Boo!

Oh, how I wish I could be home tonight to open my door to all the little ghosts and goblins in my neighborhood! It's been years since I've had Halloween night off, and I've always loved handing out candy - or toothpaste, as uncool as that was - to kids decked out as their favorite movie character or super hero.

I've never been to a costume party, and now that I think of it, I haven't dressed up for Halloween since I was in fifth grade. I think next year is mine ... if I can remember to ask off.

Well, I'm off to work! Happy Halloween!

Staying still

I'm alive - really I am!
And what's great is that I'm enjoying a relaxing evening.
The first in a very LONG time.
I can't ever forget how to sit down and breathe again.
This is heaven.
Ahhh ...

Really? 500 posts?

Happy 500th post to me! Can you believe it? I know I can't.

I had intended to give you guys a rundown on my insane origami antics, but when I signed into Blogger and saw that this post would be such a milestone, I decided to chuck the origami and instead blog about blogging.

Oooo ... fun!!

The day I started "I need a [permanent] vacation" I had no clue what this blog would turn into. All I knew is that I needed a vacation, and I thought I may use this as a place to vent about how much I longed to travel the world. I never anticipated how many amazing people I would meet through this corner of the Internet. I couldn't fathom how blogging could become somewhat therapeutic. And I definitely couldn't begin to imagine all the things I've learned here.

It all started as a curiosity. How long could I really keep this up? Would anyone care to read about the not-so-glamorous life of a mixed-up girl from Tennessee? Could I even figure out how to change my stupid masthead? ... All things that worked out in some way or another.

This blog has had readers come and go, but the steady few who check in every week keep me writing about my life, as boring as it may be at times.

There are many things I wish I could bring myself to write about. God knows this blog would be far more interesting if I wrote about work, which I will never do. My love life (or sometimes lack thereof) can get really interesting at times. But I've kept that off-limits here, too. Sometimes I feel like forgetting the limits I have put on this blog, but then I regain my senses and decide my personal life doesn't have a place in cyberspace. Not yet, anyway.

But everything I have shared - from the happy posts to the sad posts - has been amazing. I've enjoyed reading comments, whether they were funny, supportive, sympathetic or just someone checking in to say hello.

These 500 posts have been fun. And I'm pretty sure I'll be in this for at least 500 more! Thanks for reading, guys.

I can't believe it's almost been a week

Really, I have lots to blog about. I just can't seem to get it together to actually post anything, though. I think I've been working too much. Yeah, that's it.

I'll try to do better.

Coming up:
1. Origami is evil
2. The diet starts tomorrow (again)
3. Maroon 5 is Wednesday!

New music is good

It's been awhile since I've gotten excited about a new band. I'm guessing MIKA has been my newest "new" musical find, and that's sad considering I fell in love with him in January and it's now October. Sooo, this is why I'm so thrilled to have found several musicians lately that have made their way into my iPod's most-listened to rotation.

Spoon has been around for over a decade, and somehow their music has managed to elude me until now. I saw their performance on "Saturday Night Live" two weeks ago and immediatly pried myself off the sofa to hear more online. Good stuff. Very, very good stuff. I now have three of their albums and can't name one song that I don't like, which is crazy.

Paolo Nutini reached my earbuds through Scott's Myspace page, and wow ... This kid is fan-freakin'-tastic! Seriously - spend the $10 to download his album. You'll be glad you did.

Colbie Caillat has also been a surprisingly good listen. I don't typically enjoy female singers for whatever reason. Maybe it's more of a distaste for cheeseball lyrics, but somehow Colbie Caillat has creeped into my music collection anyway. Yeah, there's the silly love songs but her voice is just good, and that is enough for me right now.

Wedding weekend!

So very tired.
Enjoy some pictures!

Jessica and Scott and their rehearsal dinner.

Kelley and Tommy - two of my very favorite people!

Erin and Scott acting like a big dork.

Low country boil - or what was left of several batches at the rehearsal dinner Friday night.

The wedding begins!

Here comes the bride!

Mr. and Mrs. Garner

Jake, Kelley, me and David - old college buddies from way back.


