The Hacketts

Tidbits from the week

2012-02-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

I've almost eaten an entire cantaloupe this week. By myself. Mark isn't a fan of it hence the pressure to eat it all, but let's just be honest--there's no real pressure. I adore cantloupe so part of me is glad he doesn't like it. At least it's good for you right? Maybe it can counteract that chocolate cake I had on Valentines Day. :)

You want to hear a lesson I learned this week? When it's 12:30 and you're tired and little chilly, don't reheat your coffee from the morning. As good as it sounds, just don't do it. Stomach ache.

The decision of what color to paint our hallway bathroom is beginning to consume me in an unhealthy way. Ok not really...but I cannot decide (big shock right?). I better decide soon since I'm going to prime the walls on Friday. :/

Discovered cuticle oil. Amazing. Enough said.

Enjoyed a work phone call that was so ridiculous you have to laugh instead of get mad.

Looking forward to a long weekend thanks to Presidents Day.

I'm making myself start the process of buying a few Christmas a month this year so I don't get stressed out in December. I've made our presents in the past but this year I want to buy them if I plan it right. Let's see if I stick to this decision.

Last but not least: how is it already Thursday? For reals.

2/13/12

2012-02-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

I'm on a strike against blog titles today. I just cannot think of one, probably because it's 3:30 and it's been a long and busy day at work. I did paint our hallway this weekend! I have pictures on my phone but for some reason they won't send to my work email. :( It looks great, but now our bathroom looks nasty compared to the freshly painted hallway. Insert project for this weekend.

I know it's early and all, but I do love Valentines day. I know I know, it's a made up holiday used to make money and we should treat every day like Valentines day. Here's my thing though--I'm not going to turn down a chance for some flowers and a nice dinner. Aboslutely not. Plus, call me crazy but I kind of enjoy being out with other couples on Valentine's Day. It's a little like going shopping on Black Friday. If I go it's more to enjoy being out really early w/ a bunch of other crazy shoppers. Either way...

To Husband

2012-02-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture to say thank you for asking if I wanted to go into Anthropologie while we were leaving the Apple Store.

And for letting us buy that ridiculously priced candle that smells like fruit punch.

Oh ya--and for being cool enough to geek out in William Sonoma with me. It's pretty great.

1/31/12

2012-01-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

It's officially the last day of January and I couldn't be more thankful. Apologies for the noticable absence in January--it was a hectic month for us. There was bronchittis, strep, 2 doctor visits, updates with work, and overall busyness. 2012 didn't exactly start off idyllic for us, but I have high hopes for the rest of the year. I told Mark we just had to get all our sickness done with in January so we could be healthy for the new year. :) How's that for the glass half full?

In my last post I mentioned a few goals for the New Year so I thought I'd address a few things that I particularly liked in January. We'll call it my January favorites/few New Year's goals met.

1. I'm happy to say that I, despite the craziness, did manage to get more reading time in. I'm especially enjoying a little devotional book (I cannot remember the name of it...) but it's been great. :)
2. I did make a new recipe via Pinterest. I made honey chicken in the crockpot and it was absolutely delicious! Pinterest really does have some amazing recipes.
3. Favorite quick dinner-Chikfila. The stupid place made me start eating meat again and I blame it for its delicious chicken.
4. I love getting to see my nephew and niece a little more often now that we live across the street. :) My favorite quote from Christian was when I asked him if he liked me or Mark more and he said "the cats."
5. I'm thankful not to be sick anymore--and to be able to swallow w/o the feeling of knives stabbing my throat.
6. I've been indulging in getting a manicure every few weeks in a soft pink color and for some reason it continually makes me happy everytime I look at my nails.
7. DVR. Enough said.

Here's to a wonderful February!

Life as of lately

2011-12-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the absence. We were wiped out from the move and Christmas. We did have a wonderful Christmas, though I must admit this is the first year I'm glad it's over. We just didn't have time to enjoy it with the move. Next year will be different. :) I am glad to say that we're finally getting settled in the new house. I can't even begin to explain how convenient it is living in East Memphis now. We're right around the corner from all our favorite stores, restaurants, and most importantly--Super Target. :) We are still far from having the house completely decorated, but there are at least some pictures on the walls. In January I plan on painting our hallway and bathrooms, but just thinking about painting right now makes me exhausted. Speaking of exhausted--you want to know what's even more exhausting than painting? Raking leaves. Lots and lots of leaves.

Since the New Year is almost upon us, I thought it would be fitting to insert a few goals or ideas for January. I've never been one to believe in New Years resolutions (those it's totally fine for those who do). I do, however, like the idea of setting goals in general. Perhaps goals and resolutions are one in the same, but you get the point. :)

Ideas/Goals for January:
1. Painting a few rooms
2. Contemplate training for the Germantown half marathon in March (still can't figure out if I want to do this or not yet...still thinking). If not, sign up for shorter races.
3. Pray for snow!
4. Read more.
5. Make myself relax and not clean if I have spare time.
6. Use cookbooks to make new recipes.
7. Have more dates with Mark. :)
8. Organize some closets (which hopefully does not interfere with #5).
9. Go to a restaurant we've never been to before.
10. Take walks in our neighborhood.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Years

House Teaser

2011-12-06T07:00:00.001-08:00

Our new kitchen in the works:

Busy

2011-11-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

Happy post Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday. :) We are counting down until Wednesday when we get to take posession of the house. In the meantime I have a newfound hatred for moving boxes and always needing something the second I pack it away.

We're just really busy at the moment and can't wait to be able to breathe and relax. Mark is coming down with another cold (that kind of sounds like it could be the beginnings of a sinus infection) and my half marathon is on Saturday. Every time I think about the race my stomach hurts and I get extremely nervous...and excited too.

Sorry it's a short post, but that's where we're at right now.

Happy Monday!

:)

2011-11-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

We are officially home owners!!! We don't take possession until Nov. 30th at 6pm though. :( But we still are homeowners! Woohoo!!

New Bedding

2011-11-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

Our new bedding is on the way! Pretty :) :)

(it's the khaki/brown one)

Happy Daylight Saving Time!

2011-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

First off, did anyone else know that it's not Daylight Savings Time but Daylight Saving Time? I read that somewhere a few weeks ago and it blew my mind. My whole life I've been saying it with the additional 's' and now I know the truth. Odd. After getting some extra rest this weekend I feel 100% better. It's amazing what an extra hour of sleep can do huh?

This weekend was busy again. Friday night was spent at the genocide conference on campus. Invisible Children had a representative (aka "roadie") there which was awesome. Saturday morning I ran 9 miles...not my best run ever but at least it's done now. This week I'm sticking to my training schedule unlike last week when I slacked off a little. Then there was a trip to Costco and a few other errands on Sunday.

Also...RIP Maximus the fish. :( He died Friday night. I'll never buy another fish again. Enough said.

This week is a little less hectic than last week so here's to keeping our sanity. :)

Happy Friday

2011-11-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

Since the last few posts have been about our future house, I thought it would be nice to venture away from that topic for a little bit. I don't know about anyone else, but I am absolutely LOVING this cooler weather. Instead of being angry that it's not in the 40's yet, I'm embracing having a cheaper MLGW bill for this month.

After work tonight I'll be heading over to the University of Memphis to see Mark at the school's Genocide Conference. I haven't been to campus since graduating so I'm excited to see what kind of changes they've made since I left. :)

This week hasn't been my best training week...in fact I've only run once this whole week. After pretty diligently training for 7 weeks, I suppose it all caught up with me because I've been exhausted. I initially felt bad taking a few days off, but I also know that it's important to listen to your body. If I dread doing a run as much as I did yesterday, I think it's better not do it because I want running to be enjoyable. I also decided not to run up to 12 miles before the half and just stick to 11. This weekend I'll be running 9 again, then the next two Saturdays will be 10, and then the last will be 11. Sometimes you just need to realize that you're not a superhero and need a break. After being incredibly busy all week, waking up early on Saturdays to run rather than sleeping probably doesn't help too much either. Maybe a nap will be in store for tomorrow.

Our life in boxes

2011-11-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Our life seems to be revolving around moving boxes these days. Call me strange, but I find something slightly cathartic about going through all your stuff and packing it away. I'm still wrapping stuff in newspaper that probably doesn't really need the extra cushioning, but better safe than sorry right? The fish (aka Maximus) is doing better I think. His eye is slowly becoming less swollen and he is definitely more active, but I still don't think he's eating. :/ Hopefully his appetite will come back soon because I don't want another dead fish.

I'm happy to say that we are (hopefully!) done with all the housing paperwork. We went to our insurance agent yesterday and now all we have left to do is close on the 17th! I feel so much less stressed now, which is good because we have been getting a lot busier at work.

There's really not much else to report so I"ll just end it with this very dramatic picture.

Weekend Recap

2011-10-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a mess. It was both productive and tiring. Friday night was spent going to Sports Authority to find a lightweight running jacket for me using the $10 off coupon I got at the Chikfila 5k.

It's the Under Armor Escape Lightweight 1/4 zip. It was a little pricey, but it was definitely worth it. Then there was a run to the pet store and Target where we stocked up on a little bit of Halloween candy. Since we're still in the apartment complex we only get a few trick or treaters, but don't you worry--the extra Halloween candy will not be wasted. :) Then we made pizzas using some leftover pita bread bought from Costco. Delicious.

So everything was going great until I woke up on Saturday. I go to feed the fish to find that one of its eyes was bulging out (it's gross). I freaked out and immediately googled it to see what was wrong. Apparently it is this illness called "Popeye" caused by a bacterial infection. I feel really bad and have no idea how this happened, but knew that when I got back from my run that I'd take care of it. So then I go to Shelby Farms and lock myself out of my car. I wait for my dad to show up and he thankfully did. I was so annoyed at this point that I didn't run at all b/c I had to go by the bank and then get ready for my niece's birthday party. I stop by the petstore to find something for the fish and finally make it back home. The birthday went very well--she got a ton of really adorable little presents. Mark then sent me a text message saying that his throat was hurting really badly so that's another sickling in the Hackett household. :/ That night I made some chicken pot pie from this new recipe I found on the internet. It was SO good!

Not much important happened on Sunday. I did finally get my 9 mile run in and was pretty sore all day. Clove got really tired around 8 and decided to hug the chair as he fell asleep. Pretty cute right?

Weekend Preview

2011-10-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

I'm amazed at how diligent I've been with updated this blog. I think I deserve a little bit of praise for this. :) Last night was spent running 5 miles while Mark so sweetly went to the grocery to pick up a few items we needed. I prepared some lamb stew the night before in the crockpot so when I came in the door it smelled sooo good. And yes, you heard it right--lamb stew. The recipe calls for beef, but we purchased a big portion of lamb at Fresh Market awhile ago and froze a bunch of it. Plus, even though I'm a peskatarian, I do occassionally enjoy lamb. It's awful I know! Little lambs are the cutest animals too :(. But it really is the only meat that I'll ever rarely want to eat a little bit of. It's weird I know, but oh well.

This weather is making me really excited. :) We lit a fire while eating dinner and watching HGTV. There might have been a little trip to Rite Aid later due to some unpleasant side effect of an ill-fitting and too big sports bra (we'll just leave it at that). I did, however, get a Rite Aid's card (kind of like a Kroger card) so I mean that trip was definitely worth it right? :)

Today I'll be buying a little gift for my precious niece because her birthday is tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, I have been dreading this 9 mile run ALL week. I literally have no running clothes to wear out in the colder weather so a little trip to Sports Authority might need to happen tonight. Saturday will also probably be spent doing some more packing and probably some sort of DIY project I'll decide I want to do.

On a random note, I told Mark I needed some sort of almond butter to take to work since I eat them with apples almost every day. Look what he bought me! Isn't it beautiful? Almond butter=LOVE

Time for a breather

2011-10-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Things have thankfully slowed down some with the house purchase. Instead of making 5 calls a day, I'm down to about 1 now which is great. I did call Farm Bureau for our home owners insurance so that is in process. Right now we are just trying to tie up a few loose ends with the loan process. There are a few additional pieces of information that the loan officer needs (they need A LOT of paperwork..geez). The 60 day notice has been turned in so for now I can breathe a little easier.

Every Wednesday Mark's store order comes in which means one thing for us: BOXES. So essentially every Wednesday night I'll start packing up a few more items. Last night I packed up some extra white dishes that we have, and after wrapping them in news paper realized that I might be a little neurotic about packing items with newspaper. Thoughts?

Is this too much? I think I'm going a little crazy with the news paper packing (I might've even packed up white pillar candles in newspaper so they won't get scratched). The thing is, Mark also brings home the old New York Times from his store so we have a ton of it. Maybe I have problem.... :/

In other news...I saw this picture and laughed out loud because it is so true!

I woke up thinking it was Thursday. Sad.

2011-10-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a little hectic. I learned when faxing loan paperwork that is probably 50+ pages, our fax machine doesn't really do too well. This resulted in faxing over our paperwork in about 6 parts...I apologize to our loan officer for that. :/ Then there were calls to the legal attorney and calls to Farm Bureau to get a quote on home owners insurance. On top of all that, work was really busy yesterday so needless to say I was juggling back and forth all day.

Our home inspector arrived at the house at 3:30 (I'm not saying "our house" quite yet because you never know what could happen). Mark was originally supposed to be there while I was at work but he got tied up at work so my boss was kind enough to let me leave work a little early. Thankfully Mark was able to leave and meet everyone there a little later. I'm happy to report that the inspection went very well with only a few minor fixes that can be easily done. Also the termite guy even showed up on time yesterday and we were cleared on that as well! :)

I took a bunch of pictures of the house on my phone, but I'm still holding off on posting them until we close out of respect for the current owners. We are really excited though! Today I'll be turning in our 60 day notice to break out apartment lease ($$) :(, callling the legal attorney to let him know how the inspection went, and going over the home inspection report with Mark. We packed up a few more items last night when we got home just to stay on top of things. I'm sure it's different with everyone when it comes to packing, but for me it works best to pack in increments. It helps me keep my sanity and everything organized.

Also, when we were at the house yesterday I saw a little calico cat in the backyard. Naturally this means that I go outside and call for it and it came up to me and it was soo adorable. I know what everyone is thinking and no I do not want another cat, BUT this can be our little stray outside kitty that we can leave food for. :) Mark and my parents both dramatically sighed when I told them this but they have to know me by now well enough to know these things.

Weekend update

2011-10-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

I must say that this weekend was really productive AND I even took a few pictures to document.This weekend included a DIY project on Friday night, an 8 mile run on Saturday, and some packing on Sunday.

