Monday, June 29, 2009

Booked....er Magazined?

I'm up to my eyeballs in the Southern Belle Society publication! I'm the editor for this years publication(s) and am working on the large glossy magazine. I have a staff of writers, photographers, ad sales reps, but they're all volunteers for the society so all I can do is gently encourage that everything be submitted timely and also print ready. Therefore for the next few days I'll be compiling, editing, selling (I know there are more ads to be sold!), and laying out the large fall glossy magazine. This kind of work is in my blood and I'm not complaining because I mostly enjoy it....but I'll be a bit of a busy bee.

Buzz Buzz!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Still Recovering

I get home from the beach with all of it's fresh, sea salt air and return to the allergen, pollen, ragweed filled air of MyTown and haven't quit coughing since! I'm so miserable from coughing during the night and not sleeping to coughing during the day until my throat hurts and wah wah wah I want to wine about it.

I finally went to the drugstore for some medicine becuause I thought I'd seriously check into a 12step program if I kept downing the homemade remedies that is m00nsh!ne. Hopefully I'll return to the land of the living soon.

But allow me to leave you with this painful observance. While at Walgreens I saw a woman in pigtails. She was sixty if she was a day! Please, for the love of all that is good, do not sport pigtails post college! It's a bad, BAD, idea! It's most especially bad at a grandmotherly age. Just don't!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

And tomorrow it's back to the grind

Vacation is over.

I've got more laundry to do than you can shake a stick at.

That's a lot of laundry by the way.

I need a vacation to recover from vacation.

Exhausted!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Packing Packing Packing

swimsuit: CHECK
sunscreen: CHECK
toothbrush: CHECK
pearl earrings: CHECK

Well I'm packed and ready to go. Look out beachfront property.....here come the Bellas!!

I'll be sunning myself on the lovely southern coast for the next week, enjoying fresh seafood straight from the docks, poolside sun-bathing in the afternoons, and of course: outlet shopping like it's the finals in a beach volleyball tournament!

Don't cry for me dear friends. I'll some how survive it!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Seventh Generation Prize Pack

Y'all I won a huge prize pack from the fine folks at Seventh Generation. I love it because Seventh Generation because it's all eco friendly. You know I love eco friendly cleaners. I've even went as far to make my own cleaners (anything can be done with vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and plain dish detergent!) but readily available ones are easier. I'd only tried a little of the Seventh Generation at a friends house because I've never found a coupon for it and we all know I like my coupons!

I'm super excited to try the complete line! Check out the goodies Mr. FedEx man brought me today!

THE BOX!
JUST INSIDE THE BOX!
THE BAG!! OH THE BAG!
AND EVERYTHING INSIDE THE BAG!
I got the cute little reusable shopping bag. LOVE reusable shopping bags. I don't enter any retail establishment without them. Inside were eco-recycled paper towels, and six bottles of every variety of cleaner possible! I can't wait to get started. It may be a spring cleaning redux!
Oh, and I wont the Seventh Generation prize pack by simply leaving a comment over at Blissfully Domestic. I'm hoping I have the same luck with the $100 Home Depot gift card AND the 55" Vizio television.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Two roads diverged in the woods and I...

The Bellas have been attending a new church. (I know if you follow we just did this like a year and a half ago) and we really enjoy it. Mr. Bella volunteers with on of the ministries and knows a lot of people. It's a lot of very young couples and children and very full of life. It's our niche choice of a PCA but also very contemporary.

Since being there I've reconnected with several acquaintances and people I knew from college. I also keep running in to people who are friends of friends. It really is a small world.

Last night Mr. Bella and I attended a bible study about marriage and it was a great opportunity to connect with other young marrieds. As I caught up with a few people I couldn't help but notice how very different our lives were.

Example 1: Guy, acquaintance from campus ministry in college and his wife D. They have been on staff of that ministry for several years. Thus they work hard for fundraising to raise their own support to do what the do with the students. They travel to raise awareness and in turn money. When the economy nose dives so does their support so they work harder. They live like a college kid attending their meetings and working with their crazy schedules.

Wowza!

