my husband: the carpenter?

yes. it’s true.

my husband has turned into somewhat of a carpenter.

he’s had some time off (which has been awesome!) so he’s learned a new hobby!

it goes a little something like this- i come home from work one day only to find chico frantically surfing the web for some coffee tables made from wood pallets. now, this normally sounds like something i would be doing, but hey- i’m all for it. after all, our current coffee table is too big for the area our sectional couch allows.

the next few days, pallets start piling up in our backyard along with some scrap wood. dang- he is really goin’ for it!

then about a week later, i find this beauty perched in front of our couch:

seriously?! how did he do this?

i’m so impressed and pretty jealous because the guy is just THAT good at anything he tries!

plans are in the works for some other household items- i’m excited to see what he comes up with next!

oh- and he’s taking orders, btw. 🙂

Text Tuesday: Transformers Meet Joan Rivers

Happy Tuesday! We have some good news and bad news.

The good news is that Chico has been home for a few months now (cheers from the crowd!).

The bad (if you even want to call it that) news is that we haven’t had very many hilarious texts lately since we’ve been together so much.

BUT!

I’d like to share a funny interaction we had just the other night:

Scene: Watching TV before we fall asleep.

Aly: What are we watching right now?

Chico: Transformers.

Aly: Since we watched football all day, is it okay if I watch Fashion Police now?

Chico: No, because I don’t want to have nightmares about Joan Rivers.

Me: Well, I don’t want to have nightmares about giant monsters.

Chico: You will anyways. And what’s the difference between Joan Rivers and giant monsters anyways?

😉

Hopes for 2013

Wow- it’s already a new year! As I get older, I realize how fast time flies…

Last year I posted my Hopes for 2012. And while I had some great intentions, I didn’t exactly do so well.

I read one book…. (okay, that is reeeeally bad!) Kept some flowers in the house while watching my “garden” slowly die outside (does that even count?). And the whole camping and broadway show hopes? Yeah, never happened (sad faces)…

Needless to say, I did accomplish some great things in 2012. I started working out  more than I had previously, traveled to a new destination, I kept up regularly with my other blog for a good portion of the year, and I was able to raise over $1000 for orphans in India!

So although we know I’m horrible at these things, I’d like to try it again. It’s good to at least have some ideas of what you’d like to accomplish in a year, right?

1. Sew more often.

2. Stay organized/keep my house clean.

3. Watch less TV.

4. Volunteer/ Get involved in the community.

5. Write more cards and letters to friends and family.

…and what the heck, I’ll keep some of my old ones on here!

6. Read more.

7. Travel to a New Destination.

8. Go Camping.

Sources: one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight

What are some of your 2013 hopes?

Christmas 2012

This Christmas season we traveled to Chicago to celebrate with Alyssa’s family. The trip had a bittersweet beginning as we attended services to honor and remember Alyssa’s great-grandmother, Nana, who passed away a week before Christmas. She was by all accounts the true matriarch of the family. A genuinely remarkable woman, it would be impossible for anyone who had met her to not remember her sense of humor and beautiful smile.

Living in Nashville the last several years, these two northerners have had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit with a forecast of 65 and snowless in December. So we were both happy to see some flurries our first day in the Windy City.

There were of course the epic family get togethers complete with karaoke and dancing.

One of my favorite parts of going to Chicago in the winter is that my in-laws live on a pond that is perfect for skating when it freezes. My skating skills aren’t necessarily on par with the rest of the crew. However, I did get a pretty decent hockey lesson from Alyssa’s dad, and even helped (at least I tried to) protect the turf in a neighborhood pickup game.

Alyssa on the other hand grew up figure skating and is pretty awesome on the ice.

Alyssa and I became Aunt and Uncle this year to twin boys, and even though we hated missing their first Christmas we’re so grateful for technology that let us see our little buddies!

We went downtown to check out the city’s holiday lights.

Train reflections

Hope that you all had a great Christmas with loved ones!

Warm Blankets Challenge

Hey guys!

So it’s been a while since we’ve posted anything… but I really need to let you know about this new challenge I have taken on over this holiday season. Here goes!

I have decided to participate in a project with my friend Elaini. She is a fashion blogger on Misselainious.com and has raised thousands of dollars for kids in India through Warm Blankets Orphan Care. This holiday season, she has asked me to participate in a 12 Days of Christmas project. The challenge for me will be to style a photo shoot inspired by day 2- two turtle doves which will be posted on her blog in about a week. (I’ll be sure to let you know!) The shoot was so fun and I cannot wait to show you pics!

With this challenge, my goal is to raise $1000 before the end of the year to donate to Warm Blankets Orphan Care. This is an organization Chico & I really care about. We met the founder, Craig, about a year ago and heard some of the most incredible stories about the kids (ask me about them sometime!).

Warm Blankets rescues these orphans from life on the streets or worse, sex trafficking. Your donation helps put these adorable kids in loving Church Orphan Homes where they are cared and provided for. By helping give these children a safe environment, you not only save their lives but you help them to thrive. With your support, they will be clothed, fed, given an education, and most importantly loved. Your donation goes to not just changing these precious lives but also invests in helping to stop the cycle of poverty in this country.

How do you donate? Head over to Elaini’s blog and click “Give Now” in the right hand corner. Please put “Alyssa DiCicco” in the comments section so my progress is tracked. All donations are made through a secure page & are tax deductible. Please know that 100% goes to the children- pretty rad. Checks can be sent to this address but please make sure to mark my name on the bottom of the check as well as “12 Days Project”.

Warm Blankets Orphan Care
5105 Tollview Dr.
Suite 155
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

No matter if it’s $1 or $100+, every little bit helps! This is such a great opportunity to give back this Christmas and I really hope you are as excited about Warm Blankets as I am!

Thanks & God Bless!

❤ Aly