One Man's Trash...

...is another man's treasure, or so was the case on Saturday afternoon. My mom called me early Saturday morn to see if I would be interested in going to a few estate sales with her in Highland Park. Though estate sales are fun to peruse (mainly because I am nosy and like checking out other people's houses), I didn't really feel like going because I am trying to save as much money as possible for when I am a broke substitute teacher....and it is torturous to go shopping when you don't have money! However, I decided I had nothing better to do that afternoon, so I told her I'd go...and before I left, Mason gave me a $100 to take just in case I found something I couldn't live without. Do I have the sweetest boyfriend in the world or what??

The first estate sale didn't really have too much to offer, so we moved on to the next. It was day 2 of the sale at the second house we went to and everything was 50% off. Score! First, I found a skinny, brown snake skin belt that goes perfectly with a new dress I got for my birthday (price:$3). Then, I found a lovely antique lamp that I couldn't live without. I have been searching high and low for a pale yellow lamp to match our pale yellow paisley bed spread. The lamp I found was huge - I thought it would be way too big at first but it really fits nicely on my bedroom dresser. The original price was $95, but with 50% off, the price was $47.50.

{our Pottery Barn bedspread}

I also found a really unique antique nightstand, but wasnt sure if it would fit in my living room, so I left without it. As soon as I got home though I decided that I really wanted it afterall, so we went back crossing our finger that it would still be there and it was!! Yay! It was also originally $95, but again, came to $47.50 with the discount. I was one happy girl with all of my new purchases! A vintage lamp, an antique night stand, and a super cute belt for $98!! What a deal!! I am so excited about the new pieces and thank you, thank you to Mason, who lovingly supports his girlfriend's shopping addiction!!! Love you!! :)

Sayonara Summer!

Today I wore a white skirt to work, trying to get one more wear out of it before the clock strikes LABOR DAY! And PSH to those of you out there who think that rule is old fashioned... as I told you previously, I am a rule follower! ;) I must say, that as the sun sets on another summer season, this one has been pretty good to us. Although we didn't venture outside the great state of Texas, we did enjoy our very first summer living together. Tonight, Mason and I are going to grab some margs to toast the end of summer and the beginning of a new season. There are potentially very BIG changes in our future that may or may not take place, but I'll let you know about that once I find out for sure! :)So to send out this blistering, summer season in style, I leave you with a quote from Gossip Girl that I love:

"They say summer love is fleeting, but sometimes what starts as a fling can lead to the real thing. A simple trip to the beach could be all it takes to clear our heads and open our hearts. And write a new ending to an old story. There are those who got burned by the heat. They just want to forget and start over. While there are others who want each moment to last forever. But everyone can agree on one thing: tans fade, highlights go dark and we all get sick of sand in our shoes. But the end of summer is the beginning of a new season. So we find ourselves looking to the future. You ain't seen nothin' yet. "

~XOXO, Gossip Girl

Slim Down By Summer Christmas

Mason and I made an agreement about a week ago that we were going to make a conscience effort to really start eating more healthily and work out on a more steady basis. It seems a little backwards to take on this challenge at the END of summer instead of at the beginning, but we're weird like that. Lately, we have been in somewhat of a rut, opting for dinner entrees that taste yummy instead of ones that are nutritious. Mase has this theory that if something is low in calories, then that means it is good for you. Every time he pulls out a box of his "Apple Dapples" cereal (the cheap version of Fruit Loops) for his late night snack, he insists that it is a healthy choice because it is less than 200 calories per bowl. Yes, Mason...200 calories of pure sugar...you might as well just pour a cup of maple syrup straight down your throat. ;) We actually don't do too bad on the weekdays. Where we really blow it is on the weekend. After a full week of grocery shopping and preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for 5 straight days, we are lazy and often find ourselves ordering pizza or driving to pick up a few "snacks" from our local Jack in the Box (...hanging my head in shame..)! And don't even get me started on the garbage we consume on Sundays after a full weekend of drinking and being worthless. I'd probably lose 15 lbs if we eliminated Sundays from the week.
But all this is about to be put to an end. We made a pact to not eat fast food (with the exception of Subway) for the rest of the year - unless we are taking a road trip (because I mean come on, it's not like we are going to pack a bag of carrot sticks to eat while we travel). So far, so good. We are on day 3 and have both stuck to the plan. My stomach is feeling flatter already. I haven't done any working out yet this week, per se, but we're taking baby steps here, people! Just you wait... Mason and I will have the hottest bods around come Christmas! We'll see you at the hot tub! ;)

The Second Most Beautiful Color!

