exactly the same but different....botique?

Tonight was the first pre-shift of the holiday market. I met up with Amanda and we directed traffic in the lot....vendors move in...vendors move out. We did that for an hour together then her shift ended and I was on deck, solo. I did have some company from some other girls- who were super nice!

The market looks like it's going to be a great success this year! My friends are going, and mom and all her friends and even Stephanie is making a special trip down! I hope it meets their expectations!

Tomorrow I have to work the mid-day shift. 11-3:30. I hope I don't pass out from starvation! Note to self: bring a snack. Then I have to come home and bake bread for Friday's shift... The only perk about baking the bread is that it's probably one of the easiest of all the possible recipes out of the JL cookbook to make.....or at least from the ones I picked from.

Friday isn't anything.....that evening, I'll probably head over to mom and Daddy's to visit with Maxie- My toothless niece. She lost her two front teeth and one bottom one this past weekend....and not by choice. A while back someone bumped into her on the playground and caused her tooth(loose tooth) to turn blue...she must have wiggled it for two months straight before the neighbor next to them was able to yank it out! The following day she had a run in with a tennis racket- she busted her lip and swallowed a tooth (we think) and another fell out (it was already loose). Poor girl!

anyway, that's all for now...........i'm in need of a shower and some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's.

So, Becky started posting on her old site and now I am too. I took a few minutes to go back and read some of my old posts and it brought back so many memories! This blog will be more about my life now as a mom-- and a wife and all the adventures in between. So enjoy and I'll try to post a few times a week or as time allows.

I dread time changes....but surprisingly it wasn't so bad this time. Cade went to bed last night at

8:30 and managed to only wake once during the night. I almost didn't get him but I hate hearing him say "mama...mama...mama" over the intercom. I just rocked him for a few and laid him back down. To my surprise I didn't hear those words again until 8:15. Yay for sleep!

I woke Travis up at 9 and told him that today is FAMILY DAY! We decided on visiting the Houston Zoo. We got there a little after 10 and managed to see it all in under 2 hours and learned a few things along the way.

Interesting facts about giraffes:

The gestational pd for a giraffe is 14 months....and I thought 9 months was long.

Giraffes give birth standing up.
A baby giraffe when born can weigh 150 lbs and can be 6 ft tall.

Before we left we had an ice cream treat and purchased a little stuffed giraffe (we named him Barney). I'm pretty sure Cade likes him because he's holding him tight right now as he sleeps.

Wedding plans are coming along nicely! We finished our wedding blog on theknot.com. Our registry is almost complete as well. We still need to register at Foley's and add towels at Linens and Things. We tried to complete the LNT registery yesterday but the scanner kept freezing up on us!

Today Becky and I are going to look at Bridesmaid dresses. The colors for the wedding are soft and romantic pinks and creams. It shouldn't be too hard to find those colors since spring is just around the corner. Actually spring might be here now- yesterday it was 80 degrees! Ohhh you gotta love that Texas weather.

We're engaged!

We're planning to be married in April 2006 in the Texas Hill Country. This week Becky and I are going to Fredericksburg to check out a few venues to host the reception at. We are interested in Kairos Celebration Barn, Trois Estates and the Enchanted Chateau.

Saturday was the first time I took the bridal party out to look at dresses. We went to David's Bridal and Panache. I wasn't expecting to find my dress on the first run but I did! I love it and can't wait to wear it! It's...oh, wait I can't tell you because it's a secret! I hate secrets!

So, I haven't purchased the shoes yet. I am just as disappointed as you. I did look last weekend but the mall was packed with wanna be gangstas. So I'm still surfing the net and sneaking a peek at the feet that pound the gym floor. I've add a pair of pumas to my list of possibilities. There are so many cute color combinations to choose from!

One more day before the weekend is here! I'm thinking about going over to my parent's house and spending some time with my mom. My dad is up in the hill country since deer season is now open. I'll probably head over kind of early on Saturday. I'm wanting to take her to breakfast at Panera Bread and then head to Old Town Springs for an hour or two. We usually hit up Maggies and stroll around that end of town. We avoid the doll shops by all means. Doll shops scare me and a visit to the doll hospital scares me even more!

With that said, I hope to find some cute holiday decorations since Becky and I are hosting a Christmas party Dec. 9th. The following Friday my mom and I are going to the Nutcracker Market at the Reliant Center. The market is amazing. You'll find everything from salsa dip to elaborate holiday decor. We've gone the past 4 years and know the floor plan pretty well! As soon as we make it in the event area, we head straight to the back booth because that's where they have the best things, at reasonable prices!

The one item that I always leave with is a jar of amaretto butter spread. It's made right here in Texas! It's this yummy spread that melts in your mouth when it's warm! You can put it on pancakes, biscuits, toast................a spoon! It's just that good!

Speaking of yummy Texas products! I also love, LoVe, LOVE Fischer Weiser products, especially the Raspberry Chipolte Sauce. You can pour it on top of cream cheese and serve with crackers or use it as a dipping sauce for any kind of meat. There are several flavors to choose from and once you do, ketchup will be a thing of the past.

Also, how yummy does this sound...Hot Chocolate Cake!

I was surfing the net for new gym shoes today and and found the nike shox aprisa that I'm interested in. I've never owed a pair of black shoes but I thought that they would look nice with my black workout pants- which is very important to me! Of course, I'll be able to tell right away if they are a keeper the minute I put them on! Hopefully they'll be a perfect fit. I'm also considering the nike shox go because I love the color red. Tonight I saw a girl at the gym wearing them...I was so jealous!

Something cool on nike.com is that you can get a mini workout while you surf their site. You can break a sweat while doing a warm-up or whittle your waist away with a salsa dancing lessons. The instructor goes step by step and then puts it all together and even throws in a cha-cha-CHA.

These have to be the prettiest matches ever....I love the white box with red dots- it's just my style.

Today I was reading in a magazine about different ways to save money. One way was to clip coupons....imagine that. I'm always a big fan of getting the Sunday paper and scanning the ads for coupons! It's always a good feeling to look at the reciept and see that you actually saved money- even if it's only a couple of bucks. It all adds up in the end. The magazine mentioned a sight called, grocerygame.com. The site finds the "rock bottom" prices on hundreds of products each week and matches them up with manufacturers' coupons for the best possible savings at your local supermarket. How cool is that?! There is a $10 fee every 8 weeks if after your trial period you continue to use the service. Sounds like a good deal to me.

new music to check out-Lori McKenna.

Cupcake anyone?

