LONG OVERDUE

So I started my sewing class last week. It was a 3 hour class to get us (4 students in the class) acquainted with our machines and even make a project to bring home. Our first tutorial was a pillow case! We didn't get to pick out our own fabric for this project, but we will for others.



Yes, I should have ironed it before taking a picture but I draw the line at cooking and cleaning for domestic duties. Fly Boy is the ironer. So what do you think? Kind of neat, right? The point of this project was to teach us to sew in a straight line. While it may sound easy, it took me a little while to catch on. We used three different fabrics for this project. I am going to ask for a second set of this fabric next class, so I can have a matching set. If you think this is uber cool, just wait until you see my tote bag after the next class!

Ok, moving on. As mentioned above, Fly Boy flew solo last week. I was able to go to his squadron building, listen to his radio calls, watch him fly around and then watch him get dunked into a nasty pit of green 'water' after landing. It was great to witness his first solo ride. Check out the dunk tank!


It's pretty nasty, but don't worry, I brought him a clean flight suit, boxers and a towel to dry off with. I am just caring like that, sometimes. Here's all the action:




So Fly Boy is now Solo Boy.. I won't change his name though. I don't want to confuse the other pilots who read this... eh em.. the ones that think I call Josh 'Fly Boy' to protect his identity haha! It's UPT, not NSA you silly goose :) Yes, I called you a silly goose. But ANYWHO... the day was eventful but it wouldn't be complete without a pic with the the wifey. That's me. Can I just remind you that I was wicked sick this week and barely made it out for the solo? Excuse my disheveled hot mess appearance.


Well, thanks for reading guys! I don't get many (or any haha) comments but I know SOMEONE is reading this blog because my 'profile views' keep going up. Take care!

EXCUSES EXCUSES

I know, I know, it's a shame. I was on a roll and then just like that, I stopped. No blog for days! I have to say though, I have an excuse- I've been sick! I really haven't done much of anything; I laid around a whole lot and slept. I won't show you my disturbing sick pictures because: A) they don't exist and B) they would be really disturbing if they did. Think greasy hair, nasty skin, sweat pants, and many wads of tissues surrounding me. Clear enough mental picture? I did however have a partner in crime who kept me company and didn't make me feel so bad for calling out of work THREE days in a row and watch TV all day instead:




Yeah, that's Dubs for you. She's awesome at life.

I do have some exciting news and pictures to share with you from this past weekend! Fly Boy flew solo last week and I started my sewing class! Stay tuned! Solos and pillowcases! Yeah!

A COLD FRONT CAME THROUGH...

Hellooooo fabulous friends and family! The weather has been perfect and we spent the past weekend outdoors, right here in north eastern MS! Friday was filled with pouring rain for the most part but you know me, that's my kind of weather! However, the skies cleared in the evening and there was a 'pinkish-green' hue in the air. It was so bizarre I had to photograph it. The air was literally pink on Honeysuckle. Don't laugh at Fly Boy, you'll only encourage his behavior. All I asked for was one quick nice picture!


The clouds on the other side of the street had a mind of their own. We changed the setting in our camera for this picture.




We spent early afternoon on Saturday at Beans and Cream, sipping lattes and playing board games with another couple from Fly Boy's flight. After fun and games we went to another classmate of Fly Boy's house to meet their beautiful yearling horses! And 2 dogs! And cat and kitten! Aaaaaand 3 kids! I need that- to be constantly surrounded with LIFE. Beautiful life. Hi Danielle! Can I come take pics of your beautiful life?

The afternoon came to an end with 10 of us going out for sushi. Sushi, I love you. I hope you're near, no matter where we end up. After dinner, a few people came over for more games! We played "The Office" and "Cranium" and drank 1.5 pots of coffee. It was a fabulous evening in Mississippi.

Fly Boy had planned on studying for the majority of Sunday but a "cold front" came through and it was only 80 degrees out. When it drops below 100* in the south, you head outside and stay outside. All day. And by "stay outside all day", I mean watch a few hours of television and a movie and then head outside. That's exactly what we did.

About 25 miles down an old country road, past the small grocery markets, a couple leaning barns, a cow pasture or two and just past the 1950s gas station, the windy road takes you to a little gem here in Mississippi called "Lake Lowndes State Park". Fly Boy and I have been there a few times, but not since early spring when it was still cool enough to enjoy the outdoors here in the south. This state park has camping, cabin rentals and boat docks for kayaking or boating. We are itching to go Kayaking but so far we have just enjoyed the 3.5 mile hike around the entire lake:


Here's a view of part of Lake Lowndes- I love the Pines, right up against the water:
The lake is in view for about 95% of the hike. This the the view from the majority of the trail:




"Leaves of Three, Let them Be!!!"


Yes, I know there is a bridge right there, but this seemed more practical. Until I jumped into one of the branches that dug into my skull. One a brighter note, check out the action shot!


