i'm going to take a break from this. i'll come back in july after the big move, with some hopefully impressive pictures of our new pad.

i wish anyone who reads this a healthy, happy, and joyful june.

xoxo

updates

It's been a while since I've blogged. I've thought about blogging a lot, and then it never happened. Story of my life as of late.


Update #1 - Girls weekend

My girls from Iowa came in this weekend. Jamie, my freshman year random roommate turned BFF, wasn't able to make it, which was sad, but we forged on. On Friday, me and the twins headed downtown to meet up with Sara, Lauren, and Amy to grab dinner and hit the town. For dinner we deiced to just walk around and ended up in the heart of Boys Town. It was pretty funny to see the Iowa girls eyes get pretty big!



We ended up hitting the bars in my new hood which made me really excited. We had a great time and I took way too many jello shots.

Update #2 - Graduation Party
On Sunday, we celebrated my college graduation party. It was a perfect day, if not a little on the hot side (at a warm 90 degrees), but we had a tent and fans, and everyone was just fine. Everything turned out great. 60 people showed up and I felt surrounded by love all day. After opening all of my presents and cards, I am truly thankful for so much generosity.


Update #3- Moving
Our moving date is fast approaching. Seeing as this is our first place, we have nothing. I have found a 2 person desk, and kitchen island, but we have a lot more to go. Tomorrow we are making a huge trip to Ikea and I can't wait to update you with all the luck we have. Cross your fingers!

Update #4- Real Life HouseGirlfriend
I need to work on my Housegirlfriend job. I don't know how to cook, clean, do laundry, pay bills, wash floors, do crafts, sew, paint, etc. I need to start practicing all of this before I move in with Joel.

Tonight I plan to make this.

Hopefully it will turn out okay and taste good - especially since I don't know how to use the grill so I will be putting it on the stove.

White hot inspritations

Punches of white just sing spring to me. These celebs show how to work white tons of different ways. White is famous for being a "hard" color, but they make it look pretty darn easy!

what do i do now?

I am officially a college graduate. Sounds pretty exciting, except it leaves me with the question, "What do I do now?"

I graduated with an elementary education degree. It was to my knowledge that being a teacher was a safe bet. There wasn't a lot of money in it, but there were always jobs. Funny thing, that's not the case anymore. In Illinois alone, they have cut 17,000 jobs.

I have applied to over 50 districts, and it doesn't seem like its going to pan out for me.

I have a nanny job lined up for the summer, but after that....."What do I do now?"

I am living at home for the next 6 weeks with virtually nothing to do. I am the kind of person who needs structure and schedules to be productive. While some people probably think 6 weeks with nothing to do is an absolute blessing, I have found that free time is only enjoyable if you have worked for it.

I need to get to the point where I am filling each and every day with productive activities. Hopefully productive activities that make me money and get me skinny. That is the American Dream, right?

and the best birthday present of all....

...is the apartment Joel and I found and our moving into on July 1st!

The big 2-2

It's my BIRTHDAY!

Today's plan

Drive here:

Have lunch at Hot Choclate in Bucktown

With


Then meeting up with

So we can dine on sushi at
and then go to a comedy show at



Sounds like a pretty great birthday to me!!

2010 College Grad

I'm a few days away from becoming a University of Iowa alum. Which, let me tell you, I am very ready for.

With graduation, come graduation party. I am having a Sunday brunch outside (hopefully) at my house.

This is my inspiration board. The invitations have already been ordered (their in the center with the red and white flowers on them) and.......well ya, that's it.

New Puppy

please welcome HALLEY our new cockapoo








We lost our beloved cockapoo Comet in January and this weekend, we knew our house was missing something. That's when we searched high and low for this little princess. Our friend came up with name Halley (like in Halleys Comet) to honor our first baby Comet.

We're in love.

I dare you

...to read this article

My intent today is to start a page of my journal, begin to write, begin to see what I actually want because I really don't know.


My(2nd) intent today is to enjoy this day.

shocking

I lost -1.6 pounds this week

This brings my grand total to 4.6lbs

I can't believe I had such a good week this week. My weekend was basically a food fest. However, I have made some significant changes that I think my body is reacting to very nicely.

• My peanut butter english muffin breakfast ---> Now is oatmeal
• My 180 calorie granola bar snack --> Now is carrots or almonds
• My sandwich, 2 calorie packs, and dessert lunch ----> Now is fruit, jello, lean pocket
• My go-to snack of anything I can get my hands on ----> Now is pretzels
• Plus, I have stopped all drinking during the weekdays

Areas I need improvement on are:

• Weekends
  
• Restaurant orders
• Dinners
  

I saw this ABC game from Lousiana Bride and really wanted to join in the fun!

A. AREA CODE : I'm in the 815. I'm moving in July to the 773 area

B. BED SIZE: Full. It's straight from college and I'm thankful I have stuck with it. City apartments are just too small for a Queen or King, and the full is really the only other option!

