The B.F.F.'S

Bentley and Diesel have finally met and are best friends already! Stephan didn't make it home until 3am so it wasn't the ideal meeting but they are already getting along great!

They love to play...constantly. Ugh, can't wait for that backyard!

I got out this huge dogbed for Diesel to use but he insists on flopping his fat German Shepherd but into Bentley's teenie-tiny bed. Sometimes they both try to sleep in the small bed...hilarious. I think we have about 20 pics of them both in the bed. They also both try and cuddle in the crate together.

I just can't wait for them to have more room to run and play! They are "the cuteness."

Diesel's First Snow

This is why I hated Kansas. Keep in mind it was like in the 70's in Florida while this snow was happening. But this did mark Diesel's first snow:) Too cute not to share!

What Happens At The Office Christmas Party, Stays At The Office Christmas Party

I went to visit Stephan for one last long weekend in Kansas (single, glistening tear) and we went to his squadron Christmas party. It's kinda lame, but any excuse to dress up and I'm there!

I was having a Carrie Bradshaw in the final episode of Sex and the City moment. I rocked my BCBG corset seemed strapless dress and dressed Stephan in a velvet blazer and tweed pants and no tie (going rebel). He is my Ken Doll. But that is another post altogether.

We had fun despite the prom like atmosphere, the white elephant gift exchange, lame games like 2 Truths and a Lie and the Newlywed game, mediocre food, drunken debauchery, and the fact Stephan somehow got put in charge of taking pics.

At least we have some new cute pics!

Girl Meet Diesel, Diesel Meet Girl

I finally met Diesel!!! So excited! He is the cutest thing ever, is growing like crazy (I think he might actually be mixed with horse or something). He is very sweet, quiet and well-behaved. He breathes so heavy and it cracks me up! He also "talks," he never really barks just whines and talks to us. So cute! He is all front paws and ears and will have to grow into them. He is so in an awkward stage and like trips on himself and looks like he is walking with flippers on. Can't wait for him to meet Bentley.

We also discussed his registered AKC name and ended up just being silly about it on the 2 hours drive from Kansas City to Manhattan. Things like Kerstone's Diesel McDiesel and Sir Diesel von Dieselson... yeah... we were way bored.

I have lots of nicknames for Bentley:
-Bentley Bear
-Mr. Bentley
-Punkin
-Bentley Boy

So I had to start making some for Diesel. So far I have:
-Diesel McDiesel (too catchy to pass up)
-D-Bomb (cause it's awesome)

Tufted Goodness

Here's the new couch and loveseat!!!! Obsessed with tufting...so vintage and glam! It was 33% off over Thanksgiving weekend!!! And it passed the man-comfort test. Stephan had to do the ol' sit-er-oo test and it passed. First piece of the living room puzzle that I just can't put together...

Chloe Velvet Sofa and Loveseat

I'm having one heck of a time getting this thing, though. I seamlessly ordered it over the phone with Macy's (because I went to the store twice and no one would help me so there was no way I was giving them my commission!). And was so impressed with the customer service. And then, long story short, I've been on the phone back and forth for a week with Macy's and Discover card. Grrrrr. They keep trying to double charge and blame each other. Then they wouldn't deliver to the new house zipcode...lame. Eventually they made an excpetion but only for a day that no one would be there...ugh.

I had to ask my friend who already lives in the area to go to the house to let them in. She is preggers with two toddlers and lives over 30 minutes away which officially makes me a bad person. ANYTHING FOR MY COUCH (crazy look in the eyes)!!!!!!

Just imagine some mirrored side tables, blown-up black and white wedding photos, sunburst mirrors, faux fur throw, crystal lamps, zebra ottoman, parisienne burlap pillows...maybe I do have the beginnings of a room in mind... I DIE!!! Can't wait to sit my butt on it :) NO SHEPHERDS ALLOWED!!!

Thanksgiving!!!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! On Thanksgiving day we ate with my side of the family (couldn't hit both because Stephan booked his flight too last minute and ended up arriving at 3:00pm). And then did a dinner with Stephan's familia on Friday night.

