bethabee

Say Yes To Carrots

2012-01-29T19:30:00.006-05:00

On Thursday I made a little comment on facebook about my morning snack:

On Friday, my neighbor greeted me with these:

Too funny! {They're actually good!}

Speaking of food: I'm gearing up for six more weeks of weight watchers, starting tomorrow. I lost six pounds the last time I committed to six weeks, and I've kept it off. I'm ready to do that again! I know it's going to be rough to get back on the diet train, but once the scale starts dropping again, I'm sure I'll be motivated. The scale has stayed pretty much the same for the past month or so, and I know the numbers aren't going to magically get lower on their own. {If only!}

I've been attending Zumba & weight-training classes pretty faithfully, but I haven't been running. It's too cold, and I just don't like the track. {At the Seminary, twelve laps = a mile. Twelve. It's terrible.} I can't wait for warmer weather so I can hit the pavement at least once a week in between classes. It's been too long!

Did you make exercise an official 2012 resolution? I suppose I did -- I didn't really create set-in-stone resolutions, but I did have some goals in mind, and that was on the list. Here's to hoping I {we?} keep it up!

PS: My post title comes from a product line I saw at Target today. Have you tried anything from it? It looks fun!

Six Months & Done!

2012-01-23T19:38:00.012-05:00

Over the weekend I finally finished a project I started... oh, I don't know... a few months ago. I posted about my little gallery project in August & gave a sneak peak in September. Soo... six months ago. Wow, that's embarrassing! I'm s l o w.

So yes, I'm terrible about taking before pictures, but here's what one of my living room walls now looks like:

I'm so pleased with how it turned out! {Oh, and pay attention to that pillow with the Eames chair on it. More on that in a later post.}

I made a little change to the other side of the room, too... can you tell?

The frames are just a little closer together. Three inches closer, if you're dying to know. I liked the wide spacing before, but with the closely-spaced gallery on the opposite wall, it looked strange. Oh, and if you're one of those people who is good at the "Can you spot the difference?" pictures, you probably noticed that I forgot to put the remotes in their little box for the "after" picture. Oops!

And there's one more difference, but it's very hard to see in the above pictures -- I got a new print from my dear MIL for Christmas!

The one on the left is one I wished for and received from a kind {anonymous} friend three years ago. [It still bothers me that I don't know who was so thoughtful!] The one on the right I wished for & received from my dear MIL for Christmas this year. It's from the same company & is the same quote, just with a fresh new look. I love them both, but I am especially loving the pink & the cursive of the new print. One day I hope to hang them side by side, but for now, I just have room for one.

Funny story {you know, because this post isn't long enough}: my MIL ordered the print & had it shipped to my FIL's office, but apparently she forgot to tell him it was coming. It didn't arrive in time for Christmas, so I was told she would be bringing a belated Christmas present with her when they came to Louisville for Wes's birthday. The night they came, Brad {FIL} was standing in the living room looking at our frames when his face lit up. And this is the conversation that ensued:

FIL: Oh! I have something I think you'd love! I forgot it at the office. It looks like something you'd like, though.

Me: Really? What is it?

FIL: It's art, I think. It has words on it. A quote.

MIL: WHAT?

FIL: Yeah. I have no idea where it came from. I almost threw it away. And then I thought about giving it to my secretary. But I think Beth would really like it.

MIL: WHAT? {Frantically looking for her computer, pulling up the print on a website} Is this it???

FIL: Yeah! That's it. What is it?

MIL: DID YOU BRING IT?

FIL: No... what is it?

MIL: It's her Christmas present!

Haha! I love that story. It's so fantastic. So now I think of my dear MIL and FIL when I look at it... and I think about my kind anonymous friend, too... and I smile. :)

So yeah. Just a few little changes around here... nothing too crazy. I wish I had finished all of this like five months ago! But now that it's done I can plan another project, right? The only question is: will I finish it before we {if we} move?!

Memories

2012-01-20T14:17:00.001-05:00

Perhaps He Smiles

2012-01-17T18:35:00.006-05:00

I was driving down the road this afternoon, on my way back to my office after a marketing training, and two things happened.

1. I saw the most beautiful sky. It was juxtaposed against images swirling in my mind of sound and fury, as a tornado had just passed through the area. And I thought, there's something more. More than you, more than me. I may lack the ability to precisely define what that means, but I can't deny it. It's beautiful.

{That's not the sky I saw, it's just a beautiful photo I found on flickr. You can click through for the source.}

2. I was listening to klove as I drove, and a song came on with these lyrics:

But you love me anyway

It's like nothing in life that I've ever known

Yes, you love me anyway

The song was talking about the love that God has for people even though they're broken and flawed. But in my heart, at that moment? It resonated as the love of my precious Grammy. She loved me anyway. Despite my failures, despite my many flaws, despite the times that I didn't deserve to be loved. I don't know how to explain the feeling of being loved that way by another human. It's truly unreal: not real, not explainable, definable, understandable.

I say that I miss her; I say that I love her. I do. But the void that's left in my soul by her absence is so much more real than I can evoke. Most of the time I'm okay. Sometimes I think I'll never be okay. Yet the void is there because the real thing once was, and is, and how incredible is that? To be loved that way... I cry at the thought of it. I don't understand.

Does it sound sacrilegious to make a song about the love of God about the love of a human? If so, I suppose that's okay. It's real to me. Her love makes the idea of unconditional love real to me. And I think God knows that.

And perhaps he smiles.

{West Elm} Bed & Bath Sale

2012-01-14T21:00:00.007-05:00

I stumbled upon West Elm's site tonight and immediately found two super-cute things in their bed/bath sale... I had to share.

Chevron Bath Mat - only $19. Pricey for a bath mat, I agree, but super cute! And we all know how I feel about chevrons {looove them}.

Stripe Shower Curtain - $31. I love it in gray and yellow!

If we move, I will get to redecorate. That's a plus, right? {Well, a minus, actually, if you think about our checkbook ledger...!}

Also of note: my affinity for sales. I just love it when things are on sale. In fact, when we were dating, Wesley used to walk into a room & proclaim, "Kisses on clearance!" Worked every time. True story. :)

Wednesday Five

2012-01-11T20:19:00.004-05:00

Five things for you on a Wednesday:

1. Hubs made this for dinner tonight, and it is so good! He said it was easy to make, too. Even better.

{Photo credit: Gina at Skinnytaste, one of my favorite recipe blogs!}

2. The outlaws are coming to the 'ville this weekend for hubs's birthday. It's hard to believe it's been a year since they've been to Louisville to visit! We are looking forward to it. I may gain five pounds while they're here {gotta take them to all the good spots!}, but it should be worth it! Speaking of good spots, we're planning to go to Le Gallo Rosso for Wes's birthday dinner -- a cute little Italian restaurant on Bardstown Road. We stumbled upon it by purchasing a random LivingSocial deal several months ago & really enjoyed it!

3. I really do love Zumba. And no, we don't use shake weights. {My friend Stephen loves Crossfit, so he shared that video on my facebook wall recently. I have to admit, it's pretty funny.} I love that it's FUN, and I love the diversity of the people who attend my studio. I wish I would've found Charizya sooner!

4. Hopefully by the end of this week I will finally be able to show you pictures of my new little gallery wall in our living room. And by little I mean, you know, like six picture frames. That's ok; it's super cute. And yes, it's the same area I blogged about four months ago. I've struggled with motivation, clearly!

5. Speaking of motivation -- I'm just in that weird stage of life where I don't know what's going to happen next. There are things I want to do {read: things I want to reorganize/redecorate}, but I just don't know if they're worth doing if we're moving in six months... you know? But at the same time, isn't that a terrible way to live? Not doing things because you can't predict tomorrow {who can!}? Sigh. The uncertainty just may be the death of me.

Ok, ok. That's not true. But it kind of feels that way sometimes!

What will my life be like in six months? Where will we be living? Who will our friends be? Where will I be working? Does a PhD have to spell financial ruin? Will I still be able to afford pedicures?! Will I have a puppy? Will we be happy? Where will we end up next?

{Wordy!} Health & Fitness Update

2012-01-07T19:32:00.007-05:00

Okay, so I think I'm done with weight watchers -- officially, that is. I did it hard core for six weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. I lost five pounds. Somehow, even in the midst of abandoning it and eating horribly over the holidays, I've kept those five pounds off. I still want to lose more {five to ten more} but I think I may have lost the motivation to precisely measure every bite I take. Sad, but true.

That said, I think I'm going to purchase a WW points calculator on eBay instead of continuing to pay $18/month for a service I'm not dedicated to using. I'm going to continue to weigh myself every Wednesday & chart it in excel -- and also chart in excel most of what I'm eating. I know that I get 26 points per day, and most meals I'll be able to track without a problem. I'll still {have Wes} make WW recipes [there are so many great WW recipe blogs out there!] and snack frequently on healthy things. And if all else fails, I can always admit defeat and rejoin, right?

I really am trying to get back in the habit of eating healthier now that the holidays are over, and so far, it's going pretty well. But for fun {and to show you that I completely fail some days}, would you like to know what I had to eat on Saturday? Oh dear. I started off okay at breakfast, but then? FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. All day long.

Breakfast:

-Banana

-1/2 a protein bar

{starting off well...}

Lunch:

-1/2 of my chicken parmigana leftovers from our dinner out on Friday night

{fried chicken, cheese, and pasta in alfredo sauce}

-The rest of my peanut-butter-ice-cream pie

{um, yes -- self explanatory, really}

Snack:

-Auntie Anne's pretzel bites

{these are soaked in butter}

-Small McDonald's french fries

{again with the self explanatory...}

Dinner:

-The other 1/2 of my chicken parmigana leftovers

{right}

-Another banana

{heyy! something mildly healthy!}

Snack:

-Low-fat microwavable kettle corn

{could be worse, I suppose}

Not doing so hot, huh?! Oh well. We all have days like this, right? The good news is that I felt pretty crappy -- way too many carbs & way too much butter/grease. Yuck. {I say "good news," because hopefully feeling that way will keep me from having days like that too often!}

As far as exercise goes, I'm proud of myself for maintaining a 3x/week exercise schedule, even during the holidays! I was primarily running for quite a while, but recently I've started going to a Zumba studio near my house: Charizya Fitness. I bought a "punch card" for twenty classes in December for only $70 -- $3.50 per class. Such a great deal, yes? Jessica, one of the leaders, is my favorite. She has so much energy! She makes me laugh the entire time. There's a decent amount of diversity in the people who attend, too, which makes it even more fun. The classes are 45 minutes & they fly by.

Tentatively, I think I'm going to do Zumba on Wednesdays and Saturdays and their Total Body Blast class on Mondays and Saturdays. I'm still going to run on Fridays. I ran this past Friday at Seneca park when it was a very random 60+ degrees in Louisville, and it was so great. But really -- that just makes me think there's something very wrong with the world -- sixty in January in Kentucky?! Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't loving the warmer weather. I hate running on a track/treadmill, so I can't wait for spring!

So yes, four days/week for exercise is my goal. Fingers crossed that I keep it up!

I bought a size six jeans from Target a few months ago as a goal {I wear a size eight, typically}. I tried them on tonight -- they fit, but they're a good bit tighter than I typically wear jeans. However, my eights are pretty baggy. I think after five more pounds the sixes should fit great! Motivation....

I never, ever thought I'd be one to be even slightly focused on health/fitness. It's kind of crazy that this is happening to me. But I enjoy how I feel after I exercise, and I know I'm doing something good for my body besides just losing weight. And never fear -- I still totally enjoy being lazy & eating terrible foods, so I haven't changed that much. :) Now I just don't have to feel quite as guilty when I have those days!

Ok, before I quit talking {wow, wordy post!}, I'll share a funny story from Zumba on Saturday. My friend Maggie came with me, and before class Jessica was talking with us & chatting about the Zumba moves, etc. This conversation ensued:

Jessica: You know, it's basically a lot of moves you use in the club all the time anyway.

Maggie: Um, I actually don't make it out to the club all that often.

Maybe you had to be there... but it was pretty awesome.

Happy Keyboard

2012-01-04T20:59:00.005-05:00

And Wes thinks it's bad that I want to organize our bookshelves by color.

He really has no idea how much worse it could be. The possibilities! ;)

Seen here. Found here.

{Ok, so I'd never really do it, but how fun!}

Living Life

2012-01-02T12:40:00.010-05:00

I have friends in so many places. Friends in California, friends in Arizona. Friends in Michigan, in Colorado, in Texas, in West Virginia. I even have friends in Africa {two, currently!}, and friends in Afghanistan. It's been sad to watch these friends go, but I'm especially grateful for far-away friends with blogs {and for those who send regular email updates}. It makes me feel like they're not so far away.

I soak in their updates, eager to know what's going on in their lives. It occurred to me today that maybe people do the same thing with me. I don't always post a lot about our day-to-day lives, because really, they're not all that exciting. Go to work, go to school, come home. Work out, make/eat dinner, do laundry, clean all the things, go to bed. Do it all over again. Who wants to read about that?

But then I realize -- it's mundane for me because I see it day in and day out. But for those of you who are far away from us... maybe you'd like to know what's going on in our lives. More than the occasional recipe or beautiful house renovation I love.

So here's to random, boring?, life-living updates. Five things you should know about us these days:

1. I love the Butterfly Garden Café. It's one of my favorite restaurants in Louisville. I bought myself a cookbook as a late Christmas present... I can't wait to try it out! And by that, I mean that I can't wait for Wes to make some of the recipes for me! ;)

2. Beside a few of our cookbooks {in the picture above} is a baggie of plastic bottle caps from coca-cola products. I am a member of my coke rewards. If you don't want your codes (from 12-packs or bottle caps), I would love them. :) Thanks to my momma for this baggie full at Christmas!

3. Hubs has officially submitted all of his applications for PhD programs. The four schools are: University of Texas, Asbury Seminary, Fuller Seminary, Brandeis University. Now we wait. I vacillate between dread & wonder as I think about where this next stage of our lives will take us.

4. Settlers of Catan is one of the only board games I enjoy. We played it with our neighbors to pass the time on new year's eve. It was fun, but there was an intense theological discussion going on at the same time, which distracted everyone -- thus making the game drag on for 2802822839 hours. I tell ya, we know how to have a party!

5. We have to start taking Christmas decorations down at work tomorrow, and I really don't want to. Not because I want to extend the Christmas cheer... but because it's getting cold outside & we have tons of outdoor decorations. :(

I wonder what my excuse is for not taking things down in our apartment yet? Let's be honest: I'm just lazy.

Ok. We're having our dear friends Meg & CT over for dinner tonight, and I'm a hot mess. House is a wreck, I haven't showered, etc. This four-day weekend has been amazing; I'm not ready for it to end! Hope you enjoyed this random update. Over & out.

