the pure interest

I’m off on vacation. We just made it to Maryland, Brian’s parents house, on what we both agreed was our fastest, least stressful, best trip ever. It was over so quickly! Which is great since we have another 7ish hours to go tomorrow to South Carolina - Myrtle Beach.

Talk to you all soon…

Zelda enjoyed the beautiful sunshine yesterday. She’s taken to a new spot lodged between a window and the armoire. I think she likes it because Tycho is pretty unable to get to her there, and she has the wonderful sunshine warming her. She cozies up in there.

And here are my two favorite photos/things from Niagara-On-The-Lake. Rest of the pics will come sometime this week! The tulips were unreal. So straight, so colorful, so organized. People were all over stopping to take pictures of them. This picture in particular exposed my butt to the entire street, but it was worth it

This was my favorite chair at the cottage. I never actually sat in it… but it was just, so beautiful, antique, perfect.

Plans are food at my parents tonight, and I plan on making an amazing fruit salad. Also we have an “Ultimate Chocolate Cake” from Wegmans. What are you up to? 

This might be my favorite flower photo I’ve ever taken…

Not much else to say today except

1. Download this if you like photoshop and use it ever, mainly for web design (although i’m sure i’d be helpful for anyone)
2. I’m eating way too much chocolate chip banana bread! I also now have a huge box of cookies from a party last night and box of cheez it party mix. (which is amazing by the way) I’m taking that all today to work hoping my colleagues will help me diminish it.
3. Financial/vacation/family segment: We got a generous offer from my in-laws last night about a trip to Myrtle Beach this summer. We’ve been trying to say no to basically any vacation plans for this year, as money is very tight and we wanted to save that potential money for this crucial year on our student loan pay-off. But they called and said that if budget is what is keeping us from going to Myrtle Beach with them, we can drive down to Maryland (which we were going to do anyway), then they will take us the rest of the way and pay for our expenses. We are so overwhelmed by their generosity… and of course we had to accept and will try to set aside some expense money for ourselves - so that will be the first week of July, and I am so excited. One thing that’s hard about being on a strict budget and letting your family know about it, is that people offer to do a lot for you sometimes, which can be so amazing and I am so grateful, but also makes us feel very guilty - because that is not our intention (to be mooches). Family and friends reactions to debt/money decisions are the toughest sometimes to gauge, especially when people are in different places in their lives with how they spend money, etc., priorities they put on travel and vacations and the like. We are just trying to say no and make some sacrifices, but somehow people keep coming through so we don’t have to make quite so many. Dave Ramsey would probably not be happy with us.
4. Still most excite about Niagara on Sunday… EEEEEeeeeee!!!!

The next 3 photos were helped by Danielle both in inspiration and editing. Click on them to go to flickr for more details

• Last night I made this Rachael Ray 30 minute meal, except with chicken instead of pork chops. I am proud to say it really did only take me about 35 minutes. Well, in prep. That doesn’t count the 20 minutes I spent going to Quality Markets only to find they didn’t have any of the fresh green ingredients (rosemary, thyme, argula, etc) and then driving back up Peach Street and wandering Wegmans for another 38 minutes looking for said ingredients, FINALLY finding them! That is my biggest point of wanting to give up on cooking, is not having the fresh ingredients and just feeling overwhelmed and like it’s all a waste of time. I do have to say though, it was AMAZING! And I think worth it, especially when my husband says, wow, this is REALLY good.
• My appetite has been through the roof the last few days. It needs to stop.
• Still very excited about our Niagara Trip.
• Also you can see some pictures I took of Amy’s beautiful finished cupcakes here! I seriously think she has a secret talent and should open a little cupcake shop!

All week I’ll be posting 2-3 pictures a day that are different colors… I’ve just been so visually stunned with all the colors of the season. Unfortunately it’s cold and rainy today and hasn’t been real warm for a few days.

