The More You Know

Warning: serious post!

Today seemed like a good day to highlight something that's been on my heart for quite a while. Mother's Day was yesterday, and it's time of celebrations and warm fuzzies. But it's a tough day for many women, for a myriad of reasons. One of those reasons is infertility.

The National Infertility Awareness Week was a couple of weeks ago, and the theme was "Resolve to Know More." Couples struggling with infertility are all too familiar with the pain the diagnosis brings, but many people don't know much about it or just don't know what to say. Whether or not you know someone touched by infertility, check out the link-up at Our Crazy Every After to hear stories from dozens of women (and men) living with infertility. Resolve to know more about a disease that affects 1 in 8 couples.

In happier news, only four more weeks left of school! We've got a jam-packed summer ahead, with several trips planned and lots of relaxing and recuperating. Bring it on, summer! I am so ready for you.

Ch-Ch-Changes

September brings new beginnings. A fresh school years starts; the long, dog days of summer become shorter, and the air is replete with tiny hints of fall. For us, these new beginnings are accompanied by another big change: a bathroom remodel. (Dun dun dun!)

Unlike what you typically see on HGTV, we didn't initiate the remodel because we chose to upgrade our bathroom; ours was rebuilt out of necessity. Back in May, we discovered that we may have water damage within the wall that backs up to our shower. After many weeks of wondering and three plumber visits later, we had a diagnosis: mold and a leaky shower valve. Our only option was to gut the shower. (Cue scary music.) Thankfully our insurance company agreed to provide us a paltry sum, but we had a daunting task ahead of us. Neither of us had experience with renovations, and we bought our house specifically because it was move-in ready and didn't require any changes. However, I have to be honest; as frustrating as the prospect of a renovation was, I wasn't completely heartbroken when found out that we'd have to rebuild the shower. I always hated that bathroom. It was the one space in our house that I was never happy with, but I always made it work. (If it had been our kitchen, I seriously would have cried!) So it gave us an opportunity to create the bathroom we always wanted, a little sooner than we'd planned. Or at least that's what I tell myself!

 Goodbye, ugly shower!

And so, our renovation journey began. I had always heard horror-stories of renovations and the stress they can inflict on a marriage, so I came into the process knowing that it would be frustrating and cause fights. That's only been partially true. For me, the most stressful part was making, and agreeing on, ten thousand decisions, large and small, about every inch of our bathroom. What kind of tile do we want, and what size? Should we go ahead and replace the toilet? Brushed nickel finishes, or oil-rubbed bronze? What about paint color? The list goes on and on and on. Decisions can paralyze me since I'm such a perfectionist, and, for me, that was by far the most frustrating part.

We hired a contractor that we had complete faith in, and he gave us a timeline of about a month. Then we moved into our guest bedroom to avoid the unending deluge of renovation dust. (That's one thing I had no clue about!) Once we had chosen every tiny detail, the workmen took over. That's been the easiest part by far, since, thankfully, it's out of my hands. I come come from work every day and see the new shower gradually take shape.

As I write this, we're a little over halfway through the process. Hopefully in a month I can say I've survived a renovation, something I never thought I'd say! Maybe new beginnings aren't so bad after all.

Summertime DIY: Faux Gold Leaf

School is thisclose to starting, and my mind has been on overdrive this week. Teacher inservice began on Monday (accompanied by meetings ad nauseum, of course!), and the kids come back in two days. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that! My classroom is organized, my lessons are planned, and my copies are ready. All that's left are the students. Eek! Since my summer's coming to a close, I thought I'd post one last Summertime DIY project. I hope it gets your creative juices flowing!

 The before

After I framed the agate coasters from my last post, I was inspired to rim the edges with gold leaf for a pop of metallic, to tie them in with the other tones in my living room. However, the prospect and time commitment of applying real gold leaf was pretty intimidating to this non-crafter; there's no room for error. A more artsy person could have pulled it off, but I took the easy way out with this bad boy: a faux gold leaf paint pen. Bonus: it's cheaper than a gold leaf set. Best idea ever!

