Baking, snow, and chai!?


Tomorrow. Christmas Eve. Sleeping in. Yeeeesssssssssss. :) My day will consist of waking up whenever I feel like it, making some breakfast for the future hubs and myself, and then baking all kinds of holiday treats all morning, hopefully while SNOW is falling! (fingers crossed). Ahhhhh..sounds pretty amazing. I might even throw a chai in there. Thrilling I know. :) The trifecta of elements that make for an amazing morning in my eyes. Have a great Christmas Eve everyone!

Sad but true


I purchased a set of these bad boys at Target today. Do you know what these are? These are stop signs you place in your garage, in front of your car so you know where to stop. Admittedly, they are for ME. For some unknown reason, I have no concept of where to stop my car when pulling into the garage and manage to "tap" our bicycles about 50% of the time. While doing some last minute Christmas shopping, I spotted these on an end cap, (along with about another bazillion gizmos I could have purchased just as easily--I hate how Target does that) and had a come to Jesus moment..."Abbey, you have a problem, you should get them". At $10, it wasn't that difficult of a decision. And seeing how the little stop sign lights up when the pole is tapped, it at least makes it fun to have this stupid problem. :)

My weekend in 3 images

Ok, 3 images w/ 3 descriptions. :)

Black Swan: YAY! Finally it opened up to us mid-westerners. Why must they make us wait so long when the east/west coast see it 2 weeks sooner?! Anyway, complaining aside, a group of friends got together to have some amazing Thai food and then see a late night showing of Black Swan on Friday evening. A group date, if you will. Unfortunately, due to the sparkling conversation, our dinner ran a little longer than expected, and we wound up arriving to the movie 10min before showtime, ergo sitting in the 3rd row seats up front which require you to turn your head from side to side to keep track of the action. That, coupled with the very bouncy, artistic and close-up camera work in this movie made for a rough, and sometimes dizzy, hour and 50min. But WELL worth it. This movie was nothing what I expected it to be...and for that reason, I liked it even more! :) GO SEE IT. It's already nominated for four Golden Globes. I believe Natalie Portman will win at least one award for her work.


White Christmas: So technically the White Christmas watch party wasn't during the weekend, it was Thursday. That's close enough, eh? On Thursday, my sister, my mother, my best friend and her mother all joined for the 3rd annual watch party: We drink wine, eat way too much homemade snacks, and watch one of our favorite Christmas classics, White Christmas. Yes, that's Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, and Rosemary Clooney in the image. And if you haven't seen this movie, you NEED to! It's a classic for a reason, and you better believe each one of us can sing every song word for word. :)


White Elephant Gifts: These are the goodies Jared and I ended up with from a Christmas Party we attended at the Boxberger's this weekend (mine is the hat). Lovely huh? The s^$#ing dog image on the hat is a nice touch. I still haven't decided if Jared actually hates his gift. :) I think this hat actually could be used on my annual float trip. It would fit in real well with on the Niangua River locals in Lebanon MO. (If you haven't been there, just think of it as a big spring break bash, on a very shallow river, with a very different breed of people). Yes....there are beads thrown around, if that gives you an hint. If nothing else, these gifts will be at least recycled at another White Elephant gift exchange, that is if Jared doesn't secretly sport his Superman undies around the house. :) The best gift at the party either goes to the Shake Weight, or the 3 cans of the now locally banned Four Loko (brought by yours truly) :)

Jared and I are heading to the Olive Garden this evening to celebrate his mother's birthday. Ahh, their salad and breadsticks--I can't stop myself! And Jared is home for 2 weeks from travel, which is so great. I finally have someone to cook for in the evenings and we get to watch our favorite shows together. His job has certainly taught me not to take those kinds of things for granted. Happy Sunday everyone!

Honeymoon plans!

Jared and I have started the super exciting task of planning of our honeymoon! Given the time of year of our wedding, a Caribbean destination is a little too much of a risk for me. Chances are a hurricane wouldn't occur, but it would be just our luck. :) So some other options include Hawaii, Mexico, heck even Egypt has come up! With the heavy travel Jared needs to do for work, we have more than a few points to cash in, and the opportunities are endless! If it has a Hilton, it's on the table. I suppose all the time he spends away has it's pros. (even though I would take him being home any day). I feel so lucky that we can consider so many opportunities for our week in wedded bliss. I never thought I'd say this, but thanks IBM. :)

I can't wait to get this decision nailed down so we can actually visualize our worry free week in paradise. :) If anyone has any recommendations in Mexico, Hawaii, or anywhere else for that matter, I would love to hear them!

