personal

lately.

Let me sum up life for you in the last few months in one simple word….. Work.

Lots of it. Yes there are other things I do from time to time. Like eating, sleeping, and keep up with the NCAA tournament (my bracket may be busted, but GO SPARTY!!!).

(credit: Michigan State Spartan’s Pinterest Page)

My new job is not so “new” anymore. I’ve been there almost 6 months already!! I can’t believe just how fast time goes by. And as I’ve gotten familiar with all of our active jobs, my involvement level has risen. We have so much going, we are extremely blessed. I wake up thinking about it at 6am, and before bed I’m typing up a quick to-do list in my phone of items I can’t forget to do in the morning. I’ve been dreaming about it too. Sounds scary? It is. It’s insanity, but a good insanity. The kind that challenges me, tests my patience, and pushes me out of my comfort zone. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And I’m not dead yet.

We’ve got some cool projects in the works. And here’s a preview of a very modern one we are doing with Foursquare Builders:

(rendering is property of Foursquare Builders)

What else is new? Hmmm….. I got a new car – a little charcoal gray Ford Focus. This is pretty big news for me because I’ve never had a car payment. I’m kinda (extremely) cheap, so of course I got a good deal on it. (Having a dad in the car business is quite a nice perk I might add.) The only inconvenience was I had to go pick it up in St. Pete, Florida from my dad’s house. I KNOW, IT’S A ROUGH LIFE. So my friend Brooke came with for a long weekend and we turned it into a little trip. I got to see my Dad and the ocean, so I was a happy girl.

No visit to the Tampa area is complete without hitting up Busch Gardens. I love that place! It just makes me so happy and reminds me of my childhood spring break visits. We splurged and did the safari and got to feed the giraffes, which I totally recommend.

On the long drive back we stopped by my old home, Destin. It was my first time back since we moved to Texas almost 3 years ago. I felt so good to be back, even though it was just for one night. It’s just so beautiful and laid back. I will always have a special place in my heart for this area. And, like Michigan, it will always be my home away from home.

We definitely felt the effects of the polar vortex in Texas this winter. I even woke up to snow on the ground one morning. Actually it looked more like Dippin Dots ice cream, but whatever.

In the last few weeks Spring has sprung. The weather has been much warmer, so it’s time for me to come out of hibernation. We have a lot of home projects we want to accomplish before the summer heat strikes again. We’re running a 5k next weekend, and as you may remember, it is my first. And I’m totally not a runner, so this is a pretty big deal to me. I hope I can do the whole 3.1 miles without stopping – I’ve never been able to before!

Life is good.

Oh and Nate and Maci are both doing great!

(all images belong to me unless noted otherwise)

2013 report card

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with joy, delicious treats, and treasured family & friends! 🙂

Every January to me is new beginning – a time to reflect and plan. I first like to look back on the previous year’s accomplishments and shortcomings before making my goals for the next year. So remember that little goal list I posted last year around this time? Well time to pull it out of the wood works and see how I actually did…

….

Listen To Myself For Once PASS

I left a job I was not happy at, and that alone would tell me I succeeded in this aspiration. I also took a job that is more entrepreneurial and out of the box, which by the way, I’m LOVING. I’ve realized over the last year that deep down only I know whats best for me, no one else. And that voice is one I have to listen to. It’s kinda funny how you can know something your whole life and still have to relearn to apply it.

Be More Spiritual FAIL

I could be doing a lot better at this one. I think I’ve improved my stress level but there’s still a lot of progress to be made in terms of how I spend my time.

Own my Own Piece of Earth PASS

We did buy a home earlier this year, and it is everything I thought it could be and a whole lot more… of unexpected pop up work. But that’s fine. We locked in a great interest rate and we absolutely love our new neighborhood. We are on the way to making our home uniquely ours. It feels good only throwing 75% of our payment away instead of the full 100%. 🙂

Go to Europe FAIL

Geesh, let’s put this one on 2014’s list yet again. We need to just up and do it!! I’m not getting any younger here.

Run a 5K FAIL

This really is not that hard of a goal…and yet I still haven’t accomplished it. Crazy. Well this will have to change! Who else is with me on the Couch to 5k program?!