Coloring inside the lines

The project as a whole was fairly simple and only took about 30 minutes to complete. First, I bought the paint pen at Michael's and detached the coasters from their frames. (Thank goodness for painter's tape!) The paint pen was exceedingly easy to use, and I practiced a few times on scrap paper to get the feel of it. Then I methodically filled in the edges, piece by piece. The coasters were about a quarter-inch thick, so there was enough area for me to paint without worrying about leaving stray marks on its face. The hardest part, though, was ensuring full coverage on the more craggy areas, where I had to wiggle the paint into the tiny crevices. The overall process was kind of enjoyable, in a quiet, zen-like way.

 

The big reveal: ta da!

I'm thrilled with the final product. It makes me so happy to see the smidgen of gold peeking out from the edge of the frame. I highly recommend the paint pen. It provided full coverage, was easy to wield, and dried almost instantly to a glossy, gold sheen. Now I want to gold leaf everything! (Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife, 'cause I'm gold leafing everything out there!) Thinking ahead to Christmas, I'm dying to make some DIY presents with agate slices and my trusty paint pen.

Now I'm off to finish some last-minute planning for Monday. I'm excited for the year ahead and ready to meet my little baby students, but I always get the back-to-school butterflies the weekend before.  Wish me luck, and hug a teacher in your life as he or she heads back to school!

Summertime DIY: Agate Art

Get set for the final post in my Summertime DIY series!

My most ambitious project to date is this wall of framed agate. I always loved polished rocks as a kid (who didn't?), so the current design trend of natural stone is right up my alley. I'd been searching online for a set of agate coasters and in the process stumbled upon a blog with a collection of framed agate that would look perfect on the bare wall in our living room. (Do you sense a theme here?) So, I bought the coasters from Etsy on the cheap and used a coupon at Pottery Barn for the frames. I decided to go with nicer frames for this project since the ones from Target looked cheap against the pretty agate.

With my frames and agate in hand, I began the assembly. The coasters are pretty thick, so I secured them to the frame's paper insert with painter's tape, in case I ever want to move them around or use them as actual coasters. I was a little intimidated to hang them on our judges paneling because it's difficult to patch any errant holes, so I used the newspaper method from the wall o' plates to line up the frames. It took a while to get the spacing just right, but it was worth it. I love having such a unique piece of art that's perfectly me.

 My next project is to put gold leaf around the edges of the coasters (using this tutorial) to make them pop and connect more to the metallic tones in the room. Fingers crossed that I can actually pull that one off! I guess you'll have to stay tuned.

I'm hoping my DIY obsession can last once the chaos of a new school year begins. Until then I'll enjoy my creations and wait for the next stroke of inspiration to strike.

Summertime DIY: Wall O' Plates

Part 2 of my Summertime DIY series is comin' at ya!

 

After my success with the framed tea towels, I got brave enough to tackle another problem area in my house: the dining room. I inherited a beautiful antique sideboard from my grandmother but couldn't figure out how to decorate the huge empty space above it. Thanks to our high ceilings, it needed a massive art piece that would still blend in with the rest of the room. Inspiration hit while perusing Pinterest (aka the DIYers crack) when I saw a display of adorable, sculptural white plates. (You can coordinate a plate display in any color, but white worked best for my room.)

My first step was finding plates. My grandmother gave me the large one in the middle, and I culled the rest from Target for about $4 each. Then I applied these ingenious, invisible adhesive plate hangers to the backs of the plates, since I didn't want tacky wire plate hangers visible. I also secured the plate hangers with duct tape for extra insurance, and so far nothings has budged. Then came the most intimidating part: assembling the display. I didn't want to hang the plates willy nilly and end up with my wall looking like Swiss cheese, so I traced the plates on newspaper, stuck them to the wall with painters tape, and played around with the shape until I settled on this one.  This part took the most time, but hanging the plates was a snap since I knew exactly where to place the nails. While this project took a ton of planning and prep work before the actual execution, the final product and ease of assembly made everything worth it. The plates bring so much light into the dining room.

