Project Life 2015 {January}

Hi!

How has your summer been? I took a mini break from most social media stuff (except a few instagrams, because I just love pictures so much!), it was kind of nice to step away for a little bit. And as a result, this summer I ended up almost never being on the computer.

You really would have thought that I would have gotten more things done around here with more free time, but I really really didn't. Would you believe we still aren't fully unpacked? There are a few boxes left in our storage room that have to be looked at, but most of them are full of not essential things (non maternity clothes, fine china...)

Fortunately, I found my scrapbook stuff, or most of it. There are still a few albums that are packed up, but I found my 2015 Project Life album!

But I am really behind on it because its been packed up for so long! My album is only completed through March, but I did just order all of the pictures through July, so I should be able to catch up soon - I hope!

{Week 1}

{Week 2}

{Week 3}

{Week 4}

{Week 5}

It was fun to go back and look at these layouts. Its been so long since I've opened this album, and so much has changed since January - back then we were living in Albany, looking at homes up there and just hoping that we'd have a baby on the way soon. And now we are in Chicago, back in an apartment, and best of all, expecting our first child in November!

Its still crazy to me how quickly things changed this year!

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Project Life 2014 {Week 26 + Week 27}

This week was a whirlwind - we had visitors, we were in New Orleans, I had the worst cough ever and lost my voice, I shared a new layout over at Julie's, and throughout it all, I was teaching

It was so amazing to see our friends though, it had been way too long now that we are all spread out all over the country!

I can't wait to get the pictures printed, but I'm trying to work chronologically, so I need to get through June and July and August first!

So that's what I worked on when I got home from work last night :)

Week 26 | June 23 - June 29

Things got a little stressful this week because it was the start of all of this drama. I chose not to journal about it here though. Instead, I focused on our impromptu overnight trip to New Orleans. We had a great time staying in the Garden District - it was the first time we visited there. And we got beignets, my absolute favorite!

And I also finished up my scrap room. Its a bit messy right now, as we had to turn it into a third bedroom while our friends were visiting, but I'm planning to clean it up this weekend and share pictures on Tuesday!

Week 27 | June 30 - July 6

Fourth of July week was pretty quiet around here. I basically only had pictures from 4th of July! So I decided to go all out with my Project Life page and my holiday kit. I am totally loving how it all came together. And I also love the top left pocket - it is see through with just a card in the middle. When it lines up with the pages behind it, you can see part of a baseball game and part of a vineyard.

I've been using see through spaces in the pockets more this year, and I'm really liking them! What are your go to design elements lately?

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Fall Manifesto {2014}

Happy Fall! I'm so excited that my favorite season is finally here!

Labor Day has always marked the beginning of fall in my book. We spent Labor Day weekend at the beach saying good bye to summer, and last night putting out all of our fall decor.

There is so much stuff that I love about fall...the cooler weather, sweaters, scarves, apple, fall beers, yummy candles.

This year, instead of a fall list of things to do, I decided to make a list of things to make and eat. Because really, I love my fall foods! And there is nothing like a cool fall day followed by an evening of baking delicious goodies!

Its actually still to warm here to make crockpot potato soup or cheddar apple muffins. But hopefully it will cool down soon! But until then...there are definitely a few Blue Moons in the fridge, and with any luck, I'll find my favorite pumpkin tea at Target this week!

What are you favorite fall treats? I am always looking to try something new!

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Project Life 2014 {Week 25}

Ahhhhh! It feels so good to be back here, writing again.

After my internet break, I was overwhelmed about coming back to my blog. I felt guilty that I was behind on catching up with what was going on with all of my blog friends. I couldn't believe that I let so much time, and so many posts go by. And I couldn't imagine here again until I caught up, but was so overwhelmed I would just shut down at the idea of it.

And then I remembered the worst thing a  scrapper could do - feel so behind and overwhelmed that they stopped scrapping. And this was exactly what I was doing with my other favorite hobby, blogging! And being honest, I wasn't scrapping or taking pictures, even cooking was a chore and not enjoyable!

So Saturday morning, I decided to chill out and just blog again. So here I am.

And it feels so wonderful to be back. And sharing a Project Life layout from before my break, which just makes me remember even more how much I missed this!

Week 25 | June 16 - June 22, 2014

This week was a big part of my summer scrapbook extravaganza! The left page shows some of my crafts from that week, including a moving box turned Fourth of July wreath, and working on my layouts in my scrapbookroom.

