Scott Won't Let Me Decorate for FALL, So...

I've re-decorated for SUMMER! Inspiration? CATALOGS!!! The new Willow House (formerly Southern Living at HOME), Ballard Designs and Pottery Barn catalogs are simply incredible and leave me wishing for one thing: unlimited funds to decorate my home. Hey, I'll even settle for a couple hundred...ha! Since I didn't have a couple hundred, I pulled out every home decor item I could find in the house and went to town. I basically find something I like in one of the catalogs and try to recreate it with things I already have. Some of the little areas turned out GREAT. Some, not so much...the mantle is NOT working for me...it's a work-in-progress.

Decorations UNDER the table? YES! I'm working on collecting more neutral hard cover books. They're all over the catalogs and we just don't have that many. Heading to Half Price Books later to see what I can find! Scott will be happy to have his books back. P.S. I can't believe that at one point I wanted to get rid of this table. That goodness Scott didn't let me. I'm in LOVE with it...best $99 purchase ever. Thank you Weirs!!!

Oops...more of Scott's books. He hasn't noticed, yet. My mother-in-law gave us this cigar box and I loved how it looked on my copper table. The small glass vase has wine corks in it (these look great as neutral, textural fillers). Also, you'll notice that the catalogs use plates everywhere (as trays) not just in the kitchen areas...kind of FUN.

Another genius Weirs find! This hutch matches the furniture perfectly and, again, only $99! Scott found it...he's good. Okay, so you caught me. This is kind of fall-ish, right? I couldn't help it! Actually, it's the first thing Scott noticed when he got home. You see, fall is Scott's most FAVORITE season and won't let me rush into it when it's still 100 degrees outside. I asked if I could decorate on August 1st and he said I had to wait until September 1st. I certainly don't want to put a damper on his fall happiness...ha! I tried to bargain with him but no such luck...can't wait until September 1st!!! Pumpkins here we come...

LITERALLY...Too Hot to Handle

Sunday, July 18th was the first (and last) time I have raced in UNBEARABLE heat. The first 6 miles felt GREAT but as it got even hotter, I started sweating less and began to feel chilled...NOT a good sign. Actually one of the first signs of HEAT STROKE...awesome. I slowed it down and crossed the finish line 2 minutes SLOWER than this race last year. Unimpressed? Me too. Just happy to have survived!!!

The girls...ready to take on the Too Hot to Handle 15K. For those of you that don't know, that's 9.3 miles. It should have been a fairly easy run...HA! Do you see the EVIL sun rising behind us?

This is what you get to eat after you run...well, not really but I went against my better judgment and rewarded myself with food. ALWAYS a bad idea (for me, at least). I would like to point out that I only ate one biscuit (for whatever reason, that makes me feel better...whatever).

With my fifth coffee in hand, our dehydrated group heads home. Don't let the smiles deceive you.

And our true feelings about the race (mostly mine and Julie's since Alex rocked it out) are revealed...

Who Unleashed the CRAFT MONSTER???

WOW! What a BUSY week and fun weekend. Every single summer, it never fails: my home becomes craft city (poor Scott!!!). You never know when it's going to hit, but it's bound to happen sooner or later. This year, it happened after Courtney Alban introduced me to The TomKat Studio. What I once considered decor for a baby shower, was all about to change...

The brunch table...candied bacon, sausage egg casserole, monkey bread, mini muffins, fruit with dip, chocolate-dipped strawberries and chicken minis. Mmmm

A close-up of the candied bacon (mom gets all the credit)!

The drink bar...coffee with fix-ins, citrus infused water, mimosas and punch (made from ginger-ale and white grape juice).

The dessert table (party favors)...cupcakes, chocolate-covered pretzels, rock candy, marshmallow pops, jelly belly jellybeans, dove chocolates, hershey's kisses, tootsie rolls, york peppermints, almond joys, gummy rings and sour strips...did I miss anything? The sour candy and marshmallows went first. Grab a bag and fill 'er up!

