Just one sunday...

It's been a while, and I apologize.

     It's been a crazy two weeks. As you may know (or not, I can't remember if I mentioned it.) I started a new job. There is so much to learn and I'm having to try and catch on as quickly as I can, so my brain is in job mode 24/7 it seems. I have to say, I'm loving it!  I'll be honest, I was getting so bored just sitting around the house. While I don't miss college for the most part, I do miss learning and staying busy. I'm learning something new and meeting new people every day now. My new job keeps me on my toes.

     I'm kind of lacking in the housekeeping department though, BUT it still looks good because Prince Charming is really stepping up to the plate! He's been keeping the dishes washed, helping with the laundry, and making me lunch every day! Isn't that sweet???

    Last weekend, me and the cat lady set me up a filing system. I hate paper clutter and I feel as I have WAY too much. This system seems to be working well so far. It's got me much more organized and it's been much easier to keep all of the paper from piling up around the house.  I highly suggest that you get one, if you don't already. File cabinet, plastic box, whatever. Just get one. It'll save you a ton of trouble.

     Tonight, my one TV show that I obsess about comes on: Once Upon A Time. I just can't sit down and watch TV like I used to. My mom never could. She'd always have to be doing something else, or she'd miss some part of it because she just couldn't sit there the entire time - or she might fall asleep. She told me I might understand some day - and now I really do. Prince Charming's mom is the same way, so it makes me wonder if it's a Mom thing?...

     Prince Charming has a couple of TV shows that he watches. (OK, it seems more like a couple hundred... not really, but it's way more than my one show...) There seems to be something about men and TV... I seriously caught him watching "The sounds of the NFL" one time. Really? The SOUNDS??? of the NFL??? They really do make TV shows about everything don't they?
(That's not something he watches regularly, that was just the only thing that happened to be on at the time. He's not actually a big football junkie.)
     The amount of concentration put into watching TV is astounding. I have never seen such focus! I really think that while he was watching one of his TV shows, I could run in there butt naked and do the chicken dance - and he would NEVER notice. I might get him to move his head to the side a little, since I would probably be blocking the TV.
     As much as he loves TV, and I really don't give a rip about it - we make sure that there is a "no TV time" and while he's watching TV I'll usually play on the Internet or crochet so that we still get some quality time in.

     In fact, he just came in... and now he's saying I'm ignoring him, so I'll leave you for tonight.

Peace, love and all that stuff.

Oh my gosh! She actually updated!!!

That's right folks, I finally decided to update.
It's been a busy week and weekend, so it's been a little hard to update. I started my new job last Monday - and I trained all week. It's a lot to learn, but so far I'm loving it!

The house got a good scrubbing and the laundry caught up. I really need to work on the laundry room some. I just don't know when I should do it. I have all of the materials, I'm just looking for the right time. (Plus, I need prince charming to sand those spots we patched on the walls. I hate sanding. I can't stand the noise.)

That Crazy Cat Lady came by and spent some time. I was her date to a wedding. I told her that we should make sure that our outfits were matching colors since we were going as a couple to this wedding, but the idea didn't fly. Sounds like she might have been a little ashamed of me... wanted me to be her date, but didn't want to awkwardly announce it to the entire world. Shame, shame...

Anyways, here are some pictures!!!

We were looking good... so I thought I'd take a few pictures.

Here's another...

And here's a bird's nest - with baby birds in it... they were really hungry.

I also discovered that my little black cat is a ninja. He likes to attack Big kitty by flying out of the bushes sideways. It's interesting to watch. If I manage to video it, I will be sure to post it.

It's cold outside.

Stay warm.

Peace, love and cozy blankets...

I haven't forgotten about you little blog...

I feel terrible, I haven't updated in a while. I do apologize. I will update tomorrow though.

Almost through my first week at the new job!!

Also, I'm pretty sure my little black cat is a Ninja.

Will explain later.


Love, peace, and forty winks...

I'll add that to my shopping list...

Learning doesn't begin or end with school.

I did lots of learning today. I'll do some more tomorrow. Today has been quite fun. Busy, but fun. I hope and pray I can keep up. (Keep me in your prayers, peeps! Pretty please...)

I've had a great day. I'm really sleepy, but I'm pretty excited about tomorrow.




