1/31/12

the good, the bad, the ugly.

Ya'll. This week is not treating well. Today was kinda sorta a balance...one minute everything's cool, the next I'm sobbing. This has nothing to do with emotions (I know, that was my first thought too...I am a girl, after all) but just life in general. Life is totally...life. That's the only way how to describe it.

So, if you want to know how I cope with the ups & downs of this thing we call life, read on.

Depressed when ya get up? Start you day off right with emails, the Twitters, and watching silly JHutch videos. Seriously, I've watched this video five times today. He is SO making fun of Vanessa and she thinks it's hilarious which makes that much more hilarious to me.



Sad that your blog is blue and all wintry when the weather is anything but? Email your amazing blogging design friend and plead for her to resize your February header. Then make your blog look all pretty in pink and starting updating it a little. Full monthly makeover post coming soon! 

Annoyed that you had to work on schoolwork until 7? Be proud of yourself for sticking with it and having a hot meal lovingly prepared by your mom. Also? Reward yourself with a Doctor Who episode while eating yummy turkey tetrazzini.

So sad for your sweet puppy not feeling good that you sob in the shower for the 2nd night in a row? Eat your feelings by stuffing your face with a Snickers bar and snuggling him.

That's my day. School, worry about the puppy, and surfing the Interwebs. Happy Tuesday, friends!

1/28/12

bullet update

Just a little update for those of you who were so sweet enough to pray for our Bullet baby.

I am SO happy to report that the very next day, Wednesday, he was acting like his ol' self. Tired, yes but way better than that sad day. We were thrilled! 
Yeahhh. Look at that CUTE face.

So happy he was tired enough to still lay in my arms like a baby.

And the best part? He's only gotten more energetic as the week as progressed. Lots of walks to ::ahem:: get things moving if ya know what I mean because this guy still can't get his business right means lots of time playing outside since the weather is SO unseasonably warm (70's?! Yeah, crazy I know.) I took my camera out this afternoon.


Sticks are cool. At least that's what Bullet says! 

THAT LOOK <3



With the ears flipped back, yo!


Again, we only love him a little bit ;) Happy Saturday, readers! I hope you have puppy snuggles in your near future.

1/26/12

how muchloveilly brightened my {gray} day




 {Shirt} Target {Skinnes} Old Navy {Headband} Gift-MuchLoveIlly Etsy shop {Watch} Gift-Target

The Christmas I received my second handmade headband from Emily, purchased from the one and only Ilene's shop, Much Love Illy. Seriously, I was SO thrilled when I opened the package I squealed. Or at least I did in that ol' mind of mine.

It is oh so comfy, and the elastic part of the headband NEVER gives me a headache like the el cheapo Walmart ones. Plus, it's just SO stylin'! I'm be remiss if I didn't mention just how many compliments I received on the headband alone. Everyone loved it!

So the gist of this post? Go buy a headband (or brooch! or poppy ring!) from Ilene. It'll make both hers and my day, I'm sure. And, in parting, I'd title this photo "Hey! I have no idea how to look cute in outfit posts. Help?!"
All photo credit goes to sweet Emmylou!

Happy Thursday, readers. I hope your day was not quite as awkward as that photo up there.

1/25/12

{almost wordless wednesday} photography LOVE

Wanna know what happens when a professional photographer wants to take your little Canon Rebel out for a spin?
photo not mine!


THIS. This is what happens. I almost died from the awesomeness.

Happy middle of the week, readers!

1/24/12

bullet {3 months}

As the title says, our sweet baby Bullet turned three months old today. Last Thursday, we marked a month since he came to live with us and turned our life upside down because DUDE. This dog is like a baby. It's been quiet here on the blog when it comes to the pup, so here's an update on our little bundle of black curly fur.
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{1} I mean, look at him. He's cute, even though he looks like a cavemandog. Seriously. He's so hairy you can't see his eyes because of his beard, which has morphed in a Ryan Fitzpatrick type of thing. For the record, Bullet can totally pull of that look. The Bills QB? Not so much.

He's still jet black, which makes it hard to photograph him and get his (brown) eyes...thus no pictures of him. The only part that isn't black on him is his two back feet & a little white patch on his chest, which I'm fairly certain is common for schnauzers.

{2} He's pretty good with routine...feeding, doing his business, and playtime vs naptime. But he has trouble holding it at night the poor guy. We've washed his bed so much it's falling apart because he has NO problem sleeping in his own urine. Weirdo. Even though we wake him to take him out at 10 or so, his little puppy bladder just can't handle it so we have to (usually) take him out at six. In the morning. Thankfully that's not my job. I handle the daytime "business trips". I'm such a horrible reader of his signs...he peed down the air vent in the dining room because I was too busy staring at his cute little face. It was (and still is) flippin' hilarious; the look he gave me after he finished was priceless.

{3} He's aggressive. Not in a I'm-gonna-rip-your-arm-off-your-body-because-I'm-a-devil-dog kind of way, but he's testing his boundaries...trying to see how far he can go until you cry uncle. The biting has gotten better...we used a yelping technique where if he bite we screamed like a puppy in a litter would to stun him.Ever since we started, he's gotten SO much better...our arms thank us. Good thing it's winter & we can wear long sleeves to cover up our scarred forearms.

