Blog Swap Goodies

Remember the blog swap I hosted? How could you forget since I talked about it 3498457 times in the month of November?  Anyway, out of pure luck, I pulled Megan's name as my partner.

A little about Megan: She has the cutest kid in Texas. She has lost over 100 pounds (total hot mom!) and she promised to run (literally) to Louisiana to make me squat up and down my street till I fit into a bikini. Annnnndddd I want to be her when I grow up. Kinda like Mel. Seriously though, I have found such huge amounts of inspiration thanks to this ol' blog and so many of you ladies make me want to strive for more. Megan is one of them. So of course I was thrilled to be able to send her a few things and couldn't wait to see what she'd pick out for me.

First let me say, great minds think alike. We both made each other bib holders! I was pretty pumped about it too because as I was making hers, I was a little jealous and figured I'd have to make myself one soon. The one she sent me was adorable and all blinged out!

 

I can't wait to have my husband hang this in my office! (no, he won't let me make holes in the wall. With good reason)

 

 

Here are all my goodies! She sent me the bib holder, a pair of running socks, a hot pink Brooks ear warmer/headband, some Shot Blocks (not pictured) and an AWESOME "booty shaking music" cd. Also not pictured because I am currently jamming out to it in my car back and forth from work.

 

 

 

I loved every single thing she sent me! I wish I had sent her more running-themed things but I kept finding cute stuff I just had to send her.

 

I enjoyed this swap so much and I hope everyone who participated did as well. I know it's hard for us ladies, especially around the holidays, to take time to do something for ourselves. Honestly though, it's extremely important to feel special. Getting this package full of things someone took the time out of their day to pick out for me, made me feel really special.

 

Speaking of feeling special, I had a major major break through moment last night that I will share in a post either later this morning or tomorrow. The first thought I had was, "I have to blog about this". Funny how that happens huh? But it's too good not to share! Stay tuned...

 

 





Operation Red Bikini

Morning loves. I have great news. Holly rigged my blog up to actually allow my comments on others' blogs to be able to be responded to via email. Yes, I am lightyears behind in the blogging game, but thanks to Holly I can communicate with you people now! Thanks Mrs. Clinton Stanfield.

In other news, remember how I wanted to wear an eeny meeny bikini next summer? Well, as my instagram followers now know (sorry for the half dressed woman popping up on your iphones) I decided to step my goal up a notch yesterday.

In the back of my mind, I knew my ultimate goal for the summer was to wear a two piece, with confidence, and no shorts, t shirt or cover up to hide behind. I made some poor decisions that did not align with this goal though. I know how easy it can be to set a goal on the back burner and before you know it, the time is here and you're not any closer. I decided a few days before to buy a bikini. Well stupid me forgets it's November, so on a few shopping trips, no bikinis were in sight. I was playing around on Pinterest working yesterday and came across asos.com. Their bathing suits seemed reasonably priced and they were having a 30 percent off on everything sale. Pair that with free shipping and you got yourself a winner. I searched the site for a while, consulting with my husband via email and Leigh Ann for their opinions.

Just to brag a bit- My husband is amazing. He is so supportive of my weight loss goals and is extremely encouraging. He never hesitates to tell me how good I'm doing and how proud he is of me. He says any bathing suit would look good on me now. Yeah right babe, but thanks anyway!

I decided, with the help of my fashion consultants, on this little number:

A few thoughts:

1-I don't want to be as skinny as the model. Curves are pretty yall!

2-I knew I needed something with support because no matter what weight I'll be, I'll always have the twins.

3- I have always wanted a red bikini!

4-The thing may never even fit. I ordered a size 10 botton (I wear a 12 pants now, but reviews say the bottoms run small) and a 36 DD top. Large twins..what can ya do? I know it'll be too small now but ideally it'll be too big by July. It was hard to decide what to order but I went with my best guess. At my lowest weight on WW (169) I wore a size 10 barely, so I figure at 158ish, a 10 should be okay. It takes alot of poundage for me to go down a size.

 

While this goal seems vain to some, I know alot of you can relate. I just want to feel pretty and not have to cover up with a thousand layers when it's a thousand degrees outside. I remember in high school, weighing 20 pounds less than I do now, I wore a t shirt and shorts to swim on my senior trip in Cancun. All my friends were skinny and tan, and I was chubby and fake baked. It was not a good feeling and I stuck out like a sore thumb. For once, I want to feel good about doing something as normal as wearing a bathing suit confidently. Next year, it'll happen.

