Finally!

I have been wanting a new couch for at least 8 years. Dale and I would look for one, from time to time, but we could never find one that we could both afford and agree on. We would go to Louis Shanks and drool over their amazing couches, knowing that we did not have enough in the budget to buy anything there. Honestly, you could put me into that store with a blindfold on and I assure you that I would still find a couch that I loved. Dale and I both loved almost everything in that store. We just did not have the $3,000-$5,000 to drop.

Once or twice, we went into a few of the stores that allowed you to make payments on your furniture. We never could really agree on a couch at these places and neither of us wanted to make payments.

So, consider my surprise when we both fell in love with a couch that we found at Costco of all places.


Friggen' Costco!

Here it is:

Our new leather couch in a deep espresso. It's streamlined yet comfortable. It has cushion without being overstuffed.

Here is Dale enjoying the couch:

As I type this, I am sitting on the new couch taking in the lovely new leather smell. Mmmmmmm...

Do you think I posed for this picture?

If you guessed "yes", give yourself a pat on the back because you are correct.

Where is the old couch? We put it in the big room. I bought some cute new throw pillows for it to make it more attractive.
It's funny, when I bought the throw pillows you see in the above pictures, I bought them for the old couch even though I knew they did not exactly go with it. They almost did, but they were a little off. Deep down, I knew that, secretly, I bought them for the couch I wanted. I wanted a couch that would look good with those pillows even though I did not know what kind of couch that would be. I guess I am psychic when it comes to interior design.

Once, without ever seeing it, I told Colin that I bet he had a plaid couch. I remember giving him a rather detailed description about it. To Colin's surprise, I was right on target. That's a true story, friend.

-Psychic Couch Lady

Sucker

I absolutely love me some TJ Maxx. I have found many a treasure in the housewares section of this discount mecca. Usually, you can get a pretty good deal on whatever it is you are buying. Notice how I said "usually." Take a look at my most recent TJ Maxx purchase:

Yeah.....I paid $10.00 per bottle. It's friggen' dog shampoo and conditioner and I spent $20.00 plus tax. What is wrong with me? This is from a person who used to only buy the dollar bottle of suave for myself! I am a person that re-uses plastic ziploc baggies and I spent $20.00 on doggie hair care product!

I am a fan of Bed Head products and a SUCKER for advertising. Once I read that it's "only for cool dogs" I was sold. Well, the bone shaped cap didn't hurt either.

My dogs are pretty cool:



In other news:
*You would have to pay me and probably drug me to get me to go see the new movie Valentine's Day. The previews alone make me want to punch somebody in the face. Chick flicks....yuck.

*I really want to see Alice in Wonderland but who doesn't, right? Must wait until March (my birthday month...hmmm, I smell an Alice In Wonderland themed birthday party)

*The next movie I will most likely see is It Might Get Loud- a documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three rock legends (Jack White, Jimmy Page, and The Edge).

*The last move I watched was Jennifer's Body starring Megen Fox. Dale and I decided that she looks like our good friend Kristi. Pretty girl. Shitty movie.

That is all. I love you and hope you are feeling so fresh and so clean.

Mail From a Crazy Amy

Amy and I (a.k.a. "crazy Amy") have been pen pals since forever. We started writing notes back and forth in junior high on single sheets of notebook paper, decorated with stickers and folded just so. We eventually graduated to a spiral notebook that we would use to write funny notes, poems, and anecdotes and draw even funnier pictures. The notebook would be passed back-and-forth in between class periods. It is a miracle that one of our notebooks never got taken up by a teacher. I say "one of" because we ended up filling about four or five of those babies (I think...maybe more). Once we graduated, Amy moved away to go to college. We began writing each other and sending our letters via snail mail. It has been fifteen (yikes!) years since high school graduation and we have continued to write each other throughout all of them.
We rarely e-mail each other and hardly send messages through facebook. Something about the technology mucks up the idea. We enjoy the idea of actually putting pen (or pencil, or crayola, or marker) to paper and writing a letter. We like knowing that the letter traveled from one city to the other and that it sometimes bears odd smudges and tears in the paper envelope to prove it. We know that it brings happiness to the other when she sorts through the bills and Valpak coupons and finds a letter in the stack of the typically mundane. I should say that it is not always a "letter" one sends. She or I may send a postcard, some coasters from a pub, or a picture from the past. Gotta love surprises.

