.... is this thing on?

I logged on and found a draft of a post still just sitting there.....from 3 years ago! Sheesh! It's like a virtual ghost town.
Old broken links... ::Que the western music::
Photos no longer available....  ::rolling tumble weeds::

So. Let's just jump in like no time has past, except that everything is different. You know, like:
-my hair is down to my waist now
-I live in Omaha, Nebraska

Ok wow. I started a list because I thought it would be long, but ok that's really it! I still have a husband I adore. I spend my free time making things. Lots of things. Any things. And the other stuff is just a little different. My job is different now, and I have one kitty and one puppy now (Long story. No really. I love telling long stories where you wonder half-way through where it's going and sometimes I forget too, but this one is boring. Even to me) And oh yea!  I'm still not great at taking photos so you can pretty much just expect phone photos. Although I just discovered this thing called instagram and they have filters, so yeah, color you impressed #i'mawesomenow #allthecoolkidsthinki'mcool.

I think at least once a month for the last 3 years I have told Josh that I'm going to start blogging again. Mostly, I really miss having this record of my life. I'm not a journaler, or a journalee, or a journal-keeping-type-person, so I love having this place that I can write down my thooughts and feeeelings and stuuuuff. You know, not like a journal at all. I'd love to stick to posting once a week, so stay tuned! And ignore the last post (from three years ago) that said I was going to keep updating....

I almost forgot! A photo to prove I am still alive (Unfortunately this is not where we live. Its from vacation in Temecula last weekend. )

happiness is a violin lesson

{here}
do you ever have one of those moments? you know, a moment when you're just glowing with happiness from the inside out? you want to shout it from the rooftops, smile at even the crankiest-looking strangers- maybe even run up and give them a hug?

i just had that moment. 

all week long.

part of it is the impending holiday, but mostly it's because i got myself some violin students! {and a violist or two as well} and really, there's nothing in the world like doing what you love. rediscovering your passion. remembering that yes, i do love to teach and i'm good at it!

after my 5th lesson of the week i really don't think i could be happier. unless maybe i got a new pair of shoes. scratch that, i think i'm flying high on that just-bought-10-new-pairs-of-shoes-and-still-guilt-free-about-it feeling. 

it's not "don't rain on my parade" it's "you couldn't rain on my parade if you tried!"

so yeah, i guess it's been a good week :) 

what have you been up to??

exciting awesomeness!

how is that for a title, huh?

but it really is exciting awesomeness cause i'm famous now!
yes, it's an undeniable truth that i'm awesome and now everyone in the city knows it {of course you already knew of my awesomeness, didn't you? well aren't you smart for being friends with me before the fame. that's how i know who loves me for me and who just wants a mustang for christmas}

you can see the article written about me in manhattan magazine here {i'm on page 54}

and don't worry, i'm not letting it go to my head. my agent says i'm staying very grounded :)
 {but on a more serious note, i've already gotten a phone call about a teaching opportunity, which is amazing. teaching the violin is truly my passion and i'm thrilled that someone wants me!}

and while we're here, i thought i'd share this video done by the students and faculty at my alma mater. at this point we've all seen a lib dub video or two, but this one is worth a look even if you didn't go to school there. {but watching it will make you want to go there. i miss that beautiful campus!} 

reasons to love manhattan #2

kstate football!

saturday i attended my first wildcat football game. {and sadly my last, because football games are outrageously long and my system can't handle being outdoors for more than 15 minutes. literally}

but, besides the sneezing and watery eyes, it was awesome!

 {our favorite player, #8 daniel thomas}

 i may have mentioned it before, but wildcat pride is pretty fierce here, so you can imagine the crazy excited energy going on in that stadium.

so even after the game was delayed for over an hour because of lighting and heavy rain {which we waited out in the stadium} it was full by the time play resumed.

{during the rain}

{and after. completely packed!}

i think you should all come visit so i can take you to a game and you can experience thousands of people doing the wabash cannonball {our unofficial school song}

{and oh yeah, we won! we're 0-4!}

vintage couch love

this weekend we got an early christmas gift from my mom and dad

it's a couch. and it. is. awesome!

i walked into one of our local vintage stores {second thyme around} and there it was. it's in excellent condition and fits perfectly. {and it totally matches the vintage gold chair we already have}

{the price tag}

and besides the fact that husband and i have been without a couch for over a year {and our previous couch was a futon} the kitty loves it, too.

yeah, we stayed inside all weekend cuddling and sleeping on our new couch. 

awesome.

i'm no clothes horse

it's 5:45 AM and i'm up. why?

excitement! 

and i usually get up at 6 anyway. but today i'm up 15 minutes early. skipping those last 15 minutes i usually cherish so much. i just can't sleep anymore. because i have my very own photo shoot today. 

yup. me, a photographer's studio, and my violin.

you see, there's this magazine here in manhattan, {manhattan magazine} and they're writing a story about me! and i'm pretty excited about it. ok, super excited about it!

it's all about me as a violin teacher, and i'm kinda hoping some one reads it and says to themselves, "i must have this adorable person teach my child!"

but back to this photo shoot.

the photographer told me to bring a couple changes of clothes, and as soon as he said that i had the terrible feeling {probably not so unfamiliar for many of you girls} that i have absolutely nothing to wear. pure panic. {ok, gross over exaggeration- i have tons of clothes and didn't quite panic. but i was close}

so in this almost-panicked stated, i took photos of outfits, sent them to sisters {big, little, in-law, and pseudo} and made them spill about what worked and what didn't. i also made a trip to the mall, but came home empty-handed, because at the end of the day it turns out i don't really need anything new, so why buy it? of course, that didn't keep me from making a huge mess in the process and dragging out my entire closet!

i can't wait to see the whole story, and as soon as it's published i'll be sharing it with you!