it's the little things

Week 18

2012-01-21T08:28:00.001-05:00

The Week
Week 18
Went to the Dr. this week and I have gained 7 lbs. so far, not bad.

Gender
We scheduled the ultrasound for next Thursday the 2nd.
We are going to take Norah. She is thrilled.

Cravings
ummm....EVERYTHING sounds good to me.
I was flipping through a cooking magazine at my mom's house and I could have made everything in the book...Chicken noodle casserole even sounded good.
I hate casserole!

Symptoms
Leg pains shooting down my right leg..it is awesome.

What I love about being pregnant
Talking about the baby with Norah.
Thinking about names.

What Norah is saying
This week Norah said, "mom: when the baby comes I will not be able to play with my leapfrog because I will be too busy taking care of the baby."
We assured her that there will still be time to have fun with her.
She is taking this role of big sister very seriously!

Prayers for the baby
Praying for continued development.
And continually pray this little baby with come to know the Lord.

pregnancy chronicles-2

2012-01-14T10:13:00.003-05:00

THE WEEK
week 17
2nd Trimester

GENDER
I have a doctors appointment next week...we will schedule the ultrasound then!

CRAVINGS
turkey sandwiches handmade by Joe and a Wendys Frosty

SYMPTOMS
I now KNOW that the fluttering I feel is the baby.
I get little kicks every couple hours and I love it.
One night Joe was even able to feel an extra strong kick...so special.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT BEING PREGNANT
I love the movement and I love talking about the new baby with Norah.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING
Anything that she is too big for now...whether it be clothes, shoes, toys, she says,
"save this mom...we need it for the new baby!"
She loves to talk about the baby
and thinks it is so weird that she can talk to it through my stomach.

PRAYERS FOR THE BABY
I pray that I remember this is a precious gift from God and we are entrusted to raise it and care for the baby. This responsibility is one that Joe and I are so happy to have but do not take it lightly. We want to be diligent in our parenting responsibilities.

pregnancy chronicles

2012-01-13T09:37:00.005-05:00

I have had the desire to do a week-to-week chronicle of this pregnancy
but lo and behold school has been crazy and here I am already at 16 weeks.

So...lets catch up a little.
I found out I was pregnant when I was only 3 weeks along-crazy.
I immediately starting having symptoms you never want to have while you were pregnant and we went about 3 weeks not knowing if I was pregnant or if we had lost the baby.

This was a very hard time in our family.
Joe and I felt as though we were in mourning over something we were not sure was ever really there.
-it was hard-
We prayed, cried, and realized how much we already loved this little baby.

Well God is good and at week 7 we were able to see a little heartbeat on the ultrasound.
We were relieved and overjoyed. I am tearing up just thinking about it.

The first trimester was pretty easy.
I did not have sickness and much as I did with Norah.
I was extremely tired, but these days finishing up nursing school I am always tired.

That pretty much brings us up to present day:

THE WEEK
16 weeks

GENDER
unknown for a couple more weeks!
{Norah says she wants a boy, but thinks its a girl.}

NAME
we have some ideas...but right now just ideas.

CRAVINGS
earlier this week I was craving McDonalds-ewww.
Now I really want cookies n' cream ice cream

SYMPTOMS
I already feel pregnancy achiness...in my lower back. If this persists it will be a long 6 months!
At my last Dr's appointment I had gained 5 pounds.
I am still in my regular clothes and people at school say they cannot tell I am pregnant so I guess I am not showing yet.
I describe the way I look as chronically full from Thanksgiving dinner.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT BEING PREGNANT
I love thinking about how my body is working endlessly to grow and nurture this little baby inside of me. I also anticipate the first little kick. I sometimes feel something that could be movement but not positively sure..yet.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING
Norah is soo cute and so excited to be a big sister. She woke up earlier this week and in a frantic tone said, "MOM! We need to buy a carseat."
We were also at Target and she wanted to buy the baby a swimsuit so they could play in the pool together.
She talks about holding the baby, feeding the baby, and putting the baby down for a nap, she is going to be a huge help, I am can already tell.

PRAYERS FOR THE BABY
Right now I pray for growth and development. I love that I have no control over this and I can only trust the Lord and watch Him work. He has been faithful thus far in this pregnancy and I am confident that He will remain faithful. I am honored to serve a Big God.

it has been awhile

2011-09-23T08:03:00.003-04:00

wow...I have been gone for a while.

So much has been going on I don't even know where to start
so I will just talk about one thing.

Norah started preschool!

She loves it!

Joe had to drop her off the first day because I had school {of course}
and she was so excited to get in there she did not even say good-bye.

It broke his heart.

Her teacher told us she does not have a shy bone in her body and I believe that.
Just the other day we were shopping for clothes and she picks up a shirt
marches right over to the first person she saw and asks if the shirt was on sale.
That person was another customer and the entire situation was hilarious!

She is a tiny woman...the tiniest person in her class, it is soo cute.
I always thought she was tall until I saw her with her other classmates.

Speaking of school, I am on a two week break from school and will begin
7th quarter in October. That is right...7th quarter.

Only two more to go...I am elated by the thought that I might actually make it through this school thing!

Hopefully more posts to come...I have been crafting!

...another great trip

2011-07-17T13:38:00.003-04:00

Hilton Head is one of our favorite places on earth...
When we get home we always spend like a week daydreaming about moving there.

enjoy the pictures...

Norah Claire being a pirate...
arghhh!

everyone doing their thing!

this year we played bocce ball on the beach....a lot!

we like to travel all together!

the things people throw away

2011-06-24T13:56:00.004-04:00

I am always amazing by the things I see laying on the side of the road on garbage night.

I hate the days I have to pass up an amazing looking desk or dresser
because my car is tooo small.

These two chairs were generously picked up by my parents
{my mom is always excited to bring me new furniture
and my dad always feels the need to apologize to Joe}

I decided to put them in our den so I spray painted them brown.
Joe asked why I always seem to paint white things brown and brown things white...
I have no idea why I do this, so I did not have an answer.

They turned out better than I ever anticipated...enjoy!

Hilton Head, S.C.

2011-06-23T06:55:00.004-04:00

Things I love about Hilton Head family vacations

The beach and the pool
Riding bikes every morning to Starbucks {treat!}
Hanging out with our ever growing family
Shopping
Long afternoon bike rides
Long afternoon naps in a raft on the pool
Dinner out
Playing games at night
Popping popcorn and watching movies
Walks on the beach
Playing with Norah in the sand
Day trips to Savannah
Looking at Real Estate and dreaming about buying a home
Spending endless minutes with family!

We are praying hard for good weather...reports right now predict rain all week...booo!

Picture projects

2011-06-22T07:02:00.004-04:00

Project 1: So I woke up 2 days before Mothers day and realized I did not have a single thing

for my mother-in-law or my mom. I panicked.

I started looking online and found somewhere {I don't know where}
this picture idea. So I quickly went out bought the frames and needed to take NC pictures.
Unfortunately it was raining...so Saturday morning at 7:00 the sun was up
{it was supposed to rain all day!}
So I decided to wake Norah up, throw a dress on her,
and take her outside to get these pictures taken!
I was desperate.

We got the pictures...had them printed off, and voila, we had gifts!
The moms loved it of course, complete success!

{sorry about the picture qualities}

Project 2: This wall of pictures has been a project in the works for months!
I bought the frames, picked out the pictures, and finally had them printed.

To make sure the frames were in the right place I got a big sheet of paper
outlined the frames, hung the paper on the wall, nailed through the paper, took the paper down then hung the frames {I saw that once of a tv show}
It worked like a dream!

I love this wall, and I love our den.
{again horrible picture quality}

I promise I will show you our office, den and upstairs bathroom someday!
We are getting a "new to us" couch in a few days and then I will get some pictures of the rooms!

Caio for now!

Norah Claire

2011-06-22T06:41:00.003-04:00

Norah is full of surprises...

She is witty, dramatic, over the top crazy,
and countless times throughout the day breaks into song and dance
when something amazing is happening.

She is indecisive, loving, and did I say crazy.
One of her favorite things to say is

"mom...I love you very very much"

with her lips pursed and in a sad wimper voice
it is adorable
or

"that's cuuuuutttee"

in the same tone that my mom, sisters, and I use over and over again in the
Macys INC clothing department.

She loves to talk about rainbows and that God made rainbows.
She has an out of this world imagination.
She plays non-stop, everything between going potty and nighttime
is a made up adventure game to her
and she is usually the only person who knows the rules.

Don't get me wrong... not everything is blue skies and rainbows though.
She is in training...strict training.
She is stubborn and has attitude that brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
Discipline is a regular occurrence in our house usually due to disobedience.
Like I said...she is in training.

But GOD!
Has given us grace in loving her and reminds me how much he loves me and that is why he disciplines me.

And that is why I discipline her...because I love her "very very much!"

Our church has been doing a parenting series and I would recommend if you have children,
think about having children, or know people with children to listen to the sermons.
It can be found at w ww.grace.org

On a different note...I am currently on break, just finished my 5th quarter in school
...I am moving on! whoohooo

Enjoy the pictures of Norah!

She will absolutely kill me for the first one when she sees that someday
and don't be fooled that wasn't one of those times she dresses herself, I picked that for her.
What was I thinking?

Fathers Day 2011

7th Anniversary

2011-05-23T06:21:00.003-04:00

May 22, 2004
Our Wedding Day

I can hardly believe it has been 7 years.
{I do not have any pictures of our wedding day because digital widely used back in those days and facebook did not exist in my world}

...but here is one of our honeymoon!

Marriage is amazing.
After all of this time I am still a huge fan.

Joe is amazing.
He is gentle with me when my own sin is blinding me.
He is calm when I am crazy.
He gets me. He wants the best for me. He wants to see me win. He prays for me.

