Went hiking

I got up early today to go for a hike at the Greenbelt with Miguel, my assistant's chihuahua who I like to borrow. I haven't been hiking since April and was just super excited to be out in nature. We started down one path and just kept going. We ended up hiking 6.5 miles in two hours. 

With all the rain that happened yesterday, the Greenbelt was filled with tons of cold flowing water--had to trek through it a couple times. It was freezing, but the view from where I hiked to was worth.

Hopefully I can make hiking a part of my routine. Pretty sure I'm gonna be sore tomorrow though. The good news is Miguel and I are going to sleep like babies tonight.

Love and light.

Adrienne

Store closing meeting

Today our store held a "store closing meeting" for all the associates wanting to transfer to another store after my store closes this Friday. It was a difficult meeting mostly because I'm so sad to say goodbye to everyone, but it was also really awesome because it was the first time all my employees were together. Lots of hugs were given and photos taken.

In the end, my management team and I invited everyone out to dinner. Only a handful of kids came, but it was a great time. A group of nine girls watching the playoffs while eating queso. Good times. As an added treat, my old assistant manager (and her mr) drove the 45 minutes to our store to hangout and say bye.

 I had a great night, and I think the meeting made getting through this week a lot easier.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Oh January, you exhaust me

This month has taken a lot out of me. Sorry for the lack of blogging. That's how it was last year though; my Project 365 turned into a Project 334 because of it. No worries, I'm pretty sure I'm back in my groove.

So, here's what you've missed this month:

1. I dog-sat for one of my assistants. Miguel is my little man! The mr and I completely fell in love with this little chihuahua. Not just because he liked to get under the covers when we'd go to bed and spoon with us, or because he got along so well with the kitties, or even because he was SO well behaved...ok actually those are probably why we fell in love with him.

2. I went to visit my little sister for a couple days in Mansfield, Tx. Fingers crossed, she should be getting a job pretty soon and neither of us will have the time to visit the other, so I decided two days off in a row was an opportunity to visit my pretty little lady. I got to be there for her and her mr's first youth service. It was pretty excited to get to see the beginning because I know that their youth group is going to explode in the near future.

3. I finally got my big christmas gift from my mr: a Canon Rebel T3. It's beautiful! It's also intimidating. I haven't used an SLR since my photography classes in college (...sixish years ago). I'm having a blast relearning and playing around with it though. So many photos to come!

4. I've also been trying to keep up with the 'Photo a day challenge" on Instagram. It's pretty much like my Project 334 last year, but there's a topic a day. If you have Instagram you should a) follow me and b) start doing the challenge.

5. I've decided that since becoming a vegetarian, I've become somewhat lazy when it comes to preparing a healthy meal and turned more towards carbs to fill my belly. So as of a few days ago, I've decided that I'm going to turn back to carnivorous ways (to an extent). I'm allowing chicken back into my life to help funnel out the bread and pastas I love so dearly.

6. The biggest news of the month: My store is closing it's doors to business on the 28th. Super sad news. My store is doing so well with business in our area, but compared to the rest of the stores, not so hot. I think the hardest part for me is that I worked so hard for the past year and a half to make the store succeed. I'm still not sure where I'm being transferred to. I'm a little nervous knowing that everything is about to change. The one thing that keeps a smile on my face and finish out this last week with enthusiasm is knowing that God has a plan for me. It's exciting to know that this shaking in my life is happening for a better purpose.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, a quick look into my January. Hope everyone's having a good year.

Love and light,
Adrienne

Jesse's 21st bday outing

Saturday was my lovely friend Jesse's 21st birthday. Since I wasn't able to join in her 21-year-old festivities in Killeen, she came to visit me Sunday afternoon for a relaxing celebration in Austin.

After all the times I've brought up how pretty the view is and how tasty the wine is, the one place Jesse really wanted to go to was the Driftwood vineyard. So, I packed up some cheese, crackers and chocolates for a little snack to enjoy with our wine and took the scenic route there. It was a perfect day for the drive, too. The weather was lovely--overcast, so it wasn't too hot and just a slight breeze.

We each got a tasting of five different wines when we got there. Jesse was more fond of the reds and realized she's not a fan of sweet wines at all. After she got a good feel of the wines and some great conversation with our server, we each took a glass of our favorite wine outside to enjoy the day and chat away.

Time past quickly and we'd realized we hadn't had an actual meal that day. I took her to another vineyard just down the way for an italian dinner. The Trattoria Lisina has some incredible dishes. I've been there with my mother a couple times and knew Jesse would love it.

Dinner was delicious and, of course, accompanied with a glass of wine. As hungry as we both were, we were also too tired from all the wine to finish our plates. We took our leftovers homes, but finished the wine.

We came back to my place for some coffee with my mr. We needed a pick me up after all the wine sipping.

