Two YEARS???? Unacceptable!!

I can't believe it's been two years since my last post.  Needless to say, MANY things have changed in the Snider house...in fact, our HOUSE has changed!!

Screen shot of our house from the real estate website

Picture taken from the back porch...that's DH and I at the far corner of our property!

We're HOME OWNERS!!!

We purchased our home in April of 2014 and have been busy with "life" ever since.  My oldest is now a high schooler - a HIGH SCHOOLER!!  How did that even happen?  I'm just glad we both survived middle school, because believe you me, it was touch and go there for a bit.  I was just absolutely positive that one of us was going to be a casualty.  I'm glad that was not the case.
Rox is in 8th grade and has joined the cheer squad - We've got spirit, yes we do!  We've got spirit, how 'bout YOU? - and is rocking all of her classes so far.  She'll go to high school with 2 credits, just like Eric (and her dear mother...where do you think she got her smarts from?  duh.) did.  "The Littles" are in 1st grade and Kindergarten at a brand new (to them) school!  My employee transfer was denied [insert dramatic music here], and so now they're Cheetahs.  We didn't want to be Mountain Lions anymore anyway.  Hmph!  We LOVE the new school!  Since it's the school we're zoned for anyway, the kids get to ride the bus everyday, which they're still young enough to get a kick out of, and we no longer have to trek across town to drop them off at that other school, which is something us parents love!  It's a win-win!!!
We're still involved with football, only this time on a slightly different scale.  Eric doesn't play football...he plays the mellophone (the marching band version of the French Horn).  I'm officially a band mom, and I love it!  We've been to all but one game so far, and I've got to say...my kid is good.  REAL good.  Also, because of Roxie's new-found love for all things cheer leading, we also are involved with middle school football once again.  So in the Snider house, we have football events happening twice a week, and then ALL.WEEKEND.LONG thanks to DH's attachment to College GameDay, Texas A&M (okay...that's an obsession of mine too), the Buffalo Bills, all things football, and attachment to the remote control.  It's okay, I'm a fan too...but I will admit that by the time the new year and all the college bowl games roll around, I am OVER IT!!
Let's see...what else has changed...OH YEAH!  I decided to start and FINISH school!  I enrolled in Texas A&M Central Texas for my very last year in college as an undergrad!  I began in January of this year, and am now very excited to say that I will graduate in December with my BS in Political Science.  Hahaha, yes, BS...Political Science.  The humor of that is not lost on me.  Had I known I was this close to being finished, I would have done it LONG ago!  Oh well, I'm there now, and it's just as exciting!  The Spring semester was pretty intense.  I was in classes Monday-Thursday from 6-9, which left me ZERO time with my family during the week.  It was really hard on me, and on the kiddos, but I just kept telling myself that it would be over soon.  That it was all for the best.  And I made sure that Friday-Sunday I was at home with the family.  I took the Political Science Capstone course which was all about decision theory, and a bunch of stuff that went WAAAAAAAY over my head, but I did my best, paid as much attention in class as I could for not understanding half of what was said, studied my butt off for the final, and squeezed out an A!  I also took The Administration of Justice, which was all about the Judicial system (A), Religion and Politics, which was all about the different issues our country faces with the separation of church and state as well as the history of our Founding Fathers (A), and Foreign Policy, which is exactly what it sounds like.  That one I got a D in...which I completely earned.  I was spent at the end of the semester and couldn't put any more effort into a 15 page paper on the relationship between the US and Cuba, so I turned in 4 pages.  It's laughable, but I was just sooo done.  I'm not super proud of the D, but I'll take it because it counts as credit!  In the summer semester I took 10 hours, 7 of which were online with a Race and Ethnic Relations class - which I think EVERYONE should take.  It was seriously an eye-opening, objective, informative class that was not only interesting, but applicable.  I got a B because somehow I confused my assignment calendar and forgot to take a quiz, which cost me major points.  The other class was just the opposite.  I needed one last science credit, so I had no choice but to take Environmental Geography.  It was hell...not that it was hard, it wasn't.  But the "professor" was horrible, had insane demands, and everyone in the class was absolutely miserable.  I don't even remember whether or not I got a B or an A, and quite frankly, I don't care.  I'm just glad to be out of that God-forsaken class.  Good riddance!  The one class I took in person was every Monday and Wednesday night, and it was Understanding Social Science Research - which, for the record, I do not. It was the same professor as my Capstone class, so I at least knew his grading policies, his quirks, etc., but I still felt like a good part of the time I my eyes were glazed over.  In fact, I posted this gif on a Facebook status once night:

