We (heart) Arizona

After spending a few days with my parents in Arizona, Ryan and I have decided that retired life is pretty grand.

1. Beautiful views

2. Yummy food and drinks

3. Spending time with family and friends 4. Shopping at the flea market

5. Swimming

6. Pickleball

7. Hiking in the mountains
8. Lakes

9. Sunshine

10. Being together.

I'm happy that we have already started saving for retirement (all Ryan's idea). I could get used to this.

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Something pretty awesome happened today in 1924

Grandma Duke was born.
We love her. This is us celebrating her birthday last night.

Still going strong at 85. 

Happy birthday!

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Twilight Book Review

Well... during our trip (mostly on the way home), I jumped on the Twilight bandwagon. It's totally addicting.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really didn't have any interest in this book when I first heard the buzz around it. Vampires? Teen lit? No thanks.

But, I'm hooked now. I'm embarrassed about how much I loved this book. But, not quite embarrassed enough to tell you.

Somehow, the author draws you in from the first page. I don't know how. I cannot put my finger on it. But, she does. Maybe it is partially that she vividly describes details of surroundings (although not as much the characters). I found it so engaging to be able to really see the scenes. Maybe it's because it's a different type of love story - with lust, obsession and even hatred at times. Maybe it's that you know something is coming... and you are just waiting. Whatever it is, it works.

And, from the beginning, I couldn't put the book down. I read the entirety of the first book in 24 hours, while traveling. I think this is a great book for travel time, because it goes quickly.

While the book is long, it is a quick read. I've not been this "into" a book... well... ever?

I laughed and cried. I talked to friends about my thoughts and feelings. I fought with myself about whether I loved or hated Edward (sorry, gals... I'm not quite past disdain towards him, no matter how gorgeous and romantic he is).

All in all, this book is a must-read, in my opinion. It draws you in, engages you throughout, and ends making you immediately rush for the next book in the series. Is it irrational? Unrealistic? Embarrassing? Sure... but I'm okay with that.

View all my reviews.

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The Devil in the White City Book Review

To hold you over until I get my photos under control and posted (I know you are on the edge of your seats), I am going to share my book reviews from our trip this weekend.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars

In all fairness, I would actually give this book a 3.5 stars. But, it just didn't do enough for me to deserve four stars, in my book.

The story was engaging enough. However, I think that the threads connecting the two dueling stories - that of Burnham, the fair architect, and that of Holmes, the serial killer - was weak.

Yes, the events happened in the same city. Yes, it was an exciting time for the country and Chicago. But, I felt like the author unnecessarily wove the two stories together. I would have preferred two separate stories.

Towards the end, the information about the fair began to dwell too long and include too many historical details for my taste. I felt myself skimming over names, dates and building information. It started to read more like a history book and was less enjoyable. The information about Holmes always seemed incomplete, lacking something.

All in all, I wish the author could have stepped out a bit from historical accuracy to develop the Holmes story more. This was the most engaging of the two battling stories. He was a serial killer, for goodness sake. Where was the emotion? It wasn't there, because it wasn't documented in the extensive research the author completed (which I commend him for).

If you are looking for a factual story about the Chicago World's Fair and Holmes, this could be it. If you are looking for a little more, this falls short.

View all my reviews.

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Back to freezing cold temps

Well, Ryan and I got back from Arizona. 

I didn't say we are happy about it. In fact, we are downright bummed that we had to leave.

We had a fun, happy and warm weekend with our parents and my mom's best friend. More photos and a recap will come soon, along with a few book reviews from my readings during the trip.

It will definitely be busy the next few days - getting back into the swing of things at work, class and life (can anyone say laundry?). Traveling - no matter for how long - will do that to you.

Plus... I read Twilight on our trip.

If you've read it, you understand that I will probably disappear while finishing the rest of the series. It's ridiculous that it's so addicting. I'm embarrassed at my own behavior. I was sobbing on the plane as I was reading it. Ryan just let me be. When I got home, I immediately began New Moon, which is just as addicting and embarrassing. I'm already 200 pages in.

So, I'll be back soon (hopefully tomorrow, but that isn't a promise). I hope you will all remember me then. =)

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M.I.A.

The NewlyWoodwards are going to be M.I.A. (Missing in Arizona) for the next four days. Ryan got back yesterday... and now we are heading out.

Visiting the parents. Meet mom and dad. Aren't they cute in their Super Bowl shirts?

That's their backyard. Ridiculous.

We are heading to their retirement paradise for a few days to visit. We are stoked! It's so cold here, so going to warm weather is like heaven. Those of you below St. Louis just don't get it. =)

Happy long weekend to all of you! I'll catch you on Tuesday.

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For me? Sushi

Well... somehow in all my years, I have never had real sushi. I have had a spring roll once... and it was good. But for some reason, I've never had anything else. I blame my husband (as with most other things) because he is not interested in anything sushi.

Enter my dear friend, Rebecca.

This sweetheart decided it was about time for Kim to try sushi for real. (The fact that she craving sushi like something crazy had nothing to do with it.)