Since we got married a lot has happened in our lives.
1. I finished school {the first time...whoohoo speech comm. degree!}
2. We moved to Stanford, KY for almost 2 years
3. We had Norah
4. We bought a house...and renovated it
5. I started school {for a second time}
6. Many many trips {we love trips}

This year was the first year we actually went somewhere for our anniversary.
We wanted to go to Chicago or the beach but instead went to Cedar Point
{it was a good deal!}

We left on Friday afternoon
On the trip we decided to listen to Tina Fey's book "Bossypants"

It was REALLY funny
A little gross at times and she used words I never like to hear
But overall....FUNNY, Tina is pretty cool.
{side note: she actually read the audiobook so I would recommend borrowing it from us if you want to read it...it was so much better listening to her voice}

When we got there we walked the beach, check out our retro room, and went to dinner.
It was a pleasant evening.
One thing I love about hotels is cable TV...there is nothing better than getting to watch HGTV all night long...yes I am a nerd!

We woke up the next morning, hoping to sleep in, but both of us were awake by 6:50.

Got breakfast and headed to the park...it was a perfect warm sunny day...it was great!

Sunday we got up and drove home. It was short but fun. Fun to talk about the last 7 years...dream about the next 7, and really just enjoy being together!

It was fun but we just kept saying, "we wish Norah were here"
Next time we will take her...she is pretty cool!

Norah's big girl bed

2011-05-07T08:57:00.005-04:00

for NC's birthday we decided she was ready for a big girl bed!

I cannot believe she is 3!
{pictures of her birthday party coming soon}

I had the dresser that I picked up a few years ago at a "free" sale
{the best kind of sale}
it had just sat in our basement because I couldn't decide what to do with it.

The bed my parents had in their basement
so we were set for furniture!

Introducing:
Norah's new room!

SURPRISE!!

She has slept great and took to her new bed like a champ!

Today is derby day and Norah keeps saying:
"is it time to go to the doobie party yet?"

She's awesome!

Happy Mother's day to all you mom's out there!
{Mother's day craft blog coming soon as well ;) }

Redeemed

2011-05-01T13:39:00.002-04:00

-verb (used with object)

1. to buy or pay off; clear by payment

2. to buy back

3. to recover by payment or other satisfaction

4. to make up for; to make amends for

5. to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity, by placing a ransom

6. TO DELIVER FROM SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES BY MEANS OF A SACRIFICE OFFERED FOR THE SINNER

{dictionary.com}

where did April go?

2011-04-30T08:38:00.002-04:00

I am sitting here in disbelief that it is April 30th...

Things are crazy in the McVicker household and will continue to be so for a while.

This time of year always seems to bring filled up weekends and lots of things happening

Things are fun but it is also hard to not get overwhelmed in the midst of busyness

-lately I have been stressed and soo soo tired-

And it is affecting relationships...

with Joe, with Norah, and with family.

Norah is so much fun lately but she also is wearing me out!

She says and does the funniest things.

One day she was trying on dresses and I told her to go to the middle of the room and spin

she went to the middle of the room and proceeded to spit...it was hilarious

I don't know where she learned to spit and what made her think I said that

but nevertheless...hilarious!

Joe and I struggle though with discipline.

Some days I feel like she is a constant state of time out.

-It is hard-

I was talking about this with a wise woman at church and she gave me some awesome advice I have to pass on...

She said in the midst of disciplining remind yourself that Norah has done nothing to me today

that I have not done to God.

And yet God continues to pour Grace upon Grace on me.

It gave me a softer heart for Norah.

We do desire to discipline her and not just punish-but it is hard.

Anyway...these things are laying on my heart this morning.

Have a great weekend!

p.s. there are so many things I hope to share soon like Norah's big girl bed and her party!

5th quarter is HERE!

2011-04-06T09:27:00.003-04:00

Well...its over!
This 3 week break was just what the doctor ordered
I am rested and ready to jump back into the battle of nursing school...

here are some things that we did:

Had lots of fun with Norah: many games of memory and don't break the ice were played. Norah and I also went to Totter's Otterville one day! We spent some great quality time together!
I got a haircut!!
we cleaned out the basement: it is great to get around down there now
cleaned under the bed
painted Norah's "big girl" bed and dresser: it turned out great, I cannot wait to post pictures
finished a frame project I started months ago!
got Norah's birthday invitations in the mail and starting planning the event!
Had lunch with friends
Cleared off the TiVo with Joe: we hadn't watched anything since my last break
Went to weddings, hung out with friends, had great meals with family
Stayed up late
Slept in every morning until 8 AM
Went to the gym often
Read a book other than a Nursing book
Celebrated Norah's birthday in bed because she had a stomach bug...then I got it 2 days later so I spent my last day of break in bed!

I am sure so much more was accomplished I just cannot think of anything right now

Some things that will have to wait:

crafting with Niki: due to stomach bug
cleaning all windows
cleaning up landscaping {it was cold or wet most of this break!}
finding sconces

All and all...it has been wonderful
Have a great day, thanks for reading!

one. two. three. break!

2011-03-18T08:33:00.002-04:00

I am officially on break from school, a 3 week break to be exact!
I have 4 quarters down and 4 quarters to go.

This is the first break since starting a year ago that I have had some good time on my hands
and I want to use that time wisely.

I have a list of things I would love to get accomplished:

Have lots of fun with Norah
get a haircut {it has been since November!}
clean out the basement
clean under the bed
paint Norah's "big girl" bed and dresser
Do some crafts with a dear friend
find sconces for our bedroom and fireplace and hang them
trim and clean up the landscaping
finish a frame project I started months ago
clean all the windows and screens
get Norah's birthday invitations in the mail and plan the party!

I know this list is huge and I am okay with not getting it all done-
I just like having a plan!

...I will let you know on the progress...

front porch curtains

2011-03-06T16:50:00.006-05:00

{our house}

Last fall I started dreaming about sprucing up our front porch.
So far we have taken down our shutters
{I am trying to decide to whether to paint them black or leave them down}
and we painted the rod iron around the porch black.
We also got a black roof.
But I want it to look cuter...So I started thinking about putting up some curtains!

...Below are some inspirations...

here

here

her e

here

I am now trying to decide what I want them to look at and what material is "outdoor" friendly!

Have a good Sunday!

Valentine's day

2011-02-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

Oh Valentine's Day....this is a day people love or hate.
For me I was a hater...I never liked it.
{probably because I never had a "Valentine!}

Joe and I have always chosen to not celebrate Valentine's day
but for whatever reason this year I am getting into the spirit.

Today I have been thinking about how much God loves me!
{Rest on that moment...don't read past it too quick because it is something said all the time}

He LOVES us!
How is that the God of the Universe Loves me?
{rest again}

I love hearing from friends how God is transforming them.
I love hearing the way people rely on God because there is nothing else in life worth living for.
I love God and he Loves me and that is something to celebrate!

Now rest on the words on this song by Stuart Townend
found here

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Happy Valentine's Day!

vampire skin

2011-02-13T20:31:00.004-05:00

Well February is here and it about this time every year I start talking myself out of ~~walking~~ RUNNING to the nearest tanning bed to get some color on my almost transparent skin.

You know the "vampire skin" I am talking about.
It is dry, crying out to be quenched by the sun kissed rays.
And every year I have to remind myself how bad those tanning beds are for my body
...yadda yadda and I never end up going.

Why does it have to be that your skin looks so much better with a little sun glow on it?
Everything seems to wear better with a tan;
Clothes, makeup, jewelry, hair...I could go on and on.

But as for today my skin will stay white as the snow
but luckily snow has to go away sometime!

{Just in case you were wondering-Joe is super cute tan!}

bye-bye blackberry!

2011-02-09T21:12:00.003-05:00

SO...I have been a faithful Blackberry carrier for over 4 years.
It was good to me. I liked the way it kept my life organized with it's amazing calender
and I still charge the phone just so I can play BlasterBall...but I have a new love!

THE EVO!

There are so many reasons why I love this phone!

Here are some of the perks...
1. It is fun...the blackberry was business all the time but the Evo is a fun phone!
2. Joe and I can sync our calenders so whenever he updates his calender it appears on mine...it is a great way to keep our lives in sync.
3. Apps...2 weeks ago I never even knew what an "app" was...now I love them. My favorite ones are the apps that help me with school. Drug identification, disease descriptions, and lab values all at my fingertips!
4. The voice recorder is amazing! I can tape all my lectures now ( I was planning on buying a recorder that would have cost me the same price the phone cost!)
5. It has other fun games! (I only miss BlasterBall a little bit!)
6. On Sprint's family plan we are paying the same amount we were paying at T-Mobile
7. The best part of all is we have cell phone service in our house. With T-Mobile we lived in a dead zone!

So if you are searching for a new phone I would highly suggest the Evo!

A good laugh

2011-01-31T07:19:00.003-05:00

Here are our family Christmas morning photos from 2010 and 2009

Can you find the differences?

2010

2009

Obviously besides the growth on Norah...not much changed in a year
not even our taste in clothes.

more than just for eating

2011-01-30T10:59:00.004-05:00

I think I may have found the next thing I want to start collecting...
::enjoy::

here

here

Here

Happy Sunday!

cruisin'

2011-01-16T13:23:00.005-05:00

If you know anything about me, you know how I love vacations!

Maybe it is just the time of year but I find myself daydreaming once an ~~day~~ hour about cruises!

Over the years I have grown quite fond of taking cruises and I am ALWAYS searching for the next good cruise deal!

{I think my desire to cruise is even bigger because Andrea and Dave are going on a cruise next week and if I were not in school we would be going!}

So I thought I would compile a list of all of MUST DO's when it comes to cruises:

1. It is fun to go with family, good friends, or just your husband- I love cruising all of these ways!
2. You must research your port excursion options prior to departure!

My personal favorites are renting a car and driving around Cozumel
or swimming with the sting ray in Grand Cayman,
only do that there because it is on a sandbar
in the middle of the ocean and it is amazing!

