i feel like every august that its moving time. i don't know why. maybe because my leases for the last few years have all expired during the hottest month of the year. 

this year, not only are we moving, but my brother is too. we know where we are headed next, he doesn't. 

luckily for my brother, we have space. our once 25% full garage is now 99% full and the man cave has some new additions as well. 

and for the house.. we are full. not only is my mom here helping out, but NB is staying here til further notice. there are now 3 doggies here. which i love and hate all at the same time. they all get along and once the 'new' wore off, they have all been extremely well behaved.

our new home has no signs of being evacuated... the guy living in there told CL that he was trying to get his lease extended through september.. um no. we signed a lease that starts on August 15th and you better bet i will knock that door in and start moving then. let's all just pray that this situation goes smooth.

i love having my bro around.. the air is constantly filled with acoustic guitar -which i LOVE and a buddy for CL to play video games with. 

now if i can keep enough food in the house for 2 growing boys... oy.

ah poop.

i don't have much time to post today.. i've been busy working and came home to a very poopie dog. bailey decided to use the restroom in her kennel then tap dance in it. gross. i know.

anyways, today my 5,000th visitor visited me today! how exciting-- although I think it was me because i totally caught the counter at a perfect 5,000. ha!

and the day has come! the cheapskate bible is on its way! wahoo! i LOVE ikea, which you all should know by now. they even personalized the cover for me.. although CL told me they personalized his email cover too...

my mom is coming in tomorrow (yay) to help NB pack/move. and im sure she is going to help me pack too :)

a wee bit of me wednesday!

{one} if you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be?fear. i think hate stems from the unknown and hate is taking over everything. if we didn't fear something we wouldn't necessarily hate it. {two} if you could go on vacation for the next month with an unlimited budget, where would you go?europe! italy, greece, france, england and back to spain-- plus i'd love to see morocco and japan. {three} cats or dogs?dogs! i am highly allergic to cats (except the katz boys, im not allergic to them!)  and i wouldn't want to think about not having molly around! she's the best!
{four} would you rather date a lot of people or be in a committed relationship?im going to go on a limb and say i am a relationship person. dating is just too much work. {five} would you rather own a luxury yacht or a private jet?yacht. EASY. i LOVE being on the water. and i'd rather have my feet firmly planted on water then floating through the air. {six} what was the last book you read?i am currently reading 'sex, drugs, and cocoa puffs' by chuck klosterman. its really good. on deck i have 'my booky wook' by russell brand and 'chelsea chelsea bang bang' by none other than chelsea handler. {seven} would you rather be really hot or really cold?i feel like lately i am ALWAYS cold, so maybe hot! but you know that will change... {eight} if you could change your name, what would you change it to?hmmmm... i really love my name, but if i had to, something really classic that has a fun nickname- like charlotte/ charlie {nine} what did you dream about last night?i do not remember ANY of my dreams from last night- i was exhausted! {ten} if you had to throw away either your tv or your computer, which would you throw away?my tv. you can totally watch netflix and tv on your computer!

happy weekend.

what a fabulous weekend! 

seriously. these last couple of weeks haven't exactly been blissful, and CL and I really needed a great weekend.. and we definitely got what we wanted. 

friday CL's team at work had won some $$ from microsoft, so they got to go zip-lining in wimberly, then bowling then friday night had a fancy team dinner, so he brought me home yummy food from gumbos- thanks microsoft!  he had to work his one saturday a month the next day, so we took it easy and stayed home and watched 'funny people'. it wasn't really funny, but it was worth a viewing.

saturday i started walking through the house to figure out exactly how horrible this move was going to be. and on top of everything, we still haven't been able to go see the new place. im not too worried, but still. we spent the late afternoon at our friend sid's pool- relaxing in the water, grilling some hot dogs, and just having fun. 

we decided to go out on saturday night... we started out at union park, which didn't last long due to the influx of dell people and the crappy 90s music that was so loud i couldn't even hear my own thoughts. yes, we are getting old. we high tailed it outta there and went to a wine bar. mulberry just might be my new favorite place in austin. its kind of tucked away, and it was blissful. the wine and beer list was awesome and priced great, the music was spot-on, and it was crowded, but not packed. we were there so long the bartender started giving us samples, which was super cool as well. after a great night with great friends, and lots of laughter, we closed the bar down and headed home.

