Trick or Treat!

I was so excited for our first Halloween in our new house. I was looking forward to actual trick-or-treaters coming to our door, ringing our doorbell, wearing awesome costumes, and me giving them candy. While we didn't have as many as I had hoped, we did have about 30 and they were all adorable.

And what's Halloween without a costume....

(Jackie dressed up too!)

Of course I was a cat. Like you didn't see that one coming.

We also carved some amazing pumpkins. Jeff and I went to a pumpkin patch near our home and carefully chose our pumpkins. The night of my birthday we carved them. Again, the amazing Jackie was with us and participated.

(Jeff's pumpkin is on the left, mine is in the middle and Jackie's is on the right)

Mine was carved using a stencil but Jackie's is free-hand. Doesn't she have awesome skills? Jeff's is free-hand as well and equally impressive. And of course the best thing about carving pumpkins is roasting and eating the seeds. Nothing better than roasted pumpkin seeds.

Hope everyone's Halloweens were equally as fun and exciting as ours!

Until next time...

Amy

Do you ever just feel "old"?

I'll be 27 in about 2 weeks. I know that by no means does that make me "old", but if you're only as old as you feel, does that also work in reverse? Some nights I feel like I'm about 75! Complaining about kids in our yard, falling asleep by 8:30 on the couch, griping that my knee or hip is hurting. Geez. Sounds like I could be a regular on the Golden Girls.

This weekend I was in Bowling Green for Homecoming. Nothing makes me feel older than watching a ton of college girls drinking, including people my age who are still able to drink at 2:00 in the afternoon and it never phases them. One glass of wine and I'm searching for the nearest place to take a nap! Plus, it was hard to tell friends that I couldn't party with them all night because "I have to get home to my husband and my cats".

It's official, I'm in my late twenties. And before you go asking "when are you having a baby", I can save everyone a breath and let you know that the new age for baby-making is 32. So I still have 5 more years before kids hit closer on the radar. Until then, I'm reveling and adoring all of my friends' babies. And since Jeff and I will probably never be an aunt and uncle, I'll have fun spoiling all babies of close friends.

So with the big 2-7 approaching, I'm left feeling somewhat old and somewhat not ready to grow up. Should be an interesting year.

Until next time...

Amy

A whirlwind month!

Wow! It's been over a month since I've posted, but at least I've got a good excuse. We're all moved in to our new house! The boxes are all mostly unpacked. The furniture is in, including our brand new couch and loveseat that my mom and dad purchased for us. We actually have a guest room with a full size bed (thanks Alyson!) so that guests can sleep on a bed instead of a 10+ year old futon. It's starting to feel more like home every day.

My new job is going really well. I'm very happy with the change and I feel like I'm doing pretty well at it. I really enjoy working from home although I get pretty restless in the evenings when I haven't gone anywhere all day. I know this will become less and less of a problem as my caseload continues to grow.

Jeff was offered the HS English teaching position at Premier Academy of Ohio for the 2010-2011 school year. We are both excited and relieved. He's teaching 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English.

Finally, Jeff and I have a mini-vaca planned for mid-August. We're spending 2 nights on Kelley's Island at Sunrise Point. Jeff and I purchased/won the trip last summer during a silent auction for a Batten Disease fundraiser. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to getting away, even if it's just for 3 days! We haven't really had a real vacation since our honeymoon. We've taken small trips here and there but this is the first trip where we can do nothing but relax.

Hopefully I'll have pictures to post soon. I spent yesterday making valances for the kitchen. They turned out really well. I'm planning to make some placements that coordinate for the kitchen table. I also need to get working on my Etsy shop! As soon as it's up and running I'll let everyone know.

Until next time...

Amy

Officially Home Owners!

As of 12:00pm yesterday, Jeff and I are officially home owners.

Yes friends, you heard right! After almost 6 months of this home-buying process we have reached the finish line. Jeff and I figured out we probably looked at over 30 houses, put an offer on two and have finally claimed one as our own.

We'll be moving in next week and let me tell you, it's not soon enough! We gave the seller 7 days to move out and she's taking all 7 days. Jeff plans to pick up the keys from the seller's realtor on Tuesday morning at 7:30am. My dad is driving down with his truck to help us move as well.

