Date Night

It's really hard for hubs and I to do a date night. With his hours he typically doesn't get home until 7:30[pm] some nights and other nights it's after 10[pm] before I see him. By that time I'm done ready for bed. One reason is I'm part old person, the other is of my schedule. I have to leave the house around 6:30[am] in order to get to my job on time. By 10[pm] it's getting late and I'm needing to get myself into bed. So it's hard for us to do a date night because our schedules so rarely match up. Also, we're doing our best to pay off school bills and the truck right now. Translation: we don't have the means to spend the money to go out. This presents us with yet another problem.

One of my "To dos"{seen here}is to date my husband, so naturally that means going on a date night. As I was browsing on Pinterest (yes, I am addicted), I came upon this blog entry by Love Actually. Now I am an avid reader and I love all things books, so when I saw {this}date night idea I started salivating. I love bookstores. I have always said that my heaven would be a giant bookstore (all the books would be free of course), but I just love them. So here's a new idea for a fun and creative date night. I'll have to see if we can find time in our busy schedule to make something like this happen. Perhaps early one Saturday morning...

I mean, doesn't that look like so much fun!

{I find as I type this I'm completely spoiled by my phone's autocorrect (most of the time). Sometimes my fingers decide in which order they want to hit (or not hit) the keys and I'm so used to the phone just correcting it for me. Do you ever notice the way you get used to things being set up and fixed for you?}

To do in Twenty12

Twenty12 is going to be a big year for us. I can just feel it. Something deep in my gut says that this will be "the year." The year for what, I still don't know, but it's going to be a big year and I'm trusting God to take us where He wants us to be. So here's to Twenty12 and all that it will bring.

I hope to accomplish many things this year, and to keep myself accountable, I'm posting the list here and will periodically check things off as I get them done. We'll see what actually gets accomplished and what doesn't. In the end, this will hopefully be one eventful year. I know I'm ready. Are you?

1// Finish the Nursery - it is painted, but there is still a pile of boxes filled with junk sitting in the middle of the floor. I'm ready for it to be cleared out and completed.
2// Recover the couches - I've been saying I would do this for the past 2-3 years. This will be the year it gets done. I'm determined.
3// Recover the rocker - (notice the theme) we just bought this rocker from a consignment sale for the nursery. It just needs a style update.
4// Read 24 books - 3 down, 21 more to go! I want to read a book for every year I've been alive.
5// Date my husband - we've been married for 2 years now and have pretty much gotten into a routine. I want to spice things up and actually date him again.
6// Journal - I want to actually spend this year journaling in my personal journal. There's just something about putting your thoughts down onto paper and having personally handwritten them.
7// Keep up with Project 52 - A collage of pictures from each week of the year.
8// Start a family - I don't know if this one will actually come to fruition, but I would so much like to start growing our family this year.
9// Hike - every Sunday I want to go and hike somewhere, but for some reason we always find excuses not to go. This year is going to be a year of following through.
10// Finish my blanket - I started knitting this blanket right when hubs and I met, so about 4 years ago, and I still haven't finished it.
11// Become a better baker - I love to bake, but I'm just not that good at it. I want to experiment with things I haven't tried before and find new ways to make this whole gluten-free diet work.
12// Organize - "there's a place for everything and everything has its place" right? Well not in my house. At least not until this year is over.
13// Breathe - I tend to overreact to things that don't require overreacting. This year I want to work on taking things one breath at a time.
14// Do yoga - I took a yoga course in college, but haven't really kept on. I want to start doing yoga again as a way to stretch my muscles and relax.
15// Memorize a verse a month - remember when you had to memorize a Bible verse for Sunday school? Well, I'm going to give myself a verse to memorize for each month. That means 12 months of verses. Any suggestions for good verses?
16// Finish my book - I will finish my book. It will be written!

This list is by no means complete. There is still a lot more I would like to do this year, and I'm sure there will be a lot more I discover that I want to do this year. I guess I'll just have to see where God takes hubs and I and let Him guide our path.

Wifely Wednesdays

The hubs and I have been married for two years now, and we are still learning about each other. Last year, we took the plunge and bought our first house (after living with my parents for awhile until we found a place). So we've spent the past year making this house a home.

Now we have very different tastes. Hubs enjoys all things neutral, and I enjoy all things color (lots of it). He, of course, was a gentleman and let me pick out a lot of the colors. We only debated a little bit, but in the end we learned to compromise. I think we're both very happy with what we chosen in the end. Now that we've lived here in the house for a year, I'm ready for another change and some more paint. Hubs has something to say about that though, "It's not gonna happen." If I had my way, I'd change things around about once a month, that's just my nature. I like to keep things moving and different and spontaneous. Unfortunately, hubs likes to keep things simple and the same. Polar opposites. It helps that we don't have the money for me to change things around all the time, otherwise hubs would come home daily to changes. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the way my house looks and the paint scheme we've already chosen, I just see things places *coughpinterestcough* and I want to change some things up. But I do love my house and I'm enjoying making it a home alongside with the one I love.

