I'm baaack

Sigh.

I'm so exhausted. It's Friday night, and I'm so happy to be in my sweats, catching up on my shows and blogging! I just got back from my recruiting trip to Purdue University last night. I had a great time and met some awesome students. What a great school!

A lot happened in four days, but I will spare you the details and give you a short recap.

Highlights:

1). I love traveling. I don't even mind long layovers (I had a 4 hour one in Philly). It gives me a chance to READ!!! I even got to finish Eclipse and of course LOVED it. (PS, I really hope Bella and Edward end up together...)

2). Got to catch up on some zzz's on the plane.

3). Bonded with my fellow recruiter. She's leaving for Hawaii next week and so we went on a venture to find a tanning salon. We found one (that was shared with a laundromat...SKETCHY). And then we settled for another one that was shared with a UHAUL and daycare. Even sketchier than the first. A woman came out from the back, and I swear I caught a glimpse of an axe behind her back.

4). I was STARVING on my flight home and asked the flight attendant if they had some food I could buy. He muffled a firm "no" and I nearly cried. 5 minutes later, he returned with some Sunchips and a granola bar that he had "stolen" from first class. So sweet! :)

Lowlights:

1). One of the worst snowstorms in West Lafayette's history...Oh, and I forgot my Uggs. Therefore, my feet were permanently frost bitten the entire trip.

2). I only brought heels (refer to #1). Thus, when I had to SPRINT across 3 terminals to catch my connecting flight, I not only looked like an idiot in heels, but I tripped and fell about 16 times.

3).  I caved in and ate the greasiest, chocolat-iest, and most delicious food, thus ruining my health kick. Hey, I had to take advantage of meals on the company's expense...right?

4). I had absolutely NO suits clean. So, I had to wear my ugliest, navy pinstripe suit. Seriously, I looked like a mix between a mobster and a gangstah.

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Side note: Exciting end to a week...

Two things happened to me after work today.

1). I ran 3 miles for the first time in my ENTIRE life. Seriously, this is a huge deal for me.

2). Remember that presentation I had to give last week (the one where I almost threw up on some of our executives?) Well, they liked it so much, that they are having us present it to our Executive Vice President and our CEO! I can't believe it. I thought I was nervous last week. Boy oh boy. This is even MORE vomit inducing. Sheesh.

SAG & MIA...

I love award shows.

Not for the entertainment value of course, but to see who looks stunning and who looks...frightening. Tonight's SAG awards were filled with BEAUTIFUL gowns. It was so hard to pick my favorites. However, there were definitely a few that really caught my eye...

Jenna Fischer does a VERY nice job of cleaning up after a long day at the Office.

Who doesn't love red? So sexy...yet, so classy!

My favorite! Kate Winslet looks absolutely stunning in this blue little number!!! I think she may be my new fave style icon.

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Well, I'm sad to inform you that I will be MIA for the next few days. I'm going to be traveling for work and will have little access to the internet (I actually don't know HOW I'm going to manage without gmail, facebook and (gasp) BLOGGING!!! )However, I will be so extraordinarily busy I doubt I will even notice my lack of connection to the outside world.

I will be sure to return with some good stuff to talk about as traveling ALWAYS seems to present some good/embarrassing/horror stories.

Oh, and maybe I can even get Mr. Ruby to guest post for me while I'm MIA. ;)

Help me try to convince him...

Well, I should probably go. It is now 10 pm and I still have to pack. Oh, and did I mention I have to get up at 3:30 AM to catch my flight by 6:00 tomorrow morning?!?!? YIKES!

I'm an Honest Scrap

Thank you SO much to the incredibly gorgeous Pink Sass for the Honest Scrap award. You are missing out if you don't read her blog...not only is she so cute, but her posts are so fun and girly - just what I LOVE! :)

With this award, I'm supposed to list 10 honest things about myself. So, here goes....

