DIY Shoes!

So, I'm a crafter.  I love crafts.  I always have loved crafts.  And I always will love crafts!  Well, for a while now I have seen these amazing gold glitter heels pretty much showing up EVERYWHERE, and I wanted some but didn't want to pay the enormous price for them.  My solution was to take some overly worn dress shoes that are still comfortable and make them into gold sparkly heels.


My black heels that I have had for YEARS from WalMart I think (I don't even remember where I got them that is how long I have had them!)

I was actually thinking of tossing these I have worn them so much!

After some mod podge and glitter they turned into brand new shoes (still a little wet and should have probably let them fully dry before setting them on my countertop but oh well)!  They photograph a lot darker than they actually are in person.

And now I just need somewhere to wear them!

We Own a BENTLEY!!!!

We really do own a Bentley... just of the dog sort.  Derek and I decided for Christmas we were going to get a puppy... even if it was a really early Christmas present to the both of us.  Well, Friday afternoon I had gotten the call from the No Kill Shelter that Bentley was still available if Derek and I were still interested in adopting him.  Uh DUH!  Of course we were interested in adopting Bentley!


Since I was out shopping at the time of the call I immediately went into the "holy cow we are getting a dog tonight and have absolutely NOTHING for a dog!" mode and ended up forgetting half the stuff I originally went to the store to get in the first place.  As for Bentley we had pretty much everything we needed to pick him up that night.

Bentley at the shelter.

After we picked him up we showed him around our apartment on the leash which is what was recommended after we took him on a short walk.  So we let him off the leash and Bentley started running full speed in circles about twenty times.  He was also jumping up on the furniture and over the furniture, yep OVER the furniture.


You see Bentley is a Jackabee, part Beagle and part Jack Russell Terrier.  Those who don't know Jack Russell Terriers can pretty much jump higher than any dog, and five times their own height.  This means he gets to stay on a leash even in a fenced yard unless it has a really tall fence.  The beagle in him means he is a hound and loves to dig, chase things, and follow scents which ultimately means we need to learn how to get him to walk on walks and not pull on his leash.

His red toy that has been taken away because it is too dangerous!

Bentley had his first vet appointment today for his puppy check up which is standard for all dogs that are adopted from shelters.  He did pretty well with the exception of trying to bite the vet tech and Derek while getting his nails clipped.  We have a healthy 10 month old puppy who is getting better at listening to us (or I should say Derek) everyday.

Bentley was mesmerized by the clock on the wall.

Happy belated Veteran's Day!

(this post is coming from the back of my dads car as we are headed back to IL. I am typing on my phone so I apologize for any spelling errors.)

Growing up I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Air Force. I wanted to go to war and kill all the bad people. This is no joke that is what I really wanted to do. I love planes and I am so appreciative of those serving in the military. My mom blamed my dad for always watching Top Gun for me wanting to be a fighter pilot. Unfortunately, me being a fighter pilot in the AF was not in my cards. My back diagnosis disqualified me from joining the military.

This past week I spent on vacation with my folks in Branson, MO. We have been vacationing here for almost 20 years and it is almost a second home for us. My folks have gone during veteran's week before so they knew what was going on and when.

The cool thing about Branson is that the whole city shows appreciation for veteran's... All year round, the way it should be. Almost every single show will take time to honor veteran's by the war/peace time they served or as a whole. It is so amazing to see men and women standing from WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iraqi Freedom, and Peace time soldiers. Some shows will also have a moment of silence for those who never made it home. Something new that I had experienced was during Tony Orlando's show. He had the family members and loved ones of those who are currently serving stand to honor them.

Both of my grandfathers, all of my biological uncles, and my dad, and Derek have all served their country. I also have other relatives who have served, Derek's dad, his sister, and many friends serving. Growing up vacationing in Branson I got to see my dad stand during these moments. I cannot even explain how proud I am to be the daughter, niece, granddaughter, etc. of soldiers that fought for my freedom.

We were walking through a grocery store and a woman thanked my dad for his service. He had told my mom and me that he didn't know how to react or what to say. My dad served during a Peace time at the end of Vietnam. And Derek who served four months of his four years in Iraq has told me it is weird when people thank him for his service. They says it is weird because of the position they held in the military. My dad did communications and Derek was an air traffic controller. Neither of them saw combat.

For me as somebody who was unable to serve my country it doesn't matter if you were special forces or cleaned toilets. They made the decision to put their life on hold for a better purpose, freedom. They didn't have to join the military but chose to. They knew that if they saw combat there was a possibility that they would give the ultimate sacrifice. For these reasons and so many more I am forever grateful to all who have served, are currently serving, or are going to be serving.

So to all of the Veteran's who have served, those currently serving, those who haven't started basic yet, and all of their families who support them... Thank you!