Cheater, Cheater

Most weekends lately I do nothing that is noteworthy. This is because I live in the middle of nowhere and there's nothing to do. Oh, I've mentioned that before? I might be bitter. I try to spice things up & make life interesting, but it's seriously a challenge. I did do a few exciting things this weekend though.

One
I found the cutest little apartment on the internet. I haven't called about it yet, but based on the website it looks perfect. One major thing I was looking for was a short term lease, and it has that! Now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed it's pet friendly. I need a kitten.

Here's the view from the back porch. Enough said.

Two

I cheated at Lent :/ I'm not catholic or anything, but every year Sam and I choose something to give up just to challenge ourselves. This year I chose gluten. Talk about hard! I've been doing really well with it, but I've had a pizza craving that was out of control. On Saturday my cousin's came up and they wanted to pizza for dinner. I could have made myself a baked potato while everyone else ate pizza... but I didn't. And then I had a brownie (or two). But I'm back to it now. 20 more days!

Three

I was shopping on Sunday and found these Star Wars toys for Elsa. DED. I absolutely had to buy it- there was no way I could resist. Loveeee!

See it on Instagram

Four

I basically robbed JoAnn Fabric on Sunday. I got two yards of fleece (normally $10/yd) for 6 dollars! That's $3/yd! They were having a half off sale and then I used a 40% off coupon. I almost wish I'd bought more fleece and just made a tie blanket or something. $6!!!

Five

I guess this has nothing to do with the weekend except that I spent the weekend being excited, but on Wednesday Mom and I are taking a day-cation! We both took off work and we are driving up in the morning and spending the day in Harrisburg/Hershey, PA. We are super excited and the weather is even supposed to be nice (and ten degrees warmer than here!). Mom's never been, and I've only been to Hershey once in High School. Have you ever been to that area? Any must see's for our day-cation? 

Cat People are the Best People: A Rebuttel

Last week Whitney blogged about how Dog People are the Best People. Now, I think everyone can pretty safely guess that I'm a cat person. If you couldn't tell from my blog title, that picture to the right, or my instagram, then posts like this would surely give it away. Don't get me wrong, I loved Whit's post, but everyone knows that cat people are truly the best people. Here's why:

1. We are WAY better at cuddling than dog people. Seriously, cats are willing to nap for 16-20 hours, and so are we. Oh, the mail man's here? We don't need to get up and bark about it. We'll just keep right on cuddling.

2. We're great at holding conversations (with anyone). Oh, hi kitty. Meow. Did you say you're hungry? Meow. Okay! Seafood Delight or Beef in Gravy? Meow. Beef in Gravy coming right up!

3. We don't have as many responsibilities. Cats poop in a box and won't inhale every piece of food in their dish in 3 seconds flat, so there's no need for a pet sitter if you want to go on a spontaneous weekend trip to the beach. The cat will take care of itself.

4. We understand the importance of meal time, and we can appreciate delicacies. Your dog enjoys food most after Elsa's already passed it through to the litter box. Disgusting. 

5. We can appreciate play time just as much as we appreciate nap time. Sleep hard, play hard. That's what they say, right?

6. We're always appreciative of gifts, because we understand that it's the thought that counts.

Thanks for the cricket, Elsa

7. We don't mind staying in. Even though the cat will absolutely judge us for watching the same movie over and over (and everything else we do), their judging face is pretty damn cute!

8. We never drink alone, or eat alone, or pee alone. Someone is always watching.

9. Good hygiene is important to us for everyone, and our cats are always reminding us of that. The 4-8 hours cats aren't napping they're bathing!

10. Our hearts are actually a couple sizes bigger. Whitney was right on this one, pet owners just have bigger hearts. It's science.

She loves me back, I swear!

So where do you stand: cat person or dog person? They clearly both have their pro's!

Defeated

I didn't post yesterday. Well I did, because I've been trying to challenge myself to post every day, but it was just a baby post telling you how completely defeated I feel. And when I said defeated I completely hit the nail on the head. That's exactly how I feel. Defeated, unhappy, and whatever the opposite of content is.

I'd be a lot more content if the weather would stay as nice as it was Friday!

I feel so frustrated that I worked so damn hard to get to where I am right now, and somehow I still have nothing. I went to college, I landed my dream job, and I even snagged a hot guy to stand by my side through the process. And now here I am with a degree and job and a boyfriend, and yet I make less money than a Sheetz employee and I dread going to work everyday, I have no place to live, I've got thousands of dollars in college debt, and I never even see my boyfriend. How did I end up here?

I've been trying to make the best of the situation I'm in, but the reality of how unhappy I am with everything just hangs over my head like a big dark cloud. Sometimes I feel like I made the wrong decision taking this job. I thought that it would help me reach my goals- it would give me experience and money and eventually I could move back to Charlotte and get a better job. But I guess I didn't realize just how little money my paycheck was, or how unorganized my agency would be, or just how lonely this town would be, or just how damn hard it would be to find an apartment. Or just how much I'd miss my boyfriend, either.

