New bed...

Awhile back, I promised to show pictures of our new bed and bedding. We FINALLY got our duvet cover, down comforter, and sheets, so here it all is!



I do really love the marigold, white, and mahogany together, and I absolutely love the bed. I think I'll also throw in some bright, grassy green accents (maybe a pretty houseplant in the corner), as well.

I definitely need at least one more sham to match the bedding, but Pottery Barn didn't send any with the duvet cover, and the "extras" that I ordered ended up being ONE extra. If their stuff wasn't so darned pretty...



And I'm also keeping my eye out for a pretty, solid white quilt to put at the foot of the bed where the throw blanket is now. The bedside tables are obviously going to have to go, and at some point we're going to buy the armoir that matches the bed, but it costs more than the bed did!

I'm not really a big fan of dressers, so I think I'd like to put a console table on the far wall under the three cruise-ship looking windows (what were the original builders thinking??), but I will probably hold off on buying anything like that until we move again.

Anyway, it's far from being done, but I do love it so far. :)

Suh-leepy.

This week has been just... rough. But also great. But rough. But really good. But exhausting. Are you with me? :)

Work has been really, really busy. I got pulled in on a case that's just crazy, and lots of things are being filed at the same time, and I'm being pulled in a million directions, and it's insane. I put in a LOT of hours this week, and I honestly cannot tell you how excited I am to get to sleep in tomorrow.

BUT, in a strange way, I feel really good. Mostly, it's because I've been writing like a crazy woman, and I really love it. I'm actually writing briefs and motions for the court already, and it's right up my alley. The days just fly by, but my brain is absolute mush by the time I get home. (Maybe that explains why I haven't been blogging as consistently as I usually do. Maybe? A little bit? :))

The funny part is that I really enjoy making clever arguments and dropping in sassy footnotes, but apparently I can only dish it out. We got some reply briefs today, and opposing counsel ripped my argument to shreds, and there was a small part of me that felt like he had personally attacked me. I'm so irrational.

Apart from work, things are fairly quiet around here. I've slowed down on the online shopping which is good (and necessary), and Micah and I are keeping our eyes out for houses for sale in Sunnyvale. It's not quite time to really start looking, but I'm just ready to settle in somewhere. I absolutely adore this house, but I can't really think of it as ours (because it's not). So fingers crossed that something pops up! :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

The Bachelor: Week 4

I recognize that no one actually asked for a week-by-week rundown of the show, but hey - that's just the kind of girl I am. I give. :) [If you don't watch the show, please forgive me for this schpeal. I realize that I sound like a soap-opera watcher and that just watching this show decreases my IQ level significantly, but I just cannot help myself. I'm addicted.]

This week was a little uncomfortable for me. The main reason was that I had to spend a significant amount of time watching Brad and Michelle, and it was just so awkward. The producers put them through this incredibly stressful situation (anyone else seeing this pattern?the producers pick dates which will put the poor women through their worst fears hoping it will create (1) drama and/or (2) a false feeling of closeness with Brad), which actually did make Michelle look more like a human being to me. But all the build-up beforehand (what's with all the punching and elbowing motions she does?), the random black eye, and her utter lack of substance just bugged me. I absolutely think Michelle is the victim of selective editing, so don't hate me for hating on her so much. It's just that I can only see what I can see.

Way to go, Britt, with her cuteness and shyness. I was psyched to see her hit it off with Brad, even though I doubt she'll make it super far. And, as annoyed as I was with Ashley H's little temper tantrum, I can kind of understand where the girl is coming from. I think the pressure is just a little intense, so she did what girls do and threw a fit.

I think Brad and Chantal are cute together, and I think he digs how easy things are with her, but I'm just not seeing fireworks (for lack of a non-Michelle term) there. I'm honestly not seeing fireworks with ANYONE yet! Sweet little Emily is just so darned polite that she's not letting Brad see who she really is. Although apparently that's working for her given his little picnic stunt at the cocktail party. If I was any of the other girls, I would have just packed up my stuff then and there.

So that's it for this week! I can't wait for next week, although I'm already fuming that the producers are sending Emily on a Nascar driving date when her deceased fiance was a racecar driver. And I believe Brad's feigned ignorance of this fact about as much as I believe in the tooth fairy. (Apparently I wore my sassy pants today. I'll be back to normal tomorrow. :))

Meal-Planning Monday

For the first time in a month or so, I actually planned out a few meals for this week. I didn't assign days to each meal because I know I'll have to work late on at least one night, but here is what we're cooking in the Hargrave house this week.

Flavorful Pot Roast and Cheesy Corn Casserole

Parmesan and Bacon Pasta and salad

Butter Chicken and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes (umm, yes, I do realize how absolutely unhealthy these sound. But, for the record, the Butter Chicken is DIVINE. So many incredible flavors!)

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies (I'm not gonna lie - I'm more than a little excited about making these.)

Turkey, Egg, and Cheese Bagels.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Another great deal!

I swear I'm not trying to become a deal blogger (nor have I become a paid spokesperson for Amazon), but I just had to post this amazing Amazon deal.

It's a Calphalon Hard-Anodized 2 1/2 Qt. Shallow Saucepan, and mine was just delivered last night. I (obviously) haven't had the chance to try it out yet, but I have the Calphalon Hard-Anodized Everyday Pan which I posted about here, and I'm in love, so I have no doubt that I'll love this pan, as well. I think I'm going to slowly try and replace my current KitchenAid pots and pans with these as each piece goes on sale on Amazon. :)

The best part of this deal is that the pan, originally priced at $119, is available $29! And if you're a mom, dad, or take care of children in some way, you can sign up for free on Amazon Mom to get free two-day shipping! Again, Amazon prices tend to change often, so don't wait on this deal if you're interested.

Once again...

It happens every season. I try to resist The Bachelor, but the poorly-scripted, badly-acted hot mess sucks me in every single time. And I know that I can't be the only one, so I'll throw in my two cents about who I love and who I really, really cannot stand.

Of course my favorite at this point is Emily from Charlotte. She's drop-dead gorgeous, and she just seems like the sweetest, nicest girl in the house. I'm hoping for the best, but I have a feeling she's going to be another Tenley. Although, as was true in Tenley's case, I'm not sure Brad deserves Emily, so maybe if he doesn't end up picking her, Emily can find herself a good-hearted man like Kiptyn. :)

I also like Britt, but I don't think she has much chemistry with Brad. The same is true for Lisa M., although I just love that she is from Kansas and wore her ruby-red slippers on the first night. Last night, I had a dream that I was on The Bachelor, and when I met Brad for the first time, I asked him to use "there," "their," and "they're" correctly in a sentence. That is so something I would do.

Michelle, I am convinced, is going to drive me to drink. She's beautiful, but she's just incredibly obnoxious. She repeats the same three phrases over and over and over, and I honestly don't think Brad's very into her. I think she has made it this far because the producers love drama, and she's just about the only real drama left on the show after Melissa and Raichel left last week.
And please, oh please, don't get me started on Madison. The fangs weirded me out, and I just loved Brad's half-hearted attempt to get her to stay. It was obvious that he wasn't super upset that she was leaving, and I think he was relieved to see her walk out the door.


All in all, I'm not as in love with this season as I have been with others, but you can definitely bet that I'll be watching every Monday night! :)

If you're in need of a new purse...

You should check out this bag and this bag on Amazon! Originally priced at $91, you can grab it for $11.99 right now! I just ordered mine, and you'd better hurry because Amazon prices change often! :)

Central Perk...

This week has been I-N-S-A-N-E. I had a lot going on at work, and I am definitely thankful that it's Friday!

Micah is actually out of town hunting with his dad and brother, so Lilly and I have the house to ourselves this weekend. Apart from a pedicure tomorrow afternoon and my BFF's husband's birthday party tomorrow evening, I have absolutely NO plans, and I'm pretty darn thrilled about it! At the moment, I'm curled up on the couch watching Friends. :)

So, although I'd love to stay and visit awhile, I've got to get back to Ross, Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey. :)

SNOW!

Well, the rain finally turned to snow, and we've got ourselves a winter wonderland around here! So I thought I'd post a few pictures - mostly of Lilly enjoying/biting at the snow.


Sometimes she looks so serious. Like she's taking everything in and making very important decisions.

"How much of a mess can I make in Mommy's house if I splash around in this puddle?"

"What's the square root of 1521?

"I think I need to go potty RIGHT NOW, but I'm too excited to slow down!"

But for this one, there just aren't any words. Crazy little demon...

Rain...

I have sat down at least three times this past week to write a new post, but I've got nothing! Things are pretty boring around here these days. Micah and I have just been working during the day and getting together with friends and family at night. Have I mentioned how much I love being so close to our family and friends? :)

Right now, I've got a pound cake in the oven for my Uncle Tyler's birthday get together in a little while and a conference call for work in thirty minutes. And I'm still sleepy because the silly rain kept me up last night. I normally LOVE sleeping in the rain, but the gutters on this house make a LOT of noise. So around 5:00 this morning, I got up and went to sleep in the guest room where the noise wasn't so loud. Now, I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet before Micah and Lilly get up. :)

My name is Ryan, and I'm a shopoholic...

I've been doing a bit of online shopping lately. Well, actually a lot of online shopping. Okay, a whole lot. It started in November when I was doing my Christmas shopping, but I've been finding such amazing deals that I just keep on shopping!

I thought I'd share some of my more successful deals - just in case any of you need an excuse to do a bit of shopping, yourselves!

As part of my gift for the women's gift exchange at my Mamaw's, I ordered The Blind Side from Amazon.

I got it for $3.99 shipped!

This was another part of the gift. With a $10 off of a $10 purchase, I got this Peach Bellini Candle from Bath and Body Works, originally $20, for free plus $5 shipping.
This is probably my favorite deal. It's an Invicta watch, worth $695, and I bought it for Micah for our anniversary. Guess how much I paid for it!
$69!! SHIPPED! It looks so good on him, and I just absolutely love it.

I've been wanting an espresso maker for awhile, so when I saw this DeLonghi Espresso Machine, worth $210, on Amazon for $69 shipped, I just couldn't pass it up!

We bought three of these 8 GB Flip HD Video Cameras as Christmas gifts: one for my brother and sister-in-law, one for Micah's mom, and one for Micah's brother and wife. The retail value is around $230, and I got them for $109 on Amazon. And apparently the picture is AMAZING!


Last, but definitely not least, is this Dockers argyle sweater from Kohl's.com.
It was originally $40, and I got it for $3.02 shipped! It's crazy soft, and I can't wait to see it on Micah.

So now you know my secret. I don't buy things we don't need (or at least really want!), and I'm definitely trying to use my powers for good by buying things as gifts. Here's hoping I can keep this new addiction in check. :)

Hey there, 2011...

New Year's Eve is definitely not one of my favorite holidays. It's not that I dislike it; it's just that I'm usually still reeling from Christmas, and I'm not much of a drinker. So Micah and I generally just celebrate in a fairly quiet way. This year, my BFF and her husband came over, and we grilled steaks and watched Law Abiding Citizen, which I loved. They left at 9:30, and Micah and I were in bed by 10:15. Call me an old lady all you want - I felt wonderful on Saturday morning. :)

So although I don't really buy into the New Year's Eve hype, I did decide to make a few resolutions this year. My life is busy, but I want to make sure that I make time for the important things. Especially my relationship with the Lord. As a Christian, I believe that I am called to glorify God in all that I do. So when I neglect that purpose, I feel so off-balanced. So here's a list of all of the things that I want to do this year. It seems like a lot, but they're all things I should be doing anyway.

1. Get more involved at FBC Sunnyvale. We're going almost every week now, and we really love it, but I really want to get plugged in. I want to find a group of people that I can learn and grow in the Lord with. Hopefully Micah and I can find a Sunday School class that we like fairly soon.
   
2. Memorize a different Bible verse each week. I've always believed that committing Scripture to memory is important, but I don't do it consistently. I'm planning on making a cute memory verse board that we can hang up somewhere in the kitchen so we'll notice. We're starting with an easy one this week: Genesis 1:1. I figure I need a boost of confidence so I'll keep going with it.
   
3. Read my Seasonal Bible and stay caught up each week.
4. Pray with Micah as many nights as possible.
5. Pray intently for a different person each month. We try to pray for our friends and family consistently, but I'm definitely not very good at it. So Micah and I are both picking a different friend/family member each month to pray for. Lauren, I'm starting with you!
   
6. Work out at least twice a week. Sounds easy, but I know it won't be.
   
7. Meet more people at work. I'm still getting to know everyone at work, and I'm trying to come out of my shell a bit more. It probably seems like this would be an easy thing for me, but it definitely isn't.
   
8. Take off my makeup each night. I know how lame this sounds, but we just bought new white sheets to go with our new duvet cover (pictures soon, I promise!), and I don't want to ruin them with my waterproof mascara! :)
   
9. Get rid of bad habits. I bite my lip in a very Bella/Kristen Stewart-ish way when I'm nervous, I pick at my fingernails, I leave cabinet doors open, etc. All silly things, but all things I'd like to stop doing.
   
10. Get my diplomas framed. Lamest thing of all, but it has now been seven months since I graduated law school, and I STILL don't have my diploma framed. My office is embarassingly bare, so I want to put things on the walls and shelves.
    

And let me be clear. I don't post these goals out of any sort of pride. I'm not looking for any "way to go for making that ambitious goal!" kinds of affirmations. What I'm really looking for is accountability. I figure that the people who read this blog are mostly people who love me enough to ask me if I'm sticking to my goals, and I'm counting on you to hold me accountable. So the next time you see me, ask me know far along I am in my Seasonal Bible. I hope I can give you good news. :)

(P.S. Micah and I also celebrated our 2-year anniversary last Monday, and I forgot to write about it! Hopefully I'll remember to share about it this week!)