Winner Winner

Hello blogging world =) 

I had a whirlwind trip to Rhode Island to watch my best friend graduate from the Naval Officer Candidacy School. Newport was absolutely gorgeous, and I had a wonderful time. Also, it was in the 60's which I haven't felt in four months. It was heaven. 

Congratulations twin =) 

I also have a winner for my giveaway. Congratulations to 

Alena Pidala 

I will be sending you an e-mail soon. 

Thank you so much to everyone who entered. I was thrilled to help Melissa spread the word of her blog. For those of y'all who didn't win, Melissa was nice enough to give a 15% discount with the code mollyp. 

Happy Weekend! 

Maybe It's Spring?

I am cautiously optimistic about the weather. The sun was out yesterday and I only needed a light jacket and a hat. This could also be because I have gotten so used to being freezing that 30 degrees feels balmy. I really do love living in Northern New York, but man am I ready for warm weather.

I am linking up with Jaime for What I Am Loving Wednesday

1. I am loving the feeling I get when that little green dot of availability pops up next to my husband's name on facebook chat. It reminds of chatting with him on AIM in high school. Do y'all remember AOL Instant Messenger? Back in high school we would spend hours chatting on AIM during study hours. We both went to boarding school, and back in the dark ages cell phones were not allowed. 

Around the World in 80 Frames

2. My giveaway! Y'all should go back to my post here (or just scroll down) and enter. Melissa has truly beautiful photographs that would make perfect additions to your home or as a gift. 

 

3. My sweet southern phrase cards arrived this week. I ordered them from the Southern Weddings Magazine shop. I am going to frame all three of them together and can't wait to see how it comes out. The Oh My Darlin is my favorite. 

4. This happy girl. She has gotten two baths so far this week because of all the mud at the dog park. She loves getting all muddy, but hates the bath that comes next.

5. We officially passed 25% of the deployment done. Whoo hooo. I just need to push through to 33%. Then it's a quick hop to 50% done. I feel good and positive about surviving and thriving throughout this darn thing.

Happy Wednesday lovely ladies =)  

What Have I Learned

Firstly, if you haven't already, make sure you go enter my giveaway in the post below. Not many people have entered so your chances are really good to win a gorgeous photograph from Around The World In 80 Frames . 

Seriously Gorgeous

Today I want to write about life lessons. I have been trying to focus on what this deployment is teaching me, and it's made me think about what I have learned from other jobs and life experiences. 

Deployment 

Only reinforced the fact that my husband has the incredible ability to demonstrate infinite love and adoration through the shortest, simplest instant messages. 

Ranger School 

There is a line from Twilight (please don't judge me) "Anticipation so intense it was very nearly pain". That is the best summation of Ranger School. It also convinced me that the anxiety associated with possibly missing phone calls is unbearable for me. Lane and I have talked on the phone once since he left. E-mail and instant messenger work much better for us. 

Working at the Pentagon 

Sometimes things are exactly as cool as you would imagine they are. Swiping my ID card and walking into that building was exactly as cool as you would think. I also learned the importance of relationships and how small the Army truly is. 

Working at Barnes and Noble 

People who love books are the best people in the world. You can feel like you've known someone for years just because you share the same preferences about books or have a book you both love.

What are some of the lessons y'all have learned from different jobs or life experiences? 

First Giveaway

I am so excited for today's blog. Melissa over at New Girl On Post is offering one of her gorgeous photographs to one of my readers. Melissa's blog is one of the very first military spouse blogs I found quite a while ago. She traveled all over Europe and took amazing photographs along the way. I love supporting other bloggers in their wonderful businesses. The fact that Melissa is another member of the military family is even better. 

This photograph would be amazing framed as part of a wall gallery or as part of a styled bookshelf. 

The giveaway is for one of her 8 x 10 printed photographs, which is a $25.00 value. There are so many ways to enter, and I would love it if as many of my readers as possible entered the giveaway. Take a few minutes of your time to support a wonderful blogger and possibly win a gorgeous photograph for your home. 

The two mandatory tasks are liking Melissa's shop on Etsy, Around The World In 80 Frames and liking her Facebook Page. For additional ways to enter, check out the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for entering. This is my first giveaway and I am so excited to help Melissa spread the word about her wonderful Etsy shop. 

