brb

See you soon, baby!

homeless

We said our final goodbye to our first home on Sunday afternoon.  I didn't think I was going to cry because I was so exhausted, but I did choke up as we drove off.  We tried to clean up the place as much as we could for the new owners, hoping that they'd fall in love with the house all over again.  I hope they will share many memories in their new home and enjoy it as much as we did. 

Above is a picture of Bailey that I took on Friday, her last full day at the house.  She was completely stressed out over the weekend and had no idea what was going on.  She didn't even have a proper goodbye!

"Homeless" is a bit of an exaggeration.  We're temporarily living with my Mom until our new house is finished.  They are promising us that it will be done by the end of December, but that does not really sit too well with us knowing that my due date is December 20th.  We would love to bring our baby boy home to a finished nursery.  We're praying that all goes well and that everything will work out in our favor.  FYI - we signed on this new house a month BEFORE we found out I was pregnant!

We're all still adjusting to our new living situation, especially Bailey.  Every now and then, she stares at us and/or stands by the front door, like she's asking to go home.  It's a little cozy with all our stuff crammed in my old room, but we're thankful that we have a place to sleep and we're able to save during these next few months.  All the sacrifice and waiting will definitely be worth it once we have the keys to our new home, and Baby T will be a sweet icing on the cake to top it all off!  It's like we're having two babies at the same time!

Here's to surviving the next couple of months.  Wish us luck!

this has GOT to be a record!

Before we even had a chance to breathe and for me to mention it on this blog, our house sold in pretty much TWO days!  We officially put it on the market last Monday, had two showings on Tuesday, and had an offer - at full price - Tuesday night!  I must admit, I was hoping for a bidding war, but we couldn't be happier with how things turned out.  We didn't have to mess with people coming in and out of our house for too long and having to keep the house clean 24/7.  We just got the results from the inspection this week and besides a very minor fix, we're good to go.  We close on September 24th so that gives us about two more months to enjoy our first home.  It's going to be bittersweet but we're moving on to bigger and better things.

I'm hoping to share some pictures with you as soon as we get back from our Europe trip!

some saucy news

When in doubt on what to make for dinner for the week, we always fall back on spaghetti.  It's easy, and you really can't go wrong with pasta.  I usually get the one with lots of meat chunks or the three-cheese sauce, and I like to add some fresh mushrooms, oregano and thyme for extra flavor.  I have yet to try and make my spaghetti sauce from scratch though.  Does anyone have any good recipes? 

Here we are talking about spaghetti, and all I really wanted to say was, I'm...

!!!

I'm now 16 weeks pregnant and had a very good first trimester.  No morning sickness really, which I'm thankful for.  My clothes are fitting a little snug, and I'm constantly hungry, although no crazy cravings yet.  I've been taking weekly pictures of my belly with Paul's help.  We found out when I thought I was 5 weeks, but was really only 4 weeks along. 

Our "true" due date is Christmas Day!  I say true, because we originally thought it was December 20th, but we were actually 5 days off based on the baby's size.  Hopefully the baby comes a little sooner so he/she will have their own special day. 

We are so grateful for this little miracle that we've been blessed with!  Baby T has changed us so much already.  My Aunt did say, "savor every moment you spend with your child - this [stage] is the closest you'll ever be!"  She is so right (as always), and so far, I'm loving every minute of it!

2012 goals

Well, this will be a snoozefest for you guys, but I thought it would be good for me to write down my goals for the year, and hopefully look back on them a year from now and see if I've achieved them, or completely failed.  So here's a list of a few things I'd like to work on, in no particular order. 

Get fit / be healthy.  Ever since we got back from our Hawaii trip in July, I've let myself go.  Paul and I have tried P90X and Insanity and you do see results after 60 - 90 days (we took before and after pics, and no, I'm not going to post them).  I ate what I wanted and never had to starve myself to death.  But I came to realize that my metabolism isn't the same as it was in high school.  I WILL get fat if I don't eat right.  To get ready for our trip, we went on a low carb diet.  I didn't realize how much carbs I consumed in a day.  We did allow one day to eat carbs and I looked forward to it every week.  I did not (never have, never will) have a chiseled stomach, but I felt better about myself.  Now I'm just, blah.  So I'm going to try and work out at least 3-5 times a week, and get back into running.  I was never a runner, but I was doing pretty good for a while.  I want to run another 5K, and hopefully run my first 10K this year.  Who knows, maybe a half marathon like this girl.  Yeah, not likely!

Read more books.  I love reading.  But unfortunately, technology has taken over my life, and I find myself on the internet more than actually reading books.  It didn't help either when I got the iPhone 4 last June because I'm constantly on my phone, either reading blogs, Facebook or Instagram.  I think I managed to read 4 to 5 books this past year, which includes the Hunger Games Trilogy (can't wait for the movie).  I have lots of books just sitting in a closet, waiting to be read.  So my goal is to take at least 30 minutes a day and read.  This seems doable.  Paul did buy me a book light last year so really, I have no excuse!  So...anyone have any good book recommendations? 

