"Manchester, a city that thinks tables are for dancing on"

Remember how I went to Great Britain last summer?  And how I never posted about it?  Well, I've really been missing those green hills and lovely isle lately, so I decided to post about it every once in a while.  :)

We had quite the day of traveling.  It went smoothly until we got to Philly, and then the proverbial poo hit the fan with our plane getting delayed ten and fifteen minutes at a time.  We finally boarded after no dinner and freezing in the airport--and then I got sick on the plane.  This is the second time I've done this traveling overseas, so I have determined my body just can't handle eating so close to when I'm supposed to be sleeping, and yet I'm flying during my sleep time.  Make sense?  Likely not, but here is a cute photo of us from that first morning before flying out of NWA, May 29!

When we arrived in Manchester, we checked into our room over the Oxnoble pub!  It was marvelous!  Then we had lunch downstairs and went to get our phones ready to use at the Arndale Shopping Centre.  We had tickets to go see Iron and Wine at the Opera House that night, and it was a FABULOUS show.  Easily, one of the best concerts I've ever attended, and I loved that everyone sat in their seats and patiently watched.  (I hate how everyone stands up but doesn't dance in the States.  What's the point of that?)

On May 31, we went for lunch at Piccadilly Gardens, explored the Art Gallery, had dinner at a Greek restaurant in The Printsworks, and enjoyed live music and drinks at The Bay Horse in the northern district:

The next morning, we checked out and headed to the train station for the blessed Lake District!

Gratitude Journal: Working Girl

"Workin 9 to 5: 
What a way to make a livin,
Barely gettin by; 
Its all takin 
And no givin.
They just use your mind,
And they never give you credit.
Its enough to drive you 
Crazy if you let it..."

my "new" employee photo for the slideshow at Fall Forum on Friday

Once you become full-time, you get to attend the New Employee Luncheon and get shown off.  So while I have been here for over two years now, I'm still "new".

Working 9 to 5 9:30 to 6 this week...and I'm busy, busy, busy!  Zach is on a different schedule this week because they are doing walk-in appointments, so I changed my schedule, too.  Faculty are back on campus, so I've been running from meeting to meeting, trying to set things up for the start of the new semester next week.  *sigh*  All summer, it was so quiet and calm for me that I am worn out--and it's only Tuesday!

But I LIKE it.  Today, I felt sooooo accomplished.  I got so many things completed, and I got the ball rolling on some good projects.  I feel like I know what I am doing finally, and I enjoy this stuff.  Heck, I know what I'm talking about (or, at least, sound like I do. ;)  Just don't ask me after tomorrow.  I'm thankful that God has put me in a position to do some good, even if a ton of things drive me crazy about where I work.  *lol*  It really is a great place to work!  It's just frustrating when you know so much more could be done.

In my two+ years of being here, I've learned that you just have to keep building it, and they will come.  Or you have to plant those seeds, and someday, it will sprout, and grow tall, and bloom.  You may just never sit under that tree/bush/plant.  Yet I've been fortunate to see a few things come to fruition.  My mentoring program is taking OFF this year:  we had over 350 students already request more information on the program, and after I sent out emails on Friday, I've already had 35 students commit to participate and be paired with a mentor.  For all of last year, I only had about 40-something participate, so I'm getting close to already meeting that number in the first semester.

All week, I've been giving updates on faculty-related projects, and I think we are going to have some big things happen in terms of faculty development and student retention & persistence this year.  :)

Now I just gotta get my lesson plans together for my class.  I am pumped to be focusing on advertising throughout the semester--my students are going to be describing, categorizing, comparing, contrasting, showing causes and effects, creating an argument, and more with ads.  I figured if we can all master the content together and early on, then we can spend more time on building up our expressions of it.  We'll see how it goes.  I'm just happy to have lots of excuses to show clips from Mad Men.  ;)

And here is an outtake of my staff photo.  I'm surrounded by some of my favorite things (Van Gogh paintings, photos of the Ireland and the UK, Anne Frank, Audrey Hepburn), and I look terrified probably of all those presentations I have to do this week.

