Guilty Pleasure Friday

This guilty pleasure friday is, again, dedicated to my big brother, Dan.  Who is- right now- on his way home from his TDY* in the Middle East.  And his birthday was yesterday.  I can think of no greater birthday present for him to be back in the states with his wife and sons.

And without further adieu...







*tour of duty.

Top indicators that I know its time to do laundry (and the reasons I give to put it off another day)

It's funny. I don't mind doing laundry.

Yet, I always seem to be behind on it.

As of late, I'm way behind.

Way, way behind.

I'm attributing it to a slew of sickness in our abode.

Couple that with a crazy busy schedule

And add to that a backslide in my adrenal function...

Well, let's just say that Minerva is not doing her job.

So, today I look around my house and I realize we're in some dire laundry straights.

But I don't want to do the laundry all day today.

So, I'm making excuses not to do it.

So, here are my indicaters that I see (and the reasons I'm giving for putting them off):

**I have no clean shirts without stains on them

(what's a couple of spit up stains on the shirt when I have no where to go today?)

**C. had to choose between an 18M shirt and his 3T swimming shirt

(lets pretend its beach day in the house!)

**I had to choose (again) between maternity underwear and nothing

(why did these maternity undies NOT get packed away?!?!)

**I'm using an old bib as a dish cloth

(they're made out of dish towels, why not?)

**I'm wearing Halloween socks.  The holey ones.  Because I wore the non-holey Halloween socks yesterday.

(I'm officially declaring it 'Party on my feet' week!  Next up, Christmas!)

** Dave washed himself with a dish scrubber in the shower since we had no washclothes

(Can we say the men in our lives could use a good exfoliation once in a while?!?!)

**A. has no clean clothes that matched.

(Thanks to a well placed Mix-Match day at school, courteousy of National Lutheran Schools Week)

**I only have two bath towels left on my chatroom shelves.

(Two?!?!  Really?  Wow, I can put off laundry for another two days.  The boys can drip dry.)

Ahhh, here's to another laundry free day.

Guilty Pleasure Friday

As we approach the time to start thinking of wall colors, furniture colors, colors to stain the trim, etc, I'm drawn to looking at interior design sites and consult with friends that know a thing or two about color.

Hence, this guilty pleasure poster jumped out at me.

This was obviously someone who not only remembers the 80's, but thrived in them as well.

Rock on, my friend...you're living on a prayer.

Before/ After pictures

Ahhh, Thursdays.  I love them.

Especially this Thursday- it was spa day at MOPS.

I love spa day at MOPS.

I feel beautiful and smell like Aveda products.

Does it get any better than that?

Well, of course it does!

It's also before/after picture day!!!

Head on over to Monica's to see the original creator.

Love her, love her blog.

Ok, SOOC:

This was taken on the Hop cousin's day at the zoo.

My nephew was so attentive and caring with C.

It totally warmed my heart.

He was soooo good with him!

I loved the look of the two of them in this picture, and wanted to crop it so the picture was just the two of them.

Then it was awfully dark, so I filled in some light:

How cute are they?!?!?

10 Years Ago...

My last post got me thinking...

I kept thinking how much will change in the course of a decade.

Then it got me thinking of how much had changed in the 10 years previous...

So, this is my 10 years ago post!

March 3, 2000


I am 23 years old.  Last year, I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BBA (Marketing and Management Emphasis').  I completed my Product Marketing Internship at Haworth and started my first "real" job at another smaller office furniture manufacturer just two months ago.  So far, I'm not enjoying it as much as I had anticipated.  I don't think I'm cut out for "office politics."  I'm too blunt and call it like I see it.  Not something that the 'good old boys' are big fans of.  In addition, my boss frequently impersonates female genetalia with his mouth and tongue.  Makes me want to barf.  In addition, he doesn't wash his hands after using the restroom and just touched my pen.  I said he could have it- I'm not touching it again.  ever.  This is not a long term gig.  NeoCon is approaching quickly in Chicago- which is keeping me extremely busy- and hopefully far away from my disgusting boss.

I am dating a guy named Dave that I think could be "the one."  We've been dating for 4 1/2 months now, and he's already told me he loves me and is using words like "someday..."  "in the future..." and "kids".  He's nice, funny, courteous, honest, hard-working, and not to mention HOT.  He owns his own house and rents out the loft and basement to friends to help out with mortgage payments.  He works as a designer by day and does odd carpentry jobs a few nights a week.  He hopes to own his own business some day.  He  is also taking a few classes at the local college.  He's one busy guy.  Dave's from a big family, and they are all really nice too.  He's got an adorable niece who was born 5 months ago- I'm crazy about her. 

He's introduced me to a financial guy named Dave Ramsey.  I'm reading his book.  This guy makes sense.

  Darnit. 

Now I'm convicted to get rid of all my credit cards and pay off my car.  Dave doesn't know I'm doing this yet.  I will let him know as soon as I own my car.  Right now we've fallen into a great routine of seeing each other every Wednesday night (he comes my way) and Saturday nights (I head into the city to see him).  He's got me going to church again.  It's an interesting church we go to together.  Charasmatic and multi-cultural.  The music leader is awesome.   Nice for the short term, but not so much long term.  We'll see what happens.

My parents and I are taking a trip in June, and taking Dave with us.  We're looking forward to going to Europe to see my brother, his wife and their one year old son.  They're stationed at the Bitberg AFB there.  The pictures we've seen are beautiful!  We have quite a trip planned to tour the continent, and I cannot wait!  I also am thrilled to the gills to see my nephew!

My best friend is getting married in less than a month, and I am serving as her maid-of-honor.  We have many festivities to attend between now and then.  I'm sad that she'll be heading to Fort Wayne after she's married.  I love having her so close.

Most of my days are spent working, tanning, shopping and hanging out with friends.  I have few responsibilities, and I like it that way.  I'm enjoying my freedom and love having fun.


Well, if you're reading this, you've been tagged to join the fun!

In ten years....

Hey ladies!  If you're reading this on your dashboard, you may want to read this one.  I've tagged about 10 of ya' to play along.  :)



My bloggy friend, Brittney, has tapped me to do an "in ten years" post.  I think this is a fun idea.  (Yeah, until I realized that her -in ten years- age was still less than my current one- oh man...).  But still fun.  So, here goes:


Here are the rules:


1. Post where you want to be in 10 years

2. Pass it on to 10 of your bloggy friends!

On March 2, 2020 I will be a  40-something mother of two boys SIXTEEN and TWELVE!  A. will be driving (gasp!) and saving for his first car using 401Dave funds (we match his money that he's saved).  C. will be looking forward to his confirmation this spring (gasp!).  Both boys will have surpassed me in height- A. probably being about a foot or so taller than his mom.

Molly would have passed a few years prior (I know, I hate to think of it, but labs don't typically make it to 18 1/2 years old), and we will have an additional dog or two.  We continue to name our dogs after members of the 80's movies Brat Pack  (Alley, Emilio, Anthony, Donger).

The addition on the addition will be COMPLETE!  (Seriously, it BETTER be by now!!!), and we will be fully funding our retirement accounts again.  We've traveled some, but not a lot yet- hopefully going back to Europe- a vacation that Dave and I loved back in 2000.

I have lost a ton of weight and continue to enjoy good health.  My energy level is untouched, and I have started a ministry helping others.  I own my own business- hopefully a portrait studio run out of our cleaned out pole barn, and enjoy moonlighting as (undecided career) here.  And my secret goal has been achieved and unveiled on our personal blog (see list #101).  Dave's business continues to thrive, and we will have completed our first fix-and-flip by now- perhaps selling it or renting it out depending on the state of the economy.

And ten years ago, when I originally wrote this post, I look back and think, "wow, was I blessed."  A decade later, I can still say the same thing, regardless of whether or not my life looks like the pretty picture painted here.  In the meantime, this is a lot to do...Dave I had best get crackin'!

Ok...sharing the fun..

Jenna

Lesley

Kate

Rachel

Kathy

Monica

B-Dub (Bethany)

Jennifer

Lisa

Mama M.

Need your opinions, please.

Normally I have no problem making decisions.

Especially when it comes to home decor.

Actually, I have most of the addition decorated in my head.

Except for the details, of course.

And this is where I run into a bit of a stumbling block.

Instantly,

decisions I would make quickly are turning into a 45 minute blank stare in the tile aisle at Home Depot.

Whoever created those race car carts was a genius.

The employees were awesome and totally helpful.

And even one of Dave's fellow elders from church stopped by (on his lunch break!) to help me out.

But none of them have seen my (almost finished!!) bathroom.

And they don't know what it would look like against the chocolate brown cabinets.

So, here's where YOU come in.

I picked out two backsplashes that I love.

I cannot choose between the two of them.

They're both pretty.

I need your help.

Would you mind casting a vote?

THANKS!  You're awesome. 

I knew you'd help a friend in "need."

Ok, here's choice A:

And choice B:

So, then I thought that the lighting wasn't very good down there.  I took them outside to get some natural light*.  This way you can see the full color spectrum. 

I know, that was nice.  You're welcome.

So, again.  Choice A:

And choice B:

Thanks for helping a lady in "need!"

*you know...as much 'light' as we can get on March 1 in Michigan....