Social Activities Alert: FUN Things To Do In The (863)

I am pretty impressed with all of the fun activities to do around this area! Thanks to Carrie Hughes (Hrdlicka's wife...can you blame her for not changing her name?! :) ) she has introduced us to some fun things and I've discovered a few on my own. I

PicassoZ Art Cafe: http://www.picassoz.com/

Here is my owl that I painted! Pardon the terrible lighting, she lives at my office and this is where the pic was taken. 

Carrie, Jen, Lydia and I went here one Friday night and it was so fun! You pay a $6.50 flat studio fee, pick out any object you want to design and paint, and then you paint it, decorate it, hand it over and they put it in the kiln. It is so fun and the prices are very reasonable. You can make multiple items after paying that one studio fee and they are great for gifts or house decor! You can paint anything from coffee mugs, to Iron Man busts, to dog bowls...the possibilities are endless!

Paint Along Studios: http://paintalongstudios.com/

Carrie, Jen and I went here on another Friday night and it was (wait for it...) so fun! Paint Along Studios is an art studio where you sign up for a class, and they teach you, step by step, how to paint the painting of the week. The Friday evening that we went it was a mountain photo, and I think that our paintings turned out pretty well. I mean, my setting sun looked a bit polluted and the boys commented how are lovely mountains looked like boobs, but other than that, it was an admirable try! You can bring food, wine, friends...it's great. It was $35 but you get to keep the painting afterwards. It would be great for parties, showers, or just for girls nights like ours!

Lake Hollingsworth: 

Yes, that is a church steeple, and million dollar homes nestled around this 3 mile trail!

Lake Hollingsworth is a gorgeous lake that is surrounded by a 3 mile walking-running-biking trail. It is stunning and on these fall days, it is a slice of heaven. Jen and I ran it last week (and literally ran into Lydia and Nick!) and I was in awe that this jewel was available to me at any time. With every step that you take you are enveloped with gorgeous homes, beautiful wildlife, and fellow walkers who are just as happy as you are. For Christmas, when Kyle and I host the family festivities at our house, I am going to take my beautiful nephew (who should arrive next weekend!!) on a stroll around this lake. With the houses decked out in Christmas decorations, and the chilly weather, it will be perfect. 

First Friday ArtWalk: 

First  Friday is an event I've yet to attend here in Lakeland, but Carrie and Jen and the husbands went and had a lot of fun. It's dog friendly, and just as the name implies, occurs on the first Friday of every month and usually has some theme each time. For this Friday, November 2nd: “Paint the Town Red” – Sponsored by Polk County Builders Association, Inneract Alliance and the City of Lakeland- Fun for everyone at this big event! Stop by PCBA’s Home Show and meet a variety of  local contractors. City of Lakeland will be hosting live entertainment all night with their annual Employees Give Back talent show on the north side of Munn Park. Register for Inneract Alliance’s Red Ribbon Run and learn more about the cause. 
  We will be attending on Friday (unless my sweet Charlie is born!) and we will DEFINITELY be attending December 7th, because how amazing does this sound? December 7, 2012 – “Cookies & Carols” – Holiday fun galore! Local schools and groups performing live. Holiday specials at many of the Downtown shops.

So, these four activities should get you started, but there are always fun events going on: just yesterday at PetSupermarket there was a costume contest for all pets! I was running a Florida Boxer Rescue booth and was able to watch as birds, iguanas, dogs and cats paraded around in costumes. The best was watching the cats attempt to murder their owners for bringing them to what was probably hell for the felines. I know Sprinkles (real name)  looked cute as wonder woman, but I seriously saw her shoot daggers at her owners. It was a fun activity for everyone (except Sprinkles). Also, two weeks ago in downtown Lakeland there was a 'Zombiefest' (because zombies are very trendy, for some reason) and everyone dressed up as zombies and walked around. It's easy to find fun things to do--just check online or ask co-workers! Cooper told me of two really cool events that happened yesterday: Guavaween and Blueberries, Bluegrass and BBQ! I wasn't able to attend either but I know I would have had a blast. 

