Friends with a Capital F: Part 2

Second only to the post I wrote the other day that was just a bunch of adorable pictures of dogs, my favorite posts to write have been this one and this one, listing off the reasons I love my friends! Because of that, I figured it was about time to spread a little more blog love to two more of my Friends. The real and true ones. With a capital F.

My Smashley. We are very much in love and a little tipsy in this one.

Graduation Day 2010... obviously

Spring Break 2010 - Las Vegas

Ashley and I have been through a lot together. As in... pretty much every single engineering class while in school. We survived spring break senior year in Vegas, and we're both very blessed with great jobs that have us almost always out of our comfort zone. She and her hubs and D and I are pretty much inseparable and that's just how I like it. Hopefully they feel the same way when D and I come park it at their house every other Saturday. Ashley and I share a brain like no one else I've ever met and I just love her so much. Here are three reasons why:

1. She's sweet without it being even remotely fake or annoying. She just oozes compliments and praise for other people all the time, and it just comes super naturally to her. As a more sarcastic person by nature, I find this to be a magical trait like something out of a story book. I don't know what that says about my other friends... that someone who is naturally nice is so mystical to me! hahaha

2. She's so humble. Like with most people who praise others often, she rarely notices what a rockstar she is herself. I know with 100% certainty this is a reflection of the relationship she has with Christ. But even hearing that, she'd probably be like, "oh, no, I don't pray NEARLY as much as I should and I cussed last Tuesday"" But she is a wonderful example of a woman with her heart buried deep in Christ.

3. We share the same energy levels. She'll know what I mean with this one. And she'll agree that its completely awesome. It's because we're in exactly the same place in our lives, getting field experience as an early career engineer, working long hours, ect. It's like we're aging at the same rate, and I don't have a lot of friends I can say that about. We're both 25 with no kids and love to go dancing and to bars and have fun, but we also love on Friday nights to pass out on the couch after 2 glasses of wine while the boys play video games because holy crap, engineering is hard, why don't the boys understand that?!

Now allow me to talk about my Mel. She and I are not aging at the same rate. Somehow, Mel hasn't aged a day since she turned 21. She keeps me young. :) Also, I couldn't pick a favorite pic so I had to post a bunch.

Cruise #2 after getting fake tattoos together

Birthday Extravaganza 2011? They're all a blur. The one when the pool was green.

Cruise #2 again

Birthday Extravaganza 2011? I have to timestamp photos based on the girl Trent was dating at the time! Haha!

Just an average Friday night.

I met my Mel for the first time at her and her husband's annual Halloween party 2010. D and I had just started hanging out and this was the first time I was meeting his friends. Little did he know, I'd be stealing this one. She and I almost always have TOO much fun when we're together and so I thought, what would make work more fun? If Mel were here. So I referred her for a job at Hess and she landed it! So now we IM pretty much every single day and she's definitely the friend I talk to the most. About every single little detail of my day. She's part of it. She's an integral part of my daily life. Here are some reasons why I love that:

1. Did I mention she's fun? Don't take my word for it. Ask ANYONE who has ever met Mel. She is going to take any mundane activity you've got, slap a theme on it, sew a costume for it, and turn it in to a party. Please stay tuned for cruise pictures as evidence.

2. Being a good friend is top priority for her. She takes time and energy, effort and focus to make sure the friendships she values are protected and cherished. While I have those friends that I go months without seeing but when we're together, we don't miss a beat... that's not Mel. Because she wouldn't let a week go by without checking in to see what you're up to. Let you know she's thinking of you. Saying she treats her friends like family is such an understatement. 

3. She has an eye for beautiful and unique things. This is something so distinct to Mel. She has a knack for making ordinary things extraordinary. Colorful and lively, and most importantly, special. She lives in a giant dollhouse, full of sparkle and color and whimsy. She can sew a ruffle on a skirt in 12 seconds flat (okay, I'm not sure about that but that would be my rough estimate). And she will put in the elbow grease to make it happen because making the world around her more beautiful is something she takes seriously and it makes everyone around her smile. I love that about her.

Awww mushy mushy. I love em. Juuuuust love em. Thank you, girls, for being my Friends! You make me happy when skies are grey! xo

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Currently

My new kitchen prints, as promised - A grouper, an elephant and an octopus. Naturally.

Watching: The new Rachel Zoe Project as of tomorrow night! Are your DVRs set?

Real cute, Rach.

Eating: Jennie-O everything. Yes. It is because I've been watching Biggest Loser. But Bob Harper has yet to lead me astray because that stuff is so lean and delicious!

Thinking about: What I'm going to do with my bonus that's coming sometime this month! I'll save some of it, but some of it I will not be saving. I will be spending. Time to consult my wish list!!! Definitely some of it will be going to my half of buying a king size bed. D and I had one this last weekend in our hotel and we were like, yea. We will just have to make it work. We NEED one.

Mad about: The temperature of the office when the weather warms up. I understand lots of the guys are outside all day in their FR clothes and when they come inside, they want a nice, cold building. But us poor desk yuppies pay the price! I could barely feel my toes most of yesterday. Time to dig out my space heater. It must be March.

Reading: The Speaker of the Dead, the sequel to Ender's Game. Orson Scott Card is such a clever writer.

D has already shot down 'Ender' as a baby name... maybe he'll go for Valentine.

Celebrating: Lots of stuffs! My mama's birthday is this coming weekend, my baby cousin's baby shower is also Saturday AND we have a Pamper Party for a friend's little one that will be arriving soon.

Craving: Some time with PK. I haven't seen her much lately and why the heck not?! I live in the same town and I'm her favorite and only aunt! So this weekend I'm going to babysit her so hard.

Oh hey Little Miss Froggy.

Making me happy: These hideously awesome Seven jeans I picked up on clearance at TJ Maxx. I know I'm going to get so much crap when I wear them to work Friday but what. ever. They're so fun! It's springtime, losers!

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Weekend Update

Check out this heartbreaker that was chilling next to me at a red light this weekend.
I think I find this extra adorable because of the classic car.

Friday High: Double date night at the Y with Cashley. We had an intense rematch of a girls vs boys game of half-court basketball that Ashley and I won junior year of college. I think the boys won this time. We always forget to keep score. Also, Ashley and I quit mid-game when we noticed the volleyballs on the other side of the gym and then after we got bored with that, we did some cartwheels and handstands while the boys tried to make half-court shots. Grown ups, Shmown ups.

Also, Friday, my supervisor retired. We had a little lunch for him.

We're going to throw him a big retirement party later... after he gets back from his cruise to the Panama Canal. 

Can I retire yet?

Friday Low: The waitress at IHOP after basketball. I was all excited for a giant spinach and turkey bacon omelette for brinner but I had to wait 100 years for it. She was so bothered by the fact that D asked for the check to be split (even though everyone knows that at IHOP you split it at the register after dinner, gah, Darrrrrrryl) and when she came by to check on us, she was scratching her armpit. Like, hand stuffed down the front of her shirt, really getting after it. *shudder*

Katie. Hammit.

Every time I drive to Lubbock, I see these big tanks and think of you. Do you remember why?

Because that one time when we were driving to Lubbock you told me they reminded you of boobs. Ha ha ha ha ha

Saturday High: Getting to see my little Lori on our lightening trip to Lubbock. She's the best, and all of blog-land knows it, but I just love being around her. We didn't have a ton of success shopping, but ain't no big thing.

These are very average size swim trunks.

I was sending a pic to D to get approval before I bought them for him.

Lori looks like a CHILD holding them up for the picture. She's so damn tiny! Cracks me up.

Saturday Low: My diet suffering due to the deliciousness of Lubbock. I tried, I really did, and I didn't do TOO bad... but mexican food is my weakness. I skipped most carbs but smothered the bejeezus out of my grilled chicken with Queso Inferno for Ruby Tequila's. But I skipped the beans and rice and just got a heaping pile of grilled veggies? Does that make up for it?? I asked my scale this morning and it said no.

Sunday High: My prints from this Etsy Shop came in Saturday right before we left for Lubbock so on Sunday, I got them some frames from Michael's and painstakingly hung them in the dining corner (I'll post a pic tomorrow). It's such a beating to make sure they're level and evenly spaced but if they aren't... well that's just not an option. Also, Michael's happens to be right next TJ Maxx so I accidentally went there, too, and got a new swim suit and two new workout tops and D a tie. I've come to the realization that working out in T-shirts is fine and dandy, but workout shirts are better. I'm sure just bc they're more stretchy... but for $7 at TJ Maxx, I'm gradually making the switch, one two Adidas tanks at a time.

Sunday Low: The headache that had me all grouchy-pants before bed. After shopping I HAD to do a once-over, cleaning the house. It was getting completely out of hand. I vacuumed, much to Kanye's chagrin, did (most of) the dishes, gathered up my clutter and shoved it in the guest room. And then I stared at Portlandia on the TV and didn't laugh once. That's when I knew the headache was ruining my night so I just went and laid in bed and wrote up this post. And then woke up to nightmares allllll niiiiiight looooong. *sigh* Happy Monday (grumblegrumblegrumble)

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S'mores taste better than skinny feels

There is nothing cute about physical fitness.

You think cute workout clothes will make it bearable... but no... it doesn't matter. You will be covered from head to toe in sweat and the shirt WILL ride up and show whatever doughy stomach flesh your yoga pants aren't compressing for you when you do burpees.

You will accidentally shake sweat on your trainer and see it hit his face and be mortified.

Your hair will be stuck to your forehead when you go back to work.

You'll smell a little weird.

And those are just the things I couldn't catch on camera (although the image of the sweat hitting my trainer's face is burned in my memory forever, no camera required)

Your sports bra will always be just a little too tight and spill fat over the top. 

Also, your arms will always look kind of fat.

Your shirt will be kind of see through at the beginning of the workout 

and completely see through at the end. Gross.

You'll throw out your back trying to get back in to your skinnies in the humid locker room.

You'll almost rip your skinnies, too.

Boiled egg whites are considered your salad protein

And 3 seconds later... and you're still hungry.

MUSCLE MILK!!! The pink kind... because I'm a lady.

There is no filter on insta that makes this a flattering picture. 

But it captures how unsatisfying a protein shake is when you want food.

It's at this point that I think, you know, I think I'd rather just be a little fat.

Something that used to bring you utter joy will only make you feel guilty. But you'll eat it anyway.

In the dark of night. When your boyfriend isn't around to physically hold you back from the s'mores cabinet like he does on most nights.

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