Stay tuned for Part 3 on Summertime DIY later this week!

Summertime DIY

Alas, only one more week till I head back to school. Inservice begins a week from tomorrow, and the kids come back a week later. But it's been a good summer, full of traveling and friends and family and reading and, most importantly, relaxation. As much as I enjoy my downtime during the summer, I still crave structure. I need some semblance of a schedule in order to function. Otherwise I'll find myself on the couch at 5:00 p.m., sans makeup and still in my pajamas, with nothing to show for my day. Trust me; it's happened. Ennui seeps in if I don't set some sort of daily goal, like finishing a book, going for a run, or watching a few episodes of my summer binge TV show. (Although that's a post for another day!)

Another way I kept myself busy this summer was by becoming an amateur DIYer. (I use the term loosely; there are some hardcore design DIYers online who put my little projects to shame!) I caught the DIY bug after stalking some design blogs for ideas to redo our living room and was inspired to dip my toe in the water. I would never describe myself as crafty or artistically inclined, but I've had a blast making pretty, affordable things for my house that are all my own. This week I'll share my (very meager) achievements in hopes that it will bring a little DIY inspiration to your space, starting with...

Hallway Art Gallery

 

A narrow hallway connects our kitchen, living, and dining space with the back of the house where the bedrooms are. For a long time it was a long, beige wall of nothing. We hung some wedding pictures on one side but put off decorating the other half. There was just so much space to fill; it was kind of intimidating. Art can be expensive, even from Big Box stores, so I knew my only solution was to make something. I'd seen designers on HGTV frame fabric as affordable wall art, and one day I came across four coordinating tea towels online and decided to go for it. The assembly was pretty simple; I bought matching 16x20 frames at Target and secured the fabric across the frame's cardboard insert with tape. Voila: mini art gallery! The hardest part was getting the towels wrinkle-free, but that's nothing an iron can't fix. This was my gateway DIY project, and after seeing the final result I was hooked. The cheery colors put a smile on my face every time I walk by.

Stop by later this week for more projects! I'm off to enjoy my last week of freedom.

Thoughts on an Estate Sale

Confession: I'm an avid estate sale shopper. As in, once I see an ad for one, I can't help myself. I make a beeline for what I imagine to be a gold mine of antiques and undiscovered treasures, just waiting for me. Usually my hopes are dashed and reality comes crashing down once I take a look around, but I have walked away with some sweet steals, like these little beauties I picked up today.

I collect crystal and cut glass, so these two are right at home with the rest of my pretties.

My passion for estate sales was born out of necessity, not indulgence. Brendan and I married while I was still in grad school, which meant that we needed to furnish a duplex on one meager income. Both of us inherited a handful of leftover furniture pieces from past roommates, but there's something about being newly married that makes you want something that's just ours. Every now and then I'd hit up an estate sale, and we slowly amassed a mismatched but well-loved collection of furniture and decor culled second-hand. Fast forward five years, and we're living in a new city on two incomes, having shed our estate-sale trappings and enjoying a new home and new furnishings to match. When it came time to donate our well-worn furniture, I felt a deep twinge of nostalgia. It was hard to let go, imbued with the memories of living on love and little else. There's something very special about the things you had, when you had next to nothing.

I surveyed the spread at today's estate sale with a keen eye, trying to separate the hidden treasures from the junk. Taking in the dishes and Christmas decorations and old clothes and books and knick-knacks, I kept thinking about all the stuff, rooms and rooms it. The woman who lived in this house had recently died, and all this was hers; some of it was probably very dear to her. But now, weeks or even days after she passed away, it was junk, a lifetime of possessions ready for strangers to wade through in search of a bargain.

Her stuff, this nameless woman's things, made me think of my stuff. I'm a spender. I struggle with caring too much about the things I have and want. I tell myself that I need a new dress when school starts. I become convinced that people will look down on me if I don't have trendy furniture and decor for my house, and that my new outfit will look terrible without the perfect shoes and jewelry. I focus on it way too much, but all that stuff won't bring any real meaning to my life. It's just noise.

