Heyy shawtyyy!

WELLLLL, with summer approaching-- uh, okay, so technically its a few months out, but this is Texas so naturally it feels spring-y now.  Anyway, EVERY summer I have the hardest time finding SHORTS!!!!  I'm 26-ish so wearing shorts that cover less than underwear is definitely a faux paux.  (Wait, is that okay at ANY age??)  Personally, I like shorts that DON'T require a bikini wax.  Anyone else notice that the less material the more the price?? RIP OFF ALERT!  I also don't want to wear mom shorts, aka shorts that are made from a cheapy looking denim, especially if pleats are involved.  You know the kind, they're not quite bermuda, not quite daisy dukes. Long. Awkward. Ill-fitting.  (None of my mom-friends even wear these!)  Last summer I  was lucky enough to stumble upon some cute twill shorts at Jcrew with the perfect 3" inseam.  3 inches seems to be a respectable length with just a smidge of sexy.  I literally bought them in EVERY.single.color. -- I even bought 'em in khaki twice {on accident}.  The downside to twill shorts though, is that they wrinkle easily and need to be dry cleaned after one mayyyybe two wears.  Ugh - maintenance...on SHORTS!  *So redic.*  Anyway, this year I have spotted a new trend:  Retro-inspired shorts.  First, let me say I typically love anything modern with a vintage flair, but retro shorts are HO-rrendous for realsies.  They are high waisted, (with an awkwardly long crotch area) and are mega short.  Plus, EVERY photo I've seen on models gives them a camel toe!  No thanks!  I don't think I'll be following this trend, how bout you???  Anyone else have pure hell finding the 'perfect' shorts??

Too Short.  Told you underwear covers more.



When I imagine mom shorts....



My Faves: JCrews 3" shorts! LOVE!

Retro. Camel toe much?

Here's a longer version.  I guess they even make skinny people have a FUPA!

Note the XXXXXXL crotch area.

My Short-Lived Chubby Phase

Okay, so {A LOT of} people are all, 'ohhh myyyy Goddddd, why are you counting calories and doing body wraps, you don't even NEED to lose weight...blah blah blah' and I'm all, "I was 15+ pounds heavier two months ago, I swear" and they're all "PSH, whatever you're totes  exaggerating" ...... or you know, something to that effect.  I know some of my posts seem weight-obsessed, but it's time for me to reveal my "before" photo so you can see that my obsession was for good reason!  Nobody believes that just a couple short months ago, I weighed my personal 'heaviest' at 140 pounds.  Don't get me wrong -- that's not obese or even a remotely high number to a lot of people...and I'm definitely not saying anyone that weighs that or more is overweight ~ but for someone who usually fluctuated between 126-130 lbs for a solid 8 years, it was quite a shocking increase. I freaked a bit and then IMMEDIATELY began limiting my caloric intake to 1200 cals per day so I could just get back to a good healthy weight... one that wouldn't cause me to BUST out of my jeans! ;) 

Anyway, I decided to show a clothed photo of me at my heaviest...  When I saw this November 11th photo, (along with a few others) I was horrified.  BTW, that's no spare tire hidden under my shirt.  I'm sure a lot of you will be like DAYUMMM, because you didn't ever see me looking like this. (HA, like I would post this photo ANYWHERE online!) (Well...uh, until now.)  I even made the photo XL so you can get a good look at my jelly roll/muffin top and my bloated azz face. You're welcome.  I also included two after photos (I gotta have SOME dignity left) that I took on January 23, 2012 ~ simply to prove that calorie counting REALLY works if you stick with it! 

Well... Can't believe I'm putting my "chub" photo out there for the world to see, but here it is!! 



November 11, 2011 ~ @ 140 lbs
My face is so big my eyes can't fully open!

 

January 23, 2012 @ 123 lbs

 

January 23, 2012 @ 123 lbs



Patience is a Virtue

Had a little spare time before I head into work so I figured I would tell yall a litttttle story that happened to me the other day.  Okay, so it's kind of a long story. 

