That Time of Year

Dun dun dun, it's that time of year again. I sent M off to France and now the countdown till my departure is on. 

Believe it or not I have already started packing and am working on a "master packing list" to share with you. With packing means I have already gotten a few lectures from M saying, "they have that in France you don't need to pack it" but there are just some things that remind me of home and "regular life" that I want to bring with. I'm also on the fence with how many photos to bring among other items that will give our apartment a "homey" feeling which I think is important when you live this lifestyle. 

Getting ready to move to France is making me think of the amazing places and great times M and I had last year when I visited, here are a few photos to refresh your memory...

Have a great weekend!

Love&Luck

I Suck at Girls: A Novel Review and so much more!

I already have a feeling this is going to be a "longer than expected" post so take a seat and grab a snack folks.

Okay, for the last few weeks I have been in a reading slump. I raced through 50 Shades of Grey (which I reviewed here) and since then I haven't found anything I wanted to pick up or even felt like taking a look at. Let's go ahead and call this phase "readers block" since I'm pretty sure it happens to me every so often. Anyway, I'm at Target last week looking through their new fiction selection to see if anything catches my eye and I come across Justin Halpern's newest little diddy. If you forgot, I LOVED his Shit My Dad Says (read more about it here) so I literally thought, "He's hilarious, this just might get me out of my readers block" so I purchased it.

Obviously, I LOVED it. Again, Halpern somehow got me literally laughing out loud (to myself mind you) by page 40 and continued to make me laugh all the way up until the last line. What a clown this guy is; no wonder he's hilarious, with a dad like that you really can't run out of material.

What I didn't expect was Halpern to evoke some sentimental and love-y dove-y emotions out of me. Turns out this little beauty isn't about just sucking at attracting the opposite sex but how to get past sucking at relationships and the opposite sex.

By the time shit started getting sentimental, it had me thinking about a topic that I haven't written about that I should have done awhile ago. The topic: moving in with your significant other.

Do you know how most people are full of shit and never tell the truth about situations because they want you to think their lives are perfect? Yeah this is exactly how I feel about moving in with the one you love. IT'S HARD. Why didn't anybody tell me that before M and I moved in together 2 years ago?! I'll tell you why, because nobody wanted to admit that adjusting to someone else's schedule and way of life is hard. Well here it is, that shit is hard. It's even more difficult when one person is completely Type A and neurotic about cleaning and organization and the other just isn't. Figuring out a happy medium to live in a balance with each other is hard, and it's an art if you can figure out how to do it correctly. Although moving in together was challenging, it thankfully didn't take more than a month or so for M and I to figure out how to "marry" our lives under one roof with little to no hiccups.

With that being said, living together should be considered an art because in my opinion it can make or break your bond, relationship, and love if you can't figure out how to mesh well. Apparently, Halpern thinks the same thing; here's the proof from his newest book I Suck at Girls


"When you move in with someone, you can't hide all the weird and annoying things you do, and while sometimes that unveiling ruins the relationship, often it seals the deal. It's like being a meat eater and having your vegetarian friend e-mail you one of those videos that shows you what goes on behind the scenes at a slaughterhouse; if you can make it past that, you'll probably be a meat eater for life."


I think what he said is so true; although difficult and challenging, moving in with your S.O. usually roots your bond much deeper than it was before.

What was really frustrating when M and I were moving in together is that everybody said how great living together is yada yada yada. They never said, "Well you have to adjust to each other's quirks first and then it's amazing". So now I'm saying it for those who haven't lived with or are about to embark on this journey, it's hard. Is it worth it? Of course. I'll tell you this, I wouldn't enter into a marriage without living with someone first because if you can work through those kinks, the beginning of your marriage will be a lot less stressful.

Anyone else have similar experiences? Please share, I love hearing that I'm not the only one ! It also makes me feel a little less crazy.

Recommendation: Must read! Be prepared to laugh your way through each and every page.

Love&Luck

2012-2013 Hockey Season

Folks, it's official. The contract is signed, sealed, and faxed and you bet your sweet ass my name is all over M's contract for next year.

He has decided to go back to Gap, France and I am more than a bit excited. Don't get me wrong, I will always support his decisions on when, where, and why to play hockey but I REALLY wanted to come to France and experience this life on my own! I can't wait to improve my French, take trips to the market every day and just absorb it all. Ahhh Gap.

M on the other hand is still in his "just got home to America where everybody speaks English phase" so he isn't in the ready-to-get-back mode yet. However, I have a feeling things will change come mid-July and he'll get the itch to get back on the ice.

M also got me a pair of skates for my birthday! Our goal is to officially end this madness and get me to skate fairly well next year while in Gap. Really if I'm going to date a hockey player and have his children who will probably play hockey, I should know how to skate.

We'll also be taking a trip to Chicago in July for new visas for the both of us, yes, I am actually going MOVING to France. Waahoooo! So excited. Actually I'm so excited that I could leave next week.

It's already been decided though that I will cross the big pond in late September, early October after he his home from training camp so I am slightly hesitant about flying with Rue alone. But it'll be good right? More to follow on traveling with pets.

I'm also very excited to blog about traveling with Rue and provide tips, tricks, and do-not's based on our experiences. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything will go smoothly but deep down I'm expecting the worst (isn't that what every hockey S.O does in any situation?)

Okay, just wanted to fill you in on our 2012-2013 season plans. Good luck to you and yours if you're still in the negotiating phase!

Love&Luck

Weekly Round Up: Rue Edition

Happpppy Fridaayyyy!

Hello, hello, it's the best day of the week! I hope you all had a great week.

As of now, I am officially slacking in the workout routine department. My excuse is M being home. A terrible excuse I know. I'm going to start setting weekly goals which seem a little more manageable and will hopefully help keep me on track.

My job is going better than ever, I officially make more and work less at a bar/restaurant than I did at my 7:30-5 salaried job. Unbelievable, I know. Especially considering I work in a "small town" bar. It is making me feel content with the decision to quit my job and do something less stressful and more enjoyable though.

Baby Rouche is officially called Rue now. Rouche just wasn't sticking with me and it wasn't sticking with her either so she now responds and recognizes Rue. She is getting so big! Of course she is still ~10lbs but to me she has grown so much. Here are a few pictures to update you...

Poodle legs

One with nature

Clean pooch

Really upset about her bath

Then there is this kid who I kind of like who decided to come back to Minnesota for a bit...

So happy to have M home

:)

For my birthday I picked up some new lipstick by MAC called Girl About Town and I absolutely love it! I've been looking for a lipstick that makes a statement but is still flattering and I've absolutely fallen in love with it. I'll post pictures of me wearing it soon.

I don't have much else to share with you. Have a wonderful weekend!

Love&Luck

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

It is the greatest hump day ever for me. M is flying home and I am picking him up from the airport tonight! WOOOOOHOOOOOOO! So excited.

This Friday it is also my birthday so if I am M.I.A. for the next few days, now you know why.

However, I will leave you with this which I absolutely love because it applies to my relationship with M as well as many other aspects of life.

BOOM. I'm spent. Later loves.

Love&Luck

I Miss My Love!!

I miss this guy so much! Only a month and 1/2 to go until he gets home, it couldn't come soon enough. I'm so excited that this will be our last stint of long distance EVER! So happy, so excited. This week I have been wanting to have a date night so bad which is something I never thought I would take for granted before; just dinner or a movie or a night snugged up on the couch watching How I Met Your Mother or House, I would take ANYTHING!

It makes me smile that he's a little jelly that he can't be here to see B. Rouche as a little nugget, he really loves her! And he seems to think it's not so bad of a decision after all considering how dang cute she is.

Love&Luck

4 Years Later You're Still On My Mind

Four years ago today I laid my best friend to rest. She had been my amazing companion and trustee for 12 great years. Although she chewed on a lot of shoes, and went on a lot of unsupervised walks, she was the one furry friend I could always count on for a hug or a snuggle.

Although I've found peace in the great life we gave her, this day still gets to me; she experienced so much with me and I can still remember that "farm puppy" way she smelled the first few weeks we had her. The family we got her from said she was the mutt of the litter yet she turned out to be almost as tall and my hip and 80lbs strong, I don't want to know how big the others got.

Wet puppy prints

Baby girl's last Christmas

I hope that if you've also lost a pet that you can find solace in the fact that they're at peace although their lives are short, they're filled with so much happiness.

Much Love&Luck this Tuesday

Weekly Round-Up

I definitely need to start doing weekly recaps. Ever since I quit my "normal" job life has been easy breezy and very "unscheduled" which is really nice for me for a change. HOWEVER, with my irregular schedule between two jobs and everything going on in my family life recently, things are getting a little blurry.

Okay, first things first. I'm making a little move back home to live with Pops. He's a little lonely and let's get serious, I am too. I'll also be able to help take care of my grandmother once she gets home from her hospital stay which would help everyone out (Ma is a CPA so this isn't the ideal time for her to take off work).

Both of these things explains my absence from said blog lately, I'M SORRY! Things are just a little busy so once I get back on schedule I will be back to blogging like a maniac.

I'm also reading a new book, something light-hearted and love-y which is exactly what I need around Valentine's Day and this chilly MN weather. That being said, I will need to write a review on it and The Hunger Game series very soon. Like I said, so much to do!

I would also still like to blog in depth day by day or week by week my trip to France. Believe it or not, I haven't even finished uploading my photos to Facebook; has anyone else tried the new photo system? It sucks. Period. And takes FOREVER. Who has time?

Moving on. It's time for a little bit of celebrity gossip.

Photos of Beyonce & Jay-Z's child have finally gone viral. If you haven't seen them, here they are. I actually like the name Ivy. Blue? Not so much. Whatevs, isn't my kid.

