Sometimes...

So one of my favorite blog reads is Young People in Love and Sam from there is doing a cute little finish my sentence...so here is mine:

Sometimes...

It's hard for me to to watch those SPCA commercials without absolutely bawling my eyes out.

I'm reminded of how much I love teaching art when I get to do the projects and all of my students ooh and aww over what I do, like I am some sort of legend artist. And to them I really am:-)

I feel self-conscious when I laugh. My laugh is stupid, and low. And most people make fun of me for it. At the same time, its sincere.

I am mildly dishonest when I tell myself I don't eat THAT much sugar in the day.

I can't imagine a world without dogs. Especially Sadie.

playing with an elf hat over christmas break

I'm surprised that I still find my husband hysterical when he gets in a silly goofy mood. And I am also surprised he has stuck with me after hearing my awful laugh over and over again.

I get a little too easily wrapped up in pinterest, facebook, and the blog-o-sphere. 

I indulge in guilty pleasures like a snickers between my first and second block at least once a week. 

I wish all things in life were as wonderful as watching your baby's heartbeat for the first time on the ultra sound screen.

If you would like to join in please visit Young People in Love

A little fluttering heart in a gummy bear

Well, the day has come my friends. In 221(give or take) days I am going to have a beautiful baby. In between now and then  my midsection and assets will be getting larger. And I can not WAIT!

I would wait until 12 weeks to share, but I am terrible at surprises AND I am already really pooching out. Good bye flat tummy.

we told our families at Christmas and this is a glimpse at how we told them. At first, my brothers thought the onsies were for my little yorkie, sadie.

We got ourselves shirts as back up. Can you tell how THRILLED sadie is about the whole baby thing?

6 weeks- already rockin some maternity pants. I like being comfortable.

this night hubs may have asked me if we were expecting twins

here I am this week!

My mom told me that the women in her family just pop really early.

Despite the fact that I already look 12-16 weeks pregnant I am not. I have actually only gained 3 lbs which is about what I should be- I just have a pooch now!

So while I do intend to post every detail about my pregnancy here I hope I can  also keep up with some other random stuff on here! We plan on redoing some rooms to make room for a nursery and I plan to post all design details as I go. In the meantime I stole this from a few blogs and I just love the idea of keeping the preggo brain in track with this short journal!

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 8 weeks and 4 days.

Size of the baby?  rasberry! The ultra sound tech guessed 8 weeks 5 days based on the ultrasound and then after she saw due date recalulated. Considering me and my hubby are on the tall side of the human population we may have a long 'un.

Maternity Clothes?   yes SINCE week 6!!! ahhh  Mostly pants, but some regular shirts make me just look fat. I can no longer wear my normal pants. I mean I can, but I am super uncomfortable.

Gender?  no idea- I would love a girl, but I have a feeling its a boy- and I will be very happy either way(obvi)! hubby would love a boy, but has mentioned a few times that a girl would have a better chance at a basketball scholarship.

Movement?  nope, but lots of cramps.

Sleep?  I definitely don't sleep like I used to. But I had my first dream of baby related things last night. I had a dream about breastfeeding. And lets just say it was not pretty. 

Cravings?  Everyday it changes. Every meal it changes. But last week I had a craving for a snickers and i bought one. It was honestly the most amazing delicious snickers I have ever had. I went back for one the next day and it was pretty good, but not as good as the day before.  

Symptoms?  Cramping. Loss of appetite. Increase of appetite. More frequent bathroom trips. One of my strangest food related things is I won't want anything, but I feel super hungry, and then all of the sudden I am so HUNGRY I feel sick. No actually morning sickness yet, but I have felt nauseous and  have gagged at the thoughts of certain foods.   Pregnancy brain, like bad. I found a salt shaker in the hall. My dog's wet food on top of the fridge where dry food goes. Cream cheese in the bedroom. Bad.

Best Moment of the Week?  Seeing the little gummy bears heart beat immediately on the ultra sound.  

