hiatus is over!

Oh hey.....remember me?

 Well, I am back from my two week hiatus and ready to fill y'all in...

It has been a while since I have provided the blog with an update in to my personal life. My recent blog vaca has given me the much needed time to re-energize and reflect. It has also given me the time to become obsessed with the tv show Friday Night Lights on Netflix.....
Ummm...why didn't I not know about this show when it was actually on tv?
 Team Tim Riggins! 

Let's get you up to speed.

{Career}

Things at the office have been really busy. Really good busy. Our new fiscal year just started in August and with so many new projects and budgets to put together, I feel like a chicken with it's head cut off. But I can honestly say that I love my job and the career that I have built for myself. It has taken me 8 years to get here but I am really proud of the path I have taken with my company. I am also really proud of my dear work friends I have met along the way. I see them all flourishing in their own careers and making a name for themselves. That light at the end of the tunnel is burning really bright these days!

{Health}

I have not updated the blog on my health status in quite a while...in fact only once really. I am still living with HS and seeing the small side effects on a pretty regular basis. The breakouts are fairly minor now and are thankfully able to be controlled with medication. The truth is that I have found great relief, not only physically but emotionally, in being able to control this crap with the use of a topical antibiotic (for the most part). My oral antibiotic simply kills my stomach. I still have my ups and downs. Moments when I start to feel sad that I have these stupid bumps under my arms or on my chest. BUT then my husband swoops in and reminds me where I was last year and how far we have come from that. Other than a couple random bumps, I am great! Still absolutely loving ballet once a week at Richmond Ballet. Still not signed up for that gym membership, but we all knew that was not going to happen....

{Love}

My family continues to amaze me everyday. Reid is ever still my rock and partner. He also has the awesome ability to drive me more crazy than anybody else I know....but I love him more and more each day. He is doing great at work and is really enjoying the start of Clemson football. My niece and nephew, Libbie and Palmer, are growing like weeds and are truly something else. Libbie is already 6 months old and crawling, can y'all believe that? Palmer is an force of nature and just sooo smart. The things that come out of his mouth are just to much. They bring the biggest smiles to our faces and I cannot imagine life without them. Spending time with them makes me so excited to be a parent one day. My other brother Jay just came in for a visit from Cali. I love seeing him, even if it is only 2-3 times a year. Being on the other side of the continent makes you value the time we actually get to see each other. My parents are great and busy being awesome grandparents to L, P and all the grand pups. I am also happy to report that all my dear friends seem to be in wonderful places in their lives. It makes me so happy to be surrounded by these wonderful people.

I think that about sums up my personal status update for today. This rest of the week should be filled with some fun stuff: Ashley will be back, I will fill y'all in on the fun we had in DC this past weekend and maybe some fun fall fashion.

"Texas Forever"

xoxo,

CAD


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Truths

Happy Monday y'all!
 I hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was pretty low key since I had to work on Saturday. We had a great dinner with friends on Friday and Sunday night and then dinner and a movie date with just us on Saturday. We saw the movie Chef and I highly recommend it.

I thought I would switch things up today and throw a bunch of truths out about yours truly.

Here we go!

Truth. I binge clean every other Monday night, right before the cleaning people arrive on Tuesday, or right before we have guests over. 

Truth. I am so indecisive that sometimes I procrastinate to the point where the decision is moot or Reid gets frustrated and just makes it. 

Truth. I hate wearing jeans, they are just so uncomfortable in my opinion. 

Truth. I believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but hardly eat it. 

Truth. Most of my Pandora stations are Broadway musicals....and I can sing most of them from start to finish by memory. 

Truth. When I am out and get tired, I shut down socially and want to go home right then and there. 

Truth. After I shower each morning I immediately get back in bed, which causes me to be habitually late for work. 

Truth. I have the best of intentions to send birthday cards and thank you notes but sometimes I forget. 

Truth. I cry at every single one of those Sheryl Crow rescue the animals commercials. 

Truth. I call my mother pretty much every day. 

Truth. I am a bit of a hypochondriac. 

Truth. I have approximately 1 million DIY projects about a third of the way done stashed in my attic. 

Truth. I have re-read the entire Twilight saga 5 times and I am sorry I am not sorry. 

Truth. Team Edward forever. 

Truth. I need to know what everyone else is getting at a restaurant prior to making my selection. 

Truth. My husband cooks and cleans the kitchen more than I do. 

Truth. I would be lost without him. 

Truth. I have like 15 drafts for blog posts that I can not bring myself to finish. 

Truth. We treat our dogs like children.

Truth. Every Monday I tell myself, today is the day I will start working out....it never happens.

Truth. I become so obsessed with TV couples and like to Google research them in real life...current obsession...Jim and Pam from the office.

Truth. Virginia Sweet has been a lot harder than I thought but I love it so...so thank you all my lovely readers!

I think is a pretty good list for today, what do you think?

