And we're off!

My sweet folks are in town for the next 9 days, so to thoroughly break them in, we headed off to the Mall of America.  While my momma took forever in Forever 21 my dad and I bonded on a bench outside the store.  I love this picture of us.  He really doesn't like getting his picture taken...so I'm going to cherish this one. 

Oh and while I'm sitting here I might as well show you my cute necklace and...

bracelet I got from Claire's. 

I got my hat there too.  They have some super cute stuff and it's cheap.  Gotta love that.  Who's says it's only for teenie boppers!

Let me tell you what I love about my mom and dad.  They are two of the most precious people ever.  They are beyond loving and kind, super generous and unconditional.  And they are soooo easy to entertain.

Here's my momma all excited about the fancy hand dryers at IKEA.  It really lit her up like a Christmas tree.  I think that's where I get my enthusiasm for life.  They just thoroughly enjoy the littlest things.

Riding the escalator up into the IKEA store.  They SAW me taking their picture yet neither of them...

would make eye contact with me.  Isn't that hilarious!!

 {loved that paper light}

My mom oohed and ahhed all over the store.  Showing my dad just what they needed.  Oh to be wealthy and have the ability to spoil them rotten all the time.  I'd love that.  It's so much more fun to do that with people who really appreciate the littlest things.

Had to take a picture of me in an all white room.  It's really pretty, but sooo not me.  I'd have to jazz it up with some colorful pillows and a fun throw.  Maybe a painting or two...ha!


So I'm taking a little breather while they're here. Keep reading though. I'm going to repost some stuff you might have missed. Hope you all have a great week:)

Have a blessed day.

YES I'm sitting in a cemetery!

There is an old church out in the country that I have driven by for years.  Every time I pass it I say to myself  I WILL PAINT THAT CHURCH....someday.  So when my friend Michelle said she wanted to sit out in the country and paint, my mind went straight to that spot.

So amongst the crow calls and old tombstones we sat and painted, and I have to tell you it rates high on my days to remember.  I have a special place in my heart for old cemeteries.  When I was pregnant with Big Chick we lived near one and I would take daily walks through it. 

It was so peaceful.  I would think about the lives of those that once lived and I prayed over my unborn child...completely caught up in how life is one big giant circle.  I know that may sound creepy to some of you, but it's not to me.  As much as I love my life and don't want to die anytime soon...death doesn't really scare me.  I know that someday when I die Heaven is my home.  It's got to be better than anything on this earth anyway...so nothing to fear but the unknown I suppose.

Michelle had a really pretty spot.  She wanted to paint the trees and field.  It was her first time painting since junior high...yay:)  I'm so proud of her for trying.  I guess painting can be a little intimidating, the fear of messing it up etc...  But I really believe that we are all artists on the inside if we just try.


I had no idea that I loved painting until I was in college.  I studied Occupational Therapy and our teacher used various art projects to teach us how to break things down into steps for our patients.  It was so exciting to create something...to try and capture beauty.  I just fell in love with it.  I started painting anything I could.  Eventually I took a few community ed classes, but oh how I wish I would have went to art school.  My community ed teacher did tell me that if I had went to art school I probably wouldn't be able to tap into my whimsical childlike art style.  She said that is something that trained artists can't really do, so in that instance I'm glad I missed it because I like my simple style...it suits me;)

So here's Michelle's masterpiece.  I think she could have sat there all day:)  We would have too if there were bathrooms, food and...

SOCKS! 

Seriously what was I thinking...burrrrr!!!  Oh and don't look at my toe nails that is one area I'm super lazy in;)

So now I can finally say I've painted my church.  I know it's the first of many.  I absolutely love them.  Feels good to cross that off my to-do list.  Is there something you've been putting off for a someday??

Have a blessed day.



My magic paint wand

Do you ever say yes...when you really want to say no??   One of my least favorite things to do is furniture.  However there is a satisfaction in taking something ugly and making it look new.  That's about the only fun thing in it though:) 


My friend Missy asked me to redo her son's bedroom furniture.  It was your basic oak paneled 1970's variety...oh and throw in a streetside piece of crap desk and there you have it:)  Wave your magic paint wand and make it sparkle...ha!  Normally I get really nervous.  I am not a detail person EXCEPT when I do work for someone else and then I'm a crazy perfectionist.  But doing it for friends who love me and have complete faith in me made all the difference.  I didn't totally stress out.

Doesn't that look daunting!!!

So I got busy sanding, priming, filling, painting, painting, distressing and sealing...whew!  And oh the sweet reward is finally seeing...

the finished product.  All sparkly and just like new.  It was almost worth it!

Have a blessed day.

Jimmy John's

Recently Jimmy John's had a customer appreciation day.  This is a big deal to us because my Honey is Jimmy John's number one customer hand's down.  They were giving subs out for $1.00.  Yeehaw!!!  We didn't even care that we had to park a half mile away or that we had to stand outside in nippy weather.  It was all good.  Anything for Jimmy John's right;)

About 2 years ago Honey traded in McDonald's Big Macs for cleaner eating and adopted Jimmy John's as his staple.  I bet he eats there at least 3 times a week.  He has that ability to eat the same thing over and over and over.  I on the other hand am Jimmy Johned OUT.  I could go a lifetime without another sandwich from there.  That's what happens if I eat too much of the same thing.  I feel that way with Subway too.  We have eaten there so much that it makes me a little sick to think about.  Why can't there be some other healthy fast food type options.  If you know of any please share!

