A Summer Morning

Well, it's after 10:00, and I'm still in my pajamas laying on the couch.  I couldn't be happier!  I'm thoroughly enjoying morning television again after nine months of 6:00 a.m. wake-ups.  Due to my lack of black-out shades in my bedroom, morning sunshine still comes early.  However, I lay around as long as I can on mornings like today.

Someone once said that a teacher's three reasons for teaching are June, July, and August.  While I personally have other favorite reasons, these may not be too far down on the list...I have been catching up on much-belated magazine reading (I literally have stacks around my room that should be analyzed and filed away asap) and enjoying good books left and right.  

Today's To-Do List:

1.  Unload and put away the groceries I bought yesterday (oops...)

2.  Start thinking about thinking about my classroom (I have to wrap my mine around it first)

3.  Look for some long-promised picture frames for Will--I moonlight 

as his personal shopper, but I'm not complaining.

4.  Research pen refills for afore-mentioned client/boyfriend

5.  Find a way to purchase a certain travel bag that I can't get out of my mind.  I'm torn between the pictured Nantucket color or the Sherbet pink/orange variety.

In case a certain personal shopping client (ahem...) wanted to get me this as a gesture of gratitude, it can be found at http://popdeluxe.net/basketweave-travel-wallet.html

A coordinating travel wallet is also available!

That wraps up my daily to-do list.  I better get things going around here!

P.S.  If you're wanting some delicious cheesy homemade fries, try these

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/herb-and-cheese-oven-fries-recipe/index.html.

I did and, they were absolutely wonderful!

A Good Day at the Flea Markets

Many people ask what I do all day, usually my dad and Will.  In answer to their questions, I must say that I stay pretty busy.  I have lots of spare time these days, so I invent tasks to fill the void.  

Today, Melly was BACK in town.  We had to make the most of our 25 hours precious hours together.  We visited my new school (still kind-of a secret, but more info to come shortly on that note).  Then, we dined on our favorite sandwiches at the local hot-spot Stone Mill.  

After lunch, the search began.  You see, Mel is going to PT school in Springfield, MO in August. Don't even get me started on how much she will be missed....However, on a brighter note, we began our mission to make her new apartment just as lovely as our home here in Fayetteville.   And since we don't have trust funds, we hit up the flea markets (actually more like the thrift

 stores but that term doesn't sound quite as nice).  The location of our finds will remain anonymous in order to protect future shopping experiences for us.  We will be frequent visitors.

After four hours, we considered our search successful.  We walked away with quite a bunch of loot considering the small sum we spent.  

Our finds except for Mel's avocado-colored semi-octagonal console table

While I am not moving anytime soon, I figured that there was certainly shopping to be done on my part as well.  I ended up buying two blue lamps.  Their purpose is yet to be determined, but at $8.00 each, they were good to pass up.

While our search was successful, we have our work cut out for us.  Let's just say that there is a lot of painting in our future.  This lovely table will be painted a soon-to-be determined color for Mel's living room.  You'd never in a million years guess that she only paid $10 for it!

Officially an Outdoors Woman

Well, I can officially say that I have experienced the outdoors.  It all began with a long weekend in Mountain Home.  Will and I spent the long weekend at his parents' house.  On Saturday, we went canoeing (a first for me-I'm sure that will shock you).  I survived, and we didn't tip over even once.  However, seeing that waterproof cameras have yet to make the switch to digital, you'll have to image the scenery for yourselves.  Maybe Bekah will have more details to add.  

Anyways, our camping trip was cut short due to rain and a slight lack of enthusiasm (probably on my part).  We had fun seeing friends and eating good food though!

On Monday, we celebrated with a birthday party for Dear Old Dallas during the Memorial Day festivities.  These kids (Will's nieces and nephew) certainly lack attention-I almost feel sorry for them...

The ninja was in his element during the birthday festivities.  Please pardon the foot in the corner.  A lot was going on at the moment...

These silly girls were still going strong after a LOOOONG weekend of camping and the great outdoors.

Maybe the other two will make an appearance soon.  They wouldn't slow down long enough for me to snap a picture!

On another note, Cassius Lane is certainly quiet.  We are anxiously awaiting Kate's return from the other side of the Atlantic.  I'm sure she has quite a few stories to tell.  Annie is living it up on a short vacay in Texas.   Mel will be meeting her new roommate and fellow KKG sister in Springfield this weekend.  So for now, Rachel and I are holding down the fort and watching out for those pesky Norwegian rats our friendly neighbor Erick believes to be in the area...

Ta-Da!

My mother can now rest easily knowing that I will not drown the next time I walk into my closet.  You've seen the before picture; therefore, I had no other choice but to get down and dirty and clean up the mess I'd made.  (This whole blogging thing sure provides a sense of accountability-even if only to the two people [including family members] who read it.)  

I think the after will redeem me a bit.  

The piece de resistance (I'm sure there is a fancy French way of saying/spelling that, but I'm from Arkansas...) of the closet is my new system of organizing jewelry.  I buy necklaces only to throw them in a purse or drawer and forget about them.  My new corkboard system should do the trick and help me put these beauties to use! 