Why are you thankful for your job?

Be Grateful #4

It's been cray-cray around these parts.  I actually hate using that phrase (though I appreciate the ingenuity of whomever invented it).  But "cray-cray" seems appropriate for bloggy land.  *haha*

Here is a picture my husband took a few weeks ago when we got enough flurries to cover the ground.  I didn't take many photos this weekend when we went home because the Pharrs were either sick or sore, and we just had the LEGO club going on.  It flurried today like it did in this pic, but nothing stuck because yesterday it was around 70!  A horrible front came through, gave me a sinus headache from heck, and then left behind the snow.  It's silly, but I keep praying we will get one good snow day this year!

Anyhoot, I must have scarred and scared all of you folks last week talking about my lady business, but I'm just keeping it real.  (You know you've been in some awkward doctor situations, too...  If you haven't, I ENVY you and your ability to keep your modesty in tact.  Seriously.  :)

Remember when I said I was interviewing for a job last week????

Wellllll, one of my supervisors (in one of the departments I teach who also teaches in the other department in which I teach) was on the committee, and one of my colleagues from that second department was on the committee, and then the director of this department for which I was interviewing sat in on my interview and praised my experience (for having collaborated with faculty, designed curriculum, worked under a grant, etc.)....

...if you're confused, I TOTALLY understand.  Now maybe you can understand why I am eager to have one job.  ONE job.  O-N-E.  Let me explain.  I currently work part-time in three departments just at this campus.   (I also teach for another school).  Two of those are teaching positions, and there is a lot of overlap between those two departments (English and Academic Skills).  Then in my third position, I work under a grant that works with faculty, staff, and students.  And I also collaborate with many others on the mentorship program I coordinate under the grant, including the one where the position for which I was interviewing is housed...

There was only one person on my committee and in the interview that I did not know, and we got to chat before my interview started because I showed up to the conference room BEFORE anyone had made it.  Then I panicked because I thought I was at the wrong place because the interview was NOT on the schedule.  Thankfully, my colleague walked by and asked about a conference room behind a faculty lounge.  And he's all like, "I'm on your committee. I'll show you THE WAY."  Sigh of relief.  Then more panic.  How do you act when you know everyone (or almost everyone) on the committee?!

Coming out of that interview, I felt fairly confident in my ability and in my colleagues knowledge of me as an employee.  I told my friend that if I didn't get it, I must have STUNK to high heaven in the interview!

Welllllll, I GOT IT!  They emailed me on Monday about being a finalist and requested I complete a background check.  Then this morning I got the call about the offer.

However, because apparently I'm the most difficult person in the world right now, I had to run around like a chicken with its head cut off today to determine what my schedule will look like.  See, Zach and I have been planning this EPIC vacation for years (basically, since we got married).  And we have booked lodgings and bought plane tickets and ordered an outlet adaptor for our appliances.  There's no going back on that bad boy known as the UK.

So I'll be taking a month-long vacation after I've only been in the position for a few months.  Typically, that wouldn't be such a big deal because I let them know up front.  However, since I am teaching three classes (with two taking place during normal business hours), that's just not gonna fly.  So I'm going to have to kiss one of my composition classes--if not both--good-bye.  Cue sad face.

I HATE leaving my students and the English department in the lurch.  (My Intermediate class is safe because it is housed in a different department and takes place after business hours.)  I would have preferred to cut Intermediate loose because composition is so much more fun!  I had to do this (leave my kids behind) the semester I got sick; I know, I know, neither of these situations are exactly in my control, but I'm still bummed.  (Because this position closed before we came back from break, I was hoping their decision would have been made BEFORE the semester started.  As you can see, that didn't pan out.)  I should know in the next few days what my schedule is going to look like.  I'm hoping I'll be able to ride out next week, so we can at least finish Unit 1, and the next instructor can step in after that.

