I adore good bargains. There’s just no greater satisfaction than paying 50% less than what the store wants you to pay. I promise you the cashiers grunt at me as I breeze my way to the sale section. They must have my shopping mug shot under their cash register cabinets or somethin’. Every year, during any given holiday, I can be found browsing the aisles in the stores and mentally picking out my favorite items. Then I wait. Because come December 26 or February 15 or the day after Easter (it’s always different…and I just can’t keep up), EVERYTHING goes on sale. Trust me…I have this down to a science. And if you’re really patient and really persistent, you’ll find some pretty mind-blowing deals. I love my holidays, but this gives me something to look forward to once they’ve passed. After I’ve scored my awesome decorations that everyone else paid full price for (pardon my gloating), I immediately wrap ‘em up and put ‘em away. Then, come next year, I unwrap with Adi and as if I hadn’t purchased them myself, I’m full of oooo’s and ahhhh’s and the occasional wow’s. Yes, yes….I am easily amused.

I kid not, almost all my holiday decor, I’ve gotten at a 75% OR MORE discount. Hence, my awesome love mugs I scored as a post Valentine’s Day Sale at Home Goods. Coffee just tastes so much better in them…

Happy Thursday Everyone!!!

Does anyone ever wake up feeling like they need to make a huge change? Not as in, change the world for the better by buying a hybrid…but as in, paint a wall or become a vegetarian. Professionally, I’m deathly afraid of change. I get really comfortable doing something and I like to stick to what I know works. But in my personal life, I’m always changing things around. Like I’ll finally decide on a bedroom color (after changing it about 2-3 times) and Adi will finally paint it and then I’ll see a pillow and suddenly get an urge to change everything. I do this a lot. Well the other day I decided I needed a change…with my hair. Last year was the year for bobs and bangs and I was absolutely certain that if Posh could do it, so could I. WRONG. Next time I get a brilliant idea like that, someone please knock me out and remind me to come back to planet earth. The planet where humidity makes my bangs fall so flat against my forehead, you’d swear I took a stick of butter to it.  The planet where my hair has always been thin no matter how much volumizer I spray on. The planet where perfect blowouts cost me my lunch. FOR A WEEK.

So this time around, I decided for something much more subtle. Reversible, in case of disaster. Between highlighting, lowlighting, and every other type of lighting, my hair has seen some better days. So I marched myself into the salon this morning and boldly proclaimed I wanted to go dark to my hairstylist. She looked at me as if that was the most heinous idea she’s ever heard. Suddenly, my confidence turned to mush and I went from bold to squeaky voice and question marks at the end of my statements. After she got done saying I’d probably invest in a blonde wig tomorrow, I decided to go just a few shades darker. And you know what? I won’t be investing in a wig. I’m not quite used to it yet and I startle myself a bit when I catch glimpse of my reflection in a mirror but it’s no where near as bad as the bangs and bob idea. So here’s me: all bold and light brown. Next up? Big red. :)

Ok so my husband wasn’t home in time to take the picture while there was still light out, so I resorted to the wonderful 10 second timer, hence the missing 1/4 head look. And yes, my shirt says that “I’m in the cool zone” …so what if I’m the only one who thinks so?

I swear it’s darker in person…I guess the camera does occasionally lie… ;) Happy Thursday everyone!!

Today I woke up feeling so blessed. So thankful…and it’s not even Thanksgiving. Adi and I decided to go watch The Book of Eli after dinner last night and there was something in that movie that I’m pretty sure had something to do with how I woke up feeling today. Denzel can do that to me. Now, I’m not gonna start promoting the movie or anything but I’ll just say it was SO GOOD and you should all go SEE IT. (ps. if any movie producer ever reads my lil’ blog by some strange impossible chance, I’d totally be willing to promote movies and be super convincing…for a very small fee.) Ok, moving on. There is some deep stuff in this movie and without giving anything away, the character is living in some sort of post-apolyctic time period where “people have to kill for things that we take for granted these days”.

