100 Wishes Quilt - It's Starting!

So I put out a call quite a while ago asking people to contribute fabric to the 100 wishes quilt. I have gotten several contributions, but not 100. Not even close. Still, the stack of fabric was growing and I just knew that this was a huge undertaking. Plus, all this waiting and helplessness has reached a point of "incredibly difficult" and I felt like I needed to be able to DO something. So I decided to call up my friend, neighbor, and partner in mischief, Mollie, and see if we could go ahead and get started.

Seeing as how I've never sewn much of anything before I figured that what would happen is that I would end up doing lots of cutting and she would do the actual sewing. Oh, how wrong I was! We took a little time to play with my very basic machine and figured out what we needed and got it all set up. She let me practice on a couple of scraps and then before I knew it she was handing me the center square and the first strip and we were off! Amazingly, it wasn't that hard. In fact, I did all the sewing today. Mollie did all the cutting and ironing (which was probably best for everyone!) and in only a couple of hours we had put together basically all the fabric I had! It ended up being about 20 pieces. It definitely went more quickly with two people, and it was also more fun.

I'm super-excited about what I have so far, but I'm also super-excited about what comes next! And that is MORE FABRIC! We are far from 100 so pretty please send something! If I need to come pick it up (and you're in driving distance) I will be happy to! Pick something special/meaningful to you. I've still got some pieces of t-shirts that are going to be worked in and probably some other things, too. It will probably be a little while before I sit down and add some more to it. It really worked very well having a bunch to do at once so I think that's what we'll try to do again. Obviously I don't have a target date, but if you're going to be making a trip to the post office for Christmas stuff, it might be a great time to pop a little bundle of fabric in the mail (just saying!)

"Made Up" Pasta Bake

Recently Jeff and I started a little weekly supper club with two dear friends, E&E. We alternate which couple hosts and cooks. The "visitors" bring the wine. We eat, talk, laugh, and have a wonderful time. This week we were hosting and I decided to make pasta. I figured it would be pretty good, but I didn't expect everyone to absolutely devour it! Mr. E was so impressed that there was no recipe, I just made it up as I went along. I'll do my best to describe it, but I'm sorry if I leave something out!

First, I cooked a package of ground turkey in a skillet. I seasoned it with a little bit of dried onion and some tuscan sea salt with herbs I got as a Christmas gift but save for "special" foods. I figured this was special enough! I drained the meat and wiped off the pan.

Next, I added one package of frozen spinach that I had defrosted and drained to the warm pan. I added a little bit more onion along with about 2 Tbsp of light garlic and herb cheese spread and a jar of light alfredo sauce along with a little bit of nutmeg (trust me, nutmeg with spinach or white sauce is awesome!) I didn't add garlic because the garlic & herb cheese was pretty strong, but if you just have garlic and cream cheese it would probably be pretty similar. I also stirred the meat back in with everything else.

Next, I cooked 1 lb of farfalle pasta and mixed it with all of the sauce. I dumped everything into a big casserole dish and topped it with a little bit of shredded 2% milk mozzarella and baked it until the cheese was melty. Basically I just stuck it in the oven and let it hang out while the oven pre-heated and I baked the rolls (for about 10 minutes). Everything was already cooked so it was just a good way to keep it warm until everyone got there. That, and I'm a sucker for melty cheese. It would still be super-tasty (and probably save a few calories) if you leave the cheese off the top.

The whole thing came together in probably 40 minutes. It probably could have been quicker but I wasn't in a rush (and I may or may not have been singing into my spoonula at points) I have a sneaking suspicion this would be an easy one to throw together the night before and then head up in the oven before serving. It might even freeze well, although I am not sure.

This should make about 8 servings and, according to the My Fitness Pal recipe builder, has 405 calories per serving. Not bad for a very tasty and filling meal. It's the perfect thing for spring time as it starts to warm up because it's still filling but not super heavy. Next time I might add some roasted red pepper. The spinach and turkey would probably also make a great filling for stuffed shells or lasagna rolls, too.

Do you have any "make it up as you go along" favorites? If so, please share. If you give this one a try, let me know, especially if you have any improvements!