Progressive Dinner

2011-12-31T15:00:00.007-05:00

On Friday night we had a progressive dinner with our hallway... and by that I mean the neighbors in our hallway. We had a great time! Appetizers at John & Jessica's {a yummy salad & a cheese/cracker tray}, dinner at Joshua & Meredith's {chicken divan} and dessert at our place.

For the occasion we made Anthony Bourdain's chocolate mousse, garnished with mint, and layered apple "pies" from Dashing Dish. Yum!

Everything was delightful -- both food and company. We love our neighbors! {But we miss you, Fred & Ethel!}

If we move, we're really going to miss this place. The Village Manor community is so fantastic. There's really nothing like it. And as the property manager it's humbling to know that I have no control over it -- I just sit back & watch it happen: people serving people, life-long friendships being formed... it's so great. I'm thankful!

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

2011-12-29T17:57:00.007-05:00

If you're looking for something quick, tasty, and light (!) for dinner -- make these. I promise you won't be disappointed. Yum!

Photo by Katie at Dashing Dish

{A fair warning: you should be careful in visiting Katie's blog -- before you know it, your whole evening will disappear. What a great resource!}

We Wish You a Glowy Christmas

2011-12-25T20:27:00.013-05:00

I confess that I haven't been very diligent about learning how to use my {not that}new{anymore}camera. But when I saw this tutorial on how to take a glowing picture of a Christmas tree, I knew I wanted to try it.

I tweaked it just a bit on Picnik, like adding the border, for instance, but this picture is mostly SOOC. Not bad, right? If you click on the tutorial link above, you'll see that my picture isn't as glowy as Beth's -- maybe because my ISO only goes up to 1200? Not sure. Also, I don't think the light in the window helped my cause {my MIL has those Christmasy electric candles in all of her windows}.

Anyway. Just a little Christmas happy for you since my last two posts have been somewhat sad. We've had a wonderful holiday with family & friends, and I hope you have, too! Merry Christmas!

Together Again

2011-12-24T19:27:00.006-05:00

I'm imagining Grammy & Grampy, together again for Christmas.

I miss them.

Missing Alice

2011-12-22T19:58:00.005-05:00

Well, my new advent calendar received 21 ornaments, and then it came time to travel. We drove to Charleston yesterday afternoon and are now in Morgantown. Thursday & Friday here, Saturday & Sunday in Charleston, and back to Louisville on Monday. A quick Christmas trip {especially compared to the two weeks we were able to be home last year!}, but I'm grateful all the same.

Last year was a Christmas I'll never forget. We took Grammy up to Wes's Nana's home & we {his family, my mom, and Grammy} had dinner together. We sang Christmas carols and opened presents and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. Grammy actually took a nap in Nana's bed when she became tired. She didn't want to leave when the night was over, and I didn't want to make her! Nana would've loved the celebration. It was amazing.

Now Grammy and Nana are both gone, and I'm in Morgantown for the first time since June when Grammy died. It is surreal. I almost used to dread coming here, in a way, because it was always so busy. We tried to spend tons of time with Grammy, to make time for college friends, to spend time with my mom, etc. Now my mom {and my dad} are really all that's left for us here -- well, at least during the holidays when a lot of people are out of town. In some ways I'm glad. It's kind of nice to not have every moment consumed.

But truthfully? I'd give anything to be racing back and forth between here and Sundale... to see my precious Grammy again and spend one more Christmas together. I miss you, beautiful Alice. I love you more than I can say.

Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-12-15T15:20:00.006-05:00

Hubs is kind of hard to buy for. But this year I was prepared.*

He's getting 12 gifts for the 12 days leading up to -- and including -- Christmas. Some are small, some are bigger, but they correspond with the number of the day. For the first day {Wednesday the 14th}, he got one jar of coconut oil.

Do you use coconut oil? Do you know someone who does? We've never tried it, but I'm excited to embark on a coconut-oil journey with my hubs. You can substitute it for oil & butter when you're cooking. You can use it as a moisturizer. You can use it as a makeup remover. Have you heard of oil pulling? Go ahead and google that. Interesting, right? There are so many uses for this healthy oil. I'm looking forward to learning more about it.

Anyway. I'm pretty sure I'm more excited about these twelve days than hubs is. Today he got a bottle of "two-buck chuck" -- also from Trader Joe's. I like that place. TWO buck chuck -- get it? Day two? This is just so fun.

Two-buck chuck, if you don't know, is a type of wine sold by Trader Joe's. It was introduced in California at the bargain price of $1.99 per bottle, earning it its infamous name. It's now $2.99, so maybe it's three-buck chuck? No... definitely two. At least for my gifting purposes!

Insofar as these days of Christmas go -- they are busy days, all of them. We literally have something planned every day/evening from now until the 25th. My body is not made for this much activity. I am exhausted to the core. I will be fine, yes. And I'm trying to enjoy the fun. But wow -- the holidays are simply exhausting.

I hope you're enjoying the Christmas season, busy as it may be!

*Actually, I totally pulled this together at this last minute... but don't tell hubs. And I'll be back after Christmas to share the full list of gifts. No spoilers!

Advent Calendar! {Three Easy Steps}

2011-12-09T15:46:00.017-05:00

Step One: Find an advent calendar you just love & want to replicate. Then find a blog post explaining how to do just that.

Step Two: Admire it, mention it... and wait a couple of years.

Step Three: DIY!

{Step Four: Wait until advent is almost over to share with your friends. Oops.}

My dear friend Kelly gifted me the linen & let me borrow her spray adhesive. I purchased the bulletin board, tags, and ornaments. I had a few ornaments to use, but not enough for the whole calendar.

My only disappoint lies in the fact that, unlike the amazing Katie B., I spent more than $6 on mine. I think everything came in at around $25. Respectable, but not incredible. Oh well! Not everything can be thrifty, right?

I'm so glad I finally did it -- and finally shared it! I really love it. I hope you do, too. :)

BEST Pole Dance Ever {Yes, I'm Serious}

2011-12-07T21:20:00.005-05:00

A fairly conservative friend of mine posted this on facebook, so I decided to watch it. And you guys, it is AMAZING. You'll thank me for advising you to watch this pole-dancing video; I promise. It starts off slow, and it's kind of long, but you really need to watch the whole thing. I can't imagine having that much control over my body.

Seriously... my mouth hangs open almost every time. Incredible!

And on an unrelated note {I mean, what is really related to pole dancing in my world?}: I am for real going to take pictures of my advent calendar soon. If I say that enough, I'll actually take the pictures & share them, right? I really mean it. This week. :) I know I care about it more than you do. But it's so pretty! I think you'll love it.

Sunday Fun[ny] Day

2011-12-04T20:04:00.003-05:00

Today has been a funny day. Let's review.

Wait. First, let me say this: I'm blaming it on the nap I took on Saturday afternoon. Naps and I do not mix. Because of the nap, I wasn't tired at night & didn't go to bed until like 1 a.m. {note: this is extremely late for me!}. I woke up this morning at 8 a.m. when Wes left for church. Not enough sleep for this girl.

I went to the later service at church {Wes was training our friend on PPT & had to be there for both} and then we went out to lunch with said friend and his wife. We went to a local pizza/pasta shop not far from our apartment. We told them that we had gift cards {given by a gracious tenant -- how sweet!} and that we would pay for their meal. We ordered a LOT of food. When we got the bill & provided the gift cards, we discovered they were for a different restaurant with a somewhat similar name. No affiliation. Whoops! That was an expensive lunch.

Later, Meg and I ventured out into the pouring rain to go to Hobby Lobby. On Sunday. Yep, they're closed on Sundays. Yep, I knew that.

Finally, at Target, I purchased several things I don't need immediately so I could get a free $5 gift card with a $50 purchase. At the register I discovered that coupon expired yesterday. Right.

Basically, I failed at today. I hope tomorrow is better. :)

PS: My advent calendar is done & I can't wait to share it with you. Hopefully, you know, before advent is over. I just need to take pictures!

Me {Bethabee Edition}

2011-11-28T17:06:00.011-05:00

My girl Katy did this on her blog last week, and I thought, what the heck. I'm completely out of blog material, and I'm putting off packing to head back to Louisville tomorrow. Why not?

I'm weird because:

::I constantly play with my hair. I look stupid doing it, and it makes my hair frizzy... but I can't stop. Melvin, my maintenance supervisor, always yells at me about it and tells me I'm too stressed. I tell him it's because he makes my job stressful. :) But you know, some people shoot people when they're stressed -- I just play with my hair. It really could be a lot worse.

::I try my best to properly punctuate & capitalize in text messages. Don't even get me started on people who substitute "u" for "you" and other ridiculous abbrevs.

::I never take baths. Never ever. Only showers for this girl. Am I the only one?

::I try to keep the inside of my car really clean, but I could care less about the outside. I probably wash it once or twice a year. I figure -- it's just going to get messed up again. FAST. And it rains kind of frequently, so that washes the outside a bit, right? But the inside -- I hate when the inside is dirty. It just makes me sad.

I'm a bad friend because:

::I'm a homebody, and it prevents me from hanging out sometimes. [Stole that from you, Katy, but that's me to a T!]

::I never seem to get birthday cards/packages to their destination on time. They're always a few days late, minimum. Usually more. And speaking of birthdays, I just can't remember anyone's. Seriously, it's a miracle I remember Wes's. At the beginning of every year I write everyone's down on my large desk calendar at work. If I forget to write someone's on there, there's no chance I'll remember. And people with birthdays near the first of the month -- it's bad. I don't flip my calendar until the first, and then I realize I should've put a card in the mail three days ago... you get the picture. Maybe I need to put end-of-the-month "warnings" on my calendar this year. Okay, this is turning into a whole thing; sorry. Moving on.

::I'm always five minutes late if I'm meeting someone, picking them up, etc. This should be a new year's resolution of mine. I once heard someone say that being late is like saying you value your own time more than someone else's. Like you don't want to be there early and wait on them, so you'd rather them wait on you when you're not there when you said you'd be. I don't think that's what goes through my mind -- I think I just plan poorly -- but still. I want to get better about this.

::Well, apparently I'm a bad person, because I'm having a hard time coming up with four things that make me a bad friend! I'm sure there are tons more, though. Just don't leave comments telling me what they are, because then I'll be sad. But I kind of want to know... so go ahead. :)

I'm a good friend because:

::I try to be there in practical ways for people. Like helping friends clean/organize, by making meals when people are sick, by letting friends borrow my car, etc.

::I'm pretty dependable, I think. If I say I'll do something for you, I will.

::I try to be a generous friend... with time, money, belongings, etc. I want to be known for generosity & for holding personal belongings loosely -- the girl who would give you the shirt off her back, if you will. {Actually, I'd rather just give you money to buy a new one.}

::Well, maybe I'm not that terrible, because I can't think of a fourth point for this one, either.

I'm sad because:

::I don't want to go back to Louisville tomorrow. I know I have a ton of work waiting for me & a really crazy month ahead. I've loved our Thanksgiving vacation. It's been restful & fun.

::I don't want to start Weight Watchers again after this four-day break. Watching the scale go down is fun, but so is eating whatever I want!

::I miss my Grammy, and I've been thinking about all of the fun we had with her last Christmas. It's hard to believe she won't be around for this one.

::Speaking of Christmas, this is probably our last one in Louisville. I don't want to move! And I wish everyone around me would stop moving, too. That makes me sad as well.

I'm happy because:

::If we move, I will {hopefully} be able to get a puppy. I mean, really -- I have waited long enough!

::I do love the Christmas season, and I especially love my company at this time of year. It's crazy and busy, but it's so fun. And I'm soaking it all in as I think about the fact that this might be my last Christmas with these people!

::Wes is almost done with his SBTS career, which means he can stop censoring me, and I can say whatever I want! ;) {I'm just kidding. Well, I'm really not, actually.}

::I'm finally done with this post! :)

Thanksgiving 5k!

2011-11-24T11:32:00.008-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Guess what? I ran my first 5k today. I ran slow, and I didn't even run the whole time, but overall, I really enjoyed the experience... and I learned a few lessons along the way.

Lesson One: Learn to dress.

Ok, I'm new at this whole running thing. I started this summer. I have no idea how to dress for running when it's cold outside. It was around 39 degrees when I left the house at 8:15 a.m. [the race started at 9]. All I had were cotton capri pants, but I did have shirts to layer, and layer I did. I wore a t-shirt, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, and a zip-up fleece. I had thin gloves & my friend Kim loaned me an ear warmer/headband. So my legs were cold, but overall I was fine.

Kim and I ran the first 1.5 miles straight, and then I asked to stop & walk two blocks. It wasn't long after we started running again that I was feeling overheated. I had to stop again so I could take off my fleece. It sounds simpler than it was, because I had stupidly pinned my race number over the zipper on my fleece. So it took a while to unpin, take off the fleece, tie it around my waist, repin the number to my long-sleeved shirt, etc. The gloves & the ear band quickly came off, too. So the whole clothing thing was annoying.

Lesson learned: Layer, but be prepared to shed said layers.

Lesson Two: Prepare your music {and iPod} ahead of time.

I typically run with my iPhone and Pandora's work-out station. The race started, but I couldn't get my iPhone to work. Pandora kept breaking up, which made me think I didn't have good 3G reception. So I tried to switch to my iTunes, but it kept breaking up, too. I discovered in the last leg of the race that my headphones weren't fitting tightly into the earphone jack because of my new phone case. And I was fighting with my gloves all the while, mind you, because I couldn't control my iPhone while they were on. AND, yes, I was running at the same time. Annoying! For the last 1/2 mile of the race {after I shed my fleece}, I put the headphones around my neck and just played Pandora out loud. So no, it wasn't a tragedy, but it was frustrating to fight with that stuff almost the whole time.

Lesson learned: Figure out your music {and headphones} ahead of time. And maybe buy an iPod shuffle, because the iPhone is kind of bulky to run with.

Lesson Three: Learn perspective {somehow}.

The third time I walked was toward the end when I was feeling discouraged & tired. I slowed to a walk, rounded a turn, and saw the finish line in the distance. Well, SHOOT! Had I known I was that close, I wouldn't have stopped to walk. I think that's the thing I disliked the most about the race -- and the reason I prefer to run on a track instead of just randomly through neighborhoods, etc. I like to know how far I've gone and how far I have to go. I wish the race would've had a marker at each mile or half mile. That would've helped.

Lesson learned: Well, I don't really know how to fix this one. Find a race that's marked? {Runners: do those exist?}

Overall, I'm so glad I did it... and I want to do another one soon. I can't believe I'm saying that! And if you know me, you can't believe it either. :) Now I'm off to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family.* I hope you're doing the same with yours!

*My family minus my sweet Grammy. It's my first holiday without her. I like to think she's proud of me for running my 5k. And I'm going to try to enjoy all of the food like she would -- grateful for each taste. I miss her like crazy. I love you, Grammy!

Small Spaces

2011-11-18T15:50:00.008-05:00

One of the top selling points about Village Manor is the huge kitchen the apartments offer. Ha! If you live at VM, you're laughing right now. The kitchens are tiny.

