A few simple pleasures

Simple pleases.......
#1. THOMAS' BAGEL THINS
I love bagels! I try to stay away from them, though, because they are sooo filling and so carbolicious & calorie packed. That ugly little fact is quite frustrating when sometimes all I want is a bagel with some cream cheese....schmear as some call it. Just yesterday I found a possible solution to my "problem." THOMAS' BAGEL THINS! They are delish! And better than being delicious, they are only 110 calories. Now, I can get my craving satisfied without the extra 160 calories which are in a normal Thomas' bagels. I even found that I can do without the cream cheese because hey! I went without the extra calories so why add more fat?? I highly recommend you check them out! Here....
http://thomasbagelthins.com/

#2. BROADWAY NAILS
Along with my love of bagels, I also love having my nails done. My natural nails have never been the type that grow long and strong on their own. Mine break, chips, have ridges, blah blah blah. Although I love having lovely nails I hate paying $30-$40 to get them done. I also hate the after effects. Once the fakes are gone my natural nails look like they've been through a war-zone. So how do I get the look I love without paying the price and having my nails royally abused? Broadway Nails/Natural Nails. Why do I love these? Let me tell you...
                         a. They are cheaper. $6.00 for a box of nails compared to paying $30-40 in a salon (+ tip)!
                         b. They are much more gentle to my natural nail than the salon version. Once removed, my
                         nails are not so much in need of a little extra TLC.
                         c. These lovely little nails take a lot less time to apply! It can be fun to sit in a salon chair and
                         feel a little pampered....but the time it takes to wait, have the nails put on, drying time, etc.-
                         it's just not worth it to me.
                         d. Just like their application time being minimal, their removal time is also much shorter in
                         comparison to the salon version. With a little work I can pop them right off! That does not
                         mean they don't stay on very well. Sure, one may fly off here or there but that can always be
                         corrected with a little nail glue. ;-)
                         e. I think they look a lot more natural than what you get in the salon. I have sooo many of
                         my customers, friends, and family asking me if my nails are real or even better, they ask me
                         where I had them done. I love seeing the shock on their face when I say, "Oh these are fake
                         fakes. $6 from Wal-Mart, put on in 10 minutes."
CHECK THEM OUT!
http://www.broadwaynails.com/products/natural-nails/natural-nails-wear-alone-or-with-polish/

#3 ADDICTION
FINE! I admit it. I'm an addict. Totally and completed addicted. To what you may ask??? Jane Austen and all of her wonderful works. My particular favorite is "Pride and Prejudice." That novel always tends to suck me in. There is something about reading Jane Austen on a beautiful day...or even better...a cloudy day! A nice, cloudy, rainy day. Something about that makes me feel so calm and happy. The level of felicity I experience when reading the conversations between THE Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett is beyond compare. Thankfully I have several friends and family members that share my obsession! Recently, my mother turned me on to a new Jane Austen website crammed full with interesting informations, forums, etc. So if anyone out there in blogland is a fan of the great Ms. Austen, I encourage you to look this up!
http://www.pemberley.com/

Hope you enjoyed reading about a few of my simple pleasures. But now I ask, what are some of yours? Have a favorite book? Snack? Song? Anything! I'd love to know! :-)
                    

Weekend recap

Saturday, after work, Eric and I went to McAllister's for dinner which was nice. I got a break from cooking, we had the chance to get out of the house and we were able to enjoy one another's company. After that we went to Home Depot looking at porch lights. Our current light is totally functional but completely hideous. So we made our way through the various aisles of lighting fixtures then moved on to new mail boxes and numbers for the front of the house. Nothing was purchased but ideas were sparked. We also looked for seat cushions but found NONE. Why do we need seat cushions you may ask? Read on, read on!