Like I said yesterday, I'm a messy organized type of girl.  However, I love to have a place for everything and everything in its place.   Hopefully, this is one project that won't have to be redone for quite some time...

I'm off to finish up making some White Trash Trail Mix (aptly named since I'm heading out for my first camping/canoeing trip EVER in a short bit).  Be back soon with loads of stories and pictures!

The Latest in Pictures

After a year of putting my life on hold (thank you MAT…), I am starting to get myself back together. I would describe myself as organized yet messy, so this process includes several not fun chores as well as a few long-awaited days of fun. Lately, I can be found in the trenches of my closet or laying out by the pool (thank you Sean and Mik) with friends.

Will and I spent last Saturday in Branson celebrating my return to real-life in the post-MAT world and our one-year anniversary. Let's just say that the year has flown by, and we had a wonderful day trip. We shopped a lot (Will got more than I did) and ate at one of my favorite restaurants Cantina Laredo. Absolutely delicious!

(We're looking a little rough here, but it had been a busy day.)

On Sunday, Katelyn left for her voyage across the Atlantic to Europe. She'll be playing in London and then traveling around to see various sites and scenes that I can't seem to remember at the moment. I wanted to snap a quick pic to remember her by before she headed out…

Today, I am working on tackling a few chores around the house. I went to Target to stock up for my upcoming camping/canoeing trip this weekend (a first for me). I think I have everything seeing that I brought every item in the store that was even remotely related to the outdoors. After a quick lunch at Stonemill, I came home to tackle this…

I'm almost too embarrassed to post this, but it is true. My closet is a DISASTER. This was after I had already begun the cleaning/sorting process, so it looks worse than it really was. However, it is pretty bad. I must give a shout-out to Rachel's cute bag in the far upper left! I'll post the after tomorrow in order to redeem myself.

Last but not least, I took the advice of my dear friend Darby and baked a cake. While I've never actually met Darby, I feel like we are friends and know that if I ever met her or her sister Erika, we would quickly become BFFs (much to the surprise of my doubting boyfriend and brother-in-law). It is called the Texas Sheet Cake and is quite delicious. I saw the pictures on Darby's blog and went out and bought a new pan in order to bake it properly. I was hoping the cake would remain untouched until my Bible study tonight, but someone seems to have tested it. Let's just say my the thief's tummy is quite happy at the moment!

I'm off to finish tackling that disastrous closet. Wish me luck!

I’m BACK!

Well, I am not a successful blogger. It's hard to admit, but I must be truthful. Life has been hectic, and this old thing has been neglected during the last nine months. However, I just graduated (hopefully for the last time ever) and will have a summer to redeem myself.

Starting today, I am free. I am looking for future employment (educating the world's best and brightest students in a yet to be named classroom), but in the meantime, I will fill my days with much errand-running and pool-side lounging.

A little tag in a blog post of a friend got my wheels turning. Here goes nothing…

8 Things I Look Forward To:
Summer vacation-school being OUT (I copied this from Allyson)
Family beach vacation to Seacrest, Florida
Running a few errands this summer
My new classroom full of fun kiddos
Decorating said classroom
Weekend trips during the summer
Organizing my life
Rest and relaxation in the near future!

 8 Things I did Yesterday
Slept in through church (don't tell)
Lunch at Bonefish for Mother's Day
Visited with Will's extended family in the Dixie Café parking lot
Target trip with my mom and grandma
Ate dinner at Loafin' Joes with Will
Watched Lifetime movies
Caught up with Roomie Rachel
Read a good book in bed

8 Things I Wish I Could Do
Say "no" more often
Be a wedding planner
Speak another language
Not worry
Get a job
Sleep in really late and not feel guilty
Play a sport (any kind really)
Not overthink my answers on quizzes like this

8 Shows I Watch:
Ace of Cakes
Desperate Housewives (0nly during the marathons)
HGTV
Food TV
I never watch TV, so I can't think of any more

Where has the time gone?

This was a question posed to me by my dear friend Rachel M. (whom some of you may know simply as Borris). It has been 98 days since my last post and that is simply pathetic. I am extremely disappointed in myself. It just seems like it has been so long and so much has happened that I'll never catch up and fill y'all in on everything. So I have given up. Not in a bad way; I'll just start from scratch.

In the last 98 days:

• Mikki M. decided to get married. The upcoming nuptials will take place on March 21, and drumroll please....we made the cut. We're bridesmaids and looking forward to walking down that aisle.
• Rachel M. got a job! Not that she hasn't had one in the past. It's just that she has a new one. She works with the sweet little 3rd and 4th graders at Fellowship. Whoop! Whoop!
• Mel L. got a boyfriend. It's been a long time in the making, and we LOVE Dirty Dave.
• Annie turned 23 and got her birthday wish: Obama in the White House!
• Yours truly fell in love with a bunch of kindergarteners and realized just how hard 4th grade can be.

There you have it. The last 98 days in a nutshell. Now that I'm caught up, I can get back in the blogging swing of things.

LYLAS!