Been Thinking About This for a While

I read other people's blogs daily, so I should be a better contributor. I've been thinking about that for a while, and then my grandma shamed me on facebook and called me out for never writing.

I could have commented that I write 8+ hours a day and get paid for it, but most of what I do at work is edit and wordsmith, not write.

So, here I am to describe the lovely weekend away I had with my husband. Husband teaches orchestra, and Spring= orchestra widow season, so I have been all on my own a lot lately while he works like crazy at a job he loves and where he makes a difference in the lives of children...so I try not to complain much.

Anyway, he had a free Saturday so we took a mini vacation to Huntsville to see Pirates of Penzance, stay at a B&B, eat delicious foods, and tour Sam Houston's museum/houses.

We're already planning our next visit. It was so much fun and a much needed break from the ordinary. (Our ordinary is extremely blessed, but still.)

So, you too should go to Huntsville, stay at the Whistler, eat at the Homestead, and see a show at Sam Houston State.

Trust me, you'll love it. And you might even have the bonus experience of learning more about Sam Houston and buying an antique side table.

And now, without further ado, some pictures of our room at the B&B. You're welcome, Grandma Rose.

Late to the party

I am what technically savvy people call a late adopter of any popular gadget or gizmo. I waited until Apple came out with the iPhone 4S to decide that maybe an iPhone would be an ok thing for me to own. (It's extremely useful by the way. I'm even typing this post on it.)

So as an avid reader and card carrying library patron, it took me a while to warm up to the idea of ereaders. Nook, Kindle, etc. didn't really tempt me. Then I ran out of reading materials before my return flight from a business trip and succumbed to the temptation of purchasing an overpriced book at the airport.
Don't worry friends because the happy ending to this story is that I received my very own Kindle paper white and I will never have to buy a book at the airport again. All my wonderful husband's birthday presents to me this year were books-a new thinline Bible, The Complete Works of (none other than) Shakespeare, a decoratively bound Bronte sisters collection, and the Kindle.
So far my cheapskate heart is glowing because I have uploaded dozens of books, free samples, and even some games without spending a penny. I will enjoy reading free samples and then adding the books I find interesting to my library hold list.
And when we travel for the holidays, look out, because I will be showing up at your house with a suitcase less the weight of 2-3 books and my Kindle in hand. Happy reading!

Pinterest Inspiration

The past two weekends have been filled with successful Pinterest projects. My sister-in-law is nesting, and I'm reaping the rewards. Last weekend, I used a bathtub cleaner she field tested and recommended, and my bathtub is still shiny, which is good because I don't like cleaning my bathtub that often. Look for it here, and then thank me later.

Then, I covered a canvas with leftover scrapbook paper and created art for my new home...once we find and buy it. The inspiration is this:

Mine looks like this. It still needs a layer of Mod Podge, but I'm happy with the results.

Then I ordered a picture of husband and I in Prague on canvas, and I love it! Canvas4life was recommended by Emily of the Anderson Crew, and I heartily second her endorsement.

Then, this weekend I made a big sister gift for my niece, which I can't show until she receives it (which should happen a week from Thursday when I get to meet my new nephew if he comes as scheduled).

And then I helped hostess a baby shower, and I had a ton of fun carving up fruit for this masterpiece:

All in all, I had a very creative two weekends. Here's to exciting events, people I love, and craft projects to help celebrate it all!

Since I last posted...

1. I had a successful business trip to London.
2. My client scheduled another business trip to Amsterdam.
3. Husband and I planned a vacation to Europe (based around the business trip).
4. We house hunted, were disappointed, and learned a lot of real estate lessons.
5. My client cancelled the business trip to Amsterdam.
6. Husband and I went to Europe for 2 fantastic weeks anyway.
7. We continued house hunting, put a house under contract, and then learned it was a money pit.

So, here I sit in our apartment, where we have decided to stay for a few more months, amazed with the whirlwind that has been our lives this past few months. In between the big events outlined above, we also managed to wrap up another school year, go to work regularly, attend a few sporting events and concerts, and celebrate a couple of American holidays. 

In the midst of the craziness, we're counting our blessings, and I figured it was time to check in with the blogosphere. No promises, but maybe I'll post some pictures from Europe someday. Have a blessed week, no matter what craziness life is sending your way.

March Madness

Fear not, this post has nothing to do with basketball, and I have not suffered a personality transplant that would cause me to write about the NCAA tournament. It's simply a reference to how insane March has been. And, this evening, I fly to London, so I figured I'd better play catch-up on here before sharing news from across the pond. I'll split the events of the last 4 weeks up for ease of consumption.

At the end of February, I hosted Girls' Night for our small group at church, which was a much needed reason to clean our apartment and finish some decor projects I had been working on.

We visited, watched a movie, and ate fondue. Oh my word, where has fondue been since the '70s? Sam and I went to Simply Fondue for my birthday, and if I had known then how easy it was to do at home, I would have tried tons of recipes before now. Try the Weight Watchers cheese fondue for a real treat without worrying about tons of fat.

Up next, pictures of my latest artistic endeavor.

Business Trip

Sorry I've been MIA this week. I got some exciting news at work on Monday, and the week kind of spiraled into busy preparation from there. I get to travel for work...wait for it...to LONDON!

If you know me, which is probably the only reason you would be reading this blog, you know that I love to travel, especially when it involves traveling over a major body of water (i.e., international travel). I spent a semester in college living outside of Florence, Italy, and I fell in love with Europe. To be fair, I was in love with the idea of Europe before I signed up for a study abroad program, but spending three months there sealed the deal.

So, basically, this has been a week of counting my many (career-related) blessings - I enjoy my job, I am appreciated by my managers and clients, and I get to spend a week in London doing work that I feel confident in my ability to do.

It's crazy to think that two years ago, I didn't know anything about the field of technical writing. I knew that it existed and figured that people who made a living doing that job spent their time in a cubicle writing instruction manuals for DVD players. Oh, how very wrong I was. I'd love to catch you up on what I actually do if you care to continue the conversation, but for those of you readers drifting off to sleep with boredom, I'll leave you with a picture of the souvenir I've already decided to purchase for myself.

Have a joyful, surprise-filled week! Coming soon, a post about my new painting and fondue-chick flick girls' night.

Valentine's week

I'm a bit behind, but we had a happy Valentine's Day around here. We spent the weekend in San Antonio for the music educators convention and then came home to continue celebrating.
On the 14th, my sweet husband made a delicious dinner (chicken parmesan with pasta and breaded zucchini) and my gift is a trip to a B&B in Fredericksburg this summer! I bought him a card and pink Starbursts because that's what he asked for, and I am nothing if not good at complying with specific requests.
Hope you're surrounded with loves ones this week!