A Life of Delight

Magic

2012-01-01T10:02:00.002-06:00

So it's a new year, the time when all delinquent bloggers write a post vowing to blog more in the coming year.

This is not that post.

I simply want to log a moment of magic from last night, and I figure this is as good a place as any to do so.

My New Year's Eve plans consisted of a sweet party involving Netflix and Sloppy Joes followed by a bedtime of 10:00.

While snug in my bed, I was awoken at about 20 till midnight by a crazy raucous happening outside. I lay there for a while, listening to the noise, thinking it would soon die down again. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of my warm nest. At midnight, I decided to check out what was happening outside, so I put my slippers on, opened our rouladens, and stepped out onto our balcony where I was greeted with a sky full of fireworks and the sound of church bells being rung quite intensely.

Here I need to add a couple notes. (1) We do not live in a large city. In fact, what we live in is much more village-like than anything else. (2) We do not live in the center of town. We are definitely on the outskirts.

That being said, I was extremely amused by the exuberance with which my neighbors were celebrating. I counted at least four houses in our little neighborhood shooting off all kinds of fireworks. Added to that were some campers in the mountains with their own pyrotechnic display as well as (what I imagine) was our village's own sparkling celebration.

I stood out on the cold balcony in the misting drizzle for a solid 20 minutes, soaking in the celebration, and sending out my own New Year's happy thoughts. When I did crawl back into bed, it was with a smile. Those moments out on my balcony were magic, and I want to hold on to that feeling of complete, loud, uncontrollable excitement that I was a part of last night.

Here's to 2012 and many new delightful adventures.

Settling

2011-10-19T09:26:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been 2 weeks, and I finally feel like I'm settling in to life here...

I've officially been on German time for at least a week now, and I'm definitely (mostly) comfortable driving everywhere (be it the autobahn or the tiny itty-bitty streets in town). I'm getting into a routine. I'm drinking tea and cider while wearing wool socks and three shirts to keep warm in my fairly chilly home. Photos are being hung on the walls and the organizing has begun in full force.

Job hunting is not so much going super fantastically, but I did have one interview last week (woot!). While I'm waiting to hear on that, I've been working on my next project... quilting.

I've completed one quilt since being here, and I'm currently working on my second. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about this in the near future...

Now, since no post is complete without a picture, Gneville presents Our Balcony View:

2011-10-10T12:53:00.001-05:00

Well, it's official... I now live in Germany.

The past few months were some of the best I've ever had. Living with this girl...

was completely fantastic. Staying in the states for an extra few months gave me time to not only work/save some extra money, but also a chance to really go out big. I really took the time to make memories that I will cherish. From the beach weekend in Virginia Beach to the Hurriquake party, I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people.

Of course, my time there culminated with the party of the century at Jen & Dan's wedding.

Seriously, all the time and energy that went in to that shindig was TOTALLY worth it (in my opinion!). I'm so happy for my wonderful friends and pray that their love continues to strengthen them.

When the candles were all blown out and the gifts were all packed in the cars, then it came time to think about moving. The wedding was Saturday and I flew out Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday nights were (of course!) going away gatherings. After all was said and done, though, Steph drove me to the airport where my new adventure began. To help me tell this part of the tale, I'd like to introduce Gneville, my Gnome away from Home...

I got the airport ready for a long flight (mini-reese's? check!)

After checking both of my barely-under weight suitcases (thanks Lufthansa lady for giving me that second one for free!!!), and making it through security, I made it to my gate.

Once there, I was promptly informed that my flight would be delayed due to a bird flying into one of the engines of my plane on its last descent. So I did the only thing conceivable, I got a good-bye dinner at Chipotle.

Then I waited.

Once on board, the flight was pretty smooth. I had a window, so I actually slept for a good portion of the flight.

Our friend Lesli picked me up in Frankfurt, and drove me home. Once I got to the house, I emailed everyone to let them know I'd made it ok, and then I crashed for close to 5 hours.

After five days here and MANY cups of tea and coffee (it's COLD in my house!!!), I'm still having trouble getting used to the time change. I'm sure I'll get there soon, though :)

Though all of this is good, the one thing that's keeping me down is having Josh so far away. We had a plan. He was supposed to be here when I got here, and he's not, and that's tough. I suppose it'll just make our reunion that much better.

Happies

2011-06-21T19:20:00.000-05:00

The last few months have been pretty stuffed full of random pieces of awesome that I definitely want to remember. So... here are my happies to remember:

waking up to bake muffins for Easter sunrise communion by the Potomac
watching the Royal wedding with a gaggle of girls before heading to work
Josh picking me up from work and bringing cupcakes
matching zombie shirts for Josh and me from friends
massive movie parties
sleeping in
yellow swim suits and beach towels
grouting tiles for a massive mosaic with my friends
walking down the street to 7-11 for slurpees and ice cream
laying by the pool reading Harry Potter (again)
garden gnome drive-by
party plotting
chocolate covered banana honey popsicles from Buzz
painting my toes while on the phone with Josh
cooking without kitchen appliances/gadgets
leaving the windows open
going for a run in the rain before the sun comes up
spending a foggy cloudy day at the beach with friends
stealing mint from friends' gardens
takeout and Redbox movie night

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T10:50:00.002-05:00

Wonderland

2011-04-04T18:20:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a bit like Alice in Wonderland recently.

As though I've fallen down a rabbit hole and things are passing by me very quickly. I'm also quite sure to see and experience some rather fantastical things once I land.

We're moving... fairly soon (at least Josh is). He's been accepted to the program for flight nursing and must report to his new base by July 15.

His new base being Ramstein AFB in Germany.

I'm excited, most certainly, but I'm not entirely sure what we're getting into. I feel as though I have all the time in the world (I won't be permanently joining him until early October), yet at the same time it's as though I just got to DC and I'm not quite sure where the time is going.

I need to learn German. In between packing. And seeing all the places we were supposed to see while stationed in the national capital region. And doing all the things that I want to do in the district. And working. And job hunting. And all of the million other things that are going into this.

I'm absolutely positive that I am simply seeing a curve in the road of this rather extraordinary adventure that I find myself on. So it's definitely good.

Simply a little like Wonderland.

Urban S'Mores

2011-04-01T19:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I have cravings for random things... generally desserts. The other night, all I wanted was a s'more.

One graham cracker, some Hershey's mini morsels, a handful of baby marshmallows and a couple minutes under the broiler later... I had a lovely urban s'more. It lacked that special camp fire flavor... but it definitely hit the spot.

The next day, I made one with Nutella instead of mini chips. I will never be able to go back to just Hershey's again.

Look, there's a Colonial!

2010-11-17T08:44:00.000-06:00

Last Friday after work, I jumped in a car with five lovely ladies (ok, we had two cars) for a weekend full of awesome.

We got a really great rate on a fantastic condo just outside Williamsburg

Saturday morning was spent in Colonial Williamsburg followed by a relaxing afternoon and an awesome dinner.

There were many photographs taken between the six of us, and tons of laughter.

It was definitely a fantastic breath of fresh air before the holiday madness begins :)

I Heart Faces Contest // Silhouettes

2010-11-15T09:29:00.001-06:00

This past weekend, I hopped in a car with my friends, and we took off for Williamsburg. While there, I just so happened to shoot this silhouette photo...

just in time for this week's I Heart Faces challenge. Hop on over there and check out the rest of this week's awesome entries :)

Crab Cakes and Boogie Boards

2010-08-03T09:01:00.000-05:00

To get out of the city for a bit, to shake things up, to enjoy the end of the summer, to check somewhere off of our list of places to go, and to celebrate our impending 3rd anniversary, Josh and I took off early on Friday afternoon and hit the beach this weekend.

We stayed Friday and Saturday, and headed back after lunch and a movie on Sunday.

Between the awesome food and the gorgeous weather, it was a fantastic weekend.

We whipped out Yelp for every meal, and I for one was never disappointed.

Our hotel was situated right on the boardwalk. We could literally walk out of the lobby and onto the beach. It was WONDERFUL.

I think that we both needed a weekend away.

With Josh on a rotating night schedule, we often end up missing each other, and it's tough for us to spend real time together.

I'm pretty sure the only downside was the traffic... but it's definitely a price that I'm willing to pay ;)

Spiced Tea and Scarves

2010-07-29T13:19:00.000-05:00

It's almost August. To me, that means it's almost autumn.

Almost time for school to start.
Almost time for scarves and hats.
Almost time for candles that smell like cinnamon and sugar cookies.
Almost time for blustery days.
Almost time for apple picking and pumpkin patches.
Almost time for spiced tea.

I always feel so refreshed and invigorated when fall comes. Something about the combination of it all makes September feel like a much more appropriate time for new beginnings than January. Autumn gives me a fresh start. I suppose it all comes from so many years of starting school in the fall. New teachers, new books, new classes, new clothes. Fall was the season of beginnings. This year, more than any other, I've been longing for fall. I'm pretty sure I started wishing for autumn in February. It's been a long and weird year so far in many ways, and I'm so ready for the coziness of fall. I finally feel like I'm in a good rhythm with the job that I started in December. Josh and I celebrate our 3 year anniversary next week. I'm pretty sure that I'm happier now than I've ever been in my marriage. I've also started working out again on a regular basis (which always makes me feel better about life). I know I've let a lot of things slide, though.

I don't want to waste time and energy bemoaning all of the balls that I've dropped in recent months, but I do want to publicly remind myself to step it up. My schedule doesn't always make it easy, but my slacker attitude certainly isn't helping either.
So here's to autumn. I'm so ready for this.

Part Four, The Rest of the Trip

2010-03-08T10:04:00.000-06:00

Josh arrived in Lubbock that evening. We spent the night with *D* and *E*, trying to catch up, trying to let go and allow the healing to slowly begin.
The next day was Thursday, Christmas Eve, and my niece *C*’s 11th birthday. As per tradition, all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc… gathered for brunch at Golden Corral (*C*’s request). It was such an amazing experience to be able to laugh and celebrate following the emotions of the day before. It was important to everyone that the day be about celebrating *C*. To add to the magic of that day, the city received the biggest snowstorm in anybody’s memory. For kids from a West Texas town, a foot of snow offered healing, comfort and joy like little else could. Throughout the day, *A*’s siblings told anyone who would listen that they were positive that *A* had snuck into the control room in Heaven and caused the miracle snow. *C* also informed me that *A* had gotten her Christmas wishes. All she had wanted for Christmas this year was snow and for Josh and I to be there.
That afternoon, we made a pilgrimage back to where *A* is buried. Josh wanted to see her. On the way home, we stopped at an awesome wooden play village to enjoy the snow. When we walked in the gate, we were all amazed to see that the snow was completely untouched. It was a wonderful day for snowballs, snow angels, and general joy. That day galvanized in all of us the resolve and assurance that we would survive. We would feel joy again. We would laugh again, and we would get through it.
The next few days passed peacefully. Christmas, tamales, presents, movies, games… Odd though it is, I can honestly say that it was one of the most wonderful, stress-free visits home that I’ve ever had. In that moment, in those hours, we were content to simply be with each other. The frustrations and drama that so easily enters most of my trips home were not there, and it was beautiful.
Josh and I left Sunday afternoon for the long drive back (he flew in, but skipped his return flight so that he could drive back with me). We drove through the night and made it back home Monday evening, just in time to go to sleep and wake up bright and early the next morning for work.

Part Three, The Funeral

2010-02-21T13:49:00.001-06:00

*If you need to catch up, check out Part One and Part Two*

So I finally made it home. I went by my parents' house to pick a couple of things up, then I headed over to *E*'s parents' house, where the family had gathered. When I turned on to their street, I could tell that the house was going to be completely full. I parked, and as I started walking towards the house, *E*'s dad came out and gave me a huge hug. To finally be with people with whom I could truly mourn was a huge relief. I don't know if he will ever know how much that hug meant to me.

Coming up to the house, an outsider never would have known the tragedy that had so recently struck. My nieces and their cousins were running around playing, and it may have appeared as just another big family gathering. Once I walked in, I was instantly surrounded by *E*'s mom and aunts. Hugs were coming from every side, and I heard somebody say "Your sister's here." Looking up, *E* and *D* were coming my way. I could breathe again.

After just a few moments of greetings and memories (*E* told me that he had always considered *A* to be the perfect mix of his mom and me. *A* had his mom's attitude and sass and my way of thinking and creativity), *E* and *D* rounded up their kids and we all headed out. *A*'s funeral was going to be the following day (Wednesday) in the town where *E*'s grandparents lived, about 45 minutes away. *E* had grown up there, and he had family members (including one of his grandfathers) buried in the cemetery there, the cemetery where *A* is.

On the ride to his grandparent's house, a lot of memories and quiet discussion happened amongst *E*, *D*, the three kids and me. They told me that they had been able to heal and mourn so deeply the past few days because of the amazing support system that they had. They told me that they were going to be ok. We all reminded each other that as much as we wished we could have had more time with *A*, we shouldn't feel sad for her. We should be sad for ourselves, because we'll miss her, but not for her. It seems so trite to say that she's in a better place, but it's the truth. She's not hurting anymore. She doesn't have to take a round of meds every day anymore. She doesn't have to get blood drawn or any other medical tests ever again. She doesn't have any scars from surgery anymore. She's happy, whole, and perfect.

It was on that ride that I was really able to feel more at peace, knowing that they were truly going to be ok.

That night was full of talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company at *E*'s grandparents' house. We all knew that the next day would be rough, but for those few hours, we wanted to talk and remember and just be together.

Nobody was ready to wake up the next morning. If we woke up, it meant that we had to go through with the day. It meant that we would have to say goodbye. It seemed so final. We did all arise, though, and eventually we set out. I had promised *D* the night before that I would photograph everything. Every flower would be documented. So, armed with *D*'s camera, we headed to the church for a long day, starting with the viewing. I'm not sure what I would have done without that camera. With it, I was able to say goodbye and mourn in my own way.

The day passed in a cloud of pink. Pink flowers, pink ribbons, pink neck ties... Everywhere I looked, there was more pink. We listened to *A*'s favorite song, a Hannah Montana number about a little girl leaving home, "Butterfly Fly Away"...

"You tucked me in
Turned out the light
Kept me safe and sound at night
Little girls depend on things like that
Brushed my teeth and combed my hair
Had to drive me every where
You were always there when I looked back
You had to do it all alone
Make a living, make a home
Must have been as hard as it could be
And when I couldn't sleep at night
Scared things wouldn't turn out right
You would hold my hand and sing to me
Caterpillar in the tree
Have you wonder who you'll be
Can't go far but you can always dream
Wish you may and wish you might
Don't you worry, hold on tight
I promise you there will come a day
Butterfly fly away
Butterfly fly away
Got your wings now you can't stay
Take those dreams and make them all come true
Butterfly fly away
You've been waiting for this day
All along and known just what to do
Butterfly
Butterfly fly away
Butterfly fly away
Butterfly fly away"

By the time the funeral began, the small church was overflowing with people who had been touched by our little girl. People were standing all around, spilling out into the entry way...
As we headed to the cemetery, the weather was miming our emotions. A cold wind was blowing, and rain began to fall as we parked. Cold and wet, we said goodbye to *A*. When they had finished lowering her, everyone released pink balloons. It was over.

