And that's a wrap

Labor day has come and gone, and with that means another summer {and another lake season} have come to an end. If I stopped long enough to think long and hard about it, I would probably become pretty upset with this fact – because I do love some summertime – but before I can get too beat up about it, I think about how excited I am for fall.

Oh, by the way, yes, today was the first official day that the Pumpkin Spice Lattes are out. Walk Run to get yours. {Yes – I did get one today because a sweet coworker brought one to work for me – and I like mine with two pumps of toffee nut, so check that out!}

All I’ve wanted to reflect on lately has been how blessed I have been. I’m sure this is a constant struggle for most people, but do you ever just look around and become at peace about your life? I sure do, and lately, more than I ever have. I’ve seen a lot of heartache and loss this year, more so than in past years, and while I could use this time to question my faith and how God could let these terrible things happen to such good people, I’ve used the time to focus my energy towards being thankful to God over the immense blessings He has bestowed me with.

I have two adorable nephews, a precious niece, wonderful parents and siblings, in-laws that love and accept me, the sweetest and cutest Dobermans in the world, a job that I enjoy going to every day, and last, but certainly not least, a husband that means everything in the world to me.  

The following bible verse has been coming into my mind lately {I’m sure you’ve heard it!}:

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

If I replace the word “Love” and enter the name “Charles,” I find that the verse I am reading is true. Charles is patient. Charles is kind. Charles does not envy, Charles does not boast, Charles is not proud. Charles keeps no record of wrongdoings. Charles does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Charles always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. This is how I know I’ve found the man for which I am meant to spend my entire life.

I’ve always felt that I’d found my match, my person, in Charles, but lately this feeling has been overwhelming. Maybe it’s because we are approaching our 2^nd wedding anniversary later this month, or maybe God is just working in mysterious ways, but I have a feeling of peace about our future. It truly is well with my soul. Maybe all the sorrow and heartbreak I’ve seen lately was meant to happen to teach me the significance of the greatest blessings that I have right in front of me.

 

Love Remains the Same

Once upon a time, I had written a witty and amazing blog post. Perhaps the best one of all. And then reality set in, I was trying to do 5 things at once, and I ended up accidentally deleting said blog post before posting. The struggle IS real. I was extremely frustrated with myself at first, but then realized that I couldn’t do anything about it, so I decided to take a break and restart later. So here I am!

I don’t think I can even attempt to mirror what I had previously written {I’ve slept since then, HARD!} but I will try to think of something right around the same level of amazing {wishful thinking, wishful thinking..} I’m currently sitting on top of my comfy bed, with my new cozy blanket, a cup of tea {with marshmallows in it..because, well, marshmallows!} , a fall candle burning right beside me, and my husband sitting in the other room watching a few pre-season NFL games{which I must say, makes my heart very happy, it's a pleasant sound to hear. Happy fall!}. I think I’m ready for this. Aaaand, go.

As I grow older, I’ve noticed a lot of my tastes changing. They say your tastes start changing every 7{?} years {or so?}, and for me I feel that this is pretty accurate. This ranges from a wide spectrum of things, from my taste in company, food and drink tastes, musical tastes, pretty close to everything.

Ever since I was about 18 or so, I’ve been {gradually} incorporating, and dare I say even liking vegetables, but recently I’ve been LOVING all vegetables that I used to loathe. Tomatoes? Yum. Brussel Sprouts? Pass ‘em over. Okra? Gimme. Carrots? Mine. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do with these vegetable cravings. Was I pregnant? Was I having some sort of mental breakdown? What was the root cause of this sudden onset love of vegetables? As it turns out, neither of the above were the culprit {although I’m sure some people would argue the latter..} I honestly think that I am just getting a bit braver as I get older and more willing to try new things.  

This is a change I am kind of extremely happy about: I am not longer just a sweet white wine lover! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dumping all of my moscato d’asti and Riesling down the drain, but I’m no longer reaching for them at the liquor store. Now, I’m looking for chardonnay and cabernet {and dare I say even the occasional shiraz..} Do I somehow feel more sophisticated drinking these newfound wines? You betcha. In case you were wondering, my current favorite brand is actually by Dave Matthews. The brand is called Dreaming Tree. DELICIOUS and your wallet will thank you, because this wine is budget friendly. A couple more of my favorites are Freakshow and 14 Hands..so walk run to your nearest liquor store and get your hands on a bottle {or two, or three..}

Musical tastes have absolutely changed. I hear most electronic music and I think “wait, is this music?” I’m over my “only rap music” phase, although I do love myself a nice rap song when I’m driving with the windows down. Don’t judge, you know you do it too. I’ve been really digging the Michael Buble Pandora station lately. It features good ole Michael himself, Frank Sinatra, Ben E King, & of course, Norah Jones, the classy lady herself!

