So it's time for a post...

I've been itching to write, and so... Here is something I've worked on for literally months:

I read somewhere that you're supposed to talk to babies the same as you talk in conversation with adults. And that you should talk often. Well, I've been doing that a good bit with PR. 

She's a little over 39 weeks (gosh I started this post over 25 weeks ago) and we've talked a lot. We've even hit some of the "tough" subjects already. Even some pretty hilarious ones. The main thing that starts most of our mommy/baby dialogs? Everyday media and pop culture.

I'm pretty sure I can pinpoint the start of our talks to the Rockabye Baby Lullaby version of Kanye West's Golddigger song. I played it and PR loved it! She's actually very fond of Kanye's work circa the RBL style- maybe it's because when I was pregnant I listened to his first two albums a whole bunch? I digress. I remember playing the song and singing along and of course there's some very interesting subject material. Well, since she enjoyed it so much I figured I might as well explain it to her. So I did. I talked to her about what a "gold digger" was, and then I talked to her about my high hopes for her that she'll be a strong and independent woman that doesn't have to rely on anyone when she's older (but that, of course, she could always rely on her parents). 

All that to introduce what may or

may not become a feature of this blog (because let's face it I've already learned not to make plans): Baby Talks. I want to share with you all some of the fun or more interesting talks I've had with PR or talks I plan to have with her.

First up: Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass. In this house we ALL love this jam. I play it to and from work, while at work, Tim plays it to make the baby girl sleep- we are all in fact all about that bass over here!

So listening to this song over and over I got to thinking about the lyrics, my own body image and the sudden anxiety/fear I have for raising a girl. 

As the song states, "yeah it's pretty clear I ain't no size two." I have long struggled with my weight and appearance and go through phases of loving my body and hating it- this has only been amplified by being pregnant and now having a postpartum body. This is nothing unique to me, and that's actually what I love about the song because I think the song addresses that even "skinny bitches" have issues with body image as well. 

For PR, you are a beautiful baby girl and I have no doubt you'll continue to grow into a beautiful little girl and someday a beautiful woman. My hope and prayer for you is that you will be confident not just in your physical body, but your entire being. I love you, nugget. 

More Music Videos

Incubus- Stellar:



Tim used to sing this to me hehe :)

Saves the Day - Nightingale



Tim and I have seen this band at least 4 or 5 times. I remember him and Katie Eubanks skipping outrounds (or throwing a round) so we could go to the Roxy in Atlanta to see them. :) And look, they both ended up lawyers anyways!

Rocking Horse Winner - Miss You



Typical.Emo.Girl.Love.Song.Yup.That's.Me.

And I think that catches me up <3

Happy Valentine's Day!

<insert same old excuse about not posting here>

Now, for what I came here to blog about...Valentine's! I'm not really a big fan of Valentine's, but I'm not a hater either. But, I will say that this year I'm feeling quite sentimental and *lovey*

Today I woke up to finish making red velvet cake balls for Tim and his coworkers and when I got in the kitchen at 4:30 a.m. to finish them he had left a card in my purse with a huge bag of Sour Patch Kids :) So I went ahead and stuck his card in his bag and finished the cake balls quickly so I could go back to bed for a little while longer.

All day long I've just been reading people's posts on facebook and enjoying seeing everyone in a good mood. I don't think I've even seen the first negative comment about the day. Something I did see on facebook that inspire me was a post from my sweet friend Katie about her parents. Which of course prompted me to think of my favorite love song that I associate with my parents; The Gambler by Fun. I know I've shared it before, but just in case you haven't heard it, click below:



Which got me to thinking about some of my favorite songs that I associate with Tim. So between now and February 23 (our 4 year anniversary) I think I'm going to post short posts about some of our songs and their stories.

I'll start with:



Dashboard Confessional was probably one of the bands that represented the crazy emo-ness of our late 90s early 2000s dramatic teen years. But, this song is great and it makes me feel like a teenager with those crazy PTC kids.

Month of Thanks- Day 7 and 8

What a whirlwind of a Monday/Tuesday. I have two things I want to mention today. One deals with food and the other is music.

First, you'll note I try and blog about various foods and dishes. I'm thankful that I have the ability to have so much choice. Some people don't know where their next meal will come from, so they aren't being picky. I'm thankful I am able to feed myself and feed myself with tastes I enjoy.

Second, I'm thankful for music. Music is my ultimate cure for any ill. I've had a rough few days here lately and I loved putting the ipod in my ears tonight and running it out. I loved riding in the car tonight with Tim blasting songs from our high school days. Music is my addiction and I'm so happy its easily accessible. Nothing makes me feel the way I feel when I am at a live concert dancing around like a happy fool.

