1 - I finally bought my first pair of "grown-up" sunglasses, the Ray Ban Wayfarers!  I have never really spent any more than $20 on a pair of sunglasses, but after the last pair that I bought at TJ Maxx - a super cute pair of Jessica Simpson glasses that Brad somehow managed to snap the arm off within literally two hours of me owning them - still shaking my head over that, like what happened?? - I decided to buck up and buy a nice pair.  I've been after these forever and finally bit the bullet and bought them on Amazon for about $50 cheaper than the retail price.  They're totally legit, just goes to show how Amazon is on track to become the next WalMart (by devaluing all the things they sell.  My company sells on Amazon, can you tell we hate them?)
I debated going with a cute pair of Kate Spade sunglasses, or something a little more feminine...but I'm learning that my style really leans more towards classic and timeless rather than trendy.  I love them so far!

2 - I have a wedding coming up in a couple months for one of my best girlfriend's, and I'm having a hard time on getting a dress.  The bridesmaids were told to pick a dress in a blue shade, so that's nice and flexible.  I'm [obviously] looking at J Crew, I think they have the best selection of bridesmaids dresses.  Only thing is that the ones I like are all on Final Sale right now, which means they can't be returned or exchanged.  I'm currently 17 weeks pregnant, but at the time of the wedding I'll be 25 weeks...so question is, how do I buy a dress for a growing belly that's NOT a maternity dress??  Here were my favorites...

found here

found here

found here

I'm definitely leaning towards the top one - I would just have to order it 2 sizes up and then have it altered down, which probably wouldn't be such a bad thing.  And have that deep v-neck pinned a little higher, ha.  Any thoughts?  

3 - I've started back up with Zumba and yoga, plus walking in between, which is really, really good considering the fact that I drove to the gas station yesterday and bought a Coke, a package of mini-coconut donuts, 2 Dove candy bars and a package of Peanut Butter M&M's.  I only drank 1/3 of the Coke, had 2 donuts and 1 of the candy bars but I still feel like Will Ferrell in this scene from Elf:

4 - Our trip to Florida is in 3 weeks from tomorrow!  And our gender ultrasound is in 2 1/2 weeks!  SO EXCITED for both!  You can expect to hear lots of moaning and groaning from me about how I hate summer maternity clothes :)  

16 weeks & the house

I posted my 16 week update yesterday - finally!  You can read it here...Immeasurably More.

Funniest thing with being pregnant is I have not had cravings like I thought I would, or the way everyone says you will.  However, I seriously cannot get enough of McDonald's Cokes.  Does anyone else think they put crack in there??  Holy cow, they're SO good.  Since getting pregnant I've lost my taste for coffee and that is A-OK with me, cause I would much rather drink an icy Coke from McD's any day.  We won't discuss the sugar content, kay?  ;)

This weekend Brad and I went out to our land where we're building to decide where to position the house and what trees/brush we'll clear out.  Where we'll put the house is currently in a little section of woods that borders a big field, and we're planning to put the house just inside of the clearing so that we'll have a view of the open field from the front of the house, and then the backyard will be woodsy.  We'll clear out the woods about 50 feet all the way around the house to plant grass.  I wish I had a picture of the view from what will be the front of the house, it's so pretty!

One website that we've used a TON for ideas is Houzz.  It's basically like a Pinterest for all things houses - exteriors and interiors.  You type in what you want to see - i.e, white kitchens - and it will show you hundreds of pictures of white kitchens.  Here's a sampling of pics from our Ideabook that will give you a little bit of an idea at what our house will look like (keeping in mind that I've yet to find a picture of a house that will look like ours, which is surprising cause it's such a classic look):

traditional exterior design by san francisco architect Gast Architects

This is ONLY to give you an idea of what the front porch will look like - low-level, no railing, white beams.  It won't wrap around the sides of the house.

traditional exterior design

This is a good picture of what the porch will look like, although it's not a good shot of the whole thing. We're also going to do one shed dormer above the porch, which is what's pictured here.  We LOVE shed dormers and think they're a little more unique than gable dormers (the traditional dormers you see on homes).

traditional exterior design by san francisco interior designer Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

This is a good example of the exterior colors of our house.  We're doing cedar lap siding that we'll paint white, which is probably similar to the clapboard look (wider planks than say, vinyl siding).  We're going to do a black standing seamless roof (metal/tin roof), and the will probably have cedar shakes on the dormer and in the gables on the side of the house.  The windows will be black, no shutters.  We're also going to do black fixtures.

