Haha! Just kidding! But I do have two songs I am in LOVE with as of late:
Rick Ross featuring Kelly Rowland "Mine Games"
Mary J. Blige featuring Drake
Check 'em out! :) And have a good week!!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
...LOVING SWEET TREATS!
Cake Batter Dip!
This is a quick and easy little dessert that is perfect for whipping up and setting out for parties if you're in a hurry--and it's only three ingredients!! It tastes just like cake batter but has fun little colorful swirls in it.
Ingredients:
1 box funfetti cake mix
1/2 container of plain yogurt (big container, not an individual cup)
1/2 container of Cool Whip
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with fork and add more yogurt or Cool Whip to taste.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve
3. Spread out on a serving dish and serve with animal crackers, teddy grahams, or graham crackers
As easy as that :)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
...MAKING SPAGHETTI BAKED INSIDE GARLIC BREAD.
With winter and all of its glory upon us, I have become quite domestic in the last few weeks. I have been cooking, baking, and cleaning!! I'm sure Ryan is not complaining about any of it :)
Spaghetti baked inside garlic bread
Ingredients:
1 loaf of Rhodes frozen bread dough
1 package spaghetti noodles
1 pound hamburger
1 can of spaghetti sauce (Ragu Roasted Garlic is our fav)
Garlic powder
1 block of mozzarella cheese
1 egg
Parmesan cheese
Oregano
1. First I took the Rhodes loaf out of its original bag (it comes frozen), and placed it in a Ziploc baggie, sealed it, and set it in a bowl of hot water to thaw. Of course there are more conventional ways to thaw this, and this way is not even mentioned on the back of the package, but this seems to work for us.
2. As the dough was thawing, I started cooking the spaghetti as I normally would. Cooked the noodles, cooked the meat, drained, and added it all together in the sauce. (I also add garlic powder to this for a little extra flavor)
3. As the noodles were cooking, my dough became thawed and I rolled it out on the counter top. I sprayed the counter top with Pam and had no problems with it sticking. Slowly but surely, it turned into a 12x16in rectangle.
4. After it was in its rectangle form, I covered it with Saran Wrap and let it sit for 15 minutes while I finished the the spaghetti.
5. After uncovering the dough, I placed a very thick "line" of spaghetti through the entire center of the rectangle. I left a little room on each side to close it and also at the ends so it didn't all fall out. I then cut up an entire block of mozzarella cheese and placed it on top of the spaghetti.
6. Then I cut lines in the dough on either side, clear up to the spaghetti, leaving me 1 inch strips to braid on top. I criss crossed the lines and folded in the ends in, giving it a braided look. I then placed this very heavy concoction on a cookie sheet.
7. I dusted the bread with an egg white, coated it with Parmesan cheese, oregano, and lots of garlic powder, and stuck it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until brown.
When it came out...
**This meal DID take quite a bit of prep time to create with the dough being frozen. However, it was totally worth it in the end. It was not only delicious, but it made a ton, leaving plenty of leftovers!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
UPDATE: BELLA
Last Friday, Bella and I headed out to the vet for what we found out would be her last visit for awhile! We went in knowing that she MAY be pulled off her medicine, as we have been weaning her off it for months, but were not certain until she was checked over.
Once we got there, Dr. Lisa did all of her normal checkup things she does to her, which included her weigh-in. Once on the scale..immediately a smile came to my face; Bella weighed in at just over 3 pounds again!! She hadn't gained any weight since her last appointment, but she hadn't lost any either, which is good considering the low dose of medicine she was now on. This not only meant that the medicine was working, but also meant that she is maintaining her weight on her own again (hopefully).
From there Dr. Lisa did the normal checkup and mainly asked questions about how she has been doing/acting, and whether or not she has been getting sick. I let her know she has been in good shape since our last visit and hasn't had any real setbacks besides the side effects of her medicine. With that...Dr. Lisa told Bella she didn't need to be on medicine anymore!! Yay!!!
She once again informed me about the possibility that she may slip back into it and depend on the medicines for the rest of her life, as most animals with this disease do, but she has faith that Bella is strong enough to keep this at bay. She told us we needed to keep her on her VERY strict diet (forever) and if there are any signs of relapse that she needs to be seen right away. Also, she is to keep getting her glycerin treatments for the medicines side effects. Of course, this all seems so minor compared to what we have been doing for the last several months, so no problems there!
When we were getting ready to leave I remembered to show Dr. Lisa a bump inside Bella's belly that has been popping out a lot. Last time we were there I tried to show her and it wasn't popping out, so she accredited it to undigested food in her belly that was kind of showing up through her now thin skin. This time, however, it was popping out and I got the chance to show her exactly what I meant. Well, of course with every good thing comes a bad, and Dr. Lisa told me Bella has a hernia. :( I swear to you, she just can't catch a break. She poked and squeezed around it a bit and then said she wasn't overly concerned about it right now as there is nothing we can do about it anyway. (Bella is still too weak and fragile to have any surgeries at this point) She said to keep and eye on it and we will look at it again next time she is out there.
So even with the bad news of the hernia, I am more than happy that Bella is no longer on her medicine, doesn't have to get any shots, and can finally lead a "normal" life again. This has certainly been a long road to recovery, one that began in August, but she is definitely there.
So a BIG THANKS to everyone who has kept Bella in their prayers and wished her "get wells." And a special big thanks to Jena and Jason for Bella's first card and flower delivery; I am certain that is what jump started her on this long road to recovery :) Thanks again to everyone.