Two hours and 4 ticks later, we did it! Remember what we talked about, not laughing at him? Same goes for this picture.


What a great day! Now I reeeeeeeeaaaaally can't wait for fall time!

HEY LITTLE GIRL, COME SEE WHAT I AM SELLING FROM MY VAN

Well hi there! Lately I have been craving good seafood but before I amuse you with my risky seafood deal, I have to fill you in on a little tid bit of southern culture here. I am not sure why, but a lot of people sell food from their trucks/vans here. And I am not sure why, but we buy food from the side of the road. I have bought a watermelon off an old pick up truck. Fly Boy has purchased crawdads from an unmarked white van. I see the same elderly couple selling baked good everyday on the side of hwy 45. With this being said, it shouldn't surprise you that I jumped on the opportunity to buy 2lbs of fresh shrimp (brought up from the gulf that day) from a sweaty, sunburned, bearded, tank top wearing sailor man. As he scooped up the critters from his cooler into a plastic shopping bag, I noticed how different fresh shrimp looked like. I guess I didn't really know what to expect, but I got these... complete with heads, eyeballs, shells, legs, tails, and a vein of.... well, poop!


After breaking off the heads and shells and pulling out that nasty vein, I marinated them in equal parts olive oil and lemon juice, then added minced garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and fresh parsley. See?


I then pan fried them (too lazy to fire up the grill) real quick in a little bit of reserved marinade from earlier. I cooked Trader Joe's colorful pesto-stuffed tortellini and made a simple butter garlic sauce for it. I tossed everything together and it was DELIGHTFUL! Nor Fly Boy or I could have enough of this seafood dish.


I will totally continue to purchase food from the side of the road, especially fresh gulf shrimp from the sweaty, sunburned, bearded, tank top wearing sailor. I heard he comes up once a month. Perfect!

2 NORTHERNERS WALK INTO A COFFEE SHOP...

Amy came to visit this past weekend! I am so blessed to have this amazing woman in my life. Please tell me what kind of a friend drives 12 hours after a days work to hang out for 1.5 days and then drives back 12 hours just in time to roll back into work!? A pretty awesome friend. And what kind of a friend stocks my cabinet with Trader Joe's (Piggly Wiggly's got nothing on Joe)?! Amy does!


Due to the 100 degree weather and Amy's short stay, we hung around and did what we did best. Talk, over lots of coffee! Sure, we could have joined the young couple we saw on 'Riverwalk' and rope swing from the rusty bridge into the muddy river. We could have even followed the shirtless man on his four wheeler, driving down the main road. I am sure he could have shown Amy a real good southern time. We could have even continued our stroll further downtown and window shop, since EVERY single business is closed here on Sundays. Instead though, we poured ourselves another cup of hot delight and caught up on this thing called life. And played a game of 'Clue'. That's how us northerners roll. In a perfect world, all my friends would grow to love and understand the desire for this liquid crack and embrace it, just as Amy has. There's really just one picture that sums up our time together.


I should add, Amy did want to do something 'southern', so we took her to get a pulled pork sandwich from the Little Dooey. How did I go 25 years without ever having a pulled pork sandwich with BBQ sauce and slaw? I blame the North.

Come back soon Amy! Coffee makes the heart grow fonder! We miss you!

OH MY STARS BECKY

BECKY! Guess what? Roeshel from "The DIY Show Off" featured my dining room set that I refinished a little while back!!! Can you even believe it?!! I feel so honored! Thanks Roeshel! Now head on over and check it out for yourself if you don't believe me! Oh Becky!

NEW MUSIC AND A WEDDING PIC

Watch out! New songs for your listening pleasure, comin' at ya! Turn it up and listen you little hearts out. Yes, it's a random mix of songs and artists, but I love them all. Any recommendations?

Other than that, I have some great news for myself! You can take joy in my happiness if you'd like, I don't mind at all! Some of you may know that I was less than impressed with my wedding pictures. I am sure I can get a good 20-30 decent ones (out of the 400 bad ones I have), if only the photographer would have taken the time to edit them before handing them over. I am not talking about a little red eye here and there... I mean he should have at least removed his own 32 oz Taco Bell cup from one of the better group shots of my wedding party. But he didn't... so I haven't had any wedding pics up and we have been married for almost 2 years now.

Since I am making this photo wall (that is taking waaaaaaaaay longer than I had ever hoped it would), I thought I would have a professional photographer edit one of my favorite pics (THANK YOU MICHAEL!). By edit, I mean take out the random stranger in the background, sticking his head into the group shot. I am SO happy with the end result. Here it is! Isn't my wedding party so beautiful/handsome? I think so!

IS IT FALL TIME YET?

I talked to my mom today and she informed me that she wishes it were Christmas. Although I don't share her enthusiasm for the festive holidays quit yet, I do wish it was fall time. I look forward to fall every year and thoroughly enjoy the short seasons crisp, dry, fragrant air. I love the changing colors of the leaves and the brisk wind that tosses them around. I could walk for hours outside just smelling the air and crunching through the leaves, all bundled up in a sweater (and obviously sporting killer boots, Becky). Although fall time anywhere else won't visually compare to autumn in Massachusetts, the two fall seasons we had in Chicago were wonderful. I loved waking with my angel babies through the windy city, stopping at parks along the way. Fly Boy (although he wasn't 'Fly Boy' back then, he was 'Trader Joe's Boy') and I had a great time taking the el downtown and spending the day shopping, talking, and walking. Dubs even liked the cooler air during her walks. On really cold days, it was comforting to stay in, light pumpkin spice candles and listen to the wind rattle my 100 year old apartment windows. As the season ticked by, there came the anticipation of the first day the heat would get turned on. No mistaking that day! By the time it rolled around, we were usually brutally cold, bitter, and ready to break the lease due to some sort of 'tenant neglect'! But when it came... it whistled.. and clanked... and banged...and smelled like heat. And by 'it', I mean the radiators that accompanied our rattling windows that came with our 100 year old apartment. And such was our life in Chicago, during my favorite season. Eastwood St, our first apartment together:

Street view:

Sidewalk view:

I have been pretty good about embracing where we are right now, but I can't help but feel really homesick for a place that's not our home anymore when I see these pictures. You know what that means Becky? Road trip! Either that or we better get based somewhere with some serious fall weather.

Then there is this little piece of deliciousness. Maples trees during fall season in Massachusetts will not disappoint. I promise:


And Quabbin, one of my favorite MA getaways. I have even taken Josh there!



These pictures (the above two) were taken by a photographer by the name of Jim Lozouski and I highly recommend you check out his website; his foliage pictures of New England are GORGEOUS: http://www.jimlozouski.com/foliagesunsets.htm

SEWING CLASSES WITH A BROTHER

I am registered for sewing classes! The classes start the last weekend in August and I am so pumped. I started using my new sewing machine on my own but after feeding the material entirely from the wrong side of the machine, I thought it was best if someone more 'seasoned' in the sewing world would teach me. I'd hate to build bad habits right from the start!

The class is 4 weeks long, 3 hours per class. The sessions will take place in Starkville, but I think it will be worth the 25 mile drive once a week. By the end of each class, we'll leave with a project. Some of the projects include a pillow case, tote bag, a dress, and a skirt with zipper. I am more interested in the home decor aspect of sewing, but it will be fun learning to read patterns for clothing as well. They also offer other classes; everything from quilting and draperies/roman blinds, to custom bedding and custom tailoring. I am so excited and hope to take some of the other classes as well. I just might post some of my projects if they don't come out like something a 5 year old made.... so don't hold your breath haha!!

If you sew or know anyone that sews, I would love to hear how they got stated, what they enjoy sewing, what kind of machine they have, what they like/dislike... or just any sewing babble they have to offer! OR if you know of any great sewing blogs, I'd love to know that too :)

This is my bad boy (Brother cs6000) , I call her Becky.



I am really happy starting out with this intermediate model and recommend it to anyone who wants to begin sewing. We did quite a bit of research on the best machine for me and this one won! I love you, Becky.

DON'TCHAKNOW?

Not much has been going on lately. I am stuck right in the middle of a few projects that I just can't seem to finish for one reason or another. Each item is waiting on just one or two things to fall into place and they just aren't happening! I don't like feeling 'stuck', but that's how I feel... STUCK. So instead, I have been catching up on 'America's got Talent' and 'Design Star'..... and 'Dr Phil' and 'Jon and Kate Plus 8'. Fine!...and '20/20'...and 'Dateline'. On a healthier note, I just started reading "The Time Traveler's Wife" so I'll let you know how bad I cried once I finish it. It's been a while since I really enjoyed a book. Being a huge fan of Rachel McAdams, I can't wait to see the movie.... aaand we are back to talking about television again. Pray for me. I am a damsel in distress.

Fly Boy is busy flying and doing well! He's had 3 or 4 flights now (is it bad that I don't know for sure? or that I don't cook him breakfast?) and loving every minute of it. His twelve hour school days are long and stressful, especially because he hits the books when he comes home and his days really end up being closer to 18 hour days. However, he says it's worth it for the thrill. I say the same about marriage. And tv. Well here's a little treat for you 3 lucky readers:

Nothing a Little Paint Can't Fix

Hi guys! I have been working on a little photo wall project for a couple weeks now. I don't have the final reveal quite yet (pictures are developing) but I thought I'd share a few money saving tricks which have really benefited me with this task.