I saw a watercolor painting on a decorating blog the other day and knew that I needed it in our new kitchen. So last night I pulled out my painting oils and went to town. I think it turned out pretty well! I'm going to put it in either a black or silver frame, but I think it'll look great in our kitchen--plus it was free art. :)

I also took some really old and cheap wood frames that we had and decided that they needed to be painted white. So Friday night we went to Michaels, picked up some and paper and acryllic paint and there you go. I wish I had taken picures of the frames with the pictures inside, but I did not. Sorry :/

Saturday morning I laced up my running shoes and went to Shelby Farms for an 8 mile run. Last Saturday's 7 miles were ran with Merri who helped me finish so I was really skeptical about whether or not I could run 8 miles alone. Part of me just wanted to run it out on the treadmill because it didn't sound too intimidating, but alas I went and I made it! I think I ran just under an 11 minute mile which is slow, but I didn't care because I think the run lasted around 1 hour and 22...26?? minutes. I don't know but it was long.

Sunday was spent taking down pictures and spackling up the holes. We also boxed up some of our study and it looks really sad and bare in there now.

Sunday afternoon I made this new recipe for Lasagna soup. Yes the name definitely sounds weird, but I had to give it a try. It is SO good. I think it tastes much better than lasagna (and better for you with MUCH less cheese and fat). I also replinished our bread. I'll make 2 loaves at a time, freeze one and then we'll eat on the other. I was always intimidated to make my own bread because the whole yeast and rising thing kind of scared me, but the recipe I use is really simple. It has oats, flaxseed, honey, other organic wheat products (I already forgot what they were), and no butter which is awesome.

Today we have our home inspector and termite person come to the house. Thankfully my boss was kind enough to let me off a little early so I can be there with Mark. We're excited! After this we have a few more things to do (home insurance, loan paperwork, break apartment lease), but hopefully we'll be done soon.

Never go to the grocery before dinner

2011-10-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

In our attempts to save money for the upcoming housing expenses, we've been on a spending freeze. The rule I've made is "Thou shalt not spend money...unless for bills or we need gas in the car." Unfortunately this means that we've been skimping on going to the grocery as much and have been eating up the majority of the food in our fridge and pantry.

Fast forward to last night. It wasn't pretty. After rushing home from work, running 4 miles and taking a quick shower, we finally made it to the grocery. I knew this was a bad idea because I was already cranky and hungry, but it needed to be done. Around 40 minutes later we have the very ~~random~~ necessary items such as: wanton wrappers, cherry coke zero, soy veggie lunch meat (I'm not hating on it yet...I have a sandwich w/ it for lunch today so we'll see), french style green beans, lowfat chocolate milk, and frozen ravioli. Ok so maybe these aren't the oddest food purchases, but they're definitely not the usual items we pick up. I suppose it's better than picking up a bunch a junk food or chocolate (though I might have made a dessert last night anyways..oops).

In other news, I really need to stop looking a design blogs--they're filling me with tons of expensive ideas for the house. I think I need to start looking at more DIY projects instead maybe? Well tomorrow consists of running 8 miles (UGH) and packing up more of our study. I really wanted to post a picture of the house on here but since we haven't closed on it yet I didn't think it was fair. If I was selling a house and the buyer posted a picture of my house I probably wouldn't be too thrilled since I still technically owned it. But don't you guys worry, I'll be posting pictures of the house tranformation when we start painting and stuff. I've already started packing some and the kitties were really really really excited about these boxes.

Oh and here's a picure of the new hair!

Hooray! :)

2011-10-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that we have found our house! We counter offered back and forth with the sellers and last night they accepted our offer! We are elated at this point. When we walked into this house we both just knew that this was the right one. I told Mark it was the same feeling as trying on the wedding dress and it being the "one." The house is extremely updated and right across the street from my brother and sister in law which makes it even better. :)

Although we are both so excited, the stress level since we've started this process has been really high. When we started looking for houses and shopping around for low interest rates, I knew nothing about any of it. So needless to say the past few days have been extremely overwhelming for me. We also have to deal with the issue our breaking our apartment lease and having to pay extra money for that as well, but it will end up saving us money in the long run. There is just a bunch of stuff going on right now and as excited as we are, we are equally as stressed. With that being said, we would love to be able to show all you guys the house today if could, but since there is SO much stuff that needs to be done we'd just ask that everyone just give us a little bit of time to get everything worked out and settled. We promise that we'll show anyone the else house when everything settles down and we're not running around like chickens with their heads cut off. So if we don't respond to calls, emails, or texts we promise we don't mean to ignore it, we are both just really busy with this stuff right now and need some time.

This past weekend we already went through the majority of the stuff in our apartment and got rid of about 4 garbage bags of junk.We're going to slowly start packing so by the time we close on Nov. 17 (we'll be taking posession around Nov. 30) we'll be ready. What makes this even more overwhelming is the fact that I'll still be training for the half marathon and running it on Dec. 3. So yes, we do have a lot going and would appreciate your prayers to remain sane. :) But we are so in love with this house and cannot wait to move in.

More later...

Overload?

2011-10-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic thinking "I don't know what color to paint the fireplace!" I think this is a sign, but I'm choosing to ignore that for now. :)

We have now have 3 viewings tomorrow starting at 5pm so here we go! I'm starting to learn that no matter how perfect and effortless I want the house to be when we buy it, there is going to be something about it that I don't like. From the majority of the houses I've looked at, it looks like the kitchen isn't going to be quite big enough or the bathroom is going to be really outdated. Now I don't mind putting in a little bit of work into a house, but I also know that we don't have the time and resources to spend hours upon hours remodeling a bathroom. These are things I know now.

With that being said, I'm happy to say that I submitted our loan application this morning and am waiting on pins and needles to hear back from the bank. I've always heard that buying a house is a lot of hurry up then wait, and now I understand that a little. The good thing about having already submitted our loan application is that we can telling the listing agent "Hey we're just waiting to hear back from the bank at this point" instead of saying "Yeah...we haven't even started all the loan application stuff yet." Hopefully now we sound like we're more serious which we are.

I may have also created a huge picture folder on my work computer of decoration ideas. I've also been researching how to design smaller spaces so I can be prepared. This more importantly includes how to deal with small closets and pantries. I've got some great tips in my head now thanks to the internet. :)

Oh yes, Clove has a new fascination with our pantry now. I kid you not when I say that he probably spends about 1 hour a day in there playing around or just sitting and staring at stuff. He also likes to sit on the garbage can pretty often. I mean where did we go wrong with this one?

Day 3

2011-10-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a little updated on the progres that we've made.

We have officially narrowed down the area that ideally we would like to start looking. I have a few houses listed in that potential area and there is one in particular that we (mainly I) have my hopes set on. It would be right around the corner from my brother and sister in law too! I have already scheduled a viewing for this weekend so we'll see how it goes. I knew this morning that I needed to stop looking at the pictures online of the house repeatedly because it would just aid in getting my hopes up so I decided to look for a few other properties around the area as well. We'll probably be looking at those houses pretty soon as well just so we can have a fresh memory to compare and contrast the differences.

We are just a few simple clicks away from submitting our loan application to the bank. Almost everything is filled out so we'll be submitting that shortly to be pre-approved. We also both checked our credit scores as well since we both had never done so before.

So considering we were just starting this whole process on Sunday, I would like to think that we've made good progress.

Progress

2011-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a bit overwhelmed with house hunting. This morning people at work freaked me out about mortgages being way higher than they actually would be. Then I was told that I had to use a realtor to find a house.

Then I realized that people aren't always right about everything.

Are we going to use a realtor to find a house? Absolutely not. I am perfectly capable of finding a house without any help from a realtor. We will of course need the aid of the seller's realtor once we purchase the house, but we won't be hiring someone to find a house for us. Also, thanks to my sister I discovered a mortgage calculator. It calculates taxes, interest rate, annual insurance, and the down payment and then boom! There's your mortgage.

With that being said, I feel much better now. I feel like we can actually afford a house and can pay less than what we will be paying for at our apartment complex right now. All this house hunting terrority is completley new and foreign to me so I am slowly starting to learn how things work.

We drove around a few neighborhoods last night and I learned that how houses look in pictures versus what they look like in real can be completely different. I've learned that we will have to pay County and City taxes (gross). But I have finished my current list of house options, price listed, and mortgage calculated all on my little notebook.

Now it's a matter of spending a little lesser on a house and using some of the money saved to renovate or to spend a little more and have less renovations. What to do? Also, I called the bank today and spoke with their mortgage loan advisor and he already emailed me the link to apply for a loan online.

Progress is being made.

I'm tired.

...

2011-10-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

And this is how I feel after looking at houses for one day.

Big News

2011-10-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

We have a big announcement to make (no I'm not pregnant).

We're buying a house! (And the picture above is not the house--just a visual effect).We haven't found the house yet, but we are looking. Sorry if I don't post as frequently because I will be looking for houses online during my freetime. I have a list of about 25 houses thus far. I sat down and made all the to-do lists and am feeling a little more organized. Now that I made the list of houses we will be driving around the neighborhoods before making an appointment to view.

Needless to say, we made the grownup decision to cancel our trip to New York in January because we will be moving out in February. Sad. But we are really excited about making our first house purchase. I'll keep you guys updated, but we're looking for houses in the East Memphis area.

Wish us luck!

P.S. The switch from blonde to brown went pretty smoothly--I'll be sure to post pictures soon.

Changes

2011-10-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

As of Saturday I will no longer be a blonde. I'm already have anxiety about the change (yes I know it's shallow), but it's time for something new. This will be the new color of my hair:

It might be a tad darker than the picture too, but I'm going back to my natural hair color which is a lightish brown. I'm both excited and nervous at the same time. We'll see how it turns out!

P.S. Yes the blog got a new fall makeover too. I only thought it was fair that it get one too. Every time I logged in the blog screamed "I'm bright and obnoxious with really large letter sizing!" so it was time for some muted fall colors. Hope you guys like it!

P.S.S. Sorry Mark, but I won't be coloring my hair black as you so excitedly requested. I promise it won't look good, ~~and am still in disbelief that you think it would~~.

:)

The dentist

2011-10-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Remember when I told you that we weren't picture people? Here's a prime example for you. Last night I was making a healthier version of Vegetable Low Mein with these really cool Asian low mein noodles that we bought at World Market. As I was making it I thought to myself "Hey, I need to take a picture of this since I never photograph anything." That's pretty much as far as it went because of course right after that I got sidetracked by something seemingly important and forgot to take the picture.

Is this a pointless endeavor?

I make fun of Mark for being slightly A.D.D. at times--specifically when I ask him to help me change the sheets. I promise in the 20ish steps that it takes for him to walk from the den to the bedroom, there are probably around 4 distractions that make it take 10 minutes for him to arrive to his destination. He'll get up and realize he's thirsty, get a drink, walk a few steps and 'oh a kitty!' He'll pet the cat, forget what he was about to do, remember, walk a few steps, the phone goes off....I think you get the picture. :) After yesterday though, I'm starting to think that it's definitely not just him. I make to do lists so I can stay on track becasue I have the memory of an 80 year old, but not even lists help me to remember something 1 minute after I thought about it. Sad I know. I promise I'll try and photograph something one day.

Can we also talk about the dentist for a minute please? On my last visit to the dentist 6 months ago the woman cleaning my teeth kindly (but seriously) told me that I was on the verge of having gengevisitis (no idea how to spell that) and I need to start flossing more because my gums were bleeding. I was officially terrified and envisioned rotting teeth, bloody gums, maybe a few falling out--who knows. Gross I know. So what did I do? I started flossing and walked proudly into the dentist office on Monday. As I sat down I smiled, looked at the lady and told her about my new flossing habit. The cleaning was much easier (less scraping...ugh), but then the worst part comes. She finished cleaning my teeth and I'm thinking that I'm safe and about to head out the door, but then the main doctor comes in to check for cavities. Why do I always think the visit ends with the cleaning?? I think I'm safe though--I mean I've been flossing and that helps with pretty much everything in life right?

NOPE.

One of my fillings from years ago is wearing away at the bottom of my tooth and they have to refill a little portion of it...oh but don't worry "because it's not my fault and will only take about 15 minutes." I started envisioning drills, shots, and cool blasts air in my mouth when the words "oh and you'll probably not even need numbing" came out of my doctors mouth.

My reaction "Um...that sounds like it's going to hurt."

So he said he could give me some laughing gas, but I told him I would need everything pain numbing device that he had. Then as I was making my appointment for this visit, the receptionist looked annoyed that I had to make it their last appointment because I had to work.

I'm sorry receptionist that I'm inconvencing you so much...you think I'm excited about this as much as you are? Tell you what, I can sit at your chair and make appointments for you while you have your tooth drilled into. Let's get things to perspective shall we?

Ugh...and people ask why I hate the dentist.

Sorry about that rant. The point of the story is: flossing only leads to more problems in life kids.

Back Home

2011-10-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've realized something: Mark and I are not picture people. We hardly have any pictures of us since our wedding which was over a year ago. :/ This isn't good. I really need to start taking more pictures to re-fill some picture frames. I also need someone to hold me accountable to this please. :)

We spent the last weekend in Knoxville for a nice little mini vacation. The weather was absolutely wonderful and cool. We spent the majority of our time walking around downtown, exploring a few shops in Turkey Creek Mall, eating delicious food, and sleeping in til 9am. It was definitely nice to take a little break from my half marathon training considering I was battling a week long cold which is now gone thanks to some rest. We happily discovered that Knoxville has a World Market (there might have been 2 trips there in 2 days). We ~~love~~ are obsessed with World Market a little too much perhaps, but we're still bitter that the one in Memphis closed and was replaced by that stupid Halloween store.

This week will be spent catching up on things and getting back into the routine, but sometimes going back to a routine after a little vacation can be nice. I'm happy to report that our apartment is clean, the laundry is finally done, the kitties are happy, Mark is back at school, and I am back to training. Whenever we come back to our apartment after being gone it never smells familiar to me. For this reason, I made some slow cooker Taco soup (I found the recipe on Pinterest) and it is sooo good. I think it's actually a Weight Watcher recipe, but who cares because nothing beats coming home to the smell of soup.

We ~~procrastinated~~ waited til October to start looking for a rental house. Our lease is up in February which means we will be putting in our 60 day notice in December. I'm expecting a call today about some potential houses so I will definitely keep you guys posted. Although we do love our apartment complex, the rent is a little high and it would be nice to be in a house for sure.

I would've posted some pictures from our trip, but you can revert back to paragraph one to see why that's obviously not going to happen.

