Becoming a crazy cat lady, one day at a time.

How do you know when your hair dryer is dying?

2011-03-19T17:47:00.005-04:00

I think my hair dryer is on its last legs. Whenever I use it (which is daily) it makes this very loud crackling sound. It's such an odd and concerning sound that when Jeff hears it he always remarks "that doesn't sound normal". Agreed. However, it still heats up and still dries my hair, so it's still serving its sole purpose. It does smell a little funky when I use it and I swear it's going to burst into flames one of these days without warning.

I'm not even sure what the shelf-life is for a hair dryer these days. I think this one is about 2-3 years old. It's not a high quality hair dryer but it gets the job done. I hate to break down and buy a new one since this one seems to be working ~~perfectly~~ pretty well. I also don't want to get out of the shower one day with a wet head and find that my hair dryer has decided to quit working. Or worse, start drying my hair only to witness flames coming out of the dryer and towards my head! It would be comical to witness though. :)

Today's sewing project: kitchen apron

2011-03-13T21:02:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share today's sewing project:

(Please ignore the model who was still her in pj's and had been sewing for the last 2 hours)

My mother-in-law had picked up a ton of fabric for me at her local thrift store, and included in that pile of fabric were these two prints. It was really pretty simple. I cut my pattern to fit my body based on where I wanted the top and bottom of the apron to hit. I measured my mid-section so I knew how wide to make it. My mom had picked up a huge bag of bias tape at a garage sale last summer and in it was the perfect shade of green to match this fabric. I sewed the bias tape on the edges, hemmed my top and bottom, sewed on the ties, and then added 3 pockets with buttons (for decoration) and VOILA! it's done.

I have to do a bit of baking this week and I can't wait to try it out. The only thing I'm nervous about is how it will wash. It's cotton fabric so it should be fine. Guess I'll find out soon enough. I hate to say it, but this is only the 3rd thing I've ever made for myself. I need to start doing more sewing for me. All in good time.

No Cupcake Camp for 2011

2011-02-22T18:24:00.003-05:00

I am sad to report that I found out today there will not be a Cupcake Camp Columbus in 2011. The amazing organizers for Cupcake Camp have decided to take a hiatus this year but hope to hold it again in 2012. Needless to say, I'm very sad.

I was prepared to actually bake this year with the KitchenAid Stand Mixer that Jeff had given me for Christmas. My sister-in-law even bought me 2 cupcake cookbooks and a cupcake decorating kit. Now that there isn't going to be a Cupcake Camp, what is a girl to do?

A couple friends have suggested that I host my own little Cupcake Camp at my house and invite friends to bake cupcakes, everyone eats them and we vote on our favorites. This suggestion has definitely peaked my interest. I was already plotting how I could do this only 5 minutes after the suggestion was made. I plan to take a look at my calendar, talk with a few friends, and decide if this is something I could really do. It certainly sounds fun!

So while the official Cupcake Camp Columbus will not be happening this year, Cupcake Camp Lombardi may be making it's official debut. More to come...hopefully!

I got an award!

2011-02-19T22:48:00.002-05:00

It's my first blogging award and it was given to me by my amazing friend Jill over at Happy Hopefuls. If you're looking for an inspiring story of a woman who has more perseverance and strength than anyone you'll ever meet, check out her blog and her journey of becoming a mother. Thanks, Jill, for giving me my first ever blogging award!

For those that are nominated below, the rules for each of these awards are that you tell us 7 things about yourself and nominate 15 bloggers (and notify them). Since I don't even know 15 other bloggers, I'm going to stick with 8. Call me lazy. Maybe I need to expand my blog-reading horizons :)

First, here are 7 things about me!

1. I'm a Michigan fan with a degree from Ohio State.

2. I'm an only child.

3. I despise brussel sprouts.

4. I may be the only person I know not watching Glee.

5. I can only grow my fingernails out when I'm on a diet (weird, I know).

6. I've had grey hair since I was 16 years old.

7. I consider myself a morning person.

And the nominees are....

