Working on my projects

I have a lot of "projects" going on...most of them house related in some form or fashion (and I just don't think I'll ever be DONE with house projects.  Ever.  There's always going to be something...).  Oh yeah, and we moved in well over a year ago, so some of these works in progress have been in progress for way too long, and Craig asks me when I'm ever going to finish anything, and I say "it hasn't been that long!" and then realize it HAS been that long that things have been sitting half-done and so now I'm trying to actually do them.  Plus Pinterest overwhelms me with a plethora of "ooohhh, I could do that!!" ideas, so I'm trying to narrow those down to the ones that are actually realistic.  Oh, interwebs, how you clog my brain with useless bits o' stuff.

In the interest of filling up empty space (the top of the kitchen cabinets, which would probably be just fine naked, but then the giant dust balls would get lonely up there) without spending a bazillion dollars, I went to Goodwill and picked up a bunch of vases...

shouldn't I be taking things to Goodwill to clear out our crap instead of buying things from Goodwill and bringing more crap into our home?  hmmmm.....

...and commandeered part of the garage to set up spray-paint central.  I have an unnatural obsession with painting things.

And along the way I did find the motivation to slap another coat of paint on the table and chairs that were cheaply acquired about eight years ago, hauled halfway across the country and back, and still manage to be functional...

Oh, and the curtains.  Curtains everywhere.  The dining room curtains are alllllllmost there, just need hems - although I think Harrison would prefer some extra hiding room at the bottom.

Time to go sew and actually finish things...

I'm not sure who first decided to eat these things...

I actually didn't have to work this weekend, which was really a pleasant surprise after optimistically purchasing tickets a month ago to the annual LSU alumni crawfish boil* set for last Saturday.  I hoped I would be able to make it, knowing that I might not (the plight of a CPA in April), and ended up spending a gorgeous Saturday afternoon with friends and food instead of at my desk.  Chalk up one in the win column.

*aren't you a Red Raider, they say?  Yes, yes I am, but some of my favorite people happen to be Tigers, and I'm more than happy to throw a little support their way in the name of beer and crawfish.  Eat on.

Attack!  Don't worry, I traded my corn to Craig for his potato - that's what love is all about

After doing this crawfish business on our own last year at Jen & Mike's house (which I never told you about, pretend I did - ohhh, instant blog catch-up technique!), we opted for the far easier and more cost-efficient method of throwing some money at the LSU crowd and letting them take care of the details.  The delicious, delicious details, including Abita on "draft" (you know, a cooler/tap situation, which worked out just fine) and a lively crowd, surely debating highly important topics over discarded crawfish bodies.

I think Craig won the prize for the biggest, scariest weird thing we ripped apart and ate

Fun-filled Saturday afternoon, other than the traffic wah-wah on the way home (when will 635 ever not be a giant disaster area?!?), especially when it included deep-fried dough with a healthy coating of powdered sugar.

I think Gracie might like beignets almost as much as I do - look at the powdered sugar joy face

Not a bad way at all to finish up a spring busy season that was just a little busier than I might have liked.  Hmmm, these client service gigs...hey, but I have a FREE DAY OFF tomorrow ("free" as in "hey, you've worked ridiculous amounts of overtime in the last month, so SURE, take the day after 4/15 and go do things like laundry that you haven't had time to do"), which I have really big plans for.  However, the #1 thing on the really big plan list is "majorly sleep in," so that could have a pretty big impact on how the rest of the day goes.

Minor victories

Last year I baked a pie at the end of a long day.  This year I waited until the morning after a string of long days so that coffee could factor into the equation and kick-start my brain while I put together some blueberry crumb bars to take to Easter lunch at the Vaughns.  So even with a change in the jobs that's been *mostly* for the better, I still do this crazy tax thing and I'm still incredibly busy in light of this 4/15 situation.  Hmmm.  Guess I'd better look for minor victories where I can find them.

So for this minor victory I baked and didn't work on Easter.  I'll take it.  Especially when Gracie greets me with hugs and smiles and giggles and unabashed joy for all the Easter festivities.  Love this kiddo to bits.  Thanks for having us over, Vaughns!  Now, everyone enjoy the cuteness.

Omg, I am sooooooo excited about finding these eggs!!!  Except the ones I can't see or reach - geez, Dad.

Excuse me, this basket is getting loaded down with eggs - a little help?

Chocolate...chocolate...chocolate...

I miss *real* books, but I like instant gratification

Reeeeeeeading summary for 2012!  I have to say, I've really become a fan of the handy Nook app on my tablet, mostly because it enables my laziness - I want a book, I tap the screen, it's instantly mine.  Technology is wonderful.  And more expensive than hitting up the bargain shelves at Half-Price Books, yeeps.  But it does save me time and keep me a little more current in my reading selections...I'll take it.

