R. Simple Life

Merry Christmas to You and Yours

2011-12-23T17:38:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas,

from our family to yours!

London Calling.

2011-12-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well hey there. It's been a while.

There are so many things to share. So many things to talk about, so many pictures to show.
But we're just going to jump right back into this, how does that sound?

It's the 22nd of December, Christmas is in just three days. Snow is gently falling from the Oklahoma sky (a Christmas miracle) and we are completely in the spirit of the season. And a big part of that? Well, that would be our Christmas present.

You see, Jon and I don't buy each other Christmas presents, aside from the odd stocking stuffer, and a pair of pajamas for Christmas Eve. Instead, we like to buy one big thing (usually to pimp out the house - yes I did just say "pimp out"), together. The first year of our marriage we bought a memory foam queen mattress (heaven). Last year we got ourselves a fantastic Nikon D3100 (love it). This year, we are getting ready to move - so we couldn't think of anything we wanted to buy, seeing as though we have no idea what our house will be like when we get there.

So instead, we snuck away. On a trip. A much needed vacation (we haven't been on one since our honeymoon, two and a half years ago). A year of pilot training had worn us both thin and we needed to get away. Relax. Unplug.

Therefore, while telling as few people as possible, we snuck to The United Kingdom. We flew Space Available (another topic for another day, but basically - FREE flight) to Mildenhall RAF in Mildenhall, England. And it was amazing.

We did not know if there would be a flight for us until the morning of our departure. I guess you get what you pay for there. We had packed our bags the night before, making sure to pack up the right stuff for England OR Colorado (our backup plan). We went to bed, with visions of KC-135's dancing in our head, and woke up at 6am to call McConnell AFB with bated breath.

They had a flight. We had 6 hours. We had to get there, to get our name on the list, so we would get priority. And we did it.

(Note: Space Available and our journey to/fro England is a much longer tale, which I will divulge at a later time. Need to save room for all the pictures of the queen in this post.)

We arrived at a picturesque Air Force Base, Mildenhall, at 8am, waited for customs to clear, sans passport (J, seriously. No passport. I grabbed his passport on the way out of the door in Oklahoma, and realized it was expired. Luckily, active duty military members enjoy certain perks. Like getting into the UK without a passport).

We walked around base with our packs on (very european traveler) and rolling along our dockers suitcase (very American tourist). After a quick jolt of coffee, some free internet (used to book a hotel in London), and some travel advice from a Mildenhall worker, we took an expensive cab into Mildenhall Village to the bus station.

The bus wasn't due for another 25 minutes, so we popped into the grocery store across the street to find some food. Didn't find any, but I found my dream slippers. I have, no joke, been looking for a pair of slippers just like these ALL fall/winter in America with no luck. The first store I walked into in England, a grocery store, had them. It's a sign! We didn't find any food.

We hopped on a bus to some airport, where we caught another bus to Victoria station in London. I attempted to navigate us around the streets on foot - which lasted 2 minutes. Hailed a cab who taught us tipping customs, insisted we must visit San Francisco and insisted not to visit LA, and drove us around in a few circles to get the fee round £10.

We checked into our tiny - but nice - European hotel room, showered, dressed, and went out in search of food (not before asking for shampoo and soap - which was in the shower - and the free wifi password - "I'm sorry sir, we don't have free wifi").

We found a right cozy pub to grab a pint (J) and a hard cider (me) and a bit to eat (sausage platter and hummus). It was amazing. Whoever said the British food was rubbish was wrong. Let me tell you. Although, take that with a grain of salt, because the person telling you this is a fan of any restaurant with a cheeseburger on the menu.

After sustenance, we went for a walk to Hyde Park to take in the Winter Carnival, which both smelled better and housed more well kept people than American fairs. We were ridiculously proud of our lack of jetlag as we made it back to the hotel by 10 for bed.

Woke up at 11, hello jetlag. We shot out of bed and into clothes since this was our one full day in London and we had a lot to do. Grabbed breakfast at a small cafe around the corner (J had beans and steak and kidney pie, I had a tomato, mozzarella, and basil sandwich, and J's fries) and hit the double decker bus tour 'round Tourist London.

Picadilly Circus

We got off almost immediately at Piccadilly circus, where did a little souvineer shopping, but didn't buy anything just then, because we thought there must be something better. Hopped on another double decker tour bus to ride for a short while, got off 4 stops later at Buckingham Palace. (!!!!! This is where the excitement REALLY started to hit me.)

Before visiting Harry and Her Majesty the Queen, we stopped just around the corner in the Queen's Gallery Shop for a souvineer or two, and bought some this time, because they were much better. A Christmas ornament, English tea, and two fantastic postcards (oil painting replicas of men on horses. My favorite, seriously).

Next it was on to Buckingham Palace, took a million pictures, smiled like only a Prince Harry and British Monarchy loving American can. Unfortunately the queen wasn't in just yet. She must not have gotten the message we'd be popping by for tea.

Next up on our busy day in London, we walked ourselves through St. James park because we could see The Eye - and we had tickets. It took a bit to get there, but that was alright because we got to see Big Ben up close and personal, Westminster Abbey (yes I pictured exactly where Kate got out and waved) and the houses of Parliament on the way.

We jumped on The London Eye just in time to see the city all light up. It was a gorgeous 28 minutes, absolutely stunning. Tried to find a public restroom (didn't happen - we had heard that, but who knew it was SO true!), headed to Westminster Abbey just in time for evening prayer.

That was neat. It was definitely very traditional, but SO cool to be there, where so many kings and queens have been before. We only saw a tiny portion on the church (probably only as far as David beckham and Posh Spice saw at the Royal Wedding) and got scolded for taking a photo on or way out. Whoops!

We decided to walk down the mall to pay visit to the queen again before we caught our bus back. That is when we realized the busses stopped at 5pm. Our bus would drop us only at Trafalgar Square. Not Hyde park, which was much closer to the hotel. So we were forced off by the River Thames to find out own way home.

Back down the mall towards the palace, hello your highness. This was the time to test our sense of direction on the winding streets of London. The walk took about three times as long as it should have before I realized the maps at the bus stops don't point north.

So after walking in dizzing circles, we found Zara, or as I like to call it, the most magical place south of Hogwarts. They shut off the music shortly after we walked in, which meant "Get the ruddy hell out, it's the end of the day." So we left without buying anything (which was only okay because there is a Zara in Edinburgh).

On the way back to the hotel (again) we found a pub for our rumbling stomachs and dry throats (fried pickles to start, a burger for J and fish & chips for me, and toffee pudding for dessert. And not to mention my new favorite drink - a ginger fizz). Made it back to the hotel with no help from the bus tour map, and passed out from utter exhaustion.

The next morning we woke up at 6:45, as there was no way jetlag was claiming two mornings. Breakfast was at a French cafe, Paul (side note, I have never had more mozzarella and tomato sandwiches in my life, but am addicted now - I've had 3 since I've been home), and tried fruitlessly to access on the Internet. We were changing cities that night, after all. Since that didn't happen, we were forced to grab a coffee at Cafe Nero so we could use their wifi to book a hotel in Scotland and check times for a train.

Headed out for the bus tour, determined to get our moneys worth after the appalling effort we did yesterday (what can we say, we're much better walkers than riders). Again, we rode to Piccadilly, grabbed the souvineers that weren't good enough yesterday, and hopped on the big tour. Rode it for 2 hours and ran to the next stop when they decided to take a break while switching drivers. The next bus still wasn't there so we ran a little further before hopping in a cab (check out was noon, at this point it was about 11:52 and we were still miles from the hotel). We, thankfully, walked into our hotel with 2 seconds to spare before checkout, and thanked our lucky stars that we packed the previous night.

After checking out and grabbing a photo, we hoofed it to the tour bus with to large backpacks and a rolling suitcase. Got to the stop we thought we could change lines, and turned out the line that ran to Kings Cross wasnt running. Sweet. We hopped on a different line, got off to a short walk to Kings Cross. Short wasn't as short as we'd hoped with pinched toes (me), but we made it.

We went to buy tickets and found out we'd pulled a major muggle move by assuming Kings Cross would be the best way to Scotland. It wasn't. We had to walk about halfway back the way we'd just come to Euston Station and ran to the train (not without stopping for a Brie, tomato, and basil baguette first). The train was exactly what I expected, but smaller than I had hoped. And of course, it didn't help that we didn't realize there was a BIG luggage rack at the front of the car. We sat in our tiny seats with our huge backpacks for half the trip to Scotland.

Phew.

And that was England. Next up, Scotland!

Two Years, Uno, + Breakfast in Bed.

2011-08-10T08:15:00.004-06:00

Have you seen this? (click here please.)

My neighbor (for a few more weeks) is a fantastic wedding photographer, and I would know. Our two year anniversary just so happened to happen around the same time that she decided she needed a few models for her new film camera.

We volunteered. Happily.

Courtesy of Amy Ray Photography

Seriously, isn't she great?

Crushin' on Jim & Pam

2011-08-09T16:15:00.000-06:00

My latest obsession. The Office.

Specifically Jim and Pam.

Seriously. Obsession.

J jokes I woke up the other night whimpering:

"Jim and Pam... Jonathan..."

No spoilers please.

I already know lots of them, but we're only on season 3.

Who are you obsessing over?

All Good Things Must Come to an End.

2011-07-18T15:54:00.000-06:00

I realize this post may come across nerdy. You may finally realize I am not some cool, Navy-Blue and white wearing girl. Instead, I am proud to say, I am a nerd.

When I say I am a nerd, what I really am trying to get to is the fact that I love to read. I've loved to read from the day Christine C. showed us all she could read the menu, and I, jealous, went home with the determined mind set that I could read the menu too. I was four.

And then someone very special entered my life. Over a decade ago. His name is Harry Potter. Harry introduced me to his friends Hermione and Ron, to dragons and thestrals, to charms and transfiguration, and to a world I would have done (and still would do) anything to join.

I was disappointed that I did not get a letter from Hogwarts on my eleventh birthday. I was saddened that my wand was just made from wood, with no core. But I was able to get past these low points by reading more and more of this magical world Jo Rowling had decided to share with us.

I have learned so much about goodness, kindness, friendship, love, and devotion from these books. You may laugh, you may scoff, but it is true that JK Rowling and Harry have taught me so much more than anyone could have.

When I read the epilogue of the seventh chapter to the Harry Potter series three years ago, I cried. I cried for the loss of some of the best friends I've ever had. I cried for the comrades who were lost in the book, and I cried for the happy, normal life HP and his wife were leading. I cried in gratitude for a book that got me through hard times, a story that entertained me, keeping me away from more questionable childhood activities, and a friendship that had lasted throughout moves and fights with others.

I always knew that last book would be hard for a crybaby like me to read. But it didn't dawn on me until just last week how hard the final movie would be. We were lucky, we had eight movies. Eight wonderful, frustrating (at times), and magical movies that would bring this book to life. But obviously that had to come to an end as well.

I won't go into detail about the movie, for those of you who haven't seen it. But let me just say this: I was not disappointed. It was excellent. Tear-inducing, heart rate raising, and it definitely caused a few butterflies. Go see it.

And, in true nerd fashion, I made J and I shirts for the finale. Using this tutorial.

So there you have it. I am a nerd. Whose with me?

iPhone Week 18

2011-07-07T13:20:00.000-06:00

Old photo of Duke.

(hotspot on his ear)

Love him.

I have a 4th of July after the fact post just WAITING to be written.

Stay tuned.

Another Boring Wardrobe Post

2011-06-29T15:57:00.000-06:00

Dress: Old Navy, Scarf: H&M, Watch: Citizen

Cat: Grumpy.

What I wish I wore Wednesday:

via Polyvore

Speaking of Wednesday's (you all remember Wednesday on my side of town is Wedding Wednesday), we've got a special day coming up! Sunday marks two years of marital bliss in the R. Simple Household. This year, I don't have time to recap the day in a whole week (in fact, I just realized I leave in less than 48 hours to go to Fort Worth). So instead... check it.

Now for the obligatory stuffing my advice down your throat (I don't care if you're already married). With a job like mine, and a big, giant wedding binder like mine, and a Brides subscription for 12 years like mine, it is SO easy to get caught up in the details. In the perfect wedding. And ours was perfect. But I have two pieces of advice for the brides and grooms to be.

1. Hire a cinematographer. Just do it. You'll be so happy you did. I didn't hire one, and it's my only regret.

2. Go on a gooooooood honeymoon. I know so many people who didn't get to go on one (thank you Air Force), but it was so much more amazing, so much more relaxing, and SO much more necessary than I thought it was going to be. WELL worth it. I would even say skimp on the wedding as much as you have to to get a good honeymoon.

Now I've got to go pack! What's your advice to the newly engaged, you old married ladies?

Do you Pin?

2011-06-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

Do you Pin?

It's the best waste of time I've found since discovering blogs (and hey, that lead to a dream job). On it's most basic level, Pinterest is a giant photo sharing website, spanning different countries and continents. But it's like an ogre (layered like an onion).

When you Pin a photo, the link to the original source is saved with that pin. Which means, I don't have to figure out the best way to organize my Bookmarks on my Mac. And anything that allows me to completely ignore how to use a computer, but still use it, works for me.

You can hook up with your friends, business, or even just strangers who have the same interests, and see what they are pinning. You can rePin someone else's pin, or you can Pin directly from an outside website (like this blog for example. Haha).

It provides inspiration for my home, for my dinner, for my art, for my work, for my dog, for my clothes, for my life. It's such a great idea.

