It's a lazy Saturday morning - Brad's out hunting - and I'm camped out on the couch watching Cold Mountain, definitely one of my favorite movies. It's funny, I tried to watch it a few years ago and couldn't get into it, to save my life. But when I was living in Europe I read the novel "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier, and knew I had to see the movie cause it was so incredibly good.

Typically the book is way better than the movie, but in this case, the movie is phenomenal. It's right up my alley: a beautifully haunting love story that combines the charm of the South, war stories, and incredible acting. Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are so convincing in their love for each other - hers, waiting for him to return to her, and his, trying to find his way back to her.

This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie...Inman (Jude Law) is telling a mountain woman about his journey back to Ada (Nicole Kidman):

Some shots from the movie -

One of the best things about the movie is the soundtrack - the country girl in me could listen to bluegrass all day long, and this movie does not disappoint with their song selections and haunting instrumentals. This is my favorite song from the movie by Alison Krauss:

TIME magazine said of the movie, and it describes it well: "A grand and poignant movie epic about what is lost in war and what's worth saving in life. It is also a rare blend of purity and maturity -- the year's most rapturous love story."

I was born off an old dirt road...

Okay, so I wasn't.

However - I've got this song on repeat to the point that Brad's singing the words to our dog and while he's in the shower. At this moment. Yes, I've been listening to it a lot.

But it's a feel good song, and at the end of the day I need a pick-me-up!

"I'm A Wildflower" JaneDear Girls

Nashville!

I always tell Brad that if we suddenly decide to up and leave our small town that I want to move South, and I want to move to Nashville. I think it's the perfect mix of country and city, with all the country music and Southern charm, and yet still has the big city feel to it.

Anyway, we're spending a few days after Thanksgiving with my family in eastern Tennessee, in the mountains, but Brad and I are taking a mini-mini vacation to Nashville beforehand. I've got my planning hat on!

First thing - whenever I travel, doesn't matter where I'm going, I always check Trip Advisor. Pretty much any town in America is going to some kind of reviews, broken down by hotels, restaurants, and things to do. I always check to see what the Top 10 is for whatever destination I'm going to in each category. When I pulled up Nashville, the number 1 rated hotel is the Hermitage. Beautiful, amazing, historic hotel right in downtown Nashville, but also almost $200 to stay there for one night. In this instance, the hotel I ended up booking for us was a little lower (not rated as high), but I've stayed there before and loved it then. The hotel I booked was the Gaylord Opryland hotel, which is a massive hotel in Nashville - two main reasons I booked it:

- It will be decorated to the HILT for Christmas and we'll be there the day after. Talk about getting in the spirit!

- There's a million things to do inside the hotel

The other thing I want to do when I'm there is visit Belle Mead Plantation. Again, it will be decorated for Christmas and I think the tour discusses the family's Christmas traditions? fyi, I LOVE touring old homes. Here's a picture of the plantation:

Another thing Brad and I will want to do is visit downtown Nashville, especially at night to experience the "honkytonk" bars and live music. We've always talked about how fun it would be to go to Nashville with all our friends...maybe someday?? Anyway, I want to visit this bar, called Layla's Bluegrass Inn. Doesn't it look so fun??

And finally, just spend some time wandering the streets of the city. We're only going to be there for a day and a half so we won't have much time...but I'm planning on making the most of it!

Randoms

1.) I've decided that work has finally worn me out. No, really. Up until this week I have never really been tired at the end of a work day. That is sad, I know...but it's thrilling and scary at the same time! Cause it's only the 3rd day, you know? My boss actually said to me yesterday, "If you have this much work only 2 days in, who knows what 60 days will be like?" Yes, who knows....but I like it for now and that's what matters.

2.) I came to the conclusion tonight when I was standing in line at Wal-Mart - with only 2 open lanes and the girl working my line was soooooooooooooo slooooooooow it was downright freaking ridiculous - that sometimes I think God must be sparing us from a car accident or something terrible when we have to wait for incredibly un-necessarily long amounts of time. Know what I mean? I waited in line so dang long tonight that I almost just left the store. The only way I can control my temper is to literally thank the Lord for slowing me down for whatever reason He might have.

3.) I did my first spinning class tonight at my gym. It will also be my last. Note to instructor: when you play slow, orchestral music during an "uphill climb," nobody is motivated. In fact, it put me in a bad mood. Maybe that's why I was freaking out at Wal Mart. [Just a note, I've been waiting for these spin classes for 2 years! I'm sadly very disappointed...]

