February 2012

Get in Shape, Girl!

by KT on February 29, 2012

Thanks for all your sweet words, emails, etc. about my post yesterday. I really appreciate it.

Do y’all remember one of the best 80′s girl toys of all time, Get in Shape, Girl?

From Google Images

Basically, it was a series of exercise tapes. Now that I think about it they probably caused some self esteem problems in young girls. I on the other hand LOVED this toy. My parents used to have to get me a present on my sister’s birthday, because I was brat about her getting attention. Sheesh. My sister and I are hazy on who had what, but we are pretty sure between the two of us we had the boombox, ribbon (for ribbon dancing, oh yea), weights & possibly the balance beam. This was basically the best thing ever for my spastic self.

In case you need a memory jog on what this amazing toy is I found this YouTube video of a commerical:

Get in Shape, Girl commerical

So, what does this little trip down memory lane have to do with today’s post? Well, I have exactly two months to get in shape for this bridesmaid’s dress.

From: www.jessicamcclintock.com

The actual dress is in black, but for some reason the website doesn’t have a picture of black dress. Anyhow, I don’t typically wear strapless. In fact, it is save to say that I never wear strapless. I once owned a strapless top that I wore a total of 3 times back in 2004, but other then that – nada. This dress, however, is actually quite flattering. It isn’t so chesty. I will definitely need a spray tan, but the main thing that I want to work on are my FLABBY arms. My arms just really aren’t the most flattering part of my body. Normally I’m not that worried about what I look like, but this bride has some of the most beautiful friends you’ve ever seen so I don’t want to look like a troll up there.

So, I’ve decided on push-ups, tricep presses and putting in some time with my 2 pound weights. I think this combined with some yoga & power walking/running will help make some improvements to my arms in the next two months. Side note: I think I realized this weekend that there are yoga videos on Netflix. I am going to investigate this asap. If this is true my evenings just got a little more zen.

Any other suggestions that any of you lovely readers (all 3 of you) have?

I could really use the ribbon wand from Get in Shape, Girl though.

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Not Feeling Like Myself

by KT on February 28, 2012

You know that saying: The Calm Before the Storm? Well, I feel like January was the calm & February has been the storm. There is a lot going on at home & I’ve just not quite figured out how to deal with it.

We have a lot up in the air right now & I don’t do well with that. I’m a planner and I like to know what is going to happen next. I’ve never liked surprises or the unknown & that is where we are right now – the unknown.

I’ll share more when I know more & feel comfortable putting all of myself out there.

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Eye Appointment Update

by KT on February 28, 2012

Well, I tried to get a picture of me from elementary school in my Sally glasses, but they are at my parents’ house. I know that I could have easily headed 10 minutes down the road to get a picture, but I was lazy. Maybe later?

So, my appointment went really well. The good news is that I’m a candidate! The better news is that my mom’s cousin who is a well respected Ophthalmologist in Ohio said that the technology that my doctor was using was top notch.

The bad news? It is still REALLY expensive. I mean, really expensive. I would love to do it, but I’m just not sure it is the smartest use of our money right now. At least I know that I am a candidate & I know that the doctor that I’ve started a relationship is well respected in the ophthalmology community.

I have LOTS of information on this stuff now, so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I’ll keep you posted if we decide to do the “life changing” surgery in the future. ;)

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Wednesday Brain Dump

by KT on February 15, 2012

I’ve had a lot of random thoughts running through my head so I decided to do a little brain dump.

I had a pretty bad day on Monday & was feeling particularly bad for myself on Tuesday. I woke on Wednesday to a text from my dear friend saying her dad was in hospital. A little perspective…
I’m not really the gushy valentine’s kind of girl. I love that some people are, but it just isn’t for me.
REF loves surprising me & sent a very pretty flower arrangement to me at work. I made him homemade chicken pot pie and homemade strawberry shortcake. That’s just how we roll.
When I eat my lunch at my desk it annoys me to no end that I continue to work
Maybe I need to eat in the lunchroom.
I got Winston a new bone for Valentine’s Day and he ate it before I was done prepping and cooking dinner. Hopefully he doesn’t get sick while we’re at work today.
I’m getting really excited about the wedding we’re going to in April. It is in Kiawah and we are staying in what I hear is a beautiful villa with some other members of the wedding party. We are going to be there Thursday – Sunday and I cannot wait for the little break.
Lately I’ve felt like a friendship of mine has been somewhat one sided. Then, I get paranoid and think that maybe she feels the same way.
A few months ago I quit the gym. I’ve had regrets ever since.
I need to get in shape for that wedding mentioned in number 7. Maybe I’ll rejoin the gym.
I’m loving the show Smash so far. Are you watching? What do you think?
I participated in Kappa Prep’s annual Pink Swap this year. It was the first time that I had done anything like this with a blog and I had a lot of fun! I had THE BEST partner . I really enjoyed getting to know my partner, EBS, from Who’s Excited. She sent me a pink LL Bean boat and tote with a pink circle monogram along with some other really great goodies! SO MUCH FUN!
I do not like stargazer lilies. The smell of them really gives me a headache. My cube mate has had them at her desk since Monday.
I had a really nice appointment at the eye doctor’s office on Monday, and I promise I’ll do a post on the results. I just have a few questions that I’m waiting to hear the answer back on before I do a post.
REF does a lot of consulting on the side & found out today that a current client is hiring him again for another project. I’m really proud of him and how hard he works for our family.
I HAVE to do our taxes, tonight.
My dad gets to see my nephew Charlie today and I’m really jealous. I’m pretty sure my mom is too.
If you are watching Downton Abbey let me know, because I want to discuss.

