On and on and on and on...

So... today Josh and I are buying paint (for the living room, the dining room, and hopefully the hallway and stairwell). I'm pretty excited about it except for one thing... neither of us actually like to paint. I mean, I really love the look of a finished, painted room and all... but neither of us actually like the whole process that it takes to get there :/ I guess we'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. It will definitely all be worth it :)

On that note... As we're going through the process of decorating and settling into this house, Josh is talking about moving. Yeah, you read that right. Our contract here is up at the end of April, so we can stay here or move off base. In fact, we have a lead on a townhouse not far away that we may be interested in. The owner is being sent to Japan for the next three years, and he really wants somebody who's military to rent it. We're trying to find a time this week (Josh has a really light work week) to go look at it. I know it sounds crazy, but it's a really good move financially, so we'll see how it all goes down :) We're still so early in the process that all of this could change 20,000 times by April.. Yay for adventure :D

Anyway... the job hunt is still slow going. Apparently employers (including temp agencies) don't do a ton of hiring in the middle of a recession. Who knew? I'm still trying to be the squeaky wheel without getting so annoying that they "accidentally" lose my resume if you know what I mean. Speaking of which... Target is starting to look better and better. In fact, this townhouse that we're considering is literally just a couple of blocks away from the store that I would want to work at. At this point I think it would just be pride standing in my way, but let's face it, I'm not looking for a career. I'm just looking for a paycheck. Also, just because I work there, that doesn't mean that that's where I have to stay for the next four years. Savvy?

Well, that's enough about me for now, but since it is Tuesday (and I'm a slacker who hasn't put together a T3 for this week), I'd like to share a little tip with you. I know that most of you are much wiser and experienced than I am in the kitchen, but I'm going to throw this out there anyway. Feel free to throw it on back if you don't like it....

When I make anything that calls for breadcrumbs, I like to use mashed up Ritz crackers instead. They add a little texture and a nice flavor that I feel breadcrumbs lack. I have also used Goldfish crackers in the same way. My other use for Ritz is in tuna salad. You might be surprised. That's all :) Have a lovely day.

Ugh...

So... job hunting is not on my happy list at the moment :/
I had an interview with a temp agency on Tuesday. I think it went pretty well, but I called this morning and they still don't have anything for me. I'm probably going to get in with two or three agencies and "play the field" in a way. I'm also considering more and more doing something like working at the commissary part time (like on the weekends, or in the evenings) in addition to doing the temp thing. It would just be nice to have some sort of reliable income, even if it's not making very much.
Mostly I'm just coming to that point that I really need to start getting some cash to put into the bank, you know?
Anyway... I've been spending quite a bit of spare time working on the curtains for the living room. After searching and deciding, and realizing that we can't afford the ones we love (there are four windows in the living room, so we need eight panels. that means even curtains that are fairly inexpensive ($10 a panel) still add up really fast.) I finally bought four super inexpensive "window sets" from Target. Now I'm adding liners (fabric I already had) and some details. I'll be showing pics when they're done :)
Other than that I'm getting used to cooking and shopping for two again as well as cleaning up after a boy (the hubby has that really special boy gene that renders him unable to pick up after himself sometimes ;))
Moving on... I think that's all I really have... I know I keep promising pictures, and they'll come... just as soon as our house remembers what organized looks like. So... until then, have a happy day!

T3: Matryoshka Dolls

Ok, so... do you remember this? It was such a sad day :(

Anyway, today, you are finally going to find out what the terrors ate, and how to make your own :D I'm sure now knowing what it was has been keeping you up at night. So don't worry, I'm here to give you the gift of sleep. Today, I will be showing you the joys of making these little note cards...

From T3

Now, the special thing about these little guys is that not only are they adorable at first glance, but they just keep getting better...

From T3

So, now that you're all just thinking how absolutely wonderful these are, let me show you how insanely easy they are to make!

What you need:
This pattern (this has two patterns, you only need one of them) (pattern 1)
This pattern (pattern 2)

Card stock (regular paper works too, but cardstock feels more "real")

Scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper, fabric (this is optional, you could also draw on the dolls' faces and clothes)

Markers (or pens, crayons, whatever you like best)

Scissors 

Now, I'll tell you up front, this project requires a lot of cutting, but I think it's totally worth it (and you can cut down on some of the cutting (pun intended) if you draw your dolls instead of using scrapbook paper).