Alabaster Fire Department CPR Class

In all of the adoption preparations, we learned that we would also have to take a water safety class along with CPR and First Aid because we have a hot tub. While the water safety still needs to be done, we were able to take CPR on Saturday.

Our local fire department offers CPR classes pretty regularly (I think at least once a month) and it's super cheap - only $5 to cover the cost of getting your certification card. If you need the schedule or more information you can get it here.

Our class only had four people in it which really was wonderful. I got CPR certified almost 10 years ago but thankfully have never had to use it. I also know that the standards change and I was a little nervous about remembering everything and being able to do it right, but the small class size made sure we all got a lot of one-on-one help and supervision.

Our instructor (I didn't get his permission so I won't use his name) was absolutely wonderful. He not only made sure that we got all the information that we needed, but he gave it to us in a way that we could remember it. He also answered all of our questions and made sure we were engaged with all of it. Everything was very conversational and incredibly enjoyable. I know I'm a dork who enjoys learning new things, but classes like this are not normally my "thing." However, this one was really fabulous. You can bet that I'll be doing it again to make sure that my certification stays current from now on. As easy and enjoyable as the whole thing was, I'd be foolish not to keep it up!

It seems silly but the most helpful/applicable (and also most intimidating part) for me was "playing" with the EpiPens. We ALWAYS have campers who have them and I've never personally had to see one used or help use one (or even know of a camper at one of my weeks who needed it while they were at camp). We always get a description of how to use them, but we actually practiced using them on ourselves with the teaching devices (which didn't have needles or medicine.) Even knowing that there was no needle in it, I didn't want to even act like I was stabbing it into my leg and it took a little extra encouragement for me to try it. I'm glad that I finally did because I now feel that, if I do ever need to, I could use one on a camper (or anyone else for that matter!) I probably could have done it before if I had to, but it would have taken me a few seconds to talk myself into it and/or read the instructions and I would have gladly given over the responsibility to someone else! Now I think I could do it without too much trouble, although I would still prefer to do what I do best, which is holding hands and offering words of comfort and encouragement!

I believe the whole crew from one of the stations was there during the start (until they had to go to a call). I think the plan was for them to help out with demonstrations and with the actual practicing with the dummies but they were gone when we got to that part. In spite of that, I was so incredibly overwhelmed by the kindness of all of them and their appreciation of us for taking the class. There really are not words for how much I appreciate them and their interactions with us, however brief they might have been. Maybe I'm just overly sentimental these days, but thinking about them and my experience with them makes me tear up a little! They truly are ministers in their own right with an incredible calling and I am grateful for all that they do!

If you need CPR certification or it's something you are thinking about taking/doing, let them help you out! It's a fabulous experience and I promise you will walk away a better person!

The Flower Garden

Before we ever bought this house, we talked about the idea of putting in a flower garden in this little back corner of the yard just off the patio.  However, our first summer here Jeff decided that the space would be better utilized as the home of an above-ground pool, so that's what we put in. We enjoyed the pool for two summers, but when we took it down last fall we decided that maybe it was time to consider other options.  After we got our basement room renovation completed, we got serious about doing things for the patio since we were now seeing and using it more. In the process of getting things situated in the garage, Jeff decided that he needed a small garden shed for all his yard equipment and tools and that nice, level corner of the yard was the perfect place to put it. However, that forever eliminated the option of putting back the pool and left us with a decent sized piece of yard that looked quite pitiful. It was flower garden time!

We had some lattice work on the side of the patio acting as a screen between the patio where our table and chairs were sitting and that lovely little corner of yard. When the pool was there it was fine, but since we wanted to put in something pretty we wanted to be able to see it, so Jeff cut three arches in the lattice to serve as window. One of the pieces we cut out was then mounted on the garden shed to add some detail and serve as a sort of background for our fountain. Jeff had bought this long before he ever met me, but never moved it from his mother's house because we never had another place to put it until now.

Then we created the garden itself. We made four beds around the perimeter with two openings that serve as entry points - one to the yard and one to the patio. The beds were lined with pavers and filled in with dirt. The area inside the beds was filled with pea gravel and 4 larger stepping stones. Inside the beds, we chose a variety of different plants and flowers. On the lattice wall, we got a jasmine vine. As it climbs the lattice it will hopefully surround those "windows." We also got a St. Francis bird feeder. (Apparently the chipmunks are quite fond of it because I always see them running past the door when Patches is inside and while most of the bird seed is staying, the sunflower seeds are being picked out!)