I just finished baking a dozen and half Strawberry Cupcakes. They turned out so prefect! I served one cupcake on a piece of antique china and dusted it with powered sugar, muy magnificent! There couldn't be anything better than whipped cream and fresh fruit piled between a layer of super moist cupcake!

The recipe is super easy to follow and would be a great date night dessert to make with the one you love! And if you choose to do it alone, you will surely earn a smile or two once the dessert is served!

bon appetite!

I never thought that another ice cream could possibly top Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream. I'm a huge fan of cookies and cream! I love the creamy texture and hard cookie combination. But the other day on the way to the hair salon we drove past a Ben and Jerry's and I made the comment that I have only had their Ice Cream once in my entire life but that I couldn't remember what kind it was. Well the day went on and I forgot about the ice cream. The next night we met my parents for dinner and on the way there, the Ben and Jerry's sponser car drove beside us. I knew this was a sign from God telling me to venture out into the frozen food section and pick up a carton of Ben and Jerry's. So tonight after my Pilates class I did just that! I know, I know it does defeat the purpose of working out if you're going to splurg on sugary snacks but one bite of Cherry Garcia will knock your socks off. Imagine cherries with chocolate chunks! Pure yummy goodness.

So moooove over Cookies 'n Cream and welcome Cherry Garcia!

Never again will you have to have a boring USB memory stick. Now you can get a USB drive in a variety of styles. Check them out here! I really like the camo-rubber ducky.

How ridiculous is this: SPRAY ON MUD.

It's true- now you can actually buy something to make your car/truck appear dirty.

For the last few months my interest have gone from scrapbooking to card making but since summer is here I have decided to pull out my paper, scissors and glue and get back into the game. And to help me along they way I turned to the internet for some inspiration. After searching what seemed like an eternity I came across a page dedicated completely to scrapbooking! Kinderdcreations has all kinds of ideas, from page lay-outs to tips and tricks of getting your page just the way you want it! It has given me the inspiration I needed to get back into cropping!

The latest trend in scrapbooking is the use of ribbon, rubber stamps and layering (to the extreme). All of that means thinking outside of the box- which I'm pretty used to but when it comes to cropping I tend to freeze up and not be a risk taker. With help from this site and from the members online I'm hoping they can inspire me to take my scrapbooking to the next level because I'm ready, I just need a little push.

Creative Juices now being served online @:

Paper-source
bisous.biz
onescrappysite
HOUSTON STORE

Find what fits

This has to be the coolest idea ever! This morning I was looking online for a new pair of jeans. There are so many styles out there to choose from and it often becomes more of a frustration than anything when trying to find the perfect ones. During my search, I came across Intellifit which is a device that scans your body to see what size clothing you wear per designer. Think of all the hours you've spent in the dressing room trying on outfit after outfit. In as little as ten seconds the scanner measures your body and a computer print-out will lead you into the right direction of what will fit and flatter your figure. How smart is that...

Where to find the Intellifit.

Happy shopping!

Summer is officially here! I'm heading to Fredericksburg, tomorrow morning to spend a few days in the Hill Country. I'm really looking forward to spending time with Maxie and GiGi since I haven't seen them since Christmas! Lucky for me, Stephanie and Maxie came down this past weekend and I was able to spend a little time with them. Saturday night we all went over to The Watts' house for Jake's Graduation party. Then on Sunday, my Dad fired up the BBQ pit and made ribs and chicken for dinner. Right now I am at Travis' house, uploading songs on to my new iPOD shuffle. So far I have about 15 songs out of a possible 120 uploaded. This afternoon I'm picking Maxie up from my parents house and taking her to my apartment for the evening. We'll be watching movies, painting our toes and having dinner at a fancy restaurant like Chick-Fil-A. Then tomorrow, the three of us (me, maxie and the dog) will head to GiGi's house for some real fun.

Two Things

one: If you are bored at work (which I know never happens) go to jbandsandy.com and click on radio player and select a megamix to listen to. It will definitely make your day better! My personal favorites are Napolean Dynamite and Britney Spears with Linkin Park. It's super sweet.

two: I was offered a job in Magnolia teaching Kindergarten!

The wait is finally over! Faith Hill's newest song in over two years was released yesterday! Her new single "Mississippi Girl," can be heard here.

Another one bites the dust- Kenny Chesney and Rene Zellweger were married this past Monday. I'm impressed that they kept their relationship under the radar as long as they did. There aren't too many pictures of the two exchanging vows but from the ones I have seen, I like the barefoot Kenny Chesney look! If I decided to get married on an island far from here, my groom should take note of this opinion.

I called in sick (cough, cough) today because I have interviews scheduled with two school districts. I'm interviewing with Klein this morning and then in Magnolia this afternoon. Hopefully something will come from this!

Yankee or Dixie?

Take the quiz to find out!

My score: 74% (Dixie). That is a pretty strong Southern score.
Heck yeah it is.

Only 5 weeks left of school! Just typing that makes my feet tingle!

That means it's time to organize the cabinets and the files. I actually started doing a little tidying up this week. My kids can't believe how much stuff can fit into one file cabinet drawer. I need to figure out how I'm going to transfer everything from school to home. It's going to take a few trips I'm sure but everything must go! This is my last year in Fort Bend. I have mixed feelings about leaving because I love my team so much but it's for the best and I'm looking forward to a little change.

So far I haven't had much luck in the job hunting department. I've applied in Klein, Conroe and Magnolia. I haven't heard a thing from anyone but it's still pretty early in the game. I just hope I find something because it is pretty stressful to not know where I'm going to be.

Travis is pretty positive about it which helps me a lot. I need to believe that I'll find something and that everything will work out in the end. Keep your hopes up!

----last night----

I met Susan up at Gringo's for dinner. We caught up with each other and decided Laura should be apart of the fun! She showed up just as we were leaving so we went back in for another drink. She is always so much fun and her laughter is contagious...that's what I like about her. We talked for a little bit then we decided to head our seperate ways. The drive home was fine. I love where I live- easy access to the beltway!

Happy Friday....

Travis and I have rented several movies lately, which is surprising to us both. We have probably only watched a handful of movies together- and have yet to actually go to the theater.

We rented 3 movies last Friday night: Ladder 49, Hero and Lucky 13. What? You've heard of the first two but not the last? Lucky 13 is about man (a no talent actor-Zach Baker) who revisits previous significant girlfriends in his life in order to win over the girl of his dreams- Gillmore Girl, Lauren Graham. This film would be great if the writer had written exactly the same thing but different. I fast forwarded through 70/95 minutes just to have a sense of closure. It was just that bad. It almost makes you feel dumber by watching the movie than by not watching it.

In the words of Napolean Dynmite, "This is pretty much the worst video ever made."

