come August 1, I didn't have MY house anymore...the house that I love! Two other girls were going to be moving in making it their own for the time being and that really made me sad and made me question my decision to move. This decision that I had been so sure of months ago. This decision that after a lot of prayer I truely felt God had put me at peace with all of a sudden didn't seem so peaceful anymore.

Mom and Dad reassured me and offered their support and wisdom as they always do and I was on my way back to Charleston. On my way home I was pretty frustrated and very anxious. I've been reading a great book lately by Joanna Weaver called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." I highly recommend it to all you busy girls out there! It's great! Anyways...one of the chapters is about worry vs. concern. She talks about how we shouldn't worry about anything because the Lord isn't going to give us anything we can't handle. There's a 12 week Bible study that goes along with the book so I've been keeping a journal while I've been reading the book. Below is one of the themes I pulled from this particular chapter and had to write in my journal. It's become one of the mottos that I live by (along with "You can do anything for a year," and "You only live once").

I kept trying to remind myself of this but still felt a bit disheartened. But then a bus pulled in front of me. That's right, a bus. As I looked at the bus, I read the message on the back of the bus.

Now, I'm not usually one of these people that reads into every little sign that I see, but this was too much of a coincidence. I think sometimes God has to yell things to me rather than speak them because I don't pick up on his message very often! :) And after I saw the bus, I knew that I needed to sit back and relax. I won't be homeless. I will find a place to live. I just need to let go of the reigns a bit and see where I end up! Pray for me though! I'll still need it!

I'm heading back up to Greenville this past weekend to check out a few other possibilities! I'll keep you all posted! Thanks for checking in! Stop by again!

God Bless Craigslist!

2008-06-19T18:35:00.002-04:00

WooHoo! I found some renters!!! Now I'm really 'on the move!' I had soooo many people answer the ad I put on Craigslist a couple weeks ago! The first group of girls I showed the house to were pretty young (a year or two out of college) but very sweet. They really liked the house and wanted their 3rd roommate to come by for a look. When I talked to their landlord, she gave them a good recommendation but then threw in the hook...they weren't very good housekeepers...messy, she said. But I thought to myself, as a 22-23 year old girl, I wasn't the cleanest tenant either. So I gave them the benefit of the doubt. And then I got a call from another girl who answered the ad the same day. I showed the house to this prospect the day before the other girls 3rd roommate was to come for a look. When I opened the door, there stood this really cute, very put together girl and her boyfriend. They both walked through the house and we talked for a long time about rental properties (her boyfriend, who is a Merchant Marine, used to work for a property management company), the house, the neighborhood, our dogs, etc. I just had this really good feeling about her. Danielle called her roommate, Shelby, and told her about the house over the phone and they decided they wanted to sign the lease. So the hard part was calling the first group of girls and telling them that the lease had already been signed but the easy part was entrusting Danielle and Shelby with my house that I love so much! I've been reading a lot about concern vs. worry and how we should worry about nothing! So I just handed it over to God and told Him to deal with it! And He provided, as always! So goodbye 370 Culver (for the time being) and hello G-Vegas! Yippee!!!

Math Girls Weekend '08

2008-06-13T18:22:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was the 8th Annual Math Girls Weekend in Atlanta, Ga. Jennie Ray, Katherine Hart, Christen Coleman and I all went to Auburn together and majored in Math Education. I remember when I got to know Jennie my freshman year at Auburn. We were at the library completing study hours for Chi O. Jennie was studying her Calculus book and I asked her what she was majoring in. When she said Math Ed., I told her that was what I wanted to do as well (I was undeclared until Spring quarter). I remember that she got excited and said, "Oh! You should!" In fact, I think that's what helped me make my decision to go ahead and declare a major. (And you thought it was my passion to influence young minds. Ha!)

