the welch edition

guest blogger: hannah maple of maple and shade

2012-03-02T07:30:00.000-06:00

I'm a sucker for punchy throw pillows, and the power they have in transforming a neutral design scheme. I'm totally digging this neon geometric from UO! And I'm loving this luxe, velvet leopard.

I'm pretty much a shoe fanatic! I go for neutral basics (I wear a lot of black), but love to go bold with my footwear. These Zara pumps had me with the python...

Finials are such an easy, inexpensive way to spruce up table lamps. Go for the geodes! They're classic, yet completely unexpected. I'd pair this one with a crisp, black shade.

Nars bronzer and blush. They'll forever be a favorite (beauty) find. And I'm totally enamored with their chic packaging...

How simple yet stunning is this black and white dot print? It would look uber-chic as a wall statement, perhaps above a mushroom velvet sofa? I think yes!

Tortoise shell and black. And in a lamp. Perfection! I can't help but envision two of them flanking a creamy, tufted headboard.

This gold, bauble side stool via Baker is certainly a beauty...

I'm loving the simple, refined lines of this velvet, tufted bench. They're the perfect answer to extra seating! I'd love to see them paired beneath a modern parsons console.

This Moroccan-esque, burled-wood mirror from Cabana Home has me impatiently dreaming of demo-ing my bathroom. I'll take two, please. Flanked by chrome sconces. Perched above a marble vanity.

I've fallen hard for the soothing blues and grays in this classic fabric. It would be stunning on a simple bed as an extra-long bolster with thick, black welting.

And how about this dreamy ocean photo by Ruby Beets? I love that it shows a darker, more ominous version of the sea. I'd blow it up and mount it in a simple white frame!

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Hannah! Everyone check out her blog, Maple and Shade, here. It's one of my all-time favorites!

Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend!

quote of the month: march

2012-03-01T20:39:00.000-06:00

Today, I am rolling up my sleeves and guzzling coffee by the gallon to get things crossed off my to do list. I am so happy it is finally March! The start of each new month makes me feel like I have a blank slate and I just love it!

This month, I am going to feature some of my favorite blogs. Tomorrow, will be my first guest blogger of March, and I'm honored to have Hannah Maple of Maple and Shade, show us some of her favorite finds. I hope you will enjoy these blogs as much as I do!

Happy Friday Eve!

P.S. I also love changing out the background on my iPhone every month with a calendar by Ashley Brooke Designs! She comes out with a new uber cute design the first day of every month and they are FREE! Get it here.

the morning after {the academy awards}

2012-02-29T21:25:00.000-06:00

Once all of The Oscars had been handed out, and the after parties began, my schedule began. I went to bed immediately after the show, so I could get at least a few hours of sleep. The phone rang at 1:15am for our wake up call. Whew.

I am still recovering from my night of little {but what felt like no} sleep. It was an amazing once in a life time experience, I would not trade...even for more sleep. And for those of you who know me well, you know just how precious I think sleep is.

2:30am Becky {who flew in to accompany me to see Live with Kelly after The Oscars} and I leave our Hollywood Hotel.

2:45am We arrive at the Hollywood Bowl to park.

3:00am We check in and get our wristbands.

3:10am We get in THIS line. Yep. There were definitely over 2,500 people in that line. The line we waited in for over TWO hours. Did I mention it was 38 degrease outside?

5:30am We arrive by shuttle bus to the Kodak Theatre. Ahhh...the grand entrance, where not twelve hours before the stars walked the red carpet. We had goosebumps knowing how many amazing actors and actresses have walked these very same stairs.

5:45am We find out way through the Theatre to our seats.

5:50am We enter. OH. MY. It is even more gorgeous in person than what you see here. WOW.

6:00am Live with Kelly begins. {It airs live 9:00am Eastern, if you are wondering why the time difference.} Neil Patrick Harris {AKA formally Doogie Howser, MD and now star on How I Met Your Mother } is Kelly's co-host for the day. P.S. Check out the stage with all of the oscars still set up!

7:25am We leave to go back to the shuttle, but get a bit star struck. Since Billy Crystal hosted The Academy Awards, I thought it only appropriate to stand on his star before heading back.

treemendous: the fiddle leaf fig

2012-02-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

vogue

The fiddle leaf fig tree is, in my book, one of the seven wonders of the world. Okay, okay, maybe that is a bit too much, but it is indeed a design phenomenon. Its gorgeous green color adds life and vibrance to any room. And its leaves are so mysterious. They are large in scale yet somehow seem to be light and airy. Often times a tree can be a bit obtrusive in a room, but not this fig.

I have had my eye one one ever since Domino Magazine's February issue, 2007. I just cannot wait to purchase one for our California home. In pretty much every room, I've seen a space to put one. No worries though, I will only get one. And I am saving my pennies for her, so it will be a little while. But oh man. I cannot wait. I plan on putting it into a gorgeous basket instead of a pot. There is just something about the earthiness of a woven basket at the bottom of a tree I love.

our life in photos: february

2012-02-24T07:30:00.000-06:00

president's day with the hubby

hiking @ santa rosa plateau

date night + my research for work

new restaurant + old friends

inspiration + glimpse at our new curtains

{thank you, mama welch}

Some of you have been requesting I post a little more about our life in California...particularly you, grandaddy. This one's for you. {Wink!} Hope you enjoy. And have a fabulous weekend everyone!

travel log: las vegas eye candy

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

via

Next week, I will be accompanying my hubby to Vegas on a little work trip. I am so excited to explore the area, since I have never been there before. Everyone tells me I will just love indulging in all of the luxurious, over the top decor. As I was planning some things for us to do, I found these uber glamorous hotel rooms. I just love them. Can't you see yourself sitting on those couches with a martini in your hand?

Hope you enjoy the eye candy. Happy Friday Eve!

picture perfect: chalking it up to a good idea

2012-02-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Recently, I have been thoroughly enjoying Martha Stewart Living. Each issue has been filled with more great ideas than the last. I am not sure what is going on over at that magazine, but they need to keep it up! Because...it's a good thing! {I hope you caught the Marthaisim there.}

I am obsessed with this table setting, which can be found in the March issue. I mean, don't you just want to be invited to this party? I do! It is a beer tasting party and I am originally from Wisconsin, so maybe that is why I am so drawn to this.

When you think of a dinner party, you don't normally think of beer or chalk. But here the table is literally set for F-U-N! It reminded me that we get to set the tone for our guests. So for your next event, why not switch it up a bit? Sit back with your guests, have some beer, and write on the table with chalk!

trend alert: painted furniture

2012-02-21T19:49:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you enjoyed your President's Day weekend! I know I did! It gave me some time to catch up on all of my emails and dig into some decorating projects that have been in need of attention. One of those projects is my in-law's house.

They have a lot of wonderful heirloom pieces of furniture in their home that we do not want to get rid of, but we do need to freshen things up a bit. Most of the pieces are wooden and thus brown. To freshen up the room, I suggested painting some of the pieces. While I was researching, I found these wonderfully inspirational pictures of painted furniture from one of my all time favorite bloggers and decorators, Jenny Komenda of The Little Green Notebook.

I love the desk chair in robins egg blue in the photo above. If the chair was the same color wood as the campaign desk, then your eye would not be drawn to each piece individually. This way your eye looks at the flirty blue chair and then sees the gorgeous desk.

This amazing deep blue on the bed makes me want to paint mine. And the light grey on the night-stands are heavenly.

I have an obsession for paining things white. It just looks so clean and crisp. If I was left alone too long with a can of white paint, I'm afraid I would not be able to stop myself from painting everything in sight.

This room is a great example of how painted furniture can really lighten and brighten up a room.

Wonderful use of bright and happy yellow here. PS don't you just want to curl up and read a book on that burgundy velvet sofa?

Chartreuse buffet. Fabulous.

This white piano makes the room luxurious. It fits into the room perfectly and subtly, while still managing to make a statement. Love it.

I hope you've found as much inspiration as I did in these photos. And maybe even decided to paint a piece of your furniture. Have a great night!

my new best friends: kelly + oscar

2012-02-20T16:52:00.000-06:00

Last year while I was in New York, I attempted to see Live with Regis and Kelly. I am a HUGE fan of the show and Kelly Ripa. One of my besties and I woke up while it was still dark out, took the subway, walked seven blocks and waited in the stand by line for hours trying to get into the show. No luck. We missed our shot by five people! I've been trying to find a way to see the show ever since.

I had pretty much given up on my shot at seeing the show or becoming best friends with Kelly and then last week my luck changed! I won tickets to Live with Kelly after the Ocscars! This is not just any show either! It is going to be filmed from the infamous Kodak Theater in Hollywood! I will have the privilege of seeing all of the Academy Award winners on stage in front of me! OH. MY. GOODNESS. I cannot wait. Follow me on twitter for updates all week long!

Happy Presidents Day!

must stop shop: fishs eddy {nyc}

2012-02-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Each fall, I take a girls trip to NYC. One of my besties just happens to live there, so she plays tour guide for the week. And by that, I do not mean going to Time Square or seeing the naked cowboy. Although that IS fun. We get the exclusive privilege of experiencing NYC's lesser known gems through the eyes of an actual New Yorker.

On one of my previous trips we went to Fishs Eddy. Oh. Man. As you can see by the sign above, I have FINALLY found someone in this world who loves doing dishes! {Sigh} Okay, they do not actually wash your dishes, but if they did, I think they would make a killing!

Fishs Eddy is an incredible resource for dishes, glassware, linens, and unique gifts you will not find anywhere else. The dishes you see above are vintage pieces from various hotels and restaurants around the city that have been retired. I mean, how amazing would be to tell your company you set the table with china that was once used at The Russian Tea room or The Ritz!

They also carry every day dishes in bright colors, classic neutrals and one of a kind patterns that will add just the right touch to any table. While I am a huge fan of white dishes for every day use, I also like to add great accent colors and patterns to mix and match when I need a little something special.

Next time you are in NYC, you MUST stop in! I promise you will not regret it. You can purchase items on their website, but it is just not the same. And don't forget to take a moment to stop on the sidewalk before you walk in, to view the gorgeous window displays. They are breathtaking.

a closer look: my california living room

2012-02-16T19:19:00.000-06:00

Last week our living room was bare. Granted, we only moved in a little more than a month ago. But I could not take it anymore. Everything was white. White. White. White. I decided to rearrange our furniture and add a few items here and there to brighten things up a bit.

You might remember these gorgeous apple green chairs the hubby's grandmother so generously gave me. You know, the ones with the reupholstering nightmare? Anyway, I could not love them more! They add so much color and life. Any time you can add furniture to your home that tells a story, by all means do it!

