Happy New Year!

  This isn't another blog about profound reflections on the last year and all of the changes I'll promise to make for 2014, then inevitably break the resolutions and start over.  No, this is just a few of my ramblings and thoughts on life in general. 
   Since I haven't blogged in a while, and I'm still eating Christmas candy on Jan. 3rd, I figured I'd let you in on our Christmas tree story.  

  My husband, Adam, has been pushing me for years to get a real Christmas tree.  He couldn't understand how I was so consumed with everything about Christmas, but wasn't willing to get a real tree. He underestimated my hatred for sap, pine needles and of course, my allergies to all things outdoors.
  
  I also had a bad experience with a Christmas tree in high school.  Here is how my mother remembers it:

   Mom: Do you remember the time Cocoa (our 20lbs Siamese cat) got up the Christmas tree and knocked it over? That was so funny!
   Me:  Remember?! The tree fell on top of me and glass balls shattered all around me.  Of course I remember!  pfft. You and Dad had to lift the tree off of me and tie it to the wall to keep it from falling again.

   I reluctantly agreed since we live in a new house this year that we could attempt to get a real live tree, but that he had to clean up the needles and if the dog peed on it, we'd never get one again.  I suggested we sign up to get one from our church and have it delivered to our home - no scratches on the car and voila the hard part is done for you! Adam wanted to pick his own tree out. 
   We ended up going the weekend after Thanksgiving to pick out our tree.  I imagined a cute tradition we could continue for years to come! We'd get a tree from the same place each year!  The first place we went was to Lowes to get a tree stand for said tree.  They had none.  In fact, they didn't even have white indoor Christmas lights.  Fail. 
     This took us to a local plant place.  (Plant place?! Clearly this isn't my forte and the last time I did "landscaping" was when my dad offered me a crisp dollar bill to help pick up pine cones when I was 8 years old.) I went along with it anyway.  They had enormous 10+ ft. trees! They were beautiful! I instantly started talking to one like we were going to be taking it home.  I have no concept of how large things are from outside to inside.  While we do have a high ceiling and could technically have fit a 10ft tree in our house, the base around it would be so large that either our crazy dogs would knock  it down or we'd have to seriously rearrange some furniture, but Adam was willing to get it just so we could have a real tree.  Alas, the plant place had no tree stands either.
   At this point, we're feeling a little defeated.  We know the next place we'll have to go to get a tree stand, lights and a tree.  I contemplate just using our ten year old 6ft pre-lit artificial tree that has an entire strand that is out and is falling apart.  Adam refused, NO! We are getting a real tree.  So, we head to Wal-mart. 
 
  Much like running, every few years I'll attempt a trip to Wal-mart and remember, ten minutes in, "Oh, right. No." Wal-mart is never a good idea.  NEVER.  Target yes, Wal-mart, no. Walmart 3 weeks before Christmas? We were crazy.  We managed to find a tree stand, but not one that could fit the beautiful $100 10ft tree I fell in love with at the plant place and on top of that, Wal-mart didn't have any indoor Christmas lights.  At this point, I said aloud, what Adam must have been thinking, "Can we just get an artificial tree?" Adam finally caved.  
    
   I found a pretty, trim, 9.5ft. pre-lit tree.  I ran over to it, trying to find it on the shelves.  There was a family speaking Spanish that wouldn't move out of the way to let me check the boxes. I took 5 years (cinco anos?)  of Espanol, but "get the f- out of the way" wasn't something they taught me in high school and "perdon" wasn't working.  There was no use, the tree wasn't on the shelves, it was beautiful, it was sparkly, it was... out of stock.  We called over an employee, who may or may not have been high at the time (and who can blame her, she's doing seasonal work at Wal-mart), who just kept saying, "no" to us.  Then I realized, WAIT! We can buy the one on display!!!!!!!!!!  GENIUS!   "No." I'm beginning at this point to remember why I hadn't been in a Wal-mart in two years.  

   FINALLY - we find a man in charge who not only tells us we can buy the "show tree", but we can have 10% off! YES, VICTORY!  Adam left me for a few minutes to go get something else at Wal-mart; I stayed with the tree.  30 minutes later, we were home, with our beautiful artificial tree, which we have named Boris.  

  

  
  Ta Da!  Now that Christmas is over and 2014 has begun, we out Boris away in the attic until next year.  I have a feeling he'll be with us for many more Christmas seasons to come!  And hopefully, we won't have to visit Wal-mart again any time soon.  

