Dear Monday

Another link up with Megan from Happy Day for Dear Monday. 

Dear Monday...we meet again. Why do you have to be so swift in making your presence known? It's not that i don't love you--i do. However our relationship lately has been one sided. You take and i give, what kind of fairness is that?! Can we have a day where you bless me with some awesomeness and i just jump for joy at the sound of your name?! no...? Well, fine, until that moment we will not be friends. 

. . .

Dear weeds...we talked last week but i feel we must converse again. You are NOT welcome to camp out and take up residence in my yard, period. I hate you and your white tufted lameness that spreads all throughout my front yard making it look like there are a bunch of miniature white kittens scampering around. We are not friends, i do not like your presence, and i'm about to go Hunger Games on you and be the last remaining tribute standing. You've met your match, prepare to die. 

. . .

 Dear Jessie's wedding...I'm so excited you're almost here! You're going to be awesome and so much fun! I can't wait to see my best friend of 23 years marry her best friend! I'm so honored to be not only in the wedding party but her MOH! :) Saturday could not get here quickly enough! 

. . .

Dear running...I really need to meet with you more often. I've been slacking something fierce which is NOT good considering i start my half-marathon training in about oh idk three weeks. EEK. I also need to get new shoes so that we can become BEST friends! I'm slowing starting to enjoy your presence, even if it means i come back sweaty, panting for air, and with horrible shin splints. I sort of have to fall in love with you---otherwise these next 6 months will be unbearable.  Heres to our arranged marriage.

. . .

Dear Brother...I'm so excited you'll be home tomorrow for summer break! I've missed your face and our witty banter. I'm sure by August we'll have our moments of drop-kicking, and throat slapping but hey i wouldn't have it any other way! You're a beast and a fantastic brother. We're going to have cooking challenges, running dates, and movie nights! So excited. 

Huuurah.

Man, i love that kid. 

. . .

How is your Monday going?

Any big plans?

Spill.

High Five for Friday!

Teaming up with Lauren From My Grey Desk for another High Five for Friday post!

What a week this has been, and i'm looking forward to the camping festivities this weekend! 

. . .

1. This week i broke my new watch. Sad day i know. I slammed it into a stop sign while flailing my arms around, which is normal when i walk. Yes, i'm sad. Thankfully it was only $13 at Target, so i will be getting a new one soon. 

2. I love roasted chocolate almonds! :) I take out the correct serving size every morning and take them with me to snack on during the day. :) Yum yum.

3. Wednesday was Administrative Professionals Day! My office surprised me and took me out to lunch at S.N.O.B. (Slightly North of Broad) which was amazing and so delicious. I even was able to take some home for dinner! 

4. This is one of my favorite places to go to while i'm on my walk for the day! It's gorgeous, and is right next to a dock that you can just hang out on. 

5. Lastly, i'm excited to go camping this weekend! Please be saying a little prayer for all of us going for safety and fun! :) <3

. . .

Happy Friday! 

Happy Camper!

YAY!

 Sarah Grace  finally got the mug i sent her!! Which means i can post about it. 

The best part about this mug-swap was that we both sent each other Yellow Mugs! 

Here is the one Sarah Grace sent me:

Which you can read all about here.

I loved it, i still love it, and honestly i still stare at it...daily. 

. . .

I started hunting around on Amazon a little after stalking Sarah Grace's page. One of the things i've figured out about her, she is one of the most happy and positive person on the planet, really! :) 

I stumbled across this little guy and i couldn't say no. 

Happy Camper!

It explains her to a 'T'!

[and yes those are boxes in the background, don't judge.]

The best part about this mug? The inside: 

How cool is that?! 

I loved it, and i hoped she would as well! I attached a personal little note and popped in some paper hearts and SHAZAM i sent it of. Yes, the word Shazam was just used, and you're reminded of space james--you're welcome. 

You can check out Sarah Grace's blog post about receiving the mug HERE. 

Holla.

. . .

To see all of the other Mug-Swap participants head on over to Susan's blog at Suzels Says! 

Sheets.

