Colorful Colorado

A stunning view of Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods.

Nathan has been in Colorado since April and I've been dying to pay him a visit. When we found out that he was, in fact, getting a long holiday weekend, I bought a last minute plane ticket into Denver. It was a quick trip but absolutely worth it! I landed Friday evening and flew back to Little Rock Tuesday morning, leaving us with three full days of adventure. The highlights of our time together included the Coors Light Brewery, downtown Denver, Royal Gorge, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and the Air Force Academy- in that order!

Saturday morning we made our way over to Golden to pay the Coors Light Brewery a visit. There was a pretty long wait and we're not Coors Light fans but, hey, it's free and you get three free beers (about 2.5 cans worth). The tour is self-guided and fairly short if you skip through the talking portions on your headset. We've done small brewery tours before but this place was HUGE! The copper mash tuns were two stories tall!

Check out the size of our free beer! 

After the brewery tour we walked around Denver, the state's capitol. There was also a free music festival at the 16th Street Mall (a mile long shopping strip) for the holiday weekend, but we didn't spend much time there because the amount of people walking around was insane. It was shoulder-to-shoulder and I got hit by lady's bicycle pedal soooo... bye. We walked around Capitol Hill and had dinner downtown instead of wading through the crowd.

Royal Gorge included the most adventurous 45 seconds of our entire trip! How? Because we zip-lined across it, of course! Built in 1929, the Royal Gorge Bridge is the highest suspension bridge in America. It's 1,260 ft in length and 956 ft above the Arkansas River. The zip line cost a pretty penny and we waited in the line for two hours, but it was worth it! (Yes, my mother did nearly have a heart attack after seeing pictures.)

I know it looks tiny in the picture, folks, but that's a full-size suspension bridge with people on it! 

A shot of the bridge from the zip line ft. Nathan's knee.

After Royal Gorge we went back to Colorado Springs and visited Garden of the Gods. Not only is it gorgeous and not too strenuous, but it's FREE! It has walkways that take you to beautiful natural rock formations. 

On Memorial Day we took the cog train up to the tip of Pikes Peak. You can hike, bike, or drive to the top, but keep in mind there's a 30-40 degree temperature change and 30% less oxygen when you're 14,115 ft up! Despite being nice and warm in Manitou Springs, it was 31 degrees and snowing on Pikes Peak. The round trip takes about 3 hours with a 30 minute break at the summit. The views from the train and at the summit were breathtaking. 

Views from the cog train!

Before heading back to Denver we made a quick stop at the Air Force Academy. I've always wanted to see the Chapel! 

I purchased our GoPro just before my trip (and by "just before" I mean, like, an hour before I left for the airport) so we were pretty much fiddling with it and learning how to use it the whole weekend. With that being said, behold! Shaky clips from our trip! I hope you guys enjoy this little video of random footage that I put together. 

Thanks for keeping up with us! 

Next stop: Texas

Dallas

The view from the GeO-Deck of Reunion Tower at sunset!

Dallas was on our bucket list for awhile considering it is only a five hour drive from Little Rock. With such little time left in Arkansas, we took quick weekend trip to the "Lone Star State" back in January. One full day in Dallas wasn't even close to enough time to explore this busy city. We visited sites nonstop and still missed out on some pretty big landmarks!

We purchased the Dallas CityPass ahead of time which gave us access to four attractions for a fraction of the regular admissions prices. With that, we were able to visit the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, The Sixth Floor Museum, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and Reunion Tower. We also walked around the city and visited a few of its free attractions.

We got to Dallas on a Saturday afternoon and first up was the Dallas Arboretum. The gardens were still beautiful even in the winter. I can only imagine how stunning they must be during the spring!

When we arrived downtown we went to Dealey Plaza. Dealey Plaza is the location of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. A white "X" in the middle of Elm Street marks the location of where the fatal shot struck JFK on November 22, 1963. Behind it stands the Texas School Book Depository (now the Sixth Floor Museum) where the rifleman was located. It is so surreal to stand in the spot where such a tragic moment in history occurred.

The "X" marking where JFK was assassinated. The rifleman was located in the second window from the top on the right. 

We also went to The Sixth Floor Museum- the location of JFK's assassin. The museum covers the events leading up to the assassination and the aftermath. You aren't allowed to take photos of the exhibit but I was able to grab one from their website of the corner window- aka the "sniper's perch."

An accurate reconstruction of the crime scene. Photo belongs to The Sixth Floor Museum.

Sunday morning we went to the Perot Museum. It was fun, but there were so many people and children that you could hardly walk or focus. I would definitely recommend going here on a weekday or when they're not as busy!

Last on our Dallas to-do list was Reunion Tower. We timed our visit up to the GeO-Deck perfectly! We caught it right at sunset and the view was stunning. 

