Beginner 101 Sewing

As promised...a blog entry about my beginner sewing class.

I got a sewing machine as a Christmas present when I was about.....14/15 years old.

I never took home economics so I didn't learn how to sew there.

My father can sew, he can sew amazingly well!

He was going to teach me, but as any of you can understand, I was a teenager with an increasingly busy schedule and he was a human being who also had a busy schedule.

Needless to say it's 10+ years later & I really wanted to learn to sew.

So, I found a class & signed up!

This specific class was for 1 night only from 6:30-10pm.

I almost changed my mind, because it's also on the other side of town so I would get home until 10:30.

But I signed up and off I went.

Typically the class is 6 people, but Monday night it was the instructor, another young lady, and myself.

We brought our own sewing machines so we could learn how to use them.

She taught us everything she could that fell into the realm of basic sewing and then we made a handy dandy tie string bag.

I loved the fabric.  All the different states!  So cute.

At the end of the night our instructor told us to keep practicing.  Even it if was just sewing straight lines she wanted us to practice.  I'm hoping to sign up for her quilting class, she thinks she'll hold that in November, it's 4 nights (one night a week for 4 weeks) and you make a small 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 quilt!  Yeah.

Anyways in order to practice last night I took some fabric I had left over from my first rag wreath and made a little curtain to hide a bucket of beach stuff in the guest bathroom:

Nothing fancy, but just something to practice on.

So that's that.  I have started learning to sew & I'm uber excited to see what all I'll be creating in the years to come.  I'm mostly excited to learn quilting. I hope everyone had a blessed Wednesday!

Bullets.

I'm sitting at my desk at work, listening to my morning radio show like every other day.
There is a quick shift in the conversation on the show.
I turn it up a little and that's when I hear it.
There is a shooter on the UT campus....a shooter on the UT campus...shots have been fired.

Photo by: Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN

I know that my husband is home when he normally wouldn't be, he didn't get home until 2am from studying at the library.
What I don't know is where JF, MS, TV, or any of our other UT friends are.
I send a text to some of them, others have already updated their Facebook statuses to indicate that they are on lockdown either in a classroom or a dorm room or somewhere else on campus.
I try to work, no one around me is affected by this news, no one else knows people at UT.
I am sucked into the news, I'm surfing the internet, I'm trying to learn anything I can.
The entire University of Texas campus is on lockdown.
My phone goes off, it's my Mother-in-law, she wants to know if Bud is okay.  I tell her he's home.  Asleep.
A little while later my phone rings...it's Bud, he's awake and he just heard the news.
The shooter has shot himself in the library.
The same library Bud was at all night.
This is when Bud tells me that at 2am he almost headed to a different building to get a few hours sleep, then he was going to return to the library at 6am to study some more.  He decided that he should come home instead, he knew I'd be worried if I woke up and he hadn't come home yet.
If he had gone through with his original plan he would have been in the library when the shooter shot off 4 rounds from an AK-47 and he would have been in the library when the shooter killed himself.
JF, MS and a few others were safe in their apartments off campus.
TV was on lockdown in the ROTC building.
The radio show that normally ends at 10am continued to go releasing anything they could as they learned more.
The word was that they were looking for a second shooter.
There were tanks on the UT campus, later we found out those were for if they had to transport doctors to injured people.

Picture by: Ralph Barerra AMERICAN-STATESMAN

There was SWAT.
It was out of a movie.
Finally, they decided that there was no second shooter, the original descriptions of the shooter had varied causing authorities to wonder if a second shooter could be lurking.
Finally at 11:50 the all clear sounded on campus, students were released, classes were cancelled.

Picture by:Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
UT’s student directory lists Tooley as a sophomore math major, with a focus on actuarial sciences

It's sad isn't it.  A 19 year-old young man killed himself today, there were no other injuries, no other fatalities.
He had opportunities to shoot students/teachers and he didn't.
What a HUGE blessing that no one was hurt or worse.
My heart hurts for his family, his friends, his classmates....they are probably all wondering why?
I will be praying for peace for everyone involved.  I ask you to pray too.

