Our Hawaiian Adventure: The Beginning

My goal is to visit all 50 states. This August I got to check one of the more difficult ones off my list when we visited the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Flying to Hawaii from the Southeast is no short trip, but we were lucky enough to be able to spend a night in Phoenix with JP's family to break up the trip. We arrived in Phoenix at 10pm, and immediately got JP's favorite burrito from Filibertos. The next morning we were at the airport bright and early to catch an 8am flight to Honolulu.

We decided to only travel with carry-on baggage to help save money. As we sat waiting to board our plane, I could not help but laugh at the difference in my luggage and JP's luggage. JP's on the left says, I'm a business traveler. Mine, on the right, screams child.

I had never been on a 6 hour plane ride so prepared myself with many distractions. JP's favorite distraction was the service dog that was sitting two rows in front of us.

 Our flight to Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines was not bad at all, and we were pleased to receive a free meal even if, as JP would point out, it was just sliced fruit and cheese & crackers. Once we got to Honolulu, however, we had a 4 hour layover until we could take the less than one hour flight to Kauai. This is what did us in. Thankfully there was an courtyard so we did not have to stay inside the entire time. We also got our exercise in walking all the airport with our luggage to kill time.

When we finally arrived in Kauai, we quickly took the shuttle to the Thrifty Car Rental to get our car. If you are ever going to Hawaii, you should definitely check out discounthawaiicarrental.com which has great deals from the major car rental companies. We hoped into our Jeep, convertible, Crown Victoria and went to get some groceries at the only WalMart on the island. (Yes, you read that correctly. We drove a Crown Vic around Kauai that whole week. JP, for some strange reason, really wanted this car, and it was one of the cheaper options. Although the Altima was slightly cheaper, he insisted on this police car look a like).

By the time we got to the place we were renting (more on that later), the time change and travel was really starting to get to us. We had had very little to eat all day and were hungry but were so tired we really had no desire to really get out. After talking to the lady we were renting from, we learned there was an Italian restaurant within walking distance.

Casa di Amici ended up being the perfect place for us to relax and eat after a long day. We sat outside on a small lanai in the most perfect weather while listening to live piano music. Although it ended up being one of our more expensive meals, it was totally worth it. I really don't remember what we got other than a soup as an appetizer, but it was all very flavorful with portion sizes large enough for leftovers.

After dinner, we headed back to our place and went to sleep at 8:30- which felt like 1:30am to us! Although we were tired, we were very excited to be starting our adventure.

Michael + Heather

On the first trip I took with JP's family to Hilton Head in 2010, my brother-in-law Michael and I traveled all over the island via bike. On one of our bike rides we talked a lot about Michael's future. Little did we know on that bike ride that the very next summer his future wife would be joining us at Hilton Head. And just two summers after our conversation, he would be driving to Hilton Head a newly engaged man.

We were so excited to celebrate the marriage of Michael and Heather on May 25 in Glouster, Ohio, Heather's home town.

Lake Houses
Because Glouster is a tiny town (population 1,791 according to Wikipedia), finding a place to stay wasn't as simple as staying at the local Hilton or Marriott chain hotel. My mother-in-law worked really hard to find everyone a place to stay, and she came through with flying colors. We all stayed in two 5 bedroom lake houses. It was perfect and beautiful!

Rehearsal Dinner
When JP and I got married, his parents through us a wonderful rehearsal dinner, and I knew Heather and Michael would get the same. I volunteered to help plan, and really my mother-in-law planned it all... I just was her assistant. Again because Glouster was small, it was challenging to find a place for the rehearsal dinner. After much search, it was decided to have it at a BBQ place in Athens (the closest larger town to Glouster). This place had an old house that had been turned into a event place. The rehearsal dinner was held in the large room on the second floor.

While the restaurant took care of dinner, we took care of dessert... a brownie sundae bar. The night before, several of us made the brownies in one of the lake houses.

 

The table decorations reflected Michael's ties to Arizona. Matt and I helped get the tables ready the morning before the dinner.




 Each guest got to take one home!

 

The bride and groom each had a hard plastic coffee cup to mark their seat to represent their shared love of coffee.

We did most of the setup in the morning, but there were somethings that needed to be done right before the dinner. So, while everyone else was as the rehearsal, JP's Aunt, Uncle, and cousin Colbie went to the venue to do some last minute things.



After everyone ate their meal, there was a time of sharing stories about Michael and Heather. It was a good time of honoring the bride and groom

Car Decorations
When JP and I got married, decorating the car was apparently an after thought. JP's groomsmen actually left the wedding to go get stuff to decorate the car. When they decorated the car they wrote on the paint with something (I'm not sure what) and to this day you can faintly see Just Married on the hood of the car.

JP and I wanted to make sure that decorating of the car went smoothly, so after the rehearsal dinner we went to the WalMart in Athens to get car decorating supplies. I think we had a little bit too much fun!

Journal
Here I am with the groom the morning of the wedding. As we were sitting on the deck of the lake house overlooking the lake, he was writing in the last pages of the journal that he wrote for Heather. He started this journal when they got engaged and wrote in it every day ending with the morning of the wedding. While the bride was getting ready with her bridesmaids, I was honored to be the one to take her this journal. Of course, she (and all her bridesmaids) thought it was incredibly sweet.

 Wedding!
Of course I went with the groomsmen when they went and took pictures.

In typical JP fashion, in order prevent himself from getting hot and sweaty (which he does sweat easily), he went to the church kitchen looking for a jug to fill up with water and take with him while they were taking pictures outside. Heather's dad came to the rescue and provided him with this.

 

 

The Car
After the wedding ceremony, Michael and  Heather went to take pictures before the reception. The groomsmen (and me) took this time to decorate the car. Once finished, the groomsmen were told they could not go into the reception until Michael and Heather returned. So, they went back and decorated the car some more. The longer they were gone, the more... we'll say creative... it got. Here are a few pics.

 

I love this following picture. They already had planned to have bubbles, but in addition, JP bought confetti fireworks. Although it was a pain to clean up afterwards, Michael and Heather were surprised by the confetti, and I think it made for some great pictures!




Michael and Heather left the wedding and headed off to an exciting honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. Once returning they have settled into their apartment where Heather will be starting grad school and Michael will be expanding his photography business (which by the way you should check him out... especially if you are planning a wedding. He is legit. www.michaelkaalphotgraphy.com)

Recipe: Greek Pita Pizzas

Monday's are really busy for both JP and me. After work, I head for my workout class, and JP heads to play basketball with church. I typically get home about an hour before him so am in charge of dinner. After a full day of work followed by a hard workout, I am usually starving but have no desire to spend time in the kitchen. Therefore, I am always on the lookout for quick, easy recipes.

One of my favorite blogs, Annie's Eats, has come through we a good Monday night option with her Greek Pita Pizzas.
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Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing
4 pitas (I usually choose the whole wheat)
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar (I had never purchased this before. It is actually really cheap)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano (or ½ tsp. dried) (I use dried)
½ small red onion, halved and sliced thin
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped (or sliced black olives) (I use kalamata)
¾ cup grape tomatoes, halved (I never measure these)
½ cup hummus (I never measure this either. I just use a spoonful on each pita)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (Again I never measure this. I just sprinkle a good bit on each pita)
½ cup crumbled feta (Our seeing a trend that I don't measure? Again I just sprinkle what I think is enough of each pita)
Tzatziki sauce, for serving (I've never used this)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475˚ F.  Lightly brush both sides of the pita with olive oil.  Arrange the pita on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes or until light golden.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the vinegar with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the oregano.  Season with salt and pepper, and whisk to blend.  Add the onion, olives and tomatoes to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing.

Spread about 2 tablespoons (or a big spoonful) of the hummus over each pita.  Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pita, dividing it evenly between the four.  Layer each with a quarter of the vegetable mixture.  Top with the crumbled feta.  Bake once more until the vegetables have softened and the cheese has melted, about 6-8 minutes.  Top as desired with tzatziki sauce and serve immediately.
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I wasn't sure how the hummus would taste as I had never had warm hummus. It was actually really good! These pitas are very flavorful! And, although they do not have meat, JP has approved them. Plus, they reheat really well in the toaster oven.

Zoe Loves Summer

 This girl is loving her first summer. From running through fresh green grass to playing with the plethora of bugs outside, she is one happy dog. She is also getting to experience a lot of new things.

Zoe just loves water so we thought it would be great to get her a small pool for the backyard. She loves taking a dip after a long walk in the neighborhood.



But she isn't limited to this small amount of water. One of the walking trails near our house has a creek that runs next to it. She loves running through the water and this past week started sticking her entire head under water. She is working on her swimming as well. Her first experience was swimming was in a pool, and she is perfecting her skills in the deeper part of the creek.

She is also loving playing with other dogs. She has made several dog friends in the neighborhood. Her first experience with multiple dogs came at JP's uncle's house. She was one of four dogs and loved playing with them, even if they did not love playing with her all the time. She got to meet our friend's Great Dane. Size by no means intimated her. This was also evident at her first trip to the dog park. Zoe walked right into the group of dogs with no problem and enjoyed over an hour of play with over 10 dogs.

 

And no worries, Zoe is handling the summer heat just fine. With the help of her pool mentioned above and a hair cut, the heat isn't getting to her.

Down Under

I feel I should document JP's obsession. He is obsessed with the country of Australia.  When I say obsessed, I mean:

• He watches Youtube videos on the country. He has discovered a channel by the Australian government of videos they made in the 1950s and 1960s. He watches this frequently.
• He read Wikipedia articles on the country.
• He has discovered how to listen to radio stations from all over the world on our tv. You better believe he has checked out stations from Australia.
• He frequently talks about moving to Australia. 

Apparently this is not a new interest of his. I found in his third grade journal, on  December 15, 1994 he wrote: "If I could I would go to Australia."

No worries, we won't be moving there anytime soon. I told him I could not move to another country without visiting, and we have no plans to visit anytime soon. To be honest, I don't think he actually wants to move, he just gets on kicks where he likes to research places and things. As I type this he is reading all about the Tesla electric car... and I don't think we will buying one of these even though he is intrigued with it. (He just stated it costs $90,000 so yes we will not be buying it).

College Friend Reunion

My college friends try to get together twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall. This year we met in April in Birmingham. We enjoyed lunch, walking around Samford, and catching up.


  Blair and I enjoyed remembering our Frisbee class we took our Senior year when we found a Frisbee in the book store.

We also exchanged gifts. At our fall 2012 meeting we all drew a name and were responsible for getting that person a gift staying within the predetermined price range. This year I had drew Emily. Because a few people forgot who they had we all emailed Emily who we had and she reminded everyone. I did not want to email Emily, but I had to. So, since she knew who I was going in to the exchange, I felt like I needed to do something fun and creative.

If you know Emily, you would know that she can quote pretty much any movie or tv show she has ever seen. You would also know that she loves Friends. So, I decided to do a Friends themed gift for her. I got her a gift that represented each character of Friends. On the outside of the wrapping I had a quote from this Friends character that went along with the gift.

Brittany had me. She has a sewing/monogramming business, so I got a cute travel bag, shirt, and key chain from her shop.

How to Make a Headboard... Mistakes and All

We all dream of a house pulled from the pages of a Pottery Barn magazine. Well, except for Phoebe... if you watch Friends. I particularly had picked out this headboard and felt it would go perfect in our bedroom.

 However, the $900 price did not sound so perfect. So, i thought to myself, "I think I can make that." After some research, I discovered a very simple plan on ana-white.com. If you are not familiar with this website, you should be. There tons of plans for making your own furniture, and they are all free and all doable. I discovered the plan for a king size headboard that looked very similar to the headboard from Pottery Barn. Note: They have plans for other bed sizes too.

I am quite fortunate that JP's grandparents have always done wood work. They kindly purchased the wood for me (I reimbursed them), cut it according to the plans, brought it to me, and oversaw that building process.

We used pine wood as reclaimed wood is more expensive and hard to find. All the materials cost $100... much better than $900!

The directions for assembly were great, and although it took a little time, putting the headboard together was not difficult and went very well.

We made sure to sand each piece of wood lightly before assembly, and then sanded again lightly before staining. Here JP is round off the edge of the top piece.

 After easy assembly, it is time to stain.

And here is where I begin How NOT to Make a Headboard. As you can see if everything goes well, this project is a weekend project. However, everything did not go well with the staining. So here are all the steps from how things messed up to how we fixed the problems.

1. Thinking we were using the stain and poly in one. There are two types of stains- what I call a normal stain and then a stain and poly in one. The normal stain requires you to wipe off the excess stain after about 5-10 minutes of soaking. The in one stain does not require this. We thought we had the in one stain so we did not wipe off the excess. We actually had the normal stain. So, since we did not wipe it off, we had a very sticky finish. This, however, was not our biggest issue.

2. Our biggest issue was the patchiness that occurred.

 

 
 
As the stain dried we began to notice these grayish patches forming. We had no idea what was going on. JP's grandparents who have much experience with staining had never seen this occur. After much research, I figured out what had happened. Pine is a soft wood. If you do not use a wood conditioner, the stain will soak in at these soft spots and cause these gray patches. Well, we obviously did not use wood conditioner. So, learn from my mistake, if you ever use pine, use a wood conditioner.

3. So how does one fix such a problem. I tried a light sand, it did not work. I did not want to use stain remover because that sounded messy and too chemically for me. The only option left was sanding the whole thing down to the unfinished wood. I used 60 grade sandpaper. This was no easy task and took quite a long time. I will be honest, it was not enjoyable and at times I got very frustrated. While I was doing this, I did not even know if it would help.

4. I finally got it all sanded down to the unfinished wood! I purchased a wood conditioner. I made sure to read the directions and applied it appropriately. After applying it to the first side, I dropped the brand new container of wood conditioner and lost all of the product. I had to buy another can of wood conditioner.

5. If there was one good thing that came out of this mistake (other than learning), here it is. I had not really cared for the stain color we originally used. I felt it had too much red in it and was not dark enough. For the re-stain, we ended up using the stain color Ebony. It looked black going on, put once we wiped the stain off after 5-10 minutes (yes we read the directions this time) it looked dark brown and matched our chest and dresser.

6. After applying the stain, I was beginning to have hope. However, there were two places that looked very chalky to me and I was disappointed. I applied a polyeurathane too finish but was not completely pleased.

7. JP's grandmother suggested finish the headboard with a coat of wax. Oh, how I am so glad she suggested this! When we applied the wax it made the few chalky looking areas disappear. It looked great!

Here it is in the garage.

And here it is in the bedroom (right after installation which is why there is a drill on the table and toolbox on the floor.

Although it does not look exactly like the one from Pottery Barn, it looks very close. I am pleased with it after all the hard work and am glad I saved $800. I learned a lot from this project and would like to make something else. Hopefully, the staining process will go better next project!