Happy Wednesday Folks!

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Restless

by KT on February 14, 2012

First I wanted to say thank you for all your comments on my eye appointment. It was a good appointment overall. I’ll do a full report asap.

So, remember when I posted here about being excited that we didn’t have many commitments this year? Remember me being excited that we’d have a quiet year? Well, while I am glad that we’ve had some time to ourselves and some weekends at home with nothing to do I’ve begun to get restless.

I want to go on a trip.

Here are some of the places in the US that I want to visit with REF.

Chicago….

I’ve been to Chicago several times, but REF has never been. I feel like Chicago is such a great “All American” city. We have lots of friends who live in Chicago & it’d be great to see them and visit some of the less touristy places with them.

Vancouver…

Okay, I know Vancouver isn’t in the US, but close enough, right? REF and I have been talking a lot about Vancouver recently. I think it would be SUCH a cool city to visit. We don’t know a soul who lives there which means we would be 100% tourist & I think this city is perfect for that.

Annapolis…

We’ve been to Annapolis together & we fell in love with the city. We have friends that live there and friends that used to live there. What I like about Annapolis is that we could drive there from CLT. We could also go into DC for a day trip too. I haven’t been to DC since I was in 11th grade…so it is probably about time I go again.

San Francisco…

I haven’t been to San Francisco since I was a kid & REF has never been. My old college and post college roommate and her fiance live there. I would love the chance to go see them. It would be fun to go for a trip up to wine country & it would be neat to bike the Golden Gate.

Those are just a few of the places that I’m itching to visit. I don’t know if we’ll be able to go anywhere this year, but it sure is fun to dream.

Do you have any locations that I should put on my list?

All pictures from Google Images

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I can see clearly now…

by KT on February 9, 2012

…Or at least I hope I will be able to soon.

When I was in 3rd grade I got glasses. I had been telling my parents that I couldn’t see the blackboard for several months, but I’m a bit of a hypochondriac so they took their time taking me to the eye doctor. I think my mom was a little shocked when I did indeed need glasses. I found out that I am nearsighted & have an astigmatism. I was a somewhat stubborn child & when I picked out enormous red frames (a la Sally Jessy Raphael) there was no stopping me from getting them.

Picture from Google Images

It should be mentioned that I have a REALLY small head and face. Like, abnormally small so it goes without saying that these looked AMAZING on me. I’ll need to dig up some pictures…

As I got older my eyes got progressively worse and in 6th grade my parents allowed me to get contacts. I was THRILLED. I was a pretty awkward kid and I could use all the help I could get. The day I got contacts was pretty much the last day I wore glasses for any extended period of time. Unless I am sleeping, very sick or very tired I have my contacts in. Having an astigmatism and wearing contacts means that you never truly see “20/20″, but I really don’t mind. I am so “blind” (-5.50 in my right eye and -6.75 in my left eye) that any vision correction is good for me.

So, when my contact ripped while I was out of town visiting my sister a few weeks ago I sort of panicked. I had my glasses with me, but they haven’t been updated to my RX in a few years. They would work in a pinch, but I knew I didn’t have any spare contacts at home. I went straight to my sister’s computer & ordered replacements contacts online. I even ponied up for express shipping. They would be at my doorstep the following Monday afternoon. Phew, crisis averted.

On Monday morning I got a phone call from the contact company saying that I had not been to see the eye doctor in over a year and therefore they could not fulfill my order. Ugh. I made and appointment with my eye doctor for the following Friday. That would mean almost a full week plus in glasses.

Well, today marks my 19th day in glasses, because I decided to take the plunge and make an appointment to see if I’m a candidate for Lasik eye surgery. In the past I haven’t been a candidate due to that pesky astigmatism & due to the fact that my RX kept changing. I’ve had a steady RX for several years and the technology has changed that some patients with astigmatism are now candidates. I decided I’d see what the doctor had to say. The only catch is that in order to be evaluated correctly by my doctor I have to be contact free for at least 3 weeks.

My appointment is Monday at 2:45pm. I’m both super nervous and super excited. Wish me luck!

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Noble House Designs & A.Liz Adventures

by KT on February 8, 2012

When I first entered the world of Twitter & Blogging I came across some wonderful Charlotte bloggers. I love seeing how different bloggers enjoy our city. I quickly realized the tweets and blog posts of A. Liz Adventures were right up my ally! We ended up having some mutual friends and realizing that we are both members of the same sorority.

I love how A.Liz’s blog always has an assortment of eye candy. Yesterdays post was no exception! She has teamed up with Noble House Designs for a fabulous giveaway! Head over to A. Liz’s site for all the details.