For the past 2 years or so I have been collecting picture frames of all colors and sizes. I grab them from clearance isles, tag sales and I think I even got one off Craigslist for free. Some of them are decent, but most of them have dings and scratches here and there. If the price is right, I grab them anyway. There's nothing a little sanding and paint can't fix up. Ever. Here's a sneak peak at the collection of frames that I will be using for my project, before sanding and painting:


You may or may not notice, but I actually started painting a few of these black, in hopes of putting together an assortment of pictures when we lived in Chicago. I lightly sanded and primed them before repainting them. They have all had a makeover and are no longer black! This is just one way to save a little bit of money when decorating. Large frames can get quite expensive so buy them cheap and paint them! I do want to add that you might want to stick with standard sizes so that matting and printing won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Matting. If you have standard size frames, you should be able to find standard size mats. Since I am not printing professional prints, I wanted to find large precut mats as cheap as possible. I searched for 'inexpensive' mats but had a real tough time finding anything under $20.00 (for 16x20 frames) at framing shops. Well guess what Becky? Hobby Lobby had their precut mats for 50% this week. I paid $2.50 per 16x20 mat (thanks Larissa for picking them up for me!!). Blicks also had the same size precut mats for a good price of $6.00 or so. We don't have a Blicks here but you can order online. Anyway, because the sale at Hobby Lobby is pretty much killer, they were all out of my color choice. Fear not! Remember what I said about 'nothing that paint can't fix'? I spray painted the beige mats to the color I needed- white. Did you know you can spray paint mats? Me either, but I tried it and it worked. See?



Well, that's about it- I am leaving the rest for next time. I am also going to share a few tricks I learned while researching 'photo walls'. Apparently, there's an art to it!

HI MY NAME IS DUBS

Have you met Dubs? If not, you really should. Dubs has many nicknames. Dubbers. Dubbers Wubbers. Dabbins. Angel Girl. Puppy Girl. Dubsy. Dubsu. You can just call her Dubs if you want. Actually, she answers to the human voice alone so you don't really need to call her anything, she'll come.

We rescued her from the Humane Society in West Palm Beach, FL in 2007. We fostered her while she was sick and when it came time to bring her back, we couldn't do it. We had grown attached to this little girl who stole our hearts. She came to us dirty, scared and shy but quickly grew to be sweet, loving and full of more cuddles and love than any human can supply!

Although Dubs is blind and has had a rough life at some point, she is the happiest dog I have ever met. I know this through the thumping of her (spared) cocker tail. It is literally the first thing I hear in the morning after my alarm goes off, as she too wakes up to the alarm and greets me with enthusiasm by wagging/thumping her tail. She thumps her tail when she pretends she's sleeping and lies lifeless as though she doesn't want us to know how happy she is. She thumps her tail when Josh and I talk to each other, as if she is happy that we are all together. She thumps her tail when one of us coughs. or sneezes. of sighs. or breathes. She thumps her tail night and day! She is just the happiest girl I know.

Dubs is extra happy when she is held... in any position you please. She will lay in your arms like a baby. Or sit on your hip like a baby with her paws on both shoulders. Or lay on your tummy like a baby. She's really just one big baby. This is the sight I saw when waking Fly Boy up from a nap the other day.


That's how we roll around here... even though she's not even allowed on the bed! To her defense, it doesn't look like Fly Boy is resisting her. In fact, it looks to me as though he welcomed her with open arms. That's how Dubs is though, she'll take any cuddle she can get. And she gets lots of them!

Ummmm... what's wrong with this picture (besides the scary sight of my legs)?



We love this crazy, quirky cuddle ball!

FRESH BEATS, EMPLOYMENT, BIRTHDAYS and BARGAINS

Hi guys! Like my new music? I do! Greg Laswell's "And then You" is a personal favorite. Enjoy :)

Ok can we just pretend it hasn't really been 7 weeks since I last updated this? Not too much has happened here in MS, but I can finally say that I am employed (only 8 months later). I work for a great gastroenterology practice right up the road from me. It is defiantly a blessing and exactly what I had been waiting for. I am able to work part time, allowing me to see Fly Boy during those precious few moments he has off. My boss is understanding of the pilot's wife's life and really flexible when it comes to my life outside of work. I have a set schedule, 4 days a week and i know exactly when I am working and when I am partying (jk, i am 26 now). So what am I doing? Currently I am learning the front desk. This includes patients charts, insurance and scheduling. Eventually though, I will be working just for the owner and "getting her organized" as she put it. I am really happy with my new job and look forward to the experience I will have with them. This position will also look great on my nursing application, should I apply to nursing school again in the future (that's a whole other post). Oh! And I get to wear scrubs- right on!

Let's see, what else. Oh yeah... I am now 26. Another Fourth of July has come and gone and I am another year older. How can I be 26? I can still clearly remember my 9Th birthday party; my mom gave all my friends makeovers and facials. We ordered cheese pizza and I had a pool themed cake. I got a hot yellow and purple bike with a radio in the middle of the handlebars (hey, it was 1992). I got Barbie accessories, a Skip-It and Lisa Frank stationary. You know what I got this year? A grown up sewing machine, a food processor and other kitchen gadgets. And I made my own birthday cake. Time sure does fly by! Even though time goes by so fast, I can say I really enjoy what every new year brings. I take comfort in mental growth. I am am happy with what I know this year and didn't know last year. I am also happier this year with my sewing machine and food processor than I would have ever been before! It's all about embracing situations you have have no control over. Birthdays are good. Life is good.

I don't usually blog my purchases, but I can't hold back from sharing bargain buys. The older I get, the more conscious I have become about money spent. With student loans kicking our butts, a future mortgage and kids, I think twice (sometimes thrice) before I reach for my wallet. One way we save is by hitting tag sales on Saturday mornings. Sometimes we walk away with nothing, other times we find a treasure or two. In the last couple weeks, we have purchased a new bread machine for $5.00(i love you, sourdough... and other carbs), curtains for $.50 a panel and a $2.00 plant pedestal (stay tuned for the transformation).

Our most recent find was at the CAFB sidewalk sale, where I found the white dinnerware (18 place settings) I have been looking for! When I flipped it over I noticed it was Pottery Barn; it wasn't cheap but still a bargain for $70.00. I looked up the style online, and noticed PB was still selling this dinnerware for full price- adding up what was included in our purchase, the total came up to $610.00 with tax and shipping! I am pleased with our buy. I am beginning to see that patience pays off and sporadic spending does not. Now if only I can find some nice, tight white slip covers for my couches....

Oh! Fly Boy started flying again! He loves every minute of it. He especially enjoys it now that he is actually in a plane with more horsepower than Maggie, the Focus.


That's about it from me for today. I am in the middle of working on a few painting/sewing/beading projects. Hopefully I will finish them soon so I can have something else to blog about :) Want a little sneak peak?




Hey, I live in the middle of no where and need SOMETHING to keep me busy :)

JAPANESE PRINTS

I keep meaning to share these prints with you but somehow the idea was tossed on the back burner and I haven't gotten around to it until now.


Fly boy's grandpa brought these Japanese woodblock prints back from Japan in the 1940s when he came home from war. They are pretty decent in size- 24x19 (the two larger ones) in their frames. One of them is an original, dating back to the 1860s. It's the most colorful one, the one all the way to the left. The other three are replicates and where most likely printed in the early 1900s. They were pretty shabby looking when we took them home from Fly boy's parents basement. The mattings were thin, torn pieces of paper, and had quite a bit of water damage to them as well. The frames where chipped, crooked and falling apart. We took them to the frame shop on base and they did a great job in bringing these prints back to life. I wish I had a before picture... but I am sure your creative little minds can just imagine!

I must add- we had them matted in beige because we never planned on displaying them on the beige wall of our rental. They were supposed to be in our dining area, on red walls but I recently went with a different decorating idea in there. I know it looks funny, but we are only here for a year so I am trying to live with it for now... even though it bothers me every time I look at it.

Here's another shot of the original. The picture is of a geisha, with her list of clients. Sorry about the flashes!

WHAT WE CAME HERE FOR

Finally the time has come! Josh put his 'casual status' behind him and started Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) this morning at 0715! He wasn't quite bright eyed and bushy tailed, but he was ready. Since we moved here in November, we have been counting down the months for this year-long training to begin. He has had short trainings here and there (ASBC and IFS) but this is the real deal. The make or break. The moment of truth. The big kahuna. No pressure, fly boy. If all goes as planned, in one year from now, we will know what the future holds for us, where we will live and WHAT he'll actually fly! This will be an exciting year to say the least.

Shiny shoes. Check!


Coffee. Check! Water bottle, man purse. Check, check! Bye Josh! Have a good day at school!

Angel Girl, you can't get wings. You stay home with mamma!


Mmmm... manly uniformed man carrying a small child. Listen, I don't care that his uniform is the same as a Grayhound bus drivers uniform. Nor do I care that the small child I am referring to has four legs and fur. I am not into minor details.


Exciting year to come!

DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE

Dubs: This is what my sock and I think of your "no dogs on the bed" rule.


Once again, we found this girl on our bed as we were getting ready to set in for the night. Not only did she get on our bed (she knows its a no-no), she took her nasty, slobbery sock with her, got comfortable on our sheets AND pillow! I am sorry Dubs, is the massive chenille dog bed that I lovingly periodically re stuff for you, not good enough? Apparently not.

NEW MUSIC

I added some new tunes if you are into that sort of stuff! Happy listening!



Aren't those flowers delicious? I have 2 bushes of them in my yard. They smell good, like clean babies. Or apple crisp. Or pumpkin spice candles in the fall time. Or clean laundry. Or gasoline. Whatever does it for your nostrils.

