Hello August

I've been waiting impatiently for you since November.

It seems as though I've neglected this little corner of my world lately. I suppose I'm mentally checking out of many things with preparations to see my lover. Yes, he will be here shortly. OPSEC ruins countdowns and that sort of thing so I'll keep the deets on the down low. But my absence has been a mixture of R&R prep..finding a job..and less internet time. You can call me Barista, thanks Jesus for the short job hunt! Enjoying the real world truly is a lovely thing. But to contradict my new found love for reality, I got a Pinterest account..my internet intake may be drastically increasing again..I guess it'll just get me through the last leg of deployment :) Can't be too harmless, right?

R&R check list:
finish summer school
get hair highlighted
find new bathing suit
finish editing all shoots
do all laundry
clean house
get Mr's favorite groceries
pedicure

*almost there and feeling accomplished!

family vacation

water for elephants 

snowy mountain view

pretty pier

nightly games of mexican train

one more thing crossed off the list of things to be done before R&R

:D

things that make me happy

are good to focus on when life's daily occurrences weigh down on you.

i'm happy there's been a light breeze flowing through our town the past few days

 i'm happy my nails are a bright sun shiney yellow

i'm happy to wear summer dresses 

i'm happy Mr and i can talk daily thanks to social networks and technology

i'm happy that photography exists

all images above via

i'm happy deployment is temporary

I'm not the person

that you should be complaining to. How is that hard to understand? I don't have sympathy for you. Your boyfriend stayed out all night and you miss him..I'm sorry, I honestly don't care and I'm not the person you should be talking to right now. Your girlfriend went back to college today and you're miserable..I'm sorry but I don't care about that either, because guess what? I haven't seen my husband in 8 months and the end isn't in sight. I can't talk to him whenever I want, our skype calls drop almost daily. We're in opposite time zones, on opposite sides of the world, he isn't safe. I don't care that you cried all day and turned on Netflix until you couldn't stand it anymore. Do you understand that's been my daily routine for 8 months and you haven't cared to check in even once? So my question for you is why? Why do you come to me? There are plenty of people who care that you haven't talked to your boyfriend all night or that your girlfriend lives across the country for a few months. But I'm sure as heck not one of them right now. I've tried to be understanding and supportive as much as I can. But I'm almost certain I've reached the end of my sympathy. The only place I really complain about deployment is here, I don't bring it into other people's lives and ask for prayer daily. Even though I need it, I don't do it because my problems are not other people's problems and in reality people don't want to hear it. If you cared to ask how I was doing every once in a while maybe you'd have my sympathy but the funny part of this is neither of you do. Not one time this whole deployment have either of you come to me and asked about my husband or me. Not one freaking time. So you think it's okay to come to me and complain about your relationship problems? Please reconsider. It literally makes me laugh. I'm tired of getting walked on and tired of being there for you.

my grandpa

Our Fourth of July was somewhat laid back this year.

We usually spend it out at the lake or camping but with Mr being gone

and our friends being spread over the map I decided

to spend the night at my grandparent's house which overlooks

the river (amazing view) and watch fireworks from their

pool deck! My parents and one other family friend joined us.

It was a quiet but fun night, I always love

going to Nana and Grandpa's house.

We're still getting our grandparents used to technology

so every time I whip out the iPhone we have to remind them it's a

computer+camera+iPod+phone all in one.

It never makes sense to them,

and always makes us laugh.

Here's some video of Grandpa from the fourth,
in the first one he couldn't quite understand that my phone was taking video.
The second one he sang a song about me and I plan
to keep that video for ever and ever :)

**other note worthy moments from the night*
Dad and Grandpa serenading us throughout the firework show and
neighbors clapping after each song,
as they overheard the singing from their own back yards.
 This is only one of many clips..

Grandpa taking me around his yard so I can get the most opportune photos

with my iPhone..since there's a camera on it of course.

He was especially concerned that I get a picture of the vultures that hang out in his trees

and the garden he's been planting on the side yard. 

I almost think he's convinced that's the camera I use for photo shoots

and I'll continue to let him think that because it's cute.

Overall,

we made good memories 

had lots of laughs

and apparently sang for a good

portion of the night.

Etsy love

I have a recent obsession with online shopping and even more so with Etsy 

and all the hand-made goodness there.  I find that it's more special to me when

it's hand-made because someone spent time making it and it's their passion.

Just gives a little spin of happiness to it, don't you think?

My Gussy Sews headband came in the mail last week and
I was so excited!

It's bright in these pictures so it's hard to see,

but that means you want to click that link and check out

her shop so you can see just how 

amazing it is, right?

That's what I thought.

A couple weeks ago the lovely Megan over at Mackey Madness hosted an awesome

giveaway from the Say Your Piece shop.  I won this cute ring dish and just had 

to show it off to y'all. I love it so much and was so excited to win my first giveaway!

Do you like how I threw in the "y'all" since we're talking about Megan here :)

I wasn't endorsed by Say Your Piece or Gussy Sews

all opinions and pictures are my own.

Fourth of July Inspiration and DIY

If I was throwing a fourth of July party and had my own home

these are a few of the things I would do and make!

I'm so excited for the day I can do all of this, but until then I'll google..pin..and dream.

sigh..

 all images above via

Since my husband's in the Army, I figured I'd go all out in decorating

our little place with patriotic stuff this time of year. But time got away from me and it's almost the fourth already. 

I haven't had the motivation I thought would be there

but here's a little smidge of patriotic popping up in my house so far. I plan to shop til I drop at JoAnn's tomorrow since there's some crazy amazing sales going on. 

But this is the start of it!

These balls and rosettes were all DIY and easy to do!