A few days ago, I got a fresh piece of mail from Amy. Here are pictures of the front and back of the envelope. (I blurred out the addresses and last names)


Why yes, those are Christmas stickers you see. No, this is not a Christmas card from Amy. I already got that about a month ago when it was actually Christmas time.

Take a closer look at that picture on the address label:

That is a caricature of Amy and her Husband. They like to travel. Very cute.

Want to see what was inside?
Two things.
This:

Front


Back

and this lovely picture of Will, Amy's husband:

I love his hair stylz. Looking young, fly, and flashy!

Totally random, right? It made me laugh so hard. Will's picture is now on my fridge.

All Growed Up

Technically, we reach adulthood at the age of eighteen. Even though I was out of the house and on my own by nineteen, I don't think I felt like an adult during that time of my life. In fact, I am just now starting to feel like a grown up.
There are certain actions and accomplishments that have helped me realize that I have grown into a more mature me. My most obvious adult-like accomplishments would be things like home ownership, having a little money put away for retirement, and voting.

Having more and more hangover free weekends, a complete set of matching bedding (with decorative pillows and everything), and becoming a godmother (twice) are some examples of the not-so-obvious reasons that make me feel like an adult.

The most recent not-so-obvious thing that I have done which made me feel like a grown-up was purchasing pajamas and a matching robe.

Seriously.


I even have matching slippers!!!

This morning, I was in the kitchen making coffee. Of course, I had on the ensemble you see pictured above. I caught a glimpse of myself in the hazy reflection of a window and I thought, "wow, look at you all growed-up."

A few days ago, I might have been making coffee in one of Dale's long sleeved t-shirts, a pair of socks, and my heavy gray bathrobe. Not anymore, sister. My sleepwear is coordinated.


Plus, it's so comfortable. Nice and soft.


Cooper enjoys the robe.

I recommend that you treat yourself to a new set of jammies...uh, erm, I mean pajamas. Go ahead and get a nice robe and some slippers to go with them. Go on...you deserve it.

Ants on the Pound

Hello friend! Good to see you! Pull up a chair and pour yourself a drink. I have plenty to share with you on this fine Thursday afternoon.
I'm not sure when it is that you are actually reading this, but I am writing it on a Thursday.....afternoon.
Where to start, where to start?
I know, how about:

CHRISTMAS CARDS
I only sent out 3 this year - thanks, back pain. Yes, I did write them while on pain medication. You could probably determine that by the rambling greetings I wrote. I must say that I drew some fine pictures in each of the three cards. I don't draw nearly as much as I used too. I'm not phenomenal at it but I don't suck at it either. Miss Bee blogged about the Christmas card I sent her here. I am so happy that she took a picture of the card. See, I drew a special picture for her, her bo-hunk, and her dog. Here it is:

Bird, Bee, Blossom.

Here is a picture of the card that I sent to Josh and Tirzah. I saw it up on their refrigerator when we visited their house on NYE. I could not resist taking a picture as I was proud of the grinch that I drew. He is not exactly the correct shade of green but I worked with what I had.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch

Amy and Will got the third card. I do not have a picture but imagine an evil elf because I think that is what I drew.

We celebrated Dale's 33rd birthday on the same night that we watched the 2010 college football national championship.

The cake was the yummy.
The game was not.


Here he sits with Blossom on his lap.

Why yes, she is wearing her UT cheerleader outfit.

Oh look!

Cooper looks buff.

This picture makes me laugh:

Charlie is all wrapped up in a towel. He just had a bath and I was drying him off. I was so not pretending that he was a human child to somehow satisfy the primal need a woman has to produce offspring. Why would you even think that?

Last weekend, our pal Ahad stopped by and gave Dale a traditional Pakistani outfit. Google tells me that the shirt is a "kameez" and I think the pants are called "salwars."

Dale says the outfit is very comfortable. I totally want to make that kameez into a dress.


Another cool photo courtesy of Tirzah.

In Other News:
*I saw Avatar. I think I will post about that over the weekend. All in all, I do recommend that you see it in 3D at the Imax.

*If you are not watching Community and Modern Family then you are missing out. I tried to watch Glee but it started getting on my nerves. I completely stopped watching it after they took a Queen song and murdered it.

*I am tired of Pants on the Ground. Just stop it already! ENOUGH! I don't even watch stupid American Idol yet even I know that damn song by heart.

