The Weekend Before Snowmageddon

Happy Sunday! I can't believe it's already the end of the weekend. I plan on soaking up these last few hours before it's back to the grind- and "snowmageddon"- this week.

"Snowmageddon" is a frequent media term used around these parts for copious amounts of rain, sleet, ice and snow that causes mass chaos. And we're expected to have up to a foot of snow by Wednesday! Definite snowmageddon.

I had a wonderful weekend! An old friend came into town and we pretty much ate our way through the weekend. Dinner with college friends Friday night, enjoyed the beautiful weather Saturday (along with trying out lunch and dinner at two new places) and then breakfast this morning before he left.

I promptly put on my running shoes and hit the trail as soon as he pulled out of my driveway, as I'm sure I gained 10 pounds this weekend! But, sometimes it's worth it.

And Brady Tavern's mac & cheese is soooo worth it.

This week is my "catch up on life" week. Auctions are (temporarily) over and I plan on working on the variety show, catching up on a few big projects at work, and Thursday... the Pioneer Woman book signing at the Mayo Hotel!

Yes, my blog will be getting some much needed attention, too. :) Stay tuned for many, many updates!

I'm off to Borders for a new book and coffee before Snowmageddon begins...

Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday Inspirations

Happy Tuesday!

It's Tuesday, right? Whew. It could be Thursday. Or some imaginary day in between Tuesday and Wednesday that makes the week seem even longer.

The days are long. Yet they fly by. And in between auctions, I find time to browse my blogs. And this week, I've found TWO blogs I absolutely love. Love, love, love.

Lately, I'm drawn to blogs that showcase DIY projects or home decor. Duh, because I'm still decorating my house.

So, without further ado, here are my two current favorites:

I went to high school with Hannah Flora , and she has a great flair for interior design- which you can see on her cute blog. (Plus, she lives in NYC and finds cool stuff on the street that she takes turns into little gems! Sweet.)

She recently helped a friend redecorate her apartment. I have to say, I adore the use of a cute, functional desk as a sofa table.

And this bedroom- love. Especially the two side tables at the foot of the bed.

And then, there's Cape 27.

Sigh. I love this blog.

Since I'm obsessed with all things chalkboard, I just adore this chalkboard wall calendar. Where can I pull this off? My office, maybe?

A better look.

Although considering the goofballs in my life, it would take one hand swipe across the calendar to send me into a Type-A tizzy. Smeared chalk is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Ah, well. Inspiration! I love it. (Mom, aka interior decorater assistant, can we pull any of this off?)

I hope you all have an inspiring Wednesday!

Sunday Night

I'm always a bit shocked when Sunday night rolls around. The weeks seem to go soooo slowly, and the weekends fly by! Not fair. Especially when your week consists of 6 work days. But! I crammed a lot of fun into my "weekend." Dinner and a movie, coffee, shopping, groceries, laundry. Whew! I need a weekend from my weekend.

As you all know, sometimes my posts are light and fluffy and sometimes they're heavy and serious. Tonight's is a bit serious. I'm hormonal, ok?! And I always hesitate about whether to share some of the more serious ones so I'm not labeled the occasional "emo" blogger... but, honestly, I'm ok with it. Sometimes, certain things need to be given a voice.

Sunday night always makes me a bit contemplative. I'm sure many of you are the same way- going over your calendar for the week, check lists of things to do, meetings and appointments. But it also makes me think of what I was doing last Sunday. And the Sunday before that. And Sunday, six months ago. A year ago.

I do that a lot. My co-workers tease me because I'm constantly the one saying, "It's February 16th. Do you know what we were doing February 16th, 2009? We were on a plane to LA for the Grammy auction..." Yes, I'm that girl.

And Sunday nights are the same way to me. They used to be my "family" night. The little family I had built for myself here in Tulsa. And even though a lot has changed in six months- wow, has it been that long, since my world changed so much?- sometimes those Sunday night routines, those wonderful long dinners and cuddling on the couch and that whole life I had comes back to float around me.

I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it, and I wish I could tell you it's because I'm the girl who lives in the here and now.