A story that I might want to remember one day, Part Two, The Drive

2010-02-18T09:54:00.000-06:00

This is my story for the past few months. I am writing it down as a simple record for myself. Perhaps one day I will want to remember all that happened. Feel free to accompany me on my memory journey. If you missed part one, you can catch up here.

So there I was, alone in my car, preparing for the 27 hour drive that I had ahead of me. About an hour before (as Josh was on the phone with the travel company), I had called my new supervisor (Josh had left him a voicemail the night before, but I thought that it would be best if I spoke to him). I essentially told him what had happened and that I wasn’t sure when I would be back at work. He could not have been more understanding. I had literally been on the job for three days, and here I was taking off for at least a week with no notice. While I was not at all concerned about losing my new-found position (it honestly didn’t matter to me at that point. If they fired me for this, then I probably didn’t want to work with them anyway. Plus, I was certain that my old boss would have given me my job back in an instant.), I was (and still am) extremely grateful for the sensitivity and kindness that he showed me. He told me to do what I had to do and we would work it out when I got back.

As I began my journey, I had no music playing (somehow, every song that came on seemed stupid and only served to aggravate me). My thoughts were a swirling complicated jumble, but amongst them all, one continued to be prominent. I needed to get to my sister. I couldn’t rest until I had seen her, spoken to her. Nothing mattered other than getting to her as fast as possible.

A few hours after I set out, *E* text-messaged me to find out if I had gotten on another flight. I replied that I was on the road and I would be there the following evening (Tuesday night). His follow-up of “You’re driving?” reminded me that I had not informed them of my change in plans. I would later find out that my dad was present during this text exchange, and neither he nor *E* were exactly pleased with my plans. Apparently the idea of me driving across the country by myself didn’t sound like a good plan to them. Knowing me as he does, though, *E* knew that it wouldn’t do anybody any good to voice their concerns, as I wasn’t likely to listen to them anyway.

I drove for about 13 hours that day. Sometimes I cried. Sometimes I spoke aloud, asking God questions that I knew I probably wouldn’t receive answers to. Sometimes I simply sat, attempting to wrap my mind around the idea of a world that did not include *A*. Constantly I prayed. I prayed for understanding, for wisdom, for comfort, for my sister, for my brother, for my other nieces and nephew. Only stopping for gas when I had to, I made myself eat when I wasn’t hungry, knowing that my body needed the sugar to keep going.

Around 11pm, I knew that I needed to stop. I was no longer safe to be on the road. I stopped at a Holiday Inn right off the highway. Before I went to bed, I called *E* to let him know that I was stopping for the night. While on the phone with him, I heard my nephew ask *E* if I knew. It was all I could do to keep it together at that moment. Again, I promised that I would be there as soon as I could be, I told him that I loved him, and I got off the phone. I spoke with Josh just after that, assuring him that I would sleep long enough to matter, and I went to bed. After 6 hours of surprisingly heavy sleep (I hadn’t been sleeping well the week before, and I’m sure you can imagine that I didn’t really sleep at all on Sunday night), I checked out and was on my way once more.

Tuesday was much the same as Monday. I could physically feel God’s healing hand working on me. While I knew that nothing would ever be the same, and nothing would ever make it ok that I would never again hear *A*’s laugh, I also knew that God was there. During this journey, I continually came back to the old hymn “It is Well with my Soul.” For those who don’t know it, the lyrics (of the first verse) are:

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

Horatio Spafford wrote the song shortly after learning that his four daughters had drowned while sailing to England for a family trip. He had been delayed and sent his family on ahead. Only his wife survived the trip.
For obvious reasons, the song struck a chord deep within me, and I clung to it. Over and over for the next few weeks, I would repeat to myself “it is well with my soul.” It became my lifeline, my reassurance that the pain would not be crushing forever, that I would eventually find a new normal, and that through it all, I would never be alone.

As I drove, I thanked God for the peace that was slowly settling over my spirit, but I continued to think of little other than my sister. I had not spoken to her, and I could not properly breathe until I knew that she was going to be ok. As I entered Texas, I had to remind myself not to get too excited. I wanted so much to believe that being in the same state meant that I was getting close, but I knew that I would be driving across Texas for around 10 hours before I made it to my destination. The time seemed to drag on forever while occasionally skipping ahead at a very welcome rate.

Finally, I began approaching the towns a mere hour outside of my home. I could feel it coming. Soon, I would be able to stop, take a proper breath, and look *D* in the eyes.

To be continued (again)

A story that I might want to remember one day

2010-02-17T20:23:00.000-06:00

It's been a while... a long while... much has happened, and I'm not really sure where to start. I'm not really sure that I want to, but at the same time, I want nothing more than to share...
So, perhaps I'll start at the beginning. When last left, I was out of town, visiting the family for Thanksgiving. A few days were spent with my family, then we drove the few hours to visit Josh's family. While we were at his parent's house (the day before Thanksgiving, mind you), I received an email from a friend of ours. He was being promoted and thought that I might be interested in his now-vacant position. Though I very much enjoyed the job that I was in and could not imagine a more pleasant work environment, the pay raise and some of the random benefits were a little too good to not even consider. I emailed him back that I would be interested in tossing my name in the hat. A week and a half later, I was offered the job.
It was difficult for me to quit the job that I had. I tend to be extremely loyal, and I felt like I was betraying them. My boss was wonderful and could not have been sweeter about the whole thing. She wished me the best of luck, said that they would miss me, but that I should absolutely take the new position if it was best for Josh and me.
I started the new position on a Wednesday (Dec 16, the week before Christmas). The following Sunday (Dec 20), I was out shopping for new work clothes (this new position has a much stricter dress code than my previous position) when I received a voice mail from my mom. She didn't say much, but she said that I should call. When I returned her call, my dad answered. My youngest niece, *A*, had died that afternoon from complications due to a heart defect that she was born with. She was 7.
I held myself together long enough to call Josh (he was in the mall with me, but had gone off on his own) and tell him that we needed to leave. When he found me, all I said was her name as I struggled to breathe. He asked if we needed to get me on a flight and I nodded "yes." When we got to the car, he asked me what had happened. I told him that she wasn't able to fight anymore. As understanding sunk in, he nodded and started driving.
When we got home, I called my sister, *D*. My brother-in-law, *E*, answered the phone. I asked to speak to *D*. He told me that she didn't want to talk to anybody. I asked if they needed anything and then told him that I would be there as soon as I could.
As Christmas was five days away, I am shocked that we were able to find me flights out the very next morning (he needed to stay here for a few days until he got permission from his commander to leave). The next morning, Josh dropped me off at the airport two hours early. I stood in line to check in at US Airways for 45 minutes. When I got to the kiosk, I was unable to check in. When I asked the man working behind the counter, he looked at my tickets and said "this flight is a Continental flight." Confused, I asked why my tickets said "US Airways." Apparently my flight was a Continental flight operated by US Airways, so I needed to check in at the Continental desk. Feeling pretty frustrated and trying not to worry, I quickly went to the Continental desk. I stood in line for another 45 minutes there. The clock was ticking, and as my departure time grew closer, I was growing increasingly anxious. It was not easy to hold myself together at that point. Finally, I was next in line. The woman checked in a group of men for my flight, each of whom had carry-ons, and I stepped up. When I handed her my ticket, she said, "I'm sorry, but this flight is now closed. You can no longer check in." I couldn't believe it. I took a shaky breath, and asked her if there was anything that she could do (remember again, this is now four days before Christmas, plus, we had recently had a snow storm that had delayed and canceled many flights the two days prior). I will never forget the kindness of this woman. I told her that I had to get home for a funeral, and please, if there was anything, I wanted it. Cost didn't matter. She looked for an hour and a half (the line was huge, and since she was not checking people in anymore, I am certain that more than one person missed their flight because this woman was trying to help me). In the end, there was nothing.
I sent a text message to my brother-in-law telling him my flight hadn't worked out and I was trying to figure out other options. I called Josh and told him that I needed a ride home. I didn't have a flight. On our way home, we brainstormed some options. We considered the bus. We had purchased tickets for Josh to fly out Wednesday (this is still only Monday morning), and he was really pushing to see if we could transfer those tickets. At this point, I was ready to get in my car and start driving. I could be there by Tuesday evening. Josh convinced me to wait until he could talk to his commander (to see if he would be able to use the Wednesday tickets) and the travel company (to see if he could transfer his tickets) before doing anything else. An hour and a half later (we stopped by base so he could see his commander before going home), Josh came downstairs after speaking with the travel company and told me to go ahead and get in my car. He would support my decision to drive the 1,700 miles if I promised to stop for sleep when I got tired.
So in my car went my bag. In my car went me. I waved goodbye to Josh, and I was on my way. I plugged Memphis into my GPS (the northern routes were still in danger of being covered in snow, and I knew that the fastest way to get there by going south was through Memphis. I figured it would be a good half-way point to stop for some sleep), and I got on the road.

To be continued...

Lovely Sun Flare

2009-11-23T00:19:00.001-06:00

Though I'm out of town visiting family, when I saw that this week's I Heart Faces photo challenge was "sun flare," I knew that I just had to enter. I went out (at a seriously crazy hour) a couple weeks ago to have a play-around photo-shoot with a couple friends of mine (one other photographer and our friend [a musician] who wanted some promo shots for her new album). Anyway... I walked away with some absolutely lovely sun flare shots. Below is my favorite, and my entry for this week's photo challenge.

If you haven't been yet, you should definitely go check out http://www.iheartfaces.com. It's a great site, and such a fun community :)

National Harbor

2009-11-09T18:12:00.000-06:00

Have any of y'all ever been to National Harbor? It's on the Maryland side of the Potomac, just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're in the area and have a little time to kill.

I mean, there's still construction going on, and it's completely and totally created for tourists (in a city with a huge tourist draw to begin with), but there're definitely some fun things to see.

You can check out some gorgeous mosaics along the walls of the stairs leading down to the docks

There're some fun animals

Good cupcakes (though if you're in the DC area, Georgetown Cupcake is really the place to go for cupcakes)

And there's this guy

I love him

Every time I pass by the National Harbor exit, I think about him and smile

I love how huge he is.

I think he's simply wonderful :)

So tell me, what delights are you currently loving?

Bloop Bloop

2009-11-02T18:28:00.000-06:00

That's the sound of time plopping away without me. I've been going and doing and adventuring and trying my hardest to slow down and breathe :) Since pretty much everybody has posted a lovely Halloween post, I'll at least mention that we went to a Halloween/Goodbye party for our good friend Matt who moved to Pittsburgh today. We will certainly miss him, but I'm quite certain we'll see him again!

In other news, I've begun a grand adventure with one of my favorite people in the world.

Jenn and I have started a little photo blog in the vein of mintyforest. We've only just begun, but I'm loving it so far! Jenn's studying higher education at Oxford currently, so I'm thrilled to have a means of staying in frequent contact. Anyway... our new little project is at http://justfollowyourfeet.wordpress.com/ . We're still working out a few wrinkles, but I'd love for you all to go check it out :)

Swinging

2009-10-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

Apparently it's going to take a little while for me to get back in the blogging swing of things. I think that's ok. I'm actually working on a collaborative project with my BFF Jenn that I'm hoping will inspire me for this blog as well.
I'm still over the moon with excitement for fall. It's getting cooler everyday, and I'm totally reveling in this blissful time of change.
Speaking of change...

Josh is now working close to home again (he'd been working at a hospital on the opposite side of the district from our home {in other words, an hour long commute one-way every time he went to work}), and he's now back to working about 15 minutes from our house, which is a HUGE stress relief for both of us. Additionally, he'll be switching back to working nights starting tomorrow night. The transition is always a little tough, but we've gotten pretty good at making it work :) All in all, it's a good switch for him at this point, I think. On top of that, he's also looking at his options for the future and making some choices that will effect the next few years. As part of that, he took the GRE this past week (and totally rocked it!). Basically, life keeps on flying by.
I finally jumped on the band wagon and got a pro flickr account. I'm hoping that it will remind/inspire me to document and organize my memories that I'm collecting. Within the past three months, I've made new friends, worked to deepen existing friendships, seen friends move away, and am preparing to send off two more friends for their next adventures. It's a nice reminder that life isn't static. It's 100% transient, and if I don't grasp what I can of it now, I'll end up missing something great.

Passion

2009-09-25T09:55:00.003-05:00

I attended a baptism a few weeks ago for a friend of ours who was preparing to leave for India to begin a two-year adventure as a staff-member of YWAM.
I’ve been thinking recently about passion and inspiration. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far…
Passion is the something that drives you, a steady rock in an otherwise swirling and churning life. Passion is what makes all the sacrifices worth it. It makes your heart beat harder, and it permeates your thoughts. Passion gives life a spark.
Inspiration is most often a surprise. Though it can be sought, inspiration often comes from the most unlikely of places. It makes your heart skip a beat and your mind whirl. It’s like a completely confident freefall. Inspiration colors life.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-23T10:20:00.002-05:00

A Time to Reflect

2009-09-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

The seasons are changing, I'm experiencing my first real fall, and life is moving on quite well. It's funny to me to think that Josh and I have lived here almost a year. In many ways, it seems that we have been here much much longer. We have found and plugged into a wonderful spiritual community here, and we've been awesomely blessed by the friends that we've come to know and love. After a very rough job hunt, my job is going great, and I'm still very much enjoying where I am for the moment. The flexibility and understanding of my boss has enabled me to do many things that I would never have been able to do in a different location. This summer I was able to take off for a family vacation (on fairly short notice) that was, I believe absolutely what I needed. Though we've in many ways settled into a routine, we're absolutely not at a stand-still, as we're planning on moving once more in March. Our last move was made before I had settled into my job and before our community became such a huge part of our lives. As it is, we feel very disconnected from them, as we're in Maryland, and they are all in Virginia. So, after much discussion, we'll (hopefully) be crossing the Potomac next spring and settling into the place that will be our final stop while Josh is stationed here.

I keep thinking that I'll get back in the blogging swing of things, so we'll see if that actually happens J Until then... I'll be enjoying the weather!

WooHoo!!!

2009-06-01T18:25:00.004-05:00

Ok, so... I've been waiting and waiting for iHeart Faces to finally have a category that I have a picture for (and have the time that week to post), and it's finally here :D Every week I wish I could rent kids to take photos of, but I have yet to find a place for that...

Anyway... This week, they have a special pets category (something the terrors are actually good for ;)). SO... I posted this photo of them a while back, but it's still one of my favorites. Here it is, my iHeart Faces photo :)

From A Life of Delight

If you haven't been yet, you should definitely go check out http://www.iheartfaces.com. It's a great site, and such a fun community :)

Well, that's all for me!

Tabula Rasa

2009-05-25T17:28:00.002-05:00

Ok, so... Funny thing happened today (on the way to the forum...). I've been meaning to update the mp3 player and make some new cds to keep in my car. It's been in my mind to do it for a while, and it just hadn't happened. Anyway... tonight I finally decided to just do it. So I get on the computer, and I start sifting through all 20 gazillion folders of music that I have... and it's gone. It's all gone. Somehow, somewhere along the line, our computer ate my music. So... I have the cds for a chunk of it, but not a lot of the newer stuff. Anyway... here's my plea, since I have such an awesome opportunity to start with a clean slate... I want some suggestions. I know there are some of you who have really great music taste. So what'll it be? What do I have to get?

