Tough Times Don't Last...

Even though I had high hopes for my weekend, it ended up being kinda crappy. It breaks my heart to tell you that my sweet mamaw (dad's mom) passed away on Friday evening. My dad was very close to his mama and I was extremely close to her growing up; I am even named after her. Mamaw had just turned 70 years old in March. She had suffered a stroke almost 4 years ago that left the left side of her body unable to be rehabilitated. She had spent the last 4 years in a nursing home. And although the nursing home she was in gave her the very best care they could, it still wasn't the best quality of life for her. She was unable to carry on regular conversations because the stroke severly affected her speech. For the last 4 years, my brother, dad and I have visited her just about every single Sunday afternoon. Even though we were only able to catch a glimpse of the mamaw we knew and loved, we still very much cherished that time with spent with her. She was fully able to comprehend the things said to her, but she was not always able to communicate back. It's been a tough 4 years for us. The past couple months she had been in and out of the hospital with breathing problems. Since she's been unable to move on her own for the past several years, she had gained a signifcant amount of weight in the nursing home - which also adversly affected her overall health. My daddy was with her on Friday afternoon when she passed. I know it's selfish of me, but I miss her. Today was especially hard because it's Sunday and I would have been visiting her. We will be having her services tomorrow night because everything has been planned for years. I do take solace knowing she's with the Lord now and she's much better off. I'm sure tomorrow will be a tough day, but then we can begin to heal. She will be the first person on my dad's side of the family to be cremated. Those were her wishes. I'm hoping when we go to spread her ashes it will offer a strange sense of therapy.

I did some things today to try and keep my mind off my sweet mamaw, which I will tell you about in a later post. But I might not be around for a couple days, so please keep my family in your thoughts or prayers. I have already received so much support via Twitter so I cannot tell you how much it means to me to know that you care. Love y'all!

I just keep telling myself that tough times don't last, but tough people do!

Fur Baby Friday!

It's been a long week around here so I am beyond glad that today is Friday! I have a lot going on tomorrow, but at least I won't be at work right? We are hoping to get out to the lake Sunday, if the weather cooperates. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I need some sunshine in my life! Here's a little something to make us all smile today...Fur Baby Friday!

Tilly was being so sweet & cuddly last night with her daddy!

Then I caught the little devil licking all over his nose while he was sleeping. Check out that tongue action!

Do you ever catch your dogs in the act? Poor Tilly gets caught all the time!
Happy Friday! 

 

Giveaway Winner, Katniss & I'm Guest Blogging Today!

We have a winner my friends!!

Congratulations to the lovely Lily over at As She Writes - she is the lucky one today! Lily - I am going to send you over an email in 2 seconds with details about how to get in touch with Tori from EyeCandy so she can start on your design! A BIG Thank you to everyone who entered and promoted my first giveaway experience!

In case you aren't following me on Instagram (nikkib918), I wanted to show you how I'm channeling my inner Katniss Everdeen today! Granted, my hair is pretty fine so this is about as thick as I can make it look...but you get the idea! It's a stormy day here, so this side braid is perfect for not having to fuss with your hair.

And finally, I'm guest posting today over at Lauran's blog, The Real Young Housewife of Southern VA! Can't you just tell by her blog name that I'm already in love with her??  Go over there today and check out my guest post for her, in which I put on display some lovely Southernisms.

Who Do Ya Love Wednesday - Guest Blogger #5 Cally

Only ONE DAY left to enter my blog revamp giveaway from EyeCandy!!! Better hurry!

I can't believe this is week 5 of 6 in my Guest Post Series - Who Do ya Love Wednesday! Thank you for making this super successful! Today I am going to feature another blogger who has a personality that constantly keeps me laughing - Cally from Older Nawt Wiser. Can you tell I'm big on personality? As we speak Cally is cooped up in a car with 2 dogs traveling from Chicago to Florida to make a half way across the country move! I welcome her with open arms to the South! If you like a girl with some snarkety snark, then Cally is your girl! I asked her to give me (and you) some wedding advice since I'm in the midst of planning this soiree! She doesn't post many pictures of herself so I was happy that she wanted to share some pictures from her special day with us! Enjoy!

