Stonehill

I am about two weeks away from closing on my first house!  It's a lovely home, but the current paint colors are rather frumpy.  This morning, after arranging my first homeowner's insurance, I hopped on benjaminmoore.com and found a perfect solution!



I am so excited about this color scheme for the master bedroom!  Now I just need to decide colors for everything else!

Hurray home decoration!

A Life Transition and some Inspiration to boot

Dear friends,

I have recently gone through a sort of life epiphany in which I found what I enjoy, and decided that I will change my entire life to become that.  Right now, I am coaching field hockey at an all-girls high school in Houston, TX.  I spend my afternoons with 9th and 10th grade girls who continually impress me with their joyous attitudes, hard work, and enthusiasm for the sport.  They have been pretty solid confirmation that coaching and teaching is what I want to do in life, so I am gearing up to separate from the Coast Guard and settle into a completely different future than I had previously imagined. 

Now that I have that part figured out, I have to overcome both my lack of teaching experience and an unforgiving economy.  But no worries, because I am stoked for it!

And I am in good company.  When I see my friends, Carrie, Tasha, Linnea and Leigh, thriving in the civilian world, I am excited for the transition.  Tasha likes to remind me of one benefit of separating from military: bright nail polish.  Carrie keeps me in line by reminding me of the important deadlines with the Coast Guard Reserves and Veterans programs.  Linnea is growing her own professional photography business, and succeeding in a profession that she truly enjoys!  And Leigh has done something incredibly wild, and transitioned her family's life to an off-the-grid homestead that works to be self-sufficient and earth-friendly.  Without having any experience building, she and her husband built the most beautiful shed, outhouse, and then house!  I am looking forward to watching her garden grow via her blog, House in a Hill. 

So following these trail-blazers, I have decided to change everything.  Starting now (well, really starting a few months ago, but starting now sounds so much better).  So, starting now.  :)

Pinspiration and Puppy Hermitting Myself

I had a very lazy weekend, and it was amazing.  As I was dogsitting for a chocolate lab puppy, I had a very good excuse to stay in bed, read on the deck, and watch a Gossip Girl marathon.  After all, puppies need you to be there!  So I am there, and I gladly skip my workouts and social outings to be a puppy hermit.  Missing church was unexpected, but I like to say that I'm showing the pup God's love by snuggling through the service in my bed.

Normally laziness doesn't really result in great accomplishment, but this weekend I actually did quite a bit of thinking and planning.  No, I did not do the laundry or go grocery shopping; but I did start an account on Pinterest!  Furthermore, I spent hours pinning things and then making lists of great things I shall accomplish in the future.  My friend, Stevie, and I agree that Pinterest is a sort of free shopping...although it breeds an insane desire to go buy things, it also quells some of its own fire by letting you stare at and categorize pictures of your most forbidden (expensive) wants. 

My favorite Pinterest board is called "Curlies and Hairdos", and it is mainly future haircut inspiration (including things that I might never be brave enough to try).  It was a fabulous asset when I went to the salon this week, and I scrolled through haircuts with my cosmetologist.

Feeling computer savvy and crafty, I delved into my incomplete list of projects and finished two major pieces.  First, I mended my favorite sundress from Target (which I later wore to the pool).  Second, I finished my extremely slow-going glove dog (a stuffed animal made of gloves and inspired by the book Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori).  Minus the essentials, I was incredibly productive this weekend.

A Christmas Gift Idea: Free Paninis

I am the proud owner of a new panini pan, and I have to say, it makes my day every time I use it.  Normally, I buy new cookware and it stays in the drawer for weeks or even years before its first use.  The pastry cutter I bought in Hawaii is still in its wrapping; I was lured into purchasing that one-egg frying pan despite my rare egg meals; and then there's the colander, which I bought despite my expert ability to strain noodles with a spoon.  This purchase, I worried while walking through the Target aisles, could have been a bad idea.  Amazingly, its utility even spurs me to clean it properly (by hand!) to preserve the non-stick surface for future paninis!! 

So far I have made paninis with chicken, pepperoni, provolone, cheddar, tomatoes, sometimes oregano and always butter.  I think tomorrow I may go crazy and use brie or gorgonzola.  Panera has nothing on me...except the wonderful soup.  Oh, but fortunately, Campbell's new Southwest White Chicken Chili is taking care of that.  That's a subject for another blog...but try it; it's delicious.

Anyway, a panini pan is an unexpected and original Christmas gift idea, even for the less-than-everyday cook. 

VA in Louisiana!

I just got back from Patterson, Louisiana, where I visited the best dancer in the Coast Guard, Carrie Foster!  After my 5-hour drive to LA, Carrie took me out to dinner at the local golf club, which was quite swanky.  Unfortunately, our waiter refused to write down orders, and got them wrong more than once.  We watched him return to the kitchen with plates from other tables, and laughed when he refused to give us a dessert menu so he could recite them all to us. 

After dinner, we enjoyed the second half of the Patterson High School homecoming game (Go Lumberjacks!) and watched Disney channel until bedtime.  On day 2, we started with cinnamon muffins and a swamp tour.  "Captain Daniel" had the raccoons and vultures so well trained that they would come running from the opposite end of the swamp as soon as they heard the boat's engine.  After lunch at the local craft fair (you've never seen so many decorative Saints and LSU smoke pots!) and a few more Disney channel hours, we went to Paula's house for the LSU/Bama game and some amazing snacks.

When we woke up on day 3, we were excited to find that the daylight savings' time fairy had given us a free hour of hanging out!  And after a breakfast at a sketchy diner, I drove back home to Texas.  There were a lot of hitch-hikers out today, and one clever lady was even holding up a sign that said "WILL NOT KILL YOU"...I considered stopping, but thought better of it as I sped by.

So still alive and

VA back on land and shopping for Christmas

I just got back from a 2-month patrol, and am happily back on solid ground.  Since my return to Texas, I've watched a lot of Disney Channel; turned on my gym membership, Netflix, and car insurance; and enjoyed Halloween in Houston.  I finally took the time to list out all my channels, and find out where they play Live! with Regis and Kelly (for all my days off this inport!). 

This inport, I plan to spend Thanksgiving in Virginia Beach (and of course one day in Colonial Williamsburg), and Christmas in Missouri with Colin!  In scheduling my non-working Texas time, I have planned a visit with Carrie (actually in Louisiana), a visit with Colin, and a Houston Ballet Nutcracker event.  Right now, I'm working through my Christmas shopping list, and floundering with the toy decisions.  Yesterday I did my usual Harry & David giftlist purchase (they remember what you bought for whom last year, where you sent it, and what day it arrived!).  For the most part, I pressed "send the same thing" button, but of course I changed a few gifts around.  My favorites this year were the Harry's Gift Box ($39.95) and the Merry Mix-Up Gift Box ($29.95). 

Unfortunately, the rest of my Christmas gifting is more slow going.  I did find a pair of earrings for my mom, and although I thought I had the perfect gift for my sister, Suzy, it was SOLD OUT before I actually ordered it!  This hot item was the Pottery Barn "Patridge in a Pear Tree" salt and pepper shakers.  So if you want to buy this for your Christmas list, beware.  You have to get it on Ebay for a much inflated price.  Sorry, Suzy...you could've had a salt shaker that shakes like THISSSSS!

I guess I'll work through some list items while I'm at the Outlets today.  Maybe there will be a Pottery Barn there with a non-sold out Partridge in a Pear tree! 

New Car, New Gym, New Show Addiction

Unfortunately, I needed to trade in Winston the Blue Wave because he was becoming a bit of a maintenance cost.  He was my beloved 98 Honda Civic, and my first real car.  I traded him in for a bright blue Fiat, as yet unnamed but likely a member of the blue wave family.  I expect the perfect name to hit me any day now, and I'm currently considering the names Luigi and Columbo among others.  Colin had a few good suggestions a few days ago, but they were rather late-night, and I've since forgotten them.  I really need a good human name (not sure what gender) that goes well before "the Blue Wave"...or perhaps "the Blue Bear" according to Colin.  Blue Bear may be more his/her style.

Along with my new car purchase, I joined a new gym!  It's the Fitness Center at South Shore, and it's beautiful.  They have an indoor and outdoor pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a raquetball court, a huge cardio gym, a pilates studio, a weight section, a steam room, a dry sauna, a day spa, a bistro, and an indoor and outdoor track.  Not to mention the workout classes and tennis lessons available.  I plan to start my tennis lessons on Saturday, and I've already attended a couple of workout classes.  Tonight, I'm still recovering from the boot camp class I took two days ago, so I may go roll around on the eliptical and then sit in the steam room. I've been to the gym daily since joining, although sometimes I just want to go sit in the lovely locker room on the couches or in front of the primping mirror stations.

When I'm not being a gym rat, I'm using my new internet to stream Netflix onto my tv.  New favorite show: Cashmere Mafia.  It's a thinly veiled remake of Sex and the City, but it's wonderful all the same.  Of course, I'm still obsessed with Drop Dead Diva, and hopefully always will be.  Steph and other DDD ladies, the character who plays Kim in Drop Dead Diva is also in Cashmere Mafia, and as yet another hated character who gets into office romances.