So lots of feels over here today!  I'm happy and excited and nervous and anxious and sad (not to just leave my students but also my current grant supervisor, the folks in the Advising Center, and my giant office that will be traded in for a cubicle.  And I won't be seeing my husby as much since I'll be in a different building.)

1)  I'm thankful for this new opportunity and for the opportunities I've had the past two years working at this campus.  I've got my first big girl job since I graduated!  I'm excited to see what the future will hold.  :)  I'm also thankful that my husband has been appointed interim Director of Student Life in addition to his role as an advisor and as a TV coordinator.

2)  I'm thankful for how supportive my husband, our families, and our friends and coworkers have been as we embark on these new journeys.

3)  I'm thankful for a free weekend that can be used to prepare for this transition.  I'm going to be getting ahead on cleaning, making cleaning products, and freezing some quick meals, so I'm blessed, not stressed.

4)  I'm thankful I'll have another week now before I get to enjoy that wonderfully tasty Bowel Prep or Go Lightly.  And that's a misnomer, if I've ever heard one.  (I had to move back my colonoscopy to do orientation.)  But we are still going out to dinner to Mimi's Cafe this weekend--this time to celebrate my new job!  

5)  I'm thankful my cousin has dilated to NINE CENTIMETERS!  She went in last night to be induced, and Keegan is almost here.  When I told my husband how far along she is and how that means she is very closed, he said, "That's just not right."  (Yep.  Ten centimeters is just not enough.) Next time you see me, I'll likely be bragging about my new little cousin.  :)

Be Grateful #3

Zach and I went ice skating with our friend Amy.  I didn't exactly skate.  I skate-walked about 15 feet, getting slightly comfortable with it until I noticed that the ice was no longer meeting the side of the rink.  So I froze and began a death grip on the railing until we decided we were done.  I was too afraid to turn around and skate-walk back and out of the rink, so I slowly side-stepped that 15 feet to the exit.  Of course, I HAD to turn around--my back was against the wall--to get out, but I was FROZEN.  I was so afraid I was going to fall if I let go.  So Zach had to get back on the ice, grip my right side firmly while I continued to hold onto the railing with my left, and spin me across the last five inches of ice and out the rink.  I'm RI-DIC-U-LOUS, y'all.

Tonight, I'm in a mood.  I almost didn't do this, but I figured it would probably be the best thing to rectify this mood.  Cultivating an attitude of gratefulness does take work, and I'm hoping my moodiness does not negate my thankfulness.

1)  I am thankful for the opportunities that have been presented to my husband and me at work last week.  Zach has been given the opportunity to test run a position in addition to his current advising and video production duties.  While it will mean some extra work and night events, he is being compensated with a little more money and time accommodations.  This is a position that was recently vacated, and they can't open until the new fiscal year; he has expressed interest in it, and several folks are in his corner and encouraging him to apply when it opens, so this will let him see if it would be a good move.  And I have an interview for a full-time position on Friday morning!  I am excited and nervous and anxious.  This would be something to make me feel like I really belong (it's hard working three part-time jobs at one place) as well as allowing me to continue my work with the mentor program, some advising, and collaboration with faculty.  I'm just not sure how this will jive with my three classes this semester as I can't exactly drop them now that they have started.  And there is that whole "I-need-a-month-off-in-June-to-travel-the-UK" thing.  Please send prayers and good thoughts at 11 on Friday that I will be led where I am supposed to be.

2)  I am thankful we scored some awesome deals this weekend:  $60 in credit on Living Social!  Free lotion at Bath and Body Works!  Old Navy clearance steals!  We also got in a little date--a walk through our park across the boulevard and dinner at Olive Garden.  (I love their salad and breadsticks!)

