lindsay

BRITNEY!!!!

2011-09-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

What a CONCERT!! I met two of my friends in Charlotte last Thursday for the Britney Spears concert. DJ Pauly D from the Jersey Shore was opening/spinning for her, which I thought was a little weird but whatever, we were excited to see BRITNEY!! Such a fun time!!

At Connolly's before the concert

Excited about Pauly D!! lol!

Here we go!!

Isle of Palms-2011

2011-08-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

This was our second year vacationing in Isle of Palms and we are loving it more and more! This was one of the best family vacations, yet!! No specific reason, just fun being together! Sarah was only 4 months old when we went last year so it was harder on my sister since she was napping a good bit. This year, she was full-force and loving the beach and water! I'm ready to go back!

My Beach Photography Project

2011-08-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have seen these done before and decided to document our family vacation in Isle of Palms by spelling out my name with scenery :) I'm excited to get it framed and put up somewhere in my house!

Christmas 2010

2011-02-22T08:09:00.001-08:00

Yep, that's right folks. I'm am posting CHRISTMAS pictures :) That's how far behind I am in blogging. Lots has happened since Christmas and I will be posting those pictures, too.

Christmas was extra special this year since we have a new little girl in the family. Sarah was almost 8 months old so she actually enjoyed unwrapping her gifts and playing with her toys. So much fun to have another little baby around.

As usual, my parents and I drove to Spartanburg Christmas Eve for our annual gift deliveries and visits. Of course, no visit would be complete without lunch at the Beacon. YUM! Unfortunately, I had my first bad experience there. My sandwich was HORRIBLE! Blah. Still won't stop me from eating there again. Christmas Eve night, my dad dressed up as Santa and showed up in my sister's backyard for my niece and newphews to see. This has been a tradition for several years and always a hit. They don't see him upclose so they think it's really him and hurry to get ready for bed. Santa also leaves them bells that "fell" off of his sleigh. My dad also played Santa for my co-workers little girl, which is always fun. Funny story, we were waiting on the call from my sister as to when to show up, so we were driving around. My car had been making a funny noise so I pulled into a cul-da-sac so I could drive in circles for my dad to listen. Keep in mind, he's fully decked out in a Santa suit standing in the street while I drive around. All of a sudden we hear "Heeyyy Santa!" There is a little girl in a mini-van that is pulling up and she is hanging out the window so excited to see Santa. I was cracking up and dad was doing his best to play the part. She proceeds to tell "Santa" that she dreams about him and loves him. Wish I had a video camera. So sweet. Anyway, here are some pictures from Christmas and of course, the SNOW!

Shutterfly 50 free Christmas Cards

2010-11-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!! It is that time of year again….CHRISTMAS!!! And time for Christmas cards. I LOVE sending Christmas cards as much as I love to receive them! I love to check the mail everyday during Christmas to see what cards I received and hang them up on my photo hanger! I got the proofs back from our family photo shoot so now it’s time to start thinking about what picture/pictures to use and what design I want for the card. And thanks to Shutterfly, bloggers get 50 FREE Christmas cards if you go here http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/ .

You know me, I LOVE free :) I have not used Shutterfly for my cards before so I am excited to try them out this year!

It is going to be a hard to narrow my choices down but here are some of my favorites:

Some of my other favorites that Shutterfly offers are:

2010 Family Vacation-Isle of Palms, SC

2010-07-30T13:01:00.001-07:00

We had our annual family vacation last week and this year we chose to switch it up and go to Isle of Palms. We've always gone to North Myrtle because my dad had conventions and we just tagged along. Since he is now retired, we can go anywhere. We LOVED IOP! The beaches were less crowded and Charleston is just so beautiful! We took our bikes down there and took nightly rides around Wild Dunes, which is one of my favorite things to do. It was also Sarah's first trip to the beach, so we loved seeing her in a bathing suit and watching her try to figure out why her feet were sinking in the wet stuff on the beach :) The boys had a blast, too. They loved riding their bikes, going to the beach and the pool, going to the waterpark and playing the Wii at the house. All-in-all, a very successful trip! Here are some pictures from the week.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-07T07:46:00.001-07:00

We had my dad's side of the family over on July 3rd for dad's famous ribs & chicken......YUM! Here are some pictures from the cookout.

Molly Goes to School

2010-03-26T11:29:00.001-07:00

Molly had her second day at school on St. Patty's Day! Her first time was when Ben was in kindergarden and Molly came to visit. This time, it was Marks turn. So, I took my lunch break and went along with my parents to take Molly to school. Mark LOVES Molly and was so excited that she was there and he was able to show her off to his class. Now, Molly does not LOVE being around a bunch of kids so I sat in the circle to help make her more comfortable. She did surprisingly well and visited each child!

Mark introducing Molly to his class

Happy Birthday Sarah Elizabeth Mullikin!

