I think what this really means is that I'm no longer allowed to complain about Joe drinking juice straight from the carton.

Even my cartoon self is too embarrassed to show her face.

I haven't really been impressed with the Goodwills they have here, but I think I may have found my new fave thrift store.  It's some independent random thrift store, and its amazing!  Wanna see what I found?!

A frosting dispenser with 6 decorating tips!  All brand new! I forgot to take a picture of it, but the tips were actually all still connected to each other! It cost $1.98!!

A zebra print purse, not a spot or scratch on it!  It's some kind of leather (probably fake) and it even had the silica gel packet still inside! I don't know how I lived without a zebra purse before today!  It was meant to be!   It cost $4.98! 

And yes, I've decided to use my princess chair as my office chair. I love it, it looks so cute and is super comfy to work from!  It works out perfectly, because Joe has been thinking about finally getting around to refinishing his prince chair (first seen here, TWO YEARS ago!)  His chair can go in the corner that mine used to be in.  

It feels good to have claimed my throne back. It needs a spot cleaning and a good vaccuum. Joe had played one too many video games and eaten one too many sandwiches in it.  I told him that in order to keep things fair, I'll be using his prince chair to give myself pedicures in for the next couple of years. haha.

I love opening all the windows (all two of them) in our apartment and letting the breeze blow through the curtains.  

Though sometimes I'm afraid I'll lose my curtains. haha.

It reminds me of this actual conversation we had after we first moved here:

I don't think the novelty will ever wear off.

Take a "two-chihuahua nap" with them in the recliner.

Just thought I'd show you my desk area:

I love the storage cabinet up above! We use it to house craft supplies, our camera stuff, and all our CDs and DVDs.

My lovely wall of lists, and a board full of quotes and pics of the neice/nephews.  The to-do lists are a free download from Kate's Irrelevant!  She's so creative, and really sweet!

I love me some shiny piggy banks.  I sometimes get this weird temptation to collect all things pig, and then I think of country decor and how they have pigs in dresses as salt shakers and I stop myself.  I had to give myself some sort of boundaries, so I told myself I can only bring them home from Goodwill if they are silver, and have a coin slot. So far only two have met the criteria.  Don't they look happy?  We use all the change we collect for our date night fund!  

Khloe auditioned for the part of the little piggy--until I told her she'd have to wear a sparkly green ribbon.

One night I was looking at my china hutch--the one my grandma gave me--and wishing it wasn't so....brown.  

(pic taken at our previous apartment)

I don't really do brown.  I like wood stain to be so dark its almost black.  I think they call it an espresso stain.  I thought about staining the hutch espresso, but then it would clash with all the cabinetry in the apartment (which I am not allowed to alter).  So THEN I remembered that I had black and white paint somewhere! So I mixed up my custom color of grey and started slathering the hutch in it.  Joe was just heading to bed when I started.  

Then I got to a point where there was definitely no turning back.  I snapped this progress picture with my phone and sent it to my sis in law, Rebekah.

I texted something along the lines of "I'm painting the hutch grey am I crazy?!"  and she replied with "This is awesome!  What inspired you!?"  and our little text conversation was just what I needed to keep going!  

Joe got up the next morning and I was still painting.  I had paint in my hair and on my elbows, was on cup 1,000 of coffee, and had lost all perspective and motivation.  As soon as he came into the living room he said "Wow, it looks awesome!!"  and I was like "Yeah, I don't know how I feel about it."  

Then I went to bed.

Then I let it sit unfinished for almost 3 months.

Then Joe pointed out (code for: griped) that we couldn't use our awesome built in desk nook, because it was covered in china.

I remedied this by moving all the china to the kitchen counters and getting the desk area all pretty. 

The next day when Joe went to make his breakfast he pointed out (code for: wanted to crash into a million little peices) the china that was now hindering ALL of the counter space in our tiny kitchen.

I responded to this by reaching over a stack of saucers to slide my bread into the toaster. No, not really.  Well, I probably had toast at some point in the story, but now I'm all sidetracked and craving something buttery.

Okay, okay, on to the after picture--but first I just wanted you to know the dramatic journey to get to this beautiful finished china hutch.

Bam.

I love it. 

-It means that Joe and I have an hour and a half to get some serious talk time in, or some goofy talk time, or at least some obnoxious sing at the top of your lungs time. 

-It means that we get to drive through rain and see really cool rainbows.

-It means that we get to watch the sun do amazing things in the sky.

-It means that Joe is probably going to be working on building something, which makes him happy.

-It means that Joe will probably take awesome pictures with his phone while he's working.

-It means I get to go out on picture taking walks with my momma, which makes me happy.

-It means I get to sneak pictures of my momma taking pictures, because I like to see her happy.  

My mom finds the coolest things!  She got these for me a couple weeks ago.

I'd like to say that we made smore's out of these fancy fluffs of goodness, but nope.  We ate them by the handful.  

And by 'we' I mean I think Joe only got three of them.  

*No zebras were harmed in the making of these 'shmellos.

All these pictures are from my phone, and most of them were snapped in a hurry so I could text them to Joe at work.  Is that normal?  It is for us.  I like to send him a picture of Khloe sleeping at 2pm, and then have him laugh when he walks in the door at 5pm and she's in the exact same spot, hahaha.

This is how she helps me browse the internet. Everyday.

This is her new favorite sleeping spot.  I couldn't find her for hours one night.  Then, when I got up to get a drink in the middle of the night, we scared each other!

This is Joe giving Khloe some love, as she's seconds away from jumping to safety.

She thinks this pillow is for her, and she only curls up there if I've recently fluffed it.

Joe sent this one to me while I was out, letting me know that Khloe was waiting up for me.

Apparently the pile of trash by the door is too inviting to pass up.

This is what it looks like when I try to use the laptop while Joe and Khloe sleep nearby. 

My musical companion. 

Sidewalk Chalk with Joe's mom.

4th of July Celebration.

Our trip to Skateland.