Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I wanted to take a moment today and thank my mother for all she is to me. She is my dearest friend, the strongest woman I know, the woman who knows "everything", and the best grandmother my children could ever have. I learned so much from her. She has dealt with me through my whiny childhood, moody teen years, and exhausted, crazy, busy, and sometimes depressed adulthood. I cant imagine a world without her.

I have to tell you... My mother fights her own body on a daily basis. She has MS, yet she continues to do so much. She keeps my children, teaches my younger sister, and changes lives everyday.



Mom, I love you. So, to honor you I dedicate this whole post to you. You will always be the most important woman in my life.

I hope she doesn't kill me for posting a picture.

I think you look beautiful!

The Longest 2 Years of My Life

Long engagements are great for planning weddings and building a good relationship foundations, but its not an easy task for everyone! Immediately after saying yes to Andrew, I went back to school for two years (excluding spring and summer break). Long distance relationships are very challenging, but not impossible. We spoke daily (thank goodness for mobile to mobile), we movie chatted online, and we did a lot of day dreaming. I had an abundance of time to plan the wedding and make it a little friendlier on our wallets. I was able to spread out purchases and do a lot of research before making my final decisions. In the short breaks I had during those two years, I returned home. During those times we spend almost every waking moment together. We would stay out until the wee hours in the morning because we couldn't bare the idea of having to say "good night" and "goodbye". During those two years we covered most of the important conversations- children, arguments, dreams and desires, etc. I can't say we got it all right, but we did talk a whole lot! Of course when we were together we struggled with the desires that come from such emotional closeness. We struggled with keeping our own boundaries. Still, we made it to our wedding day with all the excitement that comes with it and knowing that we would never again have to say "good night" and "good bye".

Long distance relationships are one of those things. Some people say they are worth it, others say its not. In my case I would say it changed my life. This leads me to some very exciting news! Next week we will be having a guest blogger speaking on long distance relationships. They have some exciting news to share, an interesting point of view and hopefully some good tips on keeping that romance alive. Even more fun, we are getting all this from a man's point of view! Roger from A Daily Dose of R & R will be joining us! Please make my brother feel welcome. Before he posts I would love to have my readers provide some questions for the men who have been helping this month. My husband Andrew and my brother Roger would be glad to share their thoughts on any topic related to love and relationships. Please comment below or use my contact information to get a hold of me.

What You've Missed

I've been a busy beaver the past few days. I apologize for the lack of posts. However, I did write an introduction page, so please go check it out. I also have two stylish outfits to share with you as well!

My Outfits

It feels like I went so long without clothes from Gwynnie Bee! I finally received a new box this week, so I wasted no time in wearing them. I had to do a little adapting because I got the sizing wrong on one dress, but over all, I think I looked pretty put together!

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

 Tuesday

I am wearing the eloquii exposed zip stretch dress which I got from Gwynnie Bee. Had I ordered this in the correct size I may have styled it differently, but I like the look I created. The Kimono shrug came from Torrid.com. I think I've said before its one of my favorite pieces!

Wednesday

I wore another Gwynnie Bee delight on Wednesday. The Igigi Jodi top was a wrap style blouse. I had a bit of a time getting it to tie correctly, but after I did the it looked lovely. I like the colors and the gorgeous flower print. I made it work friendly with a lace trim camisole. I wore Lane Bryant dress capri pant and my flats to make it look a little less formal.

Thursday

Thursday was my call to summer! I pulled one of my summer dresses out and paired it with a corduroy blazer from Lane Bryant to make it work appropriate. I couldn't help but wear my sandals with it though! The necklace I wore was one of those great craft fair finds again. I rarely have a chance to wear it because of its very detailed style. I think it worked today with the fun mix and match look I had.

Looking Forward

I am going on a camping trip with my family and my mother. We have been camping every year about this time for a long time. It is one of my mother's favorite things to do for Mother's day. For this reason, you may not hear much from me until Sunday evening. I am looking forward to a weekend without too much technology and plenty of family time! Next week we will have a lot of fun stuff going on. We should be finishing up the telling of Andrew and I's "love story" so far. We might also get to some other interesting topics such as a few marriage and relationship book reviews, and a look at SEX.... so stay tuned.