You know the saying, the more things change, the more they stay the same. There are a few things in my life that aren’t going to change: my love for Charles, my faith, my love of my family, my chocolate & coffee obsessions, and my habit of watching reality tv shows, just to name a few. And you know what? I’m ok with that. My life is in a better place than I could have ever imagined.

Let's get down to the recap portion of our blog post today:

Fresh Farmers Market flowers..$5 for these beauties that will last weeks. Go home with your $15 bouquets that last 2 days, Wal-Mart. Although I still do love walmart..

You can't beat end of summer nights on the deck with your handsome hubby and a nice glass of red wine. You just can't beat it!

Honestly, it's felt more like fall lately than it has summer {well, at least the nights and the mornings feel that way} so I've been trying to spend as much time as possible outside on the deck with the girls {yes, the dogs..}

While at the lake last weekend, the mister and I woke up at around 6am to a thunderstorm. There's nothing quite like the sound of thunder when you're waking up. We decided to make the most of it and spend the early morning hours cuddling on the deck listening to the storm in a hammock.

When thunderstorms disappear, it's time to take a sunset boat ride with the family..and I'm glad I wore this shirt over my swimsuit and we were BOTH glad I had this blanket, because it got CHILLY.

Lake views..why isn't this my permanent view?

 



You know we love local things, and Friday we got the pleasure of trying out CORE brewing company that just came to our town. What and awesome place! If you're around my area, check it out, you won't be disappointed.

I hope as much as your life changes, some things remain the same. 

Sunday, Monday, Happy days..

Hello, blog friends! I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing and cozy Sunday afternoon. Mother nature in my neck of the woods decided to play a prank and make it an extremely chilly April day, for which I was not exactly thankful...

It was another one of those busy weeks in our life, but a fun one! We were blessed with quite a few fun nights and a lot of time to spend together. Lucky for you, this means a lengthy photo section! Your lucky day! Let's get to it. 

Monday night was a dinner with my coworkers at Landry's downtown. We had a blast, and I got to introduce Charles to a few new people he hadn't gotten to meet yet. 

Nothing better than a glass of wine, a hot grill, and sunshine..

So excited that we got to mow the yard for the first time {and by we, I mean Charles...} I have a strong love of the smell of freshly mowed grass, especially since I haven't smelled it in so long! 

I discovered these Odwalla bars at the store the other day. I haven't been getting enough protein in my diet, especially after a workout. These are a delicious way to get your protein in. 

An absolutely amazing couple overheard that we were newlyweds and had the staff bring us these as a gift to bless our marriage. So sweet! We felt so loved. 

Even Cholla had to look out on the beautiful Saturday we had!

We took advantage of the beautiful day and sat on an enclosed patio drinking mojitos! Can't beat it!

We also took a short trip to the Fort Smith amphitheater to watch the pretty, albeit a bit cloudy, sunset! If you haven't gotten a chance to go, I highly suggest going!

It was a big day for Charles today, so I surprised him with breakfast in bed!

Getting ready to be blessed and welcomed into the Catholic Church. Two more weeks until he becomes Catholic!

All in all, we had a beautiful week and weekend. I hope you've enjoyed the same!

Next weekend, we will be fortunate enough to go to Derby day and spent another lake weekend with the family. I can't wait to share all of our adventures with you!

"Everyone wants some magical solution for their problems, and everyone refuses to believe in magic"

The case of the sick slacker

Phew.

Made it through this week! Sadly, it's Sunday {already?!} and I have to get back to the grind tomorrow. 

This week was a bit of an odd one. On Monday, Charles stayed home sick, which is rare, and on Wednesday, I stayed home sick {even more rare..I can't even remember the last time I stayed home sick...I hate the feeling of having to make up work..I even did in school}. I slept practically all day. Thursday and Friday were spent still half sick and in a busy fog of events. I still don't feel fully recovered, but I'm working on it. 

