Phone Photo Friday

08/06/2010

Old Stockholm 1987. That’s me in the stroller, being rolled by my mama with my Swedish grandma in the background


My New Toy … I mean, Phone

08/02/2010

Jason and I have been with Verizon for at least 8 year but this summer when our contracts were up we came the closest we’ve ever been to parting ways in favor of getting the iPhone. As much as we love Mac products and even after weeks of research, the idea of dropping around $400 on making the switch didn’t sit well. Truthfully, we wanted them so bad but we prayed about it and had no peace about making the move once we were standing in the Apple store.

All that to say, we got what we decided was the next best thing: Palm Pre Plus. It’s not an iPhone but at least we have Verizon’s excellent coverage and the phone is very, very close. It has a large touch screen, tons of apps, unlimited data usage and a slide out QWERTY keyboard (which I think is a lot easier to use than iPhone’s touch keyboard.) Another nice feature of this phone/Verizon is that it’s as easy as pie to turn the phone into a mobile hotspot so I can use the internet on my laptop from anywhere. Anywhere … like poolside or on a tour bus. That means I. can. work. from. anywhere. (Please, Boss?)

Jason and I have never had smart phones before and these things are rocking our world. Here are some of my favorite applications / the best palm pre apps I’ve discovered so far:

Standards like YouTube, Facebook of course
1. Pandora
– free customized online radio

2. TweeFree – apps make the Twitter experience so much better
3. Flashlight
– bright white screen
4. Evernote
– photo and text notes that can be accessed online from any computer
5. Asphalt5
– super fun driving game. drive with the phone like steering wheel. Bonus points for including a Mini Cooper.

6. Speed Brain – good brain exercise
7. AP Mobile – news
8. AccuWeather – I find it to be more optimistic than Weather Channel (which is also a free app) and usually right. I like how it just shows a red thermometer for the days when the high is 100º and up.

9. Scoop – RSS blog reader that works with a Google Reader account
10. Yelp – restaurant/store/attraction finder. I use this all the time to find out what’s nearby or to call the place we’re going to order ahead or check their hours and to read reviews
11. Topple Ball – fun, phone-tilting puzzle game
12. Pink Pad – cycle management for ladies. Make notes about what’s going on and it helps me plan ahead

Most of these apps are free because we’re cheapskates.

After a month we only have a few complaints about the Palm Pre Plus. Jason’s and mine have frozen 5 times collectively. Three of those required popping the battery out to reset and once popping the battery out and letting it recharge. The other complaint is short battery life but we expected that and we do use them a lot. We got car chargers (and cases) cheap from Amazon.com and we take our chargers with us everywhere we go. I can usually get by with only charging it though the night.


Phone Photo Friday

07/30/2010

I’m CRAZY about this guy! I’ve seen this “guitar face” a lot in the past week while Jason was preparing for a big gig.

Did you notice I got a new phone? It has a much better camera than my old RAZR.


Phone Photo Friday

07/23/2010

Sorry, I know I’ve been a major blog-slacker this week. Do weeks ever just slip away from you? I can’t believe it’s already Friday! Hopefully this cute picture will make up for my lack of posts the past few days. Have you ever seen an 11-month-old with shoulder-length hair? Jason and I babysat this sweet little girl last Friday so her parents could go out on a hot date.


Phone Photo Friday

07/16/2010

Husbands away at a gig = sisters-in-law manicure night!


Great Grandpa Carl

07/14/2010

The reason we went to Naples for vacation is because Jason has such fond memories of a vacation his family took when he was 7 years old to visit his great-grandfather Carl Ludwig Ahlbrandt.

From his obituary: “Mr. Ahlbrandt was president of the Carpenters Union Local 1641 from 1968 to 1975. He also has the honor of becoming the director of apprenticeship, State of Florida, Division of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship. He and his students built the Carl Ahlbrandt Building of the local carpenters apprenticeship school on Enterprise Avenue in Naples. It was designated as the last school built in the United States by an instructor and his students.”

