Mishmash of Summer Vacations Planned!

While I sit in my cold office while it rains outside, I'm dreaming of of sun and summer.

For this Summer we've have FOUR exciting but random mini-vacations planned. I just finished booking two of them today!

Kicking off the summer - Chilling, tanning, and floating at the Squaw Peak Hilton in Phoenix, AZ. Just the two of us.

Can you say laaaaazy river?

Next Up - My Family Reunion in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri at my Uncle's Lake house.

I heart boat-up bars.

Next - His family camping trip in Ft. Stevens, Oregon.

This is posh camping with hot showers. What else would expect from me?

Finally - Anniversary Weekend at the Hilton San Diego Resort (where we got married)!

I can actually enjoy the amazing property we got married at without the wedding stress. Amen!

None of these are too long or too pricey. The current economic conditions can't support our dream trip to Greece, but I'm really really excited about all of our cool little trips!

(Actually, now that I look at it all, I see one unifying theme in these trips -- water. I've always loved being near water. Too funny.)

What fun trips do you have planned this summer? Is the economy impacting your plans at all?

You Rock My World!

I just saw that I now have 100 followers! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for reading my blog! I'm so happy that I've met so many awesome bloggy friends in these past couple of months. I talk to my husband about you all like I "know" you in "real life." But seriously, you guys rock!



I’m so honored that Sweet, Sassy, and Always Classy gave me the “Honest Scrap Award”. As part of this award I have to list at 10 honest things about myself. I tried to pick new fun facts that I didn't list here, here or here. So here goes...

1. I like to cook, but rarely do. Since I travel for work a lot I hardly have a chance to buy fresh food and make meals before I leave town again. Our fridge pretty much only has condiments and beer in it. Sad.
2. After a fairly secular upbringing, I became a follower of Jesus when I was 21-years-old. I now consider my relationship with God the most important thing my life.
3. For the last five years I’ve keep a “Scrapbook Diary” (I’ll post more about this some other time). I fill it with items I cut out of magazines and paste together to express my life/mood at that time. It’s actually a really cathartic thing to do and cool memory to have.
4. I have a great sense of direction. I rarely get lost driving and have the “grid” of Southern California pretty much memorized.
5. In college I lived in my giant 65-girl Sorority house for two years and sometimes I really miss those crazy days.
6. I read “The Economist” weekly since my Husband has a subscription, but I’m always a week behind since he reads the most current week, and I get that one after he’s done.
7. I get really motion-sick, especially in cars. I almost always volunteer to drive when my friends and I go someplace because of this.
8. My parents are both Professors and sometimes I feel a little guilty for not perusing a degree beyond my BA (but I guess there’s still time right?)
9. I’ve seen the movie “Jerry Maguire” at least 30 times. For some reason I became obsessed with it High School, still watch it from time to time, and can often find situations to quote it.
10. I got a sewing machine for Christmas, but I have still not opened up the box it's in. I think I’m kind of scared to start using it my own.

The also received the "This Blog Measures Up" award from Shalay.




Thanks so much girls! You are such sweethearts!

Bedroom Inspiration

Sorry to disappoint... this post is about bedroom decor inspiration...

In mid-2008 I saw this bedroom in a Crate and Barrel catalog:


(I just pulled this image from crateandbarrel.com)

I remember loving with bright blue walls and the dark furniture -- But I never consciously tried to copy this room.

Well I must have ingrained that image pretty deep in my mind, because I'm finally done decorating our bedroom and this is what is looks like:



Isn't that crazy?!

Just so you know, I love love love our bedroom! The blue walls make me so happy and the chocolate furniture contrasts oh-so-nicely. We can see the Pacific Ocean while laying in bed, which perfectly ties in with the blue decor.

Also, this is my first "adult" bedroom -- meaning this the first bedroom I've had where the bed is in the middle of the room and has two nightstands (hey! This could be one of my "Signs of Adulthood"!). I guess that what happens when you need "his" and "her" sides.

What has inspired your bedroom decor?

UPDATE: In case you were wondering... the paint is Behr's Brilliant Sea, the furniture is the Polo Set from Plummers, and the bedspread is The Plaza Bedding from Z Gallerie.

Travel Tip Thursday - Saving Money on Flights

Today is travel day for me! I love heading home!

Ok, let's talk TIPS...

One of the first things you should book when planning a trip are your flights. It's usually the most or second most expensive part of your journey and it's often hardest to change.

You can save serious $$$ on your air travel if you follow some key tips:

• Book your flights at least 21 days in advance (they are rare sales day-of, but your best and safest bet is at least 21 days out).
• Shop around for flights on Kayak.com. Kayak is not like Expedia -- they don't sell tickets, they just show you the matrix of flights across airlines and travel companies to your destination.
• Look for airports near your destination that might be cheaper to fly into (ex: Boston vs. Providence... Long Beach or Burbank vs. Los Angeles).
• Choose flights on a Tues, Weds, or Saturday -- these will likely be the cheapest tickets because people fly least on these days.
• Understand the rules regarding baggage fees on the airline you want to book. Yes, many airlines now CHARGE you (about $15-$20) to check even one bag. Each additional bag costs as well. So do overweight bags. So be savvy about WHAT you airline charges for so you don't end up paying more than planned. A $200 ticket could end up costing a lot more with bag fees, seat fees, and change fees. I found a great website that shows which airlines charge what for bags.
• Bring your own food. Airlines no longer provide meals for passengers. Many airlines allow you to buy expensive snack boxes, but there is no "free lunch" so to speak. Pack sandwiches, chips, or other non-liquid items so you don't end up starving or paying $8 for some cheese and crackers (like I did once on an American Airlines flight).
  

