It's OK Thursday #83

Hey there lovers! Happy Friday eve! :)

How has your week been? I hope you're as ready for March as I am!

Now, let's get to why you came here in the first place - It's OK Thursday with Neely and myself.

If this is your first time linking up, thank you and WELCOME!

All you have to do is type up a post listing what's OK with you, grab the button for your post, and come back to link up.

Let's do it!

It's OK..

..to feel guilty when I am off work even though I have good reason

..to sleep just as good on the couch as I do in the bed

..to wish it was possible to be a SAHM for my dog, HA! #dogmomproblems #crazydoglady

..to wish I stayed at home all the time because the good TV is on during the day

..to feel super accomplished when I have posts lined up for the next week ahead of time

..to keep losing track of time - so much going on soon!

..to wish my gym offered more yoga classes - they're all mainly during the day when I'm at work :(

..to panic a little when I hear the doorbell because I can't see out of the peephole

..to still have not done anything about my phone not making sound - thank goodness for the vibrate setting

..to clear out notifications on my phone as soon as they pop up - I hate seeing something sitting there

..to have spent most of my day off work earlier this week practicing curling my hair with a CHI - blog post coming soon!

..to have no self control when it comes to the clothes at Target, they've had some awesome stuff lately!

..to love the feeling of being "included"

..to let picking out which pictures go in frames stress me out

..to feel super lucky to have the family I have, awww!

What's OK with you this week? Come link up and share!

Say My Name Link-Up!

Today is the day!!! 

Stephanie, Amanda and I are hosting a one day link-up on our blogs called Say My Name!

If you remember, I announced this on my blog last week. I am hoping that's why you're back here - to play along with us. ;)

The idea of the link-up is that you write up a post telling us why you chose the name for your blog! I know that when I start following a blog, I always wonder how and why they chose their name. I'm curious like that. This is a perfect way to tell your readers the answer to that burning question!

So, get your posts ready and come back here to link up! Also, feel free to visit the other links and learn about the reasoning on their blog names too. :)

<br /> <center> <a title="Brunch with Amber" href="http://www.brunchwithamber.com/" target="_blank"><img style="border: none;" alt="Brunch with Amber: Say My Name Link Up" src="http://i49.tinypic.com/34hjblt.png" /></a></center>

Details on the Say My Name link up:
1. We’d like for you to put our button on your post for the link up.
2. Please follow your hosts. We won’t make it mandatory, but we appreciate the love!
3. If you tweet about your post, feel free to tag Stephanie, Amanda, or myself and use the hashtag #SayMyName

When I started blogging back in June 2010 (holy crap, it's been almost 3 years!) my blog was first called "A Day in the Life of Amber". It was all I could think of at the moment when I created the blog.

After a few months passed, I wasn't happy with the name anymore. I felt that it was too common and not personal enough. Sure, my name was included but it still didn't feel like a good fit for me and my blog.

I started brainstorming ideas. I wanted something classy, sophisticated, nothing too long, and something that still included my name.

I enjoy cooking and eating (duh, who doesn't?!) and I knew that I wanted to post some recipes every now and then on my blog too.

Then, Brunch with Amber came to me. I loved it! It fit so well. It's short and quick. Easy to remember. I had never seen another blog with a similar name, so I liked that too. I wanted my blog to stand out.

I immediately got a new design (as opposed to the background I found for free online) and changed my blog's name to go along with a new look.

I feel like it was then that I started to take blogging more seriously. I enjoyed it more, and wanted to really grow my blog into something bigger. Once I had the name that I loved and felt represented me best, I knew changing the name was the best thing I could do for my blog.

And so, that's how Brunch with Amber was born. :)

Now, tell us - how did YOU come up with YOUR blog name?? Link up your post telling us!

Hospital Visits Make For Good Blog Material

This past weekend was like any other normal one. Nate and I ran errands as needed. Took Binky to the vet, I made us some delicious food. The usual. 

Sunday evening around 9 pm, after I'd already showered and I was relaxing on the couch, I started getting a horrible pain in my lower right stomach. Then, I felt nauseous and was very hot (wasn't running a fever though). I decided I was going to lay down early and try and get some sleep. I had the heating pad on my stomach when the pain started radiating towards my lower back.

Uh oh. I'd felt this pain before. Unfortunately, in two different situations, so it could've been either of those. An ovarian cyst or a kidney stone. Neither sounded like anything that I wanted to experience ever again. I wanted so badly to sleep the pain off. However, I couldn't get comfortable and was therefore unable to sleep. Nate came in the room to check on me, and I was laying in bed in tears. He immediately made me get up so he could take me to the emergency room.