Girly

2011-09-16T11:13:00.001-07:00

Girly by ohackett2 featuring platform high heels

Long sleeve top
$40 - topshop.com

Jason Wu high waisted skirt
£1,365 - brownsfashion.com

Platform high heels
$124 - modcloth.com

Clutch handbag
$66 - topshop.com

Ugo Cacciatori silver ring
€406 - lindestore.com

Kate Spade flower cocktail ring
$44 - couture.zappos.com

Juicy Couture bow necklace
$48 - juicycouture.com

MAC Lipstick Creme Cup (C) One Size
$15 - nordstrom.com

Blush In High Five
$12 - topshop.com

Background
$99 - wallpaperwholesaler.com

Thanksgiving

2011-09-16T10:33:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving by ohackett2 featuring long sleeve tops

Pringle of Scotland long sleeve top
$1,395 - lagarconne.com

Golden Goose double breasted coat
$1,350 - lagarconne.com

Skinny fit jeans
£22 - desireclothing.co.uk

Bootie boots
$40 - jcpenney.com

FLORIAN DENICOURT flap handbag
£460 - liberty.co.uk

Deborah Pagani 18k jewelry
$9,860 - barneys.com

Fossil jewelry
$36 - zappos.com

CALYPSO ST BARTH scarve
$450 - calypsostbarth.com

Work

2011-09-16T07:54:00.001-07:00

Work by ohackett2 featuring oscar de la renta shoes

Jil Sander turtle neck sweater
$945 - barneys.com

Burberry short trench coat
£595 - flannelsfashion.com

Dorothy Perkins tapered pants
£30 - dorothyperkins.com

Oscar de la renta shoes
$795 - oscardelarenta.com

H M leather shoulder bag
£30 - hm.com

Post earrings
$3,402 - maxandchloe.com

Yves Saint Laurent Pure Chromatics Wet and Dry Eye Shadow -20
$48 - barneys.com

Nude Pink lipstick
£4.90 - dorothyperkins.com

Sophisticated

2011-09-15T12:26:00.001-07:00

Sophisticated by ohackett2 featuring high heel shoes

Vince sparkly top
$505 - my-wardrobe.com

Slim blazer
$370 - reissonline.com

Miss Selfridge high rise shorts
£30 - missselfridge.com

Abercrombie Fitch tight
$28 - abercrombie.com

High heel shoes
$124 - modcloth.com

Michael Kors Watches gold jewelry
£199 - my-wardrobe.com

Betsey Johnson party earrings
$47 - zappos.com

Weekend

2011-09-15T11:20:00.001-07:00

Weekend by ohackett2 featuring fitted shirts

Old Navy fitted shirt
$18 - oldnavy.gap.com

Current/Elliott boyfriend jeans
€210 - colette.fr

Madewell suede moccasin
$40 - madewell.com

Pearl jewelry
$799 - museumwaypearls.com

H M metal bracelet
£6.99 - hm.com

Diane von Furstenberg flat belt
$220 - boutique1.com

Fedora hat
$18 - modcloth.com

Sunday brunch

2011-09-15T11:09:00.001-07:00

Sunday brunch by ohackett2 featuring long sleeve shirts

Haute Hippie long sleeve shirt
$235 - net-a-porter.com

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania short skirt
$290 - amrag.com

Falke black lace tight
$50 - my-wardrobe.com

Chinese Laundry nude pumps
$70 - heels.com

Miss Selfridge hot pink clutch
£28 - missselfridge.com

Fall

2011-09-15T10:55:00.003-07:00

Fall by ohackett2 featuring knitted shawls

Alexander McQueen long sleeve top
£875 - harveynichols.com

Fat Face long sleeve tee
£20 - fatface.com

Balmain metallic pants
£3,570 - brownsfashion.com

Chinese laundry boots
$99 - piperlime.gap.com

Yves saint laurent bag
€1.498 - unger-fashion.com

United Bamboo cable hat
$145 - lagarconne.com

Miss Selfridge knitted shawl
£18 - missselfridge.com

Weekend Recap

2011-09-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was nice and relaxing. Friday night was spent at home with homemade fish tacos thanks to Mark. :) Usually after working all week mixed with training and such, on Fridays I am completely exhausted. I'm not sure what time we crashed, but I'm sure it was embarassingly early. :/

Saturday morning involved a run and a trip to the Farmer's Market. I have now discovered that if you are to go to the Farmer's Market, you have to go before 10am to avoid the crowd and the heat. I left with a huge bag full of produce for around $12. After a quick trip to Aldi, I met my friends Anna and Kacie for lunch at Sekuisi. I hadn't seen them in forever (which is sad b/c they both live super close to me), so it was a great getting to catch up. That afternoon I went with Mark to an OBS meeting, a quick trip to Fresh Market (we shop at a bunch of different places for food--weird I know), and a fantastic dinner at Old Venice with a group of friends.

Sunday morning we went to church and then Mark had to work that afternoon and night. :( I did the wife stuff: clean, laundry, dishes, pack lunches for today, etc. So there you go, for all you guys who like to know what goes on in our exciting lives, there you have it. :)

Today is my first official day of half marathon training! I've been training before this official training so I would be ready--yes I like to be prepared. :) I'm excited, but definitely a little worried about having to follow a strict schedule. Basically if I want to be lazy one day, I probably shouldn't. haha

Mark also found out that he has several vacation days that need to be used before they expire in October, so we'll have a few weekends together which is a treat for us. :) We're thinking of making a short weekend trip to Knxoville at the end of the month, but more on that later.

Yes I'm Alive

2011-09-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

It's been brought to my attention lately that I have not updated our blog in awhile. Guilty as charged. :/ To distract you guys from the fact that I do not blog regularly, I will post a cute picture of a bunny.

See? All is already forgotten. :)

Moving on, Mark started school a few weeks ago and so far it's going great. We're keeping our fingers crossed that French will be passed this semester and that work does not interfere with his classes. I tried very hard to save money on buying his schools books, but failed when I received a call from Mark saying that he just purchased a $250 French book. I mean I guess we can just forego buying groceries for a week right? Food isn't that important I suppose. (insert sarcasm)

I begin my official half marathon training next week. I have my schedule all printed out and adjusted. It basically consists of 3 days of running a week (one long run at the end), 2 days of cross training, and 2 days of rest. For cross training I like to do workout dvds that encorporate lunges, squats, and weights. Well...let me rephrase by saying that I NEED to do those workouts--I actually despise them. If you ever see me limping around or walking funny, you can assume that it's from those horrid workout dvds (I'm talking to you Bob Harper--why do you hate me so?).

I did just complete the Chikfila 5k on Monday. The weather was absolutely amazing! It was overcast and around 70 degrees. My parents were nice enough to come with me and cheer me on so thanks if you're reading this mom and dad! Because I train on the treadmill mostly, I was a little worried as to how this 3 mile run outside would be. I antipcated taking a few short 1 minute walking breathers like I do when I train. When the siren went off, this weird little competitive voice (which I did not know I had) told me to pass the slow people and run. ha So that's exactly what I did--and I ran until the very end of the race straight through with a time of 31:47. I was hoping to finish under 30 minutes, but I am just fine with roughly a 10 minute mile. :)

Since the weather has been cooling off slightly, you better believe that we have pulled out our crockpot, turned off the AC, and opened the windows. Say hello to lower MLGW bills, veggie chili, and red beans and rice (which we will be eating tonight). I know that it's still warmer in the afternoons, but any appearance of cooler weather gives me warm fuzzies. :)

It's Friday!

2011-07-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's the weekend! I decided to start off the weekend by buying a bunch of flowers from a man that sells bouquets of flowers for only $10. Once I saw that they had sunflowers I knew I had to buy some.

I'll be going to the Farmer's Market and lunch with my mother in law, waking up too early to go for a run when I'd rather be sleeping, and taking a weekly trip to Fresh Market. We might be going to a restaurant in midtown that we've both never been to tonight. It's a French restaurant so I'm envisioning plenty of cheese and crostini at the table. Have a lovely weekend and stay cool!

House Inspirations

2011-07-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

In Februray we will be moving out of our apartment complex and hopefully into a rental house. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to move out of this complex, but that's a story for a different day. I know that I probably will not be allowed to paint and do things with a rental house that I could do with our own house, but for now a rental house is something that we're just more comfortable with. I've been collecting some room inspirations for awhile (for a rental or for our own house one day), so I thought I'd share a few.

Fall trends

2011-07-21T09:29:00.001-07:00

Am I still fascinated with the fall trends for 2011? Why yes I am. Fall just happens to be my favorite season so it's no wonder that I'm craving boots, scarves, and tights in this 100 degree weather. I've been doing some research on the upcoming trends for fall and here's what I've come up with so far.

1 Crimson: this is a Carolina Herrera dress, and while the neckline is a bit exaggerated, I think the detailing with the black belt and black tights really makes the crimson color pop.

2. Luxury and Demand: Do you remember watching old movies and thinking of how glamorous the women always looked? When I think of old-school luxury, FAUX fur (please don't wear real fur or Peta will show up at your front door with a can of red paint), long fitted coats, and lots of carmel/beige colors. Yes here is another exaggerated fur neck embellishment, but you guys get the idea. :)

3. Brightly colored Pants: whether they are fitted, wide-legged, or high waisted, I would definitely pair them with a more neutral top to keep attention on the bright color of the pants.

4. Tuxedo/Men-inspired Dressing: I had to search awhile before I actually found this trend on models that looked half-way decent. I think I like the white blouse and black pencil skirt combo the most since it seems the most wearable, though I do love the picture on the right with the bright red shoes.

5. Mustard hues: this color is going to be everywhere soon. Every time I think of mustard yellow I automatically think of Colonel Mustard from the game Clue...not sure why. Whether the color is in skirts (see below) or tops, it's one of those colors that's hard to mess up. My favorite color combination is pairing it with a blue (light or dark) color, dark purple, or cream.

6. Polka dots: I have to be honest and say that I am not a huge fan of polka dots. The pattern just screams juvenile to me, but then I saw this dress at Anthropologie and with the cinged waist and cut of this dress, I'm starting to come around to polka dots.

7. High waisted trousers: while I'm not a fan of high waisted jeans (I personally find that they are only flattering on very tall and thin people), this shape of pant is pretty much flattering to most body types.

Fall Fashion Picks

2011-07-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

J. Crew Cotton Bell Skirt:

Free People Military Platoon Jacket

Steve Madden "Sinful" Pump

J. Crew Beaded Sweater Cami

Marc by Marc Jacobs Marlene Wool Jacket

Splendid Very Light Open Cardi

Lucky Brand Holiday Highlife Solid Scarf

J. Crew Baseball Henley

J. Crew Portia Pant in wool

Fossil "Jesse" Leather Shoulder Bag

Chinese Laundry Nirvana Boots (I may have already bought them)

Oh boy...

2011-06-27T07:57:00.001-07:00

This is Clove's new yoga position. He wanted everyone to see. :)

Can it be January yet??

2011-06-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

In January we'll be returning to our favorite place in the world--Soho New York! It's going to be our very best Christmas present ever. :)

Converted to Breakfast

2011-06-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with breakfast. Generally if I'm not working out very much breakfast just isn't that appealing to me. If I start working out more, however, I get hungrier much earlier (like 9:30...still can't eat as soon as I get up yet). I was advised by a friend that if you eat crap while trying to train for a race, it's going to affect you more than you think. Now this isn't going to stop me from having a little sweet treat or anything :), but it is making me want to make healthier choices if possible.

Ok on to breakfast. A few years ago I went on an oatmeal kick. I would boil steel cut oats, put in a few tablespoons of pureed pumpkin, blueberries, and spices. It is really delicious and kept me full for a long time. Then I just got sick of it and needed a break. Now I am trying to find some healthy and fun varieties for breakfast. Here are a few finds that I am currently loving.

To me this tastes exactly how Cheerios SHOULD taste. I love pairing it with blueberries and raspberries. :)

I love this oatmeal because it has flax seeds and quinoa in it so there's a bit of crunch. The oats aren't as cut and smushy as instant oats are either.

I love Greek yogurt because it has much more protein that regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is also much thicker than regular yogurt because the majority of the water is strained out. It is a little higher in calories than some yogurt, but I don't mind because it has so much protein. The honey is my favorite! It tastes delicious with a little bit of granola added to it.

These are my breakfasts picks for now. Please comment below about your favorites so I have some good recommendations of foods to try. Sorry if you don't like posts about food but I love reading others people's recommendations about foods on their blogs--maybe I'm weird. :)

Yikes, it's been awhile.

2011-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yikes! I didn't realize that it's been so long since I've written something on here. April 25 was the last blog...sorry about that. :/

It has been insanely busy in the Hackett household as of lately. We had an absolutely wonderful vacation in Florida! I think we both came back relaxed and rested--and without air conditioning. Every time we go on vacation we come back and our air conditioning is out. We have now lived in our apartment for about a year and half and just guess how often our AC has gone out. 7 times. Yes, 7 times. We will be moving out when our lease is up in February. :) We're thinking of renting a house somewhere around East Memphis or Midtown...I'm leaning more towards East Memphis because I think it'll be a little safer for me if Mark is gone at work or something. (We really just want to be near Fresh Market, that's pretty much all that matters to us. We're kind of obsessed with it right now).

Back to the AC situation: my sister was nice enough to let us borrow their standup AC unit which was a LIFESAVER. We plugged it up in our room, gathered up the kitties and hibernated in our bedroom until they fixed our AC. She's letting us keep it for the month just in case it breaks again; it will, don't you worry. :/

I got a haircut and got my bangs cut, as seen in the picture below. It was one of those moments where you're indecisive with your bangs. It's either 'they've grown out a lot so I'll just let them be' or 'just cut them b/c I'm bored.' We all know which one won.

Last weekend one of my very best friends Pamela got married. :) It was a beautiful wedding and I'm so very excited for her and Dwight. Here's a picture from the reception:

Yes the goatee is now gone. I approve :)

When we were in Destin we went to Books-a-Million and I of course immediately when to look at the cookbooks in the sale area (some habits never die). I found this Cooking Light cookbook and knew that it had to have some delicious recipes because my grandmother bought me a subscription to the magazine once and I loved it. So far I've made a Chicken and Rice casserole (it was delicious) and a Vegetable Lasagna (see below). Both recipes were really easy and absolutely delicious. I might be weird, but I kind of like that it has the nutrition info for all the recipes. It's nice to know just in case you need to nibble a little bit more later on. :)

I've also decided, after trying 2 years and failing, to run the St. Jude half marathon in December. In the past I've had 2 stress fractures trying to train for it so I'm trying a different method of training this time. Technically the training doesn't start until around 8 weeks before the race so right now I'm just getting comfortable with running around 3-4 miles and just taking it easier than how hardcore I tried last time. I'm already feeling so much better after a week of working out. It's nice to have a motivator. When I get home from work and all I want to do is be lazy, but I know in the back of my mind that the more training I do the better the race will be. So that's about it, sorry it's been so long since I've last posted. I'll try and be better. :)

Storms, storms, and more storms

2011-04-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

When will all these storms end? My goodness, for April it has been a very stormy and tornadic month. Yikes. :/ The majority of our ACAT department all gathered in the printing room to watch the storm come across the river. Apparently there are supposed to be more storms tonight...my poor herbs are going to be staying in our guest bathroom for a long time

Poor things don't get much sunlight, but now all they see is the white porcelian tile of the bathroom. Speaking of our balcony though, I thought it was time to introduce my little bird mom/friend. She's warmed up enough to me not to fly away every time I get near her. I even managed to pet her little tail today.