Q: What's the correct way to eat a Peep?

Is it to first bite the head off, then the butt, then stuff the middle in your mouth?

A: There's not really a correct way, but there is a preferred way.

According 1998 surveys by MSI International and International Communications Research (ICR), 60 percent of consumers eat Peeps head first. And if that's not grizzly enough, 40 percent stretch the neck out before the fatal chomp. No statistics on butt and belly biting, but 10 percent admit, actually admit, they stuff more than one whole Peep in their mouth at once.

Personally I like to eat half of a peep and then stuff the rest in Travis' mouth.

Click here to read more about PEEPs.

Have you ever started typing and then looked up and realized that you really haven't typed a darn thing. That just happend to me. So now I'm wondering where have all those letters gone, if they are not on my screen....

This morning Travis and I watched the movie, The Incredibles (or los increbiles). It was pretty funny!! Definitely worth seeing. I went ahead and bought a copy to add to my personal dvd collection, which is now up to 13.

After the movie we ran out to office depot where Travis bought a super comfy office chair. It spins, tilts, and just feels good.

--time to make cookies--

music.guide.real.com offers free listening parties on all genres of music. You can listen to any full length album or song for free. And if you really like a song you have the option of purchasing it for just .99 cents. Super cool.

You just have to have realplayer on your computer to be in business.

happy listening.

I have been told to update my blog by a particular someone who lives where the current temperature is 10 with a wind-chill of -9! Hmmm..Who could it be?

Well my plans to go to Austin were called off but that's alright because I've been able to take care of few things that needed to get done. I submitted my application to KLEIN ISD yesterday and have been working on updating my resume and cover letter all week! The Great Becky, Kristine and Travis have all helped me out tremendously on critiquing and editing my things!

This week I started going to 24 hour fitness and have introduced fish into my diet! Last night I cooked up salmon with a simple squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt & pepper. I also made this wonderful salad with basil pesto dressing-simply fabulous.

This morning I gave Lucy a well deserved bath. I think she secretly enjoys them because as soon as she is out of the tub, she does huge circles in my living room. It's a wonder how my carpet isn't torn to shreds...

The rest of my day will consist of going to the gym for a nice leg work out. Nothing too exciting. I was hoping to go to rodeo tonight but it doens't look like I'll be going. I know most of my readers on here don't listen to country music but there is something about Kenny Chesney's music that I love. Maybe it's how when he sings I can picture parts of my life in some of his lyrics. Especailly in the song- Be as You Are. I wanna go where I can lighten up the load-Drive a little while on the wrong side of the road-Get this laying low off to a flying start
I'm sure all of us have a particular artist or group that can take us places- just like Kenny does for me.

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to start addressing lables and stuffing envelopes this evening. It'll be great to get them off in the mail this week. This is going to be a great experience- hopefully I'll find a job quickly!

Thanks for all your help Becky, Kris and Travis!

Spring Break

I'm officially on Spring Break! And to start it off right I met Susan at Papasitto's for Happy Hour! They have free appetizers just for teachers when you purchase one drink! Melisa, Kathy and Jenny came along too- It was great time!

Travis came over and we went out to a new resturant called Cantina Laredo for dinner! The atmosphere was great- dimmed lighting, spanish musicians playing, and the menu had so many dishes to choose from. We started with a super-sized margarita and chips and salsa and chose an appetizer to share. It was a nice evening!

Travis and I are planning to head to Conroe at some point today. No big plans there but to help him study for his exam on Monday. I'll be getting my haircut this afternoon at the Woodlands mall! I'm not sure what I'll go for but something needs to be done! Monday-Wednesday I'll be in Austin visiting with Stephanie and Maxie. We are planning on going to Salado for a little antique shopping. Wednesday night is the Kenny Chesney concert...I hope I'll be able to go! On Friday, Travis and I are babysitting Preston for the first time!

And there you have it...an update.

Today I met Susan at Memorial City Mall. We wandered around looking for nothing in particular. We ended up going to all the "usual" stores. Our last stop was to the accessory department in Foley's. I have been trying to find a pair of sunglasses that look good on me for nearly a year. I have tried on at least 50 pair and have never found the perfect ones. Today I realized that I'm not alone, Susan shares the same frustration.

We both tried on several styles: large frames, small frames, narrow frames, frames with sparkles, heart-shaped frames, wire frames, larger than your face frames- but nothing suited us. Although, come to think of it, the heart shaped, rhinestone studded frames did wonders for Susan...or not.

Since we didn't have any luck with the sunglasses, we went over to the COACH section and found something that fits just right.

Oh, and by the way I found this site to find the perfect frames for your face! Maybe my luck will change- at least I can hope.

You are LaFawnduh. Why are you so sweaty?

Heck yeah I do.

always and forever...


Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

as seen on tv

How many of you are tired of the high cost of cleaning products? Well say goodbye to harsh smelling, high dollar bottles of man-made chemical compounds and check out The SHARK Portable Steam Cleaner. Blast with steam and wipe it clean. Instant steam, ready in 30 seconds. Great for quick clean ups in the kitchen, bathroom and all around the home. Cleaning the way nature intended.

The SHARK Portable Steam Cleaner would make the perfect gift for the non-cleaner. Simply plug-in and wait for the ready light. Pull the trigger and clean, clean, clean. The SHARK blasts away waterspots, soapscum and grime from countertops. The powerful SHARK even steams out wrinkles! amazing! There are endless cleaning opportunities to be had with this steam cleaner.

Warning: This product may cause compulsive cleaning.

This message has been brought to you by- Tara and Travis.

I am just about done unpacking my stuff from the big move. I love my new place! It's huge! I especially like the fact that it has wood flooring,crown molding and a ginormous bathroom! I told Travis that if you have to pay rent, you might as well put it towards something nice. Riiiiight?!

On Monday, I interviewed at the Ronald McDonald House to become a weekly volunteer. The RMH is a home away from home for families of children being treated for serious illnesses. Most of the volunteers at RMH are assigned to a floor/room and are expected to maintain it and also to accommodate the guests staying there. The person who I spoke to said that at Texas Children's Hospital there is much more one on one interaction. I think that's more up my alley. I'd like to do it once a week to keep me busy since Travis will be starting the Academy later this month. I'm also looking into taking a Leisure Learning class on how to sew. I bought a Singer Sewing machine a few weeks ago and last night we finally took it out of the box. We followed the directions on how to wind the bobbin and thread the needle BUT no sewing took place. The dang bobbin is getting hung up on something and causing great distress. A class is indeed a must!