These crazy yummy cupcakes came from the Market Street Bakery (guests couldn't believe it). At only $6.99/dozen, they can't be beat. I would order them again in a heartbeat. I prefer the buttercream frosting; however, whipped frosting is also available. Do you see my personalized circle cupcake toppers? I created them on www.scrapblog.com, cut them out with giant punchers from Hobby Lobby, and hot glued lollipop sticks on. Super simple and super adorable!

The chocolate-covered pretzels were so cute and a big hit! I loved making them and was thrilled at how they turned out. They looked perfect on the table.

The marshmallow pops turned out GREAT! For the base, I used floral foam, scrapbook paper, ribbon, moss and my personalized circle stickers. I made them the day before and after they dried, I wrapped saran wrap around them...they were delish the next day.

A view of the entire table...I was nervous earlier in the week, but it all turned out FABULOUS! Check out the poms on the chandelier...my favorite. Made out of tissue paper and floral wire...simple and inexpensive but lovely.

The mommies-to-be of honor, sisters Nicole Hyatt and Hayley Rachavong. Can't wait to meet sweet baby Jett (due early August) and baby Sawyer (due mid-September)!

It was a great party and fun was had by all. I was so happy that I was able to put nearly all of my Southern Living at HOME collection to use! The new fall catalogs arrive soon and I can't wait to get my hands on them!!!

A BIG thank you to all of the hostesses: Stephanie, Emily, Cindy, Janice and my FAVORITE side-kick, momma.

Thanks for checking-in!

~Caroline

So...What's New?

It's been almost a year since my last post, so life should be different, right? Well I hate to disappoint you but things are relatively the same in our little family of 2 (sorry Sadie, 3). Not surprisingly, I still have PLENTY to say...ha!

It's hard to believe that I just wrapped up my 6th year of teaching! I love my job and I'm very grateful that I can say that. Even on the toughest of days, I never question whether or not I chose the right profession. Though I'm thoroughly enjoying my summer vacation, I look forward to getting back in the fall. I love those little guys!

Scott is the Senior Director of Partner Services for the Frisco RoughRiders and is nearly half-way through his 7th season with the team. He is excellent at his job. How do I know? His clients absolutely love him and brag on him whenever they get the chance. It's a very busy time right now and I miss him a ton but I am so very proud of him.

I can't believe I didn't blog about this but Scott and I successfully completed our first marathon on December 13, 2009. We pretty much went from couch potatoes to marathon runners in 11 months...it was crazy (and challenging) but we're so glad we did it. The day after the race, I should have felt amazing but in all honesty, I panicked. I didn't have a class to go to or a race to work toward and I was terrified that after all of that hard work, I was going to quit. I quickly requested to mentor RunOn's spring half marathon class and registered to run the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in March to keep myself on track. At the end of the month, we'll begin marathon training again with the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon as our goal race in November!

We've been extremely fortunate on the vacation front the past few years and since I last blogged, we've been to the British Virgin Islands, Colorado, Mexico, Canada and we just got back from Vegas. We'll be heading to Colorado at the beginning of August and Florida in November and are hoping to plan a trip to Italy within the next year. We LOVE traveling and feel blessed that we are able to do it together.

This November, we will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary and you may have noticed that we still don't have kiddos of our own. Please know that we LOVE kids and definitely want them. The time frame keeps changing...so stay tuned!

After nearly 3 years on this weight-loss journey, I'm very close to my Weight Watchers goal. It has been a year of ups and downs but in the end, I'm thrilled to say that I'm down 75.8 pounds!!! There's no trick to it (I wish!)...just hard work, accountability and determination. I've been up as much as 11.8 pounds and had a 6 month plateau, but I didn't give up. The motivators that worked for me 3 years ago, don't necessarily work for me today. I'm constantly having to revamp my food choices and workouts to continue to be successful and to see a loss on the scale. It's really hard...ALL OF THE TIME. I still struggle daily to make the best decisions; especially when it comes to food. When I mess up, I forgive myself, move on and make a better choice the next meal. I've tried losing weight over and over again but this time is different...I AM going to see this to the end. I was recently watching Jillian Michael's new show Losing It and I LOVE what she said to one of the families, "Don't try. Trying is planning to fail."