3)  I am thankful we got Monday off in memory and recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr.  Next year, I'm going to try to make it a day of service.  (I forgot this year.  I guess I can technically serve my husband, but it's not quite the same thing, is it?  I know my first ministry is at home, but I feel I should get out in my community.)

4)  I am thankful I discovered two fantastic documentary series this weekend:  The Business of Being Born and the Up Series.  The first one looks at alternative birthing options, and the second has been following 14 British children since the age of 7 (in 1963/1964) with an update on their lives every seven years.  I've spent my free moments watching the Up Series; I'm not quite current (56 Up) as it hasn't been released on Netflix yet.  (I think it was just released stateside.)  It has been a fulfilling, heartbreaking, eye-opening, shocking, joyful experience watching these 14 individuals grow up before my eyes.

5)  Speaking of births, I am thankful we got to welcome another healthy baby into our family this past Saturday.  Zach's cousin Alexis went into labor, and she and her husband were surprised with baby boy Will!  (She had a c-section scheduled for the 31st.)  He is named after Alexis' grandfathers, including the one she shares with Zach, so that is pretty cool.  Their first son, Walker, is named after her husband's grandfathers.  I'm also excited to have learned that one of my best friends from college is having a little girl.  Katie will welcome Isabella (Ella) Kate sometime in late May or early June!  And baby Keegan (my cousin's baby) should be here anytime now.

6)  I am thankful for lazy Caturdays.

7)  I am thankful for having had a fairly good--if anything, FUNNY--experience at an OB/GYN clinic on Monday.  (No, I'm not preggers.  But I feel like I should be expecting because when I was on Facebook today, there were FIVE baby-related posts from my friends BACK-TO-BACK.  Everyone is like, "Look at what I made!  See my baby smile/laugh/walk/eat/go to school/cure cancer!"  And I'm over here going, "My cat is sitting on a tower TALLER than meeeee."  We're just not ready to be responsible for the future cure-er of cancer.  Or of Crohn's Disease.  ;)  See, I can't take the typical oral birth control because of my risk of blood clots, so I had to start seeing a gynecologist as opposed to my general practitioner for my lady business.  That made me a little nervous.  Oh, and he's a male doctor.  Apparently, that weirds some ladies out, which I can kinda understand, but I'm probably about as uncomfortable with a man as with a woman, so...whatevs.  I think?)

Can we just acknowledge how awkward it is for someone to be in your business like that?  I hope I'm not being too personal, but GOODNESS.  And I have to mention that I forgot to shave my legs and repaint my toenails.  I don't know what I was thinking!

And Zach came along to the appointment because we were out running errands together.  He was going to stay in the waiting room since I was getting a quick exam, but as I watched couple after couple go through the doors, I realized the other ladies in the waiting room would think he was the BIGGEST jerk in the world (or maybe my brother?) if he didn't go back with me since most were there for pregnancy-related appointments.  And that was when I realized I hadn't shaved my legs, so he HAD to come back with me because I was so embarrassed and didn't want a manly-man doctor to think I am undesirable due to my hairy legs because, HELLO, here is my husband to talk to you about my lady business, Mister Dr. sir.

(I am the girl who, when she sprained her ankle, scooted on her butt to the bathroom, hurled herself into the tub, and shaved her legs BEFORE going to see campus health clinic about the bum ankle.  I'm not one of those chicks who views leg hair as extra warmth in the winter.  My nurse there tried to make me feel better about my hair legs by saying that after I apologized for them.  YES.  I APOLOGIZED FOR MY HAIRY LEGS.  It's not like they even touch 'em, but I felt bad they had to look at that five days' stubble.  I tried to console myself by thinking that nine-months-pregnant woman probably can't shave their legs anyway because of the baby being all up in their business.  My rib cage already gets in my way.  I can't imagine what they deal with.)

