So NOT a College Kid Anymore

I spent most of this blustery day on a college campus.  This gave me ample time to think about why I am for sure NOT a college kid anymore.  I mean, I think I looked the part nicely in my moccasins, leggings-as-pants (don't worry, I was wearing a sweatshirt/dress thing so it wasn't THAT scandalous), and messy bun of unwashed hair.  Seriously, NO ONE on campus was wearing pants not containing at least 50% spandex.  Besides the nuns.  Anyway...
Those days feel so far gone.  The days of only really getting ready on the weekends for going out with friends and otherwise LIVING in sweats and clogs (we didn't have uggs yet).  The days of fighting to stay awake through class and squeezing in mini-20-minute naps here and there because you stayed up until 2am talking to your roommate on AIM (now I'm really dating myself).  The days of cafeteria food and endless lattes (thank you, awesome meal plan).  The days of sitting at little bistro tables around the student center, people-watching and being all judgy about "that girl in her sweatpants and her messy updo...I bet she goes TANNING".  Of course, you're wearing sweatpants, too...and you can't remember when you last showered, but still.  THAT GIRL.   I have to admit I felt a little self-conscious as I raced around trying to find the printer in the library and something to eat for lunch.  Fish out of water.
I am a part-time grad student, but for me that means rushing straight from work to class once a week, multi-tasking and answering the 10+ emails I didn't get to at work while trying to take notes on the lecture, and ONLY stepping foot on campus if the class I need is not available online.  I'd much rather be sitting at home cuddling my kitty and prancing around my garden.  But today I pulled a lock-myself-in-the-library move to try and write the last paper looming over this semester.  It was a long day, but it was successful, and now I can truly enjoy the rest of my spring break.
So because I am a teacher and I believe very strongly in positive reinforcement, I rewarded myself with one of these on the way home...

Have you had one of these?  Banana pudding milkshake from Chick-fila.  Released today for the spring.  I just can't get enough.
And then I stopped at my favorite produce place that I never get to because they have weird hours.  And check it...

You wanna talk about pops of color this spring...doesn't get any better than this!  All this sweet stuff for $28.  My mouth is watering, and I just ate dinner.
I think I might become a vegetarian...just long enough to use up all these beauties.  Got any fun veggie recipes I should be obsessed with?  Do share!

Bestie Time, Key Lime Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches, and a Blog Signature!!

Well, it's been a great start to my spring break so far.  Friday night's diy went really well.  And because I'm a slacker/idiot, I forgot to take pictures of it before I gave it to my friend on Saturday sooo...you'll have to use your imagination, but basically, I followed the directions for this.  She loved it!  And I was super-happy with how it turned out.  So I'll definitely be making several more for gifts
for family in the next few weeks. 
So Saturday morning after a tasty breakfast involving bacon and successfully accomplishing the braided top knot a la The Shine Project (and yes, I stupidly neglected to take a picture of that as well), I headed off into the foggy drizzle to meet up with my former college roommate/bestie for lunch.  You know, one of those cute little drive-halfway-meet-in-the-middle type of deals.  There was crisp honey chicken to be had at PF Changs, some mall-walking to do, and mountains of italian gelato to consume whilst catching up and having girl time :)  Love her.

In other news, loving these tasty treats this weekend.  Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches!  The recipe calls for adding lime juice and a bit of sugar to plain greek yogurt as the filling, but I just happened to have key lime flavored greek yogurt in the fridge, so I used that with no add-ins.  Brilliant success.  Love that I can pack in the protein while eating dessert :)  These will be a go-to for poolside summer afternoons, for sure!

key lime pie frozen yogurt sandwiches

 And then there's this little delight... 

See that fun little signature that's so simple and chic and just so happens to be my favorite color??  Well, I happen to love it.  So thrilled to have Melissa from the brilliant Cherry on Top Blog Designs make that cute little thing for me.  Seriously, you must check out her work.  I love her clean, fresh designs.  Might just have to save up my pennies for a total blog makeover! 
Lord knows I have no clue what I'm doing!  
And while you're at it, hop on over to Melissa's adorable blog, 20 going on 80. 
You won't be sorry you did.
And now, I'm off to bed because I'm just itching with excitement to sleep in tomorrow!  Cheers!

DIY-ing

Husband was outside at almost 9 pm chopping up a block of wood for my diy experiment last evening...such a sweetie, that one.  I mentioned the other day that I planned to stop by Home Depot and they would cut me a board, right?  You should have seen the look he gave me.  He said he would have been "insulted" if I asked a Home Depot worker to do that for me.  So there he was in the bitter chill with his powertools being all hunky and cool :)

So I'm settling in with a cup of tea and my paintbrush to get to work.

Wish me well!  And next on my list are these super-cute Kate Spade look-alikes!  Love this idea, Anna!

Spring break has sprung!  Man, I drove away from work as fast as I possibly could this afternoon, given the fact that my tank was practically on E and I needed to coast to the nearest gas station.  But I did so with a song in my heart, that's for sure.  I want to make crepes this week.  How do you make crepes?  Do you make them? or do you buy them?  Hmm...a little crepe help, please??

My First Migraine and other Grown-up Things

Yep, you heard it here.  I had my first migraine headache yesterday afternoon between the hours of 2:30 and 9:30pm.  What in the world?  I mean, I get headaches pretty frequently, but they're the give-it-a-few-hours-and-pop-an-ibuprofen-and-presto-gone type of headaches.  Nothing like this craziness.  I have a new sympathy for people who get this nastiness frequently.  I bawled my eyes out-no joke.

So naturally I came home and asked the ultimate expert in all things health-related.  Yes.  webmd.
According to webmd, this was most likely brought on my by womanly hormones.  Also a bummer, am I right?  Why does growing up have to be so hard?

