On the pontoon.....

It's funny how a year long break from boating can make your first trip amazing.....

After a break last summer, we dropped the boat down into Pickwick lake this past Saturday. It was awesome! I made gourmet boat food, we had good friends and only the slightest clash of music preferences. 

We stayed at Park Inn at Pickwick landing and even managed to find transportation out to our favorite local hangout...Freddy T's. FT's has been busy this past year, they added a second floor. We heard some live music and visited the 'club' side. Let me just say, I couldn't live in a small town. 

I even managed to just slide in at 5 pictures.....I forgot to get food pics:(

The McDaniel boys with the M's

Me, hubs, BIL and shananegins

Capt Mac Sparrow

#Coupleselfie, is that how you hash tag?

Back seat cruisin on the way home

We hope to take her out again this weekend, probably on the Mighty MS this time. 

It's baby time 2.0!!!

The Zuk family welcomed beautiful Emily Catherine on 8-17! Mom, dad and big sis are so proud...

And sometime today baby Stoever will join his family. Sending lots of love and prayers their way! 

Wardrobe updates, book review & our private island update

Once upon a time I went 2 quarters in college without repeating an outfit(practice/game attire excluded). So the other day when I was searching my jam packed closets(seriously, I use 3 in our house), I started shaming myself on allowing my daily wardrobe to become so blah. I've been in a hamster wheel kinda rut, especially when it comes to work. Well along came tax-free weekend. I braved the crowds and found myself some good deals and have pledged to start dressing myself for 'success' at least 2 days a week. I've even started a look book board on Pinterest. I hope adding some style back into my life will aide in getting rid of the blahs that I seem to have lately(also been changing up my workouts to see if that helps get better results after hitting a plateau). 

Book Review

The Harbinger by John Cahn

My MIL let me borrow her Kindle so Mac and I could read this book. It is a fictional book, centered around what the author proclaims to be true events. This was an relatively easy read. I did find the narrative format to be slightly confusing when reading conversations between the characters in the book only because the conversations were very repetitive.  

The book is a prophetic tale of the future of America if the nation doesn't return to God. It's main character Noriel Kaplan, is telling his tale to business exec Ana Goren. His story is that of how he uncovered the future of America with the help of a prophet by using the images on seals(small tokens) that he is given. Comparisons are drawn between ancient Israel and modern day America using events like the September 11th terror attacks and the collapse of the economy. 

I personally felt like the book was similar to The Davinci Code, where if you scrutinize hard enough, you can find what you are looking for. However, as a Christian, there was truth behind the general message of a need for repentance and a return to God. 

I lost steam at the end of the book. I was able to tell the direction of the book and kinda glossed over the last few chapters. The skeptical side of me is always cautious when people are (mis)quoted out of context. There is great danger when you try to use someone else's word for personal glory. And I also think scaring people into faith can be risky. 

Grade: B-

We finished the island! This was a faster paced project, but difficult! Installing sliding drawers on a finished island(covered) is a nightmare. But with some elbow grease and ingenuity, we did it. It now houses our less-aesthetic cups and my re-usable water jugs. Once we put a little WD-40 on those tracks, we'll be good to go. Window bench seat and backsplash up next!

In other news, sounds like we may actually go boating this weekend. It will be a short overnight trip to Pickwick, but I can't wait to just relax and chill. My goal is to take at least 5 pictures(gotta start somewhere). 

And lastly, I'm truly looking forward to my trip to Ohio for alumni game. There is nothing better than friends and football(especially THE Ohio State Buckeyes!) 

It's a baby summer?

Hope the title didn't throw anyone off, no it's not baby time for us yet. This summer has gone by crazy fast! We planned to go boating as much as possible, but schedule just hasn't allowed. Maybe we'll be able to break away the rest of August. 

So for a quick recap.... 

It's been all about babies this summer! 2 friends(who happen to be sister-in-law's) had their babies just days apart at the end of July, how special is that? I've always struggled a bit with boy diy crafty stuff, but I came across this idea and was able to make some handsome bow-ties to dress up any onsie.

