Around The White House

Homemade Biscotti

2011-05-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than a cup of freshly ground Kona coffee and homemade biscotti for breakfast?! One of my friends sent me this wonderful recipe for biscotti. The adorable tea towel was apart of my Valentine's Day gift from my hubby. It's from a great vintage shop, House 8810. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flower
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1 cup of almonds/ of hazelnuts/ or pecans

oven 350.
1. mix flour,salt, baking powder = sift together
2. another bowl mix butter and sugar then add eggs and vanilla and almond until completely incorporated
3. after liquids are mixed slowly add the flower mixture
4. Then add the nuts

Divide the dough in half in log form on a pan with parchment paper. (so you have two 10 by 2 1/2 inch logs) leave 4 inched in between.
Bake for 17-20min until edges are golden brown and it is firm.
Let logs stand and cool for 10min
Then using a serrated knife slice into the biscotti shape.
Place slices cut side down and then bake till outside is golden brown 20min.
Let them cool 30min before icing (I melted a small bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and sprinkled with finely chopped pecans)

Easter Joy!

2011-04-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Wow...it's been about 6 months since I last blogged! The title to this post is special in two ways: #1. It's almost Easter...#2. It bears the name of a particular person who ~~berated~~ encouraged me to make a post (sorry Steve, Joy's name was easier work with). It's been a great and busy 6 months.

We had our first house guest from the states, my college roommate Natasha. She came to Okinawa to celebrate Christmas and New Years with the Whites and it was an amazing trip! Robert went to Thailand for an exercise and completed a 7 week school called Sgts Course. I was able to go back to Texas and be a bridesmaid in my best friend, Ashlee's wedding and be there for the birth of baby Jonathan, my best friend Rebecca's little boy. I got to be a part of numerous other events and do tons of photo shoots. It was a great trip! But now I'm back in Okinawa and getting into the swing of things. And Sunday is EASTER! The day that we celebrate our Lord and Savior rising from the dead and saving all of us.

If you're like me and didn't have much time to get Easter decorations together, I have a very simple craft for you!
All you need is:
Eggs
Sharpies
And a little bit of patience

I found these on another blog, which I can't remember off the top of my head, I think they called them "doodle eggs." All you have to do is blow the yolk out of the eggs, so you're working with it completely hollow and dry. They get out your favorite Sharpies and get to work and this is what you can create:

Enjoy! And have a Happy Easter!

2 Years in Numbers

2010-10-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

The other day Robert and I were talking about all the numbers that have been involved in the past 2 years of our marriage and between the two of us, this is what we came up with....

2 years of marriage (obviously)
1 name change
4 telephone numbers
3 moves (all technically overseas)
12 flights (4 were together)
4 addresses
5.5 months apart (not too shabby for a military couple)
4 major road trips
8,000+ miles covered on those road trips
2 trains rides
1 massive snow storm survived
16 inches of snow during that storm
7 hours spent driving 45 miles during that horrible snow storm
1 typhoon
2 earthquakes
1 boat ride
7 countries visited
16 states visited
1 re-enlistment
1 promotion
6 different jobs (oh the life of a Marine spouse)
2 churches
6 visits from friends and family
5 weddings attended
6 different living arrangements
10 gallons of paint used on our walls
2 front row seats to David Letterman on Robert's birthday
1 trip to Disney World
2 cars sold
2 foreign cars purchased
3 new passports
20,675 miles covered by military moves
Countless new friends

Love you baby! No place I'd rather be than with you!

All Month Long

2010-10-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

It's October! This is a great month because it contains our anniversary, fall is here (well sort of...we do live in a tropical climate, let's just say there's been a cooler breeze lately), pumpkins are in season, and.....it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month! My sister-in-law Jamie is a breast cancer survivor, if you've never visited her blog you should check it out. I bought these pink shoes from Target to do my part in wearing pink all month long...I know, I know huge sacrifice on my part, but I do what I can! Have a great month! I have tons of things to post.

Back In the Saddle

2010-08-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd stick with the music theme since that's what my last two posts have been about. We're finally getting back into the swing of things. It's been a whirlwind since Robert arrived home. I've started teaching for UMUC (University of Maryland University College...if I could use one word to describe this name it would have to be redundant :D) on Kadena Air Station here in Okinawa. I absolutely love it but I designed the entire class from scratch so it's been quite a bit of work. Enough about all that...one of the first things we did when Robert got home was through a big ol party.

This was our appetizer...Marinated Cheese! Sounds kind of crazy, but it tastes delicious..it was a big hit. Here's the recipe. I'll be honest and admit that when I'm running a little behind I marinate it in Italian dressing marinade and add pimientos on top. I served it with sliced and toasted french baguettes, lightly seasoned with balsamic vinegar, garlic, and rosemary.

We also had shrimp etouffee and gumbo, two of Robert's favorites...can you tell he was born in Louisiana? As you can see, Tony Chachere's is a staple in our house and I can honestly say that everything I've put it on has been great: chicken, eggs, fish, beef, bratwurst, mac & cheese, fries, crackers...you get the general idea.

Above is the shrimp etouffee which I cooked the night before in our giant cast iron dutch oven (pictured below). Our cast iron pot was a present from Robert's parents. As each one of our friends came in for dinner that night almost everyone of the said...wow, that is one huge pot! Huge thanks to in-laws for such impressive cookware. :D

We had about 15 people over for dinner which was a fabulous way to break in our brand....new.....TABLE!!! (as I was typing I definitely said that last line like I was Bob Barker).

We got it at a store out in town that was going out of business. It was marked down by 50% and we LOVED it!

It's from Thailand and it makes are apartment feel so homey. What better way to break in our new table than gumbo and shrimp etouffee with good friends?!

The detail of the chairs are my favorite part. Plus the fact that we can have more than two people over at a time to eat dinner...haha! Enjoy!

Back Home

2010-08-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

Robert made it home safely yesterday afternoon. I want to thank all my wonderful friends and family for the many prayers, notes, emails, text messages, packages, phone calls and dinner dates. Through the past three months I've realized even more so how blessed I am to have so many wonderful people apart of my life! Robert's about to get home from his first day back at work, so I'll wrap this up. I heard this song today (yes, on Pandora) and it's so true. Robert, in the words of Ray LaMontagne...you are the BEST thing! So glad you're home baby!

Made my day...

2010-07-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

This song came on my Pandora this morning and I decided to look up the music video and I couldn't help but smile...love it! Maybe because he calls her "baby girl" and that's what Robert calls me or maybe because it say's "i love you" a million times, maybe because the lyrics, "my momma told me don't lose you 'cause the best luck I had was you" make me think of Robert's mom setting us up, maybe because all the people in the video dance a hundred times better than I do...or maybe it's all those things! Enjoy...

No Sew Curtains Under $15!

2010-07-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

I recently got a box of goodies from my parents and memom and in that box was yards upon yards of the most beautiful lace. Memom had cleaned out some of her old scraps and kindly decided to ship it to me!!! I was like a fat kid in a candy shop opening that box, ogling over all the beautiful material and thinking about what I could do with it. As you can see it was put to good use on a cost effective/much needed window treatment. I spend a good amount of time in the kitchen and I was getting tired of looking out this drab window that made me feel like I was in an institution. Don't get me wrong I'm thankful for this heavy duty beast of a window considering we've had two earth quakes since I've been here and we're currently in typhoon season, but it definitely needed a feminine touch.

I didn't want to spend much on this window treatment. We move at least every 3 years and who knows what size windows my next dwelling place will have? So I found some long curtain sheer panels on sale for $7 at our local Base Exchange and also picked up a tension rod for a whopping $5. I measured out the panels and divided them into 3 sections. The measurements were 18'', 14'' and 10''.

I then used Stitch Witchery (love this stuff) to secure each layer. The 10'' is obviously in front, then the I attached the 14'' to the back of it and the 18'' was last. It was a bit tedious but easier than sewing it (I'm not an expert sewer) considering the material likes to slide all over the place.

Then I measured out my lace and used Stitch Witchery to attach it to each of the three layers. I also left a little excess at the each end and folded it behind each section and secured it to the back of the curtain sheer for a clean line.

Then all that was left was to put up my new, cost effective window treatment and watch as it brought some life and warmth to a drab place. Enjoy!

Pretty Toes!

2010-07-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

One of the many great things about Okinawa is the elaborate pedicures! They're amazing and last about 90 minutes. You drink some of the best iced tea I've ever had (if you're from Kaufman, it ranks up there with the Tea Room's lemonade tea). It's so relaxing and as you can see the nail art is out of this world! I always try my best not to move or laugh when they start with the detailed painting...you should see the amount of paint they have! I'm so looking forward to friends and family coming to visit and getting pedicures! Enjoy :D

What's for dinner?

2010-07-07T01:26:00.000-07:00

With Robert's arrival less than a month away, I've been thinking about several things that are going to change when he gets home. I'll have to stop watching movies on my laptop in bed every night, I'll also have to start sleeping on my side of the bed, and a big one is the cooking. I definitely cook less and smaller portions when he's not around. I've never been great at planning out meals for the week, but this is my crafty attempt at making it more fun!