Remember how I mentioned that our computers were in the shop for 11 days??  Well, it all started when I was surfing the net and I acquired a virus.  It was one that wouldn't let me open internet explorer so I could download a virus killer. (KICKING MYSELF for not renewing my subscription to Norton!)  Anyway, I figured I would just pop on over to BestBuy and they could fix it all quick style. Phewwwwww I was wrong.  The nice guy at the desk told me he would hook me up and I could bring BOTH laptops in to get fixed (our old one had a virus too, but we ended up just buying a new one, rather than fix that one.) (BTW, the new one was purchased on the CHEAP @ Black Friday.. We don't TYPICALLY just go buy something brand new when something breaks.) Back to the story! ~ so the geeksquad told me my computers would be out in 5-7 days MAX and even that was a stretch; most of the time they were finished in 3.  After day 7 I began to call daily (Okay, maybe 2x daily) to try to figure out the hold up.  The old one's hard drive is blown, so that computer might as well be tossed.  The "new" one supposedly had just ONE virus that kept showing on up the scan and I was repeatedly told it would be ready in half an hour.  TWICE I actually showed up to pick it up and of course it wasn't ready.  Finally on day 11 I went in and was told yet again that it was ALMOST ready, just 10 more minutes.  30 minutes later an over apologetic tech guy came over to tell me that he had accidentally super-jacked up my computer and it wouldn't even TURN ON.  He also told me that more than likely I would lose all my data -- un-backed up photos and docs.  This is a pretty big deal considering 2 years of my life in photos are on there, along with all of my created business docs.  I suspect the tech guy was under a lot of pressure being that he crashed my computer and surely had a ton of other electronics that needed work as well.  He kept perpetually apologizing, to which I kept telling him it was okay and it wasn't his fault..even though maybe it was. 

In the past few days in my frequent visits I had seen lots of people in line, and most people were very unfriendly, short and just plain rude to the techs. Throughout all the run-around and even after the BIG mess up, I remained friendly and didn't go all psycho on anyone. (It WAS, however, tempting at times.)  Once it was all said and done, the man helping me got all teary eyed and thanked me for being so nice and patient.  I was kind of taken aback, I mean, you don't see a grown man cry everyday, right?!  I hoped I was mistaken, but no.  Tears LITERALLY ran down his face as he told me that his sister had past away in the last few days; and he was just stressed to the MAX.  I think he had so much pressure on him both in his personal life and at work that he just needed to let out for a second.  I felt terrible that I wasn't NICER but it was a great reminder that everyone you meet could be fighting their own personal battle.  Yes, it's his JOB to fix computers and do-so quickly and correctly, etc. but I think it's a great lesson that we should all be a little more patient and kind to others.  There are so many more important things in life than material goods. 

Okay ~ Just thought this story was worth sharing because it really inspired me. It's crazy to think we each have the power to make or break someones day. Sometimes, an encouraging word, a helping hand or a friendly smile could be all it takes.   

Gotta love 75° in January!

What a beautiful day in North Texas today!  Sunshine, blue skies, nice breeze, oh my! 

And, okay, so I KNOW it's technically 'winter' and people get all bent out of shape when it's not winter weather.  But this is Texas: The Bipolar state.  Plus, it's not like it was a hot sweaty get third degree burns when touching your steering wheel; or a take a dip in the pool kind of day.  But it WAS a sit on the back porch with a light read; play fetch with the doggies; lounge on the couch with all the windows open kind of day.  Regardless of what the weather is supposed to be like this time of year, how can you possibly complain about the awesome alternative?? 