Less splurging.  I'm an impulse buyer.  There, I said it.  The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem.  I'm also very good at returning things.  My logic is, if I don't buy it now, it won't be there the next time I decide to buy it.  Buy it now, have a guilt trip, and return later.  I usually do some damage on my lunch break.  So I'm going to try to stay in for lunch most days to avoid all malls and anything that requires using my credit card.  And I will find a good excuse to buy something stupid.  We should really be saving for more important things like vacations and improvements on the house.

Start sewing.  Paul thought I was crazy when I added a sewing machine on our wedding gift registry.  I told him that I have to learn eventually, you know, to make curtains, pillowcases, sew on a zipper, etc.  Almost two years later, it's still in the box.  So this year, I want to at least get the machine out of the box and say I've looked at it, read the manual, and hopefully make a pillowcase or two.  I just need my Mom or someone to teach me, please?

Learn more about Photography.  I have always had an appreciation for photography.  I try to be all artsy with pictures I take, no matter what camera/phone I use.  So having this new fancy camera just got me all excited, and I hope to take a few lessons whenever a good deal comes along on LivingSocial or Groupon. 

Think positive.  I'm very pessimistic.  I figured if I think of the worst case scenario, then if things don't work out, I can tell myself, I knew it.  And, if things do work out in my favor, I'm extra happy and do a happy dance!  But Paul has been really good at telling me to snap out of my pessimistic self and have a better outlook on things.  I'm very stubborn and I usually don't listen to him, but this year, I'll try to be better. 

Do at least one house project a month.  As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I have great plans for our house, it's just a matter of acting on them.  This is from painting the kitchen cabinets, putting in some hardware, getting granite countertops (please), adding a backsplash (pretty please), painting the bedrooms and bathrooms, and putting some art on the walls.  I think we've come a long way so far since purchasing our home, but I want to keep going. 

Spend more time with family.  Plain and simple. 

Yikes, this got lengthy real fast!  These are just a few of my goals for the year.  I have small stupid ones like:  quit hitting the snooze button 3 times and get up the first time, stop checking my phone every 5 seconds, stop playing with my cuticles, floss often, but I didn't think you wanted a paragraph explaining each. 

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

2011 highlights

Since the new year is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to reminisce on some highlights of 2011.

JANUARY

We rang in 2011 with a bang!  Not really, but wow!  Look how short my hair was!

The first snow of the year fell the day before my 27th birthday.

Our kitchen walls put on a second coat of paint, from a yellowish beige (Behr's Camel 350F-5), to a more calm, sage green (I think it was Behr's Palm Breeze 420E-2).  Very subtle, but we like it. 

Before

 After

FEBRUARY

We had a bit of cabin fever the first week of February.  I was able to breeze through Hunger Games, and we got to play in the snow!.  This may not be a big deal for some people, but if you live in Texas, even an inch of snow is a very big deal!

Celebrated our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.  The frog is an inside joke that goes way back before we started going out.

MARCH

We finally got our plantation shutters.  The formal living room already had shutters when we moved in, but the formal dining had absolutely no window treatment whatsoever.  Paper blinds from Home Depot were used when we painted the walls blue, and left them on since.  We went ahead and put shutters on all the windows in the main area, and we're so pleased with the results.

Because of the freeze, our water pipes had a leak, which led to the picture below.  Read more here.  We almost wanted to rip out our newly installed shutters and get our money back =(

APRIL

I ran my very first 5k to raise money for lung cancer research.  We'll be participating again next year, and hope to make this a tradition. 

MAY

For Mother's Day, my sister and I took our Mom to Fredericksburg, TX.  It's tucked away in the Hill Country, about southwest of Austin.  It's basically Texas' version of Napa Valley.  It was our first time there, and I'd love to go back with Paul someday.

JUNE

We celebrated our first Wedding Anniversary on the 19th.  We had dinner at Fogo De Chau the night before, and went to Top Golf, since our anniversary fell on Father's Day.

Bailey celebrated her 4th birthday with a "Tutu Cute" outfit and some Frosty Paws.

Got our exterior painted, and it looks as good as new!  Our front door got a nice, shiny black coat, and our fence restained.

After 9 years of living in Texas, I officially became a US Citizen! 

JULY

Spent my first Fourth of July as an American.

My wish came true!  We went to Maui and it was everything I imagined Hawaii would be.  I miss it so much, and I hope to visit the other islands in the near future.  I wish I had a blog then so I could share more pictures.  Maybe if I'm desperate, I'll write a post!  But for now, here are a few of my favorites.

As a late birthday present, we took our Mom to the Katy Perry concert.  I'm not a die hard fan, but I actually had fun with the tweens!  There were many dads there, and you can tell that they were forced to go (kind of like that guy on the right).  It's a good thing Katy Perry's easy on the eye. 

We went home to B.C. to spend time with family.  One of the main events was my cousin Tincy's garden themed engagement party and it was super cute.  We're so excited for their 2013 wedding in Europe!

{photo via ShariLee Photography}

AUGUST

This month was apparently uneventful since I only have pictures of my paint swatch art.  So, let's move on to...

SEPTEMBER

For Labor Day weekend, we took a little road trip down to Austin (read more here and here).

