Curtains on command

So a few weeks ago I FINALLY found some curtains online that I,

 1) actually liked and 

2) could afford! 

I knew I wanted a solid-color curtain and I knew that I wanted a

shade of blue--but finding that shade of blue was quite a challenge!

I already had the curtain rod & finials, 

(how do u spell 'finial' anyways??--I'm too lazy to google it) 

that I'd purchased on clearance at Lowe's about a year and a half ago.

So my curtains arrived Monday and last night I got motivated to hang these bad boys up! 

 ...Cue the missing drill. 

Ugh. 

Why does it never fail that I finally get all my ducks in a row & 

then suddenly the dumb drill that always seems to be in my way--is M.I.A??

Well I wasn't letting some missing drill slow this decorating train--

I mean, how did they hang curtains before drills existed!?!? 

Well DUH-they used handy dandy Command hooks!!

Command hooks--you rock!

Screw you, screws!!

 I laugh in the face of tools!

 I will use stickers to hang my curtains!! Boo-yah!!

Won't be needing you Mr. Screwdriver

So yeah, I got 'em up and then I dug out some of my candle sconces 

that I've had packed away in a box since we moved in. 

Yes I made my bed approximately 1 minute before taking this picture

TaDa! 

I'm happy with how it looks, and it definitely makes the room feel more cozy.

Now when they randomly come crashing down in the middle of the night 

someday I'll probably be cursing myself, 

but for now I feel like I beat the system!!

Maybe I should rename this blog:

"How to decorate your home using no tools!"

Command Hooks could be my sponsor!

Ok, probably not, but it's a nice thought...

Happy Wednesday Friends!

Bookworm

I've been on a huge book reading kick lately...
I've always loved to read, but some slow nights at work recently have re-ignited my reading-fever.

I don't have many prerequisites when it comes to picking out books...sometimes just a cool cover or the fact that I heard someone mention a title is enough for me to add a book to my reading list. Everything from science fiction to historical period novels & everything in-between!

A trip so Sam's club earned me 3 new books, 2 from Target, and I just got 5 more in the mail from Amazon.com
(thanks Alicia for introducing me to the wonderfullness that is amazon.com!)

Here's my list of books read so far this year:

• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Saw the movie Kite Runner and bawled my eyes out. Knew I wanted to read anything else this author had written...did not disappoint. Tough subject matter but I totally loved it.
• Don't Breathe A Word by Jennifer McMahon. This book was just 'ok' for me.  A quick read no doubt, but it was a little more on the 'scary' side...aka..I couldn't read it at night. Also got a little confusing towards the end.
• One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus. Totally loved this book. Set in the late 1800's this book is written as a series of letters/journal entries. Loved the main character and her story.
• ROOM by Emma Donoghue. Loved this book too. Difficult subject matter as well, but told from the perspective of a child which is so endearing and interesting...have added 3 more of this authors books to my 'must read' list.
• Ape House by Sara Gruen. Same author as Water for Elephants, which I had really liked. This book was just ok for me...I didn't particularly love either of the main characters and it was well into the second half of the book before things started to get interesting. A quick read nonetheless...

Currently reading: War Brides by Lois Battle. So far-- liking it.

On my 'To-Read' list...

-Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

-The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

-Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet by ?

-Red Field Farms by ?

-Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

-The Alchemist by Coelho

-The Divergent/Insurgent series

and 3 new books by Emma Donoghue: Slammerkin, Landing & The Sealed Letter

Any must-reads on your 2013 To Do list?!

Hi-Ya!! Take that New Years goals!

So.
I'm making progress on my New Years goals, Go me!!
I've been going to Zumba and Jazzercize classes atleast once a week---and yes, I realize exercising once a week sounds fairly pathetic. However, I'm coming from a place where exercise (sadly) had NO place in my life, so it's taken conscious effort to take these first baby steps. I've really liked the classes I've gone to so far which definitely helps to keep me going. Here's to staying motivated & maybe even moving towards getting in shape!? Maybe!?!?

Not done yet....I ALSO made it to the post office to pick up my passport application!!
Score 2 resolution points for moi!

Two negatives in the passport process...

1) The picture. Alicia warned me ahead of time that you're not allowed to smile, but an awkward smirk is apparently kosher. So, I attempted my best demure toothless grin while trying to get my Tyra Banks on and 'smile with my eyes'...right. Well a top model I am not, and I only managed to squish up my already prominent bags under my eyes. Sheesh. Not to mention the amazing fluorescent lighting in Walgreens that did wonders for my complexion! So glad I get to live with this gem for the next 10 years!

2) The application asks you to fill out your travel plans/dates/countries your visiting.
*Wha-wha-wha*
No actual travel plans for this gal. Just a nagging list of resolutions and alotta wishful thinking...hopefully you can't get denied for being a wanna-be world traveler!!

New Years goals revisited...2013 style

(How long will using the word 'style' continue to make me want

to dance like a chubby Korean pop star??)...I hope for a long time....

So...

As expected, I re-read over my 'resolutions' from 

last year and I can only honestly say that I accomplished 

one of them. One. Of Five. Sheesh.

Are new years resolutions genuinely designed to

help motivate or you just humiliate you??

Short term motivation, long term humiliation.

Here's a link to the aforementioned post:

http://themantasticfam.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012.html

So I'll try to pretend those other resolutions didn't happen

and just focus on the one that I succeeded on...

Learning to sew!

