Vintage Postcards

I love 'vintage' everything. This is because I prefer everything I own to have some meaning to it - whether it is a family heirloom, a gift from someone special, or a momento from an adventure. I don't like having stuff for the sake of having stuff. So decorating our hone has been slow going, since I am hesitant to just buy something to fill blank wall space. Lord willing, I have years of adventure and friendship ahead with which to accent.
That being said, the blank walls in our guest bedroom were boring me, so I completed this budget project a few months ago.

I printed these postcards from the Memphis Public Library Archives.  They have hundreds of vintage images online that are free printables! I searched through early 20th century postcards of Memphis and found meaningful ones in similar color schemes. Then I matted them and placed them in clearance frames which I had previously spray painted silver. They were black before, but that was too stark for this room. Total cost of the project $22!

I'm baaaaack!

So sorry, blogosphere, for my absence of over a year. Gasp! I have been wanting to write a really GREAT post about our goings on, where I've grown, etc. but the burden is just too large. So, today I'm just saying "hi" to break the silence. So there, I did it.

Coop

Coop on his first night at home!

So meet the newest Rogers. His name is Cooper, or "Coop", and we got him about 4 months ago. He is a product of the Memphis Animal Shelter, found in an abandoned shed, and is some mix possibly of a beagle, German shepherd, and maybe some pit bull (there has yet to be a DNA test performed). Obviously, he was quite malnourished and we found out two days after we brought him home that he was sick, possibly a virus brought on by neutering him while he was so skinny. He also came down with pneumonia and we were not sure he was going to live. But after a few days at the vet, he rebounded and eventually got over the pneumonia. We thought he was just a calm puppy, but no, he was just sick. And now, after a month at the Rogers' home, this is what he looks like, happy and healthy. Perhaps too healthy.At the lake a week or so after his adoption.....

And just last week....

Berry Season

The other morning I was inspired by sweet Jillian to make some delicious muffins. One of the many things I miss about Oxford is Bottle Tree Bakery, and these bad boys were made using their recipe. I shared these with our neighbors and I think they liked them too!
I wish there was some way to share this deliciousness over the web, but pics are all I can provide. Cheers!

A nook

Our entryway has a great phone nook with a little shelf. I love this feature in old homes. While the search for an vintage phone to place here is underway, I went ahead and gave it a little sprucing up.
Each item is a gift from someone in my family. The books are classic novels that Penguin has released with beautiful vintage looking covers. The birds are handmade originals from Wolfe Studio in Jackson, MS. I'm hoping to find a cool guest book to put in the shelf for all our visitors!

A little sleep...

A little slumber, a little folding of the hands...

And your yard is a hot mess. The previous owners had this house as a "second home," so needless to say, the yard has been neglected. Fortunately I married a fellow passionate about landscaping. A few weeks ago, he got busy.

Of course, things around here have to get worse before they get better. Here are the results of the massacre...

Several holly trees (yes, trees, not bushes) and other various overgrown shrubs make for quite a stack!
We've been busy making our house a home, so more to come soon!

Dedicated

Last weekend, Scott (the bro) and Michelle's firstborn was dedicated to the Lord. It was a sweet time for family and friends to get together to celebrate the next generation in the Schuchard Clan, sweet Ellie. She has grown and changed so much in the past 2ish months! It is amazing. Here are a few pics

Proud parents

Doesn't Ellie look regal?

Yours truly with Scott, Michelle, and Ellie

The extended fam

hitched

Last weekend, the hubs and I ventured down to our old stomping grounds for Dan and Elizabeth's nuptials. It was a good time had by all, and I don't think I've seen many couples so happy to get married as they were. Here are a few pics of the weekend...

Yours truly with Mr. and Mrs. DTI

Emily O'Dell captured the evening as the official photog, here's a picture to prove she was really there!

Another highlight of the trip was hanging out with our dear friends Emily and Eric Remington. The problem is... we always have so much fun that we forget to take pictures. While shopping at the Old House Depot for cool old stuff, Emily and I met Johnny Bertram. She being significantly cooler than I already had both of his albums, but I went ahead and purchased the LP. I've been enjoying the folksy Idaho-meets-Mississippi sounds all week!

Fancy architectural piece I want from Old House Depot- maybe it'll still be there next go 'round?

Happy Hearts

For Valentine's Day, Ty and I had a few friends over for some delicious treats! I enjoy cooking, but I love making sweets more than anything else. Take a look at the spread...

A secret first glance at our dining room!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Chocolate covered strawberries.... Yum!

In other news, we went to a class at the gym called "Extreme Fitness" and boy was it extreme. Super huge, former Marine, Anthony created the perfect potion for a challenge that makes you want to cry. Neither of us could move in any direction without aching for two days. Now we're ready for round two next Saturday!

Face Lift

I updated the "decor" of our blog with hopes of posting more frequently... We'll see how it goes!


In other news, it's been snowing a lot here lately. So much so that we stopped taking a pic of the house every time it snows! Here's our cute little abode with a light dusting....

the land of cotton

Happy New Year and Hotty Toddy from Jerry World! That's right, the mr. and I are at the cotton bowl for a second go round. This year is a repeat of the 2004 matchup against oklahoma state. But there are two key differences: 1) jevan instead of eli 2) the brand spanking new cowboy stadium instead of the old faithful cotton bowl. This stadium is AAmazing. You can't turn a corner without seeing a flat screen and being offered an ice cold margarita. Anyway, we're excited for kickoff. Are you ready?

Showing our Gratitude

This is the time of year, I like spending time celebrating with family and friends. Today, I have been hit with the hard fact that the men and women serving in the Armed Forces don't have that luxury. Yes, luxury. Until now, I thought of the joys of this festive time of year as a right. The truth is, that I am able to travel, cook, work, relax, and celebrate this season thanks to living in a nation that believes in personal freedoms. But more importantly, I have men and women that are willing to sacrifice their luxuries and comforts to protect them.

My dear friend's oldest brother is currently serving his third tour in Iraq. I remember watching the coverage of the first offensive on Iraq with Jenny and her mom in the spring of 2003. Then, they thought David might have to go. Now, that thought is a reality times 3. This year he is missing Christmas with his beautiful wife and three adorable children.

This thought has prompted me to action. And I'm telling you (my faithful readers), so that I have to follow through.

My challenge to myself: starting today through the New Year, I am collecting thoughts, thanks, and notes from any and everyone. I will mail these, along with some goodies, to David. He can enjoy our sentiments and gratitude and share them with his fellow servicemen.

My challenge to you: comment, email, or mail me your thoughts, sentiments, thanks, pictures, art, homemade happys, and what have you to share with those serving in Iraq. This can be whatever you want- including but not limited to name, age, location, everyday freedoms you enjoy, inspirational verses and quotes... The sky is the limit! If I see you in person between now and then, I'll have a little notecard for you to write on, so be ready!

Bring it....

The newest addition...

So we bought a house. Yessssss. After a few months of open housing on Sundays, we found this little gem right near where we currently live. We had probably driven past it a few times, but never really paid much attention. It doesn't really grab your attention from the outside and the pictures don't really do it justice either. We actually put it on the bottom of our list on the open house circuit that day, but we happened finish and decided to check it out since it was still open. I could tell it was a winner with Mary Margaret as we walked through it. We have walked through several houses together, but this one was different. We left both feeling excited and realized that we didn't really look critically at it because of the excitement we both felt. It's an old house, built in 1917. Surprisingly, it's in really good shape. The yard needs some TLC, but the house is livable as is. I'm sure we'll make some updates, but the house has a lot of charm already, including old pine wood floors, 12 foot ceilings, a nice front porch, and bead board walls in many rooms.

The kitchen.....

Guest Bathroom....
Our bathroom.....
The porch....
The Den....
The entry....

We've actually been holding off until we closed to post about it, but we did this morning and now it is ours. Sure it doesn't look as charming without the previous owner's nic-nacs, but we are going to get some of our own. And sure, I left out some of the rooms, so I guess you'll have to come visit to see it all. But we are very blessed and happy to have a place of our own. So come hang on our porch sometime. We'll be glad to have you.

Cheers

Three Cheers for this guy!

Today, Tyler is 25 years young. I am so amazed at how fast the years have flown by. This is our fifth birthday to celebrate together (cheesy, I know). But I feel like that first one was just yesterday. He has packed so much into his first 25 years, that I am excited to see what the next 25 hold!

That delicious cake (from last year) is Lydia's famous "Compromise cake" - most likely the most delicious thing you will ever put in your mouth. She made it for Tyler and his sister, Ginny, for various holidays over the years. Ginny liked divinity cake, Tyler liked chocolate. So creative Lydia made a devil's food cake with fudge layers surrounded by fluffy divinity, topped with chocolate shavings. Wow!

Happy Birthday Tyler!

What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of going to see Donald Miller at Hope Church. He is promoting his latest book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Ever since reading, Blue Like Jazz, Don (we shook hands and shared an awkward joke, I can call him Don) has been one of my favorite "Christian" authors. He presents the Christian life in a raw, earthy way- nothing is sugar coated. I also highly recommend another of his works, Searching for God Knows What.

Anyway, Don's latest book is about making his life into a movie based on Blue Like Jazz. What a humbling thought... packing a life into twoish hours. A movie on my life would be incredibly boring. This has always been true, but I have never wanted to admit it. During his talk, Don made clear why my life is lame. Conflict. I have always fought my very hardest to avoid conflict of any type. Growing up, my brother, Scott, and I never fought. Ever. In fact, on more than one occasion, his best friend DS would look at both of us and say, "fight or something." I always thought (and still think) that this was a great thing, we just got along really well and had pretty chill dispositions. I also didn't have much of the typical teenage girl drama. I can only recall doing a few really mean things in Middle School (sorry, Britani). Most of my time was spent avoiding or appeasing the drama.

Don, however, noted that without conflict, life is not beautiful or inspirational. Conflict makes us feel things we don't want to feel. Conflict makes us grow and change as human beings. So my frantic running from fights, uncomfortable situations, letting others down, and not sticking up for myself has prevented some degree of growth. Sad.

So... I am working on slowing my roll when it comes to conflict. This will not be overnight. But I am going to tell you what I really think, give my opinion, and even say "no" when it is necessary. Challenges, I welcome you with (half) open arms, because I know that you are what makes life beautiful.

Sorry...

So the first blog back after a long hiatus is really a difficult one. It is like calling an old friend when we haven't chatted in a while. I want it to be just right. I want plenty of time, no distractions, and deep topics from both sides. Needless to say... this is just a little much to ask these days. Hearing that voice, even for 2 minutes, is better than nothing at all.

This all goes to say, I am letting myself give up this expectation in the blog world. Go ahead, be disappointed. But hopefully you will hear more from me soon now that the awkward silence is broken.

Hi everyone, I'm back :)

Coldplay Part 1

So I know Mary Margaret mentioned that we went to Coldplay last month, but we don't think we have done blog justice to the experience. Last November, we went to see them perform in Dallas on the first round of touring for Viva la Vida, prior to the release of their EP Prospekt's March. The show was in the American Airlines Center, and it was quite a show. The excitement built as we entered the arena, with massive jumbo screens outside reminiscent of the lights of Times Square or Tokyo. Opening with Life in Technicolor, the band stood behind a mystical black vale with lights beaming form behind casting their silhouettes and igniting the excitement in the crowd. The vale dropped as the song built and the show began.

Opening....Life in Technicolor

We danced and sang as the band dipped into their older stuff with a performance of In My Place. The show continued with references to Andy Warhol pop style projections of the show appearing on three screens dangling from the ceiling and these cool paper lantern style screens spinning above our heads with performances of Lost, Viva la Vida, and Strawberry Swing.


Viva la Vida......

Speed of Sound....

Cemeteries of London....

Perhaps the most dynamic portion of the show came as the band performed Talk and The Hardest Part in an unplugged style with the piano and a synthesizer. The band then made an attempt to draw the crowd in more, something unusual for a band of their magnitude by slipping into the back of the audience and playing an all guitar set with Death Will Never Conquer sung by Will, and Sweet Child of Mine, after Chris made a reference to the Dr.Pepper sign and kindly reminded everyone to pick up their free Dr. Pepper (http://www.nme.com/news/guns-n-roses/41267) with the long awaited, or perhaps not, new Guns N Roses album.


42 Part I....


42 Part II....

Talk...

The Hardest Part....

The Scientist.....


Death Will Never Conquer....

The show finished up with a definite must, a live performance of Politik, complete with synced up flashing lights and a riveting performance of Lovers in Japan, with a twenties' style film playing in the background and confetti raining down throughout each chorus. The encore consisted of a very yellow performance of Yellow and Death and All of His Friends. All and all, it was a great show and I don't think my words can do it justice.

Lovers in Japan....

Yellow...

the j-o-b

So, I am at the end of my first week on the floor at my new job. I have to say, life is pretty good. This is a pretty good summary of my day:

Wake up 7 am (optional)- eat breakfast/ drink coffee/read then exercise/ run errands (depending on what time I got up) get ready for work

Role into the office at 10, wearing essentially whatever I want. Turn on some jams and get to work.

Laugh at whatever my neighbors say/do (including spraying "I can't believe it's not butter" on rice cakes) change the tunes, have a snack

Go shopping for an hour at lunch

Come back, put on some tunes, push through for a few more hours and then head home to see Tyler.

Pretty chill really- but I need some new music asap! Recommendations/playlists are welcomed and encouraged!

I'm not one to brag...

Ok- yes I am! So this past weekend, Tyler and I took at roadtrip to St. Louis. We met up with bro and Michelle and saw COLDPLAY on Friday night. It was incredible! I will post pics soon. We had great seats and were really into the show. The result- Tyler and I had a cameo in the St. Louis Post Dispatch! Of 18 total pictures, 10 are of Chris Martin and 1 of yours truly, the Rogers. Check it out.

Now honestly, this is not the best pic we've ever taken- but we were having such a good time! (and at least we're not clapping along like the lady behind us!)

So after about six months of planning, a few of my good friends/roommates from Ole Miss got together. Much thanks to Margie (also a new blogger) for hosting us in the Shreve! All in all, we hung out by the pool, shopped and had a great time! Food of course was a must- the Humphrey at Counter Culture, drive through daiquiris, and delicious dinner at Bistro Byronz (free- thanks to the creepster at the table next to us! Here are some shots!

Horne Road, reunited

Chickasaw!!

FYI- I have never put that many hyperlinks in a post before- sorry!