Since our girl Nikki here is recently engaged - and after you get engaged, you have to plan a wedding - I thought I would share some of the more important lessons I learned during my wedding planning process. While some things are a given (don't get drunk before your vows - don't accidentally make out with the best man - try not to flash anyone) are a given, there are other things that I wish someone would have told me before my wedding. Not that I would have listened, but still.

1. Don't be afraid to fight for what you want. When you're planning a wedding, the jokes about the dreaded "B" word will fly freely. Any time you express a desire, thought, a wish contrary to someone, it's thrown in your face. Bridezilla. I think fear of being a Bridezilla made me force the pendulum the other way. I was far too accommodating and forced myself to not stand up for some of the the things I wanted. For example, our suits for the men were grey. I had really, really wanted grey bridesmaids dresses. I had this lovely vision in my head of cute, grey, totes re-wearable dresses. Accented with adorable bright pink shoes. I collected pictures, put together many an inspiration board, swooned over the idea with my maid of honor. Except she didn't really like it. I pushed and she pushed and somehow I ended up with pink dresses. With black shoes... and black cover-ups. What? I know. Black had nothing to do with my wedding, but I was so worried about pushing people into things they might not want that I let the decision float away from me. Did it ruin my wedding? No. But when I look at pictures of me and my bridesmaids, I always remember that it's not the way I wanted it. If you want it, try your best to make sure you get it. Chances are, you'll know pretty quick if you've crossed the line into "Bridezilla" territory. Possibly by the reactions of the people around you as you smash flower arrangements and push over cakes and swear about the flower girl dresses.

2. Keep copies of everything. Email correspondence and cancelled checks, receipts and agreements. Don't just have these things, have these things all in once place (perhaps a binder) at your wedding. I seemed to have some terrible luck the day of our wedding. I paid every vendor in full in advance, and cockily thought my work was done. My first hiccup was when the hair and makeup girls requested the rest of their payment. I gaped at them a bit with my eyes sort of glazed over, when my maid of honor chimed in I paid already. Except I couldn't prove it. A quick call to their boss confirmed I did pay. Whew, I thought. If this is the worst thing that happens, I've got it made! Bring on the champagne! And then, near the end of the night, my photobooth was packing up. And began to ask everyone - bridesmaids, groomsman, my dad - for my remaining balance. I again calmly explained (once someone had the good sense to oh, I don't know, get me) that I paid in full prior. So the girls put me on the phone with their boss, the man I'd been working with this whole time. And he called me a liar. Swore up and down I owed him money. Accused me of cheating him. Said his people weren't leaving until someone paid them. I tried to use reason, I got mad, I cried, I threatened. I knew I paid and I knew I had proof I paid. But I didn't have it on me. The call ended with him hanging up on me, telling me his people would leave but I could expect to hear from his lawyer. I ended up spending ten minutes crying in the bathroom in front of a few guests. The whole thing was easily solved the next morning by scanning canceled checks and forwarding emails. However, it would have been better solved if I could have just shown those people my proof up front. No questions, no crying in the bathroom. And I wouldn't have had to deal with the free offers for a photobooth and endless apology emails and calls from the man. Talk about a new level of awkward, people.

3. Steal as if your life depended on it. When I was planning my wedding, photobooths were running wild, handmade details were the bee's knees, using your shoes for pops of color under your dress reigned supreme. (Are all of these still true? Does anyone besides me ever call anything the "bee's knees"? What about "cat's pajamas"? I've digressed too far.) I fell hard for all of these things and more. I worried, though. After I saw wedding after perfectly staged online wedding, I started to waver. If everyone is doing it, I'm just going to look like a copy cat. They'll take my Bride Card! Well, relax and steal away my friends. The guests at your wedding? Have not spent hours on Style Me Pretty. They have not dedicated the last few months of their life to inspiration boards and color choices and favor selections. Those effers will have no idea. You'll get so many compliments! Whatever it is, it's all over the place because it's a good idea. And if someone does recognize it? Almost 100 percent chance she's planning her own wedding, and will appreciate the time you dedicated to finding the best ideas out there. And she's probably trying to figure out how she can use your centerpiece idea to her own advantage.

