Our Adventures

Spice Rack Re-do

2011-05-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

We received a spice rack from our wedding registry. I have liked it for years, but only used a fourth of the spices in the rack. I thought it was time to change that. So, I dumped all the unused spices and washed all the jars. Then I re-filled up the empties with our many spices in our huge spice box.

I love that I now have all the spices I actually use next to the stove. Small improvement, but a great one.

Now I just need to find a better way to label them, this is sorta tacky.

I saw on another blog where she spray painted the lids with chalkboard paint and labeled with a chalk pen. I love the idea, but cannot find chalkboard spray paint in our teeny town!

Trying to make progress

2011-03-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

My efforts around the house came to a halt. Joe graduated academy and then nothing happened. While renovating is much more fun, we are making do with what we have.

This morning I decided to clean up the "backyard". It's in quotes because there really isn't a back or front yard, just where we've fenced in for the pups.

This is the bird house/feeder Joe made for me using scraps he found in the garage. Talk about inventive! Also, sweet because he was seriously listening to me when I mentioned in passing that it'd be nice to have a feeder since we have so many pretty birds. Love.

It's not perfect. I'm not terribly fond of the paint color, but it's all I had on hand.

But I love it because he made it. For me.

Doors Opening

2010-12-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

The very boring, light blocking OLD door. My wonderful new door.

Bedroom # 2

2010-12-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

I finished this in June, but here's the photos!

I'm posting these because I'm about to change the spare bedroom again. We got a new bed (previously posted) so we are switching out bed sets. Once I work it out I'll take pictures!

Master Bedroom Update

2010-12-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

We have been working hard on the house. Joe is becoming great with electrical work. To date he has removed two ceiling fans, installed one ceiling fan, changed three ceiling lights although I give him credit for four since I changed my mind and he had to remove and install one twice. (opps) While he gets all credit for electrical work, I get credit for the other stuff.

I have painted another room. I’m doing a happy dance, this is the largest room in the house and it’s almost done. I just need to clean up the corner where two different colors meet. I picked Valspar’s Polished Silver as our lighter color and Stone Mason as the darker accent wall. It definitely has a blue base to it, which is exactly what I wanted. We are now the proud owners of a king size bed, which is so so nice. The thing is so tall that I feel like a little girl crawling up into it. Here are some pictures of what we were working with before and now. This is seriously my new favorite place in the whole house. If I could get my DVR up in the room, I might not ever leave!

Little Kitchen revamp

2010-11-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

While I was working on something else, hubby said he was bored and wanted to knock one of our mini projects off our list. So we did.

We ripped out the long counter in the kitchen and I love it. New flooring has moved up on my list though.

2010-10-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

The hubs has requested that I start a blog devoted to just our house. I wasn't sure but have agreed. If he doesn’t think that crazy couple adventures should include our home reno then I suppose I’ll go along with it in hopes that he’ll blog too. Maybe? Yeah right. I dream.

Now I am stuck with what to name the new blog and should it still be on blogspot or wordpress or some other unknown [to me at this time] hosting website. A few friends use wordpress and I definitely like the ability they have to personalize their blogs. I’m certainly too cheap to be buying a domain .. that is unless they are cheaper than I imagine. Who knows. But really, my free blog currently does the job of recording our stories and really you may be surprised to hear how many times I ask Joe “Can we reuse that?” Really I’m just thrifty, cheap, whatever you want to call it I’m a girl trying to make it happen on ONE INCOME.

Renovating our house should give me more blog material and I am hopeful that I will blog more than I have in the past year. I am even considering bringing the laptop with me to work to blog on my lunch break since our internet is less than friendly at home. I cannot load ANY pictures at home, I’ve tried many times. Still thinking that one through.

Any suggestions from the few people still out there? We have gone from Our Adventures Overseas to Crazy Couple Adventures. Would the next logical blog be Crazy Couple House? Or just Crazy House? Doesn’t that sound a bit too much like an insane asylum? Should I go in a different direction entirely? Ugly House? Cute little old run down house? Gosh that’s boring. I’m just not sure. I know from reading younghouselove.com that we can’t go with anything resembling “This Old House” which um, hello is so appropriate for our little place.

I follow quite a few blogs through my Google reader; perhaps I need to go to each actual website to view the different options out there and to get some ideas. Ugh, but that sounds time consuming. Especially with uber-slow internet.

After a quick Google search, these are the top 31 (oh my gosh, there are 31!)

1. WordPress (http://wordpress.com) - this one is number one for one main reason, it does not have ads on your blog
2. Blogger/BlogSpot (http://blogger.com) – this is one of the most commonly used blogs, it is user friendly.
3. LiveJournal (http://livejournal.com) - this is a great tool for writers.
4. Vox (http://vox.com) - a personal blogging service.
5. BlogSome (blogsome.com) - fastest growing blog host.
6. Xanga (www.xanga.com) – community centric.
7. Facebook (www.myspace.com) - community centric, many options
8. Myspace (www.myspace.com) - community centric, many options
9. Insane Journal (InsaneJournal.com) –same software as LiveJournal
10. Journal Fen (JournalFen.net) – same platform as LiveJournal
11. BlogABond (Blogabond.com) – A site dedicated to travel blogs with map integration and more.
12. Blog Cheese (BlogCheese.com) – A video blogging website. Nothing to do with cheese.
13. Busy Thumbs (BusyThumbs.com)- A blog site specifically for your text messages and camera phone images.
14. FreeVlog (Freevlog) – Designed for video blogging and completely free.
15. Trippert (Trippert.com) – Create and share blogs of your travels.
16. Word Count Journal (http://www.wordcountjournal.com) – A new blogging format that is also part challenge.
17. Blogetery (Blogetery.com) – Offers multiple templates, anti-spam, free sub-domain and more.
18. EduBlogs (Edublogs.com) – WordPress powered blogging for educators and students alike.
19. Blog (Blog.com) – Offers free blog hosting with unlimited bandwidth for their free package, more benefits for paid members.
20. Blogr (Blogr.com) – Allows you to blog, host photos & videos, and podcasts.
21. Blogster (Blogster.com) – Offers free image hosting in addition to free blogs.
22. Bravenet (Bravenet.com) – Free blog hosting with RSS feeds and more.
23. ClearBlogs (ClearBlogs.com) – Free blog hosting and offers templates, friends only posts, IP-Banning and more.
24. Multiply (Multiply.com) – Mixes blogging and social networking, with photo galleries and more.
25. Netcipia (Netcipia.com) – Free blog and wiki for private or public display with 2GB of storage.
26. Open Diary (Open Diary.com) – Offers unlimited storage and posts.
27. ShoutPost (ShoutPost.com) – A platform for creating blogs with a focus on generating traffic.
28. Soul Cast (SoulCast.com) – Anonymous blogging.
29. Tumblr (Tumblr.com) – A blog platform with a focus on allowing media-rich posts.
30. Weebly (Weebly.com) – Allows you to create a site and blog, free hosting and change designs on the fly.
31. ZoomShare (Zoomshare.com) – Free blog hosting with 250MB of free storage

I can’t say knowing the top 31 helps me any, I might actually be more confused.