I guess I'm just in a rut. There's good things, too, like my mom only being 2 hours away from me and the genuine happiness I feel when I work with clients. It's just really hard to focus on only the good lately, and keep my mind off all the crap.

This has been a little rambley today, so I apologize for that. I usually try to keep this space upbeat. I'll try to be more glass half full tomorrow! Here's a kitten to make it happier:

 Do you ever feel down & defeated? How do you deal?

Not Happening

Guys, I just don't have it in me to blog right now. This weekend has left me feeling completely defeated and I just need a break :( Here's a cute dog video and I'll try again tomorrow. No promises, though.

This guy is magician, so he makes the dogs' treats vanish and captures their reactions. Obsessed.

Five Happies

This has been, perhaps, the longest week of all time. Seriously, it just dragged on and ooonnnnnn. And today I have to spend 4 hours in the car with a 12-yr-old who has ADHD. (ilovemyjobilovemyjobilovemyjob...) So I am in serious need of a little reflection time on all the happies in my life. Serious need.

Today is Friday! I mean duh. This one is obvious, and I'm especially happy about it today. I will be shouting TGIF from the rooftops when this work day is over!

My new shirt. I got this top last weekend at TJ Maxx and I am head over heels in love! I've been lusting after bow back tops for awhile, and this one just so happens to be a perfect color for me, too! It was destiny.

I am not a fashion blogger, so I added the second picture so you could see 

what the shirt actually looked like, and the work selfie gives you 

a little glimpse of how perfect my sock bun and off white necklace looked with it 

:)

Quinoa Mac & Cheese. I've been wanting to make something with quinoa for awhile, and I was so pleased with how this turned out. I've had it for dinner Wednesday, lunch Thursday, and dinner again Thursday, and there's still half a pan left. The joys of cooking for one! Good thing it's delicious :)

This. Om nom nom nom. This is my new invention: Apple Juice Float. It's just Simply Apple juice (because why would you buy any other brand?) poured over vanilla ice cream!  This might be the best idea I've ever had. I've never been a big fan of pop, but the other day a float sounded really good so I decided to just try it with apple juice and I am officially obsessed. Plus, since I'm using 100% apple juice so it's healthy right?! Okay... healthy-ish.

YOU are reading my blog post! Yes, you! I really am so grateful for every single person who reads my blog and it makes me oh so happy to know that you stopped by! Thanks for reading :)

What happies have found you this week?

It's Going Down...

I'm yelling Tinder!

Yep, I downloaded it. I've been seeing bloggers and everyone else post about this "dating app," and since I'm 65 in a 23-year-old body, I was like "what the frick is a Tinder?" No, but really. I did not understand what the hell a "dating app" was, so I decided to do my own research. And keep your pointy little fingers to yourself, Sam was fully aware and supportive of my online adventure.

So, in case you're as clueless as I am, let me explain this new-age dating to you. Basically you download this fancy little app, and then you have to create an account using your facebook account- but don't worry it  won't tell the facebook world how painfully desperate you are that you're using Tinder, it just uses your info to let you know if you have any friends or "likes" in common, and it pulls your pictures from there.

So anyways, once you're all logged in you get to looking for hunks. If you find a hottie you swipe their picture to the right, and slide it to left for a big fat NOPE. Then, if one of your right swipes gives you a right swipe you're matched, and you can send each other messages. This is where the creepiness begins.

I mostly just tried to see how much I could talk about Teen Mom and cats before guys got bored of me. The answer was a surprisingly long time. What else was surprising was how quickly they could turn a friendly cat conversation into a conversation about their wiener.

The answer to that is a resounding no

And then there were guys like this.

And no, I never messaged him back.

What was this even supposed to mean? I work like 3 miles from my house...

And if nothing else, it was a good ego boost!

My Final Review: This is the sort of thing I would have found hilarious as a teenager, but now that I'm an adult I'd rather meet weirdos at the bar- at least that way I get a free drink out of it! Cheers!

It's Not Easy Being Green

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I wish I had tales of frolicking the city in a green outfit while drinking green beers to share with you, but all I did this weekend was catch up on Teen Mom. Don't be mistaken, though, that doesn't mean I don't love celebrating with all things green! It just means I don't have any friends.

Green beans. Without a doubt, these are my favorite vegetables. Raw, boiled, sauteed, steamed. I don't care, I'll eat them. I like them with butter, garlic, teriyaki sauce, and even in their birthday suit. Just gimme those beans!

My green pencil skirt. I have a kelly green pencil skirt that I absolutely can't get enough of. I've been waiting all year to wear it to work for St. Patty's Day! Not that I don't wear it all the time, but today it has a purpose. If only I had this perfect blouse to go with it.

Starbucks green tea latte. Yummmm, love these! Unfortunately I'll only be enjoying this in my mind today, since I live in the middle of nowhere and far away from a Starbucks. The horror. 

This manicure, which I wish I had thought about replicating it before painting my nails pink and grey on Saturday. Damnit, Amanda, you really dropped the ball on that one! But seriously, could it be more perfect for the holiday? Maybe next year...