2010-03-02T07:40:00.001-08:00

My sweet, little niece was born March 1, 2010. Everyone is doing great and glad to finally meet Sarah! She looks just like my sister when she was a baby!

Happy 1st Birthday, Caeden

2010-02-11T13:42:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Caeden's 1st birthday and this past Saturday, some family and friends celebrated with him at his house. We had BBQ for lunch and a yummy cake! Caeden did so good all day and enjoyed every bit of his celebration, especially having his very own cake :) Here are a few pictures from the party.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy :)

A mini-trip down memory lane

2009-12-21T13:42:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, my parents and I decided to take a drive up to McAdenville to see the lights. This used to be a yearly tradition when we were young but we haven't been in a LONG time. I went once when I lived in Charlotte but it's still be several years. So, since we were heading up that way, we decided to make a day of it and visit Winthrop and drive up to Charlotte. First stop, Winthrop to see how the campus has changed and visit all of the places we lived. I say "we" because my mom went to Winthrop, too, and married my dad before she graduated so they lived up there while mom finished her last year and dad taught. Here is where they lived....925 1/2 Ebenezer Ave.

Then, on to all of the places I lived while at Winthrop....well, most of them. My freshman year, good 'ole Margaret Nance

I didn't get a picture of the dorm from my sophmore year but they are all pretty much the same! This house was where I lived my junior year with two of my good friends and it was my favorite place that I lived. I loved this house! 327 Ebenezer Ave. It's looking a little run down :(

I didn't get a picture of where I lived my senior year but here is the apartment that I lived in my second senior year...lol! I went 4 1/2 years. I lived here in Yorkshire Apartments with another good friend, Lindsay. We were on the bottom floor and on that sliding glass door on the left is where Lindsay painted our pretty Christmas tree that stayed up until we moved out in May :)

and here is my very first apartment all by myself!! the last place I lived in Rock Hill before making the move up to Charlotte. I have to say, this apartment was my least favorite place that I lived.and then we got a picture of Bynes Auditorium on the way in.

And here are some pictures from McAdenville. It's changed so much since we went last and they have now built new houses!! Whoa!

Molly's worn out after a long day in the car. She's not spoiled at all!!

Charlotte Trip

2009-12-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY made it up to Charlotte!!! It's been 2 years since my last trip up there and that wasn't even for fun. I was just on my way back from a work trip. So, I decided to use a vacation day to get up there and shop and visit with friends. It was so much fun and the weather was perfect for Christmas shopping. It just looked like it could have snowed at any minute and it was COLD! Jenny and I started the morning out shopping at a new shopping center that was awesome and then met friends (and former co-workers) for lunch at my favorite restaurant-THAI HOUSE. Oh, how I have missed that place :) Then, it was more shopping for the rest of the afternoon. But, before heading home, I stopped by Scott and Tiffany's house to meet their little girl who I haven't had a chance to meet yet. It was so nice to have time to catch up with them and play with their beautiful little girl! Can't wait to get back to Charlotte again soon!!!

The gang at Thai House: Scott, Jenny, me, Brian and Curtis

Thanksgiving

2009-12-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was as crazy as ever this year but I wouldn't have it any other way! Thanksgiving day started out at 7:30am with the Electric City Gobbler 5k. This is my 2nd year participating and I brought along my dad this year. It's a great way to get in the spirit of the season since all of the money goes to feeding the hungry, but it's also a great way to work off some of those calories and make room for the Thanksgiving feast :) Now, most people who participate in this 5k are runners and we know that but my dad had a knee replaced two years ago right before Thanksgiving, so we decided just to walk it. Keep in mind, my dad's fast walk is my slow run, so I ran along beside him. It was so much fun! Here is my number and I need to get the picture of me and my dad off his his camera. After finishing the race and cleaning up, we headed over to my brother-in-law's parents house. They have invited us for the past few years and it's always a good time. We used to do our family Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night but my sister and her family were never hungry and we were starving after cooking the food all day, so we switched it to Friday night and now join the Mullikins at their house on Thursday for lunch. It works out well and we get to have 2 Thanksgivings.

The Mullikin extended family

The Mullikin Family

The Powell Family

Me, my sister and her sister-in-law

After the festivities were over, it was time to go back to the house and map out our black friday shopping trip. My dad and I go every year and have for the past 13 years or so? I'm not exactly sure but if I pulled out all of the snow globes from JCPenney that we get each year, I'm sure I could figure out how long we have been doing this. That is the only reason we get those snow globes!!! This year, we were out the door at 3:30am and off to JCPenney's. We grab the snow globes and hop back in the car to get to Sears. Unfortunately this year, a lot of stores decided to open at 4 so that makes it a little harder on us to get to each place. After Sears, we went to Wal-Mart, Sams, Kohls, Dick's Sporting Goods and then Lowes--all by 6am. At that point, we had to make a trip back to my house to drop off stuff or we wouldn't be able to fit anything else in the car. Then we went back to Target, Home Depot, Sears again, and Best Buy. I think we finished up earlier than we have in the past and were home napping by noon. That night, we decided it would be fun to go eat at the Beacon and then head up to the Gaffney outlets. As exhausted as I was, I was excited about going to the coach outlet and seeing what their Black Friday sales were like, especially since I had a coupon. It was a little overwhelming and at one point, I had 10 purses in my hands. I narrowed it down to 2 and so MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME! My first one! We finished up the weekend with our second Thanksgiving celebration at my parents house for lunch on Sunday. It was a GREAT weekend!

