oh, what a day is today!

the past few days have been emotionally cramping my style...

i can't tell if it's from lack of any sort of crying over the past 6 months or the never ending to do list at work that i can never seem to cross things off of. i'm usually a jolly old soul, but the stress has been really exhausting this week.

fortunately, for the sake of me keeping some sort of sanity, God decided it would be a good idea to allow humanity to create things such as Zumba, acrylic paints, canvas totes, and Chick-fil-A; all of which i've allowed myself to indulge in over the past two days. my oh my, how crazy good all these frustrations can be used for something other than indulging in the oh so tempting chocolate & nut covered candy apple that was definitely shoved in my presence the minute things started to get sticky. 

i'm thankful that sometimes after a really really terrible day that i can come home and work on a project i've been meaning to get my hands on for weeks but probably wouldn't have turned out like i wanted without the channeling of said frustrations. i'm thankful that something so tiny as painting stupid  little hearts on a canvas tote can somehow relieve and make me feel that maybe my day wasn't so bad after all; that tomorrow is a new day. and if tomorrow sucks; then i always have the candy apple to keep me company. 

xoxo, tina 

growing up {way too fast!}

meet oakley.

my 9 month old feisty little puppy.
my australian shephard/border collie high maintenance companion.  

found wandering the street. 

{breaks my heart every time i think about it}

from the moment i saw his picture it was love at first sight.

i mean...

could you resist a face like this?

yea, he knows what he's doing... 

spoiled loved.

he's the best dog. EVER. 

and of course by best i mean cutest. 

we are still having some manner issues. 

BUUUT

he's the best running partner 

& cuddle buddy.

and i am convinced that if he could talk, would be the best conversation partner. 

even though he has the tendency to turn into a wolf/vampire at night,

i still love him every bit; especially when he's sleeping. 

fun oakley facts:

 favorite trick: shake with BOTH paws

favorite place to nap: 4th step on the stairs

favorite snack: PEANUT BUTTER (we are so much alike!)

afraid of : people on bicycles/garbage truck

latest accomplishment: recent graduate of beginner training class with PERFECT attendance :)

needless to say, i'm one proud puppy mamma!

 at times it's tough, but i do not regret giving into to those sweet puppy eyes. one bit.

i love you, oakley!

here we go again

alright guys, i know i've said this more than once, but i'm going to try this blog thing again. honestly, i must say that this is more of a need this time around. a need for me more than a need for anyone else.

of course, it is fall again! {not officially, but i'll take a 68 degree morning & claim it for fall as often as i can} & if you have ever read any of my 5 posts you will see that i have a slight obsession with this season. it really excites me, thus leaving me feeling that i can indeed conquer this here blogging business.

so as often as i can, i will be here giving you little fragments of what is going on here in this life i live.

                           ------------------------------------------------                                 

Honestly, lately i have been struggling a whole lot with pretty much everything in life. i am not exaggerating. life has seemed to be so much harder these days. and i have been letting life get the best of me. definitely working on changing my persepctive {hence the "let's blog about happy things & get positive" ambition}. So here i am--blogging about life--and learning to be able to step back & cherish the life i have been given.

                                    

really finding this print helpful today.



60 days & counting

so thankful for this man & all the things he continues to teach me.

thankful for his patience with me, everyday.

{i'm a bit of a brat at times}

he cooks me dinner.

he waits until 8 to eat dinner with me so i can work out before.

he loves burgers like i do.

he lets me take over his tv to watch american idol.

and he does british accents with me whenever we want.

he makes me laugh, so much.

and he loves jesus.

looking back at this time last year, i had no idea that i would be blessed with such a great friend.

Happy 60 days & counting, Kenny!

                                                                                                                   always,

                                                                                                                          Rudy

p.s.-i'll be sure to fill in the missing blanks of this story for you guys one day.



an update...finally

I would like to take the time to apologize to you all (aka---mom, jennifer, lacey & kate) for not updating my blog since christmas... Apparently this blogging thing was too much for me to commit to when I first began, but i wanted to come back and request a do-over. A sort of second shot at redeeming myself at this thing.


To start off...I wanted to explain the whole point of my blog, which has probably changed since I first began...


Glad to be. I think my problem before with staying consistent was that I wasn't sure what I wanted this blog to represent. SO, for the longest time I would be so clueless with what to post...Tring too hard & not really being me.

I realize now that I want this blog to be exactly about what my title sugests.

 Being glad, thankful.

Expressing these things for the life I have...good or bad. I want this to be a challenge to me and hopefully you guys to look back at each day and find the reasons, big or small, that make this life so sweet. I think sometimes in life we can all get caught up in the not-so-fun, difficult & nasty things about life that we forget the little things that make up the bigger picture of why this life is a blessing, each and every day.

Yes, I will most definitely continue to post crafty things..that's a special part of my life. BUT there's so much more that is going on that I might not even realize in my own life that needs to be shared... I want it to be a testimony of truth, testimony of how God is relentless in His bringing glory to Himself through my life and the lives of those around me. I desire for this to be a place of encouragement without the cliche of being overly optimistic and fake...To keep it real, but seeing the good in it all. Appreciating & enjoying what has been given to me.

So, without any further ado.. Let the blogging adventures begin..or shall I say.. recommence!

your much more committed friend,

Tina

Dear Jenn

I'm gonna miss working with you, chicken salad wednesdays,  talking (me failing) with accents on the phone, secret candy/popcorn stash, and dance parties in the office. 

can't wait for slumber parties & lunch/dinner/coffee dates with you. 

I love you, oh so much! :) 

let the celebration begin

so excited ( i say that a lot ) that today is thursday, which means...

1. pedicures/manicures with my bff Jenn & fellow graduate! 

...we've been waiting for this moment for a long time! 

(pedi & mani time, of course!) 

us. last christmas. maybe this will get us in the christmas spirit? 

2. my dear friend kate is on her way here from oklahoma to begin the celebration!! 

(from John Mayer concert this summer.  kate's on the right)

1st thing on our list for celebration... crafting! duh. 

christmas presents to be exact. 

she's the craft queen. my hero. 

can't wait! 

t-minus 4 more hours! 

off to by supplies!

it's been a long time

so, it's pretty much been about 2 months since my last post and i feel pretty terrible that i haven't been as faithful as i wanted to be with this.

however, school has taken control of my life and i am finally getting a chance to breathe. 

exactly one week from today i will FINALLY be graduating & i can't wait for that bittersweet moment to come as one chapter in my life ends and another begins.

in the meantime, since i finally know what free time looks like again, i decided i would update on what has happened in the last 2 months with a little blog in pictures according to my iPhone.. 

ENJOY!

enjoyed a night out with my favorite girls & found a new little pizza place to love. 

went on a road trip & found some solid advice.lucky me!

rekindled my love for baseball.

 

got to hold the most handsome little man i know.

had a tiny obsession with friendship bracelet making.

spent a few days with super hero's & villains.

FUNfetti cake with my favorite toothless 7 yr. old

had a double date with my best friend :)

HAPPY HOUR!

several nights listening to music from one of my favorite musicians.

sister FINALLY got her driver's license!

discovered my best chips. EVER! your welcome.

still trying to get in the Christmas spirit by putting up our tree.

unexpected blessing of a brand new car!

after painting & unpacking...breaking in Jenn's new apartment with some delicious Chinese food!

after 2 1/2 mths. of not working out [and too much chinese food] i begin once again.lame excuse for a bathroom picture, but i lost 25 lbs since January... i'm pretty proud.

found the biggest leaf i ever did see. o happy day!

 

celebrated the last day of ever having to go to class again!!

so thankful for

for quiet time in the mornings. 

so essential for me to function.

hope you get the chance to be still today.