LIVE UNITED.

Well, I have been running around ALL weekend and TODAY like a chicken with my head cut off getting ready for something very exciting...I'm leaving to go to JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA tomorrow!


That's right, folks - I'll be in sunny Florida until Friday! I'm going to learn about a new advertising campaign that United Way of America is unveiling. It's called 'Live United' and I cannot wait to soak in all the marketing goodness!


I was going to have to go on this trip alone since Brad didn't want to use four days of his vacation, but my granny decided that she was going to tag along with me! I love my granny so much, and I can't wait to spend a few days with her!


I'll be pretty busy in workshops every day, so I don't know how much I'll get to update, but I'll be thinking of y'all while I'm in the Sunshine State!


Blessings, y'all!

Things that make me SMILE!!!

This is going to be a terribly random post, but I just have SO many things to be excited about, and I want to share them ALL with y'all! So, here are a few things that are making this gal smile from ear to ear....


Two of my Christmas presents from Brad FINALLY came in! I got my PSA Stamp with our new address, so I don't have to write out our address every single time! And I also got a set of Tervis Tumblers with our monogram on them! I got Brad a Georgia Tervis Tumbler for Christmas last year, and he LOVES it! They are great gifts - especially for men since they have basically every school logo! Plus, they NEVER break! I love love love 'em!!!!

I got this precious little sign from Marshall's the other day for $2.99!!!! I thought it would fit perfectly in Turner's little nook where his food and water bowl sit! There's the cutest little howling dog on the sign as well as Psalm 104:33 - "I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." LOVE IT!

This is a picture of the lampshade that I covered with this adorable black and white gingham fabric! I got the lampshade for $3.99 at Old Time Pottery and I got the fabric for a good deal at Wal-Mart! I had a little help from my mom covering it, too!

Here's a picture of the finished lampshade - I plan to add some black pom-pom balls around the edge to give it a little extra something-something! I also made the little arrangement of pink peonies (also from Old Time Pottery) - since real peonies cost an arm and a leg, I thought this is a great way to enjoy my favorite flower ALL the time while I'm at work! I plan on making a "curtain" to go around my desk in black and white gingham fabric to cover all the cords from my computer and phone! So, pink and black are the colors for my office - I'll be sure to post pictures of the final product! What does your office look like?

This is a painting that I did for my parents' bedroom. They recently painted the walls a chocolate milk color, and then they painted all of their bedroom furniture black. My mom LOVES rust colors, so I thought this would be the PERFECT compliment to her new bedroom!

And then, my mom returned the favor! She painted this picture for Brad and me - it matches our front door perfectly, and I have it in our family room! We have a throw blanket and pillows that are the exact same color as the orangey-rust! I love it! Thank you, mom!

And who can resist this?? My mom, sister, and I have recently started covering clipboards in our favorite papers and giving them as gifts! This is one that I made for MYSELF! I love the colors - plus it kinda looks old-fashioned! Our dream is to open our own store one day and sell all the things we love - we even have our store name picked out and everything! What's the store name you ask??? Mattie Mae's! Mattie Kathleen was my grandmother's mother's name, and my grandfather's mother's name was Pellie Mae. They were both very important women in our lives, so we made a combination to honor them! So, be looking for our store one day :)

And finally, here is a picture of me working with my absolute FAVORITE Christmas gift - and I CANNOT believe I haven't told y'all about this already! My parents gave me a Cricut, and it is seriously the BEST gift for a scrapbooker/cardmaker like myself! You can use it to cut out shapes, letters, greetings, all sorts of stuff! Brad took this picture of me (in my pajamas!) last night as I was making a card for a very special someone! Email me your address, and I would be happy to send you a card - I LOVE MAIL!!! So, if you like to make cards or scrapbook - come to my house, and we can have a BLAST with my Cricut!!

Anyways, I know all of this is completely random, but they are just things that make me SO giddy! What makes you smile ear to ear????

Blessings, y'all!

I've been tagged!

Today I have the day off, so I'm pretty excited about that! I plan on having a special matinee date with my hubby to see 27 Dresses! I don't think he's as excited to see it as I am, but I can't wait to see it!!!

On another FUN note, I have been tagged by APRIL in the 4 things tag! So, here comes the fun!

4 jobs I've had:
1. YMCA Camp Counselor
2. MTSU Orientation Student Coordinator
3. United Way Communications Assistant
4. Retail @ The Write Impression

4 movies watched over and over:
1. Gone with the Wind
2. Steel Magnolias
3. When Harry Met Sally
4. Breakfast at Tiffany's

4 places I've lived:
1. Waco, Texas
2. Belton, Texas
3. Columbia, Tennessee
4. Murfreesboro, Tennessee

4 shows I watch:
1. America's Next Top Model
2. Good Morning America
3. The Office
4. Ugly Betty

4 places I've been:
1. Hawaii
2. Charleston, South Carolina
3. Washington, D.C.
4. Seaside, Florida

4 people who e-mail me regularly:
1. Brad
2. Anyone at United Way
3. Reporters from local media
4. Friends - just depends on the week on who emails more!

4 favorite things to eat:
1. Deli sandwiches - Subway, Jason's Deli, etc.
2. Southern food - Goodness Gracious, Miller's Grocery
3. Sushi/Asian food - Sushin, Fugi, Mikado's
4. Mexican - Mia Patria, Blue Coast Burrito (April, that's my FAVORITE as well!!!)

4 places I'd rather be:
1. Charleson, South Carolina
2. On the beach - on ANY beach
3. In my shop that I hope to open with my sister and mother
4. At a coffee shop with a good friend or a good book :)

4 things I look forward to this year:
1. Continuing to make our house a home
2. Growing my relationship with my Lord and Savior
3. Trying to learn more about becoming a mommy
4. Becoming more crafty and organized - scrapbooking more

4 people to tag:
1. Megan Hutchings
2. Melanie Blair
3. Missy Bond
4. Whoever else would like to continue the fun :)

My babies.

Since I told y'all a little bit about my dog, Turner, yesterday, I thought I would share about my other babies that mean the world to me. A little background information before I start, I grew up in a house where there was no such thing as a stray cat/dog, I got bunny rabbits and baby chickens for Easter, and animals were treated like they were people! So here are my babies...

1. My cat, Evelyn Gertrude "Gertie" (you will start to notice a trend - I give all my animals first AND middle names) - she was MY first pet. A friend from a nearby town had some relatives that had a huge farm with all of these kittens running around. I loved playing with them, and one day I asked if I could have one. Of course, they obliged, and I took this unique cat home with me! I call her "Momma Gertie," and she is truly the best cat ever. When Brad and I first started dating, he told me didn't like cats. Ugh oh. You wanna know something? I have often heard Brad telling Gertie how much he loves her now! I knew she would win him over! I really don't understand why people don't like cats - they are seriously the most affectionate animals, plus they take care of themselves! So, here's Momma Gertie:

