1 year old!

Just a quick post...because my little babe is 1 year old today!

We didn't adopt her until July, but May 1st is her official birthday :)

I am so lucky to have this little sweetheart in my life. I can't imagine it without her! She truly is a member of our family and makes my heart so very happy (even on the days when she is driving me nuts ;) I look back at pictures from her first couple of weeks and I can't believe she was ever that small! A trip to Moochie & Co for a new antler to chew on (her favorite) is definitely in order today!

Happy Birthday Deedee <3 <3 <3 

Better Late Than Never!

Weekend re-cap coming in a bit late this week ;)

The past few days have been a whirlwind...I was up in my hometown for a funeral and spent time with friends and family....then rushed back to Columbus for midterms on Monday and Tuesday (studying in the car is no bueno)...but now they are over and I can relax for a minute! But only a minute because classes start back again on Tuesday and I have homework & readings that need done. Sighhh

Despite the heartwrenching reason for being up in Akron, it was honestly nice to all spend time together. My best friends and I don't get to see each other much since I live 2 hours away and everyone has crazy schedules and kids to work around.

A few years ago we all worked together at a dance studio (owned by one of the group) and literally spent 6 days a week together, hours on end every day. We all also lived within walking distance of each other. They were some of the best years of my life, and even though I love where my life has taken me, I do miss them sometimes.

My friend Andrea (who owned the dance studio) found this picture of the four of us. It is a perfect reminder of my favorite summer nights with them. I lived in an apartment where you could climb out a window onto the roof, so they would all come over and we would lay out on the roof on warm summer nights with a bottle (or 5) of wine, just talking, listening to music, and laughing our butts off. They are my soulmates :)

On Saturday, Aaron snapped the cutest picture of Deedee, so I just had to share it :)
She fell asleep while sitting up against a chair at his parent's house - which was hilarious. It seems like the only time we can get good pictures of her is when she is sleeping! 

Finally, I reorganized some of my drawers late on Sunday. I moved all the makeup out of them and into my training case (Sephora) to free up more drawers for bathing suits, socks, etc. I'm just going to keep all my makeup in the trianing case until our master bathroom gets finished and / or I order the Muji acrylic organizing drawers I mentioned awhile back.

I get to work from home tomorrow - which I am very excited about :) PJs all day!!

Hope all you lovely ladies are having a good week! We're half way to the weekend!

Cheers to a New Year: July, August, and September

Time for another "Cheers to a New Year" post - linked up through one of my favorites...Laura!

July

Started the month off with 4th of July celebrations. My parents anniversary is actually July 4th {which is super helpful to remember} and it's cute because they get fireworks every year in celebration!

We spent the 4th with our best friends at a giant cookout in the country. I love every minute I get to spend with Abby ("Big Sissy").

Abby and her husband, Zack (one of Aaron's besties) live in Akron - where I used to live. But in May of 2012, I moved in with Aaron in Columbus.  Abby and I worked at the dance studio together in Akron for like 5 years, and I went from seeing her and hanging out almost everyday of the week, to maybe seeing her once every couple of months. It's hard, because I miss her, and my other besties in Akron, SOO much...so whenever I get the chance to spend time with them, I am sure to soak it all up!!

July was also when my life changed forever...because this little sweetheart {and dofus} was adopted! I can't imagine my life without her now!! She is now 7 months old and whooping 50 lbs already - gonna be a big girl - I hope!

August

Nothing major to report for August...just started {slowly} to transition back into the life of a student.  I took one class - 3 nights a week - to "warm up" for grad school.  I have to say, it's really hard to get back into the swing of things when you have been out of the classroom for awhile. And working full-time on top of it does not help in the slightest.

September

Excited that one of my good friends here in Columbus opened a dance studio! I hadn't danced since moving and missed it so much - as it was a huge part of my life all through high school and college. It's hard to find time to take more than one class a week, but I'm so happy to even have that opportunity!

My gorgeous besties in the new purple studio!

Owner Leyla {center}, her daughter Babette {left} and my old boss/dance teacher Andrea {right}

Of course, the start of NFL Football can't be ignored...as it takes up {what feels like} my entire Sunday for 16 weeks. Aaron is a bit more die-hard than I am, but I do love that it's something we enjoy doing together. Go Brownies!

Link up to share your July - September recaps!!

xx

Weekend Wrap-up

Well, it's already Wednesday, so it's probably about time for me to get around to posting pictures from the past weekend!

Aaron and I had a nice, relaxing weekend - which mainly consisted of catching up on a show we love (Wilfred) and a new show he discovered (Under the Dome). We did get out the house a bit though... ;)

On Saturday morning, we had brunch at Bodega, a local gastropub and it was delicious! I know the owners through the school I used to teach at (their son was in my class - just happend to be my favorite student...shh ;) and I still babysit him from time to time...so I thought it was finally time we checked the place out.