Allison at Bouncing Buckeye Baby

Tricia at Crockpot Tuesdays

Rumi at Lucky Frog

Tbonegrl at The Adventures of Taderbaby

Manday at Life Without Dragons

Em at Em and Dave's Excellent Adventure

Lori at Adventures in Grownupness

Alyson at Our Wonderful Life

I hope you ladies feel as special getting this award as I did! Each of you have awesome blogs and each of are most-deserving of this award. I can't wait to read some little-known-facts about each of you.

Just some ramblings

2011-02-16T07:40:00.002-05:00

No real "title" for this post. Just some things I wanted to get off my chest, both good and bad.

I went home this past weekend to see my dad, who had back surgery. Not major surgery, but major enough. He's doing fine. A little too well. He's already trying to do too much. When I asked him if he read the instructions on post-surgery activities he, of course, did not. The other part of this situation is that my parents do NOT get along. They've been married for almost 30 years and honesty, I'm surprised they've been married this long. My Saturday morning started with me waking up to screaming and yelling in my house. That lasted for well over an hour and ended with my mom storming out of the house, me in tears and thinking about driving back to Columbus, and my dad sitting silently in the living room. I didn't leave because I would have felt guilty leaving him after having surgery just 2 days earlier. I stuck it out, my mom came home that afternoon, and everything seemed to work itself out. I'm pretty sick of this whole routine though. How bad is it that I think things would be so much better if they were divorced? Ugh.

On the upside, Jeff and I had a nice Valentine's Day. We went to dinner at a great Indian place near downtown called Indian Oven and then had dessert at my favorite place in Columbus, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (their new Bakeshop flavors are amazing). Jeff gave me a box of 6 truffles from our favorite chocolatier/bakery called Ganache and I got him a bottle of Scotch. It's safe to say we know each other's tastes very well. :)

I stepped on the scale this morning to find that my weight has finally dropped back into the 130's! Woohoo! I've been dying to see those numbers again. It actually makes me feel like I can reach my goal weight again. I'd like to get a little below my goal weight, just to give myself some wiggle room, but I'll be happy just to hit my goal weight again. Now to just keep it there...

I'm taking the next 2 days off work and we have Monday off as well due to President's Day. Essentially I have a 5-day weekend! Jeff and I plan to go to Jeffersonville Outlets on Friday and I want to dye my hair on Thursday. I plan to do a little sewing as well. But mostly I plan to relax and not think about work for 5 days.

Whenever NaBloPoMo comes up again, I plan to participate. I'd like to challenge myself to post every single day for a month. I think I could do it but I may have to write myself notes to remind myself to post. There would definitely be some one-sentence posts in the month, but I'm always up for a challenge!

Don't you just love it!

2011-02-10T07:59:00.002-05:00

And by that I mean, don't you just love when you've been trying to lose weight and you're able to fit back into a pair of pants that have been sitting in your drawer, lonely, just waiting for you to put them back on (if only you didn't feel like a bloated cow when you wore them).

Well pants, I hope you feel like a day out on the town, because I can fit into you again!

Figlio: My review

2011-01-22T09:50:00.006-05:00

It was so much more than I expected! First of all, the atmosphere is so intimate and low-key. The lights are dim, there's just enough noise to keep things interesting but not so much that you feel like you have to yell just to have a conversation. The wait staff were all very nice and the service was prompt.

We went for Restaurant Week because we could try the restaurant and the food for a bit less money than if you just eat off the standard menu. For $20 per person, this is what we had:

Jeff

Crab and Corn Chowder

Pesto Chicken with Feta Pizza

Warm Apple Walnut Cake

Amy

Chop Chop Salad - a little too drenched in dressing for my liking

Teriyaki Chicken Pizza - great crust! Love the fresh pineapple. Could have had more teriyaki flavoring

Chocolate Silk Pie - I've never dissed chocolate in my life and I'm not about to start now. :)

They had a decent wine list, but with a wine place right next door that is owned by the same people, I would have expected a bigger "by the glass" selection.

