NYE.

Can you believe 2010 is almost gone? Done. Kaputs. Outta here. Yea, I cannot either. 2011 begins on Saturday and I couldn't be more elated.
Last year E and I spent NYE together with a nice dinner and too many martinis. This year most of our friends and us don't have the energy or the money to go crazy. spend. lots. of. money. at. overcrowded. bars. so about 10 of us are going to a nice dinner and then head to a sweet friend's house to have cocktails.
Short recap of 2010:
Jan-E quit his stable home building career.
Feb-Valentine's. Marley's first pancreatitis sickness.
March-K's annual birthday crawfish boil. March madness. Began dreaming of a vacation. Rita's construction began.
April-Our FIVE year wedding anniversary! Nuff said.
May-My office construction began. Stress was elevated.
June-Rita's opened.
July-I began working 60 hour weeks facilitating a huge construction project. Surprised my mom for her birthday.
August-My Pops had hip replacement surgery. He walked the next day.
September-E's birthday. Marley lost his first eye.
October-Moved into my office's new building. Gave up the Facility role. Was in awe of my accomplishments in 2010.
November-Went on vacation to St Kitts. Had both families at our house for Thanksgiving. Decorated. Began remodeling our kitchen.
December-Hosted an Ornament exchange. Realized our Texas Longhorns weren't going to a bowl game. Put down Travertine floors in our kitchen. Spent a wonderful Christmas with both families.
2011:
You are going to be an awesome year, I can feel it!

Come and Gone.

O.m.g. I cannot believe Christmas has come and gone and New Year's is only a few days away. The past month has been so hectic (as written in a previous post), so I didn't get to finish my last days of Christmas. I will wrap it up:

Here is our living room. I don't have pictures of our dining room, but it's gorgi-porgi. My mom decorated it and I love it!
Note to self: Our dog is perfect. :)
We will be taking down our Christmas stuff on Saturday, New Year's Day whilst watching football and drinking festies. It's always sad and makes me a little dreary when everything goes away because the house looks so empty. I am not a cluttered person, so cleanliness and non-clutter will make me happy.
The last post was to be what Oprah favorites would I want for Christmas. Well, I have no clue what was on her list this year, but I did receive a ToyWatch a couple of years ago and that was a favorite of hers at the that time.
The Days of Christmas are done. Sad. Tear. Moving on.
We had a splendid Christmas this year! For some reason, it wasn't as stressful. My in-laws moved back to Austin, so we didn't have to travel far for Christmas Eve. We went to their house, drank, ate and were Merry! Christmas morning we woke to coffee, salmon and lochs, opened presents, chatted and were sent off by Noon. We drove to F-town to my parents house where my brother and parents were awaiting us. We had a second Christmas, ate, drank, opened gobs of presents and were Merry! We are so very blessed to have families that love, adore and share joy with us each and every day!

Hectic Holidays.

I have said over and over how much I love the Holidays, but this Holiday Season has been very hectic and a tad bit frustrating!
I am going to vent a bit:
It started with Thanksgiving. We were going to have it at the in-laws, but that fell through because they had just moved into their new home and we didn't want to put that pressure on them. We decided to have it at our house. This is great and all, but our house doesn't fit 8 people and 3 dogs very well. I love our house, but it's not huge by any means, so organizing and planning for such events is a must. Thanksgiving turned out wonderful, but as stated above it was a quite a bit of work. It was hectic.
E and I used to have people over to our house all the time, but for some reason (probably because I am scared our carpet will get ruined, ha...hate carpet) we stopped. This year I wanted to have a small Christmas party at the house. We sent invites. Bought a lot of alcohol. Bought a lot of food. Cleaned. Prepped. Cleaned. Prepped. Yelled at each other. Cleaned. It was a blast! We had all of our dear friends sign our concrete floors. Drank a lot. Ate a bit. Exchanged ornaments. Said Merry Christmas. Said Good-Bye. Joyful times. But, it was hectic.
We have been in our home for a tad over 4 years. We did a ton of work to the house. Upgraded a lot of the house, but didn't have the money to do everything we wanted in those four years. We are blessed and have been given the opportunity to re-do our kitchen. Let me just say. I. will. never. ever. ever. never. ever re-do a part of my home while living in it. Especially when there is only one of them. There is only one kitchen in the house. It's not like a bathroom where you can shut the door until it's done and use the master. Our fridge has been posted up in our living room for um 2 weeks. Our bar armoire is in the living room posted up as well. It's been odd. We got our Travertine floors installed and we went to seal them last night when we noticed three of the tiles are cracked. seriously. cracked. E put in the five inch base, but it took a lot longer than we thought because of the specific and special cuts. I love the floors, I love my limestone bar tops, I love my five inch base, but goodness gracious I am ready for this to be done. To think, it's not even close makes me nauseated. It's been hectic.
Our precious pup, Marley, lost his right eye about three months ago due to a lenses issue. We were treating the left eye with meds and hoping we wouldn't have to deal with a lenses issue in that eye. Last Thursday, E woke up and noticed Marley was acting very odd. Long story short...I had to take Marley into the vet (who was off that day) and we made the decision to remove the lenses in hope to save the vision. He had emergency surgery at 9am ON MY STINKIN' BIRTHDAY. He is recovering, however, we are not 100% that we have saved the vision. Seriously. Could this happen at a worse time? The house is in shambles, poor dog cannot see, had to spend a ton of money and I have only bought 2 Christmas gifts. Seriously, it's been hectic.
Yea, as stated: I HAVE ONLY BOUGHT 2 CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!! Our lives have been so hectic and stressful...emotionally I have had it with 2010. I am ready to relax and celebrate CHRISTmas with our loved ones...good-bye hectic life.