4. It's a cliché at this point, but the day will honestly be over before you know it. Months and months of preparation, and you snap your fingers and you're on your honeymoon. Try and make some pockets in the day where you can decompress. If it's just before the ceremony, during pictures or even in the middle of the reception. Don't be afraid to sneak away for five minutes, sometimes with your new husband, sometimes alone. Just a few minutes to breathe and bask in the glory of your precise planning. Even though you're the center of attention, no one will even know you're gone. Weddings are huge and chaotic and a few moments here and there won't be missed. It will go so far to help keep your sanity intact.

5. You are going to piss someone off with your decisions. It's just a fact. Weddings are a crazy, emotionally charged time. Everyone wants what's best for you and most of the time they have no idea how to convey that. I had immediate family members get "hurt" by a decision I made (the actual wedding dress I chose to buy - can you believe that?) and refuse to attend the wedding. That's fine. I had another family member from my husband's side think one of my super flirty cousins was trying to steal his girl and threaten a fight. The first thing was ignored, the second thing was squashed down flat. Honestly, the people at your wedding are going to be paying attention to you and the things that directly affect them. So if you have a good environment, and you look like you're having fun? Everyone's going to have a kick ass time. Family members affected by any drama are going to be closely acquainted with the person causing it and know that "that's how they are." And people outside of that aren't even going to notice. So kick up your heels and to hell with them! It's your wedding!

If you heed these wise warnings, I almost guarantee your wedding day stress will be reduced by at least fifteen percent. And if something gets too far out of hand or too stressful for you? Just smile and pawn if off on your maid of honor. That's what they're there for.

Congrats again, Nikki!

See, isn't she just the best? I love her! If you live in Florida, around Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area then you need to hit this girl up. If you don't live around there, then you need to check out her blog, Older Nawt Wiser! Thanks Cally for your advice!

Redneck Wedding

One of my co-workers sent me this yesterday. She ACTUALLY attended this wedding over the weekend. Now, although I am a good little Southern girl I'm not real big into camo. I know it's a must for hunting, but I could really do without it for wedding attire. I have blocked their faces because these are real people who live in my community. I actually know the best man very well.

I have to give them props though for taking a theme and running with it. They requested that all the guests wear camo too, and apparently there was a sign that sign Our Big Redneck Wedding as you walked into the reception. And at least they had fun with it, right? What do you think about theme weddings - yay or nay?? Personally, I like theme aspects, but not a full out theme. For example, here I love the boots with the bridesmaids. That gives it a little laid back country feel. But I don't feel the need to go all out. {But that's just for my wedding taste.} I've been to a black and white wedding before and that was a lot of fun! Not an ounce of color in the place, which sounds drab but it was a neat concept. By the way, who says drab??? Apparently me! 

PS - Word on the street was that the groomsmen took off their under shirts at the reception and just rocked the camo vests. That's sexy, and you know it!

{InstaLove} Weekend Recap

Happy Monday friends! I feel like Mr. Monday & I just meet too often these days. I had a wonderful weekend, even though it was pretty low key. I really pushed myself with my workouts this weekend so today I am sore, but the good kind of sore, all over. I always feel like I get better workouts when I'm with a buddy - and Saturday I was with my brother & Skye, and then yesterday with my brother, dad & Skye. It's just easier for me to stay focused that way. The weather here this weekend was actually pretty chilly and cloudy - like mid 50's and windy, but despite that we took the boat up to the lake for her summer home. I'm sooooooooooo beyond ready for summer now!

Make it a great week!

PS - Who watched the Real Housewives of NJ premier last night??? I know these lovely ladies {The Mayor's Wife, The Pink Elephant, Tales of Lace & Glitter, The Vintage Apple}  did because we had Twitter conversations about it! Nothing forms a friendship faster than a common love for those crazy housewives!

Here is a glimpse into my weekend for you via Instagram! {Find me on there - nikkib918}

I wuv him so much!

And the Vol nation mourns the loss of a legend. #webackpat

The Reserve at Bluebird Hill - Potential Wedding Venue #3, with horses

Sequoyah Marina - our boat dock on beautiful Norris Lake
It was freezing ass cold yesterday!

