thrift shopping

finally had a day today to take a few pictures of some great pieces we've picked up lately...this rounds out our unfinished stock of furniture at (1) coffee table, (2) unique side tables, (1) french louis upholstered chair, (2) duncan phiffe style side chairs...hopefully, we will soon have time (and resources) to get a few items finished and listed on Etsy...

here they are, in their current state...

This chair was SUPER cheap at a thrift shop. The key thing typically is if the original needlepoint seat cover is gone, you can find them at VERY reasonable prices...other thing, we have found that the rear joint between the seat and the back/leg separates, but a little wood glue and some clamps fixes it...and the extra effort is well worth the price we find them at in this condition!

THIS WAS A FIND!

My mom and I went to the local old town street faire, in search of chairs and any other potential "junk" finds we might discover. I have NEVER seen this style of chair with the harp back for the price we did. It even has the burlap seat structure and the needlepoint pad still! However, it is in pretty bad shape and the wood on the legs and back is rather scratched (mostly surface and nothing we won't be able to buff out when we sand it to paint). But the condition of the wood and needlepoint could be the only reason we got such a good deal...typically with this back and the original seat- we find these for no less than $100.

I am so excited about these odd and tiny tables. I think they are so cute, but so unique... They are only about two feet tall!  But I HAD to pick them up. I have been striking out so much lately with only smooth furniture (which typically means it isn't too terrible old)...but these have such great carvings on the pedistal and the edge of the table top.  I am thinking they will end up antiqued or "shabby chic'd" because the design of them would pull it off very well. I also may simply paint one white to get rid of the image of the wood in peoples minds and list it as a pick your color type of thing...haven't decided yet...

More JAM!

Made alot more jam this week...

D and I went up to Apple Hill a week ago and enjoyed the fall feel of things...walked around a few of the different farms up there, we always enjoy High Hill Ranch, there are so many craft booths and whatnot...We took and drive and just took the day slow (which was wonderful!)

a cool selection of pumpkins that were all piled up

D, eating an apple fritter...of course :)

During our drive we did a little junking and found a chair that had the same Duncan Phiffe style that some of the ones we've found before had, so we picked that up! And then we stopped by Boa Vista Orchards and bought some produce and a 25lb box of canning pears!

So, yes, I've been making jam repeatedly over the last week. Raspberry pear jam...it's amazing!

It has such a thick but smooth texture (thanks to the pears), and the flavor is tart from the raspberries but because of the pears has a strawberry-like sweetness to it. It is SO good! My mom used to make this along with the apricot jam when we were younger, and I haven't had it in years!

a little bit of a pick-me-up

well, we've had a rough year...year-and-a-half...ok, it's been a rough THREE years...BUT! we are alive. we live in a beautiful spot in northern california that we both love. my husband (for the first time in years) says that despite alot of our stressors that are still present, he is really happy right now......wow, can't argue with that!

we got in a car accident the day before his birthday...we decided to go for a drive to relax and de-stress...and on our way out of town we were rear ended.  so much for relaxing!  we thought it was just damage to the bumper, but it actually crushed part of the frame rail on the passenger side also...so it totaled our hand-me-down that we were hoping to sell for a little bit of money so DH could look for an old jeep or chevy pickup that was in working order, but could become his project car. well, that seemed to be out of the question at this point. we were positive we wouldn't get enough out of it, that the insurance wouldn't cover our repairs, and that (obviously) we wouldn't be able to sell it either. yesterday, we received our settlement check for his little old corolla and it was towed away, and last night while searching Craigs List D found a CJ7 for the perfect price. we got up super early this morning drove down to the valley, we were the first ones there and told them we'd take it. 