Once we got there, Dr. Lisa did all of her normal checkup things she does to her, which included her weigh-in. Once on the scale..immediately a smile came to my face; Bella weighed in at just over 3 pounds again!! She hadn't gained any weight since her last appointment, but she hadn't lost any either, which is good considering the low dose of medicine she was now on. This not only meant that the medicine was working, but also meant that she is maintaining her weight on her own again (hopefully).
From there Dr. Lisa did the normal checkup and mainly asked questions about how she has been doing/acting, and whether or not she has been getting sick. I let her know she has been in good shape since our last visit and hasn't had any real setbacks besides the side effects of her medicine. With that...Dr. Lisa told Bella she didn't need to be on medicine anymore!! Yay!!!
She once again informed me about the possibility that she may slip back into it and depend on the medicines for the rest of her life, as most animals with this disease do, but she has faith that Bella is strong enough to keep this at bay. She told us we needed to keep her on her VERY strict diet (forever) and if there are any signs of relapse that she needs to be seen right away. Also, she is to keep getting her glycerin treatments for the medicines side effects. Of course, this all seems so minor compared to what we have been doing for the last several months, so no problems there!
When we were getting ready to leave I remembered to show Dr. Lisa a bump inside Bella's belly that has been popping out a lot. Last time we were there I tried to show her and it wasn't popping out, so she accredited it to undigested food in her belly that was kind of showing up through her now thin skin. This time, however, it was popping out and I got the chance to show her exactly what I meant. Well, of course with every good thing comes a bad, and Dr. Lisa told me Bella has a hernia. :( I swear to you, she just can't catch a break. She poked and squeezed around it a bit and then said she wasn't overly concerned about it right now as there is nothing we can do about it anyway. (Bella is still too weak and fragile to have any surgeries at this point) She said to keep and eye on it and we will look at it again next time she is out there.
So even with the bad news of the hernia, I am more than happy that Bella is no longer on her medicine, doesn't have to get any shots, and can finally lead a "normal" life again. This has certainly been a long road to recovery, one that began in August, but she is definitely there.
So a BIG THANKS to everyone who has kept Bella in their prayers and wished her "get wells." And a special big thanks to Jena and Jason for Bella's first card and flower delivery; I am certain that is what jump started her on this long road to recovery :) Thanks again to everyone.
**after a rough day at the office :)
For the pevious posts on Bella:
Sunday, January 22, 2012
...HAPPY AT 24.
As I sat at the kitchen table, covered in glitter and working away at wedding projects, Ryan stood in the kitchen heating up some food, watching me. Of course there was natural chatter about what I was working on and the apparent mess that has consumed our kitchen table for weeks, but the conversation soon gained depth.
I’m not sure how we got there exactly, but Ryan asked me “If you could live forever, would you?” My answer was “no” along with a drawn out explanation as to why; mainly a fear of aging. From there, we began discussing if we could pick one age to live at forever (but had to go back to), what would that be? Strangely, we were both quick to answer “the age I am now.” I chose 24 and Ryan chose 28.
**As a side note, when I asked my cousin the same question, she also said the age she is at now too, 22.
Why did we both choose the ages we are at now? Why did he pick 28 and I, 24? Or better yet, why did we both not choose a number even higher up, like say 32?
I obviously don’t have the exact answers to those questions, especially the last, but I do have some thoughts on why I didn’t regress in years. Let’s go back, shall we?
Let’s say I chose age 21. With that age comes college, the fear of not knowing what to do with the rest of my life, a waitressing job at Buffalo Wild Wings, and a roommate. No thanks to all of the above. Yay me; I was also finally old enough to drink legally and lose all sense of inhibition while doing so. At this age I thought getting so drunk I didn’t know my name on a normal basis was acceptable. No thanks to that too.
Lets surpass the shit show and go back a little bit further; age 18. I was having a blast ending the school year with my high school friends and getting ready for college. Ryan and I started dating that May and I couldn’t wait to live in Iowa City that fall with no one to tell me where to be and when, or what to do and how to do it--then reality hit. I didn’t
have hardly any friends up in Iowa City yet, I got stuck with a roommate that spoke NO English, literally, making it to class every day seemed impossible, and I wasn’t old enough to drink with Ryan and his friends at the bars yet. The only upside to that was that the age to get into bars then was only 19…oh wait. Independence wasn’t nearly as glamorous as it seemed at the time and age 18 qualifies you as “not a child, but not yet an adult.” No thanks, again.
Let’s try age 16. This is the age where popularity, friends, and a boyfriend made me think I had everything I needed in life. Once again, how wrong I was. I put education somewhere near the bottom of my list, and
spending time with those listed above, near the top. I was old enough to drive and had no real world worries, yet thought my life was crashing down when my friends and I got in a fight. If only I knew then what I know now. No thanks to all of that listed above!
Lets go back to age 14…actually, lets not. : )
Just kidding. Age 14. I had braces this year, hadn’t yet highlighted or dyed my hair, so it was a God awful brown/grey/blonde/ugly color, and thought Nike gym shorts and Dr. Marten’s were stylish. I thought every
girl older than me was pretty, and every guy older than me was the best thing to walk the planet. My friends changed every day, along with the rubber bands on my braces, but my hair color did not (unfortunately). Double NO THANKS to everything listed.