Yeahhh. We love him just a little bit ;)

**Update** Since I wrote this post, we've taken him to the vet for a regular check up. He hadn't been acting right (we just though he was constipated), but it was off & now. As in, he's be fine in the morning and really lethargic in the afternoon. Weird behavior for a puppy.

He had lost weight and was walking funny (ie falling over with he was trying to go to the bathroom because his stance was funny; he looked like a camel) so the doctor thinks there may be something more serious going on. A liver problem that presents as neuro? I was stunned and almost cried.

 Prayers are appreciated...as much as we love our little guy we just can't afford to spend all this extra money for something that might not even be there. We just want God to heal him & our sweet pup to be back to normal!

1/23/12

hello monday {29}

{hello monday}

{hello CRAZY dream that made me *think* I had turned off my alarm}
{hello cat meowing in my face as a substiute alarm}
{hello emails}
{hello nutella toast for breakfast}
{hello both Bible studies homework}
{hello new history book}
{hello new anatomy module} 
{hello quick break to play Sudoku, Words with Friends, and listen to music on the Kindle}
{hello making lunch with Mama}
{hello White Collar epi on lunch break}
{hello lunch clean up}
{hello lesson in Math}
{hello vet visit for Bullet}
{hello a few quick errands}
{hello blog reading on the Kindle}
{hello supper prep}
{hello blogging}
{hello hot shower}
{hello dinner}
{hello dinner clean up}
{hello playing around on the Kindle}
{hello Castle}
{hello sweet bed}

{hello monday}

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This post was inspired by the one and only Lisa Leonard. If you'd like to take part in this blogging meme, make sure to give credit where credit is due. Don't forget to link up in Lisa's comments as well!

1/21/12

rainy days are good for...


...sleeping/taking naps. I had perfectly good intentions of taking a cat nap this afternoon because DUDE. Homegirl got 4 hours of blissfully dead-to-the-world sleep last night. The crazy part is I woke up all hyper & actually talked to people within 30 minutes of waking up. Your body does cra-zay things when you mess up your sleep schedule.


...sitting in the Coffee Shack. Technically, I was tagging along with Mama on a coffee date with one of her friends but I had a date with my laptop. It was amazing; we got reacquainted with the whole blogging thing.


...comfort food. From a doughnut for breakfast, a mocha frappe at the Coffee Shack, peanut butter sandwich & apples for lunch, AND a Dr. Pepper, I've had some of my favorite food today. Too bad it's not healthy or anything. Excuse me while I nom on carrot sticks to make up for those THREE donuts I had in 24 hrs.

That's my day in a nutshell: no sleep, food, and sitting in front of a glowing screen typing away. Glamorous, I know. Happy Saturday, readers!

WOL girls lock-in {1.20-1.21}

Yesterday night, all the girls from WOL converged at Landmark to have one of the most epic sleepovers ever. Seriously. Camp was amazing, but this sleepover was wicked cool too.Thanks to all the WOL leader ladies (say that three times fast!) that planned the whole event...I will remember with a stupid grin on my face forever.

Before all the fun began, we wielded staple guns (scaryyy) and tacked up the from last year to get a head start on the decorating...


Funny story...we were arranging the verse so it read right but couldn't remember how it went so we just stared at it. Then Meg was like "OH! a Bible!" and picks it up. We laughed..it was awesome.

This was what it looked like before we ate...can't show ya the after without giving it away! 
Break for pizza & Dr. Pepper. Lauren ate a whole pizza. By herself. Everyone had a blast tallying up the slices as she ate.



Shiny metal chairs on the table...I couldn't resist.
Back to the decorating! We finished up the gym decor (no problem since we had lots of people helping. someone was on to something when they said "Many hands make light work.") and then went into the old kitchen to have our silhouettes drawn by the resident artists Emily & Rebecca.



After we finished with the decorating (around 9:30), we trekked upstairs to play Catch Phrase. Everyone played it a different way, but we found a style that worked for everyone...but Katie and I were ruthless on each other since we played the same way.

Note everyone's expressions. They are so diverse! 


So many cameras! I don't know how we heard each other over the sound of the shutter clicking.

Abbey and her Nikon. I still love her despite her camera company choice. 
Abbey and Emily. 


Lauren AKA the girl who ate EIGHT pieces of pizza.


PJ's were put on and then we gathered upstairs to split up into teams and play an AMAZING hour & a half of Sardines. In a dark church/gym. Best game of Sardines ever. I'm pretty sure there was snorting involved on my part because do you know how hard it is to sit under a conference room table on top of your friend's legs while she does a Hollywood-equse scream?! Unbelievably hard. It was even harder to control my laughter when we all started making animal noises after the billionth time the other teams ran past us.

Back upstairs for a midnight dance party!


There's Abbey again. She is such a natural photographer!