Oh, and uh... thanks in advance!

A Little Update Con Muchos Fotos

2009-05-23T16:39:00.003-05:00

Oh my, has it been nearly a month since I told you that the hubby might have given me swine flu and then I promptly dropped off the face of the planet?! Oh dear... that was poor planning on my part.
Well, if anything can remedy that, I'm sure a blog post of epic proportions can. Right? That's just what you were all looking forward to :D
So, where to begin? I suppose we were still enjoying the cherry blossoms at the very beginning of the month...They're all gone now, but I suppose that's ok, cause after they leave, cherry season is close at hand :)

This past weekend the hubby and I checked out the Air Show at Andrews...

Seriously, could he be any more excited about me taking that photo? Moving on... I think my favorite plane was this guy...

I didn't get it in this shot, but it may have had a jolly roger on it's tail. It was kinda a theme...

Anyway... That's been our excitement. We're pretty fascinating, I know...
In other news, I decided to do some photo exploration this morning, so I hopped in my car and went wherever it took me (turned out that my car took me to Calvert Cliffs State Park).
I made a few new friends...

Enjoyed the pretty flowers...

Gazed at the lily-pads...

Took a rest on the beach...

And fell completely in love with these little blossoms...

We're talking head over heels...

Seriously...

Which all brings me to my question of the day... Seeing as how I flunked out of Girl Scouts due to a complete dislike for insects, arachnids, creepy-crawlies, and most small woodland creatures, I have no idea what those little blossoms are. They were on small trees, and they were everywhere. Does anybody know what they are so that I can name my lovelies? I'd be very much obliged :)

Other than that life has mostly been business as usual around here (well, other than the fact that I finally came out of my Trekkie closet to the hubby... he took it fairly well). I keep thinking longingly of my little corner of the blog world, hoping to make it back here... It hasn't consistently happened yet, but I'll keep trying :) Until then, have a lovely day.

True Love

2009-04-29T11:46:00.000-05:00

So… the hubby got back from Louisiana on Monday. One of his friends got married, and he was in her wedding. Anyway, last night he decided that he wanted chili dogs for dinner, so he went to the grocery store, came back, made his chili dogs, and sat down to eat. Meanwhile, I went up to our room to read cause I wasn’t feeling super hot and didn’t really want to smell his seriously nutritious dinner. So about 30 minutes later, he comes up to tell me about his awesome new favorite hot dogs, notices that I’m not getting quite as excited as new favorite hot dogs really require, so he asks me what’s wrong and we have the following conversation…

Me (to hubby): I don’t feel good…
Hubby: I’m sorry… What kind of not feel good?
Me: Just kinda nauseated… Please stop talking about hot dogs.
Hubby: Oh… maybe I brought the swine flu back and gave it to you.
Me: *blink blink* …
Hubby: Yeah, I mean, my plane on the way back went through San Antonio and Austin before I got on in Little Rock. Maybe I picked the germ up and gave it to you. Hahaha! Well, sorry if I gave you the swine flu. Try not to die or anything.

Oh yeah, I can so totatlly feel the love just oozing out of him.

Long Time Coming...

2009-04-25T07:42:00.002-05:00

Ok, so... we've been in this home for a couple months now, and we've finally gotten rid of all the boxes, we've hung most of the pictures up, we put our table in the kitchen, we painted the front room, we made a plan for furniture layout in the front room, we put up curtains on all the downstairs windows, and today I'm ordering two new bookshelves (apparently when you collect books, you need a lot of bookshelves... who knew?).
Anyway, all of that to say, I really feel moved in and comfy here :D There are still a couple pieces of furniture that we're lacking, but as soon as we have a weekend that Josh is off and we're both in town I think we'll take care of that :)
Pictures to come (I'm stalling until the scarves for the windows and the bookshelves come in)... It feels good to be home :)

Giveaway WINNER!

2009-04-22T21:34:00.003-05:00

From Collages

Ok, So... using the highly sophisticated "draw a name out of a bag" method, the winner has been chosen.

Congratulations McMOMMY!

Thanks so much to everybody who played my game with me :) Keep your eyes open. I've had some inspiration here of late. You may soon find another giveaway upon you!

Have a happy day!

My First Giveaway

2009-04-19T17:47:00.002-05:00

So... I like feeling crafty (like with glue and glitter... not devious), but I don't necessarily have one "area of expertise" per se. I basically just do whatever I feel like doing at the time. This works out super great for me, but it results in my have a ton of supplies and the such. Anyway, the hubby has mentioned once or twice recently that, though I have a fabulous craft room now that houses all of my supplies, we may not always be able to live somewhere that has such an abundance of space. What he means is, I seriously need to think about downsizing my collection. So, while I don't disagree with the sentiment, I don't necessarily want to just chunk things either, ya know? All of that to say... I've decided that for however long we're here, or for however long it takes, or until I get distracted by something else, I'll be hosting random giveaways of various items which I create using all of my bajillion things. I know, you're just dying of excitement, I'm sure... Anyway... I figure that this is a good compromise because I can totally ~~pawn all of my random stuff off~~ be super generous and bestow all of my awesome creations to all of you lovely friends :) Besides, I really like the actual process way more than the results (mostly, sometimes it's a nice tie). Now, there are a couple of things I want to mention right up front. 1) I am not a professional. 2) None of my stuff is professionally made. 3) Should you win, do not expect professional results. That's all.
So, moving on to MY VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!
Today (in honor of me conquering my fear of zippers and hidden pockets as well as discovering a total obsession with fabric flowers), I'll be giving away a bag. It's a big bag. And by big, I mean very large (for those who care, the dimensions are 17" tall, 17" at the fattest part, and 12" at the top). It is made of charcoal gray felt, and is lined with hot pink satin. Also, as an added bonus, there is a zipper pouch on the inside (totally my first attempt, so please refer to my statements above should you expect perfection). Anyway... because I hear they're worth a thousand words, here's a picture...

From d60

The flower is a pin, so it can be detached and used for something else should you so desire.

I suppose that's about it... Oh! I have to tell you about how to be entered... Ummm... leave me a comment for one entry, mention this giveaway on your blog for one entry, and tweet about it for one entry (and make sure you come back here and leave me a comment letting me know that you blogged and/or tweeted cause I'd hate to accidentally miss something like that). I guess entries will be accepted through Wednesday when I get home from work (around 5pm east coast time). That or whenever it becomes obvious that no one else is paying attention to my prattling.

Ok, well... that's all. Have a lovely day :)

Cherry Blossoms and Ring Pillows

2009-04-16T08:52:00.002-05:00

So I realized after posting my poem that a haiku is definitely 5-7-5, not 7-5-7. I feel rather foolish :/ My apologees go out to all of you who were cringing at my serious oversite.
Moving on, Hubby and I went out a couple weekends ago to play tourist while during cherry blossom season… It reminded me of how much I don’t like crowds :/ Ha! I guess I probably shouldn’t live in such a popular tourist city then, huh? Oh well… I’ll just blame the government for stationing us here ;) Anyway… the cherry blossoms were pretty :)

From CherryBlossomFestival2009

Work has been a little crazy recently… We run on a fairly steady monthly schedule (I guess that makes sense seeing as how we’re a monthly publication and all…), and the past couple of weeks have been my busy weeks. Now I’ll get about a week and a half of doing a whole lot of busy work and nothingness before things really pick up again.
In the meantime, most of my spare time has been spent playing and crafting things for my bff’s wedding in June. Last weekend was spent with ring pillows. I made three for her to choose from, and I thought I’d share them with y’all. Now, I know my favorite, and I know her favorite, but I’m curious as to what your favorite is…
There’s the traditional one…

From d60

The slightly more funky one…

From d60

And the Knock-Off…

From d60

So tell me, which do you like best?

A Haiku

2009-04-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

I’ve been in a bloggy funk
There’s no news to share
Hope to come back to you soon

2009-03-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Spent some time this weekend making a few of these…

From d60

I think they turned out pretty well, considering I had never done anything quite like them before J

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN EXPLODING BABY?!

2009-03-12T08:31:00.003-05:00

Ok, I know it's a little long (about 4 minutes), but if you haven't seen it, you must watch it now. Probably one of my favorite things ever :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

From To Print

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho...

2009-03-10T08:38:00.002-05:00

Ummm… has it seriously been a month since my last post? Wow… I didn’t realize that I’d been that preoccupied…
Anyway… Vegas was great J It was mostly working all the time, but the food was insanely fantastic. I think that’s the only thing I seriously remember from that trip that is even worth noting…
We’ve been working on moving in to the new place for the last few weeks. We didn’t have internet until last Wednesday (which I’m totally using as my excuse as to why I haven’t blogged in forever). Josh’s brother and his band were here here a week and a half ago J I’m glad they got to come by. It wasn’t a long visit (they had a show in NY and they were just passing through to a show in Richmond), but it was good to see him. Their other brother is actually going to be here tomorrow through the weekend for some med school something or other (what? I mostly pay attention!)… so we’re definitely breaking in the new home.
Also, we’ve been painting (and I use the term “we” very loosely here, as it’s mostly Josh who’s been doing the painting and I’ve been mostly not) and working on decorating and the such. I’ll post pictures when we get everything done (hopefully J).
Well, I’m at work and should probably be doing one of the 20 things that I’m supposed to do at work… I simply wanted to stop in and update before I forgot again.
Have a happy day!

Whirlwind

2009-02-08T14:41:00.000-06:00

So... things have been kinda crazy around here (so crazy that even though I got six new books in the mail last weekend, I haven't even made it through one of them). See, what happened was...
- we can now officially begin moving into the townhouse (and will do so slowly for the next month or two since our lease on base isn't up until April
- puppies have been sick... really sick
- sorting out all of our tax information so that it won't be a huge jumbled mess next year (we're Louisiana residents, we live in Maryland, I work in Virginia... who gets my taxes?!)... thank goodness Josh was able to get a hold of a JAG on base and get that answer... (the answer is Maryland)
- I'm teaching about Lent today (had to re-learn how to study)
- conference for work is this week, work has been crazy hectic trying to get ready
- leaving for conference tomorrow morning, bright and early, still haven't packed
Wow, now that I put it into writing, it doesn't seem like that much is happening, but I just feel so overwhelmed... Josh and I seem to have finally gotten back into a rhythm with him on night schedule. He's taking on a lot more of the cooking for his dinners which helps a ton, and I'm doing my best to take care of the things that need to happen during the day (aka... figuring out what to do when my Louisiana inspection sticker on my car expires this month). Anyway... while I don't feel like I'm accomplished much this past week, I don't feel like I've really slowed down much either. Hopefully once I get back from this trip I'll get a chance to recover. At least I'll get President's day off :)
Ok, well, I have to go sort, switch and fold laundry before waking up Josh. For now I'll leave you with a little something that you may or may not care about, but that always makes me smile...

The Books

2009-01-29T17:59:00.002-06:00

Ok, so... since many of you mentioned looking into the books that I mentioned in my last post (The Sword of Truth series), I thought that I would give you a little more info as well as my take (cause I know how much my opinion means to all of you ;)).

First, there are some things that you should know before we begin...

There are twelve books in the series.
I have only read the first three (I'm waiting for the next six to come from amazon)
They are considered sci-fi/fantasy, but fall mostly in the fantasy realm (wizards, magic and such)

Now that we have that established, let's begin :) I suppose I should start at the beginning. I first discovered them while being entertained by a new tv series. It's called Legend of the Seeker, and it's based off of these books. Let me just stop right there and say that if you are interested in the books, you should consider checking out at least the pilot episode of LotS first (you can watch it on their website). It's not true to the books in many ways, but it will determine whether you will enjoy the story. So I began watching the series (which I immediately fell in love with), and when I saw that it was based off of a book, I knew needed to read it. So during one of my book shopping sprees, I ordered the first three (they come in boxed sets of threes). I devoured them. Though I can't say that they are great works of literary prowess, the language is rich and descriptive, the story is wonderful and imaginitive, and they're just enoyable :) There's intrigue, adventure, battles for the fate of the world, and (of course) love. If you enjoy a good fantasy every now and again, I would definitely say you should check em out :)

One last thing that I should mention... thus far, I have only seen the first three and the very last three in stores. You'll probably need to order the rest. Also, they tend to take amazon a day or two more than for other books, so you might want to plan ahead.

Thus endeth my spiel. Let me know if you pick em up. I very much want your opinions :)

Much Ado

2009-01-27T16:12:00.002-06:00

It's finally snowing :) I so love snow.

Other than that excitement, my life has been rather peaceful as of late. I'm finally starting to really settle into my work schedule, and Josh seems to be as acclimated to a night schedule as one can be.

There's been such little excitement around here that the highlight of my weekend was the fact that I made cupcakes on Saturday. They turned out lovely :)

Tonight we're going to sign the lease for our townhouse. We won't start moving anything until March, but Aladin (the nurse who owns the place) is leaving for Japan next week, so we need to get all the details squared away :)

Meanwhile, I've been completely enchanted by The Sword of Truth series. I'm waiting on the next books to arrive, and the wait is driving me crazy!

Anyway... thus endeth one of my more random posts. Have a lovely January day :)

What to do...?

2009-01-19T09:51:00.002-06:00

I have today and tomorrow off of work due to MLK day and the inauguration. With the base on near lock-down, and the district being a madhouse, I will most likely while away the hours holed up in our little home with the puppies. Hopefully I won't set anything else on fire. I hope y'all have a lovely MLK day :)

Hello, my name is Lauren...

2009-01-13T06:55:00.000-06:00

...and I am a walking disaster.

So... we've had my car back for a few days now (and I love it! I somehow forgot how much I love driving that car :))... And apparently something within me decided that it had been too long since I had last wreaked havoc. So this morning, I may have accidentally set the teapot on fire when I turned on the wrong burner to hard-boil some eggs. Don't worry, I put the flames out before they hurt anything else.I'm just glad we don't have gas burners still or this could've been way worse.

Anybody know how to clean melted plastic off of a burner?

An Update... and then some

2009-01-11T13:32:00.003-06:00

Well, I can now officially say that I am an employee of the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy (I'll pause to let y'all cheer ;)). Though I certainly give myself abundant stress while job hunting, it's amazing how I am always taken care of. This is the second job which has been flung in my face (figuratively speaking), and I'm enjoying the serendipity of it all :) In addition to my excitement over employment, I also find myself with a little adventure coming in the near future. The Journal's annual board meeting/convention is coming up and my boss has insisted that I accompany them... to Las Vegas. So, in less than a month, I shall be traversing the country with my new co-workers. I'm sure an anecdote or two will come of it :)

All else in life is going mostly smoothly around here. As of Friday night, Josh is officially on night schedule for the next three months. While I know that we will find our rhythm soon, the shift from day to night is always something of a challenge (especially now that I have a 45 minute commute to get home each evening :)

I have been filling this weekend with much planning and plotting for the townhouse which we will move into this spring (I know I have time, but I'm all about planning ;)). By this I mean (mostly) I have been sorting through picture deciding which ones I want prints of. In doing this, I have stumbled upon some gems which I'd forgotten about. Including this one...