It was probably good that Zach came along since he helps me remember everything I need to ask my gastroenterologist, and the GI doc has to clear me to take even the lowest dose or progesterone-only BC.  Zach was also there to help me make fun of my elementary-school-photo-backdrop-looking drape I had to wear during the exam.  And when we were at lunch after the visit, I asked him what he thought of my new doctor (since this man very well could deliver our child someday FAAAAAAAAR in the future), he said that my doc was the best "hoo-hoo" doctor he had ever visited.  Which is true as he has never visited one previously.  (I guess I haven't either...)  I'm glad we can act like eleven-year-olds about serious junk like my lady business.

After telling that story--which you may not find funny at all but gross or disrespect or irreverent--I am smiling and feeling better.  Posting this gratitude journal is such a good thing.  :)

(FYI, the caption to my photo was added after I got over my mood.  That was also another funny story I will have to remember.  I am so SILLY.)

Be Grateful #2

1)  I'm thankful that I only got a warning instead of a ticket when I was speeding last week (56 in a 45 zone).  Whoopsy.

2)  I'm thankful for all of the yummy food I have cooked over the past three or four days:  potato-carrot-leek soup, roast beef, molten lava cakes (from a really good mix!), and caramelized French toast with poached pears.

3)  I'm thankful I survived my first day of classes.  Woo.  Teaching back-to-back is rough on this gal.  I don't know how you primary and secondary school folks do it.

4)  I'm thankful our kitties (well, Dinah) is enjoying their new cat tower.

5)  I'm thankful we are getting a Marshall's and HomeGoods soon!

6)  I'm thankful my friend Katie finds out if she is having a boy or a girl next week.  And that baby Autumn is two months old!  And I could go on and on about all my nieces and nephews...

7)  And I'm especially thankful this week that we are going to the UK FOR A MONTH!  We have booked lodgings in Edinburgh, Keswick, and Bath, and we have bought our plane tickets!  We are flying in and out of Manchester and used our credit card points to pay for the tickets.  As we did this, we just had to pay the difference on what our points will cover, and the difference was just a little over half of what we thought it would!  And Zach has already ordered my birthday present; apparently, it is the biggest one he's ever gotten me, and it is something I can use on our trip.  (I think I know what it is, but I don't want to ruin the surprise...  I'll let you know after May 1 if I'm right!)  And when I have a bad day at work, I am just going to focus on my trip and let the semester fly by.  :))))

Be Grateful #13

Well, I have been so behind that I missed my gratitude journal last Monday, but I planned to do a post on Thanksgiving, so I figured it would be fine to post it today.  :)

1)  I am thankful for weekends at home and away.

2)  I am thankful for my precious students and that I haven't scared some away so that they feel okay to take me again in the spring.

3)  I am thankful for movie dates and dinner at Denny's.

4)  I am thankful to have finished Christmas shopping for Zach.  (Well, almost.)

5)  I am thankful for the friends I have at work.  Last year, I was still in my shell, but after falling so ill and recovering, I had people pray for us that I had never talked to, and suddenly, I found myself talking to him.

6)  I am thankful to help out my family and friends in any way I can.  And I'm thankful for those that ordered Scentsy to help my niece build her business as well as give me reward points.  I can't wait to get it in and try it!

7)  I'm thankful for clean carpets!

8)  I'm thankful for the kindness of strangers.  Thanks to the Pay It Forward program in our area, an Arvest Bank branch paid for my prescription on Wednesday, which made possibly having an infected tooth and potential root canal in the future easier to deal with.

9)  I'm thankful for my new and old infusion nurses.

10)  I'm thankful for my Gilmore Girls DVDs.

11)  I'm thankful that it is acceptable to put up Christmas decorations and listen to Christmas music this week.

12)  I'm thankful that I work at a place that acknowledges the holidays with Thanksgiving potlucks and a huge Christmas tree in every building.

13)  I'm thankful we have a soda shoppe (but I'm not happy they got rid of our British candy to open it!).