P.S. I'll post about my sewing class tomorrow, when things aren't quite so somber.

Between sleepy & exhausted

Today I am somewhere between sleepy and exhausted. 

Sleep-y: adjective- of or showing drowsiness.
Exhausted: verb- to drain of strength or energy, wear out, or fatigue greatly, as a person.

So what is the word that describes what I'm feeling today? 
To make matters worse after leaving the house today I realized it was COLD outside.
Seriously it was 51 degrees and I was wearing a tank top and a short sleep blouse.
Fortunately, I also had my sweater in the car and when I got to work I put another sweater on.

So 4 layers later and I'm starting to feel better, although all I really want is to go home and crawl back into my big comfy bed:

So warm, so cozy, so perfect

But no luck.  I am trying my best not to take any time off from work.  I'm trying my best to save it up for the end of May when Eric comissions and I have 2 weddings that I'll be in and I'll have moving to plan for.  So I can't just go home early and sleep, because I'm trying to be good.  So I'll struggle through this 8.5 hour work day and then....I still can't go home.
Why?
Well silly me didn't know I would be feeling this way today and a few weeks back I signed up for a Beginning Sewing Class that is from 6:30-10pm tonight.  Before I go to that I'll swing my my friends house to drop off a belated baby shower present.  So there is no rest for this weary body.  At least not until I crawl into bed at 10:30 tonight and raise my truce flag.
I hope everyone has a blessed Monday & I can't wait to tell you all about my sewing class in tomorrow's post!

Boat Parties & 21st Birthday

This weekend was a whirlwind.
My husband's best friend JF turned 21.
It's kind of funny seeing that Bud is 27, but when you hang out with college age people more often than not having a friend who is 21 is pretty normal.
So as tradition has it we took JF downtown at midnight to celebrate his birthday and as I promised I was Designated Driver for the night.
I don't condone getting drinking to get drunk.  I don't think drinking is wrong in moderation.
But as college "kids" do JF drank to get drunk.  One minute he seemed fine and then next he was a mess.
I successfully & safely returned him home around 3:30 a.m.
We came home and went to bed, exhausted.

JF, MS, Me & Bud at 6 Lounge.  Happy Birthday JF!  Apparently, the drinks were really strong here, I joked that my drink was watered down...I was drinking water.

JF's brothers & their girlfriends, JF, MS, Me & Bud Group Picture.

Today we were up at 10:30 and out the door at noon to help JF finish celebrating his birthday.  He had rented a party boat and after a 40 minute drive we were at the lake and ready to soak up the sun.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, 85 degrees, partly cloudy & perfect.
There were 28 people on the boat and we just spent the afternoon talking and swimming and enjoying each others company.
But by 6pm when we all got home we were exhausted.  Bud has stopped by Sonic to grab us a quick dinner (so I wouldn't have to cook) and at 7:15 we decided a nap was in order.  Yes 7:15 pm we decided to take a nap.  At 8:30 pm we were up again and now I can get everything ready for the week.
Finish folding laundry.
Load up my sewing machine for the class I'm taking tomorrow night (intro to sewing).
Dishes.
Straighten up everything else.
& Bed time by 10:30pm.  I have 1 hour to finish this list.  It's doable.  I'm sleepy, but I'll feel better once I get all of this done.
I hope everyone had a blessed weekend.

Breadsticks

Oh Friday, it's been too long.
This week has felt like the longest week ever.
I suffered writers block most of the week.
I've been so tired it's been hard to get motivated to do anything.
No workouts, minimal reading, I just haven't done much of anything.

Tonight was different though.
After work I met the hubby at home.
Tonight was an AFROTC tradition.
Crud Night.
Crud is contact pool with a cue stick, using only your hands and brute to score points.
It's fun to watch and I can only assume it's fun to play.

