Goal Month One

Oh yes, oh yes, it is that time again!!! New Year's Resolution time! I have decided to take it one month at a time! First month's goals: Lose 15 lbs, Clear up my skin, BLOG MORE!

I am gonna need a lot of support for the first one that is for sure! I have a dear friend's wedding to go to in July and want to look my best! THIS IS THE YEAR!!!!!

Also, my to read list will be coming out soon and I am super excited to start!

Christmas Blessings

We were very lucky to get a good amount of money right before Christmas and was truly blessed to be able to get the things we needed and some extra things we had been wanting!! One of which was a trip to the ICE exhibit in the National Harbor! It was How the Grinch Stole Christmas themed!!!!

As the year comes to a close I look back and see all the changes we have made. Some good, some difficult to deal with. My major change this year was moving from being a bather, to being a groomer! It will in the long run make me a more disciplined, better person. As for the difficult, Juli is still unemployed, but this has in turn enabled him to write his book! Look for it in bookstores in a few years :)

I hope to accomplish many more goals this year but more on that to come!

Cut, Curl, Crimp

Phew! What a whirlwind! I am currently working on my 100 groom dogs that I must accomplish before I am allowed to get commission and let me tell ya what!! It is EXHAUSTING!!!! I mean bathing dogs is hard work don't get me wrong, but the mental stress is magnified by like......562%!!! I am really enjoying the experience though! I know that it will be a big adjustment, but I am up for it! I am so thankful for a husband who willing to put up with the long hours and stressed out wife!! Love you baby!

We all know what comes after Thanksgiving and so I am sure you all know what I am superdy duper excited about!!! I can't wait until then!!!

*is too tired to blog* *stay tuned*

When one does one's best

Grooming school...what can I say. It has been an interesting road. It has had its down points for sure. But yesterday (mind you 1 more day left) I FINALLY began to feel like a groomer. I did a Standard Poodle and a Bichon yesterday! I was able to do Poms and clean feet (Katelyn did an excellent job an the other half of the poodle too!!) on the Poodle! CLEAN FEET ARE EXHAUSTING! For my non-groomer friends, clean feet is the process on poodles where you shave their feet really short. It is very tedious because you have to shave between the toes too! Bleck!! Not my favorite grooming process! I DO however LOVE LOVE LOVE hand scissoring! I find it relaxing and rewarding!
The finished product!

This little lady was a Bichon named Mandy!!! She was such a sweetheart (must be the name :P) And she turned out very pretty if I say so myself!!!!!


Thankful Thought #4 I am thankful for friends who miss me when I am gone

Thankful Thought #5 I am thankful for inspirational friends who keep me constantly bettering myself

Thankful Thought #6 I am thankful for CANDY CANES!!!!!!!!!!!!

When Inspiration Hits

I LOVE being inspired. I love looking at people's ideas, digesting them, and forming my own version to fit me. I always enjoy a well written blog. This is one of my favs:
Kim's Blog

Because of her list, I have made my own. I hope to look back this time next year and see everything crossed off. Enjoy!!

1. Have our own apartment
2. Furnish our home
3. Make my own candles
4. Have a pen pal
5. Adopt/sponsor a Humbolt penguin
6. Lose 50 lbs.
7 Read 10 biographies
8. Volunteer at an animal shelter
9. Participate in Boston Marathon
10. Scale rock climbing wall at gym
11. Meet my water goal everyday
12. Find the perfect library card catalog
13. Reduce amount of foreign made purchases
14. Buy more local foods
15. Visit the ocean more
16. Keep up on birthday cards
17. Read more history books
18. Save $2,000
19. Write an informative article and seek to have it published
20. Own an original piece of artwork
21. Visit all the museums in the Smithsonian
22. Take a picture at each monument in D.C.
23. Manicure my nails more often
24. Actively seek methods to clear my skin
25. Watch every Marilyn Monroe movie
26. Learn the rules of tennis
27. Be able to swim 10 proper laps
28. Visit Salem
29. Host a formal party
30. Dance in the rain
31. Have a snowball fight
32. See Wicked in New York
33. Take Julio to New England Aquarium
34. Enjoy each I Love Lucy episode again.
35. Do one thing I am scared to death of
36. Rescue a cat in need
37. Upgrade our car
38. Raise $5,000 for charity
39. Watch 5 documentaries
40. Start a bookclub
41. Become cat certified
42. Attend a cooking class
43. Take ballroom dancing lessons
44. Take 5,000 pictures
45. Learn a craft
46. Own one piece of Harry Potter movie memrobilia
47. Grow my hair out and donate to locks of love
48. Buy a tailor made suit for Julio
49. Own a pair of antique candelabras
50. Accomplish more this year than last.

I hope some of these give you inspiration to follow some of your whims this year and live life to the fullest!

The Season of Thanks

I love the cold weather....(wipe the shocked look off your face please). I was ALSO pleasantly surprised when I walked into Target and saw they have almost ALL of their Christmas products out!!! Yay for Christmas music!

Thankful Thought#3 I am thankful for living in a state where there are distinct seasons!

(kudos to Kim for being able to cross goals off her list :)

My Three Sons

Each one of my "Boys" is special to me. I love them like sons. Circumstances being what they are, children wise, the really ARE my sons!
Rocky. my chunk of LARD, will ALWAYS be my first cat! I grew up a dog person, so the notion of feline pets was foreign. Juli grew up a cat person. Since we have an apartment, a cat was the only option. When we got him, my heart melted. He was still on milk and I stayed up ALL NIGHT with him making sure he didn't get lost in anything. He is my rough, tough, closeted mama's boy. He HAS to snuggle when he wakes up and sleeps between Juli and I for at least an hour a night!

Parker....where to begin with him? He is my hippie-I-love-everything cat! He is the sterotype kitty! He purrs at EVERYTHING. He scares easily, hacks up hairballs, and sleeps in the weirdest places. We got Parker shortly after our stillborn. I NEEDED him and he needed me. When we got Parker he had a terrible flea infestation, worms, and ear mites. What a project he was! What a joy he is!
Last, but not least, Neville! MY hamster! I NEVER< EVER< thought I would get ANY type of "small animal" pet. But I was at work early one morning and was just looking at the Robo dwarf hamsters and out of all the ones that were asleep, Neville came right up to the glass. Guess who came home with me?!?!?!? He is one of the best pets I have ever had. He is adorable, silent, doesn't eat much, and provides HOURS of entertainment for the cats! (And us!!) I love how he is a little fluff ball when he is curled up asleep!



Who knows what type of pets we may have in the future, but I NEEDED the ones we have now!


Thankful Thought #2 I am thankful for the opportunity to have animals that bring joy, comfort, and love to our lives!

Thankfulness is.....

November is the beginning of many things. Cold weather, fall leaves, Countdown until Christmas (for everyone but me...which starts in March :), and most importantly; The season of thankfulness.

My goal for this next month is to list my blessings. Join me in finding and MAKING reasons to be thankful this month!




This is our best attempt at a "family" picture this weekend :)


Today's Thankful Thought is I am so grateful to have a loving husband who also happens to be my best friend.

Revaluate

Imagine you only had a limited amount of time to do the things you love. What would you cut out, what would you enjoy? I am asking myself this question and finding that there are a lot of things in life that I THOUGHT were important, but in actuality they are frivolous! I vow to spend my free time doing productive, enjoyable things from this day forward. (chores not included :P)

Marriage Expectations

I have been in grooming school for 12 days now and it has been exhausting. I had yesterday off, and I thoroughly enjoyed it with my husband. You know what we did? Absolutely nothing! Well, not nothing because we went to a few of our favorite stores, but we vegged a good portion of the day.

Today, when I had to go back to work, I was sad. I wanted to spend every moment with my husband. This got me to thinking about my marriage. I have always known that I wanted to be a wife. It is just one of those things I have known I wanted since I was a little girl! I always expected marriage to be an amazing thing, two people going through life moving toward the same goal. To be happy no matter what the circumstances.

Life has tested those expectations. Juli and I have been through a lot compared to some, and nothing compared to others. We have only been married for six and a half years and compared to my grandparents who were married for 48, it is just getting warmed up. I like to think that we have grown as people, and a couple because of these experiences. I have learned so much from my husband. I have learned to be patient, to be content, to love life to the fullest. I am proud to be a wife and that sadly has become a lost art these days. I love what Julia Stiles' character in Mona Lisa Smile says about never regretting to be a wife, and that the stero types Julia Roberts was trying to break them of were the same standards she herself was putting on those who TRULY wanted to be a wife.

Did I expect marriage to be wonderful? Of course! Did I expect marriage to be a walk in the park? Of course not! But the one thing I NEVER expected was that one person could impact your life and change it for the good so incredibly, that even if your life was perfect before, it pales in comparison to your life with this person. Those type of expectations are the kind I can look forward to as the years grow sweeter and sweeter!

