Friday, June 21, 2013

Two-fer!!

So tomorrow I turn 34! Yikes, that seems so old, but you're only as old as you feel right?!?
I'm not sure how 34 should feel but I don't feel any different than I did when I was in my 20's.

I'm not a huge birthday person for myself, for others yes I'll celebrate till the cows come home. But I hate being the center of attention. I had planned on spending my day getting up and getting my run on and then at the spa getting a massage and being pampered and then coming home and relaxing at home with my babies and honey. Well.....that all changed when my sister decided to take the night off to hang out with me on my special day.

My sassy sister and me circa 2009
 
 
I'm excited but seriously really liked the idea of kicking up my feet and watching a movie, but maybe it's the little push I needed to go out and do something.
 
So the plan is to meet up with the family and friends for dinner of steak...yummmy, and a huge much margarita!!!! Then where the night takes us who knows.....If my siblings are involved it will mean lots of drinking, dancing and staying out late...I'm tired already...LOL...Maybe I am getting old.
 
 
So here is my early birthday present from my hubs...
 
To be honest I think it's more for him than for me but I'll take it. I needed something besides an old school boom box to play my music. Ha!! It's the little things in life right...

I'll let you know how the night goes on Friday or follow me on IG and you'll see it first hand. Ha!

In other news.....
These two beauties are hosting a link-up.

 

 
 
 
My summer go to's are......
 
Shades:
My shades for sure! I'm not to snobby when it comes to these because well I have 3 kids and they break everything. So the big black grandma shades are what I'm loving, or if I want to get fancy something like this...
 
 
Flip-Floppys:
I love love Roxy flip flops. I need a little height because it's how I roll.
 
Product Details
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maxi-Dress:
Seriously who doesn't love a good maxi dress..Short or long they flatter any figure..
I love Old Navy. #1 it's cheap and #2 some of the dresses come in long which works awesomely for my long torso! Ki Ki La Rue is the bomb. Awesome customer service and cute clothes.
Old Navy
Kiki La Rue
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pedi-Cure:
This is a must if you're wearing flip-flops. Do it yourself or go pay some money, but get it done.
Try a fun new color, and show those toesies off.
Essie - Play Date
 
 





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Confidence:
No matter what your go-to's are for summer the most important is having confidence and feeling great in you're own skin.
 
Now have a great weekend and raise your glass on Saturday while I drink my margarita!!
 


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Wedding Day Link-up




I'm linking up with my girl Holly and Mel!! If you don't already know them check them out.
They are both hilarious and I feel like I know them if that doesn't sound too stalkerish...

 
Share Your Wedding Details
Location (church/outdoors/destination):
Colors:
Bridal Party:
First Dance Song: 
Honeymoon:
What would you do different?

It's wedding season and it's all about the details.

I got married a long long long time ago....September 27, 2002.
This was before there was a pintrest, and jump drives (warning the pictures maybe blurry...damn you scanner)  and holy cow I could go crazy now.

I didn't really take a lot time to plan it. We were married 7 mths after we got engaged. We both didn't believe in long engagements and I didn't want a winter wedding. So off and planning I went. Now let me preface by saying my husband-to-be wanted to just go to Vegas and do the drive through wedding thing, and that would have been ok with me except I was the first one in my family to get married and my mom would have had a heart attack.  We decided on having a Friday wedding because we were leaving for our honeymoon on Sunday and really I didn't feel like leaving my wedding early to drive to get our flight. Oh, and it was cheaper.

So here are the details.

I had originally planned on getting married outside at the gardens but they had huge stipulations on what you could have, naturally since they are responsible for keeping all the flowers alive.
There was that and the fact that it might rain, and that I would have to rent a ton of chairs. We both come from big families and we're talking about 400+ people that were invited. So money was a thing that needed to be stretched.

THE DRESS:
I didn't want a strapless dress because really lets me honest this girl needs some support. Ha!
So we went dress shopping the weekend after I was engaged. I wanted a simple satin plan jane number. That's me! Simple and elegant. I tried on this princess ball gown thing just for fun and guess what that's what I got.