While we all know that pink is THE best color in town, I must say that Burnt Orange is a very close second! ;).... and now I will finally be able to stockpile my closet with even more burnt orange apparel because the University Co-op is now open for business in Dallas!!! :) This is such exciting news to me! Every single football season I scour the racks to try and find cute, new dresses and accesories to wear during game days. It is almost like a competition at the tailgates to see who can find the cutest and most creative ways to incorporate burnt orange into their wardrobe! It is also very hard to find the official longhorn shade of burnt orange... Many stores offer a similar substitute but once you hit the tailgate you may find that your "burnt orange" resembles "boomer sooner red" a little more so than you had intended, oh the shame...! Now I can find all the latest longhorn fashions (in the correct hue) right in the comfort of my own backyard! Just one more reason to be excited for football season!!! 11 more days 'til kickoff!!! Hook 'em! :)

Engagement Parties, Baseball Games & Beauty Pageants

Mason and I headed back to Houston this weekend to attend Brian (one of his best friends from high school) and Kendl's engagement party! We had a good time hanging out with Mason's old high school buddies and Mase and Cameron both found out that they are going to be groomsmen in the wedding. So fun! :)
{Some good 'ol fashioned "shot gunning" to get the party started...}
{Lezlie and I at the engagment party...}
{The Happy Couple - Kendl & Brian}

After we got back to Dallas last night, Mason, Cameron and I headed out to the Frisco Rough Riders game (Dallas' minor league baseball team). Mason's company had hooked us up with front row seats, free dinner and free beer & wine. Can't beat that. It was a pretty good end to the weekend...even though I dropped a bbq rib all down the front of my dress - classy... ;)

After the game we all went home and watched Heidi Montag's incredible performance (that's some Monday morning sarcasm for you all in case you can't tell ;) at the Miss Universe pageant.

I was sad that Miss Venezuela won. I really thought Costa Rica had it in the bag... oh well. The best part was when the former Miss Universe tried to crown Miss Venezuela and accidently dropped the crown - ha, whoops... :)

Anyway, it's back to school time as of today and I am a little pouty that I am still sitting in an office and not in a classroom....sigh.... I'm very ready to start subbing!!! I'm still waiting to hear back from the two school districts I want to work for... it is taking about 3 weeks to do background checks... Hope you all had a great weekend and are enjoying the final days of summer! :)

"I'm Tired of Using Technology..."

...only kidding of course. Technology is great, once you figure it out. Yesterday, I finally took the plunge. I went to my local Sprint store and traded in this:
for this:

Oooooooo Awwwwww! This was a major moment for me. I have had my old phone for almost 3 entire years without losing it or breaking it. It has been trustworthy and reliable and has survived much abuse. I withstood the BlackBerry peer pressure for a long, long time, but finally gave in... and now I am hooked! Email, bbm, and brick breaker....what more could a girl ask for! I still have so much to learn about the BB world, but I already feel way more savvy than I did a day ago! ;)

Also, Time Warner was supposed to come to my apt yesterday to help me connect our laptop to our wireless network (I couldn't figure it out and had a few long and frustrating conversations with TWC technical help - with no results). Well my tech guy was a no show, but this morning I finally figured it out on my own! I am soo on a roll! Watch out Bill Gates!!! ;)

Sugar High!

Last night, I had a wonderful time celebrating my bday! Mason and I went to dinner at Trulucks, which was absolutely delish! It is Restaurant Week in Dallas so we were treated to a fab 4-course meal. They definitely went a little overboard with the desserts though. Mason and I each got a HUGE piece of cake that came with our prix-fixe menu options. Then, they proceeded to give me a chocolate mousse tart with rasberry sauce for my birthday AND a box of chocolate truffles! Seriously, it was ridiculous! I was embarassed by the absurd amount of desserts that were sitting on our table! :)Then when I got home, my Mom and sister brought over a box of Sprinkles Cupcakes! OMG people, I am going to gain 20 lbs in 2 days!!!! AND to top it off, Pokey-O's (a yummy ice cream shop located right next to SMU) is coming to my office building today and they are giving out free ice cream, sandwiched between two of their delicious homemade cookies... this is going to take some serious will power!!! Especially since I already ate a cupcake for breakfast - yikes! ;) Anyway, after dinner I finally opened all of my birthday presents. Mason had been begging me for days to open my present from him, but I am the type of person who likes to save all of my birthday presents and open them together in one grand present-opening session! I finally put Mason out of his misery and opened his gift. Look at what he got me!!!!! : Isn't it beautiful? It is a Marc Jacobs black handbag that he picked out all by himself! I am so proud of him for doing such a good job!! Love him!

