The Rustic Sophisticate

SIL'S graduation

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 27 May 2013 16:29:00 +0000

My sister-in-law graduated college from Middle Tennessee State University a few weeks ago! She was a student athlete all 4 years playing keeper for the women's soccer team. We had a wonderful fast weekend filled with family time.

Memorial Day 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 27 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Happy Memorial Day friends! I can't say thank you enough to all of those serving and those that have served our country. I always think of the above statement especially on days like today... "Land of the free because of the brave" isn't that the truth. As nice as it is to have an extra day to spend with family & friends and to have the day off of work I try to keep my focus on the reason for the day. I appreciate the sacrifices of the service men & women and those that their families make for us. Thank you simply isn't enough.

entering the last year in my twenties

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:09:00 +0000

I turned 29 on May 2nd!

Thankfully where I work gives us our birthday day off work & I went ahead and took Friday off as well so I could have a looooong weekend. It was my first day off work for the year and boy was it needed. I feel refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to get back to what I love doing. Sometimes you just need to stop and breathe, take a break and get back to it.

My ideal day (when everyone else is working ;)) is creating my to-do list and getting to business so that's exactly what I did on my birthday! I got out of bed when my husband was leaving for work.. so I got to sleep in a little bit and went to work out. After working out I got my free birthday Starbucks drink & had the inside of my car cleaned. Came home, showered and got ready for the day!

This is what I found after I finished getting ready. They never cuddle like this!

So then I went and got my hair done, did some shopping, picked up some birthday flowers from my in-laws (that were sent to my work) and tried to get my oil changed and lifetime power train warranty inspection done.... I say tried because I had to make an appointment for the following day (apparently the inspection takes about 3 hours). So I went home, had some R&R time then my husband came home with cupcakes and a sweet card! We went to a nice dinner with some amazing food. It was a perfect night.

Incredibly dark picture but this was at dinner.

Pretty flowers from my sweet in-laws.

On Friday Chris took the day off work as well so we could have a fun day together before he left for a bachelor party for the weekend. We went to see a matinee of Iron Man 3 in the balcony at the Warren Theatre... always fun! The movie did not disappoint and it was so cute seeing all the little kids with their Iron Man toys. The car appointment I had made the day before did not as planned.. it's a long story that I don't want to bore you with. Long story short Chris & I took my car to a different dealership to get the oil change and inspection and while we were away one of our little fur babes got into some allergy medicine I had just purchased and left on the coffee table. One (or both we didn't know at the time) of them ate 5 pills (decongestant medicine) soooo we called our vet and he wanted us to bring them in. Awesome. Basically our vet made them both throw up... Angel first because we thought she was the culprit. WRONG. We should have known it was Sebastian. Anyways they found all 5 pills in Sebastian's vomit (sorry if you got a graphic picture in your head). The IV medicine they gave them to throw up had morphine in it so they were loopy & out of it for the night. They're just fine now. I wouldn't say that was the best day... but you know glad we got that outta the way.

On Saturday my mom came in town to keep me company while Chris was out of town and to help celebrate my b-day with me. We had a fun day consisting of grocery shopping (thanks for coming with me mom... it's always fun having a partner at the grocery store), lunching at The Mule, real shopping, move theatre (to see the place beyond the pines) and cooking dinner together! It was a really fun day :)

A birthday gift to myself!

I'm excited for this 29th year of my life. Hoping it's a positive year for us!

Easter 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 01:38:00 +0000

Chris's mom, dad & sister came in town for the day last Saturday and we had fun filled jam packed day. We started off the morning at Kitchen 324 for brunch. It's so yummy :)

Then we walked around the Myriad Garden's in downtown OKC. It's very pretty in Spring & Summer. They were having an Easter egg hunt for the little ones. I normally always wear flats... so I have to stand on my tippy toes when I take a picture with my 6'5" husband... so I can at least be near his shoulder.

Then we headed to Norman to check out the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. It was AWESOME! We loved it. I never went in college so it was fun to go back with the whole family to enjoy it.

