Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini... or not.

JP and I have at least two beach trips planned this summer, and I will likely have two more with other people.  Last year I did not buy a new swimsuit, so this year I decided I wanted a new one.  I have found that J. Crew is my favorite place to buy swimsuits.  I try to buy early in the spring because a lot of times the sizes go fast.  So, earlier this spring I waited for a sale and bought this swimsuit...

The last swimsuit I bought was solid so I was excited to get a print.

Unfortunately the J. Crew in Birmingham does not have swimsuits.  I know some people may be hesitant to purchase a swimsuit online, however, J. Crew has free shipping on swimsuits and allows you to return any swimsuit to the store.  So, if you have a J. Crew near by, there is no trouble with returns. 

Considering there is a J. Crew 1 mile from our house, this is a great option for me!  When I ordered this swimsuit, I actually ordered two others because I wasn't sure which fit I would like best.  This one won out and I easily returned the others.

House Update: May 2012

Although we did not cross a ton of stuff our To-Do List during the month of May, we were definitely more productive than April, when we crossed nothing off of the list!

Pillows

I had ordered these euro shams back in January when I ordered our bedding.  However, I did not have any euro pillows to put them on.  I really did not want to spend a lot of money on these pillows but the more I looked the more I realized that the $10 pillows were not going to be the quality I looked for.  I even ordered 3 $10 pillows from Sears.com because the reviews stated they seemed better than other $10 euro pillows.  However, although they weren't bad pillows they were not as firm as I would have liked.  I determined maybe $20 could get me the firmness I wanted.  I decided to stop looking online and actually went to Macy's.  Lucky me, they were have a buy one get one free deal on euro pillows.  I was able to get $50 euro pillows for $25 a piece.  Slightly more than I wanted to spend but I didn't have to worry about ordering them and they were exactly what I was looking for.  Now I can actually use the shams that have been sitting in their plastic wrapping since January.

Bag Storage

I always have saved our plastic grocery bags as we tend to find uses for them frequently.  We had been just throwing them under the sink.  This was an incredibly unorganized system.  There would be bags all over the place!  I know some people will put all their bags in one bag but for some reason that method did not work for us.  I purchased this bag holder and it immediately made me feel more organized.

Shower Knobs
When we moved in, for some reason one of the knobs in the master shower was missing.  So, we had to use this to turn the hot water on.
 

We finally have it fixed! It took us so long because Lowes and Home Depot did not carry the part we needed so JP had to go to a small local hardware store.  And, considering he was out of town so much from January-April he never got a chance to go.  So, he finally had a chance to go and it is fixed!  The guest bath had a similar issue, and it is fixed now too.

Kitchen Cleaning

Now this wasn't on our list, but I've struggled the whole time we've had our house to figure out the best way to clean our granite counter tops.  It seems as if everyone prefers granite and when you watch shows like House Hunters, people seem to shun any kitchen that does not have granite.  However, in my opinion, granite is not low maintenance! Any time you just wipe something up you are going to leave a huge streak.  Also there seems to be all kinds of rules about what you can and cannot use on granite.

I originally bought these granite wipes which worked but they were more for shining and less for cleaning- and they did not sanitize.

I finally did some research and decided to try just using soap and water.  Using a rag and Dawn, I scrubbed the counter tops.  They felt so much cleaner!  However, when doing that there are still streaks.  So, I read that Windex Multisurface Antibacterial was ok to use on granite. Note: Some websites say yes, some say no.  The company states that is ok to use so I will trust them.  So after using soap and water I am able to get rid of the streaks and ensure sanitizing by using the Windex.

Now that I have determined a way to clean the counter tops maybe I will like them more!

 Kitchen Reorganization

 Again, this wasn't on our list but... Originally I had placed the toaster oven on the right side of the stove.  I moved it to the left side, and I feel like the counter seems a lot less cluttered and that there is a lot more workspace.  Note: I suppose one day I should do a blog post about why we have a pig in our kitchen... although he is not supposed to be upside down.

A Goose Egg in the Hits Column

Two important things you need to know for this story.
1. My brother-in-law Matt lives in NYC.  Remember- I went to see him last fall.
2. I love baseball. I talk a little about that here.

On Friday June 1, Matt decided to go to a Mets game.  This game turned out to be more than just a game.  It was epic.  Matt witnessed the first no-hitter ever thrown in Mets franchise history.  The chance of witnessing a no-hitter is slim to begin with, but witnessing the first no-hitter in franchise history?  There were 8,019 games that covered 51 seasons that happened before this no-hitter.  I'd say Matt picking the 8,020th game to attend was a wise decision.

Note: I am an avid Braves fan and seeing as the Mets-Braves have a long standing rivalry I want to make it clear that it takes something of this proportion to have a blog post about the Mets.

April and May- Flying By

I can not believe it is already June! I have done quite a poor job keeping this blog updated. With JP having traveled for work for the most part of January through April, I have enjoyed him being home. Although I will say I have had to remember how to prepare meals for more than just one.

Mavericks Basketball
If you remember from my last post April was quite a busy with traveling.  I traveled to Atlanta to go to the Mavericks-Hawks game with my friend Amanda. We both are Mavs fans and have been to many Mavs games together.  I did not take a picture from this game, but here we are at a game in Dallas- we got sit only a few rows back!  The Mavericks did not win the game- the last of the season.

After the game Amanda dropped me off at the Four Seasons hotel.  JP was staying there for work so I got to stay a night with him.




Engagement Party
Two of our friends from church are getting married... this Saturday! We hosted an engagement party for them in April.  We grilled out burgers (as well as a pork tenderloin per JP's request) and our home group members brought toppings, sides, and desserts.

No party is complete without cute napkins...

... and fresh flowers 

We spent the evening outside enjoying the great company, perfect weather, a game we created that consisted of throwing acorns/walnuts into cups... it was much more fun than it sounds.

Baby Bites

I had always heard of baby bites, but it wasn't until this spring that I actually experienced them. SO good. They are moist, sweet, and quite addicting.  Unfortunately, by my book, they are quite a splurge.  But, worth the occasional treat.  If you have not tried them and are in the Birmingham area, please go to Pastry Art Bake Shoppe and fix this problem.



Talladega
JP and I went to Talladega. I had never been; he had been once.  Our seats were on the THIRD row right in front of the starting line.  It was quite an experience to be so close to cars going 200mph.  I was just stunned the first few times they passed me.  They then went on to pass me a total 199 times and although it was incredibly fast every time, I did get somewhat bored.  However, I did not mind because I know some people complain about baseball being boring while I absolutely love it.

JP's guy, Matt Kenseth, was in the lead for a large part of the race, but unfortunately he did not win.  After the race, we grilled out by the car to help us prevent from getting stuck in traffic. Although I probably won't attend another race, I was quite glad I got the experience.


Ultimate Frisbee
JP and I played in an ultimate frisbee tournament with a team from our church.  My sister joined us as well.  We had never played in an organized ultimate frisbee game... only a few random ones in college, so we were newbies with lots to learn.  Most of the people on our team had a ton of experience as they play in the summer league.  My sister and I were the only ones there without cleats, but we still did ok.  We had a ton of fun and would love to play in the summer league next year.  Our team got third in the tournament.  I did learn that Ultimate is a good workout!
 

Summer
With the celebration of Memorial Day, it is officially summer.  We spent Memorial Day in Decatur with my family and enjoyed a weekend full of hot air balloons, hammocks, the farmers market, and sunshine.
I have also enjoyed getting to see what is blooming at our house.

 Since this is our first Spring/full summer to be here, there were a few surprises, like these lilies.

 Hope you are enjoying your summer! We look to have a pretty full June full of potential blog worthy material.