I've had my eye on a Chinese Garden Stool for quite some time now. This little beauty came from Pier One. She adds just the pop of red this room needed. I think just about every room can use a dash of red, kind of like wearing red lipstick. It makes a statement that everyone will notice.

I am sure you have noticed by now, I have a long standing love affair with all things Kate Spade. I thought it would be fun to frame a spade in honor of my slight obsession. To make this piece of art, I spray painted an old print gold, then cut out a spade from card stock. Easy as that. Art should always be meaningful and if you can make it yourself there is no doubt it will be just that.

Here are a few more pieces of art I made over the weekend. I really want our living room to be fun and not too stuffy or serious. I decided to look for quotes from Kate Spade. This one seemed perfect. And there is one more dash of red to add to the room as well.

These frames are old. I got them at Ikea years ago. They have had many lives. At one time they held vintage prints of flowers, but more recently one of them hung above my stove and acted as a cork board for recipes. You can still see the cork.

To give them new life, I painted their lifeless cream frames to be a deep grey. Then I painted the cork white to create some contrast. The black lettering is once again from my scrapbook supplies. The "red" lettering I cut free hand from a file folder. Again, this project fit VERY nicely into my budget, with a grand total of $7 for spray paint.

Domino has to be my favorite decor magazine of all time. Much to my dismay, they went out of business when the recession hit. I kept every single issue I ever bought. I keep them together by month on my bookshelf and page through them often for new ideas. This is one of my favorite covers. The good news is on April 17th, a new issue is coming out. I will be at the newsstand bright and early that day! Yippee!

diy: laundry room art

2012-02-15T02:09:00.000-06:00

While the hubby was away for work, I did some work of my own {to the house}. I cleaned and organized closets, cupboards, and even the garage. Yes. I did. I am not as familiar with cleaning the garage as I am the rest of the house...so I may have vacuumed the garage... But that is another story for another time.

Because we are on a budget in this household, I have become a bit more creative while making our new house a home. The wall art you see here was actually inspired by some late night tv watching. I saw a commercial, I think it was by Hallmark, go figure, that used this wonderful quote. It was so brilliant that I decided right then and there to find a way to put it on my walls. So, I did.

I had thrown away this white Ikea frame earlier that day, since the glass had shattered and the paint was scratched. But after seeing the commercial, I made a b line for my dumpster and picked her right back out, knowing I could turn her into a treasure. {I cannot believe I just told you that I went dumpster diving in my own garage!}

First, I cut out the reddish orange lettering of "life" from a file folder I had laying around. Then I rummaged through my trusty old scrapbooking supplies and found that beautiful white lettering. And that was pretty much it. I just glued those letters down to the back of the frame and whala! FREE wall art! I'd say that fits pretty nicely in our budget!

Please forgive me, but I had to include this photo because I am a first time owner of a washer and a dryer. Yep. I am officially a grown-up. We are saving up to get those amazing little pedestals to put them on. I cannot wait to have more storage!

Once I began decorating and organizing the laundry room, I could not stop. I pulled out these storage bins from our office and placed them on the shelving unit above the dryer. They now neatly hold extra dust rags, light bulbs, extension cords, et. Did I mention, I love organizing?

Here is a close-up shot of the tags I made to label each bin. Again, I used my scrapbooking paper and letter stickers. Then I hung them with some ribbon I had laying around the house.

Since the laundry room also functions as a utility room, I placed a pot of sharpies on the counter. After all, you never know when you are going to need a sharpie! A little tip when you are putting markers or writing utensils of any kind into a container: fill the bottom with coffee beans to keep the markers standing up straight and bonus - your room will smell like a fresh cup of coffee.

The jar holding the chalk used to be a candle holder that no longer went with anything in the house. I found a can of gold spray paint in the garage and well there you go. I may have also spray painted a lot more items gold in the house after this little guy....whoops! I have chalk because right outside the door to the laundry room, there is a welcome home chalk board where I like to leave notes for the hubby.

And that completes your tour of the laundry room. Hope you enjoyed.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T15:28:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! LOVE is in the air! This is one of my favorite holidays! It's so much fun sending Valentines and baking cookies in the shape of hearts! Not to mention, all of the sweets and flowers are just so lovely! It's like all of my favorite things rolled into one day!

Today is extra special because my hubby just got back from a week long business trip around the world. I was so happy he made it home in time for our traditional Valentine's Day dinner, Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola. He brought me these gifts too! Coffee from Hawaii and a pashmina from Japan! I mean how well does that man know me! Thanks lover!

How ever you are celebrating today, I wish you the best! Enjoy!

fab finds: printable art nouveau

2012-02-07T21:45:00.000-06:00

Today, I spent some time looking for inexpensive ways to fill the many white walls in our new home. I started by looking on Etsy for prints to fill some silver frames I already own, however, I was unable to find any that suited me.

So I had to get creative. I googled vintage printable art and was extremely pleased with what I found! These prints were exactly what I needed: a bold splash of color {check} and a budget friendly price {check}. All I needed was a printer and whala! You can find more prints like these here.

If you happen to be a Friends junkie like myself, you may recognize this piece of art. It hangs above the television console in Monica and Rachel's apartment on the show. I have been looking for a reproduction of it for years. I love the bold orange coloring it in. I found it on this site.

Here is another print I find elegant and sheik. I believe it is a vintage ad for pink champaign. She sure is doing a great job of selling it to me! Here is the source.

Happy Tuesday!

California: Uncovered {Joan's on Third}

2012-02-07T01:20:00.002-06:00

Last week, while entertaining one of my favorites, we stumbled upon a new favorite! We headed to West Hollywood to check out a home decor store that was a bust, but found this little gem instead! Joan's on Third was hoppin for lunch. The food was delectable and the atmosphere was delightful. It is the perfect spot to sit and unwind after say...a morning in traffic...ahem...

Here is a little glimpse of the inside. Yes, that book's title IS Cheesemonger's. And I am obsessed with it.

Does anyone else absolutely love the pig statue... No... Excuse, me... The chef pig statue! And at the bottom of this pic you can see some of the reasons why the cheesemonger {me} was in love with this place.

Okay, so if there is one thing I love more than cheese...yep...you guessed it. Sweets! I left with a heart shaped cookie that calmed me down on the way home in what turned out to be over three hours of rush hour traffic. Sugar soothes me...

More sugar. Ahhhhhh....

Yes, that's right, they have flavored homemade marshmallows... and coffee IS one of the flavors! YUMM! Can you imagine this melting on top of your coffee in the morning?

I took home a bag of their homemade granola. Let me just say it is scrumptious. I have to admit, I had a little yogurt with my granola for breakfast the next morning.

This place is not only known for its top-notch cuisine, it's also known to feed some of the hottest in hollywood! I mean, food that makes your taste buds dance with excitement and a possible celeb sighting...what more could anyone want? Next time you are in LA, you MUST go to Joan's on Third. I know I will be back...often.

weekend read: matchbook magazine

2012-02-03T16:32:00.001-06:00

I have to come clean. I'm afraid I am in love. I am in love with Matchbook Magazine and I don't care who knows it! Each month when the new issue arrives in my email, I get swept away by its bright colors and phenomenal design inspiration! This month marks the one year anniversary for Matchbook Magazine, and I would just like to say congrats! I know what I will be reading this weekend! How about you?

Happy Friday!

modern take on a classic: the welcome basket

2012-02-02T16:53:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend, I got to see one of my besties and her hubby! They "dropped by" to see our new home...and by dropped by I mean flew from NYC! If that did not already make us feel special, they also gave us this adorable little welcome basket!

It got me thinking. In today's fast paced and tech savvy society, it is easy to overlook a good old fashioned welcome basket. The most classic welcome "basket" I can recall is from It's A Wonderful Life. You know the scene, the one where they give bread, that the house may never know hunger, salt that life may always know flavor and wine, that joy and prosperity may reign forever. I decided to put together a little list of ideas for a modern day welcome basket. Enjoy!

1. Ditch the basket and go with something even more useful...try a colander or a mixing bowl or even a "green" reusable tote you can take to the grocery.

2. Don't overlook the simplicity of supplying the staples: salt + pepper shakers, dish towels, mixing spoons, measuring cups and coffee mugs to name a few. If you are anything like me, you have been meaning to replace the stained dish towels in your kitchen but somehow keep spending your shopping budget on new shoes instead. He! He!

3. Always include a little something for the palette. I know they say the way to a man's heart is through food, but let's face it, the same is true for women too! Try chocolates, granola, wine or a bottle of champaign to celebrate the move...or in my case that the move is finally over!

4. To give your gift that little extra that will really put it over the top, find a pice of unique decor for the home, ie. the amazing oversized chess piece above. You could also try a great soap dispenser, potted herbs, or a candle.

5. Don't over think your welcome basket. Have fun with it! I promise the new home owners, like me, will be ecstatic to have a little something special from you!

festive february

2012-02-01T19:56:00.000-06:00

Hello dear readers! I have missed you so very much! We have arrived safely in California and we are getting all settled in. More updates to come, but for now I want to wish you a very festive February! I plan on making this amazing flower heart poof on the cover of Martha Stewart Living, painting my nails a bright red, and eating plenty of french macaroons this month!

it sure is

2011-12-13T11:08:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday! Today I was researching some prints for a client, and discovered this amazing shop on etsy. How cute is this quote? And bonus...it is such a great reminder! Especially around this time of year! And when some of us {ie my husband and I} have been living out of a suitcase for the past six months!

recipe for world peace

2011-12-12T20:38:00.001-06:00

Well hello dear readers, how I have missed you! Please excuse my long absence. I have been hard at work on a design project that has been taking up all my time and energy. For those of you wondering where I am in my many travels, I am currently in my homeland of Wisconsin and loving every minute of it. Being with family and friends in the cold snowy weather makes me ever so happy.

This weekend I took a break from all of the designing...which you will be seeing photos of very soon...my parents and I took a little road trip visit to one of my bestites from college. She made us a yummy dinner and for dessert we had homemade hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows.

Confession. I don't really love marshmallows. But there is something about a homemade one that is just heavenly. It is not really even like a regular marshmallow. It is some kind of ooey, gooey wonder that melts on top of your hot chocolate and make you wonder why it is not Christmas time all year round. And if everyone could partake in these lovely treats, I am confident we would have world peace!

If you want to know the recipe for world peace...click here.

