Let's talk about sex

How's that for my first post in a few days?!  ;)


Once you get engaged, you are consumed by questions - "what are your colors?" "when is the date?" "what does your dress look like?"  It is overwhelming.  I personally, could not wait until my wedding day.  It was going to be just Tyler and I, together and mostly left alone, to live out married bliss.


Yeah, right.  Barely a week after our vows, everyone jumped right into my uterus.  I was now consumed by "so when are you having kids?" "how many kids do you want?" and dozens of variations of the same question.


It was frustrating.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love children.  I've wanted to be a mother my whole life.  But Tyler and I discussed our plan long before we were married.  We had two VERY opposite ideas of how many kids to have, and when to start and finish.  It took dozens of conversations to reach a compromise.  


I dislike compromises, usually.  It seems unfair that no one ever really gets what they truly want.  In our case, it was a necessary evil.  I love Tyler, and he loves me.  We decided that we would both be happy with two children.  Granted, he might be happier with less, and I might be happier with more, but we will both be happy with two.  


Our second hurdle was the timeline.  This is something that I find very private.  It was something that Tyler and I were on the same page about, and I didn't feel that I should have to explain it to anyone else.  There have been some people that are very important to Tyler and I that feel the need to push their opinions on us. 


Now, we are consumed by comments such as "Its never the right time, if you don't start now then it will never happen."  I'm being told I'm getting old, that I'm starting to hit the slope for my increased likelihood of having a child with disabilities or a miscarriage.  I'm told to not worry about money or things, that these things always work themselves out.  Others tell me how much they want us to have children, for THEIR own benefit.  Grandchildren/nieces or nephews/someone to shop and babysit for/their children need friends, etc.  


Its really shocking to me that in 2010, when women are having children into their 40s, that my childless state at 25 is such a cause of great concern.  Its more shocking that people that are close to me can be so pushy.  Tyler and I are happy - our sex life is no one else's business.


Like I said before, our timeline is private.  So for all others know, our timeline started six months after our wedding.  Hypothetically, that would mean we have been trying to conceive for a year, without success.  How doubly hurtful these comments would be - trying to get with child, and getting criticized for it in the process?  People just don't think sometimes.


As I'm going through RCIA, and learning more about the Catholic church, I was excited that last week's class was regarding Natural Family Planning.  Since before Tyler and I were even married, I swore off birth control.  I hated the hormones in my body.  I felt that my mood swings were more severe, and my cramps were worse.  I especially hated the idea of depending on a chemical pill to prevent pregnancy.  


I learned about charting several years ago - keeping track of your body temperature, and charting it to identify spikes in your fertility and ovulation.  You also pay close attention to signs your body provides, such as tracking your cervical mucus, menstruation cycle, and other symptoms.  I include migraines, skin breakouts, and cramps.  It makes me feel so familiar with my body, and there really becomes a common trend in the charts.  There are many websites that help with this process, such as www.fertilityfriend.com.  I personally use an app on my phone (the Android G1 for T-Mobile) called My Days to enter everything in.  I also use Ovulation Prediction Kits as an added measure of determining where I am in my cycle.


I was lucky that when I decided to become Catholic, I was already educated about this practice which, as far as I can tell, is completely in line with their teachings of Natural Family Planning.  Tyler and I have completely open discussions about where I am, and I'll often leave something on the bathroom counter as a reminder of my status so that he knows before he might decide to wake me up that night ;)  


I love my husband.  And whether we are where we wanted to be in our journey together, or things aren't working out as planned, we are going through it together.  Just think about this before asking the next newlywed you meet what's going on in her womb.  Let him or her initiate that conversation with you.


And newlyweds?  Start building up your arsenal of come backs - I was never very good about this, but I've heard the following can be successful:

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE KIDS?

Why do you want to know?

Not for at least another nine months.

After we stop practicing.

Well, we're waiting to see how yours turn out before we decide.

Why, are you selling some?

When you offer to come over every day to change the diapers.

As soon as they're worth more on the black market.

As soon as I figure out how - any tips, suggestions, or favorite positions?

When they come with a guarantee.

How much money do you make, and how much does your spouse weigh?

When I can be sure of doing a better job of teaching manners than your parents.

Just as soon as I can direct some sperm to my eggs. Trouble is, it just tastes too damn good.

Every time I get asked this question, I put it back another year.