Pleasant weather and fresh air make me feel oh-so-good!  So yes; Ahhhh, what a beautiful lovely day that put me in the brightest of moods!  Hopefully this is an omen for a good week. :)

Cheers to Friends; New, Old & Reconnected

Over the weekend, we threw a little house bash to celebrate Jake landing his new job.  We had a blast as always, and this time we even hung out in the HOUSE a bit! {trust me, that's a big deal..} ANDDD, for the first time ever, we served food on the dining room table! :)  Out of all the parties we've hosted here, I would definitely say the food was the best this time around.  Jake made some freaking DELISH pulled pork, and I DO NOT EVEN EAT PIG. EVER.  But I surrrrre did that night!  I baked some Texas Roadhouse Rolls, which are not complete w/o the homemade cinnamon butter.(Mine was even better than the restaurant's, no lie!)  This also marks the first time I've ever cooked for one of our parties. (PSH, sad right?)  Other peeps brought stuff and we had a little feasty feast.  We also boarded the dogs for the night so everyone could hang out inside a bit, and not be stuck out in the cold garage.(And also so nobody would be mauled by our monsters. You're welcome!)  I WANTED to be good about taking pics, but I've been totes sucky at taking photos lately.  UGH. Whatevs though, I got a few, you can check 'em out at the end of this post!

We had a good turn out, and even met another new couple that moved in down the street.  BTW, I feel like there is definitely good friend-potential because they are around our age (I'm guessing here) and they also have two doggies and no children!  Jake and I SOOOO need to meet more peeps who live around here!

So anyway, it was great having everyone over, and I know Jake appreciates everyone's support!  We missed a few friends who couldn't make it, but were impressed that so many people would come out to wish him luck and bid him farewell.  One particular couple came out that I hadn't talked to in about three years, except for maybe a civilized 'hello' in passing.  When Jake first started in Addison, the four of us hung out a lot and they were our very first friends from the dept.  At some point, the wife and I had some kind of falling out -- to be honest, I don't even remember WHAT we were fighting about, but since then we've each disliked and totally avoided each other.  I'd say we've each grown up a whole lot in that time though, because we were able to have a great time in each other's company.  We maturely talked about the past and patched things up, and even without any awkwardness.  After catching up with her and chatting throughout the night, its clear that I totally misjudged her, and we have a lot more in common then I thought.  Go figure, right?!  It's  ironic to me how things come full circle; She was my first police-wife friend in the beginning, and now, here at the end we were able to reconnect.  I'm very glad!  I feel so foolish for wasting all this time, and not patching it up sooner, but TIMING is everything.  And hey, better late then never though, right?! 

Soooooo Jake has only 3 more nights in Addison.  I'm so excited and nervous for him to start in his new city.  Closing one chapter and beginning another is aways scary. {Being a grown up and making adult decisions is hard work folks!}  I think this is the right decision for him though; I have hope and faith that Jake will prosper in his new position!  Wish him good luck for next Monday, the 30th!  BTW, he'll be off on nights and weekends for a while which will be pretty great! [But bad for my calorie count..*sigh*] 

had to snap our dining table in use.. this was prior to the main dishes

Nothing Bundt Cakes - THE BEST THING EVER!

Some of the boys!

no dogs, and people still want to hang out in the garage

Where have I been??

Can you believe we are already halfway through the first month of the year?? Geez time, slow it down for a hot second! This month has already been a crazy one, and to make matters worse both of our laptops were in the shop. I have a ton of things to blog about but they'll just have to wait! Typing on the iPad is a b!tch for realsies. The computers guaranteed turn around time was 5-7 days MAX and today marked day 11. *sigh* I was finally able to bring 'em home today though, phew!

So far this month, I've been working like a crazy person and have been very busy! (What a huge blessing for January, which tends to be an esthetician's slowest month of the year!) We celebrated our friend's 31st bday this past weekend, which was a blast!  Jake put in his formal resignation and picked an official starting date for his new J-O-B. We are in the process of planning some kind of blowout to celebrate! It's bittersweet reflecting back on Jake's time at Addison; we've each made great friends through his work and I hope we don't lose touch w/ any of them!  This week I have a meeting with a franchise VP ~ YES, Jake and I are considering buying a franchise.  It's still entirely too early to know for sure if it will be a good fit for both parties, (and if we can even fit it into our budget and schedule) but we're super interested.  I'll spare the details until we have a lot more info and a definite direction!

Well, that's about how our month has gone so far!  Looks like another busy year ahead! CHEERS to 2012!

TMI: Urination.

UH, yes, you read that correctly.  I am about to discuss peeing with you, EW right?  This definitely classifies as a TMI post, but its also educational.  So, let us begin. DID YOU KNOW you should be peeing at least 4x a day??? YOU SHOULD! I read it online which means it must be 100% legit and factual.  DUH. So, I was only going liiiiike 2x a day. I did a little MORE research and decided I needed to start drinking a whole lot more water. About a week ago I decided to challenge myself to drink atleast 62 oz of water each day. (You're supposed to drink half of your body weight in ounces!)  My first day was a beeeyotchh because I'm used to drinking a couple sips of water + maybe a coke zero per day.  BUT I've reached my goal EVERY day so far!  Actually, now its not even a big deal... I've usually downed 66 oz before I even get off work.  I also incorporated drinking Greens.  It's a product from the 'itworks' line, which is the same line I get my body contouring wraps from.  It's an alkalizing drink powder that gives you 8+ servings of fruit and veggies!  It doesn't have the BEST taste, but it's not completely horrible either.  Anyway, since upping my water intake and drinking my Greens, I have been a PEE-MACHINE!  No lie, I'm going like 8 times a day.. that's a lot of potty breaks!  It's pretty amazing how upping your water intake makes the rest of your body run so much better. My skin has been looking plump and healthy, and I've had loads of energy! 

Anyway, moral of the story: UP your H2O peeps!  I feel like a water freak for realsies. WHO KNEW!?!??  Oh, and pardon the tinkle talk! :)

Oy!

Soooo....today the hubs had his final interview w the chief of police at the new dept he's applied with. I'm stoked and pumped and super proud to report that....he aced it! did I expect anything less?? Pshh no way! He won't put in his notice at his current place of employment quite yet, but very very soon! The new dept is pretty tough and competitive to get on with, and I'm so proud of him for being the #1 candidate over all of guys who applied and tested! Jake is a hard working professional officer with a great attitude and work ethic..uh, yeah, I could go on and on...! What I'm trying to say is that I couldn't be more proud of all that he's accomplished and I couldn't think of a more deserving person! Im so excited for him to take this next step in his career! What's next?? Who knows! We just want to enjoy and appreciate the blessings God had bestowed on us one day at a time.


P.s. --- if your hubby currently works w my hubby (only 2 police wives have access, but..) do me a fave and make sure that this stays on the DL! Jakes application leaked REALLY fast and we'd like to make sure the right people know first this time around. Thankyouuu!

P.s.s. This definitely means a 'goodbye' partayyy is in the works!

P.S. >>>

I forgot to tell yall that I'm ALREADY kicking ass at my new years resolutions!  I cooked Jake a super yummy dinner tonight and he's all 'mmm, this is good,' and I'm all, 'yeah, duh I'm a freakin fab cook.'  AND I it was after I worked practically ALL day, like 7 hours worth, so yuuuppppp, super wife up in the house!  I'm on fireeeeeeee! 

AND OMG I totes forgot to also tell yall about a facebook post where this person was like, "2012 Is going to be soooooooo awesome; life is perfect but just keeps getting even better and better; keep watching for my posts on facebook for all the fabulous details and updates!!"   YES, that is a REAL POST.  UH, WHO writes that?  Seriously?  Newsflashhh:  Nobody cares.  If you're gonna brag about how awesome you and your life are, you should at least do it bloggy-style like me. That's exactly why I never get on fakebook anymore. 

PHEW, okay. Vent sesh over.

Never Too Early to Plan for Summer

Well, now that Operation: Get Hot for New Years is over, and was a success, it's time for phase II.  Known as: Operation: Get Dead Sexy for Summer.  I'm verrrry proud to announce that I lost a total of 15 pounds and reached my goal weight.  How did I do it??  50 days of 1200 calories or less + at home body wraps(ask me if you want some!) + 2 laser lipo sessions on my new non-existant love handles.  Does that mean I cheated??  WHATEVS, I got to my goal and thats what matters!  So now, there's a new goal in town.  5 more pounds to go (MAX 7) and then I just plan to maintain until the end of summer.  We have a few trips planned for summer, and I want to feel great in a bikini!  If I reach my goal by April I may even spring for a fancy new swimsuit! ...that looks like underwear bc thats how I roll...