C. CHORE YOU HATE: Laundry. I dread it. In fact, I rarely do it. Since I'm living at home, my loving momma is doing it for me and when I move downtown I'm sure to strike up a deal with joel ;)

D. DOG'S NAME: My dog passed away in January. He was a cockapoo named Comet. He was 10 years old and died from a blood disease similar to leukemia. It was so hard and I miss him more and more as the time passes.

E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: Oatmeal

F. FAVORITE COLOR: Gray

G. GOLD OR SILVER: Depends on the outfit

H. HEIGHT: 5'7"

I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: Yea.....nothing. Unless you count Yankee Doodle because then I play the piano.

J. Job: currently an Elementary Ed student teacher. The state of Illinois has just laid off 17,000 teachers. I have applied at 60 school districts and haven't heard anything. Get back to me on this one, it's not a fun conversation right now.

K. KIDS: Zippo

L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Living at home while I am student teaching. Joel and I have just begun the apartment hunt in downtown Chicago. We plan to move July 1st.

M. MOM'S NAME: Connie

N. NICKNAME: This is gonna get akward. My nickname is T-bags, or Testie, or Testicle. Aren't I lucky?

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: Never, Thank God.

P. PET PEEVE: I really don't like having a conversation with someone who is texting while I speak. It is SERIOUSLY annyoing and rude.

Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: The only one I know off the top of my head is embarrassingly enough from a Cinderella Story starring Hilary Duff and it goes....
"Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game"

R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: Righty

S. SIBLINGS: 2 younger sisters

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: I wake up at 6:12am. I'm weird about the minutes. I have to give myself those extra two! I'm pretty good about waking up but I need to get to sleep before 11 in order to be functional.

U. UNDERWEAR: Depends on the outfits

V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: Cucumbers and Corn

W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: Outfits

X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: Nothing major. I've had a lot of issues with my teeth and hips. I have some weird thing with my hip muscles. I was born with dislocated hips and now my hips hurt a lot when I run a lot. Not sure if they're related but my X-Ray were just fine and dandy :)

Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: Calzones, Tostadas, and Tuna melts

Z. ZOO ANIMAL YOU LIKE: Penguins

Weekly Inspirations

These outfits welcome in spring in the most styled way

Week 2

My 2nd week on the program: -.08
Total loss in 2 weeks: -2.8

I guess that's not too bad. I'm going to try and have a very controlled 3rd week.

This weeks meeting was all about keeping control on the weekends. Can I tell you what I learned?

120 days

That's the amount of days that are weekends and holidays. Meaning, that's 1/3 of the year that I eat like an idiot. I cannot allow myself to lose control 1/3 of the year anymore. I really need to handle my weekend more wisely and this week I plan to keep breakfasts and lunches well portioned so that I have points to play with for dinner and drinks.

Week 2

Weight Watchers week two? We'll see how it really was tomorrow. I totally blew threw all of my bonus points, and exceeded my daily points, almost every single day. The weekends totally ruin it for me. FOR EXAMPLE:

A typical weekday looks like:
Breakfast:
Oatmeal (3pts)
Yogurt (2pts)
Snack:
12 pretzels (1pt)
Lunch:
Apple with cinnamon (2pts)
Carrots (0pts)
Lean pocket (5pts)
Snack:
Calorie Pack (2pts)
Dinner:
Chicken (4pts)
rice (2pts)
veggies (0pts)
bread (3pts)
skinny cow (2pts)
Total: around 25 ponts

Weekend
Breakfast:
banana (2pts)
Chai tea latte (2pts)
lunch:
salad (7pts)
bread (3pts)
Drink/Dinner:
2 glasses of wine (6pts)
appetizer (6pts)
3 beers (6pts)
sushi/pizza/snacks/cheese/chinese/ thai/pasta (15pts)
2 glasses of wine (6pts)
chocolate (2pts)
Total? 53 points. ****I don't go this insane, but close.




Please tell me I'm not the only one who totally blows it on Friday and Saturday.
What do we do? Stay home all the time? (pfff...I'd still drink and eat like that!)

My new pretties

Like my new summer shoes?

I picked up Tory Burch's new Thora sandals yesterday at my favorite one-stop shop Cusp. They're a lot more durable than her rubber flip-flops and have a much fancier look to them. I couldn't resist!

hmmm

One of the downsides (and they're are very few) of not being the buyer of my own house, is that it doesn't go down on my terms.

I'm impulsive, emotional, and impatient (aka a very steady, stable, reasonable buyer...). I found a condo I wanted to make my home, and wanted to make it my home right now. Or even next week. (Oh, and that's my reasonable and steady side talking, see)

Well, my dad doesn't work this way. He saw the condo, really liked it, and wants to see more. Hmmm, apparently the showings I've already done aren't going to suffice and he now needs to see comparables on his own.

Yea, don't worry, I told him to come with us the first time, buttttttt we all know how dad's are.