I would definitely go back again when it isn't Restaurant Week. They have a Goat Cheese Pizza that I would love to get my hands on! It's a restaurant worth trying, at least once.

A Year of Dining Out in Columbus

2011-01-17T11:28:00.004-05:00

For 2011, Jeff and I had the idea that we would try one new restaurant each month that we have never been to before. Better yet, why not do it with another great couple we are friends with. Jeff and I picked 6 restaurants and our friends are picking the other 6 restaurants. Tonight we are going to the first one on our list: Figlio. It's a restaurant we've been wanting to try for awhile now. But like everyone, we get into the same food rut and end up going to the same restaurants when we decide to eat out. This little "project" will hopefully expand our food horizons and push us one step closer to that "Columbus Foodie" category (but in a good way).

Here is our list of 6 restaurants:

1. Figlio

2. Aab India Restaurant

3. Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace

4. Barcelona

5. Knead

6. Si Senor

I plan to be back after going to each restaurant to give you a little food review, hopefully with pictures, and let you know about our experience. Figlio is all about their wood-fired pizzas. Jeff is a huge pizza fanatic so he'll undoubtedly enjoy it. I also enjoy pizza, but I enjoy it best with different and unique ingredients and flavor combinations. I'm hoping that Figlio will give me that opportunity. I'll keep you posted!

Weight Watchers: Back on the Wagon

2011-01-13T20:17:00.003-05:00

So I'm not sure anyone is even reading my blog anymore, but thought I better write a post if I'm going to keep this blog at all. I'm back on Weight Watchers (WW) again. Started last week and trying to adjust to this new Points Plus program.

I was hesitant and skeptical at first, being as though I lost 30 lbs on the old program. However, after week 1, I have to admit, it's pretty good. I hate having to re-learn all the point values for my favorite foods but I like that I get to eat as many fruits and veggies as I want and not have to worry about the point total. I think the higher daily point total is a little fraudulent though because, although you get more points per day, everything you eat is a little higher in points like it used to be. It gives a sense of false hope that you get to eat more per day, when in all actuality, you're really not. I'm pretty sure I'm eating about the same amount of foods as I did on the old program. My food staples really haven't changed.

I need to lose 14 lbs to get back to my goal weight. I'm proud to say that I lost 3 lbs in the first week. Just 11 more to go! If losing this last 11 lbs is anything like it was last time, this may be a long couple of months. However, if I can convince myself that exercise is good and I should like exercise, maybe it'll be a bit easier.

I'll keep this updated each week with how the journey is going. I'm hoping that my blog can become my motivation tool to keep myself honest in this journey. That being said, I had City BBQ tonight as our one meal out per week and it was awesome! Back to being super strict tomorrow.

Until next time...
Amy

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-30T21:48:00.014-04:00

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"?

2010-10-03T10:34:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-07-25T11:01:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-06-15T18:24:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-06-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-05-24T07:59:00.002-04:00

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...

2010-05-10T16:33:00.001-04:00

....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

2010-05-05T14:46:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-01T18:00:00.001-04:00

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!

2010-04-29T14:22:00.000-04:00

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....

2010-04-22T11:39:00.001-04:00

...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!

2010-04-20T12:13:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-04-16T14:57:00.000-04:00

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.

2010-04-14T13:57:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-13T11:40:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-06T13:37:00.000-04:00

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.

2010-03-28T18:30:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-26T11:02:00.001-04:00

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

2010-03-25T14:33:00.001-04:00

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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?

2010-03-21T18:33:00.001-04:00

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

2010-03-17T11:04:00.001-04:00

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?

2010-03-16T12:32:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-13T16:40:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-03-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-27T18:53:00.001-05:00

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

2010-02-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-21T19:33:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-02-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

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....

2010-02-18T13:08:00.001-05:00

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

2010-01-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

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

2010-01-03T09:18:00.001-05:00

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!

