Rain!

We went to the Farmers market this morning, and bought some chives, basil, shrimp, and salmon. However, I was eyeing some heirloom tomatoes, and needed some produce that we never got a chance to get to. As we were paying for our seafood, the blue, sunny skies overhead turned a dark grey, and it started to rain. We took the tiny umbrella out of my purse, and started walking back to the car. We weren't even a block away from the Farmers Market when it started downpouring! Between the tiny umbrella, the 4 additional blocks to the car, and the height difference of Todd and I under the unmbrella, it was no use to try to stay dry. So, we got soaked! I embraced the feeling of walking through 5 inch deep waters in flip flops and jeans, my hair curling, and Breck howling at the noise of the thunder in the distance! We stopped under an awning at one point, and got this picture!

It Happened!

After over 6 months of marriage, it finally happened! We have been so careful, and really cherished our things. However, tonight, as I was making dinner, it was a complete accident -- and I am the one that did it! The day was going great, and we had just returned home from Whole Foods with ribeye steaks (that were on sale!!), local green beans, and yukon potatoes. I bought Rosemary preserves last week at the Dahlonega Farmers Market with my sister and was ready to try it out on our steaks. I was really looking forward to date night in with Todd, the Magic game, and especially ready for a glass of wine! That's when it happened....

I opened the fridge door to put the cream I used for the gratin potatoes back in the fridge, and one of our platters fell on the ceramic tile -- and yes, it shattered! Luckily not our china, but still one of our awesome everyday dishes from Williams Sonoma! The worst tragedy of all of it, was that there were leftover brownies on the platter that are now in the trash after their descent from the fridge!

The funniest part of it was that as I broke the platter, Todd was walking into the kitchen telling me about how his bonus is supposed to be in our account next week. I replied, without missing a beat, "Oh, so we will be able to afford a new platter then?" ;)

So, it got me to wondering...only after beating myself up over breaking the platter and being moments away from tears...is this bad luck? Surely, with all of the wedding traditions out there, such as for every ribbon you break at your showers you will be blessed with a child -- there has to be something about this. When you break your first wedding gift, what happens? Does this mean it will be another 6 months before we concieve, or that we will have a large expense in our near future? Hopefully, it just means that we use our dishes regulary and enjoy them :)

New Place, New Space!

Thought I would share a few pictures of the new place. Please keep in mind, we have only been here 5 days, and this is post party condition :) So please ignore the trash bag hanging off the kitchen cabinet, the boxes on the balcony, etc. etc. etc!! Oh, and if anyone has an idea of what to do with all of the diplomas propped on the floor in the guest room I would love your input...otherwise I will be hanging them in a huge mural on the wall! And special thanks to my awesome Dad for helping me make the long shelf on the wall of our entry with the pictures propped on it. While I was in Atlanta last week, we made a trip to Home Depot and made the 8 foot shelf from crown molding and pine. Thanks Dad :)

Dessert Open House

I threw an open house dessert party at our new place tonight! I was trying to go for some light, summery desserts as well as drinks. The spread turned out great, and I was very happy with it :) The party was very successful, and what was originally girls night turned into wives bringing their husbands to hang out with Todd, and staying.

While Todd was out of town for work today, I baked: spice cake cupcakes and topped them with cream cheese icing and candied orange peel, chocolate disks with rasperry lime mousse, creme de menthe brownies, and cinnamon sugar tortillas with whipped cream and strawberries. For drinks we had wine, a pineapple rum cocktail, raspberry tea, and water infused with raspberry lime and mint. And just for a touch of savory, I added a cheese platter with crackers, priscuitto and salami. The food was all wonderful if I must say so myself, and made for such a fun night :)

The Sunshine State

Ah, Florida the Sunshine State! They aren't kidding! As it heats up outside, Florida is getting more miserable by the day! Which means crisping at the pool, avoiding Disney during the day, and trying to find things to do inside to avoid going out! There are so many reasons not to love Florida! I told Todd when we were dating that Florida was the last state in the US I would ever choose to move to. haha I most certainly was proven wrong! In my mind, Florida was always a place to visit, and not a place to live - unless I was retired! I have complained to Todd from day one that Orlando is lacking in the cultural arts (less Disney), professional sports teams, the slow change of seasons, and great owner/operator restaurants. To enjoy a day on the lake, you have to be okay with alligators at the shore line, and if you like concerts...don't plan on any big ones coming through town!

However, all that being said, I have recently found a few things I do appreciate, and maybe even love about Florida! Todd, if you are reading this, please pick yourself up off the floor! So, here they are:

1)After two recent trips to Georgia to enjoy the spring weather, I realized that the horrible allergy season that I experience in Georgia is non-existent in Florida! The lack of itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and congested head is such a welcome change :)

2)All of the department stores have an extensive selection of sandals and flip flops...year round! What could be better than a comfy new pair of couture flip flops in the winter with a pair of jeans and a tank! Somehow, my shoe shopping has decreased since my move, and I am completely baffled as to how that happened! Seems like I need to go on a shoe shopping trip!