I dont think I've met one person who doesn't enjoy bed sheets.

Actually i take that back, my brother doesn't use bed sheets. He will make his bed (with the sheets) and put his comforter over them and then sleep on TOP of his comforter covered in either pillows (not joking) or one small blanket. Interesting right? 

. . . 

I just recently bought a higher thread count set of sheets that i love. What i don't love is that they are starting to "pill" up, i'm guessing that means i tend to wiggle in my sleep. I'm not a fan of these pills at the moment, but i'm also too cheap to spend a large (and honestly ridiculous) chunk of change on the linen sheets i would REALLY like. Found here.

*swoon* right?
. . .

One thing i've learned about myself over the last few years is that i can not STAND dirty sheets. A little known fact about me is that whenever i have a friend over and they sleep in my bed, the next day i will immediately wash them. Does that make me creepy? No, i don't think so...i just am a germaphobe that can admit it! As i was trolling through Yahoo's main page last night i stumbled across this little baby...

Well, hello interesting topic. {you can read the article here}
Obviously i opened the article and start skimming through it to see if there was anything interesting, and boy was there! The first two sentences really caught my attention "No matter your relationship status, you never go to bed alone. Nestled within your sheets are countless intruders." Yikes. I hate intruders, especially ones that i cannot see! They offer up some very interesting statistics throughout the article that kind of blew my mind, "Most people have a standard of once a week. But many people go three weeks, a month or more. "Younger people seem to leave their sheets on the bed longer," Dr. Tierno says." ..."Wash sheets and pillowcases once a week, and you'll eliminate that debris that has accumulated in the bed for that week. You'll be safer from breathing in that material." 
This in particular made my skin crawl...literally: "Human skin cells become food for dust mites. That is one of the biggest problems associated with bedding. Mites accumulate, along with their feces. But there is also animal hair, dander, fungal mold, fungal spores, bodily secretions and bacteria. Also: dust, lint, fibers, particulates, insect parts, pollen, soil, sand and cosmetics. "One person can perspire as much as a liter in a night—even more if you have a lot of covers," he says. And, of course, people eat in bed as they watch TV."
Did anyone else feel like they wanted to throw up? Good i'm not alone.
 At this point i was mentally calculating when the last time was i washed my sheets, let's be honest now--it's been almost 2 weeks. UGH. Mites, feces, fungal mold...yuck. It gives me the chills just thinking about it.
. . .
The best part about this little post; dirty sheets are easily fixed and take little effort.
Recently i've started investing in all white sheets [even though i love and drool over the gray ones i posted] for two reasons: 1. they look crisp and clean 2. you can bleach away without worrying about fading or damaging the color. The truth is, bleach can be your best friend ESPECIALLY when washing sheets. I rarely use hot water when i was things because it just seems to jump my bill (even if its just a few dollars people, that adds up!) but i DO wash my sheets in hot water. Why? It helps with the killing of the germs, fungus, etc. [shudder] I always turn on the hot water, put my detergent in and let it sit while the water rises. At this point i add a little bleach and stir it around the water before putting in my sheets. Lately, Maria & myself have been dying to get a clothesline put up in the backyard. Growing up my parents had one in the backyard but it ended up breaking and we have yet to replace it. I've been thinking of a way to make-shift a quick clothesline so that i can hang up my sheets (and other clothes) to dry outside and soak up some sun. Another fun fact: Sunshine helps kill germs & is a natural bleacher. Did you know that? Now you do, you're welcome. Plus nothing smells better than sun-dried sheets and clothing!
[I wouldn't hang your super dark (and wanting to stay dark) clothing items outside in the sun to dry. As i mentioned earlier the sun works as a natural bleacher and can, over time, fade your dark clothing].
. . .
So there it is, i love clean, sun dried, crisp, bright sheets. What about you?
How often do you change your sheets? Is your skin still crawling over those little intruders?
Spill.

Creep.

Let me set this situation up for you. 

I was getting ready for my training lesson this morning at the gym (530am) and i'm trying to be super quiet because Maria is still sleeping. All of a sudden i hear this scratching/grunting/hissing sound. What the french toast?! I'm thinking it's Tobi scratching on the door of his hallway wanting to get out because he's heard me. Oh crap, i thought, i can't let him out yet he will wake up maria with his meowing when i leave. I quietly walk down the hallway and pause in the the small hallway that leads into the Den. We've had issues before with some animal being in the wall, so i thought maybe that was what was going on again. *shhhhheeekkkkkkk* and then a few scratching noises, let's just say at this point i flipped on the light and started tapping on the AC unit cover. I wanted to scare those little animals out of the crawlspace of my home. UGH. 

Have you ever had this issue?! 

How did you solve it? 

Because honestly, i don't want these as house guests. 

1. | 2. | 3. | 4. 

It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.

Yuck.

Needless to say my brother will be coming back next week, and hey...maybe i can bribe him to crawl under the house?! If he's not up for it (shooooooot i wouldn't be), then we've got to find how these critters are coming into the walls/crawl space. It is not ok, and i do NOT like it. 

. . . 

I decided to do my own research on Google; because you know just as well as i do that we always go to Google when we have a question.

 What is this minecraft business? I'm guessing it's a game...but spawning? Really...come on. 

. . .

I stumbled upon this little beauty when searching through Yahoo answers. 

Is there really a device that will do this!? If you know if it, leave a comment, otherwise i'm going to hit up Lowes/Home Depot and ask around. 

I also happened to come across a website that gave 8 different steps you could try out and see if it would get rid of the rodents. While reading through the article i learned some very interesting techniques that i've never heard of. I did know about making a lot of noise/having light because that will scare anything away that is trying to hide; but otherwise this was a pretty good learning experience for myself. 

Here is the list: 

Instructions

1. Small Animals

   • 1
     
     

     

     
     

     Affix the glue boards to the plywood with the brass tacks. Glue boards are cardboard sheets covered with a tacky, glue-like substance. Small animals become stuck in the glue when they attempt to cross over the traps. Hardware stores and exterminators usually sell these traps.
   • 2
     Place the plywood board into the crawl space. Position the board against a wall where animals are likely to cross.
   • 3
     Check the traps daily. For humane concerns, do not allow the animals to remain mired in the glue any longer than necessary.
   • 4
     Remove the occupied trap from the crawlspace and carry it far away from the house. Be extremely cautious because the trapped animal may become aggressive.
   • 5
     
     

     

     
     

     Pour vegetable oil on and around the trapped animal. The oil will slowly break down the glue so the animal can escape unharmed back into the wild.

   Large Animals

   • 6
     Place ammonia-soaked rags in the crawl space. Most larger animals are repelled by the scent of ammonia, so ammonia-soaked rags will discourage the animal from remaining in the crawl space. Place the rags along the walls and by any openings into the crawl space.
   • 7
     
     

     

     
     

     Scatter mothballs across the crawl space floor. Animals also find the scent of mothballs to be noxious. Add a few extra balls in the corners and at the openings to the crawl space.
   • 8
     Expose the animals to loud music and lights. Animals cherish a dark, quiet shelter, so you can drive them out of the crawl space by being a bad neighbor. Place a blaring radio and a powerful weather-resistant light into the crawl space. The light may be a portable flood lamp or a high-powered flashlight.

Read more: How to Get an Animal out of a Crawlspace | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7881367_animal-out-crawlspace.html#ixzz1sxuRTGwW

Tips & Warnings

• Secure the crawl space to prevent future occupancy. Driving an animal out of the crawl space is only a temporary solution to the problem. Prevent other animals from moving in by securing all entry points with wood, brick, screen, fence or mesh.
• Seek appropriate medical care if you receive any injuries from the animals. Wild animals may become aggressive when you attempt to remove them from the crawl space. Use caution to avoid bites and scratches.

Found here. 

. . .

I guess this is what happens when you neglect your landscaping and backyard; you don't look for any holes or entrances that animals can use as their front door. Oh boo.

. . .

Has this ever happened to you? How did you address the issue? Do you get creeped out when you think of rodents crawling through your walls as well? 

Spill. 

Dear Monday

Linking up with Megan from Happy Day for Dear Monday. 

. . .

Dear Monday...you came way too quickly this time. While this weekend was busy i got absolutely zero accomplished at the house. Please be kind to me, this week is going to be busy. 

Dear food...we need to have a better relationship. Here's to hoping i make healthy choices, you know what they say...

pinned here. 

Dear Camping...it's been a while hasn't it. Please be sweet to me and welcome me back with open arms! I'm going camping this weekend for my life-long best friend's Bachelor/Bachelorette weekend! 

Dear Tobi...please stop peeing on the floor. PLEASE. I thought we had gotten over this little phase in our lives; but no---you decided to let it all hang loose, i hated you in that moment [but no worries, i love you now]. 

. . .

Yay for Dear Monday. 

As i had mentioned i got absolutely ZERO accomplished this past weekend at home, BUT it was all for a great cause! We went over to our friend's home and let them have a date day while one of our girlfriends took care of their sweet little boy and the rest of us cleaned, painted, built cribs, organized, and much more. It was a busy and productive Saturday that had one of the best outcomes ever! We got ALL (minus two) of the rooms completed! They were all cleaned, organized, (new nursery painted), and ready for the family to be back home! I joked that we should call ourselves the "8 in 8 crew". We can clean, organize, and get things ready for you in 8 hours! haha. 

. . .

I was hoping to do yard work yesterday and make the front bed all pretty and weed-free. Fortunately for the plants, unfortunately for me it rained some on Saturday and most of Sunday. Maybe tonight (after getting all of my camping list put into one place, and running) i can get my hands into the front bed for a few minutes. 

Does anyone else have weed problems in their yards? It is making me VERY angry. I have these dang weeds that are probably knee high while the grass could still go a few days without cutting. UGH...it makes me feel like my yard hates me, it probably does. 

. . .

The end. <3

High Five for Friday!

Teaming up with Lauren From My Grey Desk again this friday for the High Five for Friday! 

I can't believe it's already Friday...and man is this weekend going to be jammed full! 

. . .

1. | Banana Chips...flipping yum. I've been munching on them all week. |found here|

2. | Chocolate Almond Milk. Dang. My brother is a HUGE fan of chocolate milk and the last time he was in town i forgot to buy chocolate syrup, whoops. Well i decided to buy some chocolate almond milk and see if he would like it. It has WAY less sugar than all of the syrup he was using and it is awesome. His consensus....he loved it and so do i! Do yourself a favor and go get some! |image here|

3. | Sun time. I love being able to go on a walk for my break and just look at downtown, get some sun, and more of then than not read my Bible. <3 I love my City 

4. | New Music! I'm a sucker for buying CD's. I absolutely LOVE music and i just got my hands on Trip Lee's latest album, which is ballin' mind you, as well as Chris August's newest CD. 

I'm in love i tell you, in love. 

5. | My friends. Man i love these girls! This is actually from LAST week's Bible Study but hey...i saw them this week (minus a few), and the lovely Lauren is missing from this picture as well =(. 

. . .

Happy Friday Everyone! :) 

Office Inspiration

Yesterday you saw the current situation i'm in with the office. 

It's fugly. 

I mean ok, it isn't horrible, but it definitely isn't a place that is inviting you in to pay your bills, get some ministry work done, and all around crafting. Oh, i didn't mention that i wanted this to be my crafting room either? *tsk tsk* 

Let's get to the list of changes that i'm DREAMING about for this room: 

The List: 

-Flooring. This is an issue that goes all the way through to the kitchen. I still need to go pick out the tile i want to use (because i do NOT want linoleum again), and then we are hiring a professional to rip out not only the existing linoleum but the sub-flooring as well. There could end up being a joist issue (i'm praying there isn't), and so we need professionals in there to make sure that the job gets done safely and up to standard. 