Day 11: New Year's Resolutions

2010 is almost over, crazy! I am ready for a new year. It's always refreshing to start anew, have new goals and a new mindset.
I am not one to set New Year's Resolutions. I prefer to set "focus" areas. I like to realize there are many things I need to change and focus on those changes, but not necessarily set a resolution. Does that make sense? I think people tend to set resolutions and most are pretty bummed by the end of the year when those resolutions aren't fulfilled. I don't want to be bummed come December 2011!
Here are some of my Focus Areas for 2011:
-Appreciate and give Thanks. I love my E and I love everything he does for me, but I know for a fact there are many occasions I am a brat and don't show it. I need to work on that.
-Be proud, stand tall and begin having a positive outlook on who I am. Being a woman is tough. In the future, we want to have children (yea, I know I finally said it) and I feel one must love themselves 100% in order to love their spouse\partner and children. This will be a big task, but something I will focus throughout 2011.
--Stop NAGGING! I think this is just a woman thing...I don't know, but I think I nag too much.
-Don't worry, be happy! I worry about dumb things. Seriously. I worry about my duvet cover being wrinkled. I worry about the little tiny stains on our carpet. I worry about money. I worry about stuff that I shouldn't worry about. GET REAL, JULEZ. Add it to the list...
-Love. Love everyone around me and show it.
These are the main focuses for 2011 and I am sure the list will grow, but acknowledging is the first step. Conquering is the last.

Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs\Caroles

I love Christmas music! I started listening to Pandora and Slacker Christmas stations the week of Thanksgiving. I listen to Christmas music in my car. This will continue until after Christmas. We keep our tree up until the BCS National Championship Game, so most likely I will listen to Christmas music until that date.
My all time favorite Christmas song is "First Noel." My favorite song that I typically only hear during Christmas is "The Prayer" by Josh Groban and Celine Dion. Tears. come. out. of. my. eyes. This was sung at our wedding and the meaning and words are so powerful. Love both of these!
"Rudolph the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose...." Yup, that's playing on Slacker right now. Cheers.

Day 9: Favorite Holiday Recipe

Oh food, my 2nd most favorite thing in the whole wide world! My favorite holiday recipe comes in the form of alcohol! Festies or Champagne Cocktails.
Festie:
Egg Nog.
Vodka.
Coffee liqueur.
Mix.
Serve over ice.
Delish!
Champagne Cocktail:
One sugar cube.
Drop two drips of bitters on the cube.
Cover said cube with Brandy.
Pour champagne to rim of glass.
Voile.
Heaven!
I would rather drink than eat calories, so...kidding, kidding, kidding, but we don't have "special" holiday food, so I don't have a favorite food recipe. Try the above cocktails and do tell what you think of them!

Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays

Well, when you love the Holidays as much as me it's hard to find something you dislike, but there are a couple of things that get to me during this Season.
The traffic! Traffic here in the ATX is typically bad, but you throw in people drunk on shopping, the stores open later, vacation days being taken and bonuses being handed out...THE TRAFFIC IS AWFUL! Everywhere one goes it feels like it takes an extra 15-20 minutes. It typically takes me all of 12 minutes to get home from work, but last week I went a route that was dumb. I went a route that took me through shopping central and it took me 30 minutes to get home. It's crazy, but glad to see people are out spending their money and helping boost our economy, right? :)
2nd-The desserts and the festies! I love dessert. I love festies. Do you know what a Festie is? It's an alcoholic beverage that will knock your socks off, seriously. These two have two things in common: Mucho calories and they make me smile. With being someone that struggles with weight gain and weight loss, the Holiday Season seems to get me every year. I tend to only eat\drink these things on the weekends, so I can catch up on my low-calorie-make-me-depressed-greek yogurt during the week. I tend to visit the gym less because it's cold and I just want to drink said festies. It's a whirlwind, but hey, it's worth it because it makes me smile. Yea, that sounds good...I will stick with that one.

Day 7: Holiday Craft

I am the least crafty person UNLESS I see something that I really like or want. I don't make any gifts to give because of said lack of talent. If I could make a craft, it would be arrangements, Christmas tree skirts and paintings. It seems like so much fun and meaningful to use your own tow hands to make a creative, special gift. Perhaps, I need to do this since I haven't bought one stinkin' Christmas present this year! (Holy, eeks!!!!)

Day 6: Gift Wishes

This year I am all about home goods! We are in the process of redecorating, painting, redoing our kitchen, cleaning carpets, getting rid of junk and organizing. It's been a really hectic time because E and I want different things and have different ideas, but all in all it's been fun the past few weeks. My mom as a great eye for decorating, so that helped Thanksgiving week. :) Here are a few things I have asked for from our family members:
Dish Towels
Goblet style red wine glasses (we are down to our last Waterford wine glass, tear)
Spatulas
Bath towels
Coffee Mugs
Photo frames (i am adding a photo wall and have 40 photos...yea, i need frames)
Bath robe
Home Goods gift card
4 Plates to hang in my crate
Real Simple & Southern Living magazine subscriptions
New faucet
Travertine floors
Granite counter tops
New couch
A chocolate brown ottoman slipcover
That's the start of the list...I am sure it will grow in the next few days. We are trying to spend less this year since we have so many gifts to buy, so we are hoping our families do the same.

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

Ick. Mondays are my least favorite day of the week, but at least it's one day closer to our Ornament party and Christmas!
My favorite Holiday Movies (because I cannot pick one) are "Home Alone" and "A Christmas Carol (the old one)." I am dying to watch these two movies, but it's a tad early still. I love to have a fire, drink wine and watch Christmas movies. Another reason, I love this time of year!