{photo credit}

fabulous finds: poppin

2011-11-17T01:04:00.001-06:00

Last week, I won this wonderful Poppin bundle from one of my fellow blogger, fabulous k! I was super stoked, since I pretty much never win anything. If you were walking by our hotel room at the moment I found out I'd won, you may have been able to hear some shouting...

It just arrived and I cannot wait to put it to good use! The clean, classic lines and wonderful "pops" of color are a perfect combination for any desk. They are a great way to keep yourself creatively motivated, whatever work you are doing. I am a big proponent of making your desk beautiful + useful to make yourself more productive. Great job Poppin.

guest blogger: ashley brooke of ashley brooke designs

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hello + Happy Wednesday dear readers! Can you believe Thanksgiving is only nine days away! With that in mind, I have asked one of my dear friends and etiquette experts to share with us a little bit about how to work the party circuit, thoughtfully. So, without further ado, here is Ashley Brooke of Ashley Brooke Designs on the subject...

One of my favorite little things to do during the Holiday party season, is to stock up on small hostess gifts! Nothing says thank you for inviting me/cooking for me/cleaning your house for me/making the perfect play-list for me, like a hostess gift. And the greatest thing about a hostess gift is that you don't need to spend more than $20.... most of the time mine are much less! (shhhh)

A mason jar filled with honey wrapped in twine, fresh baked cookies packaged up neatly in bakers paper, a bag of coffee with a tag that says "to get you through the morning clean-up", or my favorite (I may be biased), a package of pretty paper.

All of the small gifts above are thoughtful, don't take too much time, and most of all don't interrupt the hostess. One thing I try to stay clear of are flowers. There are exceptions of course, but the problem with bringing flowers is it usually means that the hostess has to stop her "hostess duties" and find a vase (one that she/he doesn't already have occupied for the party) then cut, then arrange, AND THEN work it into the party decor. Sometimes a box of tea wrapped in a large satin ribbon is just better. Another great tip is to have a signature after party sendible, lately I have been sending a box of fresh french macaroons to colleagues and clients after events. It's so simple, so sweet, and takes very little time. Here is my favorite little macaroon place: Sparkles Kitchen *bonus tip, I have the company send them straight to the recipient with a little note inside... easy as pie/or macaroons!

So there you have it! Hostess gifts are the greatest gifts...you will love giving them and getting them!

P.S. Not many people these days still do hostess gifts, so be prepared start seeing your mailbox fill up with thick cardstocked invitations!!

Happy Holiday Partying!

images: Martha Stewart, Ice Milk Aprons, Michael Buble, Cow Creamer, French Press, Caldrea Soaps, Honey, Dish Towel, Ashley Brooke Designs Print

note to self: get out of your creative rut

2011-11-15T07:03:00.001-06:00

Have you ever found yourself in a creative rut? I sure have. Lately, I have been in a big, huge, ugly one and it seems as if I might never get out. And then I stumbled upon this little gem. It reminded me that sometimes it is easier to blame your circumstances for your "rut" than to work on getting out of it.

P.S. I love number 24. So clever. Which one is your favorite?

Photo Credit: Note to Self

{book} case study

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today, I have been busy gathering inspiration ideas for an upcoming design project. It is an expansive family room that has vaulted ceilings and a lot of empty wall space. One wall is just crying out to me for built in bookcases. They are so functional and they instantly add architecture to any space. Love that this one has the 8 + 0 adding interest through art on the bookcase.

Built-ins are so classic. They are wonderful when it comes to adding personality + character to a room. The only downside is that if you move around a lot, like me it might be a hard selling point if the new owners do not share your taste.

But there are ways to make any bookcase have a built-in feel. Notice the crown molding around the top of the shelf in the next photo. It is a super inexpensive way to make it look like your bookcase has lived in your space for years.

I love that they have made each cover monochromatic in the bookcase above. It makes the books look so clean and organized. They make quite a nice understated gesture.

Decorating with books is one of my favorite things to do. I always take the dust jackets off my books so I can display the beautiful hard covers and bindings. I know the idea of that probably drives some of you crazy, but you should try it. You will not regret it.

Books are such an inexpensive way to decorate any room. And bonus they look good while they are being stored. If you have books hidden away somewhere in cabinets or a basement...dust them off and get them out where people can see!

This is a in store photo I took when at Ikea {hence the price tags}. Yes. I love that store. I do not care how many designers disagree with me, I will always love it. The bookcases here are all put together to make one very large statement and bonus you can take them with you when you move!

s is for salute

2011-11-10T23:40:00.001-06:00

To all of the veterans.

To all of the active duty military.

To all of the reservists.

To all of the national guardsmen.

To all of those over seas right now fighting to keep us safe at night.

To all of the spouses + family members who have to give up so much.

To all of those who have lost someone.

Today + every day we are thankful for what you do each and every day.

door to door

2011-11-10T09:56:00.001-06:00

Confession: I have an obsession with wreaths. Yes, I know I am probably the only person who has ever hung a wreath on their hotel room door, but I just don't care. Okay, I did care a little bit when the man across the hall {who has never once opened his door at the same time I did in five months} opened his door to find me hanging a decorative wreath on my door. But I got over it!

All you need to make this little gem is a wreath form, yarn, fabric for a bow, and some adorable ribbon to hang it up. If you are looking for a quick and easy holiday project...this is it!

Wrapping things in yarn is so pretty and therapeutic! For my next yarn wrapping project, I want to do this...

fabulous or failure

2011-11-10T01:49:00.000-06:00

I just love me an awards show; be it the Oscars, the Grammys or the Academy Awards. Last night I curled up with the mister to watch country music's finest at the CMA Awards. I love critiquing the outfit changes, singing along with each performance {as if I am at a concert}, and oohing and awing over the set design.

The performance of Easy by Rascal Flatts + Natasha Bedingfield was phenomenal. I'm sure it helps that I am completely obsessed with this song right now. Natasha's outfit has been quite the debate in the Welch household. I absolutely loved it. My husband absolutely hated it.

What do you think? Fabulous or Failure?

travel log: chicago

2011-11-07T07:58:00.000-06:00

In my recent travels, I was fortunate enough to visit Chicago, not once but twice. Good old Chi Town is very close to my heart, only surpassed by my hometown of Milwaukee. It is only two hours from where I grew up, so my family and I visited often. And yet it never seemed to be often enough.

One of the must-do's when I visit, is none other than the RL Restaurant. Now, I am not going to lie to you. The brunch is not the best I have ever had. They serve a decent quiche and the mimosas are wonderful, but the reason I love it so much is because of the ambiance. I feel like I'm a dinner guest at the Lauren Estate or a character in the board game Clue. Its rustically elegant atmosphere makes me sit up a little straighter, laugh a little longer, and pay a bit more attention to my grammar.

Here are a few interior photos of the restaurant. I have to say, they do not do this glorious restaurant justice, but it will at least give you an idea. My favorite room in the whole place is, believe it or not, the bathroom. You actually have to take a deeply colored wood paneled elevator with gold plated buttons downstairs to get to it. It's decorated classically in blacks and whites with grand artwork in silver frames and a purple orchid for color.

Next time you are in Chicago, I hope you will check it out. See more here.

delish dish: carmel apple dip

2011-11-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

This delicious carmel apple dip is a cherished family recipe. Each year, when the leaves starting changing color and the weather begins to cool, my mom makes this scrumptious snack. It says to me, fall has officially arrived! While on my many travels mom has not been able to make it for me, but I am sharing it with our friends. And since they have asked me to share the recipe with them, I thought I'd share it with you too! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1{8oz} package cream cheese

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. double strength vanilla

1/2 tsp. carmel extract

Apples or Pears {cored + sliced}

Directions:

Blend first four ingredients together using electric mixer.

photo credit

this just in: matchbook magazine

2011-11-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

Two words that make me very happy are Kate and Spade. I've been involved in a very long love affair with her style, products {namely handbags + shoes} and the overall charm that she sells. Just when I think I cannot love her more, she goes and puts out a magazine. The tag line reads, "A field guide to a charmed life." And I think that is pretty perfect.

I hope you enjoy looking at each page as much as I did! Read it here.

fab finds: fall casual

2011-11-02T17:48:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'm LOVING this fall weather! It is not super chilly here in Oklahoma, but it is cool enough to put on a trench coat and a cowl! Fall is the perfect time of year to look comfortably casual and I intend to live it up while the weather allows me to! Shop this look: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Hope you are having a fabulous fall day!

crafty halloween

2011-10-31T22:26:00.001-05:00

My day was filled with pumpkin carving and glittery crafts! If you know me at all, you know I just love glitter and all things sparkly. So, it was a no brainier to make my pumpkin sparkle. This was an uber simple project to do. Lucky for me I have lots of glitter left over, so who knows what I might make sparkle next!

Hope you had a very Happy Halloween!

happy weekend!!!

2011-10-29T00:19:00.001-05:00

The weather here in Oklahoma finally feels like fall is upon us. This week started off with temperatures in the upper 90's! YUCK! But now that the weather has decided to align with the calendar, I am so pleased! Fall is my favorite season and I have big plans! Carving pumpkins, sipping sparkling cider with the hubs, and cooking soup {in my economy sized crock pot here at the hotel} are just a few of the items on the agenda this weekend!

Happy Weekend! Hope it feels like fall where you are!

PS: I took this photo while on my many travels last month. Ladies and Gentlemen...I am proud to introduce you to Terrain. If you don't know about this amazing store you need to!

haunted house {hunting}

2011-10-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

The Mister and I spent the first weekend in October in sunny California, house hunting. We have been searching on line looking at listing after listing for places to rent when we get to our new base in Riverside. This search has been going on since the day in April when we found out that March AFB would be our new assignment. So to say we were excited to see these homes in person would be an understatement.

We stayed at a home of one of our friends, who happens to be very close to where we will be living! They took us out to Laguna Beach the first day we arrived on our short journey to see some of the sights. And oh, it was just so picturesque! The beach, the cute little boutiques, the restaurants that gave me choice after choice of cuisine and ambiance...it was such a delightful day...

Now, if I may, I have to confess a dirty little secret. I am an optimist. There. I said it. Now you all know. So, when I tell you that my idea of California was shaped by Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and The O.C. you should not be very surprised. Yes, I have been to California several times before to visit, but my vision of house hunting remained in my "bubble world" of shiny cars and three story mansions.

The second day in town, we met up with a realtor to see houses! We were all set. I had notebook and mechanical pencil in hand! We had narrowed down the areas we thought would be best from all of our research on line and talking to people from the area and we did not expect to be surprised by what we found...