Taking pictures of Crud Night.

After Crud Night we did a triple date with friends to Olive Garden.
The good thing is that they have their All You Can Eat Pasta.
I had 2 bowls of salad and a breadstick before the food even arrived.
By the time the food was in front of me, Angel Hair Pasta w/ their Portabelo Creamy Sauce, I was already feeling as though I was in over my head.
What could I do, I started in on the pasta and decided to have another breadstick.
Olive Garden Breadsticks must be part crack because they are so addictive.
I nibbled on my pasta and quickly drank my raspberry lemonade.
It was a great dinner, but I was full much too quickly.

Now it's bed time and the idea of more breadsticks actually makes me queasy.
I hope everyone had a blessed Friday!

Bye Bye Summer

Hello Fall.
Technically today is the first day of fall.
I don't really believe it though.
If you live in Austin, you would think that it was still summer.
The temperature right now at 7:15pm is 85 degrees.
Tonights low a balmy 74 degrees.
My AC will be running all day and all night because of this.
I LOVE SUMMER.
I only mostly like Fall.
I HATE Winter.
I like spring more than Fall.
I digress.
The upside of fall though is that it means FOOTBALL

I prefer NFL to NCAA & I prefer KSU to UT.

Fall also means MY BIRTHDAY!
October 16th I will be 26 years young!

My friend made this birthday cake for me 2 years ago.  She's awesome!

Fall means more hikes with the dogs.  It's just to hot in the summer to bring them for a hike.

Pup, Bud, & Cap

Halloween!

A couple years ago I dressed up as a cowgirl to pass out candy.  Zero = the number of trick-or-treaters!

So I guess that even though I LOVE Summer, LOVE hot weather, LOVE lounging by the pool, LOVE shorts & tanktops & flip flops!  I'll just have to come to terms with the fact that every year around this time Fall makes it's appearance.  I'll have to grow to love it.  It's a gift from God & I guess.....Fall can be beautiful, if the leaves change colors and don't just sporadically jump off the trees one night while your sleeping (That happens here, one days the trees are green and the next morning the branches are bare and it's suddenly Fall)!
So help me remember the good things about Fall and keep my mind occupied so I don't think about Winter!  It's bed time for me.  I hope everyone had a blessed Thursday!

Bazinga!

Bazinga!
If you don't watch The Big Bang Theory, you should!
Since I've had writer's block this week I'm stealing a friends blog idea. 
Today is my 50th Blog!  Woo hoo!
So I am going to tell you 50 random things about myself (pictures included for some)

1.) My Thumbs are double jointed:

2.) I competed in Miss Teen Kansas, didn't place, but had fun doing it.
3.) I was signed by Millineum Modeling in Kansas City, MO.  After my first appointment with them they told me to lose 1 inch off my waist and 2 inches off my hips, I was 17, 5'11'' 120lbs and boney.  I gave up modeling almost as quickly as I had started.

How tiny I was back then...those people were crazy to think I would try to lose weight!

4.) I swear I'm cold blooded.  I love hot weather, but I have been known to get goosebumps on a summer night when there is a slight breeze.  It doesn't take much for me to get cold.
5.) Dusting is my least favorite household chore...
6.) Bathrooms are the next runner up.
7.) Bud & I want 3 kids, but I'm open to 4, I think he is too.
8.) I LOVE dogs.  Correction, I LOVE BIG dogs!  If I could have more than 2 I would.  I really want a Great Dane next.
9.) I had surgery to remove cancerous growth from my cervix my senior year of highschool, I've been cancer free ever since!
10.) I got married when I was 19 years old, I've been married for nearly 6-1/2 years.