When we got to the restaurant, I was down right giddy with excitement. We sat down and Rebecca asked, "are you going to blog about this?"

"Sh*t." I forgot my camera. It was a moment that needed to be documented, and I forgot my camera.

But my darling Rebecca had an I Phone, so she took care of it. Go Rebecca! Here's me with the sushi we ordered.
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Ordering sushi was harder than I expected. So, I just let Rebecca do it. We got Iowa City rolls (my favorite), cream cheese rolls, California rolls, tuna and salmon a la carte.

Oh my my... it was FABULOUS. I would have licked my plate if I would have thought no one would have judged me.

It was like Rebecca read my mind. So, we ordered more Iowa City rolls.

Moral of this story: Sushi is the best.

The end.

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Green clean

Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home by Linda Mason Hunter

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

Towards the beginning of this book, the author says:

"A simple rule of thumb for your cabinet clean-up: If something makes your eyes tear, your nose crinkle or your skin itch, get ride of it. Almost every cleaning product can be replaced with a nontoxic, environmentally friendly alternative..."

I think this is a wake-up call to most Americans like me, who practically coat the house in toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners and glass spray.

With that said - this is officially my favorite reference for green cleaning. It's simple to understand and full of helpful tips.

What I appreciate about this book:

- It isn't copy heavy. It's almost formatted like a magazine, which makes it much easier to read.

- The author speaks in everyday language.

- Instead of having information about the chemicals throughout the book, the author discusses the problems with chemicals in the first chapter. This is perfect for me, because I've already read about these in other books. And, for those who haven't, they get it all up front. This makes the entire book easier to digest.

- Much of the information is formatted in tables or checklists. I especially loved the checklists in every chapter, which gave specifics on what and how to clean every area of your house, and how often. This is a perfect book to begin a cleaning schedule.

- The back of the book is filled with recipes for make-it-yourself green cleaners. This is precisely what I was looking for, the specific measurements for different non-toxic home cleaners. This is the best book I have found for these recipes. She also discusses where to find the ingredients, in case they aren't available in the grocery store or supercenter.

Overall, this is a book that is meant to be a reference. When I ran out of carpet cleaner today, this book gave me a simple recipe for a nontoxic carpet cleaner. I will definitely get lots of use out of the recipes in the book. This alone makes it a must-read for anyone looking to de-toxify their cleaning.

View all my reviews.

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Ahead of the curve

Does this bench, from DIY Ideas, look familiar?

Maybe similar to our storage solution by the backdoor?

I guess we are ahead of the curve, huh?

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Thank you for being a friend..

I've been constantly amazed at the kindness in the blogosphere. Since I began blogging last year, I have "met" some of the most wonderful folks. It's really awesome to have people to share with and learn from. And, unlike "real life," the people I have met in the blogosphere are always so positive. It's really an interesting dynamic.

So, when Mrs. Dirnberger awarded me with the "Friendship Award" two weeks ago (what can I say, I'm running late?), it brought a smile to my face. Just another example of the support within blogs.

Thanks Mrs. D - you are a wonderful blogger friend to me.

The "Friendship Award" is given to"

"...blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to bloggers who much choose more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I don't even know what self-aggrandizement means, but I'm flattered.

I'm going to pass this award to all of you bloggers who comment regularly and have made me smile at some point through our blogship (get it? friendship+blogging=blogship).

Pass it along to your friends!  

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Painting the weekend away

Oh yeah...I did it. I painted our dining room set.

Thanks to all of you who voted on the blog to choose the paint color. While there were other great suggestions, I ended up going with the majority and choosing black. I agree that it probably blends better with our existing room (rug, sconces, curtains). I love white, but it's probably a little too casual for the room as it is. And, I don't wanna change the room... yet. =) So... thanks again to all of you. You are like my personal decision making machine.

And the dining table and chairs look FABULOUS!


It went from this...

(Do you notice those scratches all over the chairs? Lovely...)...

To this.

What do you think? It looks so amazing in person. The oak grain really shows through. It looks lovely.


But, let me tell you - those chairs were a pain in my patootie. Every one of those spindles was my worst nightmare. Thankfully, my gram came over on Friday and Saturday to help. Then, I put the last coat on today. I'm going to let it cure for a day and then put poly on the top to protect it.


While I was picking up black paint, I saw some green that caught my attention. So, I painted the end table while I was at it.

I think it's cute. And, I like that the pretty hardware shows up more now.

So, my next project will be this baby:

I'm going to paint it black to match the table and take off the wooden hardware and change it out for these:But I'm gonna give myself a few weeks before I get started. I need a paint break.

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Be my Valentine?

My hubby won extra Valentine's Day points by sending me these babies at work on Friday.

I kinda love them. I could get used to getting flowers at work every month... or week. (hint hint: husband).

Then, I went to supper with Ryan's mom and dad on Saturday. We went to a really nice restaurant and I had steak. Then, we all got grasshoppers. Pretty fun! They even got me a box of Lagomarcino's chocolate.

So, Valentine's Day was about as great as it could be... especially with Ryan about six million miles away. He'll be home in four days... the countdown begins.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Who and what do you (heart) on Valentine's Day and everyday?

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It's Thursday...

and that means tonight is my favorite night of television.

Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice are my guilty pleasures. It's the one night of television that I never miss. I blame the addiction on my college roommates. They were nursing majors and watched Grey's from the beginning. They did this to me. It's your fault, Ali and Lynne.

I'm so obsessed, in fact, that sometimes I speak about the characters like they are real. I gossip about them like I know them. It's sick, I know. But, I cannot help it.

Take, for instance, this week when it was reported that two actors would be leaving the show (sigh... I'll miss you Izzy). I talked about them like I know them. Clearly, I do not.

I prefer to watch Grey's with girlfriends. Luckily, Emily the pug tamer feels the same way I do about this night.
Notice in this photo, both of the dogs are sitting on Emily's lap (which they do for nobody else). It's crazy how much they love her. (And, yes... Lola is chewing on a hanger. Apparently, it's her favorite toy. Who am I to judge?)


So, tonight... big episode. And we will be glued to the TV the whole time. If Emily or I do have to go to the bathroom, get a drink or otherwise leave the couch, the other is in charge of maintaining a visual. If the show comes back on, we scream bloody murder for the other to get back before she misses something really important. We are good friends... it's what we do.

So, tonight we will be veggin' and gigglin' and gaspin' and squeelin'.


What is your guilty pleasure???

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In the bag

Thanks to Shalay at Writefully Yours for tagging me in the Bag Tag. If you haven't visited this blog, you must. This gal is Hilarious (with a big H). My favorite post was about the foil not fitting in the drawer. Makes me laugh every time I go to put tin foil away.

I know what you are thinking... "Another tag??? Geez..." Well, stop thinking that. Cause, this one's fun!

Here are the rules for the tag:

1. Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house. No cheating!

2. I want to know how much it costs =). And this is not to judge. It is for entertainment purposes only. So, spill it. And, if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I'd love to hear it.

3. Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know what the heck you're showing everyone your bag.

Confession: I'm not a purse person. They are alright. Clearly - I use them. I stuff them full of things. But, they aren't my favorite thing to buy and I don't stow away tons of purses in my closets. I buy them every now and then, when I'm sick of my old one or they are on major sale.

With that said, here is the purse I'm currently carrying:

I rarely would purchase a purse that does not meet the above criteria. I paid $4.99 for this purse at NY&Co. I used a gift card. =)

Here's the inside:

Now, here are the gals I'm tagging to show me your purses:

Carrie at Carrie's Little World

Emily at Imperfect

Jenna at Life Uncluttered

Jennifer at This Girl Loves Pink

Kaitlyn at The Kraesc Life

Kari at Better Together

Kellie at Karma

Laura at The Meckleys

Mrs. Dirnberger at Mrs. Dirnberger

Shannon at The Shannon Experience

I'll stop there... but everyone else out there, show me your purse!!!

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Dining Room Dilemma

I'm tentatively planning to paint our dining room set this weekend! I'm going back and forth on color.

I am leaning towards black... I've always loved black sets.

(image from Rate my Space, pretty much our exact same table)

But, will that be too dark in the room?

But, then my mother in law mentioned white. And, I do love Emily's white table. But... I don't want to purchase new chairs yet, and I'm not sure about white chairs.

Is there another color I'm missing?

Here's the dining room, to refresh your memory. And, now go vote in the sidebar! I need your expertise.

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Leave it to Eddie Ross

Leave it to the fabulous Eddie Ross to make this

into this

You know I have a mild obsession with pantries... I also have a greater obsession with Eddie Ross' blog. He's got so much style, it's inhuman (in a good way - not in a Terminator way). And, I appreciate that he can change something entirely, without spending his life savings.

This is just gorgeous. Is it just me, or does it totally remind you of a Tiffany box? Sigh...

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Couch swaparoo

We have a bit of a new look in our living room and office. I picked up some slipcovers from Target to try to protect the couch and loveseat from the devils.

Office loveseat before:

The loveseat was quite comfortable and in awesome shape. Plus, it has a pull-out bed for company. But, the print didn't really go with the rug (which we both like).

Office loveseat after:

The pretty red cover caught my attention. It's stretch fabric, so it fits well. It's a corduroy-type material. I also picked up the new pillow to pull the colors from the rug in. I really like how it turned out.

Franco loves the new pillow, too. =)

Living room couch before:

The dogs were tearing up this couch, and I wanted to protect it will look good for several more years.

Living room couch after:

I like the new brown slipcover, it breaks up the pattern and fits the sofa well. I like that it has a separate cover over the cushions. (Clearly, I also rearranged the furniture.)

What do you think? 

I'm definitely needing something more to pull together the living room. The first thing I need to figure out is pillows... and I'll need your help. Okay? Okay...

I will be posting later this week about that once I get a few options together. If anyone has any other ideas on how to make the room look more polished, let me know. Keep in mind that the dogs will tear up anything they can get their paws on. So most items that would go on a table or the floor are out. =/

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