The Best Part of Moving

One of the best things about moving is getting new stuff! 


As I've been packing up my belongings to move cross country in August, I've noticed a few things are missing. So I went to Amazon and made myself a little list. As the days have went on the list has become longer and longer. 


Here's a few little beauties that I'd love to get for my new home...

Egyptian Cotton Towels

A goblet and pitcher drinking set

Orange Utensil Set

Aren't all of those super cute? I want! I want! Anyways, it'll take me forever to get everything on my list because moving isn't cheap people. If you'd like to see my entire wish list (or totally buy me something.. ha) take a look at it here . 

Go Team USA

I love the Olympics. I always think it's a magical time. I view it as a time when the world tries to come together to celebrate the innocence of the games and to honor the Olympians hard work.

I love London. I've been there a few times and studied abroad there while I was in college. When I heard they got the bid, I couldn't wait to see what they did with it. Now with that said, I watched the Opening Ceremonies just like I'm sure a billion others did. Was I the only one who was a little shall we say... bored by the beginning? I thought it focused way too much on the country's history. This is their third time hosting the games. We know their history. It seems like they wanted to smash it all together. The music was good but the story of the teens was just too much.

I did love the walk of the athletes though and of course the lighting of the torch! I can't wait to see the swimming, gymnastics, running and badminton! Those people are serious about their badminton!

Theater Thursday

It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing... It's Theater Thursday! This week's featured movie is, Point of No Return.

Bridget Fonda stars as Maggie, a former drug addict who gets caught up in an armed robbery. Maggie who's out of her mind on drugs and is needing a fix kills a police officer. Maggie is found guilty and sentenced to death. 

Thinking that her time is up and at the last moment a secret government agency recruits her to become their hired assassin. If she's unwilling then she'll really be killed. Maggie who isn't too keen on the idea decides she wants to stay alive. 

Will Maggie make it in this new life? Watch the movie because it's a great film. 

Weekend Recap

I spent a lot of the weekend packing. I have a lot done but I've got so much more to pack up it's not even funny. To entertain myself while packing, I began re-watching one of my favorite teenage shows...

Maybe it's been all the Katie Holmes news updates but I had been wanting to watch some Dawson's Creek all week long. I watched all of season 3 (my favorite) and my love for Pacey aka Joshua Jackson is firmly cemented. Apart from the actual packing, it was a good weekend! 

A Little More Than House Hunting

While I was in Sacramento house hunting, I did manage to do a few little things. First I made sure to eat at my favorite burger joint...

In-n-Out

I went by my favorite vintage/antique furniture place...

 The Antique Company

I was able to buy this great find from the Antique Company and I love it! They actually had a few different owl bracelets/cuffs but I went with this one...

 We were also able to head down to the capitol and see Arnold's old stomping grounds!

 This is when I saw real orange trees for the first time in person. I've seen some fruit bearing trees before but I don't ever remember seeing orange trees. Even on all the trips to Florida that I've made. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Then of course I went back to the car and had a 42.00 parking ticket on my car. Um... meter maids of Sacramento, I had 7 minutes left on my little paid ticket!!! Apart from that, all I did was house hunt.

From Breakdowns to Happiness

3 days
17 home viewings
1 apartment viewing
5 home offers submitted


I spent three very stressful and exhausting days going through 17 homes all over Sacramento, California. I cried. I laughed. I had an extreme meltdown. 


I had viewed homes all Thursday afternoon and all day Friday. I had only seen one home that I loved enough to put an offer on. The rest I was kinda iffy on. By Friday evening I had found out that I had been out bid on the home I loved and that it was going into contract with someone else. Cue the freak out. 


Saturday morning, I got up and went to look at three of the homes again that I had seen on Friday. Since I was leaving in only a few hours I figured I might as well. I thought they were nice and I went ahead and put in offers. Then my realtor told me about a house that had just came on the market at midnight. We thought, "What do we have to lose? Let's go look at it!"


We got in the car and from the moment we got there I liked it. We walked inside and I loved it. The backyard is huge and has so much potential. The kitchen was completely new with granite counter tops and new stainless steel appliances. New hardwood floors, new carpet and new paint. Here was the problem though.... they were asking the max of what I could get a loan on so I knew I could only offer their asking. Why is that a problem? Oh because it's a bidding war on real estate right now in Sacramento thanks to investors. 


So we went back to the realtors office, wrote the offer for the asking amount and 17 extra dollars (my birth date). I thanked my realtor for all of her hard work, got on a plane to go home and crossed my fingers that at least one of my offers would get accepted. All the while secretly hoping that I'd get that last house. 


Yesterday afternoon my realtor called, "Jennifer! How much did you like the house on ____ Drive?" I loved it, Why? "Well it's yours! They accepted your offer!"


I have a home people! We are set to close in 30 days so let's cross our fingers that everything goes great and that come next month Josh and I will be moving into our home together!! 

Isn't it cute?! Sneak peek! 

Sunday Social

Best trip you've ever been on

London and Graceland

Best idea for a girls weekend trip

Las Vegas

Best idea for a couples trip
A tropical Beach

Best vacation on the cheap
San Francisco 

Place you most want to visit

Australia

Not only just for Sydney but to see the outback

Vacation/Travel necessities
Comfortable clothing

The Hunt Is On!

Today I'm in....

I'm on the hunt for a place to live! I've been working with a realtor since finding out that I got my transfer and now the day of visiting houses is finally here. I'm hoping I can find a great house this weekend and get my offer in and it be accepted! 

The housing market in Sacramento is insane. Houses aren't staying on the market long (as in a week) and are often going for more than the listing prices. If you've ever bought a home then you already know it's a long, tricky process so this doesn't help the process. 

Let's all cross our fingers and toes... and anything else you can that I find a great place that I love!

Theater Thursday

It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing... it's Theater Thursday! This week's featured movie is a  favorite of mine and it's none other than... Sixteen Candles.

Sixteen Candles follows the sixteenth birthday of Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald). It's one of the most memorable birthdays is a person's life and Samantha is sharing this special time with her sister Jenny who's getting married the weekend of her birthday. 

Samantha's parents are so busy with last minute wedding preparations, family coming into town and the antics of Jenny's fiance Rudy that they've forgot all about her birthday. When Sam realizes that her entire family has forgot she decides to let her best friend know that she's got a crush on the most popular guy in school... Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling). 


Accidently finding a note Jake is aware that Samantha likes him. After a horrible party at his house he realizes that he doesn't care for his current girlfriend and that he might actually like Samantha. It'll take the school nerd (Anthony Hall) to help get them together. 


If you've never seen this John Hughes classic, it's definitely worth watching! 

Happy Birthday Mom!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Today is my mother's birthday and I want to wish her a big, happy, happy birthday! I love you mom and I hope you have a special day. You are the best and you bring so much positivity into my life. 

Happy Birthday!

Let Me Entertain You

Friends, as the days tick by and it gets closer and closer to the big move the more busy I have become. I made time to go see a movie. I saw this...

and let me tell you it was highly entertaining. I really liked it. If you haven't seen it yet, catch it before it goes out of the theaters. 

 

I also spent a large amount of the weekend trying to beat the heat! It's been in the 100's for days and with the humidity it's been pretty HOT. Hope everyone had a great weekend! Remember to stay cool and hydrated!

Social Sunday

Today I'm linking up with Ashley and Neely for Sunday Social

What is your favorite TV show of the past?

The West Wing and Saved By The Bell

What is your current favorite TV show?

and

Which reality show would you NEVER do?

I will not eat bugs

Which reality show would you LOVE to do?

What is the TV personality/character that you feel is most like you?
Elaine from Seinfeld

Which TV character would you want to date?

Pacey circa Dawson's Creek

He will be Missed

Sadly, this week the world lost Andy Griffith. 

I was deeply saddened by this. Why? Because since I was a kid I've been watching Matlock. Yes, he's known for his hit show Andy Griffith but I loved him as the ace, defense attorney Benjamin Matlock. 

I've seen every episode at least 20 times. I'm even low balling that number. No joke. 


I can remember watching it with my mom as a kid while at her workplace. I can remember being sick and home from school with my grandma. I can remember watching it in high school and college. I can remember watching it while I was living in Alabama and it being something familiar from home. 


Plus Andy Griffith and my grandpa were so much a like. Besides their physical appearance they had so many character and mannerisms that were so similar. 


Now that I'm moving to California, it'll be something that I watch and I'll always associate all these memories. I know I'm certainly sad that he's gone now. 

New Places, Old Places

Once I found out I was getting my transfer to Sacramento, I knew I needed to make sure my favorite stores were there as well. Granted a lot of stores are nationwide but I just needed to make sure. Besides some things are east coast (Hardees) and then some things are west coast (Carl's Jr.). 


The first thing I made sure Sacramento had...

and of course my favorite fast food, chicken place...

And of course I had to make sure they had my go to place for hashbrown casserole..

So now that I know some of my favorites are out on the west coast and in my new city, I gotta ask my California girls and especially my Sacramento bloggers.... where's some great places I should try and add to my must go to list? 

Oh Ben Franklin!

I knew I enjoyed and appreciated electricity but this weekend made me realize even more how lucky and grateful I am that I wasn't born in the old days before it was in every house hold. 


If you're on the east coast or if you've watched the news then you know that millions of people spent the weekend (and some of the hottest days of the summer so far) without power. Guess what runs those fans and air conditioning? Ohhh.. a little thing called electricity. 


So on Friday everything was going fine. I get my chicken into the oven and I can tell it's getting dark outside. Then I hear this random noise on my porch. 


I open up the door and can see the wind is whipping like it's the opening scene of The Wizard of Oz. A plant had fell off the porch. We got all of the plants off the ledge and out of the winds harm. Well then the trees started snapping like tiny twigs. It literally looked like a tree bomb went off all around town. My next door neighbor, a tree split in a half and fell on his front porch/roof. The roof of a front porch was ripped off by the wind, etc. 


It was insane weather. Then the power flickered. Then we heard the transformers pop all the way down the block one by one. Then everything went black.


My chicken came out of the oven and then we sat hoping the power would come back on. The house started getting so hot. I mean it was 104 degrees that day so naturally it's going to get hot fast. We even sat out on the porch while some of the storm was going on because it was cooler outside than inside. 


We kept thinking the power would come back on in the night some time. They had to be working on it. So we hunkered down for the night and hoped to God that it would get cooler. Well we got a few hours sleep and nothing! We finally got power midday on Friday. I had never been happier to have the AC. I didn't turn it off for a whole day. 


I feel bad for the people who still don't have it. If it wouldn't have came back on then I wouldn't have been able to be at home. It was miserable hot. So I'd like to give a big shout out to Mr. Benjamin Franklin for figuring out electricity! 

For real... thank you Ben Franklin and AEP for getting the power back on in my neighborhood! I would have cried if not.