Me during PLSK 330 every week

I did manage an A in that class as well, which was pretty sweet...
Fast forward to this LAST semester!  I'm in 6 hours currently, but begin another 6 hours in 2 weeks.  Right now I'm taking Political Ethics and Terrorism and Political Violence.  Both classes are pretty interesting and have been easy to keep up with (Political Ethics is every Monday night, is pretty much discussion lead, and there are only papers, no exams; Terrorism and Political Violence is online, discussion lead, and there will be no papers, only a final exam), but I'm a little more apprehensive about adding another 2 classes to my course load...we'll see how that goes.
I'm still crafting and building and painting - usually when I should be doing homework - but not as much as I would like to...something had to give with our crazy schedule.
We did add to the family by a few since I last posted too.  Before we bought our house, DH surprised me with a new Basset puppy.  We named her Brienne of Tarth after our favorite show: Game of Thrones.

Sweet little Brienne of Tarth...is not this little anymore!

 We also decided to dive into the world of backyard chicken raising!  We bought 4 chicks this past spring, built a killer coop during Spring Break, and all was going well until our lovely Basset Hound, Beaux, decided to break into the coop.  There were no survivors - not even feathers left behind - which is why we think a hawk scooped in an took them once he was done "playing" with them.  It was a sad, sad day.

Our "Egg-cellent" coop!  

We decided to try again, and I fortified the coop with another layer of fencing material, and we brought 5 new girls home in April.  We named them Rose, Dorothy, Blanche, Sophia, and Betty White (she was the only white chick in the bunch).  We're down to three chicken now  - Rose was the victim of another attack and Betty was a victim of the ruthless Texas heat...RIP, Girls - but Dorothy, Blanch, and Sophia are still going strong!  In fact, Sunday I collected our very first egg, and I collected our 2nd egg this morning!  The Snider house it all abuzz!  AND since they're Ameraucana chickens, the eggs are BLUE (and lower in cholesterol)!

Our very FIRST blue egg!!!

The Girls enjoying their free-range time in the backyard.  That only happens when the dogs are inside the house...

If you've made it this far, you're a saint and deserve a cookie!  I'm sure there's TONS more that could be updated, but this will have to do for now.  Let's hope that it's not another 2 years before my next post!!  (I'm betting it won't be)

Trick-or-Treating Etiquette

Halloween is coming whether you celebrate it or not.  Every year we've taken our kids out, and every year I'm surprised at what I see.  One year, I took the kids down the street, only stopping at houses with their porch lights on, and my kids were turned away from one house with a "we don't celebrate Halloween."  Hmm...funny.  Your carved pumpkin, decorated and lit up porch seem to send another message.  Last year we walked with friends in their neighborhood and a group of teenagers were walking in front of us, eating their candy, and just dropping their wrappers in the street!  My friend called out, "Pick up your trash!  People LIVE here!"  I was both proud and afraid.  They did look pretty sketchy.  You'd think I would stop being surprised at some point, but it still just boggles my mind at how rude and thoughtless people can be.  But if momma didn't teach them not to throw trash on the ground...
With that preface, I'd like to go over some ground rules that I think everyone should follow this (and every) Halloween:

1. If you're NOT giving out candy, turn your porch light off. 

Do you know how long it takes little 3 and 5 year old legs to trudge up your walkway?  Their effort and the fact that they have been rehearsing their "trick or treats," "pleases" and "thank you's" for days, if not weeks, deserves some kind of reward.  Ever seen Big Daddy?  Porch light on = candy.  Porch light off = we won't bother you.  Simple as that.

2. There is no reason why a baby should have a candy bag/bucket. 

Parents, if you want candy that bad, go to Wal-Mart and buy your own bag.  Trick-or-treating is supposed to be for kids.  Are you really going to let your 6 month old eat all those mini Snickers and Butterfingers?  Let's be honest.  Am I saying you shouldn't dress your baby up as the cutest little [insert animal or character here] in the world?  No.  In fact, when Daniel was a month old, I dressed up as Cruella de Vil and he was my little Dalmatian puppy.  Was it cute?  Um, yes.  Did I trick-or-treat for him?  Um, no.  Stroll your baby along with their big brother or sister while they trick or treat, but at this point in their lives, they're just something cute for strangers to "ooh" and "aww" over.  Put that candy bag "for the baby" away.  We all know it's not for them anyway. 