On our honeymoon: Disney Land & Sea Cruise

11.) I knit, but that's it.  I can't do anything fancier than scarves & blankets. 
12.) I used to scrapbook and everytime I walk through those aisles I get the desire to start again.  Maybe someday.
13.) I hate and I mean HATE when people say, "I told you so"!  I'll admit when I was wrong.
14.) I have a hard time peeing if I think someone can hear me.  I've sat in the bathroom waiting for it to clear out just to go to the bathroom.
15.) Please don't talk to me when I'm in the bathroom stall or you are in the bathroom stall.  It's weird.
16.) My favorite underwear are Hanes Women's Boxer Briefs:

17.) I own far too many books and I don't think I'll ever read all the books I own.
18.) I am addicted to television.  Seriously I can watch TV all day long.
19.) I love thunderstorms.
20.) I am so happy, my life seems just about perfect right now!
21.) I honestly believe I live in the greatest city in the USA.  Austin rocks!

22.) When I was younger I used to think I would grow up to be a school teacher.  As I got older I thought I wanted to be a professor instead.  Finally, I realized all I ever wanted was to be a stay at home mom....here's to someday.
23.) I fully intend on changing the way Officer's wives are viewed in the Air Force.  I don't ever want to be a wife who says,"Do you know who my husband is"?  I'd much rather leave somewhere and people say, "Do you know who her husband is"?  (Does that make sense?)
24.) I am in the habit of saying, "No Worries" more often than not.  99% of the time I mean it.  I'm not worried it'll all work out.
25.) Bud & I have been to a lot of concerts since we moved to Austin a little over 4 years ago.  When I go instead of a regular t-shirt souvenir I always check to see if they sell magnets.  If they don't I keep my ticket stub and make it into a magnet.

That's 14 concerts I've been to.  I think I may have a few more tickets I need to convert to magnets.

26.) I grew up with 2 dogs, 3 cats, 4 lovebirds, & a bearded dragon.
27.) I can't hardly stand to be around cats much anymore because I'm no longer tolerant of my allergies.
28.) I cook dinner approx. 5 nights a week using e-mealz
29.) I'm married to my best friend, I can tell him anything and he is always there for me.  When people ask my marriage advice I tell them, "As cliche as it sounds communication is vital".
30.) Bud & I moved to Texas as an act of faith.  God told us to move and we did and he blessed us!
31.) I hate that we have so many student loans, but I'm optimistic that we can pay them off within 5 years of Bud commissioning.
32.) A place for everything and everything in it's place is a concept I am always working at perfecting in our home.
33.) I will be a Bridesmaid in 2 weddings this year.  The first on June 4th for KS & TV.  The second on June 11th for DE & CP.

TV, KS, Myself, & Bud at the AFROTC Dining Out

CP & DE!

34.) I have my associates in Business Administration and don't know if I'll go back for my Bachelors.
35.) Bud used to own a motorcycle and sometimes I still miss it.
36.) Moving is something that I am super excited about...seriously, I have an itch to move every few years.
37.) I spend far too much time on Facebook.  I've been on Facebook since it was invented and I feel very loyal to it.
38.) I blog hop a LOT!  Seriously, I get lost in mazes of blogs reading about people and their lives, it's fascinating here are a few that are people I have never met that I love: Farmgirl Paints, Humble Pie, & Whatever.
39.) I have been known to lose hours of my life playing the Sims 3...in fact it's been a while since I've played, might be time to waste some time.
40.) I can't wait until the day when I can buy more of my food organic. I buy what I can afford to now, mostly meats, milk, eggs.
41.) I would love to develop my photography skills.
42.) Our music collection is the most eclectic you may ever see.  Seriously, we have almost everything except for techno & death metal.
43.) When picking out my wedding ring I asked Bud for 3 stones.  The engagement ring was a solitaire princess cut diamond, the wedding band was 2 more smaller princess cut diamonds.  I wanted the smaller stones to represent Bud & I and the larger stone to represent God.  He will always be the center of our marriage.
44.) I have had nearly every hair color imaginable and almost as many haircuts.  Most of them were accidental and only slightly detrimental to my mental well being.
45.) I have a younger brother whom I am so proud of!