2. Our big girl, Georgia Dooley. Yes, my husband named her after his favorite SEC football team and a Georgia coach, I believe. Anyways, while Brad and I were dating, we would often visit the local animal shelter, and on one visit, we played with a sweet little puppy who would later become ours. I actually went back to the shelter the next day to buy her so I could surprise Brad. When I got her from the shelter, they informed me that she was a "beagle mix" and would probably be between 25-30 pounds. Not too bad, I thought. Well, a couple of months later, she surpassed 30 pounds and kept growing. And the problems grew as well - she was terribly skiddish, we had a horrible time crate training and housebreaking her (believe me, I have housebroken some dogs in my lifetime), and she would tear up anything she could. We were in quite the tizzy. A trip to the vet revealed that she was actually depressed, and the vet suggested a few things for us - we could put her on antidepressants (for a dog???? WHAT???) or try letting her stay outside for a trial period. So we built a fence around our yard and bought Georgia a big dog house. And you know what? She was happy as a lark! She would chase squirrels and birds, and Brad and I figured out that she is probably part bird dog/hound dog. She is a very loving dog, and I'm so glad that she is happy in her own environment. She loves our new house with a HUGE backyard and lots of other dogs in our neighborhood. Here's my 70 pound Georgia D:
3. Our other cat, Beaufort Bob (he's a bobtail cat), is our other cat. He is from a litter of kittens that my mom rescued. He is my baby boy - and he is the most lovable cat ever! He lets me turn him on his back and rub his belly, and every night he sleeps right beside me. In the mornings, he always wakes up with me and even meows like he is talking to me! He's still in his kitten phase, and he is fascinated with Gertie's tail since he doesn't have one! I love watching them get the "midnight crazies" and run through the house playing! I'm glad that Gertie has someone to watch over and play with...here's Bob:

4. Lastly, is our lab mix, Turner Davey. One Saturday, while I was working at the shop, I noticed this poor little black puppy running around in the streets, and it looked like he was going to get hit any minute. We weren't busy in the store, so I ran out and picked him up. It was cold outside, and he was crying like a little baby. After work, I walked around the square to see if this little guy belonged to anyone. Of course, no one would claim him, and I figured that someone had probably dumped him there. I took him home, and Brad and I instantly fell in love with him. Georgia loved playing with him as well! Since Georgia was outside now, it was nice to have another dog inside with me while Brad was working late nights. Turner did manage to get into things, though. A couple of weeks before our wedding, Turner could not hold a thing down - he wouldn't eat or drink, and we just knew that our baby T was going down. At this time, I was still living with my younger sister (who is a SLOB). Brad and I decided to board Turner while we were on our honeymoon so the vet could keep a good eye on him. On our wedding night, we got a call from our vet saying that he found the source of Turner's problems. Are you ready to hear what it was? A tampon. Yes, you heard me right, my dog ate a Tampon. He had been in my sister's bathroom and had gotten into her purse where she had some Tampons stored. They had to do emergency surgery that night, but thankfully, our dog was better. So, we came back from our honeymoon with a $1200 vet bill. Turner has had other problems with skin allergies and mites. His skin still looks pretty bad, and I have even had someone ask me if he was involved in some sort of fire accident. He's seriously the best dog, and even though Brad and I have probably spent $3000 on him, I wouldn't trade him for the world. Here's my Baby T:

I know it seems like we run a zoo, but each of these animals have a special place in my heart. I only hope that my children will love and appreciate animals as much as I do! I think it's very important that we take care of the animals in our world, and I'm a HUGE advocate for shelter dogs and cats and rescued animals since each of mine is essentially a rescued pet!

Now, tell me about your babies!

When unexpected things happen...

When unexpected things happen in my life, I tend to freak out a little bit. As I have told you before, I am a planner. I plan special events for United Way, I plan for my family's future, I plan for our future children, I am a planner! :)

So naturally I freaked out when Brad and I decided to officially start our Total Money Makeover as our New Year's Resolution, and SEVERAL unexpected things happened. Here's how everything panned out...

We bought our Dave Ramsey book and started talking about our hopes about our plan.

The next day, my car was hit somewhere between Wal-Mart, McAlister's, and a Junior League meeting. And no one was there to take the blame....it wasn't a bad hit, but someone most likely backed into (someone with a trailer hitch!).

Brad and I were a little disheartened when we learned that we would have to pay a $500 deductible OR pay the $250 for the part, plus labor (around $90 per hour).

Next morning we wake up to a freezing cold house. I go to see what the thermostat is on, and the thermostat is completely off, and it's not coming back on. A call to "Heater Danny," and we learn that the compressor (please don't ask what a compressor does because I have no idea) is BAD. Although the compressor is under warranty (cue the angels), we still have to pay for labor - which is an ALL DAY job and will most likely cost us $500 or more (Debbie Downer music).

