Pics of Our Lovies!

I thought I'd share some pictures of our beloved babies today...

However, first I would like to show you another shot of my porch! If you read this post the other day, you'd know that I went on a porch cleaning spree! Man, it's nice to have a clean porch. Aside from the fact that the broom has been relocated for convenience... the porch is actually staying clean! (Ok, so it's only been like 4 or 5 days.. but STILL!) I went out to visit my parents on Thursday and my mom took me to a greenhouse to get some flowers to plant. You can see them along my porch steps, etc. I have a crock of some on the little table too. Quite a few have yet to bloom (and one is a pepper plant for Cory)... but I have high hopes that there will be some color in the near future!!



Earlier, I took two porch pictures... went back in the house and just happened to decide to look at them on the camera... and in BOTH pictures, Boo was licking her lips. HOW I happened to capture that TWICE is beyond me! So we came back out for another shot. She is really hard to take pictures of.... but then I got this one.... (I think it's sweet)....



We always tell her how "Boo-tiful" she is... we're weird, I know. HAHA!

Then... onto Weezer, the cat. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had gotten some new chairs to go around my kitchen table. Well, I haven't gotten around to taking a picture of them to post yet (they were still stacked out of the way until last evening)... however, Cory thought this next picture was hilarious. He made me hurry to get the camera to capture Weezy in "jail". (Brief glance at the new chairs!)



Personally, I think she was trying to protect herself from the dog since Cory so often likes to say "Boo! Get the cat!"... and the dog goes flying in whichever direction she thinks Weezer has headed. (Ok, sometimes I'm guilty of sicking the dog on the cat too... sheesh!)

And last, but not least... Weezer again. I was unable to fall asleep right away... so I came down to the computer to get my Facebook Scrabble fix (totally addicted)... and happened to notice the cat lounging on my coffee table (don't mind the mess in the background. I cleaned the table off only for Cory to pile other stuff on it! LOL!).



It looks like she is crossing her back legs.. but I think that is her tail! She truly is the queen!

Our parents are coming over for a picnic this evening... I'll post more on THAT at a later date! :)

TACOS! A Recipe.

The other week, my sister posted that they were having tacos for dinner one night. Immediately after reading that... I wanted tacos! So, the next night we had taco salad. Then after church one day, we splurged and went to Taco Bell (which I normally don't care for... but I don't mind the plain tacos every so often). Well, earlier this week I had picked up some shells so I thought we'd have tacos. Cory was like.. AGAIN?! haha! What can I say? I like them! So I was browning the meat (we use ground turkey) and getting ready to chop up some veggies.... and went to the cupboard only to realize that I had used up our last packet of taco seasoning. UGH! What a pain. We don't live too far out of town... but far enough for it to be a pain to have to run to the store for ONE thing. So I started to scour the internet for a homemade recipe... hoping I could find something that had ingredients that were already in my cupboard. Wouldn't you know.. I found one! And it was really good! Not only did it taste good, it made enough for me to store in an air tight container for multiple taco dinners.... AND it doesn't have all of those hidden preservatives and additives that normally come in those taco seasoning packets! I don't remember what website I got the recipe from... but I don't take any credit for it... it's not mine... I just like it! So here it is! I hope you'll give it a try!

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING
4 T. Chili Powder
3 T. plus 1 tsp. Paprika
3 T. Ground Cumin
1 T. plus 1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

*Mix all ingredients together until well blended*
*Store in an airtight container in fridge*

FOR SEASONING 1 LB of GROUND BEEF
*Add 1 cup of water and 2 heaping T. of seasoning mix to pan with meat (stir).
*Simmer until the liquid is almost gone

Totally easy! Hope you enjoy!
Have a great weekend!

Flashback Friday #27

When I was 12, my sister and I took a 2 week mission trip to Mexico with a local youth group. The youth group was pretty big (compared to ours) and they were gracious enough to open their arms to let us join in on the trip. We knew most of the kids from school... and with all of the kids and chaperons, there were over 30 people who made the trek. The first week was training. We learned a drama and got to know other people from the U.S. who were there for the mission as well. We also were forced to stay up until the wee hours of the morning after a full day of training in the Mexico July heat (to listen to the head honcho talk about things I can't even remember now... almost 13 yrs later!)... only to be able to get 4 hours of sleep before we had to be up and running again! That wasn't fun! However, I can't complain because some how we got to sleep in hotels... and not in tents or creepy buildings. I will complain about the food though!!! We had Mexicans cooking for us... and they would make weird foods that a lot of us weren't accustomed to. We were forced to eat the food so as not to offend the cooks. I understand why, however, it wasn't like we were eating food from Taco Bell... there were really, really weird things that tasted like the smell of dog food! Most of us would try to take more napkins than we really needed and then spit our food out into them on the sly... and then stuff our drink cups and paper plates into big piles to hide it. Then one person would take the whole thing to the garbage can and hope that none of the leaders saw! LOL!

Anyway--Our group would travel by bus each day to different parts of Mexico and perform a drama about a guy who is "lost in the world" and eventually realizes he is only happy in Jesus. The whole thing was in Spanish... so that was a bit of a challenge!

Here is the group my sister and I were a part of... the "partiers"... we would dance around with these ribbons and pretty much act drunk.. LOL! I'm on the bottom left... my sis was right above me.
I don't think that at 12 yrs old, I was mature enough to really "get" what we were doing and that it wasn't about being "cool" and being "in Mexico" when friends at home never got to go. But, hey... when you're a kid, you don't realize those things. I can say, however, that it was a BIG eye opener when we would travel to certain places around the city. The poverty was heartbreaking.
At one point, we performed in a dump for people who actually LIVED at the dump off of other people's garbage... and we had to be careful because there were needles on the ground, etc.

This was a house at the dump. A family with little children lived there. It's old mattress springs and sheets of metal (along with who knows what else!). Very sad!!

Over all, I know that I probably shouldn't have gone on that trip - at least until I was a little older... but I did... and it was definitely an experience!!