    Happy New Year everyone! I have a feeling 2014 is going to be amazing! 

 xoxo, 
  Becca

  

Waterbeds and such

   When two people merge into a marriage, you also merge all of your belongings into one space.  While Adam and I quickly got rid of his sloping black leather couch and nasty, decrepit, covered in salsa stains 80's recliner that came apart in two pieces (that he amazingly got $75 for on Craigslist!), we have somehow hung on to his "this end up" furniture from when he was 3 years old and my bedroom dressers from when I was 13. 

   Coincidentally, my old bed was ruined in a tragic loss at a storage unit several years ago when I moved from college back to my hometown.  There had been a small hurricane which sprung a leak in the roof, creating moving day morning at 6am a fun treat and surprise for me and my dad, who was helping me move at the time.  Moldy mattress anyone?  ugh.  So I ended up getting a new bed and mattress and box springs that day!  Well, I ordered it anyway, my beautiful sleigh bed didn't show up for 14 weeks!!!!! I guess now we know why Rhodes Furniture went bankrupt and out of business. 

   Unfortunately, the storage unit disaster didn't even touch my 17-year-old dresser, chest of drawers, mirror and night stand.  I remember picking this furniture out like it was yesterday!  Being the youngest in the family, I had all hand me down furniture and nothing matched.  Apparently, I was OCD even back then, because the non-matching furniture really REALLY bothered me.  So I ended up getting a beautiful, Charleston gate like, iron cast, hunter green daybed, with matching pop-up trundle of course.  The furniture that matched was briefly used and returned to the furniture store because whomever bought it had a dog that chewed a few of the edges of the drawers. I remember my Dad negotiating a special price and then the furniture was all mine! I remember the pieces had a matching queen sized bed, but we didn't get that, as I already had my daybed.  

  There is a reason that our tastes change from when we are teenagers into adulthood. There are no words to describe the hideousness that is this furniture to me now.  Adam despises it; as he should, considering he's a grown man stuffing his socks and t-shirts into a 13 year old girl's dresser.  The furniture isn't white, but rather a creamy, off-white shabby chic, if you will.  It has a beautiful stenciling of a floral design and scrolls on each outer edge.  Wait.   I'll just take a picture and show you.  Before I show you though, in my defense, I once babysat for a family who had this EXACT SAME FURNITURE (including the fancy queen sized bed to match) in their master bedroom.

Behold... the dresser in all it's glory!!

Notice the fancy scroll, ribbon and rose motif. 

Adam really can't stand these ribbon details on the side.  I think its a wee bit too feminine for him. 

Where the previous owner had some bite issues, or perhaps it was some s&m party into biting? Or misplaced vampire?  I guess we'll never know. 

    Needless to say, Adam and I are looking for new bedroom furniture.  Did you know Paula Deen has furniture?  It's at Infinger Furniture in Goose Creek.  It's actually really pretty, but also a bit pricey. Also, I'll never be able to go back in that store again because after I told Adam my parents had a king sized water bed back in the 80s/90s, he found it to be hilarious to ask, "Where are your waterbeds?" to the sales lady when we walked in.  He acted dead serious too, I had to tell her we were kidding.  I'm sure my face was bright red.  I live in the Creek, so I feel comfortable saying this, but I'm actually quite shocked that they DIDN'T have waterbeds. HAHAHA

   Of course, he was just kidding, we've found our perfect bedroom furniture and now we're patiently waiting for it all to go on sale soon. 

  Until then, I guess we'll have to just keep living in the a teenage girl's room.  At least I don't have a WHAM! or Madonna poster taped to the wall. 












 

Wedding Wisdom from a Bride

Well, after months of planning and hours of getting things together, Adam and I are officially and finally married. Mr. & Mrs. Jones, has a nice ring to it! :) After some short contemplation, I have a few words of advice for upcoming weddings that I learned from ours. If you're getting married... hopefully it will help and if you're already married, just nod your head in agreement b/c you know its true!


1. Undercover Cops are always a good idea, whether you have a crazy mother who may or may not show up, or if just for the reason that some random guy shows up during the ceremony and tries to walk his dog through the area. "Sir, we are not asking you to leave, we are telling you." SOO classic and worth every penny!


2. When picking our your bridesmaid's shoes, make sure they are cute, functional and wearable. Who cares if they are 5 inches tall, made by Penthouse and your bridemaids sink in the ground? they'll end up barefoot by the end of the evening anyway.


