Friday Letters

Boy, this week was bittersweet. On one hand, it feels as though it flew by, and on the other, I didn't think it was ever going to end. Being back at work was great - especially coming in with the motivation I got from my appointments late last week - but I am 100% burnt out right now.

Logan and I celebrated being together for a year. The long-distance thing was particularly hard this week, hitting such a milestone and not being able to see one another. It was doubly hard that he had his second Op Order this week which monopolized his time - not that he could help it.

Bonnie and I vowed to get our finances in order, and we're doing our best with the help of Mint.com. It picks up on all of our credit cards, debit cards, and student loans and organizes it for us. It helps us to set a budget for various categories so we see exactly where our money is going. Today was a clean slate for me and I hope I can stick to it!

So, with all of this in mind, here are my Friday letters:

Dear Army - Please stop hogging my fiance. Take it easy on that ruck march tomorrow and don't let him be TOO pooped when we actually get to see each other next weekend!

Dear Duke - It pains me to watch away games this season! And I'm more and more anxious for the Carolina game coming up at Carolina - I have a feel it's not going to be pretty! Can we at least beat Miami at home Saturday?

Dear Travel - Please go smoothly tomorrow - I have a lot going on this trip and would love for everything to fall into place perfectly! (Please and thank you.)

Dear Co-Workers - Thank you for being so great. It means the world that I can come to you with my problems - personal and professional - and have you be there for me!

Dear Student Assistant - I'd be lost without you. You are a God send.

I travel all next week, but I'll do my best to bring you highlights from the road!

Happy Weekend!

XX

Boring Tuesday!

Nothing big to report on today!

My workout went well yesterday - but I didn't do as much cardio as I hoped. I just haven't shaken this cold yet and my whole chest and throat were burning... but the weight circuit kicked my butt.

I came home, grocery shopped with Bonnie, and made this yummy Weight Watchers recipe for dinner. The chicken was delish - moist, lemony, and we used dried herbs and they were still devine. We heated up some canned green beans on the stove (I drain the liquid from the can first) and added a splash of EVOO and Garlic Salt and all were happy!

I then enjoyed some red wine and popcorn while we watched Biggest Loser!

Lucky me, the Army let my fiance leave way early yesterday, so we were able to Skype last night as well. I'm enjoying the time he's not in the field very much!

Today was a busy day. No organized moving every hour, but I was up and down a bunch for other stuff, so I still feel accomplished. I have some big projects ahead of me, but I'm excited to tackle them once and for all.

Here is what I wore today:

Boots from J Crew ($199-$318 online... I got mine at the Clearance Store in Lynchburg for $60!), Dress from Gap, Cardigan from Eddie Bauer, Scarf from Target, Cheetah belt from New York and Co,  Earrings from Kate Spade, and bracelets from Premier Jewelry. 

Gym plan for tonight: 30 minutes of cardio and this upper body workout from Women's Health Magazine:

Have a good night!

New week - a fresh start!

So, Logan is back in the field this week. It's always tough when I don't get to speak to him for days on end, but lucky for me he always comes back on the weekends. I won't be able to say the same thing come time for Ranger school...

So, I have a few resolutions I'd love to stick to this week:

1. Work out every day - I have to get back in shape and soon - my wedding dress gets here in 6 weeks and counting! There is zero time to lose. See below for my workout plan for today.

2. Eat right - I did well this morning, ate a little much at lunch (I should've stopped when I was full!) but I have healthy snacks packed for this afternoon and have been drinking lots of water.

3. Bring some work home with me at night - it's a busy time in the office and if I can bring a small amount of work home with me I'll make my life MUCH easier in a month or so. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to bank up the comp time!