3. Book an early dinner, the late dinners are too late and you always miss a show and that is a bummer!
4. Cheaper is better, rooms with no windows are the best...you can go in at 2 in the afternoon, pretend like it is 2 in the morning and take a fantastic nap!
5. Go to the planned activities! I love cruise directors and I love participating in the events. The best one's I have come across are trivia games, dance lessons, and free champagne at the Art Auctions.
6. Make your own BINGO cards and go play Bingo. This game is entirely too expensive to play on the ship but it is fun to make your own cards and go play anyway!
7. Order at least 2 lobster tails on the fancy dinner night!
8. Always order the Chocolate Lava cake for dessert {remember you can order as many as you want!}
9. Sorry Norah...but do not bring children. Vacations are really fun with Norah but I do not want to take her on a cruise. I always feel sorry for the people who are trying to push their strollers around tight spaces, and lets be honest, you don't want to be stuck in your room from 8 o'clock on because it is bedtime!

which brings me to my next point:

10. Get out of bed to go to a midnight buffet! Even if you are not hungry the table displays are amazing just to look at!
11. Remember you always have room for soft serve! Soft serve ice cream is so delicious and accessible 24 hours a day!
12. Grab a lounge chair and lay in the sun at the back of the boat! {it is amazing!}
13. Watch a sunset!
14. Explore the boat as soon as possible so you can understand the boat lay out so you are not stressed the entire trip about not knowing where things are.
15. Watch a sunrise!
16. Watch the free movies {everyday they play a different new release movie!-I think I watched The Proposal about 5 times on our last cruise!}
17. Become friends with your waiters and housekeeper staff..they are really fun and usually have fantastic personalities!
18. Don't get on the computers and do work, enjoy the fact you are in the MIDDLE of NOWHERE!
19. There is always something to do...so never be bored!
20. And last but not least...if you are not having fun it is probably your fault!

Good deals are the key to a cruise success so let me know if you need any tips!

What are you favorite things about cruising?

::parties::

2011-01-11T20:29:00.011-05:00

Christmas is over...I miss it already.

{Don't judge me but I even caught myself singing Christmas carols today!}

I just love Christmas and this year was the year of parties!!

Every time I would tell Norah we were having/going to another party she would reply,
"Another one!"

One day we even hosted 3 different Holiday festivities at our house-crazy I know!

One of the parties that I loved the most was a Girls Christmas dinner that Andrea and I hosted at our house!

Preparing for the party was half the fun!
Making the menu {we had chicken cordon bleu}, grocery shopping, using the good china, and making little gifts was super fun!
I wish I had the time/money/energy to have dinner parties more often!

Getting the table ready
The bags I originally saw in "Women's Day Magazine" but you can also find them here.

The Desserts {Chocolate amaretto ganache in chocolate cups!}
The Table Set

The Pomegranate Sippers

...and the friends!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T07:19:00.002-05:00

This week has been a week of really really good gifts!

First of all...I finally finished 3rd quarter, passing with all A's!
I am so thankful that it is over and I am greatly enjoying this little mind break!

Second...my Dad GOT A JOB!
For those of you who do not know, my dad has been out of a job for just shy of 2 years.
It has been a difficult trial but my parents have been so trusting and relying on God to provide
and he has proved very faithful over these 2 years.
The story of how Dad got the job is amazing and I would love to share that with you sometime!
To God all the Glory and Praise!

THIRD...we are celebrating receiving the best gift of all, JESUS!
Our biggest problem was taken care of when this little baby was born.
OH HOLY NIGHT!

It has been so fun sharing Jesus with Norah and watching her as she gets excited when we tell her that Jesus is born and what he did for us and why he was born.

{She also loves the part when we tell her that we give gifts because God gave us the BEST gift, and she says "Yes... let's give toys!"}
...Love her...

Merry Christmas

grrr snow!!

2010-12-16T07:41:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe it is snowing so much during FINALS week!
I just want this quarter to be over so I can start enjoying the Christmas season
...shop, wrap presents, make Christmas gifts, and all of the things of Christmas...

Instead I am waiting to figure out when I am making up 2 finals I have missed!

It is so hard to be in the Christmas spirit with these 2 important tests looming over my head.

I love Christmas, I pray these tests are scheduled and passed sooner rather than later
so I can enjoy the Christmas Season!

too cute!

2010-11-24T20:33:00.002-05:00

This is too cute to not share...

NC and I were in the car and we were talking about Thanksgiving

...what it means, why we celebrate it

and I started telling her things I am thankful for.

Then I asked her what she is thankful for...

and she said, " ummm..."

1. Milk

2. Zoo Babies

3. mommy

{I made the top three!}

Anyway, I pray that someday she makes the connection between how awesome it is that God provides constantly and faithful for our needs {like milk}

and God's grace is seen through amazing creation {like zoo babies!}

Hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving...

its the little things

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-11-21T15:07:00.005-05:00

I have been studying and studying...and I cannot get my mind off CHRISTMAS!

I long for the day I can trade in my Pharmacology book for Christmas Carols
and early mornings of studying for long nights of wrapping presents

I have four more weeks of school and they cannot come soon enough

Nursing school is hard {not that I wasn't expecting it to be}
but I think the hardest thing about it is wanting to do other things but stuck studying
I have to keep reminding myself it is worth it, it is!

I did get to do something Christmasy today
Joe and I have been married for 6 years and we have never hung Christmas lights
{not my choice}
Well today...I did it, with my parents help, while Joe is at work!

It was soo fun, I cannot wait for it to get dark to see how it looks!

So despite school, Christmas is on its way!
I personally cannot wait!

just another manic monday

2010-11-01T21:01:00.003-04:00

Today was crazy....as usual.

...But I just had to take some time away from studying {as if I need any encouragement} to tell you about my new FAVORITE show on HGTV.

It's called:Her name is Sarah of course.
The premise of the show is she finds a house that needs renovating and each episode she is fixing up a different room in the house.

I love it because her taste is exquisite.
I believe she is in her 3rd season.
I have seen parts of Season 2 when she fixed up a house from the 60's.
This was my favorite room in that house, the living room.
I love the soft colors and the hint of crystal and class.
As we are redoing our den upstairs this room has been in the back of my mind the entire time.
How cute are those little benches.

The third season she is renovating a farmhouse.
It makes me want to move to the country {again} and live life in an old beautiful house.
She added onto the house and all of the episodes I have seen I have loved.
This is the bathroom she redid today on the show.
Those sinks were dressers they found and turned them into sinks...
I am totally doing that someday!

Anyway...keep your eyes peeled to HGTV and check out "Sarah's House".

.overwhelmed

2010-10-18T21:13:00.002-04:00

---"I know you can be overwhelmed and I know you can be underwhelmed...but can you just be whelmed?" -Name that movie!---

I am not underwhelmed or whelmed...

I am OVERwhelmed, with school!

They said third quarter was a toughy and I must say they are living up to that promise.

God has been so gracious to give me an awesome husband who cooks dinner, cleans bathrooms, and loves Norah so well.

Without Joe Nursing school would not be possible!

okay...that was my little tiny break from studying, now back to work!

{did you get the movie yet...it is "10 Things I Hate About You"}

our trip

2010-10-03T13:21:00.007-04:00

We recently went on a vacation to visit Joe's dad in Cocoa, Florida. It was relaxing and busy all at the same time!

We went:

1. On an Airplane

2. Disney World's Magic Kingdom

3. NASA space center

4. THE BEACH

5. ...and lots and lots of shopping!
This break I also finished our den upstairs, someday I will post pictures!

Tomorrow I go back to school...Quarter number 3, whoohoo!!
Wish me Luck

'over the taupe'

2010-09-15T21:59:00.003-04:00

I don't know if it is just me but I never use ALL of the nail polish I purchase before it goes all gross and sticky and useless!

Well...my favorite nail polish has recently reached this fate and
I must say
I have been living in denial.

I keep putting it on...it has been uneven and bubbly and completely awful for months but I have not been ready to give the bottle up!

Every time I walk past an O P I seller I have to go in and look for "over the taupe"

I have been searching for months!...but. no. luck.

Then the other day I was walking through the Dilliards salon and decided to stop-

AND THERE IT WAS! Seriously, I almost flipped out...maybe a little "over the taupe" but I didn't care, I am thrilled.

Now I can gladly throw away the old bottle and enjoy the smooth evenly coated fresh one!

~ahhhh~

one more day!

2010-09-14T18:15:00.002-04:00

Whew....well it has gone by fast but I am one skills/assessment lab away from completing
Quarter 2 of Nursing school!!!

I am really excited to take a little break from studying, writing, and constantly being confused about EVERYTHING I am learning!

On this break I plan to:

1. finish painting the den upstairs and hang the curtains that I took to my seamstress today

2. Take a nap

3. Work a ton in the bakery (as usual)

4. Go to Disney World. more importantly visit Joe's dad in Cocoa Florida and go to the BEACH!

my love/hate relationship

2010-09-08T21:39:00.004-04:00

Fall and I have a Love/Hate relationship

There are soo many things I LOVE about fall!

The Textures

The Sights

The Tastes

The smells!

{I absolutely love making pumpkin pies and cakes

with the nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon!}

The colors and the smells are truly magical!

HOWEVER...

There are two things that make the arrival of fall bittersweet!

I hate to see summer left behind and I really hate to see winter arrive.

Why does such a great season like Autumn have to come before winter?

...I guess it is a little gift that is given before the beasts of snow and ice arrive!

I am excited for all of the fun activities like bonfires, pumpkin patches, football games, and sleeping with the windows open but I am just not ready to let another summer go just yet!

'our home'

2010-09-08T21:28:00.002-04:00

Joe and I appreciate our house soo much!

I think almost everyday we say how much we love our home...

i think we appreciate it so much because we lived in many places that did not feel like

"home"

before we were blessed with our home!

We have been hard at work in our home again...

we have officially finished our half bath upstairs

{some day I WILL take a picture}

We are redoing the den upstairs and adding other touches to other rooms!

When I came across this picture in an email from a dear friend I realized that this picture is the epitome of what I want my house to feel like!

{We also love to have people over so if you are reading this consider it an open invitation!}

Happy 3 day weekend!