3. Bug spray, bug spray, bug spray. (Bonus if your Groom likes the scent better than perfume, like mine did!)


4. When possible, rescue your awesome photographer from drunken single men who all think she's hot and want to hit on her. She's there to work and have fun, not to take care of drunken wedding crashers. Also? If she's basically pointing to you and fanning you over, that really means she needs your help during said situation. Bonus points if your bring her a drink after all that!


5. Play Vanilla Ice. Apparently, this brings out the inner dancer in all of your guests. (Kudos to Andy for making this one of the most memorable and greatest moments of our wedding reception!)


6. Hide cupcakes from the 2 year old ring bearer. AND? Don't let the dj show continuous photos of cupcakes on slide show b/c ringbearer will want cupcakes all night!



7. When your sister-in-law hands you a tiny dvd of your ceremony, don't think it would be a "cute" idea to put it in the limo's dvd player on the way to the hotel b/c it WILL get stuck and you WILL spend the next hour of your life trying to get the thing out! Long story short, dvd may never be recovered.


8. Let your groom's cousin videotape the entire ceremony... it will be funny later when you're watching and you hear his commentary. I guess Eric forgot there was sound on the video as well. haha


9. And last, but certainly not least, enjoy the day b/c tomorrow it will all be over!! :)

"Mulch ado about Nothing!"

I feel like it has been way too long since I last wrote on my blog! I must update everyone on all of my goings on the past few weeks. You know I like to keep you up to the minute informed of my randomness. While spring is finally starting to be in the air, so is pollen, ragweed and freshly cut grass. So far, I haven't lost my voice, but its just a matter of time! I lose my voice every April, but maybe not this April! Adam has been working out in the yard, mulching it up, planting banana trees and "what nots"*. Since I'm the killer of all plants, I let that be his territory. I do better with things like sweeping up the tracked in mulch and wiping up Beau's slobber. Here is the banana tree that Adam is so proud of:


Alright, according to my wedding planner countdown thingy, I have exactly 172 days to go before the wedding, where I have to squeeze into my dress that fit me perfectly last September. Me? Scared it won't fit? Never!! ok, maybe just a teensy weensy little bit that the zipper might snap off of me during the ceremony, exposing my little 'something blue' to every single person I know!

I have started working out. I'll give you a moment to digest that. Laugh it up! My mom actually laughed at me on the phone when I told her I attempted to jog; she exclaimed, "you run like a girl!".

Maybe that's because I AM a girl, Mom!!!!!

I read somewhere that Kate Winslet uses her Wii Fit to get in shape, so I've been logging on to mine as well. I must say, I've really come a long way according to the Wii! When I used to step on the board, it would say, "ooi", now it exclaims, "great!!". I'm really loving the advanced step aerobics. I've given up on the jogging for now and have decided that walking Beau, our 92 pound beast, around the block is enough for me to handle in one day.
I ask you, how easy is it to try and do ab work if you have this standing over you, drooling in your face?

ps. actual photo taken today while doing crunches. I swear!


Speaking of wedding stuff, I have a fabulous, wonderful, can't say enough wonderful things about her wedding planner!! She's organizing the wedding plans for me the weekend of the wedding. Her name is Tanis Jackson (if you need info., please email me or leave a comment). Tanis came to the salon the other day to go to lunch and look over a few plans for the wedding. This is where I discovered her knack for organizing brides, penchant for creative ideas and most importantly, her skilled knowledge in kicking ass and taking names. She's trained in security, which she assures me will come in handy, and BOY will it!! My mother is invited and my parents haven't been in the same room together since their bitter divorce in 1998**. I feel ever confident that Tanis can take her down if need be.

Unfortunately, when Tanis came to the salon, she needed to ride with me to the restaurant across the street. My palms became clammy, my forehead began to sweat, immediately I became panicked! As most of you know, I lead a very clean, organized, orderly life at work, in the home, etc. However, in my car during this exact day was not the case. I have been driving all over town, eating, doing God knows what in this Ford...and now someone wants to ride in it! There was no "straightening" before she got in the vehicle, I just had to face the facts. You see, I ate my breakfast on the way to work the morning before and....




I left the rotting banana peel in the car!!!! OMG!!! And how embarrassed was I? I think I may have even blushed when she said, "oh, it smells so, um, tropical in here!".

