Taking a Moment to be Thankful

My wonderful husband just texted me a sweet reminder that even though this house renovation isn't quite the "fun" we always imagined, that even though we shed a lot of tears over the past few months, that even though this apartment life is driving us freakin' bonkers, that even though the limited playtime we get with Burke in the evenings is on contractor-grade bleh carpet, that even though we second-guessed the decision to sell our perfectly good former house, that even though we have to twist our contractor's arm every single day to actually show up to work, that even though my career took an untimely-but-so-much-better path, that even though the weather is turning cool & all my fall clothes are in storage, that even though we're paying double house expenses for an apartment we can't stand & a house we can't live in, ultimately, we are doing everything for the right reason.

via luvocracy.com

In case we were doubting any of our decisions, one of the hoodlums from the old neighborhood was thoughtful enough to remind us last night. He decided to break into a home at 4am on our old street because he wanted the car parked out front. Ironically, that car did not belong to the person in that home, and fortunately, no one was harmed. But, it could've been our old house. It could've been Burke's room that the idiot stumbled into in the middle of the night.

And it wasn't. Praise God.

Facebook Timeline

sooo....has anyone else made the big change yet?

you've heard the rumors that Facebook will soon be transitioning everyone's profiles to the "timeline" format, right? i saw a presentation this fall introducing it and it reminds me of a comprehensive scrapbook your stalker-ish aunt suzy compiled for you since 3 years before your birth. but in the sweetest, most well-intentioned, innocent way.

well, if you're Type A like me, you want to be in control of that transition. those other folks can just let it happen to them, but not me. no sirree. nuh-uh.

though Facebook will be rolling it out over the next week or two, you can go ahead and update your profile to the timeline format now. it's super easy to do, but be warned that Type-Aers may lose a few hours making sure everything is just so. perfect. accurate. stalk your friends to make sure their timelines are accurate. i mean, what kind of friend has a sloppy timeline? geez.

want it? yeah, ya do. here's a super easy guide from mashable to get you to it. may the timeline be with you. once you set it up, you have 7 days before it goes live. this gives you time to perfect it. (as if you wouldn't do that in one sitting.)

via

 not sure what i'm talking about? well, Facebook is changing the way everyone views you. it will basically chronicle your life based on info you've provided, photos your friends have tagged you in along the way, places you've checked into, and well, some educated guessing. you have the control of editing what you want peeps to see, making sure things are accurate, and auto-editing every photo of yourself to be 7 pounds lighter, 97% muscle mass, + healthily glowed. okay, last part MIGHT be a lie.

don't like it? well, before you start complaining, a few things to remember:

• it's free to use
• it's your choice to use it
• they need to make money, and well, yeah, they'll probably know more about you now
• and they'll probably sell some insights to advertisers

privacy? well, you'll have to read their policy on that. i'm sure it's just as solid as your average million-plus member community on the internet. use it at your own risk, be smart. it is what it is.

bubbly + bling

i hosted a stella&dot party this weekend. it was a great excuse to get some girlfriends together, drink champagne, + play a little dress up.

my neighbor is a stella&dot stylist, and i met her at a friend's party this summer. at the time, i was shopping for a turquoise necklace to wear in my sister's wedding. i scored this fun number with the bumblebee brooch.

i also picked up cricket also bought me these pretty stackable rings. i've gotten so many compliments on them! i also scored this fabulous [and now retired] owl pendant necklace on sale .i actually bought it with the intention of gifting to my sis-in-law who is an owl-aholic. sorry jenn. talk about compliments. i saw it on "whitney" last week too.

i loved the bling, so it seemed like a fun idea to host one of my own. while cricket was sequestered upstairs with a cooler watching football, the girls giggled + tried on lots of jewelry while sipping champagne cocktails. some of my favorite pieces...

the la coco chain: (versatile and more bronze than the pic shows)

leather wrap bracelets:

 starry night pendant: (subtle sparkle for everyday)

 chantilly bracelet: (it has just the right amount of delicate sparkle in this show-stopping cuff)

the serpent bracelet: (for channeling my inner cleopatra)

see anything ya can't live without? you can shop directly from my neighbor's site, just enter my name as the hostess. orders arrive to your door in just 3-5 days, in a cute little box--perfect for gift-giving. shop away!
http://www.stelladot.com/sites/sarahjoy

family tree

yesterday, my mom told me that her cousin had traced our lineage to John Marshall AND Thomas Jefferson. that's pretty cool, right? the longest-standing chief justice and the 3rd US president...not too shabby. not to mention the writing of the Declaration of Independence. apparently cousin norma has documented it, unlike our long-standing family ruse that we're descendants of Betsy Ross. regardless, it probably explains a few things:

