who knew?? for sure not me!

hello, hello.  again, it's been awhile.  i am very inconsistent with these posts, but...it's just kind of how i am!  never on time :)

this time i've been out of town on a WONDERFUL trip.  we went to Crested Butte for jacqui & justin's wedding!  that place is absolutely amazing and i will for sure be doing a post on it and the wedding (just think supermodels!)


my news i want to share here though is....I'M GOING TO BE MARRIED!  yep.  it's true.  somewhere pigs are flying and hell is experiencing a cold front!  who would have ever thought?!?  so, for this post i will tell the super fun proposal story.  here you go....


we actually arrived in crested butte on thursday, and this is when everyone else found out.  but not me!  joe talked to jacqui & justin (the wedding couple) and mentioned possibly doing the proposal at the reception.  the reason for this is that joe and i have made a "thing" out of catching the bouquet and garter at the last few many weddings we've been too.  most guys shy away at the garter toss, so joe has always thought it was fun to be super overzealous.  joe's plan was after he caught the garter and i caught the bouquet, he would do it.  joe asked j & j their thoughts and if it would be okay.  obviously, this day was about them, not us.  but, them being the super cool people that they are, were all for it!

cut to the reception.  they've just done the garter toss and joe caught it with ease.  i get out there with instructions from joe that i "better catch it!"  i guess i didn't pick up on his urgency, because i most definitely did not catch it.  oops!

after this i went outside or something and joe was going to take the ring back to the room and save the proposal for colorado springs.  (we went there after crested butte)  jacqui decided no, we're getting this done!

i came back in, and many of us hit the dance floor doing "the dougie".  (side note:  i believe i told everyone this that night as well, but that dance is really "the shiz", which i saw on first 48)  as that song was coming to an end, the dj calls joe up.  STILL...i think nothing.  well, Better Together by Jack Johnson starts playing (which i've told joe i want to dance to at our wedding) and joe comes over to me to dance.  everyone else starts moving to edge of the dance floor as we're dancing and i am asking over and over "what's going on?"  starting to freak a little.  keep asking.  joe keeps saying "we're just dancing"  AAHHH!!!  finally he says, reach into my right pocket (kind of sounds naughty....but he didn't mean it like that!)  i respond with a huge "NO!"  then he pulled out the ring, got on one knee, and asked me to marry him!!!  i was in complete SHOCK!!!  i looked at him, looked at the ring, looked at him....and finally said "ABSOLUTELY YES!"  it was a complete surprise to me, but not for anyone else!  it was so much fun to share it with such wonderful friends.  and i can't thank j & j enough for letting us share in their big day!  

                   

    

thank you blake for filming

i probably would have had less wine had i known!

i didn't forget about you

you two people that might actually read this.  i just haven't had a lot to discuss.  and i still don't, but figured i could throw some rants and raves out into the universe and maybe something good will happen!  probably not, but i'm going to be optimistic.

before i get to that, joe is home!  which i believe i mentioned before, but he's STILL HERE!  holy cow!  (side note...i just used the words holy cow and i am a little weirded out by this)
he is here, but has been in class pretty much non-stop, so not much has changed.  it's just like i have a roommate now.  things are in the wrong place, there's cups and shoes where they shouldn't be, you know...the norm.  but...i am very happy he's here, as are the pups.  they want to be as close to him as possible at all times.  cute. 

and as soon as class for him is over on thursday, we are on the road and heading to this....



wedding location of jacqui and justin
pic courtesy of skicb.com

 so next week i should have plenty to discuss and lots of pictures to share!

but for now, a few things that have crossed my mind lately.  meaning they may or may not be of any interest to you and are probably not that important in the big scheme of things.  but, nonetheless.....

sandwich shops & tipping

has anyone else noticed this new trend?  go to a sandwich place, STAND in line to order, STAND in line and wait for order to be made, pay at the counter (not a table) and BAM! there is a tip line on your receipt to sign.  i'm sorry but what?  why do i need to tip?  this person did not seat me, did not come to my table to take a drink order OR a food order, didn't even have to walk my food to me, but rather called my name and i came to them!  so why, please tell me why, these places believe i need to tip them?  i've waited tables and it's hard.  really hard.  so  i'm all for tipping actual servers for their hard work and shitty pay ($2.13/hour when i waited) KNOWING that this is where their pay actually comes from.  but i don't think (i may be wrong) that these places pay that.  i may sound like an old, grumpy lady, but this really bothers me and now i feel better for letting you know!

keratin hair treatment

or, as i like to call it, my sanity.  seriously, this stuff is ahh-mazing!  if you haven't heard of it, the keratin treatment is a process done by a trained professional that basically tames nappy hair!  kidding, but not really.  i have naturally curly hair.  through the magic of flat irons, i have destroyed it and basically continue to do so.  cue keratin!  it doesn't make it perfectly straight, but now instead of tugging on my hair and repeatedly going over it with the flat iron to get those damn cowlicks flat, i simply blow it dry and quickly run the iron over it, causing far less damage than before.  i love, love, love it! 
i did it last spring and it lasts 6 months, meaning i was long overdue for another treatment.  and i'm not going to lie, it's not cheap.  so i had been waiting on finances for me to get back in.  well, for one of my christmas presents, joe sent me to jeff to get my hair did!!!  joe is so good!  if you or anyone you know has unruly hair....let me know and i will get you jeff's info.  it will make you and those who have to live with you so happy!