3. Teenagers, same rule applies...

Unless you are trick-or-treating with little siblings AND are dressed up, AND say "trick-or-treat" (don't just hold up your ratchet pillow case or the ever-present ghetto, plastic grocery bag for candy), don't expect anything but one piece of crappy candy (the red, yellow butterscotch, or those black/orange mystery candies) and dirty looks from my house. 

4. Don't drive to the "good neighborhood"

Ever since I was a kid growing up in San Antonio, TX, there was this great myth that the people in the King William District and Alamo Heights gave out full-sized candy bars or money for Halloween.  My parents would never take us to those areas, so I never found out if there was any truth to that, but I'm gonna guess that they were just myths.  My brother and I would walk up and down the streets in our neighborhood and do just fine, always having plenty of candy at the end of the night.  Fast forward to last year's Halloween.  Our family was invited to our friend's neighborhood to trick-or-treat.  First off, in the neighborhood we lived in at the time, no one participated.  No one.  I sat out one year with a bowl FULL of candy and the only kids to come by were the neighbor's grandkids.  That was it...for the entire night.  Anyway, we got to their house early evening, and by the time we got kids loaded up in the wagon and out the door, the traffic was ridiculous!  There were cars lining the main road and driving up and down the streets, stopping to let kids out, run to a door, get candy, load up, drive a few feet and repeat.  This caused problems because they were trying to drive through streets full of families actually walking from house to house/street to street.  If you're that concerned with getting your kids that much candy, they're probably gonna end up with diabetes you're probably better off buying them their own personal bag of candy at Wal-Mart for less than you're spending to gas that SUV you're toting everyone around in.  And there's a smaller chance that you'll hit random pedestrians and small children in your selfish quest to win the non-existent candy consuming competition.  Think about it.   Also, this year we happen to live in one of those "good" neighborhoods.  Do you think I'm spending money on full-sized candy bars, or am concerned with getting the "good" candy?  Heck no!  The houses in these neighborhoods don't pay for themselves!  I can't just forego the rent for October or November because I have to live up to some candy quality standard.  You'll be getting Dum-Dums and Tootsie Rolls if I'm the one that goes candy shopping...which reminds me, I really need to go candy shopping, or I might not even be handing out brand name stuff! 

5. There's nothing "cute" about a pre/teen girl dressed up as a "sexy [anything]"

Lots of people use Halloween as an excuse to show as much skin as they can without being labeled a tramp by giving it another adjective: "sexy."  You've seen the costumes...sexy nurse, sexy cop, sexy ref, sexy Red Riding Hood, and the list literally could go on and on.  It seems like the people who market costumes are going after younger girls every year.   Just look at this Google search.   A few of them are cute, but a lot of those would get a big, "oh HELL no" from me.  Parents, think about and pay attention to what your daughters are wearing.  Don't just go along with everything because you don't want to deal with a fight.  Your job as a parent is to parent (*gasp*).  Their job as a pre/teen is to be annoyed and hate every decision that doesn't go along with what they want.  Know what that's called?  Life.  Deal with it and put your foot down.  Don't be like the mom from Mean Girls.  She was an idiot. 

Last year I saw a girl - probably about 13 or so - with the coolest costume.  Know who she was?  Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty!  She was covered head to toe in camouflage (pants, long sleeved shirt, hat), had a fake beard, and even a Tupperware cup in her back pocket!  You don't have to bare every inch of your body for people to notice you or to think your costume is awesome.  This applies to everyone, no matter how old you are.  And another thing, moms, it's also not cute for you to be dressed as a "sexy [anything]" as you take your young children trick-or-treating.  Try a cute, fun family costume if you want to dress up.  Just keep your clothes on, please.

 

I'm pretty sure I'll think of more when I post this, but these were just a few things I was thinking of offhand.  Trick-or-treating is supposed to be a fun activity for kids.  Let's keep it that way. 

         

BOUT DAY!!!

Some might know that I'm on a local Roller Derby team here in Killeen, but a whole lot more probably don't.  Back in January of this year, dear husband and I went on a Starbucks date.  On their community board was a flyer for the Femme Fatale Roller Dolls, saying that they were having new girl try outs.  I found them on Facebook, showed up to a new girl night on a Wednesday in February, and have been with the team ever since. I became team secretary this summer, have been a part of both home bouts, and 2 away bouts, the most recent one being yesterday in San Angelo against the San Angelo Roller Girls.  They're an AWESOME team!!

