The Guy Behind the Blog | 5

Hello y'all!

Today we have a blog post that I actually started a few months ago! Betsy from Heavens to Betsy does a monthly prompt and linkup call The Guys Behind the Blog. Normally she posts the questions a month ahead, but she didn't have anything for this month. That is why I am using the questions from the post I never finished! lol Thanks Betsy for giving me some time to catch up! lol Anyway, here is a look into Josh's perspective.

1. How did you meet your significant other?

Which one? *ha* We went to high school together. Then years later, I was coaching basketball, and I saw Tricia's sister, and I asked, "Do you have a sister named Tricia?" It was all uphill from there!

2. What is your top love language? What is your significant other's love language?

I show Tricia I love her by having a home cooked meal when she gets home from work. I feel like Tricia shows she loves me when she lets me watch sports and the political debates.

3. If you're engaged or married, how did you propose? If you are not, how did you ask your girl out?

I proposed to Tricia at an overlook in Raleigh looking at the Raleigh skyline.

4. Share a funny wedding story with us - it could be from your own or one you attended.

At our wedding, everyone blames me for making everyone cry. Tricia's family normally does all the crying, but at our wedding, they were all fine until they saw me crying.

5. On the topic of love, who was your childhood crush?

What time in my childhood? Probably Angela. She was my sister's friend. I was like five years old. She is my friend on Facebook. She was hot or cute or...I don't know!


I don't know about you other ladies that do these posts, but sometimes I feel like I am pulling teeth to get an answer. I think Josh's go to is "I don't know." lol But don't worry, I always get something out of him!

What about your guy behind the blog?

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,
Tricia

Yours, Mine and Ours

Good morning friends!

This month has been all about cleaning and organizing for me and Josh.  We are building on our new house yes, but we are also sorting through all of our stuff.  One of the first things you will notice when you walk into our house is how many things are still in boxes and in the "storage room" slash guest bedroom.  Or worse.  How much stuff is still in my car.  When you get married, your stuff gets married too.  If you have never considered how much you have, you might want to when you first get engaged.  Not after you buy the house and move in!  lol 

When we got married, I quickly began to realize how much stuff we had and how much of it was NOT going to fit in our house.  No matter how many bookcases Joshua builds me!  lol  A lot of my day is spent on Pinterest trying to find great storage solutions, but I think we are beyond storage.  Sometimes, you just have to admit that you are going to have to get rid of a few things!  

While I am no expert at cleaning and organizing, here are a few tips I have found that help you get started when it comes to purging your house and finding a place for everything your need.  

You don't have to just follow along.  The first thing all the expert tell you to get rid of is the "sentimental stuff" like cards and pictures.  Personally, this practice breaks my heart!  I have a collection of newspapers with important events in my life, and I tend to have a lot of cards from my family and friends.  This is not an impossible thing to keep.  For example, I kept the newspaper with my Paw Paw's obituary in it, sympathy cards, Christmas cards, graduation cards, wedding cards and so many more paper sentiments in a small clear shoebox I bought for $1.99 at Walmart.  It has a lid, it stacks, and more importantly, it has reminders of my life, and things my grandchildren will want to see and hold when they grow up.  Joshua has a similar shoe box filled with pictures of his family through the years.  Just because an expert tells you it is a waste of space to keep it, doesn't mean you have to follow along.  If it means something to you, then it will mean something to the people who love you, so find a way to store it and don't beat yourself up about keeping it!

If it looks like junk, then it is a junk drawer.  There is so much truth in this statement.  I have several "junk" drawers.  They are drawers that contain important stuff that I use, but because they look junkie, they make it easy for me to lose things that I don't need to keep.  Like screws that fall out of Joshua's pockets in the wash.  You can buy silverware organizers for cheap at dollar stores along with other cheap organizing trays and boxes.  One of my favorite things to use are my Birchbox boxes!  Get creative, but be sure you can see everything in your drawer.  If they are spots for junk to accumulate in, it will accumulate.  So know this and use it to your advantage!

