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4.29.2011

Friday's Fancies

I know I already posted about this today {along with probably every other blog you read}, but this will be it, I promise. I'm linking up today with Long Distance Loving for my second ever Friday's Fancies! And the theme today, of course, is the Royal Wedding.

So, if I was lucky enough to get an invite to the wedding of the decade, this is what you would find me in...

1. Hat by Vivien Sheriff 2. Dress by Vionnet 3. Necklace by Jenny Perl 4. Clutch by Chloe 5. Shoes by Miu Miu
Did you all watch the wedding? If so, did you cry like I did?

Embarrassing, but oh so true...

Be sure to link up with Long Distance Loving today for Friday's Fancies. And if you haven't linked up for Happy Hour, you should!

xoxo,

Happy Hour

Happy Friday friends! I am writing this post from my couch early Friday morning. By early, I mean 1:52 a.m., though since my husband hasn't gone to bed yet, I suppose it's considered just really late Thursday night to some. I decided a few days ago that I needed Friday off, just as a "personal day", and it just so happens to coincide with the Royal Wedding. What a coincidence!

Anyway, I don't even want to think about drinks right now, since my stomach likes to church when I'm up early in the morning, and all I'm drinking right now is a glass of water. I'll keep you updated on what I decide for Happy Hour later.

Obviously, while watching this, I can't help but think of all the reasons why I {and the rest of the world, really} find this wedding so fascinating. She's going to be a princess! Isn't that pretty much every little girl's dream? {I'm sure many a feminist would argue with me on that statement, but I still think it's true}. She and William are the epitome of royalty, and that in itself is amazing.

But I can't imagine how much pressure they are under at this moment. I was married only a few months ago {nine months} and I still remember how sweet the day was. Sweet and terrifying and incredible and intimate. This royal wedding, regardless of the spectacle that we are making it, is still a wedding. Strip away all the titles and tiaras and money, and it's still just two people committing themselves to each other. That's the sweetest part of the day, to be sure. The dress doesn't matter; the honeymoon and the cake and everything else don't   matter,  as long as they say their vows.

Today isn't all about the wedding, however. I fully plan on getting a lot done, after I get my full night of sleep, of course. Writing, working on the blog, cleaning...sounds like an exciting day, doesn't it? This past week was long and drawn out....all I need is a day to myself.

It was my brother's birthday yesterday, so he is coming up to celebrate with Robert and I tomorrow. We are going to watch the UFC fight {not my choice, but fun nonetheless} in downtown on Saturday night. Other than that, we have no plans, which I'm very excited about. This weekend is going to be lazy and fun and hopefully very, very, looooooong.

It's almost three o'clock California time, which means it's almost time for Kate {or Catherine, as they are calling her now} to walk to down the aisle, so it's time for me to go. Before I do, however, here are a few links to share with you this fabulous Friday.

Want to get a first-hand account of what it might be like to be in London right now? Follow one of my favorite bloggers, Aspiring Kennedy

I *lurve* this. 

Fantastic article on how to be extraordinary!

Wedding of the week.

Be sure to link up below, and keep an eye out later today for my Friday's Fancies!

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We do happy hour all day on Fridays. Because it's five o'clock somewhere, right?

What are you drinking today?

Happy Hour is my weekly blog party, where we get to meet new friends, find new blogs to read, and destress from our week.  We're all busy ladies and sometimes we just need to get out with some friends, chat, and have a drink.

How to enter the party:
  1. Must be a follower of Love is Home to participate. If you aren't already a follower, just click that "follow" button over there to the right.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of this post and click on the link to enter. 
  3. Add your blog's information and button. 
  4. And you're done!
And if you want, you are welcome to use one of my buttons in your post!










Much love,

4.28.2011

Exciting Stuff!

I'm ready to take this little blog here to the next level, and I have some really fun and exciting ideas! I just wanted to keep you all updated, and to give you a few things to look forward to...

My blog is getting a little facelift!

I'm not redesigning everything, but trying to just update what I already have. I'm working with someone to create a fabulous design, and I can't wait to show all of you what we come up with!

Get ready for a giveaway series.

That's right, a series of giveaways. I have a really wonderful idea for this one, and while it won't kick off for another month or so, I'm so excited to plan and get things together for some fun giveaways.


And, of course, look for some fabulous posts, guest posts, pictures, and everything else you can imagine...

I can't wait to kick off my blog project that I'm planning, and I'm so excited to share it with all of you!

