Moving Day!

This will be my last post on Adventures in Newlywed.

Because I've moved to a fabulous new site!

Please visit me HERE from this moment forward.

Work Trip!

Hello my lovelies! I'm off to sunny...warm...breezy... well, I'm off to Minnesota :) Not sure what the weather is like, but I'm guessing cooler than Dallas.

Here's what I packed - think I guessed right?

Nanette Lepore.

Nanette.

I just love your clothes, but they are so freakin' expensive that I typically cannot afford to adorn myself in your floral-y, bow-bedecked gorgeousness.



But thanks to Anthropologie, this $375 dress now hangs in my closet, and it only cost my poor little wallet $89. Can you try harder to make this <$100 pricing standard for more of your delicious creations?

Thanks, love you, kisses.

OMG.

LOVE this show. Fran Drescher is my style icon, for reals. Love those outfits!!! Animal prints, bright colors, sequins, high hemlines... I love it all :)

My Favorite Actress. (After Meryl Streep, of Course)

The girls and I are going to see this movie tomorrow:



Which excites me, because I absolutely ADORE Rachel McAdams... but also worries me a bit, because I think this may be a crying movie. I hate crying in movies, but always get suckered into going to them, and end up bawling my eyes out for 124 minutes of sadness. (Hello, P.S. I Love You!)

But again, I'm going because I love Rachel McAdams, and would go see a movie about a hand puppet and a WalMart bag if she was in it. (That, and I don't want to miss Saturday morning matinee with the girls! Love ya'll!)

Regina - the meanest Mean Girl ever. LOVED this movie. For real.



The blonde period. I personally think she looks almost as good as a blonde as she does with her natural brown hair. That, my friends, is a hard trick to pull off. (Is it just me, or does she look like a prettier Sienna Miller here?)



I can't pull off red lipstick - but she kind of makes me want to try it?



And for the love of Pete - would ya'll just get back together, get married, and have a genetically perfect child (or three)?

Anyone else going to see the Time Traveler's Wife this weekend?

Wow.

You know those days where you just feel so blessed and happy?
I'm having one of those days.
Hope you are too.

Mad Mad Men.

Several people have told me how wonderful "Mad Men" is, and that I would simply love it if I would just give it a try...

But truth be told, I'm scared to start watching it. Because I'm frightened that I'll want every. single. outfit. that the girls wear. I've already got the 50's body type, I refuse to leave the house without a full face of makeup, and I have ALWAYS been a strong believer in a good floral print dress with some heels.

Oh dear. I think I'll have to start watching it anyway.

The Reason Why.

Dear Newlywed Husband,

In exactly one month from today we will have been married for a whole year! It doesn't seem like it's been that long, does it?

Probably because I love you so much...

~I love you because you never forget to kiss me goodbye in the morning, or hello at night.

~I love you for trying to always make me laugh when I am having a bad day.

~I love that you are so totally and completely silly around babies - you instantly start making funny faces and tickling them...and it makes me want to see you with our future babies.

~I love your work ethic, and how you treat everyone fairly and with patience and compassion.

~I love how you look when you first wake up - bright-eyed and messy hair.

~I love that you never, ever make me drive when we are in the car together, because you know how much I hate driving.

~I love that you are manly enough to adore Nascar, yet metro enough to know what Valentino is.

~I love that you have the same stupid sense of humor as I do - and will laugh when I ask if you are 'happy like a clam' or 'crabby like a crab'.

~I love your smile, because you smile with your eyes, and not just your mouth.

~I love the way you hold the door for me, and everyone within a 15 foot radius.

~I love that you treat a waiter, valet, or anyone in the service industry with the same level of respect that you would give the president of the biggest company in the country.

~I love the fact that you not only refused to be intimidated by my loud, overwhelming family, but that you actually thought they were awesome. (which they are :)

~I love you for planning huge, elaborate vacations to Europe or South America with me... and then agreeing that we should just go to the beach and drink pina coladas.

~I love you for never making me worry about who will provide for our family.

~I love that you tell me that I remind you of Catherine Zeta Jones, when in reality I resemble Karen Walker from Will & Grace.

~I love that you have never complained about my cooking, and have eaten everything I have ever served you with a smile and a 'Wow honey, this is delicious'!

~I love that you let me watch Will & Grace re-runs in bed, even though I fall asleep within the first 5 minutes.

~I love that we have been married almost a year, and it seems as though it has been forever, but at the same time just an instant ago that we said 'I do'.

Happy almost anniversary honey.

Love,

Your Wife.

Anthro at Home.

Oh Anthropologie. I love you so. If only Newlywed Husband would let me have more of your fabulous home products in our house... but he has deemed most of your beautiful furnishings as being too 'girly'.

Sigh. A girl can dream, though.