3)I do miss winter and wearing sweaters and overcoats, but Florida does have wonderful 70 degree winters, which make for awesome dinners on patios in January! Yes, it seems a little strange at first, but it is quite enjoyable!

4)Another product of the mild winters, is that the farmers market is year round! How awesome to be able to support local farmers, and enjoy fresh produce, flowers, cheese, fruit, and seafood all year long! A year round farmers market also makes for the best markets I have ever been to! Lots of selection, permanent facilities, great community involvement, and amazing foods!

5)Finally, I did not realize how spoiled we were until we took Breck to Atlanta and saw how few places we could take him. It is so great to live in such a dog-friendly area, in which Breck can eat on patios with us, go into boutiques, and stay in hotels when we are on the road! As a puppy, it is easy to worry about him at home in his crate - can he hold it until I get home, is he crying so loud the neighbors hear him, and the list goes on. It is so nice to throw him in the car when I need to run out somewhere real quick without having to feel guilty or go through the crate routine. It has made for such a socialized and happy puppy who does not have anxiety about being in the car or new places.

I think 5 things is enough, I certainly wouldn't want to overdo it! ;)

Progress!

We leave for Atlanta tomorrow, and I have been feverishly unpacking the house so that when we leave I will feel relaxed. My body will enjoy the break after I have abused it all week! Just wanted to share a quick picture of the progress we have made since my last post! It's starting to feel like home...just as we leave! haha

Boxes, Boxes, Boxes!

I know I have been horrible at updating this as the move progressed early this week! It has been a little crazy and we didn't have internet during a few days of it! Yes, I know, it was so horrible! haha

I successfully packed the house in three days - thank goodness for being unemployed for the time being! God knows what He is doing :) The movers came on Tuesday and moved everything out that we hadn't moved ourselves! We were so grateful to get our bed up before it got too late and enjoy such a good sleep in it Tuesday night! I think I passed out the moment my head hit the pillow since I had been up since 6:30 that morning and had been constantly on my feet and moving all day! We were so grateful to get help from friends from church! They were so generous with their time and energy and we can't thank them enough for being such wonderful help and friends most of all!

Wednesday morning, we got up and hunted all over the house for boxes of things Todd needed in order to leave for some meetings in South Florida. We took a break and walked down to Ace to get a few needed items, and I was so pleased to see in the tiniest Ace I have ever been in - Caren body products and FreshWave! At that moment, I felt good about our new location! :) Todd and I had a nice lunch at Roly Poly at a sidewalk table (on a gorgeous day)! Then, it was time for Todd to get on the road. Which meant, it was time for me to get to work! I spent yesterday afternoon runnign around turning in our old keys, spackling holes in the old place, buying odds and ends at Ikea (and got out of that horrible place for under $100 - I know, very impressive!), and unpacking....until 2 am! After all of my hard work, you can barely tell I did anything, but I promise the kitchen is almost done, and there were about 10 more boxes there at the beginning of the day!

So, here I sit trying to give my poor feet a break before I get up and start back at it! The cable guy was supposed to be here this morning between 8 and 10....it is looking more like 10! Unpacking a new place full of boxes, with no internet or cable is pretty lonely! I cannot wait for Todd to get home tonight!

Moving Day?!?!

Ater only 6 months in our first home together, Todd and I are unexpectedly moving! Our current apartment has had several ongoing issues, but certainly shouldn't considering how high our rent is! Among the laundry list of things, the biggest is that we have leaking and unsealed windows that we have been dealing with for months now with no remedy. We have had a tarp in our upstairs window for five months, mold and mildew problems, high power bills, sagging ceilings, and puddles when it rains. We have consistently put in work orders for follow up, but our leasing office didn't seem concerned. Todd finally spoke with the property manager yesterday, and due to the extent of the problems, and the time requirement it would take to fix all of the problems, we were given the option to move out. The drywall around all of the windows has to be pulled out as well as the framing, the windows all have to be ordered and replaced, new windows need to be installed and sealed...it could be months of major work...and they haven't seemed too motivated to diagnose the problem considering this is month six! This paired with Todd working out of the house, the mold and mildew issue, and with the extreme power bills we have already been experiencing, it is in our best interest to move.

When we woke up yesterday morning, we had no idea what a twist our lives would take so quickly. After Todd's discussion with the property manager yesterday afternoon, we decided to sleep on it and see what other options there were for us in Orlando before making a decision. So, we looked at several new living options first thing this morning, and immediately felt that moving out was not only the obvious decision, but made more sense financially. We found a place that we are currently in negotiations on. It is only a few miles across town and includes two balconies, a much larger bathroom, his and hers closets, a doorman for added security, a nicer kitchen, and covered parking among so many other amenties! Not only will we be getting more, but our monthly costs will be hundreds lower! Most of all, when Todd is traveling, I will feel much safer in such a secure building. Todd is traveling a good deal next week, and then we are heading to Atlanta for Todd's work, upon our return from Atlanta Todd is traveling again for work! When we started discussing moving dates we certainly had to take all of Todd's travel into consideration. We were also concerned about the exposed mold and mildew, sheetrock that had been pulled off of our window frames, and our power bill. After speaking with the seller of the condo we are considering, it is looking like Tuesday is moving day....yes, Tuesday as in 4 days from now! A little over 24 hours ago, I woke up in my bed thinking we would have a relaxing weekend -- I am now only a few days from having to have this apartment vacated. I am a little bit overwhelmed, but at the same time I know it will all work out and I will be relieved that it is already done in a few weeks.

