Wishful Wed... Lost

This week's Wishful Wednesday showers with me guilt...again...

"I wish"... I hadn't lost
my grandmother's promise ring.

I posted about this a couple of WW back when it was about regret. Here is the story. It's terrible and makes me feel all yucky inside every time I think about it.

Other things I've lost that I wish I hadn't...:

• my mother's high school graduation ring...just don't give this girl jewelry :(
• my favorite swimsuit from Old Navy, got it last summer, lost it at the end of the summer
• my favorite sunglasses, they were pink with colorful floral print on the frame and only $5
• staying in touch with a close friend - but I'm working on it

Well that's enough for now, I'm going to go for a swim in the sea of guilt I just made for myself...wearing my lost swimsuit and sunglasses. Hah.

Hope y'all have a wonderful week, thanks for stopping by! :)

Wishful Wed... Career

I may have cringed a bit when I saw Kelsey's topic for Wishful Wednesday... I really have no idea what I want to do with my life and it leads to a lot of frustration. But if you ask this girl to wish...she's gonna wish BIG... :)

"I wish"... I had the opportunity to
change careers and it would be to
become an Adventure Photojournalist.

Traveling the world + daring adventures + telling the story + capturing it in pictures =
oh-my-gosh-total-awesomeness!!!

It would seriously make my life to do this. If you've ever seen BBC's Life or watch or read National Geographic, then you know exactly what I want to do. I don't just want the picture, I want the story behind the picture - so if that means traveling to India to do a story on "man-eating" tigers, or to South Africa to document the Great Whites, or sharing the story of extraordinary circumstances and survival... I'm down like a clown! Haha, but seriously, I would be.

But if I reign in my dreams a little.... I would love to be a Book Editor. I love to read and can do it for hours, even days, and I'm always picking apart sentence structure, wording, and punctuation so I think it would also be a perfect (and more attainable) fit for me. :) I'm hoping to go back for my Master's in the next year or so and have seriously considered getting it in English/Creative Writing so I can chase this dream...only time will tell.

What do you dream of doing?

Wishful Wed. ... SATC2!!

Kelsey has just stolen my heart with this week's Wishful Wednesday topic!! Yaaaaaayyyy!! :):):)

"I wish"... I could be the one and only
Carrie in SATC2!!

Let me preface this by saying two things: 1. I have yet to see SATC2, I'm hoping to go tonight - even if it means going alone! 2. While I may not have seen "2" yet, I have watched every single episode of SATC and have seen SATC"1" multiple times. So my decision is based on those 2 things...for now :)

Ok, I'm off my little pedestal now - hehe. I choose Carrie Bradshaw for many different reasons: she's witty, funny, a writer, a thinker. She is always up for having a good time. I took a SATC quiz and here's what it said, "Your answers peg you as a Carrie-type. Like confident Carrie, a sex columnist, you're curious and perceptive, always seeking answers and never satisfied with the superficial. Sometimes indecisive and an avoider of tough issues, like with Carrie and her on-again, off-again attachment to Mr. Big. Forward-thinking, incredibly intelligent and witty, you just exude quirky charm. You'd be utterly bored by someone who's just a pretty face or hot body -- though you don't mind looking and flirting! You're more turned on by an equally smart and funny mate, someone who challenges your mind and makes you laugh. You love to talk, so you need a good listener who's open to playful and eccentric ideas about love and lovemaking." Haha, well I can't argue with that! Oh yeah...and let's not forget all those shoes!!

But I also feel a lot like Samantha Jones sometimes - not with her crazy sexscapades! - but in her bold and sometimes selfish ways. I'm not afraid to go after what I want and neither is Samantha and I find it a very admirable trait, the hard part is looking outside myself to make sure I'm not running anyone over while doing it. She's also very self-sufficient and is the total "I can do it! And without your help, too." type, but sometimes you really do need to reach out for that lifevest, you know? I know I've been there one too many times.

So somewhere in the inbetween of these two lovely ladies is where I fit :) Of course I love them all for different reasons! But if you're gonna make me choose, this would be it :)

Which lovely lady are YOU? :)

Wishful Wed... Bedroom

Well it's Wednesday and you know what that means.... Kelsey's Wishful Wednesday! I really enjoyed this week's topic...even though it had me scouring the internet for what seemed like hours (ok...maybe it was hours....) and now all I've been able to do is dream about my future home...

