Geezees Custom Canvas Art

When I found Geezees Custom Canvas Art through another blog I instantly fell in love. I have wanted one since the moment I saw the amazing canvases that she custom creates! You can have one made for a wedding, an anniversary, a new baby or for yourself. I personally like the wedding ones the best. These two are my favorite that she has already put together.

This September marks Geezees one year anniversary and to celebrate she's having a giveaway! A free 9x12 or 10x10 custom canvas- NO WAY!

You have got to check out her blog for more: http://geezeescanvas.blogspot.com

Lazy Weekend

Friday night, Mike had his annual get together for their fantasy football draft at On the Mark and I met Abbe and Ben at Sassy's Red House for dinner and drinks.

The rest of the weekend I've done absolutely nothing! I haven't put makeup on in two days and I'm loving it. Mike had to work today (boo!) so I guess I'll get some homework and housework done before Big Brother comes on tonight!

This next week and weekend are packed with school, the fair, HOG football, Jason Boland concert, and a day trip to my mom's. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. Good thing I spent this weekend relaxing! :)

Not Much

Not a lot has happened in the last couple of days. Yesterday I was so sick and ended up spending the whole day in bed. Mike's softball team started fall ball last night and I was sad to miss the first game.

I woke up this morning by my phone ringing. I had an interview with a company last week and they were calling for a second interview today. I feel like the second interview went really well so, finger crossed, I will hear something tomorrow.

After school I meet Mike at a car dealership. By the time I got there he had already finished up the paperwork and was in his new Nissan Pathfinder. It's super nice and it fits him perfectly! I know that since his accident he's been so stressed out about what to do but it's over now- thank goodness! Bless his heart! It's been raining all night so we got take out and cuddle up on the couch and watched TV. Perfect!

Back to School

Today was my first day back to school! I hardly slept last night with all the nervousness and excitement that I had! I was so worried that traffic would be bad or I wouldn't be able to find a parking spot or I would get lost trying to find my classes. My first class started at 11am but I was on campus by 10am. :) I walked around and enjoyed how beautiful the U of A is in the Fall. My great grandfather, my grandfather, and my mom all graduated from the U of A, so while I had time I took pictures of their names on the senior walk. It is inspiring to see their names and follow my family's footsteps and I can't wait to have my name etched in to one of those sidewalks in a couple of years.

To ease back in I am only taking 9 hours and so far -I know it's only day one- I really like my teachers and think (fingers crossed) this will be an pretty easy semester.

I'm so glad to be back in school!

My Last Weekend

I kicked off my "last weekend" by meeting Abbe at Common Grounds for lunch. She has been raving about their dirty martini's for months now, so I had to try one. She was right -they are good! It was great to get caught up on all the latest gossip and happenings! I wish we could do it more often! I only got one picture and it was of the food. Oops!

chips and queso with a dirty martini:

Friday night Mike and I met his brother Jeff and sister in law, Sherry, at the 112 drive in. We've wanted to go all summer but they haven't really had any movies that we were interested in until this weekend. They played Night at the Museum 2 (I love the first one) and G Force. We had to sit through, G Force, first. It was kind of cute but not my kind of movie. We both liked Night at the Museum 2 but decided that the first one is better!

Saturday we headed to Locomotion for some mini golf, go karts, air hockey and of course to feed the monstrous fish that they have!

hungry fish:

mike feeding the fish:
poor turtle:

mini golf course:

winning again:

Last night we went to a birthday party for Mike's best friend, Jeremy. We had a great time playing rock band and enjoying some drinks!

The weather has been so nice this weekend. Fall is right around the corner which means Arkansas football will be here soon- 13 days to be exact! WPS!

This is It

This weekend is my last weekend of summer before school starts on Tuesday! After a 5 year break I've decided to go back and finish up my elementary education degree. I'm just ready for the first day to be here and over so I can get rid of these butterflies in my tummy!

I started the day with a yummy breakfast, then a bubble bath and now I'm off to have lunch with my BFF, Abbe.

I've got lots of plans for this "last weekend" so be prepared for a ton of pictures Sunday!