In the bed by the fence is a bush that is supposed to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It is supposed to be a spring-blooming plant so it was on sale. I don't expect it to make it through the summer, but right now it's nice and I'm looking forward to seeing what it draws in next year. We also put a couple of (what are now small) cypress trees in the corners. Hanging on the fence we moved an old iron hook we found in the woods where someone had tossed it with a hanging basket. Right now it has miniature pansies, but I'm sure it'll get changed out periodically.

In the bed by the fountain we put some bushes that are supposed to grow to a "medium" size and will fill in under the fountain. Like most of the beds, it also got some ground cover/filler flowers that will add some color.

The bed by the yard has some flowers in it, although one is about dead because Patches has decided he likes to water that one himself! We'll probably eventually dig it up and replace it with a small statue of a fire hydrant! We put some light fencing on the yard-side of that bed just to keep the dogs from running straight through it and give it some definition. It looks very nice.

We put a small iron bench on the gravel that is big enough for two people. It's the perfect place to sit and think. I just hate that it's so blooming hot now! Still, in the evenings it's a nice place. Obviously it's not in this picture, but you can figure out where it goes.

I love that we can see this area from the patio and the hot tub. The fountain is on a timer so it's not running all the time, but it does turn on in the afternoon/evening which is when we are generally outside anyway. And in case you are wondering about the spare piece of lattice between the fence and the shed, we used that L-shaped area around the shed to make a sort of "play pen" for Cocoa. She now has a secure area outside where I can leave her during the day so she doesn't have to be inside in her crate for hours on end.

Buck's Pizza - Alabaster

Remember when I wrote a review of a new Mexican place near our house,  El Potro? Well, they didn't even last a year. A place called PaNYC moved in, but it was so many different things I never knew what exactly is was and refused to try it on principle. It didn't last long, either. The building sat empty for quite a while, but a couple of months ago we noticed the "for lease" sign removed from the front. Then the sign changed and it said "coming soon - not panyc" which immediately endeared us to whatever it was going to be. Pretty soon the sign changed again and announced that Buck's Pizza was moving in, and we waited excitedly. We noticed lots and lots of cars in the parking lot in the past few weeks so we knew staff were being trained and it wouldn't be too long. They finally opened on Monday and the parking lot has stayed pretty stinking full ever since.

We decided Thursday night would be as good a time as any to give it a try. We went early (about 5:45 pm) and were seated immediately, but they were obviously already busy. It took longer than I would have expected for our server to greet us but after a rather awkward first encounter, she took our drink orders and got our drinks pretty quickly. She asked then if we were ready to order, but we asked for a few more minutes. Then she disappeared! It took us maybe five minutes to decide what we wanted and then sat and stared for at least ten minutes waiting for her to reappear. When she finally did appear from wherever she had been, she walked straight past us so we continued to sit and wait several more minutes. Finally, a gentleman we assumed was the owner came by and noticed Jeff's drink was empty and offered to get him a refill. Jeff told him we really just wanted to place our order. Although he was obviously not comfortable with it, the guy took our order. Several minutes later our waitress finally reappeared and asked if we were ready to order and we told her we already had so she just walked away. We didn't even get a "sorry about that, do you need anything else right now?" which kind of ticked me off, but whatever.

Jeff's food came out first. He got a small "Wild Buck" (basically a super-supreme) and we were going to share an order of the boneless buffalo wings, but when they brought it out there was no silverware and only one plate. We asked the guy who brought the food from the kitchen (not our server) for silverware and got a couple of forks and a hand-full of napkins. I just ate a few wings from the basket while I waited on my stromboli and they were really good. They had a nice flavor without being too unbearably hot. The waitress came by and asked if we needed anything before I got my food but we just said no because the guy from the kitchen said it was coming. It probably took almost 10 minutes before mine came (Jeff was at least halfway done) and I immediately noticed a problem. Although I had ordered a CBH special (cheddar, bacon, and ham) I got a bacon cheeesburger, although I didn't know that's what it was until we got the check at the end. I just knew there was something missing (ham) and something I didn't order -  I kind of thought it was sausage, which I normally hate. I tried it and it tasted pretty good, but it just wasn't what I wanted. I didn't send it back because I knew the guy had put it in wrong but it wasn't really his fault since he didn't have anything written down and Jeff had put him on the spot in the first place. I probably wouldn't order it again, but it wasn't bad. I ate half and brought the other half home with me so I'll probably have it for dinner tomorrow or at some point over the weekend. My bigger gripe was that I didn't have a knife and it wouldn't cut with the side of my fork so I just had to kind of rip it apart. I generally don't like doing that, but it beat trying to bite into it, and a bunch of the ground beef fell out while I did that which saved me having to scrape it out, although I still did a little of that too. I ate some of the beef and it did have a good flavor (I still thought it was sausage) but again, not what I wanted.

We didn't see much of our waitress after my food came out. The one time she did appear, I asked for a box. Next time I'll know to also ask for a cup for the sauce because it wasn't offered. I consolidated our two containers of ranch into one and put my extra sauce in the empty ranch cup so it worked out. Our drinks stayed pretty well filled, but that was thanks to several other staff members! After we finished and my leftovers were boxed up, we again were left sitting for quite a while, to the point that Jeff was asking if there was someplace we went to pay or if they were going to bring us a check. I had seen other tables get their check so I knew that from observation. At this point the place was packed and there was a line of people waiting for tables. The busboy stopped by and asked if he could get stuff out of our way, to which we agreed because we were beyond ready to go. We even gave him our drink glasses, which I will pretty much NEVER do. When he asked if we needed anything, we told him we were waiting on our check. He went in the back and told someone, and came back to tell us that it should be right out. Several minutes later, after he had cleared a few more tables he was walking back by our table and noticed us still waiting and rolled his eyes. Obviously he said someone again because the owner came back to our table to ask if we were waiting on the check and we told him we were. Our waitress finally appeared with our check, and we were ready to hand it back to her almost immediately. She walked back and forth in front of our table several more times and I was about ready to have Jeff stick the folder with our check in it out to block her path the next time she came by, but I think she realized I was glaring at her and she came to take it. Again, it took what seemed like an eternity before she came back with our credit card so we could finally get the heck out of dodge!

I'm sure we will return, but it may be for carryout next time. I expected a little bit of dysfunction because this was their first week, but everyone else was very polite and on top of things except for this one girl. I still want to try the CBH special!

*Edit 5/6/12 - We went back for lunch today, and all the little "kinks" from our previous visit seemed to have worked themselves out. In fact, if it's possible, even the food was better this time! I am guessing that, before too long, we'll be on a first name basis with most of the staff at Buck's!

Goodbye July!

I can't believe July is already over (or will be at midnight tonight!) Yikes! It's a little bit crazy.

Residency is continuing to go well. I'm doing an ethics presentation this week on Pediatric Consent/Assent/Dissent. I'm pretty excited. I think I've outdone myself this time! Next week I'm doing another one on a book called "When Parents Say No" about refusing treatment on the basis of religious convictions. I'm pretty stoked.

Jeff still hasn't found a permanent job. There's a chance he could go back to Nafco for a little while, so that'll be nice. I know he enjoys working with them. Heck, he enjoys working period. I totally understand it!

We have been enjoying being crafty lately. Jeff built me a beautiful workbench as an early birthday gift and as a result I have moved into the garage. It's actually quite a nice work space. I spent several hours down there today. Now if I could just find a stool with wheels on it I'd be set. I've been working on flowers for hair clips. I didn't intend to do as many as I have, but you know how I get when I'm on a roll. I made about 50 today. I should put the finishing touches on several tomorrow. Jeff has a project of his own that he's working on, but I'll wait a while before I tell you about that!

There really isn't a whole heck of a lot that's been happening, but it's quite nice. I like having life settling into a routine. Too bad it's all going to get shaken up again before too long!

Garden 2011

Well, now that it's nice and warm, we decided it was time to get the garden going again.