Right now we're living among boxes. We're probably 80% packed. Jeff's parents came down this past weekend to help us organize and pack. It was a HUGE help! We'll be very glad when these boxes can officially make it over to the new home.

My biggest worry now is hoping the cats adjust well. I think they'll be fine and I'm sure after awhile they'll really enjoy all the space!

I'll post pictures of the move-in once it happens. Thank you to everyone who sent good thoughts or said small prayers for us during the entire process. We needed it and it finally paid off!

Restaurant rave!

I wanted to give a restaurant rave to a great place that we tried for the first time this weekend. Jeff and I always enjoy trying new places (either brand new or new to us) and we are rarely disappointed. One thing I can say about Columbus is that we are never at a loss for great restaurants that serve fabulous food!

My shout out goes to The Burgundy Room in the Short North. Jeff and I were in the Short North for ZombieWalk Columbus (an entirely different post) and after having a few drinks with friends at MoJoe Lounge, said goodbye to our friends and grabbed dinner at The Burgundy Room.

The atmosphere seems 2-fold. The front of the restaurant is bright and friendly. Definitely where you'd want to sit if you were there with friends. The back of the restaurant is dark and romantic. A great spot for a romantic night out on the town. If you're a wine love, this is your restaurant! They have tons of great selections for both white and red wine lovers. Jeff claims that he had the best glass of wine he's had in his entire life. My glass of white was amazing as well.

The Burgundy Room is a tapas bar meaning that they serve small plates (tapas) meant for sharing and passing. You're meant to order 2-3 different dishes. Jeff and I got the french fries with garlic aioli dipping sauce, shrimp and grits with bacon and pork belly in a marinara jus and pulled confit of duck leg with cheese tortellini in duck jus. One word describes them all = OHMYGOD! They were each amazing and very rich which is why the small plates are so great. You get just enough of each plate with stuffing yourself.

Price-wise, this place is a little more expensive. For two glasses of wine and three tapas we spent $49. I would consider this a special occasion restaurant.

So if you're looking for a great place or something new to try, check out The Burgundy Room in the Short North.

So much to catch up on!

I've been a neglectful blogger lately. Luckily I have a TON to report!

First and foremost, WE GOT THE HOUSE! Yay! We found out last Tuesday that the bank finally accepted our offer. We had our home inspection on Friday and we head to the mortgage broker today. We're hoping to close by the middle of June and be in to the new house by the third or fourth week of June. This next month is going to be a whirlwind!

I've been sewing like crazy for the Nesting Bazaar on June 19th. You'll see plenty of goodies from me! I'm in the process of setting up an Etsy Shop as well (SeamsEasy). So far I have burp cloths, taggie blankets, plastic bag holders, and coasters. I'd still like to work on a few coffee cozies and maybe some checkbook covers. So much to sew, so little time!

I started my new job last Monday. I've had one week of orientation and I'm feeling overwhelmed pretty good. I start week two today. There are a ton of forms, databases, and terms to learn. Luckily I have a lot of medical social work background and I know it will be extremely helpful! I have another 2 weeks of orientation and then a 6-month probationary period while I continue to get my feet wet. So far, so good.

On a food note, have you ever been to Northstar Cafe in Clintonville? OMG! If you have not, you need to drop all your plans and get down there IMMEDIATELY! Jeff and I had breakfast there with my parents on Sunday morning. I have four words for you - scrambled eggs with chevre. Maybe one of the best things I've ever eaten. Jeff had a poached egg with prosciutto on a delicious Parmesan herb focaccia. Whoa. That dish was life-changing! Moral of the story, go to Northstar Cafe soon!

So that's the update around here! Hope all of you have been doing well. Have a great week!

Until next time...

Amy

Well, it's Monday...

....And we still haven't heard anything about the house.

Correction: We haven't heard anything we'd like to hear about the house. On Friday night we heard that they were STILL reviewing the file and found that a page was missing! Missing! The seller's agent was working to get them the page they needed.

We've been in contact with our realtor and she's optimistic that we'll hear something by Friday, if not by mid-week.

Again, not holding my breath.

Jeff and I did have a good weekend. We saw Iron Man 2 on Friday night (if you see it, be sure to stay all the way through the credits), went to North Market on Saturday and had a friend over for dinner on Sunday. Just the right mix of busy and relaxing.

