Why my Husband is Awesome

When my birthday was coming up back in June, the hubs asked me what I wanted.  The only thing I could think of was the bracelet that I really wanted, which he did get for me, but he felt like it wasn't enough.  He said he wanted to make me something, which meant he would finally get to use the compound miter saw I got him for Christmas.  Really, I think that made it a present for both of us.

I threw out a handful of ideas like a hutch for the kitchen (he thought that was too complicated for his first project) and a new bookshelf since mine has no room and there are books stacked on my desk instead.  He didn't like that idea either.  Then I remembered that when we were still renting and had no backyard whatsoever, he promised me that he'd make me a picnic table someday when we had the space.  So I asked for it, and that's what I got.  He started out with some blueprints he found online (sorry, I have no idea where) and then adapted it so it would be much larger because we have a big family.  It now seats 8 people (4 on each side) and we have enough room to add a chair to either of the ends.  So it will last us a little while before we start needing to add an extra table.

Wanna see it?

He stained it with a redwood stain, but it's made from pine.  He also drilled a hole in the center so that the umbrella my in-laws bought us over a year ago would finally have a home.  

I realize you can't really see the umbrella in this pic because it blends in with the clouds, but it's there.

I love sitting in the shade at this table and watching the amazing view we have from our backyard.  I can't wait until the next big get-together we have where we can actually sit outside and eat and have room for everyone. 

Happy Birthday to Me

My birthday was ten days ago, but I'm just now getting a chance to write about the awesome gift my husband got me.  Technically, I asked for it, including sending him the link in the right size. 

I got this baby:

I borrowed the photo from the seller's listing.  I found it on Etsy from a shop called Chain of Being.  They're out of Alameda, CA so for me they're relatively local, which was an added bonus.  The only downside was that it took almost a week to be shipped, though it did arrive fairly quickly after that (and I realize that the seller has no control over how long it takes to arrive once they send it). 

Outside of the slowness, I love this bracelet.  It's well-made and gorgeous.  Plus, it's nerdy without being obviously so.  In case you weren't sure, it's the planets of our solar system along with the sun and the distances between them are proportional to the actual distances between the planets.  Each of the tiny black beads represents about 40,000 miles.  A lot of work went into making these and I think it paid off.  I've worn my bracelet since the day I got it. 

The seller has a lot of other cool nature-based jewelry including a necklace with the different layers of the atmosphere and one that looks like veins and arteries.  You should definitely check it out. 

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband!  I am so lucky to have him in my life. 

Since this mostly ends the craziness of June (it'll last until the 4th though), I might actually be able to be back here soon and have something to post other than an update.  Maybe even something I've made.  I've got an itch to be crafty and make something. 

My birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday.  While I wasn't expecting it to be too thrilling because I had to work and we are planning to have family over on Saturday to celebrate, DH put a lot of effort into it and made me feel really special. 

I got off work late (I work swing shift) so we only had a couple hours together.  I had requested a tri-tip sandwich from our local BBQ place, but they were closed when DH tried to go.  So he went to a nice restaurant in town and convinced them to make a tri-tip sandwich, even though it's not on their menu.  He also bought me some super chocolate ice cream (I don't remember what it's called, but it was awesome) and a cake from the bakery.  It was a lemon blueberry cake on bottom with lemon cheesecake on top.  It might be the best thing I've ever eaten. 

I also got to open my present, which was a brand new ipod touch.  I've never had a new ipod before (always got them used from my dad) and he had it engraved.  He knew my old one kept freezing and it was making me crazy. 

I also brought some cupcakes into work.  I didn't take pictures because they were very plain and I was running late.  Everyone was really nice (I think it was because I loaded them with sugar). 

So overall I had a great birthday.  And I still get to celebrate more because DH took tomorrow off so we can do something fun together and I get to see family on Saturday.  Now I just have to figure out what to get DH since his birthday is only 2 weeks away.