tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73414516006061576662024-03-05T01:58:31.967-05:00Deep End of the Puhl™"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
<br> ~ Abraham LincolnUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger333125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-51134822322795108942011-04-14T15:48:00.004-04:002011-04-14T16:59:33.279-04:00Workin' It OutOuch. Two weeks since my last post. My bad! I’ve actually been meaning to post about a thought that I’ve been working through, lately. Kind’ve a gigantic metaphor for marriage, if you will. But first, a little back-story... I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, because it’s not something that we typically broadcast (mainly because we know it can be controversial in some circles), but Studly and I haven’t been part of a church for coming up on 1 year, now. In the interest of full disclosure, it’s been for no other reason than that we just haven’t found a church family in which we felt like we really were a part, but that's not really the point of this post. I miss it terribly, at times. The accountability. The genuine friendships. The corporate worship. The different perspectives preached ever Sunday. But honestly? I think more than anything, we <i>needed</i> this time away from an organized church atmosphere. We have grown SO much in the past year. And in the past few months, it’s been even greater. We are a daily work-in-progress, but I genuinely feel like we’re starting to adjust to our intended roles in marriage. I fully believe that men and women were created uniquely to fit a specific role. That’s what the bible says, and therefore it’s what I believe. I’m not feminist by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know that it was NOT an easy pill to swallow. I felt like I shouldn’t have to ANSWER to anyone, but God. I shouldn’t be ruled over by some guy that isn’t perfect, either… how is that fair? But can I just tell you that it’s not like that at ALL?! Whether Studly fulfills his role or not, I’m to submit to his leadership as the Priest of our home. Yes, he does have rules of his own, but I think as women (at least I did) we tend to jump straight to “but HE’S supposed to…” instead of just reading our own job description and applying it ourselves. It’s hard not to be the Holy Spirit FOR my husband. But that’s not the idea, here. Can I tell you one more thing? It is SOOO beautiful, the thing that happens when you both work towards your own role. When you are living in the way that God intended, it is AMAZING how much better things will flow together. Seriously!! Now, some of you have GOT to know what I’m talking about, here. There are so many metaphors I can use to throw this thing into gear, but it’s true. If each part of the body doesn’t do its own intended function, and instead argues that another body part gets the “better” job, or the more “important” job and tries to do that instead, then we’d be doomed. Every organ can’t be the heart, or there’d be no lungs, no brain, no stomach. Everything serves a purpose!! Oops. Tangent much? Sorry. What I’m trying to say is that we are learning a lot these days. And it really took us being out of an organized church environment for us to no longer rely on what we learned on the weekends to deepen our respective relationships with God. Not having a crutch to lean on required us to work through things diligently. To be more earnest in the time we DO spend with each other and with God. To be purposeful. And therefore, we’re not just checking some box off of the list, but we’re actually learning and training ourselves in the process. Now please know this: I am ABSOLUTELY <i>NOT</i> saying that ANYone should stop going to church in order to find this. I’m not even pretending that is some kind of magical equation to any kind of desired goal. Please don’t think that. I’m just saying that through everything, this is what came of that for us. We had a large number of reasons for leaving the church we once attended, but not becoming a part of another church right away was <i>not</i> the plan at all. It’s what happened, and through it all we sought after God’s will for our lives. It’s been a tough road, but we really believe that we’ve grown so so much. Anywho, I just wanted to give you a teeny little update on where we’ve been lately, but it’s all leading up to a post I’ve been wanting to write on a metaphor for marriage that I’ve come to understand. It’s nothing vast and it’ll probably be nothing to knew to any of you married people (possibly even a few singles), but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a little refresher or reminder from time to time. And for any single people, maybe it’ll be a bit of a window to what marriage will be like when that time comes. Alright. That’s enough for today, but I’m eager to hear your thoughts on the above “stuff.” Have any of you gone a length of time without being active in a church? Are there any of you that don’t go to church, and don’t plan to? What are you thoughts on the biblical roles intended for marriage? And <b>Be Honest, Guys</b>. This is a judgement free zone. I can totally handle hearing that someone doesn’t agree with me and I would love to discuss why it is you believe what you believe, whatever that may be. I can agree to disagree, so bring it on. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-11137629646611246682011-03-28T15:32:00.009-04:002011-03-28T16:25:46.869-04:00Scratch That ItchI did it. I was crafty this weekend for THE first time in <em>months!</em> <br /><br />Seriously. <br /><br />I haven't even touched my sewing machine since early December. Not cool, people! I have really missed it. I've seriously needed a creative outlet, and I've just had nothing to really do that with. <br /><br /><br />Why? <br /><br />Because it's messy. Sewing isn't a neat little simple task. Depending on what you make, it can produce quite the mess. And since our dining room table doubles as my sewing table, it's not as easy as just going in and sewing my little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ol</span>' heart out. I <em>wish</em> it was! <br /><br /><br />I have visions of a neatly organized sewing room, pretty much a blank canvas except for the pops of color contributed by my openly-stored fabrics, and a chair that I dream of finding and recovering, someday. <br /><br />*<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">le</span> sigh <br /><br />Someday. <br /><br /><br />I've told <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">McStudly</span> that I want a "craft room" in our next house. Wherever we go from here. Because it even bugs him that I'm just chugging along on the dining room table while he's trying to watch TV or something. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">SIDENOTE</span>:</em></span> <br />Have I mentioned that this house is NO longer conducive with our needs? 'Cause it's not. Our poor not-so-little pup has absolutely <em>no</em>where to exhaust himself. I have 1 place to do any form of craft, and it's right in the middle of everything (literally in the dining room, which is in the great room, between the kitchen and living room - and Austin can reach things left on the table). <br /><br />We have to go all the way downstairs every time the poor dog needs to pee, and then stand there and wait for him to finish sniffing around and decide he's bored in our little 8x10 expanse of mud and stone, back there (and the only thing down by the basement door to keep us company while we wait is the washer and dryer... not exactly a good time). <br /><br />Our bedroom is large and awesome, but the 1 full bathroom is very inconvenient, <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">letmejustSAY</span></em>! The spare bedroom (aka: 'spar-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">oom</span>', aka: 'Austin's room') does quadruple duty as an office, game room, guest bedroom, and storage room. It also happens to be where all of my crafty stuff is stored until I need to use it, and then lug it all downstairs to the dining room table (typically making at least 5 trips, if not more, just to get what I need). <br /><br />If you can't already tell, the thing that is most lacking in this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">lil</span>' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ol</span>' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">townhome</span> of ours is storage space. It's awful! We get as creative as we can, but there's no room for much of anything, really. Even our <em>very</em> basic and small living room furniture seems too big in the space, sometimes. <br /><br />Especially if you ask the pup. <br /><br />Those couches just get in the way when he's in the mood to buck around like a bronco with a toy in his mouth... giving us a heart attack when said toy goes flying in the direction of the television. <em>AWE</em>some. <br /><br />And don't even get me <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">STARTed</span> on the whole <em>neighbor</em> situation! <br /><br /><br />Wow. <br /><br />Sorry! I didn't realize that this post was going to turn into a rant about our current living situation. And to be honest, I really am grateful (ugh - foot. in. mouth.). <br /><br /><br />It was our first purchase, ya know. <br /><br />We have learned SO much about what is important and what isn't when house shopping. We've learned what's easily fixable, what to overlook, and what we will absolutely NOT accept as our responsibility in our next home purchase. It's been a great experience. <br /><br />We've also had a great time making this house our own. I love doing projects and such, even though Studly doesn't exactly feel the same (he doesn't mind it, just doesn't dream it up like I do, either... it's one of the many ways that we balance each other out). Our next (and final, really) <em>big</em> project is the kitchen. We saved it because we knew it'd be the most expensive, and probably the most time consuming. <br /><br /><br />And we also plan to get out of debt before even beginning. We want to save up the money and get it done. We want to get out of the habit of using credit and loans to do these kinds of things (I could do an entire post on our financial goals, alone, but I'll spare you for now), but we've got great ideas, that's for sure. <br /><br /><br />So now that I've filled the urge to do something crafty, this weekend, my mind is a-turning with loads of ideas. I'm hoping to blog about quite a few of them, but it'll all depend on when time allows me to finally sit down and get started. <br /><br />And as for this past weekend's project, I plan to post pics, but they'll have to wait until after the birthday girl opens her gift. **fingers crossed that it'lls fit... :-D <br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Anywho</span>, that's it for today. As usual, there's lots I'd love to share with you, but little time to do so. <br /><br />Someday, friends. And hopefully that someday will come soon. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Toodles</span>! :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-62870625297520904932011-03-23T15:27:00.004-04:002011-03-23T15:32:39.052-04:00RutvilleI think it happens yearly, to be honest. I'm not quite sure why, but it seems that as soon as the sun start shining through the chill in the air, and days get a little longer, and I don't have to wear my big ol' coat to work everyday...<br /><br />I get antsy.<br /><br /><br />There's no rhyme or reason for it. And I don't really know what it is that finally snaps me out of it, but what I DO know is that it happens. And it's happenING. Right now.<br /><br /><br />I just get restless. I dread work even more than normal (which is saying something). I start dreaming up all of these grand ideas. I start thinking about a lot of "what ifs" and about how different things could be.<br /><br />I start to dream bigger.<br /><br /><br />It's almost like my eyes are opened to this rut that I've been stuck in all. winter. long. It's both freeing and frustrating, all at once.<br /><br /><br />Am I the only one?<br /><br /><br />With everything that's we've got going on right now (I promise I will fill you in eventually... be patient, friends), I think it's making this year's case of ants-in-my-pants even worse than usual.<br /><br /><br />Who knows.<br /><br /><br /><br />But seriously - does anyone else struggle with this? Is anyone else dreaming even bigger these days? Are there any suggestions? Any recommendations for a good cure?<br /><br />I'm going CRAZY, here!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-89742400417205603552011-03-14T16:06:00.011-04:002011-03-15T15:09:39.540-04:00Why I Love GoodwillIt's no secret that I'm a big fan of the local Goodwill... and by "local", I mean the 2, soon to be 3 stores closest to me.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>PS: Who decided it'd be a good idea to put one within 2 minutes of my house? I thank you, dearly... but "thrilled" isn't exactly the word I'd use to describe McStudly's reaction to the news.</em></span><br /><br /><br />Now, Momma Bear and I don't play when it comes to Goodwill shopping. We are serious about our bargain shopping. Most of the people at our local stores know us by name (especially, Momma's). And we don't shy away from haggling attempts.<br /><br /><br /><br /><u>Example:</u> I found a dozen of these mini Ikea mirrors at the store closest to Mom & Dad's house.<br /><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584032102806509554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHbtH9MDn45JHLglI7O_eqpS8goA2-UNuVGknfSVRqftSZdZGsi2j3bTg6uSeUi_5x_V6W6Fbg9ztjvjuK5YH2BZXMm_3aVmgrQi90UxKsPf7Yi38e_BfXWLTZtmS-jhaogg7BiyCe0ba/s320/malma-mirror-brown.jpg" border="0" />They wanted $3 a piece for these <span style="font-size:85%;">MALMA</span> mirrors (regularly $2.99, direct from Ikea). Bump that ruckus! I told them I'd give them $1 a piece, and they agreed! Holla!! I haven't even used all of them, yet, but you'd better believe that all 12 of them came home with me. 1/2 are currently hanging in formation above our love seat, and the other are stacked away, just waiting for a purpose and/or to be refurbished into something more creative. ;)<br /></p><br /><br />So now fast-forward to this past weekend. We got some Panera for lunch (Yummm!), and then headed over to the Goodwill nearby. They had some great stuff!<br /><br />For example, one great item that <em>didn't</em> make it home with me was this baby:<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584044913518466242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjvW1PYvuw5tQXW2ZiIf5HdvxSMO90cJMmGnmxB7tmmwLJu_Oi27rYXDlWkQtEcXvDRcTjV9gE6iJK8Z_tteWeuxbzS1t9EWj4aXSzIyYnaRTYtnKMJVhjMi5s7vpKwRDvWt8hTL13onK/s320/coff-table.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p></p><p>Brand new. In the box. And for how much? Only a whopping $69.99, baby. And that was BEFORE any haggling. Oh yeah... and did I mention that it could do this:</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584044908916001026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQzCxzEUNcKctFUNEhett6v0sSHjoYt7u16dw8cYSg_gXNuaAFC5xg35cEZpbqZiJNM17uV2ds4nP_Wrs0F0EnH6N_6o_8TqY2gC4ulJ0nj-xcyHhSA7TxIsehLxFx3-4XiBsPAVr5ppw/s320/coffee-table-ext.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p>Oh yes. Yes it can. And if I had a place to put a coffee table, it would've been MINE! But, Studly insisted we didn't need one, nor have space for one. And as much as I argued that one day we WOULD need one, spending money on something you DON'T need, no matter how good of a deal, is a waste of money. And that's one of the biggest things to learn when thrift-shopping. *sigh</p><p></p><p></p><p>But there were a few things that did make it home with me from that store. And item was this awesome piece that I can't find a picture of. Oddly enough, as soon as I saw it, I remembered seeing it in an older pottery barn ad, not even that long ago!! But it's no longer listed on their site. Ugh!! Nor does it's picture exist anywhere on the internet by how I'd described it in google (not exactly rocket science, but not the easiest task, either). So the closest thing that I could find to the piece was this: </p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584044914298153906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrO9KjmHxUhou7JIfRCkyroWcWvaBnFaQ1RzTNcZn9NX6ZdEFRdnhu2XTDvQefEGdbzwZAF5DVYowjQExtIDBvdUKb1ZOvCzP3HY0YGH7EZm81r6YtlOPVLscu6ZqszbToxcOGljPLRF4H/s320/hanging-candle-holder.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p>But here's how it differs - mine is a more clean-lined modern style than this more traditional version. Instead of the horizontal bar being rounded, mine is straight. And rather than the 5 vertical bars, mine has three - one of each length: small, medium, long. Also, none of the bars on my pieced are round, either, but flattened pieces instead, and the vertical bars literally hang on the horizontal bar.</p><p></p><p>Wow. That's super confusing. But I promise to try and post a picture when/if I hang it in this house. (Have I mentioned before that's it's UBER hard to muster up any desire to decorate a home that you know you won't be living in forever? Yeesh. Not easy at ALL!)</p><p></p><p></p><p>But my proudest purchase of the day came in the form of another brand new target furnishing, still in the box. Here she is:</p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584032105545974162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-drjXpxcsACPulK6Eedk_0w9cUxTs6AuqhGm9Z6P3hiIRiAmV3KSqU5DGLi5Ukfoezit7qihHF68SbvcJTkt81ktCbyZ8tP60ijC1G9QRrBwHxassJAvE_0ng6AoGXqAUWCZzcZRK4uY/s320/Brown-Parsons-Chair-Target.