Wednesday, April 30, 2008

My "Why?" List on Wednesday

During my search for awesome pink stuff, I found some not-so awesome stuff and some awesome, but not-so thought out stuff. Here are a few...

Pet Highchair - Huh?



Jamie's Painting and Design Cat's Birthday Plate - Because everyone wants to buy a $36.00 plate for their pet to eat off of once a year...

Fantasy Furniture Heaven Bed - For only $113 I could buy this adorable bed! I actually like this, except for two things. One, my dogs would eat it in less than 20 minutes. (I'd like to know how many women have bought these thinking, 'Oh Fifi will love it!' only to wake up the next morning and find feathers and stuffing all over the room. ) Two, if (and that's a big if) they didn't eat it, they sure wouldn't sleep in it. It isn't my bed. It isn't fun to sleep in a bed unless it means pushing Mommy & Daddy out.

Day #138: My Wish List on Wednesday

I love all things pink! Here are a few, ok several, things I came across on target.com that I wouldn't mind having.

Apollo 18 pc. Garden Tool Set - this would come in handy this summer when I am working on my flower beds/new potted plants. However, at $69.99 I don't think I can convince Mr. that it is a need. It sure looks fun though!


Translucent Task Chair - Unfortunately I just bought a chair like this in black only about a month ago. Dang. However, I could always move the black one to my sewing machine... Right now it is up for free shipping, too.


Real Simple File Organizer - I can always use more organizers. This would be great for some of my design inspiration stuff, like the piles of magazines I have in my office, or maybe some of my 8.5x11 scrapbook paper?

Dirt Devil Kone Hand Vac - Now this may be something I can actually convince Mr. is a need because honestly it is. It would make cleaning out the cars so much easier, not to mention the couches, chairs, under cabinets, spilled dog food, etc. Our house would be cleaner. These things have also come down in price. This one is only $39.99.

Apollo 54 pc. Roadside Tool Set - This is really cool. I think if I show it to my husband, it may end up in my stocking at Christmas. He's a car care/safety fanatic. He constantly reminds me to check my tires and have my oil changed. This set is $49.99.


Enamel/Stainless Steel Colander - This would be a great addition to my pink kitchen collection just because it is so cute!


KitchenAid Pink 2-Slice Toaster - I love this. We eat bagels for breakfast all the time. I could also leave it out on the counter instead of hiding it and wasting cabinet space like I do with my white one. Also it would look great next to my pink KitchenAid mixer. :-)

Silicone Solutions Square Cake Pan - This is about the only piece I do not have of this set. I have muffin pans, bread pans, a heart shaped cake pan, and spatulas.

Zyliss Ice Cream Scoop - This one is pretty self-explanatory. It's pink, and it's an ice cream scoop. We love ice cream!

Apollo 135 pc. Tool Kit - I love this! I want one really bad! I would no longer complain when my husband "forgets" and leaves tools on the kitchen counter because they would match! Actually, he would be less likely to use these, so I wouldn't be in the predicament I was last weekend when I needed the hammer...that is on our roof! :-) At the price of $29.99, I'm sure they aren't the greatest quality but would work well for hanging photos and other small projects.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Day #137: C is for...

is for...

Christian friends! We are so blessed to have so many great friends that are brothers and sisters in Christ! God has really brought this to my attention a lot in the last few days.

Last weekend I had a bad day and spent Sunday evening at my friend Lindsay's house. We hung out on the couch talking, laughing, and eating sugar cookies. It sure made me feel better. Even better than that though, was the text she sent me the next day just to say she was praying for me. How can anyone be in a bad mood, knowing someone is praying for them? Well I sure couldn't. I called Lindsay, and we went shopping and to dinner. I later found out that she had been having a bad day herself, and she was praying for me!

