let's do this

Well this week is the beginning of my marathon training for the Memphis Marathon in December.  The December after we were married in 2008, I ran my first half marathon and loved it! I was going to do it again last year, but come September when it was time to start training, it had already filled up! So I have been off and on in the running department since then.

So 2010 rolls around and I feel the need to run a full marathon. My friend Linnae had completed the Chicago Marathon, and she just talked about how much she enjoyed it. Then Margie ran one in Dallas in December, and felt the same way! And then Elise trained for the Nashville one earlier this year [you can read about her adventures on her blog]. I was just hearing about them all around me and it fired me up! I want to do this!

Welcome to the Marathon training journey. It's going to be a long process, but I hope to actually try to enjoy it [even in the humid hot Memphis summer].

I got my new marathon running shoes, and you know what's funny about it? I'm not a pink person, don't like it, never really have, but guess what color my running shoes are. PINK! Ironic, eh? But you can't buy running shoes based on color, duh.

T also got me that fancy Garmin you spy, yes, it's amazing. With help from some friends [Katie M, Margie L, & Linnae H] I told T the Garmin I wished for for my birthday. He's very sweet like that and the Garmin is very sweet. This will be my best training buddy.

If there was one thing I learned during half marathon training, it's to have good socks. I bought bolagas when I trained then and [have] loved them. It makes a big difference having good socks. I treated myself to a new pair, and I'm going to try out these smart wool ones. The guy over at Fleet Feet says these are the only ones he runs in. Hopefully I'll feel the same way.

I got pumped up to make a new running playlist for the beginning of this. It's entitled running 4 twenty ten. It includes Lady Gaga, bad romance, the best song to do any form of exercise to. I grew to love it in spin class, and still do [I hope everyone saw it on Glee, if not, go watch it here, you won't be sorry].

Here we go, let's do this!

a completed project...finally

This project has been in the works for 2 months now, and last night it was finally complete! It all started with me finding this blog where a girl draws up plans to build "pottery barn-like furniture" that she has drawn up herself.

We had this blank wall in our kitchen by the kitchen table that I couldn't decide [for months] what we would put there. I have always loved mudrooms, but will never truly have one at good ol Fiesta. Well then this girl popped up and voila! A "mudroom" for us!

Pottery barn makes this bench and shelf combo that I love. And by golly girl had plans for it on her blog. My oh so handy super sweet and nice hubby agreed to take on such project (with the help of good pal Ryan and Gary). T and I procured the wood, got it cut by the "great wood-cutters at Home Depot," and they knocked out the building of it in about 2 days. Yes!

While they worked on the building, Laura and I searched for fabric and sewed up the bench cushion (complete with fabric covered buttons)!

Laura and I got the bench and shelf painted in a day, and it was ready to go! (so I thought...)

Now let's go ahead and say, you can for sure knock out this simple little project if your hubs isn't an accountant during busy season, and if your hubs can make quick decisions. I love him.

The cute little bench sat in place (with cushion and baskets) starting the middle of March, but sat all alone. The pretty shelf sat in the dining room, then was moved to the living room/library, then was moved upstairs... until this past Saturday. That's 2 months people. It took sweet ol T a good 2 months to "decide how he wanted to hang it on the wall." Well I was over that excuse. It was time for it to go up [passed time actually]. He called on another good pal, Russ, to help with the decision.  They got their plans together and it took them less than 45 minutes to get that sucker up on the wall. So I reveal our 2 month long project in all its glory. It's a beauty, if I do say so myself. [and there's a cutie on the top shelf]

And again for good measure...

If wood work and paint and patience with your spouse is up your alley, I encourage you to take a look at this girls website. She has plans for so many great pieces [we are even starting another project from her site]. We found it was much cheaper to build, paint, and sew up our own shelf and bench and it have personalized character, rather than buy from good ol over-priced PB at a whopping $500 bones.

...bring may flowers

Sorry I'm a little tardy with the May desktop, I was enjoying myself on Thunderbird lake. We had a grand time. Some people have had issues with the sizing of the desktop, so I added another size (1680x1150) to see if that works for anyone. It worked for me on my iMac, so maybe that's the size everyone else is looking for, too.

These little yellow balls aren't necessarily "flowers" but they are some of my favorites. Billy buttons. I love them and enjoy a little vase of them on my desk.

So, I created the May desktop with these little guys as inspiration.

I hope you all enjoy the month of May! I can't believe summer is almost here, but I'm so excited about enjoying it in our home this year!


1024 x 768
1600 x 1200
1680 x 1150

tidbits & happy weekend!

