Slow Track

Have you ever wanted to freeze yourself (figuratively speaking) and let time pass you by?  Where you can go on undisturbed, and unnoticed.  I don't mean this in a morbid sense, I'm a pro-life kind of gal!  But maybe more like taking a long siesta...

...where you don't have to keep up appearances.

or

...answer stupid questions about your feelings.

Where, your free from the burden of waiting...and waiting...and waiting.  I won't lie, that sounds really nice to me.  To speed forward through time.  To fast forward through all the stupid/fake "smiles" I plaster on my face.  And especially, to speed past all the dumb comments people make.  

More than anything though, I'm sick of being stuck in limbo.  'Cause honestly, that's how life feels.  Waiting to go on.  Wishing for life to go on.  

And I'll admit it, I'm jealous of others.  I'm jealous of all the new/exciting changes people are making in their lives.  I'm so ready to move forward.  I'm ready for Casey to be home, and for us to get on with our lives.  But this is where God has placed me, and I need to be patient.

But when it comes to patience, I'm pretty much on "E".  I've used up my tank, and I'm seriously running on vapors.  So that's going to be my goal for this week: to observe God, and mimic His patience.

I wish I had some word of wisdom to share...or even a Rise-Above-Braveheart'esq-Speech laid out, but I don't.  Sometimes you just have to keep going on, even when life seems to crawl.

Music Post #3...the BIG list!

Sorry I've been MIA the last few days.  What with the Home Show going on, and me coming home exhausted, I couldn't drag myself to the computer to type...or think for that matter!

But now I'm back, and I have a whole SLEW of songs to add for your listening pleasure!

More 80's Hair Music :)

I have to say, the 80's put out a plethora of good "Love" songs.  After looking through my i-tunes list, I eventually narrowed it down to these 3:

Sorry no music video for this first one.  After watching the real music video(for about 10 sec.) I decided I didn't really need a woman undressing (and dancing around in her underwear) on my blog...And now Men everywhere will be leaving my site just to look up the real music video.  Poo!

 

Another classic

 

I have NO idea how this next song made the cut.  Must have something to do with Axel Rose and his crab-dancing style!

 

Our Tom Petty Song

I LOVE me some Petty (unlike the rest of my un-informed generation)!!  This girls Daddy raised his daughter right!  So eventually I dragged Casey into it too...although he's more of a fan of  Petty's "Girl on LSD"  (again, I have NO idea why!?!). 

Our "Weird" Songs...and the list could go on and on!

When Casey was home, we used to have this routine on the weekends.  It went something like this:  I would be getting ready in the bathroom (making myself all purrrdie), and Casey would be twiddling around on the computer in the adjacent room.  Out of nowhere, one of these songs would start playing (BLASTING) from the other room.  I'd pop my head around the corner, and Case would have the hugest grin on his face, just waiting to see my expression...it took a long time getting ready after that.  My husband kinda demands my full attention...all the time!

What a dorky music video!

Case used to tell me we were going to name our future kid Stacy, just so he could sing this Non-stop!  Nice!!  No music video on this one either...refer back to my earlier annoyance!

And finally, last but certainly not least:

Our "From a Movie" Song

Awwwwww!  Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!

Music Post #2

Our High School Theme Music

Did anyone else listen to FM Static all the time?  I LOVED this band all throughout high school so naturally this song became me and Casey's mix!  Sorry no video, just the tunes.

Our "My-Husband-Is-Going-Through-an-80's-Hair-Metal/Ballad-Phase" Song

How did we ever fall in love with bands in the 80's?  The get-ups they wore can only be described as crazy...and tight...and flamboyant (peacocking anyone?)...and showy.  But the worst part had to be the hair...think what all that aerosol did to the ozone!! It was that hair, that youth everywhere flocked to.

Fast forward 20 years...and it's still somehow making an impression.  Yes, that's my husband...and yes, he LOVED it.  If I'd let him, he would have kept growing it out.  

But getting back on track, I'm not sure which influenced what, but between the hair and the music, Casey seriously went through a 80's rock ballad phase.  And so this song was added into our mix:

The things we do for love!

Home Show Weekend

Well it's that time again! 

Time for me to break my back carrying heavy racks, and scramble for last minute drawings, to argue with my Mom on rendering placement (while my Dad makes a comment about "to many Chiefs, and not enough Indians"...as if he'll EVER be Chief!!!)....and I'm doing all of this just for you folks out there (and...well...my Dad...he pays!).  

