4 Day Weekend

Hubby has a four day weekend! This is the longest he will have off without dipping into the "leave fund". What shall we do with this time together, I have no idea; and it's his birthday weekend! I need to create a plan.

Never Ever Ever

Time for another Never Ever Ever post. Whoop whoop the week's half over! Never Ever Ever will I:

• Be a "clean" person. I tried to keep the house clean while Hubby was gone this time, but I lost that battle real quick. Like two days after he left. Instead of picking up a few things and washing a couple of dishes before he comes home it is going to be a full on tornado of cleaning. Ugh. 

• Stop sewing. Seriously. I know I said that last time, but today I finished the flight suit bag I have been working on and I absolutely l-o-v-e it! It will make a great diaper bag one day :) 

  

  Old patches I found lying around

  
  

  

  lots-o-pockets!

• Watch the VMAs again unless it is for a reunion of a band from my childhood. If the Spice girls hit the stage again like they did during the London Olympics you know I will be glued to my TV. Without the promise of a flash back, I think I am officially too old for that crap. I mean, awkward boy band dialogue, people winning that I have no idea what their names are and Hannah Montana disturbingly grinding on teddy bears, foam fingers and Robin Thicke. Hopefully one day we can all forget that.

Nope

Yes

I think we all felt the exact same way you did Taylor. Oh yes, I am sure of it. 

The wait is over

We are going to the land of white sand beaches, Blue Angels and Emmitt Smith. We are going to...

Pensacola! 

Yay! Yay! I am so excited! I loved living in Pensacola. We were there when Hubby was in flight school a few years ago and it was a blast and a half. Out of all the possible options for us to go to next, Pensacola reminds me of home the most. 20 minutes to the beach, small town feel and southern hospitality. Not to mention we are 3 hours from New Orleans (Can you say Mardi Gras!?) and a mere 6 hours from our beloved Walt Disney World! 

Ahhh. I am relaxed. I feel like I can breath easy again. Limbo is over. Granted we still have a few major holidays here, it feels nice to just know. No more wondering or worrying about the next step. It is decided and we are thrilled. Now we get to sit back and enjoy the rest of the time we have here in Norfolk. I'm thinking of making a Hampton Roads Bucket List of all the things we haven't done that we need to do before we hit the road. 

:) P. Cola here we almost come!     

I Loved Grocery Day

I have never uttered those words in that sequence before in my life. Normally, grocery shopping day is a true chore. I don't like dealing with the traffic to get there and cart traffic in the store is so much worse. I once was hit with a shopping cart somewhere between 3 or 4 times in a single shopping trip. I dread it so much some times I will try to eat the entire contents of my fridge before I go. Look, I have evidence:

Yikes, that is empty.

That was taken during Hubby's last deployment when I was all about avoiding the market and embracing take out and restaurants. Oh man, it was bad. A lot of money was wasted during those months. But now, I am trying to cook as much as possible; And with home cooking comes trips to the market. Usually I head to the local grocery stores around where we live or I high tail it out to the commissary. But this time I wanted to switch it up and try something different, a little bit healthier maybe and a whole lot further. So I hoped in my car and drove to Virginia Beach to shop for the very first time at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Let me tell you I found some great things that will definitely keep me going back.

1. Italian sparkling water from Whole Foods. I have a new love affair with sparkling water after visiting Italy with the Hubby. I had honestly never tried it before, and it is preferred to tap water all over Italy. Especially Naples where the water is, let's say, less than awesome. Whole Foods even has their own line of Italian sparkling water in flavors like mint and lime. Yum.                                                                       
2. D:tox System purifying facial mask from Whole Foods. This is my new favorite mask. My skin is so soft from using it. It didn't dry me out or leave me feeling greasy which is great for my acne prone skin. It is loaded with good things like acai and goji berry, it is organic and the company donates 5% of their sales to National Breast Cancer Foundation.                                                                                          
3. Pesto alla Genovese from Trader Joe's. Can you tell I am re-living my Italy days? lol. I immediately made a little bit of pasta when I got home just to try it. This pesto is delicious. It took me right back to Tuscany. My next cooking experiment is going to be a Florentine steak with the pesto as a side sauce. Double yum.                                                                                                                                                     
4. 365 Ginger Ale from Whole Foods. I had to give this a go after seeing a girlfriend of mine never leave her house without a can of it in her hand. She's pregnant and very into being healthy and eating clean. I had no idea you could have a genuinely healthy soda. No caffeine, no sodium, nothing artificial at all. Just cane sugar for sweetness and color. I think I found my new go-to soda.                                                                                                                 
5. Green Fin California Red Table Wine from Trader Joe's. I already broke it in a little haha. It's $3 people. How can you say no? And it's made from organic grapes. I can be a healthy wino :)                                                                                  
6. Honey Nut O's from Trader Joe's. Because they taste good. These do not taste like those nasty cardboard flavored knock off cereals at all, no sir. Trust me. These babies are good! 

