Camping time!

Yep, it's that time! Camping time!

Brian and I bought a tent a couple years back, but we have yet to use it. We recently bought matching sleeping bags (duh, so we can zip them together!) and a LED lantern. We're bringing fishing gear, and we already had a camp stove, so just add in a cooler stocked with good food and we are all set!

We are going to northeast Alabama, to one of the state parks. We're getting an improved campsite that will have running water and electricity. We plan on fishing, hiking, swimming, and taking lots of photos of the beautiful scenery. Deer sightings are very common. We're really just looking forward to having some quality time together more than anything else. There have been so many distractions lately.

I haven't been camping since I was young enough to be a Girl Scout, but I think I'll do OK. There is a bathhouse with showers and sinks so as long as I can shower off every day, I will survive. Brian is daring me not to wear any makeup at all, so we'll see how that goes. Yikes. Pretty sure I'll still be wearing some mineral foundation.

We're leaving Saturday and coming back either Monday or Tuesday. Hey, if I'm going to get handed more furlough days at work, I'm going to take advantage of them.

Funky Friday

So I don't know if I'll keep this up or not, but I've decided that Fridays will be my day to post whatever funky, random stuff is on my mind. I tend to be a little bit on the random side and I think getting all these random thoughts out of my head before the weekend will help me feel more organized, and maybe get some comments going on since so many different topics will be discussed.

-Who out there wears Nike Tempo running shorts?

I've been thinking about getting a pair or two to try them out. I hate wearing workout shorts because I am not super skinny, so shorts always ride up on my thighs. However, I don't want to pay more than $20 a pair, so if anyone finds some at a discount, please let me know!

-Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred is a great workout! I've only done it a couple times so far, but starting tomorrow, I am going to aim for doing it 4x/week. I'm going to be on Level 1 for a while. The sad fact of the matter is that after losing about 10 lbs. for the wedding, it bounced right back and I'm back to where I started.

-Does anyone reading have thyroid issues? I've had to get retested every year since I was 19 for thyroid issues. I have a multinodualar goiter. I even had a biopsy done on it. That was scary. But I have yet to actually come up as having low TSH levels, I'm always on the border. My dad has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, the most common thyroid disease, and my sister was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism as well. So I'm just kind of frustrated that my issue hasn't gotten addressed after several years. I'm waiting for my most recent bloodwork to come back, and I'm actually hoping that I DO test at a level that will need medication. My sister says her energy level is so much better since getting on medication. Any advice or thoughts?

-Whatever happened to manners? The lovely Daisy and I got into a Twitter discussion about this today. We both have had trouble with guests not RSVPing to our weddings, and I openly bitched a while back at the lack of gifts at our wedding. Teaching your children to RSVP, write thank-you notes, and give gifts is so very important! AngryJulie has even gone so far as giving Emily Post's etiquette book as gifts. I think I'm just going to order a bunch in bulk and do the same!! I know the economy is bad, so if you can't afford to attend a wedding or send a gift, at LEAST RSVP. //end rant.

-I recently had soymilk for the first time, and I LOVE it. It was Silk Vanilla flavor. And it was good! My mom and I split a pack from Sam's because I'm starting to think that I might be slightly lactose intolerant, and my dad definitely is. I don't know that I could switch over completely, but it's definitely a nice change. I think it would be great for coffee and hot chocolate. Anyone here a soymilk drinker?

To close, since this is my first Funky Friday post:

Some funky, weird, unique or just totally random things about me:

-I have one blue eye and one green eye.

-I like to alphabetize words in my head. For example: example = aeelmpx. I do this a LOT.

-I was the 4^th person at my college to be on facebook back in 2004.

-I cannot dive into a pool or do a cartwheel. I hope to do both, someday!

-I am really, really nearsighted. I have worn glasses, and later contacts, since I was 7 years old.

Have a wonderful weekend and Roll Tide!

My bridal avatar, sushi, and Tiger Woods!

I created a bridal avatar at The Knot! How cute is that? It kind of DOES resemble me on my wedding day! You can make yours here!