Let the house hunt begin

2009-12-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

After 2.5 years in our awful apartment, Jeff and I decided it was a good time to buy a house. We had considered buying a house about 2 years ago, viewed several properties and weren't really "wowed" by anything. Now with the extension of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit and the hatred toward apartment living we thought we'd start looking again.

We met with Amber, our realtor, about two weeks ago. I know Amber through an internet board I frequent but had yet to meet her in person. However, after our meeting both Jeff and I were well at-ease with Amber and her competence and confidence to find us a house. We've narrowed down our search to Gahanna and Blacklick. We've been east-siders since we moved to Columbus and have really grown to love Gahanna. Blacklick is the next suburb over so it's still in the same area. Plus we can't move any farther than 10 miles from Mr. Sushi. :)

Jeff and I are looking for the most bang for our buck. The real estate market is on the upswing but there are still deals to be had! We're hoping that we can take advantage of one of these deals. Tonight is the first night we're actually looking at houses. I can't wait to see what Amber has picked out for us! We've been looking at a ton online but it's never the same as actually stepping foot into the house and picturing yourself there. Hopefully we'll find a house that speaks "home" to us.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T16:24:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Jeff and I will be doing the usual "Triangle of Travel" meaning we'll be driving from Columbus to Toledo (my parents) then to Lorain (his parents) then back to Columbus. Luckily neither of us works in retail anymore so we don't have to rush to get back for someone to be to work the day after Christmas. Yay!

Here's hoping you and yours have a very happy, safe and purrfect holiday!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2009-12-13T20:50:00.000-05:00

This year is the first year that I feel like I can really enjoy Christmas. Neither Jeff or I are working a second job allowing us to actually spend more than 48 hours with family before having to quickly return home to get to a retail job. I've spent many evenings baking cookies. I even bought a cookie press! I feel like I'm ahead of the game on my Christmas shopping and sending out my Christmas cards. And for a girl who never really liked Christmas (thanks to working retail for 5 years) I feel like I'm actually getting into the spirit.

The tiny apartment isn't exactly the ideal environment for a "Christmas Scenery Spectacular" but I think we've done well with our few decorations.

This is our small but full Christmas tree. I cram as many ornaments as I can on it every year. It's only about 2 feet tall but it's perfect for our small space.

Notice Jeff's Homer nutcracker. He's very proud of it. We had to take the zombies off of this shelf to make room for our decorations.

This is my Dollar Store wreath. No joke! I bought all the materials, including the wreath, from the Dollar Store. Total cost = $6.00. Perfect for the person who's thrifty and crafty.

This weekend was also "Christmas Party" weekend for us. I had a party on Friday night with some girls I know online. It was a lot of fun and even Santa made an appearance. I sat on his lap and asked for a house. We'll see if he can fit it under the tree Christmas morning....

Last night we had Jeff's work party. He works with some amazing people and they're a lot of fun. His boss hosted the party at their drop dead gorgeous home in Powell. They even had it catered from Whole Foods. Yummy! They did a White Elephant gift exchange. You wouldn't believe some of the gifts that went around! Some of the best gifts included a Potty Putter, a belly dancing kit, and capsules that help deodorize your dog's poo. It was an interesting night, to say the least!

Today was my Christmas party for all of our BDSRA families. We had 13 families and their affected children come to the party and it wasn't just families from central Ohio either. We had 3 families from Michigan, one from Pittsburgh and another from Indiana. Santa Claus also made an appearance at this party and the kids were so excited to see him! It made my day, week, and year. I don't get to see my families often enough so it was nice to catch up and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Here's hoping your holiday season is filled with fun, family, and happiness. I hope Santa brings you everything you want. If you happen to see him, please remind him of my wish for a house ;)

Until next time....

