Asha Is Crazy

Old picture, but one of my favorites 

I am happily watching the ACM awards on Sunday night when I heard something weird. It sounded like the garage was opening, but there was no reason for it to be doing so. I actually checked to make sure I wasn't sitting on the clicker dealy. I stuck my head into the garage, and sure enough the door was going on up. So my mind immediately jumps from ghosts to serial killers pretty quickly. Then I see my lovely little puppy.

 She has the garage door opener in her mouth treating it like a chew toy. She was pushing the button with her teeth. She didn't do too much damage, I think she was more entertained by the button. I have no idea how long she had it, but it's likely my garage was opening and closing for about ten minutes. My neighbors probably think I am completely crazy. 

Also, since she can open the back door, this lovely sight greeted me a few days ago. 

Oh sweet Asha. You crazy crazy puppy. 

Deployment Week Eleven

Oh April, you are looking so good so far. I am thrilled to making our way toward 1/3 of the way done with deployment. This week was a bit up and down. TA craziness is still making things super slow at work. The slowness coupled with the internet being down one day, made for a very slow work week. I woke up ill on Thursday and felt crappy all the way through this morning. This week had some good aspects too. Communication with Lane was great, and I got a ton of things scratched off my to do list. 

Happy Picture 

This is from the ugly sweat party we attended in December. Lane decided to go for world's smallest sweater. Luckily his abs are ridiculous, so he totally pulled it off. 

Deployment Gratitude 

1. I am grateful for the 1.5 HOUR long phone conversation we had today. We have stuck primarily to chatting online, so this is only the second time we have spoken on the phone. Just hearing his voice was so wonderful. I am sending his webcam in the next care package, so I am hopeful we can get some skype time in too. 

2. I am grateful for sunny weather. I spent at least an hour at the dog almost every day this week enjoying the (relatively) warm weather. Asha is nice and tuckered out as a result. Feeling the sun on my face was glorious today. 

3. I am grateful for the insane amount of time I was able to spend reading this week. I finished all of the Mortal Instrument books in about two weeks. It was a wonderful escape into another world. I am also grateful that my parents instilled such an intense love of reading into my siblings and me. I can never understand when people say they don't like to read. It is a chance to escape into someone else's life and world without even leaving your house. 

Deployment Projects 

Whoo hoo for progress. I framed my UK maps and they are happily hanging in my living room. The breakfast room is basically done too. I am so excited to have the downstairs nearly complete. I just need to get a love seat for the living room and my DIY ottoman. 

Favorite Natural Remedies

I have always been a little bit leery over using too many chemicals in products for both my body and my house. Over the years I have found a few that I absolutely love. 

Skin 

Almond Oil    Shea Butter

I have really dry skin. I also have mild keratosis pilaris on my upper arms. I have tried countless prescription lotions to soften my rough skin. Nothing ever worked until I started using Shea butter. Lots of lotions contain Shea butter, but I get the best results from just 100% pure Shea  It is a little bit pricier than regular lotion, but since nothing else has ever worked, it's worth it for me. I added almond oil to my routine earlier this year. It is a little greasy, but I put it on right after the shower and let me skin absorb it for about fifteen minutes before I get dressed. I use the oil in the morning, and then the Shea butter before I go to sleep. The combination of the two has given me the softest skin of my life. Also, putting on almond oil right after I shave my legs makes my skin feel amazing. 

Sore Throat 

This the best cure ever for sore throats. I simply pour out roughly a tablespoon of honey and shake some cinnamon on top. Then just swallow. Sometimes it can be a little sticky going down, so I just follow it up with a gulp of tea. Honey and cinnamon are apparently cures for almost anything. I have seen articles prescribing it for indigestion, headaches, weight lose, and preventing heart disease. I'm not a doctor, so I have no idea if it actually works for all of those ailments. I've used it for sore throats for a while, and I always see an improvement. ( Again, I am NOT a doctor so I make no claims that this will work for you) 

House Keeping 

Mrs. Meyers

I am a huge fan of Mrs. Meyers products. They smell amazing. They get my laundry, dishes, and floors clean without using harsh chemicals. I love that their website lists the ingredients for every product. They also break down exactly where they come from and what they do. My absolute favorites are; the honeysuckle dish and hand soap, the lavender all purpose cleaner, and the lavender laundry detergent. Our washing machine sees some pretty dirty ACU's and this stuff does the trick. It also leaves a wonderful light scent. 

Do y'all have any go-to natural remedies for ailments or cleaning? I would love to hear your suggestions. 

Change In Wardrobe

Over the past year I have lost almost all interest in shopping for clothes. We had our new house and every single minute was focused on setting up our home. Any extra money went toward the new couch or the other million things houses needed. The house is still a work in progress, but my interest in shopping for clothes has slowly returned. I have bought a few new things recently, mostly oxfords and cardigans.
 My style hasn't really changed over the years. I have always been into skirts and vaguely preppy outfits. However, recently I have been hit with the urge to get rid of everything I own and start from scratch. Clearly this is not the best idea, but I think a huge closet clean out is in order.

 I have been within 10 lbs of my current weight since I started high school. I grew very quickly, and as a result was at my adult height by 15. This also means that a lot of my clothes are from high school and college. Now, some of them are very nice, but 25 year old Molly's style and 18 year old Molly's style are not quite the same thing. 

I have getting the itch to do a closet purge. I don't really have a problem getting rid of things, but there is always that voice in my head "you might need that one day". Army life guarantees a lot of moving. If I can reduce my wardrobe to items I truly love, I think it will make getting dressed more fun and moving much easier. 

Has anyone else experienced feeling like this? Did you go nuts with a new wardrobe? Or did you make due with the items you already had? 

Mirror Mirror

Hello lovely readers. I am happily at work with a gigantic latte ready to start my day. I wanted to quickly finish my Wednesday Loving post to highlight some of the things that are rocking my world this week.

I am linking up with Jaime at This Kind of Love  for What I Am Loving Wednesday. 

Target Mirror

1. This pretty mirror is coming home with me on Friday. I have been looking at it every time I stop by at Target, and finally decided to pull the trigger. I can't wait to add it to our breakfast room. Once I get my framing projects back from Michaels, the breakfast room will be done. Whoop whoop 

Around the World in 80 Frames

2.  This gorgeous photograph from Melissa's lovely shop is on its way to my house. I am so in love with so many of her photographs. I visited Milan a few times while I was studying abroad and this photograph is the perfect reminder. 

via

3. I am loving that I have new DIY plans for as soon as the weather warms up. I am buying an old coffee table from my neighbor and I plan to make a cushioned ottoman for my living room. My garage is way too cold to work in right now, but I have faith that warmer weather will come again. This photo is my inspiration for my newest project. I will probably do more of a blue color scheme, but I adore that pattern.

4. It is beyond wonderful that I got to tear another page off my desk calendar. I can't wait till the fall months start to appear on my desk. I am just so ready to hit 50% done of this darn deployment.

From Amazon

5.  I have been totally sucked into the Mortal Instruments series. The on post library has all of them, and I might have read the first four in the last week. Literally all I did on Sunday was read and eat. It was heavenly. I have always been a fan of YA books (y'all have seen my Harry Potter obsession) and this series is pretty good.

Happy Wednesday =) 

Monogram Time

Ignore the dog hair on the left of this picture. 

I have a pretty serious love affair with monograms. I recently ordered this new gorgeous piece in rose gold and it arrived yesterday. It is absolutely gorgeous, although the chain is slightly longer than I prefer. I am horribly allergic to nickel, so most jewelry is out for me. I was thrilled to find this shop on Etsy  where I could get one without nickel. Usually that means jewelry is crazy expensive. This shop is very affordable, and the necklace is gorgeous. (I'm not being paid to say this, I just want to help y'all other monogram loving out)

Are y'all into monograms? One of my favorite ideas I have seen is to order a necklace with your new  monogram for the wedding. Put it on after the ceremony and wear it to the reception. I think this is such a cute way to recognize your new status as a married lady. 

Deployment Week Ten

This post is so late. I got back from Rhode Island on Friday, and didn't have any interest in turning on my computer for the rest of the weekend. I have seen the idea of "social media free weekend" floating around the blogging world, and I am starting to love the idea. I want to do a full post about OCS graduation, but before it gets too late I want to do my deployment update. 

Hello April! March went by in a snap. Considering that February took a decade to pass, this was a welcome change. If the next six months want to do the same, that would be great.
 Week ten was a breeze. Communication was really good and the trip to RI made the whole week fly by. It was one of those weeks where you think "Yep, I got this. Totally handling it".  Jen's graduation from OCS was such a wonderful experience. I got a little teary when they recited the commissioning oath. It is the same oath Lane said at his commissioning, and the memory was incredibly strong. I remember sitting in the stands, watching him say those words. Knowing that he was making a promise that would shape the next ten years of our lives. I had the same feeling watching Jen and her class recite the oath. Whew, a little intense. Anyway, on to happier things. 

Happy Picture 

Everyone has seen all the pictures floating around Pinterest of ways to mark each anniversary. We had some friends over to celebrate our first year of marriage, and took this beautiful photo. Lane will still be gone for our anniversary this year, and I have already started to think of clever ways to take a "Two Years" picture while separated by 6, 700 miles. 

Deployment Gratitude 

1. I am so grateful for good friends. I hadn't seen Jen in almost a year when I drove down to Rhode Island on Thursday. It was so good to see her and enjoy spending time with her family. We have known each other since the first day of freshman orientation in high school. Seeing her achieve this incredible goal was wonderful. I was so proud I could have burst. 

2. I am grateful for warmer weather. It may be raining and nasty today, but Saturday was glorious. I took two trips to the dog park and had the best time. Come on spring! 

3. I am grateful for safe travels. I drove 7 hours down on Thursday and 7 hours back on Friday. It was definitely tiring, but so worth it. I am grateful that the car is in great shape and I made the drive safely. 

4. I am grateful for long phone calls with my mom. My mom and I both work in education, and being able to talk to her about issues we both care about deeply is wonderful. I am blessed with awesome parents, and I appreciate them more and more as I get older. 

5. I am grateful for long lazy days reading. Y'all, I finished the first three Mortal Instruments books in less than three days. I am heading to the library today to get the next book.

Deployment Projects 
Nope, nothing done this week. Too much traveling, not enough house projects.

Happy April!