We'll Be Right Back . . .

 . . . After we take care of the usual end-of-another-graduate-school-semester craziness.

I tried really hard to keep writing blog posts after Thanksgiving, especially about our bathrooms updates that we accomplished, but as usual things got very busy very quickly with our semesters wrapping up. Believe it or not, I have two posts in my draft queue that just need pictures, but alas, I have no time to take, edit, and upload them. So, posts are going to be paused until this weekend because, right now, our life looks like this:

Let me tell you, not only can I not wait for our dining room table to be free of papers, textbooks, and the laptop, but I cannot wait to have Chris back because he's been super super busy with doctoral classes and needs a break!  Almost. done. Wish us luck!

(PS - Our dining room table is now our office because our office still has holes in the wall from the molding drywall we had to remove from the "hurricane." Yes, school needs to give us our lives back!)

Back to School

As you probably know, unless you live in a hole and only ready my blog (which is strange), it is back to school time across the country. This means, it is back to school time for Chris and I as well. You see, Chris is a fancy-schmancy, farty-smarty doctoral student in, *gasp*, statistics, and I will be continuing to take classes this academic year in pursuance of secondary education teacher certification. And, on top of that, I work for a university in the DC area. So, needless to say "first week of school" chaos has been on my brain this week. Whether it is the random undergraduate that pops their head into my office looking for a classroom or the restroom (which is right behind them, across from my office), the general buzz around campus as students fill the sidewalks and hallways, or Chris and I trying to adjust to our new evening schedules with classes, and soon homework, this week is only the beginning of the craziness...

Amidst the craziness that this semester may will bring, I promise that I will keep this blog updated, for my sanity if anything else! And, most importantly, I am promising myself, and you all MUST hold me to it, that I will continue with all of the home projects that are on my to-do list. These include, among many:

• Finish stenciling our guest bathroom - al.most.done. . .
• Create our map and photo gallery wall - supplies bought, now I just need time ; )
• Create a magnet/chalkboard wall in our kitchen - again, supplies bought, now I just need time.
• Paint our basement coffee table with chalkboard paint, inspired by this beauty found on Pinterest:

Originally from BHG DIY Ideas

• Wrapping up the work in our basement, finally, which includes finishing the last bits of drywalling and then painting and cleaning.
• And, doing other random stuff throughout our house, mainly small things inspired by Pinterest. Possibly stenciling curtains? Doorknob-coat rack? Dressing up our guest room? Indoor garden?!? More painting??
• Oh, and I haven't mentioned it yet but how could I forget - getting our Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene water damage fixed. Boo. (At least the damage is in a room I haven't painted yet, right?!)
• And of course, clean our house. Which is still kinda a mess in some areas.

This week, besides starting classes again and being insanely busy at work, I have been and will continue to be busting my butt on finishing stenciling that bathroom. Not only do I want to share with all of you what color I picked, and discuss the frustrations of stenciling a space like a bathroom, but I just want to be DONE with it, because of said "frustrations."

Whether I make it through this week or not, I am rewarding myself by visiting one of my best friends down in sunny Florida for the holiday weekend. Wish me luck in making it to Saturday morning and if I don't write before I leave, have a fabulous "back to school" week and holiday weekend yourselves!

Apologies.

I know, I have been a horrible blogger the last few weeks. Well, really since I started blogging two months ago. Sorry, readers!

I really do have ideas about topics to write about - such as Chris' first home-brewing experience, my forays in fitness/exercise/getting in shape, our attempts at gardening (aka, my ability to kill plants instantly), and new updates on our house - but I honestly have not had time to write. Mainly because I did this stupid wonderful smart thing called "signing up for two graduate classes while working full-time." (Remember back when I set my goals list and I couldn't wait to get my Teacher Certification courses underway? Ha! Silly me!) Really, my classes aren't hard at all, especially compared to the 400+ pages of reading a week and 40+ pages of writing each semester that I've done for the last two years as a graduate student at George Mason. And, I think, it is completely possible to work full-time and go to graduate school. But really, I'm burnt out on school and have been having difficulty motivating myself to even write a 2-page reflection paper. (NOTE: I have a paper due tomorrow night and yet I'm writing this "much needed" apology blog post.) So, as you can probably guess, I have been procrastinating on 2 papers and a project all semester and now they are all finally due (one this week, one next week, and one after that).

Soooo, I am apologizing now for my lack of attention to this blog because of school, and I am apologizing ahead of time for ignoring this blog until May 6 when my classes are complete. After then, not only will I be back to writing, but I'll be back to enjoying life "after school" - actually having a life and something worth writing about!!

I cannot cannot cannot wait for this semester to be over. . . wish me luck motivation!