1.) I've lived on both coasts and right smack in the middle within a span of 3 years. We've been in Kansas, California, Texas and Rhode Island. I always thought my favorite coast was west...but I think I'm more partial to east now. But, of course KANSAS will always have the #1 spot in my heart. There's NO place like home. :)

2). I subconsciously eat my food in a certain order. Let me give you an example of a Ruby-Style lunch. I start off with a veggie, usually carrots. Then, I eat my fruit: apple, clementine, banana etc. Then, I have some kind of side i.e. yogurt or cottage cheese. Next, I have my "main" portion, usually a sandwich.  Finally, I HAVE to finish every single meal with something sweet. I can't help it. My mind subconsciously "saves the best for last"!

3). I only drink from a straw. Just about everything. Water. Pop. Juice. Crystal Light. Most alcoholic beverages.

4). I might be slightly OCD when it comes to numbers. I never do anything on an even number. For example, I always set my alarm for 6:43 or 6:07 etc. Or, when I used to conduct training classes, I would give my group a break and tell them to come back at 9:37. Odd? Yes. I guess I just like that extra "3 minutes" to sleep.

5). I NEVER cross my legs. Seriously. When I was younger, I heard that if you crossed your legs a lot, you would get spider veins. I haven't crossed my legs ever since then. No joke.

6). I love to kiss my dogs' ears. This is a very weird habit that I simply cannot explain.

7). I can't eat toasted bread. It cuts my mouth! Especially the Quiznos bread...I can't eat it because afterwards it feels like Edward Scissorhands had a hay-day with the inside of my mouth.

8). I pass out...kind of frequently. I had several tests run, and it's really only low blood pressure/low blood sugar. The last time I passed out was when we lived in Dallas - in the middle of a RESTAURANT. Luckily, Mr. Ruby caught me. Oh, and even the thought of needles makes me pass out.

9). I never really get a good night's sleep. Ever since I was a kid, I had issues with sleeping. I have to have the perfect conditions: dark, noiseless, and kind of chilly. My parents always made fun of me and called my room "The Cave".

10). Being so honest was a bad idea. Completing these 10 facts made me realize how incredibly quirky I am. Hmm. Luckily I have a man who loves me no matter what! :)

I feel like I'm on the red carpet...

I wish.

But seriously, thank you so very much to those wonderful bloggers out there who gave me AWARDS this week. I'm so HONORED!!! :) I'm saving one for this weekend because it actually requires me to answer some questions. So onto the good stuff...

THANK YOU to the adorable Jane at In the Waiting Line for the Simply Fabulous Award. I'm so excited for this one...because I love all things FABULOUS! It requires me to list 5 of my obsessions:

1). First and foremost...DIET COKE! But it absolutely has to be from a fountain. I just love hearing the ice swish around. :) The best fountain D-Cokes = McDonalds and On the Border!!!

2). Lip Gloss. I love any and all lip glosses. My favorite however is C.O. Bigelow from Bath and Body Works.

3). Sleep. Laugh all you want and call me 65...but I LOVE to sleep. In fact, I am quite obsessed with it. Mr. Ruby and I are quite opposites because he hates to sleep and would stay up 24 hours a day if he could. :)

4). Photography!!! Seriously, this might be a true obsession. I not only love looking at "real" photography, but I also love to take pictures...of ANYTHING. I'm "that girl" that everyone hates because I take pictures of every single event (everyone always thanks me later).

5). Weiner dogs. As noted by my WEINER WEDNESDAYS. I love love love all little doxies. :)

**I truly love all the blogs I read, but I'd like to pass this award onto Mandy at House of Rose. She has the cutest little family every and I think she's FABULOUS!

 

The adorably southern Mary Michael at Welcome to My Life , the witty Once a Bride  and the BEAUTFIUL Jessica at The Happiest Girls are the Prettiest Girls all nominated me for the Lemonade Great Attitude and Gratitude Award. You should check out their blogs...all on my daily reads. :)

I am very excited to pass this award along to:

Mrs. Cup at My Cup Overflows - she always has the cutest stories of her an her hubby, and I'm so proud of her for sticking with WW!!!