Do you Pin?

It's Friday, Friday, Gotta Get Down.

2011-06-24T14:31:00.001-06:00

We've made it through another week, thankfully. This week was a night week, which means I had a husband hanging around the house in the morning, making it very hard to be as productive as normal.

It also means we ate out way too many times this week, due to 9pm home times.

But! It's the weekend now, and we have a crazy, exciting two days planned. Wood chopping, house cleaning, organizing, tennis, pool, and hopefully even a little of everyone's favorite wizard in there.

(Speaking of which, did you see this yet?!)

Before I say goodbye, who's ready to get married?!

Zoom Photography via Style Me Pretty

This week, I worked in...

North Carolina, Indiana, Connecticut, Oregon, Minneapolis, Lake Tahoe, California, Dominican Republic, California, San Fransisco, and Chicago!

Have a phenomenal weekend! xoxox

iPhone Week 17

2011-06-23T15:38:00.000-06:00

Looks a little stormy?

Not even close to the tornadoes

that came through here.

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-06-22T12:06:00.000-06:00

It's Wedding Wednesday! Did you know that is what Wednesday is in my neck of the woods? (the wedding blogging neck)

But instead of showing you weddings, let's step into my wardrobe, shall we? (side note - I so wish I had a really pretty, old, antique wardrobe)

This is what I rolled out of bed looking like today (seriously, no gym yet, which means no shower):

Goddess, right? If it were a perfect world, I'd be wearing this today (maybe after the gym):

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via Mallory on Pinterest

And, really if we're going there, if it would be a perfect world, I would be on my way to the ocean on a horse in 65 degree weather, about to go sailing with Annie.

What are you wearing today?

Pretty In Pink

2011-06-20T12:56:00.000-06:00

You know me. I'm all on the navy and white ship. Not one foot, but two. I've moved in, and call me sailor, because I'm here to stay.

But... let me just come out and say it. I'm a girl (duh). But I've never been one for pink. I've been one for golden, for mint green, for red, for navy and white - but never pink. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that you'd be hard pressed to find anything in my house that has that rosy hue.

So imagine my surprise when I recently discovered my draw towards hot pink. I'm not sinking in slowly with ballet pink or purpley pink, I'm diving right into the deep end of HOT PINK. Should I blame Pantone & Honeysuckle?

I've noticed on Pinterest (remind me I need to do a feature JUST on Pinterest - it's that awesome) that a few of my most recent pins have turned pink. Check it.

All images via Pinterest

What do you think, am I going of the rails on the crazy pink train? Or is it just a summer fling? Maybe you've had something like this happen to you - jumping across the color wheel. Explain to me what is going on!

TGI Fabulous Friday!

2011-06-17T14:29:00.000-06:00

It's the end of the week, and I've wrapped up my Little Black Book features on the blog, so now it's time to share them with you! Have a fantastic weekend! xoxox

From Robert and Kathleen Photographers via Style Me Pretty

11 Pretty, perfect parties in:

Jakarta, Virginia, California, Washington, North Carolina, Los Angeles, Jamaica, Dallas, Colorado, Arkansas, + Long Island

iPhone Week 16

2011-06-17T08:19:00.001-06:00

Well, since I've been absent, I've decided for the iPhone Photo of the Week this week, I'll try to make it up to you by posting not one, not two, and not even three photos - but FOUR photos (I think anyone two years and up could have seen that one coming. Thanks Gib for teaching me how to count to four).

Yep four. A C-17 stopped by our little neck of the wood yesterday, and BOY is that thing huge. Even though J does not really pine away at night, thinking about flying the C-17 (we're more C-21 or C-130 kind of peeps), we had to check it out. So...

I'll be back this afternoon with some love from SMP :)

xoxo

Mallory's Gettin Her Groove Back.

2011-06-15T16:03:00.001-06:00

Do you hear that tap-tap-tapping of a keyboard? What is that, you ask? It's me! I'm back!

First of all, I would like to apologize for my unannounced leave of absence. I have been busy, working a bunch, running a bunch, laughing and eating and sleeping and cuddling a bunch. I feel like I've lost 6 hours of the normal day. My days now consist of 18 hours, and I have 24 hours of things to do.

Second of all, picture a raisin. But not just any raisin, the grossest, most shriveled little former grape in the box. The one you don't eat. The one you feed to your dog, because you don't think it will be yummy. That is how I've felt. My creativity, my computer time, my drive has all gone to my work. Don't get me wrong, I love love love my job, and that is why it's okay. But I have decided I need my creative outlet again. Even if I am a blogger for a living. I need this blog too.

And I think you might need it too, even if you're not willing to admit it.

We're going to start slow, and ease our way in. The pool is too cold to jump right in. So no home post, no wedding post, no big news post today. Just a list. A list of what I've been diggin. These are a few of my favorite things, kind of thing. So - lo and behold - this is my life these last few weeks.

1. Gilmore Girls. Love it again. Always have. Logan is my virtual boyfriend.

2. Running Shoes. With all tha'ts going down in China town lately, running is my BFF.

3. Pinterest. Do you Pin? It's awesome. Check it out.

4. Winter. I forgot how hot summer is. And how hard it is to wear sweaters.

5. Navy & White. Hey, I'm nothing if not predictable.

So I'm back, today is Wednesday, and my hair is still brown. I'm having fish and rice for dinner, I love my iPhone, and I miss Michigan this week. But I'm coming out of my creativity funk. I'm funkless.

Missed you.

pictures via DVD Set Shop, Pinterest, TinyWhiteDaisies

The Last Fabulous Friday of May

2011-05-27T15:30:00.000-06:00

Memorial Weekend is upon us. Camping, swimming, BBQ-ing, and remembering will all be had this weekend by the Recors. I'll try to take some pictures whilst doing these things for a little show and tell session next week. But for now, I'll say farewell & have wonderful weekend! Stay Safe!

Adeline & Grace Photography

via Style Me Pretty

Weekly "Work" Round-up...

a New York City wedding film to die for

a fun, fun, fun rehearsal dinner + wedding in Idaho

a cute as American Pie inspiration shoot in Rhode Island

a sweet New York Army wedding

an adorable Pennsylvania affair

a bout of spring inspiration from Chicaco

an Austin charmer

an amazing fête in Colorado

a New Jersey DIY affair

a summery California wedding

a pretty in pink soiree in Virginia

All's Okay.

2011-05-25T07:11:00.002-06:00

Hi world! I just wanted to pop in to make sure to tell everyone, we're fine. We've had two days of tornado threats, but we're completely okay.

Monday, the sirens went off, and there was a funnel cloud spotted just south of base. Nothing ever touched down - our plastic chair didn't even blow away.

Tuesday, we didn't even get much weather. All the tornados were south and east of here. They were predicted to come up for a visit, but never did. We were ready, with axes, helmets, blankets, water, and all the other essentials - but never had to take shelter.

Calvin quickly found his new hiding spot - when he wasn't allowed in our room to go under the bed.

There were some pretty devastating tornadoes about 50 miles south of us, and 35-40 miles southeast of us. It was pretty terrifying to watch, and very sad to see the people coming out of what used to be their home and was now just a pile of wooded beams ten yards from the foundation. So if you can spare a thought, prayer, or just a little love to my fellow Oklahomans, I'm sure they would appreciate that.

Wedding FAB Friday

2011-05-20T14:49:00.000-06:00

We've made it to Friday, and I'm ready to relax, garage sale, tennis, and snuggle all weekend long. But first - what have I been up to this week? Lots of fabulouso wedding eye candy. Ready to see?

Sofia Negron via Style Me Pretty

Wedding inspiration from Nashville
Classic Manhattan Wedding
Vineyard wedding in Georgia
Oregon Travel Wedding
That Philadelphia wedding, from up there
Vintage wedding inspiration from Minnesota
Tennessee Charm
Adorable wedding in Massachusetts
Another sweet, traditional New York City wedding
Cute, cute wedding in Pennsylvania

iPhone: Week 15

2011-05-19T15:40:00.000-06:00

Dinner last night was delish.

Ham, sundried tomato,

onion, cheese.

LOVE.

TGIWFF

2011-05-13T15:24:00.000-06:00

(Thank God It's Wedding Fabulous Friday)

I've been gone all week. I'm sorry. I really am. I've been dealing with tornados not showing up when they are supposed to, vomiting husbands, exhaustion, and all sorts of other fun things. But that's enough of that. Want to see what else I've been doing all week?

Studio Foto

My Little Black Book features this week:

a warm California vineyard affair

a sweet Canadian winter wedding

a Dallas wedding with a bold color palette

a colorful and fun California fête

a rustic Colorado rehearsal dinner complete with horses

a completely DIY Ohio love fest

a pink California wedding + film

an Indian celebration in Austin

a classic Houston affair

Have a wonderful weekend! xoxox

Regina Spektor

2011-05-09T13:08:00.000-06:00

New Spectacles Alert!

Anthropologie.

Check out my cat.

Cold Feet

2011-05-06T08:07:00.000-06:00

To put into perspective just how wet the OKC Memorial Marathon was...

It started at 7am Sunday. I put on my shoes at 5pm Monday, and they were still soaked.

11th Annual OKC Memorial Marathon

2011-05-04T14:41:00.000-06:00

I forgot to tell you guys, I ran the OKC Memorial Half Marathon on Sunday.

I had all good intentions on writing up a nice long, mile by mile account, of how I felt, what was going on, etc.

But it rained. And hailed. And it was barley 45 degrees. And the wind was close to tornado. And there was thunder (and not just the bballers).

So instead, I just set my mind to finishing and getting dry.

I will say this though. The 168 seconds of silence for the lives lost in the OKC Bombing were moving. I've never felt silence so loudly. It was phenomenal.

Even worth the cold, wind, and rain.

Green.

2011-05-03T12:55:00.000-06:00

I've been trying my hardest in branching out from my usually navy and white uniform. I really have. Well, trying as hard as I can with no clothing stores within and hour and a half of my house. But I've been pulling out some of the forgotten articles in my closet. Some coral here, a little turquoise there. And some Kelly Green.

Please excuse the filth, grime, and dust that has encased my mirror. As well as the fact that there is, in fact, a present for a friend on my dresser. And they hair would not stay out of my face long enough to find myself in the viewfinder of the phone and look back up.

But I'd say the green is a welcome addition. And check out those shoes. Little girls section at Target. Talk about good fortune. Love them. I'll admit, I've been on the hunt for a pair of wedges since noticing that in every other picture of her, my fashion icon, The Duchess of Cambridge, is sporting a pair. Yes, I am not ashamed to admit it. If Kate will wear it, I probably will too.

This is not because of my slight obsession. It is actually because I LOVE her style. But thank you dear obsession for allowing me to realize how fabulous her style is.

And if I were sending this picture to my sister in a text, the subtitle would be "Shirt: J. Crew, Sweater: Gap, Jeans: Levi, Shoes: Target." Yes we are nerdy enough to send each other outfits. Do you do that?

Monday Workday.

2011-05-02T12:46:00.002-06:00

This is how I work. Yes, I have the Duchess of Cambridge as my desktop background. Back off, I'm obsessed.

It's a Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T17:03:00.000-06:00

Well, it's the talk of the town. Actually it's the talk of all the towns - from Foggy London Town all the way to tiny little Enid.

And rightfully so. Today is the day when commoner Catherine Middleton became The Duchess of Cambridge. And the deed was done in the most amazing Alexander McQueen dress one could imagine.

And as you all know, or at least you should, there is nothing I love more in this world than ~~Prince Harry~~ a good wedding (seriously, J comes second).

So tip your oh-so-fabulous hats to the Prince and his new Princess, Wills & Kate.

source

Did you watch?

Homemade.

2011-04-28T19:20:00.000-06:00

I made that bracelet out of the string that comes in a sweatshirt hood.

xo, Happy Thursday!

Calvin's New Bed

2011-04-27T15:28:00.000-06:00

Is this bad for my laptop?

J. Crew on a Tuesday

2011-04-26T15:37:00.001-06:00

First of all, notice I've added a little coral to my navy, white, and grey wardrobe? It's new. The sweatshirt is old. but I like it.

Got my May J. Crew catalog in the mail today.

LOVE the cover.

I think J and I will have to recreate someway.

Christmas Card?

Anniversary pictures?

xoxox

Happy Tuesday!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely sister.

She's not a teenager anymore :)

Tree. & Crazy 8s Fail

2011-04-25T18:32:00.000-06:00

I'm typing from my iPhone right now. Why, you ask? Because I've spent all day on my Mac and now I'm relaxing. After eating pizza.

Yes, that's a Crazy 8s fail. I've not done great with this challenge. I want to try it again someday, but I think I'll need to spend a few weeks preparing, collecting recipes, getting pizza out of my system.

So I've finally thought of a new Crazy 8s challenge. It ties in with my weekly iPhone photos. And it comes from something my grandma said. She told me she loves to see pictures of me, J, and our friends just living life. So fir a month, I will post at least one iPhone photo of the day. Everyday (barring some weekends and blogger burnout). Something from my day. Something I experienced. Something that will let you peek into a little window and look into a moment of my day.

Today's photo comes from one of my many daily Duke walks. We found a tree with plants growing up the side. Sounds real poetic, huh? Well it really was beautiful. Look.

This Week's Lovelies.

