Week #27

Hi all! Here on time this week's Pic-A-Day at it's normally scheduled time! Yay!

Day 183: I read this book - "The Girl Who Chased The Moon" by Sarah Addison Allen - in one day. It is an easy read, not to mention romantic and magical! I am trying to watch how many books I buy right now, so I may start reading some old mysteries I read a long time ago that I have forgotten what they are about, but I may just have to go buy the other 3 books by Ms. Allen!

Day 184: It seems like this whole week has been about the rain. It goes from warm to cold, rain to snow, but at least rain means that Spring is near!

Day 185: I got to work again at the same office I worked at last week! I didn't want to go out in their waiting room to take a picture so this pic I took from the internet will have to do! Yes, they have a Ms. PacMan table video game in their office! I wanted it badly!

Day 186: I worked again for the same dentist office again today! So excited that they will be able to use me so much! I just wish I could be a full-time hygienist there. Mom met me at Burger King today for my lunch break!

Day 187: My friend, Lee, won tickets and took me to see "Chorus Line" at the Keith Albee tonight! It was pretty good, but has to be the cheapest musical to produce ever! The characters all had the same clothes for the entire show except at the end for their "One Singular Sensation" finale and the background was just dance studio mirrors. This pic is of the inside of the Keith Albee, it's pretty amazing.

Day 188: On Wednesday night of this week, my babysitter/3rd grandma passed away. She was two months shy of her 90th birthday and such an amazing & strong woman. Anna took care of me from the time I was 7 weeks old until I was about 12 years old. I will miss her dearly. This day was the day of her funeral. She had tons of pink roses at her funeral, pink being her favorite color.

Day 189: I finally got some material to make Phil's nephew, Alec, a tooth-fairy pillow. I hope to have it done by his 6th birthday on April 1st. Do you like my fabric choices? There are so many different ones I love that it takes me forever to pick them out!

For those of you who want to know, my ankle is feeling alot better now. I am still limping a bit, but Ibuprofen helps tremendously. I am going to try and work out at the Y today cause I feel like I've gained every pound back again that I had previously lost.

So, my week had it's highs and lows... how was your week?

Week #26

Here it is finally... totally not into it this week, sorry guys! I guess I'm having a blog slump (blump).

Day 176: My momma and daddy got me some Dove dark chocolates for Valentine's Day! They were yummy and quickly eaten by sharing :-)

Day 177: Got my certificates for bleaching and monitoring nitrous oxide in the mail today! I slacked and didn't get them until now, but it's not like I really needed them yet :-/

Day 178: Mom and I went here to see if it would be a possible wedding ceremony location. I love it but the only available spot for a reception close by does not look too hot. Ritter Park is getting closer to being the place.

Day 179: A new dentist's office called me into work for their hygienist today! I love this office and wish I could work here every day.

Day 180: Got to work for the same dentist as the day before! Their office is right next to a library so I went to read a magazine on my lunch break!

Day 181: My beautiful Valentine's Day flowers Phil got for me! They are Hulk colors, our favorite ;-) We had a great V-Day weekend and went out to eat at Uno's!

Day 182: Finally moved all my stuff back downstairs to my bedroom. I had been staying in the upstairs bedroom due to my ankle.

I've already been working on next week's Pic-A-Day post, so hopefully it'll be up bright and early Monday morning! Have a great weekend everyone!

PPQ: BLUSH

Off Schedule

Hey all! I haven't forgotten to publish last week's Pic-A-Day, I just haven't felt much like composing it. I promise to have it up by the end of the week though.

I do want to tell you right now that I got to work for a dentist 2 days last week which was extremely nice, and I get to work again this Wednesday! Also, on Wednesday, Phil and I might get scammed! haha I got this text and a phone call from a business that wants us to meet them for a 90 minute demonstration. At the end of it, we get free stuff including a 2 night vacation! They said that we didn't have to bring any money with us, that we had already been picked to win this stuff. I love me some free stuff! I think they got my info from the Bridal Expo I attended in January.

I'll update ya on the result!
Have a happy week!