Here's to 2 more work days and 1 more class before spring break makes my life glorious.  I'll be kicking it off by meeting up with my college roomie/bestie for lunch.  You see, she just had a birthday and she's also embarking on an exciting new season of her life.  So naturally I need to find the best gift ever...and because I always feel the need to one-up myself, I decided to diy a really fun present.  Depending on how that goes in the next two days, I may or may not share it with you fun people. 

And did I mention we're eating at PF Changs?  I've never been, so I must know...what should I order?

You Can't Always Get What You Want

but if you try sometime, you just might find...YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED.
-Rolling Stones

Noticed the chorus to this little diddy on a colleague's classroom wall today...and consequently I've been humming it since...while teaching social studies, while on a conference call, while at the grocery store...and despite the awkwardness of those situations, I'm reminded of how true this has been in my own life in the last 7 days.

The hubs and I got to spend some sunny afternoons together last week, traveling around the country running errands and browsing for gardening supplies.  We were on a mission to price fun things like chainsaws and pressure washers and rototillers (NOT as fun as shoe shopping, in case you wondered), but came home without any of those things. 

from the "dating years"...Cape May!

Instead, we came home with an oven (gahh!!!) and a chest freezer!  You see, right after I did my "I'm an appliance dummy" post with a picture of my most coveted gas oven, it's twinzie appeared on the Facebook yardsale page for our area (do you have one of those? and do you love it?)  Shockingly, I got first dibs on it, and even more shockingly, we went to see it and it was perfect, and the shockingest of all, hubby said yes!!  Talk about a steal of a deal.  It's now residing in my basement in all its brilliance and glory until we get the gas hookup going.

And while we cruised right past Rita's on free ice day because the line was a mile long and I was trying not to be bitter about it, we happened upon a bent and dent appliance store that was moving locations the NEXT day and had the perfect little chest freezer at a sweet discount price just waiting to hop into our basement as well.

Let's not talk about how expensive it is to be a homeowner (which reminds me, time to pay the mortgage!)  Rather, let's dwell on the fact that I am SO BLESSED...with big blessings like the appliances we've been dreaming of at bargain prices, and with the even bigger blessing of the sweetest man in history at my side along the way.  And that hunk can sure lift an oven by himself! 

he makes my heart sing!

It sure adds a little extra sunshine to my week to be reminded that the Lord is caring for us and providing for us in surprising and fun ways.  Even more fun to experience those blessings together and deepen our relationship by being thankful together.  Loving these "life" moments with my sweetie.

Had any sweet moments with your man this week?  SHARE!  I'm a sucker for rom coms!

Weekend Favorites

It's a good Saturday, folks.  A good, good day.  It's been a long week and I really needed a rainy day like this to sleep in, frolic around my house and decompress.  Here's a few things that are cheering me up right now.

Totally thrifted these babies at Goodwill this week...major score from my "list".  May have also thrifted a chocolate brown pleather skirt...you know, one of those $2 impulse buys you might never actually have the guts to wear in public.  I'm thinking with these loafers and my chambray shirt?  Would you do it?

Fun vintage watering can hubs insisted on buying me this week.  I think it may be his secret ploy to try to get me to keep watering the houseplants.  Let's just say I don't have the reputation of keeping things alive in this house.  Speaking of...

Check it!  4 living plants!  My Christmas cactus is going strong after 1.5 years, my aloe plant is still kickin' after about a year, and I'm loving this hyacinth from a friend, and it really is true!  You can grow green onions in a mason jar above your sink...this one's sprouting after about 3 days!  Look at me go!

But these, THESE are the Pièce de résistance...I planted some flower seeds last Saturday, and was delighted to see 5 pretty little red sproutlings yesterday!  How exciting!  I'm cheering for them, and perhaps patting myself on the back a little for this brilliant accomplishment!  You don't understand how bad I am at this.

So I guess I got a little amibitious after that and my afternoon turned into this...

The hubs is really excited about doing our first veggie garden this year, and I'm determined to try and learn as much as I can about it.  So I planted 104 cells...lots of maters, squash, beans, peas, melons, lettuces, a few herbs, onions...all kinds of goodies!  Fingers crossed that something grows!!!

Dragged out the ole magic bullet to make a fruit smoothie for lunch...why don't I do that more often?

This breezy rain is bringing down my beautiful magnolia blossoms that have made an early appearance this week in the freakishly warm March weather.  But how pretty!

and I just can't stop staring at these beauties that showed up in my mailbox this week.  These stamped coffee spoons are from Jessica N Designs...from a giveaway I won on Much Love, Illy's blog.  (Shout out, ladies!  Love you both!)  Like everyone else, I'm sure, I feel like I never win anything...and I could not have been more excited to win these gorgeous vintage spoons!  I'm kinda coffee obsessed...even the hubs loves these!  Such beautiful work--you seriously need to check these out!

And finally, this.  I did a bit of therapeutic house cleaning with the windows open and the pitter patter of rain mixed with fresh breeze.  I am that fool who dances with the broom and therefore, takes twice as long to do menial tasks.  No, I'm not a chronic glee watcher, but I do love this jam for a good rainy day.  Happy weekending!

*ME* dinner

I say a secret little cheer when the hubs has to be out during dinner time.  Not because I don't want him here...more on that later this week!  But because sometimes, just sometimes, I like to make a *me* dinner.  You know, the kind of dinner that can be made in about 2 minutes flat with very little effort and fulfills exactly every craving you've had all day long.  The dinner that requires very little clean up and absolutely no guilt because there are absolutely zero pairs of eyes glancing at your plate and silently screaming, "You're eating that?? for dinner???"  Tonight, for me, that's leftover lo mein noodles and scrambled eggs.  Most of the time, it's cereal with cold-cold milk.

What's your *me* dinner?