Day 4: Tips and Tricks for a Budget Friendly Holiday Season

I am good, but not great at budget friendly holidays because I typically wait until the last minute, however, I have become a huge fan of coupons. I have a Droid X phone, so I downloaded the coupon app. I check it periodically to see what new coupons are out there. There are ALWAYS coupons that I can use for various stores. With the app, you checkout and show the cashier the coupon...they ring up the coupon code...the discount appears. It's marvelous! I will be using my Old Navy and Academy coupons this Holiday Season. Also, I have begun giving my email address to stores I frequent often. I never did this before, but started and am so glad I did because you really do get GREAT deals. I get a weekly NY&CO coupon, Old Navy coupons, Groupon, LiveSocial, etc. You get the drift! With the internet becoming the #1 scene for coupons, it's totally worth two minutes to give your email or download an app.
As for decorations for the holiday season, I read an article about using fruit, Oak tree branches, leaves, pinecones, rosemary and thyme for holiday decorations. What a cheap, fabulous way to decorate! I really would like to string cranberries and put them on our Christmas tree...we'll see.

Day 3: Best Gift\Most Memorable Gift

Oh, how I love gifts anytime of the year, but of course with my Birthday and Christmas being neck and neck I typically get double the gifts, BLESSED.
I would have to say the best gift I ever received was the Barbie Doll Play House with Pool. I received this gift when I was probably 8 or nine years old. I loved this thing. I mean, who wouldn't? It had a stinkin' pool. I remember taking the "pool" to the sink in our bathroom and filling it up just to have it filled up. I would sit for about five minutes and play with the dollhouse and of course, get bored and move on to the next thing. A close runner up, would be my orange and teal 10 speed bike...you know the ones with the curled handle bars? Do people even buy these things anymore? Living in Austin, it seems like kids ride those trick bikes or race bikes or perhaps even beach cruisers. I loved that bike and rode it forever!
The most memorable gift I have received was actually last Christmas. My parents went on a LONG Mediterranean cruise. They visited Italy, Spain, etc. They went to a "cameo-maker's" museum in Italy. My father picked out a special cameo necklace and watched it be carved. I will cherish this piece of jewelry forever! It's beautiful! I will have to take a picture of it, but that will wait since it's hanging in my jewelry box. (I am afraid to wear it all the time because of the delicacy.)

Day 2: Black Friday Shopping Tips and Tricks

This one is a tad difficult for me because as a child and an adult we didn't do much shopping on Black Friday. My mom and I typically did our manic-crazy-i-want-everything shopping the day after Christmas. However, this year my parents wanted to buy us something for our house for Christmas, so we did shopping on Black Friday. The feeling this year was a tad bit depressing because you could see how the recession truly has effected the lives and pocket books of Americans. We went to quite a few stores and they seemed pretty empty. I was a tad bummed that we weren't out the door by 8am, but this year it didn't seem to matter. I guess my tip and trick would be to save and spend! Hit the stores early because most stores did have larger discounts earlier in the day. I love to shop, but will save my energy for the "Dillard" tradition of shopping the day after Christmas.

Day 1: Christmas\Holiday Traditions

My favorite childhood tradition was spent on Christmas Eve. As a family, we would attend church. After church, my mom would cook Bird and I a special Christmas Eve dinner with Egg Nog and all. We would spend quality time as a family by a fire chatting about what we thought Santa would bring us. My mom would read us the story of Baby Jesus' Birthday from the Bible and my Dad would read us "Twas the Night before Christmas." Of course, Bird and I prepared cookies and milk for Santa and my parents would then put us to bed. My mom and dad would have a candle lit dinner with just the two of them (Which I will do when we have kids) typically with steak and wine. They always thought they were by themselves until they would look upstairs and see Bird and I poking our head through the banisters hoping Santa had already visited our home. :)
Things have changed since I was a child, teen and young adult because I am now married and spend Christmas with two families. And, I am 100% ok with that.
As a married adult, my favorite tradition is that we get to have two Christmas'. My brother nor my BIL are married, therefore, we don't want to take the Christmas excitement away from them. So, typically we spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at one house then drive to the other Christmas afternoon. This year is going to be much easier on us because my in-laws moved from JC to Austin a couple of weeks ago, so the drive is only two hours rather than three. It's important to E and I to spend wonderful, quality time with our families, so this works best for us. Another tradition that I hope never goes away, is my Dad acting as Santa. After all our gifts are opened, we make drinks, pick up all the boxes and gift paper, my Dad puts on a Santa hat and presents us with our "Santa Gift." This gift is specially picked out by him. Sometimes, my mom gives him ideas, but other times she doesn't even know the gift. It adds a fun surprise every year!
What are your favorite Christmas\Holiday traditions?

It's The Holiday Season!

This is my most favorite time of the year. Thanksgiving, holiday parties, my birthday, cooler weather, Christmas lights, Poinsettas, Sweaters, Egg Nog, Scarves, Fires, Red wine, Christmas Eve, Baby Jesus' Birthday and New Year's! I mean, I am pretty sure I could continue with the list, but I will stop because I think you get the drift of why I wake up and go to bed with a smile on my face.
E and I are having our first "Joy to Ornaments" Holiday Party with a small group of dear friends. I cannot wait to entertain, feed and gather with some of the most amazing loves in my life. My dear mother is a shopaholic and loves, loves, loves to buy me things that she loves. She went all out on Christmas decorations for our home. I told her we were having an Ornament\Beer\Wine party and next thing I know she is bringing plates, napkins, punch bowls and platters. I am one blessed gal!
To celebrate the Holiday Season, I am going to join in on some blogging fun: 14 Days of Christmas! (I am pretty sure it's supposed to be 12 Days of Christmas, but whatever.) Here are the topics each day...It's fun, you should partake too!

