It's almost over...

I've made it to the cleaning portion of my sickness!

If you know me. Then you know I have pretty much two grades of the sickies.

Grade 1 - the most serious...
Sleep. Sleep and more Sleep. That was me on Sunday. It's like all my body craves. Sleep to restore health to my body. I am usually up briefly for medicine, the bathroom and maybe come crackers and water. Then it's back to bed. I am not normally very needy when I am sick. More often than not I am just fine to sleep until I am better, with the occasional help of getting water or medicine delivered to me.

then there is...

Grade 2 - the less serious...
Napping and cleaning. I get burst of "your almost better" energy and I will clean something. Usually starting with the bed linens, because I wanna kill all my germies. Then it's usually into the bathroom and kitchen followed by the living and dining room. It's not usually hard core cleaning...but enough to rid the house of germs. And clutter annoys me even more when I am sick...so I normally hit that too!

I am in Grade 2 now. It's funny. I cleaned off the dining room table...it had looked like a hurricane hit it after the Ladies Tea. It took me all of 10 minutes...but then I had to lay down and sleep. I wasn't ready for that much action.

By about 5 pm last night I was energetic enough to make homemade pizza. I made the dough myself. I totally wanted to take pictures for the blog too... but I didn't have energy for that! :)

It turned out great and my appetite was officially back. It's now Monday at 12:12 pm and I am feeling 85% better!! Hoping to be at 100% by this time tomorrow!

How do you handle the sickies?

tested.

I am feeling tested.

Like...in little ways and some big ways.

I was talking to a friend about it last night; I am just feeling it. It really must have been on my mind to, because I had a dream last night.

I was standing on one side of a rather short wall. I can see things I want on the other side. Things I want to do. Goals I have, etc.

And yes, this wall was short...so I should have been able to just climb over it...but I looked down and I can't see my legs. I know they are there but I can see them, or seem to move them.

How's that for a dream?

I know God has big things in store; but I also know I can't make them happen. And I may just have to sit by and what other things happen and see what the outcome will be.

*sigh*

This is fun right? Have you ever felt this way?

a Summer Garden Party

My friend B and I hosted a table at our yearly Ladies Tea, just like we did last year! This year our theme was "Summer Garden Party."

I love how the table turned out!! It was just cute, cute, cute!!!

Here's a big shot of the table...

...and some close-ups!!! We loved the lemons with the flowers!!!

...our little flower mats were a big hit, as were the cupcakes in a jar!

...these were their favors...cute little Lemonade mixes.

This was our side/food table.

And here's our table in the dark...with all the candles lite! I was so in love!

...more close ups with the mood all set :P I mean, how cute are the little vases with the little yellow flowers?!?!

Me and my Co-Host B...with our CAH-UTTEEE table!!

I think it was a big CUTE success...but we are TOTALLY taking a year off next year!! :P Check out the post coming up about how we designed our table!! Pin It

Cute Ad.

Kitties are cute. And fluffy. But I am allergic.

So I enjoy them from afar....or in Ads like this Ikea Ad.

Very creative.

Pantry progress...

The pantry...dun dun dunnnn...

It's almost done.

We have insulated, hung drywall, mudded, primed and painted one coat. We still need to paint one more coat, lay the flooring and complete the window. Then. We are done. Except for like the stuff that goes in there. More to come on that later.

Check out the progress...

The beginning. Framed out and start of drywall...

Drywall hung, mudded and primed.

Painted...one coat.

The color is Flagstone by Olympic (at Lowe's) I got the paint color idea from my Pantry muse over at House of Smiths. I am pretty much bitin' off this pantry...even the quatrefoil design! So excited! It just looks pretty and...I LOVE it!!!

More pics to come...when I can move my arms to paint more tomorrow! haha!

bleeecchhhh medicine...

Yo.

I took some medicine this morning for my sniffles. I had it at my desk at work. It's the generic liquid stuff that I normally buy.

...but today...

it.
tasted.
awful.

I felt like this little guy.

No cell phones please.

I posted this on Facebook, but I figured I would share it here too...with the people I love the most.

"So. I work with lovely people, I really do. But one in particular...well...he must really like it around my desk. He eats his breakfast up here, he wanders up to look out my windows, he used to read the newspaper up here...but today...takes the cake. He is talking on his cellphone right at the counter in front of my desk. Seriously?
(face blurred to protect the identity of said co-worker...heehee)"

*sigh*

Homemade Pore Strips

So, I finally did it. We can cross it off my September Monthly 30 before 30 sublist... huhhh say that five times fast!!