Well, that's it for today. I hope to continue blogging because I really enjoy it. Thanks for checking in!

Roller Coaster of CRAZY

I have a confession: I skipped Weight Watchers Saturday and didn't have a legitimate excuse. I didn't go because I had gained nearly the 3.6lbs that I had lost the week before. WHY? Because of my injury, I missed over a week (30 miles) of running but still ate as if I were running. Not the best plan ever, I know. I'm living the consequences. I have to buck up though because of my rule: NEVER miss two Weight Watchers meetings in a row. NEVER.

Let me go into detail about my INSANE emotions this week. So, the leg has been hurt, right? Well, this leads to sheer PANIC because of who I am: I am a quitter. Always have been. Working on changing that. Ever since I started Weight Watchers (this time) there's something deep inside that tells me I'm going to quit. I've quit all of the other 10+ times I've joined. Why would this be any different? I have to fight it all of the time. All of the time. With exercise, it's always been the same...I've quit. Therefore when I started running classes with RunOn, I assumed I would quit. It's what I've always done. It's what I do. Again, wanting to fight this feeling, I continue to sign up for more challenging classes and run. Like I've said before, I REQUIRE accountability. Weight Watchers meetings and RunOn classes keep me accountable. They are wonderful and suck at the same time. I HIGHLY recommend both!!! So...this injury freaks me out because I think to myself, "Here's your out, Caroline. Your excuse. You can quit now". AHHHHH! Go away!!! Seriously. The panic comes from NOT wanting to quit but feeling like I'm so far behind each run that I miss. Conclusion: FOOD. CRYING. FOOD. I didn't say this was the RIGHT conclusion, but it's what happened.

GOOD NEWS!!! On Sunday, I made it 9 out of 13 miles (though I shouldn't have run because of the CRAZY pain). At mile 9, my leg said, "That's good enough," and I was done. Still felt great after barely running that week. I'm feeling MUCH better now and feel like I am ready to get back to the training schedule. Please pray for me!

MORE GOOD NEWS!!! The weight that I had gained last week is back off. Looks like I will lose about a pound this week, and I'll take it!

One more food story before I go. So, I have been working on my classroom all week. On Monday, I worked really hard for 3-4 hours and then came to a stopping point. I stood in my room, with NO idea what to do next but knowing that the "TO DO" list was overwhelming. I started worrying about everything that needed to be done. All of a sudden, I wanted one thing and one thing only: a Sonic bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast burrito, large tater tots, and a large Dr Pepper. I guess that's three things, oh well, you get where I'm going. Here's what I'd like to explain: me WANTING this was nearly uncontrollable. I found something to take my mind off of it for a bit but the second I stalled, the craving was back. Apparently, my cure for stress this day was grease and sugar. I could nearly taste the food in my mouth (because I ate this every morning for six months in 2007)!!! So, I started to get upset at myself for how CRAZY strong this craving was. As I was walking to the car, I was saying OUTLOUD, "It's not worth it, Caroline. It's not worth it." Didn't matter. I was still going to get it. Which brings me to another pitfall: EATING IN THE CAR. Don't do this. There's no accountability. It's dangerous. I could write an entire entry about CAR FAT. That was me. Back to my story...yeah, I was totally going to Sonic. I was upset about it, but still definitely going. I started breathing heavy because of how much I wanted it but knew it was wrong and in desperation (yes, desperation) I grabbed my phone and called Scott. I knew he wouldn't understand (the boy could have chicken and broccoli every night and not feel like he was depriving himself of anything) but as long as I could keep him on the phone until I drove past both Sonics on the way home, I would be good to go. It worked! It totally worked!!! Scott may think I am a little insane but at the end of the night, I saved hundreds and hundreds of calories. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

So, I share these things because it helps me to face my problems. Also, I hope that people that read the CRAZINESS will feel like they're not the only person that really, really struggles with food and weight loss DAILY. I know I'm being vulnerable and I am okay with it.