Amy

Time well spent

2009-11-20T13:39:00.000-05:00

I recently got back from visiting my grandparents at their home in Hayesville, North Carolina. They've lived down there permanently since 1994 but have always spent their winters there since before I was born. Grandparents are truly amazing people. I know I'm very lucky because 3 of my 4 grandparents are still living and I'm 26 years old. I lost my grandfather (my mom's dad) in February 2008 and it was very hard losing my first grandparent. However, since his death, I feel like I've made more of an effort to stay in touch with my family.

My grandparents in North Carolina are my dad's parents. I am their ONLY grandchild. To answer your questions, yes, I'm spoiled rotten. But seriously, my grandparents have always gone out of their way to make sure I have everything I need, including a car, college education, clothes, etc. I feel like I used to take their gifts and support for granted, but I've worked hard to better appreciate these sorts of things. I hope they know how grateful I am.

As a young person, I never thought of my grandparents as "old" people. I always thought they were full of life, loving everyone (including me) and always gracious. Now that I'm older, I can start to see how "old" my grandparents really are, but in a very funny way! They are so particular about things! They are amazed about the things I can find them on the internet (like peanut butter pretzels and websites with information about people in our family). They have very strong opinions about politics and Bill O'Reilly (who my grandfather LOVES and DVRs everyday). They like their food a certain way and become irritated if something is out of routine.

But at age 83 and 80, I think they deserve to do things however they want. Not to mention all the lovely things they do like try to make me pancakes for breakfast, make sure my rental car is paid for and the gas to go in it, try to keep up with me even though the emphysema and Parkinson's is holding them back, and always make sure I want for nothing.

My mom's mom is a whole different kind of grandparent and person. This is a woman who grew up during the Depression and still spends like she has nothing. She makes the BEST pie crust I've ever had! She would never have a second thought about making a full dinner for the upcoming holiday. And while she never really spoiled us grandchildren (7 of us, me being the youngest) we were always sent birthday cards, invited to spend the night whenever we wanted, and always told how proud they were of us. My grandmother gave me my love of crockpotting and bean soup, she often took care of me when my parents were working, and always had Trident gum available.

Amazing people.

Celebrating our 1 year anniversary

2009-11-10T20:37:00.000-05:00

Saturday we celebrated the big anniversary. It was also a day for celebrating someone else's love: our good friends Josh and Deanna. Jeff and Josh were good friends throughout school and even college roommates. Jeff was honored when Josh asked him to be a groomsman. Josh was in our wedding last year and Deanna came with Josh. So it was nice to turn around 1 year later and help the 2 of them celebrate their Big Day.

The newly married couple even surprised us at the reception by having the DJ announce our names and that we were celebrating our first wedding anniversary. It was very sweet. We also got to have champagne and fresh (not still-frozen-after-one-year) wedding cake. We got to catch up with old friends and made a few new ones along the way.

You may notice that Deanna's dress is very vintage. She wore her "man of honor's" mother's dress from the early 1980's. It was nice to see a bride in something a little retro and classic. I think everyone was pleasantly surprised when they saw her walk down the aisle.

Here are a few shots from the day:

2009-11-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

This Saturday marks the 1 year wedding anniversary for Jeff and I. I can't believe how quickly one year has passed. It's been a year of traveling, weddings, job hunting, happiness and much more. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. He's my rock, my strength, my equal and my balance. He spoils me yet challenges me. Happy anniversary baby!

I'll leave you with some pictures of our Big Day:

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:31:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween! It seems fitting to post a Lucy picture since she's already dressed for the holiday:

Okay, so it's not the most threatening picture. But she is all black and she crosses our paths everyday. No bad luck around here.

Jeff and I have a Halloween tradition -- he gets to choose one movie and I have to watch it. We started this tradition 2 years ago. The first movie was Videodrome, a Cronenberg classic. Last year we watched Army of Darkness. Continuing with the Bruce Campbell theme, tonight we watched Bubba Ho-tep. Videodrome was the weirdest movie, by far! However, Jeff has a very large shelf of DVDs and I know he has much weirder movie choices for the future. Only 364 days until his next selection.

