What I'm Up To {June}

Hello! Today I'm linking up with Shay and friends for What's Up Wednesday. I always think it's fun to look back on the month and look ahead to the next one while reading recaps from other bloggers. Come join in the fun why don't you?

What We're Eating... so much healthier than last month, woohoo. For those of you who are new here I had gallbladder surgery back in May due to many attacks which were extremely painful. Fatty foods were my nemesis so I stopped eating them. So, you can guess what I did once the gallbladder was gone...yeah I ATE ALL THE THINGS resulting in feeling crappy and gaining weight. To combat the bad cravings, Le Husband and I did a mock WHOLE30 at the beginning of the month and we now both feel so much better. I'm still not as lean as I would like but my body is back to craving WHOLE foods and not processed crap. That is a WIN within itself, woohoo!

What I'm reminiscing about... having a job where I could do whatever I wanted when I wanted. We used to be able to galavant at a the drop of a hat and take a long weekend for kickball events. Now I really have to THINK about vacation and when I plan to take time off. I get very few paid days off now and coordinating them with my boss can be tough. I miss the freedom [and the money] but I know this is just a learning season and soon I'll be on to better things.

What I'm Loving... my new haircut. So fresh! So fun! So blonde! SO Summer!

What We've Been Up To... getting the house together some more. Homeownership and remodeling is a never ending process. We are --this-- close to having the bottom floor set and I can't wait until we can take a week or two off and just live. Everything is coming together nicely and I am super excited to show people the before and after once it gets set.

What I'm Dreading... when my family leaves next week and having cameras in the office. YUCK!

What I'm Working On... studying new releases and getting my choreography memorized. Also trying to find lil bits for the house for decor. Where do you find cute, cheap but not cheap looking pieces?

What I'm Excited About... my family is coming into town for the weekend, even the ARIZONA sister. It has been way too long since we were all together and I'm beyond excited for us all to be whole again.

What I'm Watching/Reading... watching videos for LES MILLS, reading choreography and reading my NASM textbook and notes. I need to rock it with my test and lots of textbook reading is in my future.

What I'm Listening To... LES MILLS music and podcasts. Loving The Accused and getting into other true crime podcast recommend by friends and readers. Anyone have a good podcast they think I should listen to now?

What I'm Doing This Weekend... hanging with my family and playing kickball.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month... July is bringing family into town, vacation to Michigan for a wedding, a kickball tournament in North Carolina and Le Husband's family coming into town. It is going to be super busy but super duper fun. What have you been up to and what are your plans for July?

Some Weekend Pics

***Before we get to my post I have to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who commented yesterday. Posting a glimpse behind the curtains of this space was scary, but something I knew I needed to do to be me. Your words, support, emails, texts and thoughts truly made my day and I am so grateful to each and everyone of you. I really think everyone should write their own "What you don't see" post, I know I'd love to read them all. Anyway, THANK YOU!***


Moving on to my weekend pictures...on a Wednesday, yup. Our weekend was so fast paced and busy I just did not have time to recap everything on Sunday afternoon. So much was done and accomplished over the weekend but I honestly just wanted to nap after my horribly tough and disappointing week. Nevertheless, I committed to getting err done and reaped the reward Sunday night.


This weekend I...

... finally made it to the DMV to become a LEGIT Tennessee resident. Yup, VA no more for this lil Pinkster. I anticipated at least an hour because, Friday, but was pleasantly surprised to be in and out of there in under 45 minutes. There was a slight heart attack during the eye exam, but phew, your girl passed.

... cracked up over my picture because the lady didn't give me warning, doh. Personally I feel like I'm channeling my inner Regina George at the bar two drinks in, haha. Thoughts?

... came home and took a quick lay down while waiting for Le Husband to get home.

... made a compliant dinner, watched some CWS then went to bed early to catch up on sleep.

... woke up way earlier than I wanted and honestly was a bit grumpy about teaching two classes back to back. I'm a yes girl when people need help, but I really wished I had taken the weekend off.

... taught one of my BEST BODYPUMP classes in awhile and had a fellow instructor and a few other members mention how well I taught the class. I put so much into preparing it was so wonderful to hear such kind words.

... felt much better after the excurcise.