2010-09-04T11:40:00.003-04:00

A three day weekend...what a joy!

The weekend was started off last night with an Alias night
with Jessica, Andrea, and Erin...WE love Alias nights!

This morning NC and I woke up early and made some delicious
Lemon Poppy Seed muffins

Then we went outside to paint our garage door...it looks great!

Then I primed my dresser that has been in our room forever...and it was hideous!

When Joe gets home from work we are going to go to Home Depot to buy:

1. Grey paint for the dresser
2. new knobs
3. paint for den upstairs that we are re-doing
4. hopefully a new storm door

Then we are going to go to JoAnn Fabrics to buy the fabrics
for new drapes and pillows for the den!!

Tonight we are going out with friends to celebrate Jessica's birthday!! yay!!

Tomorrow I am sure we will do a lot of Norah's new favorite pastime:

Cajun loves the swing set too!

Tomorrow we are also celebrating Joe's moms birthday at Buca di Peppo's

Then we have a "free" day on Monday...oh the possibilities!

Did I mention I have finals week coming up, I guess I should fit in some studying also!!

life is hard...God is good!

2010-08-29T16:21:00.002-04:00

Our pastor has been going through a 4 week sermon series on the will of God. If you want to check it out, I would highly recommend it...www.graceky.org.

Today he talked about that in the New Testament after the gift of the Holy Spirit is given, the idea of looking for the will of God is never mentioned because we KNOW the will of God. God desires for us to glorify him in wherever we are...

whatever we are doing!

He of course struck a cord when he said that the more steady, regular doses of the Word of God we study the more in the will of God we will be.

Life is hard...but we are so blessed to have a God who loves and cares for us.

As time passes the more I feel myself longing for Heaven when...

MY FAITH WILL BE SIGHT!

But for now...I will settle for a steady regular dose of His word to live by.

your trash is my treasure!

2010-08-27T07:04:00.002-04:00

My house is full of great finds that are found at the end of the street on garbage nights!

Here are a few of my favorite new things that people throw away!!

Their loss is my gain!!

{I cannot wait to have time so I can actually fix up these pieces. }

This is a secretaries desk!! What a great find!

I have been searching for a little table to go in out recently renovated bathroom!
I will paint this puppy white and it fits perfect in there!

unexpectedly fun evening in the country

2010-08-02T17:35:00.002-04:00

On Saturday night I had to travel to Indiana to interview a family friend for a school paper
and it unexpectedly turned into a super fun night!!

I conducted the interview on my handy dandy "netbook" as we drove to Oldenburg Indiana

Home of....Well I am not sure, but we were going for dinner!
I finished the interview at dinner and everyone enjoyed a home cooked
Fried Chicken Dinner

* at dinner there was this old man and his wife sitting at the table next to ours. The wife was in a wheelchair and the sweet sweet husband fed his wife her supper. it was sooo precious how much he truly loved her! old people love is the best!

After dinner we stopped by a local "Whippy Dip" to have some delicious soft serve
with sprinkles!

After dinner we stopped by a local produce stand and bought
the sweetest yummiest Cantaloupe you can imagine!
{Little side of the road produce stands are the best!}

When we arrived back at our friends house we built a bonfire
and roasted marshmellows!

It was a lovely evening of doing fun summer things!

I could say it a million times...
Life is really about living for a BIG God while
experiencing the little things!

*Thanks for reading, have a great week!

"things that make you go....ahhhh"

2010-07-28T21:50:00.005-04:00

So a beautiful friend sent an inspiring email today full of
so many things that I instantly feel in love with
~so I am sharing it with you~

{Love you Fran}

{please forgive me if I am stealing your pictures
I don't have any sites where these were found}

all twisted up

2010-07-26T21:16:00.002-04:00

I am not really one to sit around and make things in the kitchen {especially in my time off from the bakery} but certain recipes come along that I cannot resist giving a try.

This is one of those recipes

I found it on a blog listed below and it is for soft pretzels. I must say they tasted really good and were super easy to make! Follow the simple steps below and tell me what you think!

Step 1: Dissolve 4 teaspoons of dry yeast into 1 1/4 C water and 1 tsp sugar. Let sit until creamy, about 10 minutes

Step 2: Combine 5 cups flour, 1 tbs oil, yeast water mixture, and 1/2 cup sugar in kitchen mixer bowl.

Step 3: Using a kitchen mixer with a dough hook, knead for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Let rise 1 hour in a greased bowl.

Step 5: Take chunks and roll into long ropes. About 12-18 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide.

{Here is Joe helping with Step 5}

Step 6: Shape rope into pretzel and set aside.

Step 7: Once all pretzels are shaped dip them into a solution of 1/2 c baking soda and 4 cups hot water.

Step 8: Put onto greased cookie sheet and dust top with sea salt. {I also put a cinnamon/sugar mixture on half of the pretzels with the salt to make some sweet and salty!}

Step 9: Cook in 450 degree oven until browned, about 8 minutes.

ENJOY!

http://cagefreemonkeys.blogspot.com/2009/11/tutorial-homemade-soft-pretzels.html

...it's been awhile!

2010-07-22T20:45:00.004-04:00

Wow...I cannot believe how long it has been.

I have so much to blog about but so little time.
I have also missed reading my favorite blogs...I think my problem is I go to sleep
WAY too early
I wish I had more time in the day to read and write and see all that people are up to!
...Maybe someday...

So I don't even know where to start
I will start with the good stuff
VACATION

We went to Hilton Head and we took along some Hilton Head newbies with us
My sister Andrea's husband Dave had never been on a vacation with us
My mom's sister Angie and her husband Pete also tagged along!

It was a great trip
WE love HILTON HEAD!
We always rent a house with a pool...walk to the beach everyday
we ride bikes to starbucks every morning
play games
laugh a TON!!
eat good food
take naps in the pool on rafts

IT IS FANTASTIC!
More blogs to come...I have a lot to talk about!

The Beach

2010-06-25T09:26:00.004-04:00

...Oh how it has been too long!
Looking forward to spending a great week, with great people, in a great place!
See you soon!
But until then enjoy some pictures from past trips!

Norah's first trip to the Beach!
She was 3 months old!

Sunrise!

Beautiful colors!

Relaxing with my wonderful husband!

I can't believe it!

2010-06-19T18:35:00.003-04:00

I am happy to report that my first quarter of Nursing school is over!
I actually cannot believe it!
All in all...I think it was a good precursor to the hard times to come.
It was good...I think I got A's in every class which was a super nice surprise!
It has only been one day since the last test but I am already excited for the next quarter. I am excited to learn some super hands on things and start learning what it really means to be a nurse!

God was so in control of this quarter!

It is so comforting to know we have a God who loves us and provides for us {even in the little things like Nursing School!}
He provided by giving me time to get work done.
He provided by being gracious to me in guiding me when taking tests when I felt unprepared!
He has placed some super awesome girls in my life to go through this journey with and hopefully be used to further God's kingdom!
He has shown me how much I need to RELY on Him
and NOT on myself!
I can do nothing without Christ!
I have learned so much...ABOUT MYSELF through this process.
Lately He has been teaching me to look through His eyes that everyone is made in His image
and that is enough reason to love others!
We have such a good God!

I am anxious about next quarter but confident in God's control!

On a side note...this time next week we will be on the BEACH in HILTON HEAD!!!!
{or as NC says "the big pool"}
We are so excited to spend a week as a family with our awesome extended family!
It should be epically awesome!

Also ... Joe is leaving for camp with the Youth Group tomorrow...I so wish I was going!
They are going to have a great week!

driving to Lexington

2010-06-09T14:12:00.003-04:00

Today is Joe's 29th Birthday!! YEA!!!

Joe is in Lexington all weekend on business...BOOOO!!!

I am going to go visit him after school so we can celebrate his birthday together! YEA!!

We hope to find a good restaurant to go to!!

{When we used to live in Lincoln County going to Lexington for dinner seemed like the greatest thing ever!! But now that we live in civilization I am not looking forward to it as I once used to!}

I am sitting in class listening to the rain pouring down and I am dreading the drive!

This is what I am picturing the road looking like...

Luckily...my mom just bought the new Jack Johnson CD last night and I snagged it for the drive!

This is a spontaneous date night that is super fun...I just hope to stay dry!

chalk it up

2010-05-25T13:49:00.010-04:00

This is also a late post...but Last weekend was super fun and I would love to share it with you!

First and most importantly Joe and I shared our 6th Wedding Anniversary together. I cannot believe it has been SIX years.

{Us on our Wedding day}

We had a great day! NC and I hung out in the morning while Joe got to work some hours of overtime (score!) When he got home Norah was picked up by Joe's mom and we got to go to Kenwood for some quick shopping. We went to Trader Joe's (LOVE IT!) Got some great flowers from a friend who works there and some great cheap wine that we drank later on in the weekend. From there we went to Crate and Barrel {picked up some great ideas for the next room I am redoing} and the Container Store {my heaven on earth!}

{these were the flowers Joe got me for our anniversary!}

Then we went to DeeFalices on Mainstrasse for Dinner. It was soo good. It is a jazz bar and a restaurant. I got the Jumbalaya and Joe got the steak...it was all delic! Next we went to the one place it is hard to take a child-the MOVIES. We saw Date Night and it was awesome! {I think Tina Fey is soo cool!} All in all...it was a great anniversary.

Sunday was a fantastic day also. The weather was A-mazing so we were able to work on some things outside we have been wanting to get to. Joe, my Dad, and Dave started putting up the much anticipated swing set while my mom and I took down our gross shutters and painted the rod iron and mailbox black to paint to match the rest of our house. The landscaping is done and our front yard is finally looking a little presentable!

For dinner we had a HUGE fruit salad, grilled hamburgers with havarti cheese, salad and the good $5.99 bottle of wine we bought the day before. We ate outside with my parents and Kelsie. It was a great end to a fantastically productive day!

Then we watched the "Lost" finale, {well Joe did- I feel asleep and have yet to finish it.}

The weekend was fantastic and looking forward to this one....hopefully it will involves a pool!