I know it's dark, but she's there. :)

Stay safe tonight and happy Monday!

Excited for spring and summer

2011-04-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

2 blogs in 1 day=slow day at work. I was reading some older blog posts and stumbled across my lists of fall things that I love. Now that it's warmer outside, I decided to make a list of all the good things about spring/summer. :)

1. Iced coffee. You will rarely see me drinking hot coffee if it is above 60 degrees outside. Dunkin Donuts has my favorite iced coffee, but since it gets a little pricey buying that every morning I make my own using Starbucks Iced Via which is actually really good. I live off these things during the week.

2. Jerry's Snow Cones. I just discovered that you can get your snow cones made with vanilla soft serve last year, I think they're called the Dream something. Anyways, they are amazing and the Wedding Cake flavor is my aboslutely favorite. I've heard that the blackberry one is really good too, so maybe I'll have to get it a try soon.

3. Fresher produce. The one thing I hate about winter is how nasty most of the produce is aside from the winter seasonal produce. I went to the grocery last night and the produce was cheaper than it usually is. Yay!

4. Shorts. I would much rather wear shorts than jeans any day of the week.

5. Water bottles. I know it's a weird one, but for some reason I always equate summer with carrying around a water bottle wherever I go b/c it gets so hot.

6. Higher MLGW bills. :(

7. Beach vacation!

8. Smoothies: Tropical Smoothie has to be my favorite, the Sunny Day, but Smoothie King is also pretty good. Starbucks smoothies? Gross...maybe b/c I made them too often back in the day. Take my advice, don't get them. Just trust me on this one.

9. Sitting on the patios of restaurants and cafes instead of sitting inside.

10. Lemonade and sweet tea.

11. Summer dresses.

12. Weddings.

That's all I have for now, feel free to comment with some of your favorites!

It's Friday!

2011-04-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Curse Rebecca Black for making that horrible "It's Friday" song that is constantly stuck in my head. If you don't know what I'm talking about, search for it on youtube and you'll understand. But, it is Friday!! This week has flown by SO quickly I can't believe it. Mark and I have been so ridiculously busy this week that we literally have only spent one night together. :( Sad I know, but tonight we plan on staying in, relaxing, and finally some time together.

Last night when I got home I went out on our balcony to water our plants and my little bird friend got scared and flew off, so naturally I have to check on her little egg and suprise! there's now 2 little eggs in the nest--so cute. :) I did worry about them last night with the storm (because I'm weird I know), but they're doing just fine. It felt so nice outside so I sat on the balcony for a little bit. We plan on renting a house when our lease expires in January, but I must say that I will miss seeing this:

I know it's dark and blurry, but I really do love having a lake view and hearing the water splash from the water fountain. It almost sounds like the beach. Speaking of the beach, I'm literally counting down the days til we'll be in Destin. I know it's next month, but it still feels like forever away.

Soon I will be here, relaxing and enjoying doing absolutely nothing. :)

In other news, I know that cats love boxes and stuff, but the other day I set a Whole Foods paper bag flat on the table, and the next thing I know I turn around and:

How he did that, I have no clue.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Cookies!

2011-04-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Do these cookies not look amazing? It's called Angeletti and I found the recipe at Real Simple: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/desserts/delicious-cookie-recipes-00000000056105/page18.html

I need these in my life very soon. Feel free to make me some. :)

I would also like some jelly thumbprints...with raspberry jam please.

Or some basic shortbread with either some Chai Tea or Earl Grey.

I'll be waiting. :)

It's probably a good thing that I'm heading over to Muddy's after work today to pick up some cupcakes. I'm helping Pamela put together her wedding invitations with Kacie too. I think I might need one of these:

Post Monday

2011-04-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

I know I know, I like to change our blog template a lot. I have commitment issues with it I think. The blue background was making me have anxiety for some reason, but whatevs I changed it again. I need someone to explain something to me.

You know when you'll be driving on the interstate and all of the sudden traffic gets bad? You're driving along, bumper to bumper, anxiously awaiting the reason for this delay right? So why is it that there is (a) no reason for the traffic and it randomly clears up, or (b) two big trucks on the side of the road with those little emergency highway patrol truck things doing absolutely nothing but sitting there. Now, is it because people are really nosy and HAVE to slow down to see what's going? It's a mystery. Needless to say, my morning drive to work looked a lot like this:

I'm done with whining about that....for now at least. :) Weekend recap for you guys! Friday night Mark was closing at work so I stayed home and did absolutely nothing and it was wonderful. I didn't even have the energy to go pick up dinner or make dinner, so leftover veggies it was. Saturday I went for a quick run/walk around the lake, and for some odd reason it was really difficult. My hands swelled up (the heat maybe) and I got really exhausted quickly, so I ended up just taking a nice walk. Now my shins have been hurting for the past 2 days. I've had a bad history with shin splints and stress fractures, but I mean...I was embarassed that my shins hurt considered at how far I didn't run. :/ Oh well, it happens I suppose. I then cleaned the apartment a little bit, went shopping and found an amazing bathing suit at Old Navy, and came home for another leftover veggies lunch. Mark came home and I decided that we needed to organize our closet which included a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond where I bought really fun organizing stuff (sadly no sarcasm intended..I LOVE organizing). Dinner that night was a delicious takeout from Chang's Bubble Tea Cafe on Macon accompanied by a movie. :) Sunday we both went to church, OBS director's meeting, and an event at First Evan. That's all. :)

Clove was dying to have his picture taken so of course we had to make him happy:

Such a ham.

Last night I made baked ziti with sauted onions, garlic, mushrooms, and zucchini with the best homeade tomato sauce I've ever made if I do say so myself. :)

Oh ya! I noticed that every time I went to water the plants, a bird kept flying out of my flower bed. I then saw this:

So now we have a little bird friend on our balcony. :) Believe me, the cats LOVE it. I left a cracker outside for the mommy bird, but she hasn't eaten it yet. Rude.

Tornado Sirens are blaring :/

2011-04-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

I found this picture of heart tornadoes...kinda cute huh? :)

I looked outside a few minutes ago and it looked cloudy, then I look outside again and all of the sudden it's completely dark. I can't remember the last time it stormed this hard in Memphis...maybe months ago? This is ideal nap weather for me so if anybody would like to come take my place at work so I can go home and nap, I'd appreciate it. :) Here's a weekend re-cap: Friday night we went with a friend to Cafe Ole in Cooper Young and it pretty delicious, nothing amazingly special or anything, but a really cute atmosphere and patio. Saturday I finally got some blonde put back in my hair (you always go back to blonde no matter what), had a nice lunch with some old friends Pamela and Kacie, and had some friends over that night at our apartment to grill out. Sunday morning was church at First Evan and then some relaxation time with the husband (including a little friend we like to call Papa Johns and the Food Network Channel).

Yes, we are Food Network junkies--we admit it. We love Iron Chef and Chopped...oh and Giada's show! Love. :)

When I was eating lunch with the girls, Pamela told me that she missed when I used to make my chicken salad during the summer. Although I no longer eat chicken or anything, I decided to make some for Mark. Little did I know that he LOVES chicken salad. Who knew?? The little things you find out about your spouse the longer you're married, I love it. :) Needless to say, I made some sans the chicken for me, but thankfully Mark was a big fan of my recipe (because I kinda made like a LOT). It's super easy and I don't measure anything, but here's a list of what I put in mine: finely chopped celery, halved red grapes, chopped toasted pecans, chopped fresh pineapple, salt and pepper, chicken chunks, and either lite mayo or the olive oil mayo. It's really nice and refreshing. :)

Typical Thursday

2011-03-24T11:33:00.001-07:00

Yep...this is what they do all day when I'm at work. Ridiculous

Why is it not Friday yet??

2011-03-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I hope you are having a wonderful week so far, if not, tomorrow is Friday so that is sure to brighten anyone's day. :) For those who like to know what's going on with our lives (since we are SO interesting (sarcasm)), here's an update for you. Saturday morning included some cleaning and some gym time, followed by shopping with my mom (yay!), and going to the refugee center with Mark to put a seal on some of the marble flooring. Sunday morning I went to First Evan while Mark was working (sad), but my old college pastor's wife was there so I had a great time catching up with her. :) It felt so great outside that I went for a run around our apartment lake and it felt wonderful. It always is weird to me that the day after I run outside, my hips really hurt. If I run on the treadmill, sometimes my quads will hurt, but my hips? Weird. I don't remember much more of Sunday to be honest...my memory is horrible I know. I remember running a few errands, but I forget where.

Guess what store opens up today??? URBAN OUTFITTERS!!! WOOHOO!!! Unfortuantely I am not brave enough to brave the crazies that will be there today, but mind you in a few days I will definitely be heading up to Cooper and Young to visit one of my favorite stores ever.

On a more random note, Mark and I have decided to save some money by making our own tomato sauce. I know it doesn't sound like it would save a lot of money, but buying jar after jar of brand tomato sauce adds up. We bought a box of canned stewed tomatoes from Costco and have been making sauce in batches and it tastes so good. :) I also made a big batch of whole wheat chocolate cookies yesterday. You know those times when you really need a good chocolate chip cookie, but you're not in the mood to make them? Well I just decided to bake a big batch, bake a few, then freeze the rest. Mmmm...cookies :)

Spring essentials

2011-03-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Spring is almost here and here are a few things I'm going to be needing this season. :)

AHH!! DIAPER ALERT! Seriously...who would wear this??

These adorable shoes from Old Navy. They do come in black and grey, but I LOVE the pink.

This dress from Urban Outfitters. Love

What does everyone think of bell bottoms coming back in style again? I must say...not a fan.

This cardigan from Anthropologie

A nice tunic top from Gap

This bronzer from Physicians Formula. Yay for glowy bronzed skin.

This is my favorite waterproof mascara. It's good for those days you'll be at the pool or beach and want a little something. :) It's also good for those ridiculously hot Memphis days when your mascara sweats off...yeah, it's happened before.

A good detangling spray to help with those awful tangles from the pool is essential.

Last and most importantly, SPF!! Aveeno is my favorite brand b/c I have sensitive skin and it does great with it.

I get my husband back!

2011-03-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

Mark finally gets home today!!! Yay! I've been all by myself for 2 days and I finally get my husband back. Mark's mother and my parents were nice enough to take me to dinner both nights he was gone, so I was definitely occupied thank goodness. Deborah took me to Sweet Grass over on Cooper/Young and it is absolutely incredible. I highly recommend this place. It has a bunch of fresh and local ingredients and really clean tastes in their food. Here's a link to their webiste if you want to check out their menu.
http://sweetgrassmemphis.com/

My parents took me to Bahama Breeze which was incedible, and yes I am starting to eat salmon. I'm trying really hard, but it's weird to eat that texture after not having it for awhile. But yes, as of now I'm trying the whole pescatarian lifestyle, but really just eating salmon. We'll see how it goes. :)

Mark took tomorrow off so we have an actual WHOLE day together...what is that like again? I forget. I'm not sure what we'll do, but hopefully it involves shopping for the Florida trip! :)

I currently have new favorite spring fingernail polish. Essie's Sand Tropez. It is in the nude color category, but a little more of a brownish tint to it. I love it, it just very fresh and polished.

Don't forget that it's the dreaded Daylight Savings on Sunday, so put those clocks forward an hour on Saturday night.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Weekend Recap

2011-03-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

You know those weekends that make you more tired on Monday morning than you were on Friday afternoon? It could be that I haven't had any coffee yet, but I am barely making it this morning. :/

Here's a little recap of our weekend. Mark and I had plans to cook dinner for two of our friends Friday night, but Mark went into work that morning not realizing that he was supposed to close. Needless to say, we had to reschedule for the next day. I can't say I did much on Friday night--I contemplated doing laundry, but that never happened. Mario Wii pretty much occupied my time and I was just fine with that.

The next morning I woke up way too early (8:30...yes it's too early for Saturday) to go to the gym. The beach is coming soon, so unfortunately my visits to the gym need to start increasing. :) I then met up with my friends Kacie and Anna to make a visit to some friends in Jackson, TN. It was so great to catch up with old friends. :) I got home around 4 and since our friends were coming over at 7:30, I felt the urge to make cupcakes! I tried taking pictures of them b/c they were actually pretty, but the camera wasn't working. I made chocolate cupcakes with two different icings. On half I made a pomagranate icing topped with a little chocolate covered pomagranate. The other was a vanilla bean sea salt with caramel. I decided to make little mini cupcakes in addition to the regular sized ones. They were amazing! I might've made Mark take them to work with him though...stupid beach.

Sunday morning rolled around and I was so tired from the late night before I couldn't get up in time for church. :/ It didn't help that as soon as I get up and looked at our apartment it was so dirty and cluttered I couldn't stand it. It took me an hour just to clean the kitchen. Sunday afternoon was a whirlwind of errands. Our beloved fish Sparticus died (I won't lie, I cried and I'm not ashamed). We went to Petco to get a new fish. Welcome Maximus to the Hackett household. The kitties were clearly very excited about the new fish. :)

Mark and I went from Target, to Costco, to Kroger, to Petco, and finally home. Such a long weekend. I need a nap. :) I think the cats had more fun with the box from Costco than they've ever had in their whole lives.

Vacation!

2011-03-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

We're going to Florida in May!!

Spring Nail Colors

2011-03-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

More info/link: http://www.bellasugar.com/10-Big-Nail-Polish-Shades-Spring-2011-14571687?page=0,0,10#9

I'm a big fan of the brand Essie, it's my new favorite for sure. Anyone else think it's interesting that OPI didn't make the cut?

Sleepy Mondays

2011-02-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

I cannot seem to wake up today. :/ I went to bed late last night and now I'm paying the consequences...constant yawning and drooping eyes. I even got one of these before work:

I'm becoming addicted to their iced coffee, it's amazing. It's not too sweet, too creamy, or too strong. Excellent. It perked me up during the two traffic jams I had to drive through in order to get to work, but it's 12:00 and I'm still sleepy. Since it's lunch time, I'll share what I had for lunch today.

Progresso Lentil Bean soup! Yes I know it's high in sodium, but sometimes I just don't want to make a lunch and it's nice to have something a little easier (I mean, you open a can, pour it in a bowl, and heat it up...how much easier can you get?). I can barely make it through half a can of this soup because it's so filling, but it's so good! Now I just need to make sure that I don't eat really salty food for the rest of the day since I'm sure I got more than my daily intake of sodium in that half a can, oh well. :)

Has anybody else gotten their spring clothes out of storage yet? I've been wearing the same light weight stuff I have in my closet trying to avoid pulling out that big of bin of spring and summer clothes, but from looking at the radar it seems like I might have to suck it up and bring it out.