I'm recently obsessed with making picture frames into dry erase boards...so this fit perfectly into my current need. I designed this simple background and printed it out on my little Canon computer printer. Then framed it up! Now I'm all ready to start planning out my daily meals.

If you would like to create one of these it's really simple. The picture frame is an 8x10. I will actually email you the design I created and you can print out your own! It prints out as 8.5x11 and you just have to trim it down. All I ask is that you follow my blog and shoot me a quick email or facebook message and I'll get a high resolution file of the What's For Dinner Planner to you! Enjoy...

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

2010-07-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

No this post has nothing to do with peas or lemons or squeezing really, but I saw that phrase on another blog this week and it's been stuck in my head! This post does involve the word easy. Above is my desk area in our office/extra guest room/craft room. I love this area of our house, which I guess is a good thing since I spend a great deal of time here. I think it's important to have a cozy area like this especially when you work from home! The newest addition to this wall is my to do list.

I found this super cheap picture frame that was once a hideous color and spray painted it this amazing orange!!!

Yes, I put notebook paper as my background...I like straight lines when writing and if I don't have them my words always drift upward.

I wanted a little extra punch of color so I added this cut out from some amazing scrapbook paper I got from my sister-in-law...thanks Jamie...I love it!

Also some other fun facts about my desk: Starting on the left, that's a picture my three best friends from my wedding day, given to me by one of them. The framed flower is a watercolor painting that Robert picked up for me while we were engaged in all his worldly travels. The orange wire folder holder is from my great grandparent's old grocery store...thanks memom! Last but not least is my Starbuck's city mug from Pattaya...thanks amazing hubby! By the way I collect these mugs :D (cough, cough)

So there you go...easy peasy lemon squeezy. Enjoy...

Sweet Gifts

2010-06-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

A few days before Robert arrived home for his little visit, I received the most beautiful gift in the mail from his Grandmommy! She's a potter and had made us these fabulous mugs. The back of them say Okinawa 2010. I'll have to post some close ups later. Robert used to have a mug similar to the one in the picture but it broke in the move to Okinawa. Thank you Grandmommy for your sweet gift, it made my day!

As you can see, I convinced my husband to snap a few photos before he left. He had a little time after he went in to work that morning and before he had to head back to the ship. Thanks baby for always being so great to me! We had a wonderful time while he was home. Every time we're separated for a significant amount of time, no matter how long or how far, it just confirms that I definitely married my best friend!!

To My Dad

2010-06-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

As Father's Day is coming to an end in Okinawa and just beginning back in the States, I've had a lot of time to think about my dad today. I'm so very thankful for his influence in my life for so many reasons.

Thank you Dad for:

Loving me
Tucking me in at night
Checking for monsters under the bed
Waking up in the middle of the night when I thought the monsters came back
Piggy back rides to the breakfast table
Never being too busy
Making Jay put back the covers that he had stolen off of me during nap time :D
Taking us to pep rallies on Friday
Apologizing when you made a mistake (ie: the pencil incident)
Curling my hair even though I'm pretty sure you ended up w/2nd degree burns
Putting my hair in a perfectly slicked back ponytail
Being my third base coach in softball
Buying me and all my friends ice cream when you came to have lunch w/me in elementary school
Always encouraging me in my endeavors
Leaving meetings at work early to make my volleyball games
Constantly telling me you were proud of me
Meeting me for coffee at the local Starbucks in college
Lunch dates at Angelo's
Always listening
Taking my phone calls during staff meeting
Having a great sense of humor

The list could go on and on, but thank you most of all for the Godly example you set for Jay and I. You have taught me so me things, but of all of them I think that's the most important. You were always the same person at home as your were in pulpit on Sunday mornings and I think that's a rare thing. Thank you for making life choices that I don't think many people would have made and trusting God to become the incredible father that you are. I love you very much and am so proud to call you Dad! I'm proud of you...you're doing good stuff. :D

Happy Father's Day from Oki!

Finishing Touches Are For the Birds!

2010-06-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'm approaching the 4 month mark of living in Okinawa! I was teasing Robert the other day that by the time he got back I would have been here longer without him than with him...haha! I think that's the story of many wives here on the island (or any base), except their time encompasses much more than mine. In those four months, I have been quite busy making our house apartment a home. If you know me pretty well, you know that I constantly add or rearrange things until I'm satisfied. There's no such thing as finishing touches in my book, but I think I'm getting close!

I finally have our bedroom exactly almost how I want it. It took awhile and I still have a few things left...like that open wall to the right of bed, I'm thinking a collage of random frames filled with photos and random art...I let you know how it turns out. I still have a full length mirror that looks very blah and needs to be hung somewhere, I keep putting it off....oops. After all the work on the bedroom one of my favorite things about it are the birds.

In reality I hate birds. I have extremely bad luck when it comes to them. Seriously, three stories come to mind...

Exhibit A: I have been pooped on three times...all of those instances it got in my hair. One of the times I was actually running...that's efficient aim if you ask me!

Exhibit B: I've also been attacked...seriously. When I was in college working on campus over the summer, a bird swooped down at my head and it must have had some depth perception problem or it was extremely vindictive because its little claw got caught all in my hair. I was in an outdoor stairwell screaming my head off and throwing all the files I had in my hand everywhere. I don't know who was more freaked out me or the bird or the person walking up the stairs...probably the latter of the three.

Exhibit C: I also ran into a peacock in Hawaii, literally turned around ran right into it. I said I was sorry and made my way to the bathroom. When I opened my stall to go wash my hands it was standing right in front on my stall. Even though I insisted it, "shoo! shooo!" it didn't budge. So I settled for instant hand sanitizer and ran out of that bathroom. Poor Robert had no clue why I was so freaked out. When I explained the peacock followed me into the bathroom and was taunting me, he probably thought I'd been out in the sun too long that day.

As you can see, birds and I have never quite figured out how to coexist in peace on this very large earth. Even though in reality we have a mutual hate for each other, I just love the way their silhouettes look on my walls. I am quite proud of how they turned out!

They were very easy to make. I sketched the outline of the bird on scrapbook paper and then cut it out with an exacto knife (once again...my solution for everything these days). Then I framed them in some super cheap frames I picked up at the store and painted white. The background is actually some old wrapping paper that I had on hand with a subtle texture. Just goes to show you can make fun creations for under $10! Enjoy and watch out for birds (Hitchcock was one to something, I think we're kindred spirits).

Deployments and High School Dating

2010-06-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Last night in a moment of weakness I sprayed my husband's cologne on my pillow. I opened the medicine cabinet/bathroom mirror to do my nightly routine (wash, moisturize, brush, floss, rinse, etc) and there it stood, his signature scent. I thought back to when we were dating and I would send him a shirt with my perfume on it sealed in a plastic baggy (gag...i know). My only excuse is that we were thousands of miles apart and were lucky to see each other once every six months (I didn't say it was a good excuse). So I did the unthinkable...yes...I took that cologne and sprayed it on my pillow. As I was lying there surrounded by his smell and wishing I hadn't been so generous with the amount I had sprayed (cough, cough), it hit me...our deployment relationship has so many similarities to dating...even high school dating. Maybe I'm the only one, I'm not sure but the parallels kept coming to me one after another as I flipped the pillow over to try and weaken the smell. Here's a few things that I couldn't help but laugh about:

1. Any little reminder of them can brighten your day or bring you to tears
2. You name drop...you can't help it, it's like word vomit. Everything makes you think of him. Case and point, my last few weeks have sounded like this, "Oh ROBERT loves this dessert!" "ROBERT is so good at this game, he's just a natural." "This is ROBERT'S favorite book." You get the idea.
3. If/when you get a phone call from him, excitement flows.
4. If/when you miss a phone call him, you are so mad at yourself for not having you phone on you 24/7, even if you were in the shower it's not excuse and you add a waterproof phone case to the shopping list.
5. Your phone conversations may only last 5 minutes but your emails/letters are epic novels.
6. You go to bed thinking of them every night.
7. You do the craziest things to remind yourself of them, sleep in their tshirts, spray their cologne on your pillow, or make their favorite foods.

Like I said before, maybe this is just me, but I couldn't help but notice what was right in front of me last night. Your deployment relationship is so different that your actual relationship. The before-mentioned list was meant to be somewhat entertaining, but in all seriousness I'm realizing the challenges that this can bring. You go from being independent and having your own schedule to having this person who was absent for the last (insert number) months thrown back into your daily life. We don't even have children, so I can't imagine how much it impacts your life when you have that in the mix. I guess what I am learning is that it's all a balance and you must above all things be flexible.

Also, you must cling to the positive. I know that when my husband comes home I will be so much more thankful for him than when he left. I know that even though it will cause an adjustment to my routine, I'll be grateful to have my best friend back. And I know even though our time apart isn't easy, it's a time that I've been given to grow. I can choose to rely on myself or others for comfort or I can choose to rely on my Heavenly Father. I think sometimes I forget how much I can choose in this life. I will choose to be positive and thankful. I will control what I can, and that's my attitude and my daily habits. After all, I did choose to be a Marine's wife and I'm so thankful that I did!

Sweet Irony

2010-06-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This blog post will contain at least three stories to tell one story. The good news is there's an interesting tid bit at the end!