• why i cry every time i hear Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American" 
• my bossiness -- Marshall Law & all
• my sister's wordiness -- the Declaration of Independence author
• my family's penchant for "opposition" -- John & Thomas often disagreed

who are some of your distant relatives?

coolest birthday gift EVER

my birthday started off with breakfast in bed & some early morning gifts from Lula & Cricket. my team at work joined me for lunch where i told them the story of my mom's recent renovation effort.

two weeks ago, she was replacing some door trim in the garage apartment of my childhood home in El Dorado, Arkansas. the house was built in the 1920s, and i moved into the dilapidated backyard apartment during my junior year of high school. during the repair effort, they decided to move a wall, which resulted in the ceiling crashing down. oops.

[the treasure hole]

luckily, no one was hurt, and they found some random treasures buried away in the garage's attic. my parents bought the house from the original owner in the early 80s, so nothing had really been touched. down came a vintage bicycle, dress forms, lots of love letters to the builder's daughter, and much more random stuff.

as part of my birthday care package, Mom sent along a few of those letters. the first one we opened stopped us in our tracks.

[postmark june 16, 1924. check out the 2-cent stamp]

postmarked june 16, 1924, the handwritten letter to Miss Minnie Lee Mahony was carefully wrapped around a stack of vintage postcards of Lake Rabun. LAKE RABUN!!! WHERE WE GOT MARRIED. the letter describes Mr. Arrendale's fishing trip on the newly formed lake, complete with a "gasoline powered boat," in which he got sunburned due to the reflection from the sun. on the back of one of the postcards he'd scribbled "largest artificial lake in the country."

[the letter to Miss Minnie Lee describing a Lake Rabun fishing trip, circa 1924]

[postcards of lakemont, ga]

[postcard of the lake, circa 1924]

after we gained our breath, we called my mom. she had zero clue as to what that letter enclosed--she hadn't even read it. she just tossed in a few of those letters at the last minute for fun. WHAT?!?!?!

how is it possible that i spent 2 years sleeping underneath a box of old letters, this one in particular? a 90-year-old letter which described a lake i never knew existed 500+ miles away. how is it possible i'd move to georgia a few years later, start dating a boy who'd take me camping near that lake, and that we'd return a few years later to exchange vows on its shores? how, a few years after that, would my mom narrowly escape injury from a ceiling collapse only to discover a long-lost love letter & haphazardly send it back to georgia...where it originated in 1924? HUH?

[me + cricket saying our vows on the shores of lake rabun in 2009]

if i ever doubted a decision i'd made, ever questioned a turn my life took, ever wondered how i got so damn lucky...well, the answers were all in that unopened letter to Miss Minnie Lee Mahoney. it was simply just meant to be. it was written in the stars, or in the dusty letter hidden in the garage's attic.

happy anniversary to us!

we're tuckered out from an amazing 10 days in oregon celebrating my sis + new bro's wedding. but i'm not too tired to acknowledge the wonderful man i married two years ago today.

oregon pics coming soon, but first, a few reasons my hubs is a rock star in his own rite:

• he still makes me laugh every day
• he still waits on me to jump into freshly cleaned sheets, even if i'm taking a long time to get ready for bed
• he gives up "his" spot on the couch if i want to switch
• he still holds my hair back when necessary (though i like to think i've grown up a bit)
• he still takes out the garbage
• he still rubs my feet after a long day
• he still adores my family, even after 10 days in oregon
• he indulges my dance parties in our living room
• he makes delicious coffee
• he spoils the dog just as much as i do

as though our liver could handle it, we're celebrating this weekend up at the lake. in the midst of another couple saying their vows, we'll get to re-live ours in the very spot we tied the knot.

the art of negotiation

cricket's been talking about upgrading his wheels over the past few months. his 1998 pathfinder has been on its last leg for a while. it's a reliable vehicle, don't get me wrong, but it's 13 years old + soon to become a liability. he's taken great care of it over the years, but it's lately become our workhorse vehicle. i'm pretty sure dave ramsey would be proud of him.