But we were surprised! We were shocked in fact! What we saw were homes in sketchy neighborhoods, built in the early 1980's that had hideous tile floors with flower patterns, magenta kitchens, and care bare celling fans! One kitchen was painted royal blue and the remaining rooms in the house were painted pistachio! AHHH!

Now, I do realize these things can be changed, but the whole reason we wanted to rent, was so that we would not have to put additional work or money into a home! My parents have been land lords for many years and they would never think of renting out a home in sub par condition, let along without putting a WHITE coat of paint on the walls. So, when we found an eviction notice on the counter in one house, my head was spinning.

Then, finally we entered a gated neighborhood that has the resemblance of where I used to live in Orlando. A townhouse community with cute little streetlights and matching mailboxes, which the type A personality in me loves. As we entered the adorable little home and our feelings of anxiety started to subside and we began to think we might have just been looking in the wrong places before.

WRONG! Someone had smoked a whole pack of cigarettes in the bathroom and put them out on the counter, leaving the ashes and butts everywhere! They had stuffed the toilet with grocery bags to stop it up, broken a window, and the kicker? They spay painted "f" you and "f" my life in the master bedroom. Only it was not in the PG version I just wrote, if you get my drift. Yep. That was the place we thought was going to give us back some hope.

As you can guess, it was super disheartening to say the least, especially after all the time and effort we have put into our house hunting. We took a few days of from our search to regain compose and now we are back on track. Buying is back on the table as an option and we are broadening our desires and locations in hopes we might have missed something.

What a way to start the month of Halloween. I think we saw all the haunted houses I need for this October.

{photo credit...unknown}

home sweet hotel

2011-10-18T21:29:00.001-05:00

For the past several months now, my husband has been living out of a hotel room in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. I have joined him on several occasions for a week or a weekend durning my travels, but now I am here for good. Well, at least until further notice.

If you are anything like me, you have wondered why dresser drawers and mini microwaves are put in hotel rooms. And now, I know they are there for people like us, who have to live out of a hotel for an extended period of time. I now wonder why there are only three dresser drawers, not four and why the microwave is mini!

Now, our clothes are filling up the drawers and the smell of popcorn {sometimes burnt, by yours truly} fills the air of our tiny little home, that has room number 133 written on it. A sign with the words "home is where you are" hangs above the bed. And that has been so true for us from the moment we got married.

I have to admit, I am learning many things about life and myself through this experience. Like, how fun it is to see people's reactions when I tell them that I am homeless. I get some strange excitement out of watching peoples faces scrunch up, tilt there head to the side and contemplate what to ask me next, as they did not expect my answer.

Despite what anyone might say you really can live out of two suit cases for six months. I know, I know, I did not believe it either! I am sorry to all the women out there who are trying to convince their husbands that is not the case. But if anyone should not be able to do this, it is me! I refuse to tell you how many pairs of jeans I took out of my bags when packing to fit one more pair of shoes!

I've also learned that eating out, which used to be one of my favorite past times, grows very tiresome when you have no place to cook and only three restaurants in town to choose from. That said, the Mister and I broke down last week and bought what I am now calling a kitchen for our hotel room, ie: crock-pot, dual burner, pots + pans, immersion blender, individual smoothie blender and sharp knives. Ahhh...who knew baked potato soup would have men lined up at my door with soup bowls in hand?

But most of all, I've been reminded that in life you have to roll with the punches. Happiness is not just handed to you. You have to make it happen. It's true. No matter what your happily ever after looks like, you have to remember that happily ever after does not make itself.

{photo credit...unknown}

globetrotter

2011-10-15T13:20:00.000-05:00

{photo credit}

Greetings from Oklahoma! I am sure you were wondering if indeed I fell off the face of the earth, and I am here to tell you, I have not. I have however, been traveling the globe. Since my last post, I have been to Chicago {twice}, Milwaukee, Jersey City, New York City, Glen Mills {PA}, Sleepy Hollow, Laguna Beach and Los Angeles. Whew.

I have lots to tell you about my travels! And I have some design projects to share! Stay tuned! For now, I am just going to unpack and get some sleep!

Happy Saturday!

chicago chicago

2011-09-02T19:35:00.002-05:00

We are jet-setting this weekend to Chicago, one of my all-time favorite cities, to have a mini family vaca. I am so excited I cannot even stand it! Josh and I have not been able to escape for vacation much since we got married and it is about time!

Happy Labor Day Weekend! Enjoy!

a weekend at the movies

2011-08-15T09:36:00.004-05:00

This weekend was full of rest and relaxation for me. Just what the doctor ordered! One of my favorite ways to relax, is by watching movie after movie. And that is just what I did. I watched The Holiday, Sex and the City II, Sweet Home Alabama, and My Best Friend's Wedding.

On Saturday, I had a date with one of my girlfriends to see The Help. What a great movie! It opened on Wednesday, and I have heard people talking about it everywhere! My mom read the book, and after seeing the movie, I want to as well. It was eye opening, funny, and moving. I highly recommend it!

Happy Monday! I hope your day is bright and sunny!

fab finds: cute & comfy

2011-08-05T10:11:00.007-05:00

Happy Friday to all! I am sure you are just excited as I am to have some down time to RELAX! I cannot wait to sleep in this weekend and wear my comfy clothes and not have to get ready or put on makeup!

I have compiled a few of my new most favorite comfy items! The Farm House Fresh face scrub is one of my new all time favorites! I fell in love with it instantly! Thanks to one of my besties recommendations!

The Goody Headbands, are also a recommendation from on of my friends who always looks super cute in her comfy clothes. I love that they do not slide on your head or give you a headache after wearing them all day. And my new favorite place to wear them is the pool.

The gym bag and the short sleeved sweatshirt are two new classics added to my wardrobe. I love the color of the bad so much, I have been using it for my work bag this whole week! And as soon as I get home from work, I have been changing out my dress clothes and putting on this wonderful hoodie. I want to get one in every color.

Enjoy your weekend my wonderful readers. I wish you a comfy one!

movin' on up...to the east side

2011-08-01T11:31:00.003-05:00

Hello dear readers! Yes, yes, I know I have fallen off the face of the earth in the month of July! Happy August by the way! I am pretty sure I blinked and the whole month of July was gone right before my very eyes! I just love August, because it means school is starting and school supplies are out in the stores and better yet, that fall is on its way! I do just LOVE fall! It is my favorite time of year.

So, let me get down to business. The reason I have been absent for the past month, is because so much has happened. I am not even sure how to sum it all up in one single blog post, but I must try! The short hand version is this: I traveled to see my hubby in Oklahoma, got very sick for a good solid week, worked 13 days in a row for many long hours doing wonderfully fun design jobs, went to market in Atlanta, had my parents in town to help pack up our apartment {deep breath to finish this sentence}, moved out of our wonderful loft apartment {shown above} into storage in three hours flat by the way, {thanks to 12 friends and so many trucks and trailers that multiplied like the loaves and fishes in the Bible that I am now referring to our move as the moving miracle}....AND then I moved in with a girlfriend. WHEW! Okay, that is the short version of my July. HEHE!

So, happy August everyone! I hope you are as excited about this month as I am! And I also want to wish you a VERY happy Monday!

Oh, one more thing. I know the blog tile does not really fit, as we are going to be moving to the west coast but I cannot get that song out of my head. SORRY!

to market. to market. to market we go.

2011-07-13T13:40:00.002-05:00

{photo credit}

Hello dear readers. I am sorry it has been so long. So much has happened in the past few weeks. I have lots to tell you, but for now you just need to know I am going to be packing my bags once again. I just hate packing, which is funny because I love to travel! This time I'm going to Atlanta. Hotlanta as some call it. The booming metropolis of the south.

My wonderful Bella Beauties {my co-workers} and I are heading there for what we commonly call "market". This journey happens usually twice a year to a little place called America's Mart. This is when we pick out all kinds of goodies to sell at the store for the next season.

I cannot wait. I hear that it is just floors and floors of showrooms with all kinds of displays! Furniture, rugs, accessories...OH MY! I mean, six days of shopping...what's not to love? I was made for this! The creative juices will be flowing! I am so excited, I think I could just pop!

oklahoma: land of cowboy hats

2011-07-01T22:34:00.003-05:00

{photo credit}

This wonderfully long weekend I am spending with my man in Oklahoma. It is a much different place than I have ever visited before. It is hot and dusty and flat, super flat. In fact, you can see for miles and miles. When I first arrived here, I saw a cowboy get out of a pick up truck. Yep. A cowboy, hat and all. Apparently, they still do exist.

I don't think we will be riding any horses while we are here {especially since I fell of the horse I rode on our honeymoon}, but we do have some really fun things planned. And I feel like being here for the holiday weekend is super patriotic. I mean, how much more patriotic can you get than being married to a man in the military AND being in the land of cowboys? Maybe if there were fireworks...and we are planning to see a pretty spectacular showing of those Sunday night.

Wishing you a VERY patriotic weekend.

fab finds: stationary

2011-06-29T15:16:00.001-05:00

Hello lovely readers! I hope you are staying cool from the HOT summer weather we've been having! If you are looking for things to do inside, you could order some of this great stationary and write some good old fashioned letters! Who doesn't love getting a hand written note in the mail...instead of another bill!

One of my besties, just let me in on this fabulous find, Rifle Paper Company. And much to my excitement, one of the store fronts is in my old stomping grounds, Winter Park, Florida! When I embark on my nomadic travels this fall, I will be sure to stop in and take a peek! And hopefully stock up on some of these gems! Happy shopping {and writing!}

hello world

2011-06-23T23:36:00.003-05:00

{photo credit}

Today, I booked seven...yes that's right, seven plane tickets. My hubby has to be in training for some time and since I cannot stay with him the whole time...I have decided to make the most of it. This fall, I will be quite the world traveler, or at least national traveler {but that doesn't have the same ring to it!}

I will be jet setting to Oklahoma quite a bit to see the hubs while he trains. He will be learning to fly his new airframe {that is just a fancy way to say plane in the military}, the gas station in the sky, or as some refer to it, the KC-135. While in Oklahoma, it is my dream to meet The Pioneer Woman. If you don't know who she is, I highly suggest looking checking her out here. You're welcome.

Other places of interest I will be popping in and out of include {but by no means are they limited to}: Milwaukee, NYC, Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago again and Orlando. While I am not looking forward to being separated from the mister, I am very glad that I will be able to make the most of this time! I cannot wait to spend time this fall hanging out with some of the people that mean the most to me.

Here's to the fall.

a special tribute...

