May 31, 2010

untitled (because it's 5 am and I can't think of an appropriate title for how I feel now)

Is a wedding cause for celebration or not? Am I just being stupid getting giddy over wedding colors and bridal gowns and centerpieces?

Why does it feel like I'm the only person who thinks that getting married is a big deal? I mean, it is one of the most important decisions a person can make in their lifetime. Does that not make it significant and worthy of a celebration?

But maybe it's not all that important or significant after all. Maybe it's just another thing that you do in life, like getting car insurance or having your teeth cleaned. Certainly getting married isn't worth any fuss. At least that's what some people think. I think that point of view is kind of pathetic.

Because I, however, tend to feel that getting married is a pretty damn big deal. You've chosen that one person, the person you want to create the rest of your life with...and now you're going to pledge that commitment to them and make it official. Is that not worthy of a little time and attention......and yes, a little extra cost?

But maybe I am just being stupid and sentimental. Maybe no one really does give a crap about a wedding but me.


Does anyone really care to celebrate our choice to get married? Maybe not. Maybe people from out of town wouldn't think it was really worth the trip and maybe people from in town would only be there because they felt obligated to be there....not because they really cared.

And wedding colors and bridal gowns and centerpieces really are just a big fat waste of time and money and effort.....and I really am just being a stupid sentimental girl for wanting all of that.

That kind of makes me sad. Maybe a wedding just means more to me because I never thought I could go down that road again. I kind of think that it's significant and worth having a celebration for the fact that I actually found someone that I'm willing to let all of my walls crumble for.


I mean, I trust this person. Like, actually trust! I mean, I really, truly, trust this person with the rest of my life. For me...that is an amazing feat and definitely worth a little fuss and attention when we make that commitment official.

Is it silly that I think it's worth making a big deal over the fact that this person means so much to me and that I love this person more than I ever really understood that I was capable of?


Is it silly that I want to share that with my friends and family and put flowers on tables and wear a dress that makes me feel like a million bucks and maybe even get my nails done!?

I don't know. I don't think it's silly at all. Or a waste of time, money, or effort. I don't want to feel like I'm just being a stupid girl flipping through bridal magazines. I want to feel like my excitement and desire to plan something special is justified.

I don't intend on having a $10,000 wedding. But I do intend on commemorating this occasion with more than just a signature on a piece of paper. I don't think that's too much to ask, do you?

xoxo-Kimberly

May 28, 2010

McSneeze and all that jazz

Yep, that's who I am. Miss Sneezy McSneeze.

Andy and I had a fabulous day in Salt Lake, despite the fact that I sneezed my head off the entire time. I think I could possibly be on my 74th sneeze of the day.

I may have some sort of cold thing going on here. Luckily the throat thing I had earlier in the week is gone, so I think it's safe to say that I won't be developing into the full blown flu or anything. I just have to deal with an annoying half stuffy, half runny nose and a bit of foggyness upstairs.

It's all good in the hood though. I'll surviving with plenty of forehead kisses from Andy. And Salt Lake was fun. Yeah, capital F.U.N!

We picked out and ordered the tile for our kitchen backsplash! Damn, did that feel good to check off of our list!! I wanted to high five Andy on the way out of the tile store but I sneezed instead.

We also went to lunch at Cheesecake Factory and may or may not have brought home a very large piece of Carrot Cake Cheesecake to share later tonight. hehe.

Photobucket


Jealous much?

Thought so. Let me make you more jealous by telling you that I had Chicken Madeira and it was delectable.

Anyway, we also went over to Fred Meyer and perused their garden center, cause we're cool like that. Actually Fred Meyer Garden Center is always on our list of things to do when we go to Salt Lake. What can I say? We live an exciting life. We usually try to hit up Whole Foods and the library as well, but we didn't have the energy for that today.

Later we went over to My Dough Girl and got a cranberry/almond/white chocolate cookie, because cheesecake just isn't enough for us fools. Yeah, we love us some food and treats.

Oh! ooh! ooh! I almost forgot to tell you the most exciting thing! Andy bought himself a cruiser bike (not matchy matchy with
mine because that would be all sorts of lame) but super cool anyway. And now we can cruise all over this shiz together! Can I get a woot woot! But he doesn't have a cute basket like me. I'm sure he's sad about that.