Until next time...happy EATING and EXERCISING!

Cheers and Tears

DISCLAIMER: What you are about to read is EXTREMELY random (to this day I feel like I should have been diagnosed with ADHD). Also, I'm very forward, blunt, open, and sometimes gross. Sorry, that's how I roll. Enjoy!

CHEERS! There are MANY wonderful things going on in our lives right now! We are very fortunate to have been married for just under 5 years, lived in our house for nearly 3 years, to both have great jobs, and most of all to have loving and supportive friends and families. We've got it pretty good and are very grateful.

CHEERS! We had a TON of fun with friends this past weekend. Between wine tasting, frisbee golf, and the Sunbelt Company Picnic, great times were had by all!

CHEERS! Scott has just ONE MORE MONTH of RoughRiders baseball! I can't wait for the day when I ask, "How was work?" and he responds something other than, "busy and stressful." It's not too far away!!! So proud that he is near the end of 6 seasons with the RoughRiders.

CHEERS! Weight Watchers Update: So this past Friday morning (not my usual weekly meeting) I went to weigh in. My past SEVERAL weeks have been very tiny losses (to be expected now that I'm much closer to my goal). Well, this week was AMAZING. I lost 3.6 pounds...WHAT??? Crazy, I know. The funny thing is, my week wasn't really all that different. My food and exercise was nearly the same. There's no magical determinant as to why my body chose to drop weight like that. I'm NOT complaining though!!! I haven't had a weight-loss week like that since February! AMEN!!! So...the magic number is currently -64.2. Not too shabby.

TEARS. Let me start off by saying that I am all of a sudden crying ALL OF THE TIME. It's ridiculous actually, ask my mom or husband and they will confirm. It's not just during my "special" weeks and I'm not pregnant. Just crazy emotional and self reflective. Watch out...I might cry to you.

TEARS. Oh Facebook, how I love you. How I spend TOO MUCH TIME on you. WAY TOO MUCH TIME. So, if you check out my photos, you'll notice that there's not a lot from 2004-2007. Some, just few and far between. There's a reason for this. Fluffier Caroline had the choice (thank you digital cameras) to delete pics that were less flattering (to be honest, that was most of the pictures taken during this time period). So, I'm safe, right? Well apparently, it's cool now to post WAY old pics on FB. WTH, guys? Am I really upset at people for doing this? No. It has been really good for me. I had erased all memory of what I looked like during these years (and before) so it was saddening and interesting all at the same time. I knew that I had weight to lose, I guess I was just in denial...A LOT of denial. I look at fluffier Caroline and think, "That poor girl. That poor clueless girl." I was SO unhealthy and barely knew it.

TEARS. I am not perfect (mom is laughing). If I listed what I ate yesterday, you would shudder. I have forgiven myself and moved on. Today has to be better, right? I'm starting the day off right: coffee, yogurt and oatmeal. Must take the Reeses peanut butter cups and throw them out. But they're in the freezer...with the left over Girl Scout cookies! Ahhh!!! And you wonder why Scott and I only keep chicken, rice, and steamer bags around the house. I am a food monster. You'd think after losing this weight, I would be CURED. Nope, hate to disappoint you. I am an addict...addicted to food. I struggle with my food choices EVERY SINGLE DAY. I'm not going to quit though and I want to be held accountable. If anyone sees the pounds creeping back on, you might say to me, "Wow, Caroline. Been eating a lot of Chili's boneless buffalo wings?" LOVE me some boneless buffalo wings.

TEARS. Owie owie owie. If you've read my FB posts, you'll know that I have my first running injury. While I'm trying VERY hard not to let it get me down...there have been a lot of tears over this stupid knee. I'm taking the week off (sort-of) hoping it will heal on its own. Pray that it will heal on its own. I'm TERRIFIED that a doctor will tell me to take 6 weeks off. I am marathon training here, people. That is NOT an option.