Mark and I have been using our pasta maker that we got for one of our wedding presents and it is so much fun! We've been making ravioli with different fillings and such, but we're still trying to master getting the right thin/thick ratio of the pasta. We made a whole wheat spinach and mushroom the other night and it just tastes so much fresher and better than store bought pasta. We say that we'll never buy pasta again, but I have a feeling that we'll have lazy days and probably buy it. :)

Sorry this was such a random post, but my mind is all hazy. I need a work nap. :/

Now tell me that this doesn't melt your heart :)

2011-02-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Another Snow Day

2011-02-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

Now before any of you haters get on to me for not updating my blog, I have a valid excuse. :) I've been sick since last Friday evening so I haven't felt like doing to much other than laying in bed or on the couch. I'm finally better after drinking a lot, a doctor's visit (bleh), and some soup from my mom (it was delicious). I hate the doctor, but I went to a new one this last time. I must say that I only waited about 10 minutes in the waiting room and had a very attentitive nurse who sympathized when I tried to be a brave and act like a big girl when I was getting my finger pricked. I decided that it was best not to look as she took 3 minutes to squeeze the blood out of my finger. Gross. I did have to wait about 25 minutes to see the doctor after that, but it was just a viral thing that needed to run its course. I am back now and feeling much, much better.

Here's a few things that's been going on with us;
1. We watched Les Miserables with Liam Neeson on Saturday night. I read the book a few summers ago so I was curious how they would speed up the story so it could fit into a movie. It was really well done and not boring whatsoever. It's always fun to see how books are played out into movies and how that differs from what you had pictured yourself.

2. We need to get our taxes done so we can just have it over with. We use TurboTax, and by "we" I mean Mark because I am clueless when it comes to tax stuff. I can barely fill out a W2 correctly (hopefully I did this year).

3. I learned that Mark apparently is grossed out by the little strands of hair that are attached to fresh corn cobs. Hilarious. I happen to think the seedy pulp in the middle of cantaloupes is horrible too.

4. We are definitely not getting sick of the snow at all! I know some people are getting really tired of it but I still love it. Spring will be fun and all, but I love everything being all fluffy and white.

5. We just started watching the show Modern Family and oh wow, it is absolutely histarical. I cannot stop laughing out loud everytime we watch an episode.

6. I made a vegetable lasagna that tastes pretty good, but for some reason Mark and I don't want to eat it at all. Does this ever happen to anyone else? You make something that tastes fine, but you just really don't want to eat it again?

7. Valentine's Day is coming up next Monday and Mark has something he's planning that I'm really excited about! I even came home yesterday to find a bag of dark chocolate covered pomegrantes on my bed waiting as an early Valentine's present. And yes, they are amazing.

8. I've been really dying to go buy some new nail polishes and I have no clue why. I suppose I'm tired of the ones I have, but I need new ones ASAP. :)

Happy Groundhog Day!

2011-02-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

Why oh why do I keep putting off going to the grocery store?? Every morning looks the same...I open the pantry, thinking to myself that I really need to start packing my lunches the night before. I see nothing that I can take to work. :/ Well, I'll just eat breakfast first and then pack a lunch. I open the refrigerator and pick up the milk to find that it's almost empty. UGH. I have got to go to the grocery store, it's killing me.

Well we had to turn off the air conditioning yesterday since God decided that it maybe should feel like winter here for once. Yes, we had the air conditioning on because the apartment was 70 degrees and that is far too hot for Mark and I--we even sleep with a fan on right now with the 20 degree weather at night, it's just how we roll. This is also probably why little Clove felt the need to do this:

Today is officially Groundhog day and I believe Phil the Groundhog's (why is his name Phil by the way) shadow did not show, which means spring is coming sooner? I think that's how it goes. Regardless, happy Groundhog Day everyone! Go watch Groundhog Day and be thankful that you don't live the same day over and over again.

My aunt Melinda informed me that I don't update our blog enough so Melinda this post is dedicated to you. :)

If anyone reading this out there has any recommendations for good herbs to grow, and by good I mean herbs that are easy to grow and I won't kill, please comment below. Last year I grew basil and oregano. The basil did great and the rosemary was later purchased at Easy Way if you know what I mean. :)

Also, has anyone been to this Mediterranean place called Casablanca on Poplar by Smooth Moves? Mark and I keep wanting to try it so we looked up the menu and it looks pretty delicious. Any reviews?

The "R" Word

2011-01-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

It's time for me to confess a guilty pleasure book that I purchased this weekend. I unashamedly love Guilana Rancic, the E News Host, and her husband Bill who won The Apprentice a few years ago. Did I watch their wedding special on E News, you bet. Do I watch their show Guilanna and Bill on the Style Network, um...duh. I'm not sure why I like them so much to be honest. I think it might be that they seem more grounded and normal than most people living in the Hollywood limelight (that's the right word right, limelight? if not, you know what I mean). They just seem to be so in love with one another it's really cute to watch. When I found out that they co-wrote a book called I Do, Now What?, I told myself that it would be really dumb to spend money on it. Then yesterday rolls around and I'm right by Borders...yep, I did it. I spent $25 dollars that shouldn't been spent on the book, hence the term guilty pleasure.

I in no way bought this book to try and get some new and wonderful marriage advice because if I was, I would look for a more Christ-centered book. This book was just for a fun read and to see what their marriage looks like. It is definitely a fun read but I didn't hear anything I've never heard before. The one thing I liked is that they both strongly emphasized was not getting stuck in a RUT, the "r" word. The longer a couple is married the more the companionship and comfort grows, hence the reason it is so incredibly easy for couples to get stuck in a rut without even knowing it.

You could find so many different definitions and types of ruts of course. I'm generally speaking about going to the same restaurants, eating the usual items, watching the same television shows at the same time, running the same paths, making the same dinners...you get the point. While I definitely do not think it is wrong to do any of these things, after awhile (whether you realize it or not), your daily routine turns very blah and you can subconsciously become discontent. In the book they mention a friend who had recently gone to Mexico and was telling them how exciting and fun the trip was. When the friend asked them what they had been up to, they almost felt embarassed to tell them the same list of things they had done that day that they do every other day. Their point was that if you don't feel good thinking or telling someone about hanging out at home when they ask what you're doing tonight, it's probably because you are tired of being stuck in the routine.

Ways to get out of the rut and can be as big as taking a spontanous vacation or little weekend getaway (if your bank account allows of course), or as small as going to a new restaurant, running on a different path, cooking together something new for dinner, taking your spouse on a surprise date, etc. Reading this in their book makes me want to try and encorporate some more little changes into our daily routine, which unfortunately doesn't mean that we can go take a trip back to New York though (stupid airplane and hotel expenses). :)

I hope this was an interesting little tid bit that anyone out there reading this might take away and personalize. Maybe make something for dinner that you have never tried before? Maybe go for a walk after dinner instead of immediately watching your favorite tv show together. It's the little changes that count. :)

Hair Advice

2011-01-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

I need this hair color:

and this hair cut:

Does everyone approve? I'd love to have that blonde hair but if I dyed it I'd be in the hair salon every 4 weeks paying for touch ups. :( Plus, everytime I get my hair cut the hairdresser tells me that I should go red.

1/21/11

2011-01-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

Mark and I are officially addicted to the show House. I purchased some of the older seasons years ago before we even met and one night we started watching them and got hooked. The internet the we were "borrowing" from our upstairs neighbor was gone because they moved out (the nerve...). Here's the bad part though: I'm sure there are people out there who can relate to the feeling of getting hooked on a television show and have it suddenly snatched away from them. :( Needless to say, we decided to be proper citizens and pay for the internet. I hope your happy A T &T. Enjoy our money. Now we have House back and can enjoy our down time together. It's dumb I know, but for some reason there are just those certain shows that hook you in with their characters and storylines. Is there anyone else out there like us or are we just weird? I mean, Pamela and I went through a Friends phase and I can still proudly quote many episodes...."could I be wearing any more clothes? maybe I should do some lunges." haha

I decided to try something that I, in my little culinary world, have never tried. Something so difficult that many people have most likely never tried before...cooking black eyed peas. Ok ok, most people have done this plenty of times and it's not difficult by any means, but I had never cooked them before. The whole process of "soaking the beans in cold water" is still ridiculous and weird to me. I might've accidentally let them soak for two days, but don't tell anyone :). Anyways I had soaked them and wanted to do something special with them because plain ol black eyed peas are boring. (By the way, does anyone else remember the restaurant called "Black Eyed Peas" that used to be on Stage Rd. and Kirby Whitten?) I looked online and picked out a recipe for black eyed pea croquettes, which is basically like a black eyed pea patty. It looked interesting enough and pretty simple so I gave it a try. They turned out pretty good, but needed a little more seasoning in my opinion. We put some Enchilada sauce on top and it made them really tasty.

I've been thinking lately about things that people like to put off doing. I sadly admit that I can be a huge procrastinator. In school I did papers and studied the night before, but it worked for me. If I ever did things in advance it would for some reason turn out really badly. Here's a list of things I like to put off currently:

1. laundry
2. returning texts, emails, phone calls (it's more that I forget than put off)
3. dishes
4. organizing the closet
5. cleaning out the refrigerator
6. eat less sweets
7. working out
8. reading more
9. finding new recipes
10. sitting still when I'm at home

Please share your lists of things you procrastinate with too. :)

In my dreams

2011-01-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

If I could pick anywhere to be right now, I think it would have to be this place (as long as there were mosquito repellant candles). Can you not imagine having a dinner party out there for hours into the night? *sigh* The only thing that could make it more perfect would be if I was wearing these shoes too.

Staying put for now

2011-01-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

We had a scare with our apartment this past week. :/ On Friday we got a notice stating that if we didn't re-sign our lease by 3pm on Monday then we would be charged month-to-month. I went to the leasing office on Saturday and the girl who handles lease renewals doesn't work on Saturdays. Strike one. Then I call the number listed on the notice and she doesn't answer. Strike two. Then I email her using the email address that was on the notice and it was sent back as a delivery failure because it wasn't a valid email address. Strike three. At that point, I'm getting really upset because I know that if we are going to be charged month to month, we would have to move out because it would charge us over $1000.00 a month. I had to take a personal day from work on Monday, our very pretty snow day, and take care of everything. Ugh...such an ordeal. I now know that you need to renew a lease WAY before your original move in date.

Mark and I have decided that we will be moving out of our apartment complex next January after our year long lease is up. We are thinking of renting a little house in the east Memphis/midtown area. We definitely have no intentions of buying a house, but we are really excited about renting one soon. We'll start looking around for a rental house in the fall, so if anyone has any suggestions or anything please let us know!

So is anyone out there ready for spring and summer yet? I must say that I am not at all. It's been such a mild winter that I feel slightly cheated out of the cold weather fun. I'd be lying, though, if I said that I wasn't looking forward to growing my herbs on our balcony again. Plus we have a grill this year so it'll be fun to use that to grill some veggies. :)

I just despise hot weather. I hate walking around for 2 minutes and have a sweat broken out on my forehead. It just feels really gross to me. I remember back when I was a little kid my mom would always make Kool-Aid and we would sit and watch the Price is Right all summer. Then of course we would go to my grandparents, swim, eat popsicles and popcorn, and watch Nick at Nite in their bedroom until our parents made us go home. Those were the good ol days. :)

Healthier Lifestyle

2011-01-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start this off by saying that I am not a big fan of New Years resolutios at all. I actually stared this new approach to eating before the New Years b/c (for me at least) I feel like I will be more consistent with it if I don't start it on New Years. Weird I know.

From time to time I like to read different people's diets and how they work. Normally I might take a few things here and there from a few diets that I think are applicable to real life, but I never follow one specifically because I think that is a sad and restricting way to live life. I did come across a book written from some reality house wife (who I honestly know nothing about) named Bethenny Frankel. Her book is basically about eating balanced meals, slowing down when you eat so you don't eat as much, and eating foods in their natural state. Although there are some things I don't agree with in her book, I do love her approach to thinking of your diet as a bank account.

After reading this book, I began thinking about how balanced Mark and I's meals really were...and it turns out that they were not at all. They were mostly carbs. haha A few days ago I decided to try eating a more balanced diet (like diary and protein in the morning instead of just carbs) and also tried incorporating more natural foods (veggies, fruit, humus, etc.) and I have to say that Mark and I have felt so much better. I also started taking my multi vitamin again (oops), B-12, fish oil, and vitamin B. Now I in no way view this as any sort of diet. Mark and I don't think it's healthy to restrict yourself too much because it just makes us, well ME mostly, really miserable. We're trying to throw out as much processed food as possible and really trying to re-evaulate the way that we approach food.

With being a vegetarian and I am ashamedly very aware that I do not get enough protein. I have been researching other ways to get it and have been eating more yogurt, milk, eggs, beans, and humus. It's just amazing how after changing your diet for a few days can make you feel so much more energized and lighter. Will we eat pizza ever again? oh yes. :) And I will still enjoy a cupcake or cookie every now and then, but I must say that after eating food that's more healthy it makes me second guess if I want to put sugar in my body AS MUCH as I was (b/c I still will :)). Anyways, that is my rant. My next agenda is to tackle tofu--it really freaks me out. I did have tofu sausage last night and it just had that meaty consistency which I hate. If anyone has any other healthy tips or ideas comment below!

Happy New Years!

2010-12-31T12:29:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be nice to list a few things that I feel blessed for that happened in the past year. I'm not a big fan of making resolutions because I feel like it just sets you up for failure. How many people go to the gym in January, but then slowly stop going throughout the year? My theory is that it's best to start lifestyle changes whenever you recognize them as something that needs to happen immediately, not just at the beginning of a new year. So here is a list of a few things I thank God for in the year 2010:

1. Marrying my wonderful husband and best friend. Although our dating/engagement period was relatively short, I feel like I have known Mark my whole life. I can't imagine not having him in my life every day when I wake up and go to bed. God really blessed me by giving me a man who is passionate and loving. Being best friends with my husband is always something I wanted growing up, but I never thought it was very realistic. Having someone to sit on the couch with and talk and about whatever and be able to agree and disagree (usually agree though :)) in love is one of the most precious gifts I've been given.

2. Mark and I being employeed. I know that the employment rate has increased by 30% this past year, but it is still so incredibly difficult to find a good and stable job. Although Mark may not LOVE working for Starbucks, it is a job that provides him with what he needs right now. Although I would have NEVER seen myself working in finance, having a stable job that is not stressful and that doesn't involve me waking up at 4 am has been such a blessing.

3. The addition of Mark's family. It has been such a joy to inherit Mark's family. It is obvious that all families are extremely different, but that makes it so much better. I am so blessed to have been accepted and loved by his family which is something I don't take for granted.

