Look at that face. JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE.





 

My eyeliner-looking, hyper, cute, kiss-giving, monster, fur child. He just is the perfect wittle thing. Oh how people who don't have dogs are MISSING OUT. He may eat every piece of clothing he can grab, chew all of the new furniture, and poop on the carpet I just shampooed, but I can't help but love this one more and more and MORE AND MORE everyday. 

Just had to share the love...again.

My love life...apparently

Oh how I love having a blog to randomly jot down my thoughts...while I'm working. Can I say that watching a bunch of high schoolers write ain't a bad gig. Yes, I am an English-Edu major, and yes, I just used the word ain't. 

Anyways, I was reading the bloggess, gosh she is hilarious, how have I just found out about her?! Anyways, she posted this picture and said it was going around Facebook. Not my Facebook because I haven't see it, but apparently it's moving fast and is actually pretty darn funny.



 

I'm subbing for an English teacher so of course, I have lots of books around me. So I closed my eyes and picked one.
This is what it said: 

Remember learning to ride with no hands? That's a skill: it's the end product of a lot of practice. 

 

oh boy. need I say more? It was supposedly talking about bicycles...I'm tickled pink. I don't think I can comment on this anymore without conversing on the obvious.

Try it! Have a good day :)

 

Prayers please

Tonight our family suffered a loss. I don't want to go into too much detail but it hid hard for Ryan's side of the family. Ryan's best friend and cousin Travis' brother (who is also Ryan's cousin) Jeff passed in what I hope was peace. I hope he knew how much his family loved him. And I hope he wasn't sorrowful when we went. I knew him, not well, but just from the few moments spent together, I knew he loved his family more than anything and was extremely caring. Every time we got the chance to speak, he only would reprehend me and make sure I was treating Ryan with all the love my heart could hold. He cared so much for Ryan's well-being and life. My heart aches for my husband and my extended family who is mourning a terrible loss. I can't even begin to imagine. So...

I just ask that you guys pray for the Weiland family and that they embrace all of the love and support around them.

I ask that you pray for strength in our hearts as we try to help and guide them through this.

I ask that you pray that our hearts are uplifted at this time and that we connect with God together as a family.

I ask that you pray for his brother Travis to be safe and fill his heart with good memories.

I ask that you pray for Jeff's mother, as this time will be exceptionally painful for her.

I just ask that you guys keep them in your prayers.

I would appreciate it more than words can describe. Thank you.

 

God is good and whatever his will is, even at times like this, is for a better and bigger purpose.

Changing themes

After 3 hours of trying to figure out how to put up my new banner, I'm contemplating changing my whole theme in general. [Just an FYI, I customized a banner on picmonkey.com-best website ever & FREE]
I'll make a tutorial on that soon!

Anyways, so when I uploaded it to my website, the banner kept moving left and right and up and down but never where I wanted it to go. Thank goodness for the support group that Wordpress has, because a really nice person helped me out and fixed everything to make it look fabulous. THANK YOU!

So after that whole fiasco, which almost made me quit blogging all together except that I've already paid for my domain, theme, etc, I researched the most popular and easy to work with themes.
Studiopress has so many 'child themes' (which are your style themes for your website) that you can choose from. Don't get me wrong, I love the theme I have now, but I kind of want something a little less girly, and more womanly {says the bratty 21 year old}. I narrowed it down to 2: 'Lifestyle Pro' and 'Beautiful Pro'. I wanted some feedback before spending the money & all the time it will take to re-customize it. YAYYYYYY...[insert major attitude and sarcasm].

Any suggestions? 

Here's the demo for Lifestyle: [click image]

Keep in mind that I would FULLY customize it and add my own flare like my current blog. I just think I like this one because it's very sophisticated and gives me free range to do what I want. The color choices are great and the layout is similar to the one I have now without all the fufu. It just has better reviews and seems to match my type of blog better. No?

The second one is the 'Beautiful Pro' theme: [click image]

Now this one is EXTREMELY simple...but I think that's why I like it. There are definitely less options to play around with, but I like having something clean and simple to use for myself and you guys. What do you think about this one?

Or do you guys just like the one I have? I plan on continuing this blog for a really long time: into motherhood and beyond. So keep that in mind as well.