2011-06-20T11:57:00.004-05:00

to the men in my life. I was not with any of them yesterday, so it caused me to really reflect on each of them and what they mean to me. I hope you enjoy...

To my dad:

You are one of the most amazing men I have ever met and I feel honored to call you my dad. Your enthusiasm for life and all of it's adventures has really prepared me for the life I am now living in the military {who knew}. And you instilled in me a wonderment for each and every person I meet. You taught me that everyone has a story and it is up to me to learn from it. I think that part of the reason I have enjoyed my time as an air force wife, thus far is because of the excitement for each new adventure you have instilled in me.

Thank you for being my strong rock in SO many hard times. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for always listening to me. Thank you for always teaching me to look on the bright side! Thank you for setting such a great example for me to look for in my husband. I love you.

To my father-in-law:

First off, let me say thank you for welcoming me into your family with open arms. You are always so good to check on me to see how I am doing at family functions when there are 300 people around and you know I am not used to the chaos!

But what I really want to say is thank you from the depths of my heart, for molding your son into the man he is today. He takes after you in so very many ways, and for that I am eternally grateful. You taught him how to be responsible with money, how to put my needs before his, how to always protect me and provide. He never raises his voice at me and he lovingly works through hard times with me. Thank you for setting such a great example for him to follow. I love you.

To my husband, the love of my life:

As much as I do not feel ready at this moment in my life for children...I cannot wait to go through that experience with you. I see how patient and loving you are with the kids we watch at church on Sundays and how their faces light up when you play with them. I know you will make and amazing father. I love you.

I hope all of you enjoyed time with your fathers yesterday.

Happy Monday!

And a very happy birthday to my sister-in-law!

fab finds: stripes

2011-06-14T17:53:00.003-05:00

Lately, I cannot get enough of stripes; big ones, thin ones, bright ones, soft ones. I love them everywhere; on pillows, on shirts, on shower curtains. I want to find many places for stripes in our new place.

{photo credits}

happy saturday {photo booth}

2011-06-11T19:10:00.001-05:00

Today, we packed a picnic lunch and headed off to one of the local parks. We spent the afternoon on a blanket by the water talking about what we think our life will be like in California.

When we finished at the park, we took the convertible to get ice cream, {okay I got ice cream and Josh got a smoothie}. It was perfection on such a hot summer day. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. We sure are.

I am now on bloglovin'!!!

2011-06-08T15:15:00.007-05:00

Click here to check out this really cool site! It makes it SUPER easy to keep track of all the blogs you follow in one place!

Happy Wednesday wonderful readers! I hope you are staying cool!

It's here! And it's HOT! So...

2011-06-06T09:26:00.005-05:00

The temperature has been in the 100's around here lately. And do not even get me started on the heat index!!! I see a LOT of pool time in my near future! That is how I spent Saturday...and might I say it was fabulous!

This summer will be very exciting for the welch household! It will jump start a lot of traveling for me, for sure, to oklahoma {to see the hubs at training}, home {wisconsin}, nyc, florida, minnesota, and maybe even north carolina and texas!

What do you have planned for summer?

{photo credit}

On the road again {SOON}

2011-06-03T10:30:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday! Josh and I spent all of yesterday {14 hours to be exact} driving home to Mississippi from Florida. Our mini vacation was jam packed with family, friends and lots of fun!

So. Happy. To. Be. Out. Of. The. Car.

We will be back on a road trip in a few weeks to take Josh to his next training in Oklahoma. He will be learning to fly his new plane, the KC-135, or as he calls it the gas station in the sky.

Enjoy your Weekend!

{photo credit}

remember why we remember

2011-05-30T18:34:00.001-05:00

It would just be wrong for me not to recognize Memorial Day. It means a long weekend for many of us, but for others it means a whole LOT more. This picture really sums it all up for me. I hope that while you are cooking out, at a picnic, or at the beach, you take a moment to remember what this day is really all about.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all our men and women who have sacrificed SO much to keep us safe at night.

Thank you to the men and women who are out there right now not having a long weekend and who are missing their loved ones.

Thank you to the families who let them serve and who sacrifice so much. So. So. Much. It does NOT go unappreciated.

{photo credit}

I had one of those days today...

2011-05-25T21:24:00.000-05:00

You know the ones. There is so much going and nothing seems to help but chocolate? I got this little bar of goodness in the mail today. Thanks rents {my short hand for parents}! I cannot wait to eat it!

Hope your day was not a need chocolate kind of day...and if it was...run out and get one of these! Oh, and if you cannot read the fine print...read below.

For immediate relief of: Chocolate Cravings, Lovesickness, Exam Pressure, Mild Anxiety and Extreme Hunger.

Directions for use: Tear open wrapper, break off desired dosage, and consume. Alternatively massage into the affected area. Repeat dosage as required until finished. If symptoms persist consult your local confectioner.

home sweet home {part one}

2011-05-24T14:07:00.002-05:00

With the thought of moving on my mind, I realized today that I have not posted pics of our apartment yet! I intended on posting pics when we first moved in and got settled. Then time passed, life happened, and I sure did not post any. So, to be true to my word...take a look at our place.

If you remember, we had to move in sight unseen. Our wonderful landlords took a video of our apartment so we could see it before we got here. If you want to see the video, click here.

Today, you will see the main room in our loft apartment on 5th Street. When you walk in you see one quaint little room that serves as our kitchen, office, living and dining room. I love this place and I know that I will miss it. So, take a look below to step inside our home!

Welcome home! Aren't these wood floors amazing!

Take off your shoes and stay a while!

Our kitchen. When you walk in, it is to your left.

I love her. Plenty of storage. And butcher block for counter tops!

View from our kitchen.

Fridge. Love notes. Cards. Grocery list. Calendar of Audrey Hepburn. Apron.

When you walk in, our office is on your right.

I love the shelves. It feels like a mini library.

Our dining room {area, rather}.

I am so in love with our chairs. They were a Christmas present.

Another view of our dining area. Those are my cook books you see in the background.

And my favorite clock. Yes, it is huge. And I love it.

Living room. Friends & Family collage.

And our amazing green chairs. Swoon.

Where we spend most of our time. We do eat here more than I care to admit. And watch tv and have what I like to call family meetings...josh calls them discussions. {He hates meetings.}

Oh, I made those pillows you see on either end of the couch. My mother-in-law helped me sew them!

Thanks for visiting.

road trip

2011-05-23T11:50:00.000-05:00

This Friday night we head to my hubbies hometown in Florida. We are going to pack up the car and take a little road trip! It seems that because of our current living location it is usually way easier and cheeper to drive places these days. I hope to be able to hop on a flight and jet off when we get to Cali! Don't get me wrong, the road trips are fun...but I do love flying!

We are going to see one of my hubbies friends get married. Should be so much fun! We will get to reunite with a bunch of our family and friends. AND much to my excitement...dance at the wedding! YEA! I already bought my dancing shoes! They arrived last week via piperlime!

Happy Monday!

fab finds: decor

2011-05-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

With the excitement of our new home in California on the horizon, I have been obsessing...even more than usual {I know it is hard to believe} over the idea of decorating! These are some of the things I am craving right now on the decorating horizon!

soon i will be able to say...

2011-05-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

We just found out the date we are to be in Riverside by: December 2nd. Josh will be in Oklahoma at Altus Air Force Base for his KC-135 {this is the plane he will be flying from now on, more to come on that} training from mid June to mid November. Then he will come back to Columbus and we will get everything ready to head out to Cali for our move! We are super excited!

our two year...

2011-05-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

anniversary was celebrated a few weeks ago. Well, actually we had a graduation from pilot training, anniversary, and birthday celebration. We decided the only way to celebrate was by going on vacation. We figured with that many things to acknowledge, a vacation was the only thing large enough to appropriately celebrate each one! While at dinner one night, we were wished a happy birthdaversary!

We have not really had a vacation together since our honeymoon and I was so pleased to find out...I LOVE to go on vacation with my husband! Who knew! It was nice to find out after two years! Hehe! No, in all seriousness we love to travel together. We have just not been able to during pilot training. We will for sure be doing a LOT more of that!

We have a bottle of champaign in the fridge that Josh brought home on our anniversary we have yet to drink that will go along perfectly with these cupcakes from our wedding this week to continue the celebration!! I got in touch with my old boss from Davis Bakery & Co for the recipes and she sent them over right away! I cannot wait to have them!

We each made our favorite desserts into cupcakes for the big day! Josh had yellow cake with key lime filing and cream cheese icing. I had yellow cake with chocolate chips, buttercream frosting and mini chocolate chip cookies on top! They were the best wedding cupcakes I have ever had...okay I may be a little bias, but who cares!

the 2011 husband of the year award...

2011-05-13T11:50:00.002-05:00

goes to...JOSHUA WELCH!

Hello, my dear readers! I am SO sorry I have been absent for so long. I feel like years have gone by. I will be giving you updates soon on everything that has taken place.

But for now, all you need to know is that last night I was supposed to make Tiramisu for a party tonight. You have to make it the night before so it can sit in the fridge overnight. In the window of time I had to make this decadent dessert, I had a severe stomach ache. I was doubled over in pain last night!

So...my amazing husband took the recipe without even asking and started whisking away! This morning to my amazement, there is a beautiful Tiramisu in the fridge all ready to go for this evening. Thank you lover! That is one of the sweetest things you have ever done...literally and figuratively!

assignment night

2011-04-20T13:10:00.003-05:00

Last Friday night our lives changed. Josh's first assignment after completing pilot training is to fly KC-135's at March Air Force Base {AFB} in Riverside, California. We are SOOOOO excited. And to go ahead and answer the question that comes next...we have no idea when we will be moving. I promise to let you know when we find out.

I thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse into what our Assignment Night looked like. So without further ado, here it goes...

Typically the event lasts one hour, starting at 5pm at the club on base. Ours started late, which never happens. But we had tornado warnings, watches, and sirens going off all day and there were even people held up in shelters on lock-down, so you can understand why it started late! It was so calming for my nerves!

Josh's class made two videos to start off the evening. They were so wonderfully done and entertaining, I thought I would share them with you. It will give you a glimpse into the day and the life of a student in pilot training...maybe.

After the videos, each student is called up one by one to stand in front of a larger projector screen, facing the audience to take their roasting and get their assignment. Yes, we find out in front of most of the base and a lot of friends and family! ALL AT THE SAME TIME!

Josh was second to last to get his assignment, so I waited and I waited and I waited...did I mention I waited? Well, I did! His roast was amazing. It made me so proud. I teared up a bit. They are usually pretty bad, sometimes even brutal. I am including the script so you can see what the men and women he has spent the last year with working day in and day out had to say about him.

