Random Ramblings

Because this is the way my brain is thinking today... I have a bunch of random thoughts that I don't think would make a cohesive blog, so I am just going to list them for yall:

1. I wonder if spraying my dogs down with Lysol in between grooming appointments is really that bad for them???

2. E is usually the greatest husband in the world, but he has his moments where his behavior is a little more than questionable.  For example, is it really necessary for him to sing at the top of his lungs in the shower every morning? I think not! That is so going on his list of transgressions: "Being inconsiderate while Andrea is trying to sleep".

3.  Also at the top of of his transgression list: "Still not believing that his wife was shot at". If you are confused, please see this story HERE (and it's a good one)

4. It irritates me when I put his list of transgressions in plain sight and he pays absolutely no attention to it at all! He acts like it's a piece of garbage or something! I personally would want to know if items were being added to my list of transgressions, if he even kept one.

5. Maybe I need to snoop tonight and see if E does keep a list of my transgressions.  It never occurred to me that he might, you know, since I'm such a sweetheart and all.. =)

6. I feel like Summer is halfway over and really it just got started this week!

7.  I wonder how hard it would be to knock out the wall in between my bedroom and bathroom to expand the bathroom.  I wonder if E would be all that mad if I did it without consulting with him first. Anybody do this? Was your husband mad? Was it worth it anyway?

8. Is it bad that the main reason I don't want to work out is because I don't want to have to wash my hair everyday.  It's such a hassle.  I know that sounds pretty lazy.  Maybe the main reason for not working out is laziness... hmm...

9. I am almost ashamed to say this.. but I am totally excited to watch "The Bachelor Pad" when it airs on ABC.  You know.. it's the one with the ex-bachelor/bachelorette contestants living in a house together competing against eachother for .. something, I don't even know what.  Hello D-R-A-M-A

I think that's about all the thoughts pulled from my head right now.  Enjoy!

The Good Ol' U S of A

Hi Y'all! Happy Sunday!!! I can't believe it's almost July, it seems like it was just April yesterday!  The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, it's definitely in the top three favorites with Christmas and Halloween.  I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday to see what kind of festive American decorations I could pick up and they didn't have hardly any, I was so disappointed! They had maybe a row and a half of 4th of July decor and 4-5 rows of Fall decor and then like... 15+ rows of Christmas decor.  Hobby Lobby... if you're listening... I'M NOT HAPPY WITH YOU! I know some people like to pick up holiday decor months ahead of time, but I am not one of those, I love to enjoy my summers, what about you?

::rant over::

Anyway... since I couldn't find anything worth buying I decided to pick up some materials and make my own.  I wanted a front door sign and something small for the dining room table or patio table.  Here's what I came up with.

First, I bought three wooden letters that are normally $2 each, but they were 50% off, so $1 each and I painted the edges red.

 Then, I bought three pieces of scrapbook paper (50% off) in red, white, and blue

I decided what paper I wanted on each letter and traced around the outside of the letter with an exacto knife

I then took modge podge and spread it on the letter and on the back of the paper.  See that sticky goodness on there?  That is the wonder of Modge Podge.  I never let myself run out!

I then pressed the wood and paper together and gave it one good top coat for good measure.  Since this was going outside I wanted to limit the weather exposure and the modge podge top coat helps

Then I took ribbon (50% off) and tied a bow and secured the ends to the letter with hot glue.  I did this for each letter

And here is the finished product! I think the entire total for this was less than $6

While I was at HL, I saw these cute red feathers and I can't ever pass up anything with feather.  AND... you guessed it...they were 50% off =) I decided to fill votives with sand and have the red feathers sticking out.

I had this flower vase at home and filled it with the left over sand and tied some leftover ribbon from the USA project around it.  I then put a few tealight candles in there for added drama =)  I'll probably put this on the patio next weekend for my 4th of July part and replace the tealights with citronella candles to keep the bugs away.

I had leftover scrapbook paper from the USA project so I decided to make a festive sign for a table in my foyer.

I'm sure I will end up with more 4th of July decor before next weekend if I can get my hands on any! (Hobby Lobby...are you listening????)  

Do you normally decorate for 4th of July? Or are you one of those crazy people at HL with your Christmas tree already up by mid-summer? I'd love to hear your input!

I hope y'all have a great week!

I am linking this to: Met Monday, Just Something I whipped up Monday and Anything Related

The story of a hutch

Happy Wednesday!!! The work-week is half way over!! My good friend E recently moved into a new house. It's the cutest little house ever, it's so old and has tons of charm! She enlisted my help to decorate the house and to paint a hutch. Painting furniture is one of my favorite things, but I never seem to do it anymore because hubby E (not friend E) told me we couldn't fit any more furniture into our house. Could it possibly time to add-on to the house again? ha, just kidding. He would KILL me!

