October Love List

Yep, another month has come and gone. I'm excited for fall, mostly because I'm finally going to buy the boots I've been lusting after, hubs just doesn't know it yet. On to my list of things I'm loving about this month...

• Fall has officially arrived and I'm loving these metallic pumpkins I found on RealSimple.com
• My niece Raelin is being dedicated on the 10th
• Watching the hubs try to be a Bears fan
• Modern Family—funniest show on television. Watch it!
• Soup, especially the hub's chilli
• I'm getting my hair cut and colored this month
• Wearing cardigans 

Lately

Lately I've had a hard time coming up with ideas of what to blog about...writer's block I guess, though I'm calling mine creative block, because I've been lacking creativity in general.

I happy with the progress I've been making on my 25 before twenty-five list. I haven't completed any of them yet, but I'm on the right track

• I had over 600 songs with a 0 play count. Thanks to remembering my headphones when I go to work, I'm now down to 246.
• I started reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, which is on the All Time 100 Novels list. This actually like my 3rd time trying to read it, but you know what they say "third times a charm"
• I've decide that instead of reading the Bible straight through, I'm going to read it in chronological order, and have read the first 8 chapters of Genesis. 

Growing up in a Christian home, I was/am no stranger to the two stories, The Creation and Noah's Ark, told in the first 8 chapters of Genesis. But this was really the first time I've really considered these stories as an adult. A few of my observations.

• Child birth would have still been painful, even if Eve had not eaten the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:16 God says to Eve, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing" Beyond physical pain, some interpret this pain to mean having to suffer the sorrow of raising your child in a sin filled world.
• My take away verse 4:7 "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
• I have a study Bible, which I love because has little excerpts that answer questions that may come up from the reading. I didn't realize this, but there is debate on how wide spread the flood was (7:19-20) Some believe the whole world was flooded, while others feel there is a stronger case in favor of only a region of the world flooding. Personally, I think only a region of the world was flooded. Here's why...
• The original Hebrew doesn't use the common word for world, instead is uses the word for earth, which can also be translated as land or country.
• The ark landed on Mount Ararat (8:4) which was only a few miles from where it started

Kaiser Update

Some of you may be wondering, "where's that dog she was so excited about? I haven't heard about him in awhile."

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Kaiser will be coming to live with us. A few days after our visit, which went really well and had us really excited about bringing him home, we got an email that said, one of the other foster dogs in the home had unexpectedly died. Test showed that he had died distemper. A very nasty virus, which can lay dormant in dogs for up to three months. Therefore, Kaiser can't be adopted out until they are 100% sure he doesn't have it too. So we're suppose to check-in on him in a few months, if we don't find another dog before then. We know we won't, because we're both smitten with that little pooch.

HELP! I'm Bored with My Hair

Lately, I've been really bored with my hair, but I can't decided what I want to do with it.

Right now, my hair is as long as it's ever been and is dark brown, with gray starting show at the roots (Yes, I have gray hair. I have since high school, and have been dying my hair ever since!) What's even more depressing is that the gray is starting to creep into my bangs, which are pretty much grown out, I mean they can be pulled back into a pony tail now. I always feel childish when call it a pony tail...I don't know why.

I've been needing to recolor and get my haircut for awhile. But I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on it, and sorry Hair Cuttery on S. State St. I don't trust any of your stylists to anything other than trim my ends. Well today's YouSwoop solved that problem, $25 for a haircut that's normally $65 at Marianne Strokirk, plus half off color or highlights. Yep, I'll take that!

I've pulled a few pics from Google to share some ideas...what do you think I should do

I've had blunt/straight across bangs before. I really them, they make me feel edgier.

 I've also had side swept bangs before, but never quiet this heavy. I think I'm leaning towards bangs like these the most right now. I love Nicole Richie by the way. And I'm way jealous of any girl who can pull off blonde/brown/red hair. My thick dark brows make that pretty much impossible.

 This is how long I wish my hair was. I don't think mine will ever get this long (I know these are probably extensions) but I don't think my hair can grow any longer. Is that possible? Also, I don't care what people say, I love Ashlee Simpson's orange hair...I totally wish I could rock it.

I've also toyed with the idea of chopping it all off. But won't for two reasons, 1. I'm not quiet brave enough yet 2. I promised the hubs that I'd wait until we have a kid. I don't know if you know this, but when you become a momma, you have to cut your hair short ;)

Saturday we went to my Uncle Darrell's wedding, we drank too much and had a great time! Both hubs and I were rocking pretty stylish outfits.

