Summertime

Summertime means a lot of things, unfortunately not summer vacation and a break from school/work, but this summer I am loving having my hubby around. It is the first summer we've spent together (minus a few weeks here and there) since 2008. That seems crazy, but it's true. I'm thankful we get to spend this summer together.

So far, summertime has meant a garden. I've never had much of a green thumb (unlike my mother and father), but my little garden has done pretty well. My tomato plants are literally 10 ft tall. The have surpassed the railing by the door! My first success was a yellow squash. Although, it has been my only squash because the plant got too heavy and broke. Oops. Glenn and I like to say that this year is a learning year. That is definitely true. Basil has been a huge success. I don't know what to do with all the basil. The cilantro, not so much. That went to seed almost immediately. The mint has also been a big success. Lots of mojitos!

Before the unbearable heat rolled in, we had several bonfires. I can't get enough of that smell. I just love having a patio and fire pit now. I missed it so much in Japan.

Garage sale-ing! I love a good garage sale. A few weekends ago, some friends and I hit up several garage sales and thrift stores in the area. I love a good deal. I walked away with a few books ($3.25), a bucket of buttons ($1), a 3-tiered fruit stand ($5), 35' metal tape measure ($1), c-clamp ($1), wire metal basket ($1) and a peg-hook thing for the closet ($3).

I'm sure I could have found several more things, but we ran out of time in the day. Glenn promised me we could go again in a few weeks as long as he got brunch out of the deal. I think I can handle that. :)

Relaxing! It's been nice to have visitors come see us in Virginia and just take it easy the rest of the time.

I think Stella likes having Glenn home too. And sleeping. I love my tiny puppy.

Happy summer! Can you believe it's almost August? I love summer and all the fun things to do, but I'm even more excited for the fall. Bring on the leaves and boots.

"Shopping"

So I'm getting better about my shopping during my lunch breaks. Except now I just take pictures of things that I wish I could buy and show them to Glenn. Some are for inspiration, ideas, things I could DIY... but mostly things I want to buy! I have a million of these pictures on my phone that I really should delete. :)

I want it

Glenn and I went to Asheville, NC for the weekend and stopped in a few of the fun stores they have downtown. I really wish we had bought this ottoman/coffee table, but I could never justify the $1295 price tag! Now I am on a quest to recreate it!

Packing the Prius

The closest IKEA to us now is a 2.5-3 hour drive. Boo. I needed a few things for the house, namely, a new slipcover for our IKEA couch and chair so I knew I'd have to make the trip at some point. Yesterday seemed like a good idea because if all things go right, I might start a new job on Thursday!

My friend Marcy, baby Isabel and myself loaded up the car and headed to northern Virginia. We left at 6:30 am to avoid the traffic in the tunnel and we timed it right to arrive right when they opened and left right when Isabel was getting sleepy! Shopping with babies is so much more difficult, btw.

 

Marcy wasn't convinced that everything would fit in the car, but I had faith in my little hybrid. We fit rugs, shelves, lamps and all sorts of goodies in the Prius and still left room for Isabel although she was packed in as tightly as my Ektorp and Karlstad boxes.

I think my worries that a future jogging stroller would fit in the Prius were unnecessary. This little car is ready for another road trip!

New Furniture!

Shortly before my BFF Gizelle left Atsugi, I joked that her house was turning in to a furniture show room. Well... my house is getting closer to that as well. Last weekend was the last Camp Zama bazaar that I was able to attend before we PSC (move) out of here. Sad!

I went without Glenn, my friend Kristy and a purse full of yen- a bad, but good combination! I hadn't planned on buying any furniture, but this piece was at a super low price (much lower than most of the furniture that I've bought- this is piece #6 btw). I have no idea where I will use it in our future house, but I liked how versatile it was/could be. It could be used as a pantry or linen "closet" or even a TV center if I take out the drawers in the middle cabinet. See how I convinced myself???

In Japan, it is called a tansu (chest of drawers) and was designed to hold kimonos. The center cabinet has drawers that slide out and are the size that kimono folds in to. The piece is actually 3 separate cabinets so it makes moving and carrying it much easier. For now, it will live in the corner of the living room until we move.

Now, if the moth ball smell would go away... I could actually store things in it. I think 2 months in a crate across the ocean will help that... :/

Pantry Game: The Final Leg

With moving day in 3 months or so (maybe, hopefully) and Glenn leaving on cruise in the near future, it's time for the pantry game to kick in to high gear! I hate hate HATE throwing away food or items that can't be moved. Since we won't see our things for approximately 2 months after they are packed, we can't really sneak things in to a regular move like I might within the States.

This cupboard is always the hardest- cooking oils and sauces. I'm pretty sure that we can move the spices, but I don't think we'll be moving our 3 bottles of Worcestershire sauce. We inherited a few of those from families who were also moving. Good think we have new neighbors that just moved in. They will probably be receiving a few of these bottles! Know any recipes that use a lot of red wine vinegar? cider vinegar? hot sauce??

The fridge and the freezer should be pretty easy. Just no more shopping. Or shopping around what I have already.

More pictures next month...hopefully it will be well on it's way to empty by then.

I want...Stella Custom Portrait

Glenn and I were having a conversation last night about Stella and her attack. She is doing very well. The cuts are all closed up and she just has a few spots with short hair that need to grow back and she will be as good as new. Glenn has commented several times that the other two dogs were lucky that he wasn't there. They would probably be worse for wear than Stella if papa bear had been home to protect and defend her. I just stuck with protecting her.

The other two dogs have gotten some obedience training, but I have never had any intention of having them put down. Several people have asked me that, but I could never ask someone to do that. Stella is my baby as those dogs are someone else's babies.

We started talking about Stella and dogs passing away. I told Glenn that Stella would pass away in my arms while being medicated for any pain she might have.

He rolled his eyes and said, "well I guess I'll have to take care of it then."

"It's a good thing Stella is going to live forever and we don't have to have this discussion", says the girl who cries extremely easily.

Luckily, Stella is young and on the mend! And I can continue to avoid the issue for many years to come. I have wanted a custom dog portrait for awhile, but have never been able to justify the multiple hundred dollar price tag. I still can't. Maybe someday.

I finally found the perfect artist, too! I'm thinking a grey and white background- maybe argyle? maybe chevrons? Or maybe the Mexican flag to show Stella's "roots". And I already have the perfect picture of Miss Stella B.

I hope we can hang her picture in our new house...wherever that might be!

I'm pretty sure I used to play dress up in this...

I think my mom had a dress like this in our dress up box when we were kids. Sadly though, this is a brand new dress for sale at H&M!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy 28th Birthday to me! I opened one of my presents early so that I could take it to Thailand and I'm so glad I did! Remember this post? Thanks, Mom! I love it! It looked super cute with my dress so I made Glenn take a picture for me so I could show you!

Now if only Glenn were here, then it would be a great birthday! A day at the Yokohama Oktoberfest tomorrow should help!

Kelly's Adventure Days: Dirty Dish Store

A few weeks ago, Kristy and I ventured to the Dirty Dish Store. It's actually called Power Plant Recycle Shop and it's near Chuo Rinkan station, but I like Dirty Dish Store much better.

We hit the road with baby Q around 12:45 and were there around 1:30. A usual time to go about 5 miles. Downstairs is a thrift store/china store and upstairs is a used/antique furniture shop. So fun!

Here is the upstairs area:

And all the fun dishes downstairs:

I found some cute blue and white salad-size plates and a platter for myself. I even found a few Christmas presents! Success!

Gotemba Outlets

For those of you in Japan, if you haven't made it to the Gotemba Premium Outlet mall in Hakone, I highly recommend it. It has a great mix of Japanese stores and American stores (Hello Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic, Northface, LLBean!). I think I'll make a trip back to do some Christmas shopping.

It took an hour to get there and 2 1/2 to get back, but we went on a Sunday so that's pretty standard I suppose. We also headed home around 5 pm. You'd probably have better luck if you went early and came home earlier in the afternoon. The place is huge though so we spent about 5 hours there including lunch at the food court.

Thanks for navigating Aya. Nice pocket, Angelica.

I want one

This was just one of many moments in Osaka when we stopped, pulled out the iPhones and found either our missing friend, our location, the closest combini, what direction we were walking or what train we should get on. How have I gone so long without one?! Hillary, Tessa and Lindsey all had iPhones. Lindsey's boyfriend in the states could even call her cellphone for FREE using Skype. Skype on your iPhone! Train schedules! So amazing. If I had 27 months left in Japan right now, I would have an iPhone. Glenn says I want an iPhone, but I don't want to pay for an iPhone. I'm saying it here and now. I want one! I'll pay for one (or an equivalent smart phone)! I don't want to be stuck at home waiting for Glenn's email or Skype call. I want it in my purse. I won't do another deployment without one.

Ok, enough gushing. Steve Jobs just make like a million dollars during the time it took me to type that.

My New SchitBag

I may have sent Glenn a link saying that this particular bag would make his husbandless wife back home all alone, much happier. Being the smart man that he is, this showed up just a few short weeks later! (from Malaysia? huh, oh well)

I may also have a small obsession with hip bags- that Donna Karen named the schitbag in her new fall line. Really? Worst name ever.

Stella is a fan too. Now if I could just get her to carry her own schit bags...scratch that...not just carry, but use them to pick up what it sounds like should go in that kind of bag...I'd be a happy lady.

This is a bad pic of the bag, but honestly, how cute is my dog??

How do you like your melon?

Expensive? Then your in luck...

This pair of musk melons comes in at 10,500 yen. With today's sucky exchange rate, that's just under $120! I better find a prize in the middle at least...

Envirosax

My mom sent me an awesome care package last month with a pouch of Envirosax. I absolutely love them! They are reusable shopping bags that roll up and she got me the set of 5 that come in their own little pouch. I keep 4 of them in my glove box to take to the grocery store or commissary. I keep one in my purse all the time for when I am out shopping. Saves me a couple yen at the stores that charge for plastic bags!

They are big enough that I can even fit Stella's 20 lb bag of dog food in them and still use the handles.

Even Stella loves the cute colors! Here you can see the size they are rolled up, the pouch they go in and the unfolded bags.

Thanks mom!

My new favorite thing

Glenn and I really like the show Burn Notice. Lately I have become obsessed with Fiona's hip bag. Apparently, other people on the internet are obsessed as well.

So, if you would like to purchase me a birthday/Christmas present. The closest look-alike I could find, can be found here. Mom, I'd like dark brown. :)

While in Singapore I found a cute not-so-look-alike, but still cute bag for S$13. I'm wearing it here:

Yes, some may call it a fanny pack, but I call it a hands-free purse. I love it!

AP is not the same as PA

One of the absolute joys of living overseas is shopping online and attempting to 1.) determine when/if it will arrive and 2.) entering your billing/shipping address.

Today while attempting to register a gift card (lame) so that I could use it online, I ran in to the ever so common problem that "AP" is not listed as an option in the pull down menu for the state.

I called customer service and her suggestion (from her supervisor no less!) was to enter "PA" cause that is close to "AP". I'm sorry, ma'am, do you need a geography lesson? PA is Pennsylvania! Not Armed Forces Pacific. Pacific lady! As in that other ocean not close to Pennsylvania. Grr.

Credit card companies, online merchants and customer service representatives- we live over here. I would like to spend my money. Why do you make it so hard!?

I really wanted to buy these...

but I had a feeling that neither Connor nor Baby B would ever be allowed to wear these childrens' clothes. Why not, Laura? Are you worried Connor's preschool teacher would be concerned about what you are teaching him at home? Load up on guns! Bring your friends!We found these near a temple we were visiting with mom and dad in Asakusa. This onesie was equally as good. Shit happens to everyone when your life is not boredom.Today I went to a store close to base called the Sexy Miser which sells all sorts of these clothes. Good times! On a completely unrelated side note, I hope you enjoy your birthday presents Dave and Jen.

Presento

The Japanese are huge HUGE on presentation. From how your food is prepared on your plate, to being decked out in the exact appropriate attire for an event and my favorite in packaging a purchase.

Last week, I bought a scarf for my student Keiko. Her birthday was on Sunday and I gave it to her at lunch on Thursday.

Whenever I get something gift wrapped, I always think of this scene in Love, Actually. In the case of this scarf, the saleswomen placed it in to a cellophane bag sealed with a store sticker. Then rolled this up and placed it in a fabric bag with a bow on top. Then this bag was placed in a handled paper bag and lastly, my favorite part, since it was raining outside, my paper bag got its very own plastic raincoat of a bag. This bag was upside down on the paper bag with a whole on the bottom for the handles to come out and then the opening was taped to the bottom of the bag. This whole process took like 10 minutes and I couldn't dare stop her because you could tell she was proud of the wrapping job she was doing.After all this, I gave the scarf to Keiko, who loved it, and I told her the gift wrapping was so impressive in Japan. She said it was not very ecological and was a waste! Cracks me up that the Japanese are all about recycling and reusing, but when you give a gift, this all goes out the window. At least I know the multiple gift bags will be passed on to someone else!