Win Big or go home SAD

Dear Santa, 

Please let me win big in Vegas... I promise I have been good this year! 

Sincerely Yours, 

Amy

So far our trip to Vegas has been tough.  The 1st day there the airport lost our luggage, tables took our money, and my shoes gave me 4 blisters.... it was a rough day.  

Let's hope luck comes our way soon!!!

Bah-humbug?

Gracie is ready for the Holidays... but I don't know if I am

She got to meet Santa PAWS this year... 

I think she was a little bit nervous because she growled at him and she never growls at anyone.  

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Decorating? Christmas Cards? 

If so, want to do some of mine???

YAY

The SEMESTER is over!!!

That means that this time next year I will be GRADUATING!! EEEK!

Season of Giving

I love volunteering.  Especially during the Holidays!!

It's so important to give back this time of year.  Whether you give money, presents, or your time... please remember this is the season of "GIVING".  We sometimes get caught up in all the hoop-la of buying gifts for our families, friends, co-workers etc. that we forget there are people out there that really NEED our help.  

Here are a couple of things I have been up to lately!

Ringing the Bell for the Salvation Army

Justin and I both signed up for Habitat for Humanity

It's so much fun to volunteer with your friends

thanks to all of the help this season, this habitat person will most likely get his house 

finished before the end of the year

 how amazing is that?!

What do you do to give back to (and/or get yourself into the Holiday spirit) during this time of year?  

WW -- Gossip Girl style

Spotted..... The Walter's dressed up like the stars from Gossip Girl...

The actual Gossip Girl characters -- Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass

because sometimes it's fun to play dress-up...

BLOG SALE!!!

I'm cleaning out my closet --
Head over to my OTHER blog for some GREAT DEALS!!

CLICK HERE!!!

Lilly Pulitzer, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic and MORE!!

HAPPY SHOPPING! 

Changing Lives

Yesterday was my last day of clincals at the hospital for the semester.  Here is my group in our TERRIBLE nursing scrubs.  Do you see me? I'm sort of in the middle... right in front of McSteamy.  Yep, our whole class really calls him that.

We spent this week on the oncology (cancer) floor and I had one of the sweetest patients ever.

2 years ago he was given 3 months to live.  He was diagnosed with Leukemia and the doctors did not expect him to make it very long.

He had other plans.

Since his diagnosis, he decided he needed a hobby to keep him busy.  He started going to local goodwills, dumpsters, etc to find old bicycles that he could fix up and give away to orphans and other children that needed them.  Before coming to the hospital for a really high fever, he had just finished 56 bicycles which were shipped to New Orleans for needy children in that area for Christmas.

He is an inspiration but also proof that life is not always fair.  He is scared to die - he doesn't want to leave his wife of 60 years alone (she is not in great health).  He has decided to fight for his life with everything he has.  I must admit he is doing a pretty good job at it too.  The chemo takes a large toll on his body but after 86 treatments he is still going strong.  He looks great and looks at least 10-15 years younger than his actual age.

It felt so great to discharge him today and send him home to be with his loved ones.  We should all be able to be with the ones we love this time of the year.  All he wants for Christmas this year is for his white blood cell count to go up.  I have to admit, that is all I want this Christmas too.  I know I'll be praying for him and thinking about him over the holidays.

Sometimes people just touch your life and I know I will remember him forever.  I hope that he has many more years to spend with his wife and plenty of time left for fixing up those bikes for needy children.


**some of the dates/details of this story were altered to protect the identify of my patient and to prevent any sort of HIPPA violations from occurring.   

What in the world...?

I missed November completely.  What happened to it? 

I forgot to blog.  I forgot to visit blogs.  I forgot to tweet.  I DID facebook but that was ALL -- November made me a big social networking slacker but I have to admit it was kind of a nice break.  

I took a week long trip to St. Lucia with my hubby for Thanksgiving so I missed that holiday completely.  

I came back and Christmas trees were up and music was playing.  I feel out of the loop.  

Today is December 1st.  Christmas is in 24 more days.  PANIC TIME = NOW!!!!!!!

*I promise to come by and visit everyone's blogs in the next few days.. I have a LOT of catching up to do!  I have missed you guys!! 

Covets of the Week

My weekly covets... courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer's BRAND NEW Resort 2010 Collection 

Raya Dress in Multi Pirates Booty Niere Jacquard

Moira Skirt in Multi Sea Me

Jonah Dress in Skye Blue Ball and Chain

Whit Shift in Turquoise Exbloomsion 

Bowen Dress in Classic White Why the Shell Not

(pictures courtesy of Splash of Pink - go pre-order all these pretties at their site!)

Happy Halloween

We are passing out candy and watching scary movies all night!! 

Be safe out there!

Proof in the Snuggles

Here is PROOF....

That I love my little Gracie all through the day

AND 

All through the night

Blown Away

Tornados are touching down everywhere in the Carolinas today.  I hear on the news that one has touched down right near my parents house so I call my mom to make sure everything is ok....

Me (calling Mom): ring ring

Mom (answering phone): AHHHH!!!! HELP!!!!! I'm being swept awayyyyyyyyy!!

Me: MOM!?! Are you OK!?!?!

Mom: hahahaha... yeah, I'm fine... just had about 100 phone calls and decided to start playing with people. Did I fool you?!

Me: NOT FUNNY!!

Hope everyone is being safe out there!!

My weekly covets!

Confessing my sins.....

my weekly covets courtesy of vineyard vines! (and all of these items are ON SALE)

The Chesca Dress $129.99

Knotical Printed Skirt $68.99

Wave Medallion Skirt $87.99

Whale Tail Skirt $82.99  (my favorite! -- that yellow would be the PERFECT skirt to wear to one of our football tailgates)

Classic Elephant Tote $37.99

What are you coveting this week? 

Doo you doodle?

There is something you might not know about me.

I doodle.

When I am stressed, I doodle a LOT.

I make up these little stories in my head and just start drawing.

I can't draw very well - but I just love making up these little characters.  I have been doing this since elementary school.  I had books full of little characters with different names.  Sometimes I would cut them out and make clothes for them.

Some doodles are better than others

Do you have any great ways to relieve stress?

I wish I may...

I have a HUGE nursing test today at 1pm (EST) so my wish today is for an "A"!  

This particular test made 3 people from last semester fail the entire class and have to repeat it this semester. Let's just say I am REALLY STRESSED.  

(Are you wishing for anything? Head over to Kathie's blog to see what others are wishing for today!)

My New Exercise Plan

My mom wrote me an email saying that she started exercising this week

Now this is an exercise program I can stick with -- haha!

Looking Good

As you know (from this post), Gracie had a recent haircut in which they shaved off all of her hair....


Poor baby was feeling naked so she decided to go out and get a wig.  A girl's gotta do what girl's gotta do, right? 

The plans

Thanks to all who voted on my weekend plans

Incase you were wondering what I decided to do, here are the plans:

Friday:

• Off to the county Fair for fun, fried food, fireworks, and even some swimming pigs!!

Saturday: 

• meet my Nana for breakfast to say Happy Birthday (9am - 10am) -- I'm not going to the "actual party" -- it is over 1 hr away from where the rest of the events are happening.  We are meeting up at a halfway point for breakfast -- can we say compromise!? :) 
• Justin's 5 year college reunion (11am - 6pm) -- skipping the football game but doing all the tailgating/homecoming stuff
• My 10 year high school reunion (7pm - ?!?).  

So basically I couldn't decide I decided to do it ALL!

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

I am so indecisive - help please?

Lets Vote.... this weekend I have a lot of stuff going on.  I can't decide WHAT to do so I am leaving it up to you guys! Help me!!

Friday:

part 1 of my 10 year high school reunion (watching a football game at our high school)

OR

 county FAIR with friends (and lots of fried food!)

Saturday

 part 2 of my 10 year high school reunion (the "big night" aka meeting at a BAR?!?) 

OR

college homecoming (Justin's 5th year reunion) with lots of tailgating and seeing old college friends

OR

family birthday party (Brother is turning 40/Nana is turning 84)

Tell me which ones you would pick!!! 

Plastic Surgery is not for me!

Goofing off in the rain and smooshing my face against the car window

Scary that this is probably what I would look like if I lived in Hollywood with lip injections... NOT a good look for me!

Friday Flashback

Wanna see me as a 16 year old?

(Left to Right: Nana, me, Parents)

And in the background is my 1st car - a 96' Hyundai Accent in BRIGHT TEAL. 

We called it the "green machine".

Not sure what possessed me to pick out such a BRIGHT car -- it was great when I was 16 but by the time I was 22 (and still driving it) I was ready to have ANY other color in the world.

What did you have as your first car? Did you like it or loathe it?

I said a TRIM! What Happened?

I will be the first to admit that Gracie NEEDED a haircut

She was starting to look quite a bit scraggly

BUT... 
when I took her to Petco for a "TRIM", I did NOT expect to pick her up looking like this:

What the heck did they do to my little girl? 
She is NAKED! 

Poor Gracie.... (hahaha).

She did it again...

Reason #1283981274 why my mom cracks me up

She has 8 grandchildren (plus 1 more on the way)... but she is projecting that she will end up with 12

I know you can't see these pics very well -- I took them with my phone....

 here is an attempt at showing the shirt up close

Can you see the boy and girl "TBA Walter" children at the bottom?!  

HAHAHA.  My mom is hilarious.

And just to let you know, this is NOT an announcement -- we are NOT pregnant at this time!

Coveting

Confessing My Sins.......

My weekly covets courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer

Finn Shift Ponte in "True Navy"

Sandpiper Dress in "Cameo White Crane Pose"

Wayless Dress in "Hotty Pink Ring My Chimes"

Sabine Shirtdress in "Cameo White Twisted"

What are you coveting this week?

Study Break Time!

Gracie and I are trying to stay busy by studying a lot....

but we are so ready for Justin to come home this weekend to see us!

(he has been out of town all week)

(insert gag noise here -- haha!)