That's right, the annual Wichita Area Home Show is now official in buisness!  If you're a Wichitan (or in the general vicinity), come on over and stop by our booth: 

R. B. Drafting

 *Side Note:  Don't you just LOVE this house!?!  Isn't it stinking GORGEOUS!?!*

And if you're really interested in building a home, stop by our seminar:

"Getting Ready for the Building Process"

The Seminars will be going on today at 5pm, twice Saturday, and once again on Sunday.  I'll get back to you with the times for Saturday and Sunday.

And since we're so dang handy-dandy to our clients, here is a list of things we recommend:

1. Draw up a mock-layout of what you want your house to look like.  Anything will work, as long as you can give us a jumping off point.

2. Take pictures, or clip out magazine photo's of: fireplaces, doors, windows, beams, etc. etc.  These will become especially useful when dealing with your future builder and/or contractors. 

3. Sit down and make a list of everything you want your house to do for you.  Are you into entertaining?  If so, do you need an area for a pool table and bar?  Are you a gourmet cook?  Do you need a side by side fridge and freezer.  Do you have kids?  Will their bedrooms be on the main floor, upper level, or lower level?  Ask yourself all these questions and more.

4.  What is your budget?  This is crucial.  We can draw a lovely, HUGE house for you, but it won't do you any good if you can't build it.  And keep in mind, house trends are starting to turn towards smaller, more efficient layouts (compared to mini-mansions).

5. Don't stress out!!  We are here to answer ANY and ALL of your questions.  Part of our job as designer is to help you through the entire building process; giving advice, and support.

And for all of you out there interested in remodeling, we can certainly help you too!  So stop by and see us this weekend!

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about my "songs of the day" showing...I'll be posting them later tonight!

The Music that Binds Us

I've stated it before on this blog how hard it's been for me to listen to music since Casey left.  Every time I tried turning on the radio, I would end up in a puddle of tears.  And with the exception of Christmas music over the holidays, I  haven't listened to that much.  This is REALLY sad.  I used to LOVE music.  And I still do, I just don't listen to it anymore :(

Well enough is enough.  I'm gonna get myself out of this funk. STARTING NOW!!

Last night I hatched a plan to beat my music-blues ( get it? see what I did right their!!) into shape.  So I text my husband and asked him what "our songs" were.  We had a good volley back and forth of some of our favorites over the years, and ended up with a nice list.  So today until Valentine's Day (maybe even longer), I'm gonna share with you some of "our songs".  

 Our First Song:

Every couple has a first song.  It's a right of passage.  Unfortunately for Casey and I, we were young and picked our song a little to hastily.  That's right, we got landed with the mother of all cliche love songs from the 90's...

I kinda cringe even writing it...Aerosmith's "I don't wanna miss a thing"

I know...how sad are we!  But the deed is done, and we're stuck with it.  Don't get me wrong I love Aerosmith.  I grew up dancing to "Janie's got a gun" with my Dad on Sunday mornings, while my Mom got ready for church ( I realize the twisted irony)...but for some reason this song became a HUGE hit with couples around the world...and got played to death on all the radio stations.

So why did we pick it?  Well for one thing, it was one of the first loves songs we ever danced to (my husband used to hate dancing back then...and still kinda does).  Two, it was the first song Casey ever sang to me...while doing said dancing.  Which made it the first song I ever laughed at him for singing (I married a drummer, not a singer)...and consequently, the last song he has ever REALLY sung to me (he does a great impression of 80's hair band singing!!).  Serves me right for laughing :(

But all isn't lost, we have improved our music picking skills since then.  

Our Wedding Song:

When it came time for Casey and I to pick a wedding dance song, we tried are hardest not to pick something that everyone else would pick.  We listened to ALL of our CD's, and wracked our brains until Casey pulled out this song:

Lifehouse's "You and Me"

It ended up winning me over, and I still love it to this day.  Every time I hear it, I think of Case, and when it comes to a song that defines us the most...this one rules all others.  Casey even has it as his ring-back tone for me...AWWW!

So there ya have it.  I'll be pulling out some other play-list-worthy-songs-from-our-past for your listening pleasure through out the next few days.

My Secret Obsession

Besides Gavin Rossdale...oh how hot you were in the 90's!!!

Anyway, when Casey left for basic he left knowing that I would have TOO MUCH time on my hands (sing it if you know it...tic tic tic ticking away!) .  And he knew that inevitably I would fall back into those terrible bad habits I've always been drawn to.  He knew that I would surrender.  He knew that I wouldn't even give up a fight.  And he certainly knew that he would be hearing about it non-stop.

Just admit it, I've got your complete attention now!

So what are these so called "bad habits" of mine?  Well since I'm not into drugs, I prefer to fill my urges with designing.  On second hand, designing IS a drug!  I seriously spend my day going from room to room, remodeling EVERYTHING in my head...hashing out plans...and drawing up changes.  