Meet "Gummy Bear" Mullikin :-)

2009-08-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

Yes, Gummy Bear Mullikin!! We found out a 2 weeks ago that my sister is going to have another baby....YAY!! So, when she and my brother-in-law were at the doctors office, the doctor said the baby was about the size of a gummy bear. When they told my nephews that, the name stuck. Ben was "Sweet Pea", Mark was "Peanut" and now we have "Gummy Bear"! LOL! I'm guessing this baby will either hate sweets or love them. Ben loves his vegetables, Mark is alergic to peanuts so I wonder what this name will mean for baby #3. Needless to say, we are all SO excited and can't wait to see if the baby is a girl or a boy. I am rooting for a girl but of course will be happy with either!! They will find out sometime at the end of September/early October, I think. Unfortunately, my sister just sold almost ALL of the baby furniture, toys and clothing at a garage sale in April. And I mean, ALL! Since she has to get new stuff anyway, might as well be a girl, right???

The Finley Family

2009-06-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

I got some heart-breaking news yesterday that a friend and former co-worker from college, lost her 15 month old little boy Tuesday, to a sudden brain aneurysm. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet this little fellow "Asher", but had kept up with him through pictures in emails and on facebook. I can't even imagine what this family is going through but I know that they will need lots of support and TONS of prayers!! Please pray for them....Shawn and Leah Finley.

www.robertasherfinley.com

**Just to warn you, this blog will tug at your heart strings a little**

Welcome Home!

2009-06-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Whew, it's been a while since I've posted a blog on here! So be prepared....this is a long one.

Well, as of today, my Dad is RETIRED!!! He will go into work briefly to say goodbye and they will pack up their closets (most of their belongings are already in the house in Anderson) and hit the road. For those of you who don't know, my Dad was the school Superintendent of the Ninety-Six school district, so my parents have been living in Greenwood, SC for the past 7 years. 3 years ago, they bought a house in Anderson for when they retire. I lived there for two years, which worked out perfect for both of us.....I was able to save money for a downpayment and in the meantime, I kept up the maintenance of the house. My parents decided last March to put their house up for sale, thinking it would take a while to sell with the way the market was. Boy were they wrong. It took 2 weeks. Needless to say, I was stressing since I was still living in their retirement house and wasn't sure where they were going to live. I knew I couldn't live with them and I hadn't even been looking at houses since I knew Dad wasn't retiring for another year. Turns out, I didn't need to worry. They found a garage apartment on the the lake, to rent for the next year. It was TINY! One bedroom, one bath, a small (and I mean SMALL) den and a tiny kitchen. There were also about 30 stairs to climb to get to this garage apartment. Ironic since Dad just had knee replacement surgery a year and a half ago. But, as of today, they are moving out of that garage apartment and heading over to start their relaxing life.

Ninety-Six has been a great place for my parents and Dad has loved working there and loved all of the people. They have been so good to all of us! This past Friday, they had their end-of-year luncheon for all of the teachers and staff. They honor teachers of the year and teachers who have been there for set numbers of years. And they honor the retirees. Well, since Dad was retiring, they had a special little something for him and asked my family to come celebrate. My dad knew that my mom, sister and nephews were going to be there but he didn't know that I took the day off to surprise him. As we arrived, the assistant superintendent arrived at the same time with red, puffy eyes. She said that it had been an emotional morning already at work. She even stated that they lady who does payroll in the office and who is also retiring, would not be attending the luncheon because she couldn't handle the it emotionally. So sweet! We all got our kleenex ready before Dad arrived. As a family, we had a special gift for him. I found a website that creates prints out of the special memories you provide them. You can go to www.yourmemorylane.com and check it out. We got our most favorite and special memories together, along with the logos from the districts that my Dad was superintendent at, and some of the past cars he had. Sounds funny but see the picture attached and you will see how it turned out. I wish I could explain all of the memories but here are a few:

1. When my sister and I were little, we LOVED to swing and see how high we could get before jumping out. One night we ran to the swings, dusted off the spider webs and started swinging. Before we swang too high, my sister went ahead and jumped out of the swing and ran off! What?? Well, what happened was as she was swinging, a spider got in her mouth and bit her on the tongue. Yep. She even recalls it being "furry". We had to rush her to the doctor to get a shot. Wasn't funny at the time but now it's a story we love to remember!