Earlier this week I went to Whole Foods which is conveniently located right around the corner from my apartment. One step in the door and they have you wondering what on earth is that delicious smell?! It smells so YUMMY in there! I wasn't looking for anything in particular but there before me, pleasantly displayed, with labels facing outward is where I spotted the COOLEST water bottle ever! The bottle comes in two sizes, both are made of glass with the letters VOSS etched on the side. I told Travis all about them and he agreed that they did sound pretty cool! ;) So cool that he went to Whole Foods today and bought 2 bottles. One for himself and the other as a surprise for me. I immediately opened it and took a sip... ahhhhh. You'll have to see for yourself.

I'm sure the girls in BOSTON will appreciate this! I was reading Glamour magazine and found an ad for the site girl32.com. Check out the winter hat that you can wear even when your hair is pulled back into a ponytail. The hats are made of lambswool with Swarovski crystal buttons in back that open and close depending on the height of your pony tail! For only $78 you can wear a winter hat and have your hair pulled back into a ponytail....it just can't get any better than that!

Let the countdown begin! I will be moving in one week! I've already started cleaning out my closet and a few of my keepsake boxes that needed to be cleaned out. Who needs torn up envelopes anyway? I figure if I haven't looked at in a year, I'm probably never going to look at it again. I can't decide if I want to pack things up right now or if I just want to take my time moving things over? It would make more sense just to get it done all at once... so maybe I'll start that fun project later today.

About my weekend...

On Friday night I drove up to Buffalo to spend the weekend with Travis. He had prepared a lovely steak dinner- complete with potatoes and wine. And he made delicious cookies! My baby is the best! After dinner we lit the chimenea and did a bit of star gazing! The stars go on for miles up there. It's amazing! On Saturday we woke up early and went on a nice morning walk. Lucy came with us and ran the whole time. I don't know how she has so much energy!

Later that day we drove into Palestine to go to Wal-mart. While Travis strolled the down the tractor parts aisle, I headed to the crafts department. I decided I wanted to try my hand at crochetting. I haven't exactly got the technique down but at least I've got the first step down- making a chain! We also bought a 500 piece puzzle that looked like a painting. As an added bonus the puzzle came with a frame (the border), glue and wall hooks. BONUS!

Travis' dad and uncle came up on Sunday morning to work on the fence. So the 3 of them worked on that for most of the day. It'll probably take another weekend or two to finish up... but I don't think anyone will mind the trip back.


Here is another up and coming artist to check out! I personally recommend- No End In Sight

Sure do like those Christmas cookies, sugar! Sure do like those Christmas cookies, babe

Hope everyone had a happy holiday! I sure did! I spent Christmas Eve day with Travis' family. Travis and I exchanged gifts that morning because we weren't going to be together Christmas morning. Travis surprised me with a Kitchen Aide Professional Plus Mixer in the lovely shade of red. I can't wait to try it out! Travis knew about his BIG gift but he still acted surprised when he opened it! I bought him XM Radio. I love XM radio- no commercials and no tejano (unless you specifically select it- and that will never happen)! Another cool thing about the model I gave Travis is that it has a remote control...and if you know me I love to flip stations. And with over 200 channels to choose from you can imagine what it's like in the car- loads of fun. Maybe you're in the mood for Jazz or Texas Country...or maybe some uncensored Ghetto Rap. It's all there...

After we opened presents we headed into town and had breakfast at Panera Bread. We debated getting it to go or eating there- all because of XM. We were already hooked. We decided to eat it there and talk about the plans for the rest of the day. Our plans included a trip to Target and lunch in Huntsville with Memaw and Uncle T.

Christmas Eve dinner was spent at my parents house. My mom made lasagna and salad. Yum. After dinner we all put on our pj's and watched movies. Maxie and I watched Milo and Otis and the others watched ELF.

Do you like sugar?
Is there sugar in syrup?
Yes
...then YES!
Us elves try to stick to the four basic food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn and sugar!

Maxie and I woke up right at 7 and went in to wake up Stephanie and Travis. She wanted to know if Santa came because she didn't hear the pitter patter. But we assured her that we all heard the pitter patter and the clatter last night!

She was really excited about her Santa presents: a Barbie
flashlight, an umbrella and pink cowgirl boots! She had a bag full of stuff and you could see the excitement in her eyes as she pulled everything out of the bag.

After Santa presents we all changed into regular clothes and then came back down to do the regular gift exchanged. My Grandma, Aunt and 2 cousins came down around 12. Travis also arrived around then with green bean casserole. My Uncle showed up right before lunch.

I decided my job this year would be to set the dinner table. So I went online and looked up table setting/napkin folding...There are so many different ways to fold a single napkin. I stuck with the beginners fold and ended up setting a beautiful table- the glasses were even set in the right spot...Can you say fancy?!

I spent the rest of the day with the family and Travis. Travis and I headed to Conroe, where we spent the night, around 8. What a long day it was...Here are a few pictures.


Mmmm syrup...We teased my mom with a new green bean casserole recipe.


happy family

Only 4 days of shopping left. I need to get a few more gifts and stocking stuffers and then i'll be done! I just finished my Christmas cards this morning and they are ready to be dropped off at the Postal Office. I almost don't want to send them because they are so cute!

Today Julie and I are going to make sugar cookies. This year we are going to focus on decorating instead of cut...so slice and bake it is! It's becomming quite the tradition for us to get together right before Christmas and bake!

...more to come!

Happy birthday to me! Actually it was Tuesday but I'm still celebrating! Tomorrow night Travis and I are going to the Nutcracker Ballet! I am so excited! I have wanted to go for several years now and now I finally get to go. I bought a super cute dress the other night...ohh-la-la!

Only 5 days left of teaching and then it's time for winter break! 2 weeks with no kids! YES!! Travis and I are planning on going to Fredericksburg on Saturday to do a little holiday shopping! I think we'll drive to Austin on Friday and snag Maxie for the weekend. We'll stay with Gi Gi Saturday & Sunday night and then head back to Austin on Monday for my dentist appointment. I still use my dentist in Austin since I know i'm in good hands (my sister works there).

I'm sure Christmas is going to sneak up on me- I have yet to buy anything. Well...that's not exactly true. I have picked up a few things, here and there, but nothing BIG. At least I know what i'm getting everyone.

We'll I'm heading to Foley's to get an evening bag and a wrap to wear. They are having a super sale with coupons. It started at 6 this morning but who wants to shop that early?

...who will get the drumstick...yummy, yummy, yumstick...