Have a great weekend!

wet dog

2010-05-18T14:04:00.003-04:00

{tanlucypez.blogspot.com}

Lately...I have been feeling like this dog looks.

I feel like everytime I walk outside lately I have been at the perfect angle for the rain to be spraying right on my face. I cannot stand the constant drizzle of rain dripping on my face. I am not even sure why I even put makeup on anymore. OH SUN...come out come out wherever you are!!

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE:

1. NC has been such a joy to be around lately. {Of course I always love to be around her} but lately she has just really livened up. She is soo talkative and soo smart. She can repeat the entire Alphabet and can sing it along with a toy we have. She is learning her colors and loves to explore. Potty training is still something we are working on...but she is really starting to get a hang of it!

She also loves being outside!! The rain is driving her crazy, everyday she says, "rain...ewww yuck!" {haha!} On Sunday we were cleaning our garage out {and making my craft area} and she was outside. All of a sudden it started pouring and she froze!! She didn't know what to do...it was sooo cute!

2. I have been wanting to post this cool project I did for our mom's for mothers day. However, I have been unable to find our cable to upload pictures from our camera. Once I find it...I will show you.

3. School is going well...I am currently in my 7th week of an 11 week quarter! It is time consuming and crazy busy but so far so good! God has truly being blessing me...I have seen him provide in huge ways these weeks and I cling to the fact that I cannot do anything alone...I need Him.

4. I have been loving reading 2 Cor. 5 over and over this week and loving it! You should read it. We are so blessed to have the gift of the Spirit in THIS life and it makes me long more and more for eternity with God.

Late Post: Mothers Day Project

2010-05-12T21:32:00.006-04:00

2 weeks later and I finally found my camera cord...So this is way late but I will blog about it anyway!
I woke up that Saturday before Mothers Day and decided I wanted to make my mom and Joe's mom a silhouette of Norah. I {of course} have never done this before so I started surfing the web to try to get a few suggestions. I could not find anything that seemed easy and the only real piece of advice I found was to add eyelashes so I decided to come up with my own way.

1.a. First I needed a nice profile picture of Norah. That is easy enough right??...wrong. She would sit still fine but she kept opening her mouth and sticking tongue out so I decided to go to plan b.

Outakes!

1.b. I found a picture of her profile. This can be any old picture not even a close up.

Here is the one I used

2. I then cropped the picture to a size I wanted to use. I had 5 x 7 frames sitting around so I knew I wanted it to fit in that size.

Here is the cropped picture

3. Print the picture out onto normal computer paper
4. Cut out around the picture very carefully. {Do not forget to add eyelashes}
5. Trace the cut out picture onto black card stock paper

6. Carefully cut that out.7. Glue to white paper and frame!

VOILA!! Cheap {free} gift that the Mothers enjoyed so much!

Movie homes

2010-05-10T20:26:00.007-04:00

MOVIE HOMES!

I L.O.V.E. homes in movies. They are always perfectly decorated and wonderful coordinated and completely spotless! I would love to live in a movie home. Seriously sometimes I think the best part of a movie are the scenery. Here are some of the homes that I love! ENJOY!

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith"
Is that chandelier not to die for??

"Somethings Gotta Give"
If you didn't see this movie, see it!
It is hysterical and has the CUTEST "Cape Cod" house on the BEACH!

"Its Complicated"
We just saw this movie and I was dying over the home the entire time!

"Stepmom"

This is list is by no means exhaustive!
What movie homes are your favorite?

things ending

2010-05-04T22:07:00.002-04:00

So the last many months I have been involved in two significant studies going on in my life.

1. Excellent Wife Bible Study by: Martha Peace
I have been going through this study for probably the last 9 months with my sister Andrea and a good friend Barb. We have been taking our time making our way through the book and study guide. I am so grateful for not rushing through the book. I learned right away how "not excellent" of a wife I am. But I think the thing I am taking away from the study is that I now know how to be "excellent". GOD is soo good...and has given us His word so that we may know how to be more like him. This study taught me how not only to be a wife after God's own heart... But also a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend...and the list goes on and on.
If you are a wife...or even if you are not I would highly recommend SLOWLY going through that book. Don't read a chapter and say, "hmmm, that was good" then move on. Digest it and be changed by it! Of course you can do the same thing with the BIBLE, but the practical application is highly recommended. {and a little spoiler...she uses Bible references everywhere!} So get some friends together and get excellent!
I am sad because this study just ended on Saturday. I do not think I have ever been so sad for a study to end. I think this could be because I have never been as uncomfortable and moved to change as I was in this study. It was hard, convicting, humbling...but also fantastic, and so WORTH IT!! How great is it that God desires to change our hearts to be more like HIM... we do not have to live with our SINFUL nature. {that thought makes me take a deep breath and say AHHH}

2. A parenting class on Sunday Mornings
Joe and I have been attending a class that has been OH so helpful in raising a 2 year old. {I still cannot believe I have a 2 year old!} This class has taught us so much on disciplining her, training her, guiding her, and growing her. How to do thing according to God's word. Knowing that God has entrusted this person in our care is not something we take lightly. We also are so aware that we cannot change her HEART. At the same time we are thankful to have a guidance like this class. I feel as though if we did not have this class she would be MORE out of control than she is right now {if that is possible, she is crying in her bed as I am typing this!} We desire to point her to Christ and show her Christ with our lives. NC in TRAINING is HARD work...but we know that our struggles now will be worth it in the future!

SOOO...both of these classes ending in the SAME WEEKEND! This week I have been feeling a little lonely. I have been thinking often, "okay...you have this information now. You no longer have the ignorance. God has taught you good things so what are you going to do with them!" I pray for wisdom as we go on without our "security" of classes and pray that His words do not go void.

Thanks for reading!

rainy day in

2010-04-25T15:42:00.002-04:00

I am always a little grateful when it rains to know that my
EMOTIONS
do not change with the weather.
If my moods were made with the weather I would be in a
BAD mood
for about a week because it has been raining,
and RAINING, and RAINING!

I am soooo thankful that my
HOPE
is in the LORD! I am not changed with the weather
I am steadfast on HIM!

I think it is because of Gods grace we are given
good things in THIS life. He has blessed me with so many things
that are worthy of praise and most of those things
ARE THE LITTLE THINGS!

A little thing I am excited about today is
ALIAS!
A group of us have been watching this show.
We are starting on Season 2 tonight and I have been
sooo looking forward to it!

Not only do I L.O.V.E. watching T.V. shows on DVD
but I also L.O.V.E. watching it with good friends.
I think there is something great about watching a GOOD show
spending QUALITY TIME with Good friends!

It is the little things!...and I am so grateful for them!

good sights at the zoo!

2010-04-16T22:36:00.005-04:00

We went to the Zoo this past weekend. I am not sure I have ever been to the zoo in the Spring but they have the most beautiful tulips....everywhere. MILLIONS of them. It was such a fun day. We went with my mom, Joe's mom, Kelsie and her friend.

One thing I love about the zoo is every time you go you see something new and different. I would HIGHLY recommend purchasing a zoo past so you can go during all of the different seasons!

Norah turned 2!

2010-04-16T22:17:00.005-04:00

Norah turned 2...we had a fantastic day full of fun
Enjoy the pictures of the day!

Getting ready to eat the cake
Enjoying her cupcake

back to school

2010-04-13T10:15:00.002-04:00

Well I have a week and a day of nursing school under my belt. So far...so good. It is a lot of work {in which I was expecting} but I like the structure that school places on my life. In hopes of not sounding like the biggest nerd in the world, I feel like when I have things that need to be accomplished in accordance with a schedule I am better able to be motivated and able to time manage my life.

...with that in mind I am aware that it is only the second week and my presumptions could quickly crumble in the coming weeks.

I am excited to know that I serve a Big GOD and nursing school is a little step in the bigger picture of God using my life and being glorified.

This is the TRUTH I hope to remember over the next 2 years
...feel free to help me remember this truth!

Putting school aside we have done some really great things the last couple weekends...we had NC's second birthday, Easter, a trip to the zoo, a reds/CUBS game, and so much more!

I hope to share all of those fun things soon!

The Big Thing

2010-04-02T07:13:00.003-04:00

Good Friday...What a very good Good Friday it is!

I cannot help but think about my ransomed life this morning. God was fully man...tortured, beaten, mocked, hung on a cross, and endured the wrath from His Father that I deserve. Oh praise HIM...we have a God that loves us more that we can ever know. I know that seems so cliche to say, but there are no words to describe the LOVE that he showed on that cross. And no one deserved it...not even one.

And it is even better because it doesn't stop there...in 3 days, on Easter he rose again!! Fullfilling all of the scriptures that was written about Him. He is indeed who he says he is. This scripture is as true and relevant today as it was for the people who moved the rock away from the tomb. We have the same purpose as Jesus' closest friends! To glorify God with our lives and honor Him in all we do.

Lord...Thank you for ransoming my life. I cannot wrap my head around that concept. It is soo big. I looked up what ransom means. It said "to redeem from captivity, bondage, detention, etc., by paying a demanded price" A demanding price was paid.

I eagerly long for the day I get to rejoice in Heaven but until then my purpose is clear.

These are not just the little things!

Have a Blessed Easter...and think of These Things.

new treasures

2010-04-01T22:48:00.006-04:00

Another thing I love about the new season is the estate sales! Here are few things I have picked up that last couple weeks!

When I bought these I didn't know what they were {I just liked the color}
My dad told me they used to be on top on phone polls, interesting little tidbit

This window was cute but I have no idea what I want to do with it yet
I also found some awesome old frames that I plan to paint and make beautiful someday soon!

I also bought a neat table and 2 oak desk chairs on www.ebth.org the other day. They are great additions. Although Joe told me I was not allowed to paint any of them...we will have to see about that!

Also the upstairs bathroom and office are nearly complete...here is a sneak peak of the progress!

Spring is in the air!