you should have seen his proud face driving that thing home!  sure...there are a few little issues with it, and we need to clean it out and just do some maintenance on it, but for the price we got it...wow. it runs great, (sounds wonderful), and it is the perfect start...it even has a hard top so D won't freeze this winter! we are so excited. our agreement was that he could shop for a "project" if the amount we spent getting it to running order where anything we did beyond that could wait and was optional was no more than the amount we received from the insurance...and we got that.  it hasn't been messed with, (except for the silly gold miner hood ornament and the giant roll bar sticking out the front) -- so as he decides along the way to upgrade or refurbish or paint...etc...he is starting with a blank slate...

so excited, i grew up with my dad's toy being a '55 CJ5...he built and re-built and re-built that thing. it's beautiful, and the whole family has sentimental value for it. looking at it as we were finalizing the sale, it was hard to believe, we were getting our own......hopefully, this ends up being our family nostalgic vehicle!!!

...took this while D was looking around the inside...

ugh...

...i hate what stress does to us...what money does to us (or the lack-there-of)...

thanks to D's part-time job, and the amount of money we were able to get paid out when the heaven's came crashing in january...we've survived- comfortable and tightly- for the last eight months...i'm quite pleased with that, particularly since there aren't jobs to be had and nothing either D or I have tried has panned out (plus he still haven't started the backgrounds for NV yet...)

but, now...we are finally at that point...the savings is gone...the payouts have been paid-out...my store is still in it's beginning stages, and while i have made quite a few sales (thank you to all of you who have supported us by shopping and spreading the word) it still isn't a consistent source of income...i love it, and it is pretty much a full time job (especially if i am expected to be a wife and keep up the house and laundry and feed my husband)...so now...i'm facing attempting to find a job...again...and i don't know about everywhere else, but around here things aren't getting better...more and more businesses are going out...

we have experienced our share of extremely tight financial times in our four years of marriage...and it's starting again. tension, stress, worry, anxiety, edginess with eachother...not good...we've been praying fervently for God to provide and to direct us. and He has been so faithful and has provided in amazing ways thus far...WE'VE SURVIVED OFF OF ONE PART-TIME JOB FOR NINE MONTHS...but, I don't see much in sight...we were hoping to at least have some sort of answer for Nevada by now so we could at least plan on pushing through to january...but we haven't heard anything, and they are backlogged on backgrounds, so we don't know when we will start that stage...other agency applications D has sent in and tested for have been for one or maybe two positions and with the overwhelming responses of unemployed law-enforcement, his have fallen through...

on top of all this, we've been without health insurance for the last eight months...which, shouldn't be that big of a deal because we were without it for about two years of marriage in the first place, but we were finally attempting to be active...check out things D was concerned about, get me in regularly to the same physician and attempt to solve the infertility mystery...and in the midst of all of that it stopped...and we'll have to start all over again (if and when we can afford it again).

slimming down bills at this point means getting rid of internet (which is a necessity at this point), tv (which is not a necessity but we've done without it before and D goes crazy), and our phones (which is also a necessity)...so, i feel stuck...that horrible shadow that looms constantly, which we thought we had rid ourselves of, has returned...

Lord, give us peace and wisdom and understanding and patience...and please Lord provide for us and open doors...

Day Five...of a new me...

I have been doing very good...I'm so proud of myself.

While dinner has presented an opportunity for me to splurge a bit...my breakfasts have been consisting of any combination of grapefruit, a single slice of multi-grain toast, oat bran cereal, and nectarines. Lunch and periodical snacks: apples, celery, carrots, and nectarines. But, when it comes to dinner, I made a decision to fudge a little and give myself a little flavor and protein. The first night I had some chicken in a tortilla, the second night...well, it was my mom's birthday and we made chicken cordon blue...so I had a piece of that (sauce on the side) and salad (no bread)...the third night, eggs- my husband made himself an egg burrito...and last night a slice of roast beef with some carrots (no potatoes, no gravy). I'm drinking almost exclusively water. And I was craving something sweet that I didn't have to chew yesterday, and found some fat free, sugar free chocolate pudding in the pantry...and poured that into individual containers.

I'm impressed with myself...I've had no chips or crackers...no candy...no soda...no fastfood...hardly any dairy (except on my cereal)...hardly even any juice (except from straight out of the fruit)...

