dating my house

I have a confession to make...some of you already know...I think I've talked about it before even, but I need to be honest.  For the past 8 months I've been going on blind dates.  I've been on more than 60 during this time.  That averages out to more than 1 a week.  Some have been promising.  I've even been on second dates with about 15 or so of them...one guy we had 4 dates!!!!  but it just never works out.  It's a little frustrating you know...wondering if I'm ever going to find "the one."

I'm so clever, right?  Our house has been on the market for 8 months now.  It is funny to me how personally I take it when someone doesn't like my house.  It really is like dating...except I never meet these people.  We've had more than 60 showings.  It's kind of creepy to think about all those people going through our house.  The probability alone of that many showings would lead you to think we'd at least have had an offer on the house let alone someone to buy it...but no, we haven't.  Poor little house, just keeps getting rejected over and over again.  Do you want to buy it?!?!

We are going to take it off the market for a bit....just for our sanity.  While having your house on the market the first year you are married teaches you wonderful habits like always cleaning up after dinner and doing the dishes, hanging up all your clothes after you fold them, making your bed everyday, etc.  It also takes it's toll.  I haven't really decorated or added personal touches to the house since May.  No wedding pictures are hung, no moving the furniture around or adding fun nick nacks to the mantle.  Most my craft stuff was moved out of the house to clear out some clutter so I'm not doing as many fun projects. 

We just kind of need a break.  So that's what we are doing...UNLESS you want to buy our house!  We'll list it just for you :)  I'm looking forward to February (which is crazy that next week is february of 2012) and freshening up my house and actually living in our home.  Hopefully new fun projects will be coming soon! Stay tuned.

new year's rockin' eve

does anyone know what I was doing last new years eve? I couldn't tell you.  I looked back at facebook and the blog...no help.  this is why i need to be a better journal-er.  I take pride is remembering details and knowing what i was doing a year ago.  well...I have no idea on this one.  BUT here's what I was up to this new year's eve...

we had a low key night...lots of fun...but nice and low key.  New Year's Eve is hard.  Do you have people over? does that mean they have to stay for 10 hours? do you have it early? do you have a late party?  Well...we opted to just eat dinner with friends and come back and eat treats, get in to a few shenanigans, and then count down to the new year!  Josh was fired up...literally...with some left over wedding sparklers!

I had my cookies and fudge that I made earlier that day and we celebrated the new year with dear friends!

good times had by all!  happy new year!

new kitchen toys

well hello 2012!  I have a feeling it's going to be a great year (fingers crossed someone will buy out house!!!). 

I had some Christmas money and used it to buy 2 new toys for my kitchen!  First up...Candy Thermometer...

of course it's martha.  and it's great!  It has clip on the back that you can adjust for the height of your pan!  wonderful.  naturally, I had to use it...so I just HAD to attempt my first try at some homemade fudge!

Next...cookie scoop.  Can you believe I didn't have one?! me either.

but now I do.  thanks again to martha!  I used to it to make some chewy lemon cookies!  AND thanks to my dear friend Molly, I can now use my new silpat baking mat to bake on!  it was a great christmas for me and my kitchen. 

What were your favorite christmas gifts?  I'll be back later in the week with some more highlights from the holidays!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!  has your December been wonderfully full of family, friends, and fun?! I can't believe tomorrow is January...and the beginning of 2012...the year I turn 30.  It's a big one folks.  Here's to goals, resolutions, change, and a new beginning to a great year!

and God bless you and send you a 

Happy New Year!!!

house visit: christmas decorations!

Last weekend, my friend Ryan I hosted a sweet Baby Girl shower our friend Morgan!  Yes, SHE'S HAVING A GIRL!!!!  I happen to know A LOT of pregnant people these days and she is the ONLY one I know having a girl! so of course we busted out some pink!!!

