Duece Loves a Lady

My little boy is growing up.  He had a girl over tonight.  She is just want Duece needs, cute, petite, and knows how to put him in his place.  She was a little stand offish at first, and like any other man, he was a little arrogant...thinking she would immediately want him, but eventually she came around.  They ended the night perched together on the couch.

A bonafide workin woman...

At least for this week. 

Just call me Doralee Rhodes!

I was called yesterday on Sunday afternoon and asked to be a sub for an 8th grade math class.  "Oh sure!", I said.  Then I hung up the phone and my freak-out began.  Middle schoolers are different, they have to be handled with kit gloves.  They are just old enough to be too big for their britches.  An eighth grader is a mini-adult, at a time in their life that their hormones are going on full blast wreaking havoc on their attitudes.  I immediately send some text messages to my teacher friends asking them to reassure me that I was not crazy, not only to attempt subbing in 8th grade, but that I was subbing in Math, gross.

I totally freaked out for nothing, it was great!  Of course there were the few here and there that didn't know how to shut their mouths, but the glory of being a sub is that I can leave a note for the teacher and have her deal with them upon her return.  Subbing for a strict teach has it's perks, one mention of, "Do I need write down your name for Mrs. N?" and you have them shaking in their crocs.  I got a compliment on my sweater, was told I sounded sweet, one kid told me I looked like Maci from Teen Mom (um, okay, thanks?), no one called me old, and several said they wanted me to come back and sub for them again.  I consider that  a success...I didn't have to be mean, I didn't have any discipline problems, they didn't torture me, and the kids wanted me back.  As a bonus, I actually understood the math they were working on and even helped a few "get it".

Today I discovered another hidden bonus for being a substitute teacher, school lunches.  I love them.  Today was pizza day, and school pizza is just as good as I remember it.  And now that I am an adult, I am not stuck with milk or juice, I get a glass of sweet tea, all for the bargain price of $2 bucks! Interesting...I wonder if they have a cheesy chicken and rice day?   It is also a free pass to sit at the teacher's table where you get in on all the good school gossip!

So this week, I am going to be a working girl and not a lazy bum, the recliner will probably be thankful for the break from my tush.  The same teacher asked me to come back and sub for her on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  I will definitely need tomorrow to rest up and get my teacher face on for the rest of the week.   I might need to brush up on my math skills as well, because I think I just got lucky today, and as the "leader" in the classroom, I am pretty sure that "can't you just use your calculator" won't do as an acceptable answer.  

Cpt. Langford Reporting For Duty!

So tonight was our Spouse's Coffee for my husband's unit.  The theme of the event was "dress like your solider".

So behold...Cpt. Langford.

Yes, I know the boots are the standard, but everything else is so cut me some slack why don't ya?

I think I look good in uniform, but I definitely don't think that the United States Army could handle two Langfords. Now...DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY!

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!!!

The first signs of my husband's much awaited arrival.  I am not quite to the point of jumping up on the couch a'la Tom Cruise, but needless to say I am getting very excited!  I hope you never have to wonder what it feels like to anticipate your best friend's arrival after they have been gone for a year, but I can tell you...it feels GOOD!  So for the next few weeks, I will stick with the Army party line of "hurry up and wait."  I am waiting...

No I haven't opened it.  Another thing I do not wish on anyone is having to open a tack box that has spent a year in the desert.  Aside from your loved one's belongings, weird smells and sand are also sitting within that black exterior, the former of the three being the only good thing.

It was a good way to start the day, yes I know it is lunch time and I am just starting my day...don't judge me.

I need a realtor because my feet are homeless!

Yay!  It is my favorite day of the week, Wednesday!  It is my favorite because it is an open forum for me to tell you want I want, and since I make the rules here...no one can tell me that I am being a brat.

It is all about the shoes! 

They are cute and serve a purpose.  I love things that are cute AND serve a purpose, that way you don't have to feel so guilty for having so many pairs.  You can look at shoes as a house for your feet. 

Let's go house hunting!

The first pair that I want comes from Lindsey Phillips Shoes.

