Wordle

I found this website through Claire and thought it was amazing! Obviously, I couldn't use my blog as a source for the words, because I have not created enough posts to make it interesting! Actually, the biggest words were: POWDER, BABY, and SPRINKLE. Awesome...

So, I thought it would be interesting to use a popular text or novel and see what the program created. I decided on The Declaration of Independence. Thanks for the idea, Claire! :)

The Versatility of Baby Powder

Don't ask me why I have baby powder, but I do. Some how I have acquired TONS of baby powder. Ok, well not tons, but a whole lot of baby powder considering that I have no babies. Since I am completely broke, I am really trying to utilize any and all material that I may have without buying more. Sooo...here are several uses of baby powder that I never knew existed(probably because I'm not a mother, I'm sure mom's already know these).

1. For ant problems, sprinkle some baby powder under doors were ants come in at, and along window sills. Ants will not walk through the powder.
2. Gloves. To help rubber gloves slip right on, sprinkle a little bit of baby powder inside the glove and on they go.
3. Bedding. Do your sheets feel hot and sticky on warm summer nights? Sprinkle a little bit of baby powder between your sheets before getting into bed, this will help to absorb perspiration.
4. Jewelery. Having trouble untangling that knot in a necklace? Sprinkle some baby powder on the necklace and then work it apart. The powder will act as a lubricant.
5. Sand. Sand gets everywhere, and sticks to a person. Sprinkle baby powder over sandy, wet kids or adults, to adsorb the moisture, and then brush away the sand.
6. Books. For all of those old, musty, mildewed books you don't read but want to keep, sprinkle baby powder between the pages and let sit for several hours, or even a few days. Then gently brush out the remaining powder with a soft brush.
7. Squeaks. Many homes, old and new have squeaky floorboards, here is a quick fix. Sprinkle some baby powder between the boards and sweep in well into the cracks. No more squeaky floor
8. Shaving. When shaving your legs with an electric razor, sprinkle them with baby powder to reduce friction burn.
9. Grease. If you get a grease stain on your shirt while cooking, dab the stain with baby powder, rub it in good, then brush off any loose powder. Do this till the stain is gone.
10. Pets. To give your dogs coat a little pick me up, rub in a few hand fulls of baby powder, getting it in there really good. After give your dog a good brushing. His coat will not only look better, but will also smell better. This can be used on yourself as well.
11. Quick and Easy shampoo. If you're in a hurry and have no time to shampoo your hair, sprinkle a handful of baby powder into your hair. Work the powder through as you would your normal shampoo. Wait a few minutes and then brush out with your usual comb or brush. You can use this on human hair as well as dog and cat hair.
12. Clothing. Keep your clothing fresh. Place a small bowl or dish of baby powder in your closet and dresser drawers to keep your clothes from becoming stale and musty in the drawer in the closet. Your clothes will also smell fresh throughout the day.
13. Carpet Freshener. Sprinkle baby powder on your carpets. Let the baby powder set for a few minutes and then vacuum the carpet. This is a convenient alternative to more expensive carpet fresheners. This is also excellent for removing those annoying cigarette smoke odors from carpets.
14. Prevent white shirts from absorbing oil and grime. Lightly sprinkle Baby Powder on the shirt before and after ironing.

I am not sure on the legitimacy of all these options...but I am currently using tactic #13. I do really like the sound of #5! I absolutely HATE sand. These all look promising, hopefully they truly work!

GEORGIA

It's that time again

Yep, football season!! Looking back, I doubt that I ever watched a single football game growing up. Not until my freshman year did I finally realize what I had been missing. There is just something about being loyal to a team that feels amazing. The victories are so sweet and exciting and even the gut-wrenching defeats make emotions surface that you did not know you had.

Of course, it's not just the game, it's the people that cheer with you, the stadium that gives you chills, the food that holds you over though out the day, and the drinks that keep you wishing that the day didn't have to end. Everything about game days in Athens is meaningful! I absolutely can not wait for this season because with the games come the people, and with the people come the old friends. This one point is what keeps Georgia football so close to my heart. No matter how far people move away or how long they are gone, they always have a home in Athens!