So when I took my first methods class in good ol' Haley Center, which would be my home away from dorm for the next 3 years, I met Katherine and Christen as well and the Math Girls group was formed. Being the math nerds that we were, we were also in the same math classes all through college together. We would study long hours for math exams, ed psych tests, etc. and soon realized our common love for the Dr. Pepper that we would all bring to cram sessions to stay awake...most of which were led by Katherine because she was the true math genius of the group. Our study sessions eventually turned into occasional game nights, bible studies and just good girl time. So when it came time to graduate, we were definitely NOT ready to leave all the fun behind. Since I was moving to Charleston, Jennie to Charlotte with her hubbie, and Katherine and Christen to Alabama, Atlanta seemed to be the most central place to meet. And what else can 4 girls do in HOT-Lanta but shop, shop, shop! And so the tradition began. Now after 3 masters degrees, 2 marriages, 4 (soon to be 5) babies, several moves, job changes (in and out of education), we just celebrated our 8th Math Girls Weekend. We had so much fun! Look at all of those clothes!

I don't know whether it's our math minds or whether we've just been doing it for so long, but our weekend plans always follow the same routine...they never change! On Friday we all arrive at the hotel (which Katherine always finds for us) and talk, talk, talk. I'm usually the last to arrive because I have the longest drive (not for long!). We then head to California Pizza Kitchen and Jennie normally drives (when shes not 8 months pregnant like she was this year) because she is a human GPS! Then it's off to a movie...if we're lucky, a chick flick. Back at the hotel, we drink Dr. Pepper that Katherine brings, eat something yummy that either Katherine or Jennie bring (being the mommies of the group) and catch up on our entertainment news through the quality literature we all bring like People, US Weekly, InStyle, etc. Saturday morning we wake up, get showered and dressed and hit the mall. Over the years we've decided that Perimeter Mall is our favorite so we spend all day there shopping. We all have specific places we have to go...my request is always Anthropologie. When we leave the mall, our arms heavy and our wallets light, we pile our bags in the car and usually take pictures of the huge mound of bags in the trunk of the car. When we get back to the hotel, we spread our clothes out on our respective beds (Christen and I always share a bed while Katherine and Jennie share the other...always) so we can stand in awe of how much we spent. We then usually add up our receipts and declare a winner of the weekend (whoever spent the most). Last year it was me! This year however Christen claimed the title! :) After we get over the sick feeling of how much we spent in one day, we get dressed up in some of our new clothes and head the the Cheescake Factory! And yes, we usually order the same things each year. After dinner, we head back to the hotel where we stay up and talk. And then Sunday morning, we get up, pack our things and head home to friends, husbands, babies and doggies! And then we start planning for our next weekend! It's a great tradition that we all look forward to every year!

Since my blog is titled "On the Move," you might be wondering how "on the move" I actually am. Well, I'm happy to let everyone know, it's looking like I'll be in the Greenville area in August! After no showings in May (ahhh!) I decided to put my house up for rent this past Tuesday. By Wednesday afternoon I had 5 emails in my inbox all from interested renters. I think the girls who came by to look at it this week will sign a lease next week! Yay!

Before I go, I have to brag a little on how cute Sara Beth Kahn (my goddaughter) is! Paige took Sara Beth to a photographer in Montgomery and had some pictures taken of her. She's 8 months old now and Paige says that they are having so much fun with her at this age. Anyway, evidently the photographer posted a picture of Sara Beth on her blog. Check it out! She's the baby in the first picture. Look at those eyes! http://gracephotography.typepad.com/

How Old Am I?

2008-06-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Whew! What a weekend! Beach season has officially begun! And while the crappy housing market is definitely affecting the impending sale of MY house (no showings in May...just reduced the price...boo!), that only means that I have more beach days in my future. I admit I'm spoiled. As I was sitting out on the beach on Saturday AND Sunday, I thought to myself, "What do people do on the weekends who don't live at the beach?" In the 8 years I've lived in Charleston, I've forgotten what else there is to do on a spring/summer weekend. Starting around Memorial Day every year, my beach bag and chair are permanent passengers in my car and the sand that I sweep/vacuum up in my house and car is as normal to me as the dog hair that Sierra sheds every move she makes. What will I do on a beautiful Saturday afternoon when I move to Greenville? It's weekends like this past one that I wonder...Am I crazy? Why would I move away from this? But I know I can't stay in a place simply because I absolutely LOVE the 3 months out of the year that I spend every chance I get on the beach. So maybe I'll just have to take up hiking? What else do mountain people do? Hmmm...