When I was in college, a professor was talking to us about the importance of using our money to help others. His mother-in-law died a few years back, and she was a hoarder. He and his wife spent a week packing up her house to get it ready to sell, parsing through and throwing away piles of possessions that were once important to her. Now they were all trash, or something to sell to a stranger simply to get rid of it. Things, he said, won't matter when we're gone. We need to spend our lives giving back to others.

My goal is to have a new perspective about the things in my life. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have furniture or buy that dress you love; we need to view them through a different lens. One day all our possessions that we loved so dearly, put so much thought into, and worried so much about, will be useless to us. The best thing we can do is give back to others, invest in helping people, and care less about our things. My goal, my work in progress, is to measure my life not in what I have, but in what I give. And hopefully I can remember that the next time an estate sale rolls around.

New Nephew

My handsome nephew Max Samuel Utley was born late last night to my brother Clay and his wife Heather. Here he is in all his cuteness.

Mom, dad, and baby are doing wonderfully. I can't wait to meet this little guy next month!

New House!

I thought it was time for an update when we bought our first house! We officially moved in on August 2nd, and it's been a crazy but wonderful two weeks. Almost everything is unpacked and in its place. It'll probably take a while for everything to go up on the walls since I'm going back to work next week, but I'll just take it one room at a time. It's slowly beginning to feel like home. There's always that weird in-between period after you move in where it feels like "my new place" instead of "my home", but I'm getting there.

Living in my own home has been delightful. Everything is all yours, and you feel this sense of ownership that I never felt in any rent house or apartment. But, the house-buying process was lengthier and more stressful than I anticipated. When we initially told friends and family we were looking to buy a house, their response was almost the same: "Oh, buying a house is so much fun! You'll love the process." For us, that was halfway true. The exciting part is finding a wonderful house you love and can see yourself living in. Then, there's the other side to that coin. Finding that house is not nearly as easy as it appears on HGTV!

We visited about ten homes before we found ours, minus the daily and extensive house-hunting online. Once we decided that this house was the one for us, we stressed and prayed over whether we should put in an offer, and what our price ceiling would be. We decided to go for it and were delighted when we got the counter-offer we were hoping for. The house was ours about a month later.

All in all, it took us about four months to find a house. Our experience may not be the same as other people's, but I want to emphasize how important it is to wait for the right house. Toward the end of our house-hunt, we swore we'd never find the right place and would have to settle on a house we were only lukewarm about, or spend another year in limbo in our apartment. But in the end, the wait paid off. This may sound silly, but I truly believe it: finding a house is like dating; you have to be patient and wait for the right one, even if it takes longer than you thought.

Enough of my soapbox. Here's a little taste of our new place. The inside won't be photo-shoot ready for a while, but we're getting there. Enjoy!

Hiatus

I'm back and blogging again. I decided to take a hiatus because I began to view blogging more as an obligation rather than as a fun way to share what's going on in my life. But I'm back, and here are some things that are on my mind as I close out 2010:

1. I'm totally in denial that Christmas break ends at the end of the week. Where have my two weeks gone? I relish having time off from a very stressful job; but the longer the break, the harder it is to go back to work. I'm beginning to miss my students, though, but I don't miss grading their papers.

2. Speaking of Christmas break, the time off has allowed me to start watching Veronica Mars. I was experiencing Dexter withdrawals after the season ended a few weeks ago, but now I have a new TV obsession.

3. Our three-year anniversary is today. We were planning on spending tonight downtown, but thanks to the Alamo Bowl practically every hotel on the river is booked. So, we're going to pretend that our anniversary is tomorrow and stay downtown on Thursday. It kind of makes me sad to think that we're officially out of the newlywed stage, but then I think about all of the wonderful blessings that come with many years of marriage and intimacy. I know it'll get even better.