So we found this hutch on Craigslist for $40 and I think she offered $30 or $35 and they accepted. This is a picture of the hutch after I already removed the hardware for painting.

I always start by sanding the entire thing down and using a damp cloth to clean it.  I used Kilz Black Bread to paint the inside a dark brown.   Then I painted the corners, edges, and inside the groove details on the side brown.  I waited until that dried and went over the corners, edges, and gooves with candle wax.  Typically, you would do this wherever you want the "peek-a-boo" color to show through.

I then painted the hutch with two coats of a sage green paint.  I can't remember the color, but it was made by Behr.  If you really like the color and want to know what it is... e-mail me and I will check when I get home.  Yes, I painted on the glass because I was lazy and didn't want to tape it.  It was easier to remove the paint with a razor blade afterward than to tape it all off and then paint and take the tape off and clean the stickiness off and touch up spots on the wood that the tape covered.  So... I just painted it.

Then, I took a piece of sandpaper and sanded down everywhere I had painted brown (except the inside, of course).

My friend E didn't mind if some of the white showed through too, but I went over some super white spots with a brown glaze to darken it a bit.

And here is the finished product.  Doesn't it look great with her fireplace, it's all so colorful!

I actually forgot to put the hardware back on before I took the pics, but whatever, it's okay =)

I hope everyone has a great day!

I am linking to Power of Paint party at Domestically Speaking and

Top 2: Reality Shows

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Hey Yall! I am playing in The Undomestic Momma's Top 2 Tueday. This week:

Top two reality shows you would be on

1. My first pick, even though it's not on anymore is The Newlyweds. I know, I know. It's not like I can just go an audition for the show since Nick and Jessica (R.I.P) were the starts, but I totally think that E and I would make a pretty comical reality show. I always find myself in some sort of crazy situation, like this story here

2. I would have to say Dancing with the Stars.  Granted, I'm not a "star",  so this would definitely have to be after I finished filming at least two seasons of Newlyweds, duh! Try to keep up here!!  You get to wear those cute little outfits and I just know I'll look just like this when I'm done =)

What would your picks be?

Summer Southern Comfort

Happy Summer time! Today "officially" beings the first day of summer, even though it's felt like it now for over two months! I love summer! I have lots of fond memories of summertime growing up. My very favorite part of summer was always my birthday, which is in September.  However, everyone tries to ruin my summertime-high birthday by putting out fall decor that month! But I have lots of other favorites too! Dont you just love the things that remind you of a time or place? I sure do! Here are a few of mine!

* The smell of fresh cut grass

* Bomb Pops!

* The sound of the bell from the ice cream man (even though he is a bit creepy)

* Ice cold watermelon
* Strawberry Short-Cake

* Fireflies or Lightning Bugs (as we refer to them in the south)

* Thunderstorms

* Family Vacations

* The Lake

* Fourth of July

* The Farmers Market

* Live music on a restaurant patio

* Lemonade

* Kids playing in the sprinklers

* SLIP N SLIDES!

* Baseball games

* Sea, Sand, and Shells

* Flip flops

* Lazy days at the pool (back before my big girl days of working full time)

* I miss summer cheerleading camp! I hated it at the time, but man... we were living the good life!

* Crickets Chirping

* Sun Hats

* Watching The Sand Lot and Now and Then

* Hearing "If The World Had A Front Porch" on the radio. It's better than when I hear it on my iPod

* Azaleas in bloom

* That nostalgia feeling

* I've come to love the smell of citronella candles

* Front porch swings

* Sitting on the porch with my Mama talking about life

Southern Summers are magical, don't you think? Everything just comes alive! I think that getting ice cream from the ice cream truck is my hands down my favorite childhood memory! I was talking about it to E the other day because I didn't know they still came around...you know...with all the pedophiles around nowadays...but I saw one come through our parking lot at work.  Random...I know.  But anyway.. E said he has never seen one in person because he grew up in the country and apparently they didn't come out that way.  It made me so sad =(. We live in the semi-country (It's out of city limits, but it's not like "country-country") so it makes me sad to think that my kids will never get to experience that one day.

Southerners, what are your summer southern comforts?

Non-southerners? What little things give you comfort and remind you of home?

I am linking to:

Cheers!

Because I've got happy hour on the brain and these are pretty pictures... Enjoy!

