What will 2011 bring?

I have been thinking long and hard about what I want 2011 to bring to my life. Of course there are always the New Years Resolutions that people make but let's be honest, they never seem to last very long. So instead of making resolutions I am making 2011 Goals! Some will be fun, some will be sacrifices but all in all it will be for the best! Bring on 2011!

1. Drink as much wine as my heart desires! Not that I don't do this already but life is short and since there are no babies in the picture YET I might as well soak it up while I still can!

2. Track my spending habits. What's a budget if you can't stick to it or know what exactly you're spending your money on! I signed on with Mint.com to help track my spending, figure out where my money is going and how I can improve my savings and get out of debt. With all of the projects & life changing events we have planned for 2011 we need to have a budget. I should have done this along time ago but its better to start now than never doing it at all.

3. Stop unnecessary shopping! This one goes with my number 2 goal but this is a really big problem I have. There have been so many times that I have hit up Target to just grab a few things and then I veer my way over to the clothing section and end up with a few pieces that I really don't need. My thought process is "well I can wear this to this" or "ohh I really need one more of these" and the classic "well it's only $__." Yep this is my number one issue. And this can be said for more than just at Target. HomeGoods is my second place to get into major trouble. Just $5 here and there can really add up over time. I am really going to make a contiguous effort to really be good at not doing this anymore.


4. Work out 3 days a week. The other day I was taking a look down memory lane and I really miss the days that I was in shape, tan and looking great. I looked so much happier too. Now I dread seeing any pictures I am tagged in. I want my "pre-wedding" body back and gosh darnett I am going to do it! Three days is a manageable amount and its not consuming my life. I can and will do this!

5. Take more pictures! 2011 is going to be an awesome year and I want to make sure that I catch all the moments on camera that I can. It's great to go back and see what all has happened throughout the year and I don't want to miss a thing!


6. Take the dogs on more walks. Not only do the dogs get some energy out and exercise but so will I. I love seeing other people walking in the neighborhood with their dogs but the last thing I want to do when I get home is take them on the long walks. It's so easy to just let them run around in our big back yard. But enough is enough. It's time to grab their leashes and go!

7. I want to cook like Giada. I love her energy when it comes to cooking food not to mention that Italian food is my absolute favorite! I need to spend more time in the kitchen in 2011 and really get some skills. I have a lot to live up too since Chris is such a good cook and so is my Mimi! Gotta start somewhere!

8. I have got to stop using the "F" word. I am such a sailor and if I want to ever have kids my vocabulary has to change pronto. If you know me personally and you catch me saying please call me out on it! Thank you!

9. Get organized! My house can only store so much and life is so much easier when things are clean and there is a place for everything. The closets are one of the top things on my list of todo's! Wish mine looked like this one!

10. Go on more dates with the hubby. It's still just the two of us and we need to take advantage of this as long as we can. One day there will be more than just us two and I really look forward to that but for now these moments are important.

11. Eat breakfast! Coffee is not a food group. As much as I love a caffeine kick in the morning it's important to jump start my metabolism first thing in the morning with something nutritious. Even if it may only consist of an orange, banana and a bagel.


12. Start and complete one project at a time. I think I have about 5 projects all going on at once. It makes it hard to see how much I have truly finished!

13. Dance till my legs go numb! I am going to admit I dance around the house when Chris isn't home! It's not only fun but a great workout. This year I vow to hit up the actual dance floor more often!

14. Mandatory Girls Nights! I love my husband but I need my girls nights as well! This year I slacked off in this department as there was just so much going on. This year I vow ATLEAST one night a month! This can be a night out on the town or a few bottles of wine at home. Either way it's much needed!

15. Read more. I am not talking about magazines but actual hardback or paperback books. I love the smell of new books and especially love being sucked in by an amazing storyline. They say the imagination grows stronger the more you read. I have a few books to start but more on that in another post.

16. Blog more! Duh! I finally got my MyAgenda in the mail a few weeks ago and I now have a spot to jot down my blog topic ideas. So on the days that I lack in anything motivating I have these ideas to fall back on. So expect to hear a lot more from me in 2011!