The right side shows a few other favorite moments from this summer. Including my favorite summer "uniform" of shorts + a sweatshirt (our house is cold, but the outside is hot!) + watching the World Cup at a local bar with some of AJ's friends.

And somewhat fittingly for this post about getting back to posting one of my favorite stamps "Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life."

Do you ever feel guilt or overwhelmed about falling behind, in blogging, crafting or anywhere in your life? How do you handle it?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 24}

Hi guys!

Its Friday...which means its surgery day. So I might not be able to respond to comments and things until later this weekend. Unless I say stuff today that sounds all crazy. Then let's blame the anesthesia and pain medication!

Fortunately, my Project Life pages are way more fun that surgery (I hope!)

Week 24 | June 9 - June 15, 2014

Week 24 was our vacation week this year. We spent a week on Harbor Island, SC. Mostly, we ate and drank, watched the wildlife, sat on the beach and relaxed by the pool.

But we also went on a day trips that earned its own insert.

The first one was to Savannah, GA. We'd never been before, but the city was beautiful! We both said that if they had a "real" fall and winter, we would consider living there. But they don't, at least, not by our north east standards. And we both love fall too much to give it up for much longer (I'm talking about you and your not very fall-y fall weather Louisiana!)

On the back of the insert I included a few more pictures from Harbor Island, including me in my running gear - we ran on the beach a few times and AJ even got me in the gym working with some of the weights! And my favorite picture of this random wooded path on Hunting Island. We didn't go down that path, we went down a similar one...but it had snakes, and possibly an alligator, so we didn't get too far before we ran back to our car!

I wish I was on the beach this weekend. But I'll be relaxing on the couch instead. At least I will get to pick all of the movies and tv shows and dinners for the whole weekend! I'm thinking lots of When Harry Met Sally, Mad About You and any other romantic comedies I can think of!

What are you up to this weekend?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 22}

Happy 4th of July!

Just a quick post today to share a Project Life layout - because it is Friday! Isn't it great when a holiday falls on a Friday and you get a three day weekend?!

Week 22 | May 26 - June 1, 2014

This was the second to last week of school. Grades were due though, so we didn't have too much to do after Tuesday! Instead, my students taught me to play a new card game, Split, at recess. That was fun - its definitely a game I'd like to play again, but you need more than two people, so it will have to wait until AJ and I are home in New York.

AJ and I also did a few other fun things at home, like shopping at Williams-Sonoma, watching "Saving Mr. Banks" with our favorite movie snacks, enjoying the Mets game outside (and the won! Yeah!) I also had to wear a heart monitor for 10 days starting this week. That wasn't too fun, but I got the leads mostly hidden so it wasn't too obvious when I was out and about.

Well, I'm off to go make our special 4th of July breakfast :) What are you up to today?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 21}

Happy Friday!

Week 21 | May 19 - May 25

This layout really focuses on Memorial Day weekend. Its the official start of summer, and I couldn't wait for this weekend. We hung out in our backyard Friday night + went a crawfish boil on Saturday (our first!) On Sunday, AJ got me tickets to Bayou Country Superfest for my birthday. I love Eric Church and have been waiting to see him in concert for a long time. And it was so so worth it - he was awesome!

Just like last week, I wanted to include the tickets + schedule in my layout. Unlike last week, I could have put these into a page protector, because being able open/read them isn't as important. But, I had the hole puncher out, and I decided to just punch holes and put them directly into my album. Simple, easy and done!

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Project Life 2014 {Week 20}

Happy Friday!

How is your summer going? I am just loving every second of being off from work and recharging for the new school year. But seriously, let's not talk about the new school year yet.

Let's talk about Project Life instead :)

Week 20 | May 12 - May 18

This was a pretty crazy week for everyone in my family! My brother graduated from law school on Saturday! We are all so proud of him :) Unfortunately, AJ and I couldn't attend because it was halfway across the country on Saturday morning and we couldn't make it in time due to work. But, everyone kept us in the loop with lots and lots of pictures (thank you Mom + Dad + Jamie!)

We also had a bit of drama this week. Monday night, we attended Confirmation at our church. Everything was going great - right up until the very end of Communion! I passed out! Fortunately, we were surrounded by good friends, including two nurses, who were able to take charge of the situation and were so so helpful.