My family also did a great job with the presents this year... I pretty much got every single thing that I had asked for. Pink iPod nano (check), iPod speaker dock (check), mirror from Z Gallerie (check), "Influence" book by the Olsens (check), running shorts (check) and a few other things as well! I am such a lucky girl! The only thing I didn't get was the scale - haha, prob a good thing...I need to wait at least a week or two before I start weighing myself with all of these desserts lurking around! Thanks to everyone for a memorable 25th bday! XOXO!

twenty.five

As of today, I have officially survived a quarter of a century. I always expected that I would feel way old when I finally reached this point in my life, but really, it feels pretty much the exact same... No new wrinkles, no gray hairs... I've still got it! ;)

Last night, I made Mason watch Sixteen Candles with me to "ring in" my 25th Bday! He had never seen it, nor had he even heard of it! I was like, "Are you kidding me!?!" and he's all, "I'm sure most people have never heard of this movie..." PSH!!! Boy is he wrong!!! It is a total birthday CLASSIC! Anyway, I sat him down and forced him to endure a little lesson in 80's pop culture - and he liked it! I LOVED it! I LOVE Jake Ryan! ;) And I LOVE this scene with the birthday cake on the table and the kiss! I just may make Mason re-enact it with me this evening, ha only kidding... (well, maybe... ;)

Anyway, this afternoon I am going to go to lunch with my friend Tara and the bossy. Then, this evening I am going to dinner with Mason and afterwards my mom and sister are coming over and I will open my b-day presents! Yay! Can't wait!!!

As promised, here are some pictures from my weekend celebration with friends:

Adrian brought me a bottle of bubbly to kick off the celebration!
She got me Pink Champagne! Very clever! And sweet! :)

Pretty ladies who came out for my bday!again, this time at Cretia's...
The only pic I took with Mason that night :(
I have the greatest group of friends! Thanks to: Mason, Cameron, Tara, Adrian, Brittany, Holly, JJ, John, Dustin, Lezlie, Michael, Kelli, Scott, Chad, Kendra, and Homer for coming out to celebrate with me this weekend!! :)

PS: Like this year's bday dress?? I got it at Urban! I thought it looked like a little bday cupcake with all the pink and purple ruffles! ;)

Birthday Blues and Miracles

I had so much fun (perhaps a little too much ;) celebrating my birthday this weekend with my fabulous friends. However, I woke up on Sunday morning and realized that I did not have my camera. I called the bar we were at and the cab company and neither had seen it... I was so sad, because not only was I going to have to buy a new camera, but I would have also lost all of my birthday pictures along with all the pictures I had taken this summer and hadn't yet developed!!

BUT, I got a text this morning from my friend Tara, letting me know that our other friend, JJ, somehow wound up with my camera! Hallelujah! It's a birthday miracle! :) Tomorrow I will post pictures from the weekend! Thanks to all of you for the b-day wishes!

Birthday Weekend! :)

It's FRIDAY!!! And not just any old Friday... the Friday of my Birthday weekend! ;) Ok, i swear I am not that obsessed with my bday (well, maybe a little...) , just excited for a fun-filled weekend!

Tonight, I am meeting up with the ladies for girl's dinner (location tbd), then maybe out for a few cocktails.

Saturday evening I have a large entourage group of friends that will join me for some bar/club hopping to celebrate my big 2-5! (I've got this year's bday dress ready to go! ;) We are kicking things off at Cretia's and then will decide where next to get our groove on from there...

and then on Sunday, those who still have a little bday fun left in them, are going to meet at Capitol Pub for a delicious birthday brunch/sunday funday! Can you say bottomless mimosas... yummm! ;)

Look for a full birthday weekend recap on Monday! :) Have a great weekend!!

Are you ready for some....

FOOTBALL!?! :)

Tonight is the kick-off for the Dallas Cowboys who play tonight in Oakland!!

While the start of football season is somewhat bitter sweet for me (sweet bc I enjoy watching Cowboy games and Texas Longhorn games, bitter bc Mason enjoys watching EVERY team's games), I am still excited bc it means that fall is quickly approaching! :)

Yay! Go Cowboys!!! Let's see how they fare this year without T.O. and Miss Simpson and with the addition of a new goliath-sized stadium (thanks Jerry ;)!

Major Career Change!

As of today, I have officially been working at my current job for two whole years! I work as a marketing assistant/secretary/mortgage loan processor/happy hour companion for my boss. It is just he and I in our tiny, yet swanky (we have a fully stocked bar ;) office. When I first started, bossy had pretty big plans for me and our company, but with the current economy and markets that have gone to hell and back we just have not had a steady in-flow of work and his need for me is pretty minimal at best. I realized about a year ago that I would need to start looking for a new career, one that would be more stable, long lasting and most importantly, fulfilling. That is when I decided to get certified to become a teacher.

