1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
   Well, there was that whole getting married thing but we didn’t treat it as a major deal and kind of wish people would stop acting like it was. (I mean, yes, we get it, marriage is a big commitment and all of that stuff but we’ve been together TWELVE years and we lived together for SIX. For all intents and purposes, we were pretty much married. Aside from that, there was the whole exercise regularly thing which I have let fall a bit to the wayside over the holidays (and by holidays, I mean pretty much all of fall/winter but in my defense, the daylight savings time really kills my ability to do my walk after work). I was really pushing myself to be active and get fit this year and I did more than I have ever done in my life and damn, if I wasn’t proud of myself for that. I also got my Concealed Weapons Permit which was something I’ve been meaning to cross off my list and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
   There were a few I inadvertently kept and some that had to fall to the wayside because life changed and plans changed and they weren’t going to fit in with where things were. But overall, they weren’t really resolutions in so much as a list of things I’d like to accomplish, which greatly took the pressure off and let me accomplish a decent amount of them. I plan to take this same approach this year and hopefully will be just as productive, if not more..
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
   My sister gave birth to a baby girl in June, our first niece on my side. So so cute!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
   After a couple of years of losing some very special people, we thankfully escaped this one unscathed. Here’s to hopefully repeating that for quite some time.
5. What countries did you visit?
   Look, until “countries” become “states or cities in the mainland US”, my answer for this question is going to be the same. Maybe that’s what I’ll do instead but that’s going to have to wait until next year because we didn’t go ANYWHERE this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
   Less drama, more love from all areas of my life. Better relationships with people I should have been keeping in touch with but distance and time and life just got in the way. Acceptance and the ability to move on from wishing for something we won’t ever get, at least not any time soon.
7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
   April 1st – the day we got “engaged”. April 6th – the day we got married and told everyone. (I told people when it happened, we wouldn’t mess around. Five days y’all! That’s all it took!). June 23rd – Our “wedding” party that we had a blast at. August 1st – the day an illness kicked in that would eventually lead to us finding out Steve has Crohn’s.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
   Talking Steve into marrying me! HAHA! Standing up for us when it really needed to be done (and putting aside the fear I have of confrontation). Oh, and doing better on my shooting and written test for my CWP than my husband!
9. What was your biggest failure?
   Not being able to let shit go and just letting it fester. And to be frankly honest, drowining so many of those feelings in alcohol under the guise of “social” drinking. This will be a detox year for me!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
    This has been a fairly illness and injury free year for me (*knock on wood*) which I’m thankful for because I don’t think we could handle both of us having issues at the same time. I do struggle with some foot issues with all of my walking but I think I’ve figured out what they are and am on the road to resolving them, which makes me happy because there’s nothing I have found I enjoy more than walking and it was making me seriously depressed that I couldn’t do it without pain.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
    Our new entertainment center and 55” TV. It finally makes me happy with how the living room is coming together and feels like a home. I feel more like a grown up than I ever did, even when sitting in front of it and playing video games with Steve.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
    Look, this answer is just going to be the same every year because I cannot begin to explain how awesome my husband is to me and how he brings so much value and joy and love to my life. Also, a big shout out to my parents who didn’t kill me for running off and getting married – they were upset but they didn’t turn their backs on us and accepted that we did it the way we wanted to unlike some others that we know. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO AS PARENTS!!!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
    2012 has been a very sad year on our part as we’ve watched people who we though we knew and loved make decisions that are in contrast to what we expected from them. And unfortunately, those decisions have had a direct effect on our relationships with them and it’s heartbreaking. But while we’ve struggled with it, I think we’ve both reached a place where we are aware of what we want and who we are and we will not compromise that to make someone else happy (and to only have them turn around and do the same thing to us the next time an issue comes up). And we know what we need to move on and that’s peace and acceptance of how the situation is and to stop fighting over how it should be. Also, people who don’t have vaginas and reproductive systems trying to make decisions and tell me what I can and can’t do with mine. In other words, the entire political system and those that participated for all the wrong reasons because, no. That’s just not how it’s supposed to work.
14. Where did most of your money go?
    BILLS. BILLS. BILLS. And the mortgage. And Christmas was a tad bit overboard this year. But at least I’m aware of that and plan to dial that shit back next year. Also, food. Because as it turns out, eating well and healthy is expensive as shit. But I’d rather invest my money in that and make sacrifices in other places.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
    I’d say I got excited about being married and, I did, but since it happened so quickly and I didn’t even believe it was real until we signed the papers, the excitement only got a chance to bubble under the surface and not explode like it normally would. It just kind of leaked out through the year so I guess it still counts. (That still doesn’t make it any more awesome but you get the point).
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
    Anything from Pink’s new album since that shit was on repeat for like four months straight. Also, “Call Me Maybe” because like it isn’t for y’all? Also, “Starships” because whatever, it’s catchy enough to dance to in my car. And “Somebody that I Used to Know” because we all screamed it when we were alone. You know you did. (So basically anything that was popular on the radio which is ironic considering I pretty much don’t listen to radio anymore)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

