Mariah's ABC's...

I love this Lala! :)

A. Age: I am 28 and often think I am doing pretty good for myself and want the "grown up" things, but not quite ready to "grow up" at the same time.

B. Bed size: It's a Queenie, but need a KING! Two kitties and a 6'3" man in it on most days, it's getting quite cramped.

C. Chore you hate: I think I am hating the Laundry Chore (much like my dear friend Lala) more and more...

D. Dogs: I have two wonderful neices, Lexi and Holly and three nephews, Bo, Brodie, and Kipton. I also have a brother, Harry (mama's Golden) and a sister, Taffy (daddy's English Setter).

E. Essential start to your day: Two diet pills, water, and coffee

F. Favorite color: Red

G. Gold or silver: Gold

H. Height: 69 inches...5'9 3/4"...we'll just say 5'10"

I. Instruments you play: I used to play the piano pretty well. I haven't played in a LONG time...

J. Job title: Business Development Associate

K. Kids: PERHAPS one day.

L. Live: Huntsville, Alabama

M. Mom’s name: Virginia Faye

N. Nicknames: Fiah, Swister, Cutie Wutie, sometimes I get the occasional Samantha (off S&TC)

O. Overnight hospital stays: Not since birth

P. Pet peeve: Indecisiveness, and my all time fav, love handles.

Q. Quote from a movie: You should go for him. You look hot tonight. Don't take less than $100. Call me when you're through. Take care of you.

R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: One sister, Emily

T. Time you wake up: UGH...it depends... Usually around 7am but I lay there for about 30 minutes before I get up.

U. Underwear: I'm not a fan of underwear, but it is sometimes essential, so therefore usually all thongs, unless I wear a dress, a very short dress.

V. Vegetables you dislike: I love veggies! That is why I am so tall! I can't think of a veggie I do not like.

W. What makes you run late: Laying with my kitties...when they are sleeping so good in the morning, it's hard to wake them up. Either that, or trying to find something to wear...it's difficult when all your pants are too small!

X. X-Rays you’ve had: My teeth, elbow, and tail bone.

Y. Yummy food you make: Yikes! I'm not the cook, but I can make some really good mac n cheese and I make really good fresh salads.

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: Hmmmm...I think it would have to be the animals in the Cat Family...I love the Lions, Tigers, Leopards/Cheetahs, etc....

Spring Is Here!

Happy Spring Everyone! It was a beautiful weekend here in Huntsville...yes...I busted out the bikini! With Spring come new beginnings and "rebirths". I have many projects and to-do lists... One major project is my fitness and getting skinny - it's a project that I work hard at each year but this year seems particularly difficult for me. After about 6 months of struggling with my increasing weight, I have discovered that I have a Vitamin B12 deficiency and I am anemic. With this condition I have to have weekly B12 shots in the booty... I am looking forward to starting my first round TODAY. The Vitamin B12 attributes to the slow metabolism that has plagued me this year...here's to hoping! A bunch of us girls are taking MMA - Chickboxing classes which are so much fun and I look forward to them every session. I am definitely telling a shift in my weight, like it's moving around and I have lost 6lbs so far with it! YAY! Also the girls and I are going to pick up running routinely - or in my case, jogging! My home - I am getting the redecorate and spring clean feva! My big focus is to do NEW things to my house and declutter. I have inherited my mother's genes with knick knack collecting...I have so much junk! I got a house two years ago and at the time didn't have enough furniture to fill it up. Now I have so much stuff I can't even fit it into my house! I also want to put laminate wood flooring in it. Just in the common areas - the kitchen, living room, and hallway. When my mom gets back from Georgia and everything settles down there, I am going to get with her on how to do it. I also want a privacy fence for the yard. Josh has expressed interest in building one for me, just gotta come up with the cash money to buy the wood. We'll have to revisit that one! Also I need to landscape the bushes and put new mulch down - home ownership is a b*tch... My new purchases so far this year are a new riding lawnmower, fire pit, and adult party pool! I'm almost ready for entertaining! Spending Time With Friends and Family - I have spent a lot of time with friends lately and have made new friendships this year. I still quite often enjoy the clubs and dancing, however, getting more attracted to simply cooking out or hanging out by the pool (always a favorite past time of mine). I think with this nice weather it's a good change to be outside and fire up the grill and/or funnel! I am looking forward to spending more time with family but there have been some bumps in the road. My mom has spent A LOT of time in Georgia taking care of ill family members and she is still there...I don't hardly ever get a chance to talk to her but quick little notes here and there on email. My dad is leaving for Iraq for 6 months next week. So I will not see him all summer, plus worrying about him while he is deployed. My sister and nephew are in Georgia as well and it is very difficult for me to find the time to make the trek to Columbus. I did get to have a great weekend with my Grandmother in Auburn, AL who turned 90 this year and almost everyone was able to get together on my Dad's side. I will just have to MAKE sure to make that time but it is hard when there is SOOO much to do in my own life. That has to be a priority though and I am going to work on that. Josh and I are doing well! I am so happy I have him and appreciate him so much. I am looking forward to spending this summer with him. His birthday is the end of April and we are planning a "Tweek Party" when Matt Play comes to spin at Bar 109. We'll have a bunch of "appropriate" party favors to pass out. Then we may our beach trip to Gulf Shores in May and we are really excited. I think that about wraps up the latest news for me. I hope you all are having a HAPPY SPRING so far! Love you!

Happiness is the Icing on the Cake

A posting from The Secret:

Every human being on the planet wants to be happy. Anything that anyone desires is because they think their desire will make them happy. Whether it is health, money, a loving relationship, material things, accomplishments, a job, or anything at all, the desire for happiness is the bottom line of all of them. But remember that happiness is a state inside of us, and something on the outside can only bring fleeting happiness, because material things are impermanent.

Permanent happiness comes from you choosing to be permanently happy. When you choose happiness, then you attract all the happy things as well. The happy things are the icing on the cake, but the cake is happiness.

Valentine's Day

"Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you.... The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'”

I hope everyone had a special Valentine's! This was a neat Valentine's for me cause I actually was with someone who I care about very deeply and also, of course, my kitties!

The weekend started off on Friday with Laila getting her uterus and ovaries removed (R.I.P.) - not a good start for her.... :( And when she came home, Sasha HATED her - apparently Sasha thought she was a stranger because she had a whole new smell on her. It took a few days but Sasha finally got back to her old self and LOVES Laila again. The girls got new gold heart charms with their names engraved on them from Things Remembered for Valentines. They love them!

Will (my best guy friend) came over on Friday night to have our "low-key" date night for Valentine's - we drank wine, funnelled beer, smoked french cigarettes, listen to some 80's pop music and ended the night watching "Going the Distance" with Drew Berrymore and a hot hot Justin Long (he has a secret hot body). It was fun. I love spending time with my Will!

Saturday I got up and went to Chickboxing - this session was quite challenging for me...not sure if it was the wine and beer I drank the night before or some of the new moves, but I made it through! I missed all my girls though! :( Alicia's dryer broke and the other ladies headed off to ATL - you girls were missed!

Anyways, I cleaned my house and started to get ready for a date night with Josh. We planned on going to movie and THEN dinner - an oh this movie was good. I laughed for two straight hours...best Adam Sandler movie I have seen in a while - possibly ever!

We finished the evening with a dinner for two at Tony's Little Italy - yum!

Sunday, Josh cooked me a big breakfast and we lounged till time for our Hot Stone Massage at the Blue Med Spa at the Westin, it was pretty good! Josh loved his -After the massage, we had a quick snack with Amy and Lee (and that WHOLE crew) at Scene and came home and just relaxed. It was nice just to RELAX and not do too much and just spend time together.

Monday, February 14th came nice and early and my work day was pretty busy with meetings but I made a lunch date with Will at Subway and caught up on his V-day weekend shenanigans! Oh how I LOVE our weekly lunch dates. Anywhoo...as the day progressed, I got a delivery of roses and a box of chocolates (damnit) at work... Here's a photo of my surprise:

After work I made it to the gym for some Body Pump action and was unpleasantly surprised to find the gym PACKED even on Valentine's Day...when will the gym new year newbies leave????? I met Josh home, we made a healthy salad for dinner and watched this oldie but goodie, "Splash" - which Josh fell asleep in the recliner watching. :) Mermaids are sexy right?????? Okay so that was my complete 4-day synopsis of Valentine's Day! Okay now, I'm ready for some Saint Patty's!

It's been a Brutal Winter...sprinkled with some gentle moments...

Hello again blog! Sorry I have been MIA but things have been pretty crazy since the holidays...

There have been a lot of things I need to catch you up on since November...

November was a good month as I stuffed my face with Thanksgiving goodies and layed around spoiled with Netflix...At this time, work was very busy and the Christmas season and the hustle and bustle was looming upon us.

Oh December flew by in a blink!
Kelsie and Manny has the most beautiful wedding in Laguna, California - the day couldn't have been better and Kelsie looked amazing! Plus I was with all of my Fabulous Five girls and my wonderful boyfriend. We shared some amazing memories (our song - "Just the Way You Are" will always be cherished).

The following weekend, Josh's childhood friend got married in a very quaint ceremony in a beautiful formal church downtown - the "Ava Maria" was sang (beautiful) and it really spoke to me. I mentioned it to my mother and she said when she was pregnant with me in Germany, she first heard the song and it made her cry...hmmmmmm...makes you wonder? It was so nice meeting Josh's friends he's known almost his whole life- they were a pleasure to get to know.

Oh and mid December was filled with last minute Christmas shopping and parties with friends....ahhhhh, the busi-ness!!! Christmas soon came and with that was an actual "White Christmas" - my neighborhood was just blanketed with snow - looking very picturesque. I took the kitties outside for their first snow experience - not very happy about it though! We spent the holiday snowed in, opening presents and stuffing our faces, and we even busted out a game of Uno! It was a good holiday but I looked forward to the snow and ice melting away soon!

Then the unfortunate, I got news that my Paw Paw fell on the ice (back home in Georgia) when he was taking my Great-Aunt Julia to the doctor (my Grandmother's sister). He broke his foot (completely turned around) and had to be rushed by ambulance to the hospital where he had immediate surgery. There were complications with the pain medicine and he spent a day vomiting and soon after he acquired pnemonia. At his age, 80 years old, pnemonia is almost like a death sentence and he was very weak and unable to talk when I visited him New Years Eve. It was very sad seeing my strong Paw Paw so weak like that, so unlike himself. To this day, he is still struggling with his health. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for my family and I as he has taken two steps forward to recovering, however, soon after taking three steps back. It's very hard to explain to people what a magnificant person that he is and what an example he has set for my family. I cannot explain how much of a GOOD, GENUINE, LOYAL, STRONG, HONEST (the list goes on and on) MAN he is. He has been an exceptional SON, HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, and GREAT-GRANDFATHER to his family...he is a BELOVED FRIEND and BROTHER. I am so honored and proud that he is my PawPaw. At this time, he is making steps toward recovery... Thanks and please continue your prayers! Below is a old picture of my sister, Emily, our Paw Paw and I...I love you!!!!

For mine and Josh's first NEW YEAR, we spent it in Atlanta with his childhood bestfriend, Ashley. Her husband and her are both lawyers and her husband's firm has sky box seats at the Georgia Dome where Florida State University and South Carolina played in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl - so we rang in the New Year watching FSU win over the Cocks! It was good! I also met Chris and Tracy (who were also visiting Ashley and her husband) - great times with good people!

Ohhhh and the month of January was a bitterly cold one with a few ARTIC BLASTS us Southerners were just not prepared for. It has been a brutal winter for us down here and I think we are all ready for Spring Time! Ugh....but with Spring comes fewer clothes and my 7lbs have since then turned into 12lbs! With all the busi-ness of the holidays, work, and family issues - may lack in exercise and good eating, once again, crept upon me. But I must say, I have been doing well in the gym for the most part and eating right and I'm seeing the scale SLOWLY drop...

I have a beach trip to ring in a 30th birthday for my girl, Erin, in Orlando at the end of April and then we have an Annual Girls Beach Trip planned for June 9th - these two things are really keeping my motivation up!

Oh and before I close, I have to add that I have recently started some ChickBoxing with a MMA trainer - it's a group exercise/training class that I am taking with some of my girls. Last night was MY first night and it was a short and sweet workout! I'm feeling it my "cheeks"...yay!

Until next time...remember to....

Ever feel like people you love and adore are against you?

If you have, I'm sorry. It's not fun. I hope that this isn't the case but in some cases it's really hard to not wonder....this comes in the form of family, friends and even work relationships.

Any relationship that you care about and you get this funny feeling....yeah, it will bother you.

How do you fix it?

I don't want to be the overly sensitive type and jump to conclusions and confrontational... My resolution seems to be just sit back and take a step back on these relationships and reevaluate where I stand with those people again and go from there.

Oh how I long for the days of rainbows, butterflies and cream puffs.

"Life is what you make it"

XOXOXOXO

My Laila, the Orange Tabby

Orange kitties are also called Gingers or Marmalades!

Just those names sounds so peppy and perfect to describe my lil Laila! She has loads of personality and is the most loving kitty in the world. Her veternarian described her as a golden retriever! LOL. If I am upset or down, she comes to see what's wrong with me and every morning she wakes me up snuggling and rubbing her head all over me. So sweet!

Even when Sasha got a shot, Sasha cried and Laila ran over to her to see what was wrong. She's very caring and most of the time, she's mellow and cuddly. However, she can be Girls Gone Wild with her little antics! She loves to hide under the bed and get your feet and LOVES feather toys. She is also obsessed with anything that has a tag or seam on it. This might go with the notion that Ginger Females are "Flighty". :)

Some people have questioned if this breed of tabbys are similar to "Fiery Redheads"? LOL. Ginger cats are said to be spirited and fiery (and sometimes mean-spirited or sly), just like a typical redhead??! EEEEEK!

Anyways, she's a cuddle bug and I am so happy I got her. She is my "Day Personality" where Sasha is my "Night Personality" - so I'm just happy that they balance each other out and love each other so much like good sissys should! :)

Here's some recent pics of Laila!

My Sasha, the Black Cat

Sasha is my older (just by a few weeks) and the dominate cat in my house...she's also black which is even more intimidating!

So I noticed last night that her once blue, that turned brown eyes are NOW turning green! Eeeeeeek! I always thought that black cats with green eyes were scarey; but maybe I should learn to embrace it as part of her mysterious beauty. I would definitely describe Sasha as mysterious, alluring, beautiful, playful, elegant and gorgeous. I always call her my Black Panther, cause she slowly and quietly slides by you and you can see her shoulder muscles as she walks.

She is a stand-offish cat when you first meet her, but she is sooo loving when she is comfortable with you. She lets me hold her like a baby on her back (which Laila won't let me do, surprisingly).... And I like her "night-like" personality!

She's also a really good Halloween decoration!

Now in bringing up this topic, I wanted to fill you in on some facts about black cats:

One of the 13 superstitions in our country is if a black cat crosses your path, it is considered bad luck. However, in parts of Europe, if a black cat crosses your path, you are considered to have good fortune. If a black cat walks into your house or home, you are truly blessed.

Interestingly enough, in most other cultures, the black cat is a prized possession. Owning one is considered to bring the owner good luck. :)

The origin of the black cat and good luck is believed to have begun in Ancient Egypt with the sacred black cat of Oagans- BAST. BAST, a goddess of Egypt reigned in the Twenty-Second Dynasty and was the official deity of Egypt. Many courted her favors, by procuring black cats into their households; believing that she would become part of that cat in spirit, and grace the home with riches and prosperity.

In the 1600’s Charles I of England, owned a black cat. He fiercely loved and protected his cat. Keeping it under guard 24/7, until one day the cat fell ill and died. Charles I was heard to yell- “Alas my luck is gone.” The next day, he was arrested and charged with high treason. Ultimately he was put to his death.

Oh I almost forgot! It's also belived that a lady who owns a black cat will have many suitors! :)

SO WHY DID BLACK CATS GET A BAD REPUTATION AND WHY?

When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, they brought with them their devout faith in the Bible, with which they took to extreme.

They also brought a deepening suspicion of anything deemed of the devil....hello, Salem Witches! They viewed the black cat as a companion, or a familiar to witches. Anyone caught with a black cat would be severely punished or even killed. They even viewed the black cat as part demon and part sorcery!!!!!!

Also did you know that during Halloween, black cats are exceptionally vulnerable to people who want to do them harm...maybe like some of the bible thumpers I mentioned above. It is even thought that all cats may be prone to this so make sure you keep your kitties safe!

May I also mention that Shelters and Adoption Agencies are especially careful when adopting out their black cats because they are afraid of them being tortured?! I didn't know this until recently and it just shocks me! It reminds me of how I was interviewed several times before I was able to adopt Sasha.

She's beautiful and represents a side of my personality. :)

Here's some recent photos of my baby, Sasha.

I LOVE IT WHEN WEDNESDAY!

Okay so I'm copying a little of what Lala has posted and also the morning show that I hear on the Urban Radio Station in Huntsville...except theirs is, "I HATE IT WHEN WEDNESDAY"...so I'll put a more positive twist on it and list the Top 5 Things I Love that I have experienced this week:

#1 - I hit up da club!

I had a last minute decision to go downtown this past weekend and I am so glad I did! I met with with my best guy pal, Will and we hit up Rush, a nightclub downtown in Huntsville. This place is like a second family to me! I have known a lot of the employees and regulars that go there for years and it's always a good time. However, I have not been there since around August, which is a while for me, so it was about time for a visit and ohhhh what a great visit it was! They had the old school techno and I felt like I stepped back into VINYL! They had C02 spray and old school techno mixing it was awesome! I couldn't stop dancing! Will even had a great time too and was dancing with me! Ahhhhh, it was good!!!! "I got my fix....*tap tap*"

#2 - I watch Lifetime movies with my boyfriend...oh yes ladies, I caught a good one!

In the midst of all this football that I have been forced to watch on the weekends, #1 because I want to keep up with the college football, but then on Sunday, Josh is participating in a Fantasy Football League and has to keep up with his players. I am pretty good about watching football (it's my favorite sport to watch) but every now and then I crave some "Women TV" - this could consist of Snapped, 20/20 on the Women Entertainment Channel (WE), The Real Housewives, or my ABSOLUTE fav, LIFETIME MOVIES.... And so there it was, Josh and I watching football this past Sunday and while he was taking a shower I flipped to a Lifetime movie just beginning and asked him if we could take a break from football and watch this...he was reluctant, but I batted my eyes and of course got my way. Well, about 45 minutes into it, I realize that he is sucked into this movie and Lifetime is notorious for sucking you in to the upcoming PREMIERE movies that show on their Primetime on Sunday and Monday nights...and yes, we watched those too... "Selling Innocence" and "Reviving Ophelia"...doesn't that just sound lovely? Cause it was!

#3 - I got to see my Swissy!!!!

Her birthday dinner was last night! Happy 25th Birthday Swissy!!!! She was enjoying her cocktails and good convo as she took two shots of saki! Made me very proud! I knew we were swissys....I don't mind a good shot of saki myself, though I know it is not the crowd pleaser. Anyways, I bought Swissy a plum colored scarf and a matching big-beaded bracelet with a card that told her how much I adored her. I hardly ever see her, so it was nice to see her beautiful face for a couple hours; and on top of all that good stuff last night, I get to see more of her throughout the rest of the week as she is on Fall Break (she's a teacher)... Our plans involve making shirts for our race this Saturday as well as watching her play in the Alumni Basketball game at our college, University of Alabama in Huntsville. Go Swissy!!!!

#4 - My kitties are sweet and snuggly in the morning!

Now this is sort of rare....usually they wake me up in the morning wrestling and pawing at me cause they are hungry (yes, they are on a schedule!). Anyways, this happened twice that I can think of and they are so sweet snuggling with each other. I just love my babies! It helps my day start off well already thinking about how blessed I am to have such wonderful, sweet kitties. MUAH MUAH MUAH! Mommy loves you!

#5 - I can take a break and visit my friends that just had new baby girls!


Both Alicia and Heather have recently gave birth to their baby girls!

I got to see Heather's new baby, Reagan for the first time on Saturday and she is just so adorable and such a WIGGLE WORM! She's 11 weeks old and already "wanting" to stand up. She's also so interactive and I can make her smile and laugh. She is adorable!

Then I spent time with baby Briley, Alicia's new little girl. This time she was actually awake almost the whole time. She is only a little over a week old so she is still snoozing and trance-like most of the time. She's a good baby though and just SOOOO Cute!

I hope these thangs aren't contagious though, lol. I'm still enjoying all my friends and family having children and just spoiling them. :)



So that's it for this week!!! XOXO :)

The 7lb Itch....

Yep! I'm talking 7lbs of body fat!

So I was doing well with Charles and at the end of my training session, I felt a "burned-out" feeling and decided to take a break. But this break turned into a short-term disability break and then I got a boyfriend and then you just experience life! There goes the diet, there goes the workout routine....here comes Fatty Patty....oh how I hate her!

Now I'm not saying that I am fat, but I am feeling my stomach jiggle when I'm riding in the car. Not a good feeling. Also, my size 4's are not fitting! And my size 6's are getting too snug. WAHHHHHHHHH!

Yes and I turned 28 last month (Happy Birthday to me!) but with getting another year older, it's harder to lose the fat. Thanks metabolism and Mama's good genes!



REALITY CHECK!



Time to rev the metabolism up!



Time to get it together and quit being a procrastinator and just complaining and not doing anything about it.

I've also had a talk with Josh and we have teamed up to lose some weight. My goal is to be at least 150 (I'm at 157 now)....but I would LOVE to be 145.



This is where I was at when working out with Charles and I think it was on a good start...but I got lazy and burned out. I've heard this is a common problem.








































Okay so jumping back on this band wagon! Just in time for the holidays! Ha.


I dropped a lot of weight running last fall so I plan on picking this back up, as I enjoy the beautiful fall weather. I will keep lifting weights and doing all my fun classes with my girls that I enjoy.


My diet will mainly consist of salads (every variety) and Fiber One bars....hello Mr. Toilet Man.


Okay so wish me luck! I'll check back in on my target weight issue later this month and let you know how things are progressing!