Dennis II

As some of you know, I have an awesome scooter that I cruise around Raleigh on, with speed upwards of 40mph! Here are rare shots of me on my scooter (rare because I'm usually blazing by too quickly!).



My scooter's name is Dennis II. It is a Yamaha C3. My first scooter was named Dennis I (after my pet turtle). It was a Honda Metropolitan. Dennis I was a great scooter, but a little small for me.



Ironically, the Shelley's just blogged about scooters as well.

I do consider myself an ambassador for scooter owning and riding. Many people falsely characterize scooters as being uncool or even unmanly. Those people are, of course, most likely overcompensating for feelings of inadequacy and have in fact, never ridden a scooter before.

New haircut!

After around nine years of my hair staying virtually the same (below my shoulders in length with some layering), it was time for a change! I woke up one Saturday a few weeks ago, and without too much thought, I headed over to the Hair Color Experts for a cut. [First timers get 20% off - If you go, say I recommended it to you and I'll get $10 credit!] A few hours later, I emerged with a new do.



I had short hair for most of my childhood, so I wanted to steer clear of the haircut I had back then - curled under, parted down the middle, with 'adorable' bangs. The shot on the right is one of my favorites of me and my Nana. Since getting it cut, I've found the curlers still come in handy with styling it.

The snow of '09

The winter weather in North Carolina over the past few months is sure to be remembered for a while to come. I can't think of two big snows back to back like we experienced this year.



Ironically we did just move to the corner of Snow Avenue and Hargett Street. We got about 5 inches of snow in January, when I took these pictures. Kyle and I enjoyed exploring the neighborhood. The snow was still coming down pretty hard.



The second time it snowed, in late February, we were in Nashville, TN. It snowed across most of TN and NC, so we got to witness the whole thing as we tried to make it back to Raleigh. I drove in the snow more than I ever have before, and I feel much more comfortable with it now. By the time we reached Greensboro at around 9pm, the lanes were completely covered, so we stopped and spent the night in a hotel. I think it snowed 6-8 inches there.



The snow was fun, but I'm glad it is spring!

Ikea came to Charlotte & so did we!

After seeing the big blue box of a store on I-85 every time I drove through Charlotte, we couldn't help but stop shortly after it opened.



While we didn't make any major purchases, just being there was very inspiring. Personally I loved walking through their room scenes and store displays.





The designers at Ikea do an incredible job showing their products - every section has an interesting display. I've gotten the Ikea catalog since high school, so it was nice to see their pieces in person. I was a little disappointed in the quality. I don't think that you can really complain with the prices - but after sitting in several of the sofas and chairs, I don't think I would be interested in purchasing them. They weren't very comfortable, and I don't feel like they would last very long. But they sure make it look great!

Here's to Kyle

24 years ago yesterday, my husband was born. Kyle was the cutest kid too! I enjoyed spending the day making him feel special and loved. I baked a cake for him - chocolate with raspberries on top! (And of course 24 candles.) I knew he wanted a few seasons of the Simpsons on DVD, so I got them for him, but I always enjoy thinking of something he wouldn't ask for on his own. This year, I picked out a custom six pack of beers from around the world for him - a few I knew he liked, one he had on our honeymoon, and a few new ones to try. Since I don't care for beer, the beverage expert at World Market assisted me in picking out a selection he was sure to enjoy.

Happy Birthday babe!

Happy Birthday to ME

Today I am 24 years old.

I've learned many things in my 24 years on earth. For example:

- Owning a pet turtle may seem like a good idea at first, but when you get salmonella poisoning from the little guy it makes you wonder.
- It's much more fun to not care what strangers think about you. Yes, I am a male. Yes, I ride a scooter around town. Yes, I enjoy riding it.
- Arrested Development is the funniest show of all time.

Here's to 24 more. And also, 24 after that. That's all.

The day I became a McKay...

To recap a bit, Kyle and I were married on August 2nd, 2008 in my hometown. After dating for three years, I was excited to live in the same city and spend every day together. I married the love of my life, and it was such a beautiful day! Here are some clips of our wedding day that our videographer uploaded to YouTube:

[I have to say it looks pretty funny to watch us dancing when you can't hear the music we were dancing to.]

Welcome to our blog!

During the past year I've enjoyed reading blogs - whether they were personal blogs or inspirational blogs. I've also been a contributor to the blog where I work, the Design Lines Blog.

I think it was only time before we got a blog of our own. And here it is!

'Hey McKay' will be a place where we keep you up to date on our lives, our travels, our celebrations, and our inspirations. I will probably be the main contributor, but if and when Kyle posts, I'm sure it will be great! Since we got married last August, so many exciting things have happened - I can't wait to see what is next and to share our journey with you!