After a little pit stop at the mall & Green Bambino we went to dinner at one of Chris's favorite restaurants in Norman... Royal Bavaria where the beer comes flowing out of glass boots (but be careful not to break the glass boot b/c it's a $75 fee if you do... our waitress tells us this as she is handing Chris the boot). They do have really yummy German food I must say. I picked up some nothing bundt cakes for Chris's mom, it was her birthday last Thursday, and we had those for dessert!

I love that my in-laws still give us an Easter basket! Do you see that little blue egg that says hippity hop?? Someone left that on our front porch to find Sunday morning. I loved it... but seriously who did that?!

After my in-laws went home we walked our little fur babies. It was such a beautiful day :)

All in all it was a lovely & perfect little Easter weekend. Time well spent with family.

Mark 16:6 And he said to them. Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.

Chips For Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:42:00 +0000

I have been struggling with the fact that I have not posted anything personal in ohhh over 1 month. I have so much to catch you up on & so many pictures to show you but instead of getting overwhelmed with all that I haven't/need/want to do I'm going to catch you up on our weekend!

This past week for me has been crazy busy. Like one of those weeks that is too busy for your own good. I think I have mentioned it on here before but I am a part of an organization in OKC called Junior Hospitatlity (similar to the Junior League but on a much smaller scale with less "requirements")... in a nutshell it's a group of women that share the common interest of volunteering with different non-profit organizations. Anywho all that to say that we had our big charity fundraiser yesterday. I was on the committee that helped plan the party and it was A.TON.OF.WORK. Of course the last week was crunch time with everyone turning in their donations & figuring out all the final details. I worked on preparing the silent auction & raffle prizes and packages with a small group of ladies Tuesday & Thursday night till about 11:00 PM. Did I mention I go to bed most nights at 9:00 PM... 9:30 at the very latest and I get up at 4:45 AM to work out. Yeah, I missed 3 workouts this week which I am not happy about. All that to say that helping raise $$$$ for our grant recipient made it all worth it.

Saturday was cray cray... I helped set-up for the party from 9:30AM to 1:30PM went home to eat real fast & change into scrubs then left to work our (the dental office I work for) booth at Kid's Fest from 2:30PM to 4:30PM. Came home rested for a small bit & got ready for the party! It was big success. We find out this Thursday how much $$$$ we helped raise.

Needless to say I am very very tired. I cleaned house & did laundry today & that's about it. I did not menu plan nor did I grocery shop..... so that 's going to make our week interesting in regards to breakfast, lunch & dinner :)

Here are some pics from the party!

What I helped get donated!

A baseball signed by Matt Holliday... thanks Hailee :)

What we came home with...

Thunder shoes signed by Serge Ibaka.

HA. Just kidding... we let someone else bid a small fortune on those kicks.

Our couple friends Bryson & Cara!

Me & my handsome husband.

Group pic taken by the blackjack dealer.

Earlier in the day working the Smile Galaxy booth.

JT & Jimmy Fallon

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:41:00 +0000

I'm sure you've seen this,

but I just discovered it today.

I was crying laughing.

JT still makes me swoon.

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 01:41:00 +0000

Chris downloaded this app. called food on the table. He found 5 new recipes for us to try and what's really neat about this app. is it puts all the ingredients you need on a shopping list. You can just check things off as you get them at store or if you already have them at home. Easy Peasy.

This was our 3rd recipe to try and it was so yummy and simple I had to share it with you. You can find the recipe HERE as well.

Ingredients
1 (2 to 3 pound) chicken whole .... I used 2 chicken breast b/c it's what I had
4 (cup) chicken broth
1/2 (8 oz. package) frozen mixed vegetables.... I accidentally used the whole package, you can never have too many vegetables right? :)
1 (8 oz package) egg noodles, cooked
(to taste) salt & pepper

Directions
1. Remove and discard giblets from inside of chicken. Place whole chicken in crock pot, add broth, cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot, place on cutting board and let it cool.

2. Add frozen vegetables and spices and cook on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones, discard fat & bones; and shred meat. Return shredded cooked chicken to crock pot with vegetables.

3. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, add egg noodles to crock pot. Cover and cook for remaining time or until egg noodles are tender.

**I was running low on time so I cooked the chicken on high for 3 hours, cooked the veggies for 1 hour & cooked the noodles for about 25 minutes. **

On my Radar...

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 23:32:00 +0000

My current wish list...

UP by Jawbone wristband.

It's a wristband along with an app. that tracks your sleep, activity & food.

I want this like whoa. It's $129.99. You can order it online or it's being sold at the Mac store.

Mackenzie Childs canister's.

I want one of each in small, medium & large.

Why are they so stinkin expensive?!

Piko top. These are all the craze right now!

I ordered one from Hazel & Olive but I didn't like the color (olive) I ordered.

I liked the fit though. It's a flowy comfy top.

That's all for now :)

I'm all geared up to watch the Grammy's on my couch!

the 90's rock

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:42:00 +0000

My last 2 weeks in pictures.

Catching up on some Full House in the break-room at work.

Deej & Kimmie... Best Frans Forever :) I couldn't peel my eyes away from this show. Reminded me of my after school shows growing up.

This is what my sweet girl does when I'm trying to work out.

And he snuggles up in a ball & falls asleep.

Lately though he's been ditching me and getting back in bed with his daddy.

I enjoyed opening this little goody. Directly following I took a nap :) I listen.

My friend Erin had a 90's themed Birthday party for her 29th!

I partially participated by wearing a Saved By The Bell shirt.

The 90's were HID-E-OUS & by hideous I mean fantastic.

Not thrilled about skipping my morning work out and having to come home after a full day of work to do yoga. It was worth it though. P90X yoga is HARD. Probably the hardest day of the week.

Sweet Clara playing with her favorite puzzle.

Wine & pizza night with the girls. A wonderful Thursday night.

After tomorrow I will have finished week 3 of P90X!!! Can't wait to take my measurements, weight & pictures after week 4. Hopefully I will see some changes.

I have plans to do some volunteering tomorrow with my Junior Hospitality girls! I also want to make a trip to the Oklahoma City library. I'm ashamed to say I've never been.

Have a great weekend friends!

Stepping out of my comfort zone.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:50:00 +0000

Soooo yesterday I was not having a great day.

We missed church.

Went to go get a Starbucks drink because I had my free drink waiting for me on my card & Chris wanted some breakfast from there. My husband clearly orders a venti iced 8 pump chai for me (because at this location specifically they never put enough chai in the drinks.... I forget this when I go to other locations and order the same drink and I'm grossed out by the amount of chai) and they clearly have a venti warm 8 pump chai latte waiting for me. I felt bad and didn't want to say anything because I knew they would just throw it out and I didn't want to waste a massive drink like that. So I took it.

On the way back to the house Chris & I started talking about the drink. He was saying I don't know why you would order an iced drink anyways its 40 degrees outside. And I replied well I'm not going to be drinking it outside, I'll be drinking it inside where it's nice & warm. Then somehow we ended up in heated debate about the startbucks drink. Seriously?!

We got home and started cleaning the house. I cleaned the kitchen, dining room & living room and remembered I wanted to cut some hair mats out of our golden's coat. Sorry, I know that's kind of gross but she's been licking her hair like crazy because of her allergies and well it causes hair mats. So I start snipping away & searching trying to find all of them. Somehow while I'm in the middle of doing this I knock over my water bottle which also knocks over my venti warm chai latte. AWESOME. It spills all over our hardwood floors (I know thankfully it did not spill on a rug or carpet). I had barely had any of it. It was everywhere. Grrrrrrr.

I decided at that point I needed to finish cleaning the house, shower & get ready and do something to get me outta this bad mood bad luck funk.

So guess what I did??? I went to the movies.... BY MYSELF. This is the first time I have ever done this and it was WONDERFUL. I was super nervous but I love love love me some alone time and I think it was just what I needed. I saw Silver Linings Playbook. It was fantastic.

I also figured out why I was so grumpy yesterday :) Why is it that it doesn't even matter if you know it's coming you can still not control your emotions??