14)  I'm thankful for healthy babies and smooth labors and happy pregnancy for my dear friends.  Introducing my newest best niece, Autumn, who was born on the 13th at 8 lb. 2 oz.  (Y'all.  Her weight is AMAZING.  Her mama, Monica, is TI-EENY.)

Photo a Day in September #16

16.  Rock

I got this rock on the west coast of Ireland--somewhere in Rosses Point, which is my favorite place in the world.  It is absolutely breathtaking in that part of the world; the hills are all green and glorious, the water is shining and serene, the sun doesn't set until late at night, and you can walk on the rocky beach in your overcoat and mittens.  Now that is my kind of beach!  I picked up this rock because it is so smooth and is slightly heart-shaped (although that is hard to tell in this picture).  I wish we were able to go back to Ireland next summer, but I will take what I can get (England and Scotland)!

Bathing at The Owlery

Hey, folks, today I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner to show you our bathrooms!  (Yes, we have THREE for two people--there's a half bath upstairs for guests.  :)

Aren't bathrooms hard to decorate?  I've always found that to be so...  I feel like the bathroom is typically the forgotten room, but there is so much you can do with it once you get started, and a lot of it is really simple.  I've been working really hard to finish decorating our bathrooms, so let's get started, shall we?

First up, we have our half bath:

 I got the little green birdie panels (on clearance at Target--where else?)  when I was in grad school.  I love the different fabrics and textures on them!  I also got the mini vases at Walmart to decorate my grad school appartment as well.  (I broke a red one.)  I love this green towel!  It was one of my Twelve Days of Christmas presents from my mother-in-law.

I got the owl nightlight when I was in grad school, too.  *lol*  Can you tell I was very excited to decorate my first off-campus apartment?  That picture is of Zach and me--it is the first one ever of us, and I love it.  We had been dating about a month and a half, I think, when it was taken.  The fabric giraffe, which is hard to see, complements the colors in the bathroom; it was a get well gift from our friend Holly; she sent it after my surgery along with some other goodies.

And I promise I straightened that one panel several times today!  Geez...

Remember how I said I have been working hard on finishing our bathrooms?  Here is the BEFORE:

 

And the AFTER!  I hate how this picture turned out, but I'm too lazy to take another.  I designed this custom curtain to hide our clutter.  Now I just need a basket for the paper towels...

Up next is my bathroom.  Since we had so many bathrooms, we decided to have separate ones.  I think this is great for marriage.  :)  Plus, my bathroom is in the hallway and stays warmer because it is below the heater; Zach's bathroom is on the outside wall of the house and is freezing in the winter.  Actually, the whole bottom floor stays freezing in the winter, so we have to use a space heater AND a heated mattress pad.  It's true what your science teacher says:  heat rises.  (That also means our upper floor is toasting us right now.  ;)

 I have three collages I made after my study abroad trip--one each of Ireland, Scotland, and England.  (This is the England one.)  I want to find two more gold frames that are different from this one to hang up the other two collages.  I paid nothing for the collages because I got them over time with Walgreens free collage coupons.  (Look out for them, folks!  I pay next to nothing for photos with Walgreens, Shutterfly, and Snapfish.  ;)  And I got the frame half-off from Hobby Lobby!

 My bathroom is travel-themed (at least when it comes to pictures).  The one on the counter is the first picture I had taken of me in Ireland--isn't it sooo green?  The one on the wall is from Oxford, Mississippi, when we visited our friends when they worked there and went to William Faulkner's house, Rowan Oak.  Can you spot the LEGO jeep?  I built it!  I like to imagine it is for our imaginary trips around the world.

This is another of my decorating projects.  I changed out the shower curtain for something that better matches our decor.  :)  I love how it looks now!  The BELIEVE artwork was from my roommate Emily for Christmas one year--it reminds me that nothing is impossible with God!  For example, I had dreamed of going to Europe since third grade, and I never thought I would make it after many failed trips.  And there is the whole saving-my-life-and-my-soul thing.  ;)

The pictures on the wall are also from my study abroad trip, but I am going to trade them out for other travel pictures once I get my collages framed.

