Hodge Podge

Literally hodge podge because this is just a compilation of all the rando things that ran through my head this week.

So it's been a year since our wedding and I still haven't had my wedding dress professionally sealed and packed. But I thought to myself, "I don't want to stuff my wedding dress in a box and put it in the back of my closet...it's too beautiful!" Then I remembered that Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode where the world caught a glimpse of Adrienne Maloof's wedding dress framed in a giant shadow box and beautifully displayed in her closet. Sigh. Idea: I should frame my wedding dress!

First, I called my mom just to see if she thought it was totally crazy...she always brings me back down to earth...she thought it was a great idea! Second, I talked to Paige to see if she knew of anyone in Dallas who would frame a wedding gown. (Paigey is my go to girl for anything Dallas...you have a question and the girl has got an answer) Obvi she pointed me in the right direction and added that she thought I should definitely do it. With my mom and Paige rooting me on I made my way to the framing store. So I walk in and hesitantly ask if they frame wedding dresses and I thought to myself, "these people are going to think I'm so nutty." But the fab gay guy at the counter says, "hunny we do that all the time." score. How could I ever think no one in Dallas has ever had this crazy request...did I forget where I live? I love this town! Needless to say I picked everything out (including the most expensive frame in the store...seriously how does that always happen to me?! I don't look at the price, pick it out, and then when I go to the counter it never fails to be the most expensive thing in the store. Talent or curse? Idk) and I got an estimate.

It's now officially on my to do list. First, I have to have my mom ship the dress to me. Second, I have to have my dress cleaned again and sown...someone stepped on my dress circa 2am at the reception and ripped a huge piece on the bottom. Cringe. But it's ok they were drunk and I was really happy so no big! Then finally I can take it to get framed which will take a while once they have it but will be so worth the wait! Can't wait to display my wedding dress, walk by it, and remember the most special day of our lives! Love. Love. Love.

Another thing that I am totally dying to do but will have to go on my wish list for a while because the wedding dress in a frame trumps all is a portrait of Lilly. Again I was told about this by Paige. There is a really cute, young painter from Fort Worth named Natalie Erwin who does the most lovely dog portraits. She will come to your home to meet and photograph your dog in order to capture their personalities in their own environments. I die. The background of the portrait will even be of actual things in your home...their bed, favorite chair or couch, etc. Paige and Holly have the most adorable portraits of Colton and Crosby!

Lucas is finally back from training in San Antonio and I missed him so much...its so nice to have my hubby back home. Last night was his first night back and I slept so well! I had not been getting a good night's rest while he was gone just because I've gotten so used to having him sleep next to me. Baha I sound like a stage 5 clinger but its so true. And if that werent cheesy enough that was the longest we've spent apart since we got married. So glad he is home.

So I learned an interesting new word at work this week that apparently all the young cool kids are using: bougie. Bougie comes from the french word Bourgeoisie which described the French upper class and their ownership of nice things. I learned all this after one of the fellow interns at work said I was bougie. I was like what? And she said lets just say your not the Forever 21 type. I didn't know if I should take offense or take it as a compliment but whatev she is really nice and cool so honey badger don't care...plus I think she felt bad after I told her I was actually wearing a Forever 21 dress hahah. The girls at work even say it about themselves all the time. Like, "i love valeting. Thats so bougie of me." so random but im considering adopting it. Anyways those are my spastic thoughts for the week! Xoxo

My 15 Commandments

I am not one of those people who has a list for everything or one of those "if it's not in my schedule ahead of time I can't do it" kind of person, but I do have 15 little rules near and dear to my heart that I try to live my life by. None is more important than the other...it is the combination of them all that helps me keep my life in order and in what Lucas and I refer to as our "zen."
Total side note: if either of us starts getting a little stressy or flustered we just tell each other to find our zen. Kinda hipster of us I know, but I think Lucas says "you gotta find your zen girl" more often to me than I do to him but that's besides the point.

Prissy's 15 commandments:

1. Never leave things on bad terms, fail to say something you feel like you have to, or go to bed angry.
-one of my dearest childhood friends got into an argument with her older brother one morning, stormed out, and then her brother lost his life that afternoon in a terrible accident before she could apologize.

2. Don't ask for a favor unless you are willing to return it. So make sure you think long and hard before asking for something.
-my parents always taught my sister and I never to ask for favors unless we absolutely had to because it's always better to do something for someone because you want to not because you feel like you owe them something.

3. Never show up empty handed.
-Big Martha taught us that its rude to show up to any event empty handed...no matter how casual the gathering is. If I'm invited to dinner at someone's house I always make sure I bring something: food, drinks, flowers, a candle...really anything to show the hosts that I am grateful I was included in their plans. I never show up without a gift at someone's birthday celebration...it's just nice to feel special on your birthday. Finally, I always send a gift for a wedding and/or shower...even if I don't go! Being invited to celebrate with the bride and groom on their special day is a huge honor, it means that they wanted you to be there to witness and participate in the beginning of their life together...the least you can do is send a gift.

4. Once you have said it, it's out there for good.
-thank you Pi Phi for teaching me how to sensor my social media. The only thing I have to actively work on are my words....sometimes I just have word vomit. Oops. It's easy to gossip or say things you don't mean when you're angry but it's hard to take them back. People can forgive but don't necessarily forget so it's important to censor.

5. If you borrow something, return it promptly. And make sure it's clean!
-whether it be a baking dish or an item of clothing make sure it is returned quickly to the owner and that it's clean. I literally lent a piece of clothing out once and it was returned to me 3 weeks later without being washed. WTF? Needless to say I don't lend out anything pertaining to my wardrobe any longer. Sorry I'm not sorry.

6. Try to have your nails done at all times.
-personally when I see a gal with her nails done I think to myself "she cares about her appearance." If she cares about taking care of her nails then I assume she cares about taking care of herself in general, which is always a good quality. It's easy to forget or even have time to do your nails with as hectic as life can get. But you don't necessarily have to go get them done...doing them at home will do the job! I have to say that shellac has revolutionized my life in this aspect because it lasts so long. Needless to say you will rarely see me without polish on...if you do I apologize in advance and you've caught me at a hoodratty time.

7. Don't commit to do something if your aren't absolutely sure you will be able to follow through.
-its better to turn something down than to commit and then not follow through. It makes you seem like an undependable person, and odds are you will not be asked again.

8. Take care of your teeth.
-I can't help it I'm the product of two dentists. The first thing I look at when I meet or even see people is their teeth. I literally cringe when I see people who I can tell are neglecting their teeth. I always carry floss, mints, and gum in my purse for an after lunch refresher or for when I get something stuck in my teeth which shockingly happens often. If you see someone with something in their teeth tell them...it's so embarrassing but it's better then having the person realize it later and then wonder why no one told them. Trust me I'm the queen of third party embarrassment but somehow I awkwardly muster up the courage to say something.

9. Don't lie even if the truth is hurtful.
-this is my biggest pet peeve! I have a really hard time when people lie...even little white lies or "bending the truth" or withholding information. I rather tell the truth or be told the truth even if it will hurt my feelings or it will hurt someone else's.

10. Persistence is key.
-you can't stand around in life and hope things will workout or good karma will come your way. You have to actively work towards your end goal and put in your time and then surely things will start to happen for you. It's nice when you get handed things but that is the exception not the rule. Determination, perseverance, and persistence are probably some of the most admirable qualities in my opinion.

11. Be yourself.
-in the words of the honey badger himself, "honey badger don't care." When I was younger I used to be really concerned with what others thought but now that I am out of college and married and have my good friends....honey badger don't care. I say what I think and I am who I am. If you want to be my friend great and if you don't that's fine too. So liberating.

12. Don't do business with friends.
-I've seen it happen and I've seen it subsequently fail and ruin a friendship. Never a good idea.

13. Be kind.
-there is nothing sweeter than feeling loved, appreciated, cared for, and respected for. Treating others like you want to be treated is a good policy.

14. Everything happens for a reason.
-literally my life mantra. There have been times in my life when something bad happens or things don't go my way and I think to myself why? I would wallow and be upset about it when in reality it later turned out to be a HUGE blessing in disguise. Don't question God's plan...He has a plan bigger than what is in front of us at the moment and it will definitely work out the way it is supposed to.

15. It is what it is.
-shiz happens. Sometimes there is nothing you can do about it so you just have to accept it and move on.

Wow now that I've read through it to spell check it all sounds so dramatic. Baha. But I truly believe my little rules. Can't wait for the housewarming party in 12 days! Lucas thinks I'm going a little overboard with the plans but honestly does he remember who he married? He secretly loves it.
Xoxox

Crazy

Hello dolls! After a month and a half long hiatus I am back and finally have enough time to do my hoodrat activities like blog. Life has been crazy since my last post...in the words of Seal himself, "But we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy. No we're never gonna to survive unless we are a little crazy." Words of wisdom right there. So much has happened in the past month and a half: I finished my first year of law school, went to Missouri to see Andre graduate from college, went to McAllen for a week, started my internship with Catholic Charities Immigration and Legal Services, and moved. phew. it makes me tired just thinking about it.

I am officially a 2L and so proud of myself! Not only did I survive my first year of law school but I rocked it. And I can honestly say I only had a few melt downs which occurred mostly when I had consumed some cocktails and let my pent up stress run wild which then led to tears, but that is pretty much normal in law school or at least that is what my fellow law school friends say as well. maybe we just all say that to eachother to make ourselves feel better. I apologize to those of you who witnessed my melt downs first hand, specifically on my birthday and Cinco de Mayo...on the bright side I had a really good time on those ocassions as well! Either way I am a happy girl, and I am definitely enjoying my summer vacay.

The day after finals it was off to Missouri to watch Andre graduate from Mizzou. Lucas and I definitely realized how different it is from Baylor...not in a good way. Anyways we are so proud of little Andre for graduating and starting his job! Highlight of the weekend: taking a picture in front of the Pi Phi House. It had a legit light up arrow and chain on top of the door that you could see from far away. i was def jelly we didnt have one in Waco.

                                          The Rodriguez gang

                                         Pi Beta.

A day after we got back from Missouri we went to McAllen for about a week to just chill and go to SPI. It was so nice to hang out with family & friends and have absolutely NOTHING to do after being on the go for the previous month with finals and then Missouri. We went to SPI for a day and posted up by the Wanna Wanna bar...it was such a scrumptious day and week.
                                     
The day after we got back from Mac town I began my summer associate position at the Immigration and Legal Services department of Catholic Charities. So far I have learned tons, the attorneys there are soooo nice, and it is really rewarding to help out people who are truly in need. #lovemesomecatholiccharities

After coming back from McAllen and starting work at ILS, our lives were pretty much consumed with moving until now. I absolutely hate moving...it truly is like torture. Packing and unpacking and organizing and cleaning. vom. So we moved last weekend and I enlisted the help of Big Martha. If you're moving you might want to consider hiring her. JK. But literally she is like an organizing and cleaning feign...Big Martha is the best little mover I know. One thing I realized when we moved into our cute little house is how much stuff we had in our one bedroom apartment. We were definitely living like hoarders for the past year...its like we exploded into our house and everything finally has a place. But since its bigger I obvi had to purchase some furniture. Biggest splurge: mirrored chest from Z Gallerie. love. One of the nicest perks about having a house and a dog so far? Not having to go down three flights of stairs to take Lilly out in the morning and at night. Lucas and I would take turns doing it because it was such a pain...now it rocks and Ms. Diva loves hanging out in the backyard...freedom! My new fave hang out spot: the guest room. Why? It is basically my college room which makes me think about how care free I was while at Baylor. I am literally in the guest room typing this out. Lucas has to go to San Antonio to get certified for his new job for a couple of days and I am pretty sure Lilly and I will be sleeping in my college bed while he is gone. best bed ever. Let me give you some background on the mattress we purchased when we got married. Lucas likes the mattress he is sleeping on to be firm, and I like to feel like I am sinking into my bed. problem. Mattress shopping was so stressful and we def bickered our way through the process. I am pretty sure the guy at the Mattress Giant on Henderson thought we were headed for divorce over the mattress situation. Too bad we are madly in love and luckily found a happy medium, but I still like my college bed better. I am going to miss Lucas terribly while he is in San Antonio but I am going to be as happy as a clam sleeping on my extremely squishy college bed as I am as dream about our adorbs little house.

                     My munchkin on her throne of pillows...happy she has an entire room to herself.

We are obsessed with the part of town we are living in now! There are so many things to do and delish restaurants to try. We recently went to Rise with Luke and Leah and LOVED it. def a repeat and everyone should go. It is the most charming little souffle bar with a wide variety of things on the menu and a pet friendly patio. i die. Next time I am totally getting the lobster souffle. Being sushi lovers, the next place on our list is obvi Shinsei and we also want to check out Neighborhood Services. foodie problems.
I love a good party and playing hostess. So now that we are in a house I want to throw a housewarming aka an excuse to plan an event. My latest obsessions during the housewarming party planning have been Pinterest and Etsy. I've only ordered something off of Etsy once before, and I have had Pinterest for a while but never really checked out the Wedding & Events section because I have always thought to myself "I am already married so I dont want/need to browse the wedding & events section." Most of the pins in that section are wedding related but there are a few regular party pins with really cute and creative ideas. I literally spent like 3 hours on Pinterest the other day. embarassing. I am not used to having this much extra time on my hands with school so its kind nice to hoodrat around online. Etsy is like a party supplies paradise. Cute, simple, and cheap. done and done.

I promise it wont be a month until my next post. xoxox.