Adoration: Deep Saturated Walls

{ courtesy of Desire to Inspire and www.srgambrel.com/ }

This photo evokes every reason why I love rich, dark tones on walls. It is a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

© The SimpleWife

On the Eve...

{ courtesy of blog.ning.com }

Only a couple hours left of 2008, so I'm thinking about all the madness that has occurred in the last 12 months. My brothers wedding, my sister-in-laws wedding, beginning Grad school, returning for my fourth year of teaching, the engagement of a good friend, the pregnancy of two more, a birth for another friend, and sadly, the loss of several loved ones. So much happens every year that it is very overwhelming to think about. There is always something going on somewhere at sometime, but all you can do is roll with it and make the best of it.

In the year to come, there will be even more stuff to look forward to: the end of Grad school, babies, hopefully no more weddings to attend, a possible international trip ( more to come on that ), and who knows what other surprises are waiting. Enjoy tonight, reminisce on the good, the bad and the worse, and hope for the better, best and amazing. 

Such is Life.

© The Simple Wife

New Year, Lots to Do!

As the New Year approaches, it is inevitable that you think about what you would like to accomplish in the next 365 days. I always hated the 'resolution' talk because it always seemed like everyone just made something up that was way too out there or something that wouldn't be achieved without great leaps and bounds. So I have come up with a New Year's Goal: 

Lead a more purposeful life.

I am set in my career, the house is set, and Mr. Grubbs and I are cruising to year 3 of marriage, but I feel as though I have wasted so many opportunities for one reason or another. Whether it was being afraid of something new, being too lazy to make a change, or just not wanting to deal with something else on my plate, I skipped out on a lot of things that I could have done, changed or experienced. I want to make my time as valuable as possible. No more meaningless time. I have come up with a few little 'resolutions' that will help with the Big Goal:

1. Get even more organized. I have to admit, I'm pretty organized but there are a couple things to tweak so that I don't waste time trying to find things.
2. Less 'Screen time'- time in front of TV and computer. Don't worry the blog will continue, but only during the allotted time during the day. I wasted a lot of my day running back and forth from the computer screen when I could have been hanging with the husband or playing with Doc.
3. Become a reader. I'm not a big fan of reading but with the TV cut out, I need to stimulate the brain some how. Any book suggestions??
4. No more French Fries!!! This goes with my healthy kick. Mr. Grubbs and I have been doing really good at the gym and with our diet, but those stinking fries get me everytime, they are just so delicious, but REALLy bad for you, so out they go, they will be greatly missed!

These are just a couple of things that I want to work on for the next year. So I'm working my behind off for the week trying to get everything in order before I go back to work so then I'll have a fresh start. I'll keep you  posted as things progress. Good luck on your resolutions!

© The Simple Wife

Christmas Purchases

My dear, darling sister, an avid blog reader who saw my Christmas wishes, gave me an Anthropologie gift card for Christmas this year. So Mr. Grubbs and I braved the mall madness to go and stimulate the economy with a little shopping. Armed with my free money and a little more from a very sweet relative, I was ready to spend. But the only problem was that the store is completely amazing and I couldn't choose. See I'm a thrifty gal, so I am not used to spending upwards of $60-100 on ONE shirt- don't misunderstand, Anthro has AMAZING clothes that are worth the money, it just isn't my daily routine to spend so much, but I was ready for the task. But then I couldn't decide if I wanted to be mindful and get 2 less expensive things or one really great piece. I found this adorable shirt that I feel in love with:

Then a dilemma arose. I also found this necklace that I also had to have but would put me over my limit:

To the rescue, Mr. Grubbs!! He bought the necklace for me, so sweet! Now I have a gorgeous new outfit to indulge myself in. I think I'll pair my lovelies with some matchstick jeans, tall boots and a cinched belt. Perfect! I hope to visit Anthropologie soon, I'm saving my pennies!!

© The Simple Wife

Neighbor Goodies

Cookies are one thing that my family does well. So this past Sunday I went to Mom's to get her expertise on making our traditional Pumpkin cookies- delicious chocolate chip pumpkin cookies with brown sugar icing!!! You may remember them from my Thanksgiving post:

 I have tried to make them once before but it didn't go so well, so I needed her on hand to help out, since she knows the recipe by heart. After 120 cookies were made I assembled goodie baskets for our 2 favorite neighbors. I used my monogram tags again: one for the Grahams, and one for the Hasteys. I hope they enjoyed them as much as I ALWAYS do. Thank goodness for Christmas baking!

© The SimpleWife

A Christmas Miracle!

The hallway is finally illuminated! A couple days ago I got our new modern hallway light hung. I painted the cord so that it disappears against the wall. Because it is a corded light, I chose to put it on a timer so that I don't have to plug it in every time I need a little light. Now  can actually see everything in our linen closet and it brings a nice glow to  our living room! YAY! Another project done for now...

