Music Monday

It seems like Folk music is everywhere these days.

I'm definitely a fan, and I think it's a nice change from the mainstream/pop music we hear on the radio everyday.

I fell in love with Off Monsters and Men the first time I heard them.

And I am now officially obsessed with their song Little Talks.

The entire album is great, and the lyrics are just refreshing.

The band is from Iceland, and apparently this song came out in 2010, so we're a little behind.

The video is kind of weird, and I have no idea what it means, but the song is awesome!

I hope you like it, and hope everyone's Monday is going well!

Have a GREAT week!!!

Friday's Letters

Today's a special day, because not only it is Friday (yay!), it is also Michael and I's 4 year anniversary!

I know, when you get married, you are supposed to celebrate your wedding anniversary.

But 4 years ago today, I went on my last first date with the greatest guy I had ever met.

And that is a BIG deal!

Look at us, fresh out of college, and without a clue about what was ahead of us :)

And because it's Friday, I am linking up with Ashley at Adventures of Newlyweds for Friday's Letters. 

Dear Husband, I hope you know how special today is to me, and how happy it makes me to look back on our first date, and how I had no idea what was ahead of me.  You changed my life for the better, and I am so thankful everyday that I get to call you Husband. 

Dear  Betsy & Allison, I don't think I say it enough, but I love you two so very much.  You are truly the sisters I never had, and I feel so lucky for what the six of us have :) 

Dear July, you have come such a long way these past six months, and I have to say that you handled some of the challenges better than I would have imagined.  I think you can say you're officially growing up! 

Dear Neighbors, two weeks ago, we called the cops on you, which was our absolute last straw.  We haven't heard a noise since, let's keep it that way. 

Dear Girls, you are HILARIOUS!  I'm so glad Michael and took the time to catch up with this season.  I already can't wait for the next!

Dear Atlanta Summer, I can feel you creeping in.  As much as I hate your exhausting humidity, I am looking forward to many pool days, spending time with friends, and getting a little tan! 

Dear French National Soccer team, tomorrow is a BIG game, and I need you to beat Spain, and advance to the semi-finals of this Euro 2012. I love you, but you seriously can make a girl cry sometimes. 

Dear Husband, did I mention how much I love you?! I can't wait to go to France with you this Fall, and show you all the places that are dear to my heart.  Oh and eat tons of good foods!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!! 

Life Lately

I'm not even going to try to make any excuses for my lack of blogging, aside from the fact that I've just been a lazy bum.

I've finally settled back into a normal routine with my new job, going to the gym, and spending quality time with my family and friends.

Maybe it's because it is Summertime, and I love to stay busy on the weekends to enjoy the pretty weather.

We've been going to Braves games, hanging out at the pool, going to various festivals.

It's been really fun so far, and we have another three months or so of fun in sun.

And by that time, I will probably be here telling you how tired I am of the hot Atlanta weather, and how ready I am for Fall!

I have to say that life is good, and it's been a while since I've felt like I'm not "chasing" something, or waiting for the next step.

I love my new job, and I am thankful for it everyday!  I know being an Accountant doesn't sound all that glamorous, but when you find the right place, I swear it can be fun...kinda :)

Michael also got a new job, and I could not be more proud of him!  I'm not exactly sure about all he does, but he's an Analyst of some sort.  Sounds like a big deal.

Did I mention how proud of him I am?!

Here are some pictures pretty much summarizing what we've been up to lately!

 Jake and Davis turned 1!  Jake clearly does not want to get older!

Happy Thursday!!!

Friday's Letters

After a much need break, here I am slowly making my way back.

I can't tell you how good it feels to say that things are finally getting back to normal.

I got a new job!

I quit what will always remain as:

 THE WORST JOB EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE

for a better, happier, friendly environment.

And a much better career opportunity.

It was a really freaking tough couple of months, and I lost a little bit of myself along the way.

I cried almost everyday, and it took me a while to admit that it wasn't going to work out.

I hate failure, much less when I feel like I am responsible.

I should have listened to my gut feeling, and never taking the job in the first place.

But it was a big company, with a big name, and I was afraid of what people would think.

I know, BIG MISTAKE.

I should never worry about what others think, and I've learned that the hard way.

