Double digits?!

Ryleigh is 10 months old!!!!! 

 Weight:  19lbs 15oz

EATING
Lots of new things going on. Still drinking 6oz bottles of breastmilk.  She's gotten to try several new things, and her favorite food so far is definitely guacamole! She goes crazy for it and will be a bottomless pit in a Mexican restaurant, eating it as long as there is more to offer.  Aside from guacamole, she's gotten to try refried beans, potato soup, cool whip, lots and lots of Puffs....she is no longer content as long as she has a full belly while we are eating. If she sees us with food, she's curious and wants it no matter how full she is! We can usually keep her happy with puffs but more and more we find ourselves letting her get a little taste off of our fork.  I'm insanely paranoid about her choking on something, especially on days when she's more congested, so we don't let her eat things that need to be chewed right now (other than puffs that dissolve). 

TEETHING
 As of 10 months she has 5 teeth! All four of her front teeth, and her top right incisor.  The three top teeth all came in together (that was loads of fun....) and are not fully down yet but they're getting there.  It's ridiculously cute to catch a glimpse of them and I can't believe that probably by the end of the year her smile will look different because she'll have so many teeth showing!  She will also be getting more foods as she gets more of these teeth and I am more confident that she can chew without choking...although I'm probably going to stay paranoid about that until she 10, haha.

SLEEPING
Lots of recent changes here, for day-time sleeping anyway. She's still pretty good with her 11-ish hours at night of sleep.  She's definitely needing her naps now that she's more mobile.  We just follow her cues...she started with one big 2-2.5hr nap around 11or 12 in the afternoon, but quickly transitioned to a morning nap around 9 or 10 that lasts about 2hrs and then a late afternoon nap around 4ish.  She is always on the go and needing her sleep these days!

ACTIVITY
Pulling up on any and everything!

She now says/has said:
 "Dada"
"Mama"
"Papa" (my father-in-law)
"Kk" referring to Kona
"Ssssssssssssss"
"Thhhhhhhh"
"Kkkkkk"
"Ba ba ba ba"
"Ta ta ta ta"
"Guh"
"RrrrrLLl" <--Her version of Ryleigh that she's copied us saying a couple times.
"Go, Go, Go!"
"Ko" <--Kona
"Reee" <--Reece
"Cak" <----Clap
"Hi"
"Hi Dada"
"Daw" <---Dog


clicking her tongue
making the sound of a rolling "R" (like in Spanish)
Waving Hi & Bye bye

We also learned that she has her Daddy's creepy talent of being able to clear her throat.  It's such a weird thing that I don't even really know how to describe but if you're around us long enough I'm sure you've heard Jake do it.  Ryleigh did it a couple times last week and it caught us off guard! haha

DIAPERING
Size 3, mostly only Luvs because they fit her well and they're cheaper than Pampers.

 CLOTHES
  Mostly 12 month but we can also put 18 month pants on her for added length. String bean.




 SPECIAL FIRSTS 
--pulling up on any & everything

--meeting SANTA!!

--seeing Christmas lights

--"driving" Daddy's car around the neighborhood

--eating a Breadstick...loved it!!

--Giving kisses!! if we ask and sometimes even when we don't, she will lean in and give sloppy open-mouth kisses complete with a lick! haha...that's what happens when she learns from two dogs.  Shes started kissing her toys (and oddly enough her bouncy seat that is used more these days as something to pull up on). It's so sweet!

 

 

We are in full birthday planning mode now!  I am so excited about how all of my ideas are coming together.  I picked a theme around 6months and recently completely changed it to something I am completely in love with. I don't want to rush time but I am so excited for her party!

 

 

 

31 Weeks!

Not the best picture, but it was the only one we got on Christmas day!

How far along?  31 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +23lbs...darn those Christmas cookies! haha but really things seem to be on track and my OB is happy with where we're at so far....

Maternity clothes? All the time!  Now I'm also trying to focus on nursing clothing and taking that into account when/if I purchase any clothing.