Now...as a total aside...if anyone from Flystyl is reading this...please have a reunion show in the PTC ASAP :)

Eleven in 11: Evaluating July

Uhhhhhhhhh! I am such a slacker this summer. I'm honestly just so exhausted from the four-day work week. I enjoy the Fridays off, but I've mostly been using it to recover from the four-day work week! Class has gotten a little crazy, and I'm very excited that tomorrow is the FINAL! Woohoo! I love my students, but the 12.5 hours on Tue/Thur are brutal.

The breakdown:
1. Volunteer opportunity- Still volunteering for SASC. Also, had a debate meeting with my CHS ladies. Hopefully we can get these kids into shape so they can debate at state this year!
2. The weight loss one- Stuck in a rut. Not gaining, but not losing. If I could just get back to tracking the WW pts again and hitting the gym more. We did start doing Pilates at home and I can feel a difference!
3. Plan and take honeymoon- We went to Amelia Island. Collectively, Tim and I decided that we simply didn't ever have a honeymoon. While the trip was a FABULOUS trip, it just wan't a honeymoon. We missed the boat 3 years ago, and it isn't something you can just have 3 years late. It's ok though, we still loved vacationing! You can see our recent trip photos from here and here.
4. Trying four new recipes- Slacker again. But, I did make Ricotta Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins. VERY YUM!

5. Blog three times a week- Still kind of slow.

6. Student loan- Check!

7. Savings!- Check! I think I've actually exceeded my goal :) But, we're thinking about venturing into home-buying, so I need to keep it up.

8. Read 52 books- I'm awful.

9. Facebook birthdays- I have done very well with this I think!

10. Visit 12 new restaurants- We went to Mandarin Cafe, and I decided NOT to blog about it...because it was soooo awful...

11. Etsy- Consider this one failed too.

I'm going to come out of this goal-achieving slump and do it up BIG in August!

Eleven in 11: Evaluating April

I cannot believe we are already in May! Time is flying by. The blog has been a great way to hold myself accountable for lots of my goals, so if you are curious about how you can start one for yourself, just let me know. It's incredibly easy.
The breakdown:
1. Volunteer opportunity- I will train this month! I'm so excited. I'm basically going to be a rape crisis volunteer once again. This is one thing I care deeply about. Sometimes, people say, "well how is that? It can't be fun..." Well it certainly isn't fun, and I wouldn't even say I enjoy it, but it is just incredibly meaningful to be able to help someone. And to be truthful, I would want someone to be there for me, so I feel it's only "right" to be there for someone else. 
2. The weight loss one- Slowing down here, but it's mostly because I've not been hitting the gym as much as I should, and I've been so busy that I sometimes lose track of my points. But, the good news is that I'm down 15 since January and certainly on track with my original goal. Also, overall I've lost 32 pounds. 
3. Plan and take honeymoon- Amelia Island is still a go. Please let us know if you've been and you have suggestions for fun and food!
4. Trying four new recipes- Ugh, this I think is my first time failing at this, but to be fair, I did have a busy month at work with a few events. I think I'll try for 6 in May to make up for the deficit.

• Buffalo Chicken Wraps (which were AWESOME)
• Pineapple Bliss (sweet and tart)

5. Blog three times a week- I think I keep people's facebook feed flooded. Speaking of facebook feed, I've made a page so you can like the blog on facebook. We'll see how it works out.

6. Student loan- Check! And let me say this also, this month I was about to DOUBLE my payment because of the extra cash I have saved using coupons. HAVE I PERSUADED YOU YET?!?!

7. Savings!- Check! Same thing here. I was able to put away more in savings this month because I had more to spare (and ok, to be fair, I didn't make nearly as many vanity purchases, but part of that is because I wait more for sales now + coupons and deals)...

8. Read 52 books- How am I so bad at this? I love reading. I can't get into the new JR Ward. It's taking me forever to read this latest book...

9. Facebook birthdays- I love that this is actually helping me talk to people more.

10. Visit 12 new restaurants- Wood Stone was great! Make sure to check it out.

11. Etsy- Getting back into the habit. I made Beth's daughter a necklace so it helped me want to make more.

I hope that you weathered April. I know many of you are/were affected by the end of April storms. I pray that your May is full of flowers instead of awful April showers, and I'm so thankful that many of you are safe with your families.