Here’s their mint green ranch the way Jason remembered it circa 1989:

There was a lime tree and a mango tree to the right of the house and pineapples growing on the left side. Coconut and palm trees lined the property. The house was a 0.5 mile walk to the beach. We put his address in the GPS and found the empty lot where his house once stood. It was sad to see it gone.

Jason spent a lot of time walking around the yard remembering. Mourning the house a little bit. The lot is for sale so we called to inquire about it. Way out of reach. But we can dream … Maybe someday we’ll buy up that lot and rebuild a mid-century modern home here.

The mango tree was nothing but a stump in the ground but the unkempt lime tree was still here. Jason picked the one and only lime off of it and took it with him.

Naples still has a large majority of it’s original mid-century homes. That makes it even harder to see that this one is gone.

As an artist, entrepreneur, gardener and go-getter, Jason feels a special connection to his great-grandfather. For me, it was a neat experience to get to know Carl a little bit through photographs and stories and by walking around his former yard.

We tried with no avail to find the building that was named after Carl. Apparently, there are several buildings around Naples and Marco Island that he built or helped build but we didn’t have a list of those addresses. Next trip. Next time.


Naples, Florida Vacation

07/12/2010

Not much to report from the ranch this week because we’ve been on vacation in Naples, Florida! Jason and I had a great week with our dear friends Laren and Jeremy. Jason’s great grandfather lived in Naples and he has wonderful memories of visiting there as a boy. He’s been wanting to go back there for years and we finally made it. It’s a really beautiful little beach town that apparently had a housing boom in the 1950s-70s. More on that later. Today, here are some fun vacation pictures.

Dinner at Kelly’s on our first night

Jeremy and Laren are great travel buddies!

Ice cream at Regina’s

Jason is picking up real estate catalogs … are we too young to own a second home at the beach?

Mini golf at Coral Cay

Jason won. He said he can’t remember a time when he didn’t win a mini golf game!

Leading the processional to the beach

When Jason was a boy he remembers finding hermit crabs and starfish and sand dollars and beautiful seashells in Naples. He turned into a little boy again as he was exploring the shoreline. He’s so cute!

Two conch shells with … clams/mussels/conches? inside

We admired them for a while and then Jason tossed them back out to sea.

Some girl found this starfish and shared it with us. It was neat to flip it over and watch it flip itself back.

Waves aren’t very big in Naples. Just calm, clear and warm.

Jason and I wanted a picture to show how clear the water was but I’m not sure if you can really tell here.

We’re already planning our next trip back to Naples!


Birthdays are Fun!

06/24/2010

Actually, I could have called this post Gifts are Fun! But that sounds kind of … materialistic. Maybe gifts is my love language. Regardless, I’m so thankful for each of my thoughtful, wonderful friends and family members and I got some really neat things that I thought I’d share with you. Not literally, you know, just in pictures.

I mentioned yesterday that my first birthday gift was Gee-Wiz.

My sister and brother-in-law sent this beautiful bag from a recent trip to Nicaragua. It seems to match almost everything and is the perfect size!

My brother and his wife sent The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey since I’ve been wanting to read it. I forgot to take a photo but really, it’s not a pretty book anyway.

I got a canister of my all-time favorite tea, Mango Ceylon Republic of Tea, from our friends Nate and Kala. Yummy! I have this everyday and somehow never get sick of it.

My sister-in-law found some great things, just my style. A cute screen printed burlap bag containing a cute little retro journal, gift certificate for a manicure (we’ll go together), and this really fun book by Pop Ink called Fluffy Humpy Poopy Puppy. Tons of wonderful illustrations and funny quips. I need another copy to cut up and frame.

And the mack-daddy of crafting inspiration: Martha Stewert’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts. My parents got me this lovely book and a metal water canteen.

My dear husband got me some new tank tops that I LOVE! I can only find a photo online of this one, which is actually more of a beach cover up. (Hooray for beach vacation next month!)