Sleep: Seems to be okay...getting tired and taking some weekend or evening naps here and there.  I've gotten a few leg cramps in the middle of the night which is not fun.  I'm having a little more back/hip pain as this bump gets bigger and bigger so sometimes it's difficult to figure out a way to lay that is comfortable.

Best baby moment this week:  Several!  Jake and I went to childbirth class on Saturday and learned lots about preparing for the exciting, yet dreaded, childbirth.  I have to admit that it pretty much scares the mess out of me.  But, I'm now feeling super informed and finding some confidence in myself and the choices that Jake and I will make for bringing our daughter into this world.  We had a great instructor and both really liked the class.  

 

On our way home from class, we bought little one's crib mattress!  Selecting one seems overwhelming and impossible to do with all of the choices available, but I did some research and we settled on the Lullaby Earth Stage 2 crib mattress from Buy Buy Baby [thank you 20% off BBB coupon!].  It's a huge matter of personal preference, but the important aspects came down to organic materials, firmness/support, and it's waterproof so it will be easy to clean and hold up well.

 

Also all the love and Christmas gifts for Ryleigh :)  She's already one lucky little girl.  She got some outfits and pj's, bedtime prayer board book, squeeze/teethe blocks, and two handmade quilts!  I had to hold myself together when I opened up the beautiful quilt from my friend Shanti, which she also had embroidered with Ryleigh's name and it has the softest minky fabric back.  That will keep her warm next winter for sure! 

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Being able to sit down and get up quickly...being able to get dressed quickly...being able to do anything quickly...haha

Movement: lots, especially around meal times or after 7:30pm.  Night owl!

Food cravings: Still pasta, chocolate milk, and juice!  Trying out some out-of-the-ordinary flavors but not necessarily weird--like Hawaiian pizza.   

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes :)  belly bump is measuring right on track at 32cm/32 weeks [I've been measuring 4 days ahead for a while now]

Gender: GIRL!  

Labor Signs: No, hopefully not until sometime in February!

Belly Button in or out?  In, but getting pretty shallow. 

Wedding rings on or off? On, but some days it's a little snug.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy/tired.  I do get emotional over sad/sweet things.  

Looking forward to: More nursery progress, and celebrating on New Year's Eve--closing out one pretty great year and looking forward to 2014 because I know it will be even better!  Also our maternity pictures and baby shower coming up in a few weeks!

 

 

 

29 Weeks!

Whoa hello 3rd trimester!  I can't believe we are already a week in, and that I'm going to be 30 weeks next week! That number just makes me feel like I'm sooo far along! 

Had my Glucose test this morning for my 28/29 week appointment.  I guess it wasn't quite as horrible as I had built it up to be, but it was still pretty nasty.  I took the first sip of my drink [I had the red one] and thought "well, maybe this won't be so bad" because it tasted like really strong Hawaiian Punch.  However, by the time I got to the bottom of that bottle I was questioning if I'd be able to hold it down for an hour!  I was told to put it in the refrigerator so that it tasted better, but I think that made it thicken a little.  Yuck--makes me gag just thinking about it again.

Everything else at the appointment seemed good! Measuring on track, baby's strong heartbeat at 143 bpm, and got my T-dap [whooping cough] vaccine.  Also found out yesterday at my follow-up renal ultrasound--for checking my kidneys/Hydronephrosis--that baby girl is head-down.  Of course, it's early and she could still move, but that's a good sign for being on track for a "normal" delivery.

Me & hubs before my company Christmas dinner last weekend :)

How far along? 29 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: +20lbs...little bit of a jump in the past month! Let's blame it on Thanksgiving....

Maternity clothes? All the time!  With a couple pre-prego shirts and sweaters mixed in, although those options are starting to dwindle because they won't fully cover my belly. [And let's be honest--some of Jake's sweatpants and shirts for comfy lounge clothes and pajamas!]