sunday we had brunch at the roaring fork with my friend brittany and her fiance brandon. it was SO good to see them! they were in town for a wedding and spared an hour to eat and catch up. roaring fork may just have one of the best brunch menus in austin.. the 4 of us ate for $45. and it was delish. after brunch CL accompanied me to crate and barrel to get some 'work' done. testing out couches is a really tough gig i tell ya. we spent the rest of the day pulling down all our art work in the walls and packing up a few things. we grilled out on the pavilion at our place- it was so nice to sit outside, eat some yummy food, share a bottle of wine, and talk. we needed this weekend and it may or may not have saved us.

today is the day.

i can't procrastinate any more. we have got to start packing up the townhouse. take down the pictures on the wall or something to make it look like we are moving within a month. i know we cant clean the carpet or wax the floors or paint the walls back to white until the furniture is moved out, but we have got to get started.. on the garage or living room or something!! thank goodness what you see is what we have.. there is ZERO storage here!! 

ahhh. i hate moving. im stressed already!

proud mama.

today was molly's annual vet appointment! its always a little nerve-racking when they only have to go once a year or when something doesn't seem right. but good news! molly has a excellent, clean bill of health! the only negative things they said was that her hair cut was awful! haha thanks CL... she took all her shots like a champ, and all her tests came back negative! and she was such a good girl! im so proud!

so i stole this: why interior designers matter!

and i love it.

i snagged this off the IIDA Design Matters blog. and every single thing is true and makes me feel awesome about the career path i chose as a baylor bear!

(photo via google images)

enjoy!

10 reasons interior designers matter:

1. You are a combination of engineer and artist. Not only do you take into account safety and economy when designing a space, but you also create an aesthetic that can comfort and inspire.

2. Your work improves the lives of others. You design for the homebody and the workerbee, in addition to the aged, handicapped, and infirm. Whether you add light to a dark interior or design a beautiful and healthy working space, you make a difference in the lives of others.

3. You are continually learning and seeking answers. You take CEUs, discuss problems with your peers and research materials. You know that the profession is evolving, and you’re evolving with it.

4. You don’t settle for the tried and true. You push boundaries and discover new and better ways of doing things.

5. You provide a service. You work with clients who typically have little to no experience in design, and you find a way to turn their ideas into a tangible reality.

6. You pay attention to details. Whether you’re picking which carpet to use in a hotel hallway or what color to paint a hospital wall, you make each seemingly small decision count for the client’s health and happiness.

7. You explore what sustainable design can mean in the home and workplace. You’re debunking myths and testing new products, and you’re saving clients money along the way.

8. You’re a problem solver. Each project you work on is a new puzzle with a new set of challenges. As the designer, you’re in charge of making it work.

9. You’re collaborators. You’ve learned the value and benefits of teamwork, and how to process and connect disparate ideas into a working whole. Even if you work alone, you’re never really working alone. You have a network of peers that you turn to for advice and support along the way.

10. You work to change the public perception of Interior Designer vs. Interior Decorator. You refrain from sighing when your colleague’s friend learns you are an Interior Designer and asks you to suggest paint colors for her son’s room, and instead patiently explain qualifications, certifications and scope of experience. You are more than just a reality TV design star.

i love prizes!!

yay! another award!! i received this one from brittany! you should def check her blog out-- it keeps me entertained and i ALWAYS agree with the funny, true, crazy things she shares with everyone! thanks love!!

what will i be doing in 100 years?

hmm.. well hopefully i am married and starting a family. i hope to have done a little traveling... i've been itching to go somewhere- and soon! everyone is going on their honeymoons and i am green with envy! i want to be somewhere tropical!! i want to have a steady career wether that be teaching or designing.. both will do! i hope to be a homeowner of a fabulously re-designed mid-century home in austin with a yard. and maybe a pool.. unless the house is on the lake, then a hot tub will suffice! i hope to have a lofty sum in the savings acct so that i can shop for whatever i want, whenever i want. i'd hope that CL has been promoted like 100 times and is still enjoying his career at Dell. and i really hope to have a boat on lake austin. and i really just hope to be happy, loved and healthy!!

im honored to pass this along to:

kristen at all in my twenties

annamarie at big girl panties

and

jennifer at love, life & laughter with jenn!

a wee bit of me wednesday!