First Home Bout Poster featuring yours truly

This is the poster for the first home bout we had.  That's me, Disciplinarian, on the left, and teammate Amanda - or Girlnade if you're on the track ;)  Amanda is an AMAZING photographer and has her own business.  She took Reagan's 3 year pictures, and they were pure perfection. 
Our posters were designed by another talented teammate, Mae Needabeer.  She has a degree in marketing which is why she knows how to sell a bout! She just so happens to be a fabulous makeup artist as well, and through her connections in that field was able to coordinate team pictures - like the ones on the bout poster.  Everyone's pictures turned out great, and we were able to put a team picture together from everyone's individual poses, a la America's Next Top Model.

Cat eyes, booty shorts, fishnets...it must be bout day!

Lots of people think that roller derby is elbowing, throwing punches, and fishnets.  This isn't so much the case...except for the fishnets part.  I never dreamed I'd have so many pairs and varieties or styles!  And socks??  When they're all clean, I can barely shut the drawer!  Stripes, argyle, skulls, sloths, plaid, rainbows and clouds...I could go on, but I think you get the picture.  I've got LOTS of fishnets and socks.  Derby is a real sport.  We condition, we practice, we take hits, we give hits, we get hurt, we heal, and we play hard.  Our team is a non-profit, so we also fund-raise and donate money to HARP of Killeen ISD.  HARP stands for Homeless Awareness and Response Program, and is a wonderful system in place to help displaced families, unaccompanied youth, and families with school-aged children in shelters.  The whole point of the program is to help these kids have some sort of stability in school when other aspects of their life might be a bit chaotic and unstable. Our team has given over $1200 to HARP so far, and we don't plan on slowing down next season!

Thrift Shop Sally + Disciplinarian = Derby Wife Love

  Hang around derby girls a while and you might hear the term "derby wife."  A derby wife is your partner in crime on the team.  Your wing [wo]man.  The one you call at 11 PM, bawling your eyes out, after you've just had the worst mash-up/bout experience of your life where you got hit by a girl so hard, you would have rather been hit by a Mack truck.  (That so happens to be a true story, and even though she was already asleep for the night, she answered the call and listened to me the whole time.)  That's what a derby wife is, and this is my derby wife, Thrift Shop Sally.  The first time we met, there was definitely some tension.  I wasn't sure if I liked her, and I'm pretty sure she probably hated me - I have that effect on people...it's so weird.  But once they get to know me, I instantly win them over with my awesome charm, personality, and sense of humor.  The first time we hung out, we almost got into a fight...kind of.  At least the people sitting at our table thought we were about to fight, which was pretty hilarious.  We found out just how similarly weird and crafty we were, and have been goof-ball buds ever since.    

Two things you cannot survive derby without: a supportive family, and duct tape.  Lots and lots of duct tape.  It's so important for your family to be on board with your new-found love for derby because of all the hours you spend away from them.  Practices, bouts, fundraisers, meet-and-greets, team meetings...and the list goes on and on.  My Dear Husband has been an AMAZING support for me, and has even helped the kids make posters to take to my bouts.  He rocks.

Duct tape, Derby, Donnie...a few of my favorite things!

Now on to the duct tape.  We put it on everything!  We tape the front of our skates to protect the leather from all those knee falls and 180 degree turns.  We tape chord to the floor to outline our track.  We tape our elbow and knee pads back together until we can get to the skate shop and get replacements.  Now that there are so many designs and styles, your duct tape can be an extension of your personality.  I've had pink and white zebra stripe tape, Avengers tape, and Pickle tape (it said, "what's your dill?"  haha.  get it?).  A teammate, Domestic Violate-Her, let me borrow the TMNT tape before yesterday's bout.  I looked down and noticed that "Donnie" was on both skates so I took advantage of an Instagram opportunity.  Donnie just happens to be Dear Husband's name - would this be the derby equivalent of a soldier naming his rifle?  If so, pay no mind to the other turtle names on my skate...Donnie is the only one that matters.

Viper Kiss, me, and Cajun Tree Shaka up against the SARG

 Here's a picture from the first jam of yesterday's bout - before the hard hits, hard falls, hurt tailbone, and sore back.  I love my team.  We had a tough season, but we learned a lot and grew so much!  I'm super excited about next season!  We've got seven home bouts scheduled, tons of ideas for events and fundraisers, and lots of new girls chomping at the bits for their chance to see an official bout from on the track.  2014 will be a great year for the FFRD!

