GoodBye

I'm here to let everyone know that I will no longer be blogging here. 

You can check out:

http://bowlingpen.blogspot.com

to read about mine and Dustin's time in Italy!

Happy Monday!

Unlike most of America, Monday is the first day of my weekend! So I decided to take the pups on a run at the park because its a b-e-a-utiful day outside in Las Vegas. I thought I was semi-out-of-shape, but these dogs were dragging behind me after only 20 minutes! As soon as I got off the path and into the grass, they both plopped down and wouldn't budge. Of course, I didn't mind sitting in the shade either.

Since forever, Shiner has been one of those super crazy dogs that you see yanking the owner around, wanting to go every which way. Well finally I decided I was tired of it and got him a nose harness that helps control tugging. It doesn't block his breathing and still allows him to pant and drink water like normal. It just puts the point of control on his nose and face, rather than his strong neck/shoulders.

I tell you what, those crazy days are over! For the first ten minutes, he pawed and clawed at it, trying to remove it. He even ducked his head down and dragged it on the concrete, giving himself an ugly scratch on the top of his nose. But once he realized this thing was on there to stay, he did exactly what he was supposed to and ran right by my side, not pulling or lunging forward. It was awesome!

If you are one of those owners with an uncontrolled dog on a leash, I highly recommend the nose harness! Not only does it control the dog's face, it also makes his attention and focus on you and your commands. Believe me, I tried and tried to use a normal collar and leash and just restrict it so he had to stay by my side. I used treats, I would praise him when he was doing good, pet him when we would stop and sit on command, everything. I practiced a ton when he was a puppy and in training school but never had any luck. So if you feel like you are on the verge of kicking your dog when he is misbehaving (even though you would never do that obviously), you should definitely give it a try!

All along I thought this little pretty girl was perfect but it seems I need to go back to Petsmart to buy her a nose harness as well. She just wants to sniff and sniff and sniff...EVERYTHING! While we are running! No ma'am, no sir-ee, that ain't gonna work. Now that I know control is possible, I'm not going to waste anymore time! :)

Have a good rest of your Monday!

CHALKBOARD love

So lately I have been running around Las Vegas looking for an old picture frame or something that I could turn into a message chalkboard. I'd been having no such luck until I finally found old cabinet doors at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but since it was only $4, I bought it and figured I'd give it a shot. Gosh what a steal- it worked!

First I got my area all set up to paint. I already had paint brushes and an off-white paint back from when I painted my night stands so I only had to buy the chalkboard paint and chalk. I ended up going to Lowe's and buying the Valspar Chalkboard Paint and Crayola Chalk from Michael's.

After I sanded the whole front of the cabinet, I decided to paint the inside first since that was most important and would need the most coats. Below you will see a picture after one coat. Needless to say, it took many.

Once I felt like it was thick and black enough, I started on the outside frame. This took a steady hand and quite a while, but mostly patience (something I do not possess).

As soon as I finished and waited (patiently*) for everything to dry, I went straight for the chalk and started on my first masterpiece! What do you think?

I absolutely love it! I hung it up next to my front door, facing the living room so that it is in a noticeable location. This project was super easy and will be useful for a very long time. I got all my inspiration from another blogger over at Little Baby Garvin. She is obsessed with her chalkboard and draws the most adorable sayings for every occasion! 

In parting, I'm going to leave you with a picture of my little helper for the day. I had to put Shiner upstairs while there was wet paint but with Ms. Lennon there was no need. She supervised while I did all the hard work. :)

8 Can Taco Soup!

I'm not sure if I've made it clear in the past...but I am NOT a fan of cooking. Baking, sautéing, boiling, grilling, frying...all of these sound like no bueno to me. Although lately since I have been trying to eat healthy and save money, I have been doing all of the above. Also, with Dustin being MIA, I'm forced to do the work instead of batting my eyelashes and begging pretty please.

