Saturday September 29th

I couldn't believe it earlier this week when my Mom texted me and told me she was on the waiting list for an iPhone 5. Up to this point, she's been Blackberry loyal.
But today she became the least excited owner of an iPhone 5, probably ever. The guy who set it up for her said some people are like jumping up and down excited (a bit much?) but Mom couldn't have been more "eh" about the whole thing.







For so long I have been talking about getting bangs...
I am a hair wimp- I usually get a tiny trim and that's it. I cover my gray hair with the same color as my normal hair color and take no hair risks AT ALL, EVER....usually.... but, today, I got brave and went for it!
I got bangs!!!

I really have been in a slump lately, so this is a good change :)

Friday September 28th

Every Friday I get together with the other 2 new Special Ed teachers near me (both young and awesome, like me) and do something new in the gorge- this week we decided to hop over to Cascade Locks and go to the Cascade Locks Port Cafe.
I thought some of the things in the gift shop were pretty funny.

I really hope they find Bigfoot in my town. We do host an annual bigfoot festival, so we're ready.

I love that no matter where we go it's always amazingly beautiful.

I love being able to talk SpEd with other first year teachers...it's a highlight of my week for sure!! I am so lucky that there are TWO so close to me, and I love our Friday tradition :) The added bonus is, of course, that everywhere we go looks like a post card.

Wednesday September 26th

It's a little hard to believe that summer is STILL going strong...but it is and I love it. I try and go on a walk everyday because I know soon I will be stuck inside.

Just me and podcasts make for great evening walks. (I'm obsessed with Stuff You Should Know & Stuff You Missed In History Class. OBSESSED!)

Of course I'm still working on my house, this week was curtains :) after hanging them in the bedroom I had a marathon curtain making/ curtain hanging session Tuesday. I was DETERMINED to get them up and done. I hung the curtain rods (which isn't HARD, but is time consuming) then I actually made the curtains. I have been looking for plain white curtains for awhile, but they are so expensive and on principle I refuse to pay  $40/window for curtains! That's insane! When I was at Ikea last weekend I was on the hunt for some cheap ones... but then ended up finding white full sheets for $4/each instead. I figured I could make curtains myself, and with some no-sew hemming tape, and an iron gifted to me by a friend I think I made some cute curtains!
For curtain rods + curtains for all 4 windows in my house I paid... $65. I actually LOVE them and think the make it look much more homey. Also I now feel like I can open my windows, shut my curtains and let air into my house, which is a plus.
I want to post pictures of my whole house & I will soon... but right now it's still "in progress." :)

Tuesday September 25th

Sunday my Mom & I went to Ikea with our friends Keri & Elaine, plus cute baby Taryn. I was able to get a second shelf that I had been wanting for awhile, and my Dad even got me this tool set-
So I could put it together. Doesn't every girl need a pink tool set? :)
I have been using it a lot lately, too (so thank you Dad!). Last night I hung curtains in both my bedrooms... I hung them wayyyy to low in one room, but I fixed it immedietly because it was annoying me.

I think they look SO MUCH BETTER higher on the wall.
Now I am on a curtain hanging mission- I want to finish my living room tonight :)

Let's play catch up :)

September 14th
The first Friday of every month is "Ladies Nights Out" in my little town. So last Friday my fellow new teacher friends & I (+ my Aunt) went to check it out. It's so cute... all the local places that participate (basically all of them), have pink balloons out in front.

We ended up at the local Mexican place for dinner... which was amazing. And the waitress was (of course) the Mom of one of my students.
After Elaine and Phoebe headed to Vancouver Zina and I headed to the local 24 hour super market for some snacks.



Oh and Zina is amazing, and here is the proof...




September 15th
We decided to spend our weekend canning. So Zina, my Mom & I went off to my favorite produce store, The Barn.

I am sad summer is pretty much over ... but I do love fall.

We ended up canning 3 dozen pickles! Bread & butter, my favorite :) I can't wait to eat them all winter long!



September 16th
Sunday we went jet skiing. We have 2 stand up jet skis and have been taking them out as much as possible before it gets cold. It was a PERFECT day. The water was so smooth & there was no one on the river.
I was even able to see my favorite baby in the world.

& after a long day, I went to dinner with my parents.








September 17th
Elaine (another new teacher at the local elementary school) and I have been trying to make it over to Backwoods Brewery in the next town over for awhile. We finally made it on Monday.
Naturally our waitress was actually a teacher from Elaine's school. That's a good/bad thing about a small town, no matter where I go I feel like I ALWAYS see someone I know.

The pizza was amazing. The brewery was right in the middle of a farm. More and more I love rural life (sometimes).





September 21st

I have been meaning to go to one of my school's football games for weeks... this Friday I was able to drag Phoebe & Elaine with me. We didn't even stay to half time, but it was still fun. 



September 22nd

I went with my Mom & Dad to the farmers market this morning... today is also their 28th wedding anniversary.


& that is how I have been spending my weekends lately :)

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Tonight I am watching Netflix and eating pizza alone, and I could not be more thrilled. More and more I feel so happy and content with my life. My job is fun and I enjoy the people I work with & my students. I have a great family and amazing friends. I love my little town... far enough away that I can say I live rural... close enough that I can come home whenever I want. The best of both worlds.

I feel so lucky to have such a great life.

Saturday September 8th

Saturday was one of my oldest friends, Vanessa's wedding -old as in we have been friends since 5th grade, not old as in age...just to clarify! :)
I drove out to her wedding which was about 40 minutes south of Portland. But first I got distracted by this-

I actually turned around and went back because I wasn't sure that I really saw what I think I saw...
But I saw it.
It's a plane.
I have never eaten there...but now it's on my to do list.


But the most important thing was the wedding, and I kept on my way.
The wedding was amazing, it was so small and intimate, in Vanessa's Aunt back yard, in fact. There were only about 60 people.

But it was a perfect night for a wedding. And Vanessa looked beautiful and so happy.

I love how casual and very Vanessa the wedding was-her Dad is wearing a hawaiian shirt! It was perfectly Vanessa.

Serena & I were the only two girls with out dates at the wedding, but luckily we were at the same table. :)
 








Oh and on another happy note...

more canning jars! I seriously can not say no when they are 29cents. So I bought 38. Which is fine because I am canning peaches and pears next weekend :) xoxo