But honestly? I don't mind all that much. It's definitely an inconvenience, but it forces me to stay on top of things. Because if I don't, this happens:

Believe it or not, that's just from making a simple bowl of pasta. It's kind of silly, really. There's just no room! That's all of the counter space we have. The other side of the kitchen is just the stove & refrigerator.

But after 20 minutes on the clock [read: the microwave timer], I ended up with this.

Not bad! I even had a few minutes at the end to wipe the floor with a damp rag {that's my version of mopping, btw}. I like fast & simple chores!

Just so you know: Wes hates when I hang up my dishwashing gloves like that. I think it's a convenient place to dry them. He disagrees... but he's sleeping right now, so he can't stop me. I win!

But back to my point. No, a small kitchen isn't completely terrible. But someday, if I have a bigger kitchen? I won't complain. And if I have a dishwasher??? Well. That will just be icing on the cake. :)

Update: I painted my backsplash with this stencil from Jones Design Company. I traced it with chalk and painted it with a small paintbrush. It wasn't that difficult & I love the result!

These Are Happy Holidays

2011-11-14T18:30:00.009-05:00

Ok, so last year I put up almost no Christmas decorations. Seriously, I think scrounging up a red candle was all I managed. It was so sad!

This year I want things to be different. I'm already working on an advent calendar. Katie Bower is my inspiration:

Isn't that beautiful? I'm hoping to finish mine this weekend... fingers crossed. I feel like I haven't had a completed project to show you guys in forever!

I'm also planning on digging all of my Christmas stuff out of our storage unit this weekend and maybe even starting to decorate a bit. I didn't decorate last year because by the time I got around to it I knew it wasn't going to be worth the effort. We'd be traveling a lot & then it'd be time to take everything down. Lame, right?

But first things first -- let's not forget Thanksgiving! It's coming up, and I'm so looking forward to the down time with our families. My mom's traveling to Charleston for the weekend, which will be nice. I'm wondering if anyone will get up to go shopping with me on Black Friday. My guess is no. :) I don't have anything in particular in mind; I just think it's fun. {Although I just might splurge for a Shark Steam Mop -- they'll be around $35 at Target! I've always kind of wanted one, although it's hard to say if I'll actually use it or not.} I'll miss you this year, Casey!

The thing I'm not looking forward to about the holidays? All of the tasty treats that will be around to tempt me! I think I picked a terrible time to start weight watchers. :) Actually, though, it's probably a good thing -- it will keep me in line. At least I hope so!

Top Ten List

2011-11-11T07:39:00.004-05:00

Oh, hi again. It seems I suddenly got very bad at blogging. I'm not sure why that happened.

At any rate, here are ten random things from my side of the world:

1. I went in for my annual gynecological exam yesterday. I promise I'm telling you this for a reason. :) Overall, I have a fantastic doctor, but I have one small problem with her: she refuses to acknowledge the fertility awareness method [FAM] -- also known as natural family planning [NFP] -- as an acceptable, reliable form of birth control. She always calls it the rhythm method, which it is NOT! I'm certainly not a doctor, so I never argue with her. We just have this conversation every year:

Her: So you guys are still fine with the rhythm method?

Me: Well, not the rhythm method, but with natural family planning, yes.

Every. year.

It really bothers me. So I've decided that at the end of our time in Louisville {when I know I don't have to go back to her office -- yes, that's kind of passive aggressive -- no, I don't care} I'm going to write a letter and include some FAM/NFP literature. Actually, the book I'm reading about it talks a lot about this & includes a tear-out section for you to share with your medical provider, so I think I'll use that. In my mind, there are probably three main reasons that the medical community doesn't share natural forms of pregnancy control with women {women who are either abstaining from or trying to achieve pregnancy}:

1. They aren't educated about it [SAD!];

2. They genuinely believe it's not effective [because of #1];

3. There is a lot of money to be made in the world of birth control/from women who are trying to conceive.

I don't think my doctor is motivated by number three, but it would be stupid of me not to acknowledge that that's a real and present issue. I think she genuinely believes there's not a difference between NFP and the rhythm method. Hopefully she will read what I send and take it to heart!

2. Wow, I didn't realize I had so much to say about. I originally brought up my exam to say that I keep a chart on my phone of every "weigh in" I have at that doctor's office. Since we moved here in 2007, I've gained a solid 10 pounds. This visit, I was down three pounds. Woo hoo! I am headed in the right direction. :)

Wes was sensitive about my appointment, as men tend to be. They're not much fun. {But again, props to my doctor, because she is fast and nice and makes everything a lot easier.} BUT I think he thought it was hilarious/ridiculous that I was more nervous about stepping on the scale than anything else!

3. Tonight we are going out to our favorite local cuban restaurant with a childhood friend of mine with whom I've lost touch over the years. She'll be in town with her boyfriend & his two daughters. I'm really looking forward to it; it will be so great to catch up and meet the people who are near and dear to her. Also, this is the thing about weight watchers: going out to eat is always so exciting! It's such a treat. Plus, we usually end up going with people we love, which makes it even more fun.

4. Before dinner, I am going to get a pedicure with my friend Amanda. I can't wait. {Kirstin, I'm sorry, but now that you're gone I have to find substitutes. :) I know they will ask about you!}

5. Speaking of nails & polish, I'm considering getting a shellac manicure for Thanksgiving. Have you ever had that done? Here's my rant: I refuse to wear fake nails. I've never ever had them put on. They ruin your nails and are expensive to keep up. But my hands always look so pathetic! I clean so much [read: keep them in water so much] that they're always so dry. Plus my nails are thin and always break. PLUS, the cleaning I do makes it pointless to try to polish them, because I mess them up with days {usually hours, honestly}. But I saw a woman at the mall the other day with shellac polish on her nails, and she raved about it. The place where she goes charges $30 for a shellac manicure. They tell her to go every two weeks, but she goes every three. I don't know much about shellac, but it doesn't seem like it would hurt your nails as much as fake ones do. I might ask my salon about it. Hmm. As if I need to spend more money at Red Nails...!

6. Speaking of Red Nails, moving is becoming more and more of a reality to me. I say that because every year I buy a giant gift card for myself to Red Nails to last for the whole year. {They usually have a gift card promotion at Christmas that makes it worth it.} This year I'm realizing that I can't do that, because we probably won't be in Louisville for all of 2012. Omg.

7. Speaking of moving, earlier this week I freaked out about the thought of maybe moving to California. Do you know how expensive it is to move to California? Never mind live in California? How would I find a job in California? So I started blog stalking until I found a random guy who moved there to attend Fuller {the school Wes is looking at in Pasadena}. Then I found his wife's blog. Then I sent her a long, rambling email asking her a million questions about their apartment/how to afford living in CA/etc. Her name is Ashley; she was very nice to respond to my craziness. I feel like I have a pen pal now. :)

Then just last night Wes and I were talking about how maybe we'll end up at Asbury {in Kentucky!}. Then I realized, again, how stupid it is for me to even THINK about where we might end up, because it could be anywhere, and there's no point in worrying about it yet!

In terms of a timeline, Wes will start applying to schools any time {next week is his last week of classes at SBTS!!!}, but we won't hear anything until March/April of 2012. Just FYI.

8. Speaking of Fuller, I stumbled upon this blog post by President Mouw last night, and I just wanted to HUG him. Oh, how I can't wait to live in a land of fair-minded people! I will miss many things about Louisville. But I do have many things to look forward to if we end up somewhere else. :)

9. If we move, I am getting a PUPPY. You can file that under "things to look forward to."

10. I know it's improper to post wordy blogs without pictures. Sorry about that; I'll stop now. Maybe if I blogged more often this wouldn't happen?

Weight Watchers {Here We Go Again}

2011-11-06T19:10:00.004-05:00

Well, I've officially been doing Weight Watchers [again] for a month. I've been trying not to talk about it much -- I always fail at diets, and it's embarrassing. But I want to commit to it for six months so I can really get a feel for if it's working or not, and I can't keep my mouth shut for that long!

This is going to be a wordy post; I can tell. Just warning you in case you're not interested. :)

Ok, so I like the new Points Plus system a LOT better than the old system already. I tried the old system a little over a year ago & stuck with it for the three months I paid in advance for... and then I quit. It was really hard, and, more importantly, it didn't seem manageable as a lifestyle change. Plus, I wasn't exercising consistently. I honestly don't remember seeing much of a change, if any, in weight loss. Maybe a few pounds. Nowhere even close to being worth the effort I put into it.

You can read more about the difference between the points (old) and points plus (new) system here, but basically all fruits and non-starchy vegetables are now zero points on the new plan, with other foods {mainly those with fats/simple carbs} having higher points attributed to them than they used to. So on the old plan, bananas were two points, and I only got around 21 per day. Two points was a lot! Now, they're zero points, and I get 29 per day. Yes, the points go by faster than they used to, but I'm being "rewarded," so to speak, by making healthier choices.

I am creeped out by some of the food WW makes & markets {seriously, the ingredients lists are a MILE long, and I can never pronounce everything on them!}, but that goes along with any diet. No one's making me eat anything that I don't want to. I'm trying to really stick to real foods in smaller quantities... although I must say I'm totally failing in the dessert department. WW makes dark-chocolate-raspberry ice-cream bars [2 points] that are phenomenal. {I didn't even look at the ingredient list... I don't want to know.} Bite-sized, 90-calorie Snicker ice-cream bars are only two points, so they have been a staple treat of choice for me, too.

I get 49 extra points per week to splurge, and that has been something I've had to look forward to each week. I try to use zero extra points Monday--Thursday and then have the entire 49 to spend over the weekend. So far I've gone out for a "big" meal once a week and then used the leftover for little treats here and there -- things I don't normally eat, like a mini bag of kettle chips [6 points!] or a pancake breakfast [with butter & syrup -- you don't want to know].

Last week we went to Olive Garden on Friday night with good friends -- I looked forward to it all week, both for the food and the company! My meal was approximately 40 points, and I planned it all before I left the house. {I'm thankful for restaurants that post their nutritional information online!} I had a salad, two breadsticks, and half of their chicken parmigiana, my favorite [with fettucini alfredo substituted for the marinara pasta and everything!]. I took the other half home [I put it in my glass to-go container as soon as they brought out the plate so I wouldn't be tempted] and ate it over two days so as to enjoy it but spread the points out.

I read this blog post before I signed up & really considered not doing WW again. Her criticism is fair, but I like I mentioned earlier -- no one's making me eat anything that I don't want to eat. The weirdest thing in my mind about WW is this -- what the heck are points? Why not just count calories or something normal [or something free]? I don't know, truthfully, but for now I just like the ease of the WW system. I figured it was worth a shot.

So that's my wordy diet post. I really do feel ridiculous -- I feel like I'm always trying diets & never actually succeeding! But in my defense, I have to say that

a) at least I'm trying something... right? and

b) I am exercising [running] 3x/week, and have been pretty consistently for a while, so I'm hoping that will become a habit, too. But if anyone in Louisville is reading this & wants to sign up for Zumba classes with me, I'd really love to. I just don't want to do it alone!

Let me end this post by saying that my dear friend Stephanie is my inspiration. She encouraged me to sign up for WW again and has blazed the trail. You look fabulous, Stephanie! Thank you for encouraging me and setting a great example! :)

I'll keep you posted on this journey....

Doubting Thomas

2011-11-04T23:21:00.004-04:00

I wrote a post earlier in the week about a song I like, but I found this song tonight, and I like it better. Just don't watch the video too closely... it does have the lyrics, which is nice, but the punctuation is terrible. :)

This is so me -- me of little faith.

Skinny Taste Love

2011-10-30T13:59:00.007-04:00

When Wes came home from church on Sunday, I was cooking. He didn't quite know what to think. It's because I've stumbled upon a fantastic recipe blog: Skinny Taste. You should check it out!

I can't recommend Gina's baked potato soup recipe highly enough. I only wish I had doubled it, because it didn't make very much! I couldn't really taste the cauliflower... and I should mention that I'm pretty impressed with myself for steaming cauliflower. {I know it's pathetic, but let's be honest: never have I ever even bought cauliflower, never mind knowing out how to cook it!}

Wes said it was kind of bland, but I think that's the nature of baked potato soup. I was fine with sea salt & black pepper. He added paprika and crushed red pepper and said it was much better. To each his own. :)

I've already pinned several recipes from ST that I want to try, and I know my pin board will continue to grow as I pour over her blog looking for yummy {and light} recipes. If you stumble upon one you particularly love, you'll have to let me know!

Ready For November

2011-10-29T11:39:00.004-04:00

I was talking to my mom the other night, asking her what was new. She said that nothing was new. Moooommm, I said. You always say nothing is new. And she said, BETH. Nothing IS new. I go to work, come home. Go to work, come home. Go to work, come home. I never wake up wondering what is going to happen tomorrow!

Well, momma. You're not the only one who feels that way.

I'm just tired, friends. I'm so tired. I'm thankful to be Village Manor's property manager, but it's been so hard, because for the past... I don't know, three months, I feel like Village Manor has gotten the best of me. And by that I mean the best part of me. Going to work & fulfilling those demands has taken all of my time and energy, and, at the end of the day, I feel like I have nothing left to give to anyone or anything else. I'm keeping my house fairly clean, because I require that to maintain my sanity, but that's about it.

I miss my husband, and I live in the same house as he does. I feel like I haven't had a free moment to spend time with friends in forever. I'm trying to maintain an exercise routine, but it's been hard when I just want to collapse at the end of the day. I'm totally behind on my google reader, never mind actually posting on my own blog. I want to use my sewing machine, but it just sits & collects dust. I have a nice camera that I'd like to learn how to use, but again with the collecting dust. And it's getting cold, and I HATE the cold, and isn't this just the most depressing blog you've ever read?

I think this is why I've avoided posting lately. I think it's generally better to say nothing than to whine. But to those of you who have kindly asked where I've been -- I've been at work. And I'm sad about it. You see?

This too shall pass -- I'm hanging on to that hope. October and all of its busy-ness is almost over, and hoping that November will bring a fresh start with it. A more normal, less crazy work schedule is a the top of my "fresh start" list. I'm ready to feel like myself again.

So here's to NOVEMBER. I need a new beginning!

Goodbye, K

2011-10-21T23:04:00.006-04:00

Tonight I said goodbye to one of my dearest & best friends.

Kirstin & I met in the fall of 2007. Her husband, Joseph, and I had been on summer project together {with Campus Crusade} in 2004. Joe found me on facebook after we both moved to Louisville & suggested that we get together, with our spouses, for dinner one night. Kirstin & I hit it off, and the rest, as they say, is history.

When Wes and I moved to Louisville, we knew it would be temporary. But we also knew it would be four years of temporary. That's a long time. Now four years have passed and our time here is drawing to a close. It's hard to comprehend.