THUS, I give you my latest obsession... **ahem**... The 8 Can TACO SOUP!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and am in LOVE! It literally is 8 cans that you mix together and heat in a large pot, then eat! It's SO EASY and SO DELICIOUS! I'm just overflowing with giggles and little girl squeaks! Here's the recipe:

• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (15.25 oz.) can sweet corn, drained
• 1 (12.5 oz.) can white chicken breast, drained
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
• 1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
• 1 packet taco seasoning

I've never been a huge fan of taco soup, but this one is worth bookmarking! Not only does it taste awesome, it only cost roughly $10 to buy the ingredients and it makes a ton! You can thank me later ;)

It may be April Fools Day, but I'm not joking...

So lately I've been looking at military significant other's (milso's for short) instagrams and have been finding comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one dealing with a long distance relationship. Of course I knew I wasn't, but seeing other women going through the same thing helps me get by a little better each day. While looking at one, I found cute a cute key fob that one lady makes so I just HAD to buy it! Check it out:

The front says USAF...

...and the back has his last name!

Isn't it cute? It isn't much but it's just a little symbol to remind me of him (as if I'm not already wondering what he's doing 24/7). I got it on Etsy.com from a seller called 'mybraggbag'. From the day I ordered it to the day I got, it was only 4 days I think, including Easter! I was so happy/surprised, especially since it was a custom order.

Just so y'all know, all this didn't necessarily come out of the blue... a recent event made me realize what I had...

The other week, there was an accident here in Nevada that killed 7 Marines. When I heard about it my heart immediately hurt for the loved ones of the fallen. I can't even begin to imagine how they must feel. Sometimes I tell myself that my love and feelings for him are so strong that, in a way, they protect him from being harmed. Like there is no way he can be taken from me because it would cause too much hurt and pain on me. Unfortunately I know this isn't true, this accident is proof that life works in mysterious ways and we have no control over the outcome. I just hope with all my heart that my airman comes home safely. So please, hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight, knowing that they are safe with you! :)

Photography!

Hi All...

I know it's been forever and a day since I last posted, my apologies. But I'm here to let y'all know that I recently bought a Nikon D5100! It's the super spiffy camera that I've been dreaming about for a LONG time! Here's a picture of what mine looks like:

Like I said...super spiffy! I'm still learning to use it and also trying to figure out what settings should be used for certain pictures/scenes. I bought two books that have been super helpful as well so hopefully I will be a creative photo-guru in no time at all! ;)

A website is in the works to show all my photos, so be on the look out! Y'all will be the first to know about it. As an incentive to come back, I'll have you know that my niece will be the first model I showcase! :) She is only 2 weeks old and complete eye candy!

DIY Decorating!

So lately I've become quite the Martha Stewart and I love it! I don't know whats in the air but all of a sudden, I've been getting the urge to be crafty! Here are two of my most recent creations, one is Christmas decor, the other is normal decor.

So these are Christmas stockings for myself and Shiner! I bought to stockings pre-made (obviously) but HAD to add our names some how so I decided to wrap wooden letters in twine and then hot glue them on! I absolutely love them! They go awesome with the old-timey, rustic ornaments I bought for my tree.

This isn't the absolute best picture, but it's my new decoration for above my bed! It says "always kiss me goodnight". I had been having a hard trying to think of what to put above my iron bed frame that wouldn't clash with the swirls. Last week when I went to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore I found this white cabinet door and thought it would be perfect. As it turns out, I was right! If y'all want a DIY post on how I traced these letters on there I would be more than happy to but you gotta ask! ;) PS-Sorry I didn't really make my bed...

Last but not least, I'm going to give y'all an update on my kitchen scenario I mentioned in a previous blog post. Here it is:

I added the floating shelf to help cover the microwave cord and to fill up that big open space. Right now there is the Christmas decorations on it because I decided that I would treat it as my nonexistent fireplace mantle. I think it turned out awesome and can't wait to buy things for every holiday!