Sleep: This past week, pretty terrible.  I think it's a combination of being extra tired from the weather, a growing baby, Jake's crazy work schedule last week, the dogs being unsettled because of the weird work schedule, lots of things to do.....I guess I've probably over-done it a bit.  I just can't seem to get comfortable, my kidneys have been acting up again [but still not as painful as 6 weeks ago-thankfully!], I've had more back pain from my ever-growing belly.....the list goes on.  I'm just glad that although I toss and turn all night long, the sleep I do get is pretty darn good--like when you've only been asleep for 45 minutes, wake up/toss & turn, and feel like it's been 5 hours--so I'm not walking around like a zombie all day. 

Best baby moment this week:  Feeling her STRONG kicks.  Some so hard that they move my whole body.  Jake was talking to my belly the other night, and she kicked so hard my belly hit him in the face! haha...Also, had a great time Black Friday shopping!  I found some great deals on things like picture frames and a bookcase for her nursery :)

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Being able to sit down and get up quickly...being able to sleep on my back or my stomach...putting on socks or underwear without difficulty...

Movement: tons

Food cravings: Still pasta.  Always TONS of milk, chocolate milk, and juice!  Ice cream/milkshakes--not necessarily a craving but it's the only thing that seems to help my terrible indigestion/acid reflux or whatever it is. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: The drink for my glucose test made me super queasy.  I think the worst part was having to have an empty stomach.

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes :)

Gender: GIRL!  

Labor Signs: No, and better not for a while!

Belly Button in or out?  In, but getting a little shallow. 

Wedding rings on or off? On, but some days it's a little snug.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy/tired.  I do get emotional over sad/sweet things.  My lack of sleep has made me a little moody/irritable this past week though.

Looking forward to: Childbirth class, Christmas, and getting the crib set up!

 

 

 

Christmas in July..

Anyone else getting really excited for the upcoming Fall and Winter holidays?

I feel like this happens to me almost every year once the 4th of July passes.  We're halfway through the Summer season but I'm already getting over it and ready for Fall...Football season, pumpkin spice, cider, scarves, cozy sweaters, boots, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping, buying Christmas presents....it goes on and on.  My favorite time of the year!

 

 

Decorating and holiday parties and baking cookies....Anyone else as excited as me?

 

World Market Love

Well, my hubs was busy working out of town this weekend so it provided me with lots of free time for catching up with friends and catching up with laundry!  I made a day trip to Columbia to see my parents and one of my best friends, Eden.  While visiting with my parents we had lunch at Panera, possibly the best place in the world for a good soup/sandwich combo, and then went to World Market.  I feel like World Market can be hit or miss, and I wasn't finding tons of wonderful things however I did find this little gem...

Turkish Peach Jar Candle from World Market

Smells soooo good.  I love fruity scents and this one has a little bit of spice to it, too.  I wanted something to switch up from all of the Evergreen and Apple smells I've been using all Christmas season.  

Also, I was super excited to find these to use for grilling out on the boat...

World Grill Appetizer Skewers from World Market. 
For some reason, these are not on their website.  I purchased them from the location in
Sandhills, NE Columbia.

These are the perfect size to get all six skewers to fit on the grill, and can still hold a nice amount of food.  Plus, they are a fun, curly shape :)


Have a good night, bloggers!  Back to real 5-day work weeks tomorrow.  Also, starting back with Day 1 of Insanity tomorrow...I can already feel the burn!


 

I've learned I need to take more photos...

It has become so clear to me that I really suck at remembering to take photos.  I get so caught up in the fun time that we're having that I always forget to whip out the camera or my phone.  So, unfortunately you don't get to see any cute pics of the holidays, but we have had such a great time!  So, where to begin...

I guess the first of our festivities started with April & Jeremy's annual tacky Christmas sweater party.  It was so much fun again, just like last year!  Although this year ended up staying a little bit more sane than last year which was nice, and we took the party to the bar instead of staying at their house the whole time, which I know must have worked out a bazillion times better for them!  Entertaining at home is so much fun but there's always that one person who has to break something sometimes the cleanup can be excruciating.

