Stories at my fingertips

3 Year Anniversary

2013-03-20T15:41:00.001-05:00

Happy 3 year anniversary, Brownie pants. I can't believe how quickly time has passed us by. This very moment that I'm typing this, we're on our annual anniversary trip to Savannah. Sadly, you're passed out in the bed because of a stomach bug, but I'm glad that we're at least together. The weather is absolutely perfect today. Also, last night as it turned midnight on the East Coast and while on our way back from the terrible haunted Sorrel Weed haunted house tour, you beat me yet again at telling me "Happy Anniversary". I slightly appreciate your competitive kick...it's cute. I really REALLY hope that the stupid stomach bug leaves you alone for the rest of this trip. We still have to enjoy the long awaited Olde Pink House restaurant together tonight.

Even though you're pretty much immobile for the moment, the past three years have been the absolute BEST times of my life. Thank you for being my best friend and favorite person. I would not trade you or our memories, good or bad, for anything.

Love, your only exception,

M

Sweet Shabby Apple Promotion

2013-03-08T08:51:00.002-06:00

Hey guys! Quick post.

I usually don't do this much anymore, but I just received a pretty spectacular email from Shabby Apple. And I'm sharing this only because I think you'd benefit from it. Anywho, the clickable image below is exactly what it says on it! Any item purchased from their new adorable Ferris Wheel Collection(what a cute name!) you can receive any itme here(click!) for 50% off! Sweet deal!

I hope you take advantage of this offer and that you have a beautiful, amazing, and full of awesomeness Friday! Love, Michele

Monthaversary 35

2013-02-20T17:14:00.001-06:00

I feel like this blog is about me a lot. Well, technically it is my blog, so that makes sense...but I don't feel that my favorite person, Z, ever gets an individual spot light. This monthaversary, I decided to just simply share a few things that Z loves and is sometimes a little obsessed about.

I love you, Z. You and all of your crazy loves.

He loves basset hounds. I have grown to love them too.

He is obsessed, I mean OBSESSED, with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

He also has an obsession of Smokey and The Bandit. Literally, he can watch either movie for the rest of his life continuously & be a happy man.

He thinks Meryl Streep is sexy. I can't disagree here. She's pretty amazing.

His beard is amazing.

Most importantly, he is currently in Pharmacy school and will be an amazing pharmacist one day. That's one day as in ~~a year and a half~~. Yay!

*All of the photos are on my Ze Brownie Pants board on Pinterest if credit is needed. Credit is not to my board though of course, but simply to the accommodating links. *

Love,

Monthaversary 34

2013-01-24T07:56:00.000-06:00

So, I may have been slightly a slacker for this monthaversary. Zac and I did remember(honestly around 11PM the night of...), but so many things were going on! My sister had a farewell party because she and her boyfriend are moving to Nevada! ~~TEARS~~! School started and my brain seems a mess. Zac has been out of town a lot working before school starts. Sigh. Oh well.....better late than never, right? Right? Haha.

Oh, and "HAPPY NEW YEAR" to you and your loved ones! We were lucky enough to celebrate this year with his coworkers and friends at their beautiful home. It was a great night and a fantastic time to ring in the new year. This was Zac and my third NYE together and I can not wait for the many more that we will share together.

Dearest Z,

This may seem impossible, but for some reason in this particular month, my love for you has just grown bigger and stronger. I don't know what it is. I guess there may be levels to my love for you.....and I think right now, a new level has developed that I didn't expect. Kind of like a bonus level. Haha. Though we are coming up on a significant date in our relationship soon, I still miss you everyday that we're not together. I appreciate the ongoing text conversations that we have on days that we're apart and the every night pillow talks, even if they're only for a few minutes. Thank you, sweet mancake for comforting me when I ugly cried(....not ashamed to admit it!) about my sister moving away. The moments when I feel like I can't breathe or move, you always seem to know exactly how to relieve my doubts and worries. I really do hope that I do the same for you. Or, I do try my very best to do the same if not more for you. School will start for you soon and we'll both have our own piles of pulled hair from the stress of it all, but I know we'll make it just fine. As long as we sit tight, hug often, and laugh together...we can overcome anything.

You're absolutely my most favorite person in the whole wide world.

And, I love you so ridiculously much.