Along with beach days in Charleston and glorious (though HOT) weather, comes any excuse to hang out outside and have a few drinks with friends. Which brings me to Saturday night. After spending a day out on Sullivans with friends, my friends Nick and Craig threw a "Stock the Tiki Bar Party" at Nick's house. Which is the reason for the title of this blog. How long can I keep up these shenanigans? What do you get when you gather a bunch of 30 (& almost 30) somethings around a Tiki Bar (purchased off of Ebay, no doubt!) with 2 blenders and a cooler full of frozen mixers and liquor? You get a bunch of 30 (& almost 30) somethings who forget how old they are until the next morning when they wake up with the world's worst headache. Here are just a few pictures that I took. I wish I had more. It was a fun night. We played Survivor Flip Cup and I was the lone survivor for the girls...had to go up against 2 boys all by myself! No pictures of that though!

I tried to end the weekend with a relaxing Sunday on the beach...well, as soon as I walked out on Folly Beach at our usual 10th street hangout, I saw a group of friends who had the same idea. I should have known better...on any given Saturday or Sunday I can find someone I know at 10th street! Colin and Virginia ended up walking down from where they were hanging out and let all us know about the Reggae band that was playing at the new beach bar down the street. So after a couple hours on the beach with the boys and a game of horseshoes, we all headed down to Conch to listen to some Reggae and drink more frozen drinks. No headache for me this morning though. :)

So it's another Monday...working out of the house. I would have thought that Sierra wouldn't know what to do with herself since she didn't have to be in her crate all day long. However, that seems to be the place she spends most of her time. Her crate is in my office. When I turned around the other day to check on her, this is how she was sleeping. Crazy dog!

I've also noticed that she has come to love sitting on the porch in one spot. Now, she does NOT like to be shut out of the house. In fact, if I close the door behind her she'll spaz out and bark and drive the neighbors crazy until I open it. As long as she has access in and out of the house, she's fine. So, while it's not too hot outside, I've been leaving the back door open so she can go in and out on her own. Occasionally, I won't hear her running around which, just like when a small child is off of their own and things get quiet, is cause for me to go searching for her. When I went out onto the porch the other day, this is what I saw. The back corner behind the chair has become her favorite place to sit and watch the birds and other dogs that are in their respective yards in the neighborhood. She will sit there forever and just watch. Too funny!

Pirates, Flowers and Kickball...Oh my!

2008-05-22T12:07:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was the first chance this year I made it out to the beach! I had a friend come to visit from Columbia and the weather was perfect so we headed out to the beach with a cooler of Bud Light to enjoy friends, waves and beautiful 80 degree weather! After he left on Sunday, Sierra and I ventured downtown to the Charleston HarborFest. I've never been to the Harbor Fest before so I figured I would head down there to see the tall ships and make the most of my Sunday! It was really cool and Sierra was very popular although not that fond of staying still for a picture. I caught her in one with the boats. Several of these ships sail here once a year for the Harbor Fest. They are replicas of old ships that sailed long ago and most of them serve some educational purpose. I wasn't able to read up much on the history of the boats as it was pretty crowded and very warm so Sierra was restless and wasn't letting me stay still for long. But I really enjoyed seeing the ships. There were at least 4 ships that were docked at the festival this year but next year I've heard there will be 12! So if you're in the area next year this time, it's definitely something to check out! They have pirate exhibitions and a lot of things for kids too!

This was one of the pirate exhibitions. I'm not quite sure what they were doing but it was entertaining.

I think this is the Spirit of Carolina. It's ported here in Charleston.

This ship was actually sailing out in the harbor. I thought it looked pretty neat with it's sails. It might have been the Pride of Carolina which my friend Christine and I scammed a free ride on years ago with a group of friends!

All in all, it was a great weekend in Charleston with friends and dog! Which is of course, something else I'll miss about Charleston...all the outside festivals this time of year!