2011-04-15T14:59:00.001-06:00

Images from Joe Cogliandro via Little Black Book Blog

We're starting a new "Hooray, it's Friday!" tradition. As you all know, my day job is to pour over ridiculously fabulous weddings for Style Me Pretty. For those of you who are interested in my work, I'm going to link up a few of the weddings we've featured throughout the week. If you'd like to see all my work, you can definitely check out SMP's Little Black Book Blog. At any point in the week, you can see all the lovelies I get to spend my days with. Or you can wait until the end of the week, and I'll link a few of them.

Enjoy! xoxo

Pretty Aspen Wedding

Chanel Photo Shoot

Vintage Spring Inspiration

Houston Fusion Wedding

iPhone Week 14

2011-04-14T16:00:00.000-06:00

Found about 25 of these Ikea Chandy's

at Pinkitzel in OKC.

Candy + Cupcakes

So cute.

No More Pictures

2011-04-13T10:02:00.000-06:00

Today the music died.

Blogger told be I have exceeded my free photo storing limit. What's a girl to do, when she has 17 pictures of her cat's day to share?

I'll probably just end up buying the extra storage. It's only $5.

So until I figure this out, xoxoxo.

ps this is what my hair looks like on a daily basis.

I'd love to thank the woman who chopped up the side of my head with shears.

Not.

Crazy 8s Month Three

2011-04-12T17:12:00.000-06:00

I really did start this post on Friday when it was actually April 8th. Just saying.

Well, its that time of the month again... Crazy 8's time!!

You may remember the rules, but if not, click here. Last month I attempted to do something around the house every week. Three somethings, actually. I think I did a pretty good job. It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I was imagining new furniture, bedspreads, dogs (okay maybe not dogs), but what I got was a cleaner house.

Yes, most of my time was devoted to cleaning, organizing, and cleaning. I cleaned out closets, I organized bookshelves, I cleared out the refrigerator, and I CLEANED the oven. Cleaned it. It's beautiful.

But moving on...Crazy 8s Challenge of the month - food.

I was going to say "No processed food for a month."

But when I said it, I realized I could NOT do that. Sadly, it's true. I'd need a lot more time to prepare, as well as make my husband move out for a month, because I doubt J would do that.

So then I started thinking about different options. What could I do? What could I do that is not as extreme? And I figured it out.

I want to try really hard to eat natural foods. Things that I could make. I want to look at labels and recognize all the ingredients. ALL of them. We'll see how this goes!

There are a few exceptions.

1. Peanut butter. I need it, I love it, it's my after workout snack, and I like Jif.

2. Cereal. Sorry. But I am cutting back on cereal for the month.

3. Going out to eat. We've got friends moving, birthday parties, and BBQ festivals. It's going to be hard to stick to my Crazy 8s Challenge when we're out celebrating. So I'm not going to worry myself with that.

4. Anything else that I really really need.

So check it. I hope I can get through this month, and even carry this on further. I hope to feel healthier. I hope to feel better. I hope to do this 100%.

And because photo-less posts are boring... This rose was free and lasted 3 weeks. You read that correctly, 3 weeks. On my table, in a milk jug. Crazy, huh? It even started growing little growths. Technical terms. It was so cool!

So what's your Crazy8s Challenge this month?

iPhone Week 13

2011-04-07T11:39:00.000-06:00

My lovely husband took me on a date last week to Oklahoma City, and we found this beauty.

$595

I need it.

J in a Jayhawk

2011-04-05T17:37:00.000-06:00

Well, we are done with the T-6 Texan. D O N E.

You remember our options. Well Friday night we gathered with close friends, and far friends at the Officer's Club on base. Each person in J's class took their turn up at the front while the instructors said a little somethin about them. And then we found out what J will be flying for the next 6 months.

Are you dying to know yet?

We got our first choice - the T-1! Quiz time! Do you remember what that means? (if not click here)

So we'll be in Oklahoma through September. And we couldn't be happier (who would have thought??).

And here a couple tens of thousands of words for you:

So there you have it. Six months of T-1's. And then we'll let you know :)

Big News Part DOS

2011-04-04T14:25:00.000-06:00

I am a blogger.

I think you knew that. But let me clarify...

I blog for Style Me Pretty. The wedding blog. THE wedding blog. You remember I work there, right?

Well a few weeks ago, I was asked to start writing for the blog. For the Little Black Book Blog, actually. Pretty awesome.

I'm beyond stoked. BEYOND. It's nojokeseriouslycrossmyheart my dream job. I blog about weddings all day. I see so many gorgeous weddings. And I get to write about them. And play with the pictures. Basically do what I do in my free time. But that is my job.

Courtesy of LBB

Pop on over to The Little Black Book Blog to see my work!!! And be excited, please?

Back tomorrow with the final bit of good news!

Big News Part Uno

2011-04-04T14:04:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my procrastination, and hectic life, I did not get to give you the big news last week. So now I have two big news's to share with you. One today and one tomorrow.

And a third right now. This one is actually not a Good Big News. For those of you who are familiar with her past, my mom is back in the hospital with more intestinal issues. She had emergency surgery Saturday night after having lots of stomach pains and nausea all week.

They were able to fix what had caused the emergency, but we never get good news after these surgeries. The scar tissue from each one will most likely cause the same thing to happen again. And this time, they found the original issue is happening again, so she will need more surgery. Not sure when yet.

So like I said, we never get good news when she has surgery. However, the good news IS that she is okay. She was able to get to the hospital in time. The surgery was successful. She is recovering. And for those of you who know my mom, you know she is a tough cookie and will bounce back.

She is recovering still, it'll be a long road, and that trip includes another surgery. So please, please keep her in you thoughts and prayers, because she is amazing. Thanks.

Now, later this afternoon comes the first of the two GOOD BIG NEWS posts. Get ready.

iPhone Week 12

2011-03-31T12:38:00.000-06:00

Duke & Dad

At the park.

Hot Chicks.

2011-03-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

Chicks as in these little cuties who are stocked at our local Atwoods. If only we had a house that backed up to trees... we might have brought a few of these babies home.

Hot as in, it's not. It's spring. And while I'm sure I have been experiencing better weather than some of you, it's not very spring like this week. Gray. Cold. Rainy, but not in the "Singing in the rain" / "April Showers" way, the Cat in the Hat / Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

I'm all for rain, if it's going to help flowers grow. But this stuff is killing the flowers that were brave enough to come out last week.

Don't get me wrong, winter is arguably my favorite season, but I'm done with the gray. I had a teaser of 80 degrees, and I'm ready for that. I'll even go for some good thunder stormin, tornado weather. But don't tell J I said that, that means he can't fly!

Who else is ready for a new season?

PS tune in this week for a BIG announcement!

PPS I'm not pregnant. I feel like I should start prefacing all big announcements with that, because people always seem so disappointed when I tell them I'm not preggers. You have to WAIT.

iPhone Week 11

2011-03-25T06:21:00.001-06:00

Duke knows, Mom is for cuddling,

Dad is for wrestling.

He was fast asleep in his bed when I sat on the floor. He woke up, came over to where I was, and plopped down in front of me. How could I not cuddle with that??

Some of you may have noticed I am taking a mini vacation from blogging. We have some very exciting things happening around here, so I'm just enjoying the moments. I promise I'll be back soon with details. Thanks for being patient!

Flowers, Flowers, Everywhere!

2011-03-21T16:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Spring to all! It was as if Oklahoma knew it was the first day of spring yesterday. We went from a dreary, brown wasteland to blooming, green spring! Magic.

Hopefully you are all enjoying the beginning of spring however you are best able to (even if that does include snow, as I'm sure it does for some of you).

And just to prove that I do wear things that are not navy blue and white...

What is your favorite season??

.

2011-03-18T07:57:00.000-06:00

iPhone Week 10

2011-03-17T08:29:00.001-06:00

OKC Bombing Museum

Reflected in the

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

St. Urho!

2011-03-16T09:43:00.001-06:00

One more thing!

Happy St. Urho's Day to all you Finns!

Are you wearing your purple?

Closets Are Scary...

2011-03-16T07:09:00.001-06:00

Even when you ~~know~~ are pretty sure a witch does not live in it. As part of my latest Crazy 8s Challenge, I wanted to do things around the house. And I figured it would behoove me to give you a little update on my first week of this.

If you will remember, I am trying to do something for my house three times a week this month. Sometimes it will be exciting things, like DIYing curtains or a mirror, and other times, it will be a little more mundane. Like what I'm about to share with you.

Last week I focused on three areas in my home that have been overgrowing. Overgrowing with things belonging to husbands, dogs, cats, and spores (gross I know). I figured it was time. Time to (hazardous waste) suit up and get dirty. So I de-cluttered my dresser, de-molded my shower curtain, and de-unorganized my coat closet.

The first two tasks were easy enough, and I'm sorry I don't have before OR after shots. Maybe I will take some later in the day and show off my nice clean shower curtain and my nice (&dusty) clear dresser. Probably not.

The dresser was more of a spur of the moment, Crazy 8s inspired task. It actually happened when I could not find a spot to temporarily place my clean laundry while putting it away. (Or when I could not find a spot to temporarily place my cat when we were cuddling). Either way, I got frustrated. So I not only found a place for all the junk to live permanently (which probably was not the garbage, Babe. Promise. xoxox) but I also got rid of all the the pictures. Put them elsewhere in the house. Cleared that puppy off.

The shower curtain was a problem. We had noticed a little bit of mold on the outside of it in the last few days. We actually were out shopping for a new one (and not finding one we liked) when I decided I wanted to try to kill the mold. So I came home, washed it with bleach in scalding hot water, and it cleaned right up. No more mold. We replaced the shower liner for good measure and called it a day.

Side note. J told me I should not write about the mold. He said "This is R. Simple Life, not R. Gross Life." But it's okay because he barely ever reads the blog.

Now. I thought long and hard about showing you this closet in its before state. I even though about cleaning it up a little and then taking my before picture. But that wouldn't be honest. Not that that has stopped me before :-) So here he is, in all his messy glory, our coat closet.

Yes, we were storing our shoes in a box. And in that green tub. And we were storing old beer bottles (for J's brewing) in there. And our scarves, hats, gloves and mittens had taken over. It was a mess.

We still need a shoe rack. And I personally do not love the hanging cubby holder of outer accessories. But I have yet to find a set of baskets I love, and ditto to a shoe rack. That green tub still holds all our extra shoes, but we did give quite a few away. And in a perfect world, I would have wooden hangers. Shoot in a perfect world, my coat closet would look like this:

Martha Stewart via Avery Design Interiors

Ahh, Martha. Who doesn't love Martha. I don't care that she went to jail, shes still one of my heroes. Anyway, I'm hoping for a more exciting Crazy 8s update next time. Because I just realized how dry this post is. Go grab some lemonade. It will help. How is your Crazy 8s Challenge going?

iHave an iSurprise!

2011-03-15T16:48:00.000-06:00

iGot this in the mail the other day... Any guesses on what it could be?

I'm assuming you're pretty clever. iF my iHint's weren't enough, the big white box on the desk where my computer should be probably pushed it over the edge. We got a new computer!

(Please excuse the mess of cords under the desk, Calvin put them there.)

Yep. We got our tax return and invested in Mac. By buying a nice big computer. And when I say big, I mean huge. You're talking to a girl whose been working on laptops since 2005. This gargantuan Mac reminds me of the drive in. As in, the screen is so big, I could read it from inside my car.

For the first few days, I was still working on my Acer, while transitioning all my work documents to my Mac. But now, I am a big girl and using only my Mac. Well except for this very second, I'm on the laptop so that I can blog from the couch. I needed a break from the office.

I love it. They say once you go Mac...

On a somewhat unrelated side note, I have become a very busy little birdy. Spring is upon us, and not only does that mean that I have lots of cleaning to do, but that also means the weather is nice, the birds are chirping, and I have become oh so very busy. That's all I am going to say on that, but I am going to apologize in advance for any sort of abandonment you may or may not experience in the next few weeks. Hopefully you will never notice a thing, but I can already tell you, you may. It's a very good busy for me though. So let's just be happy, okay?

On a completely unrelated side note, you will hopefully be getting a "How To" post about removing ink from carpet this week. If not, you have a post offering my pen eating dog up to the highest bidder to look forward to. Either way, I think you win!

Are you a Mac or a PC?

My Wardrobe is Blue.

2011-03-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last week, a friend of J's made a comment to my lovely husband about my wardrobe. He had noticed that all I wear is navy blue and white. And it got me to thinking... if a man has noticed this is all I wear, it might be pretty close to par. Men don't notice these kinds of things, especially when they are not your husband (who gets asked a million times a day if "this outfit works.").

So I decided to evoke my 8th grade science skills and preform an experiment, the hypothesis being "Mallory only ever wears blue and white."

In order to make things fair, I decided that during this time, I would wear only outfits I wear on a semi-normal basis. Only clothing that I love. My favorite outfits, if you will.

Well, the results were shocking. Take a look.

This what what I was wearing that first day.

Navy Blue & White striped shirt, Ross.

Navy Blue sweater, Express.

Eastern Michigan University sweatshirt, EMU.

Blue and white lettering on the sweatshirt.

EMU's colors are green and white.

Blue and white blouse, Old Navy.

Black sweater, Target.

White Shirt, Old Navy.

Blue and white scarf, H&M.

Bracelet, handmade.

White fleece, Sports Authority.

Blue shirt, Old Navy.

White and grey sweater, Gap.

Necklace, gift.

So as you can see, I'm very comfortable adding grey or black into the mix... but yes! All I wear is navy blue and white! I'm assuming you are shocked right now. Shocked beyond belief.

Anyone else have such a predictable wardrobe? I guess the bright side is that I know what I like...

iPhone: Week 9

2011-03-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

Look who I found wandering around Oklahoma City yesterday.