The Big Easy

Before Nathan returned to work in February, we took a mini-vacation to New Orleans, Louisiana. At only 7 hours of driving away, NOLA was a great getaway. Though we only stayed a few days, we were there just in time to catch the beginning of Mardi Gras and enjoy much of what this fascinating city had to offer.

We left before Mardi Gras went into full swing but we still got a little taste of it! When we first arrived in New Orleans, the street our hotel was on was actually blocked off for a parade. Once our car was parked and bags stowed in the room, we were able to spend the evening watching the parade and walking around. By the way, those beads hurt when you catch them.

We stayed at The Pontchartrain Hotel on St. Charles Avenue. The hotel was nothing to brag about, but it couldn't have been in a better location! We were able to valet park my car and take the streetcar everywhere we needed to go. The Pontchartrain was right across from a trolley stop, a tourism center, a Walgreens, and several great breakfast spots.

The Garden District was a short trolley ride away from our hotel. Holy moly I have never seen so many homes as magnificent as the ones located here! Nathan and I walked for hours, just gawking at their elegance. If you are ever in New Orleans and want to feel like a peasant (or just enjoy the scenery) I highly recommend taking a stroll through this neighborhood. You won't be disappointed (unless you're wealthy and already have immaculate gardens surrounding your mansion).

Also located in the Garden District was one of New Orleans well-known "cities of the dead." This particular cemetery was Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. If you're familiar with Anne Rice's novels, they were inspired by the tombs located here.

In the opposite direction of the Garden District was the infamous French Quarter and Bourbon Street. I can assure you that this area is nothing like anything you have ever experienced. It's sketchy, smells like sewage and spoiled alcohol, but you will enjoy every minute of it. Bourbon Street is the life of the party! Perhaps one of my favorite characteristics was its abundance of talent. We stopped many times to watch musicians, dancers, and other street performers.

St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square

The French Quarter is also rich with culture and home to art galleries, vibrant architecture, and historic landmarks. We spent a lot of time just wandering its streets!

We tried a lot of new restaurants while in New Orleans but our favorite was Acme Oyster House. As someone who has been deprived of seafood by living in Arkansas for three years, I could've eaten here until I made myself sick! I tried my very first cup of gumbo (delicious!), chased it with some crab cakes, and split a fried seafood platter with Nathan. Heaven!

If you know me, you know I'm an American Horror Story fan. Our trip wouldn't have been complete without adding a few locations from AHS: Coven onto our agenda.

1. Buckner Mansion (aka Miss Robichaux's Academy)

2. Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo

3. Lalaurie Mansion

4. Gallier House

Until next time, NOLA!

Welcome Home!

It's the moment we've all been waiting for... Nathan is home from Afghanistan! He and his comrades arrived safe and sound around 4:30 am Friday morning. Because the weather was cold and rainy, they had us wait in a building and bused the Airman over rather than watching their plane land and meeting them by the flight line. After nearly five months of waiting, I finally got to hug the love of my life!

Special thanks to Dao for braving the early hours and cold weather to photograph Nathan's homecoming! These photos belong to Dao Standridge Photography and The Carolina Wife. 

If you don't take a selfie, then did it really even happen?

An hour of waiting for his bags later, we were on our way home to see our sweet furbaby! If you know Kuzco, then you know he's very talkative and energetic. To our surprise, poor Kuzce was in shock! He would give Nathan a few kisses and then come running to me to see if everything was okay. After he got used to his daddy being home, he couldn't get enough of him! He's been climbing in his lap and playing ever since.

Of course Nathan requested that his first real meal in Arkansas be Whole Hog! Believe me when I say that he cleaned his plate. Earlier that morning we had a light breakfast of waffles and bacon, and you would've sworn that I'd cooked a gourmet meal haha!

My good friend and college roommate was in town to see her husband arrive from deployment with Nathan. Chris and Jess have been some of Nathan's best friends for years. We celebrated the men's homecoming by meeting up with another couple at the Flying Saucer in downtown Little Rock.

Rose, Clay, Chris, Jessica, Nathan, and I at the Flying Saucer. At this point I had been awake for about 37 hours lol.

After a night out, Nathan and I had to take a moment to stop and enjoy the view and appreciate the life we have built together. I couldn't have asked for a better person to spend the rest of my days with. Our time apart truly put how wonderful we have it into perspective. As always, thank you all for your love and support these past few months. We couldn't have done it without our family and friends!

And God bless America!

DIY Banner

Anyone else got a giant stack of paper grocery bags stuffed in a cabinet for no reason? I needed a banner for Christmas card pictures and, as usual, I didn't want to spend any money! I made this adorable banner using things I already had around my house. I hope it gives you a little inspiration this holiday season!