Story #1: Robertisms:
My lovely husband has some Robertisms that he's aquired over the years. A few examples would be:
A. "Control your offspring" whenever we see an insane child reeking havoc, it never fails that he will say this under his breath...if I'm lucky...sometimes it a little louder. Movie theaters have been a great source for this Robertism.
B. "Liars go to hell" I'll never forget sitting in our current church here in Oki, it was probably our 2nd or 3rd week there and our pastor used this phrase. Robert grabbed my leg and looked at me wide-eyed and grinning ear to ear and said, "I like him!" It took everything with in me not to bust out laughing in the middle of the sermon.
C. "You know, this would be good over rice." God bless my husband, he was born and raised in Louisiana and it shows through and through. Any time I make a new dish, doesn't matter what it is, I hear this phrase. Seriously, stew, pork chops, chicken, beef, turkey...it's always the same. It's become a running joke around the White house.

Story #2: Susan's Creation
I grew up in Denison, TX and one of my mom's best friends was and is Susan. Susan, who had just moved to TX from LA, was an amazing cook and quite crafty lady. One of her lovely creations that's still around my parents' house today is the "sock 'o rice." Seriously, it's a sock filled with rice. To anyone else this is a waist of food and clothing...to us it's a heating pad! Once again...I'm serious. Put rice in a sock, sew up both ends, pop it in the microwave and you have homemade heating pad! Warning, your heating pad will smell like rice...crazy, I know. My parent's still use this. Anyone who works with my mom can attest, they can walk into the office and tell you if she's having back trouble by the smell of the room.

Story #3: New Isn't Always Good
I've been getting up at 4:30 am for the past several months and hitting the gym! There's a group of girls that I usually go with and most days I go to this amazing spin class. I come out about an hour later dripping in sweat and feeling extremely productive and energized for the day...don't ask me how! This week, we got a new instructor. I'm sure he was sent to be the death of me. Day one, RESISTANCE, MORE RESISTANCE, EVEN MORE RESISTANCE, LET'S ADD MORE RESISTANCE AND SPRINT!!!! Needless to say my knee was killing me after this insane workout. Day two was better and had less resistance but it went something like this: RESISTANCE, SPRINT, MORE SPRINT, EVEN MORE SPRINT, NOW HOVER, HOVER SOME MORE, GET YOUR BUTT BACK and HOVERRRRRRR! GET YOUR BUTT BACK FURTHER and HOVERRRRRR SOME MORE! Let me tell you, I don't know where the heck he wanted me to put my butt...it couldn't go any further back without detaching from my body! He kept shouting FORM, IT'S ALL ABOUT FORMMMM! He's a yeller if you couldn't tell. It was a great work out, but my knee and back had just about had it. I made it home, iced my worn-out little self, and hopped in the shower. As luck would have it as I was drying my hair, I flipped my head upside down like I've done my entire life and every muscle in back decided to seize. It sent me to floor immediately and there I said for a bit contemplating my situation. The thoughts running through my head were things like, "I'm stuck, my apartment door's locked, i'm in a towel, i'm stuck, no one has a key to my apt door except robert, robert's in indonesia, i'm stuck, maybe i can crawl to the couch." I made it to the couch and was smart enough to grab my phone on the way. I laid there for about an hour and my back finally started to untwist itself. I knew that once I was able to get up, I should grab a heating pad and just relax for a bit.

The Final Story: Sweet Irony
Turns out our heating pad didn't get packed in the things to bring to Oki box...oops! I was in so much pain by evening I knew I couldn't get out and buy one. I thought about soaking in a hot bath, but decided that the probability of getting myself out of that hot bath was slim to none. Finally, a fantastic idea came to mind...I have socks and I have rice! I ran hobbled to Robert's drawer (his socks are much larger than mine) and pulled out the biggest, oldest looking sock I could find. Then I ran hobbled to the kitchen and dumped all the rice I had left into his sock, sewed it up on both ends, popped it in the microwave and then went to bed and placed it under my back. As I lie there, looking up at the ceiling...all these stories flooded to my head. There is was lying over cooked rice and it was the happiest I had been all day long. So Robert, baby you're right...I wish I would've realized earlier that "this would be really good over rice."

Later on when I have more time, I think these would be great presents if I bought some really cute socks!

The following are some pics of my new best friend:

Lost Cause Lamp Shade

2010-06-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize because I didn't take pictures of the process that it took to get to this lamp shade...oops! Honestly, the entire time I was thinking, "I hate this, this is going to be so horribly ugly." You may still be thinking that, but I definitely like how it turned out! I can give you the details of how I made this and that will have to suffice. What started this whole thing what our move to Okinawa. We unpacked our boxes that had traveled so far and found two extremely crushed lamp shades, too far gone to try and salvage. For any of you that have ever shopped at a base exchange of any kind you know that when it comes to things like this it's slim pickins. It also turns out that most of the lamp shades I found out in town weren't conducive to my lovely American lamp (thank you Target). Thus began my journey to create the perfect lampshade.

At first I went ahead and bought a lamp shade at the local base exchange. That was a mistake. I got it home and ran to my little lamp posts and turns out the American lamp shade from the base exchange wasn't conducive with my American lamp (thank you Target). Also, I didn't realize that my lamp was a little smaller than most, so my lamp looked like it was playing "dress up" with it's mom's lamp shade, ridiculous! So I had no choice...I pulled out my exacto knife (that's my newest solution to the world's problems...we'll see if it overtakes spray paint). I cut away at the huge, oversized and quite ugly lamp shade and made some a bit smaller and much more fitting to my little lamp stand. The material is actually an old skirt that I retired a few years back. It's just glued to the old lamp shade. I cut up an old white tshirt into circles to create the floral embellishments. You just fold the circles in half and then in half again and arrange as you want.

Last but not least I found this great button. I think it came from the huge collection that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. I offset it and added some more floral embellishments around it too. I'll be honest, I was shocked with the finish product. It wasn't looking good for 3/4 of the project and I almost aborted the mission several times and wrote it off as a lost cause. I'm glad I stuck it out and am pleased with what now sits on my nightside shelf (I found that on etsy)! Enjoy!

Chair Repair

2010-05-19T01:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's not really a repair as much as a spray paint job, but "chair repair" had such a nice ring to it! I found this Ethan Allen chair (pictured below) sitting in a throw away pile in the foyer of my apartment building the other day and decided...I've got time on my hands...I might as well. So I grabbed it quickly and hopped on the elevator with my newest project.

The first thing I did was Lysol, the second thing I did was Lysol and then I whipped out the handy dandy spray paint (my solution to the world's problems). The funny thing is there's no great place to spray paint around my apartment, so I ended up doing on the balcony. I got a few funny looks. I was a little worried about my neighbors complaining about the fumes, but then again they blow smoke in my direction 24/7...literally. So I just spray painted my little heart out.

I was very pleased with the result and it's now sitting by my side of the bed...I'll have to post some pictures of the bedroom next week. I'm almost finished! I couldn't be happier with my free chair that I updated with about $3 worth of spray paint! Enjoy...

Two Great Reads for Military Wives

2010-05-13T03:46:00.000-07:00

Since Robert has left for his "summer cruise" I've found myself reading more than ever. I've gone through two books since he left and am half way through another one. I realize everyone has different ways of coping with deployments and times apart in the military. Reading may not be your thing, I never in a million years thought it would be mine! I'm not much of a reader to begin with, outside of things that pertain to photography or design. I always told myself, "when I get out of school I'll read all the time, because it'll be for pleasure and not forced." Well I've been out of school for several years now and yes what....the Twilight series is probably the most I've read, as embarrassing as that is to admit, it's true.

My goal while Robert is gone is to fill my head with as much beneficial reading as possible. The first book I picked up, God + Military Spouse, I had skimmed through before and it was actually given to me by the author. I attended a small group bible study at a friend's house and she was there and gave me a copy of her book. She's a Navy wife that has survived many deployments and hardships that come with this lifestyle. Her book is an easy read that feels more like a conversation than anything else. She's passionate, I hope you didn't take the phrase an "easy read" to mean that it's not challenging material. Cline talks about certain things that we need to hear that we may not want to hear. Like the fact that God provides us with female friends to support us and lean on during deployments and separation. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that for the 6+ months our husbands are gone we're not going to have contact with the opposite sex, but we need to be wise. Be aware of the situations that we put ourselves into, because that's exactly who's in control of our actions...us. I know some people will read that last few sentences and think I'm a prude, but if that's what it takes for my husband never to doubt my love and faithfulness to him and for me to not end up in a horrible situation, then hello...I'm Miss Prude!

The other book that I have absolutely fallen in love with is Hope for the Home Front. Marshele Carter Waddell has been married to a US Navy Seal for over 25 years and has been blessed with 3 children. If I had to sum her book up in a word it would be, honest. It was refreshing to hear an honest, Godly perspective on this crazy lifestyle. While reading her book, I couldn't help but think about Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 11. It's towards the end of the chapter, he's defending his apostleship and begins listing everything he's been through:

Imprisonments
Danger of death
Beatings of numerous kinds
Shipwrecked
Danger of robbers
Danger of his countrymen
Danger of the Gentiles
Danger of the city
Danger of the wilderness
Danger of the seas
Danger among false brethren
Labor
Hardships
Hungry
Thirsty
Exposed

The list goes on, but you get the idea. While reading this book I realized Waddell has quite an impressive list of deployments, injuries, moves, children, missed holidays, lost loved ones, lost friends, foreign countries, feeling lost, feeling depressed, feeling alone, disgusting living arrangements, small paychecks, and broken appliances, cars and whatever else you can image that always seem to happen when your spouse isn't around. She's more than capable to be writing this book and I'm grateful that she did. It takes someone like that who's been through all this and is still standing on the other side of it smiling and clinging to their faith to pass on their wisdom. As a young and fairly new military wife, it's great to dwell on the positive and God-centered truths that someone else can bring out of what could be devastating situations. This was an extremely encouraging read for me.

If you would have told me 4 years ago that I would one day be living in a foreign country and married to a US Marine, I can honestly say I wouldn't have believed you, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's easy but depending on God and not myself or even my husband for that matter, makes it easier. I definitely haven't perfected that last sentence, it's a constant struggle. I realize how blessed I am when I look around at the women who's husbands are gone far more frequent than mine and it's humbling. The pride that I have in my husband and what he stands for is unexplainable...and sight of him in his dress blues doesn't hurt either! ;D I hope that if you're in need of a good read you'll think about these books. Enjoy.

Don't have anything for mom?

2010-05-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not big on advertising for other companies, but MyPublisher is who I ordered my last photo book through and I had the best experience! They are now offering a last minute deal for mother's day. Go to their website and get 50% off photo book gift certificates. I can't imagine what a mom would love more and you get a fabulous deal...hurry it doesn't last long. And yes that picture is of my grandmother, my mom and my uncle...love it!

Happy Birthday Morgan!

2010-05-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Morgan! Isn't she adorable? This is my friend's daughter and she turned on this past weekend (if you didn't get that by the first pic). I had the joy of taking pictures at her birthday party. Afterwards we went out with the whole family and did some more portraits with a little less cake. These are just a few of my favorites, if you would like to see more please head over to my photography blog and take a look. Enjoy!

Better late than never...

2010-05-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

It's a little over a year and a half since Robert and I were married and I finally ordered our Wedding Album...oops! I sat down many times with the intention of selecting all the photos and getting it all organized, but usually I got 20 minutes into, felt overwhelmed and quit. Once we got to Okinawa, I sat down and knocked it all out in one day! I got it in the mail a few days after Robert left...what perfect timing! I've looked through it about 10 times already.

Looking through this book brings back so many great memories. I'll be honest, I was a little cynical about my wedding being a perfect day, but it absolutely was! Don't get me wrong, we had some things that didn't go exactly as planned and there were people that I wish could've been there that couldn't make it, but at the end of the day I was Mrs. Robert White and that was perfection enough for me. Here are some of my favorite pages...

The getting ready pictures: I love Tasha's intense face, my lovely Becca who did my make-up and Ashlee and I putting on our eye liner in sync...love my besties!

My dad's face in this picture is priceless...if you know him, it's typical Phil :D

Robert and I before the wedding...he looks ready!

The votive candles...I think we had close to 200, not kidding. Mom and I spaced them out perfectly, there was a methodical plan to follow...if you know my mother that's vintage Kay...haha, love her! We tied those pew bows the Thursday before the wedding. Thank you Julie Wages for all your creativity, you made everything look beautiful. And of course the moms and grandmothers walking down the isle...love it...all the ladies in our lives!

When you look at this page of course you notice Robert's look and my big smile, but I always tease my dad that he looks a little too happy in this photo. The photo opposite of that is Chad tell about our first date, which he and several other's (including Robert's parents) were privileged to be apart of...oh memories!

The KISS! It was a bit long and we got some laughter from the crowd. What most people didn't notice was Robert's uniform getting tangled in my dress. It was a close call but nothing wripped...thank goodness!

Our beautiful wedding party...so thankful for good friends! The knife and server we used for the cake was the one from my Memom and Daddy Jack's 50 Wedding Anniversary Celebration.

Cutting the cake we couldn't stop laughing cause with every move of the knife we knocked off more of the beautiful decorations, oh well it was scrumptious! I choked on the milk that we toasted to out of Mason Jars and ended up accidentally cutting the chocolate groom's cake instead of the yellow cake with chocolate icing...oops

There's so many things about this page that I love, I could talk about every single person on it, but I won't. On the first page on the bottom left is one of Robert's dear friends, "Murph" that was stationed with him in Hawaii. He and his lovely family surprised Robert and came to wedding. Right across from that one is all of my college roommates and our parents together...perfect picture...love you all! Top far right is my house party, what would I have done with out you?! So happy to be apart of their lives and even more thrilled that they're apart of mine. Right below that is a picture of Robert and I talking to his Uncle Mark. I'm especially thankful for this picture in light of recent events. Mark passed away this week, he had been battling Alzheimer's disease for quite sometime. I'm so thankful for the time that I got to know him and this precious picture.

I never gave much thought to catchy a bouquet. They always say whoever catches it is the next in line to be married. Well, who knew that would be the case! Danielle, a childhood friend, was married almost exactly a year after that photo was taken...so special. I love all the photos of us leaving, the limo was surprise...quite different from the Ford Focus we were expecting to see.

And finally our pictures out at my family's land. First, the limo left us here on accident and we had to call him to come back because I wasn't letting anyone from our family drive us to the hotel...haha! Second, the picture at the top left was taken right after Robert swept me off my feet. Literally, he picked me up and didn't realize that he was standing on my dress, all I hear was RRRRIPPPPP and then we both started laughing. Thank goodness all was said and done for the day. By the way it was just a little rip underneath the top layer. Thank you to the amazing Hailey Erickson for capturing our day...can't thank you enough friend!

All in all it was an absolutely lovely and perfect day!

Anchors Aweigh!

2010-04-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

I said farewell to Robert early Tuesday morning. He's off to sail the high seas for the next 3-4 months. This is a fabulous opportunity for him, he's the team lead for the Combat Camera section on ship!

We had a fabulous last weekend together. We went to one of my favorite shopping areas here in Oki and on the way I had to take a picture of the 100 Yen Plaza, it's Japan's version of the US Dollar Store except they actually have some really cool stuff!

Driving in Okinawa traffic, there were protests going on Saturday, but luckily we missed most of the commotion. :D

Found these awesome mugs in Grace. We got quite a few funny looks and I think one lady took a picture of us with her cell phone...crazy Americans!

Yes we set the timer on the picture above...why not?!

Some of my favorite thing in Grace: Sushi Lunch Box, Chopstick Section, and Cow Coffee Maker

All that shopping made us hungry! Charmy's is basically like a snow cone but it's made from frozen milk instead of ice and topped with chocolate...hmmmmm!

Inside TodayOk! it's very similar to Ikea so much great stuff.

That's my new office chair from TodayOk! and my inventive husband, pretty sure a couple took his pic with their camera phone too...crazy Americans!

Lovely view while driving home from shopping.

We had dinner at Arin Karin before he left...he'd been dying to try it since we've moved here. This is the outside of the building...I'll be honest at first I didn't get the connection between the art on the wall and garlic and was slightly offended at first glance...ooops! I see it now :D

Dinner was fabulous! Garlic is AMAZING...we'll be taking all our visitors here for sure!

After dinner it was time for ice cream at Big Dip! They have the cut outs everywhere...I just love it!

This ice cream spurred on many "yo mama" jokes and no I didn't try it.

What's an ice cream parlor with out a creepy Marine officer with a Staff Sgt's rank?!

Leaving church on Sunday...love our church here and our Sunday School and Small group Bible Study, such a blessing!

Robert's last day here we went to lunch at one of our favorite little restaurants right outside base...yummm!

Thanks so much for all the phone calls, emails, facebook messages and prayers...they are greatly appreciated! I'll leave you with one of my favorite verses from Anchors Aweigh:

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to college joys, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay.

Through our last night on shore, drink to the foam,

Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.

Ella's Onesies

2010-04-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

The picture above is what went in the scrap paper box from last week! I had so much fun making these for my friend's little girl's first birthday party! I just looked at pictures on Facebook of her party and it was incredible...her mom did a fabulous job of decorating and making treats, I've never seen anything so adorable.

This was a really easy project. I used tshirts, scrap fabric and buttons for everything. All the flowers and ruffles were made from 1-2'' circles of the tshirt material and I just folded them over twice, arranged them how I wanted and stitched them in to place.

Each one didn't take more than 30 minutes...small price to pay for such a cute result. I used heat 'n bond to secure the lace to the onesies. Everything else was stitched. You could use so many different combinations to make these.

All in all, this was a fun project that doesn't break the bank. Great for birthdays, any occasion or no occasion at all! :D

Enjoy!

Dr Fish...not your average doctor

2010-04-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say I would never in a million years guessed that one day I would be married to a US Marine, stationed in Okinawa Japan, and sticking my feet into a pool of fish that eat the dead skin off your feet. But this week I did the unthinkable...actually it wasn't that bad! Don't get me wrong, it tickled like crazy but other than that it was painless. The video above is filmed and narrated by the lovely Stephanie with a few inadvertent giggles added by me...it tickled! Today I went with my friend GraceAnna to get a pedicure at a local spa. They are famous for their nail art in Japan...I'll have to post photos later. But I won't be posting anything else until next week. It looks like Robert will be going on an exercise for the next three months and he's most likely leaving on Wednesday, so I'll be enjoying every minute of my last weekend with him! I'm so proud of him and slightly jealous...he'll be going to a lot of places that I want to travel to on his "summer cruise." I'm sure I'll post some pics from him along the way. Have a great weekend!

I was featured!

2010-04-20T21:22:00.001-07:00

If you read my blog through Google Reader, Facebook or some other RSS feed, you may not have noticed my newest addition. It's the Idea Room button on the right hand side of my blog. I was featured in one of her recent posts. She featured ten of her readers out of over a hundred that submitted, I can honestly say I was shocked! The picture above is the project that she featured, Chalkboard Bliss. I felt like a girl scout putting a badge on my sash while uploading my new button to my blog. You need to check out Idea Room if you've never seen it. I'm thankful for blogs like that...they have such great success and want to help out other bloggers. Thanks! You made my day!

Things I didn't think of...

2010-04-19T15:38:00.001-07:00

When Robert called me from work about 8 months ago and said, "Hey do you want to move to Okinawa...in January....this coming January?" I was a little shocked to say the least. We talked about the pros and cons. It was at the top of our list to live here while in the Marine Corps, but we had no idea it was going to be so soon. After much discussion we decided that God had obviously opened a door and that it was a huge blessing to move half way across the world this early in our marriage with no kids.

I soon started thinking about all the things they wouldn't have over here in Okinawa. The first thought the shopping...can you blame me? Now, Beaufort wasn't the best but at least there were outlets about 40 min away and Charleston was an hour north (oh how I miss you King St.!). However, things that I didn't think of was how my internet was going to change. We decided not to get cable, so I figured I'd just go online and watch my shows.....WRONG!

As you can see (or maybe you can't...the pics look kinda small...sorry). You can't watch shows on ABC, NBC, CBS, HULU...you name it you can't watch it because I'm outside U.S. Territories and they have an "agreement."

I was blindsided...I had such a good plan! No Office, no Big Bang Theory, No Grey's, no nothing! After several months of not watching these shows I can honestly say it's actually not that bad. Last night Robert and I sat down on the couch in front of the TV and READ...it was lovely :D

I also have to be careful with pricing on websites. Just the other day I was looking at vacuums (ours is acting really funny and smelling extremely weird when we use it). A couple of my friends swear by their Dyson's so I started pricing some. I knew they were expensive but I about fell out of my chair when I saw the price....then I realized it was listed in Yen and not US Dollars, big difference!

I was also shocked the first time I logged onto Google, Gmail and Blogger. It was in Japanese, after a few mistakes I finally figured it out. The best part is that Google changes with the holidays just like in the States except that it follows Japanese Holidays and famous Japanese people's birthdays...it's always a learning experience!

I'm definitely adjusting to living overseas and living on a military installation makes that transition so much smoother! I'm so thankful for great friends and family even though they are far away. We just got another box in the mail, this time from Robert's parents and sister...it's so much fun getting boxes especially when they're filled with American goodies! Thanks so much to everyone who's supported us whether through prayers or boxes in the mail, we greatly appreciate YOU!

(NOTE: You have to click on the pics to get the full effect.)

Spruce Up An Old Box

2010-04-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

I had this old nikon box that was perfect for my friend's little girl's birthday present. It's her very first birthday and so I made her gift. I'll have to share that next week because her birthday party isn't until next Sunday (sorry I can't make it Darla! I know it will be beautiful).

All you need is an old box, scrap book paper, exacto knife, mod podge, brush to apply the mod podge and a cutting mat.

Lay the box out flat and begin gluing the paper to the surface. I did one section at a time. Once it was glued down well and pretty dry, I flipped over the box and began cutting along the outline of the box.

Once you cover your surface area, you can mod podge the top of the scrap book paper. I covered the entire box with one good coat and that worked well for me. If you have lots of creases and folds like I did make sure you're gently with the paper so it doesn't rip.

Once every thing is completely dry, carefully fold your box back together. I placed Ella's little gift inside and then tied it together with some twine.

This once a useless, ugly box is now a great gift box!

a few of my FAVORITE things!

2010-04-13T18:17:00.001-07:00

I received a box from my parents this week with lots of great surprises! I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things. Above is a close up of my new shower curtain, it's up in the guest bath and looks just lovely.

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine from Bath & Body Works. It's lip shine and fresh breath all in one tube, what more do you need?

My absolute favorite Tazo tea...thanks dad! I heard you went to quite a few places to find this for me. It was sold out on Amazon and everywhere else.

Funny thing, the day I got this package I got an email from Amazon saying it was available again...haha, what timing?! I'll be heading over there to buy some in bulk.

And finally...Lea & Perrins Marinade for Chicken. Have you ever had this? It's amazing and it's the key ingredient in one of my favorite recipes, Jeff's Chicken and Rice. It's been a favorite since I can remember and now Robert's hooked on it too. This is one of those great comfort meals that always makes me feel happy when I eat it! Another reason this recipe is so close to my heart is that Jeff was taken from this earth much too soon, he was killed by a drunk driver several years ago. Every time I make this I think of him and usually hear the song Kokomo by the Beach Boys and I smile. I'm sure that seems kind of awkward but the first time I remembering hearing that song and falling in love with it was with Jeff at his parent's house when I was little bitty. I'll leave you with this quote from Jeff that was shared at his funeral and maybe I'll post the recipe later on this week :D

"You only get one shot at this life. don't waste it, it could be gone any day. travel. blow some money. go see some music. make some music. kiss someone on the mouth (preferably someone who won't sue you). read a book. write a book. whatever. just don't take it for granted. no one lies on their death bed wishing they had spent more time at the office. Grab Let It Be (preferably on vinyl) tonight, and sit back and enjoy yourself."
-Jeff Wilson (1974-2006)

Just Peachy!

2010-04-12T18:56:00.001-07:00

This peach smoothie is one of those perfect Spring/Summer afternoon treats! I was first introduced to them by my friend Tavia. This was one of her pregnancy cravings and I soon learned why...it was amazing! The original is from a local coffee shop in Beaufort (Common Ground), but Robert being the dear that he is helped me figure out the recipe!

Side note: I always tease him that I married him for his beverage making expertise. He worked at Smoothie Factory and Starbucks...I know, I'm spoiled! I tell him that him working at Starbucks is one of the many reasons I married and the ONLY reason my dad let me marry him...haha! (if you know my dad you totally understand).

Back to the recipe! You'll need the following:

1 can peaches (8.25 oz)

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup Half & Half

1.5 tablespoons honey

3 cups ice

Blender

This should make two medium or one giant sized portion(s). I noticed in the above picture that I have fat free yogurt and half and half, I guess in mind that made it a wash as far as calories go!

Add all ingredients to your blender. I find the best success when the ice is on top. And then blend away!

Check your consistency...you may want a tad more ice or yogurt, it's a personal choice.

Then pour yourself a heaping cupful (as I did) or share with a friend and ENJOY!

Special thanks to Robert for helping figure out the recipe and being a good teacher :D

We're Ready for Guests!

2010-04-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

The final touches have been put on the guest bedroom, so all you guys and gals who are planning to visit...go ahead and book those tickets! The pic is of Robert's grandparents...love that shot.

And of course I had to add some chalk board flare. :D I'll post some pics of the entire room soon. Can't wait to have our first guests :D

Chalkboard Bliss!

2010-04-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was tired of this large mirror that we had and decided it needed a change. My dear husband had a few presents waiting for me when I got to Okinawa and one of those was a can of....you guessed it.....chalkboard spray (ok, maybe you guessed something else)! I was ecstatic I've been wanting to jump on the chalkboard bandwagon for some time now.

As you can see, the best part was that the entire spray paint bottle was in Japanese. I asked Robert how he knew what he was buying? I shouldn't have been surprised by his answer, I have an app for that! He's a walking advertisement for Apple...love you baby.

I sprayed several coats of chalk board spray on my mirror. I would suggest if your mirror can be removed easily from the frame, that would be the easiest route. Dealing with tape on the frame is quite tedious and sometimes frustrating.

If you have any old picture frames laying around, these work great for this sort of thing because the glass is so easy to remove. Also make sure it's dried thoroughly before taking chalk to the freshly painted surface...that can get messy.

Once spray painted we decided to add our own little flare to it. Robert created the "W" in the center...yes, with chalk! He's so handy. My contribution was the paisley designs on the edges.

All in all I was thrilled with the end result. It's great when a project turns out even better than how you envisioned it in your head! Hope you enjoy....

Picture Frame Tray

2010-04-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

I actually made this tray some time ago, but recently revamped it. I found this wonderful idea from the amazing Ashley Ann (I'm hopelessly addicted to her blog). It's a very simple and quick project. My frame was a $5 Walmart buy that I sprayed painted green (once again my solution to everything). I picked up the old, rustic handles in a consignment shop in Beaufort.

I recently decided my picture frame tray was in need of an update. When I was home in Texas I spent a couple of days going through tons of "treasures" w/my Memom. She ended up giving me all my Daddy Jack's service metals, dog tags, and paper work from his time in the Army.

Some of this dates back to 1940 and it contains two of my favorite pictures of my grandparents. One is of their wedding day and the other is them standing in front of an old car in the middle of a bridge and it's gorgeous!

I didn't want to put scrap paper as the background because it just didn't seem to fit. My solution was an old paper bag that I crumpled. I was so pleased with how this turned out!

I'm just so glad I found a great way to display these precious items that my Memom entrusted me with! Hope you enjoy :D

Meet Matchi!

2010-04-08T00:25:00.001-07:00

First I have to say thank you Allie (my dear friend) who ~~verbally abused~~ encouraged me to make this post. :D Thanks friend!

This is my new car! Yes, I've named it. I call him "matchi bako" or "matchi" for short which means matchbox in Japanese. I thought it was quite fitting.

Robert was so nice to give me the apartment parking space...thanks love!

Watch out Okinawa...I'm 100% mobile now :D

Accordion Style Coat Rack

2010-04-06T23:14:00.001-07:00

Our guest bedroom is the last bedroom I have to get finished. In my defense we've been waiting on the double bed to be delivered and it just got here last week. To help liven up the beige walls I spruced up this accordion coat rack!

The picture above is what I started with. As you can see it basically would have blended in with my beige walls...yuck! So I whipped out a can of spray paint. By the way spray paint is the answer to any problem in my book. If you don't believe me ask my sister-in-law, we needed a pink fruit to decorate with for her wedding reception so what did I do....that's right....I spray painted apples bright pink! Ok, back the subject at hand...

After the spray paint had dried I folded the rack out to the specific size that I wanted the diamond shape in the middle. I then traced the shape onto one sheet of scrapbook paper.

I stapled my traced scrapbook square to the other pieces of scrapbook paper that I wanted to use and cut out my diamond shapes. (I prefer to use an exacto knife, but scissors will do the job just fine too). Then all that's left is hot gluing the scrapbook paper to the back of the rack.

This was one of those quick and easy projects that really brightens up a wall. Hope you enjoy!

Thinking About the Cross

2010-04-04T04:51:00.001-07:00

This Easter was definitely different than any other I've ever experienced. Robert got a call last night (Sat in Japan) that he would be reporting to work at 6:45am on Easter Sunday morning and not to plan much else for the day. As I type, he's back at work (it's 9pm on Sunday here). I was saddened that he missed the lovely Easter service and that he had to make a last minute phone call to tell the sound guy he would not be making the service he had volunteered for, which I know he hated. Luckily for me some of our dear friends were kind enough to come pick me up for church. I found myself being angry at the Marines who decided to do some less than intelligent acts last night that caused Robert to have to work all day, and more than that I was angry that they didn't even care that it was Easter Sunday. As I sat down in my chair and began to enjoy the worship service at Koza (our church) and I began to forget about all that. Then as Pastor John started speaking I couldn't help but think how many times am I like those Marines I was despising earlier? How many times does God look at my actions and my words and feel shame or anger? How many times does he think to himself, "what the heck was she thinking?"

Then I started thinking about his forgiveness. I sat down this evening and begin reading Max Lucado's book He Chose the Nails if you've never read it, it's an amazing read especially this time of year. So many times we just focus on the cross this time of year, which don't get me wrong is good, but what about all everything else. Lucado brings it all to life:

What about the nails?

What about the crown of thorns?

What about the garments he was stripped of?

What about the the garments used for his burial?

What about the wine-soaked sponge?

What about the the two crosses beside Jesus?

What about the people mocking him?

What about the beatings he endured?

What about the taunting to prove he was God?

What about the spear that pierced his side?

What about the blood?

There's so much more that the cross entails. Sometimes we get so caught up in life and begin to think so highly of ourselves that we forget what we put our Lord through. I need his amazing grace today just as much as I did yesterday and I will need it everyday after. He chose the nails for me and for you. He chose the crown of thorns, the cross, the pain, the separation from the Father, the mockery of the people that once worshipped him, he chose it ALL. He didn't choose part of it, so why do I so often only give him part of me? I think one of the greatest things that stood out to me while reading through this book was Matt 25:40, "I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" Basically, he's saying that how we treat OTHERS is how we treat JESUS. Now of course when I first read this, I thought about all the good I do for others (those friends I took to the airport, that person I babysat for last minute, that lady I made dinner for), but if I honestly evaluate I see things more clearly. I see the people that I don't always have time for, the people I talk badly about, the people I judge by appearance, basically the people that aren't easy for me to love. Needless to say, this was a humbling and challenging read for me. Even though today wasn't the ideal circumstance, I'm thankful for that time I had to reflect.

Like I said this Easter was definitely different than any Easter I've had yet, but it has been a blessed day! I'm thankful for so many things and Jesus's sacrifice is at the top of the list.

Good Friday, Bad Thursday!

2010-04-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's Good Friday already in Japan, but it was definitely a bad Thursday around the White House. There are many things I don't mind doing around the house, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, cooking...I almost enjoy all those things, but laundry is another story. I'm not a fan, that's probably why I have so many clothes so I can go ~~two~~ three weeks with out doing my laundry (Robert and my college roommates can vouch for that).

Yesterday I decided to be SUPERWIFE and tackle a stain on Robert's new rain jacket. So my process went something like this....

Research how to get an ink stain out of polyester...feeling confident

Used hairspray and dabbed with cloth....ink remained

Used alcohol and dabbed with cloth....ink remained

Tried a few other crazy remedies I found online....ink remained

Ended up soaking in a white vinegar and soap mixture....this is finally where I got a change in my results! The once tan rain jacket was now a light purple and then INK REMAINED!

At this a was extremely frustrated! As you see from the picture above it looks like I crossed my Easter egg dying with my laundry. At first I was upset, and then I just couldn't stop laughing (probably from all the hairspray fumes). So the lesson I learned was next time I see a great jacket in the store that has a ink stain on it and I think to myself "I can get that out AND get a discount" WALK AWAY....RUN!

Hope you and yours have a happy Easter, I'll be convincing Robert to wear his purple jacket in honor of Easter :D

Kitchen Ruffle Towels

2010-03-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

I found some adorable towels like this on AshleyAnn's blog and have been wanting to make them for so long....and I FINALLY did! My first disclaimer is that I'm a photographer not a seamstress, don't judge the poor sewing...haha!

I picked out some of my favorite scrap fabric. The grey ruffle at the bottom is an old skirt that I had to retire but decided to hang onto it because I loved the material...thank goodness!

I just cut my strips of fabric, folded under the edges, and then sewed the ends down the ends to the towel and then pinned the ruffled areas. Then it was just sewing straight lines, which I'm getting better at, but it's no where near perfect!

I'm definitely pleased with the way it turned out! Thanks for the great idea AshleyAnn!

How You Know You're Getting Older

2010-03-28T15:47:00.001-07:00

My college roommates and I were talking about this recently because one of my dear roommates just built a house and got customize just about everything...oooh la la! We decided that a good way to tell that you're getting older is when you start getting excited about light fixtures, bedding, dishes, tile and carpet samples AND......CURTAINS!

I received the newest addition or our lovely home this weekend. Not just any old curtains, but BURLAP curtains. I know...it may sound a little strange at first but it really matches our eclectic/shabby chic style. The texture of them and the way they let the light still pour in is absolutely beautiful. Who knew curtains could practically make you giddy!

A huge thank you to PaulaAndErika, they have the cutest stuff, I'm in love with their ruffle curtains! Yea for Etsy!

Easter is on it's way!

2010-03-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

This all started when my mother-in-law sent me a picture of her center piece she had done for Easter. It really got me motivated to start some seasonal decorating...thanks Dulcy! I found this great project from good ol Martha! I love the way these turned out. Above are the old silk ties that I used to dye eggs for Easter.

I used cotton balls to rub white vinegar on the outside of the eggs, I got better results when I did this.

Then you tie the silk (print side facing the egg) around the egg

Then use a white sheet or other white scrap material you might have to wrap around the silk

Then place them in a pot, I didn't have a glass or enamel pot like Martha called for, but this one worked just fine

You cover the eggs with water and then add 3 tbl spoons of white vinegar (i double that and got better results).

I brought to a boil and then let simmer for about 25-30 minutes. And this is what I got!

Very pretty patterns, I love how great the flower transferred, it's so clear!

The I wiped them down with some vegetable oil to add a little sheen

I had a cake plate I wasn't using so I filled it with dried split peas (keeps the eggs from rolling around and looks like spring) and arranged the eggs accordingly.

I just love it! I'm not a big pastel person, so these vibrant colors are fine by me!

I also made some twine eggs. I used plastic eggs and hot glued twine on them very carefully :D

I think it added a nice natural look

Happy Almost Easter Everyone!

White Birthday and Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

We were blessed with about a foot of snow the day before my 25th birthday and it stayed with us through Valentine's Day! I was thrilled since I'm heading out to a tropical climate soon, to be able to experience this record making snow fall before I depart! Here's a few pictures...enjoy!

Experienced a little bit of damage, but nothing too serious...it was oh so beautiful!

Props to my bro for making snow ice cream....YUMMM!

We also got into the Valentine's spirit by making these fabulous treats! The recipe is simple: Chocolate candy hearts on top of mini pretzels. Heat your oven to 350 and pop them in for just a bit. Mine only took 2 minutes. You don't want them to melt too much...just enough to stick to the pretzel. Add sprinkles or whatever you wish...Enjoy!

The largest snow flakes I've EVER seen!

Room with a View

2010-02-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

Robert sent this picture today of our new place! He did a great panoramic shot for me...love him :D So very excited to see our new apartment in person and start decorating my little heart out...yeah!

Delinquent Blogger!

2010-02-05T22:03:00.001-08:00

I'm so bad at this! Granted, I have been fairly busy lately and getting ready for lots of life changes (ie: moving to Japan)...oh well. Something about tonight inspired to me to get back in the saddle, mainly inability to sleep/trying to stay awake to talk to the husband.

Robert's in Okinawa! Instead of thinking how much I miss him when he's away, I try to focus on the positive and tonight a list came flooding to my brain....

This picture is exhibit A! A friend (who's met robert twice...maybe) asked me the other day if this was our new car? I love that my husband could totally pull off that car, in fact he would love it! The best part was that in meeting him twice she got that same vibe.

Recently had a friend say to me, "Your husband would go out of his way to help a complete stranger, wouldn't he?!" The answer....yes he would! He's "Mr. Helpful" don't know what I would do without him around the house (that's not true, I would be doing more laundry and more dishes....haha!)

Finally, (I'm making this a short list so people don't vomit all over their keyboards and so I don't completely embarrass my husband) I love my husband because his first Sunday in Japan he decided he'd get up a go to church. Doesn't seem like such a big deal until you hear the full story. He has no driver's license yet (takes awhile to get approved through the Marine Corps when you're overseas) and there's no public transportation that could get him there besides a cab, so that's precisely what he did. Got up early on Sunday, called a cab and went to sign out (being his first week on the base he was still having to sign in and out every time he left). Turns out the church he chose to attend had recently changed locations, so when the cabby looked up the church on his GPS, he was headed in the wrong direction. Arriving at a building that was not Koza Baptist Church, Robert called the church office. Praise the Lord someone answered on a Sunday morning and was able to communicate to the cab driver how to get to the current location. Robert, being a Marine, was of course running early so he ended up making it to church just in time. In the end he paid $60 round trip for the cab ride and saw a little bit of Okinawa country side. When he got back to base after church he walked in and the Marine at the sign in said, "Hey there Sgt. White" Robert was shocked that he remembered his name and he replied, "You got a good memory there (insert rank)" and (this is my favorite part) the Marine told him, "No sir, you're just the only guy I know who's ever signed out to go to church." That is why I LOVE my husband, thank you God for blessing me with such an amazing man! :D

Update through Pictures

2009-12-12T18:07:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was amazing! My friend Allie and I prepared our first turkey together and we had a blast making all the other fixins. My parents came in to join us and so did many other friends. I'm so thankful for friends and family.

Sam & Dulcy (Robert's parents) came in for Robert's promotion to Sgt. It was a complete surprise. They met us at our favorite restaurant in town and Robert was beside himself. He couldn't believe they were there. I'm honestly shocked that I did not spill the beans before they arrived, but somehow I kept the cat in the bag! We also had a very early Christmas, as we were packing for Japan this past week and had to get all the large objects packed. Thanks so much to Robert's fam, it was a great couple of days!

Robert's promotion went very smoothly. I was a bit nervous because I was pinning him (I removed his former Cpl Chevrons and replaced them with his new Sgt Chevrons). What an honor! The Commanding Officer was teasing me that I could put them on upside down or sideways if I wanted, but I got it just right. After the ceremony we finally went to Sgt White's BBQ. It was definitely worth the wait, you must try it if you're ever in Beaufort, SC.

This was taken on our second trip to Sgt White's BBQ. We went on Friday because we needed some comfort food after working ourselves to death this week. We are officially packed (our three shipments are on their way to Japan and storage...where ever that might be) and moved out of our rent house...thank you Jesus! Thanks to great friends who are so helpful and generous...what would we do without you?!

Tomorrow morning we're off to DC and NY to celebrate Robert's birthday and our last big trip before we head out of country for three years. Make sure and watch David Letterman on Dec 16 (Robert's Bday) because we won tickets!!! Lots more pictures to come after this week :D

Oh Deer

2009-11-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

This is what I saw out my kitchen window this afternoon. I had gone to the cupboard for an afternoon snack and when I shut the door I saw something move in the backyard, I looked up and they were staring at me...haha! Luckily, I had time to snag a pic before they ran away..I will definitely miss this part of SC!

So much to blog, so little time

2009-11-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

No, you are not mistaken that is Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden! I had the privilege to attend the Blue Star Familiy/ServiceNation event in Washington D.C. on Veterans Day. Michelle Obama, Jill Biden and Alma Powell joined us as we honored families of troops and sent letters of encouragement and thanks boxes provided by Target's generous donations. Read more about this amazing event on Blue Star Families Website.

My friend Tavia and I attended the event together. We are the CoDirectors of Blue Star Families Beaufort, SC. We had a great time getting to meet the other BSF volunteers. We navigated the DC metro like old pros. We managed to arrive on time and with all our luggage...thank the LORD!

This is an example of the cards that were sent to military families saying thank you for their sacrifice. That's our mission with Blue Star Families. We empower and encourage the families. There are so many support systems in place for troops, but families often fall through the cracks. If you would like to write to these amazing families please go the BSF website to learn how. You can make a difference in the life of a military spouse, child, parent or veteran.

On Saturday we attended our second Marine Corps Ball as a married couple....awww! We drove out to the Hilton Head Marriot for the ball. It was a great night of dinner and dancing with great friends. It's so much fun to all dressed up and go out with my handsome Marine.

The best news of all is that Robert is being promoted to Sgt on December 1! We are beyond excited and so thankful that it's happening at such a great time (before the move to Okinawa). This means that we will finally be able to eat at Sgt White's BBQ. It's been a running joke that Robert won't eat there as a Cpl and out of respect our friends have not eaten there either....haha! Can't wait to get a taste of this bbq, hope it's worth the wait :D

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T09:24:00.001-08:00

Jinkies! We had a great Halloween. Robert had a dinner he was voluntold to go to out on Callawassie Island Country Club. The base sent two representatives to the dinner and Robert was selected. Luckily, he had a great time. I was partying at my friend Tavia's house with a princess and her dragon, a pea-in-a-pod, mjr cutie the police woman and her terrorist husband, and finally my not-so-shaggy, Shaggy! We had a number of trick-or-treaters and I think only one stolen purple pumpkin bucket with lots of candy. Enjoy the rest of the photos!

1 down, 60+ to go!

2009-10-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

So this post is a little late but last Sunday was our 1 year wedding anniversary! We celebrated by eating at our favorite restaurant, a little shopping, and having a huge slice of cheesecake accompanied with a glass of milk (just like our wedding). Thank you all so much for the cards, emails, texts, etc. Special thanks to Rich and Viann for making us an amazing cheesecake for our special day, you guys are great and so was the cheesecake.

We've had a great first year, we are so blessed to have each other. We found an amazing church to join, are surrounded by great friends and have had a great time getting involved in our community. Now we're about to embark on a new journey as we prepare for our third move. We're definitely going to miss everyone in good ol Beaufort, but are so excited to see what's ahead for us in Okinawa.

Thanks to my wonderful husband for putting up with my scatterbrained mess, loving me even though I laugh when you get upset, and for supporting me in whatever new idea I have at the moment...haha! Love you baby!

Weekend Mornings

2009-10-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

I love our weekend mornings! They usually consist of a decent breakfast and my husband making the most amazing lattes. He used to work for Starbucks back in the day and I tease him that one of the many reasons I married him and one of the only reasons my dad let me marry him :D This morning was much the same in that respect, except I made the lattes under his supervision. I think I'm ready for my barista apron, because they turned out amazing! We also enjoyed an amazing french toast casserole. I found the recipe online, it's a Paula Dean recipe so of course it's not that great for you, but I made some slight adjustments to it that make me feel better: whole wheat bread, agave nectar, no syrup and modifying the Praline topping so it doesn't clog my arteries. Hope everyone else is having a great Saturday morning as well!

Happy Fall Ya'll!

2009-09-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's not quite Fall weather here in SC just yet, but it's getting close. The temperature is even supposed to get into the 50's this week! I love everything about Fall, the weather, wearing long sleeves, leaves turning colors, the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon...it's my favorite time of year! I also enjoy crafting...here are some fall crafts that I've loved, enjoy...

Great birthday present idea! I made this recently for my friend Beckie's birthday. I started with a 4-pack of Izzie bottled drinks. I poured the juice drink into a large spare container and then removed the labels and cleaned the bottles. I decorated the 4-pack box with scrapbook paper and then filled the bottles with her favorite candy. It turned out great and she loved it!

This one was so easy and very cute! It's just a little Mason jar filled with candy corn and decorated w/card stock to look like a little jack-o-lantern...love pumpkins!

