Summer Lovin'

Sorry about the brief hiatis from blogworld. Our laptop decided it no longer wanted to charge...the culprit seems to be the actual power cord. A quick visit to amazon.com, and a new cord is on its way! Now let's keep our fingers crossed that that really is the problem ;) Anyways, No laptop = No blogging, or easy blogging...we have the desktop, but he's not nearly as convenient!

The hiatis may also be caused by the craziness that has been the last few weeks. As you know from last post, we will be moving back to IA this summer, meaning I had to resign from my current school. I have spent the last two weeks of school, not only preparing for finals, but packing, completing/sending paperwork, having mini-goodbye parties with each of my classes and teams, and spending time with some of the friends I've made during my time here. It has been a bitter-sweet two weeks, but I know this all will be worth it!!

And with that, WELCOME summer! I have one more day of school next week, and then its summer lovin' free time :) More about that soon....

"Is this Heaven? No, it's IOWA."

Heaven might be a little extreme, but I definitely feel as though I'm walking on clouds. After a few weeks of disappointment (See post: It is what it is) things have turned a complete 180! Last week, Becca (Joshy's Love, Molly's Co-Worker, Ciara's Friend, My Half Marathon Buddy - in no specific order) found a FCS job opening in a district about 15 miles from Ankeny. I quickly submitted my application and we sent up some prayers. I was asked for an interview a few days later, met with them this morning, and was offered the position this afternoon! LOOK OUT IOWA - HERE WE COME!! Noah and I have talked about this sooo much the last few months, but it still seems like it happened so fast! We have some details to sort out, and will probably face some bumps along the way,  but right now Life is definitely SWEET!!

Sunday Funday

I love Sundays! It seems to be the one day of the week I really get to do what I want to do! Don't get me wrong, Saturdays are pretty great too, but usually they are spent A) coaching or doing something for school B) cleaning C) running errands/doing everything I've neglected all week... by Sunday all that silly stuff is taken care of! It has also become my day for DIY.

Today, I was able to finally come up with a use for the silly metal shelf that was once in my Great Grandma Vera's home. I can picture exactly where is was - by the piano, holding piano music and hymnals. I have no idea what the original purpose of this shelf was due to its "V" shaped shelves on top and bottom, but I pictured it becoming a perfect addition to my bathroom.

It needed a little TLC - nothing a bucket of soapy water and a quick spray of paint couldn't fix!

I had randomly bought this fabric a few months back. The colors were perfect for the aqua bathroom we currently have. I had thought about adding it to the shower curtain, but that didn't really excite me. Eventually I came up with a plan.

I sewed two rectangle panels of the fabric to weave in between the metal slots. This makes them seems a little more useable and adds to the shelves "cutness" factor. I then used velcro to secure the fabric in place.

I can't say that make-up and other bathroom supplies are that pretty, but the new shelf adds some style, and functionality, to our bathroom :)

Home "making"

I love crafting! I have always had a creative mind, constantly doodling and using color. Recently, I have turned this creativity towards our home. My favorite is taking old, or boring pieces, and turning them into something unique! I first caught the "decorating bug" when I was in college and took two old beat up pieces of furniture from the trash - sanded, painted and made them my own. At that time, I didn't quite have the materials or know-how to redo correctly, but I am learning :) Here are a few of my recent favorites that have helped turn our house into a home:

This is one of my original dumpster finds. I recently gave her a complete makeover - painting her red, replacing the hinges, and fixing the wheels. I also added the wine glass holder underneath to add some functionality.

Here she is in my kitchen. I also recently fixed up the white chair on the left. It definitely has some history and memories for me. This is where I sat and ate hundreds of meals growing up. It had become quite beat up and needed the seat and back completely replaced. I also repainted some of the metal to make it good as new :)

So I might have went a little crazy with the wedding silhouettes, but I love them. Plus, we only plan on doing that once, so better live it up! I also added some yellow pillows in the bedroom to add some color and fun to a pretty neutral room. 

A ten minute project that may need to be redone in the future...The wood glue has discolored the wood between the cracks, but you have to look very close to see that, so it will stay up just like that for a while!

The kitchen in our current house is pretty retro. It's painted a mint green and is overall very outdated. I am so proud of how my decor has made the kitchen a fun space. A main contribution was these very simple curtains I made that embrace our dated motif, and scale down the green walls.

I have lots more projects waiting in the garage right now. This wet/rainy/depressing spring has halted many of my painting projects, but summer is almost here! YAY!

2 years ago...

Time seems to be speeding up. I've heard this happens as you get older, but I didn't think I was getting that old. I cannot convince myself that it has been two years since Noah and I made our 24 hour drive from Arizona to Illinois.

The fall I was student teaching and set to graduate from Iowa State, my sister and her family were living in AZ. Tim got offered a position at Iowa State, which made for a sticky situation. They had just purchased a home in Mesa, and Molly really needed to finish the year teaching middle school. So, in an attempt to keep Molly sane (hehe) I moved to Arizona after I graduated. Neither of us really ever thought that we would live together as adults, but things happen for a reason. Although there were some stressful moments, it was great to be with her and the girls and help out in a very trying time. Everything eventually worked out - they sold their house, we both got jobs - and we all made the move back to the Midwest. Molly and her family bought a home in Ankeny, IA while I joined Noah in Rockford, IL.

Here's a few memories from those months in the desert and the long trip home...

Cece Kate (1 year)

Cheering on the Diamondbacks

I do miss the sunny weather...Ellie Jo and I

Picnic Time

Beginning the drive

In the Mountains

We picked up Bella on the way to Illinois

"It is what it is"

I found out this week that I do not handle disappointment well. I have always been one to "control my own destiny". Right now I feel as though that control was ripped from my hands.

I'm also not a fan of the phrase "It is what it is", but it fits our current situation exactly.

Times like these, I really have to dig deep. I have to be thankful for what I have. Which is a lot. A TON, really. More than most.

I have a life with a wonderful man, loving family and friends, and have never spent a day truly in need. We have our health, a home, and plenty else to be thankful for. We will be fine.

I'll have to learn to deal with disappointment. It will make the joyous moments all that much sweeter.

Memories in the Making

I tend to keep a "to do" list in the back of my mind (I'm not much for writing things down). Usually, things get crossed off the mind list fairly quickly. However, there has been a nagging chore that has been in my head for quite a while...picture organization. The problem is I have no idea how to accomplish this task. A lot has happened in the last few years that I would love to display in beautiful scrapbooks, but I know that is not something I will ever sit down and do. Then, a few weeks ago, a wonderful light bulb went off. Why not blog? Why not create an online scrapbook of all the adventures we have had, no glue and scissors involved :) Hence the start of "Together, Life is Sweeter". I admit, this was created for completely selfish reasons with no intent for others to follow, so if anyone happens to stumble upon our memories in the making, I apologize. But feel free to snoop around, you will find lots of love, laughs, and randomness that might make you smile.