Join in the Flashback Fun over at Christopher & Tia's!

My Silly Cat!

I don't have time for a long post today... so I thought I'd share this video of my cat that I took a couple of weeks ago.

We usually take our shoes off when we come in the house, just so we don't track dirt on the carpet. Well, I just happened to walk around the corner and notice my cat, Weezer, loving on one of my flip flops! I don't know what the deal was... but of course, I had to grab the camera because I knew as soon as Cory walked in, she would bolt and he would never believe me. He'd have to see it to believe it (she is quite reserved around him-LOL!).

So.. here is the video... do not mind my linoleum... it came with the house and we hope to update it one of these days!!



Maybe she just loves the scent of my feet! Haha!
Does anyone else's cat do that!?

Back Porch Project

Yesterday I got on this kick to clean my back porch. I should have taken a before picture, but I never really intended to blog about it... so I didn't give it a thought before I started tearing things apart. I was tired of seeing the snow shovel, rake and 3 brooms leaning up against the wall by the door... the filthy rocking chair and grill... the pine needles and dried out leaves littering the corners and edges. It was just irritating me. So I did something about it! I moved everything, washed the walls and floor... wiped down the grill and scrubbed the rocking chair as best I could. I even brought out the shop-vac and swept up all of the cob webs hanging around. Then I ran to the store and bought a small rag rug... and then put it all back together again!

Taa-Daa!!
Ok, I know... not very exciting... but at least it's CLEAN! And there to the left was one of the chairs I got this past weekend at an antique shop! I have considered buying some flowers to plant in my crocks, but I absolutely REFUSE to buy plants that I will have to bring inside during the winter. I've done that before and ended up with little bugs in my house (even after spraying continuously with plant/bug spray!). NEVER AGAIN! I could buy some annuals, but it's hard to justify spending the money on flowers that are just going to die. I may splurge a little though... maybe. I'd also like to get a cushion for my wicker couch at some point.

I'm not one to really post pictures from around my house... but hope you enjoyed the little peek! Maybe I'll share more as I get my house in some semblance of order this summer (crossing my fingers!).

Happy Wednesday!!

A Weekend of Antiques!

Cory and I celebrated our 1 yr wedding anniversary this past Sunday... so Friday, we took off to another part of PA for a long weekend of visiting antique shops! Cory worked hard at compiling a list of places that we could visit and his parents were nice enough to let us use their truck and GPS! The GPS took us to some crazy places... it was really odd! But we managed to fill our days despite some of those set backs!

We stopped at this one store that was more of a mess than a shop (seriously more crap on the floor to step around than on the shelves!)... and got stuck there because the owner liked to hear himself talk! We were literally there for an hour and were only able to leave because another unsuspecting couple came in and saved us!! At another store, we were at the checkout counter and there was a guy being checked out... and he was literally reading a book while the woman was ringing up his items. When she had to ask him a question or tell him his total.. he acted ANNOYED that she was interrupting his reading! It was really rude and strange!! Sheesh!

Oh well!

Now, I am no expert on antiques. I just like to find fun and unique things! So, here are some of the items Cory and I picked up:

I love old jars and bottles! I can always find something to put inside of them or a place to display them! That green one is an old Mountain Dew bottle. On the back it says "It'll Tickle Yore Innards!"--LOL! I also got the little kids Snoopy silverware. I'm not a collector of Snoopy, however, I remember having a Big Bird silverware set when I was a kid and I loved it. I think it will be fun to collect character silverware (not the crummy plastic crap you get these days) for my kids. I looked on the back and the silverware I picked up is from the 1950's! FUN! I also like little fun and funky salt & pepper shakers (such as the cute little blue birds in the pic!)... and I picked up a couple of rolls of PA Dutch fabric as well! Oh yes, and the large spool!

This small printers drawer was a great find! As soon as we got home, Cory put some things on the back to hang it (I still need to decide where to put it!).

We found some printers blocks to display on the shelf (the two on the right are HIRES ROOTBEER... fun!)... and also a couple of little figurines and a mini bottle.

I posted about my other printer drawer last year... and I may have to post about it again... it's gotten really full as I'm always on the look out for little knick knacks to display!

My mom makes awesome homemade apple sauce, so I couldn't pass this up so that I can start making my own!!

There were some really great old cards and postcards at many of the stores! Even LEATHER ones! They were really old and had the post marks and everything on them! I never knew you could send a leather postcard in the mail! At one of the stores, I picked up several vintage Japanese postcards with funny sayings on them!

I also found a couple of chairs... but I didn't take a picture of them yet! I will save that for another post because I am getting some other chairs as well. I was hoping to find a table and chairs for our kitchen since our current one is less than desirable (to me). We found a cool table, but didn't purchase it because we were afraid that it would be too big for our little space. I did, however, buy some chairs that I still need to pick up at a place in my hometown! Like I said, I'll post about that at another time!

Over all it was a nice weekend and we saw a lot of fun stuff! It's hard to believe Cory and I have been married a year... but it's been the best year through all of the ups and downs!!

I'm off to get some housework done!!

Flashback Friday #26

I am really excited about this week's Flashback!!

This Sunday is my and Cory's first Anniversary! We've actually been together almost 4.5 years, but we got married last year on May 23! We are getting ready to leave for a 4 day weekend of antiquing! (I'm hoping to find some cool kitchen table and chairs... as the ones we have now are hand-me-downs and the table is horribly uneven)

In honor of our anniversary, I put together this little slide show from our special day. The song is "Stronger than Death" by Kate Hurley and it is the song that the bridal party and I walked down the aisle to. Cory and I got married in the theatre where I grew up and which we volunteer at now... and then took our ride in my vw camper to the reception! FUN!
I hope you enjoy!!

(I LOVE YOU CORY!)



Join in the Flashback fun over at Christopher&Tia's!!

Rockin' the Snail Mail

I have been spammed... again. I thought putting Word Verification on my comments would help get that under control! Apparently it hasn't... or else my WV isn't working(?). Anyone have any tips on keeping chinese spammers away!?

