Randoms...

• I have been listening to this remix during my workouts every morning this week.  I can't get it out of my head.

• We're in the process of getting our kitchen redone (very early stages) and I have to pick out the granite for the counter tops, the wood floor and the tile, tile for the back splash and the new appliances before they get started.  So many decisions.

Source: woatile.com viaRachel on Pinterest

We are keeping our oak cabinets since they aren't that old and are still in good shape.  I'm thinking Uba Tuba granite (black with some gold flecks) and slate tile for the backsplash, but in a subway tile type shape.  Ugh - decisions are so hard.  I'm also going with black appliances since I'm not a huge fan of stainless steel.

For the floor, we're probably just going to do some sort of distressed oak or maple floor.

• In keeping with the updated kitchen look - I started a thread on Houzz to get ideas.  People are so weird!  The thread turned into some lady talking about her Maine Coon cat and she got offended when I said "Oh aren't those the ones that are huge?".  Apparently hers is "just a petite little girl and NOT huge".  Come one people.  I don't need cat feedback.  Just tell me what color my drawer pulls should be.

• I'm so over the snow.  It snowed here yesterday and it was so cold that even though the sun shone all day it still didn't melt.  It's still there.  Gross.  Where is spring?

• We're getting ready to book our fall trip with my in-laws.  We're either staying here...

Or here....

I'm voting for the first one, but I have a feeling Mama Brown will have the final word.  We're hoping to maybe go down into Guatemeala or Belize for a little bit while we are there, that of course if KB doesn't get sick the whole time like he did last time.  Montezuma meant business.

Random Facts

Clarinda nominated me for a Liebster award.

So here's a little bit about me...

1. Why did you start blogging?

I mainly started because I was creeping on other people's and it felt weird sometimes. I started one mostly so I could comment, but then I thought "if random person can write about what she ate for dinner, so can I!".

2. Why did you choose this name for your blog?

My last name is Brown (and it had recently become so when I started this blog) and I grew up on a farm. It was fun and it rhymed.

3. If money were no object, where would you live and why?

I genuinely really like where we live. We live in Western NC. It's pretty, the weather is nice (most of the time) and both mine and KB's families are here. That being said, I wouldn't mind having some vacation properties in South America, a lodge in Montana or Canada and in Europe. A girl can dream right?

4. When you meet someone for the first time, what's the first thing you want to know about him/her?

I like to know where someone is from and where they grew up. I get asked this a lot at work because I'm one of the few people that has a Southern accent. It tells you a lot about somebody by knowing where they grew up.

5. What's the most unique thing about you?

Ummmm I don't really feel like I have that many unique things. I have really long toes (like really long). Some of them are as long as my fingers. It's kind of gross.

6. What inspires you?

Right now I'm trying to get fit, so I'm inspired by a lot of weight loss blogs and Pins. It's really motivated me so far to go online and see people who have lost a lot more weight than I want to (or need to).

7. What's your favorite dish (to eat or prepare)?

My favorite dish to each (but definitely not prepare) is country ham. It's so salty (and really bad for you) and so good. I don't eat it that often, but on a biscuit it is seriously heaven.

8. Describe your ideal weekend.

My ideal weekend sounds a lot like the one coming up. I'm going to stay at home and get my yard ready for winter by cleaning out some flower beds and moving some plants inside. I'm going to make some really good deer stew and probably some bread. On Sunday it's supposed to be cold, so we'll probably just stay inside and lay around all day. We've been gone the last few weekends, so this one will be great.

9. What did you want to be when you grew up and how does it compare to what you do now?

For a long time I really wanted to be a veterinarian I really liked animals and I thought it would be super neat.  When I got older and wiser I realized that you had to know a lot of science and chemistry and I was just too lazy for that. Now I work in marketing for large pharmaceutical companies. It's definitely not what I saw myself doing for the rest of my life, but for now it's pretty fun and I've learned a lot about that industry.

10. What is your dream career?

I honestly have no idea. I'd really like to be able to stay at home and raise some goats and chickens and dogs. I'd like to have a big garden and just can stuff all day long and make good food. That's not really a job, but more of a lifestyle I guess

11. What is your favorite song or who is your favorite artist to dance to?

One of my favorite songs is "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones. The words and music are really pretty. It's not a really good song to dance to though. For dancing, I move it a lot to 80s hair metal. I love me some hair bands.

I'm terrible at nominating people for things, so I'm going to be lazy and tag anyone that wants to say a lil something about themselves.

Weekend Happenings

We decided to get out a little bit this weekend and take the puppies for a little walk.

It was bright and sunny when we left, but shortly upon getting there it rained.....really hard....for a long time.  We went to Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It wasn't too far from our house, but we had never been there before.  While it was raining we ate lunch and then after it stopped we went on a little walk with the puppies.

KB being a mountain man with his manly dogs.

You should have been able to see lots of mountains beyond there, but since it rained all we saw was fog.

Eventually it cleared off and you could see some of the mountains.

Somebody got tired and needed some assistance.

Somebody else got tired too.

We walked for a few miles and then turned around because it started raining again.

There were lots of wildflowers in bloom while we were there and I saw this little guy.

Hopefully we'll go back when we can see a little bit more besides lazy pugs and fog.

Fun Blog Award

I was nominated for a blog award from one of my newest followers from across the pond Zoe.

I love doing these little quizzes and things.  Here are my answers to her questions for me...

Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because I was creeping on other people...a lot.  I thought it would be less weird for me to creepily read their posts if I had my own blog to hide behind, but it turned out to be pretty fun and a cool way to get ideas and feedback from other people.

What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

I really like to read and sleep.  I like to do those on days that aren't rainy, but they just seem better when it is rainy.  I picked up a new book today.  Let me know if you'd read it.  It looks like it's some sort of collection of short stories.

If money was no object, where would you like to visit?

KB and I have very different tastes when it comes to vacations.  He likes to do adventurous things and I like to relax and do lazy non-adventurous things.  I think the only place that we'd both like to go is Greece (since their economy is terrible now maybe we could get a good deal!).  KB really wants to see the historical stuff (he knows a lot about that) and I think it just looks pretty and warm.

What was the last song you listened to?

The last song I heard was at work when I was listening to the radio.  Yes that is the song on the Internet Explorer commercials.  I spent all afternoon trying to figure out where I had heard that song.



Would you rather be a dog or a cat for a day?

I'd totally rather be a dog.  Specifically one of my dogs.  They get to lay around all day and then get lots of treats and love when they get home. Case in point...

If time travel was invented, where would you go?

I don't know if there's a certain period that I would like to go to.  I really like the old 60s James Bond movies, I'd like to magically time travel to a James Bond movie....preferably one on a tropical island.

Do you prefer city life or country life?

I'm not sure I've ever really experienced city life.  The biggest city I've ever had to deal with wasn't really that big in the scheme of things.  Regardless, I think I'd rather be in the country.  KB likes to pee outside and I want to get chickens.

What is your favorite brand of nail polish?

I used to really like OPI and think that it was the best.  Last year I got Essie's Carry On and really fell in love with Essie.  I'm a terrible nail biter, so I don't normally wear a lot of nail polish, but this one stays on really well and isn't that expensive.

High end or drug store make up?

I don't normally wear a ton of make up, but I guess what I do wear is a mixture of high end and drug store.  I normally wear Bare Minerals Faux Tan and blush daily with mixtures of Lorac, Mac, and drug store eye liners and shadows.  I always normally wear Maybelline Great Lash mascara in black.  I like it because it wipes clean easily.  I hate having clumps of mascara left on my eyelashes even after I've washed my face.

What was the last thing you bought?

I bought a Diet Coke today from Subway.  That's not fun at all.  I wish I had bought some sort of cool clothes or jewelry, but just a Diet Coke.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

I never know how to answer these things.  I'm terrible at describing myself.  If I had to guess I'd say smart, sassy and small.  I just like the alteration and I am shorter than almost everyone I know.

I'm cheating and nominating anyone that wants to participate - feel free to talk about random things about you too!

Thoughts on a Thursday

It's been another hellacious week this week, so there's lots of thoughts in my mind, they're probably just really  boring to you!

Here are some non-boring thoughts:

- I'm so ready to be here:

Work has been crazy busy and stressful for the past few weeks and I can't wait to be on a lovely little island with just my favorite people.  We pushed our trip out about a month this year and it is draggginnnggg.  Only a couple more weeks!

-I'm thinking about doing a really crazy fun manicure/pedicure for the beach.  I want a crazy neon color.  What are some good options?  I've been looking at OPI's neon collection, but I don't know if I want to go that crazy.