4. The kitties. Yes I know, they are like our children. :/ I am, however, thankful that I was given the opportunity to at least help a few stray animals this past year. They could've been dead in the bushes or by atree in the forest area by our apartment, but God decided to put them right where I could see them so they could be helped. Now our apartment is crazy, but at least there is lots of love and excitement.

5. Being done with school. I am so blessed to realize now why I had the urge to finish school so quickly when I was there. I never knew why I wanted to finish quickly--I just knew I did. Now looking back, there is no way I could be in school, be a wife, have Mark in school, and work at Morgan Keegan. It's weird how those little things that don't make sense in the past sometimes reveal themselves to you in such an obvious way later on.

6. First Evan. Although we're still in the process of finding the right Sunday School class, we have really fallen in love with the contemporay service at First Evan (yes Mark converted me from traditional to contempory). Having Cole as our marriage counselor made us grow even closer to the church because we got to see the kind of man Cole was outside the pulpil, which drew us to the church even more.

7. Yogurt Mountain. It's a new frozen yogurt place on Germantown Pkwy that's self serve. I typically don't like frozen yogurt, but this yogurt is INCREDIBLE. I like it better than even custard or ice cream I've ever had.

The end!

Christmas and Colds

2010-12-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Mark and I have been feeling a bit under the weather this past week. Mark's had an on and off cough all month and I've been dealing wih congestion. I've been fighting the urge to take a half sick day all day, but I just can't use it unless I'm nauseous or throwing up. I'm just going to have to take one for the team. ha

Christmas has come and gone. We had a wonderful Christmas this year--very relaxed. On Christmas day Mark and I got to spend the whole day at home together so I could rest and try and feel better. These days for us are so rare and we really do enjoy every moment. Mark won the best husband of the year award for buying me my first pair of diamond earings from Jareds! I in turn bought him a Nintendo Wi so he could play his video games after work. :)

I ended up taking down all our Christmas decoration yesterday along with the help of my mom and dad (THANKS!). I thought I was going to be really sad about it, but instead I have to admit that it was kind of nice to see everything looking clean and bare again.

I think it's about time that I get a hair cut...it's starting to get too long. Scheduling a hair appointment for me is like scheduling a dentist appointment though. For some reason I hate doing it. Maybe I can try and pull off that 60's inspired look with stick straight hair that goes all the way down your back. I'm probably not too far off now. :/

Much like everyone else this time of year, I would like to start working out more consecutively. I'm usually really good about working out in the summer, but come winter when it gets cold I'm not as good about it as I should be. I'm just never as hungry in the winter though..it's weird I know. I wanted to start working out this week, but this sinus infection/cold/whatever it is makes me just want to curl up with a mup of green tea. The best part is, on Friday the high is supposed to be 66 (yes Memphis, I absolutely HATE your weather). Last time it got warmer then colder I got sick...now time for relapse. Mark and I need to move to Iceland where it just stays cold all the time.

Monday

2010-12-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

This is what I need in my life right now. Cupcakes! This past weekend I bit the dust and went to Muddys (I interviewed for them for awhile and they never hired me...I was bitter) and I have to admit that the cupcake I got was delicious. It was a chocolate cupcake with peppermint icing. :) I also learned that my husband apparently loves Molassas cookies, so of course I had to try and make him some. Coming from a person that doesn't like molassas at all, the cookies were surprisingly delicious--very spicy and not too sweet. Now I am craving another cupcake, but I'm not going to let myself get another one. :(

This morning I awoke to the strange feeling that something or someone was really close to me. I look over and Mark is in the bathroom, and then I realize that Clove is sleeping on the top of my pillow. :) People say that your animals take on the personality of the parents, and I think we are subconsciously training our little kitten to be a snuggler. On a different note, yesterday I was changing the sheets on the bed...clean, white sheets. Then all of the sudden Cinnamon jumps on the bed, throws up, and jumps off. Needless to say, my sheets are ruined. That pretty much summed up my Sunday afternoon. I also had to go out to the Wolfchase mall to pick up a few things, and it just reminded me how much I HATE it. People are rude and it is just way too crowded. I get anxiety just thinking about it. Then I headed over to Michaels and waited in line for 15 minutes, with only 2 people in front of me. Note to self: never.go.shopping.near.Christmas.

This past Saturday Mark and I went to the refugee center/apartment to help paint and clean up. I forgot how cathartic painting can be. There is just something so refreshing about seeing a dirty wall become pretty and clean again. Mark and I spent some good quality time painting the base boards and the door trims. :) This was all after I realized that I was too short to paint the ceilings...and dropped paint on the floor (thankfully it's being carpeted).

I got a recipe from RealSimple.com for a sweet potato risotto. It sounded good, and after making it, I realized that I love risotto...just not with sweet potatoes. Sad. :( It's ok, I baked my favorite bread the next day to make up for it: Pomegranate Pistchio Bread. It's the best breakfast food because it has mashed bananas in it so it's really filling, meaning you only need a little slice to fill you up. :)

Mark and I are headed to the Singing Christmas Tree tonight with some of the family. I've heard mixed reviews, so I'm curious to see it as an outside observer. I'm so used to being in performance that it's still odd to watch. But don't worry, I have already warned Mark that I will be singing along with all the songs.

Holiday Wishlist

2010-12-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

I decided to dedicate an entire blog post to my selfish Christmas wishlist. I know that I won't be getting any of these things, but it's still really fun to see what your list looks like after you finish it. Let's begin!

1. Nintendo Wi: I want to get some of the workout games/programs so I can workout at home more. :)

2. Real diamond earings. I've never had some before and they go with anything you wear and can dress up anything.

3. Subscription to Real Simple--my sister introduced me to this magazine and I've been hooked on it. It has the best decorating and organizing ideas.

4. Tall Ugg boots. I have the smaller ones and wear them constantly, but I really want the taller ones too. :)

5. Sephora giftcard. I love makeup so much that I watch tutorials on youtube on how to do different things with it. Needless to say, most of my makeup comes from the drugstore butI love splurging on the nicer stuff at Sephora.

6. Papasan chair cushion. They have red one at World Market that I've been looking at. Mark has a papasan chair but the cushion is digusting (sorry Mark). This would make the chair look and feel so much better.

That's all for now. I didn't want to be super greedy and list 20 things. If anyone else wants to blog about their Christmas list I'd love to look at it! For some reason I love looking at them. :)

Cold Day in Memphis

2010-12-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know about anyone else, but I am getting pretty sick and tired of this Memphis weather. One day it's 40 degrees, the next it's 60 degrees. This is not cool. Mark and I have been coughing like crazy and my sinuses are apparently really mad at me. I'm ready for it to be cold and wintery. I must say that I am really excited to come home from work today because I am making some White Bean Chili in the slow cooker and the apartment is going to smell so warm and comforting. I think the biggest reason I love slow cookers (or crockpots...don't know why that have 2 names) is how the make your house smell soooo good.

Who all has finished their Christmas shopping yet?? I have a few more presents to make and then wrap, but the majority of it is done! This is the first year that I haven't waited til the week of Christmas to do all my shopping. Mark and I have all our stockings up on the fireplace (yes we have stockings for the kitties..don't judge us haha), so we're buying each other some little stocking stuffers so we have something to give each other on Christmas. Hopefully soon we'll go look for our bikes that we're getting each other for Christmas...I can't wait to ride them on the Greenline!

I hope everyone stays warm (while it's cold at least). Bring out the slow cooker and make some soup today. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you have a wonderful day full of turkey, pie, and a good nap. Bundle up tonight because the cold weather is on its way. :)

Vegetarianism

2010-11-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

So yes, I've been eating light this week so I can save up space for the much anticipated Thanksgiving feast. Yesterday, however, resulted in a really painful stomach ache post salad...I know I can't eat salads without getting sick yet I keep on trying. I'm done with salads. I'm going to be the world's worst vegetarian and not eat salads. Speaking of vegetarianism, I think it's funny how people often equate the decision of vegetarian to being in some sort of "phase." Though I have met plenty of vegetarians who later decided to eat meat, I meet more who have kept it up rather than those who have not. I'm often puzzled when people are completely perplexed about how I live a normal life without eating meat. The type of questions I get are: don't you need protein??, what do you order when you go out to eat?, don't you miss eating meat?, do you ever crave it?.

I just think it's funny because I never think twice about living any differently than anyone else. Vegetarian was a choice for me, not b/c I am animal activist (although I do love them I know that not eating meat is not going to save them), because I never ate it that much and I don't digest it very well. So my answer to all those questions are: yes you need protein, but there are so many other sources for protein that are actually better for you than animal protein is--I order veggie things (sandwiches, burritos, pasta) or I simply order side dishes of vegetables, and sometimes if there's a really delicious menu item w/ meat I'll order it w/o meat or just pick aroud it--I don't miss eating meat...I honestly don't even consider it when I am trying to decide what to eat--and no I do not crave meat, but I never have in my whole life even when I was eating it. Anyways, that's just my spill on vegetarianism. I've come across so many people who don't understand it, but for them I wouldn't recommend being a vegetarian anyways.
I actually challenge people to go a few days without eating meat and see how you feel. Some people (generally with type O blood) will not do well b/c they digest animal protein very well and crave it typically, but for the rest I challenge you to see how you feel once meat is out of your diet. If you feel better, then I recommend trying to go longer periods without meat. After going for 2 years without meat, anytime I have that sinewy texture in my mouth accidentally it's just appalling. Just for an FYI, type A blood is the "vegetarian blood type" that does best w/o meat (it's what I am too).

Moving on, something I've always wanted to do has been lingering in my mind recently. Although I would love to work in or own my own bakery one day (investors, give me a call please ha), I've been hearing about several people who bake things out of their homes and sell them to people. I know that this really constitutes as a business, but I'm looking for a way around that title to avoid all the legal issues. I just think it would be a great side job to say make a few baked goods for someone throwing a party and doesn't have time, or someone who is having their family over for dinner and need something sweet or dessert. If anyone knows more about this or has any advice or ideas, let me know.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

2010-11-21T18:01:00.001-08:00

Check out these awesome cookies on my other blog. :)

http://olivia-bakerscorner.blogspot.com/2010/11/double-chocolate-cherry-cookies.html

Clove

2010-11-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

This is my first official blog post from work and I feel like I should be in trouble right now...oh well. Well we have a new addition to our household--Clove. We really didn't want another cat, but I found a litter of 3 kittens hiding in the bushes in front of our aparment 2 weeks ago. It was freezing outside and they were just shaking and I couldn't stand it. So to make a long weekend story short...we trapped the kittens and the mom (it took awhile) and took them to the Humane Shelter. They wouldn't take them b/c they weren't hurt or abused, so we were stuck with them and nowhere else was open to take them to. We ended up putting the little kennel of cats in our guest bathroom bathtub with some beach towels under it. We kept them there overnight and I decided to play with them since they were there. I pick up my favorite kitten and Mark walked in, saw it, and told me that we needed to keep it. :/ I took him the next morning to the vet, came back, and took the other cats to the Bartlett Animal Shelter. They wouldn't take them either b/c I wasn't a Bartlett resident..so I got my grandmother who lives in Bartlett and she filled out the paperwork and they are now safely there. Raising a kitten that is 5 weeks is old SO much work. We initially had to bottle feed and potty train him. I swear I do not know how women handle having babies...I can barely handle this kitten. He is really cute though so it kind of makes it all worth it. :)

Moving on...we (well, me mostly) are really looking forward to our first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. I've been watching the weather religiously to make sure that it's going to be cold on Thanksgiving b/c if it's hot I get really cranky. ha I'm going to be bringing homeade mashed potatoes and a caramel apple pie this year. The pie is a new recipe so we'll see how it goes. :) Soon I will begin working on our homeade Christmas presents this year but I can't say anything more b/c they're a secret. :) We also went to Chattanooga last weekend at a bed and breakfast there just to relax for a little bit. After going to a bed and breakast, I'm not sure I ever want to go back to a hotel ever again. The people who work at bed and breakfasts treat you like family. You come into your room with fresh robes chocolate covered strawberries awaiting you. Then you have turndown service...a 3 course breakfast...what more can you ask for??

Mark and I are wanting to take a holiday picture for our Christmas cards this year, but we're wondering if we get a friend to take the picture for us or if we set the timer on a camera? How do most people take Christmas card pictures?? We're obviously newbies at this. :)

23rd Birthday =$23 for charity:water

2010-11-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, Mark here! I'm turning 23 on December 15 and am donating my birthday to charity:water. Pretty much that means I do not want gifts, but instead for you to give $23 to charity:water for their work around the world.

You can donate by clicking here.

I can smell the holidays a'comin

2010-11-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

I know I know...we are not the world's most steady bloggers. We blog sporadically and it needs to end. My aunt informed me a few weeks ago that I needed to update and I forgot again. I promise to do better! *fingers crossed* Mark and I have been ridiculously busy the past few months. Mark's store has slowly been improving, but it will soon be insanely busy since it's almost the holiday season. He spoke last month at a little conference called Ignite Memphis where people are chosen to speak for 5 min. about ways to improve Memphis. I've been working hard at Morgan Keegan and been enjoying married life so much. :) We both agree that being married is just getting better and better as times goes on.

Now I know my sister will understand and appreciate this, but we started decorating our apartment for Christmas last night. Yes I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet but I just can't help myself! I want to enjoy our Christmas decorations longer than 4 weeks, plus it's one less thing I have to worry about once it gets really busy near Christmas. This year I decorated the tree and bought the ornaments from the Dollar Tree because they're cheap and in case the kitties want to play with the tree, they don't break. I'm going to take pictures of everything once I finish. :) Christmas and Thanksgiving this year are more special than ever because it's our first Christmas as a married couple. I never imagined how much different the holidays become when you are married. Everything is more sentimental because you know you'll be starting traditions that'll last for a long time. I want to fill our home with the warm smells of cookies baking and soup simmering. Speaking of cookies--I'm baking some Earl Gray Tea cookies right now. I found them on www.realsimple.com. They are very low calorie (I think 44 calories a serving) and are not too sweet...and perfect with tea of course.

We also bought little holiday kitty collars for the cats and 10 min. after putting them on we took them off. It didn't go over to well. Mark and I have been eagerly anticipating the fall and winter weather--basically since September. We are both cold weather people and love to bundle up in the cold. We are planning on going to a bed and breakfast somewhere in Chattanooga sometime in November to get away for the weekend. Perhaps it will be our new pre-holiday tradition to get away before everything gets crazy. A tradition we started last year was to go to Waffle House on Christmas morning for breakfast. Surprisingly enough, it's really packed too! We decided that a tradition we want to start for Thanksgiving is to buy cards for each other and write down what we are most thankful for one in another and thank God for blessing up so much.

Now that it's getting colder, it means that it's time for a few things:

1. Time to buy wood for the fireplace at Kroger.

2. Time to turn off the heat and pile on the blankets.

3. Because we keep it so cold, the kitties are usually on one of us trying to stay warm by the time we wake up in the morning .