Love,

Christmas 2012

2012-12-29T11:54:00.003-06:00

Christmas was a little quiet this year. Not because of anything bad of course, but we spent it with Zac's family in Gadsden and I guess I'm just used to the many kids running around everywhere in my family. There was plenty of laughter and good food this year and I'm so thankful that Zac's family is so loving and always welcomes me with open arms. There is nothing better than that.

We were able to spread out our time wisely and spend Christmas with everyone we love in Alabama. Zac and I were only supposed to give each other one gift, but of course we broke the rules. We also knew what "big gifts" we got each other, but we're silly because we tried our very best to make the other person think it was something else. Ha.

Overall, even if I did not get one thing this year, I would not have changed how I felt during this holiday. So much love and thanks. With that being said, of course we know that Christmas is not about receiving. Next year I hope that Zac and I can adopt an angel or volunteer somewhere to give to the needed.

I hope you, your family, and loved ones had a cheerful, belly filling, and warm Christmas this year!

Love,
Michele

Monthaversary 33

2012-12-20T11:54:00.000-06:00

Brownie pants,

We have been anticipating for December to arrive for several reasons. Firstly, a break from school! And secondly, we moved into our very own apartment together. I hope you know that these memories that we have created together will always be in my heart. A few memories that I wanted to make note of:

For a girl who has always moved herself and was used to carrying heavy loads & doing the dirty work, you should know how surprised and grateful I am that you were such a gentleman during our move. You (...and our amazing friends) did all of the heavy lifting, driving, and moving. All that you wanted me to do was unpack. I am such a lucky girl.

That time we went bookshelf shopping and bought the wrong freaken bookshelf. Not only that, but only a mere few days later, our new bookshelf was on sale for $30 less! Haha.

Me watching you set up our Christmas tree. Even though I'm not fond of the white tree and candy colored ornaments that you picked out, I love it because of how much it makes you smile.

The first few nights when we laid our bed in the middle of the living room because we were too tired to put the bed together. It was sort of like camping in our own little world.

Unpacking all of the new kitchen goodies that we bought on Black Friday and "oohing" and "aahing" because now we can finally throw away our horrid and expired utensils.

Mostly, my favorite memory is the first time we opened the door to our new home together.

You are my MOST favorite person ever and I'm so happy that this is our third Christmas.

I love you even more than our valet trash service. Haha.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Michele

Tricked again. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-22T18:52:00.001-06:00

Yep. I was tricked again as I was last year to go Black Friday shopping. Ok, well...I wasn't really "tricked" but convinced. All of the sales ads are so dang tempting! And, I'm writing this post in real time as I'm standing here in line at Sears 2 hours before they open. I am hoping to find all of my Christmas presents like I did last year. Honestly I have always said that I'd never be one of "those people", but the rush and thrill of it all is kind of fun. And, you save money! Cool. Maybe this will be my last year to be a crazy Black Friday shopper....maybe. Hope you all have engulfed delicious Thanksgiving food & being lazy, so that the lines may be shorter for me. Selfish? Sorry...haha. No, really though, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your beautiful family and friends!

Love,
Michele

Thanksgiving #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-21T10:53:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!

What are your plans for tomorrow? Z and I will be in Gadsden having a small Thanksgiving dinner with his family, then Friday night we will be headed to South Carolina to have another mini Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I'm sad that this year most of my family will be out of town, but I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to drive up there even if just for a weekend. I wanted to share some fun and festive Thanksgiving ideas with you all that I've ran across over the web.

+ Some free and adorable Thanksgiving labels for my labelers out there.

+ What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers!

+ Great table decor ideas here, here, here, and here!

+ A gorgeous Thanksgiving outfit.

+ 40 and more ways to make potatoes here.

+ Ten common Thanksgiving problem fixes. [Honestly I'm including this for me...haha.]

+ Friendly vegan and omnivore shepherd's pie.

+ A slew of vegetarian Thanksgiving feast ideas.

+ And the big daddy, a Thanksgiving recipe index!

I hope you and your family have a beautiful Thanksgiving together & don't forget to wear loose and comfy clothes! I know I will!

Love,

Michele

Monthaversary 32 #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-20T13:49:00.002-06:00

Brownie pants,

I love that we have so much fun together.

And, be boring together too.

Happy monthaversary, my curly haired mancake.