Noble House Designs has a beautiful jewelry line located out of Houston Texas. Check out their Etsy site here. There are some BEAUTIFUL pieces.

I love this 3 strand piece. I think the mix of pink, red and orange is just perfect! I also love how it is simple, but so chic.

This piece is SO out of my comfort zone, but definitely something I would wear with a simple black dress! I love how the back of the necklace has the gold beads too.

I would love to add some of these beauties to my jewelry collection!

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L O V E

by KT on February 7, 2012

Since this is the month of love, I thought I’d do a post on all the things that I love. These are in no particular order and some are bigger then others.

Hosting a Party
Clean Sheets
Going to the movies
My little Winston
My sleeping bag slippers
Afternoon coffee with a friend
Tulips
Dusk
The blue ridge parkway
A Clean House
Sitting on the porch
Pelicans
A Good Hug
Walking barefoot in the grass
Holding my nephew
REF
Raspberries
NPR
Really Hot Weather
Really Cold Weather
My family
New “school” supplies
The color green
Dining Al fresco
My In Real Life Friends
Gchat
Hugs from REF’s niece
Blog/Twitter friends
Visiting my family in Birmingham
My parents’ house
Music that takes me back
Siesta Key, Florida
Sleeping In
Staying up Late
Organizing
Stationery
Really long, brisk walks
My summer camp

What do you love?

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Rolling Along

by KT on February 6, 2012

A few weeks ago I left the office on a Friday afternoon & jetted to the middle of the state to see my sister, brother in law and nephew for the weekend. REF decided to stay home with Winston since my parents (our dog babysitters) were vacationing at their South FLA house.

He’s gotten SO big & is really starting to interact with you. Right now, he LOVES playing on this play mat. See how he’s giving the eyes to that elephant? That’s his best friend. He also showed me his new trick – he can roll over!! It’s hilarious to watch, because he almost surprises himself.

We didn’t do too many crazy things that weekend. We walked around a giant antique store and then visited a re-sale shop. We saw some great treasures, but the only one that came home with anything was my sister. She got a brand new (in the box) pair of vintage bowling shoes for $10.

She’s an alternate in a bowling league so this was a score. I think they ended up being slightly too small and she wanted a different color so I think they ended up going back. Oh well.

Saturday night I sent my sister and brother in law on a date. Charlie and I got some great bonding time in before he went to sleep. It was fun being with him by myself. It also gave me a new appreciation for what my sister does everyday. 3 cheers for moms, seriously.

Sunday morning I could hear the little guy playing in his crib. He wasn’t crying just sort of cooing and giggling. I decided to sneak up and grab him from his crib to let his parents get a little sleep in!

We got to play for about an hour and a half & I think all parties were happy for the extra time.

Isn’t he just the sweetest little one you’ve ever seen?

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Kitchen Island – Part 2

by KT on February 4, 2012

So, several weeks ago I told you here about how we were getting a new kitchen island delivered. Then I disappeared from the blog for a little bit. So, shall we catch up?

Long story short… I needed more counter space & I didn’t care how I was going to go about getting it.

Here is what my kitchen looked like before:

And another view:

Let’s ignore both the ugly track lighting and curtains. Okay?

So, when I went to the store to check out the island I had seen online I decided I liked it enough to put it in our kitchen. You have the option of having wheels or fixed legs so I decided if I hated it I could just roll it into the laundry room when I didn’t need it. The sales lady at the store (see other post for what store) stated that I was in luck, because this piece of furniture was part of their “white glove” delivery service and it came fully assembled. I would just need to attach the top. Now, I was totally prepared to put this sucker together myself, but this was a HUGE upgrade, especially since it was to be delivered on a Saturday morning.

So, that Saturday REF left to do errands & I was staying at the house to meet the delivery guys. Don’t worry, I kept my cell phone in my pocket in case of emergency. Also, we have the world’s nosiness neighbors. When the package arrived this is what it looked like:

Houston, we have a problem.

I opened the box and started to sort through the approximately 657,890, 289 pieces when my cell rang. It was said store asking me for feedback on my delivery. So, feedback I gave them. After some back and forth the store offered to have someone come out and put the thing together for us. Well, by this time I was about done putting it together (I was a carpenter in my other life), but I said what the heck.

This is how far I got:

I put together the entire thing, but I could not get the doors on correctly. Now, REF did help hold things for me and he did put together 1 drawer, but I did the rest! Yes, this is a humble brag…what of it? The construction guy made it over to the house at the same time my mom had stopped by for a visit. Turns out my mom used to work with the construction guy’s mom. Charlotte is a really small town. Anywho, he put the doors on in less then 1 minute & was on his way.

The verdict? We like it. I LOVE the prep space & the storage space. It MAY be a little big & this probably would have been the smarter buy, but hey, it is what it is. Right?

Also, we received a call from the store several days later apologizing and offering us a $50.00 gift certificate if we agreed to make the piece a final sale. I freak out about the possibility of not being able to return something, BUT $50.00 to that store for doing nothing…sold.

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