I am boring and want them in black, because we all know that black goes with everything.  See that little flower on the end of the shoe, it is magical.  It pops off and can be replaced with a treasure trove of other snaps:

These are just an example of the snaps that are offered.  And at only $12.99 for a snap you can give your flat a totally different look on the cheap.  I fully believe that this practical little shoe would find itself in successful rotation in my shoe wardrobe.  In fact, these are so cute, I might not even be able to leave the house in them, people would most likely mob me and rob me...of my shoes.  Then my feet would be left without a home.  I should probably get 2 pair in case my first pair gets stolen.

Did you notice how I said "first" pair earlier...well, I also want these:

The Steve Madden Inka Boot

Aren't they purty?  

Don't look at the price tag...just pull out your wallet and buy them for me.  I am convinced that these would be the perfect winter boot...just listen to my sales pitch.

They are brown, again, brown goes with everything, it it true...don't fight it.  They are also flat (ish), so would be easy to walk in, no slips.  They are screaming, "tuck your jeans into me", but they are also quietly whispering, "I would also look great with a dress."

I hate to admit this but I had an opportunity to buy these boots one time, but I couldn't make myself do it.  My husband told me I could, but something about indulging in the subtle brown leather of these boots made me leave the store empty handed.  I have regretted it to this day. Shannon, I know you told me so.

In conclusion a letter to my husband:

Dear Matt,

This may or may not be a hint about something you could get me for Christmas.  I love you, can't wait to see you VERY soon.

Goodnight,

Chelle 

Holy Cheese Please

Begin Rant

I was ripped off!  I demand a refund, I was robbed of all of the Velveeta that I was promised.  My 16 oz block was more like a 15 oz block and we can't be having that.  I wonder how many other unsuspecting Velveeta lovers such as myself get home with their processed cheese block to find out that the cheese factory has a little cheese scam going on.  You see, this is how they make their money.  Just think about it, if they are charging for 16 oz and only providing 15 oz, that means they are pocketing the extra money all the cheese consumers are  spending.  If I wanted cheese with holes, I would have bought swiss thank you very much.

End Rant.

I also got a table today.  We sold our dining room table at a garage sale when we sold the house last year.  It had seen better days, so we let it go to greener pastures.  Fast forward to today, my two week long craigslist scavenger hunt finally paid off.  I followed that recycled furniture rainbow and found my pot of gold.  I refused to pay mucho dinero for a dining set that will have to survive multiple moves with the Army, babies, and a dog. (yes Dad and Mr. Randy, I said the word babies)  There are some real quacks on CL that don't understand the meaning of used furniture and wanted to treat their cast-offs like a national treasure.  No, I will not pay $1500 for your 7 year old wicker and oak dining room table with a palm leaf pattern.  No, I don't care of Justin Timberlake sat on it naked.  So today I did the craigslist song and dance, and with the help of my friend Katie, we loaded that bad boy and brought it home.  Now my dining room looks less like an empty hole in the house and more like a well, dining room.

It has six chairs and leaf, but my micro sized dining area will not accommodate all of that, so for now they will be banished to the black hole of The Langford Residence (the 3rd bedroom).  By the time I add the two chairs and leaf I guarantee you that I won't be able to open or close the door anymore.

Fall Door Decor and things that make my hips grow in the night.

So I took the weekend off, but I am back.  No, I didn't do anything particularly exciting.  I didn't take off because I won the lottery and took a fabulous vacay to the West Coast, no I took off because blogging would have cut into my laying around time.  Have you ever heard of that?  Well, it is exactly what it sounds like.  You wake up, pick a spot (either the couch or the recliner), and you lay there.  I am only slightly exaggerating.  

I think that I redeemed myself today though.  I went to my friend Steph's house where the two of use rearranged her furniture.  We could have the stars of one of those home design shows (the kind I watch during my laying around time).  The two of use transformed 3 spaces without spending a cent and only picking from the things she already had.  Then I got inspired to make something.  I started putting fall decor out the other day (what little I have) and my door was feeling left out, it's big glass pane was looking kind of naked so I made it a dress.  Okay, a wreath.  

Here is how I did it: 

Gathered my supplies (Leaves, grapevine wreath, and my glue gun)

I started by taking all the leaves off the little stems they come on so I had a nice pile of leaves to choose from.

Then, one by one, I started to glue them to the wreath.  I just made sure that I mixed the colors together.