Shamrock Shakes. If you grew up in a part of the country where you didn't spend every single year anticipating this bad boy, then I seriously feel bad for you. The first day of Shamrock Shake season is practically a holiday in itself here in North Western PA. You can bet your bottom dollar I'll be celebrating with one of these today. And every day until they're gone...

And one last thing, I wanted to leave you with this gem of a quote from my baby sister:

Me: Did you know that Monday is St. Patrick's Day? 

Anneliese (age four): Yes, but when is St. Spongebob's day?

Dating Advice Isn't Real

I really really really hate dating advice. I read dating advice articles all. the. time. because they're constantly popping up on my social media feeds. And you know what? I haven't learned a damn thing from them. What I've learned about love is: you never really know anything about love. There are no rights and wrongs. There are no rules. There are no surefire ways to know it's love. You just fall into it without trying, and it's a wild damn ride.

If it's not that crazy passionate, I can't stop thinking about you kind of love, it's not worth pursuing.
With Sam and I, it's never been crazy passionate, have to say I love you all the time, just wanna be with you every second kind of love. It's always been a more comfortable, easy going kind of love. And I'll be honest, that used to bother me. I wanted him to act that head-over-heels kind of way, but it's just not him. And that doesn't mean that he doesn't love me, or that he loves me less than other guys I've dated who did basically worship the ground I walked on. It just means that he loves me in a different way. And that's perfectly fine.

When you truly love someone you hate being away from them.
Being apart is something that Sam and I handle with ease, and this is how I know that our love is true. But that doesn't mean that if you have a hard time being away from your SO that you two aren't as great together as Sam and I are. For us, separation is just a part of life, and if we couldn't handle it then we'd have no business being together. We want to get into careers that will keep us away from each other a lot, even after we're married, so the fact that we can spend six months apart without flinching means, to me, that we make a damn good couple. But if you and your hubs can't stand being away from each other for one night, and you never really have to, then that's fine, too! Because everyone's love is different.

If you stay together no matter how hard it gets, that shows you truly love your partner.
Nope, sometimes it just shows you don't know when to walk away. If being with someone makes you feel worse then being without them, it might not even be worth your time.

You shouldn't want to change anything about your partner.
No, you shouldn't go into a relationship thinking "he'll be a great boyfriend right after I change this," but you should want your SO to change, and you should also want them to change you. Relationships are about growth, and if you aren't growing and changing together, for the better, then what are you getting out of it?

So the moral of the story is- your relationship is probably never going to match up to every single bullet point on some dumb list about what love should be, because love shouldn't be anything, except just right for you. And on the off chance it does match up, that doesn't make your relationship any better than mine. Remember that what works for someone else isn't always what works for you, and vice versa. Whoops. I just gave you relationship advice.

Wedding Wednesday

Don't worry, you didn't click over to the wrong blog. I am NOT engaged. But I do spend a lot of time planning my Pinterest wedding. You know that saying about how men think about sex every 30 seconds or whatever? Well I think women are the same way, except about weddings. Thank goodness for Pinterest, which allows me to plan my non-existent wedding- no budget! ;)

The Ring:

My dream ring is the Tiffany Novo, but I will happily settle for a look-alike!  I just love the look of the cushion cut diamond and simple-but-not-simple diamond band

The Colors:

My favorite color is orange, but I don't think it's a very fancy color (and I don't care how silly that sounds). I think shades of coral would be an absolutely perfect alternative for my imaginary wedding.

The Dresses:

I honestly don't spend a lot of time dreaming about my wedding dress, but I could look at bridesmaid's dresses all day. I've always been a fan of dresses in different shades, and I think these long flowing dresses would look perfect in corals!

The Guestbook:

I love this, I love this, I love this! I think this is just so cute, and the signatures are nice and contained. I'd actually want to hang this in my house!

The Honeymoon:

There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be going someplace tropical (and don't worry, my imaginary fiance is totally on board). I was recently shocked to learn how affordable it is to travel outside the country- even more so than most vacations in the US! I can't imagine a better place to relax with my new hubby than the gorgeous beaches of Jamaica or the Dominican Republic :)

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What are your favorite wedding ideas you've seen? Did you have a really awesome and Pinterest-worthy detail at your wedding?

Men Say the Darnedest Things

Today I'm linking up with Voyage of the MeeMee and Duh! Danae for Sh*t Men Say, because lord knows Sam has said some doozies!

Me: Don't you ever just think about how much you love me?
Sam: Yeah, I usually do when I'm cuddling with the cat.
Me: You're supposed to think about it when you're cuddling with me.
Sam: Then I'm usually thinking about xbox.

Me: You're supposed to be nice and sweet and sweep me off my feet!
Sam: *BURP*

"I thought the guy behind you was eating pizza, but then I remembered we're not in the cafeteria."
I wish I could remember what this was about. It popped up from four year old Facebook status on the Time Hop app, and even though I don't remember it, it really made me laugh!

"DAMN, I am good looking." I never said I loved him for his modesty

Sam's not really an emotional guy, but after four years I've learned to interpret him.