17. Sew everything or anything. My sweet Grandpa (hi Grandpa!) gave me my grandmother's sewing machine a few weeks ago. I have done a few projects here and there but I still have a lot of learning to do and my list of projects just keep growing. By the end of 2011 I will be a sewing machine.

18. To be more thankful for the things that I have and not the things that I want. It is so easy to get carried away with all the things that I want that I tend to overlook the things that I already have. I am very blessed to have a roof over my head, a full stomach, a healthy body and a loving husband and family.

With that said I think it is a great note to end my 2011 Goals. I really look forward to all that 2011 will bring and can't wait for it to get here. I really want to know what some of your goals are so start thinking of your goals, post them and then link them below. Remember all goals can be achieved! May 2011 bring you happiness and love!

King of the Jungle

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was full of love with our families this year. We even started a new tradition at the request of my father. A birthday cake for Jesus! I think it's the best tradition by far and can't wait to pass it down to our children!

Thanks for all of your patience while I took a little break from the blogging world. Life has been busy and challenging in the Lenz household. But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger and we both look forward to what 2011 will bring! More on that to come!

So as many of you know I am really big into DIY projects and I am really excited about the one I just completed last week! You can call me crazy but I have been completely obsessed with the all white animal heads on the wall similar to the ones at Z Gallerie. Now I know that this is not everyone's cup of tea and according to my interior designer friend I have an eclectic sense of style.

I just love the rhinos in this room both on the wall and on the coffee table!

Now as much as I love these crazy animals I really do not love the price! Seriously Z Gallerie you want me to pay close to $200 for an animal head. I don't think so. I am not that insane!

So I have been searching high and low for an alternative way of doing this. I looked at some second hand stores, Goodwill and even HomeGoods for what felt like months in search for something similar. Then I hit the jackpot about 2-3 weeks ago at my local HomeGoods.

This huge lions head was sitting in the clearance section just waiting for me to swoop it up. I don't think anyone else had the same thing in mind and it was seriously just meant for me. And not to mention it was so fitting since Chris and I were married at the Houston Zoo and after we said our vows the lion in the zoo roared. So to me it also has symbolism. This monstrous thing was huge and heavy but it only cost me $12! Yes you read that right $12! It totally made my day even though I received many strange looks as I was walking around the store with this ugly lions head in my arms. Priceless!

When I brought this thing home I must admit I hid it from the hubby for a few days. I had no idea what he would think of this thing and my crazy idea and since he actually likes to have a say in our house decor I was really afraid he would reject my idea. To my surprise a few days later after showing him the lion and a few pictures of what could be the end result he was all for it. He was even trying to figure out where we could put it so that everyone would see it! This is just one of the many reasons I love him!

So the next morning I went to Home Depot to get spray paint. I completely covered this thing! There were so many crevasses to make sure that I got all the paint on. It took about 3 or 4 coats to completely get it all covered. I let it sit for 3 days to make sure it was completely dry. I really didn't want and white paint on my walls.

The hubby and I decided that the front room that we are in the process of transitioning would be the perfect location for this new fella. It was meant to be for that spot and really makes a statement! I love it! He is King of the Jungle! I wish I had a better room view of the lion but these pictures are off of my phone. I promise to post a better one later. So here are the final results.

All in all I spent $18 on this project! Much more practical for my budget than $200. Just takes a little patience, determination and a vision to see beyond the imagination.

Next up on the todo list: I really want to try this stenciling project found over at one of my favorite blogs, Jones Design Company! I think it would be perfect in our guest bathroom! This one will take ALOT of patience and time!!!


I am so glad to be back in the blogging world! Get ready to see lots of posts in the year 2011! I am putting a list of goals together (not resolutions as those tend to easily be broken) for all that 2011 will hopefully bring! Starting thinking of your list and I will give the Linky another try so you can link your list with mine to share with others! I can't wait to see what everyones goals are!

Happy Monday! xoxo

Merry & Bright

Now that I know that everyone has officially received their Christmas cards in the mail I can show you our Christmas card for 2010!