My Birthday = Bathroom Time

2010-10-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

As we get older, we change. It’s inevitable.

Birthdays used to be so exciting, I couldn’t wait for them and the anticipation was almost too much. Now when I have a birthday coming, I don’t dread it but I’m not nearly as thrilled as I was when I was a kid.

My birthday was in September.

As my friends and co-workers were asking me what exciting birthday events happened over the weekend I replied completely serious and quite excitedly “we tiled our bathroom”. My god how my priorities have changed. As a kid I focused on toys, games and play time; as a teenager it was still games but the athletic type, boys, clothes, makeup and hair and now I’m getting all excited about tiling my master bathroom. Hmm.

One co-worker actually stated, well you sure are getting older when that’s what excites you. I suppose that’s true. Eight years ago I would have scoffed at the fun of tiling a bathroom, but now I can’t wait to show you my brag pictures!

I will soon have a fully functioning master bathroom again, meaning I will NOT have to go down some fairly steep stairs to go to the restroom in the middle of the night. Which by the way wakes the dogs up, then they want to go to the restroom as well. It has become a whole event making those trips to the restroom terrible. What should be a quick, don’t wake up all the way ‘thing’ turns into an actual event of dodging stepping on dogs when opening bedroom door, attempting to not fall down steep stairs, remove two baby gates, open blinds, open slider door, rush dogs outside, then run back to the restroom and then do it all in reverse and plop in bed and try to fall back to sleep.

It’s a really good thing I adore my pets so much, because it hasn’t been very restful in this crazy couple’s house.

So yes, I am very excited that we will have two fully working bathrooms again. And hey the hubs got me flowers for our anniversary and my birthday so it wasn’t all about tiling.

Spoiled Paint

2010-10-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Not to mean that I spoil my paint, although I did try to treat it fairly. Making sure it wasn’t too hot or cold. Much to my shock, the five gallon bucket of paint that I had been using for the past month or so, went bad. Can paint truly spoil? Oh let me tell you, it sure can. I made the mistake of painting a wall, okay it was actually three walls in my laundry room with this spoiled paint (thanks a lot face mask for masking the icky smell). Let me just say, it looked beautiful. I edged like a pro; the color was looking sharp against the crisp white trim. It was just SO stinky. My best comparison would be spoiled milk.

From the little I could find online, hello Google, there were mold spores in my paint. Wha?? That meant I just willingly put mold on my wall. Oh. No. Research telling me the only way to truly fix the problem, other than ripping out the walls, was to primer the walls with oil-based primer. Have you ever been around oil based paints? It’s not a pleasant experience, they are nearly toxic. I got another mask, hoping this one would be safer for my lungs and got to painting. My laundry room is a lovely shade of white and it doesn’t smell! Now I need to get some paint mixed up to paint the remainder of my walls. I have the laundry room and stairwell left in the tan color, then on to the master bedroom. The master will not be tan. I haven’t decided, but I’m thinking the same green I did in the spare bedroom. I am hoping to work on the spare bedroom soon. Turn it into an office/bedroom since it’s just me and the hubs and we only have two bedrooms, we need this room to do double duty!

5

2010-09-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

This day five years ago Joe and I decided to spend the rest of our lives together. It's unbelievable to me that it's been five years. What a crazy five it's been. I couldn't imagine having spent it with anyone else. Love you butthead.

Pictures and proof to come

2010-09-09T17:56:00.001-07:00

I promise!

After an extremely embarrassing moment of locking my keys in the car, I was graced with a visitor. One who had seen the house when we were moving in, aka (f)ugly. She gave me the encouragement I needed, pointing out the drastic differences that I have made. I guess I'd forgotten all the work I had already done to the house.

I'm on a different (Joe's) computer and all my pictures are on mine, but I am motivated to prove to you the work I've done. And now that our Internet has improved a tad I may be able to load said pictures without sitting in the McDonald's parking lot!

One to go

2010-09-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well, Joe started the Police Academy mid August. We knew it would be difficult with him working nights and going to school during the day. We didn't count on him being so exhausted that he could barely function. The man that is usually able to survive on a few hours of sleep just couldn't manage. Joe is a full time student now and we are down to one income. Oh boy.

Here's hoping the next few months go well!!

Spoiled

2010-09-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have some seriously spoiled paint. Not to mean that I spoil my paint, although I did try to treat it fairly. Making sure it wasn’t too hot or cold. The five gallon bucket of paint that I had been using for the past month or so, went bad.

Can paint truly spoil? Oh let me tell you, it sure can. I made the mistake
of painting a wall, okay it was actually three walls in my laundry room with
this spoiled paint (thanks a lot face mask for protecting my nose and lungs from the icky smell). Let me just say, it looked beautiful. I edged like a pro; the color was looking sharp against the crisp white trim. It was just SO stinky. My best comparison would be some seriously nasty spoiled milk.

From the little I could find online, hello Google, there were mold spores in my paint. Wha?? That meant I just put mold on my wall. Oh. No. Research telling me the only way to truly fix the problem, was to primer the walls with oil-based primer. Have you ever been around oil based paints? It’s not a pleasant experience, they are nearly toxic. I got another mask, hoping this one would be safer for my lungs and got to painting. My laundry room is a lovely shade of white and it doesn’t smell! Now I need to get some paint mixed up to paint the remainder of my walls. I have the laundry room and stairwell still left to do in our tan color, then on to the master bedroom. The master will not be tan. I haven’t decided, but I’m thinking the same green I did in the spare bedroom. I am hoping to work on the spare bedroom soon. Turn it into an office/bedroom since it’s just me and the hubs and we only have two bedrooms, we need this
room to do double duty!

Small changes

2010-08-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

We have been doing work on the house. While that fact seems obvious to us, it might not be to everyone else. Small changes still make us happy. I read on

http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/05/easy-upgrade-super-toilet/

about an easy toilet upgrade. I had been hating on our toilets since we moved in, even after changing out the seats (come on, eww) and scrubbing them like crazy I was still thinking of purchasing replacements. They are not efficient. Who wants to keep anything that is wasting water? Not I.

