Pregnant Expectation in the Storms

This fall has been full of storms in New England. From Hurricane Sandy to rather large snow storms that left us and so many others out of power and in desperate situations.

As a very pregnant woman (5 months +), I find myself reacting very differently to these storms than I ever would have reacted before. For one, I am far more protective over the people that I love. I also find myself empathizing with others more than ever, often to my detriment. While before, I went with the flow and lived life quite selfishly. Now, I find myself thinking about the bigger picture and at times it overwhelms me.

There has been a serious lesson that I've been learning through this all: we need to all choose to live a life filled with pregnant expectation. 

Pregnant expectation is the feeling of excitement one gets when a person thinks of new life:

• The hope
• The joy
• The excitement
• The future

• The plans

• The clean slate

• The newness

Living a life of pregnant expectation means embracing the unknown for the sake of hope, because "hope does not disappoint". It is what keeps us alive each and every day.  

We need to accept that horrible and wonderful things happen. We need to be inspired by wonderful random acts of kindness and become the type of people in the world that choose to do them.

The impact of temperature on decision-making

To come soon!

Knitting!

We're having a baby girl!

Kevin and I found out this week that we will be having a baby girl!

Finding out the gender of our first baby was one of the most nerve wrecking and thrilling things we have ever been through. This one little fact helps us to finally plan our lives around our child. It makes the pregnancy difficulties (nausea, pain, exhaustion) entirely worth it.

For example, last night the baby was kicking and it was making my hips hurt. We were in the car and I was thriving with serious pain.

Kevin calmed me down saying, "Gracie, picture your body as a pillow and our baby girl is just getting comfortable. Relax your legs, relax your arms, relax your stomach and back."

This beautiful picture of our sweet girl + the relaxation exercise that Kevin took me through made the pain completely go away. Such a wonderful pregnancy memory.

I can't wait to share many more with you.
<3

This beat

"This beat is so hot, it's practically burning my face off right now!" - My husband, Kevin. :)

Election 2012 - The Power of the Narrative

One of the things I took away from the election season this year, was the power of the narrative. Social media has given us the opportunity to freely share our opinions. To learn more about each other’s lives and to share personal stories with one another.

In this past election, the candidates saw this as an opportunity to develop the credibility of their candidates while discrediting their opponents through narrative.

Obama, the story -> Obama inherited a horrible economy and was given little opportunity to make many of the changes that he wanted to make because of this. He did what he could and needs a chance to do more. Romney is a greedy, out-of-touch millionaire who cannot relate to the needs of the everyday person.

Romney, the story -> Romney can balance the budget and get the economy on track because he has a track record of balancing budgets and saving companies. Obama is weak on domestic and foreign policy.

While there were many sub-bullets under each of these narratives, these were the overarching stories that were spread by the candidates, the media, and voters across the country.

The end result, a majority of the people in America could relate to Obama’s narrative more than they could relate to Romney’s narrative.

Being relatable is the key to success in this day and age.

In my opinion, a candidate becomes relatable through the dissemination of the best possible narrative into the public and anyone looking to do well in the world must keep this in mind. 

Instrument of Thy Peace

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
- St. Francis of Assisi

<3

Tiffany's Wedding Band

Kevin got me a new vintage Tiffany's wedding band today! So beautiful!

Facebook + The Election

Where has all the logic and basic respect for mankind gone?

Let's bring it back, people!

Pregnancy and the Storm

So, something people do not talk about too much is how protective a mother becomes the second she is pregnant.

This past week hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast pretty hard. The entire storm, I was particularly cautious to make sure that the baby was safe.

I have never been a particularly safe or protective person. It's amazing to see these new instincts kicking in.

<3

Which step are you on?

A great pic that I got from my boss today!

Mango-Habanero Chicken

Made some Mango-Habanero Salsa Chicken today!

Check it out:

We picked up some salsas from Blue Jay Orchard

We decided to make dinner out of the Mango-Habanero Salsa

We breaded organic chicken by dipping the chicken in egg, then flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.

We sauteed the chicken in olive oil and then covered the chicken in a pan with a dusting of shredded cheese and the salsa from the Orchard.

We then put the chicken in the oven on 350 for about 30 minutes.

Voila! 

Served with green beans steamed with minced onions and dill.

Yum!

Embark on a voyage into the unknown

Columbus Day...

While people question having a holiday in honor of Christopher Columbus, there is something behind what we celebrate each year that gives me reason to pause and think.

How many times do we choose to take a chance when we are given the opportunity to do so?

How many times do we fight to break down the boundaries of what society thinks is possible?
How many times do we pursue a journey without being able to predict the outcome?

This type of adventure does not have to be an external one, it could be internal.

Forgiving the unforgivable, loving people who do not deserve it, conquering personal goals, embracing the new. 

Kevin and I have some big things coming up in the "new" department this year - we are having a baby in April!

We could not be more happy about the timing in our life and to bring a life into this world that will bring so much life into our world. There are so many new things that we have learned so far and so much more to learn. A major journey.

Our prayer is that we can truly take time to enjoy this stage in our life. To see change as an opportunity to explore a new world. One that is filled with so many hopes and dreams.

<3

Someone couldn't stay awake for the entire debate!

Bridgette (our cat) watching the Presidential Debates

The Debates

With the political debates around the corner, I think it's time for a political post.

As a passionate person, I have strong beliefs about everything. Particularly on the topics of capitalism, international relations, and human rights.

However, above all, I believe that the pursuit for intellectual enlightenment and respect for all people is far more important than the pursuit to be "right".

My hope is that after the debates, we will all walk away with a greater knowledge about what is going on in the world and that the candidates can put mudslinging aside for a healthy conversation that presents unique, actionable strategies to help solve the problems in the world.

<3

Love is a member of our little family

The realization came while driving in horrible traffic the other day and I was utterly frustrated by it all. Suddenly, a peace filled my heart and I became completely relaxed.
I realized that throughout my life and my marriage, if times were hard or if times were great, through prayer and reflection on God's truth, God saw us through and guided us to a place of love and peace.
It was hard at times, but God has brought meaning and unity to our little family. More than I ever anticipated having.
My greatest desire in life is to show love and bring peace to those around me. Because when you take the time to see the forest through the trees, I have come to realize, that is all that matters.