Deployment Week Nine

I was thrilled to pass the two month mark earlier this month. I am so ready to hit the 1/3 mark of this deployment. I feel like it isn't a huge jump from 25% done to 33% done and then on to 50%. Just for an OPSEC check in, all of my dates are a little off. I will never say exactly which date Lane left. This is for his safety and everyone with him. His unit made it public knowledge on Facebook that flights were leaving in January, so I don't feel at all restricted in sharing that information.

Happy Picture 

This is from Lane's promotion last November. The location was moved and we had to trek through the snow. I had worn heels thinking it was just going to be at Squadron. Lane carried me over the snow so my feet didn't get cold and wet. Sigh, so romantic.

Deployment Gratitude 

1. I am grateful for middle of the night instant messages from my husband. There was some anxiety inducing stuff this week, and I am so grateful to have heard from him. I was so sleepy while responding to his messages that when I woke up I wasn't sure if it was a dream or real life. 

2. I am so very grateful that we were able to fully celebrate Lane's birthday. The unit Facebook page posted a wonderful picture of his face while the office sang happy birthday. His birthday care package arrived on his birthday, and were able to chat for quite a while. I got a painting of us and Asha for his gift, and he loved it. It felt wonderful to fully celebrate with him, even from 6,500 miles away. 

3. I am grateful for progress. I finally nailed a shoulder stand during my workout on Saturday. This is one yoga posture that just never clicked for me. I was messing around after our workout, and realized that I am nearly there. I can't put my arms down yet, but there is definite progress.

4. I am grateful that Tuition Assistance was reinstated. I am so happy for all the soldiers who can resume their classes. I know the Coast Guard's T.A wasn't included, and I hope the budget gets sorted out.

5. I am grateful for perfect mornings. I woke up early today, had breakfast and headed out to read at Starbucks. I stopped at the mailbox and had two letters from Lane. His grandfather also sent me chocolate. Clearly, best family ever. Starbucks was empty that early in the morning and it was so peaceful to read and drink my latte.

Deployment Projects


I am just about done with framing. The Michael's framing people all recognize me now, and I don't even want to think about the total amount of money spent on frames. I got the free cork board from work, and that filled in the wall in my kitchen. I finally finished my old school desk, and it's now in the entry table. I don't really have one room totally done, but there has been decent progress all over the house. The office is the only room that is still a complete disaster. I am so ready for warm weather. I want to be able to work in my garage and not freeze to death. 

Grateful

After a week of being really stressed out and really frazzled, I finally feel normal and centered again. It's funny how easily deployment can start to seem overwhelming when other parts of my life get stressful. The calm, centered, and positive Molly is back and ready to face the rest of the week.

1. High Five for the amazing giveaway I have starting on Monday. The lovely Melissa at New Girl On Post is kind enough to let me giveaway one of her gorgeous prints. This incredible photograph from London is on my wishlist. Go check out her shop and come back on Monday ready to win!

2. High Five for a truly wonderful unit. Y'all, I am so very grateful to everyone in my husband's unit. I mentioned to the SCO's wife that I hadn't seen any pictures of him, and first thing yesterday morning there was a big smiling photo of him celebrating his birthday. All of the women are so wonderful and I feel so lucky.

3. This morning deserves its own high five. I got up, made a tasty breakfast of paleo pancakes and a smoothie. Then I headed to spin and burned some serious calories. Now I am happily back in bed, letting my hair soak in an almond mint mask and watching Vampire Diaries. 

4. High Five for free DIY projects. My office was throwing away this cork board and I snapped it up to go in my kitchen. I love having pictures and notes pinned up, but my fridge was getting a little crowded. This is the perfect addition. 

5. And finally, a big, huge, mega high five for Tuition Assistance being restored for active duty soldiers. I am so relieved that I can get back to doing my job and not worry that budget cuts will leave me unemployed. I am thrilled for all the Fort Drum soldiers who will be able to take classes this summer. Whoo hoooo! 

What are y'all grateful for this beautiful Friday morning? 

Birthday Boy

The unit website posted this picture this morning. Oh I love that smile 

Today is my husband's birthday. Even though he is 6,500 miles away, I am so happy to celebrate with him. Yesterday we chatted until midnight Afghanistan time so that I could say happy birthday. Then late last night I sent him the following pictures to show him his birthday present. 