I miss many many things about living in Italy, but I think the one that surprised me the most was that I miss the constant desire to do good for the earth. I was disappointed when we moved to SouthEast Texas to find that recylcing isn't a priority. Even worse it's really inconvenient. Our toilets in Italy were mounted to the wall and used gravity to help flush. No I didn't mount our toilet to the wall. What I did incorporate is much more simple. A two button flusher. One uses very little water while the other uses the tank. I love it. We now have it in both bathrooms and I am much more at ease knowing we are wasting a little less.

**I do apologize to anyone who prefers to not call their toilet a toilet. Does commode make you happier?

May need to quit

2010-07-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it's been over a month since my last blog post. We had some guests come at the end of June and I haven't felt compelled to search for a new Internet spot at the house. You see the Internet situation is just getting worse!

We have made a little more progress on the house. Joe has ripped apart the upstairs bathroom while I am tackling the cabinets of the downstairs bathroom. I've only gotten one coat of paint on them so far but pictures will come .. eventually. I would like to switch out the lighting in there first, because well it's just ugly.

Bedroom #2

2010-06-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a little before and after fun.

This is the bedroom exactly as we saw it when we first viewed the house.

I hated the blue walls and wallpaper instantly.

Here are my changes

Some new curtains, new furniture arrangement and some new color.

I think I like it!

Hood Family Farm

2010-06-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Joe has taken it upon himself to add to our 'family'. Here are the new additions. One of the anniversaries is wood and another metal, I might be making Joe a sign stating "Hood Farm". Hopefully the additions will stop. I'm begging them to stop lol

Our Guinea's

Let's catch up a little

2010-06-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Would you believe me if I said I've been so busy with trying to work on the house that I haven't had time to blog, let alone take pictures? Well it's true. Coupled with our terrible Internet connection, I'm having a hard time of this.

So let me fill you in on what I've been up to. One night I saw this:

VERY curious cats

Do you see it in the trash pile?

The biggest mouse I've ever seen!
I mean really, aren't mice supposed to be little?

Here is everyone enjoying some sun outside while I try to clear the yard.

Rowdy, otherwise known as Kitty

D.O.G

Honey

Cali

Gella was being fussy and didn't want to be outside *(it was really hot and I don't blame her) so no picture of her this time.

My plan is to take some pictures soon of the rooms I have completed for a little before and after action.

Time for a tour

2010-05-15T12:29:00.001-07:00

We have been living here for over a month and I think it's time for a tour, even if it's still messy.

Master bedroom

Spare bedroom

Kitchen

Living room (not our couch)
Driveway
The house (Wating for the realtor & Joe peeking inside)

Booze and Boxes

2010-04-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

I cannot blog due to the boxes .. well and the booze. He he that's all in boxes right now (wine shipment people, I'm not a lush). I have declared that we have too many items and will very soon be purging. A lot.

We are almost through getting our items out of storage, neither of us have taken any days off from work .. so it's been interesting. Joe is amazing and I am trying to be organized. We shall see how that turns out.

I am amazed

2010-04-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

I got to thinking today, in the past year, I have had four addresses, five if you include the couple of weeks in the hotel. That is too much moving and we aren't even done! (Over half done, just the big stuff now, yippee)

I was relaxing in my hammock [that Mr. Crazy just put up for me, yay] watching the dogs run around and play. I kept thinking what an odd year we've had. There have been major ups and major downs. I'd think that purchasing our first home is in the 'up' category, although once I show you pictures you may disagree. It's a bit of a fixer upper. Well that might be too harsh, but the wallpaper alone puts it in a sad state, and the pink paint and tiles makes me want to scream. So, there will be progress and changes. Lots of changes to come! I can't wait, but first I need to find my laptop charger.

A month and no change, really?

2010-03-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

I realize it's been longer than a month and I still have nothing exciting to share. Sorry, I'm a terrible blogger.

Joe is working nights and his days off are the middle of the week, which makes my days off (the weekends) generally very boring. I more or less feel like a waste. Hopefully, that will change soon.

We are so close I can taste it. I'm actually tasting dust, but I won't think about that. The crazy couple is trying to buy a house. It's been a complete year now that my things went into boxes, it's past time to unpack them and live a real and normal life. I am so tired of transitional limbo. I am quite excited about this and keep hoping it'll work out. We have our work cut out for us (oh my gosh do we ever!) but it's still exciting.

Whatever you do, pray, hope, send good vibes .. please do some in our direction. We NEED to close on this house this week!

Bite Marks

2010-02-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here's our pretty Gella.Our pretty little Cali

I think they are becoming friends.

Anatomy 101

2010-02-16T16:52:00.001-08:00

Apparently I need more help than I imagined. It turns out our little boy, is in fact a little girl. I swear the part looked like a boy! I was assured I'm not the only one to have done this, but the boy part is higher ont he belly.

So now I'm starting back to square one on picking a name. We were thinking of going with Sarge when we thought she was a he. Geez.

Someone help me

2010-02-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

Joe has managed to bring home something. Something I asked him repeatedly not to. Something that was insistent about waiting on.

But that was me, hoping. Joe doesn't listen to me all the time.

So I am here to introduce ....

our new member in our TEENY home

Please don't ask how it happened, I'm still not sure!

Oh, if you have any cute boy names, I'm all ears.

I am trying to think of something creative, not a persons name. Something unique. Ugh

** I changed the picture. Shows his size better.

Crickets

2010-02-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here watching as Joe puts on his new uniform. Today is his first night on. He's a Corrections officer at one of our jails.

I dealt with Joe working many nights in addition to plenty of time apart due to "trips" and we did fine. No biggie. It did take me awhile to get used to though. Nights alone. Even on a military base, fenced in, patrolled hourly by guards. Alone, takes awhile to get used to. Now those nights start again and I do not have the guards. I feel less independent saying this, but nights alone are kinda scary. We are in the country and there are some interesting sounds. Tonight we are having a decent storm too. I have a pot ready to go for the morning, I have a feeling I will be needing some STRONG coffee.

Old is new

2010-01-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

Having moved from one part of the world to another, our cherished belongings followed. Slowly. Then they sat in storage and now they again sit in storage, just much closer to us. I have been desperate to find a few things. Coats and shoes. Joe on the other hand was desperate to find things like his Xbox and the Wii. Only he had been victorious until today.

Here's an example of what we've been dealing with (not my picture)

Here's what I've finally found (also not my picture)

I now have four or so more shoes for work and I can't believe how excited I am!