If you want to know how often we have sex, you can just ask. You don't have to be coy about it.

Guest Bathroom Remodel

Tyler and I are pretty lucky...not only did we get the chance to buy our first home when we were 23 years old, but we did it all by ourselves - not a dime of help from anyone.  AND, we built our home new construction, getting to pick many aspects of the home.  I count my blessings every day :)


We chose to really only spend money on any structural upgrades...such as higher ceilings, bump outs, etc.  We didn't spend it on anything we knew we could do on our own later - one of which was the upstairs guest bath.  


I have big plans for this bathroom later down the road, but it needed an immediate temporary fix.  These pictures were taken with a crap camera, so I will re-do this post when I get a better camera :)


First up, I took the vanity from horrible builder oak to a glossy dark brown.  I removed the doors and hardware, and sanded the shit out of the varnish.  I then painted everything dark brown (in hindsight, I should have stained it, but oh well).  I then did a total of 3 coats of poly on top to give a hard clear finish, letting each coat dry and cure two days in between.

I painted the walls a light taupe-y brown, and hung three white shelves above the toilet.  I do still need a picture for the frame.

I upgraded both the toilet paper holder and the towel bar, hung fluffy white towels, and got a thick white waffle-weave curtain for the shower.  I also need a picture for this frame that is over the towels.

I ripped down the horrible flat wall mirror above the vanity, and replaced it with this heavy round mirror from Lowes.  I also upgraded the light fixture.  

This was the biggest change.  This used to be a horribly outdated (in 2008 - unfortunate) mirrored medicine cabinet.  I ripped it out.  It made a huge effing mess :)  I then used drywall to frame in the whole in the wall, painted it inside and used trim to make the base for shelves.  I also used trim to make a frame around the whole thing. 

 I LOVE the way it looks - it really completes the whole room and brings it up to date.  I do have some tweaks I need to make, such as glass shelves, but other than that, I think this is done for a year or two until I'm bored and change it all up again!

Healthy Spinach Dip

This dip was made by my bestie Malia for the Engagement Party we threw two weeks ago and it was SO. FREAKING. GOOD.  I couldn't be out of that room for more than a minute, without running back in for a taste.  

Spinach Dip

2 bags 6 oz. fresh baby spinach
2/3 package of 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup semi soft cheese (I use fontina, but you can use your favorite)
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
1/2 cup chopped red onion (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the spinach in a food processor and add to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, onion, and cheese. Add salt and pepper. Mix in spinach slowly and serve either warm or cold w/ pita chips :)

Notes:  We didn't exactly chop the spinach - she'd never used my food processor before, and it actually ground it into a pulp.  It was a little thin as a result, so we stirred in maybe 3/4 cup of a shredded parmesan/reggiano (I think!) mixed cheese.  It was so unlike any Spinach Dip I'd had before and I MUCH prefer this version!

Style Me Monday...On Tuesday.

Short Southern Momma is introducing Style Me Monday.  She started it today :) but I imagine it will be all Mondays in the future!

This week's mission is to show five things that show our home decorating style.  I LOVE working on my home, so this is right up my alley!


1.  Matchstick Blinds

Image from Young House Love

I first saw matchstick blinds or bamboo blinds on the blog Young House Love.  I adore bringing in natural materials such as jute rugs, and immediately fell in love with this look.  I currently have one over my sink in the kitchen, and am on the hunt for two more for my dining room.  I imagine many other rooms will follow suit :) 

2.  Dark Wood

This is an old picture, taken right after we moved in, but it shows three key things to my main level - dark hardwood floors, dark furniture, and dark kitchen cabinets.  They actually look much darker in real life than this picture makes them out to be!  I adore dark wood, and its also used in my dining room, great room, and bedroom, and I even painted the cabinets in our bathroom a dark brown because I like it so much!  I like to balance with light and bright wall paint, and airy accessories, such as glass or filmy curtains :)

3.  Light and bright wall paint

My dining room is a light and bright blue, my kitchen and great room is a light and bright yellow.  We're about to paint our master bedroom a light silvery blue, and going for a celery green in the guest room.  I am definitely not a dark paint sorta gal :)

4.  White curtains

I can't explain it, but I love them.  I have sheer white curtains in my living room (which no longer is set up like this AT ALL!) as well as in two guest rooms upstairs, and the master bath:

And I have heavier white canvas curtains in the dining room (match stick blinds to come soon!) and plan to do the same in the Master bedroom:

And we'll be doing very heavy velvet cream or off white curtains in the study once we finally get that remodeled.  