From A Life of Delight

I took this during my last week in Louisiana as proof that I really did live just down the road from a gator farm :)

Anyway... I must be off now to begin making dinner for Josh to take with him tonight as well as begin preparing for meals later in the week (slowly but surely I'm getting the hang of this whole "preparation" thing). I hope you have all had a lovely weekend and may your week be completely delightful :)

The Wall Moved, I Swear.

2009-01-01T02:13:00.002-06:00

Ok, so... I know that I'm probably supposed to be writing something about this past year, or my resolutions, or even some basic reflection, but I seem to have more important things to do (it could be true!). I have some good news, and an embarrasing and unfortunate tale. I'll start with the good news.

I got a job!!! And by that I mean, I have been given an unofficial offer for a position pending reference checks etc. Everybody cheer with me now... YAY :D Ok, now as I'm sure that you are all simply dying to know what my new position entails, let me oblige. I'll be with the organization that I've been temping at, so I have a couple weeks of it to know what I'm getting into. Basically, they're a medical journal focused on orthopedics and physical therapy (much more Josh than me, but whatever...). It's non-profit (which I love) and very small (I'll be working in an office with three other people). I'll mostly be doing the random things around the office (stuffing envelopes, verifying subscription lists, updating subscriber information...) as well as basic copy-editing. I'm not necessarily swooning for the job itself, but as a whole, it's a really great opportunity. The people are really nice. It's a fairly relaxed atmosphere. I'll be on salary (yay for paid vacations ;))... And, as an added bonus, I'll never have to wear this again...

From Work

I mean, I'm all about safety and all, but I was never very pumped about that hard hat and those safety glasses ;)

Ok, that's my good news. Now, I need to share with you a story that I am in no way proud of. The only reason this tale is even seeing the light of the blogosphere is because I've found that when I am ashamed of something, it sometimes helps to tell the story to friends. That, and because I don't have to be there to see your reaction in person. Now then, let's start with a little background... Our house on base has a rather small single-car garage. Since my car is newer (and by newer, I mean we bought it brand new 8 months ago), I was designated as the garage-parker. I've a pretty confident garage parker for a while now, so I had no qualms with this set-up. In fact, shortly after we moved here, I mentioned to Josh that he seemed to take the garage parking much slower than I did. His graceful response was that not only did he not have a lot of practice, but also, my car doesn't have collapsable side mirrors like most do, so if he ever accidentally caught one of the edges of the garage, my mirror would be toast. With a nod from me, that was the end of that conversation. I would like to mention here that one of the things that makes it a tight fit is that our trash can lives in the corner right next to the garage, so it typically invades the garage door space by two or three inches. Moving on... It was extremely windy here today (I think Josh said it got up to 50 mph). There was enough wind to move a large trash can. So as I'm pulling into the driveway after work, I noticed that our trash can was much further away from the wall (i.e. taking up much more garage door space) than normal. I could see that it would be a really really tight squeeze to get my car in without hitting either the trash can on one side or the wall on the other, but I was confident. I knew that I could squeeze past without needing to get out to move the trash can. So I went for it. I totally cleared that trash can. The wall, however, jumped out and bit my car. Remember that whole non-collapsable mirror thing. Yeah... I'm now missing my passenger side mirror. The end.

Needless to say, it was not a pleasant night in our little home. I am ashamed. I suppose it's a good thing that I have a job so that I can pay for things like a new mirror for my car :/

And now, I must away to bed because I'm getting that feeling like I stopped making sense somewhere around "Ok, so...". Before I go, though, I'd like to make note of the fact that this would be an excellent time to tell me about some of your past accidents which caused major damage. Maybe the time you flooded your parents house when you were there visiting for a week and trying to fix a leak, or the time you broke the spoiler off of your dad's car trying to put a decal on his back window... You've all done that too... right?

Bloop Bloop

2008-12-21T13:14:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm finally getting back in the habit of working full time (no, still no job, but the temp job is full time hours). It's still weird, though. I have a half hour to 45 minute commute (one way) everyday, and my hours are 10 to 6. It's definitely an adjustment from what I used to work (7:30ish to 3:30iss), but Josh and I are settling in, I think. It simply requires much more planning as far as dinner goes. I can't exactly wait until I get home to figure something out ;)
Anyway... My interview went well, I think :) I really liked the people, and I think I would rock at the job. Too bad I'm not the one doing the hiring ;) I know that there's at least one in-house person who applied for the same job, and I think she'll probably get preference. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see. I'm trying not to stress out too much about it, just take it one day at a time. It's not exactly working.
Meanwhile, I'm working on a little something that may or may not be headed to one of you in the future... I can only get to it during the weekends when Josh is off (so I don't get interrupted by the terrors), so it's not going quickly, but I think you'll like it :D
Enough about me... Now, on to more important things... I'd like to share with you a recipe for one of my favorite things, Oreo Truffles. While I'm sure that many of you have been on this bandwagon for a while, I'd like to encourage everyone to try them. Play with them, make them your own. They're really great as a hostess gift, and they make you feel fancy cause you can say that you made truffles (I'm just going to continue with this assumption and pretend like I'm not the only one). Moving on.. the instructions (written by the dear friend who introduced me to these delights :))

1 package of oreos (mint or regular are both yummy!)
1 package of cream cheese (8 oz., can be low fat or regular)
Almond Bark (or any other meltable chocolate candy coating that you're confident in --not all of them work :p)

Use a blender/food processer to turn all of the oreos into a very fine powdery substance. (Just set your apparatus of choice to the finest setting possible --that oughta work.) Don't worry about trying to separate the creme from the cookies or anything complicated like that; you'll need to grind up the entire thing. (Haha, that makes it sound like you have to grind them one at a time... Definitely not. Fit as many in there at a time as you can.)

After you have grinded all of the oreos, combine this powder with the entire block of cream cheese. (You can use a spatula if you really want, but most of the time, it's easier/funner to just knead it all together with your hands.) Knead the ingredients together until you have a solid black mass. Next, pinch off small bits of dough and roll them into balls of whatever size you desire. (I'd recommend nothing bigger than the diameter of a quarter.) Set them on wax or parchment paper.

Third, heat up the chocolate coating as directed on the package. (I usually break off 3 squares of Almond Bark and put them in a coffee mug to heat up.) Then, just drop in one of the dough balls you made, using a fork to roll it in the coating. Then scoop the covered dough ball onto the fork and let the excess Almond Bark drip off. Gently tap the tines of the fork on the wax paper, and your covered dough ball should slide off onto the paper. Allow it to harden. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. In just a minute or so, you will see the shininess of the Almond Bark coating go away; when the truffle's coating is dull, then it's completely dried and ready to eat! :] Hooray! :]

Note: Some chocolate coatings do not dry easily, so you may have to put the covered dough balls into the fridge for a while to encourage them to cool off and harden. :] I've seen other chocolates desentigrate the truffle dough, too, so be careful what you buy for this recipe! :]

Ahem

2008-12-17T07:28:00.003-06:00

Apparently my grand plans to update this past weekend were never fulfilled. Clearly my powers of procrastination are still strong, though, so at least there's that :)

The temp job is going pretty well, though I seem to finish things much more quickly than they expect. This is good in the sense that I'm doing my job well, but not so stellar in the sense that I am somewhat living in the fear that they will run out of things to do... :/ Oh well, I'm only supposed to be there until next Monday, so I'm sure they can find things for me until then :)

Meanwhile, I have an interview tomorrow for a position that is practically perfect in every way (at least, it seems that way). The biggest thing is the location. Most of the jobs I've applied for are at least a 30 minute commute. This interview is for a position that's maybe 15 minutes away. Anyway... it would be really great from a practical stand-point, and I think I would enjoy the job as well. Here's hoping things go well in the morning :)

I'll be attempting to resume regular posting, but I've learned that I should make no promises :) Also, I have a few fun things coming up to make up for my total lack of attendance everywhere.

Well, thank you all for putting up with my lack of existence. Have a happy day!

Don't Worry...

2008-12-11T08:06:00.002-06:00

I'm still alive, I promise!
Ok, I don't have much time, so this is going to be quick. It's not permanent, but... I got a temp job that should last until Christmas! YAY!!! And the people rejoiced...
Anyway, I promise much much more to come this weekend. My bloggy disappearance won't last too much longer :)

On and on and on and on...

2008-11-18T09:35:00.003-06:00

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...

2008-11-14T13:56:00.002-06:00

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

2008-11-11T16:00:00.000-06:00

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

2008-11-11T07:17:00.003-06:00

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!

2008-11-10T13:06:00.002-06:00

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...

2008-11-05T16:17:00.003-06:00

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!

2008-11-02T11:00:00.003-06:00

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!

Whoo... Pt 2

2008-10-27T06:02:00.001-05:00

Ok Happy Bloggy Friends, you can all breathe easy. I made it to Maryland this past weekend with the puppies in tow (and man was that an adventure). Anyway... I'm here, but we're definitely still settling in. Josh is in full swing at work, and I am going to jump strait into the job hunt (we both agreed that I need to make that a number one priority, so if anybody knows about a job opening in the DC area... you know who to tell ;)).
All that to say, my haiatus may last a few more days, but hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.
Have a happy day!

Life is a Whirlwind

2008-10-16T15:03:00.002-05:00

Though I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off these days, I know that I haven't accomplished all that much. I would love to regale you with delightful tales of fancy free amusement, but I find myself rather boring here of late.
My leaving date is swiftly approaching, and I have so many ~~boring and tedious~~ things to accomplish. This weekend will be filled with cleaning. Since I'm not taking any days off of work before I leave (as in, my last day of work is the day before I leave), I want to get as much accomplished on the weekends as possible so that I don't have as much to do the day before.
The only excitement that I have to share is that I have been plotting, planning and gathering for so many new T3s. I have many ideas rolling around, but without access to my computer (read: a computer that I can load pictures onto easily), I have been unable to keep those up as I would have liked. I am absolutely thrilled that y'all seem to be excited about trying the ganache, though. I know that Oh2122 just put up a wonderful recipe for Grasshopper Brownies in which she used a little ganache... I seriously suggest checking it out.
Anyway... thank you all so much for putting up with my lack of bloggie spirit as of late. You're all so lovely. This won't last much longer, but I won't be able to blog at all again until I'm in Maryland. I'll be filling most of my first couple weeks there with decorating (I am beyond excited about painted walls... you have no idea!), and I'll definitely be posting before and after pics :)
Well, I suppose for now, all I can say is, have a delightful day... I'll see you soon :)

Try This Tuesday

2008-10-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

Alright Friends, a couple of things, then I'll jump into this week's T3. We have a house (YAY!). Josh is getting life organized and hoping to move all of our stuff in this weekend. I am still in Louisiana for the next few weeks (long story, job obligations, fear of puppies in a hotel room, etc...). I am still computer-less except for at work, but I wanted to take a few minutes during a break for this post. This brings me to the topic for this week, it may look familiar, but embrace it :)
From your comments on my last T3, I've decided that perhaps I should have started with a project which may feel a little more comfortable for more of you. Perhaps something in the kitchen? So, right now, today (and forevermore), even if you can't have me, you can have ganache. I can hear the squeals of excitement. Now, I know I've already (fairly recently) written a post about ganache. I know that I explained how to do it. Today, I will take you step by step (with pictures), and I would really really love for all of you to try it. I'm telling you... you will not regret it :) Ok, let's begin.
We're going to start with heavy (whipping) cream, and chocolate (you should really use the high-quality baking stuff and then chop it, but I go for the chips cause I'm lazy like that) (you can use any kind of chocolate that you want. I've used semi-sweet, dark, milk, and a mixture of milk and semi-sweet. They all turned out lovely). You will also need a spoon, a heat-proof bowl, and a pot.

From T3

First, you're going to pour some chocolate chips into your heat-proof bowl. You can measure this or not, whatever suits your cooking style. The only thing to remember here is that you must have more chocolate than cream (you can do equal parts of each, but you cannot have more cream than chocolate).

From T3

Next, you're going to pour your cream into your pot, and turn the heat on medium.

From T3

Stir your cream until it just begins to try to boil. This won't take very long, just stir it until it starts looking bubbly.
At this point, take your cream and pour it over your chocolate.

From T3

Some recipes call for you to let it sit for a few minutes at this stage. I like to take my pot, and rinse it out, then turn back to my mixture. You're just going to take your spoon and stir it until it's nice and creamy.

From T3

At this point, it's probably a really nice liquid. You can use it just as it is if you want (pour it over a cake or brownies, and when it cools it'll make a nice glaze/icing). If you would prefer that it stiffen a little before you use it, cover it and put it in the fridge. I like to add a little extra step. Once it has cooled to the point of being a little chilly, I like to whip it. This makes it into a really great frosting. Just take a hand mixer, turn it on medium, and beat your ganache until it turns pale and little peaks start to form.

From T3

My personal favorite use for this decadent treat is as a frosting for my Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies. It's amazing.

Now, go try it! I promise, you will not regret it :)

It's Not Goodbye... It's See You Later

2008-09-29T08:41:00.002-05:00

Well Friends, today's the day. The movers are going to the house and packing up. Josh came in on Friday, and the weekend has been a crazy whirlwind trying to get everything organized for the movers. We had to seperate all of our stuff (what's going now vs. what's staying), get the house kinda organized, prepare his truck for the drive, etc... As of tonite, I will be in the house with the puppies, some clothes, and a few extra things which I insisted on taking myself. It was kinda tough, deciding what I was ok with living a month without, making sure it would all fit in my little car, but I think we got it all sorted. It helps that the house here is in some ways its own entity, so there are a lot of things that "live in the house". There are plenty of dishes, pots and pans, and towels. There's a bed, and the rooms have drawers built into the walls. There's a futon, a kitchen table, a miniature couch (not a loveseat, more like a really really wide chair), even a tv and dvd player. It should be about as comfortable as living in the dorms in college (we had really nice dorms...). The one thing that I will be missing is a computer. Yes, my friends, Josh is taking the computer, and since my laptop met its rather untimely demise earlier this year, I will be blog-less while at home.
I will still be working, so I will not disappear completely. Things at work are starting to be more and more crazy as I work to organize things for whoever comes to take my place. All this to say, I may take something of a haiatus for a while. I'll try to update as I can, but it may not be very frequently. So, it's not goodbye, it's just see you later :)

My Husband Rocks

2008-09-26T09:34:00.002-05:00

Before I start telling you all about the wonderful hubby, you should all know that Katy Lin is having a contest this week in honor of her 1 year anniversary :) You should go check it out!

Ok, now then, *ahem*, I've been thinking this past week a lot about the ways in which Josh takes care of me. He wants to make sure that I'm ok, and that I have everything that I need. It's been difficult for him to be away for so long (not just because he misses the ~~small tornadoes~~puppies), but because it's hard for him to not be here to take care of me. Every time I talk to him he asks about the puppies and he asks about the house. At one point, I commented that if the puppies die, or if the roof blows off, I would probably tell him. He responded with, "I know, but I'm not there to take care of things, you're all alone, and I want to make sure that everything is ok." It struck me then that he didn't check on these things daily only because he was actually worried about them, but because he was worried about me. He's so awesome at fixing anything and everything that goes wrong, not because he has to, not because it's "his job", but because he wants to take care of me.Also, my hubby rocks because he'll be back in town tonight! YAY!!!The End.