He isn't a boxer but I fell in LOVE with this bull mastiff yesterday who happens to need a home!

It's blurry but you get the idea! I was stuck with the fish but then moved closer to the front. 

And to top it all off, because Halloween is so near, Kyle and I went to a Halloween party last night at Jen Higley and Spath's house (different Jen from above and Spath has a first name, but no one uses it). 

Kyle as a ventriloquist doll...eek!

I'm a cat! Just a cat. Not a sexy cat. Just.CAT!

And one more cozy Halloween pic (ok..two!)...on Friday night we ate apple cobbler, watched Nightmare Before Christmas (well, we watched 47 minutes of it and fell asleep!) and had a fire!

Fire!

Us in front of fire! My mascara is smeared because I was crying from a Secret Life of the American Teenager episode. And if you don't understand why I could be crying from that show, then you  are just clueless!

Until next time faithful readers! Next blog post will be a guide to businesses around the area that I absolutely adore: general physicians, eye doctors, nail salons, chiropractors...I'll be giving you recommendations on great places to go!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

80 Degrees Outside...Pumpkin Degrees Inside!

Well, "fall" is here! Now, living in Florida it's kind of its own season in and of itself. We neither have crisp days (our crisp days arrive a wee late...in January) nor stunning changing leaves, however, we Floridians LOVE our fall, any way that it comes to us. That's why this post is a display of how the McNeals have been embracing this season and maybe you can take some of these ideas and use them. Or not.  

First off, I made homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and I don't mean to brag, but they are amazing. Of course it's not bragging because I cannot be credited with much; I simply followed a recipe to make the dough, but from a box they are not! I brought them to the office on Friday and they were gone in about 35 minutes...and there were 30.

They have this awesome cake-like consistency...so delish!

This afternoon Kyle made this amazing pumpkin cream cheese. It kind of lost the cream cheese consistency a bit, but now it'll not only be fabulous on bagels and toast, but also it will serve as a fantastic dip for apples, graham crackers, and even vanilla wafers. YUM. 

Mmmmm...

Finally, I have decorated the outside of our house; but I didn't go crazy...no, no, crazy is being reserved for Christmas. Oh how excited I am for the Yuletide season BUT, it's not time just yet, so back to the exterior Halloween decorations.

You can get a glimpse of pumpkins from here!

Pumpkins and a fall themed wreath. I need to buy some mums too!

For some reason, I have always wanted a yard banner for every season and I found a fall-themed monogrammed banner at Kirklands. I cannot wait to order one for Christmas, winter, spring and sumer!

Yay banners! And M's...we love our M's. 

Yay fall!

So, just a brief glimpse into our lives celebrating fall. Next blog post will be all about the fun things to do around Lakeland, as well as recommendations on businesses we all need in our lives: vets office, eye doctors, family physicians, nail salons, you know, the essentials! I am loving this town (city?) and thanks to my new girlfriends, I am experiencing a lot of fun things...with more to come!

Have a great pumpkiny week everyone!

Wanna' Look Good In Your Heels? You Gotta' Eat Healthy Meals!