After checking in and going through triage and getting lab work done, we waited almost 2 hours before they took me back to a room. I was so upset. I was incredibly uncomfortable and SO tired but unable to get any sleep.

Once they took me back, I had a doctor come in and tell me it sounded like kidney stones, but they wanted to do a renal CT scan just to double check. He'd have the nurse come in to administer pain medication first though.

We waited about 30 minutes when the nurse rolled me down to radiology for the CT. There, I proceeded to wait another 30 minutes to have the scan. By the time I got back in my room, I was wondering where my pain meds were. I'm no druggie, but I'd been promised something to hopefully make me feel a little more comfortable.

As soon as I'm about to try and locate my nurse, the lady from registration comes in the room to have me sign some forms, get my insurance card, etc. Another 20 minutes or so passed, and I finally just pressed my call button on my bed. Not thinking before I spoke (typical), I said "Yeah, I was supposed to get some pain medication and haven't seen it, so I'd like some when you get a chance."

Nate started laughing and said, "Way to make the nurses think you are a drug seeker." I totally didn't mean for it to come off that way! The nurse came in and I apologized if I came off as rude, and she shrugged it off. I was lucky to get a happy nurse even though it was pushing 2:30 am or so by now.

She told me that all of my lab work came back perfectly. Even my urinalysis was clear which she was surprised about since the doctor was diagnosing kidney stones. She was going to go ahead and get an IV started for the medication and some fluids while we waited on the CT results.

I immediately felt the pain meds and did NOT like the way it made me feel. That's the only thing I hate about IVs. It happens so quickly that I have no time to adjust to the medication effects.

Once the fluids were almost gone, the doctor came in to inform me that I did in fact have kidney stones. He said that BOTH of my kidneys had 'several' stones and that it would be in my best interest to follow up with a urologist. Not what I wanted to hear, but I know he's right. This isn't the first time kidney stones have landed me in the hospital.

We got home around 4 am, and I felt horrible because Nate's alarm would be going off in just a few hours to get up and get ready for work. He was such a good sport about it though, and I'm so lucky I have him to take care of me. 

Thanks to all of YOU who have checked on me too. I have the best friends ever.

And, that's how my weekend ended. How about you?

Business Cards for #BlissDom

Last year when I went to BlissDom, I took my mini Moo cards to hand out to those I met. Don't get me wrong, they work. They're cute, and they got the job done. BUT, this year I wanted something more. I wanted something standard business size, with my logo and my picture on it.

A few months ago, I bought some pieces from this pretty girls IG closet.

In the package, she included one of her business cards and I LOVED it. I immediately emailed her and asked her where she got them made. When she told me she designed them herself, I was blown away and a little jealous that I didn't have that kind of handiwork skill.

I asked her if she designed for others as well, and she does! We got to work right away. She was so quick, efficient and gave me exactly the vision I was looking for. She sent me the drafts within a day, asked me if I wanted any changes. I didn't - they were perfect.

Now, I just needed to get them printed. She recommended Got Print because that was who she used. I signed up and all I had to do was upload the images and answer a few simply questions. The guesswork was taken out of it all. I enjoy easy and simple. ;)

Not only was I happy with Jenn's work, but Got Print shipped very quickly. 

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. I never said I was a professional photog. ;)

These business cards are PERFECT if you're attending BlissDom, or any blog conference for that matter. Or ya know, just for fun. They're good to have to stick in packages you mail out to readers for giveaway winnings, just because, etc.

Lucky for you - Jenn is accepting customers now. See below for the details!

So go get your biz card shoppin' on and contact Jenn immediately! I am so happy with what she did for me, and I know you will be too.

I can't wait to hand my cards out at BlissDom. I know everyone will love them!

Book Club Friday #31

Friday Book Club! Time to link up with Heather and Katie!

This week, I'm sharing Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin.
I scored this book for $1 at HPB. LOVE when that happens.

Book description from GoodReads: 

Not your typical boring diet book, this is a tart-tongued, no-holds-barred wakeup call to all women who want to be thin. With such blunt advice as, "Soda is liquid Satan" and "You are a total moron if you think the Atkins Diet will make you thin," it's a rallying cry for all savvy women to start eating healthy and looking radiant. Unlike standard diet books, it actually makes the reader laugh out loud with its truthful, smart-mouthed revelations. Behind all the attitude, however, there's solid guidance. Skinny Bitch espouses a healthful lifestyle that promotes whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and encourages women to get excited about feeling "clean and pure and energized."