Now, I'm by no means making my own clothes,

but I accomplished the basics of working & troubleshooting

my sewing machine and I can make simple things like bibs and 

burp cloths. I can also use my machine to make fun crafts.

That's all I was hoping to be able to do at this point, so I'm pleased.

A few pictures of my sewing endeavors:

How convenient that I snapped a picture of the one time

I laid hands on this book....not so much a 'self-help' book reader.

My first diaper cloth made at my sewing 

'lesson' with Rachael!!

My first solo sewing project....bibs!

Success! 

Made with love for baby Rowan

Paper streamers! Another fun and easy sewing

craft that Rachael showed me

So fun! And re-usable!

Part of the reason I wanted to have a blog was to be able to look

back and see what I've accomplshed...errr...or not yet accomplished.

And even with my irregular posting schedule I suppose it's 

serving it's purpose. 

I've always loved going back and reading diaries and journals

that I've written in over the years, but I'm also one of those

people who writes consistently in a diary for about a week before

falling off the bandwagon. So my diaries are like a yearly

peek into a week of my life. Still interesting to read, though.

So, since I'm glutton for punishment and a

sucker for traditions I'm going to make a few more resolutions

for this year...but only 3 that I can think of at this moment:

1) Get my passport...this WILL happen!!!

2) Exercise...haha, so cliche. But in my defense

I DID have my first Zumba class on Thursday!!
...don't laugh!!!
Kelly and her friend Emi went with me, and I liked it!!
I'm going to try and make it a weekly thing...

3)  Open a Roth IRA.
Another goal that I made (and accomlished thankyouverymuch)
in 2012 was to increase my contribution
 to my retirement plan through work.  It's been satisfying to see that
account grow and I know I'll feel better if I can also get a Roth started.

I mean, I've only got like another
30+ years of working left....meh :(

So that's my short list for now, if I can think of more
I'll try to come back and add them!
Wish me luck!

When blogging falls short...

Obvs I'm referring to when blogging falls short

in comparison to my Instagram obsession...

whew...girlfriend needs a 12 step program!! Yikes!

I haven't even read any blogs, much less attempted to write 

a post in atleast 2 weeks, maybe 3. The last time I sat down to write a post

was the day of the SandyHook massacre. I just sat

there reading posts that people had so eloquently written

and I just couldn't put any words together.

I've always said the blogs I most enjoy and admire are

the blogs that are written with gut-wrenching and

no-holds-barred honesty...but turns out that

reading those blogs and writing one of those blogs are two

totally different things.  For 1 in takes much more thought and 

blatant talent but for 2, you have to consider the fact that

any Yahoo you work with might read your blog and all your

blogging business....not cool.

But anyways, the holidays are over, 

(THANK YOU GOD-I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER)

and I'm ready to get on with the new year.

I was already feeling scrooge-tastic heading into the holiday

season and then Christmas turned into a nightmare.

(oh yes....second year in a row) 

So while I grumble under my breath looking at everyone's

posts with their idyllic Christmas trees and family

festivities I try to remind myself not to compare my

behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reels...

Words to live by....

I saw that on Instagram, go figure.

So here's my uber lame attempt at catching up...

I'm going to go the route of posting random pictures with 

brief explanations below them.

Bonfires at mom and dad's

Playing with goats at Kelly's

Halloween!

I really don't care much about Halloween, but I 

do love to dress up and I'm down for any opportunity to

wear a wig!!!

Annual Halloween Wig-out at work

Such a great turn-out!!

I attended a co-workers baby shower where we

donned moustaches of course!!!

These make me laugh so hard...

Alicia...your moustache is falling off...

Charlie Chapman??

Welcome James Jr.!!

Thanksgiving was at my sisters house this year....

Roy and I went to his cousins house initially but then I left

and headed to my sisters to spend the rest of the day with 

my mom & dad.  It was just the four of us which seemed

strange, but we made the best of it and managed to

get some family pictures.

Note to future self: do not wear billowy blouse to family photos...

 My favorite shot of the day

I ate pizza with friends....

I've been watching a lot of The Walking Dead lately, and

Alicia frighteningly resembles one of the zombies in this picture...

 Post-work breakfast at McDonalds with Rach

Roy turned 31...

pardon me while I freak out cause I still can't get 

over the fact that he's 31 and I'm 28!!!

I went to first fridays where I found a helpful little

kitten who kindly held my coffee for me...

Roy even said I could keep him,

but alas he was $5 so he got left behind...

sorry kitty!

I celebrated with Alicia for her 30th birthday....

we failed to get a decent picture...Rachael you're reminding

me of a turtle pulling into his shell in this picture...

we sampled the whipped cream off of fancy martinis

I don't even know what was happening here...

but I love it!!!

Alicia the rat

I swear we weren't trashed, don't let the bloodshot 

eyes fool you!

Christmas Shopping at the legends with mom & Kelly

And the few pictures I took at Christmas were from
Christmas Eve at my  Uncles House. I had to work Christmas Eve
so I was dressed in my AMAZING ugly sweater...

what you can't tell from this picture is the fact that it had bells

all over it that jingled when I walked---perfect!!

Kelly & I

Cousins!!

Sarah, Brianna, myself and Kelly

So that was my lame catch-up post.

I'm going to try to do a post revisiting my New Years resolutions from 

last year, however after some examination I'll probably

realize that I fell short of most of my goals...Eeek!

Oh well, theres always 2013!!