Rainy Days and Mondays Don't Always Get Me Down

Typically, I, along with Karen Carpenter, am not a huge fan of the rain. It can get in the way of outdoor activities, ruin a good hair day and cast a gloomy shade over the day. But, some days, I welcome rain with open arms. Today is definitely one of those days.

The weather fully committed today, and I can certainly appreciate that. It was cold, rainy, windy AND foggy. An excellent combination for a day when you just want to get cozy.

Because of the cold rain today, I had an excuse to drink hot chocolate first thing in the morning to warm up, move slowly at work and to immediately jump into PJs when I got home (as if that were something out of the ordinary). --If that's not something to be thankful for, I don't know what is.

Holy Guaca-Moly!

Before I devote my time to today's thankfulness choice, let me say this was not an easy decision. As my good friend and coworker, Lindsey, says - once you're looking out for something, you'll see it everywhere (or something much more eloquent than that). And that's how it has been with this project. Ever since I started looking out for things throughout my day that I'm thankful for, I see them everywhere and it's often difficult to choose only one to talk about. In an effort to keep you reading, I'm not going to disclose what the other possibilities for today's thankfulness choice were.

However, I will tell you that today's choice is tasty guacamole!!! For those of you who don't know, the company I work for provides us free lunch every day (which will eventually, I assure you, be a thankfulness choice). Today was taco salad day - YUM!!! Taco salad day is a big day in the office... you have to set aside an extra ten minutes for lunch just because the line is so long.

Well, the taco salad was great, but I could most definitely have eaten an entire plateful of tortilla chips and that heavenly guacamole alone. I always forget how much I love guacamole until it shows up unexpectedly on my plate. Let me just tell you, this guac was DE-lish!

...Good enough that Lindsey and I had a whole conversation about it, three hours after we'd eaten it... And good enough that I felt it deserved to be today's winner. Mmmmmm... tasty tasty.

Playing Catch-Up Already... :)

Wouldn't you know, after one week of this project, I've already slacked off! ...In my defense, I was out of town at a Chick-fil-A Grand Opening in Laredo, Texas most of last week and I didn't have my computer with me (which, as I will explain in a second, is something I am thankful for). So, I'm going to make up for the past week now.

Tuesday, October 14: Recovering Work-a-holic
Anyone who's known me for an extended period of time knows that I am a slight workaholic. I don't mean to be. It just happened when I started working.
Type A personality + "Words of Affirmation" love language = Overworker/workaholic
Anyway, coming into the full-time working world, where I will live for the next 40 years of my life, I decided I would not allow myself to work 70-hour weeks, bring my laptop home every day or leave after 5:30. And, surprisingly, I have stuck to my plan so far.

Wednesday, October 15: Disney Movies
Apart from the 'bear' necessities, I'm not sure there's anything I'm more thankful for than Walt Disney and his animated motion pictures. Seriously... give me a bad day, but then put on a Disney movie... instant cure.
Top Five
1. Sleeping Beauty
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Lion King
5. Cinderella
Feel free to argue.

Thursday, October 16: Road Trips
Oh my gosh, I love road trips!! Half the fun to me is making the playlist for the car-ride. But I think the most fun part is the inevitable list of random, HILARIOUS quotes from a small group of people being stuffed together in one location for an extended period of time! I guess the destination's not normally too bad either. :)

Friday, October 17: Flowers
Flowers are just happy. Specifically daisies. Gerber daisies or the white ones with the yellow centers! But, I also really like tulips!
While I used to claim that I didn't want flowers from boys because it was so typically girly, I was lying. Flowers are such a happy addition to a day and they light up any room. Love them!

Saturday, October 18: Engagements!
Saturday, my best friend Molly got engaged!!! And it was just about the cutest proposal ever!! She and her now-fiance, Bryan, were in Chattanooga for the weekend and they had gone for a walk on this bridge after dinner. About halfway down the bridge, Bryan slowed til they just stopped and he must have been quiet for more than 20 seconds, because Molly inevitably said, "Ask me a question!" Right then and there, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him!!! Of course she said yes!!

Sunday, October 19: M.O.H.
I'm sorry, but this just had to be a separate post. Molly asked me to be her Maid of Honor (hereafter referred to as M.O.H.) and this is a picture of my dress.

I'm so beyond excited, it's not even funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...K, I just had to get that out of my system.

Monday, October 20: Shallow Television
Wasn't going to include this, but truly the best thing about my Monday is getting to come home and sit in my comfy living room with my roomies and watch Gossip Girl and The Hills! It's completely shallow, but it's just so much fun! It just makes me want to go paint my nails.


Tuesday, October 21: Hocus Pocus
For the past two years, Kathryn Griffin and I have been desperately searching video rental stores for Hocus Pocus, the 1993 Halloween classic. Granted, we only try to rent it around the Halloween season, but it is frustrating nonetheless when it's not in stock. So, last night, Amanda, Audrey, Katie and I all got a sudden urge to do something Fall/Halloween-ish and since it was already late, a movie seemed the only route. And that's when it hit us: HOCUS POCUS!!! So, Katie and I set out on Mission HP 2008. Let's just say that due to a series of circumstances, including a robbery, an incompetent Blockbuster worker, fifteen streets in Atlanta that go by the name 'Peachtree' and the severe lack of a GPS system, it took us an hour and a half -- but we completed our mission!!!
Hocus Pocus is now sitting very proudly on our coffee table in the living room and that is where it will remain until next Wednesday. Oh sweet victory!
If you want to read about another fun (she might argue with that adjective) adventure, check out Kelly's post on the many obstacles she went through to transport the bike of her dreams back home.

And finally....

