I stand corrected!

We woke up this morning to a "mantle of white." (Or a "dusting", depending on where you are from.) It was actually really beautiful, but when we took the dog for a spin to take the trash, we realized that the consistency of the snow was exactly like a snow-cone....and totally has the potential to become a sheet of ice. It's already dangerous to drive in. The most dangerous part is partial melting and re-freezing as temps drop. Maybe we SHOULD be thankful that we went shopping last night! The picture is from around 9:00 this morning...reminds me of January in Michigan, no?

Now, if only this had been a late start day at school! (Way for snow to fall on the weekend for nothing....)

Winter weather...

Dear Citizens of Charlotte, NC... a winter storm is approaching! Take cover! (aka if you are southern, run to the grocery store and stock up on milk, eggs, and salsa...yes, I too found salsa odd.)

Charlie and I never, ever shop on Friday night...now that's just craziness. Who wants to work all day and then go to the store? Not I! But, we were in need of a few items, and decided to make a quick run, only to find everybody and his brother there preparing for some "winter flurries." And no bagles remained...

Still, while out, we decided to join in on the fun and did our week's worth of shopping. As we left the store, and I was sitting in the car making faces at the dog in the van next to us, Charlie tapped on the window with a large take-and-bake pizza in his hands (something not on our list). When I opened the door he said, "Look! I found a pizza in in cart return! A PIZZA! They just forgot it! No one is around...I don't know whose it is... Do you think we can take it?"

Looking around to see no one in sight, I nodded, and we stealthily escaped with our "stolen" frozen pizza. I think we both thought it was pretty clutch. Charlie firmly believes that it is the American dream to run across a free pizza, and this doesn't happen often in one's life. And so, Charlie is very excited for lunch tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after.... ;)

Fridge stocked, fruit dish loaded, I'm feeling pretty good tonight. Maybe we'll be in all afternoon anyway with "winter weather"! Let's hope tomorrow night isn't bad for Kathleen's birthday celebration at Mickey and Mooch's!

I will leave you with our newest addition to the Snearly household (perfect for a winter storm I might add). Luna's new cadge gear! It's amazing! We bought the exact one on the left. I found it online to muffle her morning whines, and now she's pretty much obsessed with her crate. She loves to go inside, and in the morning I'll catch her in there, even when I've let her out for the day. I think she loves the side padding. It is her most favorite thing to sandwich herself inbetween pillows and bedding. Case in point:

Oh, Luna....

Europe :)

I had a few frames in the closet, dusty and unused, and some extra wall-space. I decided to print a few European beauties at the photo lab to make me happy when I walk in the door.

I relived some of my favorite Spanish moments searching through pictures, and after narrowing down the selection, I went to picknic.com to make them "sepia." I think they will look great in our entry-way and compliment the other achitectual photos we have. :)

The first is of la Cadetral de Barcelona and the other is of la Catedral de Girona. Both were taken in 2008. Gotta love!

1/2 done!

I can't believe this school year is half over... I swear each year goes by faster than the last. Doesn't that make me sound OLD! ;) ;)

Today was a good day-- seeing some of the new kids and beginning TPRS anew (the way I teaching Spanish using storytelling) is so refreshing. When I have really good days like today, it reminds me to keep my chin up on the days that are long, political, challenging, and tiring. When I have a good day I try to think about the reasons why is was good, so I can replicate it as many times as possible. When I think about it, many of these "good-day traits" can be applied to life in general. And I'm sure you notice some of the same things at your job, too.

I know it's been a home-run day when...

1) I smiled more and didn't take myself too seriously.
2) I spoke slower, checked comprehension more, and as soon as I thought everyone had it, I checked again.
3) I took the time to look everyone in the eye when I talked to them. No excuses.
4) I told a few jokes and laughed at myself... even when no one else did.
5) No one left the room without being successful at something.
6) I turned misbehavior into a teachable moment.
7) I didn't expect perfection of myself--- or anyone else.
8) I flew by the seat of my pants and left "the plan" behind to teach "what came up."
9) I "P" on the kids (Teacher talk for "personalize." ;))
10) Great answers are followed by everyone bursting into applause on command! (this is great fun and I suggest you try it!)

Have a good night everyone!

RIP Munk

Today as I organized my closet, by color and style, coordinating all of my clothes (quite the task I might add), I noted that it was quite quiet in the living room. I came out to find Luna in the act of murder.... in the first degree...

After cleaning up the "guts" from the floor (I'm sure most of which were digested, especially because of Luna's hacking), I decided to question the guilty party. She seems innocent, but we all know she's been caught red-handed... Have a look at the video.