What's On My Mind

1. I finished my first book of the summer, John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven. Not what I expected when I first picked it up, but a nuanced and thought-provoking read about the intersections of faith and violence. Book review pending.

2. Brendan and I leave for our Alaskan cruise in ten days. I'm excited to get out of town and have an adventure in a state I've never been to, and poor Brendan's just happy to have 1.5 weeks off work and a break from iPhone 4 madness.

3. All this summer free time has forced me to get creative in order to stave off boredom, so I've gotten into [read: obsessed with] the series Dexter. We have instant streaming with Netflix, making it way too easy to watch several episodes without realizing how long you've been staring at the TV. Although, I think I may have been watching a little too much lately: I think the main character was in my dream the other night.

4. We went to Schlitterbahn last Monday, which was super fun, but got dreadfully sunburned. As in, so sunburned that it hurts to sleep on your back or your side. Owch. Brendan got it worse than I did since I was more diligent with the sunscreen (but obviously not much more). I'm feeling much better now, but I have learned my lesson: re-apply!

5. This past weekend, we went to the Metroplex for wedding double-duty: my college friend (and fellow Fat Tuesday-er) Carolyn got married, and cousin Brittany had her bridal shower. It was a whirlwind weekend -- we left Saturday morning and returned Sunday night -- but I had such a wonderful time. It felt so good to be around some of my closest friends; some people just get you deep down. Those kinds of relationships are what make life worth living.

MIA

I'm here, alive, and still blogging.

My dearth of updates can be blamed on the fact that SCHOOL IS OVER IN TWO WEEKS! I'm unbelievably glad that my first year of teaching is over, and that I'll never have one again. It's been a year of joys, tears, and learning experiences, but I survived and still want to come back in the fall; I count that as a little victory. Bring it on, second year.

So, here are my tentative plans for summer: sleep in, pleasure read, cousin's wedding, Alaska trip with Brendan. More to come as the school year winds down and summer arrives...

Vegas Fun

Our Vegas trip was fun, but quick! We arrived Tuesday morning and left on Friday, which was just enough time to enjoy the city.

We stayed at the Belagio, which was gorgeous. I seriously could have lived in our hotel room. The one thing I never knew about visiting Vegas is that you walk and walk and walk, since visiting the other casinos on the Strip is half the fun. Thankfully, our hotel was centrally located (and fabulous). As far as gambling, I won a few dollars on the penny slots (I know, high roller!), only to lose it again. No worries, though; it's all part of the fun.

Outside the hotel

Inside the lobby
So cute, although I kind of felt like an ant.

As I mentioned in my last post, Vegas shows that aren't burlesque or washed-up oldies singer are hard to come by, but luckily we found ones that fall into neither category. We saw Jersey Boys and Cirque du Soleil: O, which were both fantastic. Jersey Boys told the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and I think we were the youngest patrons in the audience by about forty years. But, hey, the show won the Tony for best musical, so we're not losers! Or at least that's what I said to make myself feel better. Also, Cirque du Soleil: O was fascinating. The show is like a modern-day circus, with acrobats and tight-rope walking, but it was performed partly underwater with a retractable stage that allowed the actors to walk in ankle-deep water, or dive from heights of sixty-plus feet.

Speaking of burlesque shows... I was telling a friend about my trip to Vegas and lamenting the lack of non-naughty shows. He replied, "Oh, come on, everyone has to see a Vegas burlesque show at least once! You're so far away from the stage, you can't really see anything." Hmmm. I think he'll have to convince me of that one.

Partying Vegas-style

Enjoying our "gondola" ride inside the Venetian

Eating on the patio at Olive's

I had a wonderful time on the trip and look forward to going back. Vegas, you saucy minx, I hope to see you again soon.

