Birds in our backyard

Last week, I took a trip to Lowe's with my friend and her sweet baby...and we spent a good while on what I like to call "the bird aisle."  Bird feeders, bird seed, bird houses...anything bird, they have it.

I've been buying the cheap $2.50 "bird bells" for a while now, and I decided that it was time to upgrade to a proper bird feeder.  That, and the cat-sized squirrels in our back yard keep making off with the bird bells, and dammit, I'm not paying to feed squirrels!

Since I am trying to attract as many cardinals to our yard as possible, I decided a cedar birdfeeder would be the best bet, so I bought one similar to that pictured below:

A random, but nice older man suggested that I try safflower seeds, as squirrels don't have an affinity for them AND cardinals and other sweet little birds love them. SCORE.
Since putting up the feeder, our backyard has become Bird Paradise.  Seriously!  I have seen more unfamiliar birds in the past 4 days than in the 6+ months we've been here.  Since my orinthology skills are a liiiittle rusty, I've been using http://www.birdsource.org/ to identify my birds.

So far, these are some of the birds of our backyard...

Cardinal (male and female)

Tufted titmouse

Eastern towhee

House finch

Blue jay

Redbellied woodpecker

Carolina chickadee

Mourning dove

Mockingbird



There are more species to showcase, but I'll save them for another day :)

let us rejoice and be glad in it

I have a tendency to be reactive instead of proactive, and often that means that the stresses of life get to me more than they should.  As I was sitting in my comfy chair, sipping my caramel macchiato, the thought came to me:  "This is the day that the Lord has made, so I better rejoice and be glad in it!" 

Here is the list of things for which I am glad...
- coffee, caramel macchiatos, and caffeine
- a functional washing machine (up until today, it had a bit of a "regurgitation issue")
- Turbo Tax
- warm weather
- daffodils and hyacinths
- my wacky feline child and her crazy antics
- new friends who are kindred spirits
- cedar birdfeeders and the flocks they attract
- weekends and time with my husband
- MY HUSBAND <3



oh, and how could I forget...FOOD :)  haha!

Happy sunshiny days, friends!

One month ago today...

...we became Mr. and Mrs.!
Happy one month of marriage, babe!

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all

"You know, I miss the old days when Facebook was just a means of catching up with friends, and not another platform for promoting your political and ethical views..."

I posted that sentiment on my FB wall the other day, after reading post after post asserting that all Christians hate gays, and that if you don't think Obama is the best president our nation has seen, then you're ignorant.

While I fully support the right to free speech, I have grown tired of the 'all or nothing', 'my way or the highway', 'if I talk about it enough, and shove my views down your throat repeatedly, then you'll adopt them, too' undertone of the social networking world.

As long as your sentiments play to the politically correct audience, few people dare to disagree with you in a public forum, for fear of being mislabeled and chastised as closed-minded, discriminatory, or anti-(insert appropriate acronym here).

I am tired of worrying that if I speak my mind, people will "defriend" me.  If you cannot accept the differences between your opinions and mine, then we shouldn't be friends in the first place.  After all, while I may disagree with your views, I will always respect your right to hold these views! 

The most important thing missing from social networks is RESPECT.  Where has the respect gone?  Did it disappear with the ease of a keystroke and the click of a 'submit' button?  Did it disappear with the accountability that comes with owning your words and their impact as you speak to someone face-to-face?

Generalizations affect many special-interest social groups, and they are quick to spew defensive rhetoric without noticing that they are committing the exact offense to which they have taken such offense.  STOP.  Hold yourself accountable for what you say, and for what you type.  Don't assume that religiously conservative or moderate individuals are condemning you to hell.  Don't assume that an attempt at intelligent dialogue and discussion is an attack on your personal views.

While I may only be one person, with one insignificant blog, I have made the decision to hold myself accountable for the things I post online, and to consider the impact of my words.  Can you do the same?

A Twenty-ten Recap

Wow, time for a new post, shall we?! One that doesn't have suicide in the first sentence? Yes, that would be nice. (Let's overlook the fact that the second sentence of *this* post contains *that* word ;) )

SO MANY GREAT THINGS have happened to me, for me, with me since my last post. I'm all about itemized lists these days, so without further ado...

1) Chip proposed! Yay!


















2) We (er, I) planned our wedding...more on that later. Suffice to say, weddings are a LABOR of LOVE. There is a reason why I'll only get married once.
