46.) Bud & I have been on 3 cruises.  Disney, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean.  I LOVED Disney and would do it again if it didn't cost so much.  Royal Caribbean was my 2nd favorite!
47.) I have worked since I was 16 years old.  There have only been 2 specific periods where I was unemployed for a short period of time.
48.) Target V-Necks and baseball tees are my favorite shirts to wear.
49.) I can't express this enough that I married the best man for the job!  He is my helpmate in life and I thank God daily for him.
50.) I have a secret that isn't mine to share and it's driving me crazy!

So there it is....50 things about Biz!
I hope everyone has a blessed Wednesday!

Breach

Since coming home from Fredericksburg I haven't had much going on.
This is a dead week for me in a way, nothing going on, which in a way is AWESOME.
So in order to savor this quiet and peaceful time I've been spending a lot of time relaxing in bed.
From my bed I have a set of pictures that I took on our last trip to Hawaii.
These pictures are my pride & joy!
I remember as Bud & I drove over to Lahaina in Maui, Bud was going for another day of Scuba Diving for his certification & I was going on 2 whale watching tours with just my camera and a bunch of strangers.
On the way over I said a little prayer 1/2 jokingly, "Dear God, if you could just make 1 whale breach in slow motion for me I would be so happy"...or something along those lines.
Basically, I just wanted an opportunity to capture a breach.
Well God answered my prayer.  I went out on a boat that held maybe 30 people and I prepped myself to wait patiently.  We lucked out.  We found a female who was flirting with all the guys in the area!
She breached about 30 times!  This progressive shot was my favorite.

Up

Over

Splash!

When Bud & I returned from Maui we knew we needed to get these pictures blown up and on our bedroom wall.  11x14 and clear frames and now every night before bed I get a chance to look at my favorite pictures.  Bud's dive instructor has lived in Maui for most of his life and is a professional photographer.  He was so jealous because he has never caught a breach on film, that's how rare this opportunity was.  As we rode the waters following this competition pod you could hear the splashing after each breach, the clapping as their fins slapped the water, the whoosh each time they exhales through their spouts.  I could listen to it all day long.  On that note I'm taking my book to bed & I'm going to settle in for a quiet, relaxing night.  If for any reason I forget what I'm supposed to be doing I'll look up from my book and allow my pictures to refresh my memories.
Have a Blessed Tuesday night.

Brief

That first day back to work after a relaxing weekend can go two possible ways.

1.) It can be chaotic and crazy and everything counterproductive to your weekend rest.
2.) You can ride that relaxation in and hold onto not letting anything bother you.

For me it was a little of both.  It WAS a crazy day at work, but I was so relaxed from my weekend that stress was a word I didn't even allow into my thought process.

After work I came home and worked out, showered, made dinner, and Bud & I started to watch Prison Break: The Final Break.

NEWS FLASH: SPIRIT105.9 is a Christian Radio station.  So despite losing The River 105.9 I still at least have Christian music.  Unfortunately, I do not have the John Tesh Radio show.

This is a short post, which after my long posts of the weekend I'm sure is greatly appreciated!
I hope ya'll have a blessed Monday!

B&B: Part II

We're home.
After a delicious 3 day weekend we have finally returned to our humble abode.
I can not express in words how awesome this last weekend was, nor can I express how a 3 day weekend left me feeling like I had just taken an entire week off from the world.
This morning for breakfast they brought us:

Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, & French Toast Sticks w/ Pecans

We checked out a little early and putzed around town for a bit trying to find a few items so we could go do a rubbing of Herman's gravestone.