Well, seeing as this blog is a mix of advice/thoughts on being a young professional (as well as random posts about my dogs, my dream careers and anything that I find relevant enough to write on) I found it only fitting to combine my love of a healthy lifestyle with my blog. 
When you feel good about yourself it spills over into all parts of your life. I mean, when you are rocking a great outfit, your hair looks good, and you have energy, you do tend to have a better day. It doesn't have anything to do with vanity, it really doesn't, it's just a natural progression. What I have discovered in maybe the past 9 months or so, is that my energy level and positive outlook really is directly correlated with what I ingest. Now, maybe I'm not the best person to be writing this because for whatever reason (blame my mother), I have tons of energy...like, pretty much all of the time. I can't drink coffee in the morning (or at least not more than half of a cup) because I would be off the walls and people at work might stop talking to me. And that would make me sad. However, eating cleaner, less processed, low fat meals really has helped me maintain that energy throughout the day as well as keeps me trim, helps me think clearer and makes my skin look better. I also enjoy running several times a week, but obviously, any physical activity will do as long as you are doing it several times a week and not bringing in more calories than you can burn. This isn't about being "thin" or "skinny" it's about being healthy. Whether you agree with his politics or not, our President's wife has done a wonderful job of spreading the word on healthy eating and working out with younger kids. However, if you're a little older and maybe missed out on being healthy as a child, fear not! Start now! Ok, so I am going to post several recipes that are healthy, will last for several meals (lunch for the next day, anyone?), taste yummy and are simple to make! So, bon appetit! (you can just pretend that there's an accent mark above the e. Thank you.)

Homemade Tzatzki Pasta Salad: 

1 (16-oz.) container low-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 (16-oz.) package penne pasta
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1 (9.9-oz.) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Process first 7 ingredients in a food processor 30 seconds or until thoroughly blended. Transfer to a bowl, and cover and chill 1 to 24 hours.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.
3. Place cooled pasta in a large bowl. Stir in olives and next 3 ingredients until well blended. Add yogurt mixture, and stir just until well coated. Gently stir in feta cheese. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Baked Coconut Shrimp:

Ingredients:
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy

Directions
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Rinse and dry shrimp with paper towels. Mix cornstarch, salt, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bow; pour coconut flakes in a separate shallow bowl. Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge it in the cornstarch mixture, then dip it in the egg white, and roll it in the coconut, making sure to coat the shrimp well. Place on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining shrimp.
Bake the shrimp until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center and the coconut is browned, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the shrimp halfway through.

**We make a sauce for dipping that is easy and yummy: 1/2 cup of orange marmalade; 2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp. of horseradish..

***We also made grits to go with it; with light butter and pepper they are a healthy and easy (and cheap!) side-dish. 

Shrimp and Cheese Tortellini Caesar Salad: Sorry, no pic!
Ingredients
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 (10-oz) Caesar salad kit 
1/2 pound of shrimp
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cups frozen cheese tortellini 
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese 
1/3 or sour cream 
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
1/3 cup sliced black olives, drained (Kyle hates olives so we never add them). 

Prep:

• Bring water to boil for pasta. 

• Chop tomato and salad blend into bite-size pieces
• Steps: 

1. Cook tortellini following package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water when draining. Prep the shrimp in whatever way necessary, i.e.: peel, thaw, etc...
2. Combine in salad bowl, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, sour cream, mustard, Caesar dressing (from kit), reserved pasta water, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; whisk until smooth.
3. Add tortellini, olives, tomatoes, croutons (from kit), and lettuce; toss with dressing. Layer shrimp over top of salad and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.) 
4. We always put it in the freezer for roughly 25 minutes to make it a chilled salad. 

So, this should give you a good start. I also love Boca burgers, they are low fat, high in protein, delicious and with a small serving of sweet potato fries--I love the Alexia brand--it's a wonderful meal. For breakfast, oatmeal is a great choice or cereal with fruit cut up. I eat that every morning and it is so filling and a good start to the day. 
GOOD LUCK, you can do this!

A Fond Farewell

My sweet Grampa' Hall passed away Monday morning at 5:30am; he was 89 years old. I had written him a letter last week as my way of saying "goodbye". My dad had told me that he still loved reading and I thought, "what better way to send him off than with a letter?". I could have gone on for pages but I kept it short and simple. My family read it to him Sunday evening. 

Dearest Grampa’ Hall,

         I wanted you to know how special you are to me. Miles may separate us, months may have passed since we last saw each other, but you are with me at all times.

         Every day when I look into the mirror and I brush my red hair, I think of you. When I look down at my hands, I think of you. When I see how blue my eyes are, I think of you. There is no doubt that I am a Hall, and I savor these similarities that we share. I am proud to see my reflection and be reminded of the amazing man that I resemble.