COLUMBUS, WE HAVE COOKIES AND ATLANTIS

Those of you who know me pretty well, know that even though I am not a freak of science ( unlike 'fly boy'), I do LOVE space. Yes, outer space (don't judge me). There is something amazing and unfathomable when it comes to the depth and unknowing of what goes on beyond out atmosphere. I will "ooohhh" and "aaahhh" at pretty much every picture the Hubble takes. I may not understand the mechanisms of a supernova, but the pictures leave me breathless. I love the moon, I love the stars, I love sun, I love it all. I even pay attention real hard when fly boy talks 'space'. And does he talk space... black holes, worm holes, quantum gravity... and other stuff that flies over my head. Here's fly boy educating himself while I make cookies.


And there's this girl, who wants nothing to do with me when I am with the boy. When I am in the kitchen however, she is between my feet the entire time. She is using me for my cooking skills, I just know it.


So anyway, back to space. When I was informed that ATLANTIS was making stop here at Columbus Air Force Base, I got excited, but then quickly confused. If you remember, Atlantis couldn't land in FL and landed in CA last week instead. On it's way back to FL, it stopped in TX, and now here. Hope informed she was going to watch it land, and I too was thrilled to go and check it out. How does a space shuttle travel when it's not being launched into space? I was picturing it stored INSIDE the modified 747. Well, after GOOGLE IMAGING it, I quickly learned it was traveling with the 747, but not quite how I imagined it. This is what we saw landing, right here at Columbus Air Force Base!


I must say, this was probably the coolest thing I have seen since moving here. Amazing!

PS The cookies recipe is from this months issue Cooking Light and it is AMAZING. I will share the recipe with you if you contact me :) Seriously, low calorie chocolate chip cookies... so good it ain't right.

GARDENING EXTRAVAGANZA

Our front yard just got a little easier on the eyes! We came back from Chicago with a bucket of free Iris bulbs and couldn't wait to find a nice sunny home for them in the south. Since we rent our home, we don't put a lot of effort into things that permanently change the property or house. However, one thing that was left up to us, is lawn care. Josh nor I know much about gardening but for the past three days we have been outside with shovels, edgers, bags of top soil and loads of mulch. The front of the house had completely overgrown with weeds, monkey grass and who knows what else. It needed serious TLC and that's just what we gave it. What started as a bucket full of free Iris bulbs, turned into a big project- that totally paid off in the end! I forgot to get a before before pic, but I remembered to grab my camera just after starting. Check it out (don't mind my purple bike in the background, the economy is tough and we share a car):



Aaaaand after three days work (and by the way, it's my neighbors bike)!


As you can see we pretty much pulled everything out except for the big bushes. We laid down top soil (free from the base) and then covered the entire area with landscaping fabric. On top of the fabric, we covered the area with mulch (also free from the base). I cut little slits in the fabric and planted/lined the Purple Bearded Iris's along the front. The fabric is supposed to let sun and water in, but keep weeds from coming out. We shall see about that. Also, notice how much wider the sidewalk is. Josh took an edger to the grass and I was amazed to see how overgrown, onto the walkway, it had expanded. Needless to say, we are pleased with our hard work! And a HUUUUUUGE thank-you to our new neighbor Larissa for getting dirty with us!

GOODBYE COLUMBUS, HELLO CHICAGO

I feel like May flew by! I can't believe Josh starts UPT in 10 days! WOW! Since we won't be taking any trips together in the next year, he used up all his saved leave, and we took a nice 8 day trip to Chicago. We covered our old stomping grounds and I even got to hang out with my angel babies for three days (i need kids in my life, asap)! I won't go into too much detail but here are the highlights. Remember, breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out, it really is as beautiful as it looks.






It was a great week! We got wings, which i have been craving since we got to Columbus. The Rail has 10 cent wings on Monday nights. Can't beat that! We also hit Tre Kronor not once, but twice while we where in Chicago. Their coffee is the best. Next time we visit, I need to bring back a pound or two! On top of that, we got touristy and have lots of pics to prove it!

While we lived in Chicago, we didn't do many touristy things which is actually quite a shame. It seems as though there is an unwritten law that prohibits the city dweller from enjoying things like Navy Pier, the Hancock building or even the Sears Tower, or posing and taking pictures of how gorgeous the city actually is. While living in Chicago, we took pride in our neighborhoods, the local bars and venues and the random hole in the wall hot dog joints. If you wanted to sit and chat over coffee you definitely don't do it at the local you-know-what. Starts with a STA? Ends with a CKS? That place is meant only as a pit stop. A come and go. A pick me up. If you want to sit and chat you do it at the Red Eye, Intelligencia, or Julius Meinl.

