Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

If you are on baby watch, we've made it another week without any indication that miss thang will make her appearance. Technically, my doctor was supposed to begin checking me for dilation two weeks ago, but a) I'm not ready for that process {they have to get all up in your cervix and that is just as uncomfortable as it sounds}, and b) he has seen no indication that I've been remotely close to starting this labor.

I'm happy to say we have crossed all the must haves off the list to bring her home, so if I can make it through this next week I have no doubt in my mind the rest will fall into place. However, I still haven't made it to that 'cleaning phase' that everyone talks about, so we will see how that goes. I told Will that worst case scenario, if I go into labor the first thing he needs to do is call someone to clean. I know we will have family in town and the last thing I want to worry about is them showing up to a messy house. I know most relatives would understand, but you don't know how much of a cleaning nazi my grandmother is. Oy vey.

One of the main reasons I wanted to at least make it this far was that our friend Jo's baby shower was this weekend, and I was kinda in charge of decor. I had it all ready for them in case I did go into labor, but luckily I was able to attend the event and stuff my face. The theme was Peter Cottontail, which I happen to think turned out beautifully with help from Hannah's bomb.com diaper cake, and in an unrelated note...Karie made me Jo a watermelon cake again!

It's funny, when Jo told me she was pregnant, I was super happy for her but thanked my lucky stars that we were still child free. Little did I know...I was not only pregnant, but three weeks ahead of her. Whoops. Well, at least we got to go through this together and now we are both in the home stretch. The gang is actually taking bets to see which of us will pop first since she's already having contractions, so I'm just gonna guess we go into labor together. Women 'cycle' together, so maybe we've synced up our pregnancies too. Man what a great story that would be if our betrothed children are also born together.

Brain Dump: I Might Break Up With My iPhone

GASP! Is it so?
I have been an iPhone user for about four years, and iPod user for 10+ years, and an Apple user since back in the day when we called them 'Macs', but I have been seriously disappointed with all the software glitches, updates, and poor picture quality of the 5S that was supposed to be 'soooo much better'. I don't know if I'll pull the trigger come upgrade time in June, but I need y'alls opinion on the the 6, 6+, and any other phone that you guys use, love, and/or hate. I'm down to the upgrade deadline, so HELP! Hashtagfirstworldproblems

+ Check out the Volunteer Coin I got. Sorry to keep bringing this whole volunteer thing up, but it's been a whirlwind of a year and I'm very thankful to end on this positive note with all these perks I never thought I'd get and I most certainly won't be getting next year. HashtagMerica

+  This week has been focused on the changing table and crib bumper. I kept changing my mind which fabric I wanted to use for the interior of the bumper, but I finally pulled the trigger with the more subdued pattern on the left. I would let you guess, but I wouldn't want you all to vote for the floral pattern on the right and then second guess myself. Hopefully I can call it done come tomorrow. Eek! I'm so close to being done with all the nursery 'projects'!

+ Cajun Chicken Pasta is one of my faves of all time, but I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for a bowl full of $0.30 pasta. The other day, I figured it was about time I tried to make some myself where it was cost efficient, I  control the seasonings, and most importantly, I could have a ton of chicken and veggies accompanied by pasta instead a pile of pasta two bites of chicken.
**I apologize to those of you that want a bloggerific recipe in the perfect format and font, but it's much easier for me to write it out how I cook it, and this is for me to remember as much as it is to share. Here's another recipe option for the ones that need more direction. ;)

Chicken Breast (2 or more)
Red and Green Bell Pepper
Red Onion
1 1/2-2 C. Cooked WHOLE GRAIN Pasta
2Tbsp Butter
1 C. Heavy Cream or Milk
1/2 C. Parmesan
1/2 C. Sour Cream
Blackened Seasoning to taste. I probably used a half C. in total...
Chopped Green Onion for garnish
Sub or add Chicken Stock for all or part of the cream to lighten it up. Just don't get rid of the cheese or sour cream, though, or you will regret it.

The great thing is that this recipe is customizable. With chicken/without, more veggies/veggies of your choice, season to your taste, and even cook it how it works for you. You can saute your chicken and veggies in EVOO and Blackened Seasoning, but I really recommend lighting up the good ol' grill. You will get a much smokier flavor, use less oil, and your husband will be proud. To grill, coat chicken and veggies {separate bowls} with Blackened Seasoning/EVOO. Cook chicken directly on grill and five minutes later you can throw the veggies on in a grill basket. You will want to flip the chicken halfway through (when the skin separates from the grill making it easy to flip) and try to stir the veggies periodically so they don't over char.