Sunday morning was especially sweet for me because Eric and I went to my home church. And when I say home church I mean home church. As soon as I walked in the doors I felt like I was home. All of the members there are like my second family. I went from being there 3 days a week (Sun. morn, Sun. night, Wed. night) to visiting every once in a while which has been very, verrrrrrrrry hard for me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change the fact that I got married and am now at a different church but it is just difficult to not be in that same fellowship on a regular basis. I have shared many tears and much more laughter at that church, I have grown spiritually, I have been involved in amazing ministries, I have met wonderful people with a true heart to serve the Lord......the thought of having to start all over at a new church, to rebuild, makes me feel very weary. Moving on (or else I will cry....again! haha), it was so wonderful to see everyone! I was able to interpret the music portion of service and heard a great message! I walked away feeling very blessed! If you think of it, pray that God would soften my heart to the idea of a new church. After church we did a few errands then we packed up our seat cushions for a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class. We bring the seat cushions because the chairs provided are so horribly uncomfortable and we have to spend two hours in them. The class is very encouraging and very informative! Eric and I are safe & sound financially but really want to secure the way we handle money and make a way for a productive future. A future not bogged down by debt and worry over money like so many in our culture do today. Through the next few months I plan to pass on some of what I learn. Well that was my weekend wrapped up in a big nutshell! How did you spend your weekend? Do anything out of the ordinary?

My bedtime blues

I have a sleeping emergency! What's the emergency??? I am getting hardly any sleep. Ever. I catch a few z's here and there but most of the night I am tossing and turning....tossing....and turning.....tossing....and turning....Wow. Just gave myself motion sickness. Obviously, you get the idea. I am so restless. The source of the problem is still kind of unknown.
Get to bed early? Check.
Plenty of chill out time before I hit the sheets? Check.
Comfy, clean bed? Check.
Wonderful hubby to cuddle with? Check.
I am not eating right before bed. I'm not thinking of anything to stress myself out. What I do notice is that I tend to dream of a lot of social interactions, typically work related. I will go through a whole sales scenario with a customer in my "dreams." I put that in quotes because it's not like a dream where I am sleeping but it's not a day dream either because I'm not exactly awake. It's like I am stuck in the purgatory of sleep mode!!! I don't know how to fix this but I want to because I am often exhausted due to lack of slumber and I am driving my husband crazy with all of the moving around I am doing. Does anyone have any tips??? Preferably a tip that doesn't involve me going to a doctor and having a sleep test done. I would love any advice because this whole lack of sleep thing is not a day to day delight.....it's more like a night to night horror!

Computer complications

Ok, let me try this for the 5th time....

Where are the pictures you ask?? I have them, I promise! Improvements have been made in the ol' homestead. Improvements on the computer...well, not so much. I am seriously beginning to think that Technology is out to get me. Any computer I touch runs slow and will not me upload ANYTHING(pictures included). Sooooo frustrating! But I will keep trying....and keep trying....and keep trying, even if it kills me. Ha! Ok so that's not true.

Since there is a plan in action for my demise in all things electronically related, I will try to explain the improvements and changes as opposed to sharing a visual....yet. You won't get me Mr. Computer! MUA-HA-HA-HA!

The other day Eric and I spent all day cleaning his office and the guest room and then swapped both rooms. WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE!! It's like the house is now the way it was always meant to be. We took all of Eric's amps out of the living room (YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and put them in the office/man cave. All of his sports decor and keepsakes are hung on the walls, files are organized and now in the filing cabinet (in place of the books he stacked in there), guitars have found a new home there, and the room looks wonderful. The twin bed was moved to the "new" guest room. Room was dusted and vacuumed completely. Eric was so pleased and kept saying, "I think this is the first time this room has been dusted or cleaned." I was a little horrified by that (and the filth) but he looked so cute when he said it that I let the horrified look fade from my face. Many changes still to be made in the guest room area....so excited to see it come to fruition. Moving on.....

First, I started some shopping at Kohl's. I really don't want pieces that hundreds of other people have. I like things to be more unique but I'm sorry, when you see signs every where reading "50 to 80% OFF!" that will pull any shopper in. Plus, Kohls has always been a happy place for me. While there I purchased a set of two white shelves (guest room) for $12.99 which is a good deal, I think. Usually, one shelf alone is around  $12.99. I also bought a simple white pillow sham and matching bed skirt (also for the guest room). By the back door area, Eric had a really random, 4 x 6 piece of crumbling carpet and was using it as a rug/mat. I understand that is a small thing but I was OVER it. I bought a brown, green, and white striped rug for $4.99. It is nothing to make you, my loyal readers, envious but in comparison to what was there before....this thing is AMAZING. Did I splurge while at Kohls?....me? no.....ok, fine. I did. I bought a blue glass candle holder and candle. Don't judge so quickly. Both pieces were 50% off and have added such a nice touch to our living room. You will love it when I finally post pictures, I am sure of it!