She really did not want to sit still for this 

Asha is very interested in his birthday present. 

Asha helped me unwrap his present. 

My dad's cousin is an amazing artist and he combined three pictures of us to make this gorgeous piece. I really happy with how it turned out. Walter has done portraits of most of my extended family over the years, and I love that I got to add my little one to that list. If you want to see more of his work or a larger version of  my piece you can check out his website.  

Little Reminders

It has been interesting to hear how different military spouses handle the emotional parts of deployment. Some of my friends keep their husbands stuff exactly where it was when he left. Toothbrushes in place, jackets hanging on the door and all of their clothes hanging in the closet. I have gone pretty much the opposite direction.

Almost immediately after Lane left I moved all his clothes to the other side of the closet. It's not that I don't like little reminders of him, but I like having all the closet space more. For me, it is easier to return to how I lived when Lane and I were still long distance. After he left, I switched back into single-living-Molly seamlessly and almost immediately. I don't yet know if this is a good or bad sign. I am hoping that I will switch back into married-mode as soon as he returns. I know there will be major bumps along the road, but I also know we can handle it. 

I definitely don't think there is a right or wrong answer on how you deal with the separation. I personally like having my own space modifying our house to fit my needs. I will definitely change a few things back before Lane comes home, but for now I am going to keep a million pillows on the bed and completely take over both sides of the bathroom counter. 

I would love to hear how my other military ladies have dealt with their husband's stuff while he's gone. Or even my civilian readers if your husband travels for work or is gone for other reasons. 

Awesome and Not So Awesome

I haven't done one of these in a while, and I am not feeling particularly inspired tonight. 

Things That Suck 

Deployment 

Bad days at work 

Broken vacuum cleaners 

Oh did I mention deployment?

Things That Are Awesome 

New prints from Etsy that remind me to be brave 

Great workouts that leave you red, breathless and totally spent 

Friends that relieve stress by cleaning. My stove has never looked so good. 

Tired puppies. Life is so much easier when Asha is tuckered out.
Cuddly puppies. I think Asha knows I need some extra love these days. She has been all about the spooning and general cuddliness. 

I hope all of y'all have more awesome things in your lives right now. I am so ready to turn in my grades and be done with teaching for a few months. I can't wait to have more time for blogging, cooking, and generally being a more balanced and healthy human being. 

Deployment Week Eight

This week was rough. It had nothing to do with deployment though. I feel like Lane and I are great. Communication is still good and I feel so proud of ourselves. While deployment stress is totally under control, work was really rough this week. The suspension of Tuition Assistance meant that I had to have a crash course in other forms of financial aid. My class had their final exam on Tuesday, and I have been trying to force myself to grade all weekend. I love teaching, but I hate grading. 

Happy Picture 

High School Lane and Molly. This picture cracks me up =) 

Deployment Gratitude 

1. I am grateful for friends who swooped in to help me out this week. People made me dinner and generally supported me in this rough week. 

2. I am thankful for a group of friends who all love to workout. I rarely go to the gym without seeing someone I know. Being in a culture of healthy behavior is awesome. Part of my social life involves going to the gym. 

3. I am grateful for my sweet pup and the fact that she is so healthy and (relatively) well behaved. Celebrating her 1st birthday was really fun. 

4. I am grateful for the financial boost deployment brings. We have been making awesome progress toward our goals. As of today we are almost half way to our goal of paying off $20,000 of debt during deployment. I am going to keep pushing ahead until we hit that goal. Then I am going to start putting a little bit more in our honeymoon fund while still working on bringing down our debt. 

5. I am so thankful for an awesome FRG coffee group. So many of my friends don't have that support, and  I a so grateful to the women in my group for their support and advice. 

Deployment Projects 

I feel like I actually made some progress this week. I got a few gold chargers from Shannon and placed them above the kitchen cabinets. I think it helps fill in that area and help tie the kitchen in with the breakfast room. I also got a few of my frames back. My ATL print, Lane's diploma and my Georgetown diploma all came back from the framers. It feels good to fill in some of my blank walls. 

My Old Try ATL print. ( Say Hay Tea Ale with a super southern accent)

Lane's giant VMI diploma.

I also finally finished of my bedroom projects. I bought large cardboard letters and painted them a light blue color. They are now hung up with our wedding guest book print. This was a good week for house projects. I am excited about having a few things to work on in the next few weeks. My friend is selling me her old coffee table that I am going to turn into a padded coffee table/ottoman for the living room. I am so ready for the weather to improve so I can start working in the garage again and make some progress on all my outdoor projects. 

High Five Because It's Over

1. High Five for my sweet girl's birthday. I might have gone slightly overboard with the sweet potato/bacon doggie cake. The bacon # 1 cake topper was the best part of the whole process. I made three of them to share with Shannon's dogs. All three loved them and devoured them in less than a minute. 

2. This starts off horrifying, but I promise there is a happy ending. I had my final exam on Tuesday night. My students did fine and I planned to grade the majority of them over the weekend. Well Wednesday afternoon I find out that grades are due Thursday at noon. Now this is about 39 hours after I just had my final exam. I go into a full panic attack mode and start grading like a machine. Thursday rolls around and I am nowhere near ready. I plan out my pleading e-mail to student records and head into work. Upon my arrival I am greeted with a note that states "Whoops, sorry for the mix-up grades are due in a week". So High Five for having another week to finish grading. No high five for the initial communication failure that ruined my Wednesday night.

3. The commissary has started stocking Food Should Taste Good  sweet potato chips. These are delicious and gluten free. They are made with sunflower oil and really tasty.

4. High Five for 20% of the deployment down. I just have to forge on till 25% and I feel like that is a pretty major milestone. After that I am focusing on hitting the 33% mark. These smaller bite sized goals make the deployment seem much more manageable.

5. Finally, just High Five that this week is over. It was brutal. Between Tuition Assistance being suspended, and giving my final exam, it was rough. 

America America

I am a little obsessed with decorating with maps. 

This print was our "guest book" at the wedding and now hangs above our bed. 

Beauchamping on Etsy

Sidenote: this Etsy seller is amazing. He created a custom piece for me and did an absolutely incredible job. I  couldn't recommend him enough. 

I have more map art all over the house, and am always looking for more. I saw this beauty on Pinterest and knew I wanted to do something similar. 

Original Source On Pinterest

So I thought for a while that I would get a cork board and cut it into the proper shape. But let's be honest, it has been way to cold to do any work in my garage. Then I realized that I already had the perfect option. 

I bought the Curiosity Shop Cutting Board from Target in January, but hadn't really been using it to chop carrots. It was way too pretty. So I decided to screw some hooks into the back and hang that sucker up as art. 

via

How Target styled the cutting board 

I screwed small hooks into the back of the cutting board and attached hanging wire. This made it really easy to hang. 

My version in it's final form. I am still working on this gallery wall. I hope to have an update this weekend as a part of my DIY-Ing It Through Deployment section.

I am linking up with Stephanie and Katie for Saw It, Pinned It Did It.

 

Birthday Girl

I knew I had to do another blog post today besides my standard Thursday link-up. Because today is very very special. Today is my sweet Asha's first birthday. Although she didn't come into our lives until she was 11 weeks, today is the day she came into the world.

Not My Picture- From the breeder's website

If any of y'all have been following my blog for any length of time, I am sure you have seen countless pictures of Asha in all her cuteness. She has been such a blessing in my life. Even when she drives me crazy, I still could not picture my life without her.

Lane and I had been on the list to adopt another husky from the local SPCA, that didn't work out and I was really sad. I didn't want to go back to them for another dog, so we started looking for other huskies in our area. There is a family about an hour south of here that had a few puppies. We drove down to take a look, hoping we would fall in love. I remember walking up to the outdoor kennel and seeing three little faces pop up to look at us. There were two girls and one boy left. Two of the puppies were rolling around, playing and barking at each other. The third was much more interested in Lane and I. She walked up to smell us, and stared very intently at our faces. Lane and I both fell in love, and independently decided on her without talking to one another.

She has grown so much since then. We have been through chewing phases, house training, and learning not to bark in the middle of the night. She is the perfect deployment distraction, and helps me find joy in the smallest thing. She woke me up this morning excitedly looking out the window at the falling snow. She is the sweetest dog, and I am so glad she is a part of our family. 

We like to pick her up

Oh My Darlin'

Thank you for all y'all's sweet comments yesterday. I am a small piece of the huge picture of everyone affected by the cancellation of Army Tuition Assistance. I am hoping and praying that there is some budget resolution and I can get back to the business of getting soldiers an education. 

On a happier note, I am linking up with Jaime at This Kind of Love for What I Am Loving Wednesday. Here are a few of the things making me smile this week. 

Southern Weddings Shop

1. Three of these pretty cards are making their way to my house. I have a paper addiction, and the Southern Wedding's Shop is only making it worse. The Oh My Darlin with the clementines was the first one to draw me in. I plan to frame all three of them together. These were my pick me up for the week. 

2. I totally forgot that I grabbed one of these babies while I was checking out at Target. Luckily, I remembered before I put the bag into recycling ( Thank God) and had a nice treat during my horrendous day yesterday.

Target

3. Oh this robe. Y'all I cannot tell you enough how much I love this robe. I have been wanting a short bathrobe for a while, and finally decided to grab this one during my weekly Target trip. I have worn it almost every minute I've been home since then. 

4.  Pinterest's new layout

I really like the new layout. I absolutely love that when you click on a pin you can see related pins. I got totally sucked into this feature earlier today. Do y'all like it? 

5. This wonderful man 

I love that even over Facebook chat he can make me feel totally loved. These last two days were rough and he has been a champ at making me feel better. 

I really needed this link-up this week. Finding small things that make me happy is so important this week. Cheers to being half way through!

Molly And The No Good Very Bad Day

I really truly meant to blog yesterday, but the world conspired against that happening. I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, because yesterday was a rough one. 

I am sure that most of my military readers are aware that the Army decided to suspend tuition assistance as part of the budget cuts associated with the sequester. Well, since I am a military education counselor, this is pretty much my entire job. Yesterday our office was overflowing with soldiers trying to figure out how they are going to pay for classes. It was a bit of a stressful day. I am sincerely hoping that Congress will get its act together and pass some kind of budget so these across the board cuts don't have to be as extreme. I understand if tuition assistance needs to be a smaller pot of money, but this sudden cut off certainly makes life much harder for many soldiers.

If any of my readers have questions on how this affects them or their husbands, please let me know. I work on Fort Drum, but I am happy to help any soldier, anywhere in the world, with figuring out how to go to school.  

For Cold Weather

For Cold Weather by isabellaaustin 

I truly feel that the most important thing about dealing with cold weather is how you dress. This post is not at all about being cute or fashionable, this is purely for staying warm when the temperature dips below zero. I have picked up  a few tips in my year at Fort Drum, and I hope someone can learn from my trial and error.

The greatest thing I have found is fleece lined leggings. I got mine on super sale online, but I know Urban Outfitters also has them. I wear mine under pretty much everything. They are thick and opaque enough to be worn as regular leggings. They are so toasty, and make winter trips to the dog park much more manageable.

Now for wellies. I have two main shoes in the winter. I am either wearing my Hunter wellies or L.L Bean duck boots. I highly recommend both of them. Neither are super warm on their own, but they are heaven paired with the alpaca socks. 

I also have several pairs of alpaca socks. Now, my mother-in-law has alpacas, so she gets me socks from her friends who also raise alpacas for their fiber. I am pretty sure you can find them online or at outdoor stores. They are so warm, and comfortable. I wear mine to bed sometimes, and around the house to keep my feet warm. 

My Anne Taylor Loft Snood/ Infinity Scarf is one of my all time favorite purchases. I bought it one freezing cold D.C day, and it has been my constant companion ever since. It is warm, and cozy, and can be wrapped around my head in several different ways. 

The last item is a long sleeve Henley or thermal shirt. I recommend that everyone get something like this just as a foundation layer. I will start off my outfits with a long sleeve thermal and fleece leggings, then decide what pretty things I want to wear on top. This ensures that I am warm regardless of what else I decide to throw on. 

Hope this helped anyone heading up my corner of the frozen north, or just looking for some ways to stay toasty for the rest of winter. 

Deployment Week Seven

I really feel like I was just sitting down to write out week six. If time wants to keep moving this fast, that is just peachy with me. This week was overall pretty good. Work was still hectic, but it was a good week. 

Happy Picture

This is one of my favorites from our engagement pictures. It was one of the last photos we took, just as the sun was starting to go down. 

Deployment Gratitude 

1. I am thankful for feeling useful. I feel like my job has saved me from some of the pitfalls military spouses typically fall into during deployment. I can't lie around and feel sad, because I have to get my booty up and go to work.

2. I am grateful for afternoons sitting in the window at Starbucks. I got some serious grading done, and felt a nice sense of calm. Coffee shops have always been my place of solace. It is where Lane and I have gone on hundreds of casual dates. It is where I would do all of my studying in college and graduate school.

3. I am grateful when my favorite song comes on the radio right as I am turning on my car. Current favorites are "God Gave Me You", "Would You Go With Me", and the new Darius Rucker version of "Wagon Wheel".

4. I am thankful for paleo biscuits with butter and jam. It is perhaps the most comforting and nurturing food in existence.

5. I am grateful that Asha is getting even more cuddly as she gets older. She has always been interested in belly rubs, but spooning wasn't really her thing. Recently however, I have woken up to her curled up either behind my legs or against my belly. It is the sweetest thing in the whole world. I think she knows here mama needs some extra loving.

6. I am grateful for my battle buddy Shannon. Hi Shannon =) We are basically in a relationship and see each other every day. Our dogs get a long and she has been such a wonderful support for me.

DIY-Ing It Through Deployment 

I am still on the framing train. I am supposed to get a bunch of stuff back from Michaels today, so hopefully those will get put up this weekend. I promise this section is going to get a lot more interesting when it isn't freezing outside.

This week was marked by lots of short and sweet conversations with Lane. I have been falling asleep super early, which cuts out our evening chat. Our afternoon check-in has been fairly consistent, but I had so many students need test make-ups and other drama that it seemed a little rushed some days. Honestly I am ok with this. The days we can only say "Hello, I love you, You're My Favorite" make me more appreciative of the long conversations we are able to have.
 I am thrilled to be close to the two months mark. Month One went by so much faster than Month Two. I think Month Three will be a bit slow, but I am hoping it will pick up after that. My first goal was to make it to April. I am getting there, and can't wait for the warm weather. I am excited for drinking wine on patios and talking about the future with Shannon.

Lots of love to anyone stopping by =) 

Working For The Weekend

Yay for Friday. This work week was a blur of messed up financial aid, nervous students, and so many calls to student records they recognize my voice. It is always like this the few weeks before classes start, but it seems to still take me by surprise. 

In celebration of all things Friday, I am linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk for High Five For Friday. 

Favorite Paleo Biscuit Recipe

1. I feel like my eating has gotten back on track this week. I have been focusing on bringing healthy snacks to work and making sure I eat breakfast. I do have to admit though, paleo have given way to more gluten free. There is no good excuse, other than cooking all the time for one person sucks. I am still eating loads of fruits and veggies and feel pretty good. 

2. High Five for a bit of a break. I was contracted to teach another political science class in the second part of the semester. However, due to low enrollment the class was cancelled. I can't say I am super upset. I am really excited to have more time to work out and relax. Especially as the weather starts to warm up. 

Southern Weddings Shop

3. As always, a big high five for beautiful paper products. I impulsively bought this gorgeous print from the Southern Weddings Magazine shop. It isn't exactly our wedding vows, but it is pretty darn close. Also, Lane called me "My Beloved" when he proposed, so the first line has even more meaning to me. I framed our wedding vows a while ago, and they hang in our bedroom. This will make the perfect addition to that gallery. 

4.  My Big Bang Theory care package is being featured on Love From Home. One of my goals for the deployment has been to do more blog networking. I have been doing more pinning to Pinterest from the blog and am interested in doing more guest posting. This is the perfect step in this direction.

5. High Five for spin class. I started going again last week, and love my Friday morning class. It is such a good workout and I feel absolutely great. I am so ready to get some serious gym time in over the next few weeks. I want to be healthy, happy and glowing when Lane comes back.

I have so many great plans for this weekend. Time with friends, trips to TJ Maxx and trips to the dog park with Asha. Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend too =)