Something’s missing

2010-01-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Every so often I feel that something is missing. In Sicily we had our group of friends and although making friends took a little bit of time and “friend dates” we had people to call and hang out with. While in the process of making these friends, I had made some really great virtual friends. Yes, friends that I met online. It was a group of ladies in a similar situation as my own; although not military they were in countries other than their home country. We discussed current news, political events, thoughts and feelings and joked around. I find myself missing that very much. Now back on the other side of the world, I find that I am in a very similar situation as our first few months in Sicily.

So the question comes to mind again. As an adult, how do you meet people? There is of course the work place. I tried to pursue some potential friendships at work, they failed. For one reason or another but it seems that working directly for the *boss* didn’t help. Hubby and I are currently living in a community where the average age is 60+. So now the question is how do you meet people and make friends that are in your age group, when the selection is so limited. Also a deterring factor is that Joe & I do not have children. I have been told by friends, with children, that they are often reluctant to invite us as couple to something since we don’t have kids. I don’t think anyone likes annoying children, but Joe and I tend to like kids. Especially since Joe is a big kid himself!

I’m not complaining, not begging just reminiscing really. I miss the IN’s and hope you are all doing well!

A new Sunday ritual?

2010-01-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Today hubby and I walked our neighbors pig home.

She is a lovely 'little' pregnant pig

who likes to get out and explore.

Gela likes her. A lot.

Afternoon walk

2010-01-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Gela and I were walking around the property and

I finally remembered to take my camera!

Fresh beginnings

2010-01-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

I rang in the New Year with a stomach bug and just last week for Christmas I had a nasty cold. I hope this isn't warning of how the year will be.

Days before Christmas we received our household goods. Which means we now have everything we own in one location, which is fantastic. Now we just need a bigger place to put it all, but all in time. We have been searching through boxes trying to find items that have been missed. Our teeny apartment is filled with a few too many things right now and I am trying to determine which ones are more important. Even if we put something back, I only have to walk a bit to get it again, putting my mind at ease.

Joe is in a wedding next weekend, so I'm hoping all is well and we will both be able to go.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T15:30:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas :D

Our Early Christmas

2009-12-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Joe and I have been home for awhile now, but I am still taking it all in. I met a cousin and a great uncle, as well as some adorable extended family. On our second day in Stagecoach, NV (about as small as where we live!) it snowed. I have never seen snow fall nor have I ever played in freshly fallen snow. It was so much fun.

Isn't using a snow shovel cheating ?

The guys were making snowballs for the girls.

And here the guys are running away from the teenagers. That can't be good.

It was a great trip and we had a fantastic time. Joe fit right in with the craziness of my family. It was truly a wonderful [early] Christmas.

White Christmas

2009-12-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't have expected it, but South East Texas got snow. Pastures covered gently with soft white snow. It was so beautiful.

http://www.kfdm.com/news/snow-35566-fun-kountze.html

Endulge!

2009-11-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

This will be our first Thanksgiving with either family since we've been married. I'm looking forward to the food, is that wrong of me? Sure I can't wait to see my hubby's pocket sized Grandma and other family favorites, but really it's mostly about the food.

While I plan to enjoy myself, I hope not to over-eat. There's always hope isn't there?

This Crazy Couple is wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Family and new comers

2009-11-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting to tell you guys until it was absolute. We will be heading WEST!

Hubby and I are going to a 'Christina family event' in the beginning of December.

Tickets have been purchased, plans for pets have been made and I will see my dad for the first time in 3 years! I'm super excited. I will be seeing a bunch of my family including my fantastic my Aunt [who is hosting the event], cousins and hopefully my newly married brother and his bride.

Hubby hasn't met all of my family yet. Four years together and we still haven't each other's entire families. Wow.

The more I look forward to the trip the slower each day seems to go.

Oh, the newcomer won't be my new sister-in-law as you may be thinking, we will be meeting a new found cousin!

Bachelorette no more

2009-11-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

Gela is out of the running, but she is rooting for Nico now. Check out

Burger's blog http://www.hamburgershouse.com/

Yes please

2009-11-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

We had the most glorious lazy Sunday today. Gela and I woke up early and went for a walk, letting hubby sleep in. Once we got back we decided we had been nice enough and woke him up :)

The only thing we accomplished was doing our weekly shopping done. Perfectly lazy day!

Our place

2009-11-10T18:37:00.001-08:00

Our slightly blurry kitchen

A little bit of each 'room'

Gela is in the running!

2009-10-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

I would just like to announce that our pup, Gela, is one of the top 24 contestants for doggie bachelor.

You can check it out here:

http://www.hamburgershouse.com/2009/10/burger-the-bachelor-meet-the-semifinalists/

I think I might need to submit a cuter picture of her, but please submit your vote for #8!

Chillin out

2009-10-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

We went for a walk. The crisp Fall air was wonderful!

Shaken up

2009-10-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

My husband and brother in law got into an accident last night.

They were riding motorcycles, BIL got hit by a truck (holy cow!) and hubby laid down the bike he was riding in order to not hit BIL. It was the trucks fault and the boys are ok. That's all that matters, they are beat up and bruised, but they are ok.

Please send some good thoughts or prayers their way, the next few days will be rough for them.

Introducing a little part of my day

2009-10-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors pregnant pig

Their baby pig

Panoramic view from our place. I love this pasture, it's beautiful.

I live off a dirt road

The row of our little buildings and my 'new' Jeep.

Gela's new yard and our landlords dog, Toby.

I pass this guy every day and every day he's on his house.

Always makes me laugh.

Gentleman?

2009-10-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

I grabbed the pup this morning started driving got about five minutes from the house and one of my tires decided to go completely flat. I started to pull off the spare only to see not one but two different men drive by. No help offered. Shame shame boys.

New Blogging

2009-10-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

I am going to make an effort to start blogging more regularly. Although in a small town where little to nothing happens it'll be interesting finding material.

I did stop to take some pictures one afternoon. I'm sure the people driving by thought I was a crazy out of town-er. What do you know, they were right!

Oh Fall how I love you

2009-10-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

The temperature in Southeast Texas has finally changed, it's cooling down a bit and all I can think of are cozy sweaters and yummy comfort foods.

This weekend the husband and I will experience our first Texas Festival in the country. I've been told we will see many animals, though I'm not sure how thrilled I am for the poo and smell, I'm determined to have fun.

I borrowed a charger and finally have a camera again! I have been taking pictures whenever possible and will load them soon :D It's funny how something so small makes me happy. I love being able to document our lives.