The first task was the flowers for the front of the house. We got some nice new hanging baskets last year so we filled them with petunias. We also decided we need something for the bed around the mailbox so I got some lavender. Unfortunately, it still looks kind of puny so I'll have to get some other stuff to go out there, too. I also got a pot of African daisies to go on the front porch just because they were pretty.

For the herb garden I picked out some dill and some chives. My rosemary and thyme survived the winter. The rosemary got re-potted (finally!) and the thyme is still hanging out. I am thinking I will get some tarragon or sage, I'm not sure which yet. I may also put some peppers in, but I've not decided. I guess I'll wait and see what looks good the next time I'm out.

For the vegetable garden we got the usuals - tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, and peppers. We also got some cabbage and Jeff is going to start some more pole beans from seed. We'll probably also get a watermelon vine if we can find any!

And I also got my replacement rose bush! I thought I wanted one with big roses since the other one is little pink roses, but this was a really neat hybrid of three colors, so I got it and I'm really loving it. The picture is my "old" rose bush from last year, but it just looks so pretty I couldn't help but share! It's the best looking of anything right now. I'll post more pictures once stuff starts looking better!

Friday Five - Love the One You're With

Today's Friday Five challenges us to think of five things that we like about where it is we live now. This is an exercise I hope to repeat, and perhaps expand upon, every five or so years to allow me to reflect upon where I'm living and serving at a given moment and as I live into what it means to be an itinerant minister!

1 - I love my neighbors. Everyone is friendly.There is a wide variety of ages, interests, and backgrounds represented. Homes and yards are generally well maintained. People seem to genuinely care about one another. It's nothing to ask the folks across the street to feed the dogs for us while we're gone, or ask the guy a couple of houses down to pull our garbage can in on his way home. They're happy to do it and we're happy to return the favor!

2 - I love the convenience. With the exception of work, I can get to everything I truly NEED in less than 10 minutes. Publix is a 4 minute drive, which is wonderful. I don't think I would want to be any closer to all this if I could be. It's fantastic. It's not a big deal to run to the store or pick something up on the way home. If there is a problem with anything, it can be easily fixed. And if we absolutely had to, we could even walk down to the gas station!

3 - I love having a yard. I especially love that there is fence around this yard in the back and it is filled with a nice oak tree, a deck, a pool, and a garden. The only thing missing is a swing set, and that can come with time! I like having a place for the dogs to run and getting to really experience the glory of growing something. I like being able to go out and have a place to watch the stars and feel the breeze and enjoy life without having to worry about being in anyone else's way or anyone else being in mine!

4 - I love being in the 'burbs. Don't get me wrong. I loved being in the heart of Nashville while I was there. It was great to go back and visit and I do miss it. But it's definitely not where I want to spend the rest of my life. I like that things are quiet. I like that there's generally no traffic after 8 pm. I like that I see kids riding their bikes down the street and hearing dogs bark and having a little bit of space between me and the neighbors. I like having a little distance between me and the bars and the parties and the excitement. I like my nice, quiet existence.

5 - I love my kitchen. I always dreamed of having a yellow kitchen with a round table and a big island and I have it now! It's really wonderful! I feel very at home in my kitchen and knowing that it is really mine. It's the one room of the house that I feel is best representative of the person that I am and the things that I value (and in keeping with that theme it is, and probably always will be, a work in progress!)

Now, the "bonus" is to come up with something you don't like about where you live now. The biggest thing I dislike about where I live now is the distance from the church. Not just from the practical standpoint of taking almost 45 minutes to drive one way from the house to the church (and ultimately often spending more time driving than I do actually working at the church). But I also dislike being disconnected from my people. I wish I was more aware of what was going on closer to them and knew more about the business and areas that are often discussed.

Hey Neighbor

When I was young, I always dreamed of growing up. I dreamed about having my own home with a garden and a white picket fence and kids riding bikes up and down the street and neighbors hanging out together.

Well, I have the house. It's a very family-friendly neighborhood (although the kids usually ride scooters instead of bikes) and we're just missing the picket fence. Last night, we had our first real "neighbors" thing and it was a BLAST!

Thursday Jeff and I went to Wal-Mart to get some things for the yard. While we were there, a guy stopped us and said "hey, aren't you my neighbor?" After a chat in the middle of the garden center, he mentioned that they were having our neighbors across the street over the next night to grill out and hang out and invited us to come over too.