Do you love your soul?

soul (plural souls)

1. The spirit or essence of a person usually thought to consist of one's thoughts and personality. Often believed to live on after the person’s death.
2. The spirit or essence of anything.
3. Life, energy, vigor.

Your soul defines who you are, whether openly or subconsciously. Those who love who they are, what they do, what they do not do, have such a happy presence about them that you can SEE their soul through their eyes. Do people see who you are when they look at you? Is there any question on what you are passionate about? If not. WHAT are you waiting for? Life is but a vapor. Gone in an instant. My challenge for you is this: Find who you are and embrace it, perfect it, define it!

♪These are a few of my favorite things♪

Snow covered pine trees
Reading a book with a cryptic title and finally figuring it out
Lists
The smell of my husband
Couples who still enjoy each other after years together
Plums
Crawling into a warm toasty bed with a chill in the air
Songs that move me to tears
Puppies
The perfect pair of shoes
Soft socks (who am I kidding....socks of any kind!)
Powerful quotes
Cards
Everything that is Christmas
Tears of joy
Woodsy scented candles
Making a difference
Ice water
Friends who are more like family
Penguins ^-^
Red hair
My husband's laugh
Baby smiles
Roaring fireplaces
Pools

"I know that you are not perfect and nor can I claim to be either, but please believe me, when I say that I want to be by your side, to hold your hand, to treasure you in the morning and in the noon-tide, to be next to you, to be held close to your heart now and for the rest of my living years, to comfort you, dry your tears and calm your most frightening fears, to fight your battles and show no shame to scream my love for you out loud all over the land."
Source Unknown

With a kiss and a smile

Kiss someone you love today and smile! You never know when it will be your last!

Julio and I put together a realistic Bucket List a few days ago. I thought I would share our lists and share the experiences with blogworld!

Mandy
1. Feed penguins in South Africa
2. Go to a fancy restaurant and dance with Juli
3. Shop in New York without worrying about budget :)
4. Try out for The Amazing Race
5. Fit into my wedding dress
6. Travel to Ireland
7. Build a library complete with library ladder!
8. Read all the books IN my library
9. Go to all the museums in Egypt
10. Make my own candle line


Julio
1. Go to Hawaii for 2 weeks
2. Be a successful author
3. Look better than Taylor Lautner
4. Meet Sylvester Stallone
5. Only worry about spending the rest of my life with Mandy
6. Have a place of our own in the city
7. Learn how to paint
8. Travel to Japan
9. Become an amazing cook
10. Meet Josh Groban


If you notice...traveling and meeting people are a running theme in our lists! Although I melted when I read Juli's number 5 :)

I think if I start saving tip money now....I might be able to cross off one or two before I die! LOL!!!!

The Power of a Quote

A friend posted this quote on facebook today and I fell in love with it!

"When it comes to your marriage, if the grass looks greener somewhere else, it's time to water your own yard!"

How true this quote is! Too many people are ready to jump into another imperfect relationship before trying to work on the one they have. Marriage is not easy by far, but with effort, love, and good principles marriage is the best thing a person can experience. If you aren't happy in your marriage try changing your outlook on it. Don't blame the other person but look at YOUR side of the fence and see where you need to tend

In fact, it can apply to every aspect of life. If you are not happy..only YOU have the power to change it.

That is my little tidbit for the day! I am so in love with this quote!!!!!

Let me count the ways..

This Saturday I had off from work! WOW!! I miss that!!! I know that with Juli being unemployed right now EVERY day I have off is Saturday...but it FEELS different!

We went to The Golden Corale for their amazing breakfast buffet. (Now I know we are on a diet.....Sat. was our free day this week so hush!) Then we hit up Best Buy drooling over all the technology we cannot afford! LOL!

We also went to the mall in Columbia! We went because I had some coupons for Yankee Candle and we all know how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE candles!! I got some awesome fall candles that were on sale plus the coupons!!! I had to hold myself back from buying my Mistletoe candle because I told myself I wouldn't buy one until after Halloween :(

After that we strolled to the bookstore which is always an overwhelming process because there are too many books and not enough time. :)

All of this was a great time.....but my amazing husband makes even this everyday things SOOOO MUCH FUUUNN!! I love his sense of humor. I love his logical thinking. I love that he has a love for art and literature. I love his desire to SHOW me he loves me! I love that he is not afraid to kiss me in the rain. I love that he has a softer side! I love that he has a rough side! I thank God every day for giving me the perfect man for me! Life is a journey and I love my traveling partner!

