it's the little things...

I missed my 7th blogiversary.  It was June 23rd.  I can't believe I've been writing for seven years.  Well, I guess I've been writing a good solid 5 and then intermittently these last two.  Thanks for sticking around.

I know there is absolutely no reason for you to be (given the infrequency of posts), but are you still here?  Does anyone read this besides me?  Just curious.  Would it help if I said I was going to try to post a house photo tour soon? How about kitchen reno progress? And, for the first time, a prompt monthly letter to Buns tomorrow? Anyone?  Anyone?  Surely I'm not the only one who procrastinates at work once in awhile...

Oooh, ahhh. A little blog re-design. I'd imagine more tweaks are possible. What's everybody up to? Is anyone still out there?

And I almost missed it! I just randomly was thinking about it yesterday and checked the ol' ticker and it said "1 Day." Goodness, to think that when I started writing I was living with The Brother, saving for a home of my own. I had just started a new job. I was single single single. Today I have that home, a husband, a dog, a baby (and the same job). Thanks for sticking around through it all. Now who is sending me some cake? (*Wood is the traditional gift for the 5th anniversary.)

Seriously, everyone is doing this meme right now. I figure since I've been falling down on posting (and just about every post is baby-related), I'd jump on the bandwagon. A. Age: 34. I have to do the math sometimes. I can't believe that second number is 4. I think because it happened only about 3 weeks after the baby was born. B. Bed size: Queen. Oh, to have a King. Oh, to have a way to get a King up the stairs. Oh, well. We have an awesome new mattress and it will make for more fun cuddling once the baby (or babies) are bigger). C. Chore you hate: Cleaning the tub/shower. D. Dogs: Maggie! E. Essential start to your day: Making the rounds on the internet--blogs, e-mail, Facebook. More recently? Breastfeeding. F. Favorite color: Can you love them all equally? I'm loving aqua/grass green combo right now. G. Gold or silver: Silver? White gold? H. Height: 5'6-ish I. Instruments: Flute J. Job title: Sr. Clinical Research Associate III, Momma K. Kids: Just the ...

I'm going to be celebrating these last 4 years by spending a few days in Chicago. Where I'll see no sites other than the hotel and whatever is between it and Midway. And my days will be booked from 7am-9:30pm. But I'll get lots of good food. And will be bored to tears. So it goes... Have a good week, everybody. Try not to die in the heat. And pray that the area in the Caribbean doesn't turn into a hurricane that dumps oil all over us.

Given the main topic of my life this year, my favorite new (to me) blog would have to be weddingbee . I highly recommend it to engaged peeps. You get to see real brides planning real weddings. They're very diverse--culturally, geographically, budget-wise. But, if you're just seeking ideas on some craft projects, flower arranging, party ideas...it's a good resource. I must admit that I still read it even though I was finished wedding planning 4 months ago. I'm just not getting invested in the new brides. Just reading the recaps of the ones who were planning along with me. Speaking of recaps, if we ever get the negatives of our pro pics, I'll have a little recap series of my own.

Braindumping... Remember when I said there was a potential new job? Got the second interview but didn't get the job. Was it the perfect job for me? Probably not. I guess the current overwhelm with work led me to try to find a way out that was different from actually just tackling all the work that had been piling up. So this last week I finally got to the point where I could suck it up and just DO THINGS to help me feel better. Mark some things off lists. Get organized. File a few piles that were on the desk. I got over some pretty big hurdles but have at least one big item to finish. Overall? Feeling a bit better in this area. I heard somewhere that only boring people talk about the weather. I disagree. Perhaps you're boring if that's ALL you talk about. I must say the change of seasons is my favorite time. Fall has been interesting so far. Some torrential rains, several days where you need to run the heat and air conditioning in the same day (we're sticki...

I don't know if it's just the natural progression of technology or the nature of my job, but I use the internet. A LOT. There's tons of information at your fingertips. You can stay connected with people. And you can "meet" new. It's no wonder I did most of my wedding planning research online. I found weddingbee.com. At first I wasn't sure what the fuss was about and then I became obsessed. You'll notice it's the only wedding blog still on the list over there. Why do I still read a wedding blog post-wedding? I'm involved in the weddings of the other girls who were planning while I was. All these women had something interesting and different to contribute but one of my favorites was Mrs. Cheese. She's a great writer. And during the whole process she was honest and real. Since I'm not a rainbow-n-unicorn kinda gal 100% of the time (or maybe ever), this was a huge relief. Wedding planning, the actual day, and the subsequent marriage isn...

Ah, how quickly 3 years passes...