Take Two

Here's from the fun following up from my last post. Afterward I will continue on with Andrew and I's "love story".

Get To Know Me Again

Like always, the blue is Andrew's responses. The purple are mine. Remember, these were questions we asked before marriage and now again after.

What's your favorite Movie?
Before: Ever After, My Best Friend's Wedding
Now: Hotel Transylvania (Oh the joys of having children)
Before: Indiana Jones
Now: Sherlock Holmes Game of Shadows

Whats your favorite TV show?
Before: The Starter Wife
Now: Doctor Who
Before: How I met Your mother
Now: Doctor Who (Can you tell where we spend our couple time?)

Who's your favorite musician?
Before: Chris Rice
Now: Unknown
Before: John Mayer
Now: Gavin Degraw

What's you biggest fanasty?
Before: Dominant male partner
Now: A full night's sleep
Before: Nurses.
Now: Teacher/student.

(The famous) Where do you wanna go?
Before: O' Charley's
Now: I just want to have a little time alone with you (Andrew)... Don't really care where.
Before: O' Charley's, Mall
Now: Home.

What are your expectations in marriage?
Before: I thought I was going to be 5o's wife like, with a clean house and a happy satisfied husband. I wanted to be taken care of, slightly spoiled.
Now: Equal carrying of the weight of life stresses.
Before: I wanted a house, with a yard and a nice comfy bed. I wanted us to be happy all the time with no bills and no worries. (Uh, no wonder you were in for a shock.)
Now: I would like to at least have our own place and more time with you (Amanda), less time worrying about bills.

Take Two

As I mentioned on my last post, Andrew asked me to marry him with a family ring. The ring was not known to be worth much, nor was it even considered to be anything more than antique costume jewelry. Still, I loved it and would have been happy to this day with it. However, Andrew had already had plans in the works. The reason for asking me with the family ring was because the ring he was having made for me was not yet complete. That same Christmas while I was on break, he did the proposal again. This time he did it up right. Dinner, dancing, gardens, a gazebo, memories... it was beautiful. Of course I said yes again.

My original family ring.

The day he asked me the second time. I currently find an old picture of that ring. I would take one now, but its so dirty that I am embarrassed.

Looking Forward

A little more of the story unfolds every post! I wish I had my computer instead of my husband's, I'd have so many more pictures to share. Wait until you hear how long we were engaged! If I can convince my husband to get his storage, I'll post some soon.  I finally got a more clothes from Gwynnie Bee to show off!

Flash Back: Surprise! Im Home! Im engaged!

 Before I move on to the actual subject of the post, I must catch you up on my missed days! I've been a busy bee the last few days. So busy, in fact that I have a lot to share. Since I've shared last, I've offered my writing services to another blog as a guest blogger, packed and given away lots of my sons' old stuff, and worked a booth at a local festival.

My Outfits

Thursday

Friday

The pose for Thursday comes from a comment my husband made that I looked like a "flashy Rosie the Riveter". I went with the idea. I was wearing all kinds of fun on Thursday. My head scarf is a breast cancer awareness scarf. Someone gave it to me as a gift. The chambray shirt is from Lane Bryant. I'm so glad chambray is still in. I got that last summer! However, my favorite part of the whole outfit is my neon pick sneakers from K-mart. I love the neon phase. I would rock it all the time if I had enough pieces! On Friday I am wearing a Wal-mart infinity scarf, and a blouse I found at Good Will. I am also rocking shoes I recently adapted. They did have backs that never stayed up. So, snip! I fixed the problem. Its like a brand new pair of shoes. I'm getting compliments again on them. I'm wearing ruby, flower stud earrings in this picture, so you cant see them well. They are some of my few "nice" pieces of jewelry I own. What that outfit really needed was some bracelets I think.

The Strawberry Festival 

 Like I said, I worked a booth with my coworkers from Growing Up in the Valley. We had a blast and took lots of pictures. Tons of families stopped by and got in on the fun too!