I was able to use fabric I already had, which is a huge bonus. This has and will continue to be my go-to gift for little boys. So simple and cute. There are several tutorials out there, so I researched and then kinda did my own thing. I used safety pins instead of snaps, so they could be used over time as opposed to only having a few onesies that work with them. 

I had the privilege of meeting little Ms. S this past month. I don't think I'd seen A since her spring baby shower so it was great to catch up with her and C. Baby S is so tiny and precious. Im also glad to hear that she likes her orchid and white chevron blanket(it is one of my favorite blankets I've done).  

I also got to spend a little time with K and baby B at the farm this past weekend. It was so great to see how K has taken motherhood and B is so handsome! You can tell that both mom and dad are very proud. 

(Basketweave/waffle afghan for little B) 

It's so nice to be able to spend time with friends and their new babies. As we start to think about having children of our own, it's comforting to hear the stories(good and bad). I, am the type who is NOT big on surprises(I have anxiety about opening presents!) so it's nice to have friends that tell the truth about pregnancy and babies. I haven't met anyone who hasn't said that the end result is completely worth it. And there is nothing better than seeing the pure joy on your friends faces when they look at their little blessing, it's even better than a grooms face when he sees his bride for the first time.

Looking forward to seeing the S family this weekend and spending some time with them as they prepare to welcome baby #3. Also a shout out to my sissy-in-law A and brother M as they prepare for #2. They are gonna have their hands full with my energetic niece and a new baby. 

Other highlights-kitchen drawers. We ripped out the warming drawers that came with the house. I wanted somewhere to place the plastic cups since they don't look presentable in our open shelving kitchen. This was without a doubt one of the hardest things I've ever done. The instructions were terrible so it was all trial and error. They still aren't perfect(hoping some WD40 will fix it), but they work. Now if we can find a carpenter to make us some faces for the front, we'll be done and onto the next project. 

Looking forward to alumni game next month, kinda hard to believe its my year 10! 

My sister has a MR!

My beautiful sissy got hitched! 

This is what I imagine her Martha Stewart wedding article would read…….

S.Z and M.S. were married Friday, July 26^th at Salvage One in Chicago, IL. The venue was voted ‘best place to get married’ by the Chicago Reader Reader's Poll 2012 and boasts over 60,000 square feet of eclectic knick knacks and pieces of furniture (www.salvageone.com).

The ad exec and former consultant met several years ago thru the groom’s sister and mutual friends. Friends and family from as far away as Chile, traveled into the city to witness the special occasion and joining of two families. The stunning bride wore a Sassi Holford ivory lace gown with an art deco hair piece and Vera Wang shoes. The groom rocked a custom made blue suit, neural tie and camel colored shoes.

After the ceremony, various appetizers and cocktails were served on the entry level before a formal sit-down dinner upstairs. After a feast of brisket, sea bass, and a mashed potato bar, guests were treated to cupcakes and gelato before the Chicago Catz had everybody out on the dance floor. This super group had the joint rocking all night with a repertoire ranging from motown soul to hairband rock. (www.chicagocatz.com) Late night revelers were offered White Castle sliders, a gift from the father of the bride.

From the food to the dancing, fun times were had by all. The newlyweds will make their home in MN where the bride will join the Target Advertising team as the groom attends Law School.

That’s my journalistic take in a nut shell. I am so grateful that I got to be a part of her special day! I hope I didn’t drive her too crazy (side note, if there’s a chance of rain, bring an umbrella that can be photographed).  I only teared up like 10 times, but didn’t full-out cry(which is very unlike me). Hopefully, I can get some pictures of her chapel length family heirloom veil(handmade by yours truly) from her photog Shane Welch(who was AWESOME).