Have a great weekend!

Blueberry Muffins

When I was at my mom's house in May, she gave me a gallon of blueberries. I ate a half gallon and froze the other half. We've had lots of blueberry pancakes, yogurt and blueberries, blueberry smoothies, and blueberries and cornflakes this summer. When I was flipping through the new Southern Living, I found this blueberry muffin recipe and couldn't believe I had forgotten about blueberry muffins! I looked in the cabinets, had all the ingredients and decided to make them this rainy morning. I loved the simplicity and ease of this recipe. The muffins are not overwhelmingly sweet, but the texture is outstanding!

Blueberry Muffins

1 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray pan with cooking spray.


• In a large bowl, stir together milk, egg, vanilla, and oil.


• Add flour, baking powder, sugar, and blueberries; gently mix the batter with only a few strokes.


• Spoon batter into cups.


• Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

This and That

Not much is new with me! Just job searching (never ending) and enjoying my last week before school starts next Tuesday. I've got all my books and supplies for my classes bought and my book bag is cleaned and has everything I need in it. I'm so excited...and nervous!

Yesterday, I read two of Tori Spelling's books, "sTORI TELLING", and "Mommywood". I really enjoyed both. They are easy, light reads and it's always fun to "get to know" a celebrity.

Last night, Mike and I went to a local car dealership to look for him a new car. He's driving a rental car right now and although it's a nice car, it's so small! We found a black Jeep Cherokee that he really liked. It super nice and I hope that he's able to get it! He's just waiting on the insurance company to give him the money for the old jeep, which will hopefully happen today. Afterwards, we went to dinner at Louie's and enjoyed happy hour.

Happy Hump Day!

Words That Flutter

Tired and Sunburned

After spending the last two days at my mom's nursery, it's SO good to be home! I got rid of a ton of stuff and made money but man it was hard work! As soon as I walked in my front
door, I headed straight to the shower. I got sunburned so the cool water felt so good. Oh and don't get me started on how much I LOVE air conditioning!! :) All in all I had a good time though and it was nice to spend time with my momma and help her out a little at the nursery.


I had been craving a grilled chicken salad from Logan's all week so Mike and I went last night and had a nice dinner. Afterwards we went to the theater and watched, The Goods. There were some really funny parts but, as a whole, it was kind of lame. I wish we would have watched, The Time Traveler's Wife, instead. Next time!



My Saturday has consisted of sleeping in, taking a shower, taking a nap, and baking a strawberry cake! Mike has been dealing with the insurance company, car lots, and banks all day. I'm cooking Mexican chicken and a green salad for dinner tonight and then we'll probably just cuddle up on the couch and get caught up on the DVR. It's been a perfect day so far!

One Man's Junk Is Another Man's Treasure

I’m in Ozark for a couple of days for Bargains Galore on 64! Every year, around this time, a ton of people between Ft. Smith and Conway (160 miles) set up yard sales on Highway 64. Only in Arkansas! J Neither my mom nor I had ever participated before, but the nursery is right on Highway 64, and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to get rid of some “junk”. I came down early this morning to help mom get everything out and organized. Two of my mom’s friends are also set up there so between the four of us there’s enough stuff for people to think it’s worth stopping by. Day one wasn’t too bad- we all made a little money! I don’t know why they have this in August. Do they not know how hot August is in Arkansas! Thank goodness there’s a huge oak tree at the nursery that makes an awesome shade tree. I’m hoping to sell more tomorrow. I’ve decided that nothing’s coming back home with me so any leftover’s are heading to the 25 cent store!

I met my friend, Angie, at the local Dari Delite for dinner tonight. Man did that place bring back some memories. It was the place to be when I was in high school and tonight was the first time I’d been there in over 10 years! The food wasn’t as good as I remember -maybe because I don’t eat the same as I did in high school. It was so good to see and catch up with Angie!

Wednesday, I cut 5 ½ inches off my hair- EEKK! I haven’t had my hair this short in a long time but I’m loving it. It’s so easy to fix and I like easy.

Hope you’re all having a great week! Tomorrow’s Friday- Yipee!

Poor Guy

It's just one thing after another for Mike this year. He has finally started to feel better the last couple of weeks and has been really looking forward to getting back into softball. They were scheduled to start a tournament Monday night but heavy storms came through the area and the game was postponed till tonight. Well I got a call from him around 5:30 this afternoon saying that he had been in a car accident. I dropped everything and headed across town to be with him. Thank goodness he was OK but his jeep was definitely not drive able. He was rear ended by a truck, which in turn made Mike rear end the van in front of him. Excuse the picture quality. I didn't have my camera on me so I used my phone.

He loved that Jeep and is sad that more than likely it will be considered totaled. I keep telling him at least it's the Jeep that's hurting and not you! :)

On a side note, I was watching the weather tonight and the weatherman said that there will be a big Perseid meteor shower tonight between midnight and 5am. I may not make it till midnight but I'm sure going to set my alarm to see it!

One Year With My Love

Today marks one year since Mike and I went on our first date! We went to the movies to watch, Step Brother, and ate at a Chinese restaurant. The movie was good, the restaurant not so much. Afterwards he drove me home, walked me to the door, kissed me on the cheek and left. I was so nervous that night and later found out he was too.

Mike and I have known each other for almost 9 years. We used to live on the same street and have many of the same friends. I can't tell you what made the friendship change to a romantic relationship but I'm not complaining one bit!

Summer 2008

Winter 2008

New's Years Eve 2008
Spring 2009

Summer 2009

I hope there's many more years and lots more memories. I love him with all my heart!

Visiting with Family

It is so good to be home! It has been one busy weekend. Friday, I got the house straighten up and my bags packed to head out of town for the weekend. I spent that night at my mom's house. I made some peanut butter cookies for the reunion and when mom got home from work she made a squash salad.

Saturday morning we got up at 5am, packed the car, and headed to Little Rock. The drive is so long but I really enjoy the time with my mom. We talked non stop all the way there. Once we got to Little Rock we went to my grandma's house, picked her up, and then made our way to Pangburn, Arkansas for our family reunion. My mom, grandma, and I were the first to show up so we got everything set up and ready. There was so much great food and fellowship. It was great to see everyone. Afterwards we went to the cemetery where most of my family is buried and then drove the loop around Marsh Mountain. We spent Saturday night at my grandma's house.

Sunday morning we had breakfast and then went to the hospital to visit my great aunt. As I had mentioned in a previous post she had Brian surgery on Friday. They went under her top lip and through her nose to get to the cyst that was on her pituitary gland. Her whole face was so swollen and around her mouth was black and blue. I almost started to cry when I first saw her. She was a little groggy so we stayed just long enough to fill her in on how the reunion went and to tell her we love her. She will be able to go home Monday if everything looks good. YIPEE!

We said bye to my grandma and head back to Ozark Sunday afternoon. I didn't stay long at my mom's before heading back to Fayetteville.

Tonight Mike and I celebrated being together for one year! Our one year anniversary is really tomorrow but he has to work and has a softball tournament that night so we decided to celebrate tonight. We went to Powerhouse and ate so yummy food and then came back to the house to relax and watch one of our favorite shows, Big Brother. We had thought about going to a movie but I was so exhausted from the weekend, I was afraid I would fall asleep in the theater.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend with my family! Hope your weekend was just as good! Maybe with less driving! :)

Tontitown Grape Festival

Last night, Mike and I went to the 111th Tontitown Grape Festival. Even though I've lived in NWA for 11years, I have never been before. They had live music, carnival rides and games, arts and crafts, and the famous spaghetti dinner. The line for the spaghetti dinner was a couple of hundred people deep! Thankfully we had ate before heading there. We rode the Tilt-A-Whirl, Pirate Ship, and my fave the Ferris Wheel. Mike played a couple of the games and won me a little stuffed bear. So sweet! We even bought 2 tickets to try and win a 2009 GMC Sierra. It was so HOT and muggy that we decided to leave around 8pm. All and all we had a really great time. Every time I go to something like that the lights, smells, and rides instantly takes me back to my childhood. It was nice to do something different!

