taking a break

It just seems right to take a little blog break right now... There is a lot going on and sitting down at night writing just isn't in the card this week....

Until then, here's life:

• Friday night a high school friend was involved in a car accident where one girl was killed. That girl happened to be celebrating my brother's birthday with him on Thursday. It has been very hard on everyone. My friend Barry is still in the hospital and has a long way to go mentally and physically, so if you'd say a prayer for healing, I would really appreciate it. The Quattlebaums and Comers especially need the prayers.

• Work has really stepped up as I have gained responsibility this week. It's a good thing..... A great thing actually!! I like a challenge, but it just makes me more drained at the end of the day.

• I'm currently on mile 32 of 50 for my #50milesseptember. I hit halfway on Sunday. I can do this!

• My heart is also so heavy for the tragedy in DC and the flooding in Colorado. Why do bad things keep happening? Our world is just surrounded by terrible things lately! Luckily we are not in control!

• Tyler's dad is driving down from PA to our farm to hunt this weekend and I'm really looking forward to seeing him again! I also have a wedding shower and baby shower on Sunday.

• This commercial for Chipotle really upset me this week. I take farming/agriculture articles very seriously and I can honestly say Chipotle has lost my business. Here is a response to the video. Y'all farmers aren't out to "get" anyone and I promise you they care about the land and about their livestock.  This video makes it seem like they are only out to make money. Of course they want to make money but this is just a really unfair depiction of agriculture. If you ever have questions about farming or agriculture or organic or "natural" and my thoughts, please don't hesitate to ask. I love talking about it and learning more!

• Sarge had his yearly checkup and passed with flying colors except for fleas! Those pesky suckers are driving us crazy! Our neighborhood is covered with them and he attracts him on his walks. Thank goodness for Advantix and Capstar!

• Speaking of my neighborhood, we made the front page of the paper when we had 38 cars broken into on Monday... Joy! Luckily I park in the garage and Tyler is anal about locking his truck so we didn't lose anything but people are so disgusting and disappointing!

• My mom has been in Paris for a week and is headed to Belgium next week. Who is jealous!?! This girl.... But super happy this is her time to travel with her girlfriends!

• Next week begins season premiere week for my favorite shows!! Chicago Fire, SVU, Grey's Anatomy, Revenge... BRING.IT.ON!

• And I have another prayer request if you are the praying kind. It's unspoken, but I promise you God knows what is on my heart about this. It's pretty big in our lives right now and a hump in our almost 6 months of marriage... But that's what marriage is for! Love and support!

That's all for now.... I'll be back soon! We just need to get through the next couple of busy days and weeks, but you know where to find me on social media! Thanks for your love, friends!!

xoxo

it's official: i'm an insurance agent!

Whoo hoo!

I passed my SC Insurance Exam yesterday morning with a score of 80%! You only have to have a 70% to pass so I am really proud of myself for rocking it! I seriously studied my tail off ALL week and couldn't think of anything else while I was at home with my parents taking the class and coming home and studying until midnight. How do you people in school do it after being out of school 2+ years. Yikes. Looks like I won't be doing graduate school!

Now all I have to do is pass my SLED background check (which better come back perfect), and I'm good to go! I'll be able to sell insurance and talk with customers about their policies.

Thank you for the prayers and well-wishes! 

Now I can relax because Tyler's parents are in town for the week!

Have a great weekend friends!

the best wedges ever

Before I started my new job, I knew I'd need a few pairs of comfortable, everyday shoes. Isn't a new job a great reason to buy another pair of new shoes? Absolutely!

Beaufort doesn't have too many shoe store options, so I hit up the few we have: TJ Maxx, Belk, JC Pennys, and the Shoe Department. Usually I can find something at TJ Maxx, but of course the one time I was looking for something I couldn't find it. I really wanted to find some at Belk because we still have a fair amount of money left on a wedding gift card and again, I couldn't find any. I walked into our JCP that isn't the most hoppin' place, BUT I fell in love with a pair of shoes that I knew I had to call mine!