4.) My husband actually said to me tonight, "I can tell you don't talk a lot at work cause you sure are talking a lot tonight." He was laughing while he said it, and I kid you not, only your husband can say something like that to you and simultaneously make you love the fact that he can speak so honestly to you, and yet tick you off for BEING so honest. We laughed, it was funny....and then all night I kept wondering, "Am I talking too much??"

5.) Veteran's Day! Sadly this day is not honored the way it should be - we should have this day off just like July 4th, IMO - but even while I'm working tomorrow I will be sure to be thinking of all the brave men and women who serve the best country in the whole world.

6.) CAN I GET AN EYEBROW WAX, PUH-LEASE? And a manicure. And a pedicure.

Monday

Gotta say...for a Monday today was pretty great! I started my new job today and I'm definitely excited for it, if not somewhat overwhelmed at all I will be doing (keeping in mind my training is from the company owner, and they always think on big picture, big idea terms, rather than in the small details a woman might), but I'm super looking forward to it. And, the best part? I'm looking forward to work tomorrow! I honestly do not know the last time I said that.

I followed Freckled Citezen's blog post about mushrooms and made my own tonight for dinner and they were AH-MAZ-ING. So good. I bought baby bellas and seared them until I thought the house was going to burn down. The result was tender, meaty mushrooms that had just the right amount of crisp on the outside. Went perfect with a glass of Cabernet.

I'm on the lookout for a big wall calendar that I can take to work, but all the ones at WalMart are so tacky. I've perused the Target website and they have nothing, as well as Office Depot. This is where my (slight) anal-retentive-ness comes in - I can't buy something online, I have to see it!

On a final note, I have a Motorola Droid and while I'm sure it's no iPhone4, I actually really love the phone. I found an app called "Jorte" - weird name, I know - but it is the BEST calendar and totally looks like something you'd find under Real Simple or Martha Stewart. Clean layout, typewriter font & fun colors. This is just the "week" view - I prefer the monthly view - but gives you an idea of it.

I'm for bed...it's only 9:20 and with DST it feels so much later!

Back in business

I really have no excuses about not blogging now, because I'm the proud new owner of a MacBook! We've been without a computer for the last year or so and were able to skate by using borrowed laptops, but this weekend we decided to bite the bullet and buy one. And I am SO HAPPY we did...I think telling Brad that me not having a computer would be like him not having a TV, really hit home with him :)

Anyway! So I have lots to talk about now...first thing? I got a new job! This is the biggest blessing from the Lord. I was pretty unhappy at my old job, which is a shame because it was a fantastic company with great benefits but some of the people I had to work closely with made it unbearable. But, my new job? Working in the "car racing" industry for a what I THINK - still getting to know him, but his wife took our wedding photos and she's amazing - will be a fantastic boss in a beautiful home office (no joke at all, looks like something out of a Pottery Barn catalog, in fact I think all the furniture is) where I won't have to clock in/out, or tell someone I'm going to the bathroom or feel bad cause I took an extra five minutes for lunch....basically it will be me and him all day, and I am very much looking forward to that! (uh, in a professional way, not any other way. Just sayin') Also? Better pay AND better benefits. It was a blessing at just the right time.

So. Next thing? I ordered this planner from MomAgenda and thankfully they have MyAgenda for us non-Moms cause I had to have one. The color I ordered was Mochachino, and I think it's a little shimmery? Not too sure, but I love the inside of it! It has week and month views, and I love the journal/book style of it. Plus they're on sale right now, so I couldn't pass it up.

I've also been working a lot on my dining room. Back when I moved into this little white house two years ago I painted the dining room a bright, gaudy orange. Not sure what on earth was going through my mind. But this fall I repainted (and painted and painted...) the room an off-white and the ceiling a pretty olive green. I bought some gorgeous olive-and-cream striped fabric and made curtains, and recently whitewashed a little table that Brad made me and set it up in there. Here's the finished product (minus the wall hangings...putting shelves up soon! oh, and excuse the mess on the table)

I'm a huge fan. It's so much lighter and more "open" feeling. The orange room was way too much!

Seeing as how it's Sunday and church starts in an hour I should get ready - we're terrible with being late and every week I have a new resolve to be on time! So, here we go :)