Barbados and bikinis on the brain

So, our trip isn't until summer but I'm on the hunt for bikinis and sundresses as though we were leaving in a week. It is what it is. Plus, with work being insanely, head-spinning busy right now, I find my mind wandering to my beach vacation to motivate me to keep on keepin on...

I recently got two swimsuits I really dig so I thought I would share my ramblings about them. (I wasn't compensated in any way to review either of these. Just ask my credit card bill). 

1. Voda. 

As I was endlessly scouring through the interwebs for a cute bikini that wasn't ridiculously expensive that also supported the girls (just saying), I remembered Kelsey at The Seattle Smiths blogging about her love for Voda last year. I emailed her to get her opinion and she had nothing but fantastic things to say. Then, I saw Voda mentioned in the recent Glamour issue. I decided to give it a shot. I mean, with free return shipping, it's easy to take a chance, right? It's kinda $$, but still not as much as the ones I liked at dept stores. Plus, I found a promo code. :) 

Typically, these suits are for ahem.. enhancing what God gave you, but I was more concerned with a well-made suit that just provided some support. I have no idea why bikini makers feature so many options with just a tiny little string as support. If you can totally rock those, I'm jealous. Anyway, from reading their site, I was worried I'd get this suit and feel..well... a little TOO supported...(think "the girls" at my chin)... haha.. But, I was really pleased! I should have followed the size chart b/c I ended up needing to send it back for an exchange, but I think I'm really going to like it when the new size arrives. :) Barbados, here I come!

I got this one! :) Cute, right? 

2. VS Forever Sexy.

I.love.this.suit. I don't know what else to say other than get one. Immediately. :) I love how they name their suits things like "forever sexy" and have their models stand awkwardly while attempting to seduce us with the whole smize thing. (Smize=ANTM reference).

Who really poses like this? I mean seriously. 

I soaked it in vinegar and rinsed it so I could wear it to the pool today for the first time! :) Are you going "Huh? Why?" It's a trick I learned when I was on the swim team.. or lifeguarding...or something. I don't remember; I've slept since then. But, seriously.. soaking it in vinegar helps lock in the color and preserve it much, much longer. I used to think it was just an old wives tale until I did it and a fellow lifeguard didn't (same swimsuit) and mine looked MUCH more vibrant in a month than hers did. 

Anyhoo, super easy: combine 2 tsp of vinegar with one quart of cool water (4 cups). I think I used 4 tsp of vinegar and 2 quarts of water to soak my suit. Whatever, just adjust appropriately. Soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Rinse in cool water and hang dry! Don't wring out. :) Easy peasy! 

Pooooooool day! A fun couple of hours catching some vitamin D at Sara's. :)

Sorry for still being kinda missing around here. I worked for 6 hours on Saturday and probably should be working right now to tell you the truth...  but I'm just kinda over it today. Blah. My project launches this Tuesday. I'm nervous, excited and most of all just ready to rip off the band-aid. I finished 2011 giving up like 50 hours of vacation time (we can't roll it over at my company) thanks to working on this project and therefore not being able to take a ton of time off in the fall-winter. I'm just so ready to push the button on it and am hoping it goes well. So, cross your fingers for me and thanks for understanding why I haven't been stopping in to say hello as much. Or tweeting. Or responding to email. Or really anything social.. haha.. *sigh* When I take breaks from my work stuff, I often pop by to read bloggidies but rarely comment since I'm at work and all.

Aside from working yesterday, I hit up Crossfit in the morning with Jenny. :) I hadn't been in a little over a week and my body is reminding me of that right now- so sore! But...it hurts so good. ;) It was a partner workout -which I usually hate- but it was great to work together to get through it. And it was really good to catch up...ya know..in between that whole I-might-vomit-this-workout-is-so-hard feeling. haha...And we kinda kicked butt, so there's that. Just saying.

Add a Friday night wedding and a great dinner date with Eric and that was my weekend! They fly by way too quickly. :)

Hope everyone had a good one!

Don't call it a comeback. No really.. Don't.

Over the weekend, I stopped in the mall. And I wandered my 30 year old self into Forever 21. (Whatever). And I quickly back-pedaled when I saw something in their accessories... 