{one} if you could go on a road trip anywhere with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and where would you go?

hmmmm right now i'd like to escape to bora bora with CL. but i'd also love to take my mom back to europe. decisions.

{two} if you were stranded on a desert island, which one person would you bring with you?

that guy from man vs. wild. haha... 

{three} what's your earliest memory?

im sure there are others, but i remember in kindergarten getting in trouble for splashing water on some pansy kid when we were washing our hands. i had a blue jumper with flowers on. it was VERY stylish... hahahaha.

{four} what's the best advice you've ever received?

to keep your chin up. 

{five} if you could have an endless supply of food, what would you get?

ummm food? mainly of the italian, mexican, japanese and american varieties!

{six} would you rather be a famous musician or a famous actor?

actor. there are waaaaay cooler parties and red carpets to attend!! its all about the fashion!

{seven} if you could be a star athlete in any sport, which would you choose?

hmmm... tennis. or beach volleyball. those girls are all tall, tan, and gorgeous!

{eight} if you were offered the job of u.s. president, would you take it?

me? president? i can't even decide what i want for dinner. NO.

{nine} would you rather have the ability to fly or the ability to breathe underwater?

breathe underwater. that would save me the time, money and effort of all those scuba lessons i really want!

{ten} what music are you listening to today?

eh. the crappy radio kind. i can't even name one song i heard today.. its been a LONG day.

crap.

so im usually pretty on top of things when it comes to our fridge. i am always throwing left overs out and checking dates on things like milk, cheese and turkey. until today. i made a turkey sandwich for lunch, which is not out of the ordinary. a couple hours later i felt a little weird. and by the time CL came home from work i was flat out queasy. i was like hey CL 'i think there is something wrong with that turkey'... of course he was like

 'did you check the date?'

crap.

(photo via photobucket)

not only was the turkey expired, it was expired OVER A MONTH. 

i don't know what is worse.. eating over-a-month-old turkey, or knowing that i ate over-a-month-old turkey.

take it from me, check the date on ANYTHING perishable before you consume it!

one for the books.

this weekend was killer.

almost. 

it started off fun.. dinner at home on friday night to prepare for Saturday's river trip. i packed cake balls (which i will post about later..ugh) and sandwiches and chips for the float. we were in bed early.. because we have to be across town at 8:30am.. ugh.

(photo via google images)

we hit the road and of course we had to make one stop for river shoes for damon. which was fine because it was 10:30am and a little early to be slammin' beers on the water. we got in the water a little after noon and it seemed to be smooth sailing. we had a small, fun group, and things didn't seem as complicated as they usually are getting on the water. 

fast forward to the first falls. now, i am a 'pro' floater.. i have never been dumped out of my tube, and never been hurt on the water. until yesterday.

i hit the first set of falls and flipped out of my tube.. all i could hear as the water is tossing me like a rag doll was 'don't freak out'. i grabbed my hat and sunglasses and realized that my tube was over my head, upside down, and that in a few moments, i would be able to stand up, get back in my tube and breathe. drowning crisis averted. a few bumps and bruises have decided to join me. for now.

the second set of falls claimed CL, our cooler FULL of beer and water, his hat, & sunglasses, and robert and his hat and sunglasses as well. we had gone ahead and noticed beer floating and then CL swimming and not in his tube and realized that there was a problem. luckily some people helped us out and we re-claimed some of our beer and dignity and went on our way. thankfully our friends brought enough beer that we could share. after that we all needed a drink.

third falls. i can't even tell you how fast this happened, and how horrible it felt. i went down feet first (like usual) and was catapulted face first out of my tube. so here i am, getting tossed on rocks, boulders, and rushing water face down, in the water and hitting every inch of my body on everything in the water. CL grabbed my tube as a floatation device and tried fishing me out of the water. i have never felt so much pain. i literally put my head in my tube and did everything i could to not lose it. i banged my hip so hard i couldn't feel an entire leg. i am scratched everywhere. my hands look like i got in a bad fist fight. my legs are cut, scratched, and bruised beyond belief. and my body aches. and guess what? we still had 2 hours left on the river. we also lost damon on that fall.. he broke a toe and got pretty banged up as well.