Tonight I was sitting at the kitchen table at the Gragg House talking with their daughter and a friend of her's. The house was full of people of all ages, some family and some friends. I don't remember the girl's name, (sorry!) but she asked if it was "somebody's birthday or something?" Amanda shook her head, and I said, "Nope, this is just a typical weekend around here." I thought more about that on the drive home. It is so wonderful to have such a great group of friends, that a stranger doesn't even know who is a friend and who is actually related! Not to mention, friends that get together to cookout on a random week night. :-)

Ten Things Tuesday

XBOX Wife Ten Things Tuesday

I almost forgot today was Tuesday! Thankfully I saw Amy's list and it reminded me. Here we go...

1. I'm thankful that my husband is coming home on Thursday and I have nothing planned for us this weekend! That rarely happens. Even better is that he said he isn't leaving the house this weekend. That's an even more rare occasion. He usually has to see his friends every weekend (We, the wives, believe they all have co-dependency issues, haha!), in between seeing family/church events/other random errands. I guess they're out of luck this time; the redheaded wife wins! haha

2. My house is finally clean! I don't know how I survived this past semester. My house was constant wreck, and it was seriously stressing me out.

3. I have wedding photos hanging in my hall to look at. :-) They weren't there until a few days ago, and I am really glad to finally have a few of them up. Now to get the rest of them ordered...

4. I didn't have class today!

5. Due to #4, I was able to work on some other projects that had gotten put on the back burner due to school. (I bet Amy is thankful for this too! haha)

6. I'm definitely thankful that the sores in my mouth have healed. Stress does bad things to me. :-( It's good to be de-stressed for a while.

7. I have a new t-shirt (pink of course), necklace, and bracelet on today! Oh, and I am carrying my new pink bag! Did I mention I got it all on sale?

8. I am thankful that today my dogs have not destroyed or eaten anything they shouldn't. This is a major accomplishment.

9. I am about to go have dinner with my parents and the Graggs'. I am thankful to have a good relationship with my parents.

10. Christian friends! They're lifesavers.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Hanna & Minnie Pearl

Hanna loves Minnie Pearl. Minnie also really likes Hanna. She's usually playing too rough and jumping on people, but she's very gentle with Hanna. It's the sweetest thing! She always lets Hanna hang all over her and do whatever she wants to her.



Saturday, April 26, 2008

Just a quick note

Some of Steven's family is in town this weekend. His mom, sister, brother-in-law and little Hanna drove down yesterday. Kathi, Steve, and Hanna arrived at my house about 1:00 this morning. We only got to visit for a few minutes before we all went to bed, but I am SO happy they are here! Hanna was hilarious last night. She kept talking baby-talk to Minnie Pearl. She'd scratch her ears and say, "Coochie coochie coo!"

Then she grabbed each side of Minnie Pearl's face, pressed her mouth against Minnie's nose and mouth and had some sort of in-depth baby-talk conversation with her. Minnie just sat there, staring into Hanna's eyes, like it was something really important.

They all went to Batesville today to visit family (7:00 am was a little early for me!), so I've been doing some spring cleaning today. I even planted some flowers this morning! I'm sure I'll have pictures later of everyone.

For now, here are the flowers I planted this morning.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Mr. & Mrs. on a Sunday afternoon...

catch a turtle! Actually, the Mr. caught it when he was mowing the yard, but he proudly presented it to me on the front porch for a photo shoot. Mr. Turtle wasn't very happy.






Thirteen Thursday

Well it's that time again, kidos! Time for my weekly list of 13. Here's a list of things you may or may not know about our little family.

Thursday 13

1. Steven and I love to play card games and board games together. Our favorites are Scrabble, Uno, and Spades. He has beaten me at Scrabble twice, and I will never be allowed to forget it. :-)

2. Steven is re-roofing our house by himself! It looks darn good, too. I'm helping, but I don't have the carpentry skills. My job is to keep him company, keep him fed, and make sweet tea. : ) Oh, and I get to pick up old shingles.

3. Minnie Pearl has the worst gas of any dog I have ever met! It's horrible. We've even changed her food; it doesn't matter. She's just a silent-but-deadly, stinky dog. One night, I honestly sat straight up in bed, freaking out. I thought she had gone to the bathroom in my bedroom floor. Nope! She was sound asleep at my feet!