PPQ: When You Say You Love Me

When You Say You Love Me
- Josh Groban lyrics -

Like the sound of silence calling,
I hear your voice and suddenly
I'm falling, lost in a dream.
Like the echoes of our souls are meeting,
You say those words and my heart stops beating.
I wonder what it means.
What could it be that comes over me?
At times I can't move.
At times I can hardly breath.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
For a moment, there's no one else alive

You're the one I've always thought of.
I don't know how, but I feel sheltered in your love.
You're where I belong.
And when you're with me if I close my eyes,
There are times I swear I feel like I can fly
For a moment in time.
Somewhere between the Heavens and Earth ,
And frozen in time,
Oh when you say those words.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
For a moment, there's no one else alive

And this journey that we're on.
How far we've come and I celebrate every moment.
And when you say you love me,
That's all you have to say.
I'll always feel this way.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
In that moment,I know why I'm alive

When you say you love me.
When you say you love me.
Do you know how I love you?

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone has a lovely day!

Week #25

WARNING: This post has pictures of my swollen and bruised ankle in close proximity of a picture with delicious artichoke dip. You have been warned! haha!

Day 169: This Superbowl Sunday, Phil and I hung around the house, ordered pizza, and made this yummy artichoke dip (pictured). I found Hutch's recipe on her blog, Be Awesome Instead. It was a perfect way to watch the game, along with the Puppy Bowl of course! And I totally think that the Kitty half-time show was so much better than the Superbowl half-time show! If only Slash played withw the kitties instead!

Day 170: Monday I got up early, went to the Y to run a mile, then sprained my ankle like I devoted a whole post to mentioned in my last post. Well, if you liked that post you are in luck, because that is mostly what this week's Pic-A-Day depicts as well. Sorry. Here is my ankle, majorly swollen.

Day 171: This is the inside of my ankle, swollen and bruised.

Day 172: This is the outside of my ankle, swollen and bruised.

Day 173: My parents came home this evening! It felt so nice to have people there to help me if I needed it! I managed myself by using a plastic bag to carry things from room to room, but it was still hard! This is my foot in it's bandage. I was happy I'd painted my toes before I hurt my foot!

Day 174: Phil got me out of the house and took me to Captain D's today! I had been craving it! haha It was a bit hard being out of the house with the crutches but we managed.

Day 175: And finally, it's not an ankle pic! Phil's mom sent over a Valentine's present for me! I love dark chocolate! Phil and I also ventured out of the house again today and pushed me around in a wheelchair! Wish I had pics of that! haha

Okay guys, sorry that I've been complaining about the ankle so much. That's all I've had to do though since I was home alone for most of the week and unable to do much. I'll try to make this week much more entertaining!

An Annoyance & Resolve

So Monday night, I was watching The Bachelor on the TV upstairs in our house. It was over, so I was going back downstairs carrying some munchies and my phone in my hands. As I was coming to the last step, I look out the window and get distracted by yet another snowfall when I myself start falling, due to too many steps left when I only thought there was one. I land on my right ankle and down I go. Pain ensues. Crying starts. Stupid snow! My first reaction was to call Phil, I tell him what happens and start sobbing into the phone. He wants to come over, but I don't let him cause it was snowing outside and dark. I tell him I'll call him back.

I am all alone. My parents are away for a week, lovely. Good thing my aunt and uncle live just next door so I call them up. They rush over with their spare key and help me assess the damage. A LOT of swelling. I feel nauseous. They help me to the couch where I prop up my ankle and apply an ice baggy. Oh man it hurts! I told my aunt and uncle I didn't want to go to the hospital and would wait til the next day to see how I felt.

I find out that not having crutches is TERRIBLE! I hopped around the house on my left leg all night, and sometimes crawled on my knees just to get another baggy of ice at 4am. Thank goodness the bathroom is like 5 hops from the bed! This is all on the main floor of my house and my bedroom is in the basement. So I stayed in the guest bedroom. I went to the doc, got some x-rays, it is only a sprain thank goodness, then got the crutches which are pretty bad too but not as bad as none.

The sprain will have many annoyances: pain from both my right ankle and my left thigh from hopping (good thing I've been working out!), not being able to keep up with my running (which I got up to running a mile recently!) and *hopefully* won't interfere with possible job offerings which I'm supposed to find out really soon. This week I also had a "To Do List" of cleaning and running around doing errands, both of which isn't possible cause I can't go up and down stairs and I can't drive my car with my left foot without scaring myself.