The pictures below might seem a bit random but I thought these flowers were really pretty. I read in a book called "Nesting: It's a Chick Thing" (Thank you Aunt Kay and Uncle Jerry!) that fresh flowers were a neccessity in your house. I have not inherited my mom's green thumb yet (hopefully it'll kick in at some point) but I couldn't pass these up when I was at the grocery the other day...they were only $10!!!

This year I was talked into joining a kickball team. Some friends of mine from Kiawah, Tami and Drew, were on the team and asked me to join. It was hard to turn down a chance to play a game I hadn't played since 3rd grade with a bunch of 20 and 30 somethings! Tami getting ready to kick!

Tami, Drew and Lea (Drew's girlfriend)

I haven't even moved yet...

2008-05-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

...and I'm already thinking about what I'll miss about Charleston. In particular, my house that I LOVE! So I thought I'd go through all the things I'll miss about my house, and who knows where I'll go from there!

First off...THE KITCHEN.

The kitchen was the only room in the house that I immediately wanted to change when I moved in. Despite all the other crazy colors in the house, including a mauve guest room, eye gauging BRIGHT yellow bathroom and RED, RED, RED 3rd bedroom/office (all within 5 feet of each other), the kitchen was by far the worst. The majority of it was painted a dingy white while the breakfast area was painted a dark rust color that they had mixed with sand!

This is the only "before" picture I can find. Trust me, it was bad.

So, being a new homeowner, I thought this would be a great project for me to do during my summer break. I had always heard that painting a room was the "fastest" way to remodel. Either that's a huge lie or I'm the world's slowest painter because 2 weeks into my little project, I was still painting. (Which is why 2 years later, I hired someone to paint the rest of the house...more on that in another post!)

But I had a vision and as a teacher off for the summer, I needed something to do. So off I went to the paint store to pick up some supplies for what I thought was going to be a great weekend project. I already knew the paint color I wanted...Mom had painted my room at home the same color a couple years before and for whatever reason, I had always wanted a kitchen that color. And I knew that I wanted bead board below the chair rail. So after 2 weeks of painting, a friend installing the bead board and 1 green puppy (see picture below) my kitchen was finished. And I LOVED it! I still can't believe it came together so well. I just kept finding things at random places that I would pick up and hang on the wall and set out. The plates that I hung on the wall were mostly from TJ Maxx and Marshalls with the exception of the really small ones that I found out in Carmel, California while I was visiting my godfather.

I know that eventually in this life I will have another kitchen that I love just as much or maybe even more, but I love looking in that room and knowing that it was the first room I ever decorated/designed myself and that now there is nothing I would change about it!

Big Sam's Funky Nation

2008-05-10T10:37:00.000-04:00

Wow! Two posts in one day? Geez, Shropshire! Have you turned into a complete computer nerd??

So, last night I swore to myself that I was going to stay in, watch this week's episodes of Grey's Anatomy and LOST, and spend some quality time with the crazy dog that rules my house.

How can you resist that face?

But then I heard Sam was in town. Big Sam, that is. Former trombonist (is that a word?) from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band straight out of New Orleans, Sam rocked the house last night. It was well worth the lost hours of sleep!

Friends--Nick and Christine. Nick doesn't normally make a normal face in a picture so I thought I'd post this one. Remember kids...Just say no.

Kelly and Aaron getting down with Big Sam.

Graduation Day

2008-05-09T21:14:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share a few pictures from last weekend when Colin graduated from the Citadel! It's hard to believe that all three of us are college graduates! Citadel Class of '08!

Colin's Civil Engineering classmates

Colin and Virginia

High school buddies

Colin with Mom & Dad

Blair, me and Colin

Why Greenville, you ask?

2008-05-06T17:18:00.000-04:00

So, when I tell people that I'm moving AWAY from Charleston to Greenville, SC, the most common reaction is "Huh?" Charleston is great, don't get me wrong. I've loved almost every minute of living here. But I am definitely ready for something different. So, how is Greenville so different from Charleston?

For starters, it's a mountain town. And I've always loved the mountains. The only hills we have in Charleston are the bridges so that's definitely a change.