I had a WONDERFUL weekend! I worked late Friday, slept in on Saturday, ran to Aldi, then picked up Brian at the airport. He managed to win some money at the blackjack table in Fort Lauderdale, so we went out for a sushi dinner date! We went to Sekisui Birmingham in Vestavia Hills City Center and it was the best sushi dinner we have had here in Alabama. We used to go to a sushi place when we lived in West Palm Beach in 05-06 that was AMAZING -- just a little hole-in-the-wall -- and we haven't been able to find anything good here in Birmingham since. To me, a sushi restaurant should not try to be a nightclub or be overly concerned with its $10 martini selection. I also don't like for it to be lumped in with teppanyaki, a la Stix or Sumo. I want it to be about the SUSHI!

I used a $25 gift certificate from restaurant.com. Right now they are running a special -- all certificates 60% off with code ENJOY. So our $25 gift certificate was only $4! With appetizer, 2 entrees and dessert, our bill was only $36! Not bad at all. I had chirashi sushi, Brian had the sushi supreme, and we shared a beef sashimi appetizer that was out of this world! And tempura ice cream for dessert. Yumyumyum.

Today Brian decided that he was going to make homemade kimchi, so we ran to Winn-Dixie and Publix to stock up on groceries and get the ingredients for his kimchi. We also might have run by the used CD and game store and bought Guitar Hero World Tour for Wii on sale and Tiger Woods 08 for PS2.

A rockin' storm is about to come through, but let's just say that my mood is much improved over 2 posts ago. We will get through this year just fine. I love Brian so much and being married has put us at a new level together that's hard to explain, but if you're married, you know just what I mean! I can't believe we'll have been married for 5 months in just 5 days!

New giveaway!

$100 Cambria Cove giveaway over at Her Southern Charm! Check it out!

You have until Sept. 29 to enter!

Woe is....

I found out today that I have 5 more days of furlough for the year. I will lose 1.5 paychecks in 2009 when it's all said and done.

I also just committed to being in my high school best friend's wedding in December. But I WILL make it work. I will find a way to make up for the lost income and pay for the dress, the travel, the hotel, the hair, the nails.

There are a lot of people in much worse situations than me. I am still employed. That is my mantra.

For the meantime, I might have to stop reading blogs in which writers blab incessantly about what sort of clothes or home furnishings or cars they've bought. Bless them because they're the people feeding the economy these days, but I am not where they are, and I fear I never will be.

I grew up in a household in which my mother never had to work. We had bi-monthly visits from the cleaning ladies and lawn service. My father was a successful insurance executive bringing in six figures. I don't know if that's exactly the sort of life I want or not. But I at least want to survive.

/end soul baring.

Alabama gameday wear

So I found these flats above at gap.com. They are PERFECT for an Alabama gameday. I've been trying to find a dress to go with them online, but I'm coming up empty-handed. The dress must be Alabama CRIMSON. Not Georgia red, not Mississippi State maroon, but Alabama crimson. So finding something in the right shade, cut and material can be daunting.

I think this dress in Alabama colors would be adorable. But this collection is only sold in boutiques and I'm sure they're not cheap.

I also don't even know if I'll actually be GOING to any games this fall, but I'm sure hubby and I will end up in Tuscaloosa at least one Saturday.

Sigh. Being cute at SEC games is such a pain in the butt.

Small ways I'm saving money

Certainly, things have gotten tougher this year for my husband and me in the economic sense. I've mentioned before that I'm on furlough with my company, which translates to a paycheck lost over the course of 10 months. It may not seem like much, but I'll tell you what -- it's made things tougher for us.

Couple the loss of that paycheck with adding hubby to my health insurance plan at work, and my paycheck is a lot smaller than it used to be. Hubby was out of work for a while, but got a steady kitchen job earlier this year, before the wedding. It doesn't pay much, but it's something, right?

So with the financial strain, I've had to find ways to scrimp and save. Here are a few things that I've been able to save money on to help us through our financial slump:

1) Cosmetics. Hubby and I both have quit buying fragrances, and we're just using what we have. We're nowhere close to running out! I quit buying superfluous makeup, such as pretty eyeshadows and lipsticks -- I have tons of it laying around anyway -- and I switch to drugstore brands when I run out of something. I've sworn off Sephora and switched to CVS and Walgreens. I've found that Maybelline's mineral makeup is just as good as Bareminerals for a fraction of the price, as long as you're using a good-quality makeup brush and not the horrible one that comes in the packaging. I love their concealer too!