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and so is my week long vacation. I'm going to spend Monday-Wednesday in Fredericksburg and then head back to Houston for turkey dinner at the Miller's house. Then Saturday and Sunday will be spent decorating for Christmas. I'm already in the spirit- I went to the Nutcracker Market with my mom to do a little shopping. I've been to the market 3 years in a row and each time it gets bigger and better! I have my favorites- Paul Michael (home decor) and Cowboy Country (for honey butter)! This year the BIG thing was floral arrangements with feathers incorporated into it. Last year it was miniture Christmas tress with snow on them.

I have come to the conclusion that one must bring several things when attending an event such as the Nutcracker Market:
-some sort of backpack to put all the small stuff in
-walkie talkies in case of separation
-comfortable shoes
-gloves to prevent shopping bag rub (ouch)

I did come out of the Market with a few Christmas gifts and ornaments to add to my collection!

Over the weekend Travis and I headed out to Huntsville for a little haunted house action. His cousin Brian took 6 weeks to transform his land into a Haunted Trail- complete with strobe lights, fog machines and creatures that pop out of nowhere... I was a little spooked. The kids seemed to have a great time too-bobbing for apples, going on hayrides, and of course eating as much candy as they possibly could.

On Sunday we busted out the carving kit and carved up some mighty fine lookin' pumpkins. Travis decided to carve his freestyle and I opted to use a pattern of a witch flying on a broom. We even had Mr. G from next door come over and be the judge of who did the better job- but he wouldn't say. Must be the Grandpa in him- couldn't choose if he had too.

Bubba

The rest of the afternoon was spent running around town. I bought a new book- Shopaholic Ties the Knot- and Travis spent some time pricing computer accessories. We headed back to the house and packed our bags and went over to see Scott, Ronda and baby Preston!


We all sat out on the driveway and passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. There weren't too many but my personal favorite was the Ninja turtle- hard back shell and all.

Make sure you vote- it counts.

If you're nutrition-conscious about what you eat while out on the road (or at least try to be) check out these sites- airlinemeals for consumer ratings of airlines' dishes or roadfoood for reviews on roadside food stops.


zoom. zoom....

Travis and I refinised my dining room table in an Antique White. It looks awesome! We decided to scrap the chairs because they were too wobbly. So you know what that means....I get to go SHOPPING! I think I'm going to go for a slight french county cottage look for the dinning room. As soon as its all in place I'll post a picture!

I can't wait to be able to decorate a house- weekend trips to Lowes, walls you can paint, a yard to mow! So much to look forward too!

GO ASTROS!

I just completed my 3rd Pampered Chef catalog show and I am already signed up to do another show in February! The best thing about doing a show is that the more you sell the more points you earn towards free stuff- I just love free stuff! The checks will be in the mail tomorrow and the products should arrive in 2 weeks! Yippie!

Since I haven't updated in awhile I will fill you in with the scoop on the happenings in my life. Here goes...

Stephanie and Maxie came down this past weekend. Mom took Maxie to get her pictures taken at Sears....SEARS the home and garden, appliance and electronics, tools and tires shop?!! I couldn't believe it but they did an awesome job! I wish I could show you just how cute they are but no can do... I only have a hard copy.

School News- Today I decided to rearrange my room. I recruited help from the time-out gang. I'm not sure what exactly made me want to do it right then but I just had to change it on the spot. I over heard my Mr. Smartypants say, "she must be mad, she is moving furniture..." I wasn't mad... just unhappy about the flow but now the room is looking mighty fine. I'll have to take a picture to share with the group.

Travis and I have a weekend project in store for us come Saturday- refinishing my dining room table. I can't wait to have my table back! It's been in storage for a couple of weeks. It's not so much that I use it to dine on as much as I use it to pile all my crap on. I'll be sure to take a before and after shot of the process.

Friday is in-service day. I really don't mind going since they usually let us out early from the 2nd session but ssshhhhhh don't tell.

that is all. tara

Tonight Travis and I made a trip to Target. We stumbled upon this ultra cute halloween costume, not for ourselves, but for LUCY.

AAARrrrrrrrgh

Pumpkins, gourds and squash...oh my!

This is too funny!

Time to update!

Becky and I had a great time in San Francisco! It's absolutely beautiful out there. The air is fresh and the temperature is perfect! I arrived on Thursday afternoon and took a shuttle (driven by an angry Chinese man) to the Fisherman's Wharf. I met Becky at the hotel. We hung out there for awhile then decided to hit the streets and head towards Ghirardelli Square. Yum, Chocolate!!


We walked down strand and checked out a few places to eat before settling down on one. I decided to try the clam chowder and Becky went for the crabcakes. Since it was still early we decided to go out to the Dirty Martini bar. I had my favorite- sour apple and Becky opted for the lemon drop. Cheers!
The next day we went for a cable car ride down to Union Square. Ding Ding



"Please use brakes generously!"

All around town you'll find these cute painted hearts. This is one of my favorites!



After a delicious lunch at The Cheesecake Factory we cruised the mall and then headed to China town.

won't you take me to...China town




I bought a few things for Travis down there but I was holding out for Paper-Source. Later that afternoon we rented our PT Cruiser and headed to Berkeley to meet Becky's friends. We ended up going out to dinner at a fondue restaurant where Sal, our waiter, entertained us. Can't you see how excited I am?

Sal- straight to the heart.



The next day we woke up with good intentions of making it out the wine country early but instead we made it out there around noon. We went to a few of Becky's favorite wineries then made a mad dash to the lesser known for a quick tasting.






Most of the places close early in Napa so we headed back to San Francisco, stopping for a quick picture at the Golden Gate Bridge.






I had such a great time! Thanks Becky for showing me around town and inviting me out there!

Feeling stressed? THIS might help.

This afternoon I was trimming Lucy's nails- it's a difficult job but someone's got to do it. I was moving right along until I accidentally cut one too short and it started to gush blood. I took immediate action. I applied pressure and gave her tons of kisses, which seemed to do the trick. After her speedy recovery, Lucy jumped on top of my new quilt and got blood all over it! UGH!!

I really thought I'd have a blood stained quilt for life but I did a google search and found that such things as ice and/or peroxide take blood stains right out of fabrics. I was a little skeptic but low and behold it worked! I rubbed the ice over the stained areas and it came right out.

That was pretty much the excitment for this evening. Tomorrow is school picture day. Oh joy- let the fun begin!

Sssaaayyy chhhhheeeeesssseeee!!

I have almost fully recovered from my spell of strep throat. I came down with a horrible sore throat Thursday night. Around 5 a.m. on Friday, I decided to call in sick and make myself a doctor's appointment for that afternoon. After I dropped my plans off at school I spent the rest of the day in bed. Travis came home a little early and took me to get my prescriptions and a few groceries. When we got back to my place we decided to go to Conroe and spend the weekend up at his parents house since it was empty. I slept most of Saturday and by Sunday I was feeling much better. Today I feel just about 100%.

Thanks goes to Travis for taking such good care of me!!

I started school last Thursday and to my surprise it was one the smoothest first days I've ever had. I have 19 kids in my class and they keep trickling in. For the most part it's a good group of kids that seem to be pretty with it. Of course I still have to remind them of the rules and break them of the habit of calling me "teacher, teacher." Hopefully their cute little faces and their willingness to learn will keep me going this year!

Travis and I went camping over the weekend at Huntsville State Park. We were finally able to try out our new tent and I love it!! We didn't get out to our site until sunset but we got the tent set up and a fire started pretty quick. It was quite the trip for me. While I ran up the road to use the facilities Travis had 2 furry visitors- raccoons. Too bad I missed out on that excitement BUT after hearing about it I made sure to keep an ear on my surroundings. Eventually I was spooked by what I thought was a Raccoon but was really nothing- just my imagination. We soon crawled into the tent and settled in for the night. Travis always sleeps on the right and I'm always on the left. That lasted for about 5 minutes. I was getting comfortable when I noticed 2 HUGE shadows over our tent. I thought someone was out there about to get us! YIKES! Travis reassured met that those shadows were of the people in the campsite next to us. (It took some convincing though) He then said you sleep here and I'll sleep there. That was working out just fine until the owl starting hooting from the tree above us. I just closed my eyes and prayed for daylight.

Daylight came and we tore down the campsite and loaded up. We headed back early and fooled around outside. I ended up falling asleep on the porch swing. You have to love those kind of days. Monday came too soon of course but the good news is is that today is hump-day! Only 2 days to go. This weekend Travis and I are going to the Home and Garden show to meet EVAN FARMER- I mean we are going to get ideas on home improvement 'n stuff.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to BECKY & KRISTINE!!

I am so tired of the radio these days. It's the same songs being played over and over again. What's really annoying is when different radio stations play the same song at the same- there's no escaping! It seems as though I have the same problem with music here at home as I do in the car. Last night I decided enough is enough- why should I make myself suffer with the same old tunes!?! So I spent a little time online listening to cd samples and found several new artists that I liked. I created a list of potential new cds to add to my collection and then this morning I headed out to Barnes and Noble where I narrowed my list down to 2 new artists (new to me at least) Howie Day and Jamie Cullum. Howie Day has a John Mayer style/Bono sound to him and Jamie Cullum is nice and jazzy!

ahhh peace at last!

This past weekend Travis and I fell in love with the Dodge Magnum RT We decided to test drive one just for kicks and ended up seriously considering to buy one. I was drooling over the Cool Vanilla while Travis was admiring the Magnesium.

I went up to school Monday to work in my room. My goal was to get the furniture moved in to place. Mission accomplished. Tomorrow is our first day back- donuts and bagels served at 8. I think I'll pass on that. Not sure what's in store tomorrow or the year for that matter but hopefully it's not as bad I'm thinking.

This weekend I'm heading up to the hill country with my parents. Saturday I'm going to help my dad up at the ranch and then Sunday we'll be heading back home. Kind of a long drive for such a short trip but it'll be nice to get out of the city. Travis is going to Florida to help his buddy move back home. He's off for 4 days...lucky! I guess I shouldn't be jealous since I've been off for 2 months. lol

Oh, one more thing Travis and I decided to clip and use coupons this month to see if we'd save any money when purchasing grocery items. Low and behold, we saved a whopping $8 at Krogers yesterday! If only it would of been triple coupon day!

This morning I was listening to sound clips from the JB and Sandy show. I was checking out their site and came across a picture of what happens when a Zebra and a Donkey get together...If you look at long enough it's kind of cute!


Pet the Zonkey

What a great weekend! Dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse was incredible. I have never tasted a steak so flavorful. I actually ordered the stuffed chicken but sampled the steak off of Travis' plate. I am sneaky..very sneaky. We actually spilt our meals but for some reason I ate more of his than mine but not to worry I had mine boxed up and enjoyed it last night.

Yesterday Travis and I went into town and bought a new......Greatland® dome tent . I absolutely love it! I can't wait to try it out! It sleeps 4 but it is perfect for 2 and a little pup.

Travis also surprised me BIG on Friday night. On our first trip out to Fredericksburg I went to a quilt store and found this amazing quilt with a not so amazing price-tag. I told Travis about it and even showed it to him one afternoon. He told me that we could go in half on something if I wanted to. I couldn't make up my mind because I had my eye on something else. Well I left town empty handed which was fine because I figured I'd be back the following week and would have my mind made up by then. On the return trip I told Travis I had stopped by the Quilt store and to my surprise the quilt had sold. I told him that I guess a tourist had bought it over the weekend. Little did I know what he had up his sleeve. He had been teasing me all week about how I was getting a surprise when we got back to Houston. A SURPRISE!?!?!

Of course that started the guessing game....Is it something that fits your pocket? What color is it? Is it breathing? I asked every question in the book and all I got were two responses from him, "I have the right to refuse to answer and you'll find out on Saturday."

Well he couldn't wait until Saturday and neither could I! So on Friday he covered my eyes and revealed the surprise. There was the quilt spread out on my bed! I couldn't believe it. I was practically speechless.

I love my quilt and I love Travis!


The Quilt


The design upclose

So now I'm on the search for quilted pillow shams and a new bed.

I'm back!

I got in town this morning around 10. I had gone up to Fredericksburg on Tuesday because Travis was going to be working there. During my stay I learned more about what he does and talks about doing by watching him work and actually doing it myself. I collected a few water samples and helped label over 300 glass jars used for sampling. Thursday I managed to swing by Grandma's house. She was surprised to see me and offered to take Travis and I out to lunch. Travis couldn't make it because of his work load so it was just the two of us! We went by DQ (of course). We talked about the price of real estate in Fredericksburg (which is outrageous) and about my visit in town. Afterwards I managed to stroll down Main Street and did a little shopping. For the most part I just relaxed and enjoy my time with Travis.

Travis will probably be back later tonight. He had so much work left to do on his own-hopefully he'll finish before sunset.

Well next week we head back to school for inservice sessions. Today was our Kindergarten Team luncheon at Kathy's house. It kind of motivated me to get my room ready for the 20 kids I'm expected to have. We are all kind of nervous about this year because we have a new Principal, an extended day and several other changes that are going into effect this coming school year. I'm sure it'll all work out though. Change isn't always a bad thing.