3) Chip and I GOT MARRIED! Hallelujah! :)

















4) In the middle of the wedding blitz, we moved from Georgia back to North Carolina. The good Lord knew what he was doing when he made me a sweet southern girl from Carolina. And not south Georgia. Our time in GA gave new meaning to James Taylor's Carolina In My Mind, as we constantly yearned for home and everything truly southern. We were blessed to have met some genuinely awesome people who will be our life-long best friends. So, GA wasn't a complete bust.



5) Chip was a first-time "go" through Ranger School. My man IS a Ranger. Who would have thought so much pride and heart would be exerted for such a tiny black and yellow tab? No joke, guys, that achievement is NO JOKE.



6) I am working out. EVERY DAY. (no picture, yet)

...Pause for you to catch your breath from surprise, or from laughing yourself silly....

Yes, friends, becoming a married woman has brought along countless benefits, including being married to a once-certified personal trainer. The fact that he can run 6 miles at a sustained 6 min/mile pace scares me a little, but he's a great workout buddy. While I lift my lil' ol' 20 pound weights, he's huffing and puffing and throwing 75'ers over his head, but makes me feel like I'm the buffest chick around. Awwww :)



7) I am starting my own business. SHHH. I'm not ready to publicize the details, but I'm really excited about what's in store ;) Hopefully, within the next month, everything will be legit, and you'll have more than enough fodder to peruse.



Great things happen every day, but that's the 2010 recap!
Happy 2011, and here's to refusing to remain stagnant this year :)

Lights will guide you home...

A friend of mine committed suicide about three weeks ago.

It's insane, and next to impossible, to try and imagine that he isn't around...isn't "out there" for me to ever randomly message, run into in our old college town, or just look up on FB to see what he's up to.

Ben and I were never super-close, but he was a wonderful friend to me during some of the most tumultuous years of my life, and I will never, EVER forget the lengths he went to support me and my family during my time at Wake Forest. He started out as my financial aid counselor, and quickly became not only my friend, but my father's friend, as well. Dad would call Ben to ask him a question regarding one of my scholarships or loans, and would end up talking with him for an hour...not about the original question, but just about life in general, Wake, and anything else that the two of them would tangent off into.

Dad thought the world of Ben, and so did many others. So did I.

He wasn't perfect - he was hilarious (sober and drunk), threatened to dutch-oven many-a-friend of mine, and could double-fist beers with the best of them. He welcomed people into his circle of friends so openly...I remember playing darts with Ben, Wes, Monu, Reggie, and Jess at West End Opera House, and the many nights of playing Kings and ending up with the beer box on my head!

I wasn't oblivious to Ben's depression, but he spoke of it in the past-tense, and I never thought to probe any further than that. He radiated love, silliness, and friendship. I truly believe he knew that he was loved...the way he looked at his girlfriend, and she at him, in their pictures posted on FB...that's love. His friends, near and far, loved him wholly.

While I tear up every time I think of Ben, I know that's the selfish side of me taking over. He's in heaven with our Almighty...and I can only imagine that Ben has God in stitches, with all his silly sayings and fantastic sense of humor. Really, what could be better than walking into the loving arms of your Creator and feeling nothing but love, peace, forgiveness, and wholeness? I know God didn't wish to see Ben in this way, or this soon, but I know He ran to meet Ben with open arms.

I have faith that many days from now, I, too, will run into the arms of my heavenly father, and over his shoulder, there I'll see Ben. 'Til then, friend :)


"Tears stream down your face
when you lose something you cannot replace
...Lights will guide you home..."

Baby, it's cold outside...but Spring is just around the corner!

I purchased a pot of hyacinth bulbs today at the grocery store. Instead of selecting a plant that was already in full bloom, I chose one that looks like the one pictured directly below. This way, I get to enjoy watching each flower unfold and bloom, and allow their vibrant aroma to slowly fill our house. Hyacinths are my FAVORITE flowers - next to roses out of Dad's garden - and I am always so excited and pleased to see them in early spring!

The plants in full-bloom will look like this:

____________________________________________

Spring colors are skipping their way into my wardrobe, as well as my house.
I just purchased the Madras Scarf in Rosamunde and Navy Cropped-Sleeve Cardigan...

You can find both these items at my place of business, your local Gap store, or at Gap.com

Shed a little light

I walk by faith, and not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

But sometimes, I still need my life's path to be illuminated so that I don't miss the blessings meant for me. When the going gets rough and storm waters kick up in my life, my gut inclination is to batten down the hatches, tuck myself in my snail shell, and not come out until the safe calm comes again. By closing myself off during these vulnerable times, I prevent myself from receiving God's blessings and messages. Some of the best spiritual growth occurs when our defenses are stripped away, leaving us only with our faith and our God to lean upon.

A few weeks ago, we found out our next duty station. And it's not considered a desirable one. Instead of immediately looking for the blessings hidden amongst the crawdads and humidity, I went into freak-out mode and only focused on the negatives. When others expressed their sympathy for us, I didn't bother correcting their viewpoint and emphasizing the potential for grand life experiences in an unknown place. Simply put: I wallowed. A LOT.

But I am done wallowing. Instead, I am vowing to focus on the blessings that will come with this new move, new town, new phase in life. Both Chip and I have opportunities for spiritual growth, personal growth, and growth as a couple, and God's plan is greater than ours, and perfect.

Pray for us as we seek to do the will of one who is greater and wiser, and as we search, eyes peeled, for the clearly-illuminated path.

Shed a little light, oh Lord, so that we can see... :)

Just do it!

2009 was a pretty significant year for me.

- I relocated to Georgia to be with the most awesome man in the world...

- I closed the chapter on a less-than-desirable work situation, and was blessed with a great job, working with wonderful people...

- I have stepped out in faith more times than I can count, from everything from friendships, finances, employment, to personal style and unexplored frontiers...

Not to say that these adventures were easy - most were the opposite - but they were all worth the struggle. The best way to become your own best friend is to strip away all the layers until there's nothing but bare-bones YOU. Gone are the comfort-zone friends, family members, and complacent attitudes. You're forced to deal with all of your insecurities, doubts, and fears. You may not conquer them all at once, but when you look things dead in the eye, they seem much more conquerable.

So, here's to 2010: the year of life-changing actions and decisions.

Not just for me, but for my dear friends. You know who you are, and know that I am walking with you, hand-in-hand, on our journey through life. We can do all things with God's strength and guidance, so let's focus our prayers and minds on our goals.

Just do it!

Handle with care

I've been debating whether or not blogging about the shooting at Fort Hood is beneficial, as there are so many people in the web world who want to focus on the unfairness of profiling, the polarized condition of our country...but that's exactly why I've decided TO blog about it all.

When the day is done, everyone's gone home and had their dinner, brushed their teeth, and tucked their loved ones into bed, it's not about the political in/correctness of profiling. It's not about the Army's failure to identify Major Hasan as an unstable mind. It's not about the politicians in DC, or their agendas. It's not about your political views, or lack thereof. It's not about you - at all. It's not about me, either.


It's about those 13 blessed souls who lost their lives on November 5, 2009.


Drop your ego and agenda at the door, folks, and remember why we grieve.

I'll fly away

I'm not afraid of death.

A simple statement that carries an anvil's worth of weight. It's amazing how the discovery of few abnormal cells in an otherwise healthy body, or a loved one's career change, can cause your defiant stance on your own mortality to dissolve.

I'm still not afraid of death, but I sure do dread the "what if's."





Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away
to a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away

Oh, I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away
when I die, Hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away

Fall reflections...

Fall is hands-down my favorite season.












Crisp, cool air.
Vibrant blue skies.
Crunchy, fallen leaves.
Leaf color explosions.


Sweaters, scarves, wool coats, boots, layering, endless accessorizing.

Apple orchards.
North Carolina mountains.











Warm beds, cold floors.
Blankets.

Chili, soup, stews.
Hot chocolate, coffee, wassail.

Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin pie.
Pecan pie.
Deviled eggs, sweet n' sour pickles.
Mom, Dad, and Eric - YAY!
Cousins, aunts, grandparents.
Conversations around the table, coffee-in-hand.

Road trips.
New traditions -- happy smiles!!

Stranger danger!

Most people can trace their fear of clowns back to scary movies like Stephen King's "It;" not me. I hate clowns because of a single, reoccurring event: the Ayden Collard Festival Parade.

If you're not from Ayden, you should know that it is the self-proclaimed "Collard Capital of the World," and each year holds a festival to honor the leafy green. The festival usually begins on a Thursday, and features the typical small-town draws: rickety rides, fair food, local music and line dancing, a collard eating contests, and of course, the parade.

On the whole, being a spectator at the parade is pretty entertaining. You get to see who won that year's title of Collard Queen - In my opinion, one criterion for winning should be the consumption of copious amounts of collards, but to my knowledge, that has not been put into effect. The car enthusiasts vie for the top spot of "my car's hydraulics are better than your car's!" as they roll down 3rd Street. Local high school marching bands endure the multiple-mile hike, all while playing decently well. The old men of the Pitt County Shriner's Association putter around in their mini-Shriner vehicles -- envision a tiny clown car driven by one very large man -- doing figure 8 tricks with their fellow Shriner clown car buddies. Not bad, right? WRONG.

My family attended the parades annually, but the first one that I remember was when I was 4.
As I watched these benign acts parade by me from my spot on the curb, I allowed myself to be lulled into a falsely secure state, and then I saw them. The CLOWNS. And their "Clown Jail."
Oh, they were decorated in festive face paint, and were wearing clothing of joyful, vibrant colors, and were even handing out candy to children in the crowd! Their Jail puttered along behind them, looking more like a UPS truck than a vehicle of doom. What an awesome sight, especially to little 4-year-old me! I eagerly waited for them to reach my section of the street, hoping to be blessed with a piece of their clown candy. When they reached me, lo! and behold! I hit the jackpot! The clowns threw handfuls of candy in my direction! As I left my safe curbside eutopia to reach for the treasures on the street, I heard a piercing whistle. Mid-candy grab, I looked up to find a clown looking down on me, whistle in hand. "You have to go to jail, little girl," he said, albeit cheerfully, while pointing at the devil mobile behind him.

"Excuse me? Me? Jail? You mean, your jail, there on the road? Away from my mom and dad? The one where kids go in and they don't come out? Um, HELL NO."

The specific details of the succeeding events are blurry; I'm pretty sure I panicked and held tight to my parents like a leech on a fish, but I know one thing for sure:

I didn't board that damn jail, and I haven't gone near a clown since.



To see the sunny side of the Collard Festival, hit this :)

Lead in my lipstick...?

image created by Satveer Kaur

What's in your products?

For many months, I have been phasing out "harsher" cleaning products, laundry detergents, and personal care items in favor of products claiming to be "natural," "organic," environmentally friendly," and "green." While this transition makes me feel eco-chic, it still leaves residual questions.

It's hip to be green these days, but what does that really mean?

Through the Seventh Generation Consumer web page, I discovered a link to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics site, where you can "... look up safety rankings of the products you use" with their database.

Luckily, none of the hair care products, nor make up I use scored higher than a 6 out of 10 on the health hazard scale.

According to their website, in October 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 popular brands of lipsticks at an independent lab for lead content. Their research found that 61 percent of lipsticks contained lead, with levels ranging up to 0.65 parts per million.

Lead paint was banned for residential use in the United States in 1978, but the USDA still allows cosmetics companies to put lead in lipstick that is in direct contact with skin from the time of application, until the time of removal -- and runs the risk of being ingested?!

We don't have to buy a Prius to be green; simply checking the contents of our lipstick can lead to more informed consumer choices. And that, ladies, IS eco-chic.


Check out the following links to find truly "green" products:





Burt's Bees







Seventh Generation















Giovanni Cosmetics & Hair Care

Productive Procrastination, and the Art of Apartment Evolution

So many things that I should be doing right now, but I seem to have left my motivation in bed today. Filling out job applications, organizing all of my junk that currently clutters the spare bedroom, repotting plants, finally creating an Ireland scrapbook, taking a walk on a *finally* sunny day, and the list goes on, and on...

Priorities, Heather!

I also want to start a compilation of my favorite recipes, and find a cute recipe box/binder to store them in. Something with owls, or vintage leaves.


In my productive procrastination mode, I created an Etsy profile: http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=8117677

While I don't plan on selling any items, there are so many creative individuals out there, marketing their products! Check them out - I am in love with Elizabeth Scott's Botanical Jewelry. Once I'm gainfully employed, I may reward myself with a necklace similar to this:


The designer takes leaves, petals, and other natural elements, and uses them to create molds/castings for her jewelry. A flower petal was used to make the pendant above. Too cool!

In other news, Chip and I have concluded that while we are simple folks with simple needs, the following items are essential to living a simple life:

- a kitchen with ample counter top surface area. I have taken to putting Rubbermaid containers full of dirty dishes on top of the dryer in our kitchen, for lack of counter space to set them. This chaotic disorder just drives the two of us Type-A'ers crazy!

- 2-sided deep kitchen sink. Can't begin to tell you how many pairs of jeans I've soaked by misjudging the depth of the sink, and having water splash back at me. Sigh.

- a dishwasher. Ok, being the eco-chic girl that I am, I do not deem a dishwasher as an essential item, BUT when living with a sweetheart of a guy who is too tired to do dishes after I cook dinner, it would certainly be nice to throw those damn things in a dishwasher, turn the knob, and hang out on the couch with him instead of slaving over 2 sinks' worth of dirty dishes.

- storage space! oh my. While I love our apartment, it was not designed with storage in mind. I have no where to put my 3' Christmas tree, out of season clothes, or even clean towels and sheets, or grocery items. Yes, that's correct: no linen closet OR pantry in sight. We have become King Chip and Queen Heather of Basket/Crate Land. Lord help us when we move...

Don't misinterpret the above as discontent; we LOVE our apartment, even with all of its oddities. Like all evolving couples, we're just keeping a running list of must-haves for our next place.

Oh, and a second bathroom would be nice, too ;)

In full-blown homemaker stauts...like? dislike? hah!

I've been swapping recipes with one of my hometown friends, Katherine (who is an actual chef, and whose culinary skills make me feel like I'm cooking with an Easy Bake Oven!). She graciously gave me her recipe for corn casserole, and I sent her my version of upside-down peach cobbler. Last night, I cooked both of our recipes. Each dish was delicious, as evidenced by how quickly Chip inhaled both, and the 20 times he informed me, "baby, this is awesome!" Success!

On a less successful note, no word from the coffee shop. Slightly agitated, as I was told I would receive a call "by Wednesday." It's now Thursday. Get on it, folks! I feel guilty for not working, but even more guilty for enjoying the lack of working. Can't get lazy. Plus, mama wants some new clothes ;)

**Update! Called the coffee shop, only to find out that the manager had not even submitted my resume to her supervisor, even though she declared that she would do so last Thursday. Sigh. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Except for in this case, I can't do it myself. Oh well, maybe this is a sign that I'm not meant to be in control of anything except for menial personal decisions (ha!).



(photo courtesy of Katherine Landreth)

The more I see, the less I know...

Ohhh, thank goodness for Michael Franti and Spearhead, and their music! It keeps me grooving and dancing around even on not-so-uplifting days.

Yesterday was a series of speed bumps, but it concluded with me getting a job offer! As I was sitting in the coffee shop on post, applying for jobs online, one of the employees struck up a conversation with me, and during the course of that convo, I randomly asked if they were hiring (because you all know I love all things coffee!) and it turns out, they are. Sweet! Update: Coffee shop job was not meant to be, at least not in my timing. On to bigger and better things!

After my adventures in research in Raleigh, I was ready to work with a kind, friendly group of individuals who didn't radiate self-loathing and negativity. Where better to find just that than a coffee shop?

While I don't foresee this being a permanent position, it will keep me busy, and employed, while I continue the search. Also, the schedule will allow me to volunteer at an environmental education center, which is something I've wanted to do for years.

All in all, I am very thankful for how things in my life are evolving and presenting themselves, and I wouldn't change a thing.




"Before" Pictures of our Apartment...









We have plans to paint the whole place, so hopefully, that will transpire in the next month so I can post the "After" pictures!

Throwing darts at the bullseye

My dad's always told me, "Heather, the more darts you thow at the dartboard, the higher your chances of hitting the bullseye." This addage certainly applies to my job search approach. I feel as though I've filled out a million applicaions (ok, maybe only 75ish, but that's still a LOT), yet I am still searching.

I've learned one thing: internet job searches/applications are certainly not for me. It's almost like you submit your information and it disappears into webspace oblivion, never to be found or heard from again. The responses I have received all want me to "find out my credit score and email it to [insert company name here]." Perhaps this is legit, but in an age of rampant identity theft, something about sending confidential information to a person whom I've never spoken to makes me VERY nervous.

Tired of the internet search futility, I ventured out into the sunshine and visited the Army's Employment office today. There were several job postings online that I decided to submit applications for, and a face-to-face application delivery is always better than a faceless envelope in the mail. Resume in hand, I walked through the office door, and was almost immediately informed that I was not "qualified" to apply for the jobs I was interested in -- essentially because I am not married to an Armed Forces Member, and therefore, cannot claim Spousal Preference. Even though I have my Bachelor's Degree, I have been relegated to the NAF (Nonappropriated Funds) category of applicants. In essence, an "Mrs." trumps a BS.

Even a BS from Wake Forest! (hah)

The search continues, but I refuse to get married just to placate the Army and their desire to have everyone "figured out".

Carolina girls, sweet southern pearls

Since I am moving to Columbus, Georgia in less than 4 weeks, a blog seemed to be the best way to keep my family and friends up-to-date with the goings-on in my life.

Subscribe, comment, and come visit any time you desire some hot, humid weather...or some Heather time :)