Intervention on A&E

Tonight is the newest season's premier episode, and you might be surprised to know that I am excited. Something about this show has always interested me; it moves me to tears what these people and their families deal with. This is the second season I have made sure to record and watch. It's graphic, heart-breaking, and interesting all in one. Clearly I'm not the only one who feels this way, as this show won an Emmy just last year. It's not for the faint of heart, but I would definitely recommend it!

Tis the season

Tonight we are expecting our first real snow fall of the season!What better time to go out and celebrate the season by donning our ugliest of Christmas apparel and jumping on a party bus? :) Yes, it's the return of the annual 12 shots of Christmas pub crawl. Ugly Christmas sweaters are required! Wish me luck, it's going to be sooo cold out there!

Who wants Chocolate?


Know any chocolate lovers? Gift set with 400 pieces of chocolate. Unreal! Via Michel Cluizel Chocolate in New York.

Black Swan, where are you?!

Words cannot express how excited I am for this movie to finally be released in KS. Just 1.5 more weeks!! East Coast/West Coast friends have already seen it, and are raving! I can't wait. :)

All Things Winter

Image: Winter in my heart by ~LiliumLion


As much as I dislike being cold, I sure do LOVVVVE things that make you warm! Kansas winters can be so bitterly cold with no snow to show for it, just making it gray, dreary, depressing cold. Ugh. If it's going to be so cold, it could at least snow right? Alas, so many of my fashion blogs are highlighting the most adorable winter wear, it's making it hard to resist despite the lack of snow so far this winter. :)

1. Fair Isle Fitted Sweater from Chloe Loves Charlie--$43.00
Ahh the fair isle sweater. If you would have asked me 10 yrs ago if I would ever buy a sweater with this style of pattern again, can you guess what my answer would have been? Hint, I was in high school...a teenager...

2. Minnetonka Moccasin from DSW--$36.95
Sooo cute, and more importantly, WARM. I can just picture living in these shoes all winter long.

3. Faux Fur Lined Hoodie from Old Navy--$32.50
Purrrrrrfect for the weekends!

4. Blu Bijoux Rose Crystal Branch Necklace from Max & Chloe -- $22.50
So this has nothing to do with Winter, but so so much to do with ADORABLE. Love this.
And at that price?!

5. Sweater-Knit Slipper Socks from Old Navy -- $13.00
So sad, these are now out of stock! Bummer dude.


Stay warm and here's hoping for our first snow this weekend!

Holiday Wants!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was great, with a little hiccup of a minor chest cold. Ugh...seriously. I'm going on 1 illness per month for the past 3 months. NOT COOL. Vitamins, sleep, exercise, washing my hands....what more can I do? Anyway, at least it wasn't too bad, all that remains is a stubborn cough that I, and I'm sure Jared, could do without.

On to bigger and better things, it's nearly December and that means it's almost time for my favorite holiday of the year! With all the blogs I follow, I see so many things I want, it's really not healthy for my finances. :) Perhaps I can ask for a few of these from my family. Here's just a few items that have caught my eye this season:

1)








I love me some chai! This special blend of chocolate and chili added to a traditional chai spice is offered by David's Tea, and it has certainly piqued my interest! The added spice is sure to act as an immediate warming agent on a frigid Kansas winter day. Typically, spicy foods are not my favorite, but over the past 2 years my tastebuds are doing a 180 on me. I think I need to try this version of a chai, just out of pure curiosity.


2)












This adorable blue gemstone necklace from Elephantine on Etsy. As much as I love all the fun, enormous (and cheap) jewelry from my Forever21, sometimes I just crave something a little more simple. Something that I can wear with almost anything. Lately, finding a necklace out of my oversized options has been more of a task than usual, and many times I've opted to boycott all of them. Time for a change.

3)












My poor little phone has been begging for a makeover. :) I love the lavender shade of this case. Maybe I'll get around to making a new ringtone once the outside gets a change as well. It's amazing, strike that, embarrassing how excited I get about a new phone case.