But, I want to know, is there anything that you want to see more of here? If so, just vote in that little poll over on the sidebar!

And don't forget to link up for Happy Hour tomorrow!

Thanks so much for being such wonderful readers. You truly are fantastic.

xoxo,

4.27.2011

Born this Way

I wrote this morning briefly about Glee's episode last night, Born this Way. I didn't say much, because I didn't have much to say. It rendered me kind of speechless, to be honest.

Warning, this post contains spoilers...

You already know that I loved it and if you have any idea what last night's episode was about, I'm sure you know why. Even if you just know what the title was {hint: it's the title of this post}, you'd know why.

I don't care if you hate Lady Gaga; I don't care if you think that Glee is promoting some type of "gay agenda;" I don't care if you think that the show is just an hour of really bad karaoke, everyone could have {or should have, at least} learned something.

I'm not going to write some lengthy post about self-acceptance, because I'm no expert. I'm self-conscious, just like everyone else in the world. I have my fair share of insecurities, and I would be lying if I said that I know what it means to love and accept myself unconditionally.

At the end of the show the Glee kids {and a few of the teachers, too} donned white T-shirts with something written on them that holds them back from full self-acceptance. For Rachel, it was her nose. For Kurt, the fact that he likes boys. For Quinn, her not-so-attractive past.


It took me a while to figure out what I would put on my shirt. Everything seemed just so...superficial. But that's the point, isn't it? Don't get me wrong, a lot of what they said was very serious and real, but you make it what it is.

But, I think, if I had to write something on a shirt, letting the world know what holds me back from loving myself, I would write money. I don't have a lot of it, and I never have. You would think I would be used to it by now, but I'm not. I like nice things. I want nice things. And maybe, someday, I'll have nice things. Just not today. And I need to be okay with that.

I'm not going to ask all of you to bear your secret insecurities with everyone, but think about it. Because admitting it is the first step, right?

via Etsy
Sorry, I'm a quote whore these days, but I really do find them inspirational. If they are at all annoying, please let me know.

But anyway, if you haven't watched the episode, you can see it here.

I hope you all know how much I love you. But more than that, I hope that you love yourselves, because that's the most important thing in the world.

xoxo,

Today's Mantra

Did anyone else watch Glee last night? If not, I have one word for you: ah-freaking-mazing. I've been watching since {almost} the beginning, and I've been somewhat disappointed this season, like most people that watch the show. But last night they really brought it back. It had a fantastic story line, great acting, and really wonderful songs. I know that I can get a really great post from it, but to be honest, I'm still kind of processing what happened. So, for now, you'll have to settle for "Today's Mantra," as one of my favorite bloggers, Roxy, from Cup of Te, has inspired me to post.


Love you.

4.26.2011

Virtual Coffee

I know it's been a while, but today is {Virtual Coffee}.

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I'm sitting at my desk right now, drinking a delicious chai latte.


If we were really having coffee this morning, I would tell you how obsessed I am with chai lattes. No, really, I'm obsessed. I don't have "favorite" foods, like some people do. I have food obsessions. When I go through one of these phases, its all I want to eat or drink. Chicken fingers. Caramel Frapuccinos. Macaroni and cheese. Hot chocolate. Now it's chai lattes. I've had four in the past five days. I wonder what it will be next week...

If we were really having coffee, I would tell you how f***ing excited I am for Glee tonight. If you've followed this little blog for any length of time, you would know that we usually have trivia on Tuesday evenings. Tonight, however, we are skipping trivia and Happy Hour for the 90 minute Glee episode, and I can't wait! A few videos convinced me to make the decision, and I really hope we're not disappointed....{warning, spoilers}...




If we were really having coffee, I would tell you how happy I am this week, for no reason at all. I just am. And it's nice to be happy.

I hope you're happy too.

Love,

4.25.2011

Weekend Confessions

I will find any excuse to go shopping.

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Easter dress? Okay!
I'll also find any excuse to dress up and look nice.

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Going shopping for said Easter dress.

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This weekend, I learned that you always cook better in your home kitchen. 

I learned that nude heels make your legs look longer {or so says my mom and husband}.

I learned that Robert Pattinson really is a good actor {it wasn't just my imagination}, and that book to movie adaptations don't always have to be terrible.

I learned that traffic isn't so bad if you have good company and good conversation.