This is what it looked like as I was gluing the leaves on.

Finished gluing, so I decided to add some ribbon and bow.  It needed the flare!

After I attached the ribbon and the bow, I dressed my door.  I am happy with the way it turned out, and for a total cost of $11 my wallet is happy as well.  It is night time, so the picture isn't so great, but I have become somewhat of a night owl and tend to complete projects at night.

And as for the things that make my hips grow in the night,

Candy Corn.

My goal is to make this glass pumpkin of candy corn last until my husband comes home.  Anyone want to put bets on how long it lasts?

Happy Fall Y'all!

Oh the things you can do with Mod Podge

Aside from rubbing a layer of glue or gluesque substance like Mod Podge on your hand, waiting for it to dry, and then pealing it off (come on you remember doing that in middle school), there are other things to do with Mod Podge that serve a more stylish purpose.  Today's project is one of those.

The inspiration for my project came from this beautiful fall napkin I found.  I though the golden colors would look so pretty on my frame.  I gathered all of my supplies:

Aren't those pretty napkins?  

I immediately experienced failure as soon as my beautiful napkin touched the glue.  It bunched up, got all gross looking and just wasn't going to work.  So I kept all of my other supplies and traded the napkin for some scrapbook paper.  The paper wasn't quite as beautiful, but my sources were limited and I def wasn't going back to Michaels just for paper.

I cut the paper into strips and covered the plain wooden frame.  Then I decided that "Give Thanks" was an appropriate sentiment for my fall frame.

The words are simply stickers that I placed on the frame and then went over them to seal them on there with a layer of glue.  I did the same for the coordinating flowers.

And the beginning of my fall decorating can begin.  I think it looks great sitting on my hearth.  Even though the napkins didn't work out, I will just put them away and use them at some point when I want to make a good impression with my friends!

In honor of my frame, I want to say that today I am thankful getting to go into Savannah with my friend Cari and her fabulous little boys Ian and Evan.  I had fun today Cari!

Its Wednesday, and you know what that is!

You got it!  Time for me to add to my ever growing wish list, a girl can dream right?

I was cooking away my mean for one tonight (Zucchini again, surprise surprise) and I was thinking about my dream kitchen.  What I have now will definitely suffice for the time being but it is lacking not only in the space department, but also the style department.

This is what I am currently working with:

And this is what a girl wants: (yes that is a fact)

I love the tall glass cabinets and the whimsical feel that the rolling ladder gives to this kitchen.  Wow, I can just see myself skirting around in there in my cute little apron baking cookies and climbing up that ladder to reach my old cookbook! 

This is so bright and welcoming.  This is a kitchen that all the neighborhood kids would want to gather in. Of course I wouldn't just have random kids from the hood in my kitchen, they would be friends of my future children.  I am definitely convinced that this kitchen would host GREAT dinner parties, and dinner parties are right up my alley.

The green finish on these cabinets is so unexpected and  also right up my alley, at this point "my alley" is going to be full of random pieces of kitchens.  I love green, so what better way to show that off than to incorporate that into my kitchen (future of course).  That lantern that is hanging in the foreground is basically chanting my name.  Can you hear it?  "C-h-e-l-l-e"  

One day, when Matt and I close the chapter on the crazy Army life and we settle down somewhere, I know that Matt will make sure I have the kitchen of my dreams.  He is convinced that I am a good cook, so any means to enhance that he would be down with.  So in the meantime I will just be taking mental snapshots of all the things I want.

In the spirit of favorite kitchen designs I thought I would share some more kitchen favorites.

These are some of my favorite things to use in my kitchen.

My go-to spices.  Garlic powder, onion powder, Tonys, Sea Salt, and fresh ground black pepper.  If my house was on fire and I could grab 5 spices I would grab these.  They aren't exotic in any way, some may even consider them boring, but to me they are essential to my taste buds enjoying a meal.  I fully believe that alone or a combination of these flavor magicians is all you need to make a tasty meal.

These are my fav tools, a mandolin, my pampered chef spatula (bowl and batter scraper), microplane, and pampered chef ice cream scooper.  I love using these tools, they all serve their purpose and never fail me.  Aside from their functionality, the microplane makes me feel like a real life chef...zesting away in the kitchen.

My measurement and conversion chart.  I need it, I have to have it survive.  I can not even tell you how many times I have to reference this chart that is conveniently stuck to my fridge.  Without this it would be disaster more often than not.

And now after typing all of that and seeing the picture of my ice cream scooper, I want Ice Cream, that I don't have.  While I may want ice cream, I do NOT want to go to the store.

Photos courtesy of The Skirted Roundtable and The Kitchen Designer

For my mom Brenda:

He misses you 2.

Spotted...

Mrs. L having a dinner party with her friends and catching the season premier of Gossip Girl!  

My friends and I have been waiting for this night a while, and I have to say aside from the fact that we only got 2 min of Chuck Bass at the very end of the episode, it didn't disappoint.  I won't talk much about the episode because I realize that not many people actually watch and the last thing you want me to do is go on and on about the lives of our favorite New York City gals and guys. 

Really it was a night for me to host my friends at the new house, spend time gossiping (no pun intended), and eating.  Any excuse to have a night with the girls is good in my book.  In addition to showing up, the invite encouraged everyone to dress inspired by their favorite character, since I couldn't dress as Chuck Bass, I decided to go as Queen B herself.

My Blairesque oufit

Close up of the all important headband

Duecy had a friend come for the night too, Miss Mila O'Reilly.  She also dressed up for the event, notice her pink "shoes".

As a favor for my guests (because every Upper East sider would have a snazzy gift for their party goers) I provided them with a monogrammed wine glass.

I made the glasses using contact paper, stickers, and glass etching cream.  As a bonus the gift served two purposes:

1.  A place for their wine during the show

2.  A parting gift to remember the night by

I think they were a hit and I want to thank Sara D. from Are We There Yet? not only for a fun blog to read but for the inspiration for favor, you can also fine a tutorial on how to create your own set of monogrammed wine glasses!

Thanks for a great night girls!
XOXO

No pictures please!

I really like it when blogs post pictures to go along with their posts.  They just make the posts so much more readable and enjoyable.  I try to have pictures with mine as well so that my posts actually come to life.  Well today there will be no pictures.  I sat around until 3 o'clock in my underwear. (with the exception of the 20 min that I put a pair or shorts on and ran to the store for something I needed) Pathetic huh?  I really don't think y'all need a visual of that, trust me...it ain't pretty.  I felt guilty until I remember that one day I will have a kid and I will not be able to lay around in my underwear at all.  The only reason I decided that at 3 pm I should shelp my nassy self to the shower was that some old friends and their little girl were cooking dinner for me.  Thank you Matt, Jenn, and Emma for giving me a reason to scrap my but up from the recliner today.

Frankly I think my laziness today stems from the late night I had Friday night out in downtown Savannah (oh, how I have missed you Savannah).  I once again proved to myself that at 25 you don't recover from late nights quite as quickly as you did at 24, 23 and 22.  So since I didn't do anything today that required my heart rate to register beyond basic life, I can not go to sleep.  It is a vicious cycle.

Darf ich Ihre Bestellung aufnehmen?

May I take your order? 

At least that is what google translate says, for all I know it might actually say, I have green toes (lets hope not).

Thursday night I met some girlfriends for supper at the German restaurant.  Can you believe it?  You can't?  Well, believe it!  Our little town of Hinesville, that doesn't have much going on, has a German restaurant. 

Zum Rosen Hoff

It was really good, but you get way too much food.  I like the Rahm Schnitzel with brown sauce and side of spatzle!  The schnitzel is huge and takes up the entire plate...and even more of your stomach.  

It was a good supper with some fun girls.

Danke Zum Rosen Hoff, Danke!

La Langford Casa

Here are some pictures of La Langford Casa since I have moved in!  These are mainly for Matt and my Mom.  Really not much is done to the place since we won't be here very long.  Eventually I will be somewhere that I can unleash all of my creative power on.

Outside

Inside the Front Door

More Living Room

Into the Dining Room (that doesn't have a table)

Another view for you!

Kitchen

And again.

The guest bedroom, where you sleep Mom.

Master, I finally got Duece off the bed long enough to make it.

And that concludes our tour Ladies and Gentlemen!