Soctt and Jessica's first dance.

Laura, Scott and me as the night was winding down.

Hooray!

Because my last post was quite sad, I've decided to try to perk this place up a bit while I'm gone.

So, these are things I'm happy about:

* Jim got back from France tonight.
* I get to see all my wonderful college friends this weekend.
* Scott is getting MARRIED!!!
* A nip is in the air ... I actually got goosebumps this morning when I left my house to run errands! It's truly October!
* I found a fabulous dress on sale marked down from $175 to $35 at Dillard's the other day.
* I discovered that I love Fossil. I will be shopping there lots.
* I'm off for the next FOUR days! Woot!
* I'm going to Europe next year. Really. I am.
* I had the most amazing dessert today at Rembrandt's with Megan and Holly ... it was a turtle tart - filled with caramel and pecans. It was the best dessert I've had all year - and trust me, there's been some dessert-eatin' lately.

I wish you all a fabulous weekend! I'll be back Sunday or Monday with pictures and happy stories, I hope!

When 350 miles may as well be a million

It's been a very rough three days for my college friends and I. They live in South Georgia, and I live in Tennessee - which isn't really that far, but when it comes to wanting to be there for them it, I feel like I'm a million miles away.

My job doesn't allow for me to pick up and go when there's a death - unless it's in my immediate family. But sometimes friends are family, and my heart is broken that I'm stuck up here when I know I should be down there.

My friends just lost their 18-month-old little girl. She was an angel who looked just like both her mother and father. The resemblance to both her parents was amazingly beautiful, and she was adored by everyone who knew her. In the handful of times I got to spend holding her and looking into those big, brown eyes I absolutely fell in love.

I can't begin to imagine what D & L are going through, but I know I just want to hug them and be there. Sadly, it will have to wait until this weekend, which I'm grateful for. But the gears will have to be shifted completely for another couple's wedding, which I am very excited about.

But I feel just terrible right now.

Can I please go back to bed?

Is it so wrong to be jealous of an ultra lazy ball of fur? I don't think so - not today, anyway.

Anna has a knack of making me feel like being busy is just so passe. I take a shower, she yawns; I check my e-mail, she groans; I come home with loads of groceries after running a ton of errands and she manages to roll over, stretch and go back to sleep.

I am so tired today, and all I want is to be a cat. Well, not just any cat ... my cat. But no, I still have to go to work. Oh joy.

In other news, if you haven't already discovered the wonder that is Aussie's Sun-Touched Shine shampoo and conditioner, run out now and buy some.

After using this stuff only one time, a co-worker asked if I'd done something different to my hair. That pretty much sums up how fantastic it is.

Smooth, shiny hair without paying a zillion dollars for fancy salon shampoo is enough to put a smile on my face.

Come on, delurk!

I've never actually asked those of you who read my blog to leave comments - especially if you don't feel comfortable enough to do so, but I'd really like to know a little about you.

So, today apparently is "The Great Mofo Delurk" and although I'm not sure about it's name, I'm ready to learn who you guys are! So come on, delurk ... you know you want to!

France is so far away

It's been three days. Three LONG days, and I'm really quite tired of myself for being such a little twerp. But can I just say that France is a mighty long way to travel without your best friend. I'm a smidge bitter, but most of all I miss my friend.

Jim left on Sunday for a 12-day jaunt across practically all of France. I am so excited for him and cannot wait to hear all about his trip, but I am seriously counting down the days until he returns.

It's times like these that I realize how much I rely on him and thus get irritated at myself for being such a little girl. He's practically my brother - God knows he puts up with enough without disowning me, so he deserves mad props.

At the airport I managed to hold it together until it was time to say goodbye - when I burst into a grand display of tears - complete with mascara-running black streams down my face. Oh, it was classic ... but at that moment I decided that next time I'm going with him. And just as soon as I decided, he said it ... "Next time you're coming with me."

So, that settles it. Next year I'm going, too. But until then, I'll be counting down the days to Oct. 11.

I couldn't believe my eyes

I took this picture about 10 minutes ago right here in Chattanooga, TN. I don't think ever I've seen such a spectacular sunset up here.