A Little Like Torture

Yesterday I went into Anthropologie for the first time. I have browsed their online store and seen their clothes and housewares on other blogs before but I'd never experienced the goodness in person until yesterday. I was in love. I wanted to buy like half the store. Unforunately our budget does not allow for such purchases and I was unable to buy anything (darn prices!) but I loved being in there. I even tried on some items that were on the clearance racks and found the CUTEST outfit. However, spending $39.95 each on a tank top and a pair of shorts is a little out of reach for me.

Anyway, here is a beautiful little list of my dream items if I were to ever acquire the funds (minus a few I saw in the store but couldn't find on the website).

So there you have it! A lengthy list of my dream items from Anthropologie. It really was a little like torture going in there and not being able to buy anything...

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Other than shopping yesterday I got to spend some time with my parents on Sunday (and Collin, too of course!) and on Saturday I went to a pool party where I didn't get in the pool at all! I'm not a big fan of being in the water but I love being at the water. It was a pretty fun weekend! The only not fun part was that Collin worked every day but Sunday. =/ That's typical but it makes it sad when I have a 4 day weekend. So what did you do this weekend? Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear about it!

Cindy

Fill in the Blank Friday

Once again today I'm participating in Fill in the Blank Friday with Lauren at the little things we do... I think it's quite a fun little series!

1. If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go to Atlantic Beach, NC. I've been wanting to go back since our honeymoon and I would bring my husband because, well, that's just who I want to be with!

2. Something I often rant about is bad drivers. It really grates on my nerves when someone driving does something really stupid or unsafe. Now granted I'm not a perfect driver but I at least know the basic rules of the road and follow them!

3. One item I need to have in my fridge at all times is milk. We love milk. We eat lots of cereal and drink milk with a lot of our meals.

4. My "life saving" product is Vaseline. I apply it to my lips every night before bed and it saves me from cracked lips. (I can't stand the feel of chapped stick).

5. A friend is someone who you can go long periods of time without speaking with and when you finally get together or have a phone chat it's as if no time has passed at all. Someone who will love you for your flaws and all.

6. If I could write my own blank it would be "My favorite thing about the place I live is...

7. My favorite kind of art is photography. I absolutely adore photos and the stories they can tell. I think it's fascinating the things people can do with cameras and just how beautiful pictures turn out.

Well that was fun! If you participate, leave me a comment so I can check out your blanks!

This Friday I'm also participating in the Live Every Moment photo contest. The theme for this week is vibrant colors.

I hope you all have wonderful weekends! Mine is a glorious four day weekend! Enjoy if yours is a long one (or even if it's not)!

Cindy

30 Day Photography Challenge

I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm going to be participating in this 30 Day Photography Challenge hosted by White Peach Photography. Visit the blog here for more of the details.

So basically I'll take one picture per day and post it to my blog. This will be in addition to my regular posts. So some days you may get two posts in a day! This will also mean that I'll be posting on the weekends with posts for my pictures of those days.

I think this will be a really fun challenge and I'm excited because it should help me to enhance my amateur photography skills. I love taking pictures and this is something that will encourage me to take more!

I encourage you to participate in this challenge with me! If you do, leave me a comment below letting me know that you're going to and I'll be sure to check out your pictures!

Cindy

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday

Have you ever seen broccoli flower? I certainly hadn't. We planted broccoli in the garden and weren't sure when exactly to harvest it. Apparently you're supposed to harvest it before it flowers. Makes sense, but I'm glad we harvested this one too late. It's beautiful! I feel like it would actually make a really pretty wedding accent flower. What do you think? Have you seen it before? Happy Wednesday!



Cindy

Pin It!

Friends, I have just signed up for Pinterest. Oh my goodness. I had heard of it a little while ago but didn't think too much of it. Until today when I got my invitation e-mail. I clicked on the link in my inbox and signed right up. I LOVE it. I have a feeling it will be quite addicting. At least it's something pretty and fun to become addicted to.

So peaceful! Found on pinterest

If you have Pinterest, come find me here or leave me your username in the comments. If you don't have Pinterest and want an invite, let me know. Leave me a comment or send me an e-mail (cindymartin3@gmail.com) with your e-mail address in it and I'll invite you. It is truly a lot of fun. I may not have many pins right now but I bet that'll change in a few days. =)

If you have no idea what Pinterest is and you think I'm crazy, basically it's a site where you can "pin" pictures to different boards that are categorized by you. It's just a giant site of pretty things and inspiration. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

I hope to see you over there soon!

Cindy

Fill in the Blank Friday

Once again today I'm participating in Fill in the Blank Friday with Lauren at the little things we do... I think it's quite a fun little series!