I must have my daily fix...and if I don't get it, I become a beast. Sure, design blogs and home magazines help, but eventually that itch to "tear down a wall" starts creeping up again.  And I'm all too willing to submit to it's call.  The only problem is, my checkbook usually isn't...BOO!  So I pace back and forth, peddling out plans to beat my checkbook into submission...and thus get my fix.

My profession background doesn't help either.  I spend hours each day looking at houses and floor plans, and coming up with new ideas to spruce up my home.  And unlike most people who don't know what they want out of a house, I already have our future home completely drawn up.  I'm not even 25, and I know exactly how I want my future foyer to look...how sad is that!?!

All that to say, I'm kinda obsessed!  Case in point:  After spending the day drawing yesterday, I came down stairs and a new design bubble hit me. 

"What if we painted the ceiling in the second bedroom?"  

Hmm...I'm intrigued.  

"But wait,"  said the design bubble, "what if we painted a diamond grid on the ceiling?"  

Diamonds!! I'm sold!

So that's when I came up with this:

I'm thinking super light blue in a glossy-glaze kinda sheen!!!  It's not perfect...and the colors are kinda off...but I needed something to convince/bribe/sell my husband into doing it.  So can I have it Honey?  I promise to take good care of it, and love it, and admire it!!!  Please please please!!!!

So that's the story of my sad, miserable life and how uber obsessed I get with my drug designing!  More posts to come on this topic!!

Spa Day In

I read an article recently that stated that men find women the most sexy when the woman feels confident in whatever she's wearing. Well if that's the case, I must be the SEXIEST woman alive for showing you these pics!!

That's right!! Revel in my HOTNESS!!! Ha!

Anyway, this last Wed. I set about to pamper myself...a girls gotta have some polishings every once in a while. And if you're on a budget like me, you make do on your own (Side Note: I read another article that said Wichitan's on average spend $69 a month on beautifying themselves...wow that's a lot of money). So I'm totally fine having a spa day at me casa!!

And I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite beauty products. Don't feel like you've got to go out and buy everything on my list...these are just a few of the products I've discovered through the years!

Click the picture to see a larger view.
1. Arbonne's FC5 cleanser/toner, day lotion, night cream, and eye cream...I love these products. The cleanser is SO gentle, and it never leaves my face feeling dry. Good face products can be hard to come by, so when I found this set...I was in LOVE!!

2.Sauve's Advance Therapy Body lotion. This is my go-to lotion for all over use. It doesn't leave you feeling all sticky, and it's super smooth.

3. Mary Kay's Satin Hands/Feet set. The ones in the picture are part of the travel set, but I also have the large set. Perfect for getting those rough heels in shape....LOVE!

4. Arbonne's Seasource Sea Mud Face and Body Mask. I usually only use this on my face, but I've used it as a body mask too. I just hate sitting around waiting for it to dry. Unlike other face masks, this one doesn't leave your face dry and stiff!! Bonus: If you know someone who suffers from body acne, this is a great product.

5. Blue Spa Bubble Bath from Bath and Body Works. This is one of those products that you can pretty much buy anywhere...but I do like this brand cause it contains milk and oat protein to lock in moisture.

6. MK Signature Nail Polish. I'm VERY VERY picky about my nail polish, but I've never had a problem with Mary Kay's.

7. Sensual Massage Oil from Bath and Body Works. The PERFECT Valentine's Day gift!! Just saying! But it's also great to add in a splash to your bath water, and it smells amazing. I went with the Black Currant and Vanilla scent.

8. Olay Body Wash plus tone enriching ribbons. This is my everyday body wash, and I love it. I usually don't have a problem with dry skin in the winter, and it's all because of this product.

9. Gold Bond's Ultimate Softening Skin Therapy Cream w/ Shea Butter. The best lotion ever!! If you wash your hands constantly like me, you'll know how hard it is to keep them moisturized. I use this product right before I go to bed at night, and it keeps my hands smooth and soft ALL day long...LOVE IT!!

10. Arbonne's Awake Sea Salt Scrub. At least once a week I use this scrub while showering. It's perfect on really rough areas like elbows and knees, and also works as a great exfoliate.

11. Nicole Nail Polish by O.P.I. When I can't find a shade I like in Mary Kay's polish, I turn to O.P.I. They have a huge range of colors, and I've never had a problem with chipping!

12. Softening Cuticle Oil Stick. I found this one again at Bath and Body Works, but you can pretty much pick these up anywhere. They're great if you suffer from dry nails and cuticles.

So there you have it, all you'll ever need for a Spa-Day-In! Hope it's helpful to all you girls out there...or men, if you're into this kind of stuff!