So yeah, despite my sneeze handicap we had a great day! Now I'm recovering on the couch with a BL Lime (yes I know this is a fabulous choice for a sicky like me) and several hundred yards of tissue. Yep. It's like that.

Okay, I'm done. Peace out.

Hmmm, maybe my head is a little more foggy that I thought. I may be slightly dillusional.

Oh who cares. Peace out HOMIES!

xoxo-Kimberly

Friday Flashback

Aside from the Beatles, New Kids On The Block and Paula Abdul, I loved C & C Music Factory. I had two of their cassette tapes and played them over and over again until they completely wore out.

Anyone remember them? Remember how they used to include all the song lyrics inside the tape case? I think I listened to "Everybody Dance Now" about fifty times following along with the lyrics until I knew them all by heart and rewinding the tape over and over again.

"Here is the dome, back with the bass. The jam is live in effect and I don't waste time. Off the mic with a dope rhyme. Jump to the rhythm. Jump, jump to the rhythm, jump."

Haha. Best lyric? "Tryin to get a nut to move your butt to the dance floor." Seriously? You gotta love it.


My sister, Jen, competed a solo dance to this song. She wore a hot pink costume with puffed sleeves that my mom made. I swear my mom was the master of puffed sleeves. Jen won 'Queen' with that number and came home with a huge trophy and a crown.

Yeah, I loved C & C Music Factory, but it's pretty lame how they screwed Martha Wash over. She has an amazing voice. Messed up. Stupid commercial crap.

Anyway, here's the video to get your going for your Memorial Day weekend!





Have a great one! Catch ya on the flip side, yo! :)

Sorry, couldn't resist.

xoxo-Kimberly


PS- I know you're jealous of those moves!

May 27, 2010

the good stuff


This morning I woke up with a terrible headache. I'm sure it was because I didn't sleep very soundly last night.

I honestly haven't slept deeply since getting engaged. I just can't! I'm too excited and I have too much going on in my head!

But after waking up feeling like death warmed over, I figured I'd better try to tone down my excitement enough to at least get some decent sleep at night.

It's not only the engagement that's got me all bouncy and happy. I recently got a great offer (aside from the recent promotion) that is hopefully going to propel me into amazing things career and education wise.

Photobucket
XXX

I'm a little hesitant to go in to details just yet because I don't want to jinx it, but it's seriously amazing and so absolutely a perfect fit. Andy and I went out to dinner on Tuesday to celebrate.

The way it all came to be just confirms that I'm headed in the right direction and this is totally meant to be!! Don't you just love it when that happens?

Everything feels so incredible right now.

Photobucket
XXX

I seriously hope it's just all the excitement that has me feeling a bit under the weather and that I'm not going to end up sick. Especially because Andy told me last night that he has a fun day in Salt Lake planned for us tomorrow!!

I really don't want to miss it!

xoxo-Kimberly

May 25, 2010

Yep...

...lucky




xoxo-Kimberly

-grrr for not being able to embed the official video

May 24, 2010

I'm drowning here!

It's been raining on and off for almost a week now. I have several plants that are completely water logged. Poor things.

Photobucket
Lovely Raindrops Notebook Cover


I'm starting to wonder when summer is actually going to show up to stay!

Photobucket
Raindrop Earrings


Andy and I did manage to get a walk in with Ash yesterday. It was overcast, but not too cold so that was nice.

Photobucket
Raindrop Mobile


But poor Ash just wanders around the house with her frisbee in her mouth and she can't understand why we don't want to take her out to play.

Photobucket
I Miss You Rain Cloud Card


Supposedly we're going to get sun by the end of the week.

Photobucket
Fluffy Cloud Magnets


I really hope it's here to stay.

Photobucket
Umbrella Rubber Stamps


In any case, Happy Monday!

Photobucket
Umbrella Necklace


xoxo-Kimberly

May 21, 2010

regarding grass

I'm one of those strange people that loves to mow the lawn. I'm honestly not sure why I get such a thrill out of this task but there's just something about perfectly trimmed grass that turns me on. Sorry. But it's true.