From there a lot of my shopping was random. Fitting for my personality, I suppose. I bought a side table at Christmas Tree Shoppe for $30 (guest room) and assembled it all by myself. It looks great, if I do say so myself...ok so I screwed one piece of wood on backwards. Details, details. Wal-mart actually came threw on quite a few trips. While at Wally-World I purchased two lamps and lamp shades. Can I just say the Better Homes and Garden brand there is great? I got a valance for the window in the kitchen along with a simple $3 curtain rod. I got a cute white curtain rod and sheer white panels for the guest room. I also got some new sheets for the guest room...I think that finishes off my W.M. purchases. And then of course there is Target (cue the Hallelujah chorus)!! That place truly makes me happy. I can easily spend two hours there. Does that make me weird?? From there I bought a new pillow for the couch that was desperately needed. My mom and Dad bought me a comforter there for the guest room as a small belated wedding present. It is so simple and pretty! I love it and it has totally inspired me to do some neat things in the guest room! I am so grateful I didn't have to spend on that either. There has been a runner at Target that I have drooled over for about a year and I finally got it! I wish it were slightly longer but other than that it makes me instantly happy as soon as I walk in the front door! Words can't adequately describe it so I will just save pictures to cover that for me. Mom had purchased a picture from Kohls last year for her house but ended up not liking it in her space. I LOVED it and could totally picture it in my home with Eric. Well Mom ended up not returning it and giving it to me. It is on a wall in our living room and it adds so much. I am, again, truly thankful and very happy to see it there. From Target, I also bought new knobs for our bathroom and hallway closet. Again, my description = nothing, picture = worth a thousand words.
So as you can tell, I have been a busy little bee buzzing around the house making improvements where I can. There is still much to be done (i.e. our bedroom, bathroom, some major painting.etc.) but at least right now I can rest a little more easily knowing I am not still living in a disorganized bachelor pad. What makes me even more happy is that Eric loves EVERYTHING! Making our house a home....what a wonderful day by day delight!!

Look at what I found!

Ok, so this is a frivolous knick-knack but I am kind of in love with it. This would look really cool in our living room or entry way. Tell me your thoughts....

http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/HomeAccentsD%C3%A9cor/tabid/508/List/0/CategoryID/132/level/a/ProductID/7841/ProductName/Turquoise-Ceramic-Balls/Default.aspx

Check out the home page. That is where I spotted these little orbs of awesomeness!

200 SMACK-A-ROO'S!!!

A little before Eric and I headed into a world of marital bliss he promised me he would give me money to decorate the house as I saw fit. I've said it before and I'll say it again...he knows me all too well. What girl wouldn't love having free reign in a house that is in dire need of some sprucing up??
Ever since we said "I do" he's been saying "I don't" to forking over the cash. haha I always tease him about it....ok, I might do a little more than teasing. I might....ahem....nag. *GASP*
But ladies and gentleman, the day finally came!! On Wednesday he told me to hold out my hand. I obeyed like any good wife would do ;-) and there it was! The green stuff. 200 SMACK-A-ROO's!!! I'm quite excited about finally getting to change some things in the house. I'm thrilled about having $200 however the reality has suck in that $200 isn't really that much money. Now, please don't call me ungrateful. I'm very blessed to have a husband that trusts my judgement and decorating sense enough to let me change the house he's lived in for nearly 10 years as a bachelor. But let's be honest, $200 isn't as much money as it used to be. I have to beautify the majority of our home for only $200. I'm beginning to feel faint just thinking of it. I'm terrified and enthralled at the same time! This will be a fun challenge and a hard challenge at the same time! I have a few ideas of what I want to do and where I want to shop but I am going to be documenting this experience step-by-step, asking for your assistance along the way. I really want to stretch my money as far as I can without making my home look obviously decorated on a budget, you know what I mean? Price comparison and couponing seems to be in my very near future!

