I’m baaack!  Did you miss me? I missed you all, that’s for sure!

I spent a week after surgery laid up, and took the opportunity to detox myself a bit (well except for the boatload of medication I was on ).  I tried to only use my computer when absolutely necessary; no caffeine; no alcohol; no TV unless I was intentionally watching something. It felt so good! While I was feeling a little cabin fever towards the end of the week, I did take the time to watch a whole lotta movies that were on my list and I read The Help. It was the first time I’d sat and read a book in less than a week in a long time…and it felt great.  I think every once in a while it does the mind and body good to do a little detox like that. And as we launch into the schoolyear, the timing couldn’t have been better. It definitely feels great to go into this time of year feeling refreshed!

I also did a little Halloween party planning (it’s going to be AWE-SOME). And mental redecorating. I’ve decided that the painting of the living room/ dinning room/ hallway/ kitchen area needs to happen SOON. As does the kitchen facelift. I mean…a girl can only live with this for so long:

So loyal readers, buckle up, it’s going to be a fabulous fall full of party ideas, decorating tips, and a few surprises! Stay tuned!!!

So….tomorrow I’m off to have surgery. Eek. And with that, I’ll be taking some Vicodin. Although this could result in some very interesting posts…I think it’s better that I abstain from blogging for a day or so until I get my wits about me again. Don’t you just love that phrase “wits about me”? I also love the phrase “How do you do?” Why did people stop saying that after meeting someone new? I’m going to try to bring that back. Any new readers out there today? Well, how do you do? It’s totally going to catch on again.

I wanted to leave you with a little video before I leave…

What started Thursday as a horrible evening, ended up being quite the weekend…there was an airshow on base that I worked at both Saturday and Sunday (the officer spouses club sold hot dogs as a fundraiser) and my hubby worked all day today talking to visitors about his airplane. It was a long weekend, but pretty fun, but it resulted in two very funny things.

1. My hubby’s sunburn. He wore his uniform at the airshow which includes his cover (aka “Hat”). This is what he looks like now:

Apparently, my hubby and I really struggle with adequate sun protection and airshows. You may remember my awful experience with the last airshow on base. Yikes!

2. This leads me to number two. You see, after working at the airshow yesterday selling hot dogs all day, the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. And I spoke to my sister on the phone who told me about her trip to KFC, which led to one of the craziest cravings I’ve had in a while…for yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Luckily, my hubby was supportive, and even taped me in the throws of my chicken obsession. You can watch it here (although I should warn you that this is NOT pretty…I cannot be held responsible for my actions after hawking hot dogs all day and then craving crappy food).

So there you have it…MY weekend. How was yours?!?

I was going to write you a nice little post today describing to you a new way to store sauces in your kitchen. But right now, my bloggy friends, my head feels like it needs to be in one of these:

I don’t have a migraine, thank goodness, but it’s a pretty darn awful headache. Ick.  I am going to go to bed right now before I ask my hubby to go to Home Depot and purchase a new vice. I’ll see you back here tomorrow though, hopefully feeling MUCH better!

Through a recent blogging endeavor I’ve been discovering a lot of really fun new blogs on everything from parenting to design! Today, I thought I’d take the time to share a few of them with you:

a belle, a bean & a chicago dog

LifeKu

Mama’s Losin’ It!

Hooked on Houses

Our Suburban Cottage

Single Infertile Female, Now What?

Crayon Wrangler

New Old School

I had a fabulous weekend! The cast of characters:

1. The Rolls. Okay, these aren’t really a character per se, but they were pretty darn delicious, and kicked the weekend off right!

2. The Hubby

3. The Hip Auntie

4. My cousin Charlie aka “The Sauce”

5. Annie Kate or “LMJ” (That stands for “Little Michael Jackson” as we’re pretty sure MJ lives on in her…)

And what did we do this weekend?

THIS!!!

That’s right. Disneyland! And despite the crowds, it was such a fun time!  The hubby and I have gone to Disneyland about once a year since we’ve lived in SoCal, and it’s always been a blast. Each experience has been very different…this one because we went with kiddos! Annie Kate and Charlie had only been on a handful of roller coasters before and were a little nervous about riding any when we arrived at the park.  But by the end of the day they were pros!

My favorite part of Disneyland (well, besides Space Mountain), is the amazing decor they have EVERYWHERE! I love standing in line and looking around at all the little touches. It really is phenomenal!

How about you? What’s YOUR favorite part about Disneyland?

1. I may have just organized my baking cabinet.

2. And my spice cabinet.

3. And my new cookbook cabinet.

4. And I may or may not have just started the dough for Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls. It may or may not be chillin’ in my fridge right now ready to be turned into delicious cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning.

