Wordless Wednesday... a dog's life

There is a part of this man's heart that will never be filled by anyone or any critter other than this dog, his best buddy.

I needed a fix

Hubs was out doing a show for work and left me here in this little apartment for over a week.  Since I haven't found a new job yet, we're still on money lock-down.  That means retail therapy for entertainment was out of the question, as was a daily fountain diet coke.  (I did sneak in a couple over the course of the week that I paid for with pocket change to ease the guilt)

Before Hubs left, I already had a rack of ribs thawing in the fridge, so I fixed those for lunch one day and ate on them through supper.

I've recently learned I have an addiction.... to DIY projects.  And when Hubs was outta town I realized just how badly I needed a fix.  Imagine my delight when I was digging around in a box of still-packed up cleaning supplies and found these babies... two brand new cans of white spray paint.

Clearly, these were the answers to my prayers and I had to paint something, but what could become my victim project?

Our table!  In all fairness, this isn't our "real' kitchen table, it's an old desk table that may or may not have come from a previous employer when the department was moving to a new building.  It was in my office in our old house and was eventually banished to the basement.  (But, because it was in the basement, it was one of the last things to be packed and when we needed just some sort of flat space in the apartment kitchen, it was the easy answer.)

Then, after having one coat of paint on the table, I got to looking at our furniture -- our tired, dog-hair covered furniture. I ripped it all apart (like I took the cushions off the couch, not like tearing fabric or anything drastic) and cleaned it.  I stared at the ottoman, with it's dog drool stained spots (I promise, they're just drool, nothing else!) and decided to slip cover it.  I had a large painter's drop cloth that I had covering the ottoman and couch and decided it needed a more tailored look.  

You'll notice my "helpers" were never far away.  No surprise on how the furniture got covered in dog hair!

After another coat of paint on the table and slipcovering the ottoman, I laid out the extra slipcover fabric and decided to slip cover the couch too.  Looking back, I'm wondering if the paint fumes had taken over my decision making abilities!

But I came up a little bit short of fabric and disassembled a slip that I made for our bench to rob some of the fabric off it to finish the couch...

And then I redid the now-shorter bench slip cover. I'm gonna add some ruffles to the bottom of it, just about 4-6 inches worth to make it a little bit more flashy and then I'd like to paint the legs white.  But that'll have to wait until Hubs leaves town again.  (The whole project (slipcovering and the table) took me about three days.)

FYI - If you are ever going to attempt to cut anything in a straight line (fabric, paper, etc) you must invest in these tools -- a healing cutter mat, a roller cutter thingy and a clear ruler thingamajig.  They will make your life so much easier!  Mine are Olfa brand and I LOVE THEM!  (the mat has to be stored flat, but fits right under the couch.... brilliant idea of my mother's!)

Oh yeah, and I eventually finished the table, too!

Here's hoping I get a job soon... I'm running out of furniture to cover and tables to paint!

A year? Really?

My bloggy buddies and some of the peeps I know IRL got together for a bloggy birthday brunch to celebrate one year of blogging.  Who knew a year would come and go so fast?! I can't believe I've been on this corny highway for a year now.  

Honestly though, I've kinda been on autopilot.  I looked and if I've been calling this blog home for a year, or approx. 52 weeks, and I've only had 57 posts, that's not a very high average of posts per week.  

Happy birthday to all my bloggy friends and here's to the next year!

Operation: Relocation is moving along well.  (I'm so proud of myself for coming up with that "operation: relocation" phrase.... I'm a dork for words like that) 

We've gotten settled as much as we are going to for the next few months.  I still really need a job.  Not only because I like to be able to buy pretty things and crafty crap, but I'm really getting bored sitting around here! 

This was the night we moved in... notice the boxes everywhere and tuckered out pooch from traveling

This is the living room area.  Hubs is sweeping up the cobwebs that were in the corners and on the textured walls.  I think the curtains are ugly, but he keeps reminding me that they aren't mine and I only have to live with them for a few months. 

This is Hubs' RC Max D truck that he ran into the kitchen table and dumped over and broke a couple candle holder/vase thingys.  This was night #4.

We do a lot of bumming during the day..all of us except Hubs.  (After all, someone has to work around here!)

I've done a fair amount of cooking and some baking because I've got time on my hands.  This is a sour cream cake with chocolate chips from Heather's pig pen. 

This is the view from my kitchen window.

I also spent one day doing nothing but cooking ahead. Three pounds of sausage, one pound of hamburger, two pounds of bacon and four ham steaks diced into cubes later, I had a buncha stuff in the freezer ready to go.  The Freezer Mama I know would be so proud!  I also diced up two green onions.  (All this cutting, I might add, was done with ONE 5 inch paring knife from the dollar store.  I'm pretty classy like that!)

And that's what I've been up to, over here in the flatlands.  It's not much, but it's keeping me busy!

Operation: Relocation

Hello Bloggy Buddies!

Well, my life's been relocated.  I went from my quaint upstairs dwellings at my B-I-L's house with his fam to actually living with the guy I married one state away.  It's been about a week now that we've been co-habitating (is that the right use of that word?) again and it's been a bit of shell shock for us both.