- I've been zoning out to lots of mindless TV recently.  This is a recent fave...

-I've been drinking lots of this.  It's probably terrible for you, but it tastes amazing and only costs 60 cents for a whole bottle.

-I really want to see this movie when it comes out.  I always think movies about drugs are so interesting.  Drugs, Inc is one of the most interesting shows on TV.  It's just crazy to see how huge drug cartels work.  I'm also really liking Salma Hayek's character in this movie - she looks pretty badass.

What are your thoughts this Thursday???

Thoughts on a Thursday

It's time for my random Thoughts on a Thursday....

• Most of my thoughts are centering around our slackass loan officer.  Seriously - don't even try to do business with BB&T.  Everyone tells me that she'll pull it out in the end, but if we don't close by the end of March our sellers have almost told us that the deal is off.  We're scheduled to close by the 26th, but everyone seems to think it will come down to the wire and will probably get pushed to even later than the end of March.  She never returns a phone call or an email.  our insurance company has been waiting on her to fax 1 sheet of paper for almost 5 days.  She better get her ass in gear.  Has anybody else had these issues?  HELP!  This is seriously all that I'm thinking about these days.

• I picked up some goodies at Ulta yesterday.  I finally used my birthday gift card from my sister and got these...

Ever used any of these?  The shampoo was on clearance for $3 so I don't have high hopes for it.

• I keep seeing all these cute bathing suits on Pinterest and I want to go somewhere tropical.  We're going to the beach with my family this year, but don't have any tropical vacations planned.  I'm not going anywhere that you might even need a bathing suit until the middle of July.  Gross.

Source: anthropologie.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Seriously - get on my body and take me somewhere warm and sunny.

What are your thoughts on a Thursday???

Up and Running

We're back from spending a week here...

Source: travel.nationalgeographic.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Welllll not all week, there was some white sand and clear blue waters that we spend some time at, but the Mayan ruins were definitely a highlight.

I'm still sleeping off the jet lag and 5 hour car ride home from the airport (thanks Atlanta road work!) but expect a full recap soon!

Thoughts on a Thursday

It's time for my Thoughts on a Thursday....

Link up with Carolyn to play along!

• In about a week I will be here.

I can't wait, but for the time being I'm spending a lot of time working in order to get my stuff caught up so I can go there.  It really snuck up on me and I don't have anything planned or packed or anything.

• I was very lucky to snag one of these yesterday

A Cook Out watermelon milkshake is like summer frozen and blended with ice cream.  It sounds gross but they are so good.  They are only sold July - August and since yesterday was August 31st I was really worried that I waited too late.  It was pure delicious ice cream heaven.

• We've had some really good meals this week and most of them have been vegetarian.  I'm not a huge proponent of the no animal products bandwagon (having a dad that's a dairy farmer kinda immediately throws you out of the wagon) but we try to not eat meat at least 3 nights out of the week.  We had black bean burgers yesterday and they were so delicious.  They were better than most burgers I've had out and definitely better than anything I could make myself.

What are your thoughts on a Thursday?

Thoughts on a Thursday

It's time for Thoughts on a Thursday!  Link up with Carolyn to play along!

• I did this workout tonight and it was awesome!  I'm generally a skeptic when it comes to dance workouts, but this one was challenging, but not so complex that I got lost and stood there wondering what's going on.  I'm definitely sweating and only lack .1 pounds on the Wii to being the "normal" category.  This would probably be the first time that I've been considered normal!

• We've had the most awesome weather here this week.  It's been warm, but not that hot and it hasn't rained except at night.  I've been able to hang clothes out every day and not have to water my flowers.  Even though we're in NC we're on the opposite end from Hurricane Irene, so this weekend is supposed to be pretty too.

•  It's hard to believe, but in a couple of short weeks I'll be on the beach in Mexico....que bueno.  I still haven't bought any good outfits for the trip and I'm hoping to score some end of summer deals.  If you know of any good bathing suit sales....hook a sister up.

I don't have a ton of thoughts.......but that's pretty normal!

Weekend Happenings....

Even though we didn't really have anything planned, we had a pretty busy weekend.

 I completely cleaned our house.  I ended up throwing away 4 bags of garbage, 2 bags to donate, and 1 bag to put in storage.  KB is a huge pack rat and I was hoping to finish my major clean out of the man room before he finished mowing the grass.  I didn't quite make it, but I had most of the major stuff thrown away before he could get to it.  I moved my desk in front of the window in my lady room and it's so much brighter and cheerier.  I can see my bird feeders from my computer now.

 I made bread in the crock pot again.  I think I might like this recipe better than the last one.  It cooked for about 3 hours on high and smelled really good.  I tried a little piece when I was taking it out and it tasted pretty good.

 I planted some flowers on our new front "porch".  Since we don't have a roof over our patio any more, I wanted some flowers to jazz it up, but I also wanted ones that wouldn't die in the winter.  I got some different types of junipers and planted them in 2 long planters for the porch.  I figure once my annuals in the pots next to the door die I can move them there for winter.

I also moved my hanging basket to our mini table and it's doing much better there.  It's getting ready to take over our entire lower patio.  I don't think it was getting as much sun as it liked when it was hanging.

via

 We took the puppies on a walk to a water fall near our house this morning.  Overall it was about 3 miles, but lots of it was straight up.   Rosie was pretty tuckered out by the time we actually  made it out.  It was so humid I looked like I was entering a wet t-shirt contest with my white tee on.....oh well.

What goodies have you been into this weekend???

Thoughts on a Thursday

Link up with Carolyn to play along!

I leave for the beach in 2 DAYS!!!  I'm so ready to not go to work and just be lazy.  Unfortunately the little dogs will not be attending and I will miss my little Rosie and Hooey terribly.

I've been hitting the fit train hard this week and according to my Wii Fit I'm only 2 pounds away from being in the "Normal" category.  This is apparently the thinnest I've been since last Christmas when I got my Wii so that's super exciting.  I wore some pants to work today that I haven't be able to wear in 2 years.  Go me! Hopefully I don't screw it up at the beach next week.

We had a nest of cardinals in the tree outside of our office/man cave/random room window and the babies are hatched and learning to eat.  Every morning this week I've seen the mommy and daddy birds showing two weird looking cardinals how to eat out of the feeder.  This past evening I saw them eating alone - they grow up so fast don't they!

I'm so ready to have super long hair again.  Up until this fall I had really long and really straight black hair.  It would always get really crazy when I went to the beach and I loved it.  In a stroke of weakness, I ended up cutting a lot of it off last fall.  It's taken forever to grow out and I'm so ready for it to be long.  My hair doesn't really do good in anything but really long.

What are your thoughts on a Thursday????

In with the Old

I went shopping for some beach essentials this weekend.  Due to the limited shopping in Podunkville NC, I was forced into an Old Navy.  I haven't shopped in Old Navy for a good 5 years.  I was pleasantly surprised to find some cute, cheap stuff.

I got a few pairs of shorts and flip flops and a really cute bathing suit that apparently they aren't selling online anymore for only $30.  Score!

Thoughts on a Thursday

Join Carolyn for Thoughts on a Thursday!

• I'm so ready for Friday!  Even though it's been a short week, it's been pretty busy and I'm ready for it to be over.

• I go to the beach in 16 days!  I'm so ready for a vacation and to get some sun.

• My company is hosting a spa day for us next Wednesday.  I'm getting a facial, manicure and pedicure.  I'm looking around for some good nail colors.

• After seeing DSS's birthday post, I'm seriously wanting some rice krispie treats.  I need to find some good recipes that aren't too time consuming.

• KB (and almost all of my office) is running in a 5K tomorrow.  My company is running in the same race, but I gladly volunteered to stay behind and work.  I don't do 5Ks, but I especially don't do them when it's supposed to be 95 degrees.

• My flowers I planted are still alive.  I've tried to make an effort to keep them watered.  I planted some chive seeds and I think some of them are starting to sprout.  I can't wait until they get big enough for me to actually use them.

What are your thoughts on a Thursday???

Whirlwind Weekend

Whew.....I think I need a vacation from having a vacation.

We ventured to the Norfolk/VA Beach area for my cousin's wedding this weekend.  It was a really long, cramped car ride up there, but overall it was worth it.  She looked most beautimus and the reception was right on the dunes on the naval base in Dam Neck.  I seriously need to find a picture of her dress because it was a stunner. 

I'm totally off my schedule today and have felt discombobulated all day.  I had tons of emails waiting on me at work, I had to stop by the grocery store and I came home to a sick KB and tons of laundry.