That's about as far as I can imagine for the exterior!  It's hard for me to envision the end product - you picture things in your head, but it's hard to tell how it will actually look in person.  The exterior has been a lot easier for me to picture than the interior.  Pretty soon I'll post some pics of what we're thinking for the living room & kitchen.  It's so exciting, even if it is a little overwhelming!

I'm off to make up some hamburgers for Brad to put on the grill - it's above 70 degrees today, as it has been the last few days, and we're taking advantage of all we can!

baby baby

That's my 15 week belly!  I won't lie, I'm a little concerned now that if I'm showing this much at 15 weeks then I'm in trouble!  Oh, and sorry for the crappy picture.  It's hard to take a side shot of yourself.  I should've at least used Instagram to make it a little artsier...

I've been keeping track of my pregnancy over at a different blog - of course I had a different blog, considering I've already had 4 in the last 5 years, ha - so if wants to go read back to the beginning, here's the link:

immeasurably more

Basically, you'll see my belly grow and read all about my basket case moments in the first trimester.  Believe me, I had them in spades and Brad was so, so happy for me to get out of that awful time!  Pregnancy really is a blessing, but I did not enjoy the first three months.  Everyone tells you to enjoy it, and while of course I was so thankful to be pregnant, I did not enjoy feeling sick all day, or being tired beyond belief all day, or having constant fear that something was going to go wrong...the list goes on and on.

Overall, being pregnant has been pretty easy - but that's easy to say when you're only 15 weeks ;)  I did have some spotting from weeks 6 - 10, which made life incredibly stressful, but that cleared up and it's been smooth sailing.  We got pregnant the first time we tried, which was really funny because for our entire marriage, Brad was NOT ready to have a baby.  And the first month he said he was ready and excited to have kids was the first month we "tried" and lo and behold, we made us a baby.  I think I'm just now getting over the shock that it happened so quickly and easily!

I think what I'm most happy about in all of this is that, even though I never envisioned myself being a 30 year old mom, I am SO happy that Brad and I really experienced married life with just the two of us before we started a family.  We took trips to Tennessee, to Georgia, to Florida, made countless weekend trips to Minneapolis, spent so many weekends on the lake in the summer, went to concerts, had hundreds of late nights out with friends, and just really grew in our love for one another.  Now that we're starting a new chapter of our life it's a little bittersweet to look back and realize that we won't have that time again with just the two of us for a long, long time.  But we're so excited and can't wait to start our new journey.

back in business

I'm back!  And soooo excited to be back, cause I have lots and lots of big things coming up that I can't wait to post about.

Here's the first thing --

We're building our first house!  Which is really great, because....

We're having our first baby!

I'm 15 weeks pregnant and we couldn't be more excited.  Can't wait to share all the details soon!

travels and such

It's been a busy couple of weeks for our little house recently!  And really...I don't see it slowing down too much  anytime in the near future.  Sometimes staying busy is nice, especially when, for the most part, we're not really "busy" people [you know those people - that never seem to have a free minute and always have things going on.  we don't like to live that way...].  But it also can get to you after a while.

Recap - I was in Illinois for work last week.  Had a GREAT time.  Who knew you could like your co-workers SO much??  I love mine, and just wish I had the chance to work with them regularly!  I got back from there late last Thursday night, and Friday afternoon (after working 1/2 day) Brad and I took off for Green Bay to see -->

The Green Bay Packers at Lambeau!  If you follow football at all, Lambeau Field in Green Bay is a legendary venue.  We had a great time visiting some of Brad's relatives - spending time at the Pro Shop, and also getting to visit WG&R, which is owned by Brad's family.  More importantly, we visited August Haven, which is a new furniture store they just opened.  I wish I had pictures of the place, but the only one I can find on Google is this one -

Their furniture was just gorgeous.  I walked in and fell in love.  It's like a Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware all in one.  

We left Green Bay on Sunday morning at 3am, got home around 8:30am and both were at work by 9am.  Needless to say...Monday was a rough day and I am just now getting over a pounding headache that started that morning!