And I made myself hungry. lol. Maybe I'll bake up some pesto chicken for dinner tonight. Oh man I am going to run out fast. I think I am going to be heading out to Virginia Beach a lot more often now. 

Until next time...

A New Link Up

Happies and Crappies... Great name for a link up huh? I linked up with The Vintage Modern Wife a few weeks ago for Never Ever Ever (damn you Taylor Swift, now you're stuck in my head again) and now I am linking up again for H&C. It is about some of the best things that happened this past week and the not-so-great things that came your way too. Let's dive in:

*Happies*

• I got talk to Hubby on the phone 2 times this week! Whoop whoop! Those were the best 10 minutes of the week :) 

• I went to my first Sewing Party this week. Can I be any more domestic? lol. Hi, my name is Samantha and I am a Housewife. {Hi Samantha} I started an adorable bag made from one of Hubby's flight suits at the shindig. Now you know what to expect on the craft side! 

• I dove back into my documentary obsession with a series of ballet documentaries on Netflix and You Tube. If you have a free minute, watch First Position on Netflix. It is about young ballet dancers, aged 9 to 17, who are completely dedicated to their craft. It is truly inspiring. 

• I am about a solid day away of sewing from finishing up that damn bench. Oh yeah. Check out this progress! 
  
  
  
  Boom. Painted the bench...and a little of myself. Naturally. 

*Crappies*

• My poor baby Luna is working on that belly problem, but she is loving the chicken and rice. 

• I really, really need to do laundry. This is one of the things that always gets pushed to the back burner when Hubby leaves. I have a lot more clothing in my closet then he does in his which means I end up with a hug pile on the floor before I run out of clean undies and the like. Oh man, this round of laundry is going to suck.   

• And last, but certainly not least, I got my first jury summons for the great state of Virginia this week. Boo.

Grr, why, why, why?

I just read an article on the Military Spouse website that got me thinking. The post was entitled the 35 Crazy Deployment Curse Stories. Some of the stories are funny and could happen to any of us, while some are just down right Grr inducing moments. Why is it that whenever your spouse leaves on their "business trips" (i.e. deployments, work ups, training), Murphy's Law suddenly rears its ugly head? Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong; Or in a lot of cases, is guaranteed to go wrong. My Murphy's Law moments always seem to include our puppy Luna.
These past few days our little Luna has been sick. She woke me up in the middle of the night a couple of days ago, crying to go outside. The only time she does that is when she really, really does not feel well. So I was ready for a not so pretty potty break. What I was not ready for was blood. A Lot of blood. So I immediately ran upstairs put on some clothes, gathered up her stuff and rushed off to the 24 hr emergency vet. We arrived a little after 12:30am at the vet where they swept my poor baby away to the back for blood work and treatment. I was one nervous mama waiting for news in the waiting room let me tell you. And no amount of Duck Dynasty on the TV was distracting me. Pacing, pacing , pacing. I only do that when I am crazy with worry.
Thankfully it was a nice and efficient hospital so I didn't have to wait long at all. The sweetest Vet came out and let me know that she didn't need intensive work or an overnight stay. I was so relieved. Our poor baby girl was sick though. The best they could decipher was that she got into something and her body was rejecting it. She has always had a sensitive tummy, she even has to have special food so she doesn't get sick. So after a shot to stop her nausea and a little hydration we were on our way back home with 3 medications and pro-biotic supplements for her bland diet; Which will consist of boiled chicken and rice for the next week or two. I know she is loving the human food but I can tell she still doesn't feel back to normal. Poor thing will not leave my side except for food and bed time when she heads up to my bed before I do. My poor sweetheart.
It seems like every time Hubby has to take off, it's either me or the dog that gets sick. Me with a cold or the flu but mostly poor Lu with belly troubles. Guaranteed.
Murphy's Law: the deployment special. Every time!