• Make my own pore strips

Now...with that said...we are onto the video. Which I have some special notes on...

1. This is quite possibly got to be one of the worst videos I have ever made. Seriously.
2. It's too dark, you can't even see all the nasty blackheady goodness.
3. There are random sound effects in the video...and the one sound effect that was put in for humor...doesn't line up correctly. *sigh*
4. I should probably never edit video after midnight again.

With that said...enjoy my first...super lame Vlog. I am gonna try and not let this supremely lame video keep me from doing other vlogs.

ehhhh.

**side note...when Vimeo loads your movie, it picks a point for the screenshot...and it couldn't have picked a worse face for me...actually it probably could have...but still. Comeon! It's almost as if you look at the video and hear this before it even starts playing...Neeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr! You know, like really annoying like. Think 'Dumb and Dumber - most annoying sound in the world.' There is a title for a reason, pick that as the screen shot. Oh well.**

Homemade Pore Strips from April Eslick on Vimeo.

So there ya have it. Give it a shot...if anything it's a fun thing to do in your free time. :D

p.s. and Myya, if you loved the nose clearing video...hopefully you will find this equally as amusing...

Memories...

In the planning of our "Family Story Wall" I have loved coming across cute and creative ways to remember our life together.

I absolutely LOVE Young House Love and a while back, they showcased some of the ways they showcase their memories...so I will share them with you!

This wedding shadow box is such a cute idea...they took special keepsakes from their wedding and placed them in a special keepsake box to remember them by! Adorable!

I love this idea and Husby and I have started collecting photo strips when we are at fun locations, or just for the heck of it!
I love how they use just a plain cup to keep them in, to browse through on occasion!

Another they way use them is by framing them. Probably something I will add to our "Family Story Wall."

I also love their little collection of chopsticks from favorite Sushi locations...

And how they mail a postcard to themselves when they travel...oh memories...

This is a great idea too. A little keepsake mason jar from little trips they have taken together.

I love this calendar idea. They choose phrases and jokes that meant something to them and created a calendar to remember them. Each month there is a special little giggle when they take a look at the calendar.

I love these framed keys from all their houses and homes...what a great memory. Another idea for the "Family Story Wall."

Such great ideas...just something little to remember life together. What great little treasures to pass on to your kids one day too!

How do you keep your memories?

in the ghhheettooooo

We have our very own "ghetto" in the backyard. It can be found by our fire pit. The same fire pit that is not starting to rust from non-use. You see our backyard got the best of us this year. We had big plans for the backyard...

We were going to finish the landscaping around the fence border and in the corner of the backyard...

I was going to plant a veggie garden like this...

But instead we opted to save some money, pay off debt and do some other small projects. I did plant a potted veggie garden. Out of tomatoes, zucchini, squash, red peppers and green peppers...we have gotten ONE red pepper. Still on the plant. I am too afraid to take it off and try it. haha. I would call that a veggie gardening FAIL.

Not to mention our backyard...for some reason...is mosquito breeding grounds. Which makes it nearly impossible to hang out back there, much less do any work out there.

Ugh.

Anywho, one little project I knew that I did want to complete before Summer's end was the area around our fire pit. Cause..it's...ghetto.

Please...gander at the ghettoness...

Here's a bigger, wider view of the area in all it's horrible glory...

There are a couple of things to note:

• Our wood pile is fine. One good mark there.
• The scrap wood pile...is a mess. It's like a cricket brothel up in there too. They are breeding like rabbits. It drives the dogs batty.
• The fire pit has the gangster lean.
• There are weeds growing around the fire pit.
• The fire pit is rusting.

It's just bad.

So...first things first...level out the ground beneath the fire pit and add some pavers for stability and style.

Here's how we did it. I totally planned to hit this project myself and impress the Husby...however I am super grateful that he stepped in to help.

So first, we measured our area and marked the ground with spray paint, then we dug out the space...about two inches down. Oh yeah, we are simple enough, that I didn't buy those sticks you pound in the ground to mark your corners, I used sticks from the ground. Genius if you ask me.

Then, my ever so lovely Husby leveled out that area...with help from me of course. Pickle supervised.

Then we added paver sand...for more leveling. Again, Pickle supervised...even though he would have really preferred that Dad just stop what he was doing and throw the ball for him!