Okay so now he's peeved...taking pictures while he's eating makes him mad.  Oh but isn't he cute when he's mad...ha:)  I was sorta camera happy that day.  Speaking of mad that's how I feel when I eat inside Jimmy John's.  I leave a little hearing impaired from the blaring music.  Am I getting old or what?   Do you have a restaurant that you NEVER get sick of??

Have a blessed day.

Mirror Mate Make-over

We bought our current home as a spec house.  So it was new, but we didn't get to pick out anything.  Everything was pretty generic...the lighting, faucets etc... Over the past six years we have gradually made it our own. 



I've always had a wish list for framed mirrors in the bathrooms.  I think it just gives it such a nice finished look.  Unfortunately neither of us is handy with wood and the idea of cutting and fitting pieces together seemed a little daunting.  So we went another way.  Have you ever heard of Mirror Mate??  They are a fabulous company that only specializes in framing mirrors.  We measured both our girls bathroom and our master and then a few weeks later...voila.  It comes in the mail all ready to assemble and install.

You just lay out the pieces and glue them together.  There is a really strong adhesive on the back that sticks to the mirror.  So all you have to do is line the frame up on the mirror (with guides that they send) and press on.  Super easy and it looks wonderful!  They have several different styles and colors to choose from.  So you get to pick out just what you want.  I love that:)

LOVE IT!  The first frame they sent us was a little warped and wouldn't lay flush with the mirror, so they sent us a replacement free.  We got to keep the first frame.  I have THE coolest idea for using it.  Can't wait to share that little project with you.

I can't tell you how much I think it improved the bath rooms.  They both have a much more custom look now.   **Oh and little tip.  If you do go to their site...at the top of the page click on buzz.  There are some bloggers who wrote reviews for them.  If you mention them in the code box you get a discount...score!

Even Fergie was impressed!  Can't ya tell:)

Have a blessed day.

Lost

I'm stretching and growing.  It's my time to bloom right??  So of course when the chance to meet a friend in her downtown home presented itself I said sure why not.  I'm brave.  I can do this.  Maybe if I was paying attention to my directions and not taking pictures of myself while driving I would have made it.  But that wasn't the case.  Instead I made a wrong turn somewhere and broke out into a cold sweat.  It's just the worst being lost...blind.  Sweet Heidi had to come find me with her GPS and take me back to her home.  Wasn't that nice? 

I had another reason to go downtown.  That's where my Honey is.  He's been extra sweet lately.  A woman in his office passed away this week with a long battle of cancer.  He didn't know her personally, but it still shook him up a bit.  Her husband sent out an all office email saying that "today he lost his best friend". 


After that I got the nicest text from him and I knew something had to have happened.  Hearing of loss like that just makes us appreciate each other all the more.  We are best friends.  I am so blessed to have that kind of relationship with him.  He's my gift from God and every day that we have together should be recognized and appreciated.  It's just so easy to coast...to take each other for granted.  But honestly I would be lost without him and he needs to know that.

So I made that extra effort and I braved the big bad city and we dined:)  And even though he was a little freaked out worrying about me getting there and back I know I made his day.  Just look at his face.  He's definitely worth it!

Have a blessed day.

My Brie and Fashion Week

One of my very favorite things to do is get my hair done.  It's a treat.  I feel spoiled...pampered even.  It's just heavenly.  I sit in my comfy chair with all the trashy tabloid magazines, and usually a neck wrap, and just relax and spill with my one of my favorite people in the world...my Brie.

This is Brie.  I've talked about her before, but it's been awhile and this girl NEEDS talked about.  In one word I would describe her as fabulous.  She's sweeter than honey and I just love her.  I've been having her style my hair for a few years now and I have to say I'd be lost if she ever leaves me.  And I know she will someday.  She's just too good to be true!

Anyway this girl has a style all her own.  She's not afraid to wear anything.

What in the world??  But I'm telling you she pulls it off and on her everything looks cool.  I don't know how she does it...but she DOES!

On the day of my appointment, it was her 27th birthday.  Oh so young!  Anyway I made her this necklace.  It kinda went with her fruity theme for the day;)

She just got back from New York Fashion Week.  She was picked as a hair stylist for several fashion shows.  Isn't that the coolest thing!!!  I can't believe my Brie is practically famous. 

She gave me the scoop on all the celebs she met and how the models really look in the flesh.  She said their legs almost went all the way to her shoulders!  Say WHAT??  She said all of them were a size 0 or 2 maybe.  They were so thin that their thighs couldn't touch if they had too!  Wouldn't that be freaky to see in person.  Oh and they just whip off their clothes without any modesty at all.  Hmmmm...let's just say I wouldn't make a very good fashion model!

This is Christian Sirano.  Remember him from Project Runway.  His show was awesome.  I came home right away and looked it up...and I have to agree with Brie.  I would even wear his clothes.  That is if I was 6' tall and 110 pounds;)

I know zip about fashion.  To me most of it is hilarious.  I live in jeans and workout pants, but I do love to watch Project Runway and The Rachel Zoe Project.  Sometimes I envision myself on Project Runway.  I'm sure I'd be out on the first challenge.  You know the one where they have to make a couture gown from the party supply store.  How they don't all panic and throw up on the spot is beside me.  Oh and that store MOOD, if I went in there and only had 30 minutes to buy all my supplies...my head would literally pop off.  I would be walking the line of shame and rejection in no time.  But it's very entertaining that's for sure.  Do you "get" fashion??

Have a blessed day.