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p>At first look, I thought for sure that this beautiful cardboard box included 2 of these babies. But upon further review, I discovered that the box, although it said "set of 2", also said "60 of 120 pieces". If you do the math, which I did... that means only 1 of the "set of 2" was included in the box. No biggie. I wafted back and forth about whether or not to purchase the gorge brown leather parsons chair, and decided to go for it.</p><p></p><p>Now, this is where it pays to be observant. It was originally marked as $69.99. Which is still cheap, mind you, for a brown leather parsons chair. But examining the packaging uncovered a target discount sticker STILL stuck to the box. and it was marked $45.99. Woot! When Goodwill accidentally misses these babies, they have to honor the lowest posted price. Yeah, baby!! BUT they also saw me sweat. And this part is key. I "wafted" right in front of them. Which brings me to another important lesson in Goodwill shopping. Not only is haggling super important, and keeping things in perspective <em>essential</em>, but don't be afraid to let them see you sweat... even the small stuff. It wasn't an act. Believe me (I've done that, too...). </p><p></p><p>I was up near the register while deciding whether or not I was going to purchase the lone chair-nger, and after pointing out the beautiful red target-sale-price sticker, the fabulous lady at the register walked it back to the manager. When she returned, I really expected her to just give me the shiny sticker price, but Nnnooooo... she took out that GLORIOUS black Sharpie marker and crossed through the hand-written $69.99 on the box and wrote "$34.99".</p><p></p><p>*insert Hallelujah chorus*</p><p></p><p>SQUEE!!!!</p><p></p><p></p><p>I got that beautiful baby for $34.99. And you know what that means? Even if I purchased a matching chair at FULL price (which is SO not going to happen... for the record...), That would bring the brown leather parsons chair pair total to a whopping $170, and thus break down to only $85 a chair.</p><p></p><p>Eat that full priced box stores!! I mean you can't find that good of a price ANYWHERE, for parsons chairs. It was beautiful!! And even with the lone chair-nger, my dining room table will already look updated. And if I decide not to stick it in there <span style="font-size:85%;">(<em>that'swhatshesaid</em>)</span>, then it'd still look absolutely gorge in front of a desk or something to that effect.</p><p></p><p>Holla!</p><p></p><p></p><p>Have I mentioned that I love Goodwill?</p><p></p><p></p><p>And the day almost got EVEN better after stopping at another local Goodwill store. I found 4 boxes... 4 BOXES, people!! ... of this beautiful hardwood flooring. REAL hardwood. And it was the absolutely gorgeous Antique Walnut color. Each unopened box included over 24 sq ft of flooring, and guess how much they wanted for them? </p><p></p><p>Oh forget it... you'll never guess...</p><p></p><p>A whopping $10.00 a BOX! Only $40 for over 96 sq ft of GORGEOUS Antique Walnut real hardwood flooring. </p><p></p><p>I scurried home toot sweet and measured, only to discover that I needed twice that much to do our kitchen, entry hallway, and half bath, which all share the same flooring and all need to be replaced. We even tried to find a way to just purchase the remaining amount needed, but they stopped selling that color. UGH! Do you know how CHEAP that is, people?! Less than $.42 a sq foot. </p><p></p><p>Helloo Goodwill. Goodwill... Das a nice name. Can I getcho numba? Can I?! Can I havit?!?! Can I have yo numba?!</p><p></p><p>Sorry... got carried away.</p><p></p><p>Along with the above-mentioned items, I also walked away with a cutesy green t-shirt that I was oddly drawn to, an absolutely aDORable little girl's leather jacket (for sweet baby Abby, of course!) and a coordinating pair of jeans, a brand-stinking-new pair of fabulous black dress shoes (with minuscule heels. wootwoot!), a super-cute full length summer dress (you know... that fun springy style you wear with flip-flops?), a few wrap-around headbands, and a couple of other things that I'm <em>totally</em> blanking on, but still loving, if for no other reason than their cheapness. :-)</p><p></p><p>Anywho - this is just ONE Saturday, and only 2 of our local Goodwill locations full of reasons why I love the place.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>So what about you guys... got any favorite thrifty places? Any thrift store finds that you looove to brag about? Come on... spill. We're all friends, here. ;-)</strong></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-88649627616568596432011-03-09T15:36:00.003-05:002011-03-09T16:12:03.930-05:00Today, I Hate Stairs.McStudly and I decided that it was way past time for us to get healthy again. We're lazy. We eat like crap. And we've each gotten a little bit rounder, to prove it.<br /><br />Not to mention that we want to <em>feel</em> healthier. That's the main thing for us, really. To not feel like "bleh" all the time. You know that feeling, right? Well. We know it all too well, my friend.<br /><br />So Studly got this genius idea a little over a month ago to order P90X and give it a shot. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, especially after hearing about how intense it is (the "X" does stand for "Extreme," people!), but I figured I'd go along with it. I honestly didn't think it would happen, since that is the pattern for us... but alas... it did.<br /><br />*sigh<br /><br /><br />Monday evening was my first crack at this exercise regimen. <br /><br /><br />It SUCKS!!<br /><br /><br />I didn't even finish. I got through the first 30 minutes (5 of which are just warm-ups!), and was just done. I mean... I knew I was out of shape, but I felt like an IDIOT!<br /><br />I don't do well with workout routines. I do fabulously with running (but only when it's not freaking cold outside... can't do it), and even run every other day... without fail. But when it comes to working out along with a DVD, that'd be a negative.<br /><br />Now, I did workout to a pilates DVD a while back. And LOVED it! Not only did I see results after the fist week, but it is the kind of workout where you don't really feel much while you're doing it, necessarily, but then the next day... when you're unsuspecting and go full-force to sit up in bed - HOLLLYY mamaa!!!! You feel it.<br /><br />And I seriously was able to SEE results, not just feel them, but actually SEE them (and other people, too) when I did it.<br /><br /><br />Now... back to this P90X mess. It's not for me. I know I only tried the 1st day. And though I'm typically a stubborn mule when it comes to things (ask anyone... they'll tell ya), I just don't see a point.<br /><br />I don't want to be ripped.<br /><br />I don't want an eight-pack.<br /><br />I don't want guns (the muscle kind, people... focus). :-P<br /><br />I don't want to look like a man (no offense, body builders... it's just not for everyone).<br /><br />I don't want to be able to lift heavy boxes easily. What fun is that?!<br /><br /><br />But here's what else I don't want:<br /><br />I don't want to be out of breath after walking up stairs... even slowly.<br /><br />I don't want to choose clothing based on how NOT tight it is around my midsection (which may be unavoidable, due to the hiatal hernia I have, which causes food-babies after almost every meal).<br /><br />I don't want to dread bathing suit shopping (this may be wishful thinking, I know).<br /><br />I don't want to wait until hubby gets home to open some jars.<br /><br /><br />And most importantly...<br /><br /><strong>I don't want to jiggle!</strong><br /><br /><br />I mean... who does, right?!<br /><br /><br />But alas... I agreed last night, with Studly, that I would give it a week, IF he promised not to give me a hard time if I still chose not to continue. He kept trying to convince me that yesterday's workout wasn't as hard and that even HE wasn't able to finish the first workout, but felt much more encouraged after Day 2.<br /><br />Bleh. FINE!<br /><br /><br />So here's my thought on workout routines. <br /><br />It's all about what works best for you.<br /><br /><br />Now, that goes without saying that it can't be a cop-out. Saying "it only works best for me to walk once a week" is lame. Well... unless your goal is purely to maintain circulation. In which case - go for it, girlfriend. But if your goal is to improve your health, then find a routine that works for you... WITHIN reason.<br /><br /><br />In order to improve health, you have to retrain your body. And taking a walk once a week won't accomplish that.<br /><br />You know how, when you go to the doctor, they ask if you workout? This is because doing some sort of regular workout is good for your OVERALL HEALTH! Not just to be skinny. Not just to wear fun workout clothes. But to keep your body doing what it's supposed to do... you need to maintain it, just like you would your home.<br /><br /><br />I'm not the best at maintaining my home, but it isn't a pigsty, either. And I'm sure you know that if you NEVER vacuumed, and NEVER washed the dishes, or did the laundry... your house would start to resemble an episode of Hoarders.<br /><br />Who wants that (beyond the typical neighborhood hoarder, I mean)?!<br /><br /><br />In the same way, you have to take care of your body. It can't do it's job properly if you don't do yours.<br /><br /><br />**steps off soapbox**<br /><br /><br />So what was I saying? Ah yes. P90X sucks. For me, at least. I will try to finish out the week, as I promised Studly I would... but I won't like it! Sike. I really will try. But I will not rule out returning to my running/pilates routine if it's not my jig.<br /><br /><br />And Studly promised he'd be okay with that, too.<br /><br /><br />For those of you scoffing at my idea of pilates as a workout - try it first, and then we'll talk. McStudly seriously used to always mock me. He thought it was a joke (he also thinks that the elliptical machine is "only for fat people", but I gave him 'the look' and told him that he needs to keep his mouth shut until he actually uses one, because it IS, in fact, a SERIOUS cardio/leg-toning workout!)... but then he had to take a pilates class for PT one week, when he arrived to late for the ultimate frisbee (or whatever sorry excuse the Air Force had for PT that day)... And the next day? He was HURTING!! He said it was WAY more intense than he thought it'd be and he has not even ONCE again said anything negative about it.<br /><br />One of the things I love about pilates is that on top of toning your muscles (not bulking, toning) and making you feel amazing afterwards... you also stay flexible. And there aren't a lot of workouts that successfully do both. I literally feel like I've <em>lost</em> range of motion with just my .5 of a P90X workout this week.<br /><br /><br />Stairs and I? We're not currently friends.<br /><br /><br />But to summarize - I don't want to overheat again, and feel like a failure when I work out. I want to be encouraged and feel GOOD. I want to look forward to my next workout, not dread it and look for any sliver of an excuse not to accomplish it.<br /><br /><br />Anywho... that's that.<br /><br /><br />I suck at P90X, and I'm okay with that.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>So what are you all doing to be healthier these days?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-53364575551931139512011-03-08T14:22:00.005-05:002011-03-08T15:59:16.364-05:00What's NextI mentioned before that there's a lot going on in the Puhl house. A lot of what, you may ask?<br /><br /><br />Waiting.<br /><br /><br />A whole lot of waiting. And praying. And wondering. And begging for direction. And guidance. And... just... <em>something</em>...<br /><br /><br />There's still a lot of waiting to be had, but I wanted to share with you a part of the talk that Studly and I had this weekend.<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">sidenote: Isn't it just so refreshing sometimes to connect with your spouse on a whole new level? Or maybe not as "new" as just... it's been a while. We have had a great time together the past week or two, and I feel like we're both growing so much through all of this. But individually and together, as a couple. It's just like a breath of fresh air.</span></em><br /><br /><br />Anywho - back to what I wanted to share with you. But in order to tell you that, I need to share with you a story, first. There are many versions, but here's the basic idea:<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />An older woman, known for her faith, is in her home when she hears an emergency notification on the radio. An obviously concerned news person alerts everyone in the small valley-town that the local river's dam is in danger of breaking any minute and all should flee to higher grown immediately. Not a moment passes after the old woman's prayer to God is finished and there's a knock on her front door.<br /><br />A younger neighbor, one who regularly assists the elderly woman with yard work and basic house maintenance, tells her that she needs to grab her purse and nothing else and get in the truck with their family. They are heading up the mountain to higher ground to wait out the coming flood.<br /><br />"No, you go ahead. My Lord will save me."<br /><br />He pleads with her for a few moments, before realizing that it's useless, and reluctantly leaves, driving his family to the safety of the higher ground.<br /><br />Sure enough, not 20 minutes later the water is rising around her home. It begins seeping in under the doors, and eventually the windows, as well... so the elderly woman heads upstairs, praying for rescue still, in order to stay dry.<br /><br />Upon reaching her bedroom and closing the door behind her, she opens a window to the sounds of an approaching speed boat. A fireman calls out to the woman, "Climb into the boat! We'll take you to safety. The waters are rising fast. We have to hurry!"<br /><br />"No, no," she says stubbornly. "My Savior will rescue me. You go save the others!" Slightly annoyed, yet extremely concerned, the fireman insists that she climb into the boat, but she closes the window and turns away. The fireman drives on, saying a prayer for the woman as he leaves.<br /><br />As the water begins to slowly trickle into her room, she pulls down the attic steps, climbs up, and then climbs through the low window out onto the roof of her house. Once she settles into a spot near the peak of the roof, she closes her eyes and begins humming and singing the hold hymns that she sang growing up. Songs of God's incredible faithfulness and abounding love. Songs of his provision and salvation.<br /><br />From a distance the sounds of a helicopter grew louder and louder, until the wind created by the beating blades could be felt on the old woman's face. A rope ladder is thrown down from the open side door, and a voice shouts over a speaker, "Ma'am! Grab onto the ladder, we will pull you up!"<br /><br />"Leave me here! My Jesus will rescue me!"<br /><br />"But, ma'am, we just came from the river and the rain up north is causing even more flooding than we expected... you must come quick!"<br /><br />"No. I will be fine! My Lord will not forsake me!"<br /><br />Defeated, the pilot orders the ladder pulled up and turns the helicopter away.<br /><br />Sure enough, the waters continue to rise, and the woman is ultimately swept away by the raging waters. Unable to keep herself afloat, within moments she finds herself standing in front of Jesus.<br /><br />"My Lord!! My Lord, I waited for You! I thought surely You would hear my cries and save me from this flood... why didn't You come for me?"<br /><br />With more love than anyone could imagine, and without the even the smallest amount of frustration or annoyance, he looked her in the eye and said, "My child, I sent you an urgent warning, a neighbor's car, a fireman's boat, and ultimately a helicopter. I did not forsake you. I would never leave you, nor forsake you."<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Whew. Pardon me while I wipe the tears away... that story gets me choked up even just thinking about it. I mean, don't get me wrong - there's a whole comedic aspect to it, too. But just thinking about God's faithfulness, even in the midst of our stubborn ignorance... it's just amazing to me, the God that we serve.<br /><br />Our decision to believe in him means nothing in the concept of his existence. And with that comes his grace - he is not an angry God, casting out punishments, and sentences for our actions, but rather a loving God that allows us to make the decisions we choose, even knowing that it would end in our hurt and ultimately his heartache. All of the anger and wrath and disappointment he had for us died on the cross, and now we are left with nothing but forgiveness and his amazing mercy and grace beyond anything we're capable of comprehending in this life.<br /><br />That's how much he loves us!<br /><br /><br />Sorry. I know I got off topic, but that story is just such an amazing reminder of his faithfulness, to me.<br /><br /><br />So... back to what I originally planned to share with you -<br /><br />There are a lot of possibilities swirling around the Puhl house. And we're really eager to jump at one of them... for a lot of reasons, but don't want to force it. We really truly want to be where God wants us. We want his will to be done in our lives and want that so much.