Georgia Chills

House Rant #1

Sooo...as I have already mentioned, Brian and I have been in our new house for right at a month. We both love it! It's a cute, cozy house! So far, we've not had any real problems.


In the front room and kitchen, we noticed right away that insulation would blow up through the air duct and cover the floor.


Like so:



Our first thoughts:

1. The central AC system is new, so maybe it just has to flush out the insulation that was damaged during construction?
2. Perhaps a small animal damaged some of the duct work in the crawl space? (we looked and could not see anything, but no way am I crawling underneath there!)
3. Someone actually suggested that it was dust blowing up, because dust turns a yellowish color after time. But I am confidant that this is not dust in the photo.
   

Well, we were going to wait it out, see if it stopped and then THIS came out the air vent:

can you tell what it is?!?!?

SNAKE SKIN!!!!!!

Why in the hell is snake skin blowing up my vent?! You have know idea how paranoid and creeped out this makes me feel! Is there a snake crawling around my house? Sure, a snake is too large to fit through the slits in the vent, but what if it has babies and they get past the vent slits? What then?? I joked with Brian that someone has opened our Chamber of Secrets, which is a Harry Potter reference....but still, this is crazy. Yikes, snakes.

Home Sweet Home


Well, it's been a month in the new house. 155 Appleby Drive. Cute huh? Actually, I've always wanted to live on Honeysuckle Lane. This will work though. We've almost completed all the painting and I have started on a few DIY projects, but I'm still not sure how much I'll be able to accomplish considering my budget. :(

Here are all the Before pictures our cute little house:

(caution: These are rather scary, especially the outside yard)

It's a basic, brick house...nothing fancy.

This is some of the damage caused during the March snow storm. Luckily, the landlord finally removed the debris.

This is the back yard...yikes. No one has actually lived in the house for almost a year, so I guess it's a little over grown. It looks like we have a little hay field in the back. Awesome. The positive part is that we have a fenced in yard. Yay!

Front...double yikes. I imagine that this is supposed to be the front garden. We'll have to see what I can do with this. Oh yes, I have big plans...just no money. Also, the lot is very shady...so there goes my love of blooms. :(

Moving Indoors.....

We actually have a real kitchen now. Not one of those small apartment kitchens that we've been use to for so long! Yay. Although it's not a dream kitchen, it does have lots of cabinet space....though, no space for a table. We do have that lovely island though. :)


Did I mention that the laundry room and the kitchen are in the same space? No? Well, the laundry room and the kitchen are in the same space. Some people may be bothered by this...but considering that my last dryer sat on my side porch, I'm basically in love with this new place!




Cute bathroom huh? The landlord actually just remodeled the bathtub. I love the bathroom because it has very pretty tile AND that window lets sooo much light into the room!



This is the hallway leading from the kitchen, past the bathroom and master bedroom, and into the guest room. As you can see, we have hardwood floors throughout the house. These floors actually have a nice finish on them, so I enjoy them much more than my last house. The wood would leave black stuff on your feet. Yuck


The front room is a little small, but very cozy! You can't see it from the picture, but when you enter the house, the front room is secluded from the other rooms. You can see the hallway, but nothing else. I really like this part because it helps keep the public spaces and private spaces separated!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour. Hopefully I'll be able to post After pictures soon... :)

Current Endeavors

Since my life has no exact direction at the moment, I've decided to create several small paths all at once.

1. I have recently advertised myself on Craigslist. No, not in the personals but on the 'creative design' page. I've offered free landscape designs, specifically small scale gardens or containers, in order to build my professional portfolio. I hope to be able to land a few design jobs and help with the installation to further my experience.

I've actually had a serious hit amoung all the fake ones. A local therapist would like a small design for her front yard. She works from home and thinks that her clients would like an area to relax and meditate. We've had to push our meeting back, but hopefully we'll be able to get the ball rolling soon! Who knows where this one project could lead?!

2. Not sure if anyone knew this, but I've always had an interest in event planning/wedding planning. My favorite times at CFA are when I get to do the decorations for holidays or put our flowers together. I really think that I could excel at this if I knew the basics and how the business works.