My sister!

My Achilles Heel

2011-03-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal Cookies.

We never have them in our house. I never make them. Because if I do, I know I will eat them.

But I wanted them so... I made a batch. With all good intentions of sharing with neighbors, friends, classmates. Good intentions often go awry. They are still at my house. Or at least the ones that are left. I'm taking them to my sister today. Getting them out of my house. Because I love them too much.

I altered the recipe on the lid of the Quaker Oats just a little, but enough that I can call them Mallory's Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies now.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup plus 6 tbsp softened butter with 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy.

2. Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla; beat well.

3. Mix together 1&1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1tsp baking soda, 1tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt. Add to Sugar, egg & butter mixture. Mix well.

4. Add 2&1/2 cups uncooked oats and 3/4 cup raisins.

5. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely (or eat while they are still gooey and warm, my recommendation).

Yeilds about 3 dozen cookies.

Enjoy! I'm not usually a sweets person, but the right oatmeal cookie and I'm ready for a cavity. Usually, I'm a french fry girl. What's your Achilles heel?

Crazy 8s FAIL

2011-03-08T07:37:00.004-07:00

If you were here a month ago, you will remember my declaration to try new and exciting things, namely CrossFit. The rules were simple -for those of you who wanted to play along- try something new, something fun, something challenging for a whole month. Some things will stick longer than a month, and somethings will not. The biggest rule, however, was to stop if you weren't having fun.

Remember?

Well, I've thought long and hard about this post. I was very tempted to skip right over the progress report from my last Crazy 8s challenge. Just go on to this months. But then I remembered that all important rule. And it was okay.

You may gather that I failed the last challenge. But I'm not calling it a fail. Because I stopped when I wasn't having fun. I followed the most important rule. So really, you could say I succeeded.

Let's start from the beginning. February 8, 2011, I announced to the ~~world~~ blog that I would be trying CrossFit. An awesome workout routine I had wanted to try for quite some time now. I was pumped. I was excited. The following day, I worked up the nerve and went to the gym (in the evening!) for my first CrossFit class.

No one was there. No instructor. Just two people working out. Obviously doing CrossFit, but on their own. With ear phones in. So I got on the tredmill and ran. Waiting for the tardy instructor. Who never showed up. So I ran and ran, and then worked out on my own. And then I went home, defeated.

Next day, same thing. No instructor. Now I was getting frustrated. I wanted some answers. So I searched all over the CrossFit board at the gym to see if there was a name, email, phone number, anything of an instructor. And I found a website. For Vance AFB's CrossFit.

I went home and checked it out. The class times were totally different on the website than they were on my Group Fitness Calendar. Aha! I had figured it out! So I emailed asking what the best way to learn CrossFit was. No reply. I tried going to one more class. Nothing.

Needless to say, I was frustrated. Sure, I could go online and teach myself the workout of the day and do it on my own at the gym. But I wanted someone to show me how best to warm up. Or the proper stance. Or to critique me when I was doing something wrong. So I decided it wasn't fun.

Sure, I probably could have asked one of the people who were there CrossFitting it up. But, and this might come as a shock to some of you, I am deathly shy at times. I've gotten better, being in the Air Force. I have to be outgoing, otherwise I am in for a lonely, lonely life. But at times (in big groups, around people I don't know but who know each other, and anytime I feel vulnerable) my shyness comes out. And I would rather cry than step out of my shell. Seriously, my eyes water. I'm that shy.

Side note, in 5th grade, we had a play about sea creatures. I played the xylophone. I was not on stage. And I still got tears in my eyes and butterflies in my stomach. I'm just that shy.

So I evoked the "if it's not fun, don't do it" rule and I stopped. I want to do CrossFit, and I will do it eventually. Maybe I'll just ask J's friends who used to do it all the time to teach me. Who knows. But it will happen eventually.

But I didn't want to be a total quitter. So instead of making my February Crazy 8s all about CrossFit, I made it all about Duke. My new goal for the month was to take Duke outside, for a walk, run, or just a Frisbee toss, once a day. Duke was pretty happy about this change of events. Some days we went out 2 or 3 times. Others it was only once. Once or twice, we did not get out at all. But it was nice. And it is something I want to keep up.

It keeps Duke sane. Keeps him from chasing his tail or pouncing on shadows. It gives me that shot of Vitamin D. Plus it's something J and I used to do in Colorado all the time. And while he is not always on my walks with Duke, it's just nice to keep that tradition going.

So I'm sorry for those of you who were hoping for a CrossFit analysis. One day you will get one. But for this month, you get Duke.

Moving right along, onto the Crazy 8s challenge for March! I am attempting to do three things for my house every week. What are these "things" you ask? Well, they can be anything from making a new mirror for my entry way to cleaning out the refrigerator, to finding a dresser for the guest room, to going through my closet and donating my old clothes. After this month, I hope to have a better organized, cleaner, and more decorated home. Wish me luck!

What are you going to challenge yourself to do this month??

Future's Flying By!

2011-03-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

So we have entered the last month of the second phase of Undergraduate Pilot Training. April 1st (yes, April Fools Day - I know it will be ridiculous) we find out what aircraft J will be flying for the last six months of training.

There are four possibilities come April 1st. Two of which keep us here at Vance Air Force Base, and two of which move us away. The T-1 Jayhawk is a "heavy" trainer, which basically means those who train on it can go on to fly cargo planes, refuelers, and basically anything else with a crew. If Jon gets this plane, we will stay here in OK until September.

Source

The other plane that would keep us here in good, old Oklahoma is the T-38 Talon. Those who train on this plane go on to fly fighter and bombers for the most part. It is the "jet" trainer for the Air Force.

Source

Next up is the T-44 Pegasus is a training aircraft in Corpus Christy, TX. Yes, that means those who train on this aircraft train with the Navy. It is rare to get anything out of the T-44 other than a C-130.

Source

And finally, there is the UH-1 Huey. It is a helicopter trainer, which produces (you guessed it) helicopter pilots. This aircraft flies out of Fort Rucker, Alabama. They train with the army.

Source

So, come April 1st, we will know whether we are staying here with the Air Force, or going to Texas to fly with the Navy for 6 months, or to Alabama to fly with the Army for 6 months. I'll make sure to let you know!

In his final portion of Phase Two of UPT, J is learning to fly formation. And for those of you who don't realize what this is...

Source

J flies 10 feet (or less) away from the wing of another student. Not just for a second, for 1.3 hours. He said he is so close, he can see if the other student in formation with him shaved that day or not (which I don't believe, because of those ridiculous helmets they wear). But it is CRAZY close. I'll try to get a few pictures of J flying this close.

Now for a poll: How many of you are jealous of what J gets to do for work, and how many of you are grateful that you will never have to be in command of an aircraft that close to someone else???

Whoop, there it is!

2011-03-04T12:53:00.001-07:00

Here we go, just as I promised: I'm sorry.

Sometimes I get so caught up in design blogs (which are the majority of the blogs I read... one day I'll admit to how many blogs I read weekly..) that I feel like this blog just isn't cutting it. I don't have my bookcase makeover done. I have pallets just sitting against my house. No window in my house has curtains. I haven't found the perfect rug, or figured out how to make it yet.

So I don't post on those days. I don't feel like I have anything to write about. I feel like one more picture of my dog, and all of you will unbookmark me. One more day without an update on the office, and you'll lose interest.

But yesterday, I realized something. This blog is called R. Simple Life. You know what that R stands for? Recor. Yep. ME. And J. And Duke. And Calvin. And one day, hopefully there will be more, but for now this blog is about 2 people and 2 pets.

Not about 1 house. Not about 2 bedrooms. Not about 12 picture frames. Not about 3 pallets. About us. And I'm pretty sure most of my readers (hi Grandma!) will be just as excited to hear about J's flying, or my running, or Calvin's tap dancing (okay, maybe that's a little far) as they are about a new dresser, or a DIY duvet, or a handmade scarf.

Now, don't get me wrong. My favorite things to blog about are things I do with my own two hands. I love to find inspiration in the most common of things. I also like to pass along that inspiration to others who can't afford to buy a console table for their entry way, or to those who don't think they can sew. Interior design is one of my favorite subjects to talk/blog/think about (along with weddings, of course). So I do love to feature DIY (do-it-yourself... I just found out my mom didn't know what that meant. So in case you didn't either...) projects, and decorating tips, and new furniture.

But I also love to talk/blog/think about the fact that J is flying 10 feet or less away from another airplane this afternoon (more on that next week). Or Calvin's tap dancing habits. Or Duke's frisbee, walking, and sleeping schedules. Or my job. Or Oklahoma. Or everything else in my life.

So my apology today is for neglecting my blog on days when I don't feel inspired. For those of you who read this blog just to stay close, I'm sure you would appreciate a picture with 40 words, rather than no post at all. So I will do better. I am promising you that.

My desk is much cleaner than this now, but just to keep it real... Sometimes my desk looks like this.

iPhone: Week 8

2011-03-03T07:01:00.001-07:00

Pretty indicative of what I've been

spending my time doing.

Working.

Tomorrow...an apology.

Put Our Service to the Test

2011-03-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I know that we are not done with the office. I've still got three quarters to play. But I'm working with a shoestring budget (literally) and things take time. And I'm not the kind of girl who has the determination to think about just one room in my house.

I want to redo my guest room. I want someone to visit. And when they do, I do not want them to feel like I stuck them in Duke's room. Or a storage closet. Or jail.

Nothing has changed since I took these pictures. Well, I take that back. I currently have a napping husband in there, a few more dust bunnies, and Millie has moved next door to live with the little girls there. I believe her name is Natasha now.

But it still is cold. And practically colorless. And there is a dog cage in there. So I've been daydreaming a lot about that room lately. So you can imagine my surprise when I found an image that is exactly what I had been dreaming of.

Velvet and Linen via Little Green Notebook

No joke. This is what I dream about. Beige linen upholstered headboards. Hotel-like duvets. Trunks at the foot of beds. And whatever that amazing thing is hanging above the bed, I dream about that too. I just didn't realize it until now.

Obviously, the guest room is white with white carpet. Part of that equation works. The other part, I'll deal with (and find a big area rug). But I have plans.

I have a door in my garage that I ~~salvaged~~ saved from one of the houses they were tearing down over the summer. I've been planning on using that for a headboard since the day I found that big beautiful thing.

I also have a crazy DIY plan to get that amazing duvet for cheap, cheap. Like a birdy. Those of you who are savvy to the DIY will probably have already thought of this a while ago, but I'm not sharing my idea until I finish it and have a picture to show it off.

I'm on the lookout for the trunk. Well, technically, I got one of these for my wedding. But the thing is, it's maker became a daddy before I got it. (Yes, I am still waiting, you know who you are...) ;-)

As for the side table, I'm thinking about moving one of the ones from our bedroom (and both when we move to a bigger house) into the guest room. Won't actually do that until I make my headboard (for our room) and get/make less wood-y bedside tables for our room, so for now I'm keeping the chair. Or maybe I'll find something else. Who knows.

I also want to bring in some DIY curtains (maybe navy blue? Dark brown? White?) to class that window up a bit. Since the view from it is really just my neighbors back yard. And a dresser. Something kind of antique and old looking.

Source

So what. I'm a room floozy. But they are all my rooms, in my house. So I can think about whichever one I want to. Whose going to be our first guest and send me into a panic-induced crazy makeover of this room??

Rocks and Rockstars

2011-02-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have something that nobody else does.

Yes, him.

AND..

That big rock.

Just a short post about love and marriage.

Amazing.

2011-02-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

I blame websites like Design*Sponge, Knock Off Wood, Etsy, and Young House Love for my ridiculous Justin Bieber (Never Say Never) attitude. I look at these sites and see all the amazing things people can do with the piece of trash chair they found in the dumpster behind Goodwill, or the 2x4's and 4x4s they find at Home Deopt, or the piece of art they made with barn wood, and I think, I can do that.

I'm here to tell all of you who think "Woah, that (fill in the blank) is so talented, I wish I could be as creative as (her/him/it)." You can do it.

Start small. Recover a pillow. Or skip that nonsense and rip apart your dress, only to put it back together a different way. However you do it, just don't limit yourself. You can do all these things. Sometimes it takes a little practice. Sometimes it comes naturally. Sometimes you're creative enough to think of these things all by yourself. Other times you'll ~~copy~~ take inspiration from a blog, a Pottery Barn catalog, a movie.

And sometimes, you will do something amazing. Like this.

Before (Design*Sponge)

After (Design*Sponge)

With as much blog ~~stalking~~ lovin as I do, I often come across a Before & After so inspiring that I just have to oogle for a few minutes. Today was one those days. A Before & After day on Design*Sponge. It took me a minute to convince myself that this really was the same piece. Alexandra Becket Before & After-ed her whole Craftsman house. The transformation was gorgeous. But I still can't get over these two images.

I hope when you see pictures like this you don't get down on yourself. Don't think "I will never be able to do something like that." Instead, pull up your big girl High Self Esteem (HSE) pants and say, "I can do better." Because even if you can't, wouldn't you settle for doing as well as Alexandra did? It's like that saying about shooting the moon, and stars, and aiming.

I hope I don't sound to high horsey (man I am on a roll with my verbiage today!) with this post. I'm not trying to show off my HSE. I'm just trying to let you see a little how I view things. I have so many people tell me "I wish I was as crafty as you are!" but what they don't know is the secret I just let you in on. I don't know what I'm doing, I just do it.

