fairy tales

hay is for horses

2012-02-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hey friends! Favorite my blog on Milblogging.com, paahlease O please! I'm trying to build my following and get higher on the Military Spouse Top 100 Blog List.
I'm #33 right now so let's move me on up. Email your friends and have them forward my sweet request to their friend's friends. Ha!
You can see my listing HERE. Let me know if you have any issues registering, etc.
My hope is to reach others that are struggling through some of the same things that I am and maybe find a way to share a laugh or two along the way. And secure world peace, of course!
Many blessings to you all.

golly

2012-02-09T14:38:00.001-06:00

Update: I got ALL the same time. Sweeeeeet.

Gol-LEE bum. Ha!

$127 later (w/military discount) I have tile. I went to Lowe's on my lunch break to get all the tile to fix THIS leak and when I looked closely at the pic of the shower floor tile in my back seat...Uh oooo. I noticed or it appears that not ALL the tile matches in color. Hopefully its the phone's image quality and not my carelessness. If all else fails I'll just exchange it later but hopefully my eyes are only playing tricks one me.

If Lee were here, he would have wanted to analyze every square I put in my basket. AND technically, I didn't put all the tile in my basket. The boxes of tile in my trunk were really heavy and I'm wearing my fancy pants. Removing them from my trunk later by myself should be fun. Oy.

splurge or save

2012-02-09T09:26:00.002-06:00

Before we continue with our normal programming, I bring you a scene from this morning's episode.
A Coopie Moment...
Cooper is my shadow around the house but more so in the mornings when I'm getting ready for work. He likes to rest his head on my foot when I'm primping in front of the mirror. Cute, huh?

SPLURGE
The amazing Tuxedo Chandy from ZGallerie is a steep $799.

SAVE
You can get a look alike on sale at Macy's today for $591.99!

But I'm digging the Tuxedo Sconce:

heavy

2012-02-08T14:13:00.000-06:00

I've got a heavy heart today.
My morning started off with a dumb work email from an arrogant pig that set my blood boiling and had me ready to run for the hills. Then just a bit ago I had a *titty titty cry cry fest with my MIL over the phone after I jetted out of my office to get a fountain drink down the road. I received the meeting minutes regarding the meeting I described HERE. I can appreciate the detailed minutes but I was choking back tears reading it. Gives me IBS just thinking about it. TMI?
*titty titty cry cry: Definition Lee uses to describe a too-much-estrogen movie (aka chick flick). Figured inserting his adjective above fit perfectly.

floored

2012-02-07T13:11:00.004-06:00

Last night I noticed some puppy prints in the tub. I think Cooper is hinting that he would like a bath. He's a hoot. This is far from Coop's perception of the tub but it makes me laugh:

Last night I had a Skype date with Lee. Lee yelled for Cooper and Coop immediately came running to the computer. He keeps looking at the screen for a way to get inside it to find Lee. Lee told him to go find his chicken and off he went to find it. Moments later. I had a chicken on my lap top. Coop then went off to the bedroom to pout since Lee didn't appear to retrieve it. Poor little guy.

When Lee had a long weekend during his Airborne training and we(me + Cooper) went to pick Lee up at the airport, Coop p'd all over Lee. Awesome. I can't wait to see Cooper's reaction when Lee walks in the front door next week. O thank goodness for President's Day Weekend! We are REALLY looking forward to seeing the man of the house at home even if for a wee little bit.

Speaking of house...leak drama has turned a corner. Apparently the tile I redid in our shower the Summer of '09 when Lee was doing his OSUT training has sprung a leak. The new tile guy thinks the old tile guy didn't place the shower pan in the base of the shower correctly or it has a hole. We'll see this weekend when the demo starts. Here's what my estimate looked like:

Tear out existing pan and first row, possibly two rows, of wall tile.
Reset drain, and new slope.
Set new membrane for pan, extend up walls 6" to 8".
Pour new sloped pan with mesh and acrylic fortifier.
Set tiles on floor and walls with acrylic based thin set.
Grout.
Seal new grout and wipe down/clean existing grout in shower and seal.

All materials included except tile and grout. All labor included.

Total
$ 1,350.00

A bit peev'd that I'm replacing somewhat new tile and motivated by my negotiating pal, Jacob, I questioned the price. Ironically, new tile guy stated that he had a typo on his originally estimate. Fishy, no? He said the price should read: $1,035. Whatever. I accepted the bid to keep the ball rolling and get this issue fixed. Heck. February will be over before we know it. No telling what next month's budget will be. Last month I fixed THIS.

Lee is really pushing positive thinking on me (something I've never struggled w/ before) so I'm trying to focus on spending money on our dream home when he gets back from The Sandbox. There's a particular tile pattern that will be in the bathroom(s) of our future home. I'm sure you can see the floor similarities in the images below:

idol

2012-02-07T09:09:00.000-06:00

I'm going to geek out and confess that I watch American Idol. However, my Idol never wins. Still, I watch and keep my fingers crossed that my Idol's fame will surpass the actual winner. I'm soooo sneaky. (insert sarcasm)
Last season I really wanted Haley Reinhart to win and she is finally coming out with her first single on March 1st! She completely won me over with her rendition of Bennie and the Jets by Elton John. Watch it HERE!

weekend deets

2012-02-06T11:37:00.000-06:00

Coop and I headed South to my hometown to see my parents. Mom and I went shopping in Dallas on Saturday where we met Brandi(s) to see Brandi 2 try on wedding dresses. Brandi 2 didn't find a dress but I found a pair of khakis and a cute skirt that I intend to pair with a pale pink shirt:

I found a shoe sale too:

And I bought some earrings:

It was way after dark when we finished shopping. We were too lazy to walk and then wait for food in a restaurant so we ate In-N-Out Burger for the 1st time in the Tahoe and now we're hooked. Very yummy:

After having a fun filled weekend with my family I slumped to a real downer by the time I got back home to my quiet house. I was missing Lee something bad by then. I almost bailed when it came time to head to Nick and Kristie's Super Bowl party. BUT I didn't. I sucked it up and I'm glad I did. I'm pretty good about keeping a smile on my face despite how I feel inside but my friends have a way of really snapping me back to happy Erin whether they know they are doing so or not. Here's Taylor and me with Kaden last night. He didn't want to put down his carrot and this is before he insisted on running around without his diaper:

ruf ruf

2012-02-06T09:43:00.000-06:00

My bestie, Taylor, shared a super-dupa touching video with me from The New York Times. If you are a dog lover, you should def watch it. Go HERE to see it.

orange you glad I didn't say...

2012-02-03T14:13:00.003-06:00

Referencing an old "knock knock" joke in my post title...
Exciting news for our pals, Kimberly and Rusty...They bought some land to build their dream home! They don't plan on building tomorrow but they are def one step closer to building. I'm so happy for them. Gets me excited about finding land for our dream home!
Kimberly and I met for lunch today and she brought me paint chips and her khaki pillowcase. Ha! She wanted my take on painting the dresser in her bedroom either a coral or turquoise color. She's afraid she'll get tired of turquoise but I don't know how she could get tired of that B-E-A-Utiful color. I mean, House of Turquoise dedicates her entire blog to that color. AND I love the turquoise painted walls in my bathroom. To each his own. Nonetheless, for the dresser, I was all for going the orange-y route. Duh. It's like the Pantone Color of the Year! I blogged about it HERE. Here's some pix for my visually inspired friend:

But WHY O WHY do we have to forgo turquoise if we choose orange? I accented with orange in my turquoise bathroom. These people combined them both too:

wanted

2012-02-03T13:51:00.002-06:00

Loving red and pink lately. Like hardcore. I want this dress badly. I can't find a price. Can't find a way to even by the collection online. Can't find a replica. Boo hiss. This dress is in the Fall 2012 Honor Collection by Giovanna Randall. You can see more of the Fall line HERE. Caution. It's amaze balls.

I did find that shopping this collection via e-commerce will become optional sometime in 2012...

fun bun

2012-02-03T11:59:00.013-06:00

Have you seen the fabulous buns in the media lately?! Mags, FB, Pinterest, blogs...they're everywhere. I've seen the tutorials and they all make it look too easy. I had my doubts but it REALLY is easy peasy!

One. Get an old sock and cut the toe out of it.

Two. Roll your sock into a little donut.
Three. Put your hair into a pony. However high or low you set the pony, that is where your bun will be.
Pull your hair through the donut and tease your pony like mad. Let your hair fall around the donut and then take another hair dilly (aka scrunchie, hair tie, rubber band) and secure the hair around the donut. Ta-Da! I took a couple bobbypins and cleaned it up just a bit but only a bit bc I like a messy bun.
Now. Go on. Get your fun bun on.

full of hot air

2012-02-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

I heart balloons. You may not yet know this about me but I feel obligated to get people balloons on occasion. Anytime I think I can sneak in a big balloon-I do.
Since I'm full of hot air right now dealing with LEAK drama, I think a gawdy balloon bouquet suits me just fine. How stink'n special are these?! For that price, hope they don't pop!

mercy mr. percy

2012-02-02T12:31:00.007-06:00

Last night I was organizing our closet again to see what I can do to spruce things up a bit after seeing all the pretty closet posts over at Brooklyn Limestone. I was in the process of removing an old briefcase that had been stored under Lee's hanging jeans when I discovered a big wet spot in the carpet and the briefcase was ewe gross! Crikey. Knowing that the closet backs up to our shower in the master bathroom, I immediately ruled out Cooper as the culprit. Sorry Coop. I then did the most logical thing I could think of at the moment. I recorded a video and sent it via text to Lee. Ha! Then he didn't respond because o yeh...he's doing that Army thing...So I then forwarded it to our besties, Jacob and Taylor to plead for help. I must also tell you that moments later they arrived sans red cape ready to save the day. We have A-mazing friends, huh?

I have since scheduled 3 appointments for estimates to get this leak fixed. There will be more to this story but for now I'll share the ridiculous video with you. You can tell I'm dumbstruck and thinking out loud as I put the pieces together:

please & thank you

2012-02-02T08:49:00.003-06:00

I'd like a bold and yummy ikat table cloth like this:

To go in our home here:

I'm going to track down some ikat fabric.
Cut it into thirds or even fourths.
Sew the panels together so that it just covers the table.
Give to gma to then make a pleat/ruffle to cover just the thickness of the table.
Hmph.
Doesn't sound very easy and I prob made no sense.