It's not as fabulous as last year's but it will make do for a DIY card.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

xoxo

Pay It Forward

Wow! What an amazing gift it is! I am not going to lie, these last few weeks have been rough. Sometimes it feels like its never going to end. One disappointment after another, something else that is going to cost an arm and a leg when we don't have the extra cash and just the things in life that we can't control. It's life right?!

This afternoon I had to leave the office to just get a breather. What better way to break up the day than to drive through the nearest Starbucks. After I placed my order I drove up to the pickup window and the barista handed me my drink. I tried to give her my money but she said there was no need for it. The lady in the car ahead of me had already paid for my drink and was paying it forward. I was shocked and felt an overwhelming sense of appreciation. You see I shouldn't have been in that line. We are trying to change our spending habits and Starbucks is just not in the budget. But today/this week has been a struggle and I needed something to get me through. I really appreciated the kindness.

It's something as simple as paying for someones coffee, something that costs less than $5 that could really make someones day. It certainly made mine. If there had been someone behind me I would have paid for theirs but there wasn't. Now I have the opportunity to do this at another time. A time when someone least expects it.

Think about this the next time you are in the Starbucks line, at the donut shop, or anywhere your heart desires. You could make someones day and make a difference.

Thank you lady in the car ahead of me. You gave me a much needed light in the right direction.

Pay it forward.

The Grinch

Yep, that's me above! I haven't decorated for Christmas yet and since it's already the 13th there is no point nor do I even have the desire anymore. I will just have to put it all up 2 weeks later.

My mom called me Scrooge yesterday.

Seriously I am just ready for the new year to begin. I guess it's the feeling of starting fresh, getting things organized, getting life on track and just a new beginning.

I will be participating in the after Christmas day sales though to make sure I am fully prepared to decorate for Christmas next year. I promise!

Royal Engagement

I can't wait for these two to get married! Such a cute couple!

It will be a wedding to remember!

What do you look forward to most about their wedding details?

VS Fashion

I know I am a little late on this. I set my dvr to record the VS Fashion Show the other night and I finally got around to watching it. I have now decided that I need to go on a diet, work out 3 hours or more a day, get a spray tan and grow my hair out long again!

Yep I have a lot of work ahead of me!

Retail Therapy

This week has been kind of a rough one so I decided to do a little retail therapy. These are on route to my house as we speak!

Divine Approval Sapphire Blue One Shoulder Dress from LuLu's

perfect for a few events I am planning to attend

2010 - 2011 myAgenda Original in Sterling Silver from momAgenda

Can't wait to start filling in my schedule in this!

There is nothing a little retail therapy can't fix.

Now all I need is a glass or two of wine!

xoxo

Jumbled Thoughts

Is it really December already?! I can't believe how fast the year has flown by! I am a little all over the place this week. So today I am going to keep it real with a bullet list to recap what's been going on and what is in my crazy head these days.

• Thanksgiving was a jammed packed weekend full of fun, family time, and get-togethers. I am not really a big turkey fan but give me stuffing and rolls and I am good to go!
• My grandfather gave me my grandmothers sewing machine!!!! I was absolutely thrilled with all the additions it came with. Thread to last me forever, electric scissors, buttons galore, zippers, pins, etc. You name I probably have it! I even made my first pillow with a zipper (more on that in a later post). Thank you grandpa!!! (yes he reads my blog!)
• I started to pull out all of my Christmas decorations. I only put out a few and I still haven't put up the tree yet. I am not usually like this! But honestly no one is really going to see it this year. However, I am thinking of a million Christmas projects that I am planning on doing so that next year my house is truly a winter wonderland!
• CL is supposed to put the Christmas lights on the house this Saturday but I am not going to hold my breath cause we have another busy weekend ahead.
• I really want to start a family soon but its not in the cards right now. It makes me sad.
• I need a vacation. Seriously! I need to go somewhere tropical. Bask in the sun, feel the sand between my toes, drink an absurd amount of alcohol, read a few books and wear only bathing suits.
• Tomorrow we have an exciting wedding to attend! I honestly cannot wait! Then it happens again on Friday night! I love weddings!
• Saturday I am going to get my hair done. I have no idea what I am going to do with it but I am so bored and its fine hair and no oomph right now. Blah!
• This month I turn 27!
• I am really looking forward to all that 2011 will bring but I still need to get through 2010 first.
• I need to get stamps today and mail out our Christmas cards. I love receiving them in the mail! December mail is so much more fun!
• Sunday we are going to a BBQ and I literally cannot wait for some yummy sangria!
• I love the cold weather and the clothes but I hate shaving and feeling like its grown out again because I have the chills.
• Is it 5pm yet?

