save the last dance for me

7 years ago today I married Mr. B. It was a day just like today here in Louisville, KY. The sun was out shining, it was not too cold at all, and there was a hint of Christmas in the air.

I think we still make the cutest couple.

I carried the most beautiful red roses {that I put together myself}. I walked down the aisle in my Dad's arms in our little country church. We had a big band orchestra at our reception in downtown Louisville that played into the wee hours in the morning. And as a complete suprise...my new husband serenaded me with "Save the Last Dance for Me" while I danced with all his friends and fraternity brothers. Such lovely memories...and even more followed after 7 years.

With our anniversary approaching I find it is so hard to buy gifts for Mr. B, but this year I found something that was perfect. Since the 7th year is copper {at least according to the internet}, I had this stunning cuff from Etsy customized with 7 copper plates. Each plate commemorated something special for each of the years we were married.

And to keep it real..as I re-promised myself to do on this blog...once you pan back, you get the real image of Mr. B in his natural habitat.

No. He had no clue I even took these pictures. After 7 years, I have gotten pretty sneaky.

There is no need to save the last dance for my husband. He has my dance card filled now and forever.

Cheers~

e

Are you there blog? It's me, MeganDVD

taken today in ordinary clothes and in ordinary light

It has been close to 19 weeks since I last posted on my blog. 19 weeks...it has been so long and yet gone by so fast. While I could say I needed a vacation or a break, what I really needed was to refocus myself and my blog. I needed to rediscover my voice because I was not sure who was being the author of this blog anymore.

So...I closed the computer.

And I have had a bit of an awakening.

I guess now the true reason as to why I have been hesitant in coming back is #1 coming to full terms with what I have discovered and #2 it was nice to just relish in living life and not having a "burden" of documenting it.

Life is so much simpler when you do not have to tote a DSLR around. Life is so much more quiet when you do not have to tweet your latest find. And..it is amazing how many minutes are left in the day to focus on the world rather than the virtual one.

Am I leaving my blog? No...I am just realizing where it needs to go and I hope you will come with me.

Cheers~

e

P.S. I smiled when I realized this was my 200th post...it was meant to be.

self-portrait

Thurgood often asks me if he can play with my phone. He loves the camera function. I have often found multiple self portraits of my child. But today when playing with my phone...he took a picture of me.

When I saw it...it was so pure and raw and so VERY real. I was actually surprised by the shot {afterall..he is 4}.

This is definitely me...hair up and focused.

And what has my attention you ask?

I am studying for my boards.

This is one DIY that I want to perfect....and trust me, I will let you know the pending days of the BIG exams {oh yeah...I have to take 3!}. I need all the positive vibes out there for me. I usually don't have test anxiety, but this is testing that theory.

Cheers~
e

a thank you

It is so much easier to vlog when you still feel a little sick in the stomach and have some pains in the abdomen. And please...ignore my eyes in the opening still. No that is NOT the oxycodone...that is me. :)

Hmm...I kinda like vlogging. :) Might have to do this more often. Hehehe. Excited to finally meet some of you on Saturday at The Mint Julep Jaunt!

Cheers~
e

my days of wearing a bikini are numbered

I had about 8 posts ready to go since my last post...all on lovely things: weddings, birthday parties, home decor thoughts, a new blooming craft of mine, etc...but everything changes.

a pic of me 24 hrs before my attacks with my fabulous hair & fabulous faux lashes

On the night after Thurgood's birthday party I was awoken by an intense pain that radiated through my chest. I thought it was indigestion or gas..a bubble if you will. It reminded me of an intense hunger pain but high up. I thought nothing of it till the next day when I had a second episode while I was home alone with Thurgood and it really scared me.

I saw my doctor the next day and was sent off for labs and an ultrasound. All labs came back great, but I was but I knew it was coming when the call the next day came. As my MD said, if you are going to have something..have something you can fix. I had a few rather large gallstones  -- which meant surgery.

Surgery? But I have the mandatory Naplex review at school. But I have my final research presentation.

