"It's Just My Collection" - Ariel

Sad news for me, I didn't get my National Running Day run in after all.  I was disappointed but the reality is that it is trying to hurricane around here lol! OK maybe it isn't THAT severe but there is a tropical storm that has been named...and if you look at the weather radar, it looks like Andrea is trying to form an eye.
 

I also had plans with my girlfriends to have dinner.  So I wasn't going to run around in the rain and then try to make it to dinner.  Thankfully we have already set up a run for Friday.  YAY!

In other news, I bought more nail polish.  *hangs head* I know I don't NEED any more! But there are always so many great colors.  It is really amazing that manufacturers continue to not DUPLICATE a color. In my defense, I did go through all my polish this weekend and the ones I didn't like, I threw out.  Most of them were top/base coats I have tried and not liked. There were a couple colors where I didn't LOVE the color and the formula wasn't great and I hadn't used it in over a year...so buh-bye!

So this is NOT a good representation of my nail polish collection:

I made this storage thing ALL BY MYSELF - no for real. The Husband only supervised, and by that I mean checked on it periodically to tell me to do something different.  He even made me hang it with anchors and hole drilling and everything on my own! so proud =) 

This shelf is at least half full already, if not more.  I have a problem.  The Husband laughed at me last night when I had this realization but it's all good! He doesn't mind =) It is part of me taking care of myself and LOOKING/SEEMING put together all the time...or the majority of the time lol. 

You will remember this storage from last summer:

Yeah - also completely full.  and a couple of colors have been tossed - two on the far left top shelf, two on the bottom shelf, and I think one of the reds from the middle shelf.  No seriously - this thing is FULL!  Now you may not think this is a whole lot and comparatively it isn't, but for me - it has grown leaps and bounds in just a few short months!

Anyhow if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have MORE nail polish that was delivered to me via UPS yesterday!

Yes - FIVE more - but four of them are minis...that makes it better right? RIGHT! haha! Anyhow because of the persistent rain, I will likely be spending my lunch painting my nails.  Oh and the color I have on in the picture above is Essie - The Girls are Out from the Summer 2013 collection.  The four colors in the top half of the above picture are from the same collection so I hope the formula is just as good - I know Essie's can sometimes be iffy but I was really pleased with The Girls are Out.  =)

Oh and I may or may not have bought a neon from Walgreens yesterday. It is from Sinful Color's Poolside Collection: 24/7 and is apparently a dupe for China Glaze Pool Party.  I couldn't pass it up - I have been looking for a great lighter pink neon and I instantly fell in love.  The formula seems good so I can't wait to try that one out! Probably for one of our upcoming beach trips =)

So new rule - i'm sharing it with you so I can be held accountable -
No More New Polish Until I Use Everything I Have Once
The Husband will appreciate that rule

OH and I asked The Husband to text me pictures of my collection so I can update you and you can see just how much of a problem this has become in such a short time haha!

What do you love to buy?
Are you a polish-aholic?

The Hardest Step For a Runner to Take is the First One Out the Door

Today is National Running Day!!! Happy NRD to you =)
I love to run - alone, with the dog, with a friend.  It is therapeutic and helps clear my thoughts and emotions.   Last summer, I started running with my dad.  I had this crazy idea that I wanted to run my second half marathon.  So we started training.

It was HARD.  Especially because - super smart us - decided to start training in JULY! JULY People!! Here in July it is 85* on a COOL NIGHT! To say it was hot and muggy and 'heavy' is an understatement.  My dad likes to tell people that on our first two mile run together it was like trying to run in wet jeans and combat boots.  Yeah, it was tough.

By December we were ready though and I PR-ed =) YAY me! Although it was a hard run...about 10 days before the race, I started experiencing discomfort in my left knee.  Me and my imagination were mentally prepping for the worst. As in a small tear in the tendon or something that would need surgery and/or prevent me from running for an extended amount of time.

I finally went to the doctor in January and she told me I had to actually invest in for real shoes - not just whatever was on sale at Kohl's like I had been.  So new shoes and inserts were purchased.  Since that day in late January I have had no pain while running.  You read that right - NONE!!!

My dad and I started training again and are only up to about 6 miles for our 'long' runs.  We are really wanting to get back to where we are running 8-9 miles on Saturday mornings.  For now, we are happy with averaging anywhere between 10 - 15 miles a week.

Today we are planning on running - if the weather holds out for us.  and I am really hoping it isn't hurricane-ing since, after all, it's National Running Day!

Do you have a running buddy?
Are you planning a run for today?

