visuals.

my blog has almost no pictures.

i never remember to take pictures of anything.

i don't carry a camera around or anything, and anytime i need or want a picture of something i tell ben "hey get your phone out and take a picture of that". i then promptly forget about the picture.

but this blog will be super boring if i dont' start taking pictures. so maybe if i write it here that i need to start taking more pictures to show the blog world, then i'll actually do it.

up next: more blogging, more photos. watch out world!

lights out.

there was a hurricane that turned into a tropical storm. did you hear? her name was irene.

well, irene and i are not friends because she knocked out our power. i'm still getting my bearings and will be back to blogging on wednesday. i'm a little behind on posts!

for now, read this ad for an awesome roommate.

what i've been up to.

A little bit of this…

{made this skirt}

Making a little bit of that…

{chocolate chip banana bread with really bad white balance}

Doing a little bit of this…

{future throw quilt...will update when finished}

We’ve been busy. Well, I’ve been busy and that’s saying something because I don’t have a job right now. I keep saying “I’ll blog later” and then I continue on with my day and I forget to write a post. I swear I’ll get better.  I think I need some routine to help me out.

Not having a job means I have 10 hours a day to myself to watch really bad tv, get lost in Pinterest, and sometimes I clean things or bake as you saw above. I am starting a quilt. So far I've sewn together 8 out of 13 rows. I blame Pinterest. 

I have been reading a little, too and I really need to get better about that. I just wish our library didn’t have 52 holds on every single book on my list of books to read. Yes, I have a list. It’s quite long and will cost me a fortune if I have to buy every single one on my Nook. Do you hear that, local library? Help me out here.

***

My best friend was married on July 30 and it was a beautiful day. She is such a wonderful woman, and her man is so lucky to have her. We have been friends since we were 8 years old and I am so happy for both of them, and to have been a part of such a special and beautiful day.

My husband had the job of videoing and taking pictures, and unfortunately he took very few. But here are the two that I have.

All of us:

They are so in love.

sitting pretty.

For most of my life, I've wanted to live in Pennsylvania with the rest of my family. I love their farms, their great stretches of open fields, the daily cow sitings, the great cities so close but far enough away to breathe fresh air.

About a year ago, Ben and I decided we were really going to do it, we were going to move to Pennsylvania. The only problem was we had a lease on our apartment so we'd have to wait. So, wait we did.

In the spring we started looking for jobs. I searched, I read, I hunted, and I strategized. Our goal was to move in August because our lease ends in July and it would just make sense to move right then.  We knew it wasn't right for us to move without a job.

Here we are, mid-July and still no job. I know, the economy is bad, etc. But that wasn't the problem. Ben's line of work often isn't hiring no matter how good the economy is. Employees stay for 15 or 20 years, meaning that he would be lucky to find an open position. One company said they just hired someone a month ago. If only we had called a month sooner....

So, ben went with a back up plan, to no avail. The company uses a staffing agency. Naturally you have to be in person to register with said agency and there is no way to work for the company Ben is trying to work for unless he were to use the staffing agency. We just took our honeymoon, we have no vacation days.

So, my heart has had to learn to be happy here and appreciate the good about where we are even though it longs for green grasses, fresh air and the ones I love so dearly. There is so much good here, and there is so much good in Pennsylvania too. I am excited to stay near friends and family that are here, especially as some changes happen for Ben and I.

The spring will bring new opportunities in the form of vacation time, and trips during the week to Pennsylvania to register with staffing agencies and to interview with companies. Until then, I must be content. I miss those in Pennsylvania so much each day, but I have so much here, too. I have family, Ben has family, we have jobs, we live in a great place and we have so much to look forward to.

I will gain all I can from everyday here. I must find all the good in each day and use it, no matter where I am.