Adam and Britney

We've Moved!

2011-05-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone! Adam, Jude, and I have moved to a new blog designed by my gorgeous husband. It's called "A Private Tour." Feel free to mosey on over and follow us!

GO HERE

The Rents

2011-05-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

K so per request I posted some pictures of Adam and I as babies. Who does Jude look like the most?

Adam

Britney

Jude

Maybe not the best picture of Jude, meaning the most accurate, but what do you think?

Smiling Man

2011-05-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Jude and I have become pretty great buddies. The first weeks of our relationship have been a lot of one-way affection. I was doing all the smiling, kissing, and laughing for the both of us--though I can't discount his cuddling contribution, because he's pretty giving in that department.

But that all changed last week when he started smiling. He first did it last Wednesday. That day was kind of a bad day for Jude--basically a bad case of cranky pantsness. Feeling somewhat guilty, I grew tired of my child, sat him down on his boppy on my lap and daydreamed off into the distance while he squeaked and growled at me. When I finally came back to reality I looked down at my young child beaming up at me with the biggest gummy smile ever, as if to say, "Sorry, Mom, I feel better now. And you're the best." Q heart melting.

LOVE him.

I've been trying ever since to get a video of him smiling. AND HERE IT IS.

p.s. It takes a little while. And don't make fun of me for sounding like a moron.

And the end is gross.

You might as well just watch the whole thing.

Unhealthy Healthy Obsessions

2011-04-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

Just a note:

I have an unhealthy relationship with this:

And this:

Cottage cheese? At 80-100 calories per half cup, 2.5 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein? I eat this too much. I'm actually eating it right now...out of the container...like a fat kid--except my point is that it helps you to not be a fat kid. p.s. searching Google images for "cottage cheese" came up with some nasty pics of cellulite...I almost had to put my spoon down.

Fage yogurt? 170 calories and 13 g protein. K..not just plain. That's gross. It's like eating sour cream. It actually is sour cream..technically. You have to get the kind with the little pocket of fruit stuff. And I love it because they offer you a sugarless yogurt to add as much or as little fruit blend as you want. Nothing grosses me out more than the typical yogurt packs. They're like little containers of sugar with a splash of curdled milk.

A food post? Yeah. I'm trying to not look pregnant anymore. Protein is my bff right now.

White Trash

2011-04-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

Today I was a bad Mom.

I don't like grocery shopping. And I especially don't like doing it alone. While at school, Adam and I used to look forward to our monthly grocery shopping trips together. Again, not because we liked doing it, because we hated it, but coming home and unpacking bags of groceries was like opening presents on Christmas morning. Stocking up our empty shelves and refrigerator was the best feeling.

Anyway...

I didn't want to go alone tonight. My smart husband suggested that I just go alone while he stay home with our infant son. I said, no, I'll feed him before we go, throw him in the car-seat, and he'll sleep the whole time.

I was wrong.

He got fussy in the produce section. Which is the first section. So, after repeated fussing and one red-faced baby later, Adam decided the little dude needed to be cuddled. Which meant taking him out of his carseat. So he did. Oh, and did I mention we grocery shop at Super Walmart?

Yeah.

So here we were. New parents. Carrying a 3 week old baby in arm. Uncovered. Exposed. At Walmart.

Walmart.

And here's the kicker: He got hungry. Of course he got hungry. So what did we do? Mixed a bottle of formula in the bread aisle and stuck it in the kid's mouth as fellow customers squeezed by.

And then what happened?

Lover boy decided it might be best to find a rocking chair on display to feed our poor child on--all the while people walked by, oohing and ahhing at the small infant.

Now, normal people would have judged us for being so thoughtless/negligent/selfish. "What kind of morons would take a newborn baby out in the public like that? I mean the poor dear is basically sterile." We would've left having been given numberless stink eyes and head shakes of disapproval.

But people at Walmart aren't normal.

So they actually did the opposite.

It would've made me feel better if everyone had judged us.

Welcome to the world, Jude Bug. Your parents officially suck.

Work It

2011-04-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

I was going through my documents on my desktop and discovered this picture from back when I did a photo shoot with Myra Kjer. I love it. I love it because I loved that day. Myra's work is so vintage-inspired and in the middle of nowhere in Idaho, in a shack that could have very well been inhabited by wild animals, quite possibly bears--I'm deathly afraid of bears--, I felt like a French model from 1965. And although I also felt pretentious and mildly silly, Myra's passion and excitement made that day one that I look back on with immense fondness. That day I was temporarily liberated from dowdy-dirty nursing student, and transformed into girly, flirty, and fabulous "model." It was acting, and are we really ever too old to pretend and play dress up? I recommend it to all. Ladies, we should all feel gorgeous, fabulous, and desirable--daily. But more often than not we need an experience to force us to feel so.

Challenge of the week?

1. Put together a creative ensemble you wouldn't dare walk out the door in--the kind where you throw on your highest heals and most insane prints.

2. Grab your husband, girlfriend, or just your camera timer.

3. Doll yourself up.

4. Take some random glamour shots.

Cheesy? Narcissistic? 14 year-old-ish?

Probably. Unfortunately probably.

But who cares.

Ten years from now no one will look at those pictures and think..."Wow she was full of herself." They'll think..."Wow, she looked fantastic!"

Hone your inner diva and never be afraid to work it.

Eat Your Heart Out

2011-04-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's about time I posted about the new man in my life, right? I mean, he is 2 WEEKS OLD tomorrow.
Well, my little man is here. And holy cow do I just love him.

We went in to get induced on Friday the 25th because he had become just a little too comfortable in there and we were getting antsy. After 9 hours of labor, 30 minutes of pushing, and a couple of scary complications, we ended up having to go in for an emergency c-section due to a dropping heart rate. So, at 8:12PM that Friday our little Jude screamed his way out of the womb after discovering that the cord had been wrapped around his neck once.

Due to feeling pain during the last part of the procedure, the anesthesiologist had just loaded me up with a bunch of drugs right before he was born, so I was super loopy and tired when we first met. Otherwise, I remember everything clearly.

He weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. He has my ears, Adam's chin and lips, and lots and lots of hair. His "do" kind of resembles an Asian mullet: long, sharp side burns, short, spiky hair at the crown, and long on the neck. It's adorable. He also has little monkey feet and insanely long fingers and arms--and those arms just love to wrap themselves around you. Personality-wise he is a super chill kid. He has a very mild temperament, is very aware, quick to tell you what he wants and very easy to please. We just can't get enough of him. Grandma calls him her "AP" baby because he has developed so much over this short week she's been here.

Jude's current interests include:
Tummy time--the pediatrician was so surprised that from birth he could lift his head up on his own.
Snuggling--he has to sleep grabbing onto something, which is usually your shirt collar or chest.
Meal time--he is my kid.
Baths--the kid LOVES these! He could be starving, but once you plop his naked bum into some warm water he goes right to sleep.
Smiling and laughing in his sleep--he especially does this when you stroke his hair.
Pooping--he poos like a champ...super loud and super often...sometimes so much that he startles himself.
Sleeping--whatever, he sleeps a lot.
Daddy--Jude loves Adam. He follows his voice around the house and stares intently into his eyes.
His hands--he discovered his hands from the beginning and uses them to hold his bottle, claw at Mommy, cover his face while sleeping, and fold during prayers.
His car seat--I'm considering letting him sleep in it at night.
12:00-2:00AM--I swear he naps all day just so he can party at these wee hours of the night.

He is the greatest little thing that has ever happened to us and we can't imagine our life together without him. I mean, how crazy is it that he grew from the tiniest little cell to a fully complex human being..all in 9 months? It's seriously ridiculous to think what kind of miracles go on in the human body during that time. DNA is legit stuff.

Thinking about having kids? We fully endorse it.

Me? I'm feeling GREAT. The recovering has been super easy and I've had lots of help and support during it, and all the while I've become an excessively paranoid, worried, freaked out, and sleepless person. Do I check if he's breathing? Frequently.

Eat your heart out on these. He's such a handsome baby.

Bffs

After his bath with Grandma and Aunt Briana.

He's kind of a control freak about his food.

He just loves her.

Our amazing nursing, Deb.

Just woke up from a nap.

First picture as as family

He's a model already

Baby dreams

His first look at his extended family with his family picture book from Aunt Briana

Dress Dilemma

2011-03-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

My bff from high school is getting married this June--SO exciting--and she's asked me to come and be a bridesmaid for her special day. I AM STOKED. I've never been a bridesmaid before--basically because I'm the only one married in my family and this is my first friend to get married. Imagine that.

So, it is going to be a beautiful, traditional Catholic wedding and Tara's picked out a simply classic dress for her maids to wear.

Only issue: it doesn't exactly cover my shoulders or back.

It's a Bill Levkoff and really speaks for itself and I'm super paranoid about taking away from the dress with any alterations.

All my (single?) ladies: we need to brainstorm.

I'm not interested in jackets, cover-ups, or boleros--unless you can give me a killer idea for one.

There is the one strap/trail of material that is attached in the back which is functional to use to cover me up. What do you think?

Here are a couple of ideas:

-Use the portion of the sash that hangs off the back to attach material under the strap to hopefully make it look like the dress was meant to look like that--basically attaching a chiffon top underneath the strap, as if I was wearing an under t-shirt.

-Cut off the strap entirely and attach some kind of sleeves.

That's all I've got.

Have any ideas? Would totally appreciate some input--even if it's just a pic. Actually pics are great.

Thanks.

Here's the dress--it's in the olive-ish color, but it's actually more of a gold in person:

The Last Date

2011-03-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Jude,

Mom and dad went on a date tonight.

Dad spent a little bit more than mom wanted to. He said we needed to go "all out" since this was my last night out...for awhile.

Thanks love.

I made dad sit next to me during the meal. We talked about different things--mainly how dad should stop saying inappropriate things due to the couple immediately behind us. The last thing you want is a startling word like "nipple" floating around the air for just any old elderly persons' hearing aid to detect--someone could choke on their steamed vegetables.

Anyway...

In a nutshell, we ate, dad bought a brand new belt, and we went grocery shopping. Other than that, the food was good--better than good--great. We'll for sure be back again, which will probably mean that you'll be at home with a babysitter. Sorry kid--you've been the ultimate tagalong for over 9 months now: it's time your 'rents got some real alone time without the cute and annoyingly frequent, not to mention potentially disastrous, jab in the bladder every time our faces get close.

We love you.

Get your naked butt out here.

Don't laugh.

I'm Loved

2011-03-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Jude,

Mom's been featured.

HERE

Hey Jude

2011-03-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Jude,

I know you're having trouble deciding when you want to greet the world. It's scary, I get it. In the course of a week you've send mom and dad to the hospital twice with the anticipation that you'd made up your little man mind. Although frustrating and emotionally taxing, these little fake outs of yours have made the reality of your influence into our lives a little bit more clear and we have appreciated the opportunity to become a little bit more prepared. Hey, practice makes perfect, right? But please, please, don't wait until we are perfect. Also, daddy really can't keep using up his personal days.

So listen carefully:

I have a very cute and cozy-soft Ralph Lauren outfit waiting for you to snuggle up to mommy in.

You want it? You want it?

Come get it.

Otherwise, I'll save it for your brother.

I Change My Mind

2011-03-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

First of all, no need to point out--or talk ruthlessly behind my back--about how horrible my blog layout is at the moment. There's a kink I'm trying to figure out, or getting husband to figure out, so until it's either fixed or I create a new blog site: don't judge me for being tacky.

Onward....

I can't help but dream about post-pregnancy body and post-pregnancy clothes. Last night I dreamt I had the little guy and I literally watched my stomach shrink back to it's original size. Dream Adam was looking over my shoulder going "yes!"
p.s. Don't hate on me for wanting the little guy in my arms, not stretching out my skin.

So I've stayed current with trends--not wearing, of course, just observing from the sideline (like the fat, uncoordinated kid), and awhile back I realized that one of my worst fears has become a reality.

The 70s are back.

I despise 70s fashion.

Aside from the occasional classic faux fur piece or high waisted trouser, I hate the 70s. I feel like it was such a goofy, awkward time for fashion. It was like everyone threw all their creative energy into the amazing 60s that there was nothing left afterward. The country basically gave up for a decade and fried their brains until burnt orange became a good idea.

BUT--And this is a huge BUT--the modern take that designers have created on 70s fashion today is so SOPHISTICATED IT KILLS ME. I think I'm kind of in love. Just kind of. It makes me want to pop out the kid, store up as much boob juice as possible, and diet hardcore so I don't have any added weight killing my feet when I buy a pair of sick 70s pumps--Q rolling eyes and stink-eye stares.

Just humor me, even if you don't find me humorous.

Now Please?

2011-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to my OB appointment. I was excited and nervous--excited to see if there was any good news after being "checked", nervous because it's awkward..my feet aren't the only things I haven't been able to see. I got doubly nervous when the doc asked me if his med student could come in and observe during the examine...sure, why not! Trying not to get my hopes up, I anxiously looked at my OB for the verdict. He looked up with a big smile and said, "I've got good news! You're dilated to a 2 and 80% effaced. At this rate you could go to the hospital at a 4!" NO WAY!!! Then after saying something stupid like..let's hook me up to some Pitocin and get this going, he told me to hold tight and that I could go into labor any minute or go clear passed by due date. LAME, but still awesome. And of course when I called Adam he thought the news meant I was in labor--Q husband freak out--poor guy.

Anyway, thought you all deserved an update. Sorry if I made anyone feel uncomfortable. Get over it.

p.s. What do you predict? Will I go into labor within a week or so, or have to wait the full 3.5 weeks or later?

36 Weeks

2011-02-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Welp, here's 36 weeks!

Let's all take a moment to pity me. Just kidding, I actually feel really good. It's not until I see pictures like this one when I realize why every man, woman, and child seems to be giving me a 12 foot radius of space at all times--as if I'm my own vehicle and totally don't know how to drive this thing.

Yesterday we went bowling for our friend Phil's birthday and I kind of felt like I should just roll myself down the lane with this mother-of-a gut. When I got dressed to go Adam just came saying, "Oh my gosh, hunny, you're so pregnant."

Tuesday I start my weekly Dr. visits. Hopefully the frequent--not to mention awkward--poking and prodding will result in me going into labor early.

One can only dream.

Checklist of symptoms this week:

Heartburn √

Pelvis about to snap √

Penguin waddle √

Seasons 1-3 of Grey's Anatomy watched √

Stretch marks √√√

Back rubs--someone is still working on that one

Indecent carb consumption √

Dr. Pepper infatuation √

I'm not going to get any bigger am I?

I DID IT!

2011-02-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

I PASSED THE NCLEX! I'm finally a Registered Nurse! I have this picture of me from preschool where my mom dressed me up like a nurse with my little white scrubs and cap and it makes me feel warm inside. It's just a little girl going to preschool realizing that her first steps toward reaching her goals were to first learn how to spell her name. Exciting right?!!

Super Snacker

2011-01-31T23:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight kind of went like this:

Dinner, FHE, workout, come home.

Around 9 o'clock the little guy decided he wanted a snack.

So I got hungry, naturally, and Adam just so happened to be in the kitchen.

My selection of night-time snack #1 went something like this:

Brit: Hey, hun. Would you bring me an apple?

Adam: Yeah, sure.

....

Brit: And the peanut butter jar with a knife?

....

Brit: And the Nutella?

By the end of it, I had basically destroyed any nutritional value in that poor, poor piece of fruit.

But it was delicious.

Husband couldn't help but laugh over the massive cliche I was tragically committing. I might as well have balanced both jars on my belly and demanded Oreos to come join the party.

Little Man Clothes

2011-01-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Am I a bad soon-to-be mom for planning on dressing my little boy like this?

Or like this?

The correct answer is no.

Christmas and Belly

2011-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

I finally found our camera cord, so I can upload a couple of pics from Christmas and a 32 weeks belly shot. I must say, I seriously hate my face in pictures right now. I look like a red, shiny-faced German. Maybe next time I won't wear balloon pants for these things. Moving on...

Just one of Mom's many healthy stocking stuffers. Who ever heard of such a thing...

Our yankee-swap pile at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Adam's first attempt. p.s. I didn't include too many pics of him because he had a sinus issue that whole day and his face was BEAT red.

G-ma got Tae-Bo videos. Get kickin' lady.

I got an electric tea kettle/water boiler. AWESOME.

27 weeks! Next year the little guy will be there to celebrate with us.

What a good looking group, right?

The sisters minus one.

New Christmas shoes. c/o Urban and H&M

And there it is

Adam thought this was clever.

And there ya have it! 33 weeks on Monday! Maybe he'll come early and then I'll only have 5 weeks left. Holy cow that'd be awesome!

Meanwhile, Adam's working and I'm studying still preparing for the NCLEX. Our days couldn't be more predictable.

Gush

2011-01-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

Do you remember your first date with your significant other? I do. Absolutely.

I was in the middle of my second semester of school and currently "seeing" a guy who, well, I basically couldn't muster up the feelings to exclusively date (think about 500 Days of Summer and you'll know exactly what happened), and needed to get away from. So I asked out this guy named Adam. I had met him the previous semester, as we had the same little circle of friends, but he showed no interest in me and my freshman face. In my previously-mentioned desperation to get away from this other guy for just a freaking second, I asked Adam out for a Friday night school show. He told me he couldn't, but we'd go out the next day with a big group of people to this big school event. As if I was an idiot and didn't hear, "I really don't want to go out with you, but I'd feel bad if I totally ditched you. So we'll go out with a big group so I can avoid you the whole night, but still say I was a good guy and took you out." Please. What made it worse? The thing I invited him to go to that Friday night (you mean the thing he said you couldn't go to?), he ended up being at with a bunch of my other friends. I just thought, "Really? Do you really hate me that much??" But, as planned, we went to this thing the next day. Now you have to understand: I had never been dissed like that before. Not to say it's because who could possibly diss me right? It's just that I was pretty good at reading whether someone would go out with me for at least a first date or not. And man, I just was so freaking off this time. So I was intimidated. Basically, I had set myself up for a pity date and I had no idea of how to be the pitied. So, I got ready, thinking it didn't matter how cute I looked or how good I smelled, because this guy obviously thought that I was totally unattractive and un-dateable. He picked me up, and I really didn't say much of anything to him. Awkward.

But what happened?

Well, according to him, he thought I actually did look really good and that I actually did also smell really good and he felt actual attraction for me. Imagine that? So he flirted, touched, laughed, etc. I thought he must have been joking. Then at the end of the show, there was a random "dance" and he pulled me in real close during every slow-song, saying, "Let's take advantage of these slow songs." I kind of melted a little. Who was this ridiculously good looking man dancing so close and whispering sweet things in my ear?" Then he said something that took my breath away: "Yo quiero helado."--I want ice cream. So we went with another couple and picked out ice cream at the grocery store. For some reason, deciding on which ice cream to share with a guy who wanted to have nothing to do with you is kind of terrifying. We stood in front of that freezer door for what seemed like forever. All the while, leaning up against me, trying to get me to divulge to him what I actually liked.

I swear--anytime he touched me I lost all feeling my legs.

So after ice cream, he drove me home and walked me up the stairs to my door. I sheepishly hugged him goodbye and thanked him for the night. He said, "You know, we should hang out again." I said, "Really???" And he said, "Yeah, what are you doing tomorrow?"

OMG.

He came over the next day and the next and the next and really quickly we went from "please get this date over with" to "please don't leave even though it's 1AM."

I loved that boy from that day on and love him far more now than I did then. He is everything to me.

Sometimes when I'm busy and preoccupied with other things I totally forget how gorgeous, romantic, and hilarious of a husband I have. He's my best friend and I would rather spend time with him than anyone, and miss him when I'm not.

Last night in the middle of the night I woke up to him half-asleep--or maybe even totally asleep--stroking my face and putting his hand in my hair. At first I woke up like, "What the heck are you doing?" and then I thought it was cute that his subconscious didn't have his mind on video games, work, golf, or food, but his very preggo wife with matted hair and blood-shot eyes. This morning, he woke me up to kiss me goodbye, with his new prescription glasses, wearing a white v-neck t and jeans and a blue scarf. He looked like something from an H&M catalog. It was one of those, "You mean, I got to marry HIM???" moments and in my surprise, I grabbed that boy's face and kissed it real good.

And with him gone all day making the big bucks for our little family, I feel very grateful for him.

So, let's take two seconds to GUSH about the sexy man in my life:

He's going to be the hot daddy of the other man in my life. He's always the one to pull out the Oreos so I don't feel like a fatty for initiating a cookies and milk binge. His hair is not only girl-approved hair, it's model-like and hard not to run my fingers through. His tush is almost impossible not to squeeze. The scar on his face makes him look like a bad-A. He always asks for seconds of anything I make. Especially cookies. He loves to surprise me and make everything special. He often turns to me and says things like, "Can we just wake up one morning this weekend and have a good breakfast together and snuggle in bed the rest of the day?" --ummmm: yes. He pays attention to my pleas for romance and always one-ups me. He doesn't criticize me when in coming home from work he finds me on the couch wearing the same clothes he left me in at 8AM. He was touchy-feely from the start and hasn't slacked off one bit. My head fits perfectly on his chest and our hands match effortlessly when interlocked.