Noooooooooooooooo.. Say it isn't so! Scrunchies? Coming back? 

*cringe* 

Those things should stay buried, along with hypercolor t-shirts, power rangers, and pagers. 

Also, they make me think of Stephanie Tanner, so yeah... There's that. 

Wasn't she a meth head for some time? I blame the scrunchies. 

Weekend Recap

Eric's in the living room watching Immortals at volume eight hundred fifteen or something ridiculous, so I'm in the bedroom blogging. I don't like gory movies, so at one point I was like "That slicing sound...was that someone's flesh?" He was like "Totally." I said "And you need to hear it that loud?" He responded again with "totally." Men are weird.

Anyhoo, the last time I blogged, it was to recap a weekend. Ugh. Sorry about my absence. I realize my not blogging doesn't exactly break anyone's day..haha.. but still.. I prefer to come say hello more regularly. I have lots to rant about- just ask my coworkers and friends. I just need to do more of it on here.

That said, I've got a very big project at work going on right now... It's one of the things I was charged with leading two years ago when I started...and it's finally coming to fruition. I rarely work weekends (a bonus to not practicing law anymore..haha) but I worked 5 hours today. Blerg. So, I guess I'm just saying sorry if I'm missing in action the next couple of weeks as my project launches. :)

And now...on to the recap!

On Friday afternoon, Neely arrived from Dallas! Like I said in my previous post, we were paired up for a swap last year and became fast friends. :) We'd emailed, texted, tweeted..but we hadn't met in person yet. Over email, we'd realized we had a ridiculous amount of things in common... right down to our college sororities! :) She landed some tickets to her favorite band-The Avett Brothers- playing in Tulsa, asked if I wanted to come with (to which I eagerly agreed. Duh). And with that, the weekend was planned!

We spent Friday afternoon drinking wine lunching and shopping around Utica Square. From there, we got ready for the concert and headed to dinner with some friends at Hey Mambo. 

I hadn't really listened to the Avett Brothers much before Neely introduced me to them, but what a great band! And what a fun concert at the historic and fabulous Brady Theater. :)

"Absolutely NO cameras." I think they just meant no cameras with flash. 

We headed home and fell asleep on the couches watching watched No Strings Attached. :) Neely had to head back to Dallas pretty early to celebrate Chad's (her boyf's) birthday with some friends, but we had a blast and I wish she could have stayed longer.

It's weird how you think it SHOULD feel awkward to meet a fellow blogger in person....but then it totally doesn't. It felt like we'd been friends for years, just picking up right where we left off over texts and e-mails. Already looking forward to a Dallas weekend sometime soon!

Saturday afternoon, headed to Edward Delks for a baby shower to celebrate Jillian and her new little guy, due early May.

Eric and I gorged ourselves on Mexican food Saturday night and today, I worked. Pretty good weekend, even with the working. :) I like that I feel somewhat ahead on a couple things to start the week...

Oh, I also got a spray tan today before going to the office. I did it once and came out. The owner looked at me and said "Hmm.. You dont look like you got any color. Wanna go again?" (They were having problems with the sprayer). Soooo I went again. Kinda nervous what I'm going to look like tomorrow...

Sexy, right?

Recapping

First.. Thanks for all your kind words on my last post about my 5 year anniversary of not practicing law. :) It meant a lot, friends. Sometimes rewards are worth the risk, right? :) 

Anyhoo... 

I never did a weekend recap from last weekend...mostly b/c I think I was still tired from it on Monday. I had family in town, a close friend also in town, and a girls night. :) I feel like I come out of hibernation or something once the weather officially warms up. 

Before time gets away from me again, I thought I'd recap the latest on-goings, in photos. Some are from last weekend; some are from this weekend. :)

Happy hour on the rooftop patio with some fabulous coworkers! It was so warm, we had to sit in the shade! Buh bye winter!! :) (And I have no idea what I'm doing with my arm. Whatever). 

Tried my first green monster smoothie. I think I did something wrong.. b/c I definitely tasted spinach. Blech. But, I drank it and felt really healthy afterward... ;)

Pool day on March 31. That's right...hit the pool BEFORE April. I dunno what's been going on with the weather lately, but I'll take it.

