BIG Life Things

Hey, Alissa, where exactly have you been?  What's new?  We miss you.  And your "weekly" (hahahahahahaha) updates.  Why are you standing in front of that wall?

Well friends, most of you probably know the news, but here it is anyway if you missed the super cute announcement.

Yoooooooo!

So there's the news.  Stay tuned for stories and pictures and all kinds of babypalooza nonsense.

Little Life Things (Week[s] of 7/5/2014 - 7/18/2014)

Double Post!  We were on vacation and it was super difficult to make posts, so I'm doubling up here.

• We were in Portland for a wedding that occurred July 5.  It was a gorgeous, sweet, emotional wedding, and we were so glad to be able to have been in attendance.  We looked really good, too.

• After the wedding, we headed off to Vegas!  We went with two of our friends from Oregon, and met a few people there too.  Vegas was great, of course.  The highlight was seeing Evil Dead the Musical.  It was hilarious and perfect.  

Grabbing Ash's boomstick

• We went down to Fremont street, which I actually prefer to the strip.  It's cheaper, less crowded, and covered so my delicate redheaded complexion won't burn after three seconds outside.  

While there, I discovered how absolutely terrifying the cowboy is 

when his lights aren't turned on.  Yeesh!  Nightmare fuel.

• Also, we ate food.  We hit some buffets, we snacked, and we discovered the greatest little place on Fremont called Uncle Joe's (go there!).  

This pizza had 10 meats on it.

• Meanwhile, back in Maryland, a few things happened.  A giant thunderstorm happened and apparently a wind shear (???) swept through our neighborhood and took down a tree in nearly every yard.  We lost the majority of our ONE tree!

Noooooo I had so many plans for this shady space!

• Also, I got a NEWWW CAAAAAR!  I am very sad to leave my echo.  I've had that car since I was 16, it's the car I learned to drive on!  It drove me all through Oregon too.  But it was time for a change after 12+ years.  After much research and finagling, my new car is a Ford Escape!  My only requirements were: has air conditioning, is big enough for kids and sports equipment and stuff (I'm planning on keeping this one for another 10 years), has storage space, and mostly- HAS AIR CONDITIONING.  Did I mention that I needed my new car to have AC?  

Awkward picture is super awkward

Bonus Photos:

Sunflowers at the Bellagio

Dad sent this to me while we were gone.  He took away the kiddie pool 

and she tried to lay in her bowl instead.  Typical.  

When I took down my hair from the wedding...

Little Life Things (Week of 6/28/14 - 7/4/2014)

Vacation Edition!

June 28 to July 4

• We're in Oregon!  Scott grew up in Oregon, and his family lives here still.  I lived in Oregon for about 3 and a half years while I completed my master's program.  One of my good friends from grad school is getting married, so we get to visit our old home AND Scott's family, AND celebrate love love love! 

• My parents are dog-sitting Abby and Jack.  We took Abby to their house, where she is LIVING THE LIFE- as you can see, up there in her pool.  That photo was waiting for me when we landed.

• We went to one of our favorite bars with a bunch of our friends, and that was so nice!  

• We celebrated the Fourth of July with Scott's family- lots of fireworks and SO MUCH FOOD!  My contributions to the fireworks display were all cutesy girly ones with names like: "Unicorn," and "Girl Power," and my favorite one, which was in a heart shaped case with a princess on the cover called "Mini Mi Amor."  

Little Life Things (Week of 6/21/14-6/27/14)

It's only been since Aughumdy Eleventywhateverth August since I've done one of these... Guess what happened in August?  Oh right.  I became employed.  So that is pretty much the best indicator of what my first year at my new job (career?) was like!  But it's summer now, so I'm going to try to keep myself on track with these updates!  Let's get to it then.

June 21 to June 27, 2014

• Went to the library and got a library card for the first time since I was a little kid.  It was AWESOME.
• Got some new plant friends for the house.  The succulents above came from an Amish market and are propagating and growing so fast I can't keep up.  I gave some of the babies to my sister-in-law (can I just call her my sister?)
• The other new plant friends have a home on the new ledge/shelf thing in the kitchen.  It's actually three different kinds in one basket.  Let's hope they live in harmony.
• Painted!  
• Made a lot lot lot of jewelry.  And marathoned Orange Is The New Black.  These two events are extremely correlated.  
•  The next door neighbors gave (!!!) us their old treadmill.  For free.  So we added that to our budding little baby home gym that's apparently sprouted up in the den downstairs.  

And then the electrician showed up and claimed we were "sabotaging" him!

So many textures!

Life Lately

"Hey, Alissa, where you been?"

Great question.  Well let's see, what have I been up to?....