4. Move for 5 minutes every hour. I set an alarm on my phone and for a few minutes do this routine:

• 10 calf raises - slowly getting up on my tip toes and lowering myself back down
• 10 squats - letting my butt JUST touch my office chair and standing back up again
• 10 leg raises - balancing myself on my desk, move my right leg directly back and into the air 10 times, then doing the same with my left
• 10 arm circles - rotating 10 forward then 10 backward
• 10 arm raises - moving my fists from my shoulders straight up past my head
• I bend over, touch my toes, and take some deep breaths
• I run anything that needs taken down to our garden level downstairs, get a quick change of scenery, and fill up my water bottle at the cooler

It's helping me to focus on my work for the time I'm at my desk, and helping me keep my blood moving during the day. I've noticed I'm not nearly as fatigued today as I usually am at this time, too!

So here is my workout plan for this evening:

• 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical machine - doing the weight loss program - it's full of intervals and the short duration keeps me motivated to work hard without losing steam
• This weight circuit from Women's Health Magazine:

• I'll do 10 of each exercise with weights between 20-25 lbs three times through

This should give me some cardio, get my heart pumping, and do some all over work with these total body exercises. It shouldn't take me very long to knock out and should leave me feeling great!

And now, for what I wore today:

Red scarf, Target, Black top, Old Navy, Black cardigan, New York and Co, Gray pants, New York and Co, Black flats, Payless

Today's stacks are brought to you by my sister's jewelry box! But in all fairness, it's so easy to grab one or two of these every time we duck into the Outlet stores or when there's a good sale online! All are Kate Spade. You can find a huge variety here!

 The earrings are from a local boutique - I'm not sure of the brand.

Stay posted on more on how I do with my goals this week!

Weekend Recap

My oh my - it has been a crazy couple of days!

On Friday, we helped at the church with Parents Night Out - a fundraiser we hold annually to raise money for our mission trip to ASP. However, I had a migraine and ended up coming home much earlier than I planned and went to b-e-d. However, Logan got home from the field earlier than expected (I had planned on 11... he called me at 7) so it was nice to talk to him a little.

I knew Logan being in the field would be hard - zero communication is never fun - but him coming home is almost worse. By the time I adjust to NOT talking to him, he's there again, and hearing his voice can just be so overwhelming sometimes - I just love him so much :)

Saturday I weighed in - down a little bit this week, 17 to go to get to my goal weight! We ran lots of errands - did some shopping at J Crew - and had a lazy afternoon. We got up eventually and got ready for our fun filled night - dinner with the parents for my birthday and Bonnie's company Christmas party!

My outfit included:

These J Crew Etta Patent Pumps in Crimson Maple 

A black turtleneck, and a gold lame skirt - all three items for $98 including tax! I was a happy girl.

We went to dinner at Jimmys on the James then to Scott Insurance's party at Tresca on 8th.  My parents got me some Little Mermaid swag - it's a tradition and the last real year we'll be together ON my birthday for sure, a Gladiola Girls gift certificate, and we had a great time.

Sunday was more low key - church and I got to revel in all of my birthday attention - and took a very long nap. :) Then we met a hodge podge of my friends at Rivermont Pizza to celebrate. A great weekend for sure.

I'm off all week and I was so proud of my productivity today. I caught up on paperwork at the apartment, ran errands, worked out - I'm very proud of myself.

Now to spend all night researching realtors in Clarksville, TN! 

XX - C

And we're off to...

Fort Campbell, KY/TN!

This is great news - it means great job opportunities for me and I definitely won't be complaining about being so close to Nashville.

However, we might be pushing the wedding back. The worst part is that we only have 1 weekend that's a feasible option, and it eliminates the option of an outdoor reception. The date now is Aug. 17, but that may not work with Ranger School. We can't do it the 24 because it's Sweet Briar's move in, which leave us with Labor Day weekend.

We can't do it the 7 - that's Logan's birthday - and the 14th gets too close to when we'd be moving. Luckily, the venue will be changed to indoor, but that'd be the biggest change.

Now to job and house hunt! Yay!

XX - C

Off we go!

Logan got his RFO this week - it's something sent out a few weeks before he receives his official orders but should tell us where we'll be stationed!