Too Tired Weiner Wednesday

I'm exhausted.

I have zero energy.

I want to go to bed right now, and it is 8:52 p.m.

I'm too pooped to poop.

So, you'll have to forgive this lousy post.

For Weiner Wednesday I give you my real-life weiner: Samson.

This is my lil' guy when we first brought him home.

This is Sams and his little star - let's just say he had quite the "attraction" to his star...we got him neutered shortly after.

My big boy all grown up - all 10 lbs. of him :)

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Oh, and thanks SO much for all the good luck wishes for my presentation this morning. I definitely NAILED it! It felt so good to be finished...although I thought I was going to pass out afterward from all the adrenaline swishing in my head. I know that seems a bit dramatic, but I DID have to present it in front of our top executives in a big amphitheater...with a MICROPHONE! Ahh! So thanks again for the kind words.

I PROMISE to be a better blogger and update all my awards/tags tomorrow. I've been so busy and so TIRED. But, I'm going to get a good night sleep tonight to prepare for my long night of blogging tomorrow. :)

Hopefully I don't throw up

On the executive vice presidents of my company.

I've been working on a presentation for months...and TODAY is doomsday. Two of my colleagues and I are going to give this presentation THIS MORNING to all of our top executives!!! I'm so nervous, I barely slept.

I feel like I'm going to be sick...

P.S. I've been tagged several times, and I PROMISE to get to those this week. :)

My muscles ACHE

Because yesterday afternoon, I decided to try the OnDemand version of The Biggest Loser Cardio Max.

In my own living room.

With Mr. Ruby.

With the blinds closed.

Needless to say, it worked me to the CORE! I don't know how those Biggest Losers keep up. I can barely move this morning. So, if any of you ever can't make it to the gym (or get snowed in for the 14th time in two months)...you should definitely try it!

P.S. Yes, that's right. You read correctly, Mr. Ruby and I did this little routine...together. :)

I know someone famous!

I am happy to spread the word about one of my dear friend's blogs. You have to check her out at Bob Loblaw's Job Blog - in fact, her blog was just FEATURED on MSNBC!!! It is probably one of the most hilarious things you will ever read - she talks all about her daily mis-happenings and encounters she endures as one of the many unemployed Americans. Seriously, CHECK IT OUT!!!

Take a good look at the gal on the left...she's going to be famous! ;)

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Oh, and I was just tagged by the beautiful Jules at Chic & Pink..stop by her fabulous blog and say hello. :)

Here are the rules:
1. Grab the nearest book
2. Open to page 56
3. Find the Fifth Sentence
4. Post the text of the next 2 to 5 sentences
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual book. Pick the CLOSEST!

"He is good benevolently, tenderly bearing with our waywardness, striving with our rebellious wills, quickening us from our death in sin, and then training us for heaven as a loving father trains his children."

This excerpt is from "Spurgeon's Evening by Evening" daily devotional. Mr. Ruby and I have been trying to read a devotional every morning and evening every day! It's been good for our marriage and souls. :)

*P.S. I have about 5 books sitting next to me. This was the one sitting on top of the stack.

But, I'm actually getting ready to start "Eclipse"...the THIRD from the Twilight serious...I may be MIA for about a day since I tend to get completely caught up and remove myself from life in order to finish this series.

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Head on over IMMEDIATELY to Indefinitely Definite for a FUN sweetheart giveaway!!! Her blog is so adorable. :)

Old Friends & New Shoes is also hosting a fabulous JUICY COUTURE giveaway. Go check out her fun blog!!!

Brrr

I am freezing. And when I say freezing, I mean that I seriously think at any point my fingers or toes may fall off due to frostbite. I don't even mind cold weather. I really don't. But this is absurd. It is FREEZING out. And, there has been massive amounts of snow on the ground for about a month and half now with NO signs of it ever melting. Enough is enough. I'm sick of winter...and it just begun.

So, I decided to think of the cold-weather positives...