But, I'm that girl who remembers what I was doing February 16th, 2009. And I'm the girl who remembers every detail of August 4th, 2010 and August 14th, 2010, and a million Sunday nights.

I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it because sometimes it still makes my heart hurt too much.

It's amazing, though, what time does. Because lately, I think of Sunday night and remember Cooper's birthday party a few weeks ago. I remember my first Sunday night in my brand new house. I remember Sunday nights over the past six months spent blogging and planning the variety show and dreaming of trips I'm going to take.

Sundays of the past are becoming less important, and Sundays of the now... those are the dates I'm committing to memory.

Kinda heavy, huh? That's ok. I think I can sum it up by saying... living in the present is so much more fulfilling than living in the past. So I'm going to go finish my glass of wine and Sex & The City on TV. Sounds like a perfect Sunday night to me. :)

Words

Whew, what a week! Since my "Map It" post on Sunday, I have been going non-stop and collapsing into a deep sleep every night. So much for taking my first full, non-sinus-infection week back to work easy!

Just so you can grasp the full extent of my busy-ness, here's some inside information: my bed has not been made this entire week. (TOTALLY against my nature.) My sink was full of dishes up until last night. (Gross.) And my DVR... it's full of unwatched everything.

I've worked 10-11 hour days every day, with little time for work-outs or quiet time. Two things I'm desperately going to find time in my schedule for next week.

But! As far as work goes, it's been a highly successful week. There are some exciting projects on deck at my full-time job. And my other job- the variety show!- is well underway. Our next show is coming up- Friday, February 24th & Saturday, February 25th!

I write a ton of words every day. Agendas. Checklists. Scripts.

But my favorite words are ones I write are here, on my blog. Or privately, in my journal.

And this week- my favorite words have been sorely neglected.

It's Friday, and I'm itchy. I have a million blog posts floating in my head. So many words I want to write, to share with you all. So many words I want to write in the privacy of my journal, for only myself to see. Just words, words, words.

They'll slowly start trickling out in the form of blog posts and scripts and agendas and journal entries. Words always have a way of escaping.

So, until then, I'll leave you with a few "words" that describe me right now...

Blessed

Busy

Tired

Hopeful

Content

Thanks to all of you who read my words... and even those of you that just skim them. :)

And stay tuned... because I have a feeling more words are on the way!

Map It

I hope you had an amazing and restful weekend! I sure did. My mom & sister came up to visit, and it was so nice to have some company (and pampering!) after a week of being so sick. We ate, window shopped, ate some more, and did some more window shopping. And today, for the first time in a week, I ventured outside for my first walk without my lungs collapsing. Success!

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I enjoy- no, love- traveling. Anywhere and everywhere. 2011 is a big year of travel for me; I already have one trip to San Diego booked for the fall, and I will be booking a trip to Denver this Spring.

And of course, the big momma- a trip to Germany in the fall! (Remember my resolution to travel more? I think we can go ahead and give that a big check mark!)

With a love of travel comes a love of maps. In fact, I'm obsessed with maps. And I've decided that my "inspiration wall" I've been struggling to find inspiration for will in fact now be one, giant map.

I love this map from World Market- I just wish it was a bit bigger! I love the colors and that it's magnetic chalkboard.

We walked through Restoration Hardware this weekend, and I immediately fell in love with this giant, roll-up chalkboard wall map. It might actually be too big! (And a bit out of my current budget!) Still... love it.

This DIY Cork Board Map can be found over at Design*Sponge. Precious.

And I love this cork board map from World Maps.

I can officially say the travel bug has bit me... and I need a map to track my upcoming journeys and my "wish list" cities, too!

Any map inspiration out there to share?

Baby, Baby

One of my greatest dreams in life is to be a mom. I think it's going to be such an amazing experience! It helps that I have such an incredible role model when it comes to being a mom- my mom.

Don't worry- I'm perfectly content waiting a few more years for that dream to come true. But, it's a dream, nontheless!

There is something so precious about watching a friend become a mom. And I'm already learning so much about motherhood by three of my closest girlfriends tackle the hardest job there is!