Random... I had a lot more planned for this post, but unfortunately it is fixing to completely change directions:

I just had the mess scared out of me. You remember how I said I saw one of those pincher bugs in my kitchen last week after the whole front garden-y overhaul thing? Yeah, I've been seeing quite a few of those around lately... but none in my house. I just saw one. It was in my house. On my couch. Crawling beside me. With his tail/pincher thing up and ready to pinch. I almost threw Ben's computer.

Talk about getting the heevy-jeevies... Those look a little too much like cockroaches in my peripheral vision. Grrr... I'm going to bed now.

I'll be buying bug spray tomorrow after work.

Say a little prayer for me... (Yes, I just sang that.)

Okay, so this one wont be long.
I need to get into bed soon.
It's been a great weekend!
I decided I would play with my camera some this weekend - so I took lots of pictures of my new pretty flowers.
My car is all fresh smelling and vacuumed out - PLUS we washed it for the first time ever today! (We bought the old gal back in November.)
I start my NEW JOB TOMORROW!!! I'm excited! I'm also a little nervous (as should be expected.) So... if you happen to think about me, send up a little prayer for me... that I wake up on time - and don't screw anything up.

:)

Hope your weekends were fabulous!


Here's a couple of parting shots:

One of Ben's pretty flowers...

It just wouldn't be a photo session without a little bit of Kitty. It looks like I'm choking him, but I'm actually scratching his neck. He's worse than a dog. He loves his ears, neck and chin scratched.

Mission: Sexy Wife by May...

     Random statements of the day:

     Getting married generally means sharing your bed. This can lead to interesting things. Some people snore, drool, moan, kick, pass gas, 'waller', and even fight. There are strange moments of sleep walking, talking, and even sleep eating.
     Prince Charming and I both talk in our sleep. The difference? I'm a light sleeper and he's not.
     *insert evil grin here*
     This makes for some VERY interesting nights...

     He once instructed me on exactly how to get to the bathroom at his job. I've heard about the golf shot he just made, and have been told that I should stop trying to steal his broom and go get my own.

     He was at it again last night. I don't remember all of what he said but he announced very loudly that "He already knew about that." No, he doesn't remember what he was talking about. I always get so aggravated. He always says the most interesting things, but he can't remember his dreams. So, unless I can strike up a conversation immediately and figure it out before he wakes up, I'm left to wonder forever just what in the world he was talking about.

     My dryer is dying unless we (by we, I mean Prince Charming... but we're married.... there's that 'two become one' clause... so it's a team effort.) can do emergency surgery. It's been screaming at us for weeks, but when we take it apart, nothing seems to be wrong. My bother-in-law told us that it was the same problem they had and how to fix it. He also said we better hurry because it'll lock up on us and we'll have to buy another one.
     The parts came in today.
     I'm glad - the squealing is unbearable. Plus, it ran for 3 hours trying to dry Prince Charming's work shirts. When I checked them, they were still just as damp as when I put them in. (I keep the heat setting on 'delicate' so that I wont shrink his t-shirts... but it has NEVER taken over 3 hours to dry his shirts.)

     On to other things:

     Okay, so I've really been trying to get in shape. I want to be healthy and strong. I haven't ever really been dedicated to eating right or exercising because people are always talking about how skinny I am. (People seem to think that skinny equals healthy... it doesn't.) In college, I learned that eating right actually does make you feel better. My mother in law was diagnosed with Diabetes a little over a year ago so I've learned a lot about eating right.
     But exercise hasn't really been on the front burner. Heck, it hasn't even been on the stove.
     Back in February, I ran into a problem I've never had before... I found the PERFECT dress for P.C.'s cousin's wedding... other than my wedding dress, I had never been in love with a dress so much.
     It didn't fit.
     It was beyond tight.
     I looked like a woman of a questionable career when I put that dress on.
     I bought it anyway. I'm skinny! I lose weight fast! I'd be able to fit into it in 2 weeks!
     I practically starved myself and exercised 24/7 just to try to fit in that dress.
     The day before the wedding I had to run and buy a different dress. Apparently, a lot of things change in your twenties. What I could have easily done at 17, was now impossible at 24. (P.S. no one tells you that your hips start to spread when you get married.)
     So a while back, I said that I had made up my own little exercise calendar. To be exact, that was last Wednesday. This means that I have been at it for a week and a day. While it's still hard to make myself get up and exercise, the calendar has made it so much easier. Plus, it helps that I made up the count. I know my body and I know what it can and cannot handle. Making up my own calendar also helps because I can adjust the number if needed... so it's like my brain is saying: "Okay, you CAN do this..."
     I mean really, doing those pre-made exercise routines that said do 100 jumping jacks or 50 squats - when you're used to not doing ANYTHING at all, is SUPER hard! It's discouraging! I would usually give up after the first try. (...actually, probably a little more in the middle of the first try...)