Weekend Fun: Modern Skirts

This weekend was a blast! I wish it had been longer. I went out Saturday night with my favorites: Tim, Mel, Chris & Eric (Mo is a punk! Just kidding). We went to The Loft downtown to see the Modern Skirts play.
Here is a snippet of the evening:

Yay!

Two of the people I love most- Mel + Chris!

And another one I love- Eric!

Tim in deep thought...

Me + hubs.

Shades, because the sun never sets on a....

Mel took this one haha, we are so married...

I LOVE THIS ROCKSTAR!!!

Whole gang!

Modern Skirts!

More Modern Skirts!

Rock out

BFF

Kisses

Annnnd on the way to our car...we ran into buddy Ryan!

I really love this band. I got to hang out with them years ago in Auburn and was surprised to know one of them had a Speech Communication degree- woohoo 'comm'ies! I'm going to post one of this songs below for you to take a listen. It's a slower one, but it is beautiful:

Fighting the Aging Process: Rock Shows

Last night we did something that we haven't done in a good bit- Tim and I went to a concert with our good friends Mel and Chris. It was AMAZING.

I can remember being younger (I say that as if I'm really old or something- more on that later) and listening to music as loud as I wanted, when I wanted (especially in college with no "supervision"). I know everyone can identify, but I really feel like it is a special part of me. Tim and I "fell in love" at a rock show (yes, debate was an official introduction- but it was chasing our friends' bands that really helped us foster that teenage love). I remember the trips where my parents would drive and drop me off at a local band's show in Peachtree City, GA. R.I.P Flystyl and Tomorrow's Regret.

Anyways, I digress...back to the main idea: I LOVE LIVE MUSIC. There is something absolutely electric about hearing/seeing/feeling it all come together. Lyrics. Guitars. Drum. Bass. The Screaming. The Dance. So last night was totally worth the lack of sleep I got last night (we rolled in from Atlanta at about 12:30 a.m. and I was up getting ready for work at 6:00 a.m).

We saw an opening band I've never heard of, but the bass player looked just like Justin Bieber. It was crazy. The second band is one of my all time favorites (Saves the Day), but I haven't listened to them in ages. It was great that no matter how long it had been Tim and I both remembered all their lyrics. Did I mention that we braved the young crowd of rowdy young ones and were standing in the middle of stage standing area. We were some 6-7 feet back from the front of the stage. It is one of the best ways to experience any concert. You have to be up there dancing to get the full thrill. I only regretted it once, a young sprite of boy went to crowd surf and he kicked me in the hip. Mel, Chris, Tim and I braved the crowd a little longer for the band Say Anything. But, by the end of their set we had moved to the back of the standing area. It actually had a better view. In fact, I had a great view of one of my favorite live bands, Motion City Soundtrack.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening with people and music that influence who I am.

Tim @ Savage Pizza in Little 5.

Chris realizing his shirt says "EAT"

Saves the Day!

Again...

Yes, this actually happened. Chris had a twin. We told him to settle the "EAT" debate.

Tim and I in the sweaty crowd of folks.

Motion City Soundtrack!

I actually love the lights in this one. 

More Motion City Soundtrack.

So pretty.

We are a little sweaty.

I want to thank you for being a part of my forget-me-nots and marigolds..
And all the things that don't get old..

Late Night Music Video Update: Matt & Kim-- Daylight

This is such a catchy song. Tim heard it first from some beer commercial but the song is just happy and upbeat. It goes with my current mood after having a fun date night with the husband.

DAYLIGHT

we cut the legs off of our pants
threw our shoes into the ocean
sit back and wave through the daylight
sit back and wave through the daylight

slip and slide on subway grates
these shoes are poor mans ice skates
fall through like change in the daylight
fall through like change in the daylight

i miss yellow lines in my roads
some color on monochrome
maybe i’ll paint them in myself
maybe i’ll paint them in myself

these sidewalks liquid then stone
building walls and an old pay phone
it rings like all through the daylight
it rings like all through the daylight

chorus
and in the daylight we can hitchhike to maine
i hope that someday i’ll see without these frames
and in the daylight i don’t pick up my phone
cause in the daylight anywhere feels like home

I have five clocks in my life
and only one has the time right
i’ll just unplug it for today
ill just unplug it for today

open hydrant rolled down windows
this car might make a good old boat
and float down grand street in daylight
and float down grand street in daylight

and with just half of a sunburn
new yellow lines that i earned
step back and here comes the night time
step back and here comes the night time

chorus
and in the daylight we can hitchhike to maine
i hope that someday i’ll see without these frames
and in the daylight i don’t pick up my phone
cause in the daylight anywhere feels like home