Although I'm not to sure how to go about entering this field, I decided to start at the bottom with floral design. So early this week, I left my resume with several local florist shops. One actually called me back the next day to set up and interview next week! Although they don't need the help right away, they should be busy enough this fall to take me on. Also, the owner, who's
Polish accent is horrible, is one the Athens garden tour and said she probably wants some help with that as well. Awesome!

So....

Maybe something will come from these two paths, or maybe not. At least I am trying and at least I am facing a huge fear of mine: randomly talking to people, especially about myself. Wish me luck!

Missing in Action.

To my dear fans.....all three of you.


I wanted to apologize for being so ridiculously bad at posting. Just give me 3 months and I'll have internet (and cable...thank God) and then will be able to give you minute by minute updates on my life....Excited? :)


In the mean time here is a quick run down on what I've been up to the past couple of months. Don't get excited....the majority it rather boring.








WORK

1. I'm still at CFA and Bath and Body Works. I never thought I'd say that I like CFA, but it's actually been good to me recently! I got a raise, yay! It's amazing the things that happen when you actually try at work. hehe.

2. I've still been keeping an eye out for design jobs, no luck though. USA Today recently published an article that showed LA jobs on the rise for the first time in 9 months. I'm giving it another 6 months before I flood the market. In the mean time, I'm also looking for openings in anything that I think I'd like. Including florists, wedding planning, and CFA corporate. We'll see if I have any better luck if I expand my search...






SCHOOL

1. Lately I've given a fair amount of thought into returning to school, especially since I m right here in this college town. Not sure what I'd go back for, which is probably a problem. Right now I've considered horticulture, ecology, or conservation ecology. I've also given thought into becoming a nurse. I know that this can be hard work, but I'm up for it! Maybe it's been the experience at CFA, but I really feel that I'm becoming more and more of a people person! I think that if I found the right section, nursing would be a good choice. Anyone know more about this?






LIFE

Well, just like a few months ago, life is basically perfect, which I blame on Brian. Now if I could just figure out this money situation...

But seriously, let me see...what's been going on in my life?

1. Well, my roommate moved out two months early. I'm really excited that I get to have the house to myself! I can actually clean it and it will stay clean now. Oh, and I can buy things for myself and use it myself, not have it disappear and wonder where it went. Although I'm excited that my living situation is finally better and stress free, I can't help but be pissed off about the situation. Our landlord is not making me cover her rent for the last two months, thanks God, but he's not holding her accountable for her share either!!! I just don't understand how some people get off so easy all the time. UGH, why is life NEVER fair?!?! I could really go into a HUGE rant about this....but I'll save it for another time.

2. Brian and I are moving into OUR new house soon! He says that we can start painting and moving in July, even though the lease doesn't start until August. This would be great because it will make the process that much stress free! I'll post the process, don't worry.

3. Brian and I just returned from Chicago for his brother's wedding. The trip was amazing! Everyone was sooo friendly and fun! Not to mention that I didn't have to pay for anything...not plane tickets, not marta, no subway, no hotel, no food, no drinks...NOTHING. Awesome! :)
It really was amazing though. I am lucky to have been able to be invited and share the moment.

4. I turned 24...yuck. Someone give me a walker and pair of house slippers now.

5. I've actually started drinking wine! Kirsty, I know you'll be proud! I really enjoy it and am glad that I finally got over the sweet mixed drinks only phase that I went through for 6 years.

Well, that's about all the noteworthy things that I have to talk about right now...I'm sure my life will pick up one day...maybe. Oh, did I mention that Brian has recently talked about engagement?! I mean, serious talk...not the joking around and teasing that he usually does. I guess the whole trip to Chicago opened his eyes. I told him that I'll believe it when I see it...hehe.

Blizzard 2009... A Tale of Survival. hehe

I can't believe it....just can not believe it! Athens, Georgia is reporting over 6in of snow for March 1st, 2009. Brian and I woke up Sunday morning to, no surprise, rain...and lots of it. We put Bonnie and Izzy outside to play once it had stopped pouring and next thing we knew it was sleeting, and within minutes, snowing!!


All in all, it was a fantastic day! Brian and I slept in and then went to meet some friends at The Grit for a fabulous brunch. Of course, I feel as though I ordered the wrong thing once everyone else received their meals, but at least I have a reason to go back now!