cricket has had his eye on a toyota tacoma double cab TRD. we hope to have a family soon, so the 4 doors of the double cab were the only logical option for a truck. despite the shortened bed, it'd be the best for our future. we don't do a lot of hauling, so it'd be a good compromise. besides, the extended bed might not fit in the driveway. we've had our eye on autotrader.com app and other sites over the past few weeks + used the handy-dandy feature to save trucks we liked within the app (which also saves them on the desktop site).

last weekend, we had to take my car into the dealership to get the AC fixed. so while we were on dealer row, we ventured to the world toyota dealership down the road to check out their used inventory. we'd seen a few online + figured we'd check them out in person. uh oh. THE truck was there. just not in the used section. brand spankin' new.

being in the auto industry, i'd heard that the economy's downturn had created an increased demand for used vehicles. folks can't get financing, so used car demand rises. as do prices. so when we saw a brand spankin' new truck with all the required bells + whistles on the lot for less than some were listed online, despite being 2-3 years older, we were shocked.

we thought about it over the week + did a lot of research. there was really no rhyme or reason why a brand new model was listed for just a tiny bit more than a 2008 with similar accessories.

so we went back on saturday for a test drive. cricket hadn't driven one yet + we figured it'd be smart to at least drive one before pressing on with the search. we pulled into the lot at 5:30pm with zero intention to purchase a vehicle. we were planning to go to the mall afterwards.

we left the lot at 9:37pm with a brand new truck. "magnetic gray metallic" (charcoal gray) toyota TRD sport double cab. 16 miles on it (4 of which were from the test drive). the trim line, the price, + the payment we wanted. needless to say, the mall was closed.

[moving into the new truck]

we were both extremely proud of ourselves with our negotiating skills. we've each been known to compromise here + there, thus throwing the co-negotiator off-balance. a few things that stand out for anyone considering a new purchase:

• knowing the bottom line. we knew our max spend + weren't willing to budge
• knowing our max payment. we knew what we wanted our monthly payment to be + how long we'd be willing to finance. period. there was a point that cricket was like "well, $20 more/month is just twenty dollars" + we talked about how that could be a slippery slope. twenty bucks here, another ten here, + before long we'd be way over our threshold.
• knowing what we could afford for a down payment + agreeing to it. we knew we didn't want to wipe out our savings towards the down payment. we new our comfort range + stuck with it.
• knowing we didn't need a truck today. we were just curious to what the #s could do. we weren't even sure we had a checkbook with us! we were really just curious as to the affordability of new vs. used. having done our research, we were confident the truck would hold its value, so the immediate depreciation off the lot was almost a non-issue.
• knowing it was the end of the month. dealerships clamor at the end of each month to wheel + deal. they need to make their numbers, so they're usually more willing to deal. they even said so.
• knowing our trade value. we'd used some online evaluation tools like this and this, so we weren't expecting much at all. the pathfinder had hit a deer back in 1999, so it had some serious frame damage that'd been repaired. this doesn't show well on a carfax report.
• knowing we had excellent credit. this helps with the interest rate--the higher the credit score, the better. since i've technically had an AmEx since before i was  ever even born (thanks dad for adding me to the account 2 years before i was conceived--still not sure how this worked, but oh well), i'm pretty popular among the credit agencies. cricket, too, fares well. this is good. very good.

throughout the 4 hours, there were lots of back + forths on pricing, rates, + financing terms. we were amenable to agree on certain pricing, contingent on financing. of course, the calculator in my head told me there was no way they'd make it work at that price without a negative interest rate, but we'd let them try. and try they did. again and again and again. ultimately, the dealership worked with us. they gave us 450% more on the trade to get where we needed to be. that's right, four hundred + fifty percent. this is where they were able to show us the concessions they were making.

at the end of the day, kudos to danny the sales rep + july the finance guy for making it all work. not to mention the manager, aka the guy in the back office, for being willing to make a deal.

i just ran the Kelley Blue Book evaluation tool on the truck--well, a similar 2010 model since the evaluator won't let me do a 2011 tacoma, and well, the TRADE-IN value is over $1k more than we walked out the door with it for.

it's our first time to buy a brand spankin' new car. and we aren't the least bit upside down on it!!!!! hallelujah!!!

