ready for spring

i said this earlier, and i'll say it again... you can never truly appreciate spring break until you become a teacher. tomorrow marks the first day of our break and it couldn't have come at a better time. not only has this school year taken its toll, this winter has been a beast and seems to be holding on for dear life. i am pretty sure punxsutawney phil doesn't know what he is talking about. on a lighter note, you can see from our new back porch view, the snow is just beginning to fade away. about damn time.

on a personal level, we are ready for a little husband and wife time that doesn't involve painting, grading papers, and unpacking boxes. thankfully, before this whole housebuying thing, we planned a trip out to california to visit one of husbands' childhood buddies. we are shipping out tomorrow and heading to monterey for a few days. after a brief stay, husband and i will finish our travel week exploring san francisco. neither one of us has been before, so a new adventure it will be. any dining/sights we shouldn't miss?

the blog may be a little light in the load in the coming week, you must forgive me. our camera battery charger is still mia (i am determined to find it for our trip!) and i really am making a promise to myself to unwind this break. i do however, commit to have some worthy content coming up real soon. house upgrades, new recipes and travel pictures galore.

have a happy easter and a marvelous spring break to all my fellow educators!!

exhausted and content

we did it. we finally moved in to our new abode. i couldn't be more elated to have it over with after three very long and very exhausting days. moving is the worst. wouldn't you agree?! i have mad props for professional movers...i bow down to all you mover guys and gals.

right now, husband and i are teetering in between unpacking our things and returning to our rental flat to make it all spiffy in hopes of garnering the entirety of our rental security deposit. our future furniture depends on it...fingers crossed. after nearly six years in the same place, tate has really made his presence known...scratches here and there and everywhere. some more evident than others. husband and i aren't too innocent in the matter as well.

our unpacking will be a slow and lingering process as husband and i must stop to get all our teacher duties in. in the meantime, we are cocooning ourselves in our loft area (which husband is refusing to allow me to call it the "great room"), while the downstairs continues to get beautified for the arrival of some of our new furniture. the pictures above are from the lofted area...we spent our first night here. it was serene and so peaceful. i think we are going to like it here...a whole lot. this will be a great space for relaxing and will be ready for guests a plenty to spend the night...hint, hint.

i also managed to make it over to my favorite antique and vintage purveyor this weekend. more on that heavenly place coming very soon. i picked up some dining room chairs to freshen up and this lovely industrial pendant light. i have big plans for it and will bringing you all along for the ride. stay tuned.

p.s....we don't have internet at our new place, so i am not sure how often i will be able to post in the coming weeks. i will do my best to keep ya in the loop.

p.p.s... you might also have to suffer from some less than ideal photos....dead camera battery. to make matters worse, i packed the charger in some place other than the camera bag. silly, silly choice and i don't even have husband to blame for this one.

the IT list..March 22, 2013!!

• Uniquely Karah features her favorite dresses from Old Navy for spring... these dresses are priced right and are oh-so-versatile! Check out her picks! (find Uniquely Karah on Twitter!)
• Lipstick and Lollies is seriously rockin' maternity style these days... see how she styles stripes for her adorable baby bump! 
• Not Going Out Like That takes a lacey skirt that she wore for an evening event and remixes it into a fabulous daytime look. Check out how she did it!
• Dream in Fashion styles up her army-style jacket with some coral and floral for spring. These layers work so well together and wait until you hear where she got that cute purse from! (find Dream in Fashion on Twitter!)
• Undeniable Style pulls together a casual and stylish look that is decidedly Madewell-esque but without the big price tags. I love this look! (find Undeniable Style on Twitter!)
• Laura Wears is sporting a simple and sophisticated look by dressing up her patterned pants - one of the top trends for spring! See how she does it! (find Laura Wears on Twitter!)
• The Second Best gets sidetracked in the Gap and stumbles upon the perfect "blue" blue jean... and then pairs it will stripes and neon. A winner in my book! (find The Second Best on Twitter!)
• A Fashion Fixation celebrates her birthday in style with the basics: white jeans and a chambray top. One of my favorite outfit combos! And who doesn't love a good "birthday outfit"? (find A Fashion Fixation on Twitter!)
• Sweetie Pie Style features her favorite camo pieces for spring and then styles them into three fun outfits! Don't pack that camo away for spring ladies! (find Sweetie Pie Style on Twitter!)
• Loving Every Detail shows off her gorgeous St. Patrick's Day outfit, but this outfit would be perfect for any spring day in my opinion!
• Rose a la Mode puts together lovely layers for a night out at St. Louis' Fashion Week.  She how she perfectly mixed leather leggings with florals! (find Rose a la Mode on Twitter!)
• Pretty Preened features a delicious recipe for Lentil, Kielbasa and Fennel Stew - this had my mouth watering the minute I saw it!  Stop by her blog to check it out! (find Pretty Preened on Twitter!)
• Miss Top Ten Image realizes that a touch of neon pink is all a spring outfit needs (especially when it's still so cold out!).  She how she does it!