I woke up not wanting to take anything for granted. Not our health, our home, our families, our ipods…nothing. We have so much more than we need yet we always want more. We never have enough. When I stand in front of the tomato sauce aisle at my grocery store and I have 50 different brands to choose from, I don’t blink twice. Large meals are no longer sufficient…we have to super-size them. Toyota’s supposedly don’t drive as well as BMW’s. It’s alway more. It’s always an upgrade.

When I visit my grandma in Romania, I’m always reminded just how spoiled we really are. She can’t leave for too long because no one would feed her chickens. She still goes to a well to get water. She walks to church. It’s a rather simple life and sometimes, I’m envious because she’s completely satisfied with it. It seems the more we have, the less thankful we are. It makes me wonder if someday it were all taken away from us, how we would survive. So this is a reminder to myself to say a prayer and be thankful for everything. For big things, like my husband and for little things….like my duvet. Happy Tuesday everyone!

This was taken when I woke up this morning….and yes mom, I made my bed after :)

I’ma keep it real for you all. I get a kick out of reality TV…it’s such a big waste of time but I still dig it. Not all shows though…there’s no Tila Tequila or Flava Flav up in my house. I just love me some good girlie shows with a teaspoon of romance, a shot of great fashion, and a pinch of drama. Before I got married, my mom and I would open a bag of popcorn and watch The Bachelor go on fabulous dates with 25 women every Monday night. How will he ever chooooseeee, mom? We’d place bets and then analyze why we chose who we chose and why that choice will be the best choice he’ll ever make. We’d cheer when he’d send the “nut” home and yell at him when he gave a rose to the “drama queen”. Then I got married and Adi would have no part of it. He thought the bachelor was a player for having all those women around and don’t let me get started on his thoughts about The Hills. I’d watch an episode here and there but it just wasn’t the same…oh how I missed my mom.

Well a few weeks ago, The new season started and by complete chance, I started to watch it..and I was HOOKED. Kudos to you Chris Harrison, this season really is the most dramatic ever! If you don’t know who Chris Harrison is, GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL. I slowly began to ease Adi into it…Look babe, the bachelor is a pilot…you always wanted to fly didn’t you? or hey wouldya look at that…St. Lucia is featured in future episodes…It’ll bring back memories from out honeymoon! Spark his interest, if you will. Well, IT WORKED! Adi has been watching The Bachelor with me and I know he’s secretly hooked as well. He may not place bets with me yet (baby steps, people) and he may complain for the first 10 minutes…but soon enough, he’s calling out those drama queens and even yelling with me at Jake for keeping Vienna around.

Last night we were catching up on this week’s episode and during the rose ceremony I turned to him and was all if you were The Bachelor and I was one of the girls, would you give me a rose? To which he replied I’d tell Chris to give me a string so I could tie all the roses together and give you the entire bouquet…no need to keep anyone else around. Hmmm…I have a feeling I’m going to LOVE watching my shows with Adi….

Yesterday marked our 7th Valentine’s Day together. Has it really been that long? Over the years, we’ve ingested one too many chocolates from heart-shaped velvet cardboard boxes and exchanged loads of gifts. But HANDS DOWN, my most favorite thing to get from Adi has always been cards. Cards that were funny, sentimental, and from the heart. I’ve collected and saved every single one I’ve ever recieved…. birthday cards, anniversary cards, Christmas cards, Valentine’s Day cards, Presidents Day cards (don’t hate), our wedding day card… you name it, I’ve saved it. I just love reading what’s in his heart and yes, I cry like a fool each and every time. After church yesterday morning, we headed over to my parents house for lunch. Later that afternoon, my mom handed me a stack of cards she had found in my old room from the time Adi and I were dating. And as I began to read each one, I laughed and I cried…simultaneously. Quite the site to see.

We celebrated Valentine’s Day over a romantic dinner that lasted for hours. Tucked away in a corner, just the two of us, I couldn’t help but think that this Valentine’s Day was my very favorite. Not for any other reason than the simplicity of our love. We no longer feel the need to impress each other anymore with gifts or buy each other chocolates from boxes (though I still welcome ANY type of chocolate on ANY given day). We’re happiest just being together and spending time together. Just him and I….talking, laughing, and reading our cards.