Stuff Stopper and Chili Fest

So this was a quick little project I whipped up while Brian was in the field. This summer he picked up a plain piece of wood to slide into the slots of his truck bed liner.  It worked great to keep stuff from sliding around, which is very useful since the truck bed cover made it hard to climb in and grab stuff that shifted around.  While he was out, I painted it black and improvised the Harley bar and shield design.  The longest part of the whole project was waiting for the layers of spray paint to dry.

 

 

This weekend we took a little ride up to Hatch, NM for the Chili festival!  Of course I wasn't able to actually sample any of the honorary produce (since even the "mild" would have made me explode), but it was a fun day with our friends.

We're now in the midst of trying to find a new place to live, since the lady we've been renting from decided that she wants to occupy the place we've called home since we got married.  Fingers crossed it will all work out for the best!

Hey, it's a start...

Well, I've been meaning to post, and wanting to post, but not seeming to find the time to post.  I thought I would have time to get you all caught up on everything that has been happening, all the things I've been doing and making, and all that jazz.  But it seems that I'm too busy doing and making to post!  So instead of an comprehensive post, I decided to just show you two of my more recent projects that I'm really happy with.

When I first moved out on my own, I got this old wood dresser from my Grandpa Frankie.  It is perfectly useful and made from real wood (not pressed board crap) but it hasn't been considered stylish since ET phoned home.  Since I've been moving toward a red-and-black theme in my craft room, I decided to give the dresser a spray paint make over.



And boy did it work!  It's so shiny and new looking (the dings and dents almost disappeared)!  The funky knobs were a great find at Hobby Lobby (and were half off) and just pulled the whole thing together.  All told, the upgrade cost about $30.  Well worth it, in my opinion, though in hindsight I maybe should have gone with a matte finish instead of glossy.

 

My good friend Amanda showed me some brilliant ideas for simple upgrades to Onesies, and in about an hour I had whipped up these four Cutesies!  Now I just need to get them mailed out to the proud new owner before she out-grows them!

Did you miss me?

Me deepest apologies for my long absence.  It appears that the blog site went through some kind of update, and I was having the hardest time getting signed back in!  But I have figured it out and have some really interesting things going on that I can't wait to tell you about!

Unfortunately, it was way past my bed time when I finally got this far... so I will have to wait.  But I promise, fun pictures and updates are coming soon.

Finally! Ruidoso pics

Ok, so hiking in the snow after a bout of pneumonia maybe wasn't the best idea, but it ended up being fun!

Brian at the trailhead. One-way down, then we had to walk back!

Hmmm, who's a bigger nut?!?

Ugh

I've been trying all morning to upload some photos of our anniversary trip. Unfortunately, the website is not cooperating. Please try again later.

Grrr.

I'm a Pastor's Daughter!

It's been a busy, busy weekend! I flew home to Georgia this weekend to see my Daddy get ordained as the new pastor for Messiah Lutheran Church.

Not only was I in town, but Dad's sisters (Debbie and Robin) and brother-in-law (Don) all made it down from New England.

I also got to visit with some friends in Savannah and enjoy a good meal at Moon River Brewing. The only downside to the whole weekend was finding out that I'm sporting a case of pneumonia. Here I thought the coughing and fever were just a touch of a cold...

A warm welcome to 2012!

Well, a frantic 2011 came to a frantic end last month. I took a moment to reflect on some of the many things that happened this past year, and came up with the following:

*Went house hunting in Savannah

*Stopped house hunting when Brian got orders to move to Texas

*Got married

*Met my father-in-law and step-kids for the first time

*Raised an adorable little puppy

*Quit a job that I loved

*Moved halfway across the country

*Spent 7 months looking for a job

*Made some pretty amazing restoration projects

*Started adapting to Army life

*Spent two weeks with the kids

*Brian and I spent our first holiday season together

*Started a Master's degree

*Met some pretty cool people and a bunch of knitters

*Took computer classes and got Network+ certified

*Finally got hired and started working again!

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty crazy, busy, stressful, wonderful year. I am not really one for making New Year's resolutions, but I do have a few things that I would like to work on this year.

*Stay focused and proactive in my studies

*Make time for taking care of myself, physically and mentally

*Excel at my new job

*Keep in touch with my friends and family

*Explore ways to expand my creative outlets

Between working full time, taking two classes each semester, participating in the El Paso Knitting Guild, and still making time for my husband and dogs, I'm sure 2012 will prove to be a very full year!