Our last stop of the day was to church--a custom I hope we never break when she comes to visit. The service, as always, was incredibly moving. The pastor taught on the importance of praying--something I know I need to do more of.

We finished our day after church. Jesse left around 8:30, and I picked up a redbox to fill up the rest of the night. The mr and I watched The Help. It was really good!

My day was wonderful. It made me thankful for the friends I have in my life, and made me cherish the time I get to spend with them. It was a perfect way to wrap up my first week of the year. If the rest of 2012 looks anything like the week I've had, I'm thinking I'm gonna be one happy lady.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Best day this year--so far

Today I took the time to have a "take care of me day." It's been awhile since I've had the time to pamper myself.

My day started with a trip to the chiropractor. Last year, I bought a Groupon for a $9 consultation and treatment--what a freakin steal. I have pretty bad lower back pains brought on, probably, from the past three years of standing for 9-10 hours in flip flops at work. I thought a visit to a chiropractor would help.

It was an interesting experience. After the rather long consultation, I was hooked up with some electrodes to my lower back. It felt super good--like having my muscles pulled. But, the part I was most excited about, the cracking and popping, though, turned out to be short and pointless. The doctor twisted me left and twisted me right...and that was it.  Said he'd charge me $30 if I wanted to come back. It was a great $9 experience, but I'm leaving it at that.

After my appointment I went to the Domain--Austin's fancy outdoor mall. The day was absolutely beautiful, so I had no problem perusing Tiffany, Free People, Zara and Anthropology. I made a small purchase at Anthro--two super cute bowls and a coffee cup with my initial. It made me smile.

My next appointment was at noon. I had my weekly allergy cluster shots. I'm now one appointment away from my highest dose of cedar, dust mites and sea food, so hopefully soon I'll be able to stop relying on antihistamines so much during this season.  I got a lot of reading done during my two hour visit, too.

I had an hour to kill before my last appointment--the acupuncturist; another Groupon purchase. I stopped off at Central Market for a healthy quick bite to eat. Lunch was a tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich with pepper and sea salt chips. I ate outside to enjoy the wonderful weather, and fit in a little bit more reading.

On a full belly, I made my way to my next appointment. I love going to the acupuncturist. The first/last time I went I felt like I was on cloud nine for a week! My mood and energy had changed; I smiled every night as I closed my eyes to sleep. It was wild.

I expected nothing less from this visit, and I was right. I told the doctor I have hip and lower back pains, stress too much, and have a bad sleep pattern. He poked me with a bunch of pins and I could not fight the urge to fall instantly asleep. I woke up an hour later when he walked back into the room to remove the pins. I jumped off that table feeling like a new me.

I came straight home and what should've only been 30 minutes, turned into a 3 hour nap. It spoiled my plan to go to the gym, but I'm not complaining. I made a quick stop at the market down the street for wine, pedicure tools and a movie.

I'm wrapping up my night with a tasty salad and cottage cheese with a glass of red wine. I rented One Day with Jim Sturgess, who I have a massive crush on, and Anne Hathaway--I read part of the book last year and thought it'd be a cute chick flick to watch while the mr is out playing poker. I'm also gonna fit a pedi into my night at some point.

Best day this year--so far.

Love and light.
Adrienne

And I'm back! Happy New Year!

Finally, I got my photo situation fixed--still waiting on a new camera though, but at least I can post photos through my phone again.

There's so much to catch up on! How was everyone's Christmas? I got to spend a whole day in Houston with my family. As cliche as it might sound, that's all the present I needed. My step mom got us all matching pjs. It was a cute sight to see. My dad, Donna, uncle, aunt and I all dressed alike. Good times. It was nice having baggy pants with all the food we ate.

It was so nice being home!

How was everyone's new year's celebration? The mr and I celebrated in style. My cousin, Rick, came to visit from Houston--I hadn't seen him in maybe six years. The three of us went to dinner, with a couple friend of our and some of their friends, downtown at Cru wine bar. It was super fancy! We all had an overpriced three-course meal and a bunch of wine. We even got our own room to celebrate. At the stroke of midnight we toasted with champagne and danced the night away.

It'd been awhile since the mr and I went out, so it was the perfect way to bring in the new year. As most people are, I'm excited for 2012. My resolutions are as followed:
1. Read ten books
2. Spend more time in the word
3. Getting to the gym three times a week
4. Being more creative

I hope I can stick to all of them! Last year I didn't completely accomplish my list.
1. I paid off my car!
2. I was going to yoga classes twice a week, but got behind during the holiday season
3. I sought greater opportunities, but turns out I am where I'm supposed to be right now.
4. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go on a mission trip. I am sad about that. Soon hopefully.
5. I did read more books this year though! About eight or so.

Bring it on 2012! I'm ready for you.

Love and light.
Adrienne