It's no secret that I love all things weddings, and since last weekend was a wedding weekend, I thought I'd share some of my favorite invitations that I've came across on the internet. Some of these photos came from here, some from here, and others I've had for so long time I don't know where they came from.

NICE Assignment: Be Nice To Yourself

Melissa of Operation NICE, posted yet another NICE Assignment. I really look forward to them every week, and I get bummed when she skips a week! I definitely think I'm a nicer person, since I started completing them.

Let me elaborate...a portion of my daily commute is the bus, I never really used to smile at or even really knowledge the bus driver, I actually avoided making eye contact so I would have to do either of these. These days, I say "good morning" or "good afternoon" or at the very least smile at the driver when I get on. And if I exited out the front door, I always say "thank you" as I'm getting off.

But back to the assignment - be nice to yourself - this is going to sound strange, but I'm having a difficult time with this one. You see, I am really nice to myself most of the time. It's just the hubs and I, and well he really doesn't really ask for much, so I generally have lot's of time to relax at night and just enjoy being with him. I don't have stressful demanding job, children or even a pet (we got some sad news about Kaiser...I'm waiting for some details to be confirmed, then I'll share) to look after.

To complete the assignment, I've decided to just take a moment and be more appreciative of how good I have it. And really take the time to enjoy my nights at home, because someday when we have a little monster runnin' around that will all change...

Something Old. Something New.

I recently started reading Young House Love. Tonight while catching up on new their new posts, I found what I think could be my "create something new from something old" project. Taking an old window screen and turning it into an earing holder/decorative piece is pretty much genius.

25 Before Twenty-Five: Leo Movies

I've made my list of Leonardo Dicaprio movies. 24 movies in total. Obviously, since I love Leo, I've seen quiet a few of these movies already, but I'm starting over. With one exception, I'm counting Inception. We saw that in the theater not too long ago. I've already already added most of the ones I don't own to my Netflix queue. I'm posting the list here, so it's easy to keep track of what I've watched.

Inception (2010)
Shutter Island (2010)
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Body of Lies (2008)
Blood Diamond (2006)
The Departed (2006)
The Aviator (2004)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Gangs of New York (2002)
Don’s Plum (2001)
The Beach (2000)
Celebrity (1998)
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
Titanic (1997)
Marvin’s Room (1996)
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Total Eclipse (1995)
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
The Foot Shooting Party (1994)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
This Boy’s Life (1993)
Poison Ivy (1992)
Critters 3 (1991)

Meet Kaiser

I've been MIA for the last few days, because I had my nose in a book. And when I'm reading a book that I'm totally into, I'm pretty good at shutting the rest of the world out. If you have any interest in the Renaissance or history from the golden age of Spain, I highly recommend reading, The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen.

Meet Kaiser, a one year old Miniature Schnauzer. Hopefully, me and the hubs will be bringing him home soon. Hubs and I are both very excited, we've been talking about getting a pet for awhile now, and after my sister got a new puppy, I wanted one even more. Since he's currently living at a foster home, we had to fill out an application before we could visit—that was interesting. We're suppose to visit soon, possibly even tomorrow, so fingers crossed that Kaiser will be joining the family soon!

25 Before Twenty-Five

Inspired by my good friend, Amy of Lemon Tree House and  Nicole, the author of one of my favorite blogs, Making It Lovely I decided to make a 25 Before Twenty-Five list. I turn 25 in one year, 3 months and 23 days. My list isn't that lofty, so I think I should be able to manage. I'll cross them out as I complete them.

01. Listen to every song in my iTunes that still has a zero play count  (read about it)
02. Go on a real road trip
03. See Wicked on Broadway in Chicago  (read about it)
04. Visit the Willis (Sears) Tower observatory  (read about it)
05. Pay off my student loan
06. Establish myself as a freelance graphic designer
07. Bake a cake completely from scratch  (read about it)
08. Watch every movie with Leonardo DiCaprio in it
09. Pay for someone behind me in line
10. For One day wear what I feel like in public, even if it doesn't match
11. Set up and contribute regularly to a retirement fund
12. Read the Bible in entirety (read about it)
13. Give food to a homeless person on the street
14. Try Indian food
15. Get a tattoo
16. Sort/organize the pile of bills, receipts, and other important papers
17. Create something new from something old
18. Party in Vegas
19. Go Vegetarian for one month
20. Do something completely spontaneous
21. Find a wine I can order and sound like I know what I'm talking about
22. Splurge on a pair of designer shoes
23. Host a dinner party
24. Get back in shape
25. Read 10 books off TIME Magazine's All Time 100 Novels (1923-2005)

50 States | Indiana

Man do I wish, every weekend was a four day weekend! Hubs and I spent the weekend in Indiana, camping with his parents. It was one last hurrah on the motorcycles, before it's starts getting too cold to ride. Tim and I decided that we'd count the trip towards our goal of vacationing in all 50 states. So today, I got to color in one more state on our map!