On a totally unrelated note, I'm a guest blogger today! Pop over to Blog Around the World to check out my awesomeness :D

A True Story

2008-09-25T10:38:00.002-05:00

Not too long ago in the not-so-distant past, I was making my way across the parking lot and into Big Lots (which, in this town, is found as a part of a shopping strip). On my way into the store, I noticed a vehicle with its lights on. Being the good citizen that I am, I decided to do my small part to inform the owner. What follows is an actual account of the conversation that I had as a result. The involved parties are the random worker who happened to be the first worker whom I saw upon walking into Big Lots (from henceforth known as RW) and me.

Me (to RW): Ummm excuse me...?
RW: *really annoyed and disgusted look*
Me: Ummm... I was wondering if you had any sort of speaker system or anything in the store for making announcements.
RW: *slightly blank really annoyed and disgusted look*
Me: Well, you see, the reason that I was wondering is that there's a black Honda out there with its lights on, and I thought maybe you could announce it in case they're in the store.
RW: Just because they're parked in the parking lot doesn't mean they're in the store.
Me: Ummm... *slightly stunned look*
RW: You see, there are lots of other stores around, they could be in one of those.
Me: Uhhh... yeah, I guess that's true...
RW: *Supreme look of Superiority before turning her back on me*
Me: Ok, well, thanks.

The End

And yes, I do tend to use "ummm" a lot when I'm in a situation involving people whom I don't know.

Sad Story

2008-09-24T08:32:00.004-05:00

So... I spent a good chunk of yesterday afternoon perfecting a (super amazingly cute fabulously adorable) notecard craft for some future T3. Let me tell you, SO CUTE! It's lovely, and I wish I knew more people so that I could send them out to everybody. Anyway... in preparation for any how-to or tutorial, I like to complete a nice, finished product, and then take all of my pictures and everything as I recreate it. This way, I have two variations to show, and it helps me to perfect the method before tossing it out there for you.
Moving on... so I finished it, and it was lovely. So sweet, exactly how I wanted it. I left it on the table beside our couch so that I could photograph it today after completing a second one (do you see where this is headed yet?).
So this morning, I'm doing my thing, getting ready, and I notice that my house is completely quiet. Now, as all of you mommies out there know, quiet is often not a welcome sound, if you catch my drift. When I realized how still the house was, it struck me as odd because the ~~beasties~~ puppies generally use the mornings while I'm getting ready to release some of their energy. As in, normally I get ready to the sweet sounds of them playing, play-fighting, and knocking each other into various pieces of furniture. ***Editor's Note: At this point, I would like to say, I am in no way comparing the ~~fiends~~ puppies to children, I was merely stating that there are a few similarities between having a toddler in the house and having two dogs in the house.***
So this morning, when I heard none of these raucous, usual sounds being emitted from my living room, I felt the dread begin. I'm sure you understand. That feeling when you know you have to go check it out, but you just know that you really, really don't want to see... Yeah... Well naturally, I walk into the living room to find my wonderfully fanciful, sweet, whimisical, lovely note card torn to shreds and half-devoured and two happy, sweet, calm puppies enjoying their morning treat.
It's a sad story.
The End.

Try This Tuesday

2008-09-23T07:30:00.002-05:00

…or, as it will henceforth be known, T3.
Ok Friends, today I’m going to try a little something. I’m kinda nervous. I would like to start up a recurring event that will be called “Try This Tuesday” (because I like alliteration). It could also be called “Trust Me Tuesday”. I have often found in my travels and the like, that when I suggest projects, recipes etc… to my friends, they will laugh and say, ‘Oh, hahaha, that’s wonderful… but I don’t think that mine would turn out like that.” The problem (I’ve found) is that many people like to stick to what they know, and sometimes my ideas are slightly out there. Anyway… today I want to talk to you about sewing. I’m going to take you through a super easy, super cute project just to kinda ease our way in (this will not be the last time you see my sewing machine). One of the things that I love about this project is that not only is it functional, but I made more than one mistake while doing it. Now, I can hear you saying, “what? You made mistakes? How do we know it’s safe to follow your instructions? Why are you showing us this terrible atrocity?” The reason, my friends, is that I want to show you that sewing isn’t always about getting it perfect (I’m pretty sure my sister just disowned me for saying that :/). It’s not scary. Don’t be afraid that you’re going to mess it up. Trust me :D By now I’m sure you’re just totally on the edge of your seats wanting to know what I’ll be trying to convince you to do today. So here it is…(Oh! And I apologize in advance for the horrendous picture quality. The lighting in my casa is not what you would call stellar for the picture taking.)

From T3

You can see that I obviously use mine to hold my makeup brushes. This would also be super cute to hold pens and pencils, paint brushes, markers, crayons, get creative! And it’s really insanely easy.
To start, you’ll need a piece of fabric. It should be barely longer than you want the end product to be, and tall enough that you have room for whatever you’re putting in it as well as some extra to function as a flap over the top, savvy?
The first thing you’ll do is pin and iron down the edges where your hem will be.

From T3

Now, with your sewing machine, sew along the top and the bottom (for this project, I used a wavy stitch because it matches my makeup bag). Go ahead and trim off any excess fabric (you’ll notice I almost always have a ton of extra fabric along my hems… It makes me feel better. I don’t know why.
Ok, here you get to see my first mistake! When you sew your bottom hem, the sides get sewn down as well. At the time, I totally thought that this was going to lead to major problems, so I cut the fabric to free the side…

From T3

Turns out that wasn’t really necessary, but all’s well that ends well I suppose. Anyway… From here, fold up the bottom hem so that it forms a pocket (make this as deep as you need it to be depending on what you’re going to be using this for). Contrary to normal sewing behavior, you’re going to fold this so that the raw edges are inside. As in, you will sew it exactly how it’s going to stay. Savvy? (At this point, I will need to show you a photo that may or may not have been taken when I was at this step, so ignore the superfluous seams at the bottom. I will explain those momentarily.

From T3

Go ahead and pin, iron, and sew the sides so that you end up with a nice pocket. Turn it inside-out so that you can trim up the excess fabric, then flip it right-side out again. You’re almost done! Now, take one (or two) of whatever you’re going to be putting in here, and determine how big the little pockets need to be. Take a pencil and draw out where you want your pockets to end up.

From spare time

Now just sew along those lines

From spare time

At this point, I realized another mistake that I had made… I made it way too long. So I simply cut it off where I wanted it to end and sewed another side hem (recognize the picture?)

From spare time

All you have to do now is attach the ribbon. I suggest filling the pockets, rolling it all up, and wrapping a piece of ribbon around it to determine how much you’ll need. I wanted my ribbon to go around twice, so I measured for that.
Unroll your pocket, and take everything out.
The last step is to sew the ribbon on to one of the sides so that it stays put.
You’re done!
See, wasn’t that fun?! And soo not difficult?

***If there is something that you have been dying to try, but are a little nervous about, let me know, and I'd be glad to try it for you first :)

Decisions, Decisions...

2008-09-22T08:29:00.002-05:00

From A Life of Delight

Ok so... I've been thinking a lot recently about this whole "moving" thing. Now, I'm insanely ridiculously excited about moving. It's been way way too long since I've had a proper adventure. It's getting close enough now, though, that I'm really starting to look around the house and think about what is going, what is staying, etc. I mean, the movers are coming next Monday. EEK! For those who don't know, the plan goes a little something like this... Josh is coming in town this weekend. He'll get in Friday night (YAY!). Monday, movers will come pack up the majority of our stuff (furniture, appliances, most clothing, books, pots, pans, etc...). They will take it all away Monday. Tuesday, Josh will head out. He'll get up there and find us a home. I will stay here (with the ~~mini-monsters~~ puppies. I will continue working (building up our savings just a wee bit more). Once Josh finds us a place (and hopefully gets most of our stuff in), I'll start the journey up there (this will probably be at the end of October or the beginning of November). SO, what this means is, I need to figure out what I have to have to live for a month, but it all has to fit in my car along with the puppies' little kennels. Anyway... all this thinking about moving made me think about some things.
First, I'm changing time zones! I mean, I've moved a lot, but I've never moved out of the central time zone. What does this mean?! I don't even know.
Second, it's like a 17 hour drive, so I feel like it makes sense for me to break it into two days. This is the part where all of you come in. Anybody know the area around Kingsport, TN (it's about halfway) very well? Hotel suggestions? Puppy-friendly hotels? Areas of the city to avoid? Any advice would be much appreciated :D
Also, ohmygoodness, I'm so stinking excited about road-tripping :D I LOVE driving! I love long drives (especially to part of the country that I haven't driven in before). I'm so jazzed!
Well... now that you know the story of my life... Happy Monday!

MHR Friday

2008-09-19T12:50:00.003-05:00

So... This is my first week to participate in Katy Lin's "My Husband Rocks Friday", and I'm pretty excited :) I think it such a great idea (if you want to learn more about it, click that button at the top of this post)!Since it's something that has been on my mind a ton lately, I'd like to talk about Josh and the Air Force. Now, for me, this is one awesome adventure, and I'm so excited to be in on it. I often forget to stop and look at it from his perspective. So today, I'd like to let everyone know that my husband totally rocks because he willingly "signed his life away" for the next four years to enter the armed forces. He agreed to go wherever they told him to go, even if that meant that he would be leaving everything familiar to him and moving far away from his family. He agreed to go to a war zone and endanger his life if they asked him to. He agreed to do whatever they told him he was going to do (granted, he's a nurse, so there's only so much wiggle room there...). He agreed, because it's what he thinks (we both think) is best for us right now. He agreed because it will help us get out of debt (yay student loans for a private university :/). He agreed because he knew that it was something that I was excited about. He agreed because he loves me. So today, I'm going to remember to tell him how much I love him. I'm going to remind myself that this is a huge leap of faith for him. And today, that is why my husband rocks :DAnd... Mushiness Over. For my next post, I will return to my usual ego-centric non-mushy self :DOh, and by the way, for all of you out there waiting on the edge of your seats, Josh is doing great. They did a mock deployment this past week, so he got a (very small) taste of the types of situations he might be put in. He seems to really be enjoying himself, now that he's gotten his bearings. He has one last test coming up, but he's done so well on the previous ones that I'm not really worried. And he's coming home (for like three days) in one week! YAY!

I'm Living in Denial

2008-09-18T21:05:00.004-05:00

Ok so... yesterday,Debbie asked everyone how tall they are. Now, this isn't something that I would've ever thought about asking, but it's seriously interesting. So I left my comment, and then I continued to check back throughout the day to see where I stood (haha, stood, height... am I the only one who thought that was funny?) compared to everyone else. I've got to tell you, I continue to be surprised by my non-average height. Now, I'm just over 5' tall, and I can acknowledge that most people are taller than me. My head wraps around that concept. Somehow I don't connect that with reality, though. I mean, if you put me in a room with somebody who's my height, I'll feel like I have to look down to look at them; stick me in a room with somebody who's 5'4", though, and I feel like they're my height. Is this normal? In fact, I often don't realize that my friends are taller than me until I see a picture of me with them. Exhibit A...

From spare time

Until I saw this picture, I didn't realize that I wasn't the same height as everybody else. Is that normal? Does anybody else have this problem? Just curious.

Note To Self

2008-09-18T11:30:00.000-05:00

From Kiroli

Ok, hypothetically speaking, if, at any time in the near future, I think that it's really nice outside and I want to do something nice for the ~~terrors~~ puppies, so I decide to take them to the park after work. Would somebody please remind me that I'm probably not the only one enjoying the weather. I mean, I like the weather, the puppies seem to like the weather, and, oh yeah, the mosquitoes are loving the weather too. Because I live in Louisiana, and it's September, and I go to the part just before dusk, and the park is by a pond! So maybe it would be a good idea to use some bugspray, because if I don't, there's a good chance that I will be followed by a swarm (I'm so not even exaggerating here) of the little blood suckers from the moment that I step out of my car to the moment that I get back in. This, by the way, seriously ups my chances of that whole West Nile Virus, which I'm so completely not ok with. Also, I'm not a fan of inhaling the bugs that have formed a cloud around me. I just don't like it! So anyway... if someone could just remind me of that. Hypothetically speaking. That would be great.

Delightful

2008-09-17T11:53:00.004-05:00

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm totally a re-poster. This is a post that is acutally a re-post of a repost. It's kind of the explanation of my blog title, and I think that it's important. So anyway... I originally wrote this about 3 years ago while in college (while I still had a xanga, yeah, I did :/). It is in response to Psalm 37:4 which says "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

David says that we are to DELIGHT ourselves in the Lord, yeah? On a total side note for a moment, every translation that I have ever read has translated that word as delight, now...that strikes me as something worth looking at. Well, so...I love words, and I was really kinda wanting to understand the full definition of delight, so I went to my dictionary... now, the definition of delight is something like, find pleasure in, to please, something fluffy. So I said to myself, "hmmm...well, I feel like God wants us to find more than a happy squishy feeling when we think of HIM." Now maybe I'm wrong there, but that's my thought. So...I checked out some synonyms of delight. There were some kinda boring ones that didn't really do much for me, pleasure, joy, blegh whatever, yeah? Ok, so then I saw enthral. Now, as I said, I love words, and the more specific a word is and the more able it is to paint and sculpt and entice emotion the more I absolutely love it. Well, for me, enthral has always kinda been one of those words. I mean, for me it envokes this awesome sense of being completely consumed by something, to the point of not being able to see anything that was outside of the agent of the enthralling, the person or thing that held one enthralled. Ok, so...I already had this image in my head of a person being completely captivated beyond the point of release by anything that they were enthralled with, but I wanted to find the actual definition of enthral. Now here's where it gets really cool to me...the actual meaning of enthral is "To reduce to bondage or servitude; to make a thrall, slave, vassal, or captive of; to enslave." At first glance, I feel like this has a really negative connotation, but it really doesn't! I mean, when you think of enslavement, the first thing that comes to my mind is a sort of beating into submission, but that's not what this is saying at all! This is just saying that you are completely held captive to be made into a slave, but it doesn't say that you were forced there, you just are. You choose to be made a captive. How awesome that we are given the opportunity to be enslaved by the sheer awesomeness of God. We are told to delight ourselves in the Lord. Delight is such an amazing concept of sheer and utter giddiness. Now, imagine if you were completely captivated by that giddiness. You were so filled with joy over God that you were made into a slave by sheer adoration and excitement. Now that is awesome. I think that I would be ok with being delighted, being captivated, being enslaved by God and His awesome wonder...I would be more than ok. I would be complete.

So now, I have made it my goal in life to live with delight, to live my life in complete delight of the Lord... it's a work in progress :)

Grin

2008-09-15T09:43:00.004-05:00

STOP! Take my poll. It's over there <---, above my profile.
Ok, now continue :)
First, I would like all of you to partake in my joy in the fact that when I stumbled out of bed this morning to take the puppies out, it was cool out. As in... I was a little sad that I had just rolled out of my nice warm bed and was standing outside in my pjs cool... Now, I know that it won't stay this way. I'm sure that this is just leftovers from Ike or something like that, but still... It was a nice change of pace. I kinda like not sweating by 7 AM. It was a nice little change. I'd also like to talk about this...