STEP#1=Stores of Consideration:
Target, Kohls, Pier 1, Kirklands, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Old Time Pottery, T.J. Maxx

Here is where you come in: Where have you gone to find some great deals? What are some ways that you've made your money stretch in the area of home decor?

STEP#2=Rooms to Reform (Normally there will not be this many steps but I want you, my loyal readers...ahem...Ashley....to know what I'm working with.)
Some of my living room, guest room, master bedroom, office, and a few other random areas

Also, keep this in mind, my house is small and is limited in storage. Here is another question: What are some creative ways that you have found to save space but not sacrifice style in your home?

Thank you for going on this home adorning and budget-conscious adventure with me! I can't wait to read your input! TEASER ALERT: Pictures of home to follow so you have an idea of my dilemma! These photo's will serve as my "before's" haha

Sports: A Husband's Addiction and a Wife's Obligation

Let me preface this post with first saying that I am athletically challenged. Very serious condition with symptoms of moderate to excessive pudge, mockery from classmates in gym class, injuries to challenged person when attempting a sport, and a complete lack of interest in anything sport related.

As promised, I am following up my previous blog with explaining my husband's unique passion for sports.  Not just any sports, though. Really only two catch his interest. They don't catch his interest randomly. They catch his interest because his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio has two of those sports teams: A baseball team named the Cincinnati Reds (formerly know as the Red Legs due to the red stockings they wore in years gone by) and a football team named the Cincinnati Bengals (ya' know...like the tigers.) Now I've heard of hometown pride but I truly believe my husband has perfected that type of adoration. He loves EVERYTHING Cincinnati oriented whether it be the viaducts to the Queen City bologna to the Skyline chili to the hometown hero's,etc. but nothing compares to this man's love for the Reds and the Bengals. I'm going to be honest with you......before I met Eric, if someone had mentioned the "Reds" team to me I would have never known what city they were from. The only reason I knew of the Bengals was because my brother had some trading cards of different football teams. I remember looking through his book of cards and liking the Bengals because of the team name and colors. When I did meet Eric he said right off the bat (no pun intended) that he was obsessed with sports. I. Had. No. Idea. He never misses watching a game. Ever. The annoying cute thing is that he assumes I want to watch and cheer alongside him. I am honestly ok with that but do you know how many games baseball teams play a week??? They play almost everyday. So nearly every evening I am watching these games. I can't believe I am about to say this but thank goodness for football. At least they only play once a week!!! Although, his obsession/addiction can be a tad annoying I love it at the same time. He gets so excited when he learns something new about his teams (historical or current information)! He gets even more excited when they win! Those wins often make his day. He looks so cute when he gets that enthralled! How could I try to make him stop? How could I take that away from him? Part of this addiction includes shopping, believe it or not! He owns more than 30 hats. All but possibly 5 are sports related. He owns several jerseys. Eric also has a Reds bracelet and for the wedding I even bought him Reds cufflinks. He buys everything authentic. If it's not authentic and "what the players wear", as he often says, then count him out! His obsession even gets to his mouth. No, I don't mean by cheering for them. When he goes to the ortho to get his bands changed he requests to have them red for baseball seaon and orange & black for football season. His groom's cake that we had served at the rehearsal dinner was half Reds and half Bengals. In January he dragged me to the Redsfest in down town Cincy. Talk about a fan's dream come true! During football season he wears a jersey every chance he gets and will randomly shout the team's slogan of "WHO DEY!!!" Example of randomness: In church he has actually made a point to look at me and mouth said slogan. Good to know he is paying attention to the sermon. haha