Anyone of your blog readers already know that secret?? Or care to share any more crafty/HSE secrets?

And Something With Mittens...

2011-02-23T16:50:00.001-07:00

For some people, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens work. Others may be happier with chocolate chip cookies and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Others still may need diamonds and rubies. And while I wouldn't say no to those whiskers on kittens, or a good chocolate chip cookie, today we will talk about a few of my favorite things.

And when I say favorite things, I really just mean things I can't live without. Things I use every day. Everyday items you will find scattered around my house. We all have em. Those things we can't live without. These are mine (in no specific order):

Tennis shoes. There is not a day that goes by where these puppies don't get out of the closet and go for a little ride. Don't believe me? Smell them. I go through running shoes quicker than the average bear, but when you're a runner, that is just the price you pay (literally) if you don't want to end up at the physical therapists office. So therefore, I take good care of these girls.

How does one live without ChapStick brand medicated light blue chapstick? The answer is, one doesn't. Perhaps your flavor of choice is different, but admit it, you use it. A world without chapstick is no world at all. I think Einstein said that.

Hair pins are a girls best friend. Especially when that girl got a really bad hair cut in OCTOBER. And it still is trying to grow back out. I'm not kidding. One day I'll share the butchering that happened on my head. One day I may also be brave enough to get my hair cut again. But until that day, I continue to keep hair pins in my pockets, my desk, my bathroom, my purse, my kitchen, and my husbands pockets (he just doesn't know it).

I will be honest, I hate cell phones. Now, one might ask, why then, Mallory, do you have an iPhone? The answer is this: while I hate cell phones, I love my iPhone. When you work from home, and like to go to the gym, an iPhone can be a lifesaver. It's a camera, access to email, a direct link to the internet, a GPS, and it tells me the temperature. And I can watch Sarah's House on it. How much better can you get?

Good old H20. This girl drinks a lot of it. I have water next to me at all times. In bed. At my desk. On a stationary bike at the gym. With me in front of the tv. I really don't drink much but water. And when you drink that much water, it's handy to have a reusable glass/cup/bottle with a lid. Believe me, the lid is the most important part. I have many that I switch between.

Have you ever heard of WoodWick candles? They are amazing. They sound like a little fireplace crackling away, and they smell amazing. The wick is made of wood, so it makes the soothing sound of a crackling fire. I have these guys all over my house. Office, bedroom, entryway, living room. I love them.

Aside from the obvious (husband, cat, dog, bed, food, and gym) these are a few of my favorite, every day, ordinary things. Things I have all over my house. Things that follow me room to room. One day I will do a post on my favorite things that I don't own. That will be fun. But for now, I'd like to just let you in to the mundane. You're seeing straight into my everyday with this post. Your welcome.

What are your favorite things?

iPhone: Week 7

2011-02-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

The boys have been extra cuddly.

We were all watching squirrels.

The Blogoversary

2011-02-21T08:32:00.002-07:00

Here is the post that was supposed to go out last Thursday (our first blogoversary).

Can you believe R. Simple Life is one whole year old today? Yep. One year ago, I announced to the world that not only were we moving to Oklahoma, but we have entered the blogging world. And oh how things have changed.

I do not write a Christmas letter to send out with our Christmas cards. I find that when you don't have kids, people aren't as interested in your letter. Plus, I just don't have the time. Not around Christmas, at least. And to be honest, I really don't have the time today to think back to a year ago (I was a nanny in Fort Collins, Jon's busiest class was Golf) and update you on our lives from that day forward.

And that is why I keep a blog. It's a great way to spread our love, cheer, and news, weekly, instead of yearly. It takes time everyday, and if I add all the time it takes me in one year to keep this blog going, I would realize it is much more time efficient to write a Christmas letter, but I love blogging. It's a little window into our lives that I love to share with you every day.

Sometimes I miss days. Sometimes I get ambitious and post all week long. Either way, it is a great way for you to see what R. Simple Life is all about.

And to celebrate this first blogaversary, I would like to share a few of my favorite posts from the previous year. Just so you can remember some of the milestones, and see just how far we (and my writing) have come. And because no post is okay without pictures, I'll give you a few of my favorite pictures from the year.

Happy Blogoversary!

.. the first post
..colorado lovin'
..welcome, Calvin
..the first DIY post
..work
..the beginning of wedding week
..oklahoma
..decorating
..the most popular post to date
..marathon
..style me pretty
..homemade

So there you have it! Most of you have already read all of these posts (thanks Grandma!) but I figured I'd share anyway. These are my favorite posts of the last year; the posts that I feel represent the year the best. It's been a wonderful year for blogging, and I can't wait to start the next year tomorrow! Thank you all for reading my disconnected thoughts, random ramblings, and HSE loaded posts.

Here's to another year!

The Air Force Family

2011-02-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our blogoversary. One year of blogging. I had a great post written, looking back on some of my favorite posts from the year, and featuring some of my favorite memories.

I did not post yesterday because my neighbors are facing something no family should ever have to face. I stayed with two of the little girls all night Wednesday and all day yesterday. I am so emotionally tired, I can't even tell you.

I want to respect the family's privacy so I am not going to go into detail about anything that happened here. Just know that there is a family who needs prayers, good thoughts, love, hugs, and anything else you can send their way.

That being said, I have seen the beauty that is the Air Force family. We come together whenever someone needs us, and we are strong. There is so much support in this family. As horrible as what this family is going through, I am so glad they have the entire Air Force family to help them. It will never be easy, and they will never fully heal from this, but they have the love of so many people, probably more than they realize.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

2011-02-16T10:42:00.001-07:00

Since I know some of you may not have appreciated the last post like the rest of us, I'm double posting today! Cue excitement. Yes, you're more excited than you actually know right now.

And because the last two posts have been pretty much dedicated to mushy, ooey, gooey, love...this post is dedicated to destruction. Intergalactic domination. For those of you who know this, I am relieved that I do not have to admit it to you again. For those of you who do not already know this, please don't judge. We all have our nerdy moments.

I love Star Wars. When I was a little girl, I dreamed of one day growing up and marrying Han Solo. I had a Star Wars themed birthday party when I was 10. We went to see the re-release of A New Hope. I have two light sabers in my house right now. And they are foam. So we can really hit each other hard. Real light saber fights.

Phew, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Now, as much as a Star Wars dweeb I am, my husband is about 10x worse. He has a Yoda key chain. He has Star Wars t-shirts. He owns all 6 episodes on VHS, DVD, and is counting down to the Blue Ray release. He has CDs. And listens to them daily. He even listens to the Star Wars NPR radio show every night before bed.

And he plays with Legos.

I've just realized that I have catered to two specific crowds in my double posts today. Hopefully something in one of these two posts entertained you.

Anyway. I love when I find these little Lego guys in different spots than they were before. If it looks deliberate, I know it was my sweet little Star Wars obsessed husband who was playing. If it looks a little more haphazard, I know it was the sinister Darth Calvin...

Yes. We have passed on our love for things that happened in a galaxy far, far away to our "children." We've lost a stormtrooper helmet already. The other day I caught the cat trying to take another helmet to wherever he hid the first one. Our cat loves playing Star Wars Legos.

B H L D N

2011-02-16T09:30:00.002-07:00

I try not to do this. You have to put up with wedding mush galore for a WEEK before our anniversary every year. And even though I love to look at weddings, I know you may not. You do not work for Style Me Pretty. You do not know when all the Spring and Fall collections come out. You do not volunteer your time and creativity to help other people (often complete strangers) make their weddings perfect. You do not call you sister every time you think of a new idea for "her" wedding.

And if you cared, you have probably already seen this.

For those of you who don't care about weddings, we will return to your scheduled blogging tomorrow. I'm sorry. I have to.

Anthropologie has launched a bridal line. Yep. Bridal. B H L D N.

I loved my dress. I still love my dress. I want to dye it red and wear it again. I don't want to have another wedding. I don't want to wear another dress (well at least not outside of the dressing room). But when I heard Anthropologie was adding a bridal collection... you better believe I added the release to my calendar.

And that was Monday. Valentines Day. The ~~wedding~~ world had waited long enough and we now have our B H L D N. We were so happy.

And, I will say it again, I loved my wedding. I would not change it for the world. Seriously. I'm not just saying that to convince myself. I really, truly loved it. But, just for today, we're going to play a game. I'm going to design my wedding fashion, a la B H L D N.

The dress:

The Shoes:

The "veil":

The Bridesmaid:

Now, I know we will all look at these and know this is very current. Trendy. As in, not me.

But today, this is a wedding I want to see. When I shopped for my own wedding, my mission was a timeless look. Something that will always look nice. No poofy sleaves, no cowboy hat veils (I may or may not be talking about a few female relatives of mine who got married in the 80s). And while my wedding might not always been in Vogue (I don't even know if it would have been considered in Vogue in 2009), it will at least be the simple, beautiful, and elegant affair I will always remember.

Nothing like what my wedding would be if these were the fashions. But you can't stone me for loving everything B H L D N has to offer right now.

All images courtesy of B H L D N.

I do hope no one took offense by this post. I think it is obvious how in love I am by everything in the B H L D N line. I find it all beautiful. How do you all feel?

I LOVE Love!

2011-02-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I hope everyone had a great Valentines Day. I did. My husband got home early (think 7:35pm) and we enjoyed a hot dish of stir fried veggies and fish with rice and split J's V Day gift from me... Coke in a glass bottle.

I don't know if its the blog world I've emersed myself into, or if its the industry in which I work, but I was a bit more excited for the love day than usual this year. I'm usually of the "If you love someone, everyday should be a Valentines Day" boat, but this year the thought of spending time making cookies from scratch, picking out that perfect bottle of Coca Cola, and cuddling up with my husband was exciting for me.

Because yes, if you love someone, you should show them that you do every single day. Why would you save all your love for one day? But sometimes it's nice to have that one day to dedicate to love. Because no matter how much we say it, it's always nice to hear.

I'm not saying you have to break the bank. Shoot, I bought my husband two $1 bottles of pop. There are so many ways to celebrate love than spending money. Sometimes it's just nice to know there is love in the world. So I wore red yesterday in honor of love.

PS I love all of you loyal readers for reading my droning on about love, and other things. If this post was just another Valentines Day mush to you, Happy 364 Full Days Without Valentines Day to you!

Magical Growing Rooms

2011-02-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

As you know, we like to work on a minimal budget. And by minimal, I really mean free. If you talk a walk through our house, you will find furniture we have found on the side of the road, some we bought from thrift stores, and others we have made ourselves. Our artwork is usually free/under ten dollars. I like to hunt for a bargain. I like to wait until I find the best deals.

That being said, it takes a while to finish a room at this pace. The office is slowly but surely becoming the room I want it to be, but we still have leaps and bounds before we're anywhere near "finished." The rest of the house is coming along very slowly, if at all.

A week ago, before J left for New Mexico, our guest room consisted of a bed, a dog bed, a dining room chair, and a tub filled with bedding. With the exception of the tub, which is now put away in the closet, it's still the same. But it's bigger. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have discovered the secret of making ordinary rooms grow.

Now, I did not take any before pictures for you, so I cannot really prove I expanded the room with nothing more than my own muscles. The problem was, my brain and hands were moving my quicker than my camera. It was not a planned extension; the idea actually hopped into my head as I was washing my hands in the bathroom across the hall, so I walked right into that room and made some magic. Forgot to take a picture. Whoops.

If you're really interested in seeing a before, you can revisit this home tour of yore, and skip ahead to 1 minute and 35 seconds in. It looked a little something like that. Plus a tub and a chair. Please feel free to mute me.

Now, while this room is no closer to being finished, it is bigger. I swear it. Check it out.

As these pictures were loading, I suddenly got embarrassed. This room is nowhere near done. I can't believe I'm showing it to you in this state. Technically, all it is is a bed and a chair. How lame is that?

But then I remembered that this blog is about our life. And our life is not always perfect. It is not always finished. It's far from where we want to be. So this is like a metaphor for our life. Take it or leave it.

Things I still need to do for this room (besides everything): make a headboard out of the door we found on the side of a house that was being torn down, make curtains, get a dresser (and probably make it pretty, because any dresser we can afford probably won't be pretty), stretch and hang some paintings I have in the closet, find a real side table, get a lamp, maybe a desk? (non-dining room) chair? armoir?, figure out the artwork situation (aside from the aforementioned canvases that need stretching), new bedding (new sheets, new comforter, possibly borrow the duvet from our bedroom, and get a quilt for our room), aaaand break down Duke's cage and move it out to the garage.

Not bad. Lets bring this post back to the positive... I can grow rooms! Don't you agree the room is so much bigger now than when we first moved in? It is, I measured. Its at least 10 feet longer. At least.

Also, I would like to add a disclaimer that the reason for new bedding is that we are using a big chenille blanket with a quilt over top it. Not that I don't love the quilt. The quilt was handmade for us for our wedding, and I love it. It's just a little too small for that bed. I usually use it while watching movies on the couch. The chenille blanket on the other hand, I do not like. Thus, new bedding.

Here is a closeup of that awesome quilt. Side note, does my guest bedroom look like a prison cell to anyone else? If someone is going to come visit me, it will give me a reason to fix this room. Just saying...

iPhone: Week 6

2011-02-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Caption Contest.

Whoever leaves the best caption for this picture

(taken 9 February)

in the comments of this post

wins 2,000 points.