© The SimpleWife

Present Wrapping

Today was a busy, first day of Christmas vacation. It started early with the gym, then grocery shopping then present wrapping. I love wrapping presents and I always try to have a theme. Not a literal one, I just try to make my presents match, so you know which ones are mine. This year I went with a monogrammed approach. I used these brown treat bags, some Christmas printed cardstock and pre-cut letters to adorn my little gifts. I think they are adorable and I'll be very sad when they are ripped into on Christmas. 

© The Simple Wife

Thrashers Game In Pictures

© The Simple Wife

Dear Darlings

{ The Loot }

I can't say enough, how much I love teaching young students. They are funny, crazy, silly, annoying, needy, and a big mess. But they are always being sweet. Friday was our last day of school until the Christmas break. So I have two whole weeks off from the little ankle-bitters. It was, to say the least, a hectic, all out insane day, but the kids were having so much fun. My day was constantly interrupted by little knocks on my classroom door by present-wheedling students. It is amazing how much your students think of you, enough to spend money on you for a gift. They are so generous and kind. It took 2 trips to the car and three packed grocery totes to bring my treasures home. I am so appreciative of my students and the school I work at. Christmas can bring out the worst, and sometimes the best out of people.

© The Simple Wife

Accident at Atlanta Botanical Gardens

 This morning there was a bridge collapse at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. This incident occurred on a construction site that my family's business was a part of. There were 17 injured and one fatality after the bridge fell over 30 feet. A close family friend and worker was one of those 17 who were rushed to Grady this morning. He is in surgery now and we are awaiting news of his recovery. Please keep these men and their families in your thoughts.

{ My dad (3rd from left) along with co-workers at the scene. }

Photos from AJC.com

© The Simple Wife

Office Additions

I have added a few extra and new touches to our office over the past two days. First I had to get a new desk light- our previous one was victim to a Mr. Grubbs v. Doc ball war- the ball won. I also decided to hang up my beautiful calendar that I ordered from Etsy a while back. It is from Kris, whose daily paint swatches I adore. I also added a cork board for notes. I covered it with this awesome artichoke print fabric I found in my classroom. Both lovely additions to my home within my home.

© The Simple Wife

To Doc With Love

So Doc received his first piece of addressed mail. It was from his Uncle Rebel (Erik's dog that lives with his parents). It was a Christmas card, and he was very excited to open it. In fact once we opened it for him he wouldn't let it go. He read it over and over again. He even carried it around the house with him. Thanks Rebel, Merry Christmas to you too. 

© The Simple Wife

Mac, Oh How I Love Thee

{ courtesy of technabob.com }

Let me count the ways: You are oh so sleek and simple. You are smart, you recognize every piece of machinery and software I throw at you. You update my cell phone, you take my picture and make me look good even when I really don't. You don't talk back when I do something wrong, until last night. I mistakenly moved some of your iPhoto files and you got upset. I know this because you hid ALL 1400 of my pictures from me and I couldn't find them. They weren't in iPhoto where they should have been, and I couldn't import them back. I couldn't sleep all night because I thought you would never forgive my little, teeny, tiny mistake. But today I went to Apple and I found out how to fix you. And like magic you restored all my pictures. You really do love me. Not only did my pictures come back but you helped me to re-organize them into folders and albums and now I know where they all are. Mac, I promise I will never make you upset again. I love you.

© The Simple Wife

Yet Again, Survival.

{ courtesy of flickr.com }

Why do I post every time I finish a Grad Class? Because I never think I'll make it to the end when I start one. I decided to get my Master's Degree in Teaching for 2 reasons: 1. More Money and 2. MORE Money. You can curse me if you want for being greedy, but in a profession that already doesn't get half the respect it deserves- and the pay is one example of that very fact- you have to do all you can to make the most of it. And if you get an advanced degree you also get a pay bump. So I began my program back in April and if I stay at one class at a time, I'll be done next December, however I think I'll double up over the summer. I just posted my last discussion board message for class number 4, and I get a nice break for a couple weeks and then will begin number 5 of 10 in January. A much needed respite.  

© The Simple Wife

Must Have: For Cleaning

As I realize more and more that my little furry darling Doc is a child, I also realize that I really need a steam cleaner. While I like to think that he is the cutest AND cleanest dog- he is not. So I need some back-up and so does our lightly-colored microfiber sofa. I spied this ditty in Target's Sunday circular and I must have it.

{ $89.99 }

House cleaning is my life. Lots will be done VERY soon...

© The Simple Wife

Quoted.

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth

© The Simple Wife

Oh, My Aching Bones.

On Sunday I usually write about my weekend happenings, however I will spare you the details. It all started on Friday when Mr. Grubbs and I went out to eat with our friends and then headed to the movies. We went to see Four Christmases. Unfortunately I can't say how wonderful of a movie it was because we ended up leaving about 30 minutes into it because I got horribly sick- Thanks AMC theaters for having a heart and giving us a refund! So it make a long, awful story short, I spend the ENTIRE night after we got home sick. I'm not sure if it was mild food poisoning, or a 24 hour bug but it was one of the worst nights I've ever had. Mr. Grubbs took wonderful care of me and on Saturday I woke up with no more nausea but very weak and achy so I spent the whole day on the couch, again with my wonderful husband waiting hand and foot on me. Needless to say I survived, although I feel like I'm in slow motion today, but we were able to have our weekend breakfast and went to the grocery store and I'm still up. That's a good sign. But what makes me the most sad is that I was supposed to bake Christmas cookies on  Saturday with my mom and go to my work Christmas party- both I missed out on. But hopefully all is over and only one week of school left until the Christmas break. Hooray!

© The Simple Wife

Told You So.

{ Shape.com }

See sometimes I do know what I'm talking about. I told you that Fiber One Yogurt was delicious and good for you and Shape Magazine agrees. They raided the pantry and fridge and gave out their Best Snack Awards and the yogurt landed a spot on the Creamy List. The Mag's snack picks had to meet the following criteria:

• Have 200 calories or less per serving
  
• Contain 0 grams of artery-clogging trans fat and be low in saturated fat
  
• Have no more than 400 milligrams of sodium (we made an exception for the soup, as it could be a mini meal)
  
• Offer nutritional extras, like portion-controlled packs, whole grains, or additional vitamins and minerals.
  

For a full list of the winners 8uin the Sweet, Savory, Creamy, Crunchy, and Salty categories visit Shape here.

© The Simple Wife

Easy Snaking

{ courtesy of sisterskinny.com }

Along with our new workout routine, Mr. Grubbs and I have a new diet too. We are eating 2 meals a day with a protein shake for dinner and lots of good snacks throughout the day. Many people we talk about this with think we are crazy for skipping a "dinner" but it really makes life easier. After the nay-sayers comment about the lack of a dinner they then ask what are shakes are made from. So here is a rough recipe for 2:

1. 4-5 scoops of low fat or fat free frozen yogurt
2. 2-3 cups of skim milk
3. 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder- whey protein is the basic and can be found in the health/diet section of the grocery store, or you can go for the really good stuff that you can find at GNC or store of the kind
4. Spoonful of Reduced Fat or Simply Jif Peanut Butter ( you can skip this and replace with low fat chocolate syrup for a more chocolately shake.
5. Mix until smooth

That's it. We usually drink these after about 1-1/2 hours at the gym. We work our tails off so then after all that sweating you really don't want to load up on a full meal so the shake does the trick.

One of the most important things to remember is that you have to snack. Most healthy diets recommend 5-6 small meals a day ( 200-300 calories ) so if you have good snacks on hand you will be less likely to reach for something not-so good for you. I love these:

• String or Stick Cheese
• Yogurt- Fiber One Strawberry is my favorite!
• Baked Pretzels
• Fiber One Bars in Oats and Chocolate (usually my breakfast with OJ )

Happy Snacking!

© The Simple Wife

Christmas Lights, I hate you.

{ courtesy of flickr.com }

I wanted to have all my Christmas decorating done over Thanksgiving break, but due to weather, we only got the inside of the house done. So since today has actually been the warmest day in the past week, I ventured out on the front porch to hang the icicle lights around out porch. I had to balance on the hand rail, maneuver the staple gun and keep the lights from getting stuck in my hair. After I had successfully made it all the way around the porch I jumped down to plug the lights in and revel in my job well done- well not so much. One whole strand was OUT!!! WHAT!! Who doesn't check for this stuff before risking life and limb hanging lights- that would be this girl. Crap. Now I have to take down the delinquent strand and purchase a new one. Or should we go with a whole new look? Maybe this is a sign that I should create a new design... I see a trip to Target's Christmas aisle in my future.

© The Simple Wife

Weekend Happenings

Friday: Mr. Grubbs and I head down to ATL to enjoy dinner at TAP- I had to take him back to the place that introduced me to a burger with a side of milkshake! We met my brother Tony and his wife Ashley and his friends Kennen and Lexi. We enjoyed dinner and drinks while listening to songs by Pete Yorn, Jack Johnson and others being covered by two guys and a guitar. It was a very chill atmosphere and very much needed after a long week back in the swing of things. 

We then contemplated where to continue our beverages when they suggested another downtown bar. So we headed to said place and were abruptly greeted by a huge mass of people- SEC championship game in ATL, Gators v. Crimson Tide, YUCK! We couldn't move without inappropriately touching/offending several people so we decided to go home and end the night. 

Saturday: We slept in until 8:30am, then we slept in until 10am, and we then finally decided to wake up and start the day at 11am. Perfect. Even more perfect is the fact that I didn't even have to ask Mr. Grubbs if we could eat at my favorite lunch place in the world, he just knew I wanted/needed it and we went. After lunch we headed to REI to drool over all the cool new camping gear while dreaming of our next backpacking trip. As he finished up his daydreaming, I headed next door to indulge in the OPI buy 2 get one Free offer Mrs. Homemade Grits warned us about. 

We headed back to the house and met my brother and Ashley again for another night o' fun where we headed to a graduation party for a friend. We enjoyed surprising him and eating cake and hanging out. It was a fun night and it ended with a slumber party at the Grubbs' house for my brother and his wife.

Sunday: Breakfast with our guests at Sugar Cakes, another favorite. Chocolate croissants, OJ and the Creative Loafing crossword made a lovely morning. After which I headed off to the museum to meet some students with their families to check out some mummies and Ancient Egypt history at the Carlos at Emory. It was so rewarding to see their faces when they were meet with a real mummy.

All in all a fun, relaxing, good eating, chilling out, slumber partying, cake eating, family hanging, good time. And now time to get to bed to dream of the weekend to come...

© The Simple Wife

A Stress Free Christmas?

I didn't think such a thing could exist? With all the traveling, shopping, wrapping, and decorating, how could one possibly survive without a little stress? If there is way, believe me, I NEED to know it. It all goes with my life plan of living the easiest life possible. So I did what everyone these days does- I Googled. I found this amazing site, Organized Christmas, which gives tips on everything from gift giving rules, to decorating on a budget, to printer friendly spending guides.

I focused on the Simplify Your Holidays: 10 Ideas for a Stress-Free Holiday Season. Here is what they suggest:

• Prune the to-do list. Ask, “If I don’t do this, what will happen?”***

• Cut the gift list. Limit gifts to children only, draw names, or organize a gift exchange.

• Wrap as you go. Sticky notes will help you keep track of gift contents.

• Buy, don’t bake. Who needs long hours in front of a hot stove?

• Call, don’t send cards. Reach out and touch someone … the easy way.

• Scale back décor. Substitute a simple door wreath for outdoor lighting, a tabletop tree for the over-the-top tannenbaum.

• Cut the clean-a-thon. Focus cleaning attention on kitchen and public rooms; private areas can slide til season’s end.

• Downsize dishwashing. Hand-washing fine china is nobody’s idea of a good time. Simpler still: paper plates!

• Finger food, not feast. A smorgasboard of tasty tidbits is easier on the cook and kinder to the waistline than a sit-down dinner.

• Stay home! Cuddling down close to the hearth beats holiday travel any day.

*** I really love this one! Seriously, this should be your motto for anything!!

They also have a wonderful database of tons of lists you can print out including a week-by-week Christmas Countdown that helps you get ready for all the craziness.

The Gift Idea Sheet is very helpful for those who are always hard to buy for. You could use it during the year to record ideas you come across.

The Baking List will help you remember which neighbor likes chocolate cookies and which likes sugar cookies!

I'll have to let you know if this helps alleviate any of my holiday stress!

© The Simple Wife

Adoration: Anthro's December Catalog

It is not often that I am in love with expensive things, but Anthropologie is one of them. I enjoy the eclectic chic style of the clothes, the girlie accents, and wonderful fabrics- all of which put the clothes way out of my price range- hence everything I feature on here is from Target! But when I opened my mailbox today I was struck by the love bug. Every page in the new catalog contained something amazing so I had to hit the website and lust for all the new jewels. From sweaters, shirts, necklaces, to bags and home accents. These are a couple of my favorites, oh maybe one day...

I love them all. Please Santa, I have been very good this year...

© The Simple Wife

Revealed! My new Master Bedroom

I cannot express enough how much I love my navy oasis of a room! The color turned out perfect and everything wonderfully feel into place. The Art wall came out amazing, the new shades are nice and fuzzy, and the bronze Japanese tea table looks beautiful. Here it is:

{ Oh dreamy blue... }

{ The mustard velvet shades pop against the wall, and the tea table glows. }

{ My drawings, prints and pictures of Mr. Grubbs and I are all featured on the Art Wall.}

{ My orchid is flanked by the crystal candlesticks- beautiful sculptures without candles. }

My only concern is with the new accent pillows. The golden pillow will stay, but I'm not sure if I want to introduce the fabric I had originally purchased for the accent pillows. I was going to make 2 patterned pillows with this fabric and two solid orange ones to play off the hints of orange in the fabric. What do you think?? Too funky for the room, or just the right amount of funk?

© The Simple Wife