LOCATION:
We decided that church would be the best place. No restrictions, no chair rental, no worried on rain, etc.  The thing is the church was ugly and not at all part of my vision but I worked with what I had. We got marred at 4pm so it was late enough for those that worked and so we could go right to the reception after the ceremony. Nobody getting drunk too early. (this may or may not be a little hint of what's to come)

COLORS:
Since the original plan was outside wedding I wanted the bridesmaid dresses to reflect that. I had a vision in my head again of what I wanted them to look like and since my mom is an awesome seamstress or was she made them. Each girl got their own color to compliment them and the fit was perfect. Yes I did different colors before it was cool. Sage green for my red head, blue for my sister, and lilac for my bridesmaid #3. My littlest sister was the miniature bride and she wore white with flowers sewn on in the colors of the bridesmaid dresses

My flowers were simple. I'm a daisy girl. So easy peasy....daisies for the bridesmaids and groomsman and white roses for me and my groom. 

Pictures were huge!! It's probably what I spent the most on besides the dinner and drinks. Jeez...WI people know how to drink. Anyways this was before you got a cd with all your pictures, hence the fuzzy pictures. The photographer did a great job but I only had him for the ceremony.
Again this is back in the stone-age and there weren't camera phones, digital cameras, etc. So I purchased disposable cameras and put them on the tables so people could take pictures throughout the night. Oh and did they...and surprisingly enough we didn't get any boobs, or weiner pictures...Which is a huge surprise since that's how S's family and my family roll. We're all pranksters.

Bridal Party (L-R - Meghan-friend, Steph-friend, Maleah-sister, me, Natalia-sister)
 

(L-R-Matt -he introduced me to S, Warren-friend, Luke-cousin, S-groom
bottom:Nate-my brother, Noah-my brother (both ushers)


 
 
S's sister and brother were readers....they are way older than he is, my aunt and uncle sang..
 
After pictures we were off to Stadium View for dinner and dancing. We ended up having 340 guests. Yes hello big families. It was ok though. We had so much fun and the dance floor was never empty at all!!!
 
First Dance:
Is it bad that I have no idea what our first dance song was? My hubs wanted some country song and I have no idea what it was. It's the only thing he really wanted. I can watch the video but that would take to long and really do you care. LOL...I do remember that the bouquet toss was "Jumpn' Jumpn'-by Destiny's Child, and garter toss was "Temptations" by Tupac.

It was getting close to the end of the night and I have not drank anything except the champagne at dinner, and my work people whom were all guys decided we needed to do some shots...I may or may have not taken 8 shots at the end of the night and puked my guts out. Followed by my underage sister puking in the next stall. So yes, I was the person that got drunk and my hubs still loves me!

The next morning we opened our million and one gifts and then drove to Chicago,IL to catch our flight bright and early for Nassau, Bahamas....

Would I change anything? Well I probably would have forgone the shots and maybe had the bridemaids order their dresses instead but not really. Everyone had fun and to this day family tells us it was one of the funniest weddings they have ever been to:)


Thursday, June 13, 2013

A Letter To My 21 Yr Old Sassy Self




Hey all I'm linking up with Holly and Jake....


A Letter To My 21 Year Old Self
Since I'll be turning 34 yikes next week. Yep next week. This is a long time ago! A time of pre-children, and a rockn bod. LOL

Dear Nicole (21),

On your 21st birthday try not to be to disappointed by the lack of effort by your boyfriend and friends. They are all self-absorbed and are worried about where they want to go and aren't going to listen to you. You will be home by 11pm even though you didn't go out till 10 because your "friends" are tired and your boyfriend wants to go out and drink with his friends. Don't worry he won't be around to much longer after this. And there will be many other times when you can go out and drink yourself silly.....oh and you will!

Try not to take yourself so seriously. You can be young and dumb because now's the time to make mistakes. You can drink yourself silly and puke your brains out, dance your ass off, sleep all day and then go and do it again.

Remember that friends come and go and that bitchy girl that you think is your friend that worries more about her car than your 21st birthday is really not a friend. You will find out later that she tries to steal your boyfriend and that you should have let her have him because he is a true loser. You find out that the girl that acts like your friend really wants to shave your head when you sleep, she calls you fat behind your back and then acts like Doris Day to your face. She is fake and you need to drop her like a hot potato. Friend will come and go and you'll realize later in life that the ones worth keeping will be there for you as much as you are for them.