2010-04-01T22:34:00.005-04:00

First of all...Andrea's dining room furniture is finally complete...like 2 weeks ago. Here is the finished chair {all I have a picture of right now!}

Distressing is addictive, p.s.

Spring has definitely arrived {and summer too! Today was in the 80's, crazy!} I love all of the things that come along with the arrival of spring. Here are a few things I have been enjoying this week:

Things are in bloom

I love to see my Hydrangea plant coming back this year!
There are 5k's to run.
We ran this one this past weekend
We dressed in 80's workout clothes with our great youth group!
Fresh cut grass

My little attempt for a small herb garden

Norah exploring what sidewalk chalk is all about

Yes...Spring has sprung

fun friday!

2010-03-19T16:06:00.008-04:00

So today has been a fun day full of getting things done.

This morning most of our family {dad, mom, andrea, NC, and I} got in the car early to go to an Estate Sale in Ft. Thomas. We are crazy over these sales. We find them in the local recorder but you can also get on their mailing list.

The Website is:
http://ww w.hsestatesale s.com/

You always find things that you would love to buy and other good items to go home with. This sale was no different. I do have to say though that Andrea got the "find" of the day! She found a red "Le Creuset" pot. Retail value: $189.99...gently used estate sale price $15.00!! Shut up!

I have also been planning Norah's second birthday party...{I have to say it again, "SHUT UP"} I cannot believe she is turning 2. We are having a little cookout like last year, it is going to be a cupcake theme. The Pom Pom's from the Valentines Day dinner will definitely make an appearance and I am also doing some fun decorations that I get ideas from other bloggers. I am not a good creator of crafts but I am fantastic at recreating so I love DIY sections of people's blogs.
I also made Norah's Birthday invitations, no inspiration needed. They were plain but cute. We do however need to find her something to wear for her birthday. Typically she has a closet full of amazing dresses with the tags still on them {thanks to awesome Grandma's} but right now there is no outfit that is perfect for her party. I guess I will have to go shopping!

OHHH...

I knew there was something else I wanted to Blog about. I seriously have been wanting to tell all of blogland about this amazing online estate sale sight that I look at ALL the time. It is the website where I bought my sink that is going in the upstairs bathroom {still a work in progress.} I would post a picture of the awesome sink but the faucets {which are the coolest part} are being worked on at the moment. The sink is amazing, just take my word for it.

The website is:
http://www.ebth.org/

It is kind of set up like ebay...you bid on items and the top bid wins!!! It is awesome...really one of my top 5 websites to visit. Let me know what you think!

Have a great weekend...and hopefully the snow stays away!

I am finished with this:

...and ready for this!

Busy Busy

2010-03-15T20:23:00.002-04:00

Things have been busy around here lately.

Norah is growing and growing before our eyes...we are taking a parenting class at church that is really helping us try to figure out how to discipline her, train her, and love her well. It is such a relief to know that yes we can have resources helping us know what the heck we are doing but it is God's power alone that will change her little heart...oh how I desire for Him to change her heart. I think I will be like the persistent widow in praying for her...I guess every parent is like that for their children.

Well...the time is almost here, I got the final coat on the bookshelves in the office and hopefully shortly the room will be completed...finally! phew!

I made homemade meat sauce tonight for dinner with my homemade bread. It was pretty good and everyone seemed to think it was a hit!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Sauce-III/Detail.aspx

Here is the link to the recipe if you would like to try it out for yourself...it seriously was as easy as pouring prego over ground beef. Try it out and tell me what you think!

reviving furniture

2010-03-08T07:36:00.004-05:00

First of all how cute is NC getting her second hair cut but first hair "style"? She was soo good for the girl as she shaped her hair into a cute healthy looking "bob" instead of the mess it was before! NC has curls in her hair...I love that about her. My hair is super straight so I love that she has some curl that we can play with!

Now onto the furniture. As I have said in past posts my basement and my sisters basement is quickly filling with furniture that needs TLC. This weekend I was finally able to tackle a few pieces.

So...Andrea bought this super awesome chair from a yard sale and I "stored" it in my living room until she got a house to put it in. It is such a cute chair and I truly hated to part with it and it left a huge hole in my living room that I needed to fill.
So...that hole was quickly filled by this lovely wicker chair that my mom bought me for like $5.00. It is nice but not the same.

So...Joe's mom was cleaning out her parents house and found this chair. She thought it would be a good replacement for Andrea's chair that I miss so much. When I first saw it...I hated it! I thought it was short...ugly and it sat in my basement for months. But last week I decided I wanted to bring it back to life. A little primer and blue paint to match the ceiling and it is a beautiful cheerful chair that I love! It cannot fully replace the wonderful chair that now lives at Andrea's house but I do like it A LOT!!

So...that chair was a fun project but Andrea and I also tackled a huge, long awaited project at her house. A few weeks ago we decided to refinish her dining room table. We first wanted to stain it black...but quickly realized it was super ugly. So we sanded it again and started fresh. We went to the hardware store and picked up {what we thought was} dark brown paint. We got the entire thing painted and realized it was army green!!! IT.WAS.AWFUL. At this point I was thinking I would have to buy her a new dining room set because it was my brilliant idea to paint it. So Saturday we decided to give it one more shot. We bought new dark brown paint and it turned out perfect!!! We have two coats of paint...now all we have to do is distress it a bit, put on some polyurethane, and put the new material on the cushions. I cannot wait to post pictures!

This week I finally hope to paint the bookshelves for the office. Oh there is so much I want to work on...have a good week!

so productive

2010-03-04T21:20:00.002-05:00

today seemed like a super productive day!! I am afraid to type this because I don't want to speak too quickly but for the last 6 months I have been struggling with horrible almost constant nausea due to an ulcer. After many different medications I think I am finally on one that is healing!!! For about 2 weeks I have been practically nauseous free!! It has been freeing but scary at the same time because I keep expecting it to come back with a vengeance.

I have been thinking about how thankful I am to be feeling better today because today was a day that I truly feel like I pushed myself to my old limits and it is 9:30 at night and I still feel good! I seriously feel like today was such an accomplished day. I feel like I have kicked into high gear since March hit because I have so many little things that I want to get done before I start school.

I hope that school is not as bad as I am making it out to be in my head...I seriously think that my life is officially over for 2 years. I of course am going to make it into a high priority but I am trying to do as much preparation as I can before April so that my family and I can be prepared for the change. I feel like I am "nesting" to have a baby. Trying to be prepared and getting everything all ready. I never thought I would say this but I truly wish I was having a baby. I was never a baby type {but that has changed!} If God was to bless us with a second little one I would be so excited!! We do however realize that it would be super difficult to get through nursing school while being pregnant and with a newborn so we would like to wait a couple years but oh how sweet that time will be when it comes!!

Now to go watch someone else have a baby instead...Jim and Pam!...oh I love the little things!

Oh how I missed you

2010-03-01T18:17:00.004-05:00

February did not seem as long this year as it has in the past...but I am always excited to see March arrive!! I always used to anticipate March so much because nothing was better than a week in the sun for Spring Break...oh where did those years go!! This March is a little bittersweet however because I feel like it is my last chance to enjoy down time before the craziness of April arrives and I head back to school for two intense years learning how to be a nurse. {I don't think Spring Break is included in those years}

In March I plan to enjoy quiet nights at home with the family free from exam deadlines and study sessions.

I also plan on taking this "new" to me handy tool that my dad had and begin and hopefully finish some of the furniture pieces I have collected recently that are in some serious need of TLC. The handy tool is a mouse sander...it is perfect for cutting down on time and labor to sand furniture before it is painted.The nice weather man on the news this morning said the weekend is supposed to be in the 50's...perfect weather to drag all of this furniture out onto the driveway and sand until my hearts content! I am really excited to get these projects underway and even more excited to keep the mess to a minimum! I hope my weekend stays free enough to do this!

Also a little side note...March is National Craft Month, so get inspired and create something cool this month!

the sweet things

2010-02-26T07:10:00.003-05:00

I wanted to chat a little about about my husband, Joe. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how much he points me to Christ and I am so unbelievably thankful for him. I don't know if I ever realized how much he is a servant to Norah and me. He is always willing to step up and help with Norah. He does not let me parent and he be in the distance, he is right in and bold and is a great husband and father.

He is so much more than that though. I love that he knows truth and sticks to what is true, noble, right, lovely, and admirable. He is always striving to do right in God's eyes and does not waiver much in that truth. He does not live his life off of emotions but of truths. This quality is something I could learn from everyday.

I just love him and I wanted all of blogland to know how great of a guy he really is!

i do what she does

2010-02-21T14:24:00.007-05:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately. I have been down with poisoning myself with food I did not even have the energy to read blogs for days nevertheless write one...anyway I am back and super excited to blog about something Andrea M taught me how to do.

I like to copy things that she does because she is my sister and I think she is cool. One day she made bread for a fantastic "snowed in" party that we had at our house. There was only one thing better that night than the party--AMW's BREAD!

So I decided to make the bread myself...post HER recipe on my blog and let all of you in blogland try this stuff! I made it again this morning for the second time and it was better than the first. I am thinking about only baking bread now and never buying it...ever! It's easy, healthy, and my family loves it! Anyway...see the recipe below, bake and enjoy!

{if she got the recipe from somewhere online and it is your recipe please accept my apologizes!...but it is good:) }

I love excuses the use the kitchen aid mixer

The ingredients

pre rising

post rising...i was so surprised it rose!

finished product

The Master Recipe: Boule

(Artisan Free-Form Loaf)

Makes 4 1-pound loaves

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1⁄2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1⁄2 packets)
1 1⁄2 tbsp coarse kosher or sea salt
6 1⁄2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour (3 1/4c Bread flour & 3 1/4c Whole wheat flour)

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temperature (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit).

2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded container (not airtight — use container with gasket or lift a corner). Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.

3. Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up, then leveling the top of the measuring cup with a knife; don’t pat down. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor with dough attachment, or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook, until uniformly moist. If hand-mixing becomes too difficult, use very wet hands to press it together. Don’t knead! This step is done in a matter of minutes, and yields a wet dough loose enough to conform to the container.