I just love him. And I can't wait till he comes home everyday because he still makes my heart race and my whole frame melt.

Dang boy, I just wanna buy you things!

Compare Yourself

2011-01-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

See that?

That was me.

18 years old, certain I'd go to medical school, caring only for field hockey, boys, and food. Lots of food. All the time.

I saw this picture today and longed to be back playing in that game, basking in that humid-hot sun, walking off the field bleeding and dirty...

But I remembered that I hated my senior year and couldn't wait to be out of there the entire year.

I love this picture.

I was buff from powerlifting all summer, super tan from lifeguarding, in the best shape ever, co-captain of my team, had the biggest beater of a car, cared little about school, ran 3-5 miles every other day...blahblahblah.

Why am I bragging about this girl?

She for sure wouldn't be bragging about herself.

Because I'm jealous.

Yet, at that time, her self-esteem was little to none. She hated that she weighed as much as most of her guy friends, the fact that the only clothing she was comfortable wearing were the sweatsuits her teams ordered each season, had an ugly car, couldn't keep a boyfriend for more than 2 weeks, and so on.

I'm sure that if that girl knew that her 4.5 year later self--married, graduated, and pregnant--would be jealous of her, she'd about piss herself.

Why am I jealous of her?

Because I'm incompletely comparing myself to her.

We women are harsh on ourselves, aren't we?

We compare our little "imperfections" to the qualities of others to determine if we measure up, if they're totally "better" than us, or if we're totally "better" than them.

But as far as I'm concerned, if we're going to put ourselves in the dangerous position of comparing ourselves to those around us, we'd better be pretty thorough in our comparing.

Why?

Because when we compare ourselves to others, we always compare that person's best to our worst.

And once we determine that their best is far better than our worst, we declare that they are better than us and we are only left to be jealous, while avoiding them entirely and punching a golfball-sized hole in our guts.

It's silly, right?

Take this instance:

A woman spends hours and hours of a year finding the perfect recipe and perfect way to bake the perfect loaf of bread. After long days of sweating over a hot oven, throwing out thousands of failures, and crying in the corner, she finally does indeed perfect herself in the art. She feels excited, proud, and accomplished. So, she decides to share with her neighbors.

Susie next door receives one of these gorgeous loaves of golden brown bread, takes a bite, and realizes that perfect Molly's loaf tastes like something from a dream.

Susie immediately compares this lump of heaven to what she could bake for her family and realized that her own ability was limited to baking a flat, dense, grainy brick of wheat that ended up barely eaten and ultimately thrown in the trash.

What's more?

Susie's husband came home that night, took a slice of Molly's bread, and stated, "Wow hunny, Molly really knows what she's doing."

Get the picture?

How does Susie feel?

Like she could never measure up to Molly in not only bread making, but anything Molly endeavored to accomplish. To Susie, Molly was perfect, and Susie couldn't stand her.

But all the while the reason why Molly tried perfecting her loaf of bread was because she had tried for years and years to master chocolate chip cookies like Susie had, but accepted defeat and moved onto something else.

We are all silly, aren't we?

Next time, instead of comparing yourself to someone else's hard earned and practiced talents, fitness, belongings, etc., admire their ability to do so and your own personal ability to master other things that are equally admirable.

Kind of the typical Mormon-Mom example, but it works.

One of Satan's greatest tools is to have us accept our own defeat as a person, limiting our desire and belief in ourselves to progress and become better. He would love more than anything to have us pine away in a lonely corner about how wonderful Molly's bread is, how stupid we are for not being able to make it as good as she does, and totally forget how to bake chocolate chip cookies altogether.

That's lame.

HOT

2011-01-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

Last night I went on a date with a man.

What was he wearing?

Oh, how naughty of you to ask.

Penguin pajama pants and a black v-neck T. I know. Sexy.

I invited him over to my place after we worked out together at our apartment's fitness center.

We made homemade pizza and cuddled up on the couch with Oreos and milk and the second Lord of the Rings.

Every once in a while, in between spurts of black blood and wizard fights, he would whisper things in my ear like, "It's really cold in our apartment," "Did you check the mail today?" and "You're really cute."

It was a hot date.

He even stayed the night.

And he has a really cute tush.

I'm glad he's the father of my child.

This is him. Close your mouths, ladies.

May Photo Shoot

2011-01-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have extremely talented friends. This particular friend, Tiffany Whitsitt (previously Christensen) is no exception.
SHE IS AMAZING.
We did this shoot I believe last May. It was freezing and ridiculously windy, but her and all of her wonderfulness shot some of the best pictures of us I have ever owned. I can't wait to blow some of these suckers up. This was right before I got pregnant, and gosh I can't wait to do another shoot in May with the little guy this time.
I know they're all on Facebook and some already here on the blog, but I just wanted to feature some select favorites.

Wellness

2011-01-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

There are some things I can't go without. For instance, chocolate after dinner (didn't she explain this in the last post?), feeling a sense of accomplishment, and most importantly, human-interaction. Human-interaction is what keeps up sane, not to mention apart from the animals, and, essentially, happy and normal people. Since our move from Rexburg, I feel as though I have been completely removed from those around me--whether this is solely self-inflicted or circumstantial or a combination of the two is still a question needing to be answered. At the current moment, sitting on my bed in my new room, with my husband busy assembling a new dresser, I feel uncharacteristically empty. Empty in that I feel alone, overwhelmed, un-edified and unrelieved.
And do I dare go as far as to say: hopeless?
The odd thing is that I have been around people these entire two weeks. I have spent time with family, my husband, friends, and complete strangers. So what explains these sudden and unpleasant feelings?
As a retrace my steps, I think I've realized something interesting--or at least something I find interesting: amidst my previous settings with my previous people, I have been elsewhere--in my mind. Translation? My mind has been elsewhere.
Where?
Apartment hunting, apartment decorating, NCLEX studying, NCLEX worrying, baby worrying, baby hoping, new residence unpacking, new residence paperwork-ing, online class taking, grocery store shopping, etc.
Although I've been out on dates with my husband, spending time with family and friends, and corresponding with humans around me, all the while, I have been in my own head trying to plan/organize every detail of my next purchases, events, obligations, etc. that I have not actually been corresponding at all.
Which leads me to raise this question: Can simply being too busy, in both body and mind, cause the things we do each day to keep us sane to not have any effect on us at all?
I know the answer seems so obvious: of course it can. But let's be honest people--do we actually think that rule applies to us, as opposed to that guy/gal down the road?
No. Probably not.
I now have a better understanding of how people, especially women, can easily be run right into the hard, cold, lonely ground, simply by being too busy, too ambitious, and running faster than they have the strength.
I believe that mental and physical health go hand-in-hand to define our wellness and that if we're not happy or finding emotional stimulation and enjoyment by doing things that would normally bring us such, then perhaps we're not in need of medication, a sick-day, or therapy, maybe we just need to slow down the pace and allow ourselves to be stimulated.
What am I doing tomorrow?

Nothing.

Dessert

2011-01-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

I love dessert.
I always have.
One time I got the spanking of a lifetime for sticking my 5-year old finger in my little sister's birthday cake before dinner. Understandable, considering I didn't do it just once try about 10. Things haven't changed. I still prefer cookies and milk over a sandwich for lunch and think "what the heck" when someone sends me home after a dinner-date without at least a piece of chocolate.
So here's a confession:
Today I went to cutesy little French cafe for lunch with a friend.
It gets worse.
Amongst all the delicious sandwiches, soups, and salads, this particular cafe greeted us with a beautiful display of French gems: pastries. Super hardcore ones at that. The kind that's almost too pretty too eat.
Usually after something like lunch I don't need anything sweet, so I really didn't think about purchasing something other than my vegetarian croissant sandwich.
But on the way out I thought, "It would be cruel to come home and tell Adam I went to a French bakery without bringing him back something."
So I bought something.
And on the way home, I got a little curious and had a conversation with myself about this beautiful white box staring from the seat next to me.
"I wonder if it's even good."
"Oh course it's good, Britney, but how good?"
"Maybe we should make sure it's safe."
I tried it. Surely husband would understand that in purchasing this over-priced delicacy that I would certainly want a little nibble.
One bite turned into two. Yeah, ok, I ate the whole thing.
Alright, but let me explain my rationale:
This particular dessert resembled a triple-layered chocolate mousse cake with super-thin crust in-between each fluffy layer. I thought when buying it that it was more of a cheesecake. The problem? Adam doesn't like pudding. He couldn't possibly enjoy this as much as I would. In fact, I was doing him a favor--if I was told someone had a pricey French dessert just for me my hopes and expectations would be pretty high. I wouldn't want to be disappointed with something I really didn't care for--like cherry pie...sick. So really, I selflessly took the bullet for my man and saved him some major disgruntlement.
I mean, it could have ruined his whole day.

Yeah, I'm a bad wife.
Not to mention a total pig.
But it was 100% worth it.
Don't judge me.

Aimless Rant

2011-01-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

No one wants to hear a 7-months-pregnant woman rant about...well anything...but we all have a need to divulge--or perniciously expel--our inner-most frustrations, annoyances, and heart-felt omg's. So stop here if you're already not in the mood, but from here on out, I'm whining about my experiences of the past 5 days:
-I'm under the impression that 2/3 of the world's hepatitis is festering in rest stop toilets.
-Why when I ask for an "Iced Chocolate" do I get without question an "Ice Coffee?"
-I can't quite understand why people enjoy watching me eat. Do they think it's cute that I'm taking care of my unborn child? Are they waiting to judge me for eating a Reese's? Or are they expecting some sort of freak show where I eat everything in site?
-Obviously I'm biased and think that the east coast is the greatest place on earth, but when a waiter finds out I know where Cherry Hill, NJ is because--oh-my-gosh-no-way--he's from there, I don't care to talk about everything you love about it. Just bring me my *@$# food.
-Why would I want a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment where the second bathroom is in the baby's room? So Jude can start out his life with his very own stand-up shower?
-Leggings are not pants. Especially when you're not athletic.
-How hard is it to include water, sewage, and garbage in the rent to close a deal? "Oh, you want to sign a year lease paying way more than you really need to for one of our shoeboxes, but won't do it if we don't pay those, even though every other apartment complex is? Ummm, no, $40/month just isn't worth it." Jerks.
-Why is there 1 Dunkin Donuts in the Northwest?
-Hey drivers: Stop cutting me off. I don't care if you're late for a Tree People's meeting.
-If something I'm charged a daily rate to rent is returned 3 days early, I expect to be refunded those 3 days. Understand?
-How much ice cream is too much? A heaping bowl a day? What if it's low-fat?
-I just got my OK to schedule a time and place to take the NCLEX. Eff.
-Why don't they design beds specifically so that pregnant women can sleep at night too? I mean, most people are pregnant at some point during the use of their mattresses. We can't all be skinny our entire lives. I would assume it would work the same way for men with potbellies.
-Ikea's having a sale and I don't have a place to live.
-Thanks but no thanks Portland pizza.
-Please don't lie to me and tell me I look fabulous when my face is red, my butt and ankles are swollen, and I'm scarfing down a piece of cake the size of a small child.
-Out of all the changes going on with my body right now, why did my eyebrows decide to get involved? Who gets frizzy eyebrows?
-"This too shall pass" better not be just empty words of comfort to calm the desperate.
-Why am I constantly running out of clean underwear? Who the heck is wearing my underwear?

Hah that felt good.

Memories

2011-01-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of our second day in a row hanging out. I just found it. Thought you'd enjoy it.

I Don't Know What to Call This

2010-12-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

So I'm a total loser and uploaded all of our vacation pics to Adam's computer and for some reason he's having trouble connecting to the internet here. Hence, no Christmas posts. I'm working on it. We've basically been eating pizza and italian wedding cake, sleeping in, watching movies, and apartment searching online all week. It's been a great time with family and friends and we're sad that the trip ends tomorrow morning.
Favorite Christmas quote:
Grandpa Handley--"Britney, tell your doctor that the due date is the 27th (it's really the 21st, but Gpa's bday is the 27th). So you'll just have to keep your legs closed until then."
Nice.
What Adam got for Christmas: Two video games, LEGO Star Wars, H&M pants, H&M shoes, iTunes gift cards, a mug that says "Hide Your Kids, Hide Your Wife", and lots and lots of candy.
What Britney got for Christmas: New-freaking-awesome maternity coat and tank top, H&M sweater, milkshake maker/mixer, 2 pairs of Urban Outfitters oxfords, Twilight from Edward, and lots and lots of darling little man clothes for my little Adam. Can't wait.

We love each other. Obviously. Wish us good weather and flying conditions on our voyage back to Rexburg!

Just Kidding

2010-12-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

So just kidding, Adam and I are not moving to Boise, ID.
We're moving to Portland, OR!
While we were busy packing last Monday for our move and trip back east, Adam got a call from the company in Portland that originally couldn't hire him, telling him that plans had changed and they wanted to offer him the job. We were FLOORED. We had already made plans in Boise, we even had an apartment, and told them we would call them back the next day. After a stressful night, we called Portland the next morning telling them we'd accept the position. It was a bitter-sweet decision for sure--the position and offer were better, but we were really looking forward to living next to Adam's brother and his wife and little ones. But we had a feeling we needed to be in Portland, so holy cow that's what we're doing. We get back on Wednesday and have to move out of our little apartment Thursday morning--so I'm kind of freaking out.

It's no New York, but Portland's a super cool place.

Happenings

2010-12-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

Can you tell I haven't been able to located my camera until now? Hope so. Is that an excuse? Absolutely not. Sorry darlings. This has been a crazy last couples of months. To recap:
Halloween:

Adam and I caved in and went to our ward Halloween party as Edward and Bella. We were poor and had no time. I think we nailed it. If that's even something to be proud of. The day before, we went trick-or-treating with Natalie and her little girls, as well as my little sister Brynne. We had, once again, 0 time (like literally 10 minutes) to figure out what to be so we just threw on whatever neon colored stuff we had and went as 80s freaks. I love trick-or-treating. I've gone every year since I was a child and don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
So how did I get away with it?
I went to the doors with Sienna and my pillowcase explaining that I was there to collect for the sick sister at home. Dishonest? Absolutely. But I justified it with the fact that Sienna would probably eat most of mine anyway. Oh, and Brynne went as a chi-mo (child molester). Yeah she's kind of awkward.
Thanksgiving: Brynne and the two of us drove to Vancouver, WA to Adam's family's. Everyone was there and it was a zoo. We slept on an air mattress upstairs in the play room and were woken up every morning to the little ones wondering if it was play time yet. Lisa, Mindie, and Amanda also threw me a fantastic baby shower and we got all kinds of neat things to go along with our nautical theme for Jude's room. It was a great week and we enjoyed the family time and time off from school. Also, Adam interviewed at an ad agency in Portland that really liked him and his work (well duh...).
The past couple weeks: I passed my nursing exit exam first try (by a hair), which was a total relief. Standardized tests are really lame and totally screw with your head. Adam hung up his BFA project, which he did awesomely on, and has basically been done with school since. Meanwhile, we waited to hear back about Adam's job possibilities. Portland called back saying they REALLY liked Adam and his work, but couldn't get permission from the CEO in Boston to hire on another employee right now. I started sweating it because that meant we only had one other option, which was in Boise. Adam and I drove to Boise and stayed with his brother and sister-in-law Matt and Kim and interviewed there just last week. We waited till the end of the week and they finally called offering him the job!

SO---we're moving to Boise on the 31st after we get back from visiting my family back east! Holy cow.
Graduation:

Adam's parents and my parents and two sisters came to graduation this past weekend. Friday was the dedication of the BYU-I Center, which is a scaled down version of the conference center, so it's huge, where President Henry B. Eyring with Elders Nelson and Bednar dedicated it and the Manwaring Center. It was just awesome. Unfortunately, that same day was my nursing pinning (which everyone else has pictures of), at the exact same time as Adam's convocation. So he didn't see me get my pin and I didn't see him get his diploma...cover. Really sucked but oh well. The next day was commencement and my convocation and then the festivities were over.
So now, we're leaving for NY in a few days and trying to get our apartment and ourselves ready for this new move. All along Jude and I are getting huge and I'm really excited to start this new chapter in our lives. Nursing jobs in Boise also look super promising. Looks like this will be a year of huge changes and blessings and we can't wait to see where life takes us now. HOLY CRAP I'M DONE WITH NURSING SCHOOL!

Baby Shower

2010-12-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
So my friend Natalie is hosting a baby shower for me this Saturday at 11AM at the Village clubhouse--and you're all invited!
RSVP to Natalie. I hope you can all make it! If you can't bring a present, come anyway!

20 week Maternity Shoot

2010-11-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

So my insanely creative and talented friend Myra drove all the way from LA this past weekend to surprise me with a visit! I just love her. She brightens my life. She's a little ball of energy and I wish I was more like that. I asked her what we were going to do during her visit and she was like, "We're doing a maternity shoot! I've always wanted to do one!" Soooooo she picked a 60s theme for me and I just LOVED it. I've got to say though, maternity is a hard thing to model for. You can basically show two emotions: serious and sweet. Both of which I look pretty amateur doing. So anyway, here's a couple!

Anyone left wondering what we're having??
It's a little BOY!
He's so cute.
The first view we saw once the ultrasound tech placed the probe on my belly was him legs spread out wide showing off his bum and goods.
There's no mistaking it--he's a boy--and Adam couldn't be more excited. The first thing he said was, "Omg....I'm buying him a little golfing set and we're gunna play soccer."
I'm stoked to have another man in my life...he'll be my little buddy.
I'm hoping he looks like Adam. And I wish he could come out with Adam's scar on his right cheek bone.
Well, I'm 21 weeks! CRAZY! A little bit more than halfway done.

Cupcakes

2010-10-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

After school (and some pricey, but delicious Mexican food), I got a ridiculous craving for something sweet--like authentic donut sweet. Buuttt the really good new donut shop closed early, and we went home (I went home) unsatisfied. So we decided to use the Halloween cupcake decorations Mom Stevens sent us to be festive and bake our own treats with. Because we're lame and un-creative, we decided to finally be Bella and Edward for Halloween. I guess I'll just be wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and a confused daze. I'm powdering Adam's face white and he's gunna go find some cheap fangs. On Friday we're going to our ward's party and Saturday's trick-or-treating with Natalie. I love how tradition never dies. We also made Jack-'o-lanterns.
Mine's the generic crappy one, Adam's is him.

We find out what the little one is on Monday! Any guesses??? Should I post up a generic poll? Meh. My back hurts. I feel huge.

18.5 Weeks

2010-10-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

And another week has flown by (obviously). I'm beginning to wish I had more money to buy maternity clothes because every thing's getting snugger with my protruding abdomen. I am becoming increasingly more uncomfortable and have contemplated on multiple occasions my desire to wear sweatpants to school--which I would never do. I need dresses, jeans, etc. Ugh. I'm kind of trying not to care though because we're almost done with school and during the last trimester I will probably be sitting at home on my fat, fat bum in PJ's with my computer on my lab preparing for the NCLEX all day, every day.

My eating habits are pretty horrible. I get these massive bouts of random starvation and usually just grab whatever's in site. This week it's been left over carrot cake and pumpkin roll from my party. If anyone was ever a candidate for gestational diabetes, it'd probably be someone like me. I've been running here and there but nothing too consistent. I heard that the more you exercise and stay active during the pregnancy the easier it is and the faster you lose weight afterward. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

Anyway, this weekend I'm finishing my preceptorship (sad) and will continue with the rest of my peers at regular clinical, which I'm not even remotely looking forward to. Adam's super busy doing stuff for his BFA. He's had late nights and early mornings every day for the past few weeks. I feel so bad! But I'm impressed with his ability stay motivated and energetic. I know I'm not. I haven't had an appointment with Dr. Pepper for awhile and it's really starting to piss me off.

p.s. these pics are super blurry. And we took them right before bed, so no, I don't look like a mom that doesn't care...yet.

Birthday Weekend

2010-10-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

I pretty much had an awesome birthday. And since scenario was over and it was on Friday, I could actually enjoy myself. On Friday, Adam took me to Pita Pit for lunch (basically Subway but waaaaayyy better), and then we went to the pumpkin patch with our friends Heidi and Ty after school. We got two huge pumpkins and one little one for baby. Not sure what we're gunna do with that one yet.

After pumpkin picking, Adam took me shopping. I immediately went to Motherhood and got a sweet pair of Heidi Klum designed maternity skinny jeans. I love them because they don't have the belly band, they're just super elastic all the way around. AND Adam said that the wash on them makes my legs look super skinny. SOLD. Our last stop was TJ Maxx where I basically got the birthday shoes of the century for a steal. I will probably be wearing them everyday for the rest of my life. They look like this:

We were starving, so on our way home we got a NY style pizza (large) from Lucy's. By the time we got home there were only 2 out of the huge 8 pieces left. Either it was that good or we were that hungry (no, you're just a pig). We got home exhausted, so it was only appropriate to sit back and cuddle with a movie and Oreos. That's basically my dream day.
The next day, also referred to as the "Second Day of My Birthday", my besty Natalie had a party for me. Her spread was insane. Did she stop at a chocolate fountain with a ridiculous amount of dippies? Nope. She made carrot cake, german chocolate cake, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and bought spinach and artichoke dip from Applebees. A bunch of my nursing friends and friends from the ward came and it was lots of fun.
As a result, Adam threw up this morning and I, Natalie and Grant, all had trouble sleeping last night. You know a party was killer if everyone goes home sick. We'll probably go back today and eat more food.

p.s. I felt uber guilty for feeding baby so much crap. Especially the Velveeta with salsa dip--did you know that stuff doesn't have to be refrigerated???
Oh, and Adam got me a new vacuum (does that sound like Father and the Bride and the blender??) that I asked for and did an illustration of me that's hanging in our room.

It was an awesome two days of my birthday. Thanks so much to all who participated!

17.5 Weeks

2010-10-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

It's been another week. At this time I'm feeling uncomfortable sleeping on my stomach, wake up finding myself on my back and unable to breathe, and jeans digging into my womb. Ahhhh the growing. I've felt the baby move so much more distinctly. I can't believe we find out what it is in 2.5 weeks! What do you think it is?
I think the worst part of the growing is the ligaments stretching and accommodating--it's sad to think they'll never be quite that taut again.
On Tuesday I had my last scenario EVER. We had a DKA "patient" and I actually had a pretty good time. The skills and orders were all straight forward and I think I left my mannequin better off than when I came in. I'm so relieved it's finally over. Scenario always feels like a major wall in the way of me moving forward in the semester.
For my birthday on Friday, Adam's taking me shoe shopping (horah!) and then we're gunna grab a Lucy's NY style pizza on the way home to cuddle and watch a movie with. Saturday my besty Natalie is hosting a celebration with chocolate fountains and pumpkin pie. I love my birthday! It's during my favorite time of year. The leaves are changing and falling, the air is cool and crisp, and I love bundling up with a peacoat and scarf.
Currently my house is smelling of vanilla cinnamon--it makes me feel like the holidays are just around the corner.

The Baby In My Belly

2010-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

So, not much a change, but there's a little rounded bump. It might be just because I ate wwwaaayyy too many chocolate chip cookies last night. But whatever.

So this is me at 16.5 weeks. I think I'll just take pics every 2 weeks or so.

K bye.

A Different Kind of Obesity

2010-10-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about weight recently. I learn all the time about how major of a risk factor obesity is to the majority of all cancers and other diseases and the complications that occur from being overweight when in the hospital. In my pre-teeny years, I was overweight and super self-conscious about it. I was at that stage in life when I wanted to be well-liked and the object of every pre-pubescent boy's affection. But, this wasn't a reality for me. I was 4 ft. 11 and packed full with 150 lbs. of tender baby fat. And I was tall--much taller than those skinny 80 lbs. girls that dressed in white and pink Limited Too and Gap garb--I wore my sister's Old Navy boy's-wear hand-me-downs. Oh please, my life was wonderful, normal, and joyful. But I think we all are looking for ways to improve ourselves and mine was to lose weight and look like the rest of my friends.

That happened once I began puberty and field hockey. Lots of running and hormones did me some good and I finally felt good about myself.

I began high school at my perfect weight, but, high school sports and waaaayy too many study halls caused me to end my senior year 30 lbs. heavier than I wanted to be. Well gosh what the heck. Obviously I grew, became more of a woman, blahblahblah. I felt hopeless. Yet, the gods of weight loss threw me another bone and I was soon redeemed by a win-lose illness that required strict diet precautions and proved a painful recovery. I lost 10 lbs. like that and kept it off. Up and down I've gone over the years, but continue to compare myself to that perfect weight back when I was 15. Is that so hard to ask for? I knew this matter was entirely in my hands and so I started Weight Watchers a couple of months ago and loved watching my scale knock a pound off each week. Ahhhh control. But, suddenly, I stopped losing weight. I dieted but still wouldn't lose an ounce and I grew tired of working so hard to have no pay-off.

Well what the heck!

So, what did I do?

I went to the doctor to get tested.

Tested for what?

Pregnancy.

What happened?

I wound up positive for a pea-sized parasite implanted in my untouched uterus.

AKA: pregnant.

So, I've gained 10 lbs. (of baby and me, or something), and although I'm still obsessed with my weight--I'm not pushing out no 10 lbs. baby, sorry--I've learned to listen to my body and give it what it and my little avocado need.

So, how far along am I?

17 weeks on Monday.

Surprise, surprise!

Were we planning it? Absolutely not.

Are we wicked excited about it? Totally!

Have I been sick? Nope, not a single day. Queasiness here and there, but I've been so blessed. I'm in a demanding major and I've been able to clean up poo (lots and lots of poo), sit next to a container full of lung aspirate, do several night shifts, and study for ridiculous weekly tests without falling behind.

Consequently, I'm fat, but healthy, and I'm excited to welcome this knew little being into our family in March.

So, incase any of you totally missed this:

I'm preggo. The babe is the size of an avocado and kicking like crazy all the time. I just love taking this little one on my last semester of nursing school in the hospital and in all of my daily-doings. It's kind of neat and I feel like I have a little buddy with me 24/7. Better get used to it I guess.

We weren't planning to try having kiddos until this upcoming May, thinking that would be the perfect time, but I've realized that there is no perfect time to have children (while you're married). If you're waiting for it, you'll never have kids. Some say they'll wait until they're more financially stable or able to save more money. If you wait for that day you will never have kids. The more you go about life the more responsibilities and bills you pay and although you may make more money, more of it is shunted from your paycheck to your increasingly more expensive adult life.

That's the shpiel, that's the latest current event, that's our major stressor but our greatest joy and anticipation.

We find out what we're having November 1st and we're super excited! My OB is a physician I shadowed last semester and got to know on a professional and personal basis and we just love him.

Thanks for all those who have already thrown out tons of love and support! We love you all and can't thank you enough for your kindness and selflessness.

I'll save the belly pics for another day--like tomorrow.

Last Semester

2010-09-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Welp, we're in the midst of yet another semester--but this time, it's our last! It's so bitter/sweet. The reality that we will soon be leaving one of the best universities in the country for our majors--where we've made tons of great friends and even more precious memories--first sat in when we bought our books for the last time. I love this university. It cares more about education than ratings and sports. I have had professors who are surgeons, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, doctors of anat. and phys., etc. and have learned directly from them and been inspired by their passion. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be able to go into those professionals' offices and be instructed personally by them. Holy moly. Anyway--
This semester I started a preceptorship on the cardiac floor at EIRMC. From one night shift there with my amazing preceptor, I saw two codes, stood in the elevator with a dead man, inserted medications through a peg tube, performed tracheostomy suctioning, administered tons of medications, taught patients how to deal with their diseases, and lots of other things. Omgosh I've having so much fun.
Being at this specific floor, I have to monitor heart sounds. And..umm..yeah..my stethoscope somehow got stepped on and the diaphragm is poking out and I can't hear a thing with it. Story of my life--especially since I just started clinical. Soooo, I begged my parents to give me an early graduation present--and here it is:

It's the 3M Littmann Master Cardiology Stethoscope. Sorry, I don't mean to be annoying, bragging about things very limited people care about, I'm just finally having a really good time at clinical. For some reason my previous instructors thought I would enjoy being assigned to boring orthopedic patients with broken hips or recovering for total knees. Now I'm taking care of people with interesting pathophysiology. I know that with a heart attack, my patient most likely has valve damage, which means he will have an audible murmur. And then I know that he will experience decreased cardiac output and have all kinds of other problems. I feel like I'm finally applying the information I've been working so hard to master and it's a really satisfying feeling. I feel like I'm finally making a difference in the lives of my patients. Anyway, this stethoscope is the bomb. It picks of everything. People hard of hearing buy these babies.
Gosh school is good. Too bad it had to wait until my last semester.

Random Thoughts From People Our Age

2010-08-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm in the Newark, NJ airport waiting on standby to get on a flight to Houston and then to Salt Lake. It might be a long day, but nevertheless, I've decided to make it a good one. So, considering the amount of time I may or may not be spending in this or another airport, this post may be one of many for the day. See if you can keep up!

So I came across this random list awhile back, and I found it both ridiculously accurate and amusing. I hope I don't just have an odd sense of humor.

Enjoy!Random Thoughts from People Our Age

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
That's enough, Nickelback.
I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
There is a great need for sarcasm font.
Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.
I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
Was learning cursive really necessary?
Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.
Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart.”
How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent an idiot from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."
I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
Bad decisions make good stories.
Whenever I'm Facebook-stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier and sluttier every year?
If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
Why is it that during an icebreaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dang it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey- but I'd bet everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How do I respond to that?
It really ticks me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fatty before dinner.

Myra Shoot Preview

2010-08-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I already put this pic up on facebook, but I thought I'd feature it here too--basically because my photographer is awesome! A couple months ago, my friend Myra asked me to be a model to do a shoot to enhance her portfolio. She and I both share the same affinity for vintage-inspired clothing, accept she's waaayyy more fashionable and creative than I could ever dream. She wants to go into fashion photography and I couldn't have been more enthusiastic to participate.
Here's just a taste of what she did. I had so much fun with her. I seriously felt like I was hanging out with my bff while taking crazy pictures in our PJ's and jumping like lunatics on my bed. That kind of crazy fun. I want to do it again--so badly.

Vacation Update

2010-08-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

By the way, before I even start, I just want you to know that I am currently disliking (tremendously) my blog design/background. I need Adam to fix it because he used his computer savvy-ness to screw with almost everything. Until then, it'll be overly earthy.
So, where to begin?
To recap:
Week 1: Week 1 was spent in upstate NY in the Adirondacks by Lake George. Gorgeous place. We go there every summer as kind of a family reunion for family on my dad's side. Basically the whole week is spent swimming, working out, hiking, boating, playing tennis and shuffle board, eating overpriced food, and scarfing down tons of late-night ice cream--all while staying in a super old/gorgeous cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. It's a great breath of fresh air.

Week 2: Week 2 was crazy--so crazy that I don't even have pictures for everything that we did. Monday, we went to Dutch Springs, which is an aqua park situated on one of PA's many fresh water (are any of them not fresh?) quarries. The park consists of water trampolines, a blob, steep icebergs, slides, and anything else used for flotation devices. Lots of fun and super tiring.
The next day we went out with my brother and his girlfriend, Courtney to see "The Other Guys." Honestly, I thought I wouldn't be as disappointed as I was. You know when you're watching a movie and everything's going good and then all of a sudden they just have to include a crude, irrelevant scene that makes you feel so awkward that you almost feel compelled to leave? It was like that. Anyway, unless you like random spurts of crude humor, I wouldn't recommend it. The next day we went to visit my grandparents at the Jersey Shore and spend some time at the beach. Adam loves it there because the water is warm (not like the Oregon coast) and he can swim like a little fishy all day.

Thursday was our NYC day. Thank goodness this year it was a cloudy, cool day with little sprinkles of rain here and there. Last time it was so unbearably hot that we stayed in H&M basically the entire time. What was ridiculously coincidental was that the Judy's from our ward were spending the day in the city too while they've been visiting in Boston. We took them to get jumbo slice and showed them around to the temple and Central Park. It was way fun meeting up with them. After so much-needed shopping, stopping in St. Mark's for some cheap sunglasses and Japanese food, we headed back to PA.

By Friday morning, I was exhausted. But was I surprised to hear my dad's pleas to take us to Camelbeach? Nope. So, Adam, Bryon and I went with dad to Camelbeach water park and had tons of more fun in the sun.
Adam left for home on Saturday, leaving me to spend some chill time with my family. My bff Tara drove all the way down from West Point Military Academy with her man to come visit me for the day. We went to Carrabbas and then spent the rest of the night chilling with her and her family. I love the Brown's. All through high school I was found swimming in their pool, sleeping over at their house, baking cookies in their kitchen, and so on. Being with them again brought back a lot of good and embarrassing memories.

So, obviously we're on week 3 right now, which I'm not going to inform you on the contents of because (a) it's not done yet and (b) nothing crazy/awesome has happened yet.
Till next week!

Where Am I?

2010-08-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Where am I?

I'm in my happy place.

I love this place. Once we got off the plane, I saw an Orthodox Jew and thought, "I'm home." When we stepped outside I looked around and sighed: "I love traffic and honking horns." My aunt and uncle picked us up and I couldn't get over my love for a good Jersey accent. I almost cried when she offered me raviolis (ITALIAN FOOD!). That next day I got my pizza fix (x3) and we started our vacation.

Ahhhhh the east. Beach tomorrow. :)

Wear This, Not That

2010-07-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

I think a lot of the time in our efforts to be fashionable we don't work up the courage to purchase stylish things until either everyone's already wearing them or they're from "last season." There's a couple of things that have been on my mind and would like to state my opinion about them. Now, before I rant about something you yourself have in your closet, just know that this is a fashion-rant, but I believe as long as someone feels good about themselves and that what they've put on their bodies represents their personality and personal style then that's great and should be encouraged to continue to do so. So maybe this is more of a push in the right direction for those who aren't sure about the following:
#1: Pink sweatsuits
Sweat attire is and never was fashionable. I know we all want to be comfortable, but why do it looking like Paris Hilton or Hannah Montana? No one believes that you just came from the gym in that bright pink, sparkling velvet material that says "PINK" or "PRINCESS" on the bum.
Try this instead:
Leggings with a long shirt. It's comfy, versatile, and if done right should prevent you from flagging down the next airplane.

#2: Pointed faux-leather boots
These are very 2004. I see them a lot, and they remind me of something my middle school teacher or Hilary Clinton would wear. They're not suited for anyone in my opinion, but especially women with some youth. There are too many alternatives that are youthful and bring something to your outfit, not just add a dull finish. Try ankle boots or a simple pair of the perfect pumps. Aldo is my new favorite for the basics.

Wear these black pumps from Aldo or these ankle boots from Macy's.

#3: Uggs
They look like little gingerbread men. They have also been shown to destroy your feet. Plus, you're paying for cankles. Find a nice pair of flats or oxfords.

#4: Cork-soled wedges
I wore these when I was 11. I know that fashion repeats itself, but when they're big, bold, and red polka-dotted, they're not for you. They especially don't go with long, frayed, or washed out jeans. Please stop wearing them.
Wear these Dolce Vita and Urban Outfitters wedges!:

A Little Warmth

2010-07-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is what I wore yesterday. It was a warm day, no doubt, but I figured the church building would be ridiculously freezing so I threw on a blazer. It was definitely a smart choice--I've never been to a ward building in the world that wasn't frigid in summer and over-heated in the winter.

He's so sexy.

blazer: urban outfitters. blouse: gap. skirt: kohls. brogue-inspired flats: aldo.
bangs: courtesy of Natalie Daniel.

I LOVE blazers now. This is one of three that I got from Urban this season. What I love is that they are seriously all year pieces and they go with everything. But my all-time favorite right now are these flats I got from Aldo a couple months ago. I really wanted this pair of black leather brogues that were on sale online, but when I went to find them in store they were full price and I didn't want to pay shipping. But, I found these little cuties for $19.99 each and bought two pairs, one in black and one in bright blue. I LOVE them! They're super comfortable and I wear them all the time.

Have a great week everyone! We can't wait to fly out and visit my family this Friday!

Our True Identity

2010-07-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays. From the beginning, God blessed this day and hallowed it, making it a holy day. I know that whenever I wake up on a Sunday, the air feels different and I know this is a sacred day. Adam and I are back into our married ward during the 7-week break for school since the single ward doesn't meet. It was great to see our friends again and we always feel at home going back.
I thought I'd share this message I came across from Elder Uchtdorf. I just love this man. He is a great example of how the gospel makes individuals more loving, giving, and humble individuals and that if we're not then we need to allow the good things we do daily to not makes us obedient, but to change us and convert us.
It's called: Our True Identity, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Beginning Summer

2010-07-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

I think this is the longest I've gone without posting something. I mean seriously--I don't have time to post something? These last couple weeks of the semester have been pretty busy and eventful, to say the least. Tomorrow I have my last final, for my marriage class, so I'm kind of procrastinating. It was a really good class though. I would recommend it to anyone, or any marriage class for that matter. Whether you're not married yet, about to or just gotten married, or been married for 25 years, anyone can learn something new. I thought our marriage was perfect, but I realized that there are things I need to work on in order to truly love Adam. One of the things I especially liked learning about is called being a "dream detective." According to marriage-expert John Gottman, most perpetual problems in marriage, or those that are rarely ever resolved, are so difficult to resolve because they are based on something deeper, and those things are usually dreams or other underlying factors. I realized that when I tell Adam his desire to purchase a 2 ton letter press and keep it in a storage unit until we get a bigger place is ridiculous, I am forgetting to acknowledge his wishes, desires and dreams in life. Adam loves doing design on the computer, but especially enjoys fine art, where he creates something with his own hands. Adam knows that buying this ridiculously huge and expensive-to-maintain hunk of metal is not going to happen just yet for him, but he's trying to get me to recognize his desires and dreams and for me to accept and validate them. Anyway, so the joke whenever he asks me if he can do something and I say no is that I'm a "dream crusher."
Adam: I really want to go golfing this Saturday with my friends.
Britney: We can't afford it.
Adam: Dream crusher.
Anyways, I was inspired by Mrs. Breezie Bitter to make a list of things I intend on getting done during the 7-week break (starting tomorrow!):
1. Running everyday to compensate for the amount of eating I'm planning on doing
2. Go to Monkey Rock and bridge jump
3. Re-do our wall canvases--they need more purple, I'm kind of obsessed with purple right now.
4. Eat pizza at Grimmaldi's in Brooklyn
5. Get a Phili cheesesteak with my brother
6. Go to Rita's for Italian Ice (my favorite is chocolate, is that weird?)
7. Go to the Jersey Shore and not see Snookie
8. Jump into Lake George in the Adirondacks and sleep in--that usually gets grandpa mad because we sleep through tennis lessons every year
9. Go to West Point Military Academy and double with my friend Tara and her man..maid of honor and I haven't seen her in 2 years
10. Squeeze my parents' dogs
11. Bask in humidity and frizzy hair--Adam's gets curly
12. Go to Carlo's Bakery and get Italian Wedding Cake with Lobster tails (Karl's the guy from Cake Boss)
13. Do girls night with my sisters and Mom before Briana moves to LA
14. Take practice nursing tests so I don't fail the exit exam in December (I graduate in DECEMBER!)
15. Kiss Grandpa--my first love
16. Go to H&M
17. Go to consignment stores
18. Eat a cannoli and tomato pie
19. Bake with my Mom
20. Go to the Manhattan Temple again
21. Sit in Central Park with a pretzel the size of a wheel barrel
If I can do all of these things I think I'll feel satisfied with life, nostalgia, and year-long food cravings. I am my oldest sister's sister...of course.

Allure of Trousers

2010-07-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

This week's Covet Corner features a pair of trousers I purchased from Urban Outfitters a couple weeks ago. For you modest ladies, these bottoms are perfect for keeping cool, yet covered for the rest of the summer.
Take a look!
HERE
Also, my super awesome creative photography friend Myra asked me to model for her to beef up her portfolio. The pictures are killer, all credit to her, and I wore the trousers in a couple of the shots, which I will feature here in a couple of days.
Stay tuned!

Dear Jeffrey

2010-06-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Jeffrey Campbell,
I have recently fallen in love with you. Fellow bloggers, I am in love with shoes by Jeffrey Campbell. His unique marriage of edge and trendiness is far too delicious for me, so-much-so that my heart races, my eyes widen and I can't get his designs out of my mind until I have found the perfect item for me.
What do I want from you?:
Ever since I saw these on Tieka I have coveted their ridiculously trendy companionship and have been internet stalking them for months. (p.s. Isn't Tieka gorgeous?) I will be purchasing these beautiful boots.

As well as these:
I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE.

Talk about my kind of wedges. I'm not going to lie--I hate those ridiculously girly white ones with a bow at the end and cork soled wedges. HATE them. I mean seriously--if you're going to wear a wedge, wear a real wedge. And thanks to my good friend Jeffrey, you all know what a real wedge is.
Oh fashion, why do you have to be my one big weakness (besides chocolate)? You're a pricey weakness and I unfortunately have a despairingly expensive taste. If only I was 5 foot 10 in., 100 lbs., and Karl Lagerfeld loved me could I on a daily basis show off your awesomeness to the world.
For some reason, getting a pair of new shoes makes the world seem like a better, happier place. And I'm OK with that.
What would you wear these shoes with?

Summer Considerations

2010-06-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ughhhh I totally meant to have Adam take some pictures of my new outfit that I wore today. The lame story is that Adam had to leave right after dropping me off at home from school for golf practice and I was busy selling some closet items to a "client." So lame, but just because I love you all, I'll break some sort of high school faux paus and wear the same outfit twice in one week (or month), but not until Saturday. So anyway, closet sale is still going-going, don't forget to take a look! Items are going fast, but it's first comment first serve. So if you're not sure if you want something or not, tell me either way and I'll hold it for you.
www.britneyscloset.wordpress.com (just in case you forgot the site).
So anyway, today was just another normal day. I started my nursing pediatrics class. My teacher is the department chair of nursing and I'm kind of intimidated by her position and the fact that she has her lectures video taped. Later, I practiced in the nursing lab with my lovely fellow peers. The funniest part was that I set up the entire procedure to insert a catheter for a woman when my mannequin had man-parts. Yeah, maybe you just had to be there. We all had a good laugh when I spread(ed) the legs apart and started draping for "privacy."
For anyone interested, I am looking for a killer skirt. No real requirements, just knee length without a slit that goes up to the bum.
Currently, I'm contemplating my next purchases. What do you think of the following TOPS from Urban Outfitters?:

This blazer actually buttons twice on the top. It's very tailored and clean cut. I WANT IT. But I feel like I need more summer clothes.
If you're feeling the urge to help a sister out, point me in the right direction of other choices and/or tell me which of the following I should or shouldn't consider.
Thank you for your consideration.
xoxo

Nostalgic Dresses

2010-06-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok: I'm really excited about the most recent Covet Corner that's been featured. I featured one of my favorite online boutiques, ModCloth (modcloth.com). They have the perfect vintage dresses to showcase my childhood nostalgia.
Read it.
No seriously, read it.
And comment on it.
And then write something for Hopscotch For Women.
The end.
(Outfit post tomorrow!)

GO HERE to read it!

Visits to Utah

2010-06-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

So I know that I've basically been the worst blogger of all time recently, but I've made a resolve to do better (didn't she already say that). The last two weekends Adam and I have been down in Utah--once for a wedding and family visit and another for school career exertions. We've had a very eventful, yet relaxing couple of weeks and I'm sad to say that my diet has definitely taken the backseat to P.H. Changs, Marie Calendars, Carrabbas, cake, and lots of desserts. I almost forgot how much I loved food. I promise to make a more earnest resolve to keep everyone updated. It was just hard to get myself to sit down with my computer after an exhausting day of running around Salt Lake City, when I could procrastinate like no one's business and do it all in one shot tonight. Don't hate on me.

So, last weekend my good friend, Heidi, and her wonderful husband, Ty, were married and Mom and Dad Stevens and Adam's little brother Nick decided that they would come visit and take the drive down to Salt Lake with us. WE HAD A BLAST. Of course, Mom and I went shopping while the boys golfed. It was a great feeling to have family with us again and I felt as though school was over and I was moving down to Utah to enjoy some post-semester events (as if). Amongst our business, we totally didn't take any pictures with Mom and Dad in Utah, but got a quick family shot before they left for Washington--and yes, I have shark eyes.

Beautiful couple, right?!

That next Wednesday, I went down to Salt Lake with my nursing girlies for the traditional 3rd semester student hospital trip. Adam also went down for his traveling class to visit a bunch of design firms, but we weren't going to meet up until Friday. Our nursing class visited Mt. Timpanogas hospital, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, Intermountain Hospital in Murray, and Primary Children's hospital. Aside from the catty nurse managers from Intermountain (they were on a hiring freeze and thought they were cool or something), we had a rather positive trip, when it comes to potential employment, and, of course, we enjoyed our time together. I was particularly impressed with Primary Children's Hospital and would consider doing pediatrics solely because of their impeccable mission and positive work environment, and only if I could work there.

This is all of us on the Trax system in Salt Lake. We got free tickets, but no one even asked to see them (some claim to have traveled on it for 6 months without being asked for proof of purchase). We got done at about noon and Adam wasn't going to be done in Park City until 6, so of course I went shopping. I'll have to definitely take pictures this week of each of the items I bought from Urban Outfitters and Aldo from the earnings of my closet sale. It feels so great to FINALLY be wearing clothes that I LOVE.
Once my clothes cravings were mildly satisfied, I picked up Adam in Park City and we headed down to Provo to spend time with our good friends Phil and Jessica Goodwin. We just love them. Instead of sitting around or spending money that Saturday, Phil and Jessica had the genius idea of going on a hike to some hot springs over in American Fork. IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A HIKE. Not kidding, I thoroughly enjoy hiking. I think my particular beef with running is that I sometimes feel like I'm not getting anywhere during my workout (on the track or treadmill). But with hiking, I got the perfect amount of hills, turns, and downward slides. And what was my reward? Relaxing in some hot springs with my hot husband. That's my kind of workout. We were having so much fun later on that night that we decided to spend another night with our friends and enjoyed going to church with them.
It was beautiful in Utah and we're basically ready to murder Rexburg for still being 59 and rainy.

So, again, I feel horrible for not being more proactive. Maybe it's because I got my hair accidentally chopped off and I feel self-conscious and emotional without my hair to hide behind. Either way, I promise to post everyday this week.
Things I learned these few weeks:
P.H. Changs is fantastic.
Marie Calendar's is divine.
Adam's cousin's little boys look exactly like him (I will be stealing one of them).
Mom Stevens is obsessed with flats.
It's way better to buy one pair of good quality shoes than 5 pairs of crappy uncomfortable ones for the same price.
Utah weddings are only 2 hours long.
Hospitals actually want me.
I am obsessed with Urban Outfitters and frozen yogurt.
Phil, Jessica, Adam and I LOVE food. Like really love food.
Adam and I can still sleep in.
I'm still afraid of heights.
Jessica has impeccable skin (it's OK to hate her).
There is a Carrabbas Italian Grill in Provo, and it's delicious, and they give you free dessert if you say it's your anniversary.
I still miss Adam after only being apart 3 days.
Hm. We had a good time.

Check it out!

2010-05-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

It's all up! Everything I'm selling for my closet sale has been posted. This past week I added a bunch more dresses, lots of purses and more tops! Check them out!
britneyscloset.wordpress.com
GO HERE :)

Beautiful Sunday

2010-05-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous, gorgeous Sunday. Adam and I had Stake Conference where we (at least I) were surprised to hear from the second counselor of the General Relief Society Presidency, Elder Hales, and President Monson. It was great to receive such powerful instruction. Last week while we were at the hospital for Natalie, Adam ended up sitting on our camera and breaking the screen. Lame. Being the boy who needs his toys, Adam found a killer deal on a quality point and shoot and we played around with it on the way home from the meeting.

I love this picture of us! If only our apartment hardware, Adam's notebook, and his arm were out of the way it'd be perfect!

p.s. Brown blouse: Banana Republic. White skirt: Ann Taylor. Heals: Target. Belt: Thrifted. Headband: Forever 21.

Adam's suit is from Nordstrom, white dress shirt is from Kohls, and his tie we got from a cheap vendor in NY.

And HOLY HANNAH do I need a haircut!

Pay Pal is up!

2010-05-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

As promised, Pay Pal is up and ready for use!

The easiest way to set it up was the "Donate" option, so basically what you do is after you comment/txt/email that you want to purchase an item I will shoot you an email giving you your total balance.

Your job then is to put that amount into the Pay Pal "Donation." You can find the link on the top right of the homepage where it says "Pay Online."

Thanks to everyone for your support since the launch! I am adding new items on a regular basis so keep visiting the site for new posts!

Also, feel free to call/txt/email about any questions you might have.

-Britney

Britney's Closet Sale SITE!

2010-05-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

As promised, the site is now available for your shopping pleasure!
To see how to purchase items, refer to the "About the Site" category. There you'll find that you can text, email, or comment to purchase items. Also, at this very moment I am still uploading a ton of items, so keep looking!
Ready?....
K here's the site:

CLICK HERE

FYI the site is: www.britneyscloset.wordpress.com

Closet Sale!

2010-05-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

K, so remember when I told you about the closet/blog sale I'm doing? Whelp, it's being launched online tomorrow!

Despite saying that it would be posted here on this blog, I decided it would be much easier to conduct the sale on another site.

Also, there is no way I can do this all in one shot, so I will have up for sale as much as I can handle at a time and do the rest in waves. I'm anticipating adding one or two more "loads" onto the site after the initial launch.

SO, the site where you can purchase my clothes first-hand will be launched tomorrow at 12PM noon.

I don't have time to figure out how to do pay-pal until then, but I promise to get it up as soon as possible.

In the mean-time, I accept cash and checks.

I'm so super excited to launch this sale and I hope you tell all your friends about it tomorrow!

'Till then!

My Mother

2010-05-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

As is appropriate, today's post is dedicated to my own mother, Cheryl Handley Burwell.
My mother is astonishing. I believe it is impossible for me to help you understand exactly how astonishing she is.
My Mother is one of the most close to perfect persons I have ever met. No, she does not drive a fancy car, wear trendy clothes, eat brunch with a soiree of girlfriends, go on much needed vacations, or even catch up on classical books. My mother has dedicated her life to her children, family, religion, and the service of others.

She is the most talented person I know. She can make the most delicious meal out of almost nothing, can an entire orchard of apples in less than two weeks, sew Halloween costumes, play Beethoven and Mozart, teach you everything you need to know about home storage and family preparedness, parallel park like a pro, get her visiting teaching done the first of the month, visit the sick and otherwise afflicted members of her church and community any hour of the day or night, and countless others.

She is also one of the most down-to-earth persons I have ever known. She's mature. She doesn't sit with her friends in a circle and talk about people. In fact, she actually redirects the topic when it ever happens. She is realistic. She made me realize that if I didn't have the nicest things in the world that I would not only be OK, but better off in the end. I think I've been corrupted by the "Mormon trend" to compete for nice things. She brings me back to earth and every visit with her makes me realize what's most important in life.
She dedicates her life to us. I remember one time I was at school, single, and completely broke. I had $20 in my bank account for food that month. Is was the end of the semester and the school informed me I had a tuition fee of $20 I still had to pay or else I couldn't take my finals. I panicked. How would I have money for food that month? I didn't want to ask my mom for money because she would send me money here-and-there throughout the semester and I knew she had a mountain of other things to pay for with a modest (to say the least) income. Mom caught wind and sent me the money I needed.
A small gesture, but I came to the realization that I could ask my mom for anything and she would sacrifice almost anything to provide for it.

I love my Mom. One day I was sitting in a school common area studying. I looked up and a woman's back was to me. Her hair was the exact shade and style of my Mom's and she even had the same body shape. I just sat there staring at her back, imploring in my head for her to not turn around. "Don't you dare turn around, because right now you look just like my Mom, and I miss my Mom." That day a sore ache grew in my heart to be taught and held by my Mom. Sometimes I lean so much on my husband (which I should), that I forget what other support systems I have.
Without Mom, I would not be as successful as I am. She taught me how to pray, read my scriptures, serve and love unconditionally, and not to judge people. She is so grounded and puts the philosophy's of the world to shame by her simple, yet extraordinary life. I am forever grateful for the Mother I was given to shape me into the woman I am today. She was there to tell me I was stupid for dating a boy, but that it was my decision, she taught me that brand new furniture was just as good as used, she taught me a love for the Savior and how every righteous blessing I desire can be mine through obedience and faith to ask.

My Mom is always there for me. When I was in the third grade I suffered from severe panic attacks. These attacks then caused me to become agoraphobic, where I was terrified to go out in public places, more specifically, Elementary school. This was not because I was afraid of crowds, but because I was afraid the panic attacks would come at school and I would have no one there to be with me. My Mom was everything to me that year. She was my comfort and peace during a time that I didn't understand. If I had the choice I would have been home schooled because I knew that as a long as Mom was with me that nothing bad could happen. But, as she knew I needed to go to school and learn through experiences with others, she sent me off that next year with a pennant on my backpack that simply said, "Do Not Fear", the title of my then favorite picture of Christ helping little children as they climbed out from danger.

My Mom supported me. She went to all of my home sports games, all my chorus and band concerts, all of my church affairs, and countless other places. She was always there. She through the BEST parties EVER and to this day people still rave about how much fun and great the food was at those parties. So of course, she through one of the most beautiful wedding receptions our church ward has ever had.
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for my Mom. Although I was a boy crazy, materialistic, ridiculous social-butterfly in my adolescent years, she was patient, loving, understanding, and non-judgmental. I knew I could never do anything against the standards I had been raised to follow because not only would I hurt myself, but I would most definitely hurt Mom. Her example of virtuous, self-less, and truthful living is what gave me the desire to live that way, and I can now emulate that same example to my children.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom.
And p.s. I'm selling my clothes so I can come visit you this Summer.

Summer Photos

2010-05-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

Adam and I (mostly I) love to have seasonal pictures taken of us. I think it's important to keep updated on our pictures because at this stage in our lives we change a lot style and personality-wise. Consequently, I find it vital to take pictures frequently and to have them done by someone with proper equipment and talent.
What I'm wondering is if anyone would like to take our pictures for this summer? We haven't yet had summer pictures done and I have a bunch of creative ideas that might help diversify your portfolio.
I know there are a bunch of students and aspiring photographers in the area that are looking for people to do "practice" shoots on, and in my experience, I have never been disappointed with their work as "amateurs."
So anyway, comment or email me and we can talk logistics. For your viewing pleasure, here's a couple pictures we're quite fond of. Our wedding and engagements pictures were taken by a very talented professional, Jennifer Johnson, others were done by friends who are aspiring photographers.

Upcoming Blog Sale

2010-05-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

I'm starting something I never thought I ever would--I'm starting a blog sale.
No, I am not selling crappy scratched furniture or old movies, I'm selling my clothes.
I am not selling crappy old tank tops or dirty used shoes, I am selling clothes, accessories, and handbags that I LOVE but don't have room for.
Normally, I would just take these items to the DI or give them to a sister or friend, but if I get rid of various items I love that either don't fit or I am not wearing very often, then I need to be able to replace them.
So anyway, this is a heads up. I am not posting the items until next week, either Friday or Saturday. Everything for sale will be posted on this blog site.

Send me loves of encouragement or else I might lose the strength and back out, keeping everything for myself!

The Price of Life

2010-05-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

After coming across a significant error in our year's budget, and realizing that this summer, once again, will be one of our poorest times, ever, I've been contemplating a lot about money.
Essentially, money buys us freedom and we, in a consumer-driven-world, have put a price on life. Without money, one is bound from visiting a distant family member, taking piano lessons, eating healthy foods, or enjoying air conditioning. It's funny how these things are all governed by the possession of a certain quantity of a certain currency. The one most baffling to me is the concept of money being in the way of seeing my family.
As most of you know, I'm from a little town in PA just outside of NYC (imagine that). I haven't seen my family since last August, and if a miracle of $600 doesn't present itself anytime soon, I will have to wait until this Christmas before I can see them again. This is a major burden for me.
But ask me this question? Where was the money when I went to Ikea last month to get a $50 area rug for our carpet that is perpetually becoming darker? Where was the money when I had such a rough week, no energy to cook a weekend dinner, and went out with my sweetheart for some pricey grub? And also, where was the money when I decided that instead of saving the $60 I received from selling school books I would buy my husband a new pair of jeans and Spring jacket?
Where is the line between total frugality and absolute irresponsibility?
I'll tell you what I've decided: When money poses a threat to separate you from something you care about, such as family, the prospect of a baby (when you're married), or putting yourself in a position to serve others, that's when you don't have money to spend and that's when one is irresponsible with the money they've earned.
I have learned a valuable lesson: I am NOT an irresponsible person. But, along the road, when I see things that would be nice, things that bring temporary pleasure, or would make life a little more enjoyable, which are sometimes necessary to have at times, I stop and think: If I spend the money on this, I am consequently not spending it on something I care more about.
I understand that for most of you who are college students that a depravity of money and a plethora of debt is something you will live with for a least a couple more years, but I know we have more money than we think.
I would rather give up a new pair of jeans+shoes+new wall decor+eating out a couple times a month than to sacrifice not seeing the people I love, not putting a savings away for little ones, and not being able to help my neighbor when they're in need.
We put too little value on the dollar, when in reality, the dollar is what buys us freedom, in many instances, to pursue happiness.
If we're all in need, who will help us?
We can't all be beggars.

Hopscotch Springtime Giveaway!

2010-04-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

So the online magazine I'm contributing to is giving away 4 Springtime nail colors. Sorry ladies, but blacks and other darks colors are fading, so check out these new fresh looks that were featured during this year's NY Fashion Week. If you email the editor you can win ALL of the colors for FREE. Good luck! To enter and read my article, go HERE.
Also, for those who are unfamiliar to Hopscotch For Women, it is an online magazine where women, like you, contribute, much like a Reader's Digest. Without your contributions the magazine wouldn't be what it is. The first time I wrote for it I wrote about a difficult experience I had trying to get into nursing school, HERE, but you can write about anything you want. If you have a humorous, touching, or even miraculous experience, or just have something you want to share, go to Hopscotchforwomen.com and click on the "email the editor" icon. The editor is a very talented and kind person and accepts all pieces. Lastly, don't let a lack of writing experience stop you. The editor, as an editor, edits your work while preserving your style and story.
I've been enriched by the opportunity and know you will too!

Phew!

2010-04-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Pheewww!!! Talk about the week from hell. First off, I'm not used to waking up at 6AM for classes when the whole break I'd been sleeping in till' 10. Second, this semester is all OB and Peds, things I know nothing about. Consequently, we had two mandatory orientations, one from 7-1PM and the second from 6:30-3PM, not to mention work for all of my new classes. It was heinous. The morning of our last orientation day, our instructor began the class by informing us that one of our favorite lab instructors was killed while teaching in Tonga with the BSN students during the semester. What happened is that she, the students, and her husband were site seeing around some rivers and waterfalls when she slipped, fell into the water, and was swept away in a current. They still haven't found her body. This woman, Gayle Lee, was one of the smartest and most educated women I have ever had the opportunity of being taught by. She made me want to get my masters and gain as much education as possible. I had her for both scenario and skills day my freshmen semester and she made what should have been difficult testing experiences unforgettable opportunities for learning and career experience. I will be a more caring, educated, and qualified nurse because of her.
Anyway, the college staff reacted just as one would expect: They're all nurses. And when someone comes in and we know they're going to die, we feel terrible, but know we have to continue and move forward in what we're doing. But we and they, of course, are all devastated. It's been very comforting to know that she has returned home and is being reunited with loved ones and is in a better place than the rest of us.
On a different and insignificant note, I've been planning what I want to purchase during Natalie and my shopping trip in July. I haven't shopped at all for Spring and since my transition to the warm weather consists of boardwalk shorts I'm rolling up once and v-neck t's, I'm kind of excited. I've picked a couple things from Urban (duh), that I'm pretty 100% on getting. Of course, I should figure out how I'm paying for all of this, but you know, the money will magically appear (anyone have ideas on getting quick cash, besides the
lottery?).

Should I start a fund?

It's That Time Again

2010-04-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I can be pretty home-decor A.D.D. I sit in our same little living room everyday to study and frequently feel the desperate urge to change it up every couple months. This month, I've decided on changing our wall decor. Right now I'm past the whole, "We just got married and need 200 pictures of us on the walls" mentality. Adam's design style has evolved and become so stinkin' cute and trendy, p.s. if you wanna see his website, go HERE. I'm thinking I'll take down a couple of the multi-picture frames and put up a picture of the Manhattan temple (where we got married) and another picture of us in the Waldorf Astoria and leave up one or two of our favorites. Otherwise, we're changing, or re-painting, the two big canvases we have behind the couch and Adam's going to design a picture of us with the same style he did for his poster of his friend Jake.

So anyway, I thought I would get your opinions on my picture selections, and as I'm no where near an artsy person, I could use some tips and suggestions and maybe a point in a unique direction.

Obviously, there's very little color coordination going on here, but it'll work somehow.

Spring Sunset

2010-04-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Adam's last day of classes, so I just stayed home, got some cleaning done, and went to one of my friends' baby showers. Also, as always, I got to spend some quality time with my friend Natalie. I think one of the most difficult things about finding close friends when you're married is finding a couple where the husbands are friends just as much as the wives. Natalie and her husband and little girl have been in our ward for awhile and I can't believe it's taken us this long to finally hang out. I see her everyday and LOVE hanging out with her and can't wait until she delivers her baby girl so we can go on our weekend shopping trip...yes, we have to go on an actual TRIP to shop at good stores.
After Adam turned in all his projects we decided to take a trip to the local park to snap some pics. It was A LOT colder than I thought it would be, but we had fun running around the field and playing on the jungle gym. We were so happy and free-feeling to be done with the semester that I'm sure to any spectator we looked like quite the dorky and cliche couple, but whatever.

Dress: TJ Maxx. Leather Jacket: Freedom 2be. Grey leggings: Forever 21. Flats: Apt. 1. Scarf: H&M.
I am soooooo excited for this break! Tonight we're going out with some good friends to celebrate various different happenings and I'm probably going to get the biggest steak ever.