Delicious Dessert: Apple Crisp

Hey Y'all!!! I hope you had a wonderful long weekend!! I know we did - filled with the three 'F's: friends, family, and fun!  More on that tomorrow =)

Yesterday I was charged with the task of making a dessert.  I was going to use my default: chocolate chip cookies or cupcakes.  When I got to the store, I found I wanted something more refreshing - something more in line with summer [read: side of ice cream].  I took to Pinterest - thank goodness for this site, am I right?! Google is great and all, but Pinterest knows exactly what I need.

I came across this recipe by Love, Pomegranate House.
It seemed relatively easy and the ingredients consisted mostly of items I would normally have at home.  The apples were the only item listed that I needed to buy.

Apple Crisp

{Ingredients}

10 cups apples cored and sliced (I read 10 apples yesterday when I made this!)
1 cup white sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water (this is not always necessary as sugar makes the apples release juices)
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter softened

{How To}

1. Preheat the oven to 350*
2. Toss sliced apples (I diced mine into squares) with white sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Place coated apples in a 9x13 pan. Pour water evenly over mixture (you don't NEED the water....I did this but found that I would have been fine without.  It made for a runny mixture after it baked)
3. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.  Cut the butter into the mixture - **I actually mostly melted the butter for this step so that I could get the dry mixture wet to create a dough-like mixture.
4.  Crumble evenly over the apple mixture
5. Bake for 45 minutes.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
6. Serve with vanilla ice cream*

Number six was MY addition =) It was delicious with a little ice cream! This was such a quick and easy recipe.  What took longest was the baking.   The Husband loved the crumble so much, he suggested we make that piece alone without the apples.

Did you try any new recipes this weekend?

A Beautiful Mother's Day Weekend

heyyyyy!!!!

Ashley here!! Today is day 8!!! EIGHT days already at my new job! I love it.  I am SOOOOO much happier.  TONS happier.  People close to me tell me they can tell a difference.  It is really hard to work somewhere that you have given everything you can and just keep getting kicked down.  It is exhausting and very defeating.  I am thankful for what I learned and how I grew but I am excited about my future with this company!

Not only that but every other Friday, the office closes at 1! yipppeeee!!!! This Friday will be the first time they are implementing this new schedule.

In other news, we had a wonderful weekend this past weekend.  Yay Mother's Day!!!
Saturday my mom wanted to spend the WHOLE day together for Mother's Day celebration.
The biggest thing my mom wanted to do was go to the beach for the day.  We picked THE perfect day to go.  It was BEAUTIFUL and there was a really nice breeze so it didn't get unbearably hot.  That didn't stop me from getting a tiny bit too much sun...in my defense I put on sunscreen.  Apparently I just missed a few spots!

 

My dad and The Husband went fishing:

That night all 6 of us got together for a mother's day dinner.  it was very yummy ! To say I was tired at the end of the night is an understatement!

Sunday morning The Husband and I stayed in bed until 1130!!!! That is CRAZY for us.  We are usually out of bed no later than 8!!! Clearly we needed the rest.
That afternoon, we went to The Husband's parents and then dinner that night.

 

We had such a relaxing weekend! We definitely deserved it after all the hard work we put in last week.  I'm hoping we can catch some more sunshine this weekend and get a LOT more relaxing in.

I hope you had an amazing weekend!
How was your Mother's Day?
What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Last Day - Happy Hour - Wine Caddies

This is it - today is the day.  When I leave today, I will no longer be working for this company any more.
Monday starts my new job - I AM a wee bit bummed that I wasn't able to take an extra day or two off BUT what can ya do?!

I found myself getting a little teary-eyed this morning while I was getting ready. Then it happened again when I hugged my sweet friend Kelley, who is also moving on to something new.  I am really having a hard time with the idea that on Monday morning I won't be making the drive to this office. I am starting over.

In other - much happier, less emotionally confusing news -

This happens in t-minus TWO HOURS!!! EEEEEEE!!!! So excited! There are like TWENTY of us cramming into a room for happy hour and probably food.  There are several of us that will be leaving after today.  SO we decided one big happy hour is the way to do it.  Kel and I decided that we need to set up a monthly happy hour with these people....'these people' being the ones we like hahah!

I am also participating in a little DIY action tonight that I am pretty excited about =) A little tie-dye and cutting up some shirts, definitely looking forward to that.

ANNNNDDDD last but most certainly NOT least.  My sweet sweet friend bought me this as a congratulations/going away gift.  Her and I will definitely be able to maintain our friendship! Look how CAAA-UUUUUUTTTTEEE!!!

Happy Friday y'all!!