Oh sweet Jesus!! PLEASE let it be the Yankee Candle car freshner*** that's 6 months old dangling from the visor that she's smelling!! Shore Breeze smells "tropical" doesn't it? Luckily, she made no mention of the peel and is still as fabulous as always! Also? *so shamed* I forgot to take the peel out until I went to Jiffy Lube yesterday to get my oil changed....they threw it away for me. ****


I also forgot to mention my Hoppy Easter! My sister and I always give each other a hollow chocolate bunny, the great bunny exchange! I try to find the biggest, funniest or ugliest bunny to give her as a gag gift each Easter. This year, she really outdid herself. Meanwhile, I haven't even gotten her one yet, I am soo slack! Anywho, she left this poor little Cottontail outdoors, in the Charleston sun, in her car while we ate Easter brunch and well...



Now Cottontail is a "solid" milk chocolate bunny for Easter. *shakes head* It was the funniest thing ever!!!!

Anywho, "Celebrity Apprentice" is calling my name and I need to go see who Joan Rivers is going to beat up on tonight!

xoxo, Becca

* "what nots" are not a flower, at least, not that I'm aware of.

** Should I note that they hate each other? I'm seriously afraid for other people's safety at this event.


*** Those damn things smell great, but do NOT last long enough! hmph!

**** Which they f-ing should have, considering how much it cost me there!

what are you OCD about?

So I haven't been diagnosed or even tested for that matter for OCD, but Adam is pretty sure that I have the disorder, based on a few simple "weird" things that I do on occasion about the house. I'd like to take this moment and share a few with you, in hopes that I'm not the only woman like this that I know....hopefully someone can identify! haha I try not to tell too many people about these things because some are seriously silly I know, but I'll just let you in to how my mind works sometimes. And just in case anyone reads this and takes it too seriously, I don't think there will be any impending doom if these things don't happen and ultimately that's what separates me from actually having a ritual type of OCD.

- Due to a science guy, (think Bill Nye, but less dorky), speaking to my 6th grade class about recluse spiders, I now shake my tennis shoes harder than one should before placing them on my foot. ( I also think that after reading this, if you don't do this one, you will)


- My fridge has to be pristine! All labels facing out, drinks out of the 12-pack box they came in, and for goodness sakes, all left over containers need to be put in a drawer so I can't see them until they are eaten. Also, the top of the fridge needs to be cleaned at least once a week. Living with someone can make this one quite difficult. I usually put away the groceries as to avoid any conflict.


- My closet is color coordinated. I came to this conclusion AFTER I went through several "rough drafts", if you will, of how I'd like to organize my closet. I went through a long phase of coordinating by style, length, etc, but in the end, a color coordination in the scheme of ROYGBIV is the most aesthetically pleasing to one's eye while getting dressed in the morning. And yes, I do notice if someone places a piece of clothing where it does not belong.


-It drives me crazy if the hot/cold handles on a sink aren't turned off to be perpendicular with the sink, rather than turned to the side,etc.

- In the house I grew up in, my bedroom door opened right in front of where the attic opening was in the ceiling, I would have to jump up and hit the rope hanging or else I wouldn't let myself out of my room.

- I have a weird thing about counting things. I count everything. For instance, when applying deodorant, I count in my head as I swipe, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - stop - switch arms, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. - stop - switch back 1, 2, 3, stop , switch back - 1, 2, 3. And if you've ever had the pleasure of getting a facial from me, I spray the toner 6 times too. If I lose count? I start over. I also count stairs each and every time I go up and down them. At one time, I had every stair case number memorized on Appalachian State University's campus.


- If I've seen your car, chances are that I have your license plate memorized. Try me sometime.


- I have an aversion to eating square shaped things, such as, square shaped pizza and hamburgers. If you hand me a square pizza slice, I will refuse to eat it. yuck!


- I have a thing with the number 555. Whenever I look at a clock, I swear its always 5:55! I think everyone has this time of thing happen to them, like is there a specific time you always wake up?


Alright, I think that's enough for now!!!

Also, important note, you should be able to leave comments now without having to sign up and get an account. :) ok, I'll post more tomorrow I'm sure. Until then...

xoxo, Bec

I'm hilarious.

Since Adam's birthday & Valentine's Day I have been planning to send something to Adam by mail, by delivery, by person, by WHATEVER and today I finally went ahead and decided to send it. Will it come in the mail? Will someone find him on the beach kiteboarding and hand deliver it to him? Or will it just be me baking cookies for him? WHO KNOWS!! I could be sending a beer bouquet!!

