I am an ARMY WIFE!

So...it's official! I am an Army wife, and Kyle and I could not be more excited! We have been working, praying, hoping, fighting for this moment for a looooong time and it finally happened! Kyle is scheduled to leave for Basic Training in Fort Benning, GA on October 25th. Basic will be 9 weeks long, and then he will begin what is known as Officer Candidate School (OCS)...that is 14 more weeks. Once he graduates from that we will find out where his specialized training will be which is called Basic Officer's Leader Course (BOLC), where we will be stationed, and what his new career will be...he will be a bona fide 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army! Can you tell I am proud, or what? LOL!

What lies in the months ahead you may ask...training, training, training. Kyle has to get into tip-top physical (and mental) shape to be ready to take on boot camp. Of course, I know he will do well...he is probably the most determined person I have EVER met in my entire life! And for me...well, I will be working away! :) Oh and of course spending LOTS of quality time together! We are actually hoping to take a vacation to see his Aunt and Uncle in D.C. for a week to spend some time with the people who have helped him so much to get to this point, see some sights, and possibly attend a special military event! More details to come on that later!

But that's what is going on here!
Thanks to all of you for the love, prayers, and support! <3

Graduation 2011

So, as you know I graduated and one of the things on my "to do" list was crafts...This was my first experiment, chocolate graduation caps! I decided to give them out to all of my guests at my graduation dinner as a token of my appreciation for all the love, support, and encouragement they gave me throughout my college career. These were a little trickier than I expected because as you know chocolate melts really easily when handled too much, so they had to go back in the fridge many times before they were complete...But they were totally worth it! I took them one step further and attached a little tag to the stick with gold wired ribbon that said "thank you" in a green marker. (my school colors are Green and Gold) I think my guests were really surprised and enjoyed these adorable treats! So...For all you crafty people out there, I wanted to share this simple treat for you to use for any of the graduates in your future!

Materials:
Mini Reese's Cups
Milk Chocolate with Caramel center Ghirardelli Squares
Yellow* Icing
Yellow* Twislers
Lollipop sticks

*These can be any color you wish...I chose yellow because my real tassel was yellow

Construction:
First, make sure you have something to stick the lollipop sticks into so that the candy is able to sit upright while you are working on them. I used some floral foam we had stored away. Also, before you can get started, put the bag of Reese's cups in the freezer. This makes the paper wrapper easier to remove without taking chocolate with it. After they have been in the freezer for a couple hours, take them out and unwrap them. Then, you must let them thaw out a little so that you can stick the lollipop sticks in without breaking the cup. Once you have your sticks in the cups, place the them into the foam.

Then, put some icing on the top of the Reese's cup and place an unwrapped Ghirardelli chocolate square on top. Do not press hard or you may break the square. (This is where one of the trips to the fridge is really handy) Place the candies in the fridge for a few hours so that your chocolate hardens and the icing solidifies, making the top and bottom one secure piece.

Now you are ready to make the tassel. I cut the Twislers long ways into strips using the groves as guides and then cut them in half. I didn't make very many caps, so one Twisler was all I needed to make my tassels. Once you have taken the candy out of the fridge, lay one strand of the Twisler on top of the cap starting in the center and glue it on with a glob of icing. After, place them in the fridge again so that the icing holding the tassle on hardens in to place.

That's all there is to it! It was really a fun way to say "thanks"...plus, who doesn't like chocolate? :)

Enjoy!

Here it goes...

Okay, so I created this thing about a month ago and I told myself I would start as soon as I finished my bachelor's degree. And...I AM DONE! I am so excited to have some time to do the things that I have been wanting to do for the past 4 years! I actually created a list...yeah, I know...I am a dork. :)

Things To Do Once I Graduate:
1. SLEEP...soundly! (you have no idea how hard just that has been)
2. Lay out by the pool
3. CRAFTS!!! (big yay)
4. Watch more movies on Netflix
5. Cook new things
6. Read a book I actually want to read
7. Take short trips...somewhere....anywhere
8. Start a blog... here we are
9. Did I mention sleep?
...etc.

So, you get the point. Lots of relaxing, lots of fun, and best of all LESS STRESS just knowing that a due date is not hanging over my head every second of the day! The next thing I have to look forward to is the commencement ceremony on the 14th! Then I will just be a regualr adult working 40 hours a week...now I feel old! Maybe that's why people go to grad school...they aren't ready to be a regular adult. LOL! Personally, I am just thankful I have a good job and that when my work day is done I can just go home and spend time with the peeps I love!

Well, I think that's all for now...I hope I can keep up with this! Wish me luck! <3