Raspberry Beer Cocktail

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup frozen raspberries*
• 3 1/2 (12-oz.) bottles beer, chilled
• 1 (12-oz.) container frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1/2 cup vodka
• Garnish: lemon and lime slices

Preparation

1. Stir together first 4 ingredients. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.

*Fresh raspberries may be substituted.

Note: To make ahead, stir together lemonade concentrate and vodka in a large container. Chill up to 3 days. Stir in raspberries and beer just before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Lemonade Iced Tea

Yield: Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 2 family-size tea bags
• 1 (1-oz.) package fresh mint leaves (about 1 cup loosely packed)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 cups cold water
• 1 (6-oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• Garnish: fresh citrus slices

Preparation

1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Remove from heat, add tea bags, and stir in fresh mint. Cover and steep 10 minutes.
2. Remove and discard tea bags and mint. Stir in sugar until dissolved.
3. Pour tea into a 3-qt. container, and stir in 4 cups cold water and lemonade concentrate. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.
Bourbon-Lemonade Iced Tea: Prepare recipe as directed, and stir in 1 cup bourbon. Makes 9 cups.
Spiced Dark Rum-Lemonade Iced Tea: Prepare recipe as directed, and stir in 1 cup spiced dark rum. Makes 9 cups.


Carolina Peach Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle rosé wine
• 3/4 cup vodka*
• 1/2 cup peach nectar
• 6 tablespoons thawed frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pound ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1 (6-oz.) package fresh raspberries**
• 2 cups club soda, chilled

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a pitcher; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peaches and raspberries. Cover and chill 8 hours.
2. Stir in chilled club soda just before serving.
*Peach-flavored vodka may be substituted. Omit peach nectar.
**1 cup frozen raspberries may be substituted.


Pink Lemonade Cocktail

Yield: Make 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (12-oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 3 (12-oz.) bottles beer (not dark), chilled
• 3/4 cup vodka, chilled
• Ice
• Garnishes: fresh cranberries, citrus slices

Preparation

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.

Cheers!

The story of how I almost died...

So yesterday I promised you a story, the story of how I almost died.  Sound dramatic? It is! I was driving along I-35 yesterday morning on my way to work just minding my own business, jamming out to Rascal Flatts, when BAM!!!!  I heard this awful noise and I look around and my passenger window is busted out completely!! I'm not talking about a little crack from a rock hitting it, or even a big crack, I mean the thing is completely gone, shattered into a million tiny pieces!!!

So I freak out and pull over onto the shoulder of the road.  This is what was going through my head:

"OH.MY.GOSH!!!! I just knew that creepy guy that I saw at Wal-Mart last night was

going to follow me and try to have me killed!  He had that look in his eyes and I just knew he was following me!"

Again, I know that's very dramatic, but when your window gets busted out on a major interstate you tend to be irrational, don't judge!  So the first thing I do is call 911.  I tell the dispatcher what happened and that I thought someone shot out my window! Well then my phone started making this fluttering sound and she couldn't hear me.  At this point, this is what I was saying to myself:

          "OH.MY.GOSH!!!! Whatever this SOB shot into my car was equipped with a device

           that messed up communication waves and he has made it impossible for me to call

           for help. Man, this guy must have really planned this out well."

Again, don't judge. I was freaked out! So at this point, I pull back onto the highway and drive to work, eyeing every car that drives by me as if they were the culprit. Everyone was guilty until proven innocent in my eyes yesterday.  So I get to work and I call E (because my cell wouldn't work or I would have called him earlier).  I tell him the story and DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE TELLS ME??? He tells me that he thinks I am being a bit dramatic and that it was probably a little rock.  I couldn't believe his audacity! In his defense he was worried about me and asked if I was okay before he insulted me.

So after e-mailing everyone I knew and telling everyone at work about it, I start to calm down and think that maybe, just maybe it was a rock or something similar.  To be honest, I didn't really think that, but I just agreed with people when they said that it was probably a rock.  I did this because 1) Who really wants to be labeled a Drama Queen? and 2) They said the thugs aren't out that early in the morning.  Little did they know that I was specifically targeted by Creepy Wal-Mart Guy!

So I called like 20 glass companies and the earliest anyone can help me is Friday due to all the hail damage we recently had here! So I settle on Friday and go about my business as if someone did not shoot at me..

Well THEN... a girl in my office comes in and asked what happened to my car.  At this point I'm sick of telling the story so I just tell her that my window blew out on my way to work and I was just going to leave it at that.  Until... she said "did it happen on I-35 and the 50th St. Exit?"  OMG! That's exactly where it happened!!! How did she know that, was she the shooter?? Possibly!  

It turns out that she used to work for an auto glass company before coming to work here and over a period of a few years, about 15 people came in and said that their windows had been shattered at the same exact spot! They did a little investigating and found that there is an outdoor shooting range that is affiliated with law enforcement right in that area and that's where the bullet came from.  I would think these people know what they're doing since they are in law enforcement, so I guess it must have ricocheted of something and hit my freaking window!  Needless to say I am a little pissed off about this and they will know soon enough what I think about their outdoor shooting range!

Anyway.. So I had to drive home with a busted window in 103 degree heat! I have a 45 minute drive and this was not the least bit pleasant!  When I got home, E had the house cleaned and dinner almost ready.  I'm assuming he did this because he felt bad for not believing me and I was right! Well.. almost right.  It was necessarily the Creepy Wal-Mart Guy, but I was totally shot at! 

So that was the story of my eventful day.  If any of yall have been shot at, please feel free to leave a comment and tell me your story! Maybe it's more common than I think??!!?

I can't wait!!

Until next weekend... when I get this:

and can share some good food and good drinks with my best friends!

E and I are picking up the patio set, it's Martha Stewart Mallorca Collection, at Home Depot next weekend and I can't wait!!! I really wanted him to build a pergola, but it's very time consuming to build one, and it's super hot here so I don't want him to have to work that hard.

I just love love love summer! I can't even explain! I know it's not technically summer yet... but here in Oklahoma, and most of the South.. It's summer May - September, and sometimes even in April and October!

I especially love sitting on the patio at night and just talking and laughing over margaritas or sangrias and listening to music and the hum of my pool. PERFECTION!

I have been so busy this month (and don't get me started on how June is already half way over) that I haven't really had the time to enjoy my pool and the outdoors, or really anything for that matter, so that is why it's super exciting to me to finally get this and be able to relax!

What is your favorite thing about summer?

P.S. stay tuned tomorrow for my crazy a** story about how somebody shot my window out on the highway this morning. Seriously.

WOW.. randomness

Hi yall! Long time no blog, at least that's how it feels! This is my first post from my blackberry so I have no idea how it will actually look on a computer screen! I'm just going to update yall on what's been going on and I will list it in bullet points because I don't feel it will make a cohesive blog.

* Today is my 2 year anniversary!! Happy anniversary to me. I wish I had a cool story to tell you about how we met but really I don't.

* Oklahoma is being flooded as I type. I spent three hours trying to get to work just to turn around and come home because roads are closed or under water. Please keep us in your prayers!

* This is my 100th post!!! I wish it was more exciting.

* I went shopping yesterday and bought lots of goodies I can't wait to show yall!

* My good friend E moved into the cutest house ever that has so much character. I did a makeover on her hutch that I will post soon.

* My BFF D just found out she's pregnant!! I am so happy for her and can't wait to be an auntie again!

* We went to a piano bar with some friends this weekend and I can't wait to go back! If you have a Michael Murphy's near you you must go soon!

I think that's it for now! Once my satellite internet starts working again I will post pics!

Hope everyone has a great day!

A Woman's Week At The Gym

My friend sent me this e-mail and I thought it was hilarious and so true.  Hope yall enjoy and have a Happy Friday!

Dear Diary,

 For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY: Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess -- with blonde hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit -ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!

TUESDAY: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as l ong as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the Hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other shit too.

THURSDAY: Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes. Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny bitch to find me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

FRIDAY: I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it. Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dentsIn the floor, don't hand me the damned barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY: Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY: I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little shit) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!

Have a great day!

Dream Home Tueday

I know I have already posted for today, but I saw this fun post on April's blog for Dream Home Tuesday! Y'all know I'm a house-a-holic so I'm playing along!  Click on the below pic for April's Blog (I just love it)

My dream kitchen would look something like this:

                                                       traditional kitchen design by other metros Witt Construction

or this:

                                              traditional kitchen design by phoenix kitchen and bath Affinity Kitchens

or this...

                                   traditional kitchen design by los angeles interior designer Norman Design Group, Inc.

How cool is this?

                                               traditional kitchen design by other metros kitchen and bath Kelly Cross

It would definitely have to have a butler's pantry

                                                                                       traditional kitchen design

A farmhouse sink...

                                           traditional kitchen design by los angeles showroom The Old Painted Cottage

and an ornate island...

                                                 traditional kitchen design by other metros kitchen and bath Kelly Cross

What would your dream kitchen look like?