And, let's face it. I get the best of both worlds right now. I get my fill of "baby time"... then I get to hand 'em back to mom and go home! :)

Two years ago, the first baby-of-a-best-friend was born. Cooper will always have a special place in my heart- I love him to pieces!

I can't believe he turned TWO this week! My how time flies. Kind of like glow-in-the-dark rocket-pajamas your favorite Aunt buys you for your birthday. :)

And this handsome man! Another baby-of-a-best-friend. James is already such a stud- when he isn't busy barfing on my shirt! :)

Of course I can't forget Cooper's new little sister, Colbie- I just adore her. (And have no pictures with her yet!)

And just this week... yet another baby-of-a-best-friend was born! Rebecca will celebrate her birthday the day before Cooper.

Whew! That's a lot of Christmas/birthday presents at once for this doting Aunt!

Thanks, friends, for letting me share your babies for a while! It's one of my greatest joys.

And the best part is- I know you will have the same amount of joy when it's my turn. :)

Heart Healthy

It's Wednesday! Since my last post, I:

Got sick.

Lazed around on the couch all weekend.

Got better.

Attended a birthday party.

Showed my face at work on Monday.

Got even more sick.

Slept 20 hours.

Went to the doctor.

Cursed my sinus infection.

But I'd like to report that right now, at this moment, I am able to sit up, stay awake and I am on medication! Yippee!

Next up: a real meal. There's something about drowing in mucus that makes food very unappetizing.

Now that I've ruined your appetite- the real reason for this post.

I've always thought that there have been times in my life that God slows me down for a purpose. I tend to go, go, go- sometimes pushing myself further than I should without even realizing it. And it usually takes a nice bout with the flu or an all-consuming sinus infection to see the white flag of surrender. To know that I have to give up for a minute and focus on me.

And it's usually when I'm feeling pretty sick and lowly that I do some of my best contemplating.

This week started with a little bit of heartache. Honestly, I think I did a pretty good job keeping this sinus infection at bay all weekend long. But Monday rolled around, and my heart hurt, and I cried- and the sinus infection used that moment of weakness to take over.

But, like I said- God has a bigger plan than I do. And sometimes the slate needs to be wiped clean. Work meetings must be missed, variety show planning must be put on hold. The blog must go neglected, and the house must be... filled with Kleenex.

No, really... I just found Kleenex in between my couch cushions.

In all seriousness, I appreciate these moments of being stuck indoors, on the couch. It makes me re-prioritize a bit, get a grip on what's important, what must be accomplished before 5pm every day.

And the funny thing is- more than anything, I realize nothing has to be accomplished by 5pm every day. There are people I can count on to get things done. It's ok for me to let go.

It's ok for me to just focus on me.

And, that's a good message for me right now. Doing what's best for me when it comes to my health- and my heart.

House Tour: Master Bedroom

Happy Saturday! I've spent the day cooped up indoors. I'm dying to get outside before winter finally makes an appearance here in Oklahoma on Monday with teen temperatures and snow. But... aches and a particularly pesky cough is keeping me couch-bound. Boo.

So... what better time than to show off pictures of my priso- I mean, beautiful new house!

To be honest... I could spend all day every day in this house. I'm absolutely in love with it. If someone told me how wonderful being a homeowner is, I would have ditched the apartment years ago.

I know all of the creaks and noises. I kill bugs fearlessly. (Ha!)

And I spend waaaaay too much money at the flea market. Like, waaaay too much.

(Don't worry, dad! I'm being responsible with my finances! Sorta!)

As I complete various rooms of my house, I will post pictures. As of now... my bedroom and kitchen are "done." My biggest projects? My office/guest room and my living room.

I think I'll do a "before" and "after" of my office/guest room... starting tomorrow with my inspirations.

So without further ado, let's start in the master suite, shall we?

This is my room from the hallway. The walls are what I consider a light coffee color. My decor colors are purple and green... two of my favorites!

As you can see, I have a window directly behind my bed. At first I wasn't sure how I would like this but I love it. Especially since it's such a pretty, white-boxed window. The bedding is new from Target- and eventually I'll be buying some purple accent pillows/blankets for it, as well.