If you don't use it, donate it.  If you are a sentimental person like me, this makes decluttering bearable.  It makes me feel like I am giving my stuff new life!  My favorite thing to do is to pick out clothes and things to take to Goodwill.  I know I love my clothes, but sometimes I just can't make them fit!  If I can't wear it, then it is just taking up space in my closet.  Same thing with my books.  I have so many that I love and reread over and over again, but I have a lot that I just wanted to give away.  My community has a lending library which is where people give their books to the community.  You can take a book or give yours away.  It is a great idea and it helps you clean off space on your bookshelves!  

Like I said, my advice it not expert, but it will at least help you get your feet wet when it comes to combining yours, mine and ours.  

What are some of your tidying tips?

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tricia 

The Circle Linkup | Spring Break Plans & Goals

Hey y'all!

Today I am linking up with Kiki over at in its time for the monthly #thecirclelinkup.  This month is all about Spring Break and goals and plans for our week away from the world!  Unfortunately, with work and the upcoming GRILL, Joshua and I are not planning a Spring Break trip.  But if we were...

Buzzfeed

U.S. destinations include: Asheville, North Carolina; Sedona, Arizona;
Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska; Glacier National Park, Montana; St. Augustine, Florida; The Outer Banks, North Carolina; Big Sur, California; Duluth, Minnesota; San Antonio, Texas; and The Northeast Kingdom, Vermont.

99 Travel Tips

International destinations include: Lake Tekapo, South Island, New Zealand; Moraine Lake, Banff National Park; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Valle Verzasca, Switzerland; Gran Sasso, Italy; Blue Moon Valley, China; Kerry, Ireland; Laguna Lachua, Guatemala; and Mount Roraima, Venezuela.

Yep!  These destinations would be on my list for sure!  Along with plenty others!!  As for Spring Break goals...

Plant my garden and fruit trees and bushes

Put out my Spring decorations 

Fix some yummy treats for work

Spring clean my house

Donate some clothes and items to a Goodwill

Finish at least one of the books I am reading

There you have it!  My Spring plans and dreams if I could take a Spring Break trip.  Maybe not this year, but hopefully in the future I will get a chance to explore all of these destinations!

What are your Spring Break plans and goals?

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tricia

Life in Full Bloom

Oh!  Hey there friends!

Spring is in the air here in Pilot Mountain, NC.  The temps are in the 70s, and most days are sunny and beautiful!  Last Thursday, I actually built a campfire and sat out and enjoyed the sounds of the peepers.  Even though I didn't have any marshmallows, it was wonderful!  

One of my friends works for an app company called Photofy.  If you don't know anything about Photofy, it is actually pretty awesome.  Photofy is a Raleigh based company that helps users create the best social content through photo enhancements.  It is kind of like Instagram, but with different overlays that you can purchase within the app.  Really super awesome!  

I was out in my yard the other evening, and I noticed that my daffodils are blooming.  Since we moved into our house in October, I wasn't really sure what all flowers I would have or wouldn't have.  I didn't know if I would have these beautiful spring flowers, so I was pretty excited when I did.  I picked a couple and put them in a mason jar, and as I was looking for the perfect Photofy overlay, I stumbled on this one.  "Life in full bloom."

Since I started working full time, I have really felt time fly by me, and for a long time, I have felt like I have missed life.  I felt like I have missed the every day living that I used to do in Raleigh.  Everyone keeps telling me how much my life has changed since last year, but until I read this phrase, it didn't click.  I have be hard on myself because I expect myself to be the perfect wife, perfect working woman, and the perfect blogger.  I have felt like I am waiting for life to happen, but what I realized is that I am living in full bloom.  

My life is a whirlwind of events, and like any ebb and flow, things are going to come easy and things are going to need effort.  I don't know what is coming next, just like I didn't know if I would have daffodils, and yet here they are in full bloom.  Regardless of what happens in my day, week, month or year, my life is in full bloom, and I have to remember to thank God for placing me where I need to be.  I need to thank Him for giving me the full bloom life to go where I need to go and do what He needs me to do.  

It is funny how life just hits you like that.  One minute you are editing a picture of the flowers from your garden, and the next you are having a revelation about the ebb and flow of the every day adventures.  Crazy how God tells us what we need to hear!  

Where did God speak to you this weekend?

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tricia 

***All opinions in this post are mine.  I was not paid for my review and opinions of Photofy.

     

On My Mind | 7

Hey friends!

It has been a while since I have done one of these posts, which is interesting because they are some of my favorite!  I love just being able to express what I am thinking, and I don't have to have an organized method to my madness!!  I can just say, "World, here is what I am thinking," and y'all just go along with it!  lol  March is always one of those months because it involves so much change.  

Studying for the GRILL.  Working for Enterprise is pretty awesome, but it comes with some exams too.  This month I am taking my final one as a management trainee, and it is lovingly call the GRILL.  Because it is a grill!  Due to rules, I can't go into any details or post any pictures of my notes...so instead, I am posting a picture of an actual grill.  I think this picture describes what I am in for.  Thank you Keep On Amazing!  

Making friends is hard, but I have some of the best!  When I first moved home, Joshua told me to make some new friends and find people to hang out with.  I tried to hook back up with old friends, and I also tried to find new ones in new places.  I will save you the suspense...making new friends is hard!!  I am already pretty blessed though!  Even though so many of my friends are still in the Raleigh area...I am still so fortunate to have them.  

For example, yesterday I had a really stressful day at work.  I was so upset and came home in tears to find a letter from one of my friends, Amanda.  She literally sent me a note to thank me for being her friend.  Somehow, your friends know what you need when you need it.  Shout out to Amanda and all my friends in Raleigh.  Y'all are still the best!

I am so over politics and basketball.  There.  I said it.  I am ready for football season again!!  lol  Josh is constantly watching debates and basketball.  I am ready for something different...the kind that tackles you in a different way.  You know what I mean?  Seriously.

This weather.  It is PHENOMENAL!!  Tuesday was 70 degrees and sunny!  I think I should totally rent a convertible, and drive off into the sunset.  Buh-bye work!!  Hello beach!!  I also definitely stole this picture from my sister, Merritt.  Thanks Sissy!

Don't forget the time change!  The time changes this weekend and where we lose an hour of sleep, we gain an hour of daylight!  That means after work fishing and outdoor housework.  It also means more time after work to do stuff!  Fun stuff...like being outside!  lol  I am excited to see our little house this Spring and see what all adventures it brings!

Life is all about the adventures, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week brings!  

What is on your mind?

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tricia

Thresholds: Book Review

Picture Source

Hello friends!

I finished reading Thresholds by Sherre Hirsch several months ago, and I haven't been able to write a good review for it.  Let me first tell you what this book is about.  

Sherre Hirsch uses "thresholds"to describe transitions in life.  These transitions can be anything from graduating college to starting a new job, or from starting a relationship to building a family.  Life is full of changes and crossing the "threshold" into a new "room" in your life can be intimidating.  

Sherre Hirsch is a rabbi, and she ties many references from the Old Testament into this book.  Unfortunately for me, the second chapter of the book, "Faith in God is Not Required," was not a philosophy I could get behind.  I feel like from that chapter onward, my view was skewed.  

With so many changes in my life, I thought this book would be comforting, and offer insight to devotions I could do to help me feel better about change.  This is not the case with this book.  Rabbi Hirsch gives several examples of how your life will change whether your like it or not.  I am not a person to bash someone else's writing, so I would recommend that you make your own decision about Thresholds.  Personally, I did not find it as helpful in my transitions as I wanted, but it may very well speak to someone else who need is different than mine. 

How do you handle changes in your life?

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tricia 

***Note: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review.

Our Wedding Day | 5 Months

(Warning: This is a picture heavy post)

Happy 5 months of marriage to my husband!!  We made it!

I felt bad that I wasn't blogging when we got married because I felt like our wedding was such a huge part of my life and I didn't let y'all in.  In some ways though, it also felt more intimate because it didn't have all the comments and likes.  It was just between me, Joshua and our family and friends!  With today marking our five month anniversary, I had a little different feeling about our wedding!  I want y'all to see it!  Even if it is just through pictures!  So here are some of my favorites from the wedding!!

On the right, we filled window shutters with old pictures of people who were able to attend the wedding, and people who watched us from above.  Our guests got a kick out of seeing themselves through the years!

I love, love, love my bridal portraits(top right)!  My mom took them for me in our field and in one of them, you can see our cows in the background watching!  Our hashtag (left) was #ourhauserstory and we opted for cupcakes and one cake to cut (bottom right).