After brunch, Brian and I went to pick up my car that I had left downtown the previous night. By this point, the snow was not to deep but it was really coming down! Like a true gentleman, Brian allowed me to climb inside my car and warm up while he scrapped all the snow off the exterior. I’m so lucky! :)

Brian went back to his house to take care of some business, while I returned home to let Bonnie and Izzy have their first frolic in the snow! To me, watching them in the snow was hilarious! Though, until they realized that they could dig up the snow with their paws (they are both diggers! Holes everywhere!), they didn’t seem to pay any attention to the snow at all! Izzy simply searched for her beloved frisbee and Bonnie chased imaginary squirrels, as usual.

It’s a very rare occasion when Brian and I get the same day off, so we wanted to make sure that we got to spend the entire day together. While debating whose house to celebrate Snow Day at, the power cut off! We decided on my house because I have all the board games…and because I’m lazy and didn’t want to drive over there! On his way over, Brian stopped by the little house that we are renting this summer and took some pictures to show me! The snow just the house that much more cute! :)

While the puppies played in the back, Brian and I decided to build a snowman and discovered that we are not very talented in the art of snowman making! Plus, we didn’t have any of the proper items to decorate the snowman with once we were finished (carrot, scarf, hat, pieces of coal) so we decided to use sticks from fallen trees and spray paint! Hehe. Brian even gave him some hair! In good old Calvin and Hobbes tradition, we wanted to create a scene of our snowman doing some bad activity, so Brian decided to create a snowman homicide. It was hilarious and extremely creepy! The pictures are way too graphic to display here! We decided that if anyone complained we would just play stupid and say that we had no idea what happened and that we started off with two snowmen and woke up to one snowman eating the other…yep, a cannibal snowman.

After we were finished, we headed inside to the powerless house to warm up and dry off. We decided to play Scrabble by candle light (how romantic) and prayed the power would come back on because we were both getting hungry! P.S. I killed Brian in Scrabble, just like I did in poker and bowling. :) The power never came and Papa John’s had forfeited to the snow, so we decided to brave the weather and head off in search of food. It was just like a waste land! The snow had turned a 4 lane highway into a two way street. Cars had been abandoned, there was no power anywhere, and anytime you saw people walking they were walking in line behind each other, heads down, and huddled…just like in some arctic country. Luckily Kroger was open, although the parking lot was a mess! No parking lines could be seen and people were just parking everywhere! It’s a good thing I love chaos! So we grabbed some snacks and headed back to the house! The power was still out so we ate and decided to head to bed for lack of anything else to do. It was so cold that we could see our breath inside, so we bundled up and made sure the puppies were warm enough and crawled in bed. What a great way to end the day…snuggled up with Brian after an extremely fun and memorable day! :)

Novice Posting

Where to start? Let's see....


I am almost 24 years old and live in the magical city of Athens, Georgia. Although most women at my age would likely have a ton of responsibilities and things to do (husbands, babies, careers, houses, cooking, etc)...I, unfortunately, do not. I am currently trapped in a purgatory between college and actually starting my life.

Congratulations! You went to college, worked hard in and out of the classroom, and graduated from one of the top schools for landscape architecture all to work full time in the food industry. Although I absolutely can not get excited about my job...I have accepted the fact that I am stuck there for the time being. I'm not foolish enough to quit, I know that there is nothing out there and I want to at least have a good reference when it is time for me to resign from my chicken frying position.

Life's not all that bad at the moment though. In fact, if I had a professional job, I believe I would have to say that my life is just about perfect. I am almost 8 months into an amazing relationship with Brian and a proud owner of two pups (actually just one, but I've somewhat adopted Brian's dog, Izzy, because of my large fenced in yard). Of course, I could go on and on about Brian and how wonderful he is and just make everyone reading want to puke from the sweetness, but I think I'll hold off until a later post. Our story is not very long, but we are building memories every day! Even if those memories are just laying on the couch or playing with the dogs...it makes me happy! So, like I said earlier, besides having an amazing career, I have a pretty great life right now! Although, I would like to have my old buddies back in Athens...and more money, but who doesn't need that? :)