OK I think that is enough for right now. Happy Hump Day!!! xoxo

Zzzz...

I don't know about yall but I need more of this after this past weekend!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I'll be back tomorrow hopefully refreshed! xoxo

I am thankful for...

1. My AMAZING husband, Don't know what I would do without him!

2. My family. They shaped me to be the person I am today.

3. My close friends whom I cherish dearly

4. The roof over my head

5. Those protecting us overseas

6. My neighbors whom have become more like family

7. Adrienne & Brixie

8. My job

9. Our health

10. All of you! Blogging has given me the joy of meeting new friends and I love sharing our journey with you and being apart of yours as well!

Here are a few pictures of the things I am thankful for:

Now it is your turn! What are you thankful for? Link your post to mine below. I can't wait to hear all of yours. May you all have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! xoxo

One Step At A Time

Good morning ladies!!! Are you ready for the Thanksgiving weekend? I know I am. I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I will be sharing my list with you tomorrow. It's a long list! I would love to see your lists as well so I might have something to link yours to mine, well see.

This one is at the top of my list!

I love my husband!

Today I finally loaded pictures!!! I love taking them but loading them onto the computer is something I dread. It seems to take forever (yes my computer is ancient...I'm working on that) and I just have no patience. But I had to show you what my sweet husband has been up to lately!

You know how I told you we were putting in hard wood floors because a certain dog decided to help along with the process of ripping up the carpet?! Well Chris and Ryan finished the front room! And it only took a little over half a day! I am so pleased with the results and I can't wait for the beginning of the year so we can do the rest of the house! I will say it is taking some getting used to since it echoes. But that will be fixed once my curtains are put up and we add a rug to the room.

The actual process was not that hard. After we had filled in the holes in the concrete left behind from the carpet and cleaned the area up the boys laid down the red padding and started to make their measurements for cutting the wood. Once they did that and got a "non-pattern" rhythm going it was smooth sailing from there. I was shocked when they were halfway done at 10am.

They were starting to get their groove

It was like a puzzle just clicking the boards into place

Almost done
I love the dark wood color! Just waiting on putting in the final touch to the base boards
All done!

What do you think?

I can't wait for the guys to do the rest of the house! Having pets and carpet just don't mix very well. I will be happy to see it go! The boys did a great job and we really saved a lot of money doing it ourselves. If you are interested on how to do it just email me and we will be happy to share how we did it. Next time I will do a step-by-step video tutorial for anyone who is interested!

Since the floors are finally done in there and I am getting my sewing machine this week (thank you Grandpa!) I will finally be able to really concentrate on getting that room done. I have so many ideas that I want to do for that room. It is going to be the perfect girl talk retreat with lots of hidden storage for when kids enter the picture. I love a good transitional room! More to come...one step at a time!

And just because...

Suzanne, Michele (my sister) and I after a long night of drinking and singing at the top of our lungs! Gotta love it!

I'll be back tomorrow with my Things I am Thankful For list! Start getting yours ready!

xoxo

Is it too early?

When do you decorate for Christmas? Every year I fight the urge to start my Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving. And yet every year I still do it before the turkey is even out of the oven. But it seems to me that this year I am not the only one! Lot's of people (not just retail stores but actual people) have already started putting up their trees, lights and winter decor. Are you one of them? If not when do you do it? I am still debating.

Seriously Hollywood?!

Can you not just keep it together?! What is about celebrities divorcing like its the "New Next Great Thing." It feels like celebrity marriages are dropping like flies?! And now you can add this one to the list:

Tony Parker & Eva Longoria

I can honestly say that I didn't see this one coming in a million years. I really thought they were going to last. I was just waiting for baby news. But today Eva officially filed for divorce. Rumor has it that Tony let his eyes wonder in other directions. Such a shame. Let's remember them in happy times before this gets ugly.