<br /><br />We believe that he puts desires in our heart for a reason, but we also know that at times we are the ones burning those desires, ourselves.<br /><br />Basically, we're feeling stuck in this place of wanting to push for it, but not wanting to force it, either. We want to put forth all energy and effort that we can to make it happen, but at the same time we don't want to <em>MAKE</em> it happen, ya know? We're praying about it. Praying that God's will be made clear to us, but we know that sometimes we need to learn patience in these situations.<br /><br />But we also don't want to sit back and do nothing, expecting God to literally force it on us, either. He won't do that. Sure, he can... but I don't believe that he would... not in this situation. SO we also struggle with not wanting to be like the old woman in the story above, where we insist, to a fault, that God will intervene, when that could be exactly what he's doing right now.<br /><br /><br />Either way, we're in a holding pattern. We'd appreciate any prayers you'd be willing to give for us, at this time. Prayers for patience, and peace in the situation. Prayers for God's will and his direction in the decision-making process. Prayers for sanity and strength through it all.<br /><br /><br />And I'll update you as I can. I promise.<br /><br /><br /><br />But that's it for now... just a little tidbit of what we've been dealing with. Trying not to over-think things, and trying even harder to remember that we are so very small compared to our larger-than-life God.<br /><br />...And finding peace in knowing that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-10503879959397790472011-03-03T14:50:00.005-05:002011-03-03T15:35:11.127-05:00That PersonHave you ever worked with someone that just never seems quite that genuine? They have a smile on their face, but you can just tell that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">somethings</span> not right?<br /><br />Well, I do.<br /><br /><br />We've been understaffed for more than a year in our office. And when I say understaffed, I mean by several people EACH. For example, me and my coworker were <em>each</em> doing close to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">FTE</span> (full time equivalent) of 4 people. <br /><br />Now THAT is insane.<br /><br /><br />But to be completely honest? I'd take that over this new girl that they finally hired, any day. Because we at least worked like a team and covered each other. Things got done. As impossible as it seemed each and every day, somehow we made it happen.<br /><br />That's a true team, I tell ya. We didn't always agree, but it didn't stop us from obtaining that end goal. And now there’s a kink in that team. A hole. A gap. A missing piece. And that is New girl.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that she <em>can’t</em> do the work. And it’s not that she <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">isn</span>’t getting things done, either.<br /><br />So what is it? I’ll do my best to explain. <br /><br /><br />There are projects that we’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ve</span> been working on for over a year. Projects that, because she just joined us, she knows nothing about. And these <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">aren</span>’t just simple little projects, but are very intricate and it’s taken us a LONG time to set up the processes and build the relationships that we now have. Everything was moving along fabulously, and then she came along.<br /><br />She started interjecting herself info parts of the projects that she had no business touching. She’s taken on tasking that she is not only not qualified for, but has been told to step back off of. Yet somehow she involves herself and somehow convinces other key players that she <em>is</em> supposed to be there. This not only makes our organization look disorganized and poorly run, but it also makes me look pretty stupid when I go to take care of something that I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ve</span> been working for some time, now, and she’s already stepped in and tried to do it. The customer is confused. I look moronic. And she has me fumbling to come up with a reason for it all. And a reason for why the way that they were told to do things <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">wasn</span>’t correct and they need to do it <em>this</em> way, instead. <br /><br /><br />She’s causing confusion and making us look incompetent.<br /><br /><br />I’m not a mean person. I don’t throw people under the bus. And I would absolutely not stand in front of a customer and say “Well, [New girl] may have overstepped her bounds by telling you that so prematurely, and not only is that not the case, but it's also not her call to make.” Because I am a team player. I don’t believe in stepping on other people to accomplish a task. It’s not right, and it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">doesn</span>’t just make that person look bad… it tends to make YOU look like a giant jerk-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">wod</span> and still somehow make them out to be the good person, possibly even the victim.<br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Homie</span> don’t play <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">dat</span>.<br /><br />At least not this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">homie</span>.<br /><br /><br />However, it’s extremely stressful. I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ve</span> been in my position for almost 3 years, and have maintained a Level 3 in my title that entire time. The only reason I haven’t progressed is because there are only 3 positions above me, all with the same title, and just this past week was the first time any of those 3 people have left, and they replaced them with a girl that is not only fantastic (and I’m thrilled for her, in fact!) at what she does, but has been here the longest and absolutely deserves the promotion. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">wasn</span>’t even eligible because I actually work for a company that was reached out to in an order to fill my position, and the main company won’t allow “subs” to fill these top positions.<br /><br />It’s annoying, but I get it. That’s just the way these things work around here. Not shock there, really. <br /><br /><br />But I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ve</span> said all of that to say this: New girl is only a Level 2, and has only worked here in this environment and in this line of work for less than a year. <em>Less</em> than. So for her to come in and take over things, all personal annoyances aside, is just ridiculous. She’s not qualified. She <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">doesn</span>’t’ have the experience. And she needs to just take a step off.<br /><br /><br />Am I crazy for thinking this way? <br /><br /><br />I’m not one of those territorial kind of people. Trust me. Not with this stuff. Ask any other person I work with. I am all about getting things done, and if that means other people doing it? Well, then by-golly that’s what’ll happen.<br /><br />Nobody wins when you’re only concerned about yourself. I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ve</span> heard it said that “it’s a lonely road to the top”, and I have no interest in getting there. <br /><br /><br />But when you are going around to other people and making comments about me, and that you don’t like how I do things, well then grow a pair and talk to me about it. But <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">noo</span>.<br /><br />What does she do?<br /><br />She sends these e-mails with our bosses <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">CCd</span>, and tells me in this anything-but-genuine way how I need to do things this certain way that she wants me to.<br /><br /><br />My response?<br /><br /><br />I reply to all. I say “we’re doing things this way for a reason” in MUCH nicer wording, and throw in one of those “if I’m wrong about any of this, can you guys just let me know? I’ll gladly change things up if this is the case.” Because I have nothing to hide! I have a great relationship with our bosses. That’s what happens when you learn people and you forge working relationships with them.<br /><br />Being all sneaky and conniving just makes you look like a tool.<br /><br /><br />And where I would normally be okay with letting her make a fool of herself, with no help from me, and having her just walk around like said <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">giganto</span>-tool, she’s messing up the relationships that we’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ve</span> built with the customers. And it’s taken us years to get to this point.<br /><br /><br /><br />So basically, I’m just tired of it. It’s stressful at work all the time, these days. I’m constantly second-guessing myself because of it. And no one above me seems to notice the ridiculousness of it all (then again, they could possibly just not care, since I’m already doing enough damage control on my own to hopefully cover up all of her mistakes and over-eagerness).<br /><br /><br />And now I feel like I sound territorial and like I’m over-reacting.<br /><br /><br />It’s just not a fun situation. I dread going to work, now, and honestly don’t ever want to stay a full 8 hours. I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">ve</span> managed to make myself stick it out, but it’s a fight almost every day.<br /><br /><br /><br />So pray for me… For patience. For wisdom. For kindness towards her. For energy to make it through the day, with some energy to still clean and make dinner at night. For a little extra dose of love to hand out when I’m feeling particularly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">un</span>-loving. And for the ability to not take out my frustrations with her on other coworkers or my husband.<br /><br />I’m really trying to work on loving her. It’s just SO hard when I feel like she seems so intent on ruining me and taking over everything I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">ve</span> worked so hard to build up.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It’s so hard to work with people like that. Am I the only one?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-64569701093563452492011-03-02T14:44:00.004-05:002011-03-02T17:50:15.612-05:00FailI know I said I'd post more info on all of the "stuff" that we had going on, but to be honest - I lost it. All of it. It's gone.<br /><br />We (and by "we" I mean my amazing husband) transferred all necessary documents onto our newer computer to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">completely</span> wipe our old one and re-image it to stat from scratch.. basically, it'd be like we never had the computer before... except that we did.<br /><br />Anyways, this worked SWIMMINGLY and our awesome newer computer took all of the junk like a pro and didn't miss a beat. The old computer is now up and running with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">completely</span> different operating system and so far so good.<br /><br /><br />However, My blog drafts got lost in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">shuffle</span>, somehow. No clue how. Nothing else seemed to go missing... I'm thinking it may have been put in the "delete" folder by mistake and them WHAM! It is no more.<br /><br />I do hope to get around to re-writing it, because some of it is not only interesting (if you ask me, anyways), but also could be pretty informative to some of you.<br /><br />... and is it too <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">presumptuous</span> to think that maybe some of you missed me?!<br /><br /><br />We'll <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">just</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pretend</span> that it's not and you did. :-)<br /><br /><br /><br />There's actually a lot of pretty cool stuff happening right now in our little family, but I'm just not comfortable putting it out there, just yet. I promise I will as soon as I can, though... and perhaps then I'll have more to blog about, since it's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">kind've</span> absorbing most of my mental space, at the moment, and not leaving room for much else.<br /><br /><br /><br />...until next time, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">lovies</span>. :-DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-35344453172552409182011-02-08T09:41:00.000-05:002011-02-08T09:41:19.596-05:00Stuff: defined.<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I know I’ve been slacking off – and to be honest, it was never planned (as if it ever is?!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But I think it’s been good for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You see – by not blogging, I’ve been focusing on a lot more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Things that are more important (no offense).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Things like my marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My home.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Getting out of debt.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And it’s not like I can’t blog <i><i>while</i></i><span style="font-style:normal"> doing these things, it’s just that I’m a focus person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Although I can multitask like the best of ‘em, I still need to be focused on a singular goal, especially if I’m particularly stressed or bogged down with life at any given time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ex:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>when I multitask at work, it’s still part of one focus – accomplishing what it is I was hired to do.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When I’m multitasking at home, it’s also a part of one focus – cleaning the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Stuff like that.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Call me crazy, but it works for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m a list person, and if it’s not on paper, it’s still in list format in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But I don’t mix lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So, I’m basically saying that lately, blogging hasn’t fallen into any of my focus lists.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wow – did that make me sound like a type-A control freak or <b><i>what</i></b>?!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I promise I’m not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For the most part, anyways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I just get overwhelmed if everything is all over the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I need some semblence of direction, ya know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Am I the only one?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now don’t get me wrong – I LOVE spontenaeity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And craziness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And goofiness (if you know me, that is the understatement of the century!!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And just plain old fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants good times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are just a couple of things that I need focus and order with.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anywho – long story short, I’ve just been doing other “stuff”, lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Nothing super exciting or anything (except for our tax return.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Now THAT is exciting!! …am I the only one?!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Just life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So here’s a little bit of that “stuff” that I’ve been up to lately, in no particular order:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 – health stuff.</p><p class="MsoNormal">2 – work stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3 – marriage stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">4 – wedding stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">5 – finance stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">6 – clinic stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">7 – house stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">8 – birthday stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9 – other stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting more info on the things in that list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m not just gonna go all lame-o and leave you without the deets.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Now would that be like me at all?!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No way, man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So stay tuned and I’ll post them in something like the order above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But only if you promise to read and comment so I feel like you missed me…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Promise?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">PINKY Promise?!