Surgery? But I am to graduate from pharmacy school on June 11th. But my family will be in Florida from June 4th to June 10th.

Surgery? But I have boards to study for. But I have a new job I plan to start.

Surgery.

I spoke with my doctor and confirmed my wishes..my goal: I wanted to walk at my graduation on Saturday, June 11th.

Am I scared? ABOLUTELY.
Will I get through it? MOST DEFINITELY
Who do I need to hold my hand? EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU


I will keep you posted...just promise you will be there.


Cheers~
e

celebrating june

June is going to be a FABULOUS month. Yes, I graduate from pharmacy school June 11th, but why stop there at making June fabulous? I look at June 12th as my rebirth back into the social world that I once relished in. Hard to believe I am a social butterfly, isn't it?

So putting my head together with my "Blog Mom" Gail at My Repurposed Life, we could not think of a better way to celebrate June but with YOU. Not the blogger you..but YOU the person...YOU, our friends.

We want all of us to meet and to laugh and to shop and to eat and to laugh again....like real friends do in the real world. We share so much together that it is time we take another risk, and the best part is -- we do it together.

Personally, I want my blog to finally live up to the true expectation that I had hoped for from the very beginning -- to indulge in my favorite hobby: making new friends.

So what do you think?

Stay tuned......we are finessing the details of celebrating June -- together.

Cheers~
e

so haute

This post is brought to you by Floyd Memorial Hospital...:)

Who needs a good hair day when you spend your day in the OR?

Hmm...I need to reshape my brows and man can I work a floral print.

Brr...it was SO cold {more so than normal for the OR} so I had to layer up even if my colors were not regulation, but I do look very Spring like.

On my last rotation, which also happens to be my future place of employment so I am all over the place shadowing and exploring possible areas for pharmacy to make a stake {imagine me as an OR pharmacist} .....and June 11th can not come soon enough.

 I am tired of being a "wanna be" pharmacist. I am ready to be MeganDVD, PharmD. :)

Cheers~
e

hello mid-April

I took this picture the 1st of April and planned to blog about my need for help in taking pictures of myself on Monday. Oh how I would love to link up with all those lovely ladies who blog their outfits on Wednesdays...but with a 50 mm prime lens....it is so difficult. And now looking at this picture...my right hand looks terribly witch-like. {Maybe I should pass on the self portraits}

Fast forward to now....and yes..my life has been a whirlwind at U of L hospital. From last minute marathon exams to project after project, I have been far from relaxed..but June 11th will be here soon enough, and maybe then my life can begin again.

Thank you again for all your support and your friendship. Thank you for remembering that I am a PharmD student, a wife, a mom, and a blogger....and I am truly attempting to find beauty in the balance of the 4.

And just wait till you see what I found this weekend! I think I was blessed with an awesome find to redeem my blogger's soul. :) {And if you don't care for it...just fake your excitment for me.}

Cheers~

e

i copy more than i create

Ever think to yourself..why didn't I think of that?

Ever think to yourself...why didn't I do that project last week, now

I look like a copy cat if I post about this week?

I am hoping I am not hearing crickets after I type those questions. I fall into that downward spiral of questioning way too much. And after much thought...I am over it.

It is hard to not find something not brand new in the real or the vitual world. It all gets reused, renewed, and recycled...and everyone does it beautifully. I think the thing to do is embrace it and move on.

Ever wonder who found that 1st can of chalk board paint? Who made the 1st coffee filter wreath? Who wrote the 1st silhouette tutorial?

Well it really doesn't matter {unless you're that person..sorry that we have never met}...what matters is that it was found, made, and written...and that we have blogs to spread their fabulousness.

Cheers~
e

Come by this blog hop for free shopping...FREE...yes, life is this wonderful. :)

on eagle's wings

picture by Vogue

Rough week...sad weekend....somber Monday.

Please forgive my absence...a heavy heart does not provide the most inspiring words.

My grandfather's twin passed away. He and my grandfather were actually born in my parent's home {yes...I grew up in the same home that my grandfather did.} There is something spectacular about having the same bedroom as my Pop did.

