blah.

it's been a long day. with many deadlines.  i can't think.  i'm beat. ready for bed. posting manana. for sure.

Gaga for...

goo goo dolls*!


over the years, different songs and artists resonate with the seasons of my life.  i am a huge fan of music.  mostly listening...i can never remember lyrics or artists or song titles...but i always remember a song once i hear it.  & i always find it amazing how artists or songs you seemed to forget over time return at the most opportune moments in life.


the goo goo dolls take me back to my care-free high school days.  the days a & i met.  the moments we spent laughing, talking, learning and becoming fast friends.  now with this deployment looming over us, the songs i heard tonight reminded me of our roots.  where we came from & how we got where we are...the many, many steps it took for us to get here.  i love when the small things in life help put the big things into perspective.  it's important for me to take a step back, look at the big picture & remember the stories behind our life.

so, now i am on a "classic" music kick.  the classics from our life together and the oldies i will always, always love.  enjoy this clip and feel free to join me on a walk down memory lane.

*i should mention that this notion didn't fall from the sky.  i was lucky enough to see them in concert (yesterday actually) and it sparked an old flame.

work hard, play harder

today was my first day back to work.  i felt like i was 5 again & going back to school.  i had the morning butterflies, picked out a fun, new outfit, and spent most of the night before practicing my best "professional" voice.  over the past few months, i've been working part-time as i've tried to find something more permanent.  while working from home was an all-around awesome experience, we don't have kids and i found myself often craving something more (usually excessive amounts of chocolate and peanut butter).

i love feeling accomplished.  whether it's finishing a project, training for and racing in a race, making an awesome dinner or creating something for friends and family; the feeling is so amazing.  i know this new job is going to open many doors for me and a.  my new job is empowering and i'm so excited about the possibilities that will come.

that being said, i have to re-learn to balance my life.  succeed at my job, spend ample time with a. and our boys (we have two dogs), make time for family & friends (lots of time),  cook healthy meals, exercise regularly, stimulate my creativity, and explore my faith and spirituality.  there are so many things to do within a life time and in my case, without a schedule, things may not get done.  i have to remember that while i can do a lot, it's nearly impossible to do it all...at least regularly.  so i'm not going to compare myself to all you doers out there.  and i'm not going to compete with other women.  i'm moving at my own pace.  i'm going to make sure i take it all in and enjoy every breath and step along the way.  some steps may feel arduous and the breaths heavy, but i know in the long run, i'll be doing the things i want to do- not what i think everyone thinks i should do.

wish me luck on the new gig.  i'm excited!

gettin' wordy with it

corny.  i know.  i just couldn't help myself.

i've been in the midst of a diy (do it yourself- for all those new to the term) funk.  i really want to make curtains and pillows but i have yet to figure out my sewing machine.  i don't have the motivation to start a scrapbook...but that could be happening sooner than i think... and i still want to create.  something.  anything.

now enter the diy dream project.  simple, classy, and so easy anyone (as long as you know what to do in paint) who has access to a computer and 15 minutes can do it.

as i may have mentioned, a. is in the military so we have moved quite a bit throughout our marriage.  we met in san diego, so it holds a very special place in our hearts.  the first of my series of 3 (we have lived in 3 places so far) is san diego themed and mentions places we called home, enjoyed spending time, etc.

cool, right?  & like i said...SO easy.  here are the basic steps* if you're interested in making them yourself.

a.)  first, get into a program such as paint, word, etc.  i used paint.  i tried word but couldn't get the formatting the way i wanted it.  

b.)  second, brainstorm and type different places, restaurants, books (whatever theme you'd like to go with) into the text box in paint with different fonts.  i like the eclectic look of calligraphy, block fonts, & fun fonts with varying sizes, but please, do whatever you like!  place them where you would like on the template and gradually fill in the empty spaces.

c.)  lastly, set your printer so it prints the final product in the size you require.  I chose a 5x7.  i'm doing 3 of these and will be hanging them in the laundry room.  I wanted enough of an impact without going overboard.  i printed on matte photo paper.

so there it is.  my idea of a diy dream.  thoughts?

*i used microsoft  paint, so that is the only process i am going to cover.  i did however, just upgrade my computer to a beautiful mac & once i have my first one-2-one and learn how to make these on the new machine, i'll be more than happy to share the knowledge.

m.i.a

this last week & a half of my life has been insanely crazy.    

here's a brief rundown:

- i was offered a new job on a trial basis.  this trial happened to be in california so i had less than a week to handle my affairs, pack, and board a plane.  once there i helped execute an amazing event.  despite all the hard work and long hours, i had a wonderful time!
- yesterday, i was officially offered the job (yippee!) and will start on monday!  see?!?  it was all worth it!  i'm so excited to take on this new challenge.  and so grateful for the opportunity.


i find this change to be fitting.  it's officially fall, the leaves are turning, we are bracing ourselves for another year-long deployment (boo), and i now have a new job.  i love when life syncs with nature.  it clearly puts our relationship with one another and nature into perspective.


so, dear friends, i can officially say i'm back.  and i won't go m.i.a again (unless i first give you fair warning).  thank you for baring with me.

a whirlwind weekend

mr. a & i had a lovely time in niagara falls this weekend.  we went for a marriage retreat, sponsored by the military so we could get ready for yet another deployment.  {blah}  the weather was beautiful & there was so much happening around town.  this was our first time to the u.s. side so we had plenty to do.  our highlight was cave of the winds.  the power of the water off the falls is exhilarating.  and they give you some pretty sweet kicks.  we highly recommend it.

there's something about a fast-paced, all-about-us weekend.  while we were exhausted sunday night, we left niagara inspired and ready for what's about to come.  deployment is going to be hard, but now we have an amazing weekend and some awesome marriage advice to look back on when the going gets tough.

and that makes it all the more wonderful.

and we're off...

...at least for the weekend.

mr. a and i are planning to enjoy a little trip to niagara falls.

i'll be sure to post some pics when we return but in the meantime, this might be something to tickle your fancy.  check it out, you're guaranteed to leave inspired.

happy sketching!

the start of something lazy.

i follow blogs, i don't write them.  at least, until now.  

today is day one of a new adventure.  a blogging adventure if you will.  i'm not sure what will come of it or how this will progress, but i do know that i'm excited.  really excited...to write, to see if people like what i have to say, and the anticipation that if no one really does, it's okay...because right now, it's all about me and this blog.

so blogging world and all you loyal blog followers, get ready for my take on food, paper, home, travel, crafts and all things wonderful (& in my opinion, there are a lot of them).  

wish me luck and stop by often...this could get interesting.