So, I don't know what he is going to do. Maybe he'll see other condos and realize the one we like, is a great deal, or maybe not. For now, I need to step back, find a job, and know that my home will come to me in good time.



Chicago saw a GORGEOUS day today. It was so refreshing, filled me up with all the smells and sounds of summer and all I wanted to do was be outside. I as able to fit in a walk in the morning, lunch on the patio with joely, and a nice run in the afternoon. I hope you had one of these kinds of days too.

pretty good

I lost 2.0lbs!
Not until I'm down true weight (which will be about 6lbs) will I seriously be pumped, but I'm on the path, and I'm doing somethin' right!


So tomorrow is the big day. My parents are going to go check out *my new apartment. They are going to the cubs game and have a 2nd showing before the first pitch is thrown.

I'm trying really hard to be very positive about tomorrow and I can't wait to hear what my dad thinks/does. I really think he's going to L.O.V.E. it - almost as much as I do!


xoxo,
sweet thoughts

Checkin' In

So, I'm pretty much complete with my first week of weight watchers. If you know the program, you'll totally understand this post, and if you don't, things may get hairy for you.

Last Tuesday was my first official day. The weekday's following the meeting were good. I only went over my allotted points by one or two and was feeling pretty confident.

By the time Friday night arrives it's pretty much go time. I want to go to a restaurant and drink margaritas or martinis.

Joel and I were going to go somewhere really easy - we were thinking Buffalo Wild Wings. I always get this chicken tender wrap while I'm there, and it's pretty good - so I was down. Then I thought, Be a good weight watcher and check how many calories/fats/fiber are in your wrap. I did, and I about threw up. 1,110 calories are in the chicken wrap that I have ordered at least 20 times. I almost chewed off my right hand.

For that realization alone, I am thankful to weight watchers. Not surprisingly, we didn't go to Buffalo Wild Wings.

So, long story short - I ended up using all of my flex points on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday alone. I figure this will probably happen every week anyways so I'm pretty happy with myself. I stayed right where I'm supposed to and I wrote virtually every bite down. Here's hoping I see results tomorrow night!

top 3

So we have it narrowed down - somewhat. I know the neighborhood in Chicago I want to be in. Plus, I know the style of apartment I want.

I'm looking for character, comfort, and space. Out of 8 showings yesterday, I fell in love with 3. Out of the 3 I fell in love with, my dad likes 1. He's going to try and see it on Wednesday, and then maybe, possibly, hopefully, willingly, make an offer.

Here are a few teasing pictures. Send positive vibes my way, I want to make it my home!

thumbs up

First dinner on weight watchers? Ham and Cheese calzone. ------ I can get used to this!

It is worth 7pts per serving, but for dinner it's a great option. I should have taken pictures of the calzones I made, because they turned out really cute but that will have to suffice. You can get the recipe here

If you have some pizza dough at home you should give these a whirl tonight...Even if your not on weight watchers, they would be a great dinner option (for 'lil ones too).

It was time.....

I.
joined.
weight.
watchers.

Yesterday was my first meeting. I want to lose 15 pounds. I have been the same weight for almost 3 years and I'm ready to see a change. I just started my tracking this morning and so far so good. The only true travesty so far is that I have to say goodbye to peanut butter. It's so high in "points" and it just isn't worth blowing my whole day for.

Breakfast and lunch I can handle....It's dinner that will pose a challenge. And wine....and desserts....and restaurants.....and birthday's....

One day at a time, right?

house hunters style

My favorite show is about to turn in to my own little reality. My family and I have decided to try and invest in an apartment in downtown Chicago. I will live in it, mom&dad will buy it. It's a pretty good deal if you ask me.

It's such a buyers market right now that I have the pick of the liter when it comes to choosing. I am looking for a 2bd, with character, and parking. It's tall order in Chicago and for a lot of money, I'll be lucky to get 1,500sq feet.

Saturday my mom and I are going to do our first round of showings. We're going to hit up 8 or 9 apartments, and try and narrow it down to our top 3. At that point, we'll bring in my dad and have him choose the final one.

My hopes are that this is a smooth, quick, and easy process that will end with a great apartment for a great price.


Any apartment hunting advice for me??

Florida

We are back in the Windy City. And let me tell you, my view is nothin' like that!

Florida was an amazing vacation. Joel and I spent one of the best weeks together we've had in all three years of dating, and we've had a lot of amazing weeks. Every morning we would take our beach cruisers to tennis, then do some shopping, then spend the afternoon reading by the beach. At night we drank wine and went to four star restaurants. It was truly perfection.

Our first night - on to a wine tasting

We were loving tennis every morning. Great way to start the day

Bad picture but I found that shirt dress for 40.00 at the j.crew outlet in SanDestin

Such a stunning beach

**please excuse my hair/face! But we got to meet baby Luke last night and he is just the sweetest baby ever!