I like my swans in lime

With the move-in date for my new house getting nearer and nearer, I've been busy in my workshop trying to be thrifty with my decor. In the shed my dad built in our backyard, I did some snooping, and what did I find?! I wooden swan. So I decided to paint it lime green. Travis helped.

My father thought I should pose with my lime duck. He thought my outfit would look good with it

That was fun. Can't wait to see how it looks in the living room :)

Nothin but love,
Bethany

Back to reality

When we were nearing ground, pulling into LAX, I was just awestruck thinking to myself, "Bethany, welcome to the land of the stars, where people go from nobody to somebody in the blink of an eye, and where talented people dare to give their biggest dreams a wild chasing."*sigh*...well I'm back from la-la land...and I've got to tell you, getting on the plane to come back to Texas was entirely against my will.

I had a feeling that I wouldn't be ready to come back. I was right. I didn't. More than anything, California (or Southern at least) can boast about their perfect weather. I mean perfect. I have the weather of certain cities that I have visited plugged into my iPhone. Once I leave, they turn into a haunting reminder of what I'm missing. Right now at 5 till 11 am, it is 87 degrees in Dallas, with plans to reach 102 this afternoon....On the other hand, in Los Angeles, it is 66 degrees. Sunny, with plans to reach no more than 75. But watch out for tomorrow, California, you might get to 80! What a scorcher.

One of my favorite things we did was go on a tour through Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Belair, etc. Amy and I felt like the EPITOME of tourists. Let me paint you a mental picture. Bus tour. The bus is more like a large van with the top cut off from behind the driver and passenger seats back. On the side it reads, "Buddy bus tours", and there are about 12-15 riders with hats, sunglasses, and cameras poking out. I've got to tell you, it was more embarrassing than anywhere else on Rodeo drive when the Buddy bus was sandwiched between Mercedes and Beamers that probably aren't available to the general public yet.

We got to see some celeb homes like...Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Drew Carey, Bill Cosby, Paris Hilton, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz....and on and on.

Out of all the stars, he's the only one I needed a picture with

Me and mom before dinner in Long Beach

Zami and I shopping on Rodeo Drive

A piece of beautiful Santa Monica

My goodness, it was just the best. I know I probably frustrated the group I was with for never having a plan, but I was perfectly giddy just to be there soaking it all in. However cheesy it sounds, it just feels different there. I am absolutely enthralled with Southern California.

Thank you for taking me mama :)

Nothin but love,
Bethany

California dreamin

Hello friends :)

On Thursday I am going to California for the first extended period of time (I'm not counting the 2 times I went through on my way to Hawaii)

I'm so excited!! We are going to spend a few days in Long Beach and then a few in good ol' Los Angeles. I would, of course, die happy if I could spend the rest of the Summer visiting ALL of California's little treasures apart from Long Beach and Los Angeles, but we just haven't got that long.

If anyone reads this and has some good suggestions for my trip, don't be a stranger!


Can't wait to tell you all about it- I'll be sure to take lots of pictures :)

Nothin but love,
Bethany

Picnic

Since picnic-ing is a dying art, it is my/our job to hold off it's extinction for as long as possible. I credit a lot of its decline in popularity to global warming. It is too bloody scorching to pretend to enjoy yourself outside from the hours of 9am-7pm. 

So go at 7:15. 

And don't skip out on the fried chicken.

Nothin but love,

Bethany

A little tennis

As it is, there aren't many people in Dallas this summer so Travis and I spend the evenings together for the most part. I can't complain! Anywho, I feel like we (or him mostly and I go along with it) do/does a good job of mixing things up every now and then. So sometimes instead of watching tv or a movie at my house, we'll go play tennis or go read at a coffee house somewhere (or attempt to...some close earlier than we arrive)

2 nights ago we played tennis!

It wasn't too hot, so we lasted about an hour...not too shabby for being outside in the Texas summer heat.  Neither of us will be ready for Wimbledon any time soon, but we can keep the ball going. 

{Abrupt transition}

Yesterday I got blood taken for the first time. I've been getting annoyed for a while now because any time I exert myself it's hard to catch my breath, heart beats rapidly, sometimes I turn a blue-ish color. Annoying, right? So I had to get some blood tests. Long story short, after the blood has been taken and it's time for me to stand...standing seems harder than ever before

I was all "I feel kinda throw-uppy" {in a slow sleepy voice} and she was all like...."yeahhhh why don't you lay back down". She came back a few minutes later and I'm pale as a ghost, sweating bullets, and half asleep telling her, "I think I feel kinda hot". So they brought the doctor in and covered me with ice packs, hooked me up to the blood pressure machine and re-took my blood pressure like 12 times. They made me keep my eyes open, making it impossibly difficult to fall asleep the way my body was demanding me to.  

After a few minutes in the ice, an apple juice and pack of crackers later, I was stand up-able, and on my way. 

I know that happens a lot..........it was just funny to have it happen to me. Apparently you're supposed to drink lots of water before these things. Go figure

After that I had to go get a chest x-ray

The hospital "gowns" are a blue and white striped pattern with a decorative diamond print. Ya know what I found utterly baffling? The decorative diamond. What's the point? It's a hospital gown. Calling it a gown is even pushing it. I tell ya what, that thing is a glorified apron. 

To whom it may concern,

You are wasting your time/energy, and however little extra cost it may be to diamond your aprons. Also, your "gown" is an insult to evening gowns and sleeping gowns. Call it what it is.

Sincerely,

Baffled

Nothin but love,

Bethany

my dream, a reality

I finally got my high waisted swim suit!! Found this sucker on sale at Anthrolpologie

In other news, the 4th of July was 2 days ago. We celebrated our America at Royal Oaks country club

Before that, on June 30th was Travis's birthday. The big 2-1 to be exact...birthday strawberries were in order

 I'll leave it at that for now :) Boy do I love that camy

Nothin but love,
Bethany

My new camera.

I got a new camera!! You all have been hearing me whine for a good time now, and I could not be more giddy about the difference my new camera is making in my pictures!

{Side note- I do not and will not claim to be some sort of photographer. 

I am just as untalented a photographer as I was before...

the only difference is that now I stand behind a more talented lens.}

Check this out

BEFORE

AFTER

*sigh*......that makes me so happy. I'm really hoping that this new tool might help me in the sales department! Get ready for lots more pictures- this baby goes with me everywhere!!


Nothin but love,
Bethany