I don't have any of our decorations for fall, we are still living out of suitcases, but I've put come cheery little flowers around the apartment.

I'm sure Abby will be doing some great projects with her little man, so I'm curious what everyone is doing to celebrate and embrace fall?

Trials and Tribulations

2009-09-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have often in the past few months asked myself, why me? Yes I have felt pity for myself, I hate admitting it almost more than I hate feeling it.

We have had a really rough few months. You might be asking why? Well, we have completely turned our lives upside down. My husband got out of the military and we moved to the grand 'ol state he calls home, mainly due to being promised a job. With the few belongings we could pack, our 3 furbabies in tow and our household goods being shipped to Texas, only to arrive and find said job is no longer available.

I think that's the point where I actually had a break down. Moving back to the states was already stressful and cost us a load of money and here we were staying at a family members house (kicking a little girl out of her room!) with no jobs or prospects in sight. It was not good.

I started job hunting as though my life depended on it. I managed to get a decent job, I am pretty lucky. That is something I have to remind myself of almost daily. Like it's my new mantra. The husband still hasn't' found a decent job. He is currently working as a mechanic, he's more or less a day laborer.

As I remember our struggles of being newly married and moving overseas, nothing could have prepared us for this. We were living it up while stationed in Italy, we had everything we could want or need. We were debt free. It was wonderful.

I understand our economy isn't great, I really really do. But in a rural country area, it isn't actually effected the same ways every where else has been. Being so hard up is shocking and extremely scary. We aren't sure what direction to even try to go in, we are just trying to make it. I look forward to the day everything changes, part of me is praying for it.

I didn't know what I was going talk about when I started this entry, I didn't think it would take this turn. I am not trying to depress anyone. I'm not even sure I will even keep this posted. I am simply stating the truth, well our truth at least.

What instigated it was reading http://www.wearethatfamily.com/ the stand by your man entry.

I feel I have stood by my man, scared as I was and it hasn't worked out so well. I am a city girl, living in the country with some seriously country folks [not that being country is bad, just makes me chuckle sometimes].

I hope you read the "we are that family's" entry and maybe it will inspire you to do something you may be afraid of.

Scary new things can be fun, so long as they work out.

Picture-less

2009-09-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, that isn't a word, but that's just how sad I am. We have officially moved and I have no photographic evidence. Where we live is beautiful. Old tractors waiting to be photographed along with my pup running around all excited, exploring and getting insanely curious about horses, chickens and bulls.

I did not pack my DSLR charger or my little cameras charger. Apparently I suck at packing.

I'm hoping to find a suitable replacement for the big camera, I've been itching to get out there and take pictures. The Texas countryside is just so pretty (minus the snakes & bugs!).

Color Fun

2009-08-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Jessica & Abby have such different pallettes I thought it'd be fun to see what mine is.

Christina, you are a Global Casual

Your home is warm and inviting, and expresses your curiosity and zest for life. You have wide-ranging interests, and an appreciation for many different cultures and ways of life. You bring a sense of the far-flung world into your home through its décor through unique or artisan-made treasures. Objects in your home tend to reflect your personality, your passions, your values, and your eclectic interests. This gives your home a sense of intrigue and comfort.
You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.

Your Happy Home Colors

Moving

2009-08-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Finally.

I have found a small (very very small) apartment for us. We will be moving this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. My in-laws have been wonderful to us, but it is definitely time to have our own space, even one this teeny.

Once we move, I will encourage Joe to look into Peace Officer Schools closer to our new residence, but one step at a time.

We will be living on an old farm, with animals. I'm sure this will be a fun experience especially for Gela; she's never met a chicken before.

Even though I've only been at my job for a couple months it is going well. Once we get set up, I will take and post some pictures.

New Chapters

2009-07-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

It feels as though we are almost beginning our new life here, we just need a few more things to fall in place. I recently started a new job (I'm the Executive Assistant to the CEO of a hospital), which is great but quite far from where we are currently staying. Now we just need to get Joe a job and a place to live, then we can actually feel like we are living here.

T-ball dreams

2009-05-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

Having missed out on the last three years of our niece & nephew's lives we are trying to have as much fun as possible with them. Our nephew had a T-ball game and it was the cutest thing ever!

Fish Tales

2009-05-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Joe has been going on & on about fishing, more specifically fishing with Daryl our brother in law. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when Joe insisted we go fishing the very day we arrived in Texas; everyone obliged and we went. 15 minutes into fishing my pole went nuts, I caught this little guy

The boys are estimating it at around 50 lbs!

We are staying with Joe's sister, brother in law and their two kids; all of whom we haven't seen in three years. It's been interesting and fun living with kids and family.

We have started looking for jobs and a place to live, we have a lot on our plate but are REALLY hoping for the best, of course we wouldn't mind some good luck sent our way ; )

**No harm came to the fish, we threw them back in.

Homeward bound

2009-05-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

Since my long absence from blogging, we have had quite a bit change. We are now in the United States, not exactly where we would like to be (Virginia) but we are just so glad to be here it doesn't matter!

Our trip to the states was [if I'm being honest] terrible. We left Sicily arriving in Rome to find out we had to run our bags and three pets about 2 miles to another terminal, only to NOT be let on the flight. We were told to return to the terminal we just came from to try to catch another flight. The five of us trek back to the other terminal and get a flight to Frankfurt Germany, then to Washington DC. After gathering our bags we went to pick up the pets and a terrible woman told us only two of our pets made it. Without even checking. Thankfully she was wrong, we rented a car and were on our way to Virginia.

Joe & I were thrilled (I kid you not) about being in the US. We were set for the two hour drive, thrilled to have an end in sight. We ended up getting stuck in traffic so bad we showed up at our friends house in Virginia at 4 am, which we felt terrible about.

Honestly the trip was terrible, but we are in the states and we aren't letting anything damper that excitement and our friends have been a life saver and we are still at their house. Joe and I are still debating if we will start our trip to Texas tomorrow or Sunday, but we will be driving across country very soon. Wish us luck, I'm sure we'll be needing it!

Avendo una palla

2009-03-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure how I talked Joe into it, but we went to another Ball.

We had a great time!

Simple

2009-03-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

Breathtaking

2009-03-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is the view from my desk.

I fall in love daily.

Thankful

2009-03-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

Joe is home.

Cry baby

2009-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

I rushed Joe to the Emergency Room on Sunday, we had a follow up appointment on Monday and then Joe was admitted to the hospital that afternoon with a surgery scheduled for Tuesday. We have spent three days at the hospital and although it seems like a flurry of appointments and waiting around but we aren't done just yet. Joe is still at the hospital.

