Wednesday Randoms

Found this little picture frame at Homegoods for $6! I am super obsessed. I would like to put it on my gold shelf I think. It's clear I am on a gold kick, no? 

I also bought 2 fancy candles and a mirror and only spent $54. I will call it a win. 

Ran 4 miles today. Last week and weekend were crazy with my car issues and my friend's wedding so  I had a whopping 3 mile week. But I'm trying to be more okay with doing what I can and looking in the mirror and saying "You look great! (And meaning it.) 

I have always been one of those people that just gets regular coffee at Starbucks. But I was waiting on my iced coffee and they called an order out for this sweet old man in a snazzy suit Saturday morning and I may have a new bev.  Had my first grande non-fat hazelnut cappuccino on Sunday and I'm in love.  I know you care. 

My beautiful friend was married last weekend! I couldn't be happier for her! She asked me to sort of be her coordinator for everything except the parts at the church (you Catholics have a lot of rules!) and I volunteered my time and service.  Let me start by saying that I have never done anything like this before. And it was really stressful. And difficult.   And when it's your friend, it's kind of a lot of pressure.  I have to thank Allie for putting together an excellent plan for me to execute and for having fabulous vendors.  We were only a few minutes off target time for photos before the ceremony and I had them out of the reception hall at 12:35.  From what I saw while I was buzzing around it was quite the party! 

Here were some of my face pics! 

Rehearsal dinner at her house! 

Wedding day shoes! 

My handsome date + Little black dress. 

Got my best shot walking upstairs at the reception venue to pack up the bride's stuff. Wish you all could have seen these two before their exit.  So much love in the room. 

Oh, and I only have 5 more workdays until Dominican Republic!!!!!!!!! 

-the single gal-

See the Beauty

I follow the Styleberry blog on Facebook as well as in our reading links and she linked up to this Huffington Post article by Allison Tate. As mothers, how many of us are always behind the camera instead of in front of it? I really enjoy taking pictures but to be honest I'm hardly ever in any pictures with my daughter. My husband on the other hand is in about 4 million of them. Why is that? I'm sure part of it is me and the other is that men just don't think about and I never push it. I never say, "Here, please take some pictures of me with her."  I'm especially feeling the way Allison did in the article because I'm pregnant. I don't see the happiness in my daughters face in the photo. All I can see is my chubby arms, that my hair doesn't look good, that my face is much fuller than normal and plagued by terrible melasme (aka pregnancy mask) no matter how many times a day I put sunscreen on my face.  #1's birthday party is this weekend....as in tomorrow. (Let's not even talk about how much Turtle and I need to accomplish before 11 am.)

Do I want her to look back on her 2nd birthday and not have any family pictures from Saturday? I'm sure I won't like any of them. They will always be at "the wrong angle" or the most "unflattering." Her first birthday was fine.......I was in marathon shape and actually got up super early with The Single Gal to get my 20 miles in before her party that afternoon. This year I'm almost 33 weeks pregnant. Every time I go into a store I can feel people staring at me. More than likely it's because they are afraid I will just go into spontaneous labor as due to my size I look "full term".........because that's such a realistic occurrence. To just go into active labor in the middle of Barnes and Noble when you walked in just fine (usually it's men who appear afraid of this scenario).

The thing is, #1 doesn't know the "f" word- as in FAT. When she looks at a picture of us she sees "MOMMY"! And when she's older I'm sure she will still feel the same way. I dread the day when she no longer sees herself and begins to be critical of her appearance because of what she thinks she should look like. I'm sure those years are very far off but I'm sure they will come. How can we expect our children to be any different when at our current ages we still fight the same fight?

I vow this weekend that I will be in pictures with my daughter. In a few weeks time it will no longer be the three of us but the five of us. It's my last pregnancy...I will love my belly and the rest of my body.

The Housewife

So Many Things In My Head...

I feel like my anxiety peaked a bit this week pre-vacation.  Totally couldn't sleep last night, so I'm wondering if compiling the random stuff in my head on the blog instead will be sort of like an anxiety exorcism.  No comments on my apparent insanity, please.  We don't judge here. 

Lately I'm feeling kinda sad that I didn't embrace the chambray shirt this summer.  I keep seeing it out though and on all these people and making all these cute outfits.  It seems too multipurpose for me not to starve a little and buy one for myself. I saw a girl on a blog I read wearing one with a sequined skirt.  It looked amazing.  For reals.  Also, can you wear chambray year round? Or just Spring/Summer/Fall? Or just Spring/Summer? Someone help me. 

Whyyyyyy did I eat some much black bean, corn, and feta dip after my run?! My stomach hurts.  {That's a nice 3rd grade book report sentence for you.}

They finally bulldozed some of the vacant lots in my Hood {still building} and while I hated all the overgrown nastiness I feel a bit sad that all those annoying rabbits lost their homes.  

Speaking of animals. Saw a cray big spider in the living room this morning.  My efforts to kill it before work failed as my mobility was pretty limited in my heels and pencil skirt and the fact that I also had to leave it to find a magazine to roll up as a weapon.  As such, I couldn't find him anymore and had to leave for work.  So really -- what is that guy up to tonight?  Hanging out in my freaking house.  Being a gross, scary spider.  Hopefully I am safe upstairs for now. 

I found a random lump on the side of Hogan's foot?! But maybe it was there before and I never saw it. Or maybe it's cancer.  Should we go to the vet? He seems fine.  But I swear that darn lump hasn't been there, ever.  

I feel too emotionally bound to Jamie and Claire from Outlander to start a new book right now.  But I also feel their relationship is too intense for me to start the second book in the series.  You know, because they are real people...

Seriously -- how can anyone like that Foster the People song? It's is so awful.  So. Awful. And. Annoying.

At what point will The Housewife completely ban me from drinking Sweet Tea Vodka while we are on vacation with her in laws and other extended fam? I give it a 2.5 day max.  

Who invented the Avocado saver?? {Best tool for the Single Gal kitchen EVER.} 

Why can't there be a Michael Kors Watch Fairy.  I just want to wake up with the one I want under my pillow.  Because it's been a hard year.   And I feel entitled for no good reason at all. 

It feels good to get the crazy out.  Maybe this will help.  Can you tell I need to get away from it all? Yikes. 

Love you. Mean it. 

~the single gal~