I know I sound like a spoiled little brat complaining about a stupid starbucks drink and really in the big scope of things it's not important but for some reason, yesterday.... it was.

Have you guys gone to the movies by yourself? I told a few of my friends and was surprised to find out they have. Why didn't anyone tell me about this secret?!

week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 02:11:00 +0000

Here are my pics from week 2 in January.

My cloth diaper collection from last year. I decided last year to pick up 2 diapers per month so I could have a total of 24 one size fits all diapers. I mostly stuck with that except when Christmas rolled around and then I was more focused on buying Christmas gifts sooo I have a few more one size diapers to get this year and about 10 more new born size diapers to have my stock pile complete!

I'm not pregnant just wanting to prepare for when that time comes!

My P90X calendar. This is after week 1 and I have currently completed week 2. Whooo Hooo! I was VERY sore this first week. Since then I have picked up After Glow a recovery drink from GNC and it is helping out with the soreness. It's really nice to be back in a regular work out routine.

My husband. The dog whisperer.

I love it when Sebastian cuddles like this.

My handsome little man.

Home made chicken noodle soup.

A random Monday afternoon lunch date with my love.

These are a few of my favorite things! Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon,

After Glow (my new recovery drink... it's SO yummy), Charlie's soap & a new cloth diaper!

Meh. THIS is what we did last Saturday night. We went to our first MMA fight... only because we got invited and had free tickets. Not really our thing. I think it's kinda barbaric & don't feel right about cheering on people beating the crap outta other people. But, I respect that some people are into this. Just not my thing.

At our favorite place The Mule.... trying to make healthier decisions with my eating. Salad & tomato soup!

Chris's grilled cheese with macaroni & cheese and BBQ!

Hopefully I can get caught back up with last weeks pictures... although I didn't take near as many. Hope you guys are having a wonderful end to your weekend & have a great start to your new week!

Instagram.... so true

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 03:24:00 +0000

I totally copied this from Nicole's blog but I thought it was too funny & true not to share!

Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

My week in pictures.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:48:00 +0000

I got some really good advice from a few you about the content of my blog. What I have decided is... just blog for myself and share with you all! So I'll blog whenever I have time which is mostly on the weekends & document what's going on in our lives, so one day I can look back and have all these memories & pictures on the blog.

Last week in pictures :)

Celebrated friend Christmas with some girl friends last night by going to Les Mis in the Moore Warren Balcony, exchanging gifts and then heading to Red Prime for a drink! I LOVE seeing movies at the Warren Theatre in the balcony & it's even better when you're seeing a fantastic & moving film like Les Miserables.

It was really great to catch up with these girls :)

Received an adorable wedding invitation in the mail this week

from a girl I work with. Very excited for her!

My two little fur babies. I love them so.

Getting prepared on New Years Day to write down my goals for 2013.

Got to visit with some of my childhood friends in Northwest Arkansas last Sunday. Always warms my heart. We never having a problem picking up where we left off. The picture is a little blurry because Brittany's husband was trying to shake a toy in his left hand to get the babies to look at the camera. It worked! Just created a little blurry picture.

I found this coat last weekend at Mason's in Northwest Arkansas. As you can see the button in the back was falling off but I just couldn't pass up this coat... so they gave me 20% off because of the button. The next day when I went to visit my friends (pictured above) my friend Brittany caught sight of the button walking in the door (I knew she would!) and offered to sew it on for me.

Um yes please. Thanks Britt!

I took pics in the store to send to Chris to see if he liked the coat. He did!

I wasn't planning on spending Christmas $$ on a coat but hey you can't pass up a good coat find.

Lastly I FINALLY found a riding boot I like. I have been searching for the past 3 months for a simple black riding boot with little to no heel. My friend Kristen sent me a text Friday night (because I asked her to keep her eyes peeled for me) of this Frye Melissa Trapunto boot at Nordstrom that was 33% off. They had the boot in a 5.5 and 7.... I normally wear a 6.5 but I figured I can probably make a 7 work so I ordered it online, fingers crossed it fits.

And just like that... all my Christmas $$$ was spent!

