Bless Your Heart

Scene at my house the other night: J and I are about to go to bed for the night. He’s already in bed with covers pulled up to his neck. Just as I’m about to get into bed J asks me to get this lady bug that was crawling on the wall. Well, I don’t have to tell you that those little guys are tough to catch with their slick shells and little legs. So in the struggle, the ladybug falls behind the bed. J looks at me and says “Nice going. Now if that thing crawls into my ear tonight while I’m sleeping and dies, it’s on you.”

When Jenny posted her pictures of her home the other day I realized that even though there are quite a few of us who keep in touch with each other so often through our blogs we’ll probably never be in each other’s homes. And aren’t you ever curious about each other’s surroundings? I’d love to see pictures of your homes, and I’d be willing to post mine. We’d certainly be able to share some decorating tips, that’s for sure. What do you think?

In other news, I ordered a pair of earrings from Hovey @ Crystal Charm and they came in on Friday (they’re the first ones under the what’s new category). I just love them. Her things are so delicate and pretty. Go check her out if you haven’t yet!

Lots to catch up on. Friday I literally spent just about the whole day in one salon or another. Hair, manicure, pedicure, hair again because I looked too much like Marie Osmond when I left the first time. We dropped Nelson off the kennel, met up with my Mom, Hale & Morgan, then hit the road.

My cousin Stephanie was married at 1pm in a beautiful ceremony. She looked like an angel. Her poor groom, Michael, was so nervous that they thought he was going to pass out when she started down the aisle.

The reception was at a gorgeous country club in the middle of horse country. Disco Stew didn’t stay long as there wasn’t an open bar, so drama was kept to a minimum. My aunt kept trying to act as family counselor so I had to tell her to back off, but that was the only tense moment. It was fun to visit with my relatives, especially the older ones. And everyone I got to see my littlest cousin dance, which is always fun.

After the wedding, on the way home we stopped in a tiny town off the highway to meet my other Grandmother for dinner at a favorite childhood restaurant, Shealy’s Bar-b-que House. J loved it. Everyone did, but I just love it that he likes good ol Southern cooking so much. We played the lottery (we don’t have it in my state) and we won $5 on a scratch ticket, then got home in time for the 9pm Trading Spaces.

Sunday we looked at more houses. Turns out the pool house has some water damage and was too small for the price, but J & I are debating a couple of houses we saw and liked yesterday. Hopefully people will start looking at ours this weekend. A guy J works with listed his house Thursday and it sold yesterday! I wish we could have that kind of luck!

When will we become independently wealthy so I can begin living my life of leisure? I had to take today off work to put the finishing touches on the house. See how work keeps interfering with my life? :) Hopefully people will want to see the house this weekend while Nelson’s being boarded and we’re out of town. Tomorrow I’m getting my hair and nails done, we’re dropping Nelson off at Posh Pets, the kennel, and we’re hitting the road.

My cousin Stephanie is getting married Saturday in a little town a couple of hours away. This wedding should be interesting since my father will be there. Jerry Springer like drama is sure to ensue. We haven’t seen or talked to him in 3 years, since my last cousin’s wedding, but before mine & my sisters’. You know you’re up for some drama when the bride emails you with “Oh, and Insert Father’s Name will be there, but he’ll be with his girlfriend, so she should be able to keep him under control!” Great. My father, or Big Loser as we like to call him, is like the quintessential used car/insurance salesman. It’s a wonder I’m even related to him at all. Let me paint a picture of what he was like the last time I saw him. At a wedding mind you. He’s a gold chain, deck shoe no socks wearing guy who keeps his short sleeve dress shirts unbuttoned too low so you can get a peek at his oh so sexy hairy chest that sits just above his beer belly that hangs over the waistband of his too tight Dockers. Now add a cig in one hand, beer in the other (although he claims to have quit both vices), big Charlie Brown sized bald head that still shows the scars of a hair plug operation gone bad. As Marc, my brother in law, said once “He looks like someone hit him in the head with a golf shoe!” Pray for me people.

for all of your well wishes! We really appreciate it! =)

Whew- a lot went on yesterday. Ok, first we found a house (!!!) that we really like. Now I’m afraid to jinx it, so I don’t want to talk about it too much here, but we’re going to see it again on Thursday. Before we even went inside J said to me that that was it. That he was ready to make an offer! We felt like the House Hunters people who barely see a place before writing an offer. But we just knew it. It fits all of our criteria and even has a couple of bonus features: a screened in porch, a nice deck, and a pool! Cross your fingers for us!