ANYWAY, my OLD MAN of a husband is turning dirty thirty this year!!!!  I absolutely MUST do something super kick ass for him.  I should probably start planning now.  I'd love to do something BIG, like either a trip w/ friends or a giant surprise party.  Nothing dressy or stuffy though, bc he'd hate that. (i'd love that so keep that in mind in 3 years, mmkay friends?)  Does anyone have any suggestions????  I really want to plan NOW so I can send out some save the dates, btw, would online be TOTALLY cheesy, bc I hateeee snail mail.  If I throw him a party I would HAVE to get all of his friends (even the out of towners) there so he would be even more suprised.  I would also have to do it a few weekends before his birthday so he wouldn't expect it.  Plus, if I start paying for it now, he won't even notice any money missing.  EEEK, no lie I'm getting excited just thinking about the prospect of throwing a party and suprising the shiz out of Jake!  He would love me fo-evaaa!

Okay, that's all for now..it's almost 9 pm which means I gotta get ready for bed! HA! Who's the old person now.........

Oh, What a Night!

OKAY SO. It has been like my lifelong dreaaaaaaam to get a sparkly stunner and party like rockstars at a fancy NYE party. This year we finally made it happen! I wore a gold sequined Tahari shift dress that I love, love, LOVE. andddd some rockin' black platforms! I had the hubs in purple and we were lookin' good! We went out w/ some of our fave peeps, Jill, Byron, Bryan and Shena. Perfect group bc everyone is all about have a good drama-free fun-filled time! Jill and I started the day by going to hair our hurr did @ Drybar. Totally a must-do experience btw ... Drinks + blowouts = the epitome of girly fun! All 6 of us got rooms @ the same hotel so we could get ready and cab it to the venue! We had a great time getting ready; I know all the girls were super pumped about getting all dolled up! I wanted to try to be good about taking pics, but... by looking at our back it seems like there's a big chunk of time missing.. it starts w just a couple normal looking classy type shots, but then instantly shifts to all out drunken-ness. You know when the heels come off, the hair goes up and I'm dancin' on a seat that I'm feelin' good. REAL good. There were a few hiccups when we first arrived to the venue but once we got into our 'reserved' area (a little nook w two couches and some tables in the middle) things started to get a lil nuts! We danced, boozed, took pictures of people in full-out makeout sessions, boozed, took pics of people wearing hats (long story), boozed, got our own bottle of champagne which we very classily drank straight from the bottle I might add, saw some pantie flashing(bahaha!), Jill broke like 12 glasses and basically anything else in reach, and... well... We all had an absolute BLAST! I think we all enjoyed cutting loose, considering NONE of us ever do that these days! We pretty much shut the place down and took the after party to our hotel room, where Jill and I proceeded to "punk drunk facetime" anyone that would answer. (uhh, so, umm, sorry if you got a 3 a.m. call from us...whoopsies.) I finally crawled in bed @ 4 a.m. [I have not stayed up that late in YEARS I tell you, YEARS!] and then I was up at 7 a.m. and BOY, do I have a hangover from hell. Usually this is when I announce that "I'm NEVER drinking again" but this time around, the hangover was well worth it. NYE was definitely a night to remember ~ the countdown to our midnight kiss (just Jake and I, NOT the whole group, just thought I'd clarify) was my absolute fave part of the night. Jake and I are both anti-PDA but we mugged down quite a bit! LOL, OHHH man. ;) Good times! Here are the few of the pics!  Sorry they're all out of order, but blogger is ridiculous when it comes to uploading pics. Soooo actually I'm not going to upload a lot of the pics, bc I've been trying for an hours and I'm ready to give up.  So here's just a few, you'll get the general idea! {p.s. JILL email me some from your camera! maybe we can fill in the time gap?}