The weekend was full of family visits, on Sat I saw another sister and her hubs(H&R) out in Oak Park(my old stomping grounds) and got to show Mac around town and hang with my big bro and nephew. I seriously don’t need to eat pizza for a long time(we had it 3 times)! But we made it back in one piece on Sunday after 8 hours in the car. And as happy of an occasion as it was, it makes me sad when I think about how fast time goes by. I do hope to see them more often in the future.

Hugs and Kisses to the NEW Mr & Mrs!

 

High: seeing the pure joy radiating from the happy couple

Low: chilly weather on Sat

We're headed to the Windy City!

My sissy S, is getting married! I can't believe it's here already. Seems like yesterday we were just kids planning operation HoHoHo which was a high tech 'catch Santa in the act' mission.  

The wedding is in my favorite city-Chicago! For those of you who don't know, I spent a year and a half in the Windy City launching my journalism career. I can't wait to get on the road and show the hubs around town.

I had every intention of packing light. After trying to re-arrange luggage at the airport during our cruise vacay, I was determined to be efficient. Like one of those people who writes articles about how to pack for a 2 week trip with just a carry on. But then we decided to drive. And somehow, my vision of us cooly walking into the Intercontinental hotel

(fancy, right?) has become weighted down with our huge rolling suitcase, my rolling carry-on(best drugstore purchase ever) a garment bag, AND our bagged wedding attire. 

I envisioned packing like this...

We achieved something more like this. 

Can I just say that I felt really good about my packing? I am completely OCD about my packing(think Jack Nicholas' character in As Good As It Gets) and had everything listed out, cleaned and laid out by Sunday night. I took up less than half the big suitcase(thinking surely we'd be able to fit both of our belongings in a suitcase big enough that I can curl up in) so I was ready to roll but then we started working on Mac's stuff. 

Man decided he had to bring 5 pairs of shoes. Because he simply couldn't wear the brown boots he was wearing on Thursday with khakis again on Saturday with jeans(the horror of me suggesting such a thing). This man and his boots. It is true that you can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man. I can't be angry because I brought the equivalent number of pairs of shoes, but I wear a size 5, and some of my shoes were flats! Anyways, we(and by that I mean I) were able to strategically pack his shoes in our big rolling bag. This did mean completely changing the layout and removing all toiletries to be placed in another bag. This brings me to my question, wives-is it easier for you to pack for your husband or does he go it alone. Do you find sharing luggage space a good idea, bad idea? Why? 

I guess I could write an article about it. It would be called, How To Have A Nervous Breakdown While Packing Your Suitcase, A woman's battle against her husbands shoes

Lots of details to come on the wedding and the Windy City but here is a quick wish list Weds. 

Saw this on FB yesterday, isn't it cute? 

http://www.vancaro.com/lovely-exquisite-cutout-love-letter-ring-pendant-cubic-zirconia-alloy-plated-18k-gold-women-s-necklace.html 

I'm totes ordering this skirt from Alloy! 

And lastly, I'm in the market for a new purse. I HATE buying bags. I don't care for the price of a brand, and I am very specific about my everyday bags. Here's a few that have caught my eye. 

Favorite purse brands, good places to find deals? Help! 

Wish List Wednesday Kitchen edition

So back in January, we started a kitchen renovation(see 3-20 post). As I said back in March, there are few things I dislike more in this world then painting cabinets. It was just recently that we even finished(and by that I mean The hubs) the last set of base cabinets. So now it was time for our island to be updated. Instead of the very predictable contrast color black, I became determined to find the perfect shade of gray so I could introduce that color into the kitchen. Uhhhh, has anyone ever tried to find a gray that doesn't have blue undertones? It is very difficult. But alas, my persistence prevailed when I stumbled across a blog that had the same kitchen features we did. Black granite counters with cream cabinets except their island which was Venetian gold. We had Lowes match the Benjamin Moore Equestrian Gray and had them create a dark brown/gray glaze to go over it to keep it from looking blue. 

Well, then I got the idea that we should put picture frame molding on the open side of our island to complement the molding throughout our house. So Mac and I took another trip to Lowe's where we managed to get all the materials in one trip(there's a first for everything). But he did the most amazing carpentry(mitered corners are not easy) and it was so worth it! 