     Apparently I wont ever have the body I had at 17 again, but who says that I want it? I want to be so much more healthy than I was then. I want to be sexy and strong (and stay that way) for myself and my husband.


     P.S. I said I would tell you guys about my light bill when it came in. Last month: $157. This month: $99

Sisters, sisters...

     Occasionally, you need to complain. Vent. Say a lot of things that would shock anyone who heard them... except for one person: your sister.

     (My sister and I live quite a ways a part. But we try to keep in touch on a regular basis. There's this great thing, it's called Skype.)


     People have always wondered at our relationship. They've said we were horrible and mean to each other and most of the time people thought we were fighting. (We were merely conversing... When we're really fighting, you know it.)
     I know that she will tell me I look fat in that dress and I'll have no problem telling her that her voice cracked during that song she sang in front of the entire church. But if there is one person in this world that I know will tell me the ugly truth, it's my sister. Anyone else would be too nice to point out the booger, the deodorant stain, or tell you that your cooking sucks.

     Also, we "get" each other's weird humor.

Do we fight? Oh yes.
Do we make each other mad on a regular basis? Of course.
Do we love each other? Definitely.
Do you have the right to talk about my sister the way I do? Do you WANT to be punched in the throat?
Should you get involved in one of our arguments? *Please refer to the above answer*

     Having a sister can be annoying. But, at the same time... after all these years trying to get rid of her would be like the husband and wife who got divorced at 85.

     Our Art teacher, Ms. Katie, used to laugh and start singing "sisters... sisters..." whenever we would start "bickering." (She understood sisters, too.) We still sing it to each other randomly and laugh. Considering that it's also from our favorite movie, it's appropriate. In fact, I think I'll stick a clip in here tonight. It's a great song. It's a great movie. I think I'll put the one with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye up - it's probably a little closer to the awkwardness that makes up me and my sister.

The Weekend Review

     This weekend was super productive. Instead of getting each other Easter baskets filled with candy we didn't need (or want, we're trying to get in shape. Candy doesn't help with getting in shape.) we asked each other what other stuff we would want instead.

     I wanted paint for the laundry room.
     His choice surprised me a little: He wanted mulch.

     So, Friday we headed off to Lowes. I picked up my paint and some stuff for my mother-in-law that she had asked us to look for. On the way to drop off her stuff, PC thought that we should drive by the local nursery and check out some bushes and shrubs. We weren't going to buy anything but we ended up leaving with 2 gardenias and a rose bush. When we got home, we pulled up and dug up 10 years worth of bushes, old mulch, plastic and weeds. (Heads up, this really ticks off any bugs that happen to have been living in said junk. I found a huge pincher bug in my cabinet just now. I have never seen a bug in my house, so needless to say, it scared the mess out of me.)
     The next day, his buddy showed up so my job moved from 'helper' to 'supervisor.' Which I appreciated. At the end of the weekend our yard looked brand new - and gorgeous. My husband is one talented man. And he's sexy to boot. I was a smart woman, snatching him up...

     Easter was lovely.
     I ate entirely too much.
     I got to hold a baby (and refused to allow anyone to take her from me. Even for pictures.)
    Sunday night we grilled hot dogs at our house.
     I have to share the best picture of the day with you.
    You can tell me and the Sister-in-law are a little worn out from quite a busy and long day, but  
it's creeper Prince Charming that takes the cake.

     You can't tell, but I'm fussing at him through my teeth. He knew his Momma was making us take pictures (The new little garden spot is in front of us - sorry you can't see it - it's pretty.) so he decided that he would be funny and turn the sprinkler on. We barely managed to get out of the way in time...

Rainy Thursdays

     One of the coolest things about getting married (other than having a wonderful husband that loves me and I love back) is the fact that I finally have my very own space. I can clean it the way I like and I can decorate it the way I like.
     Putting my home together makes me happy.

     My laundry room's current state does not.

