Happy Friday!

Its been such a long, tedious week for me--I am so happy that Friday has finally arrived! I've got no big plans this weekend. Hopefully just enjoying the nice weather and getting a few things done around the house. I laid out my new symmetrical frame wall yesterday, but was too chicken to make that many holes in my wall, so today I'm planning to try out some of the sticky command strips. Hopefully they work! I'll report back with my progress. I'm also heading to the library today to pick up my new book--very excited about that! I was going to start The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but I heard it was depressing and I really want to read something light and happy right now. I'm hoping the Happiness Project will fit the bill.

I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy yourselves!

xoxo

Feeling Inspired

I've been suffering through an abnormally long (seeming) workweek--its only Wednesday!--and I've been thinking more about something I can do to jazz up my house a little bit. After I moved in, I was really terrible about hanging pictures, but now I'm feeling inspired to create a small gallery wall in my bedroom. I have a bunch of 4x6 matching white Ikea frames, so I think I'm going to attempt something organized and symmetrical with them. We'll see what I come up with maybe Friday or sometime this weekend!

A few inspiring rooms:

Tonight I'm heading over to Sips n' Strokes with a few Wake Forest friends to do a pretty painting and have Mexican food for dinner! Sounds like a winning combo to me :) I'm having a hard time focusing at the office this afternoon, so I'm daydreaming about my painting and looking forward to having some social time with friends.

But seriously, is it the weekend yet? Does anyone else feel like this week will never end? I hope I'm not alone!

Updates

I can't believe we've almost made it through the end of January already! Atlanta has been really lucky so far, weather-wise. Only a few really cold days, but mostly in the 50s and 60s. I'll take that in January any time. Although we're almost a month into the new year, I'm still happy to report that I'm feeling really motivated to work on all of my 2012 goals. Lately I've:

-Lost a couple of pounds. Not much, but something.
-Joined a gym! I'm actually really excited about this.
-Have not shopped. At all. No clothes, home items, nothing. I am most proud of this one!
-Have been saving money other ways as well--less eating out!
-Reserved a copy of The Happiness Project at the library (saving money and reading more). Excited about this one too...picking up my copy tonight!
-Doing a painting party/girls' wine night tomorrow night. This counts as taking a class, right?

Lots of fun things happening over here. I had a bummer of a day yesterday, for various (mostly work related reasons), so I'm happy that today is a new, happy day, and that I can think about all the wonderful things I'm doing with my life in 2012. Its easy to get bogged down by the little things, but always important to remember all the good.

Now I want to focus on the Great Closet Cleanout and donate/consign some things that are not perfect for me. I need to get over my want for quantity in the closet, and shoot more for quality items that I love. Working on this next, and working more on shopping in my own closet!

How are your resolutions holding up? Any awesome stories or tips to share?

Shower Success

The bridal shower I hosted for Julie on Saturday went really well! We ended up with a good size group of ladies, we ate lots of yummy food (that my mom helped me prepare) and we did plenty of socializing, and even played a game! I thought everything turned out really well. Here's how it went:

Greetings, mix & mingle.
Eat!
Open gifts.
How-well-do-you-know-the-bride game.
More eating & mingling.

Menu:
-Chocolate sour cream cupcakes with cream cheese icing (YUM)
-Fruit Salad
-Raw veggies with cucumber dill dip
-Pinapple pecan cheese ball
-Fillo cups with chicken salad
-Sausage balls

I would definitely recommend this menu, or a similar one, if you are hosting a shower for up to about 25 people. We had more food than we needed, but leftovers are always good :)

Pictures to come soon. The bride-to-be and I wore the same dress! I guess that's what happens when you've known each other for over 2o years.

Weekend Trip

I'm excited to be headed home to NC tomorrow for a 3 day weekend visit (even though I was just there for the holidays). Its going to be a very special trip, because I'm hosting a bridal shower for my best friend from childhood, Julie, who is getting married in March, and so sweetly asked me to be her maid of honor. I am so excited for my shower, and for her to get hitched in just a couple of months! I have all the food planned, but I'm still lacking on games/other entertaining activities. Any thoughts or suggestions? I'll happily take anything you have to offer!

Louisiana, continued.

Louisiana

I'm in Southern Louisiana this week for work, and having a great time. Unfortunately for my diet, I've been eating everything in sight. Not quite in line with my 2012 goals, but I have been to the hotel gym for the past 2 days (which is 2 days more than I would normally go), so I am feeling a little more proud of myself. Last summer I was in this area--but a little further out into the Bayou, not near civilization, and I bought a local school fundraiser cookbook. I've been reinspired to start using it again. I have eaten some of the most delicious food this week so far (catfish, gumbo, po boys, stuffed crab...and let's not even discuss the bread pudding). Today at lunch I had rice dressing for the first time, and it was insanely good. I think I'm going to try a recipe for it soon once I get home--and maybe attempt to healthify it? We'll see. In the mean time, I'm looking forward to a dinner of fruit and yogurt tonight, and another gym trip :)