Welch: It’s tough to give a good-natured roasting of someone, when to be honest, It’s tough to say anything nice at all about Josh Welch. He’s arrogant. He’s self centered and foul-mouthed. He cares only about himself and would push you down and step over your crumpled body to get what he wants. If you know him, you understand. He’s just not a good dude. He didn’t deserve to work hard in college and get a prestigious internship in the space shuttle program. He didn’t deserve to get an Air Force pilot slot off the street based solely on his merit and effort. He doesn’t deserve to volunteer with his wife every Sunday morning and teach Sunday school at his church. And it’s so frustrating when he gets in at 5 AM and spends an entire morning helping you plan for a flight even though he doesn’t have to be there, like he’s got something to prove or something. Seriously, take a look at 11-08’s very own Sesame Street character. Lt. Welch has a vocabulary that would please even the most picky of modern moms. Things not going your way? “Ah shucks… dag gum!” Hook a ride? “Ah fiddlesticks.” We’ve all been waiting to see what he’s about to say when he finds out he’s going to be staying here for another three years…. “Ahhh cucumbers!”

Then after the roast we waited for our assignment to come up on the screen! March AFB appeared! Josh put a fist in the air and pumped it in excitement! I smiled a smile so big it hurt my face! He high-fived me and took his place to stand back among the class. The last student went up to get their assignment.

I don't remember what happened after that. It was all a blur of enthusiasm and relief. My body had the sensation of pins and needles that would not go away. It was the largest release of energy I have ever felt. The moment we had waited over a year for was over. Just like that. And our lives are about to change in a big way...

weekend craft

2011-04-18T17:32:00.002-05:00

So, this weekend we had Mama and Papa Welch in town and there was a LOT going on {which I will be writing about later}, but we still managed to have some time to make a craft!

One of my dear friends, Olivia, sent me a link to make the above wreath. And so...I did. Mama Welch and I spent some time with some old t-shirts and a glue gun and below is what we created. I am in LOVE with it so much that I wish it was on the inside of our door, not the outside so I could stare at it all day long. Happy Spring everyone!

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME!!!!

2011-04-15T23:26:00.001-05:00

Well, now I have another song going through my head...I wish they all could be California girls. We are SUPER excited to announce that Josh will be flying KC-135's at March AFB in Riverside California!!! More details to come. I am going to get some sleep after this long and wonderful day!

what a difference a day makes...

2011-04-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

24 little hours. That song keeps going through my head! And how true it is for us today! The day is upon us. Tonight is Assignment Night. And in our case, what a differnce ONE hour makes! 5pm TONIGHT! As one of my besties keeps saying, "Today is your date with destiny!"

When Josh got up this moring at 5am to go into work, I rolled over and said Happy Assignment Night Day! Too funny. It seems like a national holiday at our house today. When I woke up, at a much more sane hour to go to work, my stomach was filled with butterflies!

Stay by your phones at a little after 6pm central time! You WILL be getting a text message to find out where we will be living for the next three years!

a few of my favorite things {right now}

2011-04-08T13:09:00.001-05:00

1. the color yellow.

2. midnight blue high heels.

3. vintage OPI color, cajun shrimp.

4. drinking from my new camelback.

5. cinnamon sugar popcorn.

the stuff that decisions...no, dreams are made of

2011-04-04T21:07:00.006-05:00

what our table looks like tonight...

the hubs has marked each possibility on google earth so we can research all the bases

tonight is the night we make our list of where we want to move after graduation. Today Josh brought home the list of bases and airframes available to his class (the drop). Decisions need to be made and they need to be made fast. We have to turn our list (dream sheet) in Wednesday.

Most people don't have to make a decision about where they want to move in 48 hours...but we sure do! So here's to the next 48 hours of decision making! Stay tuned. We find out how our dream sheet compares to the needs of the Air Force on APRIL 15th (assignment night) at 5pm central/6pm eastern!

the drop: this is the list of available airframes (planes) and their coordinating bases (locations). Each SUPT (specialized undergraduate pilot training) class at Columbus gets one just before assignment night. Our list has 19 airframes and bases to rank.

dream sheet: this is a military form that we are filling out TONIGHT which ranks our 19 choices from what is available in the drop in the order that we want them. This does not guarantee we will get our first second or third choice. That's why they call it a dream sheet. It all depends on the class ranking and what the air force needs. It is due WEDNESDAY!

assignment night: this is one hour of your life, occurring two weeks before graduation from SUPT on a Friday where your husband (or wife) gets called up to stand in front of a room full of people and they have your assignment (next airframe and base) show up on the big screen behind him. Yes we all find out at the same time!

a cozy night in with cary grant and my man

2011-04-01T21:01:00.003-05:00

Well, it seems as though I was unable to escape getting sick one last time before summer. I am home with the hubs tonight, taking plenty of meds and eating mom's homemade chicken noodle soup. {Which really is the best medicine a girl can get.} I am going to watch this classic. I have to do a report on the interiors of this film for one of my classes. This is an assignment I can really appreciate. Hope you all have a great weekend!

here's to the next ten

2011-03-31T10:26:00.000-05:00

Weekends are always lovely and amazing. Who doesn't love a weekend? Some weekends are relaxing and quiet, you know the ones that give you some much needed downtime. Then there are BIG weekends. And my last BIG weekend was spent in Charleston, South Carolina, with some of my most favorite people ever.

It happened a few weeks ago now. When seven -- no -- seven and one eighth of us {welcome Harper Simone to our group of besties} people you love get together to share a weekend in a quaint little city by the beach, there are expectations, BIG exceptions. You expect you will reminisce about the past. You expect you will hug. You expect to take so many photos you cannot possibly afford to print them all. {Thank you Facebook for not charging us to post pix!} You expect in this group, especially that there will be many coffee breaks. And that you will absolutely love the new little city you are exploring.

There are, however, some things you do not to expect or maybe even forget...maybe even on purpose. While you get excited about the grand hello that is filled with hugs and photos and screams when we all saw each other for the first time in years, you refuse to think about what will happen at the end of the weekend. Possibly because it seems as though this time will never end. And though it shouldn't, it sure did.

The farewell for me, happened over two days. Not sure if this is better. Yes, I had more time with some of my people, however two days of goodbyes, I would not wish on anyone! The first one happened in a restaurant. The people around us may have assumed someone had passed away with the tears we were crying. The second at the airport. I swear there was a very sad song paying in the background as I waved goodbye, wheeled my suitcase towards the sliding glass doors, as I tried my hardest not to look back.

You may be wondering why I chose to write about this part of the trip instead of all of the fun. The fun may come in another post at another time, but for now I write about the goodbye because sometimes, it is in the goodbyes of life you realize just how much you care for someone else. Most often when we are constantly around others, we fall into the swing of things and we forget the people who make our lives great. And I am lucky enough to have seven {and an eighth} of those people in my life that are truly great.

They are mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, aunts, working women, back bones of their families, creative geniuses, bakers, cooks, massage therapists, students, friends...

And I have the privilege and honor to call them my bestites. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives for the past 10 years. I love you. Here's to the next 10.

a little piece of heaven

2011-03-28T14:57:00.001-05:00

One of the things I got to enjoy while in Charleston with the girls was lots of coffee breaks! I went through a serious withdrawal when I returned (from both the girls and the coffee), but it was SO worth it! Cute little coffee houses seemed to be around every corner. They even made coffee cuter by making these designs in the foam! (photo above)

These were not your typical coffee houses. These were little havens that made you want to just curl up with your cup of coffee and cookie and waste the day away. I wish I could take a coffee break like that eveyday at one of the quaint little spots. But since I cannot, I found a cookie recipe that was almost as good at the one we had at one of our little spots. And I wanted to share this little delight with all of you. Enjoy!

Heath Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup toffee pieces (we used Heath bars)
Fleur de sel

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add flour mixture and blend until completely incorporated. Stir in chocolate and toffee.

Drop 2 ounces of cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or into the cups of a muffin top pan. Sprinkle each cookie with a generous pinch of fleur de sel. Bake until cookies are puffed and just started to brown, 13-15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

it's about to happen

2011-03-10T10:54:00.000-06:00

the reunion to end all reunions.

these are some of my favorite people.

they saw me through so much.

including college. my wedding.

my move to mississippi.

and they are about to see me relax.

with them. in charleston.

it's going to be amazing. some have even said epic.

see you when i get back.

how wonderful

2011-03-07T14:01:00.000-06:00

This weekend I am going to be reunited with some of my most favorite people ever...my college besties! We are traveling to Charleston to meet up for some LONG over due catching up and quality time. First stop is at this amazing little coffee shop. There will be lots of shopping, eating, and talking! Oh how wonderful! Stay tuned for more info!

as promised. cake off snapshots. enjoy.

2011-03-03T10:16:00.003-06:00

mer & me along with the three amigas who

will take our place as student spouse representatives

we made farewell favors

by the dozens

two of the finalists. their almond petite fours

were delicious as they were cute

some of the decor

our theme was antique whimsy

to be totally resourceful we cut our extra paint

chip samples to make confetti

let them eat cake

cake

and more cake

it is after all the perfect dinner

my other half

2011-03-02T15:28:00.000-06:00

{meredith mayo & me}

I know after reading the tittle of this post you would expect to see a photo of Josh, not Meredith, but let me explain. Meredith and I, as many of you know have held the position of Student Spouse Representatives for the past year. We have been busy planing socials, attending many board meetings and welcoming in countless spouses to Columbus Air Force Base. And it has been our sincere pleasure to welcoming anyone who has a spouse going through pilot training. In many ways we have been each others other half through this experience. Sometimes we have even been called Sara Mayo & Meredith Welch!

The photo above was taken on Monday night at our Cake Off social (do not worry, more photos to come). It was with bittersweet emotions, we announced that it would be our last event. It is time. Our husbands are both rapidly approaching graduation and we need to hand over the baton, or in this case three ring binders. We are dreamers, well...let's say BIG dreamers. We had goals of brining in many new spouses. When we took over, attendance of the socials was at 12-15ish and we had about 50 on Monday night! Needless to say there is more work to do now, and so we are in the process of mentoring three wonderful women for the position.

