New Blog

Hey Guys!! I launched a new blog several weeks ago and wanted to share it with you. Please check it out at www.bellaspire.com. See you there :) !

Mardi Gras!!

Anyone indulging today?? I didn't realize that it was Mardis Gras until I was watching the Today Show this morning. That got me thinking quickly about Lent. We just finished a segment in church about putting God first. We have also spent some time in Sunday school discussing prayer. In an effort to put these teachings into action, I'd like to spend some time during this season of Lent in deeper prayer and devotion with the Lord.

Sunday evening while the snow was falling I was cuddled up on my bedroom floor sitting next to the fire. I was reading Hannah's Prayer from 1 Samuel and was overcome by a sense of beauty. I love those moments where you truly connect with God. This particular moment was especially beautiful, given the snowy scene. I'm currently reading a daily Bible verse, but am eager to delve deeper over the next several weeks.

In the past I've given up baked goods (ah, deprivation!) and have even given daily compliments to others to express my love. I hope that this year I draw closer to Him through the study of His word and our quiet time together.

Although it's totally unrelated, perhaps I'll still splurge with some ice cream tonight!!

Pink Sprinkles and Curls

Happy Valentine's Day bloggies!!! This Hallmark-loving, chocolate-crazy girl is absolutely obsessed with this special day. It's sort of a running joke in our family that historically my Valentine's days are amazing while Andrea's are miserable. This year is no exception, as her husband is in a war zone while I have dinner reservations and a relaxing evening planned. We always laugh it off, since her life is pretty remarkable the other 364 days of the year.

I woke up early to curl my hair, a tradition I've had since elementary school. I put on my prettiest pink blouse and made heart shaped pancakes for breakfast. I packed my lunch and even tossed in some raspberry Ghirardelli chocolates for good measure. Tonight we are going to our favorite restaurant in town, where the mango rolls are to die for!! Conveniently situated next door is our favorite Fro Yo spot. I've got my fingers crossed that they'll have pink sprinkles. I've got a feeling that it's going to be a pretty great night :).

In the spirit of the day, I wanted to share with you how much I love each of you!! If you're reading this blog, it means that in some way, shape, or form you have been part of my life. I hope your day is special and that you too reflect on the power and beauty of love.

Getting my nerd on...

No offense any computer programmers out there, but I've always considered this set of talents to be somewhat, well, nerdy. In an effort to launch a new blog, I have spent the past 4 days elbow deep in the madness, teaching myself the basics of computer programming and web design. I now fully embrace the stereotype and will proudly classify myself as nerdy .. especially if it results in a kick tail blog :). I'm even starting to consider the challenge fun!! Take a look at the language I've been speaking this week....

Yep! This is the price you pay to have things look exactly as imagined. I'm so happy that we didn't hire a web designer, because this new set of skills has become a hobby and I'm only skimming the surface!!

Whitney and I can't wait to release our new blog this month! We hope you will be loyal readers :)

Hey Feb!

I have to admit that while I love the beginning of the new year, January is my least favorite of the twelve months. It's usually pretty cold and dark (no complaints with the warmer weather lately!) and seems to last forever. Not only am I excited for Valentine's Day month to arrive (I'm such a sucker), but I am also excited to think about my new monthly goal. Before I get ahead of myself, let's recap how I did with month number one!

As you may (or may not) recall, this year I decided to set one goal each month, rather than one resolution to tackle over the course of the year. January was all about getting organized. I spent quite a bit of time de-cluttering and re-arranging and already feel more at ease. I think that the intensity that went into this first month has set the pace for keeping up around the house. Mission... accomplished.

As I set my sight on February, I am excited to tap into my creative side. As I eluded to in the last post, I have some excited blog-related news to announce. Drumroll please ;) ..... This month my goal is to launch a new blog!! Whitney and I share a mutual love for blogging and are teaming up to bring you a new blog! We are knee deep in the planning phase, still learning programming lingo and exploring the limitless possibilities. I will still be blogging personal stories on this blog and hope that you will follow me on both sites!!

Looking forward to a fun February!!

Jam-packed with FUN

Seems like like my schedule has been jam-packed these days. I'm certainly not complaining, as all of the activities are social in nature. Cheers! Here's what I've been up to:

Spending quality time with Carly and Joiner!

I love these little angels. Lunch at Panera followed by a Sunday matinee of "Beauty and the Beast" was just the quality time we needed. It was so fun to catch up with the girls and hear all about school and what they're into these days. We cracked up when they started singing Justin Bieber songs during lunch, offering rather serious commentary that they do not like his Christmas songs because they are way too slow. The movie was amazing, with fresh animation and the same beautiful story line.

Toasting to Tate

In just a few weeks, Chrissie and Ben will be welcoming their son into the world! I was honored to host the shower for my dear friend. Chrissie has the advantage of being a pediatric nurse practitioner, all too familiar with frequent childhood ailments. She has assured me that I can speed dial her when I am in need of her expertise down the road. We enjoyed the beautiful afternoon together and are all excited to meet the little fella!

Dinner with Besties

Last Saturday night, we triple dinner dated with the Townsends and Brooks. We went to our favorite sushi place in town, where the mango rolls are to die for!! The girls and I also got to catch up for a mid-week dinner together. The last time Shannon, Whitney, and I ate at Noble's was for my rehearsal dinner!! It was so fun to be back at one of my all time favorite restaurants, dining in the very same room! Both girls work in GI and invited me to the dinner lecture on Crohn's since they know I have a strong interest in this disease. Random fact about me: When I was in college I single handedly planned, organized, and carried out a 5K race to race money for The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. The "Kick Crohn's 5K" was a lot of fun and supported an amazing cause!

Fellowship at the Homeless Shelter

Friday night I met some Sunday school friends over at the Rescue Mission. We spent the evening in fellowship and the spirit of the Lord filled every square inch of that room. I felt so incredibly humbled to share in conversation with these wonderful men- singing together, praying together, and sharing stories of our own unique journeys. Praise God.

Barista Mir

This week's work day entertainment came in the form of a new coffee machine in the physician lounge. I spend my down time in the lounge chatting with colleagues with this week's conversations centered around this new device. Although the old Keurig was nice, the "Flavia" allows us to make coffee, espresso shots, lattes, cappuccinos, tea, tea lattes, hot cocoa, and more. My favorite combination is the "Arnold Palmer." As if I needed another excuse to love my job ;).

Stay tuned! Exciting news to announce in the next several days.

(and no, I'm not preggo, this is all blog related ;) ! )

B.P.

Life B.P. (before Pinterest) was slightly more difficult :). In the midst of organizing the office, I stumbled upon some old "idea notebooks." The pages are filled with old school "pins" in the form of torn out magazine articles, pictures, and sketches.

These days scissors are saved for projects and images fill my virtual notebooks with the click of a mouse. Making life simple, I'm down with that.

Fitness is FUN

I guess it's pretty convenient that I absolutely love to work out. It is truly a hobby and fortunately a productive one!! Shannon and I were daydreaming about what our dream jobs would be and I said that I would love to be the chief editor of a fitness magazine. It would be like Devil Wears Prada, only I would be a much friendlier Meryl Streep and Lululemon would be the new Versace. In my dreams.

As an editor of a fitness magazine, there are a few things that I would whole heartedly endorse. At the top of that list would be Metabolic Effect, an approach that has revolutionized the way I work out, yielding more definition and surprisingly more free time. Check out the website, buy the book, and change your physique in the process. M.E. has also come out with a monthly video subscription, which I can personally vouch for as being incredibly difficult. I am actually incredibly humbled to get to film with the trainers every other week and motivated to dig deeper when I see myself on camera. The guys at the studio are great, and if you can't train with them in person, getting the videos are a great second best.

Equally as revolutionary is Jill Coleman, founder of Jillfit.com. Jill is a sweetheart and a huge role model of mine. I was introduced to the blog a little over a year ago by my trainer and dear friend, Emily Saunders. Jill has been motivating me and making me laugh ever since. Her blog shares fantastic workouts, healthy recipes, evidence-based explanations, introspective encouragements, and more. Jill and her brilliant trainers can help anyone meet their fat loss goals, whether you want to take the stage or simply want to feel better about where you are now. I am so incredibly lucky to know Jill personally and can tell you that she's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Lastly, I would put in a plug for hot yoga, which I've been practicing and loving since 2003. Before I met Jarrett, I was planning on moving to Charlotte, largely because of their yoga community. Fortunately, I still maintain my practice here in Winston and am excited to watch my friend John grow his new studio inside the Robinhood Y. As much as I love traditional Bikram, I am excited to throw in a few vinyasa series with some more advanced poses.

Oh, and while were at it, I would wear this and this and this as an editor. I know, I know, I'll keep (day)dreaming.

To-DONE

If you know me, you know that I'm a sucker for a to-do list. If you're like me, you too have that one nagging task that magically migrates from one week's list to the next. The only problem is that the longer that task stays there, the less desirable it becomes. You know what I'm talking about.

I have procrastinated on this certain task for nearly a year now. In fact, I have shamefully found myself adding other "pressing" concerns to my list just to find an excuse out; get manicure, rearrange clothes by season, organize the spice rack... Well enough is enough already! I am proud to declare that I finally faced this project head on!

That, my friends, is not only 676 photographs, but it is 676 organized photographs from my wedding! While I've had my official wedding album for months, I wanted to print off all of the proofs to put in a separate album. I quickly realized that this dreaded task was not so dreadful after all. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed reliving each moment of the magical day.

Having my to-do become a to-DONE leaves me with the feeling that I can conquer all!!!

I Love This!

Palm Trees and Firefly

Look at this precious face. Seriously, my heart melts for Brooke's precious pup. Winston welcomed us into his home in Charleston, SC for a much needed girl's weekend. It was so great to catch up with good friends, explore the city, do some shopping (I got this!!), and partake in restaurant week.

Already looking forward to our next get together!!!

Settling In

I dog-eared a page in a book I’m reading by the phenomenal Byron Katie. I wanted to share with you her thoughts on our human nature to be dissatisfied. It seems as if we go around in life perfectly happy until the slightest thing makes us uncomfortable. As we search for comfort, we become even more uncomfortable. We forget that we were indeed comfortable, and we end up getting kicked out of our own little piece of heaven with our attention now shifted and focused on what’s making us uncomfortable. Our peace flees us and we are left insecure and eagerly seeking improvement. Instead of flailing around trying to become “better,” we should realize that in doing so we’ve actually stepped out of heaven. In other words, let’s remember how great we’ve really got it. Count your blessings. Seek improvement, but remember to stay grounded.

Filling Blank Pages

Most years start with a new journal. I’ve blogged before about my love for journal keeping, and with the start of a new year a book of blank pages is always a must. I always stare at the selection, waiting for inspiration and without fail, the “perfect” journal finds its way to the register. I prefer lines, college ruled, and usually opt for simplicity.

At the end of the year it’s fun to look over the words, thoughts, and memories captured by each page. Especially amusing is to re-read the entries around the time I met Jarrett. I wrote the day before I met him, and of course documented my feelings while he was stealing my heart. This always brings a smile.

This year my pages will be filled with spiritual reflection. I have a large mason jar filled with 365 strips of paper, each with a verse from the Bible. I’ve tried to read the Bible in a year in the past, but fell off the wagon and retained very little. By having a single verse to savor, I have already found myself memorizing more scripture as the words marinate in my mind over the course of the day. This tiny bit of structure is all I need to kick off my quiet time and jumpstart my Bible study.

I started the year with this verse from Acts 17:28- “In him we live and move and have our being… for we are indeed his offspring.” Hello 2012!

Daddy the Soldier

Isn't it great how we all have our own unique hobbies and interests? My dad loves to study history and has a particular fascination with the Civil War. He loves to go on these reenactment weekends where he dresses up as Union cavalry soldier. From what I understand, they sleep in Civil War style tents, wash their dishes in the creek, and reenact battles with their swords while on horseback. I find the whole thing precious! Here are a few photos of the troops in action!

*My father on the far left

Weekend Fun

My favorite weekends are the ones with little plans. After a surprise 36 hour trip to the Burg, I was ready to come home and settle. I had every intention of taking down all of the Christmas decorations, but it's now Sunday evening and I'm only halfway there. Not to worry though, since my weekend was filled with far more enjoyable activities.

Saturday morning I woke up and went to BodyPump, which always makes me miss my mom and sister. I ran by the studio on my way home for an awesome lecture given by Jade Teta (Mr. Metabolic Effect himself). After the inspiring talk, I had just enough time to hang out with Jarrett for a bit before heading off to Aliza's baby shower! I'm so excited for my sweet friend who will be welcoming her baby girl in February. It was fun to watch her open presents and amusing to hear the various commentary by the guests, a clear indication of who did and did not have children of their own. I always find this part of a shower somewhat overwhelming, and don't know how in the world someone would even know what to register for!

I spent the afternoon hanging with the hubs and grilling out, thanks to the 60 degree weather (gotta love the South!). We got an Omaha Steaks package for Christmas and the food was simply divine!! It didn't seem to hurt that we had unintentionally let the chicken marinate for nearly two days ;).

Sunday morning we went to church and then to "our spot" (second only to Dioli's) for brunch. We love "Breakfast Of Course, Mary's Too" for their artsy atmosphere and perfectly cooked breakfast foods.

After fueling up, I was ready for some shopping with Chrissie, who is also expecting next month. I'm hosting her baby shower in just a couple of weeks and am excited after yesterday's inspiration. It cracked me up to hear about her crazy cravings and pregnancy tales.

After a fun afternoon, I hit the gym where I caught up with a few friends and met the group exercise coordinator. I used to love teaching aerobics and have seriously considered getting back into it. Who knows, perhaps one day I'll be back on stage, kicking some tail and having fun in the process.

The best part about weekends without plans is that fun things always arise. The worst part is that the time is inevitably filled and the de-Christmas-ing has yet be done. There's always Monday!

Kaity Bear

Andrea and Mike woke up to find this precious little note from Kaitlyn.

Love it :)!

Movin' On Up

I have never been a car person. I was always perfectly content driving hand-me down cars, appreciative of a car payment-free scenario. It didn't matter that my car had 279,000 miles. It didn't really matter that the driver's side window would occasionally get stuck in the down position. Heck, I didn't really even mind the clear duck tape on my right headlight, a faux pas from a Camry vs. garage door episode. My car was just fine and I was happy enough.

I didn't realize that in a single day I could suddenly become a car person!! Oh my goodness, I will never go back! After a persistent oil leak, a switch was flipped and I found myself somewhat pressed to find a new ride. I did my homework, researching and test driving both old and new. My husband considers this process "fun." I went to the Honda dealership where my sweet friend Geoff works. I quickly met quite a few great options and was initially focused on the Accord. I kept staring at this cute white CRV and decided to take it for a ride. I was instantly impressed and knew that it was perfect for my needs.

The actual process of buying the car was lengthy but fun, thanks to Jarrett and the great Honda crew. I said goodbye to my loyal Camry, which didn't seem to bother me too much, given the alternative. Jarrett took me to P.F. Changs to celebrate, and to pay up on the beer he owed me for a bet lost on the predicted value of my Camry ;). I think he just wanted to put me over the edge so that he could drive my new car home!