Achoo!!

The inevitable has occurred - the cold from hell has landed and left me reeling. What started out as a sore throat the Friday before last turned into a full-blown cold by the following Tuesday. The worst is over and I'm almost fully functioning, but still not back to 100%. My co-workers cheerfully informed me that I can expect to be sick frequently during the next few months, until my immune system gets used to the onslaught of germs. Let the good times roll...

Chris was adventurous and went skiing last Saturday; I did the "responsible adult" thing and stayed home to continue recovering. As a result, my weekend consisted of thrilling activities like sleep, grocery shopping, making split pea soup, and more sleep. Life of the party, I tell ya.

Puppy snuggles: Good for what ails you.

Bargain buy of the week. How cute will this guy be with a few coats of white spray paint?!

Fun mugs definitely improve much-too-early mornings.

In other news: Closing on our house was pushed back another couple weeks, but the extension ended up being a blessing in disguise as we are seriously behind on packing. I just can't seem to find the necessary focus to make decisions on what we need and what we can do without for a few weeks...

Wardrobe Woes and Wins

I survived my first few days on the job with only a couple tender spots from my new, much lower heels that are being broken in. I have an intense dislike of nearly all shoes with heels under three inches, but the new job and my own traitorous feet are requiring that I look beyond my usual preferences. Explaining this predicament to sales people working the shoe department(s) prompted endless suggestions of, "These ones aren't cute...but they really are comfortable!" Despite these assertions, I just can't bring myself to purchase ugly shoes for the sake of physical comfort.

Umm... no thank you.

I stayed strong and found an understanding ear at Macy's, which resulted in a couple pairs that were acceptable both in height and looks. Shoe love is still reserved for true heels, but the new shoes are earning their place in the closet. The bright side of my shopping excursion was stumbling across a huge sale at Loft and purchasing several pairs of nice slacks for 60% off the sale prices. $12 - $25 for pairs that are normally priced north of $70 each is always something that I can get excited about!

In unrelated news: we had our first major snow storm last Wednesday. There was no snow on the ground at 6 am, but by 7:30 am a few inches had accumulated... which I unhappily discovered upon opening the garage to leave for a dental appointment. I promptly volunteered to take the vehicle with 4WD, since Chris is actually quite adept at driving in snowy conditions, and made it safely to and from my appointment. We ended up with about 6 inches total, but it was mostly gone by the next day as the overnight temperatures, thankfully, stayed above freezing.

As much as I dislike snow, I can still admit that it does make everything look pretty.

Obsession of the week: The Civil Wars - Poison & Wine

I'm a sucker for haunting duets and this one is amazing - goosebumps every time I listen. Which is multiple times per day. So I look like I'm constantly cold. Oh, wait... I am.

Weekend Wanderings

Last week was rather busy, with appointments taking up unexpectedly large portions of my time, but the weekend was delightfully low-key. We hit up a flea market on Saturday morning, where I scored an awesome sliver plated swan. This purchase was understandably puzzling to Chris. I suppose that the sudden necessity of a silver swan does beg the question, "Why would you ever need a swan?" but it should only be asked once you have molded your features into a suitably dramatic look of disbelief. My husband has perfected this look.

Ta-da!! Even Chris admitted that my swan cleaned up nicely.

I'm not usually the type of person that buys and displays bric-a-brac, but I've been warming to the idea of adding a few rather whimsical pieces to our decor. We're in the final stage of the home-buying process and my goal, once we move, is to start decorating in a way that makes our home look pulled together and complete. Our housing situation has been in a somewhat constant state of flux - always temporary - so I've held off on the details that would complete our decor. This swan marks a change in that way of thinking!

Sunday saw us heading to church (I think we've finally found one that suits us!) and then to the park just outside of our soon-to-be new neighborhood. I neglected to take pictures while we were there since it was a balmy 35 degrees outside. My hands stayed in my pockets and, despite gloves, were still freezing. The park was lovely, with well-kept trails and nicely appointed overlooks of the valley and river.

That smile stayed firmly in place for the entire trip to the park.

Yellow tulips to brighten my day. I'm married to a pretty sweet guy.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."  - Marcel Proust

Five Things I've Learned From Horror Movies

I readily admit to being a horror movie fiend. The buildup of suspense, the eerie music and vague imagery...I love it. Chris does not share my affinity for the genre, but he's generally a good sport about it. We watched our first horror movie in months on Saturday night. The trailer made it seem like the movie we chose had potential, but "Don't be Afraid of the Dark" was not even mildly creepy. Such a let down.

The important thing is that I've gathered critical survival tips from these movies:

 5) If you find yourself in a horror movie scenario, never take a bath or shower.

4) Never volunteer to investigate the weird noises coming from outside.

3) Never volunteer to investigate weird noises, period.
(This also happens to be my philosophy for everyday life.)

2) Always carry matches. They work as well (or better) than a 75 watt light bulb.

1) Never, ever utter the words, "I'll be right back." Guaranteed death sentence.

In other words: I will be unshowered, armed with flammables, and refusing to answer the door. You've been warned.

What? You don't watch movies with your pets?

Obsession of the week: Instagram
This photo editing and sharing app is phenomenal. Easy to use, fun filters/effects that give your photos a retro feel, and you can either take photos through the app or use ones already on your camera roll.

Keep On Keeping On

There's not much in the way of news around here, and I think I'm okay with that for now. I'm in the process of securing a full-time job, stepping into independent contracting for graphic design, and beginning another round of classes next week. On one hand I'm a little impatient for things to begin, but on the other I'm trying to enjoy my last week of complete freedom. I've also been very housewife-y since we got back: cooking, baking, cleaning, organizing, shopping, etc. And just in case the next few months are as busy as I think they may be, the freezer is now stocked with two kinds of cookie dough. For emergencies, of course...

Random photos from the last couple months

"Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity."

- Gilda Radner