I said YES!

Tags

Engaged, Love, Relationships, Wedding

If you read my last blog, then you know that my boyfriend Chris got a job offer in Springfield, MO which meant we were picking up our lives and moving 400 miles away.  So prior to us moving, we were going to visit my family since we knew it would be awhile until we would see them again.  One thing we always say is that we don’t like having to drive all around the Houston/Woodlands/Conroe area because it takes up so much time to see everyone and it’s exhausting.  Not that we don’t like seeing my family…it’s just that it feels like more of a business trip having to see everyone over the weekend and then go right back to work Monday morning.

Having told you that back story…Chris and I were like, ya know, wouldn’t it be so much easier if we invited everyone to one place and had them come to us instead? Like almost a semi “going away party”. I began to call/text family and friends in the area and it seemed like this thing was coming together seeing that it was being planned like one week in advance.  Jump to that day, lots of people are showing up and I realize how much I don’t like having all the attention on me.  I’m one of those people who worry about if everyone is having a good time and if I’ve talked to everyone there.  Which, can I also say how weird it was having most of my friends and family there (because it was my home town) but really it was Chris that got the new job and that was why we were having the going away party?? Chris knows everyone there so it’s not THAT weird I guess…but it seemed like it was kinda celebrating my accomplishment but I didn’t really accomplish anything.  ANYWAY, I digress…so there I was feeling overwhelmed about talking to people. Who does that?! And then Chris pulls me aside and brings me to the front door where his family and friends from Dallas are waiting. He wanted to surprise me by inviting them. I started crying.  Literally.  I wasn’t expecting them and it was overwhelming on top of overwhelming.  “I know you can be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed…but can you ever just be whelmed? I think you can in Europe.”

So about 30-45 mins go by and then Chris pulls me aside again saying he wants to thank everyone for coming.  All right…everyone is gathered in the living room and I can sense something is up.  I knew what was happening at that point.  He was going to propose.  Right there.  In front of everyone.  He said some words I can’t fully recall and I started crying again; he gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him.  There’s a video.  Multiple actually. From different angles.  Welcome to 2015!

If you had asked me that morning when I thought we would get engaged, I would  have told you maybe in a year or so.   But now looking back I wouldn’t change anything about that day or how it happened or who was there.  Maybe I’d change my clothes for picture purposes but that’s it 🙂  So now I get to do life with my best friend and I’m pretty pumped about it.  And no, we haven’t picked a date yet—again I will refer you to my previous blog where I mentioned we were moving to Missouri and I no longer have a job.  We’ll get there eventually!

And ladies, he did a good job with the ring 😉

XOXO
Madi B

A Perfect Storm

Tags

Career, Job, Life, Missouri, Springfield

MAN—there has been a lot going on in my life recently hence the lack of blogs.  Just haven’t had time or the mental capacity to do it.  I’ll start at the beginning and then we’ll just let everything unfold through blogs 🙂

The company I was working for had merged with another large company and after about a year and a half of the merge announcement, corporate wanted to move my division to another building half way across town.  This means doubling my drive and probably tripling my drive TIME which also leads to increase in money spent on gas and if I take toll roads etc.  I began to weigh my options on if I wanted to stick with that job or if it was time for me to try my hand somewhere else. I had been there for nearly two years and I felt like I was ready to switch it up and take on more responsibility elsewhere.

Well while all this was going on, my boyfriend Chris was also looking to take the next step in his radio career so he was applying to various positions all over the country.  I completely supported him in this and I was prepared to move anywhere (well almost anywhere) with him if he got a great opportunity.  Well the great opportunity came knocking and we needed to move to Springfield, Missouri within a month.  MADI B IS GOING TO MISSOURI, FOLKS! And yes, I know Springfield is synonymous with “The Simpsons” but I never watched that show so there’s that.

So from there, the planning went into motion and we did everything necessary to move out of state within a months time. And turn’s out, my last day at work was the last day my company would be at our old building before moving us across the metroplex.  Everything happens for a reason, right?! And let me say this…Chris would do the exact thing for me.  If I received an amazing job opportunity he would drop everything and move with me to whatever that location was. So this isn’t a situation where I’m just following my man wherever he goes.  We are partners and we support each other.

Getting a little religious here, but I know this is all part of God’s plan and if I’m supposed to be in Missouri right now then that’s where I’m supposed to be.  Am I nervous/anxious/excited/scared?? Heck yeah!  But life is a journey and I’m going for it.

