Happy Fall Y'all!

As promised, here are my attempts at craftiness/creativity :)

It's a Hoot!

These owl items have been in my Etsy favorites for a while :) I know I have no babies yet but all of you out there who do might enjoy a few of these :)

Owl Trivet by Etsy shop tartLA
(Love cast iron trivets! This would have been perfect in my kitchen but it's already been sold...and my kitchen may be in owl overload right now :)

Baby Quilt by Etsy shop TheTrunkShow

Mobile by Etsy shop CarrotFever

Cake Toppers by Etsy shop Claylicious
(I SO wish I had known about Etsy before our wedding!)

Newborn Hat by Etsy shop Prolesik
(I need to start stocking up on these things that I love for the future :)

ps...In an attempt to be more crafty (partially inspired by those who hand make so many lovely things on Etsy) I will be making Thanksgiving cards this year (or trying at least)! Not too many, just a few for family but I'll post an update with my progress soon (if they turn out well, of course).

It's official! Well, almost...

It's official, our short sale offer has been approved! And so we take the next step in this ambiguous journey of first time home buying. We are excited and thankful to be moving along in the process, as well as a little overwhelmed. Okay, a lot overwhelmed. We had our inspection on Friday which revealed a bum garage door, an uncooperative air conditioner and various electrical issues that need to be addressed. Add those to the list of several other improvements needed in the house and it looks as though our bank account will be dwindling rather swiftly. We are, however, looking forward to making it our own. The dogs are looking forward to more space and their own backyard, I'm looking forward to front and back porch swings and Corey is looking forward to free reign of the bonus room. There are still many, many forms to sign, as well as a very big check to be written, before we get the keys to our new abode, so in the meantime we researching our home improvement options and trying to save as much as we can (although, I seem to find this particularly difficult when thinking of decorating a new home :). When the time comes for us to leave our cozy apartment it will certainly be a bittersweet change (especially since I'm not greatly fond of change) but an exciting new chapter as well as new opportunities in this California journey.

House Hunting

Corey and I have been looking for a place to call home for several months now. We've seen well over 75 homes and even put in a few offers. Currently, we have an offer on a short sale, single story house with 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and a bonus room. It also has a yard (and by yard I mean we could use a push mower to cut the grass in 5 minutes, maybe even some sharp scissors) which has become pretty important to us, yet seems to be increasingly hard to find. Having never house hunted before we have learned an awful lot about the process, way more than I care to bore you with here though :) I will tell you that as we look at house after house we have nailed down "must haves" and what we're willing to work with. All in all, we would like a backyard, an open floor plan, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, good curb appeal and of course, location, location, location! There are a few things I have learned we will NOT be finding in a home out here. First, a welcoming front porch :( Second, a garage that does not face the street. And finally, space (by space I mean not being able touch your home and your neighbors' at the same time). At least we won't find those things in our price range in our ideal location. Once I overcame my emotional connections to owning a home with these southern charms I was able to see the forest through the trees. Kind of. Okay, maybe I'm still pretty sad that our first home will not be a southern beauty with a fantastic front porch, blankets of green grass and a "side" garage, but I'm trying. Putting in an offer on your first home, really any home, is a HUGE step; one that immediately brings with it a sense of "holy moly, what did we just do!?!". I wouldn't say I have been overly anxious to find a home but it has been, for lack of a better term, a roller coaster of emotions. It seems to forebode a sense of finality which is one thing, I think, that frightens me. I know people buy and sell homes all the time (or at least they used to) and I shouldn't feel a sense of permanence, but the truth is, I do. It is also a bit disheartening to know what our money in California would buy in the South. Never the less, we have been hunting away and I know that whatever house the Lord blesses us with in His time will not take long to become home and we are excited to build it together (well, not literally "build it" but you get the picture:).