Behold, I give you the Liz Claiborne Kassy Braided T-Strap Wedges!!!

The wedge is just the right height for me since I am already 5'7 and I normally don't like really tall shoes. After walking around the store in them for a minute, I was sold! The BEST PART- I paid $25 for them!!!! They were $35 online (and still are), but they were on sale in the store. Seriously one of the best purchases I've ever made and they go with everything!

They are great to dress up or down and I wear them at least 2-3 times a week to work!

In addition to the cognac I got, they also have them in neutral and white!

If I were you, I'd get a pair! 

PS- Don't forget about the recipe linkup tomorrow!!!! Come back and get some dinner ideas!!

first day post-work thoughts

I survived my first day! 

I didn't even know what to expect walking into my new office this morning at 8:25. I was ready, surprisingly not anxious (sending a huge thank you to my Bible study group girls for tons of prayers), and ready to face the day!

It was tough going to sleep last night because I had a million thoughts going through my head. Tyler was right there with me and we ended up taking a Dramamine to both fall asleep. I'm quite a thinker (duh!).

Top: LOFT

Skirt: LOFT (similar)

Watch: Kate Spade

Bracelet: David Yurman

Necklace: Stella and Dot (I think?)

Shoes: Tory Burch

The morning was spent getting acquainted with the office and setting up my workstation. My manager is great and had made an itinerary for me. I was really worried I was going to sit around and twiddle my thumbs all day because that's what I have done at past jobs/internships in the past.

I made it through the first few hours, then breaked for lunch... Stopped by Bi-Lo to get a few groceries, then ran home to heat up an Lean Cuisine and let Sarge tinkle. How do those of you who go home for lunch to it? I literally could not sit on the couch because I knew I'd never get up! Luckily I only had time to sit and shovel my food into my mouth, I couldn't really process what was going on! And just like that, I hopped back in the car to the office for the afternoon.

This afternoon sort of dragged on, probably because I ate lunch at 11:30 and at my old job I went to lunch at 1 (central time)! By 3:30 I was starving and needed a Diet Coke pronto. Note: take DC to work tomorrow and stick in the fridge!

Thanks for every ones well wishes and tweets, Facebook messages, emails, comments on photos, and texts. I am a BLESSED girl! 

Good thing today went well or this post could have been depressing.

Oh, did I mention I scanned mail incorrectly and the stamp was on the back of the envelope. Classic rookie mistake!

what's your daily routine?

As I look ahead to Monday and my first day on my new job, I'm having to examine my daily routine. Since I left my old job on December 18, I haven't had a set routine. 

December 19, we drove back to South Carolina for Christmas. Then it was Christmas, engagement parties, Tyler went back to Illinois to (secretly) finish work, I flew back out to pack his house, he put in his two weeks, and we moved. Just like that. 

But I haven't had a routine. When I was living at my parent's house, I went to the YMCA every morning for workout classes. I haven't joined the YMCA here yet, because I was holding out and luckily my new company gives us a membership (HOORAY!). 

So you can see, I really haven't had a real routine. Just packing, unpacking, organizing, cleaning, cooking, running, all of that fun stuff.

I need your help. What is your daily routine?

Here is my old one:

6:30ish - wake up, shower, get ready, have breakfast 

8- go to work

Noon- lunch

1-5 work

5- come home

Dinner

Gym

TV shows

..... problem is, I don't know where and how to fit in the bottom three. They all incorporate spending time with Tyler, obviously.

Now my hours will be 8:30-5:30 with an hour lunch and I can finally come home for my lunch break! I am so pumped for that because I've always lived at least 20 minutes away from my job. Guess that will be my new time to blog!

Help me out!!! What does your day look like!?!?

work attire.... for me!

Did you hear the good news???

I GOT A JOB!