Der Stadt Friedhof is the cemetery where Herman & Elizabeth are buried

1/2 way through our grave rubbing it's started to sprinkle and then as we finished it started to pour.  WE GOT IT THOUGH!  Unfortunately, we weren't able to get Elizabeth's gravestone.  We found out today that Herman was probably married 3 times.  Elizabeth was his first wife and it's believed she passed away a few years after they married (how sad).  The worst part is that on the gravestone it doesn't even have her name.  It just says Frau Herman Hitzfeld and her dates.  Frau in German is similar to Mrs. in English.
Before hitting the road we decided to stop by a recommended restaurant at The Hanger Hotel called the Airport Diner.

I LOVE how this picture turned out.  It looks like a cartoon drawing!  I didn't edit it at all.  I simple used a different setting on my camera.
This was taken on my 55mm w/ Tv setting shutter speed 1/25 ISO 1600.  No flash.  

Waiting for his sandwich

Enjoying a cup of hot tea on a rainy day!

On our way out of town we decided to stop by Bud's Great-great-great grandparents tomb William & Emelie.  We found the cemetery and the gravesite.  The neat part was that their pictures were on the gravestone!  Of course while we were there it went from drizzle to pouring again, but we used Bud's shirt to cover the camera while we took a few snapshots:

Trinity Cemetary

William & Emelie

The rain continued to come and go during our 1.5 hour drive home.  Again I can't express how awesome our weekend was.
Upon returning home it was back to business as usual.  I unpacked in about 10 minutes and while Bud watched the Texans vs. Redskins I napped.  I woke up just in time to watch the last few minutes of the game and watch it go into overtime.  It was an intense game!
Bud headed out to squeeze in a little homework he had neglected over our weekend and I started a load of laundry.  It's time to get ready for the week and all I can say is that I have the BEST husband in the world.  He spoils me and loves me and as we get closer to his graduation/commissioning/first duty station I literally feel us pulling together more and I feel my heart swelling with joy every time I look at him.  He makes me so proud!
Originally, I wasn't going to blog while we were at the B&B, but on our way out the door Bud decided to bring his laptop.  One of his reasons was that he knew I could use it to update my blog, he said he knew I liked doing it and thus he liked that I liked it.  I love that man!
I hope everyone has a blessed Sunday night.

Bed & Breakfast: Part I

The sitting area

Our uber comfortable bed!

Bud & I spent the night at a beautiful Bed & Breakfast in Fredericksburg.  

It's called the Hoffman Haus.  

It's not a typical Bed & Breakfast filled with antiques and floral patterns.  We stayed in the Calico Cottage. 

It's heavenly.  

In the morning instead of going to a large table and eating with a bunch of strangers, they bring a picnic basket to your room and you can eat in bed!

Apple Popover, Corn & Pepper Quiche, and Fresh Fruit

After breakfast Bud & I got ready and headed out for a full day at the National Museum of the Pacific War.

He loves this kind of stuff

We spent about 1.5 hours there before taking a break to devour a delicious lunch and yummy deserts at Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe!

Bud's Hello Dolly Bar.

My Key lime Pie...SO yummy

Then it was back to the museum for another 2 hours.  

It started to sprinkle just as we were finishing the last of the outdoor walking tour.

Back to the Bed & Breakfast to nap.  

I could get used to this!

Now it's time to put on our dancing shoes and hit the dance floor.

I hope ya'll are having a blessed Saturday.

Before We Were Born

Before we were born there were people before us.
And people before them and so on and so forth.
Bud & I took a little trip to Fredericksburg (only 1.5 hrs from where we live) to do a little research.
Researching land deeds, birth & death records and tracing the family history back until it was no longer stateside.  You see, Bud's family settled in Fredericksburg as far as we can tell.  So it seems that we should take advantage of learning as much as possible while we still live so close.

Where our day started.

We traced it back to Bud's Great-great-great-great grandfather.  That's 4 GREATS!
From what we can tell he was the first of the family to immigrate to the United States from Germany.

Looking through land deed.

Now let me clarify something....history, most of the time, bores me.

..."helping" research.....

But today as we uncovered these facts I was actually intrigued.