First Casey & Alicia left. Then Laura & David. More recently, girl Casey & Braden. Now Kirstin & Joe. Soon Kelly & Brandon will go. I joke with Wes that it will be easier for us to move next summer because we won't have any friends left in Louisville. But I'm not really joking!

Kirstin, we've been through so much together. Several apartments {well... at least you've been through several. ha!}, new jobs, family emergencies, lunch dates, massages, TV-watching fests, and more pedicures than I can count. Seriously, who is going to get a pedicure with me every month? It makes me sad just to think about it.

Remember when we STRIPEd together?

Remember when you & Joe helped us bring our new couch home?

Remember Verity's baby shower?

Remember when I painted my furniture in your garage? And it took forever? :)

So many good memories.

I'll miss you, sweet friend. More than you know. I'm grateful for the time we've had together in Louisville. You are, and always will be, a part of my heart. I love you!

Say What?

2011-10-15T22:37:00.004-04:00

Has it really been almost a month since I updated my blog?

I don't know how that happened.

2011 is racing by. Can you believe Christmas is like two months away?

Life is busy, and I'm tired. Trying to keep up. You know?

If you're looking for entertainment, read this. I laugh so hard every time!

Or this. Seriously funny.

That's all I've got for you.

Walgreens Success!

2011-09-26T18:47:00.006-04:00

I'm not usually a Walgreens shopper, but I had to go out tonight to buy a last-minute packet of seasoning, and their store is close to our apartment. Since I knew I had to spend money there, I thought I'd check out Money Saving Mom's weekly store-deal post before I left to see if I could get anything for free. Namely, if I could buy something & get an equal amount of register rewards back -- and then use those register rewards to buy my seasoning.

Well, my plan worked! Here's my obligatory iPhone picture of my success:

I spent $10.70 out of pocket & I'm going to get a $10 rebate in the mail for the Brita pitcher. And since we already have one, I'll be able to donate it. I needed qtips, so I'm pleased I was able to throw those in the mix, along with a razor and a random bite-sized caramel.

$0.70 for all of that? When I would've spent $1.29+tax just for the seasoning I needed? Yes, please!

Oh, and I shouldn't forget to tell you that I also got a free drink at Thornton's on the way because I picked up a piece of litter to throw away last week -- and that litter was a ticket stub from some kind of sporting event. On the back was a coupon for a free fountain drink. Score!

And speaking of trash, I got two extra coupon inserts this week because I took some I found just laying on top of a trash can on Market street when we went to brunch after church yesterday. Wes just shook his head. :)

More To Learn

2011-09-23T07:54:00.003-04:00

Grammy taught us a lot. She read every single one of John Wesley's papers {ahem... that's more than I can say!}, and I think it's safe to assume that he taught her a few things, too.

One of the traits I tend to admire most in people is teachability. Nothing irks me more than a person who thinks they have nothing to learn or someone who is never wrong. I want to be like my sweet Grammy: always thirsting after knowledge, always seeking -- but always, at the end of every day, marveling at how much more there is to learn.

I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma.

Eartha Kitt

My Weekend

2011-09-18T20:00:00.009-04:00

My weekend had good & not-so-good elements. I'll let you figure out the labels.

This weekend, I:

--Slept seven hours one night... and twelve hours the next

--Took a 2+ mile walk on a gorgeous day with a new friend

--Got my hair cut {a little shorter than I wanted}

--Went to a baby shower

--Watched a lot of House episodes with my hubs

--Cleaned an inch of dust off my baseboards {yikes}

--Got a new tube of Revlon lipstick at CVS for $0.88

--Finished the book I was reading {so good!}

--Made pumpkin cupcakes

The one thing I didn't do? Figure out how to stop Monday from coming. :/

What'd you do this weekend?

What Was I Waiting For?! {Candle-jar-saving edition}

2011-09-14T08:01:00.003-04:00

Oh, look! I finally did something I've been putting off for a while. Imagine that.

I had this super-cute candle from Target... but I burned it until it would burn no more. Sad day. But instead of tossing it in the garbage, I decided I wanted to keep the glass holder. So I put some tea lights in it. But they didn't sit evenly on the uneven leftover wax, which meant they didn't burn evenly... it clearly wasn't working. See for yourself:

So I popped out the tea lights & put my kettle on to boil. I laid a washcloth in the kitchen sink & prepared for a little bit of a mess.

I poured boiling water into the candle, let it sit for 10-20 seconds, and then poured it out over the washcloth. Water & melted wax poured out. The washcloth served to collect the wax, letting the water drain below. Like such as:

{Don't be envious of my countertops. The color's to die for, I know.}

I only had to do that four or five times before I was left with a mostly-clean glass container. A little Goo Gone was all that was needed to remove the waxy residue.

{You can be envious of my sparkling-clean faucet knobs, though. Aren't they... well... clean?}

{{And as a side note, how do people live without Goo Gone? It's amazing.}}

Just look! Good as new:

And I couldn't resist an "action" shot:

The whole thing took 10 minutes. Fifteen at most. Aren't those the best fixes -- the quickest, simplest ones? {I wonder why it is I put them off, then!}

It was so simple, in fact, that I couldn't resist saving more candle holders! This one used to be a febreeze candle. He was headed for a landfill. But no longer! Now he'll be a perfect jar for loose change, qtips, peppermints, what have you. He's so versatile.

And this concludes another "what was I waiting for?!" post. Sometimes simple fixes make all the difference. :)

No Impact

2011-09-12T15:44:00.003-04:00

I picked up this book at Borders the other night during their going-out-of-business sale. I thought it would be interesting & challenging.

Let me begin by saying that I really do try to live an eco-conscious life. I use -- mostly -- cloth napkins & cloth toilet paper. I recycle like crazy & I don't use plastic shopping bags. We compost our food scraps & I take my own to-go containers when we go to restaurants. I walk to work. Ok, that one's supposed to be funny, people. :)

But sometimes I get discouraged because I have so far to go. When I look in my trash can, I'm dismayed at the amount of plastic packaging in it. I'd venture to say that plastic packaging makes up at least half -- maybe more -- of all the garbage Wes and I produce. Most of it is food packaging. At some point in this eco-conscious life I try to lead, I need to focus not so much on recycling the waste I'm used to producing and instead focus on producing less waste in general. Not buying food -- or other items, for that matter -- that are over packaged (and/or over processed... or unhealthy... or unnecessary). A true lifestyle change, not just a bandaid for a big problem that I'm often convinced Wes and I -- two people in a big world -- can't change. But you're supposed to be the change you wish to see in the world -- right? These are all things I've been thinking about.

This book has surprised me. It's been really good. Not that I didn't expect it to be -- but it's been different than I thought it would be. And I think that's indicative of how the no-impact project turned out for Colin (the author) and his family -- different than what they thought. I'm not finished yet, but so far he's talked a lot about how the project changed him, not just what he bought or didn't buy, consumed or didn't consume. How it made him a more thoughtful person, how it forced him to step outside the crazy speed of "normal" life & think about his choices, his lifestyle, his family, his time -- and the result of how all of those things blended together to create a worthwhile life. Learning to live -- and surprised to really enjoy -- a new normal, together with his family.

So the book hasn't necessarily focused on the things we shouldn't (or he didn't) do, which is what I expected -- and almost what I was looking for. It's gone deeper than that. Not focusing on denial, but on filling those empty spaces with things we never knew to look for.

I would have to find, Colin writes, over the coming year, some sort of middle path that involved neither the self-indulgence of the unconscious consumer nor the self-denial of the ascetic. ... I wanted to figure out, with my family, what the world could productively offer us rather than considering only what we wanted. Deprivation was not the order of the day. I simply wanted to see if we could learn to behave like good guests while enjoying a good life {on the planet}.

So instead of focusing on how far I have to go, I want to focus on one thing at a time. Maybe you could do that, too. For instance, even just in the past week, I've noticed how many paper products I use. I don't necessarily use them at home, but I do when I'm out & about. I make excuses about how I can't control those environments: I can't make restrooms have air dryers that actually work, and I can't make fast-food restaurants offer cloth napkins. {I can stop going to fast-food restaurants, but I suspect that's a different goal altogether!} But what I can do is keep a cloth napkin or two in my purse for when those situations arise. In fact, I have white cloth napkins that I'm hesitant to use at home for fear of never getting them clean again. They'd make perfect hand-drying cloths for public restrooms that don't offer xlerataors {one of the only hand dryers, in my humble opinion, that actually work!}.

That's what I'm going to do. Publish this blog post & go stick a few white napkins in my purse before I forget. What are you going to do? It's worth thinking about!

Maybe I'll write more when I'm done with the book... maybe not. But you should definitely pick it up. It may very well be different than what you anticipate... it may challenge you in ways you don't expect. But that's what the best books {and ideas} do, I think. You can certainly borrow my copy!

Memories

2011-09-10T14:59:00.005-04:00

Memories of my sweet Grammy flood in all the time. Like the other night when I was doing laundry & I spotted the tag on a sweatshirt I kept from her closet. She lived in a nursing home, so her laundry was tagged with her name.

She gave us her washer & dryer when we got married, actually. More memories of what a generous & gracious person she was.

Sometimes I don't want to wash that sweatshirt. I'm scared that one day it will break down too much, and I'll have to get rid of it. I'm sure it's cheaply made. But was hers, and I love it. I want to keep it forever.

Oh, how I miss you, Grammy. I love you so.

Chocolate-Peanut-Butter YUM

2011-09-05T22:16:00.004-04:00

In honor of my mom's birthday, I made the Pioneer Woman's version of chocolate-peanut-butter pie this past weekend.

In a word? YUM.

I added chocolate sauce and Reese's peanut-butter chips for garnish. I used Hershey's syrup, because that's what I had, but next time I will use actual chocolate sauce. I'm sure it will be thicker and generally taste better. Lesson learned.

The recipe was easy, and the pie turned out great {if I do say so myself}. Very rich -- just the way I like my dessert. And did I mention easy?

I hope you've enjoyed your Labor Day as much as I have. Oh, how I needed that three-day weekend!

Slow News Day

2011-09-01T20:17:00.004-04:00

I'm here, you guys. I'm just... tired.

But I'm working on things! Like new picture arrangements in my living room, for instance.

More pictures {and words} to follow. Love.

PS: Did anyone catch the West Wing episode title? Anyone??

Free-V-S

2011-08-28T16:15:00.006-04:00

I had $9 in ECBs expiring this coming Friday, so, as Tim Gunn says, I had to "make it work" this week. Thankfully, I think I did a decent job. If you click the photo, it will become larger, and you'll see that I spent $0.88 on everything!

I got $7 back in ECBs, so I lost $2 -- but I did get a diet pepsi out of the deal, so all is not lost.

I do love couponing. :)

This Makes Me Laugh

2011-08-25T21:07:00.002-04:00

Every single time.

Good job, hubs. Way to take our picture. :)

{Love & miss you, Chelsy!}

Family Cloth: Update

2011-08-22T10:28:00.001-04:00

This is not just any old Anthropologie bag, you know.

It holds something near & dear to me. Several somethings, actually.

Remember this post? The one in which you realized how crazy I really am? Well, I thought you might like an update. So here it is: I really love using cloth wipes. I mean, I really, really love it.

When I said above that I'm crazy, I didn't actually mean it. To be honest, if I think anyone's crazy, I think it's you -- for knocking it before you try it!

I keep both clean & used cloths in a closet right next to my bathroom.

And I keep a short stack of clean cloths on top of my toilet for easy access.

It's just so simple.

I feel cleaner, they're a breeze to wash (I have 100 cloths, and I typically wash them once a week), and omg, the money I save on toilet paper! That stuff is seriously expensive.

Lots of people I know say, "That's great! I just... I don't think I could do it."

I mean, okay. But... why? Let's review:

1. Easy.

2. More comfortable.

3. Saves money.

4. Environmentally responsible.

5. Easy!!!

I just don't get it.

If you have questions, I'd love to answer them! I got mine here, but if you search "family cloth" on etsy, you'll find a variety of different types, sizes, colors, etc. Truly, my only regret is that I didn't purchase them sooner!

Like New!

2011-08-19T23:32:00.009-04:00

Step One: Complain about your dirty sink sprayer for four years.

Step Two: Decide to do something about it.

Step Three: Disassemble said sprayer. {Pop off the small white center cap & remove the screw that holds it all together.}

Step Four: Soak the parts in CLR for 5 minutes. Rinse, scrub, and repeat for five more minutes.

Step Five. Reassemble. Delight in your like-new sprayer {and marvel at how easy that was}!

Step Six: Make plans to do your shower head next. :)

Free-V-S!

2011-08-15T20:19:00.001-04:00

Go ahead. Guess how much I spent.

Guess!

Okay, I'll tell you.

$1.88

{Well, that's not entirely true. I did use $7.99 in ECBs. I wasn't paying attention, and they expired on Saturday. Whoops! The store graciously took them anyway. [That's the whole reason I made this trip -- I didn't want to be a money trasher]. I didn't get any ECBs back, so I guess I spent $9.87. But that doesn't sound nearly as awesome as $1.88, does it?}

The actual retail price {said in a perfect Bob Barker voice}? $39.57

So $9.87? I guess I'm okay with that. :)

...actually? I'm not okay with that. And that's how you know, if you didn't already, that I'm a crazy couponer!

Lazy Saturday {Gallery}

2011-08-13T17:40:00.025-04:00

It's a lazy Saturday for me... just the way I like the weekend to be! I'm working on a small gallery in our living room, so I'm browsing pinterest & etsy while watching Millionaire Matchmaker. {Very weird show, btw.}

Here are some prints that have caught my eye for the many empty frames I have laying on my floor:

I'd also like to create a DIY version of one of Jen Ramos's prints {Jen is so talented -- she blogs at Made By Girl}. I'd love to purchase an original, but even her small prints are a little out of my price range! Here's an example of what I'd like to make:

So that's a glimpse of my Saturday. Hope you're enjoying yours!

Going Out

2011-08-11T07:03:00.008-04:00

{This post title reminds me of dating in junior high... who was "going out" with whom. My mom always used to tease me about that. "Where are you going?" she'd ask. "To the cafeteria?" Very funny, mom.}

In celebration of her husband's new job, my bestie & her hubs went out to dinner the other night. She mentioned on facebook that it was the first time since they had gotten married (10.5 months) that they had been out to dinner alone.

Really?! I asked. That's so crazy. Wes & I? We go out to dinner a lot. Like several times a week a lot. I'm suddenly feeling very... I'm not sure what the word is. Embarrassed? Silly? Crazy?

Let it be known: I hate to cook. I also hate to grocery shop & meal plan. Hubs loves to cook, but isn't so much a fan of those latter two things, either.

