My Dogs Are Not Invited to my Wedding

So, if you know just one thing about me, it's that I'm pretty much obsessed with my dogs. You also know that I think Winnie is damn near perfect and Annabelle's soul purpose in life is to cause trouble wherever she goes.  Needless to say the first comments we got after announcing our engagement was whether or not the dogs were going to be in the wedding. Specifically we were asked if Annabelle would be the flower girl and if Winnie would be the ring bearer. 

No. Just, no. (Although I must admit they both look pretty awesome in clothes)

Reason #1? Annabelle would eat the cake. And probably run away. 

Reason #2? Winnie would put her tennis ball in everyone's lap. Gross. 

I should probably be honest here and say that if I wasn't going to be wearing a white dress and if I really had my way, Winnie would totally be invited. But I'll be wearing white. She's not compatible with white clothing. Black hair + tennis ball dirt + slobber = Disaster.

We have decided that instead of having our dogs ruin be involved in our wedding, we will try to incorporate them into our Save the Date cards. You know, once we actually have a date and all. I hear that's pretty important to establish first. 

Anyway, I had some ideas about how I wanted to have them involved... mainly that I want the card to be a picture of them rather than of us. I don't want my face on someone else's fridge. No way. So obviously I consulted Dr. Google to see what others have done. 

Here's some examples of ones I like:

This one is my absolute fave. Only we would have to have either one dog on each side, or both in the middle. How we'll get them to sit there I have no idea. Someone will just have to hold a ball in front of Winnie. She'll sit like a statue for days. Annabelle? Gah, I have no idea. Cooperating isn't really on her agenda so we'll see...

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This one might be easier to accomplish. Only, I don't want the boots there. Just a cute sign in between them. 

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This one is also super cute and potentially doable. The signs are from etsy - I love them. 

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So, there ya have it. My dogs are mostly terrible creatures who will absolutely not be invited to my wedding but I'm still totally obsessed with them and will involve them in some way. I mean, to be honest, so much of our time is spent yelling at playing with them that it seems only fair they get to play a role ;)

Head on over to the Tall Tails link up to see other people who are obsessed with their pets!

I'm Alive... And Engaged!!

Oh, hey. Apparently I dropped off the planet for a bit. My bad. Between GETTING ENGAGED... and then getting sick immediately after, blogging has taken a back seat. But I'm back, and semi regularly scheduled posts will resume ;) James wants to get married this spring so it looks like I'll spend most of my time planning. Spring seems fast to me, but that's probably because I do NOTHING fast and planning isn't exactly my strong suit. And by that I mean I'm terrible at it. And so far I've made ZERO progress except try very hard to get my mom to plan the whole thing for me. That hasn't worked... yet. Anyway, onto this week's High Five For Friday!

1. Obviously #1 is the ring. This was my grandmother's ring and I am in love. With him, and the ring ;) 

2. Dessert. Celebrations always call for dessert. Always. Also, this was the first time someone called me soon-to-be Mrs. W. It felt strange, but nice.

3. Who wants another dog?!? This sweet girl is at the farm where I farmsit and is looking for her forever home. They are fostering her and if we didn't have Annabelle we would probably already have her in our house. Her and Winnie would be the best of friends.

4. Ebeneezer. This horse cracks me up. Such a clown. It makes doing barn chores a little easier when this guy is following you around. Okay, maybe not easier but definitely more entertaining!

5. Hey, look at us, we're engaged!! And also, we are quite possibly two of the least photogenic people ever. It's true. Now, who wants to do some wedding planning fo' free? Pretty please? 

Banana Carrot Muffins

Have I mentioned that James is a very thoughtful boyfriend? Well, he is. So thoughtful, in fact, that last week he informed me our bananas were getting old and we just so happened to have some leftover shredded carrots and maybe I could bake something healthy with them. For him. And if that wasn't thoughtful enough, I got an email that very same day with a recipe for these banana carrot muffins.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 C flour (AP or gluten free)
-3/4 C sugar
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. nutmeg*
-2 eggs, separated (or egg replacer if vegan!)
-1 tablespoon honey
-1/4 tsp. grated orange peel
-2 med. ripe bananas - mashed
-1 C shredded carrots
-1/2 C unsweetened applesauce

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350

-In large bowl combine: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg

-In another bowl beat egg yolks. Add in honey & grated orange peel if including. Mix into dry ingredients until just mixed in. Mix in bananas, carrots & applesauce

-In separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form & fold into batter.