Stay tuned!
XOXO

The Black Hole

Tags

Communications, Mass Media, Netflix, Social Media, Technology

Netflix is a life ruiner.  It ruins peoples lives.  A little “Mean Girls” reference there for you. Okay, Netflix doesn’t really ruin lives, but kinda!  Ever since I signed up for Netflix it has practically run my entire schedule.  This app takes up a considerable amount of my time.  Like, an embarrassing amount.  Now, I’m sure I’m not the only individual that feels this way too.  How can I NOT be?! A program that allows you to watch endless amounts of movies and television shows at the click of a button.  NON-STOP.  If you wanted to watch an entire season or heck, series even, you could do that in one day.  I believe they call this binge watching.

Netflix can be complicated though–it is possible to be watching too many shows at once. For me, I prefer to stick with one show, watch it all the way through and then start another one.  I guess it’s a sense of completion for me or something.  When I was little, I would eat only one piece of food from my plate at a time–ya know, all the green beans, then the mashed potatoes and then the baked chicken.  My mom would get mad at me because she said I would get full before I even got to another food group.  Jokes on you Mom–I always cleared my plate 😉  I told you I’m a foodie.

Let me clarify though, I still sleep and work and exercise so I’m not addicted to Netflix by any means.  It’s just that it’s so accessible you can watch it whenever, wherever! For instance…I watch Netflix while I’m working out on the stairs.  Walking up stairs for 40 minutes can make you a little coo-coo so I enjoy the distraction of a good series.  Currently, I’m watching “Californication”.  Really good show.  However, I wouldn’t recommend watching some episodes in public places as that could make for an awkward moment.  If you’ve seen the show you know what I’m talking about.  If you haven’t seen the show, just take a guess from the title.

With more and more innovative and creative series and movies being offered through Netflix, I can only see it’s stock moving up in the future and more and more people getting on the train.  The only thing I dislike about the ‘flix is that it feeds into the technology centered society we live in now-a-days.  Many people are engrossed in various TV shows/movies and they are spending their time inside glued to the screen watching fictional stories when they can be out creating their own non fictional ones.  I’m definitely guilty of this, but to each his own on how we spend our free time.  And for others, not so free time (all you watching at work!).

Til next time,

XOXO

Amen to That!

Tags

Church, Devotional, Religion

Brace yourself…religion oriented post.  You’ve been warned!  So not too long ago, my boyfriend gave me a Daily Devotional for Women.  I would try to take it with me to work so I would read one devotional while I was there but sometimes I would forget and then it would be like 5 days and I hadn’t read one.  I finally set an alarm on my phone to go off every week day to read my devotional at a certain time.  Yes, I need an actual alarm to make me stop what I’m doing to spend three minutes reading a devotional—but it works for me so I’m sticking with it.  And I said to myself, if I don’t have three minutes out of my ENTIRE day to spend with God, then I’m doing something wrong.

I haven’t always been the best Christian.  Well, no one is really. Except Jesus, duh.  That’s the whole point right!? But what I really mean is that my family and I would usually just go to church on Christmas Eve and Easter and then occasionally a few Sundays here and there.  I went through Confirmation classes (I went to a Lutheran church so I’m not sure if all religions do this) but I just did them because my parents made me and really, I think my grandparents bugged them about it so you get it. I also went to church with my friends a few times too when I was in junior high and high school.  It’s not that I didn’t like going to church or anything; I just didn’t get anything out of it.  I would get bored during Sunday services and not listen to the message, but I’m sure younger kids were like that anyway.  Once I met my boyfriend and started going to church with him in college, I feel like I finally started to get it.  I was interested in hearing the sermons and wanted to know more.  Initially, going back to church on a more regular basis made me feel insecure about my lack of knowledge of Jesus and the Bible.  The more and more I went to church though, it sunk in that God doesn’t care how much you know about him or Jesus…he is just delighted that you want to know about him.  There are people who have gone to church their entire lives and are still learning new things every week.  So if you’re someone who feels like I felt…just let it go!  Don’t feel like you can’t go to church because you don’t know enough.  That’s what it’s there for!  It’s like saying you can’t go to school to be a doctor because you don’t already know all of the bones and muscles.  You have to learn about that stuff eventually but you gotta start somewhere.