Luna(tic)

So, I've come to terms with the fact that we have a weird little doggie. She isn't photogenic at all, and for the first few months of owning her, I tried DESPERATELY to capture an adorable Luna picture that would sum up her cuteness....and I couldn't do it. I went through tons of frames, using treats, trying different lighting, and they all looked awful. She either had devil eyes (blue) or she was making a goofy face and looking away from the camera. I haven't taken many Luna-pics in a while because it was altogether frustrating.

And then it hit me...that's her charm. I saved the all pictures to my computer, and after looking back at them, and knowing her better, there are a few that I feel completely and utterly capture her personality and show a different kind of "Luna cute." She's not your typically glam-dog, but she sure is a goof that makes us smile.

Here are some favorites...that completely sum up our dog. We've captioned them with what we summize she is "thinking."

One-dog staring contest.


Don't mind me...I washed in with the tide...

I think I just farted...


A little to the left...


See this croc? It's MINE.

Oh Luna.... :)

Home face-lift, part 3

This past weekend we also updated our kitchen shelves! I gathered a few inspiration pictures from online of the types of items we wanted to add to the shelves to compliment our new, "Snearly" letters.

AFTER:


The picture art was from Charlie's cousin for our wedding, and the candlesticks were from Wal-Mart. The flowers and greens I had around!
Cost: $10

So this is a very small part of our home, but worth noting because I got SUCH good deal on it!

Despite the fact that our apartment does have a lot of storage, not everything fits in the cupboard. Since we tend to buy in bulk, it's even more jam-packed! We didn't really have a good, accessible place for our lunch boxes...we just kind of threw them on top of our cabinets, sort-of into a basket. It was really, really gross looking. I always wanted something nicer, but baskets are really, really expensive!

BEFORE:

AFTER:
That's when I stumbled upon an amazing 75% off sale at BB&B...and yes, they let you use your 20% off coupons. That's 95% OFF!!!!!!!

I found these amazing woven baskets (they are very flexible), and picked the 3 of them up for under $10. They are amazing quality.

Cost: $8 (Major score)

I hope at least someone enjoyed this...lol. It was fun to make. Is it weird that this is how I relax? ;)

Haiti

When I hear all that is going on in Haiti, it reminds me that our daily inconveniences are nothing compared to what these people are going through.

I watched a woman on TV today be pulled from the rubble of a building...she was without water and food for six days, crushed by giant boulders. She was discovered by a Haitian rescue team, and with the help of American rescuers, was saved. When she was pulled from the debris, she began to sing and thank God...it was pretty incredible and moving to watch. I'd like to think that all of us have that kind of strength, but her optimism was just so overpowering. When a reporter asked her if she knew she would live when she was trapped inside, she laughed and said, "Sure, why not?" When we all face adversity, may we all have the same strength. I know for a fact that there are smaller things that make me get far more upset. Pretty humbling, huh?

While it's hard to watch so much destruction, it also makes me feel proud--of our world--to watch so many countries come to the aid of the Haitian people...the US, Israel, Germany... just to name a few. In a place where medical support is scarce, and even the saved may die because of medical complications and wounds, the outpouring of help is beautiful. For that I am thankful.
This week our Church gave 100% of everyone's tithe to a rescue team in Haiti. These people are in my thoughts and prayers.

Home face-lift, part 2

So the saga continues on to the living room. I have to say that my three trips to Wal-Mart were beyond scary, and I really do DESPISE that store. The customer service is awful, my hands always feel dirty when I leave, and it abuses me, but I love it anyway because it's so darn cheap! Isn't there therapy for this? LOL.

I've always loved our living room. It wasn't bad before, but we lacked a lot of key pieces of furniture (like end-tables) to make it complete. So, thanks to "Santa" and Wal-to-wall-old-farts (worst/best store ever), and Target, we made it work!

The little details make a difference, wouldn't you say?

BEFORE:


AFTER:

How we made it work...

1) Plants :) I don't have a green thumb (at all), so I went to Lowe's for some hearty, can't-kill-'em-if-you-try type plants for the living room. We put one on the coffee table and the other on the side table in a red vase.
Cost: $15 (plants and vases)

2) End tables! We put one by the long couch that was a Christmas gift from my mom (it works perfectly) and moved the other one from our bedroom becuase we got a new end-table in there. Ta-da!
Cost: $0



2) New throw-pillows! These totally change the room. It's hard to tell from the pictures above, but new throw pillows add a lot of pizazz and make a tired room happy. Not only were our old pillows stinky (thank you to the many faces who have napped on them) but they were also flat... I suppose that's what happens when you buy cheap stuff. Oh well...I can't say we spend much money this time, either! Wal-Mart was having a roll-back on their pillows, so I got 2 red accent pillow for $4 each, and two ornate pillows for $10 each. Aren't they pretty? They reminded me of Spain, and they add a lot of texture to the room.
Cost: $28 (this was the splurge!)