Any age 10 and younger just seems too ridiculous to even think about, and no one in their right mind would choose an age that young to live at
forever. And lets be honest, that’s kind of a gross age anyway; I forgot to brush my hair on a normal basis and thought washing my hands was optional if no one was looking. I also thought permed hair was “pretty.” Moving on…
Though this all sounds so negative, the negatives listed are just the main reasons I wouldn’t go back to those particular ages, or any in between. Of course there were a lot of positives all of these as well--I made so many friends at college, including one of my best friends, I’ve obviously learned a lot about me along the way, and I fell in love—just three off the top of my head.
So now that we’ve covered all the reasons I wouldn’t regress in age if given the option, I guess should state why I wouldn’t progress in age. This answer is much simpler than above…
I wouldn’t pick any other age except where I am now, because I am happy exactly where I am at. I am happy with the person I am; the person that doesn’t put friendships above education, and significant others above herself. I am happy with the lessons I’ve learned; don’t take others for granted, and that I am not invincible. And I’m happy with the people I have surrounding me and beside me; they are what love and friendship really mean. It is hard to imagine my life being any more perfect in the future than it is now.
I’m not sure how we got there exactly, but Ryan asked me “If you could live forever, would you?” My answer was “no” along with a drawn out explanation as to why; mainly a fear of aging. From there, we began discussing if we could pick one age to live at forever (but had to go back to), what would that be? Strangely, we were both quick to answer “the age I am now.” I chose 24 and Ryan chose 28.
**As a side note, when I asked my cousin the same question, she also said the age she is at now too, 22.
Why did we both choose the ages we are at now? Why did he pick 28 and I, 24? Or better yet, why did we both not choose a number even higher up, like say 32?
I obviously don’t have the exact answers to those questions, especially the last, but I do have some thoughts on why I didn’t regress in years. Let’s go back, shall we?
Lets surpass the shit show and go back a little bit further; age 18. I was having a blast ending the school year with my high school friends and getting ready for college. Ryan and I started dating that May and I couldn’t wait to live in Iowa City that fall with no one to tell me where to be and when, or what to do and how to do it--then reality hit. I didn’t
Let’s try age 16. This is the age where popularity, friends, and a boyfriend made me think I had everything I needed in life. Once again, how wrong I was. I put education somewhere near the bottom of my list, and
Lets go back to age 14…actually, lets not. : )
Just kidding. Age 14. I had braces this year, hadn’t yet highlighted or dyed my hair, so it was a God awful brown/grey/blonde/ugly color, and thought Nike gym shorts and Dr. Marten’s were stylish. I thought every
Any age 10 and younger just seems too ridiculous to even think about, and no one in their right mind would choose an age that young to live at
Though this all sounds so negative, the negatives listed are just the main reasons I wouldn’t go back to those particular ages, or any in between. Of course there were a lot of positives all of these as well--I made so many friends at college, including one of my best friends, I’ve obviously learned a lot about me along the way, and I fell in love—just three off the top of my head.
So now that we’ve covered all the reasons I wouldn’t regress in age if given the option, I guess should state why I wouldn’t progress in age. This answer is much simpler than above…
I wouldn’t pick any other age except where I am now, because I am happy exactly where I am at. I am happy with the person I am; the person that doesn’t put friendships above education, and significant others above herself. I am happy with the lessons I’ve learned; don’t take others for granted, and that I am not invincible. And I’m happy with the people I have surrounding me and beside me; they are what love and friendship really mean. It is hard to imagine my life being any more perfect in the future than it is now.
Monday, January 16, 2012
...NOT A FAN OF BRIDAL SHOWS!
With my wedding less than a year away, I have been a busy body trying to come up with ideas. One of my ideas, for ideas, was to attend a bridal show. I have always seen the previews on the television or heard ads on the radio and always wanted to go to one but never had a reason to go before now.
With the finalization of the date and more and more things being set in place, i started scoping out bridal shows last month and writing them all in my calendar. I scoped out ones from here, to Ames, to Cedar Rapids, and even Omaha. Then, i started the daunting task of asking different friends and family if they'd be willing to get dragged (I should use the word "drug" because that's probably what they would have to be on to be willing to go to one of these with me) along to one of these with me on select dates.
Not being able to attend the one just a couple of weekends ago in Des Moines, I was REALLY excited to attend the one this weekend in Omaha. I had even convinced Ryan to take time off work for it and go with. So Sunday morning, we started our trek to Omaha for my first ever bridal show.
Once we paid the $8 parking, and the $20 admission, I was thrilled to get in the door. I wanted to see all the vendors and their offerings, a fashion show, and other brides and their excitement. But walking in, that is exactly what we DIDN'T see.
We walked in, only to be greeted by HUNDREDS of people, walking shoulder-to-shoulder in chaotic lines, through the middle of the Quest Center (now, Centurylink Center). Music was blasting from several different vendors, on all different stations, making the place sound somewhat like a classroom when I tell everyone to "work quietly." HA! Vendors were on either sides of these chaotic lines but were nearly impossible to get to. When I say "nearly impossible" I mean they were as hard to get to as Pluto is. Heck, we don't even know if it's still in our galaxy or not and whether it's a star or planet--that's how I felt about getting to these vendors. They were there, and you could kind of, sort of, barely see their signs, but figuring out which stand to go to and when the perfect time to push 400 people out of your way was, was certainly an art, that is for sure.