I am really excited to share my Flashback Friday for tomorrow... I almost just want to post it now! But I can't... so I hope you will stop by tomorrow to check it out! :)

Today I want to share with you a little glimpse into my envelope making project. Ever since I came across THIS lovely blog... I have been inspired to dress up my snail mail a little more than usual and have started to create my own envelopes. So far I've made crazy chicken and horse envelopes (scroll to the bottom of that post to see the envelopes)... and now... THE KING!


I'm not particularly a fan of Elvis... but how could I resist pulling together some crafty envelopes when I found these great pics!? This is a mish mash of some of the envelopes I've made so far... but there are still more that I didn't get in the pic... and plenty more to be made! It's a lot of fun to see each envelope being created.... and it's even more fun to slide a letter in there to send off to a friend!!

Well, I am off to get ready! I am spending the day with my grandma today! Hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!

Project Snail Mail

The lovely Mandie over at Oh Mandie! is hosting this great idea.... PROJECT SNAIL MAIL! I hope she doesn't mind, but I'm going to include myself in this project as I absolutely LOVE sending and receiving Snail Mail!!

Here's how it works:

Email me your address... and I will send you a lovely little letter via the USPS.

Simple as that!
You can write back... or not!
Either way, it will hopefully bring a bit of fun to your mailbox!


livingthesmalltownlife@gmail.com

Hit me up!

My Weekend in Review!

This past Saturday was "the wedding". I have never been to such an emotionless or boring wedding in all my life. However, I didn't have much time to be bored due to the fact that I had to do two readings during the ceremony (I didn't do too bad... just read a little too fast toward the end!)... and also had to take a picture of every single thing that went on with the Groom's mom's camera. (It's a 35mm by the way, so I was constantly having to change film... and will have no idea how they turn out until they get developed!) I must admit, I was beyond annoyed ALL DAY with having to take pictures. And I didn't realize that it was going to be a 2 hour photo shoot from the time the wedding was over until the time they made it into the reception. I barely had time to think... let alone enjoy myself. My 4 pieces of lunch meat before I left the house didn't take me very far into the afternoon, and I missed out on the appetizers due to the grueling task of taking pictures. Needless to say, I was getting pretty cranky! (Never again will I take pictures for someone at a wedding unless it's for myself with my own digital camera!).

I have mentioned before that I am a pretty negative person... and I could go on about many negative things (from my point of view) that happened during that day... however, I shall spare you my complaints. Instead, I would like to share a couple of funny little stories that made me chuckle...

As people were being seated at the ceremony... I had gone to a back pew to say Hello to my in laws. My husband was seating people (he was a groomsman)... and on his way back the aisle, a woman held out her hand to stop him. I was observing, but couldn't hear everything that was said. Later on he told me that she asked him if his name was Chris. He said, "No, it's Cory." And she went on about how her husband had insisted that he was Chris Daughtry and the woman just had to ask! LOL! Cory laughed and said sometimes he wishes he was Chris Daughtry making all of that money! But apparently the woman's husband had been teasing her about a number of things lately... and she was sure he was teasing her about Chris Daughtry being in this wedding... but she just had to ask to prove him wrong! We got a laugh out of that! And ironically, it's not the first time people told us that Cory looks like him! I think it'd be more believable if Cory would wear some black eye liner! LOL... but I'm sure if you put them side by side, they look nothing alike!

Another funny thing... after the bride and groom's moms walked down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony to light the unity candles... they walked back to their seats and a little boy in the crowd yelled, " It's OVER!" The whole church laughed... lol! Little did he know, it had only just begun.... and it ended up lasting an hour!!

I don't feel that it's appropriate that I reveal the faces of the bride and groom... since, you know... they annoyed me so much... however, I will share a pic of me and Cory from outside the reception (after I pawned the camera back off to the groom's mom--which I felt guilty about the rest of the night!)... and also a pic of the arbor when it was dark outside and it glowed (although the pic is a little chaotic with all of the reflections of the white lights!)!


I am so glad that's over!!! Truly, I have never been more relieved to get a wedding over and done with. Cory and I did more for this wedding than our own!!

Then, last night... the Teen Center in my hometown where I volunteer hosted the band DISCIPLE. I helped out with dinner... and then took ticket money and later helped out at their merch table. We had a pretty good turn out... about 100, which in that little town, is pretty darn good! This is about the 8th time we've had them... but this was probably my favorite show of theirs so far. At the end, the singer Kevin gave a GREAT message that really spoke to me about my attitude regarding that whole wedding situation over the weekend (my pastor's message at church really spoke to me in that regard as well... think God's trying to tell me something???). It says a lot about a band when they aren't afraid to get up there and give the Good News during their concert... and the best part was that it wasn't cheesey. People weren't rolling their eyes... they were following along and responding really well. Anyway... it was a good night! I was in charge of taking pics for the teen center, and I just happened to snap this shot of the singer during one of the songs and thought it was funny!

Tired much?? I think so! If you ever have a chance to check these guys out, I highly recommend them! Even if you aren't really into their kind of music, they are definitely worth taking your youth group or own kids to see!!

I am going to get caught up on some cleaning around the house and then hopefully take it easy this afternoon. It's supposed to start raining so I think it will be a nice time to curl up with a good book!! Enjoy your Monday!!

For the Love of Decorations!

Well... today is the day for the big "wedding".... the one I've been helping with. I know that as soon as I take a shower and start getting ready, I won't be back on the computer. I thought I'd share a little about yesterday with you!