Of course because I've been waiting for this information since May and any further wedding planning hinges on this information, and I've been biting it the bit to begin house and job searching, he couldn't open the document on his laptop.

He's heading to base today to check it all out. I cannot wait to find out - and this was the best news to end my week on.

I as also notified yesterday that I won the "Young Professional of the Year" Award for the VACRAO - I am so, so honored!

Updates soon when I have official news about the RFO!

My Birthday! :)

So my birthday is on the 16th - Sunday - but my great sister can never resist giving me my presents early.

Last year it was my favorite perfume - Twirl by Kate Spade. This year, it was a Lilly Pulitzer phone case! I swear, I have the best sister, ever.

My Dad gave me his "present" as well. I had purchased myself a one-way plane ticket from ATL to LYH for New Years Day instead of driving home after Logan returned to Ft. Benning. I always send confirmations to my parent's emails as well as my own so they stay in the loop (I fly a lot for work and it's hard to keep it all straight sometimes). When Dad saw the confirmation, he asked if he could reimburse me as my birthday present from him. I happily obliged :)

I'll probably use the money to put towards my Spa Day next week - I can hardly wait!

Now it's off to work. My to-do list is entirely too long and we leave at 11 for our office lunch at Robin Alexander!

Happy Thursday!

XX - C

Wedding Wednesday!

Only 248 days until the wedding! It feels like it's going to take forever to get here, but I know it'll be here before I know it.

Wedding planning had stalled a little with Logan unsure about his training schedule. But I decided to move ahead with some things so I wouldn't be too swamped come January when official orders come through.

1. I have officially received confirmation from all of my bridesmaids! Although one of my gifts got lost in the mail (Boo!) they all received a navy blue box with their initial on the front in coral. The inside had some navy Kate Spade earrings (like these but in navy), some Essie nail polish, and a note about why I'd like for them to be my bridesmaid. 
2. I sent out an update email to the bridesmaids catching them up on what's already been done, sending them a stock photo of my dress (not one of me wearing it), and what I'm thinking for their bridesmaid dresses.
3. We officially have a pastor to officiate! We confirmed last night and he's even willing to work with us and let Logan do pre-marital counseling via Skype since he's in training. We'll be reading "Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts" and will do our first session when Logan's in town on leave for the holiday.
4. I've been pricing outdoor dance floors since our venue doesn't have one, and obviously I'm in the wrong business. I should just buy an outdoor dance floor and rent it out! The cheapest I've found is at Aztec and it's still going to be a pretty penny. I worked off of a formula that said for every guest you have, you should have 2.5 sq. ft. of dance floor. For our projected guest list, that gives us a dance floor that's 18'x18'. That's before we even get into taxes, delivery fees, and set up fees.

Both of our parents scoffed a little when we told them our budget would be $10,000 - they thought it was too high - but I don't think they realized how much things cost now a days! Now, I'll admit that we knew we were in for some higher prices when we wanted a 5 o'clock wedding - dinners aren't cheap - but it's the vision we both had and not one we were willing to compromise.

There are still many decisions to be made, but the biggest ones hinge on Logan's official orders. So, I'm in a holding pattern until then!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Hump Day!

XX - C

Stressing Out

It's this time of year that I wonder why the heck I have my hands in so many pots.

Graduate school. Planning a wedding. Working full time (in a position that doesn't limit itself to the normal 40 hour work week). Volunteering at church. Coaching.

It all feels like too much. I'm the first to admit that I hate to be bored and always need something going on, but I also think I'm great about admitting when I've bitten off more than I could chew.

With work being crazy (it is application reading season!), finals glooming on the horizon, wedding planning at a frustrating halt (thanks a lot, Army), and the holiday season in full swing, there just aren't enough hours in the day.

When my schedule gets like this, I try to remind myself to take one thing at a time. Usually, tasks don't take nearly as long as I think they will, and I blow through my to-do list in no time. By focusing my energies on one thing, I can also make sure I'm giving it 100%, which means no having to go back and make any tweeks later on. I also try to take a little me time to veg out - 5 minutes here to take a walk outside, a 30 minute cat nap, and extra 5 minutes in the shower to let that hot water soak right down to your bones.

How do you usually deal with stress?

XX - C

Bedroom Organization

I love our new apartment - I do. It's an old house, with two upstairs apartments and two downstairs. It's a long apartment, but 14 foot ceilings, 10 foot windows, granite countertops, all new appliances -- the owner did a great job with the renovation.

There are "3" bedrooms and one bath - and when we divided up rooms, I got the smallest "room" by default. (Emily had only lived in furnished apartments, and to keep her from having to buy too much furniture  we have her the room with the most built in shelving. Bonnie has a queen size bed and a huge dresser, which would never fit into my room.) So, into the 8x14" room I went. (It would make the most perfect office, really, but for now, it's my room.)

It's not a huge deal really - we spend all of our time in the living room anyways, and plus, my room stays the warmest because it's so darn small. Assuming that was how the rooms would play out, I had mentally downsized my furniture before leaving our last apartment, and it played out fairly well. Lots of my furniture ended up in the living room and hall way - but we're still working on all of that. But here is a look at what I'm working with:

Here is my room (and Avery keeping me company.) I'm hoping for new curtains for Christmas, but you can see I wasn't exaggerating on the dimensions of the room. It is small, but feels cozy when I'm there.

Since my room doesn't have a closet, I invested in a garment rack to use instead. I've always kept my closet organized, I wasn't worried about it getting messy, and I kinda like the way it looks. I found one at Wal-Mart for super cheap and it does exactly what I need it to. I did purge a bunch of clothes before the move though and took them to a local consignment shop.

I'm lucky that I inherited my grandmother's dresser, so I have lots of storage. It's high, but I'm able to keep my jewelry box there and it holds lots of clothes. (I do need to find a new home for those knick-knacks though. The clutter drives me nuts.) (You can also see where I re-purposed a drawer as a shelf for the wall - currently it holds my Logan memorabilia - ticket stubs and what not.)

I have a small night stand I stole from Granny's house as well and painted navy to match my bed. That area is a little crazy, but it's just enough room for what I need it to hold. You can see I have a frame with a photo of me and Logan in Chicago last summer:

and my Army Scentsy warmer:

This is my shoe storage (sorry for the sneak peak at my foot!). First of all, I'm not a big shoe girl to begin with - I like to stick to the basic, classic choices. My Dad built me this under the bed storage a long time ago, and we've always nick named it the "shoe coffin." But, as you can see, it works perfectly for what I need. And they slide neatly under my bed.

So that's a sneak peek! I like to keep my room VERY clean, and with a smaller space, I'm keeping it even neater. I feel like I'm back in college, but then again, in 261 days I'll be getting ready to move into a house with my husband, so it's not so bad :)

Enjoy! XX - C

Recap!

Sorry for the hiatus -- I was out moving Logan down to Fort Benning for him to begin his Basic Officers Leadership Course. I'm definitely sad about having to transition to a long distance relationship, but it's all a part of the military lifestyle and relatively not that long.

Logan will be back in Virginia for the holidays, he'll go home to Indiana for a few days, and we'll do New Years Eve in Atlanta. He'll head back into training, but I have a copy of his schedule. There are some days he'll leave for the field on Monday and I won't get to talk to him again until Friday night, and those weeks will be hard, but I know we'll be OK.

He'll graduate from his BOLC course on Apr. 9 and I already have the 8-10 off from work to go down and see him. That also gives me plenty of time to save up for a plane ticket and rental car - that 10 hour drive yesterday was NOT very fun.

Hopefully that gives him April to get into Airborne and start Ranger School in May. Since he's AG, he'll probably only recycle once or twice, which means he should be good to go and moved onto his base with plenty of time to spare for the August wedding :)

I hope everyones week is going well!