Bristol.

Got up as early on a Saturday as I usually do during the week. Today is the last of our GS council's 100th Anniversary events - an overnight at the Bristol Motor Speedway, near our Johnson City office. I am pretty excited to head up there because I have never seen any of the Nascar tracks from up close and we will be doing lots of behind the scenes stuff too. However, it is a 4 hour drive and we are doing it both ways today because we (K and I) could not participate in the overnight portion (details below). So, it is 7:45 in the morning and I am showered, dressed, and about to walk out the door. We will be driving up to help with set up most of the day, our shift is working to serve dinner, and then we will be driving back tonight - really, really late. It should be a superbly fun day - K and I always have a giggle when we are together - but it will be a long day too.

Anyway, we have to come back tonight because we are walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure tomorrow in the early afternoon. Essentially, we could have spent the night in Bristol but if we come back tonight it means that we can sleep late in our own beds and get to the race on time. It is going to be a fun weekend of doing lots of new things but long too.

Then, Monday is back to work. But Tuesday, a few of us are driving to Ikea in Atlanta to buy some things for our shops. I am pretty stoked about that too...it means I get to probably sneak a little time in with my sister and come on, who doesn't love Ikea. So, this weekend and week aren't all bad! :)

Craftiness.

I have had a few rare nights off recently and I am almost back in the crafting groove. I did say in this post that I was going to do something crafty with the acorns that I swept off the in-laws back porch and I did! Though while trying to get the pictures off my camera, the battery died, the hard drive wouldn't sync, and the computer needed to be plugged in so it has taken me a while to get them to you! So, it isn't all that crafty but it is fall-y and fun. (p.s. fall is my favorite season...photographically and in life...just so you were warned of the fall goodness that is to come). 

I already had everything on hand except the acorns so it was an easy fun addition to my table.

I lurve fall!!

Since my entire living room and dining room are painted yellow, white balancing these photos is insanity (thus why all pictures taken inside my house look yellow-ish).

Lovely.

I have zero complaints about the weather recently. The rain moved through last weekend and early in the week and left us with absolutely perfect weather from Wednesday onward. Highs in upper 70's and lower 80's...high 50's and 60's at night. Our windows have been open for a few weeks now but this week the house temperature was just about as perfect as it was outside. Past few days have been sunny, clear, and breezy...makes me even more thankful to live around these mountains.

I flexed off some time yesterday afternoon from working Monday night and Thursday night and got to spend some time running errands with my guy. We went to dinner with my friend K and then went to see her house remodel progress. It is looking so amazing - I can't wait (for her sake!) till it is done and she can enjoy 2 years of hard work! And then we can cook and can things in her awesome kitchen too! I might just move in to her guest room - as long as Chad can come!

Today we've been doing mostly house things...at our house and at the in-laws house. We went over first thing this morning so Chad could get on the roof and clean out some gutters. As it turns out, they were actually very clean just needed soma adjusting so things would flow correctly. I used my time to sweep off the in-laws upstairs deck. I was just sweeping all the leaves and acorns off the edge until I realized that there was a craft project buried there somewhere and bagged up all the falling acorns. You'll see what I will do with them soon. Came back home after lunch and we worked outside most of the afternoon. I/we replaced the screens on both back doors (one needed it badly and one just sort of badly) so now we can really do doors and windows open. Chad is working on our rain barrel stand - that gets them up off the ground about 6 feet so we get more gravity feed. It was a little wider than it needed to be and sticks out in the sidewalk. He is going to probably work on that some this week, since he has enjoyed his staying home week so far.

Please keep praying for us and the job front. A new employment situation for him needs to come sooner rather than later so please keep that in your prayers. We are trying to be patient, responsible with finances in the meantime, but it is a little stressful.

September Birchbox!

It's Birchbox time again! 

This month was actually a really decent month with a style focused theme so it was pretty good...

(apologies for the sorry pictures - again. I got too excited to wait to take good ones and it was too dark!)

This is what it looks like when you first open the box. It is the little card with all the info about your products, which I avoid until I have looked at them all!

Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!

The perfume sample of the month is Bvlgari's Mon Jasmin Noir.

It reminds me of my mom putting on Skin So Soft back in the day to keep the bugs off at the beach.

It is definately a heavier scent that I typically wear so we'll see...

I got a longer version of this Twistband in a previous box and can't seem to find it so I was super excited to open this month's box and see this shorter one.

I don't think I will be wearing it as a bracelet but we'll see...definately will be trying it in my hair!

This is the custom Birchbox Color Club color called "Put a Pin in it".

I already have a gold-ish color from Birchbox but this one is more a pewter that looks pretty neutral...I might just be painting my nails before I go to work today! I really like it.

This is Vasanti's Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuevenator.

I am actually really excited to try this...I think I need an exfoliator every once in a while and this one smells really nice and clean.

This is a fun little WEI to GO - Sleep Over Kit. It has a gel cleanser and then a face tint for the next day!

I finally went on to Birchbox and switched my face "color" to 'light' as I had it at 'medium' and everything I recieved was too dark for me. Hopefully this one will be a winner!

This is the fun little style "look book" that we recieved this month. It has some neat little style tips - including a fun twist braid that I've already tried and worn in my hair all day yesterday!

This month's "lifestyle extra"...The Brush Guard's variety kit. This - I believe - is a full size product.

Since I take my makeup with me to the gym when I go most mornings, it should be really fun to try these out in my makeup bag! Keeps your brushes from getting all wonky! Fantastic!

So that's September's Birchbox.

Still loving it!

Want one of your own? Go here.

She explains.

Tomorrow is Chad's last day with the Forestry.

He turned in his two weeks notice last week and is really looking forward to some changes in his life. It has been a good few years - he has been working there since before we got married, at least seasonally. But it is time to do something different. He took a CNA (certified nursing assistant) class at the local community college this summer (4 nights a week and all day Saturday, in addition to the regular ole' 9 to 5!) so now he is employable in that particular realm. It looks like there are a lot of jobs available in thie field - as well as a lot of turn over - because most people (not unlike Chad) use it as a jumping off point for more education and "movin' on up".

I am excited about what this means for us. It means Chad can go back to school - for whatever higher education he decides he wants - whenever he gets ready. It means a little more flexibility in his work schedule and no being "on call" 24 hours a day during fire season. It does also mean that he will probably have to start out at the least-desireable night shift but it is only for a season and we can totally handle it!

I totally trust my husband and that this is a decision that he has prayed over, thought over, and hoped for  - for a while now. I am really excited to see what God will do with him during this season of "new".

Catching up.

Sorry that it has been so quiet on the home front. We’ve been really busy and suffering through a week of post-vacation work made it even more difficult to want to blog a bit. We just got back from another weekend away and I was thrilled to sleep in my own bed last night…nothing like your own bed, house, pets, pillow…the list could go on and on.

We’ve entered into our “busy season” at work though that is sort of a farce to say. We really are busy in seasonal spurts throughout the year – this is just our fall one. Recruitments galore, night meetings and trainings are slowly filling all of my weeknights on my fall calendar. I’ve signed myself up to work at camp a few weekends – including this weekend – so week days aren’t the only busy times.

Chad is thinking of making a major career change – and has taken and passed a class to that end – so please pray that we will continue to seek God’s will for our family, especially where employment is concerned. I LOVE my job and I want the same for Chad...