Tilly exhausted after playing with Skye for hours

Fur Baby Friday/5 Question Friday!

Okay let me just first start by telling you that Blogger has finally made me switch over to the new dashboard as of 5 minutes ago...so if this post looks funny or different that's because I have no idea how in the hell to use this thing yet! Bear with me.

Next, have you entered for my first giveaway yet???? You need to and you need to tell a friend! :)
If you know someone who is looking for a new blog redesign at a great price, send them this way to enter! Click here to enter.

Moving right along...to FUR BABY FRIDAY! I'm have a major headache today, so it will do me some good to see some cute little fur babies. Show me your fur baby! :)

These 2 crazy sister pups would not stop wrestling in the back yard the other day....They were literally attacking each other for about an hour. AH sisterly love!

Crazy pup #1 Sadie girl

 

Insanely crazy pup #2 Tilly - Love this one because she's smiling after her wrestling match with Sadie

Next up, I missed 5QF last week because I was being lazy so I'm back at this week. Come on over to Mama M's to link up with us and meet some new blog pals.

1. Groceries are high right now what is easiest way you have found to cut back?

I have actually been packing my lunch for about 2 weeks, which has really helped save me money & daily calories. I've lost 3 lbs this week! whoot! Other than that, I'm not a couponer so I just try to buy off brands and things that are on sale. I've been cooking up a storm lately so that's helped save money too vs. eating out constantly.

2. What are the top 3 things on your "bucket list"?

Sky Dive, Explore Greece & Alaska and run a 5k

Hopefully I will skydive this year - some of our friends are going and I'm totally going to invite myself. And I am potentially running a 5k in ONE MONTH. I need to get my butt in gear for that! I know a 5k does not seem challenging to all your runners, but for me it's an accomplishment. It's exciting to check things off my list though.

3. Would you rather give up AC or heat?

HEAT! You can always put on a jacket if you're cold, but you can't exactly just strip down when you're hot.

4. What's your favorite cocktail??

This doesn't have a name - that I know of - Vodka, pineapple & orange juice. It's delish! I've also recently become a fan of Caribolous(pronounced Cara-boo-loo) too. I have no idea if that's how you spell it, but I know that it has 151 in it and pineapple juice too.

5. What was your first job & how old were you?
My first job was working at Abercrombie & Fitch at the mall when I was 18 years old. I worked there off & on for my first year in college and I loved it! My parents never made me get a job in high school, so that was an easy job to start my way in this world.

 

Skye is off this weekend so you will NOT be hearing from this girl! I am going to be taking advantage of our time together. We are going to look another potential wedding venue and putting the boat in the lake for the first time this summer so it will be an exciting weekend.

Hope you have a great one too!

 

One Lucky Winner...

Well here's my big surprise to you ---- a GIVEAWAY! Since I've been getting so many wonderful compliments about my new & improved blog design that I asked Tori from Eye Candy if she would participate in a special offer for my readers! She agreed!!! She is just getting her feet wet in this design thing so she needs your help to build her portfolio! Plus, you can see for yourself that she does a great job!

For just $50 you can get a TOTALLY new look for your blog! That's at least HALF OFF! Here are the details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


We made it pretty easy for you to enter this one! All you need to do is follow both mine & Tori's blogs and give this offer a shoutout on Twitter (for a total of 3 entries.) The entries will be open for one week from today, until Thursday April 26th. I will announce the winner next Friday. GOOD LUCK!!!

Who Do Ya Love Wednesday - Guest Blogger #4 Kara

Happy Hump Day! I just want to tease you a little bit and tell you that I have a BIG surprise planned for tomorrow!!!! I'm so excited I can't stand it! I feel so lucky to have "met" all of you in the blogging world, and I can't believe that my little blog is about to hit 100 followers! That's probably not much to you mega bloggers who have 239347988 followers, but to me it's a lot. I appreciate each and every one of you who reads about my boring nonsense! {Love y'all!}This calls for a celebration surprise so stay tuned to find out allllll about it tomorrow!

And speaking of lovely ladies who I've met through the blogging world, let me introduce to you Kara who blogs over at Everyday in Stilettos. Kara is awesome! She is super crafty fashionista, which I am not. Seriously, she made her shirt from yesterday's post - and it's wearable and cute. And like myself, she loves the Real Housewives! And I think she takes a note from them on their footwear because this girl does it BIG with her heels! (Hence the name of her blog.) Also like many of us, Kara's husband works a very non-conventional schedule. I asked her to tell us a little bit about how she copes with this schedule because I definitely have moments where it gets me down sometimes. I actually got a little teary when I read her post, and when I emailed her to tell her about it she offered me such great support. It's good to know when we are suffering together sometimes - as weird as that sounds.

Photo taken by the lovely Vanessa Schrotenboer

I’m so excited to be guest blogging for Nikki today! Even though we have never officially met, I’ve gotten to know her through her blog and have realized we have one big thing in common…my hubby and her fiancé have crazy work schedules. This can be very frustrating at times, but I’m here to tell you it’s not all that bad.

My husband is co -owner of a baseball training facility. Owning a business alone can take you away from home, but add the grueling weekends and summer schedules and you have to make it work! I had a really difficult time with this at the beginning of our relationship. I just wasn’t used to it, and wanted him home for dinner, or wanted to simply go on a walk with our dog together. I admit, the crazy would come out in me and we would have some heated discussions about this. Now, as time went on and there was really nothing he or I could do about it, I made the decision to make the most of our time together and enjoy my time alone while he was working.

During the week, Kevin is rarely home before 9:00. So this is my routine…I get home from work, work out, blog/DIY/etc, catch up on some TV (that Kevin would never want to watch anyway like Real Housewives, or General Hospital), sometimes take a power nap, make dinner, eat dinner, and relax with our dog until he gets home. I really love the time I have alone. We all need it. I can certainly get things done that I wouldn’t if he were home. Once he gets home we hang out together until it’s time for me to go to bed. It works for us. He’s normally always working both Saturday and Sunday. Baseball games mostly happen on the weekends, and he travels a lot as well. Again, this is my time to shop, clean, watch Downtown Abbey, nap, work out, whatever. I’ll also tag along from time to time when he travels, or go watch him coach some games (which is super sexy to me). Oh, and I can make some of my favorite meals that he isn’t as crazy about like spaghetti squash!

The major downside to having a husband with a crazy schedule is we can never make plans. I can never make plans for us without checking with him first, as I never know his schedule. I also have to make a lot of trips home to see my family alone, as I make these trips on the weekends. That stinks, no way around it.

I know my situation is different from “the norm”, but I love it. Our time together is precious, I get to have some “me” time, and I look forward to the time we get together. If you’re going through some similar experiences with a crazy work schedule here are some basic tips that work for us.

1. Figure it out. Take 15 minutes and go grab coffee if he has a break. Laying eyes on each other does some good.

2. Take dinner or lunch to his work so you can eat together.

3. Learn to stay up late. This is a lot to ask I know, but when you have a hubby that gets home later than 9:00, there’s no going to bed at 10:00. (Um, especially if you ever want some, well, you know…)

4. Don’t get mad about the lack of texts or messages during the working hours. Kevin and I don’t text that often, he’s busy, and I don’t want a baseball to hit him in the head while he’s messaging me.

5. Plan some fun on those days or nights off. We always cook together, listen to music, and enjoy some drinks. We’re really able to catch up with each other.

Also, time helps everything, and we all know this. The same goes with scheduling issues. As time goes on you get used to it and truth be told, if he happens to be home when I get home from work, my routine is all messed up! But I love it…..

So, do you have any scheduling issues or tips on how you work through it? We would love to know!

Thank you Kara for taking the time to do this for me! Don't forget to check out Kara's blog over at Everyday in Stilettos - I promise you will learn a thing or two!

Listable Life - 5 Reasons I Can't Stop Watching the Real Housewives

Who loves my new blog design??? OOOH me me me! Thanks to the fabulous Tori from EyeCandy, The Pink Growl now brings you a much more sleek and professional look.

Watch out - I'm moving on up in this bloggy world! Just kidding... Tori and I are going to be pairing up REAL soon for a sweet treat to offer my readers. You won't want to miss it!

The topic this week for the MTDL Listable Life is 5 reasons you can't stop watching ____ show. Well if you have been a reader here for any amount of time then you must know by now that I have an unhealthy obsession with the Real Housewives show on Bravo. Pick a season, pick a city - I love them all.

Here are some of the reasons these ladies are on my DVR at all times:

1.    They teach me that it’s okay to let your redneck show sometimes. I’m a true Southern girl, so I truly cannot always hide the fact that I have a smidge of redneck in my blood. I have accepted this fact and I’m even okay with it. That being said, I love it when I see one of the housewives go total ape shit! Like when Teresa from New Jersey flipped the table…y’all know you loved that! I guess Italian tempers are similar to the redneck form of showing your ass. Or when Tamra from Orange Country threw her wine right in Jeana’s face on the finale last year, I mean right in her eyeball. Or even when Sheree from Atlanta got into the fight with Kim and pulled on her wig? Whew girl, that’s just asking for it!

Teresa's table flip incident

Wine right in the peepers

2. They take stereotypes to the extreme. I know a thing or two about stereotypes myself – I bet you think I’m sitting here typing this right now barefoot with my teeth rotting out of my head! I hope you know it’s not true that all southern people are like this. When image pops into your head when you think southern California girls – do you think blonde hair, big boobs? What about New Jersey – Italians, strong Jersey accents, big hair? New York – fancy people who flee to the Hamptons? Beverly Hills – insanely rich, little lap dogs? The Real Housewives definitely takes these stereotypes that society has and gives us exactly what we expect to see. Now there might be one cast mate on each season who breaks that mold, but for the most part, they fit the bill. I am obviously one of the guilty ones who loves to indulge in watching these play out –usually exactly how I imagined they would!

3.    They teach us the value of the American Dream. Did you always have dreams of being a famous singer or writer, but just never got around to pursuing that dream? Well it’s your lucky day! The ladies on the Real Housewives absolutely teach us how to be crafty businesswomen. They have taken their 15 minutes of fame and they want more. Some of them singers, actors, writers with book deals, etc. I’m not trying to hate on them because I love their work – I’ve heard nothing but great things about Kyle from Beverly Hills’s book, I have Tardy for the Party on my freaking iPod, I don’t watch Glee and I tuned in to see Nene and I bought some Gretchen Christine Beaute make up. But you have to admit, that these girls know how to squeeze the hell out of their celebrity status. I actually think we could learn a thing or two from them about working it.

4.    They show us that bigger is better. Bigger boobs, bigger hair, bigger bank accounts, bigger heels & diamonds. Bigger = Better. Period.

5.    They are fun to watch! Okay I might have been poking a little fun at them in #1-4, but in all seriousness I love these gals. They crack me up on a regular basis, and they definitely keep me coming back for more. Sometimes they lose their tempers, or drink too much, or say inappropriate things – but haven’t we all done that before? So I say, don’t judge them just watch them and enjoy the drama brought to you by Bravo!

So tell me, do you indulge yourself in the world of the Real Housewives?

{InstaLOVE} Weekend Recap

The weather here in East TN was more than beautiful this past weekend! Even though Skye was sleeping his days away (he's on night shift right now), I was able to get out to have a little fun AND be productive. It was my little cousin's 9th birthday party Saturday so I was able to spend time with my family and then Saturday night I went to a bonfire with my brother and his friends. The weather was just perfect for sitting by a fire that night! Yesterday I got to catch up with one of my very best friends over Diet Cherry Limeades. Win! Plus, I managed to get a fair amount of wedding planning ideas in my cute new wedding planning book. And I cooked a fab dinner last night and cleaned my house. However, I did not manage to squeeze in any workouts this weekend so gotta make up for that this week. I'm not wonder woman and I can't do it all in one weekend!

If some of these pictures look funny, that's because I also got the bright idea to edit them in Picasa and with my new FAVORITE iPhone app PicStitch! :)

Here is a recap for you of my weekend {in pictures of course!}

My wonderful Aunt and I at lil cousin's birthday party - she really is like a mama to me! Plus, I look more like her than either of my parents haha

My honey woke up after only 4 hours of sleep to attend the birthday party. Love him!

aww love! if he looks tired that's because he is!

My sweet birthday girl blowing out the candles on her homemade cake. Her best friend made it for her - how sweet!

I heart animal prints! Top: F21, Sandals: old navy

Potential Wedding Venue #2 - Magnolia Manor, so very Southern. I feel like we would need some mint juleps here!

Sunday Dinner - steak, homemade green beans, corn and Diet Coke! Healthy & delicious! I sent my man off to work with a full tummy!

Things I have to look forward to this week-
1. Healthy Goals - TWO 5am workouts and back on the healthy eating train! NO excuses, just do it. (like Nike!)
2. GO FIND THE 50 SHADES OF GREY BOOKS SO I AM NOT LEFT OUT ANYMORE!
3. Two of my favorite people have birthdays this week - my baby brother will be 22 on Tuesday and one of my best friends (&bridesmaid) has her birthday this weekend
4. We are setting up two of our single friends on Thursday night - should be interesting
5. A WEEKEND OFF WITH SKYE! Hallelujah!

What are you looking forward to this week to get you through to the weekend?

{Sponsor Spotlight} April/May

As I've mentioned recently, we have some changes in the works going on over here at The Pink Growl. My new blog design will make it's appearance next week! Yippee! I also briefly mentioned here the fact that I have some new bloggy buttons hanging out in my sidebar. Sponsorship is very introductory for me, but these ladies are going to be hanging out through May so get to know them!

Brie @ Recipe for a Beautiful Life
I did a quick intro about Brie for you when she did her guest post for me a couple weeks ago. She is a fun loving Maryland girl, military wifey, fur mama to Penny (who is too cute for words) and just a very positive person. Some of my personal Brie favorites are her Workout Wednesdays, she gives great and realistic tips that seem easy to conquer in your workout. I feel like she and I have a lot in common and she's one of my bloggy BFFs!



Taylor @ Going on in Texas
The lovely Taylor has also been kind enough to do a guest post for me in my 6 week series too, you can read her post here. Taylor comes from a fitness background, and her post was all about how to get your body bikini ready. She's a southern girl, like myself, and she's so creative, unlike myself. She hosts a weekly link up Unveil  Your Genius, if you are into DIY/craft projects then you need to link up with her!


Lauren @ Our Hiding Place
Sweet Lauren also agreed to be part of my guinea pig group with my 6 week guest post series - Who Do Ya Love Wednesdays. She told the story of her perfect engagement - read it here. As I mentioned in brief intro for her on that post, she is quite the inspirational person! She loves antiques, DIY home projects, and her faith is very important to her. She's a Connecticut coastal girl. And even though we are so far away in distance, I feel like I know her as a good friend!



Sarah @ Notice the DirtSarah is a girl after my own heart with her sassy personality! I love her sense of humor! She is also a military wife currently located in North Carolina, but found out recently that she is soon being relocated to Hawaii! Let's all take a moment to feel sorry for her :) She is gearing up to run her first 10k, and keeps us up to date on her training tips & tactics. Soon we will be living vicariously through her with her amazing Hawaii pictures!

Mrs. Monologues
Mrs. Monologues is a snarky soul, and I truly love that about her! She is down right hilarious! She just so happens to also host my very favorite link up, Fur Baby Friday! If you have a little furry one that you just can't stop posting pictures of you, then come over on Friday and link up with us to show off. She's always willing to poke fun at herself, and if you know me at all then you know I'm my favorite person to make fun of.


Suzanne @ The WineabeSuzanne is a Mid-Western transplant in Northern Cali aka Wine Country. She's a self proclaimed wine lover, and who doesn't need a dose of that everyday now and again. She also takes us on a journey of her design projects - which are fabulous! She definitely makes you want to redo every room in your house - or better yet, pay her to do it!   

Amanda @ The Mayor's Wife

Amanda is also a Connecticut girly girl. She loves her fur babies, her new-ish husband, and her tattoos. She seems to be a tell-it-like-it-is person, which I adore. Her blog details the daily joys of her life, including lots of pictures. I love bloggers who really let you into their world via pictures.