3 weeks on the job and...

I need a vacation.  Literally.  You would too if you've also been working at the exact same job 8 months already without a vacation.  Then have to wait another 90 days to take one.  These have been rough times.  But the end is in sight.  I realize I cannot take a vacation for the next 68 days so I am going to make the best of it, enjoy this warm weather and bring the vacations BACK to me.

The same year my husband and I go married, we also went to his sister's wedding in St. Thomas, US VI.  It was awesome.  The house we stayed at looked like this out the back door. 

That teal line, was a kayak that we could pull out into the water. (Don't go kayaking right before sunset near the equator, the sun drops much quicker there.  A nice evening kayak becomes a race against the sun)

(That small speck is my husband and I on our sunset kayak)

When I am going on a vacation I want it permanently burned in my memory and these are my tricks.

1.) I buy a nice shampoo and conditioner, one with a good scent.  One I would never buy for myself normally, and use it on that vacation, no matter how awesome it made my hair feel, I don't use it when I get back.  The smell just sticks with me.  When it is dreary, cold, or I need a pick me up,  I use the shampoo and I can smell vacation.  I trick my brain.  I am shortly transported from Mother Earth's mood swings, (the Midwest), to a calm mind.

2.)  I switch to a new face lotion.  For the length of that bottle, every morning I get a reminder.  Here was the St. Thomas/Chicago Honeymoon Face Lotion.  Nothing fancy, but it has a unique fragrance.

(Unfortunately they discontinued this line)

3.) Take funny pictures you wouldn't see everyday.  I believe this is a pirate.  He just has all limbs attached. 










4.)  Get a good book, or 3 1/2.  Something you will remember:  an end to a series, the start to a series, ok I love a good series. (reason #1 I got a kindle after this vacation, I was tired of lugging around books!) (I finished the last 2 books to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, I thought 2 would be enough, so I bought and read the first twilight book and started the second on this vacation.  This was before there were crazy people about twilight, before the 4th book came out, heck the person in charge of the book store in St. Thomas never had heard of the books)  ( I liked them, but if I would never start them now with all this crazy)

There was a hammock on the deck off the side of our room.This is where I found myself reading through many books that week, each morning getting up early, reading on the hammock.


5.) If I learned one thing this vacation it was Vacation = Hammock.  And that is something I can take home with me.

Here is the hammock I made last year!  So comfortable, and it has everything I need in arms reach. 

I am pulling this thing out of storage ASAP!  A good book, a large glass of water, and a few hours is all I need until my vaction is here. 

I hope your vacation is soon, if not, try to relax and enjoy your time off when you get it!

Jennifer

I am not a jounalist...

By day, I am a structural engineer.  I used to work on buildings like this:

(This was one of my first assignments)

In Dec 2009, this career of pretty buildings came to a sudden halt.  

I am employed again but I work on big power plants.  The buildings I work on are not so pretty anymore, but the job is less stressful, so I love the trade.

I am also impatient.  I try to take my time, but yesterday when I posted this post I left off the bottom most part of the post.  HOW I worked with my mom to make it!  

I was interupted before I was finished, my mind started going blank, and my husband said it was time to leave  = wrap up the post.  I threw in the final picture and hit send.  

The Ugly continues...

 

As a reminder here is the ugly transformed:

Last year, my mom had Presidents Day Weekend off from work.  (This is for those lucky people who get more than 6-8.5 holidays a year).  To coincide, Hancock fabrics was also having a 50% off sale on all their clearance items.  I was browsing the fabric store, and found this corduroy upholstery fabric with a swirl pattern on it.  I liked the neutral tone, the modern swirl, and even more so the price.  At $1.50/yd.  you can recover an entire couch for less than a meal at Chili's.  Hallelujah!  With my new limited budget and over enhanced boredom.  This is just what I needed.  I took the remaining 6 yards on the roll and never looked back.  In the sewing world, this deal is one notch above robbery.

I lugged my mom's sewing machine over to my house, grabbed my laptop, and googled everything I needed to know about redecorating furniture and how to use a sewing machine.  After I bought two zippers and a small amount of 1/2 inch foam for the arm rests I spent around twenty dollars!  (Cheaper than Logan's on 2 for 14.95 night + tip to our waitress Tiffany, um we go there alot)

Since it is better to have more fabric than not have enough,  I whipped together some curtains to hang in the basement with the extra yardage.  One day I intend to embellish these, so they are not two dimensional.  

That day/idea has yet to come.

 Jennifer

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Sorry Western fans, I'm talking today about hand-me-down furniture.  Everyone has some.

The Good: Our dining room furniture was a great hand me down from my in-laws, It matches our kitchen perfectly, and the size is great for the current size of our family (2). (Booster is still up from the last time my nephew was over, so you didn't miss anything) (On the table is my "hopeful garden")

The Bad:  (Name your best offer, this stuff is available folks!)  This stuff isn't bad necessarily, just extra. 

and the UGLY!!

This ugly is unable to leave this house, WHY??, It is comfortable!  This is a perfect little rocker.  When I was still in school visiting Brent, I would sit in this chair for hours doing homework, reading etc.  It is just not that easy on the eyes. The touch isn't the best either, we'll call it old 70's velvet.  AWESOME.

Solution?

What did our hard work get us in the end? Something a bit easier on the eyes, that is for sure! 

Jennifer