When we first got married I was super stressed about my failure as a wife because of my hatred for cooking & meal planning. I viewed it as my domestic responsibility because of my gender. {Don't even get me started on how misguided that was... I've grown a lot since then!} We quickly learned what works for us... which means if it's going get cooked, Wes is generally going to be the one to cook it. And I'll do the dishes -- not because of my gender, but because I genuinely don't mind. :)

But we do like to go out. And we're at a stage in life that it's feasible for us to do so {no kids, enough income to make it work}, so out we go. There are so many great places in Louisville to eat {this is one of the many reasons I can't lose the 10 pounds I'm always fighting with!}. Little independent restaurants, corner dives, Irish pubs... so much good food.

Anyway. Last night we went to Tumbleweed on the river. I didn't want to go so much for the food {we have a few favorite Mexican places I was sure it couldn't top -- and it didn't}, but more for the location. It was a breezy, beautiful evening, and I thought it would be nice to sit by the water. Turns out, I was right. It was just lovely.

So yes -- going out works for us... but I should probably try to plan at least a few meals a week so we don't end up making pasta every other night. If you have a "to die for" recipe, or even just a family favorite that you always turn to, please send it my way!

Property Manager

2011-08-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

So did I leave you desperate to find out about the upcoming change in my world? Apparently the only person I enticed was Katy, who emailed me to be certain I wasn't pregnant. :) I suppose it's not really that big of a deal, but I'm pretty excited.

And it's me!

So I've officially worked my way up from annoying resident to Property Manager in four years. Pretty cool. I have a lot of respect for my company, Beacon Property Management, and a lot of love for this crazy little community called Village Manor. I've worked where I live for almost three years now, and my job has turned into a blessing I couldn't have anticipated when I started.

Have you heard the story about how I got my job? It's a good one. Apparently I complained so much that I caught my current boss's attention. He was Village Manor's Property Manager back then (he's now the CEO of our management company), and he answered the phone one fateful evening when I called (again) to check on the status of a work order (that, again, hadn't been completed correctly). Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi, Travis. I'm just checking on the status of {insert random work order here}.

Travis: Ok. Are you interested in a job?

When I went to interview with him, our conversation went something like this:

Me: I can't really believe you're offering me a job. I'm sure I'm one of the most annoying tenants you have.

Travis: You are. But you're very nice. And I think you'd be meticulous.

And the rest, as they say, is history. :)

To be honest, this isn't a big change in terms of overall responsibilities & my day-to-day tasks. It will be a chance to define the two office roles a little more clearly and to maybe even do a few less things than I was doing previously. But it will force me to grow in certain areas, especially as they are related to overall property upkeep & budget.

It's easy to be a resident and complain about little things that you wish were different about your apartment or building surrounds. It's hard to manage a 70+ year-old property with limited cash flow. I think one of the biggest challenges I'll face will be learning how to prioritize what needs done on these 26 acres. Does the playground desperately need new semi-permanent mulch? Yes. Do we have a lot of concrete work that needs done... and thermostats that could stand to be upgraded... and building hallways that need painted... and etc? Yes. Do we have $100,000 in our budget to do all of those things at once? Nope. We sure don't.

As a resident you can't fathom how much money the owners are making off your rent each month. As an owner you can't fathom why you're making almost no money off the residents' rent each month. As a Property Manager you have to answer to both parties. :)

Anyway, I didn't take last Friday off because it was my coworker's last day. She took a position at one of our downtown properties, and she leaves me with big shoes to fill. I loved working with her, as our personalities and skills are very different, but yet wonderfully complementary. I learned a lot from her, and I'm still keeping her in my speed dial!

A current resident will be our new leasing consultant, and I couldn't be more happy about the arrangement. I don't know her that well, but I think she's going to be a great fit.

One of the hard things about my job, that I think is about to get harder, is the line I walk between being friends with many of the residents as well as being their landlord. It's tricky, and overall, I think I do it fairly well... but I might need to work on being less friendly. That sounds weird, doesn't it? Well, maybe not work on being less friendly, but work on creating a better line between friend and landlord, if that makes any sense at all.

Overall, I'm overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunity & the faith my boss has placed in me. Working at Village Manor (and working for Beacon) has been a greater blessing than I ever could've imagined when I signed on in November of 2008. I've learned to really love the housing industry. Who knows where we'll end up next, but I could really see myself doing this long term.

Life is always an adventure, isn't it? You never know where you'll be or what you'll be doing next. For now, I'm going to enjoy this part of the journey!

Pinterest Challenge Inspiration

2011-08-03T09:58:00.006-04:00

Good morning, friends! I have today off instead of Friday... I'll tell you why soon. A change is coming in my world, and it's half exciting, half stressful/scary. Ooh, I love a good cliffhanger. :)

Anyway, I was up way too early on my day off and spent a while checking out what people did for Bower Power's Pinterest Challenge -- which I love the idea of, by the way. We all adore Pinterest, and we all plan to do so many things we see on there... but we never do them! {At least I don't. If you do, I wish you'd encourage me to stop pinning & start doing!}

So I stumbled upon Decorchick's blog this morning, which I added to my Google Reader against my better judgment. {Don't get me wrong -- she's great, and I love her blog... I just read WAY too many blogs already!} This isn't something I can do now, but in the future? Oh yes.

I love the board & batten, and I love the large gallery wall... don't you?!

But please note: if I ever do this (fingers crossed that I actually follow through someday), I will not ask Wes to help me. Our marriage cannot survive many more "please put this together" or "please help me hang this" moments. I will pay someone if I have to... I just think it's worth it. :) Just keepin' it real... and doing my part to keep the divorce rate down in America.

Also note: I am jealous that Sherry has John (over at Young House Love) as a happy helper for so many great projects! {And I love their gallery wall as well.}

Do tell: did you stumble upon anything particularly inspiring from the Pinterest Challenge? If so, please share! I'm always looking for more blogs to read/DIY projects to pretend I'm going to do someday....

Surprise!

2011-07-31T10:53:00.017-04:00

That hubs of mine... he's really a keeper. He, in cohorts with my dear friend Megaroo, threw me a small surprise party on Saturday night!

I thought we were going to Meg & CT's to eat ice cream cake & watch The West Wing. Meg told me that she & CT had dinner plans with another family in our neighborhood & that we could just come over at 7.

I was so surprised when I walked in! Lots of friends gathered in Meg's apartment to celebrate my birthday. It was SO fun. I've never had a surprise party before!

I have to admit, I was pretty convinced that this year's birthday was going to be a disappointment. Especially after last year's double-rainbow extravaganza. But I was so wrong!

BIG thanks to my hubs and Meg & CT for all of their hard work, and thanks to everyone who came out (and everyone who couldn't come out, but still love me anyway!). This birthday was just fantastic. I'm a lucky girl!

{PS: Yes, I showed up to my surprise party in a tshirt & shorts with wet hair and no makeup. I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE WATCHING TV. Just like House says: everyone lies! Be ye not so stupid at your own surprise party!}

Puppy Love

2011-07-30T12:47:00.004-04:00

This is what (who) I really wanted for my birthday but no one got it (him) for me.

Some friends I have.

His name is Henry; he's Julie's dog. Julie is my SIL (sister in law). I love him... and her. :)

{But really, if she was a good SIL she would've given him to me already! Good family is hard to come by, you know what I mean?}

Also? This picture makes me laugh.

Just a few gratuitous puppy pictures for your Saturday. :)

Birthday!

2011-07-28T20:48:00.003-04:00

This is the post in which I am excited about my birthday!

Thank you, best friend, for getting me this print. I LOVE IT.

Thank you, mom, for the new camera lens with which I took these pictures. I am already having fun learning how to use it. {And bonus! You can see how dirty my window is because of it!}

Thank you, Pier One, for the $10-off-any-purchase coupon you so graciously shared on facebook. Because of it, I paid only $5.30 for this super-cute ~~fruit~~ cake stand.

Have I mentioned that I have... let me think... seven cake stands? So if you ever need to borrow one, or seven, let me know. {I think I have a problem.}

By the way, do you like my stenciled backsplash? I think I forgot to share it after I did it. Inspiration -- and stencil -- found here.

Okay, it's my bed time. More thank yous to follow -- and pictures as I continue to learn how to use my camera & lenses. :)

In fact, maybe I'll take a picture of my seven cake stands for you. Maybe!

OLD

2011-07-26T21:48:00.006-04:00

On Friday I will turn 27. That's old, people!

I know I'm getting old for a lot of reasons, but one of them is this: I was super excited to receive a bag of Tide stain-release boosters from my ~~outlaws~~ inlaws. And now I'm blogging about said stain-release boosters. Oh yes, I am.

I LOVE those things, but I'm way too cheap to buy them for myself. I think this is because I typically get most of my household items for next to nothing because of couponing... I just can't stomach paying more than $1 or $2 for any given household cleaner or toiletry item.

Also, please note -- I gave Wes a $2-off coupon for them just in case anyone wanted to buy them for me. {I don't like the idea of other people paying full price, either!} :) Thanks, MIL & FIL!

My mom bought me a new lens for my camera, and it came in the mail today... I'm super excited. Now to find 5 free minutes to learn to use it! Work has been so crazy lately. I've been really stressed & have had a hard time sleeping at night... it's just a busy, busy season. I'm so looking forward to the weekend, and it's only Tuesday. Yikes.

Ok, this blog post is all over the place, and it's my bedtime. {Yet another reason I know I'm getting old!} Over and out, party people.

More Than Earrings

2011-07-24T10:58:00.005-04:00

I have always admired these earrings, and recently a stranger gave them to me. Well, she's not really a stranger -- she's a resident in my apartment complex, but I don't know her very well.

She said, "These are for you. I'm sorry about your grandmother. My grandfather passed away in December, and it's still hard. I've been thinking about you."

I said, "How did you know I loved these earrings?"

She said, "I wore them in the office once, and you said how much you liked them."

How thoughtful. How perceptive. How kind.

I want to be like that. I want to listen to people and empathize with their stories. I want to bless people -- even people I'm not necessarily close to. I want to take opportunities to show kindness and compassion and friendship.

Now I have the earrings I've loved for a long time. But more than that, I have the kindness of a ~~stranger~~ friend and the memory of my grandmother bound up in my heart when I wear them.

Breaking the Radio Silence

2011-07-19T20:59:00.002-04:00

I love this song.

I'm posting the one with the House video because I love House, too. :)

Set of Eight

2011-07-15T12:14:00.003-04:00

Our sweet neighbor gifted us wine glasses today. The restaurant he works at is getting rid of their old dishware & he had gotten extra at the end of his shift. How kind! We've never had wine glasses before, and now we have a lovely set of eight.

Since I don't like wine, this will make for a fancy glass of diet cherry coke. Three (eight?) cheers for kind neighbors. :)

Goodbye, Grammy

2011-07-07T17:43:00.014-04:00

I am always fascinated when I read birth stories. It's amazing what women endure to bring new life into the world. I don't have a birth story to tell, but I do have a death story. It seems strange to put it that way, but this is my account of the end of my sweet Grammy's life.

Alice Gabbert Willis was born on August 15, 1923. She died on June 15, 2011. She was 87 years old... almost 88.

Last Christmas we took her up to Wesley's grandmother's house. Nana is gone (she died in February of 2010), but our family celebrated at her house anyway. Grammy & Nana were good friends.

After Christmas, Grammy started going down hill. Our last good visit was in March. In May, I stayed in Morgantown for 9 days, thinking she was at the end of her life. I didn't know she had another month. I didn't know she would continue to slowly go downhill.

I didn't know a lot of things. Like how hard it would be. How much uncertainty would fill my heart about whether to stay or go each time I visited. How hard I would cry when I did eventually have to leave. How heavy of a burden I'd feel about leaving my coworker so often. How tiring the drives would be. How much I'd cry because I just didn't know what to do.

My heart was heavy. I was tired. And I missed my Grammy when she wasn't yet gone.

On Thursday, June 9th, we left to be with her for what we were sure were her last days. We were right.

On Friday she could eek out "I love you, too," when I told her I loved her.

On Sunday she could only whisper, "I love," and did so not often at all.

On Tuesday she started breathing laboriously with phlegm in her throat.

On Wednesday she died.

On Tuesday night I wanted to stay with her. I had pushed the vacant bed in her room next to hers and had made a bed for myself, complete with pillows & blankets. I didn't mind laying over a lowered bed rail as long as I got to hold her hand and lay next to her. It didn't matter that she couldn't respond to me. But at around 11 p.m., my uncle, Jody, arrived from Virginia. He wanted to stay with her, so Wes and I left.

I came back on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., having left Wes at my mom's apartment to study (this was finals week!). I stayed with her until 1 p.m., finally forcing myself to leave for lunch. I picked Wes up, we went to Walmart, ate lunch at Subway, and arrived back to Grammy's side at 3 p.m.

My dad was there. He said that she wasn't doing well. I knew that; I thought he was overreacting. She hadn't been doing well. She didn't look any different than she had the night before.

I held her hand, stroked her hair, kissed her forehead. I said, "Grammy -- David, Bethie, and John Wesley are all here. Jody is on his way. We love you SO much. You are not alone."

I went to the bathroom to put on jeans (it was cold in the room). I prepared my "bed" beside her again. I left to find a pair of fingernail clippers, because I had broken a nail in the car. I was prepared to spend all day with her.

I was clipping my nail when my dad said my name twice, urgently. He was staring at her.

I leapt across the bed to hold her hand and tell her that I loved her. I didn't understand why he had said my name like that... I knew he thought she was dying. I didn't believe him.

I think she was gone before I got to her.

I told her I loved her and held her hand and stroked her hair. He started crying. I stared at her and told her I loved her and held her hand and stroked her hair. He told Wes to go get a nurse. I couldn't fathom that she was gone. I said, "Is she really dead?"

I was so confused. It didn't seem real. I was going to spend the afternoon with her. I was just clipping my fingernail! I was almost done. I was almost ready to lay down with her. We were going to spend the day together.

My dad started crying. I looked at him in a daze. I said, "...is she really dead?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "But why didn't she wait? I wish she would've waited. I was so close to laying down with her. I don't understand."

He said, "She did wait. She waited for you to come back from lunch."

Yes. She did.

And now she was gone.

The nurses finally came in and asked us to step outside for a moment. Wes hugged me, and I started crying. It was all so surreal.

And then the busyness of death began. Funeral plans, visitation arrangements, calls to the funeral home. Going through Grammy's meager belongings, staring in shock at her lifeless body, contacting friends & family.

Lenora, an older resident in the nursing home and a friend of Grammy's, came by to see her about ten minutes after she died. "How's she doing today?" she asked. She had just been to visit her the day before. I said, "Oh, Lenora, I'm so sorry, but she just passed away." Lenora just stared at me and then said, "Okay. I knew she wasn't doing well." I said, "You were such a good friend to her! She loved putting together puzzles with you." She said, "Yes. She was my best friend."

Yes. Mine, too.

A lot more happened in the following days. I could write for hours.