It's been a great, fun, busy, exciting [etc] week, and I can't wait to share more about what's going on around Fiesta, but it will be next week because of this great new exciting awesome thing, tonight we're headed back to this wonderful place....

And get to spend some time with this lil fella, until Gibson stole my heart, Trusty was the best/cutest/sweetest dog I'd ever met.

This time he won't have a cast on his leg! :)

This is the first time T and I have ever left Gibson for more than 1 night. It's funny how I never thought I would miss an animal as much, but I'm really going to miss him! Ellen and Elise are going to play and sleep with eem, so I know he'll be in great hands. Maybe they'll even blog about how much fun Gib and Loonie are having together so I can see his sweet face. Give him kisses for me!!!

And just because I can't post without his face...

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

garage sale-o-2010

Well we actually did it. We had a garage sale. I don't think I'll ever have another for the next 10-15 years. It was a success, but we wish more people had come. We had so much shtuff to sell and it was good shtuff.

Dad cleaned out his storage building, here are just 2 of the loads in his and T's trucks... Hillbillies.

My parents cleaned out their entire attic, storage, house, etc, and as we were pricing everything on Saturday night my mom said, "this is my whole house/life. Ahh!" I guess she couldn't believe that they were actually selling all their shtuff, but she was so ready to get rid of it. Don't worry, we made her keep sentimental things, such as our cabbage patch dolls, Scottie's first teddy bear, my 101 dalmation stuffed dog - Patch, Cabbage Patch cradle, ya know, things of that nature. Here is what everything looked like on Friday night. It really was insane, things kept coming from every direction... luggage, satellite dish, tivo boxes, clothes (and more clothes), stuffed animals, pots, pans, crystal vases, poker game, TVs, furniture, rugs, and so on and so on.....

Friday night we set as much as we could up on tables in the back yard, so on Saturday morning all we had to do was carry the tables to the front. Here is what it all looked like on Friday night...

Looking into our garage storage building in our backyard...

Looking out of the garage into the backyard...

 [sorry for all the phone photos... we've gotten bad at actually getting out a real camera...]

Shtuff, shtuff, shtuff everywhere... We wanted to protect all the shtuff from the dew, so my genius dad had a big ole tarp, and I mean big ole. HUGE [just like our garage sale].

It worked just perfectly. It actually covered every table (all 6) we had set up in the back. Dad, you're a genius.

(Is this really happening?)

Now here are some real camera photos. The whole spread before 7am with the earlybird customers... One of them scavenging for "costume jewelry."

Gibson found a new best buddy amongst the stuffed animal bag. He hung out with him while the sale was going on...

It was a huge success, but next time we will put up more street signs to get more people from different areas to buy the shtuff. Garage sales are long and exhausting and lots of work, even for this little pooch.

See Leslie's post for some other good fun from our sale!

Note: I forgot to add... We got so lucky with "getting rid of the leftovers." Our neighbor told us about a girl who is raising money to go on a mission trip to Uganda this summer. She is having a yard sale next weekend and taking all donations, and she and her parents came and picked up 4 truckloads and took it from our house. It was awesome! So, if you missed out on our stuff and really wanted to see it, you have a second chance to hit up her sale [and it's for a good cause]. It's this coming weekend and they live on Quince close to Estate.

makeshift hammock/loungechair

Our backyard will be a work in progress for years, which is fine! But I really love sitting or napping outside in the shade and I wish I had a hammock or loungechair to do so. I had come to grips with maybe just buying a hammock that goes on a stand instead of between trees (because there are no trees). Last week I was saying how I would just go to Garden Ridge and find a cheap lounge chair I could sit and relax in the back yard.

Well... there was a turn of events. My parents brought over their stuff to sell in our garage sale, and lo and behold I have found my makeshift lounge chair until I have a real one. I spotted this beauty.

What is it you ask? Well, it's a folded up cot. It's been in my parents attic for years, apparently. I brought that sucker out of the pile and decided this is what I could lounge on in the backyard. It was such a pretty day last Sunday, and while T was watching the Masters (go Phil, T's work buddy), I wanted to take a nap, but wanted to be outside.

It unfolded so nicely, who cares that it doesn't recline!

[I think I have the cutest dog]

[He wanted to join me up on the comfy cot. :)]

It will work for the time being. Nice pale feet, eh? At least some pretty azaleas bloomed that I can look at from my new spot.

Hilarious, no?

this girl has a birthday today

photo Aaron Snow Photography

This is my sweet sissy, if you didn't already know. It's her birthday today. She's awesome and my bestest (girl)pal. Good job Leanne, knowing her palindrome birthday. It's pretty cool, maybe that's where she gets her 'cools' from....right sissy? :)

Love you!