4. Time to remember to put your robe by the shower or else the dreaded LEAP to the robe where every part of your body is wet and cold occurs and you are miserable for the rest of the morning.

5. Time for yummy drinks such as: mulled apple cider, hot chocolate, and latte's.

6. Time to plan out your holiday gift list (I even wrote out a whole list of everyone's names we needed to get gifts for at work..yes I am very productive). :)

7. Time to bring out scarves, gloves, boots, sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets.

8. For girls, time to switch to a heavier moisturizer because the cold weather dries out your skin.

9. Time to lather on lotion more heavily than usual to prevent really dry skin.

10. Time to watch all the cheesy Christmasy movies (Peanuts movies are my favorite!!!).

11. Time to find Mark a stocking b/c as of now, both kitties have one and I have two all hanging up on the mantel...two Olivia's and 2 kitty stockings...I don't look selfish at all right? (One of my stockings is in place of his soon to be stocking so don't judge me haha).

12. Time to buy tins at the Dollar Tree to put all my Christmas baked goodies in.

13. Time to hit the gym harder and run longer outside to burn off those Christmas goodies.

That's all I have for now, but keep expecting more things soon. :)

Weekend Update

2010-09-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. Life has been pretty hectic recently. This weekend I had some decorating adventures that even included me going to Walmart...somewhere I haven't been in years. Although I know that Target is more expensive , I would much rather spend the extra money than go to Walmart. I know it sounds snobby, but I really just don't like it. But I was needing some picture frames for a few projects that I'm working on, and for my diploma that finally got its own frame.

Here is the first project I did...it is a collection of Starbucks gift cards glued on to cardboard and put in a poster frame (which I originally got for something else, but it didn't fit). I apologize for the flash on ALL these pictures...I'm not a photographer by any means.

The next project I did involved a calendar my mom gave me last Christmas that has a bunch of old timey food posters. I bought some frames and here you go! I made three of 3, but this is just one.

Then I went fall crazy at Walmart and bought all these really fun fall decorations. By the way, they have really great smelling candles for $3-5. I got Carmel Apple Spice and Pumpkin. The table cloth I bought, well, it doesn't really fit right. I think it's supposed to be for an oblong table, but oh well. You can't tell in the picture anyways. :)

Oh and this tablecloth was only $9 too! What a bargain!

Hope you guys have a great week!

New Painting

2010-08-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my painting! It was a picture I found online and decided to paint. I tweeked it a little to make it my own, but I really like it!

Weekend Update

2010-08-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far, minus the horrible heat outside. I'm sure all of Memphis is counting down the days until fall weather starts to creep in. That is probably one of my favorite seasonal feelings: you wake up one morning during early fall right before the temperatures have started to drop and walk outside to realize that you need a jacket! Then the nights are cooler and that wonderful fall smell comes. I'm not sure I'm able to capture that smell in words...maybe smokey, sweet, and crisp. Yankee Candle needs to bank on that idea and make a candle called "Fall" and it would be a hit seller. I've been so excited about fall coming that I've been purposefully been using up our summery scented candles so I can buy new fall and winter ones!

Mark's Starbucks store's air conditioning unit broke this afternoon and the store is now at 95 degrees. I predicted the response of his district manager perfectly too. The correct response: you should close the store immediately. The actual response (predicted by me): you should just get some fans. Ugh...really? I feel badly for the baristas working there. When I worked at my old store that happened and amidst the heat were the awful customers complaining about it. Speaking of good ol' Starbucks, I have to go and work a 4 hour shift tomorrow morning which is odd considering I don't work there anymore. But hey, my manager worked very hard to get my shifts covered so I could start at Morgan Keegan so I suppose it's the least I could do right?

Speaking of Morgan Keegan, I'm still loving the job. I'm happy to say that I'm out of my first week of work. Now I'm a somewhat familiar face and know a little more what I'm supposed to do. Today Mark and I ran some errands and went to a Street Team Meeting for OBS. I was excited about be able to go to church tomorrow, but I can't because of that 4 hour shift I have to work. Oh well, such is life...and it's the last time too. Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Job Update

2010-08-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

See the big brown building on the left? That's right! That's where I work now! Today I just finished my second day and my brain is in overload mode. I've already reached that 'I'm so lost' to 'I think I'm kind of getting this' to 'I can't even comprehend what I'm being told right now...words going in...out...' Tomorrow I'm going to try and do things on my own instead of observing so we'll see how well this goes. I've already missed the turn to leave my floor, gotten on the wrong elevator, and walked into the wrong department. So yes, I am ready for the whole first week "fun" to be over with. It's hard coming from a job where you are one of the people in charge and knows what to do to not knowing anything or anyone. It has been really wonderful to wake up around 6 and not have to wear nasty black or white polos and a green apron anymore. The best part of my week by far (and yes, it's only day 2) is that I don't have to deal with customers or clients. I love it!

Mark has been enjoying his new car. He keeps telling me that it's weird coming home and not seeing me taking a nap. Oh, and I have to thank my awesome brother-in-law Stephen for lending me his extra iBook G4 since my old laptop died. Does anyone want to buy a broken Macbook for its parts maybe??

The kitties have not yet adjusted to my new schedule. They in fact still want to be fed at 4am and will not leave me alone until I do. I'm ready for fall by the way!

Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Quesadillas

2010-08-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Usually during the summer I honestly don't like cooking that much. I'm not sure why exactly either. In the winter I'm much more prone to cook--maybe because the oven warms the apartment. The good thing about summer, however, is the abundance of fresh vegetables. As a vegetarian, I appreciate the fact that I can go to the grocery store and find a ton of fresh veggies on sale. One of my favorites right now is fresh corn (at Kroger it's usually 3 or 4 for $1). I was trying to decide what to make for dinner and awhile ago I made veggie enchiladas with fresh corn. This time I went on a different route...

So last night I cooked a really delicious meal for Mark and I thought it was "blogworthy." I wish I had taken a picture of it but we ate it up too quickly. Next time I'll take a picture! We were going to make enchiladas, but we decided last minute to make quesadillas instead. They had roasted fresh corn, red pepper, onions, and cheese. They were amazing! If you have a panini maker they make exactly quesadillas in a shorter time than on a griddle pan. I had leftover corn, pepper, and onion mixture but you can use it to make a ton of other stuff. Try using it in soup, on a panini, or in pasta.

Ingredients:

1) 3 husks of fresh corn (I used the bicolor)

2) 1 red pepper (any color would taste fine)

3) 1 medium yellow onion

4) minced garlic

5) olive oil

6) margarine

7) 1 & 1/2 tbsp. rosemary

8) 4 whole wheat tortillas

9) shredded cheese

Directions:

Remove the corn from the husk by cutting it with a knife. Saute some garlic (however much you like really) in olive oil in a saute pan. Add the corn with a tablespoon of margarine and chopped rosemary (fresh rosemary tastes the best). Stir until the corn is tender, about 5 min.

In another saute pan add olive oil and saute the peppers and onions.

Put all your veggies in one bowl and let set for a few minutes to let the flavors blend together.

Assemble your quesadillas by adding your cheese (however much you'd like) and veggie mix. Cook on the panini pan until done and enjoy!

Sorry that I don't have the accurate measurements on a lot of the ingredients. I don't measure anything when I'm cooking, only baking, so it's really up to your how much of something you want. Mark gave them a thumbs up too!

Good Times :)

2010-08-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Things have definitely been looking up for the Hacketts this week! I'm happy to report that I no longer work at Starbucks anymore and I am officially employed by Morgan Keegan! I will be working in the accounts department, though any other details or descriptions about my job is still unknown to me until I start on Monday. I'll tell you the story of how I got the job:

A few weeks ago my sister Andrea submitted my resume to her superior because their was a job opening. I didn't get that job so I honestly just forget about Morgan Keegan. After around 4 more job openings/potentials that I was still waiting to hear back from, I get a call one morning when I was eating breakfast with a friend of mine. I had been waiting to hear back from a tutoring job so when I got a call from an unknown number, I assumed it was them. It turns out that it was a man who worked at Morgan Keegan asking me if I could come in THAT day for an interview. I "suited up" (if you watch How I Met Your Mother, you'll get the reference) in my best interview suit and drove downtown an hour early so I wouldn't get lost. I ended up getting to hang out with my sister and see where she works and meet so really nice people she works with. I interview--think it goes well, and don't hear back that week. I get really discouraged and simply assume that I didn't get it. Then I get a call and it turns out I got the job!

The best part of this job so far is that I've gotten to buy what I call "big girl clothes." I've shopped at Ann Taylor for the first time and a sweet girl who works there helped me put a few outfits together. Blazers, slacks, and heels are such a nice and refreshing change rather than black polos and pants. So goodbye Starbucks and hello to the corporate world of salaries, paid vacations (eventually), federal holidays off, weekends off, and the return to church on Sundays. :)

In other news, my parents bought a new car a few days ago and gave their old car to us. Typically my parents gave of the kids a financial gift after getting married. Instead of taking the money, Mark and I opted for the car once they bought a new one. So goodbye to Mark's old Pathfinder (aka "the failfinder") and hello to a 2003 Toyota Camry that won't fall apart!

Yay!!!

2010-07-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Sorry it's been so long since our last post. We are happy to report that we have purchased Mark's new laptop and I am picking it up today at the front office where it got delivered. We'll miss having Stephen's temporary desktop mini in our study though. Since the purchase, Mark and I have been cooking dinner every night so we can try and save money rather go to restaurants. We are trying to use up the majority of our food so the next time we go to the grocery we can restock and not waste anything. Aren't we just so economical? haha

Not much has gone on this past week. I have been spending time with Mary Rachel, one of my old high school best friends who is living in Memphis again. Mark had a flat tire the day we bought his new laptop online, so my natural reaction wasn't too great. Thankfully Mark's dad had some connections and was able to get the tire repaired without cost from us! To return the favor Mark and I cooked him dinner and I made a chocolate chip pie. Here's the recipe from Bakerella:
* Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie… Oh My! *
It was pretty delicious, but I ended up throwing the rest away because it's not good for me to keep baked goods in the house. :/ Hence the reason my work gets a lot of brownies and such.

This Saturday Mark is showing a documentary called Worse Than War at First Evangelical Church at 4:00 pm. Everyone is invited! When he first made me watch it, I was honestly really skeptical because the word "documentary" to me means really boring. This film, however, keeps your attention more than most movies can for me. For people who do not know very much about genocide, it objectively paints a great picture as to what genocide is and where it's happened across the world. Probably the most interesting parts of this film are when the actual criminals who committed the act of genocide are interviewed. The film's narrator/protagonist really aims to get into the mindset of these criminals, and what you find out is shocking and not what you would expect to hear.

Speaking of movies, last week we were out with a few friends and ending up talking about movies and such. This led us to two films that we watched of the weekend: Se7en and The Hunting Party. Se7en (made in 1995) is a movie I told Mark that he's been needing to watch and he finally did. The Hunting Party is one that he wanted me to watch and I recommend it to anyone. Go watch a trailer for it! We went and saw Inception too, which is definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Also, on my final note: if you want a cute little coffee shop to go to, there's a place called Square Beans Coffee located in the Collierville Historic District Square that's really cute and has a good selection of coffee drinks. :)

Next Week

2010-07-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hi! Mark and Olivia here! Here's what we got going on next week!

Olivia is:
going to lunch and a movie on Monday with friends to celebrate her birthday :)
working nonstop until next Friday :(
being amazing :)
watching the bachelorette on Monday night. Mark is not.

Mark is:
speaking at the Hope Experience Youth Conference on Thursday night
working nonstop until eternity
hopefully a double date with some friends
returning to OBS after a week off

We recently got cable! Mark is not used to watching TV so it's a new experience for him. Olivia likes to exercise in front of it and then go ride her stationary bike. The cats don't ride the bike.

Kitty Update from Olivia:
Nutmeg has gotten quitter at night but hyper-needy when we get home. He also likes to sleep in the bathroom sink...
Cinnamon is a little nicer than he used to be but still doesn't like a lot of attention. That's good, Nutmeg is like having a 2 year old around.

Keep Us in Your Prayers

2010-06-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Mark here. Olivia and me are both having issues with work (mine are particularly frustrating) and they don't appear to be getting better anytime soon.

Thanks to all of you for helping during this time:

Stephen for giving me a computer to use for OBS since mine is dead.

Paul for simply asking how I am doing and encouraging me to keep moving forward.

My core staff at work (primarily Brittany, Amy, and Flexer) for being so great.

Olivia's parents for buying us a new garbage can

For my activist peers around the nation who are helping me prepare to transition OBS into an official non-profit.

Anna for giving us a cable plug.

Our cats for being quieter at night (even if we've forced them to be)

Olivia for being perfect :)

Love you guys. By the way, if anyone feels like donating me a $1,000 Macbook Pro for OBS that'd be wonderful. If you want to throw a few bucks towards it I'll give you a hug.

New birthday update

2010-06-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

As of recently Mark and I haven't been having the best of luck, especially with work. Although I'm not going to go into details, work has been a series of stressful situations one after the other. The last event, however, has changed my birthday donation to charity: water idea unfortunately. Yesterday there was an accident at work involving spilt water on Mark's laptop. Thankfully his hard drive was saved, but his computer was not. :(

We're trying to find the most economic and affordable means of alleviating the problem. Although we would both love for Mark to be able to purchase a new laptop, that would be too much money. As of now he is using his brother's old Mac Mini desktop computer, but it's only temporary. The only alternative that we can think of right now is to purchase a Mac Mini desktop that has been refurbished and let him use my laptop for the majority of the time (though it's not in the best of shape it will work). Because of our unfortunate luck, it doesn't make much sense to take donations to charity: water when he can't even do any work for them without a computer. Getting to my point, for my birthday any money would be so gratefully accepted towards purchasing our desktop computer.

Here's to hoping that our luck improves and things start looking up.

My birthday is next Thursday!

2010-06-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

The weather has finally cooled off thanks to a mid-afternoon thunderstorm that was much needed. It decided to start thundering as soon as I was taking up the groceries from my car, but thankfully nobody was electrocuted and the bag with the eggs did not drop. We have finally developed and put our wedding pictures in albums and frames! The wedding seemed like so long ago!

We spent the last two days celebrating a late Father's Day with my dad and his dad. Unfortunately we weren't able to make it to either family function on Father's Day (you can thank Starbucks for that). After a wonderful marathon of working 9 days in a row, today is my first day off in what seems like forever. What your parents fail to tell you when you're growing up is that when you get older and marry, summers don't include sitting around watching tv or reading all day. Oh the past days of no responsibility when all that mattered in the summer was knowing what time the good tv shows came on. Now as an adult (well, hardly an adult really), summers now mean that work still takes up the majority of your time. Then when your long awaited day off comes, you realize that you don't even have cable and a multitude of cleaning, laundry, and errands await you.