         I have precious memories of you: you playing the organ in your living room at Eden Street; you fitting me for my first pair of glasses; you kissing my cheek on my wedding day. All of my memories are of you laughing or smiling and I love that. In my mind there will always be an image of you with your blue eyes sparkling and your smile stretched wide.

         I keep a picture of you, Grammie and me on my bedside table; it was taken when I was ten years old. In the picture we are at the house at the Cape and the three of us have big grins. I love to look at it and just let my mind wander to that trip. I remember it distinctly and you, my dad and I went for a walk that day. I felt so special getting you all to myself, having to share you only with my dad and being able to listen to your stories.

         You are so extraordinary to me and I just want you to know that. I treasure the history we have together and I am honored that I am able to call you my Grampa’ Hall. You will always be my Grampa’ Hall and I will always be your granddaughter.

         I love you more than anything.

         Victoria

Finish Line

Wow! It has been a little over a month since my last post--it wasn't a conscious effort to not write but with the excitement of the bar exam and beginning our new jobs, days slipped away. However, I am back in full force and ready to unveil to the unwavering masses the updates of my life. Since it has been so long, the best way to handle this is via a list. I love lists; they're easy to read, easy to write and they're great for taking lots of information and compacting it into an easy to digest format. Here goes.

1) The Bar Exam: Kyle and I took the dreaded Florida bar exam and we were in one room for two days with 3,500 people. ONE ROOM. It was a bizarre experience but one that I am grateful is over. We both had so many people praying for us and supporting us that I went in there with as little anxiety as possible and it is still so weird to not have anything to study in my free time!

2) Work: Kyle and I began work on Wednesday August 1st. It is amazing. We had both heard from several people that our circuit was the best in the state to work in, and that is absolutely true. The work environment is one of support and an open door policy so there is never that fear of, "oh my gosh, what do I do? How do I figure this out?" because there is always somebody, even division chiefs, that are happy to help you. Our co-workers are funny, smart, and amazingly nice people so going into work is so enjoyable! I never thought it possible to laugh so much in an office but I laugh loudly and lots. We are lucky to have started with four other recent grads who we get along with really well. Two of them have wives which is great for me because I work with a bunch of boys (all new hires except for me were of the male gender). There is some freedom to that because I can chew with my mouth open, get veggie sub particles in my hair and participate in vulgar jokes, but sometimes, you just need some girlfriends! We went to office happy hour on Friday and then had people over last night, and it was really fun. It is really cool to be able to be friends with the people you work with. Did I mention that there is a lot of laughter??

3) Creativity: During bar studies I came up with this idea to combine pictures of celebrities with legal sayings/phrases/ideas and I executed that idea into a real product and submitted it to "Only In Law School's" (originally and still a website, it now has a Facebook page) Facebook page. They have started to post them and it is SO cool to see my creations available to literally, hundreds of people. One post had around 290 "likes" and 57 "shares" which is fun to think that close to 300 strangers liked my idea! I have LOTS of other fun ideas and one big project that I've been working diligently on for over a year (crossing my fingers you will all know about it sometime in the future). It's a great release to be able to take a break and have a creative outlet that people appreciate. 

4) Firsts: This year has been full of firsts! Graduation from law school, the Florida Bar, beginning a big girl job as an attorney and there are more to come! Saturday September 1st, I am hosting a baby shower (along with help from the lovely Missy Hall and Courtney Lancaster) for my amazing sister-in-law, Alessandra. It is my first time ever as hostess for a baby shower (and in fact, I have not even been to many...maybe two baby showers?) and I am so excited. After the baby shower and potentially October 30th (but maybe a few days before or after) I become an AUNT for the first time!! If the excitement could get from the keys on the keyboard to this screen, you would be overwhelmed because I am so excited!!! I am going to hug the little baby Austin--his name is Austin Charles-- so much and there is a chance that I will just not put him down. He will become a fixture on me, like my diamond earrings or my wedding ring.  After the baby is born, I move into my role (first time ever!) as matron of honor for the beautiful Whitney Anderson. I am beyond honored to stand by her side, and with help from Alix, will plan the most amazing bachelorette party and bridal shower in the history of weddings (well, maybe not that great, but the events will be near perfect!). After her June wedding, I transition into my other role as bridesmaid for my future sister-in-law's wedding to my brother in October. Although I have been a bridesmaid once before, it has been so long ago that we will  bend the rules and just consider this a first too! In the midst of these firsts, there will also be a first vacation for Kyle and I (Dominican Republic...weeeee!), first PAYCHECKS (every month beginning Friday August 31st), first big-girl health insurance (that is not my dad's) and probably a myriad of other firsts that I can't even think of right now.

5) Finish Line: When people ask me how it feels to have finally started work and not be a student, the only response I can think of is that it feels as if I have crossed a finish line. It is a great but interesting feeling because it just "hit" me one day. Much like the moment I met Kyle and I knew he was the one (I never believed it when people told me that it was possible to just know...I thought a few times in my life I knew, but it was nothing like the moment with Kyle), driving home after work after the first day I  felt like I had crossed a finish line. For so long I have worked to get into law school, then to survive law school and graduate, then to secure a job, then to actually begin it, and it is an incredible feeling. I am here and best of all, I am along on this grand adventure with my husband! I know in life there are always finish lines, and with the crossing of this most recent one is the beginning of a new race, but with my job, my two dogs, my house and my husband (not to mention a great family) I feel so content. Needless to say, there will be difficult moments, especially with two sick grandfathers, there will be change this year that I would rather not occur, but those are a part of life and changes that I am prepared to handle, especially with this feeling of arrival.

6) PAYCHECKS: I have become quite the budgetista, which is a change, but a good one. With the arrival of our new best friends, steady paychecks, I created a solid and meticulous budget that maps out literally every expense we could have. Gone are the days of calling my mom and dad when I'm in a tight spot, gone are the days of menial jobs that involve customer service to rude people, gone are the days of not being able to save, gone are the days of being a student (and I have served my time as a student!). Here are the days of savings accounts, bills being paid and completely paid off, and a new 55" TV that will arrive the week before Christmas. We figured out how much we needed to put away each week to upgrade (42" TV isn't cutting it for my husband anymore) and after years of not being able to save for things (or having to rely on Santa Claus to bring stuff to me), it is a fulfilling feeling! Being a student had one perk, I met my husband, but I am happy to be a real adult.

7) That's a Wrap: Well my faithful readers, that is a wrap! I will return next week to update you on more things and I'm sure by then I'll include some humorous stories, fashion advice for the working woman, and complaints regarding my two dogs. Until then, have fun!

Torisaurus

With the bar a mere nine days away and the realization of my dream to become a lawyer so imminent, I began thinking back about the random jobs I used to want to have. My parents told me almost everyday that I could be anything that I ever wanted and so naturally, I went through a fantastic phase of wanting to be the most ridiculous and obscure things.  For your viewing pleasure I have put together a short but entertaining tour of just a few dream jobs that I pined for.

Yes, the very first occupation that I ever wanted was to be a triceratops.  I used to just crawl around the living room on all fours pretending to eat my mother's indoor plants (I was a peaceful dinosaur).

After the dino phase, I then progressed to wanting to be a soccer mom like my mom. I would pretend that my bed was a mini-van and drive around my stuffed animals, I mean kids, to all of their practices. 

I soon traded in my mini-van keys for ice-skates. My parents were kind enough to take me to an ice skating rink after I incessantly slid around the kitchen in my socks. Two trips to the rink sunk my Yamaguchi dream. 

This one is a real gem considering that I was (and still am) terrible at math...how I was ever going to be an astronaut is beyond me. Some dreams never die though because I have googled "astronaut law" a  few times too many...

                                                

    Here I am as an Olympic gymnast. I took gymnastics for about six months but after my "coaches" made fun of the way I jumped on the trampoline, I quit. Thanks Let It Shine in Brentwood, TN for setting my dreams on FIRE. 

 However, all of my dreaming and random occupations have all worked out fabulously because in a few short months when I get that ESQ behind my name, I will finally be living out my dream as being an atroney. An attorney who loves pink, manicures, fashion and the law. 

"The rules of haircare are simple and finite, any Cosmo girl would know!"

Effortless, Fun, Simple, MARRIAGE!

In two days it will be our first wedding anniversary. On Tuesday, Kyle and I will have been married for an entire year! I cannot begin to describe to you how quickly time has flown, however, you know that; in the blink of an eye months pass and turn into years.
This first year of marriage has been exactly the same as when we were engaged, which was exactly the same as when we were dating, and that my friends, is exactly the way Kyle and I wanted it. I love our relationship and am happy to report that marriage has not changed us. Our love is deeper, our commitment (still, as always) unbreakable, and my last name has a hyphen in it, but no magical spell transformed us after we said "I do, law school didn't become easier because we were married, and life marched on just as it did pre-nuptials. Maybe others have a different experience, and a different view, and go to it, that's what makes the world so interesting. But for us personally, things stayed the same and I love our love. That being said, I did compile a list of own "observations" that I have, well, um, observed since being married. Since I have several friends and family members who either just got married, just got engaged, or are just leaning in that direction I thought a list would be fun and the accompanying pictures even better! So here we go.

Austin dipping his "amor", Ale.

#1) The Toilet Seat: Since I was four I've heard adult women complain about husbands leaving the toilet seat up and here is my response: so. what. It is a toilet seat, and unless yours is made out of two tons of marble, it is really quite simple to put down. You just take your right hand, place it on the lid and bring it down. That's it. Your significant other was probably very involved in the sports section (or in Kyle's case, comics) and forgot to put it down, that's it. So, wives, fiancees, and girlfriends, just put it down. Don't complain, just put. the. seat. down. Marriage should be filled with more tantalizing arguments than toilet seats.

Jack and Liz have nothing to

                            do with toilets, but they sure looked gorgeous on their big day!

#2) Honey-Do: As you are aware, Kyle and I just moved and within two and a half days, my husband had hung pictures, set up the china cabinet (yes, he did it!), helped me unpack everything, and had masterfully put every piece of decor in the absolute right place. Just like I wanted. You see, I hate living in chaos and so I wanted our house to be perfect right after we moved in. Kyle, on the other hand, wasn't so desperate to have it all decorated to perfection, and I've concluded that we are just like millions of couples in this respect. Women love to nest immediately while men are content unpacking one box a week. So men, help your wives out: do the around the house projects, hang that obnoxiously huge mirror and please use the leveler so it will all be even.

Jon proposed to Whitney in May in NYC, hope he's ready to decorate after the wedding!

#3)  Pet Schedules: This one is pretty self-explanatory but life got much simpler when Kyle and I came up with a schedule of who would do the dreaded task of feeding the dogs at 6:30am. Here is our fool-proof and wildly complicated system for effortless mornings: every other day. That's right, Kyle and I alternate who will feed our fantastically behaved dogs and there is no more "please, please, puhleeeeeeesseeee feed them this morning, I'm just so sleepy", and I also don't lay extremely still hoping he'll think I'm sound asleep and get up and feed them to not wake me. Nope, we know go to bed knowing whose turn it is. 

Erin and Alex have Sophia, and I bet these two young professionals have a feeding plan too!

    So, not an entirely exhaustive list on the miracles of marriage but bar prep calls my name! Anyway, if I think of more...oh update! One of our incredible dogs literally just vomited by the front door. Awesome, as of now there's no vomit schedule but maybe Kyle and I will figure one out.
Enjoy these pics!