[ben the truck: sittin' in the driveway, worth every penny + then some]

*autotrader.com pays my real job salary, but this had zero influence on the purchase we made or the review here. autotrader.com also owns kelley blue book, but still wasn't an influence--they're just the experts on vehicle valuation. both of their sites + tools are, in fact, quite useful. besides, the competitors' app kept crashing.

shameless plug, yet useful app

Okay, please excuse what may seem like a shameless plug for the nbbo (non-box big orange) who pays my bills. It's really an honest & legitimate POV.

If cricket weren't in the market for a certain pickup, I doubt I'd have played with the app as much as I have, much less promote it. Of course, I'd have downloaded it to appease the guy who signs the checks.

HOWEVER, cricket IS considering selling his pathfinder & upgrading to a particular pickup named after a city in the great state of Washington. Thus, this new handy app from my employer is, well, handy. I would be lying if I didn't admit to using the app every 3 days since it launched. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to loving the way it lets me take my saved listings from one device to another to another. Even cricket appreciates it.

So...here are a few of my favorite features of the initial offering:

searching for vehicles near me: excellent. the app offers more search criteria than the mobile site does.

viewing the listing details: the photos of the listings are crystal clear (even relatively so on the ipad, despite being designed for iphone/itouch). the listings have plenty of real photos so you can get a good idea of the condition, mileage, colors, etc.

saving of listings i like: using the MyAutoTrader tool (that I created in 2006 when I was searching for my own car), I can save the listings I think Cricket will like while I'm sitting idly at the dentist, during a pedi, or otherwise engaged (ahem, not in traffic, of course). When I get home, I can easily click the icon and show the listings to Cricket. He smiles and says "well done grasshopper." Not really, but he should. I feel like such a contributor!

Of course, there are some features that aren't as useful to me, like:

VIN scan: it's a pretty cool idea, but pretty creepy too. In theory, you can scan the VIN barcode of a vehicle and the app will let you search similar cars (or if that vehicle is listed, it pulls it up for you--saving you the trouble of searching). The downside: well, you have to actually be INSIDE the vehicle to access the VIN barcode. It's great for those test driving at a dealership, but for those who see a car that strikes their fancy in the parking lot of Kroger, well, jeepers creepers. I'm not so keen on the idea of someone hanging outside my vehicle as I arrive with a cart full of groceries. Then he/she asks if they can look inside my car at the VIN? Yeah, not sure about that.

Listing your car: the app currently doesn't allow Cricket to list his car. Maybe a future deployment will allow him to upload the pics he's taken from his iphone to the listing, or at least help him price it? But, well, time will have to tell.

Try out the AutoTrader.com app for yourself, it's free on iTunes.

*I wasn't compensated for this review. Of course, they're my full-time employer so they pay my salary. However, I wasn't asked or compensated for this review or plug.

it's all in the family

i'm sure the suspense has been killing you since i mentioned i was holding a secret...so here goes. the secret's out!

my mom is getting hitched.

[mama bride-to-be, sister bride-to-be, + me]

yep, my mom. and she says it'll happen sooner than later. which means we may have TWO weddings this summer. wow wow wow!

i'm super excited for my mom. i know she's been struggling since she + my dad split up after 30 years of marriage a few years back. understandably she's been facing mixed feelings of loneliness, anger, rejection, confusion, renewal, independence, freedom, and who knows what else. i can only imagine how it feels to break up with your best friend, prom date, the father of your children, your life partner. mom has definitely made the best of it and found a renewed sense of self in the process. i'm so freakin' proud of her. i've always thought of my mom as one of the most amazing women i've ever known. and i used to think it mostly from a business + mom perspective, but the lessons i've learned from her lately-- as a woman figuring out her own skin-- are immense + invaluable.

and now she's found love. i always thought it'd be weird to have parents remarry. but since i know the Mr. so well, it's really not weird at all.