I hope all of you have had a beautiful spring tease of a week like we have had here. I have to admit, I got spoiled by the gorgeous weather. I'm ready for thunderstorms, cookouts, floating the river, ahh. 

Friday marked 5 months since Charles and I got married. Holy gracious, where did the time go? We have started tossing out ideas on how to spend our first anniversary {I know, still quite a ways off, but it's never too early for a planner to plan..}

Remember last week, when I told you that last Sunday I spent lazily watching movies and cuddling with Charles instead of catching up on laundry and dishes and cleaning that I didn't get to do since we were out of town last weekend? Well I had planned to catch up on all of that during the week a little bit at a time...then the sickness happened...for both of us. Which meant a lack of energy...and no cleaning. Needless to say our house was a bit of an absolute utter disaster. Suffice it to say I don't need to explain what my Saturday consisted of. 

Today, Charles and I had a few of our friends over and we learned how to make homemade eggrolls {my oh my were they delicious} and Charles made his famous avocado crab salad, which is insanely good. We also hadn't seen these friends in quite awhile, so it was great to play catch up and have a fun time trying new things. Completely delightful Sunday. 

Another hearty photo segment to make up for being so absent lately..{In no particular order..}

New fave candle "Flannel" by B&B Works! I don't know if a candle can really smell "cozy," but if cozy had a smell, it would be this candle. 

Before and after of my favorite handy man with a green thumbs hard work on Saturday. Removed the obnoxious bushes! We also bought some new pots and are going to add some new landscaping here in a few weeks :) 

Charles and I thought it would be fun to rewatch our old favorite show, Entourage, from the start! We've had a blast cuddling and watching the old episodes. 

My Saturday in a nutshell {after I was done cleaning, of course...} Tried a new beer, cut up and marinaded some veggies for the grill, and busted out the chacos! {sound the trumpets}

On top of being sick, I got to be "super wife" and make Charles food for his work potluck. He told me about it the night before, per usual. Pizza balls it is! 

We were so exhausted by the time Friday came around that we didn't even want to think about cooking, and we found our way to Marketplace! Flaming queso, get in my stomach. 

My handsome hard worker! 

I told him it was a bad idea, but not a soul was to be found at Lowe's, and of course the one thing we wanted was on the top shelf. 

My Saturday morning view before I started cleaning...oh happy day. 

Eggroll fun! Such a blast. 

Now I'm sitting here, a cup of afternoon coffee in hand {mental note, go to Sweet Bay and pick up a few packets of chocolate chai mix...}, and a loaf of banana bread baking in the oven. I may or may not have added in chocolate chips as a treat for Charles, but shh..don't tell him. In a few hours we will be headed to a local Catholic church to pick up our to go orders of food. It's their Spaghetti Supper fundraiser for their elementary school, and we love to go through their "drive thru" and pick up our orders! We get spaghetti, a salad, bread, and ice cream all for ten dollars, and we support a great school! Win win. 

I know I talk a lot about "mushy" things, and about how much I enjoy spending time with my husband. Some might call it the honeymoon phase, but I don't see it that way. 

I've had a lot of friends come and go the past few years, but my husband is someone who has always been there for me the past few years. Yes, I do have a handful of quality friends that have always and will always be there for me, and vice versa, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Everyone has the story of a friend who stopped hanging out with them because they had a career change, got into a relationship, stopped wanting to go out or go to parties {or host parties...}, or went through a hard time. 

I've gone through plenty of hard times, even when I've been quiet about it. I've had friends who couldn't deal because of it. But there a some people who have always been there for me, and I won't forget them because of it. To have quality friends, you have to be quality friends. I'm extremely blessed with some great people in my life, and wouldn't trade them for the world. That being said, I also won't forget those who weren't there when I needed them the most. 

I hope this week you all take the time to reach out to your friends, new or old, and let them know that you value them. 

"If you're absent during my struggle, don't expect to be present during my success" 

At least it's ALMOST Friday..

Hey, y'all!

Ok. You caught me. I'll admit it. I stayed out too late last night {...yes, 10pm is too late for me when I wake up at 4:30am..}. I'm not feeling my best or most productive this morning. I wanted to throw my iPhone when the alarm went off {mental note to change the alarm music, it's way annoying} but I got right up, brushed my teeth, picked out my clothes, did my hair and makeup, albeit not to my best abilities..and shuffled on in to work. Typically I don't get my morning cup of coffee until 7am..I'm a creature of habit y'all, but I couldn't resist grabbing a cup to wake me up. Plus I'm sitting right under the air conditioner at work and I'm FREEZING, so I needed something to warm up my body and to warm my soul. Coffee is a game changer, I don't know where I would be without it..