The visitation was beautiful; I'm so grateful for everyone who came and expressed condolences for my precious Grammy. When we arrived at the funeral home to flowers, I was so very thankful. {Even though people say "In lieu of flowers..." in obituaries, I don't think they really mean it. It would be so depressing to show up to a funeral home with no flowers!} I was amazed to walk around and see so much beauty addressed to me. Friends from Louisville, friends from my childhood, my coworkers, even teachers from my elementary school where Grammy used to volunteer. What a blessing.

We had a private graveside service at West Virginia National Cemetery. Wes said a few words, we reminisced about her for a few moments, and then it was over. We came home.

It's been twenty five days since she died. Last night I cried myself to sleep. Last week I cried at work. Some days I don't cry at all. I wear her sweatshirt around the house even when I'm not cold. I listen to this just to hear her voice. I stare at her picture on my desk at work. I miss her. I miss her so very much.

I still talk to her. Still tell her how much I love her, how much I miss her. How much I wish I had one more day with her... one more smile, one more I love you.

Most days I can't believe I exist in a world in which she doesn't.

It just doesn't seem real.

A good friend once said, "Joy may come in the morning, but grief is a force to be reckoned with." How right she is. This just isn't easy. All I can do, I suppose, is take one day at a time. But forever and always, I will carry my precious Grammy in my heart.

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Whirlwind

2011-06-30T23:02:00.005-04:00

I've been wanting to update for a while, but life has been an absolute whirlwind.

We buried my precious Grammy last Monday.

My mom flew in for a week's visit last Saturday {she's still here - yay!} {but she leaves on Saturday - boo}.

My four-year-iversary was Wednesday. {I love you, hubs!}

And I have been crazy busy catching up at work! {No picture -- that would be boring.}

I miss you, blog friends. We'll catch up soon.

Great Giveaways!

2011-06-21T15:57:00.011-04:00

My life has been a little hectic lately, as I think you know.

So until I can get my act together, I think you should go check out two things:

1. Jessica Quirk at What I Wore

She's fun, she's cute, and she's giving away a copy of her new book!

2. My friend Katy

Also fun, also cute, and beginning a crazy-amazing giveaway tomorrow in honor of her 30th birthday! {I'm not kidding, people -- it's going to be amazing.}

As for me? Well. We're back in Louisville, I'm back at work, and the goings-on of the past few weeks seem totally crazy & surreal. Will I ever catch up? Will it ever seem real that Grammy is gone? I'm not sure. I think time will tell. For now -- one day at a time!

Remembering Alice

2011-06-16T13:30:00.002-04:00

Grammy & Quick DIY

2011-06-14T18:20:00.007-04:00

People have been asking me how I am. Well, truthfully, I've been better. I'm tired. I'm emotionally drained. I hover between feeling okay & feeling like I could cry for the rest of my life. So I've resorted to saying, "I'm here... just like Grammy."

Yes. She's still here. There's no need to wonder where I got my

stubbornness from, friends. :) Today her doctor of 30+ years gave her between 1-3 days. But after hearing last Monday that she wouldn't make it longer than a week, we're all baffled. Does anyone really know? No. Not really. But it truly doesn't look like it will be much longer. At any rate, here we'll stay until she's not with us anymore.

In between periods of sitting with her, I've been trying to distract myself. So when an opportunity for a quick & easy DIY project made itself known at my mom's apartment, I happily jumped at the chance. She has a TV stand with glass doors. Cute... but cluttered. {That's why I don't like TV stands with glass doors. We've talked about this.}

Nothing a few sheets of frosted scrapbook paper won't fix!

After. Much nicer than visible clutter, don't you think?

Picture of the Day

2011-06-11T14:44:00.004-04:00

Grammy & Henry. Two of my loves. Taken last August. :)

His Way Was Right

2011-06-07T22:01:00.003-04:00

Grammy's days are few. We're heading back to Morgantown on Thursday to be with her, and only God knows how long we'll have until the busyness of death will begin. At this point, hospice and her doctors give her less than a week.

I found this poem a moment ago as I was sorting through old pictures. It had special significance tonight.

He writes in characters too grand

For our short sight to understand;

We catch but broken strokes, and try

To fathom all the mystery

Of withered hopes, of death, of life,

The endless war, the useless strife --

But there, with larger, clearer sight,

We shall see this --

His way was right.

{John Oxenham}

Grammy Update

2011-06-04T20:00:00.005-04:00

I'm in Morgantown; I got here Thursday. I'm heading home tomorrow. It's been a quick trip to see my precious Grammy.

She isn't doing too well. She's not eating. But she is drinking water, and I'm thankful for that. She also seems to have a little bit better presence of mind than she did two weeks ago. I'm confident she knows who I am. And amidst the tears & sorrow over losing her slowly, there have been funny moments. Like:

Grammy: Come over here; I need to tell you something.

Me: {Preparing for some poignant "I'll always love you" moment}

Grammy: You're freezing me to death. I'm FREEZING!!!

And:

Me: {Sitting beside her, watching a movie on my laptop, reaching over to hold her hand}

Grammy: Oh NO NO NO. I was sleeping, and you woke me up. Please go away. Please!

This kind of makes it sound like she's with it a lot; she isn't. She sleeps most of the time. But she is still communicating, and I treasure every word that slips out of her mouth. Before I left tonight, I offered her a drink of water and then tried to get her to eat some pudding. She said, "Not right now; thank you. Maybe later. You're so nice." :)

I'll end with this picture, which was taken on her birthday last August. I love it so much because of the grin on her face. The quality is terrible {we're not so good with the iPhone}, but oh, how I love that smile!

Ruffle Pillows!

2011-06-02T22:10:00.003-04:00

I'm in West Virginia for the weekend to visit Grammy. After 8 hours of traveling, I'm officially exhausted. But there's always a special place in my heart for ruffles, and I just had to share!

So cute, right? {Found -- where else? -- on pinterest.}

Let Me Tell You a Secret

2011-06-01T08:50:00.005-04:00

You may not even care about this secret... but maybe you will! Ok, here goes.

I posted this picture on facebook a while back, and a friend from college sent me a facebook message. He's been to culinary school, and he wanted to give me a tip about a better way to hard boil eggs to avoid that dark sulfer ring between the yolk and the white. I used to put eggs in lukewarm water, bring them slowly to a boil, boil them for 10 minutes, and then let them cool. He said:

try this for the eggs: put them in a pot of cold water, bring them slowly to a boil. as soon as the water starts boiling, shut it off and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. then put the eggs in an ice bath until they are cool. this will cook the eggs completely without drying out the yolks. also you wont have that green sulfur ring between the yolk and white. just bright white next to bright yellow and a nice fresh flavor.

I took his advice, and it worked!

I eat two hard-boiled egg whites {and a piece of toast!} for breakfast every morning, and I am happy to report that they are much prettier now. :)

Thanks, Geoffrey!

Urban Counterfeiters?

2011-05-29T10:04:00.006-04:00

Now this is just crazy.

I was scrolling through Rachel Held Evans's Sunday Superlatives, which caused me to stumble upon this story about Urban Outfitters ripping off an Etsy seller's design.

I don't know much about Urban Outfitters, but wow!

And then as I clicked through links here and there, I came to this:

Sold here as wrapping paper for $4.50/sheet.

Sold at Urban Outfitters as a poster for $24!

In the UO item description, it says, Perfect for framing, but can also be used for gift wrapping, decoupage or other artistic purposes.

Again: wow! That is ridiculous.

But let's be real -- the copyright issue is a tough one. Like the rest of life, it's not black & white. How do you copyright an idea? And going back to the original story, why is it ok for there to be tons of variations of that state necklace on Etsy, but once a large corporation gets ahold of it, it's outrageous? {Read a great article about that here.}

And this has made me think of another issue -- I confess to having one print in my home that I totally ripped off from an independent artist. Why? Because to buy it from her, with shipping, would've been $30. To have a friend make it for me in Photoshop and have it printed at Office Depot? $5. It looks exactly the same. I haven't blogged about it, because I respect that artist's business. {But apparently I don't respect it enough to purchase a crazy-overpriced print from her. Hmm.} I've justified it in my mind because I'm not selling it. It's for my personal use (and enjoyment) only. But is it wrong? I don't think so... but you might disagree.

I do think it's crazy & kind of cool how fast news spread about the UO/Etsy story and how it caused a major corporation to cry uncle. It reminded me of Dooce & the Maytag saga.

By the way, Urban Outfitters? They deny everything.

Very interesting. That's all I'm saying.

Love You More / Love You Always

2011-05-27T23:09:00.007-04:00

When I visited Grammy recently, she didn't talk a lot. But if I said, "I love you," 90% of the time she would manage to respond, "I love you, too." Or sometimes, "I love you, always," like in this video. :)

Once I responded to her and said, "I love you more!"

She was quiet for a second, and then said: "All right." :)

I saw this print on pinterest tonight and couldn't help but think of her!

{No real changes with her, by the way. We're planning to go back in a few weeks to see her, Lord willing.}

Free-V-S {last-minute edition}

2011-05-25T18:19:00.006-04:00

CVS hasn't excited me recently, so I haven't been in a while {plus, I was away with Grammy}. My ECBs were going to expire tonight, though, so I was forced to go after work. I wasn't thrilled when I left the house -- I couldn't really find any good deals, and I had $17.99 in ECBs to renew, which is a lot!

Here's what I got:

2 bottles of Herbal Essences shampoo

3 bottles of Revlon nail polish

1 package of flavor-changing Stride gum {flavor-changing gum? should be interesting!}

2 individual packages of Crystal Light

1 CVS green bag tag*

*If you bring your own bag & have one of these tags, they'll scan it when you check out. You get a $1 ECB back every fourth time you use it. It's fantastic! I already have one, so I'm going to give this one away (I had a coupon to get it for free -- they're typically $0.99 each).

I spent $0.81 in cash (tax)

I used $17.99 in ECBs

I got back $14.99 in ECBs

So technically I lost $3 in ECBs, but I'm okay with that. I think I did pretty well for a last-minute trip!

I'm curious -- do these posts inspire you to try your hand at couponing, or do you think I'm crazy? Is it boring or interesting? Do tell!

On Friendship {part two}

2011-05-24T21:36:00.005-04:00

I have been blessed with some amazing friends. You got a peek at how sweet Katy is, for instance, in my last post. Katy is my internet friend. {Well, we do know each other in real life, but barely! She lives in California; we haven't seen each other in years.}

I find it interesting how I "classify" certain friends. Am I alone in this?

My dear friend Kirstin is my pedicure friend. We try to meet up every 4-6 weeks and get pedicures together. Sadly, it's usually the only time we actually see one another! But I love pedicures {they're one of my major weaknesses}, and I've been really thankful to have someone to share my monthly "tradition" with. {Let me just give you a free piece of pedicure advice. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if you live in Louisville, go to Red Nails in the St. Matthews mall. I mean it when I say that they give the BEST pedicures I have ever had. Anywhere. Hands down.}

Meg is my workout friend. I haven't hung out with Meg in FAR too long {Megaroo, are you listening?!} -- which means I haven't worked out in far too long. :/ Seriously, it's been like a month. Eeik! And I was doing so well....

And Kelly? Kelly is my sewing friend. Hey, Kelly, maybe when you come back from vacation we can have a sewing night and I can make this.

Isn't it so cute?!

{Kelly, let's talk for a second. I'm in love. Do you think it's possible? It looks kind of hard. And you know how limited my sewing skills are.

Maybe I should just pin it to my "I Must Do This" pinterest board and wait 'til I'm better. You know, like after I can manage to thread my machine without asking you for help.

Ok, now I'm done having a one-on-one conversation with you on my blog. Call me!}

Now, it seems, would be a good time to tell you about Laura. Laura is my spiritual friend. And by that I mean that Laura is always challenging me and encouraging me in pursuit of a God who is there. She seems to be a quite content person {though I'm thankful to know that she struggles here and there, too}, and I could always use a dose of contentment. Case in point: I have a lot of skirts already.

And I didn't even tell you about Alicia, my photography friend {see more here}. Or Ashley, my absolute-bestest-of-all-time friend {see more here}.

Or Stephanie, my we-have-lunch-every-Wednesday-and-I-love-that! friend. Or Chelsy, my we-can-not-talk-for-months-but-when-we-do-we-pick-up-like-we-just-talked-yesterday friend.

Wow. I began this post to talk about a skirt tutorial, and I'm getting ready for bed feeling extremely thankful for so many fun, talented, smart, creative, sweet, kind, beautiful friends! Even if i didn't put your name in this blog {and there are so many names I didn't list!} -- you know who you are. I'm grateful.

Thank you for your friendship!

A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

On Friendship

2011-05-23T16:39:00.006-04:00

I came home the other day to a package in the mail. I assumed it was for Wes, because he recently spent our life savings on textbooks for his summer classes. {JUST kidding, hubs. All you ever buy are books. It's okay.} But it wasn't for him after all -- it was for me!

My dear friend Katy sent me a little pick me up. Two diet cokes {mailed from California, people!} & the s w e e t e s t card letting me know that she was thinking of & praying for me as I dealt with the decline of my precious Grammy.

It really made my day.

And it made me want to get back in the habit of doing that for other people -- just taking the time to let them know I care. And let's be honest -- isn't it always so much fun to get something in the mail? You know, besides bills & coupons you don't want {I'm talking to you, ValPack}.

Katy, thank you for your thoughtfulness, kindness, and friendship, even from miles away. {It's funny to type "miles" to you when that's the name of your son. Just so you know.} And thanks for, albeit unknowingly, challenging me to be that same kind of friend, too.

Think where man's glory most begins and ends,

And say my glory was I had such friends.

William Butler Yeats

Cookies & Cream

2011-05-21T05:07:00.006-04:00

Our dear friend Rusty graduated yesterday, and we celebrated at a little party in his honor. I made one of Grammy's {and one of my} favorite desserts: cookies & cream. [We've always called it mud, but I suppose c&c is the more party-appropriate name.]

I got this cute little cookie jar at TJ Maxx recently for $13. It begged to come home with me; what can I say? Truth be told, I have a weakness for serving platters, glassware, cake stands, trays... anything with which to host a fun party or shower. That said, I don't know that I necessarily host enough fun parties or showers to justify all of this serveware...! {I love to loan things out, so let me know if you want to borrow a cake stand or two. :)}

I always like to create ingredient cards when I make things for parties to help people who have food allergies or dietary restrictions. This one turned out pretty cute, so I think I'll keep it for future cookies & cream adventures. {Like my boss's birthday on Monday... gotta get on that!}

Here's the recipe. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 20 oz. package Oreo cookies {I find that this isn't enough oreos compared to how much "cream" you'll end up with... so if someone in your house enjoys them, buy two packages so you can grind up more if necessary!}

2 packages instant vanilla pudding
2.5 cups milk {I use skim}
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened)
1 tub cool whip
1 cup confectioners sugar (sifted) {Confession: I never sift anything!}
1 stick butter (softened) {I use a half a stick}

Directions:
1. Combine the milk and instant pudding together and set aside
2. Combine the softened cream cheese and butter together with the sugar. Mix well and set aside
3. Grind the package of oreos to a fine dust-like quality and set aside
4. Combine the products of steps 1 and 2 with the cool whip
5. In a 9x13 pan {or a cute cookie jar...}, create layers of cookie dust and the creamy mixture. Begin with the cookie dust, then put a layer of the mixture on top, and repeat until all ingredients are used
6. Cool several hours before eating {it's much better cold}

Grammy: The Top of the List

2011-05-15T18:45:00.007-04:00

Just in case you missed Wes posting this video on facebook, I'm posting it here. We took this the last time we were in Morgantown (in March). She's super cute, isn't she?!