I'm ever so mildly in love with it. See, I have this thing for mustard yellow... and with this nice warm plaid... *sigh*... I've been needing a new bag. Mine is fabulous, gun-metal gray, shiny "patent leather", the perfect size and shape... but alas... I've used it till it's at the end of its life. the handles are peeling, and the zipper pulls are breaking. It's time to move on. I can accept that. And to ease my suffering... I have this pretty little jewel! I'm just so happy with it :)

Moving on... Happy Monday!

Me and My Hand

2008-09-11T08:23:00.005-05:00

You know, I've been thinking recently that I really love all my new bloggy friends. Josh makes fun of me for being totally anti-social except when it comes to the blog world (and it's true...). You have all become a very real support system to me in ways that you may never know. Sometimes I think about this and how funny it is that I've never met any of you in person (well, except for my IRL friends who come play :)). I mean, I feel like you can tell a lot about a person by their physical traits (no, I'm not saying that I judge people by their outward appearance, it's just that it's interesting to see the body and soul combined, you know?). Anyway, today I've decided that I'd like to share a little bit of me with you. So today I give you, my left hand. You excited yet? You should be. Anyway...

From spare time

This is my left hand. It says that I'm married to a wonderful hubby who loves me. It says that I'm pasty white and the only reason I go outside is so that the puppies' bladders don't explode. It says that I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and that I'm not really afraid of needles, or being labeled (which, by the way, I told Lula that I would tell the harrowing drama of my tattoo one day, and I will, just not today). If you look closely, it says that I keep my fingernails short (a spill-over from the decade during my childhood in which I played piano and had to keep them trimmed at all times). If you saw it in person, you'd see that I have small fingers (as in, when I picked up my wedding band from the jewelers, he asked me if it was a child's ring) which is fine since I'm just barely over 5' tall. You can't really tell in this picture, but at the moment the fingernail on my ringfinger has a small dent in it from where I nearly sliced my finger open the other day (thank you Jesus for giving us fingernails!). If you flip it over, there's still a faint remnant of the callouses that used to inhabit my hands at the base of my fingers from the years that I was a gymnast.
Well, I suppose that's about the extent of what this hand'll tell you... Anyway... Have a happy day!

***Seven years ago today, I was sitting in Physics, waiting for Dr. Bottrell to start class. He walked in, turned on the tv and said, "Some things are much more important than Physics". I haven't forgotten.***

Ahhh... Autumn...

2008-09-09T12:32:00.003-05:00

I love Autumn (really, I love whatever season comes next, if you know what I mean)(not that I'm experiencing it yet, as I wouldn't call 95 degrees autumn, but whatever, everyone else is talking about it, and I like living vicariously through the seasons in the rest of the world). It's such an exciting time of the year. It makes me think of being a kid, going to school, plaid, books, the thrill of changing weather... I also really love the colors of autumn. Like the colors in this...

From spare time

I also love that after Gustav, my yard is putting on some really great September clothes. Like these that have sprouted all over my yard...

From spare time

and these (these are my favorites!)

From spare time

Mostly I love that so many of the flowers are red! And that I don't have to do anything to make them grow (this is especially good considering my extremely potent ability to kill all plant life placed into my care (I'd like to remind everyone of the Man-Eater. The one thing Josh told me when we moved into this house, the one thing that he said was most important, he told me not to kill the Man Eater and everything else would be ok. He said that it was very special and that I shouldn't worry cause it had lasted 40 some-odd years up to this point, and surely it would be fine. Yeah, well... tell that to the Man Eater corpse that's sitting in my backyard waiting to be burned (I mean, you can blame it on the fact that it bloomed and that's what happens, but I know it was me))).
That's all. :D

Craft Time!

2008-09-06T08:33:00.001-05:00

Ok Kids, on today's show, I'd like to talk a little bit about magnets. Now, I'm sure none of you have this problem, but in my house, there is a serious lack of strong magnets on the fridge. We have some of those flat ones that are cool, but can't really hold a sheet of paper up, but we only have like 2 that can do their job. Anyway, I've been wanting to get some more magnets for my fridge, but I wanted cute ones, and I've been having trouble. So the other day, I was browsing Etsy, and I saw these. I thought to myself, wow, those are cute. But I couldn't convince myself that they were worth a dollar apiece plus shipping and handling, you know? So I stared at them for a while, cause that's what I do when I see something I want but decide I don't need. And I realized, I can totally make those! So I went to Hobby Lobby, got the supplies and made totally cute knock-offs. I will now proceed to share my secrets with you.
First, you need... ModPodge (I keep the matte kind on hand at all times), a brush (or sponge, or whatever you apply ModPodge with), scissors, cute paper (I got this scrapbook paper set on clearance for like 3 dollars), regular black round magnets (I found them in the craft aisle at walmart), and glass pebbles (this is a really bad picture of them, but you'll see them later. At Hobby Lobby they're in the wedding section. I recommend the big (a little bigger than a quarter) ones that are totally clear. They didn't have the totally clear ones when I went, so I settled for the irridescent ones. They're still cute, just way shinier.

The first thing you're going to do is cut out chunks of paper (I also had some random circle cut-outs that were the right size, so I threw those in) that are slightly bigger than the pebbles (I normally do about 2" by 2").

Now, gloop some Modpodge on a piece of paper, and plop one of the pebbles flat-side-down strait on it. Press it down a little to make sure it kinda seals.

You'll end up with a bunch of these...

From A Life of Delight

Now, when you look at them, you'll notice that they look milky because of the ModPodge, like this...

From A Life of Delight

Don't worry about it. As the ModPodge dries, it'll turn clear. Promise. Ok, now... When they've dried (make sure that there's at least not any wet glue still around the outside), you're going to cut off the excess paper by cutting around the stone. The easiest way to do this is to make sure that the bottom blade of your scissors is the one closest to the stone. Get as close as you can and just trim off that excess paper.

From A Life of Delight

Now, flip them all over so that they're paper side up. Take your magnets (I like to seperate mine before starting this part), put some modpodge strait on the magnet (you don't want it to be super thick, but you want the magnet to have a layer of white), then stick the magnet on the stones. At this point, I like to (carefully) flip them over so that they're resting on the magnet. The main reason is that sometimes the stone will shift with the weight of the magnet, and it'll slide around before it dries. Now, just wait for them to dry, and you're done!

From A Life of Delight

These make great stocking stuffers, gifts for teachers, I put some in each of my swap boxes... They're just so easy. You could also use pictures, or drawings, stickers... whatever!
Anyway, enjoy!

My First Swap!

2008-09-04T18:25:00.004-05:00

So... I got home this afternoon, and I was greeted by this...

From Swap

When I opened it, I found lots of these...

From Swap

In which I found all of these...

From Swap

I took a close up of the jewelery because it is so pretty...

From Swap

Funny story... See that book? No, not the awesome cookbook... the one called "Created to be His Help Mate". Yeah... not even a week ago, one of my best friends told me that I might want to check it out. Well, of course, I totally put it in the back of my mind, and nearly forgot all about it. Then, behold! Here it is, in a package sent to me from a perfect stranger :) I love the way God works. Apparently He has something to teach me through this book :)

A Bit of Ganache

2008-09-02T14:19:00.002-05:00

First, thank you all so very much for your honesty. My sister was happy to get so much input.

Now... a word on ganache. Being the etymology nerd that I am, I would like you all to know that the word "ganache" is a french term originally used (loosely) to call somebody a fool. One day, a chocolatier (greatest job in the world!) accidentally spilled some cream into some chocolate that he was melting. The result was ganache (an accident, "foolish").
Anyway... I have only recently discovered my love of ganache. It was always one of those things that I thought was amazing, but I was too scared to even attempt it because I just knew that it would be insanely difficult.
So, for a while now, I've been on a search for the perfect brownie recipe. Many that I've found come with a frosting recipe (every one has been a powdered sugar/cocoa powder base). None of them have really spoken to me. I couldn't figure out why they never seemed chocolatey enough (has anyone else had this problem, or is it just me?). Moving on... a while back, my IRL friend, KD posted her mom's brownie recipe. I decided to give it a shot. I know her mom, I like her mom, and I can imagine her mom making awesome brownies.
As they were baking, I got to thinking about ganache... I wondered how difficult it really was... I mean, I love to bake, and I've gotten pretty adventurous as of late. Also, I'm totally into frosting on brownies, and I knew that ganache could be used as frosting, and I had become totally disenchanted with all the frosting recipes that called themselves frosting, and I thought that maybe if I called it ganache, it would taste better, and I'm sorry for this run-on attrocity.
So to google I went. Boy, was I in for a surprise. Ganache has got to be one of the simplest things to make (and with insanely amazing results, I might add). I feel like it's kinda like pasta; pasta is really easy to make good, but it takes quite a bit of skill to totally kill it, or to make it totally killer, you know?
Moving on... Ganache... To make ganache, you first boil cream (I just brought the cream to a boil cause boiling dairy makes me nervous), and then you pour it over chopped chocolate (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you're not supposed to use chips... you're supposed to use baking chocolate that you've chopped). Then you stir them together. That's it. There are tons of variations... The most important thing (as far as I can tell) is that you should never have more cream than chocolate. So if you use a cup of chocolate, don't use more than a cup of cream. Other than that, you're golden. Now I (being me), didn't have quite as much cream as I wanted, so I put a splash of milk in. This was wrong :/ Don't get me wrong, it still made something delectable, but it never really coagulated, you know? It remained a little too liquid to be a good frosting. So I stuck the brownies with the liquid ganache frosting in the fridge (which was fine by me since I don't like warm baked goods and prefer them to be cold anyway). Once cooled, my ganache solidified just the right amount.
Basically, ganache is one of those things that is used as a filling for truffles, an icing for cake, a frosting for anything... it's just wonderful, and it totally brought out the chocolateness of the brownies, if you know what I'm saying. So... the next time you need a little fancyness in the kitchen... make some ganache... it's wonderful. Also, play around with it. Make up your own rules. Have fun :)
Next time, I think I'll try whipping it once it has cooled a little to make a fluffier frosting...

I Promise I'll Write a Real Post Soon!

2008-09-01T16:30:00.003-05:00

First... ok people, this is another booger moment. I'm looking for complete honesty here. This is not the time to make me feel good about myself. This is not the time to be diplomatic. I need you to keep it real. My sister has requested my advice, and I'm enlisting you all (with her permission). She's wondering about the price of her bags. Is $40 too much? Too little? Just right? HONESTY people. If you're uncomfortable putting your real thoughts into comment form, shoot me an email at lbspringer@gmail.com Seriously, help a sister out :)
But until then... My sister has posted a couple more items on her Etsy site.

And... she said she'll give free shipping to anyone who mentions my name :D

Gustav

2008-08-31T11:20:00.006-05:00

As I am sure that you are all losing sleep worried about me and good ol' Hurricane Gustav, I have decided to write a little something to ease your minds. First, unlike many of our blog friends, Amy especially comes to my mind, I live in North Louisiana. Therefore, I live in a city which has become an evacuee destination. They've set up camp in our civic center. Though I wasn't living here at the time, I know that when Katrina and Rita were coming through, it really just caused a lot of rain here in addition to the excess traffic flowing in from the south. The biggest concern (for me) at this point is a loss of power. Jackson, MS (which is strait east of me) lost power for days after Katrina. It really just depends on where Gus decides to go after making landfall. Even this, though, wouldn't be a complete crisis situation for me personally. One of the benefits of living in such an old house is that the water heater as well as the oven/stove are gas. If nothing else, I'll be able to have warm showers and cooked food (I sure am glad that I love mac and cheese). Obviously all of the contents of my fridge would go bad, and I'll have to make sure the puppies drink plenty of water as the a/c will be out (which will also mean that my dear bug friends will have a field day). But I have a couple oil lamps on hand, and (though I don't seem like it) I'm pretty good at making do when I need to (I was a Girl Scout, after all :D).
SO... all of that to say, don't you worry about me. I'll be fine. And if any of you who are headed north need a place to crash, or just a warm shower, give me a shout. I have a spare bed, and I would like nothing more than to help you out. Just so long as you don't mind a couple super excited puppies and some bugs.
Anyway, I just wanted to send out a little update. Wouldn't want you to worry about me ;)

I'm Such a Show-Off...

2008-08-29T14:43:00.006-05:00

Lucky for me, my BIL has as much faith and respect for my sister's awesomeness as I do. Apparently he's been urging her to try to sell her stuff too. She tried ebay, but it didn't really work. That's where I come in. Etsy. It's perfect for her :) Anyway, she set up shop (right now she only has one item (that bag) up, but don't you worry, I'm on that too ;)). You should go check her out. I'll make sure to keep everyone updated when she posts more things.

Don't think of her as just another seller. Remember... she's this kid...

(I really love the fact that I have another excuse to post this photo!)
Oh, and if you're wondering about her username (it's Cargabalack), it's pieces of her kids' names all smashed together :D

Shameless Plug

2008-08-28T11:52:00.006-05:00

Ok, so... I'm sure by now you are all totally sick of hearing about my awesome sister, and if you are, sorry 'bout ya. It's my blog and I'll brag if I want to :)

Anyway, one thing that you should know about my sister is that she's totally addicted to bags, purses, etc... She always joked that she loved having babies cause it gave her an excuse to buy adorable monogramed baby bags. Moving on... I'd like to share with you her latest project. My jaw literally dropped when I saw it...

Anyway, she mentioned that a couple of people have asked about buying one (like she was surprised, I'm thinking, uhh... yeah!), and, being the pushy younger sister that I am, I think I'm going to urge her to start up an etsy page. I mean, this is what she does in her spare time. Just because she loves it. So... that's all really. You know I'll be posting that link if it happens. In the meantime, if you're as in love with this bag as I am... I know the girl who could make you one ;)

It's Real Life

2008-08-28T08:42:00.002-05:00

Alright, I'm soo excited that It's Real Life is back :) This week's theme is "That's How I Roll" . I'm actually pretty proud of my car. Josh and I bought it earlier this year. It's my first new new car, and I love it. Normally, I wouldn't really care what I drive (and I honestly didn't hate my old car), but it was definitely time for an upgrade. My old car didn't have air conditioning (remember, I live in Louisiana. There's like 9 months of summer, and then some really warm winter), and it didn't like rain (as in, it wouldn't start when it was raining, and it stalled when I tried to drive through puddles deeper than an inch (again, remember, Louisiana. It's kinda wet here)). Anyway, it was time for an upgrade. So, without further ado... here's how I roll...

This is the cd that's currently playing. It's a mix that I made for my trip to Hattiesburg for KD's wedding.

Here's my gear shift and my sunglass cubbies :)

This is the inside of my center consol. I have wipies for everything. I have Windex wipes, Handi-Wipes, Noxema face wipes, wipes made for car interiors, and pledge static wipes for dust :) There's also an adaptor that turns the cigarette-lighter outlet into a normal three prong outlet and that white box is a first aid kit. I like to be prepared.

This is Yoda. I love him.

Here's the inside of my trunk.I have all the necessities, a fuller first-aid kit, a couple extra jackets, an ice scrapper, a deck of cards, a couple water guns, a frisbee, a water bottle, jumper cables, and Monopoly (and yes, all of these things do live permanently in my trunk. You never know when you might have a Monopoly emergency or a spontaneous water-gun fight. Seriously.

Now that I've made you all insanely jealous (I'm sure ;)), I'm off. Have a happy day!

