Insert Creative Title Here

One - If you are looking for a place online where you can salivate and drool into your keyboard, please, go here now:  tomato dumplings I know this person in real life, I knew she was good, but I didn't know she was this good. Clearly, I need to start bribing her into bringing delicious treats to us all. Just look at this BLT - I would SO savor this on a plate sans bread. And it would STILL be the bomb diggity.

Two - Look what I found:

So excited! My curls have been MIA for like 6 years! They are slowly creepin back into my life. Shoot - makes me wanna grow my hair out a tad. I won't grow my hair out for real long because it's too thin. Kinda like this mess here:

 

Bleck.

But if she can get away with that stringy disaster on her head, shooooot, I can grow mine out a few more inches fo definite. All you chicks out there with thick healthy hair - ugh - so jealous. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Rock that ish. Anyway - thankful for the curlage aka improved health of my hair. Gluten - you suck at life.

Quotes from children ages 5 and 7:

"Your hair looks crazy!"
"What did you do to it?"

"It looks really ... really ... ummm.....swirly. I like it."

Three - I just ate two double cheeseburgers and a medium fry from Wendy's. Somethin's wrong wit me. Maybe I'm not disgustingly full because I took the bread off??

Four - My brother got a new toy. It looks, and sounds like it should be named Randy. Don't y'all think so?

Tomorrow is Friday. Thank you sweet Jesus.

I am drivin to SC. I hope to bust up out at 3:35. Then I'm havin a reunion with Anj Davis and the dream team.

I'm ready for fall. cold. sweaters. scarves. boots. increased wearing of Burt's Bees. too much coffee and latte consumption.

If you made it through this COMPLETELY random post without hitting the X. Thanks for comin out.

A few things ...

Today I gave in and had this:

It was worth it. Fluffy and whipped creamy and pumpkin spicy delicousness - makes me look forward to Thanksgiving and scarves and boots and sweaters. Mmmmm! Although the website said 50g of carbs for a Grande - I'm a little doubtful - my blood sugar was low ALL DAY LONG AFTER THAT.

~

This little fella here went to Pet Smart and got him's Rabies vaccine up to date (check out the new collar bling) and heart worms? Negative! Love my Brody Boo Boo! Look at those handsome toofies. (Y'all are probably gagging like I do when I read one too many posts about somebody's kids).

  

~

I love this place and Pastor Mike. It's a really big deal for me to say I feel comfortable at a church. I like that they reach out to people who need it and don't treat church like an exclusive club of people who are already members.

 If you live in the Raleigh area and are looking for a church, I highly recommend!

~

I'm about to spend most of three weeks with my husband! I am so dang excited!

I almost posted the most crab-tastic post ever. But, after my little church meeting tonight, I am inspired to think positive and trust God's plans and God's timing. He clearly demonstrated that he hears me after bringin me little Brody Boo Boo. 

Y'all have a fabulous Tuesday night!

Love,

I take it back

What comes to mind when you see these?

My thoughts:

*gross
*tree-hugger
*what the deuce
*are those bedroom shoes?
*what are they even made out of?
*Chapel Hill
*vomit

Then - I realized that these people give a pair of shoes to a kid in need with every pair of Tom's sold.

My thoughts:

*that's nice, but they're still hideous

Then - about three years past the "trend" when these are probably about to be the last thing anyone wants to own and people start donating them to Goodwill, I see these:

Somehow, things look more delicious in red, don't they? This is just like how I made fun of Dansko clogs for like 5 years, then, when I got tired of my back hurtin from bein on my feet all day, I tried some on. Ahhh ... can't wait for fall.

Bonus - my husband thinks Danskos and Toms are super hot.

No, he doesn't. But he likes for my back not to hurt because that means less whining.

Maybe I will ask Santa for some red Toms?

Please let me extend my apologies to fellow Toms owners for my thoughtless nay-saying.

 

Love - for only $4

 I have decided - I don't have to explain myself.

My obsession doesn't hurt anyone.

I tell my husband all the time, he should be glad I'm not compulsively ordering overly-priced $h!t trendy "Omg, I'm lusting after this $700-fill-in-the-blank" online, inspired by someone's OOTD. Sorry, did that sound snarky?