4)












Taking my dream of opening an Etsy store of my own another step further, one of these is certainly on my wish list. My back AND our new coffee table would certainly appreciate it. This is a dream item, as I'm sure I could find many more wishes to be granted towards items for our new house instead. But hey, this is what the blog is for right?. Sound off, 1-2-3-4...


5)







While blogging, I am reminded of how much I need one of these lap desks. Is this the most glorious looking option? I doubt it, but it certainly fits the bill. This, or some form of this would be a blessing to my burning legs. Does anyone know of any cuter options out there?!

That's all for now, there are plenty more where that came from though. :) Enjoy the rest of your holiday break everyone!

Fiance--French for awesome

Ok, I absolutely must take a moment to brag about how great my future husband has been this week. Yeah, yeah, sappy, sappy, but I really, a girl can't ask for a more caring guy and the world deserves to know how great he is. He's been working from home this week, rather than his usual travel schedule. Let's just say, he's been taking advantage of the extra time we have together:

Monday--After work, he met me out do run some errands (something we never get to do together). What did he bring along with him? Some beautiful flowers, just because he thought it would be nice to get me some flowers. For real?! Just to spend that time him doing the mundane tasks was special to me, but he upped the ante, big time.--I even dragged him into Hobby Lobby to get some Christmas decorations 50% off--but it was only 15min...tops. :)

Tuesday--The morning started terribly. My job delivered a stiff blow to the chin within an hour from when I walked in the door, so Jared showed up that afternoon to take me to lunch to one of my favorite sandwich shops, Adrian's Cafe. He knew I needed a good listener, and it was so great to get away and to spend more time which we typically would never be able to. Just what the Dr. ordered.

Wednesday--I walked in the door at 8:30pm after a long day at work and then a long hair appt. Jared had whipped up a comforting meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup, ready and waiting for me. On a cold, rainy night I was a perfect way to unwind. I would say this is probably the 3rd time he has cooked for me in over 2 years, and he chooses his times wisely. ;)

So my conclusions is that either he's done something really bad and is trying to butter me up before delivering the bad news, or I have just really found myself a keeper! (All signs point to the latter) :) I don't know how I'll ever show him how much I appreciate all the little things he does, b/c all the thank yous in the world wouldn't cover it. If this week is representative of what I can expect when he decides to someday step away from the work travel, I think will be super spoiled...and I can't wait.

Can I get this guy locked down yet? :)

Friday's here!

Friday night, the bestie and me, dinner, wine on lots, a movie or two, slumber party, it's on... And if you recognize the screen shot above from the cinematic adventure we plan to watch, you are a-okay in my book. Who said slumber parties have to end once you graduate high school? Pssssh. :) Have a great weekend!

Gift from Grandpa Whitney

Earlier this year, Jared's grandfather was gracious enough to give me one of his special, handmade, wood pieces. He made me this great little recipe storage box:
He is so talented, and Jared and I are lucky enough to have a lot of his work around our home. From wine racks, to shelves, to even a KSU wall hanging. Let me tell you, the craftsmanship is impeccable. Being that I happened to have pages and pages of disintegrating recipes, it was about time I got them organized before they were no longer legible! Using a handy little website called Skip to My Lou, I was easily able to enter in all the ingredients and recipe directions and then print out the 3x5in cards on our printer! Aren't they so cute?


Typically, recipe cards have a tendency to look, well I'll just say it. CRAFTY. The little flower pots and daisies and gingerbread men....it's all just too much for me. These at least make me feel a little more young-ish, if you can be considered young while printing recipe cards. :) With the effects of the stomach flu still lingering, it was a perfect afternoon project while watching some college football games yesterday.

Thanks Grandpa Bill Whitney, for giving me something I definitely needed. :)

Sick, yes again

If you read my previous post about my tendencies to get sick rather easily, this probably comes as no surprise that I am sick again. I was sick in October, and looky here, I'm sick again in November. For real, this is my life. Just ask my parents or Jared.