We also found out that our good friends, Josh and Deanna, are having a baby! Josh is one of Jeff's best friends and was his college roommate at BG. With all these baby announcements lately, I'm beginning to think we're the only ones left on the No-Baby Boat. However, I'm perfectly happy on the No-Baby Boat so I don't think we'll be getting off the ship for quite awhile. In the meantime, I'll just keep making adorable taggie blankets, burp cloths, and bibs for all my new mommy friends.

Frustrating house news

Today was supposed to be the day we were going to hear about our house. The seller's bank was going to let us know whether or not they accepted our offer.

Our realtor told us she would call the seller's agent at 10:00.

The seller's agent didn't know anything yet.

Fast forward to 2:30 and we've just heard that the seller's bank needs AT LEAST another 48 hours before making a decision.

Seriously?! ANOTHER 48 hours??????

So now you need 10 weeks AND another 48 hours?!

However, the seller's agent told our realtor that the bank does see this as a priority.

You can understand, then, why I'm having a hard time believing that they're seeing this as a priority.

Ugh. Just ugh.

This weekend's sewing projects

I had two projects I wanted to do this weekend. Both turned out super cute and were fairly easy to do.

First up? Quilted coasters from a cute blog called "a pretty cool life."

My mom let me have some awesome floral and goldenrod fabric that complimented each other so well. It was just a matter of cutting out some squares, sewing inside out and then adding the finishing touches by sewing straight lines in a square around the coaster. They make a fun and simple gift for someone, which is exactly why I made them.

The next project was for my friend A and her beautiful daughter E. A had asked me to make a "taggie blanket" for E. It seemed fairly simple and VERY cute! This project only took me about 1 hour from start to finish. I have quite a few friends with babies due this summer so I can see me knocking these things out for quick and cute gifts.

And the best part is that it's only Saturday! I have an entire day tomorrow to dedicate to a fun and new project. Not sure what it will be yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something I can work on.

Until next time...

Amy

10 Good Things in my Life....GO!

I'm having a down day after some sour news from Jeff and general anxiety around our house, starting a new job, leaving my current job, etc.

In an effort to pull myself out of this funk, I'm going to list 10 positive things happening in my life right NOW!

1. I am married to a wonderful man who loves me and respects me for the crazy cat lady I am.
2. I am in good health with no major health problems.
3. I have a family that loves me and supports me.
4. I have a good car that runs and gets me to where I need to go.
5. I'm able to afford things I need AND things I want.
6. I've started writing down my food and tracking my points in an effort to get back on track with WW.
7. I love to sew and am really doing well with developing my skills.
8. I have the most amazing friends. Even if I don't talk to them as often as I'd like, I know they're always there with a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen with.
9. I am excited about my new job and the idea of more financial stability.
10. My career makes a difference in people's lives and I love that.

Phew. That made me feel better already. It's so easy to get bogged down by all the negative stuff. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, even though we don't understand it at the time. I just need to remember to keep breathing (in, out, in, out) and put one foot in front of the other. Eventually this will all work itself out.

Help! I've fallen....

...but luckily I can still get up. Just not easily.

Not sure what is going on with my back, but it hurts so bad!

I'm pretty sure it's the same pain (just worse) that started in my hip about 2 months ago. Over the last several weeks it's managed to move it's way into my lower back and throughout my hip socket.

Not sure if it's just the stress of my job or if I've really managed to screw up my hip/lower back.

Jeff tried his "masseuse magic" a couple nights ago but the pain was only subsided temporarily. I think a trip to either a professional masseuse or the chiropractor may be in order.

Lord knows I don't want to end up with a hump back or something worse!

Until next time...

Amy

Why does it say "paper jam" when there is no paper jam!

This was EXACTLY how I felt at work yesterday!

(Warning: this video is NOT child-appropriate in ANY way)


It was a miracle I didn't drop-kick our photocopier out the window.

And it was only Monday....

Here's to hoping the rest of the week turns around.

Big Announcement!

Last week I did a sneaky post about needing to make a change in my life. I can finally announce my big change.

I've accepted a job with CareStar as a Case Manager for individuals on the Ohio Home Care Medicaid Waiver. CareStar handles all persons on the Ohio Home Care Waiver. These individuals are the most medically-fragile people in the state. CareStar is a privately contracted agency by the state of Ohio to handle the Home Care Waiver. I'll be serving consumers in Franklin County and possibly Licking County.