Well, so this may set us a little behind on our start date for the plan, but it's all the more motivation to set up an EMERGENCY fund! In two days, we are already needing close to $1,000!!!!

Does it end here???

Don't think so!

Our precious dog, Turner, who is a lab mix has had several skin problems - along with others. Well, Turner has recently had the skin issue pop up again. We took him to the vet this morning and were told that the problem has gotten worse, and he is going to need to go through a series of dips and treatments to the tune of $172!!!! We will have to have him dipped every other week, which will cost around $70 for each dip! Turner is my baby, and I just want him to get better!

So, the lesson for the week is to NOT GIVE UP. Although Brad and I are discouraged at this set-back, we WILL get through this. I think my fabulous numbers-loving husband has actually figured out a way for us to take care of everything and still start our plan on February 1!!!! We wanted to start this week, but we'll deal! Anyways, I'm trying not to freak out, and I'm doing A LOT of praying :)

Have any of you gone through things like this before??

Blessings!

Things going on in my life right now....

I feel like I have left y'all out on a lot of things that have been going on in my life for the past couple of weeks since I have been sharing my story - so here's a recap of the FABULOUS things that are taking place in the Warnock household.

1.) In order to prepare for our future family (and to relieve future stress), Brad and I will start our Total Money Makeover this week. It seems like along with getting healthy and losing weight, many people make resolutions to be more financially healthy. Anyways, Brad and I have toyed with the idea for a while, and for the past couple of weeks, my husband (who LOVES numbers) has come up with a FANTASTIC plan to have us debt free (besides our house) within a few years! While I was in college, my other three siblings were also in college or getting ready to start college. Therefore, my parents were not able to pay for my tuition, thus the need for the dreaded STUDENT LOANS!!! So, that's a part of our debt, as well as one car payment. It was really exciting to watch (on paper) how quickly we could become debt-free! I even made us little notebooks with our plan to keep us motivated! Our biggest motivation for all of this is our want to start a family. So, to prepare y'all (and Marcia and Ron (Brad's parents) who are AVID readers) - our plan is to start trying to have a baby in the Spring of 2009, which means we could have our baby two years from now! I know some of you are thinking - "Lena, you are for real planning all of this out." Well, as some of you know, I'm an event planner by trade, so I plan EVERYTHING. Don't get me wrong, there has been a lot of prayer that has gone into this already and has been for the past year or two. I know that with the Lord on our side, we will get through all of this! We so excited about the possibility of becoming parents, and we are excited to have plenty of time to prepare our lives for our little one! You have no idea what a motivation this is to Brad and myself - and even though we are going to have to make some BIG sacrifices (no more spontaneous shopping), I know that in the end, it will be TOTALLY worth it! I get so excited about this that I tell everyone - makes me feel a little bit like I'm already expecting! Ha!

2.) Okay, MORE good news...as some of you may or may not know, Brad and I had a beautiful, Southern wedding in May of this past year. Well, even more beautiful than the wedding, were the wedding pictures! We had the absolute best photographer in the Southeast, and I don't lie :) His name was Chuck Arlund, and everything he did was truly magical. I still hear about my wedding pictures from people, and I'm so glad that we had Chuck along to document everything. When I got engaged, I said I didn't care about the cake, or the food, or the music, I just wanted a fabulous photographer so I could always look back on my beautiful day. Chuck does a lot of fashion stuff as well as weddings and portraits, so I felt just like a model everytime he was around. Well, one of my biggest dreams came true this past week - are you ready???

OUR WEDDING IS IN A MAGAZINE!!!!

