Mama Said Home is Where the Heart Is...

So we've been in West Virginia for the past week or so and it is SO great to be home. I love being able to spend time with my parents, family, and friends. I've really been busy getting everything ready for my mom's birthday party which is Friday. (Pictures will come) I've been working on about 50 Pinterest ideas :) The time we spend here always seems like it flies by...we'll be leaving in about a week. West Virginia is my most favorite place on Earth.

I always thought I'd move back here and start my family close to my parents. As the years go by it looks more and more less likely. I've had almost every emotion about this...sadness, anger, and I think finally, acceptance. As I'm getting older I realize that your home is where your heart is...for real. Part of my heart will always be here, but most of my heart will always be wherever my husband is and wherever we decide to settle down and start our own family. Joe actually was offered a job in West Virginia just this past week...he declined it after much discussion, research, and consideration. We decided that it just wasn't what we wanted- the job was 4 1/2 hours away from my hometown and the town itself was not a place I would like to live. Not to mention we would be taking a huge pay cut. It was hard for me to come to terms with this because living and working in WV has been my dream for the past 5 years...and when it was possible it just didn't seem right. I think we both realized that we should be grateful for the job and living situation we have now in CT. As I explained it to my husband, it's not that I don't like Connecticut or my job or where we live- I actually really love all of those things...but I just hate how far away we are from family. It didn't make sense to take a job in WV in a town that we would probably hate and struggle to pay our bills just to be 4 1/2 hours away from my family and 5 hours away from his.
When I think about living long-term in Connecticut the thing that scares me most is raising children in a place where we would have no support...I couldn't call my mom to pick him/her up from school if there was an emergency, it would be impossible to have everyone over for a birthday party, and I dread the thought of holidays. I know people do this everyday...raise children without any extended family support...and some even raise children alone- those people are awesome. I just get really bummed out when I think about not having those people around to help/watch/enjoy the process. I already feel as if I miss out on things like graduations, girls weekends with my friends, and countless other events because it just isn't feasible for me to get there. Joe says we will just have to make more of an effort to make it to those things because they are important and vital to our happiness...but often it's easier to say than actually do when faced with the demands of work, money, time, etc.

My new thought process focuses on this...
Maybe Connecticut is where we are meant to be...maybe God has great plans for us there. I'm finally getting really excited to see what those plans may be ;) By constantly planning on moving to WV I never really let myself embrace Connecticut as much as I could have...I didn't want to get too settled or comfortable because I always thought I'd leave. It's going to be a big process trying to switch my brain to think in a different way, but I know I have to in order to live a happy and fulfilled life. I don't do anything half-way and I definitely don't want to live my life that way...who knows what the future may hold, but I want to enjoy my present and make the most out of every day.

Bucket List to 30

I  will turn 30 on September 15, 2013.
That gives me about 15 months.
I've been inspired by others and their Bucket Lists and I've decided to create my own. I believe there is something very healing about setting goals- if you aren't exactly where you want to be in life you can always hope for a better future. Nothing is forever, everything can improve. I know that I am continually trying to be a better person, but what does that really mean? Can there be change with no real action? I think not. I plan to hold myself more accountable and to seriously strive to be the best me so that when I wake up on the fateful day of my 30th birthday I can be proud of myself and happy in my own skin. I don't expect that I'll be perfect by then, but I at least I can be a better version of myself.

Bucket List to 30

1.  Reach my goal weight

 * I'm joining Weight Watchers this weekend!

2. Get an “Always” Tattoo

   * Joe and I planned on getting matching "Always" tattoos 
(HP reference). 

He got his and I keep stalling because I can't decide where to put it! 

 3. Finish the Honeymoon scrapbook  * This should say Start and Finish the scrapbook...  
4. Get Crazy Colored Highlights   *Pink or Purple?
5.  Start my Master's Degree 
6. Take a Train Ride Somewhere 
7. Watch the balloons get blown up for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
8.  Start and keep a daily journal calendar  Beautiful Idea!   
9. Find a Great Church Family in CT
10.  Do One Random Act of Kindness Each Day for a Month
11. Visit Harry Potter World in Orlando, FL   
12. Be pregnant    
13. Visit Blackwater Falls


What's on your Bucket List? 

That ol' Ball Park Man is Back in Gear

Memorial Day Weekend made me feel like summer is FINALLY here. J and I went to visit our very dear friend in New York and I got an accidental sunburn, wore flip flops all weekend, went to a baseball game, spent time with good friends, and watched fireworks. It was perfection.