Finally, Zach's bathroom is left.  I won't show much of it (even though it's clean--we just cleaned them yesterday).

 The Paris frame came from my roommate Monica; it would probably be more appropriate for my bathroom, but I felt the pictures of Zach's "groomsmen" looked great in it.  There is a picture of us in the heart-shaped frame; it was taken right before we walked down the aisle after Zach's Momo passed out and scared us to death; it's hard to see, but our foreheads are pressed together and our eyes are closed because we were trying to collect our thoughts.  It was "a momentary stay against confusion."

Of course, there are lots of LEGO pieces in Zach's bathroom.  I tried to class it up with some Chinese cat figures and a ceramic box in blue and white, but they got ousted by the Star Wars.

I hope you enjoyed viewing our toilets (pronounced in the FRAHNS-SAY way) and got a few ideas to decorate your own water closet.  :)

The ABC's of Ashley

I saw this on another blog, so I thought I would share the ABC's of me!

a picture from our recent trip to KC

Animal:  some kind of bird (my maiden name is Byrd)
Book:  The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue (I reread it at least once a year!)
Color:  green and mustard yellow (lately), red (all-time)
Diet:  lots of grains, a little meat, more fruits and veggies, too many sweets
Exercise:  walking around the house
Food:  ice cream and pie
God:  saved my life through the power of prayer in December
Height:  5 feet and 7.5 inches
Indulgence:  trashy TV, white chocolate, Cheez-It's
Job:  Student Success Assistant and English Instructor
Kindred Spirit:  haven't met this person yet...
Love:  my husband Zach
Marriage:  September 19, 2009--the one year anniversary of when we met
Number:  24
Off-spring:  our two kitties ;)
Parent:  one in heaven, one on earth
Quirks:  sorting bath towels by color, drawing out the sound my mouth makes when I yawn, having a country accent when I talk to my family and having a Chicagoan accent when I get excited, hating the words "belly" and "belch"  *ewww*  (The last is especially bothersome because I have a digestive disease.)
Restaurant:  Flying Fish
Style: British post-colonial (house) and scholastic/collegiate (fashion)--I LOVE cardigans
Tunes: Kings of Leon, Patsy Cline, Kings of Convenience, Delta Spirit, The Decemberists
Uplifts: writing, cooking, spending time with my husby, traveling
Vacation: weekend trips to KC, study abroad trip in the British Isles, the trip we are planning to return to the UK next summer
Weight: 125ish (I've gained a lot back since I got sick last fall.)
X-factor: my silliness, my loyalty, my straight teeth and super long legs *ZING!*
Years:  a few months into my 28th...
Zodiac: Taurus

Entertaining at The Owlery

Well, I sorta already showed my dining "room" on the SUYL--Kitchens from Kelly's Korner, but I will go ahead and share it again!  A few of those who viewed my pictures commented on my teapot collection, so I will share a bit more about that.  We actually just had a friend from work over with her boyfriend and son.  My kitchen area turned into a disaster:

BUT I think that is a sign that it was a successful meal!  (This picture was taken after they left, and I started cleaning up.)  Some of my favorite things to cook include chicken pot pie with lots of veggies; cobbler; French toast; roast beef; red, white, and black bean chili; and Cadbury chip brown sugar cookies.  For this dinner, I made baked chicken with McClard's seasoning, mashed potatoes from scratch, green beans with thyme, buttery corn, homemade cheddar bay biscuits (like the ones at Red Lobster!), and Nutella cookies with peanut butter.  Enjoy another look around the heart of our home!

