Recipe for fun: Just add confetti.

Colin and I had the pleasure of visiting Washington DC last weekend and Yorktown this past weekend with family. We stayed with my sister Rissy in DC and also got to spend some time with Colin's sister Lara. Visits to the Smithsonian, an awesome quilt store and some awesome restaurants amounted to a great weekend up north!

Colin's dad had a layover on Saturday so we took him up to Yorktown for some history education. When Colin and Slim weren't talking airplanes they were talking about our nation's great Revolutionary war battles. 

Colin showed his dad where he worked and we took him to one of our favorite restaurants Captain Groovy's in Norfolk. Not a bad day!

We tried out a new church for Easter yesterday and then spent the rest of the afternoon with our good friends Steve and Diane. They have an adorable 13 month old, Hannah. It was Hannah's first Easter egg hunt but I think the adults had more fun than she did. Diane's family sent her Cascarones, confetti filled Easter eggs. As a notion of good luck, one will crack the egg on top of unsuspecting friend's head thus showering them in a colorful display of confetti. 

 Didn't see that one coming!

Rather unamused, Cheddar also took part in the action. 

 Danielle, Me, Hannah & Diane

Hannah took more delight in the attention of six adoring adults than plastic eggs. 

She was also concerned Cheddar hadn't been walked in awhile. 

And perhaps the best part of the day. Hannah couldn't get enough of Colin. We were all in shock. Maybe he will be ready for parenthood some day!

Sew this is how I kept busy for a month

So while Colin was in school last month I decided to learn a new hobby. After years of refusing to learn I let my mom teach me to sew. I've always avoided it because it requires some pretty precise work, exact measurements. I tend to be a fan of scrapbooking, where I can get away with imperfections and call it "art".

So anyway, here are a few of my latest creations.

42"x42" quilt made for my friend's newborn

 Scented Neck Pillow

 42"x42" Baby Girl quilt

Dipe & Wipe Pouch

And when you have scraps of fabric leftover, you make this!

When will Congress grow up?

As I continue to mature ,(or at least try) I grow increasingly more dumbfounded at the arrogance of our government. There's an issue every week that I just sigh and wonder when someone will be elected into some part of our government who is there to do good, not serve themselves. There's got to be someone right?

This week, similar to about three weeks ago is the budget delay, once again the military will go without pay if Congress doesn't come up with an agreement on their long overdo budget. Something just doesn't make sense here. The MILITARY will suffer the consequences for CONGRESS not being able to do their job correctly. Am I hearing that correctly?

Sure the military will get paid eventually but that doesn't mean service members won't be late paying their bills, rent and mortgages. I just love how Congress voted for an extension last month so that they could go on vacation. Can service members go on vacation while they wait to be paid?

If you'd like to read CNN's take on this, click here.

The Art of Househunting

King Neptune Statue on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront

So Colin and I have been in Virginia for exactly eleven days and I'm proud to say I can get to Target and back without getting lost! Other than the Food Lion (Colin calls it the Food Kitty), those are pretty much the two places I've really been to. It's progress right?

When Colin hasn't been at work we've been house hunting. Hard. We spent a week here in February looking at places, about 30 of them. After returning last week we saw about 15-20 more. Everything from foreclosed 3,000 square foot detached homes in the burbs to four story stand-alones on the beach. Ultimately we decided to put an offer on a house in a neighborhood that in my opinion, is awesome.

Working at Norfolk, Colin has a tough commute. I won't even begin to imagine how many thousands of people drive to that base every day. Too many! Being an older city; good, safe and affordable neighborhoods are few and far between which has forced us to look further out. It's funny because we originally came to Norfolk thinking: Let's buy a detached, 2-3 car garage, 3-4 bedroom house with a moderate sized yard and maybe a cul-de-sac. Growing up in overpriced Southern California I figured we could easily find that. Well we decided on an attached, 1 car garage, 3 bedroom townhouse with a tiny yard (even that is a stretch). I fell in love with the neighborhood. It's new, gorgeous and next to a golf course. Having mansion sized homes in the neighborhood doesn't hurt either. :)

The good news is they accepted our offer and we're waiting on the inspection this coming week. Still, I refuse to get my hopes up too high for the time being, you never know what can happen in the contract process. If all goes to plan I will finally get to decorate my very own house which I've been dreaming about for way too long. I admit I keep a file in my Iphoto library of home and garden pictures I come across. Colin thinks I'm nuts but then again, he still misses his bacheloresque black leather couches and glass and lacquer coffee table. Oh my.

So hopefully by my next post we'll have some good news from the homeowner front!