Flash Back

As I promised, here is a little more from my husband and I's past. We really didn't have a long dating relationship. Only a few months after we had our first date, I moved out of state to go to school (around the end of August). We kept up a long distance relationship. In the fall I had a short four day break of classes. As a surprise I decided to fly home and see my family. I made arrangements with Andrew to get me from the airport and bring me to my parents house to make it a complete surprise. Sadly, things did not go as planned. Extreme flight delays forced me to call my mother and inform her of my plans. I wanted everyone to be awake when I arrived! The delays only got worse by the hour. It was after 10pm by the time I arrived in town. Andrew picked me up from the airport. He seemed slightly nervous and very excited to see me. He requested a little personal time before we headed to my parents house. It was late, but I missed him just as much. We stopped at the church across the street from my parent's. We parked in their lot and got out of the car. Before leaving for school, we had often come there to dance in the street light before our final goodbyes. Today seemed to be no different. The music from the car was playing and we danced happily. After a while Andrew asked me to shut my eyes. I then knew something was up. When he allowed me to open my eyes, there he sat on one knee. In his hand he held a family ring and asked me the most important question of my life, "Will you marry me?" I said yes and jumped into his arms to kiss him before he could even stand. This was our first kiss. 

Let me explain. I decided from a young age that I would save my first kiss for the man I was to marry. It was a difficult challenge. Several guys wanted to steal that special gift away. Still, I held on to it. Poor Andrew was unaware of this decision at first. After three dates without a kiss, I felt bad for him. I finally broke the news to him.

After Andrew was able to get off of his knees, we kissed several more times before arriving at my parents home. I walked in the door and said "Surprise! I'm home! I'm engaged!" The mix of emotions in the house was amusing. I was aware that Andrew had already asked my father already for my hand. However my father thought that all this was planned for Christmas, when I was supposed to be home. The next few days were a whirlwind of photos, kisses, and excitement.

Get To Know Me Again

People change and grow over time. The man I married three years ago is not completely the same as he is today. My project for the next few days is to come up with a few questions I asked him when we were dating to see how the answers have changed over the years. Yesterday I already asked him some personal questions about preference. Since I am a bigger woman, I was curious about how Andrew's preferences in woman had changed since we have been together. Interestingly enough, I was the exception to his past dating rules. Although I am the only woman for him, he can now see the beauty in many different aspects of a woman. Hopefully I will learn something new and interesting over the next few day. I am going to request the same out of him. Maybe I will be able to share the answers tomorrow or Monday evening!

Church Invites Lead to Love

Like I promised, I shall tell you the story of how Andrew and I's friendship became more.

Bring yourself back to where I left off in American Literature 2...

Andrew and I sat together every class. However, it occurred to me that things would never progress if I left it up to him. About midway through the semester, I took a risk. Casually I invited Andrew to come to church with me. He thought for a moment and then ended the topic with a simple,"I will let you know". I figured my attempt had failed and went on as normal. To my surprise, next time I saw Andrew he gave me an enthusiastic "yes". I was excited as I give him the information and creatively found a way to give him my number.

Sunday came and Andrew showed up nervously at my church. I was excited about this sneaky opportunity to spend time with him. .However, Andrew didn't share the same excitement. Let me explain, Andrew was not a church going boy at this time and I went to what some would call a "Holy Roller" church. I'm surprised we ever made it past this first outing together, much less to a first date! After church I invited him to lunch with my family and I. I don't know if it was the nerve rattling service or the fact he would be meeting my parents before we ever had a our first date that scared him, but he declined. I was disappointed and thought it was over at this point.

Yet, next time we saw each other in class I could tell things were different, in a good way. We took a walk because of class cancellations and discussed having dinner. Time quickly slipped away and we exchanged IM usernames to make plans later. I was leaving nothing to chance this time. When we spoke that evening, I went beyond hinting. "Im free Thursday and Friday after six," was one of the first things I said. Thankfully he took the bait and our first date was planned!

I have to give Andrew credit, he did the first date right. He arrived perfectly on time with flowers, he was dressed attractively, and he opened and held the door at every opportunity. He was making it so easy to fall head over heals. Its no secret now that I determined early on (before the 3rd or 4th date), that I was going to marry this man.

6 Wallet Friendly Date Ideas

Below is a list of budget friendly date ideas that Andrew and I are hoping to attempt this month. We want to make sure the dates we suggest are marriage approved! At this point, every date we plan has to be practically free. There is no wiggle room for us right now. So, please enjoy these ideas and feel free to add more if you are able!