Read my Grammy update (via a facebook note) here. It's crazy how much better she was in March. This decline has been fast. She doesn't talk now -- a few words here and there. I'm so glad I have these videos to remember the good times we have had together!

Edit:: Katy mentioned that it wouldn't let her view the facebook note since she doesn't have a facebook account. Since I don't want that to happen to anyone else, I'm posting the content of the note below. Be warned: it's long. :)

Well, I suppose it's time for a little update about Grammy. I suspect thinking through the events of the past four days will be good for me, even though I doubt I'll be able to put this experience into words very well at all. Blogger is down; I don't remember the last time I wrote a facebook note. Here we go....

On Sunday night Wes's parents called; they'd been in Morgantown and had visited Grammy. They reported that she didn't look good -- had barely opened her eyes and didn't seem to know them. I knew she had been going downhill since we last saw her in March, but to be honest, I just really didn't want to deal with it. I was set to pretty much ignore their report until my stepbrother contacted me & asked me to call his mom. She basically told me that Grammy wasn't doing well and that I probably wanted to come to Morgantown. That made me fear the worst. I thought, "This is it. This is the call. She's dying; we have to go."

So we came. We both worked on Monday, packed our bags at the end of the day, and drove. We got into Charleston at around 11 p.m. and left for Morgantown on Tuesday afternoon. It's now Thursday evening, and we're scheduled to go back to Charleston tomorrow. The only problem is that I don't know if I should stay or go.

Grammy is not doing well. She has been in a kind of "unconscious" state the entire time we've been here. She doesn't open her eyes, and she doesn't really talk. She eats very little, too, which is not a good sign. I am still not quite sure that she knows that I'm here. I keep trying to get her to say my name, but she won't. It's strange, since she has said "John Wesley," but she won't say Beth. Interestingly enough, today Pastor Goodin stopped by to see us for a few minutes, and apparently while we were outside Grammy said my name several times. When we came back in, a nurse said, "Are you Beth? She was saying your name as I fed her dinner." I literally ran down the hall to her room, so excited that she was "with it" and knew that I was there with her. But I couldn't get her to say my name for anything! She didn't indicate that she knew we were there at all. So it's been hard to grasp what she really knows.

Here's another funny/interesting story. My uncle Jody, who lives in Virginia, came in for a few days to see her. Yesterday he made a comment to her about going to Dairy Queen and getting her a blizzard. She didn't respond (as usual), and he never went & got the ice cream. Wes and I made dinner plans with friends tonight, and before we left I said, "Ok, Grammy, John Wesley and I are going to eat some dinner now, but I was thinking that afterward we could bring you some ice cream. Would you like that?" And she said, clear as day, "Well, someone else said they were going to bring me ice cream, and they never did." We were shocked! It was seriously the most complete sentence she's said the entire time we've been here. After I recovered, I laughed and said, "You're right; Jody mentioned that he was going to bring you Dairy Queen, but I think he forgot. We won't forget. We'll be back with some ice cream; I promise." Then I added, "We love you very much; do you know that? Do you know my name?" And of course she wouldn't answer me. So we really don't know what she hears, understands, and remembers at this point, but her affection for ice cream certainly won out tonight. :)

Basically our days here have been filled with me laying beside her on the nursing home bed, holding her hand, stroking her hair, and telling her I love her. And then Wes holding my hand, stroking my hair, and telling me that he loves me as I lay beside her and sob. Sometimes I think I can't cry anymore (like right now, which is good for the purposes of attempting coherent thought); sometimes I think I'll never stop crying. I have never loved anyone like this before. This woman raised me. She has been my biggest cheerleader my entire life. She has always loved me and wanted what's best for me, and she has never abandoned me. And I think that's what's made this so hard -- I don't want to abandon her. Especially not now.

Someone recently made the comment, "You're lucky you don't have to see her like this every day." I disagree. I am NOT lucky. My distance from her is the worst part about this situation. I want to be here every day. I want to lay beside her and tell her I love her. I weep at the thought of her being alone. I want to be there to give her a drink of water when she coughs, to change her shirt because she's running a fever & sweating, to squeeze her hand and whisper good memories in her ear in hopes that she can hear me and be happy. I don't want to be away from her.

And herein lies the worst part of all of this: I don't know how much longer she has. I don't know if she has days, weeks, or months. How do I leave her? But if she does have more than a few days or weeks -- how do I stay? I have responsibilities in Louisville. I have a job. I have a church and a home. Wes said tonight, "You don't want to leave tomorrow, and I understand that, but will you want to leave after a week has gone by? What about two weeks? And if you wait for just three more days after that, do you stay for three more days after those are up? You have to make peace with leaving. You are not abandoning her." And I know he's right in my head. But the distance between head and heart is a long & winding road. I just wish I had some semblance of an idea of a timetable. I'm hoping that maybe I can talk to a doctor tomorrow and have a better idea of exactly what we're dealing with. At this point, I know it's bad. I just don't know how bad, if that makes sense.

My boss has been so gracious. He called today (yesterday? the days are kind of a blur) and said I could have whatever I needed. I hate to leave my coworker by herself for much longer, though. And Wes feels the same about Starbucks. We don't want to shirk our responsibilities. But at the same time, if this is the end, nothing is more important. It just goes back to not knowing. I hate not knowing.

It's been strange to go through this experience with a faith that is less than sure. I think it's easy for people to turn to God in times of worry or fear. For me, at least right now, it hasn't been easy. When Professor Stam died recently, I found myself in the bathroom of the funeral home sobbing, praying the only prayer I could muster to God: "I hope he was right about You." He was a man of great faith. He taught it, sang about it, and lived it. He lived and died in the most joyful, faithful way I have ever seen. And I truly hope that every steadfast, sure proclamation of faith Professor Stam rendered was true. I hope he was right about who God is. And I especially hope he's right as I consider my dear Grammy and the beautiful life she's lived -- and how I would be a different person entirely without her.

If you're the praying type, please pray that God would grant me peace and wisdom as I decide in the next 24 hours what I should do -- if I should stay or go. I'm considering even going back to Louisville through Wednesday and then coming back up through the weekend... but if this decline is a slow one, I don't know how I will {physically, emotionally, mentally} sustain that schedule. But for now -- one step at a time. One day at a time.

Speaking of time -- It's my bed time, but I do want to say how grateful I am for having such a strong support system. So many people have offered help & condolences, and countless people have prayed for us -- thank you. I am so blessed. I truly am. And at at the very center of my blessings is my dear Grammy, my confidant, cheerleader, and very best friend. Her life has been a constant source of joy to me, and I want to do everything I can to express to her my admiration, affection, and love for the rest of her days in the land of the living.

I love you, Grammy!

I Love Target.

2011-05-08T13:32:00.005-04:00

I just love Target. And I don't know if this ever happens to you, but sometimes things at Target want to come home with me. How am I to say no?

I spy, on our hideous bookshelf, a cute little storage box that just begged to come home with me recently.

I mean, could you say no to that pattern?

I didn't think so. {My husband could've -- I don't understand it.}

I'm thinking about painting that bookshelf white this summer. And maybe wallpapering the back -- like this. Except I would wallpaper the cheap cardboard backing, not the actual wall. Yes?

I think so.

A Clean Kitchen

2011-05-05T22:20:00.003-04:00

As I was getting ready for bed tonight, I walked into the kitchen and put my glass in the sink, stacking it against the dirty dishes that were already there. I thought, "I'll just do these in the morning," turned off the light, and walked out.

Who was I kidding? I immediately turned back around and began the task I ~~briefly thought about putting~~ knew I shouldn't put off. Putting away the dry dishes, washing the clean ones, and wiping down the countertops & stove took me a total of three minutes. I won't miss those three minutes tonight. And tomorrow morning I will walk peacefully into my {mostly} clean kitchen, thankful for a fresh start to the day.

That's all I've got tonight... a clean kitchen and a mind that ponders an ever-present thought: why do I leave for tomorrow what can be done {and what can usually be done so easily} today?

Smile!

2011-04-27T19:04:00.003-04:00

Found via pinterest. So cute, don't you think? :)

Free-V-S

2011-04-25T19:27:00.004-04:00

I got a great deal at CVS tonight, and I didn't even have to try very hard! Check it:

4 Airwick Freshmatic Starter Kits (two are hidden)

2 Packages of Gummy Bears

1 Diet Cherry Coke Zero

1 Blink Tears Drops

I spent $3.56, $1.90 of which was tax (you can't use ECBs toward tax)

I used $10 in ECBs

I received back $17.99 in ECBs

I'm seriously pleased with this trip. I increased my ECBs by $7.99, which is huge! And I only got the gummy bears & diet cherry coke because -- well, it's hard to explain. I basically needed to increase my pre-tax total.

Incidentally, the gummy bears were an upsell item that helped my cashier out. Her name is Jaz, and she is SO nice. I needed to spend a little bit more, it helped her out, and Wes loves gummy bears. But he doesn't need two packages, so I gave one to our neighbors. Winning all around, wouldn't you say? :)

I love CVS!

Today Is Wednesday.

2011-04-20T08:26:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was Tuesday, and on Tuesday I bought this print on Etsy:

Isn't it just perfect for me? I love it. I'm going to hang it in my kitchen. :) I also couldn't recommend Diana's shop more highly. She permits custom colors on this print, and she mocked up FOUR different prints for me before I decided on the colors I wanted. And she was nice the whole time! Fantastic, I tell you. {Thanks, Diana!}

Speaking of my kitchen, I'm going to do this on a smaller scale -- in the backsplash area.

I'm keeping Village Manor's typical cream background paint {the kitchen is the only room in our apartment that hasn't been painted! Too much of a hassle with the appliances, in my opinion} and just using a slight shimmer for the stencil design. I'm not sure what color yet, but I want it to be subtle. Kind of like this {that's an amazing DIY, by the way!}. But in the spirit of full disclosure, my countertop is hideous, our cabinets have brass knobs, I have multicolored fiestaware that I don't really like, etc. I share all of that to say this: there's no way possible for my kitchen to look really great. But I do think this will be a step in the right direction. :) Pictures forthcoming!

Also. I'm obsessed with pinterest. Aren't you? If you don't know what it is, check out Sherry's post here (it's a good introduction with absolutely appropriate gushing). I love that I can file all of my inspiration pictures in one place plus click through to original sources plus find inspiration from tons of other people! However, I pinned this the other night and laughed as I did, although it's kind of true:

In other news, my fingernails are bright pink and I'm determined to have a good day. The storm kept me up last night (loud wind!), but I made it to the gym this morning, and it's Wednesday... which is one day closer to Friday than yesterday, you know!

If you're bored, here are some random links for you this Wednesday:

-A friend posted this food manifesto article on facebook a while back. Definitely worth reading.
-I love Nicole's laundry room! I would never purchase red appliances, but they look so cute in her space.
-I am so sad that these earrings are sold out. SO SAD! I bought a groupon for the shop & have been waiting for a facebook sale. When one finally came, I found out they are sold out. Noooo!

{Random links cut short, because I just found out I'm going to a luncheon with the mayor today. I'm so glad I dried my hair and look awesome. Eeik, that's sarcasm, people! Must go find some lipstick!}

Happy Third, Penelope!

2011-04-19T11:16:00.002-04:00

Today we are wishing Penelope Jane a VERY happy third birthday. We love you, P!

I Like This.

2011-04-16T21:28:00.000-04:00

Source: happenstanceca.blogspot.com via Sherry @ Young on Pinterest

Green Idea

2011-04-15T16:50:00.003-04:00

As I try to be more "green" {okay, that term kind of annoys me; I'm not sure why}, I find it helpful to share ideas & learn from others. So here's an idea for you:

I designated some of my family cloth for eye-makeup removal. This eliminates my need for cotton balls. As you can see, I can use one cloth several times...

...and then I can flip it over and use it some more.

When I'm done, I spray some stain remover on them and throw them in the wash. Easy peasy.

{I'd love to know your sustainable tips & tricks if you have any to share!}

That's all I've got for you, except to say this: TGIF! Have a great weekend!

Kitchen Inspiration

2011-04-13T20:51:00.006-04:00

So many things about this picture make me happy!

{Traditional Home}

Learning

2011-04-10T09:55:00.004-04:00

Whilst in Puerto Rico, I tried to learn a little bit about my new camera.

One day I spotted this iguana by the pool.

We exchanged pleasantries and then had a little photo shoot.

And by photo shoot, I mean that I took 34 pictures of him.

None of them were very good.

But practice makes perfect?

Puerto Rico: Day Four

2011-04-07T10:00:00.006-04:00

Random thoughts about Puerto Rico:

-I kind of like it that most of the signs are in Spanish. Although I wish I knew Spanish better.

-When you get gas here, don't get excited. The price is for a liter, not for a gallon.

-Oh, and when you get gas here, you have to go inside and give your driver's license and card to the attendant. Then you go fill up. Then you go back and they run your card. This process is made especially interesting when they do not speak English, and you do not really speak Spanish.

-You can put avocado on your Subway sandwich for a small upcharge. Interesting. Hubs would love it.

-Speaking of fast food, there are McDonald's and Burger Kings everywhere. Oh, and Wendy's does not give free refills, which is confusing and sad all at the same time.

-Going on vacation with a friend is really fun. So is walking barefoot on blue cobblestone streets.

-It is so very worth it to rent a car if you are staying at a resort -- in Puerto Rico or otherwise. I'm about to talk a lot, but seriously. It's just so great to not be forced to do things with big groups of people on tour buses. And to not be bound by pre-made itineraries and others' time constraints. It was $85 to rent a car for a day -- from 2:30 p.m. one day to 2:30 p.m. the next day. We went to Old San Juan, to a private beach, to a rainforest, to an outlet mall, out to eat a few times, to Walgreens for affordable snacks & diet soda... it was a priceless commodity. Plus the fact that to go to the rainforest with the hotel was somewhere between $40 and $60 a person -- and it's less than 10 minutes away with free admission. Ridiculous! So for the price of one excursion we had many. So, so great.

-Don't forget to release the emergency brake while driving and wonder what the squealing sound is about. {Just keeping it real.}

-It's beautiful outside even at 7 a.m. I could really get used to this.

-The wind, caused by being located right next to the water, can get a little annoying, though.