My thoughts:

I couldn't put this book down. I was so enthralled in the facts about food and the way it's processed. It enlightened me and grossed me out all at the same time. It made me want to change the way that I eat. It made me want to stop eating meat. It made me want to start being more conscious about what I'm putting into my body. I highly recommend reading this, for everyone.

I gave it 5 out of 5 stars!

Friend me on GoodReads!

It's OK Thursday #82

Hi friends!!! Thursday already? Let's party!
If this is your first time linking up, thank you and WELCOME!
All you have to do is type up a post listing what's OK with you, grab the button for your post, and come back to link up.
Let's do it!

It's OK..
..to be super proud of myself for posting each week day this week :)
..to be super forgetful lately - so not like me
..to just keep some things a secret
..to be the bigger person
..to hope you didn't miss the announcement yesterday! ;)
..to have worked late most days this week :-/
..to hate waiting a whole week to see another PLL episode
..to cringe when I see people use hashtags on FB, but then again I use them in my blog posts sometimes #ohwell ;)
..to be a little jealous of snow pics on IG, but only a little
..to wish I enjoyed working out
..to not understand why veggies can't taste like chocolate
..to be enlisted to do stuff at work because of my typing skillz
..to feel rushed when I realize Blissdom is just 4 weeks away!
..to hope we hit a record number of link-ups each week 
..to wish people did what they say they'll do
What's OK with you this week? Come link up and share!

A Recipe + An Announcement!

Since Nate and I moved in together, I've been taking advantage of having a kitchen of my own again.

It's been a lot of fun finding recipes to make for us to try for dinner.

While browsing Pinterest, I found a recipe for goulash that I immediately wanted to make. My mom always made it when I was younger, and I loved it.

I forgot to take pictures of my own, but I still wanted to share with y'all. So here it is!

American Goulash

Source: gonnawantseconds.com via Amber on Pinterest

Ingredients:

1 Pound - Ground Beef

1/2 Large Onion, Chopped

2 - Large Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 1/2 Cups - Water

1 (15 Ounce) - Canned Tomato Sauce

1 (14.5 Ounce) - Canned Diced Tomatoes

1 1/2 Tablespoons - Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoons - Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoons - Dried Basil

1/2 Tablespoon - Seasoned Salt

1/4 Teaspoon - Black Pepper

1 Cups - Elbow Macaroni, Uncooked

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, cook the meat over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks into small pieces. Cook until the meat is cooked through and there's no longer any pink. Stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir the mixture until the onions are translucent.

Stir in water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaves, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the pasta, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and refrigerate, if possible, overnight. If you must, you could serve. :)

Linking up with Michelle for Oh, How Pinteresting!

Next Wednesday, February 27th, I'm hosting a link up with Stephanie and Amanda to talk about blog names. We want to know..

What your blog name is, why you picked it, and what it means to you?

Here's the button! Please make sure you include it in your post and make sure you come back to one of our blogs and link up so others can find your posts.

So, mark your blog calendars, get your post scheduled and get yo' booty back here to link up! :)

That time I blogged about a skirt

I was perusing the aisles at Old Navy with my little sister. I had nothing in mind that I needed to buy, but of course I'll still looking because I just know that there is something out there on those racks that I NEED in my closet. ;)

So while my sister is in the dressing room, I see a skirt across the way, and in a weird way I'm just drawn to it. I mean, it's way cute, and there's a sign above the rack stating that the skirts on the rack are 25% off right now. That's all I need in order to be sold. A deal? okay, it's mine. 

I grabbed it off the rack and didn't even try it on. I just bought it and took it home thinking of which shirts I already own that would match my new skirt perfectly. I was really excited.

Oh, it was also a maxi skirt. Do you know how hard it is for a girl who is less than 5 foot tall (that's me!) to find a maxi skirt?? It's incredibly hard, just in case you were curious.

I get home and go to take off the tags and hang it up in my closet when I see that I had in fact purchased a maternity skirt. At first, I thought, OMG how embarrassing? And what if it fits? OMG I'll just die. 

Then I got to thinking.. is there really a difference between maternity clothing and non-maternity clothing? It's all the same, just some stretches more, right? I mean, I feel like that's logical.

So then, I just said eff it. I don't care if this is maternity because you know why? It's the most amazing piece of clothing I've ever put on my body. I may even continue wearing maternity clothes if I wanna!

And ya know what. I'm gonna keep wearing it. I may even peruse the maternity aisles on PURPOSE. Who knows. All I know is I'm comfortable and still felt cute. Those are 2 important qualities to me, in what I wear. So, I'm happy. 

Go buy yourself this skirt.

You definitely don't have to be pregnant. ;)

This Weekend, I... v.1

Linking up with my hoooome girls, Sar and Syndal. You should too!