And go play It's Real Life!

Josh, The 2nd Lieutenant

2008-08-27T10:54:00.002-05:00

Well, Josh left for COT on Sunday afternoon. He'll be in Alabama for a month. I think I'll enjoy the time to myself, but I already miss him a ton. It's tough, but we did the long distance thing for so long in the past, I'm not really worried. My only problem now is that he's not exactly loving it. At all. I mean, I know it's just the first two days, it'll change, he'll get used to it, etc... It's just, he's not liking it at all right now really. You see, the thing about Josh is that he's not used to being surrounded by peers. By that I mean, he's pretty used to being the best and the brightest everywhere he goes. He's not used to being surrounded by people who are on the same page as him, if that makes sense.
So there he is, the lowest of the low men on the totum pole, brand new to the whole military thing, never done anything to really prepare him for this. He's getting yelled at (just like everbody else). He has to wake up early. He's not getting good food. It's just a huge adjustment for him.
Anyway, I know he'll be fine. He's a big boy :). I just hate hearing him being unhappy, you know?
That's all for now, really. Crazy things are happening at work, so I need to get back to real work (shocking, I know).
Have a Happy Day!

Another Swap!

2008-08-27T01:54:00.001-05:00

Heehee... I found another one to participate in! I'm kinda addicted :)

Awkward...

2008-08-26T10:03:00.002-05:00

Ok... so... awesome... Most of you know, I work in the Safety Department in a Paper Mill. By paper mill, I mean, environment where the vast majority of the workers are men. Anyway, my worst fear here has now officially been fulfilled (well, at least the most likely to occur worst fear). My office is in the medical department. We have one bathroom (for everybody), and then, if you go across the hall there's a classroom and a single women's bathroom as well as a single men's bathroom. Well, there's been a huge increase in injuries lately, so for the last week or so, they've been doing safety classes in that classroom everyday.
So... I was just in the bathroom (peeing, just to clarify), and I don't know if I forgot to lock the door (I never ever forget. It's something that is first and foremost in my mind everytime I go) or if the lock doesn't work... You can see where I'm going with this... I totally just got walked in on, mid-pee, by some seriously large mill worker. Now, I'm not saying that this couldn't have been prevented. I mean, maybe this time I did forget to lock the door. Still, though, if I see a bathroom door closed (especially if the light is on (which you can totally tell in this particular one)), I knock! I thought that was just what people do!
Anyway, I'm of course totally embarrassed... I just keep telling myself that it could have been so much worse. I mean, sure, I'm in a dress today, which means I had it all tucked up into itself by the neckline (by that I mean, I was totally exposing a whole lotta me), but still... he mostly maintained eye contact, and he was totally shocked (hehehe, maybe that'll teach him to KNOCK!). So it's not like he was rude about it... but still... awkward... Seriously, I think that I create awkward situations. It's like I'm some giant awkward magnet.
Anyway, I am thankful for the fact that I have my blog. Because now, instead of keeping my embarrassment to myself and letting it fester all day, I can share it with you and hope that I get some sympathy ;) I mean, who else will I tell? All my co-workers are men. They won't get it.

Wedding Invites

2008-08-25T11:00:00.002-05:00

Ok, I know that you may not care nearly as much as I think that you should ;), but... a while back I promised to show you pics of my wedding invites (because they were basically freakin' awesome). Well, here's one better (I think), my friend KD (the designer) just started up her own blog. It just so happens that she just did a post on the invites that she did for us :) So, here it is.
The only thing that I would like to add is that, though we did use the red wax seal for half of them, half of them had a red feather holding them closed (slits in the two flaps with a feather through (like in The Count of Monte Cristo)). Anyway, Josh was not a fan of the feather, so my friends were the only ones who got one. All of his friends got the wax :)
That's all!

2008-08-22T22:38:00.004-05:00

Well, I could definitely use some feedback... Theoretically it's all up and running. There are only a few templates up at the moment... but it'll kinda be a continuous process thing. It's nothing fancy, but I would love love love your input :)

Blog Designs

2008-08-22T09:43:00.003-05:00

So... In light of the fact that my job requires next to no effort from me, I (more often than not) find myself with 8 hours of near free time on the computer everday. I know, it makes me kinda sick too. Anyway, to fill this gap (as I'm not really good without some sort of a goal), I've taken to playing with templates and designs for my blog. Every once in a while I find one that I really like, and decide to keep it for a few days (or weeks), but I have yet to find on that I want to keep for a prolonged period of time. Now, though I don't want them, I feel kinda bad just throwing em away. So Josh suggested that maybe I should put em somewhere so that people could use 'em whenever they wanted. Well, that seemed like it kinda made sense... I think I'm going to do it. It won't be anything fancy... Just a blog with links to all the xml and images necessary to use the blog clothes that I make in my spare time. Anyway, I'll keep you all updated as this progresses :)

Definitions

2008-08-20T09:31:00.002-05:00

It has come to my attention that a couple of things that I have mentioned in past post need definitions. So, here goes...

Fat Quarter: A fat quarter is a particular cut of fabric. It is used mostly by quilters. While fabric is most often cut one way (imagine a piece of fabric cut into four strips), a fat quarter is a yard of fabric cut like a window (more like four squares instead of four strips). Savvy?

Mullet: A mullet is a a hair style wherein the front and top of the hair is cut short, but the back is left long. Therefore, an expression often used to describe a mullet is "business in the front, party in the back". Billy Ray Cyrus used to sport a very notable mullet. This guy has a nice mullet... The end.

My First Swap!

2008-08-19T13:51:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I've heard of these, and I've always wanted to participate, but I always seemed to just miss it... Anyway, I'm going to be in my first swap! I'm so stoked :) I love giving presents. It just makes me so happy! You should join too. It'll be fun :D

Impressions of Cajun-Land

2008-08-18T11:44:00.005-05:00

Here it is (a little belated, but whatever), my post for Blog Around the World. YAY! I'm pretty excited that Louisiana is the first state that's being represented (if only cause I'm selfish, and I like to go first (not that you would know that seeing as how I wasn't even prepared)). Anyway, before I really get into it, I'd like to get a couple things strait. First, I am not from Louisiana. I just happen to be living here at the moment. I am from Texas, so I have a couple biases. Second, I apologize for anything that I might say that may be construed in a negative light. I mean no offense. I'm just keepin' it real. Third, there may be very little cohesiveness to this particular post, it's just a compilation of what I think when I think "Louisiana"

Ok, here we go …

Let's start at the very beginning… I moved here a year and a half-ish ago. My husband was born and raised here (we live strait east of Shreveport on I-20), and when I finished college (pre-marriage) a semester earlier than him, I moved here so that we wouldn't have to do the whole long-distance thing anymore (I'll probably need to tell our story someday, but I've got a feeling that I'll probably be rambling enough in this post, so I won't get into that right now). It is definitely a totally different culture. I grew up in Lubbock, TX, went to school just outside Austin, TX, and then studied for a few months in Rome before coming here. To say "culture shock" would be a bit of an understatement. The first thing about this place that stunned me was the humidity. I mean, hello, I grew up in a city that sees rain like 5 times the whole year and is more used to sandstorms than rainstorms. In the summer it is like a sauna (no joke). There are seriously days when I walk outside and don't even know why I bothered showering (don't be grossed out, you would have the same reaction). I suppose there are the benefits, though… like the fact that my backyard looks like this…

Also, can we just say "bug capitol of the world"? I mean, seriously, this place must be the breeding ground for all the bugs in the world. Also, maybe it's just my house, but somehow the bugs here are these freaky mutant bugs, as in, grasshoppers that are a solid 5 inches long. I mean, come on, that is not normal. And speaking of bugs, one word, crawfish, aka mud bugs. Now, I know that there are going to be a great many of you who are appalled at my lack of interest in what seems to be the state-food, but seriously… I can't handle it. Moving on…

I will say, there are some things about this place that I've gotten rather attached to. I love love love the Magnolia trees everywhere. There's one in my front yard

It's beautiful to me.

Now that I've gotten totally off track, I mentioned culture shock earlier and haven't even come back to qualify that. It's just a very different life-style here. I'd gotten really used to my hippy-liberal-arts-tree-hugging-vegetarians-recycling-bike-riding-peace-loving life in Texas. I went to a little tiny liberal arts university, and I loved it. Then I moved here where it's more of a my-truck's-bigger-than-your-truck, I-schedule-my-life-around-hunting-seasons, that-vegetable-looks-a-little-sad-we-should-fry-it mentality. I'm not saying anything is wrong with that. It's just different. Most everybody is very nice (although, I think that's a general southern thing, cause Texas is the same way). They definitely have their accents, and there's no shortage of mullets (Josh and I saw the best mullet last night. The guy had to have been somewhere in the 6'3" range, 300 lbs, beautiful business-in-the-front-party-in-the-back. A good six inches past his shoulders, nice glossy curls, it was priceless!

Oh man, I never realized how much I have to say about Louisiana until I get the chance. Well, I suppose I should stop here for today… I do hope you enjoyed my little bit of "Impressions of Cajun-Land".

Y'all fell free to come on back ;)

*Edit* Oh, and I'd like to add one thing (mostly for Amy), while I myself haven't actually encountered one, I can honestly say that I live just down the road from a Gator Farm. No lie. They don't allow tours. That's all :D

Blog Around the World

2008-08-18T09:32:00.002-05:00

Oh dear... Between work and my MIL visiting this weekend, I haven't had any time to clean up this place or even think of something funny to say to all the new friends who are going to be stopping by...
Well, everybody from Blog Around the World who are visiting for the first time today, please excuse the lack of preparation. Feel free to look around... I promise that I'm not always so disorganized. Thanks for coming by, and have a happy day!

An Award? Me?

2008-08-16T19:08:00.003-05:00

I got an award :) It's my first :D It was given to me by Amy over at Escape Into My Thoughts. I'm pretty flattered. That's all. OH! And here it is...

Here are the rules (as usual) :
Choose five fabulous bloggies, let em' know in your post or via email, twitter or blog comments that they've received an award*
Share the love and link back to both the person who awarded you and back to http://www.mammadawg.com/2008/08/kick-ass-blogger-award.html*
Hop on back to the Kick Ass Blogger Club HQ to sign Mr. Linky then pass it on (which you can also get to on the above link)
So now I pass on this prestigious award to the following Kick Ass Bloggers :
1. Lula from Lulaville
2. Debbie from This is the Life
3. Carol at Siswick Construction Zone
4. Heather at Mindless Junque
5. Melissa at Stretch Marks

Whoo...

2008-08-14T12:41:00.005-05:00

Ok, I finished... well... I finished the other day, but I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (that and Josh is home for the next week and a half, so my at-home activities are not computer related). Anyway... Breaking Dawn was... wonderful. I love love loved it. I know that many people are less than happy about the way it ended, but I thought that it was perfect :) If you haven't read them, I firmly believe that you should. They are that good. If you want to read them and don't know where to find them, let me know, I have an extra copy of Twilight (the first of the four) that I would be more than happy to send to you. Wonderful. I've been walking around for the last couple of days in a happy little cloud of knowing that things ended the way that they were meant to. Ok, wow, I get way too involved in the books that I read...

Moving on... Six Flags was awesome, until Josh lost his phone. Yup. He lost his cell phone. At the end of all the rides, they have this little guy saying "please check all your pockets to make sure that you still have everything that you started with". Well, we get off of the Texas Giant (one of the top 10 ranked wooden roller coasters in the world (read: super fun, super fast, super jerky)), and we both check our pockets like the little guy says. Josh just looks at me and says, "I don't have my phone." Well, goo. The seats for the next set of riders were already full, so we couldn't go check the seats. Also, he couldn't remember if he had it after the end of the last coaster we were on (Batman), so we decided to start our search there to see if anyone had found it after we left. Now, for those of you who have never been to the original Six Flags Over Texas, let me just tell you, it is 212 acres big, and the Texas Giant and Batman are on complete opposite sides of the park. Add to that that I'm pretty sure it was pushing 100* outside, and the place was full of kids and parents milling around. SO, we finally got to the other side of the park and asked the Batman guy what to do about a lost cell phone. Now (again, for those of you who don't know), Batman looks like this...

See all those little legs sticking up in the air? Yeah, your feet are free underneath you, and Josh's phone was in the cargo pocket of his shorts. Therefore, if he lost it on Batman, it was definitely not still in the seat. Well, the Batman guy said that they check underneath and around the ride every night for lost things, so if we just report it to security, they'll send it back to us if they find it. Bummer. So we went and reported our lost phone to security, gave them my number, our address, etc... By this point it was 1:30 or 2 and we were both super hot and pretty tired, so we decided to go for one more round on the Texas Giant (Titan was closed all day, by the way, I was pretty unhappy.) and call it quits for the day. An hour later, we're finally back in our hotel, both dehydrated, both exhausted from the heat, I look at my phone and I have a voicemail. Knowing what it is before I check it, I listen. They found his phone (yay!). So we turned around, parked way out in the farthest lot possible (I'm not even kidding), and retrieved his phone (yay!).

Anyway, that is the story of Josh and his phone at Six Flags.

On a totally different note, a while back I sent my sister a box of fabric from my wedding (at our reception we did a lot with textures) (she's amazing and is going to make Josh and myself a quilt with it) and included a set of fat quarters that I found and knew that she just had to have. So I get this email from her today and she says, "hey, look what I made with those fat quarters!"

She just threw it together. Behold the amazing sewing abilities of my fabulous sister :)

Ok, I suppose that's enough for one day. Before you go, though, what do you think of my blog? I gave it a little makeover. I still haven't decided if I like this enough to keep it for a while... Thoughts? Have a happy day!

Passing it Along

2008-08-12T08:24:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I'm back a little sooner than expected, but I'm just passing on a message.
Josh wants everyone to know that, though he sustained a few minor injuries from the Man Eater (apparently the Man Eater's venom is poisonous, and so anywhere it got on Josh, he had angry red welts (really just on his arms, nothing too crazy)), he's healing up just fine. His injuries have almost completely gone away. He was sure that you would all be concerned.
That's all :)

No Promises

2008-08-11T10:03:00.002-05:00

Well, we got to and from Dallas safely enough :) We were glad that the torrential downpours didn't begin until we were back home, but oh man, was it hot! I suppose I haven't really spent that much time outside this summer, being confined to my little too-cold office (where I definitely have a small space-heater that it is on more often than not). As much as I love that heat, I had to keep reminding myself to keep hydrated. I'm glad that I'm so aware of myself, cause it could have been bad!

As far as stories from this weekend go, I have a few (though no pictures to accompany any of them :/). I will tell you all some of them as soon as I finish this...

Also, I tend to not be easily inspired at work, and Josh is now officially done at the hospital, so he'll be home every night for the next two weeks until he leaves for COT. We all know what that means... Anyway, I suppose what I'm saying is... If I seem distant, out of touch, or lost, please forgive me. I will be back as soon as possible. No promises, but I'll try to make it like nothing has changed :)

Anyway, have a great week!

2008-08-08T08:40:00.002-05:00

Oh dear, I hadn't realized how totally MIA I've been this week until I suddenly realized that it's Friday and my last post was on Tuesday. I suppose my only excuse is that I have been sucked in by this...