Making this house a home continually opens new things for hubs and I to discover about each other and ourselves. One question always reigns in my head, am I being a helper or an obstacle? My husband is an amazing man and encouragement and I've loved seeing him grow at home and in life. And I've been looking and discovering what my role is as a working wife with a home. I've always been a working wife, but we haven't had a home of our own before. Hubs is working so hard providing for me, keeping us above water, and making it possible to grow our family (eventually). So I now have to focus on, am I being his helper or his obstacle when it comes to things.

So here is to our continuing journey of discovering living life with each other and creating our dream home.

.1//2//3.

I'm trying to figure out how to upload this pictures and post them in an organized matter, but I'm having no luck with it! Any tips?

Threading Through - Tuesday

First day back to work after 2 weeks off. I'm exhausted. It doesn't help that I'm not feeling top notch. What did help me get through the day was the awesome outfit I wore. Of course these pictures don't do it justice, I was playing with the timer on my camera and wasn't in the mood to really take time to get "the shot." Just not what I felt like doing. But I did capture a couple of good ones.

Red Jacket - gifted
Gray t-shit - gifted
Navy blue corduroys - gifted
Boots - gifted
Red jacket - Goodwill $5 (I was thrilled!)

Now time for me to relax and catch up on the Bachelor. I hear it's one "special" episode...Thoughts to come later.

Manic Monday

Today was my last day of vacation before work tomorrow. Originally the plan was to go to work today, even though I didn't have to in order to get some things accomplished that needed to be. Unfortunately, I was stuck at home trying to get over a sinus infection and the beginnings of bronchitis. Needless to say, I feel lousy. Absolutely lousy. My head is congested and I'm over this whole coughing thing.

Anyway. It's Monday. So what does that mean? It's a Bachelor kind of night (Yes, I watch Bachelor. I'm not ashamed to admit it). Or it would be if you had cable. The hubs and I however do not, therefore I will have to wait and discuss what I think tomorrow after work and watching it online. So here's to another night of crazy girls fighting over one guy. I mean, who doesn't find that entertaining?! I know I certainly do. There's nothing like some good reality tv drama to make you feel a little more normal.

Also on television tonight, that I will not be watching because the lack of cable, is the BCS National Championship Game LSU vs Alabama. I have no opinion in the matter of this game as I cannot stand either of these teams, Georgia Bulldogs all the way. But if I did have to choose who I would rather win would be LSU. Geaux Tigers? I mean, it hurts saying that, but I dislike them less than I dislike Alabama. So that is how I'm basing my decision.

So here's to tonight and my attempts at relaxing and getting better before going back to the grind tomorrow.

A perfect "comfy day" work outfit. I only wish I could pull off.

I just got boots like these for Christmas. I love them and this outfit!

I love this dress. I would be okay with finding one just like it. Maybe I'll get lucky while thrifting one of these days.

Why yes I do have red pants like those. They rock and are a must for any wardrobe.

Project 52 -- Week 1

After seeing everyone else doing these photography challenges, I've decided to join. In order to remember 2012, but also to see how things grow during this year. So here's the start of Project 52. I'll take pictures to commemorate each week and make a collage out of them. This is for me to look back on and say, "Oh yeah! I forgot about that!" I'm excited to see the changes that are bound to take place.

Unfortunately my week 1 wasn't so eventful. I was confined to the house for the entire week studying and preparing for the GACE (Georgia Assessment of Certification of Educators). But I managed to get a couple of pictures that might make you laugh...

1. 2. 

3.  4.

1. On the way home from the test yesterday, we saw this itty-bitty car with a not so itty-bitty tree. It made me giggle, probably a little more than necessary because I was delirious from taking a 6 HOUR TEST (Yes, I did just say 6 HOUR TEST). 
2. The week started of pretty cold, so, naturally, I lit a fire to keep warm. Clearly my dog enjoyed it more than I did. 
3. Last Sunday was my birthday, and my AMAZING hubby threw me a surprise party. I had all of my close friends here and it was just fun to sit and talk (and eat of course). 
4. This is what I spent the entire week staring at. My GACE study guide. I had 2 because I was taking 2 tests. Yes, I know I'm insane, but I'm happy to have it over and done with. On top is my KINDLE FIRE that I got for Christmas :) When my brain would get fried from studying too much, I opened it up and read. I finished 2 books this week to go along with my 2 tests. 


Needless to say, this past week was a pretty uneventful first week of 2012 and that is just fine with me. I was able to relax and study which was awesome. Now I just have to overcome this illness. Right now I'm lying on the couch trying to get the energy to get up and change the laundry. Oh well, to the doctor tomorrow...


But here's to 2012 and a new year!

Words to live by