actually, i grew up sleeping over at his house. not in a creepy way, you perves. his widow was my Camp Fire Girls leader + his daughter C and i grew up together since 3rd grade. i grew up camping with them, making macaroni art, and watching C's disney movie collection. i always thought they were such a cool family. i was always a little jealous of my soon-to-be stepsister. not jealous, but envious in a respectful way. or, maybe you could call it a girl crush. from her seagreen honda civic, to her artistic talent i certainly lack, to her eclectic style + bubbly personality. amidst all the high school girl crap, she never took on the "mean girl" role. she was always so accepting of everyone, even when she didn't have to be. actually, and i think i told her this a few years back [after a cocktail or two, i'm sure]...she's one of the few girls from high school i most hope to remain friends with over the paths our lives may take. do you think God was smirking at me when i said that?

i remember being at C's wedding back in 2003--which was AMAZEBALLS--with my mom. kinda weird to think about it in retrospect, i suppose. i think she invented the now famous grand sparkler exit. i'm gonna give her credit for it, nonetheless.

anyways, C's mom passed away several years back from lymphoma which is, well, a bitch. it was so sad to lose such an amazing person. her mom was incredibly unpretentious, loving, approachable, + just a lovely woman overall. probably one of the most real people i've ever known. and i guess it's not a surprise that the Mr. found love with my mom. i'd say there are a lot of similarities.

it's so cute to see your mom in love. i remember sometime around my own wedding, the Mr's name came up and she was just a-blushing. i'm pretty sure she used the word "cute" to describe him. awww. and she always gets so excited when he sends her flowers. i can't tell you how many photo texts i have of the beautiful bouquets!

so there's gonna be a weddin', y'all. we kids think it should happen somewhere exotic + they should foot the bill. they think it should be small + uneventful. which means no beach, i presume. either way, i'm ecstatic they'll both have each other to share the ups + downs, laughs + cries, wins + losses that life still has to offer them.

sooo...here's the net of it:

• mom gets a mate. 
• we get a stepsister--who i LOVE. 
• we get a stepbrother-in-law, who cricket + i both adore. (did i mention that he serenaded C with a guitar solo at their wedding? uh huh. he did. set the bar awfully high for any fella in that room.) they live up the road in nashville--it's about time we get siblings within driving distance dammit.
• we get a stepbrother--who is the perfect # of years older that an older brother should be. i don't know him all that well, but he did marry the big sister of another childhood friend. can you tell i'm from a small town? hah! 
• we get a stepsister-in-law, who i also grew up around since she was the older sis of another high school friend. 
• oh, and we get a stepniece, too. is that a word? not sure. but last time i saw them at Christmas service, she was a cutie-patootie, so i don't mind claiming her. but i think lula's still the first-born grandchild, just for the record.

so how does dad feel? very good question. and a big concern of mine for sure. i got a sweet note from him this week after he + mom talked. they're civil, even friendly, these days. my only requirement is that they continue to be at liv's wedding in august. and it seems they shall. i'm hoping this development gives him any sense of closure he may need to move on with his life and pursue his other interests in life. he's been seeing a lady for a while, and if there was any reason of him holding back, i hope this helps to alleviate that.

[my folks last spring--i'm blessed they're able to be friends AND color-coordinate their outfits]

all this girl wants is for her parents to be happy. if they can be in love in the process, even better. so,  if the future grandkids have extra arms to hug + hold them, and the grandpups have extra hands to rub their bellies + extra faces to smother with kisses, then everyone wins. beat that charlie sheen.

the sad part will come when mom sells her house--our amazing house--and sets up a home with the Mr. i don't blame them for wanting a clean slate, but it'll be sad to see it go + to know that my future kids won't get to experience all that it was. but there will be new memories, right? i'm sure there will be more posts as that transpires.

so, has anyone ever been in a similar situation? parents remarry? old worlds collide with new? merging families? any advice?

judgment day to-do list

with these guys claiming that the rapture will occur at 6pm on Saturday, it's got me thinking. well, only partially thinking since they once claimed the world would end in Sept of 1994.

so i probably need to re-prioritize my current to-do list. so far it's this:

• return my new wedges to BR. they hurt my little pinky toe. who needs shoes to walk streets of gold?
• return some party supplies to Michael's that we didn't use. i imagine there are plenty of doilies in heaven. and candy.
• straighten out some address issue at the bank. but this probably won't matter since we won't need $ where we're going. and my address will likely change, come to think of it.
• pick up some birthday cards. hmmm. maybe i'll go ahead and pop those in the mail, just in case.
• get a haircut. obviously, i want to look my best at the pearly gates, but i should probably make sure it'll work with the windblown look since we'll be defying gravity on our ascent.
• try on my bridesmaid dress for a summer wedding. maybe i'll wear it on saturday to make sure i get a good wear out of it. it's pretty!
• book our hotel for a summer wedding. again, maybe futile, but i hate to miss this wedding.
• return a library book & pick up a new one. i'm guessing St. Peter frowns upon late fees.

in all honesty, i'm not terribly concerned about 6pm on Saturday. i'm pretty comfortable with where i'll be whenever the good Lord calls us all home. and, on Saturday, i'll be at one of the few remaining cathedrals in the country, so i can't think of a much better place to be. more on that trip to come!

has the threat of the end of the world helped you prioritize anything?

bb's bday in b'ham

cricket's grandfather turned 90 last week. ninety!

so, cricket's bro + sis-in-law [aka zenn] headed in from the west coast to celebrate. we were thrilled to spend an extra night with our new sis, since the mileage between us keeps our visits pretty limited to tour dates + holidays. i was in the midst of assembling patio furniture when cricket arrived home with our houseguest, so the patio furniture took a back seat to wine time with the sis-in-law! the mess would have to wait.

on saturday morning, we picked up z on our way to b'ham. he'd played late in austin + was running on just a few hours of sleep, if any. we got to b'ham before our 1:00 reservation at The Club, so we searched google maps for the nearest starbucks. we came upon the cute neighborhood of five points, where we spent the next hour changing clothes + consuming caffeine on the street.

primping on the street. i caught them all staring into their reflections, but they wouldn't re-pose for a photo.

after we looked good, we headed up to The Club. The Club is located on the ridge of B'ham, so it offers an amazing view. BB loves to go dancing here + it is straight out of "The Godfather." Picture art deco to the max. it could be really cool if they updated it a tiny bit, but some of the 90s updates still remain a little out of place. nonetheless, very cool.

iconic "The Club" entrance

can't you picture us rolling up in a vintage convertible for a high-class evening of drinks + dancing with our socialite friends? i wish.

mr. + mrs. v actually held their wedding reception here 30+ years ago. turns out, there was a wedding being held while we were there, so we snuck in for a pic. obviously, that's not their cake. if only that caketopper initial was a V instead. surprisingly, only a few weird looks from the waitstaff.

wedding pose...30+ years later [if only that caketopper was a V]

after picture time, we returned to the table to celebrate BB's birthday. doesn't he look sweet [and happy]? watch out ladies, i hear he's on the market.

the birthday boy

after lunch, we headed to the patio to soak in the skyline. we couldn't really see any of the tornado damage from where we were standing, but someone tried to point it out. luckily, The Club was spared.

while we were on the patio, we had to take some family photos. we aren't together enough, and someone has been slow to share the ones we took at christmas. she will remain nameless.

cricket, pops, + z

pops with the girls

the fam - am i really the tall one in this photo? hmmm...

where we've been

we've been busy, oh-so-busy. we've been busy, and frenzied, and craaaaazed....

a few things that have happened during the blog hiatus:

• we've been working on our landscape project. projects: french drain, pavers, tiered planter, and bench.
• my sister totaled her car on easter sunday

[sis's airbag...no injuries. see that "yes lord" card in her steering wheel? someone else was in control here.]

• survived the crazy storms that pummeled alabama & north georgia (our pantry was ready for us should we need to take cover)
• celebrated BB's 90th birthday at birmingham's "The Club" on april 30 

[iconic entrance overlooking B'ham where Cricket's folks had their wedding reception]

• oh, and cricket got a JOB. did you hear me? a JOB. a real one. a challenging one. a motivating one. 

for those who don't know, we got engaged in jan 2009. by mid-march, cricket was laid off. he found full-time hourly contract work with a friend that sorta helped pay the bills while he decided to finish up school. after a while though, he was really jonesing for a "real" job with growth opportunity, a stimulating office environment, and to be surrounded by like-minded peers. he was pounding the pavement looking for the right opportunity, willing to step down several rungs on the career ladder to transition into the digital marketing industry from the video production & integration world. but it was hard.

it was hard on him. it was hard on me. it was hard on our bank account. it was hard on our marriage. it's weird to think that the whole time we've been engaged & married we've been pretty much a single income household. luckily, i have great benefits & kept us afloat. we didn't struggle like so many have during "econo-geddon." we didn't have extra mouths to feed. we didn't have a crazy mortgage (the economy actually helped us buy a house that normally would've been unattainable). we weren't putting any kids through college. we didn't have car payments. we were okay and able to get by, even with a treat for ourselves now & again.

but emotionally, it was TOUGH. i don't think either of us realized how much extra stress we were carrying until we got the news:

tuesday, april 28, jason was offered a job.

let me repeat:

tuesday, april 28, jason was offered a job!!!!

for the next two days after the offer letter arrived, i was shaking. i'm convinced it was the stress leaving my body! we would just catch each others' eye and smile. what a relief.

and not only did he land a job, he landed the PERFECT job. it's a culmination of all his best traits, yet it will still challenge him and allow him to grow. he's joining a digital marketing agency where he'll work on digital projects with a team of producers and marketing professionals for a particular telecom client. the office space is very creative, hip, & laidback...even a few four-legged office mates (lula's not so sure about this part).

i'm so excited, proud, relieved, and so many other things i still can't put into words. he's the same way.

don't worry, we'll still be doing the diy projects. we didn't win the lottery. besides, we like getting our hands dirty.

dog for sale

i walked in the house to quite a surprise today: so much a shock-and-awe that i left the keys in the front door + didn't realize it until i was looking for them an hour earlier. i walked in to see this in the living room floor:




oh, can't tell what that crumpled up thing is among the shoes? well, it's this beautiful leather tote cricket bought me last week for my trip.

[banana republic leather market tote in cognac]

isn't wasn't it beautiful? now it looks like this...



and this...



i almost teared up. it still makes me a little emotional, so it's best i let the little turd explain how it got the facelift...

hi. i'm lula. i see that we met yesterday, but not yet officially. in that case, my name is Ms. Tallulah Belle Velmer. i'm a 5 year old beagle rescue. do you remember uno who won the westminster kennel club's "best in show" back in '08?

[handsome fella, eh?]

i get confused for him all the time. paparazzi is a nightmare, i tell ya. (okay, it's only happened a few times if you want 100% honesty). his nose is a little more square than mine, and my skin is more fair. anyway, looks aren't everything, ya know.

[i used the post-surgery pic for the sympathy vote...hope it works!]

anyway, i'm pretty darn cute right? yeah, i've had my separation anxiety issues in the past, but i'm usually really loving + really mild-tempered. but this past week has been rough. first, mom pulled out her suitcase and packed up for work trip. i HATE that suitcase. it just makes me cringe. and it makes me very sad. but since dad's suitcase wasn't out, i was relieved that he'd be hanging at home with me. the next day, dad pulled out HIS suitcase. it was a new one that i'd never seen before, but i HATE it too. what? they're both gone? what about me? dad packed up my stuff and i thought i might get to go with him and see mommy. but no, they took me to see my buddy oscar.

i have a BIG crush on oscar. his dad + my dad used to work together so we got to play at the office, and he's my best friend in the whole world. he's one of the only dogs i play with. and that's because he's cute. i made him a valentine this year too. i think he blushed. anyway, while we were playing, dad walked out the door. WAIT! you're gonna LEAVE me here? i like oscar and all, but dad packed a lot of clothes in that suitcase, and mom packed at least 5 pair of shoes. this seems too long.

oscar and i had a good time playing. i was happy until i found out mom wasn't at some boring meeting--she was in florida. at the beach. for spring training. what? i guess she forgot i'm on dogbook + can see her status updates. DUH! so i see her at the beach--my favorite place in the world. and i'm stuck here?

[sunset at clearwater beach...i could be playing in that sand]

luckily, oscar + i played a lot before she picked me up, so i kinda forgot about the deception. and it was dinnertime. we went home and played and hugged and she gave me a treat or two. i was so glad to have mom home, but wait. where's dad? i kept looking out the window for him.

mom stayed home the next day except during my naptime. i got some yummy treats. good day.

tuesday morning, she let me out early. even though it was pouring down rain, i had to get out! my belly hurt so i wanted to eat all the grass i could (and there's plenty 'cuz dad needs to mow). mom had to come out in her rain boots to get me...she wasn't thrilled. i didn't even want my breakfast. eventually mom got dressed and she left me. all day long. i just waited and waited and waited for one of them to come home. and she didn't get home early enough. so i got sick. that grass didn't sit well with me, so i vomited on my the rug. i know, not ideal. but dad's usually home an hour earlier, and i just couldn't hold it. but i really tried.

today was a good day. my belly felt good this morning and i slept in. mom left again + i took a nap. i guess i got a little stir crazy. i started roaming around the house. whoa! low + behold, the office is OPEN. i mean, the door is shut, but if i bump it hard enough i bet i can push it open. success! oooooh, look at all the goodies in here. where do i start? dad's sweaty leather soccer cleats. yep, i'll take those to my spot in the living room. oh, dad's work shoe? it smells like delicious mud, and leather. hmmm...what's in the trash? nah, nothing there. wait. what is THAT? ohhhh, it's pretty. and smells yummy. it's so soft. and leather. yep, it's going in my pile.

the handles on that bag were like a luxurious chew toy. i bet that's what mr. trump's dogs get as treats. the stuff in the bag was pretty boring, and mom's ipod headphones wouldn't fit my ears. but the leather sure was yummy.


uh-oh. what's that noise? ohhh...not again. yeah, i got sick again. the leather didn't want to stay in my belly, so i threw it up on the rug. i thought i'd try to get close enough to yesterday's spot so it'd be easy to for mom to clean.



there you have it, my side of the story. was i bad? would you forgive me?

***cricket's already offered to replace the bag. what a doll. though i really think it should come out of lula's allowance, but unfortunately she doesn't get paid to nap.

the city by the bay: quest #1 and #2

[wheels up. here we go!]

i've been mia from the blogosphere, but it's been a big week! as some of you know, i headed west last weekend to visit my sis in San Francisco. the weekend itinerary had several critical milestones:

1. first & foremost: BRIDAL GOWN FITTING @ AMY KUSCHEL'S STUDIO
2. tend to a few other wedding details
3. love on, hug, and laugh with my li'l sis
4. love on, hug, and play with my niece
5. eat splendidly

of course, it wouldn't be a crime if a spontaneous dance party erupted in her living room, right?

here's a recap of the trip's first few missions:

we arrived at Amy Kuschel's studio in downtown SF early saturday morning bearing coffee. much to our surprise, we were greeted by champagne cocktails + red velvet cupcakes. the salon was abuzz with activity, giggles, + oohs & ahhs from the doting entourages. it was a glorious saturday at the bridal salon! we're not talking andre, either. the good stuff, from Mumm Napa Vineyards. as in, the beautiful vineyard where co-workers got engaged this summer. as in, what the SF Giants sprayed all over their clubhouse when they clinched the 2010 world series championship. as in, the bottle bubbly hubs + i sipped (chugged) on valentine's 2011. the good stuff.

[we're in the right place!]

[really loved the art deco mirrored tables throughout the studio. similar to some we saw at z gallerie the next day.]

sister looked amazing in her not-quite-yet-hers dress. they're changing the neckline + using a different organza, but she was a glowing bride-to-be regardless.

after another cocktail, we tried a few veils on her noggin'. beeeeeyutifooooooool! there were some great other accessories that beckoned our attention, too.

[bedazzling rainbow of sashes at amy kuschel]

once dress-up was over, we headed around the corner to Britex Fabrics to peruse the wares. there's an entire floor devoted to ribbon + trim. swoon. we found some ribbon to match the "midnight" invitation envelopes she'd scored on clearance. oddly enough the envelopes were actually a perfect match to dark pewter ribbon--not the midnight blue persuasion. the plan is to wrap the ribbon around the letterpress invitations. double triple swoon.

[glorious wall o' ribbon]

then, we headed to the ferry building for a little farmer's market sampling. a nibble here, a nibble there. yum, yum, yum. all that sampling made us hungry, so we split a grilled cheese sammich + a dozen oysters paired with chardonnay...though the oysters were the size of a nickle.

[the sf ferry building farmers market. at least the snow forecast was wrong.]

[bundled up by the bay bridge]

[sister bride-to-be with the nickle-sized oysters. note how the lemon wedge dwarfs the tiny sucker!]

after the bite, we grabbed a few loaves of fresh bread at acme bread + headed back across the bay for the afternoon adventure. stay tuned for the adventure post...

[freshly baked loaves @ acme bread co]