I should always trust my instincts, and what us women call "Women's Intuition."

But one thing I can say is that I learned a valuable lesson, and that ha to count for something.

Right!?

So the stress, the anxiety, the tears, and the fear MIGHT have been worth it.

Because they it brought me where I am today, and a part of me is thankful for that.

I honestly feel like I am just now, in MAY, starting 2012.

So I've got a lot of catching up to do, and I am excited!

I'm also excited to be linking up to Ashley over at Adventures of Newlyweds, for Friday's Letters!

 

Dear Husband, there are not even words out there for me to say how thankful I am for having you in my life, and for the support you have given me these past couple of months.  If this was our very first newlywed challenge, I'd say that we did a pretty good job getting through it, and you were beyond outstanding as a Husband! 

Dear Lola, I cannot believe you got bit by a snake, again!  My sweet little pup, when will you realize that you are only 10lbs, and cannot fight and conquer every animal in mom and dad's backyard?  I know you like to think you are ferocious and all, but seeing you so powerless and in so much pain breaks my heart, so please, stop chasing snakes around! 

Dear New Job, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you, and everything that is coming my way.  I have learned more these past three weeks than I did a whole three months at my old job, and I already feel like I am part of the team.  I am so thankful for the chance to be here! 

Dear Body, you were doing SO well with running, and eating better.  I know you had a rough few months, but we have GOT to get back on track here! 

Dear Blogger Friends, thank you for all your sweet words of support, and for not giving up on me! 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

:)

I'm just stopping by to tell you that I have some GREAT news! 

I will give you more details in a longer post. 

But I wanted to let you know that taken a break was essential. 

And it was honestly what I needed. 

I can't wait to share with you my good news. 

As well as catch up with everything that has been going on. 

Thank you all for your sweet comments, and words of encouragement! 

They mean more than you know :) 

some catching up

If  you asked the people around me, they would probably agree that one of my biggest flaws is my ability to "detach" myself from everyone.

I don't do it on purpose. 

It usually means something is going on with me, and I don't want to bother anyone with my worries/problems.

I've always been very independent, and felt like if I can solve an issue on my own, there is no need to tell anyone until it's over.

I'm going through something like that right now.

I can feel myself detached from the people around me.

From my family, from my friends, but not from Michael.

In the past, I would have tried my hardest to not bother him with my worries.

But we are married now - and I want him to feel like he IS my go to person.

And gosh, he has been nothing short of amazing these past couple of weeks.

I wish I could share exactly what is going on, but I would rather wait until it is all said and done.

No worries, it is nothing life threatening, or illness related.

(most people assume that immediately)

But it is important enough that it is affecting my every day life.

OUR every day life.

So I am working on making a change.

I hate being so vague, but I will share when the appropriate time comes.

In the meantime, I'm leaving you with one of my favorite French songs.

It is called Toi + Moi (You + Me), by Gregoire.

I know most of you won't understand it, but the lyrics are so uplifitng.

 

Friday's Letters

Happy Friday friends!

Here are your Friday's Letters, thanks to the beautiful Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds!

Enjoy!

  

Dear Friday, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that you are finally here.  This week has been one of the most difficult in a long time, and I am ready to put it behind.

 Dear Husband, thank you for taking care of me this week.  You are so patient with me, and there are not enough words to express how much I appreciate everything you do.

  Dear Body, you failed me this week.  But I am not giving up on you, and the running will resume this weekend.  At least I know that my stomach issues are not related to running, and you will still allow me to complete The Color Run next week.

  Dear Work, I don't really know what to say to you, except that the stress/anxiety you have brought to my life has made me so sick that I don't like you at all right now. 

  Dear Hunger Games, you were so good.  I'm so glad I got to see you last weekend.  You exceed  my expectations, and I cannot wait for your second, and third movies!

  Dear Blog/Followers, I'm sorry I neglected you this week.  I did not have the strength nor energy to post, but I still kept up with all of your blogs!

  Dear Husband, I love you very very very much.

  Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

Friday's Letters

Happy Friday friends!

Here are your Friday's Letters, thanks to the beautiful Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds!

Enjoy!

Dear Body, thank you so much for keeping up with my new found love for running! I think this is the start of something good!

Dear Husband, I'm so excited for our Atlanta weekend, and some quality time together. It's been a while! Also, thank you for taking me to go see The Hunger Games.  I know you are not into it, but this is why you are an amazing husband!

Dear Kelly from work, you don't read this blog, but I hope you know that us becoming friends has made my transition so much easier. Thank you for being so welcoming! 

Dear abc Family, between Pretty Little Liars, Make it of Break it, and The Lying Game, you have turned me into a 15 year old high school girl again, and I love it!  

Dear Happy Endings, you are my favorite sitcom since Friends, and I am so so so "happy" that I subble upon you this past fall - you are so funny!!!

Dear Lola & Lucy, I hope you know how much I love you, and miss living with you!  I wish you could live with us, but it wouldn't be fair to leave you in our little apartment all day long.  You get so spoiled by grandma and grandpa, and they have that big yard for you to play! 

Dear July, your baby fever is growing more and more everyday.  It makes me a little sad because with a new job comes the whole "I have to be employed 12 months to get paid during maternity leave."  So hang in there...10 more months to go!

Dear Followers, you make my days everytime I receive one of your sweet comments! I know I don't blog as much as I should, but I'm thankful that you stick around, and still have faith in me!

Dear Husband, you make me laugh with all our inside jokes, and I'm so thankful for Leo, James, Peanut and Jiggy. Oh...and Jane too! haha

I hope you have an amazing weekend friends!!!

The Color Run

Am I the only one who feels like this week is just DRAAAAAGING?

I'm sure it has everything to do with the fact that Atlanta is officially invaded by the pollen.

I'm not talking about your regular Spring time pollen count.

They say a high count is 50-100, and we are over 9000 a day.

Yes, it's pollen madness over here!

Everyone is feeling sick, slow, and just kinda blah.

I've decided that I wanted to become a runner.  A real one.

Not a competitive one though.

But a regular weekly runner.

It's one of those things I've always wanted to.

But felt like I couldn't.

But one night last week while at the gym, I told myself OK, let's do it.

And I've ran every night since!

Of course, it's the beginning, and there is that euphoria.

However, I have high hopes, and I'm really motivated!

So motivated that I already signed up for my first 5K!

It's called The Color Run.  Have you heard of it?

You get a plain white t-shirt, and they spray you with paint at every 1K.

Doesn't it sound AWESOME?!?!

I figured I should start my running career with a fun race.

And this one was two perfect to pass up.

Even though it is in two weeks.

And that kind of freaks me out!

Oh well - Go Big or Go Home, right!?

At least I'll be covered in paint!

 

I don't have a clever title, so Happy Spring Day!

I'm pretty sure this year's St. Patrick's Day was my favorite so far.

I wish I had more pictures to show, but I was busy having too much fun!

We could not have asked for a better Saturday in Atlanta. 

Sunny, temps in the mid 80s, and no rain.

Perfect weather for a day in Piedmont park.

We started the day at our friend's house a few blocks from Park Tavern.

I fell in love with his house, along with the amazing view of the Atlanta skyline.

Since our lease is up at the end of June, we're actually talking about possibly moving to Midtown.

I would LOVE to live close Piedmont Park.

Below are the few pictures that are worth sharing.

  I don't really take a lot of self portraits.

But my hair actually looked decent Saturday!

Oh and quick update on my Mark Cuban twitter frenzy.

He actually re-tweeted me Friday night during Shark Tank!

Within 5 minutes, I had over 100 email notifications.

Thanks for blowing up my twitter account Mark!

People who re-retweet his re-tween of my re-tweet.

(are you confused yet?!)

And people who decided to follow me.

Most of these people are aspiring entrepreneurs.

I'm not kidding.  Some people actually asked me if I was an entrepreneur too.

Or creepy guys.  No surprise there. 

Are they intrigued by the fact that Mark Cuban follows me?

I hate to break it to them, but I do not know him. Sigh.

And I sure as hell have no business connections to him.

But if I did, you best believe I wouldn't be sharing that on twitter.

I'd be too busy being a millionaire!

  

Happy Tuesday friends!



Something New: Friday's Letters

Before we start, there has been some development with our neighbors.

After the Sunday night debacle, our leasing office had to issue a noise violation.

Then Wednesday night they did it again. 

So this time, I tried to be nice, and left them a note with my number so we could discuss.

Neighbor girl calls me, tells me she lives with her bf, they work the night shift, blah blah blah.

I tell her that I understand, but there is a time and a place to be loud, and party.

And that the majority of people SLEEP at night, so we can be alive at work the next day.

She apologized, I think we're good.

Then last night at 1.30am, it happened, AGAIN.

I'm tellling ya...my patience is wearing out.

I woke up to neighbor girl yelling and cursing at her boyfriend.

~~~~~~~

Do you know Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds?

If you don't, you have been missing out!

She is one of my favorite daily reads, and she is just awesome.

I decided to switch things up a bit, and link up to her Friday's Letters.

I thought it would be a nice change from the traditional Fill in the Bank Friday!

Dear Husband, thank you for putting up with my emotional roller coster these past few weeks.  I know I haven't been the most pleasant person to be around, but I am working on it!
Dear Neighbors, you are testing my nerves, and you are on thin ice.  One more strike, and I'm calling the cops. 
Dear July, remember St. Patrick's day of 2007? think about that tomorrow before someone hands you a green jello shot. 
Dear Body, I'm not sure where the sudden envy to run is coming from, but I'm liking it! 
Dear Lowerback, please hang in there, and don't ruin this for me.  I need to get in shape for Summer! 
Dear Paris, I miss you (and my home) so much lately.  If all goes well, I am coming to see you very soon so I can have my yearly dose of macarons, pastries, and walking around your beautiful streets.
Dear New Job, these past two months have been pretty rough, and emotionally draining, but I feel like things are looking up. 
Dear Husband, I love our Shark Tank addiction, and the fact that we now have long conversations about coming up with our own million dollar idea.  I should ask my new friend Mark Cuban what he thinks.  haha I love you so much Bug :)

I hope you all have an awesome weekend!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Did You Know?

I'm thinking about starting a weekly post about those random thoughts I come across during the week, and feel the need to share with you lady friends.

So here we go.

 

-that the weird toilet seat paper that you can use in public restrooms can also be used as those oil absorbing sheets?  I know it sounds weird, but give it a try, and you will not be disappointed.  Oh and it's free!

-you can also use starbucks recycled paper napkins - they work wonders!

-recycled paper isn't actually brown?  it is actually dyed to give it that "used/cheap" look.

-Forbes says women cheat just as much, if not more than men, but they are better at hiding it?!  hmmmm?

-spin class is awesome, but it has a sneaky way of making your thighs bigger, and that's not a good surprise when you put on your pants and they are suddenly too tight!

-they are so many hidden settings that drain your iPhone battery, and I had to learn that the hard way.

-because you are an Accountant, people just assume that you are good at math, and you can do taxes.  in reality, accounting is just logic, and unless we specialize in taxes, TurboTax is our best friend.

-French girls DO shave!  I HATE that stereotype.

-on that note, French people are NOT rude.  we are just kind of socially awkward.  we don't know how to be all bubbly and "hey, how are you doing!" with people we don't know.

-Jean Dujardin who won the Oscar for Best Actor started off by doing stand up comedy?  He used to dress up as a surfer dude with a blonde wig.  you had to see it, but it was hiliarious!

-my name is spelled like July, but pronounced Julie - and I have to correct people on a daily basis because of that.  i don't think my parents anticipated our move to America when they came up with that.

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday! one more day till St. Patty's Day!!!

 

Hump Day Thoughts

I started the week off on the wrong foot, with one of the worst migraines EVER.

Let me tell you why.

Sunday night, around 3am, I was awoken by a group of kids talking loudly, drinking, and having a party on their balcony.

On a SUNDAY night. 

First off all, who has a party on a Sunday night?

Secondly, why are college kids living in my apartment building?

I mean, I don't live in the suburbs just yet, but I'm nowhere near a college campus.

We asked them to turn it down once, twice, and the third time I lost it.

It was 4.30am by then, and I told them that if they didn't take their party inside, I was calling the cops.

Mind you, our bedroom window facees their balcony, so that didn't help their case.

They didn't care about the fact that we had to wake up at 6am and go to work.

I actually think they kept it up on purpose.

Because that is what kids do these days - they are huge brats who act like they own the world.

They think they are invincible, and have no sense of respect. 

They don't think about the consequences of their actions. 

Now don't get me wrong, I was a college kid once.  I did my fair share of partying.

But I was never openly rude about it. 

I swear, kids nowadays scare me.  They think they are so tough.  They think they know everything.

As much as I love technology, it has made kids lazy, and some of them plain stupid.

They can't think for themselves, and they rely on google for everything.

OK vent over.

Do any of you watch SharkTank?  It comes on abc, Friday nights at 8pm.

It's one of our favorite shows to watch, and this season, Mark Cuban is one of the investors.

Do you know Mark Cuban? 

He's a one of those big time Entrepreneurs who made millions during the dot.com revolution.

He is also known for being the owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

You know him, the guy who's always dressed in jeans, and Mavs gear yelling at the refs!?

He's a really interesting guy, and he is smart as hell. 

Well if you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen this already.

But I was tweeting at him during the show last Friday, and later that night I received the following notification:

I reacted the same way a 15 yo would have if Justin Bieber had my a tweet their favorite. 

I have no shame in admitting that.

I decided to make it a personal challenge, and see if I could get either and RT or a follow.

And Saturday night, I got THIS notification:

Insert mental image of Justin Bieber fan jumping off the couch screaming hell yeah.

After that, I told myself the next step would be a direct message. 

Guess what? I got not only one, but two responses from Mr. Cuban himself!

I know this may all sound silly, but I thought it was really cool.

Simply because he has almost a 1 million followers, and somehow, I am part of the 386 he follows.

He is a pretty cool dude, and it's nice to see that he still takes time to acknowledge the little people.

He's a big inspiration to me, and when someone like that gives you even a minute of their day to say something like "go out there and kick some ass", well that is a huge motivator!

So thank you for giving me the time of day Mark Cuban.

You totally made my week.

Now I just have to find a way to meet him!

still here

Hello my blogger friends!

I apologize for not being around much these days, but I felt like I needed a little blog break.

Not a break from reading all your great blogs.

A simple break from trying to come up with something to write, and having to force it.

I've just been going through a rough patch, and it's not over just yet.

But I didn't want to be that negative person who comes here to complain.

At all.

So I felt like a break would be better.

I'm like that in real life.  When something bothers me, or isn't going well.

I kind of shut myself down for a little while.

And to make it worse, my work decided to block Gmail access from our internet.

Believe me, I almost went into panic mode.

Until I realized that iGoogle wasn't blocked, and I could still use the gchat feature.

Phew. 

Gchat is basically what keeps me sane throughout my work days.

And I know a lot of you feel the same way!

I'm hoping this little phase is going away very soon.

And that I will laugh and blame it on the Winter Blues.

There really hasn't been too much going on in my life either.

It's been a quiet couple of weeks, and I kind of like it.

It's been nice to get into the weekend with no real plans.

And being able to just relax. 

Have a GREAT weekend!!!

Fill in the Blank Friday

1.  I started my blog because  I used to write on livejournal.com, and thought it would be a cool place to document things.  It was private for the longest time though. 

2.   One thing I love seeing on other blogs  genuine people.  I cannot get over bloggers who post pictures of themselves posing as if they are models.  When did having a blog make you a model!?  I love bloggers who share their lives, and creativity, as well as fun things I can relate to.  

3.  Something I love about blogging  some of the people that I have met.  We may not have met in person, but I feel like they are my friends regardless.

4. A favorite blog post of mine is probably announcing our engagement, and telling our story. 

5. Something my friends in real life know about me that I've never before mentioned on my blog is  I definitely have a French accent, I'm not afraid to speak my mind, and I talk way too much!

6.  My new favorite blogs to read are on the side bar of my blog.  I'm always adding new ones.  They are the blogs I check on a daily basis, no matter what. 

7.  Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blog are  portraying someone that I am not, and being OK with the fact that life isn't as perfect as some other bloggers make it seem. 

 

HAPPY FRIDAY LOVES!!!