Yes, you heard it right. The Warnock wedding was featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Enchanted Brides. And y'all, it's beautiful! There is a two-page spread with a FULL PAGE picture from one of my bridal portraits! You have no idea how giddy I was when I opened it up and saw the beauty on those pages. It took me right back to that glorious day when I became Mrs. Warnock. If you know of someone who is getting married, PLEASE tell them about my photographer - I believe your photographer is the most important thing you pay for! And if you would like to check out some of Chuck's work, visit http://www.arlundimagery.com/.

Here's a picture of the two pages in the magazine...

Here's a close up of the first page - LOVE the title, Southern Charm :)

Here's a close-up of my bridal portrait that FOR SURE took up a whole page! Can you tell why I'm so excited???

3.) Last night, I was trying to find a particular dish towel, and I was unsuccessful. After about 30 minutes of searching, I got frustrated and completely organized every closet, basket, drawer, desk, dresser, table - ANYTHING I could get my hands on! I started around 7 p.m. and did not stop until after 12:30 a.m.!!! Brad was working at Hastings, so I had time to go through all of his stuff (he leaves stuff everywhere - no joke!) and organize everything! I'm a neat freak and an organizer, so I had fun going through his piles of stuff! I wish I had before and after pictures for y'all, but I'd almost be too embarassed to show you the before pictures! I'm hoping to get some baskets and label everything in the basket so it's easy to find! My next stop is the attic/garage, but I'm going to need Brad to even begin to tackle that one! Have you ever just gone through everything like I did last night?

4.) I have TWO dinner dates this weekend that I'm excited about...tomorrow night, I get to eat with my little sister, Kayla for her birthday, and on Wednesday night, I'm eating at Pei Wei (YUM!) with my ADPi Big, Melanie, and I CANNOT wait! Melanie was one of the main reasons I joined ADPi, and I love her dearly! Melanie is a wonderful writer, and she has her own blog HERE, so go check it out :)

5.) My parents are coming to my office this afternoon to help me move around my office, and I CANNOT tell you how excited I am! My window shines on my computer, so I feel like I'm squinting all day long, so it'll be a nice change!

-I have LOTS of more fabulous (and not-so-fabulous - but that's for a later post) things that happened last week, but I think that covers it for me! I hope y'all are having a beautiful Monday :)

Blessings!

A New Beginning.

Even though it's the second week of the New Year, I am still loving the feeling of a clean slate. Each New Year, I take a close look at my life, and I really think about the things I want for the next year. Although I have not figured out exactly what I want for 2008 - I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of "starting over."

At church on Sunday, Pastor Jackson spoke about new beginnings and how God can give us abundant blessings in our life. He spoke about the other side as well - about the "curses" of the Old Testament. However, Jesus redeemed us from those curses by becoming the ultimate sacrifice for us, and those abundant blessings come through Jesus Christ our Savior. Pastor Jackson outlined several inner challenges that keep us from experiencing our blessings - one being the "self talk." He shared a powerful passage in Luke regarding the self talk:

"Then he told them this story. 'The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!' Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! tonight you die. And your barnful of goods - who gets it?' - Luke 12:16-20 (MSG)

You have no idea the impact of this on me - I have been dealing with messages like this in my life for TOO LONG. I get so caught up in having the nicest house, money to travel, the cutest clothes, and you know what? IT DOESN'T MATTER, LENA! You see, in that passage, the man NEVER praised or thanked God for the rain, the sun, the land - all those things that he had no control over, but were instrumental in bringing a bountiful harvest. How many times have we done this in our own lives?

I have been holding onto so many things in my life lately - things from the past, and I know that I have been punishing myself for those things. Sometimes it feels like if I can make up for a horrible past with a nice car, a nice house, etc., etc., that I can "fool" everyone - including God. This is an inner struggle that has been going on in my life for the past year. It took everything for me not to break down right there and start sobbing. But then, Pastor Jackson read a passage in Romans that lifted my heart:

"With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death." - Romans 8:1-2 (MSG)

Pastor Jackson gave us a list of devotionals, if you will, to do this week. Each day this week, I have looked at this list - and I encourage each of you to look at this list as well - I truly believe that this is going to have a PHENOMENAL impact on my life, and it can on yours, too.

