Spring Things

Despite a minor sleet/snow on Monday night and a 2-hour delay on Tuesday, I am dreaming of all things spring! I am super excited to wear my new rain boots and use my new umbrella in april showers. I can't wait to start wearing capri's and sandals to work. As I sit and wait for the temps to rise, I have been scouring the internet in search of some perfect spring *things*. Here's just a few I have my eye on!

Lilly Pulitzer

This dress would be perfect for one of the MANY bridal events for friends that I have this upcoming spring & summer! Cute bridal shower dress, right?!

I don't know which of these styles I like more, but I am absolutely IN LOVE with the pattern! This would be so cute to wear to one of the 6 (yes, 6!) weddings, I am going to so far in 2011. Lilly Pulitzer is amazing!

Forever21

Love this glitter beaded chain necklace for spring. I have several cute spring colored cardigans that this would go perrrrrfectly with!

LLBean

This bright berry raincoat from LLbean would match my brand new rainboots! I have a gorgeous green JCrew raincoat, but it has no hood. So, I need another jacket to supplement for those rainy days when holding a cute umbrella just isn't very feasible (ie. field trips!)

Just a few cute *spring things* on my mind!

Spring Fever

This past week in Northern Virginia it has been unseasonably warm! On Thursday and Friday, it reached 70 degrees! My students and I were both SO excited to finally get back outside on the playground for recess- so excited I let them play both days for extra long periods of time! It was just so beautiful after such a cold winter!

Now, I love snow as much as the next person- actually, I might even love it more. Snow storms have always felt *magical* to me. On a big snow day, the world literally stops. People aren't out on the roads. No one's walking around. The world is just so peaceful. I love the first few hours of  a good snow, where nothing has been plowed or scraped or shoveled, and the snow clings to the bare tree branches. I love snow and all it brings and I will never complain when it graces us with it's presence. But, I think I am now officially ready for spring...

This week of gorgeous spring-like weather has been such a tease! I know it is still February, but getting the chance to run outside instead of inside on the treadmill, and standing outside at recess in short sleeves has been glorious! It has even motivated me to get my butt back in shape! I was kind of a slacker this winter in regards to working out as much as I did the previous year (I guess nothing is as motivating as knowing you have to fit into a wedding dress!), but the warmer temps are making me focus on good workouts! Another fabulous motivator is that one of my dearest friends from Virginia Tech, Jenny, asked me to be a bridesmaid in her October wedding this fall. So, I now have a new dress to work myself into! Here is a picture of the dress (although the color will be sangria, not the navy that is shown) that has become my new motivator along with the fabulous warmer weather.

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Thanks Jenny for the new source of motivation to look great in your pictures! :) Oh, and of course for letting me be a part of your special day :)

Hope you all are enjoying the warmer weather & are feeling more motivated while it lasts until spring officially arrives!

Bored on a Tuesday

1.What color are your socks right now?  Bare feeties

2.What are you listening to right now?   One Tree Hill on TV

3.What was the last thing you ate?   Doublestuff Oreo. My guilty pleasure.

4.Can you drive a stick shift?  Nope

5.Last person you spoke to on the phone?   Andy, BIG shocker.

6.Do you like the person who sent this to you?   Yes! She's a fabulous coworker

7.How old are you today?   26

8.What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?   Football, duh!

9.What is your favorite drink?  Tough call. Possibly an old fashioned Coca~Cola

10.Have you ever dyed your hair?   I highlight my hair several times a year

11.Favorite food?   Cheeseburgers

12.What is the last movie you watched?   The Sex & the City Movie on TBS. Love that movie.

13.Favorite day of the year?   May 17th & July 31st. My birthday & anniversary :)

14.How do you vent?   Alcohol & tears, sometimes a little yelling :)

15.What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies

16.What is your favorite season?   Fall aka Football season

17.Cherries or Blueberries?   Cherries.... especially on top of cheesecake

18.Do you want your friends to tag you back?   Sure

19.Who is the most likely to respond?   Stephanie Cooke

20.Who is least likely to respond?   Katie

21.Living situation?  Townhouse style condo

22.When was the last time you cried?  Watching our wedding video with all our friends

23.What is on the floor of your closet right now?   Shoes, shoes, and more shoes

24.Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?  I'm not really sending this to anyone...