2. Again, when we were young, we used to have awesome snow storms! Much better than we have now, right? We would get inches and inches that would freeze over and make everything icy and perfect for sledding. Well, after a day on the sled, we were getting ready for bed and Dad went outside to put the sled away. He noticed how slick the driveway was and thought he would test it out. Keep in mind, he's in his PJ's, robe and slippers. Once on the sled, it took off down the driveway and he couldn't stop. He kept going farther and farther down the street and a high rate of speed and ended up at the deadend and the sled took off into the woods. LOL!! For a while, we couldn't figure out where he was! He had to walk back up the street from the woods in the freezing cold and in the icy and snow!

Those are just two of the funny family memories. So, back to the luncheon. Dad was presented with two awards....one by the two representatives of the House or Representatives and one by two Senators. He was truly surprised. He was really surprised by our gift and a few tears where shed when we gave it to him. I'm so proud of my Dad and even though this has been an emotional goodbye to Ninety-Six, he will always know how much they appreciated him and how much he loved that town and that district! Now for the first time in about 15 years, we will all live in the same town. It will be different, that's for sure, but it will be nice to have them so close! Welcome Home, Mom and Dad!!! (attached is a sign I made which will be put up at their house along with balloons today, to welcome them as they pull in their driveway!)

House Pictures

2009-03-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

I am so proud that I am finally getting some house pictures posted now that it's been two months since I moved in :) I was really waiting on my countertops to be installed and as of today, they are in!!! YAY! Now, keep in mind that I haven't decorated as much as I would have liked to. There are no pictures on the walls and I still have a lot of boxes in the guest room, which is why you won't see pictures of it! Now that I am in, I am looking at new den furniture and possibly painting the kitchen and the guest room. HA! Anyway, enjoy!

Caeden Matthew Christian

2009-03-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late posting this but Meg had her baby!!! Caeden was born February 10th at 3:07pm, weighing in at 7lbs, 8oz. Mommy, Daddy and baby are all doing well and he's growing by the day! I've been able to spend a lot of time with him and look forward to spending more time and watching him grow up :) Congratulations Meg and Matt!!!!
Three generations.....

Snow Day!

2009-03-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me, you know my LOVE for snow. I am that person who goes to the grocery store to stock up at the first forecast of snow. I love the thought of seeing that pretty snow fall and blanketing everything! So, my wish came true for this year (well, it was actually for the winter season) and it was to have one snow before spring! YAY! Not only that, but I got a snow day out of it! Here are some pictures....

Molly waiting patiently.....

My parents house.....

My nephews snowman :)

Bride Wars

2009-02-02T10:20:00.001-08:00

I finally got to see the movie Bride Wars! I have been waiting to see this movie since it came out (which I know hasn't been that long ago). What made the movie even better was that I was able to go with one of my bestest friends :) Meg and I have been friends since 3rd grade and lived across the street from each other from 4th grade until my sophmore year of college. We did everything together....dressed alike when we were younger, rode bikes all day long in the summer, spent hours down at the creek being adventurous and staying at each other's houses until our parents had to call us to come home. We went from practicing driving the car around the yard to getting our license and driving around town; from JDA (Junior Dance Association) to Debutants; from first liking boys, to dating to marriage...well, one of us did. As we both got older and went our separate ways to college and then getting REAL jobs, of course, we drifted a little but we always knew we were only a phone call away. She has been a huge part of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything so watching this movie about two best friends going through one of the happiest moments in a girls life, with one of my best friends, was so much fun! One thing that I have always wanted was to get married and have my kids be good friends with my friends kids. This will probably not be the case since I am behind most of my friends who are already married and having kids but I am so happy to be a part of Meg's baby's life (which is less than 2 weeks away so anytime now)! YAY!

Things I've realized this week.....

2009-01-31T11:52:00.000-08:00

1. There are a lot of crazy drivers on the road. This realization has always been there for me but became even more clear during the 2 hours I spend on I-85 everyday and after having a minor fender-bender last week in 5:00 traffic. I get more and more nervous driving everyday!

2. I give people the benefit of the doubt too much. Those who probably don't deserve it but for some reason I forgive and forget too easily. Yes, I know I should forgive but I don't always have to forget.

3. People never cease to amaze me, both in good and bad ways.

4. I'm a big OCD and a perfectionist at work but can't seem to keep my house cleaned and organized and sometimes I don't really care. How is this?

5. I need to get my life more organized and on track.

6. I only have a little over a month until I turn 31! There are so many things that I wanted to accomplish in my life by now that I havn't. Am I really this old already???

7. I need to travel more even though I don't like spending the night away from home. I love my bed and the comfort of my house.