Challenge Day 16: in which I no longer want to eat my office supplies

Day 16 and I'm 9 lbs down.    I don't feel like I'm starving all the time.  I'm not looking at my pencils and post-it notes with hungry eyes anymore.  Go ahead, sing the song...I'll wait...
This is nothing to sneeze at.  It's kind of a big deal for me.  It's been hard work, with LOTS of practice in will power and self-control, thanks to the fact that my dear hubby doesn't seem to have either one of those things.  ;)  Do you know how hard it is to come home hungry only to find 2 Papa John's pizza boxes on the stove, and not dive in?  That's okay, no good deed goes unpunished, and since no one put the leftovers away that night, they sat out and had to be thrown out the next day.  HA!  Now NO ONE can eat the pizza!!  Fast forward a week and there's a Freddy's Frozen Custard burger box on the counter...really?  Then he's eating the ice cream on the couch RIGHT NEXT TO ME and says, "wanna bite?"  "nope. (that was a lie...I did want a bite, I just SAID I didn't)"  "come one, one bite won't kill you!" 
One bite might not have killed me, but I already know that if I had allowed myself to give in - not on my cheat night, 'cause really, you SHOULD allow yourself a break every week - it would have changed my whole attitude.  One bite turns into one soda, which turns into another soda, which turns into a #5-Super-Sized-plus-Mac-Sauce-Dr-Pepper-&-Sweet-&-Sour-Sauce-for-my-fries every week or so.  I made a joke on a Facebook thread a week or so ago that soda was my "gateway drug."  It's true though.  I'm fortunate enough to never have had a serious addiction to drugs or alcohol, but I would liken it to offering a glass of wine to a recovering alcoholic.  (Which reminds me of an Elvis Duran Morning Show Phone Tap I heard the other morning where they were pretending to be a Whiskey company wanting to sell to someone's dad who was a recovering alcoholic...and boy did he get MAD!!!!)  People in Drug/Alcohol rehab aren't supposed to hang out in bars or around people who drink because it's super stressful to be tempted so blatantly - and people who are trying to adopt healthy eating habits aren't supposed to surround themselves with unhealthy choices.  Makes sense, right? 
And speaking of temptations, I was invited to go out to lunch with our department for a Boss' Day celebration yesterday.  The restaurant of choice was Razzoo's Cajun Cafe.  If you've never heard of/been to Razzoo's, you're missing out.  It's a fun, lively atmosphere of lights, zydeco, Cracker Barrel-meets-the swamp type decor on the walls and ceilings, and fried food.  Deep. Fried. Food.  Which is usually served with some kind of yummy, starchy side like corn on the cob, rice, slaw, or Cajun seasoned French Fries.  There are 2 salads on the menu.  Two.  One's a Caesar salad, the other a Garden Salad topped with cheese, bacon, egg, and fried onions.  I've eaten at Razzoo's several times since it's opened in Harker Heights, and I have never once ordered the "Rabbit Food."  Why go to a Cajun restaurant and NOT get a shrimp po' boy?  or fried catfish?  or gumbo?  or etouffee?  It just doesn't seem right!  Well, yesterday was a different story.  I knew I'd have a challenge on my hands.  My cheat day was the night before, so I had to stay on track.  So while everyone ordered the grilled chicken etouffee and the popcorn shrimp, I ordered a garden salad.  With no cheese.  And no bacon.  And no fried onions.  And if you read my first challenge-related post, you also know that I nixed the cucumbers, and ordered my balsamic vinaigrette on the side.  I did opt for the addition of blackened chicken on top, just so my salad wasn't so miserable looking and dull.  I'm glad I did.  I ate my salad...probably a little faster than I should have...but the point is that I survived lunch when I thought for sure it was going to be impossible.    
You always have temptations.  As I type this I'm surrounded by temptation in the form of my son's band fundraiser chocolate bars I'm trying to sell for him.  Am I tempted to see how much I could stuff in my mouth with one bite?  Possibly.  Am I tempted to test their title of "World's Finest" chocolate?  Who wouldn't be???  I mean, come on..."World's Finest?"  That just begs to be tested!!  I posted this on Monday and it's true.  There are always temptations, but there are also always choices. 

Texas Antiques Week, Road March Feet, 120 Day Challenge on-the-road, and a Migraine: autobiographical

This is going to be an interesting (and long) post.  I've got a lot of ground to cover, since a lot has happened in the past few days.
I'll start with my progress in the 120 day challenge. In case you missed my previous post, read it here.  I've been told it's funny, and I'm not gonna lie, I have to agree.  Anyway, day one was Tuesday, October 1st.  It went okay, but I think my body was just in shock. "Um...Jess?  You're a meat eater...you love loaded baked potatoes...you eat pizza, and Little Debbie snacks, and drink sweet tea, and COFFEE!!  Why hasn't any of these things touched your lips yet?!?!?!?"  Day 2 was really tough.  I didn't have the energy to get out of bed, and I REALLY wanted to use a sick day - but I didn't.  I stuck it out.  Made my breakfast shake, packed lunch and snacks, and a water jug (sans cucumber, thankyouverymuch) and set of to work.  The morning was uneventful, but around 11am I felt so hungry that I wanted to eat my office supplies.  I wonder if Post-It notes are gluten free... I was told that this was a part of my body detoxing and getting used to smaller meals/snacks throughout the day.  Also, I knew I had to hit the water jug a little harder.  Day 3 was MUCH better.  I woke up feeling rested, I drank lots of water, and did pretty well throughout the work day.  But enough about that...

Antiques Week Loot - round 1

Last weekend a friend of mine and I went to Round Top and Warrenton, TX for Texas Antiques Week.  Even that title doesn't do it justice.  It's not just a week anymore, it's about 3 weeks.  It was a last minute trip, but we had a blast.  She made out like a bandit - got some AWESOME stuff, including a really neat entry-way table made out of the bottom cast iron part of an old Singer sewing machine table.  She got a steal of a deal on that one.  I got a few odds and ends (see above), some replacement Fiesta Ware, and some spindles for building more shutter tables...which reminds me, I'll have to blog about that when I have time...which doesn't seem like anytime soon...but I digress.  There was one piece that I regretted not buying.  Like REALLY regretted not buying.  It was a piece of furniture I had trouble describing even.  It was like a half shelf, half desk...and it had CURVED GLASS!!  I didn't buy it because I didn't want to blow my budget that early in the day, and I just kept waiting for something perfect to jump out at me, but it never happened.  Other than that, the experience was good.  Overwhelming, but good.  There are SO MANY BOOTHS - it's no wonder it's now about 3 weeks long!!  We covered as much ground as we could in a full Saturday, which included stopping in at the Junk Gypsy World Headquarters!!  I saw Amie and Jolie there, but was too starstruck to say hi or ask for a picture with them.  Plus, it was their second day open and everyone looked pretty busy.  I might have gotten my Pilot stuck in the mud in their pasture parking lot, and Jolie's husband, might have had to push me out...but I'll never tell.
Leaving for the day, I was pretty sure I'd be making another trip out...and I knew I'd be looking for the "piece that got away."
Fast Forward to this morning.  6am to be exact.  My alarm is going off, letting me know that it's time to get up and get outta town!!  After making myself a breakfast shake and packing plenty of challenge-approved food and snacks to take with me, I was on the road at 7.

Sunrise over Salado

 My first stop was La Bahia, the set-up in Carmine, TX, where my dream piece was...and it was still there!!  I talked the lady down $95 on it, handed her the cash, and it was MINE!!  I could have just gone home after that, but of course I didn't.  A whole day with your husband's blessing to shop without kids?  Um, yeah, I'll be cherishing every minute! 
My round 2 of Antiques Week was pretty different than round one.  I was flying through vendor booths to cover as much ground as I could.  I went through Round Top and hit up a few places I had missed the previous weekend.  I stopped back in to the JG world headquarters, but this time I got pictures with Amie and Jolie, and even spotted a Duck Dynasty wife (Jep's wife, Jessica) at the store!  I was supposed to be meeting up with a friend in Warrenton so that I could stay the night and shop again in the morning without having to sleep in my car...which was a thought I had entertained.  She would text me with some description of where she was like, "I'm eating a taco across from tents with tricked out colorful furniture" (mmm...that sounds yummy.  I guess I'll have to pretend this carrot and hummus is a taco...) and I would start walking in the direction I thought she could be in.  Every time she sent a text, I would start walking in another direction.  After walking about 8 miles - not even joking, I really wish I had worn a pedometer - I gave up trying to find her.  I was hot, I was sunburned, I was dehydrated, I had a migraine, my feet hurt, and I was D-U-N done!  I called Dear Husband to let him know I wouldn't be staying the night, and headed back to our neck of the woods - to shower, change, and unload everything I bought!! 
He had a hot bubble bath waiting for me - I love that man!  He also noticed that my feet had taken a beating from all the walking.  I think his exact words were, "Dang! You got road march feet!"  If he meant blisters on the bottom of both heels, then yup, that was me.
Bath: check!  Clean clothes: check!  Ice water: check!  Time to unload the SUV!!  Let's see what round two did for me:

Antiques Week - round 2

Awesome Dia De Los Muertos jewelry

 The earrings and ring I got from a little boutique type store in Warrenton.  Everything was on sale, which is one of the perks of shopping the last weekend of Antiques Week!  The ring was 20% off and the earrings were 50% off!  I'm ready for November 2! 