On Saturday we took a boat ride through the Thousand Islands (and yes, that's where the salad dressing comes from!) and we got to see lots of fancy mansions built by fancy people for fancy reasons. It was stunning! We also got to cross over into the Canadian waters...I can now say I've been to Canada, although I'm not sure that really counts. It was hot and sunny and this is where I ended up with an accidental sunburn. If you ever get the chance to go- do it...it was beautiful. 

This is Boldt Castle...a fancy mansion castle that we got to see...obviously I did not take this picture because I wasn't flying around in a helicopter, but the pictures we took weren't that great. (this picture is from visit1000islands.com)

On Saturday evening we hung out and watched the UFC fight, I don't like fighting-  I find it seriously disturbing, but I still had a good time hanging out with everyone. These two fighters were my personal faves... :) 

Sunday was filled with giant breakfasts and baseball games. We had breakfast at a sweet little diner called "The Golden Unicorn" where J decided to take on the GIANT pancakes...

BEFORE

AFTER...he had to take it home in a pizza box!

We then needed to work off that large breakfast so we went to a winery for a tasting and tour!  We went to the Thousand Islands Winery and tried all kinds of delicious wine. It was by far some of the best wine I've ever had...J agreed. We ended up taking home 4 bottles!  Seaway Blues was my favorite- it had a blueberry flavor that just screams SUMMER! Go here to get some! 

That evening we went to a baseball game in Syracuse...the weather was perfect and the seats were great. I ate cotton candy and had an ice cream cone...I just realized all of the junk that I ate in one day...awesome. Something about being outside in the summer evenings is inspiring to me. I love the warm air and the setting sun. The Syracuse team lost- badly, but we had fun anyway!
Sadly we had to head home on Monday but not before I had my very first Five Guys Burger & Fries! YUMMY! I don't eat much red meat, but that burger was worth it :)

Basically what this post says about me is this: My life revolves around food :) I'm sort of OK with that though. 

Really the weekend was about spending time with a really good friend that I don't get to see that often. I think there's something very grounding about getting together with friends who knew you "before"...no matter what the before is (marriage, moving, college, etc.) Those people help to remind you of who you were, who you are now, and who you may want to be in the future. I love it that when I'm with those people it's like no time has passed at all...that's how I know that they are real friends that are to be treasured. I hope I can do a better job of cherishing all those meaningful people in my life. 

Mom's 70th Birthday Party Decorations

My sweet Momma! She doesn't look 70 does she?? 

My mom is turning 70 this summer and I've taken it upon myself to throw her a "PAR-TAY"! I am having a blast crafting and creating all of the little details. I think that my husband thinks I'm crazy because of the amount of time I spend each weekend cooped up in my craft room making things. To me it's very therapeutic to create beautiful things that will make others smile.

As I'm creating things for my mom's party I just keep thinking of how special she'll feel when she sees how fantastic her party is and how much love went into every little detail.  Yeah I could go to a party store and buy most of this stuff and some of those things may even look better than the ones I've created, but I wouldn't have nearly as much fun!              

                                        

I bought these letters at Joann Fabric's and had plans of wrapping them in yarn like so many of the precious little letters I found on Pinterest. Well...I tried the yarn thing and FAILED miserably. I tried a "W" for our last name as a practice letter and I ended up using 1 1/2 spools of yarn and it looked ridiculous. So I went with a much simpler, but still fun covering for the letters for my mom....scrapbook paper! I only had one patterned red paper so I had to cover both Ns with plain red, but I actually think it turned out OK.

This is one small J that I plan on using on one of the tables. Like I said the yarn was difficult for me and I'm not overly pleased with the results but the J was much easier than the W. I can't even post the W because it is so embarrassing :)

Then I used my Cricut and cut out these flowers to create cupcake toppers. ( I realize that those are blueberry muffins- but I didn't have cupcakes on hand for the photo op! And yes I also realize that one of those muffins are burnt!) The flowers are 2" and 1 1/2" and then I just used tiny brads to hold them together. My plan is to use green icing on the cupcakes and create a sort of "garden". The theme I'm going with is garden/flowers/picnic..with a aqua and red color scheme.

I recently became obsessed with burlap. It is so cute and easy to work with. These are banners that I plan on hanging on the food and dessert tables. I just cut out letters on my Cricut and used the outlines as a stencil to paint the letters. I tried to string each triangle on a piece of twine (the Happy Birthday banner) but I almost lost my sanity trying to keep it on the string while hanging it...so I opted for colored clothespins to hang the others so I can easily place them where I want them.
I have some burlap left over (even red!) and I'm trying to find some fun uses for it. I'd like to use it for table runners or maybe I could create some flowers.

I will keep you updated on the party progress...and I'll definitely post pictures from the actual party. I can't wait till my mom sees everything put together!