We shall see...they claim you shouldn't monitor your weight EVERY day...but I checked yesterday morning...down four pounds...so, if we can keep that rate up...I'll be very happy!

Day One...of a new me...

Yesterday...I was online listing two glass items that I had found "junking" on my Etsy store page. Well, my scale is not sensitive enough to allow me to weigh them. So, horror of horrors...I stepped on the scale holding one without even thinking about it!!!

Well, why does that matter you say? Well, I had been weighing myself last year...I had started and stopped a few things. I'd even started jogging along PCH for a while, but after I was sick for two weeks with pnuemonia...that quickly ended also...  ....Due to the depressing, aggrivating, and crushing course of events that we experienced in December through February that led us to move, etc...I started bottling frustration up, started to drink LOTS of Dr. Pepper to motivate me to do anything...and, have not weighed myself since JANUARY!!!

HA! Well, you can imagine...after some depressing months of grief, change, being jaded, and just generally feeling confused and lost...weighing myself yesterday was a shock to my system!!!  There is NO WAY that jar weighs more than three pounds...so that means...!!! AH! Nope, it only weighs 2.5 leaving me an astronomical amount heavier than my already fat and obese self was in January! Granted, as my husband said, this scale seems a little off...if you use it in the same place every time, great...but each time we move and place it in a new bathroom it runs on a new "scale". BUT STILL!!!

So, though I've felt this way for about four years, though I've been trying to convince myself for four years, though I've been "overweight" for four years...yesterday I was done.  I had a long conversation with D last night regarding the whole issue. What I want from myself and from him, and what my goals are.

I am only posting this once I've made some progress...but I'm going to "journal" it every day anyway for motivation. For some strange and bazaar reason, when people "encourage" me I get discouraged. I start feeling self-conscious and that the comments of "I'm so proud of you for doing this, stick with it" mean that if I do these supporters will for some reason think I did it for them, or because of the encouragement to do so. NO! I want this for me. I want this because I am uncomfortable in my own skin. I want this because I hate running into people I know that I haven't been seeing everyday and have therefore become a recluse. I want this to feel better, to feel confident, to be able to do the outdoor activities that I love so much, and if I am doing it for anyone it's for D.

SO! Day ONE!  I decided last night that I am going to do a negative calorie diet for a week (or my take on it anyway), and see where I stand. If it simply makes me feel more comfortable in my body, then I will decide where to go from there. I went shopping this morning, and bought celery, apples, grapefruit, carrots, cucumber, (have lettuce in the fridge), organic lite raspberry vinegrette and then some green tea (to boost metabolism) and Quaker oat bran cereal. Weighed myself this morning...took some photos...bottle of water, cup of cereal...and I'm on my way.

Lunch...a piece of multi-grain toast (need carbs because the hubbs and I are going for a bike ride when he gets home), three stalks of celery and a sliced apple (and water of course)...I'm quite full and satisfied, and so DONE chewing :)


Lord, give me the strength and will power to stick with this and be successful. Give me the self-control to resist my foodie cravings and all the food that I love to enjoy the flavors of....

thrift shopping

well, my birthday was on a friday in june...and the hubbs had tuesday, wednesday, and thursday off so he took me shopping and endured alot with me those three days! i dragged him in and out of four or five thrift shops, he was a good sport about it!

my original intention for thrift shopping was to find vintage/bohemian clothing for cheap...but i had no luck. i guess that is how you start that type of shopping, eliminating the shops that don't necessarily cater to what you are specifically looking for. so, i ended up shopping clearance at urban outfitters and found a few items.

however, i did score a couple of random items at the thrift shops! an old wood framed chair with an upholstered seat, two matching table lamps, and a set of four divided dessert plates with glasses (the exact ones my grandma has).

D has already begun work on the chair...re-gluing and stablizing it, and he cut a new board for the seat. i got a fabric for the seat, and he recently paint the chair with an enamel...my other thing is that i've been wanting to do this as a side business type thing, like on etsy or something...the chair was only $6 and at that rate i could do pretty well refurnishing them. but i haven't decided if that's what i'm going to use it for and get super creative with it, or if i'm going to use it in our house and need to decide where...

 

the lamps i found are great...i got REALLY excited because (especially with the shades) i figured they were from the '60s or something. but they have switches for "three-way" light bulbs, so they may be much newer than that...but i have been searching for the perfect lamps for our side tables in our bedroom and everything i like costs a fortune! so, these were a find, the perfect color and i love the shape and style of them! i just need to get a couple of large hurricane type shades for them now...

well, hopefully i will find a treasure of a thrift shop at some point that has the type of clothing i'm looking for...but the search is still on...

a few weeks after this trip, my mom took me shopping and we went to a flea market here in town and found additional pieces for the dessert plates/glasses...a creamer and sugar, and i believe a bowl...so cool!

then, just a few days ago i went into goodwill looking for an old book with small drawings, small font, and yellowed pages (i am going to decoupage the pages onto my dress form for a more decorative look for photos)...and while i found one, our other find was even better! an old singer sewing machine!!! it works, ish...there is no belt but the mechanisms work, and there is a cord with a pedal for it (but the wiring is a bit scary)...it is very well used and seems like it likely sat unused in someones garage for an eternity, but i'm excited about it! $30, and we looked it up tonight...the serial number is from 1947!!!  ya...i'm happy with it even if i never use it!

...a little mini-vacation...finally...

we just got back from our camping trip to the coast...it was so relaxing! i don't think either of us have been that brain dead in at least a year...

we drove out after D got off work monday, and then we came back thursday. visited two restaurants that have been featured on "diners, drive-ins, and dives" (we were impressed with both!), rode a couple rides at the boardwalk, and enjoyed some much cooler weather than we've been experiencing here at home! two of the mornings we even woke up to such heavy dew and fog that we thought it was raining...

life has been so crazy over the last...well, i keep saying year-and-a-half, but really a little over two-years now...between an extremely tight financial situation, then preparations for D to attend the chp academy, then the stretching six months during the academy...then, a move back to so cal a trying year with the chp, the end of that phase of our lives, and our trudging on since...which, it's incredible to think that it has been six months since all of that ended...  we do well for the most part, seeing how evidently it was God's time to separate us from that and how we try to stay positive and look forward to what He pulled us away for...but, it's been rough lately- near impossible to completely shut out the "what if's" or "we would have been..."

and also with our struggles with attempting to start our family...(excuse me, we are a family...grow our family from two, to three or more...) i think i can safely say that i have been truely depressed for the last two months. i was doing really well for a while...knowing God had better things, and ready to move on, and thinking solely on those trials and not the family growing. but as time wears on, and we continue to sit and wait in the bazaar "hang" period...the desires of our heart continue to feel further and further out of reach.

i am still looking for a job...D has a few applications out with multiple agencies (and has for some months now)...otherwise we would probably be able to cross stability and finances off of our stress list...but we can't...

SO! needless to say, we needed this break. we stretched a little for it, but it was worth it. time together, alone. just the two of us, enjoying being the two of us. i didn't think much about infertility, neither of us thought about the months we have been waiting for "something to happen"...we both felt so purged of thoughts, it was almost weird. i asked D how he was doing one day and he said, "great, actually". no kidding...i don't think i've heard that come out of him in ages.

we were enjoying our alone-ness, and disconnect from reality...so we really didn't take very many pictures...a few of our surroundings but that is about it.

america the beautiful

today is a wonderful day in America...a day to celebrate the great nation we live in and belong to...a day to be thankful for the freedoms we have and the people who defend them...a day to reflect on our "one nation, under God", and where she's at today. as much as i am greatly disturbed by what America has become, how unacceptable patriotism has become and how non-American most "American's" are...i am truly greatful for this country and the blessings God has poured out on her. i am extremely patriotic, for those of you who don't know me...a gratitude that was instilled in me by my mother......i will likely cry during the fireworks this evening, i cry during the national anthem, america the beautiful,  and even proud to be an american. i know, people think i'm crazy, but i listen to the words and reflect on ALL that it means to be an American, and it moves me...i know i am truly blessed...

so, be safe today...have fun...eat lots of BBQ...but remember America, what the USA is, and what it means to be an American...thank you Lord for Your blessings, and continue to show mercy on our country.