I often tease him by saying he gets more excited about his teams than he does me. He always denies it (I've trained him well) but deep down I think it still might be true. ;-) I try really hard to get into the games and convo about "his" teams. Sometimes I find I actually enjoy myself and through my time of knowing him I have learned a lot about the sports which definitely makes them more enjoyable. Even though he knows I am not a die hard fan he always wants to include me. As I've implied it can be a tad annoying but I always have to stop and think to myself, "At least he wants me with him. That makes the experience much better for him. Most men are all too happy to shoo their wives away but mine wants me ever at his side. He could be obsessed with so many other things...so many things that are much worse. And he's dedicated to these teams no matter what. I have to admire his faithfulness."  So though I may grumble from time to time and though I may not fully understand his addiction, I love that he LOVES sports. I used to count it as my obligation to be involved in this area but I'm learning to count it as my enjoyment because it's just another area in which we can grow close. Yes, sports play every day but now they are becoming a (small) day to day delight!

                                        He likes the Colts too!....but he loves the Bengals!

The ginormo jersey reads, "AUTHENTIC" thus the point and grin from my man.

Even on a regular, non-game day he is decked out!

Our first Reds game together. Sat out in 95 degree weather with the sun facing us. I must really love him!

At the Redsfest. See the glimmer in his eye? haha

                                                                                                     Our first Bengals game together!

I did it! I did it!..well......kind of.....

As you can see, I have finally started to figure out how to beautify my blog! I have only taken baby steps, mind you, but at least it's something. However small it may be I am still counting it as an accomplishment for the day. Gold star for me! The sad thing is that I thought making the banner was hard.....if that was hard then the rest of this might be nearly impossible. So what now? Mission Impossible, I say. Mission Impossible. Sure, I may not have some cool secret agent type gadgets or balls of fire blowing up behind me in the far distance but I do have one thing that Tom Cruise never had...color coordination. Ok, who am I kidding? The man probably has that too. haha

Moving on to some quickie updates:
*Eric and I seem to be more in love every single day! He makes my heart go "thump, thump....thump, thump." He's so dreamy! ;-)
*We had a crazy weekend in Cincinnati that involved long car rides, barbecued bologna, major allergies, Fritsch's Big Boy, and goetta.
*Eric's birthday is today and my man is 29! I got him an authentic Reds jersey which made him so happy which in turn makes me so happy. I just realized that I have yet to discuss what a sports nut my husband is. Hmmm, that post soon to follow. To celebrate he went to Cincy (where else?) last night and saw the premiere of the Pete Rose movie, "4192." He loved it of course and got to see the man himself, Pete Rose. Always a thrill for my Honey!
*We just celebrated 3 months of marriage on July 10th. Woohoo!

That's all for now. I just received a mental letter saying, "Here's your mission if you choose to accept it." I've chosen the mission....this blog will self destruct in 5.......4..........3.........2...........**BOOM**

UPDATE: HAIR IS ABOUT TO BE PULLED OUT!

When I last wrote I was already quite frustrated but I only had just begun. I am now at home and am slowly sinking deeper into madness. Maybe tonight was NOT the night to try this out? Maybe I should take a break? I truly believe I need someone to come over and hold my hand so that I don't use said hand to rip my hair out!..........someone.....ANYONE.....tell me it will be ok and that the computer will not beat me. It won't....will it? (sigh) Off to try AGAIN!

Is this really a good idea??

Well, today is the day! I woke up and decided that I would FINALLY decorate and design my blog. I might as well since I pledged my faithfulness to blogging, right? I  mean why shouldn't I provide my countless ....ahem...one reader some eye candy? So today I went to a wonderfully delightful blogging design site and downloaded the fonts, banners, etc. For that act I felt amazingly successful....but then the gut-wrenching reality set in....."I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING." What a rollercoaster of emotions I have gone through already! I've gone from determined to accomplished to absolutely horrifed which is turning into utter disbelief (shout out to Lacy, co-worker, for providing the word "disbelief".....that just shows how jarred I am by this whole process.....apparently I do not need to blog!)  I had to print out a 17 page tutorial guide for Pete's sake! But don't dismay! Yes, I may be a little shaken by this project, but I will continue to move ahead. I will not let technology (and really big words) shoo me away! Let's just hope this weekend affords me a little extra time to take this on and arise (cue "Rocky" theme song) VICTORIOUS!!!...........potentially cute blog soon to follow. :-)