We could not have been more happy about how well the Cake Off went. It was our best event yet! What a way to say farewell! And I could not begin to think of a better "other half" for the past year! Mer my friend...I love you and I could not have done it without you! Thank you for all you have done for me in these last 365 days. For the late night texts, the many taking care of business emails, the debriefing phone calls, more event planning meetings than I can count, the leg squeezes when we did not know what to say...and most importantly for being my friend. I love you boo. It has been an honor to work with you.

a man and his catch

2011-02-21T13:33:00.001-06:00

{Just a sneak peek into our weekend}

A big THANK YOU to the Junkins for having us over! We always have a great time hanging out at their place in Alabama! It feels like you can escape all the stress of life when you are at their house on many many acres of land. And we did just that. We let the stress melt away while we fished, and shot clay pigeons, talked, ate, laughed, and made Mark tell us story after story.

No, we did not eat this fish for dinner. We grilled out burgers, hotdogs and chicken. And Josh threw this fish back into the pond. But not before the pic! Josh might have caught a fish, but we both caught some much needed r & r too! Priceless.

weekend bliss

2011-02-21T09:20:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend! We enjoyed seventy degree weather here! And we took advantage of every minute with outdoor soccer games, a picnic, and some outdoor fun at one of friends houses, grilling out and sleeping with the windows open for a change. It was just lovely. And we are not sure if it will last since we had snow LAST week! Hope you had a great weekend!

the way to a man's heart...

2011-02-14T10:38:00.002-06:00

yep, you guessed it...

food

{VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER 2011}

PENNE WITH VODKA CREAM SAUCE

This recipe takes a bit of time to make, but this homemade sauce only takes one time to hook you and you will know it is truly a special meal! And a gift every man will L-O-V-E!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup good olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup vodka
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound penne pasta
4 tablespoons fresh oregano
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.

Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them into the pan with your hands. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

Place the tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan.

Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh oregano on each plate.

happy valentine's day!

2011-02-14T09:41:00.002-06:00

{thank you} for being in our lives! We hope you have a wonderful

Valentine's Day!

wonderful weekend

2011-02-09T14:59:00.000-06:00

{me, daddyo, momo & josh}

Just a quick update on our weekend. We had some of our very favorite people in town...my parents! The made the long journey to spend a little quality time with us and quality time is what we had! Typically when they are visiting it is for a specific event or holiday. This time we could give them a better picture of what our life in Columbus is really like!

They arrived Friday just in time to go with us to what they call Assignment Night on base. This is coming up for us and it is when one of the pilot training classes finds out what base they will be going to next and what plane they will be flying. We went to support some of our good friends, the Cahills. They will be headed to Dover Delaware where Chris will be flying C-5s.

On Saturday we got to shop at the yarn store right on the next block from our apartment. This place has some unusual hours (Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10-5pm) so I have only been in twice. It has a ton of yarns to look at and a very helpful woman told us all about each one! It was nice to walk around downtown a little as our weather was quite lovely that day!

Then onto dinner at Penny's house (the owner of Bella, where I work). She fed us so well and we played games till late into the evening! We played x-box kinect! WOW! That thing is crazy and I am pretty sure it was more fun to watch mom play than to play! We all bowled, but she also went head to head against Penny's son, who I call Fox in the hurdles and discus throwing contest!

Sunday we, of course, attended a super bowl party! GO PACK! It was so fun to be with fellow Wisconsinites to celebrate the win! We went over to a friend's house where a dozen or so of us gathered to watch. And we had on our packer gear. Cheese heads and all! We even ate brats and had cheese curds!

A great time was had by all! Thank you again for coming to visit! And to anyone who has not had the chance to experience Columbus we would love for you to come too!

josh has gone {cross} country

2011-01-28T14:24:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday of this week, Josh went on what his training calls a "cross country". Basically, a bunch of students and IPs (Instructor Pilots) get a group together and fly away for a few days. This allows them to gain more experience and get a ton of flights into a small amount of time. They fly from their destination to many other airports and then back again (to their main destination) to sleep and do it all over again in the am.

I will give you one guess where Josh has been! HA! Yes! South Carolina. Charleston to be exact! Funny, as this March I will be meeting up with all of my besties from college there. I told him to check it out for us, but I doubt he had the time! I believe his schedule was a little something like this...

Columbus to Virginia
Virginia to Charleston
Charleston to St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg to Charleston
Charleston to Columbus

He returns tonight and I know someone who is super excited!!! Have a great weekend!

rain rain go away...come again another day

2011-01-25T10:56:00.002-06:00

Maybe like this weekend when I can stay in bed and watch movies and not have to leave the house? Today I am at school...walking to my bus stop and classes in the rain...the wet cold rain. And I am carrying a backpack, art box and portfolio. To make matters worse I got an email today that said 25 reasons to stay in bed? Did I really need 25 more reasons than I already had this morning when I was trying to pry myself out of bed?

Typically I love rain. I enjoy how it makes you feel like cuddling up with a cup of coffee and reading a book. Today I have learned that I feel differently about 43 degree rain that is very cold and makes you cold to the bone. I actually like Florida rain that happens every day in the summer at 4pm and is rest assured over by 4:45pm. Now I know I am a 45 minute curl up and read a book, watch a movie in bed kind of girl.

81 days but who's counting?

2011-01-24T15:56:00.008-06:00

Me! I am counting!

There are exactly 81 days left until we have what's called Assignment Night. This is when we find out where we will be moving next and what Josh will be flying. Will we be moving or will we be staying in Columbus for 3 more years? (We have already been living in Columbus for 450 days!)

Josh thinks that 81 more days is a lot, and I feel like it right around the corner! And if you want more numbers, his graduation date from SUPT (Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training) is 14 days after that! When he will no longer be a student but a true pilot and receive his silver wings!

around the world in 12 watercolor sketches

2011-01-21T10:49:00.001-06:00

{my first attempt at watercolor}

Well, I have traveled around the world in 12 ~~days~~...I mean 12 watercolor sketches! Yesterday, I did have 12 watercolor sketches due. They are of all different architecture from around the world. From Mississippi to Paris. That was my first assignment in my History of Design class. We will have 4 due every week from now until the end of the semester. (In case you don't want to do the math, that totals 64!) I am told at the end of this, I will be a pro!

It was a bit intimidating to go at this will little to no instruction and have that many to do all at once, but I did it. I even felt pretty confident about them, until yesterday when we turned them in! HOLY COW! The other girls in my class (yes there is one boy, but only one) were like pros! Their Eiffel Tower looked like I was there. So, I have some work to do, but I am loving the challenge. And I am quickly learning that this major is unlike any other. Being creative for a grade is not something I am used to.

a whirl wind trip

2011-01-12T12:23:00.001-06:00

{all the jones family @ stephen & rebecca's wedding}

There they are! The Jones family! Stephen for those of you who do not know is Josh's cousin! And for those of you who may recognize the man next to Stephen...yes you are right...that is Uncle Bill who married us! Thank you again for that Uncle Bill!

This past weekend we traveled to South Carolina to see these two precious people get married. The wedding was at 2pm Saturday (1pm our time). Thus, we left after work, drove to Georgia, checked into a hotel, slept for a bit, got up, ready, and on the road, then walked into the church with 2 minutes to spare. Enjoyed the wedding and seeing the fam, went to sleep, woke up at 7am and on the road to go home again! WOW! Did the trip really happen?

{me & jen at the wedding}

We also got a chance to say a temporary farewell to Jen, Josh's sister & now mine too! She is leaving next week for Australia to study worship arts at Hillsong. Many of you know Australia has a very special place in my heart, as I studied there for 6 weeks in college. We are SO proud of her and wish her the very best in her year abroad. This has been a dream of her's for SO long and it is amazing that we get to see her achieve this! Jen...we love you and you have the best time ever!

If the pace 2011 has been going keeps up, man I will be tired! Tired...and happy!

snow day!

2011-01-12T11:57:00.000-06:00

{view from my bedroom window of my car}

Monday was a "snow" day here in Mississippi! And so was yesterday for a lot of kids! I had no work, MSU cancelled classes (even though I did not have any on Monday), and the base was closed until noon. 4-8 inches here is enough to shut down entire towns! And I was asked today if I felt safe on the roads! HA! Of course I did! This ain't nothing! One of my dear friends in NYC said that a week or so ago they had 22 inches of snow, and nothing closed down! But here, we shut down completely!

I must say that having a snow day here is even more fun, because it is so unexpected! Some of my Mississippi friends have never had a snow day in their whole lives and some had never even seen snow. I have seen it before, so I enjoyed the day from the comfort of my couch! I drank my coffee, stayed in my pjs all day, caught up on all my tv shows, did some knitting and hmmm, not a whole lot else. It was so cozy, calming and so very wonderful.

first day of school

2011-01-06T10:32:00.000-06:00

Yes! Today is my first day back to school...in...ahhh...well like five years ish! I am now what they call a Mississippi State "Bulldog". Not entirely sure what that means but so far to me it means that I am able to eat Chick-Fil-A at least two days a week, one of my classes requires four water color paintings a week for homework, and I am learning about the first mall every built and the Eiffel Tower. I think I am going to be able to handle this just fine! Also, Regis & Kelly is on in the Student Union while I am drinking my coffee. I think I forgot how good it was to be a student!

There are a few things that are different about MSU and SEU (Southeastern University) though...

1. I see people smoking as they walk to class. Culture shock anyone?

2. I had to arrive an hour early to have time to WALK to my class.

3. I can take a bus to class. I am on the "purple" line. HOLY CRAP! CRAZY!

4. There is an app for the bus schedule. Yep. There IS an app for everything!

5. There are more people in the Student Union right now than went to SEU!

happy 2011

2011-01-03T16:25:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone and HAPPY 2011! Doesn't Josh look happy to be welcoming in the new year? LOL! We hope you have all had a great end to 2010! We sure did! Here is a little look at what we did in the last two weeks of 2010...

- went ice skating in 12 degree weather
- ate brunch with my bestie in kentucky
- had coffee with another one of my besties in illinois
- saw an old family friend i had not seen in over 10 years!
- looked through some of my baby albums
- (not much has changed, i am baking & dressing up in the pics!)
- we threw a new year's eve party @ our loft apt!
- attended a game-a-thon night upon returning to mississippi
- got rid of the sad christmas tree we took in for christmas
- visited the mall in wisconsin...a hand full of times
- visited best buy more than the mall!
- had girls night with my sisters
- skyped on christmas eve with the welch family
- drove over 28 hours in the car
- watched almost an entire season of friends
- toured the harley davidson museum
- started knitting my first scarf
- josh ate his weight in cheese curds
- celebrated my sister's birthday WITH her for the first time in years!
- got my first mani/pedi since march
- had the best time ever with my fam in Wisconsin...there is NOTHING like going home!

And those are just the things I can think of off the top of my head!

Here's to a fabulous NEW YEAR!

wassail festival 2010

2010-12-17T09:55:00.002-06:00

{2010 wassail recipe}

A few weeks ago, downtown Columbus hosted its annual event, Wassail Festival. This event has quickly become one of my all time favorite holiday events! All of the downtown stores stay open late and serve their super secret wassail recipes. Customers come and vote on everyone's wassail and the winner is declared a week later.

Last year Josh and I and some of our friends went and tasted wassail after wassail...and we may have made gingerbread houses (which was an activity for the children that we did anyway and loved). This year I had the privilege to work Wassail Fest! Bella stayed open late that night. Penny, Terri, and I wore santa hats and served up some amazing wassail. I thought I would share the recipe.

This is for you Alicia Carby. Enjoy Everyone!

Bella's Best-Ever Wassail

   Ingredients:

   2 cups cranberry juice
   1 cup whole cranberries, fresh
   1 ginger root, peeled
   A long orange curl peel
   2 whole cloves
   2 cinnamon sticks
   1 quart apple cider
   whipped cream
   cinnamon sugar
   brandy

   Directions:

Combine the juice, cranberries, ginger, orange peel studded with cloves, cinnamon, and cider in medium saucepan over low heat. Bring to a low simmer and steep the mixture for about 15 minutes. Discard the orange peel and cloves. Pour into mugs. Add a splash of brandy and top with whipped cream and sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

we are not in wisconsin anymore!

2010-12-16T15:59:00.001-06:00

{the welch tree 2010}

Some of you may remember last year, when we got our tree from Lowes. It was quite an experience for us inexperienced tree trimmers that we were. Since I am acustomed to amazing trees that you cut down yourself from a tree farm (in Wisconsin, of course), we decided to go to the local tree farm. Okay, sad is an understatement. The tree farm we went to in Columbus is where they send all the ugly trees to die. They looked malnourished. And instead of finding your tree in the snow, you find it in well, mud.

Our tree, was one of the better ones and still has patches where there are no branches and it is totally lopsided. And so I introduce to you charles. He is named after the charlie brown tree. We felt like we did him a favor by taking him in and feeding him.

student spouse christmas party

2010-12-15T12:23:00.001-06:00

{christmas in the city 2010}

Here is it! The picture you have all been waiting for! The Student Spouses Christmas Party (Christmas in the City) photo! Last Wednesday night 35 student spouses got together to celebrate Christmas. Meredith, my co-chair and I had a BLAST planning this party. Our event was held at a downtown loft in a room called the chandelier room. And as you may have guessed it had two huge chandeliers imported from Italy. OH MAN! I wanted to take them home with me. had a crazy hat theme, if you couldn't tell, hot chocolate grown up style (these are called ski lifts see below), a photo booth, speed gaming and door prizes.

I have been honored to spend almost the last year being the Student Spouse Representative with Meredith. We have been able to really dream up any social out little hearts desire and run with it thanks to our amazing leaders. It has been so much fun to create these events and see friendships created out of them. And it is so great to have a "second family" here to go through pilot training with.

Ski Lift Recipe

Ingredients:

1oz peach schnapps

1oz malibu rum

1 cup hot chocolate

whipped cream

holiday sprinkles

Preparation:

Mix the first three items in your favorite holiday mug.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Enjoy.

parties parties & more parties

2010-12-13T10:20:00.002-06:00

{christmas party 2010}

On Saturday, Josh and I attended our Squadron's Christmas Party. It was a blast. We ate, danced, sang carols and won door prizes! I am quickly learning two things about the military this December. One: they like to have a good time at a party! Two: December is always going to be booked with holiday parties. I have had five (that I can think of off the top of my head) for the Air Force alone! That does not include friends parities and work parties and church parties! WHEW! But I do love it!

The party also reminded me that we have come full circle. Last year we went to the Squadron Christmas Party as well, however we had only been here for less that two months. SO much has changed. The people we were just getting to know last year at the Christmas Party are now some of our closest friends! It blows my mind to think of all that has happened in one year's time. Here's to a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! I cannot wait to see what 2011 has in store for us! And where the Lord will take us.

we came, we saw, we ate...

2010-11-29T14:31:00.000-06:00

{view from the front porch of the cabin}

{dad & josh}

{mom & i}

The same old same old happened at the cabin this Thanksgiving, we came, we saw, we ate...but this year we had two special guests! Mom and Dad drove all the way to Alabama to be with Josh & I and the whole Welch clan for the holiday! It was like cloud 9 for me! Everyone together (except my siblings) at one time! Thanks for driving all that way! And thanks to the Welch family for opening up the cabin to my family!

the great face-lift

2010-11-18T10:32:00.002-06:00

{before}

{after}

These chairs were given to me by Josh's Grandma. They are a family heirloom that belonged once to his great grandma and passed down through the generations. There old home was at the family cabin. They came to live with us during Easter this past year and I believe they have been enjoying their time in Mississippi. I have been SO touched to receive them. It meant so very much to me to have them. I promised to take care of them. And for my birthday, Josh let me give them a face-flit. Thought you might want to check it out.

white trash & a redneck

2010-11-16T13:26:00.000-06:00

{Need I say more? those were our costumes for halloween!}

are we in mayberry?

2010-11-12T13:46:00.000-06:00

Yes! This is one of our favorite places. Is the picture not priceless? You can call the day before and have them marinate your meat of choice. We get steaks from here that could quite possibly be the best steaks we have ever eaten! We usually take them to a friends house to grill out, but a we got so desperate for a steak, we actually bought a camping grill and grilled out on our back stoop! YUM! When I got to see the building for the first time, I felt like I was in Mayberry!

our second one year anniversary this year

2010-11-07T17:00:00.004-06:00

Yes, we have had two one year anniversaries this year. Of course, the first one and most important would be our wedding anniversary. Our second would be that of moving to Columbus, Mississippi. Yes, that is correct, it has been one whole year that we have been here! I know it is hard to believe.

In the past year we:

had to say goodbye to family & friends

settled into our favorite apartment

became members of a church for the first time

went armadillo hunting

learned that i love interior design

became bilingual (we now speak military)

had to say goodbye to many of the things we were used to:
ie target & starbucks

had many visitors and we LOVED it!

learned that you grow up fast in the military
{we had to make out a will the first week we were here}

stepped back in time...
columbus moves at a MUCH different pace than Orlando

fallen more in love with the LORD and each other on this journey

Thank you so much for all of your love and support. And thank you for being a part of our last year!

my birthday

2010-10-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

{meredith, me & the cupcakes she baked me}

For my birthday, my wonderful husband planned a surprise get together with some of our best friends! They took me out to a fabulous dinner, baked me cupcakes, gave me presents, toasted me with champaign, and we played apples to apples! I had the BEST day! It was so sweet of Josh to take time to make my day so special while he has so much going on with training! The only thing that could have made it better is if all of my family and friends were there!

lets get ready for some football!!!

2010-10-23T17:58:00.001-05:00

{the two powder puff teams...at the end of the game}

Today, I got up early...yes I sure did...to play powder puff football! The Student Spouses played the women of the 14 Operation Support Squadron. It was a close game...35 to 0...but we won!!!! We had a great time, but I have been downing the ibuprofen today! I am one large bruise! Happy Saturday Everyone!

jackson, ms

2010-10-19T11:17:00.000-05:00

{josh, me, aunt diane & uncle dave}

Over the weekend, Josh and I took a drive to Jackson, Ms. On our way there, we drove the Natchez Trace. It is the most beautiful winding road. The trees were changing and the lakes around it were gorgeous! We made phone calls to say hi to some old friends and had a blast checking out the scenery.

We went for shopping, I am not going to lie! BUT we got to have lunch with Aunt Diane and Uncle Dave! They moved to Mississippi when I was in grade-school and we have missed them ever since. Who knew I would ever live in the same state for a time. It was SO great to catch up over a wonderful meal and it was the first time they got to meet Josh!

three generations

2010-10-13T22:24:00.003-05:00

{top left: papa welch, mama welch, josh, & myself}

{bottom left: grandma & granddaddy pugh, uncle keith & aunt sadie}

We had such a great weekend getaway to the family cabin in Alabama. The cabin is located near Montgomery, in a little town called Union Springs. Each year for Thanksgiving his family gathers to spend a few days at the cabin, as well as any other time of year they can gather there. We had the opportunity to stay there with his parents and grandparents this past weekend.

On Sunday, we attended a 50th Anniversary party for Uncle Keith (Granddaddy's brother) and Aunt Sadie. It was such a pleasure to be a part of such a monumental moment in their lives. The party was held a another cabin, that belongs so one of their son's. We got to take a tour of his "hunting lodge", eat wedding cake and meet many of their friends and extended family. A great time was had by all!

As Josh and I were sitting on the front porch eating our piece of wedding cake, watching everyone say hi and reminisce about the good old days, and the kids play on the lawn, I could not help but feel like I was living in the Brad Paisley's song, "All Because Two People Fell In Love". Happy 50 years Uncle Keith & Aunt Sadie! We love you!

a little weekend getaway

2010-10-08T13:42:00.000-05:00

{the cabin}

This is where Josh and I will be heading after work today. We are going to the family cabin to see Josh's Great Aunt Sadie and Uncle Keith in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary! And bonus Grandma and Granddaddy and Mama and Papa Welch will be there too! The weather is perfect for being at the cabin! And I cannot wait to sit on the porch and drink my coffee in the morning! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

every day matters...

2010-10-05T09:36:00.000-05:00

{Katie, Camille, Me, Meredith, & Victoria}

And if you are one of us...Wednesday (or Monday's this month!) matters most. Each Wednesday since the beginning of the year five friends have gotten together to do something special...EAT. There is just something about coming to the dinner table once a week to talk, laugh, and eat our way through life. Especially this year. All of our hubbies are in pilot training. So many times, these girls are more than just my friends; they are an extension of my family. And the best part is...when they leave your house, it is as if they were never there...many people have friends...but do they clean up after themselves? We have eaten our way through this year of pilot training. Here's to Supper Club! And all the women I admire so much that are keeping the home fires burning!

the verdict is in...

2010-09-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

{the t-1}

And Josh will be flying the t-1, as seen above. This is the trainer plane he will be flying for the next six months or so until graduation from UPT (undergraduate pilot training). It prepares the students to fly cargo or tanker planes in the future for their careers. We are super excited about this and we are looking forward to what lies ahead. As always thank you for your continued love and support. We couldn't do it without you!