America, The Beautiful (the FULL song)
by Katherine Lee Bates, 1913

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!

America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!

O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

apricot jam

this stuff is the most beautiful jam! and it is hoarded like gold in my family...

my mom has been making this recipe for years...and she does such a good job, everybody knows it as "[her] jam". i made it for the first time last year, and it turned out really well, and started sharing it with Mr. D's side of the family. this year i'm hoping to expand my domestisity and do apricot jam and raspberry pear (which my mom also used to make and it's fantastic!), my grandma taught me to make her family recipe homemade noodles from the mid-west, and my other grandma is going to teach me to make her applesauce in the fall. i'm excited. it is so fun to have goodies like that to share with people...that YOU made! and who would have ever thought I would be capable of that???

well, i bought two boxes of canning apricots the other day and made one batch (which HARDLY) made a dent in them...and i made a double batch today...and i still have a ton left, luckily they are a little green, so i have a few days to let them age before i have to make more! but, so far, i have 19 jars of sealed jam, and one funky jar (that was uneven so it didn't seal properly) that is in the fridge. so, i think i'll be making the rest to fill my mom's jars (since she won't be making any this year)...i have no idea what i'll do with all of that!!!

an american in paris

can i just say how much i love classic movies...really...they don't make them like they did in hollywoods golden years! i got two movies for my birthday that i have had saved on our dvr for a little over a year now!!!  singing in the rain and an american in paris. gene kelley inspires me. and the gershwin ballet in american in paris with the impressionist paintings is amazing...i watch that movie when i'm in a painting mood, or want to feel inspired to be creative (in any capacity).

i love the classic movies...mainly '50s or older...i love the musicals, particularly if fred astaire or gene kelley are starring. they were masters of their art...defined their own styles...and gene created what was soon known as the "american" musical. the man who danced with normal movements making you feel like you could do what he was doing... makes me wish i knew how to tap dance...also makes me realize i was born in the wrong era!!!

...macarons...

oye...i saw a photo and a wonderful sounding recipe on MSN a few weeks ago for a French meringue cookie called a macaron (no, not macaroon). two cookies with a filling...and the one I wanted to attempt was chocolate with ganache filling!  mmm...  sounds heavenly, right?

well, being the experimental and self-taught cook that i am, i saw "almond flour" in the recipe and (not knowing that it was a key ingredient and how different it is) used all-purpose instead, because that's what i had in my pantry.  well instead of an end product of meringue that i could pipe onto a cookie sheet, it ended in a dry nasty paste. OK! second attempt, we bought some almond flour...which is also known as almond meal, and had it said that i wouldn't have thought of using flour- due to the oils and fats in the nut, it has a moister consistency...beautiful...i had a thick creamy substance that i was able to fold the meringue into and scoop into a pastry bag.

mistake substitution #2, i did not have parchment paper. it was late and the grocery stores were closed and i had forgotten that i was out of paper...so i used foil! i knew that aluminum conducts heat very well, and was therefore positive that it would change the way they baked, but i tried it anyway. one batch was burnt on the bottom and the other was gooey and hollow on the inside. well, i also figured out through this attempt that my insulated cookie sheet was going to work better than my other sheet. but i sealed up the batter and called it a night.

sure that i had solved all the problems and that i had NO substitutions to worry about this round, i attempted for a third time. well, half looked good, and the other half did the hollow/raw thing again. so frustrating...and they are such cute little things that if i could master them, they'd be fantastic for parties and whatnot. (and i hear they are the new "cupcake"!) but alas, i tossed the remainder of the batter, frustrated and willing to give up...for now. i may still attempt the ganache and see if the ones that have smooth bottoms turned out at all...