Anyway... First you're going to print and cut out your patterns. When you're doing this, be sure that you leave all the dolls in pattern 1 connected. When you've cut out all your pieces you should have a pile that looks like this...

From T3

Now, you're going to choose what you're going to use for the clothes and faces. For this example, I used different scrapbook paper for all of their clothes, and then a pink paper for their faces. You should trace your patterns and cut out all of the pieces (lots of cutting). If you're drawing on the dolls, you only need to cut out the master card pattern (pattern 1). I recommend using cardstock for pattern 1 (again, this isn't mandatory, it just makes it feel more like a real card). If you're using scrapbook paper, you'll end up with a pile that looks like this... (notice, I didn't cut out all of pattern 1 yet, I just traced it on to half a sheet of paper. You can do it like this, or you can cut it out at the beginning.)

From T3

Now comes the fun part! Glue all of your pieces on (or decorate however you want). The biggest thing to remember here is... The biggest doll goes at the far right, there will be one blank doll, and then they go on from there. When they're all dressed, they'll look like this...

From T3

If you notice, this picture is actually flipped from the original. When I was making this first one, I started with the biggest doll on the left. It was still cute, but my card opened backwards. Anyway...
Now, just cut out the whole thing (if you left it on half a sheet like me), and draw on faces and hair.

From T3

Once that's done, your card is finished. All that's left is folding it up and writing a note! One of the messages that I like the most for the inside is "You're a Doll!". When you're folding, start with the baby and just fold them all into each other (reference the beginning to see what I mean). Voila! An adorable hand-made card :D
Now all that's left is to show you what happens when you leave on laying around and two terrors get a hold of it...

From T3

I know, tragic, right? Oh well... you live and learn I suppose.
Well, happy crafting! I know that you're all running off to find a reason to make these :D

Because I Love You

Like Oh2122 reminded me today, sharing is caring. SO... I feel that I need to share with all of you that Rhea is having a giveaway. A mighty fine giveaway, I might add. Involving a certain book which is soon to become a movie... *ahem* Anyway... you should stop on by. Even if you're not on the crackliture band-wagon yet, she's a fun girl. I think you'll like her :)

Ciao Amici!

First, thank you all so very much for your good thoughts that you are sending my way :) I have definitely needed them more than once recently. After much thought, frustration, and the dread of impending doom, I have decided that I am going to get on board with a temp agency for now. I will continue to send out feelers and resumes, but I won't be quite as desperate, if you know what I mean. Now, I know that this may seem like a fairly lame cop-out, but I very much think (as does Josh) that this could be a good move for me right now. After all, it was through the contacts that I made with a temp position by which I landed the awesome job that I had in Louisiana. 

Mostly, this way, I will have some source of income and be able to make professional contacts at the same time. Also, it will give me an opportunity to "try-on" various industries and companies, you know? I have been stuck in some pretty horrid jobs, and it's the worst feeling when you go from relief at being employeed to awash with disgust and loathing in 2.5 seconds. I'm sure there are those of you out there who are with me in this. Anyway...

Moving on, Josh and I visited a church last night. We're starting with evening services because when the hubby is working nights, it's best to try to avoid disrupting his sleep schedule by forcing him to stay up until noon. So, we're starting with night services and then we'll look into mornings if we don't find anything in the evenings. It will be slow going most definitely. Josh works every other Sunday, so to find a church home that we both like, we can only visit some place new every other week. It's good, though. I'm very excited. I think that God has some major plans for us.

In other news, my own special craft room (which I'm already extremely attached to) is getting mostly organized. I'm even ready to start all of the twenty thousand sewing and decorating projects which I've been scheming about for so long :D

Well, I'm off. I'm hoping to give my blog some new clothes in the next week or so, so I need to get started on that, and I need to wake the puppies up so that they don't sleep all day and play all night again.

Much love to you all, and have a happy day!

Oh Me, Oh My...

I wish that I had some lovely anecdotes, amusing banter, or enlightening musings to share with you today, but alas, I'm fresh out. 