Secondly, it's closer to friends and family believe it or not and that has been my ultimate goal since college. It's amazing how things just seem to work out. I met my best friends my senior year at Auburn. I remember being so happy to have found such awesome people to hang out with and somehow I think we all knew that we'd know each other for a long time. But it was sad because we were all graduating so we'd only have about a year to hang out before some of us started moving away. We used to talk about how we were all going to move up to Asheville, NC one day to be close to the mountains. But I moved to Charleston and others landed in California, Texas and Alabama. So for the past 8 years we've all been traveling to see each other once or twice a year. However, in the past couple years, Christian has moved to Asheville, Em and Jeff could possibly end up in Clemson if he gets the associate professorship there, Matt and Beth are still in Atlanta, and I'll be in Greenville which is a short drive away from all of those places. So while some of us are still far away, others are gravitating to the same region. And of course, I'll still be as close to my parents as I am now in Charleston. But I'll be closer to my cousins which will be great.

The only time I've ever been a diligent "journaler" was for a couple years in college. I started writing in a journal as a way to stay focused while I was praying at night. I was never able to keep one train of thought or I'd drift off to sleep. So I thought if I wrote down my prayers, I'd be more alert. I'm so glad that I did it because it's really cool to look back at what was going on in my life and what prayers were answered. I read a journal entry one time from when I was a sophomore at Auburn. I prayed for friends. A year later, I met the group of friends who I'm closest to today. One of them, Paige, I had even met years earlier at camp. I'm now the Godmother of Paige and David's baby, Sara Beth. And I am blessed.

Givin' the Blog Thing a Try

2008-05-04T21:18:00.000-04:00

Well, I thought I'd join the rest of the free world and start a blog!

After 8 years in Charleston, I've decided to move to Greenville, SC! I'm really excited about my move. My goal is to make it up there by the beginning of the school year but it all depends on when my house sells. Know anyone who wants to buy a house in Charleston? I was up in Greenwood with work last week and decided to spend Thursday night in Greenville. I had planned on staying with my cousin, Tres, and his family and hoping to get some good advice on places to live and sites to see...especially since it's been about 15 years since I've spent any time in downtown Greenville. Turns out that Tres and Angie were taking the kids to Pawley's Island but they were nice enough to let me stay in their house anyway. So I had a great little adventure all on my own Thursday night and Friday in my new hometown!

I drove into town around 7:30 Thursday night and was taken back by all the trees on Main Street. The weather was gorgeous...70 degrees and NO HUMIDITY! Downtown Alive was going on which is a festival that takes place every Thursday night in the spring and summer on Main Street. So I walked for a little ways down Main Street and through the crowds at Downtown Alive. There were tons of guys and gals my age all hanging out after work, drinking beer listening to the band. I then made my way to Barleys for a Sierra Nevada, hummus and jerk chicken salad. Yum! I remember going to Barleys in Asheville on my days off when I worked at camp so I was reallly looking forward to checking out the one in Greenville. It did not disappoint! I also managed to pick up the oldest hippie in the place. Classic. He sat down next to me and told me all about his old lady that he's been shacking up with for 6 years even though he doesn't love her. (What?)

The next day I woke up and made it downtown by 10. I stopped by the Chamber of Commerce and got a 'relocation package'...basically a bunch of real estate books and a huge publication all about Greenville. I found a really cool coffee shop right off of Main Street so I sat there for a while drinking a pretty decent cafe mocha and reading up on places to see during my short stay. After about 45 minutes, I hit the pavement and began to explore. I walked up and down Main Street, stopped in a bunch of shops and of course did some damage to the bank account! I then walked down to Falls Park which was beautiful! The waterfall in the middle of the park was awesome.

I feel really lucky to have lived in such a beautiful place as Charleston for the past 8 years and now have the opportunity to move to the mountains! I remember growing up and always loving a mountain town. The first time I went out to Portland, Oregon, I fell in love with the city because of the landscape and the skyline. I've become such a beach bum for the past 8 years and the ocean will always be in my blood. But I feel as if I've come full circle now that I've made the decision to move to the upstate. So, I'll try to blog more about my move and what's happening in my life. And if there's nothing to blog about...I can always describe a day in the life of Sierra, the wonder dog. That's always entertaining!