Well this weekend is Travis' mom's birthday. She made reservations for all of us to go to Ruth Chris' Steakhouse to celebrate! I picked her up an antique bud vase from a store called Rebbeca's when I was on Main Street. The vase looks like a round jelly jar with a domed shaped wire lid.

Other than dinner tomorrow- not much else is planned. Perhaps we will practice the Art of Doing Nothing.

helping water the plants

Helping Gi-Gi make cookies

Let's play teacher!

Maxie B. at the Pioneer Museum

Travis and Maxie

After our camping trip I headed to Johnson City to pick up Maxie. Maxie stayed with Gi-Gi and I for 3 days. We had a lot of fun! Monday Gi-Gi took us to the Pioneer Museum to see some of her Great Grandfather's artifacts. It was pretty interesting and there was lots to see. We did a little shopping and had an ice cold treat at DQ. Maxie and Gi-Gi made oatmeal raisin cookies one afternoon and then Maxie and I did a little more shopping. I'd try to give Grandma a little time to herself so she could rest and restore some energy. We'd visit Travis everyday at his job-site. I am glad I had the chance to see what he does when he is out of the office. Travis stayed at the Miller Inn which was right around the corner from my Grandma's place- so pretty convenient! It was nice being that close. Tuesday was date night out on the town. We went out for dinner at Bejas, a causal Sante-Fe restaurant. We dined on the patio facing Main Street. We started out with chips and queso and a tangy margarita. For the main course I had the Cobb salad and Travis had a stuffed chicken dish and we shared a peach cobbler topped with ice cream for dessert! It was nice to go out and enjoy the small town life. I love Fredericksburg because work isn't the priority for people- it's family. People work hard at what they do but it's family (not money) that keeps them going.
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Last week Travis and I went camping at Inks Lake- which is just North of Marble Falls. The drive out there was pretty. There were rolling hills, winding roads with amazing views of the land and the water. When I arrived Travis was tucked away in his tent but was aware of my arrival- he quickly popped out to greet me. He had picked a great location to camp- close to the water which gave a nice breeze and it was near the restroom. Travis took me on a quick tour of the campsite and then suggested renting a canoe to paddle around the lake. I'd never done that before so I was up for it! At first I was little nervous about being on the water but Travis assured me that the boat was stable! We paddled around for a couple of hours and enjoyed the fresh air! I do have to admit I could use a little help on my rowing technique but overall I got the hang of it. That afternoon Travis set up the hammock and we spent some time relaxing in the shade with our books. At night we built a fire and watched for shooting stars before going to bed. We took it easy on Sunday morning and tore down the campsite little by little before heading to Fredericksburg.

the view from our campsite

Me and Lucy watching the sunset

sunrise...sunset...sunrise...sunset

taking it easy

creepy crawly critter

Travis and Lucy in the water at INKs Lake

Becky- Thanks for all your help with my blog issues! You certainly do have "magic fingers!" So here it is- the latest look for my Blog....is it a keeper? You bet it is!

Last night Kristine and I saw The Notebook. I had read the book last summer and when I heard about the movie I knew I had to see it. I definitely recommend seeing it-and bring a box of tissues. We were both crying and laughing at one another but we gave each other a hug and we were all better!

Tomorrow I'm heading to Austin for some good-time fun with Maxie! On Saturday I am meeting Travis at Perdenalis Falls to go camping- I hope I'll be able to find him when I make my way out there! We will camp out Saturday night then head to Grandma's house on Sunday and stay until Thursday. Should be a great time to take lots of pictures!

I was surfing mtv.com earlier today to find out what's going on in the world of entertainment. I came across a link called 20 Questions about your favorite Real World cast memebers. I personally am a big fan of earlier epidsodes of the show but the San Diego cast was pretty interesting- especially with members like Frankie- woah!

One question in particular caught my eye. What's your porn star name? (Your childhood pet's name + the name of the street you grew up on.) So that's my question to you fellow blog readers. Post your responses on the tag-board located on the right panel of my entry!

Sugar Sham would be mine. It's got a nice ring to it but I have no interest in changing professions!

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did over the Holiday weekend. I decided I'd go over to my parents house to help my mom out. She has been nagging me to clean out my bedroom closet for several months now. Since Travis was out of town I decided that now was a good time to get organized. I decided go the extra mile and clean out the gameroom closet as well. I figured out that if you can't find a place to store something just shove it in the closet and that'll work best. I should have worn protective head gear while cleaning- the closet was jam packed with stuff (not all of my stuff either). That little closet probably took a good 3 to 4 hours to organize. But now you can feel safe knowing that nothing will fall at you when opening the door. Then it was time to tackle bigger and better things like my bedroom closet.... I started cleaning it around 9 o'clock Friday and 10 trashbags later I was finally done. You can actually see the carpet now!

Travis and Scott took off on Thursday for a 2-day trip to the Sunshine State. First stop UNIVERSAL STUDIOS and Islands of Adventure for some roller coaster action! Then Saturday was race day. Travis and Scott attended a little thing called the Pepsi 400. Travis' drivers of choice are Rusty Wallace and Casey Kahne. Travis made it back early Sunday morning and by early I mean they caught the 5:30 a.m. flight. We dropped Scott off at his house in Spring and then headed back over to my parents place to pick LUcy up and visit with over breakfast. We spent the remainder of the weekend in Conroe and took it nice and easy!

Movie Rental Must- Cold Mountain

One of my goals for the past couple of months is to work on paying off my debt. I've been battling this for awhile and it's not like I'm in over my head but I want it to be over and done with. Julie told me about a man she saw on Oprah this week talking about MONEY. I immediately went to Oprah and read up on some tips and thought I'd share them with you.

From the show Automatic Millionaire: How to Become One

Secret One: Pay Yourself First

Most people live paycheck to paycheck. The average American family has $10,000 debt. Financial expert David Bach says the secret to being rich is paying yourself first. Right now, when you earn a dollar, before it even makes it to your paycheck, you pay the federal government income taxes. You also may be paying state income tax. And on top of that, there are Social Security taxes, Medicaid and unemployment. Don't pay Uncle Sam before you pay yourself, David says. Start paying yourself first—take at the very least the first hour of income that you earn during the day for yourself. You can legally pay yourself first -before the government- by putting that money into a pre-tax retirement account.

How Much Should You Pay Yourself?

David tells you where you'll be according to what you save.

Dead Broke: Don't pay yourself first. Spend more than you earn.
Poor: Spend everything you make and save nothing.
Middle Class: Pay yourself first five to 10 percent of your income.
Upper Class: Pay yourself first 10 to 20 percent of your income.
Super Rich: Pay yourself first at least 20 percent of your income.