OCTOBER

I got to meet Grace Bonney, the creator of Design*Sponge.

NOVEMBER

We finally furnished our formal living and dining rooms, just in time for hosting our first Thanksgiving at home.

DECEMBER

Spent my first Christmas with Paul's family.  I'm so lucky to have gained such wonderful people in my life.

  

2011 was quite a year, and I hope 2012 is just as good, if not better!  We celebrated many "firsts", and we hope that God continues to shower us with more blessings to come.  Here's to new beginnings and new memories to be made.  Happy New Year everyone!

give thanks

As we wait for the turkey to cook, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on what I'm grateful for.  We often get carried away with material things during the holidays.  We get disappointed when things don't go our way, or complain about the things we don't have.  We forget what's truly important in life.  I'm thankful for this house we call home, the clothes on my back, good health, great friends and Bailey Bear.  But most of all, I thank God for my family and a loving (and very patient) husband.  Without them, life would be meaningless.

So sometime today, and especially before you hit up all the Black Friday sales, take a moment and give thanks. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope it's spent with those you love!


Now let's hope this turkey actually turns out well!  I'm crossing my fingers!

missal in my pocket

I am Catholic.  I was baptized, had my First Holy Communion, Confirmation and celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage .  I even went to a Catholic school for most of elementary through high school.  One of the first things we did when we got married was register as parishioners at the church close to our house.  I felt like such an adult!  This is all I've known all my life.  I'm not saying I'm religious.  I could use some work in this area, but we try to go to church every Sunday and say our prayers at night.  So when the priest made an announcement that there were going to be some changes made to the Mass (beginning November 27th), it made me sort of question myself.  I'm not quite sure what the changes are exactly, but from what I gather, I think they're changing some of the prayers said at Mass (via here). 

I read in this Sunday's Bulletin that there's a free app you can download called iBreviary Pro Terra Sancta (or iBreviary TS).  It has the order of the Mass (old and new), readings, prayers, lectures, etc., right at your fingertips.  This is a great tool for reflection, prayer, and gives you less of an excuse to not have time for God.

Ok, reflection over.  Let's go watch some reality tv!  A new Jersey Shore episode is on tonight (fist pump)!

A-Z

So I haven’t done one of these since probably high school, but thought it would be fun to do! 

A. AGE - 27

B. BED SIZE - Queen

C. CHORE YOU HATE - Cleaning the bathroom (I’m so thankful that Paul volunteers to do this, I don’t even have to ask!)

D. DOGS - A beagle/basset named Bailey Bear

E. ESSENTIAL START TO YOUR DAY - Taking a shower - ok fine, reaching for my iPhone first thing in the morning and seeing what’s new. Sad, I know but I’m sure other people can relate!

F. FAVORITE COLOR - Blue

G. GOLD OR SILVER - Gold

H. HEIGHT - 5’1 and 3/4th, to be exact

I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY - I played the piano when I was younger, but I was never any good

J. JOB TITLE - daughter, sister, wife, friend, accountant, Bailey’s mum, pinster

K. KIDS - hopefully soon =)

L. LIVE - McKinney, TX

M. MAIDEN NAME - Flores

N. NICKNAMES - Aissa, Ate, Teen, Zaza, Aissweet, mum

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS - I think once when I was two years old for my asthma. I’m glad I grew out of it, but I still use the excuse, “I can’t breathe, I used to have asthma,” when I’m running because I’m tired. Oops, I said too much!

P. PET PEEVE(S) - messiness, spelling mistakes, slow drivers (no Mom, I’m not driving wrecklessly), that scalp smell when someone walks passed you and it’s evident they have NOT taken a shower, and the list goes on…

Q. QUOTE - Life’s a Beach!

R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY - Righty

S. SIBLINGS - a sister named Karina who’s a year younger, and a brother named Kristoffer (or Topet) who’s two years younger

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP - I set my alarm at 5:35 am on weekdays, but I hit the snooze button like 3 times, so let’s say 6!

U. UNIVERSITY ATTENDED - University of Texas at Dallas

V. VEGETABLE YOU DISLIKE - Eggplant? I’m picky when it comes to vegetables, and Paul likes to call me out on it (tattle tale)

W. WHAT MAKES YOU RUN LATE - When it’s hot and I can’t put my concealer or my powder on; Ignoring my alarm clock

X. X-RAYS YOU’VE HAD - dental/physical exams, but nothing major I don’t think; Airport scans - do those count?

Y. YUMMY FOOD - I can eat Mexican food all day, every day!

Z. ZOO ANIMAL FAVORITE - monkeys

hello blogging world!

I finally did it! I started a blog! After months of blog stalking, pinning like crazy and email convos with my cousin/bff about our blog ideas, we are now officially bloggers! I think my husband has pretty much had it with this blog talk.  He even helped me with my blog name so I could get started!

This blog is to document my house projects, old/new recipes I’ve tried, fashion trends, books I’ve read, new music I’m currently dancing (and singing) to in the car, our latest travels and other random things I can’t think of at the moment. I hope to share my dreams for our young family and show you a small glimpse of our life. Happy reading, and nice to meet you!