Resolve: It had been 2 years since Phil proposed to me. Didn't plan on seeing him this day cause he works, but he took off at lunch to come help me out. He brought me food (I'd only had a banana all day), he got some much needed items for me downstairs out of my bedroom and bathroom - including my toothbrush and books to read, and he actually helped me into the bathtub because I was feeling pretty nasty (hopping around can really work ya out!). This gave me a glimpse into our future when we are old. It was a little awkward but sweet at the same time. But mostly he was there for me for company and hugs. I think he may be off the hook for Valentine's Day :-)

Sorry about the long post on my ankle. It is all I am thinking about since I'm here alone moving from the couch to my bed and to the bathroom. Better posts to come!

PPQ: My Love

My Love

©Mariah Smile

The night was soft

A first glance taken

Our path untouched

A first step taken

Conversation flowed

Hearts were racing

A connection was made

Our lips embracing

My life would change

I knew that evening

I knew you liked me

My lungs stopped breathing

We met again

And again we talked

Ever since those days

My heart was locked

You’ve been my love

And will forever be

You are my best friend

So close to me

2 years ago...

I became engaged to the man I am going to marry in just 8 short months! You can read about our engagement here. That may sound like a long time to you but I have a feeling it's going to go fast for me with all the planning I have to do!

It also feels weird that we have been engaged for 2 years. It seems like a lot of people rush off and get married ASAP after they are engaged, which isn't a bad thing but just didn't turn out that way for me. I know we did it this way because I was in school for most of it, and I figured I'd have a DH job by now and would be busy working and planning at the same time, and there is the fact that I was stuck on having our wedding outdoors in the autumn. That didn't turn out to be the case with the job, but I've enjoyed taking my time and being engaged to Phil.

Now to figure out what to get him for Valentine's Day... there's always this option :-)

Week #24

So I had a fairly good week, lots more wedding research and accomplishments were made! Enjoy!

Day 162: My parents and I went next door to my aunt & uncle/cousin's house to say farewell to my "little" cousin Zach before he was leaving the next day to go to basic training. This is a pic of me playing with his daughter, Asyra. She had me ride on her horse with her in the kitchen floor.

Day 163: Went to the Y today and Mondays are my meeting days. We talked about cholesterol today and I thought this little cartoon was pretty cute. If you can't see it, it is a vampire scaring a woman but the woman says "I'd better warn you - I've high cholesterol!"

Day 164: Went looking around for more options for the wedding ceremony and reception location. For the reception I'm liking the Ramada, but we'll see if this will be close enough to where we want the ceremony. This is a pic of the floor plan.

Day 165: Got another free wedding magazine in the mail! It has options for decor, invitations, favors, and gifts in it. It may come in handy!

Day 166: Went Krogering today! I love grocery shopping for the most part, but I especially love getting the Kroger sushi!

Day 167: Took my parents to the airport today! My mom and dad had planned this trip a long time ago so they could go visit some of my mom's relatives down in Florida. Although I would have liked to join them, it probably is for the best that I stayed here cause I ended up with another interview this Monday (today)! This pic is driving down the hill from where the airport is located. I also ran into my friend Jennifer (Crazy Shenanigans) there and it was good getting to catch up with her! After that, I went right to the Y and ran a mile without stopping for the first time ever!!!

Day 168: Phil and I went to Ashland today. We ate at the Cheddar's there, went to the mall where I got my Clinique freebies (pictured), then went to Burt's Pet Shop where we got our pet fix!

I am crossing my fingers that I will get some calls about jobs this week! I also have made a chore list for myself to complete... we'll see how that goes!

Book Review: One Day

I had promised this awhile back but just now getting to it. It's been busy for me the last couple weeks with all this wedding stuff piling up on me! Anyways, here's the review...



One Day by David Nicholls is about Dex and Em, Em and Dex... you'd get it if you read the book... two people who went to college together but never really met/became friends until the night of their graduation. You follow these "friends" over the course of 20 years, but here's the kicker: you only follow them on July 15th of each of those years. The author does a good job of catching you up on how each character is doing during the rest of the year which makes it an easy read after you get into the book a couple chapters.

I wasn't sure how I was going to like it at first. I sort of made myself read the first few chapters, but then I was hooked and loved it. It wasn't like The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo where I pretty much had to make myself read 3/4 of the book while only 1/4 was good. One Day always makes you wonder: what is going to happen to these people next year? The book is filled with ups & downs as Emma and Dexter go through their lives with and without eachother.

• Have you read this book before?
• If so, what did you think of it?
• If not, do you want to read it now?
  

PPQ: The Best Thing