OMGOMGOMG!!!

IT CAME!  IT'S HERE!  OH JOYOUS (HIGH VOLUME) DAY!  THE SUPER-DUPER-AWESOME-COOL CANON T1i HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!

*GRIN*

DID YOU EVER HAVE...

ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING IS LIKE THIS?!?!?!?!  *hands to mouth, shouting*

I'm having one of those days, but...I'm really happy about it!  You'd all be very proud of me -I got my booty out of bed at 5:40 for Jazzercise @ 5:45 (it's JUST up the road) because I've been having lots of really stressful days and needed a pick me up.  I'm not just up, I'm UP!

So...remember I told you that my super duper WAY AWESOME camera was on back order?  Well -the Hubs called and worked a deal!  SO -we're getting the T1i at a reduced rate, our Tameron lens, the super cool package, AND they overnighted it so we should be getting it TODAYYYY!!!!!!!  JOYS!!!  *happy Jazzercise dance*

I hope that everyone has an awesome Thursday!
B.

PS -STAY POSTED!!!  Next Thursday, Helena from Life in the Pitts and I will be doing a blog swap!  I'm SO excited.  I LOVE her blog so make sure you come back and visit!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

On its way to me is (drum roll puhh-leeease!)~ ~ ~ ~


are you in suspense yet???  HUH?




Okay -so it's this beauty:

(2dayblog.com)










                                                                 
                                                                             Along with this!!!!

                                                                    

                                                                                                                                      (adorama.com)


I can hear you're asking -"How are you feeling?"  Me?  Mwaaaa?  I'm SO fabulous!  I'm SO excited and I'm so...Oh....wait.....

It's on back order.


I'm disappointed and the anticipation is KILLING ME!!

*sigh*

Being healthy...

Is something that I have a really hard time doing!  I LOOOUVRE food.  I like it's tastes, textures, and its ability to satisfy any craving I may need.  I wish I was one of those "eat to live" and not "live to eat" kinds of people, but *shrug* I'm not!

The point of this post of this:  I went for a walk yesterday at lunch time because we were having pizza for dinner after my Jazzercise class.  I forgot my walking shoes and my blisters are SO HUGE that it looks like I have 6 toes!  Grossed out yet? 

Sorry -but it's true. 

Moral of this story?  ALWAYS keep your walking shoes handy if you want normal toes.

(I bet you're wondering now why I titled it "being healthy"?  That's because I couldn't -in good conscence- call it "My 6th toe".  That would be too gross.)

All Good Things...