   

Homesick

I am homesick. I miss Texas. Hubby is on a boat right now, so automatically, the homesickness sets in. It doesn't matter how short or long he takes off for, that "wanna go home" feeling always kicks in. When he's not here, my Home Radar switches to Texas. I'm still not sure what I miss the most when I get homesick. Is it the family? Of course, what am I some kind of animal? Mommy and Daddy, I love yall! My friends? Yeah I always miss them; Katie Pap, I love you best friend :) Or maybe it is the fact that my home state is Texas. It is one of the best places that has ever existed. Just listen to the State Song. 

Yeah, I know, it's a heavy song. But good huh? I think I miss the whole package of everything that is in Texas. My family, my friends, my hometown and Texas itself. It might be time to hop on a plane for a short trip, but I will wait for Hubby to get back. What I would love to do is take a road trip. Not to Texas but in it. If you have ever driven from El Paso to Orange you know that just getting out of this great state is a task and a half! I wanna shove Hubby with me and some friends and burn up I35, I10, maybe some farm roads and just explore.

I wanna see all of the places in this song that I have never seen before. It is time for a new adventure, and I want a Texas adventure.

Old Craft and a New Blue Button

I am a crafting procrastinator. Big time. If there was a category at the Olympics for it, I would put off trying out for it until the last minute and definitely win that gold! Yep, I have craftwork-willpower issues :) But when I get the urge to create something, I will work on it until 3am. I am a lot like my mom in that way. She will stay up into the wee hours to clean the house, remodel something that needs to be reworked, or to decorate for the holidays. I love my mommy. 

So today that craft urge took over and I finally tackled the bench that has been sitting in my garage for the better part of the summer. You remember this guy:

Poor fellow's just been sitting in the corner, neglected and ugly. But don't cry for him Argentina, he has been sanded down and primed, and soon he will be a new, handsome man for some lucky family to take home. When I am all finished with the painting and the new cushion for the seat is made, I will post a step by step with pictures this time! I already started snapping away today. I can't wait to see the finished product. 

After I was done painting the bench, and the front of both my legs, I had a long neglected digital craft to make too.  

I made a new button today and I really, really like it! My first one was put together in about 5 minutes and it was just blah. Blah, blah, boring, blah, blah. But this one isn't boring at all. I love it. This one took a bit longer then the first and involved 2 photos, 3 photo editing applications and 1 "How to a make a blog button" search which led me to this awesome button code generator. God bless whoever made that site. Now don't be shy, and grab it!

Baby Day and Navy Waiting Game

Today, I spent the whole afternoon with my friend Audora at her gorgeous house with all of her adorable little rugrats. She has a set of the cutest little strawberry-blonde twin girls in the world, and their carrot topped big bro is a little cutie pie. I love going over to her house to hang out and have a little girl time in the middle of the day. With Hubby back on a boat for a little while, it is really nice to have girlfriends that you can drop in on for a chat. We spent the better part of five hours gabbing away, organizing sewing dates, and playing with babies of course. I love when they just sit on your lap and relax in your arms. No muss no fuss, just hanging out; But playful babies are by far the best babies! Tossing them in the air and hearing the giggles always makes me giggle too. Baby laughs are so contagious. She keeps on asking when I'm going to have some babies of my own, but that is on hold until we find out our new orders. Her hubby actually just left the squadron that my Hubby is in, but they get to stay in our beloved Norfolk for the next duty station. No potential cross country move for her family, no sir-e-bob. Boy, are they lucky. Can you imagine moving your whole house and three kids under 2 across this great nation of ours? Nope, I can't. But I know it is coming, that one fine day where we are going to move with kids in tow, but I am far from looking forward to it. But we are up for orders soon and I would love to know where we are heading. Like Right Now! 