The house we have an offer on right now :)

Southern Comfort

When Corey and I headed back to the South for two weeks at the end of July we made a "must" list to complete while we were there. I must confess, I'm pretty sure all our "musts" involved food. While we are enjoying all that California cuisine has to offer, we desperately miss several eateries! I know the quality of these aren't the greatest as they were taken on various phones but you get the picture :)

I have no picture of the actual food, I guess we were too wrapped up in eating :)

There's simply NO ice cream that can touch Blue Bell! Every bite of every flavor is delightful!

I know, this is dreadful, but in my defense I was stuffed in the back of a Suburban full of fussy, hungry children when I remembered that I needed a pic...this visit was for the fries, I can't really describe them :)

Enough said!

Yes, that is fried okra! I LOVE Cracker Barrel! Especially the country store :)

They used to make the chocolate chip cookie dough with some sort of maple ice cream. I don't why they stopped but it just isn't the same :(

I forget to get a pic of the food here too :( Great sliders and even better shakes!

This is from the Wolf Bay Lodge sea food restaurant in Perdidio Beach, AL where my grandfather lives :) I LOVE fried crab claws and they are kinda hard to find.

This isn't my favorite but Corey insisted that it be on the list :)

Not pictured? DUNKIN DONUTS!!! Come to CA Dunkin! We also had Jim 'N Nick's on the list but were unable to fit it in unfortunately :(

I know these aren't the healthiest option, but when in the South...

Jasper

Jasper is our family's newest addition. He looks old in this picture because of the editing, but in reality, he is about three. Jasper came into our lives about this time two years ago. Two days before Corey and I were to set out on our little California Adventure we saw this guy trotting along on the side of the road in Stockbridge, GA. I, of course, couldn't leave him there. Going back, we were able lure him to us with a little food and discovered a deep wound on his left shoulder. We took him to Corey's parent's house (my parents were out of town) where I attempted to clean the wound and figure out what to do with him. Corey and I were about to begin a very long trip across the country with little in our pockets, one big dog already packed into a tiny space in the back seat of his truck and unsure of our future...we simply couldn't take him with us. I proceeded to call shelters and rescue organizations for the next two days with the help of my mom and some of her contacts. Meanwhile, I pretty much fell in love. He would simply sit with his head in my lap, begging for affection with his sweet, brown eyes.

It turns out that summer was a pretty busy one in the south, as far as animal rescue goes. Too many people, unable to take care of their pets in a failing economy, would put them out or leave them for someone else to care for. Most shelters and rescue organizations were too full to take him and some wouldn't because of his injury. I refused to take him to a place that would put him down. We decided he might have a better chance of a good life in a different state. So, headed out of town, I left him at my parents vet, gave him the name Jasper and said goodbye. My aunt picked him up on her way to North Carolina where she found a woman from her church to foster him for a while, eventually finding him a home with a family out in the country, where he has been ever since.

In June, my mom called me with news of Jasper. His family was moving and had to give him up, did we want him? Having been toying with the thought of getting a second dog, I agreed in a heartbeat. However, the decision wasn't just up to me. I called Corey for his thoughts. He thought it pretty strange that I had never stopped thinking about this dog and all of the sudden he needed a home. Without hesitation, my wonderful husband said yes ;) He didn't come without a price though, which actually turned out to be a little more than we imagined. He needed his annual shots, had to be neutered, and of course, we had to get him to California. I won't tell you what it added up to but I will tell you that it has been totally worth it. Our little guy is finally home.

ps...If you didn't know, we rescued Peyton as a stray from The Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia, MS (a week long event that my extended family attends every summer) three months after we got married. So far, my family has rescued seven dogs from the Fair, three from this summer alone. Me and Corey, my mom, my aunt and my cousin have all kept one. We are in the process of finding loving homes for the others. Due to lack of spaying and neutering, pet neglect and people not preferring dogs out of the "puppy stage", there is a growing number of stray and "put out" dogs across the south. It is a sad reality that many don't know or care about.

Peyton and Jasper have become fast friends, playing all the time. And his wound is completely healed.