5.  Picture Frames

I actually sent this picture to some friends when we were planning the Engagement party, so we knew to put pictures of the happy couple in them.  Otherwise, they hold pictures of our family members on their wedding day, and I am thinking about turning this into an entire gallery wall of family pictures.  I'm often err on the side of simple though, so who knows :)  But I LOVE picture frames, and have them everywhere.  I even have two on the kitchen counters!

So, thats my top five elements that represent my decorating style.  Thanks, Short Southern Momma!!

Friday Night Dump

We are officially leaving for Tennessee tomorrow morning, and I CANNOT wait to meet Missy's new family!  In honor of the occasion, I took her to the groomer's tonight to get her all fluffy and pretty - 

While at PetsMart, I saw these dog slipper socks.  Since Missy mostly goes after her feet due to her allergies, I decided what the heck, I'd give them a try.  So I bought them, and its genius!  She hasn't messed with her feet once.  But she walks sooo funny, I can't help but laugh at her!  I videotaped it, and I sound like a retard, I was just trying to not completely laugh in her face :)



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Has anyone else seen this story?  There are some Holiday Inns in Britain offering a human bed warmer.

If requested, a willing staff-member at two of the chain's London hotels and one in the northern English city of Manchester will dress in an all-in-one fleece sleeper suit before slipping between the sheets.

Ridiculous!  I definitely won't be taking them up on that one ;) 


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I must confess, I am ADDICTED to the Jersey Shore.  I cannot help but laugh out loud, because it is so ridiculous.  

I finally just caught up tonight, and I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that its over, haha.  Dear god, please let there be a Season 2!  At least I still have the Bachelor on Monday nights...

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And lastly, I wanted to say THANK YOU! to Jules at Chic & Pink.  She awarded me the Glamorous Blog Award:

The only rule is to pass it on to 10 other bloggers, so here goes!


1.  Counting Down to Thirty
2.  C+C Marriage Factory
3.  Sweet Home Connecticut
4.  Classy, Fabulous & Fantastic
5.  This Kind of Love
6.  Dei Sub Numine Viget
7.  Me & E
8.  Kelsey Lately
9.  Chicka Wha?
10.  Adventures of the Wilkinsons

I REALLY don't want to jinx myself...

But we found a family to adopt our baby, Missy!  I wrote about her here, and all of her terrible allergies.  Its been very difficult to find a family willing to take her, and so Tyler and I decided last weekend that we were going to adopt her.  She's wonderful, our dogs love her, there was no reason not to.  About two hours later, our foster coordinator called, saying that a family saw Missy on PetFinder and fell in love.  After talking to them, they really sound like the perfect family.  They fully understand all of Missy's needs, and are able to manage her allergies.  They have a sweet girl of their own, Sally, who actually even looks like Missy!

They live in Tennessee, which is over six hours from us, but we are making the trek this weekend!  I think we are going to leave Saturday morning, meet with them Saturday night, and then head north on 81 til we find something that seems like a fun little town to get a hotel and booze in.


Anyone familiar with Route 81 between northern Virginia and the Tennessee border?  We are thinking maybe Blacksburg, even though its a college town, there should be plenty of options!


And please keep Missy in your prayers!  She has been through so much, I really hope this family works for her :)

New Wine Cabinet

I have been looking for something to put in the corner of my dining room for awhile and finally settled on a tall wine cabinet.  I found a few that I liked, but not in the price range I wanted.  Finally, I found a tall wine cabinet at Bed Bath and Beyond that matched my furniture and would fit perfectly.

The website had it listed at $89, and I'd received three emails in December about an online-only 20% off coupon that I could use.  No where in the email or any of the fine print was an expiration date mentioned, so I had been saving it for the next bridal shower gift/person getting married, etc.

I went to purchase the cabinet, and it told me that the coupon was expired, and I could not use it.  NO WHERE on anything was an expiration date listed!  I was annoyed, and emailed customer service, who flat out refused to help me out.  Three emails from me, and they would not, could not help.  Jerks.

Well, last Sunday my friend Malia and I went up to Bed Bath and Beyond even though I was still mad at them, and they had the wine cabinet on display!  But, it was listed at $179.  

After much convincing, I managed to get the cabinet for only $89, as listed on the website.  And, since it was a display piece, they finally agreed to give me 10% off of that to account for minor dings.  Then, I used a 20% coupon on top of that.  So, when all was said and done, I got it for $60 something.  Not bad!

I think it looks great in the corner, and now comes the fun part...accessorizing!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

I am back on Weight Watchers, so you will see quite a few more WW recipes from me!

Monday night, I decided to make a Roasted Pork Tenderloin, and it turned out great!  Plus, I am NOT a leftovers girl, but I reheated it last night after church, and it was still very good.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

POINTS: 3 

1 spray(s) cooking spray

2 tsp dried thyme, or 2 Tbsp freshly chopped thyme

2 tsp dried oregano, or 2 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

2 tsp olive oil

2 pound(s) lean pork tenderloin

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.
Combine thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
Rub oil all over pork. Sprinkle thyme mixture all over pork and transfer to prepared pan. 
Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of pork reads 160ºF, about 30 minutes.  (Mine took 40 minutes)
Let stand 10 minutes before slicing crosswise into thin (about 1/2-inch thick) slices. Yields about 3 ounces per serving.

Another Engagement Party...

This one, we threw for Tyler's best friend Joe and his fiancee Kailee last August.  They wanted to keep it very small, so we had a small dinner party for 8.  I went with a Tiffany & Co. theme, calling it "Kailee & Joe." and I loved how it turned out, and I think they did, too :)  I didn't have a camera at the time, but Joe took a few pictures for me, and sent them over today.  


If you can't tell (ha), he is a professional photographer, and takes wonderful pictures.  He even did our engagement pictures!  You can check him out at his website here and his blog here.


Place settings - white tuxedo fold napkins with silverware, topped with a single (faux) engagement ring.  Plates are on top of a Tiffany's Blue place mat.  In the upper left corner, you can see the water glasses wrapped in blue ribbon, and affixed with a blue gem.

All food had labels, ending with "& Co.".

The centerpiece - I arranged the white flowers in a square glass vase, and filled the bottom with clear marbles.  I scattered tea light candles and acrylic gems on the table.  You can also see the water glasses, that I had on silver doilies as coasters.

The beautiful bride-to-be, holding a wine glass with blue and white ribbons tied around the stem.  Entwined in the knot of ribbon is another faux engagement ring.

No pictures of food, but this was the main course - 

The groom is obsessed with Buffalo Wild Wings' Spicy Garlic Boneless wings.  I ordered some (with extra sauce on the side!) and served them with bejeweled picks in each one.  This island had all appetizers, and was also sprinkled with acrylic gems and faux engagement rings.

I definitely learned my lesson after this party, and will make sure to ALWAYS have a camera handy so that I can document all the little details!  Like the giant "Return to Kailee and Joe" heart charm I had hanging on the front door, and the little gift boxes each couple received, wrapped just like a Tiffany's box, containing cupcakes and other baked goods.  Oh, and the super yummy banana cream pie cupcakes - the bride's favorite!


So, I will leave you with a picture of Ruby, our friend's Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and the entertainment for the evening ;)

iPod Nano Giveaway

No, not my giveaway, although Juliana has totally inspired me and I now have something up my sleeve for all my lovely readers!


BUT, Juliana at A blonde walks into a blog is giving away a brand new silver iPod Nano!  Its a 4GB, and inclues earphones and a USB cable.  Wow - is she crazy generous or what?!  Click here to go to her link for the contest.


And, this is on the tail of a giveaway for an InStyler, which also is still going on if you want to check that one out here.


So please make sure to visit her blog, follow it, and add her to your google reader.  She is a "must read" and you won't be sorry!

Spinach Balls

My friend Sam made these for the engagement party last weekend, and they were absolutely amazing.  I begged her for the recipe, and here it is!

Spinach Balls

4 packages frozen spinach 4 cups herb stuffing mix 2 large onions, diced 8 eggs 1 cup parm cheese 1 1/2 cup melted butter 2 garlic cloves minced Salt and pepper   Cook and drain spinach well.  Mix all ingredients together very thoroughly.  Chill the mixture about 2 hours or longer, then roll into 1" balls.  If not cooking now, freeze by placing on cookie sheet, uncovered in freezer and as soon as they are hard, place in plastic bags. To cook, place on cookie sheets and bake on 300 degrees until golden brown.  Thaw beore baking.   You can substitute olive oil for butter and use less.  They are too greasy when you use the whole amount.  Sam also recommends adding a little feta cheese.