And I learned that the best feeling in the world is falling in love with someone, even if it's the same person you've fallen in love with a thousand times before.

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Happy Monday friends {did you ever think you'd hear me say that?!}. I hope this week is a wonderful one for all of you.

Love, 

4.23.2011

Music Video Saturday

It's a little after eight in the morning on Saturday, and I'm sitting here all alone on my couch while the rest of the house sleeps. We are at my parent's house for the weekend, but even when we are home, I get a few hours to myself on Saturday mornings since my husband likes to sleep in until about eleven.

As much as I love Saturday morning cartoons, they just aren't what they used to be. So, I like to watch music videos {I know, they really still show those?!}. It's pretty much the only time of the week that VH1 still shows them {other than early early in the morning during the week}, and I can't remember the last time I saw a video on MTV.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite music videos right now for your Saturday morning.






I know that last video has been out for a while, but I still kind of love it.

Anyway, I hope you all have a fun day and a beautiful Easter.

xoxo,

4.22.2011

Friday's Fancies

I've decided to link up today for the very first time with Long Distance Loving for Friday Fancies. It's Easter weekend, so I obviously needed to find the perfect dress {and hat} for church. Isn't my yellow dress adorable?



What do you all think? Cute, right?

Anyway, I hope you all have a fantastic Easter weekend.

Love you,

Happy Hour

Happy Happy Happy Friday friends! I can't believe this week is already almost over...it just flew right by. My week was decent, nothing too exciting happened. Except that I discovered an unknown love for chai lattes. Who knew?

Anyway, I might just be having a lemonade tonight since my husband has agreed to take me on a date to get In-N-Out. Their menu is almost entirely gluten free, minus their buns. I've never had a burger protein-style before, but I'm sure it's wonderful. Yummmmmm....

As you all know, Sunday is Easter, which means that my husband and I pack up our car and drive the two hours down to Orange County to spend time with our families {when we "pack up the car", we really just fill the back seat with two weeks worth of laundry so we can do it at my parent's house...it's like we're in college all over again...}. Tomorrow I'll be spending my day baking bread and cupcakes, and tomorrow night my mom has agreed to go see Water for Elephants with me. I'm so freaking excited, I can't wait.

And my life seems to be exceptionally boring these days, so I apologize. But be sure to link up below and find some fabulous new blogs!

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We do happy hour all day on Fridays. Because it's five o'clock somewhere, right?

What are you drinking today?

Happy Hour is my weekly blog party, where we get to meet new friends, find new blogs to read, and destress from our week.  We're all busy ladies and sometimes we just need to get out with some friends, chat, and have a drink.

How to enter the party:
  1. Must be a follower of Love is Home to participate. If you aren't already a follower, just click that "follow" button over there to the right.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of this post and click on the link to enter. 
  3. Add your blog's information and button. 
  4. And you're done!
How to play:
  1. Write a post about anything you want to write about. Do you need to vent about a stressful week? It's okay, we all have them and that's what we're here for. Vent away. Did you have a fantastic day? We want to hear about that too. Or do you have big plans for the weekend? You know what to do...
  2. Visit two other blogs linked below and leave a comment, saying that you are from {Where We Love} Happy Hour.
  3. Come back and leave a comment below telling us who you visited and any wonderful new blogs you found.
And if you want, you are welcome to use one of my buttons in your post!










Much love,

4.21.2011

Guest Post: Married in Chicago

I have another fantastic guest post for you today, from Alisha at Married in Chicago. I was so excited when I found out that Alisha was willing to guest post for me today. A few weeks ago, I wrote about my 101 list and how I keep track of my goals. She responded to my post with such honesty that I just knew I needed to have her post for me. I am so happy to be able to share this with you today. Enjoy!
 
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Hi everyone! I am so excited to be guest posting on Where We Love is Home today, especially after I was so inspired by Joelle’s 101 in 1001 list. Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Alisha and I blog at Married in Chicago. I love going out to restaurants, taking on home design projects, cuddling with my husband, and catching up on my favorite television shows. And like Joelle, I love a good margarita! Joelle’s courage to dream struck a deep-down chord in me. You see, I've thought about crafting a 101 in 1001 list. But, I have avoided writing my goals down. I’ve been scared of dreaming big and being honest with myself about what my goals are and scared of putting it out there for others to see. Looking at my life, you probably wouldn’t guess that I’m nervous about sharing my dreams. I’m in a competitive graduate program pursuing a profession that I’ve wanted to go into ever since I was twelve and I live by a “I do what I want” mantra. But, just because I’m headstrong doesn’t mean I can’t be insecure sometimes. What if people think my goals are stupid? What if I fail? What if? What if? What if?
 