Secret Two: Make it Automatic

In order to make paying yourself first effective, the process has to be automatic, David Bach says. You must have a system that will pull that money out of your paycheck directly and automatically—the way the federal government does. Go to your employer and say, "I want you to take money directly out of my paycheck, and I want you to put it automatically into my retirement account." Don't trust yourself to pull that money out, David says. It's not that people are lazy, it's that they're busy. No matter how disciplined they may be, they don't have time to manually write checks and deposit them into an account every pay day.
No retirement account? Some people may not have a retirement account, or their employers don't offer a retirement plan. Don't use that as an excuse—open your own individual retirement account. An IRA is a personal retirement plan that anyone who earns income can set up at a bank, brokerage firm, or online.
David says opening an IRA and making it automatic can be done in 15 minutes. David suggests starting with the following investment companies, brokerage firms and banks.

Secret Three: Buy Your Home and Pay It Off Early

You'll never get rich if you don't own your own home, according to David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire. When you rent, you are essentially throwing away the money you could be putting towards owning your own home. Most people are afraid to buy a home because they don't have money for a down payment. Through programs sponsored by lenders, developers and the government, David says first-time homebuyers can finance a house for little or no money down.

How Much Can You Afford?According to the Federal Housing Administration, most people can afford to spend between 29–40% of their gross monthly income on housing.

Pay Off Your Mortgage Early
Wouldn't you like to own your home and be debt-free sooner? Set up a bi-weekly mortgage plan. Here's how it works. Let's say your mortgage payment is $1000. Instead of paying it every month, split it in half and pay it automatically every two weeks on the day that you get paid. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, you'll make 26 half-payments, or 13 full payments—the equivalent of an extra month's payment! Over time, this will reduce your 30-year mortgage by 5-10 years and shave tens of thousands of dollars off your interest payments.

These 3 things really got me thinking in a more positive way.

It's always one thing to hear or read about something but it's the actual DOING that's going to make all the difference. I'm going to try this out, starting TODAY!

Thanks for the tip Becky! I signed up for Upromise. I already know a few people who are seeing the dollars add up (like Julie)! Julie became a member long before she was even pregnant- It's always a good thing to plan ahead. Pass it on.

The baby shower was a success! The house looked so cute with the decorations and the food was delicious! This baby shower really got me thinking about a career change. I'm looking into taking a class at HCC for starting your own business. I'd love to be a party planner but I don't know how to get started and this class will probably give me some direction.

Today I am going to install curtains in my bedroom. They are nothing fancy but they will add a nice touch to the room. Last week I installed curtains in my living room- it really dressed it up! Anywho, I'm going to get my day started! Have a wonderful Monday!

Here are some fabulous tunes to check out!

Eva Cassidy
Katie Melua

Happy Listening

Today I decided I have had enough with the snail population living outside my door. I finally took action! I sprinkled salt all over my patio in hopes that tomorrow when I awake I will not see trails of goo all over my window nor will I hear "crunch crunch" when I'm out watering my flowers. Keep your fingers crossed that the snail population will have diminished.

This afternoon I went to spend some time with Julie! We visited a little bit and played with Andrew, who by the way is a chunky little fellow. He is up to 13lbs now and the doctors say if he continues to develop at this rate he will be over 6ft- No doubt in my mind that will happen.

On my way home I stopped by a scrapbooking store and picked up some new paper by SEI. Here are two websites that carry this brand of paper Two Peas In A Bucket and Scrapbookers Paradise. About 2 years ago I started an album that has pictures of my family from yesterday and today- it's one page away from being complete. I also have another album that is dedicated to my friends and it's a ways off from being done but it's getting there. Well for some reason today I bought another album! It was just too good of deal to pass up! I placed an order yesterday on snapfish so as soon as those pictures arrive I'll be all set to start on my new book! Isn't that exciting?!

This weekend is the baby shower for Ronda (Travis' sister in-law). It should be a lot of fun- I just love throwing showers! I would almost consider myself a professional shower thrower.

My trip to Austin was a lot of fun! Stephanie and I went shopping for knick-knacks for the house/apartment. I came home with new curtains from Pottery Barn and some hand-me-down throw pillows from my sister. My dentist appointment went smoothly. I received a trial packet of the Rembrandt Tooth Whitening System, my teeth are beaming! I came back to Houston on Friday afternoon and met Travis at his parents house. We loaded up the truck and headed to Buffalo for the weekend. Saturday I spent most of the day relaxing indoors while Travis and his dad worked on mowing the fields. Their lines look nice and straight! The girls (Cassie and Lucy) played and played on Saturday and by that evening they were pooped out! On Sunday Travis and I went on a drive to look at an old Post Office building and while we were walking around we snapped these pictures of Lucy!

Today was the day that I busted out the ol' sewing machine to see if I could in fact sew a straight line. I borrowed the machine from Julie last week and today was the perfect day to try it out. The Singer Touch & Sew Special Zig-Zag Sewing Machine Model 638 is what I am using. Sew...I used some of Travis' old jeans and a shirt of mine. I thougth both of those fabrics would work perfectly for the job at hand. I undid the metal clasps on the side of the machine's cover and plugged it into the wall. I sat down and examined the machine. I felt pretty comfortable so I put my foot on the pedal and watched as I sewed a semi-straight but mostly wavy line across my fabric. Not bad for the first time. I continued on until my bobbin came undone. I pulled out my handy Singer manual to figure out how to rethread it. I finally figured it out with a little help from Julie and the manual.

I was sewing away when Kristine showed up for our Pilates workout. She immediately says, "TARA, what are you doing? This isn't right, and this needs to be like this and this needs to be here!" I asked her how she knew all of that and she said, "It's because I was the Future Homemaker of America President back in High School." It's not something she brags about but come on- that's quite the title! So she gave me a quick tutorial on how the machine works and how to line everything up!

I called my mom and told her about my new hobby. She asked me, "So what are you sewing on?" I immediately think surface and say, "the kitchen table" she says "no silly, what fabric are you practicing on!" lol

Anyway here are some of the projects I'm considering sewing: Curtains for the kitchen, living room and bedroom. A few pillows and a quilt (for Travis). I'm hoping I can at least do the curtains this summer and then maybe I can invest in my own machine and complete the rest.

Tomorrow I have a Kindergarten Writing Workshop I have to attend and then I'm heading to Austin to visit Stephanie, Travis and Maxie. I have a dentist appointment Thursday morning at 7:50 and then rest of the day will be spent on the streets of Austin. I can't wait to go....but I also can't wait to get back to see "My Travis!"