-Lighting. Currently the lighting situation in this room is jank. It is just a circular 70's light fixture that gives off a mostly yellowish glow and heats the room up something fierce. I'm thinking of doing track lighting in this room. The track lighting would give off just the right amount of light without having to use desk lamps, floor lamps. I've also considered doing a small fan in this room because of how hot the room can get. 

-Shelves. I'm thinking about doing some open shelving over the desk instead of the hutch that is currently there. #1 i have loaded down that hutch with some heavy school textbooks, ministry books, and nicknacks that i'm terrified its going to topple down. #2 I think wall to wall open shelves would be much more ascetically appealing as well as less junky. 

-Paint Color. I love the boldness of the teal in this room, but i feel that it is just TOO much. I'm thinking of going gray with pops of color. I believe it would make the room feel so much more open and breathable. The fact that there is no window within the room means i need to do as much as i can with paint color/lighting to make it appear to be more open and inviting. 

-Organization. I really need to go through all of the cabinets and drawers (and obviously the book shelves) and put things in the right place. I currently have bins under my bed with craft supplies galore. They need to come out from under my bed and into this room. I will make it work. 

-Cord Control. I know i'm not the only one who recognizes that hot mess of cords. Dang Genna. Any ideas anyone? I'm kind of at a loss. 

-Stencil. I'm thinking of possibly doing a stencil on the wall. If not in here, then definitely in the back hallway. This one has really caught my attention. Oooo Dandelions 

-Countertop. If you look at the first picture you see a towel/sheet covering a piece of wood over the two (NOT MATCHING UGH) cabinets. Well that wood is completely unfinished, and it will give you splinters. The goal for that countertop (once i figure out what i'm going to use) is to be used as a folding station (since the washer & dryer is right outside the door) and a craft table; and obviously a lay-place for Tobi. 

. . .

So those are the goals so far for this room. 

Thoughts?

. . .

Now time for some images that are completely blowing my mind lately--in a good way of course.  

1. |  2. |  3. |  4. 

Office.

Let's be honest shall well, houses get messy. 

I see you violently shaking your head 'yes'. 

They do. 

I'm not talking about a few things out of place here and there; i'm talking about oh my gosh, how did this room acquire so much junk AND dirt?! 

Yeah...one of those rooms. 

. . .

Well i have two in my house, one is the upstairs [which you've met before] and the other is the "office". Why am i using quotations...well because this is a multi-functioning room, and it really isn't used as an office most of the time. You see, while this room has become a catch-all...it is really Tobi's Lair. 

See those green eyes? He will haunt your dreams. 

. . .

Now. This room used to have dirty white walls, tons of junk in it, and it was just absolute filth. Well...it isn't much better. This was actually the first room in my house i painted and i honestly didn't know what i was doing. There are spots EVERYWHERE, the trim sucks, and there are tons of missing places [aka amy got lazy and didn't pull out furniture to paint!]

Unfortunately [or really fortunately for you]  i can't seem to find any pictures of the way before. So i will just show you how the room looked a few days ago: 

Obviously the words 'junky' and 'fugly' are an understatement. 

. . .

I knew i just needed to go through and consolidate some things. I took about an hour one night last week and just started going through papers, drawers, etc and vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning, organizing. After i had moved out the trash bags and had put some things away, i ended the night with the room looking like this: 

I would say that was a VAST improvement! 

There were a few things that i knew i wanted to get done this past weekend and so i made a little list: 

*Move the old desk out. 

*Paint new desk {which is really a console table you can see here}

*Move new desk in. 

Not much right?

It wasn't.

I painted the desk: 

Maria helped me move the TANK of the old desk and slide in the new one...

Tada:

Obviously i've got a cord problem (psshht that isn't the only problem), but i think it is a nice improvement! 

. . .

There is a LIST of things that i want to have happen in here. Some things are going to be changing shortly, like the floors! :)

Side note: Since i'm all about keeping this real, if you scroll up to the second picture of the office and see that rainbow rug. Guess what that is hiding?!?!? A piece of wood over a nice big hole. Yup. The floors are rotting through, its fantastic, not. 

. . .

Tomorrow you will be getting the list of changes, as well as some inspiration that has been floating around in my head. 

<3