The Day I Turned 30

You heard that right, today, March 4th, I turned 30.  I must say that it is kinda crazy to say 'Thirty'.  I never thought, and still don't, think 30 is old.  My last year in my twenties was definitely everything I ever hoped it to be.  So 30 feels pretty darn good (even if it is still weird to see it on paper).

What did I ask for my birthday.  There are probably four people (my parents, my husband, and my bff) that know exactly the first and top thing I always want for my birthday ....

Yes, that is an Ice Cream Cake.  I prefer Dairy Queen, but when one isn't close by, I'll take a Baskin Robbins.

What else did I want ... not much of anything else (I am horrible on the whole gift specification).  But, I will say Hubs planned a nice little evening - a lovely homemade dinner and beautiful flowers.

Almost the Holidays

The holiday season is right around the corner.  I am typically the worst shopper ever ... so last minute and scrambling for ideas.  I say I will work on this each year, but really, I just pretend that time flies super fast and "really, it is Christmas already!".

I also have a terrible time buying for the parents and in-laws.  Hubs and I are super minimalists and are presents are typically practical purchases.  So, for parentals that have nicely appointed homes this can be tough.  I also worry about buying the wrong gift for all the friends out there.

I came across this though, on A Cup of Jo's blog, and can find it a very practical gift for everyone.

Now, who doesn't love a little scratch and sniff book and loads of wine!  You can find it on Amazon if you so incline.

It was Time for Some Adventure

Hubs and I headed out West ... out to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon ... last week!!  Luckily, the parks re-opened even with the Federal Government closed.  Utah State made that possible ... I like to think just for us ;)

We initially planned to do some hiking, canyoning, mountain biking and whatever else floated our boat.  The plan was to be in Utah till Thursday, and then we weren't sure what we would do till Saturday - just wanted to go with the flow.

Well, it was quite a fan-freakin-tastic vacation!

Zion National Park - these pics are from our hike up to Angel's Landing.  It was an amazing 2.0 mile hike up.  Once you get to the top, there is an area to rest (Scout Lookout) before you start the treacherous 0.5 miles to the tip top of Angel's Landing.  This 0.5 miles basically is holding on to a chain hanging off the side of the mountain.  The last 0.2 miles is a sliver of mountain with a 1400 ft fall on BOTH sides!  We made it about 0.2 miles of this part - there were sooooo many people.  Two way traffic in ONE lane.  You really needed a stop light ha.

Swithbacks up to Angel's Landing

0.2 miles in to the treacherous 0.5 miles to Angel's Landing (it is above-to the right of Hubs' head)

Here is what the last 0.3 miles looks like!

And then there are the fabulous views!

Lots of Panos!

And, finally, the drive through Zion National Park was quite an experience in itself.  It looks like you are on the moon ... with trees!

We did a little canyoning - hiking and rappelling

Then we headed to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Famous for the Hoodoos.

Ended the day with a little campfire cooking

Decided that we might as well head to Sedona, AZ for the last part of our trip.  Crossed the Colorado River and traveled by the Grand Canyon.

First day in Sedona we went on the infamous Pink Jeep Tour

And let Sissy and Tequila take us on a sunset stroll

On our last day, we went on an epic mountain bike ride.  Honestly, the best of the best for mountain biking!

Ate at L'Buerge by Oak Creek (expensive but so worth it) (also Elote ... a southwest mexican is a must to eat at ... get the Elote if you are there and one of their margaritas)

Once we filled up on some great food we headed back to the airport in Las Vegas.  We were able to drive by the Hoover Dam (yes these are drive by photos).  Kinda creepy at night (we were 1 of 2 people), but so worth it, especially when you are an engineer!

Sunny Days

I was a huge Sesame Street fan as a kid ... like video-taped episode type of fan.  I saw this and had to share.  Love the fun kid instruments - I remember most of them.  So cool!

