Fail. Big fat fail.

I am blaming it on the can opener.

Let's just say something went terribly wrong. The tomato sauce ended up on my face, my white shirt and all over our kitchen. I don't think it's how it's supposed to open?!

This chili better be good. And now I have to go wash my clothes...

Let's hope tomorrow is a better day!

Until then,

J.May

What I Am Loving Right Now

Life is good folks. Really good. 

It took me 23 years to figure it out, but I feel like I have finally hit my prime. I am sure it is one of those things that come and go, but for now, there is a lot of things that are making me love life. I present them to you in no particular order and in completely random thoughts.  

• Nail Polish. I owe my BFF Alyssa for this new obsession. I think before this summer I owned one color of polish and it might have been clear. Now, I own a trillion. I am currently sporting gray, but I also love deep purple. I have yet to fork over more than $4 for my bottles, but I have feeling that might come soon. Do you know how much more put together you feel when your nails are painted?

• My Fiance. For real, he's fantastic. He drives me nuts usually once a day, but he also keeps me sane and makes me laugh, so it balances out in my opinion. Plus, he got his haircut and has taking a liking to this new shirt I bought him, so he's been looking sharp lately. Basically, he's a catch.

• Caribou's Pumpkin White Chocolate Mocha. It's delicious. Try it. Don't think about the calories (but at least get it skim!) and just enjoy it. It's really one of those simple pleasures. I fully intend on buying one tomorrow on the way to work just to help me get to the weekend.
  

  

  it's the best 4.23 you'll ever spend
  

• Chief. Thanks to a new car purchase, I have a CD player and my first ever CD! I started with what might be the best CD out there -- Eric Church's Chief. I don't know why he doesn't make every one of those songs a single they are that good. Personal favorite? Springstein.

• My Bridesmaids. This wedding planning has been a marathon and they are currently being my personal cheerleaders at mile 22. Alyssa Bigelow unfortunately got a job (so proud of her!) and she can't be my everyday wedding planner, but I owe her mucho. And with two big bachelorette parties in a row, I get to spend lots of time with them. God blessed me with some fantastic people in my life.

• Blazers. Specifically, my old judging blazers that came out of the closet and became my best friends. Did you EVER think a blue corduroy jacket would be cool again? Pair it with some flats, skinnies, a scarf and voila, you are good to go. And that khaki jacket I bought because B. Williams convinced me navy blue wasn't cool in college is now a go-to fall jacket. Give me some perfectly painted nails and a blazer and I feel like I could conquer the world.

• My Parent's Present. I can't tell you details, but I PROMISE I will after the wedding. Until then, I am just going to be really proud of Mark and I. It's so fantastic, I don't want to give it away.

• Blogging. It feels good to be a little sarcastic and a little vulnerable again.

And what I am not liking right now? Verizon Wireless, the fact that I never wake up to my alarm clock. and that I haven't seen my niece or nephew in a week. However, these all can be cured with a Pumpkin White Chocolate Mocha tomorrow morning.

Until then,

j.may

Why Hello Strangers

No, I didn't completely forget how to blog, I just took a slight hiatus.

Truth of the matter is, I check blogspot.com every day to get my daily reading of Crystal.Cattle, A. Liz Adventures and Craftaholics Anonymous. I just never actually blog.

Basically, I fell off the blogging boat. But, I am jumping back on folks, I promise.

I know what you're saying, "We've all heard that before, Jamie." And you have and you will again. But for now, please accept my begging and pleading for your forgiveness and welcome me back!?

So how 'bout I start you off with a little review of life?

The last few months went a little like this...

Summer came and not only did I get busy at work and start having mild "I am a wedding planning failure" heart attacks, but then we started spending every waking minute at a cattle show and I loved it. Then the State Fair came and if you know ANYTHING about me, you know how much I love the MN State Fair. Honestly, it's 12 days of heavenly bliss and 2011 was no different. In fact, I still owe you a blog post about those amazingly delicious mashed potatoes on a stick. Really, I am craving some this very instant.

family bonding at Dakota County Fair

Then I sent my dear little brother off to college and got to experience the "empty nesting" phenomen with my parents. A positive of the experience? I think I am prepared for what it will be like for Mark and I fourty years from now. Eventually we got over it though and Mama May and I dived in head first to all things wedding. I had two bridal showers, a family fish fry and a five-year class reunion (yes, FIVE already!) all to fit into one weekend. It was overwhelming and fantastic.

Fast forward to the next weekend and I finally bought a car! Allelulia! Amen! Praise the Lord! They even paid me money (a pathetic amount, but it was something) for my old car. So, I am a proud new owner of a navy blue 2010 Nissan Altima. It's not quite what I was thinking of getting, but it's really practical and it might be a good time in my life to be practical. Maybe that Lincoln can be my next car!?

The next week I got to drive that new car to the hospital to visit my baby nephew, Blake Aaron Stark. We all love him a lot. I can't actually confirm that with his big sister yet, but she did stop calling him "that baby" so I think they are progressing.

excuse my messy hair, it was a looonnng day.

Then October came and we became obsessed with sale cattle. Honestly, I know more about Purfeerst's cattle than my family's cattle. But with the Harvest Roundup Sale coming up this weekend, and seven more calves to sell off the farm, we have to be pretty serious I guess.

And to continue the blur of October, I made a quick trip to Fargo last weekend to relive my glory days and celebrate the wedding with besties! Basically my take away from that trip was that I have fantastic girlfriends and my body could still physically handle college. And that's a relief to know.

aren't they gorgeous?

And that brings me to today where I mastered all things wedding. But given that the countdown number is getting scarily small, I better start mastering this thing soon!

Thanks for being patient and waiting for me to come back. I hope to goodness we talk again soon!

Much love,

JLM