First things first...

I realize, that for those of you who read my blog it has been more than a little while since I have written anything. But, instead of apologizing... since having a blog in now way promises it's readers that there will be daily updates, I will simply tell you that all updates on wedding stuff, marriage, living in Kentucky, and my insane cat... will be coming soon.

NOW. Since Anna (my new sister) tagged me... I have to respond to that first... I just think it's polite.


1. Ten years ago I was... just starting my first year as a 7th grader. I knew no one at my school, I was known for a hideous over-sized Eeyore sweatshirt that I wore everywhere, I was just told that I needed braces, and I thought about running away daily because of all of those things.

2. Things on my to do list today... paint the guest room, do some laundry, clean out our walk in closet so we can turn it into an office, get dinner ready for Drew when he gets home, and anything else that pop's up between those things. I know... my life is pretty exciting. You don't have to tell me that.

3. Things I would do if I was suddenly a billionaire...
- Pay off our house
- Go clothes shopping
- Buy another house out in Kentucky (preferably one across the street from us) so that when friends and family came to see us they would have their own privacy and place to stay... or just buy a big house so that everyone we know could have their own room when they came to stay with us!
- Open a camp for children with Downs Syndrome, give a chunk of money to our church's building fund.

4. Bad Habits...
- I pop my knuckles... and my thumbs... and sometimes my toes. Don't judge me...
- I'm a snacker. I eat little things all throughout the day and then when it comes time to eat a meal... I can't finish it.
- I bite my nails. Every once and a while I'll stop cold turkey and grow out my nails, thinking that this time I'm really quitting... then two weeks later I'm back at it. They need to come out with a patch for nail biters.

5. Places I have lived...
- Laguna Niguel, California (with my parents)
- Laguna Niguel, California (with Becky and Elizabeth- I know I really branched out huh?)
- Louisville, Kentucky (with my new husband. Hi Drew, I like you.)

6. Jobs I have now or have had...
- Build-a-Bear Workshop: My first job ever... and my most embarrassing too.
- Blue Sky's Salon and Studio: I was a party manager for children's birthday parties. I loved it... until the management started getting shady... then I peaced out.
- Pottery Barn Kids: I was a floor set design manager. I worked crazy hours, but I loved that job, and the discount wasn't bad either!
- J Crew: I was just a regular sales associate, but everyone I worked with was so much fun. The discount was amazing... but I never saw a paycheck becasue I spent it on clothes... it's a weakness.
- Being a wife: Not to copy Anna, but it's true. Being a wife is my favorite job yet! And... one day I will be a mommy... one day far Far FAR away from now.

7. Things people don't know about me (quirky things about me)...
- I can't sleep without my body pillow
- I'm deathly afraid of bugs... all shapes and sizes. ESPECIALLY grasshoppers (which, don't worry... we only have about a billion out here in Kentucky)
- I can't stand a top sheet on my bed because I get tangled in it and then freak out... so I only use a duvet. Maybe that's gross... but I like it.

8. Things that make my life superfabulous right now...
- Being married
- Getting to move away from home and make a bunch of new friends
- Being able to decorate a whole new house
- Having family come out in a few weeks!!
- That I get to see Drew everyday. If that's too mushy for you... I'm sorry... grow up.

I'm tagging my husband... because I'm pretty sure that he's the only one that still checks my blog. But, in case you're not my husband and you did just read this super long post... consider yourself tagged.

a week from today...

My name will be Annie Petersen! 

I'm so excited!

My cat Beans...

So... I just got a new kitten. 

Her name is Beans (named after my best friend Becky-who I call Beans). And, she's the CUTEST. She's the easiest cat ever and is just so So SO cute. 

I just love her. 

No thank you.

Last night Elizabeth and I went to get a test run of my hair and make-up for the wedding. 

 The lady that was doing my make-up was a teacher at an estitition school, so I was sitting in front of a class while she explained everything that she did to her students. The girls in her class were watching very intently and every time the teacher would say, "Wow... that looks so great" they would all echo and say, "Oh yeah... totally." So of course I'm getting super excited to see what it looks like. 

Then they let me look in the mirror.  

OH. MY. GOSH… AWFUL.  

Thank goodness it wasn’t the day of the wedding.

Here's what started going through my head, in no particular order...

- EW.

- Don't cry... don't cry...

- This is hideous

- I don't even recognize my face… I look like make-over Barbie… from the 80’s

- If this happened on my wedding day Elizabeth would have to distract people by tap dancing on stage while I try to redo my make up…

- I'm never coming back here

 Somehow the "professional" doing my make-up managed to make me look worse in make up than when I walked into the room with no make up on at all. Not sure how that happens...

One of the girls in the class saw my reaction of pure horror and says, “Oh, I know that you’re not used to a lot of make up… but it looks great and the first time that your fiancé sees you step out into the isle, you’ll see that tear roll out of his eye and fall down his face because he’s going to think you look so great.” I smiled to be polite and also because I didn’t have anything nice to say in response. In my head I’m thinking, “No, if Drew were to see me like this he wouldn’t cry. Oh no… he would run in the other direction as fast as he could to get away from the circus clown who killed his fiancé and then put on her wedding dress.”

 It was really… SO bad. I have lost all faith in people who do make up for a living. I’m just going to do it myself, and I’m so fine with that.

 So, lessons learned... 

- Don't always believe that the person doing your make-up has any clear understanding of what “looking great” is.

- Don't ever wear a neon shade of lipstick with matching eye shadow

- Don't ever just have a "make-up artist" show up on the day of your wedding without a trial run… EVER!

The Good, the bad, and the Kentucky.

If you're still reading my blog... you deserve a hug. If the dates weren't posted on the blogs when I wrote them... I wouldn't even remember the last time that I blogged.

Therefore... Maggie... you're awesome. Thanks for still checking my blog. Sorry I don't have time to blog more frequently.

Anyways... as many of you know I'm moving to Kentucky. The day after the wedding Drew and I are packing up and headin' out. At first, I'm not going to lie, I was not excited about moving out to Kentucky. But, the more I think about it the more excited I get.

Obviously I'm incredibly sad to be leaving a place that I have lived all 22 years of my life, and all of my friends and family that live here. But, i figure that since I am moving I need to be thinking about all the good things out there in Kentucky.

Here are some great things about Kentucky:

- I get actual seasons! INCLUDING SNOW!
- I get to make more friends
- I get to explore a part of the country I really have never been before
- I will be stretching myself instead of staying comfortable in my little bubble
- I am going to be teaching summer school at an elementary school... and I am SO excited!

and last but not least...

- Drew lives there

I'm really hoping that one day Drew and I will move closer to family and I have always wanted to live in Washington or Oregon... but right now that's a ways off in the future. So right now I'm just focusing on the good things in Kentucky, and packing my bags (and boxes!)

Oh American Idol...

I am convinced, one hundred percent, that half the people who audition for American Idol are just randomly walking by, see a line, and decide to stand in it.... and the other half are just crazy. Seriously.

Every year I think to myself, "How can these people get more out of control?" and yet every year the people who are auditioning out-do the weirdness of the year before.

Roommate Christmas #3

Pictures are worth a thousand words, typically, if it's just your average photo. This picture however, I would say is worth about a hundred thousand words.

We bought some pretty Christmas dresses from the Salvation Army to take Christmas pictures in. Then, we were going to put them on a Christmas card to send out to our friends... this was put in the reject pile... but I just thought it was to good to not share.

This picture is incredible because none of us had any idea what the others were doing. I love that Elizabeth is licking an ornament, I'm totally not even looking at the camera, and Becky looks mad.

Pretty good. Pretty dang good.

I'm so excited to be getting married, but on the same token so, SO sad that I won't be able to live with Becky and Elizabeth anymore. They are the best roommates ever!

Monday's are my favorite

Most people hate Mondays... I love them. Not only is it my day off I also get to go to Disneyland with Becky, make dinner with the roommates and then either play a game or watch a movie with them... sometimes both! How could it get any better than that?

I am so So SO blessed to live with two of my best friends!

It makes me happy when skies are grey...

Becky and I did some Christmas shopping last night and every year when I am doing my Christmas shopping I always end up buying something for myself. I know that's not the point of Christmas shopping... but I felt like I could justify it.

Since I will be moving to Kentucky (where they had snow flurries yesterday-something unheard of in Southern California) and I do not have a lot of warm jackets. And more importantly, I do not have a lot of CUTE warm jackets (something that will be ABSOLUTELY unnecessary when I live in Kentucky) I felt like the jacket I saw should come home with me, and then one day move out to Kentucky with me... so I bought it.

Then today I woke up and put on my brand new jacket! Not very often when I wake up and put on a jacket do I get to wear it all day long... and today I did! I'm even still wearing it!

I love cloudy cold days! And I am going to love Kentucky!

Dear Kentucky,

I like you.

I don't know if I love you (yet), but I sure like you. I like that you actually have seasons, and I like that you are cold during December- it makes me feel like it really is about to be Christmas time. I like you you are so green, and I like that sometimes you snow. I like that everyone is so nice, and I really like the amazing people watching that you provide.

Thanks for the nice stay and I'll see you again at the end of this month.

Your friend,
Annie