Ryan hosted it at her lovely home...especially lovely this time of year because it's decorated for Christmas!  Ryan and her husband are both super talented and creative people and they never disappoint with home decor ideas!  I LOVED what she had done in their living room that I just had to share!

she spray painted 3 pieces of wood and placed them on the mantle ...in front of the TV no less! the real tree sits next to the lovely mantle that is draped with yarn and ornaments.  It makes for such a cozy atmosphere!

also in their living is a lovely vintage piano.  it is beautiful by itself...but at Christmas...well...



ryan used and tube of outside lights to form the word "peace" above the the piano.  It's clipped on to the same clips you would use when attaching them outdoors!  so fun!

the piano also serves as their advent calendar.  Each day has a different name for God as well as an ornament to put on the tree.  It's all just precious Ryan!  So creative and inspiring! 

11 days until Christmas folks! 

Hope your decorating, cooking, buying, and wrapping is all going well!

what's going on: instagram style

whew!  Helllloooo December!  what is up?!  Did November fly by or what?  Pretty sure I just had the busiest fall to date, but I loved every minute of it.  You can stay up to date on my goings over on photo blog to see what I'm doing every weekend...and I am LOVING every minute of it.  I've met so many wonderful people, families, and sweet children!  I couldn't ask for a better adventure!

Now that December is here, I'm not sure life will slow down much with all the Christmas festivities.  One of my favorite blogs to read is by Lindsey over at The Pleated Poppy (I am in LOVE with my tiny pouch!) and she always links up for insta-friday.  so, as a fun way to show yall what I've been up to, here are the past few days...instagram style! (Instagram is one of my favorite iphone apps...gotta love fun photo apps!)

Josh tried to be all Mr. Grinch on me and not let me set up for Christmas because the house is on the market.  bah-humbug I'd said.  I'm pretty sure my feistaware holiday plates will be what sells the house!

we added this super cute wool penguin to our ornament collection as well!  Isn't he cute?!

and...we officially have presents under the tree.  sticky notes are perfectly acceptable gift tags, right?! just kidding...fun tags to come!

since the house still is on the market (do you want to buy it?!?!) we still have showings almost every week, so Dylan gets to tag along for car rides...

we got a fancy iMac.  we now can talk to the rest of our generation...kind of...at least talk about having Mac, not necessarily know how to use it!  but...it is handy when I'm working on pictures AND want to watch TV with my husband...just set up shop on the coffee table!

Dylan and I took a field trip to the park during a showing last week!  It was such a pretty afternoon!

he LOVED our little photo session :)

Last Saturday myself, Josh, and my friend Molly ran the Jingle Bell 5K! It was so fun...

Molls and I had awesome coordinating socks

(this or may not be the first time we have matched outfits...on purpose...who can know!) 

I ran a personal best time of 31 minutes!  who knew awesome socks had magical running powers?!

so we had to have a celebration brunch with our sweet friends who came to cheer us on!

We got Josh a Christmas bow tie!!! Jealous?!

those things can be tricky to tie...thanks youtube!

I got dressed up myself and we had a snazzy christmas date!

We had the pleasure of attending Christmas at Belmont.  7 years after I graduate I finally get to go!!!  It was beautiful and all the students did such a wonderful job!  Great way to kick off the month of Christmas!

and....deep breath! it's the weekend!!! holler!

goodbye fall...

as if I wasn't begging josh and the weather man enough... some yard "friends" of ours gave us the "go ahead" to get rid of fall decor this weekend...

yeah, we have some very full squirrels at this point.  josh would come home from work and they would just be sitting on our porch chowing down on some pumpkin.  they wouldn't move or scurry...just keep on eating.  When we went to discard the half eaten pumpkin I realized they may have been living in it for all I know...

JEEPERS!  they ate the entire inside of the pumpkin! DANG!  needless to say, we pitched the pumpkin and made room for this...

josh was kind enough to show off his manly muscles ...

while Dylan supervised from the porch...

we put the tree up ...lights, garland, and all...and were excited to add a few new ornaments to our collection this year...

josh is a big Griswold fan so I surprised with this hallmark ornament that plays the theme song to the movie!

this was our "obligatory ornament from vacation spot" ornament.  cute little light house

 duh! of course I'm going to have a pineapple ornament :)

and last but not least...our first Christmas together ornament.  our names our on the back.  I love it! 

helllloooo winter!