those jehovah witness ladies  

about a year or so ago, a jehovah witness came by our house.  joe, being joe, talked to her.  BIG mistake.  HUGE!  now she comes back on a regular basis, sometimes bringing her jehovah witness friends.  she will bring us literature, read to us from the scripture, and ask us leading questions like

"you think with all the bad in the world that god has a plan for us and the problems are not his doing but rather evil people's doing and he will punish them but those of us who live christian lifestyles will be welcomed into the afterlife, right?" 

blank stare.  ummm.....well.....yeah.  sure. 

(slight exaggeration, but not much)

so me, tyler, the girl who has opinions about everything and can have a loud mouth CAN'T TELL THEM TO LEAVE AND NOT COME BACK.  i don't know why.  i'm sure if i told them what i do and what my beliefs are and that the guy they think is my husband isn't, he's really my live-in boyfriend (GASP!) they might leave me alone.  maybe.  or worse, they'll come back more!  and let me tell you, these ladies are persistent.  yesterday...they rang the door and i was right there on the couch but didn't move.  just sat super still and told the dogs to hush.  waited.  waited.  they kept standing there.  waited.  OH MY GOD LEAVE!  knock, knock, knock.  you have got to be kidding me!

so....for now, i just nod and smile and take the literature and agree to discuss it when they come back.

p.s.  today that literature is on it's way to the recycle place.  at least i'm green with it!



after too much rambling, i'm going to end with a little bit of (my) happiness....

enjoying the weather



and frustrating mom




clean, warm laundry?  don't mind if i do!




just too cute for words

LATER!

  *if there are any typos, sorry and oh well!

walk on water

i was always taught that birds fly south for the winter.  these guys didn't get that memo.

it's love

i realize i am WAY behind the curve, but i recently discovered amazon.  i mean, i've known about it, but i've always been a bit wary of online shopping.  that has recently changed...dramatically.  between joe and i, the UPS and FedEx guys are probably sick of our house.  it is so much easier though to browse and compare and stumble upon things you never would at the mall.

i have been looking for a pair of brown boots like crazy for some time now.  in stores. online. wherever!  i just happened to stumble across a pair on amazon.  seriously, it was a complete stumble because it wasn't really listed, it was a "people who looked at this shoe also looked at this" type of thing.  ONE size left.  ONE.  and guess what? it was MY SIZE!!!  score!  what amazon had led me to were really cute, jessica simpson boots. now....i know some people have strong opinions about her, but girl knows how to have a business.  have you heard her empire is a billion-dollar empire!  i'm jealous.  and not ashamed to admit i like her collection.

in addition to brown boots i've been wanting a pair of "cold-weather" boots.  oklahoma has certain days where i wish i had water-proof, warm shoes.  but, spending money on something i may only need a couple of days a year is very hard for me to do.  however, thanks to my dear friend jacqui, i had the perfect reason to actually find some.  girl is getting married a WEEK from saturday in crested butte!  i. can't. wait. so ready to get away.  and of course celebrate their wedding! :)  i found these really cute boots , and to top it off, they were cheaper than any other site.  i love a deal!

so yesterday i get home and have TWO boxes waiting on me.  i don't know about anyone else, but getting packages and/or mail (excluding bills) excites me.  sometimes i wish i lived back in the day where that was a very real and very vital part of communication.  now we have cell phones, email, texts, instant messaging and all sorts of things to keep us constantly connected, which, in my opinion, can be a bad thing.  (sidenote:  sooooo glad we didn't have all of this stuff when i was growing up.  my mom was practically a private investigator anyway!  hi mom) someday, when we're dead and our kids, grandkids, some person our kids hired to get rid of it all,  are going through our things, the chances of them coming across a handwritten letter or postcard are slim to none.  and that's something i've always found fascinating, finding these personal thoughts, written by that very person's hand, postmarked a date from way before i even existed.  there is something very intimate about that, even if it's someone you don't know.  it takes your mind to another time and the curiosity of it all, of where they were, why they wrote it, what they were feeling, what happened to them after the letter...it's all very intriguing.   so, i find it sad that it is dying.  if it isn't already dead.  (apologies for so much "dead" talk) 

wow.  tangent.  i'm sorry. 

anyways, i LOVE amazon.  



happy mail

  DISCLAIMER:  AMAZON DID NOT PAY ME FOR THIS REVIEW....BUT THEY SHOULD.

it can't be happening.

seriously you guys.  this is not good.  not good at all.  it is a moment we all fear and dread.  i think i may have been attacked by the ....