Here is the reason for my "too late" night:

Bonfire nights are clearly the best kinds of nights. Plus, how can you really beat a fire like this? Answer? You can't.

I opted for my wine colored long sleeve Piko top with my Liz Claiborne cheetah print scarf from JC Penney. I paired it with my columbia jacket so I could stay warm ;) I love these nights!

 

 

We headed out to a neighboring town {because they don't let you have this much fun in the city limits} and had a few drinks, ate some good food, and engaged in great conversation while sitting by the fire. I needed that escape after my horrible, horrible Wednesday. It was a truly gorgeous day, but I had a long work day and I left with a headache and a to-do list. Never fun...but look at the pretty sunset I captured while we were heading out to the fire!

The husband informed me that he had a potluck at work today, so I whipped him up a dessert to bring, and I doubled the recipe so I could bring something to the bonfire last night {because a lady never shows up empty handed..thanks mom}, so I made this quick and easy {cut me some slack, remember, I had a horrible day and I was in a hurry} dessert that I used to make for all of my little boyfriends in high school..behold the "magic bars":

Yummo! Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup {1 stick} butter
• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 {14oz} can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/3 cups coconut flakes
• 1 cup nuts {optional}

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or 325 for a glass dish. Melt butter and pour in a 13x9 dish.
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top of butter
Pour condensed milk over crumbs
Pour butterscotch and chocolate chips over condensed milk
Coconut flakes over chips
Nuts over coconut flakes
Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly browned! Cool for best taste. Cut into bars and voila!

Have a blessed Thursday {here's hoping for a better day}!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. It is not as the world gives that I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid.”  John 14:7

Wacky Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

I’m quite a fan of Wednesdays, it means we are halfway through the week and almost to the weekend! {Applause, applause..} I am particularly excited about this Wednesday because it is a long overdue LADIES NIGHT! I can’t even tell you how needed this week. When 3’o clock {aka, quitting time for this lady} rolls around, I’ll be headed to buy a nice bottle of wine and some snacks for my best gal pals! If you don’t have a ground of ladies that you enjoy ladies nights with periodically, I recommend you go befriend some girls right this second and start a monthly girls night!

This is going to be another spontaneous, no themed post. I have so much to share! {Deep breath}

As I mentioned in my last post, I was looking for an inexpensive yet good quality website to make our family Christmas cards. If not by pure dumb luck, I would never have found out that VistaPrint has holiday cards, and {once again, like clockwork} I opened my email this morning to find a bright and shiny coupon for VistaPrint. You better believe I went to their site right then and there and created the CUTEST holiday cards for friends and family. I got 30 of these cards, with extra envelopes {I’m kind of totally accident prone} for $30. I cannot wait! Check these out {they have a plethora of designs to choose from, or you can create your own}:

"Married and Bright"...how punny for us Newlyweds? <3

 

A.dor.a.ble.  Plain and simple. Check out vistaprint now, while the discount is still good!

I’m not sure about you all, but Monday completely did me in! Since Starbucks is right down the street from my office, I decided to get myself a little Monday afternoon pick me up! Behold the Captain Crunch frapp from the Starbucks “Secret Menu.’’ It turned my day around! It tastes more similar to crunch berries than the actual Captain Crunch, but it is just the most perfect cold pick me up.

 

Then it was off to get some new dog food for the babies. I decided to try out the Rachael Ray dog food, and WOW, I have two happy happy babies on my hands! The fur babies are absolutely loving the food. I think this one will stick with us for a while. If you haven’t tried the Rachael Ray dog food and your pup is getting sick of their current food, check it out! I purchased it at Wal-Mart for around $15 dollars for a big bag. Your babies will thank you =) Charles is still baffled by the fact that Rachael Ray has dog food, he just can’t get over it! Males, I swear. Sometimes they just don’t get it.

