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! 

Hi World, it's Tracy. Remember me?

First off, I'm going to go ahead and say there is no excuse good enough to explain why I haven't posted in SO long. I would apologize but I feel that would just be pissing on your head and calling it rain. So I'm going to skip all that bullshit and give you my word that I am going to try my absolute hardest to get back into blogging!

I'm back today of all days to give you an update (like I previously promised) on the status of my home makeover. It's been going along but I've been very busy and at the same time very lazy so not as much as I would have liked to be finished is complete.

In my last post, I didn't post a picture of a shelf I had in my bedroom. Unfortunately, I don't have a before picture, but its easy to imagine: a 5-foot oak shelf, with 4 insertable shelves. Nothing spiffy, nothing pretty. I decided I wanted to paint it coral, and to give it a little bit of excitement, I knew I wanted to cover the back wall in a gray geometric fabric. Below is the finished product! (Sorry the picture quality is so horrible, the lighting was bad and I was using my iPhone.)

I absolutely love it! I think it gives it a little extra character and makes it much less of an eyesore. It was a pain finding fabric that I had envisioned but I found this one on a baby bedding website. The coral paint took about 3 coats to completely cover the oak color and the paint streaks. I also had some light grey paint on hand so I went ahead and painted one coat on the back wall so that when I added the fabric, no weird colors would bleed through.

I used this Krylon Spray Adhesive (bought from Michael's for less than $5.00 with a coupon) to adhere the fabric to the back wall. It was super sticky and made it easy to smooth out any wrinkles or bumps. I laid the bookshelf on the ground to make it easier to add the fabric. I measured the back wall and cut my fabric to fit. I wasn't too worried about getting it exactly perfect because I knew I would be added ribbon to the outside rim.

This is the ribbon I used, just plain black, nothing fancy. I used about 1 1/2 spools because I was testing different glues to see which would be best. I ended up using a hot glue gun which was an okay turnout. I just had to do little sections so that the glue wouldn't harden and dry 3D.

And this is when it was finished! Not bad huh?

Overall, this was a long project. The painting took a long time since it needed so many coats. Luckily my momma was in town and helped me tackle the job. But that's it for now, I have completed some of the projects from my last post but they just need final touches so I WILL be back to show y'all.

Home Makeover.

Hello my little Bloglets! Sorry it's been so long! To make it up, I'm going to give you something that you'll be able to enjoy for a couple weeks! All my Home Makeover plans and ideas! That way, you can keep coming back to see my updates! Don't sound too excited now ;)

Most of my ideas came from, yep, you guessed it, Pinterest! Seriously though, if you haven't checked it out, you're missing out. Below are pictures of random pieces of furniture that I have accumulated since being in Las Vegas. All from Craigslist. All I got for a dirt cheap. I must admit beforehand they are quite hideous. BUT, I simply see them as diamonds in the rough! Thanks to Pinterest, I will be able to paint a little here, touch-up a little there and BAM they will be gorgeous masterpieces! 

To begin, I'll let you know that I live in a townhome with the living room, kitchen and eating area downstairs, and my bedroom and bathroom upstairs. I think it seems more like a loft because I don't have a door to close off my room once you are upstairs but I like it that way, gives it more character. The upstairs is my concern (mostly) right now, but I also have some work to do downstairs.

The first piece I want to discuss is the CUTEST and most perfect little corner shelf ever! It was only $10 and it fits perfectly next to my bathroom. I absolutely love how the posts are carved- it gives it an antique-ish feel! There's not much sitting on it yet because I haven't decided how I want to arrange things on it yet.

The next piece I want to discuss is actually a duo. My Nightstands. I got them BOTH for only $10 and I think they are 100% adorable. And I mean the pinch-your-grandson-on-the-cheeks adorable! I love their pointy little feet. :) I'm only posting a picture of one since they are identical twins.

Third, are lamps. They also are identical twins which I think is perfect to sit on my identical nightstands. I got both them for $30 which for lamps, and judging by their size, I think is pretty darn good. Right now they are a sage green which doesn't fit into my color scheme so I plan on repainting them and sprucing up the boring white lampshades.

Fourth is not a piece of furniture but rather a project I mentioned in an earlier blog that I wanted to update y'all on. I have a very bare, white wall that needs disguising so I decided I wanted to create a collage. I haven't collected too much, but what I have so far I love. Some old, some new, but all meaningful.

Moving on downstairs, I don't have nearly as much but there are a few things I want to take care of. First is my dining table. Yes, just a table, no chairs, or stools should I say. Since I have a dog that is probably 5 feet tall when standing on his back legs, I always told myself I wanted a pub height table so there was no way he could eat food off the table (even though I taught him better than that) or beg for food. Well I loved the table, but the stools were stools. No back support. That I didn't like so I convinced the guy to sell me just the table for only $45. This was a big purchase but the table is worth it. Solid wood and very sturdy/strong. Now I just have to find the right bar chairs to go with it. The color isn't my favorite so it will need some painting as well as everything else in my home.