Leaving my position at the Batten Disease Support and Research Association was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. Needless to say that today has been an emotional train wreck for me. My job is more like family than employment. Telling my boss that I was leaving was worse than any break up with a boyfriend I've ever had.

I've been unhappy here for months. I would come to work everyday in a bad mood. There have been environmental issues occurring that have only made it worse. Something needed to change or I was going to lose my mind. Right when I was considering looking for another job, two job opportunities kind of fell in my lap.

I had an interview last Thursday and was offered the job on Wednesday. After thinking long and hard, I decided that taking the job was the best thing I could do for my present mental health and my future plans. It offers me more stability than I currently have as well as an opportunity to grow and expand as a social worker.

I am so grateful for the experiences I've had at BDSRA. It was truly my dream job out of grad school. However, I'm very excited about a new opportunity. It sounds challenging and I like a challenge. I'll begin my new job on May 17th. The next four weeks will be hard, but I hope I can through them with strength and grace.

While this campaign does not DIRECTLY affect me, it does affect many women I know who are trying desperately to have a baby and build a family.

One in eight women experiences the challenges of infertility in her lifetime. Think about it. That's someone you know. A friend, co-worker, sister/aunt/cousin, etc. And while I don't completely understand their struggles, I can empathize with what they're going through.

Check out a dear friend's blog. I admire her strength and courage to share what she shares about her struggles with infertility. I pray that a successful pregnancy is in her near future.

Until next time...

Amy

House update

Jeff and I got a call from our realtor last week. She said that the bank had finished the BPO on the house (basically asking a realtor to run comp sale prices in the area) and that we should hear an acceptance or final offer around MAY 5TH!!!! Are you serious?!?!

Now when we got into this whole process, we were told that short sales can take anywhere from 6-10 weeks. Just like any other normal person, I assumed it NEVER takes 10 whole weeks, and that they just tell you 10 weeks so that when it takes 8 weeks, you say to yourself, "Well I'm glad it didn't take 10 weeks". Unfortunately for us, a May 5th acceptance/final offer would take us to exactly 10 weeks from when we put in our initial offer.

Ugh.

Still keeping our fingers crossed that maybe we'll hear something before then.

Needing to make a change

I can't post too much on this right now, but I've decided I need to make a change in my life. I took a leap of faith today in hopes of making this change. I'm optimistic that one of these opportunities might pan out.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I'd also appreciate any prayers or well-wishes!

Hopefully I'll be able to let everyone in the loop sometime soon.

I came across this wonderful tutorial on how to make a toddler dress out of a men's dress shirt. I managed to make two of them this weekend for each of my friends' daughters.

The first dress is for a friend who has an 8 month old. Both her and her husband graduated from Ohio State and are both employed by the University. Needless to say they are HUGE Buckeye fans. When I saw this shirt on the rack at Goodwill I knew it would be perfect their daughter.

I did the trim and decoration at the top out of scarlet and grey grosgain ribbon. As you can see in the picture, the front of the men's dress shirt became the back of the dress. The construction of the dress was fairly easily. The trims were a bit more difficult.

The second dress is for another beautiful toddler who is almost 2 years old. She's very much a girly-girl so I knew this blue, purple, and grey pinstripe shirt would make an adorable dress. I even added a little pocket and buttons on the straps. I trimmed this dress with satin blanket trim. Not my favorite accessory to work with, but it came out pretty cute. I could really use some advice on how to finish it off without it fraying! I think I did a decent job but it could look better.

Now here's to hoping that both dresses fit!

Until next time...

Amy

TGIF

Hurry up 5:00! We don't really have any BIG plans this weekend, but that doesn't mean I don't want the weekend to come quickly.

Jeff and I are headed to the Columbus Pet Expo this weekend. I've already been told that we are NOT bringing home another cat. So I asked, "how about a Pug?" and again I was told "no". However, we will be purusing pet vendors, looking for free samples, and possibly purchasing a cat toy, or two. I also hope to see even crazier pet and cat owners than myself so that I can be reassured I have not yet become a "crazy cat lady".

I'm also hoping to do some sewing this weekend. On the agenda, this adorable shirt dress for two friends and their adorable toddler and 8 month old:



























You can find the tutorial to make one yourself, here. I'll post pictures this weekend to show you how they turned out.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!


