"Secret" Obsesion

I think all of us girls have a "secret" obsession with designer bags. I would LOVE to own at least one, but can never convince myself to spend the money. I came across this post from another blog tonight and thought, what the heck...why not, hey!!

To celebrate their launch, Handbag Planet is giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours starting at noon on October 15th.

Check out their website to register for the giveway!!!
Good luck!!!

The GIRLS ARE COMING

This weekend was a HOT ONE!!! I checked my thermometer this afternoon and it was 105 with 70% humidity!! YUCK!! I can't wait until it starts to cool down. You take a COOL shower thinking that will help and NOOOOOOOOOO you sit down and 5 minutes later you are a wet sweaty mess!! YUCK!!

WOO HOO!!! I can't believe in a little over a week my BEST friends are coming to visit. Liza & Jami are coming to visit for a weekend and we have it JAM PACKED full of events!!!

Jami flies into Vallarta on Thursday night and Liza flies in on Friday afternoon!! I asked them to get me some scrapbooking items because now that I have a place to spread everything out on. I'm excited to see what Jami picked up for me. Liza is bringing me some gossip magazines and a bag of SKITTLES!! YUMMO!!!

We are doing a SPA day on Saturday morning, then doing some shopping, gettin some margaritas and hanging out!!! Looking forward to having them visit and spending some time with them!!! It is going to be a GREAT time!! It will be great having them visit and having some relaxation before the FULL SWING of our wedding season starts on October 11th!!!

Have a GREAT week!!

I've been looking at some photos of when Mom, Dad, Rob & Melissa were down here for David & Stacy's wedding last March and had to post a couple of my favorites!!!

The Cousins: It was so much fun being all together!!!

Well..blogger is being STUPID and I can't upload any morepictures! I'll update and upload when I'm NOT SO FRUSTRATED!!!!!!

So...I switched to "firefox" and I'm sooo able to upload fotos!! What's up with that???
It was so wonderful showing Mom & Dad the place where I call Home now and they actually took a vacation together besides heading to Florida!!!! It was an amazing time!!
Here's one of Mom's Favorites.....(well..not really..but it was fun that she snapped the foto and I was just being me....)

August 2008 Vacation

Before I post this blog tonight, I'm typing from my living room and what an AMAZING sunset there is tonight. Gosh....if I only had my camera. The skyline is cloudy, yet the horizon is clear and a beautiful burning orange. With the view of palm trees in the foreground...it is absolutely breathtaking!!!

I'm afraid this blog is a bit out of order, but I was sooo excited to get pictures of my new apartment posted that I put the vacation blog on the back burner. I had the most AMAZING time with my family and friends during my 3 week time back in the States. It started off full of SURPRISES and ended BEAUTIFULLY!!

I spent an absolute amazing time with friends in Minnesota. I had a great visit with the girls from Hunerberg as we went and hung out at our "hangout", Don Pablo's. We had such a wonderful time catching up. I'm so glad that we were able to hang out in the short time that I was in Minnesota.

After the visit with the "girls", I headed out to The Donabauers. It has to be said....it was probably the best time that I've had with all of them EVER!!!! Liza & I were able to go and hang out in a local hangout and just talk and have some "alone" time. I got to bond with Summer. What a absolute sweetie!! Adorable as EVER!!! We were able to hit Kimball Days!! It was the BEST!! We all participated in a bean bag contest, which I can say we lost after double elimation, but it was the greatest afternoon. We went back to the house, hung out for a while and got all "gussied" up and headed out to the street dance. It was such a chilly night, but enjoyed by all!!! Thank you Liza, Jeremy & Summer for making the beginning of my vacation on a FAB ONE!!

On a side note - Liza & Jami are coming to visit in 3 weeks for a weekend!!! WOOO HOOO!!! The first friends that are coming to visit since I've embarked on my adventure. I'm soo pumped for them to see where I now call home. They are going to stay with me in the new "crib" and we are going to hit the Spa for a day, do some shopping and try our wits on a Canopy Tour. Sooooooooo excited!!

Then it was time to head home for the last couple of weeks to visit with family. I arrived home and found that yellow "caution" tape posted everywhere. I thought at first they were busy painting the garage trim, stairs up to the house, etc. BUT..OHHHHH NOOO..Mike had to have his fun and he had posted signs everyone sayint "Caution", "Caution Grounds", "Caution Steps". There was no way he was allowing me to break another bone this time around. He got his laugh!!!

I spent the BEST week with Dawson. We went school shopping, we hung out on Gramma & Grampa's new pontoon boat, we played; it was sooo much fun!! I couldn't believe how much he had grown. Before he left on Sunday, I gave him strict instructions not to pass up his Aunt Shelly before Christmas. I'm afraid he's going to pass up me soon!!! Thank you Lisa for allowing us to have Dawson for the week.
This picture sums it all UP!!

I honestly have to say that the time I spent with my family those 2 weeks were the BEST!! I had the best time hanging out with Mom. We went shopping together, hung out during her lunch breaks. It was the BEST!! Dad surprised me and came home early the first week I was home to spend some extra time. We were able to spend some quality Father/Daughter time. I love those special moments. There is something special about the bond between a father and daughter. I cherish each and every moment. Rob & Melissa came home the last weekend I was home and it was the BEST weekend. We hung out down at the lake all weekend, we made donuts over the campfire, hung out on the pontoon, reminised about younger years, drank beers together and had some really GREAT family bonding moments. Mike, Rob, Melissa & I went out on the town one night. Melissa & I went back to the house and got ready together, it was such a nice time hanging out in our bathroom talking and getting ready together. I really enjoyed that time together. After we all got ready we quickly headed back down to the lake to watch a quick display of fireworks. It was an AWESOME display!!! Sunday we all got up and went for breakfast and headed out to house hunt for Rob & Melissa. They want to move up North after Melissa is finished with school. Then it was time to say our good-byes and see you at Christmas!! It was a really AWESOME weekend!!!

We had so much fun going down to Bearskin for taco night (yummy!!..i know tacos, but these are unlike any PV taco I've ever had and plus..you can never have tooo many tacos) and one night Mike & I just hung out and had a great time.

Here are just a few photos:

I had the best vacation!! I have definitely learned that quality is SOOOOO much better than quantity!! Hope to see you all at Christmas!!

The NEW CRIB

After much debating and hmmmmming and haaaaaaaing, lists of PROS vs. CONS and budget crunching. En FIN....I moved this past Saturday to a super SWEET 2 bedroom apartment with nicer furniture than I've ever had. It was funny remembering that I moved into my first PV apartment with just a small carload using aka Lola and last Saturday we had to use our work vanagon (aka Scooby) to move all of my stuff that I have accumulated over the past year and a half. It was bittersweet leaving my first apartment since I embarked on my Mexican adventure. I really enjoyed the neighborhood, my landlord, their son Stephan, the kids playing in the street, and my favorite corner tienda. However, I WON'T MISS the barking dog across the street that would bark at all wee hours of the night.
I was getting a little frustrated with the hour bus commute to and from work. It just reminded me of my daily commute back and forth from my old job in the States. It was getting on me. I feel much more alive in my new place and it feels like a home. I actually have a dining room table where I sit and eat dinner and breakfasts. And as I am updating my blog...you guessed it at the table and not sitting in my bed. I have a living room to sit in and relax, listen to my music, etc. Sooooooo much better than my first apartment.

So..here are some before pictures:

Bathroom BEFORE....(look hard...see anyone you know?????)

Kitchen/Dining Room BEFORE:

Master Bedroom BEFORE: (and..yes..that is a KING SIZE BED) There is a first time for everything!!!

The Living Room BEFORE:

AND.........

One of my favorite parts of this new apartment is the HUGE wrap around/walk out deck...

I'll post more pics soon...just wanted to get some teasers out. I didn't post any of the 2nd bedroom, because right now it's just storage....

A HUGE THANK YOU and shout out to Pablo, Toro, Kristin & Sophia for helping me move this past Saturday!!! What a HUGE help you all were!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!