1. A picnic in the park: Pack some cheese, crackers, and fruit, enjoy!
2. A trip down memory lane: Visit locations that you went to before you had children. The riverside to make-out, the park to walk and talk, the parking lot to dance, etc.
3. Take a swing: (Find a location with a swing- front porch, playground, etc) Have a conversation and ask questions to get to know one another again.
4. Board game night: Pick your favorite board game and play it together, behind closed doors. Make it risqué if you want to be adventurous!
5. Romantic Scavenger hunt: one spouse writes clues describing something about themselves and the spouse has to get it right. (Example: What's my favorite pair of socks?)
6. Just stay home: Lose the kids, cuddle up and have yourselves a glass of wine. Talk, share stories, and build intimacy.

Afterthoughts: My Outfit

I've begun to enjoy sharing my fashion with you all. I hope you don't mind if I continue to share when its worth a look. At some point this month we will be discussing man approved curvy lingerie! That will be some fun fashion! Don't worry, I wont be posting pictures of me that day!

I just loved the detail on the back of this shell.

The blouse is the only new (to you) garment I have on. I got it on clearance at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago for about $3. I couldn't pass up the chance to get a great basic for that price! The earrings are also new, I got them on clearance at Target for under $3 as well. Low income requires creative shopping!

English Class Woes

I don't know if I mentioned when I started May's theme that I wanted to share Andrew and I's love story, along with all kinds of other romantic things. I want to encourage romance in my marriage, while hopefully inspiring others to do the same!

Today's focus is how Andrew and I met. The title for the post gives a tad bit away. First, I have to admit that we actually "met" in elementary school, but neither of us were interested then. That was back when girls had cooties and boys were from Jupiter. However, by college that mindset had passed and we were at least willing to speak to each other.

The Meeting

At the end of my first year of community college I took a class on American Literature. (Andrew did as well.) I was always seated at the front of the class. (I had a tendency to be a teacher's pet.) Andrew however always sat in the back with his slightly less motivated friends. Before class the boys in the back would have various conversations, often about dating. I remember thinking Andrew was adorable and sweet, but by the way he spoke, he had little luck with love. Nearly every time he opened his mouth it was a story of dating disasters, love lost, or uneven matches. I wont lie, he pouted. Still, I wanted to get to know him. Of course he had no idea of this! One time I did speak up and referenced his unluckiness in love, saying "Maybe you just haven't looked in the right places." I was of course referring to myself, but he continued to be oblivious.

The next semester Andrew and I ended up in the second part of the class together, once again. This time we both had no acquaintances in the class and ended up sitting together. That is how our friendship began to bloom.

I look forward to telling you how our friendship spread to romance tomorrow. Until then I have a few more tidbits of fun to share.

 Andrew's Romantic Advice

Andrew decided he wanted to give a little advice to the men keeping up with us this month. I figured it would be perfectly acceptable to relay some of his advice today! Andrew's comments are in blue, mine are in purple.

1. Nothing is more important than when your wife needs time with you. (Andrew has not always been the best in this aspect, he is slowly getting better)
2. When they tell you not to get them anything, or not to worry about some event or date... ignore them. Do something anyway. It shows that you actually care about the event, not just them.
3. Throw better birthday parties for your wife than me. Make sure its well thought out and don't spill the beans.  (Yes! Once he planned a surprise party for me. I guessed it, so he canceled it completely and did nothing! EPIC FAIL!)
4. If you have the money, be spontaneous with gifts. Like, flowers, cards, chocolate, and diamonds (or at the same time). (Why does he not keep his own advice?!) If you are like me and have no money, buying diamonds spontaneously is not so easy. However, you can get creative and make a card or make a dessert, or even give seeds for flowers as a gift. (Yep, I have to work for my own flowers...)
5. Never turn down an opportunity for sex... unless you have a migraine. haha! Not funny. I don't do that.

My Outfit

Rocking my blazer from Gwynnie Bee one more time. I had to send it back today so I could get more awesome clothing. All I can say about my outfit is that I am craving some new accessories! (That, and shoes as always.) Otherwise, I think I look Spring ready and classy!

