NYC Sneak Peek

We are back from NYC.  We had a fun, busy trip.  It was filled with activities and shows and shopping.  I am now playing catch up with work, so I am really busy, but I wanted to share one of my favorite photos from this trip.  We went to the 9/11 Memorial and it was raining the day we were there, which was a bummer, but it was still a wonderful tribute. 

Old Items…Old Memories

My parents or should I say my Dad brought me a box of my old junk.  Mostly pictures from high school and college, and old junk from school years.  Most of it really could have been thrown out.  When they brought it over I joked with my parents, that I really didn’t want that stuff.  My mom said she told my dad that I wouldn’t want it.  I went through it last night.  Mainly to make a trash pile and a keep pile. 

I found pictures, most of which I remembered and some that were very old and those made me happy.  The memories, some good and some bad were interesting to recall.  I also found some old journals.  I can’t decide it I should keep those or trash them.  I even found some old newspaper articles I was quoted and even photographed. 

The most interesting item I found was a letter from a teacher in high school.  This teacher and I still see each other, as he goes to church with my parents, and it was funny to read, so I wanted to share his words of wisdom when entering the “real world.”

• Manufacturers aren’t kidding when they say, “wash white garments separately.”
• The “rate of interest” is what kills you, not the “down payment.”
• Your new neighbors will never share your enthusiasm for the stereo being played at full volume at 2:00AM.  ***someone should share this advice with some neighbors in my neighborhood
• Yes, cars need gas! (but also: oil, antifreeze, insurance, brake and transmission fluid, and about one-third of your annual salary) ***I will always remember he also told us to never let the gas tank dip below a quarter of a tank in the wintertime. 
• Buy an alarm clock that works…and use it. ***he should have added and remember to set it
• Frequency of pushing on elevator buttons does not hasten the arrival of an elevator.
• Grocery coupons are socially acceptable.
• If you mess with something long enough, it will eventually break.
• Never marry anyone with more problems than you have.
• Never get married simply because it seems like the time to get married. Get married because you want to live with someone for the rest of your life, including days-off, sick days, vacations, and even retirement. ***this is the best advice he ever wrote and I wish more people took this advice.  the divorce rate might decrease
• Eat good meals. Junk food kills.
• Buy good stuff. It lasts longer. Warranties aren’t always that good. ***VERY TRUE
• The world is not fair, but seek justice, love, mercy, walk humbly…anyway.
• At some point in your life, your family will be the only thing you have. Treat every person right. ***wish more people lived this way. this is why we moved back from Chicago.
• We all screw-up, but in different ways.  Forgiveness is essential to survival.  We have to forgive others and we must learn to forgive ourselves.

Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!! 

I did it!

I am decorating for fall.  I started the same day as the last post, and it has kept me busy.  I think it is a great idea to just go ahead and decorate.  Plus I woke up this morning to very cool weather.  I am wearing long sleeves, so therefore fall decorating is completely appropriate. 

I brought all my fall decorations down out the attic alone, and paid the price by having my eye swell.  I am very allergic to dust.  I haven’t had swelling from dust since my freshman year of college.  It stinks to have my eye swell.  I am a big baby and cannot put eye drops in my eyes.  Someone always has to put them into my eye for me.  Thank goodness Michael’s cousin lives close and is a student.  She was able to come over and help me!  So, I am alive this morning with normal eyes and just a little itchiness on my arms.  It is just something I live with daily.  It didn’t stop me from wanting to decorate.

Every year I add new decorations.  I decided I wanted to be crafty this year.  I got on the Queen of Crafty’s website, Martha Stewart, and came up with some project ideas.  Most of these ideas involved glitter!  The first project I did involved picture frames.  I have tons of unused frames.  Check out the how to on those frames at Martha’s website Glitter Frames.  I made six of them and used the templates on her website.  I also made some pumpkin jars.  I am going to put candy in them and it was much easier and cleaner than the glitter frames.  Jar-o-Lanterns how to.  Now here are the ones I made:

How early is too early?

The weather here right now and for the past week has been amazing! I believe fall snuck up on us and the nights are cool and perfect weather (especially for football).  I just love the weather.  It reminds me of summer nights in Chicago.  We have a football game this weekend, which I am counting down right now. 

This time of year is my favorite time to decorate.  Halloween is 47 days away and I am ready to pull my fall/Halloween items out of the attic and put them up.  I keep telling Michael I want to do this and he keeps telling me it is too soon.  Christmas decorating is easy.  I won’t put Christmas up until after Thanksgiving.  What do I do about my fall and Halloween decoration?  Especially the Halloween decorations.  They are my favorites.  I am going to be traveling a lot in the next few months, so I am thinking the decoration could go up this week.  I want to enjoy them the best that I can!  Maybe I will start today and put out my Halloween wreath.  It is amazing and super cute!  My floral designer from my wedding made me it last year and I loved it.  She also made one for my Mom, and Mom ended up taking the one I liked the best for her door.  Oh well, they were both super cute!  This year I am thinking I will get a Christmas wreath from her or maybe I will try and make one for myself. 

Attic here I come…   

A Day…Never Forget

September 11th is a date my generation will forever remember.  It is similar to the day JFK was shot or the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.  We will remember what we were doing, where we were, and how we felt.

I was in high school.  A senior.  I was at school early that morning for band practice.  I called my mom before school started to ask her for a favor when she told me that we needed to turn on the TV.  The band was outside on the field, but I was inside with the color guard and majorettes.  We grabbed a TV and turned it on.  We saw the second plane hit.  I remember the rest of the day every classroom had a TV on and we saw the towers fall and the news coverage of the day.  It was scary and sad day filled with uncertainty.  I remember realizing the skyline I had seen firsthand a few years prior was gone.  I will never forget that day.

Michael and I will be going to NYC in a few weeks.  We are going to the 9-11 memorial site and it will be hard to be there and remember.   

Happy Monday…I mean Tuesday!

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged in a week.  I have been doing really good at blogging few times a week.  I wish I had some good excuse, like I was traveling or something, but I don’t.  In fact, Michael was out of town last week, so one would think I would have had more time on my hands.  I, for some weird reason, was very busy last week.  So a quick update.

I wanted our house to be clean and look nice for our tailgate, so Michael’s cousin and I cleaned the whole house while Michael was out of town.  I love his cousin for keeping me company while Michael was out of town.  I really don’t know how Michael stands me being gone for work all the time.  I definitely have a major respect for him now that I have experienced it first hand. 

We had my family and some close friends over this weekend for a tailgate.  We decided that being the first game and all that we could do it at our house instead at the stadium.  I think it worked out better for everyone.  It was very hot Saturday, so we all stayed in the house and watched…ESPN of course.  The boys played a little wiffle ball in the backyard, but came in gross.  We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, and everyone brought a side dish.  Great food!!  We all just played and hung out.  Kids became friends.  We got to watch College Gameday and enjoy opening weekend of college football.  We went to the game and watched the hogs win 51-7!! WPS! 

Sunday was a lazy day.  We ended up on the La Huerta patio for drinks and dinner.  We played a little shuffle board and shot some pellet guns. 

On Monday, it was so nice and cool here that we decided to go on a hike.  We were going to go to the lake, but it was too cold for the lake.  We grabbed Gabby and went to Devil’s Den to go hiking.  This was Gabby’s first hiking experience and she loved it.  My fearless dog was all over that trail.  It made me nervous a few times, but she was safe.  We did two trails and probably hiked 4 miles total.  It was a great day for a hike and I am so glad we did it.  My legs on the other hand are a little unhappy this morning.