We were to meet at the reception place at 10:30AM to start decorating. I got there and unloaded a ton of stuff from my car... then went and parked it... and waited... and waited... and waited. It was after 11AM and I decided that I might as well go get some lunch since I knew once they got there with the rest of the decorations, we'd be rockin' and rollin'. Off I drove across town, in horrible traffic to Subway. It was the healthiest I could get, unless I had time to sit at a restaurant and eat from a salad bar (Although, for as long as I ended up waiting, I probably could have done that!). Subway was swamped. I knew as the girl kept putting sandwiches by the register, that they were getting mixed up..... but I took what they gave me (even smelled it on the way out... and it smelled like turkey!) then got in my car and drove across to the mall parking lot to eat it. I didn't want to eat in the crowded restaurant... and didn't know if the Country Club would appreciate me bringing it in to eat there (since they have a restaurant right there). So, alone in my car, I unwrapped the sandwich. It was turkey alright! And ham and tons of weird peppers (YUCK!). So I had to take it back and then wait in the ever growing line for a new sandwich! On the plus side, I got a free 6" sub coupon for my troubles! However, having texted the "bride" earlier, I then got a call to tell me that they would be late.

I drove back to the Country Club, after eating my sandwich.... and passed a lovely butt crack on a bike (ok, it was more like disgusting-*shudder*---don't you think you'd wear clothes that fit when you're riding your bike in public?)... only to wait some more. I started trying to get some lights undone and make sure they worked... and then my mom came to help. 12:30 rolled around.. and finally they got there to help!! I didn't even bother to help carry the stuff in from their cars.. LOL. I had other things to tend to!

Oh yes, I might mention that the bride flat out lied to my face about them being late. There were major issues with the tuxes... and one of the groomsman said he had to go try his on at 10AM... and she had just woken up. But she told me that she "didn't know why they were so late, they were ready by 10!". UGH--Whatev.

Anywho... once things got going... we definitely pulled things together. My mom and I were the last two out with finishing some things up, as everyone else had left to get ready for the rehearsal. I took some pics to share (before people get in there and start messing it up)... just don't mind the light coming in through the windows. The white lights look so much nicer once the sun goes down!

It's all a wine theme.... this is the table for the favors and place cards.
(The place cards are set in corks)

This is the cookie table for when people first come into the reception... I made some mean chocolate cookies!!

This is the gift table. The lights on the wine stand twinkle.. which is so pretty! And the little barrel is going to be used for cards!

And last, but certainly not least... is the arbor. This is what we used at my wedding... however this time instead of flower garlands... it's decorated with ivy garlands and grape lights.
I hope to get a better picture this evening when the sun is down!

The wedding is at 2PM and I'm hoping I don't trip up at the alter or mess up my readings. It's a Catholic wedding, so there are some things the priest wants me to do... like bow at the alter and say certain things before and after my reading.... we'll see how it goes. Don't think I'll be bowing... but I'll at least try to get the readings right!

Oh, and I must mention, the grooms mom... who has been planning this all, she has been very very appreciative and kept tearing up yesterday when we were pulling all of the decorations together. That's what makes all of this trouble worth it! I know they are going to love it when they walk in this evening!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

PS: My husband is awesome because he gave me a foot rub last night after we got home. My feet hurt so bad!!

Flashback Friday #25

On Wednesday, I posted about a music fest I used to attend every year... and some of the music I miss from those good ole days. After posting that, I decided to try again to see if I could find a You Tube video of one of my all-time-favorite bands "Madison Greene". (They were before the big youtube craze!) I loved that band. My cousin and I would see all of their shows at Cornerstone, they played in our town like.. 8 times... we would travel other places (even to Detroit for their CD release show... and stayed in their house)... and one time my mom, cousin and I road tripped 8 hours to Cincinnati, OH to see them. I wasn't really a groupie so to speak... I just loved their music, style and the good feeling I got from their concerts. Ok... AND I had a crush on the singer. I think it was his dreadlocks, honestly. Now that they are gone... he isn't nearly as appealing. HAHA!

Anywho--Miraculously in February of this year, someone had uploaded a video of them from Cornerstone Festival a number of years ago. I know this video is old because A. They've been broken up for awhile... and B. Nelson is in this video. If you decide to hit the PLAY button... you will see Nelson Whitehorse on the left side. He is wearing a white shirt, with long dark hair. After a few shows (he wasn't a founding member of the band), I got to know him a little bit. He tried to get me to drink Wheat Grass Juice once - which smelled like a fresh mowed lawn (he was big into natural health). One evening at Cornerstone, we hung out for hours. I ate pasta from a vendor at the food court and we sat at a picnic table while he told me about his days traveling with the Rainbow People and how God made sure they always had food and shelter. He had some pretty amazing stories. After Cornerstone, we emailed a little bit until he got put into some kind of hospital. He was dealing with Hepatitis C and was pretty much dying from it. He had given me the phone number to reach him... and looking back, I should have called... but I just felt weird about it. The next thing I knew, he had passed away. Only in his early 40's. It's unfortunate, but I'm sure he's in a much happier place!
This video makes me smile, just being able to watch him up on that stage again!
(Please note that this isn't one of their normal songs. When Nelson joined the band, they started doing a lot more drum-jam type songs... and the bagpiper is from the band Flatfoot 56. He was joining in for the fun of it!)

Also: I have no comment about the girl on stage-left going spastic!

Join in the Flashback Friday fun over at Christopher&Tia's!!

I Just Need to Vent!!

*Warning, this is a complainy-bum post!*

I woke up at 1:40AM. I couldn't get back to sleep for quite some time due to some stewing that was going on in my active brain. You may remember THIS post... where the Bride-to-be of a friend totally dissed the shower gift I made her... AT her shower... in front of everyone. Well... I had seriously thought about NOT helping with their wedding anymore.

That was 2 months ago... and since that time, I have seen the Mom of the Groom (who is pulling everything together) struggle with trying to get everything done. Since Cory and I are closer with the Groom's parents than we are with the actual Bride and Groom... I couldn't just sit back and watch her floundering. She has been walking on egg shells with everything, trying to let the Bride make all of the decisions (even if they are dumb ones). So, I recruited my mom to come in and help us put their mish-mash of decoration supplies into one cohesive idea for the reception. My mom is a decorating master when it comes to this stuff. My reception was beautiful! (Considering we did it all ourselves--no paying people from a country club or anything)

(Here is a shot of the arbors my mom had built to go over the head tables... once it got dark outside, the white lights made such a whimsical atmoshpere!)