Long overdue girls night with some fabulous friends from work. :)
Please ignore the fondue steam billowing up in Melissa's face. 

Aunt and uncle (right) came to visit from VA :) 

Hung out with Lauren, who had just packed her apartment in Chicago and was spending a few days in Tulsa to say some "see ya laters" before moving to LONDON! I'm so excited for her, but am going to miss being able to pick up the phone and call her. :(  That said, I can't wait to visit her and have some girl time UK-style! She promises she'll start a blog soon, so I'll link her London adventures if she does. :)

Enjoyed some patio time holding this precious little man! :) (My friend, Kristy's, adorable baby, Roman). :) I couldn't resist snapping a pic as he slept in my arms. 

Gracie's obsession with Eric deepens...

"Give me the Easter treat... give it to me.. GIVEITTOME!"

Our Easter photo... iPhone style. She looks thrilled. 

Spent Easter lunch with Eric's familia and then he and I headed for  dessert with my mamma at the Cheesecake Factory. Snapped a quick pic on our way out. :) 

So that's what's been going on in my world. :)

Oh.. wait.. Eric and I also watched Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. I'm fairly certain one (or both) of us was confused at least 10 times during the movie. I often pride myself on unraveling intricate plot lines, but this one was just... slow and strange. Have you seen it?

Random...

Anyway...

The thing I'm most excited about for this week is....Neely's visit!! She's coming to Tulsa this Friday to come play! Please expect lots of photos. Neely and I met through a random blog swap match up and became fast friends. So excited to finally meet in person!I

Happy 5 Years!

Five years ago today, I took a massive risk and made a huge change in my life. I left the law firm where I was practicing law and decided to change career paths. I was scared (out of my mind) but knew I didn't like the direction my life/career was headed. Admittedly, I also felt like I'd failed in some regards...which was really disappointing. I knew I hadn't, but it felt like I'd failed at something I thought I'd love doing.

Anyway, while leaving the firm was a massive risk since I had no job and therefore no income, I decided not to apply at any other law firms for awhile. I knew I could probably find SOMETHING in a law firm at some point...even just doing legal research and making enough to get by until something better came along. But I told myself to take a risk instead...which is something I don't do easily. I wanted to give myself a little time to see what else was out there that I might enjoy doing.

My mom called every day with law contacts from church, work, etc. And I thanked her, but refused to call any of them. She probably thought I was having a nervous breakdown..haha... Actually, I'm confident that's what she thought.

Anyway, I started thinking about things I loved about the law and about things I didn't. I loved writing. And I loved working with people. And I loved research, analysis of facts, the art of persuasion in writing/arguments, and legislative issues. I started thinking about positions I'd held within organizations in college that I loved...and almost all of them came back to some sort of public relations, writing, recruiting.

Well, that was all great, but I had no idea what to do with any of that. In retrospect, it makes TOTAL sense that I am now working in Communications/PR, and have been in this field since I left the practice of law. But back then, I was a girl with a law license, a lot of school debt, and no business contacts. All my professional contacts were lawyers at that point. So, I set out to make some contacts.

When recruiters heard the word "lawyer," they quickly transferred me to to the legal department, even though I said I didn't want to do that. It became really frustrating. There was often a TOTAL disconnect between myself and many of the corporate recruiters/companies.

I ended up at a job fair at my alma mater...just to talk to some people and see what was out there. As I was preparing to leave, after two hours of shaking hands, learning about companies, etc, a recruiter started visiting with me. I really liked what he had to say, but they had no opportunities I would have been interested in...until he called me a week later. To make a long story short, I took my first non-legal job as a communications strategist for a national insurance company two months after I left the practice of law. (I know; I'm weird that I don't name my employers on my blog). After three extremely rewarding years of working there, I moved to a similar role at a financial institution (where I am now), but I will always think of that recruiter and that job as some of the best things that ever happened to me. :) (As an aside, I still keep my law license current... I mean.. I earned it, right? And you never know...)

So this was a rant, but I just can't believe it's been 5 years! I actually had another blog back then (I started blogging WAY back in the day), but I ended up starting this one after I left the firm for a variety of reasons. I just went back and revisited the first post I ever wrote on this blog and thought I'd post it below. :) (So I guess this is sort of a happy birthday to my blog, too..haha). :)

Being a "real" person....:) 4/09/2007

When I graduated law school, someone once humorously said:

"How does it feel to be a REAL person now?!"

Maybe I should have felt like a "real" person.. coming of age..graduating..blah blah...etc.. but in reality, I was totally dreading it. I had NO idea what I was doing.. as all of you know. I felt like, while I had a GREAT job and a GREAT opportunity there, my passion for it had totally died..at least in terms of that job. I kept praying it would come back...but it never really did. So, here I am.. about a year later.. and I resigned from my employer last week. Those of you who know me, know the whole story from beginning to end....from May to now and know I'm not exactly a quitter...even when I'm miserable...All in all, I was there 4 years and now, after the shock of a lifetime in resigning from my job for many reasons, I am truly starting to feel like that "real" person that someone alluded to last year. :) I'm pretty freaked out, but hey... everything happens for a reason, right?! :) So, chin up on my end....and prepare to read about my job search on your end!

I got tired of my blog being easily found on google.. and also of having to be rather g-rated since lots of people had the address (at my former employer especially). So, while you shouldnt prepare yourself for any triple x ratings, I can finally speak more freely! :)

One month later: cohabitation update

Can you believe it's been a little over a month since Eric and I moved in together?! Time is flying!

Living together has actually been pretty great so far! I mean... It hasn't been rainbows and starbursts shooting from our house or anything cheesy-bananas, but I just mean it's been quite seamless and positive. :) We get along really well, respect each other's space, love hanging out, and it's really just been more of a non-event than I expected, which is a good thing. :)

That said, I have some pretty funny photos to update the last month...

Things we've learned about each other: 

1. Eric can sleep anywhere, anytime. I already knew this, but I'm getting plenty of examples on my iPhone now... lol!

Another update: throw pillows on the sofas :)

 2.  Apparently, I rip into boxes like the honey badger when I'm hungry. I was making fun of something Eric did when he proceeded to pull out all the boxes I've recently opened and say "What the hell happened to these?"

3. I steal Eric's cups... a lot. We have plenty of glasses, but sometimes we're lazy and use plastic. Yeah yeah.. I know we're bad for the environment. We don't have a dishwasher, people. Anyhoo... Mr. Eric thought he was oh-so-funny when he did this the other day.... 

Please note: This does not dissuade me. 

 4. Eric is getting used to Gracie dog being around all the time... and she LOVES him. He says "get down" or "go over there" and she just lays down on his lap... haha... She knows how to charm him; that's for sure.

Deep conversations tonight 

 5. And a really fun update! We obviously aren't too tired of each other....because we just booked a vacation! WAHOO!

Barbados summer 2012 here we come! 

We found a sweet deal (Yes, I'm 30 and I just said "sweet deal") to travel to the land that produced Rihanna. We originally found a really cheap trip to St. Thomas and then realized the flights at that price were so affordable b/c they had a zillion layovers and about 30 minutes to make connections. So, even if we made it to St. Thomas, we were worried our luggage wouldn't. Eric got to googling and found a great deal for the same price to Barbados! Annnnd done!

We haven't really done much at night on our last few trips, mostly b/c we adventured all day. This time, we plan to do a lot more r&r. It looks like there's lots of little local bands that play at night, fish fry events, etc. So, I was already in...

...but then we found out their version of Carnival is going on while we're there.

Boom. (I've started saying "boom" a lot. Just go with it).

Called Crop Up, the month-long event promises lots of food fairs, bands, and entertainment. The photo above is from the finale of last year's event. We won't be there for any of that craziness. The other street parties aren't that insane. (I looked that up. I mean.. I want SOME fun, but not to channel my freshman year in college).

I wonder if I need a costume. I kinda want one. With some of those feathers in the photo.

It should be noted that it's 10:49 p.m....and I'm still in my workout clothes I wore after work. I should probably go clean myself before Eric realizes I smell. (Kidding...kinda). I hope you're gearing up for a warm weekend to welcome April! I know I am!

"Even though you're a nice girl...