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditions
Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks
Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received
Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season
Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special
Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)
Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)
Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays
Day 9: Favorite Holiday recipe
Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles
Day 11: New Year Resolutions
Day 12: Show us your decorations (indoor/outdoor)
Day 13: Favorite Cookie Recipe
Day 14: Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience?

Happenings.

I can finally relax and breathe. My office move was a success! Thank Heavens. I worked long, hard hours the past month, but in the end it was worth it. It was worth it because I was a huge part of something that won't happen again for 10 years. I saw the project from beginning to end. The ups and downs. The scary moments, the angry moments and the happy moments. I was recognized by our President the first day of move-in. I received a hefty (So very thankful) bonus check and a President coin. The coin is similar to the military coin given out to our men and women who fight the good fight. I was shocked, but so very grateful for the recognition. I have given up the Facility Manager position to focus on being an Operations Executive Assistant to the second man in line. I will be able to learn the budget of the business, I will be able to grow into more of an Operations Manager and lastly I will not wake in the middle of the night worried about how the next day will pan out. The construction, move and stress are over and to that I say CHEERS!
Football season is in full swing and the Horns have totally sucked it up this year! Depressing. It's funny how die-hard one can be when a team is winning, but when they begin to lose it's so easy to lose interest in the team. We will stand by the Horns the rest of the season by drinking bloody mary's, beer and sweet tea Vodka because it could be a very, very sad ending to a legacy of winning!
I haven't been going to the gym regularly and um, I feel it. The past 2 weeks to month it's been very hard to motivate myself especially with so much stress. I went last night and will continue to get back on track. I just need to get myself to enjoy it rather than stress over going and not freak out when I don't go. It sounds so easy while typing, but yea, it's not.
Something else I need to get back into...PHOTOGRAPHY! I love photography. I love pictures. I love capturing events and special moments. I haven't done any of this since probably the Spring. Fall is a fun time to take pictures because I think everyone seems to be happier and the transition of green to brown is exciting. On the to do list...
I cannot wait for vacation. I cannot wait for cold weather. I cannot wait for Thanksgiving. I especially cannot wait until December.
Speaking of vacation...I need to take a couple of books on our trip. What are ya'll reading or have read in the past few months?

September. Finally

I like the Summer season, but I loathe the Summer season heat. It's unbearable, it's miserable, it makes me want to cry, it is just NOT fun. We were fortnate this year to not have 100 degree temps in June or July, so I need to be thankful for that...I guess. I love Fall! There is a crispness in the air. The nights come quickly and this excites me because I hate eating dinner when it's daylight (weird, I know). Es birthday is in the Fall. And most importantly, FOOTBALL season starts. Oh holy moly, I cannot wait until Saturday at 10am. College Game Day is now 2 hours long...yea, I get to stare at Kirk Herbstreit for that long, joy. I am not a typical gal when it comes to football! I have to admit I know more about football than the average male. I grew up with a Father that watched football every single Saturday...didn't miss one game, swear. I never get sick of watching it, listening to it or talking about it. E is a UT graduate, so of course the Longhorns are the #1 team in the household, Florida State is #2 because I adore Bobby Bowden (Yea, I am aware he isn't there anymore), Watching OU lose is #3 and then of course the Texans are watched on Sundays. My dearest and sister-like friend, Leah, always comes to town for the Tech vs UT game, so that is something special to look forward to this month. September will be filled with Pumpkin spice lattes, beer drinking, pong playing, dancing, music, cheers and football! This is THE BEST time of the year!

Eat. Pray. Love. 10 year reunion. Life.

Let me start by saying I love the book Eat. Pray. Love! I have read it twice and could read it few more times.

Oprah Winfrey did a sit down interview with the cast of Eat. Pray. Love as well as Elizabeth Gilbert. She asked them to talk about their favorite Eat. (meal). Pray. (where they find spirtiual peace). Love. (obvious).

Here are mine:
Eat.

I heart Mexican food. Like I love it with all my being and I crave it about 100 times per week. But, I have to say my meal is my Mom's Carbonara and Escargot. I can cook Carbonara, but it never turns out like my Mom's.

Pray.
It's going to sound quite odd. I feel most at peace and spiritually sound while I am swimming laps. I tend to reflect on my life, my decisions, my way ahead, my family, my friends, say a few prayers to a higher power while I swim. I don't listen to music. I am calm. I am at peace in the water.

Love.

My husband. My family. My friends.

10 year reunion.
I cannot believe it's been 10 years since I graduated high school! It's amazing to me how fast the time has gone by and how much I have changed. It's amazing to me that I have been with E for 10 years! I didn't attend the 10 year reunion because of my brother's birthday and that little something called...um...owning a business. I would have loved to have gone and reflect on the past with all the lovely gals I grew up with in the good ole K-town!
Life.

We have been super duper busy and life isn't slowing down. It's funny to think how boring our lives were before Rita's. Like, what did we do on Friday nights? Oh yea, something called Party. We don't do that much, but it's worth it for now. Rita's is doing amazing! The UT students are back in full force and it's helping our business. We have received write up, after write up in different Austin area newspapers as well as internet write ups. We have over 20 reviews on yelp which equal 4+Stars. :) It's an unbelievable journey! Blessed, needless to say.