We stayed at Gordon's Campground near Kendalville—pretty much in the middle of nowhere—road around Amish country on the motorcycles, and ate giant marshmallows, and on the way home we stopped to visit with my aunt and uncle in LaGrange.

Hopefully, the next state we get to fill in is Nevada. I so want to go to Vegas, plus it's on my "25 before 25 list" I'll be posting that tomorrow.

NICE Assignment: Say it with chocolate

Two posts in one day, aren't you lucky ;) I just couldn't wait to share this...

For those of you who may have just started reading my blog, I've promised my to complete every NICE Assignment posted on Operation NICE. Well this week's was to "Say it with Chocolate"

So why don't you surprise someone this week with a sweet treat! It could be a stranger (like an airline crew) or someone who helps you out every day (like a barista or coworker), or maybe even your significant other (so you can swipe a piece for yourself). ;) Whoever! Make someone's day with some chocolatey goodness.

Well, I was really nervous about this assignment and contemplated not doing it, but on way home from the library tonight I passed this cute little chocolate shop and couldn't resist going in. The chocolates there are beautiful—hubs if you ever read this, I'd love a box of these :)  So, I decided to buy a little box of 6 chocolates and complete the assignment.

Since I live in a fancy schmancy building with a doorman and valet parking, I thought about giving it one of them, but then I remembered the maintenance men, who don't get tipped like the doorman and parking guys. I always enter through the back door and it was perfect timing, because one of the guys was going back in after dumping some trash. Although he was wheeling a big trash can, he still smiled and held the door for me.

After we were both inside, I handed him the box, saying "These are actually for you, just as a little thanks for all you do around here"  He smiled big, shook my hand and told me to have a good night. It was such a rewarding experience for me. I'm so glad I didn't chicken out.

So, that’s the command: Thou shalt have great sex

This will be quick and painless...well actually if you read what I'm about to share and can relate to it, it actually might be a little painful. I found this excerpt of a sermon on a blog, while I was looking for ideas to add to my "25 before 25 List" which I'll be posting soon.

"A guy who has sex with a girl without marrying her is like a bulimic with food. A bulimic loves the taste of food but doesn’t want to keep the nutrients or calories in her body, so she tastes, swallows it, and then vomits it back up. That’s what a guy is doing to you… he is tasting oneness with you, but then throwing you back up because he doesn’t want to become one with you."

I found it really strange serendipitous that I randomly stumbled across this blog post, (there are some other great excerpts there and a link to the sermon, which I haven't listened to yet) because while getting ready this morning I was thinking about how sex before marriage and having many different partners has become so acceptable. It seems girls at younger and younger ages are feeling like the have to have sex with a guy in order for him to like and want her, or that she'll have some sort of power of him. Newsflash - having sex with him, will not give you power. Holding back something he really really wants gives you the power.

Some may think this, sounds hypocritical or judgmental, and I don't mean it to. Confession - I didn't wait 'til my wedding night to open my present. That was really hard to write, since my parents read this, but I'm sure they assumed. But even so, this is a topic that has been weighing on me a lot lately. Not really sure why...

Well the moral of the story is - don't get thrown back up, wait for the guy who wants and is ready for oneness with you, because then you'll have really great sex, not just sex—trust me on that one. (TMI I know right?!)

September Love List

So...I was going to do something really cool for this love list, but I didn't get around to it. So instead I just made a a graphic for above my list and seems maybe I didn't make it big enough, eh oh well. Maybe next month I'll follow through with doing something sweet.

1. Labor Day weekend camping trip with my in-laws
2. Still obsessed with iced lattes
3. I love weddings, and my uncle is getting married this month!
4. The Boker boot in cognac from Aldo—I totally want over the knee the boots this fall
5. Cooler weather is on it's way
6. The new season of Gossip Girl starts
7. I get to see my bestest friend, tomorrow actually :)
8. Hubs and I finally are looking for a church here Chi City (think we found one!)
9. Little brother turns 18, whew I'm getting old