A New Addition

Tink is very photogenic.

We have a new addition to our home.  My husband (in his infinite wisdom) researched and then bought a seven week-old cockateil.  He named her (we aren't even sure it is a her) Tinker.  When she is not screaming at him, she is very loving.  Kidding.  We actually think she was quite spoiled as a little hatchling so she loves to be hand-fed and she is extremely social.  She wants to be on Hubs shoulder all the time or on his laptop.  She will tolerate me if she must.  Her wings are clipped so thankfully she can only coast down towards the floor and not fly up towards the celing fan.  Her new home is a custom built mansion designed by Hubs and his dad.  She has toys, seeds, real birdy food, veggies, and bells (which she has just learned how to use).  Already, Hubs can whistle from the other side of the house and she responds. 

There is one tiny issue with this new baby bird.  The dog is very interested in her.  He has calmed down now that she has been around a few weeks but at first he was a bit obsessed.  We are about 98.5% sure that he will just check her out and go about his business but this isn't a risk worth taking.

25 Things

1.  I LOVE to take pictures.  If I could, I would walk around with my camera 24/7.

2.  I use sarcasm way too much - especially with my mother-in-law.

3.  My dog is a grouchy weinie dog who LOVES cheese.

4.  My husband is addicted to the carpet.  He vaccums more than anyone I have ever met and steam-cleans the carpet more than once a month.  I am grateful (and spoiled).

5.  I do not like to write with blue or black ink.  I prefer purple.

6.  I love to wrap presents.

7.  I enjoy cooking but absolutely love to bake.

8.  I hate folding clothes.  It is my number one most-hated chore.

9.  I'm scared of the dentist.

10.  I'm not a big hugger.  I don't mean it rude...I'm just not touchy-feely.

11.  My family owned horses when I was young.  Those horses are my fondest childhood memory and I miss them all the time.

12.  My dad is a huge Elvis fan.  I know all kinds of random Elvis facts.  Until about the age of 7, I thought Elvis was a family member who never came to Christmas dinner.

13.  My grandfather was the same about John Wayne.  Even now, my cousin and I can quote movie lines back to each other.  "He was limpin when he left..."

14.  My favorite movie of all time is Gone with the Wind.

15.  I love to read but never nonfiction.  I read to escape the real world.

16.  Even though I have an iphone with an entire keyboard on it, I am still a horrible texter.  I have mispelt "Walmart" so many times that now it auto-corrects to say "Walnart."

17.  I love road trips but getting my husband to sit still in the car for more than an hour is not easy.

18.  Turning 28 was hard for me.  Not sure why.

19.  My mom is cool.  She owns leather pants.

20.  My husband bought a bird.  The dog hates said bird.  I'm still on the fence.

21.  I love hot chicken wings.  We have them entirely too much.

22.  I had my highlighted for the first time in my life this year.  I went blonde.

23.  I love the movie Pride & Prejudice (with Keira Knightly).  I love Mr. Darcy.

24.  A & I together own an embroidery/monogramming machine.  Now I want to monogram everything!

25.  I am extremely spoiled by DVD seasons of shows and watching shows online.  No commercials ever!

My Universe

Over the last year, I have enjoyed reading various blogs on family stuff, crafts, being frugal, etc.  The one thing I notice is that the extraordinary women are all moms.  Being a married women in her late twenties, I notice the lack of blogs from those without children.  Just wait  - I LOVE kids and I hope to have them one day but not today.  I have other priorities right now - mainly completely my college education.  I thought about and then was encouraged by a friend to start a blog from the "married without children" perspective.  My sweet friend (A) just launched her blog Mommy Working for the Weekend and is very active in social media with regards to these other mommy-friendly blogs.  I just adore this friend and her family.  I treat her son like he's my own little nephew and have thoroughly enjoyed watching him grown from a sweet baby into an active and handsome little dude.  The only thing I can't relate to with A is her thoughts, feelings, and fears regarding motherhood.  I thought it would be nice to jump on her coat tails and tell my stories. 

I married Bob 6 years ago.  We were so young but that didn't stop us!  We live in a small town but both work in the "downtown."  We are crazy busy all the time.  I own a side business with A that sells gifts, jewelry, and monogrammed items.  I also have a photography business that I LOVE (way more about this later).  We camp and hike (although not recently).  We are also the "Humans" for a 10 year-old weinie dog named Coby.  We have a cast of characters in our lives that are unforgettable.  I hope to share a laugh or two about our lives as well as the view of being "Aunt Mel" (not really) to some pretty awesome babies.

My BlogRoll

The blogs I read....
No I don't read them all everyday.  But yes, I enjoys these sites and recommend them all.  There are some food blogs, some frugal blogs, some everyday life blogs, and more.  Just things I enjoy. 

Alabama Bloggers
Couponing to Disney
Grasping for Objectivity
Green Door Designs
Macaroni Cheesecake
Mommy Working for the Weekend
Night Owl Crafting
Our Best Bites
Org Junkie
The Pioneer Woman
Plain Chicken
Southern Savers
Tasty Kitchen

And I'm constantly adding more!