25.What did you do last night?  Hung out with the hubs, watched the bachelor

26.What are you most afraid of?   Death

27.Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?   Cheeeeeeeeeeeese

28.Favorite dog breed?   Muts

29.Favorite day of the week?   Friday

30.How many states have you lived in?   1

31.Diamonds or pearls?  It depends on what I'm wearing, but typically...diamonds

32.Favorite Flower?   Pink Tulips

6-months of Newly Wedded Bliss

Exactly 6 months ago together, we were doing this...

And this...

 

And we sealed it like this...

 

Yup. We did a looot of this... 

 

Mmm, this was a good part...

And finally, after 7 years, us two became one.

 Happy 6 months to us newlyweds! <3

My Favorite 29-Year-Old

 

Today is Andy's 29th birthday! I just figured I'd take a moment before the present opening, fancy dinner & cake eating festivities commence in the Saulitis household to share with you all some of the things I LOVE so much about this birthday boy. 

1. He is sports-crazy. A lot of married couples have issues over how sports-crazy the men are in their relationships. Have you ever seen those little pillows that say "Marriage on hold until after football season"? Not in this house. Because we embrace it since we are both, well, crazy. We are both very lucky to have found someone as obsessed with sports as we each are. We plan major life events around them (fyi- be careful about planning any weddings, baby showers, etc. during football season. while we are willing to make some sacrifices for those we love, if it's a big game- you better believe our focus will only be partially with you on your big day! we have been known to attend parties with bluetooths and mini-tv's in hand for score updates... just a warning!) Afterall, how many people turn down an offer from their wife to go out to dinner ANYWHERE of their choosing on their birthday in order to stay home for a basketball game on tv? My husband :)
2. He is obsessed with clean carpets. Yes, you all read that right. Andy's favorite household chore is cleaning the carpets. And I mean cleaning. Not only does he vacuum the entire house at least once or twice a week, but he steam cleans the carpets every.single.month! And you know what?! I hate cleaning carpets! Vacuuming has always been my least favorite chore. So, I love that he worries about those carpets for the both of us because if it were left up to me- I wouldn't even know what a steam cleaner was!
3. He baby talks to his dog. You all know baby-talk. Now I should mention that he does not baby-talk to any children, not even his own nieces and nephews. But his dog? All the time. Even when he's having a bad day, that dog can sure put a big a smile on his cute face. I love how much he loves his dog, and how devoted he is to taking care of him. I can only imagine that he will be the same when we have our own little ones running around someday in the future...
4. He is as obsessed with our wedding as I am. Sometimes I wonder if he even beats me in this category. He casually says "I wish we could do our wedding day all over again", or "that was the best day of my life" all of the time. I love that he thought our day was as perfect as I thought it was too. He was such a willing and helpful contributer to all of the planning, so it is perfect that it turned out so ideally for the both of us. That day will forever be put on a pedastool in our lives and I love that it meant so much to him.
5. He loves me. This is by far the most important one. I love Andy for loving me, supporting me, taking care of me, worrying about me for 7 1/2 years. He is my best friend. My confidant. I love having him come home to me every day. My life is better because he is a part of it and for that, I hope he has the best 29th birthday ever!

Happy Birthday Andrew! I love you! <3

Now, let the official countdown to 30 begin... :)

Current Obsessions

Here are a few things I am currently obsessing over at the beginning of this new year.

• Redecorating. This was one of my new year's resolutions for 2011 and boy am I in full swing of accomplishing this goal fast! I have hit the ground running and am currently obsessed with any and all things home decor. I could sit and watch any of the home renovation shows on TLC and HGTV for hours on end (and, shamelessly have done so on multiple occasions). I love to surf the net searching for neat home decorating blogs and looking at rooms for inspiration. My new favorite places: Home Goods and World Market. Andy thinks I've lost my mind, but I think he will enjoy the finished upgrades when it's all said and done. I am updating photo frames around the house, adding new art to our walls, putting up sconces, lighting rooms with tall-modern candle sticks, engaging in DIY projects to upgrade mirrors, and spending way.too.much.money! I guess something had to give between my new year's resolution to redecorate and my resolution to save money. Good thing I have 11 more months to work on the latter! Here's a sneak peek into some of our *new* decor items around the house. Future posts with all our updates when I am satisfied (or broke) from all the re-do's!