This weekend, I caught up on Grey's Anatomy while Nate worked late on Friday.
This weekend, I pissed my eyes off, and they don't want to wear contacts. So glasses it has been.

This weekend, I took my Dad to lunch and we had such a great father/daughter date. Happy girl.
This weekend, Nate and I went on a double date with Neely and A.

This weekend, I helped my sister clean her room. 
This weekend, I got asked my the cashier at the grocery store if we were twins.

This weekend, I'm vowing to catch up on blog reading this week! Get ready for me.
What did you girls do this weekend?

Book Club Friday #30

This post is super late because I forgot to schedule it from my drafts last night. Oops. Better late than never!

This week, I'm sharing Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard.
I'm completely obsessed with this show, so I decided why not read the series?!

Book description from GoodReads:

Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since. Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief. Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known. Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world. When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in. Are they being betrayed by some one in their circle? Worse yet: Is Alison back? A strong launch for a suspenseful series.

My thoughts:

This was a very quick, light read. If you've seen the show, you'll already know what's going on in this book. It's all the exact same. Except.. the girls' physical descriptions are totally different. It's weird to "picture" the characters because of how I see them when I think of the show. They're easy books, and I'll definitely finish out the series.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars!

Friend me on GoodReads!

Sweetheart Blog Swap Goody Reveal

I told myself that I'd limit the number of swaps I joined this year.

Then I saw that 2 of my faves, Savanah and Ashlee were hosting their Sweetheart Blog Swap and I just had to join in to spread some love. :)

I was paired up with Vicki, whom I adore! She sent me the cutest little package full of valentine goodies. Check it out!

She sent me a Pez candy dispenser, a cupcake recipe book, a note card set, the perfect red nail polish, a pen, heart shaped post-its, and my fave, Starburst FaveReds. They may or may not be almost already gone. So yummy.

Did you participate in this swap too? What did you get?

Have you ever participated in another swap?

Valentine's Day Linkup!!!

I just couldn't pass linking up with my BFF, Sel for her link-up she's hosting today. Plus, she's asking the questions - all you gotta do is answer! :) easy peasy. So, go link up too!

1.) How did you meet your significant other?

I met him online actually. In person, we met at a bar. Because we're classy like that. I've actually blogged the story about how we met. You can read that here.

2.) What/where was your first date?

Like I said above, we met at a bar here in Dallas. He had a few beers, I had a few margaritas. Afterwards, we shared our first kiss, tipsy. ;)

3.) What's your best relationship advice?

Pick your battles. Compromise. Communicate. Show affection. Say I love you more than once a day. Be silly together.

4.) What is your most embarrassing moment in front of your SO?

Oh God, let's not talk about that. without getting too gross, I'll just say I had some tummy problems after Mexican food one night. And I then died from embarrassment. The end.

5.) What most attracts you to your SO?

How genuine he is. He's so real and honest with everyone he meets. He's polite and kind hearted. He makes me laugh. He gives the best hugs. He's got a smile that's out of this world and it melts my heart every single day. *vomit* ;)

6.) If a movie was made about your SO, what actor/superhero would play their part?

Are the ninja turtles superheros? I mean, they are right? One of them. He loves them.

It's OK Thursday #81

Each week when I put the number beside my post title, it blows my mind that we've had a link-up be successful for this long. Y'all rock my face off.
If this is your first time linking up, thank you and WELCOME!
All you have to do is type up a post listing what's OK with you, grab the button for your post, and come back to link up.
Let's do it!

It's OK..
..to be super stoked about the business cards I ordered for Blissdom - post to come on them!
..to be behind on blogging (obvs) and have no ideas to write about, oops!
..to wish Nate realized just how good my shows are - he thinks they're lame and won't watch with me
..to have satisfied my peanut butter M&M craving yesterday, thanks Shelley! ;)
..to be super pissed when Old Navy didn't have the flats I wanted in my size
..to want to branch out more with my style - I need to start accessorizing, dressing cuter, etc.
..to be way behind on reading y'all's blogs. I'm hoping to catch up ASAP. I miss reading all the shenanigans.
..to think the new Harlem Shake youtube sensations are hilarious. Nate and his co-workers did one, it's too funny. Check it out HERE!!!
..that I'm super stoked about my Blissdom roomies - holla Whitney and Meg!
..that I slept on the couch the other night because I felt guilty keeping Nate up with my tossing/turning/snoring, oops!
..to feel like I hit the jackpot on giveaways lately
..that I got this far in my post and just now realized that it's Valentine's Day!
..that Nate and I are waiting to go out to dinner tomorrow instead of tonight since it'll be craaaazy out tonight
..to love coupons - especially for Ulta!
What's OK with you this week? Come link up and share with Neely and I!

