Area Rugs, Bar Stools and Floating Shelf

7'6" X  9'6"Hand Tufted Alexa Pino Floral Red Rug from Overstock.com

I'm still getting my Vacation posts together so for now I'll show you the new rugs we got before I left for vacation.  The red one for the dining room came in first.  Mj was gone and it's so heavy that I wasn't able to put it down for weeks until my family came down because I couldn't do it by myself.  It is so soft and thick.  It feels like really good quality.  The size was perfect.  All of our chairs fit with room to spare.

5 X 8 Damask Trellis Navy Blue Rug from Rugs USA

The blue one was on back order so it came about a week before I left for vacation.  We don't actually have any Navy Blue decor pieces so we weren't even sure how that would look but we loved the color and pattern.  We'll be adding some Blue to tie in with the rug but even as is it doesn't look out of place at all.  It's 100% wool so it's a bit itchy but I can still sit on it.  After we got the hardwoods our sectional was sliding all over the place but the rug keeps it in place perfectly.  Both were on sale.  The Blue one was $149 and the Red one was $227 and although at first I felt like it was kind of a lot of money for rugs after seeing them I can say it was definitely money well spent.   I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them both.  Sometimes I'm at a loss when it comes to decorating.  I see amazing pics and different pieces that I like and then I look at my house and can't quite figure out how to put it all together.  It's always so hard for me to tell if I'll really like something or just how it will fit into our decor based on the picture but I think we done good. . 

These are the bar height stools I finally picked out in March after the usual obsessing after we raised the counter.  I found them for a decent price at a Bar Stool store.  They were $149 each.  I thought the back of the chair would be higher then the counter.  It's not, but it's the right height and it still looks okay.  It's a perfect red.  Not too bright or too dark and fits in nicely with our color scheme.

These are the floating shelves that Mj finally got around to putting up.  He wasn't totally sold on it but I really wanted them and after they went up he liked them just as much as I did.  Our house has really been a work in progress.  We've been here for two years now and we still have some bare walls and empty shelves.  We still haven't painted any of our bathrooms or spare bedrooms.  They are still builder basic White and who knows when or if that will ever happen!  I hate painting.  We've taken care of the areas that matter most to us though and I like the way it's come together.

Some Post Vacation Confessions

I'm back!!  Did you miss me?  You don't have to answer that.  Thanks so much to Lauren and Janna for your great guest posts and everyone who read or commented on them.  Our vacation was amazing.  A lot did not go to plan but it truly was the European vacation that I've always dreamed of.  It was exciting, fun, beautiful, confusing and so much more.  I can't wait to blog about it and share all of my pictures.  In the meantime, here are some confessions for my first post back.

Snapshot from Amsterdam

I confess that I was a nervous wreck the night before I left.  Something about packing and trying to tie up lose ends just really puts me on edge.  I worry about EVERYTHING and it makes preparing for a trip very stressful.  Once I step out the door I'm fine because by that time what's done is done and I can't do anything about it but until that moment I'm a HOT MESS.

I confess that because I screwed up it cost me $165 bucks in parking fees.  The plan was to park at Mj's job for free and take a cab to the airport.  Six weeks prior when Mj left he told me which one to bring but I forgot and it wasn't until the night before amidst all of my pre trip anxiety that I was texting him to try to remember which one to bring.  I grabbed the wrong parking badge so I couldn't get in the gate and had to use airport parking.  Now that was an expensive mistake I really didn't need right now.  I suck.

Link up with Leslie on Friday's @A Blonde Ambition

I confess that of all of my hours of research and planning for the trip maybe about 60% was useful and helpful.

I confess that I am not one of those freaks of nature who manages to lose weight while on vacation.  As expected I gained but I had so much fun doing it that I don't even care.

I confess that I didn't work out not once while I was gone.  There was one day that I could've and Mj did but I was just too dang tired to bother.  I did work out first thing this morning.  Too little too late but better late then never right?

I confess that I spent a crap ton of money.  It was really fun getting screwed over by the Euro to Dollar conversion that does not work in our favor.   I pulled out 160 Euro's from the ATM and it showed up as $208 USD at my bank.

I confess that I have the most horrible sense of direction on the face of the planet.  I already knew this but going to Europe truly magnified it times 10.  Were it not for Mj I might still be wandering around Paris right now trying to figure out how to get back to our hotel.

I confess that I really didn't miss having my phone all that much.  Okay maybe a little bit.  Most of our hotels had free wi-fi so I did manage to catch up on blogs, post a few things on Facebook and delete some junk mail with my i phone.  It was nice being free from the chains of technology.

I confess that I have a ton of shows to catch up on in my DVR which means many, many hours catching up on the couch.  I have 10 episodes of House Hunters among many others.  Hmm...maybe I really do watch way too much TV.

I confess that 10 cities in 15 days is exhausting!!!  We were vagabonds; always on the move from ship to plane to countless train rides and 4 different hotels but it was so much fun.