-Fill muffin cups (2/3 full) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

-This made ~12 muffins for me with a little batter left over.

**I omitted the nutmeg and grated orange peel.

These were delicious and if I ate 2 for breakfast I wasn't hungry for lunch until noon. That's unheard of for me. Usually I'm starving by 10am. Of course, I also usually just eat some almonds for breakfast once I get to work because I literally lay in bed until the absolute last minute and then have no time for breakfast. So maybe that has something to do with it... Either way, I highly recommend these and I despise most anything that could be considered healthy!

I Would Marry my Bed if I Could... For Real

I love my bed. Like probably to an unhealthy degree. Not because my bed is anything amazing, but because I love to sleep. Or even just to lay around in bed. Case in point: this past Saturday. I may or may not have been in bed off and on until 5pm. I'm quite sure that can't be normal or healthy for a person to do, but on that day it was glorious. And I should probably be honest and tell you that if I don't have a day like this during a weekend I get a little sad. Maybe not until 5:30pm... that's a little extreme, but 2 or 3? That's perfection.

For as long as I can remember I've always told people that my dream house will have a nap room. This room will be virtually sound proof and consist only of a bed. You open the door (which has key card access, fyi... no intruders can ruin nap time) and step down into a giant comfy bed with a white down comforter and white fluffy pillows. There will be 1 ceiling fan and 1 wall mounted tv (obviously, because all floor space is taken up by the bed!) that has a full list of all the trashy tv my little heart desires. 

Recently someone on facebook posted a link to the 25 Warning Signs that indicate you're in a completely dependent relationship with your bed. Obviously I clicked on it knowing full well that I would probably meet or exceed 100% of what was on that list. I started scrolling and all seemed fairly expected until I stumbled upon this:

It's my dream come true. But obviously my nap room would look much nicer. That's more like a room that's all mattress. And has maybe been occupied by squatters or something. 

My nap room would be more along the lines of this room. But without all that pesky floor space. Naturally, that would all be filled with bed. Plus there would be black out shades to keep out that sun for those lovely afternoon naps. And to avoid any glare while watching the Kardashians or some Real Housewives. That would just be unacceptable. 

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Is anyone else out there borderline narcoleptic like me? Well, fear not. There's a word for people like us. 

Clinomania: an obsession with bed rest

Linked up with: Because Shanna Said So

Tall Tails: That Time Winnie Thought She Hated The Beach

Shortly after we got Winnie we discovered her obsession with love for water. I mean, the dog will attempt to swim in a puddle. And she doesn't just splash around, she will completely submerge herself in water. On a hike? She's great off leash... unless she HEARS water. She doesn't even have to see it, if she just hears the sound of a creek or stream she gets excited and you better believe that as soon as we get close she's gone. She will run full speed ahead and launch herself into whatever body of water she has found. Even if its a grand total of 3 inches deep. 

So, naturally, we planned a beach trip with my mom and one of her dogs. I was certain that Winnie would LOVE the beach. I was wrong. On the first day Winnie decided she HATED the water. If I would start to walk in she'd grab her toy from me and plop it down in dry sand. 

Winnie's thoughts on this whole beach idea...

My mom's dog? Loved the beach. I kept telling Winnie she could no longer call herself a retriever. When we passed a couple of labs playing fetch in the water I was so ashamed of my 'retriever' who didn't have one drop of water on her. 

What the heck is that dog doing near that water?

Gotta make sure that water doesn't get too close...

She did, however, decide that we must have taken her to the beach so she could lay on the couch. She's not allowed on furniture at home, but clearly that's what vacation is for. She was being a terrible excuse for a retriever and I was quite ashamed of her. I mean, sure, get on the furniture - its fine because you DON'T HAVE A DROP OF SALT WATER ON YOU. You non retriever, you. We drove over 3 hours to the outer banks for you to sit on a couch?!? Yes, of course we did.

Lazy.

Finally on the last day my mom decided maybe she just needed some encouragement. It was April (I think?) in Nag's Head. The water was cold. I wasn't about to get in there to lure my so called retriever into the water. She should be running head first in there herself. Apparently my mom is nicer than me (no big shocker there...) and braved the freezing water and Winnie tentatively followed. I mean, she can't let someone just take her ball away. I finally caved and joined in and Winnie finally manned up and was able to reclaim her title as a retriever... and reclaim my love as I'm pretty sure I had disowned her by this point.

 So there you have it. That time I was so excited to bring my dog to the beach and she hated it. But then changed her mind and loved it. And so I loved her again. And although I'm pretty sure I've more than exceeded the limit for appropriate number of dog pics in one post I'm gonna post one more. Because it's my favorite of us. And because I'm obsessed with my dog. Don't hate.

Look at us walking off into the sunset all in love and such. Wanna see more people who love their pets? Go check out the Tall Tails link up!

This Weekend I Learned...

1. I am far too old/lame to stay up until 5am. In my defense I was in bed at 2:30am, but as per usual I was the first (and only) person in the house to go to bed. We had some people over and they were up until 5. Which meant Annabelle was in & out of bed until 5. And I was up until 5... with a few cat naps in between. And I paid for it dearly on Saturday when I slept til noon, dragged myself downstairs for water & food and promptly went back to bed until almost 5. Eesh. College me would be SO disappointed. 

2. I also learned that when you're the first person to fall asleep on the couch (which is always, always me) Annabelle will join you. This is good because then you can pretend you're not the loser on the couch by yourself, you're just sitting there cuddling the dog. This is bad because despite being a terrible dog, she's a champion snuggler and you have no chance of staying awake once she snuggles up next to you. (also, spell check says snuggler is not a word... I disagree).

3. Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce. Mix some of this bad boy with some nonfat plain greek yogurt and grab yourself a bag of Fritos scoops. Your life will be changed. Someone who came over Friday night made this and we've made multiple batches since. I can't stop eating it. There's some in the fridge right now and we may have gone to the store to buy more chips tonight. Plus, the dip itself isn't bad for you... and if you eat it with something healthier than Fritos I suppose it would be almost good for you. At least the greek yogurt part ;)

4. I can't stay on task when in World Market. We went in so James could grab some coffee for his coworkers. I got distracted within 0.5 seconds of walking in the door and ended up wandering around the picture frame section. And maybe I bought one. But I need to bring it back & exchange it for a bigger one so it doesn't really count (that's how that works, right?). Luckily I didn't see the giant clearance jewelry section until we were leaving. But I do need to go back to exchange that frame...

H54F 8/9

1. I spent my weekend at the farm and it really just doesn't get much more beautiful than this. Crazy to think this is just 20 minutes from the city. I'm thankful to get to spend 2 more weekends out there this month! This whole farm sitting thing is a pretty sweet deal!

2. Wednesday night I was on my own for dinner. As usual, I grabbed some sushi from my favorite little sushi place near our house. For whatever reason I felt compelled to eat it in my bed while watching some trashy tv. Who does that? Me, that's who. And it was glorious. 

3. We have this little storm trooper guy who has just been getting moved around the house for the last year or so. For Christmas he even ended up in the tree. This is probably one of my favorite places he's been recently. He was also head first in an empty wine bottle a little while ago. I have no idea how this started, but I kinda hope it continues for a long time. We're getting pretty creative with him these days!

4. James was kind enough to inform me this week that we had some bananas getting old and some extra carrots. He followed that up by emailing me a recipe for banana carrot muffins. Isn't he thoughtful? Anyway, I made them last night and they were actually quite delicious. The best part? The only bad thing in them is 3/4 C sugar. No oil, butter, or milk. Delicious & nutritious!

5. I couldn't not include Winnie. She was just so precious laying on her bed with all her favorite toys. She likes to gather them all up and night, it's too cute. And better than what she does during the day which is to make sure they're evenly distributed throughout the entire house!

Linking up with Lauren as always!

Reasons Not to Date a Veterinarian

Or Anyone in Veterinary Medicine...

So the other day, one of my fellow vet med friends posted a link to this article on eHarmony about 15 reasons to date a veterinarian. Obviously I had to read it out of curiosity. And let me tell you, it's not true. Not only is it not true, but I bet James would 100% disagree with everything on that list. Well, almost everything

- They’re patient. Their furry patients can be stubborn and aggressive.Vets respond to chaos with patience, gentleness and a calming demeanor.

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Um, lies. Patience is a virtue I lack along with many of my coworkers. To be fair, I'm much more patient at work than I am at home (otherwise I'd totally be out of a job!), but when a dog, or more likely a cat, is trying to kill us? That's what muzzles and sedation are for. That's what we respond to chaos with. Drugs. Better living through chemistry. Unfortunately, in real life, you can't just slap a muzzle on someone and sedate them when they're getting on your nerves. It really is a shame though, think of how much better the world would be if you could!

- Veterinarians have rigorous hygiene standards. (No, your date won’t smell like a barn when she arrives for dinner.)

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False. There is a 100% chance your date will smell like a barn... or worse. They will also probably have some sort of bodily fluid (or body part!) on their clothing somewhere. There's a chance it may have been there most of the day. These things happen. Good news? Your date will have very well washed hands. As for the rest of them? No promises. There are days I come home and I can't even tell you what some of the stains on my clothes are from. I'd really rather not know, and you probably don't either. James wishes I would change clothes as soon as I walk in the door. I'll be honest and tell you most of the time I'm just too exhausted and collapse on the couch. Gross, but true. 

-Veterinarians make kids smile, helping their pets recover from injuries and illnesses, and showing them how best to care for their canine pals.

Um, I'm pretty sure that's pediatricians that are good with kids. People in veterinary medicine are good with animals. Not quite sure where eHarmony got this from, but nice try. Not saying they aren't good with kids, but it's no guarantee. Unless it's a child with 4 legs and fur. Everyone loves fur children. 

Hey, Girl...

How about a little eye candy to pull you through that mid week slump?!? Yes? Ok...

I was trying to explain the Ryan Gosling 'Hey Girl...' thing to James. Well obviously the only way to do so was to do a google image search and spend 30 minutes staring at pictures of Mr. Gosling. It was very difficult. You know how people say they're allowed that one celebrity who they would just drop everything & run away with? Well I think Ryan Gosling might be mine. If you had asked me in college it woulda been Johnny Depp, but he left his baby mama for some young thing and that took away some hotness points for me. I still love his quirkiness (hello, Benny and Joon - so adorable), but I wouldn't drop everything and take off with him anymore. 

Ryan shows up at my door? See ya James. And Winnie's coming with me. You can keep Annabelle. 

Yes, yes I should get that raise. Although, if I end up with you I won't need that raise. But still, I appreciate the thought.

Indeed it is, indeed it is. Or husband material. Am I jumping ahead? It's okay, we can start out slow. No biggie.

Or sweatpants and hoodies? Well good, then we're a perfect match. I mean, not like you didn't know that already, but I just wanted to confirm it. 

I Hate People Who Put Their Dogs in Clothes...

Don't You?!?

Well, OK, I do. But my dogs may have worn an outfit a time or two. Mainly Annabelle. It's possible she has a vast wardrobe complete with outfits for nearly every holiday. In my defense (is there any defending oneself in this situation?!?) I didn't buy most of them myself - they were gifts. You see, despite how incredibly terrible Annabelle is, she seems to have gathered quite the fan club and as a result has received plenty of outfits as gifts. And sometimes when I get lost in Target I just might end up browsing dog clothes. It's a possibility.

And in case you think Winnie managed to escape all the torture...

So there ya go, don't judge me too harshly. Although you gotta admit - it's pretty entertaining :)

Head on over to the Tall Tails link up to see some cute pets who probably aren't wearing clothes. (but i'm sure they totally wish they were...)

Horses, Cards & Hangovers

Oh, Hi Blog, I forgot about you for a second. I've been MIA for a bit because I've been going back and forth between my house and here since Thursday.

I was farm sitting again - Winnie didn't get to come along this time because of weather, but she'll get plenty of farm time later this month. She did, however, get to lay on her bed and hoard all the bones which is pretty much her second favorite activity so I'd say she had a good weekend either way. 

It's important to keep all your favorite toys together at all times, obviously.

As for the rest of the weekend? It was mostly spent playing Cards Against Humanity. I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time. You should probably go order it on Amazon now. Also, I finally got a Vino2Go (does that make me officially a blogger?) and it provided the perfect way to enjoy some of my pink lemonade Firefly. And then I woke up Saturday morning and remembered that I'm an old person and get a hangover after 2 ounces of alcohol these days. Barn chores were fun that morning. And then I took a nap until 2pm. And then I found $20. That last part is completely false but boy do I wish it was true.

Annabelle had her game face on. Obviously she won. She always wins. 

In other thrilling news I wore my new favorite shirt this weekend. The only reason this is news is because I never wear patterns OR any colors other than navy, grey, khaki & white. So, here's to small victories. 

If you look closely there are polka dots on the shirt. It's not just plain white!

And here's to my first (and more than likely last!) outfit post.  And here's to the end of another weekend...

I took about 1 million other pictures from this weekend. I'll probably do a photo dump from farm sitting later this week, but if you want to see the others check out my Instagram!

Linking up with Sami and Molly.