post weekend wrap-up

I guess it's about time I share my weekend with you! 

Friday night I tagged along with Jody as we went to Babe's in Burleson and ended the night with a little bowling action. I missed the chance to take any photos at Babe's simply because I was chowing down on family style fried chicken (it was so good, even the vegetarian gave in...sorta). If you live in the area and love a good home style meal, I highly suggest trying it at least once!

After dinner we headed to the bowling alley where Jody and I single handedly schooled everyone else. They were convinced we were pros. She and I were convinced we were just lucky and everyone else just had a bad game!

On the way home we eagle-eyed this awesome store. The signage ALMOST made us want to go in. Discuont!? It's gotta be good.

On Saturday I treated myself to a little shopping and since I was already out of my way for the outlet mall I figured I should pick up some hay for Motley's doghouse. She stays outside while we are at work and it's starting to get cold in the morning so we piled it in her pink doghouse to keep her warm. I'll share a photo soon. She loves it!

After some down time, it was time to get our scarlet and black on and root for Tech! Kitty tried to help, but unfortunately didn't do too much good. :( It was a valiant effort by Tech but the Sooners managed to win in the end. 7-1 record isn't the end of the world, though!

I joined our local Rec center down the street on Sunday...

..and made it down for some cardio on Monday! I did some time on the elliptical, the treadmill, and the stationary bike. Over 7 miles all together.

Proud of myself for finishing out my workout with a 6 mile ride! It's a start! (Not my TV programming of choice, btw)

This week I'm jetting off to Las Vegas and celebrating Halloween homeowner-style. I can't believe it's almost November already! 

Happy hump day!

Confessions : part one

I have a confession to make. I’ve been meaning to get this out for a while, but I’ve been afraid of what others would think. My family already knows, but I haven’t had the nerve to tell the blog world.

I love football. I hate the NFL.

I’ve read everything this fall: bloggers who love football and hate people who don’t, bloggers who hate girls that ‘pretend’ to like football, etc, etc. I’m even “participating” (loose quotes) in a fantasy football league this year in order to get more into this league that everyone seems to love, but it hasn’t worked. If possible, I might hate the NFL even more now.

For all of you people-who-don’t-like-football ‘haters’, just stop now, because I really DO LOVE football. It doesn’t run strong in my family, as I have solid memories of my mom and dad watching Cowboys games on Sunday afternoon. If he wasn’t dozing off, my dad was ‘giggling’ at the TV for all of the fumbles and missteps the Cowboys (home team) would make. My mom, on the other hand, probably cared way more than the only man in our family and to this day still gets irritated watching football with my dad.

Another confession within a confession: I was in band. Yep, die-hard band nerd right here. My family is musical and I started band in 6^th grade and stuck with it through my sophomore year of college. It was an amazing way to grow up and I don’t regret it at all! I had some of the best memories in band. It was there that we were forced to attend every high school football game and it was then that I tried to impress the boys by knowing how the game worked. First, I played innocent my freshman year and had a cute boy spend most of the game with me explaining the rules. As those four years went on, my love for the game would grow and I became one of THOSE fans. I LOVED football season.

There was a slight lull when I went to college at Stephen F. Austin in East Texas and the football was about as good as a bad high school team. That being said, the fans weren’t quite into it either, and I lost a little piece of my heart. As I wrote about here, I made the switch to Texas Tech and jumped right in with the Big 12 fan base. I LOVED our team and was at almost every game cheering them on. I managed to be on the front row multiple times and the games were the highlight of my week.

Even now, I can easily be found catching a game on TV of teams I don’t care for but I choose to watch it. I catch as many Tech games as I can, of course, and am sometimes more into it than the guys. I follow the standings, have the ESPN app, and LIVE for football season.

I hate the NFL. I have no interest in watching grown men play a game that, for the most part, doesn’t matter to them because in most cases, they still get a HEFTY paycheck. Granted, I had a great time at my first Cowboys game last weekend because I like sports and I like getting out and experiencing new things. My disdain for this particular league, though, was on a steady decline after driving to the stadium and passing parking lots that charged $60 for parking. There were TONS of people there and we had to wrestle our way into the stadium. Plus, the Dallas Cowboys AT&T stadium has a new rule that you basically can’t bring any sort of bag into the stadium. So, armed with only my cell phone and ID, I waited in line to be wanded down with a metal detector (is this Detroit?). We had GREAT seats and the stadium is beautiful, but there were the normal vendors charging something like $72 per beer or hot dog, like you see at most sports venues. Then, the whole thing was a HUGE production. They had fire–blasters (for lack of a better name) halfway across the field that nearly singed my hair every time a player came on the field. The next 3 hours were spent watching grown men saunter around with absolutely no urgency and make halfway attempts at completing a pass or getting a down. Did I mention while making MILLIONS (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars? For instance, anyone know who Travis Frederick is? I didn’t either, but I googled him (he is the center for the Dallas Cowboys – correct me if I’m wrong) and he is making $405,000 this year. That’s almost half a million dollars for playing 16 games a year. Guess who else makes $400k a year: Barack Obama. Yep, our President who has arguably the most stressful job in the world (despite your political party), makes less than a Dallas Cowboys center.

I guess if I wrap up my overall feeling of the game on Sunday, it just boggles my mind that there is SO much money in this game and it’s extremely obvious. People were crazed and I stuck out like a sore thumb without a Cowboys shirt or jersey. Then the BIG EVENT begins, the actual game, and it’s slow, void of passion, void of urgency. I understand that the fans are passionate, but I didn’t feel it at all from the players. Overall, I think that is what sets college football apart from the NFL. Not only are the fans die-hard, the team is too.

That’s why I hate the NFL.

My favorite Five on Friday yet!

I've got a sore throat, but I think I slept off all of the anxiety from last night and I'm here for another Five on Friday!

As usual, I'm linking up with April at A. Liz Adventures. Check her out!

-one-

I have been checking the weather lately to see when a chill in the air will make it's way down to Texas, and I'm pretty excited about this outlook next week:

I mean, it's no Canada, but it's a welcome break from the heat and the signal of the beginning of fall!

-two-

I saw that there was a sale on boots at Nordstrom a couple of weeks ago over on Shay's blog (yes, she is "Sean the Bachelor's" older sister!) and I've been slowly saving my pennies for a boot splurge, so I bought these puppies:

They are REALLY tall, great quality leather, non-slouchy, and on sale right now for 50% off! Yep, that's just $89.99 for a pretty nice pair of boots! Get on over there and buy some. Plus, Nordstrom always has free shipping and free returns. Can't beat that!

*update-I was a little annoyed when I went to link to the page where I bought these boots because I noticed they had been marked down even more and were now $40 less than what I paid for them just a few weeks ago. I planned on stopping into Nordstrom this weekend to see if I could return and re-buy the boots at the sale price, but on a whim I decided to give them a quick call. I didn't have to hold at all to wait to speak to a real person, and they INSTANTLY credited my card with the sale price difference. I was on the phone for less than a minute! I have to give them mad props for being the company that consumers want to buy from. Way to go, Nordstrom, and happy day for me!*

-three-

I'm thinking this weekend calls for some blog TLC. I haven't been paying much attention to it lately just because my life has suddenly sped up over the last couple of weeks, so it needs some love! I want to add a sidebar feature about Motley and Mark, but what else do you think I should change or add? 

She's sad because she doesn't have a sidebar feature.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

-four-

Speaking of Fall, I'm holding out as long as I can to put out my decorations. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fall and Halloween, but with a combination of the heat, our unfinished house, and the effort of cleaning around fall decor, I just want to wait until the moment is right. Here are some photos of my previous decorations over the last couple of years:

A little decor at my first Dallas apartment!




I loved this fireplace...even though it didn't work!


Harvest blocks courtesy of Kelly. Aren't they cute?!


My sister as a TMNT and me as Amy Winehouse!

The spread from my Halloween party a couple of years ago.

-five-

I mentioned I had high anxiety last night, and if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you'll know why. It's because Texas Tech (I might have mentioned them once or twice here and here) had their first conference game against a new rival, TCU. My sister and other family members went to TCU and if anything, they have some pretty die-hard fans. Tech and TCU haven't played each other much over the last 10 years, but TCU joined the Big 12 conference last year and I can see the early makings of a pretty big rival, even outside of my extended family. Mark and I joined friends at a "Tech" establishment with about 100 other fans and watched the game on the big screen. It was a nail-biter, but we pulled out ahead and are undefeated so far! Tech always seems to bring a dramatic game, and this one was no different. Here are the headlines this morning from the Ft. Worth Star Telegram and the Lubbock Avalanche Journal:

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Lubbock Avalanche Journal

Now, there is rarely a game with perfect officiating and this game did have its questionable calls, but all in all, my Alma Mater won and it was a great game! I'd love to address some comments from TCU fans on Facebook, but I'm trying real  hard to bite my tongue...and that's all I'll say about that! Wrecked 'em!

Happy Weekend!

Blogtember Day 6 : Making the transfer

Ok, I'm doing it! I'm joining up with Jenni and chiming in for Blogtember!

Here is the prompt today: 

Day 6. Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn

This one is almost too easy. Yes, there was a big turn the day I met Mark, or the day I accepted my first job out of college, but I know for a fact that my life took one of the most drastic turns the day I decided to apply for a transfer from Stephen F. Austin State University to Texas Tech in the fall of 2006. (yep, I'm talking about my college experience again)

I was SO excited when I got the confetti-filled acceptance letter from SFA in 2005. I loved the campus, I loved the distance from home, and I loved the idea of starting new! I went in head first majoring in Interior Design. I had a good roommate, old friends and new friends, and I liked my classes. My freshman year I even rushed with a service sorority and got involved with them. I fell in love with the church and college group there, and I really liked the small town and all of the adventure there was to be found. 

In the summer of 2006, I came home to work a job at the YMCA. It was a ton of fun and I met one of my closest friends, Jessica, while working there. One night, I think I was browsing the internet for Interior Design or trips or something (I don't remember exactly) when I came across a Google image that linked to the Texas Tech Interior Design group. There was a class there that went on a yearly trip at spring break to different cities in the US. They did presentations and, needless to say, it sparked my interest. Seemingly out of nowhere, I started talking about a transfer. I mentioned it to my parents and they thought they brushed me off when they told me I should think about it some more and head back to SFA in the fall. I remember discussing it with my coworkers, too, even though there was no real 'plan' to transfer.

Fall started back at SFA and I dove in even more. I decided to enroll in the marching band, which is what I had done all through junior high and high school, so it was something I knew how to do and I knew I would make friends doing. I made a TON of friends that semester, lived in an awesome on-campus apartment, and continued having a good time in college. However, I noticed that the Interior Design classes seemed to slow down and not be very challenging, especially when we had a project to design pumpkins during the fall. (I'm still not sure what that was) Overall, though, I was still learning and having fun with my classmates. 

Then one night at 11pm during the middle of November (I think it was) I logged on to the internet, sat down for about 2 hours, and applied to Tech. I graciously told my mom that she "owed me $50". When she asked me why, I told her it was for the application fee to Texas Tech. I didn't really talk to her or my dad for about 24 hours, but something happened (I don't remember talking them into it) and they went along with my new direction. We quickly planned a trip to Lubbock for a few weeks later to visit the campus (nope, I had never been before!) and I loved it. I anxiously made the transfer in January 2007 and didn't look back.




we stumbled upon the carol of lights on our first visit, so I ended up going 4 years in a row! (yes, already decked out in Tech gear, and I still have and wear that sweatshirt!)


snow on the ground during our visit...

I get a lot of flack sometimes about not acknowledging SFA as part of my college experience, but it just seemed like a transition point to me. Somehow, I knew that Texas Tech held something better for me, and I was brave enough to follow through. I'm still extremely grateful for my time at SFA because I had a GREAT time, but I think I was supposed to stumble across Texas Tech, and I'm extremely glad that I did! By the way, I ended up going on one of those spring break trips! Tech ended up being one of the best experiences of my life; and I have friends, an insane amount of pride, and my husband to prove it! 





If I can offer any advice, I would say to put on a brave face and make a big change when you can feel it tugging at you. It will be hard, it might be scary (just ask about my first semester at Tech), but it will most likely turn out to be the best decision you made!

Labor Day weekend and Target Tuesday bliss!

I LIIIVVEEEEE for long weekends. They are such a great little treat every so often. I love them because skipping a Monday workday always works out for the best. Plus, it makes for just a 4 day work week, and who doesn't like that?

We made sure to mix in a little fun and a little relaxation to our weekend. Check it out:

Friday night Mark and I headed to Fuzzy's (where else?) to watch the first half of the Texas Tech vs. SMU game. I was super pumped for the game due to a) my post from Friday (check it here if you missed it!) and b) this was an away game, played here in Dallas, and I happen to work about 1/2 of a mile from the SMU campus so as I left work on Friday, I watched as droves of Tech fans crowded the stadium.

A high school and college friend posted this on their Facebook during the week and I couldn't help but crack up. It's the SMU 'mustang' mascot on the left and the Texas Tech Masked Rider mascot on the right. Clear winner, right?

Saturday, we managed to get ourselves locked out of the house before heading to Home Depot. Long story on how it happened, but we ended up tearing off part of the doorknob to get it unlocked! R.I.P. one carefully ORBed doorknob.

After we successfully broke into our house (but then quickly secured it again) we headed to Home Depot. Mark decided he wanted to re-do our back flowerbed so I went along for the ride. We ended up with all of this!

I came across this super cool light fixture that I have in mind for the breakfast area. Maybe one day...

We did lots of this on Saturday afternoon...

We headed down the highway on Sunday night for a date night at Alamo Drafthouse. We saw Elysium and it was alright...super gory, but it did keep my attention, so that says something!

I worked on some crafts during my quiet time this weekend, and I was happy to finish before it ended! The first was this super easy burlap wreath. I'm hoping to change out the ribbon and maybe add a few things as the seasons change. I'll try for a DIY post one day!

I scored these cut-off shorts a few years ago at the resale shop called Buffalo Exchange. They had been cut off prior to being sold, but the previous owner did a really bad job and they were awkward and constantly getting shorter. Finally, I decided to add some natural colored lace to the bottom to make them a little longer. Love them so far!

I headed over to my parent's house in Arlington on Monday for a pool party and I snapped a few pictures of my dad's cat Debbie (long story on the name) who is 16 years old and hanging on for dear life! She was a hermit most of her life but she is actually quite pleasant now!

As always, follow me on Instagram here, or search for @buchanandiana to see my updates live!

ALSO - lest you thought I forgot - it's time for another Target Tuesday!!!

How sweet are these ottomans?! I love an ottoman. They are perfect for an extra seat, a footstool, a coffee table, a cat bed, anything! I like the blue one in the middle on the top!

Sorry for the finger shot! This mirror is super cool. It has that industrial vibe without being too rustic. It looks like something you might pick up at an antique fair!

I've seen these items all over the Internet. I'm pretty sure the price listed is for two, which isn't bad at all! Again, Target is running with the industrial vibe!

Can I say how much I LOVE Threshold frames?! They are so fun, eclectic, unexpected, and pretty. Target does great in the frame department!

Target also has some awesome lamps. I love that they have so many fun shade options, like the textured one above. Also, they have a bunch of clear bases that you can style on their own or with items (like the classic seashells-cheesy, but good if done right!) inside for a house with a more obvious theme.

As always, I'm loving Target! Did you score any Labor Day deals? I hope everyone had a safe, fun, and relaxing weekend!

Pssst...be sure to write about YOUR weekend and link up with Sami here!