That sweet that nasty that gushy stuff.

Austin and I had our year and a half anniversary on Saturday and even though it's pretty insignificant, it got me thinking about some of the reasons why I still like this guy...

-He loves sports more than anyone I know. He checks ESPN and many sports websites a few times each day and it's not uncommon that I turn on my TV after he leaves my house and find that he switched it to ESPN.

-He listens to me. I can go on and on and on about something totally insignificant and he can repeat every word of what I said back to me. I've given up on trying to catch him not listening....it doesn't happen.

-He can do anything. Seriously. Give him something to do and he'll magically become a pro at it in about 5 minnutes. (The downside to this is that homeboy will become super competitive and refuse to be anything but the best at it.)

-He is fun to go places with. He makes ANYWHERE 1000 times more fun. The grocery store becomes an exciting outing when he is around.

-He lets me cut his hair...which in turn makes me feel super cool and super talented.

-He's never grumpy. Ever.

-He goes with the flow. (Truthfully, I shouldn't have this on the list because it irks me that he isn't an obssessive planner like I am...but when I'm being honest with myself...his way of doing things is way more fun than my way.)

-He doesn't let me stress. If he sees that I'm stressing out (which happens often) he immediately kicks into boyfriend mode and puts everything into perspective to help ease my mind.

-I can't think of a time that I've been around him that I didn't get a kiss from him.

-He's brave and sticks up for me. The other day, some drunk guy made some stupid remark to me and Austin walked right up to the guy and just stared at him...fists clenched. Don't mess with the Stin.

-He bought me drinks in Vegas. A lot of them. I'm pretty sure he spent like $75 more than everyone else did.

-He lets me watch my TV shows. He only complains a teeny bit when Real Housewives is on.

-He won't talk about it...but he's really good at golf. He says that he is way better if he practices, but even if he hasn't practiced in like 6 months, he's still better than average.

-Shhh....don't tell....but sometimes he slow dances with me for no reason.

-He makes me a better me.

Crying Over Blinds

What's the stupidest thing you've ever cried about? For me, it's blinds. No...not like blind people...like blinds on a window. Stupid right? Before you judge, let me paint you a picture so that you fully understand the heartbreak that is installing blinds...

I'm currently in the process of moving into a new house. This new house is a little old so it needs a bit of renovating. The curtains that came in my room were super gross and super old so I took them down. I was left with a bare window with no covering whatsoever. My roommate installed blinds on one of our doors that has a window and said it was super quick and easy, so I figured I could do it on my own. I took a quick measurement of my window...65 1/2", then I was ready for my blinds adventure.

I happily and proudly headed over to my neighborhood Wal Mart to buy some blinds. I walked up and down the row trying to decide what type of blinds I wanted to buy. There were too many options and I quickly became overwhelmed (not unusual for me.) I couldn't decide which kind was best for my window so I just started looking at lengths. 62", 64", 72"...nothing. It quickly became glaringly obvious that I must have measured my window wrong because it wasn't any of these generic sizes. I then started thinking about HOW I would install these blinds on my window. My window has a metal perimeter, so I wasn't sure if I could even install blinds on the inside lip. I began thinking about how I could install blinds just above the window. Is that normal? Do blinds ever go above windows? Will it look bad? Will I be able to hang my curtain rod above it? My brain and emotions were spiraling out of control. I didn't know my correct measurements. I didn't know which blinds to buy. I didn't know how to install blinds. I didn't know where to install them. All the visions I had of installing blinds on my own (like a boss)...were crushed.

Feeling defeated and overwhelmed, I began to wander around Wal Mart. Here is how my thoughts progressed....

I can just have Austin help me.
What would I do if I didn't have a boyfriend to help me?
I don't want to rely on a boyfriend.
I could call my Dad.
But I don't want a boy's help.
I want to do this on my own...but I can't.
I am never going to be able to install blinds or anything else for that matter.
Now I HAVE to get married and have a man around the house to install things.
I can never be independent and live on my own and install my own blinds.
I'm pathetic.
I don't even want blinds anymore.
I'm going to go buy eyeliner and washcloths because those are the only things I understand because I'm a stupid woman who can't do anything on her own.

I fought back tears during the rest of my Wal Mart trip. I paid for my girly items that require no thought or installation, and sullenly walked back to my car. As soon as I got into my car, the tears started flowing. I felt totally useless and dependent and defeated. I eventually stopped crying and pulled myself together, but I can't say that it didn't partially ruin my day.


Crying over blinds. Stupid? Yes. But were my feelings legitimate? Yes.



And no....I still don't have blinds.

And we're the 16 best friends that anyone could have...

I never thought I would miss this as much as I do now. These memories will always have a special place in my heart.

What's your favorite color?

While using stumbling recently, I discovered a new website that I LOVE. Thought Questions. The website is sort of like one of those old school surveys you used to fill out and forward to your crushes and friends or post as a bulletin on Myspace....except its way better than that. The questions are so deep and amazing and thought provoking and just wonderful. I've spent way too much time browsing the site and thinking about my answers to some of the questions such as...

-What's your favorite sound? Rain on a window. Or really really loud thunder.
-What is there not enough of in the world? Coloring books and swing sets.
-What is something you said you'd never do, but have since done? Drink alcohol. I swore I never would, but my philosophy of drinking has changed a lot since I left high school and entered a more diverse world.
-In one sentence, describe your relationship with your mother. If I can be half the mother she is, I'll have done well for my children.
-What's something you don't like to do, but you're still really good at? Math. Shhh, don't tell anyone.
-How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are? I think I'd be older than I am now. Sometimes I feel like I have the mind of an adult but the personality of a child.
-What do you love most about yourself? I think I'm funny. I love that I love children. And I like my legs.
-What book has had the greatest influence on your life? Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist
-If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be? To me at 17: Wear different shoes to your Junior Prom....both heels will break off.
-What is the most valuable life lesson you learned from your parents? Make your own money, don't ever depend on anyone else. And always bring a jacket.

There a lot of deeper questions that I would never share my answers to, much less blog about them, but that's the beauty of this website. It's for thought and nothing else.