8. I need to really start training if I want to do the Cooper River Bridge Run this year. Well, maybe I'll just walk it.

9. I still haven't posted pictures of the house since I've moved in. If you read #4 you might figure out why. I'm still trying to get it organized and decorated. Maybe I will just shove everything in a close so it looks clean enough for pictures :)

10. This was a long, hard week and I am hoping for snow Tuesday (if they are still predicting it now)

I'm moved!

2009-01-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

After two months of renovating my house, I finally was able to move in January 1st! Yay for a New Year!! It was a hectic move, though. I only had New Year's Day off and it was only me, my Mom and my Dad moving all of my furniture. HA! I knew this was going to be rough. 9am on the dot, my Dad is ready to go. We started and after SEVERAL trips back and forth from my parents house to mine, I was moved. I still have a good bit of random things to move or trash but at least the majority of my stuff is there. So, that was Thursday. I worked Friday and the family went out to dinner Friday night. Saturday morning, it hit me. The stomach bug, flu or something like that. I woke up hurting (or aching) and thought I was just sore from moving. I ate lunch and was helping my Dad hook up the dryer when I made a mad dash for the bathroom. That was it for me. I was in bed, aching and sick to my stomach and that is the way I stayed for 4 days. Unfortunately, I hadn't moved any of my kitchen stuff so my parents brought me drinks and popsicles here and there. I did make it to the doctor Monday and was told I had a throat infection. Not sure about that but at least I got an antibiotic! What a way to break in my new house! I'm just glad I knew where most of my stuff was! So, I am officially back to normal, rested up and ready to begin organizing and decorating! Pictures to come soon!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

2008-12-30T11:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas was busy and a bit of a blur this year. I had a lot going on this year but still managed to see friends and family, while starting a new job that is 45 minutes from my house and trying to finish renovating my new house. A tradition that started about 10 years ago or maybe even longer, my dad, mom and I travel to Spartanburg on Christmas Eve to deliver presents and goodies to former neighbors and family friends. I absolutely LOVE this day (and it is a FULL day). This year we left our house at 8:30am and made our way to Union to my dad's former secretary's house, which he and my mom have become very good friends with. We exchanged gifts, chatted and then headed to Spartanburg to eat lunch at the Beacon. I was so excited to get to eat there again. It's one of the many things I miss about not living in Spartanburg anymore. Needless to say, our lunch was yummy! After leaving there, we headed to the Pittmans, Sistares, Roberts and finished at Mildred Knox's house. Even though we only see some of these people once a year, we truly realize what wonderful friends they are. It's like we see them everyday. This day is what really gets me in the Christmas spirit! After our final stop, we made the hour drive back to Anderson so that we could prepare for our 2nd Annual Santa Sighting! You see, my dad bought a Santa costume a couple of years ago and last year decided that he would be in my nephews backyard when they drove up from the Mullikin's Christmas Eve dinner. We coordinated the timing with my sister and it worked out perfectly. We dropped my dad off behind their house and mom and I parked on the side of the road and waited. We could see the headlights pull in the garage and then back out again and we could hear the bells he was ringing. Once my dad made it back to the car, my phone rang and it was my sister informing us that "Santa" had been in the back yard. Both boys ran to their rooms to get ready for bed but Mark just jumped right into bed, clothes and all. He said you had to be asleep or Santa wouldn't stop at your house. They could not get him out of bed to change his clothes. On Christmas day, Ben took Papa to show him where Santa was the night before and low and behold, what did he find? Two silver bells from the "sleigh". Both boys were really into The Polar Express, so this was very fitting. Well, that was last year. This year, "Santa" and his reindeer (aka, Molly) had their picture taken in a sleigh and we were ready and waiting for the call to tell us when to get into position. Again, it worked perfectly and the boys saw Santa in the backyard but we didn't see them run across the house looking out the window, we didn't get a phone call afterwards and the boys didn't really talk much about it the next day. Sad, I guess they are growing up! I just hope we have at least one more year of Santa!

Christmas Card Picture

2008-12-16T12:37:00.000-08:00

My wonderfully creative and talented friend, Jennifer Turner, took pictures of me and Molly in front of my new house for my Christmas cards. I basically just told her I wanted the house in the background and let her tell me where I needed to be. I absolutely LOVE the pictures!!! Thank you, Jennifer!!!
Here is the one I used:

Some of the other choices that I LOVED:

And a snapshot of me and Molly-she can pose, can't she?