Their wedding day 7.7.07 (wasn't this supposed to be a lucky day?)

Any typical married couple...
Loving being newlyweds...

Marriage isn't easy! It takes a lot of work. Let's hope this doesn't become the new fad. I prefer happy news!

We shopped till we dropped!

Good morning!!!! It has been one crazy week! I am absolutely exhausted so please excuse the absence. This will be short and sweet cause I have a lot of work to do but I couldn't neglect the blog.

This past weekend was amazing! Ashley and I skipped work on Friday for a day of shopping. We drank mimosa's, walked down every single aisle and shopped till we dropped (literally). I was sooooo sore by the time we left the Nutcracker Market that I could barely feel my legs. But it was well worth it!

Double fisting the mimosa's and ready for the shopping to begin!

... and Ashley was a girl on a mission that day!

We had an absolute blast!

Oh and we finished the hardwood floors on Saturday! I am leaving that for another post though. I will say it is not as hard as we thought and I can't wait to do the rest of the house! Count on a post soon about all our DIY projects lately. We have had a lot of them!!!

Chris didn't sell his painting at the art show Saturday night...but we did have a fun filled night full of laughter, lots of drinking and singing at the top of our lungs! He already has ideas for his next piece of work. He is definitely not discouraged and ready to paint again! I have a few ideas up my sleeve as well so maybe next year I will submit a piece!

Like I said this was going to be short and sweet! Work is kicking my butt lately!!! Yesterday I pulled a 12 hour work day! Hope you are all having a great week. Next week will be a short one...WOOHOO!!! xoxo

Bad Dog!

Anyone else watch the 44th CMA Awards show last night? I was actually very impressed and well entertained throughout the show. I mean it helps when you really love the hosts! Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood did an awesome job! Now Carrie's fashion throughout the night was a bit questionable but I will let that slide cause she is just too darn cute no matter what she wears.

Brad & Carrie

And boy did these two take away the awards last night! I must say I would love to be invited to their wedding. You know it is going to be an amazingly fun with their personalities! They are soooo in love!

Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton

In other news, you know yesterday when I said that we have a big house project to complete this weekend, well here it is:

Yes, above you can see the work of a VERY in trouble 1 year old pup and her hard work. About 2 weeks ago Brixie decided that she really didn't like the carpet in the front room. And since her mommy dreamed of ONE DAY (certainly not any time soon) replacing the floor in there she decided that she wanted to help her mommy in completing a little demo way ahead of schedule. When we got home to see the work above I about flipped!!! Not only did she rip the carpet but she pulled it up to the middle of the room. REALLY?!!!!

There were no chances of a quick fix so we sat down to discuss all of our options. After getting quotes and what seemed like a million samples we decided to go through with getting hardwood floors. But to save on money we are deciding to install it ourselves. You know I love a good DIY project but this one is going to take a lot of patience. Since I lack any sort of patience what-so-ever (THANK YOU DAD) I have decided to leave this project to the guys (Chris, Ryan and Phil). I will just act as Project Manager.

So first we had to clear the room of Brixie's left over demolition and removed all the carpet, padding and nails. We vacuumed up all the dust and remains and scrapped off all glue to make the concrete floor flat and smooth. Chris filled in any holes with puddy and now the guys are ready to install.

All cleared and now it echoes throughout the house

My hard working man!
Not a fun project at all...

So now it is all set and ready to go. We ordered the floors last week and they were supposed to have arrived yesterday. Unfortunately though, they seem to have lost the freight with our purchase aboard. I am dealing with the company right now and hopefully we will have our package sometime today or first thing tomorrow morning. Wish us luck! If all goes well we will be doing the remainder of the house at the beginning of the year.

Although I am not thrilled with how all of it came about I will say I am really, really, really excited to get my hardwood floors and get rid of all the carpet in our house. So thank you Brixie...but don't do it again!!!!!

Oh the joys of having a house and a young pup. Xoxo