I truly enjoy going to church and reading the Bible and reading my devotional.  It just soothes my anxiety and doubts.  I’m a planner, y’all, as I’ve blogged about before so not knowing what’s going to happen and not being able to plan for life stresses me out!  That’s when I just remember to give it all to God.  Everything is all part of His bigger plan.  He had plans for me before I was even born.  So I know that everything happens for a reason good or bad because it’s going to put me where I’m meant to be and make me the person I’m supposed to be.

XOXO

Mix It Up!

Tags

Disc Golf, Exercise, Fitness, Health

If you’re anything like me, working out can be a little daunting from time to time.  Or as my boyfriend and I refer to it as…the struggle bus!  Always going to the gym and doing the same exercises gets pretty monotonous.  This is why from time to time I like to mix it up and try something new!  For example, disc golf!  I remember the first time I played, it was the summer after I graduated high school and it was the cool thing to do because it was free and you could drink on the courses as long as no one was around.  Oh to be young again. And in case you’re wondering, I did NOT consume alcohol during this disc golf trip!  For all your disc golf virgins, it’s essentially just like golf, but instead of golf balls and clubs you use a slightly heavy Frisbee to toss from hole to hole.  You need is at least one disc and you’re ready to go.  They actually have all kinds of discs like putters and drivers (just like golf! Light bulb!) but I don’t really know the difference and my pink disc works just fine for me!  I’m not in it to win, just to have fun and enjoy a different kind of exercise!  More than likely, there is a disc golf course in your area.  It’s just like a golf course, except there’s not a dress code.  Well, you have to wear clothes (duh) but not khakis etc.  And it should be free! Most are—I think because they are built/managed by the city.  But don’t quote me.  If you really want to raise your heart rate during a game of disc golf, you and the other players can participate in what I like to call, a lightning round!  You just sprint from hole to hole, but it makes it a little more fun!  Another sport I like to pick up randomly when I need to shake up my workout routine is tennis!  I really want to excel in tennis but I haven’t had much luck.  It’s much harder than it looks, so all you tennis folks out there—good job.  Trying to serve like Serena the first go around will send your ball home run style out of the court.  Or into the net.  The ladder is better so you don’t lose your ball :).  I would say that the key to tennis is, if you’re a beginner (like I can give advice), start close and then work your way farther away from the net.  Once you get a good volley going back and forth then try to challenge yourself and increase the distance between you and the other player.

All I’m trying to say here is…GET OUT AND TRY SOMETHING NEW!  You never know until you try.  You could love it!  And exercise is a must now-a-days so get moving! Plus bathing suit season is just around the corner so what better way to motivate yourself 😉

XOXO

Mixing Metals

Tags

Accessories, Bracelets, Fashion, Jewelry, Layers, Rings, Style

Mixing metals is a current trend that I really love, lately. Mixing metals, mostly gold and silver, used to be such a taboo but now it’s like the more the merrier.  AND let’s not forget about our new friend that recently joined the party…Rose Gold!  It’s becoming more and more popular. Also coming up in the ranks recently in gunmetal with its gray-black tones. So—what’s the best way to mix your metals?  Anyway you want, really.  I would say mixing bracelets and bangles is the best way, because it really showcases all the colors and textures in your #armparty for all to see.  Along with stacking your bracelets you can also stack your multi-colored rings and even layer your favorite necklaces you thought you couldn’t pair together before.  There are NO RULES ladies and gents.  For me personally, I’m drawn to more gold tones so my silver collection is seriously lacking but I just love me some gold.  What’s funny/ironic about that is, (prepare for short sidebar story) when I finally convinced my mom to let me get my ears pierced when I was 7, we discovered I was allergic to silver because my ears became infected with the new earrings I started wearing.  Well, it was probably nickel, actually, but I just steered clear of any silver toned/plated jewelry to avoid my ears being infected again.  Thus, being left to wear gold jewelry which I did not like—I associated gold jewelry with old people because I felt like I only saw grandmas wearing gold jewelry when I was that age (no offense grandmas!).  Now, years later, about 95% of my jewelry is gold-toned.  So, full circle, mixing metals for me isn’t too diverse because most of what I own is gold, but I’d like to bring my silver collection up to speed!  When considering mixing up your accessories, don’t be shy!  We’re in an “anything goes” era when it comes to styling your jewels.