I never realized I was such a crier. I went to the hospital to see Joe off only to find his room empty. I was informed, by a very young staff member, they had decided to take him earlier. I panicked, was my husband really to go into surgery without me seeing him off? What was he thinking? I surely didn't want to be a source of concern for him as he was going into surgery! This poor young man standing in front of me was not prepared for what was coming; I started crying, making the young man panic.

After giving myself a bit of time to regain my composure, I walked into the waiting area to find the young man I scared half to death looking for me. Apparently he spoke with the surgeon and they said I could come in and see Joe. Thank goodness! I came into the curtained area where he was waiting and the moment I saw him, I started crying. This is so unlike me, where did this part of me come from and why did it have such bad timing? (Luckily for me, the curtain was drawn and only Joe saw my tears.) The surgeon assured me he would come and let me know how everything went, which in act he did and in exactly the timeframe expected.

Joe and I thought he was in the clear and we were about to head home shortly, but this is when things turned for the unfortunate. Joe started having pain in his abdomen, similar to muscle spasms which is extremely painful since four large needles where just there. In order to be released from the hospital one must walk, not be in pain and fill up a bottle with at least 200 ml of urine; of the three Joe was only able to walk. After quite a bit of beverage consumption and plenty of pain medication administered it was decided that Joe was to remain in the hospital tonight.

I am at home while my husband is at the hospital. I am hoping tomorrow is the wonderful day I get to bring Joe home.

Carnevale di Acireale 2009

2009-02-22T02:42:00.000-08:00

Joe and I went to Carnevale last Saturday, it was such a great experience. We think it was similar to Halloween since children and adults dress up in costumes but everyone throws confetti and sprays silly string and there are floats, such fun.

A lovely little day

2009-02-17T01:50:00.000-08:00

The beautiful town I see every morning, Mineo.

Cherry blossoms & dog bum
Rainbow
Double Rainbow!
"Our" home

Loosing it

2009-02-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

I've been on a quest to loose weight and while I've been fairly successful (I'm half way to my goal) I have a complaint. Can a person complain when they are loosing weight? Well I'm going to!

As thrilled as I am to actually loose [any] weight, I'm disappointed that one particular piece of clothing is no longer fitting properly. My bra. It's so difficult to find decent bras here that I'm really bothered by this. Joe just doesn't understand, he said "go buy a new one". Oh husband if you only knew how annoying that suggestion was.

So that's one thing I'm looking forward to in the U.S., more retail options because sometimes function over beauty really does matter!

Überrascht

2009-02-05T23:55:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated in awhile, partly because I don't know what to say.

I've learned that nothing is certain in the military, but I might be leaving in a month. There is so much to do and I feel terribly unprepared. I have so many mixed emotions about leaving, this is the first place Joe and I lived together and called home. I thought we'd have a few more months to take in all the bits that we love here, I feel like I'm getting ripped off!

Joe has been at medical appointments for the past couple of weeks [nothing is wrong, they are required] and is now submitting paperwork.

We don't know where our destination is or when we actually leave, but we know it is really happening.

Monday Project

2009-01-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a very pregnant friend on Sunday about baby clothes, she mentioned she was quite disappointed about the selection and variety of clothing available here. I thought I could fix that. Her nursery colors are Red, Black and white with a skull & crossbone theme.

Here's what I came up with.

Basic Black Rit dye

A few packs of Onesies

One messy boiling potA few freshly printed iron on's
Baby clothing to suit the mom's taste!
Every onesie had a different design on it, I also did a few receiving blankets, burping clothes, washcloths and the cutest little booties & mitts. I was so excited to give it all to her I forgot to take pictures of everything, but it all turned out better than I could have hoped!

Beauty

2009-01-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

End of the Year fun

2009-01-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hubby's work Christmas party

Me & pup on Christmas day

Joe sledding on our local volcano

Me sledding on the volcano (can you see the pup up there?)

Doggie friends trying not to freeze

Christmas Dinner success!

2008-12-29T06:07:00.000-08:00

Everything went really well, the food was good and most importantly the guys all liked it (they even went back for thirds!). Once everyone was stuffed we played games like we were all kids and had a blast, this was by far the best Christmas we've had here!

Preparation

2008-12-22T00:28:00.000-08:00

I have been preparing for our Christmas fest for the past week! I started making cookies, since they hold the longest. So far I've made multiple batches of sugar, peanut butter, snickerdoodle (thanks to Abby), chocolate chip and fudge as well as meatballs. Tonight when I get home, I'll make the meatball sauce, a cheeseball, pumpkin pie, apple pie and cheesecake; the ham will start thawing and I'll chop everything I possibly can.

I know this will sound wrong, but I can't wait for it to be over! AND I appreciate my family meals SO much more lol

Our Furbabies

2008-11-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

These are for their 'Grandma'

Honey - the experienced model

Rowdy - the modest one (ie too quick for pictures)

Gella - the baby, excited about everything which means she rarely sits still for pictures.

Finally some Halloween happiness

2008-11-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd be one of 'those people' who dresses up their pets, but alas I am. Here is my adorable pup on Halloween night. Our pup is a monkey, her friend is a hotdog and the black doggie was a punk rocker.

Book reviews

2008-11-03T03:44:00.000-08:00

I finally finished three books: A Child called It, The Lost Boy and A man named Dave by by Dave Pelzer. They were heart wrenching but also wonderful. The story of this mans life is shocking, I intend to purchase the books and write Dave a letter (not something I've ever done) but I feel so much for him after having read his stories, that I would like to do something. Anything. Here is his website, he's written six books total http://www.davepelzer.com/ I'm a sucker for a happy ending and I'm glad I stuck with it and read through all of the books. He's a fantastic, brave man and I would strongly suggest everyone read his book(s); his story will stay with you.

I'm a movie star

2008-10-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

I would include the link to the actual interview, but I don't want you to all hear how I sound (it's quite embarassing hearing yourself) I apologize for all of the black spots, but I don't want too much info 'out there'.

We were doing a Fire Prevention Demonstration and we had loads of fun. It was great to watch the kids crawling out of the house and play around with the firefighters and the fire truck. I feel we got some great information to the community and they enjoyed themselves.

The 2008 Navy Ball

2008-10-20T02:49:00.000-07:00

We sat through the slew of speechs from high ranking officials, some had wonderful things to say, some were funny but the one person I was most impressed with and feel the need to mention is a woman. She is a three star admiral, there is only 1 five star in the navy, so you have to figure she's worked pretty hard to get where she is. It was brought up that it's the Navy's 233rd birthday. I am slightly ashamed to say, I didn't realize the ball was for the Navy's birthday. That aside the ball was quite lovely, it was wonderful to see everyone all dressed up and even better to see my hubby in his uniform. Oh my goodness, he looks great!

Here are a few pictures:

*Little comment needed here, I'm not sure why I'm holding my dress up! I hate that I didn't get a second pic, but what can you do. I also missed having a picture taken of the back of the dress, there was a train, it was so fun to wear!

Abby brought up a good point, the food was delicious! Even Joe, who doesn't care for Italian food (in Italy) loved every course. So, so good!

A gown

2008-10-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

Joe and I .. well much more me, have decided to go to the Navy Ball this year as it will be our last chance!

I found a great dress, that was quite a steal!

Enrichment, happy Monday

2008-09-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Joe suggested a retreat being offered by our base. Much to my surprise it was a Marriage Enrichment Retreat, I agreed but wondered. This past weekend we went and it was quite possibly the best thing we have ever done for each other and our marriage.

It was simply wonderful. Tons of focused us time, learning about each other, personality types and how to grow together. I really have nothing bad to say about this, other than I forgot my camera and the beds were quite hard, but very minor considering.

3

2008-09-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, Joe and I decided we would spend our lives together. I still love that man as foolishly now as I did then. Happy 3 years hun.

Scavenger

2008-08-30T03:40:00.000-07:00

Joe and I enjoy going to the weekly antique market, although we don't always come home with something it's still fun to see what people are trying to sell. Even the old used shoes.

Last weekend we happened upon these lamps and I just love them. After scrubbing they are even lovelier.

Paid off, finally.

2008-08-20T04:39:00.000-07:00

I've waited two years, two frustrating years for little seeds to bloom and today they finally did. This is the fruit of that labor, isn't it beautiful? It's a passion flower, or Passiflora.

If you notice there's another one about to open right next to it!

Oouch!

2008-08-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today our pup had a surgery, she got put under anesthesia which scares me; but our new vet was wonderful. This woman sees so many animals on base and she manages to remember my pup's name,which made me smile. She actually took care of her personally. I'm so impressed with her especially since she understood how special my pup is to me.

I am happy to report she is home safe and sound with only one original piece is missing.

Don't answer even when asked.

2008-08-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

When you joke around about your birthday being a month away and the thirteen year old who's helping you in the office turns to you and asks how old you are and they then guess way older than you are. Don't be offended.

Tag, I'm it!

2008-08-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

1. My uncle once: gave me a sea shell.
2. Never in my life: would I have thought I'd be living overseas.
3. When I was five: I loved Barbie.
4. High school was: a few life lessons mixed in with immaturity.
5. I will never forget: falling in love with Joe. (my husband)
6. Once I met: someone I admired.
7. There’s this girl I know: who can't stop talking.
8. Once, at a bar: I played shuffle board with my grandmother. (VFW)
9. By noon, I’m usually: done with lunch and back to work.
10. Last night: I drank too much hard cider and enjoyed myself.
11. If only I had: an idea of what to do next.
12. Next time I go to church: I hope it's because I wanted to.
13. What worries me most: is feeling like a failure.
14. When I turn my head left I see: a beautiful painting of Naples Italy.
15. When I turn my head right I see: my pup and my fat cat (we are sitting on the couch)
16. You know I’m lying when: asked if I care, because I do.
17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: being a carefree kid.
18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be: dead.
19. By this time next year: I will be residing in the United States. Where? not sure.
20. A better name for me would be: I always liked Brook, but not sure it fits ...
21. I have a hard time understanding: why people can't act like adults and stop gossiping (prob just the military community, but I doubt it)
22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll: finish that degree!
23. You know I like you if: I try to make conversation with you, instead of just letting you do all the talking.
24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: Joe.
25. Take my advice, never: forget how important your family is.
26. My ideal breakfast is: my mom's Sunday morning breakfast.
27. A song I love but do not have is: anything related to Christmas, love it but don't have any.
28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: Visit the small bakery near my high school, then antique shop down town
29. Why won’t people: stop abusing and abandoning animals.
30. If you spend a night at my house: I'll make you breakfast in the morning.
31. I’d stop my wedding for: my grandfather.
32. The world could do without: hate.
33. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: eating one?
34. My favorite blonde(s) is/are: my mom.
35. Paper clips are more useful than: a clothesline.
36. If I do anything well it’s: organize.
37. And by the way: I'm happy.
I tag Michelle, Emily and Holly.

Dog days of summer. . .

2008-07-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

The fantastic days of summer oh boy they are passing us by quickly. It seems that winter lasted f.o.r.e.v.e.r. but the lazy, warm wonderful season is almost over.

I've realized I now cannot blog at work, considering I rarely turn on my computer at home anymore this cuts into my blogging time and ability drastically. So much has happened. Joe & I are coming up on a big anniversary; we are in such a good place right now that I'm really enjoying our marriage. I think it's taken this long to finally get in sync with each other and we are loving every second of it. Phew.

A neighbor and I started up a dog group in our community, we have quite a group going. Busiest night we had almost 20 dogs! It was wonderful. Gella (our pup) is slowly coming out of her shell, she has actually let other people pet her. I wonder if the pride I feel is what parents feel for kids, because I am proud. She's overcoming so much just by letting a kid stand next to her! *(quick back story, she was very badly abused before we adopted her, she has many quirks due to said abuse)*

I've been taking many photos lately, there is so much beauty here that I'm having a hard time focusing on which part to try and capture. It's fun just trying, thrilling when something turns to my liking.

The good ol days

2008-06-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been rather nostalgic, I popped in a CD from a few years ago and it’s crazy to think it’s actually been a few years ago. Back then I worked for that company near the town that I grew up in, I worked with one of the band members. Said member had this girl crushing all over him, oh he was just so beautiful. Dark lovely hair, blue icy eyes and such a kind kind heart. They are a fantastic band and I love their music. They are available on ITunes now, band name Fielding. You should check them out, good for lazy nostalgic afternoons.

How many Euro can I spend on one piece of fruit?

2008-06-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently alot! I actually squealed when I saw them and it hurt to buy them, but I made some guacamole. Not great, but damn if I didn't eat it all.

Bad wife

2008-06-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

Apparently i'm a bad wife. At least according to 1930's standards and for that matter, I would hope I am.

I scored: 3 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure)

Here's the site, 1930's wife go have some fun! I'm off to judge Joe.

I could hug both of them

2008-06-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

I made a purchase with a company in Hong Kong. Two days later my parents (old contact info) got a call, the card has been put on fraud alert. Which really is great, they are looking out for me, but now means I have to make a call sit on hold forever. ick.

So I called my company to tell them hey it was me & not fraud, [much to my surprise it was quick] the woman I spoke with was the nicest person ever. I mentioned I'm stationed overseas, so please delete the work number you have on file blah blah.. she got all appreciative and thanked me so much, to which I feel guilty about since it's Joe who's serving not me. She went beyond what she normally does and fixed all my problems with the account updated all my info. She was fantastic!

I have to say it's nice to hear it every so often (NO I'm not asking you to) people ARE still thankful, wow. Yay for one lovely lady with Bank of America, she absolutely made my day!

*On a very very funny side note, Joe came home to a present at our front door. Our cleaning lady remembered it was our Wedding Anniversary yesterday. Um, was it? Really? Because we both forgot! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HUN!!!!

Doors with character

2008-05-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

Fat Cat

2008-05-31T04:17:00.000-07:00

Traffic jam

2008-05-30T02:15:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to capture this, since we get stuck in them ALL. THE. TIME. finally I was able to ...

Sheep are everywhere, they are stinky and they stop traffic. Makes getting to work on time a bit challenging.

Taormina!

2008-05-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Joe & I decided to use our 3-day weekend getting away. We drove a bit to Tarormina, which is a beautiful beach city {my pictures are in my camera still at home}. It was quite possibly the most perfect weekend. We had no timeline in mind, just to enjoy ourselves and it was lovely. We strolled around town during the afternoon, did some tourist shopping, ate a delicious meal then went to our oh so relaxing hotel. It was on the beach, literally. We walked down to the beach, ordered some wine from this cute little man and just relaxed while listening to the sound of the crashing waves and breathing in the salty air. There is nothing more perfect than falling asleep to the sound of waves, ahh! We got up bright and early went swimming in the chilly Med, walked the beach got some sun and went to explore some more. I'm hoping to rent a villa with some friends shortly; another relaxing weekend is in order.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, whether it was a three-day or not!

A few other things ...

2008-05-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

that I have discovered, other than my dislike for staying at work past my working hours (carpools aren't always great lol) would be that hubby very much enjoys making espresso and we all knew that I VERY much enjoy drinking them, especially in my cute espresso cups so that all works out really well. But the odd discovery is that our Sicilan pup also enjoys a fair share of espresso. I sat down only to have a cute pink nose in my face licking at my espresso. That's it. She's really Italian now!

Recently discovered ...

2008-05-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

Two things about myself,

I love vintage cameras. Like love them alot! Similar to this:

And cute little owl figurines like this: (I'm currently lusting after this one at FruitFly's Shop on Etsy )

I find both of these very odd as I hate things that have no purpose and collect dust [hello clean freak] but both of these are fantastic and I want them. Badly.

*gasp* Does this mean I actually collect something?!? What the hell?

I think find it funny at how different they are, modern & vintage.

Stray Animals

2008-05-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

While walking to grab my boring salad for lunch, I heard this awful cry for help. A kitten was stuck in a drain and wanted out desperately. The teeny screams pulled at my heart. I went back to my office called someone for help and now the fire department and the stray animal facility is out there rescueing this little animal. But now all I want to do is cuddle it and calm it and love it. I do not need another pet, espeicially since I'm already over my limit! AND I just got hubby over wanting a cat (I bribed him with golf clubs, whatever! it worked) but now I want to help this little guy. I'll see if I can get some pic's of him/her this week.

I am a big animal lover and strongly encourage the adoption of animals who need homes!

Phew, got that done with!

2008-04-08T01:41:00.000-07:00

Just shy of two weeks from my accident and I did it. I finally drove. I was scared to death the entire time and guess what happened? This guy came off the interstate without even looking [thankfully I saw him] I kept hoping that he'd slow down and stop as one should, but no. I had to stop for him. Seriously. I got slightly flustered, but did fine. Hubby was really proud that I did exactly as I should, but was so worried I wouldn't be ok driving the rest of the way. I was and I did. Now I've driven myself into work two days in a row. Woo hoo!

She's working 9 to 5

2008-03-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

Today I discussed taking over my office and being the big boss! This would be a huge responsibility but also a huge pay increase! Now I'm negotiating with National Headquarters. Woot woot for more money!

Finally, some pictures for your viewing pleasure

2008-03-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

There are more, but I think you get the idea!

So soon?

2008-03-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well hubby took care of things and got us a vehicle already. It's a little pick up, but it'll do.

Yay for transportation!!

Opps!

2008-03-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Today on my way into work, I went my usual route, not the main highway as it's just so dangerous. Well my alternate safer route proved not to be so safe. I wrecked our only car and injuried myself. Hell of a way to start out the week. I can walk, I actually walked away from the car but I'm beat up, swollen and bruised.

I'm really hopful that April will bring us better luck.

Warm & buttery

2008-03-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been on this cooking/baking kick I'm not sure why, but I figure I'll just go with it hubby certainly isn't complaining! I've tried recipes from friends and some from people I don't know, but I'd like to mention something I made this morning. Katie has been inspiring me, I've made a few of the things she's posted, but these were easy (especially since I put everything in the food processor) and healthy. Here's the recipe:

Whole Grain Banana Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (I used all wheat)
1 c. oats
2/3 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1/8 c. wheat bran (I couldn't find this)
1/8 c. golden flax, finely ground
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large bananas, mashed (the browner the better)
1/8 c. honey
1 c. plain low fat yogurt (all I had was vanilla)
1 egg
1 c. finely chopped fresh strawberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare muffin tin.
In large bowl, combine dry ingredients making sure there are no large lumps in the brown sugar and set aside.
In medium bowl, mash bananas thoroughly and stir in honey, yogurt and egg.
Fold banana mixture into dry ingredients until combined well.
Fold strawberries into mixture.
Spoon mixture into muffin tin, evenly disbursing between all 12 cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out relatively clean.
Let muffins cool for 3-5 minutes and then remove from pan to cool on wire racks before serving.

I'm not sure if the changes I did made that much of a diffference, but this made a dozen normal sized muffins and a dozen mini muffins. I love them so I'm happy about that!

As I'm sitting here eating Carrot cake, I thought I'd mention she's got a great recipe for that as well! Yummy Carrot Cake

Saturday Mornings

2008-03-08T01:07:00.000-08:00

These blood oranges

= yummy Blood Orange Juice!