Our puppy dog, Marley, is now blind in his right eye. It's a total bummer, but we are dealing with it. He is on medicine after medicine for both eyes because we don't want to lose his left eye's vision. He is just so precious and most likely will become a pirate dog. Pirate dog= A bedazzled eye patch made by Aunt K-K.

My company move is in less than 30 days. I feel like there is so much to do in these 30 days. I wake up at night thinking about different things that need to be complete. It's sick. I know I am unable to do everything, but feel like I am doing everything (Totally not the case!). I know I will receive an extraordinary award when we move...knowing I had a huge part of an 80k sq ft build out! It's an experience nonetheless, which I am very grateful. I have already put in for vacation time after the move because I know I will definitely need a minimum of a week off! I have been working and will continue to work way more than 40 hours a week, so to have a countdown to vacation is helping me.

We are going here on vacation:

We cannot wait. It's a new island we have never visited, so it should be awesome! Come on countdown...go a little bit faster. For now, I will daydream about blue Caribbean waters, ocean breezes and drinks with little umbrellas...

25 Randoms about E.

An old friend did a "Random 25 Things about my Hubby" post and I just have to copy because I think it's so cute!

25 Random things about E:

1. E is the oldest son. he has a younger brother. these 2 are pretty much best friends for life. they own a business together. they work together everyday. they talk on the phone everyday. they play golf together. eat together. laugh together. and cry together. they make me want a sister.

2. E is a University of Texas graduate. Hook 'em!

3. E lived in 6 states prior to the age of 15. Texas has been his home since 1996.

4. E's parents live in Texas 6 months out of the year and Maine the other 6 months.

5. E was arrested when he was in high school for stealing a glass coffee pot from Foley's and running from the rent-a-cop. Ha.

6. E's top row of teeth are fake. He lost a battle with a bike and concrete when he was 13.

7. I have NEVER seen E throw up from too much alcohol.

8. E's favorite drink is Crown on the rocks or Scotch on the rocks.

9. E is Italian. The older he gets the more Italian he looks.

10. E is an unbelievably fast swimmer!

11. E naturally has HUGE calves and biker thighs.

12. E begins his sleep with 3 pillows. by the morning, his arm is his pillow.

13. E hates sheets. we sleep with a quilt and a flat sheet.

14. E hasn't done his own laundry in 10 years. his wife does it all for him. every sunday.

15. E is an overly organized mess. he has nothing on his computer desktop. he has nothing sitting in his car. his desk HAS to be cleaned off at the end of each day. he walks around with a clip board with lists. he literally scratches off to-dos from this clip board list.

16. E will always have a Jeep Wrangler. regardless if we decide to have children one day, there will be a Jeep parked in our garage.

17. E makes my coffee 7 days a week. i am literally incapable of making my coffee. it never taste as good as when i make it.

18. E is a shoe freak. i am pretty sure he could buy a new pair of shoes every week.

19. E loves Lacoste. he would get rid of everything in his closet and just have J Crew jeans and Lacoste shirts.

20. E loves Mexican food. he could live and breathe salsa and chips. italian food is almost his favorite.

21. E is the one that taught me how to cook. the first italian dish i made him was burnt and absolutely disgusting. poor italian kid married a pure Texan.

22. E has never met an enemy. he rarely has something negative to say about someone or something. there is one person he literally has said he dislikes in the 10 years i have known him. he finds positive in most situations and people.

23. E is a total white boy, but loves thug-life-ghetto rap music. Wu Tang is one of his favs.

24. E didn't have a cell phone the first 6 years we were together. crazy. yes.

25. E has the largest collection of under garments i have ever seen. literally, probably at least 50 items in his drawer. crazy. again. yes.

8 things. Why not?

8 Things I'm Looking Forward to...
1. Weekends by the pool.

2. Changes.

3. Getting off work.

4. Getting to see my parents!

5. Sunshine.

6. Seeing my BFF.

7. Corporate move.

8. Being honest and telling someone how I really feel about them.

8 Things I did Yesterday...
1. Cried.

2. Got really frustrated.

3. Entered 18 pages of emails for the Rita's birthday club.

4. Developed a PA map.

5. Talked to my Mom.

6. Sat in traffic.

7. Craigslist search.

8. Spent time with the hubby.


8 Shows I Enjoy...I don't really watch tv, this may be hard!

1. House Hunters.

2. Deadliest Catch. (Saddest show right now)

3. Dateline, 20\20.

4. Golden Girls.

5. The Office.

6. House.
7. Tour de France

8. FIFA World Cup Soccer

Good life.

Life is good.

We have been acclimating ourselves to the new schedule: E really not being home. Me working Monday through Friday. Store being open until 11 on Fridays and Saturdays.

I love seeing the smile on E's face when customers walk through the door of Rita's. It brings me joy knowing that he is loving every single minute of owning a business. He is putting his whole entire being into it and I know it will be a success because of this. The store has been open a month, wow. It's doing really well and continues to grow! We receive many comments from people that visit: "Goodness, y'all must have been open for a while. This place is the talk of the town." "I have been waiting for 10 years for a Rita's to open in Austin." Comments and Remarks like this make my heart flutter. The employees are wonderful after we canned 3 of them. E and B are beginning to release some duties to the kids, so they don't have to be there all the time and are able to focus on marketing. Marketing and branding the name in the area is tricky, fun and time consuming, but so far, so good. Apartments around the area will have approximately 3000 students move in August. THE University of Texas will have a rush of students return for the Fall semester. These 2 things will be HUGE for the store, so Cheers to school starting even if the traffic is horendous!

I am having serious employee disgruntled-ness! (I don't think that's a word, but oh well.) I have worked for this company for 5 years and it seems like I am the new kid on the block because of how I am treated. I am sick and tired of it. Chhhh-chhh-aaa-aaa-nnn-ggg-eee-sss, hopefully real soon.