Then I kept going, and was quite amazed at the intensity of his lip sync battle.  That totally takes some skill ha!

And, for good measure, we all need a little update on the history of rap

Away on Vacation

Kinda reminds me of posting an away message on aim back in the day.  Hubs and I return tomorrow after spending Wednesday through Sunday at the beach.

Life Lately

Life Lates = Working A Lot + Socializing with BFFs + Growing Grass (yes, still)

Here are the Details,

I am transitioning into a different role at work that I am super excited about.  Hurry May 6.  Until then, boss man has made a list of things I must accomplishment.  Which equates to extra hours at work, less sleep, more stress.

My bff lives in Australia.  She is in the States for 3 weeks.  Which means obligatory visit to see her of course.  I spent last weekend traveling with another bff to NJ outside of NYC to
1)  reminisce and relive our college glory days, kinda like this : Life in Your Early Twenties VS Life in Your Late Twenties
2)  catch up on all things life
3)  and stay up way too late drinking wine and champagne.  We found this hilarous : SNL Sketch of the Week: “Moet & Chandon”

And, Hubs and I grow grass.

Thats all folks. 

Moments of Silence

These past couple of days have been filled with sadness, reflection, and emotion.

First and foremost, my beloved Grammie passed away on Thursday night. I did not cry why I heard the news; I knew she was at peace and in a better place. Almost 5 years ago today, my Papa died and Gram just wasn't the same. Her health immediately plummeted and although she tried to remain cheerful, she was deeply saddened by her loss. Like any elder, she has had her medical issues. Early last week she went in for an MRI for her stomach - she had been complaining of stomach issues. The Doc said she had cancer and I think at that moment Gram knew this should be her time. The ceremony was amazing. The Pastor talked about her grace, cheerfulness, service to her community, and her love for her 3 Grandkids. Gram was truly a fabulous lady and I will miss her greatly. Some of the best memories of my childhood are at Grammie and Papa's house. I would spend several weeks at their house in the summer. I would help Gram in the garden - picking berries, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, corn, etc. Then making jam and freezing veggies. We would bake countless cupcakes and go for our standard 1 mile walk after dinner. Papa would drag me around town with him and I would help him do all his errands. It was a great time!  Nonetheless, both of them are kept in a special place in my heart.

Next, the 6 year anniversary of the VT shooting was yesterday. I was there and remember vividly hearing the news that day. Luckily, I was working on my Master's Final Project Report at home. But on of my friends had headed to class. She texted me while in class about being on lockdown. I had my eyes glued to the TV and saw Norris Hall. It was one of the engineering building that I have had plenty of classes in - I had one that semester there. Patton Hall (my Civil Engineering home base building) was directly across from Norris and a fellow Master's student was currently in the building giving his dissertation. It was startling and I was in shock. Although I was interested in learning about this individuals motives, I couldn't bear to watch the news throughout the following days. I attended the service shortly thereafter in the Drill Field and visisted the memorial after graduation. Nikki Giovanni's Convocation Address in April 2007 says it all (via VT}:

We are Virginia Tech.
We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.
We are Virginia Tech.
We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.
We are Virginia Tech.
We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.
We are Virginia Tech.
The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.
We are the Hokies.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We are Virginia Tech.

{via VT}

Finally, I returned from Gram's Funeral to hear the news that 2 bombs went off during the Boston Marathon.  Another act of violence during an event that should be joyous.  Marathons are hard work (not that I would know, the thought of 26.2 miles scares me from even trying).  People train for months for a marathon, they push through pain during the race, and feel complete relief, joy, exhaustion, and pride upon completing the race.  It is a great achievement.  Yet for so many, it was ended early by an act of violence.  And innocent bystanders were hurt - the backbone of the cheering department that so many racers thrive off of.  Comedian-actor Patton Oswalt said this on his Facebook page - "So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, 'The good outnumber you, and we always will.' " {via CNN}.  It helps to remind me that good will always prevail and that we cannot be stripped of hope.