{What Newlywed Husband doesn't know is that when the babies come... and our first girl is born...then all bets are off. He won't be able to see through all of the antiqued white furniture, ruffles, and floral prints... }

Now I'm On My Soap Box, and I'm Not Getting Off.

Remember this little post I wrote last week? About the offensive bumper sticker?

Well, I struck a chord with someone, and it's caused me to do a lot of deep thinking regarding that post... with my conclusion being that I not only stand behind the opinions expressed, but feel even more strongly about them now than I did last week.

Here is a [paraphrased] look at one of the comments from a reader (please go to the original post to read the full comment):

"I think a church has no business in the political arena. As I said before they can influence the hearts and minds of their congregation but shouldn't go beyond that. "

This statement frightens me to my very core, because it represents how we, as a country have become so focused on being politically correct. We are constantly worrying about not offending anyone by saying the word "God", or "religion", that we have lost sight of the very values upon which our founding fathers built this nation!

Some are so concerned with keeping religion and politics separate that attempts have been made to remove the words "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, and "In God We Trust" from our currency. Words that make a statement about the beliefs that this nation was founded upon, and what has held us together through wars, natural disasters, and financial crisis.

Please do not assume that I believe that everyone should be a Christian, or that everyone should even be religious!

But by saying that in America, land of free speech and democracy, a church should not have a political voice simply because it is a tax exempt organization is discrimination at the most basic level there is.

There are countless non-profits out there that speak to political issues such as these:

• stem cell research
• abortion
• abuse/domestic violence
• animal rights
  

All of these organizations exist because the people who support them feel strongly about HELPING SOMEONE OR SOMETHING. This is why they qualify for non-profit status, because their programs and efforts go towards bettering our nation/world.

Now, if I'm not mistaken, one of the most important things you learn in church is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Sounds like helping someone, right? Every church you can think of has outreach programs, medical assistance programs, abuse counselors... etc - right?

I fully support each and every one of these organizations in having the right to speak freely and openly in both political and non-political arenas. Why should a church not have the same right? They are not trying to convert or 'force Jesus' on anyone, but simply fighting to preserve the values and belief system that our country was founded upon.

Just because a church does not pay taxes does not mean that it is not contributing to the good of society through outreach programs and countless ministries that help those in need. They SHOULD have a political voice - based on the Constitutional right to free speech.

What do you think?

P.S. I promise this will be the last political-ish blog, I truly hate talking about politics, and try to avoid the topic at all costs. But, I also feel strongly about the right to free speech for EVERYONE, tax-exempt organization or not.... :)

What if...

Madonna, Courtney Love, and Fran Drescher were all genetically combined to make one person?

Would she look like this?

Discuss.

Bon Appetit!

Just saw Julie/Julia...and it reaffirms my belief that Meryl Streep is the most amazing actress on Planet Earth.

Happy Saturday!

Friday Savings!

White House Black Market has sooooooooooooo much cute stuff on sale right now... and if you enter the code "8889" when you check out it will take 20% off your entire order!

Don't tell Newlywed Husband I know this.

I Fought the Law...And I Won.

On my way to work yesterday, I got pulled over for running a red light - stink!

I was turning left, and got stuck behind a semi, so I couldn't see the light when I entered the intersection...and it just happened to be red (which, in case you are wondering, is the wrong color for a traffic signal light to be when you are in the intersection).

Mr. Nice Police Officer runs my plates, and walks up to have me sign the ticket, OBLIVIOUS to the fact that I'm conjuring up my best, "Please don't give me a ticket, because I'm just a cute little innocent girl" face. He has one of those new-fangled evil little ticket machines that looks like the little electronic device that UPS men carry to deliver packages.

I sign the electronic signature pad, and he pushes the 'Print' button to print my copy of the ticket.

...aannnnddddd nothing happens.

He tries again. Still nothing.

Mr. Nice Police Officer decides that letting me off with a warning is easier than trying to diagnose the printer malfunction on his evil little machine, so he voids the ticket in the system and lets me go on my (now) merry way.

Newlywed Wife - 1

evil little machine - 0

Jeans Thursday!

It's Jeans Thursday! (Why? Because I said so.)

Tweet...Not So Much.

DUDE! What is wrong with Twitter today?

Am I the only one who can't get it to work?

The Offensive Bumper.

*Disclaimer: I try to keep my political/religious/fact that I think all khaki pants should be burned views to myself. But occasionally there arises an issue upon which I simply cannot keep quiet. (If you know me in real life, you know that I censor myself on the blog tremendously, I typically am the first to open my mouth, and have never shied away from debate. But, I try to keep the blog more of a fun, lighthearted endeavor - instead of a soap box for my personal views.)*

So I'm driving to work this morning (and yes, the traffic was horrible, thankssomuchforasking), and I happen to veer into a lane directly behind a car that had this bumper sticker on its back bumper:

{Let's just take a moment to remember that I did spend a large part of my career thus far in the retail side of the auto industry. Therefore, the sight of any bumper sticker makes me cringe, just for purely aesthetic reasons. But I digress.}

The big reason this bumper sticker makes me cringe? The blatant, blanket stereotype represented on a 4"x4" piece of adhesive paper.