After doing this a few hundred times, yes--that means I pushed nearly 120,000 people out of my way : ) #justkidding, we finally made it down one aisle (not the aisle I'm doing this all for) and stared ahead as we had two more to go down. We kind of stood aside and gathered ourselves as we decided which aisle to start on next. After the first though, I had realized there was nothing I reeeally had taken away from this yet; there were no cool setups, and talking to anyone about anything remotely important was impossible. My brain was fried and we had two more to go.
We started down the next aisle and I slowly began to realize I needed to do this more strategically. I needed to look ahead and tell Ryan exactly which stands I wanted to stop at, and not get out of line until then. So, we tried this approach and surprisingly, it went much smoother. We fought off hundreds of people and stopped at a few stands I wanted to see.
After getting to the end of the second aisle, we realized it was almost 1:30 and the second fashion show was about to start--this is where the ONLY positive of the day comes into play. We stared at all the taken seats and all the people standing with nowhere to sit, (who planned this thing anyway?!) and then finally Ryan spotted a couple seats clear across the arena that were open. We headed over and had a seat. As the fashion show started, I was quickly bored out of my mind with the terrible music and hideous dresses UNTIL...right before my eyes...was the dress I have had my eyes on for months! I had never seen this dress in person yet, only online, and had never actually seen it in white (which is what I want) only in ivory. I was BEYOND excited to see that it was even more beautiful than I had envisioned. Absolutely stunning. To my surprise, Ryan even said it was his favorite and said it was beautiful. That, my friends, was THE BEST part of my entire day and quite honestly, made the whole day worth while.
Shortly before the fashion show ended, and having seen my favorite dress (and hopefully MY dress) already on the runway, we decided to pack up our things and head down the last aisle before leaving, hoping to beat some of the crowd from the fashion show. Since everyone was busy looking at hideous things, such as leprechaun green bridesmaid dresses, the aisle was quite calm and I got to talk to a few people AND get a manicure/massage! Don't worry, Ryan was entertaining himself this entire time with food. He ate everything from cake, brownies, pretzels dipped in a chocolate fountain, to chicken cordon bleu!
We zipped through the last aisle and then stopped at the Sandals resort on the way out, talking to the people for quite some time, and then headed out to the car.
We walked out of the place, hand in hand, not sure of what had just happened, and how we managed to still be together in a place so crowded and chaotic. We got the car and both took a deep breath and looked at each other and just kind of laughed. Ryan said he was hungry and I said I was tired. What a day it was.
Before even making it home, I texted my cousins and said to cancel our plans for the wedding shows in February and March. No thanks! No more {big} wedding shows for this girl; mark my word.
With the finalization of the date and more and more things being set in place, i started scoping out bridal shows last month and writing them all in my calendar. I scoped out ones from here, to Ames, to Cedar Rapids, and even Omaha. Then, i started the daunting task of asking different friends and family if they'd be willing to get dragged (I should use the word "drug" because that's probably what they would have to be on to be willing to go to one of these with me) along to one of these with me on select dates.
Not being able to attend the one just a couple of weekends ago in Des Moines, I was REALLY excited to attend the one this weekend in Omaha. I had even convinced Ryan to take time off work for it and go with. So Sunday morning, we started our trek to Omaha for my first ever bridal show.
Once we paid the $8 parking, and the $20 admission, I was thrilled to get in the door. I wanted to see all the vendors and their offerings, a fashion show, and other brides and their excitement. But walking in, that is exactly what we DIDN'T see.
We walked in, only to be greeted by HUNDREDS of people, walking shoulder-to-shoulder in chaotic lines, through the middle of the Quest Center (now, Centurylink Center). Music was blasting from several different vendors, on all different stations, making the place sound somewhat like a classroom when I tell everyone to "work quietly." HA! Vendors were on either sides of these chaotic lines but were nearly impossible to get to. When I say "nearly impossible" I mean they were as hard to get to as Pluto is. Heck, we don't even know if it's still in our galaxy or not and whether it's a star or planet--that's how I felt about getting to these vendors. They were there, and you could kind of, sort of, barely see their signs, but figuring out which stand to go to and when the perfect time to push 400 people out of your way was, was certainly an art, that is for sure.
After doing this a few hundred times, yes--that means I pushed nearly 120,000 people out of my way : ) #justkidding, we finally made it down one aisle (not the aisle I'm doing this all for) and stared ahead as we had two more to go down. We kind of stood aside and gathered ourselves as we decided which aisle to start on next. After the first though, I had realized there was nothing I reeeally had taken away from this yet; there were no cool setups, and talking to anyone about anything remotely important was impossible. My brain was fried and we had two more to go.
We started down the next aisle and I slowly began to realize I needed to do this more strategically. I needed to look ahead and tell Ryan exactly which stands I wanted to stop at, and not get out of line until then. So, we tried this approach and surprisingly, it went much smoother. We fought off hundreds of people and stopped at a few stands I wanted to see.
After getting to the end of the second aisle, we realized it was almost 1:30 and the second fashion show was about to start--this is where the ONLY positive of the day comes into play. We stared at all the taken seats and all the people standing with nowhere to sit, (who planned this thing anyway?!) and then finally Ryan spotted a couple seats clear across the arena that were open. We headed over and had a seat. As the fashion show started, I was quickly bored out of my mind with the terrible music and hideous dresses UNTIL...right before my eyes...was the dress I have had my eyes on for months! I had never seen this dress in person yet, only online, and had never actually seen it in white (which is what I want) only in ivory. I was BEYOND excited to see that it was even more beautiful than I had envisioned. Absolutely stunning. To my surprise, Ryan even said it was his favorite and said it was beautiful. That, my friends, was THE BEST part of my entire day and quite honestly, made the whole day worth while.