A Quick DIY - Refashioned Earrings to Necklace

Hiiii!!! Ok so I have only 3 more full work days left with my current company.
I am starting to feel some sadness - I'll miss the people in the office.
I will miss the familiarity of it all; I mean what if the people at the new office don't like me?!
Psh - yeah right!! haha OK I am NOT that confident but I have to keep smiling and laughing.

A couple weeks ago I ordered a jewelry grab bag from Sassy Steals
I was SO happy with the loot I received yesterday...
except for the bubble earrings.  I think they are darling but the reality is that they are pretty big.
And heavy - I knew I wasn't going to wear them.

As I looked at them, I realized that I could remove one of the dangles, and combine them to make a necklace!!! you know, one of the short bubble necklaces that are floating around the Internet.
I removed one of the bigger dangle pieces, took the main piece off the earring and combined them

TaDaa!!!  Seriously -this took all of 2 minutes before heading out for work this morning.
I try to always look at something for its possibilities rather than the face value.

Have you ever done a refashion DIY?

Closing A Chapter in This Crazy Thing Called Life

If you count today, I am only going to be working in my current position for another 6 days -....counting today.  I can't believe it.  After nearly five years with this company, I have decided to move on. I'm closing one chapter on my life and starting with another.

To be honest, it is so surreal.  I have wanted to find something that I would feel was my calling.  I really think this new opportunity is it. I am excited to get started; to learn something new; to be doing something in my 'field of study'; set up a career.

On the other hand, I can't believe I will only be working here for another 5 full work days. Five. that's it. I can count that on one hand.  Nearly five years of 8 - 5, late nights, some weekends. Some people have been here as long (a handful longer) than I have.  I have watched employees come and go.  This has kind of been my family.  The people I have worked with in this office have been a unique group - a wildly eclectic group - but somehow, amid all the diversity, it worked for us.

I was blessed to have worked with such an incredible team.
Were there bad days? absolutely! There were days that when I left, I didn't know how I would convince myself to get in my car and drive back to work the next morning. But even on the worst days, I always had the women i worked with to vent to, cry with, be mad with. It helped get through the really bad days. The 'them' versus 'us' days. Have you ever watched Lost? Yeah we had 'the others'. that was a running joke for a little while. I hated that over time, as the company has grown, the them versus us mentality has gotten so much worse.  it was office versus field. Managers versus billing.

It was stressful.
It was hard.
it was miserable at times.

And you know, I really am so much better for it. Having to overcome huge obstacles. Learn how to stand up for myself. I have learned my limits. I know exactly what are my strengths and weaknesses. I know what I don't like about a job. I know the things I love. I have certainly grown professionally.  My experiences have helped me to also grow on a personal level.

Everyone told me that after putting in my notice, I would only be able to think about the good things; the good times; all the things I will miss. I couldn't disagree more! All I keep thinking about are all the things that I WON'T miss. That's when I realize it is definitely time for me to move on. For me and for the company.

The other indicator is all my negativity towards a lot of the people who are still working for the company, toward the work; just the general resentment.  I found that I was able to train myself to stop thinking about work once I was in my car on the way home - completely block it from my thoughts.  I didn't think about it again until I got to work the next morning.  Does that mean I was a bad employee?  I don't know.  this was just a necessary mechanism to save me and my sanity.

I know it sounds life a horrible place and situation - it wasn't...not all the time. Not in the beginning.  So much has changed.  the company itself has boomed; profited when no one else could.  it got away from everyone, I think.  We couldn't keep up.  We were trying to continue to function as a small company, even though, we are for all intents and purposes, bigger than a small company.  The thing is we are smaller than a big company.  Sheesh - goldilocks complex or what?!  it just got out of hand - the work load kept growing but we couldn't find the right people to help out.

When I leave next Friday, there will be a lot of people in the company that I probably won't ever speak to again, for various reasons.  There are some women here who I will continue to talk to on a regular basis.  Not working together will probably help some of the friendships that have been made. I am so thankful for these women.  We have celebrated and laughed together, rejoiced in each others successes and accomplishments. some were at my wedding.  I went to Jackie's wedding in October.  These friendships will continue to flourish.

I'm actually having a hard time wrapping this post up because it felt so negative.  But honestly, as I feel this chapter coming to a close, it is as if a weight has been lifted.  I feel happier. I feel more positive again. I'm excited about the future but I am thankful for the opportunity I was given to grow professionally and personally with the employer I am leaving.

I'm happy.  I'm moving on to take care of me and my goals. I'm motivated.  I feel like I may be walking into my 'calling' my niche.  And that is exciting!

Happy Friday!