Overwhelmed.

I'm feeling overwhelmed at the moment.

Because I have a lot to do before JOHNNY COMES HOME!!!!!

That's right friends, you heard correctly! We've made it through a year-long deployment in Iraq! There have been many necessary time-outs from life when it was all just too much to handle, a lot of ugly crying and a lot of randomness on this blog, but we made it. It wasn't anything that an extra large helping of God, a big dose of daily exercise and a few Xanax couldn't fix.

I am currently trying to get things in order and crossed off my to-do list. Lots of little things, the majority of which are not mandatory, just pleasant niceties...things like having fresh flowers around the house and stocking our fridge and pantry with some of his favorite things. I want our home to be as welcoming and clean as possible!

I am also a bit overwhelmed and frustrated with work. There are many specific points of contention but my main frustration is currently because I don't think I'm going to be able to take the time off from work that I wanted to take when Johnny returns home. My leave hours are minimal and my boss won't allow me to take time off without pay as I have done previously. It stresses me out because I feel like it is going to be crucial for Johnny and I to reconnect and get back into the swings of things as quickly as possible since we have been apart for so long. I know it will all work out and Johnny and I will be fine even if I have to work that first week, I am just eager to hang out with my best friend again...duh :)

I still have another week or two until he arrives...but we are so close I get goosebumps every time I think about seeing his face again. This will be the longest stretch of time we will have spent with each other since we were married a year and a half ago!!!

It will be such an overwhelming relief to know he is back on American soil and "safe." After a year of earnest prayers being lifted up for his safe return home, they soon will all be answered.

Shoe Crazy

I don't know what it is about Fall, but around this time every year I become shoe obsessed.

I need-I want-I must have-kind of crazy.

Over the past few years, I haven't bought many pairs of shoes....and there are a few reasons to blame.

1.) I'm super duper picky. I mean really picky. If the heel is slightly too wide or the toe too round, it will completely ruin it for me.

2.) I have a hard time spending an absurd amount of money on one thing. And comfortable shoes that are made to last are expensive.

3.) I usually have an image in my head of something I want and will spend years trying to find it. Am I weird or what?

4.) COMFORT. Why in heaven's name would any company produce shoes that weren't comfortable? I just don't get it.

5.) Not only am I picky, but now that I'm a married woman, my husband usually gives me his input and he is even pickier! He actually usually dislikes most of the shoes I crave....which will probably include the ones below :)

This year I am turning over a new leaf and I am going to actually purchase shoes this year instead of just drooling over the choices. It's been too long and it's time to refresh my current shoe selection, they are looking pretty worn down actually. Here are a handful from the hundreds of beauties that I've got my eye on this year...

And they comes in this bright sky blue too...love it.




I love the black ones for riding the motorcycle and the yellow ones to match my purse. I'm obsessed with this burnt mustard yellow color lately.



Boots with a wedge, what a novel idea!



Ankle boots or aka "Booties".
I didn't like them last year, but they've grown on me I think. These peep-toe boots work in Savannah during the winter, but I don't think they'd be that practical if we lived in NY.


How killer would these look with a black skirt? Every outfit needs a pop of color...why not do it with your shoes?!

sources include: bakersshoes.com, ninewest.com, endless.com

Labor Day Weekend

Yes, it was alive and I only did it for Johnny. And that is a fact!

I spent this past weekend at my parents' home in Melbourne, FL. I am so lucky to have them within driving distance so I can get away for the weekend now and then. I know my parents probably never thought they would see their adult married daughter as much as they have this past year! They have been my main source of company and entertainment over the course of this deployment :)

This weekend however was different from most weekends; I was not able to be an "only child" as I normally am when I visit them since it is rare for any of my four sisters to be there on the weekends. My younger sister and her new boyfriend were also in town. So in an effort to entertain the new boyfriend, we set out for an Air Boat ride to search for swamp creatures.

My lil' sis and I modeling what kind of "swamp creatures" to be on the look-out for.

All five of us sat on the front row of the boat and donned lovely large, black headphones that I am sure had not been cleaned in between head usage. The headphones luckily (note heavy sarcasm) came with a microphone which we were told to place snuggly (not a word, but you know what I mean!) under our bottom lip. At one point during the ride, my tongue accidentally grazed the germ-infested microphone and I could have THROWN UP. If Clorox was safe to drink, I probably would've chugged some.

One of the many beautiful scenes we saw on our ride. The water was so smooth that I couldn't tell where the trees ended and where the water began. It was crazy to look at, yet so peaceful.

We didn't see too many "swamp creatures" since it was really too hot for the gators to be frolicking on the surface, but the scenery was beautiful and it was a fun experience to ride on an air boat.

As I said my goodbyes on Monday, it made me happy to think that the next time I'll be at my parent's house will probably be with my Johnny :)

Carb Overload

And this is coming from someone who LOVES carbs. I could literally have a baked potato, garlic mashed potatoes, french fries, a freshly baked yeast roll and pasta on the same plate and be completely happy. I would also go into a carb-induced coma , but I would enjoy every second of that delicious food before hand.



However, this new Bread Bowl Pasta from Domino's totally grosses me out for some reason. Have you tried it yet? Is it any good? If you could see my face right now, it would be a face of disgust and dismay. I actually just tried to take a picture of my face with my phone, but it wasn't very cute, so I'm not posting it here. Just use your imagination.

I am really interested to find out if someone has tried this yet or not...so if you have, PLEASE leave me a comment and tell me how it was!!

Food Network Magazine

Did you know that Food Network now has their very own magazine? Were you as skeptical about it as I was when you first saw ads for it? Were you also pleasantly surprised when you checked it out and then couldn't put it down because it was AWESOME?!

If you are looking for a great cooking magazine with tips, recipes for both the beginner and advanced at-home chef and gadgets galore, then grab this magazine the next time you see it. It is an easy read and you'll feel like you are cooking with friends with the faces of all the Food Network chefs across the pages. I don't think you'll be disappointed!