• a) happier or sadder? Generally happier but I am blessed to pretty much always be able to say I am happy.
• b) thinner or fatter?  THINNER! YAY!
• c) richer or poorer? Eh, depends on your definition of the two. In some ways, I am infinitely richer. In others, I am poorer than I have ever been.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
    Take more pictures. In the past, my photography has corresponded with things we’ve done and since we didn’t do much or go anywhere this year, there is much photographic evidence. But I took a photography class earlier and plan to take two more so I’d really like to make more of an effort to photography our daily lives and make trips out to document this beautiful area I live in. Also, just generally to get out of the house more. Also, maintain this blog. I started off 2011 with a lot of drive and put a lot into it but then it kind of fizzled. Sometimes I just feel like my life isn’t all that interesting enough to write about and then I regret it when I open the site and realize I’ve missed writing about four months of my life.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
    Hoped for people to act the way I expected them to or the way a normal person would expect another person to act. Because that never played out and it really hurt. Also, I wish I would’ve been less negative and more positive in light of things. And I could’ve been a better friend, daughter, sister, granddaughter, all around person – I just get so wrapped up in the daily life that it’s hard to step out of that and make time for others.
20. How did you spend Christmas? 
    No traveling for yet another which I’m starting to enjoy. We had friends over on Christmas Eve and ate dinner than watched movies and hung out. Christmas Day we woke up and exchanged presents then went to my parents to do the same and have dinner. Very quiet and low key and man oh man did I love it.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
    This question is pretty much the same every year – my mom and my sister-in-law because they’re the ones I talk to on the phone and I spend quite a bit of time talking to them both.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
    This was the year of catching up on things we’ve been missing and falling in love with them or falling back in love with them. Breaking Bad. Game of Thrones. Boardwalk Empire. There were also the usual favorites: Sons of Anarchy.  The Walking Dead. Modern Family. The Big Bang Theory. Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  And a new favorite: Nashville.
23. What was your favorite video game? (I substituted a question I wasn’t too keen on with one I’d rather answer.)
    First three quarters of the year: Skyrim. Last quarter: Borderlands 2. Oh man, I love those games. It was a great year for video games.
24. What was the best book you read?
    I didn’t do nearly as much reading as I wanted. Both Borderlands and Skyrim are very intense and time consuming games so they kind of took over my life. But of the books I got in early in the year, these are my favorites: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. A Grown Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. And Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?
    Not really a discovery because I’ve always known this but Pink’s new album, The Truth About Love is so amazing. It carried me through all of my four mile walks in the Fall and it never gets old. Also, my Spotify Premium subscription which was hands down like a miracle from the heavens and pretty much killed my Pandora addiction. You mean I can search for and find almost ANY song I want and listen to that song RIGHT NOW? And I can make playlists that pretty much correspond with all of my mix CDs from college and not have to wait to burn them? And I can subscribe to playlists of all the boy bands from the 90s and fast forward through the songs that nobody liked? Yes … yes please!!!
26. What did you want and get?
    An iPad!! (woot woot!). A Coach bag that took me months to pull the trigger on. My CWP. Married!
27. What did you want and not get?
    Apologies. Forgiveness. To be heard and understood.
28. What were your favorite films of this year?
    Looper. The Cabin in the Woods. Magic Mike (for the experience more than the film). Ted. The Hunger Games. The Avengers. The Dark Knight Rises.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
    I turned 31 so it wasn’t a milestone day. Plus, we had just done the whole getting married thing like two weeks before in which Steve bought me a sparkly wedding band so I had all I needed. But I did take the day off work and we went to dinner with my parents at a local restaurant to celebrate. It was a nice low key day and sometimes you just need to usher in another year that way.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    If things could be the way they used to be but I sadly don’t think we’ll ever get back to that place. It also would have been nice had we not had to discover Steve had this illness but in a way, I’m kind of glad we did so we can maintain it better than we were when we didn’t know.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
    I’m in my thirties and pretty comfortable with myself so my fashion concepts don’t really change from year to year. I wear what fits and flatters and isn’t uncomfortable. I did break out a bit and wear some dresses this summer but only because I found ones that I was comfortable enough with their fit.
32. What kept you sane?
    Steve. My friends and family. Booze. And shooting things in Borderlands (or stabbing people with swords in Skyrim).
33. Whom did you miss?
    I’ve lost a lot of people who were very special to me over the years and I always miss them, especially around this time of year. But there are people still here who are mere shadows of their former selves or the people I thought they were (and this is after YEARS of knowing them) and I miss those people because the new ones in their place are not very likeable at all.
34. Who was the best new person you met?
    I’ve been blessed to meet so many wonderful new people this year – I don’t think I could narrow it down.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
    I learn so many lessons every year.

• The extra twenty minutes it takes to style a really good haircut it worth it’s wait in gold. So is putting on enough makeup to make yourself not look like a zombie. With apocalypse nigh, you wouldn’t want to be mistaken for the undead just because you didn’t feel like dressing up to go to Target.
• You cannot expect every situation to work itself out the way you want it to. Bitching about it constantly is only going to make you feel worse about it. Bitch once then move on. There are plenty other things to complain about it.
• Also, it’s probably better to try and find something positive. All of the negativity just puts you in a shitty mood. Yes, we need to rant about stuff but sometimes, no one wants to hear that and it’s more tiring to talk about it than it is to flip the script.
• The best way to bond with your significant other is to find one thing the both of you enjoy and do that until you don’t enjoy it anymore. Then realize you’re more addicted to it than him and force him to continue doing it until you’re over it (I’m talking about Borderlands).
• Addiction is a genetic disease that can hit you faster than you are prepared for it. The key is to recognize that and stop that shit before it starts to bend you, let alone break you.
• Stop caring so much and you’ll be less affected by those who don’t care about you.

35. Do you have any lost feelings of others.
    Expectations, same as last year.
36. Quote a song that sums up your year:
    
    

1,2,3,4,5 years go by
I don’t really know why I don’t really know why
7,8,9,11 years go by
I don’t really know why I don’t really know why
I still feel the same way I did when I was 17
I still look over my shoulder waitin for the world to change

 

1,2,3,4,5 years from now
I hope I’m still getting down
I hope I’m still around
But 6,7,8,10 beers ago
I had a revelation all is well right now
It’s all good right now

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: 2012 | Read: No comment Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

A power is on the earth and in the air,

From which the vital spirit shrinks afraid,

And shelters him in nooks of deepest shade,

From the hot steam and from the fiery glare.

Look forth upon the earth—her thousand plants

Are smitten; even the dark sun-loving maize

Faints in the field beneath the torrid blaze;

herd beside the shaded fountain pants;

For life is driven from all the landscape brown;

The bird hath sought his tree, the snake his den,

The trout floats dead in the hot stream, and men

Drop by the sunstroke in the populous town:

As if the Day of Fire had dawned, and sent

Its deadly breath into the firmament.

~ William Cullen Bryant

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: August Poem | Read: No comment Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

And today was nothing short of a lazy suburban Sunday. Cuddled with my husband and the puppies when I woke up then we decided to hit up Sam’s to replinish some of the bulk items we’d run out of. Go in with a short list and come out with more than double what I had written down, but in our defense, all things that we will put to good use or will make our lives easier. Also, delicious fresh cut fruit and lunch meats and fresh rolls for quick and easy meals throughout the week. Spent the rest of the afternoon surfing the Internet and cuddling with the dogs while Steve worked on his car. Now we’re just biding our time waiting for Breaking Bad to come on – he’s playing Battlefield and I’m going to settle in and blow through my current literary entree, Insurgent.

Either that, or I’m going to convince him to play catch up on the True Blood episodes that we’re behind on. (Mostly because we have yet to reach an episode this season where Alcide is shirtless and I know it’s happened so I NEED TO SEE THAT!)

But in the interest of talking about random life stuff, I leave you with this because it’s all my brain has tonight.

Listening . . . Been listening to my Taylor Swift station on Pandora quite often. It’s filled with a lot of country music, mostly Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and Zac Brown Band (aside from Taylot Swift herself). The country genre isn’t usually in my normal repertoire but on hot summer days, I crave the kind of laid back and easygoing vibe I get from a good country song. It makes me think of family and my home in North Carolina, driving with the windows down on the back country roads. It my version of summer music!

Watching . . . Completely caught up on Breaking Bad. Most of our TV time, when the XBox isn’t on, has been taken up by the Destination America channel, particularly if the BBQ Pitmasters show is on. I am thoroughly addicted to this channel and that show. I tweeted that it should be changed to “Food Network for Fatties” because every type of show on there could rival Paula Deen’s recipes with regards to how BAD they are for you. But the BBQ Pitmasters shows I LOVE and I can’t explain why. It just basically chronicles the same few competitors in BBQ competitions. It’s most likely due partly to the fact that Steve has been heavily into perfecting his BBQ techniques but you’d think HE’D be the one enamored by the show whereas I see it and I immediately have to put it on.

Reading . . . Begrudingly finished This is Where We Live by Janelle Brown (eh!). Tore through Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn in under 24 hours. Holy shit what a book that was! I haven’t read something in a long time that kept me guessing as long as it did and when it finally delivered, it delivered over and over again. Now I’m reading the second in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth – Insurgent. Liking it so far. I keep putting it down to do things that need to be done and it keeps calling me back.