after that, i was (obviously) in a foul mood and just tried to relax for the rest of the float. we made it back and standing up was horrible. my leg hurt (and still hurts) when i walk, and bending my knee is asking for a lot.

this float the river made us its bitches. this one's for you guadalupe 1st crossing to gruene.

we made it home and dropped our friends off and grabbed some much needed chinese food on the way home. needless to say, i was showered, peroxided, neosporened, tylenoled, and in bed by 10. 

sunday was exceptionally relaxing compared to the previous day's excitement. haha.

my birthday ring FINALLY came in!! we went to david yurman and picked it up and had a nice brunch at jaspers at the domain. i am so excited that not only was it ready, but if fit perfectly!! our waitress congratulated us on our engagement and we were like 'OH, no. haha' and i posted a picture that most of you saw and before i could put a caption or comment on it, it was spreading like wildfire that we were engaged.. we are not engaged!! its just a ring with diamonds. a promise ring. a commitment to CL. and thats where we will keep it for now.

i hope everyone else had a great weekend!! 'til monday... xoxo

all dogs go to heaven.

(photo via google images)

rip behr. 

you will be missed.

love your sister molly, brother rocket, and bailey.

and us humans too.

xoxo

(just in case you were wondering, behr was my dad's dog- molly and rockets brother. he was hit and left a couple days ago and went to doggie heaven before my dad found him after a thorough search.  please drive safely if you see an animal that has gotten out and is in the street. especially one with a collar and tag.)

a wee bit of me wednesday!

{one} do you believe in ghosts?

no. or i don't think i do. sometimes i swear they are moving things in my house, but for the most part, no.

{two} are you more of a talker or more of a listener?

it depends!! i know i can talk off CL's ears for sure! but i know im a great listener too!

{three} would you rather get up early or sleep late?

ahh.. sleep in! although it is GLORIOUS to get up early and get everything done before you would normally just be taking a shower...

{four} if you could instantly become an expert at one type of dance, what type would you choose?

ballroom dancing! salsa, waltz, quickstep.. i would LOVE to take lessons some day! 

{five} what's your favorite drink?

hmm... right now lemonade! but it used to be dr. pepper. and pepsi. and i love tito's vodka, its the best!

{six} if your house caught fire and you could only grab three things, what would they be?

since the dogs can walk on their own...my computer.. where all my photos are stored, my jewelry.. some things just cant be replaced, and my purse.. which usually has my planner, phone, notebook, etc. in it.. 

{seven} if you could only visit one restaurant for the next five years, which would it be?

oh gosh. probably a place like cafe express that serves a little of everything.. or the food court at whole foods-- does that count?

{eight} who inspires you the most?

lately myself. and i know that shouldn't count, but i think it does. im so much more self aware, and confident, that the thought of realizing i can succeed and do things inspires me!

{nine} if you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be?

john mayer, gwen stefani, john cusak. 

{ten} sneakers or sandals?

im a sucker for cute sneaks! and i own quite a few pairs.. but i also go weak for metallic, jewel adorned sandals!

 

liar liar.

(image via photobucket)

lets face it folks. we are allll liars. every last one of us. "why are you late", "ohh, umm, i got stopped at every light and there was an accident and a bird pooped on my car, and i cant arrive with poop on my car, so i had to have it cleaned". umm, sure. i know you have been in a situation like this, and if you deny it, your probably lying.

just sayin'...

where does it start and where, if ever, does it end?

we all tell small, white lies.. my fish was this big, and my car cost this much, and i adore my job and boss. i don't want to get married, im planning someone else's wedding. SURE. and while these types of lies don't hurt anyone, we pretend that its okay. but are they really?

and then there are the big lies. no im not sleeping with her (after you catch them in bed together), and no, i don't know why they are repossessing my car (after you didn't pay your car note). these are the lies that hurt. and they always seem to come from the ones you love or care for the most. 

{disclaimer: im using general "lies"; im not referring to anyone specific or using any thing in my life as an example... or am i?? ;) }

the reason im asking is that im at the point in my life where i don't want to be lied to. i want the whole truth and nothing but it. is that asking too much? is it too much to rather be upset or hurt by the truth then for the truth to be altered? it's like the saying 'it's easier to ask for permission than it is to ask for forgiveness'.. or the other way around, i can never remember. but its true. i'd rather it sting up front, then burn later.

(image via photobucket)

the internet and the generation that it has wholly swallowed has given us every chance to lie. no i didn't get that email (when you read it and deleted it), yes thats really me (or is it an airbrushed, enhanced version of yourself, or not yourself at all?) that wasn't me, someone hacked my computer (nope, it was you pretending to not be yourself). has this corrupted our entire generation? my guess is yes.

and lets not forget the stress lying can have on you. one lie leads to another and so forth. its never easy to keep track. constantly trying to stay one step ahead? no thanks.

and when is it okay to lie? or is it? 'oh your hair looks fabulous!' and 'no that dress doesn't make you look fat' and 'stain, what stain? you totally can't see it'... all okay lies? or no goes?

(image via google images)

so be honest. are you a liar, liar? what do you lie about? 

campiones!

congratulations to spain!

world cup champions 2010!!

viva espana!!

(photo via yahoo sports)

i wish i was back in madrid, like I was in 2008 when they won the eurocup. it was the most fun i've ever had. those spainards know how to celebrate!

a por ellos!!

la furia roja!

satur-daze.

for as a relaxing weekend that i had planned, its after 9pm and we are just settling down for dinner. im exhausted. we had planned on just hanging out and relaxing all day, but the closer and closer it gets to our move date, the more and more ansy I get. and that requires me planning, shopping, organizing, and driving CL nuts.

we got up late and right in time for the heat to really be obnoxious to start running errands. we had to get CL a ner hair do at birds, stop at the tattoo shop (just to chat.. i promise!), bed bath and beyond to finalize our new bedding selection (its SO fab! we decided to save $$ and not get a king size bed yet-- we figured new bedding and a new headboard would be much more reasonable), run by goodwill (did you know they have auctions? i didnt...) grab a quick bite, and then to ReStore.

If you have never been to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore and you are looking for project things, or stuff for your home, you need to check it out. We went to look for some old shutters to make a headboard out of (project photos coming much later!). i expected to find some busted, dirty, in-bad-shape shutters.. but i didnt. i found brand new, raw (unpainted) shutters!! for $4!! i was elated. we picked up a few lantern/camping "stoves" that i am turning into something fabulous (again, i'll let ya see them when they are finished!) and a cabinet door for a towel/bath robe hanger.

im so excited about all my projects, you have no idea. because i had been dragging CL around, i rewarded him with a trip to the record store.. and because i had to go return a pair of earrings at anthropologie across the street hah! we quick ran to lowes and picked up some spray paint and headed home to start the headboard. its coming along nicely!

spray paint is super finicky.. but, its so much easier and cleaner and evenly applied. i'll just have to be patient. since then i have been running around like a crazy making lists, trying to remember what we need to buy to fix this place up to move out, what we need for the new place, and all things in between. im so excited about this new start, i can't wait to move!

hope everyone enjoyed the sunshine today! im off to finish this bottle of wine with CL and unwind!

xoxo,

yesssssss.

finally. back to the grind. back to being busy. i cannot tell you all how wonderful it is to have things going on in my life again! being back in design, being back to having to use my planner-- everything. its amazing. it may only be contract, on-call, when-she-needs-help work, its the ultimate for me. networking, my friends, pays off. woo hoo!

now with actual things to do, my time for person things such as blogging, may take a small hit. but don't fret, when i have something to say, i have and will share!

hope everyone is staying as dry as possible. i know that here in the atx it has been dreary and rainy for days.

i had a wonderful dinner with my little bro tonight. its always nice when he spares an hour or two to catch up. he's seriously the best.

... its almost friday! hooray!

a wee bit of me wednesday!