I confess that I feel like I don't even know where to start in terms of recaps.  It's kind of daunting just thinking of writing about 15 days of travel.  I guess I'll just start at the beginning and once I get started everything else will follow.

I confess that I wrote this entire blog post standing up while still wearing my sweaty gym clothes and waiting for over 600 vacation photos to load.  I didn't really plan on posting so soon but here it is.  Guess I just can't stay away.

I confess that it's 7:30 pm in Europe right now and I kinda wish I was still there.

Guest Post: An 18 day Cruise

Hey, hey friends!

I'm Janna, and you can find me at Perception Is Everything.

As you all know, our lovely CeCe is off gallivanting in Europe, so I thought I would share about my trip to that beautiful part of the world. I'm hiding in CeCe's luggage, but sssshhh don't tell her.

A few years ago, my grandparents surprised my siblings and I by taking us to Europe for a WHOLE month! I must say, it was one of the best experiences of our lives....

It all began with a NEVER-ENDING flight from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Amsterdam, in The Netherlands in August of 2007, along with loss of sleep from our first major time zone change.

Next stop: NORWAY! 

Probably THE most breathtaking country I have ever been to.

We hopped on a 700 passenger cruise ship in Amsterdam, and it became our home for the next 18 days and three countries ;)

The waterfalls along the way were incredible...

And it just got better from there...

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After Norway and a jaunt into the Arctic Circle, we headed down to The Shetland Islands.  Where they really have those little Shetland ponies, by the way.

And then Scotland!

At the end of the 18 days, we were sad that our seaward journey had come to a close, but at least we still had a few more days to explore Amsterdam!

Our Hotel for the last week:

Die Port Van Cleve Hotel, Dam Square-Amsterdam

How gorgeous, RIGHT?  It was the old Heineken Brewery, until the brewery needed to expand.  It is definitely not a Holiday Inn or anything "Americans" are used to, but that's the charm of it...Over stuffed with furniture and no AC, it might dissuade some from staying here, but for the history, location and charm-we LOVED it!

How cool is this outdoor potty?  These were all over Amsterdam, and I was only sad that they didn't have anything for females.  In case you don't know- you have to pay to use public restrooms over there, so you need to have options like this!

As I mentioned, it was the time of our lives, which is what I'm sure CeCe is having right now!

Most importantly, she gets to be reunited with her MJ!!
We are both Military spouses, so I know just how amazing it is to reunite with our soldiers.
I know that I can't WAIT to hear the romantical stories and fabulous pictures that she will have.

Hurry home girl! Well, I know that you won't and shouldn't, but we MISS you!!

Cece's 2 cents:   Thank you Janna for this great post  I love it!  Those pictures are so beautiful.  What an amazing unforgettable vacation.  That is so cool that you got to do this with your family.  I'll be very interested to see those outdoor potties when we get to Amsterdam.  How random is that?  And yes, I do miss you all too!  Logging into Blogger every morning is such an enjoyable part of my routine but clearly it's nice to be unplugged for a while seeing the world...instead of a computer monitor. 

Guest Post: Places I want to Visit

Hello, Friends! I’m Lauren and I blog over at Choosing Joy! I’m here today to talk to you about some of the places that I most want to travel to, while CeCe is away vacationing in beautiful Europe!  My fiance, Brian, has traveled so much during his life. I, on the other hand, have not. At least, not before we met. After meeting Brian, I have definitely expanded my horizons a bit, and traveled to places I probably never would have otherwise, and it's been an amazing experience. I would love to travel more, and we have plans to visit quite a few more places within the next few years. Here is a list of some of the top places I would most like to visit...

1. Maine

Maine is probably the place I would like to visit the most. Brian's family has gone many times, and I've heard so many good things about this place - including the cuisine. I've never had lobster in my life, but am definitely planning on trying it when Brian and I make a stop here on our honeymoon! Besides this, I'd love to see some of the surrounding states, and Canada, since they are so easy to get to from Maine.

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2. Shenandoah National Park

Earlier this year (during late winter), my fiance and I took a trip to Virginia to spend the weekend at Shenandoah National Park. It was absolutely beautiful, and is the best vacation I've ever been on thus far. I would love to return again during the spring when the trees are in full bloom, and there is more green than brown, and when we can go hiking without freezing. I can only imagine how breathtaking the views would be during the warmer months. Next time we go here, I'd love to see Monticello, since it's fairly close to Skyline Drive, and I've never been there before.

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3. Hawaii

I'm not sure this one really needs any explanation. Hawaii is beautiful. Simple as that. For years, I have wanted to visit Hawaii and travel The Road to Hana. There is so much I want to do in Hawaii, I'm hoping this will be a long vacation! The beaches look so beautiful and peaceful - have you ever seen waters so clear?

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Cece's 2 Cents:  Thanks for the Post Lauren!  I haven't been to Maine or Shenandoah but I have been to Hawaii.  We went to Oahu for our honeymoon and I can honestly say it is as beautiful as that picture.  Actually, pictures really don't do it justice.  What, Europe didn't make the list?  Maybe I can convince you to add it after I get back and post a million recaps and pics about my trip.