After we saw the house we came home and listed ours. We went through all the paperwork, our realtor took pictures and then put the sign out. We’re so nervous now. Showings start this weekend. I just hope people like it as much as we do. It’s such a cute house! If anyone out there is interested in a charming 3 bedroom brick ranch with pond let me know! :)

After Frank the realtor left we exchanged presents. J was really excited about his. These may seem weird to the casual reader, but it’s sentimental to him. I found him vintage Minnesota Twins & Hamm’s beer promotional napkins and framed them for his “man room” in the new house . And I also found a vintage Minnesota Twins pennant that I also framed. . He’s a lifelong Twins fan and Hamm’s was a brewery he remembered from living in Minnesota. The theme was cotton, so I came as close as I could. I knew he’d like this stuff more than a bunch of socks or something! I also got him the first season of Dave Attell’s Insomniac on dvd. He was really pleased with everything so that was great. I’m very pleased with my presents myself. He got me a pair of silver hoop earrings that I’ve been wanting and this purse: . The Coach store ordered the wrong purse for him so I won’t get it until Thursday once they ship it from the store in Las Vegas. I’m so excited, I can’t wait to see it!

So after presents we went to dinner at Villa Antonio, an excellent Italian restaurant with great food and amazing service. It was just wonderful. We had a great time. Their menu cracked us up. They name the dishes after their regular customers. So I had a shrimp and angel hair dish alla Laura Vogel, and J had a chicken in vodka sauce dish alla Jim and Cara Helms. That’s how it’s printed on the menu, all this descriptive Italian then alla Ted Jenkins. So funny. I wonder what I’d like to have named after me. How odd would that be to go in and order yourself? =)

Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary! I’ll post pics of gifts tomorrow (they’re all wrapped up now). I try and stick with the theme (you know, the traditional wedding gifts). It makes it a little more challenging since you have to get creative. I think I did pretty well this year. So, it’s been 2 years of being married, but in May we’ll have been together 5 years total. We’ve got a lot going on today, we’re both off work so it will be fun to have the whole day. We’re meeting up with our realtor to list the house and to see a couple of houses. My mom found a house for us that seems pretty perfect. It even has a pool! So we’re excited to see that today. We’ve got some wedding gift buying to do for my cousin who gets married on Saturday, and then we’re going to dinner tonight. Our wedding seems so long ago, and at the same time I can’t believe it’s already been 2 years.

Yesterday we went to my sister and brother in law’s last baby shower. That’s a baby blanket cake someone made. Cute! Then last night J & I went to see Old School. Every now and then it’s fun to go see a funny movie that you know won’t be up for any Oscars, but makes you laugh so hard you go into silent laughing mode. Plus, I love Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson & Jeremy Piven. It had a great cast all around. Some great cameos. And Will Farrell is our new comic hero.

Not too long ago I told you about my Grandmommy’s boyfriend’s fall from a tree and his subsequent heart attack and stroke. Well, the curse has hit again. My uncle Gary is a pool man and he was at work the other day trying to unclog a drain. He used every traditional method to no avail. So he put a pipe into the drain and poured a pool chemical down it. He checked on it a little while later and that’s when it exploded into his face. Turns out the chemical had lye in it. Luckily my cousin Jody was there with him. She dunked his head into some water then flushed it with a hose. What quick thinking for a 15 year old! They took him to the local hospital and from there he was transferred to a burn center in Augusta, Georgia. He has 2nd and 3rd degree burns all over his arm, leg, neck & face. He was in the hospital for just over a week and is now recuperating at home. He continues to have blurred vision in one eye, but should recover his sight. If Jody hadn’t been there he may be blind now. His doctor told them of another man who had a similar accident a few months ago- he’s completely blind now.

According to the doctor, lye can be worse than acid when it hits your skin. It apparently continues to eat it’s way into your skin, even after being flushed with water, unless it’s continually flushed and scrubbed. That’s what happened to the blind man’s eyes. I’ve never used lye before but you can believe I’ll never use it now.

I think J’s getting a little antsy now, wondering when the curse will hit our house!

Is Ben Affleck wearing a toupee? (just a rumor I’ve heard lately)

Very busy day yesterday. Gave Nelson a bath then spent the afternoon running errands and picking up the finishing touches for J’s anniversary present. Can’t say what I got him here though, he reads this blog. Let’s just say I’ll (hopefully) be earning the best wife in the world prize on Monday! =) I also took advantage of the Swell sale at Target and bought some new bed linens. We are so very swank.