Best Airline Deal in the Skies: Southwest Airlines

I know that they have a reputation for being a "low-cost carrier" but I LUV southwest.*

They have this whole "No Hidden Fees" Program:

• No First Bag Check Fee
• No Second Bag Check Fee
• No Change Fee
• No window or aisle seat fee
• No phone reservation fee
• No snack/drink fee (yay for peanuts and sparkling water!)

The best part is the no change fee. Since I travel a lot for work, I change my flights a lot because of meetings or other commitments. When you change your flight from one flight to another on Southwest you are only change a fare difference (sometime there is not even a difference) and NO change fee. Other airlines will charge you $50-$100 JUST to change your flight plus the fare difference. Boo!

I also like picking my own seat on Southwest (by checking in 24 hours in advance you can reserve an "A" boarding pass which allows you board in the first group of people). That way I can avoid the screaming baby or the sketchy looking dude.

I also love their Rapid Rewards, but that's another whole post.

If you have any questions about air travel or any general travel questions that you want me to answer, just leave a comment and I will give "As" to your "Qs" next week, along with the post I have planned.

*I do not work for Southwest Airlines, nor do any of my friends of family. I do not consult for or own stock in Southwest Airlines. I have not been paid in any form of monetary or non-monetary rewards from Southwest Airlines to write about them on this blog. I am simply a loyal customer.

WWW and Diet Soda

I know I've slacked the past couple of weeks in doing Weight Watchers Wednesday... but I'm back!



I went to my WW Meeting on Monday and in two weeks I'd lost two pounds! Yay! I'm now only about 2 lbs from my goal-weight. Those stubborn last few!

At the WW meeting we got in a discussion about beverages and the WW points in various beverages. Eventually we ended up debating diet soda.

Diet soda has zero points, but according to our leader there are several studies that say that the fake sugar in diet soda that sets you up to crave real sugar and you end up eating more sugary things and gaining weight. Some ladies in the meeting strongly disagreed with these studies and some had anecdotes of losing weight just from cutting diet soda.

I'm not a big soda drinker, but I have a personal anecdote about fake sugars... about a year ago I quit putting artificial sweetener in my daily coffee (I put non-fat milk in only) and quit eating my daily non-fat yogurt with aspartame in it (now I eat the more natural low-calorie yogurt). My sweets cravings were noticeably reduced and I lost about 5 lbs around that time.

So what do you guys think about fake sugars? Diet Soda - friend or foe?

I Love Blogging!

Getting to "know" all of my bloggy friends over the past few months has been so awesome and such a blessing! I may not comment on all of your blogs all the time, but you all are constant source of inspiration, laughs, information and fun!

Speaking of fun... The stars have aligned and three of my ABSOLUTE favorite bloggers, Mrs. Newlywed, Mojito Maven, and Erin are ALL holding awesome giveaways right now. These girls are so sweet and generous!

First up: Mrs. Newlywed @ Misadventures of a Newlywed is doing a Lilly Pullitzer Stationary Giveaway. So fun! Go over to her blog to enter by Feb. 4th!



Next up: Mojito Maven @ Make Mine a Mojito is doing Fat Witch Bakery Valentine's Day giveaway! These look delicious! Check out her blog to enter by Feb. 8th!




Finally: Erin @ Blue-Eyed Bride is doing a Valentine's Day Giveaway of Hanky Panky Panties! Cruise over to her blog to enter by Feb. 9th! Can I just say that I am DYING to win this one. And I'd venture a guess that the Mr. wants me to win too. :-D







Switching gears a bit... I blogged a while back about one of my favorite Bloggers, Kelly and her baby Harper. Sweet Harper is making a miraculously speedy recovery. This story has been such a source of inspiration and joy for me. I was definitely on my knees for this amazing family and it turns out that 30,000 people around the blogosphere and world were too. About two-thousand years ago Jesus said, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20) and early this year God showed the power of coming together in prayer through beautiful baby Harper.

Our Wedding Day - Part Two: Cocktail Hour and Photography

Once the ceremony was over the guests went to cocktail hour.


And we went to take pictures!

When I booked our photog, I knew I didn't want "generic" shots. So I hired an awesome photog who does many styles including photojournalistic and industrial.

Here are a couple of our "industrial" shots. I think they look like something from a magazine...



And, because we're a super beachin' couple, we got some fun candids and posed shots on the beach too...



We also took pictures with the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

My Bridesmaids were my two best friends from Elementary School and two best friends from college. My matron of honor was my best friend from Kindergarten!

They all wore silk chiffon halter dresses by Maggie London from Nordstrom, in the color "Clear Pacific" (turquoise). I loved summery and feminine they were!


The Groomsmen were the Mr's three younger brothers and his best friend from college. His Best Man was his best friend from preschool!

They wore traditional black tuxes with turquoise vests under them.