Movin on ...

How precious is this? I saw it and loved it. 

Y'all know I love just about anything vintage -bonus if it's feminine but not pink.

and I love red with white and blue with white - this was a little bit of it all ...

I love the pearl buttons ...

and the ric rac ...

You may be thinkin, What in the world is she gonna do with that thang?

Well - don't worry your pretty little head - I have a response prepared - I have to be prepared because my dear sweet husband always wonders that very same thing (although he doesn't actually ask anymore because he knows I will light into him about my love affair for magical junk finds).

I will display it in my kitchen (yes - my very own real kitchen) - and, thanks to Boegerlicious, I think I will frame it. I have a thing for vintage fabrics but I don't actually want to use them for fear of messing them up and making them look less magical.

So yep - I am happy.

And for only $4!

Man, that was tasty!

Today, I've had:

*coffee

*turkey with some cheddar

*some goat cheese

*chili

*potatoes and peas

*caffeine free diet coke

*mini bag of popcorn

*lots of buffalo wing flavored chips

*a bite two giant chomps of my brother's leftover Mexican

*3 spoonfuls of peanut butter

*fried chicken sandwich from Wendy's without the bread

* a small frosty

*more peanut butter

*dark chocolate and peanuts (alternating bites)

*egg, cheese and bologna off an egg, cheese and bologna sandwich

I just couldn't find that special something that my tummy was wanting until this:

I may start eating these everyday for breakfast. They are made out of real fruit chunks after all. 

Yum! And 19 grams of carbs. Yeah, totally soundin like breakfast to me.

One gripe:

Whattup with this nub of a popsicle stick? This one just got dipped the wrong way or somethin. My hand was crampin from havin to hold it like that.

It was still worth it.

And guess what else?!

Tomorrow's Friday.

Holla!

6.8 Baby! Who's ya Mama?

You know what one of the best feelings ever is? 

No? 

Well, I'll tell you. 

One of the best feelings ever is when:

*checking your blood ~7x/day

*adjusting pump settings accordingly

*changing pump sites every three days

*trouble shooting pump errors

*inserting a sensor every 6 days

*trouble shooting sensor errors

*feeling the pump and sensor lump in your belly/butt/side when you sleep at night

*$ out the yin yang for pump supplies, meter supplies, insulin and dr. visits

*having unsightly lumps/bruises/red marks in your belly/back/butt from the pump and sensor

*waking up in the middle of the night with low blood sugars but using that data to adjust pump settings

*feeling nauseous, dehydrated and generally like shiz from high blood sugars

*having people stare at you and wonder what you're doing with a "pager" that makes beeping noises all day

*taking extra time in security at the airport to explain all of said medical madness

*giving up all products containing flour of any sort and beer

all add up to: 

Big ups to:

 who I know, is ultimately in control, and who lead me to Dr. Holt

 greatest endocrinologist ever, 
and Jennifer Spain, 

 greatest acupuncturist ever.

Gracias to my family and hubs too for always being so encouraging and supportive!

Thanks y'all! 

I'm tryin to tell y'all that ain't nothin like this happened to Shug in Boots since she was like 10 before any sort of hormonal madness happened and gluten reallllly started to wreak havoc apparently ... plus all those times as a teen when I just did not EVEN care. Anyway, point is - this ain't happened in FO-EVAAAAAA!!!!

Groundbreakin, suga bees!!!

I was surprised to learn that it's pretty common for Type I's to have gluten allergies. Giving up gluten has changed my liiiiiiiiife, y'all! Totally blown away. 

If you are afflicted with the dia-bee-tus, or know someone who is - these are the main things that I've found to be awesome:

1) try not to eat more than 30g carbs at one sitting

2) drink lots of water (and if you can't help yourself, at least avoid caffeine)

3) NatureMade vitamin diabetes vitamin packs Just look how awesome this chick's life is as a result:

4) take an omega-3 supplement

5) and for me, eliminating gluten made my blood sugars much easier to manage, got rid of back pain in the kidney area that I've had for YEARS, got rid of unexplained knee pain I've had for YEARS (I used to not be able to even bend that guy, now - bend away!), hormone regulation, MY HAIR QUIT FALLING OUT AND NEW HAIR IS GROWING IN ITS PLACE!!!, annnnd, I don't get up to pee 3 times a night. Matter of fact - I don't get up at alllll!!!! 

Can y'all believe that?!?!

Coping with Writer's Block

My Brain in ABC Order

A - Applesauce, Andrew, AOL sucks

B - Butter, Brody, beach, boots

C- Cornhole, Chapped Lips

D - Diet Coke, Diet Mt. Dew, Deviled Eggs

E -

F - Fat Dog, Frito Pie, French Fries, Frosty, Football, Fall, Flea Market
G - Goat Cheese
H - Hell on Heels, Hashbrowns, Hoodies
I - Idiots, Irritating
J - Job, Jeans
K -
L - Lazy, Lip Gloss
M - Mayonnaise, microchip
N - New Hairs ( kiss my tail, gluten!)
O - Optimism, obbbbbviously
P - Proximity, Posture
Q - Q says "kw"
R - Ridic
S - State Fair, Slobbery Ball, Snarky
T - toes (Lord knows I need to paint mine), tests, tailgate
U - uber excited
V - voluptuous, vinegar, vacation
W - Wolfpack, werewolves
X - X says "kssss"
Y - Your House
Z - zebra print danskos

I couldn't think of anything for E or K. Today was Monday fo sho, so glad those tests are over. However, if I failed them, I will be revisiting them in November. I can't think right now because all I can hear is Brody chewing a rubber ball, sounds like he's poppin his teeth out of his gums. 

Now that we here in NC, have had the fall tease, I am sad that the 80 degree temps are comin back. BUT - thankful to the Lord for safe weather of any kind. Brang it on!

Raise your hand if you had Frito Pie for supper tonight. We did.

Gyahh Lee

I feel like I been rode hard and put up wet, y'all.

I got up at 5:30 yesterday - on a Saturday sat through five hours of testing. Bleck. One chick's test booklet ended in 666. Dude - if I was her, I would not be able to go on. I would have had to fill out the little test cancellation paper because y'all know that thing was doomed. Poor thing. Then, I hopped in the car and drove raced about an hour out of town for a wedding. I had enough time, until I went on a Quizno's mission. All I could think about was some broccoli cheese soup. Do you know how stupid it is to put a restaurant on a highway sign, then you pull off the exit and that shiz is SIX MILES away?! Are they serious with that mess? I was so irritated.

So I ended up at Panera, where duh there was a mega long line. I didn't care. 

Anyhoo, made it to the weddin. Had me a right nice time. 

Congrats, Frank & Liz!

Got up, drove back this mornin, after eatin at Your House where the cook totally looked like Snoop. He was clearly the glue holdin the place together. He told Debbie the waitress, "Don't brang me anotha ticket back heah lookin like dis." Her handwritin was whack and she clearly didn't know how to write short hand.

But I will tell you this. My omelet was off the chain. You know how they always have limp, floppy bacon in omelets = sick. Well, not this time! Homeboy hooked it up! Nice, crispy bacon, good tomatoes and flavorful onions all up on my flavor palate.

That's the way to start the day, my friends. 

I wanted to get a picture, but I thought he might get pissed. Sorry.

I'm goin to take a nap.

Peace out.

When the Lord closes one door ..

He sends you a surprise!

There are about a million things I need to be doing right now. I have two tests - 4 hours total...starting at 7:30 am, and one I honestly don't feel ready for. I have to drive out of town to a wedding after that, and I'm not packed. 

But I had to share this.

So, if you read yesterday's post - I have been TORE UP WITH GRIEF since yesterday afternoon. My beloved Brady's owners showed up to reclaim him. I was just beyond help. I was absolutely grief-stricken. I didn't know why God would allow me to fall madly in love with Brady and then take him away.

Y'all. 

I cried alllllll night long. Then, I dreamed of him all night long. And I woke up four times, and started bawling as soon as I was awake enough to realize that Brady wasn't there in the room with me. I cried when I left for work, and he wasn't there for me to feed and walk first. I cried when my husband called me this morning. I cried again when I got to work and somebody asked about him. My eyes were still so swollen by this afternoon that I couldn't read my study book clearly. I was jacked up fo realz. Some KIND of terrible. I mean, I was in a fog, like when you go through a bad break up, or when somebody dies or somethin awful, awful. I kept seeing flashes of his beautiful face all day, and thinking of how precious he looked layin in his chair. Terrible, I tell ya!

Then, I got a text from my bro: 

So the owners of Brady picked up another black lab from a newspaper ad, thinkin it might've been Brady. It wasn't, obviously, but they kept him anyway. He looks just like Brady and has been neutered and house trained already. They are looking for a good home for him. Just a thought ... 

Clearly my heart nearly jumped through my chest when I saw this.

The rest is history. We met the owners at Home Depot, he got out and excitedly greeted us and hopped right in the car like he'd been knowing us his whole life. When we got home, he just came right on in and made himself at home. 

Bonuses:

1) He can fetch - meaning go get the ball and actually drop it when he brings it back - no vicious wrestling the ball from his mouth is needed. Sweet.

2) He knows how to "sit" and "lay down" - I strongly feel that there is enough intelligence there to learn to shake. 

3) He is not accustomed to sitting on furniture. 

4) He also lays real cute with his back legs out behind him like a turkey.

5) He burns off tons of energy playing fetch so he is not needing to be walked around the neighborhood while making an attempt to rip your arm out of the socket. 

6) He's already been fixed.

7) He is beautiful! Shiny black coat, gorgeous teeth! (He is tall and super long legged, and he gots some extra lovin/skin ... he may be in need of a slight weight loss regimen.)

8) He does not bolt up and down the steps, nearly tripping whoever is walking with him.

9) He doesn't try to escape through the door every time you open it. 

10) He doesn't lift his leg to pee. No, I guess that's not really a bonus for us, just an interesting fact.

I had to write this TONIGHT because 

GOD 

IS

GOOD.

Please help us welcome our newest member to the family: 

Brody.

* Please disregard the demon eyes.

Size 8's. 

Happy Weekending!

Gotta go study ...

Things That Make it Suck Less

Sometimes, things just suck. Period.

If you've been reading recent posts, you realize that I have fallen head over heels in love with this little black suga bear:

Today I got a super yuck-o voicemail from my mom while I was at work.

Brady's owners showed up where we found him and wanted him back.

The impact it had on me after what...three weeks? Was ridiculous. I cried at work. Someone had to cover for me for a bit there.

It took me about 20 minutes to fall madly in love with this animal. We had magical trips together, with his tongue blowing in the wind in the back of my trailblazer. He slept in my room with me every night. He was SO excited to see me everyday when I got home from work. He sat for treats. He licked my face. He left dog hair all over the furniture. I love him so.

But - it made me feel better to know that a poor 12 year old boy had been crying himself to sleep at night missing him. Lol. I just realized how that sounded. I wasn't glad he was crying. But I am glad that Brady is going back to a home where he has been missed and will be welcomed back with open arms. I hope these people will have enough sense to put a chip in him or at least a dang collar with his name on it and a phone number.

Now he can relearn his old name and spend another week or two wondering what in THE WORLD is goin on in his life.

Oh well - never know what tasks the Lord will send your way. I'm glad we were able to give him a good home instead of who knows what happening to him.

I will always love you Brady Boo! even though I was quite upset with you last night when you chewed up my $50 LL Bean slippers. Your new old owners can deal with any digestive issues as a result of your ingesting leather, fleece and shoe strings. Or that time you jumped high enough to tear the pizza box off the table and eat half a pepperoni and black olive pizza - that was just lovely as well.

Soooo ... on a happier note, I'm gonna make a list of stuff that IS AWESOME.

1) Gluten-free living has changed my life - my hair quit falling out, my blood sugars are better, my back and knees quit hurting, I don't get up 123 times to pee every night ... the list goes on and on but I'll spare you the rest. Feel free to email me with questions - I am so an advocate of at least trying to figure out if a food allergy is the cause of one's misery. ;)

2) Crawling in bed at night with my super soft snuggly sheets when I am just EXHAUSTED. (I'll have to FORCE myself to keep walking at night now that Brady has gone to be wif his old family).

3) Ice cold Diet Mt. Dew when I just don't think I can keep on keepin on.

4) Finding a lip shade that works and isn't too goopy or dehydrating.

5) I really can't think of anything else magical right now ... I suck. So much for my plan to write a super long list of things that are wonderful.

What makes stuff suck less for you? Tell me - so I can go try it out!

PB - Psycho Brady

The dog is a whack job. Period. 

He acts like he's killin a rabbit. 

Should I be concerned? Any feedback is welcomed.

*Warning: the videos are sideways. I don't think I can fix it. Sorry.

Tell Me If This Is Normal ...

Y'all know I said I have that test two tests THIS COMIN SATURDAY. I just opened the books today to think about studying. Even though I have had the books for weeks, and instead of getting started when I got the books or annnny time after that, I just waited until today. After I laid around allllllllll day long. I finally opened the book at like 5:30. My head started to hurt (about 30 mins. later) when I realized I don't know general historical stuff that I should know - like the Emancipation Proclamation, Manifest Destiny, the branches of the government and what they can/can't do. My husband will be SO ashamed of me when he reads this. Let's face it, when I was growin up, math and reading/writing were "important" (based on which subject areas are tested with standardized tests around these parts) and then came science. Social Studies was just randomly the leftover subject, seems like. In my world, no one cared about social studies. I wish it had been instilled in me a little better at a younger age, because as I got older, I had no foundation to add knowledge to, so I just took other classes and now I don't know squat about our country. I am disgusting. And, I was born on the 4th of July! Even worse!!! 

Yet, instead of studying, I have put the book down and decided to blog. I really think I have a mild form of ADD. I cannot and will not get anything done until I am down to the wire. And, then, when I do, I will STRESS MYSELF OUT TO THE MAX - even though it is my own doing! Like, I feel guilty and stressed right now - but I still ain't studyin. I also really struggle to pay attention when people are talking or explaining something. And, it's not that I'm not interested in what they are saying. It's like I can't even focus on eye contact while they are talking without going into another world. And, I have to read everything like 3 times if it involves explaining/teaching me something. And I absolutely CANNOT have someone else read directions/instructions to me ... I have to read it myself or you might as well be whistlin' Dixie. 

Awesome, right? 

Here's what else is goin on other than my guilt and procrastination -

I had the privilege of visitin some pig friends this weekend:

Went to Jason Aldean! Finally! I went with some lovely ladies in ma fam:

My Aunt Weeze. Aka Sandy. Look at her fab Jason T-shirt from last time she went. Ain't she cutie?

My meemaw, Hazel Sue.

(I am proud to say all women in our party wore genuine cowboy boots.)

My mega prissy Mama.

And me: Don't you love that shirt? Best part - it was ma hubs' idea!

This was the back:

People watchin at the Amphitheater/Pavilion/whatever they are callin it this week has always been a fave:

Cousin It's ready to go huntin?

Sometimes your boots hurt when you ain't had time to properly break em in:

Observed behaviors which indicate you need friends to help you draw the line:

1) wearing a dress up to your goodies and then playing corn hole so that you bend totally over, showin everything in the back, then toss the bags reallllly high, so your skirt lifts up to show everything you got in front. PSA - If you're wantin a one-night rodeo, this is the way to make it happen. If you want any sort of decent guy to show you one ounce of respect - not suggested.

2) Begin the first few songs crying while swaying/dancing with your girlfriend, and then alternating grinding yourself into two guys - pick one while the others gone to get you a drink, then switch back when he returns. Both guys leave and you begin to wrap your thighs around the girlfriend who you were cying on earlier in the night. Gross. Self-respect. Get your learn on.

3) Urinating ON THE LAWN WHERE THE CONCERT IS TAKING PLACE = it's time to cut yourself off, people.

Lord, have mercy. 

Having said all that, a good time overall!

Brady hopes you have a wonderful Monday tomorrow!

xo,