I Dig It

Another round of my recent favorite things!

1. Girl Meets World

In case you haven't heard, Disney released a spinoff of Boy Meets World earlier this year. It's about Cory and Topanga's kids and their friendships and ups and downs. It has all of the charm of the original show and I haven't missed an episode!

2. New Girl

It took me about a season and a half to decide if I liked this show or not, and I decided I do! Jess is the cutest thing and I wish we were best friends. No lie.

3. Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System

I picked this little buddy up a few weeks before my wedding and it works wonders. I got the main attachment and about 20 replacement pads on clearance at Target for like $12 and it did amazing things to my skin. Cannot recommend enough!

4. Hobby Lobby

I wasn't a big Hobby Lobby person until I moved a block away from it, and now that we live far away from one, I miss it. It's probably good for my wallet that I don't live so close to it, but I miss the crafty fabulousness.

5. House

This isn't so much a recent favorite as a recent re-favorite. I've seen the whole series but I've only watched the last two seasons once, when they first came out. So I've been rewatching them on Netflix and my love for this show has been renewed. 

Weekend Update

What have we been up to lately?

I did a school project at the zoo a couple of weeks ago and it was so cold but so fun! I hadn't been to the zoo in a while and it was fun to go when I was practically the only person there!

Husband had his middle school band concert and they all performed splendidly! I consider it a success when you can recognize the song they are playing ;)

I got a photo of Zippers that isn't 100% blurry! This little guy is becoming very well-behaved and affectionate and I am loving it!

Here was our big project this weekend. Remember the hanging globe lights that are everywhere in this house?

The one above the stairs needed to go. However, we were not sure how to go about replacing a light fixture in such an awkward area. We picked up one of those ladders that you can adjust the length of each side, zip-tied it to the banister, and prayed it would hold.

It took a team effort! Husband did most of the hard work but my tiny fingers were needed for some wiring issues.

The after! It matches everything else in our living room and looks a million times better than that ugly old globe light. Three globe lights down, two to go...

And probably my favorite part of the update. I got a call to work the tour of Beauty and the Beast that came into town for three days, and husband and I decided the extra paycheck would be worth it, but it meant I missed his high school band concert. I was pretty devastated. However, extra money is always nice and the show was a blast!

I got to help dress four of the women in the show, including Belle! So I got to hang out with lovely costumes such as these...

I always love doing shows and Disney shows are my absolute favorite :) it's a total blast seeing movies I loved as a child come to life! (Check out my post on the Lion King tour here!)

So that's been life at the band house lately... husband is officially on Christmas break and I am hoping to get more projects and DIY things done in the next couple of weeks!

6 Months.

We are coming up on the 6 month mark of marriage, which puts us halfway through the toughest year, if you believe all the advice well-meaning people hand out during the weeks leading up to your wedding. Like most people, I went into marriage with some preconceived notions about what would and wouldn’t change, especially since we chose not to live together until after we were married. Here’s some of what I got right, and some of what I got wrong…

Notion #1: Once we get married, I will have the time and motivation to do laundry before we run out of clothes and my husband will come home to a well-balanced, home-cooked meal every evening.

Wrong.

First of all, I rarely cook anymore. When husband doesn’t get home until 8 pm or later, we usually don’t even eat dinner together. Fast food has, unfortunately, become a staple in our lives. And laundry? Husband has asked for more clean shirts or socks more times than I envisioned in my perfect housewife scenario.

Notion #2: While I am looking forward to sharing a house with my husband, I will still need my separate bathroom space.

Correct.

In the apartment, we had separate bathrooms. Once we moved to the house, we are now sharing a bathroom, and it is a hard adjustment. We both have a lot of stuff that takes up a lot of room, and we are constantly moving the other person’s stuff out of the way to make room for our own. I miss having my own bathroom. Maybe it’s a girl thing.

Notion #3: Once we live together, we will see each other a lot more.

Kind of.

Yes, I see him more, but he’s usually sleeping. Or getting ready for work. Or running out the door as I’m coming home. So yes, we technically see each other more, but it’s not exactly quality time.

Notion #4: Being married really won’t change much about our relationship.

Pretty true.

The beauty of being together for 4 ½ years when you get married is that there aren’t that many curveballs when you move in with someone. No big surprises, no major behavior changes. Only difference is that I don’t leave at the end of the night every night! We are good about respecting the other’s space, we don’t fight over the TV or computer, and as long as I label my leftovers, he doesn’t even eat them :) Leftovers, by the way, have a 24 hour rule. I have 24 hours to eat them before they are fair game. Is there anything worse than looking forward to leftovers all day, only to get home and realize someone else already ate them? I think not.

Notion #5: Husband will learn to love the cat once she is living with him.

YEP.

He was not thrilled about my cat coming to live with him. I’ll write a whole post on that another time. But she is a lazy lap cat and he just loves giving her attention as much as she loves receiving it. It’s just presh.

Marriage is definitely a learning process and we are learning!

Five Years.

Today marks five years.

Not that we are still celebrating dating anniversaries now that we're married, but today happened to be the day that we decided to look at Christmas lights, and looking at Christmas lights was our first "date", so it matched up perfectly!

When we first started talking, we were both in college and working, so finding time to hang out was a bit difficult. Husband was working at Best Buy and didn't get off until 9 or 10 most days, which eliminated most traditional date activities like dinner or a movie. And situations being what they were, hanging out at either of our houses also wasn't a possibility. So after texting for a week or two, a first date was planned. We decided that he would pick me up at my apartment, we would grab a snack at Sonic, and drive around looking at Christmas lights.

Let me tell you what, I was nervous. I did that typical girl thing where I tried on practically every outfit in my closet and my bed was covered with my reject pile. Then I spent a good hour straightening my hair. To be honest, I probably changed my outfit a few more times after that. Then once I felt ready and pretty, I realized that I was about two hours too early, so I popped in a movie to pass the time. I spent more time jumping up and running to my window than actually watching the movie!

My knight in shining armor finally picked me up on his white horse... er, blue truck. I was oh-so-subtly positioning my hand where he could grab it if he felt so inclined - and luckily for me, he did :) I still get butterflies thinking about that. I loved getting to know him better as we toured the streets of our city, taking in all the beautiful lights and colors.

I think we looked at Christmas lights four or five times in the next couple of weeks, and I remember being so worried that once Christmas was over and people took their lights down, we wouldn't have an excuse to hang out anymore. Clearly, that wasn't the case! So looking at lights with Christmas tunes playing has kind of become a tradition for us. And I'm pretty sure every year the husband has to make a comment about how disappointed he is that more people didn't put up lights, and every year I remind him that he's disappointed by this annually ;)

Here's a few shots from tonight's activities!

Tickle My Fancy

Here are some of my favorite things as of lately!

1. Gone With the Wind

Specifically, the book. I saw the movie once, a long time ago - way before I was old enough to appreciate it. But I've never read the book and decided that I should change that. I've been reading it bit by bit and I am absolutely in love with it. The language is so lovely and it makes me wish I was a southern belle! Once I finish the book, I'll probably tackle the movie version, but I'm afraid it won't do it justice!

2. Zippers

This guy is getting quite the personality. I try and spend time with him every evening and he is becoming more trusting with me. He likes to climb on me and sit in my lap :) He gets in trouble for chewing the baseboards but we are working on that. He's more adventurous and spunky every day!

3. Blackberries

Yummmm. I bought these on a whim for a get-together I had and ended up eating almost of all of them myself. I just wish they weren't so darn expensive! I'm hoping to grow my own once spring comes.

4. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

I adore the VS Fashion Show. I love all of the crazy fashions and seeing all the Angels! And my girl T-Swift performed again this year - can't go wrong there!

5. Aladdin

I rewatched this for the first time in a few years and forgot how much I love this movie. I always forget how beautiful the animation is! I may need a second viewing this weekend...

6. Oregon Trail

I found a website where you can play the Apple IIe version from elementary school and I am just as bad at it as I was 20 years ago... that's unfortunate. But still fun.

7. aa

This little app is addicting. You have to fit all the dots in around the big circle without hitting any of the dots already attached to the circle. The circle spins in different directions and at different speeds, making some levels next to impossible...

8. Criminal Minds

I've only just discovered this show, and it's super cheesy sometimes, but I still love it. I'm almost all the way through season one! Thanks, Netflix.

9. Goodcents

Before we moved a block away from a Goodcents sandwich shop, I could not have cared less about it. I don't think I ever even ate one of their sandwiches. But ever since the move, I am obsessed. I could probably eat there every day. If you live near one, you really need to give it a try. So so so good.

10. Target fleece pants

Since I've had the flu for, like, a year, I've been practically living in these. Fleece. Comfy. Cozy. Really all I want out of life.

A Frustration

Okay, I know I'm not alone in this situation, but I still want to get it off my chest. 

The next person that asks me if I'm pregnant or assumes I'm pregnant just because I'm not feeling well is gonna get it. 

People have been asking since the day we got back from our honeymoon when we are going to have kids. Really? Maybe once we've been married longer than the length of time you can rent a video...? I get that people mean well. I really do. But I also don't understand why having a ring on your finger means you should start producing little ones. 

I am unfortunately a frequently ill person. If there is anyone within a 500 mile radius who is sick, I will undoubtedly catch it. I've had the stomach flu (or its equivalent) three times just in the last 6 months. It is crappy and annoying but I deal with it. This is nothing new, though. Ever since I got mono 7 years ago, I have been a germ magnet. But conversations have changed. 

Before marriage:

Person: oh, you're sick? Bummer. Think it's the flu?

After marriage:

Person: you're sick? Bet you're pregnant. 

Me: haha, no, just the flu.

Person: I really bet you're pregnant. You're throwing up so you must be pregnant. 

Me: no, I am 100% positive I am not pregnant, just surrounded by sick people. 

Person: you should probably take a test. 

Okay. Enough. I don't know why, in 2014, I am seen as inadequate for not becoming a baby-making machine the day I said I Do. I don't know why I am less of a woman because I am not popping out a kid on our 9 month wedding anniversary. I know some people take that path, and good for them. That is a great decision to make. But it is not for me. 

Inevitably, after the uncomfortable conversation in which I have to repeatedly convince a semi-stranger that I am not with child, comes the "well, when ARE you having kids?!" question, and they never like my answer. Because I always reply, "Not for a long time. Probably years down the road." And then, because that does not satisfy this nosy person, I almost always have to explain further. First of all, I am in school and working full-time. I do not even have time for myself, much less a baby. And as I mentioned before, I am sick about 75% of the time. I do not think that my body can physically take my constant illnesses in addition to the physical changes of pregnancy and then getting very little sleep once the baby comes. Secondly, we just got married. Do you really think we are in a financial place to take on a third family member? Thirdly, my husband is gone for work all the time. The assumption is that because he is a teacher, he is home by 4 every day and has every weekend and summer off. Oh, if only. There are days he comes home at 8:30 and is asleep by 9. We can go weeks on end without actually having dinner together. Being married to a music teacher is not the same as being married to an elementary teacher. In the last month alone, he has had meetings, rehearsals, two school musicals, regional and state football games, district auditions, conferences, lessons, all while getting ready for the Christmas concert. So no, I do not feel equipped to be raising a child basically by myself. I do not fault my husband for being gone so much, but it is the reality of the situation we are in. 

So in conclusion... I am not pregnant. Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I'm positive. No, I'm fine with that. And you know what? It honestly is 100% not anyone's business but mine and my husband's. If I feel the need to share intimate details of our marriage and life goals with anyone, I will do it on my own time. But I will certainly not continue to justify my body and my choices to people who have no business asking. 

#TBT: tanning

{I would like to preface this post by saying that I do not encourage or condone tanning, unless you're one of those crazy people who can effectively use the self-tanning bronzer lotion. There have been a million studies done on the cancerous effects of tanning beds and being in the sun without sunscreen, so I know y'all know better. That being said, here is my story.}

So. I was formerly a member of that infamous gym with a $20 per month membership fee that included unlimited tanning. I had never gone tanning before, but wanted a bit of a glow on my wedding day, so I decided to try it once, about a month before the big day. I usually tan really well outside and rarely burn, so I didn't think I would have a problem. The people at the gym recommended the upright tanning bed, so I thought I'd give it a shot. They said the timer was set for 8 minutes and to come out when I was done. 

Okay, first off, this entire tanning bed was filled with lights brighter than the sun. I think I could actually feel my retinas burning just from being in the room. But the instructions were on the inside of the bed so I attempted to read them with one eye open. Didn't work. So I just started pressing buttons with my eyes closed until it said it was starting. 

Everything went fine for about the first 4 minutes. Then I started to feel really, uncomfortably warm. I don't sweat easily, but I was absolutely dripping. Genius me, I decided to keep going. 6 1/2 minutes into it, I felt like I was actually going to pass out. I burst out of the door at 7 minutes - one full minute shy of the recommended "beginner" time. I actually laid on the floor for about 10 minutes taking deep breaths so I could actually walk, then drank about a gallon of water. I texted my then-fiance two words: NEVER. AGAIN.

I felt horrendously sick for the next 24 hours. Weak, dizzy, and dehydrated. And here was the physical result:

I mean. Luckily, my sunburns never last long, and it was gone within two days. It makes me feel sick just thinking about it!

Moral of the story? Tanning is just as bad as they say. And then some.

The Guest Bathroom

Welcome to the only room that is fully finished {except for some trim that needs painting}... the guest/hall bathroom. I am ridiculously proud of this cute little space and couldn't wait to show it off! I think the plan is to ultimately paint the cabinetry white to match the trim or get new cabinets entirely, but that is about #49 on our list of priorities. So excuse the the boring, basic cabinets and focus on the rest! :)

I wanted a beach-themed bathroom, mostly due to my newfound love of the beach thanks to our honeymoon, but if you look at bathroom sets nowadays, everything "beach" themed is covered in seashells or seahorses or sand dollars and it's just a bit much for me. So I set out to create my own beach motif!

Obviously, my first stop was Etsy. I love the two little prints that I chose for above the toilet because they are just oceanic enough to give it a seaside feel. Both prints are from here and the frames are from Target. The basket was on our wedding registry from Bed Bath and Beyond and fits perfectly on the back of the toilet! I'm not sure if we will end up getting some shelves or cabinets for the space above the toilet if and when we redo the sink cabinets, but I'm fine with the minimalist look for now!

I love our wicker basket but wasn't quite sure what to fill it with. The tissue box holder is also from Bed Bath and Beyond and I love the way it ties in with the sandy tan of the bathroom decor - and it isn't covered in seashells! I tossed in the sand dollar we found on the beach the first day of our honeymoon {and I should probably finish bleaching it one of these days...} and I wanted to include some of the shells we found as well. Simply placing them in the basket didn't quite look right, so I got a small apothecary jar from Hobby Lobby to put them in until I find another way to display them. The lotion got thrown in the back section as a filler :)

One beach-themed item I did go for was this set of shower curtain holders. I think they are neutral enough that you aren't overwhelmed by the beach theme :) the shower curtain is one of my favorite new purchases! I think it looks like nautical ropes. Both are from Bed Bath and Beyond.

The print next to the tub above the towel rod is also from Etsy, found here, and the frame matches the two smaller prints above the toilet, from Target.

On the wall next to the door is yet another Etsy print, found here, with another matching Target frame. The hand towel is from a package we got from Bed Bath and Beyond (I think) and the plug-in warmer is from Scentsy! It has a cute little sand dollar on the front.

I stuck our shadowbox frame with the photo and sand from the beach in the corner and I think it looks just lovely there. The soap dispenser and tumbler are from Bed Bath and Beyond. I love the sandy color and texture!

The jar of sand from our honeymoon also found a home on the counter, next to the jar that I really only bought because it matched the set... it's currently holding cotton pads. Again, Bed Bath and Beyond's only "beach" bathroom sets were covered in tacky, beachy goodness, so I opted for a more subtle set :) 

Another shot of the lovely backsplash and mirror, thanks to the previous homeowners.

The rug in front of the sink is purely for decoration purposes. It's from Bed Bath and Beyond and has little threads of gold running through the stripes!

The rug in front of the bathtub is more for comfort. Also from Bed Bath and Beyond, it's plusher and thicker than the other rug.

The wastebasket is one I tossed in the cart on a whim {and because it was on clearance}. It keeps with the neutral theme and looks a little like nautical rope, I think. 

So there is the first house tour post! I'm hoping to have another room finished in the next week or two, but may not happen until one of my classes is over. We've had a few friends over and everyone has such kind things to say and are very generous when I explain that it's quite all put together just yet. Once we finally get curtains up and decor on the bedroom and living room walls, I will be a happy girl!

Chinny Chin Chin... and a cymbal.

Just when I think life is starting to slow down, it speeds right back up. The master's program I'm in only allows you to take one class at a time, but somehow I got enrolled in a class that overlaps with my current class by about four weeks. The class I've been in since September has been a ridiculous workload so adding on a second class has left me with virtually no free time. Here's a condensed version of what we've been up to lately!

More housey things... the back door had almost no sealant around the frame so that was on the top of husband's to do list before it got cold! It took almost a whole tube of caulking to get it fixed and I'm not sure how the previous homeowners' electric bill wasn't through the roof...

Top of my to do list? Getting the doors painted. Husband took this task on for himself and spent a whole Saturday sanding the doors down.

Pretty white doors to match our pretty white trim!

Here's my cutest update: our chinchilla! I've wanted one for years and years and when the Humane Society took in two, I knew I had to go visit them. I only brought home one, though :) his name is Zippers! He is still pretty skittish around us - we only allow him to run around the guest room when the door is closed, since the cat is a jerk, and he enjoys running around us and perching on me but still isn't quite comfortable being picked up most of the time. But he is super duper adorable and so so soft!

We got our first snow only halfway through November!

This was my "domestic goddess" episode, as my dad dubbed it. The cat got a urinary tract infection and had an accident in our bed, so I had to strip the sheets, comforter, and mattress pad off. I found out the hard way that our washer is not big enough to contain our mattress pad and it got wrapped around a spring or something on the inside of the machine. When I went to free it, I cut a huge gash in my finger and dripped blood all over our destroyed mattress pad before I realized it. Genius! Thankfully, my mom helped me sew up the mattress pad and it's not a total loss. (The cat is doing much better. She got confined to the basement for a week since it's unfinished and easier to clean up any accidents. After 10 days of pills, she's back to her old self.)

I skipped the last football game because it was somewhere around 17 degrees but I got to go to the fun part of band wifing - the drumline performed during a college production of Legally Blonde: The Musical and I got to catch one of their performances! The audience went crazy and they sounded perfect!

This is not so much an update as a peek into the band wife life... there is a cymbal on my couch. 

Guilty Pleasure Shows

I've always been an avid reader, but sometimes I love to just veg in front of the TV. And I never really got the fuss over Netflix until I used it for myself, but I've turned into one of those who finds a show and gets hooked! School and renovating the house is kicking my butt, but there are some shows that I just need in order to unwind.

1. 90 Day Fiance

Do y'all watch this?? Husband and I started watching it last season out of curiosity and we are hoooooked. American meets person from another country, they fall in love, and they bring their love over on a K-1 visa and they have 90 days to get married. It's so fascinating to watch the different dynamics of the various couples. Some couples are clearly just in it for a green card but others are truly in love and it's interesting to watch them work out the issues that come with being from different countries.

2. Breaking Amish

Oh TLC, you sure know how to get me with your reality TV. I watched the first season on Netflix in, like, a day, and I followed the original cast through their sequel show, Return to Amish, and am loving the new cast on this season of Breaking Amish. It's not a show about Rumspringa, the rite of passage for Amish teens when they learn to be English, but rather about grown adults who are making the decision to leave the Amish culture. So naturally, the show gets them a one-way ticket to NYC. Because the best way to get acclimated into the English culture is to head to the largest, craziest city that America has to offer. But these Amish people have more than enough drama to sustain their own reality show!

3. Flea Market Flip

Have I talked about this one yet? Two teams have to buy old trash from the flea market and transform them into new treasures. But they have three specific projects to complete and the winner is the team who makes the most profit from their flips. It inspires me to be creative but I don't have the creativity or the tools to turn an old stoplight into a bench :) it's fun to watch, though!

4. Hotel Impossible

It's the same premise as Kitchen Nightmares but with hotels. This hotel guru goes into failing hotels, yells at the owners, whips the staff into shape, and makes it over into a hotel that you would actually want to stay in. He brings in fantastic designers and their makeover reveals are always gorgeous!

5. Kardashians

It started when I turned on an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians on Netflix one day because I wanted background noise when I was trying to sleep and I had the flu. I was looking for something I wouldn't care about falling asleep while watching it and I ended up watching half a season on accident. Whoops! Let me clarify. As a whole, I do not like the fame whores that the Kardashian clan has turned into, and I really don't care for Kim. But I like tuning things out for an episode and watch rich people problems instead of thinking about my own. I really love Khloe and Kourtney, so while I watch KUWTK, I much prefer the shows that don't feature Kim - like Kourtney and Khloe Take the Hamptons, which is airing now. It's total fluff and not something I watch to be intellectually stimulated, but darn if it isn't addicting...