Baby Talk.

Babies.

Babies, babies, everywhere. Everywhere I look (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) someone is announcing their pregnancy. Not that there's anything wrong with this. I'm at that age where this is normal. Just like when I was 18 and all my friends were going off to college - I'm now in my mid-to-almost late 20's (ouch... that hurts so much to say) and all my friends are having babies. 

 Like Anna Kendrick tweeted yesterday...

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE babies. They're the cutest. I get SO SO SO excited when one of my friends announces their pregnancy. 

It's just that I am NOT anywhere near ready to have a baby. My husband feels the same way. We would rather wait until 1.) We know where we are going to be in the next couple of years, 2.) We want to be completely done with school, & 3.) We want to be financially READY - Loans paid off, house bought, etc. (Even though I always hear you're never financially ready...). And honestly, I like my Target trips alone. I like my sleep. I like doing things with just Jesse. And if that makes me selfish, then I'm sorry.

I feel like there's something wrong with us because of this. My family has it in their head that we're never going to have kids. 

However, why is it that whenever I see that someone else is pregnant, I feel like someone has kicked me in the stomach? I know that having a baby isn't a competition, but sometimes it really feels like it is. I have this fear that I'm going to wait so long that I'm going to be too old to even try and it's going to be a struggle.
Also, it's annoying that no matter how many times I say I am not ready, if someone sees me pin a bunch of baby stuff or post something on IG, it's all "OMG ARE YOU PREGNANT?" To which I say...

 But seriously. I feel like I should clarify. I DO WANT CHILDREN. Eventually. 

But right now, I am happy just living my life, just me and Jesse, without worrying about another life. I mean I worry enough. When I have a child, I'm going to have to be in a permanent self-medicated state or I will drive myself insane from all the worrying (kidding. maybe).

So friends, I am totally open to watching your babies and loving and kissing their sweet cheeks.

I'm just not ready for my own yet.

I don't even know why I'm talking about this. I just feel like it's something that I've been dealing with and I know that other people feel this way as well.

*LAST NOTE*

Don't ask someone why they haven't had a baby yet. Just don't. You have no idea what that person is going through. They could be trying all the time but have no luck. Some people might have a condition where they can't have a baby. Just be sensitive. Not nosy. That's all I'm saying.

xoxo.

Making Amends With Sundays.

Honesty Time: I hate Sundays. HATE. DESPISE. They're the worst. 

I would much rather deal with a Monday than a Sunday. 

Why? 

Because I feel like my Sundays are spent dreading the week ahead and mourning the days that I just had off. I've also noticed I'm not the only person that feels this way. Maybe it's a teacher thing. ;)

This has been especially hard for me since I have class on Saturdays 2-3 times a month now.

Needless to say, I don't do the whole "Lazy Sunday" thing very well.

However, this past weekend I decided to try a positive way of thinking about Sundays.

I woke up Sunday morning pretty early and it was super rainy. There's been this coffee shop that opened up (Knoxville Brew) that I've been wanting to try, so we headed down there.

I'm so glad we did.

Seriously. I'm a coffee and french vanilla creamer kinda gal. I've never been much for the fancy drinks at Starbucks, mainly because they're super expensive/fattening/have a burnt taste to them. 

K Brew knocked it out of the park.

Jesse and I hung out there for about an hour or so, just enjoying the rain (I love the rain... I find it super relaxing!) and catching up on our books.

After we left there, we headed back home where I worked on crochet projects, cleaned, and worked on ZERO school work (which I'm totally regretting today... but I needed a break). We just hung out around the house and I tried my best to relax. I planned out our meals and made out my to-do list for the week. 

SO I actually do feel pretty productive and super prepared for this week! All in all, I actually had a really great day. 

Okay, Sundays. I think we can be friends again.

Hope y'all had a fantastic weekend! 

XoXo

Just a thought...

Why do we feel the need to apologize for things that we post on OUR social media accounts? I mean - some people should be sorry for the things they post on Facebook and Twitter, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Anyway, last night I hashtagged #sorryforthecharlieoverload on my Instagram after posting the second picture of Charlie for the day. Then I thought... why do I feel the need to apologize for what I post on MY Instagram? If people don't like it - they don't have to follow me. I post a lot of pictures on Instagram because those are memories. I can't tell you how many times I've gone back and looked at my pictures and been like "aww that was so fun!" or "geez that was so long ago"... things like that. I've always been a picture person, but why is it that we feel the need to apologize for "overgramming"? I know that I'm not the only one that has apologized for "overgramming" - regardless of whether it's a dog, a baby, a vacation, a house being built - those are all SUCH exciting things that are important to someone.

So I guess what I'm saying is - don't apologize for what is important to YOU. If someone doesn't like the fact that I post a zillion pictures of my dog... then I'm sorry they're not a dog person.

That's just my random thought for the day!

What are your thoughts on "overgramming"? I'm interested in hearing other's opinions and thoughts!

xoxo.

Five on Friday!

I feel like the only time I blog is on Fridays. Forgive me, I've been a busy bee lately.

One.

I have been so busy with crochet orders, I've hardly had time to work out/eat/shower. I know, gross but I'm so blessed with this growing business! I love to create things that make people happy. Here are a few of my custom orders I've sent out this week:

Two.

I am obsessed with these red canvas shoes I snagged at Target last night for $15. I wore them around my house last night and they are so stinkin' comfortable! I highly recommend everyone go get a pair. I think I might go back and check out the other colors!

Three.
I made chia seed pudding for the first time ever and I must say - I actually like it! It's sweet and perfect for warmer mornings when oatmeal might be too hot of a choice. I mixed it with a few strawberries and shredded coconut. It was delicious and super filling. It's actually a Giada recipe that can be found here.

Four.
Tomorrow is Mardi Growl in downtown Knoxville and we can't wait! We aren't participating in the parade, but we are going to take Charlie to Market Square and let him participate in the peanut butter eating contest. I think he has a good chance of winning. ;)

Five.

Easter candy + Girl Scout cookies are out so I'm doomed. Thankfully I haven't seen any girl scouts out yet but I have a feeling I'm going to run into some and they're going to make me buy like 5 boxes. I had my first small bag of mini Cadbury Eggs and yum... they just get better every single year.

Whew! Now I have to actually go get some things done! Orders to be mailed and delivered, homework, more orders... I'm actually looking forward to getting out and about this weekend! It's supposed to be super nice here in Tennessee so I'm definitely going to make the most out of it!

xoxo.

Currently: February Edition.

Listening. I have been listening to a little bit of everything! Mainly country of course, I am really loving Lorde's new album and the Will.I.Am featuring Miley song "Feelin' Myself". I also love Eric Church's new single he has out "Give Me Back My Hometown". I just love him.

Eating. I have been so awful lately! All I have been craving is McDonald's Chicken McNuggets and I can't even tell you the last time I ate those. Plus my sweet tooth has been out of control lately. Jesse and I tried this great new pie shop, Buttermilk Sky Pie, on Saturday and holy yum. So good. If you live in Knoxville and haven't tried it out yet, I highly recommend it the buttermilk pie. Sounds weird, but it's delicious.

Drinking. Water water water. I'm so sick of water I can't even deal. I cheated and had a Dr. Pepper during class last week and I didn't even regret it.

Reading. I just finished The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks and it was amazing. I love all of his books but I cried so many times throughout that one that I lost count. Now I'm reading The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Jennifer Lawrence is apparently producing and starring in the film based on that book so I had to check it out!

Feeling. Pretty good! No complaints here! 

Weather. The weather here has been fantastic. I wish I could spend more time outside! Jesse and I went and drove around for a little while on Saturday after I got out of class. It was nice just to ride around with the windows down!

Wanting. A Flipped Bird Messenger Bag. I've been wanting to order one but I keep holding out for some reason! Maybe the $56 price tag but... It IS reversible. ;) You can find them here.

Watching. Nothing lately - we still have a few episodes left of House of Cards so we will probably try to finish those this week! 

Also --- I'm doing a giveaway over on my crochet page Oh So Darlin' on Facebook - Check it out and enter! :) Winner gets a custom coffee cozy! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/ohsodarlin

Hope y'all are doing fabulous!

XOXOX.

Five on Friday!

Geez is it Friday already? I didn't even realize it was Friday until I looked at my calendar this morning. Someone has been in a fog all week!

So today is VALENTINE'S DAY! 

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays.

I just love all the pink and red and hearts and love all around!

Jesse and I chose not to go out to a fancy dinner this year. It's always such a hassle, super expensive, and we leave and end up going through the Taco Bell drive through because we didn't get enough food (don't lie, we've all done it).

So this year we are staying in and eating Chinese and watching Netflix.

Nothing really different than our typical Friday night, but we're stepping it up a notch and will be eating on our fine china. Yes, our fine china that we have only opened up one time the whole almost 3 years we've been married. We're super fancy. Ha! We just love being silly with the whole thing. We went all out the first couple of years we were together, but now it's just fun.

One.

We had crazy amounts of snow here on Wednesday night. I love looking at the snow, but I absolutely hate driving in it, playing in it, being out in it, period. Which is really difficult when you have a dog who absolutely LOVES it and whines at the door until you take him out to play.

Our peek out of our back porch yesterday morning.

Ayers Hall on Wednesday night. Our local news station posted this the other night and I just loved it so much. I love my alma mater! *Go Vols*

Two.

I have an obsession with mugs. Tea cups, coffee mugs, travel coffee cups... whatever. I love them all. Jesse told me he is putting me on coffee mug restriction, but that didn't stop him from buying me this gorgeous "With a Twist" tea cup from Anthropologie. Good job honey!

Three.

Like I said before, Jesse and I are starting to be silly with our Valentine's. I made him this card after I found a dime laying on the ground outside Target. It's a joke between us that whenever Jesse sees any kind of change on the ground... he's picking it up and putting it in his pocket. I'm the complete opposite. So he was surprised when I told him I found the dime on the ground. Plus he loved the little witty rap ;)

Four.

I just started this book the other night and I was bawling within the first 10 pages. Every Nicholas Sparks book makes me cry like a baby, but not that quickly! Can't wait to get through it. 

Five.

I went through some of our wedding pictures last night and I thought I would share this one. It's one of my favorites and it reminds me how much our wedding day was the best day of my life!

Well that's it for me! I have to finish up some crochet orders and get some school work done before we have our lazy Valentine's date tonight. How are you spending your Valentine's Day? Staying in/going out? Not celebrating at all? Regardless of your plans, I hope you all have a great weekend in whatever you do! :)

I'll leave you with a little Valentine's Day message from Charlie...

XOXO.

A Case of the Blahs

You know what I have?

You know what I'm talking about. We all get them, maybe some more than others, but right now that's what's going on with me. I just feel so... Blah. It's the only way I can explain it! Between this weather, school, my weight loss journey, and uncertainty about the future... I'm finding it hard to be positive. I think I just need some warm weather and sunshine in my life!

This graphic below accurately describes my life at this very moment:

Who is with me? I am always saying... I want routine. Then as soon as I'm in a routine, I hate it. I want to be spontaneous and fly by the seat of my pants. Then something goes wrong and I'm itching for routine again. It's such a vicious cycle. I promised myself that I would try to relax more and not get so stressed out about silly things... That was one of my many New Years Resolutions... Ha! :)

I am constantly saying... I am so over school. I want to be done so I can have my own classroom and my own career and salary. I'm tired of feeling like I don't contribute as much as I could (however, Jesse tells me I contribute plenty, but it sure doesn't feel that way). I am always trying to hurry up the future. I feel like my time is ticking. I'll be 27 this year and feel like I have absolutely NOTHING to show for it. Most of my friends already have a child, sometimes even 2. I know I shouldn't compare my life to someone else's but sometimes I feel like I'm going to be behind forever.

I know that I'm going to look back on these days when I'm overwhelmed with work, lesson plans, problems in my classroom... And think "why did I rush this? I would do anything to be back in school!" When I'm up at 2 am nursing my baby running on a couple hours of sleep, I'll think... "Geez I miss the days where I could sleep for 9 hours a night and think nothing of it". When we buy our first home I'll probably think... "Life was so much easier when we lived in our cute apartment".

If I KNOW these things, why am I rushing? God knows where I am and he has plans for me. This is something that I need to reflect on when I'm having a "case of the blahs". 

I saw this quote on Pinterest and it hit so close to home with me. "Our list for future comfort is the biggest thief of life." Wow. It is SO true. 

I'm going to work on spending more time living in the moment. I'm want to try to stop worrying about things I cannot change or control. What I am longing for WILL happen. I just need to keep reminding myself of that. 

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday! 

It's offically LOVE week.

I love Valentine's Day.

I even loved it when I was single! My girlfriends and I would always get together and cook and watch movies... I kinda miss those days!

I hope you all had a nice, relaxing weekend! I know I did!

 It was so nice to catch up on some sleep... and Netflix. :)

Jesse and I have watched more television since we canceled our cable than we did when we HAD cable. 

We started House of Cards on Friday night and we'll probably be done with it sometime this week. It's so good! I highly recommend it. I absolutely adore Kate Mara and she's fantastic in it. 

Our weekend consisted of lots of naps. We take naps seriously here in the Piburn household... especially Charlie, if you can't tell. 

Saturday night we went to Maryville (the next city over from Knoxville) just to get out of the house and get outside! We went to some of the little shops downtown and went to the park to feed the ducks (Jesse's favorite part... I promise we're in our 20's). He's the duck whisperer, I swear. 

                                        

We also obviously had to stop and get some Valentine's Krispy Kremes... So good.

                                         

It was so nice to not do anything since I have been studying so much over the last few weeks.

But now I have to catch up on lesson plans and other things...

Five On Friday!

Happy Friday! Woohoo! This has been the longest week ever, hasn't it? It's just been draggin' right along... 

-One- I took my FINAL Praxis exam today and let's just say I am SO relieved! Of course I don't know if I passed yet, so I don't want to get too excited. I do feel okay about it though. One step closer to graduation!

   

-Two- I opened up an ETSY shop! I have gotten so into crocheting lately that I thought I could at least make some money off of it! I mean what am I going to do with 45 headbands and 29 blankets? Might as well sell it! I'll be working this weekend on some items to list!

-Three- I am obsessed with some broiled grapefruit lately. It is so yummy! Just mix up some brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, pour it over the top and place it under the broiler until it starts to look caramelized. Seriously. So good.
                                   

-Four- I am CRAZY about mascara. I have an obsession with my eyelashes. I want them to be longer, thicker, everything that eyelashes can possible be. I have a loyalty to L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, but I got a gift card to Sephora for Christmas so I decided to try something new. Well... I think I found my new favorite mascara! Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is amaze. It's not too expensive either, just $23! I will definitely be buying this again, but I'll still be switching it up with my L'Oreal Voluminous.

-Five- My birthday is coming up next month and it just so happens to be on the same week as spring break. We didn't get to do anything too fun last year since Jesse was finishing up his Master's thesis, so this year we are planning on going to Charleston. I absolutely love Charleston. If I could move anywhere, Charleston would be it. I just love the food, the scenery, the history... ahhh. It's so beautiful! I love just walking downtown then heading into the residential areas. We haven't been back since our 1 year anniversary, so I'm pretty excited to say the least!

I hope y'all have a fabulous weekend! What are your plans? Are you going to go out and do something fun or just stay at home and stay warm? 

xoxo

[Currently].

Sorry y'all. I have had no desire to blog or interact lately.

I can't really put my finger on why, but that's just how I've been feeling. 

I think it's the weather. Plus I've been feeling a little sick, so I've not wanted to leave my couch.

HOWEVER.

I'm going to come out of my shell a little bit today and procrastinate writing my research paper.

I stole this blog idea from Nikki over at The Pink Growl (she's the sweetest and a fellow UT girl!) since I have been in such a blogging rut lately.

I thought it might help to catch up on some of the things I have *currently* been loving during this month of January. 

Listening.

Beyonce's new album. I'm obsessed. I listen to it when I'm getting ready, when I'm at the gym, when I'm cleaning the house. Whew. I love Beyonce, but this album is way different than anything she's ever put out. And I LOVE it. Plus, I just watched her performance from the Grammy's last night and can I just say that her and Jay-Z are one of the cutest couples ever? 

Eating.

I am addicted to Trader Joe's Chocolate Almond Granola Cereal. It's good, it's filling, and it's quick for me to eat in the mornings when I'm in rush. It's not very WW friendly (7pp for 2/3 cup), but I love it and I just balance out my lunch with something a little lighter if I eat it for breakfast. 

Drinking.

I haven't had a Diet Coke in 3(!!!) months. I'm not going to lie, I've craved one every once in awhile, but I just chug a lot of water and the craving goes away. So I've just been sticking to water, coffee, and the *occasional* glass of wine. I feel a lot better and don't feel as bloated!

Reading.

I am currently reading The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton. I started it on Saturday but I'm already over halfway done. It was suggested to me after I finished Gillian Flynn's books and I have really enjoyed it so far. It hooks you in from the very first page, which is a positive for me!

Feeling.

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed about my Praxis exams. I have 1 left to take and have to wait to get my scores back on 2 more. So I'm a little stressed to say the least. I've also been feeling a bit under the weather and Mucinex is NOT doing the job. 

Weather.

It has been absolutely freezing here in Tennessee the last few weeks. I am officially over it. I hate having to walk outside with a million layers just to walk my dog. I also prefer running outside as opposed to the dreadmill. So if spring could hurry up, that would be great. 

Wanting.

I really can't say that there's anything I've been wanting lately except for maybe a vacation. One can only dream... right? 

Watching.

Jesse and I have been binge-watching Breaking Bad. It's bad. I can't believe it took us this long to watch it though because we can't get enough of it. Also, Jesse Pinkman is the cutest nugget and he balances out Walt's weirdness.

That's it for me! Now I definitely have to go write this paper and study for my last Praxis exam. Oh and tackle this awful to-do list... Happy Monday!

I'm here, I'm here!

I love being busy.

Which is a good thing since I haven't stopped at all in the past 2 weeks.

School has started off full force and it is EXHAUSTING. I already have a million assignments, not to mention I still have 2 more Praxis exams to take. 

Stressed is an understatement. 

I've also been nannying 2-3 days a week, which I love. 

Thankfully I have a husband who is super helpful and does whatever he needs to do to help me out around the house. He cleans the apartment while I'm in class, runs whatever errands need to be done (including going to the grocery store... swoon!).

One thing I do to help me out is to meal plan a month in advance. That way I know what we are doing and we don't have to worry about it. This is also easier for me to eat healthier. I've been doing Weight Watchers since November and I've lost 10 pounds so far. I also surprisingly didn't gain any weight over the holidays, which I was really happy about! Yesterday was the first time I've been to the gym since December (I know, I knooooow). I only stayed for 30 minutes but I still felt SO much better. I can't wait for it to get warmer so I can run outside. I still have about 20 lbs to go before I'm at my goal weight, so I'm telling you all this so I can stay accountable! 

Whew! So now that I've brought you a little update about where I'm at, what's going on with y'all? How has your 2014 been so far? 

xoxo.

(Lazy) Weekend Recap.

My weekend consisted of a lot of coffee, couch time, and football.

I loved every minute of it.

Since Christmas break is officially over, I wanted to stay at home and enjoy my last couple of days of freedom. 

Saturday was so nice. I love days where Jesse and I can just stay at home and do absolutely nothing.

We started our 2014 Memory Jar and we can't wait to fill it up!

We did this last year and loved looking through all of the great memories and special things that happened to us in 2013.

I also spent most of Saturday morning studying the Bible. I'm really enjoying the plan that I'm working on now. Also, getting the colorful tabs for my Bible was one of the best decisions I've made. It makes studying so much easier!

I also made some Crock Pot Potato Soup. It was perfect for the arctic temperatures we've been having.

Jesse loves this soup. It's one of his favorites! I found the recipe on Pinterest and it's become a staple in our home this winter. It's so easy! The recipe I use can be found here.

On Sunday we pretty much did exactly what we did on Saturday, except Jesse volunteered to go to the grocery store and drugstore for me. He's such a life saver. I didn't even want to think about getting out and going to the grocery store with the people who have to go buy milk and bread just because it's supposed to snow outside. Even though we did need milk... and bread. Ha! 

This up and down weather has really messed up my throat, so I basically lived off of tea this weekend. 

I also enjoy taking pictures of cups apparently.

Class starts back tomorrow, so today I am going to enjoy my last day off while catching up on some of my favorite shows. Downton Abbey came back on last night, so that is first on the list! 

Sorry I've been so boring! I promise I'll try to spice things up a little bit in the near future.

How did you spend your weekend? Did you have a lazy weekend like me or were you actually be a productive member of society? :)

xoxo.

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday y'all! I hope this week has been treating you well! I've been enjoying my last few days off before the spring semester kicks off. I will not have a break until DECEMBER, when I graduate from grad school. I can't believe I will be done at the end of this year. So exciting!

One. I have started a new Bible study plan on the YouVersion Bible app. The plan that I am following is called "Maximizing Your Daily Life". I love studying God's word. It brings me such peace and clarity. I am also following the Jesus Calling devotional in addition to the YouVersion plan.

Two. Someone posted a really cool knitting/crochet project on Instagram the other day and I decided that I had to join in! It's a "mood blanket"project... the whole idea is to knit or crochet one square a day or week using colors of yarn that you have picked to describe your mood for that day. At the end of the year you join the squares together to make a beautiful blanket! Since I've been studying for my Praxis exam that I had today, I haven't had a chance to get started! I have picked out all of my yarn and assigned moods to certain colors. I plan on getting caught up this weekend! Since I'm a beginner, I'm going to have to watch some tutorials and research what type of squares I want to make. 

Three. My reading goal this year is 75 books. I would really like to do more, but with my class load + work I wanted to make a somewhat realistic goal. I've been really into Gillian Flynn's stuff lately (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, Dark Places) so I downloaded a book that I've heard was similar, Reconstructing Amelia. I'm ready to dive into it this weekend! 

Four. Since I've been on Christmas break, I have been binge watching Sex and the City. I forgot how much I LOVE that show. I beg Jesse at random times to get me the complete series box set, but he never gives in (rude). Also, SATC ended TEN YEARS ago. Do you feel old yet? I do.

Five. Charlie got a little deep into the peanut butter jar tonight so I'll leave you with this funny little picture of him. ;) 

Hope you all have a great weekend! Stay warm! 

xoxo.