Eating . . . As many summer vegetables as I can my hands on. Tomatoes are being consumed at alarming rates around here and are being used for anything and everything I can justify. Also, tons of fresh pineapple. I am in LOVE with the stuff. It’s become my go-to dessert around here. And my husband’s BBQ. I could live every night off something he smokes on our grill. I mentioned awhile back that we had gotten a simple Weber charcoal grill. Since then, Steve has smoked Boston butts, which turn into some of the most delicious pulled pork I’ve ever had, boneless chicken and this past weekend, he did a quick smoke of chicken legs and thighs which he then basted with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce at the end and oh my heaven, they were amazing! Juicy and moist with just the right amount of smokiness and sweetness from the BBQ sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Looks like I’m having BBQ for dinner (despite having it for lunch and dinner last night!)

Drinking . . . Too much wine and Diet Coke and not enough water, as usual.

Wearing . . . More skirts than the me of last summer would have ever thought I’d wear. I had on my amazingly comfortable and quite flattering maxi dress from Target today and got a compliment on it from one of the lady’s at the store. Made me smile!

Feeling . . . Pretty good for the most part. I finally took the initiative to take some inventory of our kitchen last week and now have a list of meals that will last us for at least two weeks so I don’t have to come home from work and dread trying to figure out what we’re going to whip up for dinner. This makes me happy because it allows me to keep with my routine of working out right when I get home then starting showering and starting dinner and settling in for the night. I’m always sad to have to go back to work though. It would be nice to live a life where I could utilize all hours of the day for things I love rather than things I need.

Wanting . . . A housekeeper or magical laundry fairy or someone who will come in and make all my dirty clothes clean and just appear folded in my drawers. I would also like to drink wine and eat entire bags of Goldfish without any consequences but alas, I am apparently living in a fantasy world tonight.

Needing . . . To carve out some time to go through and declutter all of the areas of the house that become black holes for crap. It’s been two years since I did this and the stuff has slowly built up again. It’s time to play another game of keep, donate or trash and get this place back to being organized so that things can be useful instead of just taking up space.

Thinking . . . If maybe it’s time to start looking into some set education goals to advance my career. Or at least strengthen the skills I have now. I’d really like to look into becoming a SQL database administrator, or at least get a better handle on my database knowledge. I did a career quiz the other week that indicated that I was a Researcher and enjoyed presenting data and facts in a well-thought out way (the general jist of it) and that assessment was pretty spot on. There’s nothing I enjoy more than figuring out the road map to get the data to display the way I need it AND to set it forth in a pretty and easily understood way.

Anticipating . . . The photography appointment we have next weekend to get real live professional grown up pictures taken, the first ever we’ll have had done since we started dating. Giving Jillian Michael’s Body Revolution a shot. Seeing The Dark Knight Rises just because I love everything Nolan has done with this triology and am excited to see how it ends.

Enjoying . . . The little bit of indulgence I allowed myself earlier by having a brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and praline sprinkles. It was delicious and worth every single empty calorie!

How are things going for you currently?

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: Currently … | Read: One comment Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

I think I’m just in complete sensory overload after the crazy weekend we had. It was pretty much the exact opposite of last weekend. Instead of cocooning myself inside for two whole days, we had parties both Saturday and Sunday nights and at least one of those parties included my husband shotgunning beers, which I haven’t seen him do since our college days. As you can imagine, they were quite boisterous and rowdy times but completely worth it!

I also got to make my first Farmer’s Market visit on Saturday morning, which I enjoyed immensely. The abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables made my inner healthy girl jump for joy and I walked away with tomatoes, mini red potatoes, a pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, peaches and cherries. The strawberries, peaches and blueberries were used to make fruit salsa for the party we attended last night. (Note: I used the above mentioned fruits plus bananas and apples. I also omitted the extra sugars and used apricot preservers. And I bought cinnamon sugar pita chips instead of making my own, which I’ve done before and is worth it but super messy and time consuming!) The pineapple will be sliced tonight and used as a snack through the week, as will the cherries. I haven’t yet figured out what I’m going to do with the potatoes but I’m sure it won’t be that difficult since they’re delicious in any form. And the tomatoes will be used for various purposes since I’m so in love with them lately that they go into anything I can justify putting them in. I used them to make a delicious caprese salad on Saturday, with fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was so yummy!

I really need to go through my cabinets and refrigerator and take inventory. I have been a ridiculously awful homemaker these days. It never fails that if I’m on top of one thing, like laundry, everything else, like cleaning and dinner, falls behind. I haven’t made a decent meal plan in weeks and we have stuff in the kitchen that just needs to be used. I keep making last minute trips to the store and that gets expensive as well as cuts into my exercise schedule, which then makes me feel guilty because I’m skipping it to “run errands” when in reality, I’m using “errands” as an excuse.

I also woke up feeling sick this morning. I haven’t yet determined what it is. It’s either due to running myself ragged or allergies. Or the fact that I was drinking rum and cokes last night – on a SUNDAY, Y’ALL! And then I came home and forced myself to stay awake another hour because the premiere of Breaking Bad was on (ZOMG! SO AWESOME!). I’m really hoping it’s just an allergies type thing, something that isn’t an actual illness because I so don’t want to be sick.

At the same time, I’m not too happy about this allergy thing either. I’ve never had major issues until lately. It’s worse at home and in the mornings and I’m pretty sure it’s partly Baxter’s fault because I never experienced it until we brought him home. However, it’s worse this summer than it was last year when we got him. But I’m wondering if it’s also due to the fact that the house has been closed up like a cave since about April. The weather basically went right into humid and hot temperatures and we’ve had the air conditioning on with no breeze blowing through for a good three or four months. And the curtains are ALWAYS closed because Steve emphasizes how it keeps the house cool and while I GET IT, I HATE IT because I feel like I’m cooped up in a cave all summer. I’m aware I could just solve that by going outside but it’s freaking hot. And sometimes I just need some natural light and air in the house. Like, it’s my version of seasonal affective disorder only in the summer because it makes me antsy and sad if it’s always dark in the house.

Regardless, whatever it is that’s plaguing me needs to stop now. Guess it’s time to plan another weekend in to rest, to do some serious summer cleaning to our linens, drapes and the house in general and to just long for fall weather when I can throw the windows open and release some of the stagnant juju that’s just hanging dubiously in the house.

It has just been a bit rough the past few weeks for me personally. I’m struggling with where I want to be in this healthy lifestyle. I’m struggling with finding a balance between a social life and wanting to be a hermit.  I’m struggling with keeping up with the normal chores and trying to get the yearly decluttering done on the house.

I struggle with the fact that from the moment I wake up, my entire day feels task oriented. It’s just sometimes difficult to have to wake up knowing right off the bat that there are THINGS that NEED to be done. Dogs to be feed and let out, clothes to be picked out, makeup to be worn. And those tasks never stop. At work, there are reports to be run, charges to be checked, documents to be reviewed. Then I go home, and they’re still there. Dinner to be planned, chores to be done, dogs to be feed and paid attention to. I mean, it’s overwhelming sometimes and it makes me feel ridiculously guilty if they’re not getting done. And I don’t even have children so I can’t imagine how you REAL grownups handle it.

