Every couple has a story.  

Ours starts in elementary school when a shy girl and and ornery boy were placed on the same maroon soccer team.  

The girl hated soccer - too much running.  The boy loved soccer - and scored all the goals (so he says).

Later in middle school, they would pass each other in the halls, crush on each others friends, see each other in different homeroom classes.

In high school, the girl had become less shy, the boy had long replaced soccer with basketball (and of course still scored many, many points).  They had the same group of friends, and the school wasn't big, yet the same thing happened as it did in middle school.  

They would pass each other in the halls, exchange pleasantries and go separate ways.

Until one summer, when the girl noticed the boy differently.  

There were many nights of flirting, and talking and more flirting.

And a muddy road rescue when the girl got her dad's car stuck up to the doors trying to find the boy's farm house.

And there were many dates to dances, two graduations from Hiawatha High, football games, DU and Pi Phi date parties, walks to class, and finally two graduations from K-State.

After a year and a half of long-distance dating between Manhattan and Dallas, the boy and girl got  married on September 13th, 2008.

And they moved to Wichita, and bought a house and got a dog.

And three years later, the girl gave the boy a card on the night of their anniversary that originally said this:

Our is an amazing love story...

 with the happiest ever after.

Happy anniversary to the one I love.

But then she added this:

Andrew, I love you more every year that we are married.  This next year will be especially significant when you become a father in nine months!  Thanks for always making me the happiest girl in the world.  I love you.  Happy third anniversary.

Love,

Ali

Well, I survived my first day of work.  It was fine.

The rest of my life?  Shambles.

I decided to leave Franklin outside since when I watched the weather half-awake this morning I swore they said it would rain tonight/tomorrow.

It rained all day.

Like a monsoon.

I was so sad about my poor pup.  I just kept picturing him plastered to the back door crying because no one was home to let him in.

When I finally got home today, he was barking and wet.  

He is staying inside tomorrow.  And probably everyday forever and ever.

Today is my last day at the only job I've ever known since graduating.

The end is bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter.

Because of the friends I've made, the experiences I've had, all that I've learned, for how much I've grown.

And for what's to come.

I can't wait to start my new journey at the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas.

For new friends, new experiences and to make a positive difference every day.

Thank you to each of you for all of your support and kind words during this transition period.

Change is good.

 +

Never mind the gaping wholes and weird crust overlaps.  It tasted AMAZING.

Especially topped with caramel vanilla ice cream.

That's pretty much fall on a plate.

Unfortunately, since Andrew was back in Hiawatha helping with harvest I didn't have anyone to share this treat with and may or may not have eaten two pieces the night I baked it while the apple filling was still warm.  

Worth it.

I haven't felt very bloggy lately.

I just haven't been doing anything super creative around our house over the last several weeks.  First it was buying the Tahoe, and now football season has started so my weekends are overrun with trips to Manhattan or Andrew sitting in his man chair glued to the TV for hours watching NFL teams I don't care about.  (Which is all of them.)

We haven't been total bums.  Andrew fixed our poor water pressure issue on the second sink in the guest bedroom, as well as a non-working cold water faucet in the guest bathroom shower.  He is still keeping his name Handy Andy.

Sometimes though, creativity just finds you instead of the other way around.

Feast your eyes on one of my Ikea purchases from our trip to Colorado:

Pretty, pretty.

Remember, where we started?  

No duvet, just a plain white down comforter that I was pushing my luck with since Franklin sometimes sneaks into the guest room to snooze.

I went to Ikea looking for a white duvet and then got there and just couldn't do it.  

I knew I could add some texture with a white duvet, but it would still look pretty blah.

Actually, Andrew found this one, and I loved it.  He is not only handy, but sometimes has good taste.

Love it.

BUT.

After I put on the duvet, and especially as I was looking at these pictures, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the wall above the headboard.  I love a good fake cranberry wreath as much as the next person, but 1) it isn't proportional and 2) I was afraid the navy and white from the duvet would make the red berries too Americana.  I'm just not into themey rooms at this point.

So, as fate would have it, my neighbor across the street decided he liked his house without shutters.  And threw his away in the neighborhood dumpster down by the pool.  And Andrew and I took Frank for a walk many weeks ago and saw them.  And, I just knew if I thought hard enough I could figure out something cute and clever to do with them.  So we took our fair share.  

(Okay, all 12 of them - sorry - you dumpster dive too late, you lose.)

And then piled them up in the garage, until one weekend, I cleaned them, primed them and then gave them two thin coats of creamy white spray paint.  

And then two weeks later, we hung them where the berries used to be.

Much better.

I love the extra pop of white(ish) they bring against the deep blue walls and the extra charm and coziness.  I still don't think I'm done yet though.

I want to craft a burlap pendant banner to hang across the span of all four shutters.  In fact, I was going to have a crafternoon this weekend, but then I couldn't decide what I wanted to spell out.  

All I could come up with was M•O•O•R•E - or - something cheesy like S•W•E•E•T•D•R•E•A•M•S.  LAME-O.

So, if anyone has any good ideas, spill 'em.

I will return the favor.  Like I have eight more shutters that need a home.  Some are this size and some are longer.  I think it would be baller to make a entryway table out of the longer shutters.

I don't have room for one, but just saying.

--

P.S. I have zero patience for putting on duvets and can't figure out how to get them even and straight on the edges.  I give up.

My blog archives have been kind of puny the past couple of months.  It looks like Andrew and I have been bums, not updating, decorating, building.  It would be dishonest to say this isn't at least partly true.  It's not that we've been lazy (as I'm hoping you've already seen on my business site, a lot of babies have needed shoots this summer!).  We've just been doing little things here and there around our house, but nothing major.

Nothing major because our budget was being spent elsewhere.

As the seasons change - no more swimming, 100+ heat (at least let's hope not) and regular get togethers with friends around the grill, so did our garage.  Well, technically what's in the garage.

And, nope, it's not a Camaro.  Hard to believe, but Andrew let that dream die.  For now.

No, we bought a new vehicle...for me.

And broke it in the best way you could.

I love this Tahoe.  I love the way it looks, smells, feels, drives.  Love that it fit five adults, tailgating supplies, four sleeping bags and pillows, plus a few other odds and ends and Frank when we drove to Manhattan last weekend.  Love that it's completely K-Stated out with our front license, tow hitch cover and our university license in back.  

Love.

I'm also loving my newest furniture purchase(s).

 (And my cute little throw from our Denver Ikea trip.)

Andrew, not so much, but he's at least finally keeping his mouth shut about them.  Ha.

I knew I wanted to add a pair of chairs to our family room to expand seating and make this room feel more complete.  Cozier.  But, I also didn't want anything that would completely block our line of site into this room from the dining room.  And when I found these, I just knew they were perfect.  The lines are great; I love that they feel a little bit old and eclectic.  And once I find a pillow or two, they'll be complete.  We're just one step closer to feeling like this room is done, one layer at a time.  

Obviously the crazy pattern war going on in the corner has got to end sometime.  I actually think I've settled on fabric.  Finally.  

I've only had this horse chair since March.  

The ottoman is actually going to get moved into another room and function, but for now it hangs out with the horses.

I've GOT to update our frame collage on this wall.  I've got a small stock of white frames to get more of a major grouping going on.  

Just need to select photos.

And, of course, I need to fill in our built-in shelves, but I'm not going to rush that.  The china likes having all of the attention right now.

 And while I'm at it, I would like to have the couch throw pillows recovered.  They were the set that came with our couch and our fabric choices were very limited when we placed our order.  

So much to do.  So excited about all of it.