Time on my hands....

Do you ever feel like you have a lot of time on your hands?  I mean, I work hard, but I'm on eastern hours, living in a central time zone.  So I finish work around 4:30pm most days.  Now that SB is working so late because of training camp, he's getting home somewhere between 8-10pm.  So - I've got a big chunk of time on my hands.  Typically I work out at some point after work, but I've been doing it first thing in the morning lately because it's been so hot here.  Soon the Junior League will start back up in full force which will include a few more activities, and my tennis league will keep me busier too....but right now I just feel like I have tons of time, and not a lot to do.  Last week I planned a few things, which were really fun and kept me happy -- but I'm starting to think I need something else on the schedule.  Sooooo....do any of you ever feel this way?  What do you do in those moments? (can you tell that I'm not one to exactly sit around and twiddle my thumbs??)

I'm thinking of volunteering at the Humane Society, and I've always wanted to volunteer at a children's hospital, but I just haven't made it happen yet.  I'm guessing most families with kids don't ever feel this way (and you moms probably dream of the moments with free time!!) -- but hopefully I'm not alone with this feeling!  

Oh!  and the other thing I've been thinking about is getting a sewing machine.  Do any of you sew?  Any recommendations?  As a beginner, should I get a basic model, or should I go with the type that do monograms because I really want to be able to do that (there's a big difference in the cost!!)?

Bonjour!!  I swear I've been around all week, I just haven't gotten around to posting anything!!!  Here's a little recap of my world in the last week....

• We had the best day last Saturday.....SB was so sweet because he planned a great little morning for us.  We woke up early, ran together, then we went to the Soulard Farmer's Market (a St. Louis 'landmark'), and then we ate at a nearby cafe for breakfast.  That was seriously the best way to start a weekend morning, in my opinion!! 
• I thought Tuesday was Wednesday all.day.long.  I seriously walked into a gym class thinking it was kickboxing (Wednesday) but it was weight lifting (Tuesday), and I walked out.  Wasn't in the mood for it.
• Went to a fun dinner with girlfriends on Wednesday night (the real Wednesday).  The restaurant had just changed their menu, and was "testing" it on family/friends, and we were oh-so-lucky to have one of those friends in our group!  We laughed and laughed and laughed -- it was a much needed girls' night!
• Went walking in Forest Park with one of my JL friends and both of our pooches.  The dogs got along well, and we had lots of fun chatting and walking.  
• I've started walking 3 miles with Daisy and Lilly every morning.  It's part of "operation wear out the dogs," and so far it's working pretty well!!  On Wednesday a neighbor dog had "escaped" from his yard, and wanted to walk along with us the whole time.  He was a little growly at first (which scared me!!).  If I didn't have two dogs pulling me in two different directions I would have tracked down his owners, but alas I had no phone and no free hands.
• Lilly got spayed today.  Poor little thing!  I dropped her off at the vet this morning, and will pick her up in a couple of hours.
• The NFL team's training camp started today, and SB is working like a maniac.  Seriously, he's gone at 8am, hopefully back by 8pm.  I've had to schedule lots of activities for me because otherwise the combination of working from home and not seeing my husband till 8pm means I'm seriously deprived of human interaction!!  (the first week taught me that tough lesson!)
• We're around this weekend.  SB has to work Saturday, but I'm hoping we'll be able to go to the farmer's market, and our county fair!!
• Have a wonderful weekend!!

Daily Thought....

“The cure for anything is salt water...sweat, tears, or the sea.” ― Isak Dinesen  

(courtesy of the Real Simple Daily Thought)

Lilly is 5 months old!!

It's hard to believe that our little trouble-maker is already 5 months old!  She is into absolutely everything.  We literally can't blink an eye without her trying to rip apart a toilet paper roll, get into a trash bin, or steal a shoe to attempt to devour.  She is very mischievous, but she is also so freakin' cute!  She loves to be pet, she is awfully snuggly, and likes to sit with me and have her belly rubbed.  She no longer fits in our basket of blankets for little naps like she used to.  Lilly hasn't met any form of water that she doesn't like.  She loves to stick her head in sprinklers on our walks, and she is doing pretty well on the leash so far.  She has the command "sit" down pat, and is still working on "stay," "leave it," and "lay down."  It's really nice to have Daisy show her what to do, because she loves copying her "big sis." 

Guest Bedroom....the start of a makeover

So for the past twelve months, our main guest bedroom consisted of a bed (with cute linens from our wedding registry....the room's only saving grace!), a nightstand that's really a side table and is a touch too short for the bed, and a random lamp.  It was begging for window treatments, and a little wall decor; but when I had a whole house to decorate, this room wasn't a priority.

I have admired the decor of Harrington House's home for as long as I've read her blog, and I finally found a posting about how she made her window treatments.  This is the best idea I've ever seen for making inexpensive, NO-SEW drapes!!!!!  The difference between a room with or without drapes is dramatic, and adding window treatments is an easy way to dress up a room.  It just helps the space look pulled together.  And now you can do so on the cheap!  (that is, if you don't mind them not being lined....which I don't.  My sister isn't so sure about it, but I think that if you have blinds, lining just isn't necessary.  To each their own :)

So after finding the "how-to," I headed off to Hobby Lobby with my window measurements, and I picked a fabric I liked (along with another fabric that I'll probably use to make pillows once I buy the sewing machine that I've been wanting for ages and ages. 

You can see a really good step-by-step account for how to make the drapes on The Nesting Place's site, but here's my quick run-down:

1. Materials needed:  curtain rod, fabric, curtain clips (optional:  hemming tape)
2. Hang your curtain rod.  Make sure that the fabric has about 10-14 inches beyond what it takes for the curtain to go from rod to floor  (nobody wants their curtains to look like high waters!).
3. Lay the fabric on a bed or other working space.  Take the extra 10-14 inches, and fold it down.  Then fold the material back up to the halfway point, and then fold the again to the top, to form a "roll" of fabric.  
4. Clip the clippy things to the fabric, and put them on the rod.
5. Hang rod....and voila - you're done!

I plan to use hemming tape to hem the bottom and sides so that it has a really finished look, but that's not entirely necessary (and it has yet to happen!)  Here are some pics of the room as it stands now.....(I still want to get some new nightstands, big fun lamps with drum shades, a dresser (potentially refurbish one myself...paint it bright white), a cute armchair, and some more wall decor....but that can all wait for now.  And maybe one of these days we'll paint this room, but there's no rush on that.

(the small window on the right is my attempt at a Roman shade....basically it consists of a tension rod, with fabric and ribbons -- it's not even close to functional right now, but once I get that sewing machine, I'll sew it right up!)

I thought this was the finished product, but SB didn't like the floral pics I found at Jacques Penney on major discount.  He said it felt like a grandma's room.  While I didn't exactly agree, I certainly didn't want a grandma's room and it's good to make both people in a couple happy when buying wall decor!  So now these are the "finished for now" pics:

The essence of summer...

For many years, I spent a week or two each summer on the shores of Phantom Lake in Mukwonago, WI at Phantom Lake YMCA Camp.  It was a true slice of heaven!  I started going with a friend of mine in the third grade, and we kept going until we were 15, when we became "SDP's" - - or participants in the Staff Development Program, where we were basically junior counselors.  Phantom Lake was a place where we learned to be true individuals; we were embraced for who we were, and we learned to embrace others for who they are.  We swam, kayaked, canoed, went on swamp hikes, tried archery and riflery, made crafts, played kettle games with the whole camp (one of my favorite things), formed wonderful, lasting friendships with other campers and counselors, participated in talent shows, played tennis (of course), and just enjoyed being a kid.

My 9-year-old niece is half-way through spending a week there right now with one of her little girlfriends from school.  I wish that I could be a little mosquito on the wall to see her enjoying all of the things that I loved at her age! 

Weekend Update

• So the much anticipated "Peach Festival" was a big, fat BUST!  It was really just a farmer's market marking its first peach harvest.  The accompanying Sidewalk Sale was a semi-bust, as it only included about 10 stores, and 2 of them were worthwhile.  However, I did walk away from the thing with a bag of peaches, fresh corn, and heirloom tomatoes, so I can't really complain!!
• I finished putting together our main guest bedroom!  We now have homemade window treatments, art on the walls, and a cute matching frame with a Daisy pic in it.  I still would ideally love to get new nightstands, lamps, and a dresser....but it's finished for right now.  I'll do a posting about the drapes, because it was so easy, and they make a big impact!  A must try if anyone's in need of window treatments!
• I ran 4.5 miles Friday, 5 miles Saturday, and did the elliptical Sunday.  I really need to get back in the tennis routine, but it's been soooo hot outside here.
• The hubster worked like a maniac all last week.  Seriously like five 18-hour days in a row.  You wouldn't believe what he was up to even if I told you.  Fortunately they finished their project, and he's back to his normal routine.  We made salmon on the grill last night for dinner (with some of the fresh corn on the cob), and then took the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood.  I love simple nights like that!

Just sayin'.......

(we're proud of our cheese....)

A different kind of craving.....

I have been wanting to go to a really fun fair for a couple of years now.   We're talking a down and dirty, good ol' county fair -- the more rural, the better.  I can't remember going to one in Georgia (though we did find the best rural rodeo ever in Northern GA while we were staying in a cabin with friends for a long weekend....but that's another story), we never did while we were in DC, and now we've lived in a new state for 13 months and we still haven't gone to a fair!!  (side note:  SB actually kind of hates crowds, which might help explain why we haven't gone recently!!)  I grew up going to the Dane County Fair, and my parents and I even made it to the Wisconsin State Fair once (which is so out of character for them...but they actually loved it too).  Yea, they're not the most glamorous places, but there's something about them that I just love -- great people watching, crazy tasty food, farm animals, rides (though I probably wouldn't get much more adventurous than the ferris wheel these days), and a fun small-town feeling. 

SO today I googled "Missouri" and "County Fairs" and GOOD NEWS!!  There's one in our county at the end of this month.  The state fair is in August, but it's like a 3 hour drive....and I'm not sure I love them quite that much.  AND this Saturday there's a Peach Festival nearby (+ sidewalk sale....nice combo!!) that I am totally hitting up!!!  This craving will be fulfilled in no time!  (is this weird???  do any of you like fairs????)

1st anniversary present for SB

I was so excited to give SB his anniversary present this past weekend.  I'd been planning it for some time, and I knew that a watercolor painting of our first home together would be meaningful for a long time.  I had it matted and framed, and it's now hanging in the hallway outside of our bedroom.  We have invested a lot of time and energy to turning our new house into our home, and it's been fun to share the whole process with SB.  I found the artist on etsy.com -- and she was a gem to work with.  The price was right, and the one-of-a-kind finished product is really amazing.

Happy 1st Anniversary!

It's hard to believe that an entire year has passed since we said "I DO!" last July 11 at the Sawgrass Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.  I sure wish we were there right now, reliving every second of it with all of our friends and family!  The week was a memorable, magical one, and I couldn't be happier to be married to such a wonderful, thoughtful, sweet, handsome, funny and fun person.  I feel lucky to have SB in my life, and even luckier to be married to him :)

We celebrated last night by going to Citizen Kane's, a nice steakhouse in town, on a friend's recommendation.  It was delicious!!

I started looking through the pictures that we included in the video we showed at the rehearsal dinner, and it's fun to see the shots of SB and me while we were dating.  We dated for three years, and then we were engaged for a little over 1 year.  I feel like we look so young in those first few pics!  We've come a long way, and I can't wait to see what is yet to come :)

A little pep in your step

Who doesn't want a little extra BLING!!??  I love the light gold color, and the bow is just too cute.  I have my eye on these cute J.Crew ballet flats....