Off to the side, you can see this tree branch mural on the wall. I had (and still have) a slight obsession with birds and leaves and trees, so when I first toured this house and walked into the master bedroom and saw it- I knew this house was meant to be mine!

Here's a shot from the other side of the room. You can see the mural, my closet door (no tours of the closet today!) and then my small dresser.

My newest addition is this purple NYC map from Made By Girl. I've had my eye on it for months and I was quite happy to find it under the tree from Santa!

This is another Santa gift from Pier 1- a perfect dresser accessory.

And this darling little bird jewelry holder was a Christmas gift from Leah! Another great dresser item.

There are a few things I didn't show you from my bedroom- my desk, and my big dresser. I will show you those a bit later as I continue to spruce things up.

So, there you go! Room #1 of the house tour.

Since I'm constantly looking for new ideas and inspiration, I'd LOVE to see what your bedrooms look like! Write a post about it, then include a link in the comments section below.

If you're cooped up sick like me (and I think a lot of people are!) than this is the weekend perfect project!

A Beautiful Wedding

Happy Friday, followers!  This week was equal parts speedy and slow.  I'm so ready for the weekend... especially since I've developed a nagging little cough and some aches the past couple of days.  I'm hoping it's nothing.  But good thing I have a restful weekend on tap!

I'm nowhere close to planning a wedding... but I seriously have been looking at pictures of this one wedding shoot in particular all week long. 

I love every single thing about it... from the vanilla chai tea to the lace wedding dress to the purple accents to the letterpress table numbers.  Gorgeous!  This totally inspires me to have a winter wedding.  Someday.  :)  You can see the original article at Southern Weddings... or look at Sweetest Occasion's blog for more.  (Photos courtesy of this photographer!)

While we're speaking of the ultimate in celebrations... I want to redirect your attention to the fabulous VIP Lounge button on the left hand side of the blog home page!  I've gone through the archives and added a bunch of "celebration-related" posts for you to browse through. Everything from showers and parties I've thrown to ideas I love... even a few gift ideas!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Friday!

Birthday Crush

Is it already Wednesday?!  This week is seriously flying by.  My work schedule is relatively light (aka, no auctions until January 17th!) so I'm trying to soak up every ounce of free time.  I've been working through my lunch break so I can leave an hour early and squeeze in an afternoon walk or run while the sun is still shining.  Although apparently snow is on the way....

But, my productivity has kicked into high gear.  In fact, today I cleaned out both of my work desks.  Next up: sprucing things up.  Adding a few pictures, some knick-knacks.  We've been in our new building over a year now; it's time to make my little nook feel like home!

I just stumbled upon what might be my first birthday crush item.  I will be 27 (gulp) at the end of February- weeks away, I realize, and just weeks after Christmas... but come on!  Everyone has a birthday wish list.

So, here it is.  My first birthday crush:  The Michael Kors wallet/clutch for the iphone.

Is this not the best idea ever?!  I can think of a million and one times I would love to be able to run out the door, sans purse, with this little gem.

A little birthday wish for this Wednesday.  :)

Have a great one!

Show And Tell Trailer

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone's week is off to a pleasant start. The mornings here are FREEZING cold but by afternoon it has just been gorgeous. I can't wait for my run later today!

As you guys know, I helped produce a variety show here in Tulsa a few months back. We are currently in the process of putting together a finalized 30 minute show to shop around to local networks. We're also starting work on our second show... set to open sometime in February! More details soon.

I thought I'd share the promo from our last show with you guys. It was certainly a labor of love, and we are all very proud of the finished product. And while the talent and the show itself is great- I have to say, the crew is just fantastic. There's something amazing about bringing a group of people together to work on something solely because they care.

It's all about finding your passion, people.

So, here you go! The trailer from our last show. Enjoy.

Show and Tell With Peter Bedgood from Peter Bedgood on Vimeo.

DIY Projects

Happy Bachelor Monday! I'm currently vegged out on the couch watching poor Brad get grilled by the two girls he didn't pick when he was the bachelor for the first time years ago.

I'm slightly annoyed. They are both engaged, they have both clearly moved on... but they are so hard on him! And why do we hate Brad, again? Because he didn't propose to a girl only to break it off weeks later?

Ahem. Clearly I'm way too invested in reality TV. I'm rooting for you, Brad! And you are really hot!

Ok, moving on. Do it yourself projects! I love 'em. Lately, I've been in a major house-sprucing mood. Things are being hung on the walls, new furniture is being purchased.

One of my biggest house-do-it-yourself projects is going to be an "inspiration wall" in my office. I've seen them popping up more and more lately. Basically, a collection of prints, pictures, knick-knacks, frames, mirrors- whatever you like, really- that are grouped together on a wall. Things that, obviously, inspire you.

That's a little example posted by Ashley Ann- she did this inspiration wall in her daughter's nursery.



And I'm breaking a major rule of blogging with this picture- I have no idea who to credit it to. But it's another amazing inspiration wall. I especially love the "W" initial letter. I'm actually on the hunt for the perfect "L" for my wall.

Which brings me to a something I found today at my favorite local antique store....

LOVE it! This piece will really make a statement on the wall, and I of course love that it says Tulsa. One of my favorite inpirations. :)

The office/guest room already has a lot of red and black... and I'm thinking of adding turquoise to the mix for that extra "pop."

Which, obviously, will perfectly compliment this white and teal vintage Oklahoma map I want- no, need- from Etsy.

Another DIY project? This darling calendar/journal, also inspired by Ashley Ann via Design Sponge.

I worked long and hard this weekend on my own version, and it turned out cute!




I may need to trim the postcards down a bit more to look more like hers- but I hate cutting them. I found them at that antique store that I need to stay far, far away from. Most of them were written on and mailed, and some date back to the early 1900's!

One postcard was actually mailed right here in Oklahoma to a soldier named Roe Austin. I googled him and found out he's buried in Noble, Oklahoma. His name is on a memorial, and I have a postcard addressed to him, right here in my little old house.

Small, small world.

Anyway- share links with me! What DIY are you working on?

Resolutions, Day 15: Hurry Up and Slow Down

Happy New Year to my precious blog followers!

I have so many mixed emotions about the end of 2010. More so than ever before. Last night, in the 10 seconds counting down to midnight, I found myself surrounded by friends and champagne and those little horns that drive you nuts. And I was frozen. I just sat there, letting the countdown, the noise happen around me. In those 10 seconds... it's like I felt the entire sum of 2010 swishing and swirling around me, giving me one last glimpse at 2010, one final year in review.

And then it was midnight, and I was swept up- literally, pulled to my feet- into the celebration and joy of the moment- a new year, a new decade.

I am so incredibly thankful for life and lessons learned in 2010. And I'm ready, so so ready, for this new chapter and new year- whatever it may bring.

So it's fitting today to wrap up my "15 resolutions for 2011" series!

I've struggled a bit about this final resolution. I have plenty of other things I could resolve to do, like... take scuba lessons this year. Or learn how to cook X amount of meals. I have a million things I could resolve to do regarding my house. Or maybe tackle more DIY projects this year.

So, I think the best resolution to wrap up this series is this:

Slow down.

I am capable of working tirelessly for things I care about. To the point of exhaustion, at times. I think resolution #15 will be to slow down, take everything in a bit more. Listen more. Observe more. Follow my heart, go with my gut. That's been a big lesson for me this year. I don't want to take any of it for granted, because life is so sweet.

So, that's resolution #15.

Thanks, everyone, for reading my resolutions! My Canadian friend Lisa suggested I do a report this time next year on how each of these resolutions fared- a great idea!

So, if your resolution is to quit reading my blog this year- come back in December for a recap! :)

Speaking of slowing down... I'm exhausted! (Or maybe that's just the champagne still talking.) I'm going to take a "blog break" tomorrow. I'm trying out a new church in the morning, meeting a friend for lunch and then tackling the usual Sunday funs- laundry, cleaning the house.

But I'll be back starting Monday! And I already have a host of posts ready to go!

Much love, and happy 2011!