We ate and had fun and I was asked to tell my story about the customer that shopped in my store for 8-hours (you don't wanna know). All the girls ended up making a dessert so we had to have a family bake-off. Here were the contenders:

Mom: Pumpkin Cheesecake torte

Me: Chocolate Pecan Pie (Martha Stewart's recipe, of course)

Matt's girlfriend Rich: Coca Cola Chocolate cake

Nate's girlfried Dianna: Oreo Balls (they need a new name, I know... I'm thinking Oreo Truffles)

Austin was the judge since he was not biased by dating or being married to any of us:)

He gobbled them all up.

Then we had our traditional Thanksgiving photo shoot for the Christmas card picture. No matter what we always end up by the fireplace:) And my mom was amazed at the use of the self-timer on the camera:) Oh, goodness, there were more outtakes than actual good shots though...

Awkward Family Photoshoot AKA White Socks, White Shirts, No Problems

Over the busy Thanksgiving weekend we did a family photoshoot with Stephan's family. Getting that many people in a family picture is always funny, awkward, and hilarity always insues. Stephan's mom wanted to do the white top and jeans thing (not my thing, but it was for my Mother-in-Law so we did as we were asked for uniformity's sake) The only thing I put up a tiny fight about was wearing white socks. To be photographed without my heels on is like asking Diesel to not be adorable...

Here's what made it awkward and hilarious:
-The wardrobe: matching white shirts, jeans, and socks
-Two dogs (both drugged up on Benadryl...don't judge me)
-Two dads (At the last minute Stephan's dad got added into the mix)
- The poor photographer who had no idea who went with who and what the heck was going on

I went to my happy place and just let it happen. Here's is what we came up with (Please, Picture People, don't sue me!)

Yeah, not the most attractive pose for the figure but cute-ish

In acting they always say never work with animals or children...

Absolutely ZERO sibling rivalry here:)

We look like the cast of a CW or ABC Family TV Show...Yeah

Congratulations Matt and Rich!!!!

My brother Matt and his girlfriend, Rich got engaged this week and we are beyond excited about it! Especially me since I am the only girl sibling in the family and now have someone to talk to at family gatherings!!! Yay!!! Best Wishes and Congratulations!!! Love you guys mucho!!!

Love Is... Going Appliance Shopping on Black Friday and Letting Your Wifey Sleep In

Stephan and I love a good bargain! He says I shop alot, but I never pay full price... for ANYTHING. I always have a coupon or cyber stalk things I wanna buy until they are on sale. I also sign up for email with EVERY store that I like or may like something at one day. Stephan thinks I'm crazy because I get like 60 emails a day from stores. It's worth sorting through it for a bargain!

As we looked through the Black Friday ads we were on a mission for these things:
-A new camera under $200
-Fab deal on a Washer and Dryer
-Matching stainless steel kitchen appliances (very important that they match)

We are splitting the camera as our Christmas present to each other and the appliances are must-haves. You know you are a grown up when this is what you get for Christmas!

Unfortunately the new casa does not include a refridgerator, microwave, or washer and dryer. It has a dishwasher, and oven, but they are white and we long for stainless steel chic-ness. And with the generous tax credit we will get in 6-8 weeks, we can actually afford to do the whole shebang at once (thanks, Uncle Sam!)

Knowing that I worked at 8:00am, my wonderful hubby offered to wake up at 3:30am and brave the sales to look for these things and let me sleep. That is true love. When he left I said "Don't be that one guy that gets trampled to death this year." He responded with "I've been to Iraq twice. Do you really think I'm scared of being trampled?!?" Fair enough.

He braved Sears for an el cheapo washer and dryer that was already sold out when he got to it, but it ended off being better because he ended up getting a nicer Kenmore Elite set. It's front load, baby! Then he ran to Best Buy to brave the line around the building to look at cameras. He left with a fab Sony camera with a huge screen and super clear pics. He lastly stopped in Lowe's (which he said was totally empty, if you ever wanna go there on Black Friday) to look at a "stainless look" kitchen appliance set. He was disappointed in it and we didn't want to rush into anything because of the adrenaline rush of Black Friday.

Just another example of what a good manslave...ummm, I mean, husband he is:)

Overall a successful trip and all done before 7:00am. Can't wait for my washer and dryer to come so I can start on the road to being a domeestic goddess! Woo Hoo!!!

When A Guy's Away the German Shepherd Will Play

Alicia our German Shepherd breeder was nice enough to watch Diesel while Stephan came home this weekend for Thanksgiving. And this is what happened:

And now Diesel is a YouTube sensation...I'm sure his daddy is SO PROUD!

We Are Homeowners!!!!!

