Happy Independence Day!

Michael and I were at the Outer Banks last week for the annual Lysher family beach trip..  We usually always go during the week of the 4th of July but after some unfortunate work schedules this year, not everyone was able to make it and so we might be moving the annual trip to a different week next year. It has been great weather (we arrived after the rain on Tuesday!) and not too hot either.  Sadie has gotten in lots of beach time as well and behaved very well on the beach even just hanging out with us at our chairs.  Below are some (okay LOTS) of the pictures from the week - we even got a great firework show from the comfort of our deck!

Sadie loved playing Frisbee in the water!

Someone needed sunglasses!

Sadie and I lounging in the sand.

We were able to walk down the beach the morning of the 4th and watch the Town of Duck parade.  It was actually pretty cool and it was fun to watch the kids around us get so excited, plus they threw out tons of free candy and even some popsicles and donut samples!

Early morning paddle boarders on our walk to the parade - officially trying out my telephoto lens!

Michael and his mom!

Michael being super patriotic!

This guy was a three ring circus all by himself!

U.S. Coast Guard!

Christmas in July!

I thought this was pretty cute.

Our fearless leader heading back!

View from our deck!

It was a surprisingly cool evening on the 4th, perfect for sipping wine on the deck...

...and reading!

Perfect night!

We were also able to enjoy tons of awesome fireworks without moving an inch!

Friday was our last day at the beach and we ended it with a nice walk on the beach that night.  Sadie loved running in the water and crab-chasing!

Sadie chased every crab we came up to!  Luckily she knew not to get too close.

Sadie did not really want to pose for pictures, but we got a few in!

Hope you had a great 4th of July and enjoyed time with family and friends and remembered all those who have sacrificed for this country!

Erin

Memorial Weekend 2013

I have been MIA these past few months as my life was taken over by teaching, but I LOVE it and I am so excited to finally be a teacher.  I have missed this blog though and so I am hoping to revive it now that school is winding down for the summer.

This past weekend was truly a wonderful weekend.  It was very busy but it was really great to spend time with friends and family.  At the same time, it was a great time to remember those that have served and be thankful for the life you have.  Saturday was spent outdoors working on my garden (more on that to come!) and doing a little shopping.  Sunday was spent having a wonderful Memorial Day BBQ at my parents' house and the weather was perfect!  Monday we headed over to Westmoreland State Park to go fishing with Michael's grandparents.

Since this is my first post back in the swing of things, I will make it short and sweet, ending with some photos from the weekend.  I have lots to share this summer as well as some exciting projects coming up!

Baby birds nesting in a hanging pot, so cute!

Michael's first catch of the day, 2 minutes after we put our rods in!

I was excited to catch a fish since I only caught 2 of the 24 fish we caught!

24 fish in total! We made some great fish tacos with these. 

Michael and I at my parents' BBQ.

My sisters and I - everyone was home!

This picture just cracks me up, someone was taking too long to take a picture ;)

My brother and his two friends - he can't take a normal picture to save his life.

Sneak preview from my garden!

We were quite tired on Monday evening but it was well worth it!  This weekend we are playing it pretty low key with some more gardening, finishing up some Etsy projects, and a brunch out on the river tomorrow!

Erin

Rustic Liquor Display

When we first moved into our townhouse, Michael tried to convince me that we needed a bar in our already tiny "man cave".  He wanted to buy a certain family member's bar but I politely declined for him :)  However, after having the liquor handles and accessories lining the floor and the TV stand, I was pretty fed up and wished we had a bar.  Being the crafty husband that he is, Michael came up with an awesome Christmas gift idea for our brother-in-law, Jason.  He made him a liquor and beer stein display made completely from an old pallet.  In the craziness of Christmas, I did not get a very good photo of it, but fortunately Michael loved it so much that he made one for himself!  Now our liquor bottles aren't cluttering up the TV stand and Michael's rock glasses have a great place to be displayed for everyone to see - and finally use!

Here it is all put together...

I was playing around with the different liquors and glasses, you will notice later that I did not put them in the correct display "order" for Michael :)

A close up of the awesome personalized glasses that Michael's sister, Becca, got him for Christmas

And here it is finally in use and in its true color...

What do you think?  Pretty nice for a small space!

Erin

Good Fortune in 2013!