4. Cover loosely. Do not use screw-topped jars, which could explode from trapped gases. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flatten on top), approximately two hours, depending on temperature. Longer rising times, up to about five hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than room-temperature dough. We recommend refrigerating the dough at least three hours before shaping a loaf. And relax! You don’t need to monitor doubling or tripling of volume as in traditional recipes.

Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-sized) piece with a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on four “sides,” rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go, until the bottom is a collection of four bunched ends. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it doesn’t need to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf will flatten out during resting and baking.

6. Place the ball on the pizza peel. Let it rest uncovered for about 40 minutes. Depending on the dough’s age, you may see little rise during this period; more rising will occur during baking.

7. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on another shelf.

8. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing, serrated knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1⁄4-inch-deep cross, scallop or tick-tack-toe pattern into the top. (This helps the bread expand during baking.)

9. With a forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about a cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. With wet dough, there’s little risk of drying out the interior, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle, or “sing,” when initially exposed to room temperature air. Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire rack, for best flavor, texture and slicing. The perfect crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.

10. Refrigerate the remaining dough in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next two weeks: You’ll find that even one day’s storage improves the flavor and texture of your bread. This maturation continues over the two-week period. Cut off and shape loaves as you need them. The dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.

Valentine's Day isn't just for a significant other

2010-02-15T14:47:00.007-05:00

There are many things that I have learned from my mother but the one I learned recently is that Valentine's day is not just to celebrate that special "person" in your life. I have never been a big fan of Valentine's day. Growing up I never had a Valentine and even when I got married my husband and I never really did a big ta do for the day. The past two years however I have really grown to enjoy and anticipate the holiday thanks to my mom. She loves Valentine's day...always has, I guess she is that romantic type. She started a new tradition last year that I love. She throws a Valentine's day dinner for us kids, her parents, sisters, brother, and a few nieces and nephews. She does a sit down dinner on the fancy dishes and then we play games. It is such a good time to see relatives outside of a formal holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas to just be together. My mom really enjoys throwing the party and we enjoy going!

Did I mention my mom went to culinary school? She is a creative chef!

This year at my mom's party we ended up turning it into a surprise 50th Birthday party for her! She practically threw her own party, which was easy planning for us, but I think she was surprised to have some close friends show up as well as her relatives to help celebrate her. One thing we did to make the party extra special is have all of the guests tell my mom what about her makes her so special. I think it is important to let people know how much they are loved and it was a great way to show my mom how much we all care about her!

This attitude of showing lots of people in your life how much you care about them on this day is a great thing. It has made me appreciate the holiday in a way I never have before. On Valentine's Day I even made a nice dinner and invited my mother-in-law over. I think people thought it was inappropriate because they think I should have just had a special dinner for my husband but I wanted my mother-in-law to know that I care about her as well and that is why I wanted to have her over!

We decorated the party with some ideas from martha stewart. Enjoy the pictures and see the link to the tutorial below to make this decorations yourself!

Pom pom's
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias

NC being her crazy self!

my day in pictures

2010-02-09T15:21:00.008-05:00

I work at my moms bakery...a lot of people think that I can go to work when I want and not when I don't want to, but the truth is I have to go there everyday 8:30 - 5. If I miss a day or even part of a day I know my work will be waiting for me when I get there. So...when I saw the snow on the ground I had to decide whether to endure the weather and go or stay home. To say that I never stay home is an understatement...I ALWAYS go into work. The work hangs over my head all day if I don't. Well...today I chose to stay home. It is a weird thing, being at home all day. This never happens!!

So, as I laid in bed this morning I contemplated what I wanted to do today. My first thought -lay in bed all day long, reading good blogs and watching movies. I quickly decided that was not a good idea...instead I decided to paint the upstairs office that I talked about in an earlier post.

I really like the color. I only got halfway done before Norah Claire woke up from her nap. It is a good start! As I looked around at all that furniture underneath those drop cloths I realized I don't like any of them so I will be sanding, priming, and painting 4 book shelves...I hope it makes the room look more put together and cuter than before.

NC and I ate lunch and then we decided to go out in the snow and start shoveling. Norah was so cute in the snow. She kept eating it and picking up big pieces and putting it on the shovel for me. We were out there for an hour and she was not ready to come in!

This picture is her sitting on the little bit of snow I still needed to shovel. When we were out there she started singing her favorite Michael Buble song, she is hilarious!!

Then we came inside to warm up. I started looking around my house and realized that I do not get to see it much in natural light since I am not at my house often during the day so I decided it was a good day to take some "after" pictures of our main floor renovations. I hope you enjoy!!

living room before

living room after

bathroom before

Bathroom after

We added a foot from the kitchen to make this toilet nook

"Master" bedroom before

After

Norah's room before

NC room after

this is a pottery barn inspired bookshelf my dad made!

kitchen before

kitchen after

hallway before

hallway after

resting in Him

2010-02-05T08:06:00.002-05:00

I apologize a head of time if this post is scattered brained. This week I have been having the hardest times trying to get my thoughts straight so maybe writing them out can make some sense if it all!

The other day I was at the gym...normal day nothing special. I was on the arch trainer, love that machine, truly a butt kicker! When I got off the machine I was so worn out I thought to myself something I have never thought before. "Wow...that must be what it means to beat your body." For some reason on that particular day I felt for a moment at least totally worn out from physically enduring a hard workout.

My mind immediately starting to spin from there and I have been resting in the thoughts surrounding sin. Do I beat my body daily fighting against sin in my life? I know I am not a slave to sin but I am to obedience and if I do not fight against sin what am I am slave of? I know that I am free from sin but I am well aware that there is sin that God wants me to work on...he convicts me of it and I am grateful. But I do not think I am mournful...tired from fighting against that convicted sin. I think I am comfortable in my own sin! I don't want to be comfortable...I want to beat my body against it!! I think God has been showing me what this is like lately, I am thankful but scared. Life is hard but joy is found in a grace-filled life!!!

I leave you with this verse that I read this morning. I found comfort and hope. God is a God that loves us and pursues us and desires to refine us to make us more like Him!! I love that!

::Romans 6:16:17::

"...-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness. But thanks be to God that though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

funday monday!

2010-02-02T08:40:00.006-05:00

Yes I am well aware that it is actually Wednesday but I have not had time to post any of the fun crafts that I did on my day off {Monday!}

We are having a Valentine's day party at my parents house and I want to make some decorations...so I found this cool wreath to make!! If you want to make one too go here: http://simplesagedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/01/crepe-paper-wreath.html

I also have been wanting to make a scarf out of a shirt I bought at the Dollar Store. Did you know that the Dollar Store sells clothes?? I am always amazed by the things you can buy at that store. Anyway...I have been putting off making this scarf because it involved using the sewing machine and I have never used the sewing machine. Anyway it turned out great and I even had enough material to make NC one. She loves it...and actually has not taken it off!! If you want to make one here is how! http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2009/08/super-easy-t-shirt-scarf.html

This is a picture of her having a little snack in her PJ's and the scarf!!

Last but not least in Funday Monday...I was searching through my mom's thread to find a color to match the scarf and I found this earring making kit that has never been used so I decided to make a pair of earrings!! I think they turned out fantastically!!

I am super excited about the potentially for snow this Friday night because that means I can maybe be stuck in the house on Saturday to finally paint my office upstairs as well as start working on some of the furniture in my basement!!

Have a great day!

Norah Claire

2010-01-31T21:06:00.005-05:00

Check out that curly hair...she obviously does not get that from me! She is lucky to have it and I cannot wait to style it all the time!...shhh, sometimes I put mousse in it!

NC is quickly approaching 22 months old...and I must say I cannot hardly believe it! She is super smart and I love her so much. I think I am writing about her tonight because she is spending the night at my parents and I miss her so much. I just saw her 30 minutes ago and she would be asleep anyway right now...but I miss her. I even have to close her bedroom door so I can think she is sleeping in there.

She picks up on everything you say and understands it. Today I told her she looked cozy...and she said "oh cozy". She knows that the alphabet starts A, B, C. After that, she pretty much says whatever letter she wants. I, S, A, I, R....hahaha!

I think the coolest thing she has done lately is in the last week she has used the toilet like 10 times!!! She is not quite telling us she has to go potty and she surely does not have dry diapers. But I am thrilled she is getting the idea. She even got a Dora potty chair so she is super excited to use that! Today she wore her first pair of pull ups! She is growing up!

Awwwwww......these days are so far away and then I couldn't have dreamed how much I would love her today!

When I was 9 months pregnant with her I went to a Michael Buble concert and I think that is why she loves him so much. We are crazy about "Haven't met you Yet" Track 5 on the Crazy Love CD. She loves dancing to it and singing. The only part she sings is "I Get, I get." She screams it in the car and it is adorable! The lyrics are, " I will give more than I get" for some reason she picked up on the " I get". When the song ends she says more please! haha!

On a super side note... I inherited 2 new pieces of furniture this weekend...a great craft desk and a hutch for Andrea's house. I will post soon! I love furniture, I have many aspirations to fix up a lot of furniture I am storing in my basement {and Andrea's} Will post more on that later!

Love the little things, they are the most important!

next phase of house renovations

2010-01-25T11:30:00.011-05:00

We bought our home in July 2008...it was a foreclosure and we renovated the main floor. We expanded the bathroom, gutted the kitchen, painted everything, new doors, new hardware, new lighting, new plumbing...it was awesome!! My dad and my husband did it all themselves which saved us a ton of money and we practically got everything we wanted {besides the laundry shoot in the bathroom closet}.

Our house also has an upstairs, up to this point the only thing I have done up there is paint the den. The other two bedrooms have been left until now. My goal was to paint the "office" room the week after christmas. It has amazing dark and light hardwood floors and built in dresser drawers that needed to be refinished. It also had track lighting and some other things that needed to go. I was able to get the priming done but up to this point that is where I have stopped.