Next is a purchase I haven't made yet, but will be this weekend (hopefully) for only $20. It's a little beat up, but pending my inspection, I'm sure I will still buy it. I love the design/shape of it for an entertainment center. I plan on painting it and buying cute little handles from Hobby Lobby to replace the present one and its missing counterpart.  Let's just hope its big enough, this picture makes it look a little smaller than I would want...

The last thing on my Home Makeover list is more of a sore spot to fix in my kitchen. Upon moving in, I had to purchase my own microwave. Originally, my townhome was supposed to have a shelf built-in above the sink to hold it but of course, it doesn't. So now I have a microwave on my counter and a big awkward space above my sink. I have a few ideas on how to fix it, and I'm hoping they will turn out great!

Oh wait, do you see what I see? Why yes, that is my washer and dryer, in the middle of my kitchen/eating area, next to my big awkward hole. Talk about ugly. So as if the awkward area above my sink wasn't enough, I also have an ugly tube running from my ceiling to my washer/dryer and a giant stacked appliance. Ugh drives me insane. Take a look.

Oh yeah. I live with this. The only ideas I have for making it less of an eye sore are to cover the vent tube with something a similar brown as the walls, and then placing something big on top. Maybe a vase or two? I'm not a huge fan of the fake greenery but I suppose that would work too.

Boy do I have a lot of work to do! But I'm definitely ready to get my place looking good! Please, Please, Please, comment if you have ANY suggestions on what I should do with my kitchen fiasco or anything else you'd like to offer! Other than that, I'll keep y'all posted, paintbrush in hand.

Home Organization Binder.

A few months ago, while I was pinning it up on Pinterest, I found a link to whats called a "Home Organization Binder". If any of you have heard about them, they are ginormous binders that hold everything important to run a family from financial documents, pantry and freezer inventory, monthly meal plans, family member shot records, etc. Well, unfortunately I don't have a family of my own. It's just me and Shiner! So naturally, I thought this would be a pin for "later in life". WRONG. My organizing/planning gene kicked in and decided she wanted to make a HOB right now! So here it is:

My Home Organization Binder! 

I bought this cute turquoise-teal binder at Walmart. Truth be told, when I saw the binder on the shelf and thought to myself, "damn, thats a cute binder", that was the exact second I decided I would make the HOB. Purely so I could buy the binder and use it- talk about shopaholic. Irregardless, it was the best decision ever! Once I decided the binder's purpose, I also bought some dividers, clear protective sheets, a pack of business card holders, and printer paper since I didn't have any.

When I got home, I began my research. I started with the original pin I had seen on Pinterest. Since most of the organizing women with these things have a full family to take care of and feed, I knew from the beginning that my HOB was going to be slightly different and would have to be tailored to my life. In the end, I narrowed mine down to 8 different categories:

Important Documents/Information

Finances

Shiner

Address Book

Calendar

Auto Maintenance

Home Maintenance

Miscellaneous

Here they are broken down to explain what all they entail:

1. Important Documents/Information

In this section I have things like my Passport, Birth Certificate, copy of my DL and SSC, all things related to work (copy of my badge, first paycheck stub, offer letter, co-worker's business cards, etc), and a list of all my online passwords (Lord knows I need help remembering all those).

2. Finances

When I bought the dividers, I made sure I got the kind with pockets attached specifically for sections like this one. In them, I store all my present bills. I also have a clear plastic pouch to hold onto all my grocery and gas receipts because those are paid with the following months paycheck. Behind the receipt pouch I have an "Account Tracker" document that has all my bank information written down (routing #, card #, etc). I even created a personal budget sheet for myself in order to keep track of where I'm spending my money and how much I have to spend on luxury items.

3. Shiner
 Since I don't have any children, I created a section entirely devoted to Shiner since he pretty much is my little toddler. In the sleeves I have a brochure for the heart worm medicine he takes every month, as well as the keychain PetPerks tags for PetSmart. The first page is an Excel document I created that has all the important information about Shiner on it. From his name, breed, and gender to his food, medical, and behavioral information. It's all here should I ever need it! Behind the first page are all his vet records and receipts from the vet we went to in College Station, TX.

4. Address Book

This section is pretty self explanatory. I think everyone should have a hard-copy of contacts (not just on your phone and computer) in case anything crazy ever happens. I also have a list of "Frequently Called Numbers" for the Las Vegas area.

5. Calendar

The Calendar section is also pretty basic. I have a print-out of all the holidays in 2012 and a page for each month's birthdays. Hopefully I will convince myself to go buy a lot of birthday cards to keep in the divider so that I am ready to send out on special days. I also included a "Miscellaneous Important Dates" page for wedding anniversaries, death anniversaries, and other things that happen annually that I need to keep track of.

6. Auto Maintenance

This section contains a copy of my insurance (blurred so you can't see my VIN# or home address), a list of recent work that has been performed on my car, and other auto-related materials.

7. Home Maintenance

The Home Maintenance section relates to the Auto Maintenance except that it relates to my current home. Here I have my lease, a map of the property, and will soon fill the divers with rent receipts.

8. Miscellaneous

In this section I just have other business cards that I've accumulated that don't have a "designated section". I also plan to store take out menus here for future reference.