Elfed....Again

2008-12-15T13:25:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Elfed

2008-12-15T13:15:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Top 8

2008-12-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

Top 8

8 TV shows I like to watch:
1. Friends
2. Cosby Show
3. Reba
4. Today show
5. ER
6. The Hills
7. CSI
8. Rock of Love Charm School (i know---it's horrible)

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Fiesta Mexican
2. Flatrock Grill
3. the Thai place (or whatever the name is in Anderson)
4. Olive Garden
5. Misyima Japanese (I know that's not how you spell it)
6. California Dreaming
7. Outback
8. Chick-fil-A

8 things that happened today: (this just shows how interesting my days are)
1. I woke up
2. I got dressed
3. I drove to work
4. I talked to the other person in my office most of the day
5. I ate lunch
6. I checked my email
7. I sent text messages
8. I ate some of the goodies sent to our office

8 things I am looking forward to:
1. moving into my new house
2. Christmas party Saturday night
3. seeing a friend this weekend that I haven't seen in a while
4. finishing decorating my house for Christmas
5. Christmas!
6. having a weekend off from working on my house
7. seeing a close friend over Christmas
8. dinner :)

8 things on my wishlist:
1. to loose about 10 lbs
2. to visit a friend in Washington!
3. a maid for my house
4. to have a great Christmas
5. a husband
6. a husband
7. a husband
8. a husband
(sorry, about the last 4...it's my wish and I have just about everything else I could wish for!)

8 people I tag:
1. Betsy Mitchell
2. Riley Johnson
3. Ashley Anthony
4. Jennifer Turner
5. Ann Willette
6. Julie Warren
7. Clay Gilbert
8. Curtis and Kara Guy

2008-12-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

I am so behind in my blogging!!!! Lots has happened in the past 2 1/2 weeks. Quit one job, start a new on Monday, went to a Falcons game with a former roomie from college, went to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra, participated in a 5k Thanksgiving morning, did our annual Black Friday shopping at 3:30 in the morning and had a chance to visit with some friends I don't get to see often. I also was able to put in a lot of time working on my house in order to get it ready to move in! This time off couldn't have come at a better time and a better season! It's my favorite time of the year :) Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is getting geared up for Christmas!!!

I'm Back!!

2008-11-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

HELLO!!! It's been about two weeks since I've had the chance to write on here and I'm glad to be back. I actually put in my two week notice at work last Monday and since I am taking a job with a competitor, they told me I could go ahead and leave, with pay, of course. And, I had already planned on taking a week in between jobs, I now in my third week off of work :) It actually couldn't have worked out better. We are trying hard to get my house finished so I can get moved in by the end of the year and with this time off, I have been able to pick out my carpet, schedule some appointments and help my dad work on the tile. We worked morning to night for three days laying tile!!! I'm exhausted and we still have one small bathroom to finish. After this, I just need to get my carpet in and I should be able to move in. I'm so excited. Attached are some pictures and the last is of my pretty, red front door that I painted and my sister surprised me with wreaths for my door and windows. I love it!!! It was the perfect touch!

TAG....you're it!!!

2008-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

7 Random Facts–here i go…

I LOVE to get up and shop on Black Friday. My dad and I go every year at 4 in the morning and every year I get more and more excited about it! We don't usually have much that we need or really want, it's just the trill of getting out there and seeing what we can get and enjoying our time together!
This isn't really a random fact but I love Christmas! I love all of the lights, the music (yes, even when it starts right after Halloween), the ornaments and trees. For some reason, it just seems that everyone is happy during this time.
I always wish for snow in the winter. I feel like a kid when they say we might get snow! I am that person who sits and watches the weather channel and updates, wishing and hoping! (I even go and get groceries!!!)
I love to fish! Yes, I bait my own hook and take the fish off. We don't usually keep the fish so I don't clean them but I have watched before and wouldn't mind if I had to clean it. I have always been teased b/c when I was little, I would "wash" the worm before baiting the hook. Everyone thought this was funny but I was really doing it to get the dirt off so I could see where the hook goes!
I have become addicted to coupons! My sister got me involved and we have stocked our pantries and closets full of necessities for very little out-of-pocket! Just this week I got $42 worth of groceries for $5.01, thanks to triple coupons! I was so excited!!! I love getting the things I need for almost nothing. I honestly think this satisfies my need to shop without spending a lot of money :) Sad, I know. It's the little things that make me happy!
I'm going to copy one of Jennifer's random facts....one of my ears is lower than the other. Not sure which one but when I wear glasses, I feel like they are crooked. No one else can tell but I can. Maybe everyone has that problem, huh, Jenn?
I have a pretty big fear of heights. I can ride roller coasters and anything going fast but to stand on the edge of something or even watch someone climb up high, makes my palms sweat.

so, i’m officially tagging everyone who blogs that reads this blog to post 7 random/and or weird things about yourself.

consider yourself tagged! go!