1. What are the messages you hear most frequently in your life?
2. Are they ENTIRELY true?
3. Is it something that has an influence over me? What are the spiritual implications?
4. Is there anything that is apart from God's best? If so, REPENT and RENOUNCE.
5. FORGIVE anyone that you need to forgive.
6. FORGIVE YOURSELF.*
7. Ask God to begin to help you see yourself from God's perspective.

*As a part of number 6, I plan to share my testimony with you all over the next couple of days. It's not going to be pretty, and I don't plan to sugar coat it, but if I can reach one person through my life story, then it will be worth it. Writing is extremely therapeutic for me, and I know this will work wonders in my life.

I would ask that each of you would pray for me during this week of self-reflection.
Blessings!

NEW hair!

I got a few inches cut off, and I love it! My hair grows really fast, so every few months, I do something different with it! Here are before and after pictures....

Before my haircut...

And AFTER...

It's a little "poofy" now that it's shorter, so that will take some getting used to, but overall, I love it! In other news, I just uploaded 250 pictures from my camera (FINALLY), so I'll be posting some pictures from Christmas and other events!

Hope you're enjoying your Friday :)

New year, new blog!

Ha, I'm trying something different with the blog...what do you think? I'm just playing around, and who knows how long this one will stay?

Going along with the upgrades for the new year, I'm getting my hair cut tonight, and I CANNOT wait! I'll for sure post before and after pictures, although I'll tell you...it's going to be quite a change!

Brad and I are working to organize everything - my next stop tonight is the office closet and our laundry room! I know Brad is getting sick of me organizing everything, but I just can't stop myself!

I hope y'all are enjoying the New Year! I know the Warnocks are :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TESSA!

Today is Tessa's 6th birthday! Happy Birthday, Tessa!

She is my cousin, and I cannot believe that she is turning 6 today! It seems like yesterday when I went to visit her when she was a sweet precious baby!

I love you, Tessa, and I hope you have a fabulous birthday!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope that each of you had a wonderful New Year's Day! I am back to work today and feeling extremely motivated and empowered for 2008!


Brad and I spent our New Year's Eve with my parents and old friends, Rita and Warren. We enjoyed lots of appetizers and played our favorite game, Balderdash, until the wee hours of the morning! It was such a good time! Alas, I did not have my camera, and I did not get a single picture :(


We took all our Christmas decorations down yesterday, put them away ORGANIZED and labeled clearly, and gave the house a good clean! I don't think I'll get all the glitter up for a while, though!

2007 was a wonderful year for the Warnocks...I've seen lots of people doing this on their blogs, so here is a recap of 2007:

We started 2007 with a BANG! Brad and Lena were both fortunate to get amazing jobs after graduating college. In January, Brad started in deposit operations at MidSouth Bank, and Lena began as a Communications Assistant at United Way.

During the months of February - April, we spent most of our time planning the wedding and going to the many different showers and parties that dear friends threw for us. In March, Lena got the best birthday present ever, a job promotion at United Way! To celebrate 4 years of college and a new job promotion, on Friday, April 13th (scary, huh?), Lena got her first NEW car, a VW jetta!

May was a whirlwind of wedding events, and we finally became Mr. and Mrs. Warnock on May 19th, 2007!

We enjoyed at week-long honeymoon in Charleston, South Carolina (which we plan to re-visit for our 1 year anniversary!)

We came back from our wedded bliss and tried to make our little rental house a HOME. Lena was given another promotion at work, Director of Marketing and Special Events!

We began our search for a new home in August, and in October, Lena and Brad found their dream home on Wagon Trail! On November 10th, they closed on their new home and began moving in!

November and December were spent traveling to see our families and spend time with loved ones! Our first Christmas as a married couple was wonderful, and we are looking toward many more!

Here's to 2008!