Talking. A requirement at a sleepover.
 I was deemed the Queen of the Cotton Eye Joe dance. OK, maybe that was only in my mind. But I totally was rockin' out to that, Glee, and various other artists. Everyone kinda dissipated and formed little groups to talk in (as evidenced below). Rebecca & I bonded over blinding each other with the flash on Katie's Droid.

At some point (1AM maybe?) we started the movie, Courageous, but Becca & I were oblivious to it all...only catching snippets of was totally worth talking with her. We only stopped talking because it was 3AM and the leaders were semi-threatening us. Hahaha. Good times.

Becca & I were the first ones up & sat in our sleeping bags trying to keep warm (it was freezing!) and talked for another hour, then ventured downstairs to stuff our faces with egg casserole and a fourth doughnut in 24 hours. I'm not proud of that fact but they were just SO good.

Again, thanks to all the leaders who made this happen...it was so awesome!

1/20/12

it's the little things {link up #4}

One of the most gorgeous and talented blogging women you'll ever met, Lindsay, started hosting a link up called "It's the Little Things" to remind us that God blesses in a not-so big ways. A whole day can turn around when I get a special little something in the mail or my favorite show is on TV that night, and it's great to document the little things God puts in our day to show us he loves us!



Aisle to Aloha

...applying for part time jobs. Frustrating because I haven't been hired anywhere, but excited because HOLY COW I'm filling out a job application. & I'll get monies in mah pocket.
...puppy snuggles from a ::ahem:: no pooping dog. Bullet needs to learn that the grass is his bathroom. That is all. 
...sitting in the Coffee Shack writing this post. & eating a panini with the jazz music blasting behind me.
...reading blogs on my Kindle Fire. Thanks to Emily for reminding me about
...wearing my brother's shirt. Forget about waiting until I'm married to wear men's clothes...I can go into Clark's closet and have plaid shirts all ready for me to wear ;)
...lock-ins at church with my best friends. 

Happy Friday readers! I'm off the aforementioned lock-in for WOL girls...pictures to come!

1/19/12

photography rut no more!



Today I picked up my camera. Like, really picked it up and enjoyed getting the settings right, capturing the joy on the CBS kiddos faces, and showed off my photography because I WAS PROUD OF IT. I haven't been proud of my photography in a longgg time.




Ruts are a-okay every once in awhile, because eventually you pick up whatever your hobby is & see it in a new light. That's what happened to me today. Having cute kiddos who love the camera helps.




Happy Thursday, readers. May your Friday be amazing and your weekend even more so.

1/18/12

blimey cow

A year or so ago, I used to love Julian Smith. My friends and I would laugh our heads off at this video...and this one. And maybe this one too. Oh yeah, can't forget this one. TOO funny. Then we fell off the bandwagon and I forgot the awesomeness of funny YouTube videos. That is, until I watched this video that's circling around the blogosphere (and Facebook. but, ya know, i wouldn't know about that).

While Seven Lies about Homeschooling is amazing, Stupid People Who Do Stupid Things on the Internet convicted me while making me laugh so hard tears ran down my face. Just watch...




Convicting, right? I mean, I do things for the sole reason of telling ya'll about it. It's not nessicarily a bad thing because it keeps me accountable on projects, New Years resolutions, etc...but when it gets in the way of your life, that's when it gets bad.

Let's vow to share the good AND the bad with each other without losing who we are in the process. Agreed? Agreed.

1/14/12

ice, ice baby

I'm sorry about that title...I just couldn't resist.

A couple days ago Jack told me that his WOL youth group was coming to our town. ::gasp:: AND they were going ice skating ::double gasp:: His sis Hannah & I were JUST talking about how much we wanted to go wipo out  skate around the rink all graceful like. AND they were inviting our youth group to go as well. ::triple gasp:: OK, so at this point in the gasps I'm hyperventilating. But I'm pretty sure I was doing that in real life.

It was a looong two days, ya'll. Knowing that you're going to see some of your best friends whom you haven't seen in MONTHS in just 72 hours can make a person crazy...as if I wasn't already. HA.

Today was the day. And it was AWESOME. I had SO much fun I barely took any pictures. I kept coming out to give my ankles a break (thanks to Dylan's tying skills) so that's when I snapped all of these.

They were showoffs. 


Erika. I lub her. 

TOO MUCH PRETTY <3

They are SUCH goofballs. (L to R: Hannah, Jack, and Connor)

Random lady watching random people whiz by
 At some point, we were so frozen & so we decided to go thaw out in the snack bar, which then morphed into Sam, Connor, Erika, and Grace sitting with me & Hannah. In one booth. Yeah, it was cramped but so fun. The boys found out I laugh at guy (read: inappropriate) jokes. After much laughter and stealing of gloves (I'm lookin' at YOU, Sam), we went back out only to come back in and go back out when the lights dimmed.

photo FAIL. But it was SO awesome. 

I was still shaking once we left & had already gotten to McDonalds (which, funny enough, was the same one Sam works at. he can't escape that place) but warmed up by laughing at more stupid guy stuff that the other girls didn't get. Memories.

Gahhh. I love those WOL people SO much. I miss them already!