Loving Fall

2008-11-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Fall is absolutely my favorite season! I love the weather and all of the trees changing colors! There is nothing better especially when the view from my work cube looks like this :)

Happy Halloween (a little late)

2008-11-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a little late posting this but I forgot my camera Halloween night so I had to wait and get my dad's pictures. Halloween was a busy night. I went to my sister's neighborhood to see the boys in their costume and to see a friend of mine with her 1 year old little girl. I love to see little kids dressed up! Ben was a robot and Mark was a good knight....not just a knight, a GOOD knight. Sharon's little girl was a princess and adorable!! Molly even got a new costume but won't be able to sport it until next year since I didn't get it until Saturday on sale :) Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

6th Folder, 6th Picture

2008-10-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was tagged by Carrie, and I am supposed to post a picture from my 6th folder and the 6th picture. Well, I'm at work and I don't have 6 picture folders so I just chose the 6th picture :)

This picture is from Meg's bachelorette party in Charlotte!

Ok...so now I tag Jennifer Turner and Betsy Mitchell. Follow these directions.

1. Open your pictures

2. Go to the 6th folder, 6th picture

3. Post the picture and the story that goes with it

4. Tag 2 other people.

More house updates

2008-10-27T11:38:00.001-07:00

After another weekend of painting, I can honestly say that I don't want to paint again for a LONG time! It hasn't been that bad but after 6 rooms, I'm ready to be done. We still have to paint the baseboards and doors throughout the house and had started on it this weekend but ran into a small problem.....they were previously painted with oil-base paint so the little bit we had started on just peeled right off. Not exactly what you want to find out but at least we didn't get too far along. What we did accomplish this past weekend was to pick up my new refrigerator and stove Friday and install them. Saturday, we painted the den (2 coats) and the guest bedroom/office. Sunday, we had one less person since my mom had to go home to Greenwood, so my dad and I painted the master bathroom, touched up the den again and installed new light fixtures in the guest bathroom and over the sink in the kitchen. Pretty good, I have to say!! Next weekend we start on the wood flooring in the den and entry way. Should be interesting! Here are some pics.....

Before

After

Guest bedroom/office

After

New Refrigerator & Stove

Master Bathroom-still a little wet

Guest Bathroom-Finished

My 'lil punkin

2008-10-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

While painting this weekend, I finally remembered to put on Molly's Halloween costume (well, shirt) and get a picture of her! She's not a big fan of wearing clothes but seemed to be okay with this one! Now's she ready to Trick-or-Treat!!!

SOLD!!!!!

2008-10-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Since closing on my house this past Friday, I have already started making changes. My parents came into town to help me start painting and to take a class on how to install tile. So, Saturday morning, we were the only 3 students in the tile class at Home Depot. I'll admit, I wandered around looking at paint and light fixtures for part of the class, but I did attend some of it. It was pretty interesting but dad got all of the details and I will be helping him when we can get around to it. The rest of the weekend was spent painting. It is so hard to pick out colors! I have so many ideas of what I want in my head but then coordinating them is another story. I have to make sure the kitchen colors match the den since they all flow into one room and the master bedroom is right off of the den and can be seen pretty easily, so that has to match as well. Whew!!! My brain is on overload this week. We did get the kitchen, master bedroom and guest bathroom painted. I love having red rooms but since I don't have a dining room to paint, I had to go with the guest bathroom. I love it! Imagine this picture with two more coats of paint rolled on. This was just the first coat :)
Before:

After:

Kitchen-Before:

Kitchen-After
I don't have a picture of the master bedroom yet but there will be more after this weekend. We are painting the guest bedroom and den! Oh, and just so things don't flow too smoothly, I bought a refrigerator yesterday. But, the space at my house is 1 inch shorter than most spaces houses provide for refrigerators. Not sure what to do about it but hopefully it will work out. Another stress breakdown moment.......

Viking Invitational!!!!

2008-10-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday (October 11) was the 6th Annual Viking Invitational at Spartanburg High School. This is a cheerleading competition between several JV and Varsity squads. One of my friends, Page, coaches the competive squad at Spartanburg High and I have been trying to make one of the competitions for quite a while and FINALLY made it Saturday and was so excited to see how things have changed since I cheered there. Let me say, THINGS HAVE CHANGED!! They were awesome! Not that we weren't good back then but we weren't competing and flipping around as much. Anyway, check out some of the pictures!

The coaches waiting. Page on the right leaning up against the wall and Chance on the left.

Sweet Baby James

2008-10-10T05:25:00.001-07:00

Sweet Baby James Seegars arrived 2 1/2 weeks ago so Meg and I thought we would take dinner to Anna's family. Well, our first attempt was last Thursday but I had strep throat so we decided to change it to this Thursday (yesterday). Meg called me at lunch on Thursday to say she was sick and thought she might have strep. (I wasn't around her while I was sick, just so you know :)) So, I went by Meg's and got the food and drove to Spartanburg to see Anna and the newest addition. He is absolutely precious and has too beautiful older sisters to take care of him. Then to top off a fun night, I picked up the Beacon on my way home. YUM!!! I have missed that place!

Meg's cute little baby bump! She is having a little boy and due in February. She's probably going to kill me for putting this up but I think she looks so cute!

My boys

2008-10-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post some pictures of my favorite two boys in the whole world....my nephews!

Ben is 6 and in the first grade and LOVING it! Mark is 4 and in pre-school. I love being able to drop by their house after work for dinner or just for a quick "hello" and hear them yell out "Hey Leesy" (pronounced lee-see, per Ben) and "Winsey!!!" from Mark and then get a big hug. Nothing makes a bad day better like a hug and kiss from them both. Then I get to sit and chat with my sister while dinner is cooking and discussing our coupon deals, work, decorating tips or upcoming events. Ah, the day is complete.

(typical Mark--just chillin' in the lazy river)

Midnight Flight

2008-10-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm going back in time but I don't have a choice since I wasn't blogging at the time of the race. SO, I participated in my first 5k Labor Day weekend. Now, I am not an avid runner but I am trying. I'm more of a sprinter...I like to get it over with. I don't like not being able to see the finish line in sight. But, I am trying to get back in shape and thought this would be a good hobby to pick up. First up, The Midnight Flight in Anderson. This took place on August 29th at 10pm. I did enjoy the fact that we were running at night. My friend Jennifer and I decided that we would run as much as we could and the walk the rest. We did not finish first by any means but we didn't finish last either :) Next up, either the Spinx Runfest October 25th and/or the Anderson Turkey Trot Thanksgiving day.

This was at the starting line of the race....so pretty

See how fast we were running!!! Just like a blur :)

Carrie, me, Jennifer and Chad at the finish line. Check out how red my face was!!

NICHOLAS SPARKS!!!

2008-10-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY got to meet Nicholas Sparks! He came to Greenville for the signing of his new book The Lucky One. I have read and re-read all of his books and always look forward to when his next book is coming out. So, a friend from work told me he was coming Wednesday, October 1st to The Open Book here in Greenville. I had been out sick Monday and half of Tuesday with strep throat and a cold but by golly, I was going! We left straight from work at 4:30. He wasn't supposed to start signing until 6pm but by the time we got there, the place was packed! We got our book and a ticket number, which was 430!!! This was an hour and a half before he was supposed to start!!! I knew I was in for a long evening. So, we decided we would find an area where we could snap some pictures and enjoy the view until our number was called. Amazingly, we found a spot right in front of the table he was at but even though I had charged my camera, the battery wasn't holding a charge! I snapped a few pictures here and there but wanted to save enough to get at least one picture of me and him! So, we stood and listened to all of his conversations with the fans and even got on the news and made friends with the news reporter. 2 hours later, I finally had my book signed and a picture with Nicholas Sparks, not to mentioned tired feet since I had heels on!!! Here are some pictures....I'm hoping to get my friends picture of me and Nicholas too. I think her picture turned out better but I will deal for now! Now, I just need to go see his new movie!

My New House!!

2008-10-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

Yep, I did it! I bought a house! One of the scariest experiences in my life so far. Technically, it's not mine yet. I close on October 17th. I debated and debated on where I wanted to live and hoped that I would get some HUGE sign to tell me where I should be. I currently live in Anderson, SC and have been here for the past 4 years. While I LOVE having my sister and her family in town, I just wasn't sure that Anderson is where I needed to purchase a home. See, I work in Greenville and being single, I thought that maybe that would be the best place for me to live and hopefully meet more people. But, that isn't the way it worked out. Here's how my worldwind experience took place and some pictures of my cute house that I can't wait to start decorating! My sister called me one Sunday and told me she found a townhouse in a great area and a great price in Anderson. My friend Lori and I rode by after lounging at the pool and decided to ride around some more. I was going to show her this CUTE neighborhood that I have always adored but told her that I haven't ever seen a house for sale in there. Just as I got the words out of my mouth, we turn in the neighborhood only to see an "OPEN HOUSE" sign. So, we stop and go in (in our bathing suits with our cover ups on). Loved the house and called my sister and parents to inform them of my find. Long story short, the very next day, I was sitting with my sister's next door neighbor who also happens to be a realtor with the company who is selling the house, and making an offer. I've never been so overwhelmed, nervous and excited all at the same time. The next day, my offer had been accepted and the paperwork began. Whew, who knew buying a house took so much work :) Stay tuned for some before and after pictures as I pull up carpet and put down tile, new carpet and laminate hardwood floor!!! Oh, and paint some, too.

Hello!!!

2008-10-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog! This is a work in progress and I am desperately learning how to create this thing. I'm sure I will change the background, font and definitely the blog title a hundred times before I am fully satisfied :) Anyway, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading several of my friends blog daily and got the bug to get my own. Not that I have a WHOLE lot going on in my life but what I do have, I would like to share. So, sit back and enjoy!