The three of us are in some sort of silent agreement that we'll all take our fair share of turns mowing the lawn. This can sometimes be a daunting task due to the size of our backyard. But we all agree that you gotta do what you gotta do.

The boys do it because it has to be done. It's not their favorite job but they never moan and groan about it. I do it because it allows me time alone with myself. I grab my earrphones and ipod and happily mow away, the entire time escaping into my thoughts.

One of my favorite things to do is get the job done before the boys even realize that it needs to be done. I like beating them to the task because it means that they don't have to do it and that makes them very happy.

I like to be sneaky about it too, because I think it's fun to watch out the window as Andy comes home from work, see him get out of his car and smile at the newly cut grass.

Newly cut grass means that he gets to come inside and relax on the couch after work, rather than immediately having to change into work clothes and head straight outside to get the job done.

It's kind of like a little present I can give to him and I love it.

I'd love it if he could come home from his business trip tonight and find it done, but that's not going to happen if the rain doesn't let up.

*Sigh* If I can't mow on my day off, I'll just have to find something else to enjoy!

xoxo-Kimberly

May 20, 2010

While we're on the subject...

....of beasts misbehaving.

I might as well tell you what Ash has been up to this week.

Remember these?



Photobucket


Those are the bags of taffy that we gave out as favors at Jen's baby shower.

I brought one home for the guys.

That taffy must have looked pretty delicious, because Ash promptly stole one out of Corey's hands and ran off with it before I knew what was going on.

This is where it ended up.


Photobucket


Yep. Stuck to her belly fur.

Nice.

I can only assume that she dropped it and then cluelessly laid down in the sticky mess.

Our kids are out of hand.

Luckily Andy came to the rescue. He scooped her up and plopped her down in the bathtub.


After giving her a good scrub down, he announced that she was good as new. Clearly, it's been a rough week at the zoo.

I'm just waiting to see what Mauney's going to pull on us now.

xoxo-Kimberly


Let's talk traumatizing experiences....

Because I just had one this morning.

The last thing I had to do before leaving for work was put my shoes on. I found my favorite slip ons just waiting patiently for me on the living room floor.

I love these shoes because they're lined with fur and so cozy/comfortable. See?


Photobucket


Anyway, I slipped one foot in and then the other. Something was wrong. I couldn't figure out why on earth my foot wouldn't go in the shoe all the way. I shoved and shoved, figuring it was just a bit of bunched up fur lining in the bottom that was getting in my way.

Oh...it was fur alright. It took me approximately 23 seconds of attempting to jam my bare foot in the shoe before realizing what the real problem was.

Henry had left me a little present......IN.....MY.....SHOE!!!!!

Photobucket

I'm pretty sure I haven't screamed that loud since I was a little girl. I couldn't stop shrieking as the pure ickyness of it sunk in. My bare foot had been jamming into a furry dead mouse!!

As soon as I regained my composure I marched straight in to the bedroom where I knew I would find the culprit calming lounging on the bed.

Sure enough. There he was...looking at me all innocent like, "What did I do?"

Photobucket

I yelled and shook my finger at him. "You're in big, bad trouble, Mister!!!"

I don't know if Henry was leaving me a present or if he just thought he'd found a cool hiding place for his toy. I should have known this was going to happen sooner or later.

See...we had decided to start utilizing the kitty door because Henry was driving us crazy with his new way of begging us to let him in and out.



He had begun to act like we should be at his beckon call and it was getting annoying. We thought that by letting him use the kitty door, all would be solved.

Wrong. Just last week, I caught him bringing a friend through the kitty door.

Photobucket


I should have expected that one of his friends would eventually end up in my shoe or my bed or something.

I thought I had chewed him out good enough the first time, but I guess not!!


Photobucket


I don't think I'll ever be able to wear shoes lined with fur again. I'll have nightmares!

Two mice in one week = no more kitty door!!!

xoxo-Kimberly

May 19, 2010

post engagement thoughts

Andy is once again away on business until Friday. It's okay though because I could use some alone time to wrap my head around the idea of being engaged. Honestly, I never thought I'd be here again, but I'm so glad that I am.

Last night I had a bit of a mental panic as I realized how 'heavy' our lives were going to be for the next three years. Last week we wrote down a three year plan so we could see how everything would play out and let's just say that we're going to be beyond busy.

Now I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to a) finish my bachelors, b) plan the dream wedding, and c) prepare for a move for grad school all at the same time- not to mention being supportive while Andy works on his master's and won't have much time or patience for wedding plans. Good thing I'm great at multi tasking.

In all honesty, I just want the next three years to be amazing. It's going to be a time of huge change and growth for us and I want it to be an adventure, not a complete headache.

Right now I'm trying hard to hang on to my enthusiasm about my education, which is rapidly shrinking to the back of my mind, as I get more and more excited about planning the wedding. Balancing the two is going to be a challenge.

It was much easier to focus on school when a wedding was something that was still far in the future. But now that it's staring me in the face that seems to be all I can think about!

A few months ago we had talked about when the right time would be and we both agreed that for the sake of our sanity we should wait until I had finished my undergrad and could take a little break from school.

We always knew that we were going to get married.....someday.....but as soon as we began talking about it, and it became more 'real,' I don't think that either of us could wait for it to happen.

Now 'someday' is now and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and giddy with happiness and excitement for all the crazy to start.

Yesterday, while working in the computer lab, I spent the entire time browsing wedding stuff and trying to figure out how I could work enough hours to pay for the kind of wedding I'd like to have not to mention save for a possible move for grad school.

I should have been spending the time finding sources for my research paper, but I just couldn't even concentrate on school.

Anyway, I just have a million things swimming around in my mind right now and I'm having a hard time figuring out what to think about and solve first. Or maybe I should just go to the movies tonight and give myself a break from thinking at all.

xoxo-Kimberly

May 16, 2010

It's Official!!

He asked...



....I said YES!!


I'm so happy!


Babe, I love you so so much. You are the best thing to ever come in to my life. I can't wait to spend forever with you.

xoxo-Kimberly

Shower

On Saturday we held a baby shower for my sister. It was a lot of fun to plan and everything turned out perfect!

Photobucket


Photobucket

The "Cupcake Cake"


Photobucket

My sisters, Jen and Lindsey (Jen was the guest of honor)


Photobucket

Bags of taffy for our guests


Photobucket

The Mom To Be. Looking great with only four weeks to go!


Photobucket

My mom and I, in the kitchen, getting lunch ready


Photobucket

The tables we decorated. Sprinkling multi colored mini marshmallows and dressing up pots of fresh flowers was an inexpensive way to dress up the table and make it fun. Any guest that got a sticker on the bottom of their plate got to take a pot of flowers home with them after the party.


Photobucket

Getting the lunch plates ready for the guests


Photobucket

For lunch we made chicken salad sandwiches on croissants, spinach salad with mandarin oranges and poppy seed dressing, a traditional pasta salad and fruit kabbobs. An easy, light and delicious lunch, perfect for summer.


Photobucket

Jen, opening her gifts. Both grandma's to be made her gorgeous baby blankets and when I get a picture of it, I'll have to share with you the adorable diaper bag that my mom made her. You can kind of see it in the background (my other sister is holding it.)


Photobucket

What a fun way to spend a Saturday!


xoxo-Kimberly

May 12, 2010

I need to be a rock star or Wonder Woman or something

The last six months I've spent dwelling on the fact that I was no longer coaching the high school's competitive dance team. It has bugged me that immediately after giving my notice to the principal, I knew, without a doubt, that I had made the right decision. However, just a year later, I found myself second guessing that decision.

Naturally, I immediately tried to get the core of my feelings and figure out what the heck was going on. Was I missing the sport? the girls? the school? Was I feeling guilty for just walking away cold turkey from the thing that had literally defined who I was since the time I was five?

I'd been working these questions around in my head for months and making absolutely no sense of them. I wondered for awhile if I should go back to coaching or even reopen my studio and start teaching again.

But I knew that would put an end to my goals of getting a master's degree and that was out of the question. I knew that my current career goals were a perfect fit for me and that the past should stay in the past.