This one, I cannot claim, but I had to include it because it's so cute! This was made by my Mother-in-law and was sent with a Fall goody bag for us....so sweet!

Praying...

2009-09-27T18:14:00.001-07:00

We're praying for Jamie (Robert's sister) and Robert's Mom, Dad, older Sister and her Husband. Tomorrow Jamie undergoes, what we are praying is her last surgery. Please take time to pray for her and our family as they await her surgery and as they are in the waiting room tomorrow morning during her surgery. For specifics on how to pray for Jamie please visit her blog

Run Robert, Run

2009-09-26T08:03:00.001-07:00

So today I ran in the Community Bible Church's Inaugural 5k Race! My run time was 25 minutes, 15:99 seconds! That's a little slower than my normal run time...turns out that the course was about an extra half mile. But it was lots of fun!

I placed 9th overall, and 2nd in the Men's 20-29 age group!!!! The guy who got first in our age group ran a 25:15:38! We were neck and neck the whole time!.

I think I'm gonna have to start running more races!

Happy Saturday! -Robert

Happy Birthday MOM!

2009-09-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom! Today is my Mom’s birthday and I’d like to take a little walk down memory lane through some old photos. As a photographer, I love old family photos, I have them up all over my house! But before I get to the photos, I want to say thank you.

Thank you mom for being an amazing example for Jay and I.
Thank you for staying home and raising us.
Thank you for making Church, the Bible and especially a person relationship with Jesus Christ priority in our lives.
Thank you for always telling us to “look at the bubbles” when pouring peroxide on our cuts and scrapes…haha!
Thank you for always being there.
Thank you for loving us unconditionally even when we went through our awkward phases :D
Thank you for all you sacrificed for our happiness.
Thank you for praying without ceasing for us.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom
Thank you for being MOM!

Time for pictures:

What a precious family!

Wedding Day

Memom & Daddy Jack's 50 Wedding Anniversary

Family Reunion, Poetry, TX

Christmas 2005

Easter 2006

College Graduation

Wedding Day

For those of you who don’t know, Daddy Jack (mom’s dad) & Mom share the same birthday. I think the only way you couldn’t know that is if you never had the priveledge of meeting my sweet Daddy Jack. He went home to be with Jesus in December 2006, but he was so proud to share this special day with his daughter. I remember going to visit him in the the hospital in Kaufman in the summer of 2006 and when I walked in the nurse said, “You must be Jana, the volleyball player” I laughed and said "why yes I am" and then later on she told me how amazing it was that my grandfather and mom shared the same birthday…hahaha! Daddy Jack was very proud of his family. I definitely miss his stories and the smell of his old pearl snap shirts the most. Thank you Daddy Jack for leaving a Godly legacy, we all miss you dearly!

11 down 1 to go!

2009-09-23T09:15:00.001-07:00

We're 1 month away from our 1 year anniversary! On Friday night we decided to go out to our local drive in movie theater for the double feature. You can't beat $10 for two movies for both of us. It was definitely a small crowd as you can see from the pictures. We love the drive in :D we got our ritual bucket o' popcorn and funnel cake and enjoyed the showing of Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself and Julie & Julia. By the end of the second showing we were the last car standing!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

2009-09-20T15:19:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all of you who helped with the ball gown give away! We had an amazing turn out of over 200 people and an even more amazing donation of over 250 dresses. It was a great night with wonderful food and tons of smiling faces. Thank you for making it possible for so many Marine wives to be able to have a free dress for the Marine Corps Ball. A special thank you goes out to all you who donated, to my mother-in-law and father-in-law who volunteered to be a drop off for dresses, to my sister-in-law who put up a blog and helped collect several dresses, and to my mom & dad for collecting dresses and packing 30+ dresses in their vehicle on their way to visit us in SC! You guys were all so amazing! Please enjoy the following photos of the night (I was the volunteer event photographer :D)

Mr & Mrs White go to Disney!

2009-09-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

Robert decided to surprise me with a vacation to Disney World, he had a 96 (Marine Corp's slang for long weekend - 4 days = 96 hours) coming up and told me he was taking me somewhere. To my surprise, we loaded up the car and headed for DISNEY WORLD! I started to figure it out when we headed south to Florida. Robert did so good! He picked out an amazing hotel, we stayed at Disney's Pop Century which is basically a blast from the past. It's based out of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and everything there is reminiscent of those eras. I still can't explain how shocked and excited I was to be in Disney World with my husband for a secret get away!

The following are pictures of our amazing Disney Resort, the first is of us is in our yo-yo stairwell :D

Getting ready for Day 1 at Walt Disney World! We were so excited, just like two little kids :D

Pirates of the Caribbean..Johnny Depp's character is now in this classic Disney ride and it's uncanny how much it looks like Johnny Depp.

On It's a Small World ride...the same as we remembered, but we had definitely been to a lot more of these places since the first time we rode this ride...haha! I don't think we sang that song once all week after the ride...it's a miracle!

Rockin' Rollercoaster...wahooo! Love Aerosmith, love rollercoasters...love this ride! This was new since the two of us had been to Disney and it's one of our new favorites :D

On our tour of Behind the Scenes Disney...Robert knew what everything was...haha, I spotted Herbie!

Starting Day 3 at Epcot! As you can see Robert ate his Wheaties that morning.

Germany via Epcot

Eating lunch in Germany...this picture inspired much laughter with us. Robert was concentrating on taking the picture and not smiling, so i started teasing him. Our conversation went something like this...
Jana: You look that guy that sang "I'm too sexy" you're saying, "I'm too sexxxy for this photo, this photo"
Robert: Hey, isn't he German??
We couldn't stop laughing...think the people around us wondered what was so funny :D

Honey a Shrunk the Audience..it was one of our favorites as kids and it was just as good as we remembered! It was so much fun hearing all the people in there for the first time yelling and screaming, oohing and ahhhing. We tried so hard to take a good picture in front of the building, be we had sat in the dark for 20 minutes and it was so bright outside...no luck :D

End of Day 2 at Epcot. We ate dinner at the Mexican restaurant on the water and had a great view of the fireworks!

Starting Day 3 at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Rode the Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom, this was one of the things we got to do before it unleashed a monsoon of rain on everyone. We just-so-happened to be craving an early lunch and were nestled under a pavilion when the massive rain came. We were soon joined by Pluto and Goofy and about a hundred little kids...haha! They apologized to us several times for setting up camp right beside our table, but we just laughed...we got dinner and show! The little kids were so adorable especially the ones who cried, that was so me as a child!

There was a giant Lego Sea Monster at Disney!

Our last day...we were a little sad to leave

Needless to say, Robert did an amazing job. Thank you so much baby, had the time of my life with you, what a special trip!

Labor Day Weekend w/Fam

2009-09-09T08:03:00.001-07:00

Yeah for company! We had a great time with the fam over the labor day weekend. My parents and grandmother (memom) came to visit us in SC and we had a great time. We went to Charleston and took a boat tour of the harbor, went to King Street and ate a cupcake from Cupcake and had Starbucks from the downtown store that was once a bank and is gorgeously restored. They also got a full cultural experience while in SC, they ate Thai food, Greek food and tried my homemade hummus...so proud. We went to Hilton Head and shopped in Bluffton. They even got to go to a Marine Corps graduation. We ended the weekend by a trip to Hunting Island and eating at our favorite place in Beaufort Dockside! Thanks to the fam for making the trip out here, we had such a great time hanging out.

Eating at Dockside....yummmmm!

Memom's first trip to the Atlantic Ocean

Me & Memom at the Beach on Hunting Island

Haha! Love this picture, she didn't know i was taking it :D

Mom & Dad

He was eyeballing my mint chocolate chip!

Eating Ice Cream outside of Southern Sweets in Downtown Beaufort

About to go on the boat tour of Charleston

Silence is Golden

2009-08-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had to privilege to accompany Robert to the see Marine Corps Silent Drill Team on base at Parris Island. I had never seen them perform and it was absolutely amazing. They were so in sync and did it all in complete and utter silence. It was like they were floating across the field. They carry M1 Garands...well actually they do very little "carrying." The way they move with them, one Marine actually threw one behind his back, over his head and then the Marine across from him did the same and they caught each other's weapon. I look forward to being able to see them perform many more times during Robert's career in the Marine Corp!

Welcome to the Whitehouse!

2009-08-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We've decided to start a blog since we'll be moving to Japan in January/February of 2010, it will help our families and friends be able to keep up with what's going on in our lives. In order to get in the swing of things we figured we'd start while we're in the states.

On, Monday August 10 at 8 am Robert re-enlisted for another 4 years in the United States Marine Corps. This was a big decision because after this enlistment is up he'll have a total 0f 9 years in the Marines which means he would want to continue on to the full 20 to be a career Marine. A huge amount of prayer and seeking wise council went into this decision, but at the end of the day Robert realized that he loves his job and loves being a Marine. I also love being a Marine wife, the community has been amazing so far and I look forward to the next 15 years or more!

Later that night I treated Robert to a dinner out at one of favorite places downtown called, Plums. We had a great time and went for a walk by the water and had a fabulous night celebrating.