[source]

But, something Joelle said affected me deeply. And I think it bears repeating.

“Because when you write all of these things down, when you truly put it out there, they just start to happen. Think about it. How would you know that you've reached your goals if you didn't know what those goals were?”
This simple question made me realize that I am not even sure what my goals are. But, I refuse to keep myself from making goals because of some silly fear of failure. So, I am officially granting myself permission to dream big. And guess what? It turns out that all of my dreams are just waiting to leap onto the page. I want to do a lot of things, like: publish my research, travel to Paris with my husband, learn Spanish, run a 5k, grow my blog, live abroad for a year, start my own business, take up meditation, learn how to make a killer dirty martini, earn my Ph.D., have a baby, and try surfing, skiing, and snowboarding at least once. Oh, and there is one more thing I want to do. I want to finally write my own 101 in 1001 list.
 

[source]

Thank you so much to Joelle for writing a beautiful and moving piece. And thank you for giving me space to share my experience. Has there ever been a time when you've been nervous about setting a goal? What happened? How do you get over being worried? I'd love if you shared one of your goals, big or small, with me! I hope that you will check in on me every once in a while at Married in Chicago because you guys truly inspire me.

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Thanks so much Alisha, for posting today. You really are fabulous!

xoxo,

4.20.2011

Guest Post: Outside Voice

I'm so excited for this next post! Lauren from Outside Voice is one of the sweetest bloggers that I've found, and I am so very happy that she agreed to guest post for me today. Enjoy!

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Dear readers, I have included photos in this post of my most recent dream accomplished: a 4 month backpacking trip through Greece and Turkey.  Enjoy:) and come over to my little blog Outside Voice to read more!

Outside Voice Button

When I was first asked to do this guest post, I had a rush of excitement…  Excitement that was swiftly tackled by my inhibitions regarding the subject matter of the post.  


“Just write about your hopes and dreams, and how you keep track of them” Joelle asked me… The dreamy child-like “I can do anything” spirit in me thought “you BET your [as…fill in the blank] I can talk about my hopes and dreams!!” then my confused almost-adult state swooped in with the inhibition and embarrassment I feel about the topic.

This mid-twenties thing is a weird place to talk about “hopes and dreams”.  We are still so close to that child that we were a decade or so ago, and we haven’t quite met the fully-mature adult that we’re discovering.  No matter where we are in life- married or single, college educated or not, children or no children, it is so early to tell if this long list of hopes and dreams some of us have is really realistic.  I suppose at any age, it really is ‘early’ because we always have life to live, and goals to strive for.  That unknown is scary.


Now, before you go thinking I’m all pessimistic- let me explain.  I’m pretty much the exact opposite.  I’m a sucker for optimism, goals, talking about the goals, then talking about them again while riding a unicorn to the end of the rainbow. You get me? 

I recently graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education with full intent of teaching children, ‘creating our future society’, and supporting their hopes and dreams by teaching them all I could.  After I graduated I wanted to further the scope of work that I could “help” and “touch people’s lives” within—so I applied for a Masters in Rehabilitation Medicine.  Shortly after my rejection letter arrived, I had to take my hopes under one arm, and my dreams under another, and have a little talk with both of them.


I have realized that, in many ways, we can go thinking about a long list of hopes, dreams, and aspirations and not think much about how they are attainable and realistic.  I think this is a very important step in creating that “list of 100 things to do before you die”.  Take that list one step further with a list of “100 things to do before I die, and the steps I’m going to take to make the goals attainable”. Romantic title, right?  


The trick to it is: if you’re going to feel satisfaction in reaching those 100 things to do in your life, make darn sure all the little steps you must take to reach the goal feel just as satisfying.  For example, if you want to work as a teacher with children; volunteer with children in any capacity you can, talk to teachers, visit classrooms, and learn about what skills are involved in the job.  Take steps to ensure you have those skills… then you can take it to your final list when you’re ready to “work as a teacher”.  I have learned that instead of wanting to have a masters in rehab sciences, the ‘guts’ of what I really want is to work with people, touch their lives, help in making their lives better, and do that as an occupation.  Those are some of the little steps to get to what will hopefully end with “have a masters in rehabilitation sciences” striked off the list. (stay tuned… round 2 of applications are this year, and I hear if I’m accepted in June.)