     It's ugly. I really think that's why I don't like doing laundry. I don't like going back in that small, dark, ugly room. It's the root of my laundry phobia! (Okay, so while that may be a part of it all, I'm going to guess that the majority of my problem could just be the fact that I have a dislike of doing laundry. To be more precise, folding it and putting it away. But for goodness sakes... no one likes doing something they don't like doing in a room they don't find appealing, right?)

     So I've been planning. Scheming.

     I went to my new favorite place:

The clouds, the fact that it's a large building with a pointy roof, and the glowing sign make me feel as if I should have some majestic or creepy mood music going on in the background...

     Once there, I proceeded to pick up paint chips. (...cards... whatever they're called...) Oh yes... many, many, many paint cards and books.

     My living room floor now looks like this:

     Oh dirty, ugly ol' laundry room... you have no idea what's about to happen to you...

(Well, technically it's going to take a while because I'm not going to kill myself doing this all in one weekend or week... if I did that I'd just get frustrated, mess up, and hate you even more...)

     Also, we're currently undergoing bad weather.

     Kitty doesn't like thunderstorms.

Most people and other animals would hide in their bed; not kitty.

Kitty hides in the flower pot.

He's scared a few people that way...

Everybody wants to be a cat...

     This morning I woke up pretty early. I went outside to feed big kitty and little kitty (I know, I know... I just can't make any other names stick.) It was BEAUTIFUL outside, so I grabbed my camera and took some pictures. Gray Kitty (aka Big Kitty) loves to get his picture taken and get all up in the way. Little Black Kitty runs away like the camera's going to get him.

My pretty baby...

He looks a little ticked here...

Haha! You cannot hide from me...

     After my little photo shoot around the yard, I had to hurry and get ready. I had an appointment with the gynecologist. (ehh...) I had already had to reschedule because I had forgotten last time, so I needed to make sure I actually showed up this time. I was doing pretty good time wise seeing that my appointment was at 11:45... that was until I went to change the calendar to April and noticed that it was actually at 11:15. I panicked and rushed out the door. I made it in time, early even. I was just hoping the whole time that they wouldn't make me pee in the cup. (I'm sorry... I just don't know how else to put it...)  I hate that part of the doctors visit and they make me do it every time. Plus, this time I really didn't have to go so I didn't know what I was going to do when they would tell me to head to the bathroom... (They say it like they expect you to just be able to turn it on and off like a spigot...) While I sat around in the waiting room trying to work up at least a little urge (It didn't work.),  I noticed that my doctors office has impeccable interior design. I was completely inspired! I'm really nosey. Who put the place together? Or did they hire someone? Either way, it looks great. I don't know how I didn't notice before. They soon called me back and the whole check up lasted about 15 minutes. (Just had to talk to the doc real quick) and they didn't make me have to go through the whole cup ordeal!

     I started on transforming my laundry room today! Yay!

     Bad thing is, prince charming and I get really aggravated when we do home repair and maintenance. I don't know for sure... but the previous owners did not treat our little house very nice. I also am not a big fan of their paint or wallpaper choices...

     I also printed out my own version of an April workout regimen. I have a thing with lists and crossing things off; I figured this would work out nicely. I will keep you informed.

     It's late.

     I'm covered in paint.

     I should go to bed.

     I shall end the night with one last picture of kitty.

     It looks like it's so hard to be a cat...



Lighter, Whiter, and Brighter!

I've been super excited to check the mail lately. Maybe it's because all (except for one) of my bills have already came in... AND I'm expecting a ton of packages!

Guess what came in the mail TODAY?!?!?!

My FREE Valspar paint sample and kit!
They were giving them away every day in March. I wish I had known sooner....

Here it is!

I ordered the sample of "Malted Milk." It came with a small sample, a tiny paint roller (with an extra roller sponge-y thing.), 2 tiny plastic paint pans, co-ordinating paint chips and a $5 coupon!

All of that for FREE!!! I know it's just a sample set, but I cannot explain how excited I was about it!

I wasn't a fan of some of the color choices they sent... but I loved the paint that I ordered. I of course had to try it out immediately. I headed out to the garage (which I am currently in the process of cleaning/organizing...) and got out my huge bucket of white paint and painted over some patches in my laundry room. As soon as that dried, I busted open my sample...

Okay, so it's not the best picture. My laundry room is small, windowless, and the victim of bad lighting. Either way, I love the color - and I found a color that will go great with it!