This time, I have picked up something I haven't had in years (thankfully). The dreaded STOMACH FLU. I am committing to memory just how bad I have felt all day today for the next time I get a pesky cold, cause lemme tell ya, a cold ain't sh*&. Wow, this is a personal hell. If I could use a simple emoticon of a sickly green face, I totally would right now. Food consumed today = handful of oyster crackers and a cup of soup at 8pm. The outcome of an actual meal is TBD. :(

Whilst on my couch all day, I caught 3 movies:
1) A League of Their Own--an all time favorite and a must watch whenever it's on. In my opinion, Tom Hanks makes that movie a must watch for me.
2)Planet 51--a cute animated flick I remember thinking looked cute when I saw the previews. My review? I give it a meh.
3) Julie and Julia--Good, but not great. It did however inspire me to want to cook more, so that's a plus. :)

Now, the first KSU men's basketball game is on the tube. I can't believe it's already NCAA basketball time. Tonight's game is only an exhibition game, but it signals the start of my basketball watching days! Hooray! I know, I'm wayyy to excited about it. Anyway, wish me luck for a speedy recovery, the sooner the better.

Wedding news--The D.J. is about to be booked and bridesmaid dresses are almost picked out...ALMOST. :) Slowly but surely, it's coming together!

Most Wanted List

My shopping itch is back! In my defense, I haven't shopped in a long time, for obvious home-related reasons. :) That doesn't mean I can't window shop, right? The annual Junior League Holiday Mart begins tomorrow, and yours truly will be in attendance with my sis on opening night. Crazy, I know. There will be hundreds of wide-eyed women crowding the many 1o x 10ft booths snatching up whatever they can. Most of the vendors are local businesses, and most of the deals are amazing. I can't wait!

Despite my self control to limit my spending tomorrow, I still am lusting after a few Fall pieces for my wardrobe:
1) Navy blue faux suede slouch boots: currently $30! The only thing stopping me is....hmmm...perhaps I can't find a reason? :) I love the navy trend that's happening now. I'm diving in head first.
2) Rainforest Green J.Crew coat: The cut, the color--swoon! At $298, it's wayyy out of my price range though. Adore from afar. Le sigh.
3) Cowl sweater tunic--Arden B.: The deep amethyst color is to die for. Love this, want this, like yesterday.


I guess you could say that I love color. :) The right thing to do at this point is wait it out a few days and see if I really do still "need" them. Be responsible Abbey! To the boots and sweater--Perhaps "I'll be back".

I'm way too excited about an area rug

It was delivered today, so that's my excuse to be as excited as I am, right? Now don't get me wrong I love my wood floors, they are beautiful, but everyone needs that little sense of comfort in their living room. I think Rupert needed it more than Jared or me b/c he only hung out by the couches with us when absolutely necessary before retreating back to the safe, full-of-traction carpeted dining room. Poor guy, those hard wood floors were quite an adjustment for him. The proof lies in the number of times we saw his paws slide out from underneath him while trying to take a turn a little too fast. THUD. We didn't want to laugh, really. :)

Anyway, it's here!
I took quite a risk by ordering it off of Overstock.com. Without seeing more than an image of it on a website and zero customer reviews to base my judgment off of, I was tentative to say the least. The rug is 8 x 10 approx, which is more massive than I expected, but necessary for the room and furniture. I must say though, I'm pretty happy with the result! The color is slightly different than the picture on the website, but I think it still works.
I figured I'd throw in a picture of my mantle all "fall"ed up. My birch tree painting still continues to be one of my favorite pieces to date, so I had to find a place to use it! I've painted a lot, but this is my go to piece when I want to feel proud and reassure myself that I CAN start an Etsy store. Someday Esty, hopefully sooner than later. :)

Painter's shoulder--is that a thing?

Room #3--painted. 4 weeks moved in, and 3 rooms done. Jared and I have this down to a science--he rolls, I edge out the trim/ceiling. Today, we finished the last room that absolutely HAD to be painted. The rest of the home has great colors throughout, so we are more than happy to live with them as is. Truth be told, this is actually the second attempt of a color change in this same room. So I guess you could say we have painted 4 rooms. I took a risk with my first color choice, and failed. Miserably. What I thought would be a fun lighter orange color turned out looking like a gross orange creamsicle. ICK! I didn't even want people to see it I was so horrified. It just couldn't wait any longer, we had to cover every last trace of that orange disaster. Seriously, the picture doesn't even do it justice:
So three hours of painting later--the room is much more adult looking.I chose a completely different color, although more muted, it still has some personality. It's a ocean blue/green color and I am loving the way it turned out! I'll post "after" pictures after I get some furniture and decor up in there.
Rupert enjoyed painting time too. I love when he get's this excited, he looks like he's smiling, and that makes me smile :) We love our little man! And yes, he is sporting a Halloween inspired bandanna these days. He's now 11 months old, the perfect time to start showing he's fashionable, yet still tough (scared).
In other news, Jared and I are thrilled to have a buyer for this monstrous children's playset hanging out in our backyard. The previous home owners left it here for us, so we're not too upset to make a buck off of it as the thing is a beast and in great shape. The buyer is coming by tomorrow to buy and hauling it off later this week (hopefully). No more mowing/edging around it. YAY! Although it IS tempting to take a ride down the slide myself, there are not near enough trees around to keep my neighbors from seeing, so I'll pass. :)

Have a happy rest of your weekend everyone!

