fantasy list

Other than the obvious, bringing Lee home and fulfilling all charitable needs, I have created a fantasy list of items Santa could bring me and I would not argue.

A trip to Bali

A teacup pink pig

Land Rover (white, please)

A doll house like home

Christian Louboutins

What's on your fantasy list this year???

love this kid

I love how Cooper always has to have a paw on me to make sure I don't go anywhere without him.

homecoming banner

Although months away, today I have Lee's homecoming on the brain. I found a site to make a 3x6 grommet vinyl banner for $10! Woot Woot! I'm not ordering it yet but here's the proof!

I'm thinking I'll hang the banner across the garage and secure it to the sconces that flank each side. Stake yard signs in the ground surround our driveway, line the cul-de-sac with small American flags and mailboxes yellow ribbons...and of course there will be balloons. Awe...happy thoughts.

i heart donuts

I "cooked" breakfast for my department this morning. I had a mad craving for a donut on the way to work and totally caved. Yummers.

cyber monday haul

I FINALLY bit the bullet and got a ghost chair for our office. It was a small bullet so I didn't mind. 119 beans with free shipping! One of these suckers will be under my bum soon:

weekend deets

I sooooo enjoyed the holiday weekend.

I made THIS pumpkin dump cake and it was yummy to my tummy!

My aunt told my youngest cousin that she had eaten enough dessert for one day but when she stopped asking me to come find her during a game of hide 'n seek I knew something was up. Dad was the only one that noticed Kaylor sneak a fudgesicle and he pointed her out to me! Do you see her hiding under the desk eating her fudgesicle?! Too funny.

Dad and I participated in our 1st Black Friday ever! He told me about an awesome deal at Sears but we had to get up at 3:30am to get it! Dad got the only one they had in stock and almost missed it by 5 minutes but we were able to get Lee one with the same price by ordering it online from the store with free delivery. Dad says his is his Christmas from mom. The one I got will be for Lee's birthday in June. Exciting to think he'll be home by then!

I left my parent's house and headed to mine later that morning to get things done around the house before the came my way to stay the weekend. We all went to a family friend's house for Bedlam Eve dinner and had a good time.

I picked up a couple dozen cupcakes at my friend's bakery before meeting up with friends and family to tailgate the next day!

Boomer Sooner! We won in overtime. Such a great game to attend!

My favorite buds from Chicago were in town too! Caroline and Sean surprised me at the house that morning and then I got to see them again before the game at the tailgate. Gosh, I miss them.

My sweet parents went home yesterday after lunch. It felt so good to fill our home with positive energy again! I had a minor meltdown missing Lee Thanksgiving morning but all in all this holiday weekend was a great one!

AND these pretty flowers were just delivered to my office! Someone in Afghanistan sure does love me.

off

Hey lovers. I have my stretchy pants packed for Thanksgiving and I'm ready to head to my parent's home when I leave work. Super pumped about Grandma's dressing. Yummers. Have a happy Thanksgiving you turkeys!

wrap it up

Last night while I waited for my Skype date with Lee I wrapped all the gifts I purchased on my shopping trip last weekend. Since I swore to spill my guts to you during this deployment, I have to admit that wrapping those gifts was hard on me emotionally.
On Christmas Eve my family gathers at my parent's house for dinner and a game of Dirty Santa. Then 17 immediate family members (and all their gifts) go to my aunt and uncle's house to spend the night. On Christmas morning we all wake up and the living room becomes a wrapping paper mountain of fun while we open all of our gifts. Afterwards the yummiest breakfast is shared and we all talk about how we shouldn't have eaten that much...Lee, Cooper and I then jump into the car to road trip 4.5 hours North to his family's home for Christmas where we eat dinner, open gifts and play a game of Dirty Santa. His mama usually makes us margaritas or rum with coke and a lime for accessories while we play a board game together after Dirty Santa. I LOVE tradition and simply getting the Christmas stuff out last night to wrap gifts made me sad to think that my favorite accessory will be missing from the all holiday festivities this year.

And then Lee's Skype call came across my lap top screen and I instantly felt 20 times better.

And after seeing a picture of him with all kinds of boxes NOT FROM ME but from friends and family-I felt all kinds of warm fuzzies that made me grin from ear to ear. I'm incredibly humbled and constantly encouraged by our friends and family's random acts of kindness. They are all nothing less than amazing.

weekend deets

This past weekend was the annual Christmas shopping trip to Texas with the girls. 2 aunts, 2 cousins, Grandma, mom and family friend went on the trip this year. We stay at an Embassy near lots of shopping and conquer our lists! Woohoo. Now I just need to wrap and I'll be done minus a few small things I need for stocking stuffers.