With you to the end

I found this article so heartwarming. Even in nature monogomy IS possible! I love my "penguin"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257469/Say-cheese-dear-Hilarious-pictures-penguins-posing-perfect-picture.html

Three things in life

There are three things in life that a woman cannot have too many of. One: shoes. Two: Purses. Three: Nail polishes!!!!!!

I am addicted!!!!! I love painting my nails, but I am A. terrible at it and B. it doesn't last long because of work! There is nothing more feminine feeling than having a nice fresh coat of polish on! Right now I have 19! I need at least one more to make it an even 20 and you know me and odd numbers!



Also.....................................FOOTBALL SEASON KICKED OFF!!!!!!! Pats win!!!!

Romance in a Unromantic World

I love my husband. I try to show him everyday why I fell in love with him.....but some days you just run out of ideas or motivation. What a find this book was. My love affair with Amazon continues constantly but this was such an exciting moment :) I was randomly looking up date idea books and I found this one! I read the reviews and couldn't resist. I have NEVER read a more helpful book! I read one page every night and although I may not use the exact examples in the book, it does get my romantic mind churning. It makes my heart swell with love and you just get so excited to try an idea out, whether his or one you have concocted based on a phrase! I hope anyone out there wanting to be even one ounce more romantic checks this book out!

Animals have feelings too....

There are a few things in life that get me truly fired up! Animal abuse is one of them! Most of you know that I am an animal welfare activist. Now don't get me confused with an animal RIGHTS activist. I don't believe that animals should be treated better than people or anything like that, but why pray tell do people think that, because we are the dominant mammal on the planet, we can hurt animals for fun and entertainment? Do animals have a voice to tell you that why they did something? Do they understand the consequences of their actions? No! They are not stupid either, but we as people have a responsibility to treat every living creature with proper respect. I am not a vegetarian by any means and I believe that God gave us animals to sustain us in life. BUT I do not believe that an animal has to grow up in inhumane conditions and be killed in the most gruesome way possible either. I do not wear leather because I do not agree with the way they kill the cows, I do not eat at KFC because I HATE the way they raise their chickens and kill them in a horrible manner, I DO NOT under any circumstances go to the circus! Why? Because I feel a moral obligation to show my disapproval! Yes I am just one person, no it probably wont make a difference...but to me I can KNOW that I did not condone behavior by indulging in the byproducts of abuse! *end rant*



On a more positive note, I have lost 6lbs since going to the gym and already feel healthier! I am really enjoying swimming almost daily and can feel a difference in my clothes!!!!!

I have also decided to take the plunge and go to grooming school! Very nervous and very excited all at the same time!!!!

My New Hobby

One of my goals this year was to lose weight. So far...EPIC FAIL. Over the past few weeks I have been weighing my options. I have looked into nutritionists, Jenny Craig, and supplements. None of them seemed right. On Monday a friend and I were talking about working out before work and starting to discuss a gym membership. I stopped by after work and checked it out.....it was love at first sight! This gym is amazing! It has two pools, a hot tub, two saunas both dry and steam, all the cardio machines you can think of, unlimited fitness classes and this gym is 24 hours! SOOOOOO I get to workout before work and chill after work!

With this membership you get a fit assessment. Needless to say.....I have a ways to go. BUT, I get two free personal training sessions! My first one is on Friday at 6 am! I am super excited! Since joining the gym and spending almost every day there doing some activity of some sort, I have lost 6 lbs!!!!! YAY ME!!!!

6 years ago...

6 years ago I married my best friend. The man I married is an amazing person. he takes care of me and loves me with every ounce of strength he has. He also stripped copper for two months to save money to take me on a romantic weekend getaway to D.C!!!! So here are some of our pictures...in no particular order because no matter how hard I try, I can't get them in the right order on this thing =P

This is Union Station. One of the biggest train stations at the time it was built. If you put the Washington Monument on its side, it would fit in just the lobby!

Hahah This is the International Spy Museum. Quite a let down on our part though. Not worth the money :(


On our bus tour!



I LOVED the Capitol Building! Everywhere you turned was something beautiful!



Our hotel was very modern!!!



This was at the end of our day two. As you can see....I am burnt to a crisp! I ended up with 2nd degree burns on my shoulder but it was soooooo worth it!


We took a night tour of the Mall and it was amazing! Sadly my camera didn't take the greatest pictures!




The rotunda at the Capitol! (I warned you there was no order!)Hahah his new favorite shirt!
Overall, we had a great time! There are so many more pictures to come!