Summer is for Barbecues...and Cliff Diving

Ever since Kyle moved back to VA, he has been telling me about Goshen. It wasn't until Monday that I got to finally go there. We packed up the pick-ups, bought some food at a very classy grocery store that had a whole aisle of guns for sale, and drove through the George Washington National Forest to Goshen. In tow, we had Me, Kyle, Maddie, Mary Scott, Ike, Zach, Miles, Jack, and we met up with Ike's friend Brian once we got there. 

It was awesome. It reminded me of the river rock climbing expeditions we would take in high school to the Savage River in Maryland. However, Goshen had a lot less people and better rocks to jump off of. However, call me a chump if you want to, but I only jumped off once. A bad experience at a rock quarry scarred me for life I think. Second year of college, I jumped from the edge of a rock quarry that had to be at least 40 feet up. I closed my eyes and my body all bunched up wrong and I hit on my side. I couldn't hear out of my left ear for 3 days and I had a bruise on my thigh the size of Mt. Washington. These weren't 40 foot cliffs...but...well lame, I am I guess. Some rednecks even put their 4 year old up there to jump off...ha. Maddie was scared at first, but once Miles forced her in the first time, she became addicted. She kept begging to go back to the big cliffs to keep jumping.

Since I didn't jump as much...I took advantage of a photo opportunity.

 I got some good shots of Miles and Zach, because they would wait on the edge and I would be ready to take the shot...D however just ran and jumped in and this is the best I could do for her. Nice dive, D.

 Kyle getting psyched up for a back flip. The water was only about 8 feet deep here in the deepest spot.

There he goes.

Maddie posed for her jumped...best shot in my opinion. Taken by Kyle. 

Zach again. Doesn't it look like he is a professional...look at those pointed toes. 

Kyle loves taking pictures of his shoes.

Now that I had all this fun and I know school is starting soon...I have to get back to decorating. Oh and we have more visitors coming soon...so gotta keep making it beautiful. I will update with my progress soon.

Summer Barbecue in MD

Back in Maryland in 95 degree heat, what should one do? Barbecue poolside, of course. Chris and Jamie were great hosts and threw an awesome impromptu barbecue in Chris's backyard. We swam, cooled off, ate...a lot, and Katie showed some major skills at corn hole. Sadly I missed getting pictures of that.

It was a great day! Thanks everyone for accepting me back with loving arms and entertaining me! High Five!

Ideas to Reuse and Repurpose

I am at a bit of a decorating stand still waiting for things I ordered to arrive. I am also waiting to go to Joann fabrics this weekend (trip to MD to see my much-missed friends there). But as I wait, I have been doing some research. Here are some great ideas I found. 

WINDOW HEADBOARD:
I got rid of my old bed frame because it creaked a lot....and Kyle thought it was ugly. So I ordered just a simple frame for under the bed and this is the headboard I hope to create. I bought one window already...I just need to figure out how they got the color in those panes...paint? paper? stencil?

RE-PURPOSED BOX SHELVES:
I have this very modern eco-friendly and budget-friendly urge to reuse. New costs mega bucks sometimes and you can't always find the look you want. Also, I think age and wear adds character. That is why I love these shelves. They are made from old shipping crates nailed to the wall. I don't like the inspector gadget lamp though.

SHUTTER MAIL HOLDER:

Another reused element. I love it. I want to find a great shutter at the antique shop and paint it green, maybe age it a bit, make it look a little shabby.  Voila - somewhere cute to put our mail.

OLD BIRDS:

When it comes to visuals and art, I have three favorites - birds, trees, and ocean creatures. I found this idea, I think, on HGTV's website. They found an old bird book at an antique shop, tore out all the great illustrations, and framed them in frame-less clip glass frames. Adorable.










So that means I need to do some shopping and some antiquing. I need a shutter, an old bird book, maybe another window, and some old shipping crates. I also need my boyfriend to figure out how to hang all these things.

Our First Guests!!!

 

Kathy and Jeff are coming down tomorrow. They will be our first guests. I am very excited, yet a little nervous about being a host for the first time. It will be great to show off our new digs and see the fam. YAY!

Living Room Progress

I got into a groove last night, even though at first I felt really tired and 3 hours in we lost power. My hard work has pushed up my progress grade in the living room from 30% to 50%. Check it out.

BEFORE:

Before, it was this dark tan color and was basically a dumping station for all of our stuff. We hardly even sat on the couch, because we stacked important papers there. Then I painted and rearranged.

AFTER:

I painted the walls a light salmon color, not the green or yellow you might expect since the couch and chair are green and yellow. I like to be different. I am hoping it all works out in the end. My favorite thing is still that coffee table. I love it. It was generously given to us by Ms. Kathy Wallace. She's awesome and has great taste.

Oh and it took THREE coats of paint - thus the delay in getting much done. Plus I am still on the hunt for a cool nicely priced TV stand. I think I want something from an antique store. I guess you could say our house will have a modern country cottage feel to it.

But there is still more to do: 

Like I said ....no TV ...or TV stand. The TV is still up in the bedroom sitting on a night stand.

 I also have these two great antique shop finds that I have big ideas for, I just haven't touched them yet.

And look at all that room behind the couch. This excites me. I am thinking of putting a desk back there - just a skinny table that I can grade papers on and some bookshelves for storage. Look at the plan:

 It's a little hard to see, but there will be a little office area behind the couch and a book reading/sitting corner next to the bay window. I love maximizing space!


SO much to do. It is exciting. Till next progress.

Kyle Contributes

So my man has been out bringing in the bacon and I have been at home painting. But, before he went to work yesterday, he wanted to contribute. I think he felt a little guilty for not helping a lot...which he shouldn't. Like I said this is my "job" right now and I like to be my own boss. : )

Although, I still appreciate any help I can get, of course.

Nonetheless, he went in for the details. He re-grouted the bathroom upstairs and that just added the finishing touch.

WOW, I was an AMAZING decorator back when

HA HA HA! 

This is going to be a funny one.

So I was rummaging through old photos from college (WHY AM I NOT TIRED AT 3 AM?!?!) and I found some evidence of my collegiate decorating abilities.

Feast your eyes..

Now as you can see here...I look pooped for 12:42. Where is my youth?!?! Anyways...take a look at the decorations. On the far right you can see a tapestry I bought at Ikea - $5. Notice then the colorful line that connects said tapestry to an old calender photo. I made that strip from paint sample strips - the kind you can pick up from Walmart for FREE. I just cut them up and taped them to my wall. Farther to the left, notice the small records, probably by bands that I didn't know, also taped the wall - Thrift store $1.25. Then finally to the left of the my right shoulder, the movie ticket stubs that document my active life style. Well, all I can say is, I need to stop watching HGTV and find inspiration from myself!

Rockin' around the clock...in my underwear

Man, I feel like a college student minus the college. My boyfriend is out working nights, so I have kind of regulated to his schedule. Or at least that sounds like a good excuse for going to bed at 3 every night and waking up at noon. As you can see tonight I am living it up...past my bedtime.

So I know you are dying to know what do I do during my "day"? Well, first I spend about 3 hours driving around Harrisonburg trying to make a decision on bedding or furniture but usually only buying a yogurt at Sheetz or a coffee from Starbucks. Then, after the stores close or I am afraid the people at target are going to start recognizing me, I wander home and paint. I realized today that while wearing one of your boyfriend's old T-shirts to paint in is effective (since you don't ruin any of your own clothes), you should probably also wear pants, since you have to put the blinds up to not get paint on them.

Then...after painting, I overdose on Hulu. That is what brought me to you today. I just finished episode 6 of Last Comic Standing. Do you ever watch TV alone and talk about as if there is someone there to listen to you? No? Oh, well ...neither do I, of course....because I have this blog ...to talk to.

Anyway, they kicked off a lot of great comics and there was this one act that I thought was hilarious. It is actually an audition and the guy wasn't that funny in the semi-finals. But I love this joke.