I did score a little something-something for myself though.

This $319 lamp:

Has been on my phone's camera roll for awhile now. I want it. I love it. I used one similar in this design board, remember?

I got a brass one like the image on my camera roll for $69 beans from HomeGoods. Great score, huh?!

P.S. Lee's Christmas box is still lost in the mail.

omg

Post Office lost Lee's Christmas present. I know this because he has received other packages that were sent after that one. AND it's been 14 days and he usually receives my boxes in 5-7 days. I deliberately sent his gift early to avoid the 6-8 week delivery overseas during the holidays. I find it bizarre that the snack packages don't come up missing but an ipad does. Just saying.
Glad I bought insurance for it. BUT I can't make a claim until 21 days has passed.
If they can't find it, my Soldier won't have his present before Christmas. OMG.

DIY sign, part 1

I'm making a DIY sign with some stuff I have around the house tonight.
Inspiration:

little things

It happened again. I let myself think too much about how long we have left in this deployment. I let Cooper outside before bed and the quietness in the house was so loud. Does that make sense? When Coop came back inside, I crawled into bed and reached for my water glass like I always do but tears sprung to my eyes. I know it sounds crazy but when I realized my glass was empty, it made me miss Lee even more. It's the little things, ya know? Lee always fetches me a glass of water when I flutter my eyes to avoid getting back out of bed or he'll automatically brings a full glass with him to bed because he knows I will want one. Isn't he thoughtful? On another note, why the heck am I always incredibly thirsty right before bed?! Ha!

lonny

Pumped about the new Lonny. You can check it out HERE. Some eye candy I liked from this month's issue:

diy wreath

I gathered some items from Hobby Lobby to make a new Christmas Wreath to decorate my office door for Project Elf at lunch today. The event starts tomorrow and gift drop is December 7th. This is my most favorite event that I head at my company. For the 3rd year in a row, we have provided Christmas for 50 children in foster care or preventative service programs and I love that.

I got the elf sign from Ross for $3.99

Everything else is from Hobby Lobby 50% off. The whole thing together cost me ~$20.

fairy dust

How cute is this?

I would totally put this on a bookshelf in a little girl's room. You just never really know when you might need some fairy dust.

there he goes again

Waiting for me in my office when I got back from lunch:)

weekend deets

On Friday night I opened my Christmas present from Lee.

I know I know...I just can't help myself. I can't stand surprises. Don't get me wrong. I love getting them, I just don't like knowing about it. The looming unknowns drives me nuts! (i.e. Army)

Super excited that he got me the sewing and embroidery machine I have been eyeballing since finishing my photography courses. I needed a new challenge to keep me busy and I'm pumped about learning how to reupholster Craiglist finds and monogram everything in sight. Thinking about pranking Lee and embroidering his name in all of his underwear! That would be a funny find for when he comes home. 

I ripped the box open and immediately started reading the instruction manual to refresh my memory on how to use the darn thing. It's been YEARS since I have used a machine. I wound and threaded a bobbin, set a bobbin, figured out how to upper thread a needle and stitch! Progress!

I watched a tutorial and bought some fabric to make a scarf too!

On Saturday I was a stand-in dance mom for my SIL from 9am-10pm at a workshop my nephew attended. Long day but it was fun to be there with him and for him.

I did a mask on Sunday and sent a picture to Lee. Mask or mime?

I tested out my grandma's sheath cake recipe too. Not as good as hers yet but I'm working on it!

GUEST POST: COURTNEY

November 11...A Time for Remembrance

As the weekend nears, it’s a good time to think about how you and your family will be spending Veterans Day. This year, the day falls on a Sunday, which means the legal holiday is Monday. But however and whenever you choose to celebrate, try to keep an emphasis on what the day is really about—honor, remembrance, and gratitude.

How’d it All Start?

About one hundred years ago on the morning of November 11, 1918, World War I fighting was about to end. The Allied nations and Germany entered into an armistice at 11:00am and the hostilities finally stopped. A year later, President Wilson declared the first Armistice Day on November 11, 1919. It’s since undergone a name change to reflect appreciation of veterans from all wars, both past and present.

Ways to Celebrate

There are lots of easy, family-friendly ways to celebrate, and you can do it right from your own home. You can use it as a teaching opportunity to show your children about respect and gratitude for the United States servicemen and women.

1.      Get the glue sticks out. Make it a day of fun crafts and decorating the house with patriotism as the theme. Red white and blue face paint, finger painting, homemade flags, let your imagination go wild with ways to spruce up your home with some Veterans Day decorations.

2.      Volunteer. Head out to your local VA hospital to visit with the veterans there. Check online for visiting hours and rules, and see if there are service opportunities available to help out. Your time is often the most valuable gift you can give.