It's a big 8-seater table in dying need of an eclectic pop of color.

one day

2012-02-01T13:10:00.002-06:00

One day I want to be awesome parents like THESE guys. You may have already heard about THIS awesome little blog dedicated to a couple's little girl, Scarlet. The buzz is widespread and their following is growing fast! How they describe their blog: This is a project to our daughter, Scarlet. We, your parents, are documenting your life. Our hope is that when you grow older you'll be able to look back and see how happy you have always made us.

My favorite post yet:

Dear Scarlet,

You wanted a mohawk. We let you get one. It’s as simple as that, and it should be.

house of fifty

2012-02-01T08:08:00.003-06:00

Keeping my eye on the prize for the end of THE deployment, I'm still scheming for decor for the house we're going to build. For some reason, chatter always migrates to the kitchen in my family. The heart of the home. I'd like my future kitchen to be big and offer lots of sitting. Thinking about the breakfast nook, I like this a lot:

For no other particular reason other than eye candy, I stumbled upon a couple lovely pops of color that I'm absolutely loving from House of Fifty. Funny how they happen to be vastly different in needs as it's a nursery and a bar/party scene:

smiling's my favorite

2012-01-31T14:42:00.002-06:00

Did you recognize the quote? What movie is it from?
I have a dentist appt today. I wish I could go to the dentist every 6 weeks instead of 6 months. Grant it, I'm sure you could if you had a plethora of money and didn't use insurance when you go get your teeth cleaned. However, I do not have a plethora. I use insurance.
By the way, Elf is the movie quote in the image above! It's one of my favs. Step in the right direction after my last post;)

where my head is

2012-01-31T12:17:00.000-06:00

It's a bit of a letdown seeing Lee and then saying bye again so soon. I probably sound horrible but as much as I enjoyed seeing him, it's terribly hard saying bye. I can't help but think it would be easier to just not see him until he comes home. Dumb, huh? I can only push forward and be thankful for the time that I do get to see him. I know this. Just seeing him off at the airport and then walking to my own terminal was so dramatic last weekend. I finally got that "I am strong. Hear me roar. I am woman." feeling to only go back to the "I am needy. Tell me you love me 100x's a day feeling." Give me a few days and I'll roar again.
It's just hard to roar when you're planning on attending your first FRG (Family Readiness Group) meeting and see that the meeting's agenda is bleh. Thinking it will be nice to meet other Army spouses that have hubby's deploying with your hubby sounds smart and a great way to receive a wealth of information. However, my first impression leaves much to be desired. The 1st meeting was scheduled way last minute and I had plans that I didn't want to break. I heard only 5 people attended and officers were appointed so I didn't miss a thing. No way would I want to volunteer to be an officer. Talk about the blind leading the blind. Ha!
Anyway, this next meeting is icky poo poo too. Bring your favorite dessert and recipe to share, talk about FRG fundraising through Scentsy, and receive a briefing by one of the captains accompanied by the chaplain to discuss Casualty Notification Protocol. Seriously? No, thank you. My rambled thoughts: Lame way to launch a new program for this unit and attract new members.
I'd rather learn about Casualty Notification Protocol after a repoire is established rather than discussing a topic so nauseating and personal with a group of strangers or better yet-let me hear it from my husband.
Fundraising? Hell. Create a fundraising committee or release an email blast with this information, please don't waste someone's time that wants to hear need-to-know information about surviving their first deployment. I'm not driving 2.5 hours to hear that crap and then drive home.
My Type A personality is taking this personal and I'm extremely disappointed. Not sure exactly what I expected, but not this. Not having a military background, I was really looking forward to meeting new friends that can relate to what I'm going through right now and I guess a Deployment 101 class. Let's have girl talk and share recipes in "off season" when we're not approaching a year of anziety and lonliness. Sheesh. Ha. I don't know...I know I know. You're reading this and screaming, "Deep breaths and suck it up, Erin." It's still early and I don't need to be so judgmental right out of the gate, not to mention, I haven't even been to one meeting yet. BUT Casualy Notification Protocol?!
Dear Blogland,
Tell me this, would you really want your first meeting to be that?! Let me read it in private. Tell me when the deployment date draws closer. Let my Soldier tell me. Just please don't make me face that reality right now. Hearing the word, "Casualty" is simply too soon. (as tears swell in my eyeballs)
Rawr.

caroline

2012-01-31T08:14:00.000-06:00

Dear Sweet Caroline,

I saw this pic and thought of you:

When Caroline was a wee little girl, she absolutely adored unicorns. She was gifted a unicorn poster to hang in her bedroom and she loved it so much that she wanted to name the unicorn in the photograph. She insisted the unicorn's name be, "Horny". She couldn't wait to tell everyone the perfect name she had selected for her unicorn. However, her mom was quick to suggest a name change. Caroline said it was years before she realized the reasoning behind her mom not liking the name she had originally picked out. Now, everytime I see a unicorn, I immediately think of Caroline and her horny unicorn.

weekend deets

2012-01-30T12:45:00.001-06:00

I'm back from Houston and I have so much to report. For one, it's official. Mal and James are married. The wedding was picturesque; an absolute fairytale. From the yummy rehearsal dinner with the beautiful view to the sweet bridal brunch and then the amazing wedding-everything was incredible. The flowers. O the flowers. They were big, spectacular and everywhere. In lieu of a guest book, they had a wishing tree. Cute, huh?

Yes, Lee's flight arrived on time and we wasted no time. I wholeheartedly love this man for everything he is. So glad God gave him to me. Isn't he dreamy?

10 Really Good Things to Remember from the Weekend:

Mal & James picked me up from the airport. We had a great time hanging out-just us. We chowed down on Mexican food and I gave James a hard time about his side of their ENORMOUS closet. Mal color coded his side and I can conclude that he thoroughly enjoys a good polo shirt.
Getting to hear Mal & James tell me about their wedding day gifts to one another was extra special. James couldn't wait to show me his gift to Mal as soon as she left the room. They are truly a match made in heaven. They both have the best sense of humor and make you laugh until it hurts. It was really cool to see the softer side of James and see him so smitten for Mal.
Hotel ZaZa was a great wedding venue. I was upgraded to a balcony room! We had lunch at the hotel prior to checking into our rooms and enjoyed a mimosa to toast the beginning of an eventful weekend. That yummy lunch was only a prelude to all the other delicious food we were served while there. Yummy!

It was fantastic to see so many of my college girlfrans together again. We had a blast being silly girls at the great rehearsal dinner too. AND the hors d'oeuvres prior to the dinner at The Petroleum Club were equally great. The crab cakes and egg rolls rank way up there for me. Lobster bisque and prime rib helped fill our very full menu for the evening. Best part: Dessert. (Pecan Ball)
Pecan Ball needs it's own bullet point. Rather than having a groom's cake at the wedding, the groom's dessert was served at the rehearsal dinner. It's a ball of vanilla ice cream covered in pecans. A server then asks if you prefer butterscotch or chocolate sauce. What did I say? I said, "Both of course".
The speeches to follow the pecan balls were super sweet. Finished by James telling Mallory how beautiful she looked that evening and how excited he was to marry her the next day. Awe!
Bridal brunch had more pretty flowers that coordinated perfectly with our invitations. The bridesmaids were gifted the softest monogrammed robes. I heart anything with a monogram so I loved my "E" robe. Mal's mom (LOVE her) said a humble thank you at the end and Mal immediately teared up. Someone asked Mal if she was OK and she replied while openly crying, "I'm just sooo happy!" It was adorable and hilarious.

When Lee came though the door of our hotel room for the first time, I was occupying the bathroom...I couldn't get out of there fast enough to get to him. It was soooo good to see him!
Mallory. She was a beauty the day of her wedding. Everything was glam. We had hair and makeup appointments in her suite while watching a chick flick, eating chicken nuggets and drinking Champagne.

Again, the wedding was that of a fairytale. The attention to detail was carried out by the best wedding planner I have ever witnessed. Mal's dream wedding became her reality. The band was the best ever. Many times, we looked up thinking we were hearing a DJ while the band would be on break when in fact it was the lead singer. Awesome. We danced our hearts out. Ate until we were full and then ate again when late night snacks were served! Even the get away car was something special:

November 2012

2012-01-27T14:08:00.004-06:00

Remember when I told you that I made a photo calendar for Lee to take with him to training and then when he gets deployed? I showed you quite a few but didn't show you November:

Thankful for you.

bringing sexy back

2012-01-27T07:50:00.002-06:00

Can't decide which I'm more excited about tomorrow. You be the judge:

More than pumped about wearing my Amsale bridesmaid dress tomorrow and seeing my pal Mal walk down the aisle! My dress has been staring at me in my closet for quite some time now. Since I'm a super giant, it was made with extra fabric (6ft extra) for length. Why 6ft, Amsale, why?!?! I then had to have it altered. Since getting it back into my closet, its been staring at me and begging to be worn.

Lee finally arrives for ~~sexy time~~ the wedding. I get to see him for less than 24hrs but we promise to enjoy every minute. Can't wait to see him sporting his new pink pocket square.
Love weddings and making memories. Here's a favorite of us as a wedding guest at my cousin's wedding a couple years ago:

TGIF! Enjoy the ones you love this weekend. Love hard. Always.

smashion fashion

2012-01-26T11:38:00.002-06:00

By now, if you are a Hunger Games freak like me, you have most likely heard about the new Capitol Couture website! I will be stalking this site a lot as we get to see more and more of each character in costume. So excited. Here's a pic they posted debuting Effie Trinket:

Go HERE and see their first posted animated GIF!

peace out

2012-01-26T08:43:00.000-06:00

And I'm off again! Today I head way South for Mal's wedding! My girlfrans and I are bridesmaids and get to be all silly on the dance floor while our hubbys drink a cold one. Can't wait! I kid Mo and Nate about the last time we were all together for a wedding...9 months later sweet Maggie arrived!

tan ur hide

2012-01-25T11:32:00.000-06:00

Man. Does anyone else feel like they have butt toast when they get out of a tanning bed!? I'm desperately trying to get my tan on for upcoming events and I can hardly stand to be in the bed for the full time. I NEVER remember my butt feeling like this. Maybe they're different beds? Nonetheless, I continue to get toasty buns each time. Crikey. Maybe I should get my spray on instead.

hats off to you

2012-01-25T08:38:00.001-06:00

In case you were wondering, I STILL want a juju hat.

