stay-at-home wife?

if you know me personally you probably know that while i like to work hard & get things accomplished i also like to not be technically "working." yes, a paycheck is currently vital for our little family but sometimes i catch myself drifting into la-la land where i get to stay home for no reason other than "i can." i love to think about all the ways i would fill up my days if all my time was free. i know of friends that are able to stay at home while their hubbies go off to work...i envy that kind of freedom. benny is currently going to school to become a teacher but the more i think about it, even after he starts teaching the youth of america i don't think i'd really stop working until/if we decided to have babies & even then who knows financially what situation we would be in {we're YEARS away so who's to say?}. our money would probably be stretched tighter than ever trying to tend to a little one! ben & i joke sometimes about how badly he wants to start working & how desperately i want to stay at home - we're so stereotypical {please note that the man in the picture also has a pot & a hand towel - he's being a happy homemaker too, no sexism here}. god has a funny sense of humor setting things up this way.

i have a friend who always says she thinks she would get so bored if she stayed at home {versus working her life away}. i say: if i stayed home there are a MILLION things i'd love to do. here is just a fraction of the things i would greatly enjoy:

MINISTRY:
i would have SO much time to be up at lafayette & be in their world. i would have an abundance of opportunities to go up to lunches, offer to tutor, go up after school, volunteer, pick girls up from school. uh. i would LOVE that! it would also give me more time to be involved at southland {our church} or even serve in the community some other way.

PROJECTS!
a. i have such a long list of projects going right now that i would die to do! to name a few of the biggies: paint the entire house {every wall}, landscape the front & back yard, hang blinds in all our windows, install valences, refinish furniture & fixtures & put them in their specified places, and build & hang shelving in the garage just to name a few.
b. i have so many ideas that i'd like to actually try out. i'd like to learn how to sew specifically. i'd like to make some pillows. i'd like to make some wall art, some window treatments & a craft station. i want to hang the items we already have on the walls {after we paint, which comes in step a.}
c. if i was a home i think that would provide me with even MORE time to think up projects. then things would really get crazy!

FREE NIGHTS:
freeing up my days would inadvertently free up my nights. many of the things i hope to get done in the evening currently could be done during the day & therefore...free nights! more time for all the above mentioned awesomeness. and additional awesomeness like: early dinner with friends {like megan & rachel}, more dates with my husband benny, more time with family & MORE TRAVELING! how about those perks!?

ERRANDS & CLEANING:
currently i semi-hate these two chores but if i actually had time to do them & i didn't have to give up valuable time doing something else to work on them i think i would actually enjoy running around town & tiddying up the nest. i actually "cleaned as i went" around the house yesterday. i was encouraged by the ease of it & want to stick with it. it really makes all the big daunting tasks of cleaning seem trivial if they are all broken up with the clean-as-you-go-approach. this post from {young house love} blog about cleaning fed my desire to become an ever-increasing spic & span me.

COOKING SKILLS:
i would also have the chance to cultivate my culinary skills {or lack there of}. which i'm sure my husband would really appreciate. i like to cook but i do feel less than confident while doing it, especially if i'm trying something new. this new schedule would lend itself to more time in the kitchen trying new things, becoming a baker, becoming a chef, wearing my frilly aprons! i love this notion.

LEARN:
i would love to spend more unhurried time before the lord. i know its my job to find that kind of time no matter my situation but i love the thought of spending a good chunk of my morning out of the porch talking with my creator, not rushed, just quality. i would love to be able to read more, learn new things & spend intentional time with the people i learn the most from!

you get the hint: i could fill up my stay-at-home life with some very useful, purposeful, fun & enjoyable time. i suppose that is enough day-dreaming for today. i know i am where i'm at for a specific reason & i have to be content in that.

if i ever become a stay-at-home wife i'll be sure to tell you all about it {& try not to rub it in}.