I'll be working in the insurance industry on the commercial side. I am so excited! I think I hit the pavement pretty hard, and on the exact one month anniversary of us being married, I got a phone call saying I was getting an offer in two days. God really does answer your prayers at the most perfect timing. And right after I legally changed my name.

Obviously a new job comes with a new wardrobe... Well, sort of. At my old job I could literally wear anything I wanted. In the summer it was shorts, flip flops, and a top. In the winter, it was jeans and boots. Now, it's straight business attire. I'm totally OK with that, but I looked at my closet and realized I am going to need a bunch of cardigans to put over sleeveless tops and a few more pairs of casual heels.

Of course I turn to polyvore to pull together a couple of outfits that are work appropriate. Now, if only these items would appear in my closet!

{left}

pants // top // wedges // handbag // earrings 

{middle}

dress //  heels // handbag // jewelry

{right} 

blouse // skirt //  shoes // handbag //  earrings // bangle

Any staples in your closet you must have for work? Help a newly employing girl out!

Traveling Again

Hi friends! I promise I haven't forgotten about my little blog. I haven't really been feeling myself lately, and didn't want to put all of that out there in the blogosphere, so I just took a break! Hopefully I'll be back at it again soon. Thanks for the sweet comments over the past couple of days and for encouragement!

I can't hang in the big girl world. I am off to another trade show and feel like I just got home from one and that was about 2 weeks ago! Phew. I am exhausted and SO ready to get back to a normal routine!

Tomorrow I'll be headed to Minneapolis for a trade show for everyone in the grain elevator world. Exciting, right? Maybe I can hit up the Mall of America if I get a free chance, but I have a feeling that I'll be picking a nap/sleeping over shopping. Yes, that tired!

I was on the hunt for comfy shoes to wear for the show because its lots of standing and walking around, but I never found any. Hope my fake danskos can handle one more show! Do you have really comfortable shoes to suggest for me to get in the future?

I'm going to spend a couple more hours with my sweet boy before I am off traveling tomorrow. Hope you have a great weekend and maybe I can sneak in a blog post in the hotel!

Ta ta,

Kalabunga Dude

Ok, I don't even know how to explain this resort where our trade show is being held.

It's called Kalahari Resort. You need to check it out: www.kalahariresorts.com.

There is a water park indoors, one outdoors, the largest movie theater I've ever seen, a theme park inside and outside, and lots of other crazy things.

I'm stuck in the ballroom for the agriculture trade show.

BUT. I am totally treating myself to a message at the spa downstairs tomorrow night. 

OH HAYYYYY!

My boss always takes us to these trade shows at cool places- last time on Michigan Ave, now here and there's an outlet mall across the street, and next place has an Ikea across the street. 

Why am I working!?

Sheesh. You should check out this place. It's hysterical. It's like a cruise ship without the water and boat. There are kids running around the place in bathing suits.

Oh yeah, and I'm Wisconsin.

So random.

I'll share more tomorrow! 

Ta ta,

Headed to the Cheese State

Tomorrow I head to Wisconsin for work until Friday.

I'm sure I will be too tired to blog at the end of the day. Hope you won't miss my ramblings too much!

Off to the land of cheese! Hopefully I'll get to sample some? Ha, OR go to the spa at our cool hotel with the waterpark inside. So random, but could be so fun!

Ta ta,

First Day

Today marks the second biggest event during my move other than my 12.5 hour drive..... My first day of WORK! I have had only internships in the past, so I am SO happy to now have responsibility and not be the lowest on the totem pole (even though as the new girl I know I will be for a while.)

My office is about 20 minutes away in an Amish town. I am praying that I don't take advantage of the Amish food readily available and gain lots of lbs. Seriously, I don't need that. I also really like my co-workers and boss! I do miss my Dept of Ag friends (hey Amy if you are reading this!).

No pictures today, I have lots I need to load from the past week, but once I get in a routine I am going to get back to my normal blogging.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Ta ta,