DIY: Painting a chandelier

UPDATE:



Here's the beauty with all of its lights and in our new dining room (which is still in progress)!
Check out my newest post here for more pictures. And now back to how it all began...



This DIY project should have been only two days long. Instead, it was five. I'm embarrassed to say because I was lazy. Let's be honest here people. But hey, it's up and I absolutely am in love with the final product. If only I had a house to put it in. Soon enough we will be in our new house and soon enough I'll be loving our new chandelier even more. 

Here's what you need: (the numbers will depend on how big your chandelier is, but this is what I used)

• A chandelier (brass, copper, glass, anything works)


• 1 can of white spray paint primer.


• 3 cans of spray paint (Satin) in the color of your choice


• light bulbs


• Cotton balls


• OPTIONAL: painter's tape, easy spray handle

I've been searching and searching for the perfect chandelier to paint for our new house. At first, I wanted something new and fancy but everything was over $300 and I just wasn't down to pay for that. Well....I might have been down with the right one but my husband said 'absolutely not.' I wanted to get my craft on so I decide to commit to the idea of painting an old one. Finally, after weeks of searching I found this one on Craigslist for only $40! There was a similar one for $15 but they never responded which broke my heart.

My apologies for the angle, I didn't have anywhere to hang it at first. That is, until I had my genius idea, which you'll see later.

It came with these lamp shades, which are actually pretty cute, but no use to me so I decided against them.

I saw a similar, but smaller, chandelier on homedepot.com if you don't find one on Craigslist. Sometimes people get lucky and find them in the same day, but I got picky so it took longer.

Here's the primer I used. You have a choice of white, black, gray, or clear, but I think white is best if you want to get the most out of your color.

Spraying the primer is pretty easy because you don't need to be really neat with it.

I covered the candle covers with cotton balls because I wanted to paint them the same color. I've seen it where people choose to leave them white which is cute too. 

This is when I had the genius idea to hang it from our neighbors stairs. And let me tell you, it is SO much easier if you can find a way to hang it. I used my dog's leash and just tied it around the stair and voila!

Oh and here are my feet after the priming stage. lol

Anyways,  after you prime you should wait a couple hours to let it dry completely. I just let it sit overnight to make it easy because I didn't want to paint it in the dark.

The next struggle was picking the color. At first, I wanted a teal chandelier. I thought it would be perfect and tie in the room quite nicely but after sitting on it for a few days, I realized I'm kind of over the "teal" trend. Of course, I decided this after I already bought 3 cans of Exotic Sea.

After thought, I decided I wanted a more sky blue kind of color and found this. I THOUGHT it was perfect. It's called Encounter, in case you like it.

Turns out that this shade was way too light and looked pretty much exactly like the primer. Silly me thinking it would come out darker after 3 coats...



Yeah so woe is me right? Wrong. I then realized that the choices of paint at Lowes were either extremely light or really really dark. So there I was thinking, "what the hell am I going to do?" When I realized that Home Depot was literally 2 minutes away from my house. How did I not think to go there sooner...I don't know.

My husband likes to think I make things hard for myself...I like to think I'm weighing my options. Sorry boo.

So there I am at Home Depot and I see the perfect shade. THANK GOODNESS.

Oh wildflower blue you are truly b-e-a-uuuuuuutiful. [love my Bruce All Mighty reference?]
I got 2 cans of this baby and now my chandelier couldn't have been prettier. I chose 'satin' because I like the matte look versus the shiny. If you want something that will sparkle a little bit better then I would go with the gloss! Can I just say that the color turned out amazing!!!!

And don't forget to paint the top [picture: bottom left corner]. Other than that, that's it! Super easy and super cute.

I also bought these bubble bulbs to put on, but since we don't have a house to hang it in just yet, I want to keep them in the package so they don't get ruined. My dogs will eat them. THEY WILL.

 A few quick tips:

• If you can hang it, DO IT. Much easier to get all of the angles.


• Trust the cap color. The spray paint that is, more coats doesn't mean darker, just thicker.


• Don't worry if you change your colors a bunch of times, everyone has a great return policy.


• HAVE FUN! :) Enjoy!