For a starter, I ordered a cup of the soup of the day, which was She-Crab...and it was amazing. It isn't something I would normally order, but I decided to step outside of my comfort zone...and I'm so glad I did.

Best soup I've had in a long time!  

I also got the "Unsimple Green" Salad - which consisted of romaine and arugula, topped with green beans, pisachios, green grapes, and green onions (the "greenest" meal I've eaten in ages!)

That afternoon, we took Deedee to the dog park for the first time! She was super shy and scared at first, but eventually warmed up and starting playing with the other pups. She seemed to have such a great time that we went back Sunday and Monday too. It definitely helps get her extra evening energy out and help her calm down. We have been noticing that she gets really hyper around 9-10 pm at night ... even if we take a long walk and spend time playing outside.

Has/does this happen with any of your pups??

  

My loves (I joked with Aaron that they matched) <3

Hiding out under the picnic table took up a lot of the time on her first visit, but the second and third trips went much better!

I snapped a couple pictures of my outfit/hair on Sunday because I am very proud of myself for finally getting the sock bun to work! Hahaha...

I bought the little donut over a month ago and tried a million times to get it to work, but honestly gave up for awhile. I have so much hair - it is halfway down my back (as you can see in the pics above) and is super thick, so I figured I was just never going to be able to get a sock bun to work. But...I gave it one last shot on Sunday and got it the first try! It's not perfect, but oh well, close enough! ;)

(Earrings from F21 and sweater from Express)

Hope you all are having a lovely week!!

xx

Weekend Wishlist

It's Friday!! Thank goodness, because this work week has felt like is was 20 days long, not 5.

 I have a lot on my "to do" list for this weekend, but we will see how much of it actually gets done ;)

{ORDER} I am so excited football season is here! We watched the first Browns pre-season game last night... and I can't wait until it gets a bit cooler and I can spend Sundays snuggled up on the couch with Aaron, eating a bowl of his famous chilli, watching the games. It's one of my favorite things about fall! Saw this t-shirt the other day and I'm thinking I need to add it to my collection of Browns-wear ;)

 {FIND} I love delicate jewelry, and I have been looking for the perfect pair of teardrop clover earrings and/or clover necklace, for a while now. I found these two pairs on Etsy...and while they are very pretty, I know exactly what I am looking for, but I just can't find it. Does that ever happen to you? I'm feeling like it might be time to just visit the craft store and find a way to make them myself!

{GYM} I did not do a good job at getting to the gym this week, so it is at the top of my list for the weekend! Maybe if I do enough crunches I can pull off a crop top & high-waisted skirt combo like these gorgeous ladies!
I just LOVE these two looks!

See Cath's entire outfit post here...Cath in the City

{ORGANIZE} My closet and dresser are in need of a sweep - I have been itching to go through all my "stuff" and get rid of everything I don't wear/use anymore! This happens to me a couple times a year...wardrobe overhaul!

Quite a bit of shopping and re-stocking usually follows ;)

(PS - recognize this famous closet? Not mine, but wish it was!!)

 {PUPPY} Last, but not least...Deedee has her final round of shots today...which means she can finally go on walks and play with other dogs! She is going to be so excited - not about being on a leash, (haha!) - but to go somewhere besides the backyard. And to have playmates that actually play back and don't swat/hiss at her (i.e. our grumpy cat, Hazel - who has absolutely no interest in playing whatsoever).

Side note- please ignore the ugly & barren backyard...that is on the list of major home projects for next year ;)

What are your plans this weekend??

Puppy Love

Just thought I'd share a couple pictures of our new baby girl, Deedee...who is quite a handful, but such a sweetheart!

Taking a nap...one of her favorite activities!

 

Taking a nap again (shocking) in my lap <3

 

Looking stylish on her Martha Stewart pillow (which since has been chewed and washed multiple times) and her favorite Nylabone toy. I wanted to get her a cute collar and tag, but Aaron said no pink and no rhinestones...so she has basic black... for now ;)

Just love her!

xx em

our newest little family member

Hello! I'm sorry for the lack of posting the past 2 weeks... I've been so busy and haven't really had my camera with me much to snap pictures.

One thing keeping Aaron and I busy was the puppy hunt :)
We have been endlessly searching Petfinder and the web in search of a rescue pup to adopt! There were a few breeds we were interested in, as we wanted a big breed that is a great family dog, but also a good protector/guard dog.

After a few let downs (puppies that we desperately wanted to meet got adopted, people not returning emails/calls, etc) we went to a little shelter in the country, about an hour outside of Columbus to see a little Doberman mix...and we fell in LOVE.

She came home with us that day!
Meet Deedee, the newest member of our family <3

She was born May 1st, so is a little over 10 weeks old. I can already tell she's gonna be a big girl! We know her mother was a pure bred Doberman, but not sure what the father was...although her traits seem pretty dominantly Doberman.

She is totally relaxed and mellow and we absolutely love her <3 I'll post more pictures soon!

xx Em