Beautiful scenic snow...(ok, so the snow around me is actually slushy and gray, but it's a nice thought, right?)

The opportunity to USE a beautiful fireplace. (Even though Mr. Ruby and I don't have one...again, it's a nice thought)

The excuse to drink unimaginable amounts of HOT COCOA

Skiing!!! We're going on a ski trip in February - can't WAIT!

Ski Lodges - I love nothing more than hanging out at a good ole' ski lodge after a long day of cuttin' the slopes

HOT TUBS - This seriously makes me want to go buy one this instant...oh wait. Then that means I have to wear a bathing suit.

Dreaming of SUMMER!!! Currently dreaming of:

Weiner Wednesday

It's that time again!

Time for Weiner Wednesday. I can hardly restrain myself from getting yet another mini dachshund after looking at the following cuties. I don't think Mr. Ruby would like that too much. Enjoy!

This is exactly what my little Samson looked like as a young pup!

Gives meaning to the term "Weiner Dog" :)

This post is dedicated to The Reality of Happily Ever After. Check out her real-life weiner...cutest thing I've EVER seen!!!

The Biggest Winner

I know a lot of bloggers out there have been sharing their tremendous weight loss journeys. I don't really have a significant, life-changing, empowering, make you want to hit the gym kind of a story...however, I do want to share MY story.

Growing up, I danced...a lot. I never had that beautiful slender ballerina type body. I had curves. Not exactly what you want as a dancer. To this day, I'm still trying to embrace those curves. Oh, and I love food. And when I say love, I really mean that we have a love/hate relationship.

In college, I was lucky enough to not gain the infamous freshman 15. However, my weight did fluctuate about 5-7 lbs. all four years. I never dieted and I wasn't exactly what you would call a dedicated gym member.

Before my wedding, I didn't diet like most brides. Instead, I decided to start running. I am NOT a runner. In fact, I really can only run about a mile and a half. Nevertheless, I ran every day for a month before my wedding. And I was FIT!

This past summer, I decided to try Weight Watchers. I had heard such great things and honestly, I wanted to see if I had the willpower to eat better. I ended up losing 10 lbs. in a month. I felt great! And as everyone says...the great thing about WW is that it really IS a lifestyle change. I loved it. Well, eventually, I got back to my "normal" ways. And gained everything back. Oops.

This brings me to now.  I'm at a point where I've been very dedicated to the gym for a month. (I even bring clothes when I travel for work). And I've been living the WW lifestyle...without tracking the points. I simply know what my body needs. AND my department at work is hosting "The Biggest WINNER Challenge". I'm so excited. We weigh in every Monday...accountability is the KEY to success with this. That's what worked so well with WW. It makes you put down that extra cookie or the 2nd glass of wine because you know it's going to show up on the scale.

So, I'm going to share my progress every Monday.

I lost 4 pounds last week.

I was STOKED when I got off the scale this morning. And really, all I did was work out 4 days last week and tracked everything that went into my mouth. I've been using this FREE online weight loss journal. It's called FitDay and I highly recommend it!!!

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Thank you to Lipgloss Lounge and Queen Bee Swain for the wonderful award.

You really should check out their blogs. Both are absolutely FABULOUS and I read them daily!!!

Awareness

The U.S. State Department estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually. These victims, mostly women and children, are forced into prostitution, domestic servitude, or manual labor.  - Today's Christian Woman

Please take a moment to learn more about this tragedy as today is  National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

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On a lighter note, I reached a monumental moment of lame-ness today. I went to a movie...by myself. Mr. Ruby had a lot going on today, and the weather is pretty nasty out, thus I couldn't drag anyone along with me. So, I swallowed my pride and went alone.

I walked up to the counter and said "One for Twilight please". The girl gave me a funny look, but I went on to the snack counter to get myself a large Diet Pepsi. Then, I went into the theatre...alone...and saw several teen couples and groups of teenage girls. They all looked at me as if to say "Wow, this old hag lame-o actually came to see a teeny-bop love story...completely by herself."

Needless to say, I absolutely LOVED Twilight. I normally hate movies after I've read the books...but it was cast so perfectly and the story line followed the book pretty accurately. I loved it I loved it, and I can't wait until the second movie comes out!

Oh, and now I have a thing for vampires.

Warning: Tear Jerker

I'm always a little late on seeing movies. Last night, I dragged poor Mr. Ruby to go see Twilight with me, but we got there too late and so decided to see Marley and Me instead. I had heard to bring extra tissues, and I prepared myself (or so I thought) for a real tear jerker.

Well, I sobbed. And sobbed. And sobbed a little more. It was actually quite embarrassing. I kept telling myself "You know he's going to die at the end...so just be prepared." Well that sure didn't work. I had tears running down my face before the movie even started...just thinking about it!

Needless to say, I realized that I'm not so sure I can handle these animal movies. I mean, I tear up in at least 1 in 3 movies that I see...happy or sad. But, the movies with animals - just forget about it. I lose myself. I'm not quite sure why. I think it's just because animals are so helpless, and dogs especially are just so loyal - up to their very last day. And let me tell you something else. I don't care how crazy it sounds. All dogs go to heaven. I'm convinced of it. I am quite sure I will see my little Spicy again someday.

So, after composing myself and getting into the car with completely swollen eyes. I looked over at Mr. Ruby (who had little misties himself) and we nodded our heads. Yep, we went straight home to spend time with our pups!

The Van Gogh Award

Thank you so much to Erin at Erin Uncensored for the Van Gogh Award! You can read all about the award and how it originated here. If you haven't checked out Erin's blog...do it now. She is so fun and I love reading her fun stories.

Thanks again Erin!

Weiner Wednesday

I can explain this.

The one thing that makes me happy no matter HOW bad of a day I'm having...is weiner dogs! I mean, I am a dog lover to every single dog out there, no matter how ugly, slobbery or unruly. However, I am quite partial to weiner dogs. Everyone who knows me is very familiar with my obsession. In fact, I probably get a phone call a week from family or friends telling me they saw "the cutest weiner dog today".

It started when I was 5. After reading "The Ugly Dachshund", I just HAD to have one. So, mom and dad got me the most perfect little doxie and I named her Spicy. She was my very best friend (with me being an only child and all). She was so tiny that I used to carry her in my basket on the front of my little bike. I've since had 2 other weiner dogs.

I am in love with every one that I meet.

So, I decided to start Weiner Wednesday where I will share all things weiner!

Check out the cute little weiner below

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Side Note: I fell down the stairs at work today. And yes, someone saw me. The worst part, I made this horrible squeak/squeal noise as I was going down. (Sigh). Oh, and my ankle really hurts now.

Winter Survival Kit

Because it's I'm freezing right now, and because poor Mr. Ruby is so so sick...I decided to share with you my winter survival kit.

First and foremost and dedicated to my sick little Mr. Ruby - EmergenC. This stuff is an absolute miracle worker. In fact, if it were possible to be addicted to vitamins...then I have a problem. I take this stuff any time I'm getting ready to travel, or if I feel like I'm coming down with something. I'm not kidding...it cures all! It's perfect for those nasty winter colds.

Another winter essential for that crackly dry skin is Cetaphil. This is an absolute staple from November to March! It works better than any other overly expensive body/face lotion I've tried from Sephora.

Ok, so this one is actually an essential for EVERY season...but it feels oh-so-minty-fresh in the winter. I LOVE C.O. Bigelow's Mint Infused Lip Gloss. It gives you juicy kissable lips and minty fresh breath!

Another absolute essential is to turn up that thermostat! (Except when you're in the Ruby Household and you receive a $200.00 gas bill for a 900 sq. foot apartment. )YIKES!

And finally...if you're like us and have to keep the thermostat low in order to pay the bills...you can always get a SNUGGIE! Haha, has anyone seen the infomercial for these awful things? They are actually blankets with SLEEVES!

Never will I ever own a Snuggie.

Exciting Post...

I have something random to write about before my exciting news.

First, the weirdest thing happened to me yesterday. I was at Wal-Mart buying some basics. Laundry Detergent. Face Lotion. Toilet Paper. I was dazing off in my own world (where you can find me most often) when the cashier asked me, "Ma'am, you are over 18 years of age, right?" I snapped quickly out of my daze and said, "Excuse me?" She repeated herself. I chuckled under my breath and advised that yes, I am clearly over 18. Apparently she wanted to make sure I wasn't going to use the cough syrup I bought to bring back to my current meth lab.

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Now, for my exciting news. I received my VERY FIRST award...a huge shout out and thank you to Jill at Jaded Jill Speaks!!! Check out her blog sometime - it's super entertaining and she has the cutest golden ever!

The award states "This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!

Now I'd like to pass this award onto the following lovely ladies:

Emily over at Living Our Own Fairy Tale - I adore her blog and she always entertains me with her Martha Stewart-like ways ;)

Lindsey at Sweet Simplicity - her blog is so upbeat and fun, and I feel like we have so much in common!

Amanda at Only The Good Stuff - She's so sweet and always has such great pictures and creative baking ideas

Thanks again to Jaded Jill! I hope you all have a fabulous week.

2008 Highlights

I can't believe it's already 2009! Time certainly does fly when you're having fun. 2008 was one of my most favorite years yet! I'd love to share my favorite 2008 moments with you...

1.)  It started with Mr. Ruby and I packing up our car, loading our dogs in the backs seat, and driving across the country from Dallas to Rhode Island. We made some wonderful stops along the way - Little Rock, Nashville, D.C. and Mansfield. Our pups were so well-behaved and didn't make a sound during our 4 day venture. In fact, after about 8 hours of driving, we realized that Samson wasn't there. After a few minutes of panic and wondering how in the world he jumped out of the car...we realized he was under Mr. Ruby's seat burrowed under some clothes. 

Stopping in the adorable city of Nashville

Hanging out with my favorite Nashvill-ians

2.)One of my main highlights for the year (and the reason for our adventuresome trek cross-country) was the major change in positions with my job. I took on new duties as a trainer and then ultimately became the recruiting coordinator for my company. I LOVE MY JOB!!! I get to travel all over the U.S. to various universities looking for entry-level managers. I'm basically a full time schmoozer...and I love it.

3.)I visited NYC for the first time in my life. I absolutely loved it. What a stunning city!

After our Broadway play

I HEART New York!!!

4.) I started reading again. I've always loved to read and have always been a  huge bookworm...but I've been too busy until this year to just pick up a book and start reading (for pleasure). The following are reads I simply could NOT put down!

5.)We had several AWESOME visitors this year! We were so pleased to be able to show our guests the beauty of New  England. Our visitors included one of my best pals from college, my very best friend from Chi-Town, and my mom and stepdad. We're hoping to have even MORE visitors this upcoming year. Let me know if you're ever in the area. I LOVE being a hostess!!! :)

My bestie and I outside of Mike's Pastry in Boston

Mom and StepDad Ruby at the Newport Mansions

6.)I developed 5 new obsessions this year. These are the things I dream about on a pretty consistent basis:

DVF - Although I will never EVER be able to afford anything...I love all things Diane Von Furstenberg

Ok, so I admit it. I'm obsessed with the high school drama.

I love everything from C&B

Ostrich Handbags!!!

Jessica Simpson shoes - SO cute and SO comfy

7.)My absolute favorite highlight of 2008, thanks to our move to New England, includes the new activities we encountered. Mr. Ruby and I took up biking, hiking and kayaking. These are some of my new all-time favorite things to do! It helps that the scenery around is us oh-so-beautiful!

Camping in Killington,Vermont

Love my baby blue bike :)

Well, that sums up a wonderful year. Happy New Year everyone and may 2009 be a good one!