But, my exciting news is that we're going to NASHVILLE!  I found tickets on Southwest Air for $65 ONE WAY from Minneapolis.  So, for Brad and I to book flights there (from a Friday-Monday, no less!) it only cost $340 for both of us!  Seriously??  You can't hardly book one plane ticket for that cost, much less two!  

I found these awesome rates via Airfare Watchdog - I set up Instant Alerts and yesterday it popped up that they had super cheap tickets, so I told Brad about it last night and couldn't believe it when he said, "Let's book it" cause I am forever throwing things at the wall and seeing which ones stick (meaning, trips/flights)!  It will be my 30th birthday present, and I really can't think of a better way to celebrate than by visiting my favorite city!  

Funny thing is that I'm always trying to convince Brad that we need to move there, so last night we were getting ready for bed and I told him, "This will be the 3rd time we've been to Nashville in a year!  I bet it's a sign from the Lord that we're supposed to move there."  And quick as that, he responds, "Or it's a sign that we can live HERE and just visit there a lot."  UGH.  He always gets me on those little smart comments :)  

Oh, and because I always appreciate it when other people do this, here's some new songs for a workout playlist -- 

1.) We Found Love - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

2.) Beautiful People - Chris Brown

3.) Breathing - Jason Derulo

4.) Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher

Happy Hump Day!

the zumba report

Alright, I'm going to admit it - I loved Zumba.  Loved it.  And attending the class on Tuesday night definitely affirmed my belief that it's our generation's Jazzercise.  I say that nicely, for the most part :)  I was the youngest one in the class, first off, and while we were standing around waiting for it to start I was able to watch a 40ish year old woman warm up by doing her Zumba moves.  Then another woman came in, she was very pretty and probably in her late 40's?  Very pretty makeup, seemed very sweet and conservative....and kid you not, the woman came alive in the class!  I mean, hip-grinding, butt-shaking, nearly-lifting-her-shirt at one point (yes, seriously). Then there were a few senior citizens in the class, as well, which always makes you skeptical at the intensity in the class.

Overall, I had a blast dancing and felt that, while I didn't get an intensive workout, I got my heart rate up and actually had fun while doing it. If you like dancing, Zumba is a great class to check out.

Did anyone else watch Hart of Dixie on Monday night?

Holy cow, I am obsessed.  First....can we just talk about the fact that it takes place in a small town in the South?  Hello, my dream life.  Secondly....Rachel Bilson and her ridiculously adorable self and wardrobe.  Can I have her hair?  And pretty much everything she wears?  Thirdly...really looking forward to seeing how they play her relationships out with Wade (is that his name?  The bad boy?) and George (who was also in Friday Night Lights, aka Best Show Ever on TV).  The acting isn't going to win any awards, but it doesn't matter.  I'm in love.

Is it feeling like Friday to anyone else today???

dubious

Being that it's Fall [in fact, we should be hitting our peak colors here this weekend or next week.  Un-freaking-believable...] I'm due for a hair color change.  I've found that, in a small town, getting your hair done is so reasonably priced that I typically can go about 4 times a year for coloring.  Health of my hair aside...I usually go dark blonde in the spring and lighten it up even more in the summer, and in the fall I'm always drawn to warm, rich colors.  Except that I've dated/married a man who just really doesn't want me to go dark with my hair.  I've appeased him all these years except for one, and here's the proof:

That also happened to be my year abroad when we weren't dating :) 

My hair appointment is this Friday, and here's what I'm thinking --

This is a little darker than I would probably go, considering that she's got gorgeous olive skin and I have very fair, pale skin.  But I really like the rich color of it.

Here's one other option --

This girl is much more my coloring, and the hair is a shade or two lighter than what I would want.  But I like the warm honey color.

I think I'll take both pictures and see what my stylist thinks.  I'll make sure to post pics once it's done.

On an un-related note, I'm attending a Zumba class tonight.  I'm a little dubious just cause something about the Zumba craze reminds me of the Jazzercise craze...and we can all remember how popular that was with moms in the 90's.  The Zumba instructor is in my Spinning class and she said she sweats as much in Zumba as she does in Spinning, so that should mean something cause I sweat like crazy in Spinning.  Plus the dancing aspect sounds fun.  Here's to hoping it's not cheesy!