So bottom line to this scary topic: hopes, dreams, and how to keep track of them? I say set your sights high, set goals that will make you a happy and inspired person, then brake those goals into mini skills and steps that will lead you to your end goal.  And my biggest advice is to ENJOY those little steps and skills, feel good about them, and have them satisfy the ‘guts’ of what you want, because that is where enjoying the moment will come in and make the goals a little less scary.

So dudes, grab your unicorn, reach deep down, pick that child-like excitement up from where it just got tackled to the ground, brush it off, and give it a high five. Because as much as reality is very real… dreaming and pushing for what you want has a big place in the grand scheme of things, too.


What are your hopes and dreams? Pop by my blog, I’d love to hear about  you!

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Aren't her pictures gorgeous?! Both of those places are on my list of places I need to see before I die. So jealous! 

Thank you so much Lauren, for agreeing to write for this little blog here. You really are fabulous!

xoxo,

Food. I likes it.

I love food.

I could say there isn’t much more to it than that. I mean, what else is there to say? I love going out to eat with friends and family. I love trying new things. I love finding out that I love something that I didn’t even think I would like. I love a really good hamburger. I love cooking for my vegan friend. I love salad and fried chicken and white rice and stinky cheese. I don’t love sandwiches.

I love food, but even I wouldn't eat this.
But there is a lot more to it than that. You see, like many {way too many} young girls, I once struggled with food. I was a statistic. A thirteen year old, anorexic, skinny, statistic.

I love food. I’ve always loved food. It’s the eating part that gets you sometimes.

This post isn’t to wallow in self-pity about my poor self-image, and it’s not to tell you my story. Mainly because my story isn’t very interesting, but also because that’s not who I am anymore.

Earlier today, I thought about writing a post about when I knew that I was an adult. A few things came to mind. When I wrote my first rent check. When I graduated from college. When I walked down the aisle. I could have written about a number of things, but one stuck out in my mind.

One time, maybe about a year ago, I stepped on the scale and started to cry.

I don’t struggle with my weight. I’m not overweight and I’m not underweight. I don’t want to say that I’m “normal,” because really, what is normal?

Anyway, I stepped on the scale and I started to cry. You see, I weighed almost the same amount for nearly ten years of my life {minus the month that I spent in Paris, when I gorged myself on chocolate pastries and crepes, but I digress}. To see that number on the scale, almost twenty digits higher than what I remembered, was a shock. And I didn’t know how to handle it.

I argued with myself for months after that. Part of me wanted to diet, to try and get back to where I used to be. Another part of me didn’t care. And then it hit me.

I’m no longer the sixteen year old girl that weighs 110 pounds. I’m never going to be that girl again. I’m an adult. And I’m finally starting to look like it.

Coming to that realization was one of the most amazing epiphanies of my life. While my boyfriend may have found me attractive when we were in high school and I was as flat as a piece of cardboard, my husband doesn’t want to be married to someone who looks like they are still sixteen {he’s the same person, by the way}. The fact that I can actually fill out a Victoria’s Secret bra is kind of awesome to me. I don’t have to pretend that I’m a woman anymore, because I really am.

But, back to food {it relates, I promise}. I think there is a spectrum of how people look at food. On one end, there are the people who eat at McDonalds for every meal. On the other are those who count every calorie, who will only eat raw or organic or any number of things.

I don’t understand either end of this spectrum that I’ve created in my head. Why can’t we just enjoy what we eat. The person who eats chicken nuggets and French fries everyday isn’t going to enjoy their food just as much as the person who eats only grilled chicken breasts and salad with no dressing for lunch.

There is a happy medium somewhere along that spectrum; where it’s okay to go out for ice cream once a week, after a dinner of grilled salmon and green beans. I’ve constantly tried to find this balance, and realizing that I don’t have to hate my body, or manipulate it into something that it isn’t, has gotten me even closer to that happy medium. Because I love food. And that’s okay.

Now, this is turning into be a lengthy post, but I have just a little more to say. I went to the doctor yesterday, because of some stomach problems I’ve been having. We’ve ruled out an Inflammatory Bowel Disease and any type of infection that could be cured with antibiotics. And he mentioned something that I’m kind of scared of.

Celiac disease.

Because again, I love food. I love bread. I love pasta. I love bagels and muffins and cinnamon rolls and cupcakes. I don’t love sandwiches.

