Dream Jobs

Well one viewer of the CBS Early show always dreamed of being a writer at Hallmark Cards....so that's what they gave her! See the video here to see what the making of a card actually entails :) While it has nothing to do with my everyday job, it still makes me smile!!!



Watch the video HERE!

And happy Friday!

Things I love

I have been in an unusually good mood the last 2 weeks....not that I'm normally sad/mad, but I just feel better, have been forcing myself to be more relaxed about things (that normally would drive me mad!), haven't had non-stop headaches and am really trying to put that optimistic spin on the world and all that we have been blessed with, that is usually my husband's role :)

On my walk last night with the dogs, I was thinking about a few of the things I love:

• A crisp, cool walk on a fall evening...the smells, the temperature, the feel in the air that winter is near and leaves falling from the trees (in other people's yards...not ours!)


• Drinking water- and lots of it! I have gone 2 days with NO pop, which is quite the accomplishment for me. **Also think this might a reason my headaches have decreased!


• Working out- while 5:15AM might seem early, after 2 weeks straight of getting up and working out to Turbo Fire, I honestly have to say I feel more energized throughout the day and after I physically pull myself out of bed....I can't wait to get my day started off right!


• Jimmy. He baked for the first time. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S cookies. And he's cute :)

• Family - my parents for always being there when I just want to pop by their house and chat....and raid their fridge, just to feel like I live there and am a kid again :) And Jimmy's family and our wonderful nieces and nephews. We got a card in the mail yesterday written by Libbie, our 8 year old niece (aka Taylor Swift for Halloween) thanking us for dressing up, telling us she loves us and giving us stickers with our initials on them...which we will proudly wear. Now that right there kept a smile on my face all evening :)

• Our dogs...because while they are full of energy and require lots of work, laying on the couch and watching TV with them makes it all worth it!

• Friends....good friends are amazing. I found this quote about friends, that I love and I think sums up what they mean to me!!

A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. ~Lois Wyse

• My job...yes, it has been a stressful past two weeks with lots of work on my plate, but I just love Hallmark, the people here, what the company stands for and the excellent brand that has touched so many people's lives for so many years...

• The HOLIDAYS.....are almost here :) I can't wait! Getting the holiday cards ordered on Hallmark.com tonight (P.S. check out the new designs they have....and also there are Hallmark photo cards available for purchase online and ready to pick up at your local store now from the photo center) and then next up.....start decorating the house!!
  

Hope you are taking the time also to think about the things you love in life and give thanks for everything you have and give back for those that are less fortunate!!! Happy November!! Getting excited for the most wonderful time of the year....

New toys :)

So, if you have ever registered for wedding presents....or really put any presents on a list as a kid or adult for just fun stuff that you wanted try but might not ever buy for yourself, you will relate to this post very well. Walking through Bed Bath and Beyond on our first registry adventure, many months ago, I clicked my little thing on this little guy. Now, did I know exactly what it was? No. Really, absolutely not. I just thought that it looked pretty cool.

I mean look at all those designs....pretty freaking cool, right?

The challenge came in actually using it on one Thursday night when I decided to make them for a Halloween treat day at work and the ingredients for the dough were about the only thing I had in my kitchen on hand....and it could potentially make a festive little pumpkin :)

So I set off. Making the dough. Putting it into the little tube with the disc at the end. Easy enough, right?? Look at how happy and excited I look!

However, after I got everything ready to go and clicked it a couple times....but then WHAT? What happens? How to I stop the dough because there isn't something to like cut it off or stop the dough? This is so incredibly hard! I made Jimmy look up a you tube video on it so I can figure it out. Well that didn't help at all. So I just kept trying....and it turns out, with a little wrist flip, it kind of stops the dough and sometimes makes a pumpkin. Let me re-iterate this....sometimes. Haha. Some of them were unidentifiable.

But for the most part, they turned out all right and I took them to work and they all liked them and said they tasted like they should! And then they told me that you can dye the dough for the season and then make those cookies- YUM! Looks like I'll be trying some red or green dough for Christmas trees pretty soon!!!!!!!! Love trying out wedding presents, besides the fact its 7 months later....

Happy Halloween- people style!!!

And...this last Halloween weekend was filled with lots and lots of costumes and fun!!

Here was Friday night, at the Party on Holly, hosted by wonderful Lauren G. and Leslie at their house in Westwood! It was awesome and so fun! They had dry ice with punch, some pretty freaking sweet decorations and a really cute dog dressed like a lobster :)

And if you cannot tell--- we were supposed to be a few WT (white trash) folks. Jimmy was my baby's daddy....but the one thing that I couldn't give up to play along with the roll was my wedding ring. Jimmy told me to take it off, it was important to play the part. Nope, sorry dudio. But still, I think the sleeve tattoos, pregnant belly (aka sweatshirt), the overalls from 7th grade (yep, the exact ones I wore), Jimmy's sweet mohawk and facial hair he shaved, and the gross outfit. Haha. Two of our nieces saw this picture on facebook and were "very confused" haha....I can see why.

Ah, he looks disappointed. Sad.

Can there be gangster WT people? Of COURSE.

And, onto the costume fun on Saturday night! It was out with my work friends on the KC Strip trolley again! We started in Waldo and then met everyone at Harpos...unfortunately didn't get to play photo hunt there like we hoped, but we did find it at Pizza Bar when we made our way to P&L!!

We had Waldo, the wizard, a cowgirl, Pauly D (amazing), Mounds & Almond Joy--not sure where Almond Joy was in this picture, and 2 WT peeps. Very fun!

The best part of going to P&L was the amazing costumes...check out the Invisible Man. How does that happen?

AND---this girl. Yep, she's not wearing a shirt. It's latex paint that her aunt painted on her....and best yet, she made me touch her stomach hahaha so I could "feel what the paint is like". Then she told me she loved me after I said that I would vote for her in the costume contest. Unfortunately, I didn't because I left, but I guess I would have?

Ohh...and Pauly D with Snooki...hahahahaha. I love Max's bronzer.

Ok, so now we are onto Sunday night (like I said, LOTS of dressing up). We went to Jimmy's oldest brother's house for the Carter family trick-or-treating!! So get ready for some lots of really cute kid's costumes!!

Katy the ladybug and her favorite toy of the night!

Maren the princess (Cinderella), waiting on the stairs for her prince!

And Norah, another lady bug :) So cute!!

And Eli, the scary dragon---haha!! So cute and probably the warmest one of us all night!

Kellie Pickler (Taylor's bff) and Daddy Warbucks (from the musical Annie!)

Oh- and Milly, the bumble bee! But I didn't have my red high heels on. Shoot!

Cutest picture of the kids! Haha they crack me up!

Kellie and Cinderella :) Ready to go get some CANDY

Taylor and Kellie! Love her pink hat and boots!

And finally---YODA. Love the mask and cloak!

Annie and Cinderella :) Look at those freckles!

Trick or treating - look at Daddy Warbucks and Annie! Let me tell you, it was freezing!

The end of the night!

And the night is over, Annie/Kenlie is already enjoying her candy! Daddy Warbucks had a great night!

And the final picture to end the blog post :) Green tongue! That's what fun dip will do!

Oh my, what a great night and weekend :) Except I'm not sure if I want to dress up for a long time to come. But....bring on the holidays!

Happy Halloween- dog style!!!

And, as advertised on facebook a while back, the dogs got new costumes this year :)

Milly: Bumble Bee

Willy: Banana Split

Toby: Horse with a cowboy riding him

So here, is our attempt to get them all in a pictures for a little Halloween card we sent out!

Jimmy pulled some good "dog-dad" duty on this one!

They are now all in costume...but will they look at the camera a) all at the same time and b) not jump before I can get this picture?

Ehhhh....I don't think this pose will work.

So we started with individual shots...

First off, Willy Monroe/Jandro/Mahoney Carter....the

BANANA SPLIT

....next up, Milly Mae Carter.....the...

BUMBLE BEE

and finally, Toby Joseph/Danger Carter....the...

HORSE WITH COWBOY

So here we go again, with all of them on the bed.

ANNNDDD...here you have it :) The picture that I will probably never get again!!

And I did send a few Halloween cards out, but only really to family, so all you in the blog world....HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE CARTERS!! Hope it was a blast!

A Jimmy quote for the day

Laying in bed one morning this weekend:

Jimmy- "I want to starting painting"

Brittany- "Painting what? The walls?"

Jimmy- "No like on those things...what are they called?" (Pointing to two canvases that I painted hanging over our bed)

Brittany- "You mean painting canvases? Like as in art?"

Jimmy- "Yes, I feel like I'm pretty artistic and I would be a really good painter"

Brittany- Hysterically laughing

Jimmy- "Stop it Brittany. That's so rude"

Brittany- Hysterically laughing

Jimmy- "Brittany, seriously, stop crushing my dream"

Brittany- Hysterically laughing...still...based on imagining a) Jimmy painting on a canvas with an easel and a little hat and b) Just what the final product would look like. Oh my

Jimmy- "Sorry everyone can't be Bob Ross....but you are just being rude."

Brittany- Hysterically laughing.

P.S. Jimmy watches Bob Ross paint regularly on KCPT

So I will let you know when/if these paintings by Jimmy are ready to sell!

Relaxing weekend!

So this past weekend was just great.

Full of some of this.......

right here in Johnson County....Olathe at College and Renner to be exact!

...with some wonderful old high school friends, Lauren and Jen.

.....close up. Us and the grapes :)

And then in between enjoying some delicious wine, I decided our family room and dining room needed a re-vamping. After a year and a half, I decided we needed a little change in the dining room. Which started out with a little adjustment of the table and then some setting up the table with chargers I already had...and finally a stop by Target to get a vase and stuff to put in it! Ta-da (P.S. Jimmy placed himself in every picture, because that's just Jimmy.)

Then, I felt like a needed a decor change in the family room, you know after all the wall changes, etc. And really, I just thought there was overall too much orange in our house (hmmm, I'm weird and get stuck on things like that very easily) and wanted a different rug downstairs.

And ta-da...Kohl's to the rescue. Rugs, big, colorful, just the right combination AND...drumroll please....50% off. Cannot get much better. Paired with a few pillows that were 50% off, SOLD.

Matches just great! Love how much bigger it is!

And finally, some roses to cap off the weekend. Well, really these were from last weekend at Bobby and Hillary's rehearsal dinner. But they look pretty and are still alive!!

And of course the typical and mushy "I just LUV you pictures" :) But really, he's great!

While this next weekend will be full of lots of costumes, candy, ghost and goblins......I'm VERY excited for some fun times!!