High Risk factor: I was considered a high risk factor before because of my cervix, but today on search for the baby the ultrasound technician came across a fairly large (7mm) cyst on my ovary. The doctor said he has  seen these fairly often, some bigger, more smaller and it is just something to keep an eye on and if it ruptures ( PAIN) that I need to head to the ER immediately. No "relations." and no strenuous ANYTHING. What does this mean to me? In another two weeks, I get to see my baby's heartbeat AGAIN!!! eeek!

Confessional Friday

1. I went back to school this week and did not want to. Normally, I like going back to school. Not this time. We did have a two hour delay from snow...Can't it just snow for the rest of the year?

2. My one New Year's resolution was to keep my bed made. I have made it once. I made T make it the other time. Oh well, guess I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the year now.


3. My poor hubby has been sick since before Christmas. Like terrible sinus infection sick. Well after the first week of not going to the doctor I lost all sympathy. He finally got meds yesterday...THANK GOD because I couldn't stand him coughing, blowing his nose, or whining ANYMORE.

4. Normally I don't look forward to a brand New Year, but 2012 is going to be packed with lots of really good friend's weddings, babies, and so much more I can. not. wait. Also, my favorite sister in law is coming home from Guam in March (she is a professional -not that kind- dancer out there!)

c & b

b & c

swan & j

my sista- isn't she hot??:-) she is also an amazing person!

5. I may or may not live vicariously through her.

6. I woke up this morning and realized I left towels in my washing machine from this past weekend. After realizing this I still haven't rewashed them. They are still sitting in there, smelly. Gross. Can't I just through them away?

That's it for this week! Happy Friday!

Ring Stories!

C-Mae over at Happiness is.... Blog is having a link up about RINGS! I thought- Oh this will be easy I will just link up to the post about my engagement story. Turns out, I didn't have a blog when I got engaged and therefore no post. EVER. I am truly disappointed in myself because my now husband went through a lot of trouble planning the proposal and bought me a GORGEOUS ring. Now, honestly, I think there a very few and far between ugly engagement rings. Most of them a beautiful. BUT I do think what makes a ring GORGEOUS is if it matches the personality of the lady wearing it.

Back Story
My husband and I dated through college and were in a long distance relationship of our fourth year dating. Both of us pursuing post graduate degrees in different states (I, in Virginia, Him in Oklahoma). I went to visit a few times that year and one of the times he asked me to look at some rings online. Shocked and because I never looked a rings (superstitious) I couldn't believe I was doing it. So I picked one out. Princess cut. two baguettes on the side. Platinum.

After I get home from my trip I tell my mom, and she says- you know- round diamonds are supposed to be the better cut for diamonds- they reflect the light better.

Fast forward a year later August 2008. I move to Oklahoma. After about a month later I give him the "Are we on the same page?" lecture. We had discussed when we'd want to get married and I told him I need a YEAR to plan. Well, it just wasn't looking like it was going to happen. So I died my blonde hair brown that he loved blonde.

The Proprosal
 December 6, 2008 I was heading home from my second job (PetSmart) when he called me and asked if I wanted to go see this really neat light show in Chickashaw, OK with some friends. I rushed home to wash up and put on some warm clothes. Headed over to his apartment and he had made a delicious Salmon dinner! That was my first little- hmmmm maybe this is it! We ate and then were headed out the door when he said- do you have your camera? I didn't, so he whipped out his super old school camera that held like 5 pics on it. This was my second- hmmmmm. Well, on the way to Chickashaw, would you know it? The friends "called" and had a flat tire- they were going to be late. T asked if I still wanted to go. I said of course! But it kind of crushed my hopes of an engagement. Well we get there and this isn't some small little show I was imagining. It was a drive through, walk through or horse carriage through show. Just amazing. The line was super long just to park, so while we were waiting T played all of these old school love CDs. Third hmmmmm. We get there and he asks if I just want to walk through- I said sure. But then I saw the carriages and I jokingly said- can we do a carriage ride??? He said YES! I was so caught off guard. Ends up he had called ahead and reserved a private horse carriage for us. This is when I just knew he was going to propose. So we get on, I am beaming and we go all the way around the light show and are clearly at the end and I was thinking I had all this worked up in my head. Then the carriage stopped, he got down on one knee- said how much he loved me, how I was his best friend, and a ton of other really sweet stuff I can't remember  through my tears and emotions. Then he pulled out this 2 carat ROUND ROCK. Of course I said yes, and we've been happily married since:-) Here are some pics of the ring and engagement!