Oh the joys of a vacation day!

Thoughts on a Thursday

It's time for thoughts on a Thursday!  Link up with Carolyn to play along.

• I can't believe that it's Thursday already!  This week has flown by.  Both KB and I have been really busy with work and it seems like this week has just started.
• Has anyone tried this laundry detergent before?

I got it because it was on sale at Sam's and I needed laundry detergent.  So far it smells kind of weird, but in a good way.  Supposedly it's all natural, but I'm a little skeptical.

• I scored a lot of free clothes this week...woohooo.  A coworker of mine that has lots more money than me and much better fashion sense than me, but is luckily the same size as me is cleaning out her closet and has brought me 4 bags of clothes.....4 BAGS!  It's like Christmas every time I see her.  Some people are weird about taking other people's clothes, but most of them still had the tags on them.
• I've started to look around for bathing suits for this year's summer vacations.  Most of the time I like the freedom of a bikini, but I'm definitely not the tonest girl on the block.  It doesn't really bother me and most of the time I wear a bikini anyway, but I'm thinking I might tone down my look this year. I really love this suit:

But the tightwad in me says that $200 is way too much for something you only wear a couple of months out of the year.

What are your thoughts on this Thursday???

Thoughts on a Thursday

• I'm so ready for it to be Friday.  Being out of town last week has caused this week to drag....MAJORLY.  We're also not super busy at work like we normally are and the days are crawling by.
• I've always wanted to try cleaning my house one room at a time and this week I was able to.  I normally clean the whole house on Saturday morning, but I didn't get a chance to last weekend.  So far so good and I'm pretty impressed with myself for being able to stick with it.
• On that note, I have not stuck with my healthy eating habits this week.  I have eaten Mexican food 4 times.....4 TIMES.  I seriously need to get back on the fit wagon.
• I just changed the sheets on our bed and I am so looking forward to going to bed tonight.  Falling asleep on fresh clean sheets is one of the best feelings in the world.

What are your thoughts on this Thursday?  Link up with Carolyn and let me know!

Back in Action

We spent a lovely weekend in one of our favorite places...

KB and I both went to UNC-Chapel Hill and neither one of us had really been back since we graduated almost 2 years ago.  I met up with some of my friends that still live in CH and KB met up with some of his old fraternity buddies.

Needless to say, I think we both were amazed at how we couldn't hack it like we used to.  I went a little too hard on some margaritas and KB is cranky because he didn't get his normal 10-12 hours of sleep (ok maybe not that much).  We're definitely getting old!

Summer, Sweet Summer

This summer is shaping up to be jam packed with family vacation goodness.

First up, my family's summer vacation in NC.  We'll be spending a week here:

We'll be spending a week in early June basking in the glory that is the coast of NC (with a 2 year old and a 3 year old).  We have an ocean front house this year and it's a much smaller group of us going (possibly just the ladies), so it should be low stress and fun.  We normally don't really do anything and just lay out at the beach all day and ready trashy books or talk about people or look at weird people on the beach.  KB's not a big beach person, so he may come down for a few days and go fishing or something.

3 months later, KB and I will go on his family vacation and spend a week here:

We'll be in Riviera Maya Mexico.  KB's mom got a pretty good deal on the rooms because this will be her 4th time going there.  This trip has all the makings of one I'll never forget.  First up, my grandmother has me convinced that I will be kidnapped by a drug cartel and taken hostage.  I've decided to step my safety game up.  We have a private car taking us from the Cancun airport to the resort (it's about an hour ride).  This is where I'm thinking things will get iffy and I may need pepper spray.  KB thinks I'm crazy...maybe I am.  Second, KB's mom informed me that the beach is "topless friendly" and that if I would like to partake no judgment will be offered.  Let's hope the all inclusive food and alcohol doesn't get the best of me.  Third, I majored in Spanish in college, so I can hablo espanol.  KB's mom says this will come in handy in ordering drinks for us......or when I get kidnapped by the drug cartel. Lastly, KB is not a big beach person.  He's planning on going deep sea fishing or something with his stepdad and one of the other guys going.  This leaves me to hang out (maybe literally on the topless beach) with KB's mom and her friend.  This part is fine....the whining from KB with being sunburned and uncomfortable will be probably get the best of me say...Tuesday, Wednesday.

Let's get to losing those last 30 pounds so we can look smokin'!