Well, it definitely lived up to it's name...

Corey and I celebrated our 3 year Anniversary on May 10th! We didn't do much the day of because we planned on a trip to Las Vegas the next weekend. Corey's parents take a big trip every other year and this year they planned to go to Vegas. They asked if Corey and I, as well as his brother and his brother's girlfriend would like to join them. Being only slightly less than an three hour drive from Vegas, we definitely obliged. I can't say that I was overly thrilled to be going to Vegas for our Anniversary but I knew it would be good to spend time with Corey's parents and his brother (who I have only really seen twice).

At one time I thought Vegas would be fun to experience. Then we did. I can't say that I desire to ever return. I can definitely attest to it's nickname "Sin City". I won't go into detail but that city is literally crawling with temptation and sin, which everyone walks around freely accepting. At times, I was seriously disgusted and heartbroken at the state of this world. There were somewhat redeemable aspects to the city...the incredible architecture and themes of the casinos and resorts, good shows and the fact that the pawn shop from the hit show "Pawn Stars" is located there :) Other than my utter shock (even though I had been warned) to the blatant sin, the clouds of cigarette smoke in the casinos (or walking by them), the "pleasure pit" (I'll let you figure that one out) which Corey and I unfortunately stumbled upon and the multitudes of people, I did enjoy our visit with Corey's family. We were able to do some pretty incredible things with them, including a tour to the Grand Canyon (with a short helicopter ride inside :), the Hoover Dam and the Mojave Dessert (the only place that Joshua Trees grow ;). We were also able to enjoy some great food and get our first (and last) go around with slot machines. Here are some pictures from our short trip...

The Colorado River that flows into Lake Mead (the largest man made lake in the world, or may be the 2nd largest...I'm not very good with tour facts) is very low...I can't remember exactly by how much, but as you can see, it's pretty low.

The Hoover Dam...if you look really close you can see people and cars at the top. You can also see some tractor trailer truck on top of that HUGE bridge in the back.

Oh Corey ;)

Driving through the Mojave Dessert to get to the Grand Canyon (this is taken through the bus window, so it's not super clear).

We arrived at the Grand Canyon Ranch (I'm not exactly sure how to describe it..."odd" doesn't seem sufficient) where they took us to the Helicopter pads in a horse drawn wagon. This ranch is one of the first established in this region with the original cabin still there (again, I don't know the exact date or details ;).

I wouldn't put these helicopters in the same category as those from the Bachelor...they were a bit more rickity :) It was truly amazing to experience the Grand Canyon from that vantage point though. It's really hard to imagine not believing in God period, but especially after seeing it.

I know it seems like it should be bigger, but to give you some perspective, there is a white dot on the river that is actually a boat dock with boats, a building and helicopters landing around it.

We saw this show our first night in Vegas...it was supposed to be similar to Cirque De Sole. It was impressive, but a little strange. Let's just say it started out with the image of a baby talking in a large hanging globe and somewhere along the way a very large plastic barbie came out of the ceiling...

The view from our room on the 54th floor of the Planet Hollywood Towers. I won't lie, our room was pretty suite ;)

A few other things not pictured...
~Our visit to the Pawn Shop, which was actually very small and overpriced :(
~ The awesome Brits on our tour that entertained my talk of the Royal Wedding ;)
~Phantom of the Opera! I went with Jeremy and Lindy to see Phantom, which was SO good (we weren't allowed to take pictures inside), while Corey and his parents saw the ultimate Variety show. I hear Corey went on stage for a portion of it...a mask was involved, but I'm still not clear on what actually happened :)
~All of our incredible meals, including Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan where Corey and I discovered Bailey's Oreo Milkshakes!
~And finally, Corey's dad almost choking to death at the Billagio Buffet...he's fine now, but for a few seconds there we were sincerely panicking ;)

My advice for future Vegas visits? Don't. Okay, but if I had to go back? I would hang by the pool, order room service and maybe venture out to a few shows.