Shortly before the fashion show ended, and having seen my favorite dress (and hopefully MY dress) already on the runway, we decided to pack up our things and head down the last aisle before leaving, hoping to beat some of the crowd from the fashion show. Since everyone was busy looking at hideous things, such as leprechaun green bridesmaid dresses, the aisle was quite calm and I got to talk to a few people AND get a manicure/massage! Don't worry, Ryan was entertaining himself this entire time with food. He ate everything from cake, brownies, pretzels dipped in a chocolate fountain, to chicken cordon bleu!
We zipped through the last aisle and then stopped at the Sandals resort on the way out, talking to the people for quite some time, and then headed out to the car.
We walked out of the place, hand in hand, not sure of what had just happened, and how we managed to still be together in a place so crowded and chaotic. We got the car and both took a deep breath and looked at each other and just kind of laughed. Ryan said he was hungry and I said I was tired. What a day it was.
Before even making it home, I texted my cousins and said to cancel our plans for the wedding shows in February and March. No thanks! No more {big} wedding shows for this girl; mark my word.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
...A DIY FAILURE.
A few weeks ago, in the midst of my Pinterest craze, I started looking around for centerpiece ideas that would be sufficient for my winter wedding theme. I ended up finding an idea on there that sparked my creative side, and that eventually led to another (and my own) idea.
I saw a picture where someone had used a plain vase and they had wrapped several rubber bands around it, then sprayed it with a frosted coating. After it dried and they removed the rubber bands, the vase had all these lines in it and looked much more decorative than it had previously, plus it was frosted.
With that, I decided to try my own version of this. I ended up using a vase I had bought at Hobby Lobby for $5, several rubber bands I had also bought there, that cost about $1 for an entire pack, and a bottle of metallic spray paint I had already purchased for $3.
I placed the rubber bands on the vase like so:
And then got to work. I put on laytex gloves and started spraying the vase, making sure I ONLY got the outside of the vase. After it was completely coated I left it to dry. After it was dried, or more realistically, after I was done being patient, I brought the vase inside and started removing the rubber bands. Not-so-much to my surprise, the vase wasn’t completely dry in some places, leaving weird marks where my hands had fondled it. (That part, of course, could have been prevented had I just waited awhile longer). After removing all the rubber bands and placing an led candle I have for my wedding inside it, this is what I got:
I am about 50/50 pleased with the outcome. Besides where my hands messed up the paint, there was another slight problem. When removing the rubber bands, some of the paint had collected on the top of them, leaving these weird little “hangovers” (booze, anyone?) on the vase. It’s hard to explain, but just picture the extra polish left on your cuticles when you miss your nails by a bit…this is what it looked like. When I tried to pull this part off, it obviously took much of the paint with it (like nail polish does), skewing the design. I tried clipping some of them off, and it just looked trashy. After that, I gave up and realized they were so small, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal anyway. Someone I graduated with also said that she had tried it and didn’t have the correct spray paint (made for glass) and that hers all chipped off the vase. Mine didn’t do this however, but she recommended a clear sealer coat to prevent it—which seems like MORE of a hassle to me.
So after it was all said and done, it DOES look pretty in the picture, but I certainly am not using these for my wedding, and I probably won’t try this DIY project again. If any of you get brave enough to, please let me know how yours turned out!!
I saw a picture where someone had used a plain vase and they had wrapped several rubber bands around it, then sprayed it with a frosted coating. After it dried and they removed the rubber bands, the vase had all these lines in it and looked much more decorative than it had previously, plus it was frosted.
With that, I decided to try my own version of this. I ended up using a vase I had bought at Hobby Lobby for $5, several rubber bands I had also bought there, that cost about $1 for an entire pack, and a bottle of metallic spray paint I had already purchased for $3.
I placed the rubber bands on the vase like so:
And then got to work. I put on laytex gloves and started spraying the vase, making sure I ONLY got the outside of the vase. After it was completely coated I left it to dry. After it was dried, or more realistically, after I was done being patient, I brought the vase inside and started removing the rubber bands. Not-so-much to my surprise, the vase wasn’t completely dry in some places, leaving weird marks where my hands had fondled it. (That part, of course, could have been prevented had I just waited awhile longer). After removing all the rubber bands and placing an led candle I have for my wedding inside it, this is what I got:
I am about 50/50 pleased with the outcome. Besides where my hands messed up the paint, there was another slight problem. When removing the rubber bands, some of the paint had collected on the top of them, leaving these weird little “hangovers” (booze, anyone?) on the vase. It’s hard to explain, but just picture the extra polish left on your cuticles when you miss your nails by a bit…this is what it looked like. When I tried to pull this part off, it obviously took much of the paint with it (like nail polish does), skewing the design. I tried clipping some of them off, and it just looked trashy. After that, I gave up and realized they were so small, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal anyway. Someone I graduated with also said that she had tried it and didn’t have the correct spray paint (made for glass) and that hers all chipped off the vase. Mine didn’t do this however, but she recommended a clear sealer coat to prevent it—which seems like MORE of a hassle to me.
So after it was all said and done, it DOES look pretty in the picture, but I certainly am not using these for my wedding, and I probably won’t try this DIY project again. If any of you get brave enough to, please let me know how yours turned out!!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
...KISSING AWAY 2011.