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>See you around, lovies!</p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-78161811022837799762011-01-16T14:17:00.002-05:002011-01-18T14:39:18.509-05:00Pioneer Woman Is My Hero<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwG_1KrO8nVtYHmU08UeABcWszSQM_5ZYe_H_99Cuq4ygJJnosBAm6CRaV-1vCFE3L41tp1Y-ScRFrkfdemcJyq4PQ4Msfz63VFBFE-vODkmpGCv3M4-NEQX6tZiJrKJAdiYeyahPTW4D/s1600/IMG00636-20110116-1127-771588.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562865147992422546" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwG_1KrO8nVtYHmU08UeABcWszSQM_5ZYe_H_99Cuq4ygJJnosBAm6CRaV-1vCFE3L41tp1Y-ScRFrkfdemcJyq4PQ4Msfz63VFBFE-vODkmpGCv3M4-NEQX6tZiJrKJAdiYeyahPTW4D/s320/IMG00636-20110116-1127-771588.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>The Cinnamon Bread recipe from her website (<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">thepioneerwoman.com</a>) turned out SO tasty and made for some fabulous French Toast this morning... Whaddya think? </p><p> </p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-26443909010276781682010-10-25T14:59:00.005-04:002010-10-25T16:54:56.893-04:00My VoiceThis post will probably not get all positive feedback. And ya know what? I'm okay with that.<br /><br /><br />I started this blog a while ago as a way to be able to express myself and do anything from blabbering on about nothing to getting y'alls advice on situations I find myself in, as well as expressing my personal opinions and beliefs in an appropriate setting.<br /><br />If nothing else, I've somehow managed to make some good friends along the way. But on top of that amazing plus, my husband is ever-so-grateful to not have to listen to be babble on and on about something he could care less about... which as a woman is half of what I babble on about. <span style="font-size:85%;">(Can I get an "amen"?!)</span><br /><br /><br />Anywho - I say all of that to say this: sometime that "blabbering" involves an issue that people aren't as open-minded about. I think I've done a pretty good job <span style="font-size:85%;">(if I do say so myself, that is)</span> at keeping that to a pretty good minimum... but this tends to be a topic that gets people heated. And since it's not <em>quite</em> winter here in these parts, let's keep the heat to a minimum, if we can. Also, please remember that as the blog owner, I reserve the right to delete/deny any comments that are drama-filled. I will NOT delete comments simple for the fact that they hold different opinions. That you can count on. But if things get ugly, or something is blatantly hurtful, then I'll get to clicking.<br /><br /><br />Now that I've probably scared everyone away, here's what I was prepping you for.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />I'm Pro-Life.<br /><br /><br />There. I said it. I don't think that's necessarily a secret, seeing as how I've posted on the counselling I do in the local pregnancy clinic, but in case I haven't come right out with it in the past, there it is. <br /><br />I am Pro-Life in that I believe life begins at the moment of conception. Try as you may, but you'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise. I believe that the instant that an individual full-set of 46 chromosomes appears, with a different set of DNA from that of the mother, I call that life.<br /><br />I won't start spilling out anything more on that particular topic, really... at least I don't intend to, at this point. But I want to make it clear that I believe life begins as soon as the egg is fertilized by the sperm. So I've said it. There shouldn't be any confusion at this point.<br /><br /><br />But where it does get confusing is here: There's a political ad running in the DC area (which we happen to be kind've close to, and thus are subject to the ads from time to time) that shows graphic images of aborted fetuses. It's picture after picture of different aborted babies after an abortion. According to several articles on the ads, the candidate that is running the ads is only running to be able to show the ads on television.<br /><br />You see, there's a law in effect that prevents any network or cable television channel from being able to alter a political ad in any way. I get this. It's to protect the ads from unwarranted editing which would make them appear and/or sound different than the candidate actually intended them to be. And the networks/cable stations are also prohibited from shifting/changing the ad to any air-time other than was was intentionally purchased by the candidate. I get it. This keeps a network/station that is more strongly affiliated with one political party from being able to mess with the ad of a candidate with another political party. It totally makes sense.<br /><br /><br />But I don't agree with this ad.<br /><br /><br />I feel that the candidate has "played" the system. And as pro-life as I am, I do NOT think that it's okay to subject children and/or forcing mothers of previous abortions to have to see these images. Granted, you can turn the channel. But you shouldn't have to. This crosses a line in my book.<br /><br /><br />I will, however, say this. I do believe that these kinds of images <em>should</em> be viewed by those currently in the positions of authority and/or are in law-making positions. Congress. The Senate. Any member in the law-making/law-enforcing divisions of government should be required to so photos of a fetus before, during, and after an abortion procedure has taken place. I feel that they should <em>have</em> to see it to make a truly informed decision. There should be absolutely no bias or prejudice in making these decisions, thus I believe that all of this should be taken in to account when major decisions are being made.<br /><br /><br />I just feel like there's a better way to do this. I don't believe that ignorance is an excuse. But instead of slapping people in the face with images of dead babies, why not display statistics of the effects of PAS on women who have had abortions, and how common it is for it to lead to suicide. What about exposing the manipulation and lack of care given to these women seeking abortions by organizations such as Plann3d Par3nthood and the like. Why not out them so as to expose their inconsistencies and self-serving "relationship" building techniques with teenagers, when they are only seeking to build future business. Why not stick with the truth about life - when the heart begins beating <span style="font-size:85%;">(fyi: 21 days after conception, on day 35 of pregnancy)</span>, and when we form our very own fingerprints, or when we can start blinking our eyes and making facial expressions, or begin to feel pain, <span style="font-size:85%;">(as measured by fetal response to stimulus)</span>... why do we exploit the innocent bodies of dead babies, instead of defending their right to life and encouraging when that life happens?<br /><br /><br />As a Christian, I have a hard time believe that if Jesus had the technology, he would've shown murderers pictures of dead people and abortion-minded women pictures of their dead babies. I can't imagine that this is what he would've done. Call me crazy. He never once flaunted someone's sin in front of a group of people. He gave grace abundantly and hurt for the sinner. He hurt for the adulterer AND the ones who threw stones at her. He hurt for the men who hung on the cross next to him - BOTH of them.<br /><br /><br />He hurt for me.<br /><br /><br />And he loved me.<br /><br /><br />He still does. My Jesus didn't spit in my face and make me watch the mistakes I made over and over. He didn't make me relive it. He forgave me and brought me peace.<br /><br /><br />What are we doing? Marching with pictures of dead babies raised high or airing "political ads" with their faces plastered on the screen. What does that accomplish?<br /><br />It doesn't make people rethink their position on abortion. It doesn't cause people to choose life, rather than abortion. It accomplishes nothing but setting us back. It makes people lash out in anger and consider all pro-lifers to be radical freaks set out to make people uncomfortable. <br /><br /><br />It makes someone like me - someone that's more sure than anything that life beings at conception - sad to be clumped into the same group as these people.<br /><br /><br />For anyone that's seen the ad and been hurt or offended by it, I am so sorry. There's nothing I can do to stop them from airing it, and there's no way I can take that back, but I can apologize for it and tell you that not all of those that are pro-life would agree with this.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Now back to the topic of my being pro-life... leaving this ad behind.<br /><br /><br />I'm sure there are quite a few people that would argue that I'm soft or "on the fence", but I assure you that I am not. Let me explain:<br /><br />Again I'll say - I am 100% pro-life. I don't agree with abortion. When people argue <em>for</em> abortion purely for the sake of rape and incest victims, I'd like to remind them that 1) that only accounts for less than 6% of abortions in the US today, and 2) I'm not talking about this. I don't believe that abortion is right in any circumstance <span style="font-size:85%;">(and statistics have shown that the majority of these victims have claimed their abortion to have felt more like a 2nd death)</span>, but that's not what this particular blog is about. And I don't always say that, because I'm never going to succeed in accomplishing anything by starting an argument with someone.<br /><br /><br />For the time being, I'm talking about the other 94% of abortions. <br /><br /><br />I keep saying that one of these days I will post the abortion procedure in non-colorful, fact only layman's terms. Many people do not know the actual procedure for several reasons 1) they've never needed to, 2) they've never had one, 3) they've had one but didn't receive any kind of walk-through of the surgical procedure before-hand, or 4) didn't want to know. And maybe that post is long overdue... I'll see if I can work on it sometime soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(I assure you, it is not a colorful opinion-filled explanation of the process. It is the simple fact-only version we are permitted to give tot he clients at the pregnancy clinic, where we are not at all allowed to express our personal beliefs on the topic. Therefore, I can't imagine anyone being offended, but I'm sure it's about to happen. There will be a large warning before it begins, so anyone that is squeamish or uninterested will know to skip the post.)</span><br /><br /><br />But whatever the case may be, I struggle with one thing. And this may be where some people start disagreeing with me, if they aren't already. I struggle with the fact that I believe abortion is murder. Some of you have rolled your eyes, but let me explain it this way - as I stated before, I believe that life begins at conception. I believe that the minute that the sperm fertilizes the egg, there is life. There is human life. In that instance, 23 chromosomes from the mother, and 23 chromosomes from the father unite to create a 46 chromosomed individual human life. Yes, that life is dependant on another for 9 months, but there is no instance in nature where the life of the baby is not dependant on the assistance and/or nurture of another party <span style="font-size:85%;">(I could easily take a rabbit trail here about how quick people are defend helpless animals, but are quicker still to write off a fetus as a human life... but I'll try to stick to the subject at hand)</span>. <br /><br />So my stance in being pro-life doesn't necessarily, in this case, involve my religious beliefs. I could absoLUTEly involve them to continue to back my opinion, but it doesn't matter. I don't believe that is what should convince people to be pro-life. <br /><br />And this is where people question my beliefs. But I assure you that I am still 100% a believer in God. I just have to say, that when you start pulling religion into politics, in this country, you walk a very thin line. If we use religion as a foundation for law in a country that no longer recognizes their history of being founded on the principles of God, then we risk them allowing people with other religious beliefs to do the same.<br /><br />Now don't get me wrong, I wish that this country would turn back to God. I think it would solve problems way easier and faster than anyone could imagine, but the issue of when life begins, though it is absolutely and 100% a God ordained design, can't be based solely on that principle.<br /><br /><br />When our only way to reason with non-believers is based solely on our interpretation of the Bible, we can't be shocked when they think we're crazy. If we believe something, and someone else doesn't, then they won't be able to see things the same way that we do. And telling them that abortion is wrong because it's a sin doesn't accomplish anything with a person who doesn't believe in the word "sin" to begin with. It'd be like arguing our point in French to someone who only speaks English. It'll only cause them to get angry and frustrated and write us off all the more.<br /><br /><br />Does that make sense? <br /><br /><br />And where I am not saying that we should exclude our biblical beliefs in making our decisions or relying on them to help us in choosing who to vote for or which laws should be put in effect, I am saying that it's no way to back a decision to a no longer God-fearing government or world.<br /><br /><br />So to argue it outside of religious beliefs, if at all possible, I say this: I believe that life begins at conception, when 46 chromosomes appear and a unique set of DNA has been created. And in showing that the heart begins beating before the woman would know she is pregnant, I can't imagine how abortion isn't considered murder, when the definition of death in the medical dictionary is this: <em>the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity</em>. So then, if the heart is already beating, and we can detect the presence of the use brain waves in a fetus as early as 21 days from conception, how then is their death not considered murder?<br /><br />And furthermore, the Declaration of Independence, the very constitution that this country clings so tightly to, reads that all men are created equal, and are endowed 3 certain unalienable Rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Where then have we lost sight of the right to life. And who gets to decide who is and is not in fact warranted these rights.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Well, I'm eager to hear what you have to say, and I think I've babbled on long enough, on the subject, so I'll leave you with this:<br /><br /><em>"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thanks for stopping by, guys. :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-62385547899326538142010-10-18T00:37:00.004-04:002010-10-18T00:41:53.569-04:00I've Got a Little Bitty QuessstionnnWhere do you stand with Birth Control?<div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love to hear other people's takes on it, so lay it on me. Any form or method... For? Against? Some not others? Preferences? I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">'m dying to know what you think, so let's discuss.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">**Remember, the PuhlHouse is a no-drama zone, so I reserve the write to remove, delete, or make fun of any comment that isn't very nice towards other commenters (just kidding about the making fun, part!).**</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-34912519732971081842010-10-14T18:29:00.005-04:002010-10-14T18:50:24.167-04:00Satan's CopierSo I don't hate my job. It's not the most exciting, but it certainly beats being jobless ANY day of the week.<br /><br />Lately, however, we've been having some big problems with our copier.<br /><br /><br />*insert grunts and mumbling here*<br /><br /><br />You see - this copier gets used a lot. A LOT. A Lot. A lot.<br /><br />And I'm not just talking like 50 copies here and there... try 21 copies of a 350+ page student handbook that needs to be copied within 2 work days.<br /><br />Yeah.<br /><br />That's about an average job for this puppy.<br /><br /><br />So it's no wonder that she's not the happiest of campers. And she's not exactly your olympic athlete level copier, either. She takes her SaWEET ol' time. That's for DANG sure.<br /><br /><br />Well today, she and I are in the midst of a battle. Oooh yeah. Lexi and I aren't on speaking terms, right now (unless you count the mumbling and exaggerated sighs, that is). <br /><br />Because she's winning. And that's not a dadgum thing I can do about it.<br /><br /><br />If you want to know how bad it is, imagine the project size above jamming ever 30 - 55 seconds. No. This is not an exaggeration. I PROMISE you that.<br /><br />Just ask Studly. He can vouch for me. In fact, he got so annoyed at my almost constantly putting him on hold that the 4th or 5th time in that brief 3 minutes phone call that I asked him to hold, he grunted "Can't you just let me go? This is ridiculous!" So I did.<br /><br /><br />IN-SA-NI-TY!!!<br /><br /><br />Know what's even better? I knew that this job would take a pretty big toll on ol' Lexi, so I tried to split it up a bit. It's taken me ALL DAY to just make 9 copies. 9. ONLY NINE!!!<br /><br /><br />I'm going crazy. It's freaking 6:42 and I'm STILL at work!!! Can you believe this? Neither can I. And I can't leave until it's done because Lexi won't cancel a job without having to be reset. Which means she won't work tomorrow. Or the next day. And then won't reconnect to the server when she's supposed to.<br /><br /><br />I'M SO MAAADDDD!!! I want to go HOME!! I want to EAT something. I want to read my book. I want to spend time with my husband. <br /><br />But most importantly, I DON'T want to be HERE!<br /><br /><br /><br />It's such a crappy machine that... get this... when any of the technicians are in the area, they just stop by. No kidding. They figure they may as well swing by because they know how much trouble we have with it. Isn't that ridiculous?!<br /><br />We're being told that this machine "should" be swapped out for a new one, soon, but we've been told that for quite a while, now.<br /><br /><br />Well, at least that's one business that isn't effected by the recession.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Stupid Lexi.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-21019052218485389622010-10-11T22:52:00.006-04:002010-10-11T23:51:41.713-04:00Time Is a-FLYin'It's like I blinked and all of a sudden it's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">friggin</span> October! Where HAS the time gone?!<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So it's like I don't even know what I have and haven't told you guys. I guess I'll have to read back a few posts and then ponder on what all has happened that isn't included. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>BUT until then... this is what I'll leave you with:</div><div><br /></div><div>Studly got his official orders from the US Air Force - medical retirement it is! He's already on permissive/terminal leave and has been offered a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">GrrrrEAT</span> job from an amazing company. He'll <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">kind've</span> be doing what he HAS been doing, but they'll also be training him with a new skill set to make it a bit different... hopefully more exciting for him.</div><div><br /></div><div>We've decided that we're done here... in this house, that is. We'll be fixing up the kitchen, the one real thing we have left to do, and then putting the finishing touches on the rest of the house. Oddly enough, we're not relatively sure what we'll be doing once we reach that point. You see - with the market the way that it is, anything could happen. We'd love to sell it, but that would only work if we got at least what we paid for it originally, thanks to closing costs, listing fees, etc. Then there's always the option to rent our place out and get some good tenants to help pay the mortgage, but then we're worried we wouldn't be able to rent the place for what we currently pay monthly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Either way, we'll be needing a new home. Since Studly just got his new job, we'll definitely be staying in the area. However, whether or not we rent a place or buy a new home will depend on which way we go with the current home. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*sigh</span> So many choices... so many possibilities. Whichever we end up choosing, there's a new wish list that will be forming. Aren't you excited?!</div><div><br /></div><div>I've decided that I'll be chronicling the process here - with you guys. AND... that means that I'll actually be BLOGGING again! WOO! ha ha</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>**Crazy Neighbor Update** We went to court about the dog poop issue. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (See? It even sounds ridiculous in a blog... how sad is that?!)</span> They decided to postpone 3 months. It was actually for our benefit, but it's still silly. They wanted to be sure the outcome would include the judge saying "This is nuts. Drop it. Don't waste my time." It was actually <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">kind've</span> funny having the prosecuting attorney and Health Department giving us advice outside of the court room. ha ha... They just asked us to take pictures each time we clean up the back yard. So at least twice a week. We'll have TONS of photos come 7 December, but if it'll end this, then so be it. And I'm sure planning to move because of all this will certainly help our case. So stressed and harassed that we can't live peacefully in our own home. Sounds like a case to me, but who knows. I just hope the judge is a dog-lover. :-D</div><div><br /></div><div>And while we're talking about crazy neighbors, I should tell you that I had another encounter... with the redneck, that is. She's a whack-job. Not that I doubted this fact before, but good GRACIOUS she just nailed it in a few more times. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">sheesh</span> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Other than that, i think I'm <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">kind've</span> out of some ideas, right now. Not to mention it's like quarter to midnight and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open as it is. GOSH I'm getting old!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Anywho</span> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">that'll</span> update you for now. I know there's PLENTY more, but it'll come in due time. Until then, remember that even though I'm not making new blog posts a priority, I'm still all over <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">y'alls</span>. Seriously, though... and I LOVE it! You guys are the best.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Well, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Toodles</span> for now, my Sweets! I'm signing out.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Much love!!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-19630146548059931072010-09-23T15:06:00.015-04:002010-09-23T22:27:31.643-04:00I Love A Challenge<div style="text-align: left;">I JUST realized that I haven't blogged about my goodwill lamp spruce-session! How I managed to forget that, I have no idea, but it's never too late, right?!</div><div><div><div><br /><em>Right!</em><div><br />So here she is.<br /></div></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520187811107868082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAp-xwbJkIb-oZ8AvFMXpILYaNLWxuBREcOnIRwLwOlC0jeiYytTwpgDMYhV9D7IInCuEtrNx9RRLK0J-wa1ISrj0xcEa3aqfrNor3rlf5ENjq0RO6tS6tdIEKYDt_r79Ewmb6yDlF0P9/s320/LampBefore%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>And she had a sister, too. Momma Bear and I found these little soon-to-be-beauties at goodwill and I was SO stinking excited. I had been scouring <span style="font-size:85%;">(scowering?)</span> the local stores for some cheapo neglected twins to call my own. To put my stamp on. To call my own and make beautiful again.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And behold, there she was! Her, her sister, and all of their ugly pre-Princess Diaries-esque makeover glory. They SO went home with me!!</p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>The plan was to make them pretty, rewire the electric, and then recover some old dingy lamp shades to finish out the project. Then wah-lah. They would be mine! Muuahaha ha haa!<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Okay. Sorry. I got caught up in the memory. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div>You see, I have a bit of a problem. I see too much potential in the household items at goodwill. It gets to the point where I'm put in some form of a goodwill time out, now and then. Just ask my momma - she will vouge for me. But with Studly out of town for the week (thank you Air Force!), it was the perfect time to take advantage of goodwill time with Momma and score something amazing, all in time to surprise him with something he thought I bought. Booyah!<br /><br /><br />So I took it a step at a time. Now, I don't have step-by-step pictures<span style="font-size:85%;"> (becuase I'm a bad blogger.</span> <span style="font-size:78%;">*smacks hand*</span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span>, but here's the low-down:</div><div><br /><u>Step #1:</u> Removed old wiring. This is when I remembered to take the before picture shown above.<br /><br /><u>Step #2:</u> Clean the lamps. I used my <a href="http://www.shaklee.com/index.shtml">Shaklee</a> all-purpose cleaning mixture and it worked fabulously. <span style="font-size:85%;">(love this stuff!)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><u>Step #3:</u> Spray-paint lamps in a beautiful stainless steel color.<br /><br /><u>Step #4:</u> Clean off bad spray-paint, and try again... this time in a timeless Satin White.<br />Now, I'm all about full disclosure. So let me just say that the stainless look spray paint did NOT turn out correctly. I mean, it wasn't even paint. It looked like a steel-wool scrubber and killed it, then sprinkled the remains all over the lamp. I don't know how it happened, and I don't have a picture (dang it!), but it was nooot cool. I know that I followed the directions - I shook it 50-million times before spraying, and blah. The good thing, I guess, was that since it was so piecey, it wiped off and re-cleaned in no time. So the next coat of paint went on seamlessly. Looking at it now, you'd never know there was a problem. Heck - you'd never know they ever used to be a different color to begin with!</div><div><br />And that, my friends, is what I call... <em>SUCCESS</em>!<br /><br /><br />Now back to the process...<br /><br /><u>Step #5:</u> Re-wire the lamps, using an easy-peasy lamp wiring kit (I bought mine at Lowes, since McStudly's Dad is a Disctrict Manager up in the Mid-North area... I guess you could say we're a little partial). It comes with everything you need, and has super easy instructions to follow. Anyone can do it!</div><div><br /><u>Step #6:</u> The shades.<br /><br />Again, I'm all about full-disclosure, so I should tell you now that I ran out of time. I was working on these lamps while also cleaning the entire house and tryign to get things re-organized before McStudly got home. I started the lamp project Sunday afternoon, and his plane was due to land at around midnight that night.<br /><br />I'm a sucker for a deadline. What can I say?!</div><div><br /></div><div><br />Anywho - I say all of that to say this: I didn't do some crafty DIY lamp recoverring. Instead, I ran out to Lowes <span style="font-size:85%;">(again... we're partial, and the size lampshades that I needed were cheaper there than at our Walmart or Target)</span> and grabbed some super cute this-will-work-for-now shades instead. Oh well. A girl's gotta cut corners SOMEwhere. Do ya blame me?!<br /><br /><br /></div><div>So finally I arrived at... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> *drumroll please*</span></div><div><br /><u>Step #7:</u> My favorite of them all. This is the step where you plug everything in and admire your finished work in it's final home.<br /><br /><br />Aren't you eager to see what these ugly ducklings turned into? Well, just to remind you, here's the sure-leaves-a-lot-to-be-desired before shot, one more time:</div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520187811107868082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAp-xwbJkIb-oZ8AvFMXpILYaNLWxuBREcOnIRwLwOlC0jeiYytTwpgDMYhV9D7IInCuEtrNx9RRLK0J-wa1ISrj0xcEa3aqfrNor3rlf5ENjq0RO6tS6tdIEKYDt_r79Ewmb6yDlF0P9/s320/LampBefore%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /></p><br /><p>And now, without further adeue, I give you - the finished product:<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520203497374585874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisncLIggxBv1trsD48MMzlTXR2c19Up0Ede97qVcX45blOlAzsV8CBjwS2ZFzXBPmadDLqSS-nA95fP2sESmw-HeJPsRmDe6a5V7ZVMcQ3ZRR-K3Frgq2zyH-yPXXK1YJpjAActi1VB0hH/s320/LampAfter%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520203503342000146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6nJpD_koucy2HFDoWfPlPwcTrYscN7SKdxhNNVnNhMnflCIuZp-7rk1F6Np1SbJ7cUTQ2XPtVY6gMhjqTIBuaNikwK-LgT1X3rr8AoSdtV12IUXwQmTORwHInA3QuJ_n9W3nitiUJMR2/s320/LampAfter%5B2%5D.JPG" border="0" /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisncLIggxBv1trsD48MMzlTXR2c19Up0Ede97qVcX45blOlAzsV8CBjwS2ZFzXBPmadDLqSS-nA95fP2sESmw-HeJPsRmDe6a5V7ZVMcQ3ZRR-K3Frgq2zyH-yPXXK1YJpjAActi1VB0hH/s1600/LampAfter%5B1%5D.JPG"></a> </div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>And here they are, in their new homes:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1yi56BdVs9awdLhlPrEU6W_55hXEBNKzr_j5K5ZaexfLwPQJxOce9psjOV3OK07ejzxUnMkg7ijq2r3wAaaFWUgAU20S1LT7-MhOyP9tRz9D25P4kLuFWZpEHD96D_T-U3mgWw7O17ej/s320/IMG00423-20100725-1846.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520299088697948898" /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7A21-NjwutfoQCTXAjmfN39p0tMSMI_gUmhCgcdlAR9F7ISlI6r4pgad8v26mBRoMAxtk-MWoQfqWdebb7h2qtwSqDbu8dQUoCma6Kb-fnavKYXfACeWdMypiKWk-_o-xsxNtJYAa6-n/s320/IMG00422-20100725-1845.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520299090136444594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37IbmZYZVX5ZUgcyP6iLrb0UsbSnLhd-pPDDUSAYNuBNB396mftQlpYGVS4-owUP9JnHu0SDY_MJD0q2NlnTNSbwhwLFTrl-9cHloyocW9dFN2R5RvqvA7B3NG3kwuykF-iEcunnmIUL9/s1600/IMG00420-20100725-1845.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37IbmZYZVX5ZUgcyP6iLrb0UsbSnLhd-pPDDUSAYNuBNB396mftQlpYGVS4-owUP9JnHu0SDY_MJD0q2NlnTNSbwhwLFTrl-9cHloyocW9dFN2R5RvqvA7B3NG3kwuykF-iEcunnmIUL9/s320/IMG00420-20100725-1845.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520299098758342962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7A21-NjwutfoQCTXAjmfN39p0tMSMI_gUmhCgcdlAR9F7ISlI6r4pgad8v26mBRoMAxtk-MWoQfqWdebb7h2qtwSqDbu8dQUoCma6Kb-fnavKYXfACeWdMypiKWk-_o-xsxNtJYAa6-n/s1600/IMG00422-20100725-1845.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7A21-NjwutfoQCTXAjmfN39p0tMSMI_gUmhCgcdlAR9F7ISlI6r4pgad8v26mBRoMAxtk-MWoQfqWdebb7h2qtwSqDbu8dQUoCma6Kb-fnavKYXfACeWdMypiKWk-_o-xsxNtJYAa6-n/s1600/IMG00422-20100725-1845.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7A21-NjwutfoQCTXAjmfN39p0tMSMI_gUmhCgcdlAR9F7ISlI6r4pgad8v26mBRoMAxtk-MWoQfqWdebb7h2qtwSqDbu8dQUoCma6Kb-fnavKYXfACeWdMypiKWk-_o-xsxNtJYAa6-n/s1600/IMG00422-20100725-1845.jpg"></a></div><div><br /></div><div>They sure did come a long way from their brassy befores, didn't they? Well, we love them, and use them EVERY night before bedtime... and our toes are ever so grateful to be spared.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Mission accomplished.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-5601190352086492392010-09-21T23:19:00.003-04:002010-09-21T23:31:59.862-04:00WAY Out of Line......by not blogging, that is. SO much has happened in the last month or so, but I've SO missed you guys! <div><br /></div><div>I won't write a lot right now, because it's late and I'm just waiting for Studly to finish what he's doing so we can head to bed. Boy am I tired!!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But while I'm here, can I just say how frustrating it is to not be able to find something you've been eyeing?! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">For</span> example, I've been wanting a pair of black leggings, but none of them will FIT ME!!</div><div><br /></div><div>No, not the "tights" kind. </div><div><br /></div><div>And not really the exercise kind, either.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Umm</span>... I can't find a picture. This could prove almost as annoying as trying to SHOP for the stinking things. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Oh well. If anyone has an inkling as to what the heck I'm talking about, information would be greatly appreciated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until next time...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Toodles</span>!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-55840371058840789552010-08-13T16:33:00.010-04:002010-08-13T17:11:48.611-04:00First Time Furniture Fix-up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefK6XjU8I0P1UU8BtS7V4mJ1Oa8OSILaN3cqWr2D8aLzY2gQ9rTvAO-RysC1JvID8XrS2REYLxQG_Q3BcBDR9zZ0Azt2IqDfKxyU-JgOawQXXjSiYxyVsXOy4xNSxoSYTJ-cTG66LNQuC/s1600/Laundry.jpg"></a><div style="">Last Friday, I got a text from Momma that included a picture of this baby:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefVmHDKmEaGu-23UMOkYLS0TNTF5GTFV0hrLnIFKpxDKbIWMtZZa6U022YiIYx2vEy_gy2406I7qjapmTLmpMkxSPcLOO-jL1SlyabsxF43PXHeGSMK36-VFIsEFAsQGJlMg_eg33bpYx/s320/Shelves-Before.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504996057946933570" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>She was at Goodwill and knew that I had been looking for something like it for my bathroom. How much? $10. SCORE! It just needed a little TLC (if you take a closer look at the top of the pic, you can see why).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>So naturally, she was the perfect candidate for a self-proclaimed fixer-upper (I didn't say anything about being good at grammar, now, did I?!), such as myself. I was sold... and thus - so was she.</div><div><br /></div><div>She came home with me yesterday. My schedule has been crazy, and then there were a few days that I just plumb forgot about her! But finally, I swung by momma's house (thank you, momma bear!) and picked her up. Now she was aalllll mine!</div><div><br /></div><div>But after sizing her up, she seemed that she'd be a little to small for the space in our bathroom... and I had <i>just</i> the spot in mind for her, once she was ready.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>So now it was time for that TLC that I was talking about, earlier. I have these amazing Guardsmen wood touch-up markers. Seriously, people... AH-mazing. Although, I didn't realize just <i>how</i> amazing until last night.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCedyiESEa2vniPJCfvpgdPCpHHgU5q2w_TthhHpvCc8zz0eSK2VRyC-tpbUidDqMCUWRT9YXUVX9Fcq18GpXGv3jmA3NvvZnKmkHCviUBtCR7hh4bU0zbxu3mAzfKs1SUundu8V6n2dQ-/s320/GuardsmanMarkers.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504997506341420274" /></div><div><br /></div><div>You see - for the longest time (I've had these puppies for a while, now, thanks to an over-zealous bone chewer named Austin... he <i>really</i> gets into it, folks), I thought that they were just glorified Brown markers. You draw on the furniture to touch it up and hope it doesn't just make it look like little Susie, the paste eater from Kindergarten, ran out of paper. And since the wood trim on my couches is so dark, I was lucky enough that there wasn't a single sign of little Susie, anywhere. *Whew!</div><div><br /></div><div>When I started trying to touch-up this little $10 gem, it was starting to look more and more like it was - well... $10.</div><div><br /></div><div>But alas, I decided that all those little letters on the side of the marker deserved a quick read-through. Ah-Hah! Directions?! Who needs 'em.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pssh... ummm - apparently I do. Because you aren't supposed to just go to town drawing on the thing as your inner child squeals with glee. No. You're supposed to have some kind of rag with you and gently wipe in the direction of the wood grain immediately after each application. </div><div><br /></div><div>Oooh. </div><div><br /></div><div>NOW it makes sense. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But don't worry - if I reapplied it rather generously, and then wiped again, it would correct the little kiddie marks I'd already made. Score! Now nobody has to know!</div><div><br /></div><div>... until I blog about it, anyways. :-P</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But if you find that it hasn't given you the coverage that you need, you just let it dry for about 10 minutes or more, and then apply another coat, still wiping gently after each application. It's actually the perfect way to break up a night full of some So You Think You Can Dance finale commercial breaks and a little bit of this, action:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefK6XjU8I0P1UU8BtS7V4mJ1Oa8OSILaN3cqWr2D8aLzY2gQ9rTvAO-RysC1JvID8XrS2REYLxQG_Q3BcBDR9zZ0Azt2IqDfKxyU-JgOawQXXjSiYxyVsXOy4xNSxoSYTJ-cTG66LNQuC/s1600/Laundry.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefK6XjU8I0P1UU8BtS7V4mJ1Oa8OSILaN3cqWr2D8aLzY2gQ9rTvAO-RysC1JvID8XrS2REYLxQG_Q3BcBDR9zZ0Azt2IqDfKxyU-JgOawQXXjSiYxyVsXOy4xNSxoSYTJ-cTG66LNQuC/s320/Laundry.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505003181934893330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Presto-Chango!! </div><div>Your Momma's $10 Goodwill find becomes you're new treasure.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And now... for the "re"finished product:</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTYQb27Z7V_lxTByGK3hQife4ANtEy_cBqJGwq06Pd0By6C1X14VCG5fC-LYKjLLYqWNSEzz24OmDzeTO8ozuOgCDJ0Wc_8crIZixLs7Qi1Pi7wHVUN1-2UU_y4tQf49PqnVg0H8s6P_3/s320/ShelfAfter-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505001781741728242" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a few pics of it's new home, with some of the top decorating done...</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zcEXRSbj3vmay9YfMldwFIMiKxRI0PqK6N2oD_zmiVDzuL5KtCnc-1fX3QjoDPwRwAjkfYNCGbNBfnW86_y0ceRpipve1Oi_2nQ-L7SSooVDWREMqcTC0-5nNtxtSpVrAmwiIArvAFSd/s1600/ShelfFinished-4.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zcEXRSbj3vmay9YfMldwFIMiKxRI0PqK6N2oD_zmiVDzuL5KtCnc-1fX3QjoDPwRwAjkfYNCGbNBfnW86_y0ceRpipve1Oi_2nQ-L7SSooVDWREMqcTC0-5nNtxtSpVrAmwiIArvAFSd/s320/ShelfFinished-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505001804500867522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVEtbBoaSyMA89MTHHnxEziJSvnMD38VdADeuJ9iUxLFCbqVegCd06Wvav2OEYijzwkudaJ_fVIUeIVptzzK7Vbh2f6Y7OIoH81DIuZD6jd3xR0qt3UuRO4_KM_CXIfW7H7YWTCcoM4c2/s1600/ShelfFinished-3.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVEtbBoaSyMA89MTHHnxEziJSvnMD38VdADeuJ9iUxLFCbqVegCd06Wvav2OEYijzwkudaJ_fVIUeIVptzzK7Vbh2f6Y7OIoH81DIuZD6jd3xR0qt3UuRO4_KM_CXIfW7H7YWTCcoM4c2/s320/ShelfFinished-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505001794260549794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRqU40N1BnM34Acjc5jIFpk2FXpGPtnXsEK0pv8_wOdN-2wXyu9mROHaNAuzNkNuDkfQ-Vd8BRo7lSauVvLS7SxyQC0M9piHJJ8NPJbMkeb63bJ4KX1UTDiZK-etPmHNlrDUGtAAiac8R/s1600/ShelfFinished-2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRqU40N1BnM34Acjc5jIFpk2FXpGPtnXsEK0pv8_wOdN-2wXyu9mROHaNAuzNkNuDkfQ-Vd8BRo7lSauVvLS7SxyQC0M9piHJJ8NPJbMkeb63bJ4KX1UTDiZK-etPmHNlrDUGtAAiac8R/s320/ShelfFinished-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505001792346083314" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JVfuXKnCbrAx-tY6nrC_iBnMSVoge8Gd6tG-EqaJQ9DDBtcxp4Z1s3jWEXCKv6cFrOn7ShU1OA0PuEQoh88nNc_i3LZs_K0nES-AZPAOEw8fdK1BdkKfAagdBj9zqx581c2dIYSsxYyP/s1600/ShelfFinished-1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JVfuXKnCbrAx-tY6nrC_iBnMSVoge8Gd6tG-EqaJQ9DDBtcxp4Z1s3jWEXCKv6cFrOn7ShU1OA0PuEQoh88nNc_i3LZs_K0nES-AZPAOEw8fdK1BdkKfAagdBj9zqx581c2dIYSsxYyP/s320/ShelfFinished-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505001785370730034" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like it's belonged there this whole time, and now it's finally complete. *sigh</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So in the interest of full disclosure, it doesn't make the markings go away completely, BUT it just makes it look a bit older and like it's got some character, rather than like a very tall neglected rabbit had nothing better to do to pass the time between carrot feedings. And I bet that if I wanted to take an extra 10 - 15 minutes and sand the rough edges a bit before applying the Guardsman markers, you'd probably not even notice them to begin with... but I'm a sucker for character and a furniture piece with a story.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Anywho - what do you think? Do you likey, or are you unimpressed? Have you ever used Guardsman Furniture Touch-up Markers before? What was the result? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>... and am I the only female that doesn't read directions on things like this?!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm just sayin'...</div><div><br /></div><div>Toodles!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-54504602018781079872010-07-27T17:25:00.006-04:002010-07-27T18:17:01.735-04:00Just Making PlansNothing too special to write about today. I have some things that I plan to write about in a few upcoming posts, but I need to relax and plan them out so I don't have 7 posts in a day and then go 2 weeks without blogging again. ha ha...<div><br /></div><div>Tonight I'm getting dinner with my good pal, Laurie. Her and her family just returned from a pretty extended vacation with family, so I can't WAIT to get caught up on all the things that I missed and everything exciting that happened. It should be a great time of catching up... there's certainly never a dull moment when we're together, <i>that's</i> for sure!</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><i>Random Alert: </i> There's a new show on USA called Covert Aff@irs. It's pretty good, but I'm not sure what I think about it, just yet. What about you guys? Have you seen it?</div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay. Back to reality. McStudly and I are hoping to plan a cruise sometime in the coming year. Neither of us have ever been on one, but... we're stoked! We've been saving while paying off our debt and are pretty much stoked about the thought of a cruise with just the two of us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Actually, since we've been married, we've only been on "two" vacations alone together. Our honeymoon (obviously), and the one that earned the quotes around the number above, we took an impromptu weekend (and by weekend, I mean friday night into Saturday) at the ocean. </div><div><br /></div><div>Other than that, we're pretty "green" when it comes to travel and romantic getaways. Well... not for too much longer! Anywho - more info to come on that, but I'm stoked and I'm hoping that all y'all that may have been on a cruise before will have plenty of advice for us on who to sail with (or maybe who <i>not</i> to sail with), and maybe where we should or shouldn't go.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Anywho - that's it for today. Looking forward to your input, and I guess I'll catch y'all later.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Toodles!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-65196481215363060482010-07-23T16:57:00.006-04:002010-07-23T17:03:09.593-04:00Worry WartsI recently wrote an article for our Women's Ministry eNewsletter. Just wanted to share it with you guys, as well.<br /><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><em></em><br /><br /><em>“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”<br />Jeremiah 29:11</em><br /><br /><br />As women, we worry a lot. In fact, some of us could make a pretty successful career out of it. For the most part, we think we have a pretty good reason to worry. We feel justified and call it “concern.” Justified or not, concerned or not – the fact is we let it consume us to the point of constant worrying.<br /><br />We worry about every aspect of our lives. We worry about our husbands, kids, and home. We worry about our cars, jobs, and finances. We worry about our hair, wardrobe, and weight. Ultimately, worry about our past, present, and future. Why do we do this to ourselves? We were created to be caring and nurturing, but somehow we’ve turned it into controlling and worrying about anything and everything.<br /><br />Take another look at that list. What do you notice? It’s all about possession. They’re <u>my</u> kids – I’m supposed to worry about them. He’s <u>my</u> husband… It’s <u>my</u> house… It’s <u>my</u> future… But ladies, Psalms 100:3 says “Know that the LORD is God. It is <em>He</em> who made us, and we are <em>His</em>; we are <em>His</em> people, the sheep of <em>His</em> pasture.” <span style="font-size:85%;">[<em>emphasis </em>added]</span> By allowing ourselves to worry about all of these things, we’re claiming them as our own. When we cling so closely to those things in our lives that feel so important, we’re not allowing God, in his sovereignty, to hold them close. We regularly say we trust Him. We sing songs about how we’ve given our lives to Him – our whole lives – and yet, within ourselves, we find it necessary to hold on to bits and pieces that we feel most connected to or responsible for.<br /><br />These things that we care about most; these people that we care about the most – we’re picking them up as if we are a small child that thinks it’s strong enough to carry something heavy by itself. And just as that child pulls away when you try to help, we’re pulling ourselves farther from God, and saying, “God, I know You’re good and perfect. I know You created them with Your own hands, but I can do it. I can take it from here.” And God, in his gentleness, let’s us try. We struggle, grunt, and strain to do it on our own, but ultimately we’re not successful. So we worry.<br /><br />Other than a headache and countless other health problems, excessive worrying gets us no where. Matthew 6:27 says “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” There is no benefit associated with worry. Not one.<br /><br />Each time we worry, we’re turning our back on the God who loves us. Instead of entrusting him with every ounce of our lives, we’re taking the reins. We’re so consumed with “possibilities” and “maybes” and the thought of “what if” that we have caused ourselves to sin. We’re sinning when we’re focusing on these things rather than God, just as an adulterer turns her attention on her lover, rather than her groom. That sin then pulls us even farther from God and, before we realize what has happened, we’re caught in this deep pit of worry.<br /><br />Even in that moment… in that pit, God, in His mercy, loves us still. He doesn’t just leave us there to figure things out, but He picks us up, dusts us off, and tells us to cast our cares onto Him. Not only does He forgive us for worrying, but He actually offers to carry the load FOR us! Psalms 55:22 says “Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” When we do that, the worries, the concerns, the anxieties no longer weigh us down, and we’re free to live the life he’s designed for us.<br /><br />The next time you feel overwhelmed with concern or find yourself worrying excessively, remember that He has a plan and a purpose for you. He’s on your side! He won’t harm you, but has promised you hope and a future. And at the end of the day, he’s the only one who knows what it is, so why bother worrying about it when the very creator of our existence is waiting, arms opened to us, and willing to have us walk through it together.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-65825285029851778322010-07-13T09:44:00.006-04:002010-07-13T17:53:21.616-04:00Barometric Pressure<div>This Barometric Pressure shift is really messing with my head today... <i>literally</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I called in to work to tell them I'd be going in late today.<div><br /></div><div>And I was completely genuine when I said that my head was pounding. I took some medicine and went to lay back down, hoping that would help a bit, and then I'd go in at lunchtime.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I lay back in bed, trying to go to sleep <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(it's always sooo much harder when you're fighting one of these splitting AND throbbing headaches. Double whammy. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Be still my heart</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. *sigh)</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As you can tell from the fact that I'm writing a blog right now, I am not able to sleep. My head is ssllooowwwwllly feeling better, but something even bigger happened. I'm being 100% vulnerable with you guys today <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(like I'm not usually?! Ha)</span>. I was trying to think about something... <i>any</i>thing to get my mind off of the pain so that I could sleep and it would go away. Sounds like a good enough plan, right?!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Yeah. God thought so, too. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>He knew it would happen. He knows how I tick. He knows what happens when the barometric pressure drops or raises <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(whatever it is, today)</span> and my head starts running the show. He knows what my usual plan is to make the day bearable again, and he <i>knew</i> it would happen today. Right?! Right.</div><div><br /></div><div>I started <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(don't even remember it getting there, actually, but grateful that it did, to be honest) </span>thinking about running. I think it was because today is a running day for me <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(this evening, anyways)</span>, and how I'm meeting a girlfriend for dinner, so it'll be a late run, and possible hard to do since it's supposed to rain and/or I'll have just eaten... blah blah blah. It doesn't matter, really. But here's what does - </div><div><br /></div><div>As I sat there thinking about my training for this <a href="http://thepuhlfamily.blogspot.com/2010/06/its-official.html">1/2 marathon in December</a> and how it <a href="http://www.ccteamchallenge.org/">benefits a foundation</a> which would find a cure and/or treatment(s) for a disease... I began thinking about all of the other races out there.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In that moment, I felt God directing me. And I felt it so strongly that I started to cry. </div><div><br /></div><div>I still keep welling up, even as I write this post. I sat. I googled. And after seeing that there are similar events, but nothing quite like it, I just knew...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Now, I don't have all of the details or logistics, yet. I don't have a clue how it'll work or when it'll happen. All I know is this:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Through God's grace, I am going to organize a race. </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Ideally, it will mix a 5k, 10k, 1/2 and full marathon, so that anyone with any and all background in running/walking - <i>rolling</i>, for that matter - can participate.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>And every bit of the money raised will go to building water wells in 3rd world countries. </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As I lay there thinking about how I would need to hydrate at the right time for my run tonight, and then what hydrating would be like during the race. My mind wandered to people that don't have water. And then it wandered to people that have to walk a marathon or more just to <i>get</i> to water... water that may or may not even be clean...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My heart just broke.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>How silly am I? I'll tell you: I am a self-proclaimed water snob. I don't like Deer Park because, to me, it tastes peppery. I don't like Dasani because, well, it tastes like chemicals. I'm fine with most, but not all, tap water and I prefer the water from my Pur water filter at home...</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i>???</i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">How much more of a selfish, spoiled little ungrateful girl can I be?!?! I'll probably still prefer water this way. But honestly, AT LEAST I HAVE CLEAN WATER available at my </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">FINGERTIPS</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> pretty much any time I want it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'm not saying any of this to sound holier than thou or anything - this was a very </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">very</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> personal conviction. Well, less of a conviction, really, and more of an appreciation for my American comforts, all while there are people that still </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">die</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> of dehydration. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">That sounds so... Hollywood 'Sahara Desert", doesn't it? Or so "Oregon Trail"... </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But it's true.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And it breaks God's heart to see some of his people living so comfortably, all while some of his children SUFFER just because there in another part of the world... and world which, in it's entirety, was created by his own hand.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I won't sit here and say that he looks down on us for that. I don't believe that. But what is wrong with us, as Christians... Heck - as a human race - if we just sit back and do nothing with something so simple?!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is true for any and every sadness in this world, really: Human trafficking. Slavery. Drug smuggling and addiction. Terrorism. Abuse. Neglect. Corrupt government. Greed. Gluttony. The fact that the porn industry is one of the most successful. I could go on for </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">quite</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> some time, unfortunately, but this just isn't the point.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">How hard could it be to give clean water to a village. We have the capabilities. We have the technology. We have the manpower and the resources. I mean... water is one of the most abundant resources on earth, and yet people grow ill and die because it's out of their reach.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So I've done just a little bit of research in the past hour <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Trust me, there will be MUCH more done)</span>, but here's what I found from one reputable organization that helps collect money to build wells... in Africa, specifically <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(for the record... I want to even go beyond Africa, but this is a </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">huge</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> starting point, and there is a HUGE need there):</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 20px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', 'gill sans', arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Every day, nearly 4,000 children die as a result of drinking unsafe water. Every 22 seconds a child perishes from waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. Six million people are blind as a result of contaminated water and bacteria. Please help bring safe, clean water to children and families across Africa.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 20px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', 'gill sans', arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><br />To give water is to give life. Clean water can cut a community’s child mortality rate in half. It means food for families whose crops are failing due to drought. It saves livestock. It gives parents a powerful way to improve the health, hygiene, and well-being of their children, and enable them to reach their God-given potential.<br /><br />Your gift will help us dig wells to bring safe, clean water to thousands. You can also help provide purification equipment to treat contaminated water, and water storage containers to save fresh rainwater for later use. And, most importantly, your gift will help improve children’s health with sanitation systems that keep water sources clean.<br /><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 20px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS', 'gill sans', arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">No other gift produces a more dramatic effect on life than clean water and sanitation. You can help wash away suffering by providing access to one of life’s most precious resources...</span>"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Can you believe that? Look at that first paragraph again: 4,000 children a day. Every </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">22 seconds!!</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> That is just gut-wrenching. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And read those diseases again - typhoid, cholera, dysentery. The only thing I know about those illnesses is that your eldest daughter in Oregon Trail almost </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">always</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> die from something like that... or diarrhea. But I have don't even have any idea what that looks like, much less what it feels like or how rough it can be on the body of a child.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Well, that's that. This is what's on my heart, right now. I just talked to McStudly about it and I'm snotting like a baby, again. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wow. Even with all of the crying and blubbering... my head feels a lot better.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So here's what I need from you guys:</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#1 - your opinion. Do you think it's something people would do? I mean, with God ALL ALL ALL things are possible, but I'm being a silly little girl and wondering if people will do it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#2 - your voice. I want TONS of opinions, here. I want to hear from people who run and people who don't even walk more than to the mailbox. I want to know if this is a cause they'd push themselves for. So do me a favor - spread the word about this and encourage other people to comment, as well.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#3 - your experience. Have you ever started your own race before? Do you know someone who has? Have you ever been part of a "1st" race before?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#4 - your suggestions. I was thinking it'd be </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">super</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> cool to have the race somehow involve Embassy row in DC, but the realist in me knows that probably couldn't happen. But who knows, right?! Are there any other locations that you think would be awesome? Maybe starting and finishing the race in Baltimore at the World Trade Center in the Harbor would be awesome. Ideas, people... give me ideas!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#5 - your support. I know this is a huge feat. I need lots of prayer. Tons of encouragement, and a whole Whole WHOLE love of accountability. Ask me about it. Challenge me. Call me out on other posts. Remind me what God's placed on my heart and don't let me get caught up or distracted by little petty things, but keep me focused.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#6 - your help. This could be monetarily as we move closer to the race. This could be signing up and running it with us. This could be cheering us on through the process or on the sidelines of the race... handing out water and goodies to the runners. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Anywhere you can help, I'd be GREATly appreciative. I do still plan to run the 1/2 marathon in December, if I can, to benefit Crohns' and Colitis. It's still something near to me and my husband, since he was diagnosed last June. But even beyond running, I'll get to see that a race of this size is like and how it's organized. I may even get to make a few contacts while I'm there? At least that's what I'm hoping. So continue to pray for us with regard to that race, as well. We need to race a good amount of money and will need a lot of support and encouragement through the training... and we can always use prayer - can't get enough of it!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You'll see a little link or some "Donate" button action in the coming months, so help us spread the word when that pops up. the less stressed we are on raising funds for this race, then the more I can focus on preparing, planning, and organizing the Race for Water <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(I'm not sure if that's what we'll be calling it, yet, but we'll get to those details later, eh?!)</span>. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I pray that God will provide every single cent, and then some for this race in December, as I know he can. And then for the Race for Water, he'll continue to provide: Every single runner. Every single penny through fundraising. Every cup of water needed for the race, and thus every drop of water through a well to villages and countries in need around the world.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Today, I'm thinking God for shifting Barometric Pressure... just remind me of that the next time I complain about a headache, will ya?!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-34028979673670643252010-07-09T14:12:00.000-04:002010-07-09T14:12:00.530-04:00Workin' ItIt's official. Monday night at 10, I have logged about a marathon worth of running!<br /><br />::cheers::<br /><br /><br />No really, though - there are now 26.24 miles on my training log and I am SO stinking proud of myself. I am not a runner. I mean I've tried running before, but it's never really stuck. Having a race or something to work towards has been so fabulous, you don't even know.<br /><br />Honestly, every time I'm out there, I'm a big cheeseball and feel like I'm running for my husband. And in a way I guess I am. I'm training for a race that will directly benefit his health and well-being, so maybe I really am running for him. And everytime I push myself harder, I feel like I'm loving him in that.<br /><br /><br />See?! Total cheeseball.<br /><br /><br />But anywho - I had <em>the</em> best run the other day. Saturday evening's run was so stinking phenomenal that I can only hope that my next run will be that good. It wasn't too hot out, so I'm sure that helped a bit. And it's very possible that the Vanilla Bean Frappacino I had about 2 hours before could've had a little to do with it, too, but I don't even care. I felt SO great about it!<br /><br />McStudly was hanging out with a buddy of his and so I figured I'd knock out my run for the day (since I'm running every other day, now) while he was gone. So I threw on some of my running gear, laced up my new running shoes (I can't <em>wait</em> to tell you all about them), charged up the iPod shuffle and went for it.<br /><br />At the previous run, I had finally reached the point where I could run a full mile without stopping to walk. That was HUGE for me. Seriously! So I figured I try to push it up to a mile and a 1/4 or maybe... <em>maybe</em> a mile and a 1/2 if I could. Why not aim "big", right? ha ha... that seems so silly, now.<br /><br /><br /><br />Well, aim "big" I did. Once I got going, I felt great so I just kept running. I ended up running 2 1/2 miles straight!!<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Sqqueeeeeeeee</span></em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br />I couldn't believe it, but I just kept pushing myself and pushing myself and it. was. awesome!!<br /><br />at one point, Studly and his friend drove past me and waved. I felt so great because of where I was at the time and the fact that I was still running. <em>Still</em> running. Hadn't stopped, yet!<br /><br /><br />Oh man.<br /><br /><br />You have <em>no</em> idea how much of an accomplishment that was for me.<br /><br /><br /><br />Well since then I've run once, but had to tone it down for two reasons: time and temperature.<br /><br />It's been <em>way</em> hot out in these parts, lately, and I don't want to kill myself so I'm staying smart. Studly and I got home later in the evening on Monday, so we just decided to go around the "block" and take Austin with us, but we had to run the whole thing.<br /><br /><br />Done.<br /><br />No sweat. <br /><br /><br />Well... there was <em>plenty </em>of sweat, but we did it, nonetheless <span style="font-size:85%;">(and Austin didn't almost keel over, this time. I guess we're <em>all</em> doing better, now)</span> and felt great afterwards, so we through in some crunches after we stretched it out. 50 of them, to be exact. Awesome.<br /><br /><br />Anywho, it was over 100 degrees Tuesday <span style="font-size:85%;">(luckily it fell on a no-run day, for me)</span>, which wasn't pretty, but it looks like it'll be right at that, or close to it for a little while. So I may be sticking to a few shortened run sessions, for now. But the way I'm looking at it is that I'll be getting better at a straight run and will hopefully be able to push myself further and further when it starts to cool down.<br /><br />That sounds reasonable, right?<br /><br /><br /><br />Well, that's the status for now. I have a few more runs to log, but won't cheat and add them into the total that mapmyrun.com is giving me for now. I'll just give you what I haven't been too lazy to log and hopefully that will make me better at logging everything.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anywho - that's the 411 on the 1/2 marathon training. Have you been pushing yourself to exercise, lately? What other kinds of goals have you set for yourself - crafting, blogging, cleaning... do tell!<br /><br /><br /><br />Toodles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-22748114453786820662010-07-07T15:28:00.006-04:002010-07-07T16:02:16.450-04:002-3-4!I know - I'm Slacker <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">McSlackipantalones</span> for sure. BUT I thought it was a nice chance to take a break (break from what, most of you are probably thinking... it's not like I've been exactly on the ball, lately) over the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> Holiday and just relax with my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">McStudmuffin</span>...<br /><br />Check!<br /><br /><br />It was fabulous. We did a whole lot of nothing -<br /><br />Wait. That's not true. We did a lot, BUT we have nothing PLANNED, so it was oh-so relaxing.<br /><br /><br /><br />Friday night, we went up to Annapolis and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mosied</span> on around the new Town Centre. We bought new running shoes <span style="font-size:85%;">(more to come on that)</span> for both of us, had dinner at one of the newer restaurants in the area <span style="font-size:85%;">(nothing to write home about, unfortunately),</span> and I day-dreamed about shopping at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Anthropologie</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(window shopping at it's finest)</span> as we walked past.<br /><br />Saturday, we slept in a little, I went up to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Joanns</span> and scored <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">BIGtime</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(LOVE me some fabric sales)</span>, had lunch with some of mi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">familia</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(momma & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">pappa</span> bear, and little sis)</span>, scored <em>yet</em> again when I stopped at a local consignment shop with Momma and little Sis on the way home from said lunch, went our separate ways for a big (Studly and I, that is), then met up again a little later. He spent some time with a good friend of his, and I met up with one of the awesome ladies' from our church <span style="font-size:85%;">(more to come on that, as well)</span> before going for a run <span style="font-size:85%;">(and again... more to come on that)</span>. It was awesome. <br /><br /><br />Then comes the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">th</span>. We slept in again <span style="font-size:85%;">(oh so lovely...)</span> and then we'd planned to meet up with a buddy of his and his wife and little girls on base for the festivities, but then changed plans. We Goodwill hopped for a bit, then <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">mosied</span> on around in Annapolis again before checking out another new restaurant and chowing down on some yummy frozen yogurt at one of our new favorite places, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Menchies</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">yumm</span>-o!)</span>, where we happened upon some old pals of ours <span style="font-size:85%;">(Hi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Livi</span>, Leah, and Natalie!! oh... and you too, Lane)</span>. And out of pure laziness, we decided to stay in the Annapolis area for some fireworks. We wandered up to the top of one of the many parking garages and watched a few of the different shows <span style="font-size:85%;">(since you could see about 3 or 4 of them from there)</span> before heading home for a movie and some puppy time with our favorite dog, Austin.<br /><br /><br /><br />Wow.. there's STILL another day to talk about?! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Gesh</span>. I <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">looove</span></em> long weekends. :-)<br /><br /><br /><br />So Monday morning came around and we slept in again (not too long, this time... we wanted to take full <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">advantage</span> of our day off). I called one of my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">bestest</span> buddies in the whole world, Ash-a-Bash, and we decided to drive out to Virginia, meet up with her, and then go check out a fun new golf place in the area. It ended up being a TOTAL blast. Seeing her is <em>always</em> a super fun time. I love my Ash. <em>*sigh</em> And then getting to hang out with her family <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">again</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(it's been for-eh-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">ver</span>!)</span> was also a blast. I miss them all. <em>*tear</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Aaannnnd</span> that was pretty much my awesome long weekend. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Woot</span>!<br /><br />It was fabulous, for sure.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So what about you all - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">what'd</span> you do with your long weekend?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-13236754150362169902010-06-25T15:25:00.004-04:002010-06-25T16:04:12.727-04:00My Hips Don't LieI started training for the 1/2 on Wednesday. Wow. Not a good move.<br /><br /><br />It wasn't horrible... okay. That's not true. In fact - it's a big fat lie. It was <em>HORRIBLE</em>!!<br /><br /><br />I decided I'd do 4 miles and take little ol' Austin with me. He could use some exercise too, ya know?!<br /><br />Well, let's just put it all out there. Judge me if you want to. Or don't... but laughter is totally acceptable in this instance. <br /><br />*<em>sigh</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br />It took me an hour. I did 4.13 miles and it took me <em>an HOUR!!</em> A freaking hour. <br /><br /><br />Ugh. That's like walking... which is pretty much what I did the majority of the time.<br /><br /><br />BUT - in the interest of full disclosure, I didn't know until I finally made it home and the dog nearly died on the kitchen floor that it was over 100 degrees outside AND the air quality was Code Red.<br /><br /><br />...<em>oops</em>?<br /><br /><br /><strong>FAIL!</strong><br /><br /><br />Anywho, Austin and I both survived <span style="font-size:85%;">(although I'm pretty sure Austin will run and hide the next time I take his leash out of the drawer)</span>, but I was highly disappointed in my lack of athleticism. Especially since just a few short weeks ago I did 5.5 in much less time with a girlfriend of mine.<br /><br />Oh well. I guess having a horrible time like this will at least make me look <em>way</em> more improved at the end, eh?<br /><br /><br />The kicker is how rough recovery has been. It actually hasn't been as bad as I initially thought it would be <span style="font-size:85%;">(I blame it on the lack of oxygen during the run... stupid air quality!)</span>, but my hips started fighting me like 20 minutes in. I was hurrrrting, people. I'm serious. It was like my hips woke up and were like "Hoold up - what is this, mess? What are you doing?!" They were none-too-pleased with me, for sure. I guess that's what Shakira means when she says her hips don't lie. Because my hips tell the truth, no matter how harsh it may be, nah mean?! Yeah. There ain't no fooling those babies. Sheesh!<br /><br />But McStudly and I are giving it another shot tonight. We're going to try the same 4-mile route and seeing as it's like 15 degrees cooler today and the air quality is listed as yellow (moderate, for those unfamiliar), I'm thinking it'll be MUCH more manageable. Well, at least we're hoping so, anyways.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So now I've gotta ask: how many of you are into running? Or interested in getting into running? Or enjoy watching others run away after they make them cry?<br /><br /><br />Anyone? Bueller? <em>Bueller?!</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-84649669999776107032010-06-24T15:45:00.009-04:002010-06-24T16:10:30.629-04:00It's Official<div>Last week I was honored to be a part of some very special celebration. My friends Mike and Aiyana tied the knot (FINALLY!) after much anticipation and we couldn’t be happier for them!!<br /><br />**Congrats you guys – we love you!<br /><br />Well along with the wedding came rehearsals, a bachelorette party, a lingerie shower, and a bachelor party for the men-folk. Good times were had by all (well… mostly. Poor Mike was 7 shades of red when the guys surprised him with this embarrassing accessories for the evening) and though it all went by quickly, I’m just glad that Studly and I were able to be a part of it and celebrate with them.<br /><br /><br />But I tell that story to tell you another story… one that comes with a need for your assistance in the coming months and a willingness for you to bear with me as I prepare. *teeth chattering<br /><br />And for those of you not paying attention and trying to figure out what it is. Just be patient… you’ll learn soon enough.<br /><br /><br />Thursday night was Aiyana’s bachelorette party. The ladies all met at Fuji for dinner (and entertainment. Have you seen those hibachi grill chefs? AHHmazing!) and then went back to the maid of honor’s house for a little lingerie action (oww owwww!).<br /><br />Wait.<br /><br />Let me rephrase.<br /><br />We went back to have a lingerie shower for Aiyana. <em>*whew</em> That sounds MUCH better.<br /><br /><br />Back to the story… while I was there catching up with some girlfriends I hadn’t seen in a while (which is ALWAYS a ton of fun, right?!), my friend Amber gave me this amazing tidbit of information. Here’s what happened.<br /><br />She had been at Atlanta Bread Company earlier in the day and came across this pamphlet. Upon further review, she discovers that the event focuses on Crohns’ and Colitis.<br /><br />As most of you know, McStudly was diagnosed with Crohns’ disease last year. It was actually this time last year, actually, when he was finally diagnosed, so it’s been about a year now that we’ve been learning and trying out different medications and treatment options. Growing through the process.<br /><br /><br />So basically – to state that this hits close to home would be a total understatement. It’s not close to home, people… it <strong>IS</strong> home! I mean, you can’t get a whole whole lot closer than that, right?!<br /><br /><br />Anywho, she gave me the pamphlet (thanks, Amber. You’re such a sweetheart!) and I took it him to look it over and do a bit more research on the subject. And after talking it over with the Stud himself, we decided we were game.<br /><br /><br />It’s official. This December, the 5th to be exact, McStudly and I will be running the <strong>Rock & Roll ½ Marathon</strong> in Vegas. The proceeds go towards helping the <a href="http://www.ccfa.org/">CCFA (Crohns’ & Colitis Foundation of America)</a> find a cure.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486433942828324978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 79px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrxRI3FFOVKPUcoOSRcrb0TF9Bj7lCwG3yfcyli1J-TyRT_eFobwMw84g48gW71oayEpDLkBmwHdGVJDHpLBRF7DXUF4lrIxuuFD2Wk-TX4Jpnbt8wv__PkjASgSBbCAep4LkGDMesuyd/s320/Rock'n'RollVegasMarathon.jpg" border="0" /><br /><em><strong>Fact:</strong> Did you know that chronic, and often debilitating digestive diseases impact more than 1.4 million Americans? True Story.</em><br /><br /><br />But I’m tired of just talking the talk. Crohn’s hit home for us. And see how it affects people in all different ways makes me wanna get off my butt and do something about it. But since I don’t have my doctorate and am certainly not a scientist, this is where I can help. So I’m going to do it, dang it!<br /><br /><br />So how can you help? I’m glad you asked.<br /><br /><br />Don’t worry, you don’t have to sign up to run it with us. In fact, you can do everything from the comfort of your couch with a big ol’ bowl of popcorn and a nice Big Gulp on the table next to you… or whatever it is you eat while you think about other people exercising. For me, it’s Chocolate Chip cookies and/or brownies with a nice big glass of milk. Yumm… I can feel myself getting fatter already. Woohoo!!<br /><br /><br />No – in fact, all we need from you is a lot of encouragement and a little bit of moolah.<br /><br />Okay – I’ve already lost some of you. *sigh<br /><br /><br />Really though – let me explain. This money isn’t going to us. It’s not going to some VP’s pocket. It’s not going into the big hole that is the US Government’s “treasury” (which reminds me - doesn’t something need to be <em>in</em> it for us to actually consider it a “treasury”? I’m just sayin…). It’s going directly into the funding of finding a cure for Crohn’s and Colitis.<br /><br />By giving us just a few bucks here and there, as you’re able, you would not only be changing my husband and I’s life by helping us run this race, but you’ll be absolutely changing the lives of over 1.4 million Americans that are impacted by these diseases. And for that, my friends, I will be in huge debt to you.<br /><br /><br />For those who don’t know the whole story, my husband wasn’t sick hardly a day in his life until all of a sudden <em>WHAM!</em> He’s got an auto-immune disease that he’ll have for life. Umm.. whaaa?! That’s a lot for someone in their 20s to all of a sudden have to deal with. Not to mention how he went from not even knowing what a headache really was to having them on a consistent basis thanks to the steroids they put him on. He’s since switched treatments and now goes in for infusions every 8 weeks. If he misses one, he feels it.<br /><br />That’s quite an adjustment.<br /><br /><br />Basically – we need your help. We need to raise $3,500 a piece to be able to compete in the ½ marathon and support such an amazing cause. But for those of you that are as skeptical as I am about these things, here’s where the money goes:<br /><br />$2,500:<br />- 16 weeks of training with a professional trainer and the team of other runners in your area, to make it easier for you to be able to complete the race<br />- Race entry fees, which aren’t all that cheap for this one<br />- Hotel accommodations for race weekend<br />- Entry to the Pasta Party on the eve of the race, to make sure you load up on carbs before the big day<br />- Moolah moolah moolah going towards the whole reason for the race<br /><br />$3,500:<br />- Airfare to and from Vegas (and I live almost as far as one can live and still be in the same continent) for the race along with your team<br />- Ground transportation to and from the airport, as well as throughout the weekend for the various organized activities<br /><br /><br />I know it seems like a lot of money – TRUST me… I’m worried that we won’t be able to raise enough to be able to participate. But I do know that even if something happens and we can’t raise enough to race, the money that we <em>have</em> raised will still go straight to the cause. And that, my friends, is music to my ears… er – McStudly’s intestines. ??<br /><br /><br />There you have it. McStudly and I will be training to run a ½ Marathon in December to benefit Crohns’ and Colitis research, and we’re stoked! Our only concern has nothing to do with training or getting there… it’s whether or not we can raise the money in time to be able to participate and support a cause that has such an effect on our lives already.<br /><br /><br />So that’s where you come in. Can you help? Any little bit will help us go a long way when combined with the other little bits we’re hoping to receive. AND come August, we’ll have a link on the side of the blog that’ll take you directly to our Team Challenge fundraising sites so you can contribute. So start setting aside money, if you can. We’d be greatly honored, probably more than you’ll ever know.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thanks guys!! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7341451600606157666.post-69554515967523123112010-06-14T10:06:00.003-04:002010-06-14T10:06:00.340-04:00Summer StretchHere we are at the beginning of summer. While most people use this time to plan vacations and trips and any chance to squeeze in a beach weekend (all of which I do...), I start getting bummed at the lack of TV shows since <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">everything's</span> ended! <div><br /></div><div>It's not the most important thing to think about, but it's on my mind. I'd be lying if I said anything different.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But this year, my saving grace is Season 5 of Design Star. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Woot</span>!!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I heart David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bromstad</span>. LOVE any and all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">HGTV</span> shows that he's in and think he's a decorating genius. Seriously - I would LOVE love <i>LOVE</i> for him to decorate any room in my house. And his paintings?! Oh-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Emm</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">GEESH</span>! He's just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">sooo</span> good at what he does. For <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">reals</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Anywho</span> - he's like <b>the</b> original Design Star. So I decided I'd actually watch this year and see who I'd like. And if nothing else, to get some inspiration for our home. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I LOVE design <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">shtuff</span>. You may not know it by looking at my house (take a quick look at my bank account and you'll probably see why that is), but I seriously have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">SOO</span> many ideas. I love things that are different, but not strange. I love having things in my house that no one else has. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like my orange wall. When I said I wanted an orange wall, I didn't know a SINGLE person that had one. Never saw it on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">HGTV</span> or anything, I just knew I wanted it. Oddly enough, I'm starting to see it in a couple different shows, nowadays, and have heard of other people doing it, BUT as far as I'm concerned... I pioneered that puppy!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Anywho</span> - I somehow get sewing inspiration from design shows as well. Don't ask me how, but it's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">kind've</span> cool. Too bad I don't have the ability to stay home and play with stuff because I LOVE love LOVE making my own patterns and such. I've not really had the chance to completely create something from scratch. </div><div><br /></div><div>Due to time constraints and such, I'll typically take a picture of something and do it myself, with my own little twist to it. Or I'll mimic the top portion of a little girl's dress (like I did for Lil' Abby a few posts back) and then totally switch it up with an original dress portion.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I love it!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And I've got SO many ideas swimming around in my head that I haven't had the chance to try, yet. I can't wait to be able to, someday. I have this dream of doing it for a living... but then again I have that dream for several different things. ha ha... oh well!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Basically, I say all that to say this: I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">kind've</span> feel like I "get" them. The contestants on Design Star, that is. Like... with every challenge, they want to learn something themselves, but also please the judges and show how good they are at what they already. Does that make sense?</div><div><br /></div><div>So I'm super stoked to see how they do. And who I like and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">kind've</span> feel like I connect to. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Who's gonna be on the couch every Sunday night watching with me?! (...or using the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">DVR</span> and catching up later in the week?!) Can't wait to hear what you think and who you like!! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1