As far as me, here’s been my weekend

• mother’s day was wonderful - especially seeing my grandmother at our little get together. I think it’s the first time she’s been at my mom’s house since she was diagnosed with cancer. 
• My sister made some beaaaaauuutiful cupcakes. She’ll be posting about those later. 
• Danielle/Dave, Brian and I planned our Niagara cottage getaway (leaving on Sunday) and it made me SO SO SO EXCITED!! 
• My dad and I built my little shed this weekend. It was a bit tricky, but so worth it. I am just overjoyed having all the CLUTTER gone from our teensy-weensy backyard. It is refreshing.
• Talked to Michelle. I love you girl. I’m telling you, you can and you will.
• EDIT: This is a shout-out to KRISTIN who is finishing her last paper, projects and finals for her MASTERS degree TODAY by midnight! You can do it and I am so proud of you!

With the country receiving their economic stimulus, it’s interesting for me to learn what people plan to do with theirs. Are they putting it right back into the economy? Paying off federal debt (loans, bills, etc.)? Giving to charity?  Well, this is where half of mine is going. A small 6′ x 3′ shed for our tiny backyard. This is an item that I’ve needed for two years but my hubby has been resistant to spending our household money on, because the outside of the house is sort of my domain - he just doesn’t really concern himself with it. We made a decision that we could each do with our check what we wanted. Some of mine will go on my student loan, and the rest spent on this shed and potentially a small used (cheap) lawnmower.

Interesting and Flashy? Not really.

Necessary? Very.

Brian is using his plus some to add a bunch of cool pedals to his new birthday present, a VOX AC30 Amp, purchased by my family and a friend for him in a SCREAMING good deal. Don’t worry, we’d never ever be able to spend the full retail price on this. When I say screaming deal, I mean 1/4 price. This amp is a beautiful, prized thing for guitarists of his style/genre, and I am so thrilled for him to have his first amp ever! Here are some pictures from when we surprised him with it!

So, where is your economic stimulus check going?

Tune in next week, I plan on doing a color week - one new spring picture of a different color everyday.

Hey everyone! I had a rough day yesterday. I’m not sure where I caught it but I had the worst 24+ hour bug I can remember, complete with nausea, the desperate need for Immodium AD, no solid food, dehydration, and a 101.6 fever. My mom had to come over and take care of me while Brian was at work. It was just such a rough and weird day. I can’t describe the feeling of being so uncomfortable and weak, and unable to do a darn thing. Including so many plans of spring cleaning the yard and lots of work. The bright side is that I did drop 3 lbs from it!

Back to normal life today. Before the virus set in, I spent the weekend at IKEA then doing a small remodel of my kitchen! It was a small cost, $60 for the shelves and screws, $10 for Behr paint in Ashwood, and about $30 for a few new accessories for the shelves. I went from this blank and non-useful wall (old picture, sorry)

to this new fun shiny functional and cute wall:

Thank you, thank you Anyway. I need to make up for all the work I missed yesterday. So here I go!

My birthday started this morning with my dad bringing me a card and an itunes gift card to work. He’s so cute! I love my dad. Then my husband sent me the most beautiful email. When we were dating, he used to write these kinds of things but of course when you are face to face every day there isn’t as much occasion to write them. I wanted to share it because it’s so beautiful, but he preferred we keep it private. He also let me spend mucho money on myself for my birthday which is awesome, and last night we had fun take-out food at home and I basically ruled the tv set for about 3 hours with friends. He came home to eat lunch with me too which was a nice surprise because I didn’t think he’d be here. Tonight my parents and sis are taking me to dinner which I’m excited about because I will be eating dessert. At work they got me cookies and a really cute kitten card which was fun. I got about 20+ facebook happy birthdays and lots of twitter wishes as well. I am really blessed to have people who love me in my life! Thanks everyone!

This is a pull out from Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal on Birthdays. It always kind of cracks me up. Phone calls could be replaced by emails or messages Click to read larger.