See you later, alligator.

NYE Wrap Up

I have always been a sucker for sparklers. Maybe it's because they are just about the only thing you can buy at a fireworks stand that I am not afraid of.

Plus, they make pictures much more interesting.

By the way, you notice that Reyna now has bangs? Just when you thought a girl could not get any prettier, she does.

And then there was Josh.


I should mention that Tirzah took all of these sparkler pictures. Thanks, Tirzah!

Oh my gosh! As I am typing this my dog, Cooper, is standing by the bed whining. I don't know what he wants and he won't shut up! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I can't think! That high pitched noise has burrowed into my brain! I wish I had one of those dog collars, featured in the movie UP, that allows dogs to speak English.
I totally cried during that movie. I cried and I hugged Dale. Ok, what really happened was that I cried and curled up in Dale's lap. I hugged is neck as he rubbed my back and gently laughed at me while telling me that everything was ok.
Such a baby.

Back to the sparklers:

We Three Witches. (Misty and Mandi showed up just after midnight. they had to have their NYE kiss in the car, on the way to Josh's. It does not matter where you are when you get that kiss, only whom you are with).

Why oh why didn't we spell out 2009?

Still pretty cool.

Juan,lit up, lights it up.

I actually had his permission to post his image on my blog this time.

You've heard of Bob the Builder.

Meet Josh the Welder.

Two things to notice in this picture:

1. Reyna's heels have sunk into the ground. The next day, we noticed several little "heel holes" in the yard. Josh and Tirzah were happy to have the yard aerated.
2. Cool sparkler spark.

Jazz Hand:



Snow leopard

Yes, those are my boots. Yes, I know they are...um...unique. Yes, I did take to the couch. That is what happens when you have not had any alcohol in a long time and you break your sobriety streak by having 4 glasses of wine.

Finally! The NYE posts are done!

Midnight and Then Some

Juan kept track of time as the minutes passed bringing 2009 closer and closer to an end.



10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Actually, this was taken some time after the official NYE bottle of champagne was opened. I tried to get a picture of Josh opening the champagne with the cork-a-flying, but I failed. Thankfully, we burned through the first bottle of champagne and Josh opened the second bottle. Tirzah was behind the lens and caught the action. This is my favorite photo of the night.


A champagne toast. The older I get, the more I find that I enjoy champagne. When I was younger, I would throw back the tiny bit during a NYE or Wedding toast but never asked for more. Now, I find myself getting a refill and savoring the flavor. In fact, I would love a mimosa right now. I still want to have a mimosa party this spring. Imagine a big breakfast, served outdoors, where the gals wear hats and dresses and the boys wear whatever. We can all drink mimosas and eat mini quiche. I think we should do it on March 20th (the first day of spring and the month of my birthday) and I think Larry and Rachel's back yard would be the perfect place. It needs a catchy name.....hmm....you think about it and get back to me, mmmmmkay?

The Kisses:






I don't remember what Dale did to make me laugh.

A special greeting for Juan:

Actually, I simply just wanted to click our glasses together but Juan had to throw in the bird. I am not one to receive without giving so I returned the favor.

Gotta go. You have yourself a good day and try to stay warm.
Kiss kiss.

NYE 2010

The NYE happening was at Josh and Tirzah's this year.
This is their back yard. It's huge! You can't even see all of it in this pic. That is the garage there in the background, not the house.

Love those lights. Tirzah took this one. I don't even know how to do that......making the light so soft and what not. She is talented.

The food

We had two different kinds of stuffed jalapeños,chicken wings, fajitas, and potatoes.
Tirzah's photo.

Here stands Josh in his lemon meringue kitchen:

Hi Josh!

Here is Tirzah testing the chicken:

Sup Tirzah!

Mmmmmm, peppers for the fajitas:

Tirzah took this one as well.

Dale in the basement, thinking about the government:

Actually, it's the living room.

More photos to come

In Other News:
I am enjoying a glass of wine and some chocolate. It's been a while since I have had wine. Not so long since I have had chocolate (Sunday).
VERY GOOD!

Saw a floor length skirt, at the thrift store, that was made of silk and cashmere. In my opinion, this blend belongs in a sweater and never a skirt.That's just my opinion.

I found several items of clothing that I never wore when I recently cleaned out my closet. I wore one of those items today. How it fit me I will never know. I feel like a balloon.

That is all.
Pretty boring, yes?