Well guess what Becky?! We don't live there anymore and we did LOTS of touristy things. We hit the Hancock and Sears, Josh went to museums and the aquarium, we took pics in the city..and... gasp.. THE EL! We had so much fun! Don't get me wrong, we most certainly enjoyed the neighborhoods too, but it was nice to see everything we missed out on as well. The only thing we didn't get to do was go on Oprah and eat deep dish pizza. I guess we need to save something for next time! I can't wait to see these fine folks again!

A PLAYLIST AND CRAWFISH

what's that beautiful music you ask? I added a playlist! if you hate my music, you can scroll down and turn it off... or choose a different song. it is a rather random mix of tunes, some being my favorite forever, and others just what i am listening to these days. i will try to keep it updated and change it every now and then, but i am not making any promises.

i will promise one thing though. i will be updating my blog a little more often. you see, josh has been gone and before he left, he won 'rock, scissor, paper' and took the camera with him. we didn't actually play rock, scissor, paper, but he did put a pretty hefty guilt trip on me as to why he would use the camera more than i would. and he was right. he will actually be doing things worth documenting, like flying for the first time in is life, while I'd probably be taking pictures of people with mullets and this:



those are crawfish. and they are big down here. i had never actually seen or heard of such a thing before, but josh had always filled my mind with mental images of himself as a little boy in Louisiana on family vacations, sucking the brains out of these river crustaceans. these would qualify as crustaceans, right? anyway, i was brave enough to try one and that was the first water dwelling animal that i have no desire to ever try again.





you're welcome.

AMY ROCKS MY WORLD

something very bad happened today. the good kind of bad. i received a package in the mail. little did i know that when i open this package, i was also opening the flood gates of missing chicago, more specifically, a little grocery store called Trader Joe's. as the contents spilled out, so did my deep feelings for Trader Joe's (TJ's) and everything TJ's stood for.


I miss their wine (yeah Charles Shaw!), their fair trade coffee, their organic food, their earthy bath essential, and even their natural dog food for Dubs. i miss the cooking station in the back where they conjure up eclectic concoctions of random goods. I miss thinking "WHAT? you mean all this is, is Trader Joe's, 100% Natural Turkey Kielbasa, mixed with the Trader Joe's, frozen spicy indian rice and cooked for 10 min over medium heat?" or "WHAT? this is just Trader Joe's, Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup, with Trader Joe's frozen Roasted Corn, with Trader Joe's, Organic Goat Cheese sprinkled on top??!" i miss these thoughts. i miss Trader Joe's snacks. their natural cookies. their organic low cal pretzels. their nut mixes. their cereal. their sea salt brownies. and don't even get me going on their cheese's. as good as the food is, i miss what Trader Joe's stood for; life, liberty and the pursuit of healthiness. really! they also had the best workers in the world and i am not just saying that because my husband worked there! i am saying that because they were awesome. the employees let you try whatever you wanted in the store. they rode their bikes to work. they re-sewed their own version of the classic TJ's tee. they smoked in the bathrooms (if ya know what i mean). they had the best bagging technique in the world- or at least the 'greenest'. they were artistic and drew all their own signs with chalk (see pic below- our local TJ's was on the corner of Lincoln and Grace- get it?). the employees went outside to pet the four legged 'regulars' tied up to the dogie rack while their owners shopped. the workers said things like "sure dude", "right on", "totally man" and "i got what you need, hot stuff". FINE! my husband said the latter, but you get what i am saying, they were wicked cool people. and i miss it all! every bit of it.


so what was in the package that sent me to my computer to blog about this? Trader Joe's Just the Clusters Vanilla Almond Cereal! Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Pretzel Thins! Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almond Lacey Cookies! Trader Joe's Simply Almonds, Cashews & Cranberries Trek Mix! my dearest angel friend amy sent me these treats and i love her for it. and i love her for other things too, but amy is the most thoughtful person in the world and truly a blessing. an angel, really. you are lucky if you also know this wonderful woman.



i went to TJ's website and requested a store near us. can you imagine?!

18 THINGS THAT SHOCKED MY NORTHERN MIND

1) upon car shopping for a small suv/crossover type vehicle, the salesman pointed out a great perk to the car we were considering: the hooks in the back for "all them wal-mart bags, so they don't go spillin' out all over the place". car has hooks for all my wal-mart bags. noted. and how does walmart get away with only plastic and no paper bags? it's 2009!

2) beautiful trees and flowers that bloom in february. hello gorgeous dogwood and magnolia!

3) all the road kill. i am not talking about a squirrel here and there. i am talking deer, armadillo, household pets, skunks, people. ok, just kidding on the "people", but everything else is true!

4) the vultures with 67 ft wide wingspan that eat the road kill. they're huge!

5) the 4 ft tall wild turkey that meanders by the dollar store on hw 45 (a busy 2 lane road).

