Catching up...

Well, I'm BACK!!! I had a wonderful trip to Jacksonville, Florida - although if you ask me, I think the whole "sunshine state" thing is a lie! It was rainy and dreary pretty much from the time we landed on Tuesday until we left on Friday (although I was blinded by the sun on the plane on the way BACK to Tennessee!) I had a wonderful time with my grandmother, and we got to do some catching up during our trip. I spent the majority of my day in workshops learning about the new advertising campaign for United Way, but I got to spend the evenings with my grandmother. Here is a picture of us from Wednesday night at a reception they held at the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium - we got to see the field and spend the the evening on the terrace (where to the top dogs spend their time during football games). I learned a lot at the conference, and I'm super fired up about merging our United Way with the new advertising campaign! I'll keep y'all up-to-date on those occurances!

Other random things that have been going on in my life - I have become addicted to crafting every single night! Before I got to bed, I will pull out some paper and either make cards, or scrapbook. It's funny because Brad is posted up in the office doing his puzzle (the boy is addicted to puzzles), and I'm in my little corner working on some crafts! Here are a few examples of the cards I made last week - one was for my good friend, Myranda, who just got engaged. The other one was for my other sweet friend, Megan. And lastly, the 'thanks' card was for a dear lady who goes to my church. One of my new year's resolutions was to be more creative and share that creativity with others, and I think cardmaking might be it!

Here is an example of the invitation I made for a birthday party my family has coming up - my Uncle Billy's birthday is January 31st, my mom's birthday is February 11th and my Papa's birthday is February 21st, so we do all three together! It's at my grandparents' barn, so I tried to make it look country! I thought it turned out pretty cute!

Here is another little craft I worked on last week. Last year, I got one of these CD case calendars from The Write Impression, and when it came time for a new calendar year, I thought instead of buying the sheets for each month, I would make them myself! I only did February, and I'm going to try and get March done here in the next few weeks. I love having a calendar with the entire month in front of me, so this works perfectly! So, if you have an extra CD case lying around, you can make your own desk calendar!

Yesterday, my mom and I made a trip to the TJ Maxx Home Goods store in Mt. Juliet (about 30 minutes from Murfreesboro). It was the first time I have ever been, and let me just say that I'm HOOKED! We literally spent HOURS in there! I got so many great ideas for my house, and even though I didn't make any big purchases yesterday, I can see some in the future! I did pick up this framed picture to go in my master bathroom. Brad and I bought a new shower curtain on Saturday night at Marshall's, and I think this picture is the PERFECT compliment!

Other things that are of interest...while I was at the airport on Tuesday waiting to leave for Jacksonville, my friend Myranda (that just got engaged) called to ask me to be in her wedding! I was so shocked that I started crying! Myranda is one of my sorority sisters, and we have recently gotten very close, even though she lives in Chattanooga. She will be moving to Murfreesboro in the summer, and I CANNOT wait! It's so nice to have so many of my old friends moving back home! I cannot wait until her wedding, and I ordered my dress on Saturday. Myranda's colors are navy blue and pink (how preppy is that?), and the bridesmaids' dresses are navy blue strapless with the cutest pleats in the bottom and then we are wearing pink sashes! I can't wait until her wedding in July!

Lastly, one of my other new year's resolutions was to read more and stop watching so much television. I'm proud to report that since the new year, I have read THREE books! I read one this weekend - I couldn't put it down. I read The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd earlier this year, and I re-read The Secret Life of Bees, also by Sue Monk Kidd. The Secret Life of Bees is one of my favorite books, and I always recommend it to others. This weekend I read The Choice by Nicolas Sparks - he is seriously one of those authors that grabs you in the beginning and has a hold of you until you finish reading. Although he is an extremely feminine writer, I can't stop reading him! I'm now reading Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson, and I'll let y'all know how that one goes! I love reading books that are set in the South - do y'all have a book that you just LOVE recommending to other people???

Well, this has been an extremely long post, but I had to get y'all caught up since I've been gone! I will let y'all know that I did read my daily blogs every day while I was in Jacksonville on my blackberry - thanks for keeping me interested!

Blessings, y'all!