Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive! I was merely buried in a pile of work – literally – and spending a lot of time working out, going to craft meet ups, and learning how to sew from my mother. Ah, and I made a lovely birthday lunch for my grandfather too, which ate up an entire morning being made but it was so deliciously worth it. :)
So July. What a month! It began with Colorado visiting Laura and briefly J – a post that shall be made separately and full of lots of yummy photos for your viewing pleasure – and will be ending tomorrow with a lovely day of crafting with a friend for 24 years, a bride-to-be making all her wedding favors by hand (with help from a few of us bridesmaids, mothers, and family friends). Exciting stuff, really! At times a little stressful, though, which is nothing a tasty little drink can’t handle (in moderation, of course – no one likes a hangover at work, am I right?). Follow the cut to find out what July packed in for us and our little furry family!
1. The Children. The kitten kaboodles are doing just fine. Ignore the fact that Chloe is pretending to loathe being showered in kisses and cuddles… she knows she likes it. ;) They’ve been enjoying a life full of treats, lasers, and one poor shiny blue mouse that has been mauled, had it’s stuffing pulled out, and was finally fixed with a cotton ball and my sewing machine. It’s not uncommon to find it conveniently outside the bathroom door while I’m getting ready in the morning or on the bed before turning in for the night. Ah, cats. What would my life be like had we not come across one another that fateful evening?
2. Parties. First came a party for a dear friend’s dog, Charlotte. She’s an adorable black lab who ate up all the attention she could find and even decided she could help out with badmitton. You know, by stealing the birdie and running off with it. ;) It was great to see all the couchsurfers we know and love together again. Chatting about travel and future endeavors with people both familiar and new is so much fun! We also went to a small party to celebrate the engagement of two friends. No, these are not the ones I’m crafting with tomorrow; these two just got engaged a month or so back. It was nice to see old familiar faces here as well, once again playing catch up while eating some delicious food prepared by the moms and dads of the couple. I’m telling you, that meal was amazing! So, so good. A nice time was had by all, and I really enjoyed listening to the groom’s entire side of the family sing and play guitar/piano. So talented!
3. Sewing. Check it out – I’ve learned how to sew! It’s easy and difficult at the same time. My mom is walking me through a shirt that I have to finish up with her tomorrow if I can. We started out, however, with a simple pillow to get me used to my machine. It’s a Brother machine that Ryan purchased last year from Costco while it was on sale as a birthday gift to me… and it’s finally getting some use! I’m like a sewing fiend now. Making baby toys for a friend, pillows for various people, picking up fun ideas online (oh how I love you, Martha Stewart!) and even coming up with my own ideas based on other patterns. I’m learning quickly, I think, but would like to take a class sometime to learn more. Maybe in the near future? :)
4. Atlanta Weather. One thing I’ve disliked immensely about July: The Heat. We’re talking hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement kind of heat. Atlanta gets these heat waves from time to time where temperatures crawl up to 95º-98º, but that’s often including the heat index. Ever since the end of June, we’ve had multiple days on end that hit heat indexes of 106º-115º in some of the more unfortunate cases. Yet like the crazy people Ryan and I are, we still wandered over to Piedmont Park for the workout regardless of the brutal heat. Strangely, the heat is the least of our troubles. It’s what makes the heat index possible that really makes us wilt away into nothing. That crazy humidity that Atlanta can get is such a terrible beast. It’s one thing to walk outside and say “Wow, it’s muggy today.” It’s another entirely to be outside running a mile in the stuff and every breath you attempt to take in feels like you’re at the bottom of the ocean. The thick air is not my friend. Even better are the days where we have humidity and code orange smog alerts. The heavy brown cloud floating above and between the downtown skyline fills the air with a stink and a thickness that is even more impossible to breathe in. Yet once again, we’re crazy enough to work out in it. We love the “fresh air” work outs too much to stay inside… haha. While the above photo is actually a weird fog lifting up from the city, pretend those low lying clouds are brown and you have the magic of smog. Gag!