This is how our kitchen usually looks.  This is looking into our dining "room" from the kitchen.

 looking into our dining area from the living room

 Our table is an antique Duncan Phyfe dining table!  A couple from Zach's parents' church gave it to us when we got married because they were switching from two residences to one. It needs to be refinished, but it is just beautiful.  It seats six, but we keep one chair in our bedroom for sitting.  I love imagining all of the different meals shared at this table and all of the different people who have sat down at it.  Zach's Momo made the lace tablecloth several years ago and gave it to me for my birthday.  The vase in center was made by Zach's mom who is very into pottery.  All of the birdy items were gifts from my birthday week that Zach's mom organized this year since I was recovering from surgery during that time, and the ironwork napkin holder was a wedding gift (I don't remember from whom.)  The rug, which you really can't see, was purchased with wedding gift money.  And I'm a new seamstress!  Zach got me this sewing machine for Christmas last year!

 the original needlework on the dining chairs

We wish we had the money to restore them to their former glory, but we can't right now.  We are planning to cover them with some fabric to protect the needlework and better match our decor at some point.

 I keep cookbooks, photo albums, yearbooks, photo boxes, picture frames, and scrapbook clutter on this shelf.  It needs to be better organized.  (That is one of my goals for this coming month!)  Our Willow Tree collection that we received from my mama, Grandma Byrd, and aunts on my dad's side are on top of the shelf along with a decanter that has been in my family forever.  The Alice in Wonderland bag was a birthday gift from my friend Katie; I used it in grad school, but now it holds fabric scraps.

 This china cabinet belonged to one of Zach's great aunts and was given to us by his parents to use since they weren't using it.  It holds my teapot collection, including our Alice in Wonderland collection.  (More on that in a second!)  The horse paintings were Zach's uncle's; he passed away before I met Zach.  :(  On top are some plants from my mom, a set of candleholders that were left in our first apartment, and the tiered serving dish that was a wedding gift from some ladies at Zach's parents' church.  Our kitties sleep on the ottoman to the right; we store coupons in the basket.

Oh, and our chandelier can be dimmed, so we have MOOD lighting!  But it makes for very bad lighting for pictures.  *lol*

This is a somewhat better look at my teapots.

 The top row has my Alice in Wonderland teapot (in the center) that Zach got me for Christmas when we were dating.  (It was the only Christmas we celebrated while dating because we got married exactly a year after we met on September 19!)  What is funny is that I got him a voucher for high tea at the Intercontinental on the Plaza when we were going to KC after New Year's (along with the dark blue tea cup you will see on the back of the second shelf--great minds think alike! :).  For my 24th birthday following that Christmas, he gave me several of the Alice pieces (plates and cups) during my birthday week, and his parents gave us the creamer pitcher the next Christmas.  My mama kept getting forgetting what fairy tale was behind our fairy tale...and gave me the Cinderella snow globe for Christmas after we were married.  *lol*  There's also a small white toy tea set I had when I was a little girl; I used it for my Samantha doll.

Left to right:  The rose teacup and saucer came from my best friend Monica (it was her Nan's; Nan passed away last year, and I loved her like a grandma, too); Zach's blue cup from our first Christmas together was mentioned above; this red housewarming teapot is from Brian and Whitney (they were our primary matchmakers); the burgundy and tan teapot that stacks on its cup was a birthday present from my roommate Rose; the Union Jack teapot was one of my souvenirs from my study abroad trip; the book teapot was a birthday gift from my sister-in-law; and the Japanese cup was bought on one of my many LR trips to Whole Foods.

Left to right:  The pastel polka doted teapot and cup was found at a flea market by my SIL; the plate commemorating Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding was a gift from my in-laws for my 26th birthday last year (my mother-in-law's best friend Fiona is Scottish and picked it up while she was visiting her family); the purple flowered teapot was a housewarming gift from my friend Katie when Monica and I got our apartment during grad school; and the simple flowered teapot was Zach's when he went away to college.

And there you have it!  Want to come over for a hot cuppa?