My Dad has been dealing with hip pain for about a year and my Mom finally forced him to visit an Orthopedic Surgeon. Typical man, he put it off and put it off and put it off. Finally, he had a full hip replacement yesterday! The surgery went really well. It's crazy...they do the surgery within a bubble in the OR because of the risk of infection due to cutting of bones and such. He will be up and at 'em this morning per the Doc. If you live in the Katy area, you each are very lucky to have such new and nice hospitals so close. My Mom stated it resembled a hotel. They call meal service Room Service, comical. (BTW, if you ever need an Orthopedic Surgeon, I know an AMAZING ONE!)

4th of July was fun! We went to a friend's Lake Austin dock. Good food, fun games, freezing cold water, beer and frozen drinks made the day!

Rita's is basically our life. Lame life, but exciting life at the same time.

Cheers to Summer and fun-filled weekends!

Tears of Stress. Or. Tears of Joy.

So, I typed up a whole post. I was going to cut and paste...said function isn't working. I am too emotionally drained right now to retype the whole thing.

This being said...I am on an emotional rollercoaster with this new journey and other events going on in my life. It's tough. I will get through it.

To let you know, we opened Rita's this weekend...we believe it was A HUGE SUCCESS! Cheers!
Below, are some pictures of the opening and the store...it's super bright and cheery. I love walking in there and hearing our staff say..."Welcome to Rita's!"

The first two pictures are before pics of the front and the back of house. Pretty crazy how different it looks, right?

3 times.

I am having a not-so-good day thus far, so I thought I would dive into the blogger world for a bit. After reading my blogs, I came across 3 times...nothing like getting your mind off work and personal stuff to blog.

3 names I go by:

1. Julez

2. Julie

3. Baby

3 jobs I have had:

1. Lifeguard

2. Billing Coordinator

3. Facility Manager

3 places I have lived:

1. Katy

2. San Marcos

3. Austin

3 drinks I love:

1. Water

2. Cherry Coke (Preferably from Sonic)

3. Corona Light

3 shows I love:

1. House

2. House Hunters

3. The Office

3 places I have visited:

1. Italy

2. Turks and Caicos

3. All the US Virgin Islands

3 places I would like to visit:

1. Morocco

2. Switzerland

3. New Zealand

3 people that text me regularly:

1. Eric

2. Leah

3. Mom

3 of my favorite old shows:

1. Seinfeld

2. Golden Girls

3. Full House

3 favorite dishes:

1. Carbonara

2. Tacos al Carbon or Chicken Fajita tacos

3. Spagetti and meatballs

3 makeup products I can't live without:

1. Moisturizer

2. Lipgloss

3. Loreal Voluminous mascara in jet black

3 things I am looking forward to:

1. A long weekend

2. Getting a tan even if I have to sit in the backyard naked (ha!)

3. Rita's opening

Dressed Corona Light, please.

Happy Cinco De Mayo! What are we celebrating anyways? My lineage\heritage has 0% Hispanic blood...it's quite comical that I am excited to eat Mexican food as well as drink an ICE COLD CORONA LIGHT, DRESSED. Aw. I need an excuse to partake in such caloriefilledohmygoodnessineedtogotothegymstat fun.
Ranting. My company is about 90% men, 10% women. The men are nerds and really cannot even speak whilst looking at someone in the eyes. The women cannot stand one another and cause days of drama. It's pathetic. It's total jealousy. It's rather annoying. An employee nicely told me that her boss told her too many people stand at her desk and chat during the day. I was included in the mess, however, I am the Facility Manager and have to escort people from the front desk. I kind of don't have a choice. Also, I like to take a few strolls during the day and stop to chat with people I actually like...is that a problem, Boss lady?!? I think communication on a friendly matter is just as important as communication on a business matter. People can be friends and talk about their weekends, their hobbies and their laughs. It's normal, I think. Perhaps, it's not? I think the whole thing goes back to the beginning...JEALOUSY. Jealous over the fact that 2 individuals, whom are female actually CAN get along just fine. Get real, Boss Lady. You don't run this roost and you will definitely not run mine!
Ranting #2. We are members at 24 Hour Fitness in the ATX. I usta love the gym and usta to love swimming, sitting in the sauna, riding the bikes and watching others. NOW, I absolutely hate it. The gym is DISGUSTING. The people are DISGUSTING. The place gives me the total creeps. Most equipment seems to be broken everyday to include the sauna. It's quite frustrating. E came home yesterday morning and asked, "ohmygoodness, did you see the pool this morning?" "No, honey I didn't." "Good thing cuz it was white." Sick. I got up this morning at 520am...drove to the gym...to swim and lo-and-behold the water was extremely cloudy. I didn't have my other clothes to workout, so I jumped in the pool to do my 50 minute workout. I became clausterphobic...yea...clausterphobic from the murkiness and not being able to see 2 inches in front of my eyes. Yack. I continued to swim thinking to myself...well, if I croak or have an arm fall off, at least someone will see this nastiness. E came home after me and said his throat hurt from the pool, ha. Terrible, I tell ya. He also mentioned how gross the sauna smelt and how mold spores were growing rapidly on the floor and the cedar. We are done. He took pictures and posted them on 24 Hour's facebook page. He is going to send an email to the GM and the higher ups...totally going to smear the gym. I totally agree with him because it really could affect someone's health! Sidenote, I think we are going to join Lifetime Fitness. It's a little more expensive, but we go 4-5 times a week...I feel it's worth it. Anyone a member there?
All in All, it's going to be ok cuz I get to eat Mexican food and drink a Corona Light tonight.