"I wish"... I could come home to
_______ each and every night!!

Shabby chic mixed with a little...

Rustic - exposed beams, worn wood, and a fireplace - mixed with...

Antique details and a chandelier!

I couldn't find a picture that has all those things - so throw in a little bit from each of these photos and you'd have my dream bedroom!

But don't forget about the details! Like:

this adorable night stand...

and these candleholders...

and this living room (L.O.V.E. the floor to ceiling windows!)...

with this view!

One day Nicole....one day... :)
Can't wait to see y'alls dream rooms!

Wishful Wed... Regret

It's time for Wishful Wednesday (again?? is it already the middle of the week??) and Kelsey has another fun topic!

"I wish"... I hadn't thrown
away my grandmother's promise ring.

Now before everyone freaks out - NO, I did NOT throw it away. I lost it. But it was pretty much throwing it away...

When I was in 8th grade my grandmother, Nanny, gave me the promise ring that my grandpa, my Papa, gave her. It was the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. It was silver with a tiny, delicate rose as the center with a little diamond in the center of it. Perfection. After she put it on my finger, I never took it off....until one day... I went to go play basketball one weekend afternoon and of course I wore it. Dumb idea. At some point during our little game of bball it fell off and I didn't even realize it until I got home. In a panic I literally ran back to where we had played basketball and spent hours crawling on my hands and knees trying to find it. No luck, it was gone.

I didn't tell her I lost it. Even when she saw me and asked me where it was... I lied. I told her I just didn't feel like wearing it. Shame on me. Shame. I finally (pardon me) "manned up" and told her the truth. She didn't get mad, she didn't cry, she didn't tell me how dumb I was. She just hugged me (because I was crying) and told me it was ok. I still feel an immense amount of guilt recounting this terrible story to y'all.

To this day, every time I pass by a jewelery counter I search for a little rose ring with a diamond in the middle. I know it won't be the same, but maybe for me a little something is better than nothing at all in this case.

I really don't hold any material things that close to me, and the few that I do I would never part with (on purpose...). So I know this wasn't exactly right on topic, but it's the closest thing I've got :)

What about y'all, any regrets about things thrown away? (or lost...?)

Wishful Wed... Fluent

It's that time of the week again! Oops - that was yesterday... - well, err... I love WW entirely too much to skip a week, so here it is a day late! By the way - Happy Cinco de Mayo (yesterday...)! Hehe...looks like a trend for this month...always being behind...geeeesh!

"I wish"... I was fluent in another
language in addition to English, and it
would be Spanish and German!

I know enough of both languages to get by, but it would just be amazing if I was fluent! I took Spanish all through high school, and living in the South (especially in Texas) it definitely gives you the upper hand in many situations. It would be great not only for daily interaction with others, but extremely beneficial in the business world.

I took German while in college, and got pretty darn good at it, hehe, but have since forgotten quite a bit of it :( Sad day. My whole family is German so I think it'd be nice to fluent in the language of my heritage. It sounds really rough and mean, but the way some of the syllables roll of your tongue is mighty amusing.

While I was studying in Europe both languages came in very handy! My cousin and I traveled through Switzerland, Austria, and Germany for 2 weeks (all predominantly German speaking countires- duh, haha), then roamed around Italia for 6 weeks. Although I don't know Italian, knowing Spanish was a HUGE plus! The languages are very similar and we were able to find our way around and communicate every where we went, which made for a much more enjoyable experience! I've found that if you're at least attempting to speak their language, people are much more receptive and helpful :)

But in my dream world, and yes, we all know by now that I live in one..., I want to be fluent in whatever language of the country that I end up in. It is a dream of mine to live abroad for a few years, and lucky for me, Spencer shares that dream with me. Hopefully within the next 5-6 years, we will be able to make that move (to where? We're not sure. Wherever there's oil seeing as how that's his career - which could mean anywhere from South America, to Scotland, to the Middle East, to Australia), and where we end up, I want to be able to speak the local tongue.

But until then, I suppose I'll just brush up on my Spanish and German... :) Come join the fun at The Seattle Smith's!