3.      Express your gratitude to those currently serving. Take a moment to write a note to someone who is deployed. This might be someone you know, or it could be a complete stranger. Either way, they’ll be delighted to know that someone back home cares.

4.      Have a moment of silence. At 11:00am, hold your own brief moment to stop and think about those who have sacrificed everything in behalf of our country. In the busy and often crazy world we live in, it’s good to be still for a minute or two to really think and ponder in thanks for what these brave men and women have done.

5.      Head to a community celebration. Your local community is likely to have events planned, such as a flag-raising ceremony or a parade, that are great opportunities to meet local military members and show your support for them. The gathering might include reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or singing the National Anthem.

Veterans Day is a perfect time to spend the day with loved ones in thanks for those who have gone without their own loved ones while they are out defending our rights and liberties.

Courtney writes about VA news for MilitaryVALoan.com, a resource where veterans can learn about VA loan benefits and save money on their VA mortgages.

keep'in it real

Yesterday was a long emotional day. I woke up early to drive to Lee's hometown for a funeral and drove home afterwards. My SIL's sister was in a tragic accident and the service was heartbreaking. It's difficult going to these types of things without Lee too. After a draining day, the last thing I wanted to do was turn around and drive back home. I'm used to Lee driving or splitting it with him.

I'm stepping in as super aunt this weekend to help with my nephew's dance competition since my SIL has a lot on her plate right now. I'm actually kinda excited to do so too! Lee's family lives a good 3 hours away and that makes it hard to be involved with our niece and nephew's extracurricular activities. This comp is nearby and I'm more than happy to help when I can. I'm making the most of this weekend with my nephew and then I'm going to get real lazy when the comp is over because it has been one crazy week.

Be sure to remember our Veteran's this weekend too! I have a special guest blogger this weekend to tell you all about it. Gosh, I can't imagine what is what like to be a military spouse way back when. Communication was horrible...

master bedroom board

I keep my mind occupied by doing design boards for fun. At this rate, by the time Lee gets home I'll have the entire house designed and ready to build!

girl power

On Monday night I came home to a bent flag pole. The flag was tilted down and I had to remove it from the house to prevent the flag from touching the ground. I surprised myself when tears sprung to my eyes. The thought of removing our flag until I could replace the pole, even if for a day, was heartbreaking. To not have a flag up on Election Day and especially while Lee is deployed really made me sad.
I had a hair appointment right after work yesterday and then I raced to Lowe's to get a flag pole. It was 8:30 at night but I got one!
You should have seen me in the front yard still in my work clothes up on the ladder fastening the pole to the house, etc. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy. I guess I could have changed first. Ha!
But she's up!

When that was done, I noticed a puddle on the sidewalk. Knowing it hasn't rained in days, I can only assume there is a busted water pipe. Sheesh. It never ends. Fingers crossed it's the city's responsibility and not mine. Dang Lee boy jobs are relentless.

table decor

I finished decorating my table during lunch for the charity event tomorrow.
Bow-tie napkins + polka dot & Greek key plates + mini champagne bottles + cherry in the flute!
Love how it all came together.

right

Happy to oblige my right to vote and that I did within the 1st hour that the polls were open this morning. Election Day is exciting! Feels good to express my freedom to vote how I like. Thank you military for protecting my voice!

wknd deets

Mexican food and margaritas were had Friday for girl's night at a new favorite place in town. Chelsie, Kimberly, Kristin and I gabbed for hours in our little booth. Chelsie spent the night with me to avoid a 2.5 hour drive home. We slept in and watched HGTV in bed until noon on Saturday!

When she went home, I went to the mall to get Lee an iPad for Christmas. I then stopped by Joanne's to get some fabric and got a manicure before going home.

Lee sent me a few pictures of rugs in Afghanistan. He wants to bring one home but knows he needs wifey's color approval before he ships. Ha!

I'm decorating a table for a charity event this week. Sunday was pretty much devoted to getting my ideas together for the table. That's why I stopped by Joanne's for fabric. I got fabric for an overlay and red twill to make bow-ties out of napkins. Sneak peek:

A lot going on this week, here's to hoping I can keep up! xoxo

bedroom design board

My bestie Taylor needed some ideas for their master bedroom reno. She showed me some stuff she liked and wallah! Mulberry velvet, cognac leather and honey stain O' my! The art above the right nightstand is abstract architecture in Italy...where Taylor and Jacob got married, REMEMBER? I thought that was a sweet touch...that and their 2 goldens;)

my waldo

It's like Where's Waldo finding Lee but I found him! This was captured months ago when they all left for the sandbox. Very cool pic!