We have been so blessed with great friends here who have already offered to help in any way they can. We will be praying that our new home will be secured in the next several hours, and that we will have a productive weekend of packing so that we are ready to go on moving day!

I will leave you all with a few pictures of our current apartment issues: Enjoy! I know our leasing office cringed when they got an email from us with these attached!

Movie in the park

We met up with some new friends last night for a movie in the park a few miles from our house. The movie showing was "The Proposal", which we have seen several times, but still love. We ate dinner at the house since the movie wasn't until 8:30, but packed a cooler with dessert and a few drinks :) We had such a fun time with good friends, laying on our blanket watching the movie. Now that we are experienced in this, we know a few things to remember for next time:

-Bring a blanket AND chairs in case people with chairs sit in front of you

-Get there early and eat a picnic dinner during the wait to reserve a good spot!

-Bring the rolly cooler so that we can load it up and drag it

-Wear comfy shoes as once you are in the park, you still have quite a ways to walk!

-Bring a citronella candle to keep away the bugs, and for light!

As you can tell, we weren't as prepared as we thought we were! Not only that, but I forgot the camera, and of course wanted a picture! In the dark (no lights in the gardens other than candles people brought), we attempted to take a few pictures on my blackberry. It certainly was NOT successful! After three tries, we gave up. However, I will still share the horrible pictures so you can see how bad it was (and no, we weren't holding the camera out and trying to take our own picture!)

Mail - in piles!!

I'm not quite sure why we get so much mail, but we do! Part of it is due to Todd's profession, I get duplicate mailers in both my married and maiden name, and wedding and shower invites seem to come daily! However, our mail is out of control and I am convinced there has to be more of a reason than those I already listed! We seem to always have a good bit of mail that requires follow up or a reminder glance, it can't just be handled and tossed, or sent back. Instead, we put in on the counter, or on one of our desks as a reminder that we need to look at it again. What results is piles of mail that need to be gone through every few days to make sure we don't miss something. Due to the volume, what needs immediate attention gets it, and what can wait stays in the pile! Ugh - it is a never ending fight! It is worse than the revolving laundry at our house! Which is a whole new topic -- why do just the two of us have so much laundry??

I was just so over the mail situation, it was consuming my day to contantly go through the numerous piles! ...or maybe it was Spring knocking at the door telling me it was time to deep clean! Todd had a dinner meeting for work last night, and for the first time since this hot weather moved in we were having evening thunderstorms to cool everything down. It was a good night to stay in, and get a few things done. Whatever the reason, it happened! So, I turned on mindless re-runs of The Real Housewives of New York (since I was so tired of watching the stock market news all afternoon), lit a few candles, got a big glass of ice water with lemon, and went to work!

Breck didn't know what had happened he followed me up and down the stairs twenty times! I went from Todd's office, to mine, to the filing cabinet, downstairs to the kitchen, back upstairs to shred some documents...I was a busy girl! I think at some point adrenaline kicked in and I might have even lost a few pounds!

Todd came home to an organized mail filing system complete with labels made with my label maker! Now all we have to do is use the system...files for immediate attention required, follow up withig 30 days, and even past mail to file. The bug has bit, I am now on to new organization projects!

This is Breck after his long and tiring night at home with me!

She Just got Married

I am so excited to share that I have been asked to be a guest blogger on a newlywed site shejustgotmarried.com ! This is such a fun time for Todd and I and I look forward to sharing our lives not only on my own blog, but also on theirs. It is such a great opportunity to share our story with other newlyweds, or soon to be married couples!

Clearly confused!

After so many years of having my maiden name, it doesn't surprise me that I still accidentally use it instead of my married name! I accidentally sign it on credit card receipts from time to time! Just today I was creating an online account and flew through the "fill in the blank" section in order to make my account active. First Name, last name, address, email, phone, etc. No problem - submit! A few moments later I recieved an email that said "Thank you for registering with us" and included my full maiden name in the subject line. I thought to myself - how in the world did they get my maiden name??? Well, doofus because you gave it to them! haha I had just rushed through the creation of the account and used my maiden name without even realizing it! ...you guessed it, I spent the next 5 minutes trying to edit my account to reflect my married name!

Happy Cinco de Mayo :) Hope everyone enjoys margaritas and cervezas on a patio with live bands tonight!