For your viewing pleasure...


Ha. Yay stand-up comedy!

Tenth Avenue North

So I remember when I first heard this band on the radio, I was obsessed. I just heard their song and not their name and I searched and searched for who was behind that great music. I found it. I downloaded it. But I don't think I truly appreciated the band until I saw their video journals on youtube. Aaahh, you tube you bring so much to this world. Once again, what would Emily Dickinson have been like if she had youtube?

Anyway, I keep digressing on Emily Dickinson. Here is a video.

It has been a long time.

Almost exactly a year. I must say I started this blog when I was in a dark place. When I was sad and I needed to focus on my Father, who brings light, hope, and grace into my life. And man, this blog helped. There are  many people in this world that voice their opinions on God and on the Bible. And I don't think this blog nor ever wanted this blog to be counted among those who wish to speak to the masses. I think I just needed a verbal outlet. That makes me wonder, what would have come of Emily Dickinson if she had blogspot or twitter or even match.com. That girl needed a verbal outlet. Yet, I digress.

Lately, I feel as though the fervor I had for God's word a year ago has faltered. Now I seem to spend more time on Hulu or HGTV's website than in the Bible. I still have been trying to read. I have been reading Psalms. Psalms is also like a verbal outlet. David expresses his emotions, even when they are not steadfast. He is fearful, then hopeful, in anguish and then joy. He feels abandoned by God then calls God is rock. I can relate to David's emotions. At times I feel fearful, other times hopeful, sometimes in anguish, and other times in complete joy. Overall, though, I can agree with David when he says in Psalms 18:2 "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

 I hope to regain my focus on this rock. Hello again DVT.

THE "BIG STEW"

He's the biggest.

The greatest.

He breaks all records of cuteness.

He takes on any challenge.

He survived the fire and falling down the steps.

He makes Puss in Boots look like a heap of garbage.

He is STEWART "The Big Stew" ...I don't know his last name.....CAT!

Introducing our new kitten, Stewart. We got him when he was very small...I mean, that is my knee. He is the size of my knee cap. Then he got really fat and became Georgia's play toy. Okay, she fights then licks his head. She loves him.

What is the less cheesy way of saying a "New Chapter"?

I think it might be too late in the evening to think up a better analogy. I will come up with one later, probably when the computer is already turned off. I always do that. I figure out something really clever to say once the moment has already passed. I call it retrowit. Anyways...cheesy new chapter...that is the title, my friend, so we shall talk about this new chapter. It involves one trailer, 15 boxes, 6 cans of fresh paint, three interviews, 5 new keys, and a new mattress.

The move.

It has gone well. It is exciting. I miss my friends, but I love my boyfriend. It feels so natural, living together. Like a dance we are supposed to do.And...get this ladies...he said I get my way in decorating. Well, he vetoed dark brown in the kitchen, but I will take that as a smart suggestion. But still, I get to make this house my masterpiece. It has become my job...I love it.


Here is my progress:
Living Room = 30%
Kitchen = 50%
Master Bedroom = 15%
Second Bedroom = 5 %
Office = 5%
Upstairs Bathroom = 90%

Not too bad. Well, not a great report card, but it is only ...week 3. Holy crap its week 3! We have lived together for 2 whole weeks AND no blood shed. Round of applause, please. Oh yeah, that's right I was just saying a dance that we were supposed to do. : )


Here's the progress in the upstairs bathroom. 

FROM THIS

See my "picking a paint color" technique. Yeah. I didn't pick any of those colors.

Another boring shot of the old bathroom.

TO THIS...

Kyle picked this soap dispenser and I was inspired. I bought the shower curtain and hangers the same day. At first, I was going to paint it a rust color, Kyle said he hated it. So last minute I went for this goldish yellow. Add a painting by yours truly, a few birds, and some old box shelves I bought in college and BAM...not too bad of a masterpiece upstairs bathroom.

Wait...Kyle does put in his opinion. Hmmmm...eh...I will keep him anyway.