Example 2: Gal, friend of roomie and acquaintance from different campus ministry. Just moved back to MyTown from Brooklyn. Why in Brooklyn? To see what was there! Moved to Brooklyn from San Antonio, moved to San Antonio from...... you get the picture. She and her husband are both artists (of what nature I'm not sure) and are quite nomadic hopping from place to place in the four-five years since they graduated.

Wowza!

I look at these very different and somewhat exciting lives and think about the path I chose. I was very eager to dive into suburbia. I wanted a cute little abode with decor that would be pictured in a magazine. I wanted to do all of my errands in a little SUV and walk the dog in the park. I wanted to join the SBC and make tennis dates and enjoy lazy evenings on the patio with my husband and future family. I wanted to live in a my (or a few other options) of a laid back Southern town with a city just large enough to have a lot to offer but small enough to be home for me.

I'm fairly certain no one looks at that life and says Wowza! But I got exactly what I wanted! Maybe these other types do look at a different lifestyle and think Wowza! While I'm fascinated by their lives it's definately not a lifestyle for me. But I often like to step in another's shoes and hear their stories and wonder what I'd have been like if that were for me. If that were the road I'd taken.

Do you often wonder what your life would be like on a slightly different path? Or wish you'd chosen a different way? Or even plan on changing your current choice?

Friday, June 05, 2009

Tomorrow

I've just learned that I'm going to have the WHOLE day to myself tomorrow. I realize I technically have lots of days to myself since I'm a domestic goddess (har har) but those days are filled with laundry, cleaning, laundry, errands, laundry, cooking, did I say laundry? Oh, and of course working on things for the shop.

But all of that is taking care of. Mr. Bella is going to visit his parents and I'm staying behind because of a late afternoon commitment. BB is going to visit some friends as well. I hate that we're not spending the day together on Saturday per usual, but I'm eager for some projects I can do.

SO many projects on my list of things I can do! I'm actually hoping for rain so I'll stay indoors and work on my crafty aspirations.

Because if the sun comes out I'm likely to show up at my friend Gwen's house with bourbon slush and my swimsuit.

Just Dandy

I hate the TV in our living room. I actually hate having a TV in the living room period! But it is convenient and where Mr. Bella watches Fox News every day at lunch. So I digress.

As I'm switching, changing, and rearranging everything in our house I decided that the ugly box TV had to go. I hate entertaining in the space and seeing it when you walk in the door.

See?



And see the cute leg and to your left in that picture? Here he is too! He loves lying beneathing the coffee table.


Ok so big ugly TV had to go. I decided a flat screen was in order. Something neat and tidy and I could be easily ignored.

So last night after dinner I took my happy little self to the discount warehouse (with Mr. Bella in tow!) and purchased this little ditty:



Fancy, huh? It's about 10 inches bigger than the size I had in mind for the space, but it was such a fantastic deal and still looks SO much better than the big ugly old school box. It fits the space SO much nicer.

Now I'm just afraid I'll never get the boys out of the living room!

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

A bit much, ya think?

Dear Hobby Lobby,

It's June. It's barely June. I've not even taken my first summer vacation yet. As I walked your aisles today I saw that all summer items were half off or more! Yea! But the reason being because the fall and Christmas items were already gracing your store. Could you give me at least until football season starts in August to see such things? This is a bit overdone.

Thanksomuch!
Mrs. Bella

PS: It's 90 degrees today. Not exactly a backdrop for Christmas Carols!

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Not the weaker sex

  • Wake up at 7:30 and make coffee
  • Start laundry
  • Use stain fighting powers to get red wine out of Mr. Bella's clothes.
  • Take dog on walk
  • More laundry
  • Use stain fighting powers to get red wine out of Mr. Bella's clothes.
  • Clean kitchen
  • Clean baths
  • Office work (I'm the Editor for the SBC annual report and newsletter)
  • More laundry
  • Use stain fighting powers to get red wine out of Mr. Bella's clothes.
  • Vacuum, sweep, mop
  • Fold laundry
  • Grocery store
  • More office work
  • Mow grass (YES! I mowed the grass!)
  • Make dinner
  • Eat dinner (Mr. Bella is home at this point!)
  • Trip to Home Depot for paint
  • Water plants
  • Monogramming orders
  • Return emails/phone calls
  • Shower (ugh! finally!)

And men think they wear the pants?