Feels like Fall!

I haven't done too much with our house lately. One would think with a bambino on the way I would be cray about making everything perfect, but...I don't know. It all seems too overwhelming. Not that I've done much today...BUT it is kind of starting to look around fall!

New tea towels.

I am super crafty and made this centerpiece. Or...I thought of something where I could dump tiny pumpkins in a jar and call it a crafty day.

And number 2. Good Lord, move over Martha. I hope pinterest is ready for the explosion of fan crazy that is about to happen!

Happy fall, y'all!

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

Signs of Spring

Over the weekend we (that's a generous we...mostly P but I helped a tad and was quick on the photog skills so that has to count for something, right?) worked out in the yard. While I was out "helping" I snapped many of these shots.



These were planted by a previous owner and I am glad they are back. Weeds were my enemy last year and one day I went super round up happy and drowned this bed of weeds. I thought if the flowers didn't come back it would be a small price to pay for dead weeds and literally hundreds (ehh?) saved in manicures. Luckily they are back and so are those pesky weeds.



We planted these this fall. Before my grandparents sold their house we dug up some from the front yard and they are coming up now. I guess there will always be a little bit of L'burg in our house forever.



It has rained so much there is actually water in the creek! For like half a second I thought about getting in and then I remembered I hate being dirty. Gross. P said he saw fish so totally no go.

Now, on to a big trip to Home Depot. The world of home ownership is just THRILLING.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

His and Hers..

His

Yes, this is what it looks like... a "duck hunter".

 Santa has a lot of hobbies...like kayaking.

and fishing.

and golfing.

and there are Hers.

Yes, opposites apparently attract. Where is Paula to tell us more about it?



thanks weirdly annimated cat.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

those people...

In the middle of a pretty (extremely!) stressful weekend we got a really unexpected surprise.

I came home from running (for the first time in...well a while. Let's just say I'm feeling it) and saw the above beauty. A little bit of a back story.. P and I hate these things. Sorry if you like them but I judge people who have them, especially more than one.

And now we are some of those people! How did it happen you might ask? A certain group of elves came while we were gone and "gave" (left us stuck with) this glorious example of Christmas spirit.

I will admit, pretty hilarious but be prepared little tricksters because I have a feeling the penguins will be making an appearance very soon at your house during the middle of the night. You won't know when, but know it's happening.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

if you give a mouse a cookie

Some people are really great in a crisis. It seems like some folks just know exactly what to do when something goes awry. Someone has a seizure? Certain privileged people jump into response situations as if they were given a magical gift from God to know precisely what to do. Ladies and gentlemen, I am not one of those people. In very rare situations, I will rise to the occasion and know how to direct a group of rowdy students, sing a difficult aria without showing that I am literally seconds away from peeing, but when something is really...like really serious..you best find someone else.

First sign that I would never be a "first responder" type was in high school when a girl had a seizure beside me in choir and I literally just stood there and...kept standing. A girl had to leap over me to help the victim. The same incident happened in college when a girl exiting the performance auditorium had a seizure and hit her head on a trashcan and then the floor. I froze. I heard someone yell, "we need to call 9-1-1" and I had some ability after what seemed like hours to attempt to hand someone my phone. The actual task of dialing those numbers myself way way too difficult.

Omg finding pictures for this blog made my night. Apparently confused woman in google search = Mom jeans.

Lastly and probably most embarrassing (which begs to wonder, why I would share this online for all 6 of you to read) was a few years ago in the Dillard's bathroom. I was Christmas shopping with my Mom and can even remember what I was wearing. I had been working out quite a lot then and was wearing cute jeans from Wet Seal with sequined designs on the backside and a very vintage orange jacket from American Eagle. Anyway, we were in the bathroom and I was looking at my...butt. I'll admit it. I also looked at my face, put on more makeup, played with my hair, etc while I waited on my Mom. As soon as my Mom walked out she ran, no sprinted to this woman sitting in a chair in the "lounge" (I love that Dillard's is that fancy) half way falling over. The poor soul just had a heart attack...and I never. noticed. My Mom noticed right away and went to aid this poor lady. She knew exactly what to do.

Another priceless google find. Were you even aware that heart attacks had clip art? Much less clip art with one-eyed monsters? Success.

Flash forward a couple of years and we are now home owners. I wanted some decaf coffee, I went to the pantry to get the decaf coffee. That's when I saw it. I came eye to eye with a MOUSE. A flipping field mouse. I screamed bloody murder and then this heroic dance/run/panic/jumping frantically move all around our house. P said it sounded like "a puppy  being murdered". When P investigated we (ha, he, obviously) found a hole in a pipe where the sucker got in. He found some traps (we have those?!) and took care of everything while I threw away all of our food and then slammed the door and hid in another room while begging P for a week in a hotel just to make sure. He seemed to think my request was a little ridiculous (cautious, hello? anyone?) and assures me everything will be fine tomorrow. He is somehow fixing the pipe and has acquired more traps than should be legal.

Moral of this story? If we are ever going any location where anything at all dangerous ranging from a hangnail to a Sybil-like meltdown, we best have a third party or cell phone coverage because I unfortunately am not your girl. I really hate admitting that I am not good under pressure, I feel like it's a quality that I should obtain alas, this is not my gift.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

what a wow weekend

So today was one of those wonderful homeowner Saturdays where you work from sun-up to sun-down (which during this time of year is only about 4 hours). It started simply enough. I thought oh I will get two shrubs, maybe an area rug, nothing too complicated.

 First we really got the two scrubs like seen above.

Then we found these really cute Christmas trees. Obviously I needed to ditch the yellow mums and go for some evergreens that in my mind will undoubtedly be planted for years to come but... probably just like said mums they will be ditched in the creek beside my house. Replacing annuals every 3 months? I like to call it helping the economy. Deal.

So then I bought a new holly tree. (I have no idea what it is really called. Honestly, I was looking for something it would be hard to kill). Only one more hole to dig, right?

Then I realized after the shrubs were planted that if two were good 8 would be the best ever in America and possibly the universe. And even better, I had a strapping young college lad who was helping in exchange for free time playing the new call of duty, which my Mom asked was being played on our "Nintendo". This obviously made all of my techi's (yes that is a new word) day. Clearly, I am the luckiest girl in the entire universe for having the best family...ummm ... ever. Whoever would volunteer their Saturday to spend with me replacing tons of landscaping deserves a special place in family Heaven.

While all this was happening P painted our kitchen! Woot! It looks so clean and fresh and next he is on to the bathroom. Pictures to come.

In other news, I am blogging about home improvements during the weekend. Although I don't have arthritis, I'm pretty sure I'm 61.

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

the paper anniversary

We made it! Sound the trumpets, stop the presses, we made it the first glorious year in marriage. Honestly it feels like I blinked. I do not feel like it has been a month, much less a year in a lot of ways from that wonderful wedding weekend. But then when I begin thinking back on this year I cannot believe all we have changed and accomplished, in that way it feels like longer than a year. P changed jobs, we bought our first house, we were newly weds, it is just so surreal. I have to say all weekend I've been thinking back, kind of ridiculously. Thoughts like, " a year ago now I was running late to get my make up done" or " a year ago now I was watching the wedding slide show at the rehearsal dinner" etc etc. We are celebrating by going out to a nice dinner and eating our frozen cake and sharing a bottle of wine we saved from our wedding! I know the best is still yet to come and I am so glad we are married. Wow. A statement like that makes me feel really old but I guess I will just embrace it. Our wedding was hands down the best weekend of our lives and I guess now things will just keep getting better! The best is yet to come!

I realize posting so many pictures of myself is very vain but honestly, I don't care. I still love looking at our wedding pictures and how happy we were on that day and are now! For Natalie's News his has a been a very lucky, Natalie-Corinne.

before and after

Recently our biggest "hobby" has been to work on our new house. I LOVE our new house but was totally unprepared for the massive amount of work that accompanied with home ownership. Often we get off work only to go back to work on another project. Here are some before and afters that I must say we are pretty proud of.