And just because I'm feeling extra "confident" here's my favorite pose of the night!!

Casey News

I know you've all been anxiously awaiting new news of Casey, and I'm here to deliver!! Let me just say though, sometimes life can be VERY boring...especially on base. Casey's usual day consists of waking up at 3:30 AM (I KNOW...how awful), getting ready, eating breakfast, PTing, going to class, eating lunch, going back to class, getting out of school (and usually taking a nap), calling me!!!!, hanging out with friends, eating dinner, calling me again!!!,and going to bed early...WHEW!

Obviously, it can become very monotonous, but he's learned to rise above, and the weekends are a totally different story! Casey gets every other Friday off...and frankly those guys deserve it! He's got a good group of friends down there, and they spend the weekend playing video games, watching movies, scarfing down pizza, and shooting pool (along with other guy stuff I probably don't care to know about! Let's be honest, boys are weird and gross!).

You would think that after all those responsibilities, Casey wouldn't have time for anything else...WRONG! On Wednesday, Casey roped-up as a "White Rope".

White Ropes are basically Chaplin assistants. They hang out in the "fish bowl" (it's a multi-purpose building), and are there to support other airmen...pretty much being a brother to anyone and everyone! It's a perfect fit for Casey, he's always been a great listener and comrade.

But White Ropes also volunteer a lot too, and this was a huge bonus for Casey. He loves volunteering. So today, instead of sleeping in, he got up early to volunteer at the grade school on base. We're not exactly sure what he'll be doing, but he's hoping to get to play with all the kids at recess!

Side Note: Isn't my husband awesome!?! Don't you wish you had a guy like mine...who volunteers and plays with kids!?! Be jealous!!!!

So that's what's going on with Casey these days. He's pretty much become "Superman"!!!

On a more personal note, it seems like February is going to be a month of growing-closer for Casey and I. We might not be able to physically spend Valentine's Day together, but we are doing everything in our power to show each other affection and love...AWWW! I've got the best husband ever!!

till next time...

Assassin or Samaritan???

So I hadn't really planned on blogging about the weather. If you live in Kansas you already know how bad it is out there...and if you don't you probably watch the news enough to figure it out. I didn't want to add to the plethora of posts dedicated to telling you how "insanely cold" it was outside (especially since my goal is to stand out as a blogger...not follow the trends). And lets be honest, who really cares about other peoples views on "the crazy snow drifts".

Truth be told, the last few days I've hunkered down in my house, and the closest I've gotten to the outside world, is opening the back door to let my dogs do their business. But the plan was to get out today and shovel the driveway. All 800 sq. ft. (approx.) of it. I'd already done it twice before this last month, and knew tomorrow's sunny weather would be the best time.

Well, that was the plan anyway...until it got done for me! But let me take you back to last night, and what went down.

Since church was canceled last night, I made a date with myself, more accurately a girls-night (I'll try to post on that later). After taking a glorious long bath and painting my toe nails, I was getting ready to cook dinner in my jammies and hunker down to a chic flick. Thats when I started hearing it.

A scraping noise, coming from outside. I quickly registered it as shoveling, and figured my neighbors were doing a last min. tackle on their front walk. But it was too loud to be my neighbors (I know my walls are thin, but they aren't THAT thin!). So I started peaking around. That's when I saw him. THERE WAS A MAN IN MY DRIVEWAY...AND HE WAS SHOVELING IT CLEAN!!

Needless to say I flipped out. Peering out from behind my curtains, I thought of every possible scenario. Maybe it was some good Samaritan...or maybe they were digging out my drive to steal my car...or perhaps one of my neighbors was testing out their new snow shovel...any wild thought that could come to mind, did. Including, should I go get the baseball bat, and I'm gonna call the cops! That's when I spotted the "possible assassin/good Samaritan's" car.

It looked an awful lot like my father-in-laws truck...but I still wasn't convinced. I ran to my phone, dialed his #, and the first words out of my mouth were: "Lawrence, are you in my driveway?"
Long story short...Yep he was. At which point I proceeded to chew him out for scaring me half to death (you don't pull stuff like that on a girl who lives alone...especially not in the dark!).

He figured if he called, I would tell him not to worry about it...which is true. So he came up with the "brilliant" idea to sneak over and do it as a surprise. I don't think he factored in how loud shoveling a drive way is! But it certainly WAS a surprise! And he definitely was dedicated in it...I didn't want to shovel it in the sun yesterday...let alone doing it in the dark...CRAZY!!

But regardless of how crazy a night it turned out to be, I am really grateful for his thoughtfulness. It was very very considerate!! But fair warning to anyone else who ever wants to help me...CALL FIRST, or be prepared for one-splitting-headache from my bat!!!