Then we laid down our pavers.

I think it turned out great....only problem is...I misjudged the actual size of our fire pit...so more pavers were needed.

Check back soon for the rest of this "Revive the backyard Ghetto" project. :P

What is the meaning of life?

I think I know.

Seriously.

I found the answer.

I know that sometimes, searching for the meaning of life can seem like this...

...you think your getting the answer...but really it's still so unclear.

Some people say...

Ohhh...so new-agey and freeeeee!!

You can ask google....

And get near 800,000 results!

Then there are times you ask your dearest friends...

and that's the response you get. They don't get it either...and sometimes who cares! We're living right?! That's all that's important.

But is it?

I found the answer...quite simpley stated on a bumper sticker that drove by me on my lunch walk today...

"the meaning of life is to give life meaning."

Duh right?! But it hit me like a ton of bricks.
It's meaningful enough to give me direction, yet vague enough to leave it up to me.

I think in many ways I have found what I want for my life...things that will impacts it's meaning to me. I just don't always live in the meaning, like I should.

I am going to stop putting off my happy life...stop putting off finding my meaning in everything I do. So I am challenging myself...and I hope it's a challenge to you as well.

Take your life and give it MEANING.

Yes, this will be a daily struggle and battle to find out what that means for you, as it will for me. But don't give up. There is meaning in all we do!

Family Story Wall

I am in the planning phase of our Family Story Wall.

I think it's going to be really neat. Kind of ever changing.

The idea behind it is to just incorporate Our Story through pictures, keep sakes...whatever.

This is my view of the dining room wall...where our story will go. I would love to add a board and batten look to the dining room...it seems like a simple enough project...but I fear Husby may say "off with her head!" at the idea of it!

...but wouldn't it be cute??

Anywho...the mock dining room wall...thanks to Photoshop...

I am already starting to put layout ideas on here...a wedding shot, the framed keys. Also we will have our family purposes on their and so much more! I am excited to see how it progresses and my goal is to start working on it this Winter...when there isn't much to do outside our four home walls!

What do you think so far??

d r a g g i n g...

I am so dragging today. I had an awful night sleep last night. I have alot of stuff I wanna do...and I guess that was all on my mind.

So that left me feeling alot like this dog this morning...





Ever have days like that?? Ughhhhh.

I feel my to-do list growing...and while there is a big part of me that loves being busy...having my hand in many things...sometimes it's hard too.

I'm just such a night owl, and I feel like once Husby leaves for work I get alot of stuff done. I guess I just need to learn to find a way to clear my head and go to bed a little earlier. I'm an adult that shouldn't be that hard huh?!

a Gala event...

So Husby and I are attending our very first Gala event on October 14th for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

We are both terribly excited...especially seeing how Husby was on the planning committee for the event...oh la la...!! I am so proud of how hard he has worked to support this cause and to come up in this Organization to become an Ambassador, as well as a Liaison to his own Department; then he was asked to be on this planning committee...it's just all so...wow!!

There have been many firsts for him...conference calls with big-wigs and meetings about an event where the tickets cost upwards of $5,000+!!

There will be a first for me too...a formal evening gown...and NO wedding involved!!

bring on the "big girl" nerves!!

Now, I am just as much a girl as the next person...but I HATE clothes shopping. Normally because I don't tend to have much luck finding what I want.

So evening dress shopping...kinda makes me wanna wet myself. I have begun searching online and I will show you a few of my favorites that I have run across. Let's see what the masses think about my choices...

I LOVE this dress...although the $798 price tag is a bit out of my price range...I just think it is beautiful!!

This dress is probably my favorite right now...I love the layering...looks good for belly coverage and it gives me a semi-sleeve option...The price is decent too...$198.

I love the Grecian style of this dress...it must be popular this season, cause I am seeing it alot! Price is at $248...that's a little steep for what seems like a simple dress.

I LOVE this dress...well at least the bottom of the dress...it's filled with little rosettes....love it! Price is $238. I would need something more for the top though!

This is a very pretty dress as well...complete with rosettes too!! Price is $141...nice!

This is a decent dress with sleeve options...sort of :P Price is $218.

So...what are your thoughts? For those that know me...see anything that suits me?! This is going to be harder than I even thought! haha!

I know what I want too...I would love something black and white...with like the black over white lace look...at the top...kinda like Ashley Green's dress in this post...We shall see what I find!!