{flickr pic linked to owner}

that's amore monday <3

i guess you never really know what to expect when it comes to that's amore monday. i have free reign to choose absolutely anything i love & share it with you. scared yet?

today my honoree is something that brings a smile to my face each & every morning monday through friday. it makes me chuckle, educates me & dishes all the gossip.

as i child i HATED when people talked on the radio in the morning. i loathed it. i would instantly change the station as soon as i heard a dj's voice. now i LOVE to listen to one morning show {only one} and it is 'kidd kraddick in the morning.' {i still hate all others} seriously, it makes my morning to listen to their 4 or 5 hosts chit chat everyday. i hate to get out of my car in the morning knowing that i'm going to miss the end of their bit. it seems that on all other shows the hosts are either incredible corny or vulgar as can be {i dislike both}. kidd's show is neither of those. i love 'love letters to kellie,' {where people write in & ask for love advice from the love expert, kellie} i love 'get over it' {where people write in, give a small anticdote & tell someone to "get over it" - its hilarious}, i love the hizziewood hizzle {where i get all the gossip} and i must admit i love 'the zine scene' {where jenna tells us about something she's dug up out of recent magazine articles}. i love the banter, i love the games, i just love it!

if you've never tuned in i would encourage you to try it - everyone needs something to laugh about on your way to work because going to work isn't funny. here in lexington it is aired on 102.5 {not my favorite station during the day} but in the morning...oh my! <3

reviews: weekend review, movie review, show review

hello friends-
this was a fantastic weekend. here is a run down of the fun {if you're interested}:

friday-

**worked all day long
**YL leadership. we talked about real friendship & that if we hope to cultivate intimate friendships we must incorporate confession & confrontation. it was really encouraging & made me think about all of my closest friendships. i hope that we love each other in such a way that spurs us on toward christ & brings us closer to each other also.
**lafayette football game @ henry clay {two high schools here in lexington}. we went to go hangout with our h.s. friends. it rained all over me. i hated it. my hair was actually dripping wet when i got home. what a disgusting feeling. but lhs won {yay} & i got to see all kinds of little girls!
saturday-

**much was accomplished in getting my closets & bathrooms in order which was a project that has drug on for weeks {literally...3 weeks}. my dear friend holly helped to keep me focused.
**i was able to go to a fabric store {hancock fabrics} during a 52% off sale {i know...random} and get 3 desparately needed curtain rods: 1 for the den, the dining room & our office.
**i went to michael's to get some goodies that i hope to be crafting with in the near future & i had a handy 20% my entire purchase coupon. the cheapskate in me loves this. with ribbon i bought there i got to make a simple grapevine wreath with a rich orange ribbon. its hanging on the front door & as i pulled out of the drive way this morning it really made me smile. i would post a pic but i feel like i used such little creativity to make it, i would feel embarrassed.
**i made a trip to the habitat restore. i have been many times in the past & never really picked up anything. that wasn't true this time. we got a dresser for $25, definitely nothing fancy & i can't wait to refinish it. it is going to live in our guest bedroom where we currently have only a bed {with no frame & my college bedding}. i also got a mirror with fun detailing on the top for $5. i'm going to paint the frame, take out the mirror, and convert it into a pinboard for the office. don't worry, you know you'll see pics of all these before & afters.
**no morning trip to southland drive would be complete without a donut days knot. mmm...so good. the woman working told me that the knots "were sticky today," "sticky?" i answered, "yep, because of the rain" she said. i had no idea that donuts were affected by rain. learn something new everyday.
**went to o'charley's for a surprise lunch for one of my lhs girl's {ami} 16th birthday party. much laughter ensued. our poor server.
**that evening the UK wildcats took on the terrible florida gators. it didn't go well. enough said. BUT we did have the opportunity to have lots of friends over to the house to watch the slaughter & that was great. we had our h.s. pals & our friends our age come on over. i loved the fact that the guys & girls that we are continually trying to live life with, going into their environment, also get to be a part of ours - see who we spend time with & how we love each other.
**after the lil babies scampered off to their homes the old fogies stayed up & watched our dvr-ed 1st episode of 'flash forward.' while i think the acting is a tad uhhh...bad i did REALLY like it! i'm hooked {just like 'lost'} & i just gotta know what's next! here's the cast:

in the show everyone on earth blacks our for 2 minutes & 17 seconds at exactly the same time. while out each has a 'flash forward' of their future. now each person is on a mission to either ensure that the future they saw happens, doesn't happen or just figure out why it happened.

sunday:
**woke up sick & too late for church
**got sick-er
**had another surprise birthday party for my cousin, darae. she is one of the most joyfully & generous people i know. i was so happy to help her celebrate the big 5-0! she's a fantastic caterer, as well. if you have a need & are in the central ky area, here is her {website}!
**then nap...got to love a nap on a sunday afternoon
**it feels like fall outside
**then to finish up the night...campaigners {co-ed bible study with our lhs friends}. we talked about matthew 4 - about us having a serious view of sin, putting scripture in our hearts to be able to fight {eph. 6}, being called by christ to lay it all down, & being fishers of men.

unrelated!

last week for date night ben & i went & saw '500 days of summer.' i thought it was fantastic. i loved the story & the soundtrack. i thought it was unique {but i don't watch many indie-esque movies}. there is a warning at the begining of the film - heed that warning. its a story of a boy who loves the idea of love & a girl who is far less convinced that this exists. it goes through the first 500 days of their interactions.
i also think that joseph gordon-levitt grew up to have a face just like heath ledger. i thought about it the whole movie.
hope you have a blessed day.

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. "

psalm 103: 11-12

have you ever seen the rain?

all week long this is what it has looked like in lexington, kentucky. if its not raining, then you see nothing but clouds.

instead of being constantly showered i'd rather be here...

st. john island on a little private beach. this was taken on our honeymoon. it is gorgeous & so relaxing. the weather there only varies from 80-85 degrees year-round. CRAZY. and the water is the perfect temperature. warm & clear. no rain clouds here!

and i'd like to spend a few nights here...

our sweet yellow house on top of a mountain. i'd like to sit on the balcony and eat a bowl of cereal. i'd like to lay out by the little pool & then snuggle up on the couch & watch the sun go down over this view...

and most of all i'd like to do all that with him...

my wonderful husband benny.
{with his heart shaped chest hair...it's natural, god's gift}

hope you have a fantastic & rain-free friday. come on sun...come out! until it does i'm going to listen to some CCR "have you ever seen the rain".

{1st image provided by flickr & linked to its owner}

quick fix: swtich it up

so its safe to say that we're all moved in but on the other hand we're not so much...settled. we have undertaken a few small projects but it just seems to take forever to get anything completed with our lives being so hectic. this is our first diy...we're just getting our feet wet.

one project that is on its way to fruition is one of that benny has been in charge of {and he has done a mighty fine job i might add}. it has proven to be a quick fix that makes a world of difference. if you live in home that is {less new} this may be a fast upgrade for you too! when we moved in each & every outlet, faceplate & light switch was old, worn & dirty. it dated the entire house and each individual room in a different way.

here is a bag of all the old outlets & switches. what a mess. i hope you can see the discoloring & dirt that these fixtures have accumulated. you never think about how many of these little treasures you have around the house until you try & replace each and every one of them.

here is just a small sampling of the mismatched faceplates that could be found around our home. gold, bronze, brushed gold, cream & stainless/silver. wow. the stainless ones were in the kitchen to match the appliances. while i agree with the idea in theory it is an awful idea in real life...at least it is at my house where we actually touch our light switches. they are a constant source of fingerprints and splotches. they never looked clean. and if you want any room to look clean, i pick the kitchen!

we chose plain, white, plastic switches, plates & outlets as our replacements. they may not be the fanciest little goodies but they all match. they match one another and they match the trim & doors throughout the house. the two things i like the most are (1) that they look and ARE clean (2) they don't call any attention to themselves. they blend right in & have no personality. that's exactly what i was going for.