Although I did end up in the emergency room until 1am! Fortunately, everything seems to be okay, but we had to get it checked out.

I was feeling much better on Tuesday. Better enough to bake cookies for AJ's plant's crawfish boil. Of course, AJ helped me too. He was great at icing the Andes Mint cookies {recipe found from Becky Higgin's blog - and is definitely a new favorite}

And Wednesday was my birthday! We celebrated twice - once on my actual birthday with dinner at a local restaurant + cake + presents. And again on Saturday with dinner in Baton Rouge. I loved celebrating all week long :)

Since we had lots of "things" from this week that I didn't want to cut up - the Confirmation program + my birthday cards - I decided to just punch holes in them and put them right into my book. I could have included them in protectors, but because I want to be able to easily open and flip through these items, I decided to just punch holes directly into them and leave them out of the page protectors.

Do you include "things" - cards, maps, programs, etc. - in your albums? How do you like to display them?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 19}

Happy Friday!

I'm officially on summer break (yay!) But something crazy is going on. I keep waking up at 5:30am every day! Part of me likes getting up early because I get so much done...and part of me hates it because its summer.

But it worked out well today, because the summer I-have-no-idea-what-day-of-the-week-it-is mind set is already here, and I almost forgot to post my Project Life layout! Silly me.

Fortunately, I remembered and I was up early enough to post it now!

Week 19 | May 5 - May 11

This week got off to a bad start. On my way to work I was in a very very minor car accident. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Unfortunately, the side view mirror broke off my car. Just the mirror part, not the holder or anything. It was pretty weird, to be honest. AJ ordered the part on Amazon for $20 and tried to put it on himself when it arrived, but neither of us could get it in to stay put. It was pretty frustrating!

But, we also did some fun things this week - a shopping trip to the new Costco, walked outside, AJ got a new "engineer" shirt, and I tried a new bread recipe. I actually didn't love the recipe, but it was still fun to do!

Well, since I'm up super early, I should go do something productive so I can relax this weekend. Maybe clean, maybe do some laundry, maybe take a nap ;)

What are you up to this weekend?

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Every Day Summer Photo Ideas {Project Life}

The past few years, I've created a list of things that I wanted to do in the summer.

But sometimes, being at home every day without much change, I can't think of different things to photograph. I feel like my Project Life pages can get a little boring with the same things over and over. Although I also think that's kind of the point of documenting our everyday lives - seeing the same things over and over because we live them over and over.

But still, I like some variety, so I came up with a list of things that would be perfect to document for summer, especially for Project Life.

What are your essentials to document over the summer?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 16 + Week 17}

Happy Friday!

I am so glad that this week is over. I am so done with the craziness that it brought!

Last night was not crazy, and I was so happy. While AJ was at his last night of bowling league, I made lots of Project Life layouts.

Week 16 | April 14 - April 20, 2014

Just a few weeks before Easter, my parents surprised us and told us they wanted to fly down for Easter. And so my dad could see the house - he hadn't visited yet!

The whole left side are pictures from the beginning of their visit. They flew in on Good Friday, and we visited Mississippi on Saturday. It was so fun to have them in town with us.

On the right side, I added a picture of AJ and I at a going away party for a friend, a picture of our Easter Egg hunt at school + a holidy mini kit card about Easter + a snapshot of the readings for Easter Sunday at church.

I also added these fun stars in to some of the pockets that weren't entirely filled. I love how fun they are, and how they add color to the see through elements!

Week 17 | April 21 - April 27, 2014 

My parents stayed until Wednesday. We mostly hung around the house, went shopping and went out to eat. I don't have too many pictures, but I did manage to get a few of their first crawfish experience! My dad liked them, but my mom didn't like having to crack open the shells - so AJ did it for her. I just enjoyed from behind the camera, they are so not my thing!

The next weekend, we went to the Zurich Golf Classic in New Orleans. You are allowed to take pictures on the course, but I did take a picture of our dinner date afterwards (man, do I love that spinach dip!)

Even now, when I don't take "a lot" of pictures in a week, I still end up with more than enough for my Project Life. I think the camera is my favorite part about upgrading to the iphone from my blackberry last summer! Its always with me, and its so easy to grab a quick picture of whatever we are doing.

What is your go-to camera?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 12 + Week 13}

Happy Friday!

I'm so looking forward to this weekend! Its supposed to be beautiful weather, and we don't have anything to do. Except maybe drive to New Orleans to see Bruce Springsteen at the Jazz Festival. I lost count of how many times I've seen it but it would be around my 16th time if we went.

I'm just not sure if I'm up for all that the Jazz Festival is {hot, outside, packed} because my allergies have been wreaking havoc on my heading + sinuses this week...but I do love seeing Springsteen, so we will have to see!

Week 12 | March 10 - March 16

This week started off with St. Patrick's Day. I went all out this year with my clothes (green shirt + shamrock headband + these adorable socks from my mom), our food and our drinks. Its so fun to make "little" holidays feel special too. To really make it stand out in my Project Life, I used the Holiday Mini Kit for the lucky card + the little green triangle + labels (cut from another journaling card in the kit).

We also flew to Baltimore for our friends' wedding. It was a very full weekend - we spent Friday with friends we haven't seen since our own wedding, Saturday celebrating and Sunday visiting with my parents and aunt who came down to Maryland for lunch since we were on the east coast.

I found the dirtiest snow pile in history while we were in Baltimore. I so missed snow this year. And I couldn't help but jump in and a take a selfie. And then I had to send my extremely muddy pants to the laundry at the hotel!

We had a bit of a mess up the morning of the wedding. AJ + Jim got ready at the hotel, and Katey (Jim's girlfiend) + I were going to drop them at the groom's house for pictures. Well, we get there, and there is no one at the house! The boys were wandering the block in their tuxes (and us girls were in our pjs!), looking for the house, and frantically calling the groom and the best man! Fortunately, the best man finally answer the phone and told us we had the wrong house number and were up the street.

Week 13 | March 17 - March 23

This was a pretty regular week at home. Rainy days + brownies + crafting. I accidentally put the Mets opening day pictures on this week. They accidentally belong to the next one. I'm not sure if I'm going to change it, or just add a date stamp and move on.

I so love this wreath {tutorial here} and I love that my mom and Nonni made the same wreaths this same weekend in New York. I love when we do the same crafts, even when we are far apart :)

By the way...have you entered the giveaway for $30 off any purchase at BurlapFabric.com? All you have to do is follow Burlap Fabric on Facebook and you have a chance to win!

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Project Life 2014 {Week 10 + Week 11}

Happy Friday!

Today is the last Friday before Spring Break! Next week is a short week, and we are off on Friday. I can't wait!

And, for the first time in three weeks, AJ and I are both home + not working for the weekend!

In fact, its been so long that these Project Life layouts are from the last time that we both had the weekend off together!

Week 10 | March 3 - March 9

This week was Mardi Gras break! I guess it wasn't too long ago, but it feels like it was months ago right now! I mostly stayed close to home, cleaning, unpacking, cooking and planting flowers. It wasn't a very exciting week, but it was a relaxing one and I loved it!

Week 11 | March 10 - March 16

It was back to school this week. But we also had some exciting things going on. Our new dining room table was delivered, and I painted the accent wall behind our mantle - until I ran out of paint! I did finish it though, and posted it here. I also got a new charm for my bracelet. My mom gets me a charm from every city that we live in. So far, I have one from New York, one from Chicago, and now a Louisiana one!

I guess that is all for me. I better start getting ready to start my Friday, so I can finish my Friday and start my weekend! What are your plans for today?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 9}

Happy Friday everyone!

We are getting a ton of rain over here. The thunder and lightning are crazy and I'm just hoping that the lights stay on at the house while I'm showering (because that would be scary!) But if the lights want to go out at school and get us a day off, I'd be fine with that! I am so not looking forward to driving on easily flooded roads, and I definitely don't want to get stuck in Baton Rouge if they do!

But I do love rainy days like this, they just make everything seem so cozy. Its the perfect day to hang out in the craft room with a big cup of tea!

I guess I'll have to settle with just sharing a few pages instead. And hoping I don't get stuck in any puddles on my way home so I can craft when I get there!