shopping loot

2012-01-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

Best lunch break ever yesterday. I went to our fairly new outlet mall near my office to find some duds for this wknd and I found a few dresses on super sale, 2 of which I will be wearing this wknd. The other, I just couldn't not buy it. Ignore the boots in your dress viewing below, that's just what I stepped on yesterday.
I imagine a quirky belt or bold tights like these:

To go with this Jcrew dress:

Ignore my silly ballet plié too. I did that to show you the flapper girl pleats in this BCBG dress. You like my dance moves, huh? Ha! I didn't cinch the belt and pull the dress out the way I normally would. The belt is a little more loose than it should be. I need to figure that out. The top is a nude/blush colored tulle-like mesh and then you see the black lace overlay on the bodice. Not sure if you can see the detail but in person it's more fab, but you get the picture:

I'm kinda obsessed with green (my favorite color ) but especially kelly green right now. Love this BCBG dress:

P.S. Aren't pockets on dresses the best?

weekend deets

2012-01-23T16:37:00.000-06:00

Can you believe I get to see Lee for less than 24 hours this wknd when we fly to meet each other for Mal's wedding!? Goodie goodie gum drops! I start my weekend on Thursday. Woot woot.
I had a terrible time trying to find a bow-tie and shirt combo for Lee to wear with his suit. I only know what I like and don't like, not what is acceptable. Ha.
He has stuff to wear but I like to get him a new something when I get a new something. Next time, I'm going to go prepared with style inspiration photos.
Minus the glasses. (Lee doesn't wear glasses) I love this look:

I am a sucker for a man in a bow-tie. In fact, it was one of the very few "no buts about it demands" I had for our wedding. Lucky for me, Lee actually doesn't mind wearing bow-ties either. AND he looks pretty dapper if you ask me...but you're not asking me, are you?
I did find him a pocket square and new dress shirt to go with a charcoal colored suit and tie that he already had:

I watched a lot of Big Bang Theory reruns this weekend too. Dr. Sheldon Cooper is my favorite character (aka Jim Parsons) So funny. Every time he laughs, says "Bazinga" or knocks on Penny's door my heart chuckles a little.

Like a lot of reruns. I have them set to record on the DVR and I may or may not have watched 34 episodes. This little dude kept me company:

I got a pedi and a shellac mani in preparation for next weekend's events too:

yessssss

2012-01-20T19:46:00.000-06:00

New Hunger Games movie poster has been released!

gingham

2012-01-20T11:26:00.000-06:00

I have a thing for it. Obviously. I was looking thru my saved images and I started to see a pattern. No pun intended. AND I might be wearing a red and white gingham shirt to work today;)

book worm

2012-01-19T11:43:00.000-06:00

I meant to tell you last week that I finished my Hunger Games books. Best trilogy I've read in a long time. Thank you, Lee for my Christmas! I flew through the books. Reading them at lunch, on my breaks and late into the night was becoming a regular thing...for a few days anyway. I wish they had lasted longer because I enjoyed them so. When I find a good book, my book worm self has trouble putting it down. I am REALLY looking forward to the movie coming out in March. I'll go by myself if I have to!

I'm trying to start The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo but it has seems to have such a slow start that I keep putting it down to do something else. I'm going to work on it Friday and see if I can get some read this weekend because MANY people have told me the book is good and the movie is great too.

decorating with chanel

2012-01-18T08:06:00.002-06:00

If you checked out my home tour updates HERE as mentioned THERE, then you noticed my Chanel poster.

Back-story: I worked for Chanel cosmetics in college at a local department store and when new ads went up, we obviously took the old ones down. I took a few home but over the years I have only managed to keep up with this one. My favorite.

Back-back-story: Scandal struck on 15 September 2005, when London’s Daily Mirror ran the story with the headline “Cocaine Kate” and photographs of Moss at a Babyshambles studio recording, allegedly cutting cocaine. Doherty claimed that it was his former manager, James Mullord, who sold the photographs to the newspaper for over £150 000.

A number of sponsors and international companies were not amused and immediately dropped Moss from their campaigns. One of these was Swedish fashion retailer H&M, which had planned to use Moss for their Autumn clothing range, designed by Moss’ friend Stella McCartney. Chanel stated it would not be renewing Moss’ contract, due to expire in October 2005, but insisted it had nothing to do with the drug scandal. Keira Knightley became the new face of the Coco Mademoiselle fragrance. via

And all I know, immediately following this news, Kate Moss came down and Keira Knightley went up. I took Kate home and hung her in my apt and then over the years she's become lost in the back of a closet whenever I move. That is...until I came across these:

My Kate poster reminds me of how much fun I had with Chanel. I met Lee during that time too! And I persevered. Sometimes I worked over 40+ hrs/wk to pay my bills in college but I loved it. Well, most of the time. I know I learned a lot about myself and others in the real world having that job...On another note, my besties at the other counters and I gave each other makeovers and worked on different techniques when business was slow. We'd always start with, "Wanna play makeup?" Best college job eva. Eva. So now I'm trying to find the perfect frame for Kate. Her current disposition:

What you don't see is my sheepskin rug . Feels good on my tooties when you're at the sink.

camo hat

2012-01-17T12:58:00.000-06:00

I wanna be just like my dad when I grow up.

top 5 GG girls

2012-01-16T11:55:00.001-06:00

Before I get into dress judging, I have to recap my award season history. Dating back to who knows when, I have had an obsession with acting, actors and all things red carpet. I ewe and awe over the makeup, accessories and of course the dress. Since moving (insert sad face) miles apart after college, Caroline and I make dates to watch the award shows together and text during the show. Yesterday was no exception. Here's how we prepare for our big date:

Love THIS girl. Now let me explain my "oyster poop earrings".
We were watching a red carpet event in college and I think it was Gweneth Paltrow that had just appeared on our TV screen. She was dripping in yummy pearl accessories and when I noticed her ring...I blurted out something like, "Holy smokes! Looks like an oyster pooped on her finger!"

Now to the nitty gritty. Here's my Top 5 dresses from the 2012 Golden Globes: (because, you most certainly care what I think)

Elle can do no wrong in my eyes. She is GORGEOUS. Did you know she is 47 yrs old?!

Charlize Theron was perfection, but I would love to see her smile more.

Claire bear. Her acceptance speech brought tears to my eys. This girl is so stink'n talented. I adore her. She got skill, ya'l! And this dress?! I want to play dress up in it.

I'm LOVING the red and pink combos I'm seeing in everyday wear. Why not bring it to the red carpet? I liked this dress on Natalie a lot. Her petite figure is perfect for this shape.

This color on Sofia is beautiful. AND I'm a sucker for a mermaid shaped dress too. She def knows how to rock her curves.

our home tour

2012-01-16T08:16:00.001-06:00

I updated our home tour. I still need to load the living room and kitchen but you can check out our progress, HERE.

turtle power

2012-01-13T13:01:00.001-06:00

The Ninja Turtle's pizza looked a lot better when I was kid watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Too busy to blog yesterday. I was working on a big presentation going on next week. I won't tell you that one our international reps is in town. AND I won't tell you that he's very hard to like. I'll just leave it at that.

In a very Friday the 13th way, my car started overheating on the interstate this morning. It would be the coldest day that we've had in a long time too. My fingers and toes were freezing as I kept turning my engine off and letting it cool down and turning it back on to go 5mph. I crept all the way to the auto shop. Shop just called and told me it will be about 1200 beans to fix it and it won't be ready until Monday since they don't work the weekends. Crikey.

Lee told me to try to see the positive and I just barked negative back at him. I know, I'm awful. He has a special robotic way about him to take charge and simply get necessary things done. He doesn't stress like I do whereas sometimes I just want him to be like, "Man, That really sucks." BUT he's right. At least I wasn't in heavy traffic and able to get off the interstate safely to make it to the auto shop. I didn't have to pay to be towed and it's expensive but fixable. The best thing to do now is count my blessings, pretend I'm a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and find some of this:

sports-bra for the win

2012-01-11T13:17:00.002-06:00

Update to Lee's airfare purchase: It's bought. Coworker had to purchase it through his 1K hotline because United says that the credit coupons are transferrable BUT he has to be there, meaning I would need to book at an United counter with him there to authorize since the credit coupon is in his name! He bought it and I paid him the balance after the credit since he was able to cheat the system and book by phone. So he told me...

When Lee left, I really started focusing on my diet. Something I can control. I do a very low cal thing during the week and splurge on the wknds. I'm not doing any special diet fad but really trying to watch my intake, drink mucho water and stay away from eating foods after dark. I've been snacking a bit during the day too. Also, I've been taking Coop for walks if I can get home and change clothes before dark. I'll have a yogurt maybe mid morning or a protein shake in the afternoon. I've lost 14lbs since for sure after Christmas doing this. My eating habits started going up and down the closer we got to Lee's departure date due to nerves. I'm not sure how long this will last but it's something.
When I need a motivator, I buy a colorful sports-bra from Target when I get groceries. No kidding. Neon pink is doing it for me lately. Here she is:

itty bitty

2012-01-10T09:09:00.000-06:00

Lee's aunt must have been going through old pictures because she found some she thought Lee might like to have. He received a package last night and of course I opened it. Thanks, Susan! So incredibly thoughtful of you to send those pictures to us. It really made my day. How cute is whittle bitty Lee?!

I immediately called Lee after oohing and awing at the photos and told him that I hope our kids are this cute. Ha! No, I'm not preggers.

Flight Update: I'm having trouble booking Lee's flight using the travel vouchers. They are transferable but apparently you have to book them in person and the original recipient has to be there to authorize. After calling United back 5x's to speak to 5 different people from what sounded like India, I can now confirm the above. O poot. To be cont'd...

passed

2012-01-09T09:58:00.000-06:00

Lee passed his APFT! (aka PT, aka fitness test) APFT = Army Physical Fitness Test.
Soldiers are required to take a physical fitness test at least twice per year and at the beginning of every training course they attend.
There are three events that are measured in the PT: push-ups, sit-ups, and a timed two-mile run. Soldiers are required to score a minimum of 60 points on each event. Depending on your age and gender, your scores are tallied up. See score chart HERE for Lee's age.
Anyway, Lee passed. He always does well but he was a bit worried because the altitude isn't what he's used to at home. He's been able to get in a few runs since arriving so he felt more prepared and like I said-He passed!
First weekend with Lee gone was a success. I had planned well in advance to keep myself busy. After work on Friday I took off for my hometown to see my mom and dad. I grabbed Coop and off we went. My copilot:

I got to their house in time to have dinner with my grandparents that had come over to see me too! Early Saturday morning we left town to do some shopping in Dallas with the girls in my family, with the exception of sweet Gunner. He didn't care for shoe shopping but he did thoroughly enjoy seeing his reflection in the mirror:

We had Mexican food for lunch and I loved the restaurant's tile. I took a pic to place into my inspiration folder:

I found some earrings to wear in Mal's wedding at the end of this month:

Speaking of weddings, I don't remember if I've posted this before or not, but I haven't deleted it from my phone because I love it so much. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Cheers to ombre flowers:

Have a good Monday, ya'll!

dog gone it

2012-01-06T10:50:00.000-06:00

Dog gone it. It's high time I start decorating with my fur baby, Cooper. Why not? They do and I love it!
{Images via House Beautiful and Elle Decor}

I mean you know I love the equestrian look (mentioned, HERE & THERE) but pups are so much more personal to Lee and I. Horses are beautiful and I come from a horse riding family, but dogs...doggies are my thang chicken wing.