It's fall, I'm sick already

Bummer dude. This is so typical of my weak-ass immune system to catch a serious cold this early on in the season. There aren't enough vitamins in the world to keep me from catching whatever may be going around. And to this day, I can still prove that whenever I make an effort to take more vitamin C is when I actually get sick. Just this weekend/week, I had eaten 2 oranges right before I got sick (it is a very uncommon occurrence for me to eat them that frequently). When I was younger, my dad had me take some horse-sized vitamin C pill, and after the first dose, I had a cold the next day. It makes no sense. Anyway, this is my life right now:
My nose is raw, I've taken whatever remaining sick days I had left for the year due to frequent migraines every other month, and currently, KSU is being schooled in the sport of football by Nebraska. Ouch. Here's hoping for a refreshing weekend. Yeah, yeah, I know....bah humbug. :)

Emerging from a black hole

I have escaped the dreaded "black hole of moving" long enough to post one picture...one picture that I will surely keep for the rest of my life of Jared and I. This picture was taken the same day we closed on the house, our first time in OUR house, together. :)
Love it....anyways, my life has been relagated to trips to Lowe's, Target, and Wal-Mart for the past 2 weeks. Believe it or not, I have not been to Bed Bath and Beyond once! I am so anxious to get this house setup and not only looking like, but feeling like a home, our home. This obviously cannot be done in such a short time, but I can't seem to stop trying! I remember thinking that I would blog about the new house, pictures, before and after shots....holy crap, who has time for that!? :) Eventually, I'll get there. I promise.

In wedding update news, I officially found my dress this past weekend! Wish I could post a picture on here, but no doubt the fiance would see it. :) The dress was found on my first day of dress shopping, at the first boutique we visited (the first out of 4 that we would visit that same day). We started at 9am, and ended back at that same boutique at about 3:30pm to try it on for the final time just to be sure. Needless to say I was drained, but I cried happy and exhilarated tears when the decision was made, so that truly means it's the one! I will never experience another day like that day was, trying on those amazing gowns, modeling and twirling for the most important ladies in my life...I am so blessed!

Life is so unbelievably busy and exciting for me right now. I cannot describe it in words. Every time I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself of how exciting it is that I am going through all of these important moments and to try and slow down and enjoy it a bit more before it all passes me by. What a trip. :)

Rupert is Boycotting

I swear, this dog is just plain ol' mad at Jared and me for moving him out of the apartment. Today, he decided to dig a lovely hole in our backyard...right smack dab in the middle of the yard I might add.
And here Jared and I thought he would be happy as a clam with a nice, lush backyard to run and play without any leash or chain. I guess he just doesn't know what to do with his new freedom. Sigh....Here's hoping he settles in sooner, rather than later, as he is adding more projects to our "to-do" list than we can keep up with!

Exhausted, but moved in!

It doesn't matter how much you prepare. Moving is just exhausting. Yet somehow, in the week leading up to the move, I seem to only remember the excitement part from previous moves, and not the physical toll part. It's like my own brain tricks me every time: "Yes! This will be sooooo exciting, you will hardly notice the work and effort needed to complete all necessary tasks!" I suppose the restless night of sleep pre-move didn't help matters much, but it was too be expected with all the, you guessed it, excitement. :)

Nevertheless, Jared and I are officially moved in! With the help of numerous family and friends, we not only are moved in, but the entire master bedroom and bathroom are repainted! The kitchen is entirely organized, from dishes, to the pantry, and the bed was actually setup and able to be slept on for the first night. Aaaaaaamazing! Don't get me wrong, the place is a disaster area. My clothes still reside in black trash bags, and we have boxes of rando-crap strewn about the entire house. It will be a work in progress from this point on, but at least it is starting to feel more like home. :) ahhhh...that's a nice feeling.

The pup handled the move better than expected---until it was time for bed. All the new sounds that come with a new house, new neighborhood, etc must have been too much for him. (although I'll give him a free pass for the kids setting off fireworks from the house behind us. For a dog, that one is totally, justified). I recall waking up once before 1am to some growling and shifting around, and twice before 2am to his intimidating sounding barking from his kennel down in the kitchen. The third time Jared and I were disturbed from our slumber was too much, so we decided to bring him up to our room in hopes he would feel more comfortable and less likely to freak at every car door closing. WRONG. 4am--BARK, BARK-BARK...BARK out our master bedroom window. Seriously! I think I have gotten about 8 hrs of sleep in the past 2 days combined. Hence this afternoon's lovely migraine making all efforts on settling in to the new home come to halt.

Thank goodness I took tomorrow off of work! I'm going to need it! Pictures will of course soon follow (as soon as I find my USB cord in whatever various box it is currently residing) ;)

Labor Day Packing

I am in the middle of the "moving transition" time. You know, that time when you are packing all your crap into multiple gigantor boxes in preparation for moving, yet you can't quite pack EVERYTHING because you still need some of it for the week leading up to the move? Yeah, THAT transition time. Not only have I packed everything I possibly can, but I have no where to store the boxes that are already packed. So, my apartment now is practically un-maneuverable. Each time I come home it's a careful path that needs to be taken to make it through the living room to the bedroom, or from the living room to the kitchen. I took a couple snapshots of my disaster area I call an apartment:

The inordinate amount of Dell computer boxes are a family heirloom of sorts. My sis and I have used them for the past 3-4 moves between the two of us. A big thanks goes out to Garmin for "providing" these boxes back when my sister used to work for them. :)
This weekend consisted of packing for the majority of the time, sprinkled with my sis's 30th b-day party, a wedding, and a viewing of Avatar 3D to give ourselves a much needed break! Here's Jared and I sporting the sweet 3D glasses they provide for the second release of the movie:
Who made this decision to buy a home while trying to plan a wedding? Surely it wasn't me??? :) Coupled with an unusually terrible couple weeks of work, my body is doing very strange things in reaction to the stress. I'll save you from the laundry list, but one of which is a gimpy shoulder after a terrible night of sleep that I can't lift laterally without shooting pains down to my fingers. That can't be good....I think I need to take some time to slow down and get back to normal before things get any worse. (Deep breath). Moving day is almost here, then I can get at least one thing off my plate! Despite the stress, the excitement continues to build to FINALLY be into the house! The much needed extra space, the backyard for Rupert, and last but certainly not least, a place to call our own. Closing on Friday, moving day on Saturday--it will be here before I know it. Now, to get through the next 3 days...:)

P.S. The West Elm duvet cover set has been purchased and should be delivered tomorrow. :) Thanks everyone for their input! I cannot wait to see it.

Goodbye to a childhood memory

I know what you are thinking....I'm a total treehugger. Well, yesterday, I said my final goodbyes to my tree. Yes you heard me correct, MY tree. Picture kindergarten-age Abbey, three and half feet tall with my blonde hair so light that it is nearly white, bringing home a tree sapling planted in the bottom half of a child-sized milk carton, begging "Please can we plant it? Pretty please?" My parents, being the good parents they are, allowed me to plant the tiny little sapling in the front yard of our house (Of course with little expectation that it would survive numerous mows, winters, etc). That picture, is me, next to my tree as of yesterday. That tiny sapling was a strong one, as it has now grown so large, that it is taller than our house and impeding upon the house space. After countless trims the tree continues grow into the house, thereby leaving no choice but to say goodbye. Hence sad puppy face in above image. The entire tree could not fit in the image, but here's a better look at it.

It's already received a serious trim job in the prep work before the entire tree comes down. It is important to mention the tree just in the background to the left of my tree, is my sister's tree. She also was lucky to have her childhood tree survive in our front yard. It stayed a much more modest and manageable size. If anyone out there is looking for a good quality tree that provides great shade and minimal upkeep, look for a Little Leaf Linden like my sister's. Not that I don't love my Honey Locust tree, but her's really was the winner. :)

Anyway, this is my dedication to my tree...my spindly, no-shade providing, annoying tiny little leaf dropping, Kindergarten success. :) You will be missed.

A whole house to decorate--Deep breath

So I'm getting rather excited to start getting new stuff for the new house, but it's also kinda overwhelming. :) In reality, Jared and I are pretty lucky as the house is in great shape and doesn't really need that much work, but what fun is it if you don't take some liberties to make it your own? Although the entire house can be a work-in-progress, my first priority is the master bedroom. The current color is a dark almost navy blue, making the room resemble a dark blue cave, and the master bath transitions to a pastel blue. Ick...Rest assured, I will be taking some before and after pics before this project begins.

After much deliberation I've decided on a new color palette for the master bedroom, and that's a success for me on its own. (You should have seen how long it took me to decide on my wedding colors. Just ask my sis, as it seems every week I was telling her what my new colors were going to be) I don't know when I became so indecisive, seriously. Every decision is like the decision of the year for me. It's annoying and doesn't bode well for the hundreds of decisions I'm going to be making for the wedding over the next year. Maybe that'll force me to get better about it! Anyways, back on the subject, the lucky color winners are....drum roll please.....


Tada!! Gray and Coral. LOVE, LOVE this.. . I'll probably add some silver and or white decor in there. Ahhh, perfection. The plan as of now, is for the walls to be the gray color, and the duvet/comforter will be coral, as well as fun little decor. However upon further research, finding a coral color duvet or even comforter set is harder than one might think. Although I do have a few options that I like:


West Elm


Crate & Barrel:

Although the Crate & Barrel duvet is very cool, (and I actually just realized the image has the same color palette as my picks, maybe that's why I like it so much?) :) but it resembles my current duvet cover with a large white print, so I am actually leaning towards the West Elm duvet. Maybe it's too orange? Ahh, decisions. What do you guys think? Help! :)

I sense a new painting brewing to hang in this room...

I love football, get over it.

Fantasy football. Some may think it is the most ridiculous idea of a game and the thought of participating would be about as fun as watching grass grow. Well, this is not at all the case for me. In fact, I look forward to football season more than any other sport because let's face it, football simply IS the best spectator sport there is. No other sport can make me jump up and down, yell and scream at the TV in excitement or anger, and literally clear out an evening/afternoon just to watch a game (Although college basketball is a close second). To this day I still believe that had there been an all girl league of football when I was younger, dare I say that it would have been my sport of choice rather than soccer. Would I have been good at football? Most likely not and I'm sure I would have cried on multiple occasions due to my rather low tolerance for pain. Football certainly would not have been a good fit for me, but I digress, this obsession with the sport as a spectator is only furthered by the addition of a fantasy football league or two.

For at least 5 years, I have been a part of at least one fantasy league per season. Before fantasy football, my football watching days were devoted mainly to my alma mater KSU, as well as the Chiefs and the occasional Bears game, whenever the networks decide to broadcast it here in Kansas. When I made the easy decision to participate in my first F.F. league, all of the sudden EVERY game needed to be seen. I just had to watch all of my F.F. players in action and see my points rack up live to be sure I was going to win my weekly match-up. My Sunday afternoons that typically consisted of watching one game, eventually transitioned to football marathons. If there is a game on, I'm watching it. I told ya, football obsession....fully.

Until this year, I have been the proud General Manager of the Victorious Secrets (laugh all you want, it's clever and you know it), and have unfortunately not yet seen a championship. This may reflect badly on abilities as a team manager, but make no mistake your draft position, your involvement in your team week to week,and a lot of luck are the key components to a successful team. Regardless, this year I decided to make a change to try and improve my luck. In 2010, Victorious Secrets is no more and the new team is ready for action. Somewhere Over Dewayne Bowe, make me proud. For those unaware, Dewayne Bowe is the top receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs. :)

My 2010 league's draft took place this afternoon. It's this league's tradition to do a live draft gathering. We get together, have our own individual research and paperwork prepared to do our best drafting, and have more food than we can eat. Here's a few images of the action:

I drew Pick #5 out of 12 total. Not too bad, but not great.


Two or three hrs later, all teams have their rosters full with 16 of the NFL's finest, and our belly's full with Papa John's finest. What a way to spend an afternoon. :) My team is looking strong, and I am optimistic for my chances this year to take home the cash. ($110 is up for grabs)

Wish me luck for the 2010 season and yes, I am a tomboy and I love sports. Get over it.