Do you like Greek/Mediterranean food? If you get the chance, c'mon over to Gahanna and visit Pomegranate. It's quickly becoming our favorite local restaurant. Delicious hummus and pita, an amazing Lemon Chicken Soup, and baklava that will knock your socks off! :) Put it on your list of places to try.

Until next time,

Amy

Lucy's 2 Year Adoption Anniversary

2009-10-28T13:40:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting! It's been a hectic couple of weeks for Jeff and I. I turned 26 this month and since I told Jeff that I would stop complaining about the events of my birthday, I'll leave it at that. But I do want to thank everyone who went out of their way to make my birthday special (even those who got to it a little later than hoped).

But the title of this post indicates that it isn't about me, it's about our cat Lucy!

Lucy has been a member of the Lombardi household for 2 years now. Shortly after Jeff and I moved into our new apartment, we talked about getting a pet. We knew a dog would be too much work, but Jeff was worried about his allergic reaction to cats. Being the convincing woman I am, I convinced Jeff that we should look into getting a cat and just "try it out". And with a somewhat reluctant "okay" (at the time) the search began!

I found Lucy on Craigslist. She was one of about fifteen cats that belonged to a man who rescued them with his fiance. Well his fiance not only left him, but left him with 15 cats with no home. Her pictures on Craigslist and the descriptions from his email were all that it took to request a meeting with Lucy.

He told us she was small but we didn't realize just how small she was until she came for a visit. Lucy is the smallest adult cat I've ever seen! Even the vet's office comments every time we bring her in on how tiny she is. She warmed up to Jeff right away and I don't think she's left his side (or side of the bed) since. She is devoted to him, and him to her. And Jeff's allergies were never even an issue.

Name: Lucy
Aliases: Lucy Loo, Lucy Loo Lombardi

Likes: Black rats, cereal milk, sharpening her claws on the carpet, playing fetch, Jeff

Dislikes: Getting her feet wet, Mew-Mew, canned wet food
Most known for: Being so TINY!

You'll most likely find her: Creeping under the dining room table or asleep on the couch
Why we love her: She's our first pet together and she has the best personality. She's the most vocal animal we've ever had and she's such a sweetheart.

So how was Cupcake Camp Columbus?

2009-10-11T12:28:00.000-04:00

In one word: AMAZING! There were 39 different cupcakes on hand and 25 bakers. There were large cupcakes, small cupcakes, interesting cupcakes, delicious cupcakes, stuffed cupcakes, and the list goes on. Some of the best ones included:

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in Best of Halloween category

Monster Muenster in the Best Ohio category

Frosted Root Beer Float in Best Decorated Category

Jeff and I had a gameplan. We would each grab a plate and go after the cupcakes we wanted/as many as we could grab. We would then meet up in the corner of the room and exchange bites. Here's how the plates looked when we started:

Here's how we looked while we enjoyed our earnings....

And of course, the aftermath:

I lost count as to how many cupcakes we actually ended up eating, but the sugar high we had was enough to tell me that we had WAY too many! :)

Until next time....

Amy

Mew-Mew's One Year Adoption Anniversary

2009-10-07T21:49:00.000-04:00

One year ago last month, we were lucky enough to welcome Mew-Mew into our home. Jeff and I had been looking for another cat. We had had Lucy for almost one year and thought she was feeling pretty lonely (she would sprint to the door when we came home from work). Jeff was still working at Whole Foods at the time and had a co-worker who was moving and couldn't take her pets with her. She had a dog and a cat. We couldn't bear the thought of this poor cat going to a shelter so we said that we would take her. And now, one year later, we couldn't imagine our lives without her.

Name: Mew-Mew

Aliases: Moo-Moo, Mewey, Mewers, Spicy Mewers, Executive Mewers

Likes: Lunch meat, deli cheese, chicken, white rats, beating up Lucy

Dislikes: Harness and leash, fresh breath, being wet, Lucy

Most known for: Random attacks on feet

You'll most likely find her: sleeping on her cat castle

Why we love her: She can be very loving; she's always ready to play; she makes funny noises in anticipation of getting canned food

Neither of us have ever had a cat like her and I'm sure we never will again. One thing's for certain, Mew-Mew is here to stay.