Before the proposal on the carriage ride- notice the brown hair...

ENGAGED!!

The carriage:-)

Kiss!

picture of my ring right after the engagement!

We went back on our 1 year anniversary figuring we may never have the chance
considering we were moving back to VA in the summer.

We had gotten sadie soon after we were engaged:-)

Married July 18, 2009 (notice I am back to blonde)

The details on the ring are this- he pretty much went for the best on clarity, cut, carat, color. Which I could not believe. The band wasn't what I had imagined, but I absolutely love it. Its set really high so it reflect light beautifully in all its round glory. He got six prongs knowing how abusive I am to everything nice, and thank GOD because I got in a car wreck that actually knocked my diamond loose, and had there only been four prongs I wouldn't not have a diamond. He ended up going with silver gold because apparently you can buff out scratches where as platinum doesn't always buff. Did  I mention that I am REALLY ruff on things? Finding a wedding band that I liked was really hard, but we ended up getting plain one where he bought the engagement ring and I decided I wanted one with tiny diamonds- so we exchanged it and I am so glad I did because I LOVE LOVE my wedding band. Its super thin and has the tiniest diamonds half way around. Like I said, engagement rings should match the personality of the lucky lady wearing it. Mine's perfect for me. And I do catch other people staring at it quite often.

Ring and Band together (this is my ring dirty)

Want to share your story? Please link up through Happiness is....

Merry Christmas:-)

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas Presents

I love wrapping presents! In fact if I buy anything for my husband in December I usually just wrap it up and save it to give him for Christmas. I have in fact wrapped up $3 iPad screen cleaners for him this year. I had really wanted to do the brown paper wrapping this year, but I could NOT find it anywhere around here (rural SW Virginia). So I settled with using hemp as the ribbon this year and made clay name tags for some. Anyway, please don't judge my Christmas tree. I didn't really put all that much effort into it this year because we will not be around and quite frankly the fact it has any ornaments on it is a miracle.  Notice that it is lacking a tree topper. Yup, never brought it up from the basement.

typical I do blues for wrapping paper, but I decided to use the bells as my touch of blue this year.

that circle up front is one of the clay name tags I made.

said poorly decorated christmas tree.

our fireplace has been so amazing this year! 

There are some very special presents from me and my husband this year!

Can't wait to GIVE them away! I can't believe the surprise I have kept this year:-) Normally I tell everyone what I got them:-)

Confessions: The List goes On!

Its that time of the week...

1. My ugly Christmas sweater party is today, and I am with out an ugly Christmas sweater. I have settled on borrowing one from someone- they will bring it to the actual party. Did I mention that I am co- hosting this party???

2. I have watched this video three times today, and will be watching it probably another 3...


3. I confess that when I have children of my own- I will do this to them.


4. My mom wouldn't let me get my ears pierced until I was able to keep my room clean for a whole week. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was thirteen. My whole house is in about the same state as my room was before I got my ears pierced.


5. I picked the picture out for our Christmas card without really looking at it. My hubs is not super thrilled with his side of the pic:

Now the actual card was zoomed in and had a cute little frame around it that said "Merry & Bright." He's "bright" alright...anyone seen that Seinfeld episode with Elaine's Christmas card wardrobe malfunction? Here is the video:

Christmas Card

6.  I usually do my confessions ahead of time and this week I have been so crazy that this one is just not as well thought out as my others. Deal with it. I thought it was worth posting just for that Video:-)



Have a wonderful Weekend!!!