Still more to come!

Awards!

Thank you to the Lost in White Chiffon blog, I have been nominated as a Kreativ Blogger! I'm so honored, and her blog is completely adorable. :) Thank you, Jes!

The rules are: name 7 things about yourself that people may not know be it fun, interesting, or even embarrassing and then nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

Here are my 7 facts...
1) I am completely and utterly afraid of squirrels. I hate them!
2) I am newly obsessed with ranch dressing and black beans (not together of course)
3) I'm reading the entire New Testament over the next 30 days. I've already made it through 2 of the 28 books!
4) I'm OBSESSED with Project Runway. Makes me wish I could sew.
5) My guilty pleasures are chocolate, blogging, and HGTV.
6) I only listen to podcasts in Spanish :)
7) I willingly let my dog lick my feet.

My 7 nominees are:

• The Loring Blog
  
• Where Beauty Remains
  
• All Things Hold Together
  
• Life After Marriage
  
• Love.Family.Marriage
  
• Lance And Kristen
• Diamonds to Diamond
  

Home face-lift, part 1

After Christmas, it seemed just about time to give our apartment a mini-face lift. We hadn't really bought anything "new" for the place since we moved to North Carolina three years ago (aside from a mattress, which isn't much fun, a washer and dryer, which aren't much fun either, one painting for the living room and two plants). So, with a few new pieces of furniture and some trips to Wal-Mart (I know, Lord save my soul) room-by-room we were able to make our home more beautiful and cozy. And the best part, we spent under $75 for the ENTIRE PLACE! I bet you are wondering how we did it....

This is long overdue, but the bathroom was spruced up first! We have such a beautiful garden tub, and before, it wasn't enjoyed much.

BEFORE:


This trip was done entirely at Bed Bath and Beyond using gift cards and awesome 20% off coupons!

AFTER:

HOW WE MADE IT WORK:

1) The art set the tone for everything. They are watercolor prints from our honeymoon cruise. They depict the three ports we visited in Alaska-- Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau. They are beautiful and so meaningful to us....and better yet, free!!!!
Cost for prints: $0
Cost for frames: $0 (Bed Bath and Beyond gift card)

2) We love K&C above the tub! I "bought" them thinking I could use them for our wedding somewhere, but there wasn't a need. Perfect for the bathroom!
Cost: $0 (This is a funny story---I was at Wal-Mart buying a bunch of wedding stuff last May, and I had these in my cart. The lady forgot to ring them up and just put them in the bag. Ay! So they were free...I should feel guilty, yet I hang them above our tub with pride. Kathleen is convinced this happens to me all the time.)

3) Candles, orchid, and plant all from BB&B using our gift cards and coupons...
Cost: $0

More to come!

Happy Friday :)

I'm so looking forward to the long weekend! Having MLK day off and a Friday workday will make this next week go by faster--which is a blessing. I have a dentist appointment on Friday, which I only made because I was having a toothache. (I'm the worst patient ever!) It's been a year and counting since I've had my last cleaning...so I'm sure I'll leave with sore teeth (but hopefully no cavity with a hefty bill!)

It was beautiful outside today...about 60, so that was refreshing. Charlie walked the dog for me tonight because I had a long week, and afterward we curled up on the couch to watch our new favorite show, "House Hunters International." This episode featured a couple from NY moving to metropolitan France to a 300 square-foot apartment. And no I did not type that wrong! They ended up buying a fix-er upper and turning it into a chic oasis...at which point the bought fresh white roses from a street vendor and placed them in a vase on their table overlooking a window, open to the streets of France. I was seething... ;)

Cheers to a long weekend!

Six months

Can you believe it? Six months of marriage! Go us!

Tonight was an "us" night. The weather is FINALLY taking a turn for the better so Charlie and I walked the dog, came home, and I made a Pork Tenderloin with a carrot/chick pea/lemon-dill medley and a side of white wine. And of course chocolate for dessert. :) Yum, yum! We had intentions to break out the china, but forgot in the rush of hunger.

I'm so thankful for my husband. He makes me better in every way a person can. He said over dinner that I was his "soulmate" so I think that mean's he thinks I'm pretty okay, too ;) We decided that we would watch our wedding ceremony again as a celebration--so we still remember to have a sense of wonder and a sense of humor.

Off to spend some quality time with my husband. :)

The weekend in exactly four pictures.

Here I am, white wine in hand, writing our weekend blog post. :)

Picture 1: Mi pasaporte...
I spend much of Saturday doing some final "Mrs. Snearly" things. I changed each one of my credit cards and online accounts to my new name, and updated everything. I've begun to fill out the passport application form, too, and I'm so thankful I get to change that dang picture. I swear I looked like I had two chins in my old photo! This one is far better. Thank you, Rite Aid!

Picture 2: Avatar...
AVATAR! On Saturday night we went and saw the movie with Katy and Andy. It was phenomenal. I know it hit the box-office with mixed reviews, but we thoroughly enjoyed our 3D experience. The visuals were stunning, and it was a true adventure. I felt like I lived the journey with the characters.

Many complain that the plot is very predictable, and I do agree; however, it needs to be such. The action-packed-love-story-twist-where-good-guys-almost-loose-but-conquer-all is really the backdrop to the extreme-visual world, creative premise, and emotion-stirring soundtrack. We loved it...and I'm so glad there was a happy ending. (Hope that doesn't ruin it for everyone!)

I now want one of my own hawk-birds to fly and hook my flagella hair into (if you haven't see the movie and you are confused, not to worry). Go see it. Worth every penny.

Photo 3: Cooking...
I experimented with some new recipes this weekend, including Huevos Rancheros and from-scratch French Onion Soup. They were delicious. The Huevos Ranchers were actually a vegetarian dish of black beans, salsa, eggs, and seasonings eaten in a tortilla. French Onion Soup needs not be explained, but deserves a picture...

I have a very happy husband on my hands.

Photo 4: Luna...

This is Luna and her best friend Munk. This picture amuses me because she looks so perterved and Munk looks afraid because he is about to be chewed...which might be true. Much of Luna's Sunday consists of sun bathing by the window and sucking on Munk's head. I would love to be a dog.

Happy almost-Monday. YAY!*


*Intended sarcasm

Great blog!

So I'm officially obsessed with this blog: http://www.younghouselove.com/

It's a newly-married couple--the home-designer wife and the communications husband--who completely re-did their home. They travel finding unique home decor, post creative DIYs, and blog about everything home-renovation. Not to mention they have an adorable chihuahua named Burger. After our own hearts!

Check out some of their before and afters of their own home...I'm seriously so impressed.
Click here for more.



This makes me excited to someday look for a home with Charlie and make it ours...I love decorating (I feel like this runs in my family and will be my downfall considering I also love travel). We won't be in the market anytime soon. It wouldn't make sense to buy with so much about the future uncertain, but at the same time it's fun to dream. :)

I love browsing Ikea.com for fun ideas, and dang, that store is awesome. This couple decorated much of their home using Ikea finds...at least that place doesn't break the budget.

We are so glad it's Friday...I can't even explain. Fitting this post we're currently watching back-to-back episodes of Property Virgins and relaxing with Luna(tic).

Happy weekend, world!

2010, baby!

We're home in Charlotte, Christmas decor has been dismantled, and we're back to the grind. When we came home we had mail coming out of our ears, including tons of Christmas cards. Why does break have to fly by so fast?

Well I guess it's New Year;s resolution time! (A mere 5 days late).

Still, there is something so ironic about New Year's resolutions. More than half the time they are lofty, difficult-to-change habits that resolving to change is more apt to make you miserable than happy. Like the "I'm going to eat healthy food this year." Really? You mean you can't have a day (or week) where you eat chocolate and enjoy the Grandma's fatty gravy? And when you fail and gain a few pounds in February you beat yourself up! And then there's the classic, "I'm going to work out more." What? What does that even mean? Sometimes when I'm tired for me a workout is doing the dishes. I'm serious.

The most hilarious part is the commercials on television this time of year. Have you noticed? Infomercial city for the crazy New Years resolution suckers! The infamous, re-invented "belly fat" machine, wallet and closet organizers, and my favorite, the neck-fat shrinker. Hahaha. You HAVE to see this if you haven't.



This is not to say I don't beleive in setting goals for myself or in New Years Resolutions (or in infomercials...because I do love them). But you don't need 3 easy payments of $19.99 to make your life better.

I find it's best to have specific, simple resolutions that are attainable.

My New Years Resolution's are is really, really simple:

1) Turn off the TV before bed and read instead-- helps me learn and makes it easier to fall asleep!
2) Turn out the lights/gadgets when I leave a room--ECO-friendly and saves $$$!
3) Walk Luna to the "far" poop plot on Saturday and Sunday-- A little extra exercise adds up over the course of a year!

Simple. Not too drastic. Easily achievable. Perfect!

Happy New Year!