6) josh coming home from work and casually mentioning that he saw two men in hunting camouflage by the dollar store on hw 45 targeting something/someone with shot guns. you guessed it, someone had turkey for easter.

7) hunting camo! period.

8) all the Jesus billboards. this isn't meant to be disrespectful- just culturally shocking, that's all. maybe there would be more Christians up north if there were more Jesus billboards! wait- what came first, the Christian or the Jesus billboard?

9) all the John Deer billboards. and John Deer stores.

10) the gun show and/or gun store billboards.

11) the local dentist billboard that reads "need teeth?" sorry, had to throw this in here!

12) the baptist or pentecostal church building/shack/office/trailer on EVERY corner and in between. i especially love the small white chapels with the quaint steeples. precious!

13) the friendly local people who smile, ask how i am doing and not even ask for anything!!

14) fried. enough said.

15) country music. on every station. except for the 8 christian stations of course.

16) let me break it down for you: "buggies (shopping carts)", "ya'll (you guys)", "fixin (preparing)", "toboggan (not a sled- but a hat)", "yes ma'am or yes sir (okay)", "ant (aunt)", "britches (?)".

17) drive through package stores. rumor is, you need a truck for them to load the goods into. i have yet to see it with my own eyes.

18) 1:54 car truck ratio.

COFFEE, ANTIQUES AND GIRLFRIENDS

i am a little late in posting this, but i just want to say a few things. first of all, i would like to thank my dear julesy for leaving the north behind and coming down to see this poor damsel in distress. i am that damsel. i would also like to thank amos for flying down to see my fellow faux southern bell emily. the four of us were lucky enough to be reunited in little rock and man oh man was it fun! we played games, visited a few antique shops and had some great southern bbq. of course josh and michael were also there, but they did their own thing on saturday (went caving... alone... hours deep into the cave... wading through water.. alone) and left us girls to drink lots of coffee and catch up. it was great to hear julia's wedding plans coming along, amy's chicago adventures as she is getting ready to move to a new place, and emily's crazy work stories (and her blooming love for michael- had to throw that in there). julia and i even got to spend some one on one time here in columbus when we returned from little rock. FUN FUN FUN. i miss them already.

I LOVE TABLE

now that i am done torturing you with my laundry methodology, allow me to share some wonderful news with you! THE DINING ROOM TABLE IS FINISHED AND READY TO BE EATEN ON, FOR PUZZLES TO BE ASSEMBLED ON AND TO BE DANCED ON. don't act like you don't dance on your table when no one is looking. oh? me neither.

quick history- the table was given to us by my grandparents who moved down to fl and no longer wanted it. it was a pine 8-top piece of craftmanship with two removable leaves. here is a before photo without either of the leaves in.



after sanding the entire table at the wood shop on base, we were ready to start staining. we went with a black stain even though some recommended using black paint. here i am, staining the second coat with the leaves in. i told you it was big!



it ended up with 3 coats of stain and 3 coats of polyurethane finish.



the table was a piece of cake compared to the chairs. luckily, josh did most of the sanding, but i was still left with the majority of painting and covering the seats. check out the old twill seat covering!



josh removed the seats with his handy dandy drill and i covered each of them with a staple gun. the hardest part was getting the corners nice and tight without any fold in it. i actually hated this procedure but someone had to do it and it was not about to be josh. he just pointed and laughed at my frustration. and then took a picture.



we were told we didn't have to sand the chairs all the way down to the bare wood if we used spray paint instead of stain. and that is exactly what we did. sanding anything previoulsy stained down to the bare wood is a pain in the you know what. if there is a short cut, i will take it. and i did. how many cans would you say it takes to cover six chairs? you are wrong, it took 19. NINETEEN! you may be wondering what happened to the other 2 chairs? well, lets just say they are getting a pretty little slipcover for now. the base actually ran out of the spraypaint we were using and we didnt want to risk having two ugly ducklings by using a different brand. if we ever need all 8 chairs, the slipcovered chairs will be placed on the ends of the table. maybe someday when i get the crazy idea to refinish a dining room set again, i will tear off the slipcovers and spray away, once again. here they are, all lined up, drying in the sunshine. ta da!



the chairs took three cans each to cover completely. i then covered them with a thin coat of polyurethane so it had the same sheen (low luster) as the table itself, and to protect them from getting scratched up. below, is a finished chair. i am happy.



and for the grand finale!






it is finished and i am very pleased that it is. you will not see me jumping on any more refinishing tasks.. for now. hey, you wanna discuss those candlesticks? because i do. they are steal with tons of bead work. originally, they $50.00 for the tall ones and $40.00 for the shorter one. you wont believe what i paid for them... $28.00 total. let's just say it together- "what a deal!" now let me fill you in on yet another secret- they are actually taper candlesticks! however, with the help of the hub, i removed the taper holder and voila! i bought these springy tri colored pillar candles separately to liven up the dark colors. enjoy!