So... you've never met her in person?

Sometime in the Octoberish era of 2011 a string of blog comment emails, as they tend to do, turned into g-chatting. I didn't really know who this chick was, but she was funny. And we seemed to see eye to eye on a lot of things.

Following my natural trajectory of meeting people on the web (ahhem, boyfriend), it should really come as no surprise that she quickly became one of my best friends.

Fast forward to a few weeks back when I casually mentioned going to visit LT as we were chatting one day. She immediately pointed out the close vicinity of LT to her. Queue the great big 'finally meet at long last' plans.

Saturday morning LT was getting ready to go to work and I was getting ready to meet Whitney for the first time. He didn't know that. Non-bloggers don't get it. I had always referred to her exactly as what she was, my friend, not as "some chick from the web" or any other equivalent. He knew we met through blogging, and after brushing his teeth he stood there puzzled, deep in thought. "You've never met her in person... have you?" he finally uttered. A grin spread across my face. "All the best relationships develop that way, don't they?" He gave me a goodbye kiss and with the most serious face told me to be safe. Silly boy.

Not long after my phone lit up. I headed down the hotel stairs into the bright Maryland daylight and there she was posted up against her Equinox like some sort of Clint Eastwood movie. It's so funny in retrospect. We hugged, said FINALLY! and hopped into her car to chat the entire drive to DC, like old friends.

LT text me a few hours into it, confirming I wasn't cut up dead  in a dumpster. I eased his worries and we carried on. She drug me all over Gods great East-Coast earth the next two days, leaving me with souvenir shin splints as I hobbled onto my plane at the Baltimore airport Sunday night.

So funny how paths collide in this crazy world. Let's just hope it doenst take another 12 months for ours to cross again!

Don't online shop without this!

If you plan on doing online shopping this season, which I have decided to do entirely, I urge you to look into ebates if you havent!

You simply sign up, and then get a little kickback when you shop. 1, 2, even up to 12% back sometimes. (You have to visit ebates first and then click through their link to the store of your choice - don't forget that step!)  

Check out the Cash Back specials they have right now. Seriously, pretty much any store under the sun is on here (even random places you wouldn't expect, like Lowes - but you can buy online and pick up in the store!). Target, Snapfish (20% back - hello holiday cards!), Walgreens, pretty much any hotel chain (3% back  on a whole vacation would be a nice little check!),  5% at Nordstrom.... sooo I can buy the $100 boots I've been drooling over, and get $5 back for no reason other than because I used ebates? Love. Love. Love.

It may not seem like much... but heck, it's free money - why not!? Then you can either have a check sent to you, or have it sent directly to your PayPal.

Sigh, I love a good deal!

(No, this is not a sponsored post or anything, I just get excited about good deals ha!) 

 

Eastbound and down.

Source: twinning.tumblr.com via Becca on Pinterest

It's funny.... I was super nervous as I stepped off the plane Wednesday night. I had just landed in Baltimore, it was late but I was too giddy to yawn. As I stepped through the automatic doors my phone vibrated with a text instructing me to look to my right. There was that white truck, there was my boy anxiously hopping out the drivers side door to greet me with the biggest hug.

It had only been three weeks, maybe four, since we last saw each other. But that's a lot. A lot when you're used to seeing each other 3 or 4 times a week.

Frederick, Maryland welcomed me with open arms. You see, the boy works 8am to 7pm every day. So I would take him to work, wander the town, go grab lunch with him, wander some more and then anxiously await 6:59 when I would pick him up for the evening.

There were a ton of little boutiques to satisfy my shopping craving, and the restaurants were outstanding  Seriously we did not have a bad meal. It was so nice to just be there, doing the "normal" thing for a few days. Getting ready together, grabbing food, walking hand in hand, catching a movie, laughing and smiling.

Four days was FAR too short of a visit. And with no timeline on when he may be back from this gig, it was really hard to say goodbye when Sunday rolled around.

And like a dummy, I am absolutely KICKING myself for not getting ANY pictures of us. Seriously. I may have cried about it when I realized. (Melodramatic, I know)

(I also had a chance to FINALLY meet a girl who's been climbing the friend charts lately, but that's another post for another day!)
 

Tip it Back

LT and I have this thing where we get excited about non-mainstream country singers and immediately make the other listen to a song when we stumble upon it and deem it great...

Well early on in the summer his flavor of the month was some band called Florida-Georgia Line. (Hah, hilarious saying that now since they've skyrocketed on the charts lately)

Lo and behold I OBVIOUSLY fell in love with them and immediately made all my friends listen. And when we heard they were going to be playing at the Tin Roof in Indy a bunch of us scooped up the $5 tickets.

Casey and I went there immediately after work (because we're nerdy like that) and got to see the guys of FGL setting up the stage and just hanging out, we had some drinks and waited for the rest of the gang to arrive.

(of course we had to carry on the tradition of the Summer of Pabst)

 

 Easily one of the funnest concerts I've ever been to. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to their like 8 songs on repeat. I can't wait for their actual CD to come out in early December!

Catching up

I feel like there's so many things I've forgot to post about. Which while you may all not care I actually like to refer back especially when it comes to things like my niece's battle and relationship jazz ;) So. bear with me. or "x" out the screen. Whichever!

-Liv is facing her second battle with the same cancer, the Wilms tumor. She began chemo last week and will continue that for 12 weeks until hopefully surgery will be possible. She's such a strong little thing, I know she will get through this

-LT is still bouncing around the country doing the new gig. Since Chicago (and my overexaggerated meltdown) he has been to Louisiana twice and is now on the east coast dealing with the Hurricane Sandy mess.

-The great pantry redo of 2012 is still underway. My dad is insanely awesome. He has spent so many hours in that 5x8 room working effortlessly. To say I will have one heck of an amazing pantry is the understatement of the century.

-My weekends have been so full of concerts lately. So much good music and great times, I cannot wait to backtrack and share those with you!

-Work is finally slowing down post Halloween. Thank goodness. That was like 3 weeks of hell.

-Oh yea,I had a birthday in there. It was spectacular. I have the best family and friends, seriously! The big 25 now. I forget. I still try to tell people I'm 23. That's the age I always think I am ha.

I think that about highlights everything monumental and not-so-monumental. Hope you're all well!