Project 1: The cabinet... (dum dum dummm)

BEFORE: she took this cabinet with her, it was a family heirloom and she took the cabinet with her but we negotiated for the granite.

Move in day: the face only a mother can love.

AFTER: well the after with all of the pink that took over our house during Alyson's baby shower.

The other after is how it normally looks. We are still not completely finished though. Recently I created a picture wall that will go under all the pictures. Should be fun to nail in without breaking any glass. Well, all this talk of work has gotten me tired. We've done a lot more work than the one project but I've decided to take a break from bragging on our hard work and go to my favorite part of this day.

Imagine this deck, this girl, a glass a wine, a happy hubby, and a huge smile. Jealous much?

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.

green or perhaps black thumbs

Yesterday my wild and crazy spring break started with a glorious facial in the uber swanky belle meade thanks to my gracious Uncle Ray. The"experience" (that's what they call it) began with me going in to a locker room Woodland Warriors style and getting changed into a robe and comfy shoes. I had a brief moment of hesitation when I thought of having to put my feet into used shoes but these were rubber so they wash them...right? Anyway, I walked out of the bathroom and everyone attempts to force feed you organic gingerbread, hot tea, and flavored water. I just had water because I decided if I was pretending to have my rich housewife day I would of course not eat. Duh. Then you sit in these relaxation rooms with a fake sky and it reminded me so much of the Cumberland Science Museum's planet show back in the day. Finally I was lead into the facial room and got the most incredible pampering ever. She used steam, hot stones, scrubber machine things, etc. It was so wonderful. I was so lost in my character that when asked, "do you have any more treatments today?" I almost answered in character "Oh, yes, let's just do what you think I should have and bring me a mimosa" but luckily I snapped out of it. Just in time too because then she gave me a $400.00 list of product I just had to purchase right then or my face would fall off. My favorite part of this is how she wrote it on paper that looks just like a prescription pad and then gave me a follow up appointment. That is a doctor I could get on board with seeing all the time :)

Then my fantasy totally ended and I guess you could argue hell froze over and I went to Home Depot. Or maybe I just went to hell. Who knows, but yes I went to home depot and looked at...dirt. Why are there 2,000 kinds? I can understand all different kinds of lipstick, candles, curtains, furniture the list goes on and on but dirt? I walked aimlessly for 30 minutes reading all the different types of promises this amazing dirt would do for my yard. So I ask the two guys working in the garden center for help and realize my right foot knew more about gardening than the both of them combined. Finally I had to pull out the big guns and call my friend Jenna who helped this girl out. I got some Miracle Grow for the front yard and will have to mulch later. Anyway, almost 6 hours later (yes 6 hours working outside... isn't there some kind of award or tax credit I should receive?) I cleared 7 huge bags of pine needles and leaves. The street we live on is kind of busy and I spent most of the day bent over showing my best side to the multiple neighbors so, you're welcome. Things went well or the most part. My wise Mom told me to wait to plant flowers until April 15th and I should put some greenery in my flower boxes to keep them looking good all year which I was so on board with until I was at home depot all Jo Jo circus clown about the dirt and impulsively bought petunias to go into my flower boxes. Things started well and I planted my first ever flower by myself. Then I got a little too confident and attempted to empty the second flower box and...broke it. Nice. I guess it's important to remember not everything is made IKEA style and cannot bend conveniently every way.

RIP flower flower box pictured above. You can see where it used to sit right underneath the window and now looks earily like a coffin just chilling in the front yard. The neighbors love us.

Anyway I think it can be fixed so 2 out of 3 is not so bad right? I for sure won't be quitting my day job to garden anytime soon or ever in a million years but I did have a pleasant time just being outside which I've never ever thought or said in my life. Perhaps after some more of this "sunshine" people speak so fondly of I will begin growing all of our food and we will become a hippie commune kind of house. Seriously if this ever happens I'm charging you all responsible of coming over and hitting be over the head with a board. Promise?

For Natalie's News this has been, Natalie-Corinne.