We even found the last copy of a book in all of Fredericksburg that tells on Bud's Great-great-great-great grandfather, Herman.

I've removed our last name for obvious reasons, but the book says:
"In December, 1847, under the auspices of the Society, he (Conrad Wehmeyer) and Herman opened a saloon, selling whiskey, wine and tobacco.  Since initiative and profits were denied them, they afterwards opened their own store.  Later, dissolving partnership, Herman retained the saloon while Wehmeyer opened a store in his new house, which he soon changed to a bakery.
In this home on December 2, 1851, Conrad Wehmeyer married Louise Klingelhoefer, Pastor B. Dangers performing the ceremony for a double wedding in which Herman married Louise's sister, Elizabeth".

How amazing!
Bud & I would really like to find out the location of the saloon.  I mean there is a huge chance that it is no longer standing seeing as how it would be 163 years old.
We were fortunate enough to drive by the house Bud's Great-great grandparents owned.  It is a Texas Historical Marker.  It was built for Moritz newlyweds in 1907 and the purchased by Bud's Great-great grandparents 7 years later.  It's 103 years old and someone is currently living in it!
It's harder for me to traceback my maiden name, but this is really inspiring me to try.

After all this research we were a little hungry so a quick stop at Winslow's Restaurant was just what we needed:

Bud's Rueben Sandwich w/ Red Cabbage & German Potato Salad.

My 1/2 lb cheeseburger and fries

I hope everyone is having a blessed Friday and I'll see ya'll tomorrow!     

Bad News...

I'm sitting at my desk...wait let me back up.
Every single morning I listen to 96.7 the Bobby Bones Show (it's a guilty pleasure, my junk radio).  After 10 am I switch my desk radio over to 105.9 The River, it's the only Christian (Family Friendly) radio station that I know of A.) in Austin and B.) that my desk radio can pick up and C.) the only radio station I listen to on my way home and whenever I'm in the car at night or on the weekends!
Back to my desk...
I'm sitting at my desk when all of a sudden they announce that tomorrow is The River's last day (Obviously I have missed the weeks of previous announcements).  I got choked up!  What will I do now.  No more Family Friendly Radio...no more John Tesh Radio Show & his "Intelligence for Your Life"! 
Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's it I'm moving!!

Sorry Minor Melt Down!  I'm not actually going to move...well not yet...(and NO I won't tell you where yet.  You just have to wait until Christmas).
Okay so starting Monday 105.9 will have officially been bought out...and if I heard correctly "The Spirit of Austin" is replacing them.  I can't find anything on this station....I am HOPING they are a Christian radio station.  I need worship music, especially at work when I sometimes want to strangle people, sorry I didn't want ya'll to know I have my moments of insanity...but it's out now no denying it...only dealing with.

On a happier note here are a couple of shots I took of the boys today....they make me giggle.

Waiting for someone to throw the ball!  How can this not make you smile!

I'm pretty sure Cappy is laughing AT me.  Hahaha!  I Love my Big Boy!

I hope everyone has a blessed evening!

Beyond what was planned.

21 DAY CHALLENGE COMPLETE!
Yesterday...haha!  I seriously thought I was still being held to this today!
But when I looked back at my calendar I noticed I said it would go from 8/25-9/14.
Oh well, I did an extra day beyond what was planned.

How did I do though based on my 1st-21st days?

1.) No diet soda.- 19 days out of 21 days = 90.5%
2.) Exercise for 30 minutes everyday.- 19 days out of 21 days = 90.5%
3.) Read Bible everyday. 100%
4.) Blog/Journal everyday.- 100%
5.) Read 3 books.- Well I'm 1/2 through my 3rd book so 2.5 books out of 3 = 83.3%
 
OVERALL GRADE = 92.86%
An A- for all my hardwork.  I'm so proud of myself.

Now that I've officially continued onto day 22 I might want to set up a few new guidelines for what I expect of myself.  The previous ones weren't too demanding, but with work and extracurricular activities it can be a tight fit somedays.  So as for my new guidelines hmmm....

1.) I'm going to stick with the NO DIET SODA, it wasn't that difficult and I have probably been more hydrated in the last 3 weeks because of it.

2.) Exercising 30 minutes 4x a week.  7 days a week was rough.  I'm not saying that I won't do 5 or 6 days, but Fridays are next to impossible to fit in a workout.  Mostly because after work on Fridays I meet up with Eric and ROTC peeps and we hang out until I'm ready to pass out from exhaustion.  Also I have a few things coming up that might make a workout impossible.  September 27th I'm taking a intro to sewing class from 6:30 pm-10pm and every Monday night in November from 6-8 I'll be taking a digital photography class.  Plus I read somewhere that it's good to have rest days.

3.) Read Bible everyday.  I'm going to keep up with this one.  As a Christian I need to be well versed and I need to learn God's word.

4.) Blog/Journal everyday.  I think I'll be able to do this 90% of the time.  However, I do anticipate some weekends when Bud & I will be out of town that will hinder me from accessing a computer.  So I'll just have to make my posts bigger and better when I get home!

5.) Read 3 books.  I almost succeeded on this one, however, according to that 8 books in 8 weeks goal I set for myself.  I'm already 1 week and 1 book behind.  So I'm just going to change this to say that I should def. try to read for fun everyday!

I LOVE all the time I get to spend with my husband!  He is my BEST friend!  My helpmate!

On, another note, Bud & I have a Groupon for Froyoyo that is going to expire in a month.  I bought it a while back.  Basically, I spent $10 to get a coupon worth $20 of frozen yogurt.  So after dinner we rushed over and loaded up!  I had the peanut butter yogurt with crushed Oreos, brownie bits, & Butterfinger pieces (I think I negated all the benefits of frozen yogurt)!  It's only 8pm & I just threw in a load of laundry and I'm gonna cuddle up next to my hubby and watch the season finale of Prison Break via Netflix!  I hope everyone has a blessed evening!

Bellybuttons & Opinions

Everybody has one.
I have one.
I can appreciate that others have them.
I can attempt to understand when they differ from mine.
I get frustrated when people offer them without understanding the consequences of their words, without knowing that people's feelings can be hurt.
I'm thankful that I believe in a God whom I can ask to bind my tongue from harmful words and know that he will change my heart thus changing me.
I'm glad that I married a man who allows me to express my opinions, but who has also taught me to listen to those around me.

Proverbs 21:23 (NKJV) "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles".

Job 6:24 (NKJV) "Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred".

With that being said, I feel better.  Sorry if this was a downer entry.  I had a day and needed to vent a little.  Please don't hesitate to express your opinions on this topic by leaving me a comment.  After all if I can't read ya'll's comments and absorb your opinions, I'm not quite sure I'm blogging for the right reasons.  Have a blessed evening!

Boo-tiful Rag Wreath Tutorial

Finally I have a moment to upload pictures and post the tutorial!

Supplies:

1.) Metal Wreath Form

2.) 1 yard of at least 2 types of fabric, cut into 1" x 9" strips

How to:

1.) Start by tying your fabric as shown around 2 bars as shown:

2.) Make sure to double knot:

3.) Stair step this tying of fabric as follows

4.) Tighten and continue in alternating fabrics until your wreath is full

5.) Hang on your door!

This project is easy peasy and only as expensive as the fabric you purchase.  I splurged on my fabrics spending 7.98/yd on one and 5.99/yd on the other 2.  I did, however, wait to make my purchase until I had a "40% off one item" coupon for Hobby Lobby.  If you are patient you could do go to Hobby Lobby a few days in a row and get your fabric for less that way.  The metal wreath form is less than $4.  

Here was my first Rag Wreath.  It's my Patriotic Wreath!

Happy Crafting

Have a Blessed Evening!