{one} what's your dream car?hmm... right now its a red convertible mini cooper s.. butttttt my dream car would be an audi s5. in any color.
{two} who's your favorite musician? duh. john mayer. hands down.
{three} what was the best job you ever had? working for joei. she was awesome. 
{four} what youtube video made you laugh recently?what what in your butt?check it out...! {five} if you could ask God one question, what would you ask? well if i was talking to him, i'd be in heaven (i hope) so i'd ask him where all my peeps at? im sure it's not easy finding everyone up there!{six} if you won a million dollars, what would you do with it? oh gosh. pay off any and all debts that i have. build a house, give some to my parents & bro, and sit on the rest.{seven} what's the worst movie you've ever seen? i watched 'according to greta' on netflix the other day. i shut it off after about 10 mins. it was that bad.{eight} if you could have invented one thing, what would it have been? i say this ALL the time.... i should have invented that!! but i really wish i was behind air conditioning. {nine} what's the nicest thing someone's ever done for you?hmmmm... lately my mom has done some pretty awesome things for me. and CL sent me and mom flowers for our bdays.. that was pretty nice too! {ten} if you had the opportunity to live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose?probably my freshman year in college. knowing what i know now, things would probably be SO different. maybe not better or worse, but definitely different.

birthday weekend recap.

what an amazing birthday weekend! it was by far the best birthday yet! 

it all started thursday when my mom got into town. we laid low 'til i had a meeting that evening. we met up with my bro for some dinner at threadgills. next time NB orders the "daily special" he's probably going to look and see what it is first! the daily special and the featured daily item are two totally different meals.. good to know now! haha

friday we took a trip to san marcos to go to the outlets.. but of course stopped at dos gatos kolaches to see chase! if you are ever in san marcos, it is a must to get some kolaches there! they are SO good! chase didnt have much left, so we stole some day old kolaches and headed to river pub for some grub. (that rhymes and i didnt even mean it to! ha) river pub is an interesting place.. i mean it was noon and the table behind us was slamming tequila shots and pitchers of mexican martinis like it was no one's business. oh and did i mention they had little kids? hope they made it home safely! 

mom and i walked around the outlets long enough to dodge the rain, and exhaust ourselves. we both picked up little somethings for our birthdays. it was a lot of fun, but i forget how tiring shopping can get! we had to stop off at the apple store to "fix" moms phone.. too bad it wasn't broken, or stupid, or any other name we called it. it was us, and my inability to realize what version iPhone it was. apparently the newest update is not supported by all versions of iPhones. oops. we stayed in and ordered pizza, knowing that the next two days were going to be pretty hectic.

saturday we went and picked up my birthday cake at polkadots cupcake bakery. then we tried to check out a property in sola but when we pulled up we were laughing so hard, we immediately turned around and headed home to grab some lunch, go for a walk, nap, and get dressed.

we went to bess bistro for dinner.. OMG. YUMMY. it was seriously the best meal i've had in austin. if you haven't been, go. it was delicious. and a little lady named sandra bullock owns it. thanks for the birthday dessert sandy. it was delish.

we stopped and bought some mandatory sparklers before heading home. it was SO humid out that we lit 2 sparklers and inhaled enough sulfur to last an evening. 

sunday was my actual birthday (the 4th), so we started celebrating early.. breakfast with candles. CL gave me the greatest gift ever (no not a diamond...) he shaved bailey! she is now fuzz free, and i couldn't be happier! she likes it too.. shes cooler and loves being pet now. we sang and blew out candles (again) with my actual cake before heading downtown.

(before their haircuts.. with their festive bows!)

(after their haircuts! naked ladies! haha)

we had dinner reservations at la condesa.. fail. i read about this restaurant in a design magazine, which should have been my clue. not only was it extremely overpriced ($40 for 2 margaritas, a beer and a lame plate of "nachos") but nothing on the menu looked appetizing. needless to say, we read the menu, and jetted. we had planned on watching the fireworks at auditorium shores- it was awesome! we packed chairs, and a cooler of snacks and hung out on the lawn with about 100,000 other austonians. the symphony played and the fireworks were beautiful. it was the perfect end to the perfect day.

i hope all of you enjoyed your holiday weekend, i know i sure did!

and a shot out to my friend, fellow blogger and sorority sister Kaci- not only did she get engaged this weekend, but her now husband planned a whole wedding! we are patiently waiting for all the juicy details and photos! congrats!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!

happy 25th birthday to me!!

(image via google images)

...and happy 4th of july to everyone!

have fun and be safe!