Following that came my company's Christmas Dinner which was at Del Frisco's in Charlotte.  Jake and I had never been there before and the food was amazing!  I got the crab cakes and Jake got one of the steak specials.  They also have the BEST calamari I've ever tasted.  It's seriously like heaven in your mouth.  Instead of serving it with marinara sauce like most places I've been, albeit they were Italian restaurants, Del Frisco's serves theirs covered in an Asian glaze, similar to what comes on Orange Chicken or General Tso's.  YUM.  I also had my first ever Celebrity sighting.  After narrowly missing Vince Vaughn and Kevin James on the elevator in Chicago and not seeing a single celebrity in Las Vegas for a week, who knew that I'd see my first celeb sighting in good ol' Charlotte.  Who?  Ric Flair.  Don't recognize the name?  He's this guy...

From the great world of WWE.  I recognized him but never knew his name because my family was never big into wrestling.  He still pretty much looks the same.  He's no Vince Vaughn, but it was pretty cool to be standing less than a foot away from him at the bar in Del Frisco's.

After that comes our Christmas visit to see my Grandpop and some others from my Dad's side of the family down in Mount Pleasant.  We don't get down there a lot so it was nice to see them, and my Aunt Kerri was home visiting from India.  We watched the new Bourne movie, which I really enjoyed, then exchanged gifts and had a nice traditional holiday meal--ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, wine, etc.

On Christmas Eve, we just slept in and relaxed, then went to church and dinner with Jake's mom, sister, and brother.  His stepdad was sick with a stomach virus the whole week so he didn't get to participate in anything :(  We went to their church in Lake Wylie, and I always enjoy getting to see different churches, especially when they are all beautifully decorated at Christmas.  It was a neat candlelight service but visiting other churches always makes Jake and I really realize how much we love our church, Allison Creek Presbyterian.  It's technically in York I guess but it's only about 10 minutes down the road from us since we're out here on the edge of Rock Hill.  Churches are so personal and everyone has different tastes, but we really love the community within our church and especially the delivery of the sermons.  I don't like feeling like I'm getting yelled at by the preacher if they have a harsh, excited delivery.  And I don't like being bored to tears by someone who is monotone.  We feel like our Pastor has the perfect balance and neither one of us ever gets bored or zones out during the sermon so we always feel like we really get something out of what he shares.  

On Christmas day we had Jake's side of the family and my friend Karen over for a brunch of waffles, fruit, casseroles, eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, etc.  TONS of food.  We exchanged gifts and just got to hang out for a while having some good conversation.  Then, we got to relax for a little bit and clean up before my side of the family arrived for Christmas dinner.  We had glazed ham with pineapple, seasoned green beans, steamed corn, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and then desserts.  It was a good thing that we only ate two meals all day because holy cow was it a lot of food.  I did the ham and the mac & cheese both in crock pots, which was nice and easy for me so that I could sit and enjoy socializing instead of cooking in the kitchen all day.  It worked out extremely well for the ham, and the mac & cheese was good but I think I would use a different recipe next time.  I found one recipe that uses evaporated milk, which I thought I had but it turned out that I had sweetened condensed milk, both are from Eagle Brand and I didn't pay attention to the label.  So, last minute I had to switch to a  different recipe that only used 2% milk and I think it would have been nicer and creamier with the other recipe.  For dessert, I made a cherry crumb pie and some "brooksters" which are a combo of chocolate chip cookies & brownies.  The cherry crumb pie tasted really good, but good Lord did it make a mess in my oven.  I would highly suggest that if you attempt one of these pies, put a cookie sheet on the rack underneath your pie because that nice filling will just bubble out over the edge and create a huge puddle of burnt mess in your oven.  Thank God our oven is self-cleaning, but that makes such a smoky mess that I haven't done it yet.  I did cook dinner in the oven two nights ago and some of the cherry mess burnt off but that is a headache that I'll be dealing with for a couple more weeks I expect...However, the brooksters, or as I always mix up and call them, "Brewsters," are like the best combination in the world.  Here is the super easy recipe:

"Brewsters"

--Prepare chocolate chip cookie mix from scratch as directed on bag of chocolate chips.

--Prepare brownies as directed on box of brownie mix.

Put paper liners in cupcake trays and fill 1/3-1/2 of the way with brownie batter.  Top with one scoop in each of the cookie batter.  

Bake as directed following the Chocolate Chip cookie recipe.  You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the time since brownies take longer to cook.  You will know they are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Easy and seriously delish!  These were definitely a crowd pleaser.  

..And what have we been doing since Christmas?  Well, I enjoyed the after Christmas sales and picked up some adorable wrapping paper for next year (so prepared, I know!) and decided to re-decorate our bookshelves in the living room.  I got tons of new frames and decorations from Hobby Lobby, TJMaxx, and Ross.  I cleaned off the bookshelves and have figured out the new frame placement, but now I just need to get the correct size and orientation of photos printed.  So, pictures of that to come!  We also celebrated New Years/Jake's 25th Birthday!  He has not been feeling too hot following the celebration but we did it up right at the Longbranch last night!  He is also very excited about his birthday gift, a new propane grill for on our boat!  With all of the time we are going to be spending out there now that we have the boat, I figured we would get tired of pb&j's or turkey sandwiches REAL quick.  Now we can do burgers, hot dogs, chicken, steaks, kabobs, you name it!  Now, if only this weather would get back into the 70's..........

Have a great day back at work tomorrow!

<3 Stacey

Santa's Cure Hot Chocolate

I was trying to come up with ideas for co-worker Christmas gifts this year and stumbled upon this for inspiration:

SANTA'S CURE:  Mason Jars of Hot Cocoa, Mini Marshmellows, and a mini bottle of Bailey's Original Crème.

So after brainstorming and getting my supplies, here's the final product:

I added some Christmas fabric to the mason jar lid, got some clear cellophane paper with holly leaves printed on it, and put everything in an oversized ceramic mug.  I also got Bailey's Caramel Crème instead to add some more flavor.



Here's a picture without the mug.  I also used some of the cellophane paper to wrap the mini marshmellows, so that it could be separated and scooped easier. 

Super cute and affordable; perfect for co-workers, neighbors, hostess gifts, etc!

Keepsake Ornaments

I found the idea to make keepsake ornaments with wedding items, and so tonight I stopped by Michael's on my way home to pick up some clear ornaments and ribbon.  I found some with a silver swirl, and since they're for wedding items I thought that was a cute little extra jazz to make them sparkle :)  Here are the pictures of the final products:

My Bridal Shower Invitation

Our Rehearsal Dinner Invitation
 

Our Wedding Invitation and the Ribbon that was wrapped around it.

A letter of Welcome from our Honeymoon Resort...The first item written to us as a married couple :)

I love the way that they turned out.  If you want to make something similar, here is a tutorial that is most like what I did: Ornament Tutorial

These are the special times, the times we'll remember...

Probably my absolute favorite Christmas song...Girl's got issues but you can't deny her voice.  Celine Dion sang the original but I love this version. 


Speaking of special times, I just need to take a minute to say that I am really loving this time in our lives.  People always say that high school was the glory days, or college was the best time of your life.  I have to disagree.  I am loving this new stage of life, shall I call it the "Wedding and Baby Boom".  That time when you've graduated college and all of a sudden everyone you know is gettin' hitched and having babies.  Let me clarify very quickly that we are not but I have been helping a few friends with wedding planning and gotten some save the dates in the mail, Jake's cousin and one of my best friends are both due with their second children very soon, and also finding out earlier this week that two of my very best friends from high school are pregnant with their first child!  I feel like I am surrounded by so many fun and exciting events for people that I know and love, and how could that not be the best time of your life?  Even with buying cars and houses, there are so many of those "leaps of faith" and jumping into big decisions.  We used to look so forward to Spring Break and those crazy weeks at the beach, now we're planning anniversary trips and summer vacations that are not even comparable to a week in the Dirty Myrtle.  As we are getting so close to the end of 2012, I am eagerly looking forward to the 4 weddings, countless showers, and sweet little babies of 2013 :)

  

Door Decor

Here's a picture of our new winter wreath:

 

It's a little bit hard to tell but the ribbon is a sheer light green to match the W color.  I already had the wreath and ribbon, and the wooden snowflake and "W" only cost $5 at Michael's :)

I put up some of the other porch decorations last night but I haven't been able to get a good picture of them yet.

Tis the Season!

  

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We put our tree up last weekend and today I finally made my bow for the topper...I went to the after Christmas sales last year and bought a pretty star topper but our new pre-lit tree is too tall to use it :( so that went back into the decoration box for use in the future.  I figured a bow would look cute and I found some awesome ribbon at Hobby Lobby.

The Christmas ribbon was on sale 50% off at Hobby Lobby so I got a 30ft roll of 3" wide ribbon for only $4.99!  I already had some craft wire at home...and, voila!

I used the entire roll of ribbon and I think it came out a great size.  I might try to get more ribbon and put some bows like this on our trees outside of the dining room window.  Here is the tutorial that I followed:  Bow Tutorial

I was surprised at how quick and easy it was.  It's great to know how to do it because they charge you $10 plus the price of the ribbon at a lot of places to have one made.  

Next step:  outdoor decorations!

Well, our bulldogs lost yesterday but what a game!  I'm just so proud that they actually showed up and that was one heck of a game to watch.  We had a bunch of friends over to watch it and had a great time with lots of great food.  It was quite the little spread, this picture is from before a few more trays of sweets:

The crock pots were Buffalo Chicken Dip and Velveeta Sausage dip.  Yum!

  

Back to December...

Yes, that was a T.Swift reference!

DECEMBER, can you believe it?! Where has the time gone?  This year has seriously flown by.  I am excited for the holidays and for everything that we have to look forward to next year, but is this really how time moves when you're an adult?  I've always heard people say that the older you are the quicker time goes, but if this is the rate it's moving at in my twenties then I have no idea how it will speed up!

     

Looking forward to going here tomorrow morning with my Momma!  A Christmas tradition that we have had for the past few years and one that I'm very happy to continue :)

and after that....

Let's just say that there will be a pretty intense viewing of this at our house tomorrow at 4pm...Stop by for some entertainment and yummy food!

Davis Jaye, the creator of this cartoon, had these words to say:

“I think that, right now, expecting a non-SEC team to win the National Championship is like expecting the sun to start rising somewhere other than the East. It’s probably not going to happen.”

“The SEC teams want to kill each other during the regular season, but when it comes to Bowl Games, they rally around each other like no other conference.”

  
Go Dawgs! 

Holiday Season

Sooo we were a bit busy over weekend.  Looks like the Thankful list will be continued this week until the end of the month....


12.  Our home, and how blessed we were to be able to make this big purchase on our own.  I can't believe it's already been two years almost!

13.  Our vehicles, especially my car.  Being the youngest in my family I was always the one who got my brother's old car or my dad's old car.  Now, I know it is a blessing in itself that I was given those vehicles since I know that there are many others who are not that lucky or who's parents made them save up to pay for their first car.  However, there is something special about being able to save up my big girl money and buy my first shiny new car with exactly the finishes and features that I wanted.  And, after 9 years I'm finally driving something other than a white SUV!!

14.  Alpha Delta Pi.  Six years ago I had no idea the lasting impact that organization and women would have on my life.  I'm no longer a collegiate member and often times in my daily routine I don't really take the time to reflect on it.  I put on my crest ring every morning, and I'll think of my sisters and what they're doing with their lives now when I get phone calls, texts, or see updates on facebook.  What's amazing about it is when it pops up in unexpected places.  I couldn't even count the times that I've been at business meetings or networking events and find out that another woman there is an alum as well.

15.  Pinterest, for making me seem like such a fantastic and creative cook and hostess.  Also, thanks Pinterest for making private boards so that I can keep my bouts of baby fever to myself! haha



...In other news, I've been decking the halls here for the holidays and I've been inspired to do some organizing of our bookshelves in the living room.  Hopefully pictures to come soon of the holiday decor, etc!

Plans for a New Year...

Quickly before I get into the New Year, I realized that I forgot to re-cap Christmas...we had a great weekend with our family. Saturday my parents came up to stay with us, and we went to the 11pm service at our church, then woke up Sunday to open presents and had our traditional family meal, lasagna. After that, we went to see Jake's family and had their traditional meal at his Aunt Teri's house for dinner. Jake loves his new golf clubs that I got him, my parents got him a golf bag, and my brother got him a matching golf accessory set. All in Georgia black & red, of course :) Jake wanted to get me a piece of jewelry to have and always remember our first married Christmas together, and got me a beautiful pair of diamond earrings!

Well, 2011 went by in a flash! I can't believe how much has happened over the past 12 months. A lot of first-time experiences for us--buying a home, getting married, going on our first big vacation (honeymoon), buying a new car, getting a new dog, remodeling our kitchen, getting a new job...also, for the first time, Jake's company now has its very own warehouse! I am so proud of him.

So, what is in store for next year? Learning how to file taxes as a married couple & our vacation to Las Vegas in May! I have also decided to start drawing more, and I went out last night and got some great deals on the makings for my new art corner. I am really excited and I have already got my first couple projects in mind...

What makes it better is that I got everything on sale! The storage tower is from Ross, and I got it 25% off because the feet aren't level (something my hubby can fix very easily). The easel is a French sketch-box style that can fold up and be portable, and has a center drawer for storage. I got it from Hobby Lobby, and I used their 40% off coupon this week to get it for $59 instead of $99. I also got a new sketchbook for 30% off. The canson drawing pads were B1G1 Free at Michael's, where I also picked up some packs of drawing pencils and charcoals for 40% off. The drawing board I already had from my freshman year at Winthrop. Now, I just need to find a stool and clip-on light. I also want to get some wall shelves or something to decorate that corner.


We are going to have fun this weekend! We are driving down to Mount Pleasant tonight for a late Christmas celebration with my grandfather, and then coming back up to Rock Hill tomorrow for New Years/Jake's 24th birthday festivities. We also have off work on Monday so it will be another nice long weekend!


Happy New Year :)

Holy cow!!

It has been ridiculously long since my last blog, sorry for that! So, what is new since October? I have started a new job and settled in really nicely. I love my bosses and coworkers, and it is so amazing to be working in a positive, happy environment. I have also really enjoyed not working on Saturdays and being able to enjoy my weekends and more time with Jake and friends.

The kitchen is also finished and looks great. We still need to patch the walls from where the backsplash laminate was pulled off, and put up a tiled backsplash. I am not in a hurry to get that done, although it will make it look more complete. I think I just got burnt out because even when I wasn't working on Saturdays I was still so busy and always had something to do. I like not planning out every moment of my weekend and just hanging out.

A little celebration this week, our adorable Kona is one year old. I can't believe how little he was when we first got him. Such a cutie, even though he is so mischievous. It's funny that I talk about him and Reece so much like they are my children, but they are! At least until a few years from now...but let's not rush that!!!

We have a half day of work tomorrow and are off on Monday for Christmas. I Am really looking forward to this weekend and getting to see all of our family for the holidays. We are going to the midnight service at our church on Saturday evening, and having Christmas lunch with my parents. Then we are going to jakes moms house to do gifts with the before going out to his aunt Teri's for Christmas dinner.

Jake got a deal on promotional tickets for the Charlotte Bobcats so we are going to four of their games this season. Two of them happen to be next week, Monday and Wednesday. The others aren't until sometime in February.

Well, enough for now, can't wait to update later this weekend after we see what Santa brings ;)