4. We've been married 4 months, and I have only ordered a few 4x6 prints of our professional wedding photos. I have even designed an album and haven't ordered it yet.
5. Steven didn't like country music before we met. I converted him. I'm pretty sure when I met him, never in a million years would he have thought he'd ever be excited about Johnny Cash and bluegrass music.

6. I hated bluegrass music when I was younger, but now I really like it. My dad tried SO hard to get my sister and I into, but we resisted. It didn't last forever though. We got sucked in eventually. I'm pretty sure one of my dad's proudest moments was when I told him I wanted to go to a bluegrass concert. He took me to see The Peasall Sisters! I got to meet them, too!

7. Steven can do the splits.

8. I wanted to sing with the praise band at church since I was about 13, but I was too chicken. It took my dad forcing me when I was about 17. Now I love it! I just hope my children sing better than I do.

9. When I was 7 or 8 I caught a minnow in the ditch at my Big's house. I named "her" Kelly and kept her in a small tank in my room. I was really sad when she got too big, and I had to set her free. I was really concerned that she wouldn't know how to catch her own food or that someone would catch her and eat her! haha, I'm sure someone would want to eat a nasty ditch fish...

10. Steven has a piece of metal lodged in his arm from a hammer.

11. Steven, myself, and 3 of our 4 pets sleep in a full size bed.

12. I'm trying to learn to sew. So far, I stink at it.

13. I'm pretty sure the staff at the Urgent Care on Stadium remembers Steven every time he comes in. If not, they take a look at his file and it comes back to them. He's been there for a few random/strange injuries (see #10). The last time he was there because he was sick, and the doctor asked me if he'd been skateboarding lately. haha

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Ten Things Tuesday

XBOX Wife Ten Things Tuesday


This week is dragging! I am so glad to be making my list today. Yesterday, wasn't so great, so I'm glad to be sitting here thinking of things I'm thankful for.


1. My e-mail from Amy that made me laugh out loud today! Everyone in the class I was leaving looked at me like I was crazy. It was a good laugh, though - much needed. Thanks, Amy!

2. That I was born and raised in a country where women are normally respected by their husbands.

3. That my husband cooked me some chicken this morning before he left town and put it in the fridge for me to eat when I get home. I'm having a late night at school tonight, so that is something to look forward to.

4. My schedule for next semester is complete! Today I finally found a 5th class that sounds like it is going to be not only interesting but also easy.

5. Warm weather! I have been so excited to put on my flip-flops the last few days!

6. I am very thankful for my friend, Emily H. She keeps me sane on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we always have something to laugh about, especially all of our Emily-isms. "It's an Emily thing."

7. I found out today that my 11:30 class for Thursday is canceled. That means...mid-day shopping and eating with Emily!

8. My neice, Hanna, is coming to visit this weekend!

9. Today I am very thankful that I am a Digital Media & Design major. This means I have more classes to choose from, allowing me to avoid certain professors. This also means that most of my classes are in the art department where people are generally nicer and more laid back.

10. I only have 5 actual days left of attending classes/finals before my break starts! My last final is at 2:45 on May 5

Monday, April 21, 2008

Day #129

We have now been married for 129 days. Where did the last four months go?

This weekend Steven started on our roof. He actually got a whole section done, and I'm really happy with the shingle color we picked. I can't wait for it all to be done. That will take a while though. I also did about a thousand loads of laundry. It felt that way at least, and I'm not done either.


I worked this morning, ran home for lunch with Steven, then rushed to class. I then discovered that the teacher wasn't there. Gee thanks. However, I went to the library to waste some time before my next class, and saw my sister! So we are hanging out in the computer lab together. :-)

Sunday, April 20, 2008

B is for...



...Bunco!!!

Once a month, I have a girls' night out to play bunco! We recently decided to change things up with a different theme to bunco night every month. March Bunco was a pajama party.


Saturday, April 19, 2008

Puppysitting

My sister and brother-in-law left town yesterday and won't be getting back until later tonight, so we are keeping Trinket and Sage!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A is for...

Well, it appears that I have been sucked in by the alphabet posts.


A is for...