... came home, ate food then attacked the mountain of things we needed to get done. We went to Hearth and Home to get a GREEN EGG [heart eye emoji], Home Depot for bookshelf stuff, grocery store for a cookout and smoothie place for food.

... had quite a few men comment on my husband being a 'lucky father' because of our Home Depot haul.

... finished painting the stairway, prepped the upstairs and enjoyed our first GREEN EGG MEAL.

... woke up lazy Sunday morning then ripped through our TO DOS.

... did gardening in the front yard, love our pretty yellow flower.

... helped Le Husband make a bookshelf, did laundry, hung pictures and started decorating the home.

... talked to Daddy on the phone for Father's day.

... went over to my aunt and uncles house for a Father's day dinner. Hung out with T-Bone, too.

... came home, prepped for the week and went to bed.

There you go, our weekend in pictures and in a nutshell. It was fun, tiring, rewarding and family oriented. All good things to me indeed. Cheers to hump day and the weekend being close again.

Weekend Highlights {The one with the HIKE and home stuff}

Morning, friends. Happy Monday to you! I know, Mondays aren't our favorites, but since they come around so often let's try and make it nice. This weekend was mostly about hiking, with a lil home improvement thrown in there for balance.

This weekend we...

... took it easy on Friday evening because tired and big hike the next day.

... woke up later than planned Saturday morning, but sleep was so needed, especially by me.

... packed up and hit the road for 30ish minute drive into the beautiful mountains.

... threw our planning for this hike together at the last minute and kind of drove around until we found something that looked good on the map. NOTE: Not the best idea for the first hike in a year.

... started the jaunt up the trail and enjoyed the gorgeous morning [so cool and sunny] and then came across aggressive bear signs, eek! The sign was in regards to a camp site, not the trail so we decided to go on with our plan.

... originally planned for maybe a six to seven mile hike round trip. Welp, somehow that turned into a twelve plus mile hike round trip because the map wasn't the C L E A R E S T on distances. Thankfully the view at the top made it alllllll worth the ouch in the legs and lungs.

... both decided the descent is a BAZILLION times worse than the ascent. Y'all my body is more sore from walking DOWN the mountain than up, no joke. By the end my feet were yelling at me and my posterior chain was talking as well. 

... had a fabulous time with wonderful weather and truly reignited our hiking bug.

... ate dinner at a delicious lil BBQ joint which had THE BEST COLESLAW in the world. PERIOD!

... headed to the gym after the hike to workout....SIKE! We went to use the foam rollers, hot tub and steam room to loosen up our uber tight lower body. Totally my idea and TOTALLY the best idea because the next day was a lot nicer to us.

... woke up late Sunday, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast then did some home improvements. 

... bought a new fan, new foyer light and new dining room light. Only snapped this baby bad one on the couch but will have more tomorrow/wednesday. I was so exhausted, but proud because I helped but up the fan and first light. 

... studied some more, prepped for the next day and tried to sleep. No dice. UGH!

Annnnd, that's all she, well I, wrote. It was a good mixed weekend, but I'm still feeling the hike and have quite a few classes on the docket for this week. Plus my test, egad. Happy vibes would be so appreciated. Have a wonderful day!

Messy, Busy & Ever Changing

First, THANK YOU for all your kind wishes and words. Seriously, y'all are the BESTEST! I can't tell you how much it means each of you still read and care, insert smiley face. I miss conversations here and I miss the supportive community. Y'all make me really wanna come back. Here's hoping, right? RIGHT?!

While I'm here, I guess I'll share a bit more about what we've been up to since February. My life has been consumed by work, teaching/practicing Les Mills classes and remodeling our townhouse. Le Husband has gone all Chipper Jones on me and I'm doing my best to jump in when [and where] I can. I HOPE to chronicle in a more DIY post, especially with the popcorn ceiling, but for now I thought it would be fun to share a summary of all the work going down.

We've been... 

Removing popcorn ceilings...

Repainting the faaaaabulous yellow walls...

We went with a dark accent wall and a light grey all around

Completely redoing the fireplace...

Picking out new flooring, new counter tops, master bath tiles and fixtures...