And our friends Leila and Jeremy went over the top giving me a new outfit (skinny jeans and a shirt), candy (that I’ve already eaten), swimming googles (that are already in my pool bag) and a handmade pocket mirror (that I’m too lazy to dig out of my purse to photograph.)

Thanks everyone!! I feel very loved!


Gee-Wiz!

06/23/2010

My first birthday gift this year came from my dear friends who love hunting for mid-century treasure even more than Jason and I. While at an antique mall in Kentucky, they found me this vintage horse race game called Gee Wiz. I did a little research and it was manufactured in the 1920’s. That means it’s almost 90 years old. That’s nuts! It’s a cool collectible and a very unique birthday gift that I’ll treasure.

Thanks Renata and Sean!


Seven

06/14/2010

Seven years. Today is Jason’s and my 7th wedding anniversary. Something feels significant about this one. I’m not sure why. Maybe because of the 7 year itch. Maybe the Biblical significance of the number 7.

We decided to celebrate yesterday (thank God because I’m actually sick today–which is why I’m posting so late.) I didn’t have my camera so sorry, no pictures. We had a romanic date – a picnic dinner (Buca di Beppo ToGo) at the park while listening to the Nashville Symphony.

[Warning … much sappiness to follow:]

I feel very blessed to be Jason’s wife. He’s an incredible man—thoughtful, sensitive, hard-working, talented, funny, handsome, creative, loving, faithful, sweet, protective, optimistic, passionate. On top of all that he loves to garden, cook and keep a clean house (don’t be jealous!). And of course, we share a love of mid-century modern design and vintage collectibles which means we get to enjoy our hobby together.

Jason, thank you for being my husband. I love you more than anything in the world! This has been quite a year…

I loved being with you as you stepped faithfully into the world of being a fully self-employed musician. It’s been a great time of stretching and learning to trust God completely. He has never let us down. I loved being able to encourage you and pray you through that transition.

I loved watching you become proud “Uncle” Jason when our closest friends had babies. I loved witnessing your heart melt over and over again each time you held little Ben or Mikaelyn. I know you’ll make an awesome daddy and seeing you in that “uncle” role makes me so look forward to that day!

You hate this picture with the rainbow umbrella but I think you look sexy! I loved having you by my side through way-too-many social engagements and family get-togethers this year. Do you ever wish we could just sneak off and be alone for a few weeks? (Seriously, though, we love all of our friends and family!)

I loved hunting through estate sales, thrift stores, antique stores and yard sales with you searching out diamonds in the rough. We found a lot of good ones this year!

I loved working on our master bathroom renovation with you. (OK, I didn’t love every part of it, but I’m glad we did it ourselves and I think we make a pretty awesome team.) I appreciate how hard you worked, often spending several more hours after I gave up and went to bed. It was always a nice surprise to wake up and check out how much progress was made overnight.

I loved working in the garden with you … but mostly watching you work in the garden. But thanks for teaching me how to love and take care for plants, for making our yard beautiful and for accepting requests to plant whatever I want — raspberries, daisies, blueberries, zinnia etc. — even though you do 95% of the work.

I loved how you dropped everything during and after the flood so you could focus all your energy on helping our friends. I loved how you never once complained about how tired you were or your lose of income and work time. You are a good friend and I love that about you.

I loved watching you play guitar on stage, at church, at home and even by the campfire. (And I love how you stand on your toes when you sing!) I loved watching you change into a supporting role of lead guitarist, producer and engineer whenever necessary to help grow the careers of other musicians. I love your heart to serve others and your humility to honor others above yourself.


Obviously, I could go on and on about how much I love you and how much I love being your wife and the great privilege it is to be by your side through this life. Thank you for seven wonderful years. I’m looking forward to the next 70!

PS. Also, thank you for being the designated meat griller, spider killer and jar opener. You’re my hero! And, I’m glad I’ll always be the wife of your youth. 😉