Six Lions and a Peacoat

2011-02-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

White. Mountains of white. Blowing around. Reflecting the sun. Making it hard for Duke to find somewhere in the backyard to do his thing, if you catch my drift. And there are lots of drifts. HUGE drifts. Looking out the window to the front of the house right now, I see a car buried, a patio table heaped halfway to the tip of the umbrella, and a tree that must have strong limbs. I cannot, however, see my shoveling husband, due to the large pile he has created on the side of the driveway.

Yep, snow. We got more snow. Oklahoma is very confused. They don't know what to do. This time, however, I agree with the snow day J is enjoying. There is no way we could have gotten out of our garage, let alone our driveway this morning. And if we got that far, there is no way the streets would have permitted us to get anywhere.

Duke is loving it (well he was loving it, until he had to come inside because there was another dog outside that he just needed to play with. So now, he is under my desk crying. Thus the blog writing, instead of working. Don't really think I need to make a phone call to a photographer with a crying puppy in the background).

J is loving it. And shoveling it. :)

I am loving it. From inside for now, but later we'll head over to the park for the whining, crying puppy.

And it just so happens that I was ready for this. Oh yes, blog readers, I am prepared. Let me tell you what my husband told me when all the stores were having great sales on winter coats last year at the end of the season...

"Don't buy a new winter coat, you won't need it where we're going. Everywhere we could possibly go does not get snow."

Ha. Good thing I'm a coat hoarder. And I still have my coats from high school. Who cares if they are a little big and old? Well actually, I do, so I fixed one. Check out this before.

Yes, I left the dog/cat hair on that coat to make a more dramatic before & after.

It's not horrible. It's not. I wear it, and its fine. It's just a little boring like that. Don't you think? So imagine my excitement when I received a package full of these in the mail last week:

Gorgeous! I'm in love with buttons! That lion even looks a little bit like the lion in the Recor family crest. If only it had two tails. So with a pair of scissors, a needle and some thread, I preformed a little coat makeover. Are you ready for this??

Okay, its not super dramatic, I know. And the coat is still too big for me, which really just means I can wear a shirt, sweater, and a sweatshirt under it to stay warm. But its a bit updated. A bit more Mallory circa 2011, rather than American Eagle circa 2004. Who doesn't love a little bit of gold and navy? Almost as good as navy and white...

So whose running to the fabric store on the way home from work to pick up some buttons? Really, it was an awesome (read:cheap) way to update my coat. To take a coat I had and turn it into a coat I wanted. And it was very, very simple. Maybe not precise, but I'm the only one who will be wearing it, so who cares. Thoughts?

Crazy 8s

2011-02-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

We're going to try something new. Every month. Some may last, some may not. You can join in, but you definitely don't have to. I can be your guinea pig. Let's start from the beginning...

This (and the picture up there) is proof that I have a totally random thought process. I was drying my hair yesterday and thinking about all the different things I want to try. Whether I stick with them or not. I just have so many things I'm interested in. So I am attempting something. Something new, every month. Something that I've always wanted to do. Or something that is crazy enough that I want to try out for a month. Or something that I would like to understand better.

Some of these things might stick. I hope some of them will. Some months I'm positive I will be counting down to the end. I'm sure I'll mess up along the way. I'm sure I will "cheat." But I'm writing the rules, and I think that is okay. And, like everything else in my life, this will only stick around until I get bored of it. Or lazy.

If you want to play along, here are the rules:

1. Something new, every month, for a whole month. The 8th through the 8th. {Or the 9th through the 9th, or the 15th through the 15th. Whatever.}
2. Something fun/crazy/interesting/strange/exciting.
3. You can cheat. It's all up to you to get the best experience you can.
4. You can try my new thing. You can try your own new thing. You can switch back and forth between mine and your own.
5. I want to hear about it. Blog about it. Write me a letter at the end of the month. Email me when it gets hard. I'm curious how many of us will step out of our shells.

If you are wondering what kinds of new experiences I'm thinking about, here are a few, just off the top of my head {no promises I will do any or all of these. And if you have any suggestions for the coming months, let me know!}...

Become a vegetarian.
Walk your dog every morning.
Don't go out to eat. For the whole month.
Wear anything but jeans for a whole month.
Watch only movies, no TV.
Have nicely painted fingernails.

You don't have to be too serious. Have fun with it. Pick a color one month, and wear it every single day. Or you can be very serious. Write a letter to someone you love every single day. I'm not here to boss you around or enforce the rules. It's just for fun {so when it stops being fun, take a break. Or just stop all together}. And don't beat yourself up if you cheat. If you'll remember correctly, it is in the rules that you can cheat.

This month, I am trying CrossFit. It's intense. It's crazy. I've always wanted to do it. I'll let you know how it goes.

Map This.

2011-02-07T15:14:00.001-07:00

You may not have realized he was gone, or that I was unsure of when his return would be, but J got home last night, just as planned {originally}.

I don't like to blog about trips away from home, weather one of us or both of us until after it happens. Never know who reads this thing. Even if we do live on an Air Force base.

You see, this weekend, he flew to Texas. Then New Mexico. Then back to Texas. Then back to Oklahoma. And before he left, they told him to be prepared to be gone until Thursday. Right before he left. Like 1 hour before he left. So needless to say, there was some moving and shaking happening in the Recor house this weekend.

{One wife left to her own devices - one loving husband = home changes.}

And the good news is, one of these changes actually pushed the office a little closer to the finish line. Not too close. More like closer to the halfway point. More like closer to the halfway to the halfway point. But the point is we're moving people! {not literally}

We now have touched on the office before. Once or Twice. Maybe I mentioned this awesome loveseat?

Haha, so funny. This is a long project. But Rome wasn't built in a day! And this office will be the new Rome. It will be powerful. Beautiful. Inspiring. Home of great minds. It might even be a superpower one day. Someday. When it's finished. Baby steps.

Let me just say now, if maps drive you crazy, if you find yourself lost while staring at one, if you literally get lost in one while trying to fold it back up, if the very thought of your GPS {gasp} breaking gives you the hives, turn off your computer. Just do it now. I don't want to be responsible for this.

Still here? Okay good. Hopefully that means you will understand my love affair with maps. I like them, I love them, I can't get enough of them. I don't own a GPS. I believe my phone will act as one, but I have not attempted. We are the people who buy the maps at the convenience store. There is always someone. It's us. I believe we have three maps in our glove compartment right now. Yep. Three.

They are just so beautiful! The lines. The colors. The shapes. The North. The South...okay I'm done. Now remember, I am sharing this office with a boy. A pilot boy. And when I told him I was setting out to make this office "Aviator Chic" he thought I was crazy. But I found a way.

Aeronautical maps. Who knew they were this pretty?? {I did.} So these puppies have found a home. Above those bookshelves {who, by the way, are just dying for a makeover... in fact, they don't know this right now, but I have two pallets leaning against my house right now just waiting to meet up with those ladies}. Am I crazy? Maybe. Am I sentimental? Definitely - the orange map is of Colorado, and the green is Michigan. Next we'll have to add an Oklahoma to the mix.

I ~~like~~ love them. They are perfect for what I am wanting in this room. How are you feeling about them? I apologize for the glare. That huge, obnoxious glare. We have lots of windows. Which means lots of natural light-yay! But it also means lots of glare. {And please don't mention how cluttered my bookshelves are. We're all overly embarrassed about that.}

Also, if you could just keep my friend Amy and her husband Aaron in your thoughts and prayers. They have had quite the day.

iPhone: Week 5

2011-02-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

Tulsa for my birthday.

Freezing cold.

Walked to breakfast.

Bookends. Not What You Think.

2011-02-03T13:44:00.001-07:00

You saw it. You're clever little eyes caught sight of something you've been waiting for. Am I right??

Let's recap. Remember this post? Of course you do. Remember what we started with?

Did you see this picture the other day?

Yep. I've been holding out on you. We "finished" this little guy over a month ago. The reason I have not shared yet, is because it is too cold to polyurethane. And I really wanted him to be finished before I showed him off. But, that may be a while. And I teased you earlier this week. So I decided to share.

I have pictures of the process somewhere, but I'm having difficulties locating them right now. Sorry!

Also sorry that he does not have his polyurethane coat{S} on! He would be a much richer, dark brown color if he did. One day he will completely match my dining room table.

On top of him not having his coat on, he also is not styled. Stacy and Clinton would have a field day on the poor guy. The mirror he's sporting is actually borrowed from our bedroom until I find time to DIY a Pottery Barn inspired mirror to go with my Pottery Barn inspired console. He's got a measly Woodwick and key plate. That's it. I feel like I should be apologizing for his lack of styling. I feel like he's naked. I'm sorry for exposing him so crudely. But you had to see. You had to know I finish projects I start. {Well I almost finish them. And then I use them. And one day I will finish them. All.}

So.... dare I ask? What do you think?

A big, huge thanks to Ana White for providing the amazing plans for this little dude. Seriously. Check her website out. You'll want to make every piece of furniture in your house.

I cannot take responsibility of time wasted on the aforementioned website. This is your warning.

Tulsa, Symphony, BLTs, Flowers, etc.

2011-02-02T13:07:00.001-07:00

I can't decide if I'm prettier this year than I was last year. I feel prettier this year, but that could just be higher self esteem this year, than last. What do you think?

{If you can name the inspiration for that opener, I'll give you 45 points.}

Another year older. Another year wiser. And another year further away from childhood. However, as my lovely grandmother has told me, you don't have to be a grown up until you have wrinkles. And even then it's questionable.

For the big 24 {J's favorite number}, we took a trip to a far off land, full of wonder, beauty, surprises. Tulsa, OK, which some people might say is the Paris of the west, was a beautiful 75 degrees on Saturday to celebrate my birthday. J took me into the city to get our civilization fix. And boy did we find it.

We spent all afternoon shopping at an outdoor mall with stores like Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, Gap, Banana Republic, and Restoration Hardware. Yes people, we are talking about a real mall, not one that consists of an arcade, a Bath and Body Works, and a Sears {like the one in Enid}. Part of my birthday present from my wonderful husband was a mini shopping spree. SO I bought some new clothes.

After stopping by our hotel to change and prettify ourselves, We went down to the art district of Tulsa to enjoy some long awaited wonderful sushi. Yep, Oklahoma, the landlocked state of cowboys and Indians, has good sushi. You just have to drive two hours from my house to get it.

After that, we walked over to the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra where we enjoyed music from Broadway, and Tango music from Quartet San Fransisco. It was beautiful. Music to my ears {wah, wah. bad joke}. What a romantic date! Just my and my studly husband, and the 85 year old woman sitting next to my studly husband, who kept telling us to move away from Oklahoma, go back to Michigan, and wait a while before we have kids. I think she was hired by our families.

We enjoyed our second dinner {sushi was just the appetizer} at the restaurant attached to our hotel. It was magnificent. That, plus the wonderful breakfast we had the next morning, plus the sushi appetizer {and the great service at all three} made us realize we will never go out to eat in Enid again. Good food + good service does not equal Enid dining {at least that we have experienced thus far}.

{just to prove I am not kidding...} Per my request, my birthday dinner this year was...

Amazing.

After running around Tulsa doing the obligatory Target, Petsmart, and Best Buy runs we need to do when we go to the city, we returned home to a dog and cat who were so excited to see us. And for dessert, we had homemade cheesecake at my dear friend Jill's house.

And that is not to mention all the great presents I got this year! Thank you all for being so generous! I'm especially loving the wonderful smelling, colorful addition to my desk...

So I would really like to thank you ALL for your warm wishes on my birthday. I received so much love this year, I couldn't be happier. Here's to another year of renovating, puppy and kitty loving, blogging, working, snuggling, and moving {which I'm sure we'll have some of... Thank you Air Force}.

And speaking of kitty loving, here's a big happy birthday to the large, tuxedo wearing 6 year old we have in our house today. He has been spending his birthday sleeping in different places around the house. {It was a year ago today we picked up our big bundle of joy from the humane society!}

Love my Seat.

2011-02-01T15:07:00.001-07:00

Well, after a balmy 75 degree day Saturday, it's only right that we are snowed in today. It's crazy how different the snow storms are around the country. I've lived in Michigan, where the snow keeps coming down, and turns to a slushy, brown mess the next day. I've lived in Colorado, where the snow all comes at once and stays pristine and white for weeks. And now I've lived in Oklahoma, where we get a few inches of snow that later blow around like crazy, producing blizzard like effects, as well as patches of visible road and grass feet from drifts of snow 2 feet deep.

But I am another year older. {More on that tomorrow} I have gotten some awesome presents this year. Some things that I really, really wanted. So thank you SO much for all my fun new gadgets and toys. And loveseats.

Yep, you heard that right. I was putting away dishes yesterday morning when I heard a knock on the door.

"Here's your couch!" said the UPS man.

My what?!

Yep. The loveseat of this post of yore. One of my loyal, wonderful blog readers agreed with me {in thinking this couch was a fabulous and chic seating option for my husband} and sent it to me for my birthday! Thank you, THANK you!!!! :-)

So are you dying to see it in it's rightful place??? After a little sweat and tears putting it together {not really... well probably a little sweat. But as soon as the man of the house let his little wife help, it went together no problem... funny how that happens} it is ready to be sat on. And Calvin has tested that out.

Seems like his jaunt on Desire to Inspire has gone to his head a bit.

Love it. Do you? I think it is perfect for that space. Now husbands and wives can both sit in the office. At the same time. Not on the ground. :-)

PS. A special thanks goes out to Sandy who keeps an eye on the blog and gives fabulous gifts.

Stay tuned this week for a birthday recap. And perhaps you spotted another post just ASKING to be written in one of these pictures?? Yeah, stay tuned for that too.

iPhone: Week 4

2011-01-27T16:46:00.001-07:00

Snuggling with Mom.

Someone gets cuddly when he's tired.

Bowties = Party

2011-01-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

It's about time we brought a little AF into this thing. Again.

As many of you know, my lovely husband is smack dab in the middle of undergraduate pilot ~~hell~~ training. This means he flies a lot. And he sims {simulator - fake flying} a lot. And he studies a lot. And he has to decide what he wants to be when he grows up. Or at least, what plane he wants to fly when he grows up.

I've talked about it before, so I won't bore you with the details, but I will show you a fun little tradition we got to participate in a few weeks ago.

Each and every student pilot has to be able to {and have the confidence to} fly a plane all by herself/himself. With no one there. And thus, they have solo flights. And after everyone in the class completes the first solo flight, they have a solo party. This may sound like an oxymoron to you, but it's not. {solo party - a party celebrating the completion of all the first solo flights, not a party with one person.}

At said solo party, students mix with instructors. And instructors tell tales of the students first solo {10% true rule applies at all times}. The students pick out an ugly tie and wear it to the solo party. Based on how well the instructor thinks the student did on the solo flight, he cuts the bottom of the tie off. The smaller amount cut, the better the flight. Take a look at J's.

I will give this short explanation. J was the first student pilot to attempt to fly formation {ie very close to another plane} during the landing of his initial solo. We won't go into details. :-)

In order to make him a bit more presentable, I assisted in tying what was left of his tie into a bow tie.

And that was his solo party.

Harry Potter and the Keyring of Saturn.

2011-01-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

I promise, promise, promise I have bigger and better posts coming soon. Meat and potatoes. DIY. Furniture building. Curtains. Art. But today is not the day. Today is the day to share with you the newest member of my key ring. Because I'm so busy. And all I want to do is draw. So hopefully you can forgive the lack of luster today and tune in soon in the promise of sparkle. It's coming. I promise.

They Called it Puppy Love.

2011-01-24T16:50:00.002-07:00

It's like the tortoise and the hare over here. The tortoise being the office redo, and the hare being my life. Things are zooming right along in the House of Recor for all of us...

{Jon is flying his first cross country in a week and a half... using the coast to get him to Florida safely -as well as some instrument only flying- so he has been preparing like a madman for that. Can't wing it on a flight to a place you've never flown to before (pun intended).

I am moving right along with work. I can't believe I'm coming up to the end of my first month at Style Me Pretty. Still loving it. Still keeping me very busy. And get this. I just started training for the OKC marathon/half marathon. As if I didn't have enough going on.

Duke has taken to cuddling by my feet by day, and chasing shadows by night. He also "made friends" with a few ducks. Calvin has switched food and is now on a starvation strike. I don't think it will last long, judging by his enormous gut.But I'm monitoring the situation.}

Enough about the hare. Let's get to the tortoise, for all you shell loving fans out there. The office is slowly but surely moving along to a better place. I shared with you a big mess of ideas already... but I've been working on a "theme" or more like a "feel" for the room {as I don't really love themed rooms}. Since it is an office where both airplane studying and matrimonial eyecandy are both going to be happening on a daily basis, I decided to blend it into an office that is chic, pretty, as modern as I dare go in my house, and function all the while making sure airplanes don't lose their place.

In the prettiest way possible.

So we are going for Aeronautical Chic, in case you skipped over that mumbo jumbo right up there. It will be very tricky to stay away from campy, tacky, or piloty while still incorporating a bit of the sky into the room, but it can and will be done. I ~~sort of~~ have a plan. At least I know what my "artwork" will be {but more on that later}.

Anyway, I know this was a long post of verbiage, but here is your reward for making it this far. Kissing pictures. Yes, I am a girl with lips for my kids. And when I say kids, I mean animals. But you knew that. I try to move my mouth away before they kiss back though, in case you just were sick to your stomach. Anyway, here is a kiss shared with Calvin last week...

And here is one for the dog lovers out there, taken this weekend...

{No I am not always gross with a headband in my sweaty mess of a ponytail. Both photos were taken after returning from the gym. Also, they were taken from my computer. Not my new camera. Sorry.}

Notice anything?? Yes! I moved a few things around. But for now, this is all you get. A little sneak peak. Just for you. :-) Anything you want to see in the office redo? Share! Especially if you think it fits in with the Aeronautical Chic thing we've got going on.

iPhone: Week 3

2011-01-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Someone had a little too much Starbucks.

Oklahoma the Beautiful

2011-01-18T14:04:00.001-07:00

I'm writing this post in hopes it will take my mind off of the disgusting, horrible, stinky, customer service mess that is DirecTV. But enough on that... we're trying to clear our minds.

When we lived in Colorado, we were lucky. We walked out the front door and saw mountains. We hiked every night with Duke. We took three bike rides a day. I could train on hills like it wasn't a thing. We could go out to eat and be so happy with what we had. We were surrounded by people who enjoyed a lot of the same things we did.

Then we moved to Oklahoma. And I actually was a little sad the other day when someone wished that "I was not hating Oklahoma as much anymore." I'm really sad that I left that impression on you. Sure, it's not Colorado. It's not Michigan, Texas or South Dakota either. It's Oklahoma. And that is not a bad thing.

I have made it my mission to be the best tourist I can be. I have not done as well a job as I had hoped to do originally, but that is what happens when you have a husband who studies on the weekends. I'm still trying though. When faced with what to do on my birthday weekend, we have decided to go to Tulsa and take in some museums and local flavor. I'm planning on running the half marathon for the OKC Memorial (or maybe full... but I don't want to promise myself into something I may not have time to train for...). I'm excited to try the little diners along the road. I'm excited to camp in Oklahoma. I'm excited to find the coolest, prettiest, most fun spots of this toothbrush.

So with that in mind, I decided to take J and Duke out. Past the gates of the base. But not so far that I was no longer in sweet, old Enid. Our favorite Saturday pastime in CO was hiking. So I decided we needed to get outside and "hike." {hike is in quotations because I still have a hard time calling it hiking if I'm able to wear my J. Crew rubber boots.}

We needed to enjoy the beauty of Oklahoma. To do that, I knew the thing we needed to do most was to get outside and away from people. That was when we always loved Colorado the most. So that was when we were going to love Oklahoma the most.

So I would just like to apologize if I gave the wrong impression. No, Oklahoma was not our first choice of bases. And no, I don't want to live here forever. But I, under no circumstances, hate it. Not even a little. I actually really like OK. We've talked about coming back here at some point in J's career so he could be an instructor pilot and we could live a slower pace of life again. Be on the lookout for more OK posts soon.

Want to vacation in OK now?

He's Made It.

2011-01-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Calvin, that is. He's famous. He already stopped talking to us "little people." He's been on the phone with his agent all morning, trying to book a flight to LA, as he is convinced he is the next Beethoven, or Garfield.

Wonder what I'm talking about??

Take a look over here.

Round One

2011-01-14T16:09:00.003-07:00

Well, we have a nice long weekend in front of us (at least the men in the house do). So I suppose that means I am going to try to get a few projects finished up, as well as learn more about my new favorite toy. I'm still practicing. A lot. And since the best time for pictures is during the day when I'm locked in my house with my cat and dog, Calvin and Duke are the subject of most of my pictures.

I figured I would take a second today to answer the question we get asked most when people first learn we have both the feline and the canine species coexisting in our house: Do Duke and Calvin get along?

(As Always, you can click on the picture above to make it bigger)

The answer? Calvin keeps Duke in his place.

Have a great weekend everyone! And a happy MLK Jr. Day too :-)

iPhone: Week 2

2011-01-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

A few words may be necessary this week.

I was putting away laundry when the drawer fell out and hit my foot.

In the three seconds (no joke) it took me to complain about the pain, Calvin had found his new hiding place.

He explored, removed clothing from other drawers, and would not come out until I pulled him out.

He's just waiting for a second chance.

The Office: The Vision

2011-01-11T18:40:00.001-07:00

First, there was a mass organization. Then came the boy decor. Finally, we needed to style me pretty.

So I did research. I looked through my favorite magazines and catalogs. I looked through my "Inspired Bookmarks" on Mozilla. I searched the web. I listened to you. And I've made headway on the office.

And when I say headway, I mean it. Because as of yet, it is all still in my head. Yes, I have moved my desk. And yes, I put a mirror on it. But I should mention the aforementioned desk is now shoved into the same corner as the book shelf. This means all the furniture (and honestly, all the stuff) is in one half of the room. With the exception of my "Keep Calm and Carry On" print.

As you can see, I do not exaggerate (at least not right now). If anything, negative progress has happened in the office. But not in my noodle. Nope, I've got it all in there. It'll take some time to collect all the pieces of the puzzle, but soon enough, it will get there. Wondering what I've got? Here is my inspiration.

Yes, pallets. If you spend as much time as I do on the design blog world, you'll know these are a hot commodity. And I'm using them to give my old bookshelves a face lift.

Get excited now.

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We need seating in there (aside from the one desk chair) and I know just where to put it.

The spot that J always crouches when he comes to visit me at work.

And this great loveseat from Target might be just the ticket.

Source

I'm loving flannel lately. The texture, the warmth, the colors.

I'm probably going to try to bring in some flannel in pillows. We'll see.

Source

I love chalkboards. I know they are trendy. So I will spend little money, and DIY one myself.

But it will be so nice to be able to jot down notes on something other than my Airmen and Family Readiness Center pad of paper.

Source

The curtains. Oh the curtains. Stripes. White. Love, love, love.
DIY, I suppose!
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And the pièce de résistance.

No not a belt. But I am using this as my inspiration for the top secret, most exciting project of the room.

And I need your help.

Source

I am looking for old leather (or good pleather) belts. Lots of them. I'm scouring thrift stores and closets (most owners know I'm there). But I still need more. I need lots and lots of leather belts. So please, please, please if you have even one old leather belt you no longer use, I need it. I'll even pay for the shipping. And I will also let you in on the secret project. So look through your closets and let me know.

Like I've said before. It will take a while. It will be slow. It will be one day at a time, but eventually, my office will be pretty. It will be organized. It will look like a girl works there (and a boy). Anything changing around your house?

Clutching to Christmas

2011-01-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

You remember my clutch.

You remember you frustrating it was that I had too many pockets. Too big of a purse. Well, apparently, it is just as frustrating to others. I had a few orders for clutches as Christmas presents. I was a clutch machine the week leading up to the big day. And I'll let you in on a little secret. I loved making them. They're so easy. And it's so much fun playing around with different sizes and designs.

And now that I have been guaranteed that all those receiving their clutches have done so, I am ready to share. Are you ready to see?

And that's that. Anyone else do any crafting/DIY for Christmas? Those are my favorite kinds of presents to receive, the ones that are handmade and heartfelt.

iPhone Week 1

2011-01-06T20:10:00.001-07:00

We got iPhones. And we love them. (thank you so much mommy dearest for the wonderful Christmas present).

These are a few of my favorite things (about the iPhone4)

I get to FaceTime with the people who are so far away physically, but oh so close emotionally.
The Apps! Who knew I was an app fanatic? (Pandora, Netflix, Yoga, Star Wars Arcade Falcon Gunner and HGTV are my faves)
I get my email on my cell phone! Both accounts!
I always, always have a camera with me (even when I don't have my new fancy pants camera).

Number Four leads me to the beef and potatoes of this post. I will be starting a segment on the blog. It won't always be on Thursday, and it won't always be every week, and to be honest, it will only last until it is not fun anymore, but I am starting it. Every week, I will feature a picture of our every day life (from my iPhone). The mundane. The beauty in the everyday.

In short, welcome to my ~~iPhone~~ life. It's beautiful.

Enid Sunset

January 3, 2010

The Life of a Cat and Dog, BFFS

2011-01-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing with my new camera. I haven't had a chance to read through the manual yet, since I've been so busy. However, I have realized something.

I am obsessed with my pets.

Another Office Redo

2011-01-04T15:25:00.001-07:00

I started my new job today, and although it was just a day of training, I am beyond excited to be working for Style Me Pretty! To sum up my first day of work, I sat in my office, on my phone, eating grapes, and trained with two other new girls. And it was a lot more exciting than that sounds, believe me.

While I was sitting in my office for 6 hours today, I realized (again) that this office is b o r i n g. Not just boring, plain. Not just plain, ugly. Not just ugly, hurts my eyes to look at anything in here. I love this room because of the amazing light we get from the north and west facing windows, but that is about all it has going for it. It is a box. A box with a closet. A box with a closet that a boy has been using as his office for the last five months. The only feel/theme/personality this room has is "Undergraduate Pilot Training." Seriously, I have a model of an air plane sitting under the lamp my lovely pilot hubs has had since before I knew him (the lamp, not the plane. We got that a few moths ago from the toy section at Walmart.)

Yes. I know. Horrendous. Tremendously horrendous. Not pretty. So my next step is to redecorate. As we all know, I'm cheap as a little robin, so it will probably be a while before I have enough time to collect everything I want to complete this room. But little by little, it will become the office I will love to work in everyday. It will become pretty and it will look like it belongs to a girl.

Now, I have to make my first decision, and I want your opinion. We all know the rest of my house is Pottery Barn (the look, not the price). It's neutrals, it's a little coastal, it's a little traditional with a teeny, tiny modern twist to it. The question therein lies: Do I do my office with the same feel? Lots of neutrals? Navy blues? Or do I go completely out of the box and style it real pretty and feminine? Or maybe somewhere in between (lets not forget that the man of the house will still be using this room in the evenings for study time)?

Some things to consider. The desk, computer, printer, and ~~probably~~ bookshelves all have to stay. I'm going for low budget here, and that means changing out the decor, hanging curtains, finding the perfect rug, not replacing all the furniture. So think about it. And let me know what you come up with.

Shake it Like a Polaroid Picture.

2011-01-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

On the Tuesday after Christmas, my true love gave to me.... A Nikon D3100.

Yes, this was the year of photography. For those of you who are not privy, J and I do not exchange presents Christmas day (aside from helping Santa with each others stockings). Instead, we pool the money we would have otherwise spent on smaller gifts for each other, combine it with the Christmas moolah we get from others, and buy ourselves something nice and pretty. Last year it was a memory foam mattress and a desk (which will come in handy in my new job!) and this year it was a camera.

This is the little fella I have been using to document our lives. And while he lasted me a good 4 years, it was high time for a little upgrade. And thus, the Nikon D3100 was brought into the Recor house. I am still learning a lot about this handsome guy, and I promise after I come back from playing with him for days and days, I will post some pictures of Oklahoma, planes, Calvin, and everything else. Possibly shoes. Who knows.

What did you get for Christmas???

PS I did not forget about you faithful blog readers, you are the reason I get on this computer every day. However, the last ten days, I have had my husband all to myself, so I have been taking advantage of the drop in airplane talk, and increase in cuddle time. As things start to get back to normal in the new year, I will be back. Almost daily. XOXO

Oh Happy [Boxing] Day!

2010-12-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday filled with laughter and cheer, warmth (and snow), and lots of delicious food. We did. Everything but the snow. No white Christmas in Oklahoma this year. But we did have lots of laughter, cheer, and surf and turf! Before I'm ready to close the book on Christmas 2010, I'll give you a little show of what our Cowboy Christmas was like.

I love Christmas :-) Only 364 more days until Christmas! Or better yet... only 36 more days until my birthday! I should start my birthday list now...

Because you were so patient and did not pressure me at all into telling my great, exciting news (except for you, Michelle) I am ready to share. Drum roll please....

I got my dream job.

Yes, my dream job. What is that, you ask? I work for The Little Black Book. Which is a part of

Style Me Pretty

For those of you who don't know what that is, I will explain. It is the ultimate wedding resource for brides. Filled with amazing real weddings, beautiful wedding inspiration, and the most current bridal trends. It is the blog I visit every day. It is the first thing bookmarked at the top of my Mozilla page. In short, it is a wedding blog. But not just any wedding blog, the wedding blog.

I do not say all this because I am now an employee. I would have told you this two weeks ago, before I even applied for the job. I would have told you this two years ago, before I was even married. So now you can see why I am so excited to be working for this company.

I am a Research Colleague for The Little Black Book, the part of Style Me Pretty which works with vendors. We have vendor relationships all over the country, and it is only growing. This means I get to work with and talk to (on a daily basis) people who love weddings as much as I do. People whose livelyhood depend on weddings. In short, people just like me.

I work from home, which means I can take this job with us wherever we get stationed. Born in New York, raised in Michigan, educated in Colorado, and now in Oklahoma, I am a person who is bound to be moving a lot. The Air Force pretty much guarantees it that way. And with the wedding industry being based on the relationships you make, being a successful wedding planner was going to have to wait until we separated from the USAF. But now, I get to take my job with me. I get to stay with The Little Black Book wherever I go. I get to work from home, and stay ~~current~~ ahead of the curve in the industry I love.

So there you have it. There is my wonderful news. I have my dream job.

Merry Christmas to All!

2010-12-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

This morning, when I got home from teaching at the gym, J yelled from the bedroom (where he still hadn't gotten out of bed): "IS IT CHRISTMAS EVE TODAY?!"

When he realized today was actually Christmas Eve's Eve, he wasn't too disappointed, as he still had the day off of work, and was able to sleep through my core class AND step aerobics class. But, because tomorrow is Christmas Eve, I'm not sure if I'll be at the computer. Same deal Saturday. So I am taking today to wish a

Merry and Bright Christmas

to all you readers. So I leave you today with our virtual Christmas card, and warm wishes that you have a wonderful Christmas. I'll be back after the holiday with my big news!

Shouting it from the Tabletops!

2010-12-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know I got some amazing news today. Amazing. Like shout-it-from-the-rooftops amazing news. So amazing, I jumped out of my seat. But you're going to have to wait to hear it. I've got to pinch myself a few more times before I am ready to make this announcement. Please be patient!

And because it is Christmas Eve Eve Eve (as my mom would say) I wanted to continue with the Christmas Showdown. Or the Ho Ho Ho Down (since we are in the dust bowl). Either way, I an here today with another little holiday vignette. In the form of a dining room table.

We have no fireplace. Or staircase. So the stockings were hung on the back of the chairs as a temporary location while we were unpacking all our Christmas goodies. I was going to think of a "better" place for them. But I actually kind of like them there. Call me crazy.

As for the centerpiece (Thank you Grandma!) Jon and I received this beautiful piece from my grandma as a Christmas present. It works so well with the rest of our Christmas Simple Decor, and it brings a pretty pop of color to the dining room. Around the flowers are some of our wedding candles as well as lots of flowerettes made of the same fabric as our stockings!

Are you ready for Christmas?? I'm just about there. Santa and I are working together for the last of J's stocking stuffers. Do you do stockings? This year, like last year, J and I are getting one big present for ourselves (this year it is a Nikon D3100!!). This means all we get to pick out for each other is whatever Santa puts into our stockings. So stockings are always fun for me. :-) Oh yeah, I'm not pregnant, that is not my news!

Love your Bagel.

2010-12-21T16:20:00.002-07:00

Yep. That is my heart shaped asiago cheese bagel sandwich. Thought you could use a little love and happiness today. Four days til Christmas!

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

2010-12-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

At some point in this crazy thing we call "Living with the Air Force," we will take a vacation. The next year (well, until September at least) is going to be spent in training. After that there is, you guessed it, more training. But we are hoping to sneak a nice, long vacation in there somewhere.

Where, you ask? We're not sure yet. It's quite some time away, and it depends on what we can afford, how much time we have, as well as what else (weddings, etc) is happening around the time we take our vacation. I will warn you now, so you have months to get your disappointment under control, it will not be Michigan.

While we love MI, and even more importantly, love the people in MI, we have spent too many "vacations" running around MI. We want a real vacation. I do not say this to be mean. But to put it in perspective, at least to all you Michiganders, you live, work, and exist in MI. Would you also like to vacation in Michigan?

On our list of possible vacation spots include a large variety. After living in Enid, America for over a year, we may need a jaunt to the Big ~~City~~ Apple, where we could take in fall (or winter) weather in Central Park, Shop (even if it is just the window kind) on 5th Avenue, or have cocktails above the city lights.

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On the other hand, it might be nice to get away to a beautiful, snowy, winter wonderland. And thus, Alaska should be on our list of possible vacations. We want to enjoy the crisp Alaskan air, maybe see a few bears, and definitely a moose, and spend time outside. In the beautiful snow. With trees. And mountains. Just a thought.

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Then again, we may need a little magic in our lives after a long year of studying. And after all, I have been waiting about 13 years for this. I read that my hopes and dreams would become a possibility about 6 years ago on a little place I like to call MuggleNet. Of course I am talking about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

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Quite possibly, we may need to revisit the scene of our engagement: Disney World. I'd love to spend a few days visiting Cinderella in her castle, high five-ing Mickey at Epcot, sledding at Blizzard Beach, and watching the fireworks with my husband. To me, Disney World is always on the list.

With the all you can eat lobster tail, steak, pizza, and french fries, maybe a cruise is the way to go! Hop on a boat down in the Caribbean somewhere, enjoy the multiple destinations, the sandy beaches, and the good food. J has been on one, I have not. He's been telling me every since that he would take me on one, some day. Perhaps someday is after UPT?

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I guess we have a while to think and dream about all these vacations (and maybe think up a few more!) before it is time to book it. An option is always to combine a few of these as well. All I know is that when we finally do get to take out biggest vacation since our honeymoon, it will have been greatly anticipated and ever greater-ly deserved (J has been working his butt off. And it only gets harder every day).

Where would you go?

Lay Down Your Sweet Head.

2010-12-15T15:20:00.001-07:00

Moving right along with our minimal Christmas decor. As you probably know by now, I love to have a feeling of the season in my decor, but I don't want to change everything in my house to make sure there is a Santa head on it. Who knows, maybe one day my decorating sense will change and I will want a Santa head on everything. But for now I don't.

Which is why, when I decided to cover up the nautical pillows on the couch, I did not decide to go with fleece snowmen and real, glittery Rudolf noses. No, instead I went subtle. Subtle Christmas colors, in two non-traditionally Christmas patterns: floral and striped (of course). And thus, my couch went from looking like it belongs in Seaside, FL...

To warming us with its Christmas Cheer!

The pillow covering project actually started as a sewing lesson for my good friend Jill (don't ask me why she thinks I am an expert at sewing. She also thinks I am an amazing yoga-ist. Yes, it's a word.). She had bought a sewing machine from our favorite thrift store and wanted to see if it worked, all whilst adding a little holiday cheer to her couches.

Long story short, her sewing machine did not work, so it was more a lesson of how to use Mallory's sewing machine, which turned into, how to watch Mallory, and trying when she makes me, make a pillow. I love that girl.

So two of the pillows have zippers so I can reuse the pillow cases next year. And because I had originally only planned on using the flower fabric for one pillow, and was going to have a seam in the back if I used it for a second (which I did, we all know I break all rules of crafting. Martha would hate me), I did not use a zipper for the final pillow, but instead, made it like an envelope. I really don't know what the method I used is technically called, but you know the kind... Where the back overlaps by a few inches, but there is a big whole in the middle? Like a pillow sham.

And that was it! Now our couch is festive as well. And subtly so, just the way I like it. Do you like it subtle? Or are you a loud and proud Christmas fiend? I find myself going back and forth, year after year. This year I'm minimalistic. Maybe it's because I'm a little birdy (cheap cheap). What do you think?

Christmas Vignettes

2010-12-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

UGH. Do you ever find something so inspiring, so unique and so awe inspiring, you just want to give up everything and move to Canada??

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I'm slowly coming out of my dreams of Canadian Christmases on the water, and even more slowly coming back to the reality of my Oklahoma Christmas on base.

Don't get me wrong. I love my house. I do. I get amazing natural light. Its the perfect size. And it is filled with the ones I love most.

I especially love my house all decked out in Christmas decor. For those of you who know how I roll, you know I'm not a crazy seasonal decorator. Now, that being said, I want you to know it is Christmastime when you enter my house. So I've hung the stockings on the back of the dining room chairs with care, dressed the tree with love and red, covered up the nautical pillows, and added a few little touches here and there. Today we will focus on one of the "little touches."

You may remember the (unexpected) splash of navy and white I had hanging above the couch before the holiday season. It did not fit in. While I love navy and white, when it comes to Christmas, I subscribe to the green, gold, red, and white color scheme. So with a spare bit of fabric (a hint for tomorrows post) and a vintage 'Twas the Night Before Christmas book (I scored from the thrift store for 78 cents!) I used frames I already had and created a little visual vignette for your viewing pleasure.

And I know what you're thinking.

That looks awesome Mallory! You rock! I love your house and your style! Come to my house and decorate! What are in those frames?

Why thank you for wondering! I cut up the old St. Nick book and framed them in dollar store frames (which, in spite of the following pictures, are all the same color).

So, if you consider that the fabric would have just been thrown into the scrap drawer (as it was meant for a different project), plus I had all 7 frames on hand, I spent 78 cents on this arrangement. Not bad, eh? What cheap and luxe holiday decor have you been working on lately? Impressed with the 78 cent price tag? Or maybe you have me beat, 52 cents, anyone?

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-13T18:42:00.001-07:00

As you may remember, somebody recently had a mini melt down over her fake Christmas tree. Because she has the most wonderful husband in the world, she now has a short, fat, delicious smelling, green, shedding, REAL Christmas tree in her corner.

J and I went two weekends ago (I know, I know, I've been holding out) to cut down our tree. We drove down to Edmond, OK to the Sorghum Mill Christmas Tree Farm to pick our our tree. We walked around for about an hour, seeing all different kinds of trees. We saw tall, skinny trees, short, fat trees, twirly Dr. Seuss-esque trees, and little baby trees (that weren't ready for chopping just yet). We found our tree pretty early on, but continued to look around to make sure it was indeed the best tree available. And boy was it.

This little baby stands about 6 and a half feet tall, is as big around as he is tall (almost), and he is a little front heavy. Sort of reminds me of Jo's description of Professor Slughorn...

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We brought our little tree home and got to dressing him. White lights, red, gold, and green balls, and a select few special ornaments. The burlap sack at the base makes Calvin's favorite hunting spot all that much more comfortable.

(I know that picture of Calvin is under our fake tree. But believe me, he does it under this one too).

My favorite thing about the tree is how is sparkles through the window at night. Since we are the Grinch and Scrouge, and haven't put up ANY lights outside, it's nice to show that we are at least a little festive.

And Duke is working very hard not to knock into it while he chases his tail.

So there you have it! What does your Christmas tree look like? Are you a themed Christmas person? All one color, one theme? Or do you like the modge podge of homemade ornaments with crazy colored lights? Maybe you prefer a fake silver tree? Anyway you look at it, a Christmas tree all decked out in the window is the best way to start the festive feelings, at least in my opinion.