We are officially homeowners on the Navarre house!!! My Facebook status said "Stephan and I are homeowners and official grownups!!!" My brother Matt replied "There's no paperwork on the grown-up part." Haha. Can't wait to decorate and become a Domestic Goddess

First New Home Purchase...And I'm Itching For More!

I made my first purchase for the decor of the new house!!! It is a new bedding set. I figured instead of getting a new one for the guest room, we should get the new one and transfer our old one to the guest room. Did that even make sense???

I've decided on a shades of gray, with whites and creams for the bedroom. A whole room without black is a big change for me! So excited and I will reveal the bedroom inspirations later. But the set went on sale last week so I had to JUMP on it...and I had a gift card from my brother, Nate, so what's to stop me???

It's from the Fieldcrest Luxury Collection at Target and is way fabulous with a 500 thread count, baby!

I didn't get the lame decorative pillow they show here, though...

The only problem, is that the light gray sheets (which totally MAKE the bedding POP) were sold out online and in stores :( NOOOOOO! They added contrast and depth to the bedding. Ebay saved the day, though! I was hesitant to buy sheets from Ebay (can you say hygiene issues???) But they were new, in package and from a VERY reputable seller. And at only $25 I could afford to take the chance. They came in mint condition, luckily

Can't wait to get this on the new fabric bed I have my eyes on (later posts to come).

And NO German Shepherd ALLOWED!!!

And Diesel Makes Four

Stephan picked up the new fourth member of our little family today! I'm so sad I couldn't be with him, though. Stephan is already out of control...

We have always talked about a furry friend for Bentley, our Yorkie but knew it was only do-able once we had a house...with a backyard. Now that we are getting the house, it was on the table to actually move forward with getting the second dog. Stephan's only stipulation was that it had to be a "man dog." Something he wasn't embarrassed to walk. (I had to get Bentley a camouflage collar just so Stephan could be seen with him). His dream dog was a German Shepherd. German Shepherds are also another military man's "accessory." Much like guns, tattoos, and apparently super ridiculously huge flat screen tv's (if you've been to more than a few soldier's house/room, you know what I'm talking about).

I, on the other hand have always been of the small dog persuasion. My logic was always Big Dog = Big Poop, Little Dog = Little Poop. I was also afraid of being overpowered being kind of a small person, and of the H-A-I-R. I literally lay in bed at night thinking about the dog hair, the daily vacuuming, the brushing, and the fact that is will probably keep my mom from ever visiting me.( All negatives).

I went back and forth, thinking about surprising Stephan with a pup for Christmas but was stunned by the price. But I eventually succumbed to the "I just got back from Iraq" guilt Stephan put on me. It's hard to deny a guy who just came back from his second tour in Iraq and who is such a wonderful, generous husband.

Stephan stumbled upon Kerstone Shepherds, not far from Manhattan, KS where he's stationed. They are SUPER legit and really know what they are doing (which is important with this breed). Stephan went to "visit" and left with a deposit down. He's been a goner ever since.

He visited the pup, almost weekly and we went ahead and named him so he could begin to get accustomed to it. We were torn between Riley (after Ft. Riley, our first base together) or Diesel (as in the cologne, not as in Vin). We chose Diesel by default because the father of the pups ended up being named Riley and we didn't want to be copycats. It made me happy to see how happy it made Stephan.

I'm happy too (I'm one of those girls who has puppy fever all the time and wants to save every dog), but also very nervous. I'm also sad to miss bonding time for him with me and Bentley. We will see...

Baby Diesel looking like a bear cub...how could I resist???

Growing, growing

Stephan in love:) He's literally the perfect looking German.

Diesel and his brother!

Coming home for the first time:) Yes, he's asleep in my husbands lap in the car.

Home for the first time! Festive red collar.

My wonderful husband who insisted on a "man dog" stopped by PetCo after picking Diesel up and left with professional pics of the dog. Did I mention they are Christmas themed??? And did I mention he dropped $60??? Yeah...

Excuse the ghetto screen shot...literally the perfect German!

Yeah, he's in a Christmas present...

Yeah, he has a Santa hat on...this looks like its from a dog calendar or something...Out of control!

MY only stipulations were that he would not be allowed on the furniture or bed (I just bought nice bedding) and he had to be brushed daily and we had to vacuum and mop daily. Period. Guess who will end up doing these things, though???