Heeeyyyy, Sexy Lady!

Or, hey party people!

And by party people, I mean all you awesome people who for some reason follow and read my blog.

For those of you who are a bit new around here, welcome!

When I start reading a new blog, one of the first things I do is check out their fun "about me" posts.  And since it's been a bit since I've done a little factoid post about moi, I feel like this is the perfect time.  After all, you should all know about the person behind the blog...skeletons and all.

1: My two absolute favorite television shows are The Walking Dead and Friends.  I can {and do} pull quotes from Friends as applicable to daily life as often as possible.  Also, my husband and I are soooo Monica & Chandler.

2:  My favorite color is purple.  I own very few purple things.

3:  I have too many purses & reusable shopping bags.  I haven't counted purses in awhile {and I did recently purge my collection a bit}, but it's well over 20.  And I buy a new shopping bag nearly each time I go shopping {since I always leave them at home...}, and I shop a lot...

4:  I have a lot of tattoos.  I'm working on a calf sleeve & a half sleeve on my arm.  Plus a bunch of others.  Like Betty the sugar skull on my wrist, accompanied by my part of the song lyric my husband and I got tattooed for our wedding, "I'll be the fire."  Ooooh, and my new pink diamond on my if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it finger.

5:  I finally married my soulmate on May 11, 2013.  {so we're super newlyweds}  I now have a nearly 11 year old stepdaughter.  The next few years will be terrifying, if her father's teenage years are any indication of how hers will be...  

6:  I live in Western New York.  It's kind of great - a short drive to the beach in summer, ski/snowboard in winter, and a short drive to great campgrounds and national parks.  But I live in a tiny town, and there's fields on both sides of my house...so outside it always smells like manure.  Ahh, farming.

7:  I'm kind of obsessed with decorating my home.  I'm constantly on the lookout for cool knick-knacks and art.  In addition, I own seven couches.  {seriously, i don't even know how that happened but they're all here...though mostly in my basement}

8:  I love scrapbooking, jewelry making, sewing...my hobbies have taken over a few rooms of my tiny abode.

9:  I believe the movie Elf is a perfect representation of how people should feel every day.  That every day is magic, and everything is amazing...

10:  I am a size 14.  Up around 190 pounds.  This is the most I've ever weighed...and it's the happiest I've ever been in my life.  I am finally in a place in my life where I am happy with what I see in the mirror {at least 90% of the time, which is  a damn lot}, and I don't care if you think I'm fat.  I know I am a bit overweight.  And I'm cool with that.  I have a husband, a family.  Friends for like ever.  And I no longer feel like I have to be "skinny" to fit in, because I've finally found who I'm supposed to be.

              

Love is Patient, Love is Kind...

Well, it's been nearly two weeks since I became a Mrs.

It's funny, how something that seems so hugely monumental, can totally end up being no big deal.

For over a year we planned and planned and planned for our Big Day.

Spent hours agonizing over colors, centerpieces, venue, food.

And ya know what?  I have no idea what my bouquet even looked like.

I don't remember seeing anyone's boutineers.

I cannot tell you what my cake looked like.

Honestly...I was fairly bored most of the wedding day.

I woke up early, having not been able to sleep.

{a great combination of nerves and my stepdaughter sleeping sideways with me...kids are thrashers!}

I kind of fiddled around getting ready.

EVERYTHING ended up taking much less time than I'd planned for.

So, I got my hair done at ten, had my makeup done afterwards...so here it was, noon, and I'm all set except the dress, sitting in a room full of my girls getting ready, and I had pretty much nothing to do. 

I really got to the point where I just wanted it to be over with.

All this build up, all this anticipation...

And the ceremony was over with in like ten minutes.

Followed by a whirlwind of pictures

{in which we got photobombed by Japanese tourists}

{i'm not kidding}

{side effect of taking pictures at Niagara Falls}

Then a bomb.com dinner

and a special appearance by our friends' band.

{which was the best part, except the cake}

At some point, I will post some pictures.

{and by that, I mean when the best photographer in the world is finished making them prettier}

Oh, and re-hash the ol' honeymoon.

Things I Just Don't Understand.

1:  It is the year 2013.  We can now send emails from our phones...not to mention browsing the internet, take pictures, play games...  Why do people still insist on FAXING??  Especially when the machine is located in my cubicle and makes annoying noises all. day. long. whilst the facsimile in question refuses to go through?

2:  Socks and Sandals.  Seriously?  If you're worried about blisters, get a bandaid.  Feet cold?  Invest in some sneakers.  But please do not wear socks with your sandals.

3:  Roadside crosses.  Ya know, the ones that people put up in spots where their loved one has died in a horrific accident.  I understand the sentiment...but if people always put crosses up where someone died, the whole darn planet would be covered!  Also, that is why gravesites exist - for the living to mourn.

4:  How do people NOT like "Gangnam Style"?  It's so catchy.

5:  Why do I always wake up with bruises randomly scattered on my body?  I know I'm clumsy, but really.  I am pretty glad I'm not wearing a short wedding dress...I walk into things far too often.  Whoops.

6:  Mullets.  Really.

7:  Also, how can people not love "Achy Breaky Heart"??  I know the nineties are behind us, but I love me some Billy Ray Cyrus.  LOVE.

8:  Why are baby noises the same as dinosaur noises?  Don't get me wrong, totes adorbz, but I feel like something went wrong during evolution...

9:  Unfailingly, as soon as all of my nails are the same, perfect length...one will break.  WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME??!?

10:  The noble platypus.  Good joke, mother nature.  WTF.  Also in this category...the mighty narwhal.

<3

On Gratitude.

My life is far from perfect.

I am far from perfect.

I mess up.  I don't always shower every day.

Sometimes I rock my jeans for a week straight before I wash em.

 I lie.  I forget to feed my fish.

My eyeliner never looks the same on both eyes.

I lose my phone, keys, purse, etc on a nearly daily basis.

{once even losing my car keys at walmart and having to leave my car there overnight until someone miraculously found them. true story.}

But in all of my lack of perfection, there are always people who want to hang out with me anyway.

People who love me despite my need to constantly correct their improperly spoken movie quotes.

Also despite my constant hair twirling.

People who've held me while I've cried, lent me money when I've been unable to pay my own way, cheered me up with a funny story, or listened when I had something to get off my chest.

For these people, I am grateful.

I am thankful.

I am lucky and blessed.

I am grateful for my momma.  For my sisters, my family.

I am grateful for my home.  Even the floor that's falling apart.

I am grateful for my friends, who always seem to know me better than I think they do.

I am grateful for my blog, and the friends I have come to know through it.

I am thankful to have modern technology.

I am grateful for indoor plumbing. No way am I gonna haul out to an outhouse to do my business.

Also, very thankful for the inventor of the tampon.

Throughout the last year, as I've been planning my upcoming wedding, there has been so much drama and stress, I haven't known how to cope with it at times.  If I had to choose again, I'd have just eloped and saved myself several months of hassle with unpredictable vendors.  But as the day approaches, I am now realizing that I couldn't possibly be happier, or more excited.

Or more grateful for the man who will soon be my husband.

Because he loves me.  Flaws and all.