Giuliana & Bill: Obsessed

The show 'Giuliana & Bill' has been replaying on E! on Sunday's over the past month or so.  I caught parts of Season 5 replay during our patio install breaks.  One rainy Sunday (can't remember when) I was able to watch a couple of the shows, DVRed the rest, and was hooked.  So much, that I just had to watch Seasons 1 through 4 that I missed. 

So, like any normal person, I signed up for a free month of Netflix (after spending $2.99 a show on FIOS to complete the first part of Season 5) and have completed Season 1 & 2 in record time - 4 days.  Now, do take into consideration that these first episodes were 30 minutes long, and without commercials, that makes them a whopping 20 minutes.  10 eposides per season that totals a whopping 200 minutes of viewing per episode.  So, 7 hours in 4 days.  And, there was literally no other show watching that went on.  Is that a lot?  Am I making too many excuses.  Oh, well, I love it!

I even was able to get Hubs 'into' the show.  Watching 4 episodes in a row is a little much for him, but he is totally on board with watching 1 or 2.  Out of all the reality TV show watching I make him watch (remember, we only have 1 TV), he likes it.  He likes their personalities. 

Anywho, I just made it through the first part of their fertility issues.  I, like so many other women out there, are concerned about the whole 'baby-making' ordeal.  For so long you try not to get pregnant, and then when you are ready, it can be tough.  Not only is there such a small window to get pregnant each month, you have age, time, and possible other issues that start to work against you.  Ay carumba.  I am intrigued, nonetheless, and can't wait to tune in and watch Season 3 and 4 (where can I get this for 'free' or a low rate..hmm). 

And as for Giuliana & Bill, she is fab - totally funny and dorky.  They are one 'reality TV couple' that seem perfect for each other. 

Plus, I love their fab new home!  See it here.

An Easy Weekend

Hubs and I have been super stressed and exhausted from work.  Therefore, we have done very little over the past week or two.  We have focused on relaxing, which has included sitting by the fire pit, sipping some cocktails, grilling, and watching movies. 

This past weekend, we did manage to mulch the flower beds in the backyard and build a horseshoe pit.

But, really, we did a lot of this.

Starting a Fire - Man & Dog Love a Good Fire



'Hey Grouper, come stand by me'

Smile

Lets Eat!

Show Me Some Sun, Sand, & Water

I am ready for a vacation.  Preferably to the Carribean, where we can relax, sip come cocktails, and soak up some sun.  Something like this looks nice.

{via national geographic}

Outside My Window

Outside my window right now it is snowing!  We haven't seen snow, besides some flurries, all season.  I have been patiently waiting all winter and now I have my snow.  Winter storm Saturn... Bring it!

In other news, on Monday night I noticed this faint black line in the background of my new iPad.  Hubs (kinda) saw it too.  I asked him if I was crazy to take it back and get a new one.  He said 'whatever makes you happy', which I am sure is code for 'you are kinda silly'.  I headed back to the Apple store on Tuesday during lunch.  Showed the guy the faint black line, he didn't really see it, took it to a younger guy who kinda saw it.  I glanced their direction to see them kinda chuckle at the situation.  But hey, we just spent $800 on this thing and I am not going to be bugged by a faint black line.  Truth be told, the guy was really nice about it.  He said that 'you have to live with it, so you better be happy with it'.  He even did a merchandise swap instead of a warranty issue so that it doesn't count against me (I guess they keep track).

So, I am with a brand new iPad, again :)

Happy 29th to Me

I am a year older.. and a year closer to 30.  Whoa.  Happy 29th Birthday to Me!