Friday afternoon we strolled over to their house around six and were greeted by the older boy, who had a juice bag in hand and waved us inside. We came in and hang out for a while as the food finished on the grill. Eventually the other neighbors and their son came over and we hung out. We sort of separated like a middle school dance - girls on one side of the porch, boys on the other.

After several hours, lots of beer, several margaritas, and half a tray of brownies we realized that actually eating dinner might be a good idea. We grazed and talked most of the night. Finally, about midnight (which was right around the time the youngest boy pulled off his diaper and decided to run around naked), we decided it was time to go home.

It was a wonderful time. Exactly the kind of thing I dreamed about! We're definitely going to do it again soon!

Alarming

During our semi-horrible visit to the home and garden show (that was incredibly disappointing, by the way) Jeff decided we needed to register for every giveaway going on. Well, I knew exactly where this would lead. One of these included information for an alarm company. Of course they called and scheduled an appointment to come give us a free estimate for an alarm system. Jeff fielded the phone calls so it wasn't a huge concern of mine.

I didn't think much about it until one Tuesday afternoon a few weeks ago. I came home from a long shift at the hospital rather tired and cranky. I immediately start dinner because I'm hungry and looking forward to relaxing that evening when the doorbell rings and sure enough the woman from the alarm company was here to do our estimate. FRICK!

She was really nice and I liked her a lot, but I really didn't think this was the time for us to be buying alarm equipment or signing a service contract. I let Jeff do the house tour because he knew all about alarms (having had alarms before and worked at an alarm company) so I just stayed in the kitchen and tended to my macaroni from a box. The next thing I know they're in the kitchen and contracts are coming out and he's holding a pen!

I knew he really wanted an alarm and I don't mind having one, so we went ahead and got it since the equipment and installation was free.

I guess it's just because I'm not used to having an alarm but it makes me really nervous! I'm afraid of setting it off, even though I can give them our password and I won't have my house swarmed by police! I know it's a good thing to have and is saving us money on our insurance and all that, but I'm still not sure whether or not I like it.

I guess the monitored smoke detectors are nice. I think that's one of my biggest fears - the house catching fire and something happening to the dogs. I'm still tempted to get one of those "pet alert" stickers to go on the door.

Who would have thought that home security equipment would make me so insecure?

Party Recap and Punch recipe

The open house on Saturday went very well. We had a nice group come out, but it wasn't so overwhelming that it took us forever to get everything back to normal. The house was still relatively clean when everyone left. There wasn't a ton of leftover food to be put away. Almost everything fit into the dishwasher in one load.

Our menu was quite simple - fruit and vegetable tray, cheese and sausage, bacon ranch cheeseball and crackers, spinach dip and tortilla chips (not homemade this time!), sugar and forgotten cookies, citrus punch, and wine. Nothing terribly difficult or fancy but it was a nice spread. I was pretty proud, even if I did have the little cubes of cheese that I can't stand! (they were my husband's choice!)

The weather was perfect. We were able to open the french doors between the living room and the screened porch. We actually spent most of the day on the porch just because it was so nice out there. I love having a place to sit where I can enjoy the fresh air and be comfortable and not have to worry about bugs! I can definitely see spending some quality time out there again with a glass of wine!

In preparation for the party and as a gift from his mother, we got the swing for the front porch. It looks really nice and we enjoyed sitting in it waiting for everyone to come over on Saturday. I want to get a cushion or something for it, and I can see napping on the swing. Hopefully my snoring won't scare the neighborhood children!

Because I'm a slacker I totally forgot to take pictures of making the punch, but there isn't much to take pictures of. It is very simple.

1 (12 oz) can orange juice concentrate - thawed

1 (12 oz) can lemonade concentrate - thawed

1 (12 oz) can limeade concentrate - thawed

6 cups water

2 liters ginger ale and/or Sprite (I used 1 liter each)

Basically you just dump this all into a punch bowl and mix. Save the soda until right before you serve it so it doesn't go flat. If you want it to be sweeter you can also add some pineapple juice, although I would also add a little more water if you do. Serve over crushed ice and you have a very tasty beverage.