We decided to use one of the arbors (that has been in my back yard since my wedding) for the upcoming reception, which works out since she wants a Wine Theme. Her centerpieces are absolutely hideous.... but we aren't even touching those. We are going to use wine barrels and grapevines, ivy, white lights, etc. We went to the country club a couple of weekends ago to see the layout of the room, etc... and the bride conveniently felt faint when there was actual work to be done (measuring) and had to go sit down. She conveniently has headaches or is sick anytime there is work to be done... (this has happened with other things--not just the wedding). It's really irritating, but it's actually nice when she keeps her nose out of stuff. (I'm horrible, I know) The problem with this though, lies in the fact that she keeps changing her mind or won't make decisions until the last minute... and when she does have a decision to make... she has to lay down because her head hurts.

Seriously, if she has this many medical problems, she should go see a doctor and not stop until they figure out what her malfunction is.

I could go into more annoying detail... but the latest thing is what really set me off this morning. I was at the Groom's parents house on Tuesday evening to go over a few things I was going to help with. The Groom's mom didn't get home until almost 8:30 because she was working on getting all of the programs printed, etc. So Cory and I waited and waited... finally she came home, only to tell me that she didn't have all of the info for the seating charts (I am supposed to hand write all of the place cards). She had tried calling the Bride, but her phone was off... "She must have a headache." I tried to nicely reiterate the fact that I would need the list ASAP so that I could get it done... so she said she would email it to me yesterday.

8:24PM yesterday... still no list emailed to me.

So I wrote a brief email to her and just let her know that I would need it this morning at the latest or I don't know that I'll have time to get it all done (hey, I have a life and things to do!--but I didn't say that part). I heard nothing until this morning... the time on the email was 1:53AM.

Here's what it said:

"We'll get them to you. [The Bride] fell asleep last night & I didn't get the names until late tonight." (Which means, she still had to get them organized before she could send them to me).

SERIOUSLY?

The bride fell asleep? She couldn't keep her eyes open for 20 minutes to finish the chart? Where are her priorities?

The Groom's mom has been staying up until 4AM for the past week (plus still going to work!) trying to get everything done! This is getting utterly ridiculous!!!

I am beyond irritated. I know I shouldn't let it get to me... and even though I am normally a negative person.... I have been trying to be better. But I am SO done with this girl. However, I can't be... since she told me I was reading in the wedding (I should've said NO... but I was trying to be nice)... and I offered months and months ago to take pictures of the wedding for the Groom's mom so that she would have more than just what the professional photographer will give them. Also, I committed to help decorate the reception.

The only thing (besides Cory & GOD) that is keeping me going... is knowing that in 3 days, this will all be over. OVER. And hopefully I won't have to deal with this girl again.

**Taking a deep breath!!** and **Exhaling!**

Music Memories

It's Wednesday already!? WOW! Time sure is flying! I have been helping with some last minute things for a friends wedding this upcoming weekend. They are down to a few days... and STILL don't have the seating chart done (and I'M the one who has to hand write all 160 place cards!). Talk about procrastination! I'm sure it will all come together though...

Anyway.

You know how sometimes you're surfing blogs or Facebook and something triggers you to look something up... and then that triggers you to look something else up?? Well, that happens to me often... and today it brought me to Josh Garrels. I was hoping to add his new CD to my birthday wishlist... and then realized this *new* CD was actually from 2008! And he has a newer one out from last year! Guess I'll just have to add them both!

As I was looking at his website, I was bombarded with memories of years past. For about 10 years straight (from 14 yrs to 24 yrs old), I went to Cornerstone Music Festival every summer. It was the highlight of my year - hands down... until a couple of years ago. Gas is just too expensive for the 14 hour car ride... plus tickets... plus food and camping gear... AND I suppose I have grown kind of tired of the little kids running around the festival (you know... those crazy teens!). I know I was a teen enjoying the festival at one point, but as I've gotten older, I guess I've just kind of grown out of wanting to be a part of the music scene. Don't get me wrong, I still love me some music... but I don't care to be surrounded by some of those people who take it just a little too far. I have my many Cornerstone memories that I will cherish (just wish I would have had a digital camera back then!). I do, however, miss some of the concerts... specifically bands like Madison Greene (now defunct), Josh Garrels, Seeds & Friends (Worship at the Beach), Sleeping at Last, Alove for Enemies & many more. Just thought I would share one of Josh Garrels' Concerts with you. I don't know who took the video (but I was there in the crowd that year!) The lips didn't match up until about the middle of the video, but I don't care... it brought back good memories anyway!

Goodbye BMI, Hello WHtR!!

I don't know about you... but I am constantly struggling with my weight. The majority of my problem comes from candy and desserts. Ok, and I suppose that I *DO* eat more than I should... but I'm working on that!

Cory and I have been trying to cut back on white flours, breads, pastas, etc. We have been eating a lot more fruits and veggies and whole grains. We don't drink soda or alcohol or coffee/tea. We rarely eat red meat. We don't buy potato chips, instead we choose to eat homemade granola or nuts.

Those darn cookies though. I had to make some today for an upcoming wedding this weekend... and of course I couldn't resist eating some dough and a few cookies. (Ok, maybe like 6 cookies! UGH!)

Since Cory and I are trying to conceive, we have been trying to pay more attention to what types of food to eat more of and what types to avoid. Chocolate (well, anything with caffeine) is a NO NO.... soooo... I am going to do my best to give it up. It won't be easy, but ultimately being pregnant (at some point) isn't about ME. It's about the life growing inside of me. I could go ON about the things pregnant women say or do that frustrate me... but that's not what this post is about.

Anyway...