BAM

2012-01-05T15:19:00.000-06:00

There I was feeling like a poot when out of nowhere...BAM...a blessing happened.

(last night...)

Lee and I found out his training schedule. Excited to finally plan our 1st weekend trip to see one another and confirm his appearance at the wedding of our pals Mal & James, we started looking for a flight for him since I've already booked mine.

BAM. No luck finding a flight late enough for him to get there the night of the rehearsal dinner.

BAM. No luck finding a flight late enough for him to get there that night at all.

(earlier today...)

We settled for searching for an early Saturday morning flight.
BAM. Everything we found was just too much for one night. Costs were already climbing elsewhere and we needed to think about budgeting for other Lee & Erin trips during his training.

Insert grumpy turd face and a bit of hopeless on me.

Then BAM a coworker walks in and sees something that I was completely over looking for less than 1/2 the cost that I had found AND....drum roll please...BAM...gives me, yes gives me, a $200 travel voucher!

Thank you, Lord.

erin stuffed in a stocking

2012-01-04T12:54:00.000-06:00

By the way, I made a GREAT stocking stuffer for Lee and he really LOVED it. Made me feel all mushy inside watching his reaction;) Anyhow-I created a desktop photo calendar for Lee filled with memories past and present with inside jokes between us. It's perfect because he can look at me all during his training and then deployment. He can easily countdown the days to see Coop and me again! Here's a sneak peek at some of my favorites, sorry for the image quality:

(starting with the Front Cover)

for pete's sake

2012-01-03T09:41:00.000-06:00

For the love of Pete! Falling asleep at night takes me forever to do. Even before Lee left, the days leading up to the big departure, my sleep pattern started to suck. AND today, my 1st day back to work after an 11 day absence, I woke up before my alarm went off at 6am. I would much rather hit snooze 12 times than wake up alert. Ha! I tried taking a hot bath before bed last night and that didn't help. Tonight I plan to take Cooper for a long walk when I get home so maybe that will help more.
I'm wearing my new coat I got for Christmas from mom and dad to work today:

I've got a long black cardigan over my gingham buttonup shirt since I have heard the heater isn't working on my side of the office building. Thank goodness for my little space heater hiding under my desk!

And who the heck is Pete?

why hello there, 2012

2012-01-02T20:10:00.000-06:00

NYE was low key for us. We went to dinner with Nick, Kristie and their little guy Kaden the night before. We knew we wanted to stay in and focus on US on NYE. I only had one meltdown way late on NYE so I did alright. I think I got all my tears out NYE bc NYD I was calm as a cucumber. Anyway NYE was a great day. We went to a new place in town that I love for lunch:

It was such a nice day (seriously, 65 degrees ) so we sat on the back patio and watched Cooper talk to his friends through the gate. That is...until...Lee got poo'd on by a squirrel! Soooo funny. I laughed incredibly hard. Lee's surprise face was classic. I'll never forget it or the face he gave me when I told him I needed a picture for evidence:

We recently discovered The Big Bang Theory so we were ecstatic to learn that there was a marathon NYE. We did take a break to warm up a can of blackeye peas. We both hate those darn things so instead of wasting time trying to disguise them in a recipe of some sort we each stuck a utensil in the bowl and ate a spoonful. We had a good time laughing at each other trying to choke them down and decided to make it a tradition every year to eat our annual peas just like that. I'll be shipping Lee his peas next year!

Knowing Lee had a long drive the next couple of days, we ditched champagne and toasted to sparkling juice at midnight instead (actually really really good):

Lee made it to his destination tonight. A bit dramatic that he had to leave on NYD. New year=new adventures. And the adventures are HUGE for us this year. Mercy. BUT-It's really great that I'm able to talk to him as much as I am. As far as phone privileges go, the training is like a normal 8-5 with the exception of the nights spent training in the field. Ha! There is probably no other comparison to a normal 8-5 job.
I miss him like crazy but I'm doing really well despite the obvious. As soon as he left, I started cleaning our closet hardcore and all ~~my rat holes~~ our drawers throughout the entire house as I tend to misplace stuff. Then I moved my cleaning to the bathrooms, took the trash to the curb, paid the bills, cleaned the sheets on the beds, and made some soup for dinner.
I've found that if I focus all my anxious energy elsewhere then I fill mucho better. Otherwise, I catch myself staring into space or comparing memories to every country song on the radio. Like last night when I was getting ready for bed. I only needed to fold over one side of our king size bed. Lee took his favorite pillow so it's just mine on there now. Makes me choke a tear back just thinking about it. This is what a Military wife's bed looks like:

Happy New Year! I go back to work tomorrow after an 11 day vacay. Wish me luck bc I'm not eating anymore peas.

ketchup

2011-12-30T14:29:00.000-06:00

I had a great visit with FL mom. We dropped her off at the airport this morning. We kept her busy while she was here by taking her to our favorite eats. She and I got a pedicure, took her on a coke date at a campus favorite for fountain drinks, (I got a cherry limeade with Skittles. MY favorite.) and last night we all went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie. It was alright. I liked the 2nd half a lot but the 1st half seemed to drag. No?

Did I tell you Cooper got a new bone for Christmas? He devoured it quickly. Seriously. We gave it to him before we went to see a movie and when we came home it was gone. Crazy kid.

And since I'm catching you up, you must know that my 3rd attempt at making the caramel cake was a HUGE success:

Lee and I have chosen to be lazy the rest of the day and then tomorrow we will pack him up. He's leaving for his training on the 1st. And that's all I have to say about that...for right now.

this & that

2011-12-27T08:26:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone had a holly jolly Christmas! We sure did! We zipped and zoomed down and then up our great state. Here's what Lee spoiled me with this year:
THESE slippers.
THIS wallet.
THOSE books.
My FL mama is flying into see us tomorrow and we couldn't be more thrilled. We pick her up at the airport around noon and return her on the 30th. Then I'll be packing Lee up. He leaves for his training on the 1st...I'll be keeping it short and sweet (no promises on the sweet) online until then.
XOXO

Merry Christmas, Y'al!

2011-12-25T08:39:00.000-06:00

present stash on wheels

2011-12-23T07:30:00.006-06:00

Let the holidays begin!
Lee, Cooper and I will look a bit like this for the next couple of days and I'm silly excited about it:

May you ALL have a very special Christmas and make the MERRIEST of memories with the ones you love.

Clark Griswold Like

2011-12-22T08:09:00.001-06:00

Lee,

Here's some inspiration for the next time we put lights on our house:

mirror, mirror on the wall

2011-12-21T10:59:00.000-06:00

I've been eyeballing THIS round shell mirror at Pier 1 for quite sometime now and it has not gone on sale. Must.Find.Coupon. It would look like dynamite above a chest in our bedroom. I had thought about getting a beveled floor mirror from Ballard but it's no longer in stock so I'm going back to this baby:

I found it in a couple spaces online:

stage one

2011-12-20T13:59:00.000-06:00

Here's to helping another military wife know she's not alone.

Lee is leaving soon and only for training. He won’t be in harm’s way for several more months but I feel like our deployment is starting early. Why must I make myself feel like I’m being faced with a 20 month deployment instead of 12? However, today IS a good day.

I’ve done some research and I’m at Stage 1.

The 7 Stages of the Emotional Cycle of Deployment

Despite the many who claim otherwise, the military spouse leads a different life from most. This harsh truth becomes most evident when your family prepares for a deployment. A deployment is a scary, emotional, yet liberating journey for the spouse left behind to take care of a home and finances.

There are seven identifiable stages that the majority of military spouses go through.

Pre-Deployment: Anticipation of Loss (Stage 1)
You are moody and depressed, and this causes friction between you and your spouse. You are a tight little ball of stress and anxiety, and hate yourself for feeling this way. You and your spouse are at each other's throats even when you know in your heart you should be cherishing each day left together.

This is so true. A tall glass of water about to overflow. Crying on the drop of the hat and it taking 10 years to fall asleep most nights because wild thoughts swim your brain. Work is routine and kept completely separate from personal struggles. "Show time." The holiday brings welcomed smiles and laughter from visits with family and friends but sometimes you feel like you have to mustard all the energy you have to simply get groceries. You bicker with your spouse about the dumbest of dumb things and then regret wasting cherished time by your silliness later. When things are good, they are really good but it can be a constant struggle to not withdraw from the person you love most at this time and keep your head held up high.

weekend deets

2011-12-19T09:47:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, Lee and I jumped up to drive South near my hometown to see an old family friend's daughter get married. It was an incredibly sweet and simple country wedding. The love was so wildly evident between the two.

That evening we celebrated Taylor's birthday at a steak place on the lake and then headed to a local comedy club. We had a hoot and holler'n good time!

Hey! I finally finished my Christmas shopping. I'm incredibly excited about my little cousin's gift. After helping with Project Elf, I know what her age group likes and I got one:

I usually have my Christmas shopping all knocked out weeks before the holiday but not this year. I did manage to pawn a few gifts on Lee to pick out so hopefully he gets that done this week since he has so much downtime. He's using some personal time this week to get an extra long break before the madness of the holiday. Can you believe the time has come? I can't believe he's leaving so soon after the New Year for training. He worked his last "civilian" day this past Friday and won't return to his civilian job until his deployment concludes and even then it will be after he's finished his leave time from being deployed. How am I doing? I.Shop.
I found some boots. Remember I bought THESE and then returned them because they weren't a good fit? I bought these suede babies yesterday:

I am wearing them today with the flap up to make them even more tall. Good price, TOO! I may get them in different color in leather next time. I still want a great pair of riding type boots but haven't quite found the right pair yet.
Cheers to a 4 day work week!

carpet & color

2011-12-16T09:41:00.000-06:00

Have you noticed all the antelope?! Personally, I think it looks more like Bambi but whatevs I love it.
via Cote de Texas

via McMillian and Co. Interiors

via Conspicuous Style Blog

And now my favorite antelope placement of them all:

via Eddie Ross

And before I get to the weekend, let's talk about THIS room:

You know I always love a good chandy and isn't that over sized ottoman and tufting A-maze balls? AND those curtains...I feel kinda bad for loving orange so much since my alma mater's rival screams this color but I do have splashes of it in our house nonetheless. However, I find this crush fitting since PANTONE recently announced the 2012 color of the year is Tangerine Tango:

Looks an awful lot like my board I created for our future great room when we build the doll house:

#meangirl

2011-12-15T16:45:00.001-06:00

I felt like I ripped one of my vendor's a new one today. I don't like it but someone had to do it, I reckon? We are now 4 months past our contracted deadline and the current status of the project isn't at all what my team anticipated. I had provided a 3 page outline, a visual, and 3 references. Sheesh. I was this close to cutting my losses and going elsewhere but the Christmas in me prevailed. I'm following up with him again next week to see what takeaways are reflected in his work by then. Fingers crossed for his sake.

real tall elf

2011-12-14T09:56:00.000-06:00

I mentioned heading up Project Elf again this year, HERE! Yesterday I fulfilled all the Dear Santa lists that were unaccounted for by our employees. Unfortunately, times are tough and not as many lists were picked up this year. Still, we had a great turnout and I'm thankful for that. I took my company card and finished the lists off by shopping till I dropped. As frustrating as my work can be, my company is incredibly giving. I went to 3 WalMart stores and 1 of them twice, Target twice, Toys R' Us, and the mall to fulfill all the little tike's wishes.
One of many of the carts I unloaded:

Last night, I worked my elf hands overtime stuffing and labeling each bag with the appropriate name late into the night. Thank goodness dad was in town to let me use his truck. Lee and him both helped me load and deliver all the bags, bikes, and portable basketball goals this morning to Santa HQ.
Next week Santa is having an open house viewing. This event allows all volunteers and donors to see their elf work. They have a huge warehouse and all the toys are organized by control number before the foster families arrive to pick up their child's fulfilled Santa List. Neat, huh?

Friendamily Christmas Dinner

2011-12-12T10:29:00.000-06:00

sneaky santa

2011-12-12T07:27:00.021-06:00

Dear ~~Lee~~ Santa,

I would like some new SLIPPERS See image below to reference:

If you bring them to my house on Christmas Eve, these might be waiting for you:

P.S...bring my MIL one of these scarves. TeeHee!

XOXO,

Erin

Fancy Dinner w/ Friends

2011-12-09T11:21:00.000-06:00

*Friendamily: Family but not by blood. Friends so close to you that you can't imagine your family without including them too.

We're having our friendamily over for our (newly established) Annual Friendamily Christmas Dinner tonight in lieu of exchanging gifts. AND we're going all out! Just checkout this menu:

Hors oeuvre: Pecan crusted cheese ~~ball~~ gingerbread man and crisp wafers

Starters: Deviled eggs and warm rolls w/ cranberry relish compote

Main: Succulent USDA Prime Rib with creamy horseradish and fresh jus drippings alongside whipped mashed potatoes, southern cornbread dressing, a creamy broccoli rice casserole, and a sweet corn hash

To End: Crème Brule with fresh berries

*Spirits: Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah, Southern Iced Tea, (insert name of town) finest water

I know I showed you a PEEK at how I was playing with the table setting but I decided to remove the table cloth. I wasn't crazy about the colors. We have a square 8 seater table and I have discovered that setting a square table is tricky tricky.

Even the little guy (Nick & Kristie's son, Kaden) in our lives has a special place at the table:

I'll take a pic of the whole table tonight when the feast is set. Here's the gingerbread man after he was born and before he was covered and stuck in the fridge:

Cheese ball Recipe:

(2) 8oz cream cheese

1 pkt of Hidden Valley Ranch mix

1 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar

1 1/2 cup of shredded mild cheddar

1 1/2 cup of chopped pecans

*mix and mold to your liking and sprinkle more chopped pecans on top of desired shape

THE PRESENT HOUSE

2011-12-08T15:20:00.000-06:00

In the back of my head I was thinking, "How cool would it be if..."
As we drove near campus to find the house hosting this year's holiday party for my sorority's alum chapter last night, I squealed when I realized we were in fact going inside the house I always admired throughout college during the holidays. The Present House never disappointed and always adorned a big red bow at Christmas time. This house is a holiday campus legend to me. Pumped to learn the home owner is a "sister" and trying not to pee my pants from the excitement, Lee and I were warmly welcomed inside and given a home tour. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and we both had a GREAT time meeting so many new faces.

Highlighted Favorites from The Present House:
The O' so cozy screened in porch off the master bedroom
Snow and those cute holiday homes all lit up on top of the grand piano in the sitting room
Extra-large black and white custom upholstered gingham sectional in the family room
Original black and white tile in the upstairs bathroom (same used in a popular bldg on campus)
Black frames w/ white mats lining the entire staircase from past family trips to the beach
Art. So much art with display lights!

*I learned that several bows have been bought over the years due to Winter storms. The ribbon appears super shiny almost like patent leather up close. Bought in large spools, it is then fashioned together in the shape of a bow by use of chicken wire and stapled to the house for perfection!

dancing sugarplums

2011-12-08T07:49:00.001-06:00

Cooper likes to cuddle with his Santa Mickey while visions of sugar plums dance in his head.

peeking

2011-12-07T07:16:00.002-06:00

I forwarded a link to Lee and let him know I was thinking about it for my Christmas gift. Low and behold the sweet man ordered it for me and it showed up on our doorstep last week. Excited and a bit embarrassed that I discovered my treasure while Lee wasn't even home to protect it, I tore open the box and pretended it was Christmas morning. (It's really hard to keep a surprise from me.) I loved the touch, the look and especially the gold hardware...but the adjustable strap didn't adjust long enough for my tall torso self and the bag was a bit too big for what I was wanting. I know I could have taken it somewhere to add some length to the strap by use of chain, etc but I ultimately decided that I'd rather have the bag ready to wear for that price and the size didn't have me head over heels. I think this bag is ideal for a professional photographer or traveler that always takes a camera and ipad. What bag: THIS bag in camel has been returned:

dillas

2011-12-06T14:12:00.000-06:00

I made some steak quesadillas for us last night. Onion, bell pepper, steak and cheese fiesta in your tummy. This is Lee's plate of food, he's a growing boy:

maggie

2011-12-06T07:39:00.000-06:00

After Lee's holiday lunch with his unit, we scaddaddled over to see our friends' new babe. Nate and Morgan live close to where Lee drills so we were excited to meet their sweet Margaret Ann (named after her grandmother but answers to Maggie) for the first time! I got to hold the doll, watch Maggie fall asleep after taking a bottle and smell her stinky diaper. It was extra special to see the dynamic between my dear college friend and her daughter. Their goldendoodle, Norman was a ham for new guests too. I swear he thinks he's human. I didn't think to take a pic while we were there because I was too busy soaking up time with my friend and loving on their Maggie. I stole this pic from her FB:

caramel cake: epic fail

2011-12-05T12:25:00.002-06:00

The CAKE I meant to take to Lee's Army holiday luncheon was a disaster. Taylor and I determined that my impatient self didn't wait long enough for the cakes to cool before trying to layer them on top of one another.

I didn't want to take an ugly cake so I had Lee pick up 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies from Braums when his chocolate shake craving hit. I placed those suckers ever so neatly on a candy cane shaped platter and called them mine. As for the ugly cake, Lee insisted I not throw it away so he could eat it because ugly still tastes good.

gift tags (free)

2011-12-05T09:21:00.001-06:00

The ever so fabulous Brooklyn Limestone strikes again. I swear she always has fantastic holiday ideas and the cutest of cute printables.

I took 2 old (and free) file folders, cut them in 1/2 and then cut them to size a reg 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper to reflect Brooklyn Limestone's free printable. Go on and get it HERE, y'all!

I gifted a couple outfits for our extra small niece by pairing skinny black cords with a couple of tops from Old Navy. I really think the skinnies will be perfect for her since she wears a 6 slim normally. Fingers crossed!

The thermal has a bit of glitter in the fabric and rhinestone buttons that I know my niece will love.Yes, that is a whoopi cushion:) I think the hot pink watch with a rhinestone face will be a hit too. It's a slap bracelet! Remember those?!

Also, don't you think that heartlike sweater looks a lot like this sweater I saw at Jcrew:

done did it

2011-12-02T13:44:00.001-06:00

I have really loved this image from Christine Lane Interiors for quite some time now so I up and done it. I located a JPEG of the equestrian image above and went to Easy Canvas Print to order a 24x36 canvas print. Free Shipping too! It won't be quite as big as the image displayed in this room but I think it will look great above a guest room bed that hosts this Cat Studio pillow:

Update: Ha! I received an email that the the horse image wasn't a high enough resolution for the print size I wanted. I had to cancel my order. O poot.

bright white

2011-12-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

Some may think white Christmas tress are tacky but I haven't been able to keep my eyeballs off of them. I'm a sucker for a whimsy inspired Christmas. I like bright greens and bold reds for our house during Christmas time.
2009:

2010:

Although I'm not putting up a tree this year or next, it's no surprise that I'm now on a mission to get one in an after Christmas sale. I see at least 3 trees in our home's future and right now we have one. I absolutely love our current one, would love a white one and then we need a MONSTER of a tree one day when I hope to have taller ceilings. Maybe the monster can be the holiday star of the house and be real. Don't you love the smell of a real tree? I remember dad and I having a teeny tiny real one when it was just him and I one Christmas. We planted in the front yard after Christmas and I got to watch it grow like me. Even after we moved, I would get dad to drive by to see how it was doing.
Checkout this white tree eye candy:

Treetopia has a great one!

shoe envy

2011-12-02T09:14:00.000-06:00

Very much in love with the 2012 YSL shoe collection.

uphill downhill

2011-12-01T12:46:00.000-06:00

Lee sent me Just Because flowers to my office yesterday. I snagged a very thoughtful man, huh!? I'm sure only he knows how much of an emotional wreck I truly am as of late, he def helps by making a deposit in the woo'ing department. He sure does know how to fill my love bucket.
Yesterday:

Then today, I found a surprise bloom in the middle of the bouquet!!! Neato:

Until yesterday, I haven't been much into decorating for Christmas. Crazy, right? I'm usually out the butt crazy about Christmas. Just look at my December archives. BUTT, with Lee leaving shortly after the holidays-I haven't been consumed by holiday cheer if you know what I mean. I opt out of putting lights on the house exterior, decided to forgo a Christmas tree and our house is not being enveloped by Christmas decor in every nook and cranny. We're simply not home much this month and taking it all down combined with Lee's depature is too much. However, after being woo'd yesterday and hearing that mom has the house back home all doneup just right for the holiday-my Christmas spirit meter started to teeter up a bit. Last night, Lee and I organized a couple tubs (We have 10+ tubs of Christmas decor) of a few holiday things so I can keep them out of the attic and in the garage to avoid getting tubs out of the attic on my own while he's deployed. I put a few things in the kitchen (I like a gingerbread theme in the kitchen...a copycat of my mom.), decorated the mantle and set the dining room table. We're having our friendamily over for a holiday dinner soon and I can't imagine not having an ounce of Christmas in the house by then.
Here's my tablescape inspiration:

Sneak peek: (bust'n out the China)

This just in. ANOTHER officer from the graduating OCS class before Lee got hit by an IED. Happened yesterday. Fortunately he wasn't killed but it did crush his foot and they rushed him to surgery. Again, this hits too close to home. Gosh. Right when things were starting to look up. Scary, huh? Tell me about it!

fierce & thankful

2011-11-30T10:32:00.003-06:00

You are in control of your own success, DO NOT LET YOURSELF DOWN!
This was written in hubby's monthly newsletter in reference to his upcoming drill preparation. I just read it and wanted to share with you all. In the spirit of keeping it real and truly sharing this journey with you all, I have been incredibly unmotivated, moody and disconnected in my down time lately. Having unfocused energy isn't good for me right now and I'm determined to take control of my own destiny again. I've come to realize (by discussion with my new friend and also fellow military spouse, Lindsay) that I am fiercely independent and "Normal Erin" looks for new challenges always and it is often HARD to take the back seat and let your husband's career be the lead when you are still looking to be personally fulfilled. Although Lee is in the National Guard and this military life is temporary, it can be hard to blend two lifestyles that are so wildly different. The word deployment triggers new fears and the quantities of worries are significant and the heartache is indescribable to a spouse left behind to guard the home front.

Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
Ha! Easier said than done, right?! I.Will.Try.Harder.

We have a ton to be thankful for and look forward to when Lee returns home. The training hubby is receiving is laying the groundwork for our family's future and we have the rest of our lives for me to snuggle into the nook of his armpit at night. I'm not perfect and I can't say that I'm going to dramatically turn a leaf overnight, but I CAN keep pushing forward to a more positive tomorrow.

pix & cake

2011-11-29T11:49:00.001-06:00

Finally. Here's a couple of pix from NOLA for Mal's Bachelorette Palooza!
This is a few of us before we went out on Saturday night:

This is Friday afternoon getting our first hand grenade drinks while we waited for the rest of the girls to arrive:

Thanksgiving deets: Do you know that I went off and left my pretty cranberry relish in the fridge instead of loading it into the car for our trip to have Thanksgiving with Lee's family?! Goodness. I swear I'm losing my marbles.
I obviously have to redeem myself during Christmas at Christmas dinner. Christmas dinner has turned into a fiesta since everyone seems to be over turkey and the fixings by then. I've already decided that I'm doing my Mexican cornbread and Taylor's yummy chicken enchiladas. I'll prob do my queso too since that's easy and it's always a hit. I'll post recipes when the date gets closer!

But first-I've decided on what I'm taking to the Army luncheon thing this weekend!

Taylor made it for Lee and I one time and it was all she wrote. This is prob my favorite cake (as long as Taylor makes it) but I'm still perfecting it. I tried making it into cupcake bunnies for Easter one year and it was a disaster. I think it makes a much better cake. Here's to hoping it's a hit this weekend, I got the ingredients last night:

Tay's Caramel Cake (aka maple donut cake)

Mix:
1 package of white or yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (melted)
1 cup milk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Pour into two round cake pans.
Bake @ 350 for 27-29min, or until toothpick clean from middle.

When cake is in oven, start frosting:
In a medium saucepan, mix:
Melt 1 stick butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar

Stir until mixture comes to a boil (~2 minutes)

Add 1/4 cup milk

Stir, and bring mixture back to a boil, then remove pan from heat.

Add 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 TBSP Vanilla

Beat until smooth.

Frost cake while icing is still warm (not boiling-let it cool a little while) or it will harden. They say if it does harden while frosting, place pan back on heat and stir til softens.

Now...what outfit shall I wear?

step 7,436,231,928

2011-11-23T11:26:00.000-06:00

Def not getting one but today I do have an uncontrollable urge to tell you that I want this:

I mentioned selling Lee's truck, HERE. Well, we've got it sold. Dropping it off tonight and signing the paperwork, etc. We got what we wanted for it and I'm so blessed we were able to do so quickly. I feel like there are mucho steps when preparing for a 1st deployment. Everything is incredibly new and scary not knowing what to expect. I know we're making the right decision to sell the truck seeing how it will only depreciate each day he is gone but I'm weirding myself out by being sad about saying bye to Lee's wheels. Silly girl. We're one step closer to this launch and it scares the HELL out of me. Wish we could trade the truck in for some bigger balls for me. I see so many military wives that make this life look like a cakewalk. Think they're eating their Wheaties?
Anyway...I made the cranberry relish last night! It looks delicious. I'm going to taste test tonight. I gotta make sure it's fit to eat, right?! I couldn't last night bc it had to gel/mold/chill in the fridge overnight.
Looking for a hairDO for Thanksgiving? I stumbled upon A Beautiful Mess and found a cute beehive tutorial that involves a loofa. I'm giving this a shot: (I'm going to buy a white loofa and use some old natural colored pantyhose in lieu of the fabric they suggest. I think that will better match my hair)

cranberry goodness

2011-11-22T11:34:00.000-06:00

I've decided on what I'm taking to the Thanksgiving lunch with Lee's family. I'm doing my Granny's Cranberry Relish and you should too! I'm kinda nervous about making it for the first time, but my mom gave me a fail proof recipe to follow. If you're used to that canned cranberry crap, you're in for a treat.

Granny Mable's Cranberry Relish
1 qt Cranberries (grounded)
2 apples (chopped fine)
1 can of Mandarin organges & juice (don't drain)
1 cup of sugar
1 small can of crushed pineapple
2 pkg red jellow (disolve w/ 2 cups of hot water)
Mix all ingredients & chill
*Some of my family likes to add a bit of celery-I do not.

This is the bomb.com with a bit of butter on a warm roll fresh out of the oven. MMMMMMM...

NOLA

2011-11-21T11:08:00.000-06:00

O man! What a great weekend! I really had a blast in NOLA and I am extremely worn plum out. After Lee picked me up at the airport, I'm pretty sure I took a good 4 hour nap when we got home. Woke up to eat a lil something and then went back to sleep. I did take some good pictures but I don't have my connector cord with me right now to share. However, I have a pic to share from my phone:

Panty/bra set is from VS. I ordered the masks from HERE. The penis straws and 24" inflatable penis were bought at Spencers. A personalized sash & veil was ordered too from HERE!

More details to come. It's a Manic Monday!

this & that

2011-11-17T16:14:00.000-06:00

My Nina (Dad's mom) is 82 years young today.

I'm officially ready for NOLA, just need to throw my pile into a suitcase. O and I ended up returning THAT grey and white striped sweater to GAP. Just didn't fit the way I wanted it to with my red pants. I wanted something more like this:

I did find a shortsleeve striped sweater at the JCREW outlet yesterday to wear with it instead. I'll take plenty of pix this wknd. Promise!

I priced some flights for Lee to come home and me to go to him when his starts training. I'm going to try to work it out where we get to see each other at least 3 times during his training. That would be a trip to Houston where we'll meet for Mal's wedding in Jan. A trip home for him mid Feb. It's looking like airfare is on the high side in March so that month may get skipped. I go to him in April and then he's back home in May! Fingers crossed for cheap air.

holiday cards & such

2011-11-16T15:07:00.000-06:00

I ordered my Christmas cards today. I always order from Tiny Prints and they have their holiday cards 20% off + free shipping today! Woot Woot! I get the photo card style each year and hope to do something fun with them one day. I might start a large coffee table album to set out during the holidays as our Christmas history grows. This is our 4th Christmas as a married couple and we started doing Christmas cards only when we got married so my history pile is somewhat small.
As a kid, I remember always looking forward to getting Christmas cards in the mail and loved the ones with photos so you could see the smiling faces of loved ones that you may've not seen as often as you would have liked throughout the year. Remember folks, this was before facebook, etc. Anyway, photo Christmas cards are my favorite and part of my getting rev'd up for the holiday Season. THIS chica over at Enjoying the Small Things thinks so too. Her Christmas history photo card stockpile is way bigger than mine and pretty neat too! I'm well on my way.
Now. Whoa! Let's slow our roll and enjoy Thanksgiving. The months are turning into days and going fast enough already. No need to start skipping holidays with my boo just yet. We're having our turkey dinner with Lee's family this year (we rotate Thanksgiving). I'm wanting to bring something to impress and I'm thinking my granny's famous cranberry salad or this pie (recipe, HERE):

shopping cart

2011-11-15T08:00:00.003-06:00

I bought a Chelsea and Violet top to wear in NOLA with black dressy shorts and tights. Not crazy about the back ribbon tie so I'll prob leave it untied and hide the ribbon in my bra or something so it leaves the back with a simple scoop back. I like the scoop back.

GAP had a 30% percent off entire purchase so I got a gray and white sweater to wear with my red skinnies:

And a T to wear with my leather leggings and blazer:

New tank with chiffon overlay in pink ambrosia from New York and Co. (w/ military discount). I got THIS necklace too, but I can't find the earrings online that I got to match. I imagine wearing this with my black leather leggings too. Options are nice:

Also got some stuff from AE: THIS love T. THIS navy sweat pant. This orange plaid shirt. (w/ 30% coupon off my entire purchase) I plan on wearing all this together with my jean jacket. Excited for the season of layers.

I got a new lip color too:

JT

2011-11-14T20:53:00.000-06:00

I read THIS article that Justin Timberlake wrote about his promised date to a military ball. It was refreshing to hear a celeb be real and speak of the military in a positive light. Whether he really wrote it or not-I found it interesting that I was interested to read what he had to say. I hope his letter opens the eyes of others that may not be so interested in what's going on in the real world. AND I think it's super cute that Kelsey, the marine, asked him out. So ballsy.

2011-11-11T14:34:00.000-06:00

Kate Spade released her new arrivals and gift giving guide for the holidays today! You can see it HERE. Of course I found a couple of yummies.
I love red and pink combos:

Who would not want a golf hedgehog coin purse?!

This got me thinking about what I want for Christmas. I think I want THIS 8x10 kilim rug to be my gift this year. I think I'm pushing for it to be a gift because Lee can't debate pink decor when it's a gift, right? Plus+ it goes with my dream house ammo board. I call it ammo instead of mood or inspiration bc I'd like to pow pow take these items into captive like the Army does. (I'm a dork, I know.) And with that, Happy Veteran's Day! I love my soldier and thank my blessed stars that we have courageous men and women to freedom fight for wimpy folks like me. Pretty sure I'd hide behind a bush if my squad were pushing towards enemy lines.
Whew. Back to decor, in the giant scheme of things, I'm being cost efficient for future spending. One less thing to buy for the dream house. Oooo how my mind works...

I love the lines on this sofa, but I DO want to make it a sectional with an attached chaise lounger.
The blue chair isn't so much the style I want, but I DO adore the color of that blue fabric and I DO want a matching ottoman. We tall people like to prop our feet up.
Walls? Paint will be a very light grey with a suede texture. We have Ralf Lauren's Brown Suede in our dining and living rooms now and I really like it.
Lots of creamy white mouldings will surround those grey suede walls.
This room will have tall floor to ceiling windows too. On those floors, will be hardwood, but Lee wants a darker shade than the one shown above.
Now, where can I find those chandeliers?!

Things I have already to complete Ammo Board:

Houndstooth wing back
Beveled mirror
Pier 1 pink peonies
Brown & cream zebra pillows (2)
Yellow & cream rosette pillows (4)
Globe
Photographer's tripod floor lamp
All wall coverings seen above (my sailboat canvas is only a tiny bit different)
Mirrored side table

(10 beans says I change my mind before the day comes. )

sharing

2011-11-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

It is hot in my office today. I mean I have boob sweat and this is ridiculous. I share an office with a dude and we have this fan. When he stepped out, I turned the fan on me and it took him an hour to figure it out. Sneaky sneaky me. We have decided that I am not into sharing and I'm OK with this.

I just found out that I get to coordinate Project Elf again this year!!! I brought the Secret Santa idea to our company for the first time last year and I've been begging my arse off to get us approved to do it again. Super stoked and honored to serve kids in our State's care for the holidays. Tis' the Season, ya'll!

I found some faux leather leggings!
Michael Kors:

I bought them on my lunch break at the new outlet mall around the corner from my office. I saw them a couple of months ago but was a scared little chicken to spend 60 bones on something so edgy but after seeing them styled all over the mags and sweet Pinterest, I found myself dreaming of them. So. I bought them and they were more on Sale Sale. They retailed at $79.50 and then the outlet sale was $59.99 and then they were on MORE sale for $37.49. Score. See here. I am not yanking your chain:

escape route

2011-11-08T16:41:00.000-06:00

O what a day at the office?! I need a vacay stat. So glad I have a girly weekend planned soon.

I found myself escaping the madness by checking my gmail for Operation Dream Home news and by golly, I got a response about some land we inquired about so that tid bit of info is giving me the ammo needed to get to 5.

weekend update

2011-11-07T14:01:00.001-06:00

Lee had drill this past weekend and I had guests from Houston! Mal and James kept me company while Lee was gone. We had fun at the game and experienced a (minor) earthquake all in one day.

At first I thought we were just having a heavy wind storm. Earthquake was the very last thing on my mind. I had just climbed into bed when Cooper sat up in a startled position and took off to my nearest armpit. The wind went crazy and stuff started to rattle. Being in tornado alley, I assumed it was just a heavy wind storm??? When it finished, I got up (carrying Cooper, of course) to check on Mal and James. Mal informed me that it was in fact an earthquake and I reacted with a “Hmph, well I’ll be darn.” And that was that. Coop and I went back to bed (where he stayed snuggled in my armpit the entire night) and my phone rang-it was Lee.

It was a great lazy Sunday. I watched lots of stuff on DVR, took a nap and did a load of laundry. When Lee got home Sunday evening, I had only managed to shower and change my pjs after Mal and James headed home. The three of us (Coop, duh) climbed into Lee’s truck to go hunt land to build our dream home on when he returns from deployment. Searching for land to buy has become a go-to activity when the mood strikes. When it got dark we stopped by the Braum’s near our house and got a chocolate shake. Mine was dinner and Lee’s shake was his dessert after he finished off my leftover Chinese food from the night before.

Lee says during his next drill there is a family briefing that I am to attend. Briefing? What briefing? What am I being briefed about? The last Army briefing I went to was during his OSUT training. I got a POA and drilled about insurance crap. Maybe FRG will be there. Do I care about FRG? Maybe I should. But to be involved I would have to drive 3 hours to a mtg, right? Maybe they have a FB page. If not, maybe I could start one. What if no one likes me? Who wouldn't like ME?! What should I wear? Lee said it will be casual so not to worry. Again, what should I wear?

You should know (if you don't know already) that I really love chandeliers. I believe that lighting sets the mood for the exterior and interior. So why not do chandies in clusters?! Sign me up. I've got this idea up my sleeve as I get my inspiration boards together for the dream home.

head first

2011-11-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

Taylor bought the Moroccan Oil that I keep hearing about.

My stylist didn’t have any when I got my hair did the other night after work, but she had L’Oreal’s mythic oil and I’m sure they’re about the same thing. She put it on my hair dry and I loved it so much I bought some. She had a holiday pkg that came with poo, a conditioning masque and a bottle of the oil. I’m not a huge fan of the poo bc it comes in a smaller bottle than I like and you don’t get a good soapsud lather (that I love) but my hair is soft after the poo rinse and I suppose that’s all that matters. However, the masque and oil are amaze balls.

I stopped by Ulta to get my concealer. I love Benefit’s Erase Paste. I wear the FAIR 1 shade and swear by this stuff:

And then I noticed they’re moisturizer’s packaging. I needed to stop by the Chanel counter to replenish my empty jar, but I couldn’t help but notice Benefit’s skin care line (and that it was ~$40 cheaper). I decided to give it a whirl and picked up a jar to take home. I really like everything about it except for the smell. I don’t like obvious perfume-y scents and this one seems to have one. It could be a much cleaner, softer scent. Maybe I’ll write Mrs. Benefit and tell her just what I think.

TGIF ya,'l! Have a good one.

RIP

2011-11-03T09:44:00.002-05:00

I lost a dear childhood friend this week. We hadn’t been in touch other than FB in years but shared many fun memories growing up at baseball games, youth group trips and everything that is Sunday School. He had a huge smile and was a laugh out loud fun person to be around growing up. He leaves behind 2 beautiful girls and wife. My heart breaks for this family when I think about his sudden absence. Please pray for this young family today, tomorrow and every time you see a baseball. I'm counting my blessings today and hugging my hubby a little tighter tonight.

edie

2011-11-02T14:18:00.000-05:00

The drool worthy pictures above are only a few of the images shared on Edie's home tour as she takes us through her struggles and steps to rebuilding her family's dream home after a tragic fire where she lost so much. You can read about the fire, HERE. I love how Edie's describes her DESIGNER taking her vision and making it a reality.

epic fail, NOLA & horses

2011-11-01T15:23:00.001-05:00

I've been doing an unusual amount of online shopping, but nothing is the bom.com once I receive it in the mail! My red pants I ordered were too short so I ordered them in another size and in a longer length. The velour suit I ordered from VS (bc they had free shipping the other night) came in the mail and it was too big and the length was too long...the over the knee riding boots fit me midknee (made my knee look like it had a wedgy) because apparently I have long shins (I'm 5'10). So lots to send back to exchange or return. I'm back on the hunt for the perfect tall riding boot.

I'm trying to figure out what I'm wearing to NOLA for Mal's bachelorette trip in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking my red pants one night and my dressy black shorts with tights the other night. But what top and shoes for my tootsies?!

On another note, I really love this image and wish I could blow it up huge (like really huge) on a canvas somewhere in my house.

weekend update

2011-10-31T10:11:00.001-05:00

Garage sale went really well. I made $239! I don't remember what our final total was as a whole but I think it was around $700. Not too shabby for a 7-2 work day. Well, I say 7 but it was really 6! The moment we opened the garage door to start bringing stuff out onto the driveway, people were pulling up to the house carrying flashlights because it was still dark outside!!! We couldn't believe there were so many early birds.
After the garage sale, we had more peeps over for the game. So glad we won. I have to admit that I was in and out of sleep in the 4th quarter. I was gung-ho all day and cheered through the 1st half of the game but halftime made me sleepy while cuddled in a warm fuzzy blanket and a full tummy. My boo cakes and Taylor's pumpkin whoopie pies were delicious!

And the wainscoting was finished on Friday!
Before (previous home owners):

I vow to take better pix with my big daddy Nikon soon but for now, here's an iphone pic:

I would like to do something different with the curtains in the room, but I still haven't figured out what that is yet.

tgif

2011-10-28T09:48:00.001-05:00

Don’t drop a full bottle of nail polish remover on the bathroom tile because the cap will break and flood your floor with the smelly stuff. This happened to me during my “hurry up gotta leave the house so I’m not late for work” moment this morning. I have those moments nearly every morning. That’s normal, right? Everyone does, right?

Cooper steals my spot in the mornings and hates it when I turn the light on and run around like a crazy person (his hair looks like mine in the mornings):

Today at work we’re having some kind of Employee Appreciation Day and then I’m picking up one of our sales guy’s from the airport. He’s been in Dubai, Singapore, etc for the last few weeks and his wifey has a conflict today so I volunteered to take him to her since this will allow me to get the rest of the day off work! TGIF!