Week 9 | February 24 - March 2, 2014

This layout is a little "backwards" the pictures on the left side are from the end of the week - our first Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge. We celebrated by going to the Spanish Town parade, which was awesome! At first I thought the whole throwing/catching beads thing was odd, until I started catching a whole bunch of them. Then I realized how fun it was! We will definitely add "celebrating Mardi Gras" to our list of fun things we learned while moving around the country (see also: deep dish pizza, dying the river green, lakes)

The right page highlights my mom and Nonni's trip to Baton Rouge in the beginning of the week. One of my favorite parts about the trip was my Nonni teaching AJ how to make meatballs. I don't eat - or even cook! - anything with ground meat, so he was very excited to learn how to cook meatballs, one of his favorites, on his own! And I thought it was just so sweet to watch him and my Nonni cook together. And to take pictures from the other side of the kitchen when they weren't looking ;)

Because I used the Design C (6 4x6 pockets) for the right side, there wasn't a pocket to fit any of my 3x4 cards, and I really wanted to use the "This Makes Me Smile" 3x4 card for the picture of AJ and my Nonni.

So I used my favorite trick.

I lined up two 3x4 cards next to each other, and used some washi tape on the back to hold them together. Then I slipped my new 4x6 card in the pocket :)

It also works great for pictures that might not fit into the pockets you have available. Like this horizontal picture of my beads...there was no way it would fit into the portrait sized pocket. Sometimes turning the picture sideways works, this time it didn't. So I taped the "love this" card above the picture, and trimmed the picture + card down to 4x6. I love that I got to use an extra card and could still include my favorite picture from Mardi Gras!

It also works great to add a little bit of journaling + a pretty design card to a 4x6 pocket. Seriously, the possibilities here are endless. And its super easy. Probably why I love it so much!

Do you have any Project Life secrets to share?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 8}

Happy Friday!

This is another one of those weeks that I am happy is over! I thought last week was the longest week of the school year - until this week! I think everyone is starting to get spring fever!

Fortunately, my scrapbook room is almost entirely done, and my Project Life station is complete so I was able to start making some new layouts. I shared Week 7 yesterday at Julie's, and I'm sharing Week 8 today here!

Week 8 | February 17 - February 23

This was our first full week in the house! We did a lot of unpacking, and building furniture and setting up the house just how we wanted it. And I even made dinner in the new house for the first time - and made AJ take a few pictures, of course!

We also had a huge surprise this week! My mom was coming to visit us, and as a surprise, my Nonni came with her! We had no idea that she was coming for a visit, but it was so fun to have them both in Baton Rouge :)

And I just had a add a close up of this picture. I just love this shot of AJ building the tv stand. He was handling it well on his own, so I was looking for something else to do. Taking pictures of him while he built it just seemed fun - and it was!

I am so glad that (for the most part) the boxes are gone and we are all set up in the house. There are still a few with odds and ends that I haven't placed yet, but that's not too bad. After all, we've only been in the house for 5 weeks, and we've been working all that time too!

How long did it take you to unpack when you moved?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 7}

Hi everyone!

Today I'm sharing my Week 7 of Project Life over at Julie's :)

But I'll give you a little sneak peek...

And the rest of the layout is over there!

I'll be back here tomorrow with Project Life Week 8 :)

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Project Life 2014 {Week 6}

Happy Friday!

Today is the last day of my break from school. I didn't get as much done as I wanted, but I did get a lot done, including getting a new bed and unpacking all of our clothes and finally picking a color for our fireplace accent wall!

And, I did a lot of work on Project Life which is probably why I didn't get a lot of other things done!

But I'm so glad I had time to craft. And I am still so in love with this Project Life kit!

Week 6 was the last full week that we were in the apartment. And it was also the first time that I saw the house again since we looked the first time and put in our offer. I really loved going back and seeing the sold sign in front! But other than that, we didn't do very much, except sit outside and enjoy the nice weather (that lasted for all of a day!)

I am hoping for nice weather again today. It was supposed to be in the 70s and sunny, but it looks like that is getting pushed back to tomorrow and its going to rain all day :(

I guess it doesn't matter too much, since I will just be hanging out here and wait for the alarm guy to come, and then AJ and I are going shopping for a dining room table!

What are you up to this weekend?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 5}

Happy Friday!!!

I am so so glad it is Friday. This week has been super crazy! On Saturday, my mom flew in to help us unpack, and my Nonni surprised us and flew in with her. That was the fun crazy part :)

And then there was not so fun craziness at work. But that always happens the week before a long vacation. And today at 4pm starts our Mardi Gras break and we are off for a whole week!

I'm really looking forward to finishing the unpacking and getting a few painting projects done around the house!