I definitely thought it would be a lot easier than it has been. Along the way, many people have offered their encouragement, saying things like "there is a shortage of teachers, they always need more" or "they especially need math teachers, you'll definitely get hired". I too thought these exact things and believed I would be a shoe-in. Well, the fact that I am "alternatively-certified" (meaning I didn't get a degree in education) coupled with the fact that this economy has probably made this the most difficult year EVER to get a teaching position has really made my goal of becoming an educator a little harder to reach than I initially believed it would be. It is unlikely that I will get hired before school starts and so after much deliberation, I have decided that in the next month (probably around mid-Septemberish), I am going to quit my current job and become a substitute teacher!This is probably the scariest decision I have ever made. Leaving the security of a salaried position to work part-time with no stable income, no health benefits and no promise of a future job....ahhh! Scary as it is, I have decided that it is what I need to do to get my foot into the teaching world. I have sent countless emails (probably atleast 300), made many phone calls and even had interviews with human resources of various school districts and have concluded that the only real way to get a teaching job, is to actually be in their faces, meeting the principals, and showing them what a great teacher I have the potential to be. This just can not be conveyed in an email or resume. I have submitted my substitute application to two school districts (the two that I would most like to work for) hoping that by spreading myself out I will have steady subsitute jobs as well as an increased opportunity of getting a full-time teaching position.
I have weighed the pros and cons of this decision with Mason and my family over and over again (I'm sure they are sick of the topic by now), but they have been very supportive and agree that it is the best decision for me right now. There is always a chance that I will get hired during the school year sometime, but if not, I'm hoping that substituting will at least land me a full-time job by next school year! I just don't want to waste any more time waiting for my ship to come in. It's time to start being more proactive and really start working towards my dream of becoming a teacher. If that means that I have to be a broke substitute for a few months to a year, then so be it... ;)

Wow, that was a long post... but it IS a major life change and although I am a little nervous, I am mostly excited! I still need to break the news to my boss (even though I know he already knows, but he doesn't know that I know he knows, haha). Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

I want, I want, I want! - part 2

I was out for a run on the Katy Trail this morning, when all of a sudden I saw this little guyhanging out on one of the bridges. (Ok, so not this exact cat, but pretty close...) It was all I could do not to stuff him in my sports bra and run him straight back to my apartment!! Plus there were other people nearby, and I didn't need them tipping off the Katy Trail bike police that there was a crazy, cat woman on the loose! When I got home I texted Mason about my furry encounter and he told me I should have brought him home! Umm, hello... I so would have if I would have known that you would have in any way been agreeable to the idea. Anywho, so we agreed, through a text message (which is legally binding, of course) that when I get a teaching job we can get a kitty! Yippee Skippee!! :) Who knows... it may be a year before we bring home a sweet, furry bundle of joy, but I am glad that it is at least a possibility! Yay! :)

I want, I want, I want!

Got my new Nordy catalog in the mail just last week. Still wiping the drool from my mouth. Here are a few of my favorite items that I am coveting for the fall:

Mmmm...I can just about smell the scent of autumn in the air... and can almost see the crisp, green bills falling off of my money tree... *sigh* A girl can dream... ;)

Dinner Parties

On Saturday I went to the Dallas pub. library to pick up my copy of Julie & Julia that I had placed on hold. I am about halfway through with it and it is really, really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a foodie or a blogger (or both) - that is the premise of the book. It's about Julie Powell's whirlwind year of attempting to cook every recipe in the Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cook book and blogging about it.

It makes me want to get in the kitchen with a dainty little apron and cook a delicious, gourmet meal. It also makes me want to throw lots of dinner parties with friends and family....which is exactly what we did on Saturday evening. Mason and I hosted a small din party for my mom, sister, brother and his girlfriend. We cooked both honey dijon AND roasted rasberry chipotle pork tenderloins (we couldn't decide which sounded better so we opted for both, yum yum), mashed potatoes (my specialty ;) and grilled asparagus. It was very tastey and we had fun playing host and hostess for the evening. I really can not wait until we have a house someday so that we can host bigger and better dinner parties. Things got a little cramped in our smallish apt with so many people!!

