Grandma

Yesterday, in the early hours of the morning, my grandma took her last few breaths. I've talked openly on this blog about her fight against lung cancer, among many other health issues. I believe though, that the biggest weight on my grandmas heart was the loss of her beloved husband only a little over a year ago. I've heard time and time again how real the idea of a broken heart can be on a person. Normally I would be sitting at my computer crying uncontrollably. I am unusually at peace. My only explanation for this is the fact that I cant imagine the feeling in my grandmas heart when she was reunited with my grandpa. It gives me butterflies in my stomach.

Dont get me wrong, I wish my grandma was still here with us. I wish my grandpa was too. She spent her last few days at Hospice Care. I cant tell you that I have ever seen a more beautiful place for my grandma to be. The nicest nurses took care of her and her beautiful room suited our family perfectly.

My grandma had a CNA coming into her home a few times a week when she was still living on her own. That CNA was usually assigned to at home visits with other patients like my grandma. This past Saturday however, she received an email saying that they needed her help at the hospice center. She didn't know that she would be assigned to my grandma. Pure luck? I don't think so. Someone matched those two again and our family couldn't have been more touched to see her CNA talk to her like they were the best of friends.

The nurses and doctors at Hospice continued to remind us that hearing is the last sense to go. They encouraged us to talk to my grandma and reminisce about all the things we loved about her and tell her whatever we felt on our heart. We laughed and smiled knowing that grandma could hear everything we were saying. My mom and her siblings talked about all the garage parties my grandma and grandpa used to have. We talked about holidays and fond memories of time spent together, as a family.

Grandma continued to fight on. We are convinced she was happy listening to all of our fond memories.

She stopped breathing in her sleep with my aunt and mom sleeping on the couch in the same room. It was the way we wanted it. She didn't struggle. Instead, she drifted off and carried on her way to see her beloved husband.

We will miss you grandma.

to D.I.Y. for {Hair Ties}

You will need:


















Directions in words: I try to accommodate for all types of learners ;)
Step 1: Measure your fold-over elastic. I have a lot of thick hair so I used about ten inches.
Step 2: Fold the elastic in half
Step 3: Cut the elastic on an angle. Use sharp scissors to avoid fray.
Step 4: Hold the two ends of the elastic together and wrap them around one finger. Pull the two ends through the loop. (do not pull on the edges of the elastic or it will fray)
Step 5: Re-cut the edge to give a nice clean angle.
Step 6: Use clear nail polish along the angled edge to keep the fabric from fraying.
Let dry, and voila! You have an adorable hair ties.





The best part about these hair ties is the fact that they don't leave those obnoxious indents in your hair after wearing it up all day because lets be honest, who showers everyday anyway? Not me.

I bought my fold-over elastic on etsy. You can find many different shops that sell it.

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

Its becoming that time when I get really excited about the holiday season. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday but I really enjoy the christmas season as well. I love the music, the food, the movies, the decorating....

We added some festivity to our room. I didn't want to breeze right by thanksgiving so I left my fall thermos out and and put a thankful message on my blackboard.

Im really enjoying it....

November inspiration

I havent shared any outfit inspiration for awhile.
I love everything about these outfits. I mean a reindeer silhouette on your sweater? What else is there in the world to need?










I was searching for something to wear to the Jersey Boys show tomorrow and this didn't help much but it did add to my christmas list! I will be sure to post on what I ended up wearing.

Happy Hump day
Im linking up here.

Lets catch up over a box of thin mints

A lot has been going on. Lets catch up. Feel free to indulge in a box of thin mints like I have already covered.

Its about that time to sign up for classes for next semester. I don't understand why this process becomes so stressful. They give you a time and a date that you can register and its a mad dash with people running across campus to get to a computer. It also seems to be that your computer completely malfunctions when you click "add" next to that class that has only one seat left. So at 11:00 on thursday, be thinking about me sitting at my computer having several small mental meltdowns. (say that 5 times fast)

Also on thursday, Dalton and I are headed to Madison to see the Broadway Musical Jersey Boys. Im surprisingly really looking forward to this. His whole family is going and we are going to have a nice dinner and get all dressed up. I like occasions to look fancy. Dalton on the other hand is not very excited about the "dressing up portion."

In other news... The dorm building that Dalton and I live in had the most bizarre thing happen this weekend. Someone was cooking meth in their dorm room. Yes. Cooking meth in a dorm room. Supposedly its the latest fad to cook meth out of a liter water bottle but I don't think that the end result is supposed to be a fire in a trash can followed by 600 residents having to evacuate at 2am. All that and now he gets to spend some time in the slammer. I guess dorm life may have prepared him for that life? Nah. I don't think so.

Daltons mom's house is really coming along. Its amazing how quickly everything goes once the drywall is finished. It has been so much fun being apart of the process. This weekend Dalton and a few friends worked on laying some of the wood flooring.






His mom has the best decorating taste and she found some old barn boards from a farmer. I almost fainted when I saw the finished product.


We also carved our names into the concrete while it was still wet.




Dalton let us get in the lift and he hoisted us up over the lake.





Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I haven't seen too many black friday ads yet but I am excited to create my plan of attack on that crazy morning. Do you know any websites that share the ads early? Im impatient.

And I will leave you with a picture of my step dad in honor of Veterans Day. He's the best. Thanks Jim.





Im linking up here.

Keep calm and enjoy a jumbo margarita

I lay in bed tossing and turning.
I know I'm tired. Why cant I just fall asleep?

The tossing and turning continues and because I have always been an anxious type of person, I begin to panic thinking of how tired I am going to be the next day. As if panicking is going to make me more tired. My mind is racing. Don't forget about calling on that apartment tomorrow. Schedule that advising appointment. Am I going to keep my roommate awake if I decide to finish reading the Sorcerers Stone? Oh dang, I forgot to email my professor those presentation scores. I wonder if Dalton is asleep?

Whoa.



I'm the type that requires the television to fall asleep. Dalton has been trying really hard to break that habit the past three years and when I am with him, I am usually fine. But I tend to get myself so worked up about nothing and then its uphill on roller-skates to try to get to sleep. And don't you fret, the sleep timer doesn't work. The second the TV turns off, I'm awake.

In an attempt to keep my very calm, cool and collected roommate around I have recently intercepted the habit of turning Netflix on my iPad and plugging in my headphones. I usually wake up strangled in my headphones. Its a risk I am willing to take.

I woke up, reset my alarm and slept for another 30 minutes. Are you surprised that I didn't wake refreshed? I was so lethargic that I walked out of our cafe without paying for my coffee. I struggled to stay awake during english and only a Dark Roast from Starbucks was going to keep my head from bobbing during my Early Childhood Foundations class.

Learning to do a mail merge was the last thing this exhausted brain could handle. I managed. I walked back to my dorm feeling defeated and hungry. (Because I am always hungry) Dalton asked me if I wanted to walk over to the local mexican restaurant to have a margarita and some chips and salsa. It was the last thing I felt like doing. But I did it. And I felt great. It's amazing what some good salsa and a Jumbo Margarita can do for a girl. (Besides make her a little tipsy)



Moral of the story?
Don't sleep with headphones in if you can help it.
And just when you think the world is against you, keep calm and have a jumbo margarita at your local mexican restaurant.

--------> VOTE <-----------

Just do it.
Please. Im begging you.


"But my vote doesn't count."

That is the biggest load of malarky I have ever heard.
So your telling me that if the whole state of Wisconsin decided not to vote simply because every person thought their vote didn't count, thats a whole lot of votes, my friend. (Especially in Wisconsin because we are such an important swing state.)


So get in line, and vote.

And don't worry, if you haven't registered bring a proof of residence and your photo ID and you are as good as gold.

------------------> Make a difference <-------------------- It is so easy, but oh, so important. xxxxxx

A letter to you {3 years}

Yesterday we celebrated our 3 year anniversary. It was as ordinary as any other day. Just the way we like it. 3 years have passed and nothing would have predicted all that we have been through. It is a bond stronger than my heart has ever felt. It's scary, but exhilarating. This love has proved my inner strength, I am stronger everyday because of you.

It hasn't always been rainbows and butterflies, I think that is a testament to the strength of our friendship. We understand the quirks about each other that no one else will ever understand. We just seem to "fit." It's strange and equally hard to explain in words. You make me smile, you make me cry, you make me happy. You accept that at times I am emotional and hard to handle. I have learned to accept that it wont always be easy to love you. Im willing to accept the hard times because the good times, they make it all worth it.

We have so much to look forward to and be thankful for. A new house, our trip to Jamaica, a good education (even if it takes us 6 years), and most importantly we have our future to look forward to. Lets not forget though, how important it is to live in the moment. Im working on cherishing the everyday moments that we share together.


So thanks for doing life with me.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Love always.

Desktop Calendar, November

Is it just me or did this week fly by?

Well since its a new month and all, I figured I would share with you one of my favorite things about starting a new month.

I love having a cute background on my laptop, and every month oh, hello friend designs an adorable desktop background with calendar.




Here it is on my desktop. Isn't it adorable?

You can go HERE and download it for free. Thats right free.
So, enjoy.

Well hello, November

Source

Things to look forward to in November...
Continued over-wearing of chunky sweaters and boots
Christmas list making
Christmas shopping. Hopefully most of it
Gingerbread lattes and peppermint mochas
The fact that Starbucks begins using the red "holiday" cups
Hopefully signing a lease for next fall
The obvious; Thanksgiving, over eating, black friday insanity
Planning for Jolynn's baby shower
Pinning way to many fall/holiday recipes that I will never get to.

Things I am not looking forward to...
Being dark at 4:30 pm. Ugh