I need to go to Salads Anonymous

I have a problem. I have become addicted to “Blain’s Special Salad.” Recently, I got so tired of always making a single vegetable to go on the side of a meat for dinner. I could not possibly force another turkey sandwich or bowl of soup down my throat for lunch and it was not an option to spend $10 to walk up the street to Quizno’s to get a sandwich that would be soggy before I could get back to work. One day after work I pulled a stupid move – I went to the grocery store hungry. At least while I was there, I controlled myself enough to stay on the outside isles as much as possible (otherwise I would have come back with a cart full of Sun Chips, Goldfish, Cereal and Oreos!). Being as hungry as I was, I loaded my cart with one of everything from the produce and cheese isle. I then had a coupon for Ken’s salad dressing and one for any Ocean Spray brand product. While on the dressing isle I came across two of the most amazing concoctions! Ken’s Lite Accents Asian Vinaigrette Dressing and Ken’s Lite Accents Honey Mustard Dressing. They both are unique, light and to die for!
Using my Ocean Spray coupon I purchased a bag of Craisins. (Honestly at the time I thought I was buying a bag of raisons!)

I then proceeded to the isle to buy almonds when I ran across a bag of pumpkin seeds. I remembered as a kid how much I liked these so I JUST HAD to buy them! (My stomach was definitely talking over my head at this time because these little suckers were not cheap!)

I checked out and headed home. As soon as I walked in the door, I had to have a bite of everything! You know how it is when you buy something new from the grocery; you want just a taste of it all before putting it up! I made two small salads (one for each dressing! Ha) with just about everything I bought. Immediately I was addicted. This was not like any other salad I had ever had. They had unique taste thanks to several special ingredients! Since this day I have had a salad of this sort at least once a day – always with a new twist or kick. This salad has repeatedly taken over that turkey sandwich or bowl of soup for lunch. Some days I will load a scoop of tuna on top while others I will cut up a piece of chicken breast! The sky’s the limit!

What makes this salad so great? Several special ingredients marked with an **

Baby spinach leafs
Baby Portobello mushrooms
Chopped Carrots
A small cucumber sliced
Yellow onion
Baby roma tomato
Sprouts
Athena Feta Cheese crumbled **
Craisins OR pumpkin seeds **
Ken’s Lite Asian Vinaigrette OR Ken’s Lite Honey Mustard Dressing (both are sprays) **

Try these three/four ingredients on your next salad and you won’t go back to that bag salad ever again!!!

"Diamonds Are Forever" (ha, love you lady!)

Too-Tall and Smashley
Their getting hitched! 191 Days to go!

Two of the most precious people in the world are getting married on December 5th, 2009 and I am headed to Raleigh, NC on Saturday to celebrate their engagement!

Ashley is one of my sorority sisters from NC State and Paul is a friend from high school (who also went to State)! Together they are amazing!

On their wedding website Ashley gives me credit for “How They Met” but I will have to say that I just introduced them to each other and they did all the dirty work from there!

I love it when two of my friends get together which makes the wedding day even more special! (Which side of the church do I sit on?! – ok don’t be crazy, girls always stick together!)
A little info about them and the big day….

About Ashley:
Ashley was born on September 2nd, 1985 in Raleigh, North Carolina and Garner, NC. Ashley attended NC State University and graduated in 2007 with a B.S in Biochemistry and Chemistry. She works now as a manufacturing associate at Biogen Idec.

About Paul:
Paul was born on February 23rd, 1983 in Raleigh, North Carolina and grew up in Pfafftown, NC. Paul graduated from NC State with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 2005 and a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering in 2007. Paul works for The Steel Network as a Structural Engineer in Raleigh.

When They Got Engaged and How It Happened:
December 20, 2008 – Paul and Ashley decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach for the weekend. Paul woke Ashley up early Saturday morning to watch the sunrise on the beach. After complaining for 15 minutes, Ashley reluctantly got up. They went out on the beach and sat down and before Ashley could fully open her eyes Paul had dropped down to one knee and proposed!

About the Big Day:
Paul and Ashley will be celebrating their wedding in Garner, NC at Aversboro Baptist Church. The reception will follow at the Grand Marquies Ballroom.

ASHLEY'S ATTENDANTS

Lauren Vincent , Maid Of Honor

Tammy Boyette , Bridesmaid

Leslie Resnick , Bridesmaid

Ashley Leadon , Bridesmaid

Jackie Pate , Bridesmaid

PAUL'S ATTENDANTS

William Lackey , Best Man

Matt Lackey , Groomsman

Lance Bullard , Groomsman

Tim Bell , Groomsman

Justin Partin , Groomsman

Jeff Vaughn , Groomsman

A Must Read!

I finally finished a book! Better Single Than Sorry: A No-Regrets Guild to Loving Yourself and Never Settling. Ok, so it might sound cheesy but honestly one of the best books I have ever stumbled across. I was in Barnes & Noble back sometime in early 2007 and this book had just come out. At the time I was in a very “weird”, on and off relationship, but something drove me to buy it. I brought it home, read through the first couple chapters, (maybe going over the words more then I was taking in the information), put a bookmark in it and set it on top of my night stand. From the top shelf of my night stand it slowly made its way to the floor and under my bed. (Must have just grown legs and walked away J) The book made two other house moves with me in the time being and ended up once again on the bottom shelf of my nightstand at Eastover. As I was doing some cleaning several weeks ago, it caught my attention. That night I snuggled down in my bed, pulled out the old bookmark and started the book all over from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down. EVERYTHING made perfect sense. It was like I was sitting there talking to my smartest best friend and she was telling me exactly what I needed to hear. “She’s so right,” I kept saying to myself. “That’s so true.” “Why didn’t I see it?” These phrases were coming up over and over again within me.

The information I was reading wasn’t some new found discovery that Jenn found cave searching in the desert. Honestly, it was all very basic but it just takes reading it over and over again for the concepts to sink in. These concepts that were being stated through this book were things that women in every stage of life need to have repeated to themselves daily.

Let's be honest. No woman really wants to be alone for the rest of her life. But does being alone mean you're doomed to be miserable forever? Definitely not! And does being single have to equal lonely? No way! You can have the best time of your life when you're single, but you wouldn't know that from our relationship obsessed society, where celebrity magazines devote the majority of their content to who's dating whom and the wedding industry is a $100-billion business. Yet more than a third of marriages end in divorce, and countless other couples languish in unions that shouldn't have happened in the first place.

Don't become a statistic—love yourself and never settle!

Jen Schefft knows that better than almost anyone. In 2003, she got engaged in front of millions of people on television's The Bachelor, only to see it end nine months later when the relationship just wasn't right anymore. A year later, she turned down an engagement on The Bachelorette, and the backlash was relentless. She was labeled a "spinster" by a celebrity magazine, and a noted national talk-show host remarked that she would be "a bachelorette for the rest of her life."

This is a terrible message to send to the millions of sensational single women out there, and in Better Single Than Sorry Schefft makes it her mission to let women know that it's better to be single than to be in a relationship that doesn't make you happy. With testimonials from women of all ages—single, married, in committed relationships, with children (even single moms) and without—this book tells you how to let go of your fear of being alone and how to love yourself and never settle for a relationship that is anything less than you deserve. (You will find one you deserve!)

Written in a conversational style, as if talking with your best friend, Schefft helps you navigate the pressures of a culture that places an unhealthy importance on being in a relationship and shows you how to find happiness in work, home, and the simple pleasures of everyday life. Above all, she shows you how it's far, far better to be single than sorry. Being single is a time to have fun, learn new things, grow, and blossom—not a time to feel desperate or depressed, so cherish it!

This book isn’t here to tell you that you should be single forever – It just gives you some insight on what to focus on when choosing your relationships and how to make the right choices!

Suggestion: READ THE BOOK NO MATTER IF YOU ARE SINGLE, MARRIED, DIVORCED…! And read it at least once every couple of months to make sure you still know what you want!

Strung together like a floating trailer park, anchored out, and getting load all summer long…

Sunday’s trip to the lake made me realize why I love living here in Charlotte!
I was out on the lake with four of my favorite diva’s in Miss. Laura’s boat. We chased away the rain to find a fabulous sunny spot at the Sandbar. There were several other boats already there so we threw out the anchor and joined them. We floated as a single boat for awhile, and as I was sitting on the front I hear “Blain, Blain!” I turned around and it was Downer, Tommy, Lauren, Christina, Brant, Ryan, and several of my favorite friends from college. A couple minutes later, another boat came with more friends from NC State and slowly our line of Wolfpack graduates was increasing! Even though Charlotte is a bigger city, and Lake Norman is a pretty large lake, there is still comfort in knowing that’s it’s possible to have friends everywhere! I don’t need to move back to Kernersville to have the small town feel! Somehow this happens even on an open lake! It’s a small world!
Overall, it was a wonderful afternoon with some of my favorite people! We all had a great time – especially Miss Resnick!! :)

Congratulations Griff!

Congratulations Griffin!

Tomorrow night Griffin graduates from Milton High School! I am very proud of him and his dreams are coming true – he will be a bulldog this fall! GO UGA! It’s scary to think that Griffin will be in college next year. Honestly, it doesn’t seem right! He is still little – he will always be little! I guess it shows me how old I am getting :(

CONGRATULATIONS GRIFFIN – I hope you can look back and completely enjoy all 4 years of high school! You have such an exciting time ahead of you in college at UGA but NEVER forget the friendships and what you learned in high school! You will be pulled in thousands of different directions in college to be someone that you are not – stay true to yourself and don’t let others influence the amazing guy that you have become! Congrats Griff! I am proud of you! You truly deserve everything in life that is ahead of you! Love you dude, Blain

And on a SIDE NOTE:
LAKE ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH THE GIRLS! Can’t wait to see all of your faces!!! I love memorial weekend!!!

Guard Your Heart

So today's post comes from an older blog post made by the pastor at my church. It can speak volumes if you really take in what he is saying. Today it just felt appropriate for many many reasons....

" I love Proverbs 4:23:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

I always use this verse to teach about purity. Specifically sexual purity.
Ok, sure, the verse works for that.
But it applies in so many other ways.

Don't just guard your heart against lust.
Guard it against discouragement. Guard it against pride. Guard it against doubt. Insecurity. Jealousy. Distraction.

Be selective about who gets backstage access in your life.

You can't let just anyone into your world to speak into your soul.
Be careful who you share your dreams with.
Their negativity can contaminate the possibility before it ever has a chance to become a reality.

Be careful who you take advice from.
Their immaturity or ignorance might confuse the issue and create needless chaos.

Everything flows from the heart.
Put it on lock down....like Fort Knox.
You've got valuable stuff in there."

One Thumbs Up, One Thumbs Down

Last night Mr. PS came over and we tried a new recipe for dinner and watched a new movie. One of these got a thumb up in my opinion, and one got a thumb down.
Let me begin by saying how much I LOVE seafood, I LOVE to cook, and I LOVE Paula Deen…but I was a little disappointed last night after trying her Seafood Pot Pie.

Recipe: (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/seafood-pot-pie-recipe/index.html)

Maybe I was spoiled from the amazing seafood we had at the beach last weekend, but this pot pie tasted extra fishy! Mr. PS said he liked it, but I think he was just trying not to hurt my feelings! What was more disappointing was that it was expensive! All of that seafood wasn’t cheap and there were tons of ingredients! I still have so much of the mix and veggies so I am thinking about trying it again tonight but with chicken – I will let you know how it goes!

But, the thumbs up goes to the movie…’Taken.’ Excellent Movie! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
It is at the Red Box now so if you need a cheap activity for your Memorial Day weekend, check this one out! I will have to admit though…I will second guess traveling somewhere by myself! This movie is a little reality check! You really can’t trust anyone! Kind of scary.

Moist, Mango, Commode

Three girls, Three boys, one bedroom, one bathroom, one fabulous time! I love you friends !
I’m back :( This weekend went by WAY to fast but I honestly had the time of my life. I don’t think I could have asked for a better weekend and I don’t think I have had that much fun in the longest time! I have never laughed that much in my entire life. I think we were all in such need of a vacation that no one really cared what happened! The weather was gorgeous, the seafood was fabulous, and the “beverages” were tasty! This little trip was exactly what I needed :)
Several thoughts from the weekend that Cameron, Alan, Jamie, Ryan and Dustin will all appreciate!
People watching at Revolution with Ryan
Fried seafood and crab legs
My 32 year old baseball player trying to tell me he was 23.

Haunted ghost houses on tv
Jamie’s text: “wanna do lunch or something” “ok guess not” “great answer”
Dustin and I losing our flippy floppys (honestly a mystery)
The words moist, mango, commode
Alan’s graceful pool entry for the lazy river!
My white bathing suit top and yellow bottoms! The pieces I never wear but thought it would be a great idea for the lazy river!
Dustin’s $25 bud light and his favorite waitress
The Hall’s love banana pudding
Cameron insisting Jamie sing to the neighboring hotel
Watching the sun come up Saturday morning with Dustin
Sleeve tattoos, dirty, backwards hats, hoodies, pink button ups
Someone uses the restroom sitting down!
50 feet walks on the beach with the “children”
Cameron’s tramp stamp
“Go tie a bloody steak around your neck and jump in the water”

Bright Sunshiny Day!

Yesterday was Mr. Alan Parker's birthday and it is time to celebrate! In less than two hours I am in the Honda and headed to the beach! Cameron, Alan's girlfriend, has invited a bunch of us down there to celebrate the passing of another year for this old man!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARKER! Get ready because here I come! This vacation is long overdue - I might need a vacation from this vacation when I come back!

Dustin and I are already celebrating!

Going To See My Muse!

The ticket is bought and my bags will be packed! I am going to see my Homey G Funk in August. This trip is loooong over due! Thanks to a little vacation day and a Friday summer day off we will have an extra long weekend to live it up! Last week in August - Muse here I come!!!! Prepare yourself for a repeat of last year!

I love you my lady!!!

A Little Obsession

So I have a slight obsession - no it’s not a pretty pair of shoes or a gold bangle bracelet. It is National Geographic! My 7th grade social studies teacher had EVERY copy of the National Geographic magazine that ever came out and instantly I was hooked. The articles and photography was absolutely amazing! I then started watching the National Geographic specials they aired on TV. The one that really got me was an episode on truck drivers in the Arctic that traveled thousands of miles on nothing but sheets of ice! That’s right, no concrete pavement! These were 18 wheeler trucks running at a normal speed but not on a road; they were over big frozen bodies of water! Obviously a very risky job! I fell in love with the photography from this show which had pictures taken from below the surface of the ice looking up on a passing truck! Ask me how the photographer did it – I don’t know, but it blew my mind! (This show is now on the History Channel!) The things that can be captured on camera are true talent! I then got addicted to other shows like ‘Man-Made’ where on each episode they show/describe/discuss different engineering marvels. Some include the Bering Strait Bridge, Channel Tunnel, Autobahn, San Alfonso Del mar, Dubai Islands, Project Genesis, and Olympic Stadiums! (Honestly, GOOGLE some of these!) Maybe this is why I did Industrial Engineering and loved working at GE Aircraft because I could watch this stuff or hours! Ask any of my past roomies…these shows and “How’s It Made” were on the top of my list! At least on those nights I knew I had the living room to myself :)
Link: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Link: http://www.history.com/minisites/iceroadtruckers

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Yesterday was Mothers Day and God could not have blessed me with the most amazing mother in the world. Without exaggeration she is more then just my mother; she is my best friend. She has given me more then anyone else could possibly think of. She has made me the woman that I am today and with constant support and encouragement, she has and will always be a driving force behind me. I love you momma!

"Thank you mom for providing me with the stability to keep me confident, the knowledge to help me accomplish things...

Thank you, Mom for providing me with the strength to conquer difficulties, the dedication to help me grow and the enormous amount of time you spend to keep us close. Thank you for always being there to help, for always being there to understand, and for always being there to care. You are a very rare person because you put your family's needs far ahead of your own. I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you do. I want to thank you for being such an important and beautiful person in our family and I want you to know that you can depend on me for anything that you might need. I love you more than anything in the world."

Nothing Beats Family !

Good News! Granddaddy came through his surgery well and is doing fabulous!

He is at Forsyth Hospital and will be recovering there until Monday.

He's a trooper!!! Love you Granddaddy!

Oven Fries

I made this recepie last night for a cook-out we were having with some girlfriends for Anna's birthday. It was super easy and really good! It was ten times better then opening a bag of frozen french fries!

Cook Time: 35 min Level: Easy Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
2 russet potatoes, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, halves cut lengthwise into fourths to make 16 big, fat wedges

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a baking sheet in the hot oven for at least 5 minutes.

While the baking sheet is heating, toss the potatoes with the olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Then dump the potatoes out onto a baking sheet, spreading to a single layer. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, until the potatoes are cooked through, brown and crispy. Toss the fries in a big bowl with the parsley and cheese. Serve with ketchup for dipping!

Like A Kid Again...

I have lived in Charlotte for almost two years now. I have several wonderful groups of friends who I do everything with but...you can never have enough friends! So several weeks ago I decided now that the weather is pretty I want to do more activities outside. Therefore I went online and found a group that gets together at least two or three times a week to do outdoor activities, dinner and drinks, movies and even weekend trips. This is a pretty large group so it might not be the same people for every activity. Well last night we met at 5:30 at Freedom Park to play kickball! If you live in this area you know the weather was “iffy” all day long, but at 4:00 we received a text that said “Kickball is on!” So, about 20 of us met in the drizzle by the train at the park and played Kickball for about two hours! Honestly, it was like taking it back to fifth grade again. I have never laughed so hard in my life and had the best time with 19 total strangers who I now hope to stay in contact with. I also learned something about myself last night. On my way to kickball I was on the phone with my mother. The first question she asked was, “Who are you going with?” and my response was “by myself.” My mom seemed kind of shocked. She then asked, “Do you know anyone there?” and I answered with a “Nope.” Last night I realized that I don’t need someone to hold my hand everywhere I go. I am a “big” girl. I can go someone where on my own and meet new people on my own. If I sit back and wait until I had a friend to try something new, I might never branch out. Coming from a small town, going to college where I already knew several people, and moving to Charlotte where I already had friends – I never had to seek out people to do anything. I always just called up someone I knew if I wanted to do something. Well….. Sure for someone like me it might be intimidating to walk up to a group of 20 people and not know anyone, but to be able to do that allows you to walk away with ten times more confidence. Try it! Go out and do something that you want to do on your own. You will be surprised!

Never Underestimate The Importance Of A Birthday !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROOMIE!

This past Saturday was my roomie Anna's birthday! She was out of town this weekend but we are officially celebrating Wednesday at our apartment as we grill out with some girlfriends!

LOVE YOU LaANNA!

Pray For The Lamberths

As I was reading a blog I check frequently, I glanced at the sidebar and noticed another blog that this person follows. I clicked on it and I came across the following blog. I later found myself reading EVERY post: http://prayforthelamberths.wordpress.com/

I am almost speechless right now because never in a million years could I imagine putting myself in Angie's shoes. My heart truly goes out to her and her son Nolan.

Even though neither you or I personally know the Lamberths, every prayer counts.

In Angie's most recent post she says something that I do not think could have been stated better any other way:

"it's been said

it's hard to read my blog

because I am living many people's worst fear -

losing their husband

it was definitely

one of my worst fears too

but, honestly

not the worst of all

because I know where Mark is now

I think my worst fear of all is

losing a friend or a family member

who is uncertain

or undecided

or just who doesn't want to

give up their life for Christ

beause that's what

this life

is all about

giving up your claim to this life

and gaining it back and then some"