Some big things are coming for my laundry room. I'll keep you updated.

Also today...

I saw a clip on pinterest on how to whiten and brighten your whites. I knew I had to try it. I have some white clothes that I don't want to throw away, but make me sad because they aren't the whitest anymore...

For example: the dress I want to wear for Easter. It was my High School graduation dress. (Since we've joined a new church no one has seen me wear it. This is mainly because of the stains around the armpits and neck. Also up: one of my simple white tanks.

You can't see it very well, but trust me: it's pretty gross and dingy.

Told you so...

So I tried out this:

Which did this:

You can still see just a bit of stains... but they're much less noticeable!

So... I then tried this:

Which I read did the same thing, but was cheaper in the long run... (Also, shocked the mess out of me when I poured it out and discovered that it wasn't a liquid.) And it did this:

That's right... other than a little bit of makeup stain still at the top, the stains I had on my dress are gone! No more underarm stains!!! My tank got a little better, but it was hard to tell until it dried.

So there you have it.

My walls are a little lighter and my clothes a little whiter.

Here's to tomorrow's that are a little bit brighter...

Ode to a picky husband

     First off, I would like to say that while me and P.C. made sure I was slathered down in bug spray when we went fishing, the next day I found a bug bite. The durn thing must have crawled away from the bug spray and up my shorts because it bit me right below my butt cheek. Talk about an embarrassing place to have an itch. If you try to scratch it, you look like you're scratching your butt or picking a wedgie...

     Anyways... today, I'm paying bills and planning out a menu and grocery list. This would be fine and dandy... BUT... you see, I have this husband... and he's a picky eater.
     I was the pickiest eater in my family (exception of one cousin, but she came along 7 years after me.) and I eat pretty much anything. My parents would at least make me TRY (and by try that meant finish up the amount they placed in my plate) anything Momma put on the table. The only things I REFUSE to eat are as follows: White lima beans, LIVER, sweet (or bread and butter) pickles, and TOMATOES. (I eat sauce and some ketchup - but not the real deal). I literally gagged making that list. (Worst dinner ever? When Ma cooked liver, tomatoes, and white lima beans for supper. I went to bed hungry that night. I would not - and could not - eat that junk.) So I understand when people say there are just some things they cannot eat.
     I thought I knew picky one time, but that was before I met my husband. It was hilarious when Ma called and wanted to know what P.C. ate when she was trying to plan out a Thanksgiving menu. It's all fine and dandy until you try to save money by cooking at home and planning out weekly meals... Especially when vegetable's are good for you and cheap. Prince Charming doesn't eat Vegetables. He's more of a meat and potatoes man (Depending on the meat and the potatoes... hahaha)

     (Maybe part of it has to do with the culture. I know, me and Prince Charming have always lived in the same state - how big of a difference can it be? Answer: A world of difference. Honestly, sometimes the food up here makes me want to cry. Home cooking up here at the top of the state is a LOT more bland than the home-style cooking that I'm used to. So where I want to spice up and salt up every dish that comes through, prince charming would just as soon leave all of that out. Luckily, I'm slowly bringing him around... :))

     I've read a lot of blogs and forums about trying to feed picky husbands - and let me tell you! There is a lot of negativity out there! People will call these picky husbands ugly names and use bad words. They will say that you should "make them cook their own food" or force them to eat what they don't like.
     I have problems with all of these. 1st off, just because some people are picky eaters does not give anyone the right to call them names or use ugly language. That's like being ticked off because someone has red hair or has an accent. 2nd of all, my husband does cook - and quite often! (He usually does all of the cooking on the weekend.) I like to cook too though. I enjoy cooking for P.C. Plus, I'm the one that buys the groceries. I don't want him to buy groceries... I like being in control of that area. 3rd of all... while I am not above sneaking in vegetables when I can (Chef Boyardee and Manwich come with a full serving of vegetables inside!) - I will not force him to eat something he doesn't like. I will not do something I wouldn't want done to me.

     On the bright side, it's really forced me to use my imagination and expand my cooking knowledge. (You wouldn't think so, but it does.) It's also fun to talk and laugh with women who happen to be in the same boat; you get lots of new ideas.

     ...I just wish it didn't take so long to plan out a grocery list...


Here's to lovable, picky husbands who still make baby faces when they try new food.

Who cares if he's picky? He can make towel animals!