 

• Snuggling in bed. Lately, I have been... well, let's call a spade a spade- lazy. I am lacking all kinds    of motivation to do anything these days (with the exception of decorating our house!) I have no motivation to go to the gym, no motivation at work, no motivation to get out of bed on cold, windy winter mornings. A couple of weeks ago, I came down with a nasty case of bronchitis- fever, cough, stuffy nose, body aches. I spent 3 solid days in bed and did not move. Since then, I have found myself spending a lot of time under the covers. I look forward to coming home from work, doing a few household chores, and crawling into bed to read a little, take a 30-minute nap, or watch trash tv. I don't know if it's the cold weather, the winter blues, or purely my own lazy tendencies, but I have got to get myself together! As much as I love my bed and snuggling in sweats, I am 26 and need to get back into a productive routine!

• Wishing for snow days. I love living in a place where there are 4 distinct seasons throughout the year. I love spring for the bits of green that start to sneak back on the trees, the pastel flowers that bloom brightly, and the chance to wear cute rain boots to splash in the puddles. I love summer for the cute skirts and flip-flops, sunbathing by the pool, and days off from school. I love the fall, with it's beautiful foliage, jeans & light sweater weather, and Hokie football. But this time of year, I look forward to snow! I think teachers love the potential for snow even more than the kids do! When a snowstorm is in the forecast, an entire day at school feels totally un-ordinary. There is excitement in the air, snow dances done in classrooms, and prayers said for a snow day or two-hour delay! There is no feeling like waking up on a cold, blustery winter morning and checking the TV only to see those five precious words scroll across the screen: Fairfax County Public Schools- CLOSED. Just the hope and anticipation of snow keeps me going this time of year. I sure hope the snow gods are kind and bless us with a few more *free* days off soon! 

 

New Year's Resolutions

Before making new resolutions for the 2011 calendar year, I had to take a look back at my 2010 resolutions to check my progress throughout the year to make sure this was worth my time! Afterall, I HATE setting goals that I ultimately never acheive. But I am proud to announce that I have met my goals!

I worked really hard on fitting into my beautiful wedding dress. I knew those pictures were going to stay with me for a lifetime, so I am awfully happy that all my hard work paid off!

I have also found myself to have had a much smoother year of being friendly :) I don't have any grudges and I haven't felt like I have been wasting my time or energy on others (minus those that I love and deserve my time and energy!)

So, with such a successful year, I am at it again. Resolution time. I only have 3 this year, and one of them is a repeat, but let's be honest- it will always be on my list :) Here goes...

1) Stay fit! I noticed that my gymtime and eating habits have taken a bit of a turn for the worse since school started this past fall. I find myself making excuses such as 'I'm too tired", "It's too cold" etc. Luckily, the scale hasn't been influenced toooooo much because of this, but I really want to get my butt back in gear. I am hoping that the new year will bring me new motivation. In the spring, I am hoping to do some more outdoorsy things. Andy and I have awesome newish bikes that we MUST start using on a regular basis again! And I am hoping to do some hiking in Virginia, as well as run a 5K or 10K in the spring and maybe meet some of my 30 before 30 goals- killing 2 birds with one stone :)

2) Redecorate/update our decor. Now that Andy and I have been living in our condo for a little over 2 years, have gotten married, and have 98349849284 new things in our home, it is time for some redecorating. I am hoping to use this year to make some home improvements... hopefully a new dishwasher will be in my future, as well as (and this is a big stretch) hardwood floors. I also plan to update our picture frames around the house with more current photos, of course including new wedding photos! I can't wait to make our home even more 'homey' for us!

3) Save money! Andy and I have dreams of owning a home a little bit closer to our friends & family (and the closer you get to Washington DC, the more money you pay). We would love to find our single family home before we begin trying to expand our little family of two. So next year will be an important step for us to save save save! We would ideally like to hold onto our two-story condo and rent it to make some money, but that would require us coming up with enough money for our down payment on a new home. So, 2011 is the year of saving!

I can only hope and pray that 2011 is the best year for us and for all of our friends & family. Here's to hoping it can live up to all the perfection that 2010 was! Happy New Year's!