Until next time...

-Less Fluffy Caroline

WE DID IT...First 15K!!!

WOW...what a whirlwind of emotions this first 15K was! For starters, I had everything perfectly laid out the night before. We were getting into bed extra early so that we'd get PLENTY of sleep for our 5:00am wake-up call. It was 9:30 and Scott was out. I was so jealous and CRAZY anxious about the race. As I laid in bed, my body was tired, my head felt tired but my mind was WIDE AWAKE. I was getting frustrated and the last time I looked at the clock, it was 12:30. I'm assuming I fell asleep a short time later. Thank you, Lord. It was a rough night.

As the alarm went off, I woke up, panicking that I had overslept but I hadn't. We got ready, grabbed breakfast and the cooler, and were off! We were running a little late which added to the nervousness I was already feeling.

It was about a 30 minute drive to Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake. There were 2500+ participants in this race and the parking was INSANE. We ended up parking in a neighborhood a little over a mile from the event. Every step I took, I was feeling more and more anxious. We were trying to hurry as we were meeting our friends, Chris and Jenny, in front of the Run On tent (Run On is who our running classes are with). We arrived at the tent and didn't see our friends. Due to the nerves, it was time for a bathroom break. The lines were CRAZY long and I had about 25 minutes. I told Scott to wait right where he was and that I would meet him there after going to the bathroom.

Standing in line for the bathroom, I am swaying back and forth (an uncontrollable habit I have) and watching my watch as the time ticked by. The announcer was calling everyone to line up at the starting line and I was only half-way through. There was NO CHANCE that I could run 9.3 miles without going to the bathroom first. So, I stuck it out, and with only 5 minutes until the start of the race, it was my turn. Would you believe that with the combination of nerves, panic, and being totally disgusted with the port-o-potties, I COULDN'T GO?!? Terrible.

I raced back to the tent to look for Scott and Jenny. Didn't see them...anywhere. WOW...the race was starting any second now. I was thinking that since I took so long, they came looking for me and we were just totally missing each other. So, I started the walk down to the starting line. Did I mention there were 2500+ runners? I was looking everywhere for a familiar face, preferably Scott and Jenny. Tears were welling up in my eyes and I was gearing myself up for running this race alone. I'm thinking, "You can do this, Caroline. It's only 9.3 miles and you've done 12 before. You've got this." My pep talks weren't going that well and the gun went off and the runners started the race. Suddenly, Scott comes running down the hill toward the starting line and I'm waving my arms like a crazy person. We looked at each other, both frustrated and confused.

We crossed the starting line and the race had begun. Scott said that he had been in the right place all along and swears that I never came by. Honestly, I have NO IDEA what happened but we missed each other completely. It didn't matter anymore because we were running together and that was a HUGE relief.

We started the first mile off fast...passing tons of people. Soon, we caught up to Jenny and other friends. Everything was working out.

With running, you know a few miles into your run if it's going to be good or not. Unfortunately, I wasn't really feeling it. Maybe it was the stressful events leading up to the race or maybe I didn't sleep or fuel properly, but regardless, I wasn't feeling great. It's tough when you look around you and everyone else in your group looks AWESOME, like they're having a great run. It certainly wasn't my day but I was running the whole thing, no questions asked.

This not-so-great run didn't get much better throughout the race. But guess what? I finished it! And I came in 13 minutes under my goal time...I'll take it. Praise the Lord for the amazing, cool weather. It made all of the difference in the world.

What do you want after a race? FOOD and WATER. What were they handing out? BEER. So, why not? It sure was good but not what my body needed. I chugged water after the beer. Probably should have been the other way around.

As we were walking to a shaded area to stretch, snack, and relax, I could feel pain in my toe and was pretty sure that I had lost a toenail. Lucky me, still attached...barely.

We sat and chatted with friends and then began the mile walk (which seemed like eternity) back to our cars.

We slept most of the day...just because we could.