Valentine Story Time

I'll never forget the first Valentine's Day that Nate and I spent together. 

We'd only been together around 4 months, so I was insanely curious how it would play out.

The day started out with him hand-delivering (himself) a dozen roses to my office. I felt so special! All of my co-workers were jealous too. ;)

Then he told me to go get ready and dolled up after work. He'd come get me and take me on a surprise date. I could barely contain my excitement for the rest of the day. If you know me, I LOVE surprises so much.

That night, he took me to a wine bar I'd be dying to visit. We got to know one another more over a dinner of cheese and many fabulous wines.

It was the most special anyone has ever made me feel on Valentine's Day. One for the books. 

Since then, he's continued to make me feel special every day out of the year.

I know a lot of people hate this holiday for many different reasons. I love it. It's a day to make your significant one (or a friend or family member if you're single) feel even more special than you already do any other day of the year.

I hope you'll take time to spread a little love this year! xoxo

When You're Gone For Weeks, You Have A Lot of Updates

Nate said it best.. "and on the 7th day, there was cable."

Finally a week after we moved in, we got our cable and internet set up. I am finally able to watch PLL and Grey's on Tuesdays/Thursdays and blog again. It's the little things in life. :)

I DO plan on showing you guys around my apartment, but there are still a few boxes/some clutter here and there. I want to get that all cleaned up before I take pictures for y'all.

Currently, I'm laying on my couch with a migraine I've had for 18 hours now. It's dull now, so I decided to blog a bit before heading to bed for an early night. 

My life has consisted of pretending to be a domestic goddess. I actually "meal-planned" this week. It was SO much fun. I love to cook, and it's been really fun making dinners for Nate and I. My favorite part of making dinner? Is that Nate always cleans up afterwards. I'm a lucky girl. Love that man. :)

Binky is having a bit of a time adjusting to the new place and being the only dog in the place again. (there were 2 other dogs at my dad's). He's been extra needy and whines a lot when he's not near me or Nate. I mean, he's already a spoiled baby, and it's been a little worse here lately. We've been extra patient with him though. 

I got Nate to watch Honey Boo Boo with me last night. It was like a miracle. Don't scold me for watching it either.. it's like a train wreck. I can't look away. ;)

My gym is a mile or so down the road from our new place, and I still haven't made it out there. I'm a lazy ass. I need to step it up. I said that I would have NO MORE excuses now that I'm close enough to walk basically. 

I'm super stoked about this twitter party taking place tonight. You should totally go too!

I have been obsessed with Instagram stalking lately. I totally dropped the ball on keeping up with the Photo A Day (maybe I'll restart in March) but I am constantly refreshing my feed to see what you guys are uploading. So if you get a ton of likes from me, well, I warned you ahead of time.

I won 2 giveaways yesterday, and I'm stoked.

I want to build my FB page up and get more likes. I'm thinking a FB giveaway - whaddya say? Go ahead and like it now to get ahead of the game. Oh, I also have a MAY-JAH promo code for ad space for those who like it over there too! #shamelessplug 

It's time for a shower and some meds. Off to bed, I go. I promise I'll have more interesting content later in the week. 

LOVE, LOVE.

It's OK Thursday #80

Wow, it's been a freakin' week since I posted. I feel like such a slacker.
BUT - guess who gets internet/cable tomorrow? :) This girl! I will definitely be back to blogging more regularly. I hate feeling like I'm neglecting my little blog!
Okay, let's get to It's OK Thursday!
If this is your first time linking up, thank you and WELCOME!
All you have to do is type up a post listing what's OK with you, grab the button for your post, and come back to link up.
Easy, peasy - lemon squeezy!
Let's do it!

It's OK..
..to have M&Ms for breakfast
..to want to get stuff done ASAP and not put anything off
..to be a wimp when it comes to hot "spicy" foods
..to be more than ready for flu season to be OVER
..to miss my best friend like whoa
..to want to have dinner parties now that I have my own place again :)
..to have found a new love in "sleepy time herbal tea"
..to be renewing my eMeals subscription asap to start meal planning!
..to pay all my bills on payday so I don't forget by the due date
..to hate vague FB statuses because I'm ridiculously nosy
..to be bored without background noise (music) at work
..to have a few craft projects up my sleeve - off to Michael's I go!
..to peruse the different k-cups every time I go to the store
..to hate how short of a month this is
..to have forgotten to officially announce the January group giveaway winner, until now! - congrats Christine!!!
What's OK with you this week? Come link up and share!