Never thought I could love something made of leather and metal so much!!!

I will admit, I am like most girls who enjoy shopping and buying new clothes, shoes and purses, but I'm not very picky or over-the-top and I don't usually spend a lot of money and I surely don't whine over anything found in the mall. On the rare occasion that I want to purchase something I really like, I either just buy it right then, or save up my money to buy it myself, depending on the cost. All-in-all, it is very few items that I find worth a high price.

This bag was different.

I saw my "G," as I now like to call it, up on a shelf in a local high-end boutique while at a party my friend and I attended that my husband was catering the food for. I saw the purse, immediately walked over to it and took it off the shelf, sliding it smoothly onto my arm. It was the only one of its kind in the store and it seemed made for me. Boy did it look nice! I soon realized someone (my husband) might see me drooling over this nice item and I quickly put it back on the shelf...but it was too late. My husband did not see me, but one of the co-owners of the store (a friend of my husband's) we were in saw me with the purse and walked right over to me, saying sweetly that I "HAD to have it!" I smiled demurely and simply said, "No, no, no...it's a beautiful bag, but it's not for me." (HA! What a lie!!) The co-owner walked right over to the other store owner, a close friend of both me and my husband, and told her the bag was for me, again, I "HAD to have it!!" She simply smiled at me, knowingly. This all happened in August, since which time little has been said about the purse. It appeared only in my dreams.

For our anniversary this week, my husband surprised me with this glorious purse as a gift and I was so overjoyed. I tried so hard not to be outright with my yearning for the bag, or to be a brat, and I think I did that well enough. But it did not matter how much I tried to deny it, a certain Fairy God Mother, who has a way of making things turn out just right for Greg and I, made sure that this bag became not just any purse left on a shelf, but my purse forever.

Thank you, Greg, for a fabulous anniversary gift and anniversary celebration.

And thank the Lord for Fairy God Mothers!! ;0)

It's Our Anniversary!!

It was six years and two months ago today that I went out on a first date with the man I would marry. Little did I know that as I sat across the table from him at dinner that the laughter that filled the air that evening and the music we enjoyed together that night would become the sound track of our future together.

On October 25, 2003, on the best, most exciting and enjoyable day of my life,

me and the man I love said "I do."

We had no idea just what those two words and the vows that were taken really meant. On this, our third anniversary, I think we know more than we did then about all we promised on our wedding day. We love each other more deeply. We cry a little easier together at the sentimental things. We share our hearts and our minds with one another more easily. We know each other better and more fully.

If we know so much more and feel so much deeper today, I can't imagine the beautiful metamorphosis our love and friendship will take over the many years to come. I cherish our wonderful wedding memories, I am filled with joy over the last six years together and it thrills me to think about the memories yet to be made.

Greg, I love you with all of my heart.

Happy Anniversary, honey.

The Joys of Home-Ownership

Just when you start to think you have a plan, something happens to make you think that plan might not be for the best. Two nights ago, after having been out of town over the weekend and having heavy rains while we were away, my husband calls me into his office in our home to show me something "really bad...," as he put it. He walked to the far corner of the room and started bouncing lightly up and down and I realized he was catching a bit of air because the floor beneath his feet was bouncing with him. Somehow, water had gotten underneath our wood flooring and the flooring has now collapsed up away from the foundation. We know it's a water issue because the rug over that area of the room was wet and moldy, meaning this isn't the first time this has happened. So, we may have a serious, expensive problem with our home.

Just as a reminder: We just had our old, rotted, big holed fence replaced; we're in the process of having our gutters replaced (I say "in the process" because a handy man had to come out and do some unexpected work to some wood on our home prior to the gutters being replaced); and now we have this issue in my husband's office. The joys of home-ownership!!

We had a plan, many plans, in fact, and this additional cost was not one of them. Now I'm afraid that our plans will have to be put on hold a little longer while we get this current house mess straightened out. After the fence and the gutters, we planned to have our ACs (yes, we have two AC units!!) replaced after the first of the year, then our windows replaced and possibly the flooring upstairs replaced. Why do we have to have this other issue?

Wow, I feel so grown-up griping about home repairs. Who would've ever thought I would be doing that at this point in my life? I guess my biggest questions about our home are: Will these repairs ever end? Will we ever come to a point where all we are doing on our home are self-inflicted improvements and changes? Will we ever just sit back and enjoy? I sure hope so. I feel very blessed to have the means to live in our beautiful home and to have a loving husband to share it with, but sometimes, only at very rare times like these, I think renting an apartment doesn't sound so bad.

10 Reasons I had a Great Week

1. I visited Chicago and Naperville, a Chicago suburb, for the first time

and loved both places.

2. I was in a place where the leaves change from green to a rainbow of fall colors, and it's possible for it to snow in October.

3. I successfully, and nervously, planned and executed a bachelorette party for roughly 25 ladies in a city I've never been to.

4. I danced all night long with some of my very best friends

to the spinnings of a fantastic dj.

5. I was treated like a woman of leisure-brunches eaten, hands, feet, hair and make-up done professionally and I stayed in two different fabulous hotels.

6. I experienced one of the best moments of my life; watching my very best friend marry the man of her dreams in a beautiful ceremony.

7. I enjoyed a great wedding reception, complete with a toast from the matron of honor (that's me!) that I am proud to say was pretty darn good, a dance performance that rocked the dance floor and had us all busting up with laughter, and hours of fun, great friends and the good times of people knowing the bride and groom are a match made in Heaven.

8. Seeing friends who may live far,

but are never far from our thoughts and our hearts.

9. "OH ARE YOU?!" (Jenn), "King Charles Spaniels are really named for King Charles, ya know.," (Laran) and other funny moments that we'll re-live and laugh together about over and over again.

10. The love of a good man who traveled many miles in a form of transportation that is not his favorite, to a city he's never been to just to spend time mostly alone while his wife was gallavanting around without him getting her hair and nails done. That same good man saying it was a wonderful weekend

and that he was so glad he went.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this a weekend to remember forever, and who made it extra special for my good man, my very best friend and myself.

Bad News, Good News

So much to report...bad and good.

I'll start with the bad to end on a good note.

On Friday, September 29 at around 4:30 p.m. I was exiting the Kroger grocery store near my home when three men approached me in the store parking lot. One man came up behind me as I was placing my grocery items into my car, the other two men remained in the car, which they had parked behind my car. I did not realize this man had walked up to me until he was merely an arm's length away and I felt his presence and whirled around, staring him right in the eyes. I was confused as to why he was standing there and I think my sudden turn to face him may have deterred him from whatever action he was about to take with me. I soon broke the eye contact and quickly got into my car, locking the doors. The man ran back to the car where his friends waited and they sped out of the parking lot. I called 9-1-1, but did not request an officer meet me as all I wanted was to get home and I knew there was nothing the officer could do aside from taking down what the car and the men looked like. This whole experience was frightening, and it taught me a very valuable lesson...you never know when something might happen to you, or someone you know, so be alert and be careful where you choose to be out alone. I will not be visiting this same store any time in the future and I hope those who read that can take the same lesson away with them. Be careful, be aware and be safe.

In other news...

Our beautiful, board-on-board, tall, cedar fence was completed last Tuesday. Hubby and I sat outside yesterday and enjoyed the Fall weather and the new fence. It's amazing how something that seems so inconsequential can feel so rewarding and fulfilling. I love our new fence.

After today, I will not be in blog world for a while as I am headed out of town. "Chicago, Chicago..." (That's me singing!) I am headed to the Windy City for my first visit ever, and what a wonderful occasion for this trip-my best friend's wedding!! That's right, my very best friend, Mandy, is marrying the man she has been in love with for 11 years and I am the matron of honor, and what an honor it is. I will spend time in the home where Mandy spent much of her years before college (where we met) on Tuesday and Wednesday, we will have a bachelorette celebration on Thursday, girlie festivities and rehearsal dinner on Friday and the much-anticipated wedding on Saturday. I am so, super excited!!! I can't wait to blog about my Chicago Adventure next week.

Something that I also want to blog about now is friendship and my latest revelation about friendship. I don't rely on others very often as I think I have a tendency to want things done a certain way and I also have trust issues. I love my friends and they are all really special people and they have done nothing to lead me not to trust them, but it's an internal issue that I haven't faced until recently. I'm not one to ask for favors or for help, even when I really need it. And I'm not just talking about big favors, but little things, as well. In the last month, or so, that has changed. I have asked several different friends to help me, in big and small ways, with various things. At times I felt a bit of anxiety even asking for the help or the favor, but each time I followed through and my friends showed me there was no reason to feel anxious about depending on others. I have seen a whole new side of friendship in the last month and I have to say, it looks and feels so good. I have a ways to go before I can completely trust and not feel anxious about asking for help, but I am so happy to know that I can count on my friends and to know they want me to depend on them. That is what friendship is all about, right?

See you next week!!

(At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down.

I, as a female, actually found this somewhat helpful!)

The Guys' Rules
Please note.. These are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports, it's like the full moon or the changing of the tides, just let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport, and no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:

Subtle hints do not work!

Strong hints do not work!

Obvious hints do not work!

Just say it!

1. "Yes" and "No" are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to

act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done-not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like the Windows default settings.

Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit.

We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to,

expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as sports, the shotgun formation or a bowel movement.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape...Round IS a shape!

(I share this with all of my female friends, in honor of my husband.)