There are several things you should know right now:

• I am a card-carrying true Southern Baptist girl
• I reside in Texas
• I fully support the NRA (sorry, just threw that one in to stir up trouble :)

Several more things you should know about me:

• I fully support the gay community, and one's right to choose who they love
• I do NOT support Perez Hilton (please don't confuse the above statement)
• I think women should have the right to choose - particularly in extenuating circumstances

And I would openly share all of this information with the gentleman who found it so necessary to share his clearly skewed views on his bumper for all the world to see. Because although I would consider myself fairly conservative, I do see the other side of many issues. But in addition to sharing my personal views, I'd like to share with him the following:

YES, churches do not pay taxes.
NEITHER does the Red Cross.
YES, christian camps do not pay taxes.
NEITHER does the Boys & Girls Club.
YES, many churches, especially here in the Bible Belt have endowments in the millions of $$$.
SO do many others, including the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, endowment of $38 billion.
YES, most churches have some type of political voice. (I should know, my pastor was the president of the Southern Baptist convention for several years).
SO does every other non-profit organization, from FEMA, Amnesty International (if conducting research and generating action about human rights issues isn't typically political, I don't know what is), to PETA (HELLO - does anyone think throwing paint on someone's personal property is ok just because you don't agree with it?)

So, Mr. I-Feel-The-Need-To-Spout-Off-My-Opinions-Without-Doing-My-Research, next time you want to slap another unsightly and untrue bumper sticker on your car, maybe think with your head instead of your.... :)

Thoughts? Opinions? This is a rare occasion that you will hear me speak on such a weighty topic, so if you have something to say, speak now or forever hold your peace!

EDITED TO ADD: Someone made the comment that FEMA is a government agency not a non-profit, I apologize for the error, and have replaced it in my argument with a true non-profit agency, Amnesty International.

Please also note that I am not trying to say that one non-profit is better, or more helpful to the general population, but just that all non-profits exist (in theory) to better mankind. Whether they have a religious view or not.

For example, many churches have after school programs and summer programs for children in underprivileged areas. So do many non-profit organizations. It is up to each family to participate in whatever organization they choose, and just like we have the choice of where to shop for groceries or where to send our children to school, it is up to each person or family to choose what works best for them. If you have a problem with a religious message, then choose the secular non-profit for the assistance you need. If you are religious, and feel as though you would be more comfortable in that environment, then choose that path.

For the record, Red Cross Workers, FEMA workers, and deacons/volunteers from religious groups all across the nation have responded to every national disaster across the nation. Not one is better than the other, but saying that religious groups do not have a right to take a political stand, while supporting the rights of other secular non-profits and government agencies to take the same stands is definitely discrimination.

EDITED ONCE AGAIN TO ADD: Just in case you were wondering, Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization, and one of their primary donors happens to be the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (Refer to the comments if you are wondering why I bring this up.) Abortion is a major political and religious issue, and I believe that if I did not before, then I have now made my point.

Silly Questions...

Someone sent this to me...and I thought I'd post it just for fun :)

~What is your salad dressing of choice?~
Bleu Cheese - Newlywed Husband thinks this is disgusting...

~What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?~
Oh, Mi Cocina WITHOUT QUESTION! {Or The Palm. Or Javier's}.

~What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it?~
Chips & Salsa from Chili's or Mi Cocina

~What are your pizza toppings of choice?~
I'm not a huge fan of pizza (gasp! I know!), but will occasionally partake in a spicy sausage/basil/goat cheese pie - that''s the North Beach at Fireside Pies for all you Dallas-ites.

~What do you like to put on your toast?~
I'll be honest, I really don't remember the last time I ate toast...

~How many televisions are in your house?~
2 - and I'm lobbying for one in the master bedroom so I can watch my Will & Grace re-runs in bed...

~What color cell phone do you have?~
Pink. Of Course.

~Are you right-handed or left-handed?~
right

~Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Ew, this is a nasty question! But, in case you are curious, nothing.

~What is the last heavy item you lifted?~
a 24 pack of bottled water. is it sad that I consider that heavy?

~Have you ever been knocked unconscious?~
Not to my knowledge?

~If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?~
Absolutely not! I'm already paranoid enough as it is!

~If you could change your name, what would you change it to?~
I wouldn't, my name is super cute as it is...I think anyway...

~Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?~
Can I chase it with an entire bottle of Tums?