Anywho, I'm laughing soo hard right now that I could snort b/c what I sent him is just so darn funny!!!! You know I like to send "nature's post-its" message through bananas, well, I found a creative new way of sending a message. haha Stay tuned to find out what it is! I had to warn him it was coming b/c I want to make sure he gets it...but he has no idea what it is. hehehe

I will update soon with details.

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday everyone! Since the last time I posted, I put a photo on here being mean to Adam, I figured I'd show what else I do for him! I just love to cook and bake, especially for other people.

This is going to be a random posting today because I have a lot going on and not a lot to say. Yesterday, I attending an advanced eyelash extension course that lasted from 7:30am until 8:30pm (it was supposed to be over by 6:30pm). I am so completely proud of myself because I was the only person in the class to receive my advanced certification on the spot!

Apparently, I forgot to tell anyone else I was going to be in the class all day because I missed 6 phone calls during the course of the day (granted, my mom was three of the 6, but still!). My cell phone NEVER rings, yet on this day, it rang 6 times! Oops! sorry! One of the calls was a very hungry Adam, waiting for me to come home, instead of gnawing his arm off, he went ahead and ate without me. When I got home? Plate fixed for me and he warmed it up and served me dinner! Am I lucky or what?!

Now, on to more important things about last night. I am so ashamed to tell you this, but I have to divulge that I have a secret addiction to "The Bachelor". I watched the three hour show last night intently, waiting for Jason to pick Melissa (which I previously already knew b/c I read it on a spoiler site, of course!). Then in the After the Rose Ceremony, saw him drop her like a used Kleenex! Seriously!? He couldn't have say, broken her heart a week ago at home instead of millions of people?! A "closed set" is not a "private" thing when it is televised all over the United States! ARGH!

OK, I must also confess that I hired a cleaning lady. Is it wrong that I'm on the computer, updating a fun blog instead of cleaning my house myself? There is sooooooooooooo much bleach going on downstairs that my head feels fuzzy and is starting to hurt. I mean, I seriously can't breathe. I have to leave the house in a bit b/c it has been Clorox bombed! My poor cleaning lady; she's probably discovered the fact that the baseboards in our house haven't been cleaned in ooooohh say, a year's time. Or the dust is falling over her as she Swiffer's the fan blades. OOH its raining dust! My dog has passed out on the couch next to me from the fumes. (J/k!!!).

Ok. must. go. bleach is getting to me. making me very ... unable to think of witty, snarky things. catch ya later!

- xoxo, bec

What passes for humor in my house....

Or as I like to refer to it: Nature's Post-it

I leave Adam messages on his morning banana.

My New Oasis! "Woman-Land!"

Well, as you can see, I decided to do something about our plain, white, blah loft this week. It sits just across from our secondary loft, which we lovingly call, "Man-land" b/c of its massive flat screen and huge comfy couch, dominated only by those loving football, playstations, and salsa. The little loft has been empty since we moved in last August!! White walls, staring at me, taunting me. As most of you know, I like lots of color on my walls and these white walls simply would not do! One day last week at work, I had a vision of what I wanted to do with the room. I went out on my lunch break, bought a cute studio couch (also doubles as a futon!), and I bought some paint. A week later, TA DA!!! I finally got my room put together with Elizabeth Street Blue and Bermuda Stone paint colors. Do not be alarmed by the "orbs" in this photo. However, every picture that we took of the room seems to have these, as you can see below. Its very bizarre.

Needless to say, even though I have blue/brown paint all over my hands and somehow got brown paint on my face, I am very proud of my painting job!! Adam's job was to put the couch together because he's not much of a painter, bless his heart. And I assure you, I'm no Michaelangelo, only a Picasso at best. I also can not "color" inside the lines, I had blue paint bleeding onto my brown. And I threw caution to the wind by not using ANY painters tape! Nope. None. ... seriously! None! I got slightly distracted while watching Oprah and almost stepped in the paint as well. Damn you Oprah! (j/k, if you're reading, I really need a new car!).

Well, I'm off to watch my new obsession, "Gossip Girl", and bask in the glory of my new room! And stay tuned for more updated photos as the room transforms into my own personal oasis! Maybe I'll even turn it into a scrapbooking room!!!! (Somewhere Adam just groaned....).

xoxo, Bec