Introducing the Hubby

Welcome to the month focusing on the crazy little thing called love! This is my husband Andrew! We have been married for a little over three years and we already have two children. My youngest, Henry is in the picture as well. I figured the best way to introduce my man is by letting him share a bit about himself. However, he was nervous about the idea so I skimmed the web and found this list of 20 questions from imom. This way you will get to know him a little, and I get to enjoy hearing what he decides to say about each thing. Ok, so blue his is response and purple is my thoughts!

1. If you had to eat at one restaurant for the rest of your life, where would it be? "Its hard to choose. I was going to go with my gut impression, but... O'Charley's"       
2. Which television sitcom family most accurately portrays your childhood family? "Uh, Home Improvement I guess. To some degree... its between Home Improvement and Married with Children."                   
3. If you were stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life and could only bring three books and three movies, what would they be? "I guess that means you can actually watch these movies? The Complete Sherlock Holmes Stories would be one book. Indiana Jones novel, I don't really know which one, it doesn't really matter. The Bible. And three movies...um... Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Sherlock Holmes Game of Shadows, and Bed knobs and broomsticks"
4. What does your dream vacation look like? "My dream vacation looks like a month in Ireland."
5. If you were a superhero, what would your magical power be and who would you save?    "Sorcery. Everyone."  God complex maybe? LOL
6. What school subject is/was the hardest for you? The easiest?  "Math" and "Social Studies"
7. Would you rather be bored or stressed?   "Bored."
8. If you could splurge on one item, what would it be? "Bagel Bites" Food?! Really!? "Yes, really"
9. Are you a Mac or a PC?    "PC"
10. What actor or actress would play you in a movie about your life? "I don't know the guys name... he's in the movie Knocked Up and he is BOB from Monsters vs. Aliens"  Seth Rogen
11. What would your ideal church be like? "The one I'm in now." River Church
12. What was the best thing about your college experience?  What was the worst?  "Best thing was the dinner hall and the coffee." FOOD AGAIN!! "The worst thing was not having enough money to buy either... just kidding. It was not having better friendships, stronger friendships"
13. What drives you crazy?  "If I told you everything, you wouldn't need to write a post for another week. We'll keep it short and simple. Dumb People." Fair Enough
14. What do you love most about your parents?  How would you like to be different? "I like how they make each other laugh." "I would like to be less hermit-ish"
15. How are your kids like you? "They eat a lot... hahaha. No, they are sweet. I'm sure there are more things, but this is a simpler answer."
16. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be? "Get rid of my laziness."
17. Which Gilligan's Island character are you most like?  "Gilligan, but I aspire to be The Professor."
18. If you had to go a week without your cell phone, computer, or TV, what would you choose? "Cell Phone" Thats because only his mother and I call him, and he doesn't want to hear from either. "No, I don't want to get in trouble because I didn't answer it!"
19. What was the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you? Tell the world now! "There were lots, I don't remember one specific one." Darn it.
20. What was your favorite childhood toy or game?  "Can I name two? My top hat and my two old west pistols." 

 Now, if any of you out there have any questions for my "Hub-a Lub," leave a message and he will be GLAD to answer. hehe... Now, back to business!



On Sunday my husband and I went on a date to the opera after church. It was great. We saw Pirates of Penzance. Funny!

My Opera Outfit

 So glad I got this lovely bright coral dress from Gwynnie Bee just in time! It worked out perfectly with my black pumps and Vera Bradley clutch. I wore the outfit to church and went directly to the opera after. Perfect. I was very tempted to buy this one.

Before the Date

Like I said, we went to church first. My youngest son was being so funny! He wanted everything his daddy had. 

Today's Outfit 

Today was a whole new day. Back to work as usual. Loved my Gwynnie Bee selection today as well. Why can I not have enough money to buy everything I want? The butterfly blouse is just perfect for me. It is also a perfect fit my purple skinny jeans! I'm just a little frustrated no one told me my shirt was stuck before they took the picture!

Looking Forward

Get ready for all kinds of fun for the month of May. We will be covering so much lovey-dovey stuff! I'm really hoping it will bring my husband and I together in this really tough time in our lives.