We're enjoying an afternoon Thunder game on TV and I definitely see a nap in my future :)

Have a good week friends!

Resolutions Smhesolutions...

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Some of my goals for the new year...

1. Relax & BREATHE. Worry less.

2. Be more spontaneous. Do "unplanned" things.

3. Try not to micro-manage our budget.

4. Surround myself with people & things that make me happy.

5. Laugh more.

6. Stop gossiping.

7. Stop keeping "tallies".

8. Explore more of Oklahoma.

9. Send out Birthday & Anniversary cards to friends & family.

10. Continue to grow in my relationship with the Lord. Give Him more of my time. Pray more. Dive into His word.

11. Continue to grow in my marriage.

12. Grow in my leadership role at work.

13. Volunteer more.

14. Write & send out Thank You cards.

I think I'll stop there. It's so fun thinking of all the possibilities 2013 has to offer. Have you guys made your goal list for 2013?

2013

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:18:00 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here's to hoping 2013 is the best year yet.

Chris & I were in bed early last night and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

The days of partying in the new year are just not appealing anymore.

(it hasn't been for a while now)

That being said spending it friends is always fun! We just wanted to be productive today and have a comfy cozy night in.

Starting off a new year is such a wonderful feeling. Starting fresh. Ahhhh. After all my chores are done for the day I plan on writing down my goals for 2013 and my year end review for 2012. Maybe I'll share a bit on here.

I am for some reason sooooo excited for this year.

Hope you all have a wonderful blessed year!

Ahem, is thing on?

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:24:00 +0000

Hey there! Long time no talk. I've been a ~~little absent~~ nonexistent on this blog of mine. To be honest.... I haven't really had much to say or share nor do I think my life is all that exciting to share on here. Don't get me wrong... I LOVE my sweet little not super exciting but exciting enough for me life but I've felt a little conflicted about blogging lately. There are blogs that are out there for a business to create income for their families (I don't fall under that), there are blogs that amp up or brag almost about their life (I don't want to fall under that), there are funny blogs with people telling random funny stories about their day (I don't really fall under this category) then there are blogs that update their friends and family on their life, mostly with pictures of their sweet & cute little kiddo's (I kinda sorta fall under this, minus the kiddo's). I could totally post pics of Chris & I all day long but is that really all that exciting or interesting??? Not really. Exciting for me yes... but to other people, not so much. See what I mean, I'm conflicted!

What does this blog of mine need to be? I suppose what I want it to be.

I still follow and read all my regular blogs, I just don't post anymore. I do miss it. Mostly the comments and emails from my sweet friends & family. But, it's kinda less stressful.

Hmmmm what to do??

Miss you guys & hope you had very Merry Christmas!!

From our 2nd Anniversary trip in Crested Butte, CO.

It was a little bright :)

Home Ownership

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:27:00 +0000

We are celebrating our 2 year anniversary of owning our first home! Boy has it been an adventure. It can be very frustrating at times but is totally worth it. I thought I would make a list of everything we've had to fix (and the awesome stories that go along with them). It is never ending.... especially in an old home.

Surprise & Planned.... but mostly Surprise updates :)

1. Frozen Pipes SURPRISE

This happened February 2011 during an intense snow/ice storm. Our door leading into the garage from the backyard flew open during the storm & froze our pipes. We had no hot water for 2 days. It was miserable. On day 3 Chris came home & luckily heard something in the garage so he decided to go check it out. Water was gushing out everywhere in the garage.... thankfully it was in the garage and not in the house. We have a friend that is a plumber (now also does construction & remodels) and came to our rescue. He instructed my panicked husband to go turn the water off (which was in the front yard hidden by snow & ice). He eventually found it & did turn the water off. On day 4 our plumber friend came over and fixed our burst pipes. Phew! Thank you Matt!

Lessons Learned: Make sure the door to the garage is closed & locked at all times. There is now insulation around our pipes so this will hopefully not happen again.