Until next time...
Amy

My Weight Loss Journey

I read a friend's blog today and could 100% relate to what she was saying. Her post inspired my post. You may or may not know about my struggle with weight. I thought I'd take time to tell everyone a little bit about my weight loss journey.

The summer before college most people will warn an incoming freshman of the dreaded "Freshman 15" -- the fifteen pounds that many people gain their first year in school.

Apparently I took the "Freshman 15" as a challenge and decided to gain the "Freshman 30". With all the late-night eating of an entire pizza by myself snacking, food available whenever you wanted, and the stress from a big life adjustment, I guess my weight decided to go with the flow. It also didn't help to go from being an incredibly active, athletic, on-the-go high school student to a sleeping, lazy, academically focused college freshman.

Here are a couple of pictures of Jeff and I towards the end of our time at BGSU:

(please ingore my terrible sunburn!)

At my heaviest I weighed 159.6 lbs and on my 5'2" frame, that's a lot of weight.

In May 2007, Jeff proposed and I vowed to get my weight under control before walking down the aisle. I got serious about it in January 2008 and joined Weight Watchers (WW). I wanted to lose 30 lbs before I got married that November. My goal weight for my wedding day was to be 128 lbs.

Losing weight is NEVER easy! Jeff and I both made a committment to do WW (Jeff did it at home while I went to the meetings, paid the big bucks, weighed in, etc). Over the next 9 months I lost 30 lbs. Not only did I manage to keep off the weight until my wedding day but I've managed to keep 25 lbs of it off for over 1.5 years.

I learned many things along the way.

1. Learn to love water! I gave up all regular soda and juice. Water is my main drink now and I have diet soda about 3x a week.
   
2. Don't deprive yourself of things you REALLY want. This can be a complete trainwreck. If deprive yourself of things you'll go crazy when you do get them and eat out of control. I ate something chocolate EVERY DAY and still lost 30 lbs. Did I eat an entire Snickers Bar every day? No. But I found ways to incorporate it in my diet and it worked.
   
3. You will have failures. You won't always be perfect. There were plenty of weeks when I either gained weight, maintained weight, or didn't lose as much as I thought I should. In fact, my first week on WW I only lost 0.8 lbs (when most people lose 3+lbs). You can't get discouraged. You have to accept the facts and move on. Every meal is a chance to make the right decisions and start new.
   
4. You have to change your food staples. 2% milk became skim milk; white rice became brown rice; margerine became spray butter; full fat salad dressing became light/fat free/spritzers; Dairy Queen twice a week became a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich if I had enough points left. And this is how our life remains today.
   
5. Exercise became a regular part of my routine. While on WW, I was exercising about 4-5x a week. This included cardio and weight lifting. I've backed off a bit on the intensity of my workouts but I still try to get to the gym about 3x a week.

Today, Jeff and I are both healthier and happier. We have more energy. We enjoy cooking at home. We're working on trying not to "love each other" with food. I label this as a "journey" because it's never really over. It takes complete dedication to make this kind of lifestyle change. Am I still hitting bumps in the road? You bet, but I'm doing my best to keep my "journey" a successful one.

Until next time...

Amy

What's for dinner tonight?

These.....

Chicken Ranch Enchiladas

Stolen (w/ love and thanks) from Annie's Eats blog.

They're in the oven right now. I'll let you know how they turn out soon!

UPDATE: They were delicious! I made a few changes including adding tomatoes to the sour cream, ranch and chicken mixture. I also covered the rolled enchiladas with cheese and salsa before going in the oven. An easy recipe if you need a last minute meal idea.

Honeymooners Reunite

Last night, Jeff and I made a 2.5 hour drive to Norwalk to have dinner with a couple we met on our Honeymoon over a year ago. Crystal and Kyle (C&K) were also on their honeymoon when we met them last November on board our Caribbean cruise. We had a great time on our honeymoon but I truly believe it was 10x better because we met C&K. We hung out with them for a majority of the trip, eating dinner together, playing trivia nights together, and who can forget the ever-embarassing "Adult Silly Pool Games" fiasco! Too much fun.

Unfortunately, C&K live just outside of Toronto, so it's very difficult to make our way up to see them. On top of that, they just had a baby in December! So when Crystal sent me a Facebook message telling me they'd be in Sandusky at a water resort on a mini-vaca, I jumped at the chance to see them again. We worked it out and decided to meet them for dinner in Norwalk.

We had a great time with them last night. It was wonderful to meet Baby C. She's an adorable and happy infant. I was able to pawn off give C and Baby C. some of the adorable baby items I have been sewing. All in all, we just got to catch up on life.

Seeing old friends does something to renew the soul just a bit, don't you think?

Until next time...
Amy

What's blog-worthy?

I've been struggling lately with the concept of posting truly "blog-worthy" content. I know the whole idea of having a blog is to post about whatever you want, but do you really care what I had for dinner last night, or who I talked to on the way home from work, or how Jeff and I's progress has been in beating Lego Batman for Wii? (Okay, maybe you care about the last one.)

I really love all the blogs I follow. Everyone seems so interesting. Many of the blogs I follow also have quirky or fun things they do weekly. Maybe I just haven't found my blogging niche yet.

As long as people keep leaving comments, I'll keep blogging. I still have my cats, and I'm still learning to sew, and we can't forget about the potential new house! Maybe it's just nothing is blog-worthy right now.

Oh the struggles of a beginning blogger...... :)

Until next time...
Amy

Adventures in Sewing

If you look a few posts below, you'll notice that I had picked out a purse pattern from the Little Birdie Secrets blog that I wanted to attempt. Here is my version.

I'm also planning to make this purse in blue with a bright yellow lining. All in all, it was more difficult than most things I've been sewing (burp cloths, bibs, plastic bag holders) but not so difficult that I didn't think I could finish it. I definitely did my share of ripping and re-sewing seams. And while it isn't perfect, it's pretty darn cute and has a lot of character. It'll make a great spring/summer bag for going out.

On a sweeter note, tomorrow is the 3rd CupcakeCampColumbus down at North Market. Jeff and I are both very excited to go. We're going with three friends and I know a ton more people who are going. It should be a ton of fun! (And by "ton" I mean that's how much I'll weigh when we're done.) Pictures to come!

Until next time....

Amy

Forgot to tell you about the house!

I realized that I never posted about our potential (and hopeful) new house. Jeff and I put an offer on a house about 2 weeks ago. It is a bank short sale meaning that the seller is trying to sell the house before it goes into foreclosure. The seller still takes a hit on their credit, but not as bad as they would if it went into foreclosure. A short sale also means that the bank is a third party involved in the sale. Not only do the buyers and sellers have to come to an agreement on the sale price, but the bank has to approve the offers as well.

Bank approval on short sales can take anywhere from 6 weeks to a few months. Unfortunately the banks are overrun with short sales and foreclosures and there are usually only one or two people processing ALL of the bank's short sales and foreclosures. So you can understand why this process can take so long. What's good about it is that we need the process to take at least 6 weeks because of the current lease on our apartment until June.

This house (I refuse to say "our house" for jinxing reasons) is everything we were looking for. It's HUGE, meaning that when Jeff and I are ready to start a family, we can still live in this house and not feel like we're growing out of it. The kitchen is absolutely gorgeous and so spacious! I know our parents will be jealous of our counter and cupboard space. It has a loft, beautiful vaulted ceilings and a full basement.

What do we hate about it? The carpet. You'll see what I mean in the pictures below, but it'll be a real struggle to decorate with teal/jade carpet. We can't afford to replace it this year, and it's in very good condition, so I'll be taking any and all opinions on design and decoration.

Here are the pics...

How I spend my Friday nights

Jeff caught this shot of Lucy and I asleep on the couch last night at 7:45pm. Pathetic, right?

On a different note, Jeff was asked to play Abraham Lincoln for a school assembly about Black History Month this week. To prove his dedication to the role, he SHAVED HIS BEARD! Honest Abe had more a chin-strap beard with very shallow parts near the cheek bones.

Here's the before:

Here's the after and the comparison:

I think he did a pretty good job. Now if only Abe Lincoln was half Polish and half Italian....

Until next time....

Amy

I just had to share this awesome blog that my friend Lindsay had shared.

I particularly wanted to share with you this ADORABLE purse that's made from only 2 fat quarters (one for the outside and one for the lining) of fabric! I think I just found my next sewing project.

Buttercup bag and how to attach magnetic purse snaps

Here's a quick picture from the Little Birdie Secrets blog:

Cute, right? When I make my own version, I'll be sure to post!

Sunday past-times

One of our favorites is doing the Sunday Crossword. Even Mew-Mew enjoys helping....

"What's a six-letter word for a green feline treat?"

"Catnip."

Hope your Sunday is equally relaxing :)

CupcakeCampColumbusIII!

It's BAAAAACK! CupcakeCampColumbusIII will happen on March 14, 2010 at North Market from 1:00-3:00pm. Ticket sales benefit the MidOhio Food Bank. If you look back through my older posts, you'll see all the mayhem that occurred when we attended CupcakeCampColumbus back in October.

Did I already purchse 2 tickets for $10 each? Yes. Did I tell Jeff we were going via email instead of asking? Yes. Is it the best decision I've made all week? Yes.

Anyone brave enough to join us? :)

It's been way too long....

Sorry it's been so long since my last post! Things have really been hoppin' for Jeff and I. I'll try to give you the Reader's Digest version of what's been going on.

1. We're house hunting! Exciting, stressful, frustrating, eye-opening, and so much more! We put an offer on a house earlier this month but unfortunately things just didn't pan out as hoped. They didn't really want to budge on their asking price and they wanted us to be able to close in March. Unfortunately Jeff and I have an apartment lease that doesn't end until June so that house is a "no-go". We're still looking though. We've probably seen close to 35 houses. I hope "the one" comes along soon.

2. I took my first sewing class in January. As part of my New Year's Resolutions, I was going to learn how to sew. Before Christmas I had signed up to take a sewing class at Sew to Speak. The first class was 2.5 hours long and we made a wallet/clutch from start to finish. I was pretty proud of myself. Since the class I have ventured out and have made two plastic bag holders and a baby bib.

3. I spent 4 days in Miami, FL last week at a Lysosomal Storage Disease Research Conference (say that 5x fast!). It was educational and while most of the material is way over my head, my boss and I did some great networking and even met a few of our BDSRA families for the first time. Not to mention that I was in 60 degree weather in the middle of February. The downfall for this trip? Sitting on a US Airways plane in Charlotte, NC for 3 HOURS while waiting to get de-iced so we could make the last leg of our journey back to Columbus. We got in at Midnight on Friday instead of the 9:05pm landing time we were supposed to have. Ugh.

4. Lucy had another pancreatitis flare-up while I was out of town. Poor Jeff. That cat always gets sick while I'm away. So Jeff was left with cleaning up his share of cat puke and taking poor Lucy to the vet for a shot of fluids and some medicine to help settle her stomach. The vet suggested we take her to an internal medicine specialist for a consultation and diagnostic testing. Seriously?! I've said it once and I'll say it again, Lucy is the most expensive FREE cat I've ever had.

5. SNOW SNOW and more SNOW. For those of you who live in Central Ohio, you already know what I'm talking about. They said on the news the other day that we had 26.5 inches of snow already for February and we still have half a month left! They also said that we had 13,000% more snow this February than we had last February. Crazy! Anyone else ready for Spring?

So that should get everyone up-to-date on what's been happening with me. March and April are already shaping up to be pretty busy with a trip to St. Louis and my best friend's bridal shower. Should be an interesting and eventful Spring!

Until next time.....
-Amy

The cat's Christmas present

My mother-in-law has given Mew Mew and Lucy Christmas presents for the past 2 years. This year the girls received the Chia Cat Grass Planter.

Lucy has not showed much interest in it. We have it placed on the window sill so it can get the sunlight it needs. Lucy went up to it, smelled it, and walked away.

Mew Mew is an entirely different story....

She loves it so much, in fact, that she pulls the grass stalks out by the roots and eats them whole! Can a cat OD on chlorophyll? ;)

Until next time....

Amy

New Year's Resolutions

Here's my list:

1. Lose about 8 lbs and rebuild my lean muscle mass.

2. Go to the gym 15x each month.

3. Learn how to sew.

4. Buy a new house.

I'll keep everyone updated on how these are going. I think they're very attainable. I'm in a wedding in June so #1 and #2 are extremely important to me. I'm already signed up to take classes for #3 and of course #4 is already in the works!

Share yours!