My goal is to lose 25 more pounds by July. I think this is reasonable and realistic. I am not hardcore set on the pound amount because I am focused on toning up as well, and I know about muscle weighing more than fat, I just wanted some number to be able to measure.

 

 

Reality really hit me today when I got the email first thing saying my BIKINI had shipped already. Holy smokes. I plan to hang it on my closet door as a reminder. It's already working and I haven't even received it yet! I went to the gym to do some ab work, shoulders and arms this morning when all I really wanted to do was watch Real Housewives and be lazy till work. Let's hope #operationredbikini remains in full affect!

 

 

Oh, one more huge thing. I promise to post a picture in the bikini (if it ever fits properly) on this blog come summer time. No pressure..

Post Thanksgiving...post

Happy Cyber Monday everybody! Are you making your debit card cry yet? I am trying to say no to all the wonderful sales out there but it's been hard to resist! I am about half way finished Christmas shopping so I am trying to save my moolah for that.

How was everybody's Thanksgiving? Luckily for Instagram, I was able to be jealous of what everyone else was eating, all while I stuffed my face with deliciousness too. This was my Thanksgiving plate:

Turkey, rice dressing (or what you northerners call "dirty rice"), green bean casserole, some kind of pecan sweet potato amazingness, roll and my granny's sweet macaroni.

 

Yes, the sweet macaroni that everyone cringed about on my Thanksgiving vlog. I didn't have much because I know the calorie count must be 9,000 but that shit is good yall. I made the green bean casserole. While it surely wasn't skinny, I did use fat free cream of mushroom. That counts for something right?! I'm sorry, but you can't be on a diet for Thanksgiving. It's just against the law.

 

I also made an un-skinny dessert. We had three pumpkin pies, a sweet potato pie and a coconut cake. When I heard this, I knew I was responsible for bringing the chocolate. I searched my Pinterest for an idea and decided on Brownie Batter Parfaits. Oh yes, you read that right. They came out super cute and pretty yummy. Plus, I got to use some of the 9 million mason jars I've accumulated from our wedding and others I've planned.

The best part was surely the brownie whipped cream. All you do is add a little bit of the powdered brownie mix to whipping cream and whip away. I could've eaten the whole bowl. And may have eaten several spoofuls in my kitchen.

 

After my Thanksgiving day "diet", I was back at it Friday. Got a run in every day of the weekend and some of them extended into walks with my sweet neighbor. Over all, I did great. I will confess that in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, however, I didn't do that fabulous, eating or exercising. No excuses now though!

 

A few more things:

 

Don't forget about the blog swap! You still have a few more days to send out your package. For those looking for things to send, it can be anything really. Doesn't have to be crafty, fitness related or anything like that. Just send fun things you think your partner would like! I received my package Friday and just loved it! More on that tomorrow.

 

My husband wants a leaf blower for Christmas. This is entirely no fun to buy. Any fun stocking stuffer ideas for men? Come on girls, I know you won't let me down!

 

I start half marathon training on Saturday. I am scared! 

 

 

Every weekend should be a 3 day weekend

Happy Monday ladies and/or gents! This past weekend was a whirlwind for me, as you’ve probably seen on Instagram. I had my last wedding of the year (booo!) all day Saturday and “Market” Sunday. A little breakdown:

Friday night, S and I went out for sushi because we knew it would literally be the only alone time we’d have together all weekend. We ended up being elderly and falling asleep on the couch watching a movie before 10!

Saturday, I got up early to get a run in then showered and got ready for the wedding. I headed over to the reception venue to put a few things together. (This is very rare because normally I set up the entire venue’s décor.) The bride’s aunt did some drapery and linens, so there was not much for me to do, set up-wise. This made everything a breeze! I went to the cathedral at 1 to pin flowers on all the guys and send the wedding party down the aisle. As soon as my bride was off, my assistant and I went back to the reception venue. Here is my beautiful bride as she walked to meet her groom!