2. New Hot Water Tank PLANNED

Our water pressure has been excellent since we purchased the house. The amount of time the hot water lasted.... not so excellent. I got into a habit of taking really quick showers in an effort to not run out of hot water. We had a 1 year home warranty (that we requested the seller purchase for us in our contract) and I got to thinking maybe just maybe this is something that would be covered. Was the hot water tank completely shot, no.... was it very close, yes. We just had to pay $60 to have someone come out, evaluate it, take pictures & send off for approval. It was approved & we got a new hot water tank! Installed again by our plumber friend Matt!

Lesson Learned: The first year home warranty is actually a good idea. If you think it might cover something.... give it a try, It's only $60 for an evaluation & it could result in big savings for you.

3. Sewage System SURPRISE

Oh this was by far the worst one of all. It was backed up & water trying to drain from our washing machine located in the garage was finding another way to drain.... luckily this time yet again in our garage not in our house. Matt our plumber friend (I'm sure he LOVES getting calls from us... not so much) came over & tried to unclog our pipe in the backyard but it was a no go. When he dug up the dirt to find the pipe we found that the previous owner had tried to do a quick fix and there was a piece of scrap metal laying over a hole in the pipe.... awesome! We had to get new pipes in the backyard under ground from our house to the back fence where the city sewage hook up is. I probably did not describe that correctly but that's a summary of what happened. Matt's guys came in at a later date & did all the new pipe work in the backyard.

Lesson Learned: Be happy you have a good relationship with a trusted plumber who knows what he's doing!

4. Landscaping PLANNED

This year we hired a landscaping company to complete phase 1 of our landscaping goals. They cleaned out all the weeds in our backyard & sprayed to keep the weeds out. They also created 4 flower beds in the front around the house & 3 flower beds in the back around the house with cedar mulch. The flower beds do not actually have flowers in them yet.... they were just created and really made a HUGE improvement in how our yard front & back looks. When we do plant flowers we will probably just plant them in pots and set the pots in the flower beds in an effort to keep it low maintenance & a weed free flower bed. We still need more landscaping in the back yard around the fence, a dead tree removed in the front yard & I would LOVE to have irrigation placed in the front yard.

Lesson Learned: Shop around for quotes and get word of mouth referrals for lawn & landscaping companies. We found the company we used from a neighbors referral.

5. New AC unit for the upstairs SURPRISE

This happened about 2 weeks ago. Rewind first to about 2 months ago when we had to get a new motor for the upstairs AC unit. It wasn't too expensive. But then 2 weeks ago our unit went out again & it needed a new compressor. That was a wee bit expensive. We have a wonderful Air guy that was a referral from a neighbor, he got us all fixed up. Luckily we only had to go 1 night with no AC upstairs.... also luckily we have 2 separate units 1 for the upstairs & 1 for the downstairs. We camped out downstairs the night we had no AC upstairs.

Lesson Learned: Have a good relationship with an AIR guy! Also get your AC units cleaned & evaluated at the beginning & end of summer.

6. New Duct Work in the Attic PLANNED

We have known for a while the duct work in the attic needed some work. We were told there were 2 ducts not even connected just floating around keeping our attic nice & cool. I tried also to get this approved through our home warranty.... it didn't work! They said they couldn't approve it because it appeared rodents ie: squirrels caused the damage. Soooo Chris & his dad fixed the area where the squirrels were getting in & our air guy redid all the duct work in the attic..... right before summer this year so hopefully we will notice a difference in our electricity bill. We for sure notice a difference in how efficient the upstairs stay cool.

Lesson Learned: Have a good relationship with an AIR guy!

7. New Washer & Dryer SURPRISE

Our washer & dryer came with the house. They were nothing special.. at all, but they worked. For a little while anyways. Last year the dryer stopped working. We bought a friends dryer.... they had just purchased new units & still had their old ones. Well last month our washing machine broke (the one that came with the house). I had enough at this point & ~~told~~ talked with Chris about getting a brand spankin new front loader HE washer & dryer with a warranty. He agreed it was time... so we got a new washer & dryer!!!!! It's so pretty, quiet & I LOVE doing laundry.