You should probably start the sauce before grilling if you are going that route, but if you are sauteing the chicken, feel free to make this a one pot dish and cook the sauce in the same pan using the heavy cream to deglaze the pan. In a large skillet, heat up some butta' and then pour in Heavy Cream, Parmesan, Sour Cream, and as much blackened seasoning as your little heart desires {just remember- you can always add more, but you can't subtract}. You can also add a tsp or two of sugar or sweetener of your choice if you want to add some depth as it cooks. It won't take long to meld the flavors, so toss in your pasta and veggies when done, mix to coat, and then serve with chicken and green onion garnish on top.

My last question for today: Has anyone tried ordering form Target this week? I've had nothing but trouble with their online site no matter which browser I try to use and it's frustrating the ish out of me. It may be because they are having a big baby sale, but either way I just want to order stuff and give them money. Why then, do they make it SOOOOO difficult.

Thanks for letting me brain dump! Anything on your mind?

My Latest Masterpiece: Dresser Repurpose

If you don't care about this tutorial, just scroll on down to see the finished product and tell me it's pretty. I spent a whole week on this thing, so I want confirmation that it was worth my time. Not that I don't get giddy every time I look at it, but you know what I'm sayin'.
Perhaps you remember this old dresser...

We actually bought that dresser for half off at Salvation Army, and it was meant to be a stand in until we decided on an entertainment console. Fast forward three years later, and we still haven't decided on new furniture. Well, I got tired of looking at it, so now that I have the 'spare time' to take on new projects it was time to revamp the eyesore.

The problem, was that this isn't even a real wood dresser, as in it's basically a step above Ikea. I knew there had to be a way to paint this god-awful mixture of laminate and particle board, so off to Pinterest I went. Yep, that means that I'm actually using the pins on my boards and not just pretending anymore! Really all you need to know, is that Primer is your friend, and it will allow you to paint anything your little heart desires. A lot of paint is made with Primer nowadays, but when we are talking about laminate and un-sanded surfaces, the real stuff is the way to go. Save yourself the freakout later when your paint starts bubbling up.

PRIMER || PAINT IN IVORY LACE || PROTECTIVE FINISH
**I also recommend going with water based products, because if you've ever tried to clean your brushes and pans, oil-based is a biatch to deal with. Along with those supplies, don't forget to pick up a little Paintbrush & Roller Kit. Mainly, you need a paint tray and a decent brush, but having a couple different sizes of foam rollers won't hurt either.**

Step #1
After you've laid down cardboard or tarp, remove the drawers/ hardware, clean all the surfaces, and get to priming. 

Oh hey, look...it's dark outside.
Time to pack it up and let it dry over night. Don't get scared, it only took less than an hour.

Step #2
Day two and three are for laying the color with drying time in between, and that's when you really feel like you are making the magic happen. If you are feeling froggy, you can even take a piece of sandpaper to the edges to distress them before putting on your Polycrilic. Just don't get too froggy or you will have to paint over your mistakes. Sidenote: You can also use the sand paper to get rid of any drips or mistakes along the way.

Step #3
Protect all your hard work with the Polycrilic finish. You have to be really careful with the water based version of this {and you may even want to try oil based}, but if you take your time, it turns out beautifully. It adds to the finish without discoloration or the heavy lacquered look.

Step #4
Decide what to do about the hardware, because the drawer pulls are the key to creating a full update. Surprisingly, this was the hardest part. The extra ones I had were the wrong size, I went to Lowe's and their selection was meh, and I searched Etsy but the prices were ridic, so finally, I realized I'd just have to make do with the originals. I decided that a little  Periwinkle Spray Paint would do the trick, especially since I already had another 'piece of crap art' that I desired to have Periwinkle. Inspired by this pin.

Gotta love killing two birds with one stone can of paint. So now we have some wall art, and I get giddy everytime I watch tv with my new entertainment center.

Whoops, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Step #...I forget, is putting the whole shebang back together.

And BAM...it's like a whole new dresser! Or shall I say Console?...Yeah, that sounds fancier.

I wanna pat myself on the shoulder, and say 'Git down wit yo bad self!'