• We bought our house.  We are officially homeowners!  I have never signed my name so many times in my life.  Especially since it was my ~new!~ name.
• The new career is killin me.  It's great, don't get me wrong.  And it's my dream job.  But I'm new, and it's intense.  I work with fantastic folks, which makes it easier, but it's still.. well, intense is the word I would use.
• We painted some of the rooms in our home!  We painted the living/dining room and the downstairs den.  I will have photos of that shortly- we were all decorated for my favorite holiday (10 months out of the year)- HALLOWEEN, so I wanted to make sure the decorations weren't too distracting when I take the photos of the paint!  
• Speaking of Halloween, I DIY'd my halloween costume!  I'll make a post on that soon.
• We built a bar with a custom concrete countertop!  Actually, my dad and Scott did most of the work, but I was an excellent cheerleader and photographer.  I'll make a post on that soon too!

So that's really about it.  I'll leave you with some fun photos to tide you over until I can draft up some actual posts.  

 

We went to a wedding and used my favorite photo app!

There have been some GORGEOUS sunsets lately.

First frost

And some gorgeous opportunities for photos with the changing leaves.

Little Life Things (Week of 8/9/13 - 8/16/13)

August 9 - August 16

This has been what seems like the longest week ever!

• Took Abby and Jack to the vet
• Made a delicious new recipe- cashew chicken in the crock pot
• Went shopping for new clothes and shoes because..
• I STARTED MY NEW JOB/CAREER!!!  I went to orientation Mon-Wed, was officially approved on Wednesday, Thursday was the official start of my contract, which I actually signed and got my badge on Friday.  It has been extremely exciting and wonderful.
• Went on a run just for the heck of it- if I'm going to be getting home by 3:45, might as well make the most of the afternoon and the lovely weather, right?

I love having fresh flowers, and now I have TWO vases of them!

A gift from my new job, welcoming me to the team!

These are sunflowers from my garden- I grew these!

A deer I spotted on my run.  There was a whole bunch of them but this lady was the bravest.

My desk from Thursday, my official start date.

Little Life Things (Week of 8/2/13 - 8/9/13)

August 2 - August 9

• We put together our aquarium!
• Went on a movie date
• My sunflowers bloomed in the garden!
• Got my new license with my new name

Favorite iPhone Pics of the Week

One of my new sunflowers

Mother duck and ducklings crossing the road

My new Marimo ball in our aquarium

Little Life Things (Week of 7/26/13-8/2/13)

July 26 - August 2

Abby turned 4!

• Scott and I hosted a small family cookout in honor of my Dad's birthday.  

That's my little brother's best side.

• We discovered a LARGE hole in our back yard!  Covered it with a plank of wood so Abby won't crawl in and get stuck until someone can come look at it.
• Built the most AMAZING table with my dad.  I'm obsessed with it!
• We got our wedding photos!  I am SO excited and CANNOT WAIT to share them!
• Went on a Michael's binge!  Had to buy a bunch of gorgeous new frames for our wedding photos <3

• Celebrated Abby's birthday.  She turned 4!  
• Got my rings soldered together so now they are one ring to rule them all.  It cost all of 20 bucks, took less than 24 hours, and it absolutely THE BEST.
• Got my personalized/autographed copy of American Gods back from my friend.  I was unable to make it to the signing (still kicking myself over that) but my gracious frient took my book for me and god it signed.  

Favorite iPhone Pics of the Week

Jack photobombed a photo of one of my favorite corners

MELTED.

Little Life Things (Week of 7/19/13-7/26/13)

July 19 - July 26

• Beach weekend!  We shopped, we ate delicious food,  laid in the sand, tried to swim but it was freeeezing in the water... and managed to not get sun burned!
• My Uncle got married!
• We got our wedding proofs!!!  I couldn't be more excited.  
• Scott managed to recreate a version of our favorite frozen drink from the cruise here at home.  Yummy!
• Very brief shopping trip to get my dad a birthday gift ended up with some small gifts for my kitchen as well!  More on that later.  

Favorite iPhone Pics of the Week

We toured the Dogfish Head Brewery and it was excellent!

My dress showed up in its preservation box!  

When we went to pick Jack up from my parents' house, he was curled up 

in THEIR cat's bed in the window!  

Little Life Things (Week of 7/12/13-7/19/13)

July 12-July 19
(Late post!  We've been at the beach!)

• Reconnected with an old, close friend that I thought I had lost forever.
• Discovered a wonderful new lounge in town that serves key lime pie martinis!
• Hung out in the hot tub with my brother and his fiance
• It was hot hot HOT this week! (upper 90s, felt like 100+ some days)
• Headed to the beach for family vacation!

Spent one evening in the hot tub with Scott, cracked open a bottle of champagne 

that we were supposed to drink the day we got married.  Whoops!

Favorite iPhone Pics of the Week

(Jack was swatting/attacking Abby's tail but she was too lazy to care)

We always try to take the back roads for views like this. 

Honeymoon!

We've returned!  Our honeymoon was us to a T.  It started off with a cruise to the Bahamas, and then a few days at Disney World (we were there for the 4th of July so we got to see THE most amazing fireworks display)  and a few at Universal Studios (Harry Potter!).  Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip.

Sunset from our balcony the first night!

"Shade Ade" is THE BEST drink... this is not one, but the cup was too cute.

Our fancy dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby

We got completely soaked this day.  

4th of July Mickey Mouse cake pops.  The ears were marshmallows.

HOGWARTS.

And there you have it.