So what do you think? Have I inspired you to go out and organize your WHOLE life into a pretty little binder? Take about control! It's great knowing that I have one place I can go to that stores everything important (paper-related) in my life! If you decide that you want to venture out and make a HOB of your own, I would more than happily offer my templates to you to use! Now, go out and conquer your home! ;)

Man's Best Friend

So this post is mostly to talk about how obsessed I am with my dog. He is my son, my best friend, my handsome little prince, my Shiner boy. Words can't express my love for him because no matter how shitty of a day I have, when I come home, he still loves me and is still SO excited to see me! He has the best personality, so funny, young, and alive. Below are some recent pictures of him doing his thang. While I dwindle away time on my MacBook, he stays close enough to cuddle.

How cute is he? I love him so much! It's true when they say dogs are a man's best friend! =)

Fifty Shades of Grey.

If you know me at all, you'll know how I get when I find a good book that I like. From the second I start reading, you can't tear me away from it for anything- not even sleep! Okay, I do sleep but the hours are drastically cut. So, it's no surprise that I am one of millions who jumped on the "Fifty Shades" bandwagon. And boy am I glad I did! I absolutely LOVED reading them [perhaps obsessed? ;)]! They are very easy to read and they gave me an insight into a life I never would have given a chance. That's not to say I'm going to now, but I at least know what to expect and know different aspects of what it entails. Plus, who wouldn't like a kinky love story full of romance, handcuffs, a private helicopter, cable ties, and a sexy billionaire?  For those of you who haven't read them, here's a brief summary from Wikipedia:


The plot traces the relationship between recent college graduate Anastasia Steele and manipulative billionaire Christian Grey. Steele is required by Grey to sign a contract allowing him complete control over her life as well as a non-disclosure agreement, something that he's required from all of his previous submissives. Upon learning that she is a virgin, Grey agrees to have sex with her in order to prepare her for later encounters, fully intending that the contract would be signed. As she gets to know him, she learns that his sexual tastes involve bondage, domination, and sadism, and that childhood abuse left him a deeply damaged individual. In order to be his partner, she agrees to experiment with BDSM, but she struggles to reconcile who she is (a virgin who has never previously had a boyfriend) with whom Christian wants her to be, his submissive and a to-do-with-as-he-pleases partner in his "Red Room of Pain".


So in the novel, Christian Grey is portrayed to be a VERY sexy 26-year-old billionaire. Since finishing all of the novels, I've been trying to figure out how I pictured him in my head- especially relating to celebrities for a possible movie production. Below are my suggestions in no particular order. (I only picked my top two favorites because there are way too many possibilities.)

Christian Grey Candidate #1: Ryan Reynolds

I picked this picture of Ryan Reynolds because it is a PERFECT vision in relation to the pair of jeans Christian only wears, hanging low on his hips, in the "Red Room of Pain".  Reynolds has the body, the sexy face, and the CEO persona.

Christian Grey Candidate #2: Colin Egglesfield

Now this guy is a stud! He possesses all of the same characteristics as Reynolds: the bod, the sexy (and fierce- in a "I wouldn't mind if you tied me up" way) face, and a young CEO persona. 

I'm still contemplating which of these two hunks is my #1 pick and which is my alternate. Who knows, maybe one could be casted as Christian and the other as his brother, Elliot!

As for Anastasia, it was ALOT tougher to find someone I liked. I did a little research on the Internet to see what names were being tossed around and I must say I DO NOT like the idea of Kristen Stewart playing Anastasia. That would completely ruin my whole view of the book and going to see the movie would be painful (because yes, I would still go see it). So, below are two choices in no particular order. I'm not positive on how I feel about them, but I do think both actresses could pull it off.

Anastasia Steele Candidate #1: Emma Watson

Yep, I chose Hermione. Being a die-hard Harry Potter fan, this was a tough decision to allow myself to make, but I think she has the modest-yet-beautiful persona that would be perfect for Ana's character. And quite frankly, I think she looks like virgin material (which is nothing bad/nothing to be ashamed off/not a criticism in any way). The only concerns I would have if she were chosen would be whether she could do the raunchy sex scenes that are so vital to the story.

Anastasia Steele Candidate #2: Alexis Bledel

Alexis Bledel is absolutely gorgeous in a very modest and humble way. She has the plain-jane qualities that help her blend in while at the same time, a very strikingly beautiful face (especially those eyes!) that make her stand out. She also in my opinion, gives off the virgin sense.

Lastly, the only other character that I would have a preference in being casted is Elena, Christian's "old friend". And I don't think anyone else would be better.

Elena Robinson Candidate- the ONLY one: Kim Cattrall

Honestly, just look at this picture. She gives off the Dominant persona that is Elena's character hands down. I already know if anyone else were to be casted, I would have a hard time accepting it.

Overall, I would be blown away if any of these characters were ultimately chosen. It would make the movie that much better if they were because it would relate to the visions I already have in mind for the characters. If none are chosen, that will be okay too, I will STILL be waiting in line to see the midnight premiere. So what do you think about my choices? Christian good or Jack bad? =)