My sister Merritt had to help me put on my boots (top left) and she got tickled because my socks didn't match!  I am such a procrastinator that I didn't write my vows until the night before the wedding (bottom right)!

I was so fortunate to be surrounding by all my girls!  My bridesmaids (top left), my new nieces (bottom left), my Big (top right), and my maid of honor (bottom right).  Oh!  You can't forget my main pre-wedding squeeze, our minister Russ (middle)!!

Joshua can say the same thing!  His groomsmen had his back (top left)!  Josh was on the phone during some of his family pictures (bottom right).  Typical!

Joshua and I held hands and prayed before the wedding (top left).  We couldn't see each other, but it felt so good to hold his hand and calm my nerves!  We had a wrap station for a reception, so leave it to me to make a punny sign (top right).  We were going to get married outside, but with the rain, we were able to move our whole wedding into the barn (bottom right).

Funny story.  My dad and I left the house where we got ready and walked outside to the barn without getting a single drop of rain on us (top left).  As soon as we got in the barn, the bottom dropped out and it started raining cats and dogs!!  Joshua and I were so nervous, that our minister, Russ, told us to look at our guests and wave (top middle).  It definitely lightened our mood, and helped us relax!

My dad and I danced to "Daddy's Money" because we would be crying if we chose a sentimental song (top middle).  Josh's best man and nephew, Danny, gave such a sweet toast, that they wasn't a dry eye in the house (bottom right).

I initiated the cake smoosh (top left and middle)!!  It was worth it!!  Our sendoff was with glow sticks (top right).  After our "sendoff," I went in the manor house and changed into a shorter dress that I could dance and move in.  

So there you have it friends!  A look into our wedding day!  It was a blast, to say the least!!  I will have to share with y'all our honeymoon adventures because they were awesome too!  Happy five months of marriage Joshua!  I can't believe we are still married (there is a story there...I will tell y'all soon!!)!!

What did you think about our wedding?  

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tricia

2016 & March Goals

Hello again friends!

I am starting to get back into my blogging, and so I am starting to plan everything accordingly, and hopefully I can keep up with a schedule!  Either way, I totally missed October-February goals, and I missed my 2015 reflection on goals!!  So this post is going to hopefully catch everything up!  lol  

For 2015, I had three main goals.  I knew a bunch of things would change, and I wanted to make my goals simple to help keep me focused.  My 2015 goals were:

1 - Be Healthy
2 - Plan Accordingly
3 - Be Happy

I think I completed them pretty well!  I realize they are simple goals, but they were perfect for me!

2016 Goals

1 - Continue being healthy

I have already lost 4 dress sizes, and I would like to see that continue! 

2 - Learn to be patient with myself

As a new wife and a working woman, I am pretty tough on myself for not being able to do it all.  I need to learn to celebrate my successes and not be weighted down by my failures.  

3 - Embrace the change

I have so many new changes going on in my life and I am the one who screams "NOOOO!!!" when the change starts happening! 

4 - Find the happiness

Happiness is what you make and you have to choose to be happy...every day!     

These are simple too, but I like that!  Simple is how I am rolling this year!  lol

As for my last "Month Goals," that was back in September!  Let's check out those goals!

September Goals

1. Complete wedding plans - I got married, so I am going to say this was a success!!  Now I just need to post about our wedding and give y'all all the details!

2. Post more - Ironically, this was my last post before the one on Sunday.  I am going to say that this one is not a success!

3. Book honeymoon flights - We went to Key West, Cozumel and Disney!!  So that definitely got done!!  

4. Be happy with where God has me - I have learned that, and I was already there when I posted that.  I just wanted to get better at it, but I think that is a lifetime journey.  As long as you are willing to work on it, it will be successful!

5. Learn to "Let It Go" - I didn't conquer this, but I have come a long way from where I started!

6. Read more - I ended up only reading 15 books in 2015, but that is more than I had in September!  Once we moved into the house, I got back in the habit of reading before bed every night!

Yay!  Successes all around!  I can't believe I missed October through February, but I will try to be better this month!  I think March is starting off better already! 

March Goals

1 - Post more

2 - Pass my GRILL (for work)

3 - Get some more renovating done

4 - Cook at home more

5 - Plan accordingly

6 - Finish at least 1 book

What are your March goals?  How did your last goals go?

Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tricia