You smell like Sunshine...

I know... i know..
It has been a while since I have entered the blogging world. I thought about it a couple of times, but then I also thought how if I started would I be able to continue and keep it up. The jury is still out, but while the deliveration is going on I figure I can do a little catch up.
This weekend has been perfect and helped me to realize how blessed I am.
I got back from Florida on Friday afternoon and met Kelly and Back Nine where I take golf lessons. Kelly played a virtual course while I caught him up on the weeks worth of activites he had missed out on.  The project I have been working on since I started dropped last week and we were there to make sure everyone was on board and understood the process. I also spent a lot of time in a Mazda 3 rental car and in tornado warnings. Besides planning the trip I was also the official dinner coordinator. This cherished honor wasn't bestowed on me until we were actually going to dinner the first night, so I did the only logical thing to think of.. post it on FB. I got a large number of recommendations and love social media for that very reason.
If you are ever in the Orlando area let me suggest- Brio & Crave.
Saturday I had an appointment at Wellquest for a much needed massage. I then decided I should do my workout outside. PS. It is was hot.
Kelly played golf and I ran the standard Saturday errands. I was also fortunate enough to accompany Alexis and Walker on their daily walk. Callaway was my date and seemed to be much harder to pacify than 4 month old Walker. After every inch of the neighborhood had been marked as Callaway territory we headed home for a romantic dinner. Where my hottie husband told me that I smelled good.. "Like Sunshine." I like that. That sounds like a happy smell.
Today was the end of the HOBY conference. If you aren't familiar with HOBY it is a leadership program starting for high school sophomores that helps them also realize that community envolvement is important at any age. My dad is on the board and very involved and called in a favor. They have about 170 students from all over AR and through out the weekend they narrow it down to 10 to finalist. The winner will receive a scholarship and go on the represent the state in the national conference. This was a lot of pressure for this kid... so I called in reinforcements. Who better than my college professor friend, sweet Amanda. Amanda has such as passion for learning and I knew she would be great to help.
It was a great experience and it really made me thankful for everything that I have.

What else is going on?
HUmmm. My sister in law got a JOB.. In NWA. Super pumped..Now I feel like we have more of a shot to get the inlaws here.

I love my new job.. also love the fitness center....and the travel, except that I do miss my boys when I am gone.

Got to go to DC. UM, yep pretty cool city! I can't wait to go back with Kelly and see more of the city!
My boss and I tried to see the White House, Got yelled at by secret service.. no big deal. Took a picture of the Capital may go to jail for that one too. I didn't really obey the NO PHOTO sign.

Race for the cure is getting closer and I am super busy. This week I have a meeting every single day regarding the race. I have recruited a couple of friends which makes my life easier. I wrangled Alisa in and now she has gotten several Paw Partners for the race.

We got a house keeper. This is a HUGE step in the Carlson house. We have gone back and forth on this subject for a while and after about 2 months in the job and Kelly started back to school we realized it was not worth the time, energy or argument so, Katie was hired. I can honestly say that I would probably give up coffee, chocolate, or.. GASP peanut butter if it would keep Katie in our lives!
Kelly laughed at me after the first time she came. I had no clue what to do with myself. I just kept looking for things to do.

Kelly and I have our 5 year wedding anniversary this month. 5 years, I really do feel like it was just a while ago when we got married. This milestone also marks the Italy trip. 6 months from now we will be walking through the streets of Rome! Our Itinerary so far is:
Cinque Terra- 2 nights
Rome- 2 nights
Orvieto
Tuscany- 2 nights
Pisa
Florence
Chianti
Venice- 2 nights
Assisi
Pompeii
Sorrento
Capri-2 nights
Naples

Obviously I am counting down the days.

I love it when you contain me!

I kind of wish with the weather the way that it is we had a holiday coming up! I could you a R & R day!
This week was busy and the weekend was even busier.

My boss was really sick this week so I had the opportunity to work on quite a few things and I even go to lead some meetings. I am involved on several projects, but one in particular that it pretty big and time consuming. This one I have had the most exposure to and and I feel the most comfortable with. So, when she was sick and asked if I could run them I felt pretty confident that I could.

I also took a training class on Wednesday it was for the Birkman Method. I had never heard of this, but apparently it has been a while. They break you in to four colors. Red, Green, Blue, & Yellow. I was a green. Motivated by people, a leader, a direct communicator, and a planner.  Not big surprise here.
They also told me that I get stressed if I get indirect communication.. Which I realized on Friday is very very true. For example: we are implementing a new project. It was supposed to be set up on Thursday in order to  be presented on Friday. Well since no one had to go to work on Thursday (more later) they needed anyone and everyone to come in on  Friday and help set up prior to the presentation. Get there Friday am and they as me and another guy to set up the modular. So I ask. What is it supposed to look like? Well no one had that information. This automatically stressed me. I need to know what you expect me to do and what the expected results we are trying to achieve. If I don't get direct instructions from a defined authority I get stressed and begin to "see the worst" according the the test. Everything turned out fine and we were able to set it (unlike anything I am sure it was supposed to look like) but I guess I don't keep like I am giving 100% until i know exactly what you need from me.

Thursday was a snow and Ice Day. Do you know how excited I was when I got the email from my boss telling me that her first priority was safety and that is why I have a laptop!WAHOO!
I understand that people have jobs that require them to be at work and not everyone has the resources to stay home, but I also think if you have a job that would let you work from home with no hindrance on your job performance... WHY NOT? I loved my old employer, so when I say this know that I truly did like working for the company and they treat their associates very well, but the one thing they were horrible about was that. I just think that if you have a job that will allow you to work from home when the weather is bad you should do it. Why risk it?