Today has been a great day.  Not only did I get to celebrate (aka do same thing we do everyday but acknowledge the occasion) being married to the best husband ever for 9 months (!) but I also got to start a new job!  Last Monday I received a call to ask if I wanted to interview for a long term substitute teacher position and by Wednesday I had interviewed for and been offered the job.  Not only was I lucky enough to get a long term position - teaching Algebra 1 - it is for the rest of the year!  That means that I am essentially the teacher now and today was my first day and it was wonderful.  While I am not in a contracted position, I feel that this can only bring good things so I am enjoying the success for now :)  I am thankfully being eased in to the job this week with midterm exams and half days - which gives me plenty of time to get used to things and get ready to hit the ground running next week!  Nine months ago seems so long and a lot has changed since then.  I have so much to be thankful for and I am so excited for what this opportunity can bring to me.  Last week I was writing my bio for my blog and I wrote that I was an aspiring teacher and this week I AM a teacher!  Crazy how much can change in a week.  I want to say thank you to everyone (especially Michael) for supporting me and allowing me to pursue my new career.  I have a few classes left this semester and then I will be officially certified.  It hasn't always been easy but the hard times make the success that much sweeter.

-Erin

Young House Love: Book Review

One of the first non-wedding blogs that I started to religiously follow was Young House Love.  I was first intrigued because John and Sherry are from Richmond, and I had just moved from there, plus I have not found too many blogs in the local area that I like so I thought it was neat.  After reading just a few posts I was hooked!  I love the tone of their blog posts and the topics they blog about.  Michael and I have become fairly crafty over the past few months and we have TONS of ideas we want to try out, but most will have to wait until we buy our own house.  John and Sherry are sort of an inspiration to me for when this eventually happens.  Anyways, needless to say, when their book came out it was on my definite must-have list.  Michael bought it for me for Christmas and I think it is up there with my top favorite gift.  I have already almost read it cover to cover and it is chalk full of awesome ideas - even those that us renters can take on.  There are tons of super budget friendly projects and I love that the book is written in the same style as their blog with little hints and tips along the way.  If you are looking for a fun coffee table book or if you like crafting on a budget (or not!) then I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book.  You might not be able to put it down.

Enjoy!

Erin

Note: I was not in anyway paid or perked to write this post, all opinions are solely my own - I just love the book!

Holidays 2012

Well the holidays have come and gone, and while I had big plans to blog about all the craftiness I accomplished for Christmas - the time has flown by and so now I am cutting my losses and moving on to the new year!  Michael and I really enjoyed spending time with family and cutting down/decorating our first Christmas tree.  This past year seems like it flew by - I can't believe we got married almost 9 months ago!  I am very excited for 2013 and all the changes that are coming.  I will be finishing up my teaching certification in April and with any luck start my new teaching position in the fall :)  I also hope to improve upon this blog and make it a regular staple of my life, as I really love blogging.  Finally, I want to focus on my overall health and keeping life as stress free as possible with a new attitude and a bit of organization in the house and in my life.  I have never been one for New Years resolutions, but I am really feeling it this year, and I am excited to get started!  So as not to completely skip over some of the holiday excitement, here are a few photos to sum up the past month.

Erin

Most Awesome Venison Chili

I am not the biggest chili fan, but a couple years ago I tried the chili that my Dad made from a recipe from a friend and it was amazing!  He even won a couple chili contests at work and other functions.  It is something you can make in the crock pot and let simmer all day and your house will smell delicious when you come home :) This recipe calls for venison but you can really use any meat you want, we just happen to have an abundance of venison in the freezer courtesy of Michael!  Michael and I ate this almost every day for a week straight - but it freezes nicely too if you want to make some for future dinners.

Here is the recipe, originally from my Dad's friend Duane.

1 lb ground venison (Michael and I actually cubed ours and browned it only slightly and it came out amazingly tender)
1 lb ground sausage (venison or other)
15 - 24 oz tomato sauce
4 oz tomato paste
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz chili with beans
16 oz baked beans
15 oz refried Beans
4 oz green chili
1/2 package chili seasoning
4-6 slices of bacon (cut) with grease
¼ cup sugar
2 oz regular Tabasco sauce
1 oz Mexican hot sauce

Brown all the meat and throw it in the crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours.

Add cheddar cheese and chips if desired, enjoy!