Monday Birthdays are 'interesting'; I guess that is the right word.  I couldn't bear waiting to celebrate my birthday on Monday all weekend.  Hence, Hubs and I did birthday activities throughout the weekend.  Unfortunately, Hubs was not feeling great (another cold, whomp whomp), but that didn't stop us!
Saturday - headed out to dinner at Sweet Water Tavern
Sunday - opened Birthday Eve Presents.  An iPad from Hubs and money from the parents that I spent at Target already for picture frames for our Gallery Wall

Love my iPad

Gallery Wall Pictures Ready to Hang

We also headed to our new movie theatre to see Silver Linings Playbook which was fantastic.  It was a great way to spend a cold Sunday with a sick Hubs.  And, we watched Argo Sunday night, another great movie, from the seat of our couch.

Today, the actual day of my birth, I am at work.  Hoping to be able to leave slightly early to relax and maybe hang the pictures for my gallery wall.

Life

I must admit, I am a easy-going high strung spontaneous planner... wtf? you may be asking.  Yeah, that's right, I contradict even myself.  I read a post today on Hello Happiness regarding life's struggles and joys.  It ended with this quote:

Which is oh so true but often difficult to remember.  Over the past year I have had this 'picture' of what my life should be like by the time I turn 30, which is just over a year away.  I am a goal-setter, so I thought it would be a great idea to set some 'life goals' before 30.  The problem is, that if you let yourself, those goals can overtake and consume your life.  I am not saying that I am going to throw caution to the wind and erase the goals I have set myself.  Goals are necessary - you take a proactive approach to making yourself the best you can be.  But, I have realized recently, goals are something you must balance with everyday life and they should not take away or overshadow great life moments.  I have realized I really need to do a better job of not constantly striving to achieve the next 'best thing' in life, and to just live in the moment - cherish the time I play 'chase' with Grouper in the backyard (yes, we really do that), the wine and movie nights with hubby, and the actual part of 'doing' a project instead of 'accomplishing' a project.  I also have realized I need to relax my life timeline and go with the flow more. 

I am not saying it will be easy, but I am definitely going to try.

Worrying About My Carbon Footprint

I have a confession to make - I am very interested in green and sustainable design and construction, but I feel like I personally (and my fam) haven't done our part to contribute.  With our new home purchase, we have definitely given some thought as to how we can reduce our carbon footprint.

Here is what we are thinking:
Outside

• Add a Garden - stock it full of all our favorite fruits and veggies and herbs.  Not only does this save us money, it helps the environment by reducing transportation costs and emissions (ours and the manufacturers) 
• Compost - another great option now that we have a yard.  It reduces the amount of trash we contribute to the landfill and gives us great nutrient rich soil

Inside

• Reduce our energy costs 
• replace our old furnace and AC unit with efficient ones
• seal any cracks in our home to reduct air leakage
• insulate, insulate - our attic and basement could use some help
• Add low flow fixtures - some faucet, toilet, and show head replacements could be in our future

Other

• Use reusable grocery / shopping bags - Done!  We got a couple of Giant reusable bags and love them.  Less bags to tote (they are sooo strong) and less plastic heading to the landfill (note: we used to use all our plastic bags .. as Grouper poop bags .. when we lived in the condo - so that was re-use right there.  But, now we have a pooper scooper and consolidate his waste)

Those are just a couple of thoughts for now.  Updates as they happen.  Let me know if you have any ideas on how we can live a better, greener life :)

Update 2/22/13 - I drove by the trashman this morning.  It is amazing how much trash people throw away every week!  I want to make it a priority that we reduce our trash production as much as possible!

Recap: Christmas

I recapped packing the U-Haul on Sunday Dec 23 ... which was a whirlwind ... now on to the Holidays!

First off, I hope everyone truly had a fabulous Christmas with family, friends, and whomever else!  Last week went way to fast!  I can't believe it is already NYE. 

Anywho, Christmas Eve we headed to work for a couple of hours.  (I still can't believe our company didn't have Christmas Eve off ... nonetheless).  Then it was off to my parents house to celebrate - Christmas Eve at my grandma's house with my dad's side of the family and then Christmas at my mom and dad's house with my mom's side of the family. 

I don't have many pics... I just soaked up the R&R.  It was fabulous though - good food, good times with the fam!

Here is a good pic from my cousin though - 4 dogs at Christmas (my parents 2 labs, our lab, and cousins hound mix).  The labs are attentively staring and waiting for the ball to be thrown, the hound on the other hand, just wants to run and smell things!

Aka 'Dog Park'

Oh Christmas Tree!

Selling, buying, and moving all over Christmas comes with its challenges .. as in, minimal Christmas decorations!  I am a huge fan of REAL & BIG Christmas Trees, so I was kinda bummed when I realized we wouldn't be able to do our fair share of decorating this year.  I wasn't going to let that totally deter me from not having some type of Christmas Tree.

So, here ya have it.. our 2012 Christmas Tree

The intent was to add some christmas lights to our $8.00 Home Depot tree (pre-decorated), but we haven't made it down into the storage unit to dig those up in the mist of packin.  Luckily, our goal is to tackle some of the storage unit packing this weekend and I hope I can pull some lights out to adorn our itty bitty tree :)

Star Struck by YHL

It has been a little over a week since I went to the Young House Love Book Signing on Dec 1st!  The book signing was held at Living Social in DC.  I must say I was quite star struck - I didn't think I would be so nervous, but it was kinda sureal to a-c-t-u-a-l-l-y see them vs seeing them on their blog.  I even was repeating what I would say to them in my mind for most of the line for fear that I may say something stupid. haha.

 

But really, Sherry and John couldn't be any more friendlier, happy, and just down right down-to-earth.  They can strike a conversation up with anyone!  I immediately dug into their book and can't wait to try out some of the ideas in our new home.

Homes, Loans, and YHL

This post is really just a hodge podge of things on my mind this week. 

1.)  Appraisal on our place is TODAY!  I spent a good chunck of after-work time last night and before-work time today sprucing the place up.  First impressions count and I wanted it to smell nice, be clean and tidy, and generally yell 'OoLaLa .. I am soooo nice' :)

2.)  Loan application/processing to do's keep piling up.  Goal is to work on all this stuff tonight

3.)  YHL Book Signing!!!  You all may know about these fantastic people (I haven't met them before .. yet .. but they just seem like the awesomest people) - they have the blog Young House Love, and now a book I am dying to get my hands on!  I signed up for the book signing at Flor in Georgetown (which was yesterday) but under the stress of getting the house ready for the appraisal today, work work, and all other week day to dos I couldn't make it.  So, I bought the Living Social deal for this Saturday!  Cannot wait.  Really, this whole DIY home blogging inspiration came from them.

{via}

John & Sherry from YHL - can't wait to meet them! {via}

A little history...

Hubs and I bought our current place 3 years ago ... it was in desperate need of some updating.  Some people would be turned off by the previous owner's choice of paint, outdated kitchen and appliances, etc, but not us! Memory Lane..

Original Dining Room

Original Dining Room

Living Room

Master Bedroom



2nd Bedroom

 We have been tackling DIY things such us painting, wood floors, kitchen update, and bathroom update over the past 3 years.  All DIY - one, because we love projects and two, we didn't want to put a ton of money into the place by hiring contractors since, in a condo, you don't get the full value out of updates. 

Current Dining Room

Current Living Room

Master Bedroom

2nd Bedroom

Two years into living in our current place, we got married.  Cue love song :) 

I spent that year before planning our fabulous wedding (all DIY and on-a-budget too).  I spent tons of hours on the wedding blog Style Me Pretty (great by the way) for inspiration.  After the wedding I was dying for another creative outlet and googled 'popular home DIY blogs'.  YHL popped up and I literally spent the next 2 weeks reading (slash scimming) every post they had posted to date.  That led to other blogs, my blog, etc and I have been hooked ever since on tackling more DIY projects and documenting them.  So, I guess you can say, YHL was the catalyst for my DIY Home obsession!