If you have any questions, please comment and let me know :) And if you enjoy this, there are plenty of more DIY projects ahead, just currently no room in my condo for them. So stay tuned!

I will post an updated picture once it's lit and ready to show in our house

Defining Moment: Our Calling

Sunday's with the Pineda's is utterly gracious and sweet. We get up and try not to be late but usually are, and head to a comfortable place: The Crossing Church. We eat at this Korean place we absolutely love, and then come home for an afternoon cuddle session with our fur pups while watching some good ol' fashion football. It's a good way to end a long week.

Here's the short break down of what we learned today:

Jesus called onto his disciples to spread his word. He told them that he would create a gathering, a movement. Well years past, and though the disciples had done some works in retelling Jesus' story, they failed to reach the high seas and low mountains. God's plan was already in motion at this time, making Saul who was one of the biggest Christian persecutors into one of  biggest Christian missionaries. Saul was feared, for as a Pharisee he killed and tortured Christians everywhere. Yet in God's eyes, he was the perfect candidate for a new congregation. Fast forward, Saul's heart was changed and his name was changed to Paul. For the rest of his years he traveled far and wide spreading the good news while facing the same torture he was once apart of. We assume that this is Paul's defining moment. 

So before we walked into the room, we were handed a piece of paper and marker. We were supposed to write one of our defining moments in our lives and pin it up on the fence outside.





In the summer of 2009, I was fortunate to visit Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany on a mission trip. Long story short, I shared my testimonies, heard stories from strangers who then became friends, and experienced my faith grow in more ways than 1. I'll never forget it and it was a defining moment in my life.





I think that my calling is helping others in any way that I can. During the service, we were informed that a group will be leaving to the Philippines in April to help those in need from the typhoon. I am praying a lot that Ryan and I are able to go. I get this deep feeling that this is our calling and that God will provide for us. I just ask that you pray for our journey, whether that be us staying here or going, and that we can strengthen our faith and pursue God's will.

The Crossing Church

UNLV Game 1

I just wanted to jot a quick post before I leave. I can't believe this is my 3rd year dancing for UNLV. It's been a really good time and cheering for the rebels is always a pleasure. My first basketball game is tonight and I'm cheering with my favorite girls. Flashbacks to last year's games are hilarious.

DIY: Chalkboard Rules

So I've been looking through Pinterest and found these chalkboard rules that I am absolutely obsessed over. I wanted to make my own for our house's entry way but didn't want the mess of the chalk and risk smudging everything before we move. And have you seen the price on chalkboards? expensive homie. 

First you need to download the chalkboard background (I'm sure you can just download it from Google or just about anywhere) but I'll save you the time :)
You can get it HERE.

Next open Picmonkey.com & click the 'Edit Photo' button on the top left. (This is free and easy but use whatever photo editing site you love!)

Upload your chalkboard background and have at it! It's super simple and easy and you can get as complex or as simple as you want. I used about 19 different fonts, sizes, and added some arrows and lines to spruce it up a bit. When saving the file, make sure you click the highest quality. I believe it's called Sean. Lol.

I plan on framing it when we move but just wanted to get a head start on some decor.

Here's what I have so far!



I'll update with the final product soon!

NEW BLOG!

My new blog is: pspineda.com

I've decided to actually try this whole blogging thing and make my own website. All posts are there plus loads of more goodies. Please visit my new blog as I update about all thing DIY, love, house decor, and life! Thanks for being great everyone!

Winnipeg, Canada

It looks like I'll be spending the summer in Winnipeg, MB Canada. I couldn't have even imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be living in Canada for a whole summer. Ryan got official word yesterday that this is where he'll be playing baseball for the season. It's so exciting I could pee my pants. I haven't yet, but just look how beautiful the pictures are!

The only bad thing is that getting a Canadian work visa is near impossible. Now while lounging around all day and watching my man play ball at night sounds utterly amazing, I'm pretty sure boredom would strike about the 3rd day or so. So, I will have to find a really interesting hobby, take some dance classes, work on getting my six pack [insert sarcastic tone], and be a real tourist in these here parts. I'm trying to check out what there is to do and thank goodness they have a zoo. I've been to a million zoos (literally a million guys) and they never get old. Winnipeg's zoo looks like those old farm church houses which makes it all the more awesome.



And if this cutie is there, why not?!

Last year, Ryan played for the Grand Prairie Airhogs in Dallas, Texas. I visited for a week and I loved it. Despite the AWFUL humidity that made you feel like you just jumped out of the pool, southern hospitality is at its finest. I was a little disappointed we weren't going to be there this summer, but when I heard Canada was the replacement, all worries went aside. The only thing is the cold, which I'm terrible at adapting to. But summer shouldn't be too bad at all, I hope.

We'll be staying with a host family for the season and I'm praying they are as cool as they seem. If a family regularly hosts baseball players and offers to take a married couple in, they sure have to be awesome. Not many people want to do that, believe it or not, and we are so thankful for the opportunity.

Heart of Dallas Bowl Game

I have to say that this trip was one of the best dance experiences I've ever had. UNLV's record placed them in the running to play in a bowl game for the 1st time in over 20 years: this was a HUGE opportunity for us. After we won the last game of the season, many of us didn't know exactly what was going to happen. People through around places where the game would be held like Idaho, Hawaii, Texas, etc. After about a month of deliberation between UNLV and the bowl game representatives, we finally came to the decision that we would play the University of North Texas at the Cotton Bowl in the Heart of Dallas Texas Bowl Game. Now that's a mouth full.

Fast forward to the first day...

Our flight was at 6:55am lucky us and we arrived in Dallas about 11:30. Luckily, we didn't have to wait for the rest of the members (because we all took 5 different flights) and were able to be checked in our hotel as soon as we got there. UNLV didn't refrain from any cost because we stayed at just about the nicest hotel I'd ever been to. The first day was pretty easy because there wasn't anything on the schedule.We had a team practice, ate pizza, played Apples to Apples and went to bed. My roommates and I watched Frozen when we got back to our rooms so the party wasn't over. Can I just mention that that's just about one of the best movies I've ever seen.

YOO HOO...FAMILY! [insert Swedish accent]. Watch it if you haven't and you'll understand. 

Our room went as followed: Karessa, Me, Emily, & Ashleigh.





I can't express how close this trip made us and how much I love these girls. We are all so different, which is why I think we work so well together. Also, the fact that our beds were no bigger than full-sized, which made if VERY cozy come bedtime. VERY, VERY cozy. I will never forget all of the memories we made together during this trip, and I can say I've made forever friends.

Emily got us all matching socks and mud masks. She's the sweetest. Even though we never got to use the masks, there was never a dull moment in our bungalow.



The next day, our call time wasn't until the afternoon thank the Lord. We all slept in until 10:30 and ordered room service. Can you say $5 french toast?! It was delicious. We had a pep rally planned for the day, and a New Years Eve dinner for the night. Easy day.

Even though we were playing in Dallas, UNT obviously had the home field advantage, which was a little depressing, but not enough to take down our spirits. We cheered loud and proud and got the Rebel fans ready for the big game the next day.











Yes, my eyes are closed, but it was just about the only pic I didn't have a blurry face in. LOL. 

After the rally, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the night. I can't believe we all spent New Years Eve in Dallas, Texas. There's not much to do if you have to get up at 5 the next morning and put on a FULL face and hair for the game so we kept it relaxing.





After dinner we all went to our rooms. Some slept, while other like us hung out till midnight and celebrated. I have to say that bringing in the new year with these girls was almost the best way I couldn't done it. I was a little sad because I was away from my husband for the first time, but they did a great job filling in.

My roommates and I weren't tired so we decided to take "family pictures" in our hotel room. I'll let them speak for themselves. It was a riot.

I laugh every time I see these. If only you knew.

The next day was the game. I can't express enough how thank I am we just the chance to cheer on the Rebels Football and be apart of history at UNLV. I love this team so much and am so proud of everyone and all that we've done. Each and everyone of these dancers are unique and bring something special to the team. It'll be a memory I'll cherish forever in this lifetime.

Even though we lost the game, we won the chance to show what we've got and put our hearts on the line. No one can take away what we got to accomplish coming here and no on will feel it but us. I'll always love the Rebels and bleed Scarlet and Gray!