*Variation* - for a grown up version you can obviously use champagne in place of the soda

Also, if you prefer slushy punches, add another 2-3 cups of water to the juice concentrates and water, then freeze overnight. Let it thaw slightly before adding the soda and serving. Obviously this way you don't need the crushed ice.

You're Invited...

... to an open house!

I don't like the idea of a "house warming" party because it sounds like we're asking for gifts and we just got all kinds of wonderful things for our wedding less than a year ago. Plus, I just can't quite make sense of why someone else would throw you a party to show off your house. Shouldn't that be your thing? I know it's totally "normal" I just can't wrap my little brain around it. So we are having an open house where everyone can come in and see the place all fixed up and not just decorated for Christmas.

The party will be Saturday, March 27th from 1-4 pm. There is talk of going out for Mexican afterwards if anyone would like to join in those festivities as well. This is probably the one and only time you'll ever get permission to open my closets and look in my laundry room. Take advantage of this limited-time offer. There will be food and music and maybe even some wine. It will be a lovely afternoon.

Come on over and bring a friend. If you want a formal invitation or need directions, just let me know!

Happiness is...

It takes very little to make me happy. I'm very easily amused and the simplest things can make my day. Today I had one of those days. The weather was beautiful and perfect and it seemed like the neighborhood was buzzing in just the way I've always felt like it should be. The kids across the street are playing basketball, the teenagers next door were playing with one's car and their dog. And then there was the most glorious sound - THE ICE CREAM TRUCK!

I love ice cream. And I love the ice cream truck. I didn't go flying out the front door as soon as I heard it. I thought about it, but decided not to humiliate myself. But then as it just sat there and served several other people it's song hypnotized me and I did indeed go flying from the front door! I even got my favorite ice cream bar, a chocolate eclair crunch bar. So yummy!

I don't know why it is that having an ice cream truck in our neighborhood (especially one driven by a very sweet young woman) excites me so much. Maybe because I just love ice cream. Maybe because I have pleasant memories of my own childhood and the ice cream truck. Maybe because I got to see several of the families I haven't met on the block. Maybe because I just associate it with being a kid-friendly, family-friendly area. I don't know. But it makes me really excited and it just makes this feel that much more like home.

Decorating Credits

I'm sure you've probably seen most of the photos of the house now (at least if you want to see them!) If not, they are on facebook. Check them out. And if you aren't my friend on facebook, you should be! I would love to take credit for all the decorating of the new house, but I can't. I've been passing off most of the credit to my husband, but the more I sit back and think about it, he doesn't deserve it all either. So basically, here's a list of who did what to which rooms.

Master Bedroom - the furniture choice (except for the bench between the windows) was all Jeff. He purchased his bedroom furniture before we even met. The bench came from my grandparents' house, although unless you knew that you wouldn't really notice it doesn't exactly match the rest of the furniture. The bedding was pretty much me. The wall color was also me (because we were working from the bedding and the rest of the house is beige and I wanted our room to be different!) The artwork was Jeff. The picture over the bed came from his parents and the two pictures by the mirror came from my old house. Jeff arranged all the furniture

Master Bath - I will take full credit for this, although there wasn't much "decorating" to be done. We just used the same color as the master bedroom. I picked out the little wicker and iron shelves and decorative towels. The picture I got from his parents. He did pick out the new drawer knobs and paint the light fixtures, but it was a pretty mutual decision that we wanted the brushed silver.

Guest bathroom - I guess you could say I am responsible for this one because it was stuff I picked out for the condo based around the hand towel stand I got as a wedding gift. The wall color was the agreed-upon beige for most of the house.

Guest bedroom - I really don't know that either of us can take credit for this. All the furniture and bedding came from my old house. My mom picked out the bedding. I don't think I even helped with that one, I think I was away at college. The painting on the bedside table was a gift to me. The painting over the bed came from his mother, but I think we're going to replace it with a few I found from my grandparents' house. Again, Jeff arranged all the furniture.

Office - This was all Jeff. I helped pick the window treatment, but they were originally chosen for our living room at the condo. He did all the hanging of artwork (which is all his) and arranging of furniture (which is all his except one bookshelf!) The burgundy chair came from the house in Cullman but he's the one who decided to keep it.