Live a Healthier Lifestyle BEYOND FAIL

I would love to say I totally nailed this one….but not so much. I still eat way too many cheeseburgers, slices of pizza, and sit around much more than I should. And I’ve gained like 5lbs…. so yes, massive fail. But I kind of am forced to change my ways this year (I’ll get into that more in my next post: 2014 goals and resolutions).

Develop & Maximize my Unique Talents BARELY PASS

The fact that I have picked up a paint brush again, started journal-ing and writing, and also reading whole books (other than House Beautiful mag) has told me that I am going in the right direction. Now it’s taking the knowledge I’ve acquired, the countless hours thinking and planning, and turning it into a reality!

……….

So I’m 3 for 7. Not bad. How did you guys do last year? What are you putting at the top of your list for 2014?

got some big news for y’all…

As I said back in January, we were looking at homes and talking to lenders in search of our first home. I can now announce to you that…

WE’RE BUYING OUR FIRST HOME!

I didn’t want to say anything until we were 100% sure, but with the all the negotiations, inspection, appraisal, and loan approval process behind us, it’s looking like it’s going to happen! We actually close tomorrow!! Eeeee I can’t believe it! So soon – but so exciting! Guess we’ll be calling Texas home for a while. 😉

It’s a 1950’s ranch style home on a 1/2 acre lot, close to our little downtown & a park. It’s little over a mile away from where we rent now, perched up on the lovely neighborhood known as “the hill”. Since it’s an older home, it’s definitely going to need some love. We won’t move in until April or May so we got some time to plan out what renovations we want to do and move things in slowly. Our first big project? Ripping out the existing floors and putting in hardwood. And of course you’ll get to see the updates right here on the blog :).

So happy and thankful for this major milestone in our lives!!

2013: goals and resolutions

To some, New Year’s Resolutions may be lame. But you know what? I love them. I love anything that allows me to reflect and grow. So here is my list.

…………

Listen to myself for once

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have developed a habit of drowning myself out. Somehow, deep down, I think we all really know what’s best for us. I have lived pretty “safe” the last few years…maybe to protect myself from getting hurt or because of a fear of failure. But I’m determined to give that up, and have some faith instead. Which leads me to the next item on the list….

Be more spiritual

I want to become more spiritually connected. Getting caught up in the 9 to 5, day-to-day routine has been robbing me of so many things. Focusing my thoughts toward inner peace and a higher power will ultimately reduce my stress level and make life more gratifying. It takes discipline, but I think I can get there.

Own my own piece of the earth

This is a semi-big deal announcement….we have been taking the beginning steps to purchase a home! Our searches began back in November. With the interest rates low and our love for this lil town growing, we decided we want to stay put here for a while. Texas has been good to us so far. My nomadic self thinks about where our next big move will be….but realistically I’m sick of paying someone else’s mortgage and can’t see ourselves anywhere else right now.

Go to Europe

This has been on my list for years, and I REALLY hope I finally make this one happen. My dad is European (Bulgarian to be exact) and travels often between Europe and USA. Practically every summer since I graduated high school, he has been trying to get me to make the trip. I’ve never been across the pond, and every summer there seems to be some reason I put it off. Plus, I really want to go before I pop out a kid!

Run a 5k

For those who know me very well, you know my small frame is a total hoax. I don’t eat very good (aka cheeseburgers and pizza), and I don’t work out on regular basis. Running a mile is very hard for me (not sure I could do it today without stopping to walk). Every year I set this very attainable goal and fail miserably. Well I’m putting it to rest – this is the year I finally run my first race!

Learn how to use my camera

I’ve had my Canon Rebel for a little over a year now, and you’d think I’d be at pro status by now. Not so much. I understand photography – I took manual photography classes back in high school – but I don’t set aside the time to learn how to be really good at it. Now’s the time.

Live a healthier lifestyle

As stated above, I’m not the most healthiest of individuals. I want to start eating better and being more active. Being healthy is so much more than a number on a scale – it’s a whole way of life.

Develop & maximize my unique talents

I’ve realized for so long I haven’t made time to do things I’m really good at. Each one of us is so different… yet so many of us never take the time to refine the skills that set us apart from the rest. These I think life is too short to waste these wonderful talents God has given us.

If there was one thing you could accomplish this year, what would it be?

(All of the images link back to their original source, if known)

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