Celebrations

Hello blog friends!  It's been a while, hasn't it?  I won't bore you with the boring story of what I have been doing since November because it really is very boring.  I can promise you though that I missed you more than you missed me.  Thant brings me to why we are here today.

I have a lot to celebrate today.  First, my birthday was this past weekend.  I turned 26, which is really old.  I didn't really celebrate it because I was studying but Alex made it a really nice day despite that.  Second, yesterday I took the Kansas bar exam.  It was a very different experience from last July, easier in some ways and much harder in others.  I am so happy to have it behind me.  And third, I'm launching a new blog tomorrow.  In my blogging sabbatical, I did a lot of thinking about what direction I wanted to go.  I decided that I wanted a fresh start, so from now on you can find me over at Casual Fridays.  So please update your links or however you prefer to follow blogs.  You may notice that I don't have a Google Friends Connect app on there.  With the news that it may be phased out, I decided just to leave it out all together.  There are a few options as how you can stay updated with all I have to say.  You can follow through Blogger if you blog, or though the RSS link on the right hand side if you use Google Reader.  I also added Linky Followers, so if you are using that these days, feel free to add me there. 

I hope you'll join my on my new adventure!

We are moving!

We found a place! It is a cute little house in the area we were looking for. We signed the lease late last week and take possession in the middle of the month. So if my posting is scarce it's because I am packing and I figure that is boring and you all don't want to hear about it. But I'll be back soon to show off our new home!

My Frog Prince

Halloween is not my favorite holiday.  I’m not a huge fan of dressing up and I feel like Halloween costumes are over priced and way to skanky.  We’re trying to limit our spending because of the upcoming move, so we wanted to go cheap.  We found this picture and decided this would be our theme: the princess and the frog.

I figured I could do just about this for Alex, but mine would be a little more complicated.  I haven’t finished mine but once I got started on Alex’s, I couldn’t stop.  I now present to you my Frog Prince:

We lucked out and found a green hoodie the first time we looked at Walmart.  I wanted to make sure that Alex could wear the hoodie after Halloween, so I wanted everything to be easily removable.  My original plan was just to use white fabric for the eyes and stuff them with plastic bags.  Then Alex asked me if I was going to make him googlie eyes and I responded that yes, yes I was.

I got two .99 (they were on sale too, so they were even cheaper) clear plastic Christmas ornaments from Hobby Lobby.  I made a little pom pom (see Pinterest for instruction) and shoved it in the ornament.  Then I sewed them to the top of the hoodie.  Easy peasy.  Plus the ornaments already have the loop thing on the top so there is something to sew onto.

Then I had to come up with a crown.  I was originally going to use a cereal box but it wasn’t rolling quite like I wanted.  Then I had a brilliant idea and got a big yogurt container out of the recycling bin.  I cut a crown shape out then sprayed it with adhesive and attached yellow fleece.   So easy.  The hardest part of the whole thing was sewing the yogurt container to the top of the hoodie.  Since the plastic is really thin it was totally doable, it just took a little muscle. 

I’ll be honest, I love the way it turned out.  We bought the hoodie (will be worn after Halloween), ornaments (I actually plan on reworking them and gifting them at Christmas) and the black yarn.  I can’t wait to show it off this weekend.  And I guess I’ll have to keep kissing him until he turns into a prince.

Chiefs Rag Wreath

We’re big Kansas City Chiefs fans around here.  And by we, I mean Alex is a big Chiefs fan.  I’m not much of a football fan, especially football on TV.  I like to go to pretty much any sporting event live, but really the only thing I like to watch on TV is college basketball.  But I’m getting there since we watch football pretty much every Sunday. 

I am constantly trying to incorporate Alex’s likes into our décor.  This can be slightly problematic since the only things Alex really likes are sports and beer.  I don’t really want to feel like I am living in a college frat house, so this can be kind of difficult.  However, I was browsing Pinterest and after seeing a few things, got inspired.

I used one of the viney wood wreath frames from the Dollar Tree.  I got red and yellow fabric and cut it into one inch strips and starting tying.   This would be a great car ride (as long as you bring a lint roller to get all of the strings off your clothes) or TV watching activity because it is easy and mindless.

 

Just keep tying and tying and tying until your wreath is full.  Have a fuller wreath form helps give it a little heft. 

I felt like it needed a little something else, so we stopped at Hobby Lobby and got this wooded football.  It was already painted and everything.  I hot glued an extra piece of fabric on the back of it then once it dried, tied it to the wreath.  That way, if for some reason I ever want to take it off, I can.

 

Since we are moving soon, I’m not sure where it will be hanging long term, so I didn’t really know how long I wanted the hanger to be.  So, for now, I took a strip of yellow and red fabric and tied them together around the wreath.  I knotted the top so it hung at the right height for now, but I can change it once we move.

Alex likes it and it is a cute way to incorporate his interests into our décor.

Monday's Musings

I don't have a lot to share today.  The house hunting is going well, and we have couple of promising places that we looked at on Friday.  We need to finish our applications so we can get them turned in and hopefully get a place finalized soon.  Our goal is to move the weekend before Thanksgiving because that is the only weekend that will work well for us for a while. 

No menu for this week.  I just wasn't feeling up to making one over the weekend and we really need to eat what we have in the apartment so we don't have to move as much stuff, so we're just going to wing it. 