These are the perfect appetizer for any party, since even though they taste great warm, they still taste fab at room temp!  Let me know if you try them :) 

Best Blog Award

Alissa at Newlywedded; Life, Love and Me gave me the Best Blog award - she is too sweet!  If you don't follow her, please add her to your google reader! I especially could relate to her  most recent post, regarding making new friends and getting connected.  I've slowly been starting some wonderful new friendships at my church, and it is always hard to jump out of my shell, but I'm so glad when I do :)

The rules of this award are as follows:


1. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.
2. Pass the award on to approximately 15 other blogs that you recently discovered, and think are great!
3. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award

I am going to pass this on to some of my newest followers and or commenters!

1.  Tea Time with Tess

2.  Life in Vivid Color

3.  Lavender, Leopard and Lace

4.  xoxo, Brittany

5.  A Blonde Walks Into a Blog

6.  Sincerely Shannon

7.  The Bargainista
8.  The Life of an Army Wife
9.  Gorgeously Stupid
10.  Walking in Memphis

Goodwill Monday

I love thrift stores - I often find such great treasures at next to nothing!  I dragged my friend Malia to one last week, and came away with these lovelies.


This salt and pepper shaker set was $1.99, and it definitely looked like real silver.

I thought they would go fabulously well with my china, and snapped them up.  When I got them home, I was disappointed to realize that I was out of silver polish.  Then, a friend told me that I could use toothpaste, and so I got to work.  After about ten minutes, I got one of them to a bright shine...

Wow, what a difference!  I was going to keep going, but I was running low on toothpaste so left us enough to get through the next day or so until I make it to the store ;)


I also picked up this adorable milk glass footed bowl for only $2.99:

I have it set up on the hutch in our dining room, which I am in the middle of re-accessorizing, so expect a post on the whole new look soon!


Does anyone else frequent thrift stores?  Any good finds lately?

Engagement Party

One of my sorority sisters got engaged, and five of us decided to throw her an engagement party.  We held it at my house, and went with an orange and blue theme for UVA - the groom's favorite school.  It was a wonderful time, and I wanted to share pictures!


This wreath hung on the powder room, and there was one on the front door that said "Congrats".

We replaced the picture frames in my house with pictures of the bride and groom.

Looking down the hallway into the kitchen and great room:

The room set up:

Three round tables with wooden chairs.  The centerpieces are recycled from my wedding (I hung the escort cards on them) and we added strands of crystals and orange ribbon, and scattered acrylic gems and orange petals on the tables.

I made the tablecloths for all four tables.  I really wanted something floor length with soft pleats, and couldn't find what I wanted, so made them!  I LOVE how they all turned out.  This table was the bar, and had wine, beer, water and sodas.

I did a customized drink menu - Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Something Blue (and Orange, too!).  It was a huge hit!  And I loved playing bartender all night.

All of the glasses had either an orange ribbon with blue gem or blue ribbon with orange gem.

Something Borrowed - The Apple Cosmo:

Something Blue - The Blue Hawaiian:

Something Blue (and Orange, too!) - Wahoo-wa:

Loved these cocktail napkins!

We had TONS of food:

We took the chairs out of here to make the space even larger:

"L O V E" glitter letters on the mirror:

Fresh Fruit:

Lemon Bars:

Mini warm ham and melted cheese sandwiches:

Fresh Veggies:

That bright green sauce?  That is the greatest spinach dip you will ever eat in your life.  Not only is it delicious, its super healthy as well.  Recipe will be posted as soon as I can get my friend Malia to send it to me :)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

Mini Cheesecake Bites:

These breaded spinach balls were amazing - I'm also trying to get the recipe of these to post.  Lets just say I went over my Weight Watchers points, and all thanks to these.

Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce:

The ADORABLE cake that two of the girls made:

The Orange, Blue, Brown and Silver candy buffet:

Love is Sweet - we even created a little monogram for them:

Treat Bags:

Up close:

And, most important of all - the groom and bride-to-be!

Hunter and Melissa, I hope you had a great time!  We wish you nothing but the best, and cannot WAIT until your wedding!  xoxo