2) Utilities. In our house, we pay a gas bill, a water/power bill, and a TV/Internet bill. About a year ago, I switched off our landline phone, saving us about $30 per month. Then in June, we switched to AT&T U-Verse for Internet and TV, saving us an additional $25 per month. Shop around for deals with your local cable/satellite companies. You'd be surprised at what you can save. And cut off that landline if you never use it. It's possible to have DSL Internet without a phone line these days.

3) Salon services. After the wedding, I decided to start coloring my own hair again to save some moolah. My preferred shade is L'Oreal Superior Preference in Champagne Blonde. Then once my roots become visible, I use Clairol Root Touch-Up in Medium Ash Blonde. I love that Clairol's Web site has a dropdown menu to find the shade you need, even if you use another brand for your regular haircolor. And I love that Clairol hired Angela from The Office to be their spokesperson, she's too adorable all glammed up! I also get my hair cut at the local Paul Mitchell cosmetology school. Sometimes it takes FOR-EVER to get a haircut, but they always do a good job, and it only costs $10-$15 for a cut and style. And I've sworn off regular pedicures for now -- I have a few bottles of my standby OPI nail polish and I take care of my tootsies myself for now.

4) Eating out. Hubby and I are eating at home more regularly, and I rarely eat lunch out of the office anymore. I consider eating out a special thing to do while traveling, or in extreme emergencies, like when there is virtually nothing to eat in the house -- as long as we swing by the grocery store to stock up immediately afterward! I've also had to turn down friends' invites to eat out or go out for a night on the town, because unfortunately, my pocketbook just can't handle it. I feel embarrassed telling them that, but they understand! I think learning to say 'no' sometimes is a good thing.

What small actions have you taken to save some cash in your household?

Dreaming of Chuy's

I flew back from Austin on Tuesday night. I had an awesome time and I really love the city!

I plan on uploading photos and blogging some more about the trip tomorrow night.

Hubby is still out of town for another 9 days, and my parents leave to go out of town tomorrow, so this weekend, it is just me and Miss Mango!

My weekend plans:

1. Hike at a local park with the Mango pup if the weather cooperates.
2. Cleaning out my closet and dresser! It's getting beyond ridiculous.
3. More wedding recaps!

ATX!

In almost exactly 24 hours, I will be landing here:

AUSTIN, TEJAS!

It is my first-ever trip to Austin... it's a city that the hubby and I are interested in relocating to on down the road.

On the agenda:

Chuy's!

Seeing the bats at the Congress Avenue bridge!

6th Street nightlife!

Any more suggestions?

Gym bag giveaway

Brittany over at Living in the Moment is hosting am awesome gym bag giveaway.

So hop on over and enter!

We're Internet famous

Hubby and I are kind of Internet famous.

That is, if you're looking at the Web site of our wedding videographer, Superium Productions. Their Web site header features several rotating photos of brides & grooms, including two photos of the hubs and me -- one from our "Love Story" video session at Fort Morgan, Ala., and one taken immediately after the wedding ceremony during beach photo time. Have I mentioned how wonderful the weather was and how beautiful the clouds were that day? It was just gorgeous.

Nick at Superium (You can follow him on Twitter too! I totally take credit for getting him on there.) was kind enough to send me the original jpegs of those two photos. Just the stills he has posted on their blog and the wedding trailer are enough to make me nearly pee in my pants with excitement. I might need a Xanax before I actually watch the wedding video in its entirety. haha. It should be ready soon. Superium has been swamped with a lot of weddings this spring & summer, so I am trying to be as patient as possible!

Anyway, here are the stills he used in his blog header that thereby make us famous:

I love this photo, almost more than some that our photographers were taking on the beach at the same time! I'm thinking about getting this printed as an 8x10 and framed. You can see the buildings at Gulf Shores Plantation behind us, although we were actually at The Beach Club.


Here hubby is rocking his Tommy Bahama shirt, Costa visor and cut-off khakis and I am rocking my silk Lilly Pulitzer halter dress. I can't remember the name of the print but it has a little bit of orange in it. I'm not a fan of the really "Lilly" looking shifts & dresses, but I just loved this one, and it was on sale at Belk too! Hmm, it looks like hubby was cracking a joke at the time this photo was taken. Funny how hubby has lost about 15 lbs. since this photo and I have gained 8 lbs.! Not fair!

I love the blue door -- this is inside the actual fort itself at Fort Morgan. if you're ever in the Gulf Shores area, I highly suggest the drive out to Fort Morgan -- so much history and the fort itself is so beautiful and great for photos, obviously.