Now, ask me about the Floor lamp I made. I'd love to tell ya about that one too ;).

Last but not least, I'm happy to announce that Jamie from Handling With Grace won The Coffee Doge giveaway, so let's give her a hand! This lil momma of two and fellow military spouse deserves a sweet treat, but thanks to everyone that participated!

I Think I Really Found My Calling This Time

Considering I don't have a job, I'm far too excited for it to be Friday. In my defense, I've been blogging, working on a video of graduation week, cooking, cleaning, working out, and attending two Fort Rucker events, but sheesh...where are my bonbons and mimosas? We did have Mint Julep's at the FRSC luncheon, but ssshhh... That was supposed to be a business luncheon, and by business, I mean Derby themed par-tay. Some of you may have seen the hat I made for the occasion, but here it is!

Apparently, I was a hat designer in another life, because I had no clue I had that in me. Who knew at twenty-eight I'd be discovering hidden talents. At least I have some, I guess?

There was a contest for best hat, but alas I didn't win. Not that I needed any confirmation that my hat was bomb.com and was the best, because well- duh! I still had a lot of fun, and was offered the position of Secretary on the executive board. It must have been the hat; It screams "I'm a great typer." Yes, I know typer isn't a word.

Dress H&M Here, Still Available in Black

All I can say is thank goodness it's time to take a break. We are heading home for the weekend, and if I don't make it to the beach this time, heads will roll. We are dropping Weiser off  to be pampered this weekend, and then it's time for 'us' time... Well, actually I wish I meant that.... Instead of the romantic getaway I was hoping for, we will be attending a birthday, visiting family, studying, and attending an anniversary brunch. So yeah...It's going to be the longest short weekend ever. Next week. Next week, I'll take a break....

Cheers to the freakin' weekend. I'll drink to that! Yeah-eah.
Now you have that song stuck in your head. You're welcome.

The Dog Isn't A Big Talker, But He Can Hold A Paintbrush

Just kidding, I wish I had a video of Weiser painting, but other than stealing a paintbrush off the table, I don't believe he's the next blind-painting dog. However, he is a great listener. I talk to him every time Will is gone, he just doesn't usually talk back. Usually. That's what's good about blogging, even though I'm technically talking to myself, you all leave sweet little comments and inspiration to keep me sane. In case I don't say it enough...thanks for that, and thanks to Shanna for allowing me to be random on Wednesdays.

+ We still haven't fully unpacked {go figure}, and I keep taking on new tasks before finishing others. I assured Will that I would have the house together before he graduates since all the family will be in town, but I'm going to have to buckle down and quit taking on new projects before I finish the last. I did finish the following, though. I decided I hated having these gorgeous photos of our loved ones stuck randomly all over the fridge, so I painted some frames, added magnets, and voila...

I already had the paint, so I just bought some cheap frames from Big Lots and Goodwill, and now I have a lovely de-cluttered fridge. Just call me Miss Crafty.

+ I've been writing A LOT. I joined a 30 Day Writing Challenge, and it's been quite inspirational. I've been a writer all my life, including having a poem published when I was twelve, and now I actually have time to do it. So far it's mostly been a journal {because I have no one to talk to}, but it's been sprinkled with some pretty deep stuff. I actually chose to do the challenge, because I wanted to create a habit of writing every day. Obviously, I'm creating content for the blog everyday, but I want to make sure I write for myself too. I think it's very important we remember to write for US.

+I mowed with a gas mower all by myself! Do you know how hard it is to hold the handle down and toggle the gas by the engine when you have short arms? Let me tell you, someone should have recorded me using cement blocks and practically pulling my arm out of socket. For a mere $45 smackers, I could have avoided this situation, but we all know I will take that $45 to my grave. HashtagI'mcheap. We actually entertained the idea of paying someone to do pest control, lawn care, yadda yadda, but I just can't bring myself to do it. We are young, able-bodied, and not lazy, so I think we should keep doing these things ourselves. Plus, I'd much rather have all that mon-ay chilling in the bank than in someone else's pocket. In two years, we will have saved ourselves about $2,000 on top of all the other stuff we do. Cha-ching. We've gotten our savings to where I want it to be, and I'll be damned to take money out for superfluous things.

