Wishing you a happy 2011!

I don't know about y'all, but I'm almost always in the crowd of folks who makes a resolution and never keeps it. I do a good job for the first month or so, but then it's over. Slowly. But surely. I forget about it until around December 31 ... when I'm reminded, again, that I need to change my ways. :)

So, this year I'm doing something different. Instead of making empty promises to myself about losing weight, drinking more water, eating less chocolate or whatever else I think I need to change, I'm just going to focus on being the best me I can possibly be.

That might mean losing weight, drinking more water and eating less chocolate, but that's not my focus. I want to focus on being happy and healthy. I want to focus on doing things that are on my bucket list (I'm in the process of writing this, so check back ... you might be surprised what's on it). I WILL focus on spending more time doing the things I love with the people I love. I WILL look back at 2011 with a smile.

I encourage all of you to think about what makes you happy - focus on those things this year. Worry less. Love more. Don't fight. Laugh a lot. Give all you can.

Wishing you a fabulous 2011!

Love,
Rian

2 days worth of KY basketball?

That's right! We're going to watch the Lady Cats play tonight! Wearing royal blue two days in a row feels pretty good! Pictures to come later ...

Love,
Rian

Tiger Fans Hangin' Out at Rupp

Thanks to my amazing sister and brother-in-law, Jared and I got to go to the UK basketball game tonight. We had awesome seats and a great time cheering on the Blue and White (it wasn't that big of change since we're used to cheering for the Blue and Orange). Cats won 91-61. Here are some pictures of the game:


Basketball. True. Basketball.



Just a little mascot fun.

The dance team!

Cheerleaders in action while the team warms up ...

UK Cheerleaders are awesome!

A PGA Golfer and Former Cat was in the house!

He looks pretty good in royal blue!

I ran into Scratch as we were leaving!

We may be Tiger fans, but we love the SEC too! Thanks sis for the tickets! There are very few things that compare to the atmosphere and the history in Rupp Arena! Ahhhhh C-A-T-S! CATS! CATS! CATS!

Spanx ... NO THANKS!

Yes, you read that right ... I said Spanx. I've been curious about them for a while, and I finally gave in and bought a pair the other day. I figured it wouldn't disguise the 10 (or 15) pounds I'd like to lose, but I hoped it would smooth me out and make my clothes look a little better on me.

So, I got them in the mail the other night and wore them to work the very next day. I was so excited! After I got ready for work, I did my runway walk for Jared complete with turns so he could see me at all angles. He smiled, told me I was crazy and we both went on about our merry way.

By lunch time, I was ready to cut them off me. I went home, and seriously, I thought I was going to have to use scissors to get them off. I called my sister and she, of course, chuckled and asked me why in the world I ordered them in the first place. That night, I told Jared what had happened. Come to find out, he thought I looked better in my clothes without those devil tights anyway. Apparently, they were so tight they shoved all the skin on my back up and over the top of them. I wish he had told me that during my runway walk BEFORE I left for work.

So, in case you were planning on investing (they aren't cheap) in a pair, I'd think twice about it. Feel free to laugh at my embarrassment. Trust me, I did.

Do you shop online?

I don't know how much shopping you do online, but if you do any at all ... You must check out ebates.com. I did almost all my Christmas shopping through this site last year. And, now I shop for all gifts here! Every store you can imagine is on their list. You get tons of discounts and cash back! I originally heard about this site through The Today Show, and now it seems like it has really gotten huge! I love it, and I wanted to share the site with all of you. Enjoy! Shop! And, of course, Merry Christmas!

Here's the link:  http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=RR2DGkNHc%2Bu9Xdw2LC9%2F6Q%3D%3D

Dolce's home!

I'm one happy mama! It's hard to believe that I've been away from my little man for 3 months. He may have fur and walk on 4 legs, but he's my kid! And, trust me, I love him as such!

Dolce is the reason Jared and I are married ... Here's how that went down ... Jared's grandparents used to raise boxer pups, and Dolce is one of the last puppies from Bowser and Annie's last litter. When I decided to get Dolce, Jared and I hadn't even started dating yet. In fact, it was the weekend that I went to Alabama to pick him up that we started "noticing" each other.I'll blog more about how we ended up dating, got engaged and got married later. We had a whirlwind romance! It was perfect in every way!

Back to Dolce ... Jared's oldest brother, John, is married to my best friend from middle/high school, Eeron. We met in the 6th grade when I moved to Alabama and have been friends ever since (if you're doing the math, that's about 20 years). John and Eeron got married in 2002. I was in college. Jared had just graduated high school. Fast forward 6 years, and it's December 31, 2007. I traveled down to Alabama to spend New Years with Eeron and pick up my sweet puppy ...

Dolce had a rough beginning. The whole littler did, actually. They all got worms AND the mange. It was rough. The day I went to pick up him, I remember thinking, "what in the world am I doing"? We put him in a cardboard box and took him straight to the vet and the groomers. In no time he was cleaned up and healthy ... and all boy!

Here are some pictures of him as he's grown up:
 

Dolce's first night with his mama!

Feeling a little tired after his first shots :(

He's all puppy!

And now he's learned how to get my attention!

He sure loved that crazy monkey!

Starting to be a big boy!

Sunbathing with his daddy!

Taking a break and hiding under our deck. I guess he'd had enough sun!

Happy boy on his way home after Thanksgiving! Look at that sweet smile!

Needless to say, Dolce may have gotten his start in a cardboard box, but now he's pretty spoiled. He gets anything and everything he wants. When I used to take him to my in-laws, he had a diaper bag with all of his "stuff." Yes, I got made fun of a lot for that, but my sweet lil man was taken care of ... well!

So, you see, Dolce isn't just my dog. He's part of our family. Literally. And, we are beyond thrilled to have him home with us again!