I also haven’t had a good night’s sleep in what feels like weeks, maybe months. I remember my mom used to mention that she didn’t want me coming in late because the noise would wake her and I never understood that. Well, now I do. Steve can sleep through anything. I mean, I’ve had actual conversations with him where he wakes up and looks alive and chats with me briefly and then doesn’t remember a word about it the next morning. On the other hand, I wake up at the drop of a hat. Last night, right after I had dozed off, I heard a weird noise that literally scared me awake. You know, where your heart races because you think someone’s in the house and then you spend the next two hours awake staring wide eyed at the ceiling. I grabbed Steve and whispered for him to wake up then felt like an idiot because I realized that it was just Sammy shifting in his bed.

But it’s anything, particularly in that hour after I fall asleep or the one before I’m supposed to wake up. And Baxter is part of the problem. I mean, I seriously love that dog to pieces but he insists on sleeping in the bed with us and he has to be curled up in a ball touching one of us. Lately, it’s been me. The problem is, he gets too hot under the covers, so he spends all night coming out from under the quilt then deciding he needs to snuggle again so he comes up and nuzzles to get under the blanket, which means he’s nosing to move my hand out of the way. This isn’t cute at 3am. And I know we could solve it by not letting him sleep with us but trust me when I say it’s more difficult than it seems it would be.

Also, Sammy is just as bad. He doesn’t sleep with us but he has his own little bed in a corner near Steve. Every time he shuffles around in it, I hear it. Every time he gets out of bed and clicks down the hall for water, I hear it. Every time it sounds remotely like rain or thunder, he climbs into bed and pants loudly. Last night, I swore I heard him licking himself and it was driving me crazy.

I think maybe I need to implement some kind of sensory block out routine. There are nights where I have to wear an eye mask because I can close my eyes and still see the glow from the alarm clock or the blue light on the TV. I don’t know how to do the sound thing – I can try headphones but they don’t stay in through the night. I thought about ear plugs but I’m also nervous about not being able to hear things I need. On one hand, the sensitivity to noise is a pain in the ass but I could see it serving a purpose when it’s needed since Steve just doesn’t hear things. I’m not even sure he’d wake up if the dogs started barking – he certainly doesn’t always hear them when they bark to be let out at six in the morning (whereas I’m instinctively out of bed and shuffling down the hall on autopilot).

I just think it comes down to me needing to get my shit together and restructure things. I’ve been lackluster in my schedule and in my normal daily chores and stuff. Perhaps if I can just get a better handle on them and make more of an effort, everything else will fall into place. At least I can hope so. Life overall is good so I really shouldn’t complain. It’s just I need to get that balance back – the one that lets me go out and have awesome weekends like the one we just had while knowing and being OK with the fact that my home life is together and stuff that needs to be done is done. It doesn’t have to be one hundred percent and I’m fully aware that it’s unrealistic to expect that, but it at least needs to be happening. It’s not happening right now and that’s a bit like the world being off it’s axis.

It is summertime though so perhaps I’m just falling prey to the lazy days and extended fun that comes wrapped into the season. While I can hope fall will bring a renewed sense of accomplishment, I’d like it to happen before then.

Long before then.

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: Just Keep Livin’ | Read: No comment Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

My first memory is watching my dad take our cat to be buried. Mom and I are sitting on the couch and staring out the large picture window at the front of the house. It’s nightime and my dad is silhouetted in the streetlight, his shoulders hunched as he’s pulling a wagon behind him containing the cat’s body. Mom is crying and I am about three years old.

The first lie I can remember telling is how I got the cut between my eyes. I was using a butter knife to open the paper on top of a peanut butter jar and I didn’t know enough to not point the knife in the direction of my face. It slipped and stabbed me right between my eyebrows. I told my parents that the refrigerator door had stuck and popped open and hit me in the face. Because I was seven, I was too dumb to realize that not only was I not tall enough for the door to make that particular point of contact but the peanut butter jar and knife were on the counter. I got one stitch for that incident and am lucky it missed my eyes.

The first memory I have of being scared to death is when it snowed at our apartment complex. There was a very tall hill at the end of a long parking lot and we decied to tube down the snow covered slope. Kind of like bowling with a really tall starting point and long lane. My parents allowed me to go down by myself and I flew like the wind, turning in circles and bouncing as I hit the pavement. Then, faster than I could realize, I felt a hard thunk and found myself with my torso curled over my lap. I had gotten stuck under the back of my dad’s car and gone in butt first. I couldn’t move, my face was in my lap and all I could see was my dad’s feet running toward me. I was thankfully uninjured and just very sore but all tubing down that hill immediately stopped for me and I was never as fearless again.

My first memory of my parents divorce is coming home from school and being told we were moving to Illinois and that my dad wasn’t coming. My second memory was being called to the principal’s office in Illinois only to turn the corner and see the back of my dad, who I hadn’t seen for six months, standing there casually talking to someone in the office. He had come to take me back to the only place I had never known as home. I don’t have a memory of how we got back to my mom but that’s obviously where we ended up because seeing Dad became more like visiting than it should have.

The first boy I ever kissed was a ginger before “gingers” existed. He was tall and built like a football player. It was Fourth of July, the summer between eighth and ninth grade. He and I had shared an English class and he happened to be friends with the boy one of my best friends liked. Her and I had the house to ourselves so we invited them over. I only remember the tingles that ran up my spine when his hand grazed my bare side, because I was wearing jean shorts and a cut off tshirt. We talked on the phone for most of the summer but there was a lot of pressure from him to do things I refused to do at 14, despite my cut off shirt giving a different impression, so when the school year came around, he ignored me for a cheerleader with a funny name. Did I mention he had a lisp? And that I hated him after that?

The first two guys I actually officially dated broke up with me because I wouldn’t sleep with them. One of them actually did it to have sex with my best friends older sister. She had his kid and hasn’t heard from him since. I laugh everytime I think about that.

The first time I learned to pick my friends wisely was after finding out two people who I considered my bestest friends ever stole from my mom. Stole enough for it to go through the court system. I was punished too because my actions had allowed them the access they needed to steal but only because I trusted that they wouldn’t do something like that. I spent ten hours doing community service and went into my junior year friendless. It took quite awhile before I realized I didn’t need friends like that anyway.

The first boy I loved was the first one I slept with and the first one who really broke my heart. He was in the Army, stationed in North Carolina and I met him during one of the long summers I would spend visiting my dad. We met over AOL because that was all the rage back then and the first night we spoke on the phone, we talked for eight hours. He apparently said all the right things because by the time I went back home, I was in love, not a virgin and in a long distance relationship. This lasted through my senior year of high school until he ended it two weeks before my 18th birthday and four weeks before my senior prom. I was devastated and I moved on by partying pretty hard with my friends and kissing a lot of other boys. Just kissing.

The first time I got drunk was in a hotel room with the boy above. I drank a few glasses of Boone’s Farm strawberry wine and spent an hour jumping on the bed. I found out the next day my body hated alcohol. That has never stopped me.

The only boy I ever broke up with was the only boy who I look back on and wonder what I was thinking. He was older than me by a year but you wouldn’t know it by the way he acted. I worked with him at the sporting goods store and he swore he loved this sixteen year old girl he was dating. He was nineteen. I felt I was this worldly college girl so I figured I could break them up and really, it was easy. Then we actually dated for awhile and he made me uncomfortable with his professions of love only a month in. And he cried. A lot. At everything. And I couldn’t take it anymore and broke up with him. He cried again and I felt nothing because I was so over it. Then he went running back to the high school girl and tried to slander my name across the store but that backfired because everybody thought he was annoying and they loved me.

The first time I was terrified of being alone was the first night I spent by myself in my very own, very first, 500-square foot apartment. My parents had moved to South Carolina and I had no one left in Philadelphia except for my boyfriend who couldn’t spend every night at my place, no matter how much I tried to convince him otherwise. I remember laying in my bed in the absolute stillness realizing that I was truly on my own, completely responsible for myself and that was not as awesome as I had thought it would be when I was screaming at my parents about how I couldn’t wait to move out.

The first time I got over that was every day after when I realized I could watch what I wanted, stay out as late as I desired and eat ice cream for breakfast while not wearing any pants.

The last time I felt like a real grown up was when I had to struggle with losing someone who I had thought was immortal. Of course, I didn’t really believe immortality existed but this person was such an integral part of my life that I couldn’t imagine it without him. I never thought I’d have to be the calm one, the strong one, the stoic one. But others around me were falling apart and it wasn’t a time for me to lose it. That was saved for when I was alone, when I could really let my heart break and not have to worry about making the other ones who were far too fragile pick up the pieces. And I realized that’s part of being an adult, recognizing when it’s a good time to collapse and when you have to hold your shit together, either for the sake of yourself or the sake of others.

The last man I fell in love with is the only man I never thought I’d be serious with. But life has a funny way of working out and I found myself elated to say hello only hours after I thought I had said goodbye for good. The last man I fell in love with is the only man who has followed me twelve hours from his home to make a new one with me. He is the only one who has stood by me through the good, stood with me through the bad and stood up for me when I couldn’t stand for myself. He is the leader of our Wolfpack, my copilot in life and the last person I’d ever thought I’d call husband.

He is the last of everything and the first of many things.

I remember every time I have second guessed my firsts and questioned my lasts. It just seems to be part of the human condition, always wondering if the choices we make are the right ones, the best ones, the ones that will make us into the type of adults that we want to be.

If you had asked me fifteen years ago what I would be doing with my life, I most certainly would not have told you it would be remotely like what it is now. But fifteen years ago, I didn’t truly know what living was. I never thought it would be in the laughter of friends, in the solitude of sitting on a pier and watching the breeze roll over the water. I never imagined that living was about the quiet moments with the last man I loved or the bositerous ones with family. It was always about the things I would have and not the people I loved.

There’s a first for everything. There’s not always a last. The value is learning from these moments and allowing them to teach you lessons and guide you in the right direction. As long as you’re doing this, there’s never a wrong decision, just a different path. And sometimes, getting lost is the best way to find what you didn’t know you were looking for. Sometimes, finding a new path takes you in the direction you were always meant to be.

So here’s to the first, the last and the in-betweens. May they carry you on the right path as they have done me.

Inspired by this article.

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: Here’s to the Firsts | Read: 2 comments Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

That’s not to say I didn’t get anything done. Because I did accomplish things.

Friday night I came home with no other intention than diving into dinner (wraps with low-sodium turkey and ham, ultra thin provolone, lettuce, tomato and mustard – my new favorite go-to meal) and a bottle of wine and playing Skyrim. I did exactly this. Completely skipped exercising (I am horrible at this lately), done with dinner by six and had the XBox booted by six-thirty. I spent the rest of the night killing dragons and killing a bottle of wine.

Baxter helped. Or watched. Whatever you want to call it.

On Saturday, Steve went fishing so I decided if I was going to stay at home, I was going to at least be productive and start clearing out some of the clutter that had accumulated. I started with the guest closet, which mostly holds our winter clothes, extra blankets and suitcases and travel stuff.  Normally, I go full force and make the project bigger than it is but this time I took it slow.

I did find this in the closet and if you follow me on Instagram (username: kallure) you’ll know that I questioned whether everyone has one of these in their closet.

That is a full-length, fully functional silver lame cape. My grandmother made it for when I was in the eighth grade. At the time, I was exploring Pagan religions and figured I was going to wear it for rituals. And I have never been a boring person so I needed it to have some pizzazz, hence the silver. But it ended up being used a Halloween costume and has been at the back of my closet ever since. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it because my Grandma made it and because you know, there might be a day when I need it. I do wish I’d had her make it in a more conservative fabric – maybe crushed velvet or something. Then I’d at least not stick out so much and could actually, maybe get away with wearing it out in public.

Maybe not. But a girl can dream.

I did laundry this weekend too, which I hate. But here’s what I love. Watching my husband make the bed around the dog, who just sits and waits for you to make up his bed. Yes, I admit, the dog sleeps with us every night, under the covers, curled right up next to me. It’s annoying as shit half the time but he’s too adorable for me to kick him out. Plus, unlike Sammy, he’s able to just jump up on our bed so it’s not like we can the pull the stairs away and he can’t get up. Yes, there are stairs for my dog to get into bed. If there weren’t, he would sit on the ground and whine at three in the morning when he’s scared of the thunderstorms and can’t get up into bed.

I didn’t get much else done on Saturday because Steve talked me into playing  Skyrim and I could help it. I was close to finishing the main quest for Dawnguard so I had to. It’s like an addiction. I swear, I love the hell out of that game.

I spent the rest of the weekend going through the office. I’m donating 90% of my printed book collection because I just can’t justify keeping them anymore. I hate clutter and all these were doing was collecting dust on my shelves and I knew if I ever picked them up again, I had electronic copies. And I’m sorry, I’m just never going to be one of those people who thinks printed books are better than electronic books. I love my Nook and the convenience of being able to carry my entire library around on one device. The stories are the same whether they’re on a screen or in a binding and I’ve come to terms with that.

Steve is super happy too because he won’t have to move these ever again. At least not once I get him to take them to be donated.

There was more  Skyrim playing, some Battlefield on Steve’s part while I surfed the Internet, more laundry and finishing up Season 3 of Breaking Bad. Thank god season 5 is starting on Sunday because AMC is playing catch up and I’ve set the DVR to record all of season 4 so now we don’t have to go trolling the internet for it.

This is how Baxter lets me surf the Internet. Please note that he climbed OVER the laptop and is sitting on my chest. He does not give any f*cks about the computer in my lap!

I plan on this week being productive and fairly awesome. I’m going to start exercising regularly (hoping! come on self, you can do it!!!) and plan to continue going through the various clutter holes in my house. Maybe a Farmer’s market visit on Saturday and two cookouts this coming weekend.

Finally, here’s a reason I love the Snapseed app on my phone. Look at how awesome it made this picture of my neighbor’s house. Very cool looking! You should definitely check it out.

Please note: I took this picture to illustrate how nicely the house cleans up. The previous neighbors didn’t mow the lawn or do any outside work for the two years they lived there. When they were EVICTED last month, those bushes had climbed above the windows. I had forgotten what the house even looked like.

Also, I want to steal that palm tree and put it in my yard.

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: How Was Your Weekend? | Read: One comment Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

We’re a little late to this party but Steve and I have been absolutely hooked on Breaking Bad. All of our friends were fans and we had missed the first season so it was difficult for us to initially get into it, knowing the time we’d have to invest to catch up. And we were absolutely correct on the time it would but incorrect in assuming it wouldn’t be worth the investment. This show is absolutely amazing! We have made it through seasons one, two and are halfway through three in a little under two weeks. There are nights we will watch five or six episodes and at 47 minutes a piece on Netflix, that’s still a hefty time commitment. But we’ll be like, “One more episode” then it will end on a cliffhanger and we’re like, “We’ve got to know what’s going on!” I will say, it is really bleak and depressing to watch. Like, not in an awful way but in a way where I’m wondering how I’m finding such pleasure in a show that never seems to have a happy ending. Also, how am I enjoying  this when every minute, I want to punch Skylar in her big fat meddling nosy frowny face. I wish she would die but I’ve seen previews for season 5 and she’s still there so that makes me sad. So hopefully we’ll be able to catch up before the fifth season premieres in ten days. Though I’m not sure if I could handle not being able to immediately start the next episode after the kind of cliffhangers they have.

Playing …

Dawnguard, the new expansion pack to Skyrim. Not only does it give a happy little list makers like me even more quests to check off in my journal but I get to add Vampire Lord to my Dragonborn resume (which also include Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, leader of the Companions, Thane of Whiterun, Falkreath, Solitude and Markarth, and Leader of the Thieves’ Guild). I’ve always played the game a bit straight and narrow so it’s nice to visit the dark side and vamp out every once awhile, especially because I can raise people from the dead to fight for me and drain their life force. I’m just not quite sure how I feel at the moment about not being able to go out in the sunlight.

Reading …

I’d like to say that I’ve  been indulging in my list of books gathering dust on my Nook but as you can tell from above, most of my free time is being consumed by TV and video games, an all too often occurrence these days. But I have a huge list of want to reads stacked and really hope to fulfill my goal of at least getting through three of them in July. That can’t be too hard, right? That’s a little more than a book a week.

Planning …

A trip to North Carolina to meet my brand new niece, Shylynn, who was born on June 26. My sister got lucky because she had traveled down for our party thinking she had about two weeks left until she was due. She traveled the five hours home on Sunday and that Tuesday, Shy had made her appearance. Apparently my sister partied the baby out of her! Regardless, I have yet to meet the little cutie and can’t wait to hold her and cuddle with her. Oh, and see my sister and family too! J

Working On …

Staying active and eating healthy. I know I will constantly struggle with this for the rest of my life. The lazy person inside me just does not care about what I eat and does not want to get up and move because sitting on the couch with an entire bottle of wine is so much more enjoyable than busting my ass working out and eating plain chicken and green vegetables for lunch. I have kept a nice and steady progress since I started this change in January and .I know if I set my mind to it, I could be making more progressive strides. But there are just days where I go home and I’m like dreading working out and I know there will never be a time where I’m like, “Yes! I get to be out of breath and sweat. Sign me up!” But I always have to remind myself that I feel awesome when I’m done. And I am finding amazing new foods that I like by expanding my horizons and trying not to each so much crap. The only drawback to that is that when I do decide to indulge, my body hates me because I’ve been feeding it the healthy stuff for so long that it reacts like a kid who you give 10 cans of soda to and feels awesome then crashes hard.

Needing …

Another long vacation with just my husband. Our time that we spent in Gatlinburg last October was nothing short of amazing, with the exception of when I sprained my ankle and we had to cancel a few activities. The cabin we stayed in was so cute and cozy and secluded and every part of me wants to get on the ball and schedule another week there in October. I will take the mountains in the Fall over any day at the beach. And now that we know what we prefer to see in town, it will be much easier and we won’t feel like we have to fit everything in. Plus, we bought these awesome preservers and goodies from Smoky Mountain Farms (Apple Cinnamon BBQ, y’all!) and now that we’ve run out, we need to replenish our supply.

Enjoying …

Summertime with our great group of friends! It has been hot as Hades here but we’ve been able to enjoy ourselves nonetheless. We had a nice little pool party on Wednesday with our close group of friends and as always, there was laughter and jokes and delicious food and sweet, sweet bitch beer and things that go boom. Steve and I were able to have a nice quiet date day where we had breakfast at IHOP and ran some errands and saw Ted. My girlfriends and I got together on the premiere night to see Magic Mike. We had yummy burgers and TATER TOTS(!) at a local joint and snuck Bud Light lime-a-ritas into the theater and yelled and catcalled obnoxiously at the screen then went out for drinks and a bitchfest afterwards. We’ve been out boating and visited the swamp with our family. We’ve had cook outs at home and partied at sunset. Overall, it’s been a great summer so far and there’s still over half of it left. I can only imagine that it’s going to be just as awesome!

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: Currently … | Read: 2 comments Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

Because we didn’t have a real wedding or a chance to celebrate with all of our friends and family (and because my mom likes any good excuse to have a party), my parents actually offered to throw us one. We agreed but had some boundaries – we didn’t want it to be a wedding or reception. We weren’t going to do dances or garter tosses or bouquets or anything like that. I wasn’t going to wear a dress. We just wanted something simple and low key and us.

Well, thank god I kind of left the rest up to my mom because what she came up with was nothing short of amazing! I was apprehensive that it was going to be a bit over the top. I mean, we were talking backyard BBQ and stuff. But what my parents threw together in the course of two months turned out to be an awesome night of food, friends, family and fun. We had an absolutely beautiful location, an ideal Charleston setting with the water and the sunset and the palm trees. We had excellent food and a well-stocked bar and a DJ who kept everyone on the floor dancing, despite not having a cool breeze and it being hot as Hades, as is common here in the Summer.

Ultimately, we all had a blast!

We had people come from near and far to celebrate with us. I got to spend four days with my brother and sister-in-law and my lovely niece, all of whom I haven’t seen in almost two years. We had old friends from high school and college, new friends from here and family from all of my three sides. We got to mingle and socialize and eat and drink and dance into the night.

And we are absolutely overwhelmed with the love and joy we feel from all of the friends and family who came out to celebrate with us. We wouldn’t change the way we got married for the world we are so very glad we decided to have a party with everyone afterwards because it really made us feel loved and lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

To my Mom and Dale: Thank you for everything! Thank you for throwing something so wonderful together in such a short time – I know how hectic that was. Thank you for loving us enough to respect our decision and our wishes but also for showing us that needing to celebrate it with those we loved was important too. Thank you for being happy for us, for accepting us as husband and wife, for not freaking out when we surprised you with the news  (J) and for being proud of us. Thank you for the gestures, for the small privates one and the large public ones. Thank you for always being there for us and never giving up on us. We are so very thankful to have people in our lives who only wish us joy and happiness. And thank you for showing us how important it is to drink and dance and get down! I count myself as very lucky to have such wonderful people like you as parents and I know Steve feels the same way. We love you both so very much. Thank you for everything you’ve given me and give us so far and everything you’ll do in the future!

To Tyler: Thanks for being such an awesome brother! Thanks for coming out and hanging while the grownups got drunk and acted silly. And thanks for driving Mom and Dale home! LOL

To Grandma, Dad, Alex and Sandy: It was wonderful to see you all and I only wish we had more time to spend together but things were crazy with everything going on. Thanks for hanging out in the heat, especially Alex, who, unbeknownst to us, was three days away from having my niece (and five hours away from home!). Love you all!

To Mike, Jess and Kayla: We cannot begin to tell you how much it meant to us for you all to be there to celebrate with us and to get to spend the weekend with you. We really did have a great time and would love it if we could live closer so we could have more weekends like that. And so we don’t have to say goodbye, because God knows, that is not something I enjoy! J We love you guys and it really does mean the world that you were there.

To Bryon & Chris: As always, it was awesome to see y’all and it means so much to us that you would come down to celebrate the fact that I won’t be some old lady living with all her cats. I fully expect the video to be edited with all of the witty commentary that I know you’re so good at. Thank you again for coming and braving the heat and being a soundboard for the hurricane that I know Mom turned into the closer the party got!

To Terrie, Randy and Amanda: We really don’t get to see enough of each other and I only wish we’d had more one on one time. That drive is such a pain so we feel extra loved that you came down to celebrate with us. Thank you for helping Mom and Dale pull this off and thank you for checking in on Facebook! J

To Chrissy and Sedreck: Being a military kid, if you would’ve told me thirteen years ago at my graduation party that you’d be attending my marriage celebration, I would’ve looked at you like you were crazy! And yet there you were, despite having tried to lie (badly, if I do say so! I know you to well!) and say you weren’t coming. The fact that you wouldn’t miss it only solidified the fact that we may grow up and grow apart but we can always pick up where we were, whether it’s on Girls’ weekend or teaching me to drive stick or listening to Hanson in your bedroom. And thank both of you so much for helping my mom out – we have our favors on the mantle and will always think of y’all when we look at them! Love you both!

To our second family – Henrietta, Frank, Brandon, Marcus, Lindsay (& Josh, who couldn’t be there), Erin, Sarona, Al, Denzel and Tyra: We love you guys and as always, loved being able to share this with you all. Can’t wait for Josh and Lindsay’s big day – maybe we’ll give you the bet money then Frank!

To our Pennsylvania friends – Bierman, Amanda, Buff, Jay and Lindsay: We’ve come a long way from the days or partying up at Granpop’s. It says a lot that you all were willing to come down and that means a lot to us. As always, you are welcome at any time, and Buff, next time, no day drinking! LOL  Love you guys!

To our South Carolina friends – Amy, Joe, Libby, Geoff, Ann, Hatch, Margo, Chris, Mary Alice, Gerri, Ken, Rosana, David, Chrystal, Troy, Melisha, Josh and Shawn: When we first moved down here, some of the biggest apprehension we had was finding another group of friends that were as awesome as the ones we had back in Philly. And six years later, I can happily say that we have far surpassed that and have been lucky to find some really awesome friends. Each one of you are special to us in your own way and I can only begin to thank you for being there for us. We are so very lucky to have each of you in our lives!

To those we invited but couldn’t make it: We definitely missed having you there but completely understand that these things aren’t always conducive to everybody’s schedules. We have so many awesome people in our life that the world might have imploded a little bit if all of those wonderful people were in one place at one time anyway! We love you all and can’t wait to get a chance to see each and every one of you sooner than later.

And finally, the party wouldn’t have been what it was without the amazing people my mom found to provide the food, booze, music, cake and make the party go smoothly.

One of our good friends, Libby, is an extremely talented pastry chef and she made our beautiful cake. I still cannot get over how pretty it was and fit with everything. Aside from the fact that she makes amazing desserts, she is a pretty awesome person. If you are in the Charleston area, you should totally check out her business, Immaculate Confections. There is nothing she has made that hasn’t made me want to die from bliss right there on the spot.

Thanks to Saskia of A Simply Special Occasion for coordinating everything and letting everyone, including my parents, participate in the fun and enjoy the evening. To Sinclair of The Music Maker who spun some great music, kept everybody dancing AND got out on the floor to show us how it was done. To Clint Gaskins and Squeeze on Site for keeping the drinks flowing, for always knowing what I wanted without me having to ask and to introducing me to “mimosas” with just a splash of orange juice! To Cameron of Photography by Cameron for capturing all of those amazing moments shown above. It was nice not being the one behind the camera for a change. To Event Works for all of the tables and linens and for setting up the venue. And to The Crazy Dutchman for the delicious food that kept every one fueled up and energized since we were burning it right off on the dance floor! My husband was particularly fond of the meatballs and pulled pork!

Also, a huge thank you to my AWESOME hairdresser, Ashley Brace at Broadway Images. She has been doing my hair for years and was responsible for the super cute updo I had that let me stay cool but didn’t look like a boring ponytail. And I got to spend a lovely couple of hours with her and my sister-in-law while we got our hair done so that was definitely a nice break. If you are looking for any kind of work done on your hair, give her a call. She does wonderful work, is very reasonable and is super friendly and welcoming.  Love you girl!

Once again, we really couldn’t have asked for a better evening. Every thing came together beautifully and we got to spend a few hours with some of our closest friends and family and at the end of the day, we walked away high on champagne and beer, covered in sweat, bellies full and overcome with love and happiness from a truly awesome night. Thank you again everyone – for your love, you laughter, your joy and happiness. Our world is better because we share it with you all!

P.S. My mom has the full set of pictures that I have to pick up so until I get that, I can’t post them all here. Check back soon to get the full album of the good times!

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: When Thank You Isn’t Enough | Read: No comment Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

Needless to say, I’ve found some pretty amazing things in the past month or so that I have absolutely fallen in love with.

01. Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

I have never, ever been a fan of wearing anything on my lips. Anytime I put on gloss or lipstick, I usually always wipe it off within the first fifteen minutes. I hate the stickiness, I hate the feeling when I eat or drink and I am terrible with picking a color that complements me. For awhile, I used stains but they tended to dry my lips out. So it seemed like I would never find something that would let me be a normal person. Then I saw the ads for the Lip Butter with Emma Stone and figured since they called it a balm that would hydrate without being all sticky, it was right up my alley. And I also figured that since my coloring was similar – auburn with pale skin – I could give the Peach Parfait shot, which is what Emma was wearing in her ads.

Turns out, I LOVE this stuff! Like, I wear something on my lips once in a blue moon then either hate it or get tired of it and completely forget I have it. This stuff has been in my purse or on my person every day since I bought it and I apply it as soon as I leave for work in the morning. I am so in love with this stuff that it’s become part of my daily repertoire and this makes me so happy because I never, ever thought I’d be a lipstick person!