Birthday girl!

Lady Sadie turned 3 today! My baby Sadie is all grown up! She had a good birthday and later I will have to post the video I took if her opening her presents!

Link Up: Confessions, Christmas Edition

1. I have bought and wrapped presents for everyone on my Christmas list. No joke. Done. That's not my confession. My confession is this. While these presents are sitting under the Christmas tree so beautifully wrapped, my Christmas tree is undecorated. I have had it up since Thanksgiving, and quite honestly I am not in the mood to decorate it. I heard a funny explanation of Christmas trees on the radio the other day and it hasn't helped motivate me. Here it is.

my christmas tree 2012

Christmas trees- who thought of that? I'll tell you who. A drunk guy did. He was outside, thought it would be funny to chop a pine down and put it in his house. When he woke up to his wife scratching her head he quickly came up with an explanation,"Oh honey, we're going to decorate this tree all beautiful like- with lights and little colored balls, it will be beautiful...we'll also take decorations from inside, like lights, and put them outside. Its a great idea."

So I got to thinking, who really did think of the idea of bring a big old tree into a house and decorating it? I betting on this story.


2. I was pretty skeptical about Santa Clause at about age 4, but held on to the belief until about 5th grade, and would have for much longer, had mom not told me when I asked her in 5th grade. I can't wait to be Santa for my own kids!!

3. I LOVE LOVE LOVE giving gifts. But I am terrible at surprises. When I think of something really good to give someone I want to tell them the moment I buy it. I told my brothers what I got them almost every year, even when they didn't want to know. Usually the day I bought the present. I have gotten better.  Homemade gifts/art, I will never tell. They are too special.

4. I LOVE getting presents about as much as I love giving them. I especially like being surprised. Here are some "surprises" I am hoping to find under the tree:

kindle fire

short uggs

navy and white shower curtain

iphone- but I know this won't be happening due to my current contract.

5. As impatient as I am, I have only peeked at one Christmas present my entire life. I actually unwrapped the present at one end pulled it out, then put it back together. I am not sure why I haven't ever peeked again, maybe it was guilt.

6. I may or may not have purposely spent less (time, thought, & money) on someone this year because of what I got from them last year. Usually, this does not bother me,  I almost never compare what I bought to what I receive. But for some reason this one person really got to me last year and I am holding a grudge. You can say the were on my naughty list.

7. I bought my fur baby a really super  cute fru-fru collar for Christmas even though I am totally against dressing up my dog in fru-fru type things. My heart melts every time I see her in it.

8. I have begged my parents to do  their Christmas a day early so I can be there when everyone opens their presents (it's the in-laws turn this year). They have agreed.

9. I still wake up at 5am ready to open presents. I am *cough* 27 years old.

10. My outdoor christmas light electrical hookup looks like something Clark Griswold did in Christmas Vacation.

yup, that was me.

and now my the lights connected to this are seriously NOT working as of last night.

How about your confessions???

Christmas Slab Pottery

My Art classes had a clay day of slab pottery right before Thanksgiving Break. I like to do this project at the end of the year, so students have an opportunity to create a beautiful gift for someone:-)

Here are the steps:

wedge and compress about 1.5 -2lbs of clay

pat into a ball

roll out on canvas or newspaper into a circular shape about 1/4 inch

use dollar store snowflakes, angels, stars, lace burlap, etc to print into clay

write name on bottom of clay

lay clay in a paper or plastic bowl - you can mold it all of the way or just give a slight impression

let air dry and buff (I use the green rough side of sponges)

fire

glaze- With the imprints of snowflakes you can do two tone by painting dark in the crevasses then wiping clean with a sponge and doing a lighter color on the outside.

fire again!

and Wa LA: