Do You See What I See? Probably Not, My Puppy Ate My Glasses.

Hello, my name is Crystal and I'm pretty sure I have an online shopping addiction. It started when I needed to order some extra long pants but got really bad when I discovered all the adorable, length appropriate dresses at Modcloth.com. Let me tell you, that was a breath of fresh air. Skirts that cover all your business... I blame the damn youths, with their too-short dresses and too-high high heels. Yes, I am an old fuddy-duddy. I'm considering scrapbooking for the first time just so I can start on My Big Book Of Grievences. Back to the things I like vs. loath...damn youths: Lately my online shopping addiction has accumulated into the need to get as many free pairs of eyeglasses as humanly possible. So far I have found six sites. There are limited frames to pick from, but hey! You just have to pay shipping! I haven't ordered mine yet. we're still trying to figure out how to divy up the swag between the Hubs and I. In case anyone else anyone else wants to try them out:

www.Firmoo.com/free-glasses

Coupon Code: FIRMOOFREE

www.Coastal.com/firstpairfree

Coupon Code: FIRSTPAIRFREE

www.Goggles4U.com/free-frames (this one charges you for the lenses, but they're cheap and if you use the code you can get 10% off)

Coupon Code: 10off

www.GlassesShop.com/first-pair

Coupon Code: FIRSTFREE

www.RetroEyeWorks.com/first-pair-free

Coupon Code: FIRSTFREEFB

www.UrbanGlasses.com/free-glasses-online

No Code Necessary

Happy shopping!! Let me know if you try and love these! We could even be glasses twinsies!!

Chair-ish The Joy

 I'm pretty sure Fall is here. The apples are starting to turn red on the trees, I feel the need to wear slippers every time I have to wander into the tiled bathroom, and the spiders are fleeing from the woods and straight into my basement. And then there is this unnatural need to sand and wood fill everything. It's much like storing nuts for Winter. After almost a year in Germany I got up the courage to cross my fingers, hold my breath and hope i picked out the right paint and supplies...yeah, my German hasn't gotten any better. 

Lately I've been working on kitchen chairs that Kevin and I garbage picked in Washington a couple years ago. We've just been using them as is, they weren't terrible, as long as you didn't touch the duct tape holding the splintering top in place. However, you can only take so much high-gloss, scratched black paint and cracking pink pleather. So after a couple weeks of sanding, wood fill and painting, I have one chair finished and the other one is naked and stashed out of sight so it doesn't ugly up the room. I'll get to it...eventually. I have a hard time maintaining focus. I've also made a Husbands banner, coffee filter peonies, a pillow case and started planning a Halloween party since starting on the chairs. See what I mean, zero focus...

                   

 

Try, try again...and then try some more.

So I've recently started crafting/painting again and Kevin has been encouraging me to post pictures and share my painting techniques so I'm going to try blogging again. I'm hoping my super sweet new toy Kevin got me for my birthday will help. Who knew an iPad could be so delightful. It really is a technilogically challenged person's best friend. Not to brag but my husband is the sweetest. I woke up to a clean house, cake for breakfast and presents Kevin has been hiding for weeks. I have no idea how I'm going to compare for Kevin's birthday. I had planned on fixing up a rocking chair that Kevin is absolutely in love with even though the wood was separating and every time you sat on it your butt got pinched (by the chair), but Kevin beat me to it! It's all uniform and non butt-fondling. I suppose I could still paint it for him, but let's be honest- That would be more for my benefit.

Also I feel I have to start blogging, because my dogs are too darn adorable for the world not to know every little detail. For instance, Jynx has started to go gray in the ears. He's so distinguished now, like Pierce Brosnan before he did Mama Mia! and lost all sex appeal. Ooh, and I'm really hoping having dogs is not like a crash course before children because I'll yell something and flash forward to the day I'll have teenagers and things like, "Willow, stop licking that weenie." Or sometimes, "Jynx! No humping your girlfriend,"...it haunts me.

                                   

A Very Merry Unbirthday Indeed

So I've become quite aware that I'm turning into that weirdo no one wants to talk to at parties because all I do is show pictures of my furry little companion...and Jynx. Ha, get it? ;) Nothing proves this point quite as much as exhibit A:

Jynx's Adoption Day Celebration

Last Sunday marked exactly one year since the day Kevin and I scrounged up all our spare cash and purchased us one discount puppy off ebay. 

I started off the celebration by baking him a little Apple-Carrot Cake

And of course there were party hats...

Do you know how hard it was to get this picture. He wanted a good ole fashion cake smashing...

That's his please face

Om Nom Nom...

Now before you start readying the white padded room, I had my reasons. With Kevin being in Kuwait for our first Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines Day, and our one year anniversary and now he'll be in California for my birthday and we'll be moving on his I decided we're going to celebrate what we can when we can...plus I really wanted an excuse to put a hat on my dog.

Bread Dough Rising.

Oh boy... I must say that I'm a pretty thankful for my big sister, Brittney. A few weeks ago I went to the doctor and when I was being weighed I almost died. I hit the highest weight I've ever been! After getting married I managed to gain just shy of 20 lbs. I know what you're think...yes, Kevin is a lucky man ;). To think he always thought I was making a funny when I said I was letting myself go as soon as the ceremony was over. 

So in steps Britt. I let her know what's going on in a lip quivering fashion and she comes up with the idea of working out and eating healthy together. We even went as far as to take "before" pictures. Now...I'm not going to post that just yet, but thanks to my pale complexion I looked like bread dough in a sports bra. 

Since starting I've lost 2.4 lbs! It hasn't always been pretty or easy. After leg day, there is nothing I wouldn't give for a spring loaded toilet seat. Yesterday I was so incredibly sore I didn't want to move. When Kevin said it was time to go to the gym I sat at the kitchen table crying, "Just let me be fat! Please just let me be fat!" See what I mean, lucky!

Ewe-Topia

 About a week ago Kevin and I took our little mister to a sheep herding facility named Ewe-Topia. It was a perfect way to spend the day! It was about a thirty minute drive away but the sun came out right as we got there. Twelve dollars later Jynx was in the sheep arena with Kevin!

Kevin psyching Jynx up to meet the sheep

"Ooooh get em Jynxie!, Get em!"

Have you noticed yet that Jynx is just following Kevin around?

and again....

Jynx just couldn't be bothered to chase the sheep. We ran after the little wooly butts, tickling them when we caught them only to have Jynx wander to the shade and lay down. Could not be bothered. After seeing how docile Jynx was Joe (the owner of the joint) decided that Jynx would be perfect for duck herding...and Jynx agreed!

Just In Case You Were Wondering What Jynx Was Up To...

Kevin has been home for over a month, and about every other day I start snapping pictures going "Ohh, I can't wait to blog about this." Being the super cool kid I am though I tend to forget, so I'm about to cover a full month of happenings. 

Jynx was considerate enough to buy Kevin a welcome back gift. I don't know who loves it more, the hubby or the pup.

Then he takes his sweet time bringing it back

And it would be just too easy if he just handed over it

He's so pleased with himself...

A couple days later I had an epiphany... I can make dog treats in my kitchen with ingredients I always keep on hand!

Jynx took on the roll of supervisor

About twenty minutes later we had homemade milkbones... milkhearts ready for the oven.

They were a hit! Good thing too, poor little Jynx came down with a mild case of kennel cough and he had a yeast infection in his ear. Every trip to the vet cost us quite a few treats. After about two weeks he was back to his old self. Unfortunately the ear drops we had been giving him caused an oily rats nest to develop on the side of his head. A bath was definitely in order...hehe

And that is where I'm going to stop for now because blogger is acting funny... Hopefully I'll post the rest of the pictures before another month has passed....