My Junk Gypsy loot!

 "Honey Hush" shirt, and a few stickers from the JG World Headquarters! 

 Cool metal letter S - it's even got a place in the back to attach a light :)  I think I'll keep it rusty.














                                                                                          Fireplace piece.  Holds firewood and 4 tools hook on the back!  Got it for $10!!

 More spindles and Fiesta ware! (Two more dinner plates and a casserole dish)

 I've gotta name this thing, because I don't know what to call it.  It's a cabinet, but has a desk fold out, and a drawer...
Maybe I should have asked the lady I bought it from what the heck it was.  Anyway, here it is in all it's glory!!!

 Curved glass detail.  Such a cool piece!!

Bird detail on the top of the desk? cabinet?  What is it??











Well, this girl is tired!  There are about 240 new miles on my car, a few dollars less in my bank account, about 1,000,000,000 calories burned from walking, and a bed calling my name!!! 

120 Day Challenge Day One: in which I stare at my cucumber water

A few weeks ago, I saw a shout out on FB calling any women who had at least 30 pounds to lose to join a 120 day challenge, which would include recipes, grocery lists, tips, and encouragement.  I thought about the latest numbers on the scale and did the math.  According to the dreaded BMI chart, I did have "at least" 30 pounds to lose, so I signed up. 
I ordered my Alkaline shake powder and waited...then the shopping list was posted.  I've gotta admit, there were things on there I couldn't pronounce (Quinoa, by the way is pronounced "Keen-wa?"), and even stuff I had never heard of before.  Tahini?  Turmeric? Coconut Yogurt?  Where would I even find that stuff?  Let's face it, Killeen/Harker Heights isn't exactly the hub of all things organic and healthy.  The nearest Whole Foods is in Austin.  Sure, there's a Natural Grocers in Temple, but that's like, ALL THE WAY IN TEMPLE!!!  Who wants to drive 20 miles to shop for groceries when there's a perfectly good HEB down the road?  Hmmm...maybe this whole "laziness" thing is why I have "at least" 30 pounds to lose in the first place.  But I digress...
I had a really bad morning yesterday.  Like, stressful, silent-cry-at-your-desk type morning.  It's pretty common for me to project that mood onto whatever situations I happen to be in.  Example: If I'm having a bad day on a derby practice day, I usually convince myself that I want to quit.  I've never liked derby.  I'm too old for that, and the coach is a jerk anyway.  Of course when I go to practice, I always figure out that those weren't really my thoughts - well, maybe the coach can be a jerk - it was just my bad mood affecting how and what I thought about everything.  That being said, I honestly thought about backing out of this 120 day challenge yesterday.  Who wants to start ALL OVER with their grocery shopping, especially when you know you're ultimately going to be the only one on this crazy diet?  Groceries for a family of 6 isn't cheap, and throw in the words "organic" a few times on that list and you need to sell plasma or extra kidneys to foot the bill!  And who has time to cook, like, 3 meals a day?  We've got football, and dance, and football, and choir, and football, and full time jobs!  And FOOTBALL!!!  I can't cook breakfast for myself every morning - I can barely remember to do my hair before I walk out the door!  (true story)

To add insult to injury, turns out that I can't read, and the challenge was supposed to start YESTERDAY!!  Not October 1st as I had originally thought!  (I don't even want to think about all the mini-candy wrappers that the janitor had to empty out of my trash can last night.)  I hadn't gone shopping for the free-range-organic-cancer-free eggs!  I didn't have almond "dairy-will-probably-kill-you-or-give-you-cancer" milk!!  Oh dear God, don't let kale be on that list...
Fast forward to 8pm.  Our Growth Group was over for the night - which by the way, had met at a local burger joint instead of our normal host home, and I had a Rocky Road milkshake that was pretty darn good - and I knew there was only one thing left to do: Go grocery shopping.
I have never been more sad to shop in my life.  I'm pretty sure that people passing me by thought for sure my dog had just died.  I was literally on the verge of tears the entire time I was searching for fresh cilantro and gluten free pizza crust.  I bought cucumber for Pete's sake!  I HATE cucumber!!  Whose great idea was this???  Oh yeah.  Mine. 
I searched and read labels for about an hour by myself, which was probably a lot better than my dear husband coming with me and sneaking empty-calorie-GMO-laden-cancer-wafers (you might know them as Oreos) in the cart.  I came home and started to put my sad depressing healthy food away.    This is when it got really interesting.  My dear husband decided to laugh help put away the groceries and the looks on his face were priceless.  I mean, the man can barely pick celery out of a veggie line-up, so artichoke hearts aren't exactly on his radar either.  He asked how and when I was going to prep everything (see?  He knows me!).  I told him I was gonna do it then.  He asked what I was planning on eating for lunch.
"Probably something easy like apples and nut butter."
*Guffaws* "Nut butter?!?!?  That sounds like something I have to wash off after the gym!"
Needless to say, that did NOT make today's lunch menu...
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner was prepped last night. *pats self on the back*
Dear husband got me up this morning so that I could make my alkaline breakfast shake.  It was pretty yummy, I must say.  I was even excited about lunch...until I started eating it.  I've had salads before, but they're usually paired with some kind of dressing.  About 1/4 of the way through it, I decided I could eat around the fresh cilantro...and the romaine lettuce...and the baby spinach.  So basically I had an avocado and a tomato for lunch.  That's not exactly upsetting to me.  I love those two fruits!  Now I'm sitting and staring at my water jug.  That's right.  Staring.  I can't bring myself to drink.  You see, in an effort to branch out and embrace different things, I bought 2 cucumbers last night.  You have to know how much I hate cucumbers to know what a big deal this is for me.  Even as I type this, I'm making that face you make when you walk into the bathroom after someone has just let loose.  You know the face...you're probably making it right now, aren't you?  Uh huh - THAT face!  
Cucumbers are supposed to aid in detoxing the body.  They're supposed to be really good for you.  I happen to like them in their pickled state...which is not so good for you (again, "at least" 30 pounds to lose).  So in an effort to "help" my body and my progress, I sliced about half a cucumber (still making the face as I type that word!), sliced 2 limes, and grabbed some fresh mint from my garden.  I think I've taken 2 sips in the 8 hours I've had it.  I can't do it.  I grab it, I set it right back down. 
Okay I just took a drink....*full body shiver*...I don't know if I can do that again. 
I signed up for 4 months of change, healthy eating and exercise.  I've birthed 4 children!  I've finished a triathlon!  I PLAY ROLLER DERBY...and a cucumber is going to end me!  This is going to be a LONG 4 months. 

Pallet Obsession

If you haven't heard of or experienced the pure joy of Pinterest, get out from under your rock and go explore!!  One of the things I've become VERY interested in (read "obsessed with") is using pallet wood for various projects.  I've seen swings, chairs, frames, play houses, all kinds of furniture, decor, TONS of stuff - all out of pallets!!  I knew that I needed in on this, so I started scoping out dumpsters and curb sides for any of these wooden treasures.  I was able to find several, take them home, and start taking them apart.  Let me tell you, it's harder than you think.  Pallets are constructed to stay together, so everything from the wood - most pallets are made of oak, a very hard wood- to the nails, which are almost like half-screw, half-nail, are working together to make sure you CAN'T take them apart.  Lots of my boards split while  I was trying to deconstruct, but I was able to salvage most of them for my lumber collection. 
I knew that I needed to find a really neat idea for my first project, so I searched on my favorite website - Pinterest, of course! - until I found something that caught my eye.  It was plans for an outdoor loveseat, and it looked easy enough to construct.  Here is the blog tutorial for it. 
I decided to jump in head first and get started!  Any time you work with pallet wood, you need to sand, sand, sand!  I used 3 different grits of sandpaper: 60, 150, and 350.  The 60 grit got the initial rough surface down, the 150 grit smoothed it all out, and the 350 grit, which is a finishing grit, made the boards super smooth, like paper!  With all that sanding, two things happened: 1. I got covered in dust.  And I mean covered - head to toe! 2. My sander decided to stop working on my very last go-round with the 350 grit, so I had to finish sanding my boards by hand.  I wasn't too upset - it could have been worse!

I was able to finish the bottom portion of the loveseat in one night, and I can't wait to finish it!  I'll be sure and add updated pictures of the finished product.  This is going to look amazing on my back patio!!