02. L’Oreal Paris Extra Volume Waterproof Mascara

I’ve been a pink and green mascara girl for years but I finally realized that it did nothing for me, so a few weeks back I switched to this L’Oreal Voluminous stuff that I absolutely loved. Therefore, when it came time for us to attend the wedding party my parents were throwing for us, I had to go looking for a waterproof version because it was going to be outside and well, I don’t know if you know this, but it’s really hot and humid like all of the time here in Charleston.

Browse the L’Oreal section in Target and come across this bad boy, figured I could give it a shot. All I can say is that I was very pleasantly surprised. Not only did it beautifully separate my lashes, making them look all fringy and pretty, but it also stayed through the night. Through five hours of ninety degrees after the sun went down with no breeze and being covered in sweat.

Because of that, it has now become my go-to mascara for the summer because it lasts all day and it still makes my lashes look amazing!

03. Mossimo Short Sleeve Kimono Dress

As I said yesterday, I’m not the hugest fan of dresses but I happened upon the cute one for sale at Target last week and figured I’d at least give it the good old try on. I didn’t have high hopes for it because I’ve never really found a dress that fits me right, especially with the weight I’ve gained. And empire waits and I have never been best friends because they always make me look pregnant.

However, I was especially surprised when I turned around and saw that not only did it fit but it flattered me as well. The band sits high enough that it emphasizes my waist, the front lays flat enough that it doesn’t make me look pregnant and the material is light and breezy. I didn’t waste any time scooping it up as well as a few others in different colors. It will be the dress that I’m trying to wear more of in July because it’s comfortable and loose enough fitting and keeps me cool. My only complaint is that the front is a bit low cut but that’s easily solved by adding a cami underneath. And it looks cute with a dressy pair of sandals or a simple pair of flip flops.

I would buy every color if I could get my hands on them in my size!

04. Lane Bryant Sateen Push Up Plunge Bra

So I’ll admit that I have a bit of a problem. And that problem is that the girls just don’t seem to like to sit where they used. And since I’ve always had fairly broad shoulders anyway, they always kind of went in directions that I did not want them to go. So I was browsing the LB website and came across this bad boy. Seeing the 4.7 out of 5 stars intrigued me and after reading the glowing review, I was sold.

Cut to the day it arrived and I tried it on and I was giddy as a schoolgirl. Not only did it help lift the girls back into place but that aspect alone helped emphasize a curvier body that before I always felt had look just kind of like a square. I have worn this baby every day since I received it with the exception of when I hand wash it on the weekends so it will last. And this will be the only bra I ever wear again so I plan on stocking up on a few more because it does just that many amazing things.

05. Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline Perfume

I received a sample of this perfume in May’s Birchbox and loved it so much, it was gone within a few days. Then, I went and bought a full bottle because I wanted to make it my new summer perfume.Unfortunately, I think I got a knock off from Amazon (it was super cheap y’all!) because it just doesn’t last as long, but it smells eerily similar. So when I run out I’ll be getting the real stuff like I should’ve from the beginning.

The description for this is as follows:

We love how this scent strikes a delicate balance between simple and sophisticated. A cascade of fruity top notes—most notably crisp Asian Nashi pear—hits you immediately before giving way to a feminine core of lotus blooms and other floral notes. Woodsy bottom notes of balsa wood and bamboo give the scent a strong foundation.

~ Birchbox

I get a lot of compliments when I wear this one and it’s light enough to not be too overpowering in the heat. It’s a perfect summer scent!

So that’s it for my latest purchases. Have anything that you’ve bought lately that you love? I’m always up for new recommendations.

Note: This isn’t a sponsored post. I write about these things because I genuinely like them. Nobody game me anything in exchange for writing about them. The links go to Amazon because it’s the easiest to link up to.

Featured image found here.

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: Some Things I Love | Read: 2 comments Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

There were the fireworks at Brittlebank Park here in Charleston, before they moved it to Patriot’s Point. We’d get there early, before the sun went down, and spread our blanket out on the grass and just hang out and enjoy the cool breeze coming off the Ashley River. This was before the time of smart phones and everyone being connected via WiFi and Facebook and social media so we actually made friends with the people sitting next to us. There was always delicious food – hot dogs and soda and ice cream. And someone was always selling glow sticks that we begged for because apparently the fireworks weren’t enough.

There was the time we went into Philadelphia to watch the fireworks over the art museum. I don’t remember much about that time except for the fact that the crowds were ridiculously crazy and there was nowhere to sit so we stood most of the night and then piled our tired and sticky bodies into the van and sat for hours in traffic to get home. I missed the celebration in Charleston terribly that year.

We spent years after that going back to our high school because we definitely weren’t going to repeat the Philadelphia experience. We spread blankets on the same field where we used to run for gym and didn’t have to worry about making friends because all of the people we had walked those halls with were there with their families. We brought coolers and snuck cold beer into red solo cups and listened as the booms were punctuated by the patriotic music. I always got chills when they played “God Bless the USA” or the “1812 Overture” because those were always my favorites.

There was our first year back in Charleston. The fireworks were at Patriot’s Point and not only did we happen to live just up the road but we had friends visiting from up North so we didn’t have to go see them alone. We drove to the end of the street in Steve’s Jeep and sat in our camping chairs and inside the car and watched the fireworks from afar, with no musical accompaniment, just our laughter and chatter overshadowing the faint booms and pops in the distance.

There was the year we had friends in town and had been day drinking so we were in no shape to drive anywhere, because that’s what vacation is all about. So we shot off the arsenal of fireworks in my cul-de-sac that they had brought from South of the Border just because we could. The neighbors had fireworks of their own so we had a mini block party and all of us were content with letting the rain wash away the remnants the next morning.

Last year we had been out all day and didn’t have any plans of going near the big fireworks celebration (seeing a pattern – in our household, we’re not too keen on large crowds) but at the last minute, we thought maybe we’d try because who doesn’t see fireworks on the Fourth. That was how we ended up at the county park on the beach, just sitting on the benches people-watching and having a good time with friends while we watched the fireworks explode over the water.

No matter where I’ve been or who I’ve been with, the Fourth has always been one of my favorite holidays simply because it brings people together without any other premise than sharing some cold drinks and food and watching things explode in the sky. There’s no pressure for presents or a huge meal or people to get along. There’s just you, the people you love and other people you don’t know who love the same thing as you – picnics, blankets, the company of friends and dusky summer evenings and pretty lights that go boom in the sky.

To all of my American readers out there, here’s wishing a happy and safe Independence Day!  (To everyone else – well, hope you have a Happy Fourth of July!) Eat some good food, have some fruity summery drinks, feel the summer breeze on your skin and the tickle of grass on your feet and try not to blow anything up with fireworks. And take a moment to remember the reason we celebrate this holiday and think of those who have sacrificed so we can continue to celebrate it.

I hope you have the same pleasure as I do of looking back on the memories of this day and the joy of making more year after year.

Godspeed and God Bless the USA!

Oh … and ‘MURICA, FUCK YEA! (Sorry, my hillbilly side couldn’t resist!)

Featured image is all over Google images and I can’t find the original source.

© Kristy for four23.org, 2012. Leave a Comment: Stars and Stripes Forever | Read: No comment Elsewhere: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram