Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home 

Living Room

The Couch Cushions are a bit 'squiggly' ... and my rainboots are in the entryway  but hey, a girl's got to have access to her rainboots, right?!

Entryway and Hall

Our Wedding 'Guest Book' - Love it.

Dining room- Yes there is a computer on my kitchen counter. 

Happy little office-  lots of light near the window.

Kitchen- where I stuff my face regularly.

Piggy- the only kind I'm allowed to have.  He's very happy.  

Master Bedroom-  Where sometimes Jed tries to make the bed over me in the morning. 

Make-up Station- glorious, no?

Guest Bathroom-

Guest Bedroom/Office/"Storage of Random Stuff Room"-  

Cutiful Bookshelf in Guest Room- filled with memorable things

 

Well, that's our place :)
 I think it's pretty cute...
especially now that our 2nd bedroom actually has a purpose, beyond storing boxes and bags and random junk that hadn't found a home yet.

Thanks for stopping by <3

It's Sunshine Award Season

The always lovely, always humorous and always interesting, Anna at The Silent Isle was sweet enough to include me in her nominations for the Sunshine Award!

“The Sunshine Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers. The receivers of the Sunshine Award are bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogsphere.”

I love this little guy! He makes me smile. ^  I have to admit...  I'm amazed that, despite my gramatical errors and consistent misuse of all sorts of punctuation, I still somehow managed to make the list. ;)  Thanks, Anna!  

Oh, but with that... *insert curtsey and cliche two-handed trophy shake* ...there's a catch. The award requires that I tell 7 facts about myself and then nominate 7 others! Ooooooh I'm so excited!

The question is- What don't you already know about me?

Well...

I figure I'll start where I'm most familier...   food! ;)

1. I absolutely LOVE strawberry shortcake...  and I don't mean the silly little cartoon girl,  I'm taking about the deliriously deliciousness kind.  I'm not sure if it's the strawberries I love, or just the mountains of whip-cream that I eat while preparing said dessert, but my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it! 

2. I'm loving the show White Collar! Less because of the plot and more because of the suave suits that character, Neal Caffrey wears, I'm just sayin'...he's not too bad to look at.  ;)

3. Despite being "known" as a relatively put-together and somewhat stylish woman... I seriously hate getting ready everyday.  Mornings are the bane of my existence, which tends to put a damper on my daily routine. ;)  

Along with morning issues, I hate having to do my hair on a daily basis. I mean really. It's not going to do what I want to... plus, by not doing it,  I could avoid arm cramps from blowdrying and 2nd degree burns from my flat-iron of doom!  Oh... and lets not get started on clothes fitting properly.  Why do I buy these things, seriously.   ha!

4.  Let's see... most of you probably knows this one - but I'm going to say it anyway...

I love Autumn! Seriously. It always carries the best colors, the prettiest views and crisp-est air.  I always find my favorite clothes in the fall and I love all the lead up to the hoiday season.  I mean really... between allergies, frozen toes and sticky summer skin, I could do away with other seasons, I think.  

Oh, oh, and "autumn" candle scents almost never smell like weeds or cinnamon crazy or pine trees  -like other seasons do.   Autumn smells typically revolve around harvest and thanksgiving- which means food- which means caramel and cake and brulee and pie and warm cookies- which means this girl is a very happy one!

5.  If I could have a lifetime supply of something I think it might be new white socks. How glorious would it be to have your piggies in brand new socks each time you put on sneakers?! They won't stretch out, they won't get holes, you won't have to have a sock hunt in your laundry basket or washing machine AND they'll always be just as soft and squishy as ever! ahhh!

6. I'm slightly obsessive- complusive. I simply can not leave my house without straightening up the couch and living room first.  I have to straighten the pillows, shift the cushions, fold the throw blanket or lay it in a perfect way and put away anything that doesn't 'belong' in the living room away before walking out that front door.

Truly, If I don't straighten everything up, I feel angsty and uneasy. Kind of like feeling you get when you know you've forgotten something important, like the stove is on and could burn down your house -except I feel like that if my couch has a wrinkle. Utterly ridiculous, I know.   

Also, I often write notes or lists over and over and over again until I 'feel' as though my handwriting is uniform and everything is in logical order. The computer saves me a lot of time and aggrivation. 

7. you probably know this too... but I truly think that piglets are the cutest animals on the planet- right next to baby elephants.  Seriously... the way they prance around adn snort and those ugly little noses make them oooh so adorable!  I die. Everytime. My typical response to seeing a picture or video... tears. 

 See, I'm tearing up right now!

And now, without further ado…

I follow quite a few fantastic blogs that I obviously find inspirational or hysterical (I love those kind) but since I'm limited to just 7... I thought I would pick a few ‘seasoned’ bloggers and some 'diamonds in the rough' that may be a bit newer to the blogsphere... but incredible nonetheless! 

You should follow their journeys too as they encourage others, speak truth into lives, get a little crafty and well... just make us laugh! <3

 Sarah at Life and Grace

Whitney at Navybeans 

Sarah at Sarah Sane and Tall

April at Chronically Hopeful 

Lauren at Traded Dreams

Jess at Get Busy Living

Darla at My Crazy Life

Thankful

100 things I'm Thankful for.... 

(just to name a few...and in no particular order...)

1.     My Jed. He is wonderful and loving, romantic, manly, kind, genuine, playful, hysterical, sweet, tough, honest, gracious, strong, committed, motivated, intelligent… I could go on.
2.     Jed’s health and emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.
3.     The love of our families.
4.     Amazing friends.
5.     The health and well-being of our family and friends (physically, financially, spiritually etc…)
6.     The cottage and financial assistance from the Riekes.
7.     Jed’s job.  (He makes most of the income.  His boss is wonderful and he loves what his organization stands for.)
8.     My job.  (I have great benefits. I’ve had the ability to take time off work… even as a “new” employee… to tend to health and family priorities. I have kind, intelligent, “motherly” managers that have given me the encouragement I desperately needed after my last position.)
9.     Church family.
10. Running water.
11. Hot water for cooking and cleaning.
12. Cleaning products.
13. Air conditioning and heat.
14. Electric.
15. A fridge full of food.
16. The ability to go grocery shopping, pick food, prepare food, keep it preserved and use it later.
17. Restaurants (when we are busy or need a break).
18. A closet full of clothing (nice clothing, at that).
19. Warm coats
20. Scarves
21. Lip balm
22. Make-up in general. (so I can put my…. “best face forward”  ;)--)
23. The ability to walk and see …and take care of myself on a daily basis.
24. Bug spray.
25. Paper towels.
26. Sweet tea!  Hallelujah!
27. A nice open living room and kitchen so we can still ‘entertain’ in our little space.
28. Toothpaste and toothbrushes.
29. Our healthy Yaris. (despite some cleanliness issues ;)  …she’s pretty fabulous.)
30. Our Accord. (He’s good on gas and gets where he needs to go.)
31.  The identity group
32. Our non-concrete kitchen flooring. Praise, God. I doesn’t drive me insane everyday.
33.  A new (ginormous) tv.
34. Soft and snuggly throw blankets.
35. Clothes hangers.  I love non-wrinkled clothing.
36. My hair dryer, straightening iron and curling iron.
37. Bobby-pins and hair ties
38. The ability to look up questions on the internet.
39. Remote controls.
40. Locks on the house and car and office.
41.  Interesting articles (so I can learn).
42. Paychecks. WOOOOO!
43. Health insurance.
44. A good family doctor and a couple of good specialists (Dr. Saadeh in particular) who are willing to listen to me, work with me and save me time off work and money in little ways.
45. Pinterest. (so I can escape from work and emotion and just browse)
46.  All kinds of food. Sprinkle donuts. Burritos. Pizza bites.  Mac and Cheese. Mashed potatoes. Stir-fry veggies. Dark chocolate covered pretzels and cherries. Frosted flakes. Mini-Wheats. Perogies. Homemade stuffing. Apples. Chinese food in general.
47. Chai tea lattes. Caramel Lattes. Tea. Orange Juice. Apple Cider.
48.  Our rice cooker.
49.  The feel of new socks.
50. The soft glow and warm scent of candles.
51. Comfy couches.
52. Medicine to help the body function correctly.
53. Medicine to help take away pain.
54.  Warm showers.
55. Indoor plumbing.
56.  Fuzzy rugs.
57. A stocked food pantry.
58. Glasses to drink from.
59.  Pretty gift-wrapping materials.
60. Christmas ornaments and lights.
61. Our porch swing.
62. The plant on our porch that Teresa takes care of.
63. Visits from Daisy.
64. The lawn that’s taken care of by Dave.
65. Thursday night dinners and chat time.
66. Super fun rain boots.
67. A purse to tote all my stuff around in.
68. A calendar to keep me organized.
69. Nail polish to make me feel… ‘polished’
70. Hard times to keep me grounded and realistic.
71. The ability to understand things and connect with people.
72. Warm slippers.
73. Other medicine flavors other than grape!
74. Yoga pants.
75. Jammies.
76. Non-stick cookware.
77. Fluffy bed comforters.
78.  Cell phone with internet and texting.
79.  MUSIC.
80. The ability to sing.
81.  Fellowship with family, friends and church friends.
82.  Movies and tv shows to ‘escape’ into.
83.  Funny incidents and stories to tell.
84. Inside jokes and ‘mental images’ that always make me snicker.
85. Strong hugs.
86. Soft kisses from my man.
87. Board games and icebreakers.
88.  A grill.
89.  Safety during travel.
90.  Sunshine and cool breezes.
91. Autumn leaves.  That proves there is so much beauty in life and in death.
92. Falling snow.
93. Perfume, cologne, lotion.
94. Soft pillows.
95. Sunglasses.
96. Spontaneous dance parties with best friends.
97. Windy roads (they are so fun to drive on).
98. The ability to smell lovely and delicious things.
99. The ability to make others smile or feel special

100. A God that knows me so well and loves me so much.

Hey! I'm Walking Here!

So.... today had an interesting start...

I actually went in to work a tad bit late today because I wasn't feeling very well and thought it might be smart to prevent sickness by recouping a couple hours of sleep this morning. Anyway...things were pretty normal and casual.  I casually drove into work, casually got out of my car, casually walked toward work, casually started crossing the street (when the little 'white walking man'  said okay)... and then casually ....got hit by a car! 

I know!  I'm not exactly exaggerating, the guy was only going like 1 mph, but still!!!  I stepped out, took a couple of steps and felt something hit my left knee. I was shocked at first, then angry.  I thought he was trying (as some ridiculous people do) to scare me by lurching towards me.  Those "city people" ;)   I'm please to say that he certainly wasn't trying to run me over.  I don't know if he was half asleep, distracted by a bee or just blissfully unaware of his surroundings... but he certainly wasn't paying attention.  I'm guessing that he simply took his foot off the break and his shiny automatic car decided to move.  

I quickly moved sideways and hit his hood with the palm of my hand once. Apparently he didn't see or hear me, still... and he kept on coming. By the time I caught a glimpse of his face (instead of the side of his head) I was fully bent over the front of his car and pounding on the hood with  both fists!

Obviously he hit his breaks and gave me the 'two-handed double high-five of regret' as he mouthed "sorry" (I think). I was just so stunned at what had happened... and there was an entire row of cars that were also sitting at the light.  I was embarrassed, I'm sure he was embarrassed.  As soon as I passed, he quickly made a right turn and sped away.  In a 2 second period, it's funny how much stuff went through my head. I'm sure I looked like a deer in headlights. Then my eyes teared... and then I snickered the whole way into work thinking of how ridiculous I must have looked as a hood ornament.   By the time I made across the next block to my building I was shaking so badly I thought I might need to sit down though.  Silly adrenaline.

Rethinking the situation I really wish I would have done a couple of things differently...
1. I would have actually yelled something in hopes of him hearing/seeing me sooner  ....and for effect....
I would have either:
1. Kicked his bumper really hard after he hit me  ...like this granny.... Granny Hits Car 
2. Pulled one of his windshield wipers off (Jed suggestion) or
3. Taken a pronounced bow  :)

LOL

Poor guy.  I was thinking afterwards how scared he must have been. Hitting a pedestrian is on my top 5 list of things I'm completely petrified of.

Anyway, I hope this bizarre little experience gave you a chuckle too.
I'm really grateful he was only creeping along... it gives me fun stories to tell.