Living room - This is the one room we did almost entirely together. We picked almost all the furniture together and it was purchased as our Christmas present from my family. There are two tables that came from the Cullman house and all the lamps came from Cullman. The artwork also came from Cullman but Jeff chose it and hung it. I want something different, but I don't know what yet. The current rug is temporary. I did display all the wedding photos in their strategic locations. The furniture arrangement was rather mutual.

Dining room - Jeff actually deserves most of the credit here. He totally saw the vision for the paint when I could not. The color on top was a pretty mutual choice. The furniture was basically all his doing, too. The tea cart was something I got from my great-great-aunt. The table and chairs he found and really encouraged me to love them (which I now do). The china hutch came from his mom and he made the executive decision where to put it. The only thing I can claim credit for is the hanging of the artwork (which also came from his mom) and the current tablecloth.

Hall/Entry way - There are little touches here that I can pretty much take credit for. There is a cross over the front door that I bought several years ago, but Jeff hung. The memo board in the hall was a gift to both of us, but I chose to hang it there. The new light fixture in the hall was my choice, too.

Half Bath - I think I can take credit for this, too. I made the decision that this would be the only room we wouldn't re-paint so it is the purple wallpaper that was there when we bought the house. I chose the paintings now on the wall and the other little pieces. It's a work in progress. I still feel like something is missing.

Kitchen - I can take (almost) full credit for this - I knew what I wanted and Jeff helped make it happen. I chose the color with absolutely no discussion. I also found the metal tiles and Jeff hung them for me. I picked the drawer/cabinet pulls and Jeff put them on. The table came from his mom because she and I traded. He hung the stuff on the wall for me, but that's also a work in progress.

So that's pretty much our house and how it came to be the way it is now. I'm sure it will continue to evolve. Once I get some of the "new" stuff put away there will be more pictures. Stay tuned!

Nomad No More

Friday is moving day. I can't believe it's finally here, but at the end of this week Jeff and I will be living in OUR house. And my life as a nomad will be ending.

I feel like my life has been a six and a half year long game of the hokey pokey. I can't remember how many times I've moved in and out and had to shake it all about! The best count I can come up with is at least ten different times in the past six years. It stinks. It truly does. And I'm over it. It may have been an exciting adventure a while ago, but no more.

I'm ready to be settled. I'm ready to give away all the boxes. I'm ready to recycle all the paper. I'm ready to throw out the foam. I'm ready to put nail holes in the walls and make height marks on door frames and carve our initials into a tree. I'm ready to have a place that truly feels like home!

And as much as I'm looking forward to being in our new home, the process of getting there is making me nuts. I HATE packing. Unpacking I actually enjoy because I can organize as I go. There is nothing more exciting to me than a set of empty shelves or a wall of empty cabinets. But a stack of empty boxes? That is the stuff nightmares are made of. I am haunted by thoughts of flat cardboard and packing paper and foam wrap and that awful tape!

Right now it's a tease. We have new furniture for the dining room and the living room. The dining room was a good find at a secondhand store. We got a nice oval table, the pad, 2 arm chairs, and 4 side chairs. The living room furniture is our Christmas gift from both sets of parents. We got a couch, a chair, a coffee table, and 2 end tables. All this stuff is in the house. The living room furniture still needs to be moved, but at least it's there. The fridge, washer, and dryer are all there. The house is liveable. We just aren't there yet!

Thankfully, we have hired movers this time. They can do all the heavy lifting and the hauling up and down stairs. I can smile, direct traffic, and start unpacking the moment the right boxes hit my kitchen!

So it's official...

Jeff and I are homeowners! We signed all the papers yesterday and the whole process (once our offer was accepted) was really pretty painless and went very smoothly. After we got done with the papers and everything our realtor took us to dinner and then we went to look at furniture. 

We are going in a little while to get the water put into our name, measure square footage for carpet and paint, and get some new locks. We may do a little more looking at furniture, too.  

If all goes according to plan the work can happen pretty quick (if nothing else, on the inside) and we can move by mid-december.

I'm very excited about it. I will probably work on some before and after pictures, but if you've got an excuse to be in the Birmingham area, you're welcome to stop by and see the real thing!