The reception went very smoothly and everything turned out perfectly. The couple made my job SO easy, they were equally kind, considerate and patient, making them a dream couple to work with. Most of you have seen the pictures on instagram so I won’t blow up your feed again. Holly suggested I do a post about “A day in the life” of a wedding planner so I plan to do that this week. It’s not all wedding cake and butterflies, but it’s very rewarding.

I finished up at 8pm and went straight to Bonefish Grill to meet my husband and a couple we are friends with. It was the girl’s birthday so we met with them to celebrate. We don’t see them very often so we ended up shutting the place down at 11 talking.

 

Sunday morning I woke up at 5:40 to get ready to meet my BFF to head off to New Orleans to shop at what we call “Market”. Basically it’s a jewelry show that has everything but the kitchen sink-jewelry, scarves, clothes, shoes, purses, Christmas décor, etc. at AMAZING prices. I planned to buy some Christmas gifts there as well as a few things for myself. I did really well and spent less than $150. This is one of my favorite finds, for 8 bucks mind you:

 

 

I know it’s hit or miss. I ADORE it, but I know it’s different, so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Now about half of our Christmas shopping is done and we can move on to finding a tree next week! I am working on Christmas décor crafts too so I can’t wait to share those with you guys. This is my favorite time of year! Unfortunately with this time of year, though, comes over planning and under sleeping. See exhibit A: Me, last night, at 5pm. Thanks S for capturing me in all my glory. Owe ya one.

 

 

 

Before I go, shout out to all my girls who were in Tulsa this weekend! I stayed jealous of all of you all weekend long. Can't wait to meet you at Blissdom!

Our Wedding Day: The Stuff

After a few comments from people asking about my job as a wedding planner and my own wedding, I decided to dedicate a post to it. Then when I started writing it and organizing the pictures, I realized it would take more than one post. One day I'll do a post with pictures of the day, our "first look", first dance, the ceremony and dancing, but today I will show ya'll the "stuff" that made up our wedding decor. I accumulated craft project after project and my lovely fiance at the time let me pile it all up in our house. I am so proud of how it all came together and I wouldn't do anything differently, except maybe hire a wedding planner (that wasn't me of course).

Our wedding had a rustic/vintage/travel/Louisiana theme. Oh yeah, hot mess written all over that. Somehow though, it all came together. We did travel theme engagement portraits too, and I LOOOOVED them. I will show you those in another post as well. We chose a travel theme because my husband and I started off long distance. He was stationed in Italy and I lived in Louisiana. He came home on leave, we met, and the rest is history. I visited him for a month in Italy and we've traveled many places together ever since.

 

 

We incorporated that theme in our invitations too. My brother designed them and I printed them on Kraft paper at Office depot. I spent $7 total on all 90 something invitations! (Not factoring in postage of course.)

 

Guest book table set up:

 

 

Instead of a traditional guest book, we had guests write messages on vintage postcards featuring some of the places important to us (Louisiana, Venice, Florence, Rome, Croatia, etc.)

 

All our reception flowers were silk. Great way to save money and add sentimental decor to your home. I still have some of these in our living room! We used wild flowers, garden roses and magnolias. Magnolias were important to me because my grandparents had a huge magnolia tree with a swing in it for me when I was growing up. A friend of the family put the arrangements together in different garage sale finds I discovered (antique vases, a sifter, tea kettles) I also had several centerpieces in mason jars filled with coffee beans as filler.

 

 

Our baby pictures were on the "boys" and "girls" restroom doors.

 

I found this window frame at a flea market and my husband attached wire to it so our engagement pictures and my bridals could be displayed.

 

Our little "white" chapel!

 

 

This was set up in the chapel. The Magnolia arrangement is real, from the tree I talked about above. It was arranged in an old water can my grandpa had. The flowers inside the vases were silk because real ones floated to the top (trust me, there were tests! lol)

 

 

I attached a charm to each of our mom's corsages with our baby pictures in them. They were able to detach and keep. Our moms loooved them and I was able to keep it a surprise till the wedding day.

 

S didn't want a traditional "groom's cake". His favorite dessert is banana pudding, so I was able to get our caterer to make a ton of individual ones in wine, champagne and sundae glasses. Some had cherries on top, some had vanilla wafer crumbs and some had chocolate. They were set up on Italian wine boxes and I had wrapped the S & K with twine.

 

One of my favorite personal touches. Our wedding cake was made by S's aunt and it was absolutely delicious. We used my grandparent's wedding cake topper from their wedding 51 years before ours. I placed a picture of them on their wedding day to show guests the comparison so they'd "get" that that's what the topper was about. My husband also built our backdrop! I saw the rusty tin look on Pinterest and he recreated it. Seems strange but it was exactly what I was going for.

 

 

For those of you who sucked it up and read through this whole thing, You made it! I know it was picture heavy but a lot of you have been asking and I will take any chance to show off our gorgeous wedding photos. Our photographer truly was a magician. Check her out here. She was the first decision we made regarding the wedding. I can't wait to show you our engagements and a couple of my bridals (if you all wanna see em of course!)

 

Keep an eye out for a Day in the Life of a Wedding Planner Post and more wedding pictures. Next time, the People, since we already covered the Stuff:)

Fa la la la la & they don't advertise for 5k's at McDonalds

Morning yall! As I just told Leigh Ann, I am in an obnoxiously good mood this morning. I think it’s because of this cold for Louisiana weather and the fact that Thanksgiving is next week. That only means one thing folks, Christmas is a’coming! Yes, totally one of those people.

My husband is about to start a brand new job, so he’ll be home for Christmas for the first time in over 8 years (thank you military and work). This is big news because he has definitely been a scrooge. Who can blame him? I’d be pissed to miss Christmas too. Since he’ll be home this year, he is not only non-scrooge-like, but he even said we can put Christmas lights up outside. Big step for the Grinch, yall. He also helped me pick out a Christmas card for us to send out this year. I ended up choosing his second favorite. He still loves me though:) As most of you have seen on Instagram,

(Of course the blur isn't really there, I just have no idea who reads this blog and if there's a serial killer out there, I don't you to find me and bury me in your back yard)

 

 

Is it obnoxious to send a picture of yourself as a card when you don't have cute kids or a pet? I hope not, because I am way too lazy to write on boring store bought cards. It is what it is.

I am working on a few DIY Christmas decorations and his mom is making us burlap stockings. I love burlap and all things rustic. One of those people, too. Our wedding was a big ball of burlap and lace. One of these days I’ll do a post about it. The scary thing about the holidays though, is the food. I already came face to face with it yesterday, for our office potluck. I think I did very well, but I did have a small piece of bread pudding. I’m not made of stone! That shit was good.

What does everyone usually do for Thanksgiving? I am going to my mom’s with the rest of my family. Husband will be leaving Thanksgiving morning at the butt crack of dawn, on probably his last week on the job.  My mom asked me to make green bean casserole and a dessert. Any suggestions on what to make? Of course I will make it secretly skinny! 

I am also doing a fun 5k the day before Thanksgiving to counteract the food coma. I am determined not to gain weight this holiday season! I remember thinking recently, “Where have all these 5k’s been? Every time I turn around there’s another one. I never noticed them before” Oh that’s right, probably because I never looked. They don’t advertise for 5k’s at McDonald’s. Funny how your brain changes when you adopt a healthy lifestyle.

My First 10k-Cajun Cup 2012

Good morning lovers! Well, good afternoon to those of you in a different time zone. You knew this post was coming. I’m sure all of you have seen half of these pictures already on Instagram, I just couldn’t resist.

This weekend was my very first 10k. First off, thanks to all you girls who sent good luck vibes across the internets. And thank you to LeighAnn for the freak of nature, you’d-swear-it-was-Christmas-morning excitement! I think it might’ve even rubbed off on me. Go over to her page and congratulate that girl on finishing in ONE HOUR. I don’t know how she does it, but it’s freakin amazing. If you’ve read her post, you know it was hot as balls on race morning. Well, that’s an exaggeration. It was hot for the runners, but we passed tons of bundled up, jumping up and down to keep warm, spectators. All the girls in our running group were in tank tops and shorts. Speaking of, did you see our hilarious team shirts?

Can’t wait to see what we come up with for the half marathon in February. That’s right, kiddos, I am officially crazy. We are starting half training in two weeks. I will take you through my mental state all throughout (and before) the race, and hopefully you’ll see why I lost my mind.