My dad and my husband also started putting in a half bath up stairs the week after christmas so that has halted my progress on the office because I need them to finish drywalling before I can paint the walls. Since it has almost been a month now...I am started to daydream of the day when phase two of renovations will be completed and my ideas for what I want the space to look like are spinning out of control.

The bathroom is going to be amazing. We bought this fantastic antique pedestal sink and we are doing a black and white small tile floor. The walls are all sorts of angles and we are going to do bead board on all the walls and the ceiling. I cannot wait to show you the end result. {the sink is similar to the one on the left but not exactly, check out those handles!}

In the office I am wanting to do some built in bookshelves and a window seat. As well as get a super cool bankers desk chair for the desk. I told my dad the longer I have to wait to put the room together the more antsy I get and the bigger ideas I dream up which in turn means more work for them.

All in all, I would highly recommend renovating a house...I need to take some pictures and put up before and after shots of all of the progress - it is truly a blessing. I think my husband and I say to each other daily how thankful we are to have a home and how much we appreciate the one God has blessed us with.

things i love!

2010-01-20T11:34:00.005-05:00

I am a sucker for products...advertisements were made for me. I like certain cars based on the commercial...slogans are fantastic. So...since I do love products I like to test them out I thought I would let you know what I think about certain items.

The Swiffer Dust

The Swiffer duster has changed my cleaning style forever!! Before I discovered this magnificent invention, I hated dusting. I actually did not do it very often because I just felt as though I was moving the dust from one place on the dresser to another. That has all changed!! It works so well...I dust all the time now. Up high, way down low, heck I even use it in my car.

Now...where to purchase it. I would recommend Sams club. I like it there because you can get a lot of refills for little money. Also, if you go right now they have a fashionable pink for Breast Cancer color...which is a nice bonus. Why not clean with something cute! Seriously... I can hear the cries from the closet from my old dust rag crying because of being replaced! {see Swiffer commercial on TV}

The Swiffer Sweeper

Not to be confused with the Wet Jet product. I have actually never used that...but the swiffer sweeper {like the duster} has revolutionized the way in which I clean my floors. I have hardwood floors and a dog that sheds hair. We have people over our house many times a week and I don't want people to just notice the nice dog hair clumps all over the floor. Again...I used to use a broom and a dustpan. No more...swiffer is the only thing I use. It is quick, easy, and mess free! It comes with electrostatic dry sheets and wet sheets. The wet sheets are perfect to use this time of year to clean up the shoes marks left from the snow. I would not use the wet sheets to clean your floors though. They dry out way to fast, good ol' hands and knees are the best way I still know how to scrub floors, but for a quick clean up the wet sheets with the Swiffer is the way to go. Swiffer does give cleaning a whole new meaning!

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

This product I was pretty skeptical on. I thought...yea right they always say things like that work then you buy them and they don't work at all. I was skeptical until my mom went to use it on her white tile floor. She has lived in her house for 15 years and since they day she moved it there has been a black cuff mark on the floor. No matter how many times she has scrubbed that spot it has never gone away. Until the day she used the magic eraser. Believe it or not, the spot is gone. I was amazed and find myself anticipating the day Norah colors all over the walls so I can use this trusted product!

...That's it for now but there is surely more beloved products to come!

the good, the bad, the ugly!

2010-01-17T20:34:00.005-05:00

This title describes the weekend perfectly...

THE GOOD
I was able to spend some really great quality time with some top notch girls this weekend! On a sentimental note, God has placed a great group of girls in my life {an answered prayer} They are fun{ny}, encouraging, loving, and crazy dancers. I think over the last couple years I have been learning what it is like to be a friend and enjoy friends. I always cherish the times we get to spend together.
What else was good...oh dinner tonight with family was goooood. I love our house, it is quaint, cozy, and warm {i hope}. We had warm chicken noodle soup and hot turkey and havarti sandwiches. I love having so many people over that you run out of chairs and everyone is sitting on a corner, elbowing each other, and enjoying the company. Family is good...but family that are also friends is even better. I appreciate them and our growing family!!

THE BAD
Saturday morning and afternoon were bad! Lets just say I really like to go to bed early. I think I am an 80 year old woman stuck in this 26 year old body. I enjoy nestling down in bed around 9:30-10 and dozing off soon after. This ritual did not happen on Friday night. 3:00 am...to some a normal night out, me....never happens!! I know me...i know my body, I need sleep. To function, talk, make sense, do anything. When I do not get it, I shut down. Saturday's are one of my favorite days to get things done. Typically, I have gone to the gym, been to work, showered and back at home by 10 am on a Saturday morning. The rest of Saturday I spend at the house, doing housework, organizing, hanging out with Joe. I love Saturdays. Yesterday was bad. Besides dragging myself out of bed to make it to Norah's swim lessons and trying not to fall in my lunch with my mother-in-law after...I was in bed. {literally the last place I like to be on a Saturday afternoon!} I was practically comatose. Then I had to get back up...get all fancied back up again to go to a wedding! Seriously, I am not made for that kind of lifestyle. We left the wedding by 9:00. I wish I was made for that lifestyle a little more but I like rest too much!

THE UGLY
S0 for Christmas I was given 3 wonderful vases {as seen above} from my mom. She bought them 5 years ago in Savannah and ever since that day I have wanted them. She never hung them and from time to time I would ask her what she was going to do with them...and lets just say it was the best gift ever! I was shocked and so excited. I just love them. So Joe and I were hanging them today over our kitchen sink. I will get an actually picture someday. The first 2 went up like nothing. We were careful, mindful of their fragile state...and treating them with respect. The last one I let Joe handle by himself. I backed away to get a good look at them in all of their beauty and just as that thought of how much I love them was crossing my mind the thought was shattered as I watched the vase slip from Joe's hands onto the granite countertop. My reaction {ugly}...I fell to the floor and shed a tear {or two}...poor Joe. He felt terrible. I didn't blame him, just bummed. What happened next was a miracle. As we assessed the damage I realized the vase had not broken at all. The only thing that broke was the little glass bulb at the bottom {see picture}. There was a perfect smooth break. We glued it back together with nail glue that I happened to have from Andrea's wedding. It seriously is as good as new. Crazy...crazy!!!

the good, the bad, the ugly, it's the little things that make our lives exciting!

...on my mind

2010-01-13T16:04:00.002-05:00

Since it is the beginning of the year...a lot of things start fresh. It is like a clean slate...a good time to reflect on the past and look toward where to go in the future. I am so thankful to have the Hope that I do in Christ as well as the unending grace. It is THAT grace that makes me excited for this next year. In the midst of all of the new things I am trying to center on things that were definite growths in the past year and what {with the help of the Spirit} is to be worked on this year. I would say the theme for last year was being intentional. This year I really think I am being pushed to be effective. ~ 2 Peter 1:8. ~ I want to be effective in increasing the Kingdom. I want to be intentional and allow myself to be used. I think so often I feel like I never have the PERFECT words to say or the CORRECT way to say them...so what do I do, say nothing. My prayer is to be more effective and to have graceful boldness in preaching the GOOD NEWS.

I am scared...and so thankful for the good Helper. I have been reading the Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent and it talked about that Word of God describing itself as POWERFUL! After thinking about all the super powerful things in the world...the things that are hard to put your mind around like a hurricane, when compared to the Gospel is amazing. God is so good...and His WORD is so powerful. I desire to know it more, be transformed by it as well as be informed by it this year so that I can use this power to Glorify our Savior.

...and that is what has been on my mind. {well at least one little thing}

Craftday Monday!

2010-01-11T09:17:00.005-05:00

I woke up this morning and decided it was a good morning to start fixing up my craft area in the basement. Last night I was researching something I could make my sister for her birthday and I woke up this morning inspired. As of right now I have a beaten down dresser and a shelving unit. I hope I can turn it into a usable space for crafts as well as a wrapping area. Since it is in my basement I am not sure how cute it will be...so we will just have to see what kind of creativity I have. My Aunt Jane is super creative and probably has a killer craft area at her house, maybe I will call her up to get some advice. If it is not cute I am sure I will make up for it in organization. I love organization and my entire house reflects that. All in all, I am not expecting any miracles just a usable space. Above is what I am envisioning. I will keep you posted!

success

2010-01-07T20:41:00.004-05:00

Well...the second trip to IKEA was a success. Not only did I get Norah's hat back (which I am still shocked it was there) and I was able to get the pictures that were out of stock at the last visit...I was able to come home with a lot more great finds. I have a theory about IKEA now. I think that you should first go to IKEA and check out all the good things they have to offer. Then you go home and look around your house and process what you think would be good to purchase then you go back to IKEA and make perfect purchases. I love that store...ohhh the little things.

Norah is now 21 months old...I can hardly believe it and she talks all the time. She copies what you say, sings to songs, and loves talking about all of the things she observes. Sometimes the way she says words are not understood but still super cute. For instance, the way she says Snow. She says, "ohhhh, nose." Today we took her out in the snow for the first time ever. Last year see was still too little but this year she is perfect. We put her on the sled. And she says
"ready, set, go" and you go down the little bunny hill. Seriously...she is so much fun. I always cannot wait to get her up in the morning and never want to put her to bed at night.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

first time blogger

2010-01-06T09:46:00.003-05:00

so...I got this idea yesterday that I wanted to start a blog...so here I am. I am not sure what I want the direction of this blog to be so until I figure that out I guess I will just talk about life.

I titled this blog "it's the little things" because I feel like that is a good description of my life. I love the little things in life. I think I get excited most about the little things...I look forward to the little things. My husband loves that I am this way because it makes pleasing me easy I think. I don't think I have high expectations about much so pretty much everything seems fun. For example...I get to go to IKEA for the second time in 4 days today! I am super excited about that. I have to go back because:
1. Norah lost her cute knitted hat there...just a shot in the dark I called them yesterday and they have it! -I was pleasantly surprised to know it is there.
2. I went to get a picture for my kitchen and they were sold out. This actually really bummed me out because those pictures were the only thing I went there for so I am glad I have another reason to go back!

...that's all for now I suppose