Must come to an end.  :(

I said goodbye to my Mum Sunday evening, and she left at 6:30 Monday morning to head back to the motherland of sweet home Virginia!  I'll miss her dearly, and have truly appreciated and enjoyed what little time we spent together this past week.  Hopefully I can finish all of the projects we didn't on my own!  Here's a list of what we (mostly she) accomplished this week:
Painted bedroom/bathroom: check!
Hung new mirrors and shelf in bathroom: check!
Beeeeauteeful curtains: check!
Painted bedroom chair: check!
Painted bedroom stool: check!
Painted bedroom benck: check!
Pillowcase for bedroom chair made: check!
Pillowcase for bedroom chair made: check!
COMPLETED WINDOW HEADBOARD: Amena-check!
*Shout out to the DH who cleaned the gutters, hung 
~~~~
We didn't:
Get the stool cushioned or covered.
Bows made for the tie backs or the chair.
Bathroom deep cleaned.
Porch stained.
Citronella geraniums re-potted (they're lookin' a little sickly...recommendations for their revival accepted with great pleasure!)
Strap for bridesmaid dress sewn.
Exercise (really -I REALLY wanted to....) or eat healthily (I really REALLY didn't want to....).

*sigh*  There are not enough hours in the day to do all of the wonderful projects I'd like to get done!!

I'll post pic's soon so that you can see how wonderfully everything turned out!

So...

I was re-reading my post, and realized that it was such a "downer" post for Friday (especially so early in the morning!!!)!  I'm SO not a downer, and really like being happy (even though the first month or so of my posts were depressing -figures, I think I was...) and think that being happy is SO much better than the alternatives. 

With that being said, I'll be posting an interview with my Mum on how she stays positive in the face of the crazy things that happen in her life.  It'll be an awesome read, and since she's the most inspiring person I know, it will probably be an "upper" for all of us!

I'd like to leave you with one of the photos of a kiddo from my Kindermusik class.  If this doesn't make you smile...well, then I'm outta' luck!


Happy Friday!  :o)

Just When we Thought...

...Everything was going to work out, it all crumbles to pieces. 

What am I talking about, I hear you asking yourself?  Well -DH is a doctoral student and he had been awarded a teaching assistantship (YAYYYY!) for the next two academic school years.  The hubs is amazingly gifted and has teaching skills I NEVER could have thought, so we were really excited when they offered this to him!  Well -we got an e-mail from one of his advisors saying, "Sorry, you're ineligable for this.  I've already contacted your professor for another recommendation."  That's IT -that's all he got.  No explanation, no, "I'm sorry for getting your hopes up", no nothing.  *sigh*

I have to take a step back -I have to say that this is happening to him and not me -I have to let him take care of this burden because honestly, I can't handle it.  He has to make the best choices for him, and move forward.  I'm really proud of him -he has already sent everyone (including the dean) e-mails about this situation, including loop holes and discrepancies in the bylaw verbage and scheduled an interview with another department at IU.  He's brushing himself off and moving on and I couldn't ask for anything better right now!  I mean -he already folded all of the clean laundry, cleaned the gutters, had an interview, and spent time with my mum THIS WEEK.  The man's a saint.

In other, much more exciting and happy news, I've got the bedroom AND bathroom almost completely finished, and Mum and I are working on valances.  Stay tuned to see the finished products!  :o)

Have a marvelous Friday, everyone!
B.

PS -I'm linking to: New Friend Friday over at The Girl Creative!

Life's Simple Pleasures!

My husband folded the laundry for me.  Hallelujah!

That's not all, though!  My mum drove the whopping 10.5 hours from Virginia to spend the week with me!  Unfortunately, I'm working every day and was lucky enough to get Tomorrow off to take her to the artist's colony -Nashville, Indiana!


I don't need fancy things (although they do really help cheer me up...not going to lie about that one!), but I will take Joy from the simple pleasures of life.  It's good thing I'm in the mood for honey-do's because my honey has lots TO do!  :o)

Have a great day!

...And Then...

I love being inspired (only ONE of the many reasons I LOVE blogging -so much inspiration out there by awesome women!)!  I love having an idea and turning it, and turning it, until BAM!  It's perfect!  My last post was on how many ideas I had for adding an outdoor counter top to our beeeeeauteeeful deck.  I LOVE it -it's like a little vacation spot for me.  So -I bet you're curious, aren't you?  It's alright -you can admit that you were curious to see what I was going to choose!  After talking DH's ear off and calling both sets of parents, I decided on a completely NEW concept.  It's GREAT -are you ready?!?

I'm going to build the outdoor counter as a smaller version of a harvest table, meaning long and thin.  I'll be using either old (and I mean "weathered" not crusty...) decking boards, OR the pallets the ship heavy materials on that you see the cool little tractors moving at Lowes!  I haven't decided which yet, but we'll probably choose which ever one is cheaper!  :)  DH doesn't mind me improving our home, as long as it fits into the budget, you know....  *shrug*  He just doesn't get my creative genius but -ohhhh well!  hehe

So the legs of this table will be made of the balasters (? -the outdoor version of a newel post...) and will be painted and then sealed for the weather!  I'm also going to find some antique door nobs and mount them on the sides so that we'll have a place for utensils and towels! 

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures, but I'll make sure to keep you posted!

Have an awesome Friday!!!

(I'm linking to New Friend Friday!)

Epiphany!

I had an epiphany!  I realize that these are very important things, and while mine is very important, it is not religiously related (this time), however, I found that this was the best word to describe the experience I had!

Let me give you some backs story before I explain myself!  *settles in, and clears throat for story telling time*

Last may, we built this b-e-a-uuuuuuteeeful deck on the back of our home.  It WAS a sad, pathetic 9 x 9 square that seemed to be an after thought to our pretty little piece of Peace.  So I (yes -me, my poor husband...) decided that we would build a deck fit for two extreme deck lovers.  Now, I've never really "built" anything from scratch in my whole entire life, so both sets of parents, a bobcat, and 20 trips to Lowes were involved.  Just in case you were curious, they didn't let me drive the bobcat....