All these things aren't bad of course, it's just part of the process of growing up I suppose. I think you know that you are getting older when you have price tag shock with anything above $20 and no longer even look at the clothes section in stores anymore. If I go into a store other than a grocery store, it's on a mission to get one item and I'm headed to the sale/clearance area first--something my mother thankfully taught me.

Now that it's been a good month coming from the honeymoon, I can finally say that I think (think...not positive yet) that our apartment is decorated how I like it. Before I got married, decorating was just not an interest whatsoever. It's funny how fast your tastes can change when it's your own place. I'm still trying to get a feel for what specific style Mark and I have; right now I would say it's more of a modern/contemporary feel maybe?

My birthday is next Thursday and for anyone who loves me enough to get me a present, this year I'm donating my birthday to charity:water. You can donate $22 for my 22 birthday by clicking here!
:)

I figured it would be kind of nice for a few people to have a chance to drink some water you know? I just know that not every person in the world gets presents on their birthday, but not even being able to have something to drink on your birthday makes me really sad. So yes, that's that. I am, however, slightly selfish and only want one thing for my birthday--a mountain bike! I want to be able to ride a bike on the trails at Shelby Farms. Now I know that nobody is going to get me a bike and that's perfectly fine, but sometime in the future I'm going to buy a mountain bike. People without water though are just more important this year. :)

20 Things

2010-06-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

I promised myself that I would update this blog much more regularly than I used to now that the busyness of the engagement and wedding has finally died down. I thought that instead of writing a typical blog tonight, I would write a little list of a few things I've learned about being a wife during the first month of marriage. :)

#1. I like to sleep in the middle of the bed. Despite Mark being a whole foot taller than I am, all 5'2 of myself likes to claim the middle.

#2. I have inherited my mother's genes for cleanliness, but unfortunately it has multiplied to a state of neurosis almost. I'm trying to teach myself not to care about having a clean apartment...not working yet.

#3. Clothes will always magically appear in my dirty clothes hamper no matter how often I do laundry.

#4. Boys eat a lot of food and drink a lot of milk.

#5. Me and power tools do not need to be near one another. Mark had a nice little non-bloody stab in his foot from when I tried to unplug the power drill.

#6. No matter how hard I try, I'm not very good at hanging up pictures straight.

#7. When your husband is 6'3, everything he hangs up is really high on the wall (as my mother pointed out to me).

#8. Having two cats requires a lot of attention...especially concerning the whole litter box situation.

#9. Every time after I vacuum, my cats both roll on the backs on the floor like its the best carpet they've ever felt.

#10. Boys like to leave stuff out and not put it back in its place (Mark has improved though) :-)

#11. I have a wonderful husband who still is pursuing me and taking me to nice restaurants spontaneously.

#12. Mark loves our kitties more than I do sometimes, though he'll never admit it. :)

#13. I break around 2 glass objects per week.

#14. It's so much better having a husband to help you bring in the groceries.

#15. I require more naps than Mark does as he pointed out to me. I also am cranky right when I get up from a nap.

#16. As much as I hate it, Mark can cook asparagus much better than I can.

#17. I love having a husband to run errands with.

#18. Kitties like to take turns sleeping in empty boxes.

#19. Mark and I are both procrastinators about practical things.

#20. Mark reads historical and political literature whereas I read fiction.

A few wedding pictures

2010-06-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hi!

2010-06-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone who has faithfully followed our previous wedding blog. Unfortunately, the blog got hacked and messed up. Boo :(. But now it's back and running again which makes me really happy because I wasn't digging that temporary new website we were using at all.

To update everyone, our honeymoon to New York was absolutely wonderful. The most commonly asked question we got was: "What tourists spots did you go to?" My answer is , not many. We only went to Times Square (kind of a let down) and Central Park (awesome!), and Chelsea Market. We stayed in Soho which is the newest part of New York. We were right by Little Italy, China Town, and Greenwich Village (or "the Village" in NewYorkian talk. :) The two times we had pizza were two extreme experiences. The first pizza was incredible! Best pizza I ever had. The second time we ate at this place called Lombardi's that's supposed to be the first pizza place in New York. It wasn't that great...especially when I got sick from it a few hours later and was in bed the rest of the afternoon. Everyone in New York didn't walk as fast as I thought, we only got lost once (thanks GPS on the Iphone), everyone wears black and leggings, and everyone is really tall and skinny. I felt the urge to wear leggings with my shorts just to fit in with everyone else who towered inches above me.

Life came to a reality crash when we got home from our honeymoon to discover the our air conditioning was broken. It was 90 degrees outside. Ugh. It got fixed though, and has also broken three more times after that too. :) We have a new adopted kitty in our home now. There was a little white and orange tabby that was hanging around in front of our apartment building. It being really skinny, I of course went and bought it some food. A few days later I learned from our neighbors that a family who moved out a few months ago had left their cat outside...declawed. Yes, their inside cat who had no front claws or any idea of how to survive in the outside world was left alone. I couldn't take this so after talking to Mark, we decided to adopt it. Hence welcome to our new home Nutmeg!!

Cinnamon wasn't too keen on Nutmeg for about 2 days, but now they're BFFs. :)

As for me and Mark, I have just been promoted to shift supervisor at work. Basically, I now handle the money stuff and designate where people go and when they get breaks. Best part about my new job is that when customers complain and need to talk to the person in charge, guess who gets that honor? Mark is increasingly becoming anxious about doing his nonprofit work with OBS full time. He's not too excited about starting school in the fall, but there's still time. :) Currently I'm reading The Life of Pi which I had heard so much talk about...and now I know why. It's an incredible book so far. Go buy it! Also, within the next few days I'm going to put some of our wedding pictures on here. :) Yay!

Less than 11 Weeks Away...

2010-03-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

Mark and I have done our engagement pictures in Knoxville this past weekend. It was a great time to get away from Memphis, school, and Starbucks for awhile. Unfortunately, and I think that many can relate to this, coming back home and diving into the routine is almost as bad as it was before you left. Thankfully, spring break is next week so we can get more of his things moved over to my apartment. I would say it would be a time to catch up on sleep, but I'm not sure that Starbucks got the memo about spring break...so 4 am, I will still be seeing you. :)

I finally have a bridal shower on the 27th this month! Ever since the day I got engaged I have been most excited about the bridal showers. There really are only a few details left to finalize. We have: the guestlist (which will have to be cut down unfortuately), reserving Old Venice for our rehearsal dinner, and my dress fitting on next Thursday.

Here are some pictures of us and Knoxville!

Results of Our Engagement Party for Charity:Water

2010-02-17T06:35:00.001-08:00

Hello friends! Mark here! Just wanted to say thanks for all of those who came out and celebrated our engagement with us! We were excited to have all those close to us come by in support!

Also, your donations instead of giving gifts will make an impact on the ground in Africa! You guys gave $245 to charity:water to dig clean water wells. Thanks for helping! Results are here: http://mycharitywater.org/OBScharitywatercampaign

If you want to see more directly how your money will impact lives in Africa, please consider coming to this fundraiser for charity:water this Saturday:

http://www.operationbrokensilence.org/?p=3001

All the event details are in the link! Hope to see you there, and bring a friend or two! Love you guys!

Moving Out

2010-02-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

I am on my lunch at work so I primarily apologize if this post is slightly fragmented in word or thought. Much has happened since the last post! I will be moving out of my old apartment and moving into a new 2 bedroom apartment! Mark will be leaving his old room and joining me after we get married. Although the process was quite excruciating (involving co-signing on the lease, etc.), I am really excited to get an early start decorating our new soon-to-be home. So yes, next weekend I will be moving out of my old apartment that I was only in since last June. It just so happens that I will be moving in the day of the charity: water fundraiser at First Evan. Oh well...that's life now isn't it?

Mark will be moving some of his stuff over so we are both searching around for boxes to move all this stuff! I went looking behind some grocery stores, but the only good ones I found made my car smelly so I dumped them. I am just going to use the boxes from work after our order comes in. Thank you Starbucks! ;)

The snow day yesterday was so wonderful! We both thoroughly enjoyed not having school, but then again we ALWAYS enjoy not having school. We spent the day watching cheesy romantic comedies...something Mark rarely does because all he likes are the serious movies that are really good but make you want either to kill yourself after or contemplate the meaning of life until you get a headache. :) So he watched my kind of funnier movies yesterday and it made me happy. :)

Well my work break is unfortunately over. On to make more drinks and caffeinate America.

Getting Near the End

2010-02-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

I am finally beginning to feel the burden of wedding planning lifting off my shoulders. This week the caterer, location for the bridesmaids luncheon, and engagement pictures were all booked and planned. Mark and I chose yummy food (including mini Chicago style pizzas and stuffed mushrooms). All the major things are not out of the way!!! Contracts have been signed and the dates have been booked. Now we get enjoy our engagement, of which includes our engagement party, wedding showers, and engagement pictures.

At the end of the month we will be taking our engagement pictures! Saturday the 13th we are having our engagement party in honor of charity:water at my apartment. All friends and family are welcome to come! It is going to be a come and drop-by sort of party from 6-9. Instead of gifts we are taking monetary donations for charity:water. If you need directions just give me a call or text me. :)

Officiator and Marriage Counseling

2010-01-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hello all our dear followers. :) Today is a cold and cloudy Memphis day with a precarious lurking of a possible snow and sleet storm tonight and tomorrow morning. Yesterday was, of course, in the 50's. Sometimes I wonder how all the Memphians don't get sick more often from the extreme temperature changes. Currently I'm sitting in Starbucks drinking a doppio espresso macchiato "working on homework"/reading a summary online because I didn't feel like finishing William Paley's argument for the existence of God. I feel so ashamed. :)

On to more important news! Mark and I met with the pastor at First Evan, Cole Huffman, yesterday for our "interview." After agreeing to be our wedding officiator, he is going to meet with us for a few sessions of marriage counseling. We both are really excited and curious to see what kind of things we might not agree on and vice versa. Either way, we will be learning how to work out the future conflicts that are inevitable, but in a way that is honoring to Christ. Mark and I both are striving to have a marriage that exemplifies the model of marriage God intended--something that is only attainable with constant forgiveness.

One thing that we both have been learning recently is the "art of saving money." I have been shopping at Aldi (a really great place to buy groceries where all the money made goes to charities). Instead of spending money going out to restaurants, we have been learning how to make money stretch out by buying inexpensive grocery items and pairing them with frozen vegetables and so forth. We are becoming quite thrifty. :)

I would write more, but I have a trial run with my hairdresser for my wedding day hair! :) Til next time...

Our Honeymoon :)

2010-01-24T17:38:00.001-08:00

After visiting the travel agency, my jaw dropped to the floor in astonishment concerning the cost of our ideal honeymoon to Rome. Between the costs of the flights, hotels, car rentals, food, etc., there was just no possible way that we could afford the trip. I must admit that I was really disappointed. It took me about an hour to shake off my disappointment and poor Mark was very kind and patient with me. He even offered to buy me ice cream, but at that point I was inconsolable and just needed time to get over it. We then decided that we needed to stay within the US to save money on airfare. The one place that stuck out to us both was New York! We both have always wanted to go there so we went for it!

We bought our flight tickets and booked the hotel and we are set to stay in a Holiday Inn in Downtown Manhattan, the SOHO area. It's near Greenwich Village, Little Italy, the Statue of Liberty, good shopping :), etc. I have been looking up some of the best restaurants and cafes to visit while we are in the city. I'm so glad to get the honeymoon booked though! I feel like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders. :)

Poor Mark is working at his store, heading up OBS, and doing his 9 hours at school. I know it's already hard on him, but he has a good attitude about it. I'm trying to be a good future wife and cook for him and help relieve stress whenever I can. I come and do homework at his store whenever I can because at this point we have to make time to see each other. We are both ready for May to be here. I must go to bed soon because 4 am soon calls! Til next time. :)

Honeymoon Booked!

2010-01-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

Mark here! I'm sure Olivia will be posting all the details later today, but we booked our honeymoon to NYC! The original plan was Italy but plane tickets are already on the rise and we have a budget. :)

Updates and Thoughts

2010-01-21T19:50:00.001-08:00

Hi to anyone who is reading our lovely blog! :) A few little things to update anyone who is interested in our wedding planning progress. Both of our wedding bands are sized and ready to live on our fingers. I had a hard time taking mine off at the jewelry store and now my engagement ring is lonely. :( This was our first week of school and apart from it being tiring, I think it will make us both more productive. It seems like the more things you have to do (like waking up at 4am and not getting home til 10) makes you get a lot more done.

We are scheduling a time to meet with our wedding officiator/pastor next week. We both hope that he will provide us with marriage counseling because he is one of the wisest men I know. Another bridesmaid got her dress last night. That means 3 down, assuming Kacie ordered her dress. :) Our charity:water shower is in the works for February and we are both really excited to donate our monetary gifts to the cause. I honestly can't imagine what it's even like to have to worry about not having water or getting raped or attacked carrying a huge jug of water miles upon miles to my family. This brings me to a small but saddening point. Starbucks has joined with many other wonderful businesses who are taking donations for the Haiti relief fund. Although we have had many customers joyfully give their money, I must say how disheartened I have been with the majority of peoples' refusals to pay. One man angrily told me that he has 6 kids and people like Bill Gates need to help out. My immediate thought, though I unfortunately couldn't say it to him, was that if he and his family are that short of money, why is he at Starbucks spending unnecessary money on such a luxury like coffee. Another man when asked for a donation replied with 'That's ok I'm good.' Of course you are..you aren't the one lying in the middle of the street with debri and fallen parts of buildings lying on top of you and your cut off limbs.

Sorry about the sidetrack. All week the baristas have been dealing with customers grumpily refusing to donate $1 to the fund, yet they spend $4 on coffee 1-2 times a day. Americans simply must get their priorities in check, and if an awful situation like Haiti won't do it, there is nothing stopping God from causing a similar disaster here in America.

I must say that though it is very easy to angry and annoyed with these people, I used to be one of them. My thoughts were on my life primarily, not globally as they should have been. That is where meeting Mark has increasingly enlightened and opened my eyes and heart to what is going on in the world. I've never seen anyone care as much for people who are hurting, suppressed, etc. as Mark does. Though I probably don't tell him this enough, I really do want to have a heart like his one day. Unfortunately my little heart hurts for stray animals I see on the sidewalk instead. When it got really cold here in Memphis I was worried that all the stray animals and homeless people would freeze to death. Thankfully Mark is helping line up my own priorities and open my eyes to see this vast array of people who are terribly hurting that I never really cared about until now. It's true that you want to marry your best friend, which I can %100 say that I am doing, but I am also blessed enough to marry someone who exhibits the love of Christ so apparently that I can't help but want to emulate it. So yes, I know I have rambled on and on...and not really even about wedding stuff. I promise the next post won't be as long. :)