Materials

o   Brown paper grocery bags

o   Scissors

o   Ruler

o   Pencil

o   Paint pen

o   Twine

o   Glue or a hole puncher

Instructions

1. Start by drawing a triangle to use as a template. If you like the size of mine, they are 4 ½” wide and 5” tall.

2. Use your template to cut out a total of 14 triangles (14 if you want yours to say “Merry Christmas” J ).If you leave the bags folded, you can knock two triangles out at once.

3. To hand-letter your banner, pick out a font to base your letters off of. If you like the way my letters look, take a peek at this chart to help you!

4. Draw a faint line down the middle with a pencil and use this as a guide, then lightly sketched a rough draft of the letters. When it looks good enough to be permanent, trace it with a white paint pen. (My letters were 1 ¾“ tall and then however wide they needed to be to look right)

5. Don’t forget to erase your guide lines after your paint has dried!

6. There are three ways you can attach your twine: glue/hot glue, tape, or using a hole puncher and weaving the twine through.

7. Lay your letters out in the OPPOSITE order. This way when you flip them over to attach to attach the twine, they'll be in the right order when your banner is finished. Trust me. I had to find this out the hard way. 

 

I can't get this picture to rotate for the life of me... This is an example of how you need to lay out your letters. When you flip them over and attach them to the twine in this order, I promise your banner will read "Christmas" and not "samtsirhc!"  

If hand-lettering isn’t your area of expertise, snag a pack of stencils and paint your letters on. If you’re not crafty and don’t want any paint or tracing involved, fear not! Shanty-2-Chic has great banner templates already made and ready to print. You can print out your letters/triangles and still use the brown paper bag trick to give them a little something extra!

Easy as Pie!

If you're in need of a Thanksgiving dessert to impress your family this Thursday, you're in luck! This is the third time that I have made an apple pie using this recipe. The first two were perfect, but the third came out a little tart- nothing that can't be balanced out with some vanilla ice cream! I combined two recipes into this one and used a store-bought crust (who has time to make a crust from scratch?!). 

Ingredients

• Refrigerated pie crusts (I used the Wal-Mart brand and in my unprofessional opinion, it's better than Pillsbury)
• ½ cup of butter (I used one stick of salted butter and it tasted just fine!)
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup of water
• ½ cup of white sugar
• ½ cup of packed light brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon of ground cinnamon (I didn't actually measure, I just sprinkled in what I wanted)
• ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg (again, I didn't measure)
• 6 or 7 Granny Smith apples- peeled, cored, and sliced

And a 9 inch pie dish!

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425° F
2. Let your refrigerated pie crust sit out and soften 10-15 minutes before you’re ready to use them.
3. Melt your butter in a saucepan. Mix in flour. Add water, white and brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer while you're getting your crust ready.
4. Place the bottom crust in your dish, firmly press it down, and fill it with apples
5. Gently pour the butter mixture over the apples
6. For your top crust, you have two options! You may take the second crust and place it right over the top, pinching the edges and cutting slits in it; OR you may weave it into a lattice top pie crust! I’ll insert videos for both J
7. Cover the edge of your crust with aluminum foil so it doesn’t burn!
8. Bake your pie at 425° F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° F and continue baking 35 to 45 minutes. At 35 minutes I take the foil off the edges and then continue to check it to make sure it doesn't get too crispy!

This pie turned out flawless the first time I made it in June!

Crust

 

DIY Crate Nightstand

Nathan and I live on base so we have limited space. I've been using a teeny table as a nightstand for two years and it was basically me stacking my clock, iPad, books, phone, glasses, and chapstick in a Jenga tower. I've been on the lookout for something more spacious, but inexpensive and compact, and finally decided to just make my own!

The crates are from Jo-Ann's, but you can find them at any craft store! Never EVER pay full price for these things, people. Craft stores always have coupons! They retail around $13, but you can almost always find a 40% off coupon for Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and Jo-Ann's. (Hint: Download the Retail-Me-Not app or pull up the store's website on your smartphone and they can scan any coupon from your phone)

**When you buy your crates, make sure you find two that stack well together! Some of them are a little wobbly!**

The wood stain I used is from Wal-Mart. It is Miniwax in the shade "English Chestnut 223" and it retails for less than $5. I used about half of an 8 oz can! To apply the stain, I used a four pack of $0.97 foam brushes from Wal-Mart's craft section. They worked wonderfully and the different sizes came in handy.

I stained the outside of the crates one day, and the inside + crevices the next. On the third day, I stacked them together! They still have a strong paint smell, so you may want to leave them outside to air out a bit!

It was cold and rainy this week so I had to suffer through the smell of staining them inside!

Use a little wood glue or some small screws to keep them stable. Honestly, mine are surviving just stacked on top of each other, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're going to be making them into a shelf for elsewhere in your house! :) All in all, you could knock this project out in a day and for under $20!

I had a little supervision while placing the nightstand in our bedroom.