I have finally started working on the extra bedroom. It has been empty for a couple of months now and yesterday I decided to do something about it. I moved in a bed, nightstand, and hung a few pictures on the wall. It already looks better and I'm not even done yet!

My Great Aunt is having brain surgery today. She has been suffering from severe migraines the last couple of weeks that has been caused by a small growth on her pituitary gland. I pray that the surgery will go well and she can start the road of recovery soon.

I'm heading out of town for a couple of days for my family reunion. I'm excited to see everyone!

Hope you have a great weekend!



EDIT: My great aunt's surgery went well. They found that it wasn't a growth but a cyst. They were able to drain it and she is now in the rocevery room. Great news!!

Here Comes The Rain

Last night I met some good friends out at Sassy's Red House. Even though it was muggy we sat out on the patio. Thank goodness they had several big fans out there. We had a great time catching up and eating yummy BBQ. I only took one picture last night but it's a good one of Ben and his girlfriend Kelly.

Earlier this week I had decided that I needed to get some things done on the "to do list" before I started getting really busy. I hope to have a job by next week (went to an interview Tuesday) and the week after that school starts, so today was the day. The house is spotless, grocery shopping is done, car is cleaned inside and out, all the laundry is done, and the yard work is caught up, and all the bills are paid! Whew! No wonder I'm so tired and it's only 6pm! I think a nice bubble bath is calling my name tonight.

It's raining here, but I got out before the storm came in and took some pictures of my neighbors sunflowers. They are beautiful right now! Even caught a bee enjoying one.

EDIT: This is what the storm brought in!

D-O-N-E

The refrigerator has been completely bleached, inside and out! I know that you're not suppose to use harsh chemicals in the refrigerator but I do anyway. I even threw away the 3 year old bottle of ranch dressing- GROSS! I also took down all the mini blinds in the house and threw them in the bathtub with bleach and cleaned every window inside and out.

Two chores that I hate to do are DONE and it feels so good to cross them off the list!

I'm rewarding myself by having dinner and drinks with my good friend Ben tonight. We're going to try a new restaraunt here in town, Sassy's Red House. I've heard great things about the food and service so I'm looking foward to it!

Weekend Fun

I met with my advisor Friday afternoon and got everything ready for the fall semester. The U of A campus is so beautiful and I'm so excited to get back in school and finish up my degree!

This weekend was perfect! Friday night Mike and I went to the Naturals game. We bought 2 general admission tickets, but found a section of picnic tables right behind home plate that were open to the public so we sat there. They ended up being really great seats! Friday night games are our favorite because, win or lose, they put on an awesome fireworks show after the game. It was a perfect night for baseball and we had a great time.

view from our seats:

strike dancing before the games started:
mike and I:
towards the end of the game:
These balls are a $1 a piece and after the game you have a chance to throw them from the top of the dugouts into a five gallon bucket that's on the home plate or on a tarp that's in front of home plate. If your ball goes in the bucket you win a trip and if it makes it on the tarp you when a prize. They call out the winning numbers and then you claim your prize. I have never seen anyone make it in the bucket!
mike throwing the balls:
lots of misses:
the next few pictures are of the fireworks show after the game:

Saturday we watched movies and played games. I didn't win ONE game at Sorry, Battleship, or Dominoes. After losing all afternoon I decided it was time to move on to something else-dinnertime! Mike grilled some chicken, zucchini, and squash and I made mash potatoes, peanut butter cookies and sweet tea. It was all so yummy!

Today has been pure laziness and I'm not complaining one bit!

Mike's doctor started him on a new medication Friday and he's already starting to feel a little better!!! I'm so happy for him. We have so many things that we've wanted to do but he was nervous about being too far from home and not feeling well. Hopefully he's on the road to recovery and we can start crossing of our "things to do together" list. :)

Oh and I forgot to mention last week that my best friend Crystal and her husband Chris sold their old house and bought a new house! They have been wanting to move for months now and I'm so thankful that it's worked out for them and their 3 girls! I've only seen pictures (hopefully I'll see it this week in person) but it's beautiful! Congrats you guys!