I'm officially in full-swing job hunt mode which tends to leave me feeling a little worn and stretched out like an old sweater. There are times when I wish that I could just go work at Target again, and not have to worry with resumes, follow-ups, interviews, and the possibility of getting rejected. I'm sure that it will most certainly all be completely worth it though, once I'm snuggled comfortably into my next job. It's merely the search that's talking. I know with %100 of my being that I never want to willingly be forced to ask innocent people to sign up for another credit card. I never again want to make sure that all of the lonely, discarded items be put back in their proper place and made to look pretty again. I know this to be true. It certainly would be easy, though... *sigh*

Anyway... on to much less weary topics like... decorating. We officially have curtains in the dining room/area-off-the-kitchen-that-I-like-to-call-the-dining-room-cause-it-makes-me-feel-fancy. It's the first step. Today I purchased the curtains to go in the living room (we'll see if they make the cut once hubby gets home), and we were informed that our table is here (yay for having a table!). Things are getting settled more and more, slowly but surely. My lava lamp has a designated place, and my Mr. Potato Head collection has a new home (these are seriously important details, people). Tonight (once I pick up the remains of the terrors' most recent victims (a fleece ball and a rubber tire)) I will begin the most enjoyable process of hanging pictures and selecting new photos to get printed for display :) It's the little things, people.

Well, boring, though it may be, that is my life at the moment. I do hope that you all have a lovely day :)

Warning: Long Rambling Post Ahead!

Ok, so I've been in the new home a week, and I feel like things are starting to wind down a little. Josh is officially in full swing at work (up until this past week, he's been stuck in processing and that sort of thing, so his work schedule was wonky). We were able to spend quite a bit of time together last week, which was really nice. We've been discussing various color schemes and the like for decorating the house (there are a few rooms that we have to paint because they currently just have primer on the walls, and that's not going to cut it for the next four years). I really love doing that sort of thing, but we've definitely run into some issues. Josh and I tend to have extreme opposite tastes in most everything, so it makes decorating a house a challenge, to say the least :) Also, moving is expensive, so we're a little tight at least until I can find a job.

On that not, I was supposed to have a meeting with a woman here on base who can help point me in the right direction for the job hunt on Friday morning, but when I got there, she was out sick. I rescheduled for Wednesday. Here's hoping she's feeling better by then :) I'm really hoping for a job on-base just for the sheer convenience of not having to commute to and from work everyday, but I'm definitely still keeping my options open.

Other than our decorating woes, I love our house :) It's two stories, and there are four bedrooms (and by bedrooms I mean, two normal sized bedrooms and two rooms that are a really great size for an office and a craft room). I'm extremely excited about having an entire room for my sewing, crafting, and all other general experiments :) The only thing we're really missing at this point is a kitchen table. By some miracle, we actually found one that we both like (read: I love it, and Josh doesn't not like it), but it's out-of-stock (naturally), so it may be a few weeks before it comes in. Our neighborhood is great. We live in a cul-de-sac, and most of our neighbors have kids, so it's sometimes and adventure dodging the tricycles, soccer balls, and small children while we try to get in and out of our house, but I love it. I'm still basking in the joy of having a side-walk and a fenced in back yard. On Halloween, our neighbors all got together in the cul-de-sac for a little Hallo-weenie roast. We all brought our bowls of candy, so the trick-or-treaters had a little one-stop shop. It was really enjoyable meeting everybody. In our last home, we were not on super great terms with our neighbors (long story), and all the houses were so far apart that we didn't really know anybody. I'm so happy being back in a neighborhood where everybody seems to know everyone, and they're all happy to spend time with each other, etc... :)

I've tried to stay busy un-packing, getting organized and the like. I'm just feeling so blessed. I do love a good move. It makes me feel refreshed and uplifted in a way. Also, I've thoroughly been enjoying my new kitchen. Size-wise and counter-space-wise I've been seriously down-graded, but I'll take it for an oven that can stay at a constant temperature, a dishwasher, and a disposal. It's so lovely :) Add to that the fact that I recieved a ... (wait for it... I've been wanting one for so long, I feel like it needs some dramatic effect...) Kitchen Aid stand mixer as a going-away present from my co-workers, I've been in baking heaven :D

Well, I really should go get some laundry done (another everyday activity that I've come to love due to my wonderful new washer and dryer (yay for clothes no longer getting torn up by my washing machine and coming out of the dryer smelling burnt!)). I promise I will be back to commenting in the very near future :)

Have a happy day!