Thirty-five books made it onto the list in 2012, which is quite a victory considering my last three books of the year were the first three books in the Song of Ice and Fire craziness.  It's just epic in every sense of the word.  These books are BEASTS that don't even fit into a category (well, an Erin category, anyway) - so just know that Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords are well worth your time, but only if you want to embark on this whooooole journey.  Word of warning, the series is still in the works, blerg - I hate not knowing how everything is going to go.  I'm also concerned with the gaps between book release dates for Mr. Martin, and The Winds of Winter can't get here soon enough.  Of course, now I'm obsessed with the show on HBO.  March 31 also can't get here soon enough.* 

* "Game of Thrones" premiere AND that much closer to 4/15.  Not as crazy busy as PwC, but still a little busier than I'd like.  Oh, taxes.

On to the rest!

LOVED, GO FORTH AND READ, NOW

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - I think this was my favorite standalone (not in a series/trilogy type thingy) book of the year - disturbing, gripping, couldn't put it down

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - I actually really don't want to see the movie because I just know the book will be infinitely better

Already Gone by John Rector

WEIRD THINGS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT LIKE

The Twelve by Justin Cronin - if I talked you into The Passage last year, then you probably already know about this

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - if you can handle a touch of the fantastic, then go for this one

I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER WHAT EVEN HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK, BUT I THINK I LIKED IT, SO GO AHEAD AND READ THEM

Drinking Closer to Home by Jessica Anya Blau - I remember both laughing and going into sad mode, so there's something here

Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

I DIDN'T LIKE THIS AS MUCH AS I THOUGHT I WOULD

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - I really freakin' loved Gone Girl, so I thought another Gillian Flynn book would be a  slam dunk...and it was decent, but definitely didn't live up to to Gone Girl.  Which I couldn't put down.  So as I've already mentioned, go read that one instead.

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik - Paris, it's amazing!!  So why couldn't I get into this book?  Yeah, just no.

GIRLISH, RECOMMENDED...MOSTLY

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

More Jill Mansell books - but they all kinda blended together (Staying at Daisy's, Perfect Timing, An Offer You Can't Refuse), so I don't remember which one I liked the best. Just give them all a British accent in your mind and you're good to go.

BETTER THAN EXPECTED

Nelson DeMille books - The Gate House, The Lion's Game, The Lion.  Momma Dale got me started on these, and I was expecting a lesser version of James Patterson - but I really enjoyed them!  Action-adventure-spy-movie + sarcastic/dry/witty humor in book form.

ANOTHER PLUS FOR THE E-READER BECAUSE NO ONE KNEW WHAT I WAS READING

Yes, I read the Fifty Shades thing.  Meh.  Not really for me.

REPEAT OF AWESOMENESSS

I re-read the Hunger Games trilogy in prep for the awesome movie.  I'll probably read them again before #2 comes out.  LOVE.  Will always be a recommended yes.

I love to read.

Let's stay at the beach. Forever.

** Public service announcement...please pretend this post happened EXACTLY EIGHT MONTHS AGO as originally intended.  Thinking about where the gals and I should journey this summer, so I went back to read about last year's trip, and I thought my posts felt very unfinished...and I'd forgotten I had this one almost ready to go before life happened and I just forgot about it.  So let's just pretend, ok?  Thanks so much, and let's go back to Edisto... **

You know what's wonderful?  Easy beach lunches, all courtesy of King's Market, an adorable roadside establishment filled with loads of fresh flowers...

...and beautiful heirloom maters...

...and all kinds of crazy birdhouses...

...and Cheerwine, which has absolutely nothing to do with wine but is very much like Cherry Coke and is just darn tasty on a toasty afternoon...

...and a plethora of salads and dips and delightful homemade casseroles (granted, mayo was a key ingredient in many of these, but we weren't really complaining - that's what vacation is for!), and we made lunches out of fresh melons and crab dip and pimento cheese and chicken salad and it was just so good.  Best eaten on a porch overlooking the ocean.  Really, you can't beat it.

There's a lot to be said for relaxing beach afternoons.  We had quality time on our floats out in the ocean AND explored the reach of the beach in both directions AND enjoyed a delicious cooler full of sangria (and water - we hydrate!) AND just sat. And listened to the waves and were just there.  So wonderful. For two afternoons in a row. For hours. More, please.

We come prepared.

Sweet, blessed provider of shade for pale, pale me.

One night for dinner we headed to Dockside, where the service was a little questionable, the food was darn good, and we had a great view of the sunset over the water.

And where did I spend just a whole lot of time?  Oh, hello, fantastic rocking chair on wonderful screened-in deck. Come home with me. I love you.

Our other post-beach dinner was at The Old Post Office, which was just awesome - I mean, this is about as fancy as you can get down in Edisto.

Dessert Triumvirate #2 - so much deliciousness...and it's even by candlelight, awwww.

Oh, hi, Edisto sunset, you're pretty

We did some exploring and found crazy old churches...

...and dolphins!!!  Ok, so the sleeper in me kinda missed the early morning dolphin activity while Kami and Carolyn actually woke up and did things that are good for you, but on our last morning we made an Erin trip to see the dolphins...and it started to rain.  And we only kinda saw the dolphins.  But I know they're there.

Back to Charleston we go, with one more walk along the water, and then time to fly away home.  Why can't vacations just last forever?