current obsessions: October

Hey folks! I promise to [try to] be back later this evening with a Tuesday readings post. As I discussed yesterday, I've been so busy with so many things my reading got away from me this week. And yesterday we had some students visit the office and I didn't get home till after 8, then we didn't finish dinner till after 9 and I was asleep around 10 and it just slipped my mind.

Anyway...here's what I've been loving this October...

• Fall - cider & doughnuts with my hubby @ Fuhrman's
• Salted caramel mochas from Starbucks
• New nail polishes thanks to Joy the Baker!
• New projects! I'm currently working on some design projects for a friend - living room, dining room, family room, basement and laundry room makeovers! Can't wait to share the before and afters!
• These chocolate cupcakes. Ah-may-zing.
• Halloween times means MONSTER CEREALS ARE BACK. Count Chocula has been a favorite of mine (and Josh's) since I was little. I don't care how old I am, it always will be!
• Not having a cracked iPhone screen. YES!!!  
• Boots and scarves! Actually, I haven't broken out my boots yet - they are too "snowy" - I need some nice fall short boots...I think I hear Marshall's calling me...
• My adorable niece learning new words! She can say both "Josh" and "Amy" and she seems to LOVE saying Josh! We watched her at our townhouse the other day and she just kept pointing at him and saying his name! She also was loving watching stuff on the big TV and kept saying "Whoa!!!!" whenever anything crazy was on the screen.

 

What are you currently loving?

[My] Friday's Fancies #2

Yeah! Two weeks in a row!

This week's theme is FALL! I love fall! The colors, the smells, the temperature [usually], the recipes!

I think this outfit encompasses fall in Erie, PA perfectly. The last three days have been cooler, rainy and not very bright. This outfit - for me - would be a nice work outfit or out for a night with the girls. It's comfy, cute and you're prepared just in case there is a rainstorm...

Forgot to mention [still new to this] I'm linking up over at Friday's Fancies on Long Distance Loving!

FF #2 - Fall Flavors by amygrace02

Miss Selfridge belted dress, £35
Long sleeve shirt, $20
Vince brown legging, $282
Frye boots, $268
ASOS oversized clutch, $79
Michael Kors bangle bracelet, $150
Stud earrings, £8
Gold Wedding Walker umbrella, £18
Etro plaid scarve, $460

Have a great weekend, friends!

Weekend Update: October 7-9, 2011

I cannot believe how GORGEOUS it was in Erie all weekend! Mid 70's, beautiful breezes and gorgeous colors. Fall has hit Erie hard and the colors are unbelieveable.

Friday on had to drop off some books at the library so I picked up FIVE new ones! I was lucky enough to find five of the books on my Pinterest book club reading list, so that was pretty exciting! In the evening we had a worship team meeting where we talked about the upcoming year - the schedule, new praise & worship and prayer nights and ways to connect our three "venues" together (we currently host two contemporary services on Sunday mornings  as well as one traditional service at our McKean location. There is a third contemporary service hosted about 25-30 minutes east in Harbor Creek). We had a great time of food & fellowship with one another and prayed for the new year and over my brother-in-law, who is our worship pastor. It was a fun night!

The last two Saturdays have rocked because I've been able to sleep in past 10 am! Josh heads off to work and I have the house to myself to do whatever...or nothing. Mostly nothing happened this past weekend. Catching up on blogs, enjoying the breeze and just plain old laying around. We hung out after Josh got back from work doing the norm - catching up on the week's TV shows we missed (Fringe, The Office) and just spending time together.

Sunday church involved a life story video by my amazing husband about his coming to Grace Church that had tears in my family's eyes in the end! We hung around for a little watching my adorable niece Chloe run around the church yelling "Josh!" "Mamma!" "Dadda!" and "Oh nooo." Then my parents took us out for lunch at Applebee's!

We finally got to enjoy some of that gorgeous weather as we went up to Fuhrman's Cider Mill for some donuts and cider and a quick scenic drive back to our house.

We spent the rest of the evening lounging around until we went out at 930 pm [past my bedtime] to Josh's friend Katie's to watch the season finale of Breaking Bad. I don't normally watch it - I can't take it! It's too suspenseful! -  but I wasn't going to miss out on hanging out!

Hope you all had fantastic weekends! Was the weather as lovely for you as it was for us up here?

Just wanted to point out for any of you who may have been new commenters/viewers last week: I switched back to the standard Blogger comment form as I did not like the one I was previously viewing. If you see your comments are deleted - they really haven't been [by my choice] but that is what happens when you try that stuff out! So I want to make sure you're aware I appreciate your comments and saw them! Thanks!

crazy thursday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDIO!
today is my amazing father's birthday. he is such an amazing, funny, silly, creative, caring father. i couldn't ask for a better one! he's also my best mate :)

[christmas 2008]

[accompanying me on guitar for Staci & Shane's wedding, August 2007]

[here we are in Buxton about 3 years ago]

we're celebrating at LELC [lake erie lunch club - we go out to eat every thursday - my dad, my uncle [his boss] and me! and whoever else joins...] and dinner tonight.

also, today i'm unpacking all the crap from my work station, to get my NEW ONE put up tomorrow morning!! eek! very excited...it's going to be weird though...

anddddd NEW OFFICE TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!! very excited.

tomorrow: kristen's mum's show & hanging out with josh
saturday/sunday: lounging around then [weather permitting] kc & i driving down to Pittsburgh to see kt & nikkie and go to a bridal expo! [missing stace though :(]

last week of october!

ugh, i can't even believe it.


i had the WEIRDEST dream last night. it ended with my roomie, kc, waking me up at 710 because i had turned my alarm off. hahahha.

thanks to big red kitchen's link to i heart cuppycakes, i have decided i want to try the "candy corn" cupcakes for this weekend. i want to do the mini cuppies, but i'm not sure how that will work out...i also want to add small chunks of candy corn and do some with chocolate frosting. and i won't be taking the wrappings off...probably...not...

[image from iheartcuppycakes]

yay i'm excited :)

cupcake ahead!

that's right, folks - in the upcoming weeks i'll have TWO cupcake events. actually, probably three. i have no idea what i'm doing for them yet - but the majority will be halloweenie-fall type cuppies.

my last volleyball "game" of the season is next Tuesday [we have a tournament next Thurs-Sat]. it's an away game, and to honor the occasion i'm going to make some cupcakes for my girls. not sure what i'm going to make though. nothing TOO fancy.

friday and saturday of next week i have two halloween parties. i finally have a costume idea i'm excited about [not telling]. but again, cuppies will be made for possibly each of these occasions.

and, i'll leave you with some fall shots i took on the way to my parents house yesterday and some pics i took at my friend Kat's house on Saturday.

oh i almost forgot the best thing - this morning we noticed the car/suv parked next to mine had it's back window smashed in. pretty awesome.

almost complete!

ok, i don't think that's...true.
i was going to say our Living Room is almost completed - but we still have an ottoman and bookcase to order / assemble. along with artwork, pictures and making the stupid freaking wireless internet work! ugh, i have no idea what the issue is there. i think there's a problem with my router :(

anyway, yesterday i received the final pieces for our "window treatments" - some teal-ish sheers to go behind the brown tab-top curtains we put up on Sunday with mum & dad's help. so, we finished that up! today i'm going to VCF to pick up the pieces for the chairs [hopefully they give us the right ones this time] and pick out an ottoman! i came prepared with our patchwork pillow and multicolored throw...but didn't bring any of the pillows that actually MATCH the couch. ugh. oh well. :)

oh, also yesterday i was a stupid idiot and drank through a straw. i also chewed so much on the left side of my mouth that my stitches came out. however, i didn't even notice they came out...and it didn't even matter. looks like they are ready to fall out, and i REALLY hope that means i've healed quick and the straw ordeal doesn't matter either :(. ugh.

oh and here's some pics from my favorite season. haven't really been able to get any good ones yet...i'm hoping to this weekend.

lack of...

i apologize for my lack of reading, commenting and blogging of my own. things have been crazy busy...as is the ushe.

• i've had 3-4 volleyball games or practices a week. this requires leaving early from work very often, meaning no time at work to blog.
• lappy is broken. hopefully i'll be sending her back today. this is why i haven't blogged at home.
• work is crazy. we're busy. it's good, but stressful. especially when i have to leave early.
• the shirts i bought the girls last week were "rejected" by the school. they told me they need to be approved to be worn as jerseys at games, and that they pretty much wouldn't be approved at all. so, they got to wear them for the tourny and a game, but that's about it. they can wear them to warm up in and to travel in, so that's good at least. i understand their rules...sort of...but i also think it's stupid.
  
• the volleyball team is doing pretty well. JV is having a rough time, but the varsity girls are really impressing me this year. too bad 7 out 0f 9 of the varsity girls will be gone next year.
  
• i'm SO EXCITED ABOUT FALL. seriously. i love it. when the leaves start to change i'm going to make josh go with my on my annual fall picture-taking walk. my plan is to go to wintergreen gorge by my house. it's very pretty there. but seriously, there is something about fall that really...just...effects me. i have an idea of what it could be.
  
• i have two potential halloween parties to go to this year. i'm excited.
  
• um, KC and i move in to our apartment in TWO WEEKS! i can't believe it. we are going to try to get our furniture and other things tomorrow! ahhhhh excited!!!!!!!
  
• one week until the office season premiere!!! holy mother, i am SO EXCITED. i had a dream last night that jim proposed to pam in the premiere. i am going to make my cuz cuz bekah come over and watch episodes with me and bring her office dvd game :)

a few fall pics to get you in the mood :)