I really need to write up a post about how we've been saving money, and how I've been making extra money. I'm feeling pretty good about how we've started out this adventure of me not 'working'. The World is my oyster, and I want to share my pearls.
Would you like some of my pearls?

DIY Fringe Boots, Groovy Baby

What do you do when a friend is PCS'ing to Hawaii?

Have a Luau 60's theme party!

{PCS=military move}

I originally thought that the hippie theme wouldn't work, but everyone seriously embraced it. The best part, was that I already had everything but the fringe boots, which I made myself! More on that in a bit...

You may not know this, but Will and I were born in the wrong generation. We lust over everything vintage, think/act like we were raised in the 50's, and now we look like we lived in the 60's. He even picked that shirt himself. H-O-T-T, HOT! As were my girls...

I'm very happy to say, that it was one of my favorite nights after three years in Colorado. I love anytime I can dress up, Will and I both drank without any trouble, and some great memories were made. It's actually sad to think it may be the last big night out for us here. *Tear* Only one month to go.

But enough of that, the night was still young! 

After the party, it's the after party...

Oooh lawd, and this is where I admit that we are too old for after parties. Don't get me wrong, it was super duper fun, but drinking until 4AM just ain't supposed to happen anymore. Luckily, I have the best husband EVER, and he took care of me for the next two days. He even brought me McDonald's AND pizza in bed. My hero...like for serious.

But let's get to the real reason we are here...may I repeat, I MADE those fringe boots. I wasn't about to buy fringe boots for the party {who are we kidding, I just couldn't find ones that I liked}, so I made fringe to go with a pair of boots I already had!

#1 Pick out the boots you want to transform, and match them with fringe and coordinating ribbon. In my case I only had one fringe color option, so I just made sure that the beaded ribbon I chose brought the two colors together.**

#2 I put on nude knee length socks, scrunched them to where I wanted them on my calf, and cut the ribbon to fit. Leave a little extra to overlap, and hem the edge if it is likely to fray.

#3 Sew the fringe to the bottom of the ribbon. Use a sewing machine if you are so inclined, but a hand stitch is just fine.

#4 Now, you could sew it to the socks, but I wanted to be able to transfer the fringe to other socks, and I felt the need to be able to wash the socks after without ruining the fringe. Instead, I simply used safety pins from the inside to attach the ribbon to the socks {while I was wearing them so they were stretched out}, and continued to wrap the fringe to cover the top of the boots, pinning a few spots to keep it in place. Done son.

Can we just agree that if duct tape had a little sister, it would be safety pins? Easy Peasy, and finished in less than an hour. All in all, I spent $15 dollars on the whole outfit by using things I already had and downloading the Joann Fabric app to get access to all their coupons. ** Do it now if you haven't already, and Michaels/Hobby Lobby while you are at it. It just makes me realize that I really need to utilize my DIY skills more often, and I am totally patting myself on the back right now.

Now that I've had a week to recuperate from my hangover, I'm off to Fort Lauderdale for a long weekend. It's going to be a fun girls weekend, but I already know I will be missing Will. I just keep reminding myself it's only four days! Hopefully I'll be able to check in on Monday, but I make no promises. Helloooo warm weather and sandy beaches, oh how I have missed you! 

Peace and love, groovy babes.

I Got Drano For Christmas

This Christmas, I expected a quiet morning at home, a few fun gifts, snuggle time with my love, and a little sadness that we weren't home with family. Of course we missed the fam, but to be honest, it was one of the best Christmases to date!

First there were a gaggle of gifts, and here are the funny ones...

Gulf Oil Can Mug...My parents picked this up for Will because his family owned Gulf Gas Stations back in the day. I love that my parents are so thoughtful!

Brad Thor Alpha Jacket...Oh let me tell you about the jacket. Two months ago, Will sent me a link to the Scottevest, which is the end-all-be-all jacket. I went ahead and ordered it as a Christmas present because I'm a brilliant wife, and then the knucklehead tried to buy it himself. Instead of telling him that I ordered it, I caused a huge fight and didn't even feel bad about it. To further throw suspicion, I even told his best friend that I was sending it to his house, when I really had it sent to my work. Buck is terrible at keeping secrets, so I had no choice. As a matter of fact, I tricked them so good that they thought it hadn't been delivered. The hassle was ALL worth it to see his face and know that I GOT'EM!