Vegas

Spring Break is finally here, and boy do I need it! Brendan and I are making the most of it this year by heading to Vegas. We fly out on Tuesday and get back on Friday, which is just enough time to enjoy the city without blowing all our money (just kidding!). We don't have a super-detailed itinerary, since neither of us have been before, but here's what's on the agenda:

We're staying here

The Bellagio

We're seeing these shows

Part of the show is underwater, and I've heard great things about it. But what I really want to know is, will there be a splash zone?

and

Jersey Boys is a broadway musical, and if you know anything about me, you know that I love musicals. The funny thing about Vegas shows is that they typically fall into two categories: washed-up oldies singers and burlesque. Happily, we found two shows that fall into neither category.

Finally, we're spending the weekend with this little doll for her first (!) birthday. She's such a joy, and I hate to admit that we spent an obscene amount on her birthday presents. But your niece only turns one once, right?

Hello Again, Abilene!

We're heading to Abilene this weekend to attend Sing Song and to visit my cousin Brittany, who recently moved there. I'm really excited and am looking forward to seeing friends and family, visiting our old church, and spending time in a city that's close to my heart.

The trip back to Abilene will be bittersweet. We moved to San Antonio almost seven months ago, but it feels much longer; my life has changed so much since the move, and in many ways I feel like a different person. Living in San Antonio is great, though; I love my new job, being in a bigger city, and living close to family. However, a tiny piece of me will always miss Abilene because of those special college, grad school, and newlywed memories.

I miss those local, mom-and-pop places that big cities can't replicate, like McKay's and Cajun Cones. I miss spring-and-summertime walks with Brendan around the ACU jogging track. I miss my Highland family and a church who fit me perfectly. There were also a lot of reasons why I was ready to leave Abilene, but I sure do love the memories I made there and the people I left behind.

Number 27

Brendan turns 27 today! This morning he said he was finally beginning to feel old, but I kindly reminded him that I will always be two years younger than him.

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband!

I'm Alive

Yes, it's been way too long since I've updated, but I'm still here. So many things have happened in the last month that they deserve a brief re-cap. So, my friends, take in a few weeks in the life of Erin, in no particular order.

1. I'm teaching To Kill a Mockingbird, my favorite book ever. Joy.
2. Brendan and I visited the niece in Fort Worth, and I can't believe how fast she's growing up. While there, I was sexually harassed by a five-year-old when we visited the children's museum; as I bent over he declared, "I can see your bottom!" Lovely child.
3. We celebrated our two-year anniversary at a bed-and-breakfast that's on the land of my grandparents' old ranch in Blanco County. Even though they don't live there anymore, it was wonderful to show Brendan a piece of my childhood.
4. Spring Break destination = Vegas! I've never been, and the trip should be the perfect mini-vacation. I could invoke an abundance of Vegas cliches right about now, but I'll spare you. See, I bet you're thinking of them already.
5. I'm officially halfway through the school year, so I count that milestone as a little victory.

Two Years

Brendan and I celebrate two years of marriage today. Two years seems so short, but I feel as if we've always been married, always been together.

Our one-year anniversary couldn't come soon enough, and we looked forward to that first relationship milestone to celebrate our marriage. Now that year two is here, I don't have that "Yes! We made it!" feeling, but more of a warm contentedness and a desire to keep going. Instead of celebrating the event, I would rather rejoice in our relationship together.

Merry Christmas

Due to the inevitable chaos that ensues when one is a first-year teacher, unfortunately my Christmas cards will be tardy this year. But fear not; they will be in the mail very shortly. So, here's a little something to tide you over. Happy Christmas!

My Little Niece

Brendan and I spent Thanksgiving with his family in Sugar Land, and one of the trip's highlights was spending time with my little niece, Allison. She's eight months old, and every stage keeps getter more fun. Sure, she was cute when she was super tiny, but she didn't do very much, except sleep and stare at you. Now Allison is crawling and sitting up, which means she can finally play with toys! We already bought her Christmas presents, which was way too much fun.

Here are some highlights from our visit at Thanksgiving.

Giving the herkie. Perhaps she has a future in cheerleading.

Sweet, sleepy baby

How can you resists that face?!


Enjoying some playtime with Aunt Erin