Love,

Michele

A good meal. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-19T17:23:00.002-06:00

So....I totally did the whole lazy day yesterday, minus helping my friend paint their new house, and I completely forgot to post something. Dang it! Oh well. I feel that I've done pretty well this month with posting every day, so I'm not going to give myself a hard time about it. I hope you don't either.

Today I just wanted to briefly talk about my lunch. It was so dang good. I live literally 7 minutes from a Whole Foods and I rarely ever go. Mostly because I'm too busy at school or work, but today I had some extra time since I have no school this week[YAY FOR THAT!] and decided I was going to have a nice lunch and watch a movie before work. I don't know why, but I've never had butternut squash before and I'll have to say it was AMAZING. Well, everything on my plate was pretty amazing as well. Especially the dessert part.

I hope this doesn't turn out into a bad thing where I'll opt for lunch/dinner from Whole Foods instead of cooking myself. Yikes. It was a nice treat though...and yes, I definitely consider it a treat.

Have you treated yourself lately? You should consider it.

Love,

Michele

I am guilty. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-17T15:54:00.001-06:00

The finale.

Yep. I totally watched it opening night. And guess what? I just watched it AGAIN 15 minutes ago with my sister. I never knew that this would happen, but my friend and I have actually gone to every opening night for free. He used to work at the theater where we go, so that's why it's free...but I will say if it wasn't free, I wouldn't go only because who wants to be trampled by a crowd of teeny boppers? Luckily when we go, it's an employee showing, so there are no crowds, no lines, no money spent. Sweetness. I will have to say that I'm sad that it's over now. Also, I would like to mention that I have never been a fan of Bella until this last movie. I'm not going to spoil anything for those of you that haven't seen it yet. But, if you have been a follower and have seen the movies, you MUST finish it. I honestly didn't want to see it because I knew that would mean the end to it all. This goes for Harry Potter too. I still have not yet had the courage to watch the final movie. Yes, I just said that. Maybe one day.

Today is a really chill day. I'm about to head over to a classmate's house to get a head start on our next exam after Thanksgiving break. I'm so glad that I have met some people in my class that are as crazy as me by studying early.

Tomorrow I plan on having a lazy day. Absolutely LAZY. With the exception of helping paint my friend's new home that they just closed on this past week. Major congratulations to them!

I hope your weekend is going well.

Love,

Michele

*Please click on the photo for source.*

Inspriday! #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-16T12:40:00.002-06:00

I knew after I put this post together I would be a little mantle depressed. I wish so much that I had a one to decorate! When I buy my own home, you better bet that there will be a large and beautiful mantle in the living room. For now, I'll just be inspired by these pretty ones.

I hope you have an inspiring Friday!

Love,

Michele

*Click on + for source of photos.*

The light is getting brighter. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-15T13:07:00.000-06:00

This is a face that only got a few hours of sleep last night.

Definitely a no makeup face.

I usually give my all to be positive and keep forth, but dang...these past few weeks have just been killing me. Yes, I'm here to vent.

I'm so tired that my face hurts. I don't know how parents and especially single parents stay above water while in school and working. They must have a super power that I lack. Or, they must have special water that they drink. I need to get my hands on that. I know there are several others(who are not parents) that have been able to pull off the full time work/school, but if they were to tell me that they weren't tired, agitated most times, and stressed? First I'd call them a liar, then proceed to ask how the heck they did it. I've been on this full time status for over a year now & I'll have to say that I've gotten the hang of it pretty well, but it does not mean that sometimes I don't feel like just giving up.

Dude, I wanted to give up so bad last night as the clock was ticking towards 3AM...then 4AM....then freaken 5AM. BUT, I kept going.

Done with that mess. Onto the positive things. (Or else I may pull all of my hair out.)

I'm SO damn happy that there is less than 3 weeks of school left.
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving break!
I'm finally shopping for a Mac computer. FINALLY.
It is officially less than a month for moving time!
I have an investment in mind and I'm a little excited about it.
Z is still by my side, though I give him full permission to take a vacation from me because he deserves it.
I still have my job. Thankful for income!
I woke up today - even though it still is a dreamy day.
All of my bills are paid and up to date. Umm...who else celebrates this?!? Haha.
I got a free health exam thanks to work and I'm healthier that I expected. Always a good thing!

Is the light at the end of your tunnel getting brighter? I hope so.

