Looking back

It's funny to look back on what I was doing this year via my blogs. Check it out!

Goals 1

Car Wreck

Hair change & sweet date

Goals 2

GRE & Running

Wow-September 2010 wasn't so hot for me, LOL. This time around it hasn't been so bad but then again, it's only the 8th  ;]

XOXO

September Goals

I'm a day late, I know! But let's see: as school is going to pretty much dominate my next 4 months, September will be a "light" load.

*School/Research
-Officially select thesis topic (!!!!) and thesis committee
-Continue research with Aday
-Make all A's on any projects/readings/papers/homework due
-Meet with Jaime to start potential research

*Books
-Finish The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larrson
-Start and finish Sex in the South: Unbuckling the Bible Belt by Suzi Parker

*Work
-Volunteer in the Alzheimer's Walk
-Make baked goods for the Alzheimer's Bake Sale

*Home
-Get a new couch (finally!!)
-Finish hanging pictures in living room
-Upload updated photos to the blog

*Family
-Visit my Aunt Lynn & Uncle Clyde at some point (both of who are aren't doing well in their health and I am worried about them...more on that in a later blog)
-Send sister her birthday present. She's 29!

*Fun
-Sign up for the Nashville Slut Walk
-Start to organize a donation drive for battered women/domestic abuse victims here in my county (Now I don't know if I will do this via the Violence in the Family Course, through work or just having plain ol' faith in people but it's something I'd really start to work on in September! Again, more on that in a later blog).
-Start the coaster crafts (found on my pinterest page)

It looks like a lot but school is going to be the most time consuming effort. The rest should be fairly easy!  How do you think I'll do?

Any bets?

And the Giveaway Winner is...

SarahKL over at The Ooey Gooey Daily News blog!

Sarah-please send me your address via facebook messaging and you should receive this new awesome FREE gift at the end of next week!

Now what I need to ask of all of you is this-Since I had so few participants with this giveaway please critique me:

1) What did I do wrong? (i.e. Was the gift too drab? Was there too short of a time frame in which to enter? Was it too easy to enter?)

2) What makes YOU sign up for a giveaway? (i.e. the gift, the blog itself, the fun-ness of a blog giveaway?)

3) Was it just plain boring my giveaway?

I need tips! I would like to do a giveaway each month and have a few other goodies in mind but if the participation is going to continually be this low...maybe not.

What do you think? I am SO very glad that Sarah won this-she loves the "fall-y" look of this bracelet and I am sure she can doll it up and dress it down!

August Goals-complete

Alright so here are my goals recapped and completed/failed:

*Books
-Read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson COMPLETE-a very good read for those who enjoy suspense/crime dramas.
-Read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov COMPLETE-a classic, and I can see why, but disturbing just the same
**ADDITIONAL-I also read The Girl Who Plays with Fire by Stieg Larsson and it was also very good!

*Home
-Select fabric to make pillows for couch. FAIL-but only because I decided to wait until we GOT a couch before making/getting the pillows (makes sense, right? Haha!)
-Post home pics on blog (it's coming along so nicely!) COMPLETE! There's still a wee bit left ot go but it's mainly in the form of a new couch and art on our bedroom walls.
-Add 1 detail to home per month (i.e. rug one month, lamp the next, etc.): this month being the pillows for the up-and-coming couch. Okay so this is kind of a draw but I'm counting it as a COMPLETE-I did not add the pillows (see above reasoning) BUT I did add a wonderful new detail in the form of a one-of-a-kind painting by the wonderful Jessica Siemens! It is a great thing to look at and makes such a wonderful addition to our home.


*School
-Finish Summer course COMPLETE! And what an interesting and inspiring class it was (more to come later)
-Make an A in Summer course COMPLETE-a perfect 100 baby!
-Start Fall 2011 classes COMPLETE! Oh what a semester it will be!
-Start GA hours COMPLETE! Lots of interesting and time consuming work coming my way-I can't wait!
-Finish research with Aday COMPLETE-we will be continuing it through the semester but for what was needed this summer it's all done.

*Crafts
-Make pillows for couch. FAIL-see reasoning above.
**ADDITIONAL-I, like so many before me, have found and become addicted to Pinterest.com Seriously, it's an addiction...and I totally don't mind having it!  I haven't made any of the crafts yet BUT I have found loads I'd like to partake in soon!


*Fun
-Say good-bye to Destiny: she'll be shipping off to HAWAII for the next 3 years. I guess it means I need to start saving for a trip! COMPLETE: simple fun and I'm so proud of her starting this new chapter in her life.
-Celebrate Katie's baby girl with her White Trash Baby Shower! (Sounds like a lot of fun!) COMPLETE-did you check out the "classy" party?


Looks like August wasn't a bust afterall, huh? I had a great month and it was very nice to relax a bit before school swung around in full force.

COMPLETE: 11          FAIL: 2                   ADDITIONAL: 2                    DRAW: 0
Now: what's up for September?

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

HEY EVERYONE! DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR MY GIVEAWAY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECE OF JEWELRY! Win it for yourself or re-gift for a friend-remember the holidays are coming up!

PLEASE enter guys-I need to know if doing giveaways via my blog are worth it or if the following for my blog at all is lacking!

The deadline is THURSDAY so hop on it if you're interested!

XOXOX
J

House update-on hold

Well well, it's been quite some time since I've shown some updated home pics here at the Depot!  Though it's on my goals for August, I think I will just show you one update we've had.  I am waiting for our new couch (!!!) and then will thoroughly update the blog for new pics of the (almost) finished Raley home!

The update I want to show you is a one-of-a-kind painting (actually 3-called a triptych) made by the wonderfully talented Jessica Siemens! Her artwork is both unique and gorgeous-bringing truth and beauty to her canvas'.

I had asked Jessica to do a triptych of poppies: 1-because I love the flower, 2-because they'd match my kitchen/dining nook and 3-her art is breathtaking.  She graciously agreed and has worked hard in having these fun and flirty flowers come to life on her canvas' and now in our home!

The three-all hung and pretty in the dining nook.  Every time I see them I can't help but smile.  When I unwrapped them from their packaging I squealed like child and clapped, haha! Der promptly helped me hang them up and make sure they were even.

Canvas #1 I love the details-different shades of poppies and sizes.

Canvas #2-The green(s) background does wonderful justice to our green painted living room.  These canvas' make a perfect transition piece from open living room to our open dining nook.

Canvas #3-The mood is so fresh and inviting! I know cooler seasons are approaching but I can't help but thinking these will still contribute to the fall/winter season with their clever coloring and their happiness.

Can you see the textures?! This is my FAVORITE part about her work-she uses chunky paints and wild textures that give depth and liveliness to her art!

So yes, you must wait to see the new developments within the Raley household once the couch has arrived but I couldn't WAIT to unveil our new one-of-a-kind art.  It holds so much beauty and meaning, knowing it was made by someone as gifted and genuine as Jessica.

THANK YOU JESSICA!

The White Trash Baby Bash for Katie, Coby and Harper!

This past Sunday I made the trip to a skive of a bar in Chattanooga to celebrate a baby shower for my lifelong friend Katie...this was NOT your typical baby shower.  It was a themed white trash baby bash!

Now note: some thought this was trashy (no pun intended) but please realize it was in fun and both the parents and Harper got some wonderfully personal and fantastic gifts to help ease her into our world.  Not trying to sound preachy but it was listed to "keep the dress trashy and the gifts trashy".  The 2 party planners (pictured below) are Katie's best friends and would do nothing to spoil the actual point of the shower.

Are you ready to get a glimpse into the "glamorous" side of the trailer park?! Think tattoos, a lot of boobs, hooker eye shadow and camo...are you ready?!

(My family) From Left: "Ni-co" (like Nicole), "Jessie" and "Misty" are ready for the party! Misty likes to dress up for these type of affairs and she wasn't happy when Ni-co suggested she wear her cut offs and her NASCAR shirt instead.

The cake! Notice the spelling? LOL! A trailer, two babies already, Shell-tayla Barbie is having a hard time now that Travis left (and left her with a black eye!)

The Ferris wheel of snacks.

'The drink "keg" and the diaper truck.  No need for an extension to lift this truck up! It'll be muddin' in plenty of time once Harper gets here!

The mommy to be and baby Harper!

The food-chicken fries, veggies, and fruit.

Another shot of this awesome cake

Some of the "classiest" guests. Did I forget to mention that this was held in a BAR?! We had a side of it blocked off as to complete the whole "white trash" theme, haha!

Advice for the mom to be-some were funny, some heartfelt, and some just plain crazy!

The start of the great gifts they all got! Some were wrapped all sweet while others were wrapped in Just Busted and duck tape and others were put in beer cases and Walmart bags!

The "gift bags"-a 6 pack container which held a fake tattoo, string cheese and crackers, a pack of candy cigarettes, a knock off brand soda, a pack of cards, a NASCAR coozie, a shot glass, some vodka, a bag of sweet tea, and it was all held together with a bungee cord. CLASSY.

From left: Lynde (also a mom-to-be!), Ashlee, Lisa and Katie.  Lynde and Ashlee were the party throwers.

 

"Misty" with the guests of honor! Katie and I have been friends since we were 8 years old! Though we don't get to see one another much I still consider her a friend and a great lady!

All of the female guests-we were ready to "get our camera on", LOL.

Katie laughing at her "Hicks site #1" sign.  She was about to open her wonderful gifts! I didn't include too many gift pictures because they would have gone on FOREVER! It's good to know that both Katie and her husband have so many thoughtful and supporting friends in this new journey of their lives-very blessed.

Katie opening the gift from me and Der-we got baby Harper a little pink bathrobe, pink bath slippers and some pink bath towels-all so tiny and cute! Yay baby Harper!

Lisa got them this wonderful personalized diaper bag-it had so many pockets and compartments and she filled them with gifts too!  Very sweet.

All in all the trashiest but most fun affair I've been to in quite some time.  It was great seeing so many friends I haven't seen or been in the best of contact with and it was FANTASTIC to see Katie, her husband, and rub on little Harper!

She'll be making her appearance at the beginning of November.

CONGRATS KATIE AND COBY! AND WE'RE READY TO WELCOME YOU TO THE WORLD SWEET HARPER!