An update and a review

Since I've posted. That's because I haven't done anything remotely crafty recently. It's very unfortunate. I'm hopefully to jump back on that bandwagon as soon as I get out of school. Well, actually no. While I only have 3 days of work left (woohoo!) I'm still going strong with my graduate classes. Next week is my "finals" week so I'll be busy with some papers I haven't started. THEN, it's down to business. Not sure what I will do first, but here's what I'd like to get going over the summer:

• Paint and repair the downstairs bathroom (color TBD)
• Finish wall decor in living room (still stuck on the ceiling medallion thing)
• Decorate master bathroom (and order blinds)
• Make pillow covers for the couch
• Gallery wall? Framing some pictures that have been waiting
• Something for the classroom
• Scrapbooking/card making
• Plan for rumpus room?

I also need to find a use for my new birthday gift:

That's right. My mom got me a Dremel for my birthday. I plan on engraving, sanding, drilling, and generally Dremeling my little heart out.Young House Love swears by the Dremel, and I'm sure I will find lots of uses!

By the way, my birthday was on Monday. I am officially part of the quarter-century club. I know being 25 means that I'm still young, but I feel like I'm quickly leaving the "young adult stage" of my life. It's weird that I've been driving for 10 years because I remember my first time perfectly. It's weird that it's been 7 years since I moved into the dorms my Freshman year of college. It's weird that I've almost been married two years. I feel freshly out of college and still very much young. On the other hand, I've had a full-time career for two years now, I own a house, and I talk a lot about our finances and retirement. I've always been the youngest at everything, and that's no longer my claim to fame as I'm nearing the middle of the pack. But... it is what it is. I know I am still young, I just feel like another chapter is beginning.

Speaking of chapters, guess what else I got for my birthday from my dear old husband (who would've been in trouble if he didn't get it??):

Meet the Nook Simple Touch Reader. You may not be acquainted yet, as he is new to the e-reader game. But boy is he a contender. Call me a geek, but I've done all the research. It was released May 24, but is still not available in all stores. He costs a modest $139, for the budget-conscious reader. The basic differences/improvements from the previous generations and competitors are: the e-ink display is improved, with better contrast and a touchscreen, you can get (some) magazines and use the lendme technology, the battery life significantly out-does other brands at up to 2 months, and the reader stores up pages in advance so changing the page does not cause flickering. It is "simple," as marketed, because it does not feature apps or web browsing. This was not a priority for me, as I have a new smartphone and have access to everything that the nook color would offer.

What is GREAT is that I had just been telling John that I didn't want a nook anymore because I liked the e-ink screen better than the backlit screens. They are easier on my eyes, feel more like I'm reading a book, and can be seen in the sun. I didn't want all the bells and whistles because I have a smartphone. I wanted something that was compact and only for reading. Then I went to the Barnes and Noble website and here he was waiting for me! I haven't loaded a ton on to it yet but am enjoying reading Tina Fey's Bossypants right now (hilarious). I can't wait to take in on our cruise. It's TINY and great.

I also got a fun little ice cream maker, an awesome custom letter stamp-thing from Martha Stewart, and this book based on the most adorable blog I've ever seen, My Milk Toof: The Adventures of Ickle and Lardee. Makes me SO happy.

I will leave it at that for now. I'm not gone, though! I hope to be back soon with funny stories, crafts, and a review of our trip on the Chehalis Murder Mystery Dinner Train and to the Centralia McMenamin's in a few weeks!