Chat with y'all Wednesday!

xoxo,

CAD

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Random Five on Friday

So we did it, we made it to Friday! I would be doing a happy dance right about now but I unfortunately have to spend my Saturday at work. That's right y'all, I will be at the enterprise tomorrow... but it's ok because we are headed to Williamsburg the second I get off work to spend the weekend with my parents. Sounds fun right? Well, make sure to follow along on instagram - should be a fun and relaxing weekend! 

Per norm, I am linking up with my favorite Friday lovelies:
Five on Friday: April, Christina, Darci and Natasha. 
Friday Favorites: Amanda

{one}

Memorial Day.

via

 This Memorial Day, don't just celebrate your three day weekend. Celebrate the men and women in this country who gave their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces. Make sure to raise a glass, or two, and cheers the ones who fought so valiantly before us and to the ones we had the pleasure of knowing in our lifetime. Remember their families, stories, love and the true reason for Memorial Day. 

{two}

My Dad.

This weekend, I cannot help but think about my Dad. He was somewhere between 23 and 24 when  these pictures were taken in Vietnam. I often forget that he lost friends over there and this weekend holds a special place in his heart. I am blessed that I can share Memorial Day with this wonderful man.

My Dad served 23 years in the US Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel when I was 4 (I was a mid life crisis baby).When I was a kid, I used to beg my Dad to tell me stories about his crazy adventures with his Army buddies and all the trouble they would get in to. These are stories I still ask to hear as an adult because it is just something that I will never experience on my own. This was a time in his life when I was not even a twinkle in his eye and he was young and fearless. A Hero.

{three}

Epic Sale Season.

via

Damn you Kate Spade, Banana Republic, C.Wonder, Nordstrom and whoever else that is basically giving away amazing things. I got bit by the Kate Spade Sale.....shhhh don't tell Reid because we are supposed to be saving money right now. BUT how could I resist???? After much internal debate, I ended up with this little beauty!

{four}

Yes, They're Real.

via

Now, as many of you know, I am not really in to make up. I practically never wear it. When I do, I get stuck on the same thing over and over again. BUT I was thrilled to find and love this product. I have naturally long eye lashes, yes hate me now, but this mascara is amazing! It really does make your lashes look like fakes!!! Try it, you will like it!

{five}

Target Fruit Strips.

via
So, I am so obsessed with this sweet treat that I keep a box at work and a box at home. It is just the perfect little pick me up when I am feeling the hunger bug bite. They are only sold at Target  and usually on an end cap in the food section. I like strawberry the best! 

That's it for me folks! I hope you have the most wonderful holiday weekend!

Be safe!

xoxo,

CAD

Let's play catch up!

Happy Monday Loves!

Thank you so much for the sweet notes and positive attitudes about my arm pit woes. What a warm welcome back to Virginia Sweet. After re-reading my previous post, I realized that not all was doom and gloom over the last 5 months. Why don't I  catch you up on the marvelous happenings during my hiatus?

 A new job for me!

This was taken in October when I started my position

My company has provided me with the most wonderful opportunities both professionally and personally. In October, the enterprise let me check off a major career goal and offered me the Lighting Manager position for our Richmond branches. I have been working towards this position for most of my career as lighting is a true passion of mine. It is such a blessing to wake up everyday and love what you do... not very many people get to say that!

 Palmer Nash is two! 

 My handsome and charismatic nephew Palmer turned two this month...time has just flown by with this little man. He brings such love and joy to our life. Palmer is full blown talking these days and of course it melts our heart when he says Auntie and Uncle Reid (it comes out more like Hauntie and Uncle Weed which is so stinkin cute!). He is in to cars, trains, soccer and his new baby sister. That's right! We have another little bundle of joy to spoil! What a grand year for my brother and his wife. I could not be happier for this family.

Meet Miss Libbie Jane

Introducing our new niece, Miss Elizabeth "Libbie" Jane. She made her entrance into the world earlier this month and is really something else y'all!  So sweet, feminine, beautiful, peaceful and she smells just like a newborn should - devine. My father is convinced she looks like me when I was born, which again, melts my heart. I am just in love with her little hands!

I am sure you are reading this and thinking, "Caroline, have a baby of your own already!" Don't worry, babies are def on our horizon just not right this second. We are having too much fun being Auntie and Uncle Reid at the moment! 

 Not only were my bro and his wife busy this year expanding their family, my friends seem to have followed suit. Reid and I are the president and CEO of the Richmond chapter of DINKS (dual income no kids) and loving that we get to spend time with everyone else's babies! My college besties have been blessed with new babies of their own and our get togethers are full of rubbing bellies, passing babies around, mocktails and me drinking. Even Reid's friends are getting in on the action (pun intended). We could not be happier for our friends and look forward to what the future holds!

We made it a year!!!

Check out my  wedding pictures here!

Reid and I toasted to our first year of marriage this past December - whooohooo! To celebrate, we spent a relaxing, snowy weekend in the inner harbor of Baltimore. Great food, a wonderful inn and a handsome husband are the makings for a perfect get away right before the Christmas crazy. 