Don't skip the going away party for a co-worker that night you will meet your future husband, although you won't "date" him for a couple months because you need to recover from the asshole that wrecked you.  Be patient with him (future husband). He was wrecked by a girl too and he will make mistakes but realize if you are patient and you both talk through your problems life will be alright. Don't be a clingy, crazy, girl. He will not cheat on you. Trust him!

Family first! Remember to love your younger siblings even though they drive you nuts. Your sister will be going through many ups and downs this year. She will start collage and although she thinks she has it all together she doesn't. Be the shoulder she needs. Your younger sister is still a mini, remember to spend quality time with her. And your brothers will need a big sister to look up to.

Please please switch stylist. She will highlight your hair too blonde for you and you will look crazy. Oh and don't let her give you a perm while she's worried about her orange hair. That should be your first warning.....her orange hair. Please please get a darker shade of foundation. You are not white, you have an olive complexion and the too white pasty stuff you use will make you cringe every time you look back at pictures.

Enjoy your figure right now. You have a flat stomach and you are in shape. You will have 3 kids in the future and each one will wreck havoic on it. Be grateful for it now because it will take a lot of hard work and maybe surgery to get back to that shape again.

You are a hard worker. You'll be working a full-time job as Admin Assistant. and a part-time job as a Swim and Preschool Teacher. Be a sponge and learn everything. You will take everything you learn and be a self-employed business woman one-day. Your part-time job will teach you to have patience with children, but you also show their parents that it's ok for them to act crazy with their kids. Those kids will remember you years later. They will tell you that your classes were the most fun, and those parents will be forever grateful that you were able to teach their little ones to come out of their shells.

Last but certainly not least remember that you are a loving, trusting, person.  You wear your heart on your sleeve but that is what people love about you. You go the extra mile for others. Be you and don't try to change it!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

I Hate It When I Don't Get My Way

So I haven't posted in a while. Mostly because I have no time lately. School is out for summer and I have to make a bunch of crafts and games and all that jazz for the older kids. Also, I've been swamped with photo shoots. I also decided that I needed to re-do the kids rooms before we moved Big T to Lil C's room. So I have their room to paint, the downstairs bathroom, and Bella's room.
So yeah a lot on my plate at the present time, but with that all going on it will make for some fun reveals, and really who doesn't love a good reveal.

In the midst of all that I've still been running when I can. I say that because if you've read my past posts you know I suffered from lovely shin splints before my half. Oh those were awesome! Not really! I rest the week after my half and then busted out 8 miles and I was in pain but being the true thick-skulled woman that I am I ignored it.I tried to run on Monday and guess what 85 degree heat plus 85% humidity and I didn't get very far I noticed my left leg was turning out while I was running. Off to the chiropractor I went after my limp of shame home. Now I've always been skeptical of chrio's but I will say when I was pregnant with Lil C, that man was the only person to cure the nice achy sciatica that I was plagued with. So anyway, I'm getting off topic. I went he fixed me up. I was totally outta whack, and I busted out 8 miles on the following Saturday and still pain. So back to my man friend again to get the kinks out of this old girl. Are you still following me???
I took off running the rest of the week and rested up. I had signed up for my traditional 10K of the year. It was my first race I've ever done and I've been doing it for 11 years.

Saturday came and I had all my gear laid out and I really wasn't to nervous since it was a 10k and I just busted out a half less than a month prior.

Top right-Jen and me, Bottom right- Me and the hubs
 
See I remembered my inhaler this time!
I didn't PR, but I really wasn't expecting to since I still had leg aches and such. I stopped to pee (yes I just said pee), and slowed down a bit to run with the non-trained hubs. I think I could have knocked 2 min off my finish time had I been able to get to the finish line. I say that because seriously I could get past the line of damn walkers. grrrrr. Official Time 1:17. Now I know I'm not fast and my best time has been 1:08, but I was 45lbs lighter when I did that. I can only imagine how fast I'll be next year. I'm hoping to get to my goal weight before then.
 
And with that I say it's back to marathon training. I went to the hold back cracker last night and had some minor adjustments. I'm still resting and going to give it the old college try on Saturday busing out a 6 miler and hopefully back to regular training.
 
Speaking of the old college try, I'm linking up with my girl Holly from Where We Can All Live Like Jack and Sally, and the cutest male blogger I know (sorry Tina) Jake from The Life of Jake.
The Link-up is a letter to my 21 year old self. It sounds like fun and I'll try to not be sappy.
Until then. Peace out peeps!