Wishful Wed...Youth Job

Wednesday already??! Whew! Time's still a-flyin' by for me! But I'm so happy it's Wednesday because that means Friday is just two days away! Oh how I love weekends... :)

Anyway, as y'all know by now it's Wishful Wednesday over at The Seattle Smith's, and Kelsey has another great topic! So be sure to head on over to play along and link up! :)

"I wish"... I could go back and spend
one day working at a job from my youth,
and it would be from Alpine Municipal Pool.

Yup, this girl was a lifeguard. I was certified to save your life - don't ya feel better now? ;) But seriously, I got paid to get a tan and make sure no one drowned...and I was paid well - $15.25/hr. Ohh yeah, sweet deal. AND I only had to work from 11am-7pm (who doesn't love sleeping in?) and my friends could come and hang out with me at work!

Man, I had it made then! Wake up around 10, do a some chores, go to work, hang out and tan, get off work and walk down the block to the high school gym and play volleyball til the gym closed, then usually go run "the loop" (a 2 mile loop around the park and golf course) with my BFF Jennie, then go to DQ for some frozen goodness! Those were the best 3 years of work...

Where are my glittery ruby red slippers?? *There's no place like home, there's no place like home...*

Still dreaming til then I suppose... ;)

Wishful Wed... Charity

Yay for Hump Day! And y'all know what that means... Wishful Wednesday over at The Seattle Smiths!! Come join the party :) This weeks topic...

"I wish"... I had never-ending funds
to donate to a charity and it would be
a different one each month!!

There are just too many things that hit close to home for me, so I'd have a rotation of charities! And they would be (in no particular order)...:

1. ASPCA & American Humane Society
2. St. Jude Children's Hospital
3. Cancer Research Institute
4. American Red Cross
5. UNICEF
6. Global Hunger Project
7. Doctors Without Borders
8. Engineers Without Borders
9. Teachers Without Borders
10. Mothers Without Borders
11. World Wildlife Fund
12. Any mission that my church is involved in

Ahh....wouldn't that be nice if it were true! A girl can dream!

What charities would you donate to?? :)

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

Wishful Wed ... Diet

It's time for Wishful Wednesday over the The Seattle Smith's! If you wanna play along or see what everyone else has to say, head on over and see Kelsey!

"I wish"... I had the willpower to
stay on one particualr diet,
and it would be marathon training!

Yup, marathon training. I know it's not really a "diet" per say, but it is definitely a lifestyle. Spencer and I are hopefully going to begin training for a marathon in the middle of May (I have to get the A-OK from my doctors first, and couldn't get an appointment til the end of the month). We want to run a half marathon sometime between August and October and then participate in the Rock'n'Roll Marathon in Las Vegas in December! It would be so much fun! My birthday also happens to be in December, so making the trip for the marathon would double as a birthday trip.

But back to the topic of diets... I hate that word - diet. It only makes me think of things I can't have. I especially hate "low-carb diets", they are so terribly unhealthy for you. Carbs are what fuel your body, you need them! It's all about portion control and choosing complex carbs (which digest slowly and keep you fuller longer) over simple carbs (which break down into sugar faster and then are immediately stored as fat because your body doesn't need them right then and there). If you regularly exercise, but are not on any kind of a demanding physical schedule (i.e. marathon or triathlon training), your plate should be divided up something like this: 40-50% vegetables/fruit, 25% lean protien, and 25% carbs.

I really love the book "The Abs Diet for Women" and reference it often. It's the best "diet" book I've come across and it's so easy to incorporate into your life. That's about as crazy as I've ever gotten with dieting. The more realistic a plan is, the easier it is to fit in to my actual life, the more likely I am to stick with it.

What about you? Any diet you've just loved?. ....or hated?

Wishful Wednesday ... Lottery

I wish ... I could win the lottery
REAL soon, and I would hope to
budget it so it would last.

First things first, I would settle my debts (school loans, car payment, and my credit card); then, I would budget the rest. I would put half into a savings account, invest a fourth of it, and budget the remaining fourth into monthly allocations. I want it to last, not use it up on frivolous things. I would most definitely continue to work. Winning a large sum of money doesn't mean that I get a free pass to be lazy. Assuming a get a teaching job soon, why would I want to quit doing something I enjoy? It makes me happy and gives me a sense of fulfilment. Going around spending money isn't going to do that.