...that doesn't mean you can't have evil legs."

;)

Last night, I did my first "walk of shame" at Crossfit! 400m of walking lunges. Rule: You can't move forward unless you're lunging. 

I finished last...and a little more slowly than I wanted...but I finished. 

And it hurts. A lot. But, really... it hurts so good... haha.. :) 

Yes, those are frozen hash browns. On my legs. It helped for a little bit. Until they started thawing. ;)  

I wore knee pads for the workout since your knee has to touch during the lunge. (Cement + lunges + bare knees = bad idea). I gave them to a friend who arrived for the class after mine and didn't bring any knee pads. She sent me the following hilarious text afterwards:

"The knee pads were the clutch! It made the walk of shame so much better. I can't imagine how bad it would have been without them! Thank you!" 

Then, 20 seconds later, she sent another text: 

"If someone read that last text and didn't know what we were talking about, that would seem like the most colorful text I've sent in years." 

hahahahahaha.. 

Stole this from my gym's photos on facebook. :) 

I might never be a Crossfit ninja because I only go a couple of times a week (and sometimes can only make it once) but seriously...best workouts ever...and I love it. As twisted as this sounds, it's really fun! And I feel so great afterwards...even when I'm so sore that it makes me laugh uncomfortably.. haha! The people are a major part of what makes it so awesome; I really dig the culture at my gym. :) And it makes me want to work out harder when I'm at my other gym on my own. 

If you've ever thought about trying Crossfit, I strongly encourage you to just go for it! I never thought I'd love it as much as I do. :)

I'm going to go attempt to stretch my legs now. Peace. *throwing up peace sign like a thug* ;) 

Weekend Recap!

Holy busy/productive weekend! 

This weekend...

* went do dinner with some girl friends

* found some curtains (finally!!)

* found a new sunburst mirror (b/c my DIY project was a total flop, but whatever. I have photos of the flop. They're entertaining. I'll post sometime.)

* took Gracie dog for two long walks

* went on a long overdue and fantastic date night with Eric :)

* saw Hunger Games again (Whatever. Don't judge.)

* found some decorative touches for the house

* went to the grocery store

* cleaned the casa 

* spray painted two attempted DIY projects (TBD). 

* helped Eric with yard work

I thought I'd just do a bullet list instead of ramble.. :) And below are a few pics to go along with the bullets... 

Maria and me at the midnight premiere of Hunger Games on Thursday

Dinner on Friday night with Laura, Kristy, Sara...and Kristy's adorable little guy, Roman!

So, Eric and I got to thinking....and couldn't remember the last time we'd hate a nice date night. Sure, we grab casual Mexican food or attend dinners with friends for birthdays, etc. But, we couldn't remember the last time we'd sat down together at a nice restaurant one-on-one, sipping wine and leisurely enjoying dinner. I honestly think it was before Christmas. Bananas! This year is flying. So, Eric planned a date night for us at The Canebrake, a fabulous restaurant near Ft. Gibson lake. Well, it's actually a little lake resort/retreat, but the restaurant there is pretty fabulous and it's always fun to go somewhere different than the norm.

I heart spray tans. 

Self timed. Obviously. 

I even went and got a fun new dress b/c well...why not. :) I totally needed something bright and cheery (Just ignore me while I rationalize my purchase). The only bummer is the material.. I wish it was a little thicker or nicer, but whatever. It's a fun little cotton dress and will likely come with me on vacation. Yup, you read that right.. Eric and I are close to booking low key beach vacay! Usually, I want to explore and yada yada, but I really just want to plop my arse on a beach and sip cocktails this year.

Oh and check out the curtains and mirror I found this weekend! Curtains are JCP Home and mirror was at Garden Ridge. Hello awesome deals!

Hope you had a good spring weekend, friends! 

Inspired by Pinterest...

Not project-making inspired, but actually inspired. :) 

Thought I'd share some good quotes and thoughts I've re-pinned recently. 

And this last one is just because I still have Hunger Games on the brain!

PS.. The movie was AWESOME...(Bold, underlined and italicized...b/c well.. that's as emphatic as I can get in text form ;) ).  I think it was well worth my 3 a.m. bedtime! Did you see it? What did you think?