 Hubby and I are currently in "relocation limbo". It can only be defined that way. You have no idea where you are going next but you know you are going somewhere. It is not a fun place to be. This is always the most nerve racking/frustrating part of our lifestyle. We have absolutely no idea where we are going next. We could stay right here and keep on living in our home, with our pup and our friends in our town that we know backwards and forwards. Or, we could end up across the country in a new city, with a new house and new friends to find. It is truly making me anxious. The waiting is the worst part.

But this is where the saying comes from: Home is where the Navy sends us. And never is it more true then the in between stage. You may be between duty stations but no matter where you go, you know that your home is not a physical location. It is where your family is, where your spouse is, where you relax and are just you. Home is not a house or an apartment or a particular city but where yall are together. And I can't wait to find out where our little family is going next. The next place we get to call Home together.


Until next time :)  

Sister, Sister

My sister came into town this past weekend! Katie hit the road and left the big, bad apple for a weekend in my neck of the woods. And she brought her new beau Ryan for me and Hubby to meet. He's going to be a doctor one day, so automatically I like him for the readily available diagnosis : ) He was a real sweetie. Go Kat!

We tried to do some of the touristy things in the area like Colonial Williamsburg and the beach but rain kept us from spending any real time outside. On the other hand though, we did get to go to the Williamsburg Winery for a tour and tasting. They offer a few different types of tastings, we went with the basic one, but now I wish we had done the 3 hour intensive tasting course complete with a walk in the vineyards. Oh well, next time for sure. When the rain starting coming down during our walk in the colonial area after the tasting we headed home to relax and eat dinner. And to me, that was the best part of the weekend. I love having friends and family come to visit. Having a full house with people to feed and talk with is one of my favorite things in the world. I hope Kat and Ryan can come back down soon; hopefully on a nice, clear weekend when there isn't a cloud in sight.

Maybe next time I'll be in at least one of the pictures. lol.

Glider Chair Re-do

My most recent project is complete, and I wish I could keep it. I love the way it turned out

Before and After!

I made this beauty for my friend Katie, a fellow Navy wife. My Hubby and her hubby were in the same squadron. Both Katie and her husband went to Auburn and the school's colors were the inspiration for their soon-to-be-born son's nursery. He is going to be the biggest little Auburn fan! I can't wait to see a photo of him sitting in the chair in a little jersey. Oh so cute.  

The project actually went pretty fast. The sewing got a little interesting at times, especially when it came down to those arm covers. But on an Easy to Expert scale, I'd say overall it was a moderate sewing project. I didn't take step by step pictures this time because I was learning as I went along and totally forgot. I know, I know, I am a bad crafter sometimes. I'm sorry. But I did take a few pics along the way and I will offer some tips if you plan on tackling a glider chair re-do yourself!

• I re-did the back and bottom cushions in a "ravioli" fashion. (I don't believe that is a real sewing term but it makes sense when you do it)  Instead of having the seams run across the middle of the cushions they run flat along the bottom, like a ravioli. It works well for geometric patterns that are easy to misalign.   

• Buy Fray Check. Trust me. If you don't have it already it is one of the best things to have just to cover all your bases with fabrics that will be handled often. i.e. The ties. 

• I couldn't find snaps that worked with the ones built into the chair and trust me I panicked for a few days. Instead I improvised and added ties to the arm cushions instead. The ties are just orange heavy fabric that I found and turned into bias tape. The same goes for the back and bottom cushions as well, but in the original fabric. 

 

• The buttons are the same fabric from the orange ties and a craft button kit. They were the simplest part of the whole project and I have tons of leftovers to play with. Yay :) 

• The arm covers for me were the trickiest part. I wasn't sure how to go about the layers and the pocket until I dissected one of them. Don't be afraid to rip something up. A lot of times, when it comes to sewing crafts, you won't completely understand how something is done until you take it apart. Go for it! No fear! You're going to sew it (or something better) back up anyway :) 

Ta-Da! Here it is all finished. I love this one. It is probably my favorite craft I have done so far. I think I will keep my ear on the ground for a glider of my own. Baby shmaby, they are comfy. And I like comfy. 

Until next time...