-Resort life is ridiculous over priced. Truly, it's terrible.

-But at least VISA is accepted basically everywhere.

-I miss my hubs, but I do not want to go home tomorrow! Can you blame me?!

Puerto Rico: Day Three

2011-04-06T08:06:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Stephanie and I rented a car and drove to Old San Juan. Neither of us had ever rented a car before, and we were so proud of ourselves for being such adults. :) It was a fun day. Two women (also here with Lia Sophia) had agreed to go with us & split the cost of the rental car, but they backed out at the last minute because it was raining. But 10 minutes into our drive the rain stopped, as rain tends to do here. We were thankful we had continued on!

We had a good time walking around OSJ and taking in the scenery. We stopped at a good old fashioned Wendy's on the way home, where I learned that free refills are not something Puerto Rico has to offer. Interesting. We then went to Walgreen's, where I happily bought some diet pepsi on the cheap, and Stephanie found some cute shoes at an outlet mall. This morning we're up early & preparing to go to the rainforest. We have until 2 p.m. to return the rental car, so I guess I should shut up and get moving. :)

Here are a few pictures of the trip so far. The first two are at the resort, and the last three are at OSJ. I think for my birthday I'd like to take a class on Photoshop. I don't have the program now, but even if I did, I wouldn't know how to use it. {Girl Casey, if you're reading, I think we should do this together!}

Puerto Rico: Day One

2011-04-04T16:05:00.003-04:00

It's 3:30 p.m. on a Monday. Normally I'd be excited that my work day was coming to an end. Today I'm excited because it's already been such a full day in gorgeous Puerto Rico -- and it's only Monday -- and it's only 3:30 p.m!

"Full day" means different things to different people. To me, it means that my day started at 7:30 a.m., when my body naturally woke up. I wish that was because I'm a morning person. No, it's because I had a very full night's sleep -- I drifted off somewhere around 8 p.m. on Sunday night! But it was a good decision. I was exhausted from a day of traveling, and to feel so well rested so early on our first day here was outstanding.

Today has basically been a beach day. I've posted several pictures on facebook, including this one, but it makes me happy:

It's lovely here. Several things have annoyed me so far about "resort life" (mainly the expense of it!), but it really is beautiful. The weather is perfect. The resort is huge. People are, for the most part, really friendly. All the things you hope for in a beach vacation.

I think the thing I've been reflecting on so far is that vacations really are necessary to good health -- mental, emotional, and physical. I hate to spend money -- and I know my husband will laugh at that statement. {Vacation... new camera... iPad... I've been spending a lot of it lately!} But really, I do. I'd much rather save it. Even though I've planned and saved for the "big things" I've purchased lately, I still feel slightly irresponsible somehow. But being here has been so very good, and I don't regret the money I spent (ok, except I kind of do regret that I spent $2.45 on a CAN of diet coke today!!). I feel so relaxed. My body is soaking in the warmth of the sun, the softness of the feather pillow my head is on, the beauty of the landscape, and the freedom of having nothing at all to do.

Vacations aren't reality, but they help us recover from reality... to relax and rest, at least for a few days. And I think that's good.

What's next: we're going to try to rent a car for two days and get out from the iron thumb of the resort. {I've never wanted to go to Walgreens more in my LIFE. Finding a 6-pack of diet pepsi for less than I make in an hour would be outstanding!} Steph wants to snorkel, and we want to shop in Old San Juan and see a local rainforest. Going on excursions through the resort is double the cost of renting a car for a day. Neither of us have rented a car before and confess to being slightly nervous about the whole thing... here's to hoping it works out as we plan!

What's next for you: Start planning for a vacation of your own! It's worth it!

Ink & Iron {Katy's Giveaway!}

2011-03-30T09:41:00.006-04:00

Apparently I've been so busy cleaning & improving my home that I haven't had time to blog. {Ha!} Or not?! But anyway, go ahead and enter this giveaway hosted by my dear friend Katy. I'm so impressed by ink & iron and their amazing letterpress cards!

{I would love to give that card to Wes for his birthday. It's so darn clever.}

Please note that I would really like to win this giveaway. Fingers crossed. But I'm hoping I'll win points with random.org for being generous & letting you know about it. ;)

Also, did I ever tell you about the time that I bought Wes the same birthday card two years in a row and didn't realize it? {How did he remember?} And then I made fun of my MIL for getting us the same anniversary card two years in a row? {How did I remember?!} Whoopsies!

Beth + letterpress = love forever and ever. Amen.

Home Improvements

2011-03-24T09:26:00.008-04:00

As you know, I try to make little improvements to my apartment as I go. I can't understand the concept of not taking care of your home just because it's "temporary" and not yours (if you're renting, I mean). My humble abode may not be mine forever & always, but I have to live here right now!

About a year ago, our friend Casey's parents came to visit. When they came over, they said, "Wow! I guess because you're the manager you got the nicest apartment on the property." I took that as a compliment... as I laughed really hard. You should've seen our apartment when we moved in back in 2007. It was... well, it had a lot of potential. :) And I wasn't on staff back then! I've spent almost four years cleaning our apartment, painting it, and making it my own. And I think {hope} it's paid off!

Also, from a management perspective, I look at our ~~old~~ historic apartments and dream about what they could look like if their renters had taken care of them for the past 70+ years. It's hard to imagine!

But anyway. There's been this little spot black spot in my kitchen at the top of my cabinets where they meet the ceiling. At first I thought it was mold or mildew, but upon further inspection, I discovered that the caulk was just torn.

But with a little painter's tape & some almond-colored caulk, it's as good as new!

I love easy fixes. :) And while Wes never noticed that black spot, I smile every time I walk in the kitchen and don't have to look at it!

My friend Amanda joked that I should teach a "Village Manor Improvements" course. That made me laugh, too. But here are a few things I've done (and continue to do) to improve my little apartment:

-Remove the faucet handles and clean them

-Caulk my own bathtub instead of putting in a work order. {Not only do I use painter's tape to create clean lines, I also give the caulk more than enough time to dry before I shower again. That's easier to do when I caulk on my own schedule and am not inconvenienced by our maintenance staff's timing!}

-My wonderful MIL and FIL get the credit for installing a hanging light in our laundry closet, which makes it soo much easier to see. And Wes installed some wire shelving to make our laundry products easy to reach.

-Paint the underside of our kitchen cabinets, which was unfinished wood before.

-Make curtains to hide closet disorganization

-Clean, clean, clean. A lot. Including things you might not think to clean that often, like the tops of doorways, fan blades, and even scrubbing my oven hood until it's smooth to the touch. {Note: it took a REALLY long time and a lot of arm muscle. But I did it!}

That's all I can think of at the moment. But I really do love our little apartment, and I'm not just saying that because I'm on staff at Village Manor. :) You should take a few minutes today, especially if you're renting, to figure out what you can do to make your home a little more lovely!

Tuesday Truths

2011-03-22T09:34:00.006-04:00

Here are some truthful facts for you this Tuesday:

1. We went home for five days and I abandoned my diet. I mean, not totally -- I did put raspberry vinaigrette on my salad one night instead of ranch. Ha. But I also ate two bags of mini doughnuts almost completely by myself (I think my mom might've had three doughnuts). And I ate french fries a LOT. I weighed myself this morning and the scale said I weighed more than when I started this diet. Eeik! But I know weight fluctuates, so I'm hoping that by the end of the week I'll be back down. We'll see....

2. Working out felt really good this morning. I am mostly typing this to combat #1, which makes me feel terrible. Did I mention that I only worked out once while I was home? Not good.

3. I'm not quite ready for the work week to begin, even though I just had a five-day vacation.

4. Speaking of vacation: two more weeks until Stephanie and I leave for Puerto Rico! I can barely wait.

5. I have a nice camera now, but I don't know how to use it. I would like to learn while I'm in PR. I can imagine nothing nicer than laying on a beach chair, sipping a diet coke, and reading my DSLR manual. Yes, please!

6. Morgantown, West Virginia {my hometown} has a fabulous car wash where you can vacuum your car for free. And as if that isn't enough, there is a machine that washes your floor mats. $3 buys you four minutes, which gives you enough time to run your mats through several times. Let it be known that I LOVE a clean car -- especially clean floor mats. So imagine my delight when the machine started working after only feeding it $1! It was seriously the best part of my Saturday. I think that says a lot about me.

7. Dexter and Brothers & Sisters are my two favorite TV shows at the moment.

8. Grammy is on a downhill slide, I think. It used to be that she had a few bad days mixed in with good ones. Now it seems that she has a few okay/good days mixed in with bad ones. It was hard to see her. I cried a lot. But I captured this cute photo of her & John Wesley making funny faces. Even though the light isn't right and it's kind of blurry, I will cherish it forever.

9. My friend Stephanie is considering this shower curtain for her newly-renovated bathroom, and I love it!

10. Do you do Swagbucks? We have gotten $40 in Amazon gift cards just from searching through them 3x/day (morning, noon, night). It's not a great search engine, but it's so easy to search a few terms, get your Swagbucks, and move on.

That's all I've got for you right now. I could tell you about how I am trying to find loose change to help pay for the iPad 2 I just bought, and how I've only found $0.53 so far, and how Wes thinks I am absolutely ridiculous, but that will have to wait for another day.... :)

Mary Kay

2011-03-17T22:49:00.006-04:00

An appropriate subtitle for this post might be, "I've Totally Shocked Myself," or, "Has Hell Frozen Over?" or, "You Must Be Kidding Me. You Must."

Ok, ok, I'll quit with the theatrics. The story is that tonight I went to a Mary Kay party with my sister, Julie. She sells Mary Kay. I now sell Mary Kay. Say what? {If you know me, you're totally shocked. Or at least mildly surprised, srsly.}

Let's back up. I currently use Mary Kay's skin care line; most of my makeup at this point is Clinique, which I used to use religiously. I felt like my skin had kind of stopped responding to Clinique's face wash, etc., so when Julie started selling MK, I thought I would give it a try and help her start her business. That's what sisters do, right? So I did.

Okay, that's not exactly true. She gave me my first MK products for Christmas. :) I've been using Mary Kay's Timewise Miracle set since then, and I love it. I also purchased the eye revitalizer and firming eye cream, both of which I like. And I enjoy playing with Julie's makeup when we're in WV together, although I've yet to order anything makeup-wise {um, I guess that's about to change!}. So I have at least half of the requirements to be a consultant: I do enjoy the products. But I really, really lack the other half. And by that, I mean this: I hate sales clubs, and I hate parties. I've mentioned this before. In fact, I'll just copy & paste what I said back then:

"I'm not a huge fan of any kind of 'sales clubs' that generally involve having parties and inviting people who can't always afford what you're selling but feel obligated to buy something (and obligated to come in general). Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Lia Sophia, Longaberger, Scentsy, it doesn't really matter what it is -- I almost never go to those kinds of parties when I'm invited."

I really don't. I never go! But I went with Julie tonight, because I wanted to spend time with her. And I didn't really have anything else to do. {BUT it was three hours long, and we had no idea it would be more than an hour and a half. And while my mom would've loved the music, it was a little too 80s-rock for me. And did I mention that it was three hours long? Yikes!}

Anyway. I signed up to sell MK because I was going to buy more MK skincare products anyway. And because I want to get future products for less than full cost. You know how I love a good deal. :) I don't really plan on having parties or giving huge MK sales pitches. But if you want to order from me, I'll give you a discount. :) Sounds fun, right?

Me, a Mary Kay consultant. I don't even believe it myself....

I Didn't, And I Don't.

2011-03-15T21:10:00.006-04:00

When did I become God? When did I have to figure it all out? When did I have to come up with a position point on every single topic ever thought of in the history of mankind? I didn't, and I don't. I am allowed the ability to just trust in the faithfulness of my loving Father to fill in the gaps that I can never understand.

Andrew Martin

Love is An Orientation

{Picture stolen from Alicia's blog, because I like it -- and her -- a lot.}

Five Things Friday

2011-03-10T19:33:00.010-05:00

Happy Friday, friends! I'm working today -- hopefully without sinking into a pit of despair. You can pray for me. {And while you're praying, pray for Japan, if you know how. I don't, really. But I'm overwhelmed and sad for that region.}

Five things Friday; ready? Here we go.

1. My family cloth order came in and I love it. Love it. So soft & easy. I really recommend it! I knew you'd want a picture, so here you go. :)

{As a side note, I always find it hilarious when people take pictures of their bathrooms & put them on their blog. I don't know why. I mean, who really wants to see your toilet? But here you go. Now I can make fun of myself.}

{Well, now I feel the need to qualify and say there are lots of fantastic bathroom pictures on design blogs. I'm talking more about the "we just moved into a new apartment and here are the iPhone pictures of our toilet!" kind of shots. Like pretty much exactly what I posted above. Does that make sense at all?!}

2. I like this corner of our couch. It makes me happy. The pillows are all so cute. They would be even cuter if this wasn't such a crappy photo. I'll get to that in #5.

3. I don't intend for this to be a Purex blog or anything, but look at the sample that came in the mail today -- a full-sized bottle of detergent! Very cool. When I try it I'll have another giveaway -- if you're interested. Giveaways are good, right? Even if they're mostly for Purex products? {Free is free in my book.} I'm curious to know your thoughts on this if you have any.

4. I say I'm all about sustainable and reusable, but I have a confession: I wear one-day disposable contacts. I feel wasteful doing this. But I'm not very good about cleaning contacts, and at least one person in this family needs to have good eyes! But I do recycle the plastic containers they come in if that counts for anything. Wes drinks Simply Lemonade like it's going out of style, so the I collect the contact containers in an empty SL bottle and then recycle the whole thing.

5. My pictures are about to get a lot better {let's hope}, because I finally bought a camera! Now I just need to buy a memory card so I can actually use it. Oh, and read the manual -- I have a LOT to learn. But I'm excited. :)

Even more exciting is the fact that our credit card reward points bought the camera for me. They will also buy a second lens {when it goes on sale}, and I'll have a teensy bit left to put toward a cute camera bag. I am a huge fan of credit cards if you can use them responsibly. We put absolutely everything we can on ours and then pay them off each month. The Amazon/Chase rewards card is especially great for our little family, because hubs buys so many books from Amazon. {And really, what can't you buy from Amazon?! We order so much stuff from there.} You get 3 points for every dollar you spend on their website, 2 points for fuel & restaurant purchases, and 1 point for everything else. Yes, please. So we're getting rewards & building our credit at the same time; hooray!

And finally, that last picture is a tease -- I bought a new TV stand at IKEA! I'm going to try my best to take a nice photo with my fancy camera before I "reveal" it. Putting it together was a horrible process, but hubs and I somehow survived with our marriage intact. That makes the whole thing even better. :)

Do you have plans for the weekend? I'm going to relax, max {as my friend Katy always says}. Do laundry, scrub the shower, watch way too much television, etc. Productive and restful -- that's my goal. Have a great weekend!