Patio Garden!

Lowe's had a plant sale today and we went a little crazy.

Got lots of seeds and a lavender plant (and it smells so nice,
rosemary and lavender are my favs).

Bill made hooks for a planter to hang on the side of our patio.

(Yes, I told him to CHEESE and give me a thumbs up.)

Can't wait 'til our seeds start sprouting! Loving our new hobby.

I've already started cooking with the rosemary...

hopefully I'll be able to do the same with the herbs we bought today.

I'd also like to try my hand at making soap or

bubble bath once the lavender grows bigger. 

And Noam will go crazy over the catnip.

(Boo's not really a fan, he passes on grass.)

Speakers & Plants & Things

We got the speakers for our record player last night.

Now we want a new (old) record to match the vintage speakers...

 because Bill's is totally 80s.

This may not make any sense, but I want the records to sound old. And I'm hoping old speakers will do that for me... and I'm sure an older record player would make them sound even better (or worse, depending on what your preference is- better to ME). I know, I'm weird. I'm a fan of modern technology... I'd be lost without my Blackberry and my iPod, but I like the oldies, too. I also like the way they LOOK... and am excited to set them up in a new apartment where there's actually room for them, so they're not shoved into a corner (seen below).

(Again, my least favorite wall in the apartment.

I need an entertainment center like, yesterday. And the table the TV is on needs

to be painted or stained b/c I want to keep it and use it as a little desk...

I just don't dig the color. I'm ready for something that I can hide my cable box/DVD/modem, etc... right now it looks as if they're on display, and that's not my intention. Gotta love doing what you can with hand-me-downs... thanks Mom!)

 Allison had a stack of old suitcases at the new house that were going to be donated and I took one. Not quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet. Paint it? Leave it be? Right now it's preventing the dog from pulling out ALL of her toys out of that basket at once. She can't reach, poor little thing.)

 I'd like to think Boo is admiring the beginnings of our patio garden... but, no... he's just waiting for me to leave the room so he can climb up the screen. It happens often.

So far we've got a tomato plant, rosemary, Bowles Mauve Wallflower (to be all technical) and a hanging basket full of Dianthus. Oh, and a bird feeder that the birds haven't found yet. Waa waaa.  

My oldest little brother

Re-post from my Mom's blog...

"Josh spent the afternoon having his annual echocardiogrm.  I am praying for good results.  He has to go each year and have his heart monitored, as many of the chemo drugs and the high doses of radiation can cause damage to his heart muscles.  At this last appt, the oncologist handed me a flash drive with all of the medications Josh has had with all of the potential side effects to watch for in the future :(

Going to the hospital always brings back memories for me.  Many bad memories, but many good memories too.  Cancer is really really hard on a child and a family. There is a lot of bad, but there is also a lot of good.  So many people made such a difference for Josh and our family....some people that we didn't even know.  I will always hold a special place in my heart for each one of them.

My family is forever indebted to this man.  He is our true hero.  I will always wish there was a way for me to pay him back for saving Josh.  He never hesitated for a minute to be his bone marrow donor.  I pray for him and his family each day.  I can never thank him enough.  He did what I couldn't. I plan on writing a story for this blog about Josh's battle with cancer and his bone marrow transplant and including better pictures. For now, I say....'Thank you Christopher.  You will never know what your gift means to me and my family.'"

Fun fact (well, not so fun when Josh needed a donor... devastating fact at the time): My brother Josh and my sister Katie don't match any of the family members who got tested to be a bone marrow donor. But my brother Ryan and I match each other... and our personalities are very similar, more than anyone else in our family- coincidence? ... or is it in the blood? (Not to start a whole nature/nurture debate.)


On a serious note: I am in the National Bone Marrow Registry... and can only hope that one day I'll be able to donate to someone in need, just like Christopher did for my brother. I would do it without a doubt, in a heartbeat if given the chance. You can join, too! -

http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/index.html?src=tabjoin

I love you, Josh! (Even though I'm 99% sure you're not reading this,

because you are far too cool to read my stupid blog. And if you DO read it,

I'm totally sorry I posted a pic of us in dorky Christmas outfits. Thanks, Mom!)

Totally Teal

I am, begrudgingly posting about my newly spray painted mirror.

I LOVE IT. It looks great in person.

But whenever I take a picture of it- it looks bright blue.

And it's not. It's teal/turquoise.

So... here are some pics. Before and afters.

And also a swatch off the internets to show you what color it REALLY is. :)

(I'm probably the only person in the world who would

be bothered by something like this. Oh well.)

 This up-close picture is the closest to it's actual color....

This is the closest I could find to the actual color... pretty pretty.

I'm very happy with the finished product... and the price.

$10 at a garage sale + $3 for spray paint at Home Depot.

Yay for doing things on the cheap! 



Umm, YUM.

I'm not a huge fan of white "chocolate"...

but some dark chocolate chips stuffed in raspberries?

Mmmmm. 



SEEDBOMB 'em...

Bill and I went to eat lunch with Team Awesome* today at Spiral Diner.

(And I actually ordered something different-

I got a Veggie Wrap instead of the Taco Salad. Go me.)

If you live in DFW, you should go... yummy vegan food. 

http://www.spiraldiner.com/

They had a bubble gum machine full of seeds! I've never noticed it before. 

We're starting a little patio garden- rosemary and flowers so far,
so all things flowery and plantish (?) interest me as of late. 

I love the idea of throwing these around your friends... AND enemies 

(because maybe some wildflowers would brighten their day

and they wouldn't be grumps or a-holes anymore... it could work.) 

I plan on bombing an area in front of my apartment

where the powers that be refuse to plant grass.

And I plan on yelling at them if they cut them down...

because if any Bluebonnets sprout, it's totally illegal to mow them-

don't mess with Texas, apartment jerks. :)

  *Team Awesome= me, Hilary, Stephanie and Richard.

The name says it all. Also, what's up with my MySpace face in this picture? Whoah.