1. People always tell me I look like my mom. I really do, too! But I suppose that makes sense since we share DNA. I don't really know that I look like a celebrity though. I've gotten Renee Zellweger but I don't see that resemblence at all.

2. Friends don't let friends forget their birthdays.

3. A sunny day is perfect for taking a walk and for sitting on the back porch/playing in the yard.

4. My favorite accessory is my diamond stud earrings that I got from my parents as a birthday gift several years ago. I wear them every day.

5. If I could afford it I would travel to all the places that I want to go.

6. The cure for boredom is a really good book. Or playing the piano.

7. I am currently "in like" with Nabisco's 100 calorie Mister Salty pretzel packs (yogurt flavored or chocolate), my wedges (both pairs), and the color yellow.

Also today I'm participating in Live Every Moment's Photo Challenge. The category for today is "Water" and the picture I'm submitting is one I took of the Patuxent River with the Solomon's Bridge in the background.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Cindy

(Semi) Wordless Wednesday

I'm currently reading this book. It's Maryland by Loree Lough and it's actually a collection of three romantic novels. The first two have the same characters and the third one is a new story. I'm currently in the second of the three and I love it! They're such sweet stories and riveting, too. There's mystery and romance and silly quips. I've laughed, cried, clenched my fists and sat holding my breath waiting to find out what happens next. I am definitely fully engaged in these novels. My mom gave the book to me for my birthday and I'm so glad she did. I'm loving it!


Cindy

A Feat Not Taken Lightly

I never watched The Office. I maybe caught bits and pieces of episodes here and there on TV but I never watched it myself. I thought the parts that I saw when it happened to be on the TV were dumb. I didn't think it was funny at all. I had no desire to watch it. A while back Collin got all the seasons available on DVD. He's watched through them all (excluding the current season). He quotes from the show all the time and loves it. Shortly before we left for our vacation I decided I'd give the show a shot. I really had no reason to not like it, I just judged it before I really gave it a chance. Anyway, we started from the beginning and I LOVE it. It is hilarious and I am thoroughly enjoying each episode. Before our trip we watched Season 1 (it only has 6 episodes) and then we watched a bit of Season 2. Then we took Season 2 on our trip with us to watch in the van and we finished it. Since coming home we've finished Season 3 and have already watched 2 episodes of Season 4. I am just barreling through this show! I LOVE it.

Anyway, my brother-in-law posted on facebook that he finished Seasons 1-6 in 42 days and since I'd already watched 38 episodes in just 10 days at that point, I'm determined to beat his time! Since making my declaration I have watched 53 episodes in 16 days! I think I'm doing pretty well to beat his time. *Just for clarification, in my count I am not including the days we were actually in Florida, I did not have access to watch them.* I have 66 episodes left! That seems like a lot but with them being short we usually watch 2 or 3 a night. And one more detail, I only watch them with Collin. So it kinda limits the time that I can watch them.

So this might seem silly to you, and it is a bit silly but it's fun. And I love the show. I was going to watch it and finish it pretty quickly anyway, this is just a little something fun to throw in there. =)

Do you watch and/or have you watched The Office? What do you think of it? Also, please don't give away any spoilers! I like to be surprised with my shows. Thanks!

Cindy

EDIT: As of June 9, 2011 I finished all 119 episodes (seasons 1-6) of The Office. I watched them all in 41 days. One day less than my brother-in-law did it in! I must say that it is a hilariously amazing show. I love it and can't wait to get to watch season 7!

Goodness-Filled Weekend

This past weekend was pretty good! It all began Friday evening with having some friends over and playing a couple board games. We started off with Mall Madness (I was the only girl, mind you) and then laughed our butts off playing Words of Wizdom (it's a lot like Loaded Questions). We had a BLAST and laughed so hard I was afraid we were going to wake the neighbors. lol

Blast from the past!

Saturday I had to wake up early because I was accompanying a girl from church for her State Solo and Ensemble adjudication. We had to drive two hours to Towson. I had a nice time though in the car chatting with her mom and the mom of the other girl who went with us. Even though it was early the conversations made it a fun and enjoyable day! And both girls got 1's on their pieces! I was so proud of Annie and Morgan!

Sunday we had church and then my aunt and uncle were hosting a barbecue celebration at their house in honor of my uncle receiving his Bachelor's degree on Saturday! What a great accomplishment for him! We enjoyed sitting and around and chatting with family and friends and eating yummy food, too! After we left their house we made a stop at Target so I could spend the gift card I received as a thank you for accompanying Annie. I ended up finally buying myself a digital video camera. I posted here about how I wanted a Flip camera. However, I never bought one for myself because I wasn't completely thrilled with the specs or the price. While I was printing out a gift registry Collin looked at the Target flyer and he saw that Kodak's version of the Flip was on sale. We walked back to electronics and it was JUST what I wanted! I'm so excited with my purchase and I can't wait to play with it! It's a Kodak Play*full. It records in 1080p HD and it has an external memory card slot so you can have up to a 32GB card in there. It also has an internal rechargeable battery which is what I wanted. It's also much tinier than the Flip. I LOVE it!

*love!*

I also bought a memory card for it and a pretty blue case that has flowers on it. I can't wait to take some videos and be able to post them on the blog!

After we left Target we headed over to church for the Tweeners meeting. Tweeners is a youth group for 4th-7th graders and Collin and I are leaders for the group. Yesterday was a "fun" day and we went bowling instead of having a regular lesson. We had a blast and the kids did, too! Everyone was laughing and having fun! Some of the kids even bowled better than I did! What a great time of fellowship and fun with a great group of kids! I'm so excited to be working with the youth and I can't wait for the fall when the meetings will pick back up again (we take a break for the summer starting in June).

Did you guys do anything fun and exciting this weekend? Make any big purchases?

Cindy

Fill in the Blank Friday

I found a new blog this week! Lauren at the little things we do... has become my newest read. And I love it already! So glad I stumbled upon her adorable blog! Anyway, on Fridays Lauren does this thing called Fill in the Blank Fridays. I love the idea and since Friday Favorites has kinda phased out I decided to pick up a new Friday series. I'll be participating and linking up with Lauren's Friday series. This week though since Blogger was having issues this morning, Lauren didn't post any blanks for today. HOWEVER, she referred us to Courtney at My So Called Denver who decided to create the blanks for Lauren today. So without further ado, here are my filled in blanks!

1. If I had to use three words to describe why I am undoubtedly a Martin(maiden name)they would bemy tempermant, being a perfectionist, and being caring.

2. Something that happened to me in life that initally seemed bad but turned out to be good was when I lost my job. I was let go about a month before our wedding but it turned out to be the best thing ever because I had the whole month to focus on the wedding without work getting in the way. AND I had a job offer within 2 weeks of being unemployed for me to start a new job after our honeymoon.

3. Something I inherited from my mom is pretty much the way I look, my musical talent, compassion.

4. Something I inherited from my dad is my butt, my hair, and my eyes.

5. My goal for this summer is to enjoy every minute of it! I really want to spend a lot of time outside (so long as it's not stifling hot) and I want to go to the beach in addition to the few things we have planned already.

6. The best thing about this week is the BEAUTIFUL weather. And being able to enjoy it for a bit each night this week! Thank you God! =)

7. Something I couldn't give up if I tried is reading. I love to read a good book and even though some time may pass between books I will NEVER stop reading. And paper books are the way to go. I love holding a physical book in my hands.

So there you have it! Feel free to fill in the blanks yourself! Have a great weekend everyone!!

Cindy

Love is a Splendid Thing

My bloggie friend Meagan over at Local At Last posted this fun little survey about her and her husband on her blog a few days ago and I thought it would be fun to fill out myself. I know I share some stuff about Collin and our relationship and what not, but this is a way to get to know a little bit more about us that I probably wouldn't necessarily mention in a regular blog post. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about Collin and me!

How long have you been together?
It's been almost 3 years exactly. Our dating anniversary is May 21, though we did date for about a month a few months before that.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We knew each other more than just as acquaintances for about 1 month before our first go-round at dating and then when we started dating again it had been about 4 1/2 months of being friends.

Who asked who out?
Well, the first few times we hung out together Collin was the one who asked, but those weren't necessarily dates. Becoming boyfriend and girlfriend was a mutual and discussed decision.

Did you go to the same school?
For our junior and senior years of high school, yes. We graduated together but Collin moved to MD at the end of his sophomore year.

Who is the most sensitive?
We're both sensitive about certain things but I am way more sensitive about stuff in general.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We used to go to CiCi's Pizza a lot but we actually haven't been there in a while. We really don't eat out all too often and we usually mix it up. Our favorite though is Chick-Fil-A.

Where is the farthest you've traveled as a couple?
We've been to Florida a few times together but that's the farthest we've been so far together.

Who has the craziest exes?
Neither of us do, really. We don't keep in touch with them. But I'm gonna say Collin. When we first started dating Collin had a ex that would text him and bug him a lot and she was kinda a bit crazy (his words)!

Who has the worse temper?
That would be me. I can get upset over the dumbest things. I need to chill. lol

Who does the cooking?
We both cook, actually. I tend to do it a little more often just because of Collin's work schedule but he likes to cook so he does when he has the chance.

Who is more social?
Collin. I am pretty outgoing and social with people I know but I can get uncomfortable and shy with strangers or people I'm unfamiliar with. Collin is just an all out friendly person. I love that about him!

Who is the neat freak?
Me. Collin's not a slob by any means but I'm more obsessed with things being in their places and cleanliness. That's not to say I don't leave piles of things (mostly papers) around but I do like things neat and tidy.

Who is the most stubborn?
Haha this is funny. We are both completely stubborn. It makes for interesting arguments sometimes. Lucky for us we agree on *most* issues.

Who hogs the bed?
No doubt about this one, ME! I hate that I do it, too. I don't think I can help it though. I try my hardest to stay on my side but I always end up in the middle of the bed.

Who wakes up earlier?
We wake up at the same time.

Where was your first date?
Chick-Fil-A and Target was our first "hangout". Like I said above, we started hanging out and then being boyfriend and girlfriend just happened.

How long did it take to get serious?
Pretty quickly once we started dating again. I think I told him I loved him within a month of being back together. I just knew.

Who does the laundry?
Me! I love to do the laundry. We have a deal. I do laundry and he does the dishes.

Who drives when you're together?
Collin more often than not. If we're just going around town I'll drive a bit but on long trips it's always Collin.
Who is the first to admit they're wrong?
It varies. This goes with the whole both being really stubborn thing though. However, if one of us knows we're wrong we admit it.

Who wears the pants in the relationship?
I don't really think either one of us "wears the pants". We are a team and we treat everything that way.

Who eats more sweets?
Probably me. I love me some chocolate. I try not to overdo it though. I usually just eat a little something sweet after my meals.

Well, that was fun! I hope you thought so, too! Feel free to do this survey for yourself. I'd love to read more about your relationships!

Cindy

Eclectic Day of Fun

*Warning! Lots of pictures in this post!*

Our first stop on our trip was Ormond Beach, FL. We stayed with Collin's Aunt Pat and Uncle Jay for two nights before we headed down to Disney (and again one night on the way home). I had met and visited them once before for Thanksgiving 2009. It was great to visit and see everyone again! We had a delightful time with Pat and Jay. On Saturday Collin's mom (Donna), Pat and I went to a craft/art fair on the river while Collin and his dad (Jon) played golf. We walked around and admired all the vendors for about 2 hours before going and having lunch. I bought a pretty gem to wear on a necklace chain and Collin's mom bought me a big floppy hat to wear at Disney and a pack of notecards.


View of the front of the park





Donna and I in our new hats



Donna and Aunt Pat



This was the cutest and friendliest dog!  He was such a ham for the camera.



I love palm trees.

 After we were done at the park we headed over to an awesome market/deli that I wish I could remember the name to. =/ This place was so cute! They not only had counters where you could buy and eat food right there but they had a meat counter and aisles for groceries to buy and prepare at home. I wish we had a place like this here at home! Anyway, I got a turkey and basil panini and it was absolutely incredible. It had turkey, bacon, provolone cheese and a basil spread on a cibatta bread that was toasted just perfectly. I was thrilled with how yummy it was! And they served gelato! After I finished my sandwich I hurried over to the gelato counter and bought myself a cup of triple dark chocolate gelato. I LOVE gelato so it was a lot of fun to have some.

View from the entrance of the store

The dine-in area and drink station



View of some of the store



The gelato counter!

My DELICIOUS gelato

Later that evening we went to the beach after dinner and Collin and I took some pictures and dipped our toes in the water. It was surprisingly not too cold. I was expecting the water to be so cold that I squeeled and ran away from it but I actually enjoyed it splashing over my feet. I guess I'm just used to mid-Atlantic ocean temperatures and not southern-Atlantic ones. I was happy!

I love the color of the horizon in those last few pictures. We may be on the East Coast so we see brilliant sunrises over the water but the sunset causes some pretty awesome colors over the water here, too!

Once we got back to the house we celebrated Collin's birthday. Since we would be out of town I put together a party in a box for him! I originally saw this idea posted by Melanie at You Are My Fave. I loved her idea and I knew I had to recreate it to fit my own needs! Included in the box were cupcake mix, icing and cupcake cups, candles, napkins, homemade cupcake toppers, balloons, sprinkles, a "Birthday Boy" button for Collin to wear, a pinwheel, bags of confetti, banner, glow sticks, and Boston Baked Beans (Collin's favorite). I think the party in a box was a hit. Collin was surprised and happy! Plus it was so convenient to have everything with me and easy to assemble and create a party atmosphere. A funny story about the cupcake toppers, my mom and I created those using her Cricut and then we attached them to those party toothpicks with a glue dot runner. As you'll see in the pictures we put them in the cupcakes with the candles. I was a little concerned about paper and fire but surprisingly only one topper caught on fire and it burned out on its own!

We had a great first full day in Florida! It was filled with lots of fun!! More posts on the rest of the vacation coming soon!

Cindy