I kind of have this -go big or go home -thing that runs in our family that is not one of my most cherished traits, but is one that allows me to be a "get it done" kind of person.  I guess it's not tooooo terrible, right?  So our families came up for Memorial Day weekend, and we knocked this beauty out in THREE DAYS!!!  DH, DFIL, and DF engineered it for us, and then I (yes -me again) did all of the landscaping.  We've got hydrangeas, mock orange, butterfly bush, yellow knock out roses (which I actually think died...), and eccinacia's!  Everything is double the size in the pictures from last year and SO pretty, but the deck looks so bare!  You can see here that we didn't even have deck furniture at this point in time.  It was so sad.  So the summer wore on, and fall and winter came, and now that it is spring again, I'm looking to make this beeeeeauteeful deck our next "place to be".  The next outdoor extension of our home.

Enter current time -Epiphany!!!-

I have wanted to build myself a counter space for serving because we LOOOOUVRE to spend time on this beauty!  This past week, I laid in bed thinking...and thinking...and thinking until it hit me!  I need a vintage cast iron and enamel farmhouse sink!  Eurika!  Well -just in case you folks didn't know, they cost a FORTUNE, which is something that we poor college students do not have.  I checked eBay, so there is hope....

Anyway, we were at the Habitat Re-store again (and when I say we were there, I was totally there dragging poor DH along in his total post-semester state of sleep deprivation) and the real deal hit me -the ultimate non-religious epiphany!!!!!!!  I saw the folding, hinged, amazing closet doors and decided that would be PERFECT!!!!!  That way, I can expand the counter space as needed, and it will look so cute and country-chic!  In my excitement, I called my Mum to let her know how exited I truly was, and you know what she did -she said it wouldn't work!  *Gasp*

After freaking out that my closet doors would rot within one year (thank the Lawd I didn't buy them!), DH and I are back to exploring our options (and when I say we, I mean, "Babe, what do you think about metal closet doors?"  DH: "Well...hmm....", Me:  "OR!!!!  We could just get those tiles we saw!??"  DH:  "Mmmmm"  Me: "OR!!!  We could just do a "just for now" kind of thing, you know...cheap?"  DH:  *additional non-committal sounds* ).  I'm willing to wait for a little while -but really not TOO long.  Hopefully we can fine what I want sooner rather than later!

*cheers* to the out door counter top to be!

Get Away

 Hey everyone!!!  Welcome new friends (Yay New Friend Friday)!  :o)

 Do you ever have a weekend where you do nothing at home, you pack everyone (and everything up) and you just get away?  I LOVE those weekends.  Fortunately for me, I'm going to have one of those weekends!!!  My DH is in Toronto taking an audition, and instead of staying home, being nervous, and eating too much food (mostly chocolate...my go to nerve-calmer...), I am packing up the dog, the clothes, and heading out to visit his parents and to celebrate Mother's Day with HIS mum!  This will be one of the first Mother's Days that she does -it's WAY more fun to do girl things on Mother's Day with a girl!  ;o)  We are going to have massages and possibly pedicures!  YAYYYYYYYYY!!!  I mist admit that I am sad that we will be spending another weekend apart, but he is auditioning for an awesome job in an awesome place, doing exactly what he has worked SO hard to do.  I can't hold that against him -I'll just enjoy being an only child for the weekend!  Yippee!

Sometimes I feel that these types of weekends are healthy for our emotional well being!  My DH would -I can see it now- roll his eyes at me and say that all HE needs for emotional health is peace, quiet, and some TV!  JUST KIDDING! -he referees soccer as his healthy hobby, I prefer to be pampered.  Don't blame me that mine COSTS money!  :o) 

I hope that those of you who are staying home, enjoying the weather, and spending time with family can have a get away weekend soon!  I also hope that everyone has had an awesome Friday!

Thoughts on Mother's Day

I have always wondered about Mother's Day.  I mean -why is there just ONE day for mothers?  I wondered why there had to be a reason to do something special for the women in our lives who work so hard for us!  Not that I minded -it was always really nice to spoil my mum and spend the day with her. 

So -to all of the mothers in my life -I hope that you don't need just one day to know how much I love and appreciate every single thing you do!  I love you!!!


PS -Craft posts to come soon!  I have lots of overhauls to post, and projects I've done to pat myself on the back for.  :o)

Have an awesome Friday, everyone!!!

The Absentee Blogger

Hey Everyone!!!  I just looked at my last post date, and realized that I've been absent!!!  I'm so sorry!  But know that I check your blogs every day so I'm up to date.

Things have been busy for the Priesters -and when I say busy, I mean nutso!  Beastie has been trying to finish three huge academic projects, complete a professional recording of a Dvorak piece, and prepare to that the Toronto Symphony Assistant Principal Bass audition on Saturday.  His finals week has been stressful for the both of us, to say the least!  I made a nice dinner last night so that we could have one last evening to visit and talk through the month.  He's got such a good frame of mind about everything that I can truly say he's Peaceful even through this patch of rough waters.  I'm so glad I married 'im!  Okay -no more mush!

On to the good stuff!  What have I been doing, you're asking? -I can tell you're asking yourselves this, don't deny it!  :o)  I've been to Goodwill, the Habitat for Humanity Re-store, and LOWES!  We're going to be overhauling our master suite this month and it includes cabinets, molding, and LOTS of paint!  I'll make sure to post pictures of everything that I've purchased (I can feel my husband cringing when I tell him I've found something else for the re-model, hehe).  We have a REALLY old wooden dresser that's getting a makeover for the front porch.  It's to match the two white rocking chairs, little lamp (from GW), and the two pillows I made.  For the inside, I have cabinets to refinish and that darned window I've been working on for months!  Hopefully tonight I can get some of that accomplished.

I hope you all have a marvelous Tuesday morning!  I'm thinking that this day will FLY by!

*hugs*