Dallas!!

We made it! Yeah!

What a weekend. Andrew and I picked Natalie up at 6am and hit the road for a 10.5 hr drive. The Uhaul was haulin'! With 5 or 6 stops between, it actually was easier than I ever imagined. Easier in the hours of driving not easier in leaving my friends!

We did great and unpacked everything in under 1.5 hrs. 

We were pretty exhausted and enjoyed a nice relaxing meal with wine and great conversation. I was so lucky to have Natalie and Andrew for familiar faces for the first night. Natalie left Sunday, which was not the easiest of things to do. I can't thank her enough for her support in riding in a car for 10.5 hrs and putting up with me. Truly a Godsend! 

Its hard not having many familiar faces around. 

I mean driving is usually a thoughtless process but has now turned to a new source of stress. Dallas has these "access roads" next to the interstate and Im glad Im still living today. I think I ran 5 red lights on the way to Bed Bath and Beyond. I don't know many streets, I would love to see my face as I drive. A stressed out face. I think I need a glass of wine everytime I get out of the car. Its so different! 

Welcome to Dallas, as Andrew says! 

I have put together most of my apartment, still missing little odds and ends. The TV is coming tomorrow and I just have lots of blank space to fill. Its hard so hard to fill those spots. But we will see how far I can get with that. 

I go to work Wed morning to do some paper work and my first official day is Monday, Cinco De Mayo! How appropriate. I will be needed a large margarita after that day. I think the first few days will be orientation and then the next week will hit full force with being on the floors. Thats a whole new realm of stress/overwhelming feelings. We will get into that after work has started. 

As we started entering TX, we started making a list of the top 10 reasons you know you are in TX:

(I didnt finish all 10 and I lost the list so here are the top 5)

5. More Spanish speaking radio stations than you can count in the states of AL, TN, and MS.

4. Big Joe's Towing (speaks for itself)

3. We reach my apartment and my neighbors don't just have out-of-town guests, but out-of-COUNTRY guests.

2. More TX flags and stars you can count.

1. A toothless man greeting us at the TX welcome center with a goofy grin saying "Welcome to Texas"

Here are some pics from the first few days! Enjoy.

Southwest Airlines has great airfares to Dallas. Please start looking! Im excited to show off my new "home." 

The Uhaul!

(Gotta love that AL license plates, I already miss them)

Entering the Great State of Texas!

Here are some apartment pics:

Kitchen

Den

Hopefully things will keep coming together! Hope to see your faces down here soon!

Rachel Shaub!

Congratulations! What a wonderful and amazing weekend!
The whole weekend and every fun festivity was perfect. Everyone had so much fun. From the welcome party with pizza and salad to the ocean crashing in the background and seagulls flying above during the ceremony singing their harmony. Beautiful weather, a fun band, great food, and a stunning bride!
Here are some pics...I have none from the wedding but once I get them, I will post some!

Go Keish!

Get it Girl! We are pulling from you from all over the country!




Hannah, Brittney, and Courtney are there to support. We are so excited for you and cant wait to see the crown on you! =)
Mary posted this on her blog and I thought I would as well to get the word out:
Vote Keisha (Alabama) Miss Photogenic at www.nbc.com
Be sure to watch tonight at 8pm Central Time on NBC.

Sips n' Strokes

The abstract girls hard at work!

So much fun! We have been trying to do this since about November. Finally, we got our chance to become wine sipping artist! The concept is so fun. Sips n' Strokes---drink wine while you paint. At first I thought, how therapeutic then I realized my type A personality was coming out and I started to get frustrated. After we got past the initial first few steps and I sipped on my beverage of choice, which helps get the creative juices flowing, I was much better off! Our group was great--kali, emily, eleanor, lo, mac, and her friend jessica. We all had a blast. Emily, Eleanor, and Kali really had creative juices flowing as they went out on a limb and painted their own abstract.
Here are the results from beginning to end:

Getting ready to start our venture of becoming an artist!


About half way finished! Its coming along, slowly but surely!

The final touches!!


I give props to Kali--hers was amazing. She had no instruction, just a painting by her feet that she followed. I encouraged her to give up being a pharmacist and move on to a full-time artist!

West Palm Beach!

I got a start late on my West Palm Beach trip due to many cancellations in the Delta Airlines on Thursday morning. I was stranded at the airport but Rachel T. was sweet enough to come get me after Laura had dropped me off. I was soon to find out that hundreds of flights had been cancelled that day. So I went back home and started my month off work. I sat on the couch and was not sure what to do with all my time, which is what Im doing this morning. Im beside myself. I have plenty of school work for my master's classes to do, which could keep me busy for a couple of months right now. But off course Ill procrastinate that.

So it was like groundhog's day on Friday when Laura and I left at 615 for the airport again. I made it, I was on the plane!
I got to West Palm Beach around noon on friday. It was pretty much Tyler and Ellie's nap time when I arrived so I took myself to the pool and proceeded to get fried the first day. The sun loved me! I was so burnt. After nap time Tyler got in the pool and we played all afternoon. It was great to spend such great time with everyone.

Friday night Taffy and John (Tyler's parents) took Michele, Tyler, and me into Palm Beach for dinner. It was amazing and I had some of the best seafood ever. From crab claws and jumbo shrimp to saffron rissoto with lump crab and lobster meat. mmmmm! so amazing! This of course was followed by 4 desserts--which Missy pretty much consumed all of them after everyone had at 1 bite.

The rest of the weekend was pretty much relaxing, playing with Ellie and Tyler, and helping however I could. I failed to take lots of pictures. Michele pretty much has all the great pictures. I'll have to get some from her. But here are a couple that I do have.

On the Wed before I left, Katie, Shae, and Annabelle came in town and Lo, JD, and I were able to meet them for dinner. It was a great visit. Loved seeing them and visiting over a great meal at PF Changs! Annabelle was a great little one and I loved catching up with Katie. She looks great with a little bump! Cant wait to meet Baby Boy Hinson soon!

All Done!

Its official! I have completed my last day at TMC!
I feel like Im on a month's vacation and then going back, but oh how wrong I am.
T Minus 31 days till Dalas Bound!
Off to the beach to be with my sister, brother-in-law, his family, and my neice and nephew! Pictures to soon arrive!
Here are some Easter pics!

Great New Blog

This morning at work Angie sent me this blog site to look over. Im surprisingly surprised by all the mimic fashion clothes that Forever 21 make. I knew this but never really as much till I looked at this blog.
Take a look:
http://thelook4less.blogspot.com
I couldnt get the link function to work today. weird. maybe bc im doing this from work!
Great website!