Mix it up and Style on!
XOXO

Spread the Love

Tags

Adoption, Animals, Love, Valentine's Day, Volunteer

Not everyone has a significant other during Valentine’s season but what some people don’t spend on their honey they spend it on their other love…their animal!  It’s no secret that animals and volunteering/adoption are close to my heart so I felt like this was something worth mentioning. PetSmart has a promotion going on this weekend called “Be My Valentine”.  February 14-15th PetSmart is promoting this national adoption event to give adorable cats and dogs their forever homes.  If you’ve been considering or thinking about adding a cat or dog to your family– why not take advantage of this national adoption event and get your new furry friend this weekend! Besides…how can you say no to those precious faces!? So instead of getting a box of chocolates, spread the love this weekend and start a new relationship with a precious pup or cat!

XOXO

Valentine’s Day Ideas <3

Tags

Date Night, Gift Ideas, Love, Romance, Valentine's Day

Still looking for some Valentine’s Day inspiration for your boo?  No worries!  I’ve got you covered.  Whether you prefer a cozy night in for two or a night on the town I’ve got some suggestions that might bring you some luck! 😉

For the couple that prefers a romantic night together in the comfort of their own home there are a few fun options!  Surprise your sweetie with their favorite home-cooked meal and let them relax OR you two can tag team in the kitchen and make a delicious meal together.  Try renting a movie neither of you have seen and kick back on the couch and snack on your favorite movie theater treats.  This way you don’t have to worry about sharing the arm rest with anyone! Redbox usually has some good choices and it’s cheap! You can even up the ante and get a nice bottle of wine and enjoy a Valentine’s Day dessert with it, like some brownies!  Who doesn’t love brownies?!  There are plenty of ways to make the evening romantic even from your own home—just put some extra thought into it and your partner will be happy as long as you’re together.

For my couples that want to go out for a night on the town—“Fifty Shades of Grey” is coming out this weekend and will surely ignite some steam.  I haven’t read the book, but I’ve heard plenty of reviews so this could be the flame to get your Valentine’s Day started.  Or for my single ladies…gather some of your girls together for a Galentines celebration and go see what Mr. Grey is all about.  A really cute date night idea that I like is to reenact your first date together and reminisce on old memories. You can laugh at how silly and nervous the two of you were and see how far you’ve come! If you’re in the mood for trying something new—go to a cooking class or a painting class like Painting with a Twist.  Most of these instructional classes are BYOB if you’re 21+ which makes it just a little more exciting.  You can also try out a local winery or brewery.  They are fun and usually inexpensive as well as educational.  But let’s be honest it’s a cheap way to get a little tipsy with your honey.  For those of you that can enjoy the 3-day weekend, consider taking a short trip out of town for a romantic weekend getaway. Order some room service at a hotel and just enjoy each other!

And for a few gift ideas for the fellas, get your lady a gift certificate for a spa day or somewhere like Dry Bar. Chick loves Dry Bar.  And of course…flowers and chocolate candy are always acceptable! 🙂  Ladies, if you’re struggling to think of something cute for your man, you can get him his favorite bottle of whiskey/scotch…whatever he likes. I’m certain he won’t complain about that. You can also make a small book or I-O-U’s!  Like, I-O-U a homemade dinner, I-O-U chocolate chip cookies, I-O-U a 20 minute massage—you get the picture.   Whatever you do for your Valentine’s Day weekend, just make sure to tell that special someone you love them (awww!)

XOXO

A somewhat structured rambling…

Tags

Life, Love, Random, Work

So in my blog last week, I mentioned that I was going through a “creativity slump” if you will, which is why I was absent from my blog for about two months.  I’m going to ramble here and digress some but go with me, if you want, if not then here’s your chance to bail.

Every day when I get to work, I unlock my office door, turn on my computer and heater, even in the summer time (I like my feet toasty!), and I mark a day off of my calendar with my lime green sharpie.  Almost like I’m serving a prison sentence; but I’m not!  I’m SO grateful to be employed and have a job that allows me to pay bills and not live from paycheck to paycheck.  Is it my dream job?!  No, but it’s okay for now.  And to be honest, I’m not sure I could even tell you what my dream job is.  Is staying at home watching Netflix and eating considered a job because I think I would succeed at that?  Kidding.  But really.  I’ve struggled with this for about a year now—searching myself to find what I really want to do with my life.  I feel like I went to college after high school because my parents had always told me that’s what I was going to do and I didn’t have a choice.  I’m glad I went to college—I learned a lot from others and I learned a lot about myself too.  I received a degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism.  I also minored in Psychology.  What?!  I know, the two fields are night and day but somewhere along the way I convinced myself there was a link somewhere.  I wanted to be the next Erin Andrews—cute sports reporter on the sidelines talking about everything current in the sports world.  Once I graduated, though, and went on a few interviews…I wasn’t sure if that’s what I actually wanted to do or if I was just doing it because that was the next natural step.  Get a job at a small TV station as a production assistant and work my way up the chain.  I knew it would be that way going into it, but I was never truly passionate about news and reporting.  I think I may have just been going through the motions.  Fast forward to me moving to Dallas with my beau and two weeks later getting a job.  I was thrilled!  It was in the radio industry but more corporate-ish so that has something to do with Mass Comm, right?  I had zero prospects moving here so it was a big leap of faith for me, especially since I can be neurotic about planning things (see blog about my obsession with my planner).  I truly believe God helped me get a job at the right time because he didn’t want me to struggle or worry.  Now, here I am almost 2 years later and I’m really no closer to knowing what I want to do—professionally speaking.  I should clarify that.  I mean I have options, but there’s really not a solid goal that I’m working towards. I’m sure I’m not the only 20-something that feels like that so it doesn’t freak me out too much, yet.  It’s more like just knowing that you want to be a productive member of society and productive for yourself and your family.  It’s about self-worth and feeling like you’re life is fulfilling.

So if you ask me what I want to do… I’ll tell you I’m not quite sure.  But, I know what I do like to do…or what I’m kinda good at.  I like writing.  When it’s writing about what I want or like to write about.  I love animals.  I love clothing and fashion and accessories.  I like reading—dumb stuff and smart stuff.  I’m decent at math, but I haven’t had a math class since freshman year of college so who knows if that’s true anymore.  I like television—dumb stuff and smart stuff.   I love food!  I like organizing and planning things.  I love my God and my faith and I want to continue growing it.  These are all random facts about me, but they are what I know so I’ll keep that with me until I find my true calling, whatever that may be.  The saying goes, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”  I guess I’m just working towards that.

Until next time,
XOXO

Super Bowl Sunday!

Tags

Drink, Food, Football, Party, Super Bowl

I’m baaaaccckkkkkk!  Well I actually never went anywhere…just haven’t blogged for about two months now.  Did you miss me!?  I got busy at work with the holidays and wasn’t making time for blogging at home; mostly because of laziness, but also because of lack of inspiration and creativity.  I feel like I have this preconceived notion of how my blog should look/read and when I felt like I couldn’t achieve that I just gave up.  Bad attitude to have, I know!  But it just shows that if you really want to do something, you’ll make time to do it.  I struggle with procrastination and laziness DAILY but you gotta push through if you want to make things happen.  So now that I’ve said that, let’s get to why you’re really here…

It’s football timeeee!!  The Super Bowl is this Sunday and I cannot be more excited for it.  It’s the most watched sporting event of the year–heck maybe even the most watched television event of the year.  Usually, if I don’t have a favorite team playing I’ll root for the underdog but both teams this year, the Seahawks and the Patriots for you non-football aficionados, are quite successful so I, personally don’t think there is an underdog in the game.  Seahawks have the best defense in the league and pretty good offense.  Patriots have Tom Brady who can throw a ball like nobody’s business.   Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Well Madison, if you aren’t cheering for a specific team then why are you so excited?  The Half-Time Show?”  No—don’t get me wrong, I like Katy Perry but one thing I look forward to during the Super Bowl is the delicious food that goes along with all watching parties.  It’s like another Thanksgiving.  If you’re hosting or going to your own Super Bowl watching party—I’d like to suggest a few items to make.  First of all…all foods consumed during the Super Bowl should be finger foods.  No spoons or forks necessary.  For starters, I’d go with some chips and queso.  Everybody loves chips and queso!  The recipe here is very easy, which I also love.  You can even add ground beef or a can of chili for some chili con queso.   For the main course, I highly recommend the Buffalo Chicken Ring. This thing is so good! I’ve made it a few times and have gotten rave reviews from everyone who’s tried it.  Not that hard to mess up either.  You can add or take away ingredients, too, depending on your taste.  Like, I don’t add onions, celery or any scallions and it’s still very good.  And last but certainly not least, a tasty dessert of sopapilla cheesecake.  Anything with cream cheese in it is OK in my book.  All of these recipes are easy to follow and are certain to be a hit.  Not sure if all the flavors “flow” well, but it’s the Super Bowl so anything goes.  You can start your diet again on Monday 🙂

Enjoy the weekend—Cheers!