I’ve actually been trying a gluten free diet for the past week now, just to see if it helps at all. I feel good, but I couldn’t tell you at this point if it’s because I haven’t been eating gluten. It hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it would be. I’ve found that Trader Joe’s has really good wheat-free pasta and waffles. I found some white bread that satisfied my craving for toast this morning. And I have a new appreciation for Chipotle, who has almost an entirely gluten free menu, minus their flour tortillas.

Even if this isn’t what’s wrong with me, I’ve definitely learned a lot from this experience. And if it weren’t gluten, if I were trying to eat only organic or vegan or raw, I would learn many of the same things. Eating gluten-free has made me much more conscious of what I eat. It has forced me to look at the labels, to think about what I am putting into my body. And it’s brought me even closer to that happy medium.

If you get anything from this novel of a post {I apologize for that}, I would just encourage you to find your own happy medium. To find what works for your body. To be happy with who you are. To be healthy.


That’s all. Thanks for listening.

Love you. 

4.18.2011

Weekend Confessions

Yesterday I woke up before my husband and went into the living room to watch some TV. Usually I turn on VH1 and watch music videos {yes, they still have those}, but on the way to the station I had to pass by the Disney Channel. There was a show for kids on, and I stopped to watch.

Not because I thought it was interesting.

I was just imagining what it would be like to have a baby of my own to watch it with.

{Don't worry, I'm not pregnant. Just hormonal.}

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I didn't go to the movies to see Scream. I was too busy sitting on my lazy butt doing nothing.


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I just discovered Pinterest today. It's kind of amazing.

I also realized that I'm kind of obsessed with bows. And pink, but that's not news.


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This weekend I learned that making risotto isn't so hard.

I learned that absinthe is really disgusting and gives you a nasty stomachache hangover.

I learned that Stumble Upon can magically make hours of your time disappear {told you I was lazy this weekend}.

And I learned that hearing your husband tell you your beautiful never gets old.

Love you. 

4.15.2011

Happy Hour

Happy Friday friends! I hope you all had an absolutely fantastic and wonderful and fabulous week. But no matter how fantastic and wonderful and fabulous it was, I'm sure you are all very excited for the weekend! I know I am...Friday could not have come soon enough.

Tonight is my dear friend Kevin's birthday, and we are having him over tonight with a few other friends for fish tacos. We'll probably be drinking some delicious margaritas tonight {because, what else do I drink?!} and we may or may not be trying absinthe this evening as part of my 101 in 1001 list. Why absinthe, you ask? Well, I have no idea.

This week was quick and uneventful. I didn't do much, just the typical Tuesday night trivia {we lost}, Wednesday night dinner with my husband {pesto salmon, green beans with tomatoes, mashed potatoes}, and dinner with my best friend last night. My husband is exceptionally busy these days, and doesn't get home until after eight on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, so my weekdays can get pretty lonesome. But it's not for forever, and the quarter will be over and summer here before we know it.

We have almost no plans for this weekend, other than dinner with friends tonight. My husband is babysitting tomorrow night, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity to be alone with the computer and write for a few hours. We'll see how it goes!

Sometime this weekend, however, I need to go to the movies. You want to know what movie I absolutely need to see in the next two days?


It's not Jane Eyre, though I am so excited to see this sometime soon. ]


It's also not Source Code, which I've been hoping to see for a few weeks now.

No, it's not either of these movies. It's also not Arthur {though I do love Russell Brand and want to see it at some point} and it's not Hop or Rio or any children's movie.


I hate scary movies. I do not watch them. But that hasn't always been the case. You see, when I was younger {oh so long ago <---- sarcasm}, scary movies weren't only gore and blood and shocking the audience with scary things. They actually had a point. The best types of scary movies are the ones that can scare you without flashing images of nasty things on the screen.

Now, I know that Scream isn't exactly the epitome of a psychological thriller, but it was still a part of my adolescence. I owned every single Scream movie on VHS, and used to watch them constantly. Along with The Ring {remember that one?! I still get nightmares...}, and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Amityville Horror and The Omen. Any Steven King movie fits in there too {my favorites are Pet Sematary and The Shining}.

But then came along Jeepers Creepers and Saw and Hostel and The Hills and Have Eyes...I could go on and on and on. Anyway, I'm interested to see how they do Scream 4. It's such a silly concept with such a silly villian. But I love it. They better not eff it up.