Photos via http://helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com/

PS. How in the hell did B get back in such bootylicious shape so quickly? I'm starting to believe all these fake bump rumors. Maybe she loved her bod so much they went with a surrogate. Hey, her bod is fab, not sure if I blame her. See bod here:

B post baby B

Really what's up with this?

A teeny tiny more gossip (seriously I'm sorry but since I'm aiming to not buy gossip mags I feel the need to report to everyone else what I see on People). 

It's official, Katy Perry and Russell Brand are officially divorced. I'm still really upset about this! What is my problem? I'm a hopeless romantic that's what's my problem. Bah, oh well. Wonder who she'll date next/end up marrying? At least they had dignity and didn't draw out the proceedings with arguments about money and property.

Oh yeah, I 'spose it was Super Bowl Sunday last weekend. Not going to lie, I wasn't paying much attention to the game but WAS paying attention to who was there. For instance, JSimps. She is lookin' a babe I tell ya. Although her boobs are much when shown, her face looks amazeballs since she's been pregnant; I for one can't wait to see what that baby looks like. 

You glow Glen Coco

Next, I have such a HUGE surprise to announce in 2 weeks but I won't share until then. It doesn't have much to do with the blog but a lot to do with me. I'm very excited, to say the least. Stay tuned to find out!

Are you addicted to Pinterest yet? If you are, follow my boards here. Don't be surprised if I whore the crap out of your boards, I'm hooked to Pinterest and the inspiration and ideas it provides!

Last night I made Ashley from Inspired by a Love Story's recipe for shrimp fried rice here, it was a huge success and so easy! I encourage you to try it, you will love it!

Yum! Dad about died

I'm beyond obsessed with these free printables from Cupcakes and Cashmere's post pre Vday. How adorable? I must get. Why can't I come up with these great ideas on my own?

Also, have you checked out Veronika's blog yet? I have become obsessed with checking her blog regularly because she's a savvy shopper with great taste and just plain adorable! I feel like if I were slightly taller and model like and brunette, we could be twinsters in an alternate universe. She's beautiful, loves sales, keeps her style classic and simply while always adding a twist or pop of color, and shows pictures of her pup once in a while. Sounds like perfection to me. If you haven't, check her out, I know you'll love her blog. PS. the next time I get my hair cut you can guarantee I will walk out of the salon with her exact cut, love it!

Hey girl hey! photo via  V's blog

Next, check out girlfriend Sigourney's recipe for a cake cocktail. Seriously?!! I wouldn't bat an eyelash if I could drink my dessert AND get drunk! This cocktail sounds delicious, perhaps it would be perfect for an all girls Vday night celebration?! By the way, she primarily blogs about fashion and cocktails so if you need unique or new ideas beverages, check her out!

Is it embarrassing that for the last few paragraphs I had to multiple tab what I wanted to write about so I wouldn't forget?? When I find goodies I just love to share them with you so if it makes me nerdy, so be it. 

Can you believe it's Valentine's Day this week? Seriously where has the time gone? I feel so unprepared for this time of year but thankfully I don't need to have anything planned via M is in France. A nice Skype date over wine will suffice for both of us this year. 

Okay, I THINK that's it, for now. I'm turning back to my raspberry vino and Law & Order: SVU for the rest of the evening. Loving this Friday snuggled in bed!

Stay cozy and have a great weekend!

Love&Luck

Pre Love Day

Valentine's Day has never been a huge deal for me although it's always nice to decorate for it and do a teeny tiny bit of celebrating. Emily at CupcakesandCashmere's latest post here has got me thinking about Valentine's Day.

Aren't these cookies she made just too cute to pass up? What a great idea!

Photo cred via cupcakesandcashmere

photo cred via cupcakesandcashmere

These little cookies just totally got me in the lovey-dovey mood and also got me thinking about how I spent Vday over the last few years.

Last year M and I spent the day lounging and enjoying life on Laguna and Newport beaches. Here are a few pictures which are making me long for days like this with him.

I made and packed a picnic lunch that we had at Laguna

Valentine's Day isn't complete without a little Vino

Wonderful scenery at Laguna

We watched the sunset snuggled up on Santa Monica Pier

And the year before that we apart so I made a mixed CD full of love songs, sent him a copy of The Five Love Languages (which I highly recommend if you haven't read it) and baked Valentine cupcakes and sent everything in a package to California. I happened to have a few pictures of the flowers M sent me that year. Tulips are my absolute favorite, aren't they beautiful?

So this year I'm feeling a little sentimental since I'm missing M an extra amount this week and I'm also a little blah, like boo Valentine's Day. I would love to go see The Vow on the actual day but can't bring myself to sit alone in the theater especially when there will be dozens of couples there. No way Jose, no pity card for me.

Are you doing anything special for your love this year? Special can mean anything from cooking dinner together to going on a date so please share with me, I love reading your comments!