Happy weekend, friends!

What I'm loving Wednesday

Whoa two posts in two days.. Things are gettin' crazy around these parts! ;) 

Thought I'd pop in for a quick What I'm loving Wednesday post! 

1. I'm loving that my friend, Maria, and I are going to see the Hunger Games tomorrow at midnight!! Well, technically it's Friday at midnight, but you get it. I'm so excited! When I saw Twilight, the theater smelled a little like a high school gym class and I'm sure this crowd will be similar, but whatever! I kinda want to wear something themed.. I mean why not go all out, right? TBD on that though b/c I'm feeling kinda lazy... haha... 

2. I'm kinda loving my new foundation! I'm only a week in, so still in testing mode, but so far so good.I know I've blogged about my adoration for Hourglass. I still love it, but honestly.. it's kinda pricey ($55/bottle). And it's also a tinge heavy for summer for me. So, after reading about the new Benefit Hello Flawless foundation that just came out, I thought I'd give it a go. So far, so good! They advise using a brush to apply, which I already do for foundation, so that works for me. I tried it with just my fingers and I definitely agree that a brush is a must. The finish is totally different with the brush...more airbrushed-looking.

The only real downfall so far is the consistency when it comes out of the bottle. It's a little liquidy. It goes on really well and doesn't look watery on my face at all though, so I think it's just going to be getting used to the different consistency. Reviews said it makes your complexion look dewy and fresh. I'll agree with that! It doesn't seem to be as long-wearing as the hourglass, but that's alright b/c it's a lighter foundation so that's to be expected. Plus, I like the lighter feel for summer. I read that some people really like the Benefit Hello Flawless powder with it, so I've been contemplating getting that, too. Anyway, for a week in, I'm pretty pleased with this little foundation!

Via Sephora

3. GCB. I'd heard lots of chatter about GCB, so thought I'd watch the pilot last weekend. I ended up watching the pilot AND the second episode...and eagerly awaiting the third to air on Sunday. Totally digging it! :) Do you watch?

4. In reference to my post yesterday, I'm loving that I'm going spray tanning after work..*cheesy smile*  I told myself I can't get into this pattern of spray tanning all the time b/c it's expensive yada yada, but I really want to right now dangit. Sooooo, I'm giving in. T-minus 6 hours to a bronzed glow.... ;) I already apologized to Eric for the brown tint my skin will leave on the sheets tonight. Why does safe tanning have to be so messy?

5. This photo I tweeted yesterday of Eric and Gracie dog. He'd been out of town and I think she missed him.... :) He laid down, booted up his laptop and within 5 seconds, she was trying to come say hello... :)

What about you? What are you loving today?

My first world problems...

Have you seen this site? It's hilarious. My entire post for today could probably be on it, but whatever...

Things I want... 

* A tan. I.want.a.tan. My days of being carefree and stupid tanning beds are long-over, but oh how I want a bronzed glow. Slathering on lotions to have a hint of color is becoming frustrating..and smelly. 

* I want it to stop raining and be 75 degrees again. Thanks in advance, Mother Nature. 

* A beach vacation. This directly corresponds with my first want above regarding a tan. 

* A lamp for my desk. I work in a grey cube dungeon. (You like me even though I'm overdramatic). 

* To learn how to sew. I've found some awesome fabric for curtains, pillows, etc, but I have no idea how to sew. Well.. I took home-ec, but if you saw the apron I made, you'd agree with me that I have no idea how to sew. 

* Some rain boots. (Directly corresponds to my second bullet point). 

* To watch the Walking Dead season finale. Eric was out of town, so I wanted for him to get back to watch it b/c we always watch it together. (If you're going "awww" and thinking that's cute, stop and think that the show is about zombies eating people. Still as cute? haha! ) 

* To watch the Pretty Little Liars season finale. (My television taste runs the gamut :) ). We got rid of cable b/c we have Netflix and AppleTV and Hulu, but I don't have a season pass for PLL. So, I'm waiting until today when it goes live on Hulu. I can't wait to find out who A is! 

Okay, enough of my slightly random insignificant desires... haha...

Happy Tuesday, friends!