A friend of mine recently posted THIS LINK on Facebook. It briefly explains why the typical Body Mass Index isn't the best way to figure out if you're healthy. It introduces the Waist-to-Height Ratio. Maybe it's nothing new to some people, but I'd never heard of it before. I promptly went to measure my waist and divide it by my height to find my WHtR. Unfortunately, I am in the Overweight category (though not by too much). In our efforts to conceive and be healthy... and from doing this little WHtR equation, I am a little more motivated to get my butt in gear.

I won't lie, I am not the biggest fan of exercise... but I want to try to be a healthier me!! Dieting may help me lose weight fast... but I don't want a diet, I want a lifestyle change! I think slow and steady wins the race... and I'm thinking about saving up to get me some of these.

Do any of you have healthy lifestyle or exercise tips??

More Than Just a Chip...

So, today... I was at my dad's garage.

It just so happened that the windshield repair guy was there putting a rear window in a truck. I had somehow acquired a small chip in my windshield over the winter.... so I asked my dad if he thought the guy would look and see if he thought my windshield needed repaired.

So we walked over to my car and the guy was telling me how it wasn't that bad... it probably wouldn't cause any problems... but he could go ahead and seal it with resin just to be sure.

ME... being the goober that I am... made a comment about how I wasn't sure if it was worth fixing:

"But you see those stupid commercials on TV that make you think that any little chip is going to turn into a major crack!"

The guy looked up at me: "You mean our commercials?

I looked at his shirt... it said: Safelite

Oops.

(hahahahahahahaaaa!!)

Anyway, long story short... the guy attempted to fix my little chip... and turned it into a crack about 10 times bigger than it had been originally.

I probably will need a new windshield in the near future.

He didn't make me pay.

*sigh*

Oh, Neighbor!

It's been almost a year... and I FINALLY introduced myself to my neighbor yesterday. I know, LAME. But I am a tad on the shy side, unless an introduction is totally unexpected and I don't have to think about it and worry what I'm going to say! (Can we say Anxiety?)

I moved into our little house a couple of days before we got married (while Cory still stayed at his parents). We had met the neighbors on our Right before we even moved in since Cory had purchased the house 6 months before our Big Day and had some fixing up to do. Those neighbors are AWESOME. They have a black lab, like us... and they are just the type of neighbors who will step up to help whenever you need it (like the other day when my Bug wouldn't start and Cory and I went out with an old "Fix your Volkswagen" Book to try to diagnose the problem. HAHA--we are so not skilled with anything relating to motors! The neighbor guy saw us out there and came over... ended up jacking up my car and figuring out that the brushes in the starter need replaced!)......

Anyway... the neighbor lady on the Left of our house is hardly EVER home. She apparently has a boyfriend in another town and spends most of her time there. She pays people to mow her lawn... and honestly, I never even knew what she looked like until a couple of months ago. And that was just from a distance!

I always worried about what she thought of us. Last summer when we put in our chicken coop... she made a comment to my FIL that she hopes they won't be loud. So I have been paranoid ever since... wondering if, during those brief times she comes home, she thinks that the chickens are squawking too much. There was even an article in the paper about noisy chickens in our township and how they may BAN chickens! (I got a little fired up about that) I secretly worried if it was Mrs. H who had complained. I also wondered if she thought I was rude for never saying "Hello". But, then again, she never said anything to me either. Did she think we mowed too far over and onto her property? Did she get annoyed if our dog wandered over to her yard (which has been like ONCE or TWICE in a whole almost year)?

Well, last month we started noticing another neighbor hanging out around her house while she wasn't there. Then one day Mrs. H appeared and hasn't left since! (Ok, she does leave to go to the store and stuff--but she hasn't made the long trips to her BF's place)... It kind of annoyed me. I liked not having her there because then I didn't worry if she was annoyed with us!! Turns out she was having the neighbor guy from across the street paint her house. I was a little bummed because I thought her little house looked cute in pink (and I'm not a pink person).

The paranoid dork that I am, started wondering if maybe she was painting her house so that she could sell it! I did NOT like that idea! I may have issues with her... wondering if she has issues with me (ha!)...... but I DO NOT want some other weird person or family with crazy kids moving in next door. I like the little peaceful bubble we live in!!

All month I have kind of kept my eye on that little house. I feel like the nosy neighbor! (Growing up, we used to have a woman that would watch our neighborhood with binoculars! Talk about creepy! I don't want to be like THAT!)

Then yesterday, there was a lawn service taking care of her lawn. They actually mowed over into our lawn... (free labor!)... and as I was hanging out some laundry, I heard the guy say something to her about how she is having her house painted. And then I heard her say, "Oh no! I don't want to sell!!"... and as odd as it may sound... I actually breathed a sigh of relief! I thought about it for a little while and just decided that I was tired of wondering what she thought of us being her neighbors. Maybe she was really nice and I was just being totally irrational!? (Who, me? Irrational? Pshhh!) So I grabbed a couple dozen eggs (from our chickens, of course) out of the refrigerator.... and marched myself over to where Mrs. H and the neighbor guy were sitting on her back porch. (Ok, it was probably more like a tip-toe, geez!) I apologized for not coming over in the last year... and I introduced myself and presented them with the eggs. We spent a few minutes on small talk and then it was OVER! It was very pleasant! I even slid a comment in there about hoping the chickens weren't too loud... and like a nice little old lady... she went, "Oh heavens, no!" (PHEW!)

I don't know why I didn't introduce myself to her sooner. I guess I'm just a big baby sometimes.... but I feel very proud of myself for taking that step. It was a big step for me! I am ashamed to admit that I have been so petty... even if it was just in my own mind!

Hopefully this will be the start of a beautiful neighbor-ship! And I must say... I do like the new color of her house better than that old pink!

Flashback Friday #24

This picture is from the fall of 2004. My sister's in-laws have a Fall Festival at their meat market every year toward the end of September. My mom and I usually set up a table with our Pottery and other things to sell. We also set up a table for face painting. My mom is a face painting PRO! I do alright myself... but not nearly as well as her! Anyway, my niece was 3 years old at the time and wanted to paint MY face since I had painted hers. Have you ever had your face painted? It tickles a little.. but it's actually very soothing! (Sorry the pic is so small, being from 2004, I don't have those pics on my computer, so I had to steal this from my old myspace page.. haha)

Here are a few things we've painted that I captured on my phone (sorry for the quality)!

(A woodpecker on Cory's face..LOL.. yes, he allowed me to paint his face one festival before he grew a beard!)

(My nephew LOVES vw's... so I painted this on him last month.. it's a little rough looking!)

(My mom painted this tractor on my nephew... but he smudged the headlight right off the bat! oops!)

(My mom has the steadiest hand EVER... she painted this on my niece a few yrs ago!)

Want to share your own Flashback? Head over to Christopher & Tia's!!

Happiness

I recently got this Happy 101 Award from Stina over at Consider the Coffee! We have known each other for probably 10 years... but recently were able to reconnect via blogging and facebook! Thanks Stina!

Getting this award means that I am supposed to share 10 things that make me happy!

So here we go:

1. My husband. I have never known a more interesting person. Most people might be going-- HUH? But underneath his quiet and subdued persona is a quirky and fun kid at heart. I see glimpses of it that no one else gets to see! Not to mention that he has the biggest heart ever. He never ceases to amaze me when we have in depth conversations (usually in the midst of my melt downs)... when he tells me what he thinks of a situation or how he would pray about something. He helps to put things in perspective for me. God knew what He was doing when he brought Cory into my life! (ILOVEYOUCORY!)

2. My pets. Boo and Weezer are our babies... and even when they do something to drive me crazy... I can't imagine life without them!

3. Reading a good book. If you are looking for some good reads... check out Jamie Langston Turner!!

4. Volkwagens. I know, I know... LAME. Hehe... But there is just something fun about getting in my old beetle or camper and cruisin' around with the windows down!!

5. Flowers make me happy. Mostly daisies... but really, any kind of flower is just lovely! I would love to have one of those overgrown gardens with flowers and vines all over and a stone path to walk through. *someday perhaps*

6. Sending/Receiving Snail Mail!! I LOVE writing (and getting) letters! It just makes me happy! (If you want to write to me... send me an email to exchange addresses! I'd be thrilled!)

7. Finishing a project makes me happy! I love to see something come together!

8. Games like SCRABBLE, Yahtzee, Sudoku, Scattergories! I don't know what it is... but I just love playing those games. I am a Facebook Scrabble addict (if anyone wants to play me... hit me up!).

9. Clean sheets make me SO happy. I am probably really weird... but I just sleep better when my sheets are clean. I also cannot have ANYTHING but my own head on my pillow. If the cat happens to meander across my pillow (or anything else for that matter)... that pillowcase is getting changed!

10. Spending time with family. The older I get... the more important it is to me to see my family. My grandma with alzheimer's is a big priority for me when I can make the hour drive to see her. It's also very important for me to make sure I give her and my parents hugs before I leave. If I don't, I get a little panicky not having said goodbye. So spending time with family... and hugging them before I travel home make me happy!!

I am supposed to tag some people to give this award to... please don't feel obligated to post about it on your blog! I know people are busy! But if you'd like to, it's fun to see what everyone writes about!!

Jenn @ South of Sheridan
Katy @ The Country Blossom
Brittany @ Little Miss Scatterbrained
Jennifer @ Child of the King

Never Again...

I don't want to eat cake or ice cream EVER again. EVER.

If you read my post from yesterday... you would know that it was our dog's 4th birthday. Being that she is like our own kid... we had a little party for her with my in-laws.

I spent some time during the day making a cake and homemade ice cream to share for the "party".

BIG MISTAKE.

I am only praying that my in-laws didn't get what I have! I woke up at 11PM with horrible stomach pains... and well... you can imagine the rest. Cory was sick a little too... but is fine now. For some reason... I am STILL sick and miserable. Food poisoning is my self diagnosis! However, I KNOW I checked the expiration dates on the milk and whipping cream for the ice cream. Cory suggested that maybe one of them got set out by someone not wanting to buy it (you know, how people leave unwanted items on the shelf)... and perhaps an employee grabbed it and put it back in the cooler. Then, I just happened to be the one to grab it and put it in my cart to buy! (I'm never buying dairy products from the front row of the cooler again!!) I guess regardless of what may have caused it... I am MISERABLE. So I am taking it easy today....

Here are some pics from last night:

All tuckered out!!

(Please don't mind my hideous floor... it came with the house! LOL!)

It was a nice evening... until 11PM rolled around!!
I am off to veg on the couch in hopes of kicking this bug!


On a side note: My blog got majorly spammed last night... even though I use the "word verification" for my comments... I am hoping not to have to turn on the "comment approval"... but just wanted to give you a heads up that it may be on the horizon!

Happy Birthday to BOO!!

Four years ago today... our baby puppy was born!!

She was the only puppy out of about 8 that came and licked me to death the day I went to pick one out. I knew she was the one!!

Daddy's Girl:

(Here she is on Cory's lap going to one of her first vet appointments. She used to be so little and could sit on our lap in the car! Now she is so big, she takes up the whole seat on her own!)

Boo and I had our ups and downs... she was at home by herself so much because I worked and volunteered a lot. She was quite the naughty girl! But after Cory and his parents stepped into the picture, she calmed down A LOT. I totally credit them with taming her wild side! They gave her so much attention... much more than I had time to give. She used to visit Cory's parents every now and then before we got married. Once we married and moved closer to them, Boo started having weekly visits. Sometimes sleepovers (for days), sometimes just a day visit or a small visit for a walk or two. She is like their grand kid... and she loves them to death! (And they love her!) Cory and I often wonder, if she ever got stranded somewhere.... would she find her way "home" to our house... or to theirs! I am so grateful for their involvement with Boo!

They are coming over tonight for cake, homemade ice cream... and presents! I'm sure I'll post pics!

On a side note: Weezer, our cat, already opened one of Boo's presents! I had them wrapped in tissue paper and sitting off to the side in the living room... and the cat decided she was going to check them out and ripped into one! What a goofball!!

Just When I Think I'm Hanging in There...

... I realize that it's only by a thread.

If you haven't read some of my earlier posts you may not know that my husband and I are trying to conceive. I don't really like to post about it much because it's kind of private (and I don't want people giving me annoying advice about how much they *understand* when they've never been in my situation).

ANYWAY. Recently a friend of mine thought she had a miscarriage. Turns out that she had an ectopic... and she and her husband are devastated. I am devastated FOR them! It's just so sad. I have been praying for them to heal and find peace. I shared briefly with my mom about their heartache because I knew that she would care and would want to pray for them as well. She ended up buying this book to send to them.

(credit)

I decided to read it before I sent it off to my friend to make sure that it was appropriate since my mom hadn't read it before purchasing it. I kind of read through it fast, since I wanted to get it mailed out to my friend... but it really put a lot of things in perspective for me. If you are a Christian (or even if you aren't) and are struggling with Infertility, Miscarriage and/or Adoption Loss.. I would encourage you to pick up this book! It was nice to actually be able to relate to someone in a way that didn't make me feel like I was just "being ridiculous" or "impatient". It made me feel sort of normal in my struggles with not being able to conceive.

On another note though... having learned of my friend's unfortunate situation... there is a part of me that is afraid to get pregnant... because I don't want her to feel badly. I know that it is really out of my hands, however I don't know if I could shake that feeling of guilt if it were to happen. I suppose it's a moot point since I'm not pregnant... but it still hangs there in the back of my mind.

Today has been a particularly hard day for me in general on this topic... mainly because I logged into Facebook this morning to see that a number of my FB "Friends" have uploaded baby/kid pics and there was even a pregnancy announcement on someone's status update. So many days I keep hanging on for dear life not to lose control... and then it all just comes crashing in on me and I'm lost in a mix of emotions. Sadness that I'M not the one announcing pregnancy or posting baby pics... but also frustration that I am letting it get to me SO much. I wish there was an ON/OFF switch because trust me... that switch would be OFF faster than you can say "pathetic"! (Some days that's how I feel)

And I just can't stay off Facebook since I'm addicted to SCRABBLE! lol

On a happier note... tomorrow is our baby Boo's 4th birthday!
(From her bday a couple yrs ago)

Who'd-A-Thunk?

(The back of my dress on my wedding day)

So, yesterday I decided I was FINALLY going to take those bags of stuff to Goodwill that have been sitting in my dining room for a month and a half. They were driving me crazy and I just thought... IT IS TIME. Since it was such a nice day, I also decided to stop by Chubby's Cleaners to drop off my wedding dress. Yes, you read right... my wedding dress. It has been a little over 11 months and my wedding dress has been balled up in a plastic bag since I took it off at the end of my wedding reception before we got in the car to leave!! My mom, though she always has good intentions, had it stashed away in the bottom of a cupboard... and one day I asked her about it and decided just to bring it on home with me.

Well, I got to Chubby's (LOL... I love that it's called that!)... and put the bag up on the counter. The guy asked me how he could help me and I was honestly *really* embarrassed.

"Well , it's been almost a year since my wedding and my mom was going to take care of getting my dress cleaned.... but as you can see [insert motioning at the garbage bag in front of us]... it is still balled up and waiting. I hope it isn't ruined." (*NOTE: I am totally NOT slamming my mom for not getting this done... she is always super busy doing things for everyone else... I don't blame her for tucking it away and forgetting about it!*)

The guy opens the bag as I hold my breath.

"Well," he says, "The good news is... it was in a black plastic bag. The sun couldn't get in to damage the fabric."

He asks where it was stored.

"In the bottom of a cupboard," I answered.

"Another good thing, " he said.

I start to breathe a little easier.

"Also," he says, "It's good that it was balled up!"

I think he could see the bewildered look on my face because then he said, "Most people don't realize that with a garment this heavy, leaving it on a hanger can actually stretch the fabric and ruin it."

Me: "Oh wow, I didn't know that!"

Then the guy got it all situated and hung it up so that he could assess the amount of damage done. He actually was pretty impressed with how clean it was (compared to others he has worked with). All the while, my breathing came easier and I started to feel less guilty for having it balled up in a garbage bag for so long.

He also told me that WHITE fabric is DYED with brightening agents. Did you know that? I never really thought about it... but apparently regular white is more yellowish and dull. So when your white gown (shirt, etc.) hangs in the sunlight and starts to discolor... it is actually going back to it's REAL color (which looks absolutely hideous).

When all was said and done... I felt 100% better and the Chubby's guy was super nice. He is going to clean the dress and then preserve it. I didn't know what that meant exactly... Can I never take it out of the box? Can my (someday) daughter wear it, if she so chooses? Will it be the same as the day I wore it?

All of my concerns were laid to rest... they clean it, put it in a special acid-free box (regular cardboard has acid that discolors things... ever notice old yellowish newspapers in the bottom of a cardboard box? Yep. Acid.), put it in a special plastic bag and VOILA! I can even take it out as many times as I want, as long as I make sure to put it back the right way. (Not that I plan on taking it out any time soon).

So... if you are a bride-to-be or maybe have your wedding dressed balled up in a garbage bag, waiting to take to the cleaners... remember these tips:

--Remember to budget $100-$150 for the care of your wedding dress AFTER your wedding!
--Do not hang your dress up after taking it off on your wedding night (if you aren't planning on getting it to the cleaners anytime soon)--the fabric will stretch if left for a long period of time!
--Fold, Toss, Ball it up (whatever) into a BLACK garbage bag so that light can't get in!
--Look into getting your dress preserved in a special ACID-FREE box that either doesn't have a little plastic window (for display) or has a special plastic that will keep the light from damaging it!

I feel a little weight lifted off of me after getting that taken care of! In 7-10 days, I should have my dress back, good as new!!