~Last run-in with a cop?~
I have lots of respect for the law, except those idiots on traffic patrol that get some kind of pleasure out of pulling over a nice, sweet little girl who is only exceeding the speed limit by a few mph instead of pulling over the van with no license plates filled with drug-dealer-looking men. {I'm not annoyed at all, can you tell?}

~Last person you talked to?~
My office-mate - and I wasn't very polite. But he wasn't very helpful. So there.

~Last person you hugged?~
Newlywed Husband this morning on my way out the door for work. (Winston got a kiss on the snout :)

~Favorite Season?~
I love them all, except spring - no holidays + horrible allergies make me want to just sleep until Summer!

~Holiday?~
Christmas, of course!

~Day of the week?~
Sunday - because it's the only day Newlywed Husband and I are both off work!

~Month?~
September - it's just starting to consistently be below 90 degrees here and it's also our wedding anniversary month.

~First place you went this morning?~
Starbucks for a venti skinny vanilla latte

~What's the last movie you saw?~
The Ugly Truth with FFW...we both drooled over Gerard Butler the entire flick!

~Do you smile often?~
Of course!

~Do you always answer your phone?~
Oh no - I'm definitely a screener!

~It's four in the morning and you get a text message who is it?~
Doesn't happen anymore... thank goodness!

~If you could change your eye color what would it be?~
Blue! I've ALWAYS wanted to have dark hair and blue eyes - a la' Megan Fox.

~What flavor drink do you get at Sonic?~
Diet Cherry Coke - the Route 44 size (oops:)

~Do you own a digital camera?~
Of course! And it's pink.

~Have you ever had a pet fish?~
yes, 2 of them. Bubbles and Miss Kitty.

~Favorite Christmas song?~
White Christmas, of course!

~What's on your wish list for your birthday?~
Wow, that's a long way away...but I'll take anything from Valentino or Lilly!

~Can you do push ups?~
Yes, but why on earth would I?

~Can you do a chin up?~
No, and why on earth would I?

~Does the future make you more nervous or excited?~
Excited!

~Do you have any saved texts?~
Nope, I get new phones too often.

~Ever been in a car wreck?~
Yep, a couple of them (Don't worry, I've only been the driver of the car once)

~Do you have an accent?~
I've been told, yes.

~What is the last song to make you cry?~
Sara Beth by Rascal Flatts. Makes me bawl every time!

~Plans tonight?~
Work out (ha!), and lots of household chores because the Husband is working late.

~Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?~
Yes, but only in retrospect.

~Name 3 things you bought yesterday?~
Diet coke (x2), Snackwells cookies, and a pack of trident white gum (the blue flavor)

~Have you ever been given roses?~
yes, by my sweet husband on our 1st Valentine's Day together!

~Current worry?~
That I will never get to have babies and not have to work. (Newlywed Husband promises yes, but I still worry...)

~Current hate right now?~
The fact that I have not yet started working from home full time (supposedly coming soon), and have to share an office.

~Met someone who changed your life?~
Yes, more than one person!

~How did you bring in the New Year?~
At the Gaylord Hotel bash - super fun and I fully recommend it!

~What were you doing 12 AM last night?~
sleeping

~What was the first thing you thought when you woke up?~
This whole working from home thing needs to happen sooner rather than later!

I tag ANYONE who wants to play!

Fall Must-Have's - Volume 2.

Blech. We are set to have 3 straight days of 100+ degree weather here in Dallas...

...and yet I soldier on with my fall must-have's. {Miss yesterday's? Catch up here.}

Can someone bring me an iced skinny vanilla latte from Starbucks? Or a grape sno-cone? That'd be great, thanks.

Thoughts?

Hmmm.

Am I the only one who thinks that Lindsay Lohan looks more like a 50 year old woman than a young 20-something?

Fall Must-Have's - Volume 1.

It's August. I live in TX. This is typically by far the hottest month of the entire year - and by hot I mean 100+ degrees almost every day with a humidity level that makes you want to slap somebody.

So what am I doing to distract myself from the everlasting, disgusting, gag-inducing heat?

• Drinking 3,746 Diet Cokes.
• Eating TCBY for at least 1 meal/day.
• Driving Newlywed Husband crazy by insisting on sleeping with a GIANT fan blowing directly on the bed).

Oh...and thinking about all of the fabulous fall clothes I can wear when the weather finally (will it ever?) turns cool again!

Here are some of my must-buys for fall:

What clothes are you coveting for fall?

Weekend Recap. 5 Words or Less.

1. Chips + queso - ate too much.

2. Lake Athens, have mild sunburn.

3. Lake Athens. so. much. fun.

4. Bought 4 pairs of jeans!

5. The Gap + discount rocks!

6. Houston's and a great martini...

7. Met Mrs. Preppy!

8. So in love with Husband.

9. Need more sleep.

10. Stay tuned for big changes!