Then there was the Drano... Remember when our pipe was frozen? Our Realtor assumed it was clogged, which I knew was not the case, so I said not to waste the Drano. The boys made fun of me for worrying about "wasting the drano", so this is what I opened. I KNEW there was something else to it, because Buck bragged about how good his present was, and low and behold there was $100 taped to the bottom. Sneaky Boys!

All I can think is the Modern Family scene where Sophia Vergara tricks Al Bundy for Valentines Day, and shouts, "I win, I win!" However, I think we can tell who was the happiest on Christmas...

Soon after, the meal planning began, and we realized that we had way too much food for the two of us. We knew a few people that didn't have anywhere to spend Christmas so an impromptu dinner was thrown together. Let me tell you, this is the BEST way to do it, because there was no stress- we just picked up the house, and started cooking.

It's funny, we didn't make a single plan other than opening presents or cooking dinner, and yet, it felt good to feed a few refugees, watch Christmas movies during our food comas, and we even ended up going out for a few beers and a lotta laughs. That's what it's all about, right? Food, friends, and beer fun.

One last thing, you may want to do the following, next year. 

I just made a weekly countdown with homemade tags, and corresponding bottles of alcohol, and it was a hit! I got the idea from the popular new Advent calendars made with wine bottles or shots, and streamlined it. We don't need a ton of booze before we move, so this was a perfect surprise for Will. Especially since the last two bottles are VERY hard to find, which made them extra meaningful.

Needless to say, I don't have a single complaint. Not even for the fact that I got Drano for Christmas. Anyone got a clog? I got'chu ;)

Camo Time!

Yesterday, I mentioned working a fight in Pueblo for Wounded Warriors.
MMA and a charity for soldiers? You KNOW I'm in!

First, I had to make the outfits, so of course I turned to Pinterest.

I searched DIY Camo and bingo.

I needed to make a combo of this:

Source: apair-andaspare.blogspot.co.uk via Hayley on Pinterest

And this:

Circa our last fight

I started off with this:

Did a little:

And topped it off with:

I created the belts using Rit Dye and this method.

Which eventually turned into:

Do they come off classy and sassy?

Cuz that was the goal ;)

Honestly, I think that my favorite part of these events is making the outfits.

I love tapping into my creative side and find the process quite therapeutic.

Anyone else feel me on that?

I mean, Halloween is coming up...time to get our juices flowin'!

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I can also officially announce the winner of the My Memeries Software giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lynn blogs over at Illegally Blonde and is pretty darn awesome.

She even rocks the "I Support The Troops" button. You KNOW that is the way to my heart.

Congrats Lynn, and thanks for all who entered.

You guys ROCK.

Letting Go...

Raise of hands...Who else is as RIDICULOUSLY excited as I am that Meg's preggers?!

I have stalked been enamored with Meg and her hubby for quite some time, and I love that I get to be excited right along with them! Can you just imagine them as parents? Gets me all giddy!

Sometimes: People think it's weird to "meet" people online.

Always: Chat rooms, yes. Blogging, totally normal.

Sometimes: We ogle over everything at C&B, Anthro, and Pier 1.

Always: If you put the effort in, you can make/thrift decor that is just as cute!
You know how they say:
 "It's not the clothes that make the girl, it's the girl that makes the clothes..."?
I say, It's not the decor that makes the decorator, it's the decorator that makes the decor!

Sometimes: We get wrapped in all the commercialization.

Always: I'll keep my money in the bank, and have more fun thrifting!

Sometimes: We get wrapped up in material things period.
Always: It's OK to take a picture and let go...
These are small treasures, but it's time to de-clutter.

Sometimes: People cherish every artifact filled with memory.

Always: That's why there's a show called Hoarders.

We might move every three to five years for the next twenty years, so I'm definitely wanting to downsize. We filled the BIGGEST truck they had last move, and we have even more furniture now. 

How do two twenty-somethings acquire this much? 

No clue, but you better bet I'm going to get us in check by the next move.

If it's not nailed down, it's available!

Even Louis V. and Mr. Choo.

Snag them for yourselves or Christmas is coming...
Send your boyfriends and husbands my way!
Otherwise, these babies are going on ebay for a few other lucky ladies Christmas presents.
Hillary, aren't you the ebay queen? Haha.
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You all know that tomorrow is the next installment of GBB, right?
I hope everyone has their videos ready.
I love Vlog days, so come back tomorrow!