Aaron and Nikki have been married for over a year; they take turns dashing their miniature daschund outside every morning before she pees everywhere. 

Kyle and I were honored to attend Mason and Becky's wedding last night.

Jason and Courtney are engaged and will be getting married next October!

And here we are!

Flour Power

Oh, dogs. Man's best friend, loyal companions, the silent watchmen (not sure if that's an actual nickname for dogs but it sounded promising...). 90% of the time Macon and Clarence are absolute gems. And then there's that 10%. 
Last Monday, a day after we had moved in, Kyle and I went to Home Depot and Publix. It was a domestic outing that took maybe an hour and a half. Before we left, we "dog-proofed" the house (without kitty litter for Clarence to eat, it was slightly easier. I know, gross).  We happily went off on our adventure and when we returned home and opened the door, we were greeted with mounds and piles of flour and sugar. Yes, someone had chewed a very small opening into a box, dragged out the flour and sugar, and threw each in the air in a fit of absolute baking joy. There were no words to express how I felt. I instantly thought of just running away but then I started laughing and couldn't stop. It only took a mere hour and a half to clean...

"You can't prove nothin'"

"Circumstantial evidence! You don't know it was us!"

And this my friends, is why you adopt CATS. 

Smaug the Bar Prep Dragon

Well, we are all moved in! After three solid days of trips to Home Depot, Target, and Kyle hanging up every piece of wall decor we own, we officially have a "home". I love it; it's spacious, beautiful and close to a nail salon so all in all, it's great.
We are deep in the belly of that terrifying beast they call "Bar Prep" and remember how positive I was about it three weeks ago? Yeaaaaaaaa...I suppose it isn't so bad and I do remind myself that I'm lucky to even be in this position (I know, it SOUNDS crazy) but it helps to keep it in perspective. I want to be an attorney and I feel blessed to have graduated with a job so I suppose Bar Prep is that hurdle to propel me full speed into my dreams. Like I said, I tell myself these inspiring things, especially on days like today when I really want to be curled up on the couch watching Good Luck Charlie on Disney (don't judge, it's a funny show).
Anyway, just a quick update. Farewell my fine little friends.

Bar Prep Schmar Prep and Stray Cats

Bar Prep; it has officially begun! Kyle and I are surrounded by big binders of outlines and handouts, while our MacBooks broadcast quirky Ivy League professors refreshing our memories on the Rule Against Perpetuities, Fee Simple Absolutes, and Landlord-Tenant relationships. It's actually not bad though; I like the schedule and it helps that my husband is my study partner. We wake up early in the morning, read, watch our movies, take a nap, eat lunch, study more, go to the gym, study, eat dinner, study, and then go to bed. I like it! I am extremely surprised because I am a girl who thinks that a productive day is going to the gym, the beach, getting a manicure, and reading one of my favorite books soooo this is obviously slightly different. 
Our two boxers are quite taken aback by our constant staring at "box" (our dog's word for laptop. Yes, our dogs use words, doesn't everyone's?) and as much as I love them, if they wanted to help out and make some flashcards or bake some oatmeal cookies, maybe I'd be more obliged to run around the park with them. Just a thought if you're reading this, Macon and Clarence...
We found our new house that we're moving to in Lakeland. It has three bedrooms, a separate office, a garage, a laundry room and a backyard. I can't wait to actually have closet space, and a backyard, and a garage to hide the ridiculous amount of Christmas decorations that we own. How strange, so much change in so little time but it's good change and I'm thrilled. I often wonder how I got to this place in life but I'm not complaining!
I've taken a liking to the stray cats in this area. I worry about that because I could see myself talking to them and hanging out with them. Out of pity, of course. How wonderful for my professional reputation that one day someone will see me conversing with the mangy cats down the street. I used to also save worms as a child after rainstorms so this really shouldn't be too surprising.
Oh well, until next time my little limited audience, enjoy life and pet a cat!