Before

After(isn't it amazing?) 

After the woodwork was complete, we delved into trying out the paint and glaze. It took us 2 coats of paint with primer and 2 coats of glaze. At first we weren't sure if the glaze did anything, but once we compared just the paint to the side with the glaze, you could actually tell. 

We just need to finish painting and glazing the doors and we'll be ready to tackle the next project, the window seat. 

Which brings me to my wish list Wednesday. I have hopes and dream of having the kitchen completed by Summers end. Here are the things I've got my eye on. 

We are planning on building a window bench seat. Here are a few options I've looked at: 

Simple bench seating with cozy pillows

(makes you want to curl up with a good book)

Bench seat with cabinets/shelving

(this is where I'm leaning) 

And this is what Mac was thinking: Banquette seating

(I don't think this will work with our layout tho)

And lastly, it's a long ways off but how fabulous would this floor look in our industrial farmhouse kitchen? 

Shooting for the island to be complete this weekend and perhaps drawing plans for the bench early August. 

They say it's your birthday! And a recap of the past few months

I meant to blog fitness progress over the past few months, really I did. But honestly, it's taken this long for me to really 'feel' any difference. I mean I didn't strut around in my bikini on vacation(but I did put one on and that's a victory in itself). I should really clarify, I feel better about my workouts when I'm at the gym. I've been doing HIIT(high intensity interval training) and really enjoying it. I plan to keep it up and have been trying to find a good weight training program to go along with the cardio. 

So since I last wrote a post, I have celebrated my first anniversary and been on vacation. 

As far as my anni goes, I can't believe we made it! I have said it again and again this past year but seriously, marriage is not for the faint of heart. I guess it surprises people that we didn't feel that honeymoon/all bliss period. Well, I'm just trying to be honest. Marriage was not what I thought it would be. A big part of that was/continues to be unrealistic expectations. I am constantly reminding myself, you've never been married before, it's ok to have no idea what you are doing, its ok to set your own standards. And like most things in life, the hard work makes it so worth it. I recommit myself to Mac every day and the end result is an ever changing relationship that is filled with compromise, patience, trust, sometimes conflict but above all, love. So to repeat myself, marriage is not what I thought it would be, but honestly it's so much more than I ever imagined. 

When we're cruisin together....

Hard to believe our vacation has come and gone for 2013. We joined up with Nicki and Cina for another great week long cruise, this time to the eastern Caribbean on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. There were 3 ports of call; Nassau Bahamas, St Thomas USVI, & St Maarten. 

Highs: great friends, having champagne and strawberries for our anniversary from our trip mates, similar boat layout, balcony view, 'be'Dazzles, jump rope, listening to Mac and Cina talk to Roxy, sock less formal night. banana raft ride, smuggling in shells, braving the coach sale, anniversary cards from hubs(not 1 but 2!), Seeing 9 people in a cabin shower

Lows: understaffing/less enthusiastic staff, figuring out how to get to St John from St Thomas, no OX tail, motion of the ocean, food selection, realizing we are in the 'older' fun group

All in all, we came away from vacation with a few scratches and bruises, several 2nd place medals, and more great memories with Nicki and Cina. Wishing them the best as they begin their 'real' married life together in NC and (selfishly) hoping that they come back ASAP! Looking forward to our next vacation together soon. 

29 is gonna be the best year yet! ;)

As I reflect on the past year and the year to come I'm pretty amazed and overwhelmed. When I look over all the fb messages, texts and calls I can't help but praise God for bringing all these people into my life. I am who I am today because of all the people that I've met and they have all had a profound impact in my life. This made me think, how have I affected others I've come across? Has it been for good or worse? 

My goal for the upcoming year is to serve others more consistently. Whether that be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, an extra set of hands, monetary donations, I want to start giving. Thoughts on good ways to get started? 

And for those of you who don't know, I'm actually 32 and proud of it. But seriously, could I pass for 29?