Wednesday, October 22: Blueberry Coffee Cake
Last night, Amanda's boyfriend, John, came over and brought us some blueberry coffee cake from Starbucks. Well, I wasn't hungry enough to eat it last night, so I grabbed a piece this morning on my way to work, with the excuse that it was almost like a blueberry muffin and not dessert for breakfast. I finally got settled in the car and took a bite -- oh my goodness! It was heavenly!! It was the perfect start to the day!

The Thankfulness Project

One of my biggest strengths is positivity. It's rare you will find me in a bad mood, and when I get in one, it's very short-lived. But, I have to admit - I can be a bit of a worrier. I get anxious about financial issues, worry about how I'm doing at work and wonder when the right guy will come along.

All this worrying can wear on you and make you forget that God is ultimately in control.
And considering my life verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, I know I should be making a more concerted effort to be thankful in every circumstance in my life.

Therefore, after making this realization (and observing that I don't have enough going on day-to-day to keep this blog moving at a faster-than-glacial pace), I decided to start a little project:

The Thankfulness Project.
For the next 365 days, I will come up with something that I am thankful for and write about it. It may not always be profound, but it will be something that makes me smile. Hopefully it will make you smile too. :)

And to kick things off, I figured I would start with the thing that I am most thankful for: my family.

I come from a HUGE family. There are 50+ members on my dad's side alone, and most of them live on the same 100-acre slab of land in North Carolina. Literally. My Mimi (great-grandmother and matriarch of the family) owns the land and lives right in the middle. Then, her children, my Nana, my great-Aunt Judy and my great-Uncle Ronnie, all live in a triangle out from her. Judy's three children, Scott, Eric and Tammy, each live a triangle out from her. Then, my Uncle Tim lives across the field from my Nana. Ronnie's children live about ten minutes away a piece and then my family lives in Atlanta because my dad works for Delta and my Uncle Mark's family lives in Boone because he coaches for Appalachian State. As redneck as it sounds, I LOVE this about my family. I have always grown up appreciating family and feeling like I had a gigantic support system.

My mom's side of the family is significantly smaller, but they are similarly close and are there for us through thick and thin as well. Grandma and Grandpa are two of the sweetest and strongest prayer warriors you've ever met. Then my Aunt Kim and Uncle Randy are two of the smartest people you've ever met. Kim's daughter, Kari, is my cousin and one of my closest friends. Even though we don't get to see each other very often, we know we're always there for each other. She's here, pictured with her husband, Jason, and daughter, Emma - SOOO precious!!!

As far as my immediate family goes - we have all recently become much closer. Strangely similar to a later-seasoned episode of 7th Heaven, each member of my family has gone through the same lesson in our faith in the past year, separately. This lesson has taught us to be more compassionate with each other and to value each other's opinions in our lives.

With such an amazing group of people only a phone call or flight away, I have rarely felt alone and have always felt loved.

I am extremely blessed.

Three-Year Old Fun in Neverland!

After months of working, living on our own, paying the bills, having jobs - it was time for some good ole fashioned elementary school fun. So the girls and I packed up all the craft project goodies, B-list movies and junk food we could find and headed for the Classic City.

Upon arrival, I jumped into my beloved "onesie." This certain article of clothing seems to have brought a significant amount of joy to those closest to me. The rest of the weekend involved Georgia football, movie marathons, pumpkin painting, pallets, photo shoots and hair ribbons. It was such a breath of fresh air compared to the "grown-up" activities we've had to take part in of late.



So much laughter was such great medicine to the monotony of adult life. Yay for weekends in Neverland!!!

All Dressed Up, Don't Know What to Do?

My past two nights have been full of unique Atlanta fun and it got me thinking that there are so many things to do in Atlanta on the post-college budget. So, I decided to do a little research on things to do in Atlanta for less than $10 and share my findings with the class. :)

This Weekend Only
Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival at the Fox: $7.00
The AJC Decatur Book Festival: Free
Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, Clemson vs. Alabama: Free

All the Time
The Plaza Theatre: The Rocky Horror Picture Show: $7.50
Fernbank Planetarium: $3 for students or $4 for adults
Braves Game: As low as $6.00, or $8.00 for 2 tickets on Tuesdays
Atlanta Cyclorama: $7.00
Starlight Six Drive-In Theater: $7.00
Turner First Thursdays: Free
Piedmont Park: Free
Virginia Highland: Free to explore
Paolo's Gelato Italiano, Virginia Highland: $3.50-$6.50 a cup (SO YUMMY!)
Wednesday Wind Down in Centennial Olympic Park: Free
Jazz Nights in Decatur: Free
Movies by Moonlight, Sandy Springs: Free

Who Woulda Thunk It?

You know what Disney never tells you? That, if you're lucky, life after Neverland can be almost as fun as life in Neverland.

I know, I know.

I never thought I would think that, let alone write it down. But, I love my new life!

Since my last post, I have gotten a part-time job, moved into a new (and fabulous, might I add) house, decorated a new room and laid extensive groundwork for obtaining a full-time job. For the past year, I anticipated this time in my life with utter dread. Paying bills, waking up early, pinching pennies... it all made me cringe.

But now...

I go into work and learn fascinating things about my favorite company every day, then I make the quick drive home and get off an exit right before traffic gets horrible, walk into my Pottery Barn-esque house (thanks to my interior designing diva roommate) and do a little more work while snuggling on the couch with my new roommies watching some random chick-flick (that inevitably takes at least half an hour to choose). I. love. it.

So all of those who are in the place I was last year, keep your chin up. Sometimes when you're expecting the worst, life sends you a refreshing curve ball and all the pieces fall into place.