Thursday, August 26, 2010

Bridal Buzzzz.....


I screamed so loud this morning in my office when I got the email from D Magazine! It may not be a magazine but it is D Magazine's Bridal Buzz!! How Exciting...it was the best news I could have this week! Yesterday I had a moment with my boss while in tears just talking about the stress and life changes I have experienced in the past 6 months. My life has been so stressful and overwhelming. Life has finally slowed down for me and WOW....I have become the person I have strived for for so long and I am just now realzing it. I have achieved almost every goal I set and it literally just hit me this week because things are slowing down...Somewhat....Knock on Wood!

I am married to an incredible patient loving man and an indepentant career driven women with a house on the way which is what I always imagined as a little girl. The conflicts and intense situations I deal with on a daily basis at work are strait out of a reality TV show, similiar to Donald Trumps....Apprentice! Yes....seriously...this includes the drama of reality TV!

Heck I am now Amy Malone not Amy Cox......That is HUGE!!! For some reason Amy Malone is not sticking to well at work even after changing my email.

The second I started planning my wedding all my vendors knew I wanted to be in a magazine! Bridal Buzz is just as exciting! Plus I still have a change to get in a magazine! After getting this email it is time to re focus and start stalking all the Bridal/Wedding magazines in Texas! I can be very persistent!

I LOVE WEDDINGS!!! I am currently sitting here drinking wine watching My Fair Wedding and it's a rerun...I have seen this one 3 times already! Good thing Steven is at a Fantasy Football thing somewhere or he would be hating me right about now :)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The A-Team

The apartment community I manage is going through a refinance in September. It has been really stressful the past 6 months not to mention I also got married within this time! There are no words to describe the pressure myself and my team have been under and now I have put a home on top of it all.

After severl prospects and residents made comments about all of us having "A" names I thought, "Oh My Goodness...I hired all "A" name girls!" Amy, Allyson, Ashley, Alicia, and Ashley A.K.A Brooke...Our regional manager is even a "A" name...Amber. This was totally not on purpose but I am so glad it happened because now we have basically created a "Brand!"

In the mist of making a marketing plan we started playing around with "A-Team" for obvious reasons. Well it stuck!! It is similiar to a sorority with colors and a mascot. Our colors are hot pink, black, and white. Our mascot is a diamond. I have even bought block letter for "A-Team" that are similiar to the letters a pledge would receive for their sorority. We have stickers that we are going to stick on all marketing items with the hopes that in 6 months to a year the "A-Team" is something that everyone in our area knows and hopefully brings in more traffic and more leases!





Sunday, August 22, 2010

My Style

Steven and I are in our 10 day option period with our 1st home! I can't help but to obsess about the decor of each room...I am driving myself crazy! My friend Amy posted this awesome link that has a quiz about your decor style and WOW...It is right on the money!

Mine is:
50% Hollywood Couture
33% French Eclectic
17% Classic

I have to say I completely agree! Check out the definition of Hollywood Couture..it pretty much sums me!

Hollywood Couture
"Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream?" That's right, its time to roll out the red carpet and get ready for the sparkle of crystal and all things flashy that make up the Hollywood Couture style. Hollywood Couture style originated in high-end lifestyles that made up the years between the roaring 20's and the swinging 40's where it was important to bring a feeling of glamour to the home when the world outside may have lacked it. Nowadays it's scratching a similar itch in the sense that it's bringing a sense of opulence to a world that seems to have forgotten how much fun it can be! The great thing about the updated version of the style is how versatile it is. You can really take it in any direction and add almost any style into the mix, perhaps a contemporary leather sofa paired with lacquered Louis XIV chairs that have been upholstered in lush velvet. The key is that each item feels as rich and over-the-top as possible and yet everything still seems livable. It's not a space that screams: "do not touch" - rather it almost dares you to experience its luxury."

I think it describes my style to a tea! Not just my home decor style but my fashion as well. I think my wedding pretty much matched this desription as well.






These 3 are my fave! Clean but a little bit of sparkle and pop of great color!


This isn't Hollywood Couture but I still like it a lot....

Sunday, August 15, 2010

28 Years Old

I turn 28 this Tuesday...not real sure how I feel about that. Steven tends to ask me on a regular basis just for conversation reason if I am where I thought I would be? So the answer to that at 28 is, Yes! I don't really think I had a concept of age when I was little. I figured I would be married at 23, baby by 25, and then that's really it!

So here we are at 28! 4 months into my marriage to the date ........on the verge of being a home owner. I don't remember how old I was when I told myself I wanted to be a strong, independent, successful woman...I am thinking elementary! It has always been extremely important to me to be able to support myself and be successful in my career all on my own! I have worked really hard and have put all my time, heart, and soul into my passion for my job and being the best at it I can be. I feel like I am finally at a place in my life where I can step back from that goal and starting working on another goal of focusing on my family. What happens with my career now......happens....I have accomplished more then I have ever thought. I am extremely respected and looked up too in my industry which is an accomplishment in itself.

So here is to turning 28 in less then 48 hours and turning my focus on my husband, family, friends, and any other new things that come into my life!

Here is to going down memory lane!!!









I loved this dress! I had to wear it everywhere...And Yes I still have it!!



I loved dress up! Pretty much any Friday or Saturday night I was playing dress up with whatever I could find!



My not so attractive stage growing up.....




Cheerleading



Senior Trip in high school...Yes that is a floating wheel chair I am sitting in!



Christmas Card





College......Oh what I would do to go back for a week!!!





New Friends after college....






And of course Steven....

Thursday, August 5, 2010

House Hunting and Refi

It is kind of bazaar that Steven and I are seriously house hunting at the same time my property is up for refinance! The exact same day we put an offer on a house was the day the refi stress began!

You may ask what refi is?.....Well basically the loan at my property is up so in order to get the best rate my property has to perform extremely well! Not to mention I have to meet with all sorts of important people, do lots of reports, and maintain my day to day job. I have no idea how I would do this if I had children!

But let's get to the exciting stuff. Our offer! Steven and I found the perfect home! It was exactly what we wanted...perfect interior, perfect location, and perfect yard! It was just a little over what we want to spend but luckily the AC looked poor, hot water heater fair, and the carpet needed to be replaced due to pet damage.

We placed an offer that we knew was low just to see and of course like we expected it was not accepted. The offer that came back was $1500.00 less then the asking price, not the seller barely budged! The funny part is the current owners have only lived there for 2 years and have put no money into the home in terms of all the upgrades the house has. They are asking $17,000 more then what they paid 2 years ago during the peak of the home market. Are they crazy? Our realtor told us today the seller basically is like, "This is the best I can do." I would completely agree if he would have paid for all the upgraded in the home but seriously.......

We are going to sit on the offer over the weekend and see what happens and then give another counter offer next week. If that does not work, which I would be surprised if it did we will hope and pray the home sits and sits on the market until the seller is ready to negiciate! If not Steven and I will keep on truckin looking for our perfect home to raise all the little girls we are going to have ;)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Just Say No!

It's official! I have finally decided to just say "No" to sugar! I love sweets....they are addicting. Since I got home from Mexico all I want is sweets...cookies, candy, ice cream...you name it that is what I want! After going to Dairy Queen today and getting an ice cream cone I decided, this has gotten out of control!

I have to eat something sweet every night. This can not be healthy! Not to mention I am laxtose intolerant...but I have eaten ice cream 3 times since I have been home from Mexico. I can usually control my ice cream craving because it makes my tummy hurt but not lately.

Two of my leasing agents love sugar just as much as I do. We have a candy drawer!!! And now it has moved into the frig in my office....we have a stock of bundt cakes from this fabulous store in Southlake called, "Nothing Bundt Cake." They are incredible if you have not tried them! Super cute as party favors, promo items, or just gifts in general! Brooke didn't want to eat M&M's alone at home so what does she do...she brings 2 bags to work!



Not to mention people are always bringing goodies into my office. Like everyday! I am talking breakfast pastries, coffee drinks, candy bars, cakes, cupcakes...you name it we get it! I guess there is something about 5 cute girls working in an apartment community that just keep people coming back bringing us food. It is crazy what we get! My regional said she has never seen anything like it! How do you think I discovered the bundt cakes...someone brought them to us!



I am going to do my best to stay away from sugar! I know it will be hard but I think I can do it....

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

My Baby Princess

As many of you know I have a Yorkie Poo named Ella. I bought her after college for $400 which was my largest purchase at the time without my dads help! It was a HUGE deal for me and him ;) Ella was actually a deal! I had put a deposit down on her before she was born which also locked the price down. She was the only female in her litter plus she was the runt.

When I picked her up she was less then a pound and barely had any hair. I had to feed her this special sugar paste to help her gain weight and give her strength. And don't think I use to take her to work with me in her bag. When I lived in Dallas and worked in Grapevine I was too scared to leave her because she was so small and fragile. So Yep! I packed her up every morning and my boss at the time let me put her in a back office and she would just hang out in her bag. The bag was big for her!

When I decided to make my big move from Uptown to Grapevine the main reason at the time was she would not go to the bathroom out side my apartment in uptown because the planes flew so low near Lovefeild it scared her and there is not a lot of grass area. Everytime I took her to work she loved the open grass area...so yes...my dog like a child somewhat chose where I was going to live at the time! She is so SPOILED!!!


Gorge is her best friend! My loving new brother in law bought me this dog kit for Christmas 2 years ago and the little pink mouse was in the box. So I named him Gorge and Ella does know his name. She hides him but when I ask her where he is....she runs and gets him!


It drives Steven nuts I spell it Gorge and not George. I had to put a twist on it...it's a little stuffed mouse! It has been one of the best gifts ever because Ella loves Gorge. Ella will be 5 in September....I think we will have a big celebration. Like a Doggie Birthday :) Let me know if you and your dog want to come!