Anderson's!
That's us! He is Steven. I am Emily. We went to the same high school, but we didn't actually meet until after he had graduated. (I'll save that for another post.) We met at a high school football game in September of 2003. I was 16, and he was 3 months shy of 20. Six months later, and I knew he was the one I would marry. He took a little longer to figure it out. :-) We got married on December 14, 2007 (Steven's 24th birthday) with a beautiful ceremony and lots of friends and family there to celebrate with us.

Now we are settling into our not-so-typical married life. I am a full-time student, earning my bachelor's in Digital Media & Design. I only have 2 more semesters! Yay! I also work part-time, and I am in training to be a Domestic Goddess. (Not going so great right now. School is getting in the way.) Steven is a lineman for an electrical contractor. He works on the road several days each week, so we don't see each other everyday like most newlyweds. Right now, his schedule is 9 on, 5 off. In about 2 weeks it will be changing. Is this hard? Yes, but it is also rather normal to us. We lived about an hour and a half away from each other when we met. Only about a 12 or 14 months of our relationship have we actually lived in the same town without him working on the road, and those months were in 7 or 8 month increments.


Animals!
We have lots of them, 4 to be exact. We have five if you count the extra cat that had to go live with my parents. We have three dogs and a cat. We don't need anymore. Please do not ask us to take in a stray. For that matter, don't even mention having seen a cute one. We both love animals! We can't say no to pitiful looking little animals. :-)

Thirteen Thursday

**UPDATE**
So far, I have finished #'s 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, & 13!

Happy Thursday!

I'm hoping my list sticks in my head after I type it and I actually accomplish everything.

Thirteen Things I Need to do Today/This Weekend:

1. mop my kitchen
2. drop photo cd off at Amy's
3. pay electric bill
4. wash sheets
5. vacuum hall/living room
6. work on term project for Multimedia Productions class (Due April 25!)
7. e-mail my jewelry order to Ashley
8. dust
9. pay truck payment
10. mop both bathrooms
11. buy more flea/tick medication for the dogs
12. fold the towels in the dryer
13. Go to class. :-(

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Things Minnie Pearl Has Eaten/Destroyed

As most of you can tell by now, I'm slightly obsessive about lists. I make random lists for everything. Here is another one I've been thinking about lately. I guess I've been thinking about it because I'm subconsciously worried that Minnie will fall back into her eating-everything-in-sight mode.

- 2 phone chargers
- 2 pairs of athletic shoes
- throw pillows (at least 4; ugly ones thankfully)
- carpet
- 2 bed pillows
- lamp cord (She only did that once. I think she learned that lesson the hard way.)
- baseboards
- recipe box
- address book
- the bottom lining of our box springs
- pajama pants
- Christmas card
- water bowl
- wallpaper
- a pumice stone

I'm sure there is more, but that's all I can think of at the moment. Not to mention, I told Steven 3 weeks after getting her she needed a crate because she is a chewer. He ignored that idea. Well, after all of this stuff is gone ...he says she needs a crate! Really? You think?

Tag!

I've been tagged by my friend Amy, and I'm supposed to list 7 random things about myself then "tag" 6 of my friends to do the same thing. So, here are my 7!

1. I listen to Christmas music year-round. At this moment, I'm listening to Baby, It's Cold Outside by Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey

2. I like to cook pasta because I know if there are leftovers, Steven will not eat them when he gets home.

3. I'm really emotional. Happy, sad, mad, ecstatic - it doesn't matter, you can bet my reaction will be crying.

4. I am somewhat of a procrastinator.

5. I have a pretty bad case of scoliosis. They caught it too late for a brace to do any good, and because of this my hips are visibly uneven.

6. I am terrified of canoeing. I had one really bad experience and don't ever plan to do it again. Tubing, however, is a different story. (Am I the only one that finds it a bit strange that I would rather have my butt in river water that is ice cold and filled with who knows what, than being in a boat?)

7. I like fishing. Yes, I bait my own hook too!

There are my seven; now I'm passing it on.