I've got a couple of projects I am working on this week.  The first is Halloween costumes.  We're going to be super busy next weekend (we're going to a rodeo/concert Saturday night and the Chiefs game on Monday night), so I really didn't think that we would need Halloween costumes.  I'm not much for dressing up, so I wouldn't have minded going without this year.  But some friends invited us over to their house on Sunday night so we had to come up with something.  Alex also likes matching costumes, so I made him pick a theme yesterday morning.  We are going with the princess and the frog.  We got a green hoodie to make Alex into a frog prince and now I need to figure out how to make myself into a princess.  I'm not spending a bunch of money on this, so we'll see what I can come up with.  So far I have some blue thrift store elbow length gloves. 

I also started on my first furniture refinishing adventure yesterday.  "Refinishing" might be a generous term, because really all I am doing is repainting a DVD holder that Alex inherited from a friend who I believe inherited it from another friend.  Its a nice little piece, it just needed a facelift.  Hopefully I can get it done this week and share pictures next week.

Here's your inspiration for this week.  Have a good one!

Source: bravegirlsclub.com via Courtney on Pinterest

101 Things in 1001 Days

If you have been around for a while, you may know that last summer I started a 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.  I was really excited about it and got a few things on my list done, but of course, law school and life got in the way.  I was thinking about it the other day and I thought this was a good time to restart the challenge.  I came up with a new list that I feel like better fits my life now, where I am and the things I want to do.  I plan on blogging about each task that I finish, so get excited about that.  If you want to join in the challenge, please do.  I'd love to follow along with you.  Here's my list:
1. Take Alex to the American Royal Rodeo since he claims to have never been.
2. Visit the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, either for a performance or just to look.
3. Tailgate at Arrowhead--just drinking beer in the parking lot doesn't count.
4. Make a list of 101 things that make me happy, then print it out for dreary days.
5. Create a will and a living will/heath care directive.  Have them witnessed so they are legit.
6. Have a picnic at the Kauffman Memorial Gardens.
7. Go camping.
8. Visit the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
9. Spend an afternoon at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.
10. Attend First Fridays.
11. Go see Shakespeare in the park and stay for the whole thing.  Gotta stay awake too.
12. Go ice skating.
13. Donate $1000 to charity.
14. Write a love letter to Alex every month.
15. Send someone flowers.
16. Own a (right hand or left hand) diamond ring.
17. Run a 5k.
18. Get a professional massage.
19. Make ADPi t-shirt quilt (or have it made).
20. Host a Christmas cookie exchange.  Go all out with it.
21. Finish captioning JYA photo albums.
22. Read 50 new books.
23. Watch 50 new movies.
24. Cook 50 new recipes.
25. Save $5,000.
26. Make a budget and follow it for three months.
27. Read the Bible, cover to cover.
28. Keep the TV off for a weekend.
29. Don't get on the Internet for a weekend (phone and computer).
30. No Facebook for a week.
31. Complete a color book.
32. Reach 250 blog followers.
33. Memorize Alex's phone number.
34. Get rid of 101 things.
35. Go to the drive-in.
36. Set up and implement a photo organization system.
37. Carve a pumpkin.
38. Make a snowman/woman/animal.
39. Set up retirement savings.
40. Fit comfortably into blue England dress.
41. Kit something.
42. Learn to play chess.
43. Stop using paper napkins at home.
44. Comment on at least one blog per day for a month.
45. Go to the driving range with Alex.
46. Get rid of laptop from undergrad (I don't really need three laptops).
47. Make border showdown Christmas cards.
48. Make ten projects from Pinterest.
49. Fill up leather bound journal.
50. Go diving.
51. Make 25 new cocktails.
52. Make homemade Halloween costumes.
53. Have a party/compete at the American Royal Barbecue.
54. Make 100 Etsy sales.
55. Donate blood (or at least make an attempt).
56. Finish Outlander series.
57. Pick a TV series to watch from start to finish.
58. Take a dance class.
59. Take an exercise class.
60. Have a progressive picnic.
61. Have a movie marathon date night.
62. Cook 90% of recipes in Pioneer Woman's cookbook.
63. Volunteer for something not family related.
64. Make and use my own chalkboard paint.
65. Adopt a dog.
66. Eat a whole meal with chopsticks.
67. Pay for the person behind me in the drive through.
68. Swim in the ocean.
69. Lean to do my own eye makeup.
70. Don't drink any alcohol for one month.
71. Make homemade ice cream.
72. Take one picture a day and blog about it for a month.
73. Learn to play poker decently well.
74. Make bed every morning for two weeks.
75. Scrapbook 25 pages from college.
76. Host a murder mystery dinner party.
77. Ride on the new sky ride thing at the Kansas City Zoo.
78. Read a book of Alex's choosing.
79. Go to church.
80. Visit 3 new states.
81. Buy do, then donate a puzzle.
82. Go geocaching.
83. Get mats cut for lawyer frames.
84. Play in the rain.
85. Use my iPhone for calls and texts only for a weekend.
86. Make/get reusable sandwich/snack bags.
87. Only homemade birthday gifts in 2012.
88. Eat at 25 new restaurants.
89. No eating out unless it is with friends for a month.
90. Take a picture of Alex and I every month.
91. Spend a lazy Saturday in pajamas at home.
92. No plastic bags from stores for a month.
93. Take a photography class.
94.  Ride a bike
95. Go shopping early on Black Friday.
96. Spend an entire weekend at home.
97. Buy three new board games.
98. Get rid of all law school text books.
99. Get a manicure.
100. Have professional pictures taken again.
101. Blog about each completed task.

Scrapbook Saturday

Silya—the paper elements are all from the same pack, but I don’t remember where it came from.  You can’t really tell in the picture, but the paper elements have some texture to them, which makes them look really nice.  The picture was taken at a baseball game, hence the people in the background.