First off, let me say that I haven't had a fountain Diet Coke or fountain Dt. Mt. Dew since LAST SUNDAY! My last one was literally on the drive over.  And that lack of fizzy-wonderfulness isn't because of some vow I've made or me trying to be a better person, it's because I haven't eaten out since last Sunday!  Again, not because I'm trying to improve my life, but because we're on money lock-down until I get a new job and that includes not going anywhere or spending the cash to eat out.  Instead, I've been working my way through 2-liters (I haven't bought 2-liters since high school youth group lock-ins) because they are uber-cheap when compared to the canned version of pop.  (BTW, when I was at the local IGA tonight, I noticed there are 20-packs of Coke products... not 24.... and they are not cheaper...just an FYI observation.  You're welcome.)  That also means I HAVE cooked everyday for the last week...that's two meals a day b/c Hubs comes home for lunch.. if bologna sandwiches and potato chips count as a meal  ;)  My new hometown ain't a big place, so there aren't a lot of opportunities to drive-thru, unless you want Hardee's.

In the move, some of our frozen foods thawed out, so we've been eating our way through those this week.  It included a few of my remaining Freeze-O-Rama meals including Texas Two Step Soup, Quiche, Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Kale Pesto Pasta and some Cheeseburger Soup.  It was all REALLY good stuff and got me off the hook for being creative in the kitchen. (which was also convenient because somehow we managed to bring our "essentials" we didn't bring any knives, other than a large plastic lettuce knife.)

Also tonight when at the local IGA, one of the listings for aisle 5 among the cereal, granola, etc was "Jesus is the way."  It made me laugh and just goes to show you that you can pick up some Jesus anywhere, even at the grocery!

So the apartment isn't bad, but it isn't my lovely large yard where I can just let the dogs out and check on them out the window every 30 mins or so.  It also has ugly countertops (they look like they are covered in dead leaves! ugh) but Hubs reminds me I only have to look at them for six months.

It also includes a gas range, which I'm told is the hard-core chef's preference, but I've almost caught a potholder on fire twice, a towel once and my hair once.  Seriously, I gotta watch that.... and update our renter's insurance.

Anywhoo, just wanted to drop a blog on ya'll and let you know that I'm still here and kickin' and once I have some fun stuff to take pics of, I'll post those too.  I'm excited because I have more time now to craft and blog.... except we only brought the essentials with us over here.  That means I have my sewing machine, but none of my fabric stash, don't have my silhouette machine, my scrapbooks, etc.

But I guess that just leaves me more time to job hunt ;)

Wordless Wednesday...

If you didn't have spring fever before you will now.

Check out these pics from the conservatory in the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas!  (Yes, there's more to Las Vegas than oversized drinks and sparkly lights)

It was so beautiful there Hubs had to make me leave because I just kept wandering around taking photos.

Enjoy!

Disturbingly funny

If something is disturbing, is it allowed to be considered funny, too?

photo from stuckattheairport.com

On a recent trip through the IND airport (it seems that I've been there more than I like, lately) this display caught my eye.

I admit, my first reaction was to chuckle.  Cow tipping... that's an ol' wives' tale... and a funny one at that.  

But the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. I mean, as agriculturalists, we work hard to "tell our story" so people have a fair and honest understanding of what we do on our farms. To dispel the rumors of the country bumpkin, backwoods way of life that is so far removed from the modern technology it takes to produce enough food to feed everyone.  

And then, my own home state, the state with the most pro-agriculture governor likely ever seen around these parts, goes and brands us all as the state of cow-tippers! (and we aren't talking about cows that are waitresses and deserve tipping!)  

What the heck?! I have a problem with that.  I know that the marketers that thought up this whole "Indiana is the place for cow tipping" scheme is likely not anyone that has any idea about how agriculture actually works, but this seems like a major step backwards. 

  

As happy as I am to see the state embracing agriculture (they were also selling Indiana grown popcorn and corn hats among other items), I'm just not sure this is the appropriate route to take. 

I will say, however, this bottom photo is a photo of the magnet that I bought.  After all, I was headed home from Vegas and the idea that "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" was a bit too fresh in my mind... or maybe it describes where I'd like to take the person that dreamed up the idea that Indiana should be branded as the official cow tipping state. 

But at least this one doesn't make Hoosiers synonymous with animal abuse...

Am I reading into this too much? Should I have just laughed and kept walking? I don't know, but this whole Indiana cow tipping thing really stuck in my crawl....

Vegas Day 1

First day in Vegas....

...didn't do much, other than take pics from the hotel room....

...this is the stadium where Monster Jam World Finals will be this weekend...

...here's my rental car...the one that's backed into the parking spot (because that's how I roll park)...

...there's lots to do out here...

...and places to go....

...including Walmart, where I was once today and will likely return many times in the next week for "necessities"...

...and there's Del Taco...

...and Carl Jr's (or Hardee's to us Hoosiers)...

...and there's a mall across the way.  I'll be there tomorrow, fo' sho.'

I also painted my nails Max D orange, but they turned out more hunter orange.  It's okay, I don't care that much, I'm still supporting my team!

(Also, notice I'm not wearing my wedding ring?  Notice how swollen my ring finger is? I don't know what the heck I did, but it hurts like the dickens and I squeezed my ring off my overly puffy finger last night before I went to bed so it wouldn't swell up and fall off while I was sleeping.  Overreaction? Maybe, but I didn't want to take any chances... I like to be able to count to 10!)