Every year, as the New Year starts approaching, my mind starts spinning with thoughts of the past year as well as the upcoming year. I start asking myself questions like: What have I even done this year? Was my life like I thought it would be? Do I even remember what my New Year’s resolutions were? Did I accomplish any of them? Was this a good year, or a bad year? What can I do next year to improve my life?
In asking myself all of these questions and debating the answers back and forth through my spinning mind (usually at 4am when I can’t sleep), I have officially decided that not only was this year a “good” year, but it was the BEST year of my life. Though there were a few negatives here and there, this year really stands out to me as the best year yet, for many reasons. I had so many good things come to me, it almost seems unbelievable.
So where do I start?
Let’s start at the beginning of the year. At the beginning of January, I started my student teaching placement to earn my endorsement to be a fully licensed teacher. I had gotten my English degree a few semesters prior and was ready to begin the next chapter of my life and what I hoped to do as a career—teach. I ended up getting approved to student teach at Twin Cedars High School/Middle School, grades 7-12. At first, it seemed like the perfect scenario, having all grades and all different classes, but it shortly turned into somewhat of a nightmare. I was busy all the time; I would literally work through my lunch break and come home and work until I went to bed. My cooperating teacher wasn’t of much assistance and I seemed to be buried up to my neck. It was very overwhelming 9/10 of the time, and watching two others do it at the same time, with what seemed like MUCH easier schedules, made it that much more difficult for me. The professor who placed me there constantly apologized and said she made a mistake with that schedule and teacher, but that didn’t seem to help at the time. Basically, it sucked.
With that being said, a lot of good DID come out of this experience and it turned into one of my greatest blessings. I went into this experience thinking I only wanted to teach high school, and that middle school wasn’t for me—how wrong I was. I shortly learned that I absolutely LOVED middle school, especially the 7th graders, and that they made each day worth being there. They put a smile on my face and made me excited for the periods they would be in my classroom, which by the end of the experience, left me knowing I wanted to teach middle school as a career. So, without a hard schedule and cooperating teacher, and the smiles of my 7th graders daily, I may have never learned what made me happy and what I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.
As months rolled by, March quickly approached and so did the due date of my niece, as well as one of my best friend’s baby. On March 6th, Ryan and I were blessed with a perfect, healthy, and beautiful little niece, Zoe. She was welcomed into this world by her mom and dad, and older brother, Brody. Ryan and I went to meet her the following weekend, when his work schedule would allow, and she was just perfect! So little and cute, she just melted my heart; I didn’t want to put her down. Just three days later, on the 9th, my friend gave birth to her little girl, who was also perfect, healthy, and beautiful (and who also started to WALK this week! It was a week of blessings!
Just a few days after all of this, and still while student teaching, with my cell phone off, and up to my neck in final papers to be graded, one of my students walked in and gave me news of a friend (a good friend of Ryan’s) who had passed away. My heart sunk in my chest, and I immediately started crying and trying to figure out what to do, if anything. I ended up calling Ryan, who was at home sleeping, and then rushed home. This was a terrible week with so many people close to me being hurt, and was certainly one of the negatives of 2011.
Another month passed in this whirlwind of a year, and then I celebrated my 24th birthday. Though 24 is no special number and turning 24 means nothing, a friend and I decided I should get a party bus and have an actual birthday party—this would not only be fun, but also relieve the stress of the student teaching, which I was still in the middle of. I celebrated my 24th birthday that evening with some of the most fun/crazy friends I have and had too much fun while doing so.
The following month (May) was definitely the best month of the entire year for this girl. To begin, my student teaching would end mid-month and I would forever be free from being a slave! : ). This day could not have come fast enough and once it did, I was OUT of there! I was sad to see my students go, knowing I would never be “Miss Paris” to them again, but I was ready to begin my summer of R&R!! It was definitely a bitter sweet moment.
Not only did I have summer to look forward to, but also a visit/stay from our friends from Germany who only come back every 2 years or so. Just a couple days after school ended, Arne and Vanessa travelled to the US and stayed nearly 3 weeks with Ryan and I. Since this was their vacation, and the beginning to my summer vacation, we did a lot of nothing. We spent the days either lounging around the house, going shopping, or going uptown—which was perfect for me!! We didn’t plan any big trips and didn’t even travel anywhere outside about a 90 mile radius, but we had a lot of fun and I definitely enjoyed my time with them.
Shortly after they left, Ryan and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary together. We spent the day in Iowa City listening to live music, eating at our favorite restaurant, binging on ColdStone, and reminiscing about the past and all of our years spent in Iowa City. I didn’t think the day could have gotten any more perfect, and then it did. Ryan asked me to spend the rest of my life with him…and I said yes! Truly, THE BEST moment in my entire life…absolutely wonderful.
These three things, in the month of May, really set the tone for the rest of summer, which led to the best summer of my entire life. Though I didn’t do anything special, and did more “nothing” than “something,” it was amazing. I spent my days laying out on the pool deck, going to the lake, and hanging out with friends. I learned a lot about myself in these months of nothing, which led to me developing some relationships and making them stronger, while learning I needed to end others for my own sanity. And though I got my nails done 300 too many times, bought 10 too many sundresses, and developed tan lines that still won’t go away, it was a summer for the history books—one of life and love!
As summer came to a close and school started back up, (in September) we slowly started noticing things about Bella that seemed “off.” She went from being a vibrant energizer bunny, to being weak and losing function of certain things such as her voice and her hind legs. After a slow progression of these things, we finally took her into the vet to see what was going on. After many tests and observations, we found out that Bella has a nutrient (protein) losing disease and would have a rough road ahead. We had no idea at the time, but we would literally spend every Friday afternoon at the vet for months to come. She would have x-rays done, blood work, and get shots while there, and then come home and have to take 4 pills a day, every day. This was definitely a rough patch for Bella and Ryan and I, and though I have not yet found the blessing in this, I am happy to say that Bella is much more healthy today and is definitely on the road to recovery and we are all learning how to keep this disease at bay.
As fall was ending and Halloween fast approaching, so too, was my sister’s due date. I was so anxious to see and meet him, it was a feeling I had never had before. As I explained it to Ryan, I don’t think I have ever loved anything before it was born, until this point. Since her and Nathan lived (and still do) in Arizona, I would text her every.single.day asking her how she was doing and if he was here yet, anxiously waiting. Finally, while spending the afternoon in Omaha with our other niece and nephew, Ryan and I got a text saying Abigal had gone into labor. A few hours later, on October 28, her and Nathan welcomed Solomon Davis into this world. He was perfectly healthy and perfectly amazing!
A few days later, I flew out to Arizona and got the chance to meet this little guy I was so anxiously awaiting. He was everything I expected and more! Though I was exhausted from spending my day at the airport, I didn’t want to put him down once I got to hold him. I was holding him so long, in fact, that I even forgot my luggage was going round and round on the pick-up line waiting for someone to claim it! Ay, ay, ay. While Nathan worked, Abigal, Sol, and I spent many days lounging around and bonding. And because of this, Abigal and I became closer than we ever have been (since being adults) and have not gone a single day without texting or talking to each other. Also, Sol became known as “my little peanut” and is forever imprinted on my heart.
Finally, to round out the year and say goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012, Ryan and I spent our evening by first going out to dinner with his brother, parents, and family friends, and then going to the country club for the first annual AAYP New Year’s event, hosted by several of our friends. We chatted with friends for awhile but due to me not feeling well, we headed home to watch the ball drop with just ourselves and the girls. I got to end the year with the most important person in my life and my best friend, plus the two best puppies a girl could ask for, all cuddled up on the couch. I was one happy girl.
Though I’m not exactly sure what my New Year’s resolutions were from this past year and whether or not I actually accomplished them, (lets be honest, one was probably stop picking at my nails—fail) in the big scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter, is that I had the best year of my life in 2011 and not only did I learn a thing or two about life, but also a thing or two about myself.
I am not sad to see 2011 go however, because I have high expectations for 2012--so high, in fact, that I’m expecting it to be the best year of my life yet. Aim high, right? I look forward to the future and what next year will bring. 2012, I have set high expectations for you and you have some big shoes to fill, so you better get to work!
In asking myself all of these questions and debating the answers back and forth through my spinning mind (usually at 4am when I can’t sleep), I have officially decided that not only was this year a “good” year, but it was the BEST year of my life. Though there were a few negatives here and there, this year really stands out to me as the best year yet, for many reasons. I had so many good things come to me, it almost seems unbelievable.
So where do I start?
Let’s start at the beginning of the year. At the beginning of January, I started my student teaching placement to earn my endorsement to be a fully licensed teacher. I had gotten my English degree a few semesters prior and was ready to begin the next chapter of my life and what I hoped to do as a career—teach. I ended up getting approved to student teach at Twin Cedars High School/Middle School, grades 7-12. At first, it seemed like the perfect scenario, having all grades and all different classes, but it shortly turned into somewhat of a nightmare. I was busy all the time; I would literally work through my lunch break and come home and work until I went to bed. My cooperating teacher wasn’t of much assistance and I seemed to be buried up to my neck. It was very overwhelming 9/10 of the time, and watching two others do it at the same time, with what seemed like MUCH easier schedules, made it that much more difficult for me. The professor who placed me there constantly apologized and said she made a mistake with that schedule and teacher, but that didn’t seem to help at the time. Basically, it sucked.
With that being said, a lot of good DID come out of this experience and it turned into one of my greatest blessings. I went into this experience thinking I only wanted to teach high school, and that middle school wasn’t for me—how wrong I was. I shortly learned that I absolutely LOVED middle school, especially the 7th graders, and that they made each day worth being there. They put a smile on my face and made me excited for the periods they would be in my classroom, which by the end of the experience, left me knowing I wanted to teach middle school as a career. So, without a hard schedule and cooperating teacher, and the smiles of my 7th graders daily, I may have never learned what made me happy and what I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.
As months rolled by, March quickly approached and so did the due date of my niece, as well as one of my best friend’s baby. On March 6th, Ryan and I were blessed with a perfect, healthy, and beautiful little niece, Zoe. She was welcomed into this world by her mom and dad, and older brother, Brody. Ryan and I went to meet her the following weekend, when his work schedule would allow, and she was just perfect! So little and cute, she just melted my heart; I didn’t want to put her down. Just three days later, on the 9th, my friend gave birth to her little girl, who was also perfect, healthy, and beautiful (and who also started to WALK this week! It was a week of blessings!
Just a few days after all of this, and still while student teaching, with my cell phone off, and up to my neck in final papers to be graded, one of my students walked in and gave me news of a friend (a good friend of Ryan’s) who had passed away. My heart sunk in my chest, and I immediately started crying and trying to figure out what to do, if anything. I ended up calling Ryan, who was at home sleeping, and then rushed home. This was a terrible week with so many people close to me being hurt, and was certainly one of the negatives of 2011.
Another month passed in this whirlwind of a year, and then I celebrated my 24th birthday. Though 24 is no special number and turning 24 means nothing, a friend and I decided I should get a party bus and have an actual birthday party—this would not only be fun, but also relieve the stress of the student teaching, which I was still in the middle of. I celebrated my 24th birthday that evening with some of the most fun/crazy friends I have and had too much fun while doing so.
The following month (May) was definitely the best month of the entire year for this girl. To begin, my student teaching would end mid-month and I would forever be free from being a slave! : ). This day could not have come fast enough and once it did, I was OUT of there! I was sad to see my students go, knowing I would never be “Miss Paris” to them again, but I was ready to begin my summer of R&R!! It was definitely a bitter sweet moment.
Not only did I have summer to look forward to, but also a visit/stay from our friends from Germany who only come back every 2 years or so. Just a couple days after school ended, Arne and Vanessa travelled to the US and stayed nearly 3 weeks with Ryan and I. Since this was their vacation, and the beginning to my summer vacation, we did a lot of nothing. We spent the days either lounging around the house, going shopping, or going uptown—which was perfect for me!! We didn’t plan any big trips and didn’t even travel anywhere outside about a 90 mile radius, but we had a lot of fun and I definitely enjoyed my time with them.
Shortly after they left, Ryan and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary together. We spent the day in Iowa City listening to live music, eating at our favorite restaurant, binging on ColdStone, and reminiscing about the past and all of our years spent in Iowa City. I didn’t think the day could have gotten any more perfect, and then it did. Ryan asked me to spend the rest of my life with him…and I said yes! Truly, THE BEST moment in my entire life…absolutely wonderful.
These three things, in the month of May, really set the tone for the rest of summer, which led to the best summer of my entire life. Though I didn’t do anything special, and did more “nothing” than “something,” it was amazing. I spent my days laying out on the pool deck, going to the lake, and hanging out with friends. I learned a lot about myself in these months of nothing, which led to me developing some relationships and making them stronger, while learning I needed to end others for my own sanity. And though I got my nails done 300 too many times, bought 10 too many sundresses, and developed tan lines that still won’t go away, it was a summer for the history books—one of life and love!
As summer came to a close and school started back up, (in September) we slowly started noticing things about Bella that seemed “off.” She went from being a vibrant energizer bunny, to being weak and losing function of certain things such as her voice and her hind legs. After a slow progression of these things, we finally took her into the vet to see what was going on. After many tests and observations, we found out that Bella has a nutrient (protein) losing disease and would have a rough road ahead. We had no idea at the time, but we would literally spend every Friday afternoon at the vet for months to come. She would have x-rays done, blood work, and get shots while there, and then come home and have to take 4 pills a day, every day. This was definitely a rough patch for Bella and Ryan and I, and though I have not yet found the blessing in this, I am happy to say that Bella is much more healthy today and is definitely on the road to recovery and we are all learning how to keep this disease at bay.
As fall was ending and Halloween fast approaching, so too, was my sister’s due date. I was so anxious to see and meet him, it was a feeling I had never had before. As I explained it to Ryan, I don’t think I have ever loved anything before it was born, until this point. Since her and Nathan lived (and still do) in Arizona, I would text her every.single.day asking her how she was doing and if he was here yet, anxiously waiting. Finally, while spending the afternoon in Omaha with our other niece and nephew, Ryan and I got a text saying Abigal had gone into labor. A few hours later, on October 28, her and Nathan welcomed Solomon Davis into this world. He was perfectly healthy and perfectly amazing!
A few days later, I flew out to Arizona and got the chance to meet this little guy I was so anxiously awaiting. He was everything I expected and more! Though I was exhausted from spending my day at the airport, I didn’t want to put him down once I got to hold him. I was holding him so long, in fact, that I even forgot my luggage was going round and round on the pick-up line waiting for someone to claim it! Ay, ay, ay. While Nathan worked, Abigal, Sol, and I spent many days lounging around and bonding. And because of this, Abigal and I became closer than we ever have been (since being adults) and have not gone a single day without texting or talking to each other. Also, Sol became known as “my little peanut” and is forever imprinted on my heart.
Finally, to round out the year and say goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012, Ryan and I spent our evening by first going out to dinner with his brother, parents, and family friends, and then going to the country club for the first annual AAYP New Year’s event, hosted by several of our friends. We chatted with friends for awhile but due to me not feeling well, we headed home to watch the ball drop with just ourselves and the girls. I got to end the year with the most important person in my life and my best friend, plus the two best puppies a girl could ask for, all cuddled up on the couch. I was one happy girl.
Though I’m not exactly sure what my New Year’s resolutions were from this past year and whether or not I actually accomplished them, (lets be honest, one was probably stop picking at my nails—fail) in the big scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter, is that I had the best year of my life in 2011 and not only did I learn a thing or two about life, but also a thing or two about myself.
I am not sad to see 2011 go however, because I have high expectations for 2012--so high, in fact, that I’m expecting it to be the best year of my life yet. Aim high, right? I look forward to the future and what next year will bring. 2012, I have set high expectations for you and you have some big shoes to fill, so you better get to work!
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