Lesson Learned: Having a reliable washer & dryer is the best feeling EVER!! Take good care of your washer & dryer. After we are finished with all our loads we wipe down the inside of the washing machine door & leave it propped open.... this is supposed to prevent the mildew from forming. We also stopped using liquid fabric softener because it is hard on your washing machine & creates a film on the inside of your barrel. We use the dryer sheets only. Buy the warranty they offer!

OK I think that's most of it! Congratulations if you actually made it through this post.
All I have to say is thank heavens we have a savings! We toyed with the idea of putting our house on the market & moving into our "for a long time" home.... but we're just not ready yet. I love our home & I'm still in love with our home. Could it be bigger.... yes. Could it be nicer.... yes. But, I'm just not ready to break up with it yet. So we'll stay a while longer & keep making planned & unplanned updates. Happy 2 year anniversary home! We've made so many great memories here & planning on making a few more :)

Diana

FEBRUARY PHOTO-A-DAY

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:19:00 +0000

I am linking up with House of Smith's today! I got back late last night from a mini vacay with my hubby, worked a busy day at the dental office today & well I'm pretty tired (I don't do well with little sleep) but I really wanted to get my #febphotoaday collage up today and join the linky party at House of Smith's. I just love her blog. I'm also loving Fat Mum Slim, who is now hosting March photo-a-day.

Here is my #febphotoaday collage!

I'll share more deets from our trip later this week :)

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Diana

march photo-a-day

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:42:00 +0000

FATMUMSLIM posted her March photo-a-day challenge. You guys should join in on the fun! I really enjoyed her February photo-a-day list.

Happy Monday!

clara's 1st birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Clara turned ONE! I can't believe it's been 1 year already. Clara's been on the blog before but in case you don't know she is my good friend Krystalyn's little girl. I held her hours after she arrived in this world. She's not only adorable but such a good baby. Here are some pics from her birthday party a few weeks ago.

It was her first time to have chocolate cake & she loved it! She licked the plate clean.... as you can see in the pic above :) Her momma & daddy were so happy & proud!

Pink tricycle from her grandpa.

Feeding her daddy some cake.

Bella helping Ms. Clara open up her gifts!

Clara's favorite was the wrapping paper from Julie's gift!

I got her that cute little pink 1 piece swimsuit from baby Gap.

I just love this picture :)

Julie & Stanley.

The clothing loot.

Happy FIRST Birthday Ms. Clara. You sure are loved :)

Smile Friday.... on Saturday :)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:51:00 +0000

Here are my #febpohoto's from the past week.

I can't believe February is almost over! This feb photo challenge has been so fun.

Can't wait to see what the list for March is going to be.

We traveled to McKinney,TX (where my in-laws live) last weekend to go to our good friends couple wedding shower. It was such a great shower... lots of people, great food, great drinks & great company. It was a "display shower" ohmygah GENIUS. You bring your gift unwrapped and sit it on a table when you arrive. The couple doesn't have to awkwardly unwrap gifts and have everyone stare them down in the process. SUCH.A.GREAT.IDEA.

This was from valentine's night. We went to the OU basketball game in Norman & ate some sushi before hand. Not the best pic of me... but this is what you get right after work.

Comparing the difference in Sebastian's treat vs. Angel's treat. She wins.

We errrr kinda sorta didn't get to grocery shop last weekend because we were out of town and well I just don't ever have enough energy to do it during the work week sooooo we might have eaten chick-fil-a for dinner Monday-Thursday night. But, by golly I cooked teriyaki chicken & rice last night accompanied with a nice glass of Chardonnay.

Hope you all have an extra-ordinary weekend!

-Diana

Smile Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:57:00 +0000

First off HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend ASHLEY!

She's pretty awesome & such a good friend.

Love you :)

Cant wait to celebrate with you tomorrow in the balcony at the Warren seeing THE VOW!

*****

Here are my #febphotoaday pictures from last Friday to this Friday.

Hosted by Fat Mum Slim.

And here are some randoms not related to my photo challenge.

Loved getting my love cup Monday morning.

There was a sale at Green Bambino last Saturday & I went to pick up some cloth diapers for a friend & decided to start my collection. I figured might as well start picking up 1 or 2 or 3 here and there so it won't be much of a financial burden when the day comes that I need them. I'm not pregnant nor are we "trying"... just wanting to prepare.

Can I tell I LOVE Green Bambino. Very friendly staff & they have great products.

My fur babes napping on Sunday afternoon.

He is sacked out. Ha. I love it when he is this sleepy.

Oh that's just me in a box at work. Not entirely sure why.

It was the end of the day (no patients around) and I was really tired.

I consumed 8 of those mini cinnamon rolls on Monday night

after my oh so healthy dinner of shrimp, rice & spniach.

I don't know what came over me.

It's like my body knew I ate entirely too healthy for dinner.

Happy Smile Friday

Hosted by the birthday girl Smile Steady

ashley's airplane baby boy shower

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Oh boy did we have some good food! Everything except the cupcakes were homemade/prepared at home. A BIG thanks to my mom, Kelle & Jordan (Ashley's sister) for helping me prepare all this yumminess.

My good friend Kate sewed those incredible onesies with the numbers 1-12 for me. Her etsy shop is awesome. You should check it out. Amy made the poof balls & airplane garland. Kelle made the baby boy sign. I had all these great ideas but ran out time preparing for the shower, so luckily these ladies helped me finish my(and the other hostesses) vision.

Our friend Cianne just had her baby & brought him to the shower. We had SO much fun loving on him!

This was my first shower to throw at our home. It was exciting, fun, exhausting, challenging & rewarding! I LOVED showering my dear friend Ashley & would do it all over again. She's been such a good friend to me. Baby Abbott Graham was born November 18th, 2011 @ 1:20 am weighing 8 lbs & 5 oz.

I'm posting this a mere 4 months after the shower. No big deal right?!

Meal Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Sunday- buffalo wings & salmon patties

Monday- shrimp sauteed in a lemon garlic sauce, rice, & spinach

Tuesday- mac & cheese

Wednesday- chicken nuggets, mashed new potatoes & green beans

Thursday- left overs

Friday- out to eat

Saturday- honey lime chicken enchilada's & refried beans

Sunday- angel hair pasta w/ a marinara alfredo sauce, rolls, salad

Monday- left overs

Tuesday- out to eat

I am a BIG fan of grocery shopping with a list. I meal plan for the week (or in this case week & 1/2) and then make up my list. For breakfast, lately I have been eating special K cereal with fresh raspberries & a small glass of orange juice. I am trying to kick the Starbucks habit & limit it to only weekends or special occasions. For lunch I usually pack a peanut butter sandwich, cheddar sun chips & a little cutie orange usually with water as my drink. Chris normally has a banana or a Atkins protein shake. Hubby's weakness is eating out at lunch. This is where his "fun money" normally goes. Although he says its necessary for "networking" :)... I know he really enjoys it... eating out & "networking" that is. My husband likes to talk.... and he really likes to talk business. But that's neither here nor there.

My point is making a meal plan is helpful in many ways.
1. I can create a clear & concise list of necessary groceries that I ~~know~~ most likely won't go bad. A list= a happier & shorter grocery visit.
2. We stay on our "food" budget.
3. I don't have to think at the beginning or end of the day what we're going to have for dinner. It's already been thought of.

Hope you all have a lovely week.

xoxo Diana

Smile Friday: photo-a-day challenge JANUARY

noreply@blogger.com (Diana) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:35:00 +0000

It's Smile Friday again & I'm sneaking in my post last minute. I am linking up today with The House Of Smith's. I did not do follow the photo prompt put on by Fat Mum Slim but I did take 1 photo a day in January. It was fun & I'm really happy I stuck with it.

I am starting the February photo-a-day challenge put on by Fat Mum Slim. I use the picframe & instagram app's to edit my photo's & I used picnik (google will be taking over in April) to create my collage above.

Very very happy I have decided to do this, this year. Let me know if you are also joining in on the photo-a-day fun... I would love to watch your journey through pictures.

*Notice my default pictures are my fur babes :)