MOM JEANS!

they're not really this bad, but bad enough.  the other day i went to old navy because i have been desperate for some jeans, specifically skinny jeans, to wear with boots.  well...this was a really fast trip since i was in shawnee and had to get back to meeker for lunch (yes, i had high school cafeteria food) and my next class.  now, i know old navy isn't super quality or anything, but i just can't spend a significant amount of money on jeans at the moment, even though i think it is totally worth it.  and really, the jeans i wear to work don't have to be awesome.  i mean, i work in a hole where i really don't think people are paying attention to attire.  seriously. 

this is my question.....what are some good-fitting (for someone who doesn't have a victoria's secret model body.  i know, crazy right?!), relatively inexpensive jeans, all styles?  i would love to do the online/cheaper shopping, but with jeans i really need try on!!  ugh.  drear.

on a happier note, joe is home!!! YEA!!  he arrived this morning as i was getting ready for work and lola and dozer were about to pee themselves they were so happy!!  i was pretty happy too.

a p.s. for the day....

hopefully joe will be up to fixing some stuff around the house because the dryer and shower are both being assholes!

not joe

it's a cold one people

driving to cousin ruby's for the day

well i think winter has finally and officially arrived.  not completely sure how i feel about it, but i think it can be nice in small doses.  the bitter cold doesn't bother me so much, it's the bitter cold PLUS oklahoma wind.  ridiculous.  my theory... if it's going to be cold, SNOW dammit!

however, snow, or the tease of it, is on my list right now.  yesterday joe was supposed to come home for a week long class.  once his class was done we were going to hit the road to colorado for a wedding.  apparently the company thought it was too dangerous to drive so they put a ban on travel.  i think all i said when i got that text was "seriously?".  seemed a bit overzealous for me, but oh well.  i guess i can respect that they're watching out for their employees, but i would respect it a LOT more if it wasn't so over the top!  hopefully though the travel ban will be lifted soon and the class can start as planned (after the "big snow") on thursday. 

yesterday was tough though.  i knew going into this that he would be gone, and i haven't been too shabby at handling that if i say so myself!  but having the company basically control his our life is hard to adjust to.  making plans is pretty much impossible, and even if we do, we have to be prepared to be let down.  this is something i am obviously going to have to work on.   i'm going to have to become a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of girl!  i can handle that.  as long as i can bitch while flying! 

28

happy birthday to the coolest guy i know!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!  LOVE YOU!

he's going to kill me!

i may not be the most stylish....

but seriously, is this dress cute?  and if so, is it $566 (on sale) cute?

i don't know, but it screams slutty Dorothy from wizard of oz to me!!

 

 

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD S26CT0183 S38959 002SKU: #7693495

Vivienne Westwood

$1,029.60SALE!$566.28

1. In Stock and Ready to Ship!
   Sold by Zappos Retail, Inc.
   Shipping Options
2. COLOR:Tartan Taffeta
3. WOMEN'S SIZE: Select a size 38 (US 2) 40 (US 4) 42 (US 6) 44 (US 8) 
4. WOMEN'S WIDTH:Apparel
5. ADD TO MY FAVORITES
6. Don't See the One You Want?

LARGER IMAGE & ADDITIONAL VIEWS



adios 2010....don't let the door hit you on the way out

well helloooooooo!  it's been awhile, but i've been busy and tired,  so there! :)

obviously we have started a new year.  can i get a hallelujah!?!  i have never been so happy to see a year go.  2010 was a very trying year for me.  there was a lot of drama and heartbreak, anger and saddness, and basically a lot of "what the f*ck?"  (sorry....sometimes i have to use ugly language to get my point across!) 
that being said, it went from horrible to wonderful.  i can't stand the cheesy saying "need to find myself" but that is exactly what i did.  i made decisions and moves for ME and only me!  i rediscovered the amazing people in my life.  i found happiness in doing absolutely nothing.  i quit worrying about the negative in life and started enjoying the positive.  
i believe that sometimes we think too much about ourselves and not enough about others, or too much about others and not enough about ourselves.  i found that balance of me and you. 

so for all the turmoil and B.S. that i experienced, it led me to a better place!  a happier place!

and, just to be fair, 2010 wasn't ALL bad.  there were LOTS of additions to the world, all perfect and snuggly and precious! 

after all of that, i had one of my very best new year's EVER.  after not being here for Christmas, joe made it home for the welcoming of a new year and all of 4 nights!  but hey, i'll take it.  

we celebrated NYE with some of our favorite people out in the country, near ardmore. 



aren't they pretty?!

 we had A LOT of laughs...

and some of the YUMMIEST food ever!!! 

seriously, we cut these steaks with butter knives.  Ahhh-mazing!  for help on making these yummy steaks, talk to my friend gena.  seriously, do it.

we had some celebratory drinks and toasted the new year

out there in the country, it gets COLD and somewhere in the middle of the night, it started snowing!!!

it was an absolutely perfect start to the new year!!  i am ready for it!

CHEERS

to the best year yet!