ben bought all of these at home depot {i think} & a very helpful sales associate told him all the details that he needed to know. one important tid-bit that we didn't realize is that there are 1-way & 3-way switches. we had to go around the house and not only count the number of switches and how many went together per plate {1, 2 or 3}, outlets & how many per plate, flat plates & phone jacks we also had to count how many of the switches went to the same light. if you can turn on a light from more than one switch in the room then you need a 3-way switch for each of those. they are a bit more expensive but necessary. i think that to replace all of these gadgets & plates we spent about $40-$50 total. not bad for an instant home update & face lift.

after ben replaced the first one he said "they should show this on HGTV on those commercials about how to fix things up for little cost." -- he's sweet. and right.

it is also important to note that you need to turn off the power before starting on this project. you have to mess with a bunch of wires. safety first.

other than that all you need is a small flat head screwdriver & some time.

ben just has a couple more to take care of. until he does i assume the remaining swtiches will look like this. beautiful right? i'll just have to envision what i know is to come...

...like our laundry room. it loves it's new addition.
happy thursday.

if you know of any quick fixes that you've found particularly useful to spiffing up your house without breaking the bank feel free to share.

oh & i found a shower curtain! 1 down, 1 to go.

here's a link to {it} to see details. the curtain was only $28 and then i found a 10% coupon code so even with shipping fees it was only $31. yippee way cheaper than my beloved anthropolgie. the reviews also said that the fabric was really thick {yes!}. i can't wait until it arrives. i think it should come tomorrow. i'm not sure which bathroom it will live in yet. it could go either way. i'll keep you posted.

the tablet of your heart

deuteronomy 11:18 (esv)
"you shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."

since the beginning of my walk with christ it has been my desire to hide god's word in my heart. although i am very good at memorizing things for a quick moment {to take a test, etc.} long term "hiding" is definitely a challenge for me. seven years later i'm still not good at it. i know how vital it is to my spiritual health & growth, that it greatly impacts the way i live & that it is my weapon to protect myself. if there is anything worth spending time working at i'd say that it is this: learning what the lord has to say. a {precious} recent lafayette grad, rachel hall, started doing this little trick to help her memorize scripture & i have found it to abundantly helpful. she {and now i} write the first letter of each word in the verse(s) that you are hoping to meditate on, on our hands. it is front of you {literally} all day long. it is a great reminder to keep the lord in the forefront of all my thoughts & to continually have his words on the tip of my tongue. i introduced this memory system to the little girls in bible study too & now we all walk around looking crazy with letters {that look like code} written all over us. maybe you are saying "jen, that does not look professional," and you would be completely correct. my suggestion if you work in a space where this is unacceptable would be that perhaps you try writing your verse inside your palm instead?

the one i have written on my hand in the pic is colossians 2:6-7 {which i can now write from memory}. "so then, just as you received christ jesus as lord continue to live in him, rooted & built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught & overflowing with thankfulness."

do you have any helpful hints on what keeps your eyes continually fixed on him? i always love to hear about new ways that i can keep myself living in the spirit all day long. i'm very weak & easily distracted, i have to have practical ways to keep myself in check & remember what i really value most.

"Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis."

things that i think are funny that no one else may:

real conversation:
ben: "gosh, why do you like blogs so much?"
me: "i wrote a post titled '10 reasons i love blogs' about why i love blogs so much, its on my blog."
ben: "i hate blogs."

true story:
each week another one of my friends tells me a story of how they have been peed on {by someone else}. this is very funny for me - may be less funny for my urine covered friends.

song example:
shakira's new song 'she-wolf.' very funny {the song not the video, please don't google the video}.

comedy example:
demetri martin - he makes me laugh {alot}. the link goes to a list of some of his jokes. prepare to giggle.

things that others may think are funny but i DO NOT:

my life:
i think this week i will dye my hair. yes i will use box dye because it is 1/5 of the price of getting it done in a salon. please don't mention the terrible ways i'm destroying my hair. if you had orange hair & were on a budget you would too. yes the lord has blessed me in many ways but good hair is not one of them. like many, the summer-time sun brings out some profound highlights out in my hair. i like highlights because they add dimension & they remind me of summer BUT unfortunately for me these natural highlights of mine are nothing to brag about. they are orange. in certain light they aren't THAT noticeable but in others...OH GEESH! this past weekend i had a messy bun on top of my head {literally} & the bright orange ends were laying right on top of my dark brown roots. ew halloween hair {insert shrill screaching}. never fear! this tragedy will soon be mended.

song example:
mariah carey's new song "obsessed". being obsessed with yourself is never funny. it's sad. sorry mariah...what ever happened to 'dreamlover'? those were the days.

comedy example:
bodily functions as humor. even as a child i thought they were childish. i know many {boys} would disagree but i stand firm - not funny.

i'll end with my friend cory's favorite joke:

why are there no phone books in china?

*****

because there's so many wangs & wongs they are afraid you'll wang the wong number.

{don't be offended}

{hope you laugh today at things YOU think are funny}

quote in the title: from jack handey, "Deep Thoughts," on saturday night live.

bibs, diapers & more...that's what showers are for

as promised i wanted to share some details of the baby shower we threw this past sunday for our dear friend ang & her baby boy silas daniel. get ready to ew & ah at all the tiny cute baby things.

we made a clothesline to decorate. it was filled with tiny baby bibs, socks, onesies & pants. our theme colors were light blue, tan, brown & white. the room couldn't have been more perfect...it was the exact same colors! they even had dark brown leather couches with tan & light blue pillows. {what are the chances?}

we used twine attached to command hooks {one was faulty so that was kind of a fiasco}. i painted half of the clothespins baby blue & left the other half tan so we could have a mix. we added little ribbons in between for a little added "aw".

here they are...the guest(s) of honor:

our dear friend jenna w. made this precious diaper cake for ang & we also got to use it as a centerpiece. so sweet. holly brought the gorgeous sunflowers. i love them. this was a table we had set up so people could self-address some envelopes for thank you's. just trying to make things 1 step easier for the soon-to-be momma.

"let the games begin" says miss randi who conducted them. each person cut a piece of ribbon as that they thought would fit perfectly around angie & her bump. katie over-estimated by a little - she & ang & the bump could all fit inside her ribbon with more room to spare. her non-spiritual spiritual gift is winning shower games so i'm not sure how this went so wrong.

here's one of the girls! {we look like a rainbow}

this is ang opening her mountain of gifts. she got lots of goodies to start their little family. babies need lots of things & you don't just have them lying around. {this pic & the one above stolen from jenna g}

..us..

the spread {with some aluminum still included}. it was pretty much a pot-luck shower. so many friends offered to pitch in and bring yummy treats, it was such a blessing. i made one that is covered. it is my mom steph's recipe for little hot turkey & ham sandwiches {SO GOOD}. her's are better than the ones i made unfortunately, but mine were still tasty. the recipe is included below.

mine & jenna's gift to ang. a rocking moose. it's very poston-ish. i think silas will love this someday!

.holly.megan.jen.

hope you enjoyed the shower. babies to follow.

hot shower sandwiches {he he}

makes 48 mini sandwiches

sandwich ingredients:
**2 pkg of Rainbow rolls - you can find them at meijer in the bread isle {kroger didn't have them i checked}. they come in a little foil tray & are very small rolls, about 1" X 2".

**lunch meat - i did 1/2 lb. of oven roasted turkey & 1/2 lb. of honey ham {i think you could do any type of lunch meat that you love though}

**1 package of swiss cheese {any brand}. i don't normally like swiss chees either, just give it a chance on this one.

butter sauce ingredients:

**1 stick of margarine - melted

**1/2 tsp of worchestershire sauce

**1 1/2 tsp of ground mustard

**2 Tbl of minched onion flakes

instructions:

**take the rolls out of the foil in one piece. slice through the middle of the rolls so you have a big layer of tops and a big layer of the bottoms.

**i made one tin of turkey and one of ham. just layer the meat on to the bread {to your liking}and then layer the cheese

**put the top back on the rolls

**place that back in the foil tray it came in. you can even put it back in the plastic packaging as well if you are saving it to bake later {like i did} don't to the butter sauce steps now if you are serving later or your bread will get soggy.

**take your melted butter & the other sauce ingredients and mix them together.

**spoon the sauce over the rolls in the foil tin. make sure to get the ingredients that will sink to the bottom of your sauce as well. 1/2 of the sauce will go in one tin, 1/2 on the other.

**bake in the oven on 350 degrees for 10 or so minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.

**enjoy**

that's amore monday <3

good morning all. it's monday again and i think we all know what that means - that's amore monday strikes again. but this time it is a little more than just a sharing of something i love, i am also requesting some help. today i love {shower curtains}. i know...as is true all other weeks, what a weird thing to love. call me crazy. i like them because i think they "make" a bathroom. i like that they can add pattern & texture to a room. the shower curtain can change the entire mood of the room. you didn't even think a bathroom could have a mood did you. well, i start my day {everyday} in this room getting ready so i want it to be a place that makes me smile even though it is small {and has a toilet in it}.

there are a million beautiful curtains out there an unfortunately for me every one that i adore cost nearly $100. maybe i'm cheap. i'll rephrase - i'm cheap so to me that seems like a HUGE number for a shower curtain {or two for my two showers}. i just wish that target would get with it and give me exactly what i desire...these anthropologie & moxii shower curtains but for a reasonable fee! PLEASE!

here is one that i would title - "if i didn't live with a boy" isn't it fun & girly! i know its bold and crazy but still. mmm i love it {thank you anthropologie from showing me things i can never afford}

here are two options of what i was thinking for my guest bath. i'm open to different colors or patterns for our hall bath but i do have my heart set on paint. i'd like it to be dark gray. i have the perfect gray picked out but i'm too lazy at the moment to walk in the other room & see what it's called. i want something that is bright and colorful since the walls will be dark & neutral. for some reason i just keep going toward green & white to fit in that room but i know that gray lends itself to all kinds of fun colors. input & suggestions welcome.

this shower curtain is from moxii & the paint is garret gray from sherwin williams.

this shower curtain is from anthropologie & the paint is valspar bedrock.

this is the shower curtain i dream about for our bathroom. i think its simple but interesting and not too girly for ben to deal with.

this yellow-y gold looks really bright on my screen. i'm not sure this is really what i'm looking for {like the gray, i have a swatch that i love - in the other room}. i want that darker yellow-gold color - you've probably seen what i'm talking about. maybe it would end up being too bright & i should find something else. regardless, i'm too scared to paint until i know that i'll have a shower curtain that will fit perfectly in the room.

has anyone heard of anywhere that sells precious shower curtains that are inexpensive {less than $50}? i've scoured tjmaxx & marshalls & target {my normal spots to find hidden gems} & no luck. there has to be some place out there that i haven't heard of yet...there just has to be. i've thought about constructing my own if this issue persists but i don't have much sewing practice under my belt & i think the kicker would be figuring out the button-holes. like how to stitch them up so that they don't fray or tear. i am VERY open to help & suggestions. i want to do our bathrooms SOON!

today there are showers outside & showers in my blog. how fitting. have a great day & check back soon for baby shower details...it was a blast!

friends, football & fun...weekend here i come

oh friday, how i love you! i am so pleased to know it is the weekend!

there are many fun things going on this weekend. they may not be that fun to YOU but to me...so exciting. after all, how did i start this whole thing off? if no one is reading - i have my own electronic journal? that's you.

our home is becoming a boy's club this weekend. they would probably prefer i called it a man's den instead. three of ben's best guy friends {tay tay, kinman & jalford} are coming in town to go to a the uk v. ul football game tomorrow from northern ky. they are going to be staying with us and for the first time we have enough room to house all of them! ben moved to lexington after we prayed {for months} about which one of us was going uproot to move to the other's city. fortunately for me, i got a benny in the bluegrass & unfortunately for my boo, benny left most of his closest friends. {not that he doesn't have pals here, but i'm sure you know what i mean about besties}. so a house full of stinkin' boys, won't that be great? i'm excited because i really love these guys & because i know it will make my hubby happy!

i'm also still prep-ing for the baby shower this weekend. hooray!just call me a member of the party planning committee {see awesome clip}. i always enjoy putting things together for friends, being crafty, celebrating friends & making treats. but sometimes i do have a tiny twinge of anxiety anticipating whether or not it will be exactly what they wanted. i would be having even MORE fun party planning if i didnt have a box of kleenex attached to one hip & hand sanitizer attached to other. -side note- i did break down and buy $18 zytec d {for decongesting} and i'm breathing through my nose for the first time in weeks. woo hoo

tonight i also am going to visit craft-master momma steph to borrow some of her craftiness for the shower. added perk to asking for help - you get to see your family!

as i have mentioned {more than once} this weekend the wildcats will take on their arch-rivals, the louisville, cardinals in their 2nd game of the season. i'm so excited to cheer on uk! i don't have tickets so i'll be cheering them on from my couch. i'm sure they still feel my support. GO CATS!

in between my planning, prepping, cheering & celebrating i'm also plotting to get my home in order. normally this wouldn't seem like a fun task. in general its right up there with scrubbing toilets & bathing dogs in my book but i will be so relieved for everything to have a place & for everything to BE IN it's place. it will be such a blessing to actually have my clothes in the closet where they belong when getting ready in the wee morning hours rather than scattered in multiple boxes throughout four different rooms. wish me luck, it will be quite the undertaking. i hope some good ol' home cleaning comes along with it as well.

last but not least ben & i get to spend some much needed quality time together. i feel like i should share that he now affectionately refers to me as a "crazy blogger" whenever i'm near a computer and i now refer to him as my "husBENd" --> in my head anyway.

this will be a jeans & flats weekend for me {hence the flickr pic linked to owner}. i hope dance in your flats too.

movie magic

i love sappy romantic comedies. don't judge me. i believe that even people who say that they don't like them actually do. i like nearly all of them. even the ones that you can say, wow, that is absolutely a horrible movie. i still like it. i love to see the guy get the girl. or the girl get the guy. i love happy endings no matter how cliche they are. i hate when a movie leaves you suprised - but sad. i love for the underdog to win.

some others include {but aren't limited to}:

don't tell mom the babysitter's dead {christina applegate with much larger eyebrows falling in love with the corndog boy...how can i resist?} the proposal {i've heard some poor reviews but i laughed out loud so that's good enough for me. my best friend's wedding {classic}. enchanted {fairy tale romantic comedy, so sweet & cute. you just have to love her & her innocence}. sweet home alabama {who doesn't love reese?} pretty woman {also classic}. sex & the city {minus the sex of course} i just love following carrie & i think that miranda & steve are precious as a couple. the wedding singer {i tear up at the end when he sings to her on the plane...i'm such a sucker}. she's all that {terrible movie, love that they get together}. serendipity {roller coaster}. love actually {reminds me of christmas}. 10 things i hate about you {romantic isn't it?}. garden state {maybe this isn't romantic or a comedy? too late i already did it...i really like this movie}

one of my very favorites:

about once a week i think "i'd really like to watch 27 dresses again"

non-related movies that i've seen once but loved & would like to watch again {this weekend}, wrapped up in a cozy blanket drinking hot chocolate. {i swear i'm not a child}. i got emotionally involved in both of these kids films - and yes, i cried.

what's your favorite sappy movie? this is a safe place.

i hope your weekend is filled with love & laughter

{a real life romantic comedy}