Revenge of the Sweet Tooth

2009-10-05T13:08:00.000-04:00

Nothing like starting off your week with a 9:00am Monday morning dentist appointment to have 2 cavities drilled and filled. Many of you may know this but I've had my share of mouth issues within the past year. It was around this time last year when I had 3 wisdom teeth removed (I was magically only born with 3 wisdom teeth). Then in March I went through a month-long ordeal of figuring out why my gums hurt on the upper right hand side of my mouth. It turned out that a piece of bone (left over from my wisdom teeth surgery) was trying to push its way through my gums. If you were just thinking "OUCH" you were dead on. And now last month's cleaning appointment revealed that I had two small cavities. Going back to the dentist in six months will be all too soon, in my opinion!

However, with an event that Jeff and I are going to this weekend, I might find myself back in the dentist's office with even more cavities! Introducing, Revenge at CupcakeCampColumbus! This Saturday, October 10th, Jeff and I will be tasting approximately 40 cupcakes that will be competing in 6 different categories. Some of the categories include, "Best Decorated", "Best Halloween-Themed" and even "Best Vegan". Tickets to the event were only $10 and the proceeds go to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank.

Here are just a few pictures from the last CupcakeCamp back in May.

Let the drooling and diabetic comas begin!

Until next time....
-Amy

I'm in the future also

2009-10-02T14:41:00.000-04:00

So last night Jeff and I went to see Mike Birbiglia at the Capital Theater in downtown Columbs. The show started at 8:00 and when we got there at 7:00 we decided to buy our shirts before the show.

Jeff's t-shirt purchase

My t-shirt purchase

The opening act was a guy named Geoff Tate from Cinci. He was very funny. The thing that bugged me the most was that after Geoff's act, they raised the house lights and made us wait another 30 minutes before Mike came on stage! Now I'm already fighting to stay awake passed 9:00pm on most nights, but to have me out on the town, after a long day of work, and then make me sit in a comfy theater chair while NOTHING is happening, I'm lucky I didn't drift right off to sleep.

Finally, Mike came on stage and did about an hour long set. He was very funny with a good mix of old stuff and new stuff. He did some of my favorite jokes including how he passed "Introduction to Computers and Networks" in college as well as the "Guitar Guy" song. Jeff and I both really enjoyed ourselves.

Jeff and I saw Mike about a year ago when he came to the Funny Bone before going on Broadway to do "Sleepwalk with Me". Here is a picture of the three of us after the Funny Bone show last year:

Jeff, me and Mike Birbiglia -- 2008

Hope everyone has a great weekend! We're heading up north to spend time with Jeff's parents, and a couple good friends that we don't see often enough. Until next time.....

-Amy

Hopped on the Blog Train

2009-10-01T11:10:00.000-04:00

Welcome readers! This is my first attemp at "blogging" but mostly an attempt to see if my life is really interesting enough for other people to read. Now I would be quick to answer that question with a firm "no" but seeing as though I have friends in every different location, and family too, I'm hoping to stay connected with those who love and care about me.

I figured the first post could be could be a "Getting to Know You" post or even a refresher course for those who think they know me pretty well.

Name: Amy Katherine Lombardi

Birthday: October 15th (*ahem)

Sign: Libra

Occupation: Coordinator of Family Services for the Batten Disease Support and Research Association

Marital Status: Married to my wonderful husband, Jeff

Hometown: Swanton, Ohio -- home of the Corn Festival

Current location: Gahanna, Ohio -- home of Mr. Sushi, my favorite restaurant ever!

Pets: Lucy and Mew Mew

What other things can you expect from my blog: I'm hoping to share recipes, jokes, personal stories, fun things, sad things, EVERYTHING! But especially way too many stories and pictures of my cats, hence the blog name.

Enjoy and have a great day!

-Amy