Baked Ziti Night!

People who know me, know that I...

- Have a passion for justice, inclusion, and openness
- Truly "like" most people
- Comfortable in my own skin
- Say awkward things that I think are funny
- Listen to random bands that most people do not know about
- Make small things into a competition
- Hate playing board games because I take them too seriously
- Organize my e-mails... and my sent e-mails
- Can sleep whenever I want, wherever I want
- Enjoy keeping in touch with people
- Believe and trust in God's love
- Am a complete mom at heart.

- Love:
family
tradition
my deaf cat
hosting parties
style
trees/leaves
stress (I know, it's bad)
positive people
planning
the start of every season

-Hate.
people who judge others
stress
raw onions
expectations
not fixing a problem immediately

There's me in a nutshell.

Only boring people get bored

Green Grass

"The grass is not always greener on the other side. It's green where you water it."

Driving with Kev

Ready, Set, Meditate!

It is official. I have decided to start meditating on my 1-2 hour train ride each day.

Normally, I check random articles on TIME's Twitter and e-mail for work.

But, I've decided to take charge of the extra "me time" to try to become more aware my surroundings and myself.

The reason I write this is because I need to be accountable to someone to actually do this.

I'll let you know how it goes and what strategies I use to stay focused!

<3

Attitude

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkabl

e thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” - Chuck Swindoll ♥

Personal Advisory Board

Today, I went on a morning date with my friend Hope. We always have such a fun time chatting about life and new things going on. Hope brought something up to me that really struck a chord.

Everyone should have their own personal advisory board. To run ideas by, receive helpful advise, and get empathy when needed.

People who do not have an advisory board of sorts end up being quite lonely and tend to struggle with things that could use some extra wisdom and a fresh perspective.

I find that when I confide in and utilize the advice I get from my personal advisory board, I make better decisions than I would otherwise.

Do you have a couple people that you trust enough to have on your personal advisory board?

Warped Tour with Friends

This past weekend, Kevin and I went to the Warped Tour with some of our friends from high school.

Warped Tour is a music festival for hardcore, rock, and indie music.

It was such a good time! 


Sunny with a cool breeze, we nostalgically listened to and danced to bands we so loved "back in the day" and also some bands that we just started listening to. 


Something that I realized half-way through the day is how old I am getting.


More than half of the people there were much younger than me, were clothed in such an odd 80's inspired  fashion (I must be out of the loop on new trends), and by the end of the day my body ached so much, I could not keep up any more and could not wait to go to bed!


However, something else I realized on the other end of the spectrum was how young I still am now.

Kevin and I are in this selfish phase of our lives where we can go wherever we want, whenever we want.

We can go to a music festival and dance until we can't feel our feet any more and sing until our voices are hoarse. 


We can buy band tee shirts and eat snow cones until we get sick.


We can stay up late and choose whenever we want to go home or if we want to go home or stay the night in the car, or at a hotel, or on a couch somewhere.


 We can set up a tent where we stay the rest of the weekend, the week, or even a month.


It's a phase in our life and I love it, but part of me realizes that we are gearing up for the next phase in our life as well. I'm not entirely sure what that phase is. We shall see.


For now, I will just love the one we are in and take full advantage of it.


Just booked a trip to Jamaica and a Jamaican bobsled ride through the jungle... Wootwoot!

<3

Hottie

A Day Made of Glass

Watch "A Day Made of Glass... Made possible by Corning." on YouTube

NYC

Ride home from PA Reunion

Rest stop nap :)

Pauly D. Leadership 101

Kevin and I have been watching the Pauly D. Project TV show on Hulu lately.

The show is not only extremely entertaining, but it is also wildly insightful. I would love to sit down one day and write a case study on leadership and the Pauly D. Project. Oh, to have more spare time on my hands!

A couple tidbits from conversations Kevin and I have had regarding good leadership and how terrific of a leader Pauly D. is:

1. Pick the people you trust to be on your team and it will be an effective one.

2. Respect the boundaries of your employees. Sometimes people need space to recharge.

3. Affirm your employees when they do a great job and they will continue to do so.

4. Address issues as soon as they arise in a manor that is not too aggressive. Pauly took an employee that was acting up out to lunch and talked casually about how the issue was hurting the group. He offered actionable strategies to help end the negative behavior.

5. Remind your employees why their job is important to the team as a whole.

6. Celebrate with your employees when good things happen in their personal lives.

7. Practice and be good at your job, so that your employees respect the person they are working for.

8. Stay humble.

9. Promote team building exercises. :)

10. Be positive!

What time is it? Tory Burch time!

Declaring Independence Today

Hello Friends!

Today is Independence Day, a time where our country reflects upon the gutsy act of standing up and fighting for freedom.

This had me thinking... What are the areas I need to work on in my life today to help me truly declare independence?

There will always be things in our lives that will try to get us down, whether it be certain people or situations that seem beyond our control. When we reflect on negative things, we further entrench the oppressor/oppressed dichotomy that makes us a slave to the people and situations around us.

We all choose to declare something. Set yourself free today.

Reject: Guilt, anger, pride.
Declare: Forgiveness, love, humility.

Accept the belief that we have the freedom to let ourselves truly be happy, despite adversity, if we are willing to fight for it.

That's what I'm choosing today... Independence.

What's your declaration?

Sunday naps :)

New cooler!

2 yrs!

Eating the food that we had at our wedding

Letting peace reign

Lately, I've been learning some important lessons about being peace to the people around me.

Life gets hectic, but it is too short to not live it to the fullest.

Be different, be peaceful.

Being peaceful does not mean being lazy. It means taking a breath before responding to people. It means overcoming anger and loving those who may not deserve it. It means supporting and rooting on the people around you. It means rehumanizing people and truly caring about them.

How does one live in peace?

1. Make the active choice to choose peace over chaos.
2. Stick to that decision in any situation that comes your way.

Every day we should ask ourselves how we can be more peaceful than the day before.

Work from home day!

Naturally

Peak/Peek/Pique

Learn something new every day!


http://www.vocabulary.com/articles/chooseyourwords/peak-peek-pique/

New Weekly Segment: Sleeping People on the Train

My sweet man

My husband and I pass a local elementary school on our way home sometimes.

He noticed that their basketball net was all tattered.

So he went to Olympic sports, bought a new net, loaded our ladder into the car, and replaced it.

I love him so much.

<3

Where the joy at?

Today was a really hard day for me.

I'm perfectly healthy, have a loving and supportive husband, and a challenging, but reliable & rewarding job.

There is no reason why today should have been a hard day for me other than that my priorities in life need to be rearranged.

This is a fact that I need to face head on or I will continue to let myself have bad days for no reason.

I need to take time to rediscover the source of joy.

To appreciate this precious, short, life I have been given.

To find and embrace perfect peace.

It's possible. I know it is.

I guess it comes down to this:

What do I truly value above all else?

The importance of storytelling

Kevin and I have still been on west coast time this past week which has meant a couple hours of pillow talk through the night.

One of our conversations stood out to me and I thought I would share.

Sometimes we all get too busy to share our lives with one another. While we would like to think that we care about people and that people care about us, often we all only share the abridged version of our lives with one another for the sake of time or privacy or whatever else.

Storytelling is imperative to truly living in community with one another. 

We need to share more, ask more, and learn from each other's mistakes and joys. This is a special blessing that we have living in a global and increasingly connected world. Truly, loving one another and appreciating each other's stories. Affirming each other's stories despite any prejudices or judgments we might have.

When at home, work, or with friends... ask someone how they are doing and what they have been up to lately. Actively listen to the answer and affirm their story.

xoxo

<3

Penne alla Vodka with a twist!

Hello Friends,

Tonight Kevin made dinner and I thought I'd share it with you. Normally, I make dinner and Kevin makes breakfast, but tonight he decided to make a Penne alla Vodka with a twist!

Kevin cooked up some pasta and then tossed it with Penne alla Vodka sauce that we got from Costco. Then he added olives and mushrooms; I added Cayenne Pepper, Basil, and Oregano; and we put some Polly'O'String Cheese on top and baked it for 20 minutes on 350. It turned out yummy!

Let me know if you try it! :)

So ready for the Vegas show

Off to see the show LOVE

Asada!! :)

Masters Weekend

This past weekend has been a crazy one to say the least.

Kevin and I packed up on Friday morning to head to the airport and I ended up having a client meeting that morning. Then, I was ironically conferenced into a mandatory meeting on the importance of work/life balance for a couple hours. It was an important exercise for our company, but it made a once simple morning far more busy than I anticipated.

April drove us to the airport and we got into Seattle around 10pm. We went right to the hotel, ordered some quick dinner, and went to bed.

We were up bright and early the next day to catch the 6am light rail into downtown Seattle. We got some Starbucks and my friend from grad school, Emily and her husband picked us up and we road-tripped (5 hours) to Spokane for graduation.

We had a great time listening/ singing to mix cds Emily made, talking about life, and in complete awe of the scenery.

The trip started out looking like what one would think switzerland would look like. Tall mountains, covered in snow, even though it was 60 degrees outside. Gorgeous. During this phase of the trip we stopped to eat a proper breakfast at this hole-in-the-wall cafe. They offered items like a "spam omelet". Shockingly, this "classy" establishment had a fireplace that took 1100 hours to make. It was shaped like a big turtle. The stonework was impeccable.

Then we entered wine-territory. Grapes for miles.

From there, we entered a place that looked like the middle east. Barren mountains, cattle, very little civilization and then we got to Spokane.

Which we nicknamed spoghetto, spocan't, spokesganistan, spocompton.

It's a gorgeous lanscape filled with a dirty city and a sparkling Gonzaga campus.

We checked into the hotel and while the boys got ready, and ironed their clothes (and ours!) we picked up our caps and gowns.

Then we got ready and headed over to campus to line up. The line up was alphabetical and Emily and I ended up being next to each other (Wang, Vinton) which was fantastic! We were also in line with our two other grad school friends Katy and Jessica, which was also really great!

When we walked in, we had trouble finding the boys and when we finally spotted them, we gave them the biggest smiles.

The speakers spoke, "serve others" was the theme, and then they called out the names. Which took forever! But then they finally called mine. Walking across that stage, I felt such a sense of accomplishment and gratitude to my family, especially my husband.

I started this energy-sucking,  wonderful degree just after we got married. He has supported me through it all. Encouraging me when I got stressed out and showering me with kisses when I didn't think I could do it anymore.

He understood how important it was and stood by me. God truly blessed me with him.

After graduation, we took pictures with our friends and husbands and headed off to the COML banquet. We ran into one of my professors on the way and he not only remembered my name, but congratulated me on how well I did on my thesis. We also ran into my mentor and I was so glad, because she went to my oral presentation even though she didn't have to and I really wanted to thank her in person.

By this time, we were all exhausted, headed back to the hotel, and fell asleep. I'm still on east coast time, so I woke up early and wrote this post.

What a wonderful day. Now, onto vacation!

:)

Graduation

Today, I graduated with my Masters degree!

The cat posing in our living room

Shark Tank

Kevin and I love the show Shark Tank on ABC (and Hulu).

It's about entrepreneurs who go into a room of well-known  investors (or Sharks) and present their ideas.

They need to convince the sharks that their idea is worth investing in. They normally ask for a certain amount of money for a certain percentage of their company.

One of my favorite things about the show is that the sharks really do help the people they invest in and sometimes they have updates about some projects in the past that have taken off and made millions.

This show brings out my natural entrepreneurial spirit.

I love being a part of building something. I think that's why I love Public Relations so much.

It is great to promote a person, product, company and help change peoples' lives through increased awareness.

On that note... you should check out Shark Tank. I think you will like it.

<3

Weddings galore!

Next summer I am going to be in two weddings. One for my wonderful college friend, Amanda and one for my sister, Hope.

Both of these lovely ladies have top-knotch taste and I can't wait to see what their creative minds come up with.

It's wild to me that Kevin and I are nearly married for 2 years. We have been through so much together and have grown as individuals and as a couple.

I was working on our wedding scrapbook the other day and it's wild to re-live the day through the pictures. It was such a whirlwind of a day. Everything went so perfectly!

I'm so excited for Amanda and Hope and to celebrate their amazing relationships.

The men they found are amazing and are perfect for them. Both guys are southern gentlemen, strong Christians, and really smart. They are also respectful and positive, complimenting Hope and Amanda in the best way possible.

I love these ladies so much and I can't wait for their weddings!!

Soy creamsicle cooler

Best thing in Buffalo!

From "Rolling Joe Cafe" food truck!

Master's Oral Presentation

The other night I had my oral presentation for my masters.

I was skyped in to a room full of coms professors.

A couple students went before me.

The first student conducted an ethnography on the increased social media usage of a Native American tribe. She found that texting was only acceptable for certain occasions by leaders of the tribe.

The second student discussed social media's impact on nonprofit goving. She found that social media helped nonprofits fundraising efforts.

Then it was my turn. I talked about fashion as semiotic communication. Presented a Barthes theory called "the vestimentary code" and discussed a study I conducted and the results.

I answered all of their questions easily and actually enjoyed talking about the project I was working on for a year's time.

I'm happier that it's nearly over!!

T minus 1 week to graduation!

Dogs in the office

A study was recently done by Virginia Commonwealth University, that people are more productive if they can bring their dog to work.

When I worked at the publishing house, a couple of my co-workers would bring their old poodles to the office.

At first, I judged them hardcore. It seemed so unprofessional.

But I fell in love with these well-behaved dogs and on stressful days, a dog would distract me for a quick moment on the way to the bathroom and I would stop stressing and do work.

Dogs bring a unique sense of home into the workplace and they help develop unity among people in the office.

I love it... Now Kevin...

Will you have a puppy with me?

:)

Love

I honestly believe that there is nothing more important in this world than to show love to the people around you.

You have no idea what battles people are fighting.

People deserve respect and kindness whether they show it to you or not.

My soap box for the day! :)

The beach, the wind, and sand

Kevin and I went to the beach today. It was lovely and one of those days where we felt like we did not have a care in the world. We hung out on the beach and Kevin built his "rock sculptures". Then we played some basketball on the compo beach courts. He beat me, but only by a couple points. I did not let him win without a good fight! :) Then, we got some Starbucks and strolled along the downtown Westport shops. We sat by the river there, held hands, and kissed freely. It was a beautiful day. <3

Hanging with Bridgette, our kitty!

Marital Roles

In my couple years of being married, I have noticed that marital roles change on a regular basis.

What do I mean by that?

Any time a transition or a change happens in life, the way you relate to your spouse changes as well (i.e. marital roles change).

What differentiates strong couples from the rest is the ability to stand in the waves and flow with the tide together.

When times change, so does the nature of relationship. A move, a new job, the birth of a child have a powerful impact on a marriage.

Someone once told me that you date and marry the person for the first time all over again at the beginning of these types of transitions.

Each time we have moved we have had a change and growth period.

We have made it through because we never stop dating each other. Discovering new things about each other and letting that mature the nature of our relationship.

The new job has brough out "intense, goal-oriented Gracie". When I was a nanny I was more of a "teacher, mommy Gracie". When I was at my old job I was more of a "restless, creative, home-making Gracie".

They are all elements of my personality, intensified by the nature of my daily tasks.

Kevin has had similar changes during these transitions and as we continue to "date" while we are married, we learn to adapt and change to meet each other's needs.

The driving force behind our willingness to work together?

Love, respect for one another, an intense sense of loyalty, a strong friendship, and a deep understanding that changes will come and we can make it through as long as we are on the same page, supporting each other.

Have you found this to be true in your relationships? Your friendships?

Our road to buying a house, part 5

So, we go through all this trouble to buy this house with no appliances or running water and our car dies. Now what do we do?

Let's just say, we had a busy week ahead of us. We showered at our gym in the mornings and I called a friend of the family to come help us make the house liveable.

We went to a furniture store to get some living room furniture, a dining room table, some bureaus for our bedroom and an island for the kitchen. This took about a week to deliver.

We started to fix up the house with the bathroom and the kitchen sink. We got a toilet and got all the plumbing fixed, then we got our kitchen sink fixed.

After that, we went to town cleaning and painting. And more cleaning and painting.

Meanwhile, we had our plumber friend get the rental liveable and I posted an add on Craigslist. There were no responses, so I lowered the price by $50 and we had 15 responses. We settled a tenant, wrote up a lease with a lawyer at the office I was working in, got it signed, and picked up any appliances the rental needed.

(The tenant has been great so far! Has repainted the whole place and had an interior decorator come in. It looks amazing.)

As far as the car dilemma, we went to carmax and got another car. A Honda, far more reliable than the BMW we had. The car shop paid for our rental and for a little bit of the new car because they put a wrong part in the BMW and were the reason the car died in the first place.

A week in, our best friends came to help us clean up the house and do some painting. Our families also came to help us out. We so desperately needed the help and will never forget the willingness of our closest friends to be there for us at that time.

A couple months in, the place was starting to really be liveable and even comfortable.

My friend Amanda came to live with us at that time for a summer internship she was doing in NYC. She has an incredible eye for design and organization and she helped me get out of boxes and organize everything and make it look nice.

Kevin and I started antiquing and found some really unique pieces of furniture to give the place an earthy, yet clean feel. Decorating was definitely the fun part for us.

In Kevin's study, he painted it a forest green and built a bookcase out of trees from our backyard. It is beautiful!

The whole house has a little bit of Gracie style and a little bit of Kevie style and I love that.

Our first home.

Full of sweat, tears, laughter, kisses.

Let's just say we finally understand the term labor of love. :)

Our road to buying a house, part 4

So, we found our dream home, figured out the financing, made a great deal and all we had to wait for was for them to finish their part of the deal, fix the heat and any potential freeze damage in the house.

Little did we know, the contractors they hired had no incentive to finish the project. So they would come one day, do an hour of work and then come the next week and do an hour of work.

Basically, we had to wait for months for these lazy people to get their act together.

Meanwhile, our broker did a great job getting us extensions on the amazing financing we got for the house, and our real estate broker did a rockstar job making sure all the loose ends were tied up so that nothing fell through.

The time finally came for our closing, we were so excited, we were shaking!

And, of course, the other side never showed up to sign the papers.

Ha, but we didn't even care. We signed that day and they signed the next day and we were home owners.

As we go up the driveway of our first home, we smile at each other with the biggest smiles ever. So proud of what we were able to accomplish...

And our car dies! Right in the middle of the driveway! Ha!

All we had with us was the keys to the house, a mattress, a cat, clothes, and some cleaning supplies (the only things we owned at the time), and we got to work. We cleaned the house from top to bottom and passed out on the bed with a delivery pizza box and some beer.

We woke up to the sun shining right in our face... Shades. That is why people own shades. Lesson #1 of home ownership.

And we headed off to work in a rental car, to return to our big ol' empty house with no appliances and running water.

What do we do now?

Our road to buying a house, part 3

It was cold. No heat in the house for a long time, cold.

It was dirty. No cleaning for at least a year when the last homeowners moved out, dirty.

As we walked through the hallways and the rooms for the first time with our families, Kevin and I fell in love with the place. Oh, the possibilities!

Our family was shivering and told us they would support us no matter what decisions we made. They noted the lack of appliances, heat, water, and the ample supply of bugs. They also noted, that it would be a lot of work, but if we were willing to put that effort in it could be a beautiful place to live. The place sold for nearly double what we bought it for only a couple years prior, so there had to be something amazing underneath the tough exterior.

We appreciated their advice and support. So we slept on it and woke up in the morning and knew what we had to do. Make and offer and pray to God our inkling on the place was right.

So we made an offer - $$, closing costs, and heating or any freeze damaged fixed. And they countered requesting a grand more with all the extras, & we joyously accepted. One step closer to a place of our own!

Oh, but we had to wait for it... A long, hard, painful wait to be quite honest.

One word, contractors.
Another word, lazy.

More about that in the next post.

Our road to buying a house, part 2

So the decision to buy a house was made, now we had to find out if this dream was a realistic possibility. So we met up with a mortgage broker to talk about how much of a house we could reasonably afford.

At this point in time, we realized that we wanted to by a home with rental possibilities. A stepping stone of sorts into the real estate world.

The broker gave us all the financial info we needed to move forward. Now all we had to do was find the house of our dreams.

The first house we found and looked at was a place on the Quinnipiac river in New Haven. A bunch of our friends were moving to New Haven, so that seemed like the place to be.

Right when we were ready to put a deposit on the place, it went off the market. (Which ended up being a good thing because the murder rate in New Haven has been rising and the housing costs have been falling. This particular house had close to a 20% drop in value. Whew! That could have been a horrible investment.)

Then we looked at a house in Stratford with good income possibilities that we weren't in love with, but we were starting to get desperate to find a place of our own. The problem was, when we went to put in an offer, they said they weren't accepting offers at that time even though it was on the market.

So glad we missed that bullet, turns out that neighborhood was not too good afterall. We saw another house a street away and it was full of smoke and there was a baby left on a bed in one of the rooms crying. I told the parents their baby was crying and was completely tramatized by the whole ordeal.

Finally, Kevin and I were looking on Craigslist and we came across this gorgeous farmhouse colonial in Danbury that was listed on the market that day, in our price range, it had a rental, and seemed to have everything we were looking for in a home. We instantly called John Anthony and he set up a time for us to go see the home the next day.

Then we called our parents to see if they would come see the home with us. They have experience buying a house and we wanted to have them be a part of this important decision we were making in our lives. They were more than happy to help.

So, we met our parents and John Anthony at the house (soon to be our home) in the middle of winter, with 3 feet of fresh, unshoveled snow, to see this gorgeous place...

A dirty place. With no running water or heat. But with beautiful "bones" and history.

Check out Part 3 for the response from our family!

Our road to buying a house, part 1

After Kevin and I were married we went on a long honeymoon across Europe, which was fantastic (and will warrant some posts down the road). Our plan was to get back from our honeymoon and start a year long lease at a gorgeous beach house in East Haven.

The couple we were renting from were awesome. Both lawyers (which we thought the both of us might be at the time), beautiful family, and similar to us... the husband loved the red sox and the wife loved the yankees. We just loved that about them.

However, while on our long honeymoon, this couple was not doing so well. Cheating happened and they were taking steps toward a divorce! He e-mailed me a couple days before the move-in date that he needed to live in the house they were going to rent out and begged us to do "the Christian thing" and void the lease.

Yikes!

We prayed and thought about it and said to ourselves, well there are other fish in the sea, we will find another home to rent.

My parents and my sister Hope were great because they knew that we were going to be at their house for a couple weeks after the honeymoon, so they painted the room and bought us a gorgeous bedroom set to suprise us when we came home. It was darling!

Little did we know, we'd have to stay there for a couple more months than planned and my family was more than accomodating.

The economy was in a downturn and the real estate market went south. Rentals were few and far in between. Every place we looked at was snatched up within hours of putting down a deposit. We were in a serious crunch.

At that time, our friend Amy said that we could house sit for her family since they were going away for a couple months. This was such a blessing!

During the time we were house sitting we got in touch with John Compton, a real-estate maven. He gave us access to a software to look at houses on the market. I researched the market backwards and forwards and realized for myself that we could potentially buy a place.

Why not?

Our family is in CT, our jobs are in CT, we have amazing friends in CT.

Plus, if we ever wanted to move, we could just rent it out.

So, the search began!

Fire pit

Dinner by our firepit!

Earth Day

I wish there was a celebration around earth day.

Family and friends, a nice meal, gifts, the planting of a tree.

Next year this is happening.

Yoga and Wine

Quote from boss today: "We are implementing some new policies at work to help you all manage your stress level... Lots of yoga and wine."

My favorite line of the day

I love this:

"If we can't wow them with actual news we'll wear them down with creativity and persistence! :-) Thanks, grace!"

Blablabla

One of my favorite things to do when I'm writing serious PR materials is to write "blablabla" in places where I am unsure of the facts or can't think of the word to complete the sentence.

For example,

Tony, Inc. is the leading blabla elevating the standard of care in the blablabla industry.

Since bla bla, blablabla groups have hailed the fledgling company for increasing their productivity and profits.

Changing the lanscape of the blablabla industry for the better - Tony, Inc.

###

Then, I just go back and fill in the "bla's" lol!

I love blablabla.

P.S. I made up the name Tony, Inc. for this example. :)

Living to work or working to live?

During spring break my senior year in college we went to see a medieval times musical on horses in Florida.

This is a story for another day, another time.

On the way to that show, I started talking with the cab driver.

He and I spoke in Spanish about how different Latin American culture is from American culture and he said something to me that stuck in my mind.

He noted in his country people work to live and in America people live to work.

This is so true.

Work is such a major part of our lives. If we count up the total hours we end up working in our lifetime, it ends up being years of our lives.

People of all cultures have to work to live, to put food on the table for their families.

In America (and I'm sure some other places in the world), often our lives start revolving completely around work instead of around our families and friends.

Since I started working at the PR firm, I've realized how easily this happens. How being busy can make you forget what really matters: God, your relationships with your family and friends, and serving those in need.

Work and home life balance is so important.

How can we work hard to do well at our jobs and keep our priorities in check?

An age old question, I guess.

Would love to hear what you think about it.

Grace

Band Time!

Hi friends,

So this past weekend Kevin and I played with our friends Brett, Adam, and Bekki at Wilton Trackside in our newly formed band "The Wooden Arms" (Like a hug from a tree, not like the weapons lol!)

It was a total blast! A couple weeks ago we practiced in our barn for like 6 hrs and then we had a quick run through at trackside. It was so nice to be in touch with our musical side and just put ourselves out there for the world to see.

I seriously had no idea what to do with my hands, so I looked like a total idiot at times, but truly enjoyed the whole experience.

Plus, April came to support me with her bf and we had a blast taking advantage of the great music and free drinks. Ha! We danced and giggled like school girls.

Such a fun night. I want to do it again!

The Wooden Arms - My first shot at being in a band

Happy Indie Song

Happy Folky Song

Lullaby

Anthropologie Hand Painted Shoes

Spring!

KNB

:)

Master's Thesis

It is nearly done!

Hope is getting married

My sister Hope's boyfriend suprised my sister with a trip home for Easter.

A couple weeks ago, he contacted my parents and let them know he was planning to bring her up.

He then contacted me to help him find a photographer in the area. I instantly though of Aaron Huberty who has a terrific photo bloc (link to come) and went to Wheaton with Kevin. He now works at CHS as a teacher (which is where Kevin and I went to college).

It took everything in me not to tell my sister. We talk every day and I just wanted to burst it out. But, I was good and acted suprised when she said she was coming up for the holiday. :)

Kevin and I had Friday off from work so we hung out with Hope and Jordan. We went shopping and had a good time.

On Saturday morning my sister went to get her nails done with my mom and when she got home, Jordan suprised her with broadway tickets to see "Wicked" in NYC!

On their way back from the city, Jordan texted Kevin and me "TEXT HOPE".

The day before, Jordan said if it was hard to find a reason to get her to the beach he would have us text her to have them go with us.

So, I texted Hope and asked her if she wanted to meet us at the beach and to check if that was okay with Jordan.

He clearly said it would be okay.

When they got to the beach, Jordan pulled out all the materials for a world class picnic.

Hope turned to him and squeeled saying, "This is the perfect end to the perfect day!"

If she only knew what the end would be!!

So, I texted her that Kevin and I were stuck in "traffic" so they should go ahead.

I was also texting the photographer with their exact location.

As they were eating, Hope noticed a photographer taking a picture of the landscape. Before she could say anything, Jordan stood up and said,
"Can you stand up with me?"

As she stood up, he went down on one knee and said something to the extent of,

"You are the most wonderful person I have ever met. I love you and want to be with you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?"

She replied with a resounding, "Of course!"

Afterwards they came to my parent's house for a celebration.

They are both some of the most amazing people alive. Generous, kind, considerate, and beautiful to boot.

I could not be happier for the both of them and to be able to celebrate their love for each other!!

Starting fresh

Today was a particularly difficult day at work. I had a number of tasks to complete and I had my first PR Plan presentation with a client.

Our team worked on this presentation for a month, perfected it and delivered it today.

Our client seemed to like most of it, but had some comments on one slide. Because of this, time ran out and we weren't able to finish the presentation we worked so hard on.

NIGHTMARE.

I look back on the day and it was good overall, but my perfectionist side wants me to think differently.

You know what?

I actively choose not to define my day by this hiccup.

I choose to take this lesson and grow.

And, I choose to watch a movie tonight, worry-free with my husband and my cat.

I honestly believe this is a choice. That we can choose what our minds dwell on from day to day.

I choose positivity, optimism because that is what is good for me and to be quite honest, that is what is good for our little family.

Movie with the family, here I come!

My baby sister is getting married!

The happy lady and me.
:)

Hello spring colors!

Compliments and productivity

Today, the president of my company came up to me and said, "I can not give you enough compliments for how well you have done today. If you keep up the good work, I can really see you moving up here in the near future."

This came at the perfect time for me. I was working on a bunch of projects and needed this affirmation to give me the boost to work hard on them.

Perhaps my boost in energy was really because I'm a goal-oriented, type-a, with borderline OCD. Who knows?

The relationship between compliments and productivity seems to be situational at times and often based on the personalities in the interaction and may also have to do with the way a person was raised.

My parents used goals and affirmation to keep me motivated/focused as a kid, so I respond well to that stimuli.

What keeps you moving during the day?

Ebb and Flow

The key to doing well in a high stress job is to understand that the craziness happens in an "ebb and flow" type fashion throughout the day.

How you choose to handle it will make or break you in the corporate world.

"Ebb and flow" is a term often used to describe tides... They come in and they go out.

In the same way, tasks in a high pressure job will always be there, but the stress you feel from all the work comes and goes in an ebb and flow fashion. Possibly based on deadlines or other priority items that need completion.

My trick has been to take some time to write "to do lists". Organization is super helpful in this process. If all you have to remember is to look at a "to do list" then you don't have to waste your energy trying to think about each thing on that list separately. It gives your brain a much needed break to work on the tasks at hand.

Also, I've found that it's helpful to take one task at a time. There may be a million things to do, but getting one project done is better than a bunch of half projects.

Those are my current musings. Take them as you may. Hope they help you in some way!

The office gym

No one is ever there!

Prayer, empathy, and a missed train

Today, Kevin and I were on our way to work and I realized I didn't have cash for the train.

The train station I go to does not have a way to buy a ticket at the station and you have to buy the ticket on the train, but you need cash to do that and the station doesn't even have an ATM.

On the days where I don't take the train, I end up in NYC traffic both ways which is a serious pain in the rear, changing my entire schedule for the day. Adding a significant amount of stress.

Kevin and I drove from station to station on the line to try to get me on the train at a place where you can buy a ticket, and we had no luck.

In total frustration, I just started to cry.

Kevin pulls the car over, leans over to me, envelops me in his arms, and says a simple prayer,
"Lord, give her peace."

Then, I started to cry in a more cathartic fashion.

It was exactly what I needed.

Someone to empathize with me on a human level.
To remind me that there are some things out of my control that I just need to be okay with.

Praying for someone is about empathizing with their situation, understanding that there are not enough words in the world to help them, but that their feelings matter, and you wish there was something you could do to help them.

Let's just be honest... missing a train is not a big deal.

However, at the time, it was the biggest deal, and it was so nice to know that Kevin understood that and took some time to bring me to a greater sense of peace and really a greater sense of self-awareness.

Empathize with someone today.

Gracie

I love math!

I've come to the conclusion that I love math.

What I realized the other day was that I always loved math and that I let society convince me that a right brain thinker (creative) can't be a left brain thinker (logical).

So in high school and college I  focused on developing my right brain and made excuses to be lazy with the left side of my brain.

I saw that other people were able to get away with it.
Well, no more herding mentality for me!

Left side of the brain, I love you.

I love math and science and I'm not going to make excuses to ignore you anymore.

Khan Academy, here I come!

The end.

Work that changes the world

I overheard my boss saying this today and I wrote it down. Truly inspiring...

We should stop asking,

“What can this job do for me?”

We need to ask what my job can do for the world.

You need to find the passion that will get you up in the morning to go to work.

The type of work that makes a difference in the world and that is why we do what we do.

Vintage pearl ring

Kevin got me this darling vintage pearl ring a couple weeks ago.

I wear it nearly every day.

He has such great taste!

The train

Going to work on the train has been an interesting experience. It's a great way to start the day and end the day. It's restful and relaxing.

Another thing about commuting to work on the train is that there's an underground culture that comes with it.

You start to recognize the same people over and over and get used to them. You guess their stories so much you think you know them and they look at you like they know you too.

On fridays people bring appetizers and wine to celebrate the end of the work week.

We are from all walks of life, from a wide variety of careers, coming together on the train united by the simple act of commuting on the train.

It's amazing how much life pushes is to relate with one another. To become a community despite our best efforts to avoid it.

My Masters Thesis Survey - Fashion as Communication

Please help me by taking this quick survey for my master's thesis.

Thanks in advance!


Click here to take survey

Sunflower

I got these for Christmas.

They make me happy.

Second day on the job

So, the second day on the new job went so much better. I had an idea of what I was doing and made some great contributions.

I felt like I mattered and could help make a difference in the world.

I enjoy the work and my colleagues. I am a PR superwoman of sorts on a super team, promoting people and products that save lives.

It's an amazing thing.

I'm thankful for the oppprtunity and am interested to see how I can grow.

Thank you for prayers and support.

Grace

Underdressed on my first day

I am painfully underdessed on my first day of work. Yikes!

Last time I was in the office, a girl told me that they dressed casually. She was in jeans. It was also a friday.

I can not believe that I wore jeans today. Just going to work it and try not to let it get to me.

Confidence, Grace. Confidence.

Oh, and don't forget to breath!

Hiatus

I've had a wonderful week of rest this past week before I start my new job.
It was so nice to take some time to clean the house, relax, work on my thesis, and step back to contemplate what the next year may look like.
At the new PR firm, I'm going to have 5 clients instead of one and the strategies are going to be very similar to what I did at my old job. But the field is different and it's going to take some time to learn the terminology.
I am so excited to start this next phase in my life.
On Wednesday, Kevin and I went to the beach with Hope and Jordan and then we went into the city to my favorite restaurant "Carmines". It was so fun and relaxing.
I am so blessed to have had this week to rest and refocus.
Grace

Beanie Babies and generosity

Kevin told me this sweet memory he had from childhood and it broke my heart, reminding me how lucky I am to have found him:

When Kevin was younger his three favorite stuffed animals were three beanie babies. He remembers their names and everything. He took them everywhere with him.

One day his school had a beanie baby drive for kids in need.

Kevin, without hesitation, took two out of the three of his favorite toys out of his backpack and gave them to the drive for the kids in need.

He remembers, when he got home, his mom was upset with him because they were some of the original beanie babies, were in relatively good condition, and could have been worth something some day (and many of those types of beanie babies were worth something one day... up to $1000 at auction for some).

Kevin remembers shrugging and playing with the one beanie baby he saved. He remembers thinking to himself, "Why have 3 beanie babies when all I need is one?"

This story brought me to tears because it is so Kevin. He gives without a thought of himself and is a purist in every way, shape, and form. He is so generous and never brings attention to himself for it.

I so love this guy and am honored to wake up every morning next to him.

Gracie

A procrastination post on the topic of procrastination

I would not consider myself a procrastinator, by any means.

Normally, I set myself out to doing something and I get it done.

Distraction is not normally an issue for me.

Well, this wonderful trait has not been something that has defined my Master's thesis writing experience.

I rather do ANYTHING other than work on this paper.

Including: cooking, cleaning (a popular alternative), feeding indoor plants, coming up with impossible business plans, rearranging furniture, and starting a new job.

Here's to finishing this paper somehow!

Wish me luck,

Grace

Up a mountain in Guatemala on a motorcycle...

Sarah Smith and I went to Guatemala together the summer after my freshman year in college and we lived with a host family in the city of Antigua while we did a "government internship" and "studied" conversational Spanish and the history of Latin America (i.e. had a busy vacation while we soaked in the culture).

Antigua is well known for their coffee beans and their vibrant indigenous culture.

Our host family lived next to a gym, so we heard techno music all day long from the time we woke up in the morning to the time we went to sleep. We called it the background music to our lives.

One of my favorite experiences from our time there was when we hopped the tour guide's motorcycle randomly when we met up with him at the city center and he drove us up the Guatemalan countryside.

Sarah held on to me so tight!

He raced up the windy mountain and a police car started chasing us. So he went faster and faster.

Sarah and I were scared, but trusted that he knew what he was doing.

All of a sudden the police car started driving on the left side of the road and began racing us to the top of the mountain!

We were in shock. Turns out they were friends of the tour guide. Ha!

It was our last day in Antigua and it could not have been a better one.

What a great experience to see the country we so grew to love one last time.

Here's to more adventures in exciting places!

Grace

P.S. Sarah has reminded me that the tour guide's name was Hugo. :)

Stationary Bicycle

Life is moving fast and I'm doing everything I can to keep up with it.


Full thesis is due in a month and graduation is in two months.


On top of it all, I was offered a terrific job in Stamford and the training is going to be intense.


I'm trying to adjust to all these huge transitions and to take them in stride, but the unfamiliar is so scary.
Most of me knows I'm ready for it. Yet, I can't help but to nurse and rehearse my worries.


Honestly, there's only one thing that can calm me down in times like these... 

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal, 
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

 ⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.¹³

I need to trust. Trust that these new things are going to be great for me. 

I need to be open. To grow and learn new things in a fresh environment.

I need to believe. The skills I have will help me in this potentially arduous process.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Wish me luck!

Gracie

The World's Most Profound Sayings

The World’s Most Profound Sayings :)

Enjoy!

1. The Past is Prologue

2. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

3. He has an Instinct for the Capillary

4. Fish and Visitors Start to Stink after 2 Days

5. Payback is a B****

6. There is No Right Way to do the Wrong Thing

7. Less is More

8. Lead or Get Out of the Way

9. When Someone Says it’s Not about the Money, It’s about the Money

10. I used to be Indecisive, Now I’m not so Sure

11. When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

12. Keep Your Friends Close, and Your Enemies Closer

13. 99% of Lawyers give the Rest a Bad Name

14. Success is 1 Part Inspiration and 9 Parts Perspiration

15. Silence is Golden

16. Carpe Diem (Live for the Day)

17. All You’ve Got is Your Health

18. Half the People you know are Below Average

19. Borrow Money from Pessimists … They Don’t Expect it Back

20. The Sooner you fall Behind, the More Time you have to Catch Up

21. People Rise to the Level of their Incompetence

22. The only Certainties are Death and Taxes

Others…

1. KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid
2. Honesty is the Best Policy
3. Hope for the Best and Deal with What Comes
4. Clothes Make the Man
5. An Elephant Doesn’t Catch a Mouse
6. Kill Them With Kindness
7. Patience is a Virtue
8. Early to Bed, Early to Rise, Makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
9. Money Does Not Grow on Trees
10. A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine
11. Love is Always the Answer
12. It Takes Two to Tango
13. Dwell in Possibility
14. Be the Change You Wish to See in The World
15. Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
16. Courage is Grace Under Pressure
17. Nothing Can Be Said to be Certain, Except Death and Taxes
18. I Destroy My Enemies When I make Them My Friends.
19. Time is Money
20. Every Ending is a New Beginning

21. Knowledge is Power
22. Work to Live, Don’t Live to Work
23. Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk
24. Don’t Judge a Book by it’s Cover
25. Turn Those Lemons into Lemonade

Vermontingness

When Kevin and I realized our weekend plans changed this past Friday, we took a last minute trip with some dear friends of ours to Vermont.

When got home from work on Friday, we packed for the weekend in about 10 minutes. Then we raced off to New Haven to meet up with our friends to head up to VT. The drive up was a treacherous one. The windy and hilly roads were difficult to drive in, but we finally got to the house around 1am. We stayed up until around 4am talking and just having a good time.

The next day we went to the store and picked up food for the weekend and made a tasty breakfast.

The weather was gorgeous so we went for a walk. The view was glorious. :)

The boys played music with their bottles. 

The girls stood by laughing, talking, and taking in the view.

So much love.

The rest of the night we cooked food and played games. It was so nice to have some time with some old friends and some new friends to talk about life and thoughts about the world. Plus, the setting was amazing.

Today we woke up, made some "Texas Pancakes", and went shopping. I picked up my first Kate Spade bag and an adorable Kate Spade scarf! They are so cute and I love it.

It is nice to be home now with some great memories from the weekend to ready ourselves for this busy upcoming work week.
xoxo
Grace

P.S.


I had such a wonderful surprise today... my sweet friend Krysta sent us a beautiful house warming gift! A darling cake stand. I can't wait to use it! :)