Ok, Ok. Let's play catch up!

It's been busy in the Jensen household!

We celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary on April 2nd! It was a fabulous night with great food and better wine. We try to buy eachother gifts that are the "True Anniversary Gifts," so this year the options were wood, daisies and turquoise. E bought me the most beautiful bouquet of white Callalillies and pink Daisies. I bought him some clothing with blue and turquoise. We talked about old times (9 years worth) and the new times ahead...I am blessed beyond belief to call E my husband.

A dear friend of E's married the love of his life at the Hyatt Lost Pines. This wedding was

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I mean, they had a fire works display over the pool which was better than the 4th of July fireworks Austin shows at Zilker Park. Since we are unable to take our annual 2 week Carribbean trip this year, we decided to make a minivacay out of the wedding weekend. We ate, drank, swam, golfed, took walks, talked, danced, spa'd and RELAXED! It was a remarkable weekend spent with great company. (And yea, the Hyatt has a legit slide!)

We have received a building permit for Rita's!!! After 4 months, the construction has begun and is moving right along. We are looking to have the Grand Opening on May 29th!!! We cannot be more excited to REALLY start the journey of business ownership.

Overdrive.

The most beautiful weather has arrived in the great state of Texas! The wind blows, the trees whistle, the grass is turning green, the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air, neighbors are planting bright pink flowers to match their bright purple front doors, traffic is dying down, the Jeep top is off, little red cheeks will be apparant and the list goes on and on. I heart this time of year (can you tell?) hence why we chose to marry in Spring. Crawfish boil, beer pong, flip cup, Irish pubs and weddings will be filling our days in the near future. Amen.
Life is moving along just plain and dandy. We have received an approval for Building and Mechanical from City of Austin. The most red-taped business in the world, I hate them and I hate their ways...I digress. We received a rejection on the Electrical...um yea, the most important part of a buildout. The Electrical is being resubmitted as we speak and now we just wait...and wait...and wait...and wait...and wait...rip someone's ear off...and wait...cause a huge scene and tell someone they are worthless...and wait. Hopefully, we will receive an approval on the Plumbing part as well in the next couple of days. We cannot wait to open and get fat on Rita's.
Happy Spring folks! (PS. I need to take some kill'a pictures, I don't have any recents. Tear.)

Love day.

We had the BEST weekend! I love LOVE day. I try to focus on loving E everyday of the year, but it's especially special on Valentine's weekend. :)
On Saturday we went to Austin Land and Cattle Company (Nothing to do with Texas Land and Cattle, BTW), the food was DELISH. We had eaten there quite some time ago with my parents and we loved the ambiance, so rather than going to a chain steakhouse we chose here. Any restaurant that serves escargot is on the top of my list (and of course the best Xtradirty martini helps)!
After din-din we went to one of our new finds, OPA! which is a new wine\coffee bar. The owner is Greek, ha, as if I needed to tell you that. Opa! is an old house which they renovated into a quaint little place with reds and whites. I heart this place...I can't wait for Spring, so we can drink Sangria while playing bocce ball. Heaven.
When we got home, E surprised me with a dozen of the most beautiful red roses I have ever seen! Sunday came quickly and of course I made E an amazing breakfast. We went to Rita's. We took Marley to Lady Bird Lake to walk and he didn't make it but half way...he kept wanting to be picked up (yes, just like a 2 year old). We ended the night with my homemade Carbonara, a fire and wine. It was a perfect weekend!

Updates of sorts.

Good stuff around this household.

Date nights. In store training for Rita's. A dog that will not stop hacking. Gray hair growing like a weed ontop of this-here head. Cramping that I cannot put a finger on at this moment. Skinny vanilla lattes (almost everyday, shhh...don't tell the husband). Swimming\Or dry land @ 5:15am. Spring clothes shopping. Anticipating a business opening. Planning a company wide move. Ontop of planning the actual move, how about planning an outfitting of 80k sq ft (that makes me want to vomit). Photo shoot with Ice Guy. Weddings. Birthday parties. Wedding showers. Budget cutting. Car searching. Family visits. Stress...Stress...Stress...oh yea, did I mention stress. And that about sums up my life the past few weeks.

I think my favorite update is: Photo Shoot with Ice Guy. E and B had to purchase an Ice Guy outfit. It literally looks like a gigantic Rita's ice cup. A dear friend of ours agreed to dress in the suit. We bought him lunch and a few beers prior to the shoot. HE WAS PERFECT! He was quite hungover from the night before and was acting tired and boring until he put the ice guy over his head. He suddenly became this character. A character with a special voice, entertaining movements. He had people stopping on the side of the road to take pictures of him. We went to the store location, the University of Texas Tower & stadium, of course The Texas Capitol and lastly, Lady Bird Lake. It was a fun filled day! We had perma-grins on the whole day which caused us each to have headaches, but of course it was very exciting to see the joy and interest about Rita's!

If I were...

If I were a month, I would be December.
If I were a day of the week, I would be Saturday.
If I were a time of the day, I would be 6:30pm.
If I were a planet, I would be Mars.
If I were a sea animal, I would be a dolphin.
If I were a direction, I would be Northeast.
If I were a piece of furniture, I would be a bed.
If I were a liquid, I would be Corona Light.
If I were a gemstone, I would be a diamond (duh.)
If I were a tree, I would be a Japanese Maple.
If I were a tool, I would be a paint brush.
If I were a flower, I would be a callalilly.
If I were a kind of weather, I would be an early Spring day.
If I were a musical instrument, I would be a trumpet.
If I were a color, I would be gray or pink.
If I were an emotion, I would be grace.
If I were a fruit, I would be a watermelon.
If I were a sound, I would be a waterfall.
If I were an element, I would be water.
If I were a car, I would be a Maybach.
If I were a food, I would be a chip with a tad bit of salsa.
If I were a place, I would be a vineyard in Italia.
If I were a material, I would be cotton.
If I were a taste, I would be salty.
If I was a scent, I would be Blvgari.
If I were an object, I would be a cabinet.
If I were a body part, I would be an ear.
If I were a facial expression, I would be a smile.
If I were a song, I would be a country tune.
If I were a pair of shoes, I would be flip flops.
What would you be?
I stole this from Glamorous Newlywed.

Photo Shoot. Maybe.

I loved planning my wedding. I loved every minute of my wedding. I wouldn't change a thing about my wedding, my gown, my brides maids' gowns, the tuxedos, the flowers, the colors...not a single thing. BUT, when thinking and thinking and seeing and seeing our engagment pictures and wedding pictures I soon change my mind on the not-changing-one-single-thing. I can't stand the pictures. I can't stand my photographer. I wish I could get my money back, but since it was 5 years ago...I doubt that can happen. The whole problem with the pictures is they aren't and still aren't digital. This little guy took pics with yea-like old school film. The pictures aren't bright and cheery...much more like...drab and boring. So, I am thinking...I want E and I to have a photoshoot with bright colors. E could wear a bright Orange Lacoste shirt and plaid shorts. For moi, I could wear a fun BRIGHT Spring\Summer dress (or gown, ha). I want pictures to hang on the wall of our home that people stop and say "Oh wow,those are fabulous." It's just a thought, but a thought that constantly comes to mind.

One step at a time.

All is well in the ATX -minus- the crazy Cedar Fever...the allergies here are just 100% annoying & terrible; I wish I could cut down every single Cedar tree within 250 miles!
Some fun stuff has happened in the past few weeks:
~My company chose our new facility...dum, dum, dum...it's now going to be about 9 miles from my house vice the 20 miles it is now, can I get an AMEN! There will be no traffic jams in the morning or the evening. Since I am the Facility Manager, I will be on call 100% of the time when we move in, so it's great I will be a short distance from the building...ya know, if a non catastrophic event occurs like a fire or something.
~Eric went to Rita's University for a week long training in Pennsylvania. He LOVED IT, which solidifies the decision we made for him to leave his building career. He learned a lot, ate a lot, drove a lot, met a lot, walked a lot, talked a lot and drank a lot of his uncle's scotch.
~Lastly AND THE MOST FUN & IMPORTANT, the buildout plan for Rita's was approved by the City of ATX. Originally, they nixed the plan because the occupancy level was too high which made more bathrooms necessary, pfft on you COA. However, reworking the plan the occupancy level was dropped and it was approved! Bids will be going out to contractors beginning next week...bids will come back in 2 weeks...and the buildout should begin by the 2nd week of FEB! Looks like it is on schedule to open around March 20. :)

PS. Eric's Jeep now has Rita's magnets...it's quite comical, but a really good marketing idea! At least he isn't going to paint his Jeep like a Rita's store (eh-hem, like the Shipley's guy who painted his Hummer like a doughnut!).

Best Product, EVER.

I have had a mustache my WHOLE entire life. I have dealt with bleaching it once a week my WHOLE entire life. To be quite honest, it sucks. I could never wax my 'stache because my skin is too sensitive and would break out in hive like fashion. My mom happened upon this

It's AMAZING and has changed my 'stache life! I didn't believe her when she told me about it because it sounded way too easy and simple. I was reluctant to purchase it at $10 because what if it didn't work for me? I took the plunge and I don't regret it. Most people I know don't have an issue with waxing, but at $7-10 a wax you could cut out time and money by using this gadget. (The pink beauty works on your legs too...can't beat that!)

Reflections.

It's 2010, a new decade...where has the time gone? I am not sure, but I am not going to question it.
In 2009 I will remember...
i received a promotion at my j-o-b which in turn has been a perfect fit for me
i jumped back into the pool and began swimming again
i continued going to my beloved gym throughout 09
i lost 35 pounds
i haven't gained a pound back
we went to another island for vacation
i switched my beer of choice to Bud Light cause my brother swears it doesn't give as bad a hangover
i learned to love steak and all things red meat
i have officially become a Starbuck's coffee junkie (at least I make it at home)
i have become better friends with a few gals and have lost a few at the same time
i pulled out of my first wedding and it will be my last
i never paid the mortgage late
i have become a fabulous cook and baker
i have learned that shopping IS my thing
i have become a better wife
i have bought multiple quilts through 2010 and finally found one i love
i bought a bigger tv for my husband cause it was my fault we bought a small one first

In 2010...
i will be a better wife
i will be a better friend
i will be a better daughter
i will be a better sister
i have to NOT make shopping my thing
i will have to learn to live on a tight budget
i will have to compromise and make sacrifices to make my marriage work around opening a new business
i will not nag at E near as much
i will swim often
i will visit the gym often
i will maintain or lose more weight
i will be the biggest and proudest supporter of Rita's
i will get a tan
i will get a cheaper car
i will organize every nook-and-cranny in our house
i will paint the guest bathroom
i will paint the master bathroom
i will get tile in the kitchen
i will hang curtains in our formal dining room
i will learn how to weed-eat
i will take walks with Marley
i will work out at 530am rather than 530pm
i will visit my parents more often
i will blog more
i will photograph more
i will frame my photographs I love
lastly, i will love new journeys, new challenges, my husband and myself ALL THROUGH 2010!