So I kept wondering why I was feeling so wishy washy and thinking, "what the heck should I do? What do I really want? And if coaching is not what I want, then why can't I stop thinking about it?"

Honestly it was driving me a bit batty, so I finally just shoved it away and refused to deal with my feelings regarding the subject. I thought that maybe time would reveal the answer. And thankfully, in a way, it did.

Out of the blue, while reminiscing with my sister, the answer suddenly poured from my lips, much to my surprise! And she whole-heartedly agreed with my analysis.

It's simple, really. Coaching did several things for me that I personally really need.

While I was coaching....

- I was needed, important, and given constant recognition for a job well done

- I was feeding my need to help people, by mentoring these high school girls and being someone they could look up to.

- I was problem solving, conquering chaos, organizing, making decisions, planning things, and developing new ideas to make things better.

I came to the conclusion (one that I think I always knew, but just never recognized) that I am a person who thrives off of leadership positions. More specifically, I'm a person who thrives off of leadership positions that give me the opportunity to sort through a big mess and make it amazing; leadership positions that allow me to make important decisions, delegate responsibilities, and do some sort of good works in the process or make a positive difference for the company or group I'm working for.


In other words, situations where I can ultimately step in and play the role of 'Wonder Woman'/'I'm A Rock Star-I Can Do It All-Woman.'

When I left my coaching position, my responsibility over a group of people and an organization ended. No one needed me anymore, I wasn't helping anyone, solving problems, delegating, organizing or any of those other things that make me feel so good.

In my mind, I became nobody important, who was doing nothing much important. I was just going to school and working a couple regular jobs.

Not to say that my personal goal of graduating from college is nothing- but I need more than just personal accomplishments to feel accomplished and successful.

I realize that I'm not happy when I only have myself to be responsible for. I need to be responsible for much more than that to feel that I'm actually doing something of any significance.

I can now understand why I literally yearn for that degree and that 'Big Girl Job.' Because a 'Big Girl Job' means the possible opportunity to work my way up to a position where I'm that Rock Star Woman I need to be.

So when I say I want the 9-5 and people who have 9-5's look at me like I'm crazy, I'll just smile because maybe they don't need what I need, and that's okay.

xoxo-Kimberly


May 11, 2010

Opinions needed, pretty please!

So the paint is on the wall, and honestly, I like it a lot. However, it's not exactly what I had in mind for the finished room.

Photobucket

I had envisioned something a little darker. Like this:

Photobucket

Maybe not quite that dark, but close. Something that would make the molding and wall decor really pop. So now I have to decide if I want to try to go darker by adding another coat of paint of the same color or going an actual shade darker.

I'd like your opinions on this. Should I...a) keep it the way it is, b) same shade, but add another coat, or c) go a shade darker?

I'd also like you to weigh in on another decision I'm trying to make. It involves accent colors. The two colors at the top of my list are teal and yellow. Let me show you the inspiration photo's I put together when I started this project.

Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket

The photo's don't necesarally represent the design style I would go with, they're just a representation of how each color works with the gray base.

That being said, I also have the option of using both colors like in the last photo.

So what's your vote on the shade of grey and also, what's your vote on the accent color??

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Ultimately, I may just ask Andy to choose anyway. He's got to live in the room too so I want him to love the finished product as much as I do.

xoxo-Kimberly


Photo Sources: X X X X

May 10, 2010

Monday's To Do List

My main project today is to paint the upstairs bedroom. I spent some time choosing the color first.

Andy and I agreed that we wanted a shade of gray so here's what I came up with:


Now, I'm not an expert painter but I think I can get the job done. I'm half way there. The first coat is finished and I'm just waiting for it to dry.

In the meantime I have plenty of other things bogging down my To Do List that need to be taken care of. I also have to work tonight so I guess I better get to it!

Hopefully this room makeover won't take too long, (sometimes life gets in the way) and I'll be able to show you some more photos soon!

xoxo-Kimberly

May 8, 2010

Saturdays are for...

Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Photobucket


Boy does it make all the difference in the world to have a day off of work on the weekends. I feel completely giddy about my new found free time!!

I hope you're all enjoying your weekends as much as I am.

xoxo-Kimberly