I really wasn’t ready for this 10k. Mentally or physically. I hadn’t followed the schedule to a T because of work and weddings interfering. I missed two LONG runs, and a few shorter runs. The longest I had run consecutively prior to the race was 4.5 miles. The 5.5 mile run was hindered because I was really weak from not fueling up properly, so I wasn’t even sure how I’d do over 6. I was quite frankly, terrified. I still haven’t gotten over my fear of finishing last, so that was a major concern. I hoped there would be walkers so atleast I’d finish before someone. I know I should just be concerned about finishing, but let’s be real, people. I don’t want to be that person.

The morning of the race, I was excited but still scared. There was no turning back now, though.  I started off by stretching REALLY well, and making sure I wouldn’t get shin splints super early on.  By the time my little area started, I wasn’t even sure it was time to start. I expected a gun shot, but there was nothing. I got in the "over 60:00 finish" group. I am not sure why, but every long run starts off rough. I think to myself, “oh my God, it’s not even a mile yet. How am I gonna do this?” It burns and it sucks and I start feeling like I will never make it. It always gets easier though, somewhere around mile 2.5. I start getting into a groove. It doesn’t get easy, by any means, but I feel better about it.

I will admit I started off thinking “No way in hell am I even thinking about a half marathon in February.” I can’t run a full 5k yet. But you know what, I am still a runner. I can run the majority of a 5k and the majority of a 10k. There is no rule that says you can’t walk at some points. Yes, I’d love be able to run it all the way through, I’m just not there yet. And that’s okay. The longer I ran, the more I started thinking, “Bring on the half! I can do this!” It was very empowering. About 5 miles in, my body was exhausted and my feet hurt. I wanted to stop and lay down on the side of the road for a while. Of course I couldn’t.

 

 When I realized I just had a mile left, I just focused on the finish. I knew the majority of my running group would be there waiting for me. Whether I finished in 45 minutes or 3 hours, they would’ve waited. Those ladies are awesome. I couldn’t let them down and walk to the finish, so I just kept running. When I finally turned the corner where the finish line was, I felt euphoric. I was about to finish a 10k. I had only run a 5k before this. When I started, I couldn’t run a full minute without stopping, and here I was, finishing 6 miles.

Thank you Leigh Ann for this awesome picture!

 

 

I love races. The training isn’t so fun, but the race day is so exciting! I love reading the signs and seeing the “cheerleaders”. My favorite sign said “Run Forrest Paw Paw Run!” It made me laugh out loud. The whole morale of the day was just awesome. I can’t imagine what the half will be like.

Thankfully, my husband will be able to make it to the half, so I know I will have my cheerleader there. My mom even said she might come along to cheer me on, if she can take off work. I am so excited!

 

I got super sexy swollen for this race, so I guess I learned I need to lose the ring for the half. It doesn't look that bad in this picture, but I couldn't even take that bad boy off for an hour!

 

I also wore my heart rate monitor which burned the crap outta me. The chest strap was a killer. For the half, I'm not wearing it because I know I'll burn a ton of calories, but that's not really what it's about. I just wanted some kind of measure. I burned 1226 calories running the 10k! My time wasn't great, but I have plenty of time to improve. My goal was just to finish, and not be last. And I did, and I wasn't! Anyone have any speed interval info or advice? I want to get faster!

 

I have to agree with Leigh Ann about this being one of the top moments in my life. The sense of accomplishment can be compared to walking across the stage at graduation. It's like, All this work paid off. I did it..Completely in awe, still. After I showered after the race, I put on my Cajun Cup shirt and did some grocery shopping. I heard a man tell his wife, "Look babe, she ran the Cajun Cup." I wanted so badly to say, "YES I DID!!!!!!" lol..I refrained, but I'm sure the stupid grin across my face was pretty obvious.

 

 

How is it already Monday?

Good afternoon peeps. Sorry I'm late to the game today!

This weekend was jam packed with activity so I am a little tired today. I would love it if every weekend were a three day weekend. Wouldn't that be great?

As most of you know, I had a wedding to coordinate and set up for Saturday, so the rehearsal was Friday night. I raced from my day job to the venue and was done by about 6. My neighbor texted me to see what I was up to, because her husband was headed to Baton Rouge early for the LSU/Bama game. She and her youngest daughter, E, were hanging out at home. I walked across our yard to hang out with them and ended up chatting with her till almost 1! Not good when I have a wedding the next day, but once you get us started it's hard to stop. Here is a picture of E and I. Isn't she adorable? Look at those little baby teeth!