After I drop him off, I’m headed to the grocery store to load up on yummies. We’re having a 3 family garage sale at our house tomorrow and a cookout later to watch the game. I’m excited for a fun busy day with a houseful of peeps. My menu:

Smoked Brisket & Pork Loin
Grilled Foot Long Dogs
Tay’s Tater Salad
Baked Beans
Queso and Tostito Rounds
Cowboy Queso and Fritos
Relish Tray (assorted pickles and olives)
Strawberries and Cream (cream consists of whipped cream cheese and honey)
Cupcakes
Tea, water, BYOB, and Tay’s Margaritas (Has oranges in it, yum!)

Crockpot Queso Recipe:
Velveeta
Rotel
Jimmy Dean “breakfast” sausage
Add milk as needed to keep it from getting too thick
(I’ll be doubling everything to make a big batch of it)

Cowboy Queso Recipe:
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 cup of lite sour cream
1 cup of FF mayo
Large handful of chopped green onion
1 can of drained Rotel (I like mild)
1 can of fiesta corn
The handyman is headed to the house as I type this to wainscot our dining room. I’ll see you on Monday with pictures!

525,600

2011-10-26T07:51:00.003-05:00

Maybe it’s my love for “the arts”. I don’t know. My expression can best be displayed in a song today. (I type this in true dramatic form with a hint of sarcasm.)

Seasons of Love: Rent (the musical)
525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love.
Seasons of love.

I was thinking about where we were this time last year and where we’ll be this time next year. I was thinking about Lee being gone for a year and how much time will be lost. Then I started thinking that time won’t be lost-just time lost being together. A dear friend pointed out that we’re laying the groundwork for our future. And then the final chorus plays:

“…the story never ends let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends.”

game face

2011-10-25T10:49:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend Lee and I went to the OU game to watch our Sooners get beat. We lost our fantastic #3 ranking and it was so sad but in true Sooner fashion-I still love them. There were 3 thirty minute delays due to the ugly thunderstorm before the game finally started. Not that we minded too much because we were with Mallory and James in his family's suite on the 50 yard line in VIP!!! I didn't know it was possible to make an OU game more fun, but it was sooo much more fun in a box. Brisket was for dinner followed by all kinds of snacks in the 1st half. 2nd half brought queso, spicy nuggets(funny inside story) ice cream and giant pretzels. Did I mention there was a stocked bar? Folks. This was better than Disney Land. Lee about poo'd his pants when I told him where we were going to sit at the game. We had an absolute blast laughing at one another while throwing temper tantrums when a pass was missed or intercepted. We love our Sooners.

Cute Mal almost too nervous to watch. She had her shades on too;)

Mine and Mal's toes watching everyone clear the field. Defeated.

online shopping

2011-10-24T08:05:00.001-05:00

Saw lots of these type pix:

Bought these:

Loving these looks:

Bought these:

amused

2011-10-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

Today has felt like a Monday. No lie. Honestly, I'm not amused. Busy. Busy. Busy. What I do find amusing is this:

I had lunch with my pal Kimberly today. She is a kindergarten teacher. Bless her heart. She might feel the need to use the kit above for parent teacher conferences. Ha! She's on Fall Break today so we did Panera. Yum!

Wainscoting update: Handyman is coming over after work today to measure. YeeHaw!

3 Things that I'm considering over the wknd:

Black leather leggings

Skinny jeans (I need another pair. I have a pair that I wear on repeat all the time)

Black riding boots (I had to donate my black ones after Winter last year. They were bad news bears. I wear boots just about everyday with whatever outfit to work when it gets cold.)

babe

2011-10-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

First of all, I'm not preggers.
I ran across a blog post today that described the writer's recent gender party. (Where the future mom and dad announce the gender of their baby) Anyway, she posted some pictures of the decor and I about squealed when I saw the napkins. I have stockpiled these same napkins for my ~~way in the future after deployment~~ baby-to-be's shower. Weird, right? Well...I saw them and I just had to have them so don't hate. I'm a woman that likes decorating. I just can't help myself. It's OK to look forward to using my cute whittle napkins. These are dessert size napkins so I would find some cute yellow or navy and cream colored polka dot dinner napkins to go with them and kindly ask my hostesses to use them. Ha! They're not entirely gender specific so we're good on both accounts:

project

2011-10-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

Guess what. I want to add wainscoting to our dining room. I wonder if I can do this by myself...I wonder if I have time to do this...

I'm wanting to do something like this all of a sudden AND really really badly:

dining room (update)

2011-10-18T12:41:00.000-05:00

As promised, I took a pic of the updated dining room last night since Lee hung the super large framed map. What? Where is the map from? Savannah of course. I bought the map at the marina on our last trip after we finished sailing one day. It only took me forever to get it framed and hung. I really want to get a rug for this room and update the trim I did to THESE curtains. I don't really want to replace the curtains entirely bc then I feel like I would need to do that for the living room too since we have an open floor plan to the living room and these curtains share the same wall as those curtains, no? (Sorry for the poor iphone pic)

I made chicken skettie last night for dinner and then packed leftovers in lunches for Lee and I both. I bet we have a carb crash in a wee bit. He's already called me to say he was running to the store from his office to grab a Monster energy drink.

weekend update

2011-10-17T15:24:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a fun one! Lee got our awesome new alarm system installed on Friday and he’s pretty obsessed with everything it can do. Lee and I started the weekend off by going to Lowe’s and loading up on gardening soil and peek moss when I got home from work. Later that night, I got some snuggle time while catching up on our recorded TV.

On Saturday, I passed out pansies at my sorority’s house on campus. The alums sell flats of pansies for their annual fundraiser and I volunteered for pick up day. I’m trying to get more involved and it was a gorgeous day to be on campus so I didn’t mind at all. The actives (college gals) were so sweet to stop and chat, talking to them made ME want to be a young college kid again. I felt like an old fart and found it funny because all through college I could not wait to be an independent adult and to have a real job. I loved college, but man was I busy. It was nothing for me to carry a full semester of classes and work over 40 hrs a week. Passing out flowers, I started thinking about all my buddies I met in college and after. Not just buddies but lifers. Friends you have for life and tell all the in-between to, ya know?

THEN! I went even further down memory lane by driving to our buddy’s home town to watch his high school alum football game. Taylor made her famous enchiladas and we sipped her mom’s famous margarita recipe (Tastes like yummy lime juice with oranges!) before heading to the stadium. We cheered and watched Jacob scored the only touchdown for his team that night. It was a hoot. There were 3 ejections (due to fights), someone dislocated their shoulder AND another broke a collar bone! We spent the night at Taylor’s folk’s home and I swear walking into the house I was thinking, “This house should be on the cover of Southern Living.” It had a glamorous lodge type feel. An iron chandelier hung from the high ceiling on the front porch and giant moose antlers were centered above the front door. Dang. I should have taken a picture!!!

We headed home Sunday morning and we got busy in the yard. Lee mowed while I planted 2 flats of pansies and 20 tulip bulbs! I also got some twine to tie up our pretty yellow mums that came back this year. They were getting top heavy and splitting down the middle instead of standing full and round so I cheated with twine and now they look TV ready. Lee finished his chores a lot sooner than I did and headed to the gym but he gets to spread all the mulch when we get it. It took me a good 3 ½ hours to get all the planting done. When I finished, I went and got a pedicure. My callused feet needed one bad. So bad, that I might go back this weekend for another one! I try to go every 2 weeks but I’ve been a slacker. I really need to start caking on the lotion at night and wearing socks while I sleep. High heels to work and just being simply hard on my feet isn’t doing any good, but maybe lotion-y socks will help????

It was a busy Sunday. After the pedi, it was time to get groceries, cook dinner, do laundry, etc. O and I finally finished watching this week’s episode of Grey’s. This season had me teary eyed every week. If only Derek would stop being a jerk to Mer. Looks like he’s finally starting to come around tho…

This morning I drove 45 minutes to work, pulled into the parking lot, walked into my office and THEN realized I left my laptop at home. I turned around and drove home to get it of course. Crikey.

tgif

2011-10-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

Dinner was a success last night! I followed through with the meatloaf, mashed taters and green beans.

Random. I saw this pic on FB the other day and I just had to repost here so I can refer to my archives and see it again. It just makes me smile:

I made my first ever pumpkin pie. It was relatively easy. After it cooled, I put a layer of FF Cool Whip over the top of it and set it in the fridge overnight. I brought it to work this morning. I can’t wait to take it out of the fridge after lunch and see what everyone thinks!

This weekend we're heading South to watch our BFF, Jacob, play in his HS Alum football game!!! There's a crowd of us going and having a slumber party in his home town. Lee and I are pumped about it. I'm sure he'll try to find a jumbo pickle to munch on in the concession stand. Lee loves pickles and for some reason when I think about HS football games I think about nacho cheese and jumbo pickles.
TGIF!

in my kitchen

2011-10-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

It’s no secret I like dishes so when mom was about to get rid of (yes, get rid of) her solid white dishes with a wannabe milk glass resemblance to the edges, I raised my hand and maybe slighting yelped, “Wait, I want them!” I could easily see these babies used for wedding & baby showers or simply any ole reason to have a party with our friends. She gave me a set of 16! Bring on the parties! I love kitchens that display all white dishes. We have other dishes, yes. And I love them, but who can resist more?! OK. Maybe a lot of people, but not me! White dish envy:

I only just got them so they might be moved around a bit before finding a perfect placement, but here’s my quick attempt before Lee got home to meet the new alarm system guy:

I’ve been quite domestic this week. My pal, Taylor would be proud. She is the best cook and could prob cook a 5 star meal from an Easy Bake Oven. I baked over the weekend. I have prepared Lee’s lunch 3 out of 4 days this week and cooked dinner a couple of time. Don’t laugh about that one. I rarely feel like cooking dinner after fighting traffic for an hour to get home after work every day. If I want any time to do something like go to the gym or walk Cooper, it’s too late to start cooking so we have a fend for yourself policy on most nights. We do a lot of casseroles that I prepare, freeze and pop in the oven to bake. However, some weeks I get a wild hair to cook! I made a yummy fajita steak and taco meat salad earlier this week that Lee gobbled up:

Tonight I plan on doing a meatloaf, mashed taters and green beans while Lee takes an exam. Did I tell you he’s working on his MBA? Well, he is.

exterior holiday decorating...arrrrrrrgh

2011-10-13T12:30:00.000-05:00

Can your house do this:

Recently, Centsation Girl blogged about possibly the coolest neighbor ever, HERE.

good times

2011-10-11T16:18:00.000-05:00

Already looking forward to the wknd to do more of this: