Electric Sex

I couldnt get the other pair of lamps off my mind. I thought I would be happy with the other pair I got which were cheaper. I thought Id be happy enough to just get those and save us some money. But after thinking nonstop about them I knew that this chance probably wasnt going to come along very many times, if at all. So I contacted him this morning and said I had the money if he still had the lamps. He got them out of storage and I picked them up early this afternoon.

Isnt it glorious? I have a pair. With original shades. In working condition. Im in love.

Up close with the light on..

And with the light off, a more truer photo of the color of the shades.
If my husband were here this would probably not be mine right now so heres the one good thing about a deployment.

The Breakdown Bettie Hair Flower Winner is...

I do it the old fashioned way by drawing names out of my planter that sadly still doesnt have a plant yet.

I turned my head and mixed up the names real good and drew...

So please email me with your info at ingram(dot)didi(at)yahoo(dot)com! Please be sure to include which color you want your flower to be. You can choose from purple, pink, red, coral, blue, green, turquoise and orange. Lucky lady!
Thanks to everyone who entered! I still encourage you to check out Breakdown Bettie. She has lots of goodies and Im sure you can find a nice treat for yourself there! Super big thanks to Christina for sponsoring this giveaway! I really appreciate it and cant say it enough!!

Last Day For the BB Hair Flower Giveaway!

If you want to be included in the Breakdown Bettie giveaway for the very awesome veined hair flower you must enter today! To enter go here and leave a comment.

The winner will be drawn tomarrow. Good luck to everyone who entered (ya lucky bastards haha)! Super huge and special thanks to Christina at Breakdown Bettie for sponsoring my second giveaway! You're a very awesome lady indeed.

Im Very Weak.

I went for a coffee table. The amoeba one to be exact. Its the one my husband preferred and I do try to compromise because he doesnt exactly like all this "stuff" but he tolerates it for me. If I can find something we both like, thats what I go for and thats what I did this time except he didnt save it for me. It was gone by the time I got there. So I got the matching set for $180.

They didnt NEED to sell. They were collectors and ready to let go of their things. It was like a vintage lovers paradise. Loads of pyrex, sets of matching drinking cups, pairs of lamps etc. Apparently they also have vintage clothing and jewelry but I didnt get to see those and its probably a good thing too because I think I spent enough. I also got these babies. And yes a pair! Ive been holding out for a pair.

He actually has another pair that Im dying to have and if I can scrounge up money Im giving him another call. But who knows when that will be. ::sigh::

Coffee Tables!

So I was browsing Craigslist this evening and came across these. I love them, but Im not sure about the prices. What do you ladies think? You all out in blogland would have a pretty good idea what these would be worth I think. Spill it ladies (and gents)!


Wants $200 for these babies.

And $300 for this one.
I like them both but not exactly for those prices. Im all about talking them down! We dont necessarily need end tables, but we definitely need a coffee table. We are coffee table-less and thats a sad thing indeed.

That feeling when you would like to strangle someone..

That happens alot as an Army wife. Some people think that just because you are married to the Army that you want to hear their opinion on the wars, government, military, and any conspiracy theory out there. They also think that because your husband is a soldier that gives them the right to criticize him for the job that he does. It irks me that the thought has never occurred to them that SOMEONE has to do the job, and my husband stepped up to the challenge. If it doesnt suit them, they should just say thank you and leave it at that. That rarely happens, so I thought Id post about some common misconceptions people have and get those cleared up. *Warning this could be a long post*

*No we dont get paid to make babies. My husband is going to make the same amount whether we have 1 kid or 12. I assume military have more than one usually because of the health care and other little perks that are obscure and hard to find out about. Its also a steady paycheck and their jobs are usually secure unless they screw up real bad.

*"You knew what you were getting into when you married him."
Yes in a way I did and am I supposed to say sorry that I fell in love with a soldier? I think I wouldve loved him if he worked at Taco Bell also but he happened to shoot higher than that.

*"Such and such place is more dangerous so at least hes not there."
Umm, sorry to break it to you but he goes out on missions at least once daily and theyre all dangerous regardless of the place. The taliban doesnt just hang out in one particular area.

*"My S/O goes out of town on vacation/business trips etc so I know how you feel."
No sorry you dont. Your s/o isnt going to be away an entire year, wait in line for hours just to make a 20 minute call on a shitty connection, or go out on missions where you basically just wait because no news is good news. I also dont think theres a big IED problem anywhere your boyfriend is going.

*"Im tired of my tax dollars paying your husband to sit around over there."
Hes doing alot of things there and sitting isnt usually one of them.

*"Is your husband deployed? Oh Im sorry, that sucks."
Yeah it does suck but to be honest I think he looks uber sexy in all of his gear and even though I wish he could be home this is our life and Im happy with it.

*"At least he'll be home soon."
Our points of view on what "soon" means is very different I see. Soon to me is 2 months and we still have 6 to go. And even when he is home he is still gone. Alot. His work day isnt usually shorter than 12 hours 5 days a week. He also goes out into the field to train overnight, or for a week at a time multiple times a year. Theres also JRTC which is a month of training in a totally different state. Not to mention there are schools that help advance his career that he needs to do eventually, and theres been talk of Ranger school and if he decides that he wants to do it Ill support him being gone another 2 months just for that. He can also be called in on weekends if someone feels like it. Hes a soldier 24/7/365.

Ok I think Im done. If you have said any of these things to me dont take offense. Its mostly the random people that get in my business that irk me the most. Those people never say thank you or that they appreciate everything we all do. Little things like that make a huge difference.

Lorelei is 1 today!

Happy 1st birthday to the prettiest girl there ever was!

I admit I wasnt ready for you when you decided it was time, but like your mama you didnt give a crap what anyone else thought. Im so glad because I cant imagine not having you. You were meant to be here. You adore your big brother and he adores you. I cant believe its been a year already. It feels like we just brought you home from the hospital. I wish Daddy was here to see how big youve gotten. Im so glad you are my baby girl. Mama loves you!

Breakdown Bettie + Sponsored Giveaway!

Breakdown Bettie is a one woman business run by Christina out of Boise, Idaho. I adore her! Shes a wife, mother, and all around great gal. She sells a variety of goodies including hair flowers, jewelry, clothing + a whole lot more! Ive ordered from Breakdown Bettie a few times and most recently I ordered a few hair flowers, a hair bow and a snood.

LOVE THEM! She will custom make items for you, and switch out the clips for the flowers at your request and she still ships fast! I always request bobby pins for my hair flowers because my hair is so thin that other clips never stay for long or dont look right. Breakdown Bettie is the ONLY place I have ever found that will do that without charging you an arm and leg for making the change. Shes wonderful!! Here I am with one of her awesome rose hair flowers.

She offers layaway and will also sell wholesale. She is always running specials and often gives away items with orders over a certain amount AND as if she isnt awesome enough she gives part of her profits to the USO and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. You get to buy yourself pretties AND give to worthy causes! Win win!
I mentioned to her that I was going to feature Breakdown Bettie on my blog and she was gracious enough to offer this beautiful veined hair flower in the color of the winners choice as a giveaway item! I am so jealous I cant enter!

The colors to choose from are purple, pink, red, coral, blue, green, turquoise and orange.
The rules are easy peasy. You must be a follower, and you must leave a comment on this post. For an extra entry, link back to me in your blog. This give away is open to everyone! The deadline to be included in this is Friday Feb 25th and the winner will be chosen on Saturday Feb 26th.
Go take a looksy and order something already and tell her I sent ya! Id LOVE to hear some of my readers became new Breakdown Bettie customers! XO! Also a special thanks to Christina for sponsoring this give away!!

Halfway Point - Day #182

Today is a big day. Day #182 AKA the halfway point in the deployment. 6 months down, 6 months to go. Its all downhill from here (sorta). May is R&R so thats our next milestone to look forward to, but feels like it will never come.

Its been getting difficult lately. Their power is either out, or the phones are down, internet is down, or theres a blackout from someone getting hurt. I dont like such long periods without hearing from him. Two days is long enough for me thank you very much, but the longest Ive had to go is about a week so far. The last time he called was on Valentines Day but I could hardly hear him. Its soo frustrating. The government spends millions on worthless garbage but they cant give the soldiers some damn phones that dont make them sound like theyre talking in robotic echos?? Its Afghanistan and the connection can be shotty. Especially when theyre not in a big FOB (forward operating base). We are pretty sure we will have at least one more deployment to deal with and that may be it. Lets hope.

Stay Tuned!

I have some exciting news! Im going to be having another giveaway very very soon! I feel like Oprah doing a favorite things show because I looove it and I looove where its from! ;-)

Feeding The Habit

I broke down and finally bought myself this carved bakelite bangle from Ebay.

Its been ages since Id gotten something for myself and I didnt have one in this color. I did at one time, a spacer, but my son got ahold of it and I havent seen it since. I think he threw it in the trash because I havent found it anywhere! So sad!
I got good responses about starting the random stuff I love posts so look for me to start that soon. I love the whole vintage show and tell and I love getting to peek into everyones homes and see what treasures theyve found but I also love to get to know them as people. Im pretty sure theres alot of amazing things about everyone to find out and learn. I guess I always have been random because with one income I dont get to shop alot, but I kept it to family goings on. Now it will be broader I suppose. We'll see who actually ends up reading it!

Missed Aniversary + Something New

I was so busy being miserable about Valentines Day approaching that I completely missed the 1 yr anniversary of my beloved blog on the 10th. It came to me while I was contemplating my daughters 1st birthday thats coming up soon, and I realized I had blogged about her birth. *Memories*
Now onto the something new. I decided it might be fun to do posts on things I love. I love sharing things Im passionate about and I would love to hear what others adore through comments. What do you think? Fun or blah? Im not doing the ever so popular day of the week post. Mainly because I dont want to feel obligated to post something. Blogging should be fun. Please keep in mind this could get real random because I like a very broad range of things. You might find out more about me than you ever wanted to.

Creepy Yet Sweet

As Valentines day approaches I get more sick of hearing about what so and so is going to do with their girlfriend/boyfriend/fiance/wife/husband. Yes, Im BITTER. Just a bit. Im lonely, and in need of hugs and kisses from my husband, plus a couple other things ;). So in honor of my bitterness I thought I would post the creepiest vintage Valentines Day card images I could find.

There is nothing natural about being away from your husband or wife for 365 days every other year or so. And quite frankly, war can be hell. Not just for the soldier but for the family as well. Alot of people thank the soldiers but forget that theres alot of people left behind that should be thanked too. The families left behind sacrifice and push on despite mostly wanting to pull the covers over your head and just ignore the world for about a year. Though Id like to do that, I cant. My children need their mother, and without them I probably wouldnt find reasons to get out of bed everyday. It takes bravery to fight an unknown enemy and it also takes bravery to face the world each day when you dont feel quite whole; when your other half is a million miles away. I didnt mean to make this post so heavy. Some things just need to be said and special days make it that much more needed. Are you bummed out yet? Happy Valentines Day! haha!

Seeing Spots: The Follow Up

Well ladies, I cant say they lasted the 10 days the box claims, but after taking another look at the box it does say UP TO 10 days. Pfft. I would say they lasted about 5 days and after that my right hand started going downhill fast and then the left (the one I use for less things) followed. Like everything though I did rush through applying them because I didnt want to get half way through only to need to stop to change a diaper or get a snack or play cars..take your pick. I did find it odd that they didnt chip at the bottom. All mine chipped at the cuticle so it could be the way I applied them. So in their defense its *possible* they could look better longer if you take your sweet time putting them on. Its also possible that if you get into less stuff than me they might last longer. Im a mama to two small children so Im washing my hands about 500 million times a day. I would still recommend them for special occasions or if you dont have time to do your nails the old fashioned way. I know I will use them once in a while. Say a date night with my husband sometime between now and 18 years?

Snow!

Dear Tennessee,
In case you forgot you are in the south and can do without all this snow bullshit. Thank you and good day!
I was raised in a place that got alot more snow than this but seriously! Its getting old. Im tired of cold feet. Im tired of scraping the snow and ice off the car. Im tired of my car window freezing shut and Im tired of TDOT not salting the roads. The photo above is our front yard from the other day. Not the greatest I know but Im not a snow bunny at all. Im a stay in with cozy jammies and drink hot chocolate kinda bunny. Unless I could take a super amazing long hot bath afterwards and with two kids, it aint happenin. This weather is wrecking havoc on my already low moral. Its probably bumming out my flamingos too.

An Award!

A big thank ya to Wendy for giving me this award! Please check out her blog The Butterfly Balcony. I am always super flattered when someone thinks of my blog when they give out awards. I am truly shocked people even read this haha! Thank you thank you thank you!

THE RULES:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Hmm 7 things. Ok here goes..
1) I have secretly been losing baby weight and not sharing it on my blog. *gasp* Id rather not blog about being a fatass after having 2 babies. Ive lost 25 pounds which is fantastic but I have hit a plateau, that I already overcame once before Christmas before my mom visited. I ate alot and gained 5 pounds back so Im trying to overcome the dreaded 25 pound plateau for a second time, and losing this round miserably.
2) I have a fierce caffeine habit that Ive been trying to kick. Im down to about 3 caffeinated drinks a day and almost ready to ween myself down to 2. I used to drink the 8 glasses of water a day and remember feeling and looking great and miss that. Im just so tired being the equivalent of a single mama during this deployment.
3) I watched Spongebob long before I even thought about having kids and loved it.

4) I have had alot of pets in my life. One dog, two cats, two hampsters, several fish, a rabbit, a few chicks, and two turtles. I have cried over the loss of every one of them except for the fish, the rabbit and one of the hampsters.
5) Ive had a Facebook page less than 6 months. Mainly created it due to boredom and loneliness.
6) I know what I saw as a little girl whether you or anyone else believes in it. Lots of strange things happened in that house.
7) Snakes give me the heebie jeebies. I have watched thousands of horror movies and never had nightmares. I could see a snake on a movie or animal planet and I have terrible nightmares haha.

Now onto the awards..If Im to stick to blogs Ive recently discovered I can only award 5..Sorry! I follow tons of blogs and most of them Ive been following since I started my own. So here they are!

That Vintage Broad
Out With The New In With The Old
Zombies Everywhere
Little Rascal
The Vintage Lesbian Project

As per the rules Ill contact the winners..if they dont see it here first..when I get around to it haha.

And the winner is....

Miss Emmi!

I want to thank everyone that entered the giveaway and follow the blog!
Miss Emmi please email me with your address at (edited because I dont want spam!) and I will get your winnings out sometime this week!!

Seeing Spots

I havent done my nails in say..oh.. over 6 months. Its not really practical for me to not have use of my hands for any length of time, and its also not practical to have to redo them constantly. Pre-kid me had toes and nails done always, but those days are long gone. Now its just usually the toenails, if I can swing it. So you can imagine my excitement when I came across these Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips! I was completely skeptical. I honestly didnt think they would work out like the box claimed, but they do! Its a little costly in my opinion for one application at around $9 per box so I dont expect to use them very often. There are many different patterns though so if you cant DIY your nails or afford to get them done and dig this type of thing, this is perfect for you!

They are supposed to last for 10 days. We shall see, but so far I can say that they have lasted longer than regular nail polish.

All in all I'd say they are kinda cute.

Dont Forget!

The deadline for my first giveaway is this Saturday. If you want included, please leave a comment
here!