1. Lauren
2. Dolli
3. Marilyn
4. Courtney
5. Sheri
6. Nikki

Ten Things Tuesday

XBOX Wife Ten Things Tuesday

Thankful is one thing I seem to be a lot lately. These are a few of the things I'm thankful for today.


1. My husband's sense of humor. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't be married to me. That's what enables him to deal with me. :-)

2. My Minnie Pearl and Emerald snuggling up next to me, one on each side, every morning as soon as we wake up.

3. Not having my 9:30 class this morning!

4. Having brunch with friends in the middle of the week. I'm going to Cracker Barrel with Lauren and Ashley this morning, and I can't wait!

5. Late night/early morning giggling and squealing on the phone with a good friend about her recent engagement. Those are some of the greatest phone calls ever.

6. iTunes. It provides me with unending music for my entire day.

7. Napping puppies. This is very cute, and it allows me to breath and realize that for the next 30 minutes, nothing will be destroyed in my house. :-)

8. My wake up calls from Steven.

9. My BlackBerry calendar - I would be lost without my daily schedule.

10. the invention of the telephone - This is the only way my husband and I communicate for 16 days each month.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Emerald & Minnie Pearl



Sisters & Best Friends

13 Thursday

13 things about me and my family...

1. I like fast food. I don't just eat it because it is cheap or convenient. I actually like it.

2. I have taken more than 5000 photos in the last 12 months.

3. People that are always "sick" drive me bananas. When they are actually sick I don't feel sorry for them; it makes me want to laugh. Yeah, that's not very nice.

4. I am addicted to my BlackBerry.

5. I get irritated everytime someone is talking about weddings and says, "Well you don't really need a lot of decorations for the ceremony. You are only there for about 30 minutes." Hello! That is where all of your formal pictures are usually taken, the ceremony photos ARE important, and what about the video? Besides, I'm pretty sure the ceremony is the most important part of the day. Maybe I was a crazy bridezilla, but my ceremony decor was just as important as my reception decorations. My ceremony photos are some of my favorites now.

6. I was a bridezilla. (I apologize to all of those that witnessed a fit. (-: )

7. I love muffins.

8. I have absolutely no athletic ability. I can't even bowl. I'm a decent swimmer, does that count?

9. I would love to live on a lake. I don't think I'll ever convince Steven though.

10. Steven gets excited about little boy stuff. If we have to pick out a baby gift for a boy, he insists on going shopping for it with me. It's really cute.

11. My sister and I fought like boys when we were little. We didn't bother with name-calling.

12. My dad is the king of annoying punishments. Forget spanking - thumping them works much better. :-) We got knee spats in the car, thumped on the head or ear, and once even had to write a paper! Apparently annoyances get the idea over quicker than pain.

13. Steven and I refer to our dogs as our "girls." He is their "Daddy," and I am their "Mommy."

My New Toy!

Yes! I got it! I got a lovely Canon 40D. My shiny new camera! I am in love. :-) I got it last Saturday, and I took over 500 pictures that day! Oh, and did I mention that I love, love, love, love my husband? Well, I do. He is a wonderful man. I promised him he gets the next big toy.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Post #70! Jill



This is my kitty, Jill. She was a gift from my parents for my 9th birthday. She was a demon kitty for the first 8 or 9 years. Now that she is 14 years old, she is a lot calmer. However, due to behavior issues she has to live with my parents. (It was that or Steven was going to eventually kill her. Finding cat pee on important things, such as new wedding gifts, on the kitchen counter is never good.) She is a much happier kitty now that she has a whole house to herself. She still does not play well with others though. Oh, and she doesn't like strangers - pretty much just my dad, mom, Steven, and me.

A Story for Amy

The other day Steven and I were driving around town running errands. We started discussing kids. Part of the conversation went as follows.

Steven: "I hope we have a little boy so I can dress him up in little suits and ties and khakis."
Emily: "Okay. You do realize that won't be cheap, right? So you can't complain when I buy expensive dresses for the girls."
Steven: "Yeah, so? I don't care."
Emily: "You're going to be just as bad as me when it comes to shopping for our kids, aren't you?"
Steven: "Not the girls. I'll let you do that. I just want a little boy, so I can pick out really cute stuff for him. I want him to be the boy version of Emma, Eva, and Ella. I want my kids to be cute like that."