 

Tuesday was once again a hectic day all around. On top of the work craziness, I ran out of astringent, so I had to make a trip to the store just for one item! I hate that. Instead of going into Wal-Mart and braving the crowds {not to mention driving around aimlessly for a parking spot}, I decided to go to Walgreens. Mistake? For my wallet, probably. But man oh man, I sure found some treasure! Here are my Walgreens finds:

 

{Sea Breeze Clear-Pore Astringent} Ahh, the only thing I went to Walgreens for! I should have known I would have ended up with more products! Ok, this stuff may not have the most pleasant smell in the world, but it gets the job done, and well I might add. The smell doesn’t linger, so to me it’s not an issue. There is a hint of grittiness to this astringent, which means it adds some exfoliation, and I’m a fan! Only runs about $5 and you get more product than the Clean and Clear astringents!

{Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss}   I picked up two of these off of a recommendation from Katie {check her out! www.gloriouslyreallifexo.blogspot.com} I got the colors “Rose Pearl” and “Sun baked bronze.” The only word that comes to mind when describing this lip gloss is fantastic! They aren’t sticky or too gooey, they go on smoothly, the applicator is a sponge tip {which I appreciate}, and the color pigmentation is wonderful. They have gorgeous fall colors, I truly recommend checking them out! As an added bonus, they are BOGO half at Walgreens right now! Walk run to Walgreens! Now! I’m not a big fan of most lip products, I prefer a more natural lip, but this product provides the look I’m going for. Trust me. If I spend this much time and energy talking about a lip gloss, you probably need it.

{Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino and eye shadow in Beach Sand}   I picked these up through recommendations I have heard from other bloggers. I picked up the Red Vino blush for two reasons: First, the most raved over Milani baked blush is the color Luminoso, which my local Walgreens was out of. Secondly, I was drawn to Red Vino because it looked like a good transitional fall blush, and all of my blushes now are a coral, summer color. I am LOVING Red Vino, although I was surprised when I applied to my cheeks and I saw how pigmented it was. I don’t have to use near as much product as most blushes. It’s a steal at only about $7. I picked up their eye shadow in Beach Sand as well, and although I haven’t experimented with this eye shadow much, it is a neutral and it is sparkly. I’m quite sure I’ll adore it!

{Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask}  We all know that we were drawn to face masks when we saw the old movies of girls at sleepovers, in their cute pajama sets with face masks on and cucumbers over their eyes, painting their nails, and having a blast! Or maybe it was just me. It just is the epitome of being a girl. Who wouldn’t love a good sleepover with your gal pals, pampering each other, telling stories, and drinking a nice glass of wine. Sign me up! This mask is the same mint green color {hence the name..mint} that the masks you saw in the movies were. It smells DIVINE, which is rare for a mask, and makes your skin feel like a baby. I’m afraid that I have a mask addiction now, but at least the bottle only runs $4 at Walgreens! Thank YOU, Queen Helene.

{Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo} This was another recommendation from Katie, that I haven’t gotten to use yet! Stay tuned…I’ve heard it is the closest thing to a miracle in a bottle for your hair that you can get in Walgreens. Only $6!

{Dove Go Fresh body wash in Plum} As much as I love my Olay body wash in Sunflower Oil, it is too much of a summer scent for me to appreciate in the fall. This plum smell is “plum fantastic”..pardon my pun. I can’t stop smelling this. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $6 a bottle, but look how humongous that bottle is? I can totally justify that for something that will last me ALL fall and keep me smelling fantastic and keeping my skin soft and supple without that white buildup on your skin that the lower end body washes and soap bars tend to leave behind.

I also saved about $20 dollars on these products with my Walgreens loyalty card, so if you don’t have one, GO GET ONE! You won’t be sorry, it’s no cost to you, and you save money! It’s a win-win if I’ve ever seen one.

Not that you really care to see this, but I got my name plate with my new name on it at work today! Warms my little heart. It’s like I’m becoming a new person! I’m such a nut.

 

Tuesday was also “just because I love you” day in the Alley household, and I was blessed with this fabulous present from my even more fabulous husband! What. A. Keeper! My goodness. Look at the cranberry detailing on this bag, what a fantastic day Tuesday was! Charles, if you’re reading this {I know you aren’t, but still}, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! You’re just the greatest, wabers.

 

Ok guys, it’s almost quitting time, and I’ve got a girls night to prep for! Be a blessing today!

{P.S. Sorry for the sideways pictures! My blogger / computer is not cooperating today and doesn't want to let me rotate!}

Michele Alley