And you know what movie comes out next week that I am just dying to see?!?!?! {so freaking excited, if you haven't noticed...}


Not only do I have the biggest crush on Robert Pattinson {don't judge}, but I actually really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see it on the big screen. I think I might make my husband take me on a date next Friday night...

Anyway, do any of you have big plans for the weekend? Or are you planning on relaxing and maybe just going to a movie or two {or, in my case, buying Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and watching it on repeat}? Whatever you decide to do, I hope you all have an incredible weekend full of love and laughter and friends and family and food and drinks and everything in between.

Before I go, here are just a few things that I've found this week to share with you.

I'm obsessed with burlap, especially for weddings. 

I love the Food Network, but it's going to get even better soon!

You know how much I love everything Paris.

I need yellow shoes for my friends wedding. What do you think? Any suggestions for where I should look?

Happy Friday friends.

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We do happy hour all day on Fridays. Because it's five o'clock somewhere, right?

What are you drinking today?

Happy Hour is my weekly blog party, where we get to meet new friends, find new blogs to read, and destress from our week.  We're all busy ladies and sometimes we just need to get out with some friends, chat, and have a drink.

How to enter the party:
  1. Must be a follower of Love is Home to participate. If you aren't already a follower, just click that "follow" button over there to the right.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of this post and click on the link to enter. 
  3. Add your blog's information and button. 
  4. And you're done!
How to play:
  1. Write a post about anything you want to write about. Do you need to vent about a stressful week? It's okay, we all have them and that's what we're here for. Vent away. Did you have a fantastic day? We want to hear about that too. Or do you have big plans for the weekend? You know what to do...
  2. Visit two other blogs linked below and leave a comment, saying that you are from {Where We Love} Happy Hour.
  3. Come back and leave a comment below telling us who you visited and any wonderful new blogs you found.
But there are some rules...
  1. Don't post and run...that's not cool. And if you do, your link will be deleted.
  2. I thoroughly dislike "copy and paste" comments...you know, the ones that say "I'm a new follower from Happy Hour, I would love for you to follow back..." blah blah blah. Don't do it, please. I don't want to have to delete a link for doing that either. The purpose of this is to find new blog friends and support each other. We like authentic followers, ones that actually enjoy our blogs and aren't blindly following a bunch of blogs in hopes that they will gain more followers. 
And if you want, you are welcome to use one of my buttons in your post!










Much love friends,

4.14.2011

Guest Post: Jenny In Ohio

So, here is my second guest post today about happiness, from Jenny from Jenny In Ohio. She's going to share about something that makes her happy too, something that I wish I had the capacity to do as well: garden. Spring is just starting to shine through, and I can't think of a better way to welcome in the season than to start your own garden. So, while my little apartment doesn't have room for any vegetable plants or wildflowers, hopefully you'll be inspired to start your own gardens.

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Hi everyone! It's Jenny from Jennyinohio. Joelle graciously allowed me to do a guest post on her blog today. Thanks Joelle!

Finally, it's the time of year to start Gardening! I love plants.

This is my first year planting an in-the-ground vegetable garden. It isn't time to plant (most things) yet in these parts though. Here's a picture of my garden right now:


Exciting huh? There are teeny tiny spinach plants coming up, but you can't see them.

My boyfriend convinced me to start our tomatoes, peppers and beans from seed, instead of buying plants. I admit, I was skeptical, but check out these babies so far!



They will hopefully be mature enough to go in the ground just in time for the last frost to be over.

Last year, I didn't have time space/time for a regular garden, so I did container gardening.  If you want to do this, just make sure to use the right size pot for your plant. A little googling should be able to help you figure that out.

My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you have a drainage hole in your pot. And this goes for any container plant, including house plants. You know those cute little pots they sell at Ikea? None of them have drainage holes! What the heck. I don't even understand why they make them. I have taken to those pots with a screw driver and a hammer, drilling a hole in the bottom. Just be careful not to take out your frustrations and shatter the whole thing if you try this. I speak from experience.

Something else I recommend, especially if you want to stay organic, is compost. You don't have to start your own pile, you can pick up a bag of manure (Yes, I said manure) compost at a garden store. That stuff is black gold. It will fertilize for you without chemicals.

You can even use it as potting soil. I recently repotted my african violet in some compost, and now it's perky and loving it.  And it doesn't smell, I promise. Mushroom compost is also available at garden stores, but sometimes they have pesticides, so I'd avoid if you're trying to stay away from chemicals.

If you are interested in starting a vegetable garden,  I highly recommend the Vegetable Gardeners Bible by Ed Smith. This guy covers everything you'd want to know. It is definitely a worthy investment if you're going to save hundreds on buying produce over the summer.

I am no expert, but if you have any gardening questions, don't hesitate to contact me at my blog!

Happy gardening everyone!

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Thanks so much Jenny for such fantastic tips and tricks! Maybe when I have my yellow house, I'll be able to have my own garden too...

xoxo,

Guest Post: My Happily Ever After

After my post last week about happiness and dreams, I wanted to open up this little blog here for all of you to share what makes you happy in life. My first guest post comes from Lindsay from My Happily Ever After. She's here to share with you her Happy Plan, the fantastic and proactive way that she is ensuring happiness in life.

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I am so excited to be guest blogging for Joelle today!! Especially about a topic which has been on my mind a lot lately: Happiness. But first, let me introduce myself... 


I'm Lindsay from My Happily Ever After! I'm 23 years old, a newlywed (7/31/10!!), a substitute teacher and an aspiring mother. I have lots of goals and ideas floating around in my head, but such is the life of a perpetual listmaker! I want to be a mother, a teacher, a wonderful wife and an optimistic person among other things. Happiness is the key to achieving many of those dreams. It's the way I'm dealing with our TTC journey. Which is how I came up with My Happy Plan in the first place! I don't want you to think that I'm a terribly unhappy person. That isn't the case. Recently, being genuinely happy has been a challenge for me. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 7 months, and it is wearing on me. It was even causing problems in our relationship, until I decided to do something about it. The Happy Plan was how things started to change for me, and for us.

{via We Heart It}
Each Wednesday on my blog, I give an update on how I'm following through with my Happy Plan. There are several different topics which I report on, and I'll share them with you now... **EXERCISING REGULARLY **EATING BETTER **PAMPERING MYSELF **READ MORE **GETTING DRESSED DAILY **AVOID THE NEGATIVE **HAVE SOMEONE KEEP ME FOCUSED **USE OVULATION PREDICTORS These are the things I'm doing daily, weekly, etc. to put my mind in a happier place. I recently also added "journaling" to my list, but I haven't posted that on my blog yet...shhh don't tell my followers ;) The best part is that all of these things are very simple to make happen. I feel like I have a lot of control over my own happiness, whereas before it revolved around circumstances usually beyond my control. I know now that happiness for me, must begin within. Some added bonuses to my Happy Plan include a couple of pounds lost (so far!) and vastly improved body image and self-esteem. All of those add greatly to my overall happiness. By exercising and eating more fresh and whole foods, I feel good about how I'm treating my body. And my body is responding by dropping some pounds. My goal wasn't to lose weight, but I'm not going to complain!

I'll be sharing my workout routine on my blog next week!
Pampering myself is as simple as stopping by Starbucks for a non-fat Chai before I go grocery shopping, painting my fingernails, shopping, buying myself flowers, doing a facial mask, taking a bubble bath with pretty music and a candle lit up. Easy stuff, that puts a smile on my face :)

Starbucks cake pops are a fun treat every now & then!

My reading and journaling time are definitely ME time. Reading is an escape for me, and it allows my mind to go somewhere else for awhile. Journaling is like therapy. I can get my pessimistic, negative thoughts down on paper instead of letting them spill out of my mouth and hurt the ones I love.

Currently reading this book!
Getting dressed daily has quite honestly changed my self-image. I have always been the girl who stays in sweats, yoga pants or pajamas all day long. It was a routine I got into during my college days, and unfortunately never got out of. For the past month or so I have been participating in the weekly link-up at  The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesdays. It has really motivated me to get out of elastic waist bands! Now, I put on "real" clothes every day!

look ma! no elastic!

There isn't a single step of my Happy Plan which is making me happy, it's each and every part put together. Achieving happiness doesn't happen overnight, it's a daily process that we must invest our time in. And I for one, plan on making that commitment to myself. I'm worth it, and so are you. We all deserve to lead beautiful, happy lives! Thanks so much Joelle for having me as a guest on your blog today! Hope you and all of your wonderful readers have a day that is filled with happiness :)

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Thank you so much Lindsay, for this wonderful post! I hope you all got a little inspiration to live a little happier too. 

xoxo,