Oh yeah, and spending tons of time online looking for the best deals and decor ideas. We are still bring a whole 'feel' to the house but have decided on a color scheme and theme. Probably not at all on trend, but that's okay. I must say I'm in LOVE with subway tile, chandeliers, copper fixtures, deep hardwoods, clean whites and of course a few pops of colors. The hardest part right now is still living in chaos, but once the floors are done downstairs everything will finally come together and feel more like home. If you have any DIY tips or shopping for decor tips, PLEASE share! I'm all about a bargain and saving some time. Fingers crossed for us this week, we're hoping to lay down the hardwood floors.

Bringing Back a Classic {Oh How Pinteresting}

Morning, lovely ladies [and gents if you are out there]. I hope your Wednesday is going well. I thought I'd bring back one of my favorites from the early days of blogging, Oh How Pinteresting. I loved linking up every week to check out different pins and ideas from other bloggers. The linkup may be defunct but I'm using it as an inspiration for my post today.

[Quite possibly the most perfect summer brunch outfit.]

[no other words needed]

[Swing dresses are my new favorites and the heels are too fabulous for words]

[I need these perfect white skinnies and love the pop of leopard with the stripes]

[So pretty for this time of year, such fun pretty pinks]

[Got to get ready to pack for Europe, hey Kristen, can I hire you too?]

[Tie dye is making a comeback and while I'm not completely on the bandwagon, I do think this dress is fun.]

[Easy, healthy and delicious, a triple threat in my book]

[For a candle loving gal, finding use for all the tops is quite an achievement]

[This look is so crisp and elegant, love the gingham]

[Looking to add something new to the breakfast routine and this sounds filling and easy]

[Continuing my planning for Sportyspice's bridal shower, loving this color palette]

[Mimosa Sangria?!? Yes, please!]

What has caught your eye on Pinterest lately?

 linkinguphere
**all sources can be found in captions under photos**

Letter and Faves for Friday!

Morning and happy first Friday of June, ladies! This week wasn't as bad as expected after my two day work week. However, I'm still extremely excited to see Friday's pretty face after last night. Y'all I am bushed because I thought it would be a good idea to do yoga at lunch, lift after work, attend an event for Babyspice [HI] and then sub in a soccer game. WOOF! That's usually what I do all week crammed into a one day, haha. You better believe I'm sleeping well tonight. Now, let's get into some Friday favorite letters :)!

Dear Favorite DIY of the Week,
I'm kind of digging this tutorial, even though it looks a bit intimidating. Ever since Kathy posted about the light box her husband built her [he's so awesome] I've wanted one for myself. I know I'm not a FOOD blogger but I would love to make my pictures look better just for myself. Even though your steps are well laid out, I think I'm going to need Le Husband's help. Fingers crossed we don't kill each other in the process!

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Dear Favorite Quote of the Week,
You make me happy. You make me smile. You make me realize it's okay to not be perfect and to just be me. Grace is something I'm working on granting more and you are helping me realize that goal.

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Dear Favorite Awkward Video of the Week,
I'm normally not a fan of awkward videos. They make me cringe and feel badly for all involved. But, I can't help but watch you over and over again [thanks Today show]. The guy proposing looks so happy and the girl looks so incredulous at the situation. She is trying to not to be mean but her last line about the chicken sandwhic has me laughing every time. Now, don't get mad, I believe every proposal story is beautiful so even though this one didn't go as planned I still think it's a great story and am glad I found you to share with my friends. Please don't get mad that I giggle every time I play you.



Dear Favorite Links of the Week,
I don't  know why, but finding and saving you guys all week is one of my favorite weekly blogging rituals. I usually post fun ones -- like this story about Disney -- but every now and then a serious story makes it's way into the fold -- like this one about women being persecuted -- because I think we need to understand the good and bad in the world. I also like to educate people on sports -- it's Stanley Cup Finals time, ladies --- interesting articles -- don't make these eggcorn mistakes -- and of course blog posts I find incredibly informative -- Five ways we rob ourselves, four reasons you need dailies [podcastfoundhere]-- because it's fun to share the knowledge.

Dear Favorite Funnies of the Week,
You funnies, bring me so much joy. I love pinning during the week and I love searching for that extra special funny on Thursday. Making people laugh makes me happy and this a great way to help everyone have a great Friday. Thanks for being awesome funniverse.

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I hope you  have a fantastic weekend, y'all! Start a dance party…

**linking up  Here here, here , here, here, here and, here this week**