after watching a video of how the shop Sucre does their macarons, i wish i hadn't tossed my batter...the recipe i was using said to stick the sheets in at 400 and immediately turn the oven off, then after 5 minutes turn the oven back on to 400 and leave in for another 8 minutes. the shop bakes theirs for 14 minutes at 280 (i believe that's what she says). that's a huge difference...

oh well...macarons 3, nutmeg 0...rematch: someday...

photo from: Paulette Macarons

A macaron (the French word for macaroon) is a sweet confectionery. Its name is derived from an Italian word “maccarone” or "maccherone". This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to the almond paste which is the principal ingredient. It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar.

The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference, and flat base. Connoisseurs prize a delicate, egg shell-like crust that yields to a moist and airy interior. The French macaron differs from other macaroons in that it is filled with cream or butter like a sandwich cookie, and can be found in a wider variety of flavors that range from the traditional (raspberry, chocolate) to the exotic (truffle, matcha tea)

definition from: Wikipedia

another written exam

well...the hubbs just left to go take another written exam. this one is for a sherrif's department. i was thinking about how routine this is becoming (which is bazaar)...and began to think about how long ago his first written test was: august 2007! and the fact that he graduated an academy a year and a half ago! AND it has already been five months since that all ended. time flies...

and here we are again...he's through all the testing for the highway patrol position in nevada, his 60 paged background packet has been received and we are waiting to hear from an investigator. and we are starting the process with another agency as well.

God is amazing. He has provided...He has carried us through. everyone says the first year of marriage is the hardest...not for us. our marriage has been great, but LIFE during our marriage has been hardest the past three years...I'd be willing to say our first year was the easiest so far.

and we have somehow survived, somewhat comfortably, since the devastation in january...we are half way through the year...and we are moving towards potentially openned doors. when nevada first contacted drew, it seemed like waiting until next january to begin the academy was way too far out, and we would never survive that long...here we are and january (surprisingly) seems like it is approaching fast, particularly when we are budgeting our monthly expenses and we feel comfortable at least until october...there aren't many months between there!

praise the Lord for His provisions, for carrying us through seemingly unsurmountable obstacles...and giving us some peace while we wait for His timing.

allrecipes.com

mmm...have i mentioned that i love this site? allrecipes.com is my "go to" reference for anything i can think to cook, bake, or whatever...or even if i have something that i need to use and i have no recipes that include it...

i got this fantastic herb roasted pork recipe a couple years ago and Mr. D (who hates pork) loves it! everyone who has tried it thinks it has such a delicious flavor, and my grandma (who is from the mid-west) said she loves pork and that was the most beautiful piece of meat she has ever seen! hahaha

well, let me share this gem with you:

Herb Roasted Pork

Prep Time: 20 Minutes                         Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
Submitted By: WENDEE_H Cook       Time: 3 Hours       Servings: 8
"Herb-rubbed roasted pork loin with a sweet, tangy glaze."

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed  (as suggested I stab the meat and insert garlic slivers instead)
1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin
1/2 cup sugar  (as suggested I use brown sugar)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar  (as suggested I use balsamic vinegar)
1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.
3. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C), depending upon your desired doneness. (I prefer well done meat, and for this pork recipe I find that 150 is too rare and chewy...I typically wait until 170, and everyone has liked it that way).
4. Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly.
5. Brush roast with glaze 3 or 4 times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.
(It's a good idea to double the rub ingredients, and double or triple the sauce ingredients if you like to drizzle over meat when served.)

such a great recipe! and the sauce is the type that you're happy if it gets on everything on the plate...it surprisingly tastes good on potatoes too (i have served with mashed, but typically do oven baked potato chunks with onion soup mix and olive oil). 

allrecipes.com is a fantastic place to go for any recipe, and the interesting thing is that people leave comments on the recipes, so (as you can see above) you can try other peoples alterations to the recipe and see how you like it. try it next time you have something in the fridge you can't seem to figure out what to do with...you can even look up recipes based on ingredients!

now, i need to finish making dinner...ENJOY!

new hair-do?

...grr...so, i am getting my haircut soon...and i'm want to do something a little different. i want to go short (which is hard for me because of my face shape and the extra me that there is right now)...but i want something that will refresh me, and inspire, me perhaps, to lose the 50 lbs i've been planning on losing for some time now...

i accidentally chopped straight across bangs about a year and a half ago and couldn't wait to grow them out because i felt like it was simply what everyone was doing...but everytime i come across the picture i took when i did it, i like it (well, aside from the freaky eyes, and the bangs are a little too short). also, i kinda want something retro...but i like volume on top to help proportion my face and head to my body...ugh...SO! i found a few intriguing layered bobs with bangs that are round and a little longer in the front, but i would have them shorter and choppy in the back. D doesn't like them...he actually told me he doesn't like bangs...

HELP ME! also, my sister was going to put highlights in my hair...but i kinda want to go darker, maybe put some reddish brown low-lights in?  i know my face is not as thin or anything like any of these people but a weird combo of these is what i am looking for...anyone have any suggestions...?

etsy.com

...etsy...

ah, the joys of perusing an ONLINE user/seller site...i love etsy...

here's my issue...i signed up last fall, when i first found the site, because i kept finding stores that i wanted to be able to shop at again. however, you have to confirm your email address, well i re-sent it three times and no such luck. so, i waited a couple months, still no email so i tried resending it again, then emailed their support...no reply. well the other day (having forgotten all of this) i found quite a few sites that i loved and wanted to "add to favorites"...well since i attempted to create an account before, i couldn't "create an account", so i re-sent the confirmation email...AGAIN. nothing. i emailed support again and received an apology email and all she said was to check my junk mail folder..............well, i replied and said that after 12 attempts and i do check EVERY folder in my email account for hopes of something and still have nothing, and ask again that if someone can simply manually confirm for me that'd be great...no reply since...OYE!

grrr...well, i am attempting again today. we will see how that goes. i just want to be able to save my favorite shops...(though i know i can't buy anything right now) there's jewelry, and antiques, and decor, and vintage dress patterns...and on and on and on......if you have not discovered the bliss of this little online haven, please go see for yourself!

(here's an item that got me very intrigued the other day...i love vintage, and the hats in the 40's ish era were amazing...i was on etsy and this had made it to the front page and caught my eye...just one of millions of fun finds on there...)

Green Olive Martini by itsthelittlethingsut

God continues to amaze me...

He really does...and He continues to remind me that He is right here, next to me...and that regardless of the current situation, HE is ultimately in control.

Well, about 10 minutes ago, I was about to "blog"...you know, the typical journalling blog that allows me to release my greivances on (most likely) no one, but just so it is "out there" and not in my head. I was about to go on about my current emotional state, the little things that have been eating away at me of late, and how I think life "could have been". (Which, of course, I believe God is in control and knows the outcome though my pea-sized mind can't possibly think of what the future may hold).

WELL! Here He is again, tapping me on the shoulder...reminding me that though I'm absorbed in my pitiful self - He never left. In a random moment, I checked the hubbs' email to see if anythign we had recently mailed had been received and if somehow we already had a response. And we did. Mr. D passed the application phase with Placer County. Due to his past experience, gets to skip the physical, and is currently scheduled for the written exam (though if we submit his scores from his academy they could substitute for that test as well). Praise the Lord. We now are walking through a narrow hallway (which seems to be widening with a little more breathing room), towards TWO open doors...and we will just see which one remains open and is the one He has for us to enter.

~ "Only You fill my soul!" ~

memorial day

oh sure...today is the wonderful day of barbeques...of warm sunny weather and the first signs of summer...(well, not here as we've had an unusually cold and wet start to the year)

but today is the day that everyone is supposed to remember our troops, the service they have done for our country, and the sacrifices made by their loved ones.

I know I know...if you know me, I am super patriotic...genes I got from my mom I believe...and if I see someone not following the rules of respect and/or handle a flag ~ I cringe...or if people are talking or wearing hats or not covering their hearts during the national anthem ~ I get antsy to say something...but today EVERYONE is supposed to posses some sense of that pride and respect. regardless of whether you agree with leaders, or laws, or what-have-you...today is a day to pay homage to those who have sacrificed to keep our nation free and to give you those rights to disagree.

I am proud to be an American! Where, at least, I know I am free. And I won't forget the men (and women) who've died to give that right to me! I'll gladly stand up next to you, and defend her still today. Because there is no doubt, I love this land. God bless the USA.

(cheesy? perhaps, but could you say it better?)

Thank you all, from this proud and grateful American!

...wow...spent WAY too much time on here...

well...I have pretty much spent the majority of my day "fixing up" my page...and I am SO happy that I found "Shabby Blogs", fantastic stuff, and her blog is great too! what a wonderful waste of time this could turn out being!

...well...regardless of that, I am enjoying it. I am a melancholy, and seem to feel a release from being creative, but also from getting my thoughts written out. I quite often lecture my "thoughts" about how I am feeling to myself, but it never really stops plaguing me until I get it out somehow...(does anyone else experience that?)

well, I was able to get some creativity out through setting up my profile, and other than simply typing entries, I shouldn't be wasting too many more full days on here (until the seasons change and I find another irresistable layout...haha)

it was quite interesting reading through a few of the entries I moved over yesterday. I had forgotten about so much of what I had felt and experienced only about a year ago. and I was actually quite amazed and moved, all over again, after reading my first 3-4 and about everything God was doing. He is amazing. so pertinent right now. we seem to have little direction, other than following open doors...and there have been a few things that have come up lately that feel like lemon juice in an open wound. we are moving forward, taking what we learned over the last two (very eventful) years and pushing forward...but it's hard to completely shut off the "what if's". such as: IF things had stayed on course...we would be financially sound, we'd have health care, I would still be seeking medical direction for our conceiving attempts, and (something that hurts Mr. D right now) we would be on week one of his three week paid vacation (first real vacation) and heading to Oregon to go camping with the family and ride the dunes. but, as my dad reminds us frequently..."it is what it is"...can't change it.

well, D is snoring on the sofa and it's late...(and I've wasted a great deal of time on here already today)...so, that'll be it for now

Here We Go Again...

Well, here we go again...with a few things...

This is my attempt (again) to get a blog that is like a journal for me going. I was using "square space" before (well a year ago), but it charges you monthly. So, finally I sat myself down and transfered EVERYTHING over...because, of course, the file was not compatible to just transfer my blog to Blogger...

It is absolutely crazy to read those old posts, the majority of which are from when D was at the CHP Academy. My last entry was nearly exact to being a year ago, and he was finishing break-in with the CHP. It is amazing what God did, and to be reminded of it all, and what He brought us through.

So, here's my other "here-we-go-again"...we submitted the 30 page background packet, plus about 30 pages of documents, for the Nevada highway patrol yesterday. D has sent out quite a few applications, but due to the current hiring situation everywhere, we really haven't heard back from anyone. Nevada we heard from in March...he has passed the physical, written, and interview, and the background packet is on it's way. So, hopefully we will hear from a background investigator within the next 6-8 weeks. We are really getting excited for this new opportunity. But, we are praying hard that whatever we are led to next God will have us there long term!

We are leaning on Him alot...finances are back to what they were in my old posts...I have submitted over 100 applications since February...and am currently still looking for work. But we know, as He has proved to us before...we are in His hands.

Well, life is changing so much...I really do need to try to keep track of these things...hopefully I'll be more faithful to "blogging"...