Yeah, so things may look a little weird around here. I getting a little bored with the old look... Bear with me. Vacation update soon but you can see which item got marked off on the Life List.

Two years ago today I started blogging. Yea me! It was a very productive yet fun weekend. I'll try to get pics up later this week. Yea for house projects!

. The Brother has a blog. Visit him here . .

Greenish Lady has tagged me for this meme. I saw it over at Bubba's Sis' awhile back so if you haven't done it already, feel free. If you are blogless, you can add yours to the comments if you find it particularly interesting. The Rules: 1. Pick up the nearest book. 2. Open to page 123 3. Find the fifth sentence. 4. Post the next three sentences. 5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you. (I'm ignoring this one but 4 out of 5 isn't bad, right?) My book is actually Dooce's things I learned about my dad (in therapy) ...just got it yesterday and am about halfway through thanks to flight delays. I recommend it--great Father's Day gift. Anyway, here's the quote (from a chapter by Dooce herself): Have I ever told you about that one time I heard my dad pass gas, and just as I was about to laugh, a red laser shot out of his eye and seared a 2-inch hole in my skull? I couldn't remember who I was for weeks. I still have a hard time remembering dates...

Could someone please tell me how to do that thing where you can type but then cross through it? I know how to click the nice little button when I'm word processing but how does one do that here? Thank you. That is all.

I feel pretty good about the fact that I've now taken care of all the year-end blog stuff and it's only a week into '08. New "little things" list up there in the subtitle, new poll, new quiz. New start to the reading list. There have also been a few additions to the Concert List over there in the sidebar. For memory's sake, here's the list of '07 reads: 16. Four to Score 15. Dalai Lama, My Son: A Mother's Story 14. Three to Get Deadly 13. Two for the Dough 12. One for the Money 11. Wicked 10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 9. Marley and Me 8. Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas 7. Elegy for Iris (about half of it) 6. The Cider House Rules 5. Still Life with Woodpecker 4. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood 3. Their Eyes Were Watching God 2. Sex and the City 1. Me Talk Pretty One Day Also, just an FYI, you may have noticed no 10 on Tuesdays lately. I've either been too busy or just not excited about the topic. This week's is ...

It seems like today warrants a post that sums it all up. Some of you (I know, I've received e-mails) would just like a post of any kind to know I'm still alive and postin'. I went over to Bubba's Sis' blog and she had a neat little entry that I tried to apply to my blog but mine didn't work out so well. It seems like the most important things in my life this year haven't happened near the beginning of each month. Instead, I thought I'd elaborate on the insert I sent with my Christmas card this year. 0: Job changes This one is shocking. It seems like all I do is change jobs. I'm happy here and am not ready to start looking. It's a nice feeling. 1: Great new boyfriend Yea for this one! Yea for someone who has stuck around through my holiday crazies. Who am I kidding? Yea for someone who has stuck around through my everyday crazies. 1: Cruise Ah, relaxation and fun. A vacation where I really didn't do any work at all. 1: Engaged brother Also ...

I've been thinking about the blog lately. Things have been really busy around here with work and traveling (a bit more than normal) and adjusting to having a man friend all without neglecting the other people in my life. Sort of. Yeah, still not feeling balanced. Feeling happy just not balanced. So with all this, the blog gets neglected. I've been doing well to keep up with Tuesdays and maybe one post in between. Perhaps you've noticed? It's not like I don't have things going on in my head. It's often very loud in here. It's just that I'm not sure what I want to share. I know I've mentioned before that I've kept journals for most of my life. Since I started blogging, I've made maybe one or two entries in a private journal. I either feel comfortable enough to share with everyone or I don't write it down at all. Seems like I'm missing things there... How about y'all? Do any of you (bloggers or no) keep a private journal? ----- And s...

I still feel like I haven't had a substantial post in quite some time. Perhaps the 10 on Tuesday is ruining my other potential posts. It helps me come up with things to write but then I write nothing else... Oh, who knows. "So what's been going on?" you ask. Not much. Same ol ' traveling nonsense. Back to Shreveport today. (If you now feel compelled to come to my house to steal, please at least weed a little before you go.) Work has been busy and won't settle down for awhile. I had a good mid-year review. And I'm presenting at our national gathering in October. The leisure activities are a bit jam-packed as well. I have a ridiculous amount of Astros tickets (long story) so if you're interested in any extras, just let me know and I can include you on a mass email. I've had family gatherings and baby showers and will have friends in from out of town. There's the singles' thing at HMNS . The celebrations of The Brother's engagement. Weddi...