Amy, my husband is a fan of your kids. :-)

What I Love on Wednesday

After reading Ualla's latest post, I thought I'd make a list of my own this Wednesday. However, I'll do the opposite - Things I Love.


I love:

1. When babies reach out for me to hold them
2. The way my husband gets excited about little boys' dress clothes
3. That Emma and Eva Grace want to do things like me (This also serves as a reminder to keep myself in check. Little eyes are watching.)
4. The way Emerald squeaks her toy and drops it at my feet to throw for her
5. My husband and I laugh together and at ourselves
6. My hair is a unique color - naturally
7. Little kids' squeaky shoes
8. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream
9. I have my own house. Never in a million years did I expect to be married and have my own home by the age of 21. We are truly blessed.
10. My husband will spend $6 trying to win me a cheap toy out of a game machine, and never regrets it when he doesn't win it.






Monday, April 7, 2008

My Husband Would Be Proud

I have a short break between classes today, and I'm wishing I was at home...


*I can't believe I'm going to say this*

...playing Guitar Hero III. :-)

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Our Engagement

I realized when I was backing things up on my external hard drive that I never posted this video on here. Here you go.



For those of you that don't know the story behind the video -
I made Steven swear over a year before he proposed that there would be a camera present. Otherwise, I would say no. (just kidding) Well, he did better and had my mom get it on video. As for crying when I saw my ring, we had just had a conversation early that afternoon about rings, and he pretty much told me I wasn't getting that ring because it was too expensive. Well, he was a liar! He already had it, and had it stashed at my parents' house!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Thirteen Thursday - BFF Memories

Thirteen Thursday with Lauren! Lauren and I have been best friends since the second grade, so picking just 13 memories was not easy. I went with thirteen that had the cutest pictures.

1.

This was Lauren's 8th birthday. We had known each other for about 10 months then. Check out the (not-so) awesome outfits! haha

2.


This was third grade. I have absolutely no idea what we were doing, or why we put those goofy teddy bear stickers on this scrapbook page.

3.



Winter 1997 - that would have been when we were in 5th grade? We built a huge snowman. We couldn't even pick up the middle snowball. We had to have Lauren's mom help us.

4.



8th Grade - Our last year to go Trick or Treating

5.


Florida 2002 - We were trying to surf in the pool. It didn't work too well. :-)

6.



Two or three weeks after returning from Florida we headed to Galveston, Texas.
We made lots of memories on that trip. We spent our days on the beach and shopping, met a guy who snuck over from another hotel to use our pool, and were informed by another (rather intoxicated) hotel guest that there was a "giant rat" beside the hot tub.

7.



Valentine's Day 2004 - We both spent too much money on gifts for our boyfriends, so we decided to go 'shopping' in each other's closets for an outfit to wear on our dates. This was the only good picture in the series. We were laughing too much through the other 8 or 10.

8.




Junior Prom - 2004

9.



Grand Opening Day at The Mall at Turtle Creek
We each had an hour break between classes and made a mad dash for the mall. We both managed to do some shopping and get back in time for our next class.

10.



This is how we entertain ourselves at Bryan's house - with a digital camera.

11.


Our "Dinner Party" in our dorm room

12.


My family bridal shower

13.




My wedding!

Lauren was the BEST maid of honor EVER! She tried on some really hideous dresses, was helpful with the decorating (thank you!), didn't complain, ignored my bridezilla moments, and was there on time with a smile. Oh, and she cried with me right after the ceremony because we're mushy like that. :0) I love you, Lauren!

Works for Me Wednesday


Dryer Sheets! These little dudes have many uses beyond the obvious. My favorite use for them? Dusting! Yes, you read that right. They work great on electronics. They get rid of the static that makes the electronics collect dust in the first place, reducing the number of times you have to dust. Plus, they actually collect the dust (not just pretend to like some so called "dust cleaners.") They also work wonders on lamp shades. No more annoying vacuum attachments.

I'm such a wannabe-housewife nerd.