5. My favorite jeans may be a little tight due to the frequent indulgence in foods like Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls.

6. I may not care that my jeans aren’t fitting.

7. Okay, number six is a TOTAL lie.

8. Paul the dog is currently sitting at my feet licking the carpet.

9. Dogs are so weird.

10. Back to number six again though…I purchased eight bars of chocolate today at the grocery store for use in my various baking reciepes.

11. Who do I think I am that I can harbor eight bars of chocolate in my house and not bake something fabulous with them immediately?

12. I need to learn some will power.

13. Must start practicing will power right away.

14. But first I’ll eat some of Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls.

15. Goodnight!

So as I’m sure you’ve gathered, it’s been a whirlwind of a summer with guests in and out of our house since mid-May…I’m starting to feel like we run a boarding house!  And while that can sometimes be a bit overwhelming (especially for a perfectionist like me), it’s also been a TON of fun.  Tonight, as I sat around the dinner table for hours with my hubby and our current guests, Keith & Larry, I thought to myself what an honor it is to host so many wonderful people in our home. Even though my hubby is stationed here in California, and we’re thousands of miles away from family members, we’ve managed to find some unbelievable friends here and we still have a regular stream of family members who make the trek out West to come stay with us!

Nothing makes me happier than having a full house, eating dinner around our dining room table, sharing a bottle (or three) of wine, and enjoying amazing company! So, to all the guests who have stayed with us thus far…thanks for coming to visit! And for all you people out there…book your room now!

I had a wonderful weekend in Missouri! I spent time with family and friends and watched as my mom was ordained as a Presbyterian minister!  Congrats Mom!!! This is her with her siblings right after the ordination service.

Today, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite things about where I’m from! I love the house where I grew up…why?  This is the view I woke up to every morning:

And we’re surrounded by trees! Lush, green trees!  Living in CA, I get used to a lot of brown, so it’s always refreshing when I go home to see so much GREEN!

This clock sits on our mantel.  It’s an old wind up clock that has been passed down in our family.  The key to wind it disappeared when I was in junior high, so it hasn’t worked for years, but my dad recently got a new one…so now it works!!!  It was a throwback to hear the little chimes from the clock the whole time I was home. I loved it!

This is the photo that is currently hanging above the mantel. That’s me and my sister Caroline. This was supposed to be the ultimate childhood picture.  And then the week after we took the photo, my mom found out she was pregnant with my youngest sister Sydney!  So now we have this gigantic photo of Caroline and I, but no picture of Sydney!  Poor Syd!

And my mom found this lamp a few years ago (her name is Doris).  My mom has such a fun sense of style!  Just when you think she’s getting a bit too predictable,  she throws in a lamp like this!

This is a pew from an old church that we’ve had in our house as long as I can remember.  I love it!

For a long time, my mom’s kitchen was cow-themed…so she painted our kitchen table (an old post office mail sorting table) to match!  We LOVED it growing up. My mom’s been trying to repaint it for years, and my sisters and I opposed it for years. I think we’ve all finally grown up enough to let it go (she has already purchased the paint!) but part of me is still a little bummed to see it changed! I know…not exactly design hall of fame…but it’s part of my childhood!  Anyway, without further ado…the cow table:

And last but not least…my cat Black Jack. I got her for my 12th birthday from my best friend Leslie.  She’s now 14!

Okay one more, speaking of Leslie…here’s her at my mom’s ordination service with her daughter Kinley (who was quite upset). I LOVE this picture:

So there you have it! A wonderful weekend!  What are your favorite things in YOUR childhood home?

Weird fact number 4859 about me: Since moving to Southern California, I am almost always a bit chilly.  Odd.  When you hear “SoCal” you think HOT, right? Well, at least I did until I moved here.  And where we live, it’s almost always 60-75 degrees out (with no humidity)–I’m almost always cold! My hubby, being the amazing guy he is, knows this about me.  So what did he get me for my birthday? A weekend at a spa. In the desert (where the average temp is above 100!!!). I was sooo excited! He booked a weekend for us this past weekend at the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs. And boy did I need it after that crazy alumni weekend!

It was awesome.  We had a beautiful room overlooking a pool (one of 40+ on the property!) with a fireplace, sitting area, beautiful Spanish-tiled bathroom, and a private patio.

And party of my present was a treatement at the spa. I chose the “Detox Trilogy” which included a scrub, a wrap, and a massage.  In-cred-i-ble. Although after an hour and a half of scrubbing, wrapping, and massaging, that therapist has seen more of my body than I’d care to admit! Afterwards, this is how I felt:

It really was just what I needed!  I’m now ready to take on a trip home, two weeks of family staying in our house, and a possible trip to Disneyland in the coming weeks! Whew!

Thank you so much, dear hubby!!!!