Fortunately, when my mom was here, she unpacked a ton of my scrapbook stuff, and I was able to do a Project Life layout last night while AJ was at bowling.

Please excuse the pictures - I'm still learning about the light and where to photograph in the house. And I couldn't get into my closet to get the DSLR out, so I had to use my phone!

This was another crazy week in our house! AJ was on call this week, which meant if anything happened at the plant after hours, he had to go fix it. Normally, this isn't that big of a deal, but this week, we had an ice storm that shut the city down Tuesday and Wednesday. So AJ had to drive in early Tuesday morning and sleep over at the plant in case anything happened until the roads were opened again Wednesday night!

Once the city reopened and school started again, we had our science fair. We had a problem securing judges, since the fair was rescheduled due to the storm. Fortunately, AJ had the day off and was able to jump in and judge. It was pretty fun to have him at school with me!

Speaking of school - I'd better get ready and get there before its too late!

Only a few more hours and we are on vacation. Can't wait to celebrate Mardi Gras break with a Mardi Gras parade this weekend! What are you up to?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 4}

Happy Friday!

We have parent-teacher conferences at school today, so its going to be a quiet Friday (I hope!) A lot of teachers don't like parent-teacher conference day, because it can be long and boring if you don't have a lot of parents. But so far at this school, all of the parents show up to conferences, so we have a lot to do all day!

Plus, I like any day that is different from a normal day. It shakes up the routine and makes the day go so much faster!

And then when I get home, we are going to clean out the guest room - because we are having our first guest! My mom is coming to stay for the weekend and see our new house I can't wait :)

But I do have to wait, because its only Friday, and not Saturday yet...so I'll share a Project Life page until then!

This was another week that was a bit out of the ordinary in Baton Rouge. We had a snow day! Friday, January 24, Baton Rouge had an ice storm, so all of the schools in the are shut down, since most of the roads to get to the schools were shut down!

Of course, things couldn't just be that easy for AJ and I. He was flying out that morning for a bachelor party in Atlantic City! So we had to drive on the roads and find a way to the airport around all of the closed roads and detours. The 20 minute drive took us over an hour, but fortunately, AJ made his plane and was able to get to New Jersey in time for the party!

And I made it home in time to get a little more sleep and then watch my favorite trashy educational tv shows all day long!

What is your favorite thing to do on a snow day?

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Project Life 2014 {Week 3}

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday of the year! My bridal shower was even "love" themed because I love Valentine's Day so much :)

I know a lot of people think that its a silly holiday, because you should tell your friends and family that you love them all the time, and not just on a day in February. Which is true, but its also fun to have a special day to celebrate it too!

Plus, any day dedicated to pink and hearts and prettiness - especially in the middle of winter, when everything outside is dark and gray, and everything inside is bright and cheerful - is a wonderful wonderful day!


And, to maybe make my favorite holiday even better, or mess it up, depending on how this goes - we might be closing on our house today.

We were supposed to definitely close today, and were approved by the mortgage company earlier this month. But something fell down on their end near the end of the process, the part where they wrap everything up and send it all over to closing. They waited way too long, and didn't leave themselves enough time to get everything done.

Of course, up until last night, we were told everything was fine and we'd definitely close tomorrow. We didn't find out we might not until after everything we own was on a truck, basic services (like electricity and water) changes had been scheduled and we'd both taken time off from work (a bigger deal for me because a sub had to be scheduled, so now that's someone else who is getting her Valentine's Day messed up when I go into work today!)

Okay, I'm going to stop stressing out about this and try to calm down a bit so I can move on to Project Life now...

Week 3 of Project Life was a really exciting week! The Sunday before this week started, we put an offer in on a house (the one we are having so many problems with right now!), and this week, we had a signed contract! There was so much to do - like filling out tons of paperwork for the mortgage, and printing out every picture of the house I could find! Its new construction, so the only ones I could find were the floor plan and sketch of the outside!

And, of course, there was school. One day this week, I woke up early so I had time to actually blow out my bangs and put on real make up before school. Lots of my students noticed, which I thought was nice, but one 5th grader's comment was my favorite. He told me I looked so much prettier than I usually do! Um, thanks?

Well, I'm off to go to work and hope for a call that we are actually closing today! I really want everything to be delivered tomorrow as scheduled. What are you up to today?

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