Friday was HSC's 30th Birthday! I slaved over a shirt from him and brought it up every 5 minutes until he put the shirt on..

and the back...

Alexis is always a great host even if she has a pumpkin in her belly! We had a wii bowling tournament since it was a Big Lebowski themed party. Ps never seen the movie.. Kelly made it all the way to the semi finals.. Gosh I am so proud of my little slice of heaven! Until........ this is what I woke up to on Saturday morning at 7am.

Nope not a strange child in my bed, but I couldn't find a picture of anything else to show how sprawled out Kelly was. I tried to move him, but it wasn;t happening. It did make me thinks of that new show perfect couples. Have y'all seen it?
We watched it on Thursday and it was pretty funny.
Kelly's favorite line, "I love it when you contain me."

Saturday we were having a game night so I got up and started working on that. I got a new machine for Christmas which is what helped me make the yuppie shirt for HSC & this for game night:

This is a story from our Life Group with church. When kelly & I first got married he always called us Team carlson and whenever I made him mad he would call me team pangle. So we had some trash talkers in our group and I needed to make the sign to prove a point.

When Kelly woke up this is what he wore all day... I am not going to lie it absolutely INFURIATED ME.

If you can't tell what this is it is long johns. For some reason they made me angry. I just feel they are nasty and old man ish and gross. I kept telling him to change, which only led to him wanting to wear them more! This is all I see when I think of long johns..

It kind of makes me skin crawl...

Here are some game night pictures..

My camera is dead.. SO I will upload some more soon..

To BLOG or not to BLOG.. Was that a question??

Hi!
I haven't blogged in so long I had to resend my password! Lets start with what has been happening since Novemeber!
1- I got a new job. My life now consisit of the following things:

AHH the crackberry.. As much as it is painstaking to have you attached to my ear, hip or at the bottom of my giant purse.. you make my life SO much easier.

OH the gantt chart- you are the bane of my existence right now. I will master you sooner rather than later, but at this moment in time you kind of make my want to vomit.

I started the new job the week of Christmas which was a pretty good time to make a change.. a slow time that is perfect for learning.  We went to AZ for Christmas and It was a great time.. I got every single thing on my list! This is always a plus!

My Vera Bradley Computer bag

 My Serger! & my Silhoutte! Please take note of the craft section I have set up!!

Here are some of the things I have made..

Razorback Burp cloths

Razorback taggie blanket

Rag Quilt

LOOVE the way this one turned out!

It was a GIANT pain! Totally worth it, but a pain. You have to cut every singe one of the square.. the instructions say to get spring scissors.. I scoffed at this.. Probably shouldn't have cause my hands were numb for 2 days!!

This is the non rag side

I went and got 3 fat quarter bundles from Hancock fabrics. I love the color combinations. Alexis and HSC don't know what they are having yet so I tried to make it a dual gender quilt.

My sweet friend Amy is due in Feb so this weekend I am going to get more fabric to make baby Bryson one!

I think I am going to start selling them on Etsy. I saw one for 100 bucks.. YO!

LOVE how this apron turned out.

No clue who I will give it to, but I guess this can go in to my etsy pile.

This is next on my list.. I really want to learn to make a tshirt quilt. Oh how I need more time!



Other things.. I know that you all know how OCD I am about my water..
I now have a filtered water dispenser!! I love that I can fill my water bottle up ALL the time!
I also have a cafe. Full of an oatmeal bar, omelet bar. & coffee bar!
So my first week I join the gym.. YEAH! with the 10 degree weather these days we had a small motivation issue when it came to running! Anyway 3 days in to the new job I forgot my badge. UM HUGE NO NO!! it is like the Secret Service when it comes to getting in and if you have no badge you are out of luck. So, I walk up to security and I am like, "HI! my name is cortney & i forgot my badge." Cue my big smile..
CIA- "Do you have your discount card?"
me- "No sir, I don't I haven't gotten it yet. I am new and I just started..(cue big smile again) and I am still trying to get use to everything.."
CIA- "Sorry you have to have that.. What is your name?"
Me-"cortney Carlson"
CIA- "nope. don't see you."
Me- "there is no U in cortney."
CIA- " OK.. I got that."
ME- "oh, well right there you are typing a U in it.."
CIA-" Well i still can't find you, Since I don't see you.. you have to have your manager come get you.
Me- "Sir, it is 715 they don't come in until at least 730.. maybe 8"
CIA-Well I have to have someone vouch for you"
Me- "Sir, I really don't know if there is anyone here..
15-20 MINUTES later.. we find some one that will vouch for me and they let me in!!
So I go to warm up my oatmeal and right as I take it out of the microwave I spill it all over the floor.
FABULOUS! Hi, I am the new clumsy girl!
So I go back to my desk to grab $$ so I can get some food.
I grab some biscuits and gravy and spill the gravy on my shirt.
SERIOUSLY?  This is my day?

Other things--
I got a hair cut. One that requires me to fix my hair now.. SO far we are going ok with it.

Please ignore the clothes on the tub.. That is what I miss soo much is an on site dry cleaning service... anyway it was dry cleaning day so disregard.
Me, My SIL & my MIL all won 3rd in our age group in a 5k on thanksgiving day!

I am trying to get better in the blogging..
Side note-- I got the numbers in on Voyage-- My auction raised about 15k!!
Have a fabulous weekend!!