Love,
Michele

Must remember. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-14T14:16:00.001-06:00

Today has been a stressful one.

Thank you Great People,

Michele

My eyes hurt. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-13T18:37:00.000-06:00

So, I have an exam tomorrow. Simply, it's on blood, our immune system, and respiratory system. I absolutely love learning about all of these amazing things about our bodies and I can never get enough, but my eyes are about to go out on me. They hurt, dude. I've been listening to lectures all day and reviewing notes. Wish me luck. Until then, I hope you enjoyed some of these pretty pictures that I found on the net that related to my mini post.

Love,

Michele

*Please click on + for sources.*

Forever missing you, Grandpa. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-12T14:30:00.001-06:00

All I can think about today is my Grandpa.
We love and miss you dearly.
-Michele

Just for fun. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-11T21:30:00.002-06:00

Just some pictures I took of my sister today for practice. It was fun, but unfortunately my Golden Hour App lied to me. Also, it was a cloudy day by the time we got to take some pictures, but my sister is beautiful anyway. Hope you all are having a good Sunday night!

Love,

Michele

Officially a Blazer. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-10T14:59:00.001-06:00

Hi guys. I really had nothing to blog about today. Ok, I'll admit it. I forgot. BUT, due to good news...here I am. For the past few semesters, I have been attending a community college because it was the best option for me. Cheaper, closer, and you know....cheaper. This upcoming Spring semester, I will be transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I applied at the beginning of the month and just found out that I have been accepted. Woo hoo for that!

This is me doing some what of a happy dance. Well, it was actually at my 25th birthday party. Dancing is the best way to celebrate, in my opinion. Dance...dancity....dance!

This semester isn't even over yet and I'm so ready to take on UAB already! Super excited and giving you all virtual high fives. This is only just a small stepping stone to where I want to be and what I want to do, but there is no harm in embracing the little things.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Love,

Michele

*UAB photo is property of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Tim Tam Slam #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-09T10:35:00.000-06:00

So, today I had planned on posting something different, but I have not been able to get the Tim Tam Slam out of my head because it's so dang delicious! Those that know me, know that I do not have a sweet tooth. I would choose salt over sugar any day. The fact that I am now a little obsessed over something this sweet is beyond me. It's just THAT wonderful. Even better, these Tim Tam cookies are available at my favorite store, Target! Ahhhh! It was meant to be, Tim Tam and me. Lol...ok, that was lame. Moving on, here are the cookies that I bought from Target last night. Two for $5! A bargain too? Oh goodness. I've heard a lot of my friends and family say that they couldn't find these at their Target...so, I recommend for ya to go get them quick because everyone else has probably already caught on and bought them all already! Trust....it is worth it.

Not only does it come in this deliciousness that I bought last night, there is a caramel version too! I am not a huge fan of caramel unless it's on seedless grapes with peanuts or green apples, so I skipped out on it. Maybe next time!

All of this jibber jabber and I haven't even considered if you know what the heck I'm even talking about because I'm too excited talking about how much I loooooove it. Well, if you're not aware of what a "Tim Tam Slam" is, let me give you my simple version.

Tim Tam cookies are originally from Australia. NOTHING like their Vegemite! What you do after purchasing the cookies - First, you bite off a little on each end of the cookie. [This is your preference. I personally like to bite off a little of the corner on opposite ends. Some people like to bite off the entire ends.] Reason why you nibble? This is because you will be using the cookie as a straw to suck warm milk(regular/chocolate) or coffee through it. Once you get a good current going, put the whole Tim Tam cookie in your mouth and let the tastebud explosion party begin! (No worries, your tastebuds really aren't going to explode. Only in a way you want them to!)

More of a visual person like me? I got cho back! Watch this video below starting at the 3:00 minute mark. (Unless you love itsjudytime like me and just want to watch it anyway.)

Hope you guys enjoy and love it as much! And, how could I forget? HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Love, Michele

What I did last night. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Enjoyed this candle. I love lighting this candle up and leaving it in my room. When I return, my room smells so amazing, going to sleep is never a problem. I will have to remember to stock up on this one.

Devoured this delicious pepper jack potato + sausage soup made by Z. It was perfect for the chilly weather we had.

Watched Storage Wars. Z and my favorite person is Barry. He is so crazy, but hilarious.

Studied.

Drank delicious watermelon mint tea with the beautiful tea set that Z gifted me for my birthday.

I'll have to say, it was a pretty good night. Thankful that I am able to embrace it.

Love,

Michele

Decor, Mi Amor #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-07T08:29:00.000-06:00

Geez, I'm so glad it's Wednesday! Friday is just sooooo close by. I have been day dreaming of the weekend, but mostly about decorating. Also, I have been a pinning monster lately. When Pinterest first began, I signed up because I received an email asking for me to try it out. Well, I did because I'm a curious person...but I never really caught the Pinterest fever until just recently. It is kind of ridiculous, but now it's kind of my place to get away. Sorry I have been neglecting you, YouTube.

Moving on to decor ideas that I have pinned.

I love the mirrors on the wall. Different shapes and sizes, but still within the same shape family. I wonder if that made any sense? I feel like they bring so much light into the room & natural light is my fave.

Big mirror with a beautiful frame! Something about this look just says glamour. Everyone needs a little glamour in their life, right? I do.

I'm on a mirror kick, apparently...but I love how inexpensive this decor idea is.

For the very first time in my life of living in apartments, my new home in December allows painting their walls! AHHH! I don't believe I'll be doing anything drastic, but y'all have no idea how cool that is that I even have that option. I think this stencil idea is inexpensive and super fun.

This wall art? Enough said.
This one too.

Lastly, one project that I really do want to try to accomplish is this wall of photos. I have so many dang pictures and not even 5 % of them have been printed. It's sad, but I really am looking forward to creating this. Hopefully I can do a follow up post, but let me not make promises that I may or may not keep.

Enough day dreaming for today. I'm off to study for my Psychology exam and pushing through this work day. I hope your day is just as beautiful as you are!

Love,

Michele

**The photos obviously do not belong to me. Please click on them for the source.**

Thinking outloud. #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-06T08:54:00.000-06:00

Good morning everyone!

Do not hear me roar, but babble.

This morning I woke up with an ache to go right back to sleep. Since the weather has been cooler, it has become more of a battle for me to wake up. It's just sooooooo much warmer and cozier in my bed! A lot of things are coming up this month. I have several exams and projects lined up for school. I'm so thankful for Thanksgiving this year. Not only because I get to spend time with my family, but because I get a break from school and work too. Unfortunately this year, I won't be able to spend a whole week off like I usually try to. I've had caca situations come up that I've had to use my vacation time on. Oh life, why do you happen so....

On to more productive things, I plan on being packed and ready to go come December to my new apartment! I'm that person that everyone is waiting on or always tends to be a little late. I really have tried much harder this year to be better at that - and so far, I think it could have been worse. Haha.

I would love to jabber more, but I have to run off to school.

One more thing! How about that AL vs LSU game this past Saturday? The feelings just keep coming back to me this week reminding me never to give up. Goodness, I love the Tide.

Happy Tuesday,

Michele

Hmong SC New Year #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-05T10:44:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday, everyone! As much as I would rather be in SC right now reliving the Hmong New Year, I'm back in Alabama on my regular schedule. The time change this weekend was so nice. I woke up this morning a little early, but it's nice when you look at your clock and realize that you have the option to fall back asleep! The photos are really just a small snippet of the 100+ photos that I have. These were just some of my favorites. Have a beautiful day and I hope you enjoyed them!

Love,

Michele

Andrew Vang #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-04T21:00:00.001-06:00

Evening, all. This is a late post, but I'm going to keep my daily posts' streak going.

I was lucky enough to be able to meet my baby nephew for the very first time this past weekend. He is just perfect and I could not stop taking pictures! Below I will share some of my favorites.

Andrew's mama, Kattie.

Love,

Michele

Glimpse at Hmong New Year SC #NaBloPoMo

2012-11-03T16:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Saturday everyone. This is a late post, but still within the 24 hours…YAY! Here are just a few photos that I took with my iPhone from my Canon. More pictures will come later once I have the time to actually sit down. Weekends in SC are always super busy and a little hectic, so it really is a shock that I'm able to post something now. Have a beautiful weekend!

My mom putting together my head dress.

My hero - my pops.

My favorite person Z and the designated camera holder of the day.

My parents and beautiful sisters, missing Heather. Wish she was there.

Love,

Michele