J told me when she woke up the next morning she screamed, "Oh NO, where is my Kassie?!" lol..I just love her!

The next morning I woke up at 7:30 and did a few things around the house. I got to the venue around 12 and never stopped till I got home at midnight. Here are a few pictures from the wedding. (Sorry for the repeat, Instagrammers!)

 

This was our same wedding venue and I love doing weddings here. I am really into the vintage/rustic thing, and this place is perfect for that! My favorite little detail was her favors:

Each little burlap bag had white Jordan almonds in them. Normally, I try to stray brides away from favors like that, but the packaging was just too cute. I am a sucker for burlap and linen!

 

Sunday I slept till almost 9:30 (which was really 10:30 thanks to the stupid time change that I am not loving!) I woke up and watched tv for a while before picking up lunch from a local restaurant. I will admit I ate like total crap all weekend long and may have gained 4 pounds in french fries and water weight. It's a new week though and I am not going to dwell on it.

 

Our 10k is this coming Saturday! I am absolutely petrified because last Thursday's group run was horrible for me. I know it's because I didn't fuel well enough (i.e. ate only a salad for lunch and no carbs at dinner on Wednesday night), but my longest run is still 4.5 miles. Not sure what'll happen Saturday. My biggest fear is that since it's not just a 5k there will be no "fun runners" or walkers and I'll finish dead last. Yes, I make myself crazy with these ideas. I am still set to start half marathon training at the end of the month though. So I guess I am in fact crazy. I wonder if I'll ever actually be able to run a 5k without stopping. I'm still topping out at two miles. Not sure why.

 

That's all I got for today, folks. I know right, super exciting. Tomorrow I'll have more though! Anybody get started on their Blog Swap shopping? I did!

Blogger Swag Swap!

Good morning! Today is the first day of November and that means two things. First, Christmas will be here soooo soon. (Sorry Thanksgiving). Second, today is the first official day of the Blogger Swag Swap I'm hosting!

I am sooo excited to start. Yesterday, I pulled names at random to designate partners.

We ended up with 36 participants-way more than I was expecting! I may have squealed a little when I picked the name of the person to pair myself up with. While it would be super cool picking someone I didn't really "know", I am thrilled with who I got because I have a few things in mind already!

In the next hour or two you will be getting an email from me with your partner's contact information and their answers to the questions each person was asked. You have until the last day in November to mail your package. Feel free to contact them if you wish but try not to discuss your package or the contents. The goal is for it to be a total surprise. (Don't even tell them when you mailed it!) I can't tell you how fun and exciting it is when you realize your package was delivered. First you'll be all like "OH EM GEE, A SURPRISE! For ME?!" Then you'll be like, "Oooooh what could it be??!?" Then you'll be all like, "Yes, good stuff!" Then you'll think, "D'awwwww she shouldn't have!" Christmas in November, people.

 

Try to use the answers you receive as clues to what your partner might like. You can even send them things you like and would love for them to try. Keep your contents to $30, no more no less. Aly also brought up a good point about packaging. If you send something breakable or potentially messy, wrap it up in papertowels, bubble wrap, zip loc bags etc. She received a package that included nail polish and it ruined all the rest of the contents :( No one wants that surprise when they open theirs!

 

 

Also feel free to be creative with the wrapping. I've seen people wrap each item individually in funky paper or simple paper with a reason you picked the item written right on it.

 

Please include a card or note with your contact info if you'd like to stay in touch, reasons you picked each thing, and a little about yourself. Not only is this about getting a fun present in the mail, but it's mainly about meeting someone new. Take full advantage! If you have any questions at any point this month regarding your partner or the swap, shoot me an email at kassiemromero@gmail.com.  I plan on doing a couple more of these in the future!

 

And one last thing. When you receive your package, whenever that may be, PLEASE share on your blog what you got and include lots of pictures! I can't wait to see everyone's goodies (get yo minds out the gutters girls!)

 

 

Have a fabulous Thursday! It's almost Friday! (Friday, Friday, Fridayyyyyyyyyyyy....I wonder if all of us get this song stuck in our head now thanks to adorable Holly?)