Writing this post makes me smile and excited to tackle this cold and gray Monday. I am thankful for all the wonderful things that grace my life everyday.  What are you thankful for this Monday?

xoxo,

CAD

my blog died with my armpit...

I never thought those words would come out of my mouth…. but it is the honest truth. I have been MIA for quite some time, not only on Virginia Sweet but in life. I checked out for a couple months to deal with some deeply personal and not so fun stuff…

This past July I thought I had nicked myself shaving under my arm pit and by mid August, I had developed a cyst along with a painful rash. I finally went to the doctor at the end of August where I was placed on my first round of antibiotics. The weeks and months that followed were rough to say the least. I was passed back and forth to 4 different doctors, 7 different antibiotics, 2 surgeries and weekly trips to doctor’s offices.  I was basically on an antibiotic from late August to early January and nothing seemed to work.

 In October, my surgeon confirmed that I had developed a staph infection and all outward signs pointed to MRSA.  Every single culture that was taken tested negative for MRSA but we could not find an antibiotic that would fight my infection. I was diagnosed with a “Super Bug” meaning that I have a form of staph that is resistant to most antibiotics.  My surgeon looked at me one day and said “I hate to tell you this but you have stumped me, I just don’t know what else to do”.  So I was sent to a dermatologist that specialized in dermatological diseases. Things got worse before they got better as they always do. In November, I was placed on a long term antibiotic and things were looking brighter for the first time in a while – THANK GOODNESS. I was on this drug, along with 2 topical antibiotics, for a month and by mid December things were almost cleared up. I was over the moon excited! We went out, celebrated, I drank a lot (I had not been drinking due to the antibiotics all Fall), we traveled to South Carolina to see Reid’s family… things were getting back to normal.

or so I thought…

Christmas eve, I noticed another cyst under my arm. Due to the holiday, my Derm could not see me until the 27^th.   It was by chance that I also had my annual with my OB scheduled for the 27^th in the morning and then my appointment with my Derm that afternoon…. My poor OB got an ear full when she asked “How are things?”…off I went in grave detail about my experience over the last 5 months. She asked if she could look at my underarm and very casually said, “You know what? This looks like a skin disease called hidradenitis suppurativa.”

 what.the.hell.

This is all I could come up with….. what the hell is that? What the hell is my OB telling me this for; doesn’t she know I have already been to like 4 other doctors? What the hell do we do to get rid of this thing? What the hell were my other doctors doing this whole time? How the hell do you even say or spell this disease?

My OB explained that this disease is common in “other” woman parts of the body so she sees it a lot. It normally does not manifest into staph (lucky me!) and my other doctor's first priority was to treat my infection. She wrote down the name of the disease on her card for me to give to my Derm.

You better believe that the first thing I did when I got back to work was Google this crazy sounding disease….. WHAT THE HELL? This is a chronic, no cure autoimmune disease that is very hard to diagnose and most people end up on antibiotics for the rest of their lives.

I was very emotional that afternoon when I saw my Derm, I just handed her the card and told her about my morning appointment.  She took one look at it, went and got her laptop, brought it over to me and showed me her notes from our first appointment…. “Patient shows signs of HS (hidradenitis suppurativa)”…. She had been suspecting this all along but needed to get rid of the antibiotic resistant staph.  I felt better but what did this mean for me longterm? 

My Derm removed the cyst that day and sent it in for testing. Prescriptions were written for long term antibiotics to be used at my digression when I am flaring or felt another cyst coming on. I was stitched up and sent home.

 

After my blood tests and biopsy of my cyst came back – the results suggested that I did indeed have HS. First came the tears.... then a sense of relief. I cannot tell you how relieved I felt just knowing what I had – finally after 6 months of craziness…. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Each week that passes after my diagnosis is better than the one before it! Things are brighter and brighter everyday!

 

My close friends and family know the health struggles and depression I have been fighting and it is only in the last month where I feel like my old self again. I want to thank everyone in my life that pulled me through this. Thank you to my work family, who dealt with my hysteria and crying before and after dr’s appointments with such compassion and grace. Thank you to my girlfriends, who checked up on me, made me go out to dinner and loved me when I was not a great friend in return. Thank you to Kristen, my BFF, who called me and put me in my place, who would not let this disease and depression get the best of me. Thank you to my family and especially my parents, your tireless support and encouragement meant the world to me. And the biggest thank you goes out to my Husband… Who would have thought that when you said “in sickness and in health” meant dressing, cleaning and shaving my armpit? You have been my rock through this, even though I lost my patience and cried a lot because you did not do things exactly as the dr did, you are amazing and supportive.

 

This was a really scary post to write but very important to me. There are so many things that I wanted to say…. things about my depression and fears but at some point, I have to stop feeling sorry for myself, and start living. I AM learning to live with HS and things are going pretty great! I had another break out last month but I used my antibiotics and caught it early. See …… brighter and brighter each day!

Xoxo,

CAD