I also want to be able to help people if they were to ever need it and contribute something to society...maybe fund a scholarship or mission, build a park or library, who knows! The possibilities are endless. I would love the opportunity to bless other people the way I had been.

I would also be sure to do something really nice for all the people who have helped me out. Mainly my parents and grandparents, but I also have some really amazing friends who have helped this girl out of a jam or two. It would be super if I could show them the same courtesy and love they showed me.

And I would be a liar if I didn't also say that I would most definitely take a little vacation. No where fancy. I just want a beach, the ocean, a hammock, and my love. But if I budget the right way, then who's to say that little vacays wouldn't become a more permanent thing? Haha.

A girl can dream...

On another note, Happy St. Patty's all!

Wishful Wednesday...Gown

Kelsey has another super fab topic today over at The Seattle Smith's...

"I wish"...I could wear this Demetrios dress on my wedding day!

I am in L.O.V.E. with this dress. I love everything from the fit, to the style, to the color!! The entire Demetrios line is to die for... I've been drooling over them all day, wasting hours of my life I'll never get back (thanks a lot, Kelsey ;) ), haha. I love how feminine, elegant, and romantic the dress is. I really like the halter strap because, let's face it, I am somewhat lacking in the chest area, so I'm definitely going to need something else to hold up my dress while I dance and schmooze the night away. Nothing gets more annoying (or makes me more self conscious) faster than clothing that won't stay where it's put. I don't want to have to fidgit with it all night! To me, it's the perfect combination of timeless and modern - somewhere in the inbetween it just flows, kinda like me. Maybe that's another reason I love it so much, everything I'd ever want to say/portray of myself is said through this dress. I also want an outdoor wedding, so the fabic and flowiness of the dress would be perfect for one; plus, it looks like something I could actually move around in! If I'm going to spend some big bucks on a dress, I want to be able to wear it all night!

Ahh... love, sweet love.

Wishful Wed...Olympics

"I wish" ... I could have gone to the 2010 Winter Olympics to see one event, and it would have been
Men's Ice Hockey Championship Game.

Even though we lost, it would have been one heckuva game to be at! I've never been to a hockey game, so why not start with the best one in the world? I love being part of a good sports crowd and I'm sure the one there that afternoon was nuts! Tensions were soaring, hits were hard, everyone was playing to win. It would have been awesome!

I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say! You can join in the fun or just browse some other lovely people's answers over at Kelsey's fabulous blog.

Happy Hump Day all!! :):):)

Wishful Wednesday...Spotlight

I wish... I could have stolen Pink's

spotlight last night at the Grammy's!

I wish I could've been Pink during her Grammy performance! What a thrill it would be to whirl through the air and soar above the crowd! Of course, I don't know how she was able to sing AND spin in tight little circles... I guarantee you that I would have lost my lunch! Alas, she is the talent, and therefore has the sweet skills to perform such a feat, and I am but a mere admirer. Props to her!!

My first Wishful Wednesday!

'I wish' .... I could spend three
minutes in Taylor Swift's shoes!

I absolutely love her! I adore her long, blonde curls, her height (5'11"! Oh the envy...), and it's not just her beauty, she is so down to earth and mature for such a young star. Also, who doesn't love a girl who loves to rock dresses with cowboy boots! She's fun, quirky, sweet, and she writes the most beautiful songs (or at least I think so... :) ). And even aside from her talent and physical qualities, she is a good person on the inside, which is not always the case once someone enters stardom. I also love her style. It's feminine, sharp, yet still has the feeling of comfort. She isn't trying to pretend to be someone she's not; she's comfortable in her own shoes. She's also one of the more gracious artists out there. What's not to love about her?? Haha.

I recently read an article about her in InStyle magazine and love and respect her so much more. She is very focused and is a planner (like me, I have to be a step ahead all of the time) and she recently just bought her own place as a celebration of "adulthood" and is decorating it all herself. She says she's secretly obsessed with interior decorating (another commonality with myself, hehe) and is going to decorate it in a very whimsical, fairytale sort of way. I love the idea! She says her life is so real, so why shouldn't she be able to come home to something that's not. I'm definitely stealing that idea! Long story short: She is amazing :)

Close runners up were Amanda Bynes and Zooey Deschanel. Both fun, quirky, women who love to be themselves and make me smile :)