I recently turned *gasp* a quarter century year old...The big 2-5. I know, I know, I am still very young and I have a lot of years left in me. But it just feels so weird that I am 25. I feel like I should still be 16, arguing with my mom about cleaning my room, not having a care in the world, and only making $5.25 an hour at McAlister's Deli. Oh the good ol' days. I wouldn't have changed a thing. But in my old age, I have become enlightened on so many levels (ha). So I present the top 25 things I have learned in my 25 years of life. Enjoy!
1. No matter how old I get, I am going to squeal when I see a spider, and I expect you to kill it. (I am looking at you Mr. Rateliff)
2. I went through puberty when my mom went through menopause. We survived (barely) a horrid, hormonal war, and now she is my best friend. No matter what, you have your mama. And for those moms out there, it will get better!
3. At the end of a bad day, a hug from my daddy makes me know everything is going to be okay.
4. Marriage is absolutely wonderful and I love every minute of it. It makes me feel important and selfless at the same time. Marry someone who loves you because of your quirks. God blessed me with my soulmate. (I love you Zach).
5. Mushrooms are and always will be disgusting.
6. Live it up before you have to enter the real world because paying bills sucks!
7. You never forget your first love, but there is a reason they are your first and not your only.
8. Never leave home without atleast some powder, mascara, and blush on. It is all you really need.
9. Ladies, have some dignity and cover your goodies.
10. Throughout the years, you're going to lose close friends due to petty arguements. Don't focus on who isn't there for you anymore, focus on who is comforting you through those times.
11. Want to make happy? Buy me shoes! No matter how skinny or big you are, a hot pair of shoes always fit.
12. Jesus was perfect, Christians are not. We know this. We have flaws and sin, but He is still there for us (and you) no matter what.
13. True feminism is respecting our bodies, standing up for those issues that matter, and working hard to get our goals in life accomplished. Feminism is not the right to be a whore.
14. Long distance relationships can work, you just have to be more stubborn than your significant other. And when problems occur, discuss it, forgive, and move on.
15. Your best friend is part of your family.
16. Learning to do things on your own is a good thing. Getting a pedicure, shopping, eating out alone are all enjoyable if you quit caring what people may thing if you're by yourself. 'Me' time is wonderful and necessary, and as you get older, you get less and less of it. So enjoy while you can!
17. When you are upset, all you need is your best friend, ice cream, and a good movie.
18. Calories do not count the week of your birthday.
19. Speaking of birthdays, it is perfectly acceptable to celebrate your half birthday! Mine is December 11th. Mark your calendars.
20. Zach and I got married in Vegas and we have yet to regret not having a big, fancy wedding. Save your money and have fun with it! It's about you two getting married! No one else!
21. If you go out in heels, always have backup flats! Otherwise you may be tempted to go barefoot. Trust me on this one....
22. I love my husband more and more everyday.
23. Don't mess with people who handle your food. If something is wrong with your order, 'please' and 'thank you' will get the issue resolved just as easy as getting an attitude will..and without the spit!
24. Take a compliment when you are given one.
25. God is always listening and ready to help. You just have to talk to Him. He listens to your prayers and while he may not answer them right away, He always does when the time is right.
Love always,
Annie
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Lazy Water
Totally forgot to post about the most bizarre thing I saw while in New Orleans.
Riddle me this..
Why does the water in the bathroom cost $6.00...
Riddle me this..
Why does the water in the bathroom cost $6.00...
But the water next to the bed cost $8.00?
You must pay $2.00 for your laziness! Come on people! Move your butts 10 feet to save 2 bucks. Or be lazy and switch them out later.
The craziest part...water by the pool is free..and cold!
Things that make you go hmmmmm.....
Love always,
Annie
N'awlins - or New Orleans to you city folk...
N'awlins - Per UrbanDictionary.com:
1. The way tourist say New Orleans (Nu Or-Lenz) because they saw a movie that was supposed to take place in New Orleans but it used people with Alabama accents for the actors.
"Whats it like to live in N'awlins ?" 'Go away tourist before I rob you.'
This was my first trip ever to New Orleans. We went for Kyle's (Zach's uncle) graduation from dental school. He's a bonafide doctor now! I was super excited though for some good music and good food!
Our plane landed around 9 am and we cabbed it to the hotel(Olivia was a trooper and took us to the airport at 6 am). We stayed at the Hotel W in the French Quarters. It was a very quaint, boutique hotel in the middle of everything.
We dropped off our bags, I changed out my of comfy airplane clothes into something my mama wouldn't be embarrassed seeing me in, touched up my makeup and we set out exploring!
Everyone I talked to said I had to go to Cafe du Monde to get beignets and coffee. Zach was not too keen on having beignets and I assured him they would have other things as well. Uh I was wrong. The placed was covered at 10 am on a Wednesday and all they serve are beignets! We ordered the beignets and...coke (hey it was hot out!), and ate the mess out of them. They were awesome. Pretty much a fluffy funnel cake with powdered sugar. Nothing wrong with that! We left satisfied and covered in white sugary goodness (Zach more so than myself).
We went wandering around the streets of the French Quarter. Peeking in little shops here and there, avoiding the voodoo places the best we could, and best of all, people watched. New Orleans has some crazay folks! And funny smells I might add, another thing in common it has with France...
It was lunch time so we wanted seafood (um duh!). We ate at the Seafood Market Restaurant on Bourbon St. Zach ordered a shrimp po' boy (I thought me might turn into a shrimp po' boy after this trip) and I ordered the Scallops St. Louis. It was delish!
We ate in an open area and sat there for awhile. Then we went and did some more people watching by the river. This was all during the time the Mississippi was flooding and considering New Orleans is pretty much a fish bowl, we prayed it would not flood. All was well but the river was VERY high. Plus, it's pretty freaky seeing boats float over your head.
We later caught up with the rest of the family at the hotel, relaxed a little by the pool, and then headed to dinner at Herb Saint. This place had fantastic food, but the waiter was terrible. We are a big, loud bunch, and as a waiter, you should know how to handle these types of tables. If not, you're in the wrong biz my friend. And this guy appeared to be. Other than that, the food was great.
Thursday was the day of Kyle's graduation. Went to it, ate at this awesome place known for it's po' boys (in the middle of the hood I might add) and hung out with the family the remainder of the day. We did eat at Dicky Brenden's Steakhouse that evening (we did a lot of eating on this trip) and they had the best steak Zach has ever had. His words. Mine was pretty dang good.
Friday, we slept in, did some more lounging by the pool, ate some more, more lounging...It was a good day. That evening, Zach and I decided to do a little more exploring. I found two really cute dresses at this boutique called Lost and Found across from our hotel. It's not everyday a boutique carries my size (this gal has got a lot junk in her trunk) and they were on sale! Woot woot! We then ventured to the gardens in the French Market.
We had dinner on the balcony of a restaurant (I can't remember the name..oops) on Bourbon because it really is fun to watch the madness that goes on down there. Took lots of pictures from the balcony but then when I looked at my photos, I had not noticed the blow up 'body part' that the bachelorette party had hanging off of the balcony that was in ALL of my photos. So please appreciate all of the photo cropping I did below!
Love always,
Annie
1. The way tourist say New Orleans (Nu Or-Lenz) because they saw a movie that was supposed to take place in New Orleans but it used people with Alabama accents for the actors.
"Whats it like to live in N'awlins ?" 'Go away tourist before I rob you.'
This was my first trip ever to New Orleans. We went for Kyle's (Zach's uncle) graduation from dental school. He's a bonafide doctor now! I was super excited though for some good music and good food!
Our plane landed around 9 am and we cabbed it to the hotel(Olivia was a trooper and took us to the airport at 6 am). We stayed at the Hotel W in the French Quarters. It was a very quaint, boutique hotel in the middle of everything.
We dropped off our bags, I changed out my of comfy airplane clothes into something my mama wouldn't be embarrassed seeing me in, touched up my makeup and we set out exploring!
Everyone I talked to said I had to go to Cafe du Monde to get beignets and coffee. Zach was not too keen on having beignets and I assured him they would have other things as well. Uh I was wrong. The placed was covered at 10 am on a Wednesday and all they serve are beignets! We ordered the beignets and...coke (hey it was hot out!), and ate the mess out of them. They were awesome. Pretty much a fluffy funnel cake with powdered sugar. Nothing wrong with that! We left satisfied and covered in white sugary goodness (Zach more so than myself).
We went wandering around the streets of the French Quarter. Peeking in little shops here and there, avoiding the voodoo places the best we could, and best of all, people watched. New Orleans has some crazay folks! And funny smells I might add, another thing in common it has with France...
It was lunch time so we wanted seafood (um duh!). We ate at the Seafood Market Restaurant on Bourbon St. Zach ordered a shrimp po' boy (I thought me might turn into a shrimp po' boy after this trip) and I ordered the Scallops St. Louis. It was delish!
We ate in an open area and sat there for awhile. Then we went and did some more people watching by the river. This was all during the time the Mississippi was flooding and considering New Orleans is pretty much a fish bowl, we prayed it would not flood. All was well but the river was VERY high. Plus, it's pretty freaky seeing boats float over your head.
Thursday was the day of Kyle's graduation. Went to it, ate at this awesome place known for it's po' boys (in the middle of the hood I might add) and hung out with the family the remainder of the day. We did eat at Dicky Brenden's Steakhouse that evening (we did a lot of eating on this trip) and they had the best steak Zach has ever had. His words. Mine was pretty dang good.
Friday, we slept in, did some more lounging by the pool, ate some more, more lounging...It was a good day. That evening, Zach and I decided to do a little more exploring. I found two really cute dresses at this boutique called Lost and Found across from our hotel. It's not everyday a boutique carries my size (this gal has got a lot junk in her trunk) and they were on sale! Woot woot! We then ventured to the gardens in the French Market.
We had dinner on the balcony of a restaurant (I can't remember the name..oops) on Bourbon because it really is fun to watch the madness that goes on down there. Took lots of pictures from the balcony but then when I looked at my photos, I had not noticed the blow up 'body part' that the bachelorette party had hanging off of the balcony that was in ALL of my photos. So please appreciate all of the photo cropping I did below!
I have no words...
Breakdancers - They were hilarious!
"You better pay us, cause if not, we will go back to our old jobs - being at your house when you're not home" Bahaha
Wedding march through the French Quarter
All in all, we had a blast. It was good seeing family, good seeing Kyle graduate and complete his accomplishments, and I can now mark New Orleans off my bucket list because honestly, I can live without ever smelling that town again!
Annie
Monday, May 9, 2011
Ethel Belle? What are you 80?
I am totally new to this 'blogging' thing, but I figure I'd jump on the bandwagon. No one may care about my life, but it is nice to share my thoughts and ideas anyway.
No, Ethel Belle is not my actual name. It is a nickname that has stuck with me since I was little. I am named after two of my great-grandmothers. Annie Belle and Ethel Jeanette. These wonderful women are total opposites. One saw the good in everyone and the other aggravated people for the sake of aggravating, but I like to think I have the best of both in me. Obviously, my parents chose Annie Jeanette, but Ethel Belle stuck as my nickname.
So to start my very first blog post off, I will tell a little about myself and my wonderful life.
I married the love of my life and my best friend on September 23, 2009..and again on September 26, 2009.
We 'secretly' got married in our hometown church and then flew to Vegas to get married with our family and close friends at the Graceland Chapel. Yes, Elvis led the ceremony. And it was rockin'.
Zachary (he hates being called Zachary) and I are highschool sweethearts. (Awwww!!) I was a hard catch, but he was persistent. When he asked for my phone number, I gave it to him and told him not to call me (There's that Annie Belle in me). But I caved and we have been through it all. He is my life.
I literally have the best friends in the entire world. While I have tons of wonderful people in my life, my two best friends (that is right, two, be jealous) are my light. I love them both equally and diffrently. Olivia (or Libby or Pookie - these names may be used for her in the future) and I have been besties since 7th grade when I moved to Texarkana. A little band named Hanson brought us together (you're humming MMMBop right now aren't you?). We figured out we were both fans and we have been best friends ever since. She makes me a better person, whether she knows that or not. And I love her lots. Alia is my other bestie. She is back in Texarkana and I miss her so very much. She is the mother to the absolute cutest little boy ever and I hate that I am missing him grow up. She is absolutely beautiful inside and out, plus we wear the same size shoe!
Ah, shoes. How I love thee. I have ohh..over 150 pairs of shoes? I seriously used to have a problem. Now I am just broke which made the problem go away. But the lack of funds is worth the amazing journey my husband and I are on. He is currently a student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and I am working there, putting him through school. He plans on being a Christian Counselor one day and I fully support him. Times can be tough but we have the best family and friends in the world who help us stay strong and focused.
Woah.. totally did not mean to ramble so much. There is so much more to say but I will wait for a later blog. I don't need to scare you away just yet ;)
Love always,
Annie
No, Ethel Belle is not my actual name. It is a nickname that has stuck with me since I was little. I am named after two of my great-grandmothers. Annie Belle and Ethel Jeanette. These wonderful women are total opposites. One saw the good in everyone and the other aggravated people for the sake of aggravating, but I like to think I have the best of both in me. Obviously, my parents chose Annie Jeanette, but Ethel Belle stuck as my nickname.
So to start my very first blog post off, I will tell a little about myself and my wonderful life.
I married the love of my life and my best friend on September 23, 2009..and again on September 26, 2009.
We 'secretly' got married in our hometown church and then flew to Vegas to get married with our family and close friends at the Graceland Chapel. Yes, Elvis led the ceremony. And it was rockin'.
Zachary (he hates being called Zachary) and I are highschool sweethearts. (Awwww!!) I was a hard catch, but he was persistent. When he asked for my phone number, I gave it to him and told him not to call me (There's that Annie Belle in me). But I caved and we have been through it all. He is my life.
I literally have the best friends in the entire world. While I have tons of wonderful people in my life, my two best friends (that is right, two, be jealous) are my light. I love them both equally and diffrently. Olivia (or Libby or Pookie - these names may be used for her in the future) and I have been besties since 7th grade when I moved to Texarkana. A little band named Hanson brought us together (you're humming MMMBop right now aren't you?). We figured out we were both fans and we have been best friends ever since. She makes me a better person, whether she knows that or not. And I love her lots. Alia is my other bestie. She is back in Texarkana and I miss her so very much. She is the mother to the absolute cutest little boy ever and I hate that I am missing him grow up. She is absolutely beautiful inside and out, plus we wear the same size shoe!
Ah, shoes. How I love thee. I have ohh..over 150 pairs of shoes? I seriously used to have a problem. Now I am just broke which made the problem go away. But the lack of funds is worth the amazing journey my husband and I are on. He is currently a student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and I am working there, putting him through school. He plans on being a Christian Counselor one day and I fully support him. Times can be tough but we have the best family and friends in the world who help us stay strong and focused.
Woah.. totally did not mean to ramble so much. There is so much more to say but I will wait for a later blog. I don't need to scare you away just yet ;)
Love always,
Annie
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