You see, I tend to be a jumper. By this I mean, when I find something that I'm excited about or something that I really enjoy, I totally jump in, all in. Therefore, when I finally decided that I did indeed need to begin reading this wonderful saga, I was in, and I knew that I could not rest until I had not only read all of them, but that I also knew as much as possible about them. Anyway, all of that to say that this week, all of my spare time had been devoted to Twilight. It is wonderful, and I love it.

So, I'm so sorry to have abandoned my happy little piece of blogland, I have been bewitched. I would like to say that I'll make up for it this weekend, but I can't. Josh and I are heading over to Dallas this weekend. Our anniversary was Monday, so we're headed to Six Flags. I'm pretty stoked :)

Anyway, I hope all of you have an absolutely wonderful weeked. Hopefully I'll be back soon with pictures :)

Inspiration

2008-08-05T09:56:00.004-05:00

Ok, so... I like to feel that I'm original. I like to feel that I'm creative. Sometimes, though, I like to feel included; I like to feel like one of the cool kids. So today, I'm joining Stretch Marks (who joined Spence) in creating a collection of 25 things that inspire me. SO, here goes, in no particular order...

Freshly cut grass
Really good sushi
An amazing book
Thunderstorms
Niece #3... I'll tell that story someday
Celtic music
Real, intense, unashamed discussions (about anything, but God and faith are probably my favorite topics)
Photography
Sandwiches with avocado and alfalfa sprouts
My sister
The smell of books (on that topic, did you know that there's a particular type of mold that grows in old books (something about the paper) that is a hallucinogen, and there are a ton of theories about famous authors who were "inspired" by some of the classics and ended up writing some of their works while they were high on this mold? (sorry for the worst run-on ever))
A really good cappuccino
Brick or cobblestone streets
Anything sculpted by Bernini

Driving with the sunroof open
Cotton dresses
A freshly made bed

Opening all the windows in the house and turning the a/c off
The feel of really heavy satin
Vintage luggage
A smooth ball point pin (with green ink)
Wax seals
Making up recipes as I go
Copper-bottom pots and cast-iron skillets (they go together in my head)
Clean laundry

Man Eater, The Final Chapter: Josh vs. The Man Eater

2008-08-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

Alright, I know that I said that it was over, but I lied. Last night, Josh engaged the Man Eater (if you're totally lost at this point, please refer to: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter4, Chapter 5, and/or Chapter 6 in the Man Eater Saga) in an epic battle. Only one could remain standing. The Man Eater lost. Oh, how the mighty have fallen...
I have put together a commemorative slide show to uhh... commemorate this event

Before moving on with life, I just want to highlight some of those pictures from the night it all went down.

Here's the beast, minding its own business (or so it would lead you to believe...)

First, it was chained

Then Josh stealthily hooked it to his truck

He pulled, it would move a little, but did not come down (this went on for a long time, it was like some epic tug-o-war)

Finally, it tumbled...

And it flew after Josh and his deadly Danger Ranger

Here he is, the conquering hero, standing over his dead adversary

Don't worry, though, the Man Eater didn't go down without a fight. It took one of our stepping stones with it as it fell.

The End :)

Kiroli Park

2008-08-01T13:32:00.004-05:00

Josh and I went to the park last night. We got there just as the sun was really starting to make it's way out. I took this shot right after we got there. I couldn't resist the sun making those leaves glow like that.
Anyway, we took the puppies. It's awful of us, but our puppies don't go on walks on a daily basis. I have a reason, I swear! See, we live outside the city limits on a street that doesn't have sidewalks (this may not seem like a big deal, but if I were to walk them on our street, I would be in the road (that's not really big enough for two cars to pass each other and everybody speeds anyway) or in a ditch, literally). Plus, we live on a dead-end road which opens onto a major street (read: TOTALLY UNSAFE TO WALK ALONG). So I can't walk them in our neighborhood.
The best place to walk them is at the park, but to do that it requires a 15 minute drive (not much, I know, but 15 minutes each way is 30 min, and if I only have an hour of free time while the sun is out each day, we spend just as much time driving as we do at the park) and $0.50 admission for me. It's not the worst thing ever, I mean, I enjoy going, but it doesn't normally seem worth it. Now before you start going on about how we're horrible pet owners, keep in mind that we live on a good chunk of land, and they go outside to run around and play multiple times a day, plus they have each other to play with. They just don't get a structured "walk" everyday like they're supposed to.
Moving on... so they were pretty excited about going. I let Josh do most all of the actually "puppy walking", though. What? I had my camera... which leads me to...

There's this random train car in the middle of the park. I think it's one of the coolest things ever. It's just such a fun, unique thing, you know?

Pretty flowers, pretty flowers, pretty flowers...

And me! I kinda really love this photo. I kept trying to get pictures of Josh, but we ran out of light pretty quickly, and with the puppies, he wasn't really good at standing still... I'll try again a different day :)

And because I've been told that it was mean of me to put that picture up of my sister, here is a more current photo (minus the coke-bottle glasses) of my beautiful sister (it's funny how much this says about us and our differences. I'm totally the one who will wear turquoise and orange with curls, she'll go for a more conservative black with strait hair. We're kinda like that in all aspects of life. She's much more likely to choose the logical path, she's much more careful, more organized, more patient. I'm impetuous, I tend to go on emotion rather than logic, I jump into things head first, I'm kinda messy... ) Moving on...

My Sister

2008-07-30T10:45:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I know that my sister may or may not murder me for posting this picture for all the world to see (although, I don't understand why... I mean, she got rid of those glasses ages ago), it's absolutely one of my favorites of the two of us, and seeing as how I felt the need to write a little post devoted to her, it seemed only fitting to use this picture :). Wow, was that the longest sentence ever, or what?

Anyway, moving on... She's been on my mind a lot recently, and as such, I feel compelled to write about her in my blog (seeing as how I live vicariously through my blog now). Her name is Diana, Diana Rose, and she's beautiful. Growing up, I was always totally jealous of her, and for one reason or another, she of me. As a result (of that and a couple other things), we were not friends growing up (which is part of why I love this picture. It's one of the few that I have of us as children). In fact, we basically just pretended that the other didn't exist. Anyway, when she got married and moved out, it was like a veil was lifted. Suddenly, I realized that I actually enjoyed spending time with her. She's funny and smart and just plain fun! Now, I'm happy to call her my best friend. She has four fabulous kids (and she's absolutely one of the best moms I know), she's a SAHM, and she has so much to teach me.

And that is what I have to say about my sister :)

Just Another Manic Monday

2008-07-28T18:59:00.003-05:00

Ok, well, this weekend was great! A little hectic and some drama, but overall, wonderful. KD's wedding was gorgeous. I don't even have words to describe it (and would you believe it, I'm going to have to try, cause I did not get a single picture. Shame on me). They got married in the garden of a beautiful manor in Mississippi. It was dusk, candles lit the way down the aisle, and each bridesmaid carried a wrought iron and amber-colored glass lantern. It was raining, not like a torrential down-pour, but big plops every so often. Her dress was perfectly her. The whole thing was absolutely magical. I can't think of a better way to describe it.
The reception was in the manor as well as out in the garden. There was a beautiful gazebo with twinkle lights and vintage fabric hangings set up for dancing. It was perfect.
Anyway, KD and Justin went strait from the reception to New Orleans where they hopped a plane for NY where they now reside (YAY, another friend up there :)). And, one of her bridesmaids is moving to DC in a couple weeks, so I'm hoping to get to know her a little better.
So that was the wedding, it made for a long day (the drive was 3.5 hours one-way, and I went there and back on Saturday), but it was oh so worth it. It's kinda funny, I never realize how much I miss KD until I see her, and then I can't imagine why I haven't spoken to her in so long, you know? I'm hoping to change that.
Sunday, a bunch of Josh's (and my) friends came over for BBQ. His friend Daryl is a grill-master, so the food was amazing. Plus, it was the last time that Josh is going to really get to hang out with any of these people, so we really wanted to have a little party.
Daryl and his wife Holly have a puppy named Roxy, so they brought her over to play with the boys. Josh's friends Alison and Fred brought over Titus (their min-pin puppy), so the night was interrupted randomly with puppies playing, running, and barking.
Overall, it was a good weekend :) Long, but good. The end :)

P.S. Thank you all so much for your kind words :) You made me blush! I'm really into gifts, not just getting a good one, but getting a perfect one and making the package itself a part of that. I was really happy with the way this one turned out :)

Because I Know...

2008-07-25T23:32:00.003-05:00

Because I know that you need to see it, because I know that you lost sleep last night, wanting to see it, I give you, the final results of my gift log (as I call it in my head) as well as an added bonus of a couple "work in progress" shots :)

Here you see a project just waiting to be started...

Ok seriously, I have some major mod-podge skills. Seriously.

Ok, here's the completed outside...

Here's the completed top (it has rings... like a tree... hahaha... ok, well, I thought it was cute..)

And here's a shot of the inside. I threw together a dish-towel for them so that I could pad the wine a little. Notice the gift card hanging from the neck?

And up close (I swear it says McNamara(s)).

So there you have it. I know that you will now all sleep a little easier knowing how this turned out ;)

Feel Good Friday

2008-07-25T10:11:00.010-05:00

For this week's Feel Good Friday, Elizabeth has chosen the theme "Wedded Bliss". I have many happy memories and moments from my wedding, but I'll try to limit myself :) And I'll add pictures (because I'm a rebel)
Ok...

The invitations... I know it seems odd maybe, but our invitations were probably one of the most special and perfect things about our wedding. They were designed by my friend KD (see post from earlier today: "I Need You!") who also made them all (they were screen printed) by hand for us. After we recieved them, I sealed some of them with a red wax seal with the claddaugh, and some of them I sealed with a feather a la "The Count of Monte Cristo" (movie version). They were perfect, we recieved comments from everybody. (Surprisingly, I don't have a picture of our invites, but don't you worry, I will take one and post it just for you :))
Getting my hair and makeup done with my two best friends and my sister (none of whom had met any of the others until that day)... All three got along great, and it was so fun seeing three people who mean so much to me laughing and talking with each other.

My dress... it was perfect. There's no other word for it.
The look on Josh's face as I walked down the aisle...
The tears in Josh's eyes throughout the ceremony...
My nieces an nephew in their sweet little dresses and tux
Our song... While we are both totally horrible dancers, and (I can be honest) our first dance was pretty awkward, our song was perfect. It was Measure of Love by TJ McCloud. It so perfectly embodied our relationship. We were long distance for the first year and a half of our dating relationship (well, we were together for like two weeks, and then long distance, anyway...). One of the lines is "yes I got your letter, and yes it would be better if the ocean was my backyard. Then I could build a sailboat of postcards and envelopes and flow right back to your arms." And then (Josh's favorite), "I can't decide what I miss more your kiss or your smile". (Josh always said he missed my kiss more because when we kissed, I smiled, so he got both out of one).

(Wow, can we say "Terrible Posture"! I don't know why I couldn't seem to stand up strait.)

Our cake... It was red velvet and fabulous.

My grandparents being there... They live in Missouri, and only ever visited our family once (we lived in Texas, and would visit them about every other year (we're not a close family in that way)). But they came down just for our wedding. It meant so so much to me.

And this... just because...

Wow, ok, I could go on and on and on, but I'll leave it at that for today. Anyway, Happy Feel Good Friday!

I Need You!

2008-07-25T07:58:00.003-05:00

Ok... so here it is... one of my oldest and dearest friends is getting married tomorrow. She (and her hubby-to-be) is a graphic designer (read, has great taste), and she also happens to be the person who designed and hand screen-printed our invites for our wedding (as her gift to us). Anyway, seeing as how she didn't really need me to do anything for the wedding (especially seeing as how I live a state away), I'm giving her a normal wedding present (nice bottle of wine and a gift card).
Moving on... I decided that I wanted to do something fun and different as far as wrapping goes. I didn't want to stick with the normal white and/or silver and/or gold. I just didn't. So I found this really sweet cylinder gift box perfect for a bottle of wine (Hobby Lobby, 50% off). It was white, and intended to be decorated. So I started thinking about all of the things I could do, and suddenly it came to me like a lightening bolt of inspiration...
Ok, maybe I won't tell you what my inspiration was, because I need your unbiased opinons. Anyway, what I need from you is... after looking at the pictures, tell me if it's really as cute as it is in my head. I need you for your honesty here. My feelings will not be hurt. This is one of those situations where honesty is necessary. It's like if you're out with your friend and she has a mondo booger, you got to tell her. It may be awkward, but it's for the greater good. Savvy?
Oh! and one more thing, the wedding is an outdoors, very bohemian, the bridesmaids will be in cute little brown dresses, so it does kinda fit...
Also, it's not finished yet, so ignore the bottom which hasn't been done yet as well as the spots that need to be touched up... Ok... go!

Now, seriously, honest opinions. If you don't want to come across as mean to all everyone else in blogland, email me. Seriously. I will not be offended. I just don't want to look like a tool slapping that down on the gift table, and then getting weird looks. You know?

Simple Pleasures

2008-07-23T10:25:00.002-05:00

Today I'm taking a little time to enjoy the everyday things in life that make me smile :) I'll share them with you too...

I like them best when they're like this, sweet and quiet.

I have a special place in my heart for morning glories :) I finally got up and took a picture while they were still mostly open.

Who needs a garden when your yard is a jungle?

I love sunlight. This is one of my many attempts at capturing the way the sun can turn even a simple day into something gorgeous.

The end :)

A Life of Delight

Magic

Settling

Happies

Wordless Wednesday

Wonderland

Urban S'Mores

Look, there's a Colonial!

I Heart Faces Contest // Silhouettes

Crab Cakes and Boogie Boards

Spiced Tea and Scarves

Part Four, The Rest of the Trip

Part Three, The Funeral

A story that I might want to remember one day, Part Two, The Drive

A story that I might want to remember one day

Lovely Sun Flare

National Harbor

Bloop Bloop

Swinging

Passion

Wordless Wednesday

A Time to Reflect

WooHoo!!!

Tabula Rasa

A Little Update Con Muchos Fotos

True Love

Long Time Coming...

Giveaway WINNER!

My First Giveaway

Cherry Blossoms and Ring Pillows

A Haiku

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN EXPLODING BABY?!

Wordless Wednesday

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho...

Whirlwind

The Books

Much Ado

What to do...?

Hello, my name is Lauren...

An Update... and then some

The Wall Moved, I Swear.

Bloop Bloop

*Ahem*

Don't Worry...

On and on and on and on...

Ugh...

T3: Matryoshka Dolls

Because I Love You

Ciao Amici!

Oh Me, Oh My...

Warning: Long Rambling Post Ahead!

Whoo... Pt 2

Life is a Whirlwind

Try This Tuesday

It's Not Goodbye... It's See You Later

My Husband Rocks

A True Story

Sad Story

Try This Tuesday

Decisions, Decisions...

MHR Friday

I'm Living in Denial

Note To Self

Delightful

*Grin*

Me and My Hand

Ahhh... Autumn...

Craft Time!

My First Swap!

A Bit of Ganache

I Promise I'll Write a Real Post Soon!

Gustav

I'm Such a Show-Off...

Shameless Plug

It's Real Life

Josh, The 2nd Lieutenant

Another Swap!

Awkward...

Wedding Invites

Blog Designs

Ahem

Grin