You lived a great life Uncle Harold and left a fantastic legacy...you taught me to believe in miracles and indulge in ice cream. I am sure you and Aunt Hannah are dancing the moments away as Pop plays the fiddle.

e

our love story

Of all the love stories ever written...I am smitten with the fact that ours still has pages to be filled.

Happy Hearts Day to You & Yours

Cheers~

e

P.S. If you have placed our lovely button on your blog & I have yet to include your blog in the link...please let me know and I will quickly amend the situation.

and the winner is....

Congrats Allenaim Photography!

Here is what our lovely winner had to say about the hop and the giveaway:

Congrats on the win my dear! Shoot me a little email and we can go from there. I am giddy with excitment for you. Gail and I are thrilled with how successful this little hop/party has been. We hope we have provided the roots for many blogs {both big and small} to soar.

If I have not graced your little world, I am still working my way to your blog...I now have strep, but trust me...I am getting there. I promise.

Cheers~

e

my post-party thoughts

First thing is first...parties are such a nice way to brighten up any winter blues. You get to mingle. You get to make new friends. You get to see some lovely things here and there. You get to be entertained for quite some time.

I am smitten with these bags from DrikaB..wonder if I can make one.

I am still finishing up visiting each blog from our hop, so please know if I haven't gotten to you -- I will be very soon. I am strolling through them...and as I stroll, I really have noticed a community of friendship building.

So, I am going to challenge you to take another itty bitty risk.

It may be oh so hard to do, but I believe it will be worth it. I believe it will give you an even stronger sense of belonging to something special.

Change your blog roll.

Invite some of these new found friends from the party or thru your travels in blog world to the prime real estate capital in your little corner of blog world.

Make it an honor to be on to be on your blog roll.

Everyone knows the blogs to go for this or that, but I assure you there are so many talented ladies out there....so many bloggers just yearning to feel connected.....to feel special. I know that you will make someone's year by inviting them to your blog roll.

Yes, it is tempting to have those blogs with +5000 followers caressing the sides, but I assure you they have everyone sneaking peeks into their world every minute of the day. But that little blog with 50 followers...that  one you loved from 1st glance, well maybe your eyes were the only ones to grace their page in a while.

So go ahead..invite them to your blog roll. That little blog will feel so special...so humbled by your invitation, and who knows...they just might return the honor. :)

So...are you up for the challenge?

Cheers~
e

PS The giveaway winner will be announced tomorrow! Best wishes. :)

creating our own circle of bliss {Blissdom 2012}

Blissdom...

The party I wanted to go to but couldn't..because of money, time,...oh and school obligations.

But I wanted to go....probably more than I could ever explain without sounding pathetic.

But I did not want to go alone.

I had this fear that if I went alone...I would be alone. Ever have that fear? The fear kinda reminded me of a fear at lunch time during school.

Do you remember that 1st day of school and the apprehension that came with lunch time? The fear of not having a seat at a table was a very real and very intense feeling.

Well...I have a solution, but the solution will only work if you join me.

In this world of blogging, and boy oh boy have I been peeking into a lot of uber cute corners since Gail and I's blog hop....I have reaffirmed my belief that people who blog..blog because they want to feel connected.

It is great to be a follower, but I want to take blogging to the next level. I don't want followers...I want friends. I want my blog to be set in a community where we come together, embrace each other, and support each other...not by our stats, not by our numbers, but by our ideas and creative vision...and most importantly -- our friendship.

And so...I am inviting you to create -- "Our Own Circle of Bliss."

This circle, no matter how small or how big, will become a network of friends old and new that commit to supporting each other and getting to be more than followers, but friends.

My ultimate goal?

That all of us go to Blissdom 2012. That we create our own lunch table. :)

Having their clothes & shoes would be a much added bonus

If you want to be a part of this circle, comment or email me...and I will take it from there to create our little family...and together we will create our own bliss.

Cheers~

e {and just think...you would finally get to know my real name}

PS

You don't have to commit to Blissdom right now, but keep it in the back of your mind.

the bold & the beautiful {your blog reviewed}

Each one of us attempt to create so many beautiful things in our lives. We put so much love into finessing our homes and creating those swoon worthy crafts/projects, and yet how many of us forget to create a space for ourselves {just think how often the master bedroom is the LAST room to decorate}....In a world where we search for the perfect space, we forget our blogs ARE our perfect space.

Who needs a real-life wife/mommy cave when we have the entire virtual playground of our blog?

This blog hop is all about taking the snooping and peeking that we love to do with homes & projects to a whole new level with our blogs. While this year seems to be filled with organization and decluttering, how fitting is it to do the same with our blogs.

Gail and I KNOW this can be scary. Our blog is an extension of us and sometimes more completely defines who we are...so there is such a vulnerable feeling when putting your blog out there. But....we invite you to do it and take the risk.

Be bold.

Be beautiful.

Show us your blog....your virtual home.

When you link to the blog hop, Gail & I will give you our 2 cents on your blog {and we invite you to review all party members too}. Just promise to review each blog with grace and style. Gail & I will be gentle and we want you to be too. We know some people love chocolate ice cream while others are all about vanilla...and that is the same with blogs.

So go ahead and start with me {you can leave your reviews on my blog here}. It is always easier to take a risk when someone is standing beside you. :)

Please link your "The Bold and the Beautiful" post below. By doing so, you are inviting Gail, myself, and other guests to your blog to give you tips and advice about what might or might not be pleasing to the eye (or ear) on your blog.

And who knows....you might just make a new friend in the process.

Important Link Notes:
For the url please copy and paste the url for the post that you have written specifically for this party.
For “name” please enter your blog’s name.
For the thumbnail, please choose your blog’s button or your profile picture when prompted.

Not sure what to write about in your post for your review? See here for a BLURB...and just copy/paste it in a new post. Don't forget to grab the button up top. Also if you want the blog hop code, it is at the bottom of the blog hop and says, "get blog hop code here." :)

Oh and the best part? We are having a GIVEAWAY too! Why review a blog if you can't also get a makeover?

One lucky winner will receive a premade blog design of their very own, that will be customized by one of the great ladies, over at Designer Blogs!

In order to enter you must:
1. Be a follower of both Gail & myself.
2. Comment on this post that you would like to enter the giveaway.
{we know some of you are quite happy with your blog design but want to join in the blog hop...this allows wiggle room for those that want to party but would not use the giveaway.}

Ok, time to party! {And just a tip..for every area of improvement you suggest, tell them something you LOVE about their blog}...*party and giveaway are open for a whole week*

Cheers~
e

my blog review {have to join my own party}

Please take a look around my blog, check out the layout, pages, buttons, sidebar and gadgets. I would love for you to gently critique my blog. I’m hoping you will leave me some positive feedback about my blog. It would be great if you could give me constructive criticism but be sure to tell me what you like about my blog too! Do you like my pictures? Does my blog load quickly for you? How about the font? All tips and tidbits welcome!
Thank you for reviewing my blog and participating in my party! Come join the party and review other blogs...Be Bold....Be Beautiful!

Cheers~
e

coming to a blog near you

Coming to TOMORROW ----

A blog party hosted by Gail @ My Repurposed Life & me.

I figure if Gail gets a toon...so do I. :) {Any nesties out there remember these?}

_____________________________________________________________________________

As Gail said in her recent post:

So many bloggers are going to Blissdom, do you feel left out? MeaganDVD and I do! We’ve come up with a plan to keep us busy while the others are living it up in Nashville! Kim @ Today’s Creative Blog recently did a great series over at her Blog Frog Community where bloggers were invited to “critique” others’ blogs. I thought it was a great idea and I told MeganDVD about it and we thought it would make a great blog hop!

Here’s what you do-write a short post (or use our blurb below) explaining to your readers that you are joining in “The Bold and the Beautiful-your blog reviewed” . Invite your readers to lovingly critique your blog. Link up to the blog hop and get a critique from gail@mrl and MeganDVD@beauty in the attempt. If you link up your blog, please visit some of the other participants and gently critique their blog. Sometimes it helps to have a set of “fresh eyes” look at your layout etc.

We would love it if you join in the blog hop and paste the code to your site. The party starts Thursday night at 10 PM EST. That gives you a couple of days to make any last minute changes and tidy up before company arrives!

More info to come tomorrow! This is going to be so exciting. I love a great party!

blurb

(feel free to copy and paste, or write your own blurb)

I am so excited to be part of a very unique blog hop. Gail @My Repurposed Life and MeganDVD @ Beauty in the Attempt are hosting “The Bold and the Beautiful-your blog reviewed”.

Please take a look around my blog, check out the layout, pages, buttons, sidebar and gadgets. I would love for you to gently critique my blog. I’m hoping you will leave me some positive feedback about my blog. It would be great if you could give me constructive criticism but be sure to tell me what you like about my blog too! Do you like my pictures? Does my blog load quickly for you? How about the font? All tips and tidbits welcome!

You are welcome to join the party, it starts Thursday night and is open for a week.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Gail and I are SUPER excited about this little party. We would love for you to invite your followers and join in the fun. It all starts tomorrow at 10 PM EST. :)

Cheers~
e

tell me about you...yes, you.

pic from Oh Hello Friend {perfect for this post}

I adore my followers/friends. I have to tell the truth though...I am falling in love with many of you. Amid our emails or your comments, I find myself wandering more and more about you.  Amid all the wonderful blogs out there with all the fabulous people, we have found each other...so I want to know you even better.

And so with that thought...I am completely stealing this idea from Janell at Isabella & Max Rooms.....what can I say, I am a GREAT copycat.

Question Time {no looking off each other's answer...hehehe}:

1. Who are you? Get as specific as you like! (Where you live, age, career, single, married, kids, no kids, fond of dogs or a fish will do.)

2. What do you love? (Activities, hobbies, projects, interests: if you had a free day what would you do?)

3. If you could give me a week's worth of post topics, what would I be writing about on those days? What do you want to see/read?

4. This question is up for grabs...write your own question and answer it as you like!

I can not wait to hear from you...and thank you again for your friendship. Just the fact that you like to peek into my little corner of blog world means so much to me. Time is so precious. I am delighted that we get to share a moment or 2 together.

Cheers~
e

happy new year & happy birthday to my little blog

i love the start of a fresh new year…as well as a little birthday celebration too.

i can not believe i started this blog 1 year ago today. i still go back and read that 1st post just to remind me of my intentions, dreams, and hopes of my little blog. i think i am still quite a newbie. i am working on "my place"  and "my voice" amid so many amazing blogs, but i think i am discovering it ever so slowly.

finally let me not forget the freshness of 2011. it will herald in so many nice things for my little family – an accomplished feat {graduating from pharmacy school}, a bit of travel, a too fun family photo shoot, and a possible move. i have a pretty good idea that it will be the best year ever.  i am planning on working on projects galore..afterall, i have a house to sell & buy. 

i just want to thank all my incredible friends who make me smile throughout the day with your sweetest words.

{another favorite of Thurgood & I from a photo shoot long ago}



while i have that great big 'year at a glance' out, i'm jotting down all my ideas for what i plan to attempt this year. promise me that you will be there right with me & that we make 2011 even more special of a year together.....because anticipation of something sweet just happens to be one of my favorite feelings.

happy 2011 to you..and happy birthday little blog of mine.

cheers~
e

PS i am all about Twitter these days...come follow me {i guarantee it can be amusing}.

my theme for 2011

Here is to a new year with new ideas and new beautiful attempts in living life. I want to thank my top 5 referring sites. I am so grateful that you find inspiration in my little world.

{freckles chick}

{Megan}

{Gail}

{Kelly}

{Julie}

Here is to 2011 my sweets!

Cheers~

e