Here is a picture from a dinner party that Lauren Conrad recently hosted at her place. (photo compliments of twitter):

So presh!! I absolutely love her dining room furniture!! Totally my style! Anyway, hope you all had a great weekend... only 8 more days til my bday! Yay! :)

Birthday Dresses

Ever since I turned 21, I have endured the same battle each and every August... finding the perfect Birthday Dress!! You may think that this seems like a simple task, but I assure you, it is not. I live in Dallas, TX a large city with lots of fantastic shopping, however, come August, shops toss out their cute summer dresses and truck in the plaid jumpers and wool scarves for back-to-school season. Retailers just don't seem to undestand that summers in Texas can last well into October. Why not plan ahead and buy a cute dress in June or July, you ask...because that is just not how I roll! ;) If I buy a cute dress too far in advance I will inevitably end up wearing it for something else. Last August, I started shopping for my birthday dress a week before my birthday and I literally went to every single mall and every single boutique in all of Dallas and could not find one suitable dress to wear. I ended up buying something at the last minute that was ok, but def not my fav and certainly not worthy of a birthday dress. Anyway, this afternoon I am going to start my annual search for the perfect bday dress to ring in my 25th!! Hopefully, I'll be able to find something cute!! :) Here are some of my bday dresses from years past:{21st Birthday in Austin; dress from: BCBG}

{22nd Birthday in Austin; dress from: XXI ;) }

{23rd Birthday in Vegas; dress from: Cache}

{24th Birthday in Dallas; dress from: Ella Bleu - a boutique in Dallas}

{25th Birthday in Dallas; dress from: TBD}

I'll let you know how it goes, wish me luck! ;)

Do Not Be Fooled...

... a meal replacement shake, does NOT replace a meal. I had one for lunch (because I was too lazy this morning to make and bring something from home) and am about to gnaw my arm off. I am officially hangry (hungry + angry)....

...and it is only 3:30pm. Grrrgrhghrgghrghgh (sorry, that was the rumble coming from my angry stomach)! ;)

Dancing Backup for Beyonce

Last night, I took a little journey to the gym. I had used studying as an excuse for far too long as a perfectly good reason NOT to work out. Well, I was out of excuses. So after work, I changed into my gym clothes and made the short, yet painful drive to the gym. I wanted to go to the step aerobics class being held at 5:45, because to ease myself back into the ol' fitness routine I need a group class with an instructor to hold me accountable for working out for an entire hour. I know, I know...step aerobics is sooo 80's, but I LOVE it. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I used to dance during high school and step is about as close as I can get to choreographed routines these days.

Anyway, I got to the gym a little early, went to the classroom and started putting together my step when a 24 hour fitness employee came in to tell me that step class had been cancelled because the instructor had pulled his back. Grrrrr! Are you telling me that I got ready and drove all the way up here sans iPOD (bc I thought I'd be taking a class) and now it's CANCELLED?!?!? I can not work out w/o an iPOD. It'd be like eating soup without a spoon - it's possible, but it's not pleasant. To try and appease me the 24 hour employee said that at 6:00 a girl was going to come in and teach a hip hop class instead, so I could stay for that if I wanted. Well I'm not a fan of last minute change of plans, but I decided to try it out and diddle daddled around the gym (mainly just looking at the shiny equipment) until 6pm rolled around.

I am soo glad that I stayed. The girl who taught hip hop was really good and I liked it so much that I stayed for the 7 o'clock hip hop class that she was teaching as well. She taught us the dance to Beyonce's "Single Ladies"! So much fun!! My dreaded trip to the gym turned into a really fun 2 hour workout/dance session! Such a good start to the week - and of course I couldn't wait to get home to show Mason that "if he liked it then he shoulda putta ring on it!" :)

Here's the Beyonce "Single Ladies" video. We didn't learn this exact dance, but a similar version:

"Just like a circus..."

I had a pretty relaxing, non-studying weekend, which was nice. Friday night, Mase and I went and got some sushi to-go from our fav sushi spot and drank wine and watched as the rain came pouring down outside. Then on Saturday, Mason surprised me with tickets to go see the Circus!! Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey are in town this week showcasing "the Greatest Show on Earth" at American Airlines Center. Mason hadn't been to the circus since he was young and thought it would be a good change of pace from our typical bar-hopping, beer-guzzling weekends! For the most part it was entertaining, though at times a little cheesy and more geared for the kiddos. I was telling Mase that they should do "adult" nights at the circus where they cut